What About a Chance?

"This is your car?" Noel's phone asked, staring at the sleek black Pininfarina Battista as Eden pulled out the car keys, a proud smile on his face.

"Yes. One of my few cars." He said, shrugging. "Get in. We need to get you home, right?"

"Sure." Noel typed before getting into the car cautiously and carefully so that he would not scratch it anywhere by mistake or anything like that.

"Don't worry about anything." Eden laughed, folding the sleeves of his shirt up, hands on the wheel, revealing some tattoos all over his left arm. "Just enter in."

"I feel like you are going to charge me if I do anything to your 'precious car'." Noel typed out, sitting on the chair, almost sinking into it. "Oh."

"Nice right?" He asked, winking at him. "I like driving in comfort so the seats are … modified. Doesn't it feel like the seat is sucking you in?"

"Is that supposed to be a good thing?" Noel asked via phone, leaning back into the chair with a sigh as the car took off. "I guess it does feel nice."

"Right?" Eden laughed, speeding the car up. "I like how it feels on the road, that is the only reason why I got it. I am not a car fanatic, sorry to disappoint."

"I don't care too much about cars either." Noel typed out, rolling down the windows, a gust of wind entering the car, the man grinning slyly at Eden. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. Here, type your address into the GPS." Eden said, shaking his head to get the hair out of his face but they would not stay still as the man typed into the GPS. "Oh, so you live there."

"You know this place?" Noel's phone asked while he stared at Eden cautiously.

"I have been there several times." Eden shrugged, smiling at him cockily. "Is your apartment the dark green building?"

"How did you know??"

"I own some houses and land in that place," Eden said, turning the car down a small street. "Not all. But I think I own the one you are living in too. If it is the house I think it is."

"Right, there are three greenhouses in that street." Noel thought for a second. "Do you … own this whole city or something?"

"Well, yes and no. I own this city but I don't necessarily govern it. Most of the time." Laughing, Eden turned the car to another left, down an empty street without even a streetlight.

Clicking his tongue, Eden mumbled under his breath, "I will have to have a talk with that man."

"About the street lights?" Noel asked, surprising Eden.

"H-how did you hear me?" He asked, giving him a brief glance. "I could have sworn only my lips moved. Wait, can you read lips or something?"

"Maybe." The man wrote, leaning back into the seat again, the continual gust of wind still not stopping, even as Eden slowed down. 

"If you can, you will have to teach me," Eden said, only getting a hum from the man beside him, leading an instant boost of serotonin.

What the hell, Eden? He didn't even say a word. Why are you acting like that puppy you got when you were ten? Get it together.

"S-so, the locality you live in, is it … hospitable? I am just asking because I want to know how it is going over there. I don't have the time to check on every locality so I am just asking. There is no other intention behind that."

Shut up! Just shut the fuck up, Eden!

Noel looked at him blankly for a second before going to his phone to type as the two sat in silence.

He is quick in typing. Eden thought, trying to keep his eyes on the road and not … anywhere else. But it takes a while to type long sentences. Waiting in silence is a pain.

"The locality is fine. I like the way the neighbours don't come to visit me." The voice began, making Eden sigh with relief.

"That's goo-"

"However the price of the apartment is a little … annoying." The voice continued. "I would have been fine with the price if it had anything in it other than a worn-out bed. Is the water supply really that bad in that area?"

"Water?" Eden asked, tilting his head to the side, turning the car in the same direction. "I have never heard of a water problem before. Are you sure there is one?"

"I don't know about my neighbours, but the amount of water I get in a day is ridiculous. Especially since I am home only in the mornings and nights." Noel sighed, shaking his head in annoyance.

"That does sound like a problem," Eden said, thinking when the voice suddenly piped in.

"I didn't mean to complain like that to you. I am so sorry." The voice from the phone was still monotone but Noel's expression more than made up for it.

"No, it's good you did." Eden forced himself to say, glueing his hand on the steering wheel to stop from reaching out and patting the man's messy black hair. "H-how much do you pay for it in a month?"

"Three hundred and ninety-five."

Eden almost crashed into a car coming from the opposite direction but managed to change his direction at the last minute, the two cars barely hitting each other as they passed.

"Three hundred??" Eden asked, trying to calm down, the car swerving back and forth.

"And ninety-five."

"That's absolutely ridiculous." He said, fuming as the car began to run smoothly once again. "Mostly students live in that locality. How will they afford three hundred and ninety a month??"

"My landlord claimed that the house is his own so he can charge however much he wants when I asked him why the price is like that," Noel explained, the corners of his lips turning up at Eden's annoyance just radiating off him while he drove.

"I will have to check on this house and landowner. Even if that is his own house, there were rules laid out to live in that locality. I hate people like that." While Eden fumed and mumbled to himself, a hand came on his cheek, surprising him.

But not as much as Noel's soft laughter after poking his cheek, his slender fingers trying to cover his mouth while he laughed, making Eden suddenly feel very thirsty, eyes going down to the man's waist.

He had to force himself to focus on the road, turning the GPS off as the car slowed down once again. "By the way, Bruce … he didn't force you or anything, did he?"

"Na. I was at my break and he came to me, presenting himself with arms open wide." He narrowed his eyes at Eden, the latter man trying to pretend like he can't feel those piercing eyes on him. "But I did hate something."

"Oh? What is it?"

"He promised me a good time and passed out after five minutes, perhaps less." The voice on the phone said as Noel shook his head, sighed, disappointment written all over his voice.

"Wouldn't it be your fault? Following a drunk man into a room and expecting a good time." Eden chuckled, turning the wheel with one hand. "What did you expect? He looked completely passed out when I saw him in the room. How you got to thinking he would be able to do anything for you is beyond me."

"I like giving people chances," Noel argued back, using his teeth to fiddle with the rings in his fingers.

"Right." Ede's eyes darted to the corner of the street, bringing the car to a stop at the side of the road, turning the headlights off as he leaned in close to the man. "What about me? Want to give me a chance?"

Moonlight streamed into the car, the only light illuminating the cramped space as Eden leaned even closer.

Noel stared at the man's emerald green eyes, seemingly glowing with the reflection from the moonlight. Reaching for his phone, Eden took it from him, holding it in the air, out of reach.

"No typing," Eden said, shoving the phone into his pocket as he leaned even closer to the man. "Just nod or shake your head. I won't touch you until you give your answer. Yes? Or no?"

Silence filled the car, as the two stared at each other, breathing heavily.