FIC: Thanks for Noah
A Luke/Reid fic in which Reid tells Luke what he's most thankful for this year. (As the World Turns, PG-13)
Title: Thanks for Noah
Author: sleeper6
Characters: Luke/Reid
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1671
Summary: Reid tells Luke what he’s most thankful for this year.
Disclaimer: All belongs to As the World Turns, not me.
Author's notes: In honor of Thanksgiving.
“Do you already know what you’re going to say?”
“About . . .?”
Luke Snyder sighed as he stopped rifling through the closet and glanced over his shoulder to look at Reid Oliver, who sat casually on the bed in a white undershirt and gray dress slacks while his bare feet rubbed the carpeted floor.
“About Thanksgiving. At dinner. Tonight.”
“Oh, that.”
Luke turned around, his slender hands jumping to his even-slender hips. “Reid, we went over this.”
Reid nodded and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Just wish you’d stop making such a big fuss about it.”
“It’s Thanksgiving, Reid, our first Thanksgiving together. And we’re going to be at my grandma’s house with my entire family, where she’s going to ask you-in front of everyone-what you’re most thankful for this year, and it’s important that you be ready.”
“And without this little review session, you think I’m going to fail the exam on being Luke Snyder’s perfect boyfriend?”
Luke walked toward Reid, stopping inches from him. “You already are the perfect boyfriend-to me, anyway. But today, I want everyone else to realize that too.” Luke reached down and placed a quick peck on Reid’s lips before stepping back.
Reid, though, held on to Luke’s arms and pulled him closer toward him. “Come here, give me some more of that Luke love.”
Laughing, Luke freed himself from Reid’s grasp. “Uh-uh. I still have to find you the right shirt for those pants. Plus, you have to tell me what you’re thankful for.”
“What are you thankful for?”
“I asked you first.”
Reid rolled his eyes. “You are a child.”
Luke lightly punched Reid’s shoulder. “Come on, you have to tell me. I have to make sure it’s not snarky or sarcastic.”
“I can be sincere, you know.”
“Really?” asked Luke as he walked back to the closet and resumed browsing through Reid’s shirts.
“Really. And just so you know, I have so many things to be thankful for this year,” declared Reid. “There’s a list, actually.”
Luke’s left eyebrow shot up. “A list?” He turned around and leaned against the closet wall.
“Yup, of all the things-well, people-I’m thankful for this year.”
“People. As in plural?”
Reid nodded.
Luke was suddenly very curious. “Who?”
Reid began putting on his socks. “You’ll see.”
Luke put one hand on his hip. “Reid, tell me.”
“So you can tell me which one would make the best answer for tonight’s pop quiz?” asked Reid without glancing up.
“Well, yeah, but I also really want to know.”
Reid looked at him and smiled. “Okay, but no comments until the very end. Got it?”
Luke nodded eagerly.
“The first person I’m thankful for is Hank’s sister, Maddie,” Reid said as he put on his shoes.
“Maddie Coleman? Reid, you never even met her.”
Reid nodded. “I saw her . . . once.”
Luke laughed. “And why are you thankful for her?”
Reid sat back slightly, his palms flat on the bedspread as he talked to Luke. “Because she almost succeeded in making Noah think he was straight.”
“What?” Luke asked in the high-pitched voice he reserved for the start of an argument.
“Shh, no comments, remember?”
Luke sighed and made a motion with his hand for Reid to continue.
“And if Ms. Coleman had succeeded, Mr. Mayer would’ve never caused you the pain he did as your crappy boyfriend.”
“Reid, that was years ago,” Luke declared, his voice returning to its normal level.
“True, but I only found out about your past this year; thus, I am thankful for her attempt this year,” explained Reid.
Luke snorted.
“On second thought,” said Reid as he tapped his chin, “she failed to keep Noah away from you so forget her-I’m scratching her off the list.”
Luke shook his head disapprovingly though his mouth released a small smile. “Who else?”
“I was going to give thanks for Colonel Mayer but then I remembered that that’s the bastard who shot you so forget about him, even if he was the one person who really, really tried to stop Noah from becoming part of your life.”
“Not even a bullet could stop me,” Luke declared proudly.
“That’s right,” Reid chuckled. “Now I’m waiting to see if you can also leap tall buildings in a single bound.”
Luke laughed. “Are you done?”
“Done? I’m just getting started,” replied Reid.
“Can’t wait.”
“Another person I’m thankful for is Noah’s lovely, short-term wife, Ameeka.”
“Ameera.”
“Right, Ameera. I am grateful to her for making you see how selfish Noah can be,” said Reid.
Luke crossed his arms and stood straight in front of the open closet door. “Selfish? Reid, he risked himself to keep her here.”
Reid nodded thoughtfully. “By risking his love for you. He put aside your feelings to help out a complete stranger. And as noble as that may have been for Ameena-”
“Ameera,” corrected Luke.
“-what he did hurt you for months. Months, Luke. So yeah, I am grateful that this person helped you see that Noah would-and could-choose someone else over you anytime.”
Luke looked down at the floor. “I realize that now,” he whispered.
“Look, let me stop there. We’re going to be late if we-”
Luke’s gaze returned to Reid. “No,” he interrupted. “Continue, please.”
“You sure?” asked Reid softly.
Luke grinned. “I want to hear the rest of this silly thing.”
Reid returned Luke’s smile. “All right, then. Another person I’m giving thanks for is Brian Wheatley.”
“Brian?” Luke spat out. “Why him?”
“Two things. First, he tried to make you forget about Noah, and anyone who does that, or tries to do that, is okay in my book and therefore deserving of some gratitude.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Shh.” Reid held up a finger. “And secondly, he got you to realize that older men can be attractive too.”
Luke giggled. “Go on.”
“I will also be giving thanks for the ridiculously crazy twins who wanted to steal your Grimaldi fortune.”
Luke was confused. “Why them? They kidnapped me and Noah and almost killed us.”
Reid shrugged. “But they also provided some entertaining moments in your otherwise dull life with Mr. Mayer so . . .”
Both men laughed.
“Speaking of loony Grimaldis-as much as I hate Bad Dad, I have to give special thanks for Damian for being very, very rich and giving you all that money that you then gave to me for my awesome wing.”
“Of course.”
“And for giving life to this lean, gorgeous, blonde specimen in front of me,” declared Reid, pointing at Luke from head to toe.
Luke blushed.
“And I should be grateful for your mother, too, for passing on some of her, uh, feminine traits to you,” Reid continued as he raised his eyebrows up and down.
“Hey!” Luke balled up a shirt from the closet and threw it at Reid. “I do not have girly parts.”
Reid, laughing loudly, caught the shirt and put it aside. “Luke, we don’t have time to start a new list on all your ‘girly parts.’ Let me at least finish mine first.”
“Hurry up, then,” Luke said in mock anger.
“Okay, okay. I also want to give thanks to Noah’s charming film professor, Mason Jarhead or something.”
“Jarvis.”
“Yeah, that guy. He was the one who made you see that Noah can be very disloyal, taking Mason’s word over yours, his own boyfriend-the man he’s allegedly in love with.”
“Yeah, he did do that.”
“And for getting himself fired before teaching Noah how to properly use fireworks,” Reid added, trying not to laugh.
“Reid.”
“Sorry.”
“Is that it?”
Reid sat up straight on the bed. “Nope, I saved the best for last. The person I’m most thankful for, the person who completely changed my life, the person without whom I wouldn’t be here-”
“Aww, go on,” interrupted Luke-his grin threatening to take over his entire face-as he walked very slowly toward Reid.
“Is none other than Noah Mayer.”
Luke stopped. “Noah? Noah?”
Reid nodded.
“Why?”
“For being a douche.”
“Reid.”
“For being a jerk.”
“Reid.”
“For being a less-than-perfect boyfriend. How’s that?”
Luke nodded.
Reid, still sitting on the bed, extended his arms toward Luke-who took hold of them-and pulled him in between in his legs. Reid gently placed his hands on Luke’s waist as he looked up at him.
“He hurt you a lot, Luke.”
Luke looked down at Reid and sadly nodded.
“But I will be thankful for him for many years-and possibly forever-for what he gave to me.”
“What’s that?” asked Luke as he caressed Reid’s hair.
“You. He gave you to me.”
Luke chuckled. “I thought I chose you.”
“You did, but because of who he is, what he did and what he will never be,” stated Reid.
“My perfect boyfriend?”
Reid nodded as he tightened his grip on Luke’s waist. “I will never be the perfect boyfriend, either, but I will try to be everything he wasn’t because I have never been more thankful of anything than of what I have this year.”
Luke cocked an eyebrow.
“You,” said Reid. “I am so thankful for you.”
Luke leaned down and kissed Reid softly. “That’s what you should say, then, at dinner.”
Reid, his eyes still closed, murmured, “That I’m thankful for you?”
“No, that you’re thankful for Noah.”
Reid’s eyes opened. “Seriously?”
Luke nodded. “I’m thankful for him, too. He brought you to me.”
“Well, you brought me to him but I know what you mean.”
Luke pushed Reid back on the bed and fell on top of him, kissing him on the way down.
“Hey, we’re going to be late,” Reid whispered in between kisses.
“It’s Thanksgiving; they won’t start without us,” replied Luke, kissing Reid harder. “And I think we have enough time to show each other just how thankful we are for Noah.”
Reid wrapped his arms and legs around Luke. “Thanks for Noah, indeed.”
Title: Thanks for Noah
Author: sleeper6
Characters: Luke/Reid
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1671
Summary: Reid tells Luke what he’s most thankful for this year.
Disclaimer: All belongs to As the World Turns, not me.
Author's notes: In honor of Thanksgiving.
“Do you already know what you’re going to say?”
“About . . .?”
Luke Snyder sighed as he stopped rifling through the closet and glanced over his shoulder to look at Reid Oliver, who sat casually on the bed in a white undershirt and gray dress slacks while his bare feet rubbed the carpeted floor.
“About Thanksgiving. At dinner. Tonight.”
“Oh, that.”
Luke turned around, his slender hands jumping to his even-slender hips. “Reid, we went over this.”
Reid nodded and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Just wish you’d stop making such a big fuss about it.”
“It’s Thanksgiving, Reid, our first Thanksgiving together. And we’re going to be at my grandma’s house with my entire family, where she’s going to ask you-in front of everyone-what you’re most thankful for this year, and it’s important that you be ready.”
“And without this little review session, you think I’m going to fail the exam on being Luke Snyder’s perfect boyfriend?”
Luke walked toward Reid, stopping inches from him. “You already are the perfect boyfriend-to me, anyway. But today, I want everyone else to realize that too.” Luke reached down and placed a quick peck on Reid’s lips before stepping back.
Reid, though, held on to Luke’s arms and pulled him closer toward him. “Come here, give me some more of that Luke love.”
Laughing, Luke freed himself from Reid’s grasp. “Uh-uh. I still have to find you the right shirt for those pants. Plus, you have to tell me what you’re thankful for.”
“What are you thankful for?”
“I asked you first.”
Reid rolled his eyes. “You are a child.”
Luke lightly punched Reid’s shoulder. “Come on, you have to tell me. I have to make sure it’s not snarky or sarcastic.”
“I can be sincere, you know.”
“Really?” asked Luke as he walked back to the closet and resumed browsing through Reid’s shirts.
“Really. And just so you know, I have so many things to be thankful for this year,” declared Reid. “There’s a list, actually.”
Luke’s left eyebrow shot up. “A list?” He turned around and leaned against the closet wall.
“Yup, of all the things-well, people-I’m thankful for this year.”
“People. As in plural?”
Reid nodded.
Luke was suddenly very curious. “Who?”
Reid began putting on his socks. “You’ll see.”
Luke put one hand on his hip. “Reid, tell me.”
“So you can tell me which one would make the best answer for tonight’s pop quiz?” asked Reid without glancing up.
“Well, yeah, but I also really want to know.”
Reid looked at him and smiled. “Okay, but no comments until the very end. Got it?”
Luke nodded eagerly.
“The first person I’m thankful for is Hank’s sister, Maddie,” Reid said as he put on his shoes.
“Maddie Coleman? Reid, you never even met her.”
Reid nodded. “I saw her . . . once.”
Luke laughed. “And why are you thankful for her?”
Reid sat back slightly, his palms flat on the bedspread as he talked to Luke. “Because she almost succeeded in making Noah think he was straight.”
“What?” Luke asked in the high-pitched voice he reserved for the start of an argument.
“Shh, no comments, remember?”
Luke sighed and made a motion with his hand for Reid to continue.
“And if Ms. Coleman had succeeded, Mr. Mayer would’ve never caused you the pain he did as your crappy boyfriend.”
“Reid, that was years ago,” Luke declared, his voice returning to its normal level.
“True, but I only found out about your past this year; thus, I am thankful for her attempt this year,” explained Reid.
Luke snorted.
“On second thought,” said Reid as he tapped his chin, “she failed to keep Noah away from you so forget her-I’m scratching her off the list.”
Luke shook his head disapprovingly though his mouth released a small smile. “Who else?”
“I was going to give thanks for Colonel Mayer but then I remembered that that’s the bastard who shot you so forget about him, even if he was the one person who really, really tried to stop Noah from becoming part of your life.”
“Not even a bullet could stop me,” Luke declared proudly.
“That’s right,” Reid chuckled. “Now I’m waiting to see if you can also leap tall buildings in a single bound.”
Luke laughed. “Are you done?”
“Done? I’m just getting started,” replied Reid.
“Can’t wait.”
“Another person I’m thankful for is Noah’s lovely, short-term wife, Ameeka.”
“Ameera.”
“Right, Ameera. I am grateful to her for making you see how selfish Noah can be,” said Reid.
Luke crossed his arms and stood straight in front of the open closet door. “Selfish? Reid, he risked himself to keep her here.”
Reid nodded thoughtfully. “By risking his love for you. He put aside your feelings to help out a complete stranger. And as noble as that may have been for Ameena-”
“Ameera,” corrected Luke.
“-what he did hurt you for months. Months, Luke. So yeah, I am grateful that this person helped you see that Noah would-and could-choose someone else over you anytime.”
Luke looked down at the floor. “I realize that now,” he whispered.
“Look, let me stop there. We’re going to be late if we-”
Luke’s gaze returned to Reid. “No,” he interrupted. “Continue, please.”
“You sure?” asked Reid softly.
Luke grinned. “I want to hear the rest of this silly thing.”
Reid returned Luke’s smile. “All right, then. Another person I’m giving thanks for is Brian Wheatley.”
“Brian?” Luke spat out. “Why him?”
“Two things. First, he tried to make you forget about Noah, and anyone who does that, or tries to do that, is okay in my book and therefore deserving of some gratitude.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Shh.” Reid held up a finger. “And secondly, he got you to realize that older men can be attractive too.”
Luke giggled. “Go on.”
“I will also be giving thanks for the ridiculously crazy twins who wanted to steal your Grimaldi fortune.”
Luke was confused. “Why them? They kidnapped me and Noah and almost killed us.”
Reid shrugged. “But they also provided some entertaining moments in your otherwise dull life with Mr. Mayer so . . .”
Both men laughed.
“Speaking of loony Grimaldis-as much as I hate Bad Dad, I have to give special thanks for Damian for being very, very rich and giving you all that money that you then gave to me for my awesome wing.”
“Of course.”
“And for giving life to this lean, gorgeous, blonde specimen in front of me,” declared Reid, pointing at Luke from head to toe.
Luke blushed.
“And I should be grateful for your mother, too, for passing on some of her, uh, feminine traits to you,” Reid continued as he raised his eyebrows up and down.
“Hey!” Luke balled up a shirt from the closet and threw it at Reid. “I do not have girly parts.”
Reid, laughing loudly, caught the shirt and put it aside. “Luke, we don’t have time to start a new list on all your ‘girly parts.’ Let me at least finish mine first.”
“Hurry up, then,” Luke said in mock anger.
“Okay, okay. I also want to give thanks to Noah’s charming film professor, Mason Jarhead or something.”
“Jarvis.”
“Yeah, that guy. He was the one who made you see that Noah can be very disloyal, taking Mason’s word over yours, his own boyfriend-the man he’s allegedly in love with.”
“Yeah, he did do that.”
“And for getting himself fired before teaching Noah how to properly use fireworks,” Reid added, trying not to laugh.
“Reid.”
“Sorry.”
“Is that it?”
Reid sat up straight on the bed. “Nope, I saved the best for last. The person I’m most thankful for, the person who completely changed my life, the person without whom I wouldn’t be here-”
“Aww, go on,” interrupted Luke-his grin threatening to take over his entire face-as he walked very slowly toward Reid.
“Is none other than Noah Mayer.”
Luke stopped. “Noah? Noah?”
Reid nodded.
“Why?”
“For being a douche.”
“Reid.”
“For being a jerk.”
“Reid.”
“For being a less-than-perfect boyfriend. How’s that?”
Luke nodded.
Reid, still sitting on the bed, extended his arms toward Luke-who took hold of them-and pulled him in between in his legs. Reid gently placed his hands on Luke’s waist as he looked up at him.
“He hurt you a lot, Luke.”
Luke looked down at Reid and sadly nodded.
“But I will be thankful for him for many years-and possibly forever-for what he gave to me.”
“What’s that?” asked Luke as he caressed Reid’s hair.
“You. He gave you to me.”
Luke chuckled. “I thought I chose you.”
“You did, but because of who he is, what he did and what he will never be,” stated Reid.
“My perfect boyfriend?”
Reid nodded as he tightened his grip on Luke’s waist. “I will never be the perfect boyfriend, either, but I will try to be everything he wasn’t because I have never been more thankful of anything than of what I have this year.”
Luke cocked an eyebrow.
“You,” said Reid. “I am so thankful for you.”
Luke leaned down and kissed Reid softly. “That’s what you should say, then, at dinner.”
Reid, his eyes still closed, murmured, “That I’m thankful for you?”
“No, that you’re thankful for Noah.”
Reid’s eyes opened. “Seriously?”
Luke nodded. “I’m thankful for him, too. He brought you to me.”
“Well, you brought me to him but I know what you mean.”
Luke pushed Reid back on the bed and fell on top of him, kissing him on the way down.
“Hey, we’re going to be late,” Reid whispered in between kisses.
“It’s Thanksgiving; they won’t start without us,” replied Luke, kissing Reid harder. “And I think we have enough time to show each other just how thankful we are for Noah.”
Reid wrapped his arms and legs around Luke. “Thanks for Noah, indeed.”