Fic: Down the Rabbit Hole (40/?)
Title: Down the Rabbit Hole
Author: slayerkitty
Genre: Romance, Angst, AU
Warnings: Implied rape, Implied incest (I'm not sure I need this one, but Zoe and Luke are technically related)
Rating: R to NC-17
Spoilers: None
Characters: Luke/Reid, Past Luke/Noah, Other Misc characters
Disclaimer: As the World Turns and it's characters are not mine, no matter how much I enjoy playing with them. :)
Summary: What if Zoe succeeded in her plans to have Luke's baby?
Author's Notes: Flashbacks are in italics. This story picks up right after Luke has promised Reid that his foundation will donate money to the new wing.
Chapter 40, guys. 40.
What's that you say? There's a lot of dialogue from the show in this chapter? Why yes, yes there is.
Previous Chapters: Prologue/ 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
“I need to go check on that patient.” Reid said, glancing at his watch. They were standing in the hospital corridor, and Luke didn’t want him to go.
“I wish you didn’t have to work today.” He said, smiling.
“You’re insatiable.” Reid smirked. Luke shifted closer.
“I didn’t hear you complaining last night.” Luke paused, flashing him a flirty grin. “Or this morning.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay.” Reid told him.
“That makes two of us.” Reid’s pager went off again.
“I really have to go check on this patient.” He reached down to silence the pager. Luke was just leaning forward for a kiss when he caught sight of Noah down the hall. He stepped back abruptly. Startled, Reid followed his gaze. “You could tell him.”
“Is he ready?”
“As he’ll ever be.” Reid answered. “I’ll probably discharge him later today.”
“That’s great!” Luke exclaimed, and then his face fell a little. “I should tell him.”
“It would be better coming from you than from someone else. It’s a miracle no one else has told him - we haven’t exactly kept a low profile.”
“Yeah.” Luke replied softly.
“Good luck.” Reid touched his arm, and then walked away. Biting his lip, Luke headed towards Noah.
*
“Hey.” Luke said, approaching his ex.
“Hey.” Noah said, his voice low. Luke thought he sounded upset.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Still the same tone.
“Well, listen, can we go back to your room? There’s something I need to talk to you about.” After a long moment, Noah nodded, and Luke tried to keep his nerves under control. He knew that he and Reid hadn’t done anything wrong, but Luke also knew that Noah was holding out hope for reconciliation. The walked silently back to Noah’s room, and once inside Noah turned around to face Luke, arms crossed over his chest.
“Talk.” Noah said, and again Luke noticed there was something off about his tone.
“Well, there’s something I wanted to tell you.” Noah gestured for Luke to continue. His hands started to shake a little, so he shoved them in his pockets. “I’m not really sure where to start.”
“How about I save you the trouble?” Noah snapped. Luke met his gaze, surprised by the hostility in his voice.
“What?” Luke replied.
“I know, okay?!” Noah cried. “I know about you and Dr. Oliver. Wait, I mean Reid.”
“Noah, how…” Luke said the first thing that came to mind.
“Does it matter?” He snapped. “I know.” Luke digested that for a second, shock rolling through him.
“Okay, then. You know.” Luke replied. “I wanted to tell you.” Noah laughed, his anger clear.
“Gee, what stopped you? Shame?”
“Reid and I don’t have anything to be ashamed of, Noah.” Luke reminded him, getting upset now too. “By the time he made his first move on me, I was single.” He paused. “What is wrong with you? You get your sight back, but you lose your memory?”
Noah clenched his jaw, and Luke stared at the floor.
“How long?”
“What?” Luke asked, looking up again.
“How long has this been going on?”
“I told you I was seeing someone new, Noah.” Luke reminded. “Several times.”
“I know you did, I just…”
“Just what?”
“I thought maybe you were just trying to hurt me like I hurt you.” Luke’s eyes widened.
“Are you serious?” He exclaimed. “Noah, are you even listening to yourself? I would never do something that cruel.”
“Why wouldn’t you? I mean, you lied about Zoe and Rose, so why wouldn’t you lie about that?” Noah accused.
“That’s not fair, Noah, and you know it.”
“What I know is that if I hadn’t figured out Rose was really yours, you would have never told me the truth about her or Zoe.” Noah replied, nearly shouting.
“I apologized for that.” Luke practically whispered. “And you did your fair share of pushing away, too. You told me to go on with my life, and now you’re acting like that never happened.”
“I didn’t push you away because I stopped loving you.” Noah replied, his voice full of emotion. “Because I haven’t, I couldn’t.”
“Who cares?” Luke shrugged. He couldn’t take much more of this. “When things got rough, you were you. You weren’t us.” He closed his eyes. “But I didn’t abandon you.”
“I was terrified, and so angry.” Noah reminded him with a glare.
“I know.” Luke replied. “At me.”
“At the world.” Noah muttered. Luke pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers.
“I can’t go back to the way it was before the accident, Noah.” He said.
“I'm not asking you to.” He fell silent. “After the accident,” Noah began. “I blamed you because it was easier than blaming myself.”
“Noah, it was an accident.” Luke insisted.
“I wanted to punish you.” Noah whispered. Luke paused, blinking at him for a second.
“Well, mission accomplished.” His voice cracked a little. “I wanted to be there for you, Noah, but you cut me out of your life.”
“So, what, this with Reid, its payback?”
“No, Noah.” Luke answered. “This is me realizing that, although yes, we loved each other, we were not right for each other.” Noah looked like he’d been punched in the stomach and Luke hated that he put that expression on his face.
“But you and Reid are?” Noah asked in disbelief.
“Yes.” Luke didn’t even hesitate.
“He’s not right for you.”
“Yes, he is.” Noah thought about that for a second, and Luke wondered what he was going to say next.
“Are you sleeping with him?” Noah practically demanded.
“That’s none of your business.” Luke hissed.
“What does he feel for you? Is that your business?” Shocked, Luke’s mouth dropped open.
“Are you trying to ruin this for me? Make me doubt him?”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Then you never should have pushed me away.” Noah sighed. “I love you Noah, I will always love you, but…”
“But what? You’re not in love with me anymore? You’re in love with Reid?”
“Yes.” Luke admitted. “I’m in love with Reid.” Noah’s face crumpled for a moment, and he wiped at his eyes before his expression hardened.
“I can’t believe I was so worried about you two hating each other. I mean, talk about getting it wrong.”
“We did hate each other for a long time.”
“Oh, so inevitably, you must fall in love.” Noah snapped.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“You know, I should have pieced this together before.” He stared at Luke. “Maybe I was in denial - or blind.”
“Noah, I - I want us to be friends.” Luke told him. “I want you in my life.”
“No.”
“Noah!” Luke protested.
“We’re finished, Luke.” Noah said. “We’re done.”
“Noah, please, let’s talk about this.”
“There’s nothing more to talk about.” His voice was hard, dead. “I don’t want your help or your pity.” He walked past Luke and over to the door. “I have my sight now. I don’t need you.” Noah opened the door. “Get out.”
“Noah-“
“I said ‘get out!’”. Luke sighed, and headed for the door.
“For what it’s worth, Noah, I never meant to hurt you.” He stepped out into the hallway, and Noah slammed the door in his face.
Author: slayerkitty
Genre: Romance, Angst, AU
Warnings: Implied rape, Implied incest (I'm not sure I need this one, but Zoe and Luke are technically related)
Rating: R to NC-17
Spoilers: None
Characters: Luke/Reid, Past Luke/Noah, Other Misc characters
Disclaimer: As the World Turns and it's characters are not mine, no matter how much I enjoy playing with them. :)
Summary: What if Zoe succeeded in her plans to have Luke's baby?
Author's Notes: Flashbacks are in italics. This story picks up right after Luke has promised Reid that his foundation will donate money to the new wing.
Chapter 40, guys. 40.
What's that you say? There's a lot of dialogue from the show in this chapter? Why yes, yes there is.
Previous Chapters: Prologue/ 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
“I need to go check on that patient.” Reid said, glancing at his watch. They were standing in the hospital corridor, and Luke didn’t want him to go.
“I wish you didn’t have to work today.” He said, smiling.
“You’re insatiable.” Reid smirked. Luke shifted closer.
“I didn’t hear you complaining last night.” Luke paused, flashing him a flirty grin. “Or this morning.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay.” Reid told him.
“That makes two of us.” Reid’s pager went off again.
“I really have to go check on this patient.” He reached down to silence the pager. Luke was just leaning forward for a kiss when he caught sight of Noah down the hall. He stepped back abruptly. Startled, Reid followed his gaze. “You could tell him.”
“Is he ready?”
“As he’ll ever be.” Reid answered. “I’ll probably discharge him later today.”
“That’s great!” Luke exclaimed, and then his face fell a little. “I should tell him.”
“It would be better coming from you than from someone else. It’s a miracle no one else has told him - we haven’t exactly kept a low profile.”
“Yeah.” Luke replied softly.
“Good luck.” Reid touched his arm, and then walked away. Biting his lip, Luke headed towards Noah.
*
“Hey.” Luke said, approaching his ex.
“Hey.” Noah said, his voice low. Luke thought he sounded upset.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Still the same tone.
“Well, listen, can we go back to your room? There’s something I need to talk to you about.” After a long moment, Noah nodded, and Luke tried to keep his nerves under control. He knew that he and Reid hadn’t done anything wrong, but Luke also knew that Noah was holding out hope for reconciliation. The walked silently back to Noah’s room, and once inside Noah turned around to face Luke, arms crossed over his chest.
“Talk.” Noah said, and again Luke noticed there was something off about his tone.
“Well, there’s something I wanted to tell you.” Noah gestured for Luke to continue. His hands started to shake a little, so he shoved them in his pockets. “I’m not really sure where to start.”
“How about I save you the trouble?” Noah snapped. Luke met his gaze, surprised by the hostility in his voice.
“What?” Luke replied.
“I know, okay?!” Noah cried. “I know about you and Dr. Oliver. Wait, I mean Reid.”
“Noah, how…” Luke said the first thing that came to mind.
“Does it matter?” He snapped. “I know.” Luke digested that for a second, shock rolling through him.
“Okay, then. You know.” Luke replied. “I wanted to tell you.” Noah laughed, his anger clear.
“Gee, what stopped you? Shame?”
“Reid and I don’t have anything to be ashamed of, Noah.” Luke reminded him, getting upset now too. “By the time he made his first move on me, I was single.” He paused. “What is wrong with you? You get your sight back, but you lose your memory?”
Noah clenched his jaw, and Luke stared at the floor.
“How long?”
“What?” Luke asked, looking up again.
“How long has this been going on?”
“I told you I was seeing someone new, Noah.” Luke reminded. “Several times.”
“I know you did, I just…”
“Just what?”
“I thought maybe you were just trying to hurt me like I hurt you.” Luke’s eyes widened.
“Are you serious?” He exclaimed. “Noah, are you even listening to yourself? I would never do something that cruel.”
“Why wouldn’t you? I mean, you lied about Zoe and Rose, so why wouldn’t you lie about that?” Noah accused.
“That’s not fair, Noah, and you know it.”
“What I know is that if I hadn’t figured out Rose was really yours, you would have never told me the truth about her or Zoe.” Noah replied, nearly shouting.
“I apologized for that.” Luke practically whispered. “And you did your fair share of pushing away, too. You told me to go on with my life, and now you’re acting like that never happened.”
“I didn’t push you away because I stopped loving you.” Noah replied, his voice full of emotion. “Because I haven’t, I couldn’t.”
“Who cares?” Luke shrugged. He couldn’t take much more of this. “When things got rough, you were you. You weren’t us.” He closed his eyes. “But I didn’t abandon you.”
“I was terrified, and so angry.” Noah reminded him with a glare.
“I know.” Luke replied. “At me.”
“At the world.” Noah muttered. Luke pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers.
“I can’t go back to the way it was before the accident, Noah.” He said.
“I'm not asking you to.” He fell silent. “After the accident,” Noah began. “I blamed you because it was easier than blaming myself.”
“Noah, it was an accident.” Luke insisted.
“I wanted to punish you.” Noah whispered. Luke paused, blinking at him for a second.
“Well, mission accomplished.” His voice cracked a little. “I wanted to be there for you, Noah, but you cut me out of your life.”
“So, what, this with Reid, its payback?”
“No, Noah.” Luke answered. “This is me realizing that, although yes, we loved each other, we were not right for each other.” Noah looked like he’d been punched in the stomach and Luke hated that he put that expression on his face.
“But you and Reid are?” Noah asked in disbelief.
“Yes.” Luke didn’t even hesitate.
“He’s not right for you.”
“Yes, he is.” Noah thought about that for a second, and Luke wondered what he was going to say next.
“Are you sleeping with him?” Noah practically demanded.
“That’s none of your business.” Luke hissed.
“What does he feel for you? Is that your business?” Shocked, Luke’s mouth dropped open.
“Are you trying to ruin this for me? Make me doubt him?”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Then you never should have pushed me away.” Noah sighed. “I love you Noah, I will always love you, but…”
“But what? You’re not in love with me anymore? You’re in love with Reid?”
“Yes.” Luke admitted. “I’m in love with Reid.” Noah’s face crumpled for a moment, and he wiped at his eyes before his expression hardened.
“I can’t believe I was so worried about you two hating each other. I mean, talk about getting it wrong.”
“We did hate each other for a long time.”
“Oh, so inevitably, you must fall in love.” Noah snapped.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“You know, I should have pieced this together before.” He stared at Luke. “Maybe I was in denial - or blind.”
“Noah, I - I want us to be friends.” Luke told him. “I want you in my life.”
“No.”
“Noah!” Luke protested.
“We’re finished, Luke.” Noah said. “We’re done.”
“Noah, please, let’s talk about this.”
“There’s nothing more to talk about.” His voice was hard, dead. “I don’t want your help or your pity.” He walked past Luke and over to the door. “I have my sight now. I don’t need you.” Noah opened the door. “Get out.”
“Noah-“
“I said ‘get out!’”. Luke sighed, and headed for the door.
“For what it’s worth, Noah, I never meant to hurt you.” He stepped out into the hallway, and Noah slammed the door in his face.