It never fails to amaze him every time he opens his eyes to the gentle sunlight penetrating through the thin curtain layers. Day or night, it doesn't matter. The moment he feels the slight heat burning on his legs, he feels alive.

"It's your fault," he has said to the person who gave him this life. But at that time, his sole intention was to make the person take this responsibility. That was the only thing that matters to him.

The said person is now sitting beside him, telling him a story of how he received a weird call from a customer asking for a tea pot this morning. He switches his attention from that sparrow on the porch to the blue-haired man who's now looking slightly annoyed for the lack of attention.

Before Aoba can ask what's wrong with him, Noiz reaches out and touches the tip of his wavy, messy long hair. Aoba jumps a little at this suddenly interaction, his scowl disappears instantly.

"Still hurt? Your hair," Noiz asked, carefully pinching Aoba's hair tip.

"I still feel a bit of tinges but it's not as strong as last time anymore," Aoba replies, putting his hand on the rough one still playing with the tip.

"I see," Noiz responds simply. Letting go of Aoba's hair, he buries his hand under the pile of blues and feels Aoba's smooth, now exposed neck.

Aoba shivers a little. Smirking, Noiz inputs more strength and pulls Aoba over for a gentle kiss on the lips. Aoba - although quite prepared for this - pushes Noiz back a little but gives in when Noiz starts stroking his cheekbones.

Surprisingly, Noiz did not take things further this time. He ends the kiss with a light lick on Aoba's lips and retreats back to his bed.

"What?" Noiz seems to be more interested with the rabbit-shaped apple pieces Aoba cut for him. His attention shifts back to Aoba the moment he realizes Aoba is staring at him.

"Nothing." Aoba - though still surprised with the lack of action - averts Noiz's gaze.

Trying to act natural, he picks up a magazine from the bedside table and mindlessly flips through it.

"Expecting more?" Noiz eyes Aoba with a smirk, only to receive a "shut up!" smack on the head by a frustrated but red-faced Aoba.

-—

He has nothing left to pack. Without feeling the need to confirm, Noiz sits at the corner of his bed, running through different possibilities in his mind. He hasn't been thinking so hard for a very long time. And the fact that he is taking this so seriously this time reassures him that this is serious. This is the thing.

A soft knock on the door and Aoba is seen hurrying into the room. Noiz gives him a simple smile, and the next thing he knows Aoba is circling around the room, checking on every corner then grabs Noiz's backpack along with his wrist out of the room. Noiz can clearly feels Aoba's warmth now. The grip on his wrist is not particularly strong, but the firmness is real. He knows.

—

Noiz can feel his world changed the moment he steps out from the hospital building. His world used to filled with thoughts of how to get something for himself out of others. But now, he's genuinely curious about everything and anything. From the small food stall in the dark backyard to the out-of-shape building along the street. These are things he used to see everyday. They are all useless things. He didn't have time to entertain all these stuff when he already has so much in his mind.

But now, he's curious. How does that bowl of soup tastes like? Sweet? Hot? Bitter? What does that out-of-shape building store? Is it a shop? What kind of shop? Noiz finds himself thinking a lot more often than he used to be. So when Aoba brings him to a small dessert shop three days after he was discharged from the hospital, he realized that his overflowing thoughts are conquering his speech, often leaving Aoba with a worried face spelling "are you really okay?"

Noiz has grown accustomed to Aoba's existence. In fact, he has become so used to the elder's existence he often feels out of place when he's alone. His apartment feels too big now; his meal too much. He ends up constantly trying out other food (but still stick to his daily pizza and pasta). And after one month attempting to adapt to these unfamiliar changes, he finally realizes that there are things that need to be done. And if this is what he decides to do, there is no need to waste any more time.