miracle (miracle) wrote in luke_noah, @ 2008-12-09 21:17:00 |
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Entry tags: | -[luke/noah]-, fanfic, fanfic: [atwt], ยป by: firebolt87 |
Fic: In This Together (Part 3/5)
Original poster: firebolt87
Title: In This Together (Part 3/5)
Genre: Drama/Angst
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Underage drinking.
Word Count: 874
Summary: My take on events after Luke gets expelled and Noah breaks up with him.
Disclaimer: I own nothing whatsoever, sadly (except my keyboard).
Notes: Here are the first two parts - Part 1 Part 2 (the first contains the general notes for the story). I was only going to have one more part, but it was coming out soooooo long that I decided to split again. As a result, this part is pretty short. The fourth (and almost definitely last, but I never say never...) part will still be War and Peace length, but I had to make it a >little< shorter, so there. I hope to finish the story ASAP, maybe even in the next couple of days - in which case posting this part would be kind of silly, but whatever. Enjoy the read, and remember that feedback is the best! :)
The happy, hopeful feeling Noah had as he headed to the Snyder farm evaporated the second he walked in the door. Now, he felt as though someone had spilled a bucket of ice water over him. The person he was looking for was present, all right, but he wasn't alone, and he didn't seem to be sitting there waiting for Noah, either.
Luke was being kissed by Brian. Brian.
As the two broke apart to stare at Noah, he spotted the bottle of whiskey on the table, Brian's caught-in-the-act expression and Luke looking completely out of it, and it wasn't too difficult to put two and two together. Noah's shock quickly turned into disgust. Which quickly turned into fury.
He took several steps forward, his eyes boring holes into Brian's skull. "He's drunk, isn't he?" he asked rhetorically, in barely controlled rage.
"Noah," Brian stood up nonchalantly and held up his hand in a 'peace' gesture, "This isn't what it looks like. Please, just let me explain – "
But Noah, utterly livid, was in no mood for the foundation manager's perfectly reasonable explanations. He moved even closer to Brian until their faces were inches apart, and gritted, "Get out of here. Now."
Brian looked taken aback, as though he hadn't expected this show of aggression from such a mild-mannered young man. After a beat, he resigned himself to Noah's demand and started to walk off in the direction of the door. He stopped mid-way to cast another hesitant glace at Luke and Noah, but the look of loathing on Noah's face quickly made him take his leave.
Noah could hardly believe what he'd just seen. And to think he had always been the one to defend Brian to Luke... he was revolted by the realization that someone they all trusted had just taken advantage of a drunk, vulnerable Luke, that it might have even gone further than a kiss if he hadn't arrived. The mess they were in had just turned even bigger. Noah closed his eyes and forced his white-hot fury to subside; he was there to help Luke, which he couldn't do if his own emotions were out of check.
He'd deal with Brian later.
After a long release of breath, Noah turned around to look at his boyfriend. He had never seen Luke look worse, including when he was lying in a hospital bed after being shot and pushed down a hill by Noah's father. Luke just stared at him dazedly, as though he had not noticed the scene between Noah and Brian take place a moment earlier. He seemed completely out of touch with his surroundings.
"Luke…" he muttered, half to Luke, half to himself. "How could you do this to yourself?".
"D'you just say something?" Luke piped up, eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, I said something about how I can't believe you'd get drunk like this. Seriously, you look like hell."
"Thanks, Noah. That's real nice of you." Luke sniggered and reached for his glass, but Noah quickly gripped his hand and pulled it away.
"What has gotten into you?" he demanded, trying unsuccessfully to meet Luke's eyes. "You really need some help."
Luke angrily wrenched his hand away from Noah, then jumped out of his chair and backed away, as though determined to put some distance between them.
"I don't want any help from you!" he protested, pointing one hand in Noah's direction and using the other to grip the back of his chair for support. "You're a jerk. You dumped me."
Luke's words stung horribly, but Noah knew he had to be the mature, reasonable one here; Luke needed him, even more badly than he'd realized when he decided to come. He couldn't just walk away because he was hurt. He was done doing that.
"Maybe, but we need to sober you up," he said firmly. "C'mon, just sit down."
Luke held his gaze for a beat, before giving a miserable laugh that did nothing to improve Noah's mood, and sinking back into the chair. "Fine. Whatever."
Noah sighed and walked over to the kettle to make some tea. Coffee would probably be better to sober Luke up, but he needed to get some sleep, too.
Luke indifferently gulped down the steaming mug of tea Noah placed in front of him, occasionally complaining that it was gross and he was never drinking tea again. Noah stared at him in concern all the while, but didn't say anything; trying to engage Luke in conversation right now would be an exercise in futility.
When Luke was done, Noah deposited his empty mug in the sink and took hold of his arm. "Alright, now we're gonna go upstairs and you're gonna get yourself some nice, long sleep."
"I don't need your help to get up the stairs, Noah," Luke slurred.
"Actually, since you're drunk enough to fall down those stairs right now, I'd say you do."
Luke reluctantly followed Noah upstairs, and after offering his boyfriend a drunken smile, closed his bedroom door behind him. Heaving a deep sigh, just wanting someone to tell him that the man on the other side of that door was going to be alright, Noah slowly looked away from it and started to walk back downstairs.
Tbc...