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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