When You Fail at Trying to Look Mysterious

Tilting his head to the side, Noel stared at the man, confused while the others watched in anticipation.

"Idiot?" Noel typed out, heart drumming against his chest. "Why would you say that?"

"That is because you really are," Eden said, laughing.

"What is the boss talking about?" Celt asked Fern, keeping his voice as low as possible.

"Beats me," Fern whispered back. "I think he is trying to look cool or something?"

"How does that make him look cool?" Celt asked, voice growing a little louder. "He just looks like a jackass."

"I know, but just let him have his moment," Fern whispered back, Eden hearing everything. As if he didn't.

"I heard the both of you! Who looks like a jackass?!" Eden shouted, glaring at them.

"What are you doing then, boss?" Ages said, making eye contact with Noel who gave him a nod. "Are you trying to give your boyfriend a heart attack?"

"No! What are you dumb??"

"Then why are you making it seem like you planned the meeting out? You are not smart enough to schedule your own date." Ages said, exasperated.

"Ahhhh! Don't say that. Noel will be able to tell." Eden said, taking Noel's hands in his. "Ok, so I meant what I said, you are an idiot but you are my idiot now."

"Wow, boss," Fern said, completely monotone. "Those words are sure to get him, he should be bawling with happiness right now."

"When did you become such a smartass, Fern??" Eden shouted at the man. "Watch. I will show you how to be romantic! Noel."

The man looked at him earnestly listening when Eden started stammering, "I-I. Y-y-you- huh. Uh … DO you know how pretty your eyes are? They are literally like that snow resort I have in Russia.

"Oh right, I need to check up on that again. When was the last time I checked on that place? Would you like to go to Russia with m-"

"Boss!" Celt shouted, while Ages and Fern only shook their heads in disappointment.

"What??" Eden asked, genuinely confused. "What did I do wrong??"

"You were talking to Noel about how romantic you are," Fern said, voice even more monotone than before though there is this hint of saltiness mixed this time.

"Right." Eden turned to Noel and paused immediately when he saw him laughing.

The sound that came from his mouth was very, very low. You have to strain your ears to even hear a bit of it but just that little bit was enough to make Eden's heart swell with happiness.

He turned from Noel, hand over his mouth.

"Isn't he so pretty?" Eden asked Celt who agreed with him wholeheartedly all four watching the man laugh at them being complete idiots as a knock came on the door.

Eden was about ready to hiss at the waiter for interrupting Noel's laugh but refrained from doing anything. For now.

Placing his drink in front of him, the waiter disappeared, closing the door behind him as quickly as he could.

"What the hell is this pretty drink?" Eden asked, looking at the tall glass of translucent blue liquid soaked in ice and a lemon at the side.

Light blue foams are at the top of the cup with a few blueberries around and on the straw.

"It's so … sparkly," Eden said, looking at the drink.

"That is yours." Ages said, taking a sip of his drink. "I think you ordered something kiss."

"I can feel the romance immediately," Fern said, looking dully at Noel who seemed very intrigued by the drink in front of Eden.

"Shut it! And it's Blueberry Kiss." Eden said, suddenly excited as he took a sip, reeling back in disappointment.

"Not good?" Ages asked, looking at Eden's downcasted expression.

"It's good. There is just something … I don't know. Missing?" He said, turning to Noel and then the drink, an idea coming on his face as he poked the man on the side. "Noel."

The man turns to look at him and, before he could process anything, felt Eden's lips pressed against his, tongue sneaking into his mouth and pressed him back against the wall before he pulled out, licking his lips.

Everyone on the table watched in horror.

The pieces falling out of Celt's sandwich as he was trying to take a bite and Fern dropping his knife and fork while Ages choked on his drink.

"Yeah, I don't know what is missing," Eden said, turning to Noel again. "Once more?"

Opening his mouth, Eden locked lips with Noel again, aggressively this time, enough for the two to fall over on the chair. Noel beneath Eden, who finally pulled away.

"Damn I can't get enou- Ack!"

Ages pulled Eden off of Noel and dragged him to their side of the table.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing, Ages?!" Eden shouted, trying to pull away from the man but he wouldn't let go until he was sandwiched between Celt and Ages.

"Go over there, Fern." Ages said, pointing to Noel who as slowly pulling himself back to a seating position.

"Nooooo. Get your shit away from Noel, Fern!"

"Roger," Fern said, sitting beside Noel. "You good?"

Noel did something with his hands, suddenly realizing what he just did, he was about to pull his phone up when Fern also did something with his hands. Everyone freezing immediately.

_____________________

"You know sign language?" Noel signed, eyes sparkling at Fern.

"I have a younger sister that works amongst the blind-deaf-mute kids." Fern signed, sitting beside him. "When she was learning these signs, I was her study partner. Though I am not too good."

"You are great!" Noel sighed, beaming. "Maybe I can converse more with you like this."

"Sure." Fern signed turning to Eden with a smug look on his face, watching as his boss began to seethe with jealousy. "Something wrong, boss?"

"What were you doing with him just now, Fern?" Celt asked, trying to mimic what they just did but failed miserably and ended with a crack in his fingers.

"Sign language," Fern said while signing. "If I knew that he used sign language, I would have used it so much sooner."

"Sign language??" Celt's eyes sparkled. "That looks so cool. You have to teach me!"

"Sure," Fern said, turning to Eden who had fallen quiet. "Boss?"

"Teach me too," Eden mumbled, pouting slightly. "I want to be able to talk to Noel without using words."

"Of course, boss," Fern said, voice sounding slightly sinister. "But know that I won't take it easy on you and you have to be very diligent. No slacking off."

"Watch. I will be the most diligent student you ever had." Eden said, grinning at Noel who was looking at him blankly. "Watch, Noel. I will learn how to talk to you soon."

Beaming, Noel nodded at him happily.

"Just watch," Eden mumbled to himself, looking at his hands with a scary grin on his face.

"Ok." Ages said, ignoring the man. "Let's actually get on with the meeting."

_____________________

"You want me to find dirt on Wolf's Bane?" Noel typed out, looking at him sceptically.

"Yes. Is something wrong?" Ages asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, that is something fairly easy. I am sure you have hackers you could use within your organization itself." Noel typed out, looking at everyone in the room while drinking the Blueberry Kiss and then passing it to Eden, who took a sip too.

"What do you usually do then, Noel?" Celt asked, finishing the last of his sandwich. "If collecting info like this is easy."

"From what I found out," Fern said, pulling out his phone and scrolled through it, "Whisper has helped solved several hundred missing person cases. Not only that, he took down several organizations just from harkening into their server.

"Money in one organization will disappear overnight and no one can trace where it disappeared to. The next thing someone knows, an orphanage somewhere received an enormous donation.

"Not only that, he can find anything about anyone, all the way to almost everyone in their family tree and erase them without a trace." Fern whistled. "You know what? I am not surprised so many people want you. You are dangerous."

"Seriously," Celt said, turning to Eden. "Boss! You are dating someone like that?!?"

"I know right?" Eden said, surprise turning to pride. "Damn, my taste in men is immaculate."

"Boss used a big word. Do you even know what that means, boss?" Celt teased, earning a glare from the man and instantly falling silent.

"Most of the people I have made 'disappear' are people trying to escape a war-torn country or their oppressive family members. They die and are reborn with new identities of people that have died without anyone knowing." Noel typed out. "It's nothing impressive. It might be better if you got someone else for this. Not me."

Their organization hackers will be competent enough. I don't want to feel like I am taking someone's job while I am sure they can do it well.

"The reason why we are asking you is that we are in a bit of a tight situation." Ages said, diverting from the chaos. "If we don't use you, it may cause an all-out war to start between two powerful organizations and I am sure you know what that means."

More than I want to. Noel thought, brows furrowing. "Tell me everything."