Hands (1/1)

[noelleleithe.livejournal.com]

Title: Hands (1/1)
Author: noelleleithe
Pairing/characters: Luke/Noah, Damian, Ali, Lily
Rating: PG (yeah, I know, sorry!)
Words: ~4,320
Summary: Luke takes care of Noah.
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything here except my own words. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's notes: This is unbetaed and rambly, but I'm going to blame it on Luke's state of mind. Set in the near future, no more than a month or so, but there's no Mason here (or at least no Mason-related badness). Written for luke_noah's monthly challenge #9. Well, technically, it didn't start out as a challenge reply, but then a plotbunny jumped in, and suddenly it was. :)

~~~~

One of the first things Luke noticed about Noah was his hands. Extended in a hesitant but friendly handshake, the long, slender fingers reached toward him. A thick watchband sat on his wrist, a stark contrast to the smooth skin underneath. Luke brushed his hand off that day, too distracted by the frustration simmering in his chest. But his subconscious noticed.

It was Noah's hand that made Luke's conscious mind sit up and pay attention. Just an innocent touch, reaching for the same videotape, and a jolt shot up Luke's arm from the contact. The last person he ever expected to give him a thrill like that, and the last person he needed to fall for.

Except that he did, and soon, amazingly, Noah fell right back.

Luke had gotten to know Noah's hands very, very well since then. Noah's hands held his on long walks around Snyder Pond, held his face when they kissed, held his body when they hugged. Eventually, those hands learned the landscape of Luke's body from top to bottom, coaxing forth moans and cries and everything Luke had to give.

These days, sometimes just looking at Noah's hands the right way could send Luke into a state of arousal so fierce he'd have to leave the room or pounce. Whenever possible, he opted for the latter.

Now, though, he didn't dare touch those beautiful hands. Noah was lying in another hospital bed, scrapes and bruises marring his Adonis face, both hands lying on top of the blankets, wrapped in bandages. Two broken fingers on his left hand, a dislocated pinky and a deep gash on side of the other, not to mention a bonus (but thankfully mild) case of whiplash. Luke thanked any god who would listen that it wasn't any worse than that.

The accident hadn't been serious. A teen driver braked too late, rear-ending Noah and plowing his truck forward into the SUV stopped in front of him. Noah's injuries were from the airbag, which wasn't even supposed to deploy in such a low-speed crash, but apparently there was a recall notice out that Noah had missed. And now here they were, Luke perched on an uncomfortable chair next to the bed, watching Noah doze thanks to the Vicodin in his system.

Luke knew he probably looked like a crazy man. Hell, he'd been a crazy man, rushing to throw on shoes and jacket and get from their apartment to the hospital when the call came in. He'd been half-dressed and wet-headed from his shower, and he was sure his overgrown mane was sticking out in a dozen random directions, despite his repeated efforts to contain it. None of that mattered; all he thought of was getting to Noah as soon as possible.

It was an overreaction, he knew. Holden's accident was still too recent. Even Ali's calm assurances when she'd called to tell him what happened couldn't stop his mind from picturing the worst. His chest still hurt from the racing of his heart, even though he'd been sitting at Noah's bedside for over an hour and the adrenaline rush was long gone.

Gingerly, Luke reached out and laid his hand along Noah's right forearm, careful to avoid touching his injuries. He rubbed lightly, not wanting to disturb Noah's rest but needing the connection, needed to feel his skin, warm and soft despite the day's trauma. His gaze drifted to Noah's chest, covered with a thin hospital gown, watching the rise and fall of his breathing.

He didn't know how long he sat that way before Noah stirred. Luke's eyes shot up to meet Noah's, heavy-lidded with sleep and painkillers, the normally clear blue dulled to a steely gray.

"Hey," Luke whispered, unable to resist smiling. "You're awake."

"Hey," Noah rasped in return. "Yeah, kind of."

Luke rubbed the skin under his fingers. "How do you feel?"

Noah grunted. "Like I got hit by a truck." He gave a wan half-smile.

Luke's grin widened. "Well, not exactly, but close enough." He lifted his free hand to push Noah's hair back from where it had fallen across his forehead. "I talked to Doctor Hughes a little while ago. He wanted to keep you overnight, but I said you'd probably want to go home. He said they'll bring you some lunch, and if you can keep it down, he'll release you."

"Mmm." Noah closed his eyes. "Don't know if I can eat, but I'll try. Don't wanna stay here. Too much time in hospitals already."

Luke laughed a little. "Yeah, we have seemed to make a habit out of it, haven't we?" he said. "At least this time it's a mundane traffic accident and not another run-in with some psycho."

Noah gave that half-smile again, his eyes still closed. He shifted again, lifting his left hand toward Luke, then wincing.

"Hey, hey," Luke said, reaching over to lightly push Noah's arm back down. "Broken fingers, remember? Gotta take it easy over there."

Noah sighed softly. "Gonna be hard," he said. "Don't wanna go back to when I couldn't touch you."

Heat flooded Luke. Despite his best intentions, Noah's words were enough to make Luke want to climb on top of him right there in the hospital bed. He wondered, not for the first time, how Noah could manage to turn him on so thoroughly without even trying. He took a deep breath, willing his body to shut the hell up.

"It's okay," Luke said, running his fingers up and down Noah's arms. "It won't be too long." He let his tone turn saucy. "Besides, nothing says I can't touch you."

Noah's eyes opened again, his gaze meeting Luke's. Even the drugs and pain couldn't mask the raw desire in his eyes. Heck, maybe the Vicodin was helping. It could loosen up inhibitions, right? Luke realized his thoughts were rambling, but he didn't seem to be in control any more. He knew he was probably flushed, felt his lips parting, felt him body leaning toward Noah, caught in his gravitational pull.

A low knock on the door behind him snapped him out of his daze. He turned his head as Ali pushed through the door, a tentative smile on her face.

"Hey," she said, looking first at Luke and then at Noah. "Thought I'd check to see if you're ready for something to eat, Noah?"

Luke turned back to find Noah's eyes closed again. "Probably not," Noah said. "But I'll give it a shot if it'll get me out of here faster."

Luke turned back to Ali. "Hey, is Mom still outside?"

Ali shook her head. "She said she had to run to the house to see about Ethan, but she'd be back in a bit. Damian just got here, though. I was going to tell you that, too."

Luke looked at Noah. "Will you be okay if I go talk to Damian a minute, baby?" He cupped Noah's cheek again, and Noah nodded. "I'll be right back," Luke said.

He and Ali left the room together. "Dietary should be by with his lunch in a few minutes," Ali said. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Thanks, Ali." Luke shot her a quick smile, then stepped over to the small waiting area around the corner. Damian stood when he saw Luke, reaching to pull him into a hug.

"How are you, son? How is Noah?" Damian asked as he pulled back, concern etched on his face.

Luke nodded quickly. "He's fine," he said, giving a quick smile. "He's got a couple of broken fingers, some scrapes, minor whiplash." He chuffed out a laugh. "I think his truck is history, though."

Damian shook his head. "Don't worry about that. We'll take care of that later. As long as he's okay."

Luke took in a tremulous breath and blew it back out. "Yeah," he said. "He is. I just ... well, I freaked out a little when I heard."

Damian stepped closer, bringing up a hand to rub Luke's shoulder. "Too soon?"

Luke nodded again, biting his lip as the tears he'd been fighting finally welled up. Damian drew him into another hug, and Luke's hands came up to cling to Damian's back. He didn't cry long, just a few minutes to let out the combination of worry and relief he was feeling. He took a few deep breaths to finish calming himself before stepping back, smiling up at Damian a little shakily.

"Thanks," he said. "I'm okay, really. Just, yeah. It's too soon after ... too soon."

Damian nodded, searching Luke's face and apparently finding what he wanted to see there. "Would it be okay for me to see Noah? Just for a minute."

"Sure," Luke said. "I want to get back to him anyway. They're supposed to be bringing him some dinner and then maybe letting him go home. Just ..." he paused and gave a wry smile. "Maybe I should splash some water on my face or something?"

Damian smiled back. "Maybe so," he said. "You don't want to make Noah worry about you." He gripped Luke's shoulder one more time. "I'll stop in to see Noah and tell him you will be right back. Do you need anything else, son?"

Luke shook his head. "No, no, we're okay," he said. "Thanks. Really, thank you so much."

Damian nodded. "Call if you need anything, anything at all."

Luke nodded once more, then watched as Damian disappeared around the corner toward Noah's room. Luke ducked across the hall into the men's room, blinking in consternation when he saw the splotches on his cheeks and the rat's nest on his head. He splashed his face with cool water, ran damp fingers through his hair, and grabbed a handful of paper towels to dry off. Not much improvement, but at least his eyes weren't as red.

He crossed back to Noah's room, arriving just as lunch was being delivered. Ali was there again, helping Noah sit up a little higher in the bed and settling his tray on the table across his lap. Noah looked a little green around the gills at the prospect of eating, but he swallowed thickly and picked up a fork, going for the Jell-O first.

Luke thanked Ali again as he pulled up the stool from the side of the room and sat down near the head of the bed again. "Mmmmm," he said, surveying the plate and bowls in front of Noah. "Lime Jello-O, rice, toast, a banana, and tea. A feast fit for the gods."

"Ugh," Noah said. "Bland and more bland." He ate a few more bits of Jell-O, then set down the fork and sipped the tea. "Gonna give that a minute to be sure it's going to stay there."

Luke grinned. "Probably a good idea. Especially since I don't deal with upchuck all that well."

Noah rolled his eyes. "I figured with three younger siblings you'd be used to it."

"Nah, I'm a wimp like that." Luke grinned impishly. "Everyone knows to keep me well out of the line of fire when the kids get sick. Otherwise there'll be twice as much to clean up."

Noah smiled a little. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. He took another sip of tea, then reached for the banana and went to peel it. He winced, and Luke blinked before grabbing it away from him.

"Silly," Luke teased. "Broken fingers, remember? Hard to peel a banana with half your fingers bandaged." He stripped away the peel and broke the banana into bite-sized pieces, setting them down on the tray and fighting the urge to feed them to Noah directly.

"Thanks," Noah said.

They fell silent while Noah ate, and Luke watched him carefully. Noah's color was better, the greenish cast fading. He looked more alert, and while it was clear he was still in some pain, he was able to eat without wincing again or looking like he was going to be sick.

By the time he set down the fork and drank the last of his tea, he'd eaten probably two thirds of his meal. He leaned back against the pillows and sighed. "Mmm, that was actually pretty good," he said. "I must've been hungry."

Luke pushed the bed table away so he could move back onto the side of the bed. Carefully, he reached out to run his fingertips along the uninjured fingers on Noah's right hand. "Feel like it's going to stay down?"

Noah nodded. "Just still pretty tired," he murmured.

"That's okay," Luke whispered. "Take a little nap, and when you wake up, we'll get you home."

~~~~

Lunch stayed down, and three hours later Luke pulled up in front of their apartment building, Noah crashed out in the passenger seat. Lily had fluttered in as Noah was being released and rushed back out to get his prescription filled (more Vicodin) and pick up some dinner for the two of them. Knowing her, she'd probably return with half a grocery store of supplies, which was good, because Luke didn't plan on letting Noah out of his sight for at least a couple of days.

"Hey," Luke said softly, reaching over to touch Noah's shoulder. "Wake up, sleepyhead. We're home."

Noah opened his eyes just a slit and groaned softly. "Don'wanna move."

Luke smiled and opened his car door. "Have to move, babe, if you want to sleep in your own bed tonight."

Noah dropped his head back against the armrest and sighed. "If I gotta."

Luke dashed around the car to open Noah's door, helping him climb out without bumping his injuries against anything. They walked up the steps of their building together, Luke juggling a bit to get his keys free without letting go of his steadying hand around Noah's waist. He managed to maneuver them inside and even get Noah to the bed without losing his balance once.

"Mmmm," Noah said as Luke helped lower him onto the edge of the bed. "I'm impressed, Snyder. Got us both in here in once piece."

"Yeah," Luke replied, kneeling beside the bed and starting to untie Noah's shoes. "And now we're going to get you changed and settled in your bed so you can rest."

"Our bed," Noah said firmly. "And you're gonna be in here with me, right?"

Luke leaned up to press a quick kiss against Noah's lips. "Absolutely," he said, watching as Noah's lips puckered when he pulled away. He loved how Noah did that unconsciously nearly every time they kissed, as if he couldn't bear for it to end. Luke understood completely.

He stepped away long enough to grab clean clothes for Noah, then helped him into the bathroom so he could relieve himself and change. Luke wasn't sure whether he'd be able to hold a toothbrush, so he pulled the bottle of mouthwash out of the medicine cabinet and left it next to the sink.

A knock sounded on the front door, and Luke gave Noah a quick questioning look. "S'ok, I'm good," Noah said as he carefully popped the button on his jeans. Luke pulled the bedroom door closed behind him as he crossed the living room.

He opened the door to greet his mom, who, as predicted, was loaded down with two big bags of groceries. He let her chatter and reassured her that Noah was doing fine as she unloaded and put away bread, sandwich meat, milk, Gatorade, eggs, fruit, and three different kinds of ice cream. Luke grinned. Yep, the predictable overload.

He was surprised, though, when she didn't hang around. She set the prescription bag on the counter and stepped forward to give Luke a big hug. "You call if you need anything, okay? And tell Noah we all hope he recovers quickly."

Luke squeezed Lily closer. "Thanks, Mom," he said, willing away the tears that threatened again. "I'll keep you updated."

Lily smiled, her hand on his cheek, and then was gone. Luke took a deep breath and blew it out, then retrieved the meds and a bottle of water before heading for the bedroom.

He opened the door quietly. Noah was curled up on the bed facing the door, wearing the t-shirt and pajama pants Luke had set out for him, the sheets from their unmade bed draped over his bare feet. His long fingers rested lightly on a pillow next to him, managing to be both graceful and masculine despite the bandages. His breathing was deep and even.

Luke couldn't help smiling as he watched his boyfriend sleep. He'd found himself doing that a lot since they'd moved in together. Noah's blurry-soft sleeping face fascinated him, gave him a glimpse of the innocent boy he'd been before his father's rough treatment. Noah's lips were curved into a slight pucker, almost the same as after a kiss, and his long lashes dropped shadows across his cheeks.

Even marred by scrapes and bruises, Noah's face was pure perfection.

Luke moved into the room as quietly as he could, pausing to slide off his shoes and jeans, leaving him in the ratty old t-shirt he'd grabbed that morning and his soft gray boxer-briefs. He stepped into the bathroom for a few minutes, then came back to stand next to the bed. After moments, Noah shifted, blinking his eyes open sleepily and looking up at Luke.

"You comin' to bed?" he asked, his voice rough with sleep.

"Yeah," Luke whispered. "Yeah, I am."

He moved around the foot of the bed and carefully lowered himself onto the mattress behind Noah. Turning on his side, he slid over until his chest met Noah's back, curling his legs up to meet Noah's. He slid one hand under Noah's head, running his fingers into his dark hair, and curved the other around Noah's waist, spreading his fingers wide against Noah's stomach.

He felt Noah relax against him with a sigh and silently willed himself to do the same. His body and mind wouldn’t cooperate. He fought the urge to tighten his hold, to pull Noah closer and closer until they felt like one body. He took a deep breath, feeling the air shudder in his lungs, and let it out slowly, closing his eyes and tipping his head forward until it touched Noah's hair.

He lay there, unable to sleep, unable to let go.

~~~~

Twilight had fallen by the time Noah stirred again. Luke hadn't slept, but grounded by the feel of Noah against him, he'd managed to relax and drift a little, in that hazy place between dream and reality. Noah's movement pulled him awake, though, and he leaned forward to place a light kiss on Noah's jawline.

"Hey," he murmured. "You awake?"

"Mmmm, maybe," Noah muttered in reply. "Time'zit?"

Luke looked toward the clock, but it was blocked by Noah's shoulder. "Dunno. About seven? You hungry?"

Noah's stomach answered that time, letting out a loud rumble that set them both laughing. Luke planted another kiss on Noah's face and carefully extracted himself. "I'll get something together for dinner. You just rest, babe."

Noah nodded and didn't move, a sure sign that he was still hurting, since his normal reaction would've been to reach for Luke and pull him back down for a better kiss, if nothing else. The air had grown chilly, so Luke stopped to pull on a pair of pajama pants before padding barefoot into the kitchen, flipping on the light as he went. He quickly put together two turkey and cheese sandwiches, grabbing a couple of paper towels to use as plates and two bottles of water from the fridge.

When he got back to the bedroom, Noah was missing from the bed, but the bathroom door was shut. Luke set their dinner on the bedside table, realizing that there were now three bottles of water there, since he'd forgotten he left one earlier with the meds but Noah hadn't touched it. He pushed the older bottle away and sat on the side of the bed to open the fresh ones. He'd just popped the second when Noah emerged, looking slightly more awake but cradling his hands together, clearly in pain.

Luke jumped up. "C'mon, sit down and eat so you can take your meds," he said, guiding Noah to sit on the side of the mattress. "Smoked turkey and Swiss on white, your favorite!" He grinned teasingly, happy to see that he got a small smile in return.

They ate and drank in silence, Noah eating a little more than half of his sandwich and drinking most of the water. Luke reached for the medication bottle and opened it, handing over a single pill, which Noah took without protest, another sign that he was in pain.

Luke reached for Noah's right hand with his left, careful to avoid the injured pinky and touch only his unmarred fingers. He wrapped his other arm around Noah's shoulders and leaned in until their temples met. Noah sighed shakily and swallowed. "Hate this," he said.

"Hurting?"

"Yeah, but mostly" -- he curled his body further toward Luke -- "hate not being able to touch you like I want."

A shiver ran through Luke, half desire and half a shadow of the fear he'd felt when he first heard about Noah's accident. "Me too," he whispered, nuzzling against Noah's jaw. "Hate that you're hurting. I just wish I could take it all away."

He felt Noah smile and turned his face up. Their lips met in a soft, almost chaste kiss, so reminiscent of their first kiss that Luke's heart twisted in his chest. What would his life be like if Noah hadn't kissed him that day? If he hadn't overcome his father's disapproval and made his own path, made his own life? How would the past two years have been different for them?

Two years ... Luke blinked, then pulled out of their kiss with a snicker. Noah's eyes came open slowly. "What's so funny?" he said.

"Us," Luke said. "For two guys who claim to be romantic types, we can certainly be guys sometimes."

Noah looked at him blankly. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Granted," he continued, tilting his head to one side, "that could be a side effect of the Vicodin."

Luke pushed back up for another quick kiss. "No, I just realized that we both missed a pretty important date. August seventeenth? Ring any bells?"

Noah stared, then smiled sheepishly. "Oh yeah," he said. "The first time you helped me with my tie."

Luke headbutted him lightly. "Yeah, that," he said. "Sort of our unofficial anniversary or something, and we both completely missed it. Of course, there was a lot going on then." He stopped and grimaced. He'd been trying not to think about Holden's accident, but it all came flooding back.

Noah ducked his head to catch Luke's eyes. "Hey," he said. "You okay?"

Luke nodded, but he knew his eyes were wet. "I just ..." He looked down at their entwined fingers, still resting on Noah's leg. "This was just so soon after ... you know?"

Noah paused for a moment, and then got it. "Oh, Luke," he said, gingerly sliding his left hand over to rest on Luke's thigh. "I didn't even think about that. You must've been frantic."

"Yeah." Luke's voice trembled, but he couldn't help it. "I went kind of nuts there for a while." He looked back up into Noah's soft blue eyes. "Ali's the one who called me, and I think she knew how I'd react. She tried to reassure me, but, well, I wasn't listening all that well. All I heard was 'Noah' and 'car accident' and I pretty much freaked."

Noah chuckled, bringing their foreheads together again. "I'm fine," he said softly. "You know that, right?"

Luke smiled shakily, closing his eyes. "Yeah, I know. I knew that all along, really. But that didn't stop my mind from working double-overtime."

"Mmm. Danger of being a writer."

"Apparently."

They sat quietly for a minute, Noah's uninjured fingers tangled with Luke's where they still rested together on his thigh. Then Noah yawned hugely, catching them both by surprise, and they snickered together.

"Okay, big guy," Luke said saucily. "Time for nighty-night." He leaned over to give one last kiss, but Noah followed him when he tried to pull away, pushing Luke's mouth open with his tongue. Luke felt the kiss everywhere, as if Noah's hands were exploring his body, instead of just his mouth devouring Luke's. He'd never understand how Noah's kisses and touches could affect him like that, but he wasn't going to argue, either.

Another yawn interrupted them, and they laughed again. "Guess I should take the hint," Noah murmured against Luke's lips, planting one last lingering kiss before drawing back.

Luke smiled at him. "You sleep," he said. "I'm kinda too wired right now, but I'll be back later, okay?"

"K." Noah was already drifting back against the pillows, shifting to find a comfortable resting place for his hands. Luke pulled the sheet up over him, leaning in to place one last soft kiss on his cheek. Noah sighed and relaxed, and Luke moved away quietly.

But he couldn't leave yet. He stood next to the door, leaning against the wall, and watched Noah sleep. He was almost afraid to leave the room, knowing it was silly of him but not able to help the feeling. His eyes swept Noah's body from head to toe, feeling not the usual flash of need that would bring but instead a rush of gratitude, thankfulness that Noah was safe and home. In their home, in their bed.

Noah's fingers flexed in his sleep, drawing Luke's gaze, and he smiled. Noah, and Noah's beautiful hands, were his, he reminded himself. And they weren't going anywhere.

Hmmm, Luke thought, a grin breaking across his face, imagine the fun we can have with his physical therapy ...

Comments

[cindyls1969.livejournal.com]

So, I have read a lot of your stories before but apparently there is a lot I have missed. I just found your list and I will be working my way through it over the next couple of days, cause I won't be able to stop once I start. I might not comment on every single story, but just so as you know, I am loving every one!