Okay this chapter has to be the LONGEST one I have ever written out of all my stories. 6,664 words!? Damn that's a recorded for me. The next half will be up tomorrow.

Bless You(Guest): Thank you!

Noiz Good End Part 1

Noiz was admitted to the hospital for his injuries from protecting me, and I visited him every day to take care of him. At first, Noiz couldn't move at all, but as the days passed, things were starting to look up and he was discharged with no problems.

Noiz had regained sensation in his body. His lack of pain just seemed like something he'd been born with, but his astounding recovery had the doctors tilt their heads in wonder. I'm guessing it was some sort of side effect from when I used Scrap on his mind.

Or maybe it didn't have anything at all to do with Noiz opening his heart to me.

Anyway, Noiz recovery went really smoothly. But just before he was discharged, we ended up trying all sorts of things whenever I visited.

Man, it must be nice to be so young. Really.

I tried to visit every day, so it's not like this was some sort of pent up frustration. But for one reason or another, it was like something flipped a switch inside him and he'd want to do it all of a sudden. But, I could never tell when or where said switch would flip on, so I was always a bit on edge. It was then I started bringing condoms with me in case the switch would suddenly flip on. Though that ended on the first day when Noiz said he didn't like it…

"It feels weird…"

"Well, unless you want to be a father in 9 months then I suggest you suck it up."

"…"

And I think this was three days before he was discharged…

"Nnn…!"

"If you make too much noise, the people in the hall might hear you, alright?"

"…Nn! ...Nn."

…And sometimes he'd suddenly kiss me while he was eating, or feed me mouth-to-mouth. Noiz didn't seem to find any of that gross like a normal person might though…

Now, this is coming from me, but he seemed to be fine with just about anything if he was doing it with me. And then I found out something while I was taking care of him. Noiz's ring and little finger on his left hand were ever so slightly bent. He'd broken them as a kid apparently, and they never healed right. When I heard the story and took a closer look at them they were definitely bent: must've been annoying. But he hides it so well; one wouldn't really notice it normally.

It kind of pains me to see Noiz talk about stuff like that with that careless expression of his.

I remember the bit of Noiz's past I touched on when I Scrapped him. Back then…Back when Noiz was a kid, there wasn't anyone to treat his wounds or take him to the hospital. When I thought about it, I just instinctively held Noiz's left hand. Noiz just looked at me like 'what?'

When Noiz was discharged, we fought in Rhyme like we'd promised. I ended up winning…And Noiz disappeared. It'd been over three months and I hadn't heard a word from him. I couldn't dig up any information on him either.

I searched and searched and searched…

I didn't care if I couldn't see him again; I just wanted to know if he was alright. But, for whatever reason, I couldn't find out where he was, I started to consider giving up. We might never see each other again. But, I'm sure he's doing fine somewhere.

I forced myself to believe it.

…And then, one day. He just appeared before me again.

"…Yo."

"…"

"So you're still working here. And you still have that ugly mug."

I was so shocked I thought my heart might stop…

I was wondering if I was dreaming…

He was wearing a suit, and told me that he got a bunch of stuff sorted out and that he had come to see me.

He…

"!? Uwah!"

"Don't be so rowdy. You'll fall."

He picked me up, right in the middle of the shop, right in front of Haga-san and those stupid brats and everything.

"…You little?!"

As Noiz goes to walk out of the shop with me in his arms, I reach out and grab my bag off the floor with Ren in it.

"Woah, shit!" I almost drop Ren, so I hug him tight. "Are you alright, Ren!?"

"No problem."

I struggle and flail, but Noiz pays me no mind and calmly walks out into the street with me.

"Hey, Noiz!"

"What."

"Don't 'what' me! Put me down!"

By the time I get a chance to say anything, Haga-san and the brats are already a ways in the distance.

Man…

Everyone saw this ridiculous scene…

That was so embarrassing, how am I supposed to go to work tomorrow…And I mean, what's wrong with you, walking down the street like this in plain view!

I'll just die if we run into anyone else I know…!

"H-Hey now, would you cut it out…"

"We're going to your house."

"…Huh!?"

Somehow it seems like this already ludicrous situation has gotten even crazier. I stare at Noiz.

"…House?"

"Yep."

"Whose house?"

"Yours."

"…Huh?"

Oh, I see, we're going to my house…Wait a damn second.

NO NO NO NO!

"Why are we going to my house!?"

"Well, I've got to meet your family."

"What!?"

I don't understand what's going on at all.

"If I'm taking you with me, we're gonna do this right. It's called integrity."

"…"

Integrity…

Oh, right. So, since he's taking me away to Germany, he wants to do the whole asking-for-my-hand thing. I mean, that's not totally off the mark, but I guess it's close enough. I didn't think integrity of this sort was something young people valued these days though.

But this is kinda…weird?

"…Okay, whatever, just let me down okay!"

It seems like I'm just going to get more flustered the more I think about it, so I force my way out of Noiz's arms. I've got to get this situation sorted before it becomes totally out of hand.

Once my feet hit the ground and I catch my breath, I slip the bag I'd crammed Ren into off my shoulder. I escaped Noiz's grasp but he just stands there, looking at me like nothing's up.

"Do you hate being held by me that much?"

"No! That's entirely beside the point!"

"So you didn't mind it?"

"Uh, n-no…It's just a figure of speech…" I stutter looking off to the side.

"Hmm." Noiz smirks. Ah, god damn it…! He really hasn't changed a single bit! "So, what are we gonna do? Are we going or not? If you really don't want to, I'll forget about it."

"Uuurrhh~~~!"

Right.

Going to my place, meeting my family…I had forgotten about that for a second, what am I gonna do? Meeting my family would basically mean Granny, right? Just going like "I'm taking her to Germany" Won't make any sense and we'll have to explain, right? Probably. This is like one of those things you see on TV with the 'may I have your daughter's hand in marriage' stuff.

…Woah…

Embarrassment aside, isn't it too fantastical to even imagine…

The idea of leaving the island all of a sudden doesn't even feel real. I've lived here my whole life, Midorijima is my whole world, and everyone I love is here. I think it'll take more courage than I'd thought to leave this place.

I really…don't know what to do.

"…" When I look at Noiz again, he gives me a 'what do you want to do?' look. This sounds crazy coming from me, but that face he's making makes it look like it's definitely not a joke…Is this unusual seriousness part of this 'integrity' thing too? I mean, I guess the two of us talking to Granny is going to be unavoidable if I want to be with Noiz from now on.

Leave the island and go be with Noiz.

…Doesn't sound so bad.

…Yeah.

"…Fine."

"We going?"

"Yeah."

The second Noiz sees me nod he starts walking. But…I guess I am nervous about talking to Granny after all… I feel like I'm walking stiffly as I follow after Noiz when Ren peeks out of the bag.

"Aoba, are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah. Something like that…"

There's no turning back now. Whatever happens, happens. If Granny shows signs of disapproval, I'll just have to explain it properly to make her understand.

With renewed resolve, I head to my house with Noiz.

"…Germany?"

Granny sits at the dinner table, her mouth hanging open as she reacts to Noiz's words as if she'd never heard them before in her life.

"Yes." Noiz sits across from her, nodding as he looks her in the eye.

Granny just stares at Noiz blankly, her mouth still open. It's like walking on eggshells. I tense up as I sit next to Noiz.

Shit.

I'm starting to sweat. My throat is dry. I feel like every time I swallow, the sound must be deafening. I've never been so nervous in my life…When I glance over to Noiz, he looks calm as ever. Does he ever get nervous or anxious…?

"Germany… like the country?" Granny finally says after she takes a sip of her tea.

"Yes."

"I don't really mind if you go. And you didn't need to get my permission or anything."

"This isn't just some one-off vacation. It's permanent." Noiz said.

"…Permanent? What do you mean? As in moving there?" Granny asked confused.

"Yeah. With me."

"…"

Granny seems taken aback. It gives me chills from my seat. After all that stuff in Platinum Jail and everything went back to normal, this kind of conversation is kinda…

I guess there's no easy way to do this.

"That's…kind of sudden. If you're going to be living there, do you have a place already? How are you going to make a living?" Granny begins asking him serious questions.

"There's no need to worry about that. I already have a job over there. An extra person isn't a big deal."

"But…Why Aoba? How did this happen? I mean, I have a pretty good idea, but it's hard to accept this suddenly."

When Granny says that, Noiz closes his mouth and straightens up a bit. "I only have one reason. I need her…I need Aoba."

"…."

"I knew this wouldn't be an easy conversation. But I came here ready for that. I've made the preparations. I don't want to cause Aoba any discomfort. I think she should be able to come back here whenever, if she wants to. I have no intention of tying her down. I just…" Noiz pauses for a second before speaking back up again "I want to be with Aoba. That's why I want to take her with me."

I don't think I've ever heard Noiz sound so serious before…My chest feels uncomfortably hot. Normally he's always so standoffish, like he's trying to push people away and doesn't give a shit about anything.

When did he get so eloquent?

He seems so unusually calm, and…Hearing him talk about how he feels about me so clearly, it's embarrassing, but it makes me happy. Knowing that Noiz feels that strongly about me and came for me made me so weirdly happy. And he's calling me by my name like it's nothing…

"…" Granny stares intently into Noiz's eyes, as if trying to confirm something. The atmosphere is so tense that it feels like time has stopped. It's so silent that I don't even dare move a finger as Granny shifts her gaze to me. "What about you, Aoba?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah."

"I…" I drop my gaze to my feet, and clench my sweaty fists balled in my lap. I can't really tell what direction this conversation's going in, but I guess I should be more direct. If I don't tell her how I feel about this, there's no way she'll be okay with it. I steel myself, raise my head, and look her right in the eye. "..Honestly, I'm still kind of unsure about leaving the island. I'm really not sure still. I've lived here my whole life all my memories are here. And I'm worried about you, so I don't know if I should go."

"But…He's made all sorts of arrangements to take me with him. And he went back to his home country and faced all that he had to with integrity. And he told me that he did it all just for me. I was super surprised…It made me really happy that he did all that for me…It kinda hit me like a load of bricks, and I kinda, um.…I think I love him."

Shit. My face is burning up. I really can't look at Noiz.

"And like, he's always getting himself into trouble, so I'm like, maybe I better go with him." I start rambling out of embarrassment. I can feel Noiz's piercing gaze from the side. "So, I think I want to go with Noiz."

Granny knits her brows a bit and looks at me. Her gaze makes me feel anxious. It's a no-go after all, huh? That wasn't good enough to get through to her? But…But if Granny tells me no, then I'll…

I tighten my fists in my lap. I feel like I'm sitting on a bed of nails when Granny sighs.

"Don't be so quick to rush into things. When you're young you tend to make hasty decisions that you'll regret later. Are you really sure you're okay with this?"

"Huh?"

Granny seems to be looking right into my heart.

"I want you to think about this more carefully." Granny said "Just judging from what you're telling me now, you're still not sure. You're not ready to leave this place. If you're feeling that wishy-washy already and force yourself to make a decision, you're bound to regret it. Judgement is frail in the heat of the moment. Do you really want to go with this boy?"

"…Of course I do."

"And this isn't just a heat of the moment thing?"

"! No, not at all!"

"So you're saying you really love him?"

"…Nn, yeah. I love him. I mean, I'm still unsure about leaving the island. You're here, and so is everyone else, and this is my home…But-I am sure that I love Noiz. That's the one thing I'm absolutely positive about."

I don't want her to doubt my feelings. How much do I care about Noiz and how much did I want to see him? I spent all that time with him in the hospital, and I fought him in Rhyme even.

It was all for him.

Ever since I properly faced him, I…

I'm at a loss for words and hang my head, dejected as Granny lets out a light sigh.

"Alright then. If you're that sure, you can figure out the rest later. I'll say it one more time: if you're unsure you're sure to stumble. Follow your heart."

"…" I meet her gaze and silently nod. I can understand her concerns for me. I'm definitely still not one hundred percent on leaving the island. But, I just can't bring myself to say I won't go with Noiz. I feel like if I lose him now, we might never meet again…

"…Hmph." Granny stares at Noiz, looking him up and down. "So you got rid of all those piercings?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"A change of heart. And they weren't very professional, appearance-wise."

"I see." Granny nods and looks at me again. "Aoba."

"…Yes." The sound of my name unconsciously makes me sit up straight.

"Now this is backtracking a bit, but what did you mean when you said you were worried about me?"

"Huh?" I looked at her confused.

"I'm not so weak that I need you to be worrying about me."

"But…"

"Do you think I'd die without you here? Don't make me laugh." Granny scoffs "Plus, we can talk from anywhere, we can even video-chat. So even if we're separated, it's not a big deal."

…Huh?

Does that mean…

…Granny.

"Oh, yeah, of course…Plus after we get settled I'll come back to visit right away!" I get real excited. "How about in three months, no, sooner, two months!"

"Isn't that a bit too soon? Plus, won't that be expensive?" Granny asked.

"Money isn't a problem." Noiz said.

"….I see."

"Actually, if you wanted to join us, I wouldn't mind." Noiz says easily and Granny closes her eyes.

"Yeah, I'll have to pass on that one."

"So, you don't object to my taking Aoba with me?"

"Yeah. Aoba is prone to worrying. I'm fine on my own."

"Granny…"

Granny is allowing it. I feel my eyes start to burn and try to hold back the tears.

"B-But, Granny, does that mean…you approve of us being together…?" I know I already said I love him and all sorts of other stuff, but I want to say it. I just let the heat of the moment get to me and asked. Had that not been the case I'd have never brought it up.

"…" Granny sips her tea and looks up at me. "Well, at least now I can look forward to having great-grandchildren someday."

"Gr-Granny…!" I can feel my face heating up again as I briefly felt Noiz chuckle beside me.

"…But, it's a miracle that you made it this far already." She continues to speak, with a smile "I just want you to be happy. So I think you should do what you want to do. But don't forget what I said. If you're unsure, you'll stumble. But even if you stumble, don't give up."

"…" The tension had dissolved, but hearing that just make me want to cry more. I take slow, deep breaths to hold back the tears. I can feel the edges of my vision blurring as I reach out with one hand and set it on top of Granny's. "…Granny, thank you."

"HMPH."

"Grandma." When Noiz calls her 'Grandma', he straightens himself. And then he humbly lowers his head. "Thank you."

"…"

"…"

I didn't at all expect Noiz to do that. I forget my tears and look at him. Granny also looks surprised.

'Thank you.'

I never thought I would hear those words out of Noiz's mouth…But, I'm so happy. Noiz thanked her from the bottom of his heart. I'm so happy.

After that, it took us about two full days to get everything ready to depart for Noiz's home. Noiz is apparently staying at a hotel near the airport right now. The only airport on the island is inside Platinum Jail, but it's now open even to the old part of town so we can freely come and go. After talking to Noiz, I'd decided to go to Germany after all. We were talking about all sorts of things, and Noiz said this to me:

"I know Grandma brought this up, about you still being unsure."

"Oh…"

"Well, I agree with her. If you're just going along with me, but you're really still not ready, I want you to tell me. I don't want to take you against your will."

"-! That's not…"

"So, I want you to come with me first and see what it's like. You can decide what you want to do then. I mean, I do really want you to live with me over there."

"…"

I mean, it would be pretty difficult to just all of a sudden pick up and move. I do feel the same way about living with him in Germany though. But, I've still got ties to this place that I can't really sever. So, I was thankful for the suggestion of just going to see what it's like at first.

When I asked Noiz about the plane tickets, he said that there really aren't that many people leaving Midorijima. So we should be able to get them the day before or the day of, even. The day before we were to depart, I packed a few days' worth of clothes, picked up Ren, and went to Noiz's hotel. Noiz came all the way to my house to take me to the hotel in Platinum Jail near the airport.

When we got there, the place was huge. It was pure extravagance like everything in Platinum Jail. I stopped in my tracks in the hotel lobby, half out of curiosity and half out of nervousness.

"…" When I enter the lobby, it feels slightly ominous. When I think, wow this really is Platinum Jail…all sorts of thoughts run through my head. Memories, both found and bitter, flood my heart.

The hotel kind of reminds me of Glitter. It's much fancier than Glitter, and while the exterior matches the rest of the town, the lobby has a sort of classical atmosphere. The ceiling towers above me, with the elegant sound of water flowing from the fountain in the center. There aren't many guests there, so the fluffy sofas and empty chairs scattered about stand out.

"…This brings back memories." I mumble. The feeling is rather complicated.

But, this isn't like it was back then. The biggest difference is the staff. When Platinum Jail was opened up the staff was replaced. Now it's largely comprised of people from town. So, the lobby has a kind of peaceful feel to it.

As I take in my surroundings, Noiz heads directly for the elevator. I hurry after him.

"Uh, hey, what about the keys?"

"They use Coil locks here."

"Oh, I see."

Most people in the Old Residential District still use keys, but I guess it makes sense that Platinum Jail would be on the cutting edge. Generally just a Coil is more than enough. Actually…aside from Glitter, I've never stayed in a hotel before. I'm secretly excited to see what the room is like. Just a little tense, I ride the elevator up with Noiz.

"Wow~!"

Noiz's Coil…a thin, silver bracelet, opens the door and when we walk in, I am so amazed that I can't hold back a gasp of amazement. First off, it's huge. I could probably fit my room in here two to three times over. In front of me is a window, so large it reminds me of an aquarium. The night sky spreads out infinitely.

The faint light floods the room and the carpet at my feet is kind of soft: I can feel my shoes sinking into it. The bed is huge and the sofa looks expensive too…

"This really does feel like a penthouse suite…"

"It seems worth investigating." Ren said.

"It looks like there's even enough space under the bed that I could fit under it." I mutter.

"What are you babbling about?" Noiz slips past me while I'm standing dumbfounded in the entryway, then opens a door off to the side and goes in.

Running to the bathroom?

I thought so, but when I peek into the door he had opened, I'm shocked.

"T-This is… a closet!?" It's so deep it might as well have been another room. Hangers hang from silver-colored poles. Noiz takes one and hangs his jacket on it. "Wow it's so big…I thought this was the bathroom."

"…The bathroom?" Noiz mumbles, with a bit of a laugh mixed in.

I pout, as the gorgeous style of the room overwhelms me. "Oohhh…" I open my mouth but I can't manage any sound but a sigh.

"Here, you too."

I take the hanger Noiz was handing to me and hang up my jacket. I put the hanger on one of the rods in the closet and step out of it with Noiz.

Noiz lets out a little sigh of relief, undoes the top button of his shirt, and loosens his tie. He looks like quite the businessman. I can get used to this.

I guess he really was raised well…

It's like he's from a different world compared to me where all of this is new and strange.

"What's wrong? You look like an idiot."

When Noiz points it out, I shut my mouth, which had been hanging open slightly, and tighten up my expression.

"I'm sorry for being such a common person. I've never stayed in a room this big before. It's a real shock to a commoner like me."

"Whatever…" Noiz glances around the room. "I don't think it's all that big or fancy though."

"…Oh, really now?" So this is what being from different social strata is about huh…I grit my teeth and look around the room again. My eyes fall on a cart next to the sofa, covered in a white cloth. It's pretty large. "What's that?"

"Room service. I went ahead and ordered some things."

"Room service…" I think I've heard of that before. That's the thing where you can get fancy food from a fancy restaurant and eat it in your fancy room, right?

"Wanna eat first?" Noiz walks over to the cart and pulls off the cloth with intensity. Beneath it is a bunch of stuff I've never seen before.

Well, the one thing I can recognize is the plates…

I guess they do that so it doesn't get cold. There are two plates covered with lids which are fogged with steam and the drink glasses have lids on them too.

What precision…

"Are you going to join me?" Noiz removes the lid from on plate, picks it up along with a fork, then sits down on the couch to eat. He doesn't seem even remotely nervous like I am. It's like he's right at home here.

"And yet until recently all you'd been eating were pizza and pasta…" I mutter.

Actually…I mean, I get why, but feeling the difference in our social standings so clearly is kind of frustrating.

"Aoba, you better eat before it gets cold." Ren told me.

"Got it, Mom…" I was going to try to abstain to maintain my pride as a commoner, but the smell wafting off the cart goes straight to my head. I reluctantly sit down next to Noiz and dig in.

"…Phew."

After we finished the luxurious meal, I took a shower since Noiz said I could go first. Right now Noiz is taking a shower too.

"Ah, I feel so refreshed." I sit on the corner of the bed, drying my hair with a towel. I figure it might be more comfortable closer to the middle, but I'm so not used to this kind of place so the corner feels more comfortable.

I peek into my bag sitting on the sofa and see Ren curled up in sleep mode inside of it. But still…I think, gazing at the night sky through the window. Time really does keep marching on…

All sorts of things are changing so fast, I kinda feel like I'm being left behind. I never would have imagined I'd be gazing at the scenery in Platinum Jail from a place like this…

And being with Noiz too.

It all started from a random fight: you could hardly say we'd met. And we fought a bunch, but I couldn't leave him alone. And when Oval Tower was destroyed I lost the sensation in my hair while sensation returned to Noiz's body. A whole lot has really happened…

As I sit, pondering aimlessly, the sound of the water from the shower suddenly stops. I guess Noiz is done.

"…" Noiz returns to the bedroom with nothing on but a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still wet.

"…!" When I see him like that, my heart starts to pound so hard that I can hear it. I try not to think about it, but even though I avert my eyes…When two people stay over in a hotel, like, all sorts of things…

"It's hot." Noiz opens the refrigerator and takes out a bottle of water then takes a sip, before coming over to me. "Want some?"

"Uh, okay." I feel kind of embarrassed, so I just take the bottle. The bottle is cold, having just come out of the fridge. Droplets condense on the outside and drip off it. I bring it to my lips and take a little sip. Noiz sits down next to me. He's a lot closer than I'd thought and it just makes my pulse race faster.

Noiz seems oddly sullen as he stares fixedly at me. "…"

"W-What?"

"…You know." He says, suddenly pushing my shoulders down.

"Woah, he… It'll spill!" I hold out my hand holding the bottle and somehow avoid spilling its contents…I'd been literally pushed down by Noiz. I can feel Noiz's hard to read gaze and water from his hair falling on me. The feeling of being stared at makes me slightly uncomfortable. "W-What's your problem."

"You're still dressed."

"Huh?"

"Why?"

"Huh…"

Still dressed?

Why?

I repeat Noiz's words in my head a few times before I finally understand what he means. I mean, what kind of question is that though… I just put something on but…It's kind of cold in here with the AC and stuff.

"By the way, I've been thinking." Noiz says "You don't seem very happy to see me."

"…Huh?" The sudden question befuddles me. "…I don't really know what you mean…" Also your face is really close to mine…

"We haven't seen each other in so long, but you don't seem the least bit happy about it. And you never answered my question from when I went to pick you up."

Question?

"Don't tell me you've cheated?"

…

…?

?

"…Why are we jumping into this subject all of a sudden!?"

This conversation suddenly jumped off a cliff. No, this isn't the time for jokes. But this sudden talk of cheating…

"So, did you?"

"I did not!"

"Really?"

"Seriously now…" This conversation is really making me angry. I try taking deep breaths to calm myself down and stare intently at Noiz. "Cheating and stuff like that disgusts me. Plus, how could I?"

"Huh. So you haven't done it with anyone since then." Noiz said.

"I haven't."

"So, you've decided you just want me."

"Uh…" Putting it that way makes it too embarrassing to respond… Actually… "…What about you?"

"About what? Cheating?"

"…"

"You worried?" Noiz smirks.

Ugh…

I just asked the same question back, but why does it feel like I'm the one being interrogated here…!? This atmosphere feels kind of familiar though. I guess he really hasn't changed…

"I-It's not like I'm worried about that or anything…"

"Oh, really."

"…"

"So, you don't mind if I kiss or bed other people?"

"….Nng!" …Oh jeez! I feel something snap inside me and glare at Noiz, gritting my teeth. "Of course I mind! I'd hate that! And I do worry about that! It's only natural that you'd develop other interests, so of course I've thought about it!"

"Other interests?" Noiz knits his brows in suspicion.

I looked away in embarrassment right before I said it. My true feelings just spilled out… "I just mean, you must have met a lot of people since you went home, right?"

"Not that many really. I mean mostly company people and whatnot."

"You've lived alone so long… But now you're meeting all sorts of people and entering a new world."

"…?"

"And I just started thinking about all sorts of things…Like how your world must have gotten broader and you experienced new things. And it wouldn't really be that crazy if, in that new world…you ran into someone to your liking and stuff." I said. Noiz hadn't really been around other people much until now, and as the first person to get close to him, I was kind of a special case. But, I don't think I did anything special to get him to open up.

It's like how baby bird's imprint on the first thing they see. Noiz didn't know anyone but me and got attached. So if someone else had gotten to him first, they'd be where I am now. That idea was always festering in the back of my mind: I didn't want to see it. So when I didn't hear from him, I'd figured he wasn't coming back.

So it's only natural that I'd given up.

And not trusting him was part and parcel of that. It's kind of dumb. I thought, but… I have no right to stop Noiz from learning more about his new world. So I figured it was just inevitable.

"…" Noiz lets out a frustrated sigh as he gives me a look like he was saying 'What, are you stupid?' "And?"

"Never mind…"

"So what if my world gets broader and I experience new things?"

"…" I'm not even sure myself. What is this fuzzy anxiousness that won't go away? Is it because Noiz has changed so much? Because I feel like I'm being left behind…

While I was going crazy because he was out of touch, he got ahead of me somehow.

But he came back to me.

That made me really happy, but… Noiz's change was the result of experiences. So, I think my anxiety is related to the possibility of him 'knowing the world beyond me'.

I guess Noiz read between the lines because he frowns again and opens his mouth. "Don't you know me? While I was in the Old Residential District, all I ate was pizza and pasta, remember?"

…What's that got to do with anything?

"It's not like I didn't know things other than pizza and pasta existed, I just decided I liked them."

"But you didn't know anything about octopus dumplings or deep fried doughnuts, stuff everyone knows about…"

"Obviously I hadn't eaten everything. But, I'd tried enough things and I just didn't have any interest in anything else. I'm not really sure what's going through that head of yours about new worlds and new experiences. I don't really care about those things. Did you think that since I only knew about you, once I learn about other things my interest will shift?"

"…"

"It's not that simple. What are you, stupid? Why do you think I went all the way back to Germany and endured until today? I told you before, I wanted to come and get you properly. If I was the same person I was back then, I'd have just forced you along. But, I knew you'd hate me if I did that." Noiz looks at me, a bit shocked. "If you have time to think about this kind of bullshit, give me a little more credit."

"…" I can't take my eyes off him… But at the same time I feel really bad. I guess I just didn't trust Noiz enough. Noiz is always so quick to act; I never know what he's thinking. But, when Noiz came at me it was for real. He was always serious. He's always so direct about what he wants or doesn't want, and his stupid honesty was kind of overwhelming at first. After that, I started to care for him and just couldn't leave him alone anymore.

I mean, he came back to me… That in and of itself is Noiz's honest answer. I guess it's my fault for over-thinking things. I'm shocked by how petty I am, and with a wry smile I reach out to Noiz's cheek. "…I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you something I should have first thing. Welcome back, Noiz." I said with a smile.

"…"

"And, you've sure worked hard. You're such a good kid." I say jokingly and Noiz furrows his brows.

"I don't need to hear that from you."

"Didn't you just asked me to give you a little more credit?" This isn't his angry face, he's embarrassed. I can tell that much at least.

"…Hey." Noiz gets closer to my face. "I still haven't gotten an answer to my question."

"Question? Which one?"

"Like about if you kept thinking about seeing me."

"If I kept thinking about seeing you…?"

Did he ask me something like that?

"Yeah. Did you keep thinking about seeing me?"

"Oh…" I finally remembered. Now, that he mentions it, I think he did ask me something like that. I was so surprised back then; my memory's kind of a blur.

Did I forget to answer…?

"I still haven't heard your answer." Noiz said. "Did you miss me?"

"…" Noiz stares at me, waiting for an answer. I can feel my face burning. I look away and answer quickly. "…I missed you. The whole time, I missed you so much."

The words just spill out.

"…" Noiz lower his upper body and buries his face in my shoulder. His still wet hair tickles my cheek. "…I missed you too." He says breathily. His voice sounds completely different from his usual nonchalant tone as it hits my ears. "I haven't been with anyone but you either." …This is very him. "I want you. Only you." Noiz gradually puts his weight on me, his arms wrapping around my body to embrace me.

"Noiz…"

Noiz's warmth and his smell: I haven't felt it in a while. That alone makes my chest tighten up.

"I wanted to hold you like this for so long." Noiz raises his head and looks at me.

Suddenly, he brings his face closer and I reflexively close my eyes. "Nn…" I feel something soft against my lips and pull away. I open my eyes and Noiz chuckles.

"I've been dying to kiss you."

"…" …My mind is on fire.

"Even though I've finally got feeling back in my body, I haven't gotten to enjoy you yet."

"…What are you saying, you little pervert."

But, 'even though I've finally got feeling back'? Does that mean what we did in the hospital doesn't count? Or was that just a prelude…? The issue seems somewhat important to me and I can feel myself breaking out in a cold sweat, but Noiz put his lips on mine again.