Fic: Repercussions (3/10)
Title: Repercussions (3/10)
Author: random_nic
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Don't own ATWT.
Word Count: 1529
Characters: Luke, Noah, Casey, Ali, Holden, Lily, Reid, Bob, Kim, Chris, Katie, Tom, Margo
Summary: Holden makes another unfortunate discovery, Casey and Reid confront their enforced work partnership, and Bob assures the boys that Luke still has all his fingers and toes. Oh, and some other stuff.
Part 1 Part 2
As Noah's phone went straight to voicemail yet again, Holden pinched the bridge of his nose to stave off the oncoming headache. Where were they? When he'd left the boys alone - preferring not to confront them in that particular moment - he was sure they'd be fine.
The road conditions had improved considerably by that time. They weren't ideal, but also nothing Noah couldn't handle, as well-versed in Midwest winter driving as he was. So what the hell was taking them so long?
Immediately, he pushed that thought from his mind. Because he'd naturally assumed that his exiting beep would attract their attention, and that when they saw the note he left instructing them to return, they would do so. Immediately.
Surely they weren't delayed by opting instead for... round 2? Ugh. Nobody had wanted the boys back together more than Holden, but he would rather they hadn't chosen to reunite quite so... publicly.
Plus, how would he explain to Lily why the boys weren't home yet? He'd simply told her he'd found them, they were fine, and on their way. It was going on an hour later now, though.
Holden was surprised she hadn't already started to worry. Knowing her so well, he'd know if she was feeling concern. Actually, why wasn't she feeling concerned? Or his mother, for that matter?
"Lily," he said, watching her make preparations with Emma for tomorrow's feast. "Have you heard from the boys?"
"Yes," she answered. "They'll be here later."
Oh. When Holden left the note telling Luke and Noah to come home, he assumed they'd come to the farm, where the family typically gathered to get ready for Thanksgiving. Plus, Noah was staying here for his visit.
"They went to the house?" Holden realized that made sense. If they'd reassured Lily they were fine, and said they needed to spend time alone catching up, she'd be the first cheerleader for that idea.
"No, the hospital," Lily replied. "Noah said Luke is fine, but wanted to get him checked out to be on the safe side. I knew I loved that boy," she finished, smiling affectionately.
Her smile faded when she saw Holden pale immediately.
"They went to the hospital?!" As Lily and Emma looked on in confusion, Holden immediately dialed Noah's phone again, leaving an urgent voicemail, then a text. Then he proceeded to do the same with Luke's number, hoping against hope he'd reach one of the boys in time. In each case, the message was the same, and consisted of two words:
Reid Knows!
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In the hospital corridor, Casey plopped down into the chair next to what was apparently his new boss. Blech. Quickly, he chastised himself for the acrimonious thought. It wouldn’t do him any good to go into his new job with an attitude; doubtless Reid Oliver would bring enough of that to the table for both of them.
“You’re not working for me,” Reid quickly spit out, not bothering to look up as he scribbled notes on some paperwork. “Go find your naughty nurse and have her keep you busy.”
So much for trying to stay positive. “Listen, asswipe,” Casey snapped back, as his anger at the Ali situation threatened to overtake him. “My granddad is still Chief of Staff here and what he says goes. I’m not excited to work with you, either!”
“For,” Reid corrected. “Unless you’ve suddenly become a world-class neurosurgeon.”
“With, for, whatever,” Casey returned hotly. “And I’m not in the mood for your PMS, Doc. Let’s just do what the Chief of Staff told us to, and set up a work schedule, so I can get the hell away from you and actually enjoy the rest of my day.”
For the first time, Reid actually bothered to look at Casey. And voiced the thought that came to mind before he realized it could be misconstrued as concern. “You look like shit.”
“So do you,” Casey replied. He didn’t bother to dispute the doctor’s assessment. He sure felt like shit; it was reasonable to assume his appearance matched that. Moreover, Casey noticed Reid actually looked like he was having as bad a day. Not that he gave a shit, but if Dr. Oliver was even more of a douche than usual, it was going to make working with him on a schedule especially arduous.
“By the way, it’s Doctor Asswipe to you,” Reid cracked. What the hell am I doing? For some bizarre reason Casey’s downtrodden demeanor bothered him.
He supposed it was because he was used to the kid being too upbeat, always joking and laughing as if life was a goddamn carnival. It simply bugged Reid’s sense of order to have anything else in his environment so off-kilter. Seeing Luke’s legs thrown over Noah’s shoulders was beyond Reid’s maximum daily allowance of wrong, thank you very much.
At any rate, Reid’s stab at humor worked. “Fine, Doctor Asswipe,” Casey joked. “So what do you wanna do about the schedule?”
Casey saw that Reid was no longer listening to him, though. The neurosurgeon’s attention had been diverted. Casey followed Reid’s line of vision to find the source of his interest: Luke and Noah.
*****************************************************************************************************************************************
Luke received a passing bill of health from Doctor Bob, who lauded Noah’s quick action in getting him warmed up. Of course, neither man went into detail as to exactly how that had been accomplished. Both guys were also careful not to show affection in front of Casey’s grandfather.
Not that Bob Hughes was any kind of gossip, but Luke felt it was important that he talk to Reid before anyone else found out about the reconciliation with Noah. Strangely, Luke felt oddly like Bob was almost looking at them speculatively - as if he knew something. Of course that was impossible, so Luke figured the culprit was his own brain causing paranoia as the time to talk with Reid neared.
A time that approached more quickly then expected when the boys rounded a corner only to run smack dab into Reid, who was inexplicably sitting with a smirking Casey. Reid spotted he and Noah before Luke could even consult with Noah about what to do. “Luke!”
Inwardly fuming, Reid managed to affect a note of concern while addressing Luke. He rose from the chair to meet him, closing the few steps to take Luke within his arms, while furtively taking in Noah’s reaction to the embrace. Exactly as Reid suspected, the other man looked especially uncomfortable. Good.
“Are you all right? I was really worried,” Reid continued as he took Luke’s face within his hands, suddenly planting a seemingly passionate kiss there. He felt Luke tense immediately, but ignored it, forcing Luke to pull away to break the liplock.
Luke cringed internally; this was all already going worse than he could have envisioned. The last thing he wanted was Noah seeing Reid all over him. He needed to break this off officially before there were any further awkward moments.
“Can we talk? It’s really important,” Luke asked. “If you can’t get away now I’ll wait until you can.”
“Sure, baby,” Reid replied. He was laying it on thick now, as much for Noah’s benefit - or really, detriment - as Luke’s. After all, revenge was a dish best served blindside. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on; I’ll make the time for you.”
Reid watched with satisfaction as the guilt cascaded across Luke’s face. It was no less than the traitor deserved. And as for his boy toy...
“Mister Mayer,” Reid began amiably, surprising both Noah and Luke. “Can I assume I have you to thank for my boyfriend’s safe return?”
Watching this scene unfold, Casey began to get a bad feeling in the pit of his gut. He wasn’t even sure what was going on, but something about Reid was off. With another moment of thought, Casey realized what it was: Reid wasn’t being snarky - at all.
“Hey guys - Noah, it’s good to see you,” Casey interrupted, greeting the friend he hadn’t seen in two months with a quick hug. “So what’s going on? You guys didn’t get kidnapped again, did you?”
Noah laughed, probably to break the tension he felt more than anything. “No, nothing that dramatic. Luke’s car slid off the road, but I found him - he’s fine now.”
“Wow, man - I’m glad you’re okay!” Though he’d seen Luke the first day he got back to town, Casey gave him a hug anyway, happy that his friend was all right. “You never were the best driver-”
“So Noah,” Reid cut in. “Thank you for helping Luke. I guess it turns out you’re a really good guy.”
Now all parties stared at Reid, everyone knocked for six by the compliment. Reid further surprised all by extending a hand to Noah in an apparent gesture of goodwill. Casey watched the über-weird scene unfold, as Noah accepted the handshake.
He realized approximately one second too late that when he’d seen Reid writing earlier, the man wasn’t left-handed, so the fact that he offered Noah his left hand could only mean Reid meant to use the right one for something else-
CRACK!!!
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Next chapter
Author: random_nic
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Don't own ATWT.
Word Count: 1529
Characters: Luke, Noah, Casey, Ali, Holden, Lily, Reid, Bob, Kim, Chris, Katie, Tom, Margo
Summary: Holden makes another unfortunate discovery, Casey and Reid confront their enforced work partnership, and Bob assures the boys that Luke still has all his fingers and toes. Oh, and some other stuff.
Part 1 Part 2
As Noah's phone went straight to voicemail yet again, Holden pinched the bridge of his nose to stave off the oncoming headache. Where were they? When he'd left the boys alone - preferring not to confront them in that particular moment - he was sure they'd be fine.
The road conditions had improved considerably by that time. They weren't ideal, but also nothing Noah couldn't handle, as well-versed in Midwest winter driving as he was. So what the hell was taking them so long?
Immediately, he pushed that thought from his mind. Because he'd naturally assumed that his exiting beep would attract their attention, and that when they saw the note he left instructing them to return, they would do so. Immediately.
Surely they weren't delayed by opting instead for... round 2? Ugh. Nobody had wanted the boys back together more than Holden, but he would rather they hadn't chosen to reunite quite so... publicly.
Plus, how would he explain to Lily why the boys weren't home yet? He'd simply told her he'd found them, they were fine, and on their way. It was going on an hour later now, though.
Holden was surprised she hadn't already started to worry. Knowing her so well, he'd know if she was feeling concern. Actually, why wasn't she feeling concerned? Or his mother, for that matter?
"Lily," he said, watching her make preparations with Emma for tomorrow's feast. "Have you heard from the boys?"
"Yes," she answered. "They'll be here later."
Oh. When Holden left the note telling Luke and Noah to come home, he assumed they'd come to the farm, where the family typically gathered to get ready for Thanksgiving. Plus, Noah was staying here for his visit.
"They went to the house?" Holden realized that made sense. If they'd reassured Lily they were fine, and said they needed to spend time alone catching up, she'd be the first cheerleader for that idea.
"No, the hospital," Lily replied. "Noah said Luke is fine, but wanted to get him checked out to be on the safe side. I knew I loved that boy," she finished, smiling affectionately.
Her smile faded when she saw Holden pale immediately.
"They went to the hospital?!" As Lily and Emma looked on in confusion, Holden immediately dialed Noah's phone again, leaving an urgent voicemail, then a text. Then he proceeded to do the same with Luke's number, hoping against hope he'd reach one of the boys in time. In each case, the message was the same, and consisted of two words:
Reid Knows!
*****************************************************************************************************************************************
In the hospital corridor, Casey plopped down into the chair next to what was apparently his new boss. Blech. Quickly, he chastised himself for the acrimonious thought. It wouldn’t do him any good to go into his new job with an attitude; doubtless Reid Oliver would bring enough of that to the table for both of them.
“You’re not working for me,” Reid quickly spit out, not bothering to look up as he scribbled notes on some paperwork. “Go find your naughty nurse and have her keep you busy.”
So much for trying to stay positive. “Listen, asswipe,” Casey snapped back, as his anger at the Ali situation threatened to overtake him. “My granddad is still Chief of Staff here and what he says goes. I’m not excited to work with you, either!”
“For,” Reid corrected. “Unless you’ve suddenly become a world-class neurosurgeon.”
“With, for, whatever,” Casey returned hotly. “And I’m not in the mood for your PMS, Doc. Let’s just do what the Chief of Staff told us to, and set up a work schedule, so I can get the hell away from you and actually enjoy the rest of my day.”
For the first time, Reid actually bothered to look at Casey. And voiced the thought that came to mind before he realized it could be misconstrued as concern. “You look like shit.”
“So do you,” Casey replied. He didn’t bother to dispute the doctor’s assessment. He sure felt like shit; it was reasonable to assume his appearance matched that. Moreover, Casey noticed Reid actually looked like he was having as bad a day. Not that he gave a shit, but if Dr. Oliver was even more of a douche than usual, it was going to make working with him on a schedule especially arduous.
“By the way, it’s Doctor Asswipe to you,” Reid cracked. What the hell am I doing? For some bizarre reason Casey’s downtrodden demeanor bothered him.
He supposed it was because he was used to the kid being too upbeat, always joking and laughing as if life was a goddamn carnival. It simply bugged Reid’s sense of order to have anything else in his environment so off-kilter. Seeing Luke’s legs thrown over Noah’s shoulders was beyond Reid’s maximum daily allowance of wrong, thank you very much.
At any rate, Reid’s stab at humor worked. “Fine, Doctor Asswipe,” Casey joked. “So what do you wanna do about the schedule?”
Casey saw that Reid was no longer listening to him, though. The neurosurgeon’s attention had been diverted. Casey followed Reid’s line of vision to find the source of his interest: Luke and Noah.
*****************************************************************************************************************************************
Luke received a passing bill of health from Doctor Bob, who lauded Noah’s quick action in getting him warmed up. Of course, neither man went into detail as to exactly how that had been accomplished. Both guys were also careful not to show affection in front of Casey’s grandfather.
Not that Bob Hughes was any kind of gossip, but Luke felt it was important that he talk to Reid before anyone else found out about the reconciliation with Noah. Strangely, Luke felt oddly like Bob was almost looking at them speculatively - as if he knew something. Of course that was impossible, so Luke figured the culprit was his own brain causing paranoia as the time to talk with Reid neared.
A time that approached more quickly then expected when the boys rounded a corner only to run smack dab into Reid, who was inexplicably sitting with a smirking Casey. Reid spotted he and Noah before Luke could even consult with Noah about what to do. “Luke!”
Inwardly fuming, Reid managed to affect a note of concern while addressing Luke. He rose from the chair to meet him, closing the few steps to take Luke within his arms, while furtively taking in Noah’s reaction to the embrace. Exactly as Reid suspected, the other man looked especially uncomfortable. Good.
“Are you all right? I was really worried,” Reid continued as he took Luke’s face within his hands, suddenly planting a seemingly passionate kiss there. He felt Luke tense immediately, but ignored it, forcing Luke to pull away to break the liplock.
Luke cringed internally; this was all already going worse than he could have envisioned. The last thing he wanted was Noah seeing Reid all over him. He needed to break this off officially before there were any further awkward moments.
“Can we talk? It’s really important,” Luke asked. “If you can’t get away now I’ll wait until you can.”
“Sure, baby,” Reid replied. He was laying it on thick now, as much for Noah’s benefit - or really, detriment - as Luke’s. After all, revenge was a dish best served blindside. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on; I’ll make the time for you.”
Reid watched with satisfaction as the guilt cascaded across Luke’s face. It was no less than the traitor deserved. And as for his boy toy...
“Mister Mayer,” Reid began amiably, surprising both Noah and Luke. “Can I assume I have you to thank for my boyfriend’s safe return?”
Watching this scene unfold, Casey began to get a bad feeling in the pit of his gut. He wasn’t even sure what was going on, but something about Reid was off. With another moment of thought, Casey realized what it was: Reid wasn’t being snarky - at all.
“Hey guys - Noah, it’s good to see you,” Casey interrupted, greeting the friend he hadn’t seen in two months with a quick hug. “So what’s going on? You guys didn’t get kidnapped again, did you?”
Noah laughed, probably to break the tension he felt more than anything. “No, nothing that dramatic. Luke’s car slid off the road, but I found him - he’s fine now.”
“Wow, man - I’m glad you’re okay!” Though he’d seen Luke the first day he got back to town, Casey gave him a hug anyway, happy that his friend was all right. “You never were the best driver-”
“So Noah,” Reid cut in. “Thank you for helping Luke. I guess it turns out you’re a really good guy.”
Now all parties stared at Reid, everyone knocked for six by the compliment. Reid further surprised all by extending a hand to Noah in an apparent gesture of goodwill. Casey watched the über-weird scene unfold, as Noah accepted the handshake.
He realized approximately one second too late that when he’d seen Reid writing earlier, the man wasn’t left-handed, so the fact that he offered Noah his left hand could only mean Reid meant to use the right one for something else-
CRACK!!!
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