Stay - Chapter Twenty Five
Author's Notes:
This chapter was ridiculous fun to write :) Hope you enjoy! The next chapter is a little different and something fun :) Feedback is appreciated so much, as always!
A WEEK LATER
Reid toed open the door to his bedroom in loose black cotton lounge pants only, balancing a tray of two portions of sizzling bacon and toast with two glasses of orange juice. He stopped as soon as his eyes hit the bed.
He hadn't left Luke like that... surely not... he would have remembered. Hell, he'd have mentally tattooed it in his brain (he was sure he could find a way) for future times of need. Luke lay naked sprawled on his back, a white sheet covering his left leg and his modesty and only a tiny portion of his lower stomach. Reid's curse mantra kicked into play as he tried to place the tray down on the cabinet without dropping and making Luke move. No, Luke was not allowed to move.
"Hmmmmpppphhhffff," was the noise Luke made, his head shuffling slightly. Reid froze, mid tip-toe, and kept his eyes on Luke so as not to wake him abruptly. Reid knew exactly how Luke Snyder deserved to be woken up. He stepped noiselessly over to the edge of the bed, placed his right knee at Luke's side and the other at Luke's other side, stradling him carefully and sitting down lightly on his legs. Reid let his fingers tickle a sporadic trail up Luke's chest and back down again, stopping as he reached the sheet. Luke shuffled again as his heavy arm lifted to shield his eyes and rub his face out of sleep. As he glanced upwards and felt Reid's weight on him, a slow, lazy and amused smile took over his face, his eyes adjusting instantly.
"Morning," he muffled out, his words low and gravelly. Reid was sure morning-after Luke was the single sexiest thing he'd ever seen... and he'd looked in the mirror.
Reid didn't reply. Instead he leaned forward pressing feverish kisses up Luke's body until he reached his lips. He hovered, teasing pointedly, before gently pressing them down and relaxing into a kiss. Luke's arms were now round his neck and his exposed leg now wrapped itself to pull Reid tighter.
After an hour of Reid's special wake up call, they lay in bed eating cold bacon, reading Luke's course booklet. Luke lay tangled in the sheet but curled against Reid's chest. He wasn't thinking of the course, or London, or anything else but one thing. He smiled to himself and Reid felt its imprint in his skin.
"What's the smile for?" Reid asked, trying to catch Luke's eye.
"Just reliving," Luke sighed out dreamily, snuggling a little closer.
Reid chuckled. He would be lying if he said he'd paid an iota of attention to the booklet in his hand. His brain refused to multi-task and could only think of Luke's smell, the noises he'd made, the way his skin felt, his stamina, his hands and the way they'd grasped at his back, the way his hair felt in handfulls, the things he did with his tongue, his ability to pull off innocent and young alongside assured and demanding, the complete easiness of it all and how holy fucking insanely hot beyond supernova proportions sex with Luke Snyder had been.
"Reliving what exactly?" Reid teased, wanting Luke to say it first.
"You," was his reply. His mantra kicked in again as his heart hammered violently.
"Don't blame you."
Luke chuckled, his arm falling across Reid's chest diagonally, playing with the chord of his pants. Reid upped the level of cursing in his brain. It was all that was stopping him from locking the door and never letting Luke go... and it wasn't doing a great job at even that.
"It looks incredible doesn't it?" Luke muttered, tapping the brochure.
Reid nodded. "It does. You sure you can put up with all of the tea drinking and queuing and please and thank yous over there?"
"Reid, it's London not Mars."
"I know but you've lived in Oakhe- Oakdale your entire life, without going insane which deserves a medal in itself, but London is far away."
"It's for just over two weeks. I am sure I can handle it," Luke reassured, glancing up at Reid's searching eyes.
"Well, it's 9 am," Reid started, glancing at the alarm clock, "so you better get your butt into gear soon if you're going to catch your flight."
Luke felt an anxious wave of sadness spread through his body. He wanted to go, he knew it was a good move, he knew Reid was supportive, he knew his family considered it incredible and it was all planned and arranged. He just hadn't thought about how difficult saying goodbye to Reid, even for two and a half weeks, would be. They'd talked and worked through a lot in a week. Luke had experienced a few twinges of pain and discomfort from his condition but Reid had seen to it imediately. He had begun to feel as if pieces of him were slotting back together slowly. They'd spent as much time together as possible and even ventured out in public together, causing a few nudges and stares. Luke didn't care. He had a gorgeous world renowned neurosurgeon by his side. Screw rubber necked Oakdalians and their judgmental ways- Luke was happy.
"I want you to know how incredible last night was," Luke whispered, a little shy but completely honest.
Reid smirked and burrowed his nose into Luke's hair, throwing down the brochure on the floor by the bed.
"It was," he stated, his words drowned by Luke's lips intemittently kissing between sentences, his hands playing with the strands of hair at Reid's ear.
"I am so pleased we, I mean, I'm glad you weren't... what I mean is that I'm happy that we didn't rush into it as much as we both wanted to and I'm grateful."
Reid's hand stroked the bare skin at Luke's hip with the hand wrapped around him. "Grateful for what?"
Luke's eyes met Reid' nervously. "Being so... um, being good about me being a little, um, well, I mean, Noah and I never really-"
"Shut up," Reid said bluntly, his eyes full of sincerity and lips shushing Luke's stammering in an instant. "Two things. One... you think I honestly care about how little or how much experience you have? Don't even go there. For the record, you would never tell," Reid explained, winking cheekily, "and two... can we make a rule to never mention the 'N word' in bed? That'd be great."
Luke laughed into another kiss. "I mean it though. I was so scared of everything last week. I guess I still am in a way but last night... last night I didn't feel a single second of fear. Just you."
Reid didn't have a reply to that. He'd known sex to be wild and insane, quick and meaningless and on the odd few occassions, pretty nice but with Luke, he thought, with Luke it was mesmerising, indescribably passionate and something void of any fitting description. No word existed.
"I get it," Reid whispered into Luke's hair. Luke felt those butterflies again and nuzzled into Reid's body as his woozy brain tried to deal with romantic Reid. When he made an appearance, Luke had no reference for how to act. It sent him reeling. He was going to miss this.
.....
Four hours later, Luke was flitting from room to room pulling odd belongings from cupboards and shouting a nonsensical stream of words.
"Passport. Oh I'd remember that. Nooooooo not those ones, stupid Luke. Ok got that. Alarm Clock, batteries, check. Remember to, ok yea got that. Reid, do I need a rain coat?"
Reid grinned and rolled his eyes. He'd been sitting in the Snyder lounge for a hour as Luke had his mini freak out. Luke had packed twice, had a colour coordinated list and was still asking inane questions like 'how many is too many when it comes to socks?'. Reid, if he was honest, wanted Luke to just leave and get on with it. Reid was nervous and he had no idea why. Luke leaving was good, it was exactly what he needed and it was the right thing to do but he couldn't help but struggle with an odd an unexplainabl worry plus a niggling self indulgent, selfish wish that Luke would just stay. You are pathetic, he mentally scolded himself, pull yourself the fuck together, it's two weeks.
They'd agreed they wouldn't go to the airport together. It was mainly Reid's idea. Awkward airport hugs and public goodbyes, he'd explained, were for losers.
"Ready! Rosie here yet?"
Luke looked incredible. Reid was still not used to this 'letting yourself feel' stuff and still usually either had to rely on his mantra or hold onto something- tightly. Luke, dressed in jeans, sneakers, polo shirt and black jacket, looked ready to take on the world. Reid took this all in but couldn't help letting his eyes linger on the still visible grey circles around his eyes. He told himself to stop worrying but Doctor Oliver ruled out and he couldn't hold back.
"Luke, listen. If you feel anything, I mean anything bad, I want you to call an ambulance and then call me. Ok? I mean it. Pain, discomfort, dizziness, fever, temperature, chills, uneasiness when you walk, dehydration...anything. I need you to promise me that." Reid was serious and Luke, as he spoke, saw a flicker of panic in his eyes. He stepped slowly towards Reid, his hands reaching out and closing tightly around his neck.
"I promise," he whispered. As they untwined, their eyes fixed together and words, unspoken, passed between them. Reid let his right hand stroke Luke's cheek, so light and feather-like. Luke closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Reid's. He tried to cram his brain full of very detail and was sure he would write it all down on the plane.
A car horn beeped outside. Reid spoke, their eyes still closed and lost in the moment. "Have a fantastic time. Look after yourself. I'm not going to ask you to text or phone because you're going to be so busy doing all of these incredibly exciting things like having afternoon tea with the Queen. That's ok though. This is your time. You deserve it, but I'll just make your life living hell when you get back. Just warning you now."
Luke laughed thickly, his throat choking a little with emotion. Two weeks was nothing but it felt like a lifetime. "Reid?"
"Mhmmmm," he replied, his eyes opening and looking into Luke's.
"I love you. So much."
With that, he left.
This chapter was ridiculous fun to write :) Hope you enjoy! The next chapter is a little different and something fun :) Feedback is appreciated so much, as always!
A WEEK LATER
Reid toed open the door to his bedroom in loose black cotton lounge pants only, balancing a tray of two portions of sizzling bacon and toast with two glasses of orange juice. He stopped as soon as his eyes hit the bed.
He hadn't left Luke like that... surely not... he would have remembered. Hell, he'd have mentally tattooed it in his brain (he was sure he could find a way) for future times of need. Luke lay naked sprawled on his back, a white sheet covering his left leg and his modesty and only a tiny portion of his lower stomach. Reid's curse mantra kicked into play as he tried to place the tray down on the cabinet without dropping and making Luke move. No, Luke was not allowed to move.
"Hmmmmpppphhhffff," was the noise Luke made, his head shuffling slightly. Reid froze, mid tip-toe, and kept his eyes on Luke so as not to wake him abruptly. Reid knew exactly how Luke Snyder deserved to be woken up. He stepped noiselessly over to the edge of the bed, placed his right knee at Luke's side and the other at Luke's other side, stradling him carefully and sitting down lightly on his legs. Reid let his fingers tickle a sporadic trail up Luke's chest and back down again, stopping as he reached the sheet. Luke shuffled again as his heavy arm lifted to shield his eyes and rub his face out of sleep. As he glanced upwards and felt Reid's weight on him, a slow, lazy and amused smile took over his face, his eyes adjusting instantly.
"Morning," he muffled out, his words low and gravelly. Reid was sure morning-after Luke was the single sexiest thing he'd ever seen... and he'd looked in the mirror.
Reid didn't reply. Instead he leaned forward pressing feverish kisses up Luke's body until he reached his lips. He hovered, teasing pointedly, before gently pressing them down and relaxing into a kiss. Luke's arms were now round his neck and his exposed leg now wrapped itself to pull Reid tighter.
After an hour of Reid's special wake up call, they lay in bed eating cold bacon, reading Luke's course booklet. Luke lay tangled in the sheet but curled against Reid's chest. He wasn't thinking of the course, or London, or anything else but one thing. He smiled to himself and Reid felt its imprint in his skin.
"What's the smile for?" Reid asked, trying to catch Luke's eye.
"Just reliving," Luke sighed out dreamily, snuggling a little closer.
Reid chuckled. He would be lying if he said he'd paid an iota of attention to the booklet in his hand. His brain refused to multi-task and could only think of Luke's smell, the noises he'd made, the way his skin felt, his stamina, his hands and the way they'd grasped at his back, the way his hair felt in handfulls, the things he did with his tongue, his ability to pull off innocent and young alongside assured and demanding, the complete easiness of it all and how holy fucking insanely hot beyond supernova proportions sex with Luke Snyder had been.
"Reliving what exactly?" Reid teased, wanting Luke to say it first.
"You," was his reply. His mantra kicked in again as his heart hammered violently.
"Don't blame you."
Luke chuckled, his arm falling across Reid's chest diagonally, playing with the chord of his pants. Reid upped the level of cursing in his brain. It was all that was stopping him from locking the door and never letting Luke go... and it wasn't doing a great job at even that.
"It looks incredible doesn't it?" Luke muttered, tapping the brochure.
Reid nodded. "It does. You sure you can put up with all of the tea drinking and queuing and please and thank yous over there?"
"Reid, it's London not Mars."
"I know but you've lived in Oakhe- Oakdale your entire life, without going insane which deserves a medal in itself, but London is far away."
"It's for just over two weeks. I am sure I can handle it," Luke reassured, glancing up at Reid's searching eyes.
"Well, it's 9 am," Reid started, glancing at the alarm clock, "so you better get your butt into gear soon if you're going to catch your flight."
Luke felt an anxious wave of sadness spread through his body. He wanted to go, he knew it was a good move, he knew Reid was supportive, he knew his family considered it incredible and it was all planned and arranged. He just hadn't thought about how difficult saying goodbye to Reid, even for two and a half weeks, would be. They'd talked and worked through a lot in a week. Luke had experienced a few twinges of pain and discomfort from his condition but Reid had seen to it imediately. He had begun to feel as if pieces of him were slotting back together slowly. They'd spent as much time together as possible and even ventured out in public together, causing a few nudges and stares. Luke didn't care. He had a gorgeous world renowned neurosurgeon by his side. Screw rubber necked Oakdalians and their judgmental ways- Luke was happy.
"I want you to know how incredible last night was," Luke whispered, a little shy but completely honest.
Reid smirked and burrowed his nose into Luke's hair, throwing down the brochure on the floor by the bed.
"It was," he stated, his words drowned by Luke's lips intemittently kissing between sentences, his hands playing with the strands of hair at Reid's ear.
"I am so pleased we, I mean, I'm glad you weren't... what I mean is that I'm happy that we didn't rush into it as much as we both wanted to and I'm grateful."
Reid's hand stroked the bare skin at Luke's hip with the hand wrapped around him. "Grateful for what?"
Luke's eyes met Reid' nervously. "Being so... um, being good about me being a little, um, well, I mean, Noah and I never really-"
"Shut up," Reid said bluntly, his eyes full of sincerity and lips shushing Luke's stammering in an instant. "Two things. One... you think I honestly care about how little or how much experience you have? Don't even go there. For the record, you would never tell," Reid explained, winking cheekily, "and two... can we make a rule to never mention the 'N word' in bed? That'd be great."
Luke laughed into another kiss. "I mean it though. I was so scared of everything last week. I guess I still am in a way but last night... last night I didn't feel a single second of fear. Just you."
Reid didn't have a reply to that. He'd known sex to be wild and insane, quick and meaningless and on the odd few occassions, pretty nice but with Luke, he thought, with Luke it was mesmerising, indescribably passionate and something void of any fitting description. No word existed.
"I get it," Reid whispered into Luke's hair. Luke felt those butterflies again and nuzzled into Reid's body as his woozy brain tried to deal with romantic Reid. When he made an appearance, Luke had no reference for how to act. It sent him reeling. He was going to miss this.
.....
Four hours later, Luke was flitting from room to room pulling odd belongings from cupboards and shouting a nonsensical stream of words.
"Passport. Oh I'd remember that. Nooooooo not those ones, stupid Luke. Ok got that. Alarm Clock, batteries, check. Remember to, ok yea got that. Reid, do I need a rain coat?"
Reid grinned and rolled his eyes. He'd been sitting in the Snyder lounge for a hour as Luke had his mini freak out. Luke had packed twice, had a colour coordinated list and was still asking inane questions like 'how many is too many when it comes to socks?'. Reid, if he was honest, wanted Luke to just leave and get on with it. Reid was nervous and he had no idea why. Luke leaving was good, it was exactly what he needed and it was the right thing to do but he couldn't help but struggle with an odd an unexplainabl worry plus a niggling self indulgent, selfish wish that Luke would just stay. You are pathetic, he mentally scolded himself, pull yourself the fuck together, it's two weeks.
They'd agreed they wouldn't go to the airport together. It was mainly Reid's idea. Awkward airport hugs and public goodbyes, he'd explained, were for losers.
"Ready! Rosie here yet?"
Luke looked incredible. Reid was still not used to this 'letting yourself feel' stuff and still usually either had to rely on his mantra or hold onto something- tightly. Luke, dressed in jeans, sneakers, polo shirt and black jacket, looked ready to take on the world. Reid took this all in but couldn't help letting his eyes linger on the still visible grey circles around his eyes. He told himself to stop worrying but Doctor Oliver ruled out and he couldn't hold back.
"Luke, listen. If you feel anything, I mean anything bad, I want you to call an ambulance and then call me. Ok? I mean it. Pain, discomfort, dizziness, fever, temperature, chills, uneasiness when you walk, dehydration...anything. I need you to promise me that." Reid was serious and Luke, as he spoke, saw a flicker of panic in his eyes. He stepped slowly towards Reid, his hands reaching out and closing tightly around his neck.
"I promise," he whispered. As they untwined, their eyes fixed together and words, unspoken, passed between them. Reid let his right hand stroke Luke's cheek, so light and feather-like. Luke closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Reid's. He tried to cram his brain full of very detail and was sure he would write it all down on the plane.
A car horn beeped outside. Reid spoke, their eyes still closed and lost in the moment. "Have a fantastic time. Look after yourself. I'm not going to ask you to text or phone because you're going to be so busy doing all of these incredibly exciting things like having afternoon tea with the Queen. That's ok though. This is your time. You deserve it, but I'll just make your life living hell when you get back. Just warning you now."
Luke laughed thickly, his throat choking a little with emotion. Two weeks was nothing but it felt like a lifetime. "Reid?"
"Mhmmmm," he replied, his eyes opening and looking into Luke's.
"I love you. So much."
With that, he left.