When You are Insecure

"Ok, I'll be there," Eden said into the phone before keeping it. Without thinking, he began biting at his finger again, trying to make sense of what was happening.

Noel stared at Eden, chewing at his finger for a couple of seconds before appearing into his view, "What's wrong?"

"Ah! Shit!" Eden almost jumped away seeing Noel appear like that suddenly. "You scared me!"

"Sorry." The man typed out, hair completely messy as it stuck out on all ends.

"It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong." Eden said, ruffling the man's hair even more. "That shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did."

"You seemed panicked." Noel typed out, pushing down some hair sticking up. "Care to tell me?"

"It seems that two people died in my territory," Eden said, chewing at his finger again. "I can't believe I let something like that happen? And on my territory too. This is bullshit."

"But you didn't let it happen." Noel typed out, taking Eden's hand in his to stop him from chewing at it again. "You sent out your order and your men carried it out. You need to calm down first."

"How can I calm down?? Maybe if I was a little more careful-"

"Talk to me." Noel shook his head, holding Eden's hands tightly. "I need you to realise that, sometimes, no matter how prepared you are, bad things will still happen."

"Is that supposed to be comforting?" Eden asked, raising an eyebrow at the man though talking like this did calm him down, slightly. Maybe it is just the air of calm that Noel gives.

"I am telling you that it is inevitable." Noel placed his hands on Eden's cheeks and began squeezing them, grinning at his expressions.

"What are you doing?" Eden managed to finally pull away, rubbing his sore cheeks, he pouted at the man. "Ouch."

"I am just teasing." Noel typed out, fixing his hair again. "Now that you are calmer, you can go."

"Huh??" Eden looked at Noel, taken aback. "I thought you were going to say something profound. Not suddenly say those things and then kick … me … out …"

Eden gulped as Noel stepped out of the bed, a liquid dripping from between his legs with every step he took, sending a blush up Eden's face as he quickly turned away.

"You were saying something?" Noel typed, looking at him quizzically.

"L-let's bath together!" Eden said quickly, pushing the man into the bathroom.

"Ede-"

____________________

"Ok, that really, really calmed me down," Eden said, stretching and wearing nothing but a towel while he stared at Noel wearing his clothes while he cooked, a soft smile coming on his face.

"Good, now eat." Noel typed out, placing an omelette in front of him. "Sorry, I am not a good cook … at all."

"But I saw you had a lot of ingredients in your house," Eden said, taking a bit of the egg. Needs salt.

"I am practising," Noel admitted. "Still not good but … I am practising."

Biting into the egg, Noel said, "It is the thought that counts, in the end, Noel. Don't min-"

Crack.

Huh? Crack?

Chewing at the egg again, he heard another crack. What the hell?

"Uh, Noel. Did the eggshells happen to enter the egg, by mistake?" Eden asked as nicely as he could, scared to bite anymore.

"I made sure they weren't there." Noel typed out. "Don't worry. Why?"

"I could have sworn I bit into something … hard," Eden said, chewing again and more cracking sounds came, followed by a certain tangy taste. "What is this? Could you show me the ingredients you used?"

Noel showed him the container of the few vegetables and spices he added as Eden stared at the ingredients one by one.

"It isn't that I don't trust you," Eden said quickly. "It's just … I hid some drugs here. So I don't want you to accidentally use them."

"Why would you place drugs all around the kitchen?!?" Noel typed out, looking at him in horror.

"I am just checking," Eden reassured him again, picking up one of the ingredients, realization flooding his senses. "So this is the culprit."

"Did I accidentally feed you a drug?" Noel asked, looking at him with worry written all over his face. "I am so sorry. Should I call the hospital?"

"Don't worry, it isn't a drug," Eden said, holding the little container of the white, crystalized substance up. "This is actually a spice."

"But, it's written salt." Noel typed out, pointing to the label at the front. "I thought that was just rock salt or something."

"No wonder the egg tasted … different." Eden chuckled, patting Noel on the head. "Don't worry. I add that to everything I cook too. I am not sure what it is supposed to do so I am testing it out."

"Does the egg taste bad? I should have tried it before I gave it to you." Noel typed out, biting into a piece of the egg as the cracking sounds came from his mouth, immediately putting him off.

"It doesn't taste bad," Eden said, shrugging as he devoured the rest of them. "The … spice adds to the texture and … flavour."

"You didn't have to eat it." Noel typed out, looking at him with concern written all over his face.

"Don't worry about me, honey," Eden said, swallowing the rest of the egg, washing it all down with a cup of juice. "I have a strong stomach and … I am not the type of person to leave good food to be wasted."

I'll be sure to label everything properly later on.

"Right." Noel typed out, taking the plates from the table and throwing them into the sink. "Go and get ready. I will clean up here."

"Nope," Eden said, grabbing Noel by his wrist. "You, as my lover, are going to help me get ready."

"Do I have to?" Noel complained but followed him into the room, sitting on the bed as Eden began to pull out some of the clothes and holding them up, Noel shaking his head.

"Most of your clothes are black I see," Noel observed, staring at the walk-in closet.

"It is easy to style," Eden said, shrugging. Standing in the closet in nothing but his briefs. "So, help me here. Please."

"Your style might now be mine." Noel typed out, looking at him lazily, a smile breaking on his face as soon as he noticed the marks all over his body. "But I will do my best."

"Why did I suddenly get a chill?" Eden asked, looking at the mischievous glint in Noel's eyes. "I- I trust you, Noel."

"Do you have a white shirt?" Noel typed out, looking through the hangers of clothes, mostly black. "Never mind. I found it."

Pulling out a white shirt with a wide neck, Noel draped it around his arm and then went to pull a simple black pant from the pant section, followed by a black leather jacket.

Satisfied, Noel shoved them into Eden's arms and walked out of the room before he could panic even more about how big his closet looked.

It is almost the size of my entire living room and kitchen. He thought, hand clasped over his mouth. Damn, the rent here must be expensive.

He flopped onto the bed, looking at the shirt he was wearing. There was a cat at the front, that was the only reason why he picked this shirt. But why would someone like Eden have a shirt as cute as this?

Maybe he likes cats. He concluded, waiting for Eden to step out and … when he did, he was not disappointed.

________________________

"What do you think?" Eden asked, a smirk immediately coming on his face as soon as he saw the blush creep up Noel's face.

He chose a pair of studded black boots to go with the jacket and is decked out with silver earrings, piercings changed as well.

Walking until he was inches from Noel's face, Eden looked into his eyes. "What happened? Cat got your tongue?"

Noel reached out and took his face in his hands, looking at Eden with awe.

"Pre-ti." A horsh, unused voice came from Noel, surprising the both of them. But none so much as Noel himself.

Quickly clasping his hand over his mouth, he rushed out of the room, Eden quickly following after him.

"Noel. Hey. Noel!" Eden grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around, pushing him against the wall. "Where you do think you are going to?"

Covering his mouth with his hands, Noel made eye contact with Eden, an apologetic look on his face which only resulted in angering Eden.

Grabbing the man's hands away from his mouth, Eden held them up and leaned in, stopping only inches from his face.

"Again." He said, voice below a whisper. "Let me hear your voice again."

Frantically, Noel shook his head, trying to escape Eden when the man placed his leg in between Noel's, catching him by surprise immediately.

"What? Do you think your voice is ugly?" Eden scoffed at him. "You are the most beautiful being to exist, no matter what you do, it's beautiful. But you don't see it, do you?"

Gritting his teeth, Noel turned away from him, worry written all over his face.

"Oh well. Looks like I got my work cut out for me." Eden shrugged nonchalantly, making the nervous man look at him, eyes still filled with admiration to Noel. "I will just have to tell you every chance I get, until you believe me. Better be prepared to be tormented by me like this, Noel."