Fic: Repercussions (8/10)
Title: Repercussions (8/10)
Author: random_nic
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Don't own ATWT.
Word Count: 1409
Characters: Luke, Noah, Casey, Ali, Holden, Lily, Reid, Bob, Kim, Chris, Katie, Tom, Margo
Summary: Reid drives a drunken Casey home, Noah hopes a big obstacle doesn't derail his reunion with Luke, and Luke wrestles with the fallout from his actions.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7
“Don’t even think about it,” Reid snapped at the intoxicated man who’d just come to in his passenger seat.
“Whum,” questioned the slurred reply.
“I just drove this off the lot last week. It‘s bad enough you’re drowning the new-car smell with your drunk-uncle stench. Throw up in here, and you’ll walk.”
Casey managed to lift his spinning head enough to protest. “Bup iz twentry decrees out!”
“Not my problem,” Reid responded matter-of-factly. “Next time you wanna get smashed, plot a better endgame.” Reid had wondered how his day could possibly get any worse, and then it did. He cringed while replaying Casey’s brief slobber-and-tongue assault in his mind.
That Chris Hughes had witnessed the atrocity was the rotten icing on the shit cake of Reid’s day. If Doogie Evil stayed true to form, Reid could expect whispers and gossip to greet him when he returned to work on Friday. There was no way the asshole wouldn’t share and embellish the incident to make Reid look as ridiculous as possible.
Between that and the ugly public break-up with Luke, Memorial was the last place Reid wanted to set foot this week. This was exactly why he’d kept his personal life sparse over the years. His work was what mattered, and anything that hindered his ability to perform it to perfection was an unwelcome distraction.
Oakdale, Illinois was the biggest and most unwelcome distraction he’d ever encountered.
He could blame Luke alone, but Luke hadn’t been there tonight. He was the reason Reid had gone to Metro, but he had nothing to do with what transpired there. That was the problem with Oakhell - nobody was content to keep their batshit to themselves.
Reid had only himself to blame for drinking the Kool-Aid, anyway. What had possessed him to invite the overgrown frat-boy tonight? Luke’s annoying habit of trying to fix everyone’s problems must’ve started rubbing off on Reid.
Really, Reid should be thanking his stars for a lucky escape. A few more months with Luke, and who knows. He might’ve been taking time out to help old ladies cross intersections and mediate Snyder family dramas and God only knows what. Ultimately, being dumped in his private life might revitalize his professional one.
He’d just have to live down the infamy of the last eight hours. As he pulled up to the home of Tom and Margo Hughes, he realized that was easier said than done. Their genius son had passed out once again, and the lights were on inside the living room.
Reid needed to revive Casey long enough for the guy to make it through the front door under his own steam. Otherwise, Reid could likely expect parental interrogation about why he was dumping the Hughes’ inebriated son on their doorstep. If Tom Hughes was anything like his spineless brother, he’d somehow blame the whole thing on Reid.
Not that Reid gave a damn, but he was beyond not in the mood for such a scene. He just wanted to go home and shut himself away from the innumerable yahoos in this town. Though he normally worked holidays, Bob had forbid Reid to come in on Thanksgiving, which now struck him as the one thing he could be thankful for.
He just had to lose this Hughes kid to get a little peace and quiet.
“We’re here,” Reid said, shaking his unconscious passenger by the shoulder. “Get out.” He reached across Casey to push open the car door.
In response, Casey lifted his head in confusion, looking around like he’d never seen the place. He didn’t exit the car, so Reid helped the process along by unbelting him, and giving a little push in the right direction. When Casey awkwardly surged out of the car and plunged face-first into the snow, Reid realized the shove may not have been as little as he’d thought.
Fuck.
************************************************************************************************************
The next morning - Thanksgiving
The first thing Noah noticed immediately upon consciousness was the warmth. Though he hadn’t risen to the feeling in a long time, it was immediately identifiable. Luke.
He could never have forgotten the sense of wholeness he’d known when waking up with Luke by his side. Crushed into his side. He stifled a laugh as he mentally amended the thought.
After all that had happened, they’d still ended up squished together in the twin bed of Luke’s room at his parents’ house. Twenty-four hours ago, Noah feared never seeing Luke again. Now, they had a whole new beginning.
Noah was determined that this time, there wouldn’t be another ending, too. But he’d be going back to Los Angeles in a few days. He couldn’t ignore the fear that crept up at the thought of making the request one more time.
Come with me.
************************************************************************************************************
A couple hours later
He sat in his dad’s pickup truck outside the apartment. After fifteen minutes passed, Luke realized he’d either have to drive away or knock on the door to avoid the surveillance reaching stalker proportions. With that thought in mind, he exited the vehicle.
He knew Reid had the day off. The neurosurgeon had grumbled about it until Luke invited him to Snyder Farm for the holiday. It was an offer he’d immediately regretted extending.
Luke’s denial about what - and who - he really wanted had screeched to a halt in that moment. Everything about the idea of sitting with Reid at the Snyder Thanksgiving table had felt wrong. Add to that the fact that Noah would be there, and it became downright impossible.
The only good thing about the idiotic move was that it made Luke accept the truth once and for all. He’d known since Noah’s departure that he wanted him back, but stubbornly clung to the choices he’d made, trying to prevent himself from further heartbreak. All he’d ended up doing was causing hurt instead of preventing it.
It’s why he was here now. He hadn’t meant to, but he’d strung Reid along while awaiting Noah’s return. He should’ve ended it as soon as he knew he couldn’t get over Noah, but he instead he avoided facing that reality.
For awhile, it was easier to let Reid’s attentions distract him from Noah’s absence. Had Luke been conscious of what he was doing, he would’ve stopped sooner, but he allowed denial to shield him from everything painful. Now, his guilt was palpable, and he owed Reid an explanation for his actions.
************************************************************************************************************
The faint throb of a headache disrupted an otherwise relaxed slumber. Casey awoke to find himself in an unfamiliar bed in an equally unrecognizable room. Wherever he was, his rejuvenated body applauded the owner’s choices of high-thread count sheets and luxuriant comforter; he felt as though he could lie in place all day in complete contentment.
Except, where was he?
Casey racked his brain to retrace his steps and determine his location. He remembered drinking at Metro. Scratch that. Drinking a lot at Metro.
And then he remembered why. Chris, and especially Allison. How could he have been engaged to the woman a week ago? It was impossible not to berate himself for his stupidity.
Finally, he remembered someone else. Someone who’d removed him from the situation, and half-carried him to a car. Someone who’d driven him home, and pushed him into a snow drift on the curb. Someone he’d kissed in a moment of burning jealously and blinding fury.
Reid Oliver.
Holy shit, we didn’t… Casey’s mind fumbled for the rest of the picture. Just because he wasn’t at home didn’t mean he’d spent the night with Doctor Dickweed.
He sat up in bed a little too quickly. The room tilted briefly before righting itself. Casey scanned the room for family photos or some other clue to the identity of the owner, and found none. That fact alone confirmed his location. Who else would lack any discernible memento of family and friends except someone who had neither?
Casey attempted to reign in his burgeoning panic. The absence of some memory didn’t necessarily indicate something unsavory had happened. As he threw the covers off himself to stand, however, the absence of his clothing was undoubtedly more damning.
Author: random_nic
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Don't own ATWT.
Word Count: 1409
Characters: Luke, Noah, Casey, Ali, Holden, Lily, Reid, Bob, Kim, Chris, Katie, Tom, Margo
Summary: Reid drives a drunken Casey home, Noah hopes a big obstacle doesn't derail his reunion with Luke, and Luke wrestles with the fallout from his actions.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7
“Don’t even think about it,” Reid snapped at the intoxicated man who’d just come to in his passenger seat.
“Whum,” questioned the slurred reply.
“I just drove this off the lot last week. It‘s bad enough you’re drowning the new-car smell with your drunk-uncle stench. Throw up in here, and you’ll walk.”
Casey managed to lift his spinning head enough to protest. “Bup iz twentry decrees out!”
“Not my problem,” Reid responded matter-of-factly. “Next time you wanna get smashed, plot a better endgame.” Reid had wondered how his day could possibly get any worse, and then it did. He cringed while replaying Casey’s brief slobber-and-tongue assault in his mind.
That Chris Hughes had witnessed the atrocity was the rotten icing on the shit cake of Reid’s day. If Doogie Evil stayed true to form, Reid could expect whispers and gossip to greet him when he returned to work on Friday. There was no way the asshole wouldn’t share and embellish the incident to make Reid look as ridiculous as possible.
Between that and the ugly public break-up with Luke, Memorial was the last place Reid wanted to set foot this week. This was exactly why he’d kept his personal life sparse over the years. His work was what mattered, and anything that hindered his ability to perform it to perfection was an unwelcome distraction.
Oakdale, Illinois was the biggest and most unwelcome distraction he’d ever encountered.
He could blame Luke alone, but Luke hadn’t been there tonight. He was the reason Reid had gone to Metro, but he had nothing to do with what transpired there. That was the problem with Oakhell - nobody was content to keep their batshit to themselves.
Reid had only himself to blame for drinking the Kool-Aid, anyway. What had possessed him to invite the overgrown frat-boy tonight? Luke’s annoying habit of trying to fix everyone’s problems must’ve started rubbing off on Reid.
Really, Reid should be thanking his stars for a lucky escape. A few more months with Luke, and who knows. He might’ve been taking time out to help old ladies cross intersections and mediate Snyder family dramas and God only knows what. Ultimately, being dumped in his private life might revitalize his professional one.
He’d just have to live down the infamy of the last eight hours. As he pulled up to the home of Tom and Margo Hughes, he realized that was easier said than done. Their genius son had passed out once again, and the lights were on inside the living room.
Reid needed to revive Casey long enough for the guy to make it through the front door under his own steam. Otherwise, Reid could likely expect parental interrogation about why he was dumping the Hughes’ inebriated son on their doorstep. If Tom Hughes was anything like his spineless brother, he’d somehow blame the whole thing on Reid.
Not that Reid gave a damn, but he was beyond not in the mood for such a scene. He just wanted to go home and shut himself away from the innumerable yahoos in this town. Though he normally worked holidays, Bob had forbid Reid to come in on Thanksgiving, which now struck him as the one thing he could be thankful for.
He just had to lose this Hughes kid to get a little peace and quiet.
“We’re here,” Reid said, shaking his unconscious passenger by the shoulder. “Get out.” He reached across Casey to push open the car door.
In response, Casey lifted his head in confusion, looking around like he’d never seen the place. He didn’t exit the car, so Reid helped the process along by unbelting him, and giving a little push in the right direction. When Casey awkwardly surged out of the car and plunged face-first into the snow, Reid realized the shove may not have been as little as he’d thought.
Fuck.
************************************************************************************************************
The next morning - Thanksgiving
The first thing Noah noticed immediately upon consciousness was the warmth. Though he hadn’t risen to the feeling in a long time, it was immediately identifiable. Luke.
He could never have forgotten the sense of wholeness he’d known when waking up with Luke by his side. Crushed into his side. He stifled a laugh as he mentally amended the thought.
After all that had happened, they’d still ended up squished together in the twin bed of Luke’s room at his parents’ house. Twenty-four hours ago, Noah feared never seeing Luke again. Now, they had a whole new beginning.
Noah was determined that this time, there wouldn’t be another ending, too. But he’d be going back to Los Angeles in a few days. He couldn’t ignore the fear that crept up at the thought of making the request one more time.
Come with me.
************************************************************************************************************
A couple hours later
He sat in his dad’s pickup truck outside the apartment. After fifteen minutes passed, Luke realized he’d either have to drive away or knock on the door to avoid the surveillance reaching stalker proportions. With that thought in mind, he exited the vehicle.
He knew Reid had the day off. The neurosurgeon had grumbled about it until Luke invited him to Snyder Farm for the holiday. It was an offer he’d immediately regretted extending.
Luke’s denial about what - and who - he really wanted had screeched to a halt in that moment. Everything about the idea of sitting with Reid at the Snyder Thanksgiving table had felt wrong. Add to that the fact that Noah would be there, and it became downright impossible.
The only good thing about the idiotic move was that it made Luke accept the truth once and for all. He’d known since Noah’s departure that he wanted him back, but stubbornly clung to the choices he’d made, trying to prevent himself from further heartbreak. All he’d ended up doing was causing hurt instead of preventing it.
It’s why he was here now. He hadn’t meant to, but he’d strung Reid along while awaiting Noah’s return. He should’ve ended it as soon as he knew he couldn’t get over Noah, but he instead he avoided facing that reality.
For awhile, it was easier to let Reid’s attentions distract him from Noah’s absence. Had Luke been conscious of what he was doing, he would’ve stopped sooner, but he allowed denial to shield him from everything painful. Now, his guilt was palpable, and he owed Reid an explanation for his actions.
************************************************************************************************************
The faint throb of a headache disrupted an otherwise relaxed slumber. Casey awoke to find himself in an unfamiliar bed in an equally unrecognizable room. Wherever he was, his rejuvenated body applauded the owner’s choices of high-thread count sheets and luxuriant comforter; he felt as though he could lie in place all day in complete contentment.
Except, where was he?
Casey racked his brain to retrace his steps and determine his location. He remembered drinking at Metro. Scratch that. Drinking a lot at Metro.
And then he remembered why. Chris, and especially Allison. How could he have been engaged to the woman a week ago? It was impossible not to berate himself for his stupidity.
Finally, he remembered someone else. Someone who’d removed him from the situation, and half-carried him to a car. Someone who’d driven him home, and pushed him into a snow drift on the curb. Someone he’d kissed in a moment of burning jealously and blinding fury.
Reid Oliver.
Holy shit, we didn’t… Casey’s mind fumbled for the rest of the picture. Just because he wasn’t at home didn’t mean he’d spent the night with Doctor Dickweed.
He sat up in bed a little too quickly. The room tilted briefly before righting itself. Casey scanned the room for family photos or some other clue to the identity of the owner, and found none. That fact alone confirmed his location. Who else would lack any discernible memento of family and friends except someone who had neither?
Casey attempted to reign in his burgeoning panic. The absence of some memory didn’t necessarily indicate something unsavory had happened. As he threw the covers off himself to stand, however, the absence of his clothing was undoubtedly more damning.