miracle (miracle) wrote in luke_noah, @ 2007-12-24 03:43:00 |
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Entry tags: | -[luke/noah]-, fanfic, fanfic: [atwt], fanfic: rating: teen&under, » by: dedebee |
"The Next Level," Conclusion
Original poster: dedebee
Author: dedebee
Characters: Noah, Luke, and assorted members of the Snyder clan
Rating | Word Count: PG-13, 3700
Spoilers | Warnings: Ignore the 12/12 episode and everything after.
Summary: Noah prepares to spend Christmas with Luke's family
Notes: I know I said there would only be one more chapter, but I couldn't fit everything I wanted into one more volume without the flow seeming weird, so I broke it up in two. Thanks again to everyone who's read and commented. I really appreciate it! Enjoy the conclusion of the story!
"The Next Level," Chapter Six
In the three days he had been staying at the Snyder farm so far, Noah discovered he missed the quiet moments the most. They were scarce with Luke and his family, especially now that the kids were out of school for their winter break and had free reign of the house day and night. As much as he loved being around the Snyder clan and getting a glimpse of what “normal” was like, he had to escape for his own sanity. Although he told Luke he was going to Al’s Diner so that Luke could have time alone to bond with his dad, he was just too afraid to tell his boyfriend the real reason.
He took another sip of his coffee and read to himself the letter he just finished writing.
“Dear Dad,
I thought I said everything I had to say to you when we last saw each other, but I guess not. Even after all the pain you’ve caused me, everything you’ve done to hurt me, I find it hard not to miss you, especially during this time of year. I might wish it wasn’t true sometimes, but the bottom line is, you will always be my father. You’re partly responsible for making me into the man I am today, and I thank you for that, because that’s the man that Luke loves. And I love him too, Dad. I know you’ll probably never be able to accept that, but I hope that one day, you’ll come around. If or when you do, just know I’ll be here, ready and waiting.”
Noah cleared his throat as he read the last line. The letter may have been short, but it said everything he wanted to say to his father. He signed his name on the bottom of the paper, folded it up and placed it in the envelope he brought. He licked the flap of the envelope and sealed it shut before going back to his coffee. As he took a sip, he wondered, was he really strong enough to send this letter? Did he really have the courage to forgive his father for what he had done? His contemplations were interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Noah?” He looked up and saw Mrs. Snyder standing before him. Instinctively, he turned the letter over so the address faced down on the table.
“Mrs. Snyder! Hi, how are you?” He stood up to greet her, remembering his manners.
“Please, Noah, call me Lily. Mrs. Snyder is Luke’s grandmother,” she said. “And you don’t have to stand.”
“Sorry, Mrs.—I mean, uh, Lily. It’s just a habit.” Even though Lily was always kind to him, Noah couldn’t help but feel nervous, especially after their last encounter.
“Of course it is. I'm glad I ran into you here. Do you mind if I join you for a bit?”
“Uh…no, no. Please. By all means.” He gestured towards the seat across from him. Lily took off her coat and flung it over her chair. Noah waited until she was fully seated before sitting down himself.
“So are you enjoying yourself at the farm?”
“Yeah, it’s great. It’s a little busy, but it’s great,” he added. “How did you know I was staying there?”
“I just had a talk with Luke’s father. We were discussing Christmas, and he told me he and Emma invited you to stay at the farm for your break.”
“Oh.” Noah looked confused. According to Luke, the only talking his parents ever did these days was about their impending divorce.
“Anyway, Noah, I just wanted to talk to you about...the other day.“
“Oh. Oh! Mrs.--I mean, Lily, before you say anything, I just want to apologize for—“
“Please, Noah, an apology isn’t necessary. Believe me, Luke’s already apologized enough for the both of you.”
“He did?”
“Yes, and I believe I have you to thank for that.” Noah became shy, not knowing exactly how to respond, but Lily put him at ease with a smile.
“Listen, Noah,” Lily went on, “I just want to explain my behavior the other day.”
“You want to explain yourself to me?“
“Yes, I do. I feel that I owe you an apology.” Noah was taken aback by her words. She owed him an apology? he thought. As she paused, Noah studied Lily’s face. He always thought that she was so self-assured, but it seemed like she was even more nervous than he was over the conversation they were having.
Lily took a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t know if Luke told you,” she said, “but when I found out he was gay, I didn’t exactly…I wasn’t as supportive as I should have been.” Noah kept quiet, as imagining either of Luke’s parents not being supportive of their son was something he could hardly fathom.
“Of course,” she continued. “I’ve accepted it now, and I wouldn’t change Luke for anything in the world, but…well, it’s one thing coming to terms with your son being gay, but it’s an entirely different thing to—to see him coming out of a hotel room, with his boyfriend.” Noah bowed his head, embarrassed to even look Lily in the eyes.
“Obviously, I overreacted. It’s just….” She struggled with the words. “It’s just that a part of me will always see Luke as my little boy. But he’s not so little anymore. He’s an adult, capable of making his own decisions.” Lily reached out and placed her hand on top of Noah’s, causing him to tremble a bit at the gesture.
“I don’t want you to think that I don’t approve of your relationship with Luke,” she went on. “Because I do. You’ve been so good for him, Noah…I’m so grateful that Luke has someone like you in his life. Holden and I both are.” He looked back up at her and felt her tenderness.
“Thank you, Mrs. Sny—I mean, Lily,” he managed to say.
“No, Noah,” she replied, beaming. “Thank you. I’ve never seen Luke this happy before. And I know that’s all because of you.” Noah could feel his cheeks beginning to blush.
“Well,” Lily went on, “I better grab my takeout and head back to the Lakeview. I guess I’ll see you at the farm, on Christmas?”
“You’ll be there?”
“Of course I will. It’s a family tradition. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Lily smiled one last time at Noah before heading to the counter to pick up her food. Once she exited, Noah couldn’t help but feel warm and tingly inside. It was a strange new feeling that he couldn’t really describe, but he knew he could get used to it. He turned the envelope over and looked at it one last time. After a moment of reflection, he paid his bill and headed towards the post office.
Chapter Seven
Noah quietly crept through the halls of the Snyder Farm, careful not to make too much noise as to wake anyone in the early hours before Christmas morning. He wished he didn’t have to be so stealthy, but it was necessary. When Noah accepted the invitation to stay with Luke’s family during the holidays, his grandmother Emma made it explicitly clear that Luke’s room was off-limits. Noah intended to obey her ground rules, but Luke didn’t share those intentions. He tried to protest, but Noah learned soon after meeting Luke that he could be very persuasive.
Once he reached the door, Noah pushed it open slowly. The door creaked softly, as old doors do, but it seemed like the loudest sound to Noah. He walked in and shut it quickly in order to avoid a repeat of the same sound. As he stood against the door, relieved to have finally made it, he looked over at Luke…he was sound asleep in his bed.
"I didn’t go through all of this so I could watch you sleep," he mumbled to himself. He made his way over to the bed and sat down. He gently shook his boyfriend, whispering his name in an attempt to awaken him. All Luke did was snore loudly in return.
“Great,” Noah said. He turned away to look at the door, pondering a return to his own room, when Luke suddenly grabbed his thigh and caused him to recoil in surprise.
“Jesus,” Noah screamed quietly. “You scared the hell out of me, Luke!”
“Oh come on,” Luke said, amused with himself. “It was funny.”
”No, it wasn’t.” Noah had a serious look on his face. “I think this was a bad idea.” He turned towards the door.
Luke jumped up in his bed. “Noah, wait! I’m sorry! Please, don’t go!”
Noah didn't move, keeping his back turned to Luke. When he finally rotated to face him, he had a huge smirk on his face.
“Gotcha,” Noah said.
Luke laughed. “Alright, I deserved that.”
“Yes, you did.” Noah made his way back to the bed and Luke pulled open the covers, inviting him in. “I still think this is a bad idea,” he said, as he climbed under the sheets. “You could have come down to my room. I mean, your grandmother said your room was off-limits, but not mine.”
“So you'd make your injured boyfriend walk all the way to your room? You're more able to sneak around than I am!" Luke replied. "Besides, it’s only a bad idea if we get caught. And I’ll make sure you’re out of here before anyone wakes up.” He leaned in for a smooch. Noah wrapped his arms around Luke’s body and they began to kiss passionately. They kept the rhythm going until Luke moved his hands towards Noah’s lower body.
“Uh-uh,” said Noah, pulling away for a second. “We’re not doing that.”
Luke gave him a cunning grin. “Why not?”
“Because.” Noah gave Luke another kiss. “It’s bad enough we’re disobeying your grandmother already. We do that and we’re bound to get caught.”
“No, we won’t,” Luke pleaded. “I can be really quiet.”
Noah laughed. “Now we both know that’s not true.”
“Touché,” Luke said, defeated. He ran his fingers through Noah’s hair. As he stared into his boyfriend’s eyes, a feeling of uneasiness came over him and caused his confidence to waiver. “But that wasn’t just a one-time thing, right? I mean…us, being together—“
“Of course it wasn’t,” Noah reassured.
Luke sighed, and the two of them silently lay in the bed for a while, holding one another. As Noah gazed deeply into Luke eyes, he felt compelled to speak.
“Luke,” he said softly, “I love you.”
Luke brushed his fingers against Noah’s cheek. “I love you too, Noah.”
Those were the last words Noah heard before feeling the earth seemingly begin to move. The sensation of his body shaking all over was enough to waken him. Though his ears were still muffled, he could make out Luke’s words.
“Noah! Wake up!”
“Wha—what is it?” Noah said, sleepily.
“We fell asleep! You’ve gotta get back to your room!” Noah jerked upright and tumbled out of the bed.
“Damnit! What time is it?”
“Five-thirty! You better hurry…Natalie always wakes up at the crack of dawn to open presents!”
Noah stumbled around and tried to make his way to the door. He was halfway out before he turned around and said, “Merry Christmas, Luke.”
Luke smiled and said in return, “Merry Christmas, Noah.”
He closed the door and attempted to tiptoe back to the guest room. As advanced towards the kitchen, the beam of light coming through the hallway frightened him. Had Luke’s grandmother woken up early? He carefully walked past the kitchen and was almost scot-free…until he stubbed his toe against a chair.
“Ow!” He tried to hold back, but the pain was too much. He heard the pitter-patter of footsteps coming out of the kitchen and prayed that he wouldn’t freeze to death sleeping in his truck during these winter nights.
“Oh! Hey Noah….” It was Brad Snyder, Luke’s cousin.
“Brad! Hey!” Noah said, still smarting from his injury. “I thought you were Luke’s grandmother.”
“Nope,” Brad replied. He had a smug look on his face.
“Um, you’re up pretty early…going somewhere?” Noah said, trying to distract him.
“Just got in.” Brad stared him down. Noah was starting to feel incredibly uncomfortable.
“Well, I guess I’ll get back to bed. I just, uh, had to use the bathroom.”
“Bathroom’s this way.” Brad motioned behind him, not letting up.
“Yeah well, I…I didn’t have to go after all, so…so that’s why I’m going back to bed.”
“Uh huh.”
“So…Merry Christmas?” Noah ran out of things to say.
“Yeah,” Brad said, “Merry Christmas Noah.” Noah turned away and proceeded to head back to the guest room.
“Hey Noah?” Brad called back.
Noah turned around in fear. “Yeah?”
“Don’t worry. This never happened.” Brad gave him a wink before turning back around into the kitchen. Noah stood there for a second in disbelief until he heard the loud footsteps of someone, presumably Natalie, rushing down the stairs. He hauled himself back to his room as quickly as possible.
-------------------------
Noah hadn’t been in bed for more than 30 minutes when heard the knocking.
“Noah, are you up?” Luke asked through the door.
Still a little sleepy, he was able to let out a “Yeah” in reply. Luke opened the door.
“Hey,” he said, slowly making his way in. “My parents wanted me to come get you so we could open the presents and stuff.” Luke sat down on the bed next to him.
“Alright,” Noah responded. He rubbed his eyes, still tired from last night.
“You get enough sleep?” Luke teased.
“You know I didn’t.” They both gave each other that intense look that always occurred before they kissed. They moved closer, but right before their lips touched, Holden walked in, interrupting the moment. He cleared his throat before he spoke.
“Merry Christmas, Noah,” he said. He stood in the doorway, arms folded.
“Um, Merry Christmas Mist—uh, Holden.” Noah didn’t think he would ever get used to calling Luke’s parents by their first name.
“You guys coming down soon?” he asked.
“Be right there, Dad.” Luke rolled his eyes.
“Quickly, please. We don’t want to keep Natalie waiting.” He gave the two of them one last look before walking away. They looked at each other and laughed once Holden was out of earshot.
“So…shall we?” Luke offered his hand, and Noah quickly grabbed it.
“Let’s do this,” he said.
Once they entered the living room, hand in hand, they were greeted by the rest of Luke’s immediate family. Noah let go of Luke so he could give his mother a hug. As his boyfriend walked away, both Faith and Natalie ran up to him.
“Merry Christmas, Noah!” they exclaimed. The girls flanked him on both sides and gave him a hug. Though he was taken by surprise, the moment eventually won him over.
“Merry Christmas to you too,” he said, hugging them back. Luke’s grandmother was next in line for an embrace, followed by his mother.
“Hello Noah,” Lily said. “Merry Christmas.” She gave him a deliberate smile before she embraced him.
“Merry Christmas, uh, Lily.”
“Caught yourself there, huh?”
“Yeah, I did.” Noah looked over at Luke as he hugged Lily. Though he was talking to his dad, his eyes were focused on his boyfriend and his mother. Noah didn’t think he’d ever seen Luke any happier than at that moment.
Noah probably had never embraced so many people before in one day, but it felt right to him. Christmas morning at the Snyder farm was just as he imagined it. As he had gotten to know Luke and the rest of the Snyders over the last few months, he had learned that no matter what problems they were going through, they would still be able to pull together as a family when the moment called for it. Holden and Lily interacted as if they knew they would still be together forever, and their children were no different. Faith and Natalie were so clearly taken over by the joy of Christmas that they forgot their parents’ troubles. However, Noah was impressed by Luke most of all. It was hard to believe any of the painful events of last year even happened as he watched Luke tease his baby brother while in his mom’s arms. It was the most adorable thing Noah had ever seen.
Since he and Luke had already exchanged gifts, all he could do was observe as the family opened their presents and spread their joy. He tried his best to share in the happiness, but even though the Snyders were nothing but warm and inviting towards him, Noah couldn’t shake the feeling that he was on the outside looking in.
All the gifts seemed to have been opened until Lily mentioned otherwise. “You know what?” she said. “There’s still one more gift that I left in the car. Holden, would you come out and help me?” She gave him a knowing glance.
“Sure,” he said.
“Here, Luke, why don’t you take Ethan?” As she handed the baby over to him, an idea suddenly popped into Luke’s head.
“Actually, I’m going to the kitchen to get some more cookies,” he said. “Here, Noah, hold Ethan for a little bit.”
“What?? Uh, I don’t think I should—“
“Oh, you’ll be fine.” Noah’s protests went unheard by Luke, who plopped the baby right on Noah’s lap. Unsure of how to hold him, Noah rested him against his stomach gently put his arms around Ethan’s midsection. “Is this okay?” he asked, puzzled.
Luke turned around as he walked away and gestured “Okay” with his hands, trying not to laugh. Surprisingly, the toddler remained calm under Noah’s gentle care. Ethan wrapped his little hand around Noah’s fingers.
“Aw, that means he likes you!” Faith said.
“Really?” Noah couldn’t stop smiling. He turned Ethan around towards him and lifted him up in the air, making silly faces at him and causing him to laugh and coo.
“Would you look at that?” Luke said, walking back into the room. He parked right next to Noah and began to tickle his little brother while his boyfriend held him.
“How adorable!” Emma exclaimed. “Oh, someone forgot to get the camera! I’ll be right back!”
As she left the room, Lily and Holden returned, amused by what was going on. Noah looked up and saw Holden carrying a large and thin rectangular shaped present.
“Here, let me take Ethan from you, Noah,” Lily said. He handed the baby over. Holden placed the present right next to him.
“Noah,” Holden said, “this is for you, from all of us.” Noah’s eyes widened in amazement.
“It is?” Luke said, genuinely surprised.
“Yes,” Holden said, shooting a look back to his son. “From all of us.” Luke still looked confused.
Noah finally was able to speak. “I—I can’t accept this,” he said.
“Of course you can,” said Lily. “It’s a gift, Noah. It’s Christmas.”
“But I didn’t get any of you anything.”
“No,” Holden replied. “You did.” He looked over at Lily, and they both looked over at Luke lovingly.
“Go ahead. Open it!” Lily urged.
Noah placed his hands on the present and felt its hard edges. He could tell it was a framed picture or something of that sort, but he couldn’t imagine of what. He turned to Luke. Luke nodded back and Noah slowly began unwrapping his gift. He took his time with the paper, tearing it off slowly and orderly in an effort to savor the moment. Once there was enough paper for a reveal, Noah found himself staring at a framed poster of “Casablanca.”
“’Casablanca?’” he said in shock. “This is one of my favorite movies! How did you know?”
“Luke told me how much you loved the movie after you guys watched it a couple of weeks ago,” Holden said. “Lily and I saw this in a store window in Old Town the other day and we both thought of you.”
Luke looked on as Noah’s eyes consumed every inch of his present. He was like a little kid with a new toy. Luke smiled at his parents and mouthed “I love you” to both of them.
“Thank you,” Noah finally managed to say. He looked at Holden and Lily with his eyes glistening. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, Noah,” Holden replied. Lily was too moved to speak.
“Alright everyone,” Emma said, returning to the living room with a camera and a tripod. “It’s family picture time!”
As the Snyders gathered around their Christmas tree, Noah sat in the same place, still captivated by their kind gesture.
“Noah, over here!” Emma called out to him.
“Oh!” He came out of his trance and walked over to her. “You want me to take the picture?”
“No, of course not!” she said. “We’re all going to be in the picture!”
“We are?” he asked.
“Well, it is a family picture! And you’re part of our family now.” She said the last sentence with the same kindness and honesty she used for all of her words. Noah glanced at the other Snyders and he could tell that they were all in agreement. He smiled at Emma before heading over to the rest of the family. He took his place behind Luke and wrapped his arms around him. Luke draped his arms over Noah’s and turned his head to smile at his boyfriend. Noah smiled back at him tenderly.
Finally, Emma finished setting up the timer and the tripod and joined them.
“Okay, everyone!” she said. “Say, ‘Merry Christmas!’”
“Merry Christmas!” they all said. Once the flash went off, Emma went for the camera to take a look.
“My, what a beautiful picture!” she exclaimed. She passed the camera over to Luke so he could see it.
“Grandma, you’re right! It is a great picture,” he said. He handed the camera over to Noah. “What do you think, Mayer?”
Noah looked around the room, at Luke and at the rest of his family. Without even looking at the picture, he responded. “You’re right. It really is great.”
THE END