Stay Strong 1/1
Title: Stay Strong
Author: Amber
Summary: Luke's in a bar. Reid's not having it.
Rating: PG-13 for language.
The words leak from my brain, a catastrophic turnoff. My skin feels funny, fuzzy, fumbling for air. I enter the bar, glancing towards the bartender, who is busily scrubbing a glass. I glide towards her. My hands are shaking. I don't look her in the eyes, as I mumble, "Crown Royal, neat."
She passes me the liquid, and feeling the coolness of the shot glass in my hand is like salvation. I toss the whiskey back, and the drinks burns so good. I shut my eyes, and curl my toes. Bliss.
"Another," I mumble. She gives me another shot, but before I can drink it, a hand appears out of nowhere. It shoves the drink toward the bartender. He grabs my wrists, and wrenches me off the stool.
"He's had enough," I hear. Though I'm not even slightly buzzed, my vision blurs.
"Let go of me," I snarl.
I try to pull away, but the doctor's hands are strong. He drags me out of the bar, and forces me into the alley.
"So you can drink yourself to death?" he grunts. "Wake up, Snyder. Nothing can be bad enough to give up your sobriety."
"Too late," I say acidly. "Can't you smell it?" I smirk.
"At least I stopped you from drinking more," he shoots back. "What the fuck, Luke? Why are you trying to kill yourself?"
"I"m just a screw up." I reply. "You said it yourself."
He closes for a second, recoiling.
"This can't be about the damn hospital plans?" he says in bemusement. "You need to have more faith in yourself. I'm like that with everyone. Besides, they were awful." He jabs an accusing finger at my chest. "You said it yourself."
"I was joking," I reply. "You crush people very efficiently, Oliver. I was trying to save face."
He releases my wrist, and steps back. He gives me an appraising glare.
"You are harder on yourself than I could ever be. One criticism of your plans and you're in a fucking bar, ladling up the liquor. Did you somehow to manage to forget your kidney?"
"How did you even know about my kidney?" I spit. "Have you been spying on me?"
"I saw your scar, moron." he says. "In Dallas? You know, when I kissed you?" His words are bitter, and he looks away from me.
After that kiss, I'd ignored him for weeks. I threw myself into my work, and visited Noah daily. He'd responded by returning to the cold, egotistical jackass I'd first met.
My angers lessens. I tentatively reach for his shoulder.
"Reid, I'm sorry." I say gently. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"You know what, forget it, Mr. Snyder. Clearly, any sign of affection from someone besides Mr. Mayer, and you plunge into a guilt-ridden downward spiral. Forgive me, get back to your booze."
He shrugs away my hand and begins walking away.
My heart pounds in my chest, as I watch his retreating back.
I run after him, grab his hips and shove him against the wall.
My eyes are hypnotized, watching his mouth. His tongue flicks in and out, slowly.
"Nervous? You?" I grin. I press my mouth against his, letting my tongue glide against the underside of his mouth.
His hands tangle in my hair, and pull, tightly. He begins to buck against my hips, and then suddenly - he pushes away me away.
"I can't," he murmurs. "Come back to me when you're sober."
"I just had one -" I begin.
"That's what everyone says," he interrupts. "Your first in years. Get to a meeting. And here -" he jots down something on a receipt. "She's the best nephrologist in the country. Clearly, that hack you have now hasn't sufficiently warned you about drinking."
His fingers graze my palm, as he presses the receipt in my hand. With his free hand, he caresses my cheek.
"You're not alone, Luke. I want you - " his breath hitches, his eyes widen. "I want you around." he finishes gruffly.
I lean into his touch, but he gently extracts his hand.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Snyder." he says over his shoulder.
I nod, then call out, "Tomorrow? You don't work tomorrow!"
He turns his head, his mouth turning upward slightly. "Breakfast, Luke." he says simply. "You might have heard of it. I'll pick you up at nine."
He walks off into the night, leaving me standing alone in the alley. I look down at the piece of paper in my hand, and am surprised to find more just than a phone number.
The first is the phone number, but underneath it, he's written, "Stay strong."
I put the receipt securely in my pocket, and turn to walk back home.
I exhale, every nerve twitching. I feel - free.
I pat the paper, and say softly to the night air, "I will."
Author: Amber
Summary: Luke's in a bar. Reid's not having it.
Rating: PG-13 for language.
The words leak from my brain, a catastrophic turnoff. My skin feels funny, fuzzy, fumbling for air. I enter the bar, glancing towards the bartender, who is busily scrubbing a glass. I glide towards her. My hands are shaking. I don't look her in the eyes, as I mumble, "Crown Royal, neat."
She passes me the liquid, and feeling the coolness of the shot glass in my hand is like salvation. I toss the whiskey back, and the drinks burns so good. I shut my eyes, and curl my toes. Bliss.
"Another," I mumble. She gives me another shot, but before I can drink it, a hand appears out of nowhere. It shoves the drink toward the bartender. He grabs my wrists, and wrenches me off the stool.
"He's had enough," I hear. Though I'm not even slightly buzzed, my vision blurs.
"Let go of me," I snarl.
I try to pull away, but the doctor's hands are strong. He drags me out of the bar, and forces me into the alley.
"So you can drink yourself to death?" he grunts. "Wake up, Snyder. Nothing can be bad enough to give up your sobriety."
"Too late," I say acidly. "Can't you smell it?" I smirk.
"At least I stopped you from drinking more," he shoots back. "What the fuck, Luke? Why are you trying to kill yourself?"
"I"m just a screw up." I reply. "You said it yourself."
He closes for a second, recoiling.
"This can't be about the damn hospital plans?" he says in bemusement. "You need to have more faith in yourself. I'm like that with everyone. Besides, they were awful." He jabs an accusing finger at my chest. "You said it yourself."
"I was joking," I reply. "You crush people very efficiently, Oliver. I was trying to save face."
He releases my wrist, and steps back. He gives me an appraising glare.
"You are harder on yourself than I could ever be. One criticism of your plans and you're in a fucking bar, ladling up the liquor. Did you somehow to manage to forget your kidney?"
"How did you even know about my kidney?" I spit. "Have you been spying on me?"
"I saw your scar, moron." he says. "In Dallas? You know, when I kissed you?" His words are bitter, and he looks away from me.
After that kiss, I'd ignored him for weeks. I threw myself into my work, and visited Noah daily. He'd responded by returning to the cold, egotistical jackass I'd first met.
My angers lessens. I tentatively reach for his shoulder.
"Reid, I'm sorry." I say gently. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"You know what, forget it, Mr. Snyder. Clearly, any sign of affection from someone besides Mr. Mayer, and you plunge into a guilt-ridden downward spiral. Forgive me, get back to your booze."
He shrugs away my hand and begins walking away.
My heart pounds in my chest, as I watch his retreating back.
I run after him, grab his hips and shove him against the wall.
My eyes are hypnotized, watching his mouth. His tongue flicks in and out, slowly.
"Nervous? You?" I grin. I press my mouth against his, letting my tongue glide against the underside of his mouth.
His hands tangle in my hair, and pull, tightly. He begins to buck against my hips, and then suddenly - he pushes away me away.
"I can't," he murmurs. "Come back to me when you're sober."
"I just had one -" I begin.
"That's what everyone says," he interrupts. "Your first in years. Get to a meeting. And here -" he jots down something on a receipt. "She's the best nephrologist in the country. Clearly, that hack you have now hasn't sufficiently warned you about drinking."
His fingers graze my palm, as he presses the receipt in my hand. With his free hand, he caresses my cheek.
"You're not alone, Luke. I want you - " his breath hitches, his eyes widen. "I want you around." he finishes gruffly.
I lean into his touch, but he gently extracts his hand.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Snyder." he says over his shoulder.
I nod, then call out, "Tomorrow? You don't work tomorrow!"
He turns his head, his mouth turning upward slightly. "Breakfast, Luke." he says simply. "You might have heard of it. I'll pick you up at nine."
He walks off into the night, leaving me standing alone in the alley. I look down at the piece of paper in my hand, and am surprised to find more just than a phone number.
The first is the phone number, but underneath it, he's written, "Stay strong."
I put the receipt securely in my pocket, and turn to walk back home.
I exhale, every nerve twitching. I feel - free.
I pat the paper, and say softly to the night air, "I will."