Noah somehow knew that it would go this way.

"No. Nonono," he said, holding firm, "No. You stop. We're going to talk about this like adults."

And Veli stopped. He let out a loud sobbing screech, hands coming up to cover his face. Oh God-!

"Shhhhhh. Shshshshsh," Noah said, eyes closing. He felt like he was going to cry. This shit always happened to him!

"Just...please, listen. I don't know why you're so afraid, or what other people have done to you, but I promise I won't be like that. I love you, I really do...suga', please..."

Veli screeched, wanting to run, to dive into the water, to swim far away from this man that he wanted so much but terrified him so bad.

But he couldn't run. He'd been told not to.

"He said he loved me. He said. And I loved him. I was young. It was early. I showed him what I was and he looked so excited, and I was so glad I could make him happy! He told me, 'Veli, get in the tank'. He told me. I did. He filled it with water and I changed and he wouldn't let me out, Noah, he wouldn't, and I begged and he said no, he said I'd lead him onto greater things. He said I was an animal, a monster, an abomination, but I'm not!"

Veli was sobbing now, not caring how it looked. He was terrified. "And I realized, that wasn't love! But I was too weak to escape, and he said I wasn't of any use anymore, and he was going to... to...!" Veli screeched again, fighting against everything in him to run. It didn't work.

"Cut me open, see what I was inside! But, but, Siska came, and she got me out, and we ran, and ran, and every time I found someone who liked me since I ran and ran, but I found you, and I love you, and... I love you!" And that scared him.

Poor Noah.

Noah clicked his tongue. So all of that mythical mumbo-jumbo was true...

"First off, act on your own volition," he sighed. Oh, he hoped he wasn't going to regret that. And then he pulled Veli close.

"I love you, and I would never, never do that to you. I don't care what you are or how you work inside...you're my Veli and you're beautiful."

As soon as he'd been told he could, Veli started struggling again, sobbing. Once. Twice. And then he fell against Noah, not trying to struggle away anymore. He moaned, laying against him.

"Your Veli."

"And I'm your Noah," Noah sighed, kissing Veli's forehead, "We're equals."

Slowly, Veli's breathing returned to normal. One hand moved up to stroke Noah's cheek.

"My Noah."

He didn't want this. He was still scared. But, it felt so right. So warm. This love thing.

He wanted another kiss, too.

Noah managed a weak smile.

"If I scare you, or if things get too intense, you n--I mean, I'd like it if you told me, instead of running off. I really do love you. Dearly."

"I wouldn't leave." Veli assured him, even though he would've if Noah hadn't grabbed him. "Artie still needs a girl. And... I love you too." He stroked Noah's cheek, leaning up hesitantly to give him another kiss.

Noah happily leaned in and kissed Veli again. Oh, thank God...

"You don' hafta worry about Artie tonight. Tonight's for you."

Veli hummed, chills going down his spine. Yes... That was nice. Kisses just made him fall harder for this man.

"You're amazing." He said, grinning slow.

Noah grinned in earnest and pet Veli's hair.

"No, you are." And he leaned in for another kiss.

"Of course I'm amazing. I sprout fins and gills." Veli laughed, kissing him. "Mmmm....." He smiled slowly, eyes closed, giving another little shiver. Yaaay, kisses~

Noah's hands began to travel, and he continued the kissing. Oh my, oh my, he officially had a lover.

Yes. Yes he did.

[Tadaaaa, black curtian tiem~]

"Alright," Noah asked, "I feel like an asshole for asking this, but which is the prettiest?" He was leaning over to view the numerous Angelfish in a large tank.

"Hell, what ones are even female?"

And there was a Veli, pressed against the side of the tank. He was, undoubtably, creeping out the guys that worked there.

"Her. She's a female." He pointed to one. "And that one there. I wouldn't get her, her fins are drooping. Wouldn't last long." He hummed, pointing to several more.

Noah just stood there, a hand to his bandanna-ed forehead.

"Alright, yenno what? That's one's pretty. We're getting her," he said, pointing.

Face still pressed against the glass, Veli looked at the one pointed out.

"Mmhm. She'll do. But you should get Artie a treat as well, something to dampen the effect of HEY NEW TANKMATE. He likes bubbles. You should get him a bubble maker."

Veli liked to worry about the silly fish.

Noah blinked and gabbed one from a shelf.

"Do youlike bubbles, Veli? Would you like a bubblemaker too, suga'?"

Veli couldn't help the dumb grin that grew over his face.

"Couple of things I'd like better than a bubblemaker, Noah." He said, laughing, making fingers at the fish that had been chosen. She followed them loyally.

"Smart fish. Probably smarter than Artie, though that wouldn't be hard."

"Stupid thing," Noah laughed fondly, "Did he tell you about the whole coral incident? Or the hoop?" He ignored the strange look the salesman gave him.

"He told me about the hoop, oh Great Bringer of Food. But he neglected to tell me of a coral incident. Care to share?" Veli laughed.

He probably didn't notice that anything was out of the ordinary.

"We were moving to the new house," Noah explained, "and I reached in to put him in a bag of water. He leaps out and lands in a bucket of dry coral. Stupid fuck." He chuckled fondly. Ah, he loved that fish.