Chapter 26

Ah.. That room again. He must have brought me back home again. Jade thought to himself as his eyes slowly fluttered open just slightly enough to see a blurred view of his surroundings. His body felt weak from passing out so suddenly on the street.

"You're finally awake?" Noel's scolding tone rang out from somewhere in the room. It was obvious that he still felt angry with Jade for what had gone down with Logan.

His eyes slowly whirled around the room until they landed on Noel standing in the doorway. The barkeep had his arms folded across his chest and his blue eyes pinned on Jade where he was laid out at on the bed. Slowly his figure approached the bed as if cautious of what Jade might do. It was like watching a small pup approach a growling beast.

"I wont eat you.. well at least not in that the sense that you'd die from." Jade teasingly smirked at his own words as he watched the barkeep freeze where he stood and flush red.

"Enough of your jokes.." Noel shook his his head slightly to clear his mind. The blush never left his face until he spoke again. "Why did you pass out?"

"Eh? Ah. That." Jade yawned slightly and rolled onto his back again.

"Of course that! What else would I be talking about when I had to personally drag you unconsciously to my apartment again." Noel felt frustrated at the fact that he had to keep finding Jade unconscious and wounded. He knew that being a demi human was different from being mortal but when it came to Jade it was like he could barely take care of himself.

"I didn't ask you to do that." Jade bluntly pushed the fact out as if he never wanted Noel to help him to begin with and it caused Noel to feel taken aback slightly til he remembered who he was talking to. It was obvious that given Jade's personality he would make it sound like more trouble to simply receive help from another whether he needed it or not.

"Of course you didn't but I can't just leave you unconscious on the street and it's not like I can toss you into your own apartment." Noel started approaching him again until he was standing beside the bed. His hand stretched out and placed flatly against his forehead to make sure there was no fever from passing out earlier. Noel did not want things to get worse on Jade's health after how long it took him to move around freely again after his major wound.

"Are you not scared?" Jade's green eyes stared deeply up into the pair of blue eyes that was gazing down at him so warmly that it made his chest ache.

"Scared?" Noel was not sure what Jade meant by that. Of course if he thought about it more he did feel scared in multiple ways but none of that fear was something that would keep him from helping Jade when he needed it. He was scared about many things but not about being alone with him.

"Of being alone with a beast." Jade cleared up the question as he leaned up on his arm so that his body was tilting towards Noel where he stood.

"No. I'm not." Noel answered honestly. Lying was not something Noel was going to do. He did fear Jade and his murderous ways but none of that was enough to stop his heart from aching for him. If there was anything he felt it was a desire to be closer to the man regardless of how dangerous he was. He wanted to learn more about Jade and yet he knew the man was not one to answer any of his questions.

"How boring.." Jade pondered that response for a moment as he tried to understand why Noel would not be scared being alone with him. When they first met the man always looked frightened of him and yet he was standing here now claiming he no longer had such fears of him. It kind of annoyed him to think someone would become so comfortable around him and yet at the same time he felt warm and happy that Noel said he wasn't frightened of him. He could not understand why he felt so conflicted in his heart.

After a few moments of silence Jade rolled over onto his side to face the wall away from Noel. His eyes closed shut as he thought about going back to sleep. He could feel Noel's body slowly climbing onto the bed and sitting behind his back.

"You still planning to not give me an explanation?" Noel sighed brokenly as his brows creased.

"No." Jade answered without hesitation.

"Of course.." Noel felt his own chest tighten from the heartache from being shut out so blatantly. "I don't know why I bother ever asking you questions regardless of what it's about. I mean.. I ain't even close enough to know your real name."

Noel went to stand back up so that he could leave. A rustling sound came from the bed as his body began to rise only to find his body being pulled back down onto the bed. His entire body collapsing onto his back on the mattress with a stunned expression. He had been caught completely off guard by the sudden act of Jade pulling him down.

"What are you doing?!" Noel shouted at him in shock.

"Shane Levon." Jade stated out quietly with his eyes closed as he pulled Noel in close against his chest. At the moment he felt no care to put up a front because he felt too exhausted both mentally and physically. He knew he should not be giving away information about himself but something about the warmth Noel gave off when near him made him feel weak. It was like he was at home and could relax when he was around him. Nothing and no one gave off such a feeling for him and he was not sure what it was but he knew he wanted to protect everything about the man even if it meant he had to keep his distance from him. At the moment, however, in his half asleep state while he held Noel firm against him his walls felt like they had crumbled temporarily allowing him to blurt out the answer without a care.

"What?" Noel confused at the sudden response tilted his head up to look at the half asleep face. Jade's long black hair draping down over both of their faces.

"My.. Real name.. is.. Shane Levon." Jade yawned slightly as his final answer was followed by the soft sound of him snoozing.