Fic: Simple Gifts, Chapter 4: A Few Hours in Close Sweaty Quarters (4/30+)
Title: Simple Gifts, A Luke and Reid Love Story
Author: lovelureuk
Rating: PG-13 (language and innuendo)
Word Count:: not so many in these chapters, but it just gets longer!
Disclaimer: Telenext, P&G, blah blah blah. I’m just reveling in the opportunity to live in Luke and Reid’s universe.
Warnings: romance, romance, romance. with (hopefully) a healthy dose of humor, a dollop of fluff, and a few dashes of angst here and there. No other warnings really necessary - unless you’re wary of schmoop!
Summary: Train? What train. Following their first Christmas together, Luke and Reid embark on journeys of self-discovery. Can two simple gifts lead to a happily ever after?
Notes: I started writing this back in May and it's been posted on FF.net with update alerts posted on LRO , FB,and my blog. But someone suggested I post this here in the lure_atwt community as well. And since it's not the first time I've received that suggestion, I'll go ahead and take that advice. Sorry if I'm posting stuff in the wrong place - I'm a complete LJ newbi
***any and all feedback appreciated, but since I check FFN more frequently, and you can leave comments there as well.
Read on LiveJournal: Chapter 1 | 2 | 3
In the meantime, it's posted through chapter 30(+) at: Simple Gifts, on FanFiction.net.
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Chapter 4: A Few Hours in Close Sweaty Quarters
"You do know my family has a corporate jet, right?" Luke reflexively added.
"I didn't think you needed a third," replied Reid.
It was Luke's turn to roll his eyes. "Why Iowa?"
Reid took a breath before he replied. "Because I enrolled you in the Iowa Writers Workshop retreat."
"You did what?" asked Luke.
Reid wasn't sure what Luke's response would be, but so far, this was not heading in the right direction.
"I enrolled you in the Iowa Writers Workshop retreat," he repeated. "There's a four-week session beginning the first week of January."
"Have you completely lost your mind? I can't go anyplace next week!" Luke protested. "I have responsibilities at Grimaldi! I have the foundation fundraiser at the end of next month to plan, and..."
Luke stopped mid-sentence and frowned. "And what makes you think I'd want to go to a writers' retreat?"
"You can thank your friend Maddie for that," Reid answered.
"Maddie?" asked Luke incredulously. "I didn't even realize you knew Maddie. What's Maddie got to do with this?"
"Well," Reid began. "Do you remember Katie's engagement dinner?"
"Yeah?" replied Luke cautiously. "So?"
"Well, when Katie dragged you off to get drinks, you left me trapped with Maddie for almost 40 minutes."
"Oooooo," said Luke dramatically. "Did big, bad Maddie scare wittle Weid?"
"Trust me, my root canal was less scary," Reid replied.
"So what exactly did Maddie say that sent you off the deep end?"
"Well, she started by cornering me and saying something about 'If you break Luke's heart I'm going to staple you to the wall, one fingernail at a time.' " Reid shuddered at the image, muttering, "Damned Colemans."
"But then she went on to regale me with the Biography of Luke Snyder (according to Maddie Coleman)," Reid continued. "I knew you guys interned together at WOAK, and that was where you met Noah, but I didn't realize that Noah was playing for the other team at the time."
Luke glared.
"Then she started in on what a great writer you were." Reid's voice started to take on a melodramatic sing-songy monotone. "How even your outlines could bring tears to her eyes. How you put your whole heart and soul into your writing. Yadda, yadda, yadda."
"That was a long time ago," Luke said quietly.
"Why'd you stop writing, Luke?"
"Well, for awhile, I focused all my writing on Noah's scripts..."
Reid rolled his eyes.
"...And then there was that fiasco with the election."
"The mighty Mr Mayer strikes again," Reid interrupted.
"Noah had nothing to do with the election," replied Luke, sitting back on his heels and shoving his hands deep into his pockets. His expulsion from Oakdale U was one of the least proud moments of his life, and he really didn't want to go into it with Reid, certainly not on Christmas.
"No, but your boyfriend narc'ed on you. That doesn't count as part of the fiasco?" replied Reid.
"How the hell do you know that?" asked Luke.
"Your friend Miss Stewart is also annoyingly chatty during post-op," said Reid. "Plus I happen to agree with Noah in this case - you were an idiot."
"Are you done insulting me?"
"Carry on."
"Well, at any rate," Luke continued, "Without school, I was lost for awhile. I started drinking..."
"I thought you don't drink."
"I don't, but back then, I was so low I wasn't really thinking."
"You drank with your kidney problems? You really were an idiot."
"Thanks for reminding me. At any rate, when things started picking up at the foundation, it gave me something to do. And then Damian had me so busy at Grimaldi, there just wasn't time. I started the script for Noah's senior project, but then Mason came into the picture and you know how that ended up." Luke finished with a noncommittal shrug.
"But you miss it," said Reid, mustering a bit more confidence than he actually felt.
Luke paused. He hadn't put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard creatively for over a year. He hadn't even thought about writing anything other than grant proposals and project memoranda. "I don't know if I miss it. I haven't really thought about it," Luke admitted. "Besides, even if I did, I can't just drop everything and leave for four weeks."
"Yes, you can," said Reid.
"Now I know you're insane," Luke retorted.
"Look, I've talked to Holden and Lily - they've agreed to handle the fundraiser details. And you said yourself that you were having a hard time feeling really involved at Grimaldi. They have an acting CEO - he can act a little longer. And I can handle most of the Pavilion planning issues - anything I can't handle will just have to wait until you get back. What, you think I can't handle that?"
Luke wasn't quite prepared for the comprehensiveness of Reid's plan. "I think I need to think about this," he said.
"Fair enough," said Reid.
Reid leaned forward so their faces were a mere few inches apart. "Luke, you have put your own life on hold for nearly three years now, first waiting for Noah, then waiting on Noah. You've spent the last five months watching my back and taking care of all the hospital plans. Don't you think it's time you had some time for yourself? Go to the retreat, Luke. Maybe you'll find that all you really want to do is run the foundation. Maybe you'll find that your inner Luciano Grimaldi is just dying to get out."
"Hell, no!" Luke exclaimed.
"Just making sure you were paying attention," smiled Reid. "Look, Luke. Just go. If you find your inner muse, you'll walk away with two credits and some work in progress. And if you decide that you've outgrown writing, consider it an extended vacation. When was the last time you had a vacation?"
"This is a lot to take in," said Luke hesitantly. "I'm just not sure."
"You're gonna regret it if you don't go," Reid replied.
"I didn't say I wouldn't go. I'm just not mentally prepared to drop everything to go to Iowa," said Luke. "Speaking of which. Why Iowa?"
"Because they're one of the best. They had the right timing, and they're not some big city pretentious pop-lit snoozefest. I couldn't see you at a place like that."
"And the plane ticket? I could've taken one of the company planes."
"I know," said Reid. "But the guy who flies on the private jet," he added, putting on his best news anchor voice, "...is 'Luke Snyder,' only son of shipping magnate Damian Grimaldi, heir to the Walsh fortune...and neurosurgeon kidnapper."
Reid's voice returned to normal. "That Luke Snyder's not the guy who needs to go to Iowa. The Luke Snyder who needs to go to Iowa is just plain Luke, a regular guy who's spent way too much time thinking about other people, and not enough thinking about himself. Besides, a few hours spent in close sweaty quarters on a United puddle jumper will be good for your soul."
"My soul's just fine, thanks," said Luke.