After YO's -- gap filler
"Hi, Katie. Is Reid here?"
Katie held her finger to her lips. "Yes, but he's asleep," she whispered. She held the door open further and nodded toward the couch.
Luke peered in to see Reid asleep on the couch in nothing but a pair of jeans. His right arm hung off the couch, the remote barely in his grasp. His other hand rested across his stomach. Luke took a few seconds to collect his thoughts. "Damn..." was all he could muster.
"I know," Katie whispered. "He's such a little hottie, isn't he? He walks around here like that and expects me to be able to carry on a coherent conversation with him...I mean, c'mon...I know he's gay, but I'm only human, right?"
Luke smiled and nodded.
"He was exhausted when he got home...I think he had a bad day at work. You can wake him though; I'm sure he'd be glad to see you."
"No...uh....no, I wouldn't count on that," Luke said quietly. "I think I'm a big part of his bad day. Let him sleep. Tell him I stopped by?"
"Sure will."
"Thanks, Katie. Kiss the baby for me." Luke turned to leave.
Katie stepped into the hall, caught Luke by the arm, and quietly closed the door behind her. "Luke..."
Luke turned around. "Yeah?"
"You okay?"
"Yeah, sure...why?"
"Reid's been moping around here for two weeks now. I can't bring up your name without him glaring at me. He comes home every night lately and drinks beer and pouts....he's not going to maintain that rockin' body if he keeps this up. He's more miserable than his usual miserable self.....and you..............you're..."
Luke look down.
"What's going on with you two?" Katie asked.
"I don't know. We're..............I don't know what we are. We're not a 'we.' That I'm certain about. I'm pretty sure Reid's mad at me." Luke slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
Katie sat down next o him. "No, he's not."
"Yeah, I think he is. I saw him at YO's tonight, and...........when he left, he seemed....maybe not exactly angry...I don't know? Hurt? The way he looked at me..."
"He's not as tough as he wants the world to think he is."
Luke nodded. "I know."
"Be gentle with his heart, Luke. There are reasons he's so guarded."
"I don't know anything about him, Katie. He's not exactly a talker. Except if you get him talking about brains...then he can go on and on..."
"I know, right? He's such a geek."
Luke smiled. "Yeah...a really hot geek." Luke groaned and put his head in his hands.
"He likes you, Luke. He likes you a lot."
Luke smiled. "I like him too."
"So, what's the problem?"
Luke shrugged.
"I'll tell you what the problem is...you're both MEN! The two of you need to talk."
Luke wrinkled his nose. "I don't know what to say to him. He wants to know where I stand with Noah , and I can't even answer that in my own head."
"Just be honest, Luke. If you like him, then you need to tell him that definitively. Use small words. Yes, he's a brilliant surgeon...a genius and not only in his own mind....but there are some things he's truly dense about. And for all of his confidence and cockiness, he's completely insecure about relationships of any kind. Even friendship. He's a little socially awkward, in case you haven't noticed."
Luke laughed. "I think it's my favorite thing about him."
Katie smiled. "Me too. I like to hug him, and he goes all rigid before giving into it and hugging me back. But then I see him with Jacob, and he just freely and easily loves all over him. He reads to him in the rocking chair at night . It's adorable. This week he's reading "Origin of the Species" to him. Can you believe that? Sometimes in the middle of the night, when Jacob is upset, Reid's the only one who can comfort him. And Reid never complains when I put him in bed with him, all crying and drooley and snotty. Well, I'm sorry...he DOES complain. But it's half-hearted complaining, and even as he's trying to maintain his front of irritation, he's holding Jacob against his chest, murmurring to him and stroking his hair, and Jacob calms right down every time."
"God, Katie...if I had ovaries, they'd be in an uproar right now..."
Katie laughed.
"He's a good kisser," Luke said, looking down, not really sure why he was telling Katie this.
Katie sighed. "I knew he would be. The brooding ones always are."
Luke glanced at the door and then back at Katie. "Is it ok if I go in there and see him?"
"Of course. I need to check on Jacob anyway."
Luke stood up and held his hand down to Katie to help her up. Katie stood up and wrapped her arms around Luke's shoulders. "I'm glad there's somebody else in this town that sees the good in him."
Luke nodded. "Bob does too. He likes Reid a lot. But I think he frustrates the hell out of him." Luke laughed.
Katie laughed too and released Luke. "Frustrating? Reid? Never!"
Katie opened the door to the apartment. "I'm going in my room to check on Jacob, and then I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Luke. When you leave...if you leave..." Katie snickered softly, "You can just turn the lock on the handle on your way out, okay?"
"Okay...thanks. Goodnight, Katie." Luke watched Katie walk to her bedroom and close the door. He looked down and let his eyes run over the doctor's half-clothed body. "God..." he whispered. He took off his jacket, and he gently removed the remote from Reid's hand, placing it on the coffee table quietly. Reid shifted and mumbled something incoherent, which made Luke smile. He dropped his hand and ran the back of his knuckles over Reid's cheek. Reid opened his eyes, and his brow immediately furrowed in surprised confusion. "Hey," he said in a sleep-gravely voice.
Luke smiled. "Hey yourself..." He toed off his shoes, as Reid shifted to the back of the couch and reached up for Luke's hand. He tugged at Luke's hand gently, and Luke immediately dropped down to the couch and stretched out against Reid, his head resting on Reid's outstretched arm. With his other arm, Reid reached behind him and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, spreading it across himself and Luke.
They laid in silence as Reid cupped Luke's cheek and ran a thumb over his lips. Luke briefly thumbed Reid's adam's apple before resting his hand on Reid's bare chest. He leaned over and kissed Reid softly, their tongues just barely sliding together. Reid sighed and dropped his hand to Luke's bicep, where he worked his fingers up under the sleeve of Luke's shirt and squeezed gently. Luke pushed the blanket back and watched his own hand travel over Reid's chest and stomach before settling on his hip. Reid licked his lips and swallowed hard and pulled the blanket back up over them. Luke nuzzled into the side of Reid's neck. He closed his eyes, and soon Reid's eyes were closing too. Both men slept.
The next morning, Luke sat up with a start on the couch.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Katie said in a sing-song voice from the kitchen. Jacob sat in his highchair, banging on the plastic tray in front of him.
"Good morning," Luke said, looking down at the pillows he and Reid had shared and then back in the direction of Reid's bedroom.
"He went to work," Katie said. "He had a consult at 7:30 this morning, and I think he said he has surgery at 10."
Luke nodded. "I didn't hear him get up."
"I came out here last night, and the two of you were all snugged up around each other. It was freaking adorable," Katie teased.
Luke rolled his eyes.
"I tried to take a picture with my phone, but it was too dark. "
"Thank God," Luke said, tying his shoes.
"You want some coffee?" Katie asked as Luke picked Jacob up out of the highchair and kissed his cheek.
"No, thanks...I have to go."
"Did you and Reid talk?"
"No. We slept."
"Idiots," Katie said, sipping her coffee.
Luke smiled. "Reid's rubbing off on you." He brushed his hand over Jacob's head and then lowered the boy back into his high chair. "He's getting big."
Luke walked over to the coffee table and put his jacket on. He checked his pockets for his phone and keys.
"Are you going to the hospital to see Reid?"
"No...I'm going home. He's busy...you said he had surgery in a couple of hours, and..."
"Nothing's going to change, if the two of you don't talk it out."
"It's complicated, Katie..."
"Love usually is."
"Love?" Luke said, his voice rising an octave.
"Yes...can't you see it?" Katie asked. "Love."
Katie held her finger to her lips. "Yes, but he's asleep," she whispered. She held the door open further and nodded toward the couch.
Luke peered in to see Reid asleep on the couch in nothing but a pair of jeans. His right arm hung off the couch, the remote barely in his grasp. His other hand rested across his stomach. Luke took a few seconds to collect his thoughts. "Damn..." was all he could muster.
"I know," Katie whispered. "He's such a little hottie, isn't he? He walks around here like that and expects me to be able to carry on a coherent conversation with him...I mean, c'mon...I know he's gay, but I'm only human, right?"
Luke smiled and nodded.
"He was exhausted when he got home...I think he had a bad day at work. You can wake him though; I'm sure he'd be glad to see you."
"No...uh....no, I wouldn't count on that," Luke said quietly. "I think I'm a big part of his bad day. Let him sleep. Tell him I stopped by?"
"Sure will."
"Thanks, Katie. Kiss the baby for me." Luke turned to leave.
Katie stepped into the hall, caught Luke by the arm, and quietly closed the door behind her. "Luke..."
Luke turned around. "Yeah?"
"You okay?"
"Yeah, sure...why?"
"Reid's been moping around here for two weeks now. I can't bring up your name without him glaring at me. He comes home every night lately and drinks beer and pouts....he's not going to maintain that rockin' body if he keeps this up. He's more miserable than his usual miserable self.....and you..............you're..."
Luke look down.
"What's going on with you two?" Katie asked.
"I don't know. We're..............I don't know what we are. We're not a 'we.' That I'm certain about. I'm pretty sure Reid's mad at me." Luke slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
Katie sat down next o him. "No, he's not."
"Yeah, I think he is. I saw him at YO's tonight, and...........when he left, he seemed....maybe not exactly angry...I don't know? Hurt? The way he looked at me..."
"He's not as tough as he wants the world to think he is."
Luke nodded. "I know."
"Be gentle with his heart, Luke. There are reasons he's so guarded."
"I don't know anything about him, Katie. He's not exactly a talker. Except if you get him talking about brains...then he can go on and on..."
"I know, right? He's such a geek."
Luke smiled. "Yeah...a really hot geek." Luke groaned and put his head in his hands.
"He likes you, Luke. He likes you a lot."
Luke smiled. "I like him too."
"So, what's the problem?"
Luke shrugged.
"I'll tell you what the problem is...you're both MEN! The two of you need to talk."
Luke wrinkled his nose. "I don't know what to say to him. He wants to know where I stand with Noah , and I can't even answer that in my own head."
"Just be honest, Luke. If you like him, then you need to tell him that definitively. Use small words. Yes, he's a brilliant surgeon...a genius and not only in his own mind....but there are some things he's truly dense about. And for all of his confidence and cockiness, he's completely insecure about relationships of any kind. Even friendship. He's a little socially awkward, in case you haven't noticed."
Luke laughed. "I think it's my favorite thing about him."
Katie smiled. "Me too. I like to hug him, and he goes all rigid before giving into it and hugging me back. But then I see him with Jacob, and he just freely and easily loves all over him. He reads to him in the rocking chair at night . It's adorable. This week he's reading "Origin of the Species" to him. Can you believe that? Sometimes in the middle of the night, when Jacob is upset, Reid's the only one who can comfort him. And Reid never complains when I put him in bed with him, all crying and drooley and snotty. Well, I'm sorry...he DOES complain. But it's half-hearted complaining, and even as he's trying to maintain his front of irritation, he's holding Jacob against his chest, murmurring to him and stroking his hair, and Jacob calms right down every time."
"God, Katie...if I had ovaries, they'd be in an uproar right now..."
Katie laughed.
"He's a good kisser," Luke said, looking down, not really sure why he was telling Katie this.
Katie sighed. "I knew he would be. The brooding ones always are."
Luke glanced at the door and then back at Katie. "Is it ok if I go in there and see him?"
"Of course. I need to check on Jacob anyway."
Luke stood up and held his hand down to Katie to help her up. Katie stood up and wrapped her arms around Luke's shoulders. "I'm glad there's somebody else in this town that sees the good in him."
Luke nodded. "Bob does too. He likes Reid a lot. But I think he frustrates the hell out of him." Luke laughed.
Katie laughed too and released Luke. "Frustrating? Reid? Never!"
Katie opened the door to the apartment. "I'm going in my room to check on Jacob, and then I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Luke. When you leave...if you leave..." Katie snickered softly, "You can just turn the lock on the handle on your way out, okay?"
"Okay...thanks. Goodnight, Katie." Luke watched Katie walk to her bedroom and close the door. He looked down and let his eyes run over the doctor's half-clothed body. "God..." he whispered. He took off his jacket, and he gently removed the remote from Reid's hand, placing it on the coffee table quietly. Reid shifted and mumbled something incoherent, which made Luke smile. He dropped his hand and ran the back of his knuckles over Reid's cheek. Reid opened his eyes, and his brow immediately furrowed in surprised confusion. "Hey," he said in a sleep-gravely voice.
Luke smiled. "Hey yourself..." He toed off his shoes, as Reid shifted to the back of the couch and reached up for Luke's hand. He tugged at Luke's hand gently, and Luke immediately dropped down to the couch and stretched out against Reid, his head resting on Reid's outstretched arm. With his other arm, Reid reached behind him and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, spreading it across himself and Luke.
They laid in silence as Reid cupped Luke's cheek and ran a thumb over his lips. Luke briefly thumbed Reid's adam's apple before resting his hand on Reid's bare chest. He leaned over and kissed Reid softly, their tongues just barely sliding together. Reid sighed and dropped his hand to Luke's bicep, where he worked his fingers up under the sleeve of Luke's shirt and squeezed gently. Luke pushed the blanket back and watched his own hand travel over Reid's chest and stomach before settling on his hip. Reid licked his lips and swallowed hard and pulled the blanket back up over them. Luke nuzzled into the side of Reid's neck. He closed his eyes, and soon Reid's eyes were closing too. Both men slept.
The next morning, Luke sat up with a start on the couch.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Katie said in a sing-song voice from the kitchen. Jacob sat in his highchair, banging on the plastic tray in front of him.
"Good morning," Luke said, looking down at the pillows he and Reid had shared and then back in the direction of Reid's bedroom.
"He went to work," Katie said. "He had a consult at 7:30 this morning, and I think he said he has surgery at 10."
Luke nodded. "I didn't hear him get up."
"I came out here last night, and the two of you were all snugged up around each other. It was freaking adorable," Katie teased.
Luke rolled his eyes.
"I tried to take a picture with my phone, but it was too dark. "
"Thank God," Luke said, tying his shoes.
"You want some coffee?" Katie asked as Luke picked Jacob up out of the highchair and kissed his cheek.
"No, thanks...I have to go."
"Did you and Reid talk?"
"No. We slept."
"Idiots," Katie said, sipping her coffee.
Luke smiled. "Reid's rubbing off on you." He brushed his hand over Jacob's head and then lowered the boy back into his high chair. "He's getting big."
Luke walked over to the coffee table and put his jacket on. He checked his pockets for his phone and keys.
"Are you going to the hospital to see Reid?"
"No...I'm going home. He's busy...you said he had surgery in a couple of hours, and..."
"Nothing's going to change, if the two of you don't talk it out."
"It's complicated, Katie..."
"Love usually is."
"Love?" Luke said, his voice rising an octave.
"Yes...can't you see it?" Katie asked. "Love."