Fic: Coming Home 50/?
Author: PABWECG (aka Patricia)
Title: Coming Home
Genre/Type: Romance
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Luke/Reid, Luke/Noah, Lily/Holden, Casey, Katie, Bob, assorted little people, possibly others
Warnings: None really, except some Nuke intimacy
Summary: Luke and Noah moved to L.A. in the Summer of 2009 for Noah to do his last year of school with an internship of sorts (no Mason, no blindness, etc. Everything else in their history has happened). Reid arrived, temporarily, at Memorial in August 2010.
Thank you Slayerkitty for being my beta!!!
Previous Chapters: 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/ 11/ 12/ 13/ 14/ 15/ 16/ 17/ 18/ 19/ 20/ 21/ 22/ 23/ 24/ 25/ 26/ 27/ 28/ 29/ 30/ 31/ 32/ 33/ 34/ 35/ 36/ 37/ 38/ 39/ 40/ 41/ 42/ 43/ 44/ 45/ 46/ 47/ 48/ 49/
Chapter 50
Luke watched Noah, who obviously had a lot on his mind. Ever since he’d introduced him to Stephen the other day, his ex boyfriend has been acting differently - nicer, more considerate - he’s been paying closer attention to Luke’s feelings and needs. Many months too late, Luke thought.
“Luke,” Noah said from the couch. “I need to apologize.”
Luke furrowed his brow suspiciously. “Um…okay.”
“When we were together…” Noah began, twisting his hands together. “I…well, I kinda…I guess I sort of pushed you away a lot.”
Luke swallowed back a sarcastic comment; this was all irrelevant to him now. He didn’t need Noah’s belated apologies - Noah didn’t have the power to hurt him anymore.
“It took losing you…” Noah was now saying. “Really losing you, to realize it.”
“Even though I told you…many times, Noah?” He passed the ball back to Samantha, who batted happily at it with her open hands.
“Yeah, you know what they say - you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone.” He looked at Luke. “I never really appreciated you…not the way you deserved.”
Luke couldn’t agree more, but he wasn’t sure why Noah was telling him all this now. Sammy called out ba-ba-ba and reached out to him, and instinctively he picked her up and began to walk around with her. He knew he shouldn’t encourage her (or himself) to get so attached, but sometimes he couldn’t help it.
“Noah, why are you telling me all this, right now?”
“I guess I’d like it if we could be friends.”
Luke stopped walking - holding the child - and looked at Noah. “I’m not sure if I want that, Noah.”
“Not sure?”
Luke nodded. “Six months ago I couldn’t imagine you not in my life. Two months ago, I was sure I never wanted to see you again.”
Noah swallowed. “And now?”
“Now?” Luke sighed. “Now I don’t know. What does that mean, Noah…being friends? Were we ever really friends?” He looked right at the brunette. “Because friends don’t treat each other the way you treated me, Noah.”
Noah looked down. “I know.”
“And I mean all throughout our relationship, Noah.”
“I know.”
“You pushed me away, you didn’t trust me; you didn’t respect me, or believe in me.”
“I know Luke, I know.” Noah sighed. “I know I don’t deserve to be your friend, but I’d like to earn that right…if you’ll let me try.”
Luke sat down next to him on the couch and pulled Sammy against his shoulder. “I don’t know.”
“I’ve hurt you a lot, Luke…I know.”
“Yes, you have…and I don’t know if I can - ever - let you back in, Noah.”
“Will you…will you think about it, Luke?”
Luke looked at him hesitantly and shrugged.
“I just…I hope you don’t hate me, Luke.”
Luke looked back at him. “I don’t. I actually still love you, Noah. I probably always will. Does that make any sense?”
Noah nodded, and they sat there silently, the three of them, on Luke’s couch.
Reid and Allison left the O.R. together; as they removed their gloves, he turned to her and hesitated before speaking. “Thank you, Nurse…um…”
“Stewart,” she provided, smiling. “Allison, remember?”
“Right.” He cleared his throat.
“Amazing job in there,” she said.
He nodded his head in agreement. “And you were…competent,” he said awkwardly.
She laughed. “Um, thank you. Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He nodded again.
“So…how’s Sammy?” He asked.
She looked at him, confused.
“She lives with you, right?” Reid asked.
“Um, yeah…she does, and she’s fine. But how do you…” Again she looked confused.
“She’s Luke’s daughter.”
“Right…and Noah’s, but…I still don’t…” and then it dawned on her. “Oh! You’re dating Luke, aren’t you?”
Reid wasn’t sure dating was the right word, but he nodded just the same.
“I forgot you two were seeing each other - so, you know Sammy, too.” She smiled.
“So how is she?” Reid said, getting back to his original question. “She’s sleeping okay? Getting used to Noah? Settling in?”
She nodded a bit. “I guess.” She rolled her eyes. “She’s always happier when Luke’s around, you know?”
Reid did know.
“He’s got the touch, but it’ll all work out.” She said with a smile.
Reid nodded - unsure - and Allison smiled awkwardly back at him.
“Um…what do you mean, ‘it’ll all work out’?”
“Well, you know…” She grimaced a bit. “Luke and Noah.”
He looked down at her, his eyes asking for clarification.
“I’m sure you’re a nice guy and all…actually I’m not sure about that but…” She looked around the room for an escape. “Well, Luke and Noah…they always get back together.”
“Do they?”
“Every time they break up.” She shrugged apologetically. “Granted, Luke’s never started dating anyone else before but…yeah, they always find their way back to each other.”
She paused, looking sympathetically at Reid.
“They love each other…sorry.” And she smiled with kind pity at him before walking out.
Reid made his way over Luke’s place, Allison’s words echoing in his head. Luke getting back together with Noah? Reid couldn’t imagine it. Not really. Of course, Allison had known Luke for a lot longer than he had - but he knew Luke better - better then Allison or Noah ever did; he was sure of it.
He saw the all-too-familiar rental car in the driveway as he pulled in, and he exhaled; he was seeing far too much of Mr. Mayer for his liking. As he walked towards the front step, he could see the three of them - Luke, Noah, and the little girl - their little girl; sitting on the couch together. His brow furrowed. They always find their way back to each other…they love each other. He shook his head and continued to the front door. He opened it and heard Luke’s voice.
“I actually still love you, Noah. I probably always will. Does that make any sense?”
He stood frozen for ten seconds and then backed out, closing the door silently. He stood on Luke’s front porch, not sure what he was feeling, and then made his way back to his car. As he drove he heard Allison’s words - and Luke’s - repeating like a broken record in his head.
When he turned off the ignition, he found himself at Lucinda’s cottage. Stephen came out the front door and waited. Reid looked through the windshield at his friend, the one he’s always been able to count on, and he got out and walked over to him.
“What’s up?” Stephen asked.
Reid shrugged…shook his head. “I don’t know.”
He looked up at Stephen.
“Hey,” Stephen said. “Come inside.” And Reid followed him in.
next part/
Title: Coming Home
Genre/Type: Romance
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Luke/Reid, Luke/Noah, Lily/Holden, Casey, Katie, Bob, assorted little people, possibly others
Warnings: None really, except some Nuke intimacy
Summary: Luke and Noah moved to L.A. in the Summer of 2009 for Noah to do his last year of school with an internship of sorts (no Mason, no blindness, etc. Everything else in their history has happened). Reid arrived, temporarily, at Memorial in August 2010.
Thank you Slayerkitty for being my beta!!!
Previous Chapters: 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/ 11/ 12/ 13/ 14/ 15/ 16/ 17/ 18/ 19/ 20/ 21/ 22/ 23/ 24/ 25/ 26/ 27/ 28/ 29/ 30/ 31/ 32/ 33/ 34/ 35/ 36/ 37/ 38/ 39/ 40/ 41/ 42/ 43/ 44/ 45/ 46/ 47/ 48/ 49/
Chapter 50
Luke watched Noah, who obviously had a lot on his mind. Ever since he’d introduced him to Stephen the other day, his ex boyfriend has been acting differently - nicer, more considerate - he’s been paying closer attention to Luke’s feelings and needs. Many months too late, Luke thought.
“Luke,” Noah said from the couch. “I need to apologize.”
Luke furrowed his brow suspiciously. “Um…okay.”
“When we were together…” Noah began, twisting his hands together. “I…well, I kinda…I guess I sort of pushed you away a lot.”
Luke swallowed back a sarcastic comment; this was all irrelevant to him now. He didn’t need Noah’s belated apologies - Noah didn’t have the power to hurt him anymore.
“It took losing you…” Noah was now saying. “Really losing you, to realize it.”
“Even though I told you…many times, Noah?” He passed the ball back to Samantha, who batted happily at it with her open hands.
“Yeah, you know what they say - you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone.” He looked at Luke. “I never really appreciated you…not the way you deserved.”
Luke couldn’t agree more, but he wasn’t sure why Noah was telling him all this now. Sammy called out ba-ba-ba and reached out to him, and instinctively he picked her up and began to walk around with her. He knew he shouldn’t encourage her (or himself) to get so attached, but sometimes he couldn’t help it.
“Noah, why are you telling me all this, right now?”
“I guess I’d like it if we could be friends.”
Luke stopped walking - holding the child - and looked at Noah. “I’m not sure if I want that, Noah.”
“Not sure?”
Luke nodded. “Six months ago I couldn’t imagine you not in my life. Two months ago, I was sure I never wanted to see you again.”
Noah swallowed. “And now?”
“Now?” Luke sighed. “Now I don’t know. What does that mean, Noah…being friends? Were we ever really friends?” He looked right at the brunette. “Because friends don’t treat each other the way you treated me, Noah.”
Noah looked down. “I know.”
“And I mean all throughout our relationship, Noah.”
“I know.”
“You pushed me away, you didn’t trust me; you didn’t respect me, or believe in me.”
“I know Luke, I know.” Noah sighed. “I know I don’t deserve to be your friend, but I’d like to earn that right…if you’ll let me try.”
Luke sat down next to him on the couch and pulled Sammy against his shoulder. “I don’t know.”
“I’ve hurt you a lot, Luke…I know.”
“Yes, you have…and I don’t know if I can - ever - let you back in, Noah.”
“Will you…will you think about it, Luke?”
Luke looked at him hesitantly and shrugged.
“I just…I hope you don’t hate me, Luke.”
Luke looked back at him. “I don’t. I actually still love you, Noah. I probably always will. Does that make any sense?”
Noah nodded, and they sat there silently, the three of them, on Luke’s couch.
Reid and Allison left the O.R. together; as they removed their gloves, he turned to her and hesitated before speaking. “Thank you, Nurse…um…”
“Stewart,” she provided, smiling. “Allison, remember?”
“Right.” He cleared his throat.
“Amazing job in there,” she said.
He nodded his head in agreement. “And you were…competent,” he said awkwardly.
She laughed. “Um, thank you. Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He nodded again.
“So…how’s Sammy?” He asked.
She looked at him, confused.
“She lives with you, right?” Reid asked.
“Um, yeah…she does, and she’s fine. But how do you…” Again she looked confused.
“She’s Luke’s daughter.”
“Right…and Noah’s, but…I still don’t…” and then it dawned on her. “Oh! You’re dating Luke, aren’t you?”
Reid wasn’t sure dating was the right word, but he nodded just the same.
“I forgot you two were seeing each other - so, you know Sammy, too.” She smiled.
“So how is she?” Reid said, getting back to his original question. “She’s sleeping okay? Getting used to Noah? Settling in?”
She nodded a bit. “I guess.” She rolled her eyes. “She’s always happier when Luke’s around, you know?”
Reid did know.
“He’s got the touch, but it’ll all work out.” She said with a smile.
Reid nodded - unsure - and Allison smiled awkwardly back at him.
“Um…what do you mean, ‘it’ll all work out’?”
“Well, you know…” She grimaced a bit. “Luke and Noah.”
He looked down at her, his eyes asking for clarification.
“I’m sure you’re a nice guy and all…actually I’m not sure about that but…” She looked around the room for an escape. “Well, Luke and Noah…they always get back together.”
“Do they?”
“Every time they break up.” She shrugged apologetically. “Granted, Luke’s never started dating anyone else before but…yeah, they always find their way back to each other.”
She paused, looking sympathetically at Reid.
“They love each other…sorry.” And she smiled with kind pity at him before walking out.
Reid made his way over Luke’s place, Allison’s words echoing in his head. Luke getting back together with Noah? Reid couldn’t imagine it. Not really. Of course, Allison had known Luke for a lot longer than he had - but he knew Luke better - better then Allison or Noah ever did; he was sure of it.
He saw the all-too-familiar rental car in the driveway as he pulled in, and he exhaled; he was seeing far too much of Mr. Mayer for his liking. As he walked towards the front step, he could see the three of them - Luke, Noah, and the little girl - their little girl; sitting on the couch together. His brow furrowed. They always find their way back to each other…they love each other. He shook his head and continued to the front door. He opened it and heard Luke’s voice.
“I actually still love you, Noah. I probably always will. Does that make any sense?”
He stood frozen for ten seconds and then backed out, closing the door silently. He stood on Luke’s front porch, not sure what he was feeling, and then made his way back to his car. As he drove he heard Allison’s words - and Luke’s - repeating like a broken record in his head.
When he turned off the ignition, he found himself at Lucinda’s cottage. Stephen came out the front door and waited. Reid looked through the windshield at his friend, the one he’s always been able to count on, and he got out and walked over to him.
“What’s up?” Stephen asked.
Reid shrugged…shook his head. “I don’t know.”
He looked up at Stephen.
“Hey,” Stephen said. “Come inside.” And Reid followed him in.
next part/