A.N.: Wrote this while listening to Cold Front by Laura Welsh, it's a good track to listen to while reading this chapter too

~Chapter I: Cold Front~

Noel loved him, with all his heart. No matter that the world was on its last legs and everything around them was dead or dying, Noel refused to let go of the one thing which gave him a meaning in this bland and empty landscape.

The barren wasteland of sands they lived in, so lifeless and vast, served as a constant reminder of the inevitable death they were all forced to face. As his friends and family faded and withered away around him from disease or starvation, the last tribe of Gran Pulse was reduced to less than twenty stragglers who were unlucky enough to survive into the depressing future, where the only thing to do was await your own death.

So of course Noel clung to him, he was the only hope he had of still feeling alive, even though he knew Caius never returned these feelings, he was thankful enough Caius offered himself up to Noels comfort.

The two had been close throughout their gloomy childhood, brought together and bonding over the protection of the young and beautiful Yuel. Sometimes Noel would feel jealous when Caius poured and lavished attention on her, while he would always watch on in the background. Always feeling like the third wheel until Caius would come searching for him, come straight into his room without a word and crush his lips against Noels, knowing he would be instantly accepted and forgiven. Noels arms would always wrap around him as Caius pinned him to his bed, carnal desire taking over him as time and time again he would bite at Noels neck, marking him as his own. Noel did nothing to stop him, he let Caius do as he pleased, he gave himself fully to him, his body was his, to do with as he pleased.

How could Noel not? How could he not when Caius was the only person he had left…

After he was finished, Caius was always silent and never spoke a word to Noel, no matter how vocal he was during their sex. He would sit on the side of the bed, his back facing Noel for a brief pause before standing to dress himself. Before leaving Noel, sweat sticking his brown hair to his forehead, struggling to catch his breath as his naked body was left alone, lying on the single bed, purple-red marks glowing on his neck.

Each time he watched the other man leave, he felt a spike crashing through his heart, another little pin poking him in the chest every time, another reminder that Caius didn't love him, another pain reminding him Caius didn't care, each time those black boots crossed the floor and left him.

But he wouldn't cry, the brunette would always pull the blanket over his head and wait for sleep to claim his tired aching frame. There was no need for tears in this world, who would see them fall? Who would comfort you? Everyone was going through exactly the same thing alone.

Except Noel wasn't alone, Noel had Caius.

One day after another of Caius' visits to his room, after a day of tough hunting under the heat of the dessert, Caius stood from the bed and began to put on his clothes.

Noels eyes slowly traced over his finely toned figure, eyes not mapping out his body, merely remembering it from many other times, many other encounters…all of which ended the same way.

Caius was pulling on his undershirt when he felt himself being watched. He frowned slightly and turned to see Noel was sat up on the bed, his brown eyes locking with Caius's purple ones.

Noels words cut through the silent air between them,

"Why do you always leave me?"

he asks and the other mans frown deepens.

"Because I have to"

He replies coolly and returns to redressing his half-naked body.

Noel is silent once again, his eyes staring off vacantly as he processes Caius' reply. It doesn't make any sense to him, Caius knows Noel would give him anything, even the moon if he asked for it. Things that were impossible, Noel would still try to please him. Caius had no reason to leave him…other than…

"You don't love me" Noel snapped suddenly, his teeth clenching and a frown gracing his face as he stared at the other mans back, gripping the bedsheets in his fists. Caius didn't pause in dressing himself, even at this personal accusation. Noel felt himself gripping the bedsheets tighter, his hands beginning to sweat as his glare intensified on Caius' back. He didn't care how desperate he sounded, everybody in this god forsaken future needed another to rely on.

'Why won't he answer me?' His confused rage in his head making his brain feel like it was beating like his heart was pounding in his chest as Caius continued dressing himself as he always did, as if Noel wasn't in the room, as if he hadn't a care in the world about how much the younger brunette sought his affections.

Noel dared not speak another word, hoping Caius would be overcome by guilt and apologise, or at least reassure him. But the silence dragged on, the only noises being the wind as it rattled the metal sheet currently being used as a roof over Noels bed and the noise of Caius' boots being fastened.

Once Caius was dressed he turned and faced Noel, who glared back up at his elder, rage burning in his brown eyes. Caius looked blankly to the young brunette who bore his love bite on his collar bone. Caius's eyes absently traced over the mark as he spoke,

"You aren't supposed to love me" his graceful voice filled the room, a hint of sadness detected in his voice, before he looked up from Noels red bite and into his eyes, only meeting them for a second before turning and swiftly exiting the room. Leaving Noel all alone with the rattling of his roof and the howling of the desert winds.

A.N.: Gonna try keep this brief; review please, I might release the next chapter faster xD If not, the next update will be in 4 days because I went mad and wrote this entire story in one sitting o.o Although to be fair, they are short chapters. Well hope you like it so far! I just wanted to write Noel x Caius for some reason, mainly because they're isn't enough of it out there and I wanted to put my version out there xD...also about the M rating, there is no explicit smut xD I just wanted to play it safe! Also I know Noel is meant to have Yuel as a friend too but, a) I dislike her and b) she's too young and busy being seeress xD