FIC - It's still just love... (12/?)
Title: It's still just love… (12/?)
Author: wheelie47
Rating: NC17 for whole story but not every chapter.
Pairing: Luke and Noah.
Word count: 3,739
Disclaimer: Don’t own characters, am not associated in any way with ATWT, Van and Jake. No offence intended.
Warning: Angst!
Summary: Noah Mayer is struggling to make ends meet; trying to keep his garden centre open and desperate to hold onto his research grant from the Institute of Agronomic Research. And he never seems to have time… no time for a life and definitely no time for a boyfriend.
Luciano Grimaldi hates everything about his life and he is so far in the closet where his parents concerned, that he even has a girlfriend, Maddie, to prove it…
AN: This is an AU story based on a French film called “Juste une question d’amour”
Many thanks to hollyoaks1021 for the wonderful artwork. Thanks Sally.
“Finally… there she is!” Luke exclaimed as he and Noah sat waiting in Noah’s truck outside Maddie’s dorm building.
Maddie emerged from the building and, spotting them immediately, walked over to the truck. She had her overnight bag in one hand and her phone pressed to her ear with the other.
Opening the door, the petite brunette clambered up onto the back seat. Smiling quickly at the two of them, Maddie continued her phone conversation. “Yeah, I know.” She dropped her eyes and listened intently, her smile widening before she answered almost coyly. “So did I! I’ll see you when I get back from Ashwood.”
Ending the call, she looked up again into two sets of questioning eyes. “What?”
“Who was that?” Luke questioned his friend, noticing the blush creeping up her face.
“Just a friend.”
Now Luke was intrigued as Maddie's blush deepened. “A boy friend… maybe?! Who’s the guy?” he teased, looking at her intently.
“Alright…alright!” She felt herself buckling under the stare. “It’s Max.”
“Max!” Both men exclaimed in unison. Neither of them could believe it. Max hadn’t said anything to Noah and he made a mental note to call his friend as soon as he could to find out exactly what had gone on. The last time he’d seen Max and Maddie they had been verbally squaring up to each other.
“What?!” Maddie’s voice held an edge of embarrassed indignance. “I’m a woman. I have needs!” She glanced in between Luke and Noah in the front seat. As if the two of them would know what she was talking about! “So unless you want to hear all about straight sex, I suggest we get going.” Maddie folded her arms across her chest as she watched Noah twist in his seat to turn the key in the ignition.
If she was honest with herself, she was just as surprised as Luke and Noah were about what had happened with Max. One minute they were glaring at each other across the table at Yo’s… the next they were collapsing onto her bed together, with Max's strong hands and sure fingers roaming and exploring every inch of her body. She wasn't normally given to such impulsiveness, especially considering that she was supposed to be pretending to be Luke's girlfriend.
But there was just something about Max that lit a fire within her. And it wasn't a one-off thing either; the same thing happened again when they woke up together the next morning. She couldn't seem to get enough of the man and, judging by how many times he’d called her since, the feeling was definitely mutual. He'd asked to spend some time together this weekend but she'd already agreed to go to Ashwood for Isaac’s birthday party. Damn this whole mess! But the mere fact that Noah was going with them gave her hope that the subterfuge wouldn't have to last much longer.
As they drove through the outskirts of Oakdale, where buildings gradually gave way to farmland and the open road, Luke could hardly believe that he was taking Noah home to meet his parents, albeit without them knowing the truth of their relationship.
He thought back to the phone conversation he’d had with his mom when he was sat up in Noah’s bed, nestled in the V of the man’s legs, his back resting against the broad and smooth chest.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Sweetheart, is everything OK? You’re calling kinda earlier.” Concern edged her voice.
“Yeah…I’m fine, Mom. Actually…” Luke paused and rested his hand on Noah’s leg, taking comfort and courage from the other man as his long fingers stroked the hairs on the muscled thigh, “… there’s someone I’d like you to meet… you and Dad.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah… well actually you’ve meet him before, Mom. But you might not remember. It’s Noah. The owner of the garden centre where I’m doing my internship. He gave me a ride to the hospital when Dad had his accident,” he added, hoping his mom remembered. Just saying Noah’s name to his mom felt like a relief.
“Of course,” Lily replied, vaguely remembering the polite, tall and handsome dark-haired man at the hospital when all her thoughts had been centered on her husband. She was also intrigued to properly meet the young man who had managed to get her son to show an interest in something… anything. “Why don’t you bring him along to Isaac’s birthday party this weekend? He could stay overnight, if he wants. We can thank him properly for his kindness in bringing you to the hospital. And it can help distract your father and Matteo. You know how they get when they’re together; all business talk.”
Luke was stunned; he’d only thought that his parents might take a drive over to the nursery one day. He hadn’t expected this. “Isaac’s birthday? Stay the weekend?” He repeated.
The blonde was about to turn to face Noah and ask him if that was OK, thinking it might be too much to ask of the man. But he caught himself just in time, realizing that his mother might wonder why he was at the garden centre so early or why Noah was so close.
Luke felt Noah's lips as they brushed against his shoulder before the brunette whispered in Luke's ear, “I'll go.”
Luke’s fingers drummed nervously on his thigh as they sped toward Ashwood and the Grimaldi residence.
Noah glanced over at the other man and reached out, grasping Luke's agitated fingers and squeezing gently. “Relax, Luke. It's going to be OK.” He brought their combined hands to his mouth and gently kissed Luke's knuckles as he concentrated on the road ahead again. “I'm not going to be declaring my undying love for you in front of your parents and asking your father for your hand in marriage. It's just gonna be them getting to know me, is all.”
The brunette released Luke's fingers and risked another look over at him. “I won't even mention the gay word. That's what we agreed. Not unless you want me to… that is.” He wanted to add that if Luke's father or his uncle made any kind of homophobic comments, he didn't think he could let that slide. But he didn't want to freak Luke out anymore than he already was.
As he turned his truck onto the long meandering drive and spotted the impressive house set in the centre of well-manicured lawns, neatly trimmed shrubbery and countless flower beds, he couldn’t help but wonder just what he was getting himself into…
…
Damian Grimaldi looked between his son and the man sitting next to him on the opposite side of the long dinning table and wondered just what his wife had been thinking. Tonight was a dinner party for just the family with tomorrow being the big children's birthday party for Isaac. And Damian had planned to talk to his son tonight over dinner. How could he and Matteo possibly hope to convince Luciano to come and work for them at the shipping company, if the man that ran the garden centre where his son was interning was here too?
“So… have you always wanted to be a gardener, Noah?”
Noah looked up at the sound of his name and didn't miss the derisive way Luke's father had almost spat out the word ‘gardener’. He wasn’t going to let this man make him feel inferior. “I’ve always been interested in the natural world, Mr. Grimaldi.” He kept his voice level but it stuck in his craw to be polite to this man. He was doing it for Luke's sake.
“Noah… please. You don't have to be so formal. I'm Lily and that's Damian,” Luke's mom interjected as she brought more wine to the table before sitting down.
Noah smiled over and nodded. “Thank you, Lily. Like I was saying… Damian. I've always been interested in the natural world and I wanted to find out how plants fit into that and help keep the natural balance of life.”
“Or the imbalance of nature,” the woman who'd been introduced to Noah as Janine, Matteo's wife, spoke in a vague and lifeless voice as if she was not really involved in the conversation and talking about something else or someone else entirely as she took a long gulp of her wine.
A heavy silence descended around the table as everyone, apart from Isaac, knew who she was referring to.
Matteo coughed loudly next to her and directed his attention back to the young man seated next to his nephew. “And you think being a gardener will help you understand that?” He remembered this guy from the hospital. He hadn’t liked him then and he liked him even less now he was here in his brother’s dinning room.
Noah could almost feel Luke bristling beside him. After taking a deep breath to control his rising annoyance he opened his mouth to reply… only to be beaten to it by the blonde next to him.
“He owns the garden centre, Uncle. And he’s also a researcher.” Luke was actually amazed at how controlled his own voice sounded, especially considering how angry he felt at his uncle’s deliberate slight. Noah didn’t deserve this treatment; the brunette was only here because of him after all.
Noah turned slightly in his chair to face Luke, smiling gratefully and more than a little touched that the younger man had stood up for him.
The smile between the two men lingered longer than Matteo liked. “Hmph! That can’t bring in a lot of money.”
Noah’s head swung slowly toward the man further down the table. He continued to smile, only this time it was forced. “Well, it’s hardly a shipping conglomerate but I can’t complain.” He could… but he certainly wasn’t going to tell him that!
“And besides… it’s not about the money. I do it because I’m passionate about it. We need to take care of the natural world around us. Whether it be a gardener, a researcher, a park warden, a guy who sweeps up dead leaves or whoever… we all make a difference.”
The two men continued to stare at each other and nobody else around the table said a word. Even Isaac, who had been excitedly and obliviously chatting away to his mom about the party tomorrow, fell silent.
Damian had to admit he was impressed; not many people had the confidence to stand up to his brother. He’d seen seasoned businessmen waver around the board room table when confronted with Matteo’s withering stares.
“That must take some dedication,” he spoke into the silence. Noah owned his own business and held down a researcher’s position at the same time; it was rare that Damian came across such commitment in the young these days.
“Well… yes, it does,” Noah admitted, surprised that Luke’s father had been the one to break the silence with a compliment, albeit a small one. “But I think it’s kinda worth it.” He turned to Luke had gave him a slow half-smile before turning back to face the older man. “And your son is helping with that too.”
Damian looked over at Luciano, where he was sitting sandwiched between Madeline and Noah. He recognized a change in his son that he hadn’t noticed before; the boy seemed to sit up straighter and was showing a genuine interest in the conversation around the table and in particular what the man seated to his right had to say. Damian made a mental note to speak to Noah, if he could get him on his own this weekend, and ask him what he was doing that made his son sit up and take notice. He’d tried for years without much success, he had to admit. Maybe he could get some advice from this Noah Mayer that would help, when he finally convinced Luciano to be done with this nonsense studying and come to work for him and Matteo.
Obviously bored with all this adult conversation, Isaac started to get restless and Lily declared that it was time for the cake. “Honey, get the lights would you?” she asked as she rose from her seat to fetch the cake.
The large dinning room was cast into shadow, lit only by the candles on the cake and the soft light of the lamps around the edges of the room. Luke slid back into his seat and they sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to his younger brother.
Under the cover of the subdued lighting, he looked cautiously around at the other adults before slipping his hand under the table to seek out Noah’s thigh and squeeze it in gentle gratitude for what he’d said during dinner.
The blonde had to stifle a soft moan when Noah turned to face him and gave him a breathtaking smile, made even more beautiful as the light of the candles flickered across his handsome features, highlighting those expressive eyes.
Emboldened by Noah’s smile, and by the mere fact that he was sat here in his parents’ dinning room with his hand on his lover’s leg, Luke stretched out his fingers further until they came into contact with Noah’s groin and he traced the outline of the soft cock through the material of his dress pants.
Noah froze and his smile faltered; he couldn’t believe that Luke was doing that to him here of all places. Tearing his gaze away to watch Lily cutting up the cake, he surreptitiously slid his hand under the tablecloth and grabbed the blonde’s hand, gripping it firmly and pushing it away from his groin back toward Luke. He released his hold and brought his hand back to rest on the table.
Feeling like his fingers had been burned, Luke snatched his hand away and bought it up to push an errant strand of his hair back behind his ear, finding himself wanting to look anywhere but the handsome brunette seated next to him…
…
When the uncomfortable dinner had finally come to an end, Noah spent the next hour or so trying to avoid the rest of the adults, especially Luke. Instead he concentrated on playing games and giving his full attention to Luke's younger brother. After all the boy was the only innocent in all of this mess. And Isaac couldn't have been happier as he instantly took to his brother’s tall friend, delighted that someone was giving him his undivided attention.
As the evening drew on and everyone grew tired and weary, Noah found himself settled on the couch in the living room with Isaac's head resting on his leg, his little body curled up in a sleeping fetal position next to him.
“Looks like my little man is all worn out. We better get him to bed so he has enough energy for tomorrow,” Lily spoke softly so as not to wake Isaac as she went to pick him up, giving Noah a wide smile of thanks for spending time with her young son.
Luke stood quickly and reached the couch before his mom. “I'll take him, Mom. I'm kinda tired myself… I think I'll go to bed after I've got him settled.”
As he bent down to lift Isaac’s head gently off Noah’s leg, he tried to give Noah an apologetic smile. But it broke his heart when the brunette’s crystal blue eyes met his for a mere instant before looking away.
Luke cradled his brother against him, his head resting in the crook of his neck and, turning, he made his way toward the door.
“I think I’ll head up too,” Maddie said when Luke reached the armchair where she had been sitting; she wanted to try and ring Max again before it got too late. To her surprise, the petite brunette found herself already missing his cheeky grin and his terrible jokes.
“Look at the three of you. That could be you and your family in a couple of years, Luciano.” Damian’s voice stopped them in their tracks and Luke turned back to face his father. “I can picture it now… my first grandson. One of many!” he added proudly as he swirled around the brandy glass in his hand.
Luke risked a glance at Noah over the top of Isaac’s blonde hair and he could see that the man was watching him intently, waiting for his response.
He could have chosen this moment to finally say something about who he was and the way he felt. Matteo had already taken his wife up to bed after she had drunk too much at the dinner table. So that just left the three of them, his parents and his sleepy little brother.
But instead he chose the easy way out and bought himself a little more time. “Dad, it’s too soon for that yet. I… we’re not ready.”
Luke thought the look of hurt on Noah’s face before he turned away again would haunt him for the rest of his life…
…
Noah stood leaning his long body up against the wall as he watched the moonlight filter through the large open balcony windows of the bedroom. He breathed deeply and smelt the delicate fragrance of the flowerbeds below wafting up to greet him and the gentle breeze danced across the bare expanse of chest visible through his open shirt.
He couldn’t sleep… hadn’t even tried; his mind replaying the scenes in the dinning room and the living room over and over again in his mind. Why was he torturing himself like this? If he thought watching the Grimaldis and Maddie play happy families at the Lakeview was bad… this was ten times worse! Luke was never… ever… going to tell his parents that he was gay; he knew that now. Luke would be content to keep him as some kind of secret lover; forever to be kept hidden.
He should have known better than to believe Luke.
When the door opened cautiously to avoid any noise, Noah knew who was there without needing to turn his head.
“Did Maddie throw you out of bed?” he muttered darkly, not breaking his gaze from the open window.
Before he knew what was happening, Luke had his body pressed up against him, pushing him further into the wall. The blonde’s mouth urgently sought his, their stubble rasping together as the supple lips slid against his.
Noah felt his body responding automatically as Luke’s fingers raked across his bare skin; down over sculpted chest muscles to his lower abdomen, swirling tantalizingly in the hair just above his belt buckle.
“Luuuke,” Noah moaned as he opened his mouth and let Luke’s tongue slide in, his hands coming up to tangle in the blonde tresses to pull him in closer.
Suddenly the realization of exactly where they were and exactly what they were doing, hit Noah and he dropped his hands to Luke’s chest, pushing the other man away and breaking the kiss. “Luke,” Noah warned breathlessly.
“I’ve been waiting to do that since we got here.” Luke was oblivious to the meaning behind Noah’s pushing him away, thinking that he only wanted to break for air. And he desperately wanted to make it up to Noah for earlier on.
Noah’s kiss slicked lips glistened in the subdued lighting and Luke eagerly leaned back in for another kiss only to be held firm by Noah’s hands on his chest.
“No Luke… not like this. What if your parents find us?” he questioned, staring into the hazel hue.
“They won't; they're all asleep,” Luke breathed out and succeeded in pressing forward and stealing a quick kiss.
Noah pushed him back again. “No, Luke… not here. Not until your parents know about us.” He paused, searching Luke's face and his heart sank when he didn't find what he was looking for. “You're never gonna tell them, are you, Luke? There’ll always be an excuse.”
The blonde frowned in confusion. “But you said that you'd wait for me… that you'd be patient.”
“I did and I would’ve been. But that was before you decided to grope me under the table and come sneaking into my room in the middle of the night like I'm something… someone… to be ashamed of. What would they think if they could see us like this? I'm not ashamed, Luke. I'm not ashamed of wanting to be with you.”
Noah moved his hands back up Luke's chest, fingers slowly tracing a path up over his neck before curling around the back of the blonde’s neck and pulling him close for a soft and sensual kiss.
Luke felt a panic rising in his chest at the movement of Noah's lips over his and the way his fingers tangled in his hair. It felt as if the other man was savoring every second of the kiss… as if it was for the very last time… a kiss goodbye.
The brunette pulled back and Luke could see tears forming in the intense blue. “But… I… I can't pretend like this, Luke. Please don't ask me to. I can't stay here.” His voice was barely above a murmur.
Luke took a step back, pulling himself away from Noah's embrace. He couldn't do this. He couldn't do what Noah was asking of him. “Then go,” he croaked out. “Go! I didn't ask you to stay tonight, my mom did.” He turned away to face the window because looking at Noah right at this moment was just too painful to bear.
Noah pushed himself away from the wall, buttoning up his shirt as he stepped toward the bed.
Grabbing his overnight bag and jacket, the brunette turned to rest his hand gently on Luke’s shoulder. “Tell your mom I'm sorry I couldn't stay.”
Noah stepped back, leaving his hand in place until the very last moment. “Goodbye, Luke.” He turned and, with the soft click of the shutting door, was gone.
Luke stood motionless, staring out of the window. He watched as Noah made his way across the gravel drive to his truck. They locked eyes momentarily when Noah looked back up to the high window as he stood at the open door before sliding in and starting the engine. He continued to stare into the darkness long after Noah’s truck had disappeared into the distance; his long arms wrapped around himself and the tears coming thick and fast as his sobs sounded loud in the empty silence of the room…
Chapter 13
Back to fic master post
Author: wheelie47
Rating: NC17 for whole story but not every chapter.
Pairing: Luke and Noah.
Word count: 3,739
Disclaimer: Don’t own characters, am not associated in any way with ATWT, Van and Jake. No offence intended.
Warning: Angst!
Summary: Noah Mayer is struggling to make ends meet; trying to keep his garden centre open and desperate to hold onto his research grant from the Institute of Agronomic Research. And he never seems to have time… no time for a life and definitely no time for a boyfriend.
Luciano Grimaldi hates everything about his life and he is so far in the closet where his parents concerned, that he even has a girlfriend, Maddie, to prove it…
AN: This is an AU story based on a French film called “Juste une question d’amour”
Many thanks to hollyoaks1021 for the wonderful artwork. Thanks Sally.
“Finally… there she is!” Luke exclaimed as he and Noah sat waiting in Noah’s truck outside Maddie’s dorm building.
Maddie emerged from the building and, spotting them immediately, walked over to the truck. She had her overnight bag in one hand and her phone pressed to her ear with the other.
Opening the door, the petite brunette clambered up onto the back seat. Smiling quickly at the two of them, Maddie continued her phone conversation. “Yeah, I know.” She dropped her eyes and listened intently, her smile widening before she answered almost coyly. “So did I! I’ll see you when I get back from Ashwood.”
Ending the call, she looked up again into two sets of questioning eyes. “What?”
“Who was that?” Luke questioned his friend, noticing the blush creeping up her face.
“Just a friend.”
Now Luke was intrigued as Maddie's blush deepened. “A boy friend… maybe?! Who’s the guy?” he teased, looking at her intently.
“Alright…alright!” She felt herself buckling under the stare. “It’s Max.”
“Max!” Both men exclaimed in unison. Neither of them could believe it. Max hadn’t said anything to Noah and he made a mental note to call his friend as soon as he could to find out exactly what had gone on. The last time he’d seen Max and Maddie they had been verbally squaring up to each other.
“What?!” Maddie’s voice held an edge of embarrassed indignance. “I’m a woman. I have needs!” She glanced in between Luke and Noah in the front seat. As if the two of them would know what she was talking about! “So unless you want to hear all about straight sex, I suggest we get going.” Maddie folded her arms across her chest as she watched Noah twist in his seat to turn the key in the ignition.
If she was honest with herself, she was just as surprised as Luke and Noah were about what had happened with Max. One minute they were glaring at each other across the table at Yo’s… the next they were collapsing onto her bed together, with Max's strong hands and sure fingers roaming and exploring every inch of her body. She wasn't normally given to such impulsiveness, especially considering that she was supposed to be pretending to be Luke's girlfriend.
But there was just something about Max that lit a fire within her. And it wasn't a one-off thing either; the same thing happened again when they woke up together the next morning. She couldn't seem to get enough of the man and, judging by how many times he’d called her since, the feeling was definitely mutual. He'd asked to spend some time together this weekend but she'd already agreed to go to Ashwood for Isaac’s birthday party. Damn this whole mess! But the mere fact that Noah was going with them gave her hope that the subterfuge wouldn't have to last much longer.
As they drove through the outskirts of Oakdale, where buildings gradually gave way to farmland and the open road, Luke could hardly believe that he was taking Noah home to meet his parents, albeit without them knowing the truth of their relationship.
He thought back to the phone conversation he’d had with his mom when he was sat up in Noah’s bed, nestled in the V of the man’s legs, his back resting against the broad and smooth chest.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Sweetheart, is everything OK? You’re calling kinda earlier.” Concern edged her voice.
“Yeah…I’m fine, Mom. Actually…” Luke paused and rested his hand on Noah’s leg, taking comfort and courage from the other man as his long fingers stroked the hairs on the muscled thigh, “… there’s someone I’d like you to meet… you and Dad.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah… well actually you’ve meet him before, Mom. But you might not remember. It’s Noah. The owner of the garden centre where I’m doing my internship. He gave me a ride to the hospital when Dad had his accident,” he added, hoping his mom remembered. Just saying Noah’s name to his mom felt like a relief.
“Of course,” Lily replied, vaguely remembering the polite, tall and handsome dark-haired man at the hospital when all her thoughts had been centered on her husband. She was also intrigued to properly meet the young man who had managed to get her son to show an interest in something… anything. “Why don’t you bring him along to Isaac’s birthday party this weekend? He could stay overnight, if he wants. We can thank him properly for his kindness in bringing you to the hospital. And it can help distract your father and Matteo. You know how they get when they’re together; all business talk.”
Luke was stunned; he’d only thought that his parents might take a drive over to the nursery one day. He hadn’t expected this. “Isaac’s birthday? Stay the weekend?” He repeated.
The blonde was about to turn to face Noah and ask him if that was OK, thinking it might be too much to ask of the man. But he caught himself just in time, realizing that his mother might wonder why he was at the garden centre so early or why Noah was so close.
Luke felt Noah's lips as they brushed against his shoulder before the brunette whispered in Luke's ear, “I'll go.”
Luke’s fingers drummed nervously on his thigh as they sped toward Ashwood and the Grimaldi residence.
Noah glanced over at the other man and reached out, grasping Luke's agitated fingers and squeezing gently. “Relax, Luke. It's going to be OK.” He brought their combined hands to his mouth and gently kissed Luke's knuckles as he concentrated on the road ahead again. “I'm not going to be declaring my undying love for you in front of your parents and asking your father for your hand in marriage. It's just gonna be them getting to know me, is all.”
The brunette released Luke's fingers and risked another look over at him. “I won't even mention the gay word. That's what we agreed. Not unless you want me to… that is.” He wanted to add that if Luke's father or his uncle made any kind of homophobic comments, he didn't think he could let that slide. But he didn't want to freak Luke out anymore than he already was.
As he turned his truck onto the long meandering drive and spotted the impressive house set in the centre of well-manicured lawns, neatly trimmed shrubbery and countless flower beds, he couldn’t help but wonder just what he was getting himself into…
…
Damian Grimaldi looked between his son and the man sitting next to him on the opposite side of the long dinning table and wondered just what his wife had been thinking. Tonight was a dinner party for just the family with tomorrow being the big children's birthday party for Isaac. And Damian had planned to talk to his son tonight over dinner. How could he and Matteo possibly hope to convince Luciano to come and work for them at the shipping company, if the man that ran the garden centre where his son was interning was here too?
“So… have you always wanted to be a gardener, Noah?”
Noah looked up at the sound of his name and didn't miss the derisive way Luke's father had almost spat out the word ‘gardener’. He wasn’t going to let this man make him feel inferior. “I’ve always been interested in the natural world, Mr. Grimaldi.” He kept his voice level but it stuck in his craw to be polite to this man. He was doing it for Luke's sake.
“Noah… please. You don't have to be so formal. I'm Lily and that's Damian,” Luke's mom interjected as she brought more wine to the table before sitting down.
Noah smiled over and nodded. “Thank you, Lily. Like I was saying… Damian. I've always been interested in the natural world and I wanted to find out how plants fit into that and help keep the natural balance of life.”
“Or the imbalance of nature,” the woman who'd been introduced to Noah as Janine, Matteo's wife, spoke in a vague and lifeless voice as if she was not really involved in the conversation and talking about something else or someone else entirely as she took a long gulp of her wine.
A heavy silence descended around the table as everyone, apart from Isaac, knew who she was referring to.
Matteo coughed loudly next to her and directed his attention back to the young man seated next to his nephew. “And you think being a gardener will help you understand that?” He remembered this guy from the hospital. He hadn’t liked him then and he liked him even less now he was here in his brother’s dinning room.
Noah could almost feel Luke bristling beside him. After taking a deep breath to control his rising annoyance he opened his mouth to reply… only to be beaten to it by the blonde next to him.
“He owns the garden centre, Uncle. And he’s also a researcher.” Luke was actually amazed at how controlled his own voice sounded, especially considering how angry he felt at his uncle’s deliberate slight. Noah didn’t deserve this treatment; the brunette was only here because of him after all.
Noah turned slightly in his chair to face Luke, smiling gratefully and more than a little touched that the younger man had stood up for him.
The smile between the two men lingered longer than Matteo liked. “Hmph! That can’t bring in a lot of money.”
Noah’s head swung slowly toward the man further down the table. He continued to smile, only this time it was forced. “Well, it’s hardly a shipping conglomerate but I can’t complain.” He could… but he certainly wasn’t going to tell him that!
“And besides… it’s not about the money. I do it because I’m passionate about it. We need to take care of the natural world around us. Whether it be a gardener, a researcher, a park warden, a guy who sweeps up dead leaves or whoever… we all make a difference.”
The two men continued to stare at each other and nobody else around the table said a word. Even Isaac, who had been excitedly and obliviously chatting away to his mom about the party tomorrow, fell silent.
Damian had to admit he was impressed; not many people had the confidence to stand up to his brother. He’d seen seasoned businessmen waver around the board room table when confronted with Matteo’s withering stares.
“That must take some dedication,” he spoke into the silence. Noah owned his own business and held down a researcher’s position at the same time; it was rare that Damian came across such commitment in the young these days.
“Well… yes, it does,” Noah admitted, surprised that Luke’s father had been the one to break the silence with a compliment, albeit a small one. “But I think it’s kinda worth it.” He turned to Luke had gave him a slow half-smile before turning back to face the older man. “And your son is helping with that too.”
Damian looked over at Luciano, where he was sitting sandwiched between Madeline and Noah. He recognized a change in his son that he hadn’t noticed before; the boy seemed to sit up straighter and was showing a genuine interest in the conversation around the table and in particular what the man seated to his right had to say. Damian made a mental note to speak to Noah, if he could get him on his own this weekend, and ask him what he was doing that made his son sit up and take notice. He’d tried for years without much success, he had to admit. Maybe he could get some advice from this Noah Mayer that would help, when he finally convinced Luciano to be done with this nonsense studying and come to work for him and Matteo.
Obviously bored with all this adult conversation, Isaac started to get restless and Lily declared that it was time for the cake. “Honey, get the lights would you?” she asked as she rose from her seat to fetch the cake.
The large dinning room was cast into shadow, lit only by the candles on the cake and the soft light of the lamps around the edges of the room. Luke slid back into his seat and they sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to his younger brother.
Under the cover of the subdued lighting, he looked cautiously around at the other adults before slipping his hand under the table to seek out Noah’s thigh and squeeze it in gentle gratitude for what he’d said during dinner.
The blonde had to stifle a soft moan when Noah turned to face him and gave him a breathtaking smile, made even more beautiful as the light of the candles flickered across his handsome features, highlighting those expressive eyes.
Emboldened by Noah’s smile, and by the mere fact that he was sat here in his parents’ dinning room with his hand on his lover’s leg, Luke stretched out his fingers further until they came into contact with Noah’s groin and he traced the outline of the soft cock through the material of his dress pants.
Noah froze and his smile faltered; he couldn’t believe that Luke was doing that to him here of all places. Tearing his gaze away to watch Lily cutting up the cake, he surreptitiously slid his hand under the tablecloth and grabbed the blonde’s hand, gripping it firmly and pushing it away from his groin back toward Luke. He released his hold and brought his hand back to rest on the table.
Feeling like his fingers had been burned, Luke snatched his hand away and bought it up to push an errant strand of his hair back behind his ear, finding himself wanting to look anywhere but the handsome brunette seated next to him…
…
When the uncomfortable dinner had finally come to an end, Noah spent the next hour or so trying to avoid the rest of the adults, especially Luke. Instead he concentrated on playing games and giving his full attention to Luke's younger brother. After all the boy was the only innocent in all of this mess. And Isaac couldn't have been happier as he instantly took to his brother’s tall friend, delighted that someone was giving him his undivided attention.
As the evening drew on and everyone grew tired and weary, Noah found himself settled on the couch in the living room with Isaac's head resting on his leg, his little body curled up in a sleeping fetal position next to him.
“Looks like my little man is all worn out. We better get him to bed so he has enough energy for tomorrow,” Lily spoke softly so as not to wake Isaac as she went to pick him up, giving Noah a wide smile of thanks for spending time with her young son.
Luke stood quickly and reached the couch before his mom. “I'll take him, Mom. I'm kinda tired myself… I think I'll go to bed after I've got him settled.”
As he bent down to lift Isaac’s head gently off Noah’s leg, he tried to give Noah an apologetic smile. But it broke his heart when the brunette’s crystal blue eyes met his for a mere instant before looking away.
Luke cradled his brother against him, his head resting in the crook of his neck and, turning, he made his way toward the door.
“I think I’ll head up too,” Maddie said when Luke reached the armchair where she had been sitting; she wanted to try and ring Max again before it got too late. To her surprise, the petite brunette found herself already missing his cheeky grin and his terrible jokes.
“Look at the three of you. That could be you and your family in a couple of years, Luciano.” Damian’s voice stopped them in their tracks and Luke turned back to face his father. “I can picture it now… my first grandson. One of many!” he added proudly as he swirled around the brandy glass in his hand.
Luke risked a glance at Noah over the top of Isaac’s blonde hair and he could see that the man was watching him intently, waiting for his response.
He could have chosen this moment to finally say something about who he was and the way he felt. Matteo had already taken his wife up to bed after she had drunk too much at the dinner table. So that just left the three of them, his parents and his sleepy little brother.
But instead he chose the easy way out and bought himself a little more time. “Dad, it’s too soon for that yet. I… we’re not ready.”
Luke thought the look of hurt on Noah’s face before he turned away again would haunt him for the rest of his life…
…
Noah stood leaning his long body up against the wall as he watched the moonlight filter through the large open balcony windows of the bedroom. He breathed deeply and smelt the delicate fragrance of the flowerbeds below wafting up to greet him and the gentle breeze danced across the bare expanse of chest visible through his open shirt.
He couldn’t sleep… hadn’t even tried; his mind replaying the scenes in the dinning room and the living room over and over again in his mind. Why was he torturing himself like this? If he thought watching the Grimaldis and Maddie play happy families at the Lakeview was bad… this was ten times worse! Luke was never… ever… going to tell his parents that he was gay; he knew that now. Luke would be content to keep him as some kind of secret lover; forever to be kept hidden.
He should have known better than to believe Luke.
When the door opened cautiously to avoid any noise, Noah knew who was there without needing to turn his head.
“Did Maddie throw you out of bed?” he muttered darkly, not breaking his gaze from the open window.
Before he knew what was happening, Luke had his body pressed up against him, pushing him further into the wall. The blonde’s mouth urgently sought his, their stubble rasping together as the supple lips slid against his.
Noah felt his body responding automatically as Luke’s fingers raked across his bare skin; down over sculpted chest muscles to his lower abdomen, swirling tantalizingly in the hair just above his belt buckle.
“Luuuke,” Noah moaned as he opened his mouth and let Luke’s tongue slide in, his hands coming up to tangle in the blonde tresses to pull him in closer.
Suddenly the realization of exactly where they were and exactly what they were doing, hit Noah and he dropped his hands to Luke’s chest, pushing the other man away and breaking the kiss. “Luke,” Noah warned breathlessly.
“I’ve been waiting to do that since we got here.” Luke was oblivious to the meaning behind Noah’s pushing him away, thinking that he only wanted to break for air. And he desperately wanted to make it up to Noah for earlier on.
Noah’s kiss slicked lips glistened in the subdued lighting and Luke eagerly leaned back in for another kiss only to be held firm by Noah’s hands on his chest.
“No Luke… not like this. What if your parents find us?” he questioned, staring into the hazel hue.
“They won't; they're all asleep,” Luke breathed out and succeeded in pressing forward and stealing a quick kiss.
Noah pushed him back again. “No, Luke… not here. Not until your parents know about us.” He paused, searching Luke's face and his heart sank when he didn't find what he was looking for. “You're never gonna tell them, are you, Luke? There’ll always be an excuse.”
The blonde frowned in confusion. “But you said that you'd wait for me… that you'd be patient.”
“I did and I would’ve been. But that was before you decided to grope me under the table and come sneaking into my room in the middle of the night like I'm something… someone… to be ashamed of. What would they think if they could see us like this? I'm not ashamed, Luke. I'm not ashamed of wanting to be with you.”
Noah moved his hands back up Luke's chest, fingers slowly tracing a path up over his neck before curling around the back of the blonde’s neck and pulling him close for a soft and sensual kiss.
Luke felt a panic rising in his chest at the movement of Noah's lips over his and the way his fingers tangled in his hair. It felt as if the other man was savoring every second of the kiss… as if it was for the very last time… a kiss goodbye.
The brunette pulled back and Luke could see tears forming in the intense blue. “But… I… I can't pretend like this, Luke. Please don't ask me to. I can't stay here.” His voice was barely above a murmur.
Luke took a step back, pulling himself away from Noah's embrace. He couldn't do this. He couldn't do what Noah was asking of him. “Then go,” he croaked out. “Go! I didn't ask you to stay tonight, my mom did.” He turned away to face the window because looking at Noah right at this moment was just too painful to bear.
Noah pushed himself away from the wall, buttoning up his shirt as he stepped toward the bed.
Grabbing his overnight bag and jacket, the brunette turned to rest his hand gently on Luke’s shoulder. “Tell your mom I'm sorry I couldn't stay.”
Noah stepped back, leaving his hand in place until the very last moment. “Goodbye, Luke.” He turned and, with the soft click of the shutting door, was gone.
Luke stood motionless, staring out of the window. He watched as Noah made his way across the gravel drive to his truck. They locked eyes momentarily when Noah looked back up to the high window as he stood at the open door before sliding in and starting the engine. He continued to stare into the darkness long after Noah’s truck had disappeared into the distance; his long arms wrapped around himself and the tears coming thick and fast as his sobs sounded loud in the empty silence of the room…
Chapter 13
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