Storyline
Luke and Noah meet at WOAK, a local television station in Oakdale, where they are working as interns, but their relationship is complex from the beginning. Luke's first love for Kevin Davis ended badly when he "came out" to Kevin and was fiercely rejected, and Noah is involved with co-worker Maddie Coleman. In fact, Noah thinks jealously that Luke is pursuing his girlfriend until Luke reveals first his sexual orientation and then his attraction to Noah. After this, Noah struggles with his own feelings for Luke. One day, when Luke is helping Noah with his tie, Noah impulsively kisses him; he tries to shrug this off as a joke before finally admitting to himself and Luke that he meant it. He isn't, however, ready to deal with being gay. Although Luke urges him to be honest with Maddie and to acknowledge his own sexuality, Noah hesitates.
Not completely unaware of the undercurrents between them, Maddie is forced to confront the budding romance between Noah and Luke when her brother Henry tells her that Noah's homophobic father, Army Colonel Winston Mayer, suspects the pair are involved. She asks Luke, and when he urges her to speak to Noah, realizes the truth. She breaks off her relationship with him.
Colonel Mayer does what he can to prevent the young men from coming together, even threatening Luke's mother Lily, but just when he thinks Noah is safely reconciled with Maddie, he comes upon his son and Luke sharing their second kiss. Colonel Mayer disowns his son but later launches a more devious plot to kill Luke and get him out of Noah's life - a plot that is thwarted by Noah and Luke's parents. Noah and Luke come closer than ever as Luke uses physical therapy to recover the use of his legs, paralyzed in the Colonel's attempted murder.
The relationship is not completely smooth, as Noah is still struggling somewhat with his own homosexuality, not able to express his feelings as freely as Luke. Noah continues to work on it, and it is at his instigation that the pair become housemates. While Noah had wanted to get an apartment alone with Luke, he compromises on Luke's suggestion by moving into Luke's family home, although the couple are not permitted to share a bed.
Their new-found closeness is challenged when they meet a young Iraqi woman, Ameera Ali Aziz, who is in the United States on temporary visa and soon to be deported. Noah marries Ameera to help her remain in the United States, which requires that he hide his relationship with Luke and eventually move into a separate house with Ameera to make their relationship seems more legitimate. Ameera, it seems, would like for their relationship to be legitimate, but Noah continues to be devoted to Luke, whom he kisses again while shopping for a birthday present for Ameera.
When Noah visits his father in prison, he crushes the Colonel's hopes by revealing that his marriage to Ameera is in name only and that he and Luke are still a couple. Not long thereafter, Ameera disappears, leaving a note saying that she will be able to stay in the country without the marriage and will have it annulled. Luke and Noah have little time to celebrate before they are advised that the Colonel has escaped from prison, which leads Noah to fear for his boyfriend's safety and also to worry that Ameera has been kidnapped. When Noah tries to track him down, the Colonel assaults him, but he manages to get away and reunite with Luke and Ameera, who has also escaped the Colonel. The Colonel is determined to get Ameera back under his control and tricks the young men with some fake police officers, but Luke calls upon his grandmother Lucinda, who brings real police to protect them. Following a confrontation with his son, the Colonel dives into the water and does not resurface; he is believed dead. Noah blames Luke for this for a time, but the couple eventually reunite after Cyndi Lauper, in town on the True Colors Tour, dedicates a set to Luke. Noah tells Luke he wants to be with him, and the couple kiss again.
After Noah's decision to enlist in the army is derailed by the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, which he defies, the couple resume living together at the Snyder farm, although they still do not share a bed. Soon thereafter, Luke starts the Luke Snyder Foundation for sick children with money inherited from his birth father's family, and the attorney they hire, Brian, begins throwing road blocks between them, cautioning Luke that being openly gay will hurt his foundation with conservative investors. Ultimately, however, it is Luke himself who causes the couple to break up, when he finds himself pitched in a dirty political campaign against his first love, Kevin. To counter the homophobic attacks of Kevin's supporters, Luke winds up permitting Casey Hughes to stuff the ballot box to ensure that he will win. Noah cannot take part in this dishonesty and refuses to lie for Luke when they are challenged. Feeling also that Luke has unresolved issues about Kevin, he moves out and distances himself.
Luke begins drinking again and while drunk is kissed by Brian, who has married Luke's grandmother Lucinda. Later, Brian tells Luke that, while attracted to Luke, he loves Lucinda. In spite of their agreement, this will not remain secret long. Luke and Noah are struggling to reconnect, but when Luke is jealous of Noah's continued relationship with Maddie (who has interrupted their planned tryst on New Year's Eve), he kisses Brian himself. Noah, who sees this, is angry with Luke for some time, but when the pair finally come together to discuss the matter their anger is overwhelmed by their feelings for each other, and they finally consummate their relationship.
It isn't long before they decide to finally live together in a place of their own. But when they are denied housing because they are gay, Luke turns his Luke Snyder Foundation to LGBT rights. This increases the amount of hate targeted at Luke, who is finally the victim in a hit and run.
After Noah is blinded in an accident at film school, he breaks off with Luke, feeling a need to be independent and blaming Luke, because the couple had been arguing at the time of the accident. Noah finds a specialist, neurosurgeon Reid Oliver, whom he believes he can cure his sight, and Luke tries to lure the arrogant doctor to Oakdale; when promises of money do not work, he successfully blackmails him. In spite of this rocky start, the pair gradually fall in love. When Noah eventually begins to consider reuniting with Luke, Luke is torn - both angry at Noah's prior treatment and confused by his feelings for Reid. Reid eventually resigns from the hospital when he realizes that he must either do so or break off his relationship with Luke, the hospital's biggest donor, but is soon reinstated. Tragically, Reid is mortally injured when his car is struck by a train.
During this time, Noah has relocated to Los Angeles to make a film under grant. When Reid dies, Noah returns in spite of himself to comfort his love, but while he is willing to remain in Oakdale with Luke, Luke urges him to pursue his dream. They agree that they will visit and one day may finally unite.
Luke and Noah's last scenes together aired the day before the show's finale. After a 54-year run, As The World Turns was cancelled as of Sept 17, 2010. Luke and Noah's story ended onscreen at WOAK, but as the Executive Producer of the show has said, "Their relationship will endure."
Read more about this topic: Luke Snyder And Noah Mayer