Fic: Coming Home 42/?
Author: PABWECG (aka Patricia)
Title: Coming Home
Genre/Type: Romance
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Luke/Reid, Luke/Noah, Lily/Holden, Casey, Katie, Bob, assorted little people, possibly others
Warnings: None really, except some Nuke intimacy
Summary: Luke and Noah moved to L.A. in the Summer of 2009 for Noah to do his last year of school with an internship of sorts (no Mason, no blindness, etc. Everything else in their history has happened). Reid arrived, temporarily, at Memorial in August 2010.
Thank you Slayerkitty for being my beta!!!
Previous Chapters: 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/ 11/ 12/ 13/ 14/ 15/ 16/ 17/ 18/ 19/ 20/ 21/ 22/ 23/ 24/ 25/ 26/ 27/ 28/ 29/ 30/ 31/ 32/ 33/ 34/ 35/ 36/ 37/ 38/ 39/ 40/ 41/
Chapter 42
Luke sat on the edge of the bed, legs spread, his pants unzipped, down around his thighs, and he looked at Reid, who had fire in his eyes. Reid, on his knees, removed Luke’s pants in one swift motion, and then his hands ran up Luke’s calves and thighs, hooking under his ass and pulling his underwear down and off. Luke scooted up the bed toward the pillows, propped up on his elbows to watch, as Reid very quickly shed his own pants and briefs. “Reid, Jesus you’re beautiful.”
Reid lay down on the bed, his body half covering Luke’s, both of them completely naked. Luke closed his eyes, feeling every part of Reid moving against him; his strong arm which was across his chest, his hand holding onto his shoulder, his one leg across his thighs, they way his foot pressed against his calf allowing Reid’s cock to press against his hip, his warm lips as they tangled and pulled on his chest hairs and nipple.
Reid sat up and reached for the bottle of lube Luke had out on the side table; he poured a little into his hand, lay down beside Luke once more, and kissed him long and deeply, wrapping his hand around Luke’s cock. “Yes, oh yes.” Luke managed between kisses. Leaning on his elbow, Reid poured a lot more lube on his hand and caressed Luke’s balls, slipping a finger inside him. Luke’s legs spread and his knees bent, as he pushed down on Reid’s finger.
“Luke,” he said. Luke moaned, spreading his legs further in response to the additional finger Reid was pushing in. “Beautiful Luke.” Reid’s fingers slipped out as he turned Luke over, until he was lying flat on his belly. Then he straddled Luke, hovering over his back, kissing his neck, his cock barely brushing Luke’s ass. He trailed kisses down his back to his cheeks, and ran his tongue down along the crack between them, lightly teasing his hole as Luke lifted his ass to Reid’s face, softly grunting into the pillow.
“Fuck, Reid” he wanted him so bad. “Please Reid.” Reid lifted his hips off the bed until he was on his elbows and knees, and he massaged Luke’s ass, spreading his cheeks. Then he felt Reid’s tongue suddenly pierce him and he pushed back, wanting to open wider and clench around it at the same time. After a while, Luke was begging again, and Reid added a finger, then two, his mouth leaving Luke’s hole and laying kisses on his ass.
Reid lay on his side, three fingers stretching Luke, watching his face. Luke turned his head and kissed him. “God Reid…I want you.” And his eyes left Reid’s face for a moment, taking in his gorgeous cock, and he licked his lips, pressing back onto Reid’s fingers.
“We’ve never done it this way, Luke. Would you like to?” Luke’s voice said yes, but his eyes said no. “We don’t have to, Luke.”
“I want to, I just…ungh, that feels so good, whatever you’re doing, God.” And his eyes closed in pleasure for a moment and Reid continued the action of his fingers, his eyes on Luke’s face.
“You just what?” Reid asked.
“Huh?” Luke asked, opening his eyes.
“Does this position make you nervous?” Reid asked. Luke’s expression seemed to oscillate between pleasure and uncertainty. “Did you do it this way with Noah?”
Luke looked right at him and nodded. “Pretty much every time.” He bit his lip. “And sometimes it was okay but…”
“Then Noah made you feel ashamed.” Luke nodded.
“And sometimes it hurt…or at least…it usually didn’t feel all that good. But for some reason I want it.” And his face colored with shame. “I always have.” Reid looked at him so lovingly and with such acceptance, that Luke continued. “It’s probably my oldest fantasy. Is that weird?” Reid shook his head, his fingers continuing to give Luke a small, steady wave of pleasure. “When I thought about being with you…” and he blushed with a small smile. “I mean before we got together…it was often in this position…you behind me…” And he moaned at the thought. “God, I want you so much right now, Reid.”
Reid slowly removed one and then the other fingers from Luke’s ass, and Luke responded by pushing back, stretching himself, seeking those fingers in vain. “God, Luke. You’re so sexy.” Luke moaned, so relieved to find his own sexual desires a turn-on to Reid and not something to feel ashamed of.
Reid reached behind himself to get a condom off the table, and Luke watched how he opened it with steady hands; Luke was a mass of desire and couldn’t possibly have gotten the package open. He could barely keep his eyes open, his insides were feeling so much. But he growled as Reid rolled it onto his cock, stroking it a few times, his hot eyes finding Luke’s.
Luke lifted his ass, pressing his hips towards the bed, willing Reid to enter him. Reid lubed himself and then poured some more for Luke’s hole, rubbing it, pressing three fingers in all at once.
Luke’s eyes closed and he meowed in anticipation. When he opened his eyes, they met Reid’s, who looked even more turned-on than before. “Reeiid,” he moaned, meowing again. Reid captured his lips, kissing him deeply, slowly removing his fingers again; then he kissed down Luke’s side to his hips, before coming around to kneel behind Luke. His cock twitched as it pressed against Luke’s ass and balls, his thighs touching Luke’s; leaning over him, he laid kisses on his back, and then lifting himself again, he pressed inside Luke a bit.
Luke exhaled with a small grunt. “So beautiful…” Reid chanted. He pressed in further, breaching the opening ring of muscles. “God…Luke.” Further in he went, listening to Luke’s sounds of desire, until he was fully inside. Once there, he was still for a few moments before he began to move again, slow and steady.
His hands caressed and squeezed the muscles of Luke’s back and sides, as he pressed inside him over and over, watching as Luke threw his head back, his tongue escaping from his beautiful full lips. “Yes,” Luke said. “Yes…Reid…oh…” Reid bent double over Luke’s back, kissing his sweat-sheened skin. Luke’s back arched instinctively seeking more contact with Reid’s lips; Reid picked up his pace, straightening up slightly, and Luke wrapped a hand around his own cock, pulling on it to the tempo of Reid’s thrusts. “Fuck Reid…oh, fuck me…yesss…” And Reid did, he fucked him harder, and Luke began to pant, a grunt escaping his throat with each thrust he received.
Reid slowed the pace of his thrusts. “Luke, you’re so beautiful like this,” he whispered against Luke’s back. “The way you want me.” Luke whimpered. “The way you want to be fucked.” Luke came so suddenly, as curses fell from his lips, his head tossing back once again, and Reid grasped onto Luke’s waist, pulling his hips close, and thrust strong and steady, deeply inside him; and as Luke’s muscles clenched around him, he couldn’t hold out any longer, and with one final thrust, he held himself deep inside Luke, coming hard.
And they fell to the bed, Reid collapsing on top of Luke, his one arm wrap around his waist, the other hand holding onto Luke’s forearm, laying warm, wet, exhausted kisses onto Luke’s shoulder, his softening cock still at home inside Luke.
They fell asleep, Reid wrapped behind Luke on their sides like spoons, his lips pressed to Luke’s neck, Luke’s hand holding Reid’s against his chest.
When Luke woke later, he saw out the window of his grandmother’s cottage that it had gotten completely dark; he could see snowflakes falling in the light on the front porch. The clock said that it was almost six o’clock; they had slept for a couple hours. He turned around in Reid’s arms, snuggling against his chest, as Reid pulled him close, still asleep. “I love you,” Luke whispered against Reid’s skin, and as he felt a tear escape, he didn’t know why. Somehow saying the words made him feel so vulnerable. He clung quietly to Reid.
Reid turned to his side and ran a hand through Luke’s hair, lifting his chin; then he brushed away Luke’s tear and kissed him. And they both gazed at each other, saying nothing; but Reid’s small smile said everything - he’d heard Luke’s whisper and he felt that same vulnerability. These were new waters for both of them; and Luke returned his smile - they would navigate these waters together.
Several hours later, holding hands with Luke in a two hundred year old building lit only by candles, listening to the sounds of O Little Town of Bethlehem, Reid wondered two things. Would the people standing nearby them be so warm and welcoming if they knew what he and Luke had been doing to each other earlier that afternoon? And, more importantly, how had this beautiful man beside him talked him into this? Of course he knew the answer to the second question. Luke had asked, and he had seen how much it would mean to him, he’d seen it all over Luke’s face. This was Luke’s childhood church; his whole family was here this midnight. Luke hadn’t been to church in almost three years (it had made Noah uncomfortable to go with his boyfriend - he’d had no trouble going with Maddie, Luke had said). Tonight, Luke wanted to attend again - it felt like the right time, somehow. How could Reid say no to that?
So here he was, following everyone else as they stood up and sat down…he wasn’t about to kneel. He looked around at the windows and the columns; he listened to the words of the prayers, the stories, the music; he felt the atmosphere - it was peaceful, he could understand the allure. He heard the preacher speak some words about God loving the world so much that he came down to be a part of it, to be one of us; sounded a little crazy to him, but this was a man who had stood by Luke as a teenager - one of the only voices telling Luke that he was okay, just as he was. Reid couldn’t help but feel grateful to the man in his robes, just for having done that.
Luke took his hand again as they filed out of their pews to leave, leaning over to whisper in his ear, “thank you.” It was such a small thing, coming here with him, really. It wasn’t like Luke had asked him to come every week or convert or something; just accompany him this one time, on this day that meant something to Luke. Reid didn’t think that warranted a thank you. Tilting his head at Luke, and giving his hand a gentle squeeze, he said, “I wanted to be here for you.”
Outside, Luke gave his family hugs and wished them all a Merry Christmas; they all proceeded to hug him - and Reid - saying they would see them tomorrow. They drove slowly back to the cottage in the snow.
Stepping inside, Luke switched on the lights of the Christmas tree, and pulled Reid close to him. Reid kissed him once. “Are you cold? I’m cold. Let’s make some tea.” And they went into the little kitchen and put the kettle on. Reid then pulled out some cheese and got some crackers out of the cupboard. “Are you hungry?” Luke shook his head, smiling at Reid’s never-ending appetite, even at one-thirty in the morning.
When the water was hot, they took their mugs of tea, and cheese and crackers, into the living room, settling down on the couch before the tree. “Thanks again, for coming with me tonight.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Luke.” He took his hand. “I wanted to come.” Luke looked at him skeptically. “For you.” Reid said. “Look, I’m not going to go joining a church or anything. That’s not me…that’s never going to be me.” And he lifted Luke’s hand up to his mouth. “But it meant a lot to you…and you mean a lot to me…I wanted to be there for you tonight.” Luke smiled softly at him and then kissed him.
“I have something for you.” Luke said. “A Christmas present…wait here.” And when he got up to get it from the bedroom, Reid also got up and retrieved something from his coat pocket. Luke came back in with a very small package, wrapped in paper of a soft purple color.
He handed it to Reid, who began to open it immediately; inside was a small, wooden box. Lifting off the cover, he saw something else inside, wrapped in a green cloth; his eyes met Luke’s curiously and then he removed the cloth, revealing a very small piece of watermelon tourmaline; it was the one they had seen in the window of the shop. He looked at it silently, memories of his grandmother mixing with those of that weekend with Luke, and he swallowed.
“I hope…” Luke began. “I’m not sure what you might feel about this.” Reid met his eyes. “I remember you saying that you’re grandmother taught you to not be anyone but yourself.” Reid continued to hold his gaze. “Well...” Luke went on. “I’m so glad that she did, because I…I love you…just as you are.” Reid gave him a look. “I know that’s sappy, but it’s true. And now, you’re helping me to do the same thing…for myself.”
“That is very sappy, you know.” Reid said. He pursed his lips, wrapping an arm around Luke’s waist, pulling him close. And then his eyes softened. “I love you,” the words came out of Reid’s mouth, before that mouth wrapped around Luke’s, and his other hand pulled Luke’s mouth closer to his. He kissed him several more times, before pulling back slightly. “You know, I can never get enough of you.”
“I hope not.” Luke retorted. Reid gave him a quick once-over and then reached behind him, handing Luke an envelope. Luke looked at him. “For me?”
Reid took the envelope back and looked at it briefly. “Oh no, sorry. Wrong boyfriend.” And then he gave Luke a sideways smile, handing the envelope back to him. Luke looked at him shyly, and elbowed him. “Ow!” Reid exaggerated.
Luke opened the envelope and pulled out a brochure for the Stillwater Writing Center, with a gift certificate for one of their weeklong writing retreats. Luke looked at it; he’d never had this kind of opportunity. He could certainly have afforded it, many times over, but he had never taken this kind of time for his writing, for himself in any way.
And again Reid could see how the smallest of gestures could mean the world to Luke; somehow he had become accustomed to expecting too little from the people who loved him. “I love you, Luke. And you love to write. Take the time - just this little bit - and do what you love.” Luke’s eyes were filling with tears, and as Reid leaned in to kiss them, he vowed to teach Luke to expect to be loved - and loved big.
next part/
Title: Coming Home
Genre/Type: Romance
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Luke/Reid, Luke/Noah, Lily/Holden, Casey, Katie, Bob, assorted little people, possibly others
Warnings: None really, except some Nuke intimacy
Summary: Luke and Noah moved to L.A. in the Summer of 2009 for Noah to do his last year of school with an internship of sorts (no Mason, no blindness, etc. Everything else in their history has happened). Reid arrived, temporarily, at Memorial in August 2010.
Thank you Slayerkitty for being my beta!!!
Previous Chapters: 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/ 11/ 12/ 13/ 14/ 15/ 16/ 17/ 18/ 19/ 20/ 21/ 22/ 23/ 24/ 25/ 26/ 27/ 28/ 29/ 30/ 31/ 32/ 33/ 34/ 35/ 36/ 37/ 38/ 39/ 40/ 41/
Chapter 42
Luke sat on the edge of the bed, legs spread, his pants unzipped, down around his thighs, and he looked at Reid, who had fire in his eyes. Reid, on his knees, removed Luke’s pants in one swift motion, and then his hands ran up Luke’s calves and thighs, hooking under his ass and pulling his underwear down and off. Luke scooted up the bed toward the pillows, propped up on his elbows to watch, as Reid very quickly shed his own pants and briefs. “Reid, Jesus you’re beautiful.”
Reid lay down on the bed, his body half covering Luke’s, both of them completely naked. Luke closed his eyes, feeling every part of Reid moving against him; his strong arm which was across his chest, his hand holding onto his shoulder, his one leg across his thighs, they way his foot pressed against his calf allowing Reid’s cock to press against his hip, his warm lips as they tangled and pulled on his chest hairs and nipple.
Reid sat up and reached for the bottle of lube Luke had out on the side table; he poured a little into his hand, lay down beside Luke once more, and kissed him long and deeply, wrapping his hand around Luke’s cock. “Yes, oh yes.” Luke managed between kisses. Leaning on his elbow, Reid poured a lot more lube on his hand and caressed Luke’s balls, slipping a finger inside him. Luke’s legs spread and his knees bent, as he pushed down on Reid’s finger.
“Luke,” he said. Luke moaned, spreading his legs further in response to the additional finger Reid was pushing in. “Beautiful Luke.” Reid’s fingers slipped out as he turned Luke over, until he was lying flat on his belly. Then he straddled Luke, hovering over his back, kissing his neck, his cock barely brushing Luke’s ass. He trailed kisses down his back to his cheeks, and ran his tongue down along the crack between them, lightly teasing his hole as Luke lifted his ass to Reid’s face, softly grunting into the pillow.
“Fuck, Reid” he wanted him so bad. “Please Reid.” Reid lifted his hips off the bed until he was on his elbows and knees, and he massaged Luke’s ass, spreading his cheeks. Then he felt Reid’s tongue suddenly pierce him and he pushed back, wanting to open wider and clench around it at the same time. After a while, Luke was begging again, and Reid added a finger, then two, his mouth leaving Luke’s hole and laying kisses on his ass.
Reid lay on his side, three fingers stretching Luke, watching his face. Luke turned his head and kissed him. “God Reid…I want you.” And his eyes left Reid’s face for a moment, taking in his gorgeous cock, and he licked his lips, pressing back onto Reid’s fingers.
“We’ve never done it this way, Luke. Would you like to?” Luke’s voice said yes, but his eyes said no. “We don’t have to, Luke.”
“I want to, I just…ungh, that feels so good, whatever you’re doing, God.” And his eyes closed in pleasure for a moment and Reid continued the action of his fingers, his eyes on Luke’s face.
“You just what?” Reid asked.
“Huh?” Luke asked, opening his eyes.
“Does this position make you nervous?” Reid asked. Luke’s expression seemed to oscillate between pleasure and uncertainty. “Did you do it this way with Noah?”
Luke looked right at him and nodded. “Pretty much every time.” He bit his lip. “And sometimes it was okay but…”
“Then Noah made you feel ashamed.” Luke nodded.
“And sometimes it hurt…or at least…it usually didn’t feel all that good. But for some reason I want it.” And his face colored with shame. “I always have.” Reid looked at him so lovingly and with such acceptance, that Luke continued. “It’s probably my oldest fantasy. Is that weird?” Reid shook his head, his fingers continuing to give Luke a small, steady wave of pleasure. “When I thought about being with you…” and he blushed with a small smile. “I mean before we got together…it was often in this position…you behind me…” And he moaned at the thought. “God, I want you so much right now, Reid.”
Reid slowly removed one and then the other fingers from Luke’s ass, and Luke responded by pushing back, stretching himself, seeking those fingers in vain. “God, Luke. You’re so sexy.” Luke moaned, so relieved to find his own sexual desires a turn-on to Reid and not something to feel ashamed of.
Reid reached behind himself to get a condom off the table, and Luke watched how he opened it with steady hands; Luke was a mass of desire and couldn’t possibly have gotten the package open. He could barely keep his eyes open, his insides were feeling so much. But he growled as Reid rolled it onto his cock, stroking it a few times, his hot eyes finding Luke’s.
Luke lifted his ass, pressing his hips towards the bed, willing Reid to enter him. Reid lubed himself and then poured some more for Luke’s hole, rubbing it, pressing three fingers in all at once.
Luke’s eyes closed and he meowed in anticipation. When he opened his eyes, they met Reid’s, who looked even more turned-on than before. “Reeiid,” he moaned, meowing again. Reid captured his lips, kissing him deeply, slowly removing his fingers again; then he kissed down Luke’s side to his hips, before coming around to kneel behind Luke. His cock twitched as it pressed against Luke’s ass and balls, his thighs touching Luke’s; leaning over him, he laid kisses on his back, and then lifting himself again, he pressed inside Luke a bit.
Luke exhaled with a small grunt. “So beautiful…” Reid chanted. He pressed in further, breaching the opening ring of muscles. “God…Luke.” Further in he went, listening to Luke’s sounds of desire, until he was fully inside. Once there, he was still for a few moments before he began to move again, slow and steady.
His hands caressed and squeezed the muscles of Luke’s back and sides, as he pressed inside him over and over, watching as Luke threw his head back, his tongue escaping from his beautiful full lips. “Yes,” Luke said. “Yes…Reid…oh…” Reid bent double over Luke’s back, kissing his sweat-sheened skin. Luke’s back arched instinctively seeking more contact with Reid’s lips; Reid picked up his pace, straightening up slightly, and Luke wrapped a hand around his own cock, pulling on it to the tempo of Reid’s thrusts. “Fuck Reid…oh, fuck me…yesss…” And Reid did, he fucked him harder, and Luke began to pant, a grunt escaping his throat with each thrust he received.
Reid slowed the pace of his thrusts. “Luke, you’re so beautiful like this,” he whispered against Luke’s back. “The way you want me.” Luke whimpered. “The way you want to be fucked.” Luke came so suddenly, as curses fell from his lips, his head tossing back once again, and Reid grasped onto Luke’s waist, pulling his hips close, and thrust strong and steady, deeply inside him; and as Luke’s muscles clenched around him, he couldn’t hold out any longer, and with one final thrust, he held himself deep inside Luke, coming hard.
And they fell to the bed, Reid collapsing on top of Luke, his one arm wrap around his waist, the other hand holding onto Luke’s forearm, laying warm, wet, exhausted kisses onto Luke’s shoulder, his softening cock still at home inside Luke.
They fell asleep, Reid wrapped behind Luke on their sides like spoons, his lips pressed to Luke’s neck, Luke’s hand holding Reid’s against his chest.
When Luke woke later, he saw out the window of his grandmother’s cottage that it had gotten completely dark; he could see snowflakes falling in the light on the front porch. The clock said that it was almost six o’clock; they had slept for a couple hours. He turned around in Reid’s arms, snuggling against his chest, as Reid pulled him close, still asleep. “I love you,” Luke whispered against Reid’s skin, and as he felt a tear escape, he didn’t know why. Somehow saying the words made him feel so vulnerable. He clung quietly to Reid.
Reid turned to his side and ran a hand through Luke’s hair, lifting his chin; then he brushed away Luke’s tear and kissed him. And they both gazed at each other, saying nothing; but Reid’s small smile said everything - he’d heard Luke’s whisper and he felt that same vulnerability. These were new waters for both of them; and Luke returned his smile - they would navigate these waters together.
Several hours later, holding hands with Luke in a two hundred year old building lit only by candles, listening to the sounds of O Little Town of Bethlehem, Reid wondered two things. Would the people standing nearby them be so warm and welcoming if they knew what he and Luke had been doing to each other earlier that afternoon? And, more importantly, how had this beautiful man beside him talked him into this? Of course he knew the answer to the second question. Luke had asked, and he had seen how much it would mean to him, he’d seen it all over Luke’s face. This was Luke’s childhood church; his whole family was here this midnight. Luke hadn’t been to church in almost three years (it had made Noah uncomfortable to go with his boyfriend - he’d had no trouble going with Maddie, Luke had said). Tonight, Luke wanted to attend again - it felt like the right time, somehow. How could Reid say no to that?
So here he was, following everyone else as they stood up and sat down…he wasn’t about to kneel. He looked around at the windows and the columns; he listened to the words of the prayers, the stories, the music; he felt the atmosphere - it was peaceful, he could understand the allure. He heard the preacher speak some words about God loving the world so much that he came down to be a part of it, to be one of us; sounded a little crazy to him, but this was a man who had stood by Luke as a teenager - one of the only voices telling Luke that he was okay, just as he was. Reid couldn’t help but feel grateful to the man in his robes, just for having done that.
Luke took his hand again as they filed out of their pews to leave, leaning over to whisper in his ear, “thank you.” It was such a small thing, coming here with him, really. It wasn’t like Luke had asked him to come every week or convert or something; just accompany him this one time, on this day that meant something to Luke. Reid didn’t think that warranted a thank you. Tilting his head at Luke, and giving his hand a gentle squeeze, he said, “I wanted to be here for you.”
Outside, Luke gave his family hugs and wished them all a Merry Christmas; they all proceeded to hug him - and Reid - saying they would see them tomorrow. They drove slowly back to the cottage in the snow.
Stepping inside, Luke switched on the lights of the Christmas tree, and pulled Reid close to him. Reid kissed him once. “Are you cold? I’m cold. Let’s make some tea.” And they went into the little kitchen and put the kettle on. Reid then pulled out some cheese and got some crackers out of the cupboard. “Are you hungry?” Luke shook his head, smiling at Reid’s never-ending appetite, even at one-thirty in the morning.
When the water was hot, they took their mugs of tea, and cheese and crackers, into the living room, settling down on the couch before the tree. “Thanks again, for coming with me tonight.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Luke.” He took his hand. “I wanted to come.” Luke looked at him skeptically. “For you.” Reid said. “Look, I’m not going to go joining a church or anything. That’s not me…that’s never going to be me.” And he lifted Luke’s hand up to his mouth. “But it meant a lot to you…and you mean a lot to me…I wanted to be there for you tonight.” Luke smiled softly at him and then kissed him.
“I have something for you.” Luke said. “A Christmas present…wait here.” And when he got up to get it from the bedroom, Reid also got up and retrieved something from his coat pocket. Luke came back in with a very small package, wrapped in paper of a soft purple color.
He handed it to Reid, who began to open it immediately; inside was a small, wooden box. Lifting off the cover, he saw something else inside, wrapped in a green cloth; his eyes met Luke’s curiously and then he removed the cloth, revealing a very small piece of watermelon tourmaline; it was the one they had seen in the window of the shop. He looked at it silently, memories of his grandmother mixing with those of that weekend with Luke, and he swallowed.
“I hope…” Luke began. “I’m not sure what you might feel about this.” Reid met his eyes. “I remember you saying that you’re grandmother taught you to not be anyone but yourself.” Reid continued to hold his gaze. “Well...” Luke went on. “I’m so glad that she did, because I…I love you…just as you are.” Reid gave him a look. “I know that’s sappy, but it’s true. And now, you’re helping me to do the same thing…for myself.”
“That is very sappy, you know.” Reid said. He pursed his lips, wrapping an arm around Luke’s waist, pulling him close. And then his eyes softened. “I love you,” the words came out of Reid’s mouth, before that mouth wrapped around Luke’s, and his other hand pulled Luke’s mouth closer to his. He kissed him several more times, before pulling back slightly. “You know, I can never get enough of you.”
“I hope not.” Luke retorted. Reid gave him a quick once-over and then reached behind him, handing Luke an envelope. Luke looked at him. “For me?”
Reid took the envelope back and looked at it briefly. “Oh no, sorry. Wrong boyfriend.” And then he gave Luke a sideways smile, handing the envelope back to him. Luke looked at him shyly, and elbowed him. “Ow!” Reid exaggerated.
Luke opened the envelope and pulled out a brochure for the Stillwater Writing Center, with a gift certificate for one of their weeklong writing retreats. Luke looked at it; he’d never had this kind of opportunity. He could certainly have afforded it, many times over, but he had never taken this kind of time for his writing, for himself in any way.
And again Reid could see how the smallest of gestures could mean the world to Luke; somehow he had become accustomed to expecting too little from the people who loved him. “I love you, Luke. And you love to write. Take the time - just this little bit - and do what you love.” Luke’s eyes were filling with tears, and as Reid leaned in to kiss them, he vowed to teach Luke to expect to be loved - and loved big.
next part/