Those summer nights chapter 6
“Tell me about your new job?" Reid asked one night as they lay in bed, Reid's head pillowed on Luke's stomach. They had just completed two rounds of vigorous sex (but still without actual fucking) and were basking in the afterglow.
Luke ran his hand through Reid's hair. "What do you want to know? There's not much to tell, I haven't started yet."
Reid rolled onto his stomach to be able to look at Luke. "Well, you mentioned working in your hometown? What kind of hospital is it?"
A small smile appeared on Luke's face thinking about the hospital back home.
"It's a small hospital. Nothing fancy, but there are good doctors there and the Chief of Staff is not only a great doctor but also a wonderful man."
Reid rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, you're all on a first name basis with each other."
Luke laughed. "Yes, we are. But that's because our families are connected. His grandson is my best friend."
"Right, Casey." Reid nodded. "The bi-sexual one."
"Yup, that's him." Luke confirmed.
"He gets a lot of attention on the beach." Reid said, his eyes getting a faraway look.
Luke's hand stilled in Reid's hair. "Yes, of course, he's a very good looking guy." Luke said after a moment. Then he added, "Right?"
Reid turned to look at Luke. "Yes, he is." Then he slung his arm over Luke's waist and pressed a kiss to his nipple. "But not my type and he's definitely not the hottest guy on the beach."
Luke blushed and smiled and his hand resumed stroking Reid's hair.
After a few moments, Reid asked, "Were you two never tempted to hook up?"
Luke made a face. "Ew, no. He's like a brother to methat would be so gross."
Reid laughed. "It could've happened, you know... friends having a good time, maybe having a little bit too much to drink, one thing leads to another... you know how it goes."
Luke's hand stilled completely this time and then he pushed Reid's head away and moved to sit up. He grabbed his shirt from the floor, where it had landed when Reid tore it off of him a few hours earlier, and pulled it over his head.
Reid pushed himself up to his knees, completely surprised with the change in Luke's attitude. "What? What did I say?" He asked confused.
Luke angrily stuffed his feet into his shoes and looked around for what else was his in the room.
Reid pointed at the chair in the corner and said calmly, "I would put on the pants first and then the shoes."
"Shut up." Luke said and kicked his shoes off again. But his anger seemed to dissolve a little. He didn't move to get his pants, but instead set his hands on his hips and hung his head. He breathed in through his nose heavily.
"I'm sorry. That wasn't ... I shouldn't react like this. Not anymore." He sighed.
Reid knee-walked to the edge of the bed and gently grabbed Luke's arm. "Hey, it was just a joke. I didn't mean anything by it."
Luke looked up and met Reid's eyes. There was so much shame and misery in Luke's eyes that it caught Reid by surprise and it left him with no idea what to do, so he remained silent.
"I know." Luke said. "But there's just a lot about me that you don't know."
"Like... what?" Reid asked a little hesitantly. He wasn't sure if this was something he'd want to talk about. This went further than just a little fun between two guys. It seemed almost relationship-py.
Luke snorted. "You really want to know? You want to know how I did get drunk and kissed a guy just like you said? Only I didn't kiss Casey. No, I aimed a lot higher than that. I kissed my grandmother's husband. And I knew he wanted it, because he'd been flirting with me for months." He said in a bitter voice.
"Wait, what?" Reid interrupted. "Your grandmother's husband?"
"No, not my grandfather obviously," Luke answered Reid's unspoken question. "Don't make it any worse than it already is. It was my grandmother's umpteenth husband."
"Oh." Reid said, because he still didn't know how to react to this Luke, this hurt and angry Luke.
"Yeah, oh. Look, Reid, I know you're an awesome doctor, so you must have noticed the scar my back."
Reid nodded. "You had a kidney transplant."
"Yeah, I did. Because I destroyed my own kidney by drinking. And then, after the transplant, I wasn't careful or thankful, no, I just drank more. I am a drunk, Reid and I do horrible, horrible things when I drink."
Reid frowned. He'd suspected Luke had some issues with alcohol, because he never wanted a beer of glass of wine and combined with the scar on his back, Reid was intelligent enough to put two and two together.
"But you aren't drinking now, are you?" He asked.
Luke shook his head. "No, I've been sober for 3 years and 8 months."
"See?" Reid slid his hand down Luke's arm and grabbed his hand. He pulled him back towards the bed where Luke reluctantly sat down. "That's amazing! You're doing great. You're fighting it."
"Yes. But it's still a struggle every day. I still think about drinking almost every day."
"But you don't do it! You should be proud of yourself for that." Reid tried to make Luke see that he was strong for battling his addiction, but he wasn't sure he could find the right words.
"I am proud of myself. But when I think about the things I've done, the people I've hurt... it's hard to feel good about myself."
Reid shrugged. "We've all done things in the past that we're not proud of. You have to let it go."
Luke eyed Reid suspiciously. "Even you?"
Reid rolled his eyes. "We're not talking about me, Snyder." But after a few moments of silence, he added, "But, yes... even me."
"How do you let go of it?" Luke asked, feeling a little more relaxed, now he found that Reid wasn't judging him.
Reid huffed out a laugh. "I don't know. If it was easy, those half-assed therapists wouldn't make so much money."
"I've been seeing one for years, look at where it got me." Luke shot Reid a bitter smile.
Reid grabbed Luke's hand and pulled him down on the bed with him again. "It got you here, with me. You're healthy, you finished school and you are about to start a new job. I'd say that's pretty good."
"Yeah?" Luke laid his head on Reid's chest, relaxing in the feel of Reid's hands sliding over his back. "Maybe you're right."
"I always am." Reid murmured. "Now, enough with the heartfelt talks, okay? Let's take a nap, you're going to need your strength later."
"I'll hold you to that," Luke yawned and pressed a kiss to Reid's sternum.
It felt intimate and part of Reid wanted to shove Luke off for getting so close, but another part, a part he was still afraid to listen to, made him tighten his arms around Luke and drop a kiss to his hair.
One more week
------
They spent as much time together as possible in the next days. The impending good-bye weighed heavily on both of them.
Luke knew if the circumstances were different, that he would definitely want to date Reid, to explore if this fling could grow into an actual relationship. He was pretty sure that they would be good for each other, they already were. No-one had ever made him feel the way Reid could make him feel. Not that he had much to compare his feelings to, but his last boyfriend certainly hadn't been able to ignite the fire inside Luke that Reid had. Luke felt like he was finally becoming a man, a healthy gay man who wasn't afraid or ashamed of what he wanted. And right now? He wanted Reid. And even though it started that way, Luke didn't just want Reid for sex. Reid was funny, sarcastic and brutally honest and Luke found himself more and more attracted to him. He liked spending time with him, thought about him while he was at work and he looked forward to going up to the house when he was finished. His body buzzed with excitement every time he walked up to Reid and saw the desire in Reid's eyes. And even though they were very creative in bed and had done a lot of different things, they still hadn't really fucked yet. Sure, Reid has had his fingers up Luke's ass and vice versa, but there was still a part of him that had issues with giving himself completely like that. It wasn't that he didn't want to, because he really really did, but since his past experiences with penetrative sex weren't that good, they left him apprehensive to try again. Luke had almost immediately noticed though that Reid was a very different lover than what Luke was used to. Reid was sometimes gentle, sometimes rough, sometimes playful and sometimes very intense, but he was always doing everything he could to make it good for the both of them and not just for himself. He never pressured Luke into doing anything he didn't want, but Luke could tell that Reid wanted very much to fuck him. Luke's thoughts went to a couple of nights ago, when Reid had fucked Luke's thighs from behind and when his cock slipped between his crack, pushing against his entrance, Luke felt Reid tighten his grip on his hips and Reid's sharp intake of breath was enough for him to want to start pushing back and welcome Reid in, but before he had the chance to move, Reid drew back and started thrusting between his thighs again. He rested his forehead against the back of Luke's neck and breathed erratically. Luke remembered that it had taken only a few more thrusts and Reid came with a muffled cry.
Just thinking about that night, a few days ago, gave Luke chills all over his body again. So with less than a week to go, Luke decided that it was time for him to really move on from the past.
He had picked up a box of condoms this morning before his shift and put them in the bottom of his bag. He tried to put all thoughts about Reid, Reid's hands, Reid's mouth, Reid's cock out of his mind, but every time his eyes caught a glimpse of his bag, he felt a rush of excitement and anticipation run through his body.
It was around lunchtime when Luke was standing on the beach, close to the tower, looking out over the water, when he felt a warm hand on his back.
"Hey."
Luke smiled and turned to look at the person beside him. "Hey."
"Busy?"
"Nah, it's okay. It's almost time for my break."
Reid smirked. "I figured, that's why I'm here."
Luke raised his eyebrows in question. "Really?"
Reid gestured behind him towards the house. "Yeah, I ordered chinese and I thought maybe you'd like some too."
"Chinese? God, I love chinese!" Luke almost groaned. "Give me a minute and then I'll go with you."
Luke jogged up the stairs, calling out to his friend and colleague, "Hey Jeremy, I'm taking my break now, okay?"
An answer came right away. "Sure, no problem. Enjoy your doctor!"
Luke grinned and then hesitated for a moment, debating whether to take his bag with him, but then decided against it. He would save that for tonight, when they had all night.
He jumped down the stairs, pulling on a shirt on the way down.
"Ready." He said smiling, stopping next to Reid. They started walking towards the house. Luke slung his arm around Reid's shoulders just because he felt like it. He did notice the look of surprise on Reid's face, but Reid said nothing. Instead he moved his arm to rest around Luke's waist, two of his fingers tucked into the waistband of his shorts.
It made Luke smile and he looked over at Reid to see Reid looking right back at him.
"What's got you so happy today?" Reid asked with a hint of a smile on his lips.
"What do you mean?" Luke asked, genuinely surprised at Reid's question. He didn't think he was acting any differently than normal.
"I don't know, there's something about you that's... extra happy or something." Reid answered. "I mean, you're always all sunshine and rainbows, but today you seem extra chipper."
Luke shrugged. "Maybe it's just the weather? It's really nice today."
Reid narrowed his eyes. "For as long as I've been here, the weather has been exactly the same every day, including today."
Luke laughed and shook his head. "Well, then I guess I'm just looking forward to the chinese."
Reid looked like he didn't believe him, but didn't say anything else. He turned his attention towards the house that they'd reached in the meantime. He took Luke inside and motioned for him to sit down at the table, which was already set with plates and glasses.
Reid grabbed the sushi out of the fridge and unpacked everything on the table.
Luke clasped his hands together. "This looks great, can't wait to taste it!" He exclaimed.
"Well, dig in, Mr. Snyder." Reid invited, placing two water bottles on the table. He sat down opposite Luke and started to pile food onto his plate. Luke rushed to fill up his plate, not wanting to miss out due to Reid's overzealous appetite.
Half an hour later, Luke wiped his mouth and sighed. "I'm stuffed. You ordered too much."
Reid looked up from his plate, smiled around a mouthful of rice, "You eat like a child, Snyder." Then he swallowed and nodded towards the left-over food on the table. "Are you sure you're done eating?" He asked.
Luke patted his stomach. "Yes, doctor, I'm sure. In fact, I have to get back in a few minutes. But I'll see you tonight, right?"
Reid nodded. "Sure. Are you coming right after you're done or are you going home first?" He asked, while standing up slowly. He walked towards Luke and motioned for him to slide his chair back.
Luke raised his eyebrows, but obediently slid his chair back. "I'll be here as soon as I'm done." He said.
Reid placed his hands on the back of the chair and swung one leg over Luke's, then he sat down, straddling Luke. Reid's hands slid from the chair to Luke's shoulders, up his neck until he cupped both cheeks. Reid started to lean in, then stopped to whisper, "Can't wait." and dove in to kiss Luke's already open, waiting mouth. The sudden flare of passion made Luke moan into Reid's mouth and he wrapped his arms around Reid's back to pull him closer. The feel of Reid's weight on his lap did unexpected things to Luke's insides. It felt incredibly intimate somehow to have Reid sit on his lap and Luke never wanted it to end.
But after a few minutes of thoroughly exploring each other's mouths, Luke had to wrench himself away. "I don't want to leave, but I really have to." He sighed.
Reid nodded, but made no effort to stand up. Instead he leaned his head against Luke's.
"I like this." He admitted quietly.
Luke tightened his hold on Reid's body for a moment. "Me too." He said. "But I really have to go." He grabbed Reid's hips and pushed him back a little. He tried to catch Reid's eyes, but Reid wouldn't look at him. He pushed himself off of Luke and turned to clean up the table.
Luke came up behind him, not understanding what was going on with Reid, but he leaned against Reid for a moment and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. "See you tonight, okay?"
Reid nodded and gave Luke a small but genuine smile. "Yeah, see you later."
When Luke reached the door, he turned halfway and gave a short wave. "Bye."
Before Reid could react, Luke was out the door. Something had changed in that short moment, but Luke didn't know what it was. Something felt different, ever since Reid had sat down on his lap. And Reid felt it too, Luke was sure of it. The moment when Reid put his head against Luke, saying that he liked it, was the moment something shifted.
Luke wasn't one to let something go and he wanted to know what was going on, so he decided he was going to talk to Reid about it and hopefully get some answers. Tonight.
What Luke didn't know, was that Reid was staring after him, wondering what was going on himself.
Sitting in Luke's embrace, feeling his heart beat and the warmth of his breath on his shoulder, feeling Luke's arms tight and safe around him, gave Reid a feeling that almost knocked him over. If it was possible, he would have been completely happy sitting there forever.
Reid ran a hand through his hair and then back down over his face.
He felt... off and overwhelmed, not like himself and he didn't like it at all. It was supposed to be free fun this summer, with Luke, but there was something about him that made Reid feel things he didn't even know were possible for him. Things he didn't even want, things he never wanted. But today, his stomach full, sitting with Luke, in a warm room with the sound of the ocean in the background, today for a moment, he could see Luke in his house, his bed, his life.
And that scared him out of his mind.
*
Luke ran his hand through Reid's hair. "What do you want to know? There's not much to tell, I haven't started yet."
Reid rolled onto his stomach to be able to look at Luke. "Well, you mentioned working in your hometown? What kind of hospital is it?"
A small smile appeared on Luke's face thinking about the hospital back home.
"It's a small hospital. Nothing fancy, but there are good doctors there and the Chief of Staff is not only a great doctor but also a wonderful man."
Reid rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, you're all on a first name basis with each other."
Luke laughed. "Yes, we are. But that's because our families are connected. His grandson is my best friend."
"Right, Casey." Reid nodded. "The bi-sexual one."
"Yup, that's him." Luke confirmed.
"He gets a lot of attention on the beach." Reid said, his eyes getting a faraway look.
Luke's hand stilled in Reid's hair. "Yes, of course, he's a very good looking guy." Luke said after a moment. Then he added, "Right?"
Reid turned to look at Luke. "Yes, he is." Then he slung his arm over Luke's waist and pressed a kiss to his nipple. "But not my type and he's definitely not the hottest guy on the beach."
Luke blushed and smiled and his hand resumed stroking Reid's hair.
After a few moments, Reid asked, "Were you two never tempted to hook up?"
Luke made a face. "Ew, no. He's like a brother to methat would be so gross."
Reid laughed. "It could've happened, you know... friends having a good time, maybe having a little bit too much to drink, one thing leads to another... you know how it goes."
Luke's hand stilled completely this time and then he pushed Reid's head away and moved to sit up. He grabbed his shirt from the floor, where it had landed when Reid tore it off of him a few hours earlier, and pulled it over his head.
Reid pushed himself up to his knees, completely surprised with the change in Luke's attitude. "What? What did I say?" He asked confused.
Luke angrily stuffed his feet into his shoes and looked around for what else was his in the room.
Reid pointed at the chair in the corner and said calmly, "I would put on the pants first and then the shoes."
"Shut up." Luke said and kicked his shoes off again. But his anger seemed to dissolve a little. He didn't move to get his pants, but instead set his hands on his hips and hung his head. He breathed in through his nose heavily.
"I'm sorry. That wasn't ... I shouldn't react like this. Not anymore." He sighed.
Reid knee-walked to the edge of the bed and gently grabbed Luke's arm. "Hey, it was just a joke. I didn't mean anything by it."
Luke looked up and met Reid's eyes. There was so much shame and misery in Luke's eyes that it caught Reid by surprise and it left him with no idea what to do, so he remained silent.
"I know." Luke said. "But there's just a lot about me that you don't know."
"Like... what?" Reid asked a little hesitantly. He wasn't sure if this was something he'd want to talk about. This went further than just a little fun between two guys. It seemed almost relationship-py.
Luke snorted. "You really want to know? You want to know how I did get drunk and kissed a guy just like you said? Only I didn't kiss Casey. No, I aimed a lot higher than that. I kissed my grandmother's husband. And I knew he wanted it, because he'd been flirting with me for months." He said in a bitter voice.
"Wait, what?" Reid interrupted. "Your grandmother's husband?"
"No, not my grandfather obviously," Luke answered Reid's unspoken question. "Don't make it any worse than it already is. It was my grandmother's umpteenth husband."
"Oh." Reid said, because he still didn't know how to react to this Luke, this hurt and angry Luke.
"Yeah, oh. Look, Reid, I know you're an awesome doctor, so you must have noticed the scar my back."
Reid nodded. "You had a kidney transplant."
"Yeah, I did. Because I destroyed my own kidney by drinking. And then, after the transplant, I wasn't careful or thankful, no, I just drank more. I am a drunk, Reid and I do horrible, horrible things when I drink."
Reid frowned. He'd suspected Luke had some issues with alcohol, because he never wanted a beer of glass of wine and combined with the scar on his back, Reid was intelligent enough to put two and two together.
"But you aren't drinking now, are you?" He asked.
Luke shook his head. "No, I've been sober for 3 years and 8 months."
"See?" Reid slid his hand down Luke's arm and grabbed his hand. He pulled him back towards the bed where Luke reluctantly sat down. "That's amazing! You're doing great. You're fighting it."
"Yes. But it's still a struggle every day. I still think about drinking almost every day."
"But you don't do it! You should be proud of yourself for that." Reid tried to make Luke see that he was strong for battling his addiction, but he wasn't sure he could find the right words.
"I am proud of myself. But when I think about the things I've done, the people I've hurt... it's hard to feel good about myself."
Reid shrugged. "We've all done things in the past that we're not proud of. You have to let it go."
Luke eyed Reid suspiciously. "Even you?"
Reid rolled his eyes. "We're not talking about me, Snyder." But after a few moments of silence, he added, "But, yes... even me."
"How do you let go of it?" Luke asked, feeling a little more relaxed, now he found that Reid wasn't judging him.
Reid huffed out a laugh. "I don't know. If it was easy, those half-assed therapists wouldn't make so much money."
"I've been seeing one for years, look at where it got me." Luke shot Reid a bitter smile.
Reid grabbed Luke's hand and pulled him down on the bed with him again. "It got you here, with me. You're healthy, you finished school and you are about to start a new job. I'd say that's pretty good."
"Yeah?" Luke laid his head on Reid's chest, relaxing in the feel of Reid's hands sliding over his back. "Maybe you're right."
"I always am." Reid murmured. "Now, enough with the heartfelt talks, okay? Let's take a nap, you're going to need your strength later."
"I'll hold you to that," Luke yawned and pressed a kiss to Reid's sternum.
It felt intimate and part of Reid wanted to shove Luke off for getting so close, but another part, a part he was still afraid to listen to, made him tighten his arms around Luke and drop a kiss to his hair.
One more week
------
They spent as much time together as possible in the next days. The impending good-bye weighed heavily on both of them.
Luke knew if the circumstances were different, that he would definitely want to date Reid, to explore if this fling could grow into an actual relationship. He was pretty sure that they would be good for each other, they already were. No-one had ever made him feel the way Reid could make him feel. Not that he had much to compare his feelings to, but his last boyfriend certainly hadn't been able to ignite the fire inside Luke that Reid had. Luke felt like he was finally becoming a man, a healthy gay man who wasn't afraid or ashamed of what he wanted. And right now? He wanted Reid. And even though it started that way, Luke didn't just want Reid for sex. Reid was funny, sarcastic and brutally honest and Luke found himself more and more attracted to him. He liked spending time with him, thought about him while he was at work and he looked forward to going up to the house when he was finished. His body buzzed with excitement every time he walked up to Reid and saw the desire in Reid's eyes. And even though they were very creative in bed and had done a lot of different things, they still hadn't really fucked yet. Sure, Reid has had his fingers up Luke's ass and vice versa, but there was still a part of him that had issues with giving himself completely like that. It wasn't that he didn't want to, because he really really did, but since his past experiences with penetrative sex weren't that good, they left him apprehensive to try again. Luke had almost immediately noticed though that Reid was a very different lover than what Luke was used to. Reid was sometimes gentle, sometimes rough, sometimes playful and sometimes very intense, but he was always doing everything he could to make it good for the both of them and not just for himself. He never pressured Luke into doing anything he didn't want, but Luke could tell that Reid wanted very much to fuck him. Luke's thoughts went to a couple of nights ago, when Reid had fucked Luke's thighs from behind and when his cock slipped between his crack, pushing against his entrance, Luke felt Reid tighten his grip on his hips and Reid's sharp intake of breath was enough for him to want to start pushing back and welcome Reid in, but before he had the chance to move, Reid drew back and started thrusting between his thighs again. He rested his forehead against the back of Luke's neck and breathed erratically. Luke remembered that it had taken only a few more thrusts and Reid came with a muffled cry.
Just thinking about that night, a few days ago, gave Luke chills all over his body again. So with less than a week to go, Luke decided that it was time for him to really move on from the past.
He had picked up a box of condoms this morning before his shift and put them in the bottom of his bag. He tried to put all thoughts about Reid, Reid's hands, Reid's mouth, Reid's cock out of his mind, but every time his eyes caught a glimpse of his bag, he felt a rush of excitement and anticipation run through his body.
It was around lunchtime when Luke was standing on the beach, close to the tower, looking out over the water, when he felt a warm hand on his back.
"Hey."
Luke smiled and turned to look at the person beside him. "Hey."
"Busy?"
"Nah, it's okay. It's almost time for my break."
Reid smirked. "I figured, that's why I'm here."
Luke raised his eyebrows in question. "Really?"
Reid gestured behind him towards the house. "Yeah, I ordered chinese and I thought maybe you'd like some too."
"Chinese? God, I love chinese!" Luke almost groaned. "Give me a minute and then I'll go with you."
Luke jogged up the stairs, calling out to his friend and colleague, "Hey Jeremy, I'm taking my break now, okay?"
An answer came right away. "Sure, no problem. Enjoy your doctor!"
Luke grinned and then hesitated for a moment, debating whether to take his bag with him, but then decided against it. He would save that for tonight, when they had all night.
He jumped down the stairs, pulling on a shirt on the way down.
"Ready." He said smiling, stopping next to Reid. They started walking towards the house. Luke slung his arm around Reid's shoulders just because he felt like it. He did notice the look of surprise on Reid's face, but Reid said nothing. Instead he moved his arm to rest around Luke's waist, two of his fingers tucked into the waistband of his shorts.
It made Luke smile and he looked over at Reid to see Reid looking right back at him.
"What's got you so happy today?" Reid asked with a hint of a smile on his lips.
"What do you mean?" Luke asked, genuinely surprised at Reid's question. He didn't think he was acting any differently than normal.
"I don't know, there's something about you that's... extra happy or something." Reid answered. "I mean, you're always all sunshine and rainbows, but today you seem extra chipper."
Luke shrugged. "Maybe it's just the weather? It's really nice today."
Reid narrowed his eyes. "For as long as I've been here, the weather has been exactly the same every day, including today."
Luke laughed and shook his head. "Well, then I guess I'm just looking forward to the chinese."
Reid looked like he didn't believe him, but didn't say anything else. He turned his attention towards the house that they'd reached in the meantime. He took Luke inside and motioned for him to sit down at the table, which was already set with plates and glasses.
Reid grabbed the sushi out of the fridge and unpacked everything on the table.
Luke clasped his hands together. "This looks great, can't wait to taste it!" He exclaimed.
"Well, dig in, Mr. Snyder." Reid invited, placing two water bottles on the table. He sat down opposite Luke and started to pile food onto his plate. Luke rushed to fill up his plate, not wanting to miss out due to Reid's overzealous appetite.
Half an hour later, Luke wiped his mouth and sighed. "I'm stuffed. You ordered too much."
Reid looked up from his plate, smiled around a mouthful of rice, "You eat like a child, Snyder." Then he swallowed and nodded towards the left-over food on the table. "Are you sure you're done eating?" He asked.
Luke patted his stomach. "Yes, doctor, I'm sure. In fact, I have to get back in a few minutes. But I'll see you tonight, right?"
Reid nodded. "Sure. Are you coming right after you're done or are you going home first?" He asked, while standing up slowly. He walked towards Luke and motioned for him to slide his chair back.
Luke raised his eyebrows, but obediently slid his chair back. "I'll be here as soon as I'm done." He said.
Reid placed his hands on the back of the chair and swung one leg over Luke's, then he sat down, straddling Luke. Reid's hands slid from the chair to Luke's shoulders, up his neck until he cupped both cheeks. Reid started to lean in, then stopped to whisper, "Can't wait." and dove in to kiss Luke's already open, waiting mouth. The sudden flare of passion made Luke moan into Reid's mouth and he wrapped his arms around Reid's back to pull him closer. The feel of Reid's weight on his lap did unexpected things to Luke's insides. It felt incredibly intimate somehow to have Reid sit on his lap and Luke never wanted it to end.
But after a few minutes of thoroughly exploring each other's mouths, Luke had to wrench himself away. "I don't want to leave, but I really have to." He sighed.
Reid nodded, but made no effort to stand up. Instead he leaned his head against Luke's.
"I like this." He admitted quietly.
Luke tightened his hold on Reid's body for a moment. "Me too." He said. "But I really have to go." He grabbed Reid's hips and pushed him back a little. He tried to catch Reid's eyes, but Reid wouldn't look at him. He pushed himself off of Luke and turned to clean up the table.
Luke came up behind him, not understanding what was going on with Reid, but he leaned against Reid for a moment and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. "See you tonight, okay?"
Reid nodded and gave Luke a small but genuine smile. "Yeah, see you later."
When Luke reached the door, he turned halfway and gave a short wave. "Bye."
Before Reid could react, Luke was out the door. Something had changed in that short moment, but Luke didn't know what it was. Something felt different, ever since Reid had sat down on his lap. And Reid felt it too, Luke was sure of it. The moment when Reid put his head against Luke, saying that he liked it, was the moment something shifted.
Luke wasn't one to let something go and he wanted to know what was going on, so he decided he was going to talk to Reid about it and hopefully get some answers. Tonight.
What Luke didn't know, was that Reid was staring after him, wondering what was going on himself.
Sitting in Luke's embrace, feeling his heart beat and the warmth of his breath on his shoulder, feeling Luke's arms tight and safe around him, gave Reid a feeling that almost knocked him over. If it was possible, he would have been completely happy sitting there forever.
Reid ran a hand through his hair and then back down over his face.
He felt... off and overwhelmed, not like himself and he didn't like it at all. It was supposed to be free fun this summer, with Luke, but there was something about him that made Reid feel things he didn't even know were possible for him. Things he didn't even want, things he never wanted. But today, his stomach full, sitting with Luke, in a warm room with the sound of the ocean in the background, today for a moment, he could see Luke in his house, his bed, his life.
And that scared him out of his mind.
*