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Title:The Day After, Part Two
Chapter:2 of 2
Rating:PG-13
Summary:Luke and Noah share a moment.
Characters:Luke,Noah,Holden
Genre:Romance,Drama
Warnings:None
Disclaimer:This site is no way associated with "As The World Turns," CBS,P&G, or Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann.This is for non profit.No copyright infringement is intended.Authors submit and write their own work.
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The day after Thanksgiving. Luke and Noah, having declared their love for one another (see "The Day After Thanksgiving"), have made their way out of the Snyder farm kitchen and are walking into the first-floor bedroom where Luke has been staying as he recovers.

Noah: Are you sure you’re ready?
Luke: Of course I am. Why are you so nervous? You’ve done this before.
Noah: Never with someone I love, Luke. Never with you.
Luke: Oh…come on. (Luke grins.) You’re Mr. Experienced. Don’t get all shy and weepy on me now, Mayer. You’re supposed to be taking the lead here.
Noah’s face contorts a bit. He and Luke have crossed the room; Noah helps Luke sit down on the edge of the bed.
Noah: Experienced? Not really. That time with Maddie in Branson—when you walked in…
Luke: Don’t remind me. The only good thing about that day was you dropping your towel. (Luke grins; Noah smirks.) Oh, and the way you didn’t freak out when I told you I’m gay.
Noah: Oh, yeah? Well that day when I dropped the towel—that was the first time anyone ever saw me naked. Maddie, then you. And the last, actually.
Luke: What? What about when we got back to Oakdale?
Noah: What about it? We came back here, and Maddie and I decided to give it a try. And then my dad showed up, and I kissed you…
Luke: I remember that.
Noah: And we bought a bed and I guess, if it had ever been delivered, maybe it would have happened again. But by the time the delivery people showed up, Maddie didn’t want anything to do with me anymore.
Cut to another scene.

When we return…
Luke: And you regret that you never got another shot with Maddie?
Noah: No! What I regret is that I ever had a first one. I wish that you could be my first. But, like I said—I love you. And this is the first time I’ll be with someone I love. With Maddie, that one time, that was sex, not making love. And not especially good sex… (Noah grimaces)
Luke: Well, she was upset about Casey and you were confused—oh, and gay. Doesn’t seem like a recipe for a great experience.
Noah: Neither does all of this heavy conversation!
Luke: It’ll take more than that to cool me off.
Noah: Is that so? (Noah smiles, then pulls Luke toward him.)
Luke: Yes, it is. (Luke grows quiet as their lips come close.) I’ve been hot for you for quite a while, too, Noah Mayer.
They kiss; no one pulls away for even an instant. After five seconds, we fade to commercial. (An additional three seconds of the kiss are later discovered online, prompting hundreds of posts condemning CBS and PGP for daring to pull any punches on this storyline.)

When we return, Luke and Noah are cuddling together under a mess of blankets, with Luke facing the door and Noah behind him. One of Luke’s feet sticks out from under the covers, and Noah’s shoulder and arm are visible because they are outside the blanket, wrapped around Luke’s chest.
Noah: Well, I’d say you’re healed.
Luke: I don’t know if I can walk all the way to the bathroom on my own yet! But yeah, I think everything below my waist is getting back to normal functioning.
Noah: I’d have waited forever, Luke. If being with you meant wheelchairs and helping you in the bathroom and never being able to be like this together, I’d still have wanted to be with you.
Luke: I know that, Noah. I didn’t want that life for you. I wanted you to leave me and find someone who could make you happy. I’m glad you didn’t let me scare you off.
Noah (pulling Luke closer to him): You make me happy, Luke. Not you when you can walk, or you when you can do this—though this isn’t bad! (They both grin.) But it’s you that I love.
Luke: And it’s you that I love, Noah—even when you’re being a real sap! Now help me up; I wasn’t kidding about the bathroom.
They begin to rise from the covers; we see their chests as the blankets fall away. Cut to another scene.

When we return, Luke, back in his clothes, is seated on the edge of the bed. Noah, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, but with his button-down still wrinkled on the floor, is kneeling in front of Luke, helping him put his socks on.
Luke: You don’t have to wait on me like this. I’m sure I can manage to get my socks on.
Noah: I’m sure you can, too. I just wanted an excuse to tickle your feet. (Noah tickles Luke; Luke kicks away, then looks shocked.)
Luke: I really felt that! Wow…
A clatter arises outside the bedroom: there’s stomping, then a slamming screen door. From offscreen, we hear…
Holden: Luke? Noah? I’m back from the barn!
Luke: Dad, we’re back here! (whispering) Noah, quick, open the door!
Noah jumps up to open the door; cut to another scene.

When we return, Holden comes into view just in time to see Noah letting go of the doorknob. Holden grins almost imperceptibly and looks Noah in the eye, raising an eyebrow.
Holden: I gather you’re in a better mood, Luke?
Luke: What? (Luke’s face flushes a bit) Oh, that. Yeah. A better mood, definitely. Watch this!
Holden: Watch? Uh, Luke…
Noah quickly kneels again and tickles Luke’s foot; again, Luke kicks away.
Luke: See, dad? I’ve got the feeling back in my feet!
Holden: Well, that’s something I’m glad to have seen.
Noah: Maybe I should go…
Holden: Noah, please, stay. It’s about time for lunch; Faith and Natalie will be back soon and so will my mom and Ethan. You belong at the table with the rest of us.
Noah smiles shyly, as he and Holden look each other up and down, and Holden's eyes catch sight of Noah's wrinkled shirt on the floor; clearly Holden knows what’s just happened and Noah knows he knows. Luke, sitting on the bed and unable to see Noah's shirt on the floor, looks a little confused.
Luke: Yeah, stay for lunch and then we can sit at the table and study together. You have your books, right?
Noah: Yeah, they’re in the truck. I’ll go get them. Thanks for inviting me to stay, Holden.
Noah nods at Holden, squeezes Luke's shoulder,and walks out of the room.
Luke: Since when does he call you Holden?
Holden smiles knowingly; Luke blushes, then smiles too.

Fade to black, then previews for the first of six non-Nuke episodes in a row…