noelleleithefic

Title: Friends
Author: noelleleithe
Rating: PG
Pairing/Characters: Luke/Noah, Maddie
Word count: ~1,070
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything here except my own words. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's notes: A post-episode/gap-filler from the 2/10/10 episode. Thanks, as usual, to

freakykat for beta. *mwah*

~~~~

Luke hesitated for only a moment before stepping into the doorway. Noah sat on the edge of the bed, his duffel bag beside him, and Luke could see Maddie's back where she was standing just inside the closet, tipped up on her toes, reaching for something on a top shelf.

"Hey," he said. Noah's head snapped in his direction, and Maddie leaned back, looking at him over her shoulder.

"Oh, um, hi, Luke," she said. She shifted uncomfortably. Luke knew she still felt bad about springing all this on him before Noah had a chance to break it to him gently. He forced himself not to blame her. There was already too much blaming people going around.

Luke schooled his face into a smile. "Maddie, um, would you mind giving us a minute?"

She glanced at Noah, then back at Luke. "Sure," she said, moving to set the shoes in her hand on the bed next to the duffel bag. "I'll just, um ..." She trailed off, and Luke softened even more at her insecurity. She'd once been one of his best friends, after all, and none of what had happened since then was her fault.

"You could grab some drinks from the kitchen," he said. "Everyone else is out, and no one would mind anyway. Whatever looks good."

Maddie nodded. "Okay," she said. "I'll be back in a bit?"

Luke smiled again, more genuinely this time. "Thanks, Maddie."

She paused to squeeze his forearm as she walked by. "No need to thank me," she said softly. "Just ... take care of yourself too, okay?"

He nodded, and she was gone. Luke hesitated, and Noah tilted his head.

"So, you've got me right where you want me," he said, that note of dry humor Luke loved in his voice. "Should I be afraid?"

Luke laughed softly and moved to sit next to Noah, pushing the duffel and shoes out of the way. "I just wanted a few minutes before you go," he said. "And I get it, I really do, Noah. I get why you need to do this." He shrugged. "Of course, that doesn't mean I don't hate every second of it, because all I ever want is to be with you."

Noah reached out a hand and found Luke's. "I know," he said. He paused to swallow. "And I wish it didn't have to be like this."

"But it does." Luke studied Noah's face, seeing the emotions play across it. "Noah, I love you. And that's not going to change. I'd do anything for you, and that includes giving you up if I have to."

Noah straightened up slightly. "It's not forever, Luke," he said, his voice suddenly urgent. "You aren't giving me up, and I'm not giving you up, either."

Luke laughed again, knowing it was a little watery at this point, but he pushed back the tears. If they started now, they'd never stop. He brought his free hand up, running the backs of his fingers across Noah's cheek. "I wish it didn't have to be like this either," he said. "But you need to concentrate on your treatments and not worry about me."

Noah rubbed his face against Luke's hand. "That'll never happen," he whispered. "I'm going to worry no matter what."

Luke leaned forward, bringing his mouth to Noah's in a soft, tender kiss. "I know the feeling," he murmured against Noah's lips, drawing back just slightly and pressing their foreheads together. "And if you need me anytime, for anything--"

"I'll call," Noah said. "I promise. If you promise me the same thing."

Luke bit his lip. He needed Noah all the time, but he couldn't say that. Couldn't be that selfish, not now. "I will," he lied. He sat back. "Now, let's get you finished packing before Maddie gets back. She's doing enough already."

Noah grinned. "I was wondering how I was going to handle getting her to pack my underwear," he said. "I mean, she might have seen it before, but ..."

"Awk-ward," Luke teased, crossing to the dresser to retrieve Noah's boxers and tamping down that well of jealousy that always made its presence known whenever Noah and Maddie's former relationship came up. He kicked himself mentally. He really had to learn to let things like that go. Noah and Maddie were just friends, and he and Maddie should be friends, too. They'd been friends first, after all.

As he stuffed the underwear into the duffel, he resolved to mend things with Maddie. And not just so she could give him updates on Noah, although that would be a nice perk. He and Maddie had been so close once, and he hoped maybe they could get back to that again.

"Hey." Luke looked back toward the door at the sound and smiled at Maddie, who had a bottle of water and two cans of root beer balanced in her hands. He crossed over and took the cans.

"Thanks, Mads," he said, heart lightening as she grinned at the nickname he hadn't used in years. "I was just getting Noah's unmentionables packed for him."

Maddie giggled and glanced over his shoulder toward Noah. "I'm sure he appreciates you mentioning that."

"Hello, blind, not deaf, remember?"

Maddie giggled again as Luke turned back toward Noah, still smiling. "Yeah, yeah, we got it, Mayer," he said, crossing back over and setting one of the cans on the nightstand. Popping the top on the other, he reached for Noah's hand and wrapped it around the aluminum. "Maddie brought us root beer," he said. "Think maybe she knows too much about us?"

Noah grinned as he took a sip. "Nah," he answered. "Besides, we know just as much about her. Plus I'm about to be in a great position to do more spying."

"Oh, you two are a laugh riot." Maddie was back in the closet now, pulling out the last of Noah's clothes. "I'll have you know I'm an open book. Nothing to hide at all."

She kept talking, and Luke just leaned back against the dresser, eyes on Noah, letting Maddie's words wash over him, a soothing balm. Things might be bad, and they might even get worse, but he still had Noah, and he had friends like Maddie and even, sometimes, his family to lean on.

He'd be okay. They all would.

And he'd keep telling himself that as often as he had to.