"So call me as soon as you reach LA…have a safe flight", Luke whispered into his ear, as Noah held him close.

Noah nodded, his throat too constricted to speak, and let go of Luke. The hug somehow didn't feel right for him, not when Luke only wanted him as a friend, and not when Noah couldn't make his stupid heart strong enough to accept the fact that the only slot left for Noah in Luke's life anymore was that of a friend.

Friends. Yeah. Luke wanted to be Noah's friend. After three years of being his everything, Luke wanted Noah to move on, to not feel a pang of jealousy so sharp whenever he saw Luke with Reid, to smile and say thanks to the good doctor for saving his life.

Try as he might, Noah couldn't do that. Not move on from Luke.

So here he was, at the airport, his boarding pass and passport clutched tightly in one hand, and Luke's hand in the other, unwilling to let go of anyone of them, but knowing that for the sake of his sanity and his bleeding heart, he had to.

"So I'll see you around, Luke. Take care"

He let go.

"No-

But Noah's back was already turned, and he willed himself not to look back.

There he stood now; facing the other two, at one vertex of the triangle, his eyes locked with Luke's amber ones. Out of the corner of his eye, he could just make out Oliver's eyes flitting back and forth from him to Luke, his mouth curled up into something like a cross between a sneer and a smirk. The result was that he looked pretty comical, and Noah had to suppress a smile

"He is jealous", Noah thought, a smirk adorning his own face now, as he turned to give Reid a little once-over before fixing his eyes back on Luke. He took a deep breath.

"Luke"

"Noah"

"So I take it your sight hasn't been giving you any trouble? No pain, irritation, whatsoever?

"Reid"-Luke began.

Reid Oliver's smirk-sneer cross turned into a full-blown smile as he surveyed Noah once again.

"All right, I'm going home Luke, don't be out too late. And see you around, Mayer." Reid said, pulling Luke into a tight hug. He then slowly walked away from them, his smirk, almost like armor, firmly back in place.

"Bye Reid."

Noah watched, with mounting anger his diminishing back sink into the crowd.

"Even after all this while, that guy thinks he's better than me", he seethed. He couldn't help that old flare of jealousy slowly starting its way in a distant corner of his being, something which he'd been wrong to assume that Reid felt. Far from being jealous, he was so secure and sure that he'd left his boyfriend alone with his ex.

Which was not what Noah had expected at all.

Central Park was easily New York's best attraction for Noah. He loved the vibrancy and the sheer life about the place, filled with couples, little children and friends catching up with one another.

So when Luke suggested that they go somewhere to catch up, Central Park was what had sprung to the forefront of Noah's mind.

He wondered if he should regret the decision.

Sitting in one of the many benches lining the perimeter of the park, they had not spoken much, just stealing occasional glances at each other. It was weird for Noah, though he supposed it must be even more so for Luke, who generally couldn't shut up even if his life depended upon it.

Beautiful, vivacious, chatty Luke. He couldn't believe he was sitting next to him after all this time.

"So what brings you here, Noah?" Luke asked, a small smile tweaking his bow shaped lips.

Breaking from his stupor, Noah muttered, "Um, I'm shooting here for my movie actually"

Luke's smile broadened."Noah, that's great. How long are you staying?"

We'll be here for a couple more days, and then back to LA."

Noah cleared his throat. "So, what brings you here? You're, um- are you visiting or something? When did he move here?"

Luke looked at him. "We moved here about an year back."

"We?"

"That's right. I moved out of the farm and came out here with Reid. I'm with The New York Times now, book critic and special correspondent."

Holy crap.

"You should come to our place, if you have the time, I mean."

Yeah right.

As if sensing what had been going on within his mind, Luke fell silent.

"So how's everyone back home?" Noah asked, even though he'd spoken with Lily on the phone only the previous week.

"Like you don't know. Last I heard, I'm the only Snyder with whom you have no correspondence", Luke said sharply. He seemed to regain some of his character back with the retort.

"Luke..I", Noah god. This was going so well in the wrong direction. He didn't think Luke would understand if he tried to explain. His throat constricted again.

"Noah, I'm sorry….it's okay, All right? Let's just forget about this, there's no point in addressing this", Luke said.

Noah breathed again.

"Fine by me"

Luke smiled, and cocked his head to one side, openly scrutinizing Noah. It was making him feel weird again.

"What"?

"California's been good to you, look…,"there was that head tilt again, "even better than I remember."

"Thanks, Luke"

"You can return the compliment too, you know"

Noah laughed, the tension in his body easing up a , he had forgot how easily Luke could make him crack up.

"Well then-Luke, New York's been good to you. You look even better than I remember."

Luke laughed even harder.

Noah smiled again, "No, really, you really do look good.I mean it."

Luke smiled that mischievous smile again, and poked him slightly in the ribs.

"So how about it, Mayer? Got any hotshot guy who has swept you off your feet yet?" he asked. "There must be," Luke added, on a more serious note, "a guy like you…and it's been over two years…,"Luke trailed off.

There. The pink elephant had finally been addressed.

"There is, Luke.I have found the guy."