Hear Me Now: Chapter Three
Title: Hear Me Now
Author: dolce_amore93
Pairing: Luke/Reid
Rating: G-R
Genre: Future-Fic/Angst/Romance
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Wish I did, but alas, I do not. This story is based off of the song "Hear Me Now" by Secondhand Serenade. Again, not mine. :)
Chapter Title Song Lyrics Credit: 21 Guns by Green Day
Summary: Upon being told by Reid that he is in love with him, Luke freezes up. Not because he doesn't feel the same, or because he's unhappy, he's just... afraid. Out-of-control. Panicked. For reasons he can't even figure out himself he knows he simply cannot repeat those three little words back to Reid. So, like a frightened child, he runs away to New York, leaving everything and everyone behind without warning. After a year of being gone, he misses home. He misses Reid. He's ready to return to the place he pushed away. He has no idea what awaits him, but he knows one thing for sure - he's not afraid anymore.
Author's Notes: Hi guys!!! :) Sorry for the wait. This is the last one that is just Faith and Luke, I promise! 'Tis all going to pick up in the next chapter in major ways. Enjoy! Comments = Love
----
Chapter Three: Did you try to live on your own/When you burned down the house and home?
Luke was alarmed to hear clanging and rumbling noises from outside his bedroom door. He jumped out of bed, still half asleep, and raced out to the living room to find Faith already showerd and dressed, and packing. Packing his things.
“Faith, what are you doing?!?” he asked, rubbing his forehead in confusion.
“I’m going back home today,” she said in a sing-songy voice. “And you’re coming home with me.”
He shook his head and grabbed the plate out of her hand that she was about to wrap in newspaper and throw into a cardboard box.
“No, I’m not. Can you put that stuff back?” his voice got higher and higher with each breath.
She stood up, matching him eye to eye with the help of her heels. She crossed her arms stubbornly. “I’m not leaving here without you.”
“That’s too bad. Guess you’ll have to drop out of college then and get a job here, eh?” he retorted.
Faith sighed. “Luke, please? Please? For me, your sweet adorable little sister?” she asked sweetly, clasping her hands together as if praying. “I’m not above begging.”
“Faith, no.”
“You’re not happy here,” she said bluntly, looking directly into his eyes. “You’re not. You haven’t acted like yourself all week. This house isn’t you. The writing that you showed me is the most unoriginal crap you’ve ever written -“
“You told me you thought it was good!” Luke exclaimed.
“And now I’m telling you the truth,” she replied. “Come home. We miss you.”
“Not everyone.”
“Mope about your own mistake and see how far that gets you,” Faith replied, rolling her eyes.
Luke stood with his mouth open for a minute, and she raised an eyebrow. “You’re thinking about doing it, aren’t you? You are, I can tell!” Faith exclaimed excitedly.
Luke shook his head, taking his belongings out of the box. “No, I’m thinking that we should go get some breakfast before your train leaves.”
Faith slouched onto the couch and let out a huff. “No.”
“C’mon, it’s our last meal together for who knows how long,” Luke said gently.
“It doesn’t have to be,” she replied.
“You’re relentless!”
“I guess I learned it from you!”
The siblings huffed, and Faith grabbed her duffle. “I’m going. I’ll take a cab to the train station and grab a bite from a pretzel stand or something.” And with that, she was out the door and down the hall.
Within seconds Luke was dressed and out the door. He didn’t even know what he was wearing, but really just knowing that he had on pants, a shirt, and shoes was all that was necessary for the time being.
“Faith! WAIT!” he yelled as he stumbled down a few steps, trying to catch up to her. By the time he reached street-level, she was already getting into a taxi and headed towards the train station.
Luke grumbled to himself about her inheriting his stubborn streak as he hailed the next taxi he could find. “Grand Central Station as fast as you can,” he ordered.
He pulled out his phone and began texting rapidly. “You’re in trouble.”
“U R not dad.” She replied, and he shook his head.
His cab pulled up to the train station only moments after Faith’s did, and she sighed, realizing she had been caught.
“You were really going to leave and not say goodbye?” Luke asked, harried.
“Psht, you’re one to talk,” Faith responded.
Luke stared down at his feet. “I’m sorry, Faith. I know you wanted me to come back to Oakdale with you, but - I can’t. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Don’t say anything. I just hope you realize what a coward you’re being. If you don’t have the guts to come home now - you never will. Maybe time heals some things, but not this, Luke.” She said. She smiled sadly and hugged him. “I’ll text you when I get home.”
“Okay,” Luke replied distractedly, still thinking about what she said previously. She was right. It wasn’t going to get any easier as time went by. Only more painful. “Uh, aren’t you hungry?” he stammered.
She shook her head. “Nope. Lost my appetite,” she replied. “Love you.”
Luke nodded and watched as she walked through the doors of the train station. “Love you, too,” he said softly.
Luke went home to his quiet abode and sunk into the couch. He looked around the house. Really, was it his? It wasn’t. It was rented. A shell of a home, a temporary stop in search of something more solid. Something like what he had with Reid. But he wouldn’t find what he had with Reid here, because Reid wasn’t here. There was no replacement. He gave up that life. He just hadn’t realized he had been subconsciously in mourning of that life until Faith pointed it out.
He took out the cardboard box Faith had been piling junk in earlier and began adding to that junk pile frantically. It was now or never.
It didn’t take him long to pack his things, as he didn’t come to New York with anything but his wallet, and the apartment came pre-furnished. Most of the decorations he bought were just things. They had no meaning, they were only space-fillers. They were his, but he left them. No sense in bringing home décor back with him when he didn’t even have a place to call home back in Oakdale at the moment.
He wrote out one very large check that took care of his rent until the end of the lease and left it on the kitchen counter. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, a medium-sized box sandwiched between his side and his elbow.
He stepped outside and looked around one last time at his surroundings. New York was wonderful - to visit. He had at many times throughout his life thought it was this grand place where you can be whomever you want to be. Maybe for some people that was the cast. But for him, he couldn’t be who he wanted to be when he abandoned his real life back in Oakdale.
He hailed a taxi for the last time, stepped foot in a taxi for the last time, and said “To Grand Central Station” for the last time. He couldn't for the life of him understand now what he had been so afraid of when he left home. Whatever it was, he was ready to face it. Life was surely different in Oakdale now, though. He just wondered if he should be afraid of what awaited him upon his return.
Author: dolce_amore93
Pairing: Luke/Reid
Rating: G-R
Genre: Future-Fic/Angst/Romance
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Wish I did, but alas, I do not. This story is based off of the song "Hear Me Now" by Secondhand Serenade. Again, not mine. :)
Chapter Title Song Lyrics Credit: 21 Guns by Green Day
Summary: Upon being told by Reid that he is in love with him, Luke freezes up. Not because he doesn't feel the same, or because he's unhappy, he's just... afraid. Out-of-control. Panicked. For reasons he can't even figure out himself he knows he simply cannot repeat those three little words back to Reid. So, like a frightened child, he runs away to New York, leaving everything and everyone behind without warning. After a year of being gone, he misses home. He misses Reid. He's ready to return to the place he pushed away. He has no idea what awaits him, but he knows one thing for sure - he's not afraid anymore.
Author's Notes: Hi guys!!! :) Sorry for the wait. This is the last one that is just Faith and Luke, I promise! 'Tis all going to pick up in the next chapter in major ways. Enjoy! Comments = Love
----
Chapter Three: Did you try to live on your own/When you burned down the house and home?
Luke was alarmed to hear clanging and rumbling noises from outside his bedroom door. He jumped out of bed, still half asleep, and raced out to the living room to find Faith already showerd and dressed, and packing. Packing his things.
“Faith, what are you doing?!?” he asked, rubbing his forehead in confusion.
“I’m going back home today,” she said in a sing-songy voice. “And you’re coming home with me.”
He shook his head and grabbed the plate out of her hand that she was about to wrap in newspaper and throw into a cardboard box.
“No, I’m not. Can you put that stuff back?” his voice got higher and higher with each breath.
She stood up, matching him eye to eye with the help of her heels. She crossed her arms stubbornly. “I’m not leaving here without you.”
“That’s too bad. Guess you’ll have to drop out of college then and get a job here, eh?” he retorted.
Faith sighed. “Luke, please? Please? For me, your sweet adorable little sister?” she asked sweetly, clasping her hands together as if praying. “I’m not above begging.”
“Faith, no.”
“You’re not happy here,” she said bluntly, looking directly into his eyes. “You’re not. You haven’t acted like yourself all week. This house isn’t you. The writing that you showed me is the most unoriginal crap you’ve ever written -“
“You told me you thought it was good!” Luke exclaimed.
“And now I’m telling you the truth,” she replied. “Come home. We miss you.”
“Not everyone.”
“Mope about your own mistake and see how far that gets you,” Faith replied, rolling her eyes.
Luke stood with his mouth open for a minute, and she raised an eyebrow. “You’re thinking about doing it, aren’t you? You are, I can tell!” Faith exclaimed excitedly.
Luke shook his head, taking his belongings out of the box. “No, I’m thinking that we should go get some breakfast before your train leaves.”
Faith slouched onto the couch and let out a huff. “No.”
“C’mon, it’s our last meal together for who knows how long,” Luke said gently.
“It doesn’t have to be,” she replied.
“You’re relentless!”
“I guess I learned it from you!”
The siblings huffed, and Faith grabbed her duffle. “I’m going. I’ll take a cab to the train station and grab a bite from a pretzel stand or something.” And with that, she was out the door and down the hall.
Within seconds Luke was dressed and out the door. He didn’t even know what he was wearing, but really just knowing that he had on pants, a shirt, and shoes was all that was necessary for the time being.
“Faith! WAIT!” he yelled as he stumbled down a few steps, trying to catch up to her. By the time he reached street-level, she was already getting into a taxi and headed towards the train station.
Luke grumbled to himself about her inheriting his stubborn streak as he hailed the next taxi he could find. “Grand Central Station as fast as you can,” he ordered.
He pulled out his phone and began texting rapidly. “You’re in trouble.”
“U R not dad.” She replied, and he shook his head.
His cab pulled up to the train station only moments after Faith’s did, and she sighed, realizing she had been caught.
“You were really going to leave and not say goodbye?” Luke asked, harried.
“Psht, you’re one to talk,” Faith responded.
Luke stared down at his feet. “I’m sorry, Faith. I know you wanted me to come back to Oakdale with you, but - I can’t. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Don’t say anything. I just hope you realize what a coward you’re being. If you don’t have the guts to come home now - you never will. Maybe time heals some things, but not this, Luke.” She said. She smiled sadly and hugged him. “I’ll text you when I get home.”
“Okay,” Luke replied distractedly, still thinking about what she said previously. She was right. It wasn’t going to get any easier as time went by. Only more painful. “Uh, aren’t you hungry?” he stammered.
She shook her head. “Nope. Lost my appetite,” she replied. “Love you.”
Luke nodded and watched as she walked through the doors of the train station. “Love you, too,” he said softly.
Luke went home to his quiet abode and sunk into the couch. He looked around the house. Really, was it his? It wasn’t. It was rented. A shell of a home, a temporary stop in search of something more solid. Something like what he had with Reid. But he wouldn’t find what he had with Reid here, because Reid wasn’t here. There was no replacement. He gave up that life. He just hadn’t realized he had been subconsciously in mourning of that life until Faith pointed it out.
He took out the cardboard box Faith had been piling junk in earlier and began adding to that junk pile frantically. It was now or never.
It didn’t take him long to pack his things, as he didn’t come to New York with anything but his wallet, and the apartment came pre-furnished. Most of the decorations he bought were just things. They had no meaning, they were only space-fillers. They were his, but he left them. No sense in bringing home décor back with him when he didn’t even have a place to call home back in Oakdale at the moment.
He wrote out one very large check that took care of his rent until the end of the lease and left it on the kitchen counter. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, a medium-sized box sandwiched between his side and his elbow.
He stepped outside and looked around one last time at his surroundings. New York was wonderful - to visit. He had at many times throughout his life thought it was this grand place where you can be whomever you want to be. Maybe for some people that was the cast. But for him, he couldn’t be who he wanted to be when he abandoned his real life back in Oakdale.
He hailed a taxi for the last time, stepped foot in a taxi for the last time, and said “To Grand Central Station” for the last time. He couldn't for the life of him understand now what he had been so afraid of when he left home. Whatever it was, he was ready to face it. Life was surely different in Oakdale now, though. He just wondered if he should be afraid of what awaited him upon his return.