Collision chapter 8/?
Chapter 8
Luke reacted first. He stood up and approached the couple and stuck out his hand. “Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. How are you?”
Mr. Jackson gripped his hand first and shook it firmly. “Considering the circumstances, we’re okay, Mr. Snyder.”
“Please, call me Luke.” Luke pleaded.
Mr. Jackson nodded and let go of Luke’s hand. Luke turned to his wife to shake her hand too, but she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Luke. It could have been so bad for (the) both of you.,” she whispered in his ear.
Luke hugged her back and he didn’t even try to hide his tears this time. “I’m so sorry for what happened. I’m so sorry.”
Mrs. Jackson released him from the hug and patted his cheek for a moment. “It’s okay, dear.”
Luke wiped the tears from his face and then shoved his hands in his pockets, unsure of what to do.
“Uhm… I think I’m going to go now. Mr. Jackson, Mrs. Jackson, please know that I am truly sorry and that I hope the surgery will be a success. No, I’m sure it will. Dr. Oliver is the best.” He looked at Reid. “Please, take care of him.” After giving the Jackson an apologetic smile, he left the room.
He hadn’t even made it to the elevator, when he heard Reid call out to him. “Luke, wait!”
Reid gripped his arm and turned him around.
“Are you going back to the hotel?” Luke closed his eyes for a moment. He has got to stop touching me!
“I thought I might wait here for you. I mean, for news… about the surgery.” Luke stammered. “Maybe I could keep the Jacksons company in the waiting room.”
“Luke, the surgery won’t take place for another 3 hours. And it will take hours before I’m finished. Maybe it would be better for you to go back to your hotel. You really should get some rest.” As much as Reid wanted Luke to stay in the hospital, he honestly thought it would be best for Luke to get some rest. He was after all still recovering.
Luke frowned. “Well, if you want me to go...” Reid cut him off, “because it’s best for you.”
“Why don’t you let me decide what’s best for me, Reid? I’m a big boy. I can make my own decisions.” Luke was getting annoyed.
“I know that. But you are still recovering. There’s no need for you to wear yourself out.” Reid tried to reason with him. “Listen, I will let you know the outcome the minute the surgery is finished. I promise.”
“But I want to be there for Kevin’s parents, Reid. They could use somebody in a time like this.” Luke’s voice sounded desperate..
“They have each other, and a nurse will update them regularly during the surgery. They are going to be fine. Please Luke, go home and rest. I will let you know when it’s over.”
Luke looked at Reid, searched his face, but saw nothing but sincerity. He sighed and capitulated.
“Okay, I’ll go. But you have to let me know what happened. Call my cell or the hotel. I’m in room 506; even if it’s in the middle of the night. Okay?”
“I already promised, Luke. And I never lie.” Reid reached out and rubbed Luke’s shoulder. “Now, go. I’ll talk to you later.”
Luke nodded and headed towards the elevator. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Reid standing there, watching him. He looked so confident and sexy as hell in his scrubs and lab coat. He smiled a small smile and held up his hand in a short wave.
Reid didn’t wave back, Reid Oliver does not wave, but a smile tugged on his lips.
When the elevator doors closed behind Luke, Reid turned around and went back to Kevin’s room to explain what exactly was going to happen during the surgery to Kevin’s parents.
**************
Late that night, Luke was pacing his room. It was close to midnight and he still hadn’t heard from Reid. What was taking him so long? He had checked his phone a million times and he even checked if the hotel phone was working.
He did everything he could to distract himself- he took an obscenely long shower, ate dinner with the team, and watched a movie, but had no idea what it was about. He went back to his room, tried to watch some TV, but nothing could take his mind of Kevin’s surgery.
Surely it should be over by now. It would only take this long if there were complications. Maybe Reid forgot? He shook his head. No, he promised. He sat back down on his bed again and held his phone tightly in his hand.
*
Meanwhile, in a different part of town, Reid pulled off his surgical cap and tossed in the trash. He shook out his hands; they were tense from the long surgery. It had been close. Things were more complicated than the scans had shown and just when it looked like he was in the clear, there was a bleeder. It took all of his exceptional skills to repair the damage, but he believed Mr Jackson was going to be okay. They had to wait until he woke up to be sure, but things looked good.
He had talked to the parents; the mother had hugged him in thanks, bursting into tears. He had awkwardly patted her back and tried to wriggle out of it. The father just shook his hand, but his eyes were also wet.
Now, he just wanted to take a shower and then talk to Luke. He went into the locker room, took off his scrubs and stepped into the shower. His tired body welcomed the hot water and it eased the tension in his muscles a little bit.
After he dried himself off, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved black shirt. He picked up his phone and sat down on the bench. He fiddled with the phone, almost pressing the button to call Luke, when he remembered something. He snapped the phone shut, thought fuck it!, grabbed his leather jacket and hurried out.
*
Luke was still waiting in his room, biting his nails. Not knowing what to do to pass the time, he had showered again and already put his sleep pants and t-shirt on, getting ready for bed. His nerves were on edge. He put his phone on the night stand and was just about to crawl into bed, when there was a knock on the door.
Luke startled for a moment, then hurried towards the door and opened it.
“Reid!” He stared at the doctor in shock. “What are you doing here?”
Reid didn’t answer right away but just stood there and took in Luke’s appearance, his messy hair, tight t-shirt, the loose sleep pants hanging off his hips and his bare feet. He swallowed hard. Luke looked edible. Fuck.
“I... ehm... I thought I’d come deliver the news in person. Since you did give me your room number back at the hospital?” Reid stared at Luke now, searching for something he himself couldn’t even define.
“Oh, okay. Alright.” Luke was still not over the shock of finding Reid at his door, but stepped back to let Reid step into the room. “Well, I guess you should come in then.” Reid walked past him into the spacious room.
“But why did you come here? You could have called. Is it… is he… did something happen?” Hhe whispered the last part of the sentence, eyes wide in fear.
Reid realized that he didn’t exactly think this idea of going to Luke’s hotel room through. He didn’t mean to scare Luke; he just wanted to see the smile on Luke’s face when he told him the good news.
He hurried himself to reassure Luke, “No, no Luke. It’s nothing like that. Why would you assume the worst? You obviously don’t have a lot of faith in me.” Hhe joked. But Luke wasn’t laughing.
“Cut it out, Reid. Tell me what happened!” Luke demanded, almost stamping his foot.
“He’s going to be fine.” Reid told him. “The surgery was a success, there were some complications, but I was able to fix them.”
Reid saw the relief wash over Luke’s face and the next thing he knew Luke was throwing his arms around Reid, hugging him tightly.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Luke was laughing and crying at the same time.
He pulled back from the hug, grabbed Reid’s face in both his hands, said “you’re amazing!” and pressed his lips firmly on Reid’s.
Reid could not have been more surprised. Never in a million years would he have thought Luke would be the one to initiate a kiss. And now, here he was, feeling Luke’s firm body flush against him and his soft, full lips against his own. But before Reid had a chance to kiss him back, Luke suddenly broke the kiss, pulled his hands back from Reid’s face and stepped back, his face turning red with embarrassment.
“Oh god, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I did that. I’m sorry. I was just so happy and you were… you are… I’m sorry, I...” His rambling came to a sudden stop as Reid took one big step forward and just like Luke, took Luke’s face in his hands, mumbled “shut up” and kissed Luke tenderly but firmly.
It took Luke a second, but then he kissed Reid back, placing one hand on Reid’s hip and one hand at the back of his neck.
He felt Reid’s lips open a little and press his tongue against his lips, so he eagerly opened his mouth to let him in. When Reid’s tongue entered his mouth and met his own, Luke felt heat travel from his mouth all through his body straight to his groin. The kiss felt like nothing Luke had ever experienced before. His body was on fire and he felt Reid’s hands wander from his face to his shoulders, his back, his chest and oh god, it felt so, so good.
Reid’s brilliant mind was completely blank; he wasn’t able to form one coherent thought. All his body knew was Luke, Luke, Luke! He tasted better than Reid ever thought possible, his body was muscled and hard under his exploring hands. He brought one hand up to cup the back of Luke’s head, and let the other slip under Luke’s t-shirt and explored the soft skin of Luke’s back. He groaned and deepened the kiss, trying to pull Luke even closer so he could feel him completely.
Luke’s head was spinning. Nothing and nobody had ever made him feel so good and alive. He threaded his fingers through Reid’s curls, revelling in the softness of them. He moaned in the back of his throat, stroking Reid’s tongue with his own, curling around it and tasting all of Reid. The kept on exploring each other’s mouths and it was only when they were in need of air that they broke the kiss. With their arms still around each other, they simultaneously opened their eyes and gazed at each other.
Reid spoke first. “I’m kind of waiting for you to freak out,” he teased softly and placed a soft kiss on Luke’s swollen lips.
Luke smiled “I know, me too.” They both laughed. “I do feel nervous though,” Luke admitted. “I mean, I’ve never even kissed a guy before. But it’s been what I wanted to do since I met you.”
“Really?” Reid couldn’t believe his ears.
“Yeah. I like you. I mean, really like you.” Luke admitted, blushing a little.
“I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a long time too, Luke.” Reid had no problem admitting to wanting Luke, but he was surprised by Luke’s admission and reaction to the kiss. Surely, he would have thought that Luke would freak out, laugh it off, saying he didn’t mean it, or that it had been a joke. Some of his thoughts must have been written on his face, because Luke looked at him with a smile and said “What?”
“I am just surprised, that’s all. I didn’t even know that you were, you know, coming out.”
“I’m not.” Luke suddenly untangled himself from Reid and sat down on the sofa. He repeated softly, “I’m not.”
“But you are gay, right? Or are you bisexual?” Reid frowned at the possibility.
Luke looked at Reid and took a deep breath. He had to say it. And for the first time in his life, he wanted to say it. “I have known that I am gay since I was 12 years old. And no, I’m not bisexual, I am definitely one hundred percent gay. I’m just not out. Nobody knows, not my family or my friends. If they have any suspicions about it, they’ve never told me. I’ve never been with a man. You are really the first man I ever kissed.” He admitted nervously.
Reid felt irrationally and stupidly pleased( upon) hearing that he was Luke’s first, but then immediately he felt bad. He realised how lonely Luke must be have been. To carry around his big secret all by himself, to never be able to be yourself was a hard way to live. He quickly steered his thoughts back to the subject at hand. He walked towards the sofa and sat down next to Luke, their thighs touching.
“But why? It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not wrong. You know that right?”
Luke sighed. “I know Reid. Trust me, I know. It’s just…complicated.” He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. “Can we please not talk about any of that stuff now, okay? Not tonight. Please?” He looked at Reid with big pleading eyes and Reid was nowhere near able to say no, although he really wanted to talk to Luke about this.
“Right now, I just really want to kiss you again.” Now Luke had a taste of Reid and he was hungry for more.
When Reid saw Luke’s face come closer and felt him putting soft kisses on his cheek, his nose and finally on his mouth, all rational thoughts flew out the window and he kissed him back hungrily.
He grabbed at Luke’s shoulders and pushed him down on the sofa, never breaking the kiss.
Luke let himself be pushed down and welcomed Reid’s weight on top of him. This was much better than talking, much, much better. He didn’t want to think about later, about tomorrow, about anything else but Reid. Just for tonight he wanted to feel, to finally feel, what it was to give in to his own nature, to be who he was and to have an amazing experience with an amazing man.
*
Luke reacted first. He stood up and approached the couple and stuck out his hand. “Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. How are you?”
Mr. Jackson gripped his hand first and shook it firmly. “Considering the circumstances, we’re okay, Mr. Snyder.”
“Please, call me Luke.” Luke pleaded.
Mr. Jackson nodded and let go of Luke’s hand. Luke turned to his wife to shake her hand too, but she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Luke. It could have been so bad for (the) both of you.,” she whispered in his ear.
Luke hugged her back and he didn’t even try to hide his tears this time. “I’m so sorry for what happened. I’m so sorry.”
Mrs. Jackson released him from the hug and patted his cheek for a moment. “It’s okay, dear.”
Luke wiped the tears from his face and then shoved his hands in his pockets, unsure of what to do.
“Uhm… I think I’m going to go now. Mr. Jackson, Mrs. Jackson, please know that I am truly sorry and that I hope the surgery will be a success. No, I’m sure it will. Dr. Oliver is the best.” He looked at Reid. “Please, take care of him.” After giving the Jackson an apologetic smile, he left the room.
He hadn’t even made it to the elevator, when he heard Reid call out to him. “Luke, wait!”
Reid gripped his arm and turned him around.
“Are you going back to the hotel?” Luke closed his eyes for a moment. He has got to stop touching me!
“I thought I might wait here for you. I mean, for news… about the surgery.” Luke stammered. “Maybe I could keep the Jacksons company in the waiting room.”
“Luke, the surgery won’t take place for another 3 hours. And it will take hours before I’m finished. Maybe it would be better for you to go back to your hotel. You really should get some rest.” As much as Reid wanted Luke to stay in the hospital, he honestly thought it would be best for Luke to get some rest. He was after all still recovering.
Luke frowned. “Well, if you want me to go...” Reid cut him off, “because it’s best for you.”
“Why don’t you let me decide what’s best for me, Reid? I’m a big boy. I can make my own decisions.” Luke was getting annoyed.
“I know that. But you are still recovering. There’s no need for you to wear yourself out.” Reid tried to reason with him. “Listen, I will let you know the outcome the minute the surgery is finished. I promise.”
“But I want to be there for Kevin’s parents, Reid. They could use somebody in a time like this.” Luke’s voice sounded desperate..
“They have each other, and a nurse will update them regularly during the surgery. They are going to be fine. Please Luke, go home and rest. I will let you know when it’s over.”
Luke looked at Reid, searched his face, but saw nothing but sincerity. He sighed and capitulated.
“Okay, I’ll go. But you have to let me know what happened. Call my cell or the hotel. I’m in room 506; even if it’s in the middle of the night. Okay?”
“I already promised, Luke. And I never lie.” Reid reached out and rubbed Luke’s shoulder. “Now, go. I’ll talk to you later.”
Luke nodded and headed towards the elevator. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Reid standing there, watching him. He looked so confident and sexy as hell in his scrubs and lab coat. He smiled a small smile and held up his hand in a short wave.
Reid didn’t wave back, Reid Oliver does not wave, but a smile tugged on his lips.
When the elevator doors closed behind Luke, Reid turned around and went back to Kevin’s room to explain what exactly was going to happen during the surgery to Kevin’s parents.
**************
Late that night, Luke was pacing his room. It was close to midnight and he still hadn’t heard from Reid. What was taking him so long? He had checked his phone a million times and he even checked if the hotel phone was working.
He did everything he could to distract himself- he took an obscenely long shower, ate dinner with the team, and watched a movie, but had no idea what it was about. He went back to his room, tried to watch some TV, but nothing could take his mind of Kevin’s surgery.
Surely it should be over by now. It would only take this long if there were complications. Maybe Reid forgot? He shook his head. No, he promised. He sat back down on his bed again and held his phone tightly in his hand.
*
Meanwhile, in a different part of town, Reid pulled off his surgical cap and tossed in the trash. He shook out his hands; they were tense from the long surgery. It had been close. Things were more complicated than the scans had shown and just when it looked like he was in the clear, there was a bleeder. It took all of his exceptional skills to repair the damage, but he believed Mr Jackson was going to be okay. They had to wait until he woke up to be sure, but things looked good.
He had talked to the parents; the mother had hugged him in thanks, bursting into tears. He had awkwardly patted her back and tried to wriggle out of it. The father just shook his hand, but his eyes were also wet.
Now, he just wanted to take a shower and then talk to Luke. He went into the locker room, took off his scrubs and stepped into the shower. His tired body welcomed the hot water and it eased the tension in his muscles a little bit.
After he dried himself off, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved black shirt. He picked up his phone and sat down on the bench. He fiddled with the phone, almost pressing the button to call Luke, when he remembered something. He snapped the phone shut, thought fuck it!, grabbed his leather jacket and hurried out.
*
Luke was still waiting in his room, biting his nails. Not knowing what to do to pass the time, he had showered again and already put his sleep pants and t-shirt on, getting ready for bed. His nerves were on edge. He put his phone on the night stand and was just about to crawl into bed, when there was a knock on the door.
Luke startled for a moment, then hurried towards the door and opened it.
“Reid!” He stared at the doctor in shock. “What are you doing here?”
Reid didn’t answer right away but just stood there and took in Luke’s appearance, his messy hair, tight t-shirt, the loose sleep pants hanging off his hips and his bare feet. He swallowed hard. Luke looked edible. Fuck.
“I... ehm... I thought I’d come deliver the news in person. Since you did give me your room number back at the hospital?” Reid stared at Luke now, searching for something he himself couldn’t even define.
“Oh, okay. Alright.” Luke was still not over the shock of finding Reid at his door, but stepped back to let Reid step into the room. “Well, I guess you should come in then.” Reid walked past him into the spacious room.
“But why did you come here? You could have called. Is it… is he… did something happen?” Hhe whispered the last part of the sentence, eyes wide in fear.
Reid realized that he didn’t exactly think this idea of going to Luke’s hotel room through. He didn’t mean to scare Luke; he just wanted to see the smile on Luke’s face when he told him the good news.
He hurried himself to reassure Luke, “No, no Luke. It’s nothing like that. Why would you assume the worst? You obviously don’t have a lot of faith in me.” Hhe joked. But Luke wasn’t laughing.
“Cut it out, Reid. Tell me what happened!” Luke demanded, almost stamping his foot.
“He’s going to be fine.” Reid told him. “The surgery was a success, there were some complications, but I was able to fix them.”
Reid saw the relief wash over Luke’s face and the next thing he knew Luke was throwing his arms around Reid, hugging him tightly.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Luke was laughing and crying at the same time.
He pulled back from the hug, grabbed Reid’s face in both his hands, said “you’re amazing!” and pressed his lips firmly on Reid’s.
Reid could not have been more surprised. Never in a million years would he have thought Luke would be the one to initiate a kiss. And now, here he was, feeling Luke’s firm body flush against him and his soft, full lips against his own. But before Reid had a chance to kiss him back, Luke suddenly broke the kiss, pulled his hands back from Reid’s face and stepped back, his face turning red with embarrassment.
“Oh god, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I did that. I’m sorry. I was just so happy and you were… you are… I’m sorry, I...” His rambling came to a sudden stop as Reid took one big step forward and just like Luke, took Luke’s face in his hands, mumbled “shut up” and kissed Luke tenderly but firmly.
It took Luke a second, but then he kissed Reid back, placing one hand on Reid’s hip and one hand at the back of his neck.
He felt Reid’s lips open a little and press his tongue against his lips, so he eagerly opened his mouth to let him in. When Reid’s tongue entered his mouth and met his own, Luke felt heat travel from his mouth all through his body straight to his groin. The kiss felt like nothing Luke had ever experienced before. His body was on fire and he felt Reid’s hands wander from his face to his shoulders, his back, his chest and oh god, it felt so, so good.
Reid’s brilliant mind was completely blank; he wasn’t able to form one coherent thought. All his body knew was Luke, Luke, Luke! He tasted better than Reid ever thought possible, his body was muscled and hard under his exploring hands. He brought one hand up to cup the back of Luke’s head, and let the other slip under Luke’s t-shirt and explored the soft skin of Luke’s back. He groaned and deepened the kiss, trying to pull Luke even closer so he could feel him completely.
Luke’s head was spinning. Nothing and nobody had ever made him feel so good and alive. He threaded his fingers through Reid’s curls, revelling in the softness of them. He moaned in the back of his throat, stroking Reid’s tongue with his own, curling around it and tasting all of Reid. The kept on exploring each other’s mouths and it was only when they were in need of air that they broke the kiss. With their arms still around each other, they simultaneously opened their eyes and gazed at each other.
Reid spoke first. “I’m kind of waiting for you to freak out,” he teased softly and placed a soft kiss on Luke’s swollen lips.
Luke smiled “I know, me too.” They both laughed. “I do feel nervous though,” Luke admitted. “I mean, I’ve never even kissed a guy before. But it’s been what I wanted to do since I met you.”
“Really?” Reid couldn’t believe his ears.
“Yeah. I like you. I mean, really like you.” Luke admitted, blushing a little.
“I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a long time too, Luke.” Reid had no problem admitting to wanting Luke, but he was surprised by Luke’s admission and reaction to the kiss. Surely, he would have thought that Luke would freak out, laugh it off, saying he didn’t mean it, or that it had been a joke. Some of his thoughts must have been written on his face, because Luke looked at him with a smile and said “What?”
“I am just surprised, that’s all. I didn’t even know that you were, you know, coming out.”
“I’m not.” Luke suddenly untangled himself from Reid and sat down on the sofa. He repeated softly, “I’m not.”
“But you are gay, right? Or are you bisexual?” Reid frowned at the possibility.
Luke looked at Reid and took a deep breath. He had to say it. And for the first time in his life, he wanted to say it. “I have known that I am gay since I was 12 years old. And no, I’m not bisexual, I am definitely one hundred percent gay. I’m just not out. Nobody knows, not my family or my friends. If they have any suspicions about it, they’ve never told me. I’ve never been with a man. You are really the first man I ever kissed.” He admitted nervously.
Reid felt irrationally and stupidly pleased( upon) hearing that he was Luke’s first, but then immediately he felt bad. He realised how lonely Luke must be have been. To carry around his big secret all by himself, to never be able to be yourself was a hard way to live. He quickly steered his thoughts back to the subject at hand. He walked towards the sofa and sat down next to Luke, their thighs touching.
“But why? It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not wrong. You know that right?”
Luke sighed. “I know Reid. Trust me, I know. It’s just…complicated.” He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. “Can we please not talk about any of that stuff now, okay? Not tonight. Please?” He looked at Reid with big pleading eyes and Reid was nowhere near able to say no, although he really wanted to talk to Luke about this.
“Right now, I just really want to kiss you again.” Now Luke had a taste of Reid and he was hungry for more.
When Reid saw Luke’s face come closer and felt him putting soft kisses on his cheek, his nose and finally on his mouth, all rational thoughts flew out the window and he kissed him back hungrily.
He grabbed at Luke’s shoulders and pushed him down on the sofa, never breaking the kiss.
Luke let himself be pushed down and welcomed Reid’s weight on top of him. This was much better than talking, much, much better. He didn’t want to think about later, about tomorrow, about anything else but Reid. Just for tonight he wanted to feel, to finally feel, what it was to give in to his own nature, to be who he was and to have an amazing experience with an amazing man.
*