FOUND |✔️

4.

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Gosh, time does fly and it's so crazy. What do you mean more than a week has passed??? What am I doing with my life??>_<. Anyway, I'm going to start writing in POVs so we can get to know the characters, I'm often not so talented at writing in third person but whatevs. Here's a chapter! Enjoy!

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4 years later...

"Shh-shh...you're fine," It was around 4 am when Noel was having another nightmare. No, this wasn't the first time such was happening, the fearsome nights had reduced the older Noel got, but it still took a lot to calm the boy down. Today's nightmare alarmed Devin out of his own sleep. The boy's cries and pleas rushed him to the room–Devin's room–Noel slept. If he had wasted any more time, the boy's unconsciousness might have turned into a fatal seizure.

Noel's pale skin was bubbling with sweat, his arid jet hair now clung to his forehead and the edges of his face. His feet appeared to still be shaking vigorously, disorganizing the arrangement of the sheets. Not once did Noel stop staring at his protector, even his hands wouldn't let Devin go. He wanted to feel safe again and Devin was his only comfort zone.

"S-Sir, you're never gonna leave me, right?" Noel whispered against Devin as the man held onto the poor boy, his voice like lukewarm water flowing freely.

"I'll always be here, don't fret."

"T-Then, can I...um," Noel sniffed in his tears, finding trouble finishing his question. He shifted, this time staring deep into the man's eyes to get his request across. The turquoise pigment of Noel's eyes sparkled in the darkness leaving no room for Devin to look away. Devin was entranced.

"Can we...spend the night together from now on?" Not once did Noel blink, he seemed quite persistent about his request. The boy wanted to know what it would feel like to spend the night with someone they cherished. Someone like his protector.

"Is that what you want?"

Noel didn't hesitate to nod, his body moved again to kneel on the mattress, rubbing his palms together as he pleaded with the man. Devin flinched and held the boy's hands to stop the action.

"Sure, sure, but don't... do that," The man frowned, "I'm not a god to receive such a pleading action. You don't have to rub your palms to me again. Just ask and you shall receive, unfailingly." The man said with hardness in his tone making Noel frown as he sat back down to lean on Devin.

"Begging like that makes you look like a housefly, or are you one?"

"No!" Noel yelled sharply, upset by the remark his protector made about him. He always wanted Devin to praise him, not call him some weak fly. He would never beg like that again! Doing that made a memory cross his mind and soon, his mood unexpectedly died down into one of sorrow.

"My mother always used to do that," This was the first time Noel had attempted to at least talk about his life, it was so surreal that Devin couldn't believe he heard right. Through the years, not once had he gotten close to knowing how Noel had ended up in his home. Devin believed the boy even had a memory loss.

"She would kneel and rub her palms to save herself,"

Devin didn't say anything and waited for the boy to continue. He caressed the boy's forearm to show comfort and assurance.