"I guess you have a point," Noah says, his mouth threatening a smirk but not quite making it. As guilty as he feels, saying it out loud is almost a relief, alleviating some of the stress of holding onto a secret for so long. He's never really talked about it with anyone except Ronan himself, and even then it wasn't much because he'd felt so terrible. He'd sooner tell someone he's dead than about his feelings for Ronan. But he knows Freddie won't judge him, so he keeps talking.

"It sucks, though. I hate it. Wanting someone like that, and then not being able to do anything with it," he says, his statement trailing off. Noah sighs and takes a drink. "Sucks."