fic: Prince Luciano (2/10)
Title: Prince Luciano (LuRe Big Bang 2011)
Author: alissablue & slayerkitty
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Luke/Reid, Noah, Damian, Casey, Bob,
Category: AU, fluff/schmoop, angst,
Chapters: 10, including the epilogue.
Word count: 27,368
Summary: Luciano Eduardo Grimaldi is the future king of Malta. In defiance of Damian's wishes, he remains close to his family and Oakdale, going as far as to create the Neurology wing for the hospital, and even blackmailing one Dr. Reid Oliver into running it. Reid is prepared to hate everything about Oakdale in his anger about being blackmailed, including Luciano...except as it turns out, they already know each other..
Warnings: Angst
Disclaimer: We don’t own the characters, we just enjoy playing with them.
Authors’ note: Special thanks to Carol for being our beta and csigeekfan for the very pretty artwork! Assume that Malta is a monarchy and that everything that happens to Reid in early 2011 is still canon, minus the blind!Noah part and the Judd lawsuit. And, being the talented young heir that he is, Luke speaks both Italian and Maltese and is a master at code switching between the two.
Previous chapters: I /
II
Oh, fuck.
The ground didn’t feel so steady anymore. It seemed more like the ground beneath him had become a black hole, about to suck him into the darkness for good. Reid’s stomach and heart and every single part of him now resided in his shoes, dropped from where they were supposed to be the moment he’d locked eyes with him.
“Luciano”.
The name didn’t sound right. It didn’t sit well with him, and he couldn’t make the pieces fit, reconcile the name with Luke, his Luke. His former Luke. Luke looked the same, but more expensive, and polished from head to toe. From the locks of blond hair, to the tailored suit, to the designer shoes, everything about him appeared to have been carefully considered, planned out to meet elitist standards. He looked… royal, if there was such a look. He looked like he could afford anything and everyone, and as though he had a dozen servants waiting for him outside of Bob’s office.
Luke looked away from Reid, smiling politely at Bob, as he tried to hide how nervous he really was. Reid looked good, even better than the first time they’d met. His hair was shorter, less curly and more tweaked and styled, but everything else about him was still the same as when Luke saw him last.
His heart was pounding harder and harder, so loud he feared and wondered for a second if they could hear it like he could, and his stomach wouldn’t stop doing flip flops no matter how much he tried to calm himself down.
Luke politely held out his hand for Reid to shake. Reid looked down at his hand and back up into his eyes again, ignoring the gesture. “What’s going on here?” Reid asked, turning to Bob instead.
“Dr. Oliver, this is Luciano Grimaldi, our benefactor.”
“I know who he is.” Luke’s face fell briefly, taken aback by Reid’s harsh tone of voice, but Reid didn’t notice. “But it’s not Luciano Grimaldi.” Reid spat out the name like it was venom in his mouth, a virus he didn’t want to catch. He crossed his arms across his chest defensively, as if to strengthen the wall he was putting up.
“You two already know each other?” Bob asked, surprised. He could cut the tension in his office with a knife, as intensely as Luke and Reid were staring at each other.
The moment passed and Luke turned to face Bob again, flashing him a charming smile, as if there wasn’t anything wrong at all. It was as though he’d suddenly put on a mask, constructed by years of training, and for a while, Bob didn’t see anything of the boy who’d grown up in Oakdale. He was all Damian, all Grimaldi, restrained, controlled and invulnerable. Unbreakable.
“Dr. Oliver and I are old acquaintances.” Luke stated simply, deciding that was enough of an explanation. “Could you please give us a minute to catch up, Dr. Hughes?”
Bob took one last look at Reid, who was still staring at Luke, and he nodded curtly at Luke, before closing the door behind him. As soon as Luke heard the click of the door, he approached Reid, but the death glare Reid gave him, prompted him to keep his distance.
Luke sighed. Reid wasn’t letting him in at all, and it felt like he was up against a brick wall, with no way to break through it. “How have you been?” He asked, not knowing how to begin.
“How have I been?!” Reid asked incredulously. “I come here thinking I’m going to meet the pretentious bastard who blackmailed me and forced me to move to this rabbit hole of a town, and turns out it’s the guy I had a fling with last summer. Peachy, thanks for asking.” He clenched his jaw, turning away from Luke.
“It was more than a fling.” Luke countered, making Reid scoff. His eyes swept over Reid’s body, over his defined features and the distinct, indescribable blend of brown/blond/red he’d missed so much. “It was more than a fling to me, Reid.” He said, the longing apparent in his voice.
“It’s Dr. Oliver to you, Luciano.”
“So, I know, I wasn’t completely honest about everything, but-”
“You weren’t honest about anything! Starting with your name and ending with you fucking blackmailing me!”
“I didn’t have a choice, I had to get you to Oakdale somehow!” Luke said, a hint of his Maltese accent slipping through.
“Why? Another thing your father used to say? If you want something, you should take it?”
“I can explain everything, if you’d just let me.”
Luke stepped closer to Reid, approaching him until he was too close for Reid to move away from him. Reid felt trapped between Luke and Bob’s desk, with Luke violating his personal space like he’d done so many times before, but he still couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Luke’s lips. Luke felt a surge of want hit him, as he saw Reid glance at his lips. He deliberately licked his lips and moved even closer to Reid.
“You look good. I’ve missed you.” Luke whispered. Reid looked back up at him, and the small flicker of want in his eyes caught Luke’s attention.
“I’m not interested.” Reid said, his piercing blue eyes indicating otherwise. He felt his judgment clouded by being so close to Luke, knowing this would make it that much harder to forget about him entirely. He stepped away, moving past Luke to find the door. His fingers curled around the handle, and he opened the door slightly, only to have it slammed right back shut by Luke.
“We’re not done talking.” Luke spat out from behind him, quickly putting himself between Reid and the door. Luke looked at him fiercely, and for the first time since he’d laid eyes on him again, Reid could see the same fire in him as when they’d met. Yet this time, he wasn’t Luke but Luciano and he finally lived up to the name. His tone was cold and arrogant and stern, all that Reid had thought the anonymous, royal benefactor would sound like. Fucking royalty, really?
“Oh, I think we are.”
Luke’s features softened, as did his tone of voice. “Just let me explain.” He pleaded once more. “I’ll tell you everything, Reid.”
“Fine. I have one question.”
“Anything.”
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me you were one of the goddamned Grimaldi’s?”
*
“Luke. Luuuukke.” Casey threw his arm around Luke’s shoulders. “This is the best, the bestest pub ever.” Luke laughed.
“Are you having a good time then?”
“Bestest pub ever,” Casey repeated, wobbling a little.
“I think you’ve had enough to drink,” Luke told him, smiling. “Are you ready to head out?”
“Dude, just one more.” Luke laughed as Casey held up two fingers.
“Casey…” Luke warned.
“I’ll sleep it off on the plane home tomorrow,” Casey promised. “It’s early, too early to go back yet.”
And Luke didn’t really want to go home. Home meant rules, and responsibilities, and bodyguards and never a moment alone. “Fine,” He agreed. “One more.”
Casey gave him a sloppy, wet kiss on the cheek. “While I’m getting a drink, you should go talk to that guy you’ve been staring at since we got here.”
“I have not,” Luke denied. That was a lie, of course. Because sitting at the bar was possibly the most beautiful man Luke had ever laid eyes on. His curly hair was some indescribable mix of brown/blond/red, and he had the most piercing blue eyes that Luke had ever seen.
It didn’t matter though - Luke was fairly sure he was American, and that would never go over with Damian. Not for Luciano, not for the future King of Malta. Damian might be okay (now) with his sexuality, but he would never stand for anyone without Maltese blood as a partner for Luke.
Still, he was a very beautiful man.
As if Casey could read his thoughts, he leaned over. “You don’t have to take him home to Damian, Luke. Go home with him instead.” Casey wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Go get your beer, Casey,” Luke shoved him away playfully. “If we miss curfew because of you, Damian and I will both kick your ass.”
*
Well, damn.
Reid had been minding his own business, enjoying the beer in front him when the pair of boys had walked in. He couldn’t help but watch them. The drunk one was loud, yelling something in the other one’s ear, and the pub was quiet, so they attracted attention.
They were both good looking men, a little on the young side for Reid’s usual taste, but it didn’t hurt anyone to look. It had been a really long time since he’d done anything but look anyway. He sighed.
He thought maybe he’d caught the taller of the two men staring at him once, but Reid wasn’t sure. He took another sip of his beer, and decided that he’d head back to his hotel room after he finished this glass. It was going to be another quiet night with only his hand for company.
“Hi.” The voice that reached his ears was startling. Reid turned his head to see the shorter of the two men standing next to him. Reid just raised an eyebrow in his direction. “So, listen,” he began.
Reid resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The guy was clearly American, and very drunk.
“My boy, Lukey,” he pointed to the other man, “thinks you’re hot.” The man’s speech was slurred and he was invading Reid’s personal space. “He’s too chicken shit to come over here and talk to you, so I thought I’d -”
“What? Do it for him?”
“Totally.”
“In case you missed the memo, this isn’t high school, and I don’t do anything with anyone who can’t speak for themselves,” Reid muttered. “And furthermore, I could care less what your friend thinks, and I’d really appreciate it if you took your drunkenness elsewhere.” He turned away from the guy, taking another sip of his beer and completely dismissing him.
“I can speak for myself, thank you very much.” Both Reid and the drunken guy turned to see the tall blond standing behind them. He looked pissed.
Reid was startled by the surge of want that suddenly washed over him. The man was gorgeous, his eyes crackling with anger, his arms crossed over his chest giving a peek at his well defined muscles. He let his eyes wander quickly, taking in the guy’s entire appearance from head to toe. His clothes fit him well, perfectly, accentuating the very best parts about him. A dash of chest hair peeked out of his shirt, and it only made the feeling of want stronger.
“So why’d you send Tweedledum over here then?”
“Hey!” the drunk one exclaimed.
“Shut up, Casey, and go get your beer,” The blond one said. Casey gave him a sloppy salute and went to bug the bartender.
“I’m sorry about that,” the guy said. “But you really didn’t have to be a jerk.”
“I am a jerk,” Reid found himself replying.
“Yeah, well, that’s no excuse for a lack of manners or any sense of common decency.”
“Both of which, as you just pointed out, I lack,” Reid took another sip of his beer. Riling this guy up was the best foreplay he’d had in months.
“Apparently,” he sighed. “I don’t even know why I bothered to apologize. You’re clearly an ass.”
“You talk an awful lot.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” the guy snapped, and if Reid wasn’t mistaken, this time he heard a big of a Maltese accent slip through.
“I was just thinking that maybe we could find a way to put your mouth to better use.”
NEXT
Author: alissablue & slayerkitty
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Luke/Reid, Noah, Damian, Casey, Bob,
Category: AU, fluff/schmoop, angst,
Chapters: 10, including the epilogue.
Word count: 27,368
Summary: Luciano Eduardo Grimaldi is the future king of Malta. In defiance of Damian's wishes, he remains close to his family and Oakdale, going as far as to create the Neurology wing for the hospital, and even blackmailing one Dr. Reid Oliver into running it. Reid is prepared to hate everything about Oakdale in his anger about being blackmailed, including Luciano...except as it turns out, they already know each other..
Warnings: Angst
Disclaimer: We don’t own the characters, we just enjoy playing with them.
Authors’ note: Special thanks to Carol for being our beta and csigeekfan for the very pretty artwork! Assume that Malta is a monarchy and that everything that happens to Reid in early 2011 is still canon, minus the blind!Noah part and the Judd lawsuit. And, being the talented young heir that he is, Luke speaks both Italian and Maltese and is a master at code switching between the two.
Previous chapters: I /
II
Oh, fuck.
The ground didn’t feel so steady anymore. It seemed more like the ground beneath him had become a black hole, about to suck him into the darkness for good. Reid’s stomach and heart and every single part of him now resided in his shoes, dropped from where they were supposed to be the moment he’d locked eyes with him.
“Luciano”.
The name didn’t sound right. It didn’t sit well with him, and he couldn’t make the pieces fit, reconcile the name with Luke, his Luke. His former Luke. Luke looked the same, but more expensive, and polished from head to toe. From the locks of blond hair, to the tailored suit, to the designer shoes, everything about him appeared to have been carefully considered, planned out to meet elitist standards. He looked… royal, if there was such a look. He looked like he could afford anything and everyone, and as though he had a dozen servants waiting for him outside of Bob’s office.
Luke looked away from Reid, smiling politely at Bob, as he tried to hide how nervous he really was. Reid looked good, even better than the first time they’d met. His hair was shorter, less curly and more tweaked and styled, but everything else about him was still the same as when Luke saw him last.
His heart was pounding harder and harder, so loud he feared and wondered for a second if they could hear it like he could, and his stomach wouldn’t stop doing flip flops no matter how much he tried to calm himself down.
Luke politely held out his hand for Reid to shake. Reid looked down at his hand and back up into his eyes again, ignoring the gesture. “What’s going on here?” Reid asked, turning to Bob instead.
“Dr. Oliver, this is Luciano Grimaldi, our benefactor.”
“I know who he is.” Luke’s face fell briefly, taken aback by Reid’s harsh tone of voice, but Reid didn’t notice. “But it’s not Luciano Grimaldi.” Reid spat out the name like it was venom in his mouth, a virus he didn’t want to catch. He crossed his arms across his chest defensively, as if to strengthen the wall he was putting up.
“You two already know each other?” Bob asked, surprised. He could cut the tension in his office with a knife, as intensely as Luke and Reid were staring at each other.
The moment passed and Luke turned to face Bob again, flashing him a charming smile, as if there wasn’t anything wrong at all. It was as though he’d suddenly put on a mask, constructed by years of training, and for a while, Bob didn’t see anything of the boy who’d grown up in Oakdale. He was all Damian, all Grimaldi, restrained, controlled and invulnerable. Unbreakable.
“Dr. Oliver and I are old acquaintances.” Luke stated simply, deciding that was enough of an explanation. “Could you please give us a minute to catch up, Dr. Hughes?”
Bob took one last look at Reid, who was still staring at Luke, and he nodded curtly at Luke, before closing the door behind him. As soon as Luke heard the click of the door, he approached Reid, but the death glare Reid gave him, prompted him to keep his distance.
Luke sighed. Reid wasn’t letting him in at all, and it felt like he was up against a brick wall, with no way to break through it. “How have you been?” He asked, not knowing how to begin.
“How have I been?!” Reid asked incredulously. “I come here thinking I’m going to meet the pretentious bastard who blackmailed me and forced me to move to this rabbit hole of a town, and turns out it’s the guy I had a fling with last summer. Peachy, thanks for asking.” He clenched his jaw, turning away from Luke.
“It was more than a fling.” Luke countered, making Reid scoff. His eyes swept over Reid’s body, over his defined features and the distinct, indescribable blend of brown/blond/red he’d missed so much. “It was more than a fling to me, Reid.” He said, the longing apparent in his voice.
“It’s Dr. Oliver to you, Luciano.”
“So, I know, I wasn’t completely honest about everything, but-”
“You weren’t honest about anything! Starting with your name and ending with you fucking blackmailing me!”
“I didn’t have a choice, I had to get you to Oakdale somehow!” Luke said, a hint of his Maltese accent slipping through.
“Why? Another thing your father used to say? If you want something, you should take it?”
“I can explain everything, if you’d just let me.”
Luke stepped closer to Reid, approaching him until he was too close for Reid to move away from him. Reid felt trapped between Luke and Bob’s desk, with Luke violating his personal space like he’d done so many times before, but he still couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Luke’s lips. Luke felt a surge of want hit him, as he saw Reid glance at his lips. He deliberately licked his lips and moved even closer to Reid.
“You look good. I’ve missed you.” Luke whispered. Reid looked back up at him, and the small flicker of want in his eyes caught Luke’s attention.
“I’m not interested.” Reid said, his piercing blue eyes indicating otherwise. He felt his judgment clouded by being so close to Luke, knowing this would make it that much harder to forget about him entirely. He stepped away, moving past Luke to find the door. His fingers curled around the handle, and he opened the door slightly, only to have it slammed right back shut by Luke.
“We’re not done talking.” Luke spat out from behind him, quickly putting himself between Reid and the door. Luke looked at him fiercely, and for the first time since he’d laid eyes on him again, Reid could see the same fire in him as when they’d met. Yet this time, he wasn’t Luke but Luciano and he finally lived up to the name. His tone was cold and arrogant and stern, all that Reid had thought the anonymous, royal benefactor would sound like. Fucking royalty, really?
“Oh, I think we are.”
Luke’s features softened, as did his tone of voice. “Just let me explain.” He pleaded once more. “I’ll tell you everything, Reid.”
“Fine. I have one question.”
“Anything.”
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me you were one of the goddamned Grimaldi’s?”
*
“Luke. Luuuukke.” Casey threw his arm around Luke’s shoulders. “This is the best, the bestest pub ever.” Luke laughed.
“Are you having a good time then?”
“Bestest pub ever,” Casey repeated, wobbling a little.
“I think you’ve had enough to drink,” Luke told him, smiling. “Are you ready to head out?”
“Dude, just one more.” Luke laughed as Casey held up two fingers.
“Casey…” Luke warned.
“I’ll sleep it off on the plane home tomorrow,” Casey promised. “It’s early, too early to go back yet.”
And Luke didn’t really want to go home. Home meant rules, and responsibilities, and bodyguards and never a moment alone. “Fine,” He agreed. “One more.”
Casey gave him a sloppy, wet kiss on the cheek. “While I’m getting a drink, you should go talk to that guy you’ve been staring at since we got here.”
“I have not,” Luke denied. That was a lie, of course. Because sitting at the bar was possibly the most beautiful man Luke had ever laid eyes on. His curly hair was some indescribable mix of brown/blond/red, and he had the most piercing blue eyes that Luke had ever seen.
It didn’t matter though - Luke was fairly sure he was American, and that would never go over with Damian. Not for Luciano, not for the future King of Malta. Damian might be okay (now) with his sexuality, but he would never stand for anyone without Maltese blood as a partner for Luke.
Still, he was a very beautiful man.
As if Casey could read his thoughts, he leaned over. “You don’t have to take him home to Damian, Luke. Go home with him instead.” Casey wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Go get your beer, Casey,” Luke shoved him away playfully. “If we miss curfew because of you, Damian and I will both kick your ass.”
*
Well, damn.
Reid had been minding his own business, enjoying the beer in front him when the pair of boys had walked in. He couldn’t help but watch them. The drunk one was loud, yelling something in the other one’s ear, and the pub was quiet, so they attracted attention.
They were both good looking men, a little on the young side for Reid’s usual taste, but it didn’t hurt anyone to look. It had been a really long time since he’d done anything but look anyway. He sighed.
He thought maybe he’d caught the taller of the two men staring at him once, but Reid wasn’t sure. He took another sip of his beer, and decided that he’d head back to his hotel room after he finished this glass. It was going to be another quiet night with only his hand for company.
“Hi.” The voice that reached his ears was startling. Reid turned his head to see the shorter of the two men standing next to him. Reid just raised an eyebrow in his direction. “So, listen,” he began.
Reid resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The guy was clearly American, and very drunk.
“My boy, Lukey,” he pointed to the other man, “thinks you’re hot.” The man’s speech was slurred and he was invading Reid’s personal space. “He’s too chicken shit to come over here and talk to you, so I thought I’d -”
“What? Do it for him?”
“Totally.”
“In case you missed the memo, this isn’t high school, and I don’t do anything with anyone who can’t speak for themselves,” Reid muttered. “And furthermore, I could care less what your friend thinks, and I’d really appreciate it if you took your drunkenness elsewhere.” He turned away from the guy, taking another sip of his beer and completely dismissing him.
“I can speak for myself, thank you very much.” Both Reid and the drunken guy turned to see the tall blond standing behind them. He looked pissed.
Reid was startled by the surge of want that suddenly washed over him. The man was gorgeous, his eyes crackling with anger, his arms crossed over his chest giving a peek at his well defined muscles. He let his eyes wander quickly, taking in the guy’s entire appearance from head to toe. His clothes fit him well, perfectly, accentuating the very best parts about him. A dash of chest hair peeked out of his shirt, and it only made the feeling of want stronger.
“So why’d you send Tweedledum over here then?”
“Hey!” the drunk one exclaimed.
“Shut up, Casey, and go get your beer,” The blond one said. Casey gave him a sloppy salute and went to bug the bartender.
“I’m sorry about that,” the guy said. “But you really didn’t have to be a jerk.”
“I am a jerk,” Reid found himself replying.
“Yeah, well, that’s no excuse for a lack of manners or any sense of common decency.”
“Both of which, as you just pointed out, I lack,” Reid took another sip of his beer. Riling this guy up was the best foreplay he’d had in months.
“Apparently,” he sighed. “I don’t even know why I bothered to apologize. You’re clearly an ass.”
“You talk an awful lot.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” the guy snapped, and if Reid wasn’t mistaken, this time he heard a big of a Maltese accent slip through.
“I was just thinking that maybe we could find a way to put your mouth to better use.”
NEXT