Until Proven Innocent 🤍 Net/James

Chapter 12 ~ a small slice ~

Noel said goodnight soon after dinner and went to the room where he was sleeping. It was early but he felt drained from all the questions and a little bit uncomfortable too.

Man went to his office to do a little work but he couldn't help checking out the security footage from the master bedroom. Noel had changed into pale lemon colored pyjama bottoms and a loose fitting shirt and he was laying on his bed.

He felt guilty watching him, it had been ok at first because he felt it was justified, after all he had started doing this when he thought he couldn't trust the boy but now he was just invading his privacy. Sighing as he took one last look he clicked off the webcam and went to his own bedroom.

He also changed into a loose fitting shirt which he didn't bother to fasten and a pair of pyjama bottoms then he laid on the bed with one arm over his eyes, he was so tired he fell asleep almost instantly.

Meanwhile, Noel was thinking about the conversation he and Man had shared, he wondered if Man was right about dating and relationships? Why was he depriving himself of experiencing sex just because he didn't have faith in relationships. 

To use Man's cake analogy, was there any reason why he couldn't try a slice or two just because he didn't want to purchase the whole thing, after all he was 25 years old, if he felt an attraction to someone why shouldn't he have a little fun if both parties were willing?

Then again, he reminded himself, how could he possibly lie down with someone he just met and do such a personal thing when he was a self confessed coward. If he was going to do it, it would have to be with someone he already knew and the only people he knew were Gunny and Man, he kept everyone else at a distance.

Gunny was definitely a no go, yes he was handsome but there wasn't that kind of feeling between them, never had been and not only that, as much as Noel liked him as a person he was a bit of a ... how to say it without being unkind, let's just say he liked to taste as many slices of cake as he could.

Man was the obvious choice and Noel had to admit that he had enjoyed the kiss such as it was. He definitely felt that Man was attracted to him and even though he was still a little scared of him, he knew there was some kind of attraction there on his part as well if the weird feelings were anything to go by every time Man came close to him. 

Noel laughed at his own stupid thoughts and decided to go to sleep, this was all because of that annoying conversation. He turned on his side and closed his eyes wondering what jobs he would be doing tomorrow then he would go and purchase a newspaper to see if there were any apartments to let, he didn't have internet access on his phone, it was just a basic model so he couldn't look online.

Man woke up and noticed that it was still dark, he reached over to grab his cellphone and saw that it was just after half one on the morning. He climbed out of bed to go to the en suite bathroom and on his way back he heard a noise. Reaching for his firearm he remembered that he had left it in the drawer in the master bedroom, shit!

He looked around the room for something to hit an intruder with but other than breaking a chair there was nothing he could use, he would have to make sure there was something in every room in future. Grabbing his jeans he pulled the leather belt out of the loops and began wrapping it firmly around his right knuckles and fingers, it wasn't perfect but it would do.

He padded silently out of the room and crept down the hall barefoot as he listened out for the sounds, his senses on high alert. He was at the top of the stairs ready to go down when he heard the sound again and following the noise he retraced his steps to the master bedroom.

Taking a deep breath he grabbed the door handle and burst into the room ready to fight only to find the room in shadow and Noel crying out in his sleep. Man sighed and released the belt from his grasp allowing it to unwind itself and fall to the floor.