6 months later

Noah arrived home after work and it was already late. Damn, he hoped he had time to bath Aaron. He hated not being able to see him before he went to bed. He opened the door and smiled. It still amazed him… for 5 months he had been coming home after work and the noise, the smell, the voices, everything seemed too good to be true. He loved his new life as a husband and a dad.

“Hi, Honey, I’m home”

He smiled. Luke always joked with him. Every time Noah shouted that sentence he laughed out loud… he just couldn’t help it. He heard Luke laughing now. They had a routine, and it was perfect… Luke would come to greet him as Noah left his things by the door

“Hello, Mr. Snyder”

Ahh… routines… Noah smiled, yes: I am Mr. Snyder. They made it official the day they got married 5 months ago.

“Hello, Mr. Snyder”

They kissed and hugged

“How was your day at WOAK?”

“Good, and your day? Did you finish the book?”

Luke smiled

“Yes, and I am very proud of myself”

“I am proud of you too”

Luke got closer and whispered

“I want to celebrate tonight, so don’t you even think about going to sleep early today”

Noah smiled

“Like we ever do”

They kissed and Luke put his hand inside Noah’s shirt and touched his back. Noah moaned.

They went to New York for their honeymoon. In part because they wanted to spent some happy time in the city that meant so much for both of them, and also because they had to arrange for Noah’s things to be sent home, to Oakdale. They had decided to wait for their honeymoon to make love for the first time and they didn’t talk about other people in their past. They didn’t want to know; they started their life together as new, and all they wanted to know was that they loved each other deeply.

“Dad!!!!”

Noah smiled

“He’s calling me… I still can’t believe it”

It was now Luke’s turn to smile

“You are a great dad, go ahead, he’s been wanting to talk to you since I picked him up from school”

They followed Aaron’s voice to the kitchen, he was coloring some pictures

“Hi, Aaron”

“Hi, dad!”

Noah leaned over him and kissed his son’s forehead… his son… they made that official too the day they got married.

“How was school?”

“Very good. I made a picture for you”

“Really? Where is it?”

Aaron gave him the picture. It showed a very tall Noah near a very happy Aaron.

“It’s great, son, I am very proud”

Luke was looking at them smiling

“You know you don’t have to tell him that you are proud of him everyday, right?”

“Yeah, I know… I just…. I want him to know… “

“He already knows that you’ll love him no matter what”

“You think so?”

“I know so, babe”

Noah smiled and looked at him

“Don’t start with the babe… you know it makes me melt”

They smiled at each other

“Will you pick me up at school tomorrow, dad?”

“Yes, tomorrow is Friday. I pick you up every Friday, remember? And we’ll go to the farm and we’ll all spend the weekend with granddad Holden”

Aaron smiled at him

“Yes!!!”

Luke loved looking at them together; it was better than he could have dreamed.

“He called 5 minutes ago asking for you. He is hoping you’ll help him with a new horse”

Noah’s face lightened up

“A new one? Great!”

Luke stirred something that smelled wonderful in a pan

“He finally got the son he always wanted, you are perfect for him, sometimes I have to remind him that I am his son, not you”

Noah kept looking at Aaron. He loved the time he spent with Holden; he was a great dad. And who would have thought that he would love to help with the horses?

“Supper is almost ready, why don’t you go ahead and start with the bath, Noah?”

“Yes, sorry, I was daydreaming…”

Luke wrapped his arms around Noah’s neck

“About tonight, I hope”

He kissed Noah

“About everything you have given me… a great dad, a great son and a perfect husband. I couldn’t wish for more”

Luke nibbled Noah’s neck

“I could…”

Noah smiled and moaned

“You are killing me”

They kissed again

“Dad, are you going to help me or what?”

Luke and Noah hugged tight and smiled. Life could be so good…

He bathed Aaron while Luke finished getting supper ready. He didn’t know Luke was such a great cook. He had put some weight on and got back his big appetite. When supper was ready Luke joined them in the bathroom and watched Noah play with Aaron while he washed him. Noah was a great dad. He was everything Aaron needed and everything Luke wanted. He never got tired of watching him. He was so handsome and… he couldn’t help but smile, he was so hot… Noah looked at him

“What”

“Mmh?”

Noah smiled

“You just blushed, what are you thinking? Do I want to know?”

Luke laughed

“I am thinking that I am very lucky because you are hot… and just looking at you… “

Noah blushed and helped Aaron out of the bathtub; Luke followed them to Aaron’s bedroom. He smiled to himself; he loved the way Noah blushed.

“Mary called”

Luke smiled. Mary was the nice doctor that had made Noah open his eyes and fight for his family. She had been at the wedding and they had been in contact with her ever since.

“How is she doing?”

“She says she’s got some free days coming up and she might accept Holden’s offer to spent some days at the farm”

“That’s great”

It was the same every day. They went through the routines together, talking about this or that and kissing and hugging, and looking at each other. Laughing at Aaron’s ideas and reading him stories. Life just couldn’t get any better for them.

When they finished supper Noah took Aaron to his bedroom and sat on an armchair with his son. They chose a book and Noah started reading the stories… Soon he was asleep and Noah put the book away and held Aaron tight. His son was wrapped around Noah with his head in Noah’s chest. He kissed his forehead and enjoyed feeling Aaron’s breathing, his heartbeat, just having him close.

His life was so perfect that he got scared from time to time. He had been brave enough to cut all ties with his dad and made a new life for himself. He felt strong now that he had a family. He felt like a superhero now that he had a son.

He could feel a tear going down his cheek and realized that he hadn’t cried in a long time… Luke came in to the room and saw him. He got close to Noah and put his hands in the arms of the armchair and looked at him for a brief moment, Noah smiled and Luke smiled back at him. He kissed Noah’s cheeks, erasing the path the tear had followed.

“Luke… Are you happy?”

Luke smiled at Noah and caressed his cheek with his hand

“Couldn’t ask for more, you?”

Noah smiled too. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately

“Same here”

Luke kissed Noah again

“I’ll put him in his bed, okay?”

“I would spent my life holding him like this if I could”

Luke smiled and kissed Noah’s neck while whispering

“But I have plans for you, remember?”

Noah moaned

“Yes… okay, put him in his bed…”

Luke laughed and moved Aaron over to his bed. Noah stood up and put his arms around Luke’s waist and rested his chin in Luke’s shoulder. They were both looking at Aaron

“He is perfect”

Luke leaned his back on Noah’s chest and put his hands on top of Noah’s

“Yes, he is”

Noah kissed Luke’s neck

“So… you’ve got plans for me?”

Luke laughed and turned around in Noah’s arms, they kissed. Later that night they were lying in each other’s arms; it was impossible to tell one from another. They were hugging and kissing sweetly after making love, whispering to one another.

“Noah”

“What”

Kiss

“Don’t you ever leave me…”

“I won’t”

Kiss

“I love you so much…”

“I love you too, I am not going anywhere”

Kiss

“Sometimes I feel like it can’t get any better, but then…”

“Then?”

“Then we make love and I realize that I love you more and more each time…”

Kiss... a caress… moans…

“Noah”

“What”

“Remember back in NY, when we met at the shop?”

“Yes”

“I had been dreaming about you for weeks before that day…”

“What do you mean? You had dreams about me?”

“No, not exactly… I kept hearing your voice calling my name, and telling me that you loved me… it was very weird because I could still hear your voice after waking up”

“But…”

Luke smiled

“I would wake at the weirdest hours hearing your voice for weeks”

“Like at 3 in the morning? Or 4?”

“Yes… why?”

“I would lay awake for hours every night thinking of you and… don’t laugh, okay?”

“I am not laughing…”

“The thing is… remember how I couldn’t tell you that I loved you when we started going out? I mean 10 years ago…”

“Yeah, of course I remember, it drove me crazy”

“Well… every night I… I said it out loud… your name, and that I loved you”

“Shit, Noah… it’s almost as if…”

“As if you could hear me…”

“Yes… that’s…”

Noah smiled and looked at him

“That just shows that we belong to each other”

Luke smiled back and kissed him

“You made my life hell, you hear me? I couldn’t sleep at all after hearing your voice. What were you doing awake anyway? Couldn’t you think of me at another time?”

Noah laughed

“Don’t you remember? I have insomnia”

“Hell, Noah, I have to wake you up every single morning and sometimes I even send Aaron here to bounce on the bed for a while. You sleep like a baby”

Noah smiled. It was true. Now.

“Only with you, babe”

“Ah, now you call me babe… you know I can’t resist it when you do that”

“I know, babe”

Luke laughed and held Noah tight

“Shit… I do love you, Noah Snyder…”

Noah held onto Luke

“I love you too, Luke Snyder…”