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Noah doesn’t fall in love. It’s not really his thing. Everyone he knew growing up always used to fall in love and date, but he never understood why and he certainly didn’t want to join in. At first, he thought it might be related to his autism, because being autistic can make it very difficult for Noah to read his own emotions, but then he learned that there was actually a name for people like him: grayromantic (people who only fall in love very, very rarely). Although, he originally thought he was aromantic, because he didn’t experience romantic attraction until he was seventeen years old.
Because that was when he fell in love for the first (and so far, the only) time. And the person he fell for (and helped him realise what his orientation actually was), was Owen.
Of all the people he met doing Total Drama, Owen seemed one of the strangest people for him to fall for. Because Owen is so loud and outgoing and rather… gross with some of his eating habits, and all of these traits clash with Noah’s own personality so much. But… he supposes that people do say that opposites attract.
Romantic attraction felt so weird when it first happened, and Noah didn’t really know what was going on. In fact, when he finally processed what was happening (that he was falling in love for the first time, and the person he loved was Owen), he actually kind of freaked out and had a bit of a meltdown. Because he’d never thought he would ever fall in love, and he had to revaluate what his orientation actually was.
But he got over it, and was incredibly relieved when Owen asked him out (because that meant he didn’t have to do it; asking someone out is asking a lot of his rather… wobbly social skills). He just wished that Owen didn’t ask him in the middle of Total Drama World Tour, because that meant everyone in the whole world suddenly knew that they were dating.
To this day, he likes to bring this up. “Seriously, dude, why did you ask me out on international TV?”
Owen giggles and shrugs his shoulders. “I dunno. I just… wanted to tell you.”
He raises his eyebrows. “Trust me, I know.”
After he and Owen have been dating for a few months, he decides to come out as greyromantic.
“So, is that, like, asexual?” Owen asks.
He shrugs. “Kinda. But it’s about romantic attraction. It basically means I fall in love really, really rarely.”
“How rarely?”
“Like, you’re the only one ever,” he says. “No girls, no boys, no celebrities… no one. Until you.”
Owen blushes and pulls Noah into one of his bone-cracking hugs. “That’s so cute, little buddy.”
Noah sighs. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
Owen doesn’t need to come out as bi. Ever since Total Drama Island when he kept staring at Justin, it has been obvious that Owen is bisexual.
“But, seriously, thanks for telling me,” Owen says, and he kisses Noah’s head; Noah grimaces, but then smiles slightly. “Hey, is there a pride flag we can get you?”
Noah nods, remembering the flag he saw on the internet. “Yeah, there’s a flag. But I don’t know if pride flags are really my… thing.”
“Fair enough,” Owen says. “I love you, Noah.”
Noah rolls his eyes. “You’re so sappy. But I love you too, chubby buddy.”