Noah's breath was hot on the skin of Luke's neck. His hands lay flat against Luke's belly, radiating heat, making all the muscles in his torso quiver at the touch. To Luke, his smell was pungently narcotic, a drug to every sense of him.

The soft thud of the horse's hooves became almost hypnotic and Luke could feel Noah snoozing against his back. The path had long since led them into the woods, where the cluster of tall Oaks stood proudly to attention like rows of disciplined soldiers greeting the return of their sergeant.

Here and there spots of moon and starlight broke through the canopy above creating dreamlike pools of haze underfoot; lighting their way like natural torches and, periodically, an icy wind would whip through the trees with a flutter and scraping of leaves and branches, forcing both men to draw up their shoulders and huddle closer for warmth.

The only other sound besides those of the forest and the clip clop of hooves was the occasional satisfied snort of the horse.

As they ventured deeper into the forest Noah lifted his head, becoming aware of sparks of shimmering light emerging between breaks in the trunks up ahead. Luke smiled and continued to lead the horse in that direction, the lights becoming brighter and brighter until eventually they broke through the underbrush and into a small clearing, where a tiny log cabin sat against the backdrop of trees.

Luke had been there ahead of time. He'd filled a number of brown paper bags with soil, firmly plugging the centre of each one with long white candles, thus creating his own makeshift lanterns. They were mesmerising in the simplicity of their design and formed a path to the door of the cabin.

"Wow, Luke, this is…"

"Shh..." And Luke turned on the horse to place a few fingers to Noah's mouth, "No talking…" He drew his hands slowly and softly along Noah's lips watching captivated. Noah was just about to fall deeply into Luke's eyes, dark in the light of night, when Luke turned and hopped off the horse pulling the animal forward and tying the reigns to a nearby tree.

"Good boy!" he placated, slipping a carrot from his pocket and handing it to Tanner as Noah slid down. On the ground under the tree a rough and large army style blanket laid waiting and Luke used it to cover the back and rump of the horse.

Noah turned to Luke who smiled at him and took his hand, drawing him up the candlelit path to the door of the cabin. Noah paused before entering, lifting Luke's chin, and kissing him quick and deep leaving him dizzy, feeling drunk, as though he'd just finished off an entire bottle of spirits by himself. When Noah drew back Luke opened the door and pulled him inside.

The interior of the cabin was small with just a bed and fireplace. Luke had earlier made the bed up with fresh linen and decorated a few surfaces with more of the homemade lanterns.

"What is this place?" Noah asked in amazement as they both removed their coats.

"Dad built it when he was sixteen." Luke stretched out his hand to take Noah's coat and he draped it along with his own over the only chair in the room. "It was his escape from the family, you know? The way teenagers sometimes want their own space."

And as Luke hugged him Noah whispered "It's perfect..."

...

Luke's grandmother's farm was awesome! There were no words to describe the openness, the homeliness of the place. It made him feel like he belonged there, even though he had never set foot on the property before.

Noah felt like he was dosed up on some euphoric drug and now he was dreaming. He put it down to the heat of the night and the cooling swim in the crystal clear water of the pond.

And then there was Luke!

He knew Luke had feelings for him and he should probably give the guy space, but he found it impossible to stay away. He wanted to be Luke's friend. Luke was just so easy. And he was surprised at how, suddenly and unexpectedly given this opportunity to spend time alone with him, he felt like they had known each other since birth. He'd already told Luke things he never told anybody before. It felt oddly right to tell him. He knew somehow that Luke would understand, wouldn't judge (would provide comfort?).

And he had just discovered how much Luke could make him laugh. He'd had few moments in his life when he'd laughed so much his stomach actually burned in pain, but Luke's joke's were quick and their conversations seemed naturally laced in friendly banter. He felt relaxed around Luke.

He felt like he could be himself.

He was having fun! He hadn't had so much fun with another person for… actually he couldn't remember ever having so much fun.

"That was awesome!" Noah sang as they ran back into the kitchen still in suimsuits, wet and refreshed from their swim, "Who need's A.C. when you have your own pond?"

"Yeah!" Agreed Luke, "But it makes me really hungry! But luckily my grandmother keeps this fridge stocked!" and he patted the top of it like it was the best thing in existence.

He opened the door and began to extract item after item, "Look, look! Secret recipe chicken wings," and he pointed at those after placing them on the counter, "Very good! Three bean salad! Corn! Um, fresh tomatoes!" He closed the fridge with one hand, "Honeydew melon!" and he gave the round object a quick pat, "What looks good?"

Noah laughed at his enthusiasm, "Um, all of it!"

As Luke walked back around the counter Noah suddenly became aware of how much water they had traipsed into the house (and how much water dripped down his chest?).

"Hey dude!" he exclaimed throwing Luke a towel, "We're making a flood in here!"

"Awww! That doesn't matter!" insisted Luke throwing the towel back to him without a care in the world.

"Oh yeah?" Noah asked and teasingly whipped Luke with it.

"Whaw!" exclaimed Luke good naturedly quickly grabbing the other end of the towel and trying to wrestle it back.

They play fought back and forth laughing, until Luke put all his back into it, so much so that his pull on the towel brought Noah stumbling forward and he landed chest to chest with Luke.

Time literally stood still, as though they'd been suddenly thrown into a jar of paraldehyde…

Noah wanted… Luke was so… and he felt so… he wanted to… he wanted to…

...

Luke had this way of looking up and down from Noah's eyes to his lips and back again that always caused a heat to build up in Noah's lower half. This heat would double ten fold when, inevitably, Luke's mouth would drop open and his chest would start to bob up and down as he breathed through it. It was a rich but subtle movement… so unbelievably seductive it always amazed Noah how Luke didn't even know he was doing it.

Usually by this point Luke would almost in perceptively bend his head to the right so that when Noah moved in for a kiss his lips would fit perfectly against those supple ones and Luke's mouth would already be invitingly open for Noah to lap up his tongue. These kisses never started slow! By the time Noah's mouth met Luke's he would be so hot for the other man he'd loose all control and the kiss would be explosive.

Usually under these circumstances things would escalate quickly to love making, but not this time. With obvious difficulty Luke pulled back from Noah leaving him paused in mid-kiss, his eyes still closed. He opened them disappointed and confused by the sudden loss. Luke smiled at him, stealing his breath.

"Sit down." Luke pulled him over to the bed and Noah sat, watching as he set to work lighting the kindling in the fireplace. He crouched before the tiny pile of smouldering wood, a wisp of smoke rising up like incense. Once he had the kindling well lit, he began to gently lay fresh sticks on the fire, building it patiently until it was hot enough to begin adding the larger logs. A burning twig snapped with heat, spurting sparks into the air like fireflies, which drifted down, blinking out before they touched the floor.

The atmosphere felt suddenly full of magic and enchantment.

Luke stood then and stretched himself, powerful shoulders rising dark against the candlelight behind him. As he removed his shirt, Noah watched as his arm muscles flexed with that certain grace and power only Luke seemed to possess. Noah found himself breathless at the striking sight of him, his blonde hair gleaming smooth in the firelight.

Passion burned deep inside him as Luke approached, hands extended, and Noah interlaced them instinctively. As he did Luke pulled him up to standing and then reached down to slide his hands under his shirt, sliding them up and across his shoulders until he trembled with desire. Luke's hands came flat against Noah's chest, feeling for the indentations around his nipples. Noah stood, hardly breathing as Luke knelt down to unbuckle the belt around his hips, undo the button and the zip of his jeans, and pull the starchy blue fabric from Noah's legs.

Noah bent down to lift Luke upwards so that he could kiss him. It was a long and lingering kiss and eventually Noah couldn't resist allowing his hands to roam down Luke's firm upper body, until his fingers found a way to free Luke from his own pair of jeans. While he stepped out of them, Noah whipped his shirt off and then pulled the blonde onto the bed so that they lay naked, skin to skin beside the flames.

He let out a deep breath of want as Luke pulled him firmly to him, crushing him suddenly against his chest; and he could feel that Luke was more than ready for him too; that powerful love and attraction between them, driving them forward.

Their legs twined comfortably together and Noah ran his hand up through Luke's hair, distracted suddenly as the strands shifted beautiful and golden under his fingers. He felt Luke's eyes on him as his hand stroked his chin but he was unable to look away from Luke's hair and he bent to sniff at the honey scented waves before eventually lifting his head to stare deeply into the chocolate brown of Luke's eyes. He watched as the firelight danced in their depths and felt the electric touch of Luke's hand as it slipped down from his navel to take hold of his throbbing hardness, making him sigh and jerk slightly.

They spent ages like that, smelling, touching, adoring; delicately kissing every inch of flesh, until Noah held Luke by his hips and rolled slowly on top of him. As his lips took Luke's, sucking Luke's tongue into his mouth, Noah stretched his right hand down and used his fingers on him so that Luke moaned into the kiss, breathing hard through his nose as Noah explored every cavity of him. God it felt good! It felt so good being close to Luke, smelling that distinct scent of him… wanting him… having him…

Noah's mouth left Luke's to find the deep and soft hollow between his neck and shoulder, which he nuzzled as he entered him with a deep and resonant groan of pleasure, closing the boundary of air between them. He waited there, licking, nibbling and kissing at the smooth skin of Luke's lower lip, relishing that moment of joining for as long as he was able.

"I love you!" he whispered into Luke's ear, his own auditory canal filled with the delightful sound of Luke's panting as he waited, patiently, for Noah to start moving inside of him. Noah felt as Luke's hands, flesh-hot against his skin, explored his back and buttocks, squeezing and periodically pushing down on him, encouraging their bodily connection even closer together.

After a few more moments simply enjoying the feel of Luke around him, Noah moved out, almost fully and then slowly re-entered, expelling another breath and being rewarded by a loud and pleasurable "arhg" from Luke.

It was a slow, dreamy and peaceful form of love making; weighted heavy in breath and feeling. There had been few of these moments since the arrival of Nicholas, who would often wake at night in search of them, and for that reason they wanted to savour it. The act for them was far more about their closeness and their love for each other then their need for natural sexual release. Luke's body was Noah's as much as Noah's was Luke's.

Noah felt Luke's foot curl around his leg, locking them together even more tightly, so that when they finally erupted, it was as a single heartbeat.

The fire crackled softly to itself, casting red and yellow lights on the wooden walls of the cabin. They lay in silent peace, hands gently stroking skin, no longer sure whose limbs were whose, laying in tangled drowsiness.

...

Sometime near morning; the fire now reduced but still providing them with a warm glow and two or three of the candles still flickering; Noah woke with a deep intake of satisfied air. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and lifted himself on one elbow, resting his chin against his hand, so that he could watch Luke sleeping. His eyes roamed around the cabin. The sun had not quite risen but there was now natural light available and Noah could make out far more than he could during the night.

One of the things he noticed up behind them made him chuckle. It was a glass sweet jar that sat on a small shelf above the headboard and he stretched up to pull the item down to the bed. Luke stirred at the movement and opened his eyes, yawning up at Noah with the back of one hand over his mouth.

"Hi!" he croaked with his morning voice.

"Morning baby…" Noah replied, bending over the jar between them to kiss Luke on the lips. "Thank you for last night. It was amazing. You're amazing."

"You deserved it! I couldn't ask for a more perfect person than you, Noah. You've been so patient about everything."

They kissed again and Luke became aware of the jar in Noah's hands. He laughed when he saw it. "I see you found Natalie's present."

"Yes I did." smiled Noah, "It looked a little out of place and I couldn't resist checking it out!"

"Liar! You just fancied yourself some morning candy right!"

Noah giggled in the back of his throat, "Okay… you got me!"

The jar was filled to the brim with pastel coloured alphabet candy. Luke shifted up in the bed, leaning against the headboard. He pulled the large jar over to himself and popped the lid.

"Not a very healthy breakfast!" Noah admitted with a laugh, staring at Luke from his propped up position on his elbow.

Luke fed him one and then grinned with a sudden look of mischievousness, "How's your spelling?"

"What?"

"Spell…" Luke instructed and he withdrew a letter from the jar.

"I" said Noah.

Luke nodded, letting Noah know he was playing the game correctly. Then he dipped back into the jar, searching, and one by one withdrew the letters as Noah spelled them out.

"L…"

"O…" Noah giggled again.

"V…"

"E…" Noah felt his smile broaden with each letter Luke removed.

"Y…"

"O…"

Luke shook the jar vigorously and pulled out the next letter.

"U…"

The withdrawn candy lay in a pile on the bedding between them and during the course of the spelling Noah would pop one in his mouth, crunching the tiny objects between his teeth.

"I love you too Luke." He laughed, his eyes sparkling with relaxed joy and contentment.

Luke leaned over and treated himself to a sticky and sickly sweet kiss from Noah.

"Mmm!" Luke hummed, "You taste real good!"

Noah licked his lips as Luke moved back to his seated position. They stared deeply at each other for some time and then Luke's expression changed, becoming suddenly more serious… contemplative… and Noah instantly took note. He was just about to ask about it when Luke extracted another letter and held it up.

"M…" Noah chanted like a child in school, smiling as the game started again.

"A…" he continued.

Luke rooted around in the jar for a few minutes, turning it on its side to find the next letter he wanted and then eventually he held up a blue one.

"R..." at this letter Noah faulted slightly as his heart began to beat harder. He lifted his eyes to meet Luke's with a question and swallowed visibly as he read the answer in their depths. By the time Luke lifted the next letter Noah was no longer looking at the candy in his hand, he didn't need too, Luke's eyes, burning with a powerful intensity, said everything.

"R…" his voice had become a whisper.

Luke was slower to reveal the next letter.

"Y…" Noah released a slight hitch as he drew breath.

Luke's eyes remained fixed and serious and he nodded slightly, holding up the next letter.

"M…" Noah struggled now, he started to cry, his breath shuddering but his eyes never once wavering from Luke's.

"E…" As he said the last letter he finally allowed his eyes to lower and he stared intently at the mixed up pile of letters between them. A violent shot of air escaped his lungs.

He felt sure he would die from the level of raw emotion flowing through him. He felt suddenly and strangely exposed, chilled and vulnerable; stripped in one go of the warmth and assurance he had felt just a moment before. He moved slowly and sat up in the bed, hugging his knees slightly to stay upright.

"I want you Noah." Luke said from behind him. "I love you."

Noah shook his head, unable to speak, struck dumb by the intense feelings that constricted his throat. Luke's question was a paradox. Noah found himself both desperately happy and yet also desperately afraid.

"Noah?"

He felt Luke's hand stroke gently down his back and it gave him strength to say, "I was always so self sufficient, you know? So independent… before I met you..." He used the nail of one thumb to scratch at the dry skin of the other as he gathered his thoughts, "Now I can't stand the thought of being alone. It terrifies me..."

He heard Luke gather up the candy from the bed and return it to the jar so that he could replace the vessel back on the shelf above the bed. Then he felt as Luke shifted up behind him, straddling him with his legs and wrapping around him like a warm cloak, resting his chin on Noah's shoulder. He was so close that Noah could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He was solid… so alive… so real, his hair curling gold against bare skin. The back of his hand touched Noah's cheek, firm and comforting and Noah moved his head against it. But he continued to tremble. Luke had held him like this before… and he'd still lost him.

Finally Luke spoke softly, "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Noah sobbed at that, leaning back into him and drawing Luke's arms tighter around him.

"Noah, I'm just letting you know what I want. And it's okay… it's okay if you're not ready to answer yet. But when you are, then… then you know I'm waiting for that answer. Okay?"

Noah felt Luke lie back and pull him down with him, until his head lay in the crook of Luke's arm. He felt Luke's thumb rubbing small circles against his temple, light as the touch of air and he grabbed Luke's other hand in his.

Tears ran softly down his cheeks as he asked, "You won't leave me? Right?"

He felt as Luke shook his head and squeezed his hand tight. "We're broken people when we're apart Noah… We belong together."

"I do know that." Noah said and his voice shook. "Don't you get it? That's WHY I'm so afraid. I can't be half a person again Luke! I couldn't stand it!"

"Then marry me." Luke replied calmly.

They lay in silence for a while, Noah reflecting on their past and present, coming to the only conclusion he could… there was no future without Luke.

"These are those old feelings I'm having again, aren't they?"

"Yes." There was a smile in Luke's voice.

Noah rolled around to face him. Their eyes were locked in fiery contemplation and finally Noah smiled back softly.

"Yes." He said and there was no hesitation in his voice. "Yes, I want to marry you."

Luke kissed him then for what might have been a long time or no time at all.

When they parted they started to laugh, until they were hysterical and Noah spread his hands over Luke's cheeks, eyes watering from crying and laughing at the same time, "I definitely want to marry you!"

Luke kissed him quickly again before replying contentedly, "Same here…"

...

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