miracle (miracle) wrote in luke_noah, @ 2007-12-05 02:34:00 |
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Entry tags: | -[luke/noah]-, fanfic, fanfic: [atwt], fanfic: rating: teen&under, » by: dedebee |
"The Next Level," Chapter Two
Original poster: dedebee
Author: dedebee
Characters: Luke and Noah
Rating | Word Count: PG, 1445
Spoilers | Warnings: Up-to-date with the show and current storyline
Summary: Noah is worried after receiving an urgent message from Luke. What could it be?
Notes: Let me preface this chapter by saying that I am no means a medical expert, so I might have gotten the details wrong. I just figured that the way the show works, some liberties could be taken, right? Anyway, here's Chapter Two. Enjoy!
"The Next Level," Chapter Two
Noah was anxiously waiting in the heart of Old Town. It had been almost half an hour since Luke had called him, asking to meet in the plaza. His urgent tone had Noah thinking the worst. Was Luke hurt? Did something go wrong during his physical therapy? Maybe it wasn’t that serious. Maybe Luke just needed someone to talk to about his parents’ divorce. Whatever it was, Noah’s mind was far from at ease.
He already felt guilty enough that he hadn’t seen his boyfriend in a week, not that it was his idea. Luke insisted that they keep their distance for a few days so that Noah could study and concentrate on his finals without distraction. It was an idea that sounded better in theory, since almost all Noah could think about was how much he missed Luke. Even though the plan pretty much backfired, he still worked hard and earned good marks on his exams.
As he sat on the bench, watching everyone but Luke pass by, Noah tried to keep his mind from worrying by focusing on the Christmas decorations adorning the various shops and restaurants. The holiday season was in full swing, and it would be his first without the Colonel. He had hardly thought about his father since he was shipped off to prison, but he found it incredibly difficult not to right now. There were happy children everywhere, holding hands with their even happier parents, laughing, frolicking, carrying gifts and spreading their cheer all around. The spectacle of it all made Noah miss his father just a little bit. He quickly put aside those semi-unresolved emotions and locked them away, deeming it better to worry about Luke.
Noah stood up and looked at his watch. Forty minutes. He took out his cell phone and started dialing. After a few rings, the message played. “Hey, it’s Luke. I’m sorry I missed your call, but if you just leave me a message, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”
“Luke, it’s me,” Noah said into the phone. “I’m here in Old Town, where we said we’d meet, and I’m worried because I’ve been waiting for a while. Please give me a call when you get—“
“Noah!”
As soon as he heard Luke’s voice shout his name, Noah’s eyes searched the crowd for his boyfriend. He may have been too focused on trying to spot a cute blonde in a wheelchair, as his jaw dropped at the most unexpected sight…Luke, grinning from ear to ear, walking towards him with a crutch underneath each arm.
“Sorry, I took so long,” Luke said, once he was close enough to say without shouting. “Traffic was pretty crazy. So did you miss me?”
Noah didn’t even hear the question. “Luke, you’re….I mean, when…” he said, clearly dumbfounded. Not able to blurt out a coherent sentence, Noah instead grabbed Luke, pulling him close and hugging him tight. His grasp was so strong; Luke could hardly return the favor. He tried his best to hug Noah back, stretching his forearms as far as they could go while being constricted by Noah’s embrace.
“Uh, Noah? You’re...kind of...hurting me," Luke managed to let out.
“Oh, sorry!” Noah unraveled his arms and placed his hands on Luke’s shoulders. Luke melted upon seeing Noah’s face go from complete shock to utter delight. He loved seeing Noah smile, and he loved being the cause of it even more.
Noah finally strung together a complete thought. “So when did this happen?!?” he asked.
“A few days ago, during our ‘break,’” Luke answered, letting out a little laugh. “My physical therapy was going really well, and the doctor finally gave me the okay to get rid of the wheelchair for good.”
“That’s awesome!” he said, still smiling. “And the crutches?”
“They’re mostly for support. I can get around without them, but it takes me a lot longer. If I didn’t have them, I might not have gotten here until after New Year’s.”
“Why didn’t you call me? I would have come over, we could have celebrated or something!”
“I wanted to surprise you. And I knew you’d be knee-deep in finals and stuff, I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Bother me? The whole week, all I could think about was you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really.” Noah inched closer to Luke. “I missed you. A lot.”
“Me too. I mean, I missed you too.” The two boys stood there for a moment, smiling at each other. It occurred to Luke for a quick second that Noah might kiss him, right then and there, in the middle of Old Town, but he came to his senses. He took a step back, knowing Noah might be uncomfortable at such a public display of affection.
“So, uh…wanna go for a walk?” Luke asked, tapping on his crutches.
“Yes, definitely,” Noah said. As they strolled through town, Noah wanted so badly to hold his boyfriend’s hand, but Luke needed both of his to grasp the crutches. At the rate Luke’s recovery was going, he’d have that soon enough, he thought to himself. Soon Luke wouldn’t even need the crutches and he and Noah could go back to the way things were, before his father had hurt them both.
“I forgot to ask you,” Luke said, interrupting Noah’s thoughts. “How were finals?”
“I took my last one today, and I think I did pretty well,” Noah replied proudly. “I’m sure I got at least a couple of A’s.”
“Wow…smart and good-looking,” teased Luke. “I must have hit the jackpot.”
“No, I think I did,” Noah shot back.
“Well, if that’s how you feel, I guess I don’t have to give you anything for Christmas then, huh?”
Christmas. Noah had completely forgotten. He didn’t forget about the holiday, but with school and everything coming to a head, the idea of getting Luke a gift hadn’t even crossed his mind. Luke realized he might have thrown Noah off, judging from his silence and his pensive expression. “Oh come on, Noah. You know I was kidding, right? I mean, of course I got you something.”
“Oh…uh, yeah. I mean, yeah, I got you something too.”
“Really? You know, you didn’t have to,” Luke feigned his selflessness, as he was definitely excited by the prospect of a gift.
“Well, that’s what you’re supposed to do this time of year, right?” Noah tried his hardest to convince Luke. “Get each other gifts?”
Luke could tell the conversation was getting under Noah’s skin. He didn’t know why, but he knew Noah was uncomfortable. He quickly changed the subject.
“Mind if we sit down for a bit?” he said.
“Not at all,” Noah replied. He spotted an unoccupied bench adjacent to Al’s Diner and they found their way over. As Noah helped Luke off of his crutches and onto the bench, Luke noticed a familiar decoration above them.
“Whatever you do, Noah,” Luke warned, “don’t look up.”
Noah’s head tilted back on instinct. He looked up and saw the mistletoe adorned on the wall of the diner, directly above them.
“Oh,” he said, caught off guard. Noah couldn’t take his eyes off of it.
“I swear, I didn’t plan this,” Luke said, clearly amused.
“I’m sure you didn’t,” Noah teased back. He brought his head down to look at Luke and became silent as he studied Luke’s face. Even after a week apart, Noah surprisingly remembered every detail…Luke’s eyes, his nose, his lips. Especially his lips. He leaned forward, ready to kiss his boyfriend.
“Noah,” Luke interrupted. “You don’t have to. All these people—“
“I know,” Noah replied. Luke expected him to pull away, but he didn’t budge. Noah leaned in and kissed him, not caring who might walk by and see or what they might say.
Luke broke away after a moment, clearly taken aback. “I didn’t see that coming,” he said, laughing uneasily. He wasn’t sure if he was more proud or embarrassed.
“I don’t think I did either,” Noah answered. He remembered the first time he kissed Luke, and Luke had said something similar to him. Once again, Luke’s hold over him was just too hard to fight.
Luke rested his head on Noah’s shoulder. They held hands while sitting on the bench, watching the people pass by. Noah wasn’t sure if any of them had seen their kiss, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Luke was with him and that he was getting better. Whatever Luke had gotten Noah for Christmas, it more than likely wouldn’t be better than the gift he got today. He knew he had to do something special for Luke to return the favor.
END OF CHAPTER TWO