Fic - "It wasn't meant to be like this."
Title: “It wasn’t meant to be like this.”
Author: wheelie47
Rating: PG
Pairing: Luke and Noah.
Word count: 3,615
Disclaimer: Don’t own characters, am not associated in any way with ATWT, Van and Jake. No offence intended.
Summary: Luke and Noah meet in a different time and a different place.
Prompt: Can’t take my eyes off you.
Prompter: bijou1986
Prompt: “If you think I’m doing that, then you’ve got another thing coming!”
Prompting: appassionata1
A/N: Thanks to Bijou for an inspiring prompt! Also inspired by a recent episode of BBC period drama, “Ripper Street.”
And, my apologies for my poor attempt at writing slang! Lol.
Written for the what_did_you_do meme.
A low moan rumbled at the back of Noah Mayer’s throat as he was pulled reluctantly from his deep and contented sleep by an increasing din coming from outside his lodgings’ window.
His brow knitted into a frown when he opened his eyes a fraction to see the early morning light filtering through the thin material that barely covered the window, swirling dust motes caught in its rays.
For a moment, Noah closed his eyes once more and tried to bury himself deeper into the encompassing embrace of the sleeping form that lay fitted against his side. He was desperate to hold onto the precious cocoon that was the time they spent together in this shabby room.
But the dawning of the new day was unstoppable and the noise outside meant that the neighborhood, and Victorian London at large, was beginning to go about its daily business. With it came the harsh reality of their existence here - what they were forced to do in the hopes of escaping to something better for the both of them.
With a deep sigh of regret, Noah reached up and threaded his fingers through the sleep tousled blonde hair that spilt onto his broad chest. It hurt Noah that other men aside from him were allowed to do this. It should be his right… and his right alone. It made him burn inside with the intensity of a raging inferno. Damn this place!
“Luke… Luke, my love, we must awake.” His voice wavered as he sought to control his emotion.
Getting nothing but a grunt in response, Noah could not help but smile as he attempted again to rouse the other man.
“Luke,” he said louder this time as he brought his other hand up to gently shake Luke’s shoulder.
This time the blonde’s head lifted barely an inch as Luke opened his eyes and gazed sleepily up at Noah.
“It cannot be morning already!? We’ve been asleep barely above an hour… surely. You kept me awake long into the night!” His sleep roughened voice took on a mischievous quality as his fingers traced the red marks evident on Noah’s skin - reminders of their intense lovemaking. It was a wonder they had not disturbed the neighbors with their cries of passion. Noah had almost expected the police to have come pounding on the door at several points during the night.
“I did not hear you raise any objection. In fact, as I recall, you had no difficulty in raising certain other things!” Noah exclaimed, a playful smile on his lips and his clear blue eyes twinkling with delight.
Luke laid his hand on his chest in mock surprise and indignation. “Mr. Mayer! Whatever could you be referring to?”
Not waiting for an answer, Luke stretched up and pressed a lingering kiss to Noah’s lips before murmuring softly, “I do believe you have come such a long way since I first laid eyes on you down at the docks.”
Despite the tingling sensation Noah felt every time Luke’s lips touched his skin, his face fell into an unhappy expression. “Luke, I wish I did not have to go.”
Luke looked grim. “I know, my love. Would that I could go in your stead. But you know what he wants; it is his preference to alternate between the two of us. If I go he will only get suspicious and we are courting danger as it is already. If we are found out…” Luke let the ominous statement hang unfinished in the air. They were already risking everything by charging old men with wandering hands for ‘extras’ and pocketing the difference before handing the usual fee to that crook and vice ring leader - Simpson. But now they had also taken to stealing from their gentlemen clients anything they could lay their hands on - tie pins, pocket watches, silk handkerchiefs - to sell on for ready cash. Anything to hasten their escape from this hell on earth. It would go bad for them if they were discovered… very bad indeed.
Noah remained stubbornly silent but looked pained and felt as if his heart was being ripped out.
“Do you think I want this, Noah?” Luke demanded. He caressed Noah’s face - his thumb repeatedly passing over the prominent cheekbone - before moving to brush his fingers through the dark, luxurious curls. “Do you think I want anyone else touching you like this? It makes me sick to the stomach to think on it. But it’s only one more time and then we will have enough. The passage is already paid for but this will set us up in the life we yearn for.”
“I want you… only you.” The strength of Noah’s emotion cascaded through his words unchecked this time and his voice cracked.
“I know, my love, as do I.” Luke brushed his lips against Noah’s forehead before sighing heavily and clambering out of bed.
Bereft of the warmth of his lover by his side, Noah sat up against the headboard and watched Luke intently.
The blonde made his way across the small space between the bed and the window and - pulling the flimsy material aside a little - he looked down to the street below, seemingly unconcerned about the state of his undress.
Luke Snyder - his lover, confidant and partner in crime. It never ceased to amaze Noah how confident Luke was in his own skin. He had been ever since the day Noah had first seen him when the ship had deposited him on the quayside. Noah had felt lost and alone, head and shoulders above a sea of people going determinedly about their business until he caught sight of the dimpled smile that seemed to be singling him out.
Back then he had found it hard to breathe as the two of them had locked gazes, the attraction had been undeniable.
Now, Noah had that same exhilarating sensation coursing through his chest as his eyes roamed over Luke’s naked body, from the soft dusting of chest hair, to the profile view of firm buttocks and soft cock, down to muscled legs.
It took Noah a moment or two to realize Luke had started to speak.
“It wasn’t meant to be like this,” Luke murmured as he continued to gaze sadly down at the street below. “I came here to find adventure… to write… to start a new life. Not to sell myself to the highest bidder like some piece of meat. I wish I had never set foot in this godforsaken city!” he spat out the last words with vehemence.
“Luke!” Noah gasped as if he had been struck, making Luke turn sharply back to face him. “You cannot mean that!”
Luke blinked and then his face fell into an expression of horror. “Noah, my love, I spoke without thinking!” He dashed to the side of the bed and knelt to grasp Noah’s hand, bringing it to his lips. He looked up again, directly into Noah’s face. “Please forgive me.”
Luke tugged on his hand, smiling gratefully as Noah eased back the bedclothes and unfolded his long body to stand next to the blonde.
“Come.” Luke led him to the center of the room before turning and running his palms up Noah’s broad chest, over his long neck, to come to rest on either side of his face, his smile widening at the shiver his touch caused.
“Forgive me,” he repeated. “I will never regret meeting you here. You’re my life. I could not do this without you, Noah. Without you it’s all meaningless. I love you.” He let the words hang for a moment before he stretched up and kissed Noah.
When they separated, Luke rested his head in the curve of Noah’s neck and Noah placed his cheek atop the blonde tresses as their bodies moved slowly side-to-side, in their own natural rhythm, seeking solace in familiarity and in their love for one another.
“I love you too… with all my heart.” Noah breathed in the scent of Luke’s hair. “Tell me about it again.”
Luke pulled back in their embrace and gazed up at Noah, his hazel orbs glistening. “It will be everything we imagined, Noah! Out there amongst the rolling hills and the pastures, we’ll live off the land. I have read about it. It will be just the two of us… and what we want… what we need.”
He brought his hand up to Noah’s cheek again. “It’s right within our grasp, Noah. All it will take is just this one last time.”
Noah hesitated for a moment before closing his eyes and leaning into his lover’s touch.
He covered Luke’s hand with his own, turning his head slightly to kiss the palm.
Opening his eyes, Noah nodded reluctantly. “I will do what I must.”
Luke sighed, conflicting emotions of happiness and sadness chasing each other across his features. His eyes searched Noah’s, intent on looking for something. “Tell me we can do this, Noah.”
“Me?” Noah was taken aback. “You are the one with the plan and the imagination, Luke.”
The blonde pressed his fingertips to Noah’s lips. “I just… I just need to hear it from you. I need you to tell me that you believe it too.”
Noah so desperately wanted to believe. He had hardly dared think it was possible when Luke had first hatched the plan; should he allow himself to think they deserved happiness after what they were driven to? But a life together with Luke far away from this place was all he wanted and wished for.
He swallowed hard, urged on by Luke’s expression. “We can do this, Luke, my love. I believe it… with all that I am.”
“Promise me,” Luke murmured.
“I promise.” He pulled Luke closer to him so they were touching from knees to chest and pressed his lips to Luke’s, deepening the kiss when the other man responded in earnest.
They finally separated, breathless and with their ardor rising.
Resting his forehead against Luke’s, Noah asked, “But can you imagine me as a farm boy, Luke?”
Luke pulled back, grabbing Noah’s hands and placing them firmly on his naked hips.
“With talented hands like these, I’m certain you would master anything you put your mind to,” he replied with a smirk.
“Anything? Is that so? Perhaps we should put that theory to the test.” His voice sounded deep with desire as he slowly moved his hands across Luke’s bare skin to come to rest on the curve of his buttocks, squeezing firmly and pulling the blonde even closer.
Soon the small, shabby room echoed with the sound of deep kisses and passionate low moans…
…
Luke stood on the street corner, looking anxiously up at the building opposite. He could tell from the fading façade that the hotel had once been well-to-do but now it had fallen into decline. It was the perfect setting for the clandestine and illegal activity going on behind those grimy windows.
Noah had disappeared into the building over an hour earlier. But to Luke it seemed like a lifetime. He had seen his lover at the window as the older man with graying hair had drawn the drapes and now his mind was tormenting him with images of what was occurring in that second floor room behind the heavy material.
Luke managed to distance himself from what happened when it was him in the room up there - or anywhere else across this part of London for that matter. When other men’s hands were all over him he focused on why he allowed it to continue - to get a better life for him and Noah.
But when it was Noah’s turn, Luke was driven half-mad with those vile mental images.
It was the reason he never accompanied Noah on these occasions… and vice-versa. He had barely been able to prevent himself from charging up the stone steps and putting an end to proceedings.
This time, however, was different. This time was the last.
Their ship sailed this very afternoon. Luke had returned to his own lodgings earlier and packed all that he had before quitting the room for the very last time.
He did not look back.
So now Luke found himself here, awaiting his love’s return.
He carried two meager parcels - one in each hand; the sum total of what was left of their separate possessions. They had sold almost everything they had.
Each parcel also contained a half-share of all the money they had… and one steerage ticket.
Noah had insisted they each keep hold of their own ticket. “In case something goes wrong,” he had explained solemnly. Not that Luke could imagine for one moment stepping foot onboard the Endeavor without Noah by his side.
Luke’s attention was caught by a sudden twitch of the curtains before they were flung back completely to reveal the room behind once more.
Finally it was over!
Moments later, the once-grand front door to the hotel was pulled open and Noah stepped out into the sunlight.
Watching his lover brushing his fingers through his hair to smooth it down and observing the adjustments to his clothing was like a knife being plunged into his heart.
But when Noah’s eyes found him across the expanse of the street and his down-turned mouth lifted into a smile of reassurance and relief, Luke’s spirits lifted.
Noah had almost reached Luke’s side when the shout rang out loud from above them.
“Stop, thief!”
Both men froze then exchanged a horrified glance before turning as one to stare up at the second floor window.
The gray-haired man was leaning out of the open window and pointing down at Noah.
“Stop, thief!” he yelled again.
Looking wildly up and down the street, the man spotted two policemen about their beat.
“Police! Stop that man!” he yelled, all the while gesticulating at Noah.
Luke locked gazes with Noah and, in that instant, he wanted to pull him close, kiss him and tell him that he loved him and that they would escape.
But there was no time.
He had to act.
They stood a better chance if they separated.
He shoved Noah’s bundle into his broad chest. “Go to the docks!” he muttered. “I’ll meet you there.”
Noah looked bewildered as their fingers touched and lingered over the parcel.
“Go!” Luke shoved him and watched his lover as he stumbled slightly.
For a split second, it appeared Noah would stand his ground.
But then Luke saw a realization dawn in those beautiful blue eyes.
“Run, Noah!”
Noah threw him a desperate, lingering stare that spoke volumes of the tumultuous emotions that were running through his heart and mind before he finally turned on his heels and… ran.
Ran as if his very life depended on it.
Luke watched Noah depart. He never thought he would witness his lover running away from him… and at his own insistence too.
He stood watching as long as he dared but then finally - with the shouts of policemen closing in on him - Luke turned in the opposite direction and sprinted away…
…
Noah stood, shifting nervously from one foot to the other, observing the sea of humanity before him. It seemed as if the whole of London was here on the docks. But not one of them was the man he was scanning the crowd for.
Dammit! Where was Luke? Something must have happened. Had he been caught? Why had he listened to Luke and left him standing alone on the street corner?
He felt a coward.
The Endeavor was preparing to leave; the last pieces of cargo had been loaded and secured and the few remaining passengers yet to board were saying a last goodbye to loved ones that had come to wave them off.
Dock officials were making final checks and heavy-set stevedores stood by ready to remove the gangways.
They were running out of time.
Noah looked down at the ticket held ready in his hand and then back to the gangway leading to the ship before resolutely turning his back to scan the crowd again.
He would not leave without Luke.
“Thank god!” Relief flooded over him when he spotted the unmistakable blonde head weaving its way toward him as Luke ran through the crowd at the far end of the quay.
When the crowd parted a little, Noah observed something was terribly wrong. Instead of looking relieved to have made it to the docks and to see Noah, Luke’s features were a mask of terror and he was gesticulating wildly to Noah to board the ship without delay.
Luke was shouting something at him but the clamor of the people around him and the sounds of the Endeavor’s engines meant Noah couldn’t hear a word.
But when Luke risked a glance over his shoulder in mid-stride, Noah saw that he was being pursued at high speed by several policemen and he was certain he spotted some of Simpson’s henchmen jostling people out of the way in an attempt to get to Luke.
They were done for!
Noah squared his shoulders. He would not run this time. If fate had it that their destiny was to be decided here on this dock, then so be it.
He would stand beside his lover.
Before Noah could take a step in Luke’s direction, he was swept along by a tide of last-minute arrivals, panicking in their rush to board in case they missed their passage.
Try as he might, Noah couldn’t fight against the flow of bodies pressed all around him and before he knew it he was on board the ship and the gangways were being pulled away from the side.
Swallowing hard against the panic rising in his chest, he kept on pushing and - when the crush around him finally reduced a little - he managed to make his way to the railing, ready to heave himself overboard even as the Endeavor pulled away from the quay.
With his hands grasping the railing, he paused as he realized he could no longer spot Luke amongst the crowd below though he could still see his pursuers searching for him.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a movement off to the right and just below his eye line.
Luke!
There he was at one of the open first-floor sliding doorways of a building opposite, high above ground level used to lift cargo up and down from the warehouse.
At once he saw the other man’s intention. “It’s too far, Luke. You will never make it,” he murmured in horror.
Never taking his eyes of Luke, Noah used all his height and strength to bodily push his way to a clearer section of the railing near the stern.
For a spilt second, Luke caught Noah’s stare and they exchanged a look of desperation.
“I love you,” he mouthed before taking a running jump, reaching for the rail.
Time seemed to slow to a snail’s pace for Noah as the blonde made an arc in the air toward the ship, arms flailing.
He flung himself as far forward over the rail as he dare in an attempt to grab Luke’s hand, all the while his heart was pounding wildly in his chest.
Defying the odds, Noah managed to connect with Luke’s fingers and he held on with all his might as he tried to pull himself back from the brink with his other hand that was anchoring him to the railing.
But the weight was too heavy and he felt himself being pulled inexorably over the side.
“I’m losing you, Luke. I can’t hold on!” he cried out.
Luke looked up at him, a sudden calm descending over those hazel orbs. “Let me go, Noah. I’m pulling you with me. Let go, my love.”
Noah shook his head vehemently, blinking away tears. They had come so far and he would not let go now… he could not! “Never!”
Seconds elapsed and his precarious hold was slipping with each moment that passed.
But, still, he would not release.
Suddenly Noah felt arms around his waist and fear coursed through him, certain that one of their assailants had made it on board and was about to pitch them both into the churning water below.
But those hands grasped him tightly and began to pull him, and Luke, slowly but surely backward over the railing.
Noah hardly dare believe it was true until a shaking Luke was holding him tightly and breathing against his neck. “I… I thought I was losing you… that we would be parted.”
Pulling back, he held Luke by his shoulders, wanting nothing more than to kiss him senseless. But, conscious of the people surrounding them, he settled on a smile that spoke from his heart. “Never!”
A sudden euphoria came over Noah as he realized the ship was pulling further away from the docks, leaving their pursuers far behind.
They had made it!
“Besides, see what happens when I let you out of my sight? That is never going to happen again!”
He turned to thank the man that had saved them but the older man just shrugged and smiled, nodding down at the policemen on the dock below. “Alweys ‘appy to git one ov’r the likes o’ that lot. Think nothin’ on it.”
“Thank you all the same.” Noah held out his hand.
“Yanks, eh? ‘Eading ‘ome, lads?”
Noah looked over at Luke and nodded vigorously.
“Yes… yes, we are,” he breathed out with relief and anticipation as he and Luke turned to face their future, their shoulders brushing and their fingers surreptitiously reaching for each other.
The End
Author: wheelie47
Rating: PG
Pairing: Luke and Noah.
Word count: 3,615
Disclaimer: Don’t own characters, am not associated in any way with ATWT, Van and Jake. No offence intended.
Summary: Luke and Noah meet in a different time and a different place.
Prompt: Can’t take my eyes off you.
Prompter: bijou1986
Prompt: “If you think I’m doing that, then you’ve got another thing coming!”
Prompting: appassionata1
A/N: Thanks to Bijou for an inspiring prompt! Also inspired by a recent episode of BBC period drama, “Ripper Street.”
And, my apologies for my poor attempt at writing slang! Lol.
Written for the what_did_you_do meme.
A low moan rumbled at the back of Noah Mayer’s throat as he was pulled reluctantly from his deep and contented sleep by an increasing din coming from outside his lodgings’ window.
His brow knitted into a frown when he opened his eyes a fraction to see the early morning light filtering through the thin material that barely covered the window, swirling dust motes caught in its rays.
For a moment, Noah closed his eyes once more and tried to bury himself deeper into the encompassing embrace of the sleeping form that lay fitted against his side. He was desperate to hold onto the precious cocoon that was the time they spent together in this shabby room.
But the dawning of the new day was unstoppable and the noise outside meant that the neighborhood, and Victorian London at large, was beginning to go about its daily business. With it came the harsh reality of their existence here - what they were forced to do in the hopes of escaping to something better for the both of them.
With a deep sigh of regret, Noah reached up and threaded his fingers through the sleep tousled blonde hair that spilt onto his broad chest. It hurt Noah that other men aside from him were allowed to do this. It should be his right… and his right alone. It made him burn inside with the intensity of a raging inferno. Damn this place!
“Luke… Luke, my love, we must awake.” His voice wavered as he sought to control his emotion.
Getting nothing but a grunt in response, Noah could not help but smile as he attempted again to rouse the other man.
“Luke,” he said louder this time as he brought his other hand up to gently shake Luke’s shoulder.
This time the blonde’s head lifted barely an inch as Luke opened his eyes and gazed sleepily up at Noah.
“It cannot be morning already!? We’ve been asleep barely above an hour… surely. You kept me awake long into the night!” His sleep roughened voice took on a mischievous quality as his fingers traced the red marks evident on Noah’s skin - reminders of their intense lovemaking. It was a wonder they had not disturbed the neighbors with their cries of passion. Noah had almost expected the police to have come pounding on the door at several points during the night.
“I did not hear you raise any objection. In fact, as I recall, you had no difficulty in raising certain other things!” Noah exclaimed, a playful smile on his lips and his clear blue eyes twinkling with delight.
Luke laid his hand on his chest in mock surprise and indignation. “Mr. Mayer! Whatever could you be referring to?”
Not waiting for an answer, Luke stretched up and pressed a lingering kiss to Noah’s lips before murmuring softly, “I do believe you have come such a long way since I first laid eyes on you down at the docks.”
Despite the tingling sensation Noah felt every time Luke’s lips touched his skin, his face fell into an unhappy expression. “Luke, I wish I did not have to go.”
Luke looked grim. “I know, my love. Would that I could go in your stead. But you know what he wants; it is his preference to alternate between the two of us. If I go he will only get suspicious and we are courting danger as it is already. If we are found out…” Luke let the ominous statement hang unfinished in the air. They were already risking everything by charging old men with wandering hands for ‘extras’ and pocketing the difference before handing the usual fee to that crook and vice ring leader - Simpson. But now they had also taken to stealing from their gentlemen clients anything they could lay their hands on - tie pins, pocket watches, silk handkerchiefs - to sell on for ready cash. Anything to hasten their escape from this hell on earth. It would go bad for them if they were discovered… very bad indeed.
Noah remained stubbornly silent but looked pained and felt as if his heart was being ripped out.
“Do you think I want this, Noah?” Luke demanded. He caressed Noah’s face - his thumb repeatedly passing over the prominent cheekbone - before moving to brush his fingers through the dark, luxurious curls. “Do you think I want anyone else touching you like this? It makes me sick to the stomach to think on it. But it’s only one more time and then we will have enough. The passage is already paid for but this will set us up in the life we yearn for.”
“I want you… only you.” The strength of Noah’s emotion cascaded through his words unchecked this time and his voice cracked.
“I know, my love, as do I.” Luke brushed his lips against Noah’s forehead before sighing heavily and clambering out of bed.
Bereft of the warmth of his lover by his side, Noah sat up against the headboard and watched Luke intently.
The blonde made his way across the small space between the bed and the window and - pulling the flimsy material aside a little - he looked down to the street below, seemingly unconcerned about the state of his undress.
Luke Snyder - his lover, confidant and partner in crime. It never ceased to amaze Noah how confident Luke was in his own skin. He had been ever since the day Noah had first seen him when the ship had deposited him on the quayside. Noah had felt lost and alone, head and shoulders above a sea of people going determinedly about their business until he caught sight of the dimpled smile that seemed to be singling him out.
Back then he had found it hard to breathe as the two of them had locked gazes, the attraction had been undeniable.
Now, Noah had that same exhilarating sensation coursing through his chest as his eyes roamed over Luke’s naked body, from the soft dusting of chest hair, to the profile view of firm buttocks and soft cock, down to muscled legs.
It took Noah a moment or two to realize Luke had started to speak.
“It wasn’t meant to be like this,” Luke murmured as he continued to gaze sadly down at the street below. “I came here to find adventure… to write… to start a new life. Not to sell myself to the highest bidder like some piece of meat. I wish I had never set foot in this godforsaken city!” he spat out the last words with vehemence.
“Luke!” Noah gasped as if he had been struck, making Luke turn sharply back to face him. “You cannot mean that!”
Luke blinked and then his face fell into an expression of horror. “Noah, my love, I spoke without thinking!” He dashed to the side of the bed and knelt to grasp Noah’s hand, bringing it to his lips. He looked up again, directly into Noah’s face. “Please forgive me.”
Luke tugged on his hand, smiling gratefully as Noah eased back the bedclothes and unfolded his long body to stand next to the blonde.
“Come.” Luke led him to the center of the room before turning and running his palms up Noah’s broad chest, over his long neck, to come to rest on either side of his face, his smile widening at the shiver his touch caused.
“Forgive me,” he repeated. “I will never regret meeting you here. You’re my life. I could not do this without you, Noah. Without you it’s all meaningless. I love you.” He let the words hang for a moment before he stretched up and kissed Noah.
When they separated, Luke rested his head in the curve of Noah’s neck and Noah placed his cheek atop the blonde tresses as their bodies moved slowly side-to-side, in their own natural rhythm, seeking solace in familiarity and in their love for one another.
“I love you too… with all my heart.” Noah breathed in the scent of Luke’s hair. “Tell me about it again.”
Luke pulled back in their embrace and gazed up at Noah, his hazel orbs glistening. “It will be everything we imagined, Noah! Out there amongst the rolling hills and the pastures, we’ll live off the land. I have read about it. It will be just the two of us… and what we want… what we need.”
He brought his hand up to Noah’s cheek again. “It’s right within our grasp, Noah. All it will take is just this one last time.”
Noah hesitated for a moment before closing his eyes and leaning into his lover’s touch.
He covered Luke’s hand with his own, turning his head slightly to kiss the palm.
Opening his eyes, Noah nodded reluctantly. “I will do what I must.”
Luke sighed, conflicting emotions of happiness and sadness chasing each other across his features. His eyes searched Noah’s, intent on looking for something. “Tell me we can do this, Noah.”
“Me?” Noah was taken aback. “You are the one with the plan and the imagination, Luke.”
The blonde pressed his fingertips to Noah’s lips. “I just… I just need to hear it from you. I need you to tell me that you believe it too.”
Noah so desperately wanted to believe. He had hardly dared think it was possible when Luke had first hatched the plan; should he allow himself to think they deserved happiness after what they were driven to? But a life together with Luke far away from this place was all he wanted and wished for.
He swallowed hard, urged on by Luke’s expression. “We can do this, Luke, my love. I believe it… with all that I am.”
“Promise me,” Luke murmured.
“I promise.” He pulled Luke closer to him so they were touching from knees to chest and pressed his lips to Luke’s, deepening the kiss when the other man responded in earnest.
They finally separated, breathless and with their ardor rising.
Resting his forehead against Luke’s, Noah asked, “But can you imagine me as a farm boy, Luke?”
Luke pulled back, grabbing Noah’s hands and placing them firmly on his naked hips.
“With talented hands like these, I’m certain you would master anything you put your mind to,” he replied with a smirk.
“Anything? Is that so? Perhaps we should put that theory to the test.” His voice sounded deep with desire as he slowly moved his hands across Luke’s bare skin to come to rest on the curve of his buttocks, squeezing firmly and pulling the blonde even closer.
Soon the small, shabby room echoed with the sound of deep kisses and passionate low moans…
…
Luke stood on the street corner, looking anxiously up at the building opposite. He could tell from the fading façade that the hotel had once been well-to-do but now it had fallen into decline. It was the perfect setting for the clandestine and illegal activity going on behind those grimy windows.
Noah had disappeared into the building over an hour earlier. But to Luke it seemed like a lifetime. He had seen his lover at the window as the older man with graying hair had drawn the drapes and now his mind was tormenting him with images of what was occurring in that second floor room behind the heavy material.
Luke managed to distance himself from what happened when it was him in the room up there - or anywhere else across this part of London for that matter. When other men’s hands were all over him he focused on why he allowed it to continue - to get a better life for him and Noah.
But when it was Noah’s turn, Luke was driven half-mad with those vile mental images.
It was the reason he never accompanied Noah on these occasions… and vice-versa. He had barely been able to prevent himself from charging up the stone steps and putting an end to proceedings.
This time, however, was different. This time was the last.
Their ship sailed this very afternoon. Luke had returned to his own lodgings earlier and packed all that he had before quitting the room for the very last time.
He did not look back.
So now Luke found himself here, awaiting his love’s return.
He carried two meager parcels - one in each hand; the sum total of what was left of their separate possessions. They had sold almost everything they had.
Each parcel also contained a half-share of all the money they had… and one steerage ticket.
Noah had insisted they each keep hold of their own ticket. “In case something goes wrong,” he had explained solemnly. Not that Luke could imagine for one moment stepping foot onboard the Endeavor without Noah by his side.
Luke’s attention was caught by a sudden twitch of the curtains before they were flung back completely to reveal the room behind once more.
Finally it was over!
Moments later, the once-grand front door to the hotel was pulled open and Noah stepped out into the sunlight.
Watching his lover brushing his fingers through his hair to smooth it down and observing the adjustments to his clothing was like a knife being plunged into his heart.
But when Noah’s eyes found him across the expanse of the street and his down-turned mouth lifted into a smile of reassurance and relief, Luke’s spirits lifted.
Noah had almost reached Luke’s side when the shout rang out loud from above them.
“Stop, thief!”
Both men froze then exchanged a horrified glance before turning as one to stare up at the second floor window.
The gray-haired man was leaning out of the open window and pointing down at Noah.
“Stop, thief!” he yelled again.
Looking wildly up and down the street, the man spotted two policemen about their beat.
“Police! Stop that man!” he yelled, all the while gesticulating at Noah.
Luke locked gazes with Noah and, in that instant, he wanted to pull him close, kiss him and tell him that he loved him and that they would escape.
But there was no time.
He had to act.
They stood a better chance if they separated.
He shoved Noah’s bundle into his broad chest. “Go to the docks!” he muttered. “I’ll meet you there.”
Noah looked bewildered as their fingers touched and lingered over the parcel.
“Go!” Luke shoved him and watched his lover as he stumbled slightly.
For a split second, it appeared Noah would stand his ground.
But then Luke saw a realization dawn in those beautiful blue eyes.
“Run, Noah!”
Noah threw him a desperate, lingering stare that spoke volumes of the tumultuous emotions that were running through his heart and mind before he finally turned on his heels and… ran.
Ran as if his very life depended on it.
Luke watched Noah depart. He never thought he would witness his lover running away from him… and at his own insistence too.
He stood watching as long as he dared but then finally - with the shouts of policemen closing in on him - Luke turned in the opposite direction and sprinted away…
…
Noah stood, shifting nervously from one foot to the other, observing the sea of humanity before him. It seemed as if the whole of London was here on the docks. But not one of them was the man he was scanning the crowd for.
Dammit! Where was Luke? Something must have happened. Had he been caught? Why had he listened to Luke and left him standing alone on the street corner?
He felt a coward.
The Endeavor was preparing to leave; the last pieces of cargo had been loaded and secured and the few remaining passengers yet to board were saying a last goodbye to loved ones that had come to wave them off.
Dock officials were making final checks and heavy-set stevedores stood by ready to remove the gangways.
They were running out of time.
Noah looked down at the ticket held ready in his hand and then back to the gangway leading to the ship before resolutely turning his back to scan the crowd again.
He would not leave without Luke.
“Thank god!” Relief flooded over him when he spotted the unmistakable blonde head weaving its way toward him as Luke ran through the crowd at the far end of the quay.
When the crowd parted a little, Noah observed something was terribly wrong. Instead of looking relieved to have made it to the docks and to see Noah, Luke’s features were a mask of terror and he was gesticulating wildly to Noah to board the ship without delay.
Luke was shouting something at him but the clamor of the people around him and the sounds of the Endeavor’s engines meant Noah couldn’t hear a word.
But when Luke risked a glance over his shoulder in mid-stride, Noah saw that he was being pursued at high speed by several policemen and he was certain he spotted some of Simpson’s henchmen jostling people out of the way in an attempt to get to Luke.
They were done for!
Noah squared his shoulders. He would not run this time. If fate had it that their destiny was to be decided here on this dock, then so be it.
He would stand beside his lover.
Before Noah could take a step in Luke’s direction, he was swept along by a tide of last-minute arrivals, panicking in their rush to board in case they missed their passage.
Try as he might, Noah couldn’t fight against the flow of bodies pressed all around him and before he knew it he was on board the ship and the gangways were being pulled away from the side.
Swallowing hard against the panic rising in his chest, he kept on pushing and - when the crush around him finally reduced a little - he managed to make his way to the railing, ready to heave himself overboard even as the Endeavor pulled away from the quay.
With his hands grasping the railing, he paused as he realized he could no longer spot Luke amongst the crowd below though he could still see his pursuers searching for him.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a movement off to the right and just below his eye line.
Luke!
There he was at one of the open first-floor sliding doorways of a building opposite, high above ground level used to lift cargo up and down from the warehouse.
At once he saw the other man’s intention. “It’s too far, Luke. You will never make it,” he murmured in horror.
Never taking his eyes of Luke, Noah used all his height and strength to bodily push his way to a clearer section of the railing near the stern.
For a spilt second, Luke caught Noah’s stare and they exchanged a look of desperation.
“I love you,” he mouthed before taking a running jump, reaching for the rail.
Time seemed to slow to a snail’s pace for Noah as the blonde made an arc in the air toward the ship, arms flailing.
He flung himself as far forward over the rail as he dare in an attempt to grab Luke’s hand, all the while his heart was pounding wildly in his chest.
Defying the odds, Noah managed to connect with Luke’s fingers and he held on with all his might as he tried to pull himself back from the brink with his other hand that was anchoring him to the railing.
But the weight was too heavy and he felt himself being pulled inexorably over the side.
“I’m losing you, Luke. I can’t hold on!” he cried out.
Luke looked up at him, a sudden calm descending over those hazel orbs. “Let me go, Noah. I’m pulling you with me. Let go, my love.”
Noah shook his head vehemently, blinking away tears. They had come so far and he would not let go now… he could not! “Never!”
Seconds elapsed and his precarious hold was slipping with each moment that passed.
But, still, he would not release.
Suddenly Noah felt arms around his waist and fear coursed through him, certain that one of their assailants had made it on board and was about to pitch them both into the churning water below.
But those hands grasped him tightly and began to pull him, and Luke, slowly but surely backward over the railing.
Noah hardly dare believe it was true until a shaking Luke was holding him tightly and breathing against his neck. “I… I thought I was losing you… that we would be parted.”
Pulling back, he held Luke by his shoulders, wanting nothing more than to kiss him senseless. But, conscious of the people surrounding them, he settled on a smile that spoke from his heart. “Never!”
A sudden euphoria came over Noah as he realized the ship was pulling further away from the docks, leaving their pursuers far behind.
They had made it!
“Besides, see what happens when I let you out of my sight? That is never going to happen again!”
He turned to thank the man that had saved them but the older man just shrugged and smiled, nodding down at the policemen on the dock below. “Alweys ‘appy to git one ov’r the likes o’ that lot. Think nothin’ on it.”
“Thank you all the same.” Noah held out his hand.
“Yanks, eh? ‘Eading ‘ome, lads?”
Noah looked over at Luke and nodded vigorously.
“Yes… yes, we are,” he breathed out with relief and anticipation as he and Luke turned to face their future, their shoulders brushing and their fingers surreptitiously reaching for each other.
The End