fan fic; avery (8/?)
title: avery
rating: pg-13
summary: reid comes to oakdale under slightly different circumstances and already with connections and a history, including one that makes luke think twice about him.
notes: sorry this took so long to update! but it's a long piece so hopefully that helps <3
more notes: BTW! this is the chapter i was struggling with [wasn't sure what to do here honestly], but i got it out and now i'm planned out for at least six more chapters, at least. oh, and in two or so chapters, avery gets even more adorable with reid. yes, i know, doesn't seem possible. BUT IT IS. lol. thanks for reading everyone, i truly appreciate your amazing feedback <3
Luke and Reid were fortunate (unfortunate?) enough to not run into each other outside of the hospital again for almost two weeks. Avery went to the Snyder’s place after school a few more times but either Reid would get Katie to pick him up or Luke wouldn’t be home when he stopped by himself. Luke would ask Reid how Avery was doing after a meeting or when dropping off Noah, but otherwise, their encounter at Lily’s might as well have never happened.
Nearly two weeks later, Avery came home from school with a smile on his face that made Reid raise a brow.
“What has you in such a good mood?” he asked as Avery climbed into one of the tall chairs at the breakfast bar.
“Look,” Avery said, pulling out a piece of paper from his bag and sitting it on the table proudly. Reid reached out, long fingers dragging the wrinkled sheet toward him. His eyes scanned the page a few times before a smile crept onto his face. Finally he looked up at Avery, who was beaming even more than before.
“You guys got an A- ? Avery, that’s wonderful!” said Reid happily, joining Avery in smiling from ear to ear. “I told you that poster was pretty great.”
Avery continued to smile like the Cheshire cat, pulling the paper back to him and looking at it again with pride.
“This might be silly, but I think we should hang it up on the fridge,” said Reid with a shrug. Avery narrowed his eyes playfully and laughing, scooting off the chair and moving toward Katie’s fridge. “Ah, I didn’t say that fridge,” came Reid’s voice. Avery looked up to see Reid standing now, smiling with his arms crossed. His eyes questioned Reid’s words, making Reid laugh. “I was thinking we could put it up on our fridge, in our apartment.”
It took a moment for the words to click but once they did Avery was practically bouncing.
“It’s ready?” he asked, his voice high in pitch from all the excitement. Reid nodded.
“Yep, already started moving stuff in. The furniture is all set, all we need now is to pack up our stuff here and we’ll be good to go.”
“That’s awesome!” Avery shouted. “When? Tomorrow? Tonight?”
Reid laughed, coming over and messing up Avery’s hair. “Tomorrow,” he said. “You’re still going to Natalie’s tomorrow, right?” he asked. Avery nodded. “Okay, well, her mom is supposed to drop you off at the apartment, I have to work on unpacking so I can’t come get you. There’s a box in our room; make sure you get everything you’re not taking to school in there or packed into your bags so I can have it in the car before I get you tomorrow.”
Avery nodded, leaving his paper on the table as he rushed off to the bedroom. Laughing quietly to himself, Reid shook his head and reached for the paper, smiling at it again as he proudly taped it to the fridge.
♦♦♦
Reid spent the better part of the day unloading boxes from his car and taking them inside, as well as sorting through all the boxes that had been delivered over the past few weeks. Luckily he’d been very particular about packing and every box was labeled. It amazed him, he realized with amusement as he carried one box and carefully pushed another with his foot into Avery’s bedroom, how much the two of them owned.
He worked on the kitchen first, of course, unpacking all of the dishes and figuring out how he wanted to organize the cabinets. They would go grocery shopping tomorrow, he decided, for once actually looking forward to the task. It took him longer than he expected and was joined partway through the tedious job by Katie for lunch. They ate in the living room, sitting on the couch which was still covered in plastic after being delivered from Dallas.
“I don’t see why you didn’t just buy a new couch,” sighed Katie as the plastic crinkled beneath her.
“Because I like this one,” Reid answered simply, and that had been that.
Shortly before three o’clock Reid had just about finished kitchen and had moved onto the bathroom and hall closet, stacking towels and setting up the hamper and aligning the tooth brushes and hanging the shower curtain. He was on the last hook of said curtain when he heard the door open.
“Wow!” came Avery’s voice.
Reid smiled, quickly finishing before making his way out of the bathroom and into the small hall. As he came into the living room he froze, surprised to see Natalie and Luke Snyder standing in his doorway.
“This is so cool, Reid!” said Avery happily.
“Come on, let’s fine your room,” suggested Natalie. Avery nodded and they raced past Reid, leaving him alone with Luke.
“Natalie offered to help Avery unpack. He said he didn’t think you’d mind,” Luke explained nervously, rubbing the back of his head with one hand and digging the other into his coat pocket. Reid blinked. “Dr. Oliver?”
“What?” said Reid. “Oh, yeah, I mean… sure, it’s fine,” he muttered, glancing down at himself. He was in old college sweats and a faded black t-shirt that even he knew was on the tight side. He refused to look at Luke for a moment, not wanting to know if the other man noticed this about his shirt, too.
“It looks great,” said Luke sincerely. Reid looked around, unable to hide a smile, his eyes finally landing on Luke.
“It’s a work in progress,” he shrugged.
Luke laughed quietly, looking just past Reid at the small pile of boxes lined up against the back of the couch. “Do you want some help with any of this?” he asked carefully.
Reid hesitated, glancing at the boxes himself.
“Yeah, sure, why not,” he answered awkwardly, sighing as he moved toward the boxes, trying not to watch from the corner of his eye as Luke pulled off his coat and hung it over a chair. A moment later the blond was joining him, pushing up his sleeves.
“So? What first?”
“Um,” was all Reid could manage at first. “That one,” he said, pointing to one of the boxes. Luke nodded and picked it up. Reid gave no further instruction but when he lifted his own box and began to walk away, Luke simply followed.
♦♦♦
For a moment Luke thought that Reid was directing them to his bedroom, especially when he noticed the box was marked “Reid’s.” He couldn’t help but frown a little when they entered their destination, only for him to find it filled with a large wooden desk, one wall lined with two matching bookshelves.
“Is this your office?” he asked, regretting the silly question as soon as it left his lips.
Reid grinned. “Observant,” he commented, sitting the box down on the desk. Luke sat his on the floor.
“Can you open that?” asked Reid, glancing over his shoulder at Luke as he opened his own box. Luke nodded and pulled back the cardboard flaps. Inside he saw picture frames, a little league trophy, a large mug, and other small trinkets. “Ah,” came Reid’s voice. “Trade.” Reid sat his box on the floor , holding out his arms for Luke’s box. Luke lifted it up to him and he pulled it onto the desk, leaving Luke with a box that appeared to be filled with books.
“What should I do with this?” Luke asked.
“Hmm? Oh, just… push that against the book case, I’ll arrange them later.”
♦♦♦
The next two hours continued in a similar fashion; Reid directing Luke on where to move boxes, including a few to Reid’s bedroom, and insisting he’d unpack them himself at another time. He did let Luke help to rearrange the living room a bit and set up the lamps, some books and other odd ball items in the main part of the house. Luke also helped Reid finish the kitchen, smiling as he watched Reid tape Avery’s project paper to the fridge.
“I think we’re just ordering pizza tonight,” announced Reid as Luke shifted through another box. “You and Natalie are welcome to join us.”
“Oh,” said Luke, startled. “That’s really nice of you, but, we wouldn’t want to intrude or something.”
“Nonsense,” sighed Reid. Luke waited, expecting more, but Reid said nothing further.
“Alright. Thank you.”
“Mmhmm,” muttered Reid, disappearing into the kitchen and picking up the phone.
♦♦♦
“Careful,” said Reid, his voice strained with frustration as he watched Luke balance on a far-from sturdy box, trying to lift something up onto the top shelf of the closet.
“Stop fussing,” called Luke. Reid rolled his eyes.
“I do have a step ladder somewhere, you know.”
“Don’t need it.”
“Yeah, well, don’t come crying to me when you … careful!”
Luke was suddenly falling backwards, his foot slipping on the squished cardboard beneath it. Reid sprang forward, instinctively reaching his arms out just in time to hook them behind Luke’s arms as he came toward him. It still wasn’t quite enough, though. The force from Luke’s fall sent them both backward, Reid’s back colliding with the floor and Luke landing awkwardly on top of him. Both men let out painful grunts, and Reid bit his tongue to keep from cursing too obscenely.
“Ouch,” groaned Luke, still sprawled slightly on top of Reid.
“Mmph,” coughed Reid, pushing up on Luke whose elbow was jamming into his chest. “Off.”
“Sorry!” said Luke, turning red as he crawled away, crouching beside Reid who was flat on the floor, one arm over his eyes and his mouth twisted angrily. “Are you okay?”
“Oh yeah, I just become intimately acquainted with my bedroom floor, but I’m just peachy,” he groaned. Luke actually laughed a little, sitting beside Reid.
“I’m sorry,” he said again. Reid moved his arm to chance a look at Luke, who was smiling down at him far too innocently.
“I told you so,” was all he said, causing both of them to laugh. Luke held out his arm, which Reid grabbed onto, letting the younger man help to pull him up. They were both sitting up now, Reid rotating his shoulders slightly to release the sudden tension. He realized quickly, though, that while the tension in his shoulders disappeared, it was quickly replaced by a new kind of tension, one that Reid was far too aware came from sitting so close to Luke.
Their bodies were only a few inches apart, still almost tangled together on the floor. Their faces were close, too close. Reid could feel Luke’s breath on his lips and it did things to his insides that he’d never admit to. Their eyes met and held on for a few moments before the sound of the doorbell and the yelling from Avery’s room immediately thereafter snapped them back.
“I should get that,” frowned Reid, groaning again as he forced himself to stand, stumbling out of the room.
Luke sat there a moment longer, eyes wide as he searched for an answer to what had just happened. Nothing, he told himself. Nothing had happened. He’d fallen down and knocked Reid down with him. Plain and simple.
So why was his stomach twisting into such wonderfully painful knots?
rating: pg-13
summary: reid comes to oakdale under slightly different circumstances and already with connections and a history, including one that makes luke think twice about him.
notes: sorry this took so long to update! but it's a long piece so hopefully that helps <3
more notes: BTW! this is the chapter i was struggling with [wasn't sure what to do here honestly], but i got it out and now i'm planned out for at least six more chapters, at least. oh, and in two or so chapters, avery gets even more adorable with reid. yes, i know, doesn't seem possible. BUT IT IS. lol. thanks for reading everyone, i truly appreciate your amazing feedback <3
Luke and Reid were fortunate (unfortunate?) enough to not run into each other outside of the hospital again for almost two weeks. Avery went to the Snyder’s place after school a few more times but either Reid would get Katie to pick him up or Luke wouldn’t be home when he stopped by himself. Luke would ask Reid how Avery was doing after a meeting or when dropping off Noah, but otherwise, their encounter at Lily’s might as well have never happened.
Nearly two weeks later, Avery came home from school with a smile on his face that made Reid raise a brow.
“What has you in such a good mood?” he asked as Avery climbed into one of the tall chairs at the breakfast bar.
“Look,” Avery said, pulling out a piece of paper from his bag and sitting it on the table proudly. Reid reached out, long fingers dragging the wrinkled sheet toward him. His eyes scanned the page a few times before a smile crept onto his face. Finally he looked up at Avery, who was beaming even more than before.
“You guys got an A- ? Avery, that’s wonderful!” said Reid happily, joining Avery in smiling from ear to ear. “I told you that poster was pretty great.”
Avery continued to smile like the Cheshire cat, pulling the paper back to him and looking at it again with pride.
“This might be silly, but I think we should hang it up on the fridge,” said Reid with a shrug. Avery narrowed his eyes playfully and laughing, scooting off the chair and moving toward Katie’s fridge. “Ah, I didn’t say that fridge,” came Reid’s voice. Avery looked up to see Reid standing now, smiling with his arms crossed. His eyes questioned Reid’s words, making Reid laugh. “I was thinking we could put it up on our fridge, in our apartment.”
It took a moment for the words to click but once they did Avery was practically bouncing.
“It’s ready?” he asked, his voice high in pitch from all the excitement. Reid nodded.
“Yep, already started moving stuff in. The furniture is all set, all we need now is to pack up our stuff here and we’ll be good to go.”
“That’s awesome!” Avery shouted. “When? Tomorrow? Tonight?”
Reid laughed, coming over and messing up Avery’s hair. “Tomorrow,” he said. “You’re still going to Natalie’s tomorrow, right?” he asked. Avery nodded. “Okay, well, her mom is supposed to drop you off at the apartment, I have to work on unpacking so I can’t come get you. There’s a box in our room; make sure you get everything you’re not taking to school in there or packed into your bags so I can have it in the car before I get you tomorrow.”
Avery nodded, leaving his paper on the table as he rushed off to the bedroom. Laughing quietly to himself, Reid shook his head and reached for the paper, smiling at it again as he proudly taped it to the fridge.
♦♦♦
Reid spent the better part of the day unloading boxes from his car and taking them inside, as well as sorting through all the boxes that had been delivered over the past few weeks. Luckily he’d been very particular about packing and every box was labeled. It amazed him, he realized with amusement as he carried one box and carefully pushed another with his foot into Avery’s bedroom, how much the two of them owned.
He worked on the kitchen first, of course, unpacking all of the dishes and figuring out how he wanted to organize the cabinets. They would go grocery shopping tomorrow, he decided, for once actually looking forward to the task. It took him longer than he expected and was joined partway through the tedious job by Katie for lunch. They ate in the living room, sitting on the couch which was still covered in plastic after being delivered from Dallas.
“I don’t see why you didn’t just buy a new couch,” sighed Katie as the plastic crinkled beneath her.
“Because I like this one,” Reid answered simply, and that had been that.
Shortly before three o’clock Reid had just about finished kitchen and had moved onto the bathroom and hall closet, stacking towels and setting up the hamper and aligning the tooth brushes and hanging the shower curtain. He was on the last hook of said curtain when he heard the door open.
“Wow!” came Avery’s voice.
Reid smiled, quickly finishing before making his way out of the bathroom and into the small hall. As he came into the living room he froze, surprised to see Natalie and Luke Snyder standing in his doorway.
“This is so cool, Reid!” said Avery happily.
“Come on, let’s fine your room,” suggested Natalie. Avery nodded and they raced past Reid, leaving him alone with Luke.
“Natalie offered to help Avery unpack. He said he didn’t think you’d mind,” Luke explained nervously, rubbing the back of his head with one hand and digging the other into his coat pocket. Reid blinked. “Dr. Oliver?”
“What?” said Reid. “Oh, yeah, I mean… sure, it’s fine,” he muttered, glancing down at himself. He was in old college sweats and a faded black t-shirt that even he knew was on the tight side. He refused to look at Luke for a moment, not wanting to know if the other man noticed this about his shirt, too.
“It looks great,” said Luke sincerely. Reid looked around, unable to hide a smile, his eyes finally landing on Luke.
“It’s a work in progress,” he shrugged.
Luke laughed quietly, looking just past Reid at the small pile of boxes lined up against the back of the couch. “Do you want some help with any of this?” he asked carefully.
Reid hesitated, glancing at the boxes himself.
“Yeah, sure, why not,” he answered awkwardly, sighing as he moved toward the boxes, trying not to watch from the corner of his eye as Luke pulled off his coat and hung it over a chair. A moment later the blond was joining him, pushing up his sleeves.
“So? What first?”
“Um,” was all Reid could manage at first. “That one,” he said, pointing to one of the boxes. Luke nodded and picked it up. Reid gave no further instruction but when he lifted his own box and began to walk away, Luke simply followed.
♦♦♦
For a moment Luke thought that Reid was directing them to his bedroom, especially when he noticed the box was marked “Reid’s.” He couldn’t help but frown a little when they entered their destination, only for him to find it filled with a large wooden desk, one wall lined with two matching bookshelves.
“Is this your office?” he asked, regretting the silly question as soon as it left his lips.
Reid grinned. “Observant,” he commented, sitting the box down on the desk. Luke sat his on the floor.
“Can you open that?” asked Reid, glancing over his shoulder at Luke as he opened his own box. Luke nodded and pulled back the cardboard flaps. Inside he saw picture frames, a little league trophy, a large mug, and other small trinkets. “Ah,” came Reid’s voice. “Trade.” Reid sat his box on the floor , holding out his arms for Luke’s box. Luke lifted it up to him and he pulled it onto the desk, leaving Luke with a box that appeared to be filled with books.
“What should I do with this?” Luke asked.
“Hmm? Oh, just… push that against the book case, I’ll arrange them later.”
♦♦♦
The next two hours continued in a similar fashion; Reid directing Luke on where to move boxes, including a few to Reid’s bedroom, and insisting he’d unpack them himself at another time. He did let Luke help to rearrange the living room a bit and set up the lamps, some books and other odd ball items in the main part of the house. Luke also helped Reid finish the kitchen, smiling as he watched Reid tape Avery’s project paper to the fridge.
“I think we’re just ordering pizza tonight,” announced Reid as Luke shifted through another box. “You and Natalie are welcome to join us.”
“Oh,” said Luke, startled. “That’s really nice of you, but, we wouldn’t want to intrude or something.”
“Nonsense,” sighed Reid. Luke waited, expecting more, but Reid said nothing further.
“Alright. Thank you.”
“Mmhmm,” muttered Reid, disappearing into the kitchen and picking up the phone.
♦♦♦
“Careful,” said Reid, his voice strained with frustration as he watched Luke balance on a far-from sturdy box, trying to lift something up onto the top shelf of the closet.
“Stop fussing,” called Luke. Reid rolled his eyes.
“I do have a step ladder somewhere, you know.”
“Don’t need it.”
“Yeah, well, don’t come crying to me when you … careful!”
Luke was suddenly falling backwards, his foot slipping on the squished cardboard beneath it. Reid sprang forward, instinctively reaching his arms out just in time to hook them behind Luke’s arms as he came toward him. It still wasn’t quite enough, though. The force from Luke’s fall sent them both backward, Reid’s back colliding with the floor and Luke landing awkwardly on top of him. Both men let out painful grunts, and Reid bit his tongue to keep from cursing too obscenely.
“Ouch,” groaned Luke, still sprawled slightly on top of Reid.
“Mmph,” coughed Reid, pushing up on Luke whose elbow was jamming into his chest. “Off.”
“Sorry!” said Luke, turning red as he crawled away, crouching beside Reid who was flat on the floor, one arm over his eyes and his mouth twisted angrily. “Are you okay?”
“Oh yeah, I just become intimately acquainted with my bedroom floor, but I’m just peachy,” he groaned. Luke actually laughed a little, sitting beside Reid.
“I’m sorry,” he said again. Reid moved his arm to chance a look at Luke, who was smiling down at him far too innocently.
“I told you so,” was all he said, causing both of them to laugh. Luke held out his arm, which Reid grabbed onto, letting the younger man help to pull him up. They were both sitting up now, Reid rotating his shoulders slightly to release the sudden tension. He realized quickly, though, that while the tension in his shoulders disappeared, it was quickly replaced by a new kind of tension, one that Reid was far too aware came from sitting so close to Luke.
Their bodies were only a few inches apart, still almost tangled together on the floor. Their faces were close, too close. Reid could feel Luke’s breath on his lips and it did things to his insides that he’d never admit to. Their eyes met and held on for a few moments before the sound of the doorbell and the yelling from Avery’s room immediately thereafter snapped them back.
“I should get that,” frowned Reid, groaning again as he forced himself to stand, stumbling out of the room.
Luke sat there a moment longer, eyes wide as he searched for an answer to what had just happened. Nothing, he told himself. Nothing had happened. He’d fallen down and knocked Reid down with him. Plain and simple.
So why was his stomach twisting into such wonderfully painful knots?