fan fic; avery (33/?)
title: avery
summary: reid comes to oakdale under slightly different circumstances and with a connection to oakdale that makes luke think twice.
rating: pg-13 (up to nc-17 based on chapter)
notes: thanks as always to the AMAZING cherimola , who is not only a fantastic beta but a brilliant and beautiful friend <3 thank you for always encouraging and supporting my work! and thank you to everyone who leaves feedback! it inspires me to keep writing, so thank you for that <3
UPDATE: sorry! technical difficulties! that was NOT the entire chapter! it should be fixed now <3
Al's was filled with its usual lunch crowd when Casey Hughes trudged in, wiping snow from his arms and stomping the slush from his feet on the wet mat just inside the door. Across the room, Luke spotted him immediately, waving him over with a smile.
"You've still got some snow in your hair there," Luke teased, reaching to brush some of it off. Casey made a face and batted his hand away, animatedly finishing the job himself.
"I thought it was March!" Casey exclaimed. "We're supposed to be done with snow!"
"You've lived in Illinois how long, Casey?" inquired Luke. "This shouldn’t surprise you."
"Doesn't mean I don't like it," Casey huffed.
Jackets were shed, abandoned in the corners of the booth and the crappy weather was quickly forgotten. It had been weeks since Luke had last sat with his best friend and talked, really talked, about what was going on in their lives. With Noah's surgery and the rescheduling of Casey and Alison's wedding due to usual Ryan Family drama, it had been hard to find the time. Now, though, life was beginning to settle again. Both young men were fully aware that such times of peace didn't last long in Oakdale, so they were determined to enjoy it while they could.
"Woah, back up," said Casey, pointing at Luke with a fry. He grinned like the Cheshire cat at Luke, who was nibbling at a fry to hide the smirk on his own lips. "You and Dr. Oliver?" he asked. "I mean, okay, sure, I heard rumors, and you two were pretty friendly that one day at the hospital," he mused. "But seriously, dude? Dr. Oliver?"
"It's really not that big of a deal, Casey," Luke insisted.
"Of course it's a big deal!" Casey shouted happily. "I mean, come on, man, you've been moping around here for weeks, hell, months, years!"
"I wasn't that bad," Luke argued, but Casey didn't let him get far.
"Come on, Luke. We've been friends for years, I can tell when you're happy and when you're faking it to make everyone else happy."
They both paused, staring each other down before Luke finally caved, smiling a little and looking down at his fries. Casey bit into a fry, his prize.
"Doesn't he have a kid or something?" Casey asked.
"Nephew," Luke corrected. "His name is Avery, he's eleven, Natalie's age."
"So you're like, the second … uncle, dad… thing!" Casey chuckled.
"I'm his uncle's boyfriend, that's it Casey," said Luke with a simple smile. Casey eyed him, acutely aware of Luke's sudden humbleness.
"Sure you are," he muttered, mostly to himself. "You like the kid, don't you?"
Luke's smile grew, regardless of how much he tried to hide it. He could feel Casey's eyes burning into him and finally he sighed, dropping the fork in his hand and looking up at Casey with honest eyes.
"Yeah, I do," he answered. "He's a good kid, funny, smart. He's a lot like Reid actually," he smiled to himself. "He's quiet, but when he talks he makes it count. And he's honest. What?"
Luke realized that Casey was staring, a knowing smirk on his lips, arms folded over his chest.
"You've got it so bad, dude," he laughed. "You're crazy for the doc, you adore his kid - nephew, whatever. You're like your own little… crazy, modern family!"
Luke smiled bashfully, lowering his head and trying to hide the red in his cheeks. It was true was Casey was saying, he'd come to care for Avery just as much as Reid. He wasn't sure if he would call them a "family" (if only because of the emotional implications he wasn't yet ready to face), but they certainly were unique.
He cleared his throat.
"So what about you, Mr. Romantic?" Luke teased, determined to change the subject. "You guys set a date, right?"
Casey nodded. "Yeah, actually," he began, swallowing the fry in his mouth.
"Well?"
"Next weekend," Casey spat out, quickly biting a fry.
"Next - next weekend? Casey!" Luke shouted, chucking a fry at Casey with a laugh. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"We just decided!" said Casey. "Alison wanted to just jump into it, she doesn't want her sister or Barbara or that creeper guy to have a chance to interfere," he explained.
"Makes sense," shrugged Luke. He paused, dropping his shoulders. A smile covered his face and he stared almost dreamily at Casey. "I can't believe you're getting married."
"Don't get all emotional on me, I'm getting enough of that from my mom," Casey laughed. "But yeah, I am," he added proudly.
"First Will and Gwen, now you and Allie," sighed Luke happily.
"Maybe next up will be you and Dr. O," Casey winked.
"Casey!" Luke shouted, blushing furiously.
"What? Just a thought," Casey shrugged.
"We've been dating for only a few weeks, I have no idea if this thing is even going to last," said Luke evenly, suddenly interested in the cold fries on his plate.
"Uh-huh," replied Casey. "I don't think either of us believes that, my friend," he smiled.
"Well, if and when I do ever get married - assuming it's even legal," Luke added with a frown, "I promise to make you a groomsman," he chuckled.
"Oh! Right!" exclaimed Casey loudly, startling a few customers around them and even making Luke jump in surprise. "So, we ended up postponing the wedding before I ever got around to this," he said quickly. Luke watched him in amusement. "So Will is my best man," he said and Luke nodded, hardly surprised. "But I was hoping you'd be my other groomsman."
For a moment Luke just stared, a smile creeping slowly onto his face.
"Well?" pressed Casey, practically shaking the table and smiling that big, silly smile of his.
"Of course I'll be one of your groomsmen, Casey!" Luke laughed. They both suddenly stood, reaching over the table to share a firm hug, manly pats-on-the-back and all. They sat down with glowing face, oblivious to the stares from other patrons in the restaurant. Life was good for Luke Snyder and Casey Hughes, and no amount of stares or whispers was going to change that.
*
Reid picked up on the fifth ring.
"Hello?"
"Finally!" laughed Luke, his voice echoing in the phone. Reid rolls his eyes but manages a grin nonetheless. It is inevitable at this point and he has stopped trying to deny how happy Luke's voice makes him. "I've called you three times! I thought you were off work?"
"I am," said Reid simply. "I was at lunch with Katie."
"Oh, I'm sorry! I should have just left you a message," Luke replied sheepishly. Reid could practically hear the blood rushing to his cheeks.
"It's fine, we were just about done. What did you need?"
"Actually, I have a favor to ask."
"Oh boy," jested Reid.
"Hush," Luke laughed. "Alright, I know it isn't exactly your kind of thing, but Casey and Alison finally set a date for their wedding and--"
"Ugh, not you too!" Reid groaned.
"What?"
"Katie," he huffed. "I just listened to her going on and on for a good thirty minutes about flowers and whats-her-name's dress and love and all that junk. Oh, and a fair warning, she already claimed me as her date -- though I suppose having my choice between two blonds is a pretty good situation," he pretended to consider.
"Reid!" Luke chuckled, making Reid grin again. "Casey asked me to be a groomsman, so you can sit with Katie during the wedding. I get you for the reception," he flirted.
"I suppose that could work," smirked Reid.
"Wait, so you'll actually go? No … kicking and screaming?"
"Hey," warned Reid warmly. "Katie already twisted my arm, almost literally, so don't look at this as some kind of a victory," he pointed out. "Besides, it's Bob's grandson and Katie's nephew and you're friend and my god, when did I start caring about any of that?"
Luke's laughter was so loud Reid had to pull the phone away from his ear for a moment.
"You're growing up, Reid," Luke teased.
"Shit," Reid sighed, though he knew Luke could tell he was smiling.
"Anyway!" shouted Luke, and Reid could tell the conversation was thankfully changing gears. "Besides having to suffer through wedding chatter, how was lunch?"
"Bearable," Reid shrugged. "Though the conversation did have it's high points," he added, his tone noticeably improving.
"Oh really? Such as?"
"Such as," Reid began slowly, his voice low. "Katie was thinking of calling your mother, seeing if Natalie would like to join her, Avery and Jacob on Friday night for a movie."
"Sounds fun," said Luke, obviously clueless.
"She also suggested they stay the night."
If the silence was anything to go on, he'd definitely caught Luke's attention.
"Luke?" he practically whispered.
"This Friday?" Luke asked, his voice rising in pitch. Reid laughed nervously.
"Yes, Luke. This Friday, as in three days from now."
"Avery is going to be staying at Katie's? For sure?"
"She promises that if he gets sick, she'll ship him with Natalie to your place," Reid chuckled lightly.
"So… it'll just be you, in the apartment?"
Reid rolled his eyes.
"Yes, Luke. Just me, well, and you preferably, alone, in my apartment, with no Avery or anything else but us, for the entire night."
More silence.
"Luke?"
"What time should I come over?"
summary: reid comes to oakdale under slightly different circumstances and with a connection to oakdale that makes luke think twice.
rating: pg-13 (up to nc-17 based on chapter)
notes: thanks as always to the AMAZING cherimola , who is not only a fantastic beta but a brilliant and beautiful friend <3 thank you for always encouraging and supporting my work! and thank you to everyone who leaves feedback! it inspires me to keep writing, so thank you for that <3
UPDATE: sorry! technical difficulties! that was NOT the entire chapter! it should be fixed now <3
Al's was filled with its usual lunch crowd when Casey Hughes trudged in, wiping snow from his arms and stomping the slush from his feet on the wet mat just inside the door. Across the room, Luke spotted him immediately, waving him over with a smile.
"You've still got some snow in your hair there," Luke teased, reaching to brush some of it off. Casey made a face and batted his hand away, animatedly finishing the job himself.
"I thought it was March!" Casey exclaimed. "We're supposed to be done with snow!"
"You've lived in Illinois how long, Casey?" inquired Luke. "This shouldn’t surprise you."
"Doesn't mean I don't like it," Casey huffed.
Jackets were shed, abandoned in the corners of the booth and the crappy weather was quickly forgotten. It had been weeks since Luke had last sat with his best friend and talked, really talked, about what was going on in their lives. With Noah's surgery and the rescheduling of Casey and Alison's wedding due to usual Ryan Family drama, it had been hard to find the time. Now, though, life was beginning to settle again. Both young men were fully aware that such times of peace didn't last long in Oakdale, so they were determined to enjoy it while they could.
"Woah, back up," said Casey, pointing at Luke with a fry. He grinned like the Cheshire cat at Luke, who was nibbling at a fry to hide the smirk on his own lips. "You and Dr. Oliver?" he asked. "I mean, okay, sure, I heard rumors, and you two were pretty friendly that one day at the hospital," he mused. "But seriously, dude? Dr. Oliver?"
"It's really not that big of a deal, Casey," Luke insisted.
"Of course it's a big deal!" Casey shouted happily. "I mean, come on, man, you've been moping around here for weeks, hell, months, years!"
"I wasn't that bad," Luke argued, but Casey didn't let him get far.
"Come on, Luke. We've been friends for years, I can tell when you're happy and when you're faking it to make everyone else happy."
They both paused, staring each other down before Luke finally caved, smiling a little and looking down at his fries. Casey bit into a fry, his prize.
"Doesn't he have a kid or something?" Casey asked.
"Nephew," Luke corrected. "His name is Avery, he's eleven, Natalie's age."
"So you're like, the second … uncle, dad… thing!" Casey chuckled.
"I'm his uncle's boyfriend, that's it Casey," said Luke with a simple smile. Casey eyed him, acutely aware of Luke's sudden humbleness.
"Sure you are," he muttered, mostly to himself. "You like the kid, don't you?"
Luke's smile grew, regardless of how much he tried to hide it. He could feel Casey's eyes burning into him and finally he sighed, dropping the fork in his hand and looking up at Casey with honest eyes.
"Yeah, I do," he answered. "He's a good kid, funny, smart. He's a lot like Reid actually," he smiled to himself. "He's quiet, but when he talks he makes it count. And he's honest. What?"
Luke realized that Casey was staring, a knowing smirk on his lips, arms folded over his chest.
"You've got it so bad, dude," he laughed. "You're crazy for the doc, you adore his kid - nephew, whatever. You're like your own little… crazy, modern family!"
Luke smiled bashfully, lowering his head and trying to hide the red in his cheeks. It was true was Casey was saying, he'd come to care for Avery just as much as Reid. He wasn't sure if he would call them a "family" (if only because of the emotional implications he wasn't yet ready to face), but they certainly were unique.
He cleared his throat.
"So what about you, Mr. Romantic?" Luke teased, determined to change the subject. "You guys set a date, right?"
Casey nodded. "Yeah, actually," he began, swallowing the fry in his mouth.
"Well?"
"Next weekend," Casey spat out, quickly biting a fry.
"Next - next weekend? Casey!" Luke shouted, chucking a fry at Casey with a laugh. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"We just decided!" said Casey. "Alison wanted to just jump into it, she doesn't want her sister or Barbara or that creeper guy to have a chance to interfere," he explained.
"Makes sense," shrugged Luke. He paused, dropping his shoulders. A smile covered his face and he stared almost dreamily at Casey. "I can't believe you're getting married."
"Don't get all emotional on me, I'm getting enough of that from my mom," Casey laughed. "But yeah, I am," he added proudly.
"First Will and Gwen, now you and Allie," sighed Luke happily.
"Maybe next up will be you and Dr. O," Casey winked.
"Casey!" Luke shouted, blushing furiously.
"What? Just a thought," Casey shrugged.
"We've been dating for only a few weeks, I have no idea if this thing is even going to last," said Luke evenly, suddenly interested in the cold fries on his plate.
"Uh-huh," replied Casey. "I don't think either of us believes that, my friend," he smiled.
"Well, if and when I do ever get married - assuming it's even legal," Luke added with a frown, "I promise to make you a groomsman," he chuckled.
"Oh! Right!" exclaimed Casey loudly, startling a few customers around them and even making Luke jump in surprise. "So, we ended up postponing the wedding before I ever got around to this," he said quickly. Luke watched him in amusement. "So Will is my best man," he said and Luke nodded, hardly surprised. "But I was hoping you'd be my other groomsman."
For a moment Luke just stared, a smile creeping slowly onto his face.
"Well?" pressed Casey, practically shaking the table and smiling that big, silly smile of his.
"Of course I'll be one of your groomsmen, Casey!" Luke laughed. They both suddenly stood, reaching over the table to share a firm hug, manly pats-on-the-back and all. They sat down with glowing face, oblivious to the stares from other patrons in the restaurant. Life was good for Luke Snyder and Casey Hughes, and no amount of stares or whispers was going to change that.
*
Reid picked up on the fifth ring.
"Hello?"
"Finally!" laughed Luke, his voice echoing in the phone. Reid rolls his eyes but manages a grin nonetheless. It is inevitable at this point and he has stopped trying to deny how happy Luke's voice makes him. "I've called you three times! I thought you were off work?"
"I am," said Reid simply. "I was at lunch with Katie."
"Oh, I'm sorry! I should have just left you a message," Luke replied sheepishly. Reid could practically hear the blood rushing to his cheeks.
"It's fine, we were just about done. What did you need?"
"Actually, I have a favor to ask."
"Oh boy," jested Reid.
"Hush," Luke laughed. "Alright, I know it isn't exactly your kind of thing, but Casey and Alison finally set a date for their wedding and--"
"Ugh, not you too!" Reid groaned.
"What?"
"Katie," he huffed. "I just listened to her going on and on for a good thirty minutes about flowers and whats-her-name's dress and love and all that junk. Oh, and a fair warning, she already claimed me as her date -- though I suppose having my choice between two blonds is a pretty good situation," he pretended to consider.
"Reid!" Luke chuckled, making Reid grin again. "Casey asked me to be a groomsman, so you can sit with Katie during the wedding. I get you for the reception," he flirted.
"I suppose that could work," smirked Reid.
"Wait, so you'll actually go? No … kicking and screaming?"
"Hey," warned Reid warmly. "Katie already twisted my arm, almost literally, so don't look at this as some kind of a victory," he pointed out. "Besides, it's Bob's grandson and Katie's nephew and you're friend and my god, when did I start caring about any of that?"
Luke's laughter was so loud Reid had to pull the phone away from his ear for a moment.
"You're growing up, Reid," Luke teased.
"Shit," Reid sighed, though he knew Luke could tell he was smiling.
"Anyway!" shouted Luke, and Reid could tell the conversation was thankfully changing gears. "Besides having to suffer through wedding chatter, how was lunch?"
"Bearable," Reid shrugged. "Though the conversation did have it's high points," he added, his tone noticeably improving.
"Oh really? Such as?"
"Such as," Reid began slowly, his voice low. "Katie was thinking of calling your mother, seeing if Natalie would like to join her, Avery and Jacob on Friday night for a movie."
"Sounds fun," said Luke, obviously clueless.
"She also suggested they stay the night."
If the silence was anything to go on, he'd definitely caught Luke's attention.
"Luke?" he practically whispered.
"This Friday?" Luke asked, his voice rising in pitch. Reid laughed nervously.
"Yes, Luke. This Friday, as in three days from now."
"Avery is going to be staying at Katie's? For sure?"
"She promises that if he gets sick, she'll ship him with Natalie to your place," Reid chuckled lightly.
"So… it'll just be you, in the apartment?"
Reid rolled his eyes.
"Yes, Luke. Just me, well, and you preferably, alone, in my apartment, with no Avery or anything else but us, for the entire night."
More silence.
"Luke?"
"What time should I come over?"