“Yeah,” Luke said, equally quiet. “I’d like that.”
They sat in comfortable silence, listening to crickets chirping and an owl calling out in the distance. Luke felt desperate to savor every last second they could steal between now and morning, when Eli would be home.
“Can I ask you something?” Noah’s voice held a note of vulnerability that made Luke’s chest tight. “Why haven’t you ever settled down? I mean, you’re good with people, great with kids, obviously capable of maintaining a household…”
Luke took a long pull from his beer, buying time. “Watching my parents, I guess. They set this impossible standard, you know? Forty years of marriage, still looking at each other like teenagers in love. The way my dad’s face lights up when Mom walks intoa room…” He shrugged, trying to make light of it. “It’s hard to settle for less than that.”
“And you think you couldn’t have what they do?”
“I think…” Luke traced patterns in the condensation on his bottle. “I think I’m better at fixing houses than relationships. At least with houses, I know what tools to use.”
Noah’s laugh held no humor. “Yeah, well, I thought I knew what I was doing with Jenna. Look how that turned out.”
“You two seem to co-parent well.” The words felt inadequate. Luke had watched them the day Jenna picked up Eli, the way they supported each other without tension or drama.
“We do now. But it took work. Compromise. Learning to put Eli first, even when it meant setting aside our own feelings. But we both quickly realized we were married more out of comfort than passion. I think that made it easier to stay friends once we admitted what we had wasn’t enough.” Noah’s shoulder pressed closer. “That’s what scares me most about us. Whatever this is. What I feel for you already is so much more than what I ever felt for Jenna. And that’s dangerous because I can’t just think about what I want. Eli’s already so attached to you.”
The admission hung between them, heavy with implication. Luke thought about the drawings hanging on the fridge, covered in Eli’s careful notes about their progress. About the way the kid’s face lit up whenever Luke explained a repair or promised to teach him how to use tools.
“I’d never hurt him,” Luke said softly. “Either of you.”
“Not intentionally.” Noah’s voice held no accusation, just quiet certainty. “But you’re scared of commitment. Of letting anyonetoo close. I see it in the way you talk about relationships, how you keep even your closest friends at arm’s length.”
Luke’s throat felt tight. Because Noah was right—he did keep people at a distance. It was safer that way. Easier. But nothing about this felt safe or easy anymore.
“My sisters used to tease me about it,” he admitted. “Said I was waiting for some fairy tale romance like our parents have. But maybe I was just afraid of trying and failing. Of not measuring up.”
Noah’s hand found his in the darkness, fingers intertwining. “And now?”
“Now?” Luke stared at their joined hands, at how naturally they fit together. “Now I’m terrified. Because this feels…”
“Real,” Noah finished when Luke trailed off.
Luke nodded because that was exactly what scared him. “Yeah. It does.”
Noah set his bottle down on the top step before turning to cup Luke’s cheek. “Maybe your sisters were onto something. Youwantedthe fairy tale, but you knew deep down how much work it takes, which scared you. If you can’t trust yourself, can you trust me to help you?”
Luke swallowed hard. His heart pounded as he leaned close enough to feel Noah’s breath across his skin. His eyes fluttered shut. “Yes,” he whispered before ghosting his lips over Noah’s.
Fuck, he was terrified. His brain was screaming for him to run before he destroyed all of them. But he didn’t need to because Noah would help him learn how to be the type of partner he knew he wanted to be.
“Tell me about your parents,” Noah said after breaking the kiss. “What makes their marriage so special?”
Luke smiled, remembering countless Sunday dinners and quiet moments witnessed through a child’s eyes. “It’s not just the big things, you know? It’s the way Dad always makes sure Mom has coffee ready when she wakes up. How she knows exactly when he needs space in his workshop and when he needs company. And when his arthritis got to the point where he couldn’t keep up with woodworking, she encouraged him to find other hobbies, things they could do together, so he didn’t sit around the house and mope. They just…fit.”
“Like puzzle pieces,” Noah murmured, echoing Luke’s thoughts from earlier.
“Yeah.” Luke squeezed Noah’s hand. “They taught us that love isn’t only about grand gestures. It’s about showing up. Being there. Building something that lasts.”
That’s what you’re doing here. It’s not just the house. You’re building a home. Maybe one you can be a part of.
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Noah tensed. Luke couldn’t blame him, given the damage done during the last round of storms. He slid closer, slipping his hand around Noah’s waist. He kissed his neck, hoping to distract him. “It’s going to be fine. We have everything covered, and tonight isn’t supposed to be anything severe. How about we go upstairs and I’ll wear you out so you don’t even notice if it rains tonight?”
Noah’s fingers danced along the top of Luke’s thigh. Luke hissed as Noah’s hand met the swell of his cock. “I like the way you think.”
Luke jumped up, yanking Noah to his feet and giving him a swat on the ass. “I want you undressed and laid out for me by the time I finish locking up.”
Noah flashed a sly grin. “Yes, sir. I could get used to you being all bossy.”
