when two worlds collide chapter 6
Summary:
Popular. Jock. Outspoken. Handsome. Straight.
These are all words you would use to describe Luke Snyder
Luke's just your normal average teenager. An excellent basketball player he's on track for a full ride scholarship. His parents Lily and Damian Grimaldi couldn't be prouder and Luke's never been more popular with the kids at school. Luke however, is miserable. Isolated from the rest of his family, he's thrown himself into playing basketball only to please his parents but dreams of studying creative writing at university.
Meet Noah Mayer: Quiet. Straight A student. Bookworm
He's also gay
He's everything Luke wants to be.
So what happens when their two worlds collide?
Luke was frozen. He’d made about 5 steps into the room and couldn’t walk any further.
It was unbelievable how frail and vulnerable Noah looked.
His face was swollen and bruised, Luke's cheek throbbing in sympathy. Bob was right, there seemed to be tubes and wires absolutely everywhere. His wrist was encased in a small cast and Luke could see the bulky outline of another cast on his leg beneath the covers. The only sound in the room is the steady beep of the heart monitor hooked up to Noah. If it wasn’t for Holden holding him up Luke was pretty sure he’d be a mess on the floor.
“It’s ok,” Allison said, smiling encouragingly at Luke.
“Talk to him, let him know you’re here, that’s he’s not alone.”
“They say majority of coma patients and those under heavy sedation can sometimes hear people talking to them and are aware of what’s going on around them.”
Luke nodded. He was finding it impossible to speak around the lump in his throat and his eyes were burning with the strength of holding back tears. Noah was in that hospital bed and it was all because of him. He'd been so afraid and turned away the one person who loved him and supported him and this is what had happened.
“Go on."Allison squeezed his shoulder comfortingly,
"I’m sorry," Luke stuttered "I...can't"
The need to run and bury himself in a drink was almost overwhelming and it was all too easy to give into the urge and leave.
He'd taken steps backwards not even realising subconsciously.
He made to the door, and had one hand on the handle when a small voice spoke up from behind him
"Running away?"
Luke turned and he saw Maddie sitting in the corner. Her face was streaked with tears and she seemed really small and frail sitting in the chair by Noah's bedside. Luke had been so preoccupied with Noah and himself he hadn’t even been aware of Maddie and Casey arriving, but he guessed Casey must have heard something from Margo and brought Maddie down the hospital to visit.
“Luke, you cannot run away from this. You need to stay and support Noah and stand by him.” “I’m not stupid you know, I’ve known about you two ever since you and he very first kissed.
Luke can only stare at her, mouth slightly open.
He and Maddie, even Casey had all grown up together. They'd really lost touch since Luke had become a part of Kevin's gang. They used to do everything together but high school had started and they just drifted apart.
Maddie stood up and reached a hand out to Luke, silently pleading with him.
If you truly say you love him, then be there for him. Don’t let the bullies win, because if you leave right now, then they have. And I know you are so much stronger than that.”
Luke approached the bed slowly, sinking down into the chair that was by Noah’s side. Maddie gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek and then she was gone, the door shutting softly behind her.
“Hey” he said softly, lacing their fingers together.
“Noah, I am so sorry,” he sobbed
He took a deep breath and everything just seemed to come pouring out. He had no reason to hide anymore and all flowed freely.
“I was just so afraid to be myself, all the time and hiding who I truly was. Until you came along and you forced me to take a good look at myself and see the true person I am underneath. All these barriers I had up and you broke them down, even when I was pushing you away and blaming it all on the alcohol.”
“You saw me for who I truly am. You brought back the self-confidence I’d lost because you believed in me. You made me a better, stronger person and I promise you, that once you wake up and get better I am going to go about proving that to you.”
"I was so busy making others happy, that I forgot what was important and that's to do what I want to do."
"I love you baby, do you hear me?" "I'm not afraid anymore, and I’m not going to run away, I'll be by your side every step of the way."
Luke couldn’t fight the exhaustion any longer. His eyes were slowly closing and even his sheer will and determination was enough to keep him from laying his head down and going to sleep, Noah’s hand still firmly clasped in his grip.
#
Noah's eyes are heavy and feel like they've been weighed down by lead. His whole body aches and his leg feels like someone is poking it with a hot poker. It’s a struggle to open his eyes. The drugs fighting his body to drag him back down under into their murky depths. It’s a battle he’s fast losing and he allows the blackness to wash over him, pulling him back under.
The second time he does finally manage to open his eyes, the first thing he focuses on its Luke's blond hair, spread out all over the bed, Luke asleep, a small frown marring his beautiful features. It reminded him of the very first time they fell asleep on the bed together. He managed to make his fingers move and he strokes his fingertips gently down the side of Luke's face. He sighed softly in his sleep and the lines disappear as Luke relaxed, his body subconsciously recognising his touch.
He is completely focused on Luke he doesn't even see Holden until he moves in behind Luke. He looks tired and gaunt but relieved to see Noah awake.
Noah tries to smile but his lips are cracked and dry and Holden helps him to drink a small amount of water
"Hey Noah," Holden's voice is deep and warm "How do you feel?"
"Hurts" Noah croaks
The pain threatens to overwhelm him, every breath hurts and truthfully he feels like he's been hit and run over by a bus.
"Do you remember what happened?"
Noah frowns and thinks but the pain and the remains of the sedative makes him woozy and his memories are all fuzzy
“L-Luke?” He tries to sit up in alarm, panicking as memories come flooding back
“Hey hey it’s alright,” Holden soothed, pushing Noah back into the bed “You’re both going to be just fine”
“He’s just got bruises and Bob’s going to take good care of you, just relax and go back to sleep”
The tension pours out of Noah’s body leaving him feeling drained and exhausted
Luke stirs then, slowly coming round. He almost falls off the chair when he notices Noah is awake, but calms at the touch of Holden’s hand on his shoulder.
His eyes are puffy and slightly bloodshot, hair sticking up in wild directions. Noah would have laughed if his entire body didn’t ache so much.
Noah smiles at him and something pings in the back of his mind, he wasn’t sure if it had been a dream or a memory, but he recalls hearing voices. Luke’s the most prominent and Noah could have sworn that ‘dream Luke’ had told him that he loved him. He can’t speak very well but manages a strangled whisper.
“Luke, did you tell me that you loved me?”
Luke blushes but holds Noah’s gaze steady and nods
“You remember that?” he gives a shaky laugh and kisses the fingers he’s still holding
The nurse arrives then and he feels the cool swipe of the alcohol wipe and prick of the needle and then he feels nothing as the medication washes over him in soothing waves. He fights it though briefly
“Luke….”
“Hey, hey,” Luke strokes his hand comfortingly “Go back to sleep, I’m not going anywhere.”
“I just wanted to say…..I love you too,” the last little bit is slurred but Noah hopes Luke understands all the same and he doesn't fight it now as sleep claims him once again, dragging him under into painless oblivion.
EPILOGUE
Popular. Jock. Outspoken. Handsome. Straight.
These are all words you would use to describe Luke Snyder
Luke's just your normal average teenager. An excellent basketball player he's on track for a full ride scholarship. His parents Lily and Damian Grimaldi couldn't be prouder and Luke's never been more popular with the kids at school. Luke however, is miserable. Isolated from the rest of his family, he's thrown himself into playing basketball only to please his parents but dreams of studying creative writing at university.
Meet Noah Mayer: Quiet. Straight A student. Bookworm
He's also gay
He's everything Luke wants to be.
So what happens when their two worlds collide?
Luke was frozen. He’d made about 5 steps into the room and couldn’t walk any further.
It was unbelievable how frail and vulnerable Noah looked.
His face was swollen and bruised, Luke's cheek throbbing in sympathy. Bob was right, there seemed to be tubes and wires absolutely everywhere. His wrist was encased in a small cast and Luke could see the bulky outline of another cast on his leg beneath the covers. The only sound in the room is the steady beep of the heart monitor hooked up to Noah. If it wasn’t for Holden holding him up Luke was pretty sure he’d be a mess on the floor.
“It’s ok,” Allison said, smiling encouragingly at Luke.
“Talk to him, let him know you’re here, that’s he’s not alone.”
“They say majority of coma patients and those under heavy sedation can sometimes hear people talking to them and are aware of what’s going on around them.”
Luke nodded. He was finding it impossible to speak around the lump in his throat and his eyes were burning with the strength of holding back tears. Noah was in that hospital bed and it was all because of him. He'd been so afraid and turned away the one person who loved him and supported him and this is what had happened.
“Go on."Allison squeezed his shoulder comfortingly,
"I’m sorry," Luke stuttered "I...can't"
The need to run and bury himself in a drink was almost overwhelming and it was all too easy to give into the urge and leave.
He'd taken steps backwards not even realising subconsciously.
He made to the door, and had one hand on the handle when a small voice spoke up from behind him
"Running away?"
Luke turned and he saw Maddie sitting in the corner. Her face was streaked with tears and she seemed really small and frail sitting in the chair by Noah's bedside. Luke had been so preoccupied with Noah and himself he hadn’t even been aware of Maddie and Casey arriving, but he guessed Casey must have heard something from Margo and brought Maddie down the hospital to visit.
“Luke, you cannot run away from this. You need to stay and support Noah and stand by him.” “I’m not stupid you know, I’ve known about you two ever since you and he very first kissed.
Luke can only stare at her, mouth slightly open.
He and Maddie, even Casey had all grown up together. They'd really lost touch since Luke had become a part of Kevin's gang. They used to do everything together but high school had started and they just drifted apart.
Maddie stood up and reached a hand out to Luke, silently pleading with him.
If you truly say you love him, then be there for him. Don’t let the bullies win, because if you leave right now, then they have. And I know you are so much stronger than that.”
Luke approached the bed slowly, sinking down into the chair that was by Noah’s side. Maddie gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek and then she was gone, the door shutting softly behind her.
“Hey” he said softly, lacing their fingers together.
“Noah, I am so sorry,” he sobbed
He took a deep breath and everything just seemed to come pouring out. He had no reason to hide anymore and all flowed freely.
“I was just so afraid to be myself, all the time and hiding who I truly was. Until you came along and you forced me to take a good look at myself and see the true person I am underneath. All these barriers I had up and you broke them down, even when I was pushing you away and blaming it all on the alcohol.”
“You saw me for who I truly am. You brought back the self-confidence I’d lost because you believed in me. You made me a better, stronger person and I promise you, that once you wake up and get better I am going to go about proving that to you.”
"I was so busy making others happy, that I forgot what was important and that's to do what I want to do."
"I love you baby, do you hear me?" "I'm not afraid anymore, and I’m not going to run away, I'll be by your side every step of the way."
Luke couldn’t fight the exhaustion any longer. His eyes were slowly closing and even his sheer will and determination was enough to keep him from laying his head down and going to sleep, Noah’s hand still firmly clasped in his grip.
#
Noah's eyes are heavy and feel like they've been weighed down by lead. His whole body aches and his leg feels like someone is poking it with a hot poker. It’s a struggle to open his eyes. The drugs fighting his body to drag him back down under into their murky depths. It’s a battle he’s fast losing and he allows the blackness to wash over him, pulling him back under.
The second time he does finally manage to open his eyes, the first thing he focuses on its Luke's blond hair, spread out all over the bed, Luke asleep, a small frown marring his beautiful features. It reminded him of the very first time they fell asleep on the bed together. He managed to make his fingers move and he strokes his fingertips gently down the side of Luke's face. He sighed softly in his sleep and the lines disappear as Luke relaxed, his body subconsciously recognising his touch.
He is completely focused on Luke he doesn't even see Holden until he moves in behind Luke. He looks tired and gaunt but relieved to see Noah awake.
Noah tries to smile but his lips are cracked and dry and Holden helps him to drink a small amount of water
"Hey Noah," Holden's voice is deep and warm "How do you feel?"
"Hurts" Noah croaks
The pain threatens to overwhelm him, every breath hurts and truthfully he feels like he's been hit and run over by a bus.
"Do you remember what happened?"
Noah frowns and thinks but the pain and the remains of the sedative makes him woozy and his memories are all fuzzy
“L-Luke?” He tries to sit up in alarm, panicking as memories come flooding back
“Hey hey it’s alright,” Holden soothed, pushing Noah back into the bed “You’re both going to be just fine”
“He’s just got bruises and Bob’s going to take good care of you, just relax and go back to sleep”
The tension pours out of Noah’s body leaving him feeling drained and exhausted
Luke stirs then, slowly coming round. He almost falls off the chair when he notices Noah is awake, but calms at the touch of Holden’s hand on his shoulder.
His eyes are puffy and slightly bloodshot, hair sticking up in wild directions. Noah would have laughed if his entire body didn’t ache so much.
Noah smiles at him and something pings in the back of his mind, he wasn’t sure if it had been a dream or a memory, but he recalls hearing voices. Luke’s the most prominent and Noah could have sworn that ‘dream Luke’ had told him that he loved him. He can’t speak very well but manages a strangled whisper.
“Luke, did you tell me that you loved me?”
Luke blushes but holds Noah’s gaze steady and nods
“You remember that?” he gives a shaky laugh and kisses the fingers he’s still holding
The nurse arrives then and he feels the cool swipe of the alcohol wipe and prick of the needle and then he feels nothing as the medication washes over him in soothing waves. He fights it though briefly
“Luke….”
“Hey, hey,” Luke strokes his hand comfortingly “Go back to sleep, I’m not going anywhere.”
“I just wanted to say…..I love you too,” the last little bit is slurred but Noah hopes Luke understands all the same and he doesn't fight it now as sleep claims him once again, dragging him under into painless oblivion.
EPILOGUE