Collision chapter 11
Chapter 11
Luke left Reid’s office in a daze. One minute they were just talking and getting to know each other, then they were fighting, and then they were kissing and touching. And, God, he had really wanted to stay there, right there in Reid’s arms.
But Mike had called again, asking where he was. So he left Reid standing in his office, mumbling “I’m sorry, I gotta go.” His cheeks were warm and his body tingled all over, still feeling Reid’s warmth. He slipped into a restroom and leaned onto the sink, his hands gripping the edges.
He stared at himself in the mirror, taking in his bright, shining eyes and flushed face. He couldn’t face Mike like this; he would surely ask questions why he looked so- so what exactly? Turned on? Happy? Crazy?
Luke splashed some water on his face, trying to get rid of the heat in his cheeks. He ran a wet hand across his neck and felt himself cool off. He took a paper towel, dried off his face and took a deep breath before heading down to see Mike.
He found Mike at the reception desk, flirting with the nurse behind the desk. The girl was giggling at something Mike had just said and Mike was obviously enjoying himself.
Luke laughed at the sight and couldn’t resist teasing Mike.
“Mike, stop harassing the nurses, you’ve got a girlfriend, remember?”
Mike scowled at Luke. “Shut up, will you? I’m just having a civil conversation with ehm.. Terry here.”
Now the nurse scowled at Mike. “It’s Amy and there was nothing civil about it.” She turned her back to Mike and started organizing the desk.
Mike sighed. “Thanks a lot, man. Why did you have to spoil that for me? I was just having a little fun.”
Luke was still laughing. “Just be thankful I won’t tell Shelley about this. You would be in so much trouble if she found out.”
“Whatever, man.” Mike turned towards Luke. “I had to do something to keep myself occupied. It took you long enough to get here.” He huffed.
“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” Luke didn’t feel the need to explain himself any further. “Are you ready to go and see Kevin?” He asked while turning to walk towards the elevator.
Luckily, Mike didn’t ask any questions, but just followed Luke.
When they arrived at Kevin’s floor, they asked at the nurse’s station if they could go in and visit Kevin. When the answer was positive, they made their way towards Kevin’s room. Luke knocked softly on the door and when there was no answer, they quietly stepped inside.
It shocked Mike to see his buddy lying there with heavy bandages around his head. He and Luke sat down at Kevin’s bedside and just stared at Kevin.
When the silence became too much for Mike, he leaned towards Luke and whispered “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
Luke smiled. “You don’t have to do anything. You can just sit here or you can tell him stuff.” He looked at Mike. “Do you want to talk to him? I can step outside so you won’t feel weird about it.”
Mike hesitated because it would still feel weird even without Luke being in the room, but then accepted Luke’s offer. “Yeah, would you?”
Luke stood up. “Sure. Do you want me to wait for you? I don’t mind.”
“Nah, that’s okay. I don’t know how long I’ll stay, so you go right ahead and do whatever it is you want to do. I’ll see you at dinner?” Mike asked while pulling his chair up to Kevin’s bed.
Luke nodded, said goodbye to Kevin, squeezed Mike’s shoulder and headed out. Outside Kevin’s room he hesitated. Should he go find Reid again or go back to the hotel?
The decision of what to do was made for him when Reid came around the corner, tapping on his phone as he went. He didn’t notice Luke until he stopped at Kevin’s door.
“Why are you standing here outside Mr Jackson’s room? Why don’t you go in?” Reid asked without greeting Luke.
Luke shoved his hands in his pockets before answering. “I was just in there with Mike and now Mike is in there by himself. He wanted to talk to Kevin alone, so I gave him some privacy.”
Reid put his phone in the pocket of his lab coat. “Ah, how considerate of you.”
Luke grinned. “I thought so too.”
Reid looked at him, a small smile tugged at his lips. “Are you waiting for Mike to be done or are you going back to your hotel?”
“Well, that depends.” Luke said casually.
“On what?” Reid asked.
“On you. Do you have time for a cup of coffee or something?” Luke asked, tilting his head and smiling.
“Actually, I don’t. I have a phone conference with my Chief of Staff in 10 minutes.” Reid said, the regret was obvious in his voice.
“Oh. Okay, I won’t keep you then.” Luke said disappointed.
“You can walk me to my office though?” Reid offered.
They started walked, falling into step with each other easily, shoulders brushing now and then.
“Can we do this again tomorrow?” Luke asked while they walked. “I liked just talking to you, getting to know you better.” He explained.
Reid sighed. “As long we don’t talk about you-know-what?”
Luke’s face reddened. “If you don’t want to, just say it. Don’t be an ass about it.”
They halted when they reached Reid’s office. Reid looked at Luke and realised he wanted him to come back tomorrow because, God help him, Reid really wanted to spend more time with him.
“No, no, I want to. Just text me before you come over and I’ll make myself available.”
Luke smiled a bright smile that made Reid’s heart swell just a bit. He reached for Luke’s hand and gave it a little squeeze.
“See you tomorrow Luke.” With that he turned and stepped into his office.
*
Over the next week Reid and Luke fell into an easy routine. Luke recovered fully, but kept visiting Kevin at the hospital. Afterward he and Reid would meet in his office where they would talk about everything and nothing. Luke felt himself looking forward to seeing Reid every day. Reid was sarcastic but funny, and had such an unconventional outlook on everyday life that he often surprised and amused Luke. He thought that Reid enjoyed his visits as well, but he never said it out loud. But if the kisses they shared when they said goodbye every day were any indication, Reid enjoyed them a lot. He never said it though. But then again, neither did Luke. He didn’t dare to think further than the next day.
At night they often talked on the phone, each in their own room, heads and hearts full of the other.
Reid still had not told Luke he was staying in the same hotel as the team. Reid was on a different floor and since he had his food delivered to his room, he didn’t run into Luke anywhere in the hotel. He wanted to tell Luke, but he didn’t want to sound like some creepy stalker trying to get as close as possible to his idol. Sometimes he still could not believe he and Luke Snyder actually became…what exactly? Friends? Or more? You couldn’t really say they were dating, because they only saw each other behind closed doors. They didn’t talk about what it was they were doing. Reid didn’t talk about it because, well, talking was not something he was good at and he didn’t know how to label what they had. He had been enjoying it far too much to talk to Luke about it. He’d feared that if he pressed Luke into defining their ‘thing’, Luke would get scared. So Reid had just accepted what Luke was willing to give him. But that didn’t mean he did not want more . Because he did. What he was feeling was more than just a celebrity crush. Once he had gotten to know the man behind the famous soccer player, he was even more impressed by him. There was no point in denying it. He found himself thinking about Luke more than he would care to admit to anyone but himself.
He sighed to himself. This was far more than he had bargained for. Sure, fooling around a little bit with one of the hottest athletes in the world sounded great, but now his heart was starting to get invested in it. He‘d never intended to let that happen. He had promised to himself he would never let that happen again. Falling in love with a closet case, albeit a hot closet case, like Luke Snyder was a recipe for disaster. He would have to call it quits, for his own sanity. As much as he wanted Luke, he was not willing to risk so much without getting anything in return.
*
Luke was wandering through his hotel room. He hadn’t been able to stay in one place ever since he talked to Coach that afternoon. He knew it was going to happen, but he’d pushed it to the back of his mind, not wanting to deal with it. But there was no avoiding it anymore now. His team would leave in two days for Chicago. They would pack up and move to spend their last week of training there before the first match. As much as Luke looked forward to that, he hated that he had to leave Kevin, but most importantly, leave Reid. Their short time together had meant so much to Luke- he couldn’t imagine not seeing Reid every day and not talking to him. He really didn’t want it to end.
Reid. Just thinking about him made Luke smile. He had turned Luke’s world upside down and had made Luke think about his life and the decisions that he had made along the way; about the way he wanted to live his life from now on. And although he didn’t know how or if he and Reid could work, he knew that he didn’t want to let Reid go. He hadn’t thought beyond this wonderful week where they could see each other every day and grow closer with every conversation, shared laughs and stolen glances at each other. Luke could see himself falling in love with him and if he was honest with himself he was already halfway there. He just didn’t know if he could do it- really be himself and live his life as he wanted to without worrying about what other people might think or say.
Later that night Luke was just settling in his bed, ready for a late night phone call with Reid. He propped the pillows up against the headboard of the bed to get more comfortable, his cell phone lying next to him. He was scrolling down the address book for Reid’s number when there was a knock on the door.
Luke frowned. He wasn’t expecting anyone and he didn’t want anyone to interrupt his ‘Reid-time’. He walked towards the door, phone in hand, determined to get rid of whoever was outside and flung open the door.
“Reid!” He was startled to see the object of his thoughts standing outside his door.
“Is something wrong?” He asked, and when he took a closer look at Reid he was worried. “Are you okay, you don’t look so good.”
Reid was a little bit pale and he avoided looking at Luke. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just wanted to talk to you.”
Luke looked confused. “Why didn’t you just call? We’ve been talking on the phone every night for the last week.”
Reid gestured towards the room. “Can I come in?”
Luke had a sense of déjà-vu, but this time Reid was a lot grumpier than last time.
He stepped back and gestured for Reid to step inside.
“Sure, come on in.” He slowly closed the door behind Reid and walked after him into the room. He saw Reid just standing there, tapping his left hand on his thigh, looking very uncomfortable.
Luke walked towards him, lightly touched Reid on his arm and said “Hey, what’s up? You’re acting weird.”
Reid’s eyes darted around the room, looking at everything but Luke.
“Yes, uhm. Okay. Listen Luke, I..“ Damn, this was going to be much harder than he thought.
Luke watched Reid in confusion. Then suddenly a thought hit him.
“What is it? Is it Kevin? Has he woken up? Is there something wrong with him?” When Reid didn’t answer, he grabbed Reid by the shoulder. “Tell me, Reid! Now!”
Reid shrugged off Luke’s hand and moved away from him. He sat down in the chair at the desk and motioned for Luke to sit down as well. Luke chose to sit on the bed and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.
“No, it’s not about Mr Jackson. Although I feel he should have woken up by now and the fact that he hasn’t may be reason for concern. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.” Reid took a deep breath and then blurted out “It’s about you. And me. And the fact that it’s just not working for me.” He looked up and met Luke’s gaze.
“I think we should stop with whatever it is that we’re doing.”
*
Luke left Reid’s office in a daze. One minute they were just talking and getting to know each other, then they were fighting, and then they were kissing and touching. And, God, he had really wanted to stay there, right there in Reid’s arms.
But Mike had called again, asking where he was. So he left Reid standing in his office, mumbling “I’m sorry, I gotta go.” His cheeks were warm and his body tingled all over, still feeling Reid’s warmth. He slipped into a restroom and leaned onto the sink, his hands gripping the edges.
He stared at himself in the mirror, taking in his bright, shining eyes and flushed face. He couldn’t face Mike like this; he would surely ask questions why he looked so- so what exactly? Turned on? Happy? Crazy?
Luke splashed some water on his face, trying to get rid of the heat in his cheeks. He ran a wet hand across his neck and felt himself cool off. He took a paper towel, dried off his face and took a deep breath before heading down to see Mike.
He found Mike at the reception desk, flirting with the nurse behind the desk. The girl was giggling at something Mike had just said and Mike was obviously enjoying himself.
Luke laughed at the sight and couldn’t resist teasing Mike.
“Mike, stop harassing the nurses, you’ve got a girlfriend, remember?”
Mike scowled at Luke. “Shut up, will you? I’m just having a civil conversation with ehm.. Terry here.”
Now the nurse scowled at Mike. “It’s Amy and there was nothing civil about it.” She turned her back to Mike and started organizing the desk.
Mike sighed. “Thanks a lot, man. Why did you have to spoil that for me? I was just having a little fun.”
Luke was still laughing. “Just be thankful I won’t tell Shelley about this. You would be in so much trouble if she found out.”
“Whatever, man.” Mike turned towards Luke. “I had to do something to keep myself occupied. It took you long enough to get here.” He huffed.
“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” Luke didn’t feel the need to explain himself any further. “Are you ready to go and see Kevin?” He asked while turning to walk towards the elevator.
Luckily, Mike didn’t ask any questions, but just followed Luke.
When they arrived at Kevin’s floor, they asked at the nurse’s station if they could go in and visit Kevin. When the answer was positive, they made their way towards Kevin’s room. Luke knocked softly on the door and when there was no answer, they quietly stepped inside.
It shocked Mike to see his buddy lying there with heavy bandages around his head. He and Luke sat down at Kevin’s bedside and just stared at Kevin.
When the silence became too much for Mike, he leaned towards Luke and whispered “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
Luke smiled. “You don’t have to do anything. You can just sit here or you can tell him stuff.” He looked at Mike. “Do you want to talk to him? I can step outside so you won’t feel weird about it.”
Mike hesitated because it would still feel weird even without Luke being in the room, but then accepted Luke’s offer. “Yeah, would you?”
Luke stood up. “Sure. Do you want me to wait for you? I don’t mind.”
“Nah, that’s okay. I don’t know how long I’ll stay, so you go right ahead and do whatever it is you want to do. I’ll see you at dinner?” Mike asked while pulling his chair up to Kevin’s bed.
Luke nodded, said goodbye to Kevin, squeezed Mike’s shoulder and headed out. Outside Kevin’s room he hesitated. Should he go find Reid again or go back to the hotel?
The decision of what to do was made for him when Reid came around the corner, tapping on his phone as he went. He didn’t notice Luke until he stopped at Kevin’s door.
“Why are you standing here outside Mr Jackson’s room? Why don’t you go in?” Reid asked without greeting Luke.
Luke shoved his hands in his pockets before answering. “I was just in there with Mike and now Mike is in there by himself. He wanted to talk to Kevin alone, so I gave him some privacy.”
Reid put his phone in the pocket of his lab coat. “Ah, how considerate of you.”
Luke grinned. “I thought so too.”
Reid looked at him, a small smile tugged at his lips. “Are you waiting for Mike to be done or are you going back to your hotel?”
“Well, that depends.” Luke said casually.
“On what?” Reid asked.
“On you. Do you have time for a cup of coffee or something?” Luke asked, tilting his head and smiling.
“Actually, I don’t. I have a phone conference with my Chief of Staff in 10 minutes.” Reid said, the regret was obvious in his voice.
“Oh. Okay, I won’t keep you then.” Luke said disappointed.
“You can walk me to my office though?” Reid offered.
They started walked, falling into step with each other easily, shoulders brushing now and then.
“Can we do this again tomorrow?” Luke asked while they walked. “I liked just talking to you, getting to know you better.” He explained.
Reid sighed. “As long we don’t talk about you-know-what?”
Luke’s face reddened. “If you don’t want to, just say it. Don’t be an ass about it.”
They halted when they reached Reid’s office. Reid looked at Luke and realised he wanted him to come back tomorrow because, God help him, Reid really wanted to spend more time with him.
“No, no, I want to. Just text me before you come over and I’ll make myself available.”
Luke smiled a bright smile that made Reid’s heart swell just a bit. He reached for Luke’s hand and gave it a little squeeze.
“See you tomorrow Luke.” With that he turned and stepped into his office.
*
Over the next week Reid and Luke fell into an easy routine. Luke recovered fully, but kept visiting Kevin at the hospital. Afterward he and Reid would meet in his office where they would talk about everything and nothing. Luke felt himself looking forward to seeing Reid every day. Reid was sarcastic but funny, and had such an unconventional outlook on everyday life that he often surprised and amused Luke. He thought that Reid enjoyed his visits as well, but he never said it out loud. But if the kisses they shared when they said goodbye every day were any indication, Reid enjoyed them a lot. He never said it though. But then again, neither did Luke. He didn’t dare to think further than the next day.
At night they often talked on the phone, each in their own room, heads and hearts full of the other.
Reid still had not told Luke he was staying in the same hotel as the team. Reid was on a different floor and since he had his food delivered to his room, he didn’t run into Luke anywhere in the hotel. He wanted to tell Luke, but he didn’t want to sound like some creepy stalker trying to get as close as possible to his idol. Sometimes he still could not believe he and Luke Snyder actually became…what exactly? Friends? Or more? You couldn’t really say they were dating, because they only saw each other behind closed doors. They didn’t talk about what it was they were doing. Reid didn’t talk about it because, well, talking was not something he was good at and he didn’t know how to label what they had. He had been enjoying it far too much to talk to Luke about it. He’d feared that if he pressed Luke into defining their ‘thing’, Luke would get scared. So Reid had just accepted what Luke was willing to give him. But that didn’t mean he did not want more . Because he did. What he was feeling was more than just a celebrity crush. Once he had gotten to know the man behind the famous soccer player, he was even more impressed by him. There was no point in denying it. He found himself thinking about Luke more than he would care to admit to anyone but himself.
He sighed to himself. This was far more than he had bargained for. Sure, fooling around a little bit with one of the hottest athletes in the world sounded great, but now his heart was starting to get invested in it. He‘d never intended to let that happen. He had promised to himself he would never let that happen again. Falling in love with a closet case, albeit a hot closet case, like Luke Snyder was a recipe for disaster. He would have to call it quits, for his own sanity. As much as he wanted Luke, he was not willing to risk so much without getting anything in return.
*
Luke was wandering through his hotel room. He hadn’t been able to stay in one place ever since he talked to Coach that afternoon. He knew it was going to happen, but he’d pushed it to the back of his mind, not wanting to deal with it. But there was no avoiding it anymore now. His team would leave in two days for Chicago. They would pack up and move to spend their last week of training there before the first match. As much as Luke looked forward to that, he hated that he had to leave Kevin, but most importantly, leave Reid. Their short time together had meant so much to Luke- he couldn’t imagine not seeing Reid every day and not talking to him. He really didn’t want it to end.
Reid. Just thinking about him made Luke smile. He had turned Luke’s world upside down and had made Luke think about his life and the decisions that he had made along the way; about the way he wanted to live his life from now on. And although he didn’t know how or if he and Reid could work, he knew that he didn’t want to let Reid go. He hadn’t thought beyond this wonderful week where they could see each other every day and grow closer with every conversation, shared laughs and stolen glances at each other. Luke could see himself falling in love with him and if he was honest with himself he was already halfway there. He just didn’t know if he could do it- really be himself and live his life as he wanted to without worrying about what other people might think or say.
Later that night Luke was just settling in his bed, ready for a late night phone call with Reid. He propped the pillows up against the headboard of the bed to get more comfortable, his cell phone lying next to him. He was scrolling down the address book for Reid’s number when there was a knock on the door.
Luke frowned. He wasn’t expecting anyone and he didn’t want anyone to interrupt his ‘Reid-time’. He walked towards the door, phone in hand, determined to get rid of whoever was outside and flung open the door.
“Reid!” He was startled to see the object of his thoughts standing outside his door.
“Is something wrong?” He asked, and when he took a closer look at Reid he was worried. “Are you okay, you don’t look so good.”
Reid was a little bit pale and he avoided looking at Luke. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just wanted to talk to you.”
Luke looked confused. “Why didn’t you just call? We’ve been talking on the phone every night for the last week.”
Reid gestured towards the room. “Can I come in?”
Luke had a sense of déjà-vu, but this time Reid was a lot grumpier than last time.
He stepped back and gestured for Reid to step inside.
“Sure, come on in.” He slowly closed the door behind Reid and walked after him into the room. He saw Reid just standing there, tapping his left hand on his thigh, looking very uncomfortable.
Luke walked towards him, lightly touched Reid on his arm and said “Hey, what’s up? You’re acting weird.”
Reid’s eyes darted around the room, looking at everything but Luke.
“Yes, uhm. Okay. Listen Luke, I..“ Damn, this was going to be much harder than he thought.
Luke watched Reid in confusion. Then suddenly a thought hit him.
“What is it? Is it Kevin? Has he woken up? Is there something wrong with him?” When Reid didn’t answer, he grabbed Reid by the shoulder. “Tell me, Reid! Now!”
Reid shrugged off Luke’s hand and moved away from him. He sat down in the chair at the desk and motioned for Luke to sit down as well. Luke chose to sit on the bed and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.
“No, it’s not about Mr Jackson. Although I feel he should have woken up by now and the fact that he hasn’t may be reason for concern. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.” Reid took a deep breath and then blurted out “It’s about you. And me. And the fact that it’s just not working for me.” He looked up and met Luke’s gaze.
“I think we should stop with whatever it is that we’re doing.”
*