The Long and Winding Road 2/?
Title: The Long and Winding Road
Pairing: Luke and Reid
Summary: I believe that this is AU. It started with canon and took a turn. This is a story about the courtship of Reid and Luke.
Warning: There is some mild Noah bashing in this chapter.
Disclaimer: These are not my characters. All mistakes are mine.
Rating: G
Reid’s head was spinning. In the course of the day he had thought that he had zero chance of being with Luke and was already planning his escape from Oakhell and then he found out that Luke had gone to bat for him and gotten his job back. Then he had gone over to Luke’s just to let Luke know that he was staying in town. (He felt he owed Luke this much.) Then Luke told him that he was not back together with Noah and that he wanted a relationship with him. Now here he was at the Lakeview on a date of all things with Luke. How did this happen. The whole day seemed surreal. Well at least he was in a restaurant maybe food would help him sort out the rest.
Luke was happy just to be on a date with Reid but he could tell that Reid was in shock. He was sure of this because Reid hadn’t asked about the food yet.
“Reid, are you okay? What do you want to eat?” Luke inquired smiling sweetly at Reid.
“Uh… I don’t know, what do you recommend? I am pretty hungry.” Reid answered unnecessarily. Luke had yet to see Reid when he wasn’t hungry.
“Well the prime rib is excellent and so are the steaks. I like the peppercorn steak; in fact that’s what I’m going to have along with a mixed green salad, a baked potato and steamed vegetables. What do you think?” Luke asked.
Reid wrinkled his nose. “You had me up until the steamed vegetables. Do you think that I could get prime rib with caeser salad, and French fries?” Reid asked hopefully.
“I’m sure that can be arranged. How do you want your prime rib cooked?” Luke inquired.
“I would like it medium rare, with horseradish of course. Why, are you going to order for me?” Reid wanted to know.
“Yes I am, after all you are my date!” Luke said teasingly. “So what do you want to drink with all of that food?”
“I’ll have a beer please” Reid replied secretly pleased that Luke was taking care of him.
Right after that Luke signalled for the waitress who came right over to take their orders. Reid cocked an eyebrow at Luke when Luke ordered ‘pommes frite’ but didn’t question him until the waitress was safely out of earshot.
“Pommes-Frite? What the hell are those? Is that snobby talk for French fries?” Reid inquired.
“Yes,” Luke answered bashfully. “Did I remember everything else okay?” Luke asked worriedly. He knew how important food was to Reid and he wanted Reid to be happy with his meal.
“Yes Luke and truthfully I’m not that picky. Thanks for taking care of me!” Reid added shyly.
Just then Reid put his hand on the table in a gesture that asked for Luke’s. Luke immediately responded and the two men sat happily together holding hands across the table.
“So, Luke please tell me again that you never expected me to give up my job for you when you had a major meltdown that I hadn’t chosen you over it. I’m very confused,” Reid stated.
Just then the waiter arrived with their drinks, a beer for Reid and soda water for Luke.
“Well” Luke began “I wish I had a short answer for you but I don’t and my answer involves Noah so please don’t freak out okay?” Luke implored.
Reid nodded; he was really intrigued now to hear what Noah had to do with Luke’s reaction.
“Well when Noah and I first met Noah was deeply closeted No smirking or I won’t be able to continue.” Luke warned seeing Reid’s face.
Reid gave Luke his most solemn face, but inside he was rolling his eyes and shaking his head. ‘Noah was in the closet, now there was a big surprise.’
Luke took a deep breath and began again. “In fact, when I first met Noah he was dating my friend Maddie Coleman, Henry’s sister. I had fallen for my straight friend Kevin in high school and I was determined not to go down that road again. However, I couldn’t help being attracted to him. Don’t grimace, Reid!!!”
“Sorry Luke, I couldn’t help it. Please go on,” Reid apologized.
“As it turned out Noah was also attracted to me and eventually he acted on it. It took awhile for him to admit to himself that he liked me even after he kissed me. Finally I guess I wore him down and we became a couple. Now his dad was a major homophobe and Noah was afraid of him and thus wanted to keep me a secret from his dad. He even went so far as to take Maddie as his “date” to a dinner with his dad. I hated being a secret, but as it turned out it would have been safer for me because when Noah finally came clean and told his father about us the colonel didn’t take it very well. He blamed me for corrupting Noah and then shot me in an attempt to get me out of Noah’s life.”
“Are you serious Luke? Noah’s dad shot you, with a gun???” Reid asked, his incredulous voice filled with horror.
“Yes, it’s true. Obviously I didn’t die, but I was paralyzed for quite some time.” Luke admitted quietly.
Just then their food arrived. Luke was relieved to have something else to do before he continued with his story.
Reid was relieved to see the food so that he could have something to do while he processed what Luke had just told him.
“I am so sorry that you went through that Luke. I am truly sorry if I made you feel like I wanted to hide you. I am so proud to be with you.” Reid added with a smile.
Luke gave Reid a watery smile. “Is it okay if we just eat for awhile before I tell you the rest?” Luke pleaded.
‘The rest?’ Reid wondered to himself. ‘Oh my god there is more to this story. What else could Noah have done to Luke?’ Reid quickly calmed himself as he knew that he had to be strong for Luke so he smiled at the blond reassuringly and said “sure Luke take your time.”
The two men sat eating in silence for a few minutes. Reid commented that the food was excellent to Luke. Reid was sure that it was delicious, but he couldn’t really enjoy it because he was so worried about Luke. ‘What more could there be to this story,’ he wondered to himself.
Reid didn’t have to wait long before Luke began again. “So aside from the Colonel Mayer fiasco there was one more time when Noah tried to hide me. A woman named Ameera came to town. She was from Iran and was being threatened with deportation as her student visa was running out. She came looking for Noah because she had known his father, Ameera claimed that the colonel had been kind to her and her mother and that is why she came to Noah for help. Noah wanted to help her so he did the one thing that would guarantee her residence in the states. He married her.”
“What??? Noah married a woman?? What about you were you okay with that? What were you supposed to do?” Reid practically screeched he was so incensed by Noah’s insensitivity toward Luke.
“Calm down Reid. I’m okay, I survived! It was awful for me. The INS was keeping a close eye on Ameera and Noah so of course I could not be a part of the picture. A part of me hated myself for allowing this situation to occur. Once I came out of the closet I never wanted to go back in. I felt guilty for not wanting to ‘save’ Ameera at any cost, but for me the personal cost was just too great.”
“Oh my god, no wonder you freaked out when I said we would take a break for a little while and then pick up where we left off. I truly didn’t mean to cast you aside; I just didn’t know what to do. I am so sorry for bringing up these terrible memories for you. Please know that I am proud to be with you and I will never hide you from anyone.” Reid promised.
“Just so you know when Bob first gave me the ultimatum I did fight for you. I didn’t offer to resign my position, but I did let Bob know that I saw no reason why I couldn’t have both. Providing of course that you were willing to have a relationship with me, I still don’t see what the big deal is at all. I even accused Bob of being homophobic. I am sorry that I didn’t come and talk to you right away. Truthfully, I was hoping that Bob would realize that he needed me and would just let me have whatever I wanted.” Reid finished with a shrug.
“I don’t think that Bob is homophobic, but Mona might be. She gave me a horrified look when I told her that you had left Memorial for me. Uh I hope that you don’t mind that I outed you.” Luke said nervously.
“Not at all I am not now nor have I ever been ashamed of being gay.” Reid stated “What do you think the odds are that she’s figured out that Noah is gay as well? I bet she has a whole new understanding of that punch Noah landed on my nose now.” Reid chuckled.
“Oh my god, I wasn’t even thinking about that. Well this should make your next meeting/ hospital tour/ dog and pony show more interesting. You will have to give me the details as I am no longer going to be invited to any of those outings” Luke smiled at Reid.
“Yeah, don’t remind me. Your presence is what made the whole nightmare bearable. I hope that Bob doesn’t rope Doogie in to take your place.” Reid groaned.
“I don’t think that it will be Doogie, it will likely be the person who takes my seat on the board.” Luke said.
“I’m hoping that Bob will be fed up with me and find some other doctor to take my place. What do you think?” Reid asked hopefully.
“I doubt it Reid, you are simply irreplaceable.” Luke smiled warmly at Reid.
“Thanks Luke” Reid replied shyly.
“I think that it’s time to call it a night, don’t you. I’ll drive you back to my place so that you can pick up your car.”
“Sure Luke,” Reid replied hesitantly. He really didn’t want the night to end but he didn’t know how to prolong the date any longer.
Luke, sensing Reid’s reluctance to part, suggested that Reid come in for a nightcap when they got back to his place.
Reid promptly agreed.
Luke quickly paid the bill and the grabbed Reid’s hand and headed once more for his car.