Once In A Lifetime Love, Chapter 13
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Title: Once In A Lifetime Love - Chapter 13 - A
Author: Mystical_Dreamer (Dawn)
Rating: R to NC-17
Characters: Luke Snyder, Reid Oliver, Casey Hughes, Bob Hughes, The douche and his father, a few OC’s.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective copyrights. While I love to take them out and play with them from time to time, I do not own any of the characters, except the OC's. Those silly bastards are mine.
Author's Notes: A huge thanks to bmak08 and moonchilddj for taking the time to beta this for me, but in the end each and every mistake is mine and mine alone
**********
He was running. Not out of fear, though, his heart didn't beat fast because he was afraid. There was a sort of wild jubilance to him, just running to run. But since when did he like running? The question came and went, unanswered. Trees rushed by in a blur, and the sky was big and dark blue above. The moon shone down on him, a silvery pearl against his back, and it, too, made him feel free, and happy. There was something ahead, ahead, that he needed to get to. Something was waiting for him.
There was a skittering noise, and it took him some concentration to realize that the sound was his own feet upon the ground. But that couldn't be right, either, the feet weren't bi-pedal, but four, two in the front, two in the back, and they were covered with pale fur, almost blond in color. But even that strangeness didn't affect him. The moon was high, the night was perfect, and he was running, running. Something was waiting for him.
There was a cliffside in his path, but that didn't scare him. He could feel his feet gathering under him, muscles flexing, and then he was bounding up and up, as if nothing could keep him away from his destination. At some point, he became aware he was running on two legs again, the cool air biting at his naked skin, but he didn't care about that, either. He was almost there.
He lunged up over the last rise, and there was a figure, a man waiting for him. The man turned, and held out his arms to him, smiling.
"Welcome home, Luke." he said, his blue eyes gleaming a slight red around the iris. "Have a good run?"
**
"Ah!"
Luke lunged up from bed, gasping as he sat up. Panting and wide-eyed, he gazed around, surprised to find that he was alone, and that the sun was shining through the windows. It was morning, a new day after the mess of the night before. "...And what kind of dream was that?" he muttered, pushing a hand through his hair in a state of confusion.
"Master Luke?" Gabriel said as he knocked softly on the door. "Is everything all right?"
"Gabriel..." Luke turned his head to the man, mildly embarrassed to find that he'd made a mess of the room while sleeping, pillows tossed on the floor, blankets pushed almost all the way off. He flushed, and rubbed at the back of his head. "I...I'm all right. Just a weird dream. Or nightmare or.." he shrugged his shoulders a bit. "whatever..."
Gabriel looked around the room and smiled. "Or else a very good dream!" he teased. "I've had dreams...very vivid dreams too. It is nothing to be embarrassed about, Master Luke." He set about picking up the pillows and tossing them on the bed. "Would you like some coffee? Something to eat?"
Luke perked up a bit and smiled. "Coffee. That sounds nice." It would clear the cobwebs away, shake off the weird dream. He patted down his hair, which he found to be standing up in all directions. "Do you, maybe, have any cinnamon rolls around...? If not, toast would be okay, too."
Gabriel smiled as he clapped his hands together. "Ah...I see we have another in the house that loves cinnamon rolls. Lord Oliver gets cranky if he does not get his with his coffee. He is down by the pool. A fresh batch just came out of the oven and if you want some, I suggest you head down there. I will bring your coffee out there." He gave a nod of his head, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he shut the door softly behind him and headed to the kitchen to fetch the coffee.
Luke blushed that he would have to face Reid so soon. Oh, he knew he would have to, but after that strange dream, of the man with Reid's face that couldn't possibly be Reid, or could it? "Oh, just buck up, Snyder." he chided himself with a snort, before he climbed out of bed, stumbling a little. He hissed when the muscles pulled on his back a tinge, but it faded in the next second, and he stumbled his way for the bathroom.
After taking care of nature's call, and hopping in the shower quick to wake himself up and clean up a little, he pulled the borrowed boxers and sweats back on, rubbing his eyes with a yawn. Pool. Where was that? He wandered over to the window and looked out, before he found a gleaming swimming pool, reflecting the morning rays. It was covered over with a patio enclosure, to protect it from the rain and other elements, and he was sure it was heated, too. He just hoped he didn't get lost, as he turned for the bedroom door, and headed out.
*****
Reid's glide was smooth, almost effortless as the kick of his feet and the pull of his arms moved him through the water. He slowed a bit, sensing he had company and he dove under the water before surfacing for a breath, the water dripping off of his hair and clinging to his lashes as he smiled at Luke. "Luke." he breathed, treading water as he stared at the young man. "Good morning." He dove under again and swam for the edge, hands gripping the sides of the pool as he pulled himself out of the pool, water trailing over his slim, muscular body. "Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning," Luke replied softly. He was sure his cheeks were pink as he stared that the man. He was almost perfect in the way he moved to a small bistro style table and sat in a matching chair. Luke swallowed as his gaze traveled over Reid, and he cleared his throat before he nodded. "I did sleep well. Thank you. And you?" he asked politely, rooted to the spot.
"I haven't slept that good in a very long time." Reid reached for his cup and took a sip of his coffee. "Come. Sit and have some breakfast before I eat them all." Reid watched him from behind his sunglasses, his eyes skimming over Luke's body and he felt something in him stirring again. Something deep and rooted in the past. Something that he was sure was lost to him forever.
He noticed the younger man hadn't moved, and smiled. "Luke, I told you last night, you can come and go as you please. I want you to feel comfortable here. So please," He smiled as he gestured to the empty seat, "Come and have some breakfast with me."
"All right." Luke whispered, taking a steadying breath as he moved towards the table and pulled out the chair across from Reid, sitting down and reaching for a cinnamon roll. "Thank you." he replied, trying not to stare at Reid's very naked chest as he took a bite of the roll.
Reid smiled at his shyness as tilted his head. "You are shy this morning." he observed as he took a sip of his coffee before he sat back, a small smile playing on his lips when he saw the young man's blush turn a shade deeper. "I am sorry. I did not mean to embarrass you."
"No, it's not...I'm not usually so shy. I guess I can be pretty flirtatious when I'm confident in myself, in the other person." He took another bite of the roll, and licked his lips. "I'm not sure of much right now. And you fluster me, too." he replied softly, peeking at him with a lift of his lashes.
"I fluster you." Reid echoed softly, his breath catching again as Luke looked at him from under his lashes. "You're still you, Luke. Nothing can change that. You're still the same confident person you were before all this happened. You just need to believe it."
"It doesn't feel like it. It's like something broke, when Noah betrayed me." he sighed, licking frosting from his thumb and frowning.
"It will heal, Luke." Reid said softly as he sat forward in his seat. "In time, you'll feel whole again." He reached over and wiped a small dollop of frosting from the corner of Luke's mouth. He brought his thumb up to his own lips and licked it clean. "When you're in love, Luke, you're blind to the other person. Noah, he's just very good at presenting himself a certain way to people. Giving them what they want."
"Do you think he did that to other people, too? Made them believe he was in love with them, and broke their hearts with such betrayal?" Luke wondered softly.
Reid had a choice to make. He could either hurt him more by lying, or hurt him a little by telling him the truth. Reid sighed as he reached for his hand, holding his fingers softly in his. "Yes. I think he's done it before." he breathed. "I think he gets off on this. Making men and women fall in love with him and then betraying them. You've heard of Black Widows? Women who marry men for their money and then kill them?" he waited for the younger man to nod before continuing. "I think he's like that, but instead of killing them, Noah sells them to the highest bidder."
"That's terrible." Luke whispered, his eyes tearing up slightly. He'd been terrified when it'd happened. He'd given his all to Noah, and it the end it was just a lie. "To hurt so many people like that. Just," he shook his head sadly, bangs falling into his eyes. "I can't imagine. There's enough people that get hurt as it is in love, but to just break their spirits like that. Intentionally. Some people might never trust love again." Luke sniffled, a tear running down his cheek.
Reid reached across the table, catching the tear on his thumb before he brought it to his lips and licked the wetness off. "It's...an old superstition. Catching the tears of another. It passes off their hurt onto the one that catches the tears." he whispered when Luke gazed at him.
"I wouldn't want you to have my hurt." Luke replied softly. "You've already had your share. I wouldn't ever want to make someone else hurt. Not like this. Especially when you've been so generous and nice when you didn't have to be."
"I have strong shoulders, Luke. You can talk to me about anything. I want you to know that." He murmured, reaching out to rest his hand gently over Luke's. "I want to take away the pain I see in your beautiful eyes. I want to take away the sadness that I hear in your voice." Reid gave him a warm easy smile. "I would like to see you smile sometime. I would like to see the real you. The man I caught a glimpse of last night."
Luke's cheeks flushed a deep rose color in the sunlight, as he looked down. It was so odd. Reid was so good to him, and he felt so comfortable in his presence. Last night, when he could have taken advantage of his fears, taken advantage of him for his own pleasures, he didn't. He'd only tried to comfort him and reassure him. It was his own body that had wanted to do things he knew he shouldn't. Luke cleared his throat, and gave a small nod. "I guess we'll just have to see, right?"
"Yeah. We'll see." Reid agreed softly, his heart breaking at the sadness he heard in the younger man's voice. "In the meantime, can you promise me something?" he asked, as he took Luke's hand again in his. "Promise me, that while you are here, you'll think of this as your home? I want you to be comfortable here. I want you to try and put last night, and everything with Noah Mayer, in the past and find out who Luke Snyder really is and what he really wants."
"I'm not sure who he is or what he wants." Luke whispered, glancing at him from under his lashes. "But I can try. It's not going to be easy. You're not going to get mad at me, are you?"
"Mad at you?" he asked softly as he moved from his seat to the empty one beside Luke. "Why would I be mad at you? I can't be mad if you're true to who you are in here." Reid's free hand came up and rested gently over Luke's heart. "Inside, where it matters the most."
He'd almost been thinking that the draw of Reid's fingers, causing that spark, had been nothing but a fluke, but when he touched him, there it was again, and his heart quickened its pace as he took a deep breath. "A-all right." he stammered, nodding. I'll...I'll be true to myself."
"You are the only one that can make you happy, Luke. Don't let your happiness, your self-worth be tied to anyone else because in the end we're all alone. "Reid sighed softly as he felt his heart ache at the last words he spoke.
Something in his heart fluttered at those words. We're all alone. He rested his gaze on him, silent for a couple of moments. There was such a strong pull, such a strong need to comfort. He barely knew what he was doing, before he had his arms around Reid's neck, hugging him close. "No one has to be alone." he whispered, cheek against Reid's shoulder. "It might...take a little while, but with time, with trust, anyone can find someone to be with. It doesn't matter what the time is you have with that person, but what you do, who you are, where you belong, when you're with them, that's what matters."
Reid gasped softly, startled by the young man's actions. No one had ever shown him such care and concern, and his heart beat like a drum in his chest. No one ever touched him first.
He wrapped his arms around him, sighing softly at the gentle embrace, turning his head and burying his face in Luke's neck, inhaling his scent as he whispered, "I have yet to find a place I belong....a person to share that with."
"You will." Luke whispered back, fingers gently massaging the nape of his neck. "You just have to be patient. And you're...a good man. You'll have that place to belong, and someone special to share it with."
"How do you know I am a good man?" Reid breathed against his bare shoulder, his eyes fluttering softly at the feel of his fingers in his hair. "I...bought you. I'm keeping you here when all you wish is to go home."
"But you also never hurt me. You never made me do anything I didn't want to, even though you had every plausible right to my body. I don't know very much about this sort of thing...but I'm pretty sure no other man would be so generous."
"You make me sound more noble than I am. It took everything I had last night to be a gentlemen." he confessed. "I know you are not comfortable hearing such truths."
"You still aren't trying to lord yourself over me." Luke replied, after a moment of trying to bury his blushing. How could something be so flattering, and so flustering at the same time? "And you want me to consider this place my home. Do you know anyone else who would do that?"
"It is just an offer until it is accepted, Luke." Reid said as he pulled away, but not out of his arms. He held his gaze, enjoying too much how it felt to be held. "And I guess, not too many people would open their home to someone else."
"I don't think they would." Luke told him quietly. Gently, he feathered off a curl from Reid's forehead, and he gave him the tiniest of smiles. "Which is why I think you're a good man. Don't sell yourself short, and I'll try to not do the same to myself. Deal?"
Reid's breath shuddered out at the soft touch and he found himself leaning slightly into his fingers. "Deal." His voice was so soft he wondered if the wind carried it away before Luke could hear. He closed his eyes, leaning their foreheads together as he fought the emotions the younger man awoke him in. "Thank you. For not being afraid of me."
"You make it easy. Something tells me I can trust you. There's just something. I don't know what it is, or now to explain it, but it's a good place to start."
Gabriel had been standing back, watching the two of them interact, and it warmed his heart to see his Lordship letting someone in, even if he didn't know he was doing it. For all of Reid's gifts and abilities, he was most blind to his own needs. The air between the two men was electric, but peaceful. Like two halves becoming whole again. He had to wonder for a moment if either of the men knew it. He cleared his throat as he approached, not knowing what was funnier; the annoyed look on Reid's face at the untimely interruption, or Luke looking like a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner. "My apologies for interrupting, sirs." Gabriel smiled, holding a tray with a coffee pot, and a cup for Luke. "I brought coffee."
Reid saw the amused look on Gabriel’s face and he raised an eyebrow at him as if to say, "not a word." before he smiled. "Thank you Gabriel. Just set the tray on the table. How are those cinnamon rolls coming along?" He reached for another, taking a healthy bite as he moved back to his own chair.
"They're almost ready." Gabriel replied, smiling pleasantly. It'd been nice to see them both opening up to each other. It put him in good spirits. "I even have some with strawberry in the center, if you're so inclined?"
"And you make this yourself?" Luke asked as Gabriel set the tray down. "How are you not a chef? It all smells so good."
"Oh I am. I'm Lord Oliver's personal chef, butler, driver, therapist, and whatever else he requires of me." he smiled as he lifted the pot and poured Luke a cup of coffee before he refilled Reid's cup. "Cream and sugar, sir?" Gabriel asked Luke with a warm smile.
Luke nodded. "Thank you, Gabriel. Enough cream to almost make it white, and four sugars." He smiled shyly when Reid arched a brow at him. "I like my things sweet."
"Seems you and Lord Oliver have a few things in common." Gabriel commented, his voice holding a hint of amusement as he fixed Luke's for him just the way he liked.
"I shall bring the rolls out when they are done. Gentlemen." he gave a small bow before turning on his heel, humming as he made his way back inside.
"Seems he's in a good mood." Luke replied, gazing after Gabriel, before he picked up his coffee cup to take a sip, and relaxing a bit more.
"Gabriel has been my companion for many years, and I have never seen him in a bad mood." Reid took a small bite of his cinnamon roll before he stood up. "I am going to take a dip. There are some new swim trunks in the pool house if you wish to join me." He set his sunglasses on the table and got up, walking towards the pool and diving in, barely making a splash as he disappeared beneath the water.
Luke bit his lip as a thought crossed his mind. 'You could just go in your birthday suit. It wouldn't be the first time you skinny-dipped.' A small smile turned up the corners of his mouth. Did he dare? He furrowed his brow in thought as he watched Reid, mentally kicking himself for not having the courage to follow through on his thought. He took another sip of his coffee, and stood up, making his way to the pool house to change.
Reid had been watching him out of the corner of his eye, admiring the playful glint he saw for a few seconds in his eyes, but he wasn't surprised when Luke stood up and headed for the pool house. He knew Luke was in a fragile state, not trusting of his own feelings, not understanding the attraction he felt, and he knew that the playful personality he'd witnessed over the years was still there, it would just take some time for Luke to find it again.
He watched as Luke left the pool house, swim trunks sinfully low on his hips, revealing the start of the well-defined "V" of his waist as he walked towards the pool. He tracked him with his eyes, waiting until he was waist deep before he spoke. "I see you decided to join me."
"Yeah." Luke replied, cheeks flushed with color as he gazed at him, moving through the water as he let his arms carry him out in a few strokes.
Reid noted how graceful he was in the water, barely causing a ripple as he swam closer. He had to wonder if Luke had spent a lot of time swimming in his former life. Reid shook his head at the thought. Former life. He still has that life. And he'll want to get back to it, once the Mayers were wiped clean from the face of the earth. Once word has been sent by Damian that they were dead, Luke would have no reason to stay, and Reid would have no reason to keep him in his protection. "Tell me about your life." Reid asked suddenly, pushing the pain he felt him his chest aside for the time being. He would deal with the hurt of Luke leaving when it happened. Right now, he just wanted to focus on the beautiful man before him.
Luke bit his lip as he nodded. "What would you like to know?" The man had saved him after all, so he guessed that he deserved some peek into his life.
Reid could sense a bit of uncertainty in Luke's voice and he couldn't fault him for being suspicious. "I just wish to get to know you a bit better, Luke. You do not need to tell me anything you don't want to."
He studied his captor for a few heartbeats before he lowered his head. "I'm sorry." he whispered.
"For what?" Reid questioned as he swam a bit closer. "For not trusting the man who bought you at auction last night?" he smiled, letting his feet touch bottom as he lifted a hand to Luke's chin, raising his gaze back up. "It is perfectly understandable that you do not trust me yet. I hope in time you will."
Luke nodded, unable to help the feeling of calmness that came over him when Reid touched him. "Maybe in time...." He cleared his throat and took a breath. "What would you like to know?"
Reid let his hand drop under the surface, and he started to tread water again. "Tell me about the place you grew up. You obviously are no stranger to manual labor, if your strong body is any indication."
"No, I'm not." Luke paused, then gazed up, marveling at the blue sky and the few, fluffy clouds. "I grew up, for the majority, on my grandma's farm. It's a big farmhouse, older, since she raised her six children, my dad and my aunts and uncles, in it. She always had a lot of animals, chickens, sheep, pigs, horses. Everything's home-grown there. My grandma cans vegetables and fruits to use during the winter, and she still goes out every morning at five am, to take care of the chickens and milk the cows, even if arthritis is setting in." He smiled a bit at the thought of Emma. "She's a strong lady. Stubborn, too. When I was bout...nine or so, I followed my dad around while he took care of the horses. I wanted to learn what he knew. So he taught me everything I know about horses, how to take care of them, how to feed them, how to train them."
Reid nodded as he felt an odd feeling in his chest. A feeling of guilt that he hadn't felt for years. "Your Grandma Emma...sounds feisty. I have a feeling you are a lot like her. Strong. Resilient." He smiled as he dunked his head back, wetting his hair before he tilted his head back up to gaze at him. "I have horses. You are more than welcome to ride....with company."
Some nasty little part of him, the part of him that was still hurting, wanted to retort that he didn't trust him, but he kept the words at bay, nodding. "Thank you." he replied softly. "And I hope I am, or at least have adapted it...my...grandma's not really my grandma. Not by blood, anyways. Nor is my dad. He adopted me when I was about eight or nine. I have another father, a biological father, but...his life's way different than my dad's." He dipped into the water, letting the water soak onto his back with a sigh. "I don't see him very often, he comes and goes every so often. Running his "family business" he calls it."
If you only knew of the "family business." Reid thought with a sigh, knowing how Damian risked his life every second of the day to keep the world safe. To save those, like Luke, who had fallen in the wrong hands. "Your...biological farther," Reid said, testing the waters on this topic. "What does he do? What is his family business?"
"I'm not sure. It's kind of vague." Luke wrinkled his nose faintly. "I know he used to run a shipping business, but he gave that over to me. I groomed that to become something different, but he still works...all I know is that he's out of the country more often than he's in."
"You...are a businessman?" Reid said, regretting the surprised tone his voice took, and the hurt look on Luke's face. "I did not mean that to sound like it did. It's just that you are so young to be handed such a responsibility. You father must have great faith and trust in you."
"I guess I don't look the part, huh?" Luke gave a soft snort. "I can't blame you for that, though." he replied as he pushed forward, treading water. "I know I'm young. I suppose my father felt bad that things hadn't been great, for our family ties, or the danger we'd inadvertently fall into. He wanted me to have the shipping business, and he said that he was proud I made it into what it is...a foundation to help good causes. To raise money for them, build companies and business associations. I wanted to help people, use my connections, and if need be, my money so others wouldn't have to suffer. I'm not the type to be impressed about money. Other than what it can do for others, you know?" he asked as he swam a bit closer, dipping under the water before resurfacing close to Reid.
"I agree, and I know how foolish that sounds after the events of last night. But I do what I do to help people. To keep people safe. That's why I became a doctor." he answered softly. He'd been a doctor for as long as he could remember. He remembered the very beginnings of medicine and he'd seen it change and grow, but not always for the better. "All I have ever wanted to do with my life was help people." Luke was close, so very close and it was all Reid could do not to reach out and touch him. His eyes followed the path a water droplet took as it traveled down from his neck to his chest, over a nipple until it disappeared back into the water, and he licked his lips, thinking how lucky that one droplet was.
"Well, the way I see it, as long as you can go to bed with a clean conscience each night, happy with what you accomplished each day, then you have nothing to worry about..." Luke's voice faded into a soft breath as he watched Reid. His gaze was heavy upon him and he swallowed hard, licking his lips nervously at the way his blue eyes drifted over him.
Title: Once In A Lifetime Love - Chapter 13 - A
Author: Mystical_Dreamer (Dawn)
Rating: R to NC-17
Characters: Luke Snyder, Reid Oliver, Casey Hughes, Bob Hughes, The douche and his father, a few OC’s.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective copyrights. While I love to take them out and play with them from time to time, I do not own any of the characters, except the OC's. Those silly bastards are mine.
Author's Notes: A huge thanks to bmak08 and moonchilddj for taking the time to beta this for me, but in the end each and every mistake is mine and mine alone
**********
He was running. Not out of fear, though, his heart didn't beat fast because he was afraid. There was a sort of wild jubilance to him, just running to run. But since when did he like running? The question came and went, unanswered. Trees rushed by in a blur, and the sky was big and dark blue above. The moon shone down on him, a silvery pearl against his back, and it, too, made him feel free, and happy. There was something ahead, ahead, that he needed to get to. Something was waiting for him.
There was a skittering noise, and it took him some concentration to realize that the sound was his own feet upon the ground. But that couldn't be right, either, the feet weren't bi-pedal, but four, two in the front, two in the back, and they were covered with pale fur, almost blond in color. But even that strangeness didn't affect him. The moon was high, the night was perfect, and he was running, running. Something was waiting for him.
There was a cliffside in his path, but that didn't scare him. He could feel his feet gathering under him, muscles flexing, and then he was bounding up and up, as if nothing could keep him away from his destination. At some point, he became aware he was running on two legs again, the cool air biting at his naked skin, but he didn't care about that, either. He was almost there.
He lunged up over the last rise, and there was a figure, a man waiting for him. The man turned, and held out his arms to him, smiling.
"Welcome home, Luke." he said, his blue eyes gleaming a slight red around the iris. "Have a good run?"
**
"Ah!"
Luke lunged up from bed, gasping as he sat up. Panting and wide-eyed, he gazed around, surprised to find that he was alone, and that the sun was shining through the windows. It was morning, a new day after the mess of the night before. "...And what kind of dream was that?" he muttered, pushing a hand through his hair in a state of confusion.
"Master Luke?" Gabriel said as he knocked softly on the door. "Is everything all right?"
"Gabriel..." Luke turned his head to the man, mildly embarrassed to find that he'd made a mess of the room while sleeping, pillows tossed on the floor, blankets pushed almost all the way off. He flushed, and rubbed at the back of his head. "I...I'm all right. Just a weird dream. Or nightmare or.." he shrugged his shoulders a bit. "whatever..."
Gabriel looked around the room and smiled. "Or else a very good dream!" he teased. "I've had dreams...very vivid dreams too. It is nothing to be embarrassed about, Master Luke." He set about picking up the pillows and tossing them on the bed. "Would you like some coffee? Something to eat?"
Luke perked up a bit and smiled. "Coffee. That sounds nice." It would clear the cobwebs away, shake off the weird dream. He patted down his hair, which he found to be standing up in all directions. "Do you, maybe, have any cinnamon rolls around...? If not, toast would be okay, too."
Gabriel smiled as he clapped his hands together. "Ah...I see we have another in the house that loves cinnamon rolls. Lord Oliver gets cranky if he does not get his with his coffee. He is down by the pool. A fresh batch just came out of the oven and if you want some, I suggest you head down there. I will bring your coffee out there." He gave a nod of his head, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he shut the door softly behind him and headed to the kitchen to fetch the coffee.
Luke blushed that he would have to face Reid so soon. Oh, he knew he would have to, but after that strange dream, of the man with Reid's face that couldn't possibly be Reid, or could it? "Oh, just buck up, Snyder." he chided himself with a snort, before he climbed out of bed, stumbling a little. He hissed when the muscles pulled on his back a tinge, but it faded in the next second, and he stumbled his way for the bathroom.
After taking care of nature's call, and hopping in the shower quick to wake himself up and clean up a little, he pulled the borrowed boxers and sweats back on, rubbing his eyes with a yawn. Pool. Where was that? He wandered over to the window and looked out, before he found a gleaming swimming pool, reflecting the morning rays. It was covered over with a patio enclosure, to protect it from the rain and other elements, and he was sure it was heated, too. He just hoped he didn't get lost, as he turned for the bedroom door, and headed out.
*****
Reid's glide was smooth, almost effortless as the kick of his feet and the pull of his arms moved him through the water. He slowed a bit, sensing he had company and he dove under the water before surfacing for a breath, the water dripping off of his hair and clinging to his lashes as he smiled at Luke. "Luke." he breathed, treading water as he stared at the young man. "Good morning." He dove under again and swam for the edge, hands gripping the sides of the pool as he pulled himself out of the pool, water trailing over his slim, muscular body. "Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning," Luke replied softly. He was sure his cheeks were pink as he stared that the man. He was almost perfect in the way he moved to a small bistro style table and sat in a matching chair. Luke swallowed as his gaze traveled over Reid, and he cleared his throat before he nodded. "I did sleep well. Thank you. And you?" he asked politely, rooted to the spot.
"I haven't slept that good in a very long time." Reid reached for his cup and took a sip of his coffee. "Come. Sit and have some breakfast before I eat them all." Reid watched him from behind his sunglasses, his eyes skimming over Luke's body and he felt something in him stirring again. Something deep and rooted in the past. Something that he was sure was lost to him forever.
He noticed the younger man hadn't moved, and smiled. "Luke, I told you last night, you can come and go as you please. I want you to feel comfortable here. So please," He smiled as he gestured to the empty seat, "Come and have some breakfast with me."
"All right." Luke whispered, taking a steadying breath as he moved towards the table and pulled out the chair across from Reid, sitting down and reaching for a cinnamon roll. "Thank you." he replied, trying not to stare at Reid's very naked chest as he took a bite of the roll.
Reid smiled at his shyness as tilted his head. "You are shy this morning." he observed as he took a sip of his coffee before he sat back, a small smile playing on his lips when he saw the young man's blush turn a shade deeper. "I am sorry. I did not mean to embarrass you."
"No, it's not...I'm not usually so shy. I guess I can be pretty flirtatious when I'm confident in myself, in the other person." He took another bite of the roll, and licked his lips. "I'm not sure of much right now. And you fluster me, too." he replied softly, peeking at him with a lift of his lashes.
"I fluster you." Reid echoed softly, his breath catching again as Luke looked at him from under his lashes. "You're still you, Luke. Nothing can change that. You're still the same confident person you were before all this happened. You just need to believe it."
"It doesn't feel like it. It's like something broke, when Noah betrayed me." he sighed, licking frosting from his thumb and frowning.
"It will heal, Luke." Reid said softly as he sat forward in his seat. "In time, you'll feel whole again." He reached over and wiped a small dollop of frosting from the corner of Luke's mouth. He brought his thumb up to his own lips and licked it clean. "When you're in love, Luke, you're blind to the other person. Noah, he's just very good at presenting himself a certain way to people. Giving them what they want."
"Do you think he did that to other people, too? Made them believe he was in love with them, and broke their hearts with such betrayal?" Luke wondered softly.
Reid had a choice to make. He could either hurt him more by lying, or hurt him a little by telling him the truth. Reid sighed as he reached for his hand, holding his fingers softly in his. "Yes. I think he's done it before." he breathed. "I think he gets off on this. Making men and women fall in love with him and then betraying them. You've heard of Black Widows? Women who marry men for their money and then kill them?" he waited for the younger man to nod before continuing. "I think he's like that, but instead of killing them, Noah sells them to the highest bidder."
"That's terrible." Luke whispered, his eyes tearing up slightly. He'd been terrified when it'd happened. He'd given his all to Noah, and it the end it was just a lie. "To hurt so many people like that. Just," he shook his head sadly, bangs falling into his eyes. "I can't imagine. There's enough people that get hurt as it is in love, but to just break their spirits like that. Intentionally. Some people might never trust love again." Luke sniffled, a tear running down his cheek.
Reid reached across the table, catching the tear on his thumb before he brought it to his lips and licked the wetness off. "It's...an old superstition. Catching the tears of another. It passes off their hurt onto the one that catches the tears." he whispered when Luke gazed at him.
"I wouldn't want you to have my hurt." Luke replied softly. "You've already had your share. I wouldn't ever want to make someone else hurt. Not like this. Especially when you've been so generous and nice when you didn't have to be."
"I have strong shoulders, Luke. You can talk to me about anything. I want you to know that." He murmured, reaching out to rest his hand gently over Luke's. "I want to take away the pain I see in your beautiful eyes. I want to take away the sadness that I hear in your voice." Reid gave him a warm easy smile. "I would like to see you smile sometime. I would like to see the real you. The man I caught a glimpse of last night."
Luke's cheeks flushed a deep rose color in the sunlight, as he looked down. It was so odd. Reid was so good to him, and he felt so comfortable in his presence. Last night, when he could have taken advantage of his fears, taken advantage of him for his own pleasures, he didn't. He'd only tried to comfort him and reassure him. It was his own body that had wanted to do things he knew he shouldn't. Luke cleared his throat, and gave a small nod. "I guess we'll just have to see, right?"
"Yeah. We'll see." Reid agreed softly, his heart breaking at the sadness he heard in the younger man's voice. "In the meantime, can you promise me something?" he asked, as he took Luke's hand again in his. "Promise me, that while you are here, you'll think of this as your home? I want you to be comfortable here. I want you to try and put last night, and everything with Noah Mayer, in the past and find out who Luke Snyder really is and what he really wants."
"I'm not sure who he is or what he wants." Luke whispered, glancing at him from under his lashes. "But I can try. It's not going to be easy. You're not going to get mad at me, are you?"
"Mad at you?" he asked softly as he moved from his seat to the empty one beside Luke. "Why would I be mad at you? I can't be mad if you're true to who you are in here." Reid's free hand came up and rested gently over Luke's heart. "Inside, where it matters the most."
He'd almost been thinking that the draw of Reid's fingers, causing that spark, had been nothing but a fluke, but when he touched him, there it was again, and his heart quickened its pace as he took a deep breath. "A-all right." he stammered, nodding. I'll...I'll be true to myself."
"You are the only one that can make you happy, Luke. Don't let your happiness, your self-worth be tied to anyone else because in the end we're all alone. "Reid sighed softly as he felt his heart ache at the last words he spoke.
Something in his heart fluttered at those words. We're all alone. He rested his gaze on him, silent for a couple of moments. There was such a strong pull, such a strong need to comfort. He barely knew what he was doing, before he had his arms around Reid's neck, hugging him close. "No one has to be alone." he whispered, cheek against Reid's shoulder. "It might...take a little while, but with time, with trust, anyone can find someone to be with. It doesn't matter what the time is you have with that person, but what you do, who you are, where you belong, when you're with them, that's what matters."
Reid gasped softly, startled by the young man's actions. No one had ever shown him such care and concern, and his heart beat like a drum in his chest. No one ever touched him first.
He wrapped his arms around him, sighing softly at the gentle embrace, turning his head and burying his face in Luke's neck, inhaling his scent as he whispered, "I have yet to find a place I belong....a person to share that with."
"You will." Luke whispered back, fingers gently massaging the nape of his neck. "You just have to be patient. And you're...a good man. You'll have that place to belong, and someone special to share it with."
"How do you know I am a good man?" Reid breathed against his bare shoulder, his eyes fluttering softly at the feel of his fingers in his hair. "I...bought you. I'm keeping you here when all you wish is to go home."
"But you also never hurt me. You never made me do anything I didn't want to, even though you had every plausible right to my body. I don't know very much about this sort of thing...but I'm pretty sure no other man would be so generous."
"You make me sound more noble than I am. It took everything I had last night to be a gentlemen." he confessed. "I know you are not comfortable hearing such truths."
"You still aren't trying to lord yourself over me." Luke replied, after a moment of trying to bury his blushing. How could something be so flattering, and so flustering at the same time? "And you want me to consider this place my home. Do you know anyone else who would do that?"
"It is just an offer until it is accepted, Luke." Reid said as he pulled away, but not out of his arms. He held his gaze, enjoying too much how it felt to be held. "And I guess, not too many people would open their home to someone else."
"I don't think they would." Luke told him quietly. Gently, he feathered off a curl from Reid's forehead, and he gave him the tiniest of smiles. "Which is why I think you're a good man. Don't sell yourself short, and I'll try to not do the same to myself. Deal?"
Reid's breath shuddered out at the soft touch and he found himself leaning slightly into his fingers. "Deal." His voice was so soft he wondered if the wind carried it away before Luke could hear. He closed his eyes, leaning their foreheads together as he fought the emotions the younger man awoke him in. "Thank you. For not being afraid of me."
"You make it easy. Something tells me I can trust you. There's just something. I don't know what it is, or now to explain it, but it's a good place to start."
Gabriel had been standing back, watching the two of them interact, and it warmed his heart to see his Lordship letting someone in, even if he didn't know he was doing it. For all of Reid's gifts and abilities, he was most blind to his own needs. The air between the two men was electric, but peaceful. Like two halves becoming whole again. He had to wonder for a moment if either of the men knew it. He cleared his throat as he approached, not knowing what was funnier; the annoyed look on Reid's face at the untimely interruption, or Luke looking like a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner. "My apologies for interrupting, sirs." Gabriel smiled, holding a tray with a coffee pot, and a cup for Luke. "I brought coffee."
Reid saw the amused look on Gabriel’s face and he raised an eyebrow at him as if to say, "not a word." before he smiled. "Thank you Gabriel. Just set the tray on the table. How are those cinnamon rolls coming along?" He reached for another, taking a healthy bite as he moved back to his own chair.
"They're almost ready." Gabriel replied, smiling pleasantly. It'd been nice to see them both opening up to each other. It put him in good spirits. "I even have some with strawberry in the center, if you're so inclined?"
"And you make this yourself?" Luke asked as Gabriel set the tray down. "How are you not a chef? It all smells so good."
"Oh I am. I'm Lord Oliver's personal chef, butler, driver, therapist, and whatever else he requires of me." he smiled as he lifted the pot and poured Luke a cup of coffee before he refilled Reid's cup. "Cream and sugar, sir?" Gabriel asked Luke with a warm smile.
Luke nodded. "Thank you, Gabriel. Enough cream to almost make it white, and four sugars." He smiled shyly when Reid arched a brow at him. "I like my things sweet."
"Seems you and Lord Oliver have a few things in common." Gabriel commented, his voice holding a hint of amusement as he fixed Luke's for him just the way he liked.
"I shall bring the rolls out when they are done. Gentlemen." he gave a small bow before turning on his heel, humming as he made his way back inside.
"Seems he's in a good mood." Luke replied, gazing after Gabriel, before he picked up his coffee cup to take a sip, and relaxing a bit more.
"Gabriel has been my companion for many years, and I have never seen him in a bad mood." Reid took a small bite of his cinnamon roll before he stood up. "I am going to take a dip. There are some new swim trunks in the pool house if you wish to join me." He set his sunglasses on the table and got up, walking towards the pool and diving in, barely making a splash as he disappeared beneath the water.
Luke bit his lip as a thought crossed his mind. 'You could just go in your birthday suit. It wouldn't be the first time you skinny-dipped.' A small smile turned up the corners of his mouth. Did he dare? He furrowed his brow in thought as he watched Reid, mentally kicking himself for not having the courage to follow through on his thought. He took another sip of his coffee, and stood up, making his way to the pool house to change.
Reid had been watching him out of the corner of his eye, admiring the playful glint he saw for a few seconds in his eyes, but he wasn't surprised when Luke stood up and headed for the pool house. He knew Luke was in a fragile state, not trusting of his own feelings, not understanding the attraction he felt, and he knew that the playful personality he'd witnessed over the years was still there, it would just take some time for Luke to find it again.
He watched as Luke left the pool house, swim trunks sinfully low on his hips, revealing the start of the well-defined "V" of his waist as he walked towards the pool. He tracked him with his eyes, waiting until he was waist deep before he spoke. "I see you decided to join me."
"Yeah." Luke replied, cheeks flushed with color as he gazed at him, moving through the water as he let his arms carry him out in a few strokes.
Reid noted how graceful he was in the water, barely causing a ripple as he swam closer. He had to wonder if Luke had spent a lot of time swimming in his former life. Reid shook his head at the thought. Former life. He still has that life. And he'll want to get back to it, once the Mayers were wiped clean from the face of the earth. Once word has been sent by Damian that they were dead, Luke would have no reason to stay, and Reid would have no reason to keep him in his protection. "Tell me about your life." Reid asked suddenly, pushing the pain he felt him his chest aside for the time being. He would deal with the hurt of Luke leaving when it happened. Right now, he just wanted to focus on the beautiful man before him.
Luke bit his lip as he nodded. "What would you like to know?" The man had saved him after all, so he guessed that he deserved some peek into his life.
Reid could sense a bit of uncertainty in Luke's voice and he couldn't fault him for being suspicious. "I just wish to get to know you a bit better, Luke. You do not need to tell me anything you don't want to."
He studied his captor for a few heartbeats before he lowered his head. "I'm sorry." he whispered.
"For what?" Reid questioned as he swam a bit closer. "For not trusting the man who bought you at auction last night?" he smiled, letting his feet touch bottom as he lifted a hand to Luke's chin, raising his gaze back up. "It is perfectly understandable that you do not trust me yet. I hope in time you will."
Luke nodded, unable to help the feeling of calmness that came over him when Reid touched him. "Maybe in time...." He cleared his throat and took a breath. "What would you like to know?"
Reid let his hand drop under the surface, and he started to tread water again. "Tell me about the place you grew up. You obviously are no stranger to manual labor, if your strong body is any indication."
"No, I'm not." Luke paused, then gazed up, marveling at the blue sky and the few, fluffy clouds. "I grew up, for the majority, on my grandma's farm. It's a big farmhouse, older, since she raised her six children, my dad and my aunts and uncles, in it. She always had a lot of animals, chickens, sheep, pigs, horses. Everything's home-grown there. My grandma cans vegetables and fruits to use during the winter, and she still goes out every morning at five am, to take care of the chickens and milk the cows, even if arthritis is setting in." He smiled a bit at the thought of Emma. "She's a strong lady. Stubborn, too. When I was bout...nine or so, I followed my dad around while he took care of the horses. I wanted to learn what he knew. So he taught me everything I know about horses, how to take care of them, how to feed them, how to train them."
Reid nodded as he felt an odd feeling in his chest. A feeling of guilt that he hadn't felt for years. "Your Grandma Emma...sounds feisty. I have a feeling you are a lot like her. Strong. Resilient." He smiled as he dunked his head back, wetting his hair before he tilted his head back up to gaze at him. "I have horses. You are more than welcome to ride....with company."
Some nasty little part of him, the part of him that was still hurting, wanted to retort that he didn't trust him, but he kept the words at bay, nodding. "Thank you." he replied softly. "And I hope I am, or at least have adapted it...my...grandma's not really my grandma. Not by blood, anyways. Nor is my dad. He adopted me when I was about eight or nine. I have another father, a biological father, but...his life's way different than my dad's." He dipped into the water, letting the water soak onto his back with a sigh. "I don't see him very often, he comes and goes every so often. Running his "family business" he calls it."
If you only knew of the "family business." Reid thought with a sigh, knowing how Damian risked his life every second of the day to keep the world safe. To save those, like Luke, who had fallen in the wrong hands. "Your...biological farther," Reid said, testing the waters on this topic. "What does he do? What is his family business?"
"I'm not sure. It's kind of vague." Luke wrinkled his nose faintly. "I know he used to run a shipping business, but he gave that over to me. I groomed that to become something different, but he still works...all I know is that he's out of the country more often than he's in."
"You...are a businessman?" Reid said, regretting the surprised tone his voice took, and the hurt look on Luke's face. "I did not mean that to sound like it did. It's just that you are so young to be handed such a responsibility. You father must have great faith and trust in you."
"I guess I don't look the part, huh?" Luke gave a soft snort. "I can't blame you for that, though." he replied as he pushed forward, treading water. "I know I'm young. I suppose my father felt bad that things hadn't been great, for our family ties, or the danger we'd inadvertently fall into. He wanted me to have the shipping business, and he said that he was proud I made it into what it is...a foundation to help good causes. To raise money for them, build companies and business associations. I wanted to help people, use my connections, and if need be, my money so others wouldn't have to suffer. I'm not the type to be impressed about money. Other than what it can do for others, you know?" he asked as he swam a bit closer, dipping under the water before resurfacing close to Reid.
"I agree, and I know how foolish that sounds after the events of last night. But I do what I do to help people. To keep people safe. That's why I became a doctor." he answered softly. He'd been a doctor for as long as he could remember. He remembered the very beginnings of medicine and he'd seen it change and grow, but not always for the better. "All I have ever wanted to do with my life was help people." Luke was close, so very close and it was all Reid could do not to reach out and touch him. His eyes followed the path a water droplet took as it traveled down from his neck to his chest, over a nipple until it disappeared back into the water, and he licked his lips, thinking how lucky that one droplet was.
"Well, the way I see it, as long as you can go to bed with a clean conscience each night, happy with what you accomplished each day, then you have nothing to worry about..." Luke's voice faded into a soft breath as he watched Reid. His gaze was heavy upon him and he swallowed hard, licking his lips nervously at the way his blue eyes drifted over him.