Chapter 1 – A Chance Encounter

The rain was coming down in sheets as the man drove his three year old car down the highway. Where he was headed he had no idea, but he knew there was no turning back now. In his mind he knew that he would not be welcome back in his hometown, where it was wrong beyond reason to show any sign of difference. From an early age he knew he didn't fit in, so at the age of 21 he packed his bags and didn't look back.

Eventually he noticed that his car was both low on gas and his engine light was flashing, so he pulled over. He sat in his car, with tears streaming down his eyes. How could things get any worse? An hour passed and no car drove by, so the man decided to walk down the road in the pouring rain to see if he could find a gas station. He wasn't sure who he would call when he got there, but he knew it was about all he could do at this point.

He got about a mile down the road, when finally a white truck appeared behind him. It passed right by and on the way by drove through a puddle causing him to be even more soaked then he was before. He was about ready to give up and lay there to die in the pouring rain, but then suddenly and completely out of surprise the truck started going in reverse. The driver got out of his truck as soon as he had reached the man and was holding a rain coat and an umbrella. He handed the man the rain coat and told him to come into his truck and get warm.

"Won't your truck get soaked?" he asked.

"I don't care. I just don't want you to catch your death" The stranger replied. They both entered the truck.

"So what's your name?" The stranger asked the man.

"My n-n-name is Mark." Replied the man as he shivered his words.

"Well people know me as Luke. So why are you out in rain? You'll catch your death."

"My car broke down about a mile down the road and I thought that maybe if I made it to a gas station I could call someone to come and tow my truck away." Mark said.

Luke noticed that Mark was shivering and immediately turned up his heater to full blast so that Mark would not freeze to death. He turned on some nice music and promised Mark that he would give him a nice place to stay tonight until he could call his family to come get him tomorrow. They would have a tow truck pick up the car in the morning and bring it to the repair shop. They drove for about ten minutes and eventually arrived at a nice little cottage. Mark had no idea what town this cottage was located in and it was as though Luke could see it on his face because he immediately mentioned that they are in the town of Oakdale. Luke explained that this cottage belonged to his family and was currently being rented out to two people he knew very well.

Mark felt eternally grateful to Luke, but explained that he didn't have a home to go to or people to call. He went on to explain how he had run away from his home because of how his parents had threatened to seriously hurt him and physically and emotionally abused him. Luke could totally understand and explained how his mom and biological father both tried to have him turned straight when he came out of the closet. Mark replied that he was gay himself and this is why his family had threatened to seriously hurt him. There was a slight awkward silence, but then it was broken by Mark who asked Luke if he could be honest with him. Luke insisted that he please do, so Mark began to tell him everything about his life and his struggles. Luke returned the favour by telling Mark about his story. He explained how he is in a relationship with a man named Noah He also explained how Noah wasn't showing much affection lately because of his illegitimate wife Ameera and how it was eating him up inside. Luke felt like it was safe to tell all of this to Mark and was willing to take a chance that he could be an undercover ICE agent (though in his heart he knew that Mark wasn't an ICE agent). At the end of his explanation he warned Mark that the people who were living in the cottage were Noah and Ameera and asked Mark if he could keep an eye on Ameera. He told Mark he didn't want it to have to come to this, but he didn't trust Ameera and knew that Noah for some reason could not say no to her. It was perfect because Mark was pretty much a stranger to everyone, so Noah would never realize that he was watching Ameera for Luke.

At this point it was two in the morning. They had been sitting there, talking in the truck for over two hours. Luke looked at Mark and explained that he would go wake up Noah and talk with him. He really did not want to wake Noah, but knew they had no choice, so he got out of the car, told Mark to stay in the car until he came to get him, and approached the front door. He knocked on it and waited. Five minutes went by and still no answer. He knocked a second time. Another five minutes went by and still no answer. He decided that they must be fast asleep and took his cell phone out of his jacket pocket. The phone rang three times and eventually Noah picked up.

"Hello?" he said sounding very tired.

"Noah? It's Luke. Please don't be mad, but I need your help."

"Luke? It's 2am. Is everything ok? Are you hurt?"

"No no. I'm fine, but come to your front door and I'll explain everything."

Within five minutes Noah was at the front door with only a pair of sleep pants on. He opened the door and beckoned for Luke to step inside. Luke pointed at his truck and explained how he had someone who needed a place to stay for a while and if it would be ok for him to stay there. Noah said that he could stay here for tonight, but he would have to check with Ameera before allowing him to stay any longer then that. Luke said that was fair and went to get Mark. He helped Mark to the front door and Noah went to get him a pair of warm clothes. Mark explained to Noah how his car broke down and how he decided to walk to find a gas station, but was picked up by Luke who brought him here to stay.

"Is there anyone you can call in the morning to come and get you?" Noah asked.

"No. Unfortunately I ran away from home and I am not going back." Mark replied.

"I can understand completely what you are going through. My father tried to kill Luke after he found out that I was gay." Noah said.

Noah invited Luke to spend the night as he knew Luke was not expected home until the morning. Luke accepted the invitation, but not entirely for Noah. He wanted to make sure his new friend was ok and would stay awake the whole night to do so. He and Noah went to the closet and got some extra blankets and pillows. Luke placed a blanket and pillow for himself on the floor, and a blanket and pillow for Mark on the couch. The two of them went to the kitchen to make a cup of warm tea for Mark and talk.

Noah looked into Luke's eyes and with a soothing tone to his voice, he said,

"I love you so much Luke. I have never been able to express it like this, but you have this kindness about you that makes me proud to be your boyfriend."

Luke was really taken by surprise and was lost for words. He was rarely lost for words, so he did the only thing he could think of and grabbed Noah around the waist and pulled him in closer. As Noah stared into Luke's eyes and their gazes met each of them could feel their heartbeats racing. Luke and Noah both moved in closer to each other until their lips met. It was like magic, a magic they had not felt in a long time.

"I have missed you so much Noah." Luke said. "I have counted down the days that we would be together again like this."

Noah simply placed his finger on Luke's lips and moved in to lock lips in a further embrace. To Luke it seemed like an eternity of passion, but in reality it was over in short time. The further embrace lasted about two minutes. At this point the kettle started boiling and it was time to bring out the tea to Mark.

While Noah stayed in the kitchen to make something for them to eat, Luke walked out into the living room where he saw Mark wrapped in the blanket trying to keep warm. Tears were streaming down his face, but he was trying so hard to hide them. Luke noticed it immediately and sat down next to Mark.

"Are you ok? Do you want to talk?" He asked.

Mark looked over at Luke and saw the look of true concern on his face. He wondered why Luke cared so much. They barely knew each other and yet he extended both a hand of friendship and a place to stay for the night. Luke grabbed Mark's arm and reached his other arm around Mark. Mark sat there completely limp for a moment.

"What are you doing? Won't Noah be jealous?"

"I see that you are in pain and I'm trying to comfort you. Noah won't mind. He knows he's the only one for me."

At this thought Mark reached his arms around Luke and the two sat there for a couple minutes hugging. Tears began to pour down Marks cheek onto Luke's shoulder, but neither one of them moved. Mark had never had a friend do this for him and he appreciated it so much. Noah walked into the living room with a tray of food for them. It had three sliced chicken sandwiches and a bowl of soup for each of them. Mark and Luke unlocked from the hug and looked at the delicious tray of food. He placed the tray down on the nearest table and handed a bowl of soup and a sandwich to Mark. Mark began to scarf the sandwich down and then rather then use a spoon he drank the soup right from the bowl. He looked up from his food and noticed astonished looks on both Noah and Luke's faces. He simply shrugged and was back at it.

After everyone was finished Noah grabbed the empty plates and brought them to the kitchen. Luke got under his blanket on the floor and laid his head down on the pillow. He looked up at Mark who was lying on the couch looking down at Luke. Noah came back out from the kitchen and lay on the ground next to Luke, under the covers. While the two of them lay there keeping each other warm, Noah whispered into Luke's ear.

"I can't let Mark go out into the street tomorrow. I will talk with Ameera and I'm sure she will agree that he can stay here." Noah said.

Luke turned around and gave Noah a big hug. After that Noah got up to go back to his bedroom and explained that he would love more then anything to stay with Luke tonight, but he doesn't want Ameera to worry when she wakes up. Luke simply nodded and turned around while Noah walked off to the bedroom. Luke noticed that Mark was lying there looking up at the ceiling; his arm dangling out the side of the blanket.

"Can't sleep?" Luke asked.

"I'm trying." Mark replied, with a sound of worry coming from his voice. "What am I going to do Luke? I'm scared and I feel like my whole world has come apart."

Luke did not know what to say at this exact moment, so he simply reached his hand up to Marks and placed it on it. Mark immediately knew that he was in a safe place and fell almost instantly to sleep. Luke on the other hand was too worried to sleep, so he laid there and thought to himself about his situation with Noah and about his new friend and how they would help him. Finally an hour later he fell asleep.