Room-Mates Chapter 5/?
Title: Room-Mates
Chapter: 5
Rating: PG-13
Summary: AU Fic. Luke and Reid are room-mates in the dorms at college and their initial irritation with each other quickly begins to blossom into close friendship and instant attraction. However, when they both realise that their feelings may run deeper than that, how will they react? There will be a few obstacles along the way and their relationship will test whether or not love really can conquer all.
Characters: Luke/Reid, Previous Luke/Noah, Katie, Maddie, Reg There will be more introduced later down the line.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. If I did Reid and Luke would be having sex on every surface of every room in Oakdale. Instead, the people who do own them choose to cockblock them with an old man called Bob, a dickhead called Chris and baby rattles. It's a catastrophe
AN: All previous chapters can be found under my authors tag :) x
“Luke, wait. He probably didn’t mean it!” Maddie called after her friend who was currently storming down the road. He stopped abruptly and turned towards the brunette girl.
“Yeah. Whatever. Just…Lets go get coffee somewhere else, okay?” Luke sighed.
The next coffee shop they found was a starbucks about 5 minutes away. When they arrived, Maddie excused herself to the bathroom leaving Luke to order their drinks. Once he’d told the girl behind the counter what he and Maddie wanted and she’d told him she’d bring his order over to him as soon as it was ready, he sat down in the corner of the café and stared out of the window at the busy street outside.
He was rather lost in his thoughts when someone tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to jump slightly and turn round. He shook his head and laughed humourlessly at who he saw.
“What do you want, Reg?”
“To apologise.” He mumbled quietly, his eyes not quite meeting Luke’s. “Is it okay if I sit down?”
Luke took in the sight of the boy stood in front of him. He did look genuinely ashamed and Luke didn’t really have the heart to tell him to get lost. His lip was severely cut, so Luke figured Reid must have hit him pretty hard the night before. “Make it quick.” He muttered, nodding towards the seat opposite him.
“Thank you.” said Reg, sitting down and finally meeting Luke’s gaze. “About last night. I was stupid.”
“Really stupid.”
“Yeah, I know. I didn’t plan for it to go as far as it did. It was originally just meant to be a bit of fun but I guess I had too much to drink myself, and it all kind of went out of hand.”
“What the hell is he doing here?” Luke heard Maddie snap behind him, and he saw Reg flinch slightly. The girl probably looked like she was going to kill him.
“Mads? Will you just give us a couple of minutes, please?” Luke asked, his eyes not leaving Reg, trying to figure out if he was for real or not.
“I’m not leaving you alone with him.” Maddie replied, glaring at Reg the whole time.
“Maddie, you can sit just over there and keep your eye on us, just let us talk in private please. I’m a big boy; I can handle him without your help.”
“Fine.” She gave in and walked over to the nearest table, not without giving Reg one last scowl before she did so.
“Now that she’s gone,” Reg continued. “Do you accept my apology? Or is this completely pointless?”
“Do you know why I don’t drink?” Luke asked with frustration, completely ignoring Reg’s previous question.
“No, but I-“
“I had a kidney transplant 3 years back.” Luke interrupted. “Not only was what you did stupid, but it was potentially dangerous too. You could’ve put me in hospital. Why the hell should I forgive you?”
“Luke, I…I just had no idea.” Reg gasped, looking completely distraught. “If I’d have known, I wouldn’t have even thought about doing what I did. I am so sorry. You have to believe me.”
“Reg. What do you want from me?” asked Luke.
“For you to forgive me.” Reg half smiled. “And for you to give me another chance.”
*
“You’re an idiot.” Katie sighed, looking across the table at Reid, who had actually head-desked as soon as Luke had left the coffee shop.
“No kidding.” Reid replied sarcastically, his voice muffled by the table.
“Were you being serious? Or were you just playing up to your Mr Cold persona so that the fact you have feelings wouldn’t effect your reputation?”
“Yes. No…I don’t know.” He sighed, lifting his head up from the table. “What the hell am I going to do, Katie? I’m going to have to go home, and he’ll be there and he’ll give be his big, sad, wet puppy dog eyes. I’m not sure I can deal with that again. It was horrible seeing them last night”
“You’re going to have to talk to him, you know?” She said sympathetically. She could tell that her new friend had fallen hard and fast and she knew it couldn’t be easy for him, considering he apparently had no idea how to deal with any sort of feelings.
“I’m not sure I know what to say.” Reid pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve never really met anyone like him before. I mean, in high-school there was this guy who I had a crush on but it wasn’t like this. I don’t even know what this is, Katie. It’s all happening so fast, and I barely even know the guy, but it’s like he’s gotten under my skin already. I care about him, and I’ve never really cared about anything or anyone before. I don’t get how I can feel like this without even…for all I know he could be a complete jerk.”
“I think you know that’s not true.”
“No, I don’t, because I didn’t even get a chance to talk to him properly before this weird fuzzy thing started happening in my stomach and…dear god. Why am I spilling my guts all over you?”
“Because you need a friend, maybe? And some advise.” Katie sighed. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you trusted me enough to tell me all that. I think that maybe you should just try being friends with him first; to get to know him. Luke…he’s pretty messed up. If you haven’t been scared off by the time you’ve finished getting to know him, then I’m pretty sure you’ll know that whatever this is between the two of you is worth it.”
“What do you mean ‘messed up’?” Reid asked curiously.
“He comes from Oakdale, Reid. It’s a pretty small town, but everyone who lives there has been fucked up in their own little way. It’s like a curse, and believe me when I say that Luke’s had it worse than most. It’s like when the universe comes up with a new way to make someone miserable…or injured…or just generally heartbroken; it’s guaranteed to test it out on Luke Snyder first. You’ll find out about that soon enough.” With that, she gave Reid a peck on the cheek (which he abruptly rubbed off, causing her to giggle) before leaving him to his thoughts.
*
Reid didn’t get back to the dorm room until about 5pm. He’d spent the whole day wondering round the city trying to avoid the inevitable talk that he was going to have to have eventually. When he did arrive home, Luke was wearing a tight-fitting black shirt and he was fastening a white tie around his neck, and to say he looked amazing would be an understatement.
“Hey.” Reid gulped, stepping towards Luke timidly. “Dimples, about earlier-”
“It doesn’t matter, Reid. Just leave it.” Luke interrupted, but it didn’t sound like it was all going to be okay, so Reid continued.
“Yes, it does matter.” He sighed, taking another step forward. “I didn’t mean what I said about you. Katie was just going on and on, so I needed to say something to shut her up. That girl’s infuriating. Lovely, but infuriating”
“Yeah, I know how Katie can be.” Luke laughed quietly, finally looking up at Reid.
“I’d really like it if we could be friends, God knows I need all the friends I can get.”
“Yeah.” Luke smiled shyly, “I’d like that too.”
“So, can we try this again?” When Luke nodded, Reid held out his hand for him to shake. “Hey. I’m Reid Oliver. When I graduate I want to be a neurosurgeon. I’m a dork, and I always say all the wrong things. I’m socially awkward and rude, I have slight OCD and my favourite thing in the word is sandwiches. Also, I’m claustrophobic. It’s the only thing I’m scared of…apart from dancing. I’m terrified of dancing.”
“I’m Luke Snyder.” The blonde boy chuckled, taking Reid’s hand to shake. “And I want to be a writer. The rest of the stuff, there isn’t enough time in the world to explain. Anyways, I need to finish getting ready.” He sighed, pulling his hand away and trying to forget the sparks he’d felt when he first grasped it.
“Why, where are you going? You’re looking pretty dressed up.” Reid stated, watching as Luke turned to the mirror and ruffled up his hair slightly. Damn, he was hot.
“I have date.” He smiled, and Reid tried to ignore the feeling of someone squeezing at his insides. “Not every one thinks I’m an annoying, little brat like you do.”
“Ha-ha. Who’s it with?” He asked, tilting his head to the side curiously.
“Okay, don’t flip out.” He said nervously.
“Why would I flip out?”
“It’s with Reg.”
“What the hell, Luke?! Have you lost your mind?” He yelled and his eyes were wide with shock.
“Reid, calm down.” Luke said as he gripped the other boy’s shoulders. “He’s apologised and he feels really bad about what happened, and trust me, I won’t let it happen again.”
“I’m not letting you go, Luke.” Reid said. “I’m not letting that boy anywhere near you again.”
“What you going to do this time? Give him a black eye?” Luke teased, poking Reid in the ribs and in turn making him laugh.
“No,” Reid chuckled. “But he hurt you, Dimples. I don’t want that to happen again.”
“It won’t Reid. Besides, he wasn’t to know about…the reasons I can’t drink.”
“I know about your kidney Luke. You told me last night in your drunken haze.” Reid added when he saw a look of confusion spread across his face. He thought it was best to leave out the part where he undressed him and saw his scar. “And it’s not just that. He stuck his tongue halfway down your throat and he wouldn’t stop even when you asked him to.”
“Reid, if he hadn’t have been so drunk then he wouldn’t have done it,” Luke sighed, tilting his head to one side. “And if I hadn’t have been so drunk then I probably wouldn’t have stopped him.”
Reid didn’t care to admit just how much that stung. “Fine, but just promise me you’ll be safe?” Luke nodded. “And this is my number.” Reid continued, grabbing a pen and writing it down on the nearest piece of paper he could find. “If anything happens then you’re under my strict orders to ring me. No matter what time it is.”
“Aww, look at you getting all protective of me.” Luke beamed, leaning slightly towards Reid. Close enough to make him squirm, but not close enough to look too obvious.
“I mean it Luke.” Reid looked him dead in the eye. “I don’t trust him.”
“I know you don’t, but it’s just one date, and I promise I’ll ring you if anything happens.” Luke said, taking the piece of paper out of Reid’s hand and shoving it into his pocket, before patting it for effect. “And I promise I’ll be home by 9.” He winked. “Now, I really, really have to go. I don’t want to keep my prince charming waiting.”
Reid rolled his eyes, not showing how much the whole situation was literally hurting him. “Okay, have fun.” Please don’t. “And be careful.” Reid yelled after him, only to hear the door slam in response. He threw himself back in a star shape on his bed, squeezed his eyes shut and sighed.
This was going to be a long, long night.
Okay, don't hate me. xD This is all leading up to something hopefully epic, I promise. And I also promise that I will get up the next part of Stars and Fate. Eventually. This fic has taken over my life *headdesk*