And his follower is none other than Izo.
The fact that Izo is faster than he adds to his irritation and embarrassment. At this rate, Izo will catch up to him. Then, he might as well stop and pretend to be normal. It's not like he can avoid Izo forever. Both of them are immortal unless they are killed by enchanted wood -- their only weakness.
He ceases to run and waits for Izo to arrive. The forest is nearly empty, but he can hear the sound of living creatures coming out of their hidings. Nature has a way of restoring itself. There is no doubt that the world will move on from the catastrophe, but somethings will never remain the same.
Maybe it doesn't have to remain the same.
Why should he pretend?
Izo knows that he has feelings for him. Even if he pretends, he can't undo what is already done. He kissed Izo and confessed like a moron. Why is he still alive? It was better if he had died.
When did he fall for Izo? He doesn't know. It was long before he realised his feelings for Izo. He has been trying to hide his feelings because he knows that Izo won't feel the same for him. Maybe Izo is disgusted.
Should he apologise?
Izo appears in his sight. In a few seconds, Izo is standing in front of him, gasping for breath. Noah folds his fingers, trying to remain calm with a straight face. He isn't exactly good at keeping a poker face, but he doesn't want to run away. Maybe he can't be Izo's friend again, but he can still save his dignity.
"Why did you kiss Kai?" Izo hollers at him after regaining his breath. "You kiss anyone with lips."
Noah creases his forehead. His heart tightens when he notices the rage in Izo's eyes. "Yeah, I kiss anyone with lips. I am sorry for kissing you. I was… not in my right mind. I regret it. Forgive me, Izo. I won't ever do it to you. I will keep my distance."
Izo is speechless. What should he say? "Do you love me? Really? Like… Like…"
"I don't love you." Noah laughs, hiding the hurt in his eyes. "Not like… that. I love you as a family. Don't you feel the same for me? We are a family. We are brothers. Besides, you said that you don't feel those… stuff for anyone."
"I did say that." Izo scratches the back of his head awkwardly. "Then, why-why did you say that? Why did you kiss me?"
"I kissed you. Then, I thought that I should play a prank on you." Noah grins at him. "Are you angry, Brother Izo? Fine! You can punch my face once."
Izo is fuming indeed. He flares his nostrils. "Why did you kiss Kai?"
"I kissed him because I was lonely." Noah shrugs, looking away. "And I asked him to make a sex doll for me. But it turned out to be… his true mate. I still can't wrap my head around it. How can a robot turn into a living creature with a soul? And his true mate? Brother Izo, doesn't it suit him? I don't find it odd… oddly."
"It must have been painful and disgusting for you too." Noah taps his foot on the ground nervously. "I am sorry again. I won't do anything to Kai or you. Actually, I plan to leave this world for a while. Maybe I should go to the demonic worlds."
Izo grasps his wrist. "Are you crazy? Don't be like Klyn."
"Brother Izo, I might make mistakes again if I stay here," Noah croaks. He doesn't want to speak anymore. He will make mistakes again. "I-I might kiss someone again. I don't know. It's lonely sometimes. I… I… am sorry for the way I am. But I do like men."
"So what? Kai also likes men." Izo grimaces at Noah. Why is he ashamed of himself? Is he crying? "He also likes women. Well, he likes anything that intrigues him."
"But…��� Noah bites his lower lip. He just wants to go away as far as possible from Izo. How can he stay here after confessing to him? Izo doesn't love him. "I am sorry."
"Why do you keep apologising?" Izo grips his wrist harder. "So what if you like men? And why do you say that it was painful and disgusting for me? I meant that it's painful for someone who has a true mate. Once they have mated with their mate, they can't have physical intimacy with someone else. Rather, they don't even want to have physical intimacy with someone else. You shouldn't make things harder for Kai. He is strange enough. I feel bad for his mate too. I have no idea what he will do to her. Actually, I don't care as long as she lives well."
Izo has a caring heart. Noah glances at him. Izo seems concerned about him. That makes him feel worse. He can't help but hope for something more. But it is unrealistic. "I kissed you without your consent. I am sorry again."
Izo smacks his head. "Stop apologising. You were on your deathbed. If you had told me that you wanted me to kiss you, I would have done it willingly."
What did he say? Noah blinks his eyes. "Willingly?"
Izo's ears turn red. Flustered, he scolds Noah, "I meant… I didn't mean like that. I mean… I was afraid that you would die and leave me behind. Now, you want to go to other worlds like Klyn. Are you going through puberty again? You kiss anyone you want. You say anything you want. You make me run after you through the forest like this. Noah, you aren't allowed to act like this."