Kare ni Suki shimatta (( |WW| & CesareB )) 18+

[CesareB]

Leone heard a thump and looked at Noah. In response, Noah fell face first unto Leone's chest. To the chocolate haired man's surprise, Noah looked stricken in fear.

 

"Err… Noah… you okay?" he asked, reaching for the brat's head.

 

As soon as his hand touched the top Noah's head, he started rubbing it. Leone had remembered his father doing the same thing long ago. It had happened when Leone fell and scraped his knee. His father helped him up and rubbed his head.

 

"Is your knee okay? I'll check it out, if you want," he suggested, repeating the words his father had said to him once.

 

He said that because… well, because he never knew what to say. He didn't socialize with others much. But when he did, Leone tried his best to be friendly and caring. After all, that was how his parents had been.

[|WW|]

"Err… Noah… you okay?"

 

He winced when the hand landed on his head, but when nothing happened after but some soft rubs over his clean hair he silently let out the breath he'd been holding. Just what was going on? He didn't understand. This whole situation was messing with his usual cool manner. Ever since he'd arrived here he felt like his emotions were being poked at. He didn't know how to handle it.

 

"Is your knee okay? I'll check it out, if you want."

 

"I.. I don't know." He answered blankly, somehow unable to remove himself from the soft caress on his head. He wanted to pull away, and yet he wanted to stay. His knee would be fine. I mean, he just bumped the thing is all. Nothing yet another ice pack wouldn't fix.

 

"Why are you being so nice. I don't understand it at all," he whispered, soft blues rising a bit to look up at Leone. "People are always mad. They're almost never nice. If you aren't someone special, they aren't nice at all. So why are you?" He frowned, a crease gently wrinkling between his brows.

[CesareB]

"Why are you being so nice? I don't understand it at all. People are always mad. They're almost never nice. If you aren't someone special, they aren't nice at all. So why are you?"

 

Hearing those words, Leone stopped rubbing Noah's blue hair and stared. "Why am I nice?"

 

He could remember the way his mother treated the neighbors. Even if they were grumpy, she would smile brightly and welcome them into her home. Even Leone's father was like that. He always cared for others. It seemed natural for Leone to want to be like them, right?

 

"It's the right thing to do, right? Plus, it's what my parents did. They were always caring and kind. They died when I was five, so I try my best to remember them. And why would I want to be mad at you? I'm the one who surprised you," Leone answered. "And you remind me of myself when I was a teenager…"

[|WW|]

"It's the right thing to do, right? Plus, it's what my parents did. They were always caring and kind. They died when I was five, so I try my best to remember them. And why would I want to be mad at you? I'm the one who surprised you," Leone answered. "And you remind me of myself when I was a teenager…"

 

Noah continued to frown, listening. He'd not attempted to pull away until the word parents came up. His parents were kind, so he was kind. It's just that simple? People just decided to be nice because their folks were such wonderful role models? No, that wasn't the case more than 80% of the time. People did what the hell they wanted because it's what they wanted to do, not because they are some sort of cookie-cut example. Leone was an exception somehow, but he still didn't like the simplicity of the answer.

 

"So what, now you pitying me? I somehow hit something from your sad past, is that it? I don't need none of that." He whispered, pulling away from the hand that had somehow warmed his head. It felt empty without for a moment. Deciding he was done with the groceries he backed up further, giving them plenty of breathing room. He was such an idiot for allowing that close call in the first place.

 

Letting his guard down for someone he didn't even really know. He'd felt a pang of jealousy at the mention of having parents and remembering them. Even if they had died; he still had known them. Noah had nothing but blurs and puzzles, like his memories had been put in a blender then poured back into his head as some horrible joke.

 

But with that aside, he suddenly remembered. "You ran off with my underwear."

[CesareB]

Leone heard a whisper from Noah as he pulled away. He didn't want to ask him to repeat it. For some reason unbeknown to Leone, Noah seemed frustrated and angry.

 

Hearing Noah's words, Leone looked up and nodded. "Hm… yeah. But don't make it seem that way. I'm not a pervert. If you're looking for your clothes, they're in a plastic bag on the sofa."

 

Leone wanted to know what set Noah off, but he didn't want to dig too deep into Noah's past. After all, once a person is involved, it's almost hard to shake them off. That was a cruel way to put it, but that was how Leone tried to think. Hence the word try. But he couldn't think that way. It was utterly impossible for the kindhearted and generous Leone. Well… he wasn't that kind. Especially when someone was attacking him or harassing him…

 

He walked into the living room and put on his shoes. For some reason, Leone had forgotten that he was supposed to go job searching. It didn't matter where he worked, truthfully. As long as he got his pay, he could live. That wasn't the right way to live, but Leone had grown up like that. Just as he was generous, he also never took jobs seriously. And he wondered why he lived in such a shabby apartment in a dingy neighborhood. L

 

"Oh," Leone called out to Noah, wherever he was, "I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back in maybe… three hours or so. Don't burn down the apartment." He added his uncharacteristically handsome smile. "I'm just kidding. Be safe."

[|WW|]

"Hm… yeah. But don't make it seem that way. I'm not a pervert. If you're looking for your clothes, they're in a plastic bag on the sofa."

 

Noah nodded and slipped away to retrieve the few items he owned. His jeans had managed to make it through the laundering without ripping any further, and his boxer-briefs were now squeaky clean. He sniffed at them then wrinkled his nose, wondering what detergent was used. Not that it mattered; they just.. smelled really good. He really should have been nicer about it. Leone had bought food, and even cleaned his clothes- which weren't really worth cleaning honestly. They were on their last leg.

 

For some reason the guy just pushed Noah's buttons. He felt like a piece of paper being torn down the middle. One side was the part of him that wanted to accept the kindness; the other the side that just couldn't understand such foreign feelings and made him lash out somewhat immaturely. He didn't feel shame for the conflict, but he did feel a sense of guilt or at least what he thought was guilt.

 

"Oh, I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back in maybe… three hours or so. Don't burn down the apartment." He added his uncharacteristically handsome smile. "I'm just kidding. Be safe."

 

Noah looked up, holding his clothes seeming to be at a loss. The burning down the apartment joke made his expression change from deep thought to a small quirk at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah, I'll try not to." He hesitated when Leone went for the door and then took a step towards him; blurting out what he was thinking. "Thanks, I mean, for washing my stuff."

 

He shifted the bundle awkwardly in his arms when Leone left and went to change into his own clothes now that they'd been returned. He busied himself with other things while the man was gone, like cleaning what he could manage. Occasionally he couldn't help but poke through drawers or cabinets, more curious now than wanting to find something of value. Somehow the want to take something had faded. Maybe if he behaved himself he'd get a better reward than being a thief. With a free place to stay, he could hardly argue. And he found himself wanting to know more about Leone.