Disclaimer: I own nothing.

16. Hot

Noah sat on the ground. As still and as silent as he'd been during the attack as he listened to Rex explain why and how he and his friends had banned together and survived as long as they had.

"When the Event occurred a lot of people changed immediately, lost their minds and were killed by the remaining humans or other Evos. But that didn't happen to us. We changed. But we also stayed the same. Mentally at least. I'm lucky, I can still pass for human, but my friends can't. We were driven out almost immediately by the people we were with when the Event occurred and have been trying to get back to my home ever since. When I found you all alone, surviving by yourself, I thought maybe, you might have been like us."

Rex looked at him for the first time since he'd started talking. His expression both embarrassed and bashful.

"I figured out you weren't an Evo pretty fast, but I just didn't know how you'd take finding out I was….A lot of my old friends turned their backs on me. Even my Ex bailed at soon as it happened. Said he wasn't about to risk getting infected by being with me. Even though I told him I didn't think it worked like that. I still don't."

Noah swallowed dryly before replying.

"You're gay too?" He asked in disbelief.

Rex looked at him like he was the one that just sprouted wings.

"You just found out I'm an Evo, saw me create metal hands and kick another Evo's butt and your only question is if I like guys?" He asked incredulously.

Now it was Noah's turn to blush.

"Right, sorry. Probably not the best time for that question."

Rex seemed to relax a little at Noah's embarrassment.

"So you're cool with the fact that….." He trailed off.

Noah raised an eyebrow.

"The fact that my traveling companion's a hot kick ass fighter who can literally fly? What's the supposed down side to that?"

Rex had clearly stopped listening midway through his sentence.

"You think I'm hot?"

Noah kept his eyebrow raised until Rex was the one blushing and looking away.

"Okay…So we've established the fact that you're cool with my friends and I being Evos, I'm cool with you being gay, you're cool with me being gay, you think I'm hot, I think you're hot-"

"You hadn't mentioned that yet." Noah teased as Rex rambled on adorably.

The raven froze like a bunny in front of a bulldozer as Noah barely restrained himself from laughing in his face.

This is why he wanted something with Rex that went beyond a simple appreciation of his hotness. The other teen was just so genuine and optimistic about everything that it somehow seemed to negate Noah's own rationalism and pessimism.

Plus someone both hot and funny had been hard enough to find even before the end of the world.

With that thought in mind Noah reached out and pulled Rex forward by the end of his sleeve.

"You've saved me twice now. I think I owe you a little more than just a thanks." He muttered as he leaned forward to close the distance between them.

He stopped just short of a kiss, waiting, hoping really, that Rex would be the one to close the gap. That he wasn't misinterpreting everything again.

Much to his eternal relief, Rex didn't disappoint, and was quick to erase the distance between them.

It was passionate and intimate and just plain hot.

Another little gift for my BFF Bramblerose4's birthday! Plus be sure to read and review not only this story, but all the amazing Noex works of my BFF! She's the Queen of Noex for a reason!

Yours truly,

Lacy Fairgold