7 He wanted to forget Hayes.

Noah took a steadying breath, panicking to get his emotions under control before Hayes noticed. He jerked forward on the arm of the couch, claws sinking into the leather at the hefty slap.

'Never forget who made you feel this good'

He wouldn't forget. That much would remain true.

When he heard Hayes leave the room, Noah upended himself into a resting position on the couch. He took a couple of staggering breaths, exhaling in small controlled wisps. He never should've agreed to coming here, he thought for the first time since starting to sleep with Hayes. Maybe if he hadn't taken his first bite, he wouldn't know what he was missing. And he would've stayed blissfully ignorant. Without the painful marks on his pride to show for.

The rest of the day dragged on in an uncomfortable silence, Noah only spoke to Hayes or entered the same room when it was absolutely necessary. The tension between them hung heavy.

It wasn't as if he was keeping silent, sinking in on himself when Hayes entered a room, because he was afraid. He was embarrassed for giving himself to the man who so clearly didn't want him, time and time again.

It wasn't until the following day that the embarrassment melted away and he was left angry, scorned, seeking blood when Hayes only offered him droplets of water. Forgetting who he was, and what had taken place in the past two weeks, Noah instead sunk into himself, the previous version of him that Hayes seemingly made him forget with only a few words.

His tail flickered about vengefully. He was ready to give Hayes hell. With a few moments of debate, he placed his hands on the decorative side table, throwing everything off of it with a clean swipe. When Hayes came to inspect the commotion, he smiled at him darkly. Without a moment's hesitation, he was launching himself at the man and dragging his claws down Hayes' front, successfully ruining his favorite jumper in the process. "Figured I'd leave you with a parting gift," he whispered into Hayes' ear, biting down with his elongated fangs before he moved away.

Noah brushed himself off fastidiously. It felt good to be back. To not give a shit about being good for Hayes. To not care so fucking much about everything. He was perfectly content sinking into his no-fucks-given attitude. A part of him knew that it was a weak defense mechanism. But if that was what it took to shut down all the hurt, then so be it.

He was tired of being the pet Hayes thought he had complete control over, and was determined to make the man realize he was so much more than just a sex toy. He was a fire Hayes couldn't put out. A force to be reckoned with. The only difference now, with his intentions, was Noah didn't care what the outcome was. He'd shut himself off and lied to make himself believe he would be fine once he left Hayes, that the curly haired human's hold on him was only as strong as he let it be.

He simpered, walking in the opposite direction of Hayes, looking far too pleased with himself as he gathered his strewn belongings and shoved them unneatly into his duffel bag. If Hayes wanted to play, Noah was game, but it wouldn't be his fault when the human realized the kitten was far better at his own game.

He hummed to himself as he went about the apartment, preparing to get back home as cheerily as he could possibly be. He didn't know who he was trying to convince more. He wanted Hayes to see that he was perfectly content in his own right.

And he was.

He was.

Noah smiled at Hayes mock-sweetly, stealing his saltine crackers and throwing them into his duffel bag. The last day spent at Hayes' place was spent well. Which basically meant Noah spent the entire day, pushing all of Hayes' buttons and getting on his every last nerve. All while adorning the smile of an angel.

Hayes was sure if not for the knowledge that Lincoln would be here soon, and Noah would once again be out of his hair- permanently this time, hopefully, he might very well have killed the kitten. He tried tiptoeing around him, wanting to pretend not everything in his loft was slowly being obliterated for the sake of keeping the last few days light, but Noah was having none of it. He was set on pissing Hayes off, and when the curly haired man realized that, he used every ounce of the patience he did not have, to not give in and react in the way Noah wanted him to—

Until the claws sank into his chest and dragged down. With his skin slicing open came an unsettling realization, and anger he could have swore he has never felt before, nor knew he was capable of harboring.

He watched the kitten move around the loft, gathering his things and his complete lack of response was what finally pushed Hayes over the edge. "What the fuck is your problem, you—" cutting off before he really hurt someone by calling the kitten a name he couldn't take back, Hayes pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed. The thought of Lincoln settling his nerves if only a little.

He removed himself from the situation before his anger got the better of him and drove him to homicide. Because honestly, with the way it has been building through the day, he wouldn't put it past himself. Just as he was exiting the room, there was a knock on the door. Hayes sighed in relief, body unreeling from its tense knot of forced composure. He was at the door in quick strides, opening it to reveal Lincoln. In Hayes' head, a golden light surrounded the man like he was some sort of god-sent messiah.

Hayes stepped aside to let him in, returning his glare to a bubbly Noah. He was excited about Lincoln being here? If anyone, Hayes should be the one jumping in place, swaying his hypothetical tail. Not that he would actually be capable of such mundane things. Fucking psycho cat. "So, this has been great," Hayes declared with a heavy tone of sarcasm. "Now get the fuck out before I make you."

Lincoln looked at Noah and then Hayes hopelessly agitated. "Clearly this hasn't done you both any good," he muttered silently. "Well, it's good to be back," he said blandly, frown in place.

Hayes chuckled dryly, lacking humor as he glared at Lincoln. "What would have gave you that idea?" He asked before gesturing towards his chest, honest to god wondering how the fuck they even became friends. "The claw marks down my chest, or my unfiltered excitement at your return?" He gave a sarcastic snort as he grabbed Noah's duffel bag off the back of the couch and threw it in Lincoln's general direction.

"Now take the psycho kitty with you before I strangle him with his own tail," Hayes threw a disgusted glare at Noah, keeping his eyes off the boy in fear that Lincoln would sense something had happened with the single glance. He wasn't sure how to really act around Noah without worrying about Lincoln somehow finding out the two had boinked on every available surface in this room, and that just beneath his foot was actually a cum stain and not spilled milk thought to be forgotten until it dried in thin flakes.

Noah had a shit-eating grin the entire time. He hugged Lincoln, clinging to him like he was his saving grace. He'd kick his ass for this whole arrangement in his own time. Noah picked up his duffel throwing Hayes an uninterested glare before looking at Lincoln again. "I'm going to wait in the car," he declared, walking out of the apartment with his head held high and not a single glance back at Hayes. He was so ready to be done with his shit. No matter how big the lump in his throat grew the farther away from Hayes' entrance he went.

"What happened?" Lincoln asked exasperatedly when Noah left the premise. He didn't think it would be much different from the general disharmony that he pretty much expected. Hayes sighed. He avoided Lincoln's gaze so as not to give away any hint as to what actually happened between them. "Just look around Lincoln. What do you think happened?" He asked, voice going on the defensive.

Hayes' loft was trashed, broken wood and glass littering the floor and his shoulders were slumped in defeat, eyes tired as he gave a small shrug. There was no pretending with Lincoln, no hiding and if he didn't soon get himself under control Lincoln would see behind his eyes, behind his sarcastic remarks and the claw marks that were all over his loft; in the walls, floor, furniture and even on Hayes, some places unseen due to clothing.

And suddenly, Hayes had Lincoln by the throat and he was shoving him against the wall, the open door rattling at the impact as the shorter, brown eyed male inhaled sharply. "This was a bad fucking idea," Hayes growled, stance threatening as he curled his fingers even tighter, though kept them loose enough as to not actually threaten Lincoln's life.

"The next time you have some bright idea to guilt trip a friend of yours into something they clearly don't want to do, make sure you leave me the fuck out of it. I mean it, Lincoln. If you so much as try this again, you'll be shitting your own teeth for a week." And, just for that added affect, Hayes drug Lincoln froward before throwing him out the door, that threat being the last thing that was said between the two as Lincoln was shoved out into the hallway, stumbling before he hit into the wall, and Hayes' loft door was slamming shut.

"Well clearly it was a bad idea to leave Noah with you" Lincoln yells through the door, hand reaching up to cradle his neck. Lincoln walked away, severely pissed off at Hayes and Noah. He's always the one coming through for any of them. They couldn't make this work the one time he'd asked? The drive back home was silent. Lincoln annoyed and Noah trying to sort through the whirlwind of emotions brewing in his head.

Noah sighed happily when they entered their apartment, going straight to his room. He stripped out of his god-awful smelling clothes. They smelled like Hayes to the kitten's heightened sense of smell. He threw them at the wall outside his room and shut the door with a slam. He was exhausted after his day of wreaking havoc. He got into bed and fell asleep in nothing but the bed covers. He woke up an hour later with an uninvited flare of anxiety unfurling in his chest and wracking through his entire body. Sniffling uncontrollably, Noah heaved his body off the bed and walked into his bathroom, steadying his hands on either side of the sink counter.

After a few moments of staring at nothing, Noah raised his eyes to take in his reflection. He stared at himself with contempt, persistently wiping away the tears that tried to escape his angry, but defeated eyes. He opened his mouth to try and control his breathing, but that only earned him shudders, and soon, without an ounce of self-control, Noah's was heaving sobs. He gasped for air, moving himself into the shower and turning it on. The water was cold and it had Noah's hair standing, chilling to the bone. But he stood in place, scrubbing a loofah all over his skin, chafing at it, really. He closed his eyes feeling Hayes' every touch on every part of his body. He let out a pitiful sob, going at his skin with a little more vigor behind the loofah.

Noah wanted to wipe himself clean of every last trace of Hayes.

He wanted to forget Hayes.