144 Memory Lane
Word Soap: As The World Keeps Turning
Author: SYLnl
Title: #144 Memory Lane
Rating: PG
Summary: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” - Benjamin Franklin
Big Thanks To: ltklo, for brushing up my grammar
Previously on As The World Keeps Turning: click here for chapters 1 - 143
When Luke looked up, his fingers above the keyboard, all ready to continue his mail to Casey, he took a moment to absorb his view: Reid sprawled on the other end of the couch with one hand on Luke’s naked foot and one hand holding some magazine. Luke couldn’t see which one. Reid couldn’t either. His eyes were closed and the even breathing and softened facial features told the whole story.
For some reason he always loved watching Reid sleep. He looked as vulnerable as Luke knew he was. True, it had taken him several months to recognize the vulnerability underneath the sarcasm, the reticence, the arrogance and the coldness. The first time he had witnessed it from a distance. Reid’s interaction with Katie and Jacob had been surprising, to say the least. And knowing that Reid was in there - somewhere - too, had made Luke more observant and he had discovered little pieces of evidence that maybe, just maybe, Reid was human after all.
He remembered sitting on that hotel bed together, in Dallas. How Reid had shared his memories of Annie. Annie, the little girl Luke never met, but who felt so familiar anyway. The little girl that had acknowledged Reid’s caring heart, the big spirit that had helped Danny through his darkest hours. Annie had known what Luke now knew too. Dr. Reid Oliver was more human than most of the people he had met so far.
Luke smiled when he felt Reid’s fingers move on his foot.
“Watching me sleep again, Looker?” Reid’s voice was soft and a little grating.
“Yeah.”
“I like that,” Reid gave him a quick smile and closed his eyes again.
“Why don’t you go to bed?” Luke softly tapped Reid’s foot. “I know you’re exhausted.”
“Hmmm,” Reid opened one eye, “Will you join me?”
Luke gave him a ‘duh’ look and Reid had both eyes open now.
“I thought you were writing…”
“I was,” Luke nodded, “Answering a mail to Case. But I can do that in bed too…”
Anything to get you some rest.
“Sounds good,” Reid murmured.
Anything to keep you close.
“I’ll lock up,” Luke put his laptop on Reid’s legs, “Could you take that with you? I’ll be right there.”
Reid nodded, softly moaning when he broke away from the couch.
“God, I’m getting old.”
“It’s been a long day,” Luke gave him a quick kiss and made his way to the kitchen, “Can I get you anything?”
After Reid’s “Just bring yourself”, Luke walked over to the kitchen door and after confirming that it was locked, he closed the curtains. He stopped when he noticed the light in the house in the distance. It was a nice feeling to have his uncle so close.
“Goodnight Seth,” Luke whispered as he shut out the rest of the world by closing the last curtain. For a moment he looked around. His kitchen. He remembered how they’d walked in here that very first time. He remembered standing here after they had made love for the very first time. He remembered how he had made his first breakfast in here. He remembered the first time Reid had ‘helped him cook’. It hadn’t been helpful, but very satisfying. He remembered the many conversations at their kitchen table. Funny stories. Loving stories. Heartbreaking stories. He remembered their first breakfast with Danny. So many memories.
It became harder and harder to realize he’d had a life before Reid. Like everything had been a dress rehearsal, preparing him for his life now.
“My my, look at you, all confident…”
Luke grinned, opening the fridge door and scanning the abundance of food in there. He decided on some leftovers and filled a tray. He didn’t understand why Mason Jarvis felt the need to seize every opportunity to belittle him, but a part of him was glad Mason had. Their little verbal battle had made Luke realize that the evil professor had no hold over him anymore. Even bringing up Noah hadn’t been useful ammunition for Mason.
“So Noah is gonna be with us in spirit on every date we go on and I should just get used to that, is that what you’re saying?”
Luke closed the fridge door with a frown. Where did this memory came from?
“I promise I will keep him very quiet. You won’t even know that he’s there.”
Oh my God. Luke had lifted up the tray, but put it down on the counter again. All of a sudden it hit him. He had pushed the memory of that date, and especially the fact that Reid had turned down his offer ‘to come in’, in his ‘WTF?’-file, but suddenly he knew. Suddenly he understood. For some reason he now could decipher the code in Reid’s question.
“So even now you’ve made your choice and decided you want to spend your life with me, I will always have to share you with Noah?”
And what did he do? He confirmed it.
“Yeah, he will always be on my mind, but I’ll keep it to myself. I’ll keep it hidden.”
All he ever thought about was how Reid had rejected him that night, but it had been action-reaction. He had rejected Reid first. Oh my God.
He took the tray again and made his way to the bedroom. He needed to tell Reid. He knew it wouldn’t change anything. He knew they’d moved on way past that. But he needed to set this straight.
The minute he entered the room, he knew it would have to wait, though. Reid had made it to the bed, had put the laptop on Luke’s pillow and apparently had dropped himself right there and then. Fully dressed, Reid was sound asleep.
Luke put the tray down on his bedstand and as carefully as possible he rolled Reid on his back. Besides a soft moan, Reid didn’t respond so Luke turned his attention to Reid’s shirt. He was glad of his experience. He could undress Reid with his eyes closed. He didn’t, though. He loved watching Reid sleep through this striptease. Pulling off the pants woke him up enough to frown and Luke stopped for a moment.
“It’s okay. I’m almost done.”
“Hmmm,” Reid sighed. “I’m so tired.”
“I know,” Luke touched Reid’s cheek, “let me remove this…” he turned down the covers, “just roll over here now.”
With a little help, Reid reached his side of the bed and after Luke put the covers over him, Reid smiled.
“I like that.”
“Like what, sweetie?”
“You, tucking me in. Taking care of me.”
Luke undressed himself and crawled in too, letting Reid know he was close by kissing him softly.
“I’m glad,” Luke whispered. “I love taking care of you. Now go back to sleep.”
“I love you, Luke.”
“I love you, Reid.”
“I know,” the sigh sounded blissful. “I’m a lucky guy.”
“So am I,” Luke assured him, but he wasn’t sure his answer made it to Reid’s brain. He softly kissed him again. “Sleep tight, my love.”
The laptop was still on his pillow and he put it on the floor. Casey could wait. With a content smile he nestled himself against Reid. ‘Lucky guy’ was the understatement of the year.