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noelleleithefic2010-10-24 10:13 am
noelleleithe.livejournal.com) wrote in noelleleithefic2010-10-24 10:13 am
ATWT: Noah
Title: Noah
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
noelleleithe
Rating: PG
Pairings: Luke/Noah, touch of Luke/Reid
Word count: ~670
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything here except my own words. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Noah laughs and smiles, eyes glowing.
Author's notes: Clearly I've been reading too muchneverwiser since she started posting. Suddenly I've slipped into second person. LOL. Beta by the lovely and talented escapes. :)
~~~~
It's been three weeks, five days, and six hours since he left (Oakdale, not you, you keep trying to remind yourself), and you're on your way to meet Reid for lunch when you open the back door and find yourself face to face with Noah. His fist is raised, and you flinch before your brain catches up. He's only knocking, not throwing a punch.
"Sorry!"' He flattens his palms, eyes wide. Blue. "Sorry, I just ..." He relaxes a little as you do, drops his arms, almost smiles. "Hello, Luke."
You're struck dumb, something only a few people have ever managed to do to you. He's first on that list. By the time you finally find your voice, the light in his eyes has dimmed, and his mouth curves down. He's leaving again, even standing right in front of you.
"Hi," you finally say. "I didn't ... when did you get back?"
He shrugs, shoves a hand into a pocket. "How long does it take to walk from the curb to the patio?"
You smile at that. "Have you had lunch?"
Noah shakes his head. "Breakfast before sunrise," he says. "Bus left early."
You step forward, pulling the door closed behind you. "Al's sound good?"
The smile comes back, and you duck your head and head to your car to keep yourself from kissing it.
~~~~
Your phone buzzes at you as you're sliding into the booth. Reid, of course. You ignore the call and send a quick text instead. You'll deal with him later.
Noah's eyebrow is raised when you look back up. "Not keeping you from something important, am I?"
You smile, knowing it's a little sheepish, as you push the phone back into your pocket. "Nothing that can't wait."
You watch as he studies the menu. Too many questions swim through your head, tangling like seaweed until you can't seem to separate the strands. Noah catches you staring and sends you a lifeline.
"How's your family, Luke?"
You've been so lost in your own head that you'd nearly forgotten you had one, other than Noah. You set down the menu, useless when you always order the same thing, and smile. "Crazymaking, as usual," you say.
You slip effortlessly into a story about Ethan growing out of pants faster than your mom can buy them. Noah laughs and smiles, eyes glowing. You finish just as Janet comes over to take your orders, watching as she asks Noah how he's doing and answers his careful inquiries about her. She's walking away when your thoughts finally coalesce, and you reach for Noah's hand without hesitation, curling your fingers around his.
"I missed you."
Noah bites the corner of his lower lip, and you pretend not to notice how wet his eyes suddenly are. His fingers flex, thumb shifting to rest across your knuckles. He clears his throat.
"I'm not going anywhere again, Luke," he says. His voice still wavers a little, but he doesn't hesitate. "I'm here for the long haul. I don't know what's going on with you and ... and Reid, and I don't know if I want to." He lifts his other hand to cover yours, pressing into your skin. "But I'm not giving up on you. I'm not giving up on us. If you need me to fight for you, then I'll fight."
The choked half-sob works its way out of your throat before you realize it, and it's your turn to fight back the flood of emotion that threatens to overwhelm you. Noah's hands turn soothing, caressing, as he waits for you, patient and solid.
You swallow once, twice before you think you can speak. "You don't have to fight," you whisper. "You just have to be."
And just like that, it's finished. You don't kiss him then, but it doesn't matter. That's all it takes.
You'll call Reid later. No, you'll go to the hospital. You'll apologize, maybe shake his hand. Wish him well.
And then you'll take Noah home, and start the rest of your life.
Author:
noelleleitheRating: PG
Pairings: Luke/Noah, touch of Luke/Reid
Word count: ~670
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything here except my own words. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Noah laughs and smiles, eyes glowing.
Author's notes: Clearly I've been reading too much
neverwiser since she started posting. Suddenly I've slipped into second person. LOL. Beta by the lovely and talented escapes. :)~~~~
It's been three weeks, five days, and six hours since he left (Oakdale, not you, you keep trying to remind yourself), and you're on your way to meet Reid for lunch when you open the back door and find yourself face to face with Noah. His fist is raised, and you flinch before your brain catches up. He's only knocking, not throwing a punch.
"Sorry!"' He flattens his palms, eyes wide. Blue. "Sorry, I just ..." He relaxes a little as you do, drops his arms, almost smiles. "Hello, Luke."
You're struck dumb, something only a few people have ever managed to do to you. He's first on that list. By the time you finally find your voice, the light in his eyes has dimmed, and his mouth curves down. He's leaving again, even standing right in front of you.
"Hi," you finally say. "I didn't ... when did you get back?"
He shrugs, shoves a hand into a pocket. "How long does it take to walk from the curb to the patio?"
You smile at that. "Have you had lunch?"
Noah shakes his head. "Breakfast before sunrise," he says. "Bus left early."
You step forward, pulling the door closed behind you. "Al's sound good?"
The smile comes back, and you duck your head and head to your car to keep yourself from kissing it.
~~~~
Your phone buzzes at you as you're sliding into the booth. Reid, of course. You ignore the call and send a quick text instead. You'll deal with him later.
Noah's eyebrow is raised when you look back up. "Not keeping you from something important, am I?"
You smile, knowing it's a little sheepish, as you push the phone back into your pocket. "Nothing that can't wait."
You watch as he studies the menu. Too many questions swim through your head, tangling like seaweed until you can't seem to separate the strands. Noah catches you staring and sends you a lifeline.
"How's your family, Luke?"
You've been so lost in your own head that you'd nearly forgotten you had one, other than Noah. You set down the menu, useless when you always order the same thing, and smile. "Crazymaking, as usual," you say.
You slip effortlessly into a story about Ethan growing out of pants faster than your mom can buy them. Noah laughs and smiles, eyes glowing. You finish just as Janet comes over to take your orders, watching as she asks Noah how he's doing and answers his careful inquiries about her. She's walking away when your thoughts finally coalesce, and you reach for Noah's hand without hesitation, curling your fingers around his.
"I missed you."
Noah bites the corner of his lower lip, and you pretend not to notice how wet his eyes suddenly are. His fingers flex, thumb shifting to rest across your knuckles. He clears his throat.
"I'm not going anywhere again, Luke," he says. His voice still wavers a little, but he doesn't hesitate. "I'm here for the long haul. I don't know what's going on with you and ... and Reid, and I don't know if I want to." He lifts his other hand to cover yours, pressing into your skin. "But I'm not giving up on you. I'm not giving up on us. If you need me to fight for you, then I'll fight."
The choked half-sob works its way out of your throat before you realize it, and it's your turn to fight back the flood of emotion that threatens to overwhelm you. Noah's hands turn soothing, caressing, as he waits for you, patient and solid.
You swallow once, twice before you think you can speak. "You don't have to fight," you whisper. "You just have to be."
And just like that, it's finished. You don't kiss him then, but it doesn't matter. That's all it takes.
You'll call Reid later. No, you'll go to the hospital. You'll apologize, maybe shake his hand. Wish him well.
And then you'll take Noah home, and start the rest of your life.