What to Learn

"What was that about?" Eden asked, watching Noel look through his small closet for something to wear. When the man didn't answer him, Eden resorted to tapping him on the shoulders to get his attention.

He still wore his clothes from the night before, though they were old, by a day, they still looked fine. Fine enough for him to go home in and change into something more presentable.

Turning to Eden, Noel tilted his head to the side questioningly.

"Those hand things," Eden said, mimicking what Noel just did. "What was that about? What does it mean?"

Noel looked at the man blankly for a second before his expression broke into a smiled and Eden could have sworn he saw flowers all around him.

Ba bump.

"Do you really want to know?" The man typed out, looking at him with a smug smile.

"Of course I do." Eden rolled his eyes at Noel, slightly annoyed. "She was smiling the whole time after you two did those hand gestures. What was that?"

"Do you remember what she did and what I did?"

Eden mimicked Cheryl's gesture, placing his thumb below his chin instead of on it, earning a chuckle from Noel.

"No," The man typed out, placing his hand on Eden's before positioning his thumb under his chin. And, with his forefinger and thumb, held Eden's forefinger, giving it a wriggle. "There."

"Ok. What does this mean?" Eden asked, moving away from the man in a poor attempt to hide the way his heart drummed against his chest just from that contact.

Calm down, Eden! You both literally slept together just the night before! Why are you acting like a schoolgirl with a crush?!?

"You're smart." Noel typed out, going back to the closet. "Learn sign language."

"Huh? Why do I need to?"

"So that you will know what I want when I show this to you." The voice from Noel's phone said as the man held out his fore and middle fingers of both hands, putting one on top of the other, he lightly tapped them both.

"Why can't you just tell me?" Eden asked, more confused than ever. "We ARE dating now, aren't we?"

"You're not wrong." Noel typed out, leaning the left half of his body against the wall while looking at Eden. "And it is because we are dating that I think you need to learn sign language."

"Again, why?"

"Well, it will get tiring having to type out every time I want to talk to you," Noel said, looking at Eden with expectation written all over his face.

"Sign language? Talk? Wait, are you-"

"I am deaf-mute. Born that way and that is how I lived my life until now." Noel walked to Eden until they were inches from each other, both breaths surprisingly warm. "Does that turn you off? Make you want to run away?"

"Why would it?" Eden asked, raising his eyebrows at the man as he wrapped his arms around his neck. "You are still Noel. Now, are we going to kiss or are you just teasing me? Coz I don't mind continuing to round six."

Noel's icy blue eyes widened for a second before it slowly closed, the two locking lips in the quiet room where only the chirping of birds could be heard.

___________________

"Ouch!" Eden hissed, trying to pull at the thread from his shirt caught on one of his earrings, not sure which one. "How annoying. Noel!" He turned to the man, pouting.

"What's wrong?" Noel's automated voice asked, trying very hard, and failing, to hold his smile.

"My earring is stuck," Eden complained, pointing to his red ears. "I don't know where."

Without saying anything, Noel walked to him and carefully began untangling the thread along with the chains in the man's ears.

So many holes. He thought, looking at the earrings glistening with the sunlight. I wonder if it hurt.

Subconsciously, he began stroking his ear after releasing the shirt, touching every earring gently and carefully, gulping. He is so soft and so hard at the same time. How is that even possible?

Grabbing the man's hand, Eden turned to Noel, a sly smile on his face as he rested his head in his hands. "Don't tease me. I am not as strong as I look."

How can someone be this pretty? Noel thought as the man grinned at him. It's a good thing he is mine. Wait. What am I thinking?!? We just met! His personality just might be trash. Don't think like that yet, Noel!

Turning away from Eden, Noel went back to his closet, pulling out a red, baggy shirt and laying it on the bed with a pair of black ripped jeans and a flannel shirt.

"For your meeting?" Eden asked, putting his arms around Noel's shoulders, instantly making the man self-conscious of every breath he took.

Noel nodded, looking at the clothes. "I am not good at dressing so I need to lay them out like this."

"I think it's fine. You'll look good no matter what you wear" Eden said, looking at Noel with a slight pout. "But to be thinking this hard when you are going to meet someone that isn't your boyfriend? Isn't that a little cruel?"

"You should look at yourself first." Noel retorted back immediately as Eden clutched his chest, right where his heart is.

"Critical hit." Eden laughed, sticking his tongue out at the man. "Well, I was just teasing about before. You can wear whatever you want wherever you want. I like it when other people admire my boyfriend as well."

"Not scared that someone may come to steal me away?" Noel teased, observing Eden's expression but there was not a care in it.

"No." He said confidently, grinning at Noel, his emerald green eyes twinkling. "I trust that you have working eyes and realise that there is no one as attractive as me."

Noel stared at Eden for a second before bursting into a laugh.

"What? What's so funny?" Eden asked, genuinely confused as he watched Noel with a soft expression on his face.

"I just admire how honest you are." Noel typed out. "And yes, I know just how attractive my boyfriend is."

"W-well, just coz you know doesn't mean you have to tell me. Not like that anyway. I need to prepare myself first." Eden said, clearing his throat and turning away from him, slightly blushing.

Feeling mischievous, Noel leaned in closer to Eden and stared deep into his eyes.

"W-what? What do you want?"

"Just wondering if my pretty boyfriend is blushing." Noel typed out and watched as Eden started stammering like he just lost the ability to speak, all his confident demeanour, gone. "You really are pretty, even when you blush."

"Stop it!" Eden shouted, trying to hold onto what little pride he had left. "Y-you are the one that looks pretty when you blush!"

The two stared at each other blankly before quickly turning away, both blushing uncontrollably and trying to hide their faces from the other.

Suddenly, Noel got a message and checked his phone to see a number saved as 'Best Boyfriend in the World' messaged him. "You really are the prettiest in the world. I mean it."

Noel's hand rushed to his face, covering it as quickly as he could with his sleeves.

So annoying.

_______________________

"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off?" Eden asked, sitting on the driver's seat as he looked at Noel through the window.

"I will not have to go for another hour or two." Eden typed out. "So if I go now, I will be too early. And you can't wait until then because you have your meeting too."

"It feels like such a coincidence that we have a meeting at the same time." Eden laughed. "Imagine if we are to meet with each other and we don't even know it yet."

"That would be interesting." Noel typed out, looking at the car closely. "You should get going then. I will see you tonight."

"Sure, wait for me." Eden pulled out shades from the front of the car, putting them on and blowing a kiss to Noel. "I will see you in a bit."

Noel nodded, watching as Eden drove away. Once he was out of sight, he quickly ran back into his house and into his room. Tapping the wall beside the door, a keypad appeared as he typed into it.

Once the key was confirmed, Noel began taking off his clothes, the walls of the room turning to reveal monitors instead of walls.

"Logging in." The voice from the computers said as Eden wore the other clothes he laid on the bed, typing a name into the computer.

Bingo.

_________________

"Hello? Celt?" Eden called the minute he reached his house, unbuttoning his shirt. "Yeah. There is someone I want you to look up on.

"No, this person is not that important." He chuckled, walking into his bedroom about the size of seven elephants, a stark contrast to Noel's room. "But I just want to look them up. Can you do that for me? Oh, and keep Ages out of this, ok?

"Yes, this is our little secret. Could you keep that for me? Thank you."