It was with some difficulty that Casey brought the troubled Luke back to the hospital and the warmth of his parent's embrace. After just a few minutes in the cab Luke was all set to turn the car around and start searching the streets of LA for the man's vehicle. So it was a huge relief to Casey when his friend finally agreed to give up.

His father held him as he wept.

"I need answers!"

"I know son."

"They just let him go Dad! And I tried to stop him but he drove off…"

"Okay. Shh now…"

"What if…?"

"That won't happen." Holden cut him off, "The two of you are strong."

"It's so unfair! It's so unfair!"

Holden simply soothed him with words and touch as a tearful Lily rubbed his shoulder.

Half an hour later he was sat back in the same chair as before, faced with more endless waiting.

"Mom?"

"Yes baby?"

"Are the kids okay? Do you know?"

"They're fine. Maddie and Alison have everything under control."

He nodded.

...

Noah's previously deep and heavenly sleep; where he'd dreamed of the wedding and especially of the wedding night; playing the scenes like a movie over and over in his head; was slowly threatening conclusion.

And he definitely didn't want to wake up! He wasn't sure why, but he knew there was something awful waiting for him on the other side of dreaming and he didn't want to go there… not for anything!

...

They woke up in a tangled and bright hot heat that spilled from the window heralding the new day. Noah groaned and then chastised himself for forgetting to close the blinds during their frenzied love making.

Luke shifted beneath him as his stomach emitted a loud and angry growl.

"I guess it's breakfast time, ha?" Noah grinned into Luke's hair, placing his hand flat over Luke's navel and allowing the tips of his fingers to just slip under the band of his sleep shorts.

"Mmm..." Luke sighed tickling his back "Sounds great! Although we might find it's actually lunchtime."

Noah laughed in agreement and they spent a few more minutes finding the energy to get up. They considered showering but decided they were too hungry. Instead Noah slipped on some sweatpants and they made a sluggish and shirtless path, never once breaking hold of each other, to the kitchen.

Noah was first to the fridge, disappearing from Luke's view as he opened the door and then reappearing with an evil grin on his face.

Luke frowned at him suspiciously, "What?"

He closed the fridge door, leaning his back up against it and holding up a small pink pot, "Only ONE strawberry yogurt left!"

"Well THAT'S clearly mine!" Luke immediately argued, "I'm the one that always has yogurt in the morning!"

"I don't know Luke." Noah muttered matter-of-factly, "I kind of fancy it this morning…"

Luke returned a playful expression that warned, "You do and you die."

He watched with faked disapproval as Noah seductively pulled back the foil and sexily licked the lid. "You wouldn't dare!" He demanded and Noah loved how Luke's body was already beginning to respond to the erotic sight of him standing there shirtless, his sweatpants hanging low on his hips, licking the silver lid with the tip of his tongue.

Enjoying himself, he opened a drawer and extracted a shiny teaspoon.

"Oh COME ON!" Luke exclaimed, hands on hips, "Give a guy a break over here! I've been eating prison food for a whole month!"

Noah cocked his head at Luke, smiled and dipped the spoon into the tasty pink substance, bringing it up to his mouth and twisting it inside, so that the spoon slipped out his lips upside down.

"Mmm, yum…" he teased, making a great show of sucking the thick yogurt from his bottom lip.

"THAT'S IT!" Luke laughed and launched at him.

But Noah was expecting it and sprinted off for the lounge, taking refuge behind the couch. As soon as Luke made a move in one direction, Noah would laugh and make a move in the other, careful to keep the couch between them as a shield.

Trying to keep a straight face Luke exclaimed, "Now you listen here mister…"

But Noah stuck another spoonful in his mouth with a grin, before Luke had a chance to finish his sentence.

"You've just had your final mouthful!" Luke smiled and shocked Noah by stepping right over the couch and flinging himself at him, wrapping his arms around his waist with force and tackling him to the floor in a giggling heap.

Luke kissed his strawberry yogurt filled mouth and the slippery creaminess allowed their tongues to smooth together in a new kind of deliciousness.

The touch of Luke's skin was soft and slippery and his scent bore a sweet hint of sweat and honey shampoo and sex. As thoughts of that drifted into his head Noah became distinctly aware of his and Luke's eagerness for yet another session. They just couldn't get enough of each other. He was deliriously happy.

As a cool breeze blew through the open window above them their eyes met with a pleading urgency, their hunger forgotten. Luke began to work on his lips, probing gently as though by doing so he could literally extract the essence from Noah's body. In his current state of pleasure Noah began to consider that this might actually be possible. He felt drenched in longing and need, especially as their heated tongues met in the midst of a hot and quickening breath. They greedily attached themselves together.

"Noah…" he murmured, just for the delight of saying his name, enjoying a brief kissing session somewhere in the hollow of his throat.

"Hmm…" Noah was in bliss as Luke's voice played like music through his heart.

He felt his sweatpants quickly disappear along with Luke's shorts, and skin meshed with skin as Luke's weight pressed Noah's body into the floor. Luke moved atop him with ease, the want and hunger prevalent in the brown depths of his eyes, flecked with sunlight. He lowered himself gently, kissing Noah as he filled him. Noah groaned, revelling in the feeling, and reaching up to stroke the stray strands from his forehead, his fingers becoming entangled.

Luke's slow rhythm began to give way to urgent and demanding drives of passion and Noah arched his back as each blow threw him deeper into ecstasy. He was screaming and soaked and in an oblivion and he growled out Luke's name from the back of his throat. Their bodies demanded more and Noah urged him on, feeling that shiver building to a release that made him gasp for breath. Luke wasn't done so Noah leaned further upwards to taste a firm nipple between his lips, he bit down on it and Luke's cry was breathtaking as Noah welcomed the weight of him crushing down, hot and burning, into his waiting arms.

The small tub of yogurt that had started it all lay forgotten, contents spilling on the hardwood floor.

...

Tick, tick, tick…

They all jumped up from their seats when Maggie appeared in the doorway a few hours later, "He's awake."

"Oh thank god!" Lily exclaimed.

"How did it go?"

"It's best you ask the doctor that Luke. He's not available right now but I'll let you know when he is, okay?"

Luke nodded at her.

"He's asking for you."

Luke looked up hopefully. Noah had asked for him? Maybe… just maybe…

He closed the door to Noah's room quietly behind him and waited there, uncertain whether to approach him. The sight of him, helpless, back in another hospital bed, set the tears off again.

Noah knew he was there but he sat head bent downwards for a long while, and Luke could hear him trying to steady his breathing. Tear tracks ran in droplets down his face. Finally he sighed deeply and lifted his hand to his head before holding it out towards Luke.

Luke was quick to cross the room and take it in a firm hold, kissing his fingers in gratitude, desperately in need of his reassuring touch. He sat on the visitor stool and they stayed silent together as he continually kissed and pressed Noah's hand to his face. Both were too overwhelmed, too shocked and heartbroken to speak and Noah didn't lift his head.

Luke wasn't sure how long they stayed that way, and he wasn't sure how to act, what to do, but eventually he had to ask.

He spoke softly into the backs of Noah's fingers, still held up to his lips, "Noah, can I… I would really like to… I really need to lie with you right now… would that be okay?" His voice shook with fear.

"Why are you asking me?" As Noah phrased the question he felt up Luke's face, his fingers finding the tearstained cheeks, Luke's hand never leaving his. He frowned as he wiped at the wetness there with his thumb, "Please don't be scared… because I'm terrified right now and… I want you here, Luke…"

Luke couldn't hold back a loud sob.

"You have no idea how much I feel like I should tell you to go…"

"Please don't…"

Noah shook his head, "…but I can't, even if it's what I should do… even if it's selfish to keep you here… Will you hold me?"

Noah shifted up so that Luke could climb up beside him and they cuddled together. He pressed his cheek into Luke's chest, his voice was trembling and small, "I'm sorry I pushed you…"

Luke merely nodded and then asked, "Can you tell me what happened? The cops gave me a run down, but…"

...

It took Noah some time before he worked up the courage to ring the doorbell. From what Josh had told him, his normally stoic father had completely lost it at the news that his son was gay. He hoped it had just been a one off wild reaction and that after a night to sleep on it, he might have by now acknowledge his treatment of Josh and maybe softened.

"Noah?" Marion looked gaunt and drawn. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, her nose red, and she carried a used tissue in her hand.

"Good morning Marion."

"Um…" she looked about ready to fall apart and, on seeing him, pulled the door closed to just a crack and spoke in a lowered voice, "…now's not really a good time… so… if you don't mind…" and she began to close the door.

"It's about Josh…" he said in a hurry and she pulled the door open again.

"Josh?" she asked hopefully, "You know where he is?"

"Yes. He's at our house, Marion, he's a mess."

"Oh thank god! I was so scared to think of him out all night like that!"

"Marion," Noah had to ask, "Why didn't you look for him?"

Before she could answer she looked back into the house as both of them heard the shuffling of footsteps coming nearer, "You shouldn't have come here. You should go."

"I was hoping I could talk to you and your husband."

She shook her head in sudden panic, "I'm sorry… that's …it's just not possible…"

"Marion… this is about your son!"

She was just about to answer when he heard a gruff man's voice say, "Who's at the door?"

"It's nobody. The wrong house…"

But just as she began to make up a story Noah made eye contact with the dusty haired man behind her.

"You!" He yanked his wife out the way. He was clearly drunk and it was obvious that he too had been crying, "You're one of them aren't you! Your one of the fags that's poured a load of crap into my kid's head and now he's sprouting all this garbage at us!"

"Mr Carmody, your son needs you to listen to him."

"Don't you fucking tell me what my son needs! What he needs is to keep the hell away from the likes of you!"

"He's not trying to hurt you on purpose. Please Mr Carmody; understand how hard it was for him to tell you."

"OH YES! I'm sure! Really brave to stand up in front of his family and tell us he's proud to call himself a pervert!"

"Miles!" Marion begged her face apologetic.

Noah tried to ignore the remarks even as they stung, "Sir, your son just wants to tell you who he is…"

"How dare you? How dare you come to MY house and try to tell me I don't know my own son! I do! I know him! And my son IS NOT GAY!"

Noah saw it then… THAT look… It tore at his insides because all of a sudden it wasn't Josh's father standing before him, but his own. And right then and there, Noah realised there was nothing he could do. He had to accept defeat before he had even really begun to fight. If he hadn't been able to change his father then what hope would he ever have of changing somebody else's. Especially when that person was as drunk and far gone as this man appeared to be.

"I'm sorry you feel that way sir. You're right, this isn't my business. I'm sorry I wasted your time…" he nodded once at Josh's mother, "Your son's staying with us… if you decide you do want to talk…"

"Damn right it's not your business!" Miles kept yelling in slurred sentences, even as Noah had left the front door and started his way down the garden path, "Giving him ideas! Turning him away from his family! Fucking with his head!"

Each sentence the man uttered increased in anger and volume and was like a rat gnawing at his heart, forcing up memories from his past he had thought long gone.

He stopped briefly to send Luke a text and was just about to insert the phone back into his pocket when he heard Marion cry out, "Look out!"

But he didn't have a second to even process the thought before his head exploded. He was briefly aware of hard paving stone under his hands and spiky grass on his cheek, before he blacked out.

...

"When you didn't come back I knew something was wrong." Luke said in a raspy voice, "You were only a few minutes away. My folks kept saying not to worry and Casey and Alison dropped by to say goodbye and they tried to convince me you were fine but I knew… I just knew… I felt it…"

Noah's entire body shook as he cried and dug himself closer into Luke.

"I'm so sorry bubby…"

...

Luke heard his cries of pain the moment he and Casey flew through the elevator doors and it was just as if someone had suddenly stuck a hand down his throat to pull his insides up through his mouth. He felt sick and had to stop for a moment just to breathe.

"Luke!" It was Nurse Maggie, running towards him from the direction of the cries. She had called him from the hospital when she recognised Noah, "Thank god you're here at last! We need to sedate him… they need to operate quickly… but we can't unless he quiets… Maybe you can help…"

"What happened?" he asked desperately.

She shook her head, "I don't know the full story but," she sighed and placed a kind hand on his shoulder, "…he was hit from behind…"

"What?"

"…he came around just now and… and Luke… I'm so sorry but… he can't see…"

Luke stumbled and she caught him in her strong arms with the help of an equally shocked Casey. Suddenly the fear and panic and sheer pain he could hear in those cries were all too familiar to him. Scenes from the past flashed in quick and painful succession across the backs of his retinas threatening to throw him into a state of utter chaos.

...

"I can't see… I can't see anything!"

"I want to be by myself…"

"Please! I don't want your help or anyone's!"

"…everything's different. We can ever go back…"

"...every time I hear you speak or you touch me it just all comes back in this flood…"

"You can't do this for me Luke!"

...

"NO!" Luke wept, "Please! Tell me no!"

His hand came up to his mouth and he looked around for a moment completely lost, searching for answers he knew he'd never find there, before another anguished cry from Noah sent him hurtling for the room.

His horrified eyes fell on the blood soaked sheets of the bed but Noah wasn't in it, instead he was on the floor in the corner, hugging his knees up against himself, sobbing and gasping in sheer disbelief and terror. He was extremely pale and his head had been temporarily bandaged, most likely by the paramedics. Blood had soaked the gauze clean through, so that it matted his hair and dripped down his face and neck.

The nurses kept calling his name, trying to get through to him, but as soon as one got near he would shake her off. His weeping blue eyes were wide and blank and sightless.

"Noah!" Luke yelled in a strangled cry. He crossed the room in just three long strides and dropped beside him, reaching out instinctively to comfort him.

"Don't touch me!" Noah screamed in panicked anger as he shoved, violently throwing Luke backwards into a nearby stool which crashed to the floor with a loud bang.

Noah froze, sensing him there, realising suddenly that it was Luke he'd pushed away. He shook his head from side to side, crying out in devastation. Tears poured and he turned away from them all, pressing his side and head up to the wall, hugging his knees, and wrapping into a shivering ball. It wasn't that he had calmed but rather that he had deflated exhausted and weak from loss of blood. He didn't move as a nurse quickly administered a shot to his arm, eventually rendering him unconscious.

"Noah…" Luke whispered from a hitching breath. Still prone on the floor he reached out to touch Noah's hand and he continued to touch it, right up to the point they lifted him onto a gurney and took him away.

Left alone in the room, he crawled up against the cold wall, crying noisy sobs into his fists as he survey the blood stained bed and floor and wall. He wondered at how life could choose to be so completely merciless. He didn't notice Casey slide down the wall next to him until his arm came around him, encouraging him to rest his head on the comforting shoulder offered by him.

It was then that the anger began building...

...

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