Equals 19
EQUALS…
Author: Scotianova
Beta-fairy: Carol38
Disclaimer: I don't own them and writing about them is just for fun.
Genre: A story about different shades of love
Pairing: Reid and Luke - as always
Characters: Reid Oliver, Luke Snyder, Ravi Oliver, Ruby Oliver II, Kathryn Peretti, Liath Orbanns, Damien Grimaldi, Henry Coleman,Dustin Donovan, Paul Ryan, Holly McLean…
Warning: none so far
Rating: sexual contents
Summary: On the surface they couldn’t be more different from every point of view, but if someone just looks closely at them…
AN: "Equals" will take a break because I am working on a Christmas story. But it will be back when the Christmas story is finished.
19.
This was nice, the kissing was actually very nice and Reid was so good at it. They just lay there in Luke’s bed, facing each other, with Luke’s right leg covering Reid’s thigh with no pressure, his hand cupping Reid’s ear while Reid played with Luke’s hair and they kissed. Or well, it was more a soft dialogue between two pairs of lips, including lazy sucking and leisurely licking. They didn’t talk much although those soft smacking noises were telling a story of their own and it seemed both men didn’t want ‘their moment’ to be over. So they avoided thinking that it was probably wiser to finally let go of each other and for Reid to retreat to his own room since the new day was already dawning. But who knew when they would be able to be together again?
Finally Reid murmured the non-line: “I should probably go now…” but Luke only massaged that soft cute earlobe a bit more distinctly, continued slowly stroking Reid’s tongue with his own and Reid traced Luke’s scar with the softest touch.
“Just one more minute…” Reid groaned into Luke’s mouth. Yes just one more minute…
How to leave a place that felt warm and cozy, and smelt of the mixture of two men’s scent and of course it smelt of sex. How was anyone supposed to leave two strong arms that they perfectly fit in?
“Maybe we could have a nap…just a brief nap.”
Later Luke couldn’t even remember if it had been he or Reid who suggested that before they finally fell asleep - both, shortly before 5 o’clock in the morning.
And of course they overslept and Luke startled when he heard Reid groan, “Shit!” and jump out of the bed, hastily slipping into his sweatpants.
Maybe it was best Luke kept his eyes shut to spare them the embarrassing moment of Reid realizing he’d made a mistake.
“Thank you - Luke. I had an incredible night.”
So Luke opened his eyes: “That sounds as if I’d done you a favor.”
He managed to retort with the lump rapidly growing in his throat.
So that’s it? He felt so stupid.
It was best to close his eyes again and not to open it for the rest of the day.
“Luke?”
“Yeah…?”
“Everything ok?”
“Is it?”
“Huh?”
“I mean is everything okay?”
Now Reid looked utterly confused and watching that unbearably cute expression on that beautiful face Luke wasn’t sure if that heart of his was an amazing muscle doing an incredible job or if it was huge chocolate fudge melting from what he was feeling for that man in front of him.
“You tell me - because as for me I haven’t felt better in a decade…”
“It’s just … it’s as if I was back in high school days with a lover stealing out of the room to prevent us from being caught…”
“Yeah, well - I never had something like this, you know, those high-school adventures…” with that Reid sat down next to Luke and moved closer inch by inch: “I was 15 when I came out to my uncle and from then on he made my life a hell so I wouldn’t have expected anyone to get involved with me. Then I met Gavin, and his family was nothing but supportive, they covered for us when Angus sent his guys after me. Liath told him non-stop to leave me alone, but he just couldn’t let go of me. It was like an obsession - for whatever reasons. Anyway…Listen, Ruby often wanders around and I just don’t want her or Ravi to find me in your bed without having talked to them before…”
Luke understood and was a little ashamed of his irritability.
“Just for the record - I had a great night too.” Luke offered continuing: “So the date tonight …is it still a topic?”
“Why not? What has changed?”
“Just asking…”
“I could use a little help here, Luke - what’s going on?”
“I…I just might need a little reassurance.”
“For what?”
“That tonight wasn’t only a one-time thing…”
“Do I actually strike you as that kind of a man?”
“No, but you were out of sorts, you had a terrible time for so long…”
“I am still out of sorts, Luke…and you might be a part of it.”
When Reid bent over and cupped Luke’s cheek and kissed him gently Luke could finally let go of that heavy sigh that had resided in his stomach for the last minutes.
He leaned into the kiss and wondered what Reid was going to do with him down the road.
“Now…get a move on!” He chuckled into the kiss and confirmed his prompt adding a soft pat on Reid’s ass.
“See you soon?”
“I guess I’ll stay here a bit longer…”
“Yeah, get some rest.” Reid whispered and thumbed Luke’s upper lip with an unexpected intensity his urge to leave seemingly forgotten. He would give a lot to stay here with this enticing man, sleep some time, wake up and start all over again, then they’d come down clutching to each other, topping their connecting off with lazily kissing. But outside Luke’s room there was waiting real life.
“Well…”
“Well…just go, or I’ll jump you again.”
That broke the spell and Reid chuckled, got up and left - turning back to Luke he blew him a kiss and the blond man died for the nth time since meeting Dr. Reid Adorable Oliver.
Reid was just leaving his bathroom, freshly showered when he heard a soft knock and his children skipped into his room before he answered the door. He wouldn’t have minded having some time left for himself - to relive last night, to bath a bit in the aftermath, to slump into his favorite armchair and dream of Luke. He’d only slept an hour and a half and yet the tiredness and heaviness of his body felt good, strangely contrasting the wakefulness and easiness of his mind and heart. But daydreaming like a 17 year old had to wait: a pair of big brown eyes and another pair of blue-green ones were looking at him expectantly.
“Hey guys, good morning! Why are you up so early in the morning?”
“It’s almost 7!” Ruby got excited about her father’s stupid question.
“Oh, what was I thinking, SEVEN - almost broad daylight!”
Ravi chuckled but Ruby was still upset.
“My fear made up those monsters in my head again…so I went to hide in Ravi’s room…” The girl’s voice sounded not a bit scared though.
“Actually she hid in my bed and refused to leave it again, ranting Max and Jerry were stupid only believing in what they could see with their own eyes…” Ravi added silently chuckling. “I couldn’t prevent her from wanting to look for you, Daddy.”
“It’s okay.” Reid smiled and hurried to get fully dressed.
“You want to have the talk here or should we go looking for a hot chocolate first?” Reid suggested not sure if he would survive the next minutes without getting something to eat.
“I want to talk with you here.” Ruby stated and Reid raised his brows but didn’t say anything.
So, a serious talk was ahead and his little daughter didn’t want any eavesdroppers.
“Well then, make yourself comfortable and I’ll grab something to eat.”
When Reid returned with an overloaded tray he didn’t find the little guys in his comfortable chairs but occupying his bed, they hopefully hadn’t noticed being untouched.
It is amazing how children take naturally what they need - if you let them.
Reid smiled down at his two redheads and smiled, he was so happy to have them in his life.
After two cream-cheese bagels, and two chocolate muffins Reid was ready to listen to his children who happily sipped their hot chocolate.
“Why does Gran-Li make you chocolate so often, Daddy? You’re a grown man!”
Sometimes his girl asked a lot of unexpected questions.
“It’s Gran-Li’s way, to tell Daddy, that he cares for him.” Ravi helped out while slowly chewing on his bagel. Reid watched his son his heart constricting, but not in a bad way. Ravi looked so much healthier than only weeks ago. He still was heart-achingly skinny and ate like a bird but he often smiled, and it was obvious he felt comfortable in his skin again. Well, his liver would need lots of months to get back to functioning and his body even longer to resorb the transplant, but Reid was convinced the boy would recover and live the life of an ordinary boy. And they all had Luke to thank for that. Handsome, nice, extraordinary love-maker Luke!
He shivered a bit thinking of last night but right now wasn’t the time to re-bathe in coupling bliss.
“Now tell me more about the monsters, Ruby!”
“I might have something to do with her dreams, Dad, by telling her that I don’t like Luke’s father.” Ravi chimed in a bit meekly.
“Why is that?”
“I don’t know it’s something I can’t place - he visited me once back in the hospital. And I just didn’t like him. But it was stupid to tell Ruby, because now she’s afraid of him taking me away.”
“He won’t, Ruby! Luke won’t let him do something like that. Luke doesn’t want to separate Ravi from us, I do know that for sure, okay?”
The girl only nodded and Reid could just hope she believed him.
“And I wouldn’t let him either, neither would Mummy and Gran-Li.”
“No, Gran-Li wouldn’t allow Ravi to be taken away!” Ruby confirmed finally smiling again.
Well it wasn’t very flattering that Ruby’s face lit up when Reid mentioned Liath but he was okay with it.
“See? So we are going to lay the monsters to rest, okay? And now I want a kiss and then we’ll go looking for the rest of the guys.”
With that Reid offered Ruby his cheek, got his kiss, put the remnants of their breakfast-picnic aside and got up.
He had only slept less than two hours, but his children were in a good place and he himself? He felt on top of the world right now, as if he’d slipped into his own skin again after being exiled for years.
In the shower, inspecting the evidence of last night left on his body, he chuckled since he counted his ‘trophies’ like a teenage-boy, Luke obviously had a thing for his skin. Recalling Luke’s insecurities in the morning though, “Just for the record - I had a great night too” Luke offered continuing: “So the date tonight … is it still a topic?”… “Just asking…” Reid was strangely relieved.
Considering ‘Luciano Grimaldi’ was a libertine at least according to the file Liath had in his desk his obvious uncertainty in the morning, well, it was just nice! Knowing that he wasn’t the only one wondering where they would go to from here was even nicer.
He knew one thing for sure: He wouldn’t be able to go back to denying himself. Being with Luke the previous night had opened all locks. Well, Liath would freak out the moment he learned of Reid and Luke having a date tonight, assuming they’d either get kidnapped or Luke would take Reid and the kids away and take them to Greenland, Henry would act as if he’d betrayed him, DD would grunt and smirk, Paul would drop suggestive comments, Barbara and Vienna would squeal, but there was also Katie and especially Ravi and Ruby. How to tell them that their dad had a thing for Ravi’s father?
And Katie…he could only hope she would understand. It was Katie he had had his first conversation with about his liking boys when they were both kids. Thinking about the way she was watching him intently lately he scratched at the back of his head wondering what was going on in her head. Well… but why destroy this incredibly good feeling with bothering obstacles and complications ahead. He intended to be happy even if for just one day and another night.
“Are you guys coming?” He asked the midgets realizing he had to stop daydreaming - cause Ravi was hell of a mind-reader and Reid wasn’t ready to answer any questions - at least not before he knew if this thing with Luke was going anywhere.
Being with a man again, being with Luke had been exactly what he’d wanted and needed.
Snapshots of the previous night kept invading Reid’s mind and it was hard to pretend nothing unusual had happened.
How was he supposed to get through the day if Luke’s voice, his urgent noises and unmistakable moans persistently filled his ears?
“So it was you who kidnapped our kids?” Katie welcomed the three of them in the living area.
Fortunately she was alone, not for long though since Ruby instantly hopped to her mother and gave her a loudly smacking kiss.
“Good morning to you too, sweetheart! Everything okay, honey?”
“I had nightmares but Daddy tried to explain them away.”
“And was he lucky with it?”
“I am not sure about that, but I feel much better!”
Both adults and Ravi couldn’t help laughing about cheeky Ruby.
“You look a bit tired, Reid. Busy night?” Katie teased her friend.
Sometimes her perceptiveness was annoying. On the other side it might be that she was just testing waters.
“The night was short…but good!” He grinned and passed the ball back to her: “You don’t look very radiant either, my dear.”
“Yeah well - I had a good night too.”
What?
Well they definitely needed to have a private talk sometime soon, he smirked knowingly. But then Luke showed up and feeling the treacherous heat rising up his neck, eventually reaching his cheeks, he knew he was caught and Katie’s smug grin was just an affirmation. Thank God she didn’t seem irritated at all.
“Listen Kit, I want the night off - given Ruby’s current nightmares - one of us should be there for them.” Reid hastened to say before he turned to Luke.
“Good morning!”
God! The blonde suddenly looked like a 22 year old. He had put on black jeans and a deep-red hoodie. And his hands were deeply buried in his pockets whereas he seemed to slightly duck his head.
At least Reid could see that Luke had just as little of the ball at his feet as Reid had.
Fortunately Ravi answered without hesitation: “Good morning Luke!” while Katie hid most part of her face behind Ruby’s curls and Reid heard the grin in her voice: “Good morning, Luke. You slept well?”
And Luke crimsoned adorably. So Mr. Grimaldi-Snyder was a ‘crimsoner’! And now it was Reid’s turn to die!
“Ruby, Ravi, what about us having a ‘mattresses on the floor night’ tonight?”
Since Reid wasn’t one for camping they’d invented the tradition of camping in Reid’s or Katie’s room, put their mattresses on the floor and slept side by side all the four of them. They’d watch a movie together and eat chips and popcorn and the kids were happy.
“If Daddy isn’t here, we could ask Gran-Li to join us.” Ruby suggested.
“Why not?” Reid turned to Katie just in time to catch her blushing lightly.
Author: Scotianova
Beta-fairy: Carol38
Disclaimer: I don't own them and writing about them is just for fun.
Genre: A story about different shades of love
Pairing: Reid and Luke - as always
Characters: Reid Oliver, Luke Snyder, Ravi Oliver, Ruby Oliver II, Kathryn Peretti, Liath Orbanns, Damien Grimaldi, Henry Coleman,Dustin Donovan, Paul Ryan, Holly McLean…
Warning: none so far
Rating: sexual contents
Summary: On the surface they couldn’t be more different from every point of view, but if someone just looks closely at them…
AN: "Equals" will take a break because I am working on a Christmas story. But it will be back when the Christmas story is finished.
19.
This was nice, the kissing was actually very nice and Reid was so good at it. They just lay there in Luke’s bed, facing each other, with Luke’s right leg covering Reid’s thigh with no pressure, his hand cupping Reid’s ear while Reid played with Luke’s hair and they kissed. Or well, it was more a soft dialogue between two pairs of lips, including lazy sucking and leisurely licking. They didn’t talk much although those soft smacking noises were telling a story of their own and it seemed both men didn’t want ‘their moment’ to be over. So they avoided thinking that it was probably wiser to finally let go of each other and for Reid to retreat to his own room since the new day was already dawning. But who knew when they would be able to be together again?
Finally Reid murmured the non-line: “I should probably go now…” but Luke only massaged that soft cute earlobe a bit more distinctly, continued slowly stroking Reid’s tongue with his own and Reid traced Luke’s scar with the softest touch.
“Just one more minute…” Reid groaned into Luke’s mouth. Yes just one more minute…
How to leave a place that felt warm and cozy, and smelt of the mixture of two men’s scent and of course it smelt of sex. How was anyone supposed to leave two strong arms that they perfectly fit in?
“Maybe we could have a nap…just a brief nap.”
Later Luke couldn’t even remember if it had been he or Reid who suggested that before they finally fell asleep - both, shortly before 5 o’clock in the morning.
And of course they overslept and Luke startled when he heard Reid groan, “Shit!” and jump out of the bed, hastily slipping into his sweatpants.
Maybe it was best Luke kept his eyes shut to spare them the embarrassing moment of Reid realizing he’d made a mistake.
“Thank you - Luke. I had an incredible night.”
So Luke opened his eyes: “That sounds as if I’d done you a favor.”
He managed to retort with the lump rapidly growing in his throat.
So that’s it? He felt so stupid.
It was best to close his eyes again and not to open it for the rest of the day.
“Luke?”
“Yeah…?”
“Everything ok?”
“Is it?”
“Huh?”
“I mean is everything okay?”
Now Reid looked utterly confused and watching that unbearably cute expression on that beautiful face Luke wasn’t sure if that heart of his was an amazing muscle doing an incredible job or if it was huge chocolate fudge melting from what he was feeling for that man in front of him.
“You tell me - because as for me I haven’t felt better in a decade…”
“It’s just … it’s as if I was back in high school days with a lover stealing out of the room to prevent us from being caught…”
“Yeah, well - I never had something like this, you know, those high-school adventures…” with that Reid sat down next to Luke and moved closer inch by inch: “I was 15 when I came out to my uncle and from then on he made my life a hell so I wouldn’t have expected anyone to get involved with me. Then I met Gavin, and his family was nothing but supportive, they covered for us when Angus sent his guys after me. Liath told him non-stop to leave me alone, but he just couldn’t let go of me. It was like an obsession - for whatever reasons. Anyway…Listen, Ruby often wanders around and I just don’t want her or Ravi to find me in your bed without having talked to them before…”
Luke understood and was a little ashamed of his irritability.
“Just for the record - I had a great night too.” Luke offered continuing: “So the date tonight …is it still a topic?”
“Why not? What has changed?”
“Just asking…”
“I could use a little help here, Luke - what’s going on?”
“I…I just might need a little reassurance.”
“For what?”
“That tonight wasn’t only a one-time thing…”
“Do I actually strike you as that kind of a man?”
“No, but you were out of sorts, you had a terrible time for so long…”
“I am still out of sorts, Luke…and you might be a part of it.”
When Reid bent over and cupped Luke’s cheek and kissed him gently Luke could finally let go of that heavy sigh that had resided in his stomach for the last minutes.
He leaned into the kiss and wondered what Reid was going to do with him down the road.
“Now…get a move on!” He chuckled into the kiss and confirmed his prompt adding a soft pat on Reid’s ass.
“See you soon?”
“I guess I’ll stay here a bit longer…”
“Yeah, get some rest.” Reid whispered and thumbed Luke’s upper lip with an unexpected intensity his urge to leave seemingly forgotten. He would give a lot to stay here with this enticing man, sleep some time, wake up and start all over again, then they’d come down clutching to each other, topping their connecting off with lazily kissing. But outside Luke’s room there was waiting real life.
“Well…”
“Well…just go, or I’ll jump you again.”
That broke the spell and Reid chuckled, got up and left - turning back to Luke he blew him a kiss and the blond man died for the nth time since meeting Dr. Reid Adorable Oliver.
Reid was just leaving his bathroom, freshly showered when he heard a soft knock and his children skipped into his room before he answered the door. He wouldn’t have minded having some time left for himself - to relive last night, to bath a bit in the aftermath, to slump into his favorite armchair and dream of Luke. He’d only slept an hour and a half and yet the tiredness and heaviness of his body felt good, strangely contrasting the wakefulness and easiness of his mind and heart. But daydreaming like a 17 year old had to wait: a pair of big brown eyes and another pair of blue-green ones were looking at him expectantly.
“Hey guys, good morning! Why are you up so early in the morning?”
“It’s almost 7!” Ruby got excited about her father’s stupid question.
“Oh, what was I thinking, SEVEN - almost broad daylight!”
Ravi chuckled but Ruby was still upset.
“My fear made up those monsters in my head again…so I went to hide in Ravi’s room…” The girl’s voice sounded not a bit scared though.
“Actually she hid in my bed and refused to leave it again, ranting Max and Jerry were stupid only believing in what they could see with their own eyes…” Ravi added silently chuckling. “I couldn’t prevent her from wanting to look for you, Daddy.”
“It’s okay.” Reid smiled and hurried to get fully dressed.
“You want to have the talk here or should we go looking for a hot chocolate first?” Reid suggested not sure if he would survive the next minutes without getting something to eat.
“I want to talk with you here.” Ruby stated and Reid raised his brows but didn’t say anything.
So, a serious talk was ahead and his little daughter didn’t want any eavesdroppers.
“Well then, make yourself comfortable and I’ll grab something to eat.”
When Reid returned with an overloaded tray he didn’t find the little guys in his comfortable chairs but occupying his bed, they hopefully hadn’t noticed being untouched.
It is amazing how children take naturally what they need - if you let them.
Reid smiled down at his two redheads and smiled, he was so happy to have them in his life.
After two cream-cheese bagels, and two chocolate muffins Reid was ready to listen to his children who happily sipped their hot chocolate.
“Why does Gran-Li make you chocolate so often, Daddy? You’re a grown man!”
Sometimes his girl asked a lot of unexpected questions.
“It’s Gran-Li’s way, to tell Daddy, that he cares for him.” Ravi helped out while slowly chewing on his bagel. Reid watched his son his heart constricting, but not in a bad way. Ravi looked so much healthier than only weeks ago. He still was heart-achingly skinny and ate like a bird but he often smiled, and it was obvious he felt comfortable in his skin again. Well, his liver would need lots of months to get back to functioning and his body even longer to resorb the transplant, but Reid was convinced the boy would recover and live the life of an ordinary boy. And they all had Luke to thank for that. Handsome, nice, extraordinary love-maker Luke!
He shivered a bit thinking of last night but right now wasn’t the time to re-bathe in coupling bliss.
“Now tell me more about the monsters, Ruby!”
“I might have something to do with her dreams, Dad, by telling her that I don’t like Luke’s father.” Ravi chimed in a bit meekly.
“Why is that?”
“I don’t know it’s something I can’t place - he visited me once back in the hospital. And I just didn’t like him. But it was stupid to tell Ruby, because now she’s afraid of him taking me away.”
“He won’t, Ruby! Luke won’t let him do something like that. Luke doesn’t want to separate Ravi from us, I do know that for sure, okay?”
The girl only nodded and Reid could just hope she believed him.
“And I wouldn’t let him either, neither would Mummy and Gran-Li.”
“No, Gran-Li wouldn’t allow Ravi to be taken away!” Ruby confirmed finally smiling again.
Well it wasn’t very flattering that Ruby’s face lit up when Reid mentioned Liath but he was okay with it.
“See? So we are going to lay the monsters to rest, okay? And now I want a kiss and then we’ll go looking for the rest of the guys.”
With that Reid offered Ruby his cheek, got his kiss, put the remnants of their breakfast-picnic aside and got up.
He had only slept less than two hours, but his children were in a good place and he himself? He felt on top of the world right now, as if he’d slipped into his own skin again after being exiled for years.
In the shower, inspecting the evidence of last night left on his body, he chuckled since he counted his ‘trophies’ like a teenage-boy, Luke obviously had a thing for his skin. Recalling Luke’s insecurities in the morning though, “Just for the record - I had a great night too” Luke offered continuing: “So the date tonight … is it still a topic?”… “Just asking…” Reid was strangely relieved.
Considering ‘Luciano Grimaldi’ was a libertine at least according to the file Liath had in his desk his obvious uncertainty in the morning, well, it was just nice! Knowing that he wasn’t the only one wondering where they would go to from here was even nicer.
He knew one thing for sure: He wouldn’t be able to go back to denying himself. Being with Luke the previous night had opened all locks. Well, Liath would freak out the moment he learned of Reid and Luke having a date tonight, assuming they’d either get kidnapped or Luke would take Reid and the kids away and take them to Greenland, Henry would act as if he’d betrayed him, DD would grunt and smirk, Paul would drop suggestive comments, Barbara and Vienna would squeal, but there was also Katie and especially Ravi and Ruby. How to tell them that their dad had a thing for Ravi’s father?
And Katie…he could only hope she would understand. It was Katie he had had his first conversation with about his liking boys when they were both kids. Thinking about the way she was watching him intently lately he scratched at the back of his head wondering what was going on in her head. Well… but why destroy this incredibly good feeling with bothering obstacles and complications ahead. He intended to be happy even if for just one day and another night.
“Are you guys coming?” He asked the midgets realizing he had to stop daydreaming - cause Ravi was hell of a mind-reader and Reid wasn’t ready to answer any questions - at least not before he knew if this thing with Luke was going anywhere.
Being with a man again, being with Luke had been exactly what he’d wanted and needed.
Snapshots of the previous night kept invading Reid’s mind and it was hard to pretend nothing unusual had happened.
How was he supposed to get through the day if Luke’s voice, his urgent noises and unmistakable moans persistently filled his ears?
“So it was you who kidnapped our kids?” Katie welcomed the three of them in the living area.
Fortunately she was alone, not for long though since Ruby instantly hopped to her mother and gave her a loudly smacking kiss.
“Good morning to you too, sweetheart! Everything okay, honey?”
“I had nightmares but Daddy tried to explain them away.”
“And was he lucky with it?”
“I am not sure about that, but I feel much better!”
Both adults and Ravi couldn’t help laughing about cheeky Ruby.
“You look a bit tired, Reid. Busy night?” Katie teased her friend.
Sometimes her perceptiveness was annoying. On the other side it might be that she was just testing waters.
“The night was short…but good!” He grinned and passed the ball back to her: “You don’t look very radiant either, my dear.”
“Yeah well - I had a good night too.”
What?
Well they definitely needed to have a private talk sometime soon, he smirked knowingly. But then Luke showed up and feeling the treacherous heat rising up his neck, eventually reaching his cheeks, he knew he was caught and Katie’s smug grin was just an affirmation. Thank God she didn’t seem irritated at all.
“Listen Kit, I want the night off - given Ruby’s current nightmares - one of us should be there for them.” Reid hastened to say before he turned to Luke.
“Good morning!”
God! The blonde suddenly looked like a 22 year old. He had put on black jeans and a deep-red hoodie. And his hands were deeply buried in his pockets whereas he seemed to slightly duck his head.
At least Reid could see that Luke had just as little of the ball at his feet as Reid had.
Fortunately Ravi answered without hesitation: “Good morning Luke!” while Katie hid most part of her face behind Ruby’s curls and Reid heard the grin in her voice: “Good morning, Luke. You slept well?”
And Luke crimsoned adorably. So Mr. Grimaldi-Snyder was a ‘crimsoner’! And now it was Reid’s turn to die!
“Ruby, Ravi, what about us having a ‘mattresses on the floor night’ tonight?”
Since Reid wasn’t one for camping they’d invented the tradition of camping in Reid’s or Katie’s room, put their mattresses on the floor and slept side by side all the four of them. They’d watch a movie together and eat chips and popcorn and the kids were happy.
“If Daddy isn’t here, we could ask Gran-Li to join us.” Ruby suggested.
“Why not?” Reid turned to Katie just in time to catch her blushing lightly.