Luke's Love

by Eddifer

Sometimes love has nothing to do with being gay or straight. Sometimes, love has everything to do with finding all the qualities you could ever want in one person, despite their gender.

Rated: PG

Rated: PG
Summary: Sometimes love has nothing to do with being gay or straight. Sometimes, love has everything to do with finding all the qualities you could ever want in one person, despite their gender. Love holds no boundaries, which is one of the most beautiful things about it. Anyway, this is a lot like Noah's Love, except it's in Luke's point of view. You learn a bit more about Luke's past, though nothing is really spelled out.
Characters: Luke
Genres: Romance
Timeline: Present
Warnings: Alternate Universe
Disclaimer: Luke, Noah, and all related characters, plots, and locations are property of Procter & Gamble Productions and CBS Television. No profit is made from this fan creation. No copyright infringement is intended!

"I don't mind, waiting here. I know you're coming even though the others laugh, I hear. Though I'm not one, to give up. We said forever, so I'm standing here. I'm standing here."

Love at first sight. To nine year old Luke Snyder, the words sounded completely unrealistic and alien...an event that occurred only in fairy tales. He fully disregarded the idea that you could meet eyes with someone and automatically decide that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with them. The idea that you laid eyes on the object of your infection, and you felt a profound emotion, indescribable with words. The entire concept just seemed incredibly illogical and childish to him. Which made watching any Disney "Princess" movies disastrously and mind-blowingly painful. It was the same shallow concept for every single movie, in his eyes. Boy meets girl. Boy falls head over heels in love with girl. Girl falls madly in love with boy. They got married and moved to an enormous castle where they lived happily ever after. They never had to deal with the true hardships of life, such as getting-and keeping-a job, school shootings, criminals, etc. They never unwillingly lost their virginity, or had to suffer through unwanted touches and unheard protests. It made Luke want to puke, though he couldn't help but be somewhat envious at how the characters always seemed to get what they wanted. His heart panged with jealousy at how oblivious the fairy tale characters were to the problems lying outside of their own little worlds.

By the time Luke was ten, he'd come to terms with his own belief by observing movies, shows, and the way his mom seemed to constantly change boyfriends. He didn't believe in love at first sight, though he was willing to believe in "lust" at first sight, something he felt his mom was constantly suffering from.

He fully prepared himself to spend the rest of his life alone. He was aware that he came across as cold and weird and distant to his peers, and because of that, he was often alone. Not that he minded. He didn't want to become too close to anyone anyway, because if there was one thing he'd learned growing up, it was that it was the people closest to you that could hurt you the most. And he couldn't stand the idea of being betrayed. Not again. Besides, he didn't want to befriend any of the people surrounding him anyway, the shallow brinks of their minds preventing them from accepting anything different. Instead of sulking at how uneasily he was accepted by his peers, Luke chose to build himself a wall, surrounding his mind and preventing anyone from getting too close.

When Luke turned eleven, he found everything changing, including the thoughts he had previously so strongly believed in, because...he met Noah Mayer. The very first time he laid eyes on him, Luke felt his entire world tilt so much it was nearly upside down. The rest of the world around him became a blur, barely noticeable, and he felt dizzy and unbalanced. His heart rate increased so much that it felt like it would burst out of his chest, and he wondered briefly if anyone else could hear his heart beating, because it was pulsing loudly in his ears. He felt overheated, and his palms were sweaty, despite the cool breeze outside.

And then, all of sudden he felt himself falling, the rest of the world getting darker as a pair of strong arms broke his fall, surrounding him in a pleasant warmth. He looked up dazed, and found himself meeting a warm gaze laced with genuine concern, and another emotion Luke couldn't put his fingers on. The eyes were an intense blue, twinkling mischievously, yet still managing to look soft...welcoming...sweet. God, Luke wanted so badly to get lost in those eyes.

The eyes looked Luke up and down, appearing to read right through him, as if he was transparent. The strong arms supporting him tightened around his back, and he leaned closer, drinking in the sweet warmth he felt just by being held. The boy asked if he was alright, but Luke could merely nod, his throat too closed to talk. The boy started to pull away, but Luke tugged on the bottom of the boy's shirt, pulling them close again and surprising them both. The boy let out a soft gasp before his arms once again tightened around Luke.

For whatever reason, Luke felt overwhelmed by the myriad of emotions stringing through him. He felt happy and light, as if he was floating through the sky, untouchable by anything through the field of strength surrounding hum. He felt completely free and safe for the first time in his life, and he openly welcomed the feelings. In his head, he pictures several bricks falling out of his wall, just by this tall boy standing in front of it, his intense gaze trying to read beyond the wall.

And then he found himself wondering why he felt so safe and untouchable in the arms of this stranger, who he'd known for less than three minutes. Why this one boy had somehow made him experience so many emotions in such a short amount of time. Why he suddenly wanted to forget his past and move forward, taking on the rest of the world with just this stranger by his side.

As realization dawned into him, he felt a wave of fear go through his body, sending a shiver up his spine. Suddenly, he felt incredibly vulnerable. A part of him wanted so badly to push the boy away and run as fast as he could, never looking back. But a bigger part of him didn't want to leave the safety of the boy's arms. A bigger part of him didn't want to forget any of the feelings his body had recently been put through.

As the conflict of his thoughts ran back and forth in his mind, Luke felt tears prick his eyes, threatening to spill out and reveal his thoughts. He instantly pulled away from the boy, turning around so the boy could see only Luke's back. He discreetly wiped his tears with the palm of his hand, leaving wet stains on his cheeks. The boy touched Luke's shoulders and gently turned him so they were once again facing each other. New tears threatened to spill out, and Luke desperately wanted to scream and curse at himself. The boy said nothing though, instead reaching up and using his thumbs to wipe away the new tears parading down Luke's face. His face tingled from every spot the boy's finger touched, and Luke wrapped his arms tightly around the boy's neck, wanting to be engulfed in the warmth again. He buried his face in the crook of the boy's neck, breathing in his scent. The boy's arms once again tightened around Luke, crushing their bodies together. Luke felt another shiver run up his spine, but this time he knew fear wasn't the cause. He didn't know how long they stood embracing each other, but it seemed like an eternity passed before Luke gently pulled away from the boy, giving a shaky smile.

"I should go..." he said, his voice sounding hoarse and quiet to his ears. He turned around slowly, secretly hoping the boy would attempt to stop him. He didn't get very far before a strong hand grasped his wrist, preventing him from walking further away. He turned his body to face the boy's once again, funding that he suddenly felt cold and naked without the boy's arms surrounding him. They stood staring at each other, the boy's hold on Luke's wrist tightening with every passing second. Neither of them said a word, and after a while, the silence seemed to hang around them, making the air heavy.

"Noah Mayer," the boy said, finally releasing Luke's wrist. He gave a bashful smile, his teeth shimmering as brightly as the glint in his eyes. Luke swallowed the lump forming in his throat before giving a small bashful smile of his own and offering his own name. They stood silent once again, merely staring at each other, but this time...it didn't feel uncomfortable. The mood was broken when Luke suddenly cleared his throat. "I really should go now..." He turned around again, but had only walked a few feet away before he felt his feet propelling him back towards the direction of Noah. He threw himself into Noah's arms, nearly knocking them both down. He moved his mouth to Noah's ear, his fingers resting on his shoulders. "Thank you..." he softly whispered before tenderly kissing Noah's cheek, allowing his lips to linger on the area. He felt his face burn and he quickly turned around, breaking into a full-out run. He felt too embarrassed to look at Noah's face for his reaction.

For a long time after that first encounter, Luke tried desperately to distance himself from Noah, but fate always seemed to throw them together. The truth was, he was terrified of Noah. He made Luke feel things he had never imagined experiencing. He made Luke feel so safe just by being near him, and Luke shivered at the though that one person had the ability to do that to him. One person had that much control over him. And he feared falling anymore in love with him.

Instead, he did everything he could to make Noah despise him, including calling Noah degrading names, purposely trying to hurt him with words. When that failed, he tried physically trying to hurt Noah to help him get the message, but Noah was either really stupid or really persistent. Noah had stuck by Luke's side, taking everything Luke threw at him with a smile. Eventually, Luke grew tired of trying to hurt Noah and decided to take a risk, allowing himself to grow close to Noah. Over the course of three years, he found he and Noah could easily label themselves as best friends. But somewhere between the daily sleepovers, movie nights, long walks to the beach or park, guitar lessons, holidays spent at each other's homes, time spent exploring each other's bodies, and pointless arguments, Luke realized he'd fallen even more hopelessly in love with Noah. This would've scared him, but he realized by the way Noah was so tender and loving towards him, and the way Noah loved to kiss him gently, their lips molding together as they got lost in their own world...that Noah loved him just as strongly.

For whatever reason, Noah accepted all of Luke's weird behaviors and quirks. He didn't judge him, and he didn't pretend to know all about Luke. He was honest, calm, patient, and for some reason he insisted on staying by Luke's side, despite how moody and easily irritated Luke tended to get.

One time, Noah had slept over at Luke's house. They'd ran out of things to say, so they laid peacefully in Luke's bed, staring at each other. Out of the blue, Luke's curiosity got the best of him, and he asked Noah what he thought of him. Noah had blinked in surprise before admitting that he thought Luke was breathtakingly beautiful, smart, funny, and to sum it all up...perfect. Luke's eyes had widened in astonishment and he immediately blurted out if Noah thought he was weird. Noah had merely laughed, before stating that, while Luke was different from most people, Noah didn't find him weird at all, though he did find Luke interesting and compelling. When Luke looked doubtful, Noah pulled him closer and gently kissed the top of his head. Luke cuddled close to him, and he couldn't help but believe that Noah meant every single word.

Sometimes, when he and Noah were all alone, he wanted so desperately to be held and feel loved, and he'd lay his his head on Noah's shoulder or reach out and grab his hand. He'd hold his breath as he waited for Noah to react. Noah reacted every single time, whether it was wrapping his arms around Luke's body, or interlocking their fingers. They never exchanged words or looks, and it was never necessary. All Luke wanted--all he needed--was Noah by his side.

Though, things still weren't perfect. Sometimes, memories from the past would cloud Luke's mind and he'd burst out crying, almost near hyperventilating as his shoulders shook uncontrollably. He hated that he couldn't forget his past. No matter what, the memories were etched into his mind, unwilling to allow him to move on. He hated talking, much less thinking about the past, and blew up at Noah whenever he questioned him about it. Eventually, Noah stopped trying to force Luke's past out of him. Instead, every time Luke started crying, Noah would embrace him tightly, cradling him until he fell asleep. All the while, Noah never stopped whispering soothing words in his ear. And Luke fell more and more in love with Noah every time.

Sometimes, Noah was just as stubborn as Luke when it came to refusing to back down from arguments. In reality, they were opposites, and because of that, they never saw eye-to-eye. Sometimes, they would start screaming at each other, and Noah would call Luke names. Luke always felt as if Noah had purposely taken a knife and stabbed Luke right in the heart, each word cutting him deeply. And Luke would burst out crying at how much it burned. They always made up within a day. Noah would hold him tightly and shower his face with kisses, kissing everything from his forehead to his lips, gently stealing Luke's breath away. And Luke couldn't help but forgive him every time, because the truth was, he couldn't live, let alone breath, without Noah near him.

From time to time, Luke wondered if Noah realized that he held Luke's heart. Soon after that, he would start worrying that Noah would decide that he didn't want to posses such a heavy object, and he'd choose to return Luke's heart, or even stomp on it, shattering it into hundreds of pieces. What if he couldn't put it back together after that, or the pieces didn't fit together anymore? Every time, he'd take a deep breath, exhaling all his doubts and worries. He wanted to take a risk and trust Noah with his heart, even if there was a chance he'd eventually get hurt. He was willing to risk it all, because he loved Noah too much to let him go. Besides, he knew he had Noah's heart too, and he never planned on releasing it.

Love at first sight. To sixteen year old Luke Snyder, the words sounded...magical...beautiful...full-filling. An event that could happen to anyone open-minded to the idea. Noah had long ago fully succeeded in single-handedly tearing down Luke's wall. And he alone meant more to Luke than he ever could have imagined. He was Luke's best friend, his lover, his sole comfort, his strength, his happiness, his...everything. And he accepted that. Nothing made him feel more blessed than knowing that he could always hold out his hand, and his everything would grab hold of it, interlocking their fingers and chaining them together. That he could lean back, and his everything would be right behind him, waiting to catch him if he fell. That he could try to run away if he ever felt afraid, and his everything would block the way, preventing him from cowarding away. Instead, his everything would take his hands in his, opting they face things together.

He felt blessed to know firsthand...that love at first sight really did exist.

"And I don't mind. You would never leave me behind. If you break, I'll break too. When you're lonely, I'll hold on to you. See you closer now, but I won't give up now. I'm gonna fight, for you tonight. Close your eyes."