Happy Birthday Luke
“Good Birthday?”
Luke panted, a big smile plastered over his face. He looked to his left and saw an equally big smile on Reid’s face, although he was panting less. Luke ran his fingers through his sweat soaked hair and scooted closer to Reid, making sure they were facing each other. He kissed Reid hard and fast on the lips, leaving a little bit when he parted.
“The best birthday ever.”
Reid grabbed the back of Luke’s head and forced their lips back together. Their tongues fought for dominance until Luke moaned softly and let Reid take control. They were naked and sweaty, underneath the covers but those were lazily hanging off of their hips. Luke was pretty sure this was as close to perfect he was ever going to see. They kissed for a while, breaking apart only when air was absolutely necessary.
“I got you a gift,” Reid said, once a sufficient amount of oxygen returned to his lungs.
“You did?” Luke’s eyes grew two sizes and his smile returned, somehow bigger than before. “I thought, you know, this was my gift.” Luke motioned his hands around the two of them and the bed.
“I’m not that much of an ass Luke.”
“I know you’re not. But I know birthdays aren’t you thing. And I already had the party with everyone. And I received a bunch of gifts there. And-”
“Will you shut up? I’m trying to give you something here.” Reid tried to sound agitated but failed. After only a year Luke could read him like a book. He sat up and reached over to the table next to the bed, opening up the drawer and bringing out a golden wrapped gift. He held it out to Luke, who had by now sat up in the bed himself. A look of shock had taken over Luke’s face and he swallowed hard.
“Reid.”
“Open it Luke.”
Luke stared at Reid for a few moments before gently taking the box. He carefully unwrapped the paper and opened the top slowly. Inside was an obviously old hardcover book. The blue jacket was worn down with the edges either torn away or about to be. But it had that unmistakable blue face without a nose above the carnival lights. Luke looked at it questionably and then to Reid.
“The Great Gatsby?”
“Mm hmm. I know you like that novel.”
“Yeah, it’s one of my favorites. But I already have a copy of it Reid.”
Reid just smiled. “Look inside.”
Luke hesitantly opened the book a few pages. The book was older than he originally thought. The pages were yellow and some looked like it was going to tear off any second, but the type was legible and there were no creases.
“I,” Luke started, not wanting to take away from the moment, “I don’t get it Reid.”
The smile hadn’t left Reid face. “Check the date it was published.”
Luke turned back a few pages to the beginning of the book. He read the publishing date.
1925.
Luke stilled. He stared at the date, the year going through his head over and over. 1925. 1925. Nineteen hundred and fucking twenty-five.
“Reid?”
“Apparently,” Reid began, “my grandfather got it when he was a young man. He read it once and didn’t care for it. He threw it up on the small little bookshelf he had. When my grandmother died my father and Angus divided up all of their possessions. Dad got the books.”
“Oh my God.” Luke had started to take deep breaths in an attempt to breath. “Reid. Do you know how much this is worth?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Millions Reid.” Luke’s attention finally left the book and it went back to Reid. “It’s worth millions. Why in the hell would you give me something worth millions?”
“Look further in the book.”
“What?”
“Look further in the book.”
Luke stared some more at Reid and eventually went back to the novel. He flipped through the pages, ever so gently, until he got to a picture that was a little past the middle. Luke gently took hold of a corner and took it out of its hiding place. It held the image of a man, a woman, and a little boy no more than four years old. The woman, long straight auburn hair, was leaning down and hugging the boy, a wide smile on both of their faces. They were wearing Boston Red Sox hats and the boy was wearing a shirt to match. The man, with brown curly hair that hung to his shoulders, was standing straight and still, but a genuine smile was on his face as he looked at the other two. Luke didn’t know how long he was staring at the picture, but he was running a finger down the side of the little boy when he heard a soft voice speak.
“It was Opening Day. They let me skip school.” When Luke looked back at Reid the older man was staring down at the white sheets on the bed. His hand was gently tapping on the bed. A small smile slowly crept on his face. “It’s one of the few really good memories I have left of them.”
The moment was catching up to Luke and he fought a losing battle against the tears that were welling up in his eyes.
“Oh Reid.”
“That book. That picture. It’s the one valuable thing I have. The other books are nice. So are the other pictures. But that,” Reid pointed at the book still in Luke’s hands, “that was my Dad’s favorite also. He was reading it when…” Reid trailed off. It was still hard for him to talk about. “He liked to bookmark the pages with pictures. It’s…a reminder of times before things became…bad.”
Luke blinked, trying to will the tears away, but a few slipped down his cheek. He gently placed the book back in the box and reached over to put it on top of the table from which it came. He cuddled up to Reid, his head finding its familiar place in Reid’s neck. Reid’s arm snaked it way across Luke’s shoulder and his hand gently played with the blond strands. Their free hands joined together, gripping the other tight.
“It wasn’t all bad. My childhood. The ending sucked. But before the chess tournaments, before the accident, it wasn’t bad. It was actually pretty okay.” Reid pulled Luke tighter and kissed the top of Luke’s head, letting his chin rest there. This little bit was the most he had told anyone about his past.
“That book was the most valuable thing I had in my life. Now it’s you Luke. I want you to have it.”
Luke moved his head from under Reid’s chin. They stared at each other and Luke saw Reid’s eyes were glassy. He cupped Reid’s cheek, running his thumb across it slowly, before kissing him slowly. Deeply. Luke laid back on the bed and Reid joined him, not breaking the kiss. Luke ended it after a few minutes and looked deeply into Reid’s eyes.
“Thank you. It’s the second best thing anyone has ever given me. By far.”
“Oh yeah? And what’s the first?” Reid asked, curiosity in his eyes.
“Your heart.”
Reid licked his lips and slowly a laugh crept out of his mouth.
“That really cheesy, you know that right?”
“Yeah, but you love it.”
“That I do Mr. Snyder. That I do.”
Reid leaned back in for another kiss. Yeah, Luke was definitely the most valuable thing in his life now.
Luke panted, a big smile plastered over his face. He looked to his left and saw an equally big smile on Reid’s face, although he was panting less. Luke ran his fingers through his sweat soaked hair and scooted closer to Reid, making sure they were facing each other. He kissed Reid hard and fast on the lips, leaving a little bit when he parted.
“The best birthday ever.”
Reid grabbed the back of Luke’s head and forced their lips back together. Their tongues fought for dominance until Luke moaned softly and let Reid take control. They were naked and sweaty, underneath the covers but those were lazily hanging off of their hips. Luke was pretty sure this was as close to perfect he was ever going to see. They kissed for a while, breaking apart only when air was absolutely necessary.
“I got you a gift,” Reid said, once a sufficient amount of oxygen returned to his lungs.
“You did?” Luke’s eyes grew two sizes and his smile returned, somehow bigger than before. “I thought, you know, this was my gift.” Luke motioned his hands around the two of them and the bed.
“I’m not that much of an ass Luke.”
“I know you’re not. But I know birthdays aren’t you thing. And I already had the party with everyone. And I received a bunch of gifts there. And-”
“Will you shut up? I’m trying to give you something here.” Reid tried to sound agitated but failed. After only a year Luke could read him like a book. He sat up and reached over to the table next to the bed, opening up the drawer and bringing out a golden wrapped gift. He held it out to Luke, who had by now sat up in the bed himself. A look of shock had taken over Luke’s face and he swallowed hard.
“Reid.”
“Open it Luke.”
Luke stared at Reid for a few moments before gently taking the box. He carefully unwrapped the paper and opened the top slowly. Inside was an obviously old hardcover book. The blue jacket was worn down with the edges either torn away or about to be. But it had that unmistakable blue face without a nose above the carnival lights. Luke looked at it questionably and then to Reid.
“The Great Gatsby?”
“Mm hmm. I know you like that novel.”
“Yeah, it’s one of my favorites. But I already have a copy of it Reid.”
Reid just smiled. “Look inside.”
Luke hesitantly opened the book a few pages. The book was older than he originally thought. The pages were yellow and some looked like it was going to tear off any second, but the type was legible and there were no creases.
“I,” Luke started, not wanting to take away from the moment, “I don’t get it Reid.”
The smile hadn’t left Reid face. “Check the date it was published.”
Luke turned back a few pages to the beginning of the book. He read the publishing date.
1925.
Luke stilled. He stared at the date, the year going through his head over and over. 1925. 1925. Nineteen hundred and fucking twenty-five.
“Reid?”
“Apparently,” Reid began, “my grandfather got it when he was a young man. He read it once and didn’t care for it. He threw it up on the small little bookshelf he had. When my grandmother died my father and Angus divided up all of their possessions. Dad got the books.”
“Oh my God.” Luke had started to take deep breaths in an attempt to breath. “Reid. Do you know how much this is worth?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Millions Reid.” Luke’s attention finally left the book and it went back to Reid. “It’s worth millions. Why in the hell would you give me something worth millions?”
“Look further in the book.”
“What?”
“Look further in the book.”
Luke stared some more at Reid and eventually went back to the novel. He flipped through the pages, ever so gently, until he got to a picture that was a little past the middle. Luke gently took hold of a corner and took it out of its hiding place. It held the image of a man, a woman, and a little boy no more than four years old. The woman, long straight auburn hair, was leaning down and hugging the boy, a wide smile on both of their faces. They were wearing Boston Red Sox hats and the boy was wearing a shirt to match. The man, with brown curly hair that hung to his shoulders, was standing straight and still, but a genuine smile was on his face as he looked at the other two. Luke didn’t know how long he was staring at the picture, but he was running a finger down the side of the little boy when he heard a soft voice speak.
“It was Opening Day. They let me skip school.” When Luke looked back at Reid the older man was staring down at the white sheets on the bed. His hand was gently tapping on the bed. A small smile slowly crept on his face. “It’s one of the few really good memories I have left of them.”
The moment was catching up to Luke and he fought a losing battle against the tears that were welling up in his eyes.
“Oh Reid.”
“That book. That picture. It’s the one valuable thing I have. The other books are nice. So are the other pictures. But that,” Reid pointed at the book still in Luke’s hands, “that was my Dad’s favorite also. He was reading it when…” Reid trailed off. It was still hard for him to talk about. “He liked to bookmark the pages with pictures. It’s…a reminder of times before things became…bad.”
Luke blinked, trying to will the tears away, but a few slipped down his cheek. He gently placed the book back in the box and reached over to put it on top of the table from which it came. He cuddled up to Reid, his head finding its familiar place in Reid’s neck. Reid’s arm snaked it way across Luke’s shoulder and his hand gently played with the blond strands. Their free hands joined together, gripping the other tight.
“It wasn’t all bad. My childhood. The ending sucked. But before the chess tournaments, before the accident, it wasn’t bad. It was actually pretty okay.” Reid pulled Luke tighter and kissed the top of Luke’s head, letting his chin rest there. This little bit was the most he had told anyone about his past.
“That book was the most valuable thing I had in my life. Now it’s you Luke. I want you to have it.”
Luke moved his head from under Reid’s chin. They stared at each other and Luke saw Reid’s eyes were glassy. He cupped Reid’s cheek, running his thumb across it slowly, before kissing him slowly. Deeply. Luke laid back on the bed and Reid joined him, not breaking the kiss. Luke ended it after a few minutes and looked deeply into Reid’s eyes.
“Thank you. It’s the second best thing anyone has ever given me. By far.”
“Oh yeah? And what’s the first?” Reid asked, curiosity in his eyes.
“Your heart.”
Reid licked his lips and slowly a laugh crept out of his mouth.
“That really cheesy, you know that right?”
“Yeah, but you love it.”
“That I do Mr. Snyder. That I do.”
Reid leaned back in for another kiss. Yeah, Luke was definitely the most valuable thing in his life now.