Title: spinning sideways into place - Part Three of Three
Author(s): freakykat
Rating: NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Luke Snyder/Noah Mayer

Summary: This isn't the life he was meant to have.

|Part One|
|Part Two|





spinning sideways into place


Part Three


He doesn't tell anyone about it.

It's one of those things that would get people to start giving him those looks again. The ones he got after he started drinking, after the transplant, after coming out. That blend of sympathy mixed with fear and a bit of mocking.

He hates those looks.

So, he doesn't say anything. He goes home with his parents. The damage was minimal in the end. His Jag needs repairs but it should recover fine. He came out of it with a slight contusion on his head but otherwise without a scratch.

He won't be recovering as easily as his car.

Christmas at home makes him miss Noah so much he wants to cry. He looks at Jack and Carly with their kids and aches for something that wasn't even real.

Because it wasn't.

It was a dream or some weird brain mishap that happened.

About a man and a family that he hadn't wanted in the first place.

But it changes what he wants and three weeks after the accident, he breaks things off with Chris. They're both relieved, to be honest. Somehow being friends is easier for them and Luke is more than happy to be just that.

The more time passes the more he's convinced that the dream was just his subconscious clearly letting him know he's not being honest with himself.

It takes his father getting sick for Luke to realize that he has to be the one to make the change he needs.

That he has the power to make what he wants happen.

That it was all real.


--


Luke and Lucinda fly to Texas to meet with the infamous Dr. Oliver that Bob says can save Holden. Luke knows he's the best neurologist his mother could find. That he doesn't want to take the case. That Luke is there to make him do it with threats, bribery or force. He doesn't ask many questions when Lucinda says that.

So when he walks into the doctor's office to find Reid sitting behind the desk, one eyebrow raised in defiance, Luke stops dead in his tracks.

Because.

“Holy crap.”

That makes Reid tilt his head and look at him. “Excuse me?”

Luke starts to laugh hysterically.

It's insane enough to amuse Reid and he shows up in Oakdale two days later, willing to look at the case.

When Luke introduces him to Chris, it takes less than a minute for them to end up in a fight.

He stops pretending it was a dream and starts to hope.


--


He misses Noah so much it's a physical pain.


--


He quits Grimaldi Shipping one spring morning.

There's no warning behind it, really. He thinks Hunter's face going completely white when he puts him in charge is worth it though. Calling Damian to tell him is probably the highlight of his month. He doesn't think he's ever heard him curse in Italian before.

He takes two weeks off, grabs his brother and sisters, takes them to the beach. It's the most fun he's had since he can remember. It feels freeing and new. (He tries not to think of Donovan or Lucy.)

When they get home, his parents announce they've gotten back together. Everyone but Luke is surprised. Even if he hadn't been waiting for it, he'd watched them while his dad was sick, saw the love there. He's not sure if it'll be enough but he won't stop them from trying.


--


“I'm thinking of writing again.”

They're at Al's and it's like the start of so many other conversations but it's not.

Casey looks up from his dinner, raises an eyebrow. “That could be good.”

Luke nods then goes back to his own food.

It could be.


--


He's not entirely surprised that he can't actually write anything. He tries but it's uninspired.

He's pretty sure he knows why.

But that leaves him lost and Luke doesn't know if that's part of the plan.


--


It takes him another couple of weeks to figure out what he wants to do.

There's an inheritance from the Grimaldis that he had never intended on using. He wasn't hard up for money. He was technically still CEO of Grimaldi Shipping. He has his shares of World Wide and the money Lucinda released to him when he turned twenty-five. It's more than enough.

The idea niggles at the back of his head for a few days before he calls his grandmother and tells her about it. They meet for dinner and he ignores the look on her face when he lays it out. He remembers that same look well. The one when he quit drinking, survived his sickness and stopped lying about himself. He's not sure if he merits it at the moment but he'd never ask her to stop it.

She'd tell him to stick it.

Luke doesn't think he has a philanthropic bone in his body but Lucinda disagrees. She finds him a good person to get him started and before he knows it, he has two causes he wants to back up. The foundation is under way, divided into two subsidiaries to keep each charity strong. He wants to help sick kids and that's where he employs Chris' help. He contacts Reid as his other consultant and lets nature take its course there.

The second charity is aimed specifically toward homeless teenagers. It's something he feels pretty strongly about so he dives in with a passion.

Somewhere in the middle of planning it all, he thinks of what Casey once told him. He needs a lawyer to help with all the red tape. Someone he knows and trusts.

“You want me?”

Luke grins across the table at his best friend. “Who else would I want beside me on this, man?”

Casey still looks shell-shocked and Luke takes the opportunity to pull out the big guns. “Plus, you'd only be working for the foundation so you'd have a lot of flexibility. Free time to spend with your lovely ladies.”

The way Casey's face lights up is something Luke won't forget any time soon.

The idea for the center hits him one day out the blue and it takes him four months to come up with all the backing he needs. It's not as easy as it seems and every little bit helps so when Maddie suggests a fundraiser, he jumps at the chance. He wants the charity to be open to everyone that needs it, for the center to be the same, but he feels that an emphasis on LGBT youths is needed, that they're the ones who need to be reached the most.

He starts to research the statistics, which are too depressing to even begin to believe.

They set the party on Christmas Eve. It's the perfect time for giving, Casey says.

They are two days from the fundraiser when Reid mentions to Luke that he thinks he might know someone who could give him a better idea about what the statistics really mean, someone that understands it. An ex-patient turned sort of friend that he's invited to the party.

“Apparently, he has family here, too, or something. Details on that are sketchy but he seemed up to it. He made a documentary that I think you should see.”

Luke looks up from his paperwork, grabbing the DVD Reid hands him and promises to look at it that night. He's happy to have as many people there as they can get so he won't complain about one more.

He forgets all about watching the DVD.


--


He knows he's waiting.

Luke has no idea when or how it'll happen. He'd never gotten to ask his questions but he knows that everything he does is leading him to where he's supposed to be.

So, he waits.

He hopes.

He believes.


--


Luke walks around the party, shaking hands with every person that he can. He talks about the charity until his mouth is dry. There's a band playing, drinks flowing, food being eaten by the truckload. Which is fine. The guests had given generously. He sees his parents in the corner, smiling proudly as they talk to the Hugheses.

He thinks he can finally breathe, maybe have a plate of something, get to spend some time with his friends.

He's surveying the food when Reid comes up to him. He glances over and smiles.

“Turned out well, huh?”

Reid almost smiles back, which is pretty amazing for the guy, so Luke takes that as a yes. “It's not bad, Snyder.” He spots something or someone behind Luke and actually does smile this time. “There you are. Luke, I want you to meet someone.”

Luke turns to look and his heart stops mid-beat.

“Luke Snyder, this is Noah Mayer.”

Noah smiles at him wide, eyes crinkling like Luke remembers and he can't even formulate a thought. “It's really great to meet you, Luke. Reid's said some good things about you.”

Luke takes Noah's hand but he doesn't say anything. Reid and Noah exchange a conversation and Luke is pretty sure he makes the appropriate comments but his focus in on Noah. He can't even move. Reid disappears, leaving them alone, looking at each other and Luke thinks he should say something now. Noah seems a little nervous.

“I really like what you're doing here. It's wonderful.” His cheeks seem to flush and he bites his lip when he says it. “I've been following your progress. Seriously, Luke, you have no idea the kind of difference you're making.”

He doesn't think before he does it. Just throws his arms around Noah and hugs him hard, laughs into his shoulder. The force of it sends Noah back a step, his muffled “Oof” falling into Luke's hair. He grips Luke back, though, and that's all Luke wants.

“Well, this is a nice way to say thank you.”

Luke pulls back, shakes Noah gently, trying not to scowl.

“What took you so long?”

Noah blinks, then half-smiles at him, and it's too much. Luke kisses him fast before he can talk himself out of it. It's just a peck but he feels it radiate from his chest and out through his entire body. He thinks Noah does too because when he pulls back, he sees blue turn into a dark indigo.

“I'm starting to wonder that, too.”

Luke steps back and Noah leans in, as if without meaning to.

“Sorry. That was weird. And creepy.”

Noah shrugs. “I like weird and creepy.” He smiles with his whole face. “I know you're busy tonight and tomorrow I've got family stuff but -- would you like to get some coffee?”

Luke grins hard and nods.

This is where he's supposed to be.

Finally.



End.



♥