Divergence - Chapter 55
Divergence
Author: escapes
Rating: Just to be safe, NC 17
Pairing: Luke/Noah
Spoiler/Warning: Spoilers up through the enlistment story arc and forward/ Warnings: M/M , Language
Disclaimer: Characters belong to ATWT, P&G, CBS, etc. I'm not making money from this, don't sue, etc.
Summary: This is Luke and Noah’s storyline the way I see it unfolding if the Boys were on cable. And, you know, the writers and owners of the show weren’t insane/chickensh*t. There is so much that doesn’t get told on the screen. Here’s what really happens....
Much thanks to freakykat and noelleleithe for beta awesomeness on the last chapter, which I forgot to thank them for. Oops!
Lightning quick beta thank you goes to noelleleithe for this chapter. She is quick like ninja!
Chapter 55
Dr. Hughes is flipping through a file when they come in and sit themselves in the chairs on the opposite side of the desk. Noah can't decide if it's a movie cliche that doctors have picked up on, or if this is something they're trained to do in medical school. All he knows is that he's never been in a doctor's office without seeing that. Not even when he had been twelve and Noah's father had dislocated his shoulder by pulling him away from his friends so forcefully that his growing body hadn't been able to compensate. He'd received a ten minute lecture from the base doctor on following orders the first time and when he'd gone home, he'd been forbidden from going outside until he was able to do a hundred pull ups in 90 seconds. Noah remembers that being the summer that had started his love affair with old movies. He hadn't had to worry about playing with his friends again. His father had been transferred to a new base before the swelling had even gone down on his shoulder.
Noah clears his head, making a note to share that memory with Josh at their next appointment. He could remember being 12 when he'd started watching old movies, but today is the first time he's remembered the reason why.
Dr. Hughes closes the file and looks up at Luke and Noah. "Are there any changes that I have to make to Lucinda's approved list?"
Shaking his head, Luke uses his hand to rub at his temple again. "No. Until Grandmother can make that choice, I'm going to honor her wishes."
Curiosity is present in Dr. Hughes’s eyes, but he doesn't say a word. Noah has to respect that. It's a skill that his grandson has yet to learn. Casey would have been all over them, wanting a blow by blow of the conversation, making a nuisance of himself until he got it.
"I'm sure you’re wondering why I asked you not to visit your grandmother. I've run some tests on her, to see what sort of infection we’re dealing with. She's admitted to having mild cold symptoms, but over the past two days they had intensified. My original concern was a drug resistant infection, since she had come to me with a rash on her torso. We've now ruled out any sort of staph infection. The rash is a direct result of her fever, but not the cause of it.
“I've asked you not to visit her, because until I received the test results back, I wasn't comfortable with you visiting, since your anti-rejection medications suppress your immune system."
Luke nods, used to precautions having to be made, but hating when they got in the way of being with his family. "Okay. Have you got the results back?"
Nodding, Dr. Hughes opens the file in front of him again. "She's come back positive for a bacterial based pneumonia. It's quite possibly a complication from the anesthetic not clearing from her lungs fully and giving an opportunistic bacteria the ability to take hold. It did not help that Lucinda was being Lucinda and refusing to acknowledge that she was sick, until it was too far advanced for her to ignore. Now that I have the test results, we'll have her started on a more targeted antibiotic, and she should be back on her feet within a few days. As a precaution, Luke, I'd like to ask that you still restrict visiting her until the threat of anything viral that she may have picked up in this state has passed."
Luke nods, not liking it, but knowing that Dr. Hughes wouldn't request this unless it was absolutely necessary. “Okay. She is going to get better though, right?”
Dr. Hughes nods. “I don’t anticipate anything getting in the way of Lucinda’s recovery, but Lucinda herself.”
The three of them share a smile at that, knowing that the statement was more true than Lucinda would ever admit.
Closing the file again, Dr. Hughes stands up and slides on his white lab coat again. “I’m going to check on Lucinda now. If you’d like to come and stand at the window while I examine her, I’ll give you an update on her condition.”
Luke stands as well and nods. “That would be great. Thank you so much for giving me advance warning that my mother was here as well.”
Holding the door open for both of the boys, Dr. Hughes smiles. “Your mother has a lot of Walsh in her, whether she acknowledges it or not.”
Luke chuckles and wiggles his eyebrows at Noah’s answering smirk. “You mean she’s loud and impulsive and thinks the world revolves around her?”
Dr. Hughes just smiles enigmatically and presses the button that automatically opens the double doors that lead back to the ward, deciding discretion is the better part of valor where the Synder and Walsh families are involved.
Luke and Noah watch as Dr. Hughes and Lucinda’s duty nurse check vitals and start the IV of antibiotics. Luke could tell the fever was still raging, because of the field of deep pink that spread over Lucinda’s cheeks and forehead. That, coupled with the fact that she didn't snap at Dr. Hughes or the nurse for disturbing her would have tipped Luke off just how sick she was, if not for the fact she was already in the hospital.
Luke sighs and leans into Noah as they watch. "How much do you want to bet my mom has already called my dad and is completely spinning this into me being a brat that won't give her information on her own mother."
Noah's arm comes up around Luke's shoulders and gives him a comforting squeeze. "Your dad is levelheaded enough to not take your mother's spin on things without talking to you."
Luke nods and sighs again. "I know that you think I'm really an emotional overreacter, but if you think my mom is bad, you should see Damian. He's more reserved, but when he makes up his mind on something, there is no changing it."
Noah smiles and makes a mocking disbelieving noise. "That sounds strangely familiar."
Poking a finger into Noah's side, Luke turns his head towards Noah and smiles ruefully. "I didn't have a chance in hell of being levelheaded."
Chuckling, Noah squeezes Luke's shoulders again. "You've been doing a good job lately." He pauses in a way that Luke knows is deliberate. "Up until last night, that is."
Luke snorts and doesn't have time to reply to that before Dr. Hughes is out of Lucinda's room and pulling off the gown and gloves he had put on to protect both Luke and Lucinda.
"We've started the antibiotics and now it's just waiting time until they start working." He looks both of them over. "We have your contact information, Luke. You both look like you've had a rough night. I promise we will call if anything changes."
Luke and Noah both look at each other and then back at Dr. Hughes. Noah speaks for both of them. "That's fine Dr. Hughes. do you have my cell number? If you can't find Luke, just call me and I can track him down for you."
Dr. Hughes nods. "I'm not anticipating any complications," his eyes hold humor as he continues, "but this family always has a way of surprising me."
Noah nods in agreement until Luke backhands his stomach gently. "Hey, that's your family, too."
Noah has a startled look on his face for a second, before removing his arm from around Luke's shoulder and entangling their fingers together, the small and touched smile on his face one only Luke usually gets to see.
Dr. Hughes has an amused look on his face at the two men in front of him. "Get out of here you two. I hear it's a beautiful day outside."
Dr. Hughes is right, it is a beautiful day. It's a cool, crisp fall day. Normally, they'd be sitting out in the quad if they were at school, or maybe taking a ride out to the farm to give a few of the horses a good chance to wander the property while they took a long ride. Today though, they are too caught up in getting into the truck and back to Luke's apartment.
The ride home is quiet, both of them enjoying just being back together, most of the secrets between them out in the open. It still niggles at Noah, not knowing who the mystery man is, but he can live with that. For now.
Luke starts out the ride at the other end of the bench seat, but Noah smiles as he drives, noticing him creeping closer, as much as he can wearing his seatbelt. At one of the stoplights, he gives up the pretense and clicks his seatbelt off, slides next to Noah and puts on the seatbelt at his new location, all before the seatbelt indicator can chime at him.
Luke grins at him. "Think that might have been a new record?"
Noah chuckles and puts his hand on Luke's thigh. "Could be." His fingers start to trace the inside seam of the jeans covering Luke's thigh. He smirks when he feels Luke shiver at the sensation.
When he goes to take his hand away, Luke closes his thighs and traps Noah's fingers between his legs.
"Luke, I need that hand to shift gears."
Luke smirks. "That's fine, as long as you put it back." He opens his legs and groans when Noah makes sure to palm his crotch as he sides his hand out.
Luke smiles innocently as he puts his hand on Noah's thigh. "Luckily, I don't have to move my hand to do anything." He slides the hand upwards, until he hears a sharp inhale from Noah. "Except maybe that."
It's Noah's turn to clench his legs together, as much as he can while driving. "If you don't mind me driving into a tree, sure."
Luke laughs and moves his hand back down. "Aw, I still get to you."
Noah puts his hand back on Luke's thigh and side eyes him. "Luke, you're always going to get to me. I'm sure when I'm ninety and have more hair in my ears than on my head, that you'll still get to me."
Luke smiles and leans his head on Noah's shoulder. "Same here, Bubby." He sighs a little. "I'm sorry that my, and my family's, dramas keep getting in the way of us."
Noah leans the side of his head on Luke's for a second, still keeping his eyes on the road. "That's okay, Luke. I know that whatever it is, we will be there for each other." He pauses, picking his next words carefully. "Now that we both understand that we come to each other about these things, right?"
Luke nods against his shoulder.
Noah continues. "Then I know that whatever it is and however long it takes to resolve is okay, because you and I, and what we have, is the best thing in my life and it's worth the wait."
Luke hums happily. "And you say you aren't good with words."
Noah chuckles. "Every once and a while, I get lucky."
Luke raises his head and wiggles his eyebrows at Noah as they pull into the parking lot of the 'Bean. "Speaking of getting lucky. Didn't you say something about getting the full make up sex experience?"
Noah speeds up as he goes around the side of the building, growling. "Oh hell yes."
Luke is across the seat and out the door of the truck before Noah can even turn it off. He laughs as Noah nearly clotheslines himself on his seatbelt and waits at the front of the truck for him to get himself untangled. "Smooth moves, Mayer."
"I'm saving the good ones for about five minutes from now."
Luke snorts and shakes his head. "Whatever you say, wannabe Rico Suave."
Noah starts laughing with him. "Yeah, that was pretty cheesy, wasn't it?"
Luke just nods exaggeratedly in response as he digs in his pocket for his keys.
Noah plasters himself to the back of Luke and smirks when Luke fumbles and drops the keys. "Speaking of smooth moves..."
Luke sends a gentle elbow back into Noah's gut, making him step back. "Shut up! I'd like to see you do better."
He scoops his keys off of the floor and opens the door, letting both of them in and locking it behind them. Shrugging off his own coat, Luke bites his lip to stop a smile as he hangs it on the sparkly, pink coat rack on the wall, giving a mental thank you to the powers that be, when Noah's joins it on the next hook.
Once they're up the stairs, Luke jiggles the key in the lock a little, finessing it until the tumblers catch and turn.
They spill into the apartment and the first thing Luke sees is the sheets of paper sitting on the table. His stomach gives a lurch of recognition, but before it can bloom, his head is turned and his lips caught by Noah's. As distraction techniques go, this is one that Luke fully recognizes as the tactic that it is, but he has a hard time caring when Noah's tongue is doing that.
Luke wraps his arms around Noah's shoulders and slides the fingers of one hand into Noah's hair, feeling it curl around his fingers. He absentmindedly thinks about convincing Noah to let it grow out a bit, let the military issue short style go a bit. The negotiations could be a lot of fun.
Noah digs his fingertips into Luke's hips and starts working them back towards the bedroom, stopping to push Luke up against the wall beside the couch, their bodies grinding up against each other, shirts becoming too much of a hindrance and being pulled off. They are dropped to the floor and forgotten as they pull off the wall and make their way down the hallway, mouths still fused firmly together.
They are both wincing at the tightness of their jeans as they reach the bedroom. Noah groans in relief as Luke's hands make quick work of the button and zipper, warm hands sliding down the outside of his thighs and bringing his jeans and boxer briefs with them. Once he is able to kick them off, he returns the favor with Luke.
Falling onto the bed in a tangle of groping hands and tangled legs, they soon have the bedclothes bunched at the bottom of the bed, and the pillows have tumbled end over end as they are pushed out of the way for heads arching back to give access to necks and hands blindly reaching for and white knuckling the headboard.
Luke runs his fingers lightly up Noah's thighs, his thumbs sliding over the inside with just enough pressure to make Noah groan and his legs fall further apart. Luke takes it as an invitation to go further, tracing his fingers upwards and holding his breath as Noah's stutters and he arches his back, hips undulating and falling completely open around Luke.
Taking a shaky breath of his own, Luke keeps moving his fingers upwards. When he reaches the soft skin of Noah's perineum, he starts slowly by running his finger lightly in a straight line, then becoming bolder as he presses with more purpose, the straight line morphing into nonsensical patterns. All the while, he is careful not to stray too far.
Noah reaches out and grabs Luke's free hand with his own, needing the connection to give him courage to push further. "M...more, Luke."
Luke looks up at Noah in surprise. "Noah, are you sure? Don't make this a penance."
As an answer, Noah lets go of Luke's hand and reaches into the drawer beside the bed, pulling out a tube and pressing it into Luke's hand with purpose. "More." His voice sounds like it's been run through razor wire, the need strangling out every other thought.
Luke looks down at the tube in his hand and then back at Noah, unsure.
Noah sits up and grabs the tube from Luke and almost smiles at the look of disappointment on his face. Flipping open the tube, he squirts the thick liquid over two of Luke's fingers and then pulls him forward for a messy, sloppy, perfect kiss.
When Noah pulls away, Luke is convinced that Noah wants to push his boundaries. Rubbing his fingers together to coat them, Luke shifts himself up enough to lean down and kiss Noah as one finger circles puckered skin with a gentle, continuous touch.
He continues until the tension he can feel in Noah's hips drains away and they start moving with the rhythm of Luke's finger.
Noah knows that Luke is impatient about many things in life, but he's never been so relieved as when he discovered that sex was not one of them. When it came to sex, Luke was the one that was patient and content to take his time exploring every part of Noah.
To his surprise, it was Noah that was the one who really wanted to be patient and able to catalogue every part of Luke, but when they were together, it’s like a switch is flipped in his personality. The influx of everything Luke sends his system into addiction mode. He wants it all now, more, faster, harder, until his system overloads and he’s left reeling in the aftermath.
Noah can feel that addiction mode kicking in at this new sensation. It’s held back by his innate fear of the unknown and for once Noah is grateful for that. He shifts his hips again at another pass of Luke’s finger, gasping as he feels the tip breach inside.
Luke freezes, waiting for some sort of sign from Noah that he’s not going to clench up and call a stop to everything. Going on instinct, he reaches down to curl a hand around the back of Noah’s neck and pulls upward, making Noah lean upwards on his hands as Luke leans down and kisses Noah again. While their lips and tongues are distracting Noah, Luke’s finger slowly, but determinedly, works it’s way further inside.
Luke feels the pressure on all sides of his finger. He can even feel the movement of Noah’s body when he breathes deeply when they end the kiss. He starts to think about how it would feel to be inside Noah and has to cut that train of thought off in its tracks when his body threatens to end things embarrassingly soon. Taking a deep breath of his own, he smiles into Noah’s lips when the other man pulls him into another Kiss.
Luke knows that Noah tends to get fixated when he’s really turned on, or nervous. Keeping up the same steady motion of inward and outward with his finger, he continues to kiss Noah, knowing that their kissing is what Noah is fixating on to distract his mind from the intrusion of Luke’s finger.
A few long, deep kisses later, the pressure of Noah around Luke’s fingers has lessened enough that he’s able to wiggle his finger on the in and out motion, loosening Noah’s stranglehold even further. When the second finger slides in along with the first, Noah’s back arches and he clamps down again as his mouth opens on a gasp. Luke leans down and peppers the side of his face with kisses while whispering soothing words and sounds into his ear, telling him he’s doing so well and that he’s come so far and if he wants to stop, all Noah has to do is say. The side of Noah’s face taps lightly to Luke for a second as he shakes his head no.
Luke kisses Noah’s temple and sits back on his haunches, figuring now might be the right time to pull out the big guns. he crooks his fingers on an in stroke, and Noah looks at him quizzically for a second before his eyes widen as Luke finds the raised patch he is looking for.
Noah’s mouth makes a perfect ‘O‘ as his back arches and the arms that are supporting him flail out in surprise, causing his upper body to fall back to the bed abruptly and Luke’s fingers to press even more directly on the spot. The sound that rips out of him almost sounds like he’s in pain, but Luke knows from the spots of color on his cheeks and the dazed look in his eyes that he’s close to overloading on pleasure.
It doesn’t stop him from being a shit though. Stopping his hand where it is, Luke looks down at Noah, schooling his face into a concerned expression. “Are you okay? Do you want me to stop?”
When he dares to move his fingers like he’s going to pull them out, Noah’s thighs clamp down around his hand so fast that Luke has to bite back a chuckle.
He’s not quick enough in covering it up and Noah gives him a glare. “You. Suck.”
Luke laughs and raises an eyebrow, making sure Noah sees him lick his lips. “Yes, yes I do.”
Noah rolls his eyes, letting his thighs unclench now that he’s sure Luke is not going anywhere. “I hate you.”
Snickering, Luke grins at Noah. “You love me.”
“No, I’m pretty sure I doooooohhh my god. Fuck! Luke! Ohhhhh!”
Luke’s fingers start up their motion again in the middle of Noah talking and Noah’s eyes roll back into his head at the direct and unrelenting pressure put on that spot inside of him that feels like his entire body is surging with a million volts of electricity. He can feel the need to come raising a warning in him, but Luke’s fingers keep moving, never letting up the pressure, and every thought of warnings and too soon leave his mind as they’re obliterated when white noise explodes inside of his brain and rushes to every part of him, making fingers tingle and toes curl as he gasps for breath.
When his head clears enough for him to recognize his surroundings again, Noah sees Luke laying beside him, on his side with his head on his hand and elbow dimpling the sheets where it’s pressed into the mattress. He turns onto his side as well and scoots closer to Luke. “That was...”
Luke smiles and uses his free hand to splay over Noah’s hip, his thumb stroking absentmindedly over the skin under it. “Intense?”
Noah nods, smiling when Luke skims his hand up the side of Noah’s body, rising goosebumps on oversensitive skin in its wake and curls his fingers around the back of Noah’s neck, pulling him forward enough to kiss his forehead. “Mind-blowing works too.”
Chuckling, Luke has a smug look on his face. “Told you it’s pretty awesome being on the bottom.”
“Now I understand why, even with you being a writer, you couldn’t put into words what that felt like. It’s like being electrocuted and drugged all at the same time.”
Luke nods emphatically, “And every thought in your head gets shoved aside and you think you’re going to die for a second, then your brain explodes and shoots to every part of your body, but then somehow it finds its way back together at the end.”
Noah laughs and nods his head as well. “Yes!”
Luke wiggles his eyebrows and leans in to kiss Noah quickly. “Just wait until we work our way up to the full thing. You think that was awesome? Nothing compared to the real deal.”
Noah looks intrigued, guilty and apprehensive all at the same time. Luke kisses him again to clear that look from his face. “We’ll get there, Noah. I promise. We don’t have a deadline. You’ve come so far already. We get there when we get there.”
Noah smiles a little and reaches out, pulling Luke to him and pressing them together from shoulders to toes. “Thanks.” He presses their hips together experimentally. “Luke? Did that not ... you didn’t....”
Luke gets what Noah’s asking about. “Oh! I did. You were a little blissed out at that point, but seeing you like that? Pretty much hottest thing ever. Like two strokes and it was over.”
Noah feels his cheeks flame at Luke’s words, but feels strangely proud that Luke found him coming completely unglued like that so hot. He rests his forehead on Luke’s shoulder, his words muffled into his skin. “I’m sorry I didn’t...couldn’t...I should have made sure you were taken care of too.”
Luke stroked his fingers through Noah’s hair, pressing a kiss into the first part of his head he could lay his lips on, which turned out to be the tip of Noah’s ear. “Noah, it’s fine. Trust me, I know the first time you did that to me, the last thing on my mind was making sure you were taken care of as well.” He chuckles as the memory hits him. “You remember when that was?”
Noah tightens his hold on Luke at the memory of it. “Movie night. God, you were so hot. How we didn’t wake up the whole house, I’ll never know.”
Luke laughs. “I don’t know about you, but I just about bit clear through my tongue trying to keep the noise down. God, the things your fingers did...”
Noah feels both of their bodies stirring back to life at the thought of that night. “As hot as that was, I’m glad we can do more things now. Alone. In your apartment. No parents, no Emma’s rules, no siblings, no aunts, no uncles, no cousins, half cousins, in laws, partial relatives once removed....”
Luke laughs and smacks Noah’s shoulder. “I get the point. I know I lived at home longer than most college kids.” His hand starts trailing down the line of Noah’s spine, stopping here and there to lightly scrape fingernails over sensitive patches. “But with no you in my life up until now, I just didn’t feel the need to live alone.”
Noah arches his hips forward as Luke’s hand wanders downwards, his hardness meeting Luke’s and both of them groaning at the sensation. Luke rolls over on his back, pulling Noah on top of him. “Speaking of the more things we can do now.” He takes his hands and palms one of Noah’s ass cheeks with each of them. “How about we explore those other things now?”
Noah doesn’t respond, instead choosing to let his body do the talking for him.
Author: escapes
Rating: Just to be safe, NC 17
Pairing: Luke/Noah
Spoiler/Warning: Spoilers up through the enlistment story arc and forward/ Warnings: M/M , Language
Disclaimer: Characters belong to ATWT, P&G, CBS, etc. I'm not making money from this, don't sue, etc.
Summary: This is Luke and Noah’s storyline the way I see it unfolding if the Boys were on cable. And, you know, the writers and owners of the show weren’t insane/chickensh*t. There is so much that doesn’t get told on the screen. Here’s what really happens....
Much thanks to freakykat and noelleleithe for beta awesomeness on the last chapter, which I forgot to thank them for. Oops!
Lightning quick beta thank you goes to noelleleithe for this chapter. She is quick like ninja!
Chapter 55
Dr. Hughes is flipping through a file when they come in and sit themselves in the chairs on the opposite side of the desk. Noah can't decide if it's a movie cliche that doctors have picked up on, or if this is something they're trained to do in medical school. All he knows is that he's never been in a doctor's office without seeing that. Not even when he had been twelve and Noah's father had dislocated his shoulder by pulling him away from his friends so forcefully that his growing body hadn't been able to compensate. He'd received a ten minute lecture from the base doctor on following orders the first time and when he'd gone home, he'd been forbidden from going outside until he was able to do a hundred pull ups in 90 seconds. Noah remembers that being the summer that had started his love affair with old movies. He hadn't had to worry about playing with his friends again. His father had been transferred to a new base before the swelling had even gone down on his shoulder.
Noah clears his head, making a note to share that memory with Josh at their next appointment. He could remember being 12 when he'd started watching old movies, but today is the first time he's remembered the reason why.
Dr. Hughes closes the file and looks up at Luke and Noah. "Are there any changes that I have to make to Lucinda's approved list?"
Shaking his head, Luke uses his hand to rub at his temple again. "No. Until Grandmother can make that choice, I'm going to honor her wishes."
Curiosity is present in Dr. Hughes’s eyes, but he doesn't say a word. Noah has to respect that. It's a skill that his grandson has yet to learn. Casey would have been all over them, wanting a blow by blow of the conversation, making a nuisance of himself until he got it.
"I'm sure you’re wondering why I asked you not to visit your grandmother. I've run some tests on her, to see what sort of infection we’re dealing with. She's admitted to having mild cold symptoms, but over the past two days they had intensified. My original concern was a drug resistant infection, since she had come to me with a rash on her torso. We've now ruled out any sort of staph infection. The rash is a direct result of her fever, but not the cause of it.
“I've asked you not to visit her, because until I received the test results back, I wasn't comfortable with you visiting, since your anti-rejection medications suppress your immune system."
Luke nods, used to precautions having to be made, but hating when they got in the way of being with his family. "Okay. Have you got the results back?"
Nodding, Dr. Hughes opens the file in front of him again. "She's come back positive for a bacterial based pneumonia. It's quite possibly a complication from the anesthetic not clearing from her lungs fully and giving an opportunistic bacteria the ability to take hold. It did not help that Lucinda was being Lucinda and refusing to acknowledge that she was sick, until it was too far advanced for her to ignore. Now that I have the test results, we'll have her started on a more targeted antibiotic, and she should be back on her feet within a few days. As a precaution, Luke, I'd like to ask that you still restrict visiting her until the threat of anything viral that she may have picked up in this state has passed."
Luke nods, not liking it, but knowing that Dr. Hughes wouldn't request this unless it was absolutely necessary. “Okay. She is going to get better though, right?”
Dr. Hughes nods. “I don’t anticipate anything getting in the way of Lucinda’s recovery, but Lucinda herself.”
The three of them share a smile at that, knowing that the statement was more true than Lucinda would ever admit.
Closing the file again, Dr. Hughes stands up and slides on his white lab coat again. “I’m going to check on Lucinda now. If you’d like to come and stand at the window while I examine her, I’ll give you an update on her condition.”
Luke stands as well and nods. “That would be great. Thank you so much for giving me advance warning that my mother was here as well.”
Holding the door open for both of the boys, Dr. Hughes smiles. “Your mother has a lot of Walsh in her, whether she acknowledges it or not.”
Luke chuckles and wiggles his eyebrows at Noah’s answering smirk. “You mean she’s loud and impulsive and thinks the world revolves around her?”
Dr. Hughes just smiles enigmatically and presses the button that automatically opens the double doors that lead back to the ward, deciding discretion is the better part of valor where the Synder and Walsh families are involved.
Luke and Noah watch as Dr. Hughes and Lucinda’s duty nurse check vitals and start the IV of antibiotics. Luke could tell the fever was still raging, because of the field of deep pink that spread over Lucinda’s cheeks and forehead. That, coupled with the fact that she didn't snap at Dr. Hughes or the nurse for disturbing her would have tipped Luke off just how sick she was, if not for the fact she was already in the hospital.
Luke sighs and leans into Noah as they watch. "How much do you want to bet my mom has already called my dad and is completely spinning this into me being a brat that won't give her information on her own mother."
Noah's arm comes up around Luke's shoulders and gives him a comforting squeeze. "Your dad is levelheaded enough to not take your mother's spin on things without talking to you."
Luke nods and sighs again. "I know that you think I'm really an emotional overreacter, but if you think my mom is bad, you should see Damian. He's more reserved, but when he makes up his mind on something, there is no changing it."
Noah smiles and makes a mocking disbelieving noise. "That sounds strangely familiar."
Poking a finger into Noah's side, Luke turns his head towards Noah and smiles ruefully. "I didn't have a chance in hell of being levelheaded."
Chuckling, Noah squeezes Luke's shoulders again. "You've been doing a good job lately." He pauses in a way that Luke knows is deliberate. "Up until last night, that is."
Luke snorts and doesn't have time to reply to that before Dr. Hughes is out of Lucinda's room and pulling off the gown and gloves he had put on to protect both Luke and Lucinda.
"We've started the antibiotics and now it's just waiting time until they start working." He looks both of them over. "We have your contact information, Luke. You both look like you've had a rough night. I promise we will call if anything changes."
Luke and Noah both look at each other and then back at Dr. Hughes. Noah speaks for both of them. "That's fine Dr. Hughes. do you have my cell number? If you can't find Luke, just call me and I can track him down for you."
Dr. Hughes nods. "I'm not anticipating any complications," his eyes hold humor as he continues, "but this family always has a way of surprising me."
Noah nods in agreement until Luke backhands his stomach gently. "Hey, that's your family, too."
Noah has a startled look on his face for a second, before removing his arm from around Luke's shoulder and entangling their fingers together, the small and touched smile on his face one only Luke usually gets to see.
Dr. Hughes has an amused look on his face at the two men in front of him. "Get out of here you two. I hear it's a beautiful day outside."
Dr. Hughes is right, it is a beautiful day. It's a cool, crisp fall day. Normally, they'd be sitting out in the quad if they were at school, or maybe taking a ride out to the farm to give a few of the horses a good chance to wander the property while they took a long ride. Today though, they are too caught up in getting into the truck and back to Luke's apartment.
The ride home is quiet, both of them enjoying just being back together, most of the secrets between them out in the open. It still niggles at Noah, not knowing who the mystery man is, but he can live with that. For now.
Luke starts out the ride at the other end of the bench seat, but Noah smiles as he drives, noticing him creeping closer, as much as he can wearing his seatbelt. At one of the stoplights, he gives up the pretense and clicks his seatbelt off, slides next to Noah and puts on the seatbelt at his new location, all before the seatbelt indicator can chime at him.
Luke grins at him. "Think that might have been a new record?"
Noah chuckles and puts his hand on Luke's thigh. "Could be." His fingers start to trace the inside seam of the jeans covering Luke's thigh. He smirks when he feels Luke shiver at the sensation.
When he goes to take his hand away, Luke closes his thighs and traps Noah's fingers between his legs.
"Luke, I need that hand to shift gears."
Luke smirks. "That's fine, as long as you put it back." He opens his legs and groans when Noah makes sure to palm his crotch as he sides his hand out.
Luke smiles innocently as he puts his hand on Noah's thigh. "Luckily, I don't have to move my hand to do anything." He slides the hand upwards, until he hears a sharp inhale from Noah. "Except maybe that."
It's Noah's turn to clench his legs together, as much as he can while driving. "If you don't mind me driving into a tree, sure."
Luke laughs and moves his hand back down. "Aw, I still get to you."
Noah puts his hand back on Luke's thigh and side eyes him. "Luke, you're always going to get to me. I'm sure when I'm ninety and have more hair in my ears than on my head, that you'll still get to me."
Luke smiles and leans his head on Noah's shoulder. "Same here, Bubby." He sighs a little. "I'm sorry that my, and my family's, dramas keep getting in the way of us."
Noah leans the side of his head on Luke's for a second, still keeping his eyes on the road. "That's okay, Luke. I know that whatever it is, we will be there for each other." He pauses, picking his next words carefully. "Now that we both understand that we come to each other about these things, right?"
Luke nods against his shoulder.
Noah continues. "Then I know that whatever it is and however long it takes to resolve is okay, because you and I, and what we have, is the best thing in my life and it's worth the wait."
Luke hums happily. "And you say you aren't good with words."
Noah chuckles. "Every once and a while, I get lucky."
Luke raises his head and wiggles his eyebrows at Noah as they pull into the parking lot of the 'Bean. "Speaking of getting lucky. Didn't you say something about getting the full make up sex experience?"
Noah speeds up as he goes around the side of the building, growling. "Oh hell yes."
Luke is across the seat and out the door of the truck before Noah can even turn it off. He laughs as Noah nearly clotheslines himself on his seatbelt and waits at the front of the truck for him to get himself untangled. "Smooth moves, Mayer."
"I'm saving the good ones for about five minutes from now."
Luke snorts and shakes his head. "Whatever you say, wannabe Rico Suave."
Noah starts laughing with him. "Yeah, that was pretty cheesy, wasn't it?"
Luke just nods exaggeratedly in response as he digs in his pocket for his keys.
Noah plasters himself to the back of Luke and smirks when Luke fumbles and drops the keys. "Speaking of smooth moves..."
Luke sends a gentle elbow back into Noah's gut, making him step back. "Shut up! I'd like to see you do better."
He scoops his keys off of the floor and opens the door, letting both of them in and locking it behind them. Shrugging off his own coat, Luke bites his lip to stop a smile as he hangs it on the sparkly, pink coat rack on the wall, giving a mental thank you to the powers that be, when Noah's joins it on the next hook.
Once they're up the stairs, Luke jiggles the key in the lock a little, finessing it until the tumblers catch and turn.
They spill into the apartment and the first thing Luke sees is the sheets of paper sitting on the table. His stomach gives a lurch of recognition, but before it can bloom, his head is turned and his lips caught by Noah's. As distraction techniques go, this is one that Luke fully recognizes as the tactic that it is, but he has a hard time caring when Noah's tongue is doing that.
Luke wraps his arms around Noah's shoulders and slides the fingers of one hand into Noah's hair, feeling it curl around his fingers. He absentmindedly thinks about convincing Noah to let it grow out a bit, let the military issue short style go a bit. The negotiations could be a lot of fun.
Noah digs his fingertips into Luke's hips and starts working them back towards the bedroom, stopping to push Luke up against the wall beside the couch, their bodies grinding up against each other, shirts becoming too much of a hindrance and being pulled off. They are dropped to the floor and forgotten as they pull off the wall and make their way down the hallway, mouths still fused firmly together.
They are both wincing at the tightness of their jeans as they reach the bedroom. Noah groans in relief as Luke's hands make quick work of the button and zipper, warm hands sliding down the outside of his thighs and bringing his jeans and boxer briefs with them. Once he is able to kick them off, he returns the favor with Luke.
Falling onto the bed in a tangle of groping hands and tangled legs, they soon have the bedclothes bunched at the bottom of the bed, and the pillows have tumbled end over end as they are pushed out of the way for heads arching back to give access to necks and hands blindly reaching for and white knuckling the headboard.
Luke runs his fingers lightly up Noah's thighs, his thumbs sliding over the inside with just enough pressure to make Noah groan and his legs fall further apart. Luke takes it as an invitation to go further, tracing his fingers upwards and holding his breath as Noah's stutters and he arches his back, hips undulating and falling completely open around Luke.
Taking a shaky breath of his own, Luke keeps moving his fingers upwards. When he reaches the soft skin of Noah's perineum, he starts slowly by running his finger lightly in a straight line, then becoming bolder as he presses with more purpose, the straight line morphing into nonsensical patterns. All the while, he is careful not to stray too far.
Noah reaches out and grabs Luke's free hand with his own, needing the connection to give him courage to push further. "M...more, Luke."
Luke looks up at Noah in surprise. "Noah, are you sure? Don't make this a penance."
As an answer, Noah lets go of Luke's hand and reaches into the drawer beside the bed, pulling out a tube and pressing it into Luke's hand with purpose. "More." His voice sounds like it's been run through razor wire, the need strangling out every other thought.
Luke looks down at the tube in his hand and then back at Noah, unsure.
Noah sits up and grabs the tube from Luke and almost smiles at the look of disappointment on his face. Flipping open the tube, he squirts the thick liquid over two of Luke's fingers and then pulls him forward for a messy, sloppy, perfect kiss.
When Noah pulls away, Luke is convinced that Noah wants to push his boundaries. Rubbing his fingers together to coat them, Luke shifts himself up enough to lean down and kiss Noah as one finger circles puckered skin with a gentle, continuous touch.
He continues until the tension he can feel in Noah's hips drains away and they start moving with the rhythm of Luke's finger.
Noah knows that Luke is impatient about many things in life, but he's never been so relieved as when he discovered that sex was not one of them. When it came to sex, Luke was the one that was patient and content to take his time exploring every part of Noah.
To his surprise, it was Noah that was the one who really wanted to be patient and able to catalogue every part of Luke, but when they were together, it’s like a switch is flipped in his personality. The influx of everything Luke sends his system into addiction mode. He wants it all now, more, faster, harder, until his system overloads and he’s left reeling in the aftermath.
Noah can feel that addiction mode kicking in at this new sensation. It’s held back by his innate fear of the unknown and for once Noah is grateful for that. He shifts his hips again at another pass of Luke’s finger, gasping as he feels the tip breach inside.
Luke freezes, waiting for some sort of sign from Noah that he’s not going to clench up and call a stop to everything. Going on instinct, he reaches down to curl a hand around the back of Noah’s neck and pulls upward, making Noah lean upwards on his hands as Luke leans down and kisses Noah again. While their lips and tongues are distracting Noah, Luke’s finger slowly, but determinedly, works it’s way further inside.
Luke feels the pressure on all sides of his finger. He can even feel the movement of Noah’s body when he breathes deeply when they end the kiss. He starts to think about how it would feel to be inside Noah and has to cut that train of thought off in its tracks when his body threatens to end things embarrassingly soon. Taking a deep breath of his own, he smiles into Noah’s lips when the other man pulls him into another Kiss.
Luke knows that Noah tends to get fixated when he’s really turned on, or nervous. Keeping up the same steady motion of inward and outward with his finger, he continues to kiss Noah, knowing that their kissing is what Noah is fixating on to distract his mind from the intrusion of Luke’s finger.
A few long, deep kisses later, the pressure of Noah around Luke’s fingers has lessened enough that he’s able to wiggle his finger on the in and out motion, loosening Noah’s stranglehold even further. When the second finger slides in along with the first, Noah’s back arches and he clamps down again as his mouth opens on a gasp. Luke leans down and peppers the side of his face with kisses while whispering soothing words and sounds into his ear, telling him he’s doing so well and that he’s come so far and if he wants to stop, all Noah has to do is say. The side of Noah’s face taps lightly to Luke for a second as he shakes his head no.
Luke kisses Noah’s temple and sits back on his haunches, figuring now might be the right time to pull out the big guns. he crooks his fingers on an in stroke, and Noah looks at him quizzically for a second before his eyes widen as Luke finds the raised patch he is looking for.
Noah’s mouth makes a perfect ‘O‘ as his back arches and the arms that are supporting him flail out in surprise, causing his upper body to fall back to the bed abruptly and Luke’s fingers to press even more directly on the spot. The sound that rips out of him almost sounds like he’s in pain, but Luke knows from the spots of color on his cheeks and the dazed look in his eyes that he’s close to overloading on pleasure.
It doesn’t stop him from being a shit though. Stopping his hand where it is, Luke looks down at Noah, schooling his face into a concerned expression. “Are you okay? Do you want me to stop?”
When he dares to move his fingers like he’s going to pull them out, Noah’s thighs clamp down around his hand so fast that Luke has to bite back a chuckle.
He’s not quick enough in covering it up and Noah gives him a glare. “You. Suck.”
Luke laughs and raises an eyebrow, making sure Noah sees him lick his lips. “Yes, yes I do.”
Noah rolls his eyes, letting his thighs unclench now that he’s sure Luke is not going anywhere. “I hate you.”
Snickering, Luke grins at Noah. “You love me.”
“No, I’m pretty sure I doooooohhh my god. Fuck! Luke! Ohhhhh!”
Luke’s fingers start up their motion again in the middle of Noah talking and Noah’s eyes roll back into his head at the direct and unrelenting pressure put on that spot inside of him that feels like his entire body is surging with a million volts of electricity. He can feel the need to come raising a warning in him, but Luke’s fingers keep moving, never letting up the pressure, and every thought of warnings and too soon leave his mind as they’re obliterated when white noise explodes inside of his brain and rushes to every part of him, making fingers tingle and toes curl as he gasps for breath.
When his head clears enough for him to recognize his surroundings again, Noah sees Luke laying beside him, on his side with his head on his hand and elbow dimpling the sheets where it’s pressed into the mattress. He turns onto his side as well and scoots closer to Luke. “That was...”
Luke smiles and uses his free hand to splay over Noah’s hip, his thumb stroking absentmindedly over the skin under it. “Intense?”
Noah nods, smiling when Luke skims his hand up the side of Noah’s body, rising goosebumps on oversensitive skin in its wake and curls his fingers around the back of Noah’s neck, pulling him forward enough to kiss his forehead. “Mind-blowing works too.”
Chuckling, Luke has a smug look on his face. “Told you it’s pretty awesome being on the bottom.”
“Now I understand why, even with you being a writer, you couldn’t put into words what that felt like. It’s like being electrocuted and drugged all at the same time.”
Luke nods emphatically, “And every thought in your head gets shoved aside and you think you’re going to die for a second, then your brain explodes and shoots to every part of your body, but then somehow it finds its way back together at the end.”
Noah laughs and nods his head as well. “Yes!”
Luke wiggles his eyebrows and leans in to kiss Noah quickly. “Just wait until we work our way up to the full thing. You think that was awesome? Nothing compared to the real deal.”
Noah looks intrigued, guilty and apprehensive all at the same time. Luke kisses him again to clear that look from his face. “We’ll get there, Noah. I promise. We don’t have a deadline. You’ve come so far already. We get there when we get there.”
Noah smiles a little and reaches out, pulling Luke to him and pressing them together from shoulders to toes. “Thanks.” He presses their hips together experimentally. “Luke? Did that not ... you didn’t....”
Luke gets what Noah’s asking about. “Oh! I did. You were a little blissed out at that point, but seeing you like that? Pretty much hottest thing ever. Like two strokes and it was over.”
Noah feels his cheeks flame at Luke’s words, but feels strangely proud that Luke found him coming completely unglued like that so hot. He rests his forehead on Luke’s shoulder, his words muffled into his skin. “I’m sorry I didn’t...couldn’t...I should have made sure you were taken care of too.”
Luke stroked his fingers through Noah’s hair, pressing a kiss into the first part of his head he could lay his lips on, which turned out to be the tip of Noah’s ear. “Noah, it’s fine. Trust me, I know the first time you did that to me, the last thing on my mind was making sure you were taken care of as well.” He chuckles as the memory hits him. “You remember when that was?”
Noah tightens his hold on Luke at the memory of it. “Movie night. God, you were so hot. How we didn’t wake up the whole house, I’ll never know.”
Luke laughs. “I don’t know about you, but I just about bit clear through my tongue trying to keep the noise down. God, the things your fingers did...”
Noah feels both of their bodies stirring back to life at the thought of that night. “As hot as that was, I’m glad we can do more things now. Alone. In your apartment. No parents, no Emma’s rules, no siblings, no aunts, no uncles, no cousins, half cousins, in laws, partial relatives once removed....”
Luke laughs and smacks Noah’s shoulder. “I get the point. I know I lived at home longer than most college kids.” His hand starts trailing down the line of Noah’s spine, stopping here and there to lightly scrape fingernails over sensitive patches. “But with no you in my life up until now, I just didn’t feel the need to live alone.”
Noah arches his hips forward as Luke’s hand wanders downwards, his hardness meeting Luke’s and both of them groaning at the sensation. Luke rolls over on his back, pulling Noah on top of him. “Speaking of the more things we can do now.” He takes his hands and palms one of Noah’s ass cheeks with each of them. “How about we explore those other things now?”
Noah doesn’t respond, instead choosing to let his body do the talking for him.