Disclaimer: Still don't own ATWT.
Thank yous: To jumango, Gill, and sarahsezlove for reviews on the previous chapters. Thanks for reading!
Summary: In part four, Noah reacts to one very interesting discovery, and makes another.
Noah's mind reeled as he drank in the sight of the inked marking. "What the hell...?"
"That's what he said," Luke cracked, the black humor of the earlier incident finally reaching him.
Noah started. So Reid had gotten this far, only to see... this. A bizarre cornucopia of emotions swirled through Noah. An admittedly smug sense of victory, for one. A pang of jealousy that Reid had seen and touched this much of Luke. Something else that felt strangely like vindication. And even a tiny - albeit microscopic - cringe for what Reid Oliver must've felt to uncover that.
But especially, confusion. Noah had never seen this before. When they were a couple, they had never spoken of Luke acquiring such a... branding. Noah couldn't help the proprietary nature of the pride he felt at the sight before him. Soon enough, though, all other warring emotions waned, leaving what was by far the most dominant one to prevail: pure, unadulterated arousal.
Leaning forward, Noah brought his face down to the tattoo, darting his tongue out to draw a hot, wet path across it. Luke fell backwards against the sofa, his erection begging for contact. "Please, Noah...," he implored, frantically wanting the other man's touch where he needed it most.
Noah was in little better condition to prolong matters than Luke. Without further preamble, his tongue found its new target, licking a leisurely, tantalizing strip from base to tip, and prompting Luke to sob his name even louder. "NOAH!"
Luke squirmed uncontrollably as Noah's oral ministrations brought him to the brink. Noah then changed course, moving down to run his tongue along Luke's entrance. Luke had never used the word "please" more in the history of his life than he did now. Noah upped the ante further still, plunging his tongue inside Luke, causing the smaller man's hips to buck up off the couch.
The action caused Luke's buttocks to momentarily appear more fully in Noah's view. Astoundingly, Noah was sure he saw something there, too. Pausing in his attentions, he sat back up to look at Luke, the silent question in his eyes.
Wordlessly, Luke sat up, too, then stood in front of Noah. Color flooding his face, he slowly turned, bringing his bottom to Noah's eye level. Sucking in a sharp intake of breath, Noah brought his hands up, fingers slowly tracing the single word scripted across the bottom of each cheek.
On the left: Noah's
And the right: Playground
Within Noah, undeniable amusement battled with feral arousal. Thankfully, the latter kicked amusement's ass and took its name, reminding Noah he could laugh about this later, when there were less pressing matters to attend to. Now, Noah lowered his head, pressing a series of worshipful kisses to each unbelievable marking.
At the touch of Noah's lips, Luke's legs began to buckle. Noah wrapped both arms around Luke to hold him up. Taking his time, Noah completed his attentions to this newest discovery.
Sure he was going to collapse imminently even with Noah propping him up, Luke leaned forward, reaching his arms out to place his hands flat against the coffee table for support. Belatedly, he realized that he had effectively just bent over for Noah. The territorial growl he heard answering this thought signaled Noah's approval.
Luke's heart leapt in excitement as Noah moved to stand. Oh God, please yes, Luke begged silently. Listening to the obvious sounds of Noah's own pant removal behind him, Luke held his position until Noah leaned over him, his heated breath ghosting across Luke's ear, "Your jeans. Step out."
Blinking, Luke needed a moment to remember what the hell jeans were, and how one might go about stepping. Quickly, though, his brain processed the instructions, and his feet happily complied, practically leaping out of the pants pooled around his ankles. He heard Noah open an end table drawer next to the sofa, and looked over his shoulder to see his once-and-again boyfriend slicking himself up with the contents a small bottle.
Luke eagerly retook his prior position, standing bent over, palms resting against the coffee table, heady with delectable anticipation. He sensed Noah kneel behind him, an action confirmed when he felt a pair of hands pushing against his inner thighs, signaling Luke to spread his stance wider. Luke couldn't contain a small jump as Noah parted Luke's cheeks with his face, dispatching his tongue inside once more as he simultaneously stroked his own manhood.
When Noah withdrew the tongue to work in one coated digit, then another, Luke's head dropped forward at the acute stimulation. It had been so long, Luke tensed as a third finger made its way past his tight muscle. It was almost too much, but Luke endured the momentary discomfort, determined to have Noah inside of him now.
Voicing his needs, Luke pleaded, "Noah, please... I want..."
"What do you want, Luke?" Noah's tone was provocative, almost mocking. "Do you want me? Hmm? Do you want this?"
Removing his fingers, Noah slid the head of his slicked cock up and down against Luke's entrance. Luke pushed backwards in an unabashed effort to impale himself. "Yes... God yes bubby-"
In response to the affectionate endearment, Noah immediately thrust forward into Luke, causing both of them to gasp for breath. The force was such that Luke instantly fell onto his elbows. His fingernails grasped the edge of the table for purchase.
A rush of ecstasy zipped through Noah - not just at the uncontainable pleasure in his body, but especially the soaring elation in his heart. Only an hour ago, he'd been stewing in misery and regret at having lost Luke. Now, unbelievably, Luke was here with him, in every possible way. Noah vowed to himself that he wouldn't waste that miracle. He would never let go of Luke again.
Luke marveled at the almost unbearable joy of being with Noah again. In this moment, he was exactly where he was meant to be. The incredible physical connection to the love of his life reminded Luke that he'd been crazy to try and tell himself he could ever give this man up. He would never let go of Noah again.
With each hot, hard push into Luke's tight channel, the gratitude and relief that they were them again welled up within Noah. Tears threatened, but luckily Noah chose that moment to look down, watching his rock-hard erection disappear into Luke over and over. Beyond the usual erotic thrill that image brought, Noah was both humored and turned on even more by the words he could view with each exit thrust. Noah's Playground, indeed!
Spurred by the passion of their lovemaking, Luke begged Noah not to hold back. "Please... harder... fuck me, Noah!" Noah was only too happy to oblige, and increased the vigor and speed of his movements.
His fingers dug into Luke's hips, enabling Noah to slam more forcefully into his ardent lover. Luke gripped the table tighter as his feet began lifting off the ground with each powerful surge. With both men suspended on the precipice of a magnificent summit, Noah reached around Luke to stroke him, and together, they tumbled from the highest peak of unbridled bliss into the warmest depths of glorious completion.
At the intensity of sheer sensation, Noah's knees buckled. He slumped over Luke, causing Luke to collapse, too. They lay across the table chest-to-back for a few moments, catching their breath, each man reluctant to break their bodily link by moving. Arms wrapped around Luke's waist, holding him close, as if he was the rarest of treasures.
And to Noah, he was. Noah's lips pressed reverently into the crook of Luke's neck. Luke smiled at the palpable tenderness of the sweet action.
Though soon, he felt something new trail against his skin there. Luke's heart clenched as he realized it was moisture, and not from the residual sweat of their coupling. "Noah?" he questioned gently.
"Mmm hmm," Noah murmured softly, blinking to push back any additional tears that threatened to escape. Wistfully, he wished he could freeze he and Luke just as they were, and remain like this for eternity. Noah didn't want to leave the absolute perfection of this moment ever. He understood now, anything the outside world had to offer paled in comparison.
Still, he knew it couldn't be comfortable for Luke trapped against the solid tabletop. Noah pushed his upper body off of his boyfriend, then carefully (and regretfully) withdrew from him. Picking up the remains of his shirt, he lovingly ran it across Luke, wiping him clean.
Within the simplicity of the gesture, Luke felt wholly encompassed by Noah's love. The moment was a dawn of realization. Luke turned, his eyes meeting those belonging to his past, present, and unquestionably, his future.
"I always thought you pushed me away because you didn't love me enough," Luke began.
Immediately, Noah shook his head vehemently. "No! Luke, you can't believe... I'm so sorry that I ever made you think that!"
Luke gave him a bittersweet smile. "I know... I know that now."
Sighing in relief, Noah still wanted to explain. "I just couldn't... if I never got my sight back, that's the way it would've had to be. That would've been my life, for the rest of my life. And I didn't think it would be fair for you to have that life sentence, too!"
"It wasn't fair to you, either!" Luke asserted, cringing at the memory of the accident that nearly took Noah's sight for good... and worse, Noah.
"But I would've been stuck with it. You didn't have to be. I wanted better for you!"
Biting his lower lip at the enormity of the love swelling in his heart, Luke raised his arms around Noah's neck, joining his hands to rest them there. "Sometimes, you're an idiot," he said, his mouth twisting into a mischievous smirk.
"Hey!" Noah feigned annoyance, but on this point, he couldn't legitimately disagree.
"Don't you know by now that nothing is better for me than you? Nothing ever could be," Luke declared, his voice thick with emotion.
Now the corner of Noah's lips quirked up. "And no one?"
Underneath the teasing nature of the statement, Luke registered the hint of insecurity that revealed the true importance of the question.
"Absolutely...," Luke began, kissing the side of Noah's face. "Positively," he continued, kissing the other side. "No one," he went on, kissing the tip of Noah's nose. "EVER," he concluded, pressing a firm kiss against Noah's lips.
More than satisfied with that answer, Noah finally stood. He extended his hands towards Luke, helping him from the floor. Then Noah reclined on the sofa, pulling Luke atop him so they could lay together. With the body heat of their coupling fading, Noah pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped them both in it, longing to cocoon Luke within his warmth and love forever.
Soon, though, the spectacular events of the evening played through his mind. Noah snickered as the glaring question he hadn't addressed reasserted itself in his thoughts.
"When did you...," Noah's voice trailed off, still struggling to comprehend what had prompted such a... drastic move by Luke. "Why?"
Luke looked down, not excited to relate this particular story. More importantly, however, he wanted no secrets between them. "I almost slept with Reid," he began quietly.
"I know," Noah confirmed, still perplexed.
"No, before tonight," Luke corrected. "It was... after your surgery."
Noah balked, but recovered quickly. "So, wait. After my surgery, you almost slept with Reid and got tattoos?"
Luke nodded, embarrassed.
"Remind me never to leave you alone for too long," Noah quipped, relaxing Luke with his patience and humor.
"After what happened... I felt guilty. Like I had almost cheated on you or something."
Noah shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong. You weren't mine anymore, Luke," Noah admitted. He didn't want Luke berating himself when Luke had been the one fighting to keep them together.
"I know, but I felt like I was. I didn't want to accept that things could be so different, that I really had to start over without you. And to top it off, you were fighting for your life, and I realized I could really lose you forever."
Luke sighed. "I went a little crazy, I guess. Getting those tattoos - that was me fighting it all - everything that was happening to us. A tattoo is permanent. Even if you try to remove it, you can see the outline where it was. I felt like by getting one, I was telling the world to fuck off - that you and I belong to each other no matter what!"
Noah loved that thought, but couldn't help pointing out, "You got three."
"The better to prove my point," Luke returned.
"Ok. I like that." Luke heard the 'but' before Noah said it. "But, you got them there. And, they don't exactly say, Luke plus Noah..."
Luke loved that Noah knew him so damn well. Except for when he hated that Noah knew him so damn well. Like now.
"Fine!" Luke huffed in aggravation. "This is gonna be one of those things you don't really wanna know, though."
Noah answered, "I kinda figured. Just do it quickly, like you pull off a Band-Aid."
Luke's face scrunched up. "What? I don't pull off a Band-Aid quickly! That would hurt!"
"Stop stalling."
"All right! I got those because I was afraid... that I wouldn't be able to stop the next time! That I would really go through with it - being with someone else. Even tonight; if I hadn't had those earlier I don't know for sure what would've-"
"OKAY!" Noah cut him off. He never knew he'd one day be sending prayers of grateful thanks to a tattoo artist, but he sure as hell was now. Then, what Luke said really sunk in. "So, wait. Oh my God. You got tattooed so you couldn't sleep with anyone else?"
"Geez," Luke said in faux exasperation. "You explained that a lot faster. We should've just went with your version in the first place."
"Luke," Noah answered, completely serious now. "I can't believe it. I cannot believe you!"
For once, Luke couldn't read Noah, so didn't know whether this was a good or bad thing until Noah raised his hands to cradle Luke's face within them. "I don't deserve you." As Luke moved to object, Noah continued, "Don't worry. I'm over the misguided selfless thing. If I go blind again and deaf and dumb besides, you're stuck with me. Got it?"
Luke beamed in approval. "You're stuck with me too, mister. I'm glad you know it!" He lowered his head to rest it against Noah's shoulder, fully prepared to snuggle in against his boyfriend for the night. Or the century. Whichever.
Until his eyes caught sight of the suitcases across the room. Luke couldn't stop his body from tensing as his stomach lurched. Noah was leaving for Los Angeles tomorrow morning!