Fic
Title: Ringo, the Christmas Starr
Written By: fatherbananas
Category: Mostly general, with some Noah Who?
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Luke and Reid's first Christmas together, and Reid only has one tradition. Ringo the Christmas Starr is one of my own Christmas traditions. This fic is Train, What Train? and unbeta'd, but I proofread it. Will that do?
"It's the most wonderful time of the year," Luke says.
"No, that's Thanksgiving," Reid shoots back.
"Since when have you given thanks for anything?" Luke asks, raising an eyebrow.
"I am always thankful for turkey," Reid says.
Luke rolls his eyes, and returns to draping tinsel over the sizable Christmas tree. Reid makes a little disgusted noise, and Katie glares at him through a tangled mess of fairy lights.
"What is your problem? I don't like Christmas, it's not a crime," Reid snaps.
"You live in Oakdale now," Katie says, and of course that explains everything.
"Reid," Luke says, "I'm gonna be at the farm. Katie and Jacob are gonna be at the farm. Where else are you going to spend your Christmas?"
"The hospital."
"You're impossible," Luke groans, and throws a heap of tinsel at Reid.
"Eww, itchy!" Reid yells, shrugging the material off.
"How about a compromise?" Katie suggests. Reid regards her warily. "You can work at the hospital on Christmas morning."
"Katie!" Luke moans. Reid grins smugly at him.
"But," Katie continues, "you have to come to the farm for Christmas dinner."
"Is Emma cooking?" Reid asks. Luke nods. "Done."
"Great!" Katie grins. "We'll hold off giving presents until you get there."
"Wait, presents?" Reid splutters.
"You're kidding," Katie gasps. "Not even Luke?"
"Hold on a minute," Reid says. "I got for you guys and the kid, but I'm not buying anything for Lucinda Walsh. The woman has more money than I'll earn in a lifetime."
"So do I," Luke says.
"But you're hot."
Katie points to one pile of presents on the kitchen counter.
"Those are the gifts I'm taking to Bob and Kim's," she says. Reid sighs. "I know, Reid, but I have to see them."
"You're digging your own grave," Reid says.
"If I hadn't have broken up with Chris, he wouldn't have left for New York, and he wouldn't have got a new heart in time," Katie says. "Better that I drive him away than let him die. Besides, I have to see Margo."
"And these," Luke says, changing the subject, "are for the farm, along with whatever you buy."
Reid rolls his eyes again. "What about that?" he asks, pointing to a lone present on the floor.
"That's mine," Luke says. He takes a deep breath. "It's for Noah." Luke scrunches his face up, as if he expects Reid to scream at him. Reid watches him, amused, until Luke opens his eyes again.
"That's fine," Reid says. "You should send him something." Reid takes a bite from the leg of a gingerbread man.
"Reid," Katie moans. "Those are for Christmas."
"Taste test," Reid says. "He had to be sacrificed."
Luke grabs Reid's arm, tugging him away from the kitchen and over to the almost-completed Christmas tree.
"You don't mind that I bought Noah something?"
"Noah who?" Reid says with a shrug, then pulls Luke in for a kiss. Reid breaks away, and looks over at the tree. "It's missing something," he says, and dashes off to his bedroom. "My only Christmas tradition," he says as he returns, and slides a star over the top branch of the tree. As he moves away, Katie and Luke see it has a face stuck to it.
"Reid?" Katie asks. "Why is there a former Beatle on top of my tree?"
"Ringo the Christmas Starr," Reid says.
======
Reid has just managed to heave Holden and Lily's gift up the stairs to his and Katie's apartment when Luke pulls open the door.
"Hey," he says with a grin.
"Hey yourself," Reid replies, a little out of breath. He leans in for a quick kiss, which he receives, then turns back to the large, heavy box. Luke lets out a small squeal that Reid will tease him mercilessly for all night, and helps Reid to carry it inside.
"Don't get too excited," Reid says, collapsing on the couch. "We've got to take it back down in a couple of days. It's for your parents."
"Reid," Luke says, admiring the box. "You didn't have to go to this much trouble."
"Yes I did," Reid says. "If you're making me spend the holidays with your crazy family, I'm at least going to show them all up with my awesome gifts."
"You're so selfish," Luke laughs. He walks over to the refrigerator and pulls out a beer for Reid and a soda for himself.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Reid asks, accepting the beer. "Katie's at the station."
"Grimaldi Shipping's closed for the holidays," Luke says. "And I can work on the Foundation projects from home. So I offered to babysit."
"Do you ever go home?" Reid laughs. Luke stands up, an overemphasised pout on his lips.
"Well, now you're home I'll leave," he says. Reid drags him back down and wraps an arm around Luke's shoulders. Luke grins up at him and curls into his side.
"I wasn't complaining," Reid says. "I just don't want your mom getting on my case, saying that I'm stealing you away from her all Christmas."
"It's a good thing you are," Luke says. "The less I'm there, the more she can focus on making it work with dad."
"I liked Molly," Reid says thoughtfully. Luke slaps him on the arm. "But your mom's good too. Say, are those cookies?"
"Reid, don't!" Luke yells as Reid bites a chunk out of the cookie.
"Katie made those for Christmas."
"Everything's for Christmas!" Reid groans. "The doctor needs some sugar. Of the literal kind."
"Bad day?" Luke asks, trailing his fingers in patterns along Reid's arm. Reid finishes off the cookie, washing it down with a swig of beer. He leans back into the couch cushions once more, breathing in the smell of Katie's shampoo in Luke's hair as Luke's head rests against his shoulder.
"Tomorrow is my last scheduled surgery of the year."
"Oh," Luke says. "Do you want me to leave you to prepare?"
"No way," Reid says. "All I've done all day is prepare and drag around a giant box. I need to relax."
"Well, I can tell you that Ringo the Christmas Starr is a very calming influence," Luke says. "I got all the stockings finished under his pleasant stare."
"You have stockings?" Reid scoffs. "Like, with names sewn in?"
"Sure!" Luke says with a grin. He bounds up, dashing to Reid's bedroom, and returns a few moments later with a bag full of material. "Things were a bit crazy last year with Brad and with Noah, so this year is my first chance to make stockings for Jacob and Katie. But then I thought that we couldn't all have stockings and not you, so..." Luke grins sheepishly and hands the large sock over.
"It's black," Reid says, running his hand over the soft material.
"I thought it would be appropriate," Luke chuckles a little. "The stitching is hardly to a surgeon's standards, but it is legible."
Reid's fingers trace the ramshackle stitching of a large "R", and he looks up at Luke with that dopey grin he once caught a glimpse of in the mirror that made him feel sick.
"How are you so disgustingly sweet?" he asks.
"Because you secretly love it," Luke says. "And because you love me so much, how about you tell me what this awesome gift you bought my parents is?"
"No," Reid says. "It's a surprise."
"Fine," Luke says. He pulls Reid to his feet.
"The why don't we go to the bedroom and relax together?" Luke pulls him in for a slow, deep kiss, his fingers fumbling at the buttons of Reid's shirt. Reid's hands travel down to the curves of Reid's ass, palms pressing against the cheeks to pull Luke closer. They're interrupted by a phone ringing, and Reid turns his head, picking up Luke's cell. Luke seizes the opportunity to attack Reid's neck as Reid checks the display.
"It's Noah," he says.
"Noah who?" Luke mumbles into his neck. Reid laughs, tossing the cell back onto the couch and following Luke into the bedroom.
=====
Henry Coleman is sleeping. Reid picks up his chart and scans over it quickly. Susan's done a good job with him, and Reid thinks he should be discharged before Christmas Day. Barbara is outside, fetching coffee for herself and Emily, when Reid slips his hand into his pocket. He pulls out the small lump of coal, a neat red bow fastened around it, and sets it down on Henry's bedside table. He makes a few more notes on Henry's chart, then picks up one of the cards littering the room. He recognises it as one of Katie's, and is not at all surprised to see his name on it. He clicks his pen and adds a good-natured insult to a bit of white space. Without realising, he draws a little picture of Ringo Starr's face. He's not sure how he'll explain that one.
Slipping out of Henry's room, Reid continues his rounds. He leaves a box of tissues at the nurses’ station for Gretchen, though there are chocolates inside (Luke's idea). He leaves a small jewellery box in Susan's office, and in the closet, he leaves a selection of DVDs for Casey. Reid throws himself into Christmas. It amuses him to find the staff are even more cautious of him when he is being nice.
His final stop on his rounds is his last surgery of the year. Walter Evans is still unconscious, and is likely to be throughout Christmas. His wife, children and grandchildren are all spending Christmas Day in the hospital. After checking his vitals, Reid peers out of the window, making sure no one is watching, and hangs the wreath on Walter's door. He pulls the gifts from the Snyder Foundation out of his bag, and piles them up next to Walter's bed. When he catches himself smiling, he hurries out of the room, seeking out someone incompetent-looking to make him feel himself again.
=====
=====
After a long day of overly sentimental families thanking Reid for letting their loved ones see another Christmas, the sight of Holden Snyder dressed as Santa almost sends him into uncontrollable hysterics. Holden seems to be going for Sexy Santa: tight red suit, hair impeccably styled beneath his hat and even a goatee white beard. Reid guesses it's all for Lily's benefit, but it may be the most ridiculous thing he has ever seen.
Katie pulls him through the door before Reid decides which sarcastic jibe to go for first. So many are floating through his head, Reid feels his Christmas has been made already.
"Say nothing," Katie mutters to him. "Jack laughed at him before and he's been put on babysitting duty for the rest of the night."
"But...Katie!" Reid splutters. "How am I supposed to pass up this opportunity?" He looks back over at Holden, who grins at him broadly beneath his ridiculous beard, then returns to helping Emma with the stuffing.
Katie smiles. "Luke's outside."
Reid lets himself back out onto the porch and spots Luke a little further ahead. He's sat, back to him, in a good few inches of snow, and by the looks of things, is on his cell. Reid hugs his coat to himself, tucking his chin into his scarf, and heads back out into the bitter cold. He steps in Luke's footprints, not wanting to disturb any more of the pristine snow around him. He reaches Luke just as he is ending his call, and clears his throat loudly.
"Noah?" he asks, as Luke turns around, eyes wide.
"What?" he says, a little startled. Then his face relaxes a little. "Oh, no. Will and Gwen." He shivers a little. "So, how was work?"
"Exhausting," Reid admits. "But I powered through it because I'm awesome." Reid reaches out a hand to help Luke to his feet, but Luke stumbles and sends Reid crashing into the snow.
Reid is freezing cold, wet and shivering. He is wearing too few layers and his nose is already running. But he can hear Luke's giggle, can feel his weight and the heat of his body covering him. Luke's face enters his field of vision, body still flung over Reid's own. "Sorry," he laughs.
Luke's nose and cheeks are flushed pink with the cold, and a white bobble hat (knitted, with blue snowflakes) hides his hair. Reid reaches up and flicks at the bobble, grinning. Luke's gloved hand rests on Reid's cheek and Reid sees Luke's breath as it escapes his mouth to warm Reid's face.
"Merry Christmas," Reid says, his icy hands sliding inside Luke's coat.
"Bah, humbug," Luke says back, and moves in for a kiss.
Luke's lips are cold and chapped, and Reid's tongue runs along the broken skin. Luke presses his whole weight into the kiss, pushing Reid deeper into the good few inches of snow. Back at the house, Reid can hear Ethan asking where Luke is, and tries to pull Luke even closer, to bury themselves entirely in the snow. He's not quite ready to go inside yet.
Luke breaks away from Reid's lips to attach himself to the stretch of skin between Reid's earlobe and his neck. "First Christmas together," he says between light kisses.
"Mm-hmm," Reid moans.
"Love you," Luke says. Reid takes Luke's face in his hands, looks him deep in the eyes and puts on the most menacing scowl he can muster while his teeth are chattering.
"I'm risking a whole manner of illnesses for this," he says.
"Well, I'd better make it worth your while," Luke says with a mischievous grin, pushing down his hips a little.
Reid squirms at the pressure. "Not here, I wasn't joking about the illnesses." He nudges Luke's red nose with his own. "Besides, Rudolf, I'd rather fuck you under the Christmas tree later."
"Really?" Luke laughs.
"Yeah," Reid says. "I figure Ringo the Christmas Starr likes to watch."
"And how do you work that one out?"
"Well," Reid says, looking up in mock concentration. "We're very hot together, and he has no choice."
"This is true. You are very smart," Luke says.
"That's why you love me."
"I love you 'cause you fuck me," Luke laughs.
"I'm not sure if you were insulting me, Noah, or complimenting my exceptional bedroom skill," Reid says.
Luke sits up. "Oh, the latter. And this is our first Christmas. The N word is banned."
"I should think so," Reid says, staggering to his feet. Luke follows. "It's very insulting."
"Reid," Luke warns.
"I know," Reid says. "Now, much as I'd like to stay out here kissing you, you're starting to turn blue. I don't want a blue boyfriend." Reid slips an arm around Luke's waist, and the two huddle together as they trudge back through the snow to the house. They pass Carly and Lily on the porch, and Carly catches Reid's eye and winks.
"You stay here," Luke tells Reid. "I'm gonna find some dry clothes. I'm sure you left some here last time." Luke heads to the stairs, chuckling quietly as he passes Holden, and Reid makes his way over to the gingerbread men. They're vastly superior to Katie's attempt, and Reid is close to hiring Emma to cook every single one of his meals, when he overhears a snippet of Lily and Carly's conversation.
"He's happy, Carly. I've never seen him like this. Not even with Noah!"
"Noah who? You need to stop comparing them."
"What do you mean?"
"Look, I understand the way Luke's mind works. Even after all this time, the desire to drink is there. I used to see it in Luke a lot."
"He's a lot better these days."
"Because he's not blaming himself for everything anymore, and when did that start? When he met Reid."
"I suppose."
"Lily, I know how much you love Noah, I do too. But let's face it, he wasn't good for Luke."
"I don't know. They were happy too."
"But not happy enough. I know how Luke feels, because it's how I feel when I'm with Jack. All that stuff from the past just doesn't matter anymore."
"I guess you're right. Now I'm back with Holden, I barely think about Damian."
"Exactly my point. Plus, Reid's kinda...ridiculously attractive."
"Oh, I know. If I was a few years younger..."
Reid steps away from the window before the idea of what his boyfriend's mother wants to do to him has him puking up his gingerbread man, and comes face-to-face with Katie.
"It's rude to eavesdrop."
"Oh, as if you weren't listening too."
=====
Reid feels like he won't eat again for a week. Of course, he did polish off the majority of the turkey, to the amazement of the Snyders. He thinks he may be Emma's favourite person ever now.
Reid is relaxing on the couch, Luke snuggled into his side, watching Katie as she plays with Jacob. He's absentmindedly tracing circles on Luke's waist with his thumb, with Luke's hand resting against his chest. Reid's eyes flick over to Faith and Parker, who are mimicking their exact positioning on the chair to their right. Reid snorts into Luke's hair, which only causes Luke to press closer to him, nuzzling Reid's jaw.
A small army of Snyders swarm into the room, led by a now-beardless Holden. "Faith, stop that."
"You're not telling Luke to stop," Faith snaps.
"Luke is an adult," Holden answers back. "And wasn't texting all through the carols."
"You guys sing carols?" Reid whispers.
"I sounded quite angelic," Luke says. Reid rolls his eyes.
Natalie gives Reid's sleeve a little tug. "Luke and Katie wanted us to wait to open presents, but then Ethan cried," she says. "But we have presents for you!" she grins, and tosses Reid's black stocking onto his lap. Luke sits up as Reid peers inside.
"It's a sock full of candy," Reid says.
"They're from the kids," Luke explains. "Your bottomless stomach has become somewhat notorious."
"Oh right," Reid says, then, almost as an afterthought, "thanks."
"This is from me and Lily," Holden says, handing over an expertly wrapped gift. Reid tears through the wrapping with little thought for the exquisite bow and laughs.
"How To Lose Friends and Alienate People," he reads. "As if I needed guidance."
"We've all bought you Christmas presents," Lily points out. "I think you've lost the knack."
"Touché ," Reid says.
"Me next!" Katie calls out, and passes two presents over to him. He unwraps the first, and cries out.
"It's a new Ringo!" he cheers. Luke snatches it from his hands and dashes over to the tree, replacing the angel with a sequinned and delicately made star, Ringo's face painted onto it. Reid has absolutely no idea who made it, because she certainly didn't paint that herself.
"What on earth..." Lucinda begins.
"Long story," Reid says, and opens his next gift.
"It's dumb, I know," Katie says, her cheeks a little red. "I know you'll hate it, but Henry made one of these for me when Brad died, and..."
Katie's voice trails off as Reid flicks through the pages of the photo album. Inside are all the photographs of Reid's lost patients, with the names and notes he's scribbled on the back written next to them in an elegant cursive script. Some of those he saved are in there too, the most memorable ones.
"It's great, Katie," he says. "Really." He turns to the last page. The photo is of Reid, huddled over medical journals at their kitchen counter, huge sandwich in both hands. Bon appetit!, Katie has written beneath it.
"Can I go now?" Luke says, looking a little sheepish. Reid pats the couch for Luke to sit back down, and Luke hands the box over a little nervously. "I didn't have time to wrap it."
Reid can see that it's a jewellery box, and he has to force himself not to roll his eyes. Luke wouldn't. Would he?
"Open it, then!" Katie urges, obviously thinking the same thing Reid is. He lifts the lid slowly, and is greeted with possibly the most expensive-looking, beautiful silver watch he has ever laid eyes upon.
"I didn't know what else to get. You're ridiculously hard to buy for."
Reid slips the watch out of the box, and spots the inscription on the back. Urban cowboy.
"Are you serious?" Reid asks, incredulous.
"Well, that was our first kiss."
"I should have known there was a sentimental reason," Reid groans, but kisses Luke all the same. When they break away, Luke fastens the watch onto Reid's wrist. "Did you bring my presents?" he asks.
"Yeah," Luke says. "Ethan and Natalie got a little too excited and already opened theirs, but everyone else waited."
"Reid got me a Transformer!" Ethan announces to everyone.
"Okay, Faith," Reid says. "Wherever Luke put your present, open it."
Faith huffs a little at Reid's offhand manner, but nevertheless smiles when she takes her present out from under the tree.
"Luke told me you like Twilight," he says as Faith unwraps her copy of Eclipse. "I think it's an abomination myself, but enjoy it all the same."
"I will," Faith says. Parker sighs.
"Mom, dad," Luke says. "That big one's for you."
Ethan and Natalie charge forward to tear off the wrapping paper, and Reid grins smugly when he hears Natalie's squeal.
"A flatscreen TV?" Luke gasps. "Reid, that's too much."
"I told you," Reid says with a shrug of his shoulders, "when I buy presents, they're awesome."
"That's very generous of you," Lily says, "thank you."
Luke hands Reid another present. "Katie, this is for the brat," Reid says, and gives her Jacob's present. Katie unwraps it for him to reveal a brand new teddy bear. "I'm sick of stitching up his other one," he explains. "And as for you, I don't have anything to give you physically," Reid tells her. "But I've paid for you to have a weekend away at a spa in Chicago with Margo. I'll look after Jacob."
"Seriously?" Katie grins. "I have the best roommate ever. Don't I have the best roommate ever?" Katie passes Jacob to Carly, and gets up to kiss Reid on the cheek.
"Okay, I can't take it anymore," Carly says. "What did you get Luke?"
Reid silently slips a box out of his pocket, thankful that he didn't leave it in his wet clothes, and passes it over to Luke. The box is almost identical to the one Luke presented his watch in, and it amuses Reid to see Luke's eyes grow as wide as his must have.
Luke takes a sharp intake of breath and opens the box. "It's a key," he says, confused.
"Oh my God, he bought you a car!" Faith cries.
"Not quite," Reid says. "Listen. Katie and I have been talking, and we agreed it might be quite good if you, y'know, didn't have to keep going home all the time."
"Uh-huh."
Reid gulps. "I'm asking you - if you want to, of course - to move in with me."
Luke flips the box shut and stares at it for a few moments. Reid tucks his hands behind his knees to stop them trembling. Then, without warning, Luke dives on him, pushing Reid into the cushions of the couch, pressing deep, bruising kisses against his lips, his hands tangled in Reid's hair. Reid's hands rest on Luke's hips, his tongue tasting the mixture of candy and sparkling cider in Luke's mouth, and he groans, deep and guttural, as Luke sighs into his mouth.
"Oh come on, you let them do that!" Faith yells. Luke pulls away from the kiss with a mumbled apology, but doesn't move from his position half on Reid's lap, his fingers curling lazily in Reid's hair.
"Oh Luke, I forgot," Lily says. "This came from Noah."
"I'll open it later," Luke says, his eyes not leaving Reid's for a second.
=====
Katie slips her keys out of her pocket when they reach the front door. "I'm beat," she sighs. "Whatever you two are gonna do to each other, try to keep the noise down."
"Wait," Reid says, just as Katie is about to put her key in the lock. "Maybe we should let Luke test his present." Luke kisses Reid's cheek and opens the box, then unlocks the door. Katie dashes past them, with Jacob, and heads straight to her bedroom.
Luke enters the apartment as if seeing it for the first time. Reid gently closes the door behind them, and folds his arms.
"Am I amazing, or am I amazing?" Reid asks.
"You're more than amazing," Luke answers. "I have to tell Casey about this."
"Maybe wait until tomorrow, huh," Reid steps closer to Luke, interlocking their fingers. "So," he says, his voice low. "Ringo's watching."
"Well, sorry to disappoint him, but there'll be nothing for him to see."
Reid pouts. Luke laughs.
"It's my first night in my new apartment," Luke explains. "I want to spend it in our bed."
"Okay," Reid says, and kisses him once. Keeping one hand in Luke's, he rummages inside his stocking, pulling out Katie's new Ringo the Christmas Starr. "He can watch from the dresser."
"Merry Christmas," Luke says, and pulls Reid in the direction of the bedroom.
"Bah, humbug," Reid calls out, shutting the door behind him.
Written By: fatherbananas
Category: Mostly general, with some Noah Who?
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Luke and Reid's first Christmas together, and Reid only has one tradition. Ringo the Christmas Starr is one of my own Christmas traditions. This fic is Train, What Train? and unbeta'd, but I proofread it. Will that do?
"It's the most wonderful time of the year," Luke says.
"No, that's Thanksgiving," Reid shoots back.
"Since when have you given thanks for anything?" Luke asks, raising an eyebrow.
"I am always thankful for turkey," Reid says.
Luke rolls his eyes, and returns to draping tinsel over the sizable Christmas tree. Reid makes a little disgusted noise, and Katie glares at him through a tangled mess of fairy lights.
"What is your problem? I don't like Christmas, it's not a crime," Reid snaps.
"You live in Oakdale now," Katie says, and of course that explains everything.
"Reid," Luke says, "I'm gonna be at the farm. Katie and Jacob are gonna be at the farm. Where else are you going to spend your Christmas?"
"The hospital."
"You're impossible," Luke groans, and throws a heap of tinsel at Reid.
"Eww, itchy!" Reid yells, shrugging the material off.
"How about a compromise?" Katie suggests. Reid regards her warily. "You can work at the hospital on Christmas morning."
"Katie!" Luke moans. Reid grins smugly at him.
"But," Katie continues, "you have to come to the farm for Christmas dinner."
"Is Emma cooking?" Reid asks. Luke nods. "Done."
"Great!" Katie grins. "We'll hold off giving presents until you get there."
"Wait, presents?" Reid splutters.
"You're kidding," Katie gasps. "Not even Luke?"
"Hold on a minute," Reid says. "I got for you guys and the kid, but I'm not buying anything for Lucinda Walsh. The woman has more money than I'll earn in a lifetime."
"So do I," Luke says.
"But you're hot."
Katie points to one pile of presents on the kitchen counter.
"Those are the gifts I'm taking to Bob and Kim's," she says. Reid sighs. "I know, Reid, but I have to see them."
"You're digging your own grave," Reid says.
"If I hadn't have broken up with Chris, he wouldn't have left for New York, and he wouldn't have got a new heart in time," Katie says. "Better that I drive him away than let him die. Besides, I have to see Margo."
"And these," Luke says, changing the subject, "are for the farm, along with whatever you buy."
Reid rolls his eyes again. "What about that?" he asks, pointing to a lone present on the floor.
"That's mine," Luke says. He takes a deep breath. "It's for Noah." Luke scrunches his face up, as if he expects Reid to scream at him. Reid watches him, amused, until Luke opens his eyes again.
"That's fine," Reid says. "You should send him something." Reid takes a bite from the leg of a gingerbread man.
"Reid," Katie moans. "Those are for Christmas."
"Taste test," Reid says. "He had to be sacrificed."
Luke grabs Reid's arm, tugging him away from the kitchen and over to the almost-completed Christmas tree.
"You don't mind that I bought Noah something?"
"Noah who?" Reid says with a shrug, then pulls Luke in for a kiss. Reid breaks away, and looks over at the tree. "It's missing something," he says, and dashes off to his bedroom. "My only Christmas tradition," he says as he returns, and slides a star over the top branch of the tree. As he moves away, Katie and Luke see it has a face stuck to it.
"Reid?" Katie asks. "Why is there a former Beatle on top of my tree?"
"Ringo the Christmas Starr," Reid says.
======
Reid has just managed to heave Holden and Lily's gift up the stairs to his and Katie's apartment when Luke pulls open the door.
"Hey," he says with a grin.
"Hey yourself," Reid replies, a little out of breath. He leans in for a quick kiss, which he receives, then turns back to the large, heavy box. Luke lets out a small squeal that Reid will tease him mercilessly for all night, and helps Reid to carry it inside.
"Don't get too excited," Reid says, collapsing on the couch. "We've got to take it back down in a couple of days. It's for your parents."
"Reid," Luke says, admiring the box. "You didn't have to go to this much trouble."
"Yes I did," Reid says. "If you're making me spend the holidays with your crazy family, I'm at least going to show them all up with my awesome gifts."
"You're so selfish," Luke laughs. He walks over to the refrigerator and pulls out a beer for Reid and a soda for himself.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Reid asks, accepting the beer. "Katie's at the station."
"Grimaldi Shipping's closed for the holidays," Luke says. "And I can work on the Foundation projects from home. So I offered to babysit."
"Do you ever go home?" Reid laughs. Luke stands up, an overemphasised pout on his lips.
"Well, now you're home I'll leave," he says. Reid drags him back down and wraps an arm around Luke's shoulders. Luke grins up at him and curls into his side.
"I wasn't complaining," Reid says. "I just don't want your mom getting on my case, saying that I'm stealing you away from her all Christmas."
"It's a good thing you are," Luke says. "The less I'm there, the more she can focus on making it work with dad."
"I liked Molly," Reid says thoughtfully. Luke slaps him on the arm. "But your mom's good too. Say, are those cookies?"
"Reid, don't!" Luke yells as Reid bites a chunk out of the cookie.
"Katie made those for Christmas."
"Everything's for Christmas!" Reid groans. "The doctor needs some sugar. Of the literal kind."
"Bad day?" Luke asks, trailing his fingers in patterns along Reid's arm. Reid finishes off the cookie, washing it down with a swig of beer. He leans back into the couch cushions once more, breathing in the smell of Katie's shampoo in Luke's hair as Luke's head rests against his shoulder.
"Tomorrow is my last scheduled surgery of the year."
"Oh," Luke says. "Do you want me to leave you to prepare?"
"No way," Reid says. "All I've done all day is prepare and drag around a giant box. I need to relax."
"Well, I can tell you that Ringo the Christmas Starr is a very calming influence," Luke says. "I got all the stockings finished under his pleasant stare."
"You have stockings?" Reid scoffs. "Like, with names sewn in?"
"Sure!" Luke says with a grin. He bounds up, dashing to Reid's bedroom, and returns a few moments later with a bag full of material. "Things were a bit crazy last year with Brad and with Noah, so this year is my first chance to make stockings for Jacob and Katie. But then I thought that we couldn't all have stockings and not you, so..." Luke grins sheepishly and hands the large sock over.
"It's black," Reid says, running his hand over the soft material.
"I thought it would be appropriate," Luke chuckles a little. "The stitching is hardly to a surgeon's standards, but it is legible."
Reid's fingers trace the ramshackle stitching of a large "R", and he looks up at Luke with that dopey grin he once caught a glimpse of in the mirror that made him feel sick.
"How are you so disgustingly sweet?" he asks.
"Because you secretly love it," Luke says. "And because you love me so much, how about you tell me what this awesome gift you bought my parents is?"
"No," Reid says. "It's a surprise."
"Fine," Luke says. He pulls Reid to his feet.
"The why don't we go to the bedroom and relax together?" Luke pulls him in for a slow, deep kiss, his fingers fumbling at the buttons of Reid's shirt. Reid's hands travel down to the curves of Reid's ass, palms pressing against the cheeks to pull Luke closer. They're interrupted by a phone ringing, and Reid turns his head, picking up Luke's cell. Luke seizes the opportunity to attack Reid's neck as Reid checks the display.
"It's Noah," he says.
"Noah who?" Luke mumbles into his neck. Reid laughs, tossing the cell back onto the couch and following Luke into the bedroom.
=====
Henry Coleman is sleeping. Reid picks up his chart and scans over it quickly. Susan's done a good job with him, and Reid thinks he should be discharged before Christmas Day. Barbara is outside, fetching coffee for herself and Emily, when Reid slips his hand into his pocket. He pulls out the small lump of coal, a neat red bow fastened around it, and sets it down on Henry's bedside table. He makes a few more notes on Henry's chart, then picks up one of the cards littering the room. He recognises it as one of Katie's, and is not at all surprised to see his name on it. He clicks his pen and adds a good-natured insult to a bit of white space. Without realising, he draws a little picture of Ringo Starr's face. He's not sure how he'll explain that one.
Slipping out of Henry's room, Reid continues his rounds. He leaves a box of tissues at the nurses’ station for Gretchen, though there are chocolates inside (Luke's idea). He leaves a small jewellery box in Susan's office, and in the closet, he leaves a selection of DVDs for Casey. Reid throws himself into Christmas. It amuses him to find the staff are even more cautious of him when he is being nice.
His final stop on his rounds is his last surgery of the year. Walter Evans is still unconscious, and is likely to be throughout Christmas. His wife, children and grandchildren are all spending Christmas Day in the hospital. After checking his vitals, Reid peers out of the window, making sure no one is watching, and hangs the wreath on Walter's door. He pulls the gifts from the Snyder Foundation out of his bag, and piles them up next to Walter's bed. When he catches himself smiling, he hurries out of the room, seeking out someone incompetent-looking to make him feel himself again.
=====
=====
After a long day of overly sentimental families thanking Reid for letting their loved ones see another Christmas, the sight of Holden Snyder dressed as Santa almost sends him into uncontrollable hysterics. Holden seems to be going for Sexy Santa: tight red suit, hair impeccably styled beneath his hat and even a goatee white beard. Reid guesses it's all for Lily's benefit, but it may be the most ridiculous thing he has ever seen.
Katie pulls him through the door before Reid decides which sarcastic jibe to go for first. So many are floating through his head, Reid feels his Christmas has been made already.
"Say nothing," Katie mutters to him. "Jack laughed at him before and he's been put on babysitting duty for the rest of the night."
"But...Katie!" Reid splutters. "How am I supposed to pass up this opportunity?" He looks back over at Holden, who grins at him broadly beneath his ridiculous beard, then returns to helping Emma with the stuffing.
Katie smiles. "Luke's outside."
Reid lets himself back out onto the porch and spots Luke a little further ahead. He's sat, back to him, in a good few inches of snow, and by the looks of things, is on his cell. Reid hugs his coat to himself, tucking his chin into his scarf, and heads back out into the bitter cold. He steps in Luke's footprints, not wanting to disturb any more of the pristine snow around him. He reaches Luke just as he is ending his call, and clears his throat loudly.
"Noah?" he asks, as Luke turns around, eyes wide.
"What?" he says, a little startled. Then his face relaxes a little. "Oh, no. Will and Gwen." He shivers a little. "So, how was work?"
"Exhausting," Reid admits. "But I powered through it because I'm awesome." Reid reaches out a hand to help Luke to his feet, but Luke stumbles and sends Reid crashing into the snow.
Reid is freezing cold, wet and shivering. He is wearing too few layers and his nose is already running. But he can hear Luke's giggle, can feel his weight and the heat of his body covering him. Luke's face enters his field of vision, body still flung over Reid's own. "Sorry," he laughs.
Luke's nose and cheeks are flushed pink with the cold, and a white bobble hat (knitted, with blue snowflakes) hides his hair. Reid reaches up and flicks at the bobble, grinning. Luke's gloved hand rests on Reid's cheek and Reid sees Luke's breath as it escapes his mouth to warm Reid's face.
"Merry Christmas," Reid says, his icy hands sliding inside Luke's coat.
"Bah, humbug," Luke says back, and moves in for a kiss.
Luke's lips are cold and chapped, and Reid's tongue runs along the broken skin. Luke presses his whole weight into the kiss, pushing Reid deeper into the good few inches of snow. Back at the house, Reid can hear Ethan asking where Luke is, and tries to pull Luke even closer, to bury themselves entirely in the snow. He's not quite ready to go inside yet.
Luke breaks away from Reid's lips to attach himself to the stretch of skin between Reid's earlobe and his neck. "First Christmas together," he says between light kisses.
"Mm-hmm," Reid moans.
"Love you," Luke says. Reid takes Luke's face in his hands, looks him deep in the eyes and puts on the most menacing scowl he can muster while his teeth are chattering.
"I'm risking a whole manner of illnesses for this," he says.
"Well, I'd better make it worth your while," Luke says with a mischievous grin, pushing down his hips a little.
Reid squirms at the pressure. "Not here, I wasn't joking about the illnesses." He nudges Luke's red nose with his own. "Besides, Rudolf, I'd rather fuck you under the Christmas tree later."
"Really?" Luke laughs.
"Yeah," Reid says. "I figure Ringo the Christmas Starr likes to watch."
"And how do you work that one out?"
"Well," Reid says, looking up in mock concentration. "We're very hot together, and he has no choice."
"This is true. You are very smart," Luke says.
"That's why you love me."
"I love you 'cause you fuck me," Luke laughs.
"I'm not sure if you were insulting me, Noah, or complimenting my exceptional bedroom skill," Reid says.
Luke sits up. "Oh, the latter. And this is our first Christmas. The N word is banned."
"I should think so," Reid says, staggering to his feet. Luke follows. "It's very insulting."
"Reid," Luke warns.
"I know," Reid says. "Now, much as I'd like to stay out here kissing you, you're starting to turn blue. I don't want a blue boyfriend." Reid slips an arm around Luke's waist, and the two huddle together as they trudge back through the snow to the house. They pass Carly and Lily on the porch, and Carly catches Reid's eye and winks.
"You stay here," Luke tells Reid. "I'm gonna find some dry clothes. I'm sure you left some here last time." Luke heads to the stairs, chuckling quietly as he passes Holden, and Reid makes his way over to the gingerbread men. They're vastly superior to Katie's attempt, and Reid is close to hiring Emma to cook every single one of his meals, when he overhears a snippet of Lily and Carly's conversation.
"He's happy, Carly. I've never seen him like this. Not even with Noah!"
"Noah who? You need to stop comparing them."
"What do you mean?"
"Look, I understand the way Luke's mind works. Even after all this time, the desire to drink is there. I used to see it in Luke a lot."
"He's a lot better these days."
"Because he's not blaming himself for everything anymore, and when did that start? When he met Reid."
"I suppose."
"Lily, I know how much you love Noah, I do too. But let's face it, he wasn't good for Luke."
"I don't know. They were happy too."
"But not happy enough. I know how Luke feels, because it's how I feel when I'm with Jack. All that stuff from the past just doesn't matter anymore."
"I guess you're right. Now I'm back with Holden, I barely think about Damian."
"Exactly my point. Plus, Reid's kinda...ridiculously attractive."
"Oh, I know. If I was a few years younger..."
Reid steps away from the window before the idea of what his boyfriend's mother wants to do to him has him puking up his gingerbread man, and comes face-to-face with Katie.
"It's rude to eavesdrop."
"Oh, as if you weren't listening too."
=====
Reid feels like he won't eat again for a week. Of course, he did polish off the majority of the turkey, to the amazement of the Snyders. He thinks he may be Emma's favourite person ever now.
Reid is relaxing on the couch, Luke snuggled into his side, watching Katie as she plays with Jacob. He's absentmindedly tracing circles on Luke's waist with his thumb, with Luke's hand resting against his chest. Reid's eyes flick over to Faith and Parker, who are mimicking their exact positioning on the chair to their right. Reid snorts into Luke's hair, which only causes Luke to press closer to him, nuzzling Reid's jaw.
A small army of Snyders swarm into the room, led by a now-beardless Holden. "Faith, stop that."
"You're not telling Luke to stop," Faith snaps.
"Luke is an adult," Holden answers back. "And wasn't texting all through the carols."
"You guys sing carols?" Reid whispers.
"I sounded quite angelic," Luke says. Reid rolls his eyes.
Natalie gives Reid's sleeve a little tug. "Luke and Katie wanted us to wait to open presents, but then Ethan cried," she says. "But we have presents for you!" she grins, and tosses Reid's black stocking onto his lap. Luke sits up as Reid peers inside.
"It's a sock full of candy," Reid says.
"They're from the kids," Luke explains. "Your bottomless stomach has become somewhat notorious."
"Oh right," Reid says, then, almost as an afterthought, "thanks."
"This is from me and Lily," Holden says, handing over an expertly wrapped gift. Reid tears through the wrapping with little thought for the exquisite bow and laughs.
"How To Lose Friends and Alienate People," he reads. "As if I needed guidance."
"We've all bought you Christmas presents," Lily points out. "I think you've lost the knack."
"Touché ," Reid says.
"Me next!" Katie calls out, and passes two presents over to him. He unwraps the first, and cries out.
"It's a new Ringo!" he cheers. Luke snatches it from his hands and dashes over to the tree, replacing the angel with a sequinned and delicately made star, Ringo's face painted onto it. Reid has absolutely no idea who made it, because she certainly didn't paint that herself.
"What on earth..." Lucinda begins.
"Long story," Reid says, and opens his next gift.
"It's dumb, I know," Katie says, her cheeks a little red. "I know you'll hate it, but Henry made one of these for me when Brad died, and..."
Katie's voice trails off as Reid flicks through the pages of the photo album. Inside are all the photographs of Reid's lost patients, with the names and notes he's scribbled on the back written next to them in an elegant cursive script. Some of those he saved are in there too, the most memorable ones.
"It's great, Katie," he says. "Really." He turns to the last page. The photo is of Reid, huddled over medical journals at their kitchen counter, huge sandwich in both hands. Bon appetit!, Katie has written beneath it.
"Can I go now?" Luke says, looking a little sheepish. Reid pats the couch for Luke to sit back down, and Luke hands the box over a little nervously. "I didn't have time to wrap it."
Reid can see that it's a jewellery box, and he has to force himself not to roll his eyes. Luke wouldn't. Would he?
"Open it, then!" Katie urges, obviously thinking the same thing Reid is. He lifts the lid slowly, and is greeted with possibly the most expensive-looking, beautiful silver watch he has ever laid eyes upon.
"I didn't know what else to get. You're ridiculously hard to buy for."
Reid slips the watch out of the box, and spots the inscription on the back. Urban cowboy.
"Are you serious?" Reid asks, incredulous.
"Well, that was our first kiss."
"I should have known there was a sentimental reason," Reid groans, but kisses Luke all the same. When they break away, Luke fastens the watch onto Reid's wrist. "Did you bring my presents?" he asks.
"Yeah," Luke says. "Ethan and Natalie got a little too excited and already opened theirs, but everyone else waited."
"Reid got me a Transformer!" Ethan announces to everyone.
"Okay, Faith," Reid says. "Wherever Luke put your present, open it."
Faith huffs a little at Reid's offhand manner, but nevertheless smiles when she takes her present out from under the tree.
"Luke told me you like Twilight," he says as Faith unwraps her copy of Eclipse. "I think it's an abomination myself, but enjoy it all the same."
"I will," Faith says. Parker sighs.
"Mom, dad," Luke says. "That big one's for you."
Ethan and Natalie charge forward to tear off the wrapping paper, and Reid grins smugly when he hears Natalie's squeal.
"A flatscreen TV?" Luke gasps. "Reid, that's too much."
"I told you," Reid says with a shrug of his shoulders, "when I buy presents, they're awesome."
"That's very generous of you," Lily says, "thank you."
Luke hands Reid another present. "Katie, this is for the brat," Reid says, and gives her Jacob's present. Katie unwraps it for him to reveal a brand new teddy bear. "I'm sick of stitching up his other one," he explains. "And as for you, I don't have anything to give you physically," Reid tells her. "But I've paid for you to have a weekend away at a spa in Chicago with Margo. I'll look after Jacob."
"Seriously?" Katie grins. "I have the best roommate ever. Don't I have the best roommate ever?" Katie passes Jacob to Carly, and gets up to kiss Reid on the cheek.
"Okay, I can't take it anymore," Carly says. "What did you get Luke?"
Reid silently slips a box out of his pocket, thankful that he didn't leave it in his wet clothes, and passes it over to Luke. The box is almost identical to the one Luke presented his watch in, and it amuses Reid to see Luke's eyes grow as wide as his must have.
Luke takes a sharp intake of breath and opens the box. "It's a key," he says, confused.
"Oh my God, he bought you a car!" Faith cries.
"Not quite," Reid says. "Listen. Katie and I have been talking, and we agreed it might be quite good if you, y'know, didn't have to keep going home all the time."
"Uh-huh."
Reid gulps. "I'm asking you - if you want to, of course - to move in with me."
Luke flips the box shut and stares at it for a few moments. Reid tucks his hands behind his knees to stop them trembling. Then, without warning, Luke dives on him, pushing Reid into the cushions of the couch, pressing deep, bruising kisses against his lips, his hands tangled in Reid's hair. Reid's hands rest on Luke's hips, his tongue tasting the mixture of candy and sparkling cider in Luke's mouth, and he groans, deep and guttural, as Luke sighs into his mouth.
"Oh come on, you let them do that!" Faith yells. Luke pulls away from the kiss with a mumbled apology, but doesn't move from his position half on Reid's lap, his fingers curling lazily in Reid's hair.
"Oh Luke, I forgot," Lily says. "This came from Noah."
"I'll open it later," Luke says, his eyes not leaving Reid's for a second.
=====
Katie slips her keys out of her pocket when they reach the front door. "I'm beat," she sighs. "Whatever you two are gonna do to each other, try to keep the noise down."
"Wait," Reid says, just as Katie is about to put her key in the lock. "Maybe we should let Luke test his present." Luke kisses Reid's cheek and opens the box, then unlocks the door. Katie dashes past them, with Jacob, and heads straight to her bedroom.
Luke enters the apartment as if seeing it for the first time. Reid gently closes the door behind them, and folds his arms.
"Am I amazing, or am I amazing?" Reid asks.
"You're more than amazing," Luke answers. "I have to tell Casey about this."
"Maybe wait until tomorrow, huh," Reid steps closer to Luke, interlocking their fingers. "So," he says, his voice low. "Ringo's watching."
"Well, sorry to disappoint him, but there'll be nothing for him to see."
Reid pouts. Luke laughs.
"It's my first night in my new apartment," Luke explains. "I want to spend it in our bed."
"Okay," Reid says, and kisses him once. Keeping one hand in Luke's, he rummages inside his stocking, pulling out Katie's new Ringo the Christmas Starr. "He can watch from the dresser."
"Merry Christmas," Luke says, and pulls Reid in the direction of the bedroom.
"Bah, humbug," Reid calls out, shutting the door behind him.