Let me just take this moment to bawl uncontrollably. My story has a follower ;3; Words can't express my gratitude. I was honestly considering trashing this fiction because it's kind of shit in my opinion. I didn't think anyone would like it. Now that it has a follower I won't trash it. I'll work hard and make it better ^^ I'll make it worth reading! I just need to get into the hang of writing and uploading fan fics. : P

Chapter 3

It churned and pulled as though the undertow of a undeniably strong current had spilled into his very being, flowing through his diaphragm and quaking his very being. Aoba was infuriated. The worst part was that he hadn't a clue as to why he was so angry. His teeth were clenched and the room was practically oozing with a bad aura that seemed thick enough to solidify the surrounding air, casting a spell of petrification to all within its reach. Noiz maintained a perfect poker-face, untouched by his senior's sudden change in mood.

Tae was taken aback momentarily as she allowed everything to register. Why had this stranger known Aoba's name? Why did this stranger speak to her grandson as if formerly acquainted? It had yet to click in her mind that this person was Noiz. She certainly wouldn't have pegged him as the rebellious type to run off and load his face with metal. She acknowledged, however, that he did look familiar.

Noiz and Aoba had their gazes locked as though they each had a gun pointed at the other, waiting for that first twitch of a single finger to signify the end for the one with the slowest reaction.

"Where the hell did you go?" Aoba took the first shot. "You were my only friend back then, and you just up and vanished without a single hint of an explanation." Noiz appeared unscathed. It was then that Tae realized what was happening.

"Noiz?" she suddenly gasped, remembering the small face of the boy when she had known him. Both boys turned their attention to her. Her grandson sighed.

"I tried telling you earlier that I thought it was him." He turned back to the blond. The granny was greatly shocked, as was Aoba at first. Aoba was now more furious than he was surprised. Who disappears for ten years, then suddenly reappears one day? This was in the same manner as a dog re-approaching his old owner, tail between his legs, after running away and being brutally beaten by his new owner. Though Noiz was far from having his tail between his legs.

"I didn't realize I was obligated to explain myself to you. Where I went is none of your concern," spat Noiz harshly. Aoba's brow twitched irritably.

"Ten years, Noiz. TEN YEARS. Did you come back just to show me what a complete ass you've become?" Tae was now recoiling back, settling on preoccupying herself elsewhere for the time being and letting the young ones reacquaint themselves. Ren remained at his owner's feet watching Noiz closely, poised and ready to strike should a single harmful finger be lifted towards Aoba.

Noiz looked away from the blue-haired male, glaring at something to his side instead.

"Ending up here wasn't intentional. It was just a coincidence that I happened to collapse so close to your house." Was this meant to be taken seriously? It may have sounded convincing, but was Aoba honestly expected to believe that Noiz collapsing just a few feet away from his front door was purely coincidental? When things are left to chance, fate certainly had a funny way of dealing the most interesting of hands, but this was beyond improbable.

"I know you're lying. You came here for a reason," Aoba accused. "When I found you laying outside I didn't know what to think. I wanted it to be you, but at the same time I didn't. This is what I was afraid of. You've changed, Noiz. What happened?" His tone was much softer than before. The hostility was slowly disintegrating. Noiz continued to avert his eyes, refusing to acknowledge Aoba. It remained like this for a few moments, though it felt like much longer. The silence itself almost had a noise of its own, a bellowing buzz of sorts that rang through their ears.

Noiz didn't appear any more willing to speak as the minutes ticked by. He kept his focus on the floor to avoid Aoba's prying gaze. After a while a scent quite familiar to Aoba wafted into the room. Noiz felt that he had smelled it once before as well, but he wasn't quite sure. In the kitchen Tae was hard at work making doughnuts for the three of them to share in this tense moment. Something about Tae's donuts – or perhaps her cooking in general – always brought people closer and eased away all unpleasantries.

Ren could no longer handle the silence and tension, so, after deducting that Noiz posed to serious threat to his master, he scurried off to the kitchen to keep the granny company. Aoba sighed as he watched his dog leave, then moved to procure the spot next to the blond. Noiz scooted away slightly, still looking down. His brows were stitched with concentration and laced with anger. This concerned Aoba greatly.

Aoba was beginning to question his memories of Noiz. Not only was ten years long enough to change a person, but it was also long enough to impair and alter one's memories. Had Noiz always been like this and Aoba just forgot?

"Come to the kitchen, boys," Tae called. Aoba stood and obediently started for the kitchen, turning to beckon a hand at the other male to join. Green eyes finally glanced up. He waited until Aoba walked away before standing and following.

The aroma was delightful to say the least, and the three of them felt anticipation pulling at their salivating tongues. Though Tae and Aoba had eaten not too long ago, room had certainly been left for dessert. Granny brought the large bowl to the table, a couple of the balls falling to the floor. Ren happily cleaned the mess.

There was no hesitation on either Aoba or Granny's side as they grabbed a doughnut of their own and bit into it. After a minute or so Noiz also reached for one as well. Both Aoba and Tae were relieved. Noiz seemed to be easing up just a bit. He still refused to talk, or even offer a single glance at either of them. Tae and Aoba decided to carry a conversation of their own, talking about the grandson's day prior to the surprise he came home to.

All was serene for the time being. The two continued their talk whilst occasionally reaching over and taking another ball of fried dough to nibble on. Noiz was now listening partially to the conversation and looking between the two of them. This was an environment he clearly wasn't accustomed to. When Aoba glanced over at Noiz he caught a certain expression. Noiz looked lonely, just like he had as a kid at times. Apparently that hadn't changed over the years.

Tae noticed the look as well, the room growing silent once more. She leaned back in her chair and released a long sigh.

"I don't think I could eat another bite," her crackled old voice spoke. "Noiz," she began, staring at the younger boy. "It's good to see you again." She truly was happy, though her face usually seemed to be pulled down into a grumpy scowl, the beginnings of a smile were almost apparent.

Tae had fixed Noiz a plate of what she had made for herself and Aoba for dinner. He had eaten it, but remained silent for the remainder of the evening. The couch now had a blanket and a pillow on it, the bloodied towels having been removed and thrown into the laundry, and Noiz lay fast asleep. Tae was also asleep in her bed, but Aoba was wide awake. He stood out on his balcony and watched a couple of people move about the street. The night air was cool and refreshing as it blew gently over the young man.

He remained outside for a while before stepping in and locking the door behind him. He tiptoed downstairs and took a peek in the living-room. Noiz had been quite tired, apparently. As soon as he had laid down he was out. His soft breathing signaled that he was sleeping soundly.

Even his sleeping face looked agitated... Aoba frowned at this and headed back up to his room to get some sleep as well.

He plopped down onto his bed, Ren jumping up and laying next to him. Fuzzy images bounced through his head as he closed his eyes and entered a dreamer's state. It would be a night of half-dreaming. Many different scenes would play within his mind, but wouldn't be able to form an actual dream. It was doubtful he would remember any of the nonsense the following morning. He slept peacefully, not an unpleasant thought to be found.

When morning came with the relentless ringing of Aoba's phone alarm, he stretched and quickly dismissed the noisy notification. The dull pattering of rain could be heard on the roof above. He reluctantly stood and went downstairs to get a shower. Walking past the living-room, however, he noticed that a certain blond guest seemed to be missing in action. He looked around himself with a frown.

He walked about the house in a quick search, but failed to find his friend. Noiz had apparently left the premises. Shaking his head and not really knowing what to feel, Aoba moved to the bathroom and turned on the shower to let it heat up. He grabbed a towel and began to strip before slipping into the warmth, adjusting the temperature accordingly. He couldn't help the buzzing thoughts as he bathed. Where had Noiz gone this time? Would he be returning?

With a sigh he turned off the water once the task had been finished. He dried off and took his dirty clothes to the laundry pile, then trudged up stairs to get dressed with his towel secured around his waist. Upon entering his room he gasped and nearly jumped out of his very skin.

"N-Noiz!" Aoba quickly grabbed his towel to make sure it wasn't going to fall. Noiz was sitting on his bed, petting a very content Ren who was curled up in his lap. Noiz looked up at Aoba, seemingly unfazed by the half-naked man in front of him. "When did you get in here? I thought you left!"

"I was out there," answered the younger as he beckoned towards the door that led to the small balcony. "You were both still asleep when I woke up, so I let myself into your room and stepped outside for a bit." It shocked Aoba that Noiz had entered his room unannounced and slipped outside without waking him. It was even more shocking that Ren hadn't alerted his sleeping owner of the intrusion. Had he not noticed either?

I... see," Aoba muttered, feeling a bit foolish for having searched the entire house for the male and he had been here, right under his nose, the whole time. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, I've got to get dressed for work, so..." Noiz eased Ren onto the bed and quietly left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Why would he have gone out to the balcony? Aoba wondered as he dressed himself. Unless... When the two were young and hung out all the time, if it ever rained they would come inside. They often times stood out on the balcony and watched the rain. Did Noiz remember that?

When he opened his door and stepped back out his senses were met with the alluring aroma of breakfast being prepared. Tae was right on time. As always, thought Aoba as he headed downstairs and into the kitchen. A plate sat in front of a very hesitant Noiz and another was being prepared for Aoba to eat before going to work. It was nice to be eating breakfast with Noiz again.

Aoba helped his grandmother clean up the dishes since he had a bit of extra time, then grabbed an umbrella and his house key as he headed out. Noiz followed him to the door.

"You going somewhere today?" he asked the blond. The only response he received was a short nod. "Stay right here, then. I'll go get you an umbrella." Aoba walked passed Noiz and went in search for another umbrella. There was always an extra one in Tae's room, so with the permission of Granny he retrieved it and returned to the door. Aoba found himself standing alone, though, staring at the pouring rain through the open door.

Noiz was gone, this time having left for sure. Aoba left the other umbrella by the door and closed and locked the door after Ren hurried out to be at his side. It certainly wasn't going to be fun walking to work in such horrid weather. He momentarily felt bad for Noiz, who was treading in the rain without so much as an umbrella, but then he remembered that the male had left on his own accord without a single word. The pity was gone now, leaving in its place slight irritation.

The puddles squished beneath his boots. Aoba could feel the water seeping in through the sides of his shoes, soaking his feet. He hated this feeling. Ren also didn't like getting his paws wet in the rain. He walked as though there were bags tied to each of his paws, shaking off the wetness when they reached Heibon. They were greeted by Haga as they stepped inside to the warmth of the shop.

"You're both quite soaked!" Haga pointed out in a concerned tone. "Hold on one moment and I'll see if I have any towels." The man disappeared into the back of the shop for a moment, then returned with two hand-towels. "Sorry they're so small, but it's better than nothing I suppose." Aoba took the towels saying, "Thanks," and smiling softly at his boss as he bent down to dry Ren off. He stood and dried himself off as best he could, then handed the wet towels back to Haga and went to sit behind the counter.

The phone was ringing off the hook all morning. By the time lunch came around Aoba's throat was tingling from all of the negotiating and order-taking he had been doing. Due to the phone being so busy, Haga handled most of the walk-ins himself. Aoba was relieved to have a lunch break once the calls had slowed down enough for Haga to handle things himself for a bit.

The rain had already stopped and the clouds dissipated in areas, golden beams shining lazily through the open spots. Aoba took this opportunity to walk to a nearby cafe. They always had delicious handmade sandwiches, as well as perfectly brewed herbal teas. He ordered a sandwich and a simply cup of green tea to go, eating as he went for a small walk. He dropped a few pieces for the begging dog at his feet as well, chuckling as Ren happily devoured the scraps.

By the time he had finished his sandwich he was in front of a familiar hair salon. He glanced in through the glass door to see what Koujaku was up to. His friend seemed to be slacking off and just sitting around, chatting casually with a couple of girls. When the man looked up and saw Aoba he seemed to gleam with joy. He hurried to the door, much to the dismay of the ladies with whom he had previously been conversing, and greeted Aoba with a great hug.

"It's been a while~!" Koujaku said as he parted from Aoba. Aoba frowned and shook his head.

"It's only been a couple of days," he reminded him. Apparently that was a long time to Koujaku. "Anyway, I have something interesting to tell you. You remember that kid I told you about that I met after you left?" Aoba asked.

"You mean the one that just disappeared one day?" Aoba nodded in confirmation.

"That's the one," he said. He went on to explain the previous day and how he found Noiz beaten and unconscious, as well as how he just up and vanished that morning.

"This kid seems to have some problems..." Koujaku muttered after hearing everything. "Please be careful around him. Something just seems a bit off about this whole situation." Aoba frowned at his friend's suspicion.

"Some might say the same about you... You can seem a bit shady yourself, but you're really not. Don't judge him when you haven't even met him." He hadn't intended on getting so defensive. He had, in fact, thought the same thing that Koujaku was saying, but it angered him nonetheless for some reason.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Koujaku assured with a soft smile. "I'm just trying to look after you." Aoba nodded, then gasped as he remembered he was only on lunch break. He took out his phone and glanced at the time.

"Shit! I have to go!" he shouted, running into the direction of the shop, giving a quick wave to the man behind him.

Author's note:

Thanks for reading! Review/critique if you want :3 Much love!

Peace, love, and gore

~Tobe