Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:37:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Callen Hobbs <callenhobbs@yahoo.com>
Subject: Luke & Noah: Luke Moves On

  Author's Note: As the World Turns and all of its characters belong to CBS
and Proctor & Gamble Productions. This story is set in the time period
between Luke & Noah's break up and Cyndi Lauper's visit to Oakdale Pride,
when they reunited.


    Stepping out of the air conditioned movie theater and into the warm
Illinois evening, Luke Snyder felt a sudden sense of loss. For a couple of
hours, he'd been able to lose himself in some mindless movie action and
almost forget his own problems. Now, stepping back into reality, the loss
of his boyfriend Noah hit him all over again, as hard as if they'd just
broken up minutes ago.

    "So, what's the verdict?"

    "Hmm?" Luke looked over at Reg Addington, his mind reluctant to shift
away from Noah.

    "The movie? Did you like it?" Reg asked, giving Luke what he considered
to be his sexiest smile.

    "Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was good." Luke smiled back, but somehow the smile
didn't quite reach his eyes.

    "What was your favorite part?"  Reg asked, trying to keep the
conversation going. Looking into Luke's brown eyes, Reg wanted nothing more
than to make a connection with him. Ever since he'd broken up with that
slut Tony, Reg had been hoping for a chance to get to know Luke Snyder
better. There was just something about him that Reg found incredibly
desirable. Looking at him tonight, dressed in jeans and a simple button up
shirt with chest hair peeking out at the top where he'd left a few buttons
undone, Reg wondered how he'd even managed to sit next to Luke in the
darkened theater for two hours without touching him all over. He wanted
nothing more right now than to reach over and unbutton that shirt all the
way, to see just how hairy the blond farm boy was underneath it.

    "Um... Shia LaBeouf?" Luke joked.

    "Really? You think he's sexy?" Reg asked. The idea of Luke sitting next
to him, turned on by an actor in the film, was pretty hot. If he'd known,
he might have made a move in spite of his sense that he'd have to take
things more slowly with Luke than he was used to.

    "He's got this adorkable thing going on," Luke explained. "It's hot."

    "Adorkable?"

    "Yeah. You know, he's like a hot geeky guy?" Luke felt himself
blushing.

    "I see. So that's your type!" Reg gave him a light, playful punch on
the arm.

    "Not really. I mean, if anything, my type tends to be guys that I can't
really have." Luke was suddenly morose again. Reg looked over at him,
thinking that even when Luke was sad, he looked sexy as hell.

    "What do you mean? Like, straight guys? Because I'm sure any gay guy
would jump at the chance to be with you."

    Luke blushed even more deeply. "Sort of. I mean, the first guy I really
loved was my best friend in high school, who was straight. He freaked out
when I came out to him."

    "We've all got a story like that, though. And you were with Noah,
wasn't he your type?" Reg wondered if bringing up the ex boyfriend was a
good idea, but it was too late to take it back now.

    "Of course. Noah is everything I want in a guy. But we... well, let's
just say there was always something standing in our way."

    Reg decided to change the subject. "So shall we go get a bite to eat
somewhere?"

    Luke wanted to go home to the farm, crawl into bed and pull the covers
over his head. But when he'd run into Reg this afternoon he'd made the
decision that he couldn't spend the rest of his life pining over Noah. He
had to get out there and meet new people. Reg seemed like a nice enough
guy, it wouldn't hurt to spend some time getting to know him better.

    "Sure, sounds good. How about Al's?" Luke suggested.

    "You read my mind! I love the food there," Reg raved, though he'd
really only been there once and hadn't found it to be anything more than
average. In fact, that slut Tony had been with him and had flat out hated
it. "Let's go."

                                                                                                ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Noah Mayer walked slowly to his truck, having just finished up his
shift at Java. He was lost in his own head, his mind a tormented jumble of
thoughts and images. One second he'd be thinking of that last moment on the
boat with his father, as he watched him dive to his death with a sense of
betrayal and anger in his eyes and the next he'd find himself fantasizing
about Luke, about kissing him, about their bare chests pressed together. It
was the closest they'd ever managed to come to actually having sex, and it
was never far from Noah's mind. Neither, though, was his own sense of
betrayal. If Luke had just left things alone, his father would still be
alive today! He wouldn't have died thinking Noah had set him up.

    Noah wanted nothing more than to be with Luke, but he just couldn't get
past the rush of anger and loss he felt whenever he saw his ex
boyfriend. Tonight he was so lost in thought that he was almost back to the
dorms when he realized that he hadn't had anything to eat all day. Sighing,
Noah made a quick turn and headed for Al's.

                                                                                            ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Luke was glad he'd decided to get some food with Reg. He found himself
relaxing finally and enjoying the other man's company while they traded
stories about their coming out experiences and about college life at
Oakdale U. Halfway through a story about an obnoxious scene partner in his
drama class, Reg casually let his fingers brush against Luke's on top of
the table. Luke felt a simultaneous thrill and a rush of guilt. Physical
contact with a man who was openly attracted to him was exciting, but if
still felt like he was betraying Noah. In spite of this, Luke left his hand
where it was and kept his eyes firmly locked on Reg's.

    "So..." Reg said, just after finishing his story.

    "Yeah, it's getting kind of late." Luke sighed.

    "Oh. Okay." There was clear disappointment in Reg's voice.

    "What?" Luke asked.

    "I just thought... I mean, I know it's probably too soon for you, but I
was hoping you'd come back to my dorm room. Just to talk, if that's all you
want to do." Reg's tone of voice made it somehow clear that it wasn't all
he himself wanted to do.

    Luke's mouth went suddenly dry and he felt an unmistakable rush of
desire.  Luke had always thought that his first time would be with someone
he loved, but he was just finishing up his freshman year of college and he
was still a virgin, in spite of having dated someone he was madly in love
with for the better part of a year. Why should he wait any longer? Reg was
attractive and funny and a nice guy, why shouldn't Luke's first time be
with him?

    Luke knew if he thought too much about this, he'd talk himself out of
it. He was tired of being the good guy, tired of always trying to do the
right thing. For once, he wanted to jump in head first and worry about the
consequences later.

    "Sure. Let's go." There. He'd said it.

    Reg's eyes widened with surprise, but he quickly slid out of the
booth. "We can take my car. I'll bring you back for yours later on."

    "All right. Let me just-" Luke stopped mid sentence. He'd been about to
say that he should call the farm and tell them he'd be late, but hadn't he
just decided to leave the whole Boy Scout thing behind for the night? "I
mean, I'm ready if you are."

                                                                                ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Noah pulled into the parking lot behind Al's and shut off his truck. He
leaned his head back for a minute, closing his eyes and remembering Luke's
face when he'd told Noah that he wasn't going to be following him around
any more. Was it really over? Would he really never get to kiss Luke again,
to touch him? Never get to actually make love to him? He didn't want that
to be true and he knew that all he had to do was call Luke and put and end
to this break up. Everything could be back to normal. It could be better
than normal, now that Ameera was gone. They could actually be together in
every sense.

    But Noah couldn't do it. Every time he reached for his cell phone, he'd
see his father's face in that last instant of his life and he'd feel angry
at Luke all over again.

    Sighing, Noah opened up his eyes and took the keys out of the
ignition. He was about to get out of the truck when he saw Luke coming
around the corner into the parking lot. Noah felt the old rush of happiness
and desire that seeing Luke always brought to him. Before he could even
process this feeling, Noah realized that Luke wasn't alone. Reg Addington
was walking beside him, the same Reg Addington who'd asked Luke out
practically in the middle of his break up from Noah!

    Jealousy and anger flared up in Noah, and it only got worse as he
watched them both head to the same car, one that must have been Reg's.
This wasn't a chance meeting, then. Luke was on a date with another guy.

                                                                                   ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Reg unlocked the passenger side door of his car for Luke and then
turned to face him. Staring into his eyes, Reg slowly brushed a strand of
blond hair out of Luke's eyes. "Would it be okay if I kissed you? I've
wanted to all night."

    Before his inner debate over the question could even begin, Luke forced
himself to react on instinct alone. He leaned forward and brushed his lips
lightly against Reg's, trying not to think of how different they felt from
Noah's. Reg responded instantly, pulling Luke against him and parting his
lips with his tongue. Luke tasted like the strawberry milkshake he'd just
had at Al's and Reg could quickly feel Luke's cock growing hard against his
own leg.

    "Let's go!" Reg half moaned after finally pulling away from the
kiss. He practically ran around to the driver's side while Luke climbed in
the car.

                                                                                    ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Watching unseen from his truck, Noah felt like he'd just been punched
in the stomach and kicked in the balls. Luke and Reg weren't just on a
casual date. They'd just kissed passionately right in front of his own eyes
and now they were headed off in a hurry. Noah had a sinking feeling that he
knew just what they were rushing off to do. Reg was finally going to give
Luke what he needed, what Noah had failed to give him month after month,
first because of the situation with Ameera and the I.C.E and now because of
his stupid issues over his father's death.

    Now it was too late. He'd lost Luke for good and tonight he was going
to be in someone else's bed.

    Noah started his truck again. He didn't want food any longer. What he
needed now was alcohol, and lots of it. He pulled out of Al's and headed
for Yo's.


 To Be Continued.


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