Timeline: before Noah and Michael started dating.
[Noah x Michael]
-E/NC-
Everyone knew he was crazy about the blonde-haired man; Noah Carter.
He was always picking on his friends about Noah this, Noah that, and all the things he could talk about Noah. His friends thought he was obsessed, but he didn't really care, he just really liked Noah.
Things about Noah impressed him. Stunning red eyes, attractive porcelain white skin and blonde hair with a few white strands, beautiful face, adorable cold demeanor, extraordinary intelligence, and there was so much more that he could say about Noah. The perfect man. He liked watching him from afar, he liked hearing his voice, he liked when he got nervous when they talked to each other.
But even so, Michael seemed to realize that he might make Noah felt uncomfortable, but he couldn't stop. He always came to his father's work and annoyed the young man, he always wanted to be close to Noah.
Sometimes he felt it was too much, he wanted to quit, he always tried. However, there was something inside Noah that attracted him. So, he waited.
Waiting for the time when Noah finally says he has a lover.
And he will move on.
Really!
Even though it looks like he has to spend a few nights crying over this—but it wasn't Noah's fault if Noah didn't like him back, his attitude could make Noah felt uncomfortable, right?
"Mike—can you stop talking about Carter?" Mark cut him off with irritation.
The brown-haired man grinned. "But he's charming."
"But you don't have to talk all about him all the time! Hell, Mike, he probably doesn't know that part about himself." Mark rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly, no longer understanding Michael's obsession. "You've been chasing him all these years and never give up, and he hasn't even glanced at you!"
"You're just jealous," Michael replied as he stuck his tongue out at Mark, Mark scowled in disbelief.
"You—"
Alec immediately intervened between the two of them and laughed. "Come on Mark, we've kept telling Michael that and Michael doesn't stop at all," he said as he put his arms around Michael, Simon giggling along beside him.
"Unless you're really jealous, Markie."
"Shut your mouth, Abraham." Mark narrowed his eyes at Simon who shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not jealous, I just don't understand his way of thinking."
Michael chuckled briefly. "I do like him, but I never expected him to like me back." He smiled faintly. "I guess I did make him feel bothered anyway," Michael muttered before wincing, but he grinned afterward. "Well, just wait for him to have a lover and I will end my obsession over him."
"Then I hope he has a lover soon," Mark grumbled. "My ears are burning to hear you talk about it every second."
"You really are jealous of him, Mark."
"No! You son of a bitch!"
Michael giggled at the continued bickering, he decided to listen to the argument as they continued to walk together on the pavement. He looked around the public park, staring boredly. This afternoon there weren't many people visiting the park. Then a man in the distance caught his attention.
It was Noah, looked like he just came back from his college.
"Bye!" He darted away leaving his three friends without saying anything else and smiling broadly, sprinting towards where Noah was quickly. "Noah!"
Noah turned his head, he was no longer surprised when he lunged at him with a sudden hug. Noah just exhaled heavily and patted the top of his head a little, making him smile even wider because usually Noah used to pushed him away each time he did that. "What are you doing here? Isn't Mr Afton punishing you because you deliberately skipped school last week?"
"Father's detention doesn't matter," he replied, showing a grin when Noah gave a reaction that says 'Of course, why did I ask?'. "Noah what are you doing here?"
"Just finished discussing my thesis with my lecturer." Noah showed a pile of documents in his hand.
Michael pursed his mouth as a sign of understanding, then drew closer to Noah as they walked together. Michael stifled a giggle, Noah glanced at him in confusion. Then, Michael made a crooked smile. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"
Suddenly Noah stopped walking, he looked at him confused. "Why do you ask that?" Noah frowned.
He raised both eyebrows, then looked away quickly and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He really liked Noah, but if knowing that Noah felt uncomfortable with him because of it, it hurt him too. He didn't want to make Noah feel like that around him. His feelings were unsettled. "Because I want to know," he answered quietly, before he returned to his playful mood and nudged Noah playfully. "You should have a lover soon!"
Noah's forehead furrowed deeper, Noah held his hand and Michael blinked confusedly. "Why do I should have a lover right away?"
Noah's question left him speechless. He couldn't help but he didn't want Noah to have a boyfriend, but that could make him forget his feelings for Noah and they could be normal friends. "Because," he stuttered. "Because ... having a lover is fun!"
"If I'm looking for a new person to date and have fun with, I'd rather not have one at all." Noah released his grip on Michael's wrist and snorted.
Michael scowled. "So what?" He rubbed his wrist briefly. "If you have a lover, I'll eventually stop chasing you too, you know? Isn't that what you wanted all along?"
"When did I say that?" Noah raised an eyebrow. "Did I ever say I want you to stop chasing me?"
Michael blinked slowly and his lips parted slightly. "What do you mean ..."
"I like you, Michael."
His eyes widened for a moment and his breath stopped, his heart beating fast. The words seemed unreal to him, was he dreaming? Was he slacking off? Was his hearing getting worse? Was he in another world? Was this not the Noah he knew? A warm sensation traveled down his cheeks to his ears, his throat felt dry and unable to make him speak.
Then he saw how Noah also widened his eyes and gasped in surprise, he saw how Noah's face immediately turned red before Noah covered his face with his hands.
"You like me?" Michael finally managed to speak, though his chest was still pounding.
Noah didn't answer for a few minutes, Michael was starting to think maybe he had heard wrong things and was going to try to put the whole awkwardness aside. However, before he could do so, he could hear Noah's low whisper. "I like you ...."
Yep, right, maybe he was dreaming and in another world all at once, maybe his ears did have a problem, maybe this wasn't the real Noah.
"YOU LIKE ME!?"
"Don't make me repeat it thrice, you fool!"