Just want some peace and quiet...

Noonian studied London's face a while longer. He studied her hands (particularly the one she crossed her heart with.) she talked softly, and he liked that. She was gentle and there was nothing mean in her face. He smiled a little, mostly to himself, he knew he could trust her. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew. Friends. he thought to himself. His heart leapt at the idea.

He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly shut it and looked quite distressed. His thoughts wandered to Hazel - the real Hazel, the one he named his machine after - and he felt a pang of guilt and grief in his heart that threatened to swallow him whole. Hazel had been in love with him, and he had been in love with her - or at least he thought he had. But then one day, he realized that couldn't love her, but he kept on trying. She eventually moved on and they were still friends. And then, one day, she was gone. She had disappeared and he never heard from her again. He wholeheartedly blamed himself. And then the accident with the car and now here he was.

He couldn't do that to London, too. He had to warn her now before it was too late. There was an inexplicable anger rising inside of him. Anger directed at himself. He looked at London with a steely gaze and blurted out: "Don't love me because I will never love you," It sounded harsher than he had intended it to and he hadn't meant to phrase it like that, but that's how it came out.

London was taken back, and her green eyes saddened softly, but a small smile was still on her face. "I never mentioned anything about love." she said gently, brushing his hair back again, careful around the scar. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to be friends." she said softly still smiling at him.

Love was a strong and powerful word for London. she was not one to utter that four letter word so carelessly. If she told you that she loved you, she meant it with all her heart. That was just who she was. There was a type of love for her friends and family, and a type of love for that special one, which she has yet encountered from what she knows at the moment.

London glanced at the cookie in the plastic bag and the water bottle that was still laid out in front of them. She wondered if he would eat it, she was worried that he was hungry, but didnt want to eat because she was there, but regardless, she stayed, not because of the feeling to help him, per say, but because she truly was enjoying his company.

"No, no!" Noonian suddenly cried. "That i-isn't what I m-meant," he said, desperately trying to find the right words to communicate with this girl properly. He tried to make his beaten brain work, to find the right words, but they refused to come. He cried out in frustration and beat his hands against his head, his nails digging into the skin of his forehead until a tiny trickle of blood spilled from the abused flesh. He shook his head (rather violently) and groaned to himself.

"I... I mean th-th-that I l-like boys not g-girls," he said, praying any god listening that she would understand. He wanted her to understand. For whatever reason, it felt like his whole world depended on it.

London got on her knees when he started to lash around. "Noonian, shhh shh.." she said trying to calm him gently. London started to panic when she saw him clench his forehead until blood came out. "oh my gods!" she said before grabbing some napkins out of her bag and pressed it against his forehead to stop the bleeding. "dont do that noonian!" she said panicked cause he hurt himself.

His response shocked her slightly, but she just gave a small smile. "Is that what this fuss is about?" she asked softly. "Thank you for having the courage to say that, i know it's hard sometimes..." she whispered softly while still caring for his forehead. "I think that's great, and I think you should be able to love whomever you want" she said smiling at him. "anyone you have in mind yet?" she asked smirking slightly, just teasing him.

"I-I-I-I-I'm sorry," he whimpered and cringed away almost as though he was afraid she was going to strike him. He brought his knees up to his chest and ducked his head in shame, pulling away from her gentle touch.

"Nob-body," Noonian said quietly, sounding almost sad if not a little bit bitter. "They all th-think I'm a f-f-f-f-freak," he ducked his head and heaved a little sigh. "I supposed they're n-not wrong," he whispered.