Changeups and Curveballs 9/14
8th Inning:
I dont know what am i doing here
There’s a shadow in my place
Maybe now everything will be so clear
you shed light into this empty space
and all i am all i have
doesn’t even matter now
i can’t understand i feel this way
but I do, I do
I just wanna love you when the goings tough
I just wanna hold you when you’re not enough
I just wanna give you everything I got
I do, I do
~
If you don't want me to leave
Then don't push me away
Rather blow out the lights
You can watch it all fade
But I'm going nowhere
I'm gonna stay
When you just wanna fight
When you're closing your eyes
Cause you don't wanna love me
I'm gonna stay
You can't push me too far
There's no space in my heart
Where I don't wanna love you
The next morning Reid woke up and went to the clubhouse. He practiced, then went to get a massage before the game. He got a text from Vanessa minutes before he was due to go out for warm up.
Reid was nervous going out because he knew Vanessa had done something and that he would probably not only not like, but be upset about it.
Then he saw what she was referring to. Luke Snyder was sitting in the friends and family box.
And he was talking excitedly to Vanessa about something.
Reid was pissed. So, Luke thought it was cool to basically make Reid out to be the bad guy in their relationship, or whatever the fuck it was that they were doing, and now he’s going so far as to try and distract him in the biggest game of his life?
Fuck him.
Reid won anyway, but only because he was so focused on his anger at Luke and trying to prove him wrong. He was a great pitcher, damn it, and he didn’t need to have sex with Luke to win.
He made it through six innings with no hits before Seamus pulled him. Reid wanted to stay in, but he knew he needed to rest his arm for the World Series.
The rest of the game was a shutout and they beat the White Sox five to nothing.
Reid was relieved he had just sent the Red Sox to the playoffs and he could breathe easy for a bit, until he realized that making it to the playoffs meant Luke would be in town covering the World Series, for a span over a week and a half. Reid groaned and threw his things into his bag as he left the clubhouse. Things could never just be simple when it came to his life. Then he was being accosted by Vanessa and Seamus’s wife saying they were going out to celebrate the win and he was going.
He went because Vanessa told him if he didn’t he could kiss the annual cheesecake she made him for Christmas goodbye, and he really fucking loved that cheesecake. Of course, he’d never let anyone know he went because he was lonely and didn’t want to spend another night alone in his apartment.
He walked into the restaurant to see Seamus and his wife, Cristian and Vanessa, a few of the outfielders and their wives, and Luke Snyder standing in the corner talking to the shortstop, Mike Marin.
Reid was half tempted to just go home, but he wasn’t going to give Luke the satisfaction of knowing what he did to him. Luke goes on to interview every player but him and Reid knows it’s inevitable that he will be forced to sit down and have a conversation with him.
But dinner is served then and he sits down with Vanessa and Cristian. Seamus and Deb sit with them too and as soon as Luke finishes interviewing the third baseman he’s sitting down at their table as well.
Reid doesn’t say anything as Vanessa and Deb ask Luke questions about his life and what he’s been up to since the last time he saw them. Reid pretends not to be interested as Luke tells them about the youth baseball charity he’s sponsoring now, and how he is coaching them. Or when he tells them he has been so busy with work and that, that he doesn’t have time for a relationship. So something must have gone wrong with Noah then. Reid felt a weird sense of giddiness and evil delight in that, but brushed it aside. Just because they broke up didn’t mean they wouldn’t get back together and besides Luke was a bastard.
Reid forces his food down and then excuses himself. He just wants to get out of there.
Luke follows him outside.
“I need to talk to you before you leave, Reid.”
“There’s nothing to say.”
“I just need you to answer these interview questions.”
“I don’t feel like spending time with or talking to you, Luke. What part about that don’t you get?”
“You can’t pretend for one night to get along?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m a bastard, Luke. I’m a jerk who only thinks about himself. Oh wait, that’s you.”
“What the hell did I ever do to you?”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No. I’m not.”
“Forget it, Luke. If you are that blind, then there is no hope for us.”
“Us? There’s an us?”
“I meant as in our friendship, Luke. I don’t want to be friends with someone like you.”
“I wasn’t aware we were actually friends.”
“Even better, we were never friends, so I guess we’re done here then. Have a nice life.”
“If that’s what you want, Reid, then fine, but don’t you dare blame this all on me. It takes two people to have a relationship and I sure as hell did not act alone.”
“Fine, I’ll take all the blame if that’s what it gets for you to leave me the fuck alone.”
Reid regretted the words as soon as he said them, and Luke reared back as if he had been struck.
“Fine, Reid. I’m going.”
Luke walked into the night then and Reid’s chest hurt so much it was hard to breathe.
He wanted to cry, but there was no way in hell he was doing that in public.
Then Cristian was beside him and telling him they were going out for a drink.
Reid went and sat at the bar and drank until he couldn’t remember Luke’s name, let alone his own.
It was his luck of course that they drew the Chicago White Sox for the first series of the playoff. He went out and won the first game as a very special fuck you message to Luke Snyder who he knew was watching from the Press Box.
Luke texted him after the game,
Reid shuts his phone off and goes out drinking. He stays drunk for the next week. He goes to the game but he’s a wreck. He fucking hates what his life is. He’s the best pitcher in baseball but his personal life is a joke. Seamus sends him back to the hotel to clean up and get sober, but Reid just takes the opportunity to get more wasted and lock himself in his room. He watches shitty made for television movies on Hallmark, and cries.
It’s the night before game seven of the series and Seamus is panicking. He needs Reid for the game, he’s their only shot of making it to the ALCS.
He goes to the room and begs Reid to let him in. Reid calls him a leprechaun and to go steal someone else’s gold. Cristian finally gets in after bribing him with Vanessa’s cheesecake.
Cristian powers his way in the door and sees the mess around him. Reid hasn’t showered in days and he looks like shit.
“Reid, what the fuck?”
“What?”
“You have to get out of this room.”
“No, I don’t. Everything I need is here. Besides, in here, he doesn’t exist.”
“Well guess what? He does exist and getting drunk and eating shitty food every night while locked in a hotel room is going to make it less true.”
“Why do you have be such a downer?”
“I’m the downer? Look at your life, Reid.”
“What about it?”
“I’m pretty sure it was your choices that got you in this mess in the first place. It wasn’t me who thought having string free sex with someone you actually liked was a good thing. It also wasn’t me who fell in love with that person, then didn’t tell them and got mad when they moved on. It’s also not Luke’s fault. Maybe if you had actually had the balls to tell him how you felt, you’d be together and I wouldn’t have to be in here convincing you to do your fucking job. Do you want to be cut from the team?”
“No, I just can’t go out there. I’m broken.”
“No, you ‘re not. You are a damn good pitcher. Yes your personal life is shit right now, but you have to get over it, for at least four hours tomorrow and pitch the best game of your life.”
Reid just looked out the window. Cristian got up and told him,
“You need to do this, Reid, because if you don’t, I guarantee all of Boston and your teammates, me included, will never forgive you for abandoning us when we needed you.”
Cristian and Seamus left as they walked outside Seamus turned to him,
“You’re his best friend and even you couldn’t get through to him. What do we do to get him to snap out of this funk?”
“I have no idea, I have only seen him one other time like this and that was when Grant had broken his heart. The only thing that did it was getting Grant to go to him and letting Reid say whatever the fuck he wanted to. It worked and he snapped out of it and went on to beat the Yankees to give us our first series sweep in a long time.”
“So, you’re saying convince Luke to come to his hotel room and let Reid yell at him?”
“Well, I wouldn’t put it quite like that, but if I’m right about Luke and Reid, Luke will come because he loves Reid as much as Reid loves him and they are both stubborn asses.”
Seamus picked up his phone then:
Luke was extremely nervous as he boarded his grandmother’s private jet. Within a few hours he was arriving in Dallas.
It took him another few hours to get his bags and to book a room at the same hotel Reid was in.
He managed to sweet talk his way into getting the adjoining room to Reid’s and had given the couple who had been occupying it tickets to the game later that evening.
He took a shower, fixed his hair, and braced himself to see Reid.
Reid had just finished a bottle of rum when someone knocked at his door.
“What do you want?”
“Room service.”
Reid couldn’t remembering ordering food, but he was in such a stupor he probably did.
Instead of his food it was Luke who pushed him back in the room.
“What the fuck Snyder?”
“What?”
“How did you find me?”
“Seamus texted me and said you needed me.”
“Why in the hell would I need you?”
“Well maybe because you’re drunk, smelly, and acting like a petulant brat?”
“How fucking dare you!?!?”
“How dare I what? Come here and check on you?”
“You have no right to barge in here and tell me I’m acting like a brat when you did the same thing.”
“I did no such thing.”
“Spare me the hypocritical bullshit.”
“Why are you sitting alone in this room drinking?”
“You’re such a fucking asshole, you know that?”
“What did I ever do to you?”
“You made me fall in love with you, and then you go and pull stunts like the one with your ex and then sitting in the friends and family section after I asked you to just leave me alone. Why can’t you just let me get over you? Are you that much of a bastard? You got your man and your reunion and I didn’t say anything, because you told me you wanted sex.”
Luke stared at Reid in shock, he was pretty sure Reid was toying with him, because if this were the truth, he had just spent the last two months miserable for no reason.
“I fucking hate you, Luke. I wish we had never met.”
Luke stiffened at that, that sounded more accurate, but Reid continued,
“I wish I didn’t love you, because it would make everything easier. I would be able to concentrate, I wouldn’t need to drink myself into oblivion every night so I didn’t think about you in his arms, having sex with him.”
Then Reid lay on the bed and passed out.
Luke sat there for a good five minutes just staring at Reid trying to make sure he had actually heard Reid tell him he loved him.
Luke knew then beyond a shadow of a doubt, this was why everything with Reid had hurt so much more with him than Noah. This was what real, deep, true love felt like. The kind that made you hurt, cry, and bleed, and the kind that made you want to keep trying, even when things weren’t going right. He loved Reid, and it didn’t make sense, and it wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t going away either. He cleaned up the room as Reid slept and he climbed on the bed and dozed off.
When he woke up it was dark out and Reid was pressed against him. Luke kissed his forehead. Reid stirred, Luke could still smell the alcohol on his breathe and knew he was probably still drunk.
“You should get a shower, Reid.”
“Leave me alone.”
“First take a shower, then eat something so you don’t wake up tomorrow dehydrated.”
“Fine.”
Reid got up with Luke’s help and got in the shower.He stood under the hot water and tried to remember what Luke was doing there and what had happened, but he was too stubborn and prideful to admit he couldn’t’ remember.
When he got out and changed into clean clothes Luke had already had food delivered.He ate his soup and sandwich. He vaguely noticed the room was clean and the bed had new sheets on it.
“How did you manage to do that in the time I was in the shower?”
“It wasn’t that hard, Reid.”
“What are you doing here, Luke?”
“I told you.”
“I mean for real.”
“Because despite whatever you said about us, I care about you, and I didn’t want you to think you were right. I tried to give you space, but I’m done with that now. Whether or not you want me to, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”
Reid knew Luke’s friendship was better than nothing, but it still hurt to love Luke so much and have Luke only want to be his friend.
“Whatever. I’m going back to bed.”
Luke watched Reid put his dishes on the table, then go into the bathroom and brush his teeth. He took the robe off and Luke gasped, Reid looked so hot. All sinewy muscle and tight skin. Luke forced himself to look away. Now was not the time for that.
Reid was asleep within a few minutes and Luke finished cleaning up the room before going back to his room. He grabbed his stuff unlocked the adjoining door and went back to Reid’s room. He let himself in with the key he had stolen from Reid and climbed into bed with Reid. He just wanted to be close to Reid, even if it meant staying in his clothes and sleeping on top of the covers.
Luke fell asleep listening to the sound Reid breathing. He woke up a bit later when he felt something pressing against him. During the night he had shifted and he was being held tight against Reid.
Reid fingers were under his shirt, hot against his stomach, his other arm wrapped around Luke’s with their fingers entwined. He could feel Reid’s hard on pressed into him and Luke moved back against him.
Reid groaned and Luke turned around in Reid’s embrace so they were chest to chest.
Luke’s head was pressed against Reid’s neck.
Reid opened his eyes slowly and looked down at Luke.
Then he was kissing him.
Luke knew this was probably a terrible idea, but Reid was hard and so was he, and they were in love, even if they hadn’t said anything until a few hours prior.
Luke kissed back and when Reid slipped his tongue in, Luke pressed himself closer.
Reid pulled back and looked into Luke’s eyes,
“I fucking love you.”
Luke felt the tears leaking out of his eyes,
“I love you too.”
As soon as he had said it out loud it was like everything was right, and it was just Luke and Reid, two men who loved each other, showing each other how much.
Reid growled and pulled Luke closer,
“Say it again.”
“I love you, Reid.”
Reid rolled over so Luke was on top of him.
He pulled Luke’s head back down to kiss him.
They dueled with their tongues for a bit, until Luke gently sucked on Reid’s tongue. Reid moved his hands to under Luke’s boxers and cupped his ass. He massaged his cheeks for a bit, kneading and pulling, before he couldn’t take anymore.
He rolled Luke over so he was on his back and Reid kissed his way down his chest.
He took Luke slowly in his mouth and swirled his tongue around the head.
Luke carded his hands in Reid’s hair,
“Fuck, Reid, that feels so good.”
Reid hollowed his cheeks and set the pace as he sucked him deep.
Then Luke was being deep throated and he grabbed Reid’s hair tighter.
“Holy shit.”
Reid pulled off with a lewd pop, then grabbed Luke’s hips.
He pulled Luke up so that his ass was against Reid’s face.
Reid reached his tongue out and licked a stripe from his scrotum to his ass.
Then he was working Luke open with his tongue and Luke was trying not to thrash about.
Reid removed his fingers then and then used his fingers to prepare Luke.
Then Reid was pressing himself into Luke who moaned and arched back into him until they were flush with each other.
Reid started moving and would brush against Luke’s prostate with each thrust. Luke could feel the sparks and tingles shooting up his back as he was being fucked.
Luke grabbed Reid’s ass and pulled him tighter.He pulled Reid’s head down and kissed him and when they parted they caught each other’s gaze. They held it while Reid thrust into him over and over, and while Luke ran his hands up and down Reid’s back.
Then Reid started thrusting erratically and Luke knew he was close.
“Gonna come, Luke.”
“Yeah, come for me, baby.”
With that Reid pushed on last time and was shuddering through the most powerful orgasm he’d ever experienced.
Luke cried out as Reid held himself on his prostate. He clamped down and shot all over himself.
“Fuck.”
Reid pulled himself out and turned over. He was asleep within seconds. Luke stared at him in shock, then burst out laughing. So this was the real Reid? Sleep immediately after sex? He was still laughing as he took a shower to clean himself up and to clean the cum off the sheets that had dribbled out of him.
He crawled back in bed and curled up to Reid who moved so Luke could put his chest on his shoulder.
He fell asleep happy for the first time in months.
Early the next morning Luke woke up to do some work. He went to his room to change and get ready for the day. He let Reid sleep in, but went to wake him up a few hours later. He let himself in and crawled into bed to kiss Reid awake. He leaned down and kissed Reid. Reid responded by opening his mouth.
Reid slowly drifted into consciousness with an euphoric feeling.
Then he realized he was making out with someone and seeing as he was drunk last night when he went to bed, he had no idea who the fuck it was.
He pushed the intruder away and saw it was Luke who stared at him with a look of shock and hurt on his face.
“What the fuck, Luke?”
“What?”
“Why are you in my room and why are you kissing me?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously.”
“I just sort of figured after last night, it would be okay.”
“You thought coming to my room and telling me you were basically stalking was an okay to stick your tongue in my mouth and kiss me awake? I don’t know anyone who would think that was cool. Get out of my room, Luke.”
Luke stared at him in shock and left without another word.
To say Luke was incredibly upset and confused would be an understatement. Had he completely misread last night? Then he started laughing. Of course it was. Reid had duped him into bed so he could get laid and could win the game late today. What a fucking idiot he was.
Reid lays in bed wondering what the hell Luke was talking about. Last night hadn’t meant anything. Reid had told Luke he was in love with him and then he had fallen asleep. Yeah, the dream that Luke had told him he loved him too and made love to him was nice, but that was not real, because Luke had left.
He had heard him leave after Luke thought he fell asleep. So, playing with emotions now was just cruel. He turned off his thought and went to the game.
It was game four of the ALCS and if he could pull this win out tonight, it would send them to the World Series and would mark the first series sweep of the Yankees that Boston had achieved in quite some time.
He went to the clubhouse and got ready for the evening.
O’Dell and Cristian were both waiting for him.
“So, you’re whistling, must’ve had a good night last night, then?”
“Yeah no thanks to you two meddling asshats.”
“Oh, come on, Reid. We just gave you the one thing you’ve been pining after for weeks.”
“I did not pine after Luke Snyder.”
“Whatever you say. You two seemed to work out your issues though, right?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you came in whistling. You only whistle after you’ve had sex.”
“But, we didn’t…Oh my god. I’m an idiot. I have to go find Luke.”
“We start warm-ups in like five minutes.”
“I’ll be there, but if I don’t do this, I think Luke is going to walk out of my life for good.”
“What did you do now? It’s what I didn’t do that’s the issue. I’ll explain it later.”
Reid ran out of the clubhouse and searched the press box for Luke. He was nowhere to be seen. He about gave up when he saw him talking to one of the team trainers.
“Snyder, I need to speak to you.”
Luke looked at him in surprise, but excused himself and allowed Reid to lead him to an empty office.
“I’m an idiot.”
“Well, I’m not going to disagree.”
“You really love me?”
“What?”
“Last night wasn’t a dream?”
“You thought it was a dream?”
“Yeah. I heard you leave last night and I guess I dozed off and when you told me you loved me I thought it was just my dreams. Oh god, I’m so sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“For last night. I didn’t use a condom. I’m such a jerk.”
“Reid it was fine. I know you’re clean because you sent me the confirmation after we made that bet, and I have only been with one person who was a virgin when I was with him.”
“I know, but still it was really selfish and stupid of me.”
“I went along with it, and I should be apologizing to you, I thought you were awake and aware of what you were doing. I’m a pervert taking advantage of a sleeping guy.”
“Well, I wasn’t sleeping, I just thought I was.”
“Yeah, well, it’s still weird.”
“How about we call it even?”
“Okay.”
“So, you really love me then?”
“Yes. And you really love me?”
“Yes.”
“We are so fucked up. I cannot believe we wasted months being miserable.”
“I guess that’s what we get for being stubborn and refusing to communicate with each other.”
“I’m sorry, Luke. I should have told you how I felt.”
“You should have, because if you had I guarantee we would already be at this stage.”
“Can we promise to always communicate, even if we’re sure the other won’t like or we’re scared?”
“Yeah, I can do that.”
Reid kissed Luke then. Luke knew he had something to be doing or someplace to be, but he didn’t care.
Reid finally broke away.
“I’ve got to get to warm ups, but I’ll see you after the game right?”
“Of course.”
Reid went out and threw a perfect seven innings, then they brought in a closer.
They won the game 4-0 and swept the Yankees in the ALCS.
Reid was overjoyed.
Later that night as he lay in bed after a few rounds of enthusiastic and gymnastic rounds of sex, he
turned to Luke.
“So, were you as miserable as I was while we were apart?”
“Maybe. Did your time apart include crying, eating ice cream and having your best friend yell at you?”
“Pretty much.”
“Then yes I was miserable.”
“I vote that we don’t do that ever again.”
“Do what?”
“Be miserable without each other.”
“How exactly will that work?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you live here and I live in Chicago. I love my job and as much as I love you, I don’t want to have to choose.”
“Who said anything about choosing, Luke? I’m not asking you to move here. And besides, there is a five month down time where I could come to Chicago and do my training. We can make it work.”
“I hope so, because I don’t like the not having you in my life thing.”
“So, we’re together, but we’re keeping it on the down low, so you don’t get fired?”
“Right. I know that sounds terrible and I’m not ashamed of being gay, it’s just a huge conflict if I’m sleeping with a major sports star.”
“I get it, Luke, believe me. It would probably not bode well for me if I was suddenly outed either, seeing as I have a huge female fan base, and as the owners have said, baseball isn’t exactly a gay sport.”
Luke and Reid agreed to keep things as private as possible.
He went to Chicago that weekend to turn in his story when he was called into the office by Barry.
“So, Luke, as you know, I’ve been keeping an eye out on you.”
“You have?”
“Well after that whole bizarre All-Star game incident, I thought I better.”
“And?”
“And, you seem to be very close to Reid Oliver. I know I asked you this before, but are you absolutely
sure nothing is going on there?”
“Barry, I’m not going to answer any more of these questions. My personal life is no one’s business but my own, okay? There’s a reason you haven’t found any substantial truth to the thing with Reid. I’ll let you decide what you want to believe, but either way I don’t care. You don’t have any proof one way or the other that I’m seeing anyone , let alone Reid. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get ready to go to Boston again for the start of the World Series.”
“Actually you don’t.”
“What?”
“I’ve decided you have earned yourself a nice spot here at home working in the bullpen. I’m sending Ross.”
“You mean my incompetent intern who thought Venus and Serena Williams were twins?”
“It’s a common mistake.”
“No, it’s not, Barry. You’re honestly benching me because you think I may or may not be sleeping with
Reid Oliver?”
“Well, you could always tell me that you’re not sleeping with him and then you could go.”
“You know what. No. I’m not giving you the satisfaction, and I’m going to the game anyway, because I have plenty of family connections. How do you think your newspaper has gotten so many sports scoops over the LA or New York Times? Because I know people. Good luck finding someone with those kind of connections when I leave.”
“You’re leaving?”
“Oh yeah. And guess what? I have been sleeping with Reid Oliver since May, and it has been spectacular.”
With that Luke was out of job and he didn’t give a fuck. He was back on a plane to Boston that afternoon. When Reid opened the door wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and an apron, Luke jumped him right then and there in the hall.
“Luke, what the hell? What are you doing here?”
“I quit my job today.”
“What? Why would you do something like that? I hope you didn’t do that for me.”
“No, of course not. I just got back to Chicago and I went into work today to give my reports, when I was blindsided with the news that not only was I benched from field work, they were sending in my incompetent assistant as my replacement. And it was all because I wouldn’t tell my boss that I wasn’t fucking you. I found myself being forced to choose between my job and you, and guess what? I choose you every time.”
Reid was kissing Luke then,
“I love you.”
“Good, because I just gave up my career in sports journalism to get regular sex. It better be worth it.”
Reid laughed out loud and pushed Luke towards the bedroom,
“I can guarantee you will never complain.” Next
I dont know what am i doing here
There’s a shadow in my place
Maybe now everything will be so clear
you shed light into this empty space
and all i am all i have
doesn’t even matter now
i can’t understand i feel this way
but I do, I do
I just wanna love you when the goings tough
I just wanna hold you when you’re not enough
I just wanna give you everything I got
I do, I do
Click to view~
If you don't want me to leave
Then don't push me away
Rather blow out the lights
You can watch it all fade
But I'm going nowhere
I'm gonna stay
When you just wanna fight
When you're closing your eyes
Cause you don't wanna love me
I'm gonna stay
You can't push me too far
There's no space in my heart
Where I don't wanna love you
The next morning Reid woke up and went to the clubhouse. He practiced, then went to get a massage before the game. He got a text from Vanessa minutes before he was due to go out for warm up.
Reid was nervous going out because he knew Vanessa had done something and that he would probably not only not like, but be upset about it.
Then he saw what she was referring to. Luke Snyder was sitting in the friends and family box.
And he was talking excitedly to Vanessa about something.
Reid was pissed. So, Luke thought it was cool to basically make Reid out to be the bad guy in their relationship, or whatever the fuck it was that they were doing, and now he’s going so far as to try and distract him in the biggest game of his life?
Fuck him.
Reid won anyway, but only because he was so focused on his anger at Luke and trying to prove him wrong. He was a great pitcher, damn it, and he didn’t need to have sex with Luke to win.
He made it through six innings with no hits before Seamus pulled him. Reid wanted to stay in, but he knew he needed to rest his arm for the World Series.
The rest of the game was a shutout and they beat the White Sox five to nothing.
Reid was relieved he had just sent the Red Sox to the playoffs and he could breathe easy for a bit, until he realized that making it to the playoffs meant Luke would be in town covering the World Series, for a span over a week and a half. Reid groaned and threw his things into his bag as he left the clubhouse. Things could never just be simple when it came to his life. Then he was being accosted by Vanessa and Seamus’s wife saying they were going out to celebrate the win and he was going.
He went because Vanessa told him if he didn’t he could kiss the annual cheesecake she made him for Christmas goodbye, and he really fucking loved that cheesecake. Of course, he’d never let anyone know he went because he was lonely and didn’t want to spend another night alone in his apartment.
He walked into the restaurant to see Seamus and his wife, Cristian and Vanessa, a few of the outfielders and their wives, and Luke Snyder standing in the corner talking to the shortstop, Mike Marin.
Reid was half tempted to just go home, but he wasn’t going to give Luke the satisfaction of knowing what he did to him. Luke goes on to interview every player but him and Reid knows it’s inevitable that he will be forced to sit down and have a conversation with him.
But dinner is served then and he sits down with Vanessa and Cristian. Seamus and Deb sit with them too and as soon as Luke finishes interviewing the third baseman he’s sitting down at their table as well.
Reid doesn’t say anything as Vanessa and Deb ask Luke questions about his life and what he’s been up to since the last time he saw them. Reid pretends not to be interested as Luke tells them about the youth baseball charity he’s sponsoring now, and how he is coaching them. Or when he tells them he has been so busy with work and that, that he doesn’t have time for a relationship. So something must have gone wrong with Noah then. Reid felt a weird sense of giddiness and evil delight in that, but brushed it aside. Just because they broke up didn’t mean they wouldn’t get back together and besides Luke was a bastard.
Reid forces his food down and then excuses himself. He just wants to get out of there.
Luke follows him outside.
“I need to talk to you before you leave, Reid.”
“There’s nothing to say.”
“I just need you to answer these interview questions.”
“I don’t feel like spending time with or talking to you, Luke. What part about that don’t you get?”
“You can’t pretend for one night to get along?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m a bastard, Luke. I’m a jerk who only thinks about himself. Oh wait, that’s you.”
“What the hell did I ever do to you?”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No. I’m not.”
“Forget it, Luke. If you are that blind, then there is no hope for us.”
“Us? There’s an us?”
“I meant as in our friendship, Luke. I don’t want to be friends with someone like you.”
“I wasn’t aware we were actually friends.”
“Even better, we were never friends, so I guess we’re done here then. Have a nice life.”
“If that’s what you want, Reid, then fine, but don’t you dare blame this all on me. It takes two people to have a relationship and I sure as hell did not act alone.”
“Fine, I’ll take all the blame if that’s what it gets for you to leave me the fuck alone.”
Reid regretted the words as soon as he said them, and Luke reared back as if he had been struck.
“Fine, Reid. I’m going.”
Luke walked into the night then and Reid’s chest hurt so much it was hard to breathe.
He wanted to cry, but there was no way in hell he was doing that in public.
Then Cristian was beside him and telling him they were going out for a drink.
Reid went and sat at the bar and drank until he couldn’t remember Luke’s name, let alone his own.
It was his luck of course that they drew the Chicago White Sox for the first series of the playoff. He went out and won the first game as a very special fuck you message to Luke Snyder who he knew was watching from the Press Box.
Luke texted him after the game,
Reid shuts his phone off and goes out drinking. He stays drunk for the next week. He goes to the game but he’s a wreck. He fucking hates what his life is. He’s the best pitcher in baseball but his personal life is a joke. Seamus sends him back to the hotel to clean up and get sober, but Reid just takes the opportunity to get more wasted and lock himself in his room. He watches shitty made for television movies on Hallmark, and cries.
It’s the night before game seven of the series and Seamus is panicking. He needs Reid for the game, he’s their only shot of making it to the ALCS.
He goes to the room and begs Reid to let him in. Reid calls him a leprechaun and to go steal someone else’s gold. Cristian finally gets in after bribing him with Vanessa’s cheesecake.
Cristian powers his way in the door and sees the mess around him. Reid hasn’t showered in days and he looks like shit.
“Reid, what the fuck?”
“What?”
“You have to get out of this room.”
“No, I don’t. Everything I need is here. Besides, in here, he doesn’t exist.”
“Well guess what? He does exist and getting drunk and eating shitty food every night while locked in a hotel room is going to make it less true.”
“Why do you have be such a downer?”
“I’m the downer? Look at your life, Reid.”
“What about it?”
“I’m pretty sure it was your choices that got you in this mess in the first place. It wasn’t me who thought having string free sex with someone you actually liked was a good thing. It also wasn’t me who fell in love with that person, then didn’t tell them and got mad when they moved on. It’s also not Luke’s fault. Maybe if you had actually had the balls to tell him how you felt, you’d be together and I wouldn’t have to be in here convincing you to do your fucking job. Do you want to be cut from the team?”
“No, I just can’t go out there. I’m broken.”
“No, you ‘re not. You are a damn good pitcher. Yes your personal life is shit right now, but you have to get over it, for at least four hours tomorrow and pitch the best game of your life.”
Reid just looked out the window. Cristian got up and told him,
“You need to do this, Reid, because if you don’t, I guarantee all of Boston and your teammates, me included, will never forgive you for abandoning us when we needed you.”
Cristian and Seamus left as they walked outside Seamus turned to him,
“You’re his best friend and even you couldn’t get through to him. What do we do to get him to snap out of this funk?”
“I have no idea, I have only seen him one other time like this and that was when Grant had broken his heart. The only thing that did it was getting Grant to go to him and letting Reid say whatever the fuck he wanted to. It worked and he snapped out of it and went on to beat the Yankees to give us our first series sweep in a long time.”
“So, you’re saying convince Luke to come to his hotel room and let Reid yell at him?”
“Well, I wouldn’t put it quite like that, but if I’m right about Luke and Reid, Luke will come because he loves Reid as much as Reid loves him and they are both stubborn asses.”
Seamus picked up his phone then:
Luke was extremely nervous as he boarded his grandmother’s private jet. Within a few hours he was arriving in Dallas.
It took him another few hours to get his bags and to book a room at the same hotel Reid was in.
He managed to sweet talk his way into getting the adjoining room to Reid’s and had given the couple who had been occupying it tickets to the game later that evening.
He took a shower, fixed his hair, and braced himself to see Reid.
Reid had just finished a bottle of rum when someone knocked at his door.
“What do you want?”
“Room service.”
Reid couldn’t remembering ordering food, but he was in such a stupor he probably did.
Instead of his food it was Luke who pushed him back in the room.
“What the fuck Snyder?”
“What?”
“How did you find me?”
“Seamus texted me and said you needed me.”
“Why in the hell would I need you?”
“Well maybe because you’re drunk, smelly, and acting like a petulant brat?”
“How fucking dare you!?!?”
“How dare I what? Come here and check on you?”
“You have no right to barge in here and tell me I’m acting like a brat when you did the same thing.”
“I did no such thing.”
“Spare me the hypocritical bullshit.”
“Why are you sitting alone in this room drinking?”
“You’re such a fucking asshole, you know that?”
“What did I ever do to you?”
“You made me fall in love with you, and then you go and pull stunts like the one with your ex and then sitting in the friends and family section after I asked you to just leave me alone. Why can’t you just let me get over you? Are you that much of a bastard? You got your man and your reunion and I didn’t say anything, because you told me you wanted sex.”
Luke stared at Reid in shock, he was pretty sure Reid was toying with him, because if this were the truth, he had just spent the last two months miserable for no reason.
“I fucking hate you, Luke. I wish we had never met.”
Luke stiffened at that, that sounded more accurate, but Reid continued,
“I wish I didn’t love you, because it would make everything easier. I would be able to concentrate, I wouldn’t need to drink myself into oblivion every night so I didn’t think about you in his arms, having sex with him.”
Then Reid lay on the bed and passed out.
Luke sat there for a good five minutes just staring at Reid trying to make sure he had actually heard Reid tell him he loved him.
Luke knew then beyond a shadow of a doubt, this was why everything with Reid had hurt so much more with him than Noah. This was what real, deep, true love felt like. The kind that made you hurt, cry, and bleed, and the kind that made you want to keep trying, even when things weren’t going right. He loved Reid, and it didn’t make sense, and it wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t going away either. He cleaned up the room as Reid slept and he climbed on the bed and dozed off.
When he woke up it was dark out and Reid was pressed against him. Luke kissed his forehead. Reid stirred, Luke could still smell the alcohol on his breathe and knew he was probably still drunk.
“You should get a shower, Reid.”
“Leave me alone.”
“First take a shower, then eat something so you don’t wake up tomorrow dehydrated.”
“Fine.”
Reid got up with Luke’s help and got in the shower.He stood under the hot water and tried to remember what Luke was doing there and what had happened, but he was too stubborn and prideful to admit he couldn’t’ remember.
When he got out and changed into clean clothes Luke had already had food delivered.He ate his soup and sandwich. He vaguely noticed the room was clean and the bed had new sheets on it.
“How did you manage to do that in the time I was in the shower?”
“It wasn’t that hard, Reid.”
“What are you doing here, Luke?”
“I told you.”
“I mean for real.”
“Because despite whatever you said about us, I care about you, and I didn’t want you to think you were right. I tried to give you space, but I’m done with that now. Whether or not you want me to, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”
Reid knew Luke’s friendship was better than nothing, but it still hurt to love Luke so much and have Luke only want to be his friend.
“Whatever. I’m going back to bed.”
Luke watched Reid put his dishes on the table, then go into the bathroom and brush his teeth. He took the robe off and Luke gasped, Reid looked so hot. All sinewy muscle and tight skin. Luke forced himself to look away. Now was not the time for that.
Reid was asleep within a few minutes and Luke finished cleaning up the room before going back to his room. He grabbed his stuff unlocked the adjoining door and went back to Reid’s room. He let himself in with the key he had stolen from Reid and climbed into bed with Reid. He just wanted to be close to Reid, even if it meant staying in his clothes and sleeping on top of the covers.
Luke fell asleep listening to the sound Reid breathing. He woke up a bit later when he felt something pressing against him. During the night he had shifted and he was being held tight against Reid.
Reid fingers were under his shirt, hot against his stomach, his other arm wrapped around Luke’s with their fingers entwined. He could feel Reid’s hard on pressed into him and Luke moved back against him.
Reid groaned and Luke turned around in Reid’s embrace so they were chest to chest.
Luke’s head was pressed against Reid’s neck.
Reid opened his eyes slowly and looked down at Luke.
Then he was kissing him.
Luke knew this was probably a terrible idea, but Reid was hard and so was he, and they were in love, even if they hadn’t said anything until a few hours prior.
Luke kissed back and when Reid slipped his tongue in, Luke pressed himself closer.
Reid pulled back and looked into Luke’s eyes,
“I fucking love you.”
Luke felt the tears leaking out of his eyes,
“I love you too.”
As soon as he had said it out loud it was like everything was right, and it was just Luke and Reid, two men who loved each other, showing each other how much.
Reid growled and pulled Luke closer,
“Say it again.”
“I love you, Reid.”
Reid rolled over so Luke was on top of him.
He pulled Luke’s head back down to kiss him.
They dueled with their tongues for a bit, until Luke gently sucked on Reid’s tongue. Reid moved his hands to under Luke’s boxers and cupped his ass. He massaged his cheeks for a bit, kneading and pulling, before he couldn’t take anymore.
He rolled Luke over so he was on his back and Reid kissed his way down his chest.
He took Luke slowly in his mouth and swirled his tongue around the head.
Luke carded his hands in Reid’s hair,
“Fuck, Reid, that feels so good.”
Reid hollowed his cheeks and set the pace as he sucked him deep.
Then Luke was being deep throated and he grabbed Reid’s hair tighter.
“Holy shit.”
Reid pulled off with a lewd pop, then grabbed Luke’s hips.
He pulled Luke up so that his ass was against Reid’s face.
Reid reached his tongue out and licked a stripe from his scrotum to his ass.
Then he was working Luke open with his tongue and Luke was trying not to thrash about.
Reid removed his fingers then and then used his fingers to prepare Luke.
Then Reid was pressing himself into Luke who moaned and arched back into him until they were flush with each other.
Reid started moving and would brush against Luke’s prostate with each thrust. Luke could feel the sparks and tingles shooting up his back as he was being fucked.
Luke grabbed Reid’s ass and pulled him tighter.He pulled Reid’s head down and kissed him and when they parted they caught each other’s gaze. They held it while Reid thrust into him over and over, and while Luke ran his hands up and down Reid’s back.
Then Reid started thrusting erratically and Luke knew he was close.
“Gonna come, Luke.”
“Yeah, come for me, baby.”
With that Reid pushed on last time and was shuddering through the most powerful orgasm he’d ever experienced.
Luke cried out as Reid held himself on his prostate. He clamped down and shot all over himself.
“Fuck.”
Reid pulled himself out and turned over. He was asleep within seconds. Luke stared at him in shock, then burst out laughing. So this was the real Reid? Sleep immediately after sex? He was still laughing as he took a shower to clean himself up and to clean the cum off the sheets that had dribbled out of him.
He crawled back in bed and curled up to Reid who moved so Luke could put his chest on his shoulder.
He fell asleep happy for the first time in months.
Early the next morning Luke woke up to do some work. He went to his room to change and get ready for the day. He let Reid sleep in, but went to wake him up a few hours later. He let himself in and crawled into bed to kiss Reid awake. He leaned down and kissed Reid. Reid responded by opening his mouth.
Reid slowly drifted into consciousness with an euphoric feeling.
Then he realized he was making out with someone and seeing as he was drunk last night when he went to bed, he had no idea who the fuck it was.
He pushed the intruder away and saw it was Luke who stared at him with a look of shock and hurt on his face.
“What the fuck, Luke?”
“What?”
“Why are you in my room and why are you kissing me?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously.”
“I just sort of figured after last night, it would be okay.”
“You thought coming to my room and telling me you were basically stalking was an okay to stick your tongue in my mouth and kiss me awake? I don’t know anyone who would think that was cool. Get out of my room, Luke.”
Luke stared at him in shock and left without another word.
To say Luke was incredibly upset and confused would be an understatement. Had he completely misread last night? Then he started laughing. Of course it was. Reid had duped him into bed so he could get laid and could win the game late today. What a fucking idiot he was.
Reid lays in bed wondering what the hell Luke was talking about. Last night hadn’t meant anything. Reid had told Luke he was in love with him and then he had fallen asleep. Yeah, the dream that Luke had told him he loved him too and made love to him was nice, but that was not real, because Luke had left.
He had heard him leave after Luke thought he fell asleep. So, playing with emotions now was just cruel. He turned off his thought and went to the game.
It was game four of the ALCS and if he could pull this win out tonight, it would send them to the World Series and would mark the first series sweep of the Yankees that Boston had achieved in quite some time.
He went to the clubhouse and got ready for the evening.
O’Dell and Cristian were both waiting for him.
“So, you’re whistling, must’ve had a good night last night, then?”
“Yeah no thanks to you two meddling asshats.”
“Oh, come on, Reid. We just gave you the one thing you’ve been pining after for weeks.”
“I did not pine after Luke Snyder.”
“Whatever you say. You two seemed to work out your issues though, right?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you came in whistling. You only whistle after you’ve had sex.”
“But, we didn’t…Oh my god. I’m an idiot. I have to go find Luke.”
“We start warm-ups in like five minutes.”
“I’ll be there, but if I don’t do this, I think Luke is going to walk out of my life for good.”
“What did you do now? It’s what I didn’t do that’s the issue. I’ll explain it later.”
Reid ran out of the clubhouse and searched the press box for Luke. He was nowhere to be seen. He about gave up when he saw him talking to one of the team trainers.
“Snyder, I need to speak to you.”
Luke looked at him in surprise, but excused himself and allowed Reid to lead him to an empty office.
“I’m an idiot.”
“Well, I’m not going to disagree.”
“You really love me?”
“What?”
“Last night wasn’t a dream?”
“You thought it was a dream?”
“Yeah. I heard you leave last night and I guess I dozed off and when you told me you loved me I thought it was just my dreams. Oh god, I’m so sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“For last night. I didn’t use a condom. I’m such a jerk.”
“Reid it was fine. I know you’re clean because you sent me the confirmation after we made that bet, and I have only been with one person who was a virgin when I was with him.”
“I know, but still it was really selfish and stupid of me.”
“I went along with it, and I should be apologizing to you, I thought you were awake and aware of what you were doing. I’m a pervert taking advantage of a sleeping guy.”
“Well, I wasn’t sleeping, I just thought I was.”
“Yeah, well, it’s still weird.”
“How about we call it even?”
“Okay.”
“So, you really love me then?”
“Yes. And you really love me?”
“Yes.”
“We are so fucked up. I cannot believe we wasted months being miserable.”
“I guess that’s what we get for being stubborn and refusing to communicate with each other.”
“I’m sorry, Luke. I should have told you how I felt.”
“You should have, because if you had I guarantee we would already be at this stage.”
“Can we promise to always communicate, even if we’re sure the other won’t like or we’re scared?”
“Yeah, I can do that.”
Reid kissed Luke then. Luke knew he had something to be doing or someplace to be, but he didn’t care.
Reid finally broke away.
“I’ve got to get to warm ups, but I’ll see you after the game right?”
“Of course.”
Reid went out and threw a perfect seven innings, then they brought in a closer.
They won the game 4-0 and swept the Yankees in the ALCS.
Reid was overjoyed.
Later that night as he lay in bed after a few rounds of enthusiastic and gymnastic rounds of sex, he
turned to Luke.
“So, were you as miserable as I was while we were apart?”
“Maybe. Did your time apart include crying, eating ice cream and having your best friend yell at you?”
“Pretty much.”
“Then yes I was miserable.”
“I vote that we don’t do that ever again.”
“Do what?”
“Be miserable without each other.”
“How exactly will that work?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you live here and I live in Chicago. I love my job and as much as I love you, I don’t want to have to choose.”
“Who said anything about choosing, Luke? I’m not asking you to move here. And besides, there is a five month down time where I could come to Chicago and do my training. We can make it work.”
“I hope so, because I don’t like the not having you in my life thing.”
“So, we’re together, but we’re keeping it on the down low, so you don’t get fired?”
“Right. I know that sounds terrible and I’m not ashamed of being gay, it’s just a huge conflict if I’m sleeping with a major sports star.”
“I get it, Luke, believe me. It would probably not bode well for me if I was suddenly outed either, seeing as I have a huge female fan base, and as the owners have said, baseball isn’t exactly a gay sport.”
Luke and Reid agreed to keep things as private as possible.
He went to Chicago that weekend to turn in his story when he was called into the office by Barry.
“So, Luke, as you know, I’ve been keeping an eye out on you.”
“You have?”
“Well after that whole bizarre All-Star game incident, I thought I better.”
“And?”
“And, you seem to be very close to Reid Oliver. I know I asked you this before, but are you absolutely
sure nothing is going on there?”
“Barry, I’m not going to answer any more of these questions. My personal life is no one’s business but my own, okay? There’s a reason you haven’t found any substantial truth to the thing with Reid. I’ll let you decide what you want to believe, but either way I don’t care. You don’t have any proof one way or the other that I’m seeing anyone , let alone Reid. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get ready to go to Boston again for the start of the World Series.”
“Actually you don’t.”
“What?”
“I’ve decided you have earned yourself a nice spot here at home working in the bullpen. I’m sending Ross.”
“You mean my incompetent intern who thought Venus and Serena Williams were twins?”
“It’s a common mistake.”
“No, it’s not, Barry. You’re honestly benching me because you think I may or may not be sleeping with
Reid Oliver?”
“Well, you could always tell me that you’re not sleeping with him and then you could go.”
“You know what. No. I’m not giving you the satisfaction, and I’m going to the game anyway, because I have plenty of family connections. How do you think your newspaper has gotten so many sports scoops over the LA or New York Times? Because I know people. Good luck finding someone with those kind of connections when I leave.”
“You’re leaving?”
“Oh yeah. And guess what? I have been sleeping with Reid Oliver since May, and it has been spectacular.”
With that Luke was out of job and he didn’t give a fuck. He was back on a plane to Boston that afternoon. When Reid opened the door wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and an apron, Luke jumped him right then and there in the hall.
“Luke, what the hell? What are you doing here?”
“I quit my job today.”
“What? Why would you do something like that? I hope you didn’t do that for me.”
“No, of course not. I just got back to Chicago and I went into work today to give my reports, when I was blindsided with the news that not only was I benched from field work, they were sending in my incompetent assistant as my replacement. And it was all because I wouldn’t tell my boss that I wasn’t fucking you. I found myself being forced to choose between my job and you, and guess what? I choose you every time.”
Reid was kissing Luke then,
“I love you.”
“Good, because I just gave up my career in sports journalism to get regular sex. It better be worth it.”
Reid laughed out loud and pushed Luke towards the bedroom,
“I can guarantee you will never complain.” Next