FIC: Forty

[sleeper6]

Title: Forty
Author: sleeper6
Characters: Luke/Reid, other Oakdale people
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Luke helps Reid face another birthday.
Disclaimer: All belongs to As the World Turns, not me.
Author's notes: Birthday gift for thefigtree. It’s one day late but I hope you enjoy it!



“So what’s the plan for the big day?” Luke Snyder called out before rinsing his mouth in the sink in the master bathroom. He wiped his face with a washcloth and walked out, turning off the lights and making his way toward the bed.

Reid Oliver, sitting against the headboard in a Hanes white undershirt and navy pajama pants, didn’t respond, his attention consumed by the different channels he was currently flipping through.

“Reid?” Luke asked as he climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to his waist and sitting beside Reid.

“What are you talking about?” asked Reid, still focusing on the television set against the wall.

“The day of the big four-o,” Luke responded with a grin.

Reid scowled. “I’m not turning forty.”

Luke laughed and reached out to pat Reid’s shoulder. “Aww, you’re in denial. I get that.”

Reid looked at Luke, his expression letting Luke know that he did not think this subject was as funny as Luke did. “No, you don’t get it, Luke.” He turned back to the TV. “But I’m not turning forty, so who cares?”

“Reid, it’s okay to accept that you’re getting older.”

“Says the twenty-five-year-old,” Reid said dryly.

“Why are you so agitated?” Though Luke was used to Reid’s temper, it wasn’t like him to be bothered by something as mundane as a birthday.

“I’ve just decided that I don’t want to celebrate this year, okay? So that means no parties, Luke,” he said sternly, shutting off the TV and lying down.

“What’s bothering you?” Luke asked softly, looking down at Reid and rubbing his arm.

Reid shut his eyes and didn’t respond.

Luke, as always, needed to know the cause of Reid’s bad mood. He lay beside Reid. “Reid,” he whispered in his ear. “Reid. Reid.”

Reid’s eyes opened and glared at Luke. “You’re relentless.”

“And proud of it. Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

Reid rubbed his hand over his face and sighed heavily. He then sat up. “I-I’m not ready to turn forty yet, Luke.”

“What?” inquired Luke, sitting up as well.

Reid shook his head as a slight blush appeared on his face. “I can’t believe I’m going to tell you this; you’re going to think it’s ridiculously silly.”

Luke touched Reid’s hand. “Nothing about you is silly.”

“Turning forty is a milestone, Luke, a point in my life at which I thought I’d have done a lot more things than I have by now.”

Luke stared confusedly at Reid. “Seriously?” He scooted closer to his boyfriend. “Reid, you’ve done a hell of a lot more at forty than most people have or do in their whole lives. You graduated from the best university in the country, you’ve won countless chess tournaments, you’re known around the world for your medical expertise, you’re in charge of an entire hospital, and you’ve saved hundreds of lives. How can you think that’s not enough?”

“No, I know that, and I’m proud of it all, don’t get me wrong, but I’m talking about normal things-you know, stupid, common things,” Reid said. “Things that I should’ve done-and wanted to do-before I turned forty.”

Luke stared at Reid. He thought he had an idea as to what Reid was referring to. He and Reid had never actually or seriously discussed any of those subjects, though, but maybe Reid thought it was time that they did.

“You-you mean like get married and have kids?”

Reid’s eyes widened. “What? No, um, I’m thinking much smaller, actually.”

Luke stared questioningly, now not having any clue of what Reid was talking about.

Reid cleared his throat. “Why, have you thought about those things . . . with me?”

Luke ran a hand through his hair. “Uh, no, not really. I mean, yeah, in general, I guess but not-not really, not-”

“-yet?” Reid asked with a hint of smile.

Luke smiled back. “Not yet.” The truth was that Luke had thought about forever with Reid, but then he remembered that he was only twenty-five, Reid was barely turning forty (which, to Luke, was the new thirty-something he definitely needed to share with Reid), and they had only recently celebrated their third year together so there was no need to rush into anything.

Reid nodded in acknowledgement. “Right.”

“So, going back to your list, what are you talking about, then?”

“Just things.”

“Like what?”

“Learn a foreign language and actually use it.”

Luke laughed. “Oh, things like that.”

“Take a road trip, play an instrument,” Reid continued. “Have a threesome.”

Luke raised his eyebrows. “What?”

Reid smirked. “I almost did once, you know. But then one of the guys had to leave when his wife called him.”

Luke looked down, suddenly not smiling.

Reid reached out and touched Luke’s chin, lifting his face to his. “In my defense, that particular wish was put on my list by my lonely and very horny twenty-year old self. But that’s the one thing I don’t care about doing anymore because I can’t stand the thought of sharing you with anyone.”

Luke’s lips released a small smile.

“Unless you have a twin and then it wouldn’t be just anyone. You don’t have a twin, right?” Reid asked.

Luke playfully punched Reid’s arm. “No, I don’t have a twin . . . at least I don’t think so.” He shook his head and then took hold of Reid’s hand and clasped it in his. “What else?”

“Scuba dive. Play a sport,” Reid resumed, counting the items on his fingers as he listed them. “Enter and win some kind of food-eating contest.”

Luke snorted. “I’m surprised you haven’t done that particular thing yet. You’d win any food contest for sure.”

“I know, right?”

“Go on,” Luke said.

“Have sex in a bathroom stall.”

“I’m surprised we haven’t done that yet.”

“We almost did that one time at Metro, remember, during Katie’s celebration?” Reid said.

“Oh, yeah, that’s right, when she got the promotion,” Luke said, nodding. “But then Chris interrupted us when he had to use the restroom.”

“Douche,” Reid said.

Luke laughed and released Reid’s hand. He sat Indian-style on the bed as he faced Reid and motioned for him to continue. “What else?”

“Fire a gun.”

“Wait, you have done that. A little over a year ago, remember, when Ethan was kidnapped and we tagged along with my dad to the warehouse by the docks?”

“Yes, I did have a gun but then you took it from me when you decided you wanted to play hero instead,” Reid said wryly.

“Well, you weren’t firing or aiming or anything and I thought you were going to get shot,” Luke retorted. “Excuse me for trying to save your life.”

Reid leaned in and placed a quick kiss on Luke’s lips. “I did appreciate it-thank you. It’s just I’ve always wanted to be Columbo for a day.”

“Who?”

“Never mind.”

“This is Oakdale, Reid, I’m sure you’ll get your chance,” Luke said with a grin.

“Scary but true,” Reid agreed.

“What else did you want to do?”

“Not work on my birthday, make a sex tape, chug beers at a frat party, reconcile-or at least attempt to reconcile-with my uncle.”

“Those are a lot of things.”

“I know!” Reid said in the high-pitched tone Luke associated with Reid whenever he was in panic mode. “Do you see? Do you see why I’m not ready to turn forty, why I can’t turn forty yet?”

Luke placed his hands on Reid’s shoulders and rubbed them soothingly. “Reid, you still have many, many years beyond your fortieth birthday. You could do all those things at any time before you die. Why is it so important to do them now?”

“I don’t know,” Reid said, shrugging his shoulders. “I just do. I always set goals for myself and I’m really good about reaching them and I feel like a failure if I don’t, and that’s kind of how I’m feeling now, especially because everything I’ve listed isn’t that hard to do but yet I haven’t been able to do them.”

“This is your entire list?”

“Well, no, I had other things on it that I’ve been lucky enough to scratch out.”

“And you’ll do that to everything else too. Don’t rush it. They’ll happen when they happen,” Luke said softly, trying his best to reassure Reid.

After a few seconds, Reid slowly nodded.

Luke sat up slightly to put his arms around Reid and pulled him close. “I’ll help you if I have to,” Luke whispered in Reid’s ear as he rubbed his back.

“Okay, but I’m still not turning forty,” Reid said quietly.

“Whatever you say.”

Two days later, Reid awoke and saw Luke grinning impishly at him.

“Happy birthday.”

“Luke,” Reid groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I thought we agreed on no birthday.”

“No, you said we could celebrate your birthday as long as we don’t mention the f-word.” He leaned in and kissed Reid. “Now hurry and get up. I bought you a cake.”

“No candles?”

“None,” Luke said as he sat up.

“Wait,” Reid said, grabbing Luke and pulling him back down. “Can you blow my candle first?” He nodded toward his crotch.

Luke laughed.

“Come on,” Reid pleaded. “It’s my birthday and you have to blow if I want you to.”

Luke moved down on the bed. “Well, you are the birthday boy so how can I say no?”

Reid moaned and shut his eyes as he felt Luke below. “Mmm, it feels good to be not-forty.”

Twenty minutes later, after Reid swallowed the last bite of his third piece of cake, he stood up and stretched. “Delicious, Snyder. You really outdid yourself with this one. But now, duty calls.” He walked toward the bedroom.

Luke stopped him. “You’re not going to work today. You’re going to call in and tell them that you’re taking the day off.”

Reid looked curiously at Luke. “Who’s doing what now?”

“You, Reid Oliver, are doing it because it’s on your list-things to do before you turn you-know-what.”

“Luke . . .”

“You said you wanted to do them so now you’re going to do them-today,” Luke said firmly, thereby not giving Reid a chance to protest.

“Fine,” Reid mumbled. He knew better than to argue with Luke when he was on a mission.

Luke rewarded him with one of his signature bright smiles. “Get dressed so we can go. You’ve got a long list.”

“I love watching you talk to my parents. You’re so cute when you blush.”

“I wasn’t blushing,” Reid protested as followed Luke out of the Snyder residence and into the backyard.

“Your face was redder than the red wine you were sharing with my mom,” Luke said.

Reid rolled his eyes. He and Luke had arrived at the house to do another of Reid’s list items, and he had immediately been accosted by Luke’s parents, who’d hugged him and wished him a happy birthday before they treated him to an early lunch.

“Think fast!”

Reid turned in time to catch the basketball flying toward him. “Luke, what the-”

Luke, laughing, approached Reid and took the ball from him. “You want to play a sport, right? Let’s go-me and you, one-on-one.”

Reid looked around them. It was only September, but already there was a slight chill in the air that promised an early winter. “It’s kind of cold out here.”

“No excuses, Reid, come on,” Luke said, throwing the ball at him once more. “Now just try to shoot it into the net up there. Do you think you could do that?”

Reid glared at his pushy boyfriend. “I can do anything, Mr. Snyder.”

But for the next half hour, Reid only made a basket once. Luke couldn’t help but laugh. He liked that no matter how smart and brilliant Reid was at a lot of things, he wasn’t perfect. And Luke liked that because neither was he.

They finally stopped when Reid complained that he was losing because his hands were too cold and couldn’t grip the ball. Luke simply shook his head, a huge smile on his face, as he agreed to end the game.

“What are we doing here?” Reid asked, entering the music store behind Luke.

“You have to learn to play an instrument, remember?”

A blonde, middle-aged woman identified herself as Beth and walked Luke and Reid to the back where she kept a room for teaching music lessons.

Luke tried not to laugh as she handed Reid a flute.

“What the hell is this?”

“Uh, I believe that’s a flute, Reid,” Luke said.

Reid gave him a look. “I thought I was going to learn to play a cool instrument like the guitar or piano.”

“I know but when I told Beth how much you like to blow,” Luke said, smirking and winking at Reid, “she suggested the flute.”

Reid had to laugh at that one. “You’re gonna pay for that.”

“Later,” Luke said, patting Reid on the back. “I’m going to leave you alone with Beth while I go take care of something, but I’ll be back in a bit. Show her your talent, Reid.”

A while later, Luke returned to find Reid browsing through the CD racks.

“Well, are you an expert flutist yet?” teased Luke, bumping his shoulder into Reid.

“No, but she said I should practice blowing things at home,” Reid said, raising his eyebrow. “Got any ideas on that?”

Luke chuckled and slightly blushed. “A few but first open this.” He thrust an envelope into Reid’s hand.

“Tickets for a cruise?” Reid asked as he looked at the documents in his hand.

“To the Caribbean with a scuba-diving expedition next summer. I know you won’t have done it before the day is over but you’ll get to do it while you’re still you-know-what.”

Reid smiled. “Thanks, Luke.”

“And we’re taking it after we get back from our road trip,” continued Luke.

“What road trip?”

“The one you and I are going on. We’ll travel from coast to coast, tip to tip.”

Reid stared fondly at Luke. “Luke, I don’t know what to say.”

“Say that you’ll do it.”

Reid put his arms around Luke and nuzzled his neck. “Hmm, I’ll do a lot of things with you.”

“Later, Reid, later,” Luke said, pulling back and grabbing Reid’s hand. “We have another stop to make.”

“Go ahead-just point and shoot.”

“I can’t believe you let any civilian just walk in and fire a gun,” Reid said as he stood with a handgun in his hands in the Oakdale police station’s shooting room.

“But you’re not just any stranger off the street, Doc,” Jack Snyder said, clapping Reid on the back. “You’re practically family.” Jack winked and smiled at Luke.

“Please, no sappy stuff. I’m holding a gun here,” Reid said.

Jack laughed. “All right, then, shoot.”

Reid pulled the trigger and hit the target across the wall, missing the bullseye by a few inches.

“Wow, that’s impressive. You’ve got good hands,” Jack said, carefully taking the gun from Reid.

“So I’ve been told,” Reid said, inspecting his hands.

“I hope I don’t ever piss you off,” Jack said jokingly.

“You might want to pass that along to everyone else in town,” Reid said.

“Reid,” Luke warned.

Reid shrugged.

Luke took his hand. “Hungry?”

“Welcome to Al’s first and last hot dog eating contest,” Henry Coleman announced as Luke and Reid walked into the crowded restaurant.

Luke pulled Reid to the long table assembled at one end of the diner.

“Luke, what did you do?”

“Your boyfriend is paying me good money to humor you,” Henry muttered to Reid.

Luke squeezed Reid’s hand. “Are you ready to show me that you’re the hot dog eating king?”

Reid grinned and squeezed back. “I’m the king of everything.”

Henry snorted.

“Do you want to join in, Henry?” Reid asked Henry, sitting in the middle seat, flanked by a man he didn’t know on his right side and two teenage boys on the other. “You could put that big mouth to good use.”

“No one’s got a bigger mouth than you,” Henry shot back. “Besides, I don’t think anyone is more experienced here at swallowing things of this size and shape than you.”

“Except maybe Luke,” Reid said, winking at Luke.

Luke just shook his head.

“All right, is everybody ready?” Henry called out and was met by loud cheering from the large crowd. “First one to eat the most hot dogs in twenty minutes will be pronounced winner of Al’s first ever hot dog eating contest. Participants, are you ready? One . . . two . . . three!”

“It’s funny!”

Reid glared at Luke. “It’s a piece of crap.”

“It’s a trophy, Reid. It tells everyone you’re the fastest and biggest hot dog eater in all of Oakdale,” Luke explained as he led Reid into Yo’s an hour after Reid consumed fourteen hot dogs to be declared the winner at Al’s.

“It’s a hot dog stuck to the handle of a broomstick,” Reid responded.

“At least he wrote your name on it.”

“Whatever,” Reid said, looking around. “What are we doing here?”

Luke pointed to the group of guys gathered in one corner of the dark bar. “Over there.”

“Who’s over there?”

“They’re in the fraternity at Oakdale U. One of them, Tony, is kind enough to let you have a drink-or two or three or four-with them tonight. What do you say?”

“And you know them?”

Luke chuckled. “Tony was actually here when I first started way back when, and then when I returned and he’s still here now that I’ve graduated.”

“He must really like college,” Reid said sarcastically.

After a few introductions, Tony ordered a few rounds of beer, and for the next few minutes, he and Luke and the other students chanted “Chug, chug, chug!” as Reid swallowed beer after beer in rapid succession.

As soon as the last empty bottle hit the table, Luke dragged Reid into the men’s restroom, thanking Tony and his friends along the way.

Once inside, Luke pulled Reid into an empty stall and locked it. Luke leaned against the side wall and grinned mischievously at Reid.

“Te quiero.”

“Huh?

“Ti voglio.”

“What?”

Luke sighed. “I only know a bit of Spanish and Italian, so I can’t really help you learn a new language. Sorry,” Luke said, smiling apologetically.

“That’s okay, Luke,” Reid said, cupping Luke’s cheek. “You’ve helped me fulfill many wishes today.”

“I signed us up for foreign language courses at the university starting next month-that way, we can learn something new together . . . if you want.”

Reid smiled. “I’d like that.”

“As for what I was saying earlier: I want you,” Luke said breathily.

Reid pushed himself against Luke, their faces only two inches away from one another. “Te quiero too.”

Luke laughed before pushing their mouths together. They groped and fondled each other, and just as Luke was undoing Reid’s jeans, Reid suddenly stepped back. He rapidly breathed in and out.

“Reid?”

“Luke,” he said with a groan, “I think I’m gonna be sick.” He patted his very full stomach.

Luke touched Reid’s arm. “Let’s get you home.”

Reid frantically shook his head and pushed Luke away. “I won’t make it. Get out, Luke, get out. Don’t let anyone in,” he said right before gagging over the toilet.

Luke stepped out of the stall slowly and stood against the door, unable to block out Reid’s retching noises. “Do you want some water?”

“I’ll be fine, just give me a minute,” Reid called out from the other side of the door.

Luke scolded himself for not anticipating Reid getting sick with the large quantities of food and alcohol that Reid had consumed on account of him. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. He had only wanted Reid’s fortieth birthday to be everything Reid had hoped for. He had never wanted him to get sick.

“Feeling better?” Luke asked as they walked into their house about half an hour later.

Reid nodded, his face pale and slightly wet with sweat. “Yeah, I’ll be okay. Don’t worry.”

“I’m sorry, Reid, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have encouraged you to eat all those hot dogs and drink the beer. I didn’t mean to ruin your birthday,” Luke said in a rush.

Reid took Luke’s hand in his. “Hey, this isn’t your fault, Luke. I’m the genius doctor who didn’t think I’d get sick.”

“I know but-”

Reid pulled Luke to him. “None of that. You’ve given me a great birthday and I would do it all over again, including spilling the contents of my triumph in a men’s room.”

“You don’t have to say that.”

“I don’t, you’re right, but I’m saying it because I mean it. Best gifts ever,” Reid said fondly.

“Even if you didn’t get to cross ‘sex in a bathroom stall’ off your list?” Luke asked with a tiny smile.

“We got a lot of time for that; isn’t that what you said?”

Luke’s smile grew. “Right.”

Reid kissed Luke softly and led him upstairs. “Now let’s go to bed. I’m beat.”

“What is this?”

Luke ran to the tripod set beside their bed and stepped in front of it. “That was going to be a surprise,” he said, his face reddening.

“Ah, the sex tape that I have yet to make,” Reid said, walking to Luke and looking at the video camera attached to it.

“Yeah, and the threesome was supposed to happen too.”

“What?” asked Reid, his eyes darting around the bedroom. “Who? Your long-lost twin? Do you really have one?”

Luke playfully swatted Reid’s head. “Me, Reid. Well, me, Luke, and my alter ego, Luciano Eduardo Grimaldi, who wants to be addressed as Eduardo during filming, by the way.”

Reid held his stomach, which was still slightly queasy, as he laughed. “Oh, Luke.”

“I know it’s silly but I can’t share you with anyone, either. I do want you to cross it off the list, though.”

Reid held Luke’s face in his hands and stared at him without saying anything.

Luke, concerned that Reid was about to hurl again, touched the hands on his face. “Reid?”

“The list doesn’t matter, Luke-not anymore,” Reid finally said quietly.

“But you said-”

Reid nodded. “I know, but I should’ve told you about all the other things that were on that list that I did do and that mattered most.”

“Like what?”

“Win all chess tournaments, run my own clinic, have the best head of hair, be the most brilliant doctor in the country-”

“Have the biggest ego?” interrupted Luke.

Reid squeezed Luke’s cheeks. “Let me finish.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Go on.”

“Go to Paris, skinny-dip at midnight, have sex in public, find a family, go to sleep with and wake up beside the same person every day, fall in love.”

“Reid.”

“Be happy,” Reid said. “I’m happy, Luke. You make happy. And all those things I have done have been with you, because of you, and that’s what matters.”

“I love you,” Luke said, staring into Reid’s eyes and hoping he could see just how much.

“How could you not? I’m getting better with age,” Reid remarked with a wink before closing the distance between them and kissing Luke. After parting, Reid put his arms around Luke’s waist. “Oh, believe it or not, I actually had ‘ride a mechanical bull’ on my list and you made that come true too.”

Luke smiled and played with the buttons on Reid’s collar. He then looked at Reid. “I should tell you that I contacted your uncle in New York but he didn’t respond. I know he’s also on your list.”

“I appreciate it, Luke, but it’ll happen when it happens, right?”

Luke nodded.

“And I’m feeling a bit better now so I think the threesome could still happen tonight. What do you say?”

Luke laughed. “Are you serious?”

“Hey, a forty-year-old having a threesome on his birthday with two twenty-five-year olds is pretty impressive, wouldn’t you say?” asked Reid.

“The fact that you can keep up with me is impressive, Doctor,” Luke replied.

“I guess age is really just a number,” Reid admitted.

“See, forty’s not bad,” Luke said.

And later that night Luke and Luciano--Eduardo, actually--proved to Reid that turning forty was not bad at all.