miracle (miracle) wrote in luke_noah, @ 2007-10-12 21:47:00 |
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Current mood: | creative |
Entry tags: | -[luke/noah]-, fanfic, fanfic: [atwt], fanfic: rating: teen&under, ยป by: colorfulshadows |
FIC: Happier
Original poster: colorfulshadows
This hit me like a ton of bricks after watching today's episode. Though it's about Luke and Noah--as in they're the topic of Maddie and Henry discussion--they're not actually "on screen". Takes place "later that same day" of today's episode. SPOILER ALERT!
TITLE: Happier
By Dev Basaa
RATING: G
PAIRING: implied Luke/Noah, Maddie & Henry
CATEGORY: missing scene, angst
FEEDBACK: yes, please ^_^ dev_aki_jediknight @ yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER: Luke and Noah, et.al. belong to CBS and P&G, not me, just borrowing, no profit made, so on.
SUMMARY: Set after today's episode (10/12/07), Maddie has to talk to Henry about the day's events. SPOILER for Today's (Friday) Episode!
Word count: 1,120
~~~
It didn't take her long to realize she needed to seek out Henry. Or Vienna. Or both. At first, she'd fussed around her apartment--rearranging DVDs, fluffing pillows, debating with herself about cleaning the baseboards--before she knew she had too many thoughts tumbling through her mind to leave them there, unsaid, unheard.
Henry would listen to her; he always did.
He also knew her too well.
"Uh oh." Henry had smiled when Maddie walked through the diner door, but then his dry-rag stopped sliding across the countertop and his smile dropped. He'd read her. By the time she slipped onto one of the padded stools, he'd laid his forearms on the countertop and leaned close.
"I see that look, you're not doing okay. I heard about Luke."
Maddie couldn't even keep her shoulders up; they deflated as quickly as her attempt at a good mood. "Yeah, Luke, that's--" She shook her head. "I feel so badly for him. I can't believe--"
"Er--" Henry put up a finger. "Can't believe? Didn't you use the word "evil" about the general?"
Maddie winced. "It's colonel. And, yeah, I did, but I still never expected that he'd go so far as--oh, I don't know what I expected. Not this!" No, of all the things she expected when she saw Noah and Luke leave together from Old Town, smiles on their faces, fishing poles in their hands, it hadn't been any of this.
"Well, who would?" Henry shrugged as he started wiping the countertop again, but Maddie knew he hadn't taken his gaze from her. In barely a second, he'd read the next page in her mind. His gaze narrowed and the rag stopped moving again.
"Why do I get the feeling this isn't just about Luke?"
Maddie nodded once, bit her lip, and then said, "Noah kissed me."
Henry's eyes widened. "Whoa. When?"
"Earlier today. He was drunk."
"Ah..."
She slunk a little lower. The countertop tile had a dull starburst design on them, faded with time; she hadn't even noticed before. She hadn't stared at them this much before.
"Yeah," she said. "Exactly. He's upset about Luke and his dad, and---just, everything. I think he wanted to turn back time."
Henry folded his arms on the countertop again. "I guess I can't blame him for that, but he shouldn't have kissed you." He nudged her hand. "What'd you do?"
"Stopped him, of course." Then she felt her frustration like a physical thing, coursing down her arms and spine, curling her hands into fists. She tossed her arms in the air with a soft cry of exasperation, wishing the conflicting thoughts could be thrown from her mind with such an easy gesture. How did her life continue to be this constantly confusing?
"God, Henry, it felt so good, but...I--I just couldn't..." She shook her head again.
Henry's voice had dropped to a whisper. "That must have been hard."
And as suddenly as everything inside her had gathered and sped towards anger, she sagged again, letting it all out in a long, tired sigh. "You know, the funny thing is, it wasn't that hard. I mean, I figured out fast what was going on."
"That he wanted to turn back time?"
"Yeah. It's hardly surprising."
Henry nodded again. "All right." Then he ducked his head just so, capturing her gaze. She realized then that she'd been avoiding it--that since she'd walked in, she hadn't looked at him directly. Sometimes that could be just too much, even when she knew she needed it.
"So," he said, "if it's hardly surprising, why do you look like something broke inside?"
She needed one more second, one more moment of delusion or avoidance or whatever it was that held her back from saying what she'd come there to say. She covered her face, drew inward for another ounce of reserve and then sighed again. She dropped her hands.
"Because--because something occurred to me. Something that did hurt, that was hard. Something I should have said--could have said to Noah--but didn't."
Henry didn't speak; he didn't move. He was waiting for her and she knew it.
She used the pause to gather her thoughts. "You know how I knew to tell Noah to stop and go to Luke?"
Henry shook his head.
"Because I saw them together and, of course, I saw when Noah and I were together and, really, Henry, he was happier with Luke."
Henry's shoulders sagged the way her own had. "Maddie..."
Maddie put up her hand. "No, I mean it. Even in that short time. You could see it in his eyes. You could see it when he talked about Luke, when they made plans. I kept telling myself that Noah had to be with Luke because they're both gay and it's what Noah needed to be okay with himself. He needed to accept being gay and being with Luke served that. But then it hit me. Gay, straight, it doesn't even really matter--Noah needs to be with Luke because he's happier with Luke, he's meant to be with him. I wasn't just the wrong gender, I was the wrong person, altogether."
Henry pushed himself up, his hands flat against the countertop. "God, Maddie--are you helping yourself at all thinking like this?"
Maddie shrugged. Her voice betrayed how tired she felt. Had it really taken this much out of her to say all this to Henry? "No, but it's the truth. And I should have made that clear to him, that he's not just fighting his nature, he's fighting his heart."
Henry sighed. "Do you think he went to see Luke, then?"
"I don't know, but I sure hope so."
For a moment, all Maddie heard was the distant sound of diners, murmured conversation and the clink of silverware against porcelain. The people sounded content, peaceful, happy--making them seem even farther away in some other world where those things could happen. A world Maddie wondered if she'd ever find. Then, whack, the smack of skin against tile nearly sent her jumping off the seat.
Henry had dropped his hand down, palm up, in front of her.
"Give me your hand."
Startled, she did as she was told. Henry's hand was warm--overheated--as if he'd just pulled dishes from his industrial dishwasher. Or maybe her hands were just that cold.
He squeezed her fingers and smiled. "You know what? You're too nice for your own good."
She snorted softly and squeezed back. "Yeah, that certainly seems to be the case, huh?"
He nodded. "Yup. So...want a sundae?"
Finally, she broke into a smile. She had, of course, come to the right place.
"Yeah," she said. "I would."
The End