Thanks for the comment, Actor87! I've been thinking about doing a regular fan fic featuring all of the characters for a while, but I just feel so uninspired sometimes (while at other times, I have ideas to last a year). I tried that with AMC a few months ago, but as you can see, that didn't work out too well. I think I like this idea more, because I can update whenever I have a decent amount of stuff to add and I like that whenever I decide to finish this story, I can move on to other characters and soaps. I already have ideas for an AMC story and another ATWT story in my head.

Here's part two of the current story...

AS THE WORLD TURNS

"The Luke and Kevin Story" - Part 2

The drive up to the Davis's cabin was uneventful so far. Gwen Norbeck's recently recorded demo tape provided the soundtrack for the trip, so hardly any words were spoken on the way. Everytime Luke tried to look at the young man that he had been in love with for so long, his nerves took over and he quickly turned to face the road ahead of him. There was a determination about Kevin that Luke couldn't get enough of. When he first confirmed his feelings, it was after seeing that determination in Kevin's eyes as they raced out to a large rock off the shore of the lake. Kevin won and did a little celebratory dance, unknowingly shaking what his mother gave him in Luke's face, giving his friend an eyeful.

Luke laughed out loud at the memory. Kevin looked over at him and joined him in the laughter. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Ah, nothing, just thinking about something. Thinking about the last time I was really happy," Luke responded. "Between my mom's boyfriend and my kidney and the drinking and Jade, I don't think I've been really happy since last summer."

Kevin nodded and smiled the million dollar smile that Luke always saw in his dreams. "Well, today we'll change that. I mean it. I owe it to you, Luke. I put you through a lot of pressure earlier this year and I'm sorry, I really am. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have such a screwed up relationship with your parents."

"Nah, it's not all your fault. It's a lot of my own troubles too, but hopefully that'll all be put in the past, you know? People change, they grow up. I think my parents realize that I'm not the kid I was in the winter and neither are you."

"Yep!" Kevin exclaimed. "We're not kids anymore, we're men! Think about it, when we go back to Oakdale Latin, we're going to be seniors! We'll be able to get all the girls we want."

Luke had his guard down and was hit by Kevin's comment. Why was Kevin interested in girls when I've been his best friend for ten years, he thought. Maybe this was all a big mistake. For a second, he wanted to just forget about it all and not come out to Kevin, but he had his mind set on it now and it was something he had to do. Nothing was going to stop him now.

~~~~~~~~~

"This place is a dump!" Kevin yelled when they pulled up at the cabin. "My dad told me that it was right on the coast, but I think the five miles through the woods that we just drove prove him wrong."

"I don't think it's that bad," Luke said, admiring the subtle majesty of the small cabin. He looked towards the side of it. "Look, there's a small pond out back. That's better than the shark-infested lake anyway."

"Yeah, I guess," Kevin said. "Let's get our stuff inside."

Together, they hauled in a twelve pack box of sodas, several bags of chips and cans of dip, a portable grill and all of the fixings for a summer picnic. When they were finally finished bringing the items in, they were both worn out and tired.

"I would take a shower, but I don't know if there's enough water to last that long," Kevin said.

"Yeah, I could do with one myself," Luke agreed.

Kevin went to the window overlooking the pond. "You think that pond's clean?" he asked.

Luke joined him in the window. "Should be. The one on our farm is pretty nice."

"Good," Kevin said. He walked outside and instantly was in Luke's vision outside the window. He took off his shirt and pants.

"What are you doing?" Luke said, laughing.

"Taking advantage of this nice pond here. I'm not dirty, I took a bath before we left. I just need to soak in some cool water."

Luke smiled as Kevin removed his shoes and socks. He was now naked to the core, with the exceptions of his swimming shorts and underwear. "You think anybody's going to notice if I do it in the buff?"

"Yeah, someone's going to notice, me!" Luke joked.

"Then maybe you should join me," Kevin replied. He jumped into the pond and floated around gracefully. It was enough to make Luke burst an aneurysm, even if he didn't have any. "Come on, the water's fine. It's cold, but it's not icy."

Luke wanted desperately to say yes, but he didn't trust himself enough. He didn't want to do this now and then later, when he would tell Kevin everything, have his best friend question his motives. "Nah, I don't think it's such a good idea. I've been feeling a little feverish lately."

"Of course," Kevin said. "I swear, Snyder, you've had every illness in the book."

Suddenly, Luke noticed a mass of black cloth floating in the pond. "Hey, what's that behind you?" he asked.

"What do you think it is, Einstein? I told you I was going all the way with this!"

Luke nodded and forced a grin. He walked around inside the cabin to take his mind away from his naked crush. Giving himself a personal tour of the place, he moseyed down a very short hall. There were three doors, two on the left and one on the right. The right side door was a small bathroom, which seemed to be equipped with plumbing. The first door on the left was a small closet.

The third door seemed to have a little hallway of its own. Luke walked through the door and quickly realized that it was a bedroom that wrapped around so that it was in the path of the hallway. The cabin looked small on the outside, but Luke definitely understood that looks could be deceiving.

Inside the bedroom, there was a vanity, with some of Mrs. Davis's makeup on it. On the far side of the room, there was a door that led to the bathroom, and right there in the middle up against the wall was a double bed. It showed signs of use, as the sheets were wrinkled and carelessly thrown over the mattress, probably by someone who was in a hurry to leave.

Whatever the case, Luke liked the feel of the cabin. There was an intimacy in it that a regular house didn't hold. It was not unlike his great-grandfather Cal Stricklyn's, which sat on the Snyder property and had been most recently occupied by Jade.

Luke brought himself back to the living room and went to the window. Kevin was no longer in the pond and his clothes had been picked up, so he must have been out there somewhere drying off. But then, startling Luke, Kevin came through the front door without a thing to cover his body. Luke, shocked at first, quickly covered his eyes. "Kevin!" he cried out.

"Give me a break, Snyder!" Kevin said, in his cheery voice. It was innocent yet had a mystery in it. It reminded Luke of the TV character Eddie Haskell. "It's not like I have something you don't."

Luke slowly parted his fingers over his eyes and looked down. Inside, he laughed. Yes, Kevin, he thought, you definitely have something that I don't. "Did you have to come in here stark naked?"

"I forgot to bring a towel out with me, and I couldn't dry off with a leaf, could I?"

Luke didn't care for the reason, he was just thankful for this moment. It was completely shallow and maybe a bit perverted, but he didn't care. After the hell he'd been through the last year, he deserved to be a pervert for a while.

~~~~~~~~~

Hours had passed, literally. Those were hours that were filled with the two teenagers trying their hand at cooking, fishing, bird watching (they were desperate), and watching old reruns on the black and white TV in the cabin. Luke didn't know when the perfect moment would be to talk to Kevin. In his mind, he had the scenario set up. There'd be a fire in the fireplace (even though it was the middle of summer), and they'd both be on the sofa in front of it. He'd look over at Kevin and just say the three words that he had longed to say. "I love you." But he knew it wouldn't happen like that.

It was now 4:15 in the afternoon and Kevin was getting restless. "You know, I think there's a big rock out there in the pond," he said. "Bet you I'll beat you to it in a race."

Luke swallowed a big blob of air. "What?"

"I said I bet you I can beat you out there to that rock in the pond!"

The excitement took over Luke. "Oh really?" he asked.

"You remember what happened last time, Snyder!" Kevin exclaimed. "I'll beat you again and defend my title as the fastest swimmer this side of Bay City!"

"We'll just see about that!" Luke replied. "Come on!"

They laughed and taunted each other all the way out to the pond, playfully pushing each other. To Luke's surprise, Kevin dropped down to nothing again. That's it, Luke thought, I lost. I can't take the distraction. Luke himself only got down to his swimming shorts.

They both jumped into the water and situated themselves right next to the shore. "On your mark," Kevin said.

"Get set," Luke continued.

"Go!" they both hollered, and off they went. Kevin's technique caused water to fly as high as the sun while Luke's style was more modest. Nevertheless, Luke allowed Kevin to beat him again, if only just to relive that one special moment.

"2-4-6-8! Who do I appreciate? Luke Snyder, Luke Snyder, yeah, Luke Snyder!" Kevin sang and danced. Luke looked up at him on the grass as he himself stayed in the water. He looked at Kevin's legs, firm from the years and years of sports and activity. He looked at the back, which was pretty much the same way. Kevin had it all, Luke thought. And I need to have him.

Luke lifted himself out of the pond and up on the ground. Suddenly, Kevin, who had his underwear on again, tackled him to the ground. "Who's the winner?" he asked aggresively but jokingly. "Who owns you?!"

"You do!" Luke responded. It was like some sort of dream that he had had night after night.

"What's my name?!"

"Kevin! Kevin! Your name's Kevin!" Luke continued to scream. This was too surreal!

Kevin pinned him down and they were face to face, only an three and a half inches separating their mouths and eyes. Luke looked into Kevin's eyes and knew that it was right. He knew that he was the luckiest young man in the world. Completely and utterly doubtless, Luke reached his head up and his lips met Kevin's.

They savored each other. Figuratively speaking, Kevin's lips were lips of wine. Luke, his eyes closed and his mind in another world, reveled in his happiness. Here he was, on the ground behind a cabin in the woods, making out with his best friend, the guy he had been in love with for who knows how long. Last year was only a realization for him. It was then that he admitted it to himself that he loved Kevin, but he knew that the feelings he had for him had existed long before then.

Kevin, in his own mind, was proud of himself. It worked, he thought. And this is the perfect payoff. All of the months of teasing Luke and subtly seducing him have worked. No one stood between us. Not Holden, not Lily, not that pathetic bitch Jade. We're destined.

It was even more a testament to their connection when they both broke the kiss at the same time. "Kevin," Luke said, "I love you."

"I love you too, Snyder," Kevin replied, hardly able to catch his breath.

"I love you, Kevin," Luke repeated. "As long as the world turns, I will love you."

And at that moment, they could do nothing but kiss again.

TO BE CONTINUED...