Brilliancy 13/14
In the seventeenth week, Reid feels like he´s dreaming again.
“What did you say?” Luke´s voice is unclear, as if he´s having trouble breathing or trying to hold back the leaking. Reid doesn´t really care because this is so surreal. He can see everything Luke had talked about as clear as if it is a memory and not a story being told. All the little details Luke left out and all the emotions that he doesn´t know anything about, Reid knows, because he has been living it almost every night for months. He can still feel the panic he felt when he couldn´t unbuckle the stupid seatbelt and saw the train coming towards him. But it´s only a stupid dream. How can Luke know anything about that?
Luke walks over to him and falls down on his knees and places a tentative hand on Reid´s knee. Reid can both see and feel how much his hand is shaking, “Reid, what did you say?”
“It´s nothing Luke, I really need to go now.” Reid makes an attempt to stand up but Luke firmly pushes him back on the sofa.
“Reid, please tell me. What did you say?” His voice pleads and even though a part of Reid wants to push him away, walk out of the hotel room and never look back, he can´t. There is something about Luke and the way he´s looking at him that makes Reid just want to give in and do anything he wants. He doesn´t like it, but it´s the truth, those Bambi eyes have Reid totally whipped.
He takes a deep breath and sits back down on the sofa again, “Forget it, it´s just a really cheesy line from a…uhm dream.” He feels ridiculous for saying that, because it´s embarrassing to admit that he´s been having weird dreams where he´s a total sap and utters lines like that. The thought of it makes him cringe a bit.
“I just…it´s what you, I mean, what he said right before he died.”
That´s the second time Luke says you instead of he and Reid isn´t sure what to make of it. He kind of suspects that Luke is trying to replace the doctor he lost with Reid, which isn´t a very comforting thought to be honest, but this is taking it a bit too far, “Are you talking about me or him?”
Luke stares at him and opens and closes his mouth so many times that he looks like some kind of blowfish. It´s not very attractive and Reid wonder what the hell he is doing. Finally, he seems to find the words but after he has spoken Reid isn´t sure if he wishes that Luke wouldn´t have said anything, because this is beyond weird.
“Reid, I don´t know how to explain this, but you are him. Or he is you…or well, he´s not you maybe, but you´re the same.”
“Yeah, I hate to break it to you Luke, but I´m not dead.” At least he´s pretty sure he isn´t, but who knows? Maybe Luke is one of those ‘I see dead people’ guys.
“I know you´re not, Reid,” well, that´s comforting, “but the doctor was you. And then you died and somehow I came here, to this world where you´re alive and I don´t know how that happened or why but I´m so grateful that we are getting a new start.”
Forget about this being weird, insane is a much better word. Sadly Luke seems to be insane too.
“What are we talking about here Luke? Are you trying to suggest that there are parallel universes in existence and I got hit by a train and died in one of those universes and since that made you all miserable, you traveled to another one to get me back?”
Reid smirks to show just how ridiculous he finds that idea, “I really don´t believe in things like that.”
Why was he even having this discussion? Luke clearly belongs in a mental institution, but then again, most people did.
Luke doesn´t seem to understand that Reid is being sarcastic because he grabs Reid´s hands and holds them firmly in his own, “Yes, something like that, I can´t really explain it. And I didn´t know what happened at first either because nothing made sense but then I found out that you were alive and after that I didn´t really care about anything else.”
“Luke, there is no such thing as parallel universes. You’ve watched too many bad movies if you honestly believe in that.”
He manages to unleash his hands from Luke´s grip and stands up. “I think it´s time for me to leave now,” he takes a few steps towards the door and his hand is on the handle when Luke´s voice stops him.
“You learned to play chess from some really old Ukrainian guys at Harvard Square. Your parents made you participate in tons of chess competitions, but it made you feel more like a trained seal than their son so after a while you refused to play anymore. I´m not sure what your Uncle Angus had to do with it but I think he was the one who was coaching you. One time, when you lost, he took the knight you made a bad move with and pressed it so hard into your palm it hurt and he told you that that’s how it felt to lose. After that you won every game.” Reid is still standing at the door, unable to move when he feels Luke´s hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly.
“He came for your funeral and you two are so alike! He has the same humor and sarcastic responses as you do and he´s definitely just as rude as you are. He told me about the note you sent to him along with the knight when you graduated from medical school.”
Reid finally lets go of the handle and turns around. “Checkmate.”
Luke smiles a small smile, “Yeah, he kept the knight in his pockets all these years to remind himself how it felt to fail.”
Old memories that Reid has tried to not think about in years surface and he wonders how Luke knows about them. There is no way Angus would ever tell a private investigator about that, but the idea of Angus actually telling Luke isn´t much more believable. Luke seems to understand how confused he is because he takes Reid´s hand and pulls him over to the sofa where they sit down together.
“I know this is weird Reid, but can you please tell me about your dreams?”
They´re still holding hands and Luke´s thumb is stroking the back of Reid’s hand and it´s strangely comforting, even though Reid normally isn´t much for handholding. He briefly contemplates refusing to tell him and walking out, but it´s not really an option anymore. Luke knows more about him than Susan does and there has to be a reason for that, even if he doesn´t think much of the whole parallel universes thing. That´s too sci-fi even for a science nerd like him.
“It´s ridiculous really, they’re just dreams Luke.” His gaze meets Luke´s pleading eyes and he rubs his forehead and gives in. “They started a few months ago, somewhere in September I think, and at first it was just an annoying nightmare. I was driving somewhere and I was really pissed off at some guy because I wanted something he had but he wouldn`t give it to me, so I was on my way to get it. And I came to a railroad crossing and for some ludicrous reason I thought I could outrun a train. My car suddenly broke down right on the tracks, which by the way shouldn´t be possible considering how fast I was driving, but somehow it did. So my car was stuck on the tracks and I could hear the train rushing towards me. At first, I tried to start the car but when that didn´t work and I actually saw the train, I tried to unbuckle the seatbelt. But for some reason it was stuck somehow, totally unrealistic to be honest, but I couldn´t get out and then the train hits the car.”
“And then?” Luke´s voice is shaky and his hand is trembling again but his eyes are clear which Reid is relieved to see, tears makes him uncomfortable.
“That was all at first. Later on, I kind of had the continuation of the dream. I`m in a hospital bed and I´m pretty sure I´m going to die but there is no doctor, just some stupid nurse and this guy I can´t really see clearly. He wants to bring in some specialist to fix me but I kind of know it´s hopeless so I demand that he bring me a lawyer instead and I somehow make him promise that I want to donate my heart. Which is stupid, gay men aren’t allowed to donate organs and even if they were, you can´t decide who you want to give it to when you´re dead.” Reid snorts and shakes his head because he can´t believe he´s actually telling Luke all of this. And saying it out loud makes it sound even more stupid because it´s all so unrealistic.
“Reid, this really has happened. Not to you, but to another you, and somehow you´re dreaming of it.”
“Come on Luke, you can´t seriously believe in all this?”
“Yes, I can Reid! Because I was there and everything you just told me is exactly how it all played out.”
Reid tries to unleash his hand again but this time Luke´s grip tightens. “Look Reid, I know how all this sounds and I don´t blame you for thinking I´m totally crazy but all I ask for is, for you to listen to me.” Despite his better judgment, Reid actually stays exactly where he is and gives Luke his chance to talk.
“I have no idea how all this has happened and I don´t know how to explain it either. Maybe we´re not supposed to understand everything and instead of trying to explain it we should just accept it.” Luke sounds so certain and hopeful that Reid almost gives in…almost.
“Luke, I can´t do this right now. I need some time alone to think about all this.” He stands up and starts walking towards the door again.
“Please don´t leave Reid, we can work this out.” Luke follows him and takes a hold of his arm. Reid turns around and his hand moves up almost on its own accord and cups Luke´s cheek. He leans forward and brushes his lips lightly against Luke´s before pulling back. Luke immediately grips the back of his neck and pulls him forward again, smashing their mouths together. Reid hesitates for a second before giving in to Luke´s demanding tongue. He tangles his fingers in Luke´s hair and can´t hold back a moan when Luke´s other hand wanders inside his shirt. He takes a hold of the hem on Luke´s sweater and reluctantly breaks the kiss for the short moment it takes him to pull it over Luke´s head and as soon as it´s off, he claims Luke´s lips again.
Luke´s skin is smooth and warm and he lets his hands explore every inch of his lean torso. Luke breaks the kiss and Reid hears himself making a sound of disappointment he never will admit to actually making and licks a wet trail along Luke´s jaw line before biting down on his neck. Luke is fiddling with his shirt buttons and Reid helps him, anxious to feel Luke´s hands on his bare skin again. They finally manage to unbutton it together and Reid pulls it off while Luke captures his lips again.
Reid reaches down and palms Luke´s hard cock through his sweats when Luke suddenly pulls back.
“Reid, just wait a minute.”
Reid isn´t really in the mood for waiting and pushes his erection hard against Luke´s hip and leaves wet kisses on his neck. Luke doesn´t give in though and Reid sighs and looks up to meet his eyes.
“What?”
“Tell me you feel this too, this connection between us?”
Reid groans. He´s horny as hell and he´s not interested in talking about connections or weird universes, he just wants Luke. But Luke expects an answer and if this is going anywhere, Reid has to give one to him. The easy thing would have been to simply agree but Reid doesn´t want to lie to Luke and the truth is that he doesn´t know. He feels something, but he´s not sure what.
“I don´t know Luke,” he settles for an honest answer and as he suspected Luke doesn´t like it.
“If you don’t believe me and think I´m a total nutcase you´re free to leave. I don´t know what else I can do to convince you that I´m telling the truth.” His voice is firm and he has a determined look on his face but he can never hide the emotions in his eyes and Reid knows that he´s hurt.
Reid takes a step back and pinches the bridge of his nose, “I don´t know what you want me to say. This is all...I want you, isn´t that enough?”
Luke is quiet for a while and their gazes lock on each other before he takes a step towards Reid. “It´s enough…for now,” then his mouth is back on Reid´s and his hand is working on the button on Reid´s jeans.
It doesn´t go any further than jerking each other off, their foreheads pressed together, breathing in each other’s breaths. Both were too eager and too far gone to do anything more than just that. Afterwards they kiss slowly while Luke zips up Reid´s jeans and that´s the moment Damian chooses to walk in.
Even if Reid doesn´t really like the guy he has to give him some credit. Seeing how Luke blushes and starts searching for his sweater, Reid guesses it´s not every day Damian walks in on his son making out with his half naked male lover.
“Doctor Oliver! I have to admit, I´m a bit surprised to see you here”, Damian says with a smirk and a far too pleased expression on his face.
“No, you´re not,” Reid answers, “This is exactly what you were expecting to walk in on.”
Damian raises an eyebrow and looks pointedly on Reid´s bare chest.
“Well, maybe you got a bit more then you bargained for here, father Grimaldi. Although, not even a straight man as yourself can deny how stunning I am without clothes.”
“Reid!” Luke´s face color has gone from a slight blush to completely scarlet and he smacks Reid on his arm.
“What? Your father may be an over-bearing, blackmailing idiot who sticks his nose where it doesn´t belong, but that doesn´t mean there´s something wrong with his sight, does it?”
Luke does a fairly good job in rolling his eyes and hands Reid his shirt. He puts it on and buttons it up and the silence starts to get on his nerves. He has no idea what to say and both Luke and Grimaldi senior are staring at him and seem to be expecting him to say something.
“Well, I guess I should go then,” according to the frowns on the faces in front of him, that was clearly not the right thing to say.
“I thought you said you would tell him everything if you got the chance. Don´t tell me you wasted that opportunity and had sex instead?” Grimaldi senior looks questioningly at Luke, and Reid can´t decide if he´s disappointed or impressed by his son.
Reid didn´t think it was possible but it turns out that Luke actually can blush even more, “I did tell him!”
“Then why is he leaving?”
“Apparently he´s still trying to decide whether or not I should be locked up somewhere.”
“I´m still here you know.” Reid almost waves to make his presence clear but thankfully he manages to stop himself. He really needed to get out of there as fast as possible, “Luke, I… I´ll see you.”
In the eighteenth week, Reid still doesn´t get any sleep without the pills, he spends all his waking hours that week working and he can´t think of anything else besides Luke.
He doesn´t know what to think or what to believe after hearing everything that Luke had told him because it really did not make sense at all. Reid likes facts and figures and he is a science man first and foremost. He sees things in black or white, wrong or right and stories about parallel universes, stories about love that conquer all, even death, clearly don’t belong in his way of thinking.
The whole story about the loser ex-boyfriend and the doctor, was interesting to hear, not that he wanted Luke to know however at first, Reid had no idea why Luke felt the need to tell him about that. Everybody has a past and Reid wasn´t particularly interested in hearing of Luke´s former lovers, especially not one he was obviously still in love with. And then it turns out that the doctor somehow was him and that only made it even more confusing. A part of him wants to believe Luke but the rational side of him tells him that he should just forget about everything and go back to the life he had before Luke came and turned everything upside down.
He shakes his head and tries to clear his thoughts. He pulls out one of the patient files on his desk and tries to concentrate on it but to no avail. He sighs heavy and rubs his face before giving up and pulls on his jacket. He needs a drink.
He goes to the nearest bar and it isn´t long after he has ordered his first beer that he realizes that this is where he met Luke for the first time. And just as he thought things couldn´t get any worse, Damian Grimaldi sits down next to him.
“Good evening, Doctor Oliver,” Reid groans and hides his head in his hands.
“There´s no escaping you or your son is there?” Damian laughs and puts a hand on Reid´s stiff shoulder.
“I want to apologize for our last meeting, my son wasn´t very pleased with me when I told him what I said to you.”
“I wonder why.”
“Well, Luciano isn´t fond of using threats and blackmail to get people to do what he wants.” That makes Reid snort and Damian smiles but he doesn´t comment on it.
“So, if you`re done apologizing, feel free to leave.” Reid takes another sip of his beer.
“Actually I came here to tell you something, the apology was just a way to get you to listen.”
Reid just raises an eyebrow and Damian seems to take that as an invitation to continue.
“I know my son extremely well, we work together and have always been close. About two months ago, me and my son were in a car accident. Nothing serious, but Luke hit his head and got a small concussion. He was in a coma for three days and we started to get pretty worried. When he finally woke up I knew he was different, I couldn´t pinpoint what it was but he was acting differently and he seemed to have a completely different memory of his whole life. At first I thought he had some form of amnesia or that he suffered from a brain injury but the doctor told us nothing was wrong. Then he started to tell us things that didn´t make any sense, and he talked a lot about you. So I did some research about you and most of what he had told us about you was true, besides the fact that you never came to Oakdale and the two of you never had a relationship.”
“Is all this going somewhere?”
“My son is telling you the truth. Even though I can´t explain or understand everything about different worlds and switching places, I believe him. He´s not crazy, and frankly he´s too bad of a liar to make something as elaborate as that up.” Damian stands up and throws some money on the table, “This is on me. And Doctor Oliver? My son loves you for reasons I can´t even imagine to understand, but if he wasn´t telling you the truth, why on earth would he make up a story like that and risk losing you? Think about it.”
Damian leaves and Reid downs the last of his beer. He considers ordering another one but instead he stands up and puts on his jacket. He has something more important to do.
He´s knocking on Luke´s hotel door less than five minutes later. Luke opens it, dressed in the same sweats he wore last week and he has that messy blonde hair looking like he´s had a wrestling match with a duvet. He´s never looked more beautiful. Before Luke can say something Reid grabs him and kisses him with everything he´s got. It´s wet and messy and everything Reid could ever want and he doesn´t pull away until they´re both breathless.
“Luke,” he says and cups Luke´s cheek in that familiar way, “I don´t know what to think of everything you told me and I don´t know how I´m supposed to believe you because frankly, this whole parallel universe thing is a bit weird. But I don´t care if you´re crazy or if you belong in an institution or if you´re telling me the truth. The only thing I´m certain of is that I want you. I really, really want you.”
That´s probably the sappiest thing he´s ever said but when he sees the big smile on Luke´s face he knows it´s worth it.
In the eighteenth week Reid finally stops dreaming about trains, hearts and dying. He falls asleep curled up against Luke´s back, an arm wrapped around the blonde and their fingers tangled together.
“What did you say?” Luke´s voice is unclear, as if he´s having trouble breathing or trying to hold back the leaking. Reid doesn´t really care because this is so surreal. He can see everything Luke had talked about as clear as if it is a memory and not a story being told. All the little details Luke left out and all the emotions that he doesn´t know anything about, Reid knows, because he has been living it almost every night for months. He can still feel the panic he felt when he couldn´t unbuckle the stupid seatbelt and saw the train coming towards him. But it´s only a stupid dream. How can Luke know anything about that?
Luke walks over to him and falls down on his knees and places a tentative hand on Reid´s knee. Reid can both see and feel how much his hand is shaking, “Reid, what did you say?”
“It´s nothing Luke, I really need to go now.” Reid makes an attempt to stand up but Luke firmly pushes him back on the sofa.
“Reid, please tell me. What did you say?” His voice pleads and even though a part of Reid wants to push him away, walk out of the hotel room and never look back, he can´t. There is something about Luke and the way he´s looking at him that makes Reid just want to give in and do anything he wants. He doesn´t like it, but it´s the truth, those Bambi eyes have Reid totally whipped.
He takes a deep breath and sits back down on the sofa again, “Forget it, it´s just a really cheesy line from a…uhm dream.” He feels ridiculous for saying that, because it´s embarrassing to admit that he´s been having weird dreams where he´s a total sap and utters lines like that. The thought of it makes him cringe a bit.
“I just…it´s what you, I mean, what he said right before he died.”
That´s the second time Luke says you instead of he and Reid isn´t sure what to make of it. He kind of suspects that Luke is trying to replace the doctor he lost with Reid, which isn´t a very comforting thought to be honest, but this is taking it a bit too far, “Are you talking about me or him?”
Luke stares at him and opens and closes his mouth so many times that he looks like some kind of blowfish. It´s not very attractive and Reid wonder what the hell he is doing. Finally, he seems to find the words but after he has spoken Reid isn´t sure if he wishes that Luke wouldn´t have said anything, because this is beyond weird.
“Reid, I don´t know how to explain this, but you are him. Or he is you…or well, he´s not you maybe, but you´re the same.”
“Yeah, I hate to break it to you Luke, but I´m not dead.” At least he´s pretty sure he isn´t, but who knows? Maybe Luke is one of those ‘I see dead people’ guys.
“I know you´re not, Reid,” well, that´s comforting, “but the doctor was you. And then you died and somehow I came here, to this world where you´re alive and I don´t know how that happened or why but I´m so grateful that we are getting a new start.”
Forget about this being weird, insane is a much better word. Sadly Luke seems to be insane too.
“What are we talking about here Luke? Are you trying to suggest that there are parallel universes in existence and I got hit by a train and died in one of those universes and since that made you all miserable, you traveled to another one to get me back?”
Reid smirks to show just how ridiculous he finds that idea, “I really don´t believe in things like that.”
Why was he even having this discussion? Luke clearly belongs in a mental institution, but then again, most people did.
Luke doesn´t seem to understand that Reid is being sarcastic because he grabs Reid´s hands and holds them firmly in his own, “Yes, something like that, I can´t really explain it. And I didn´t know what happened at first either because nothing made sense but then I found out that you were alive and after that I didn´t really care about anything else.”
“Luke, there is no such thing as parallel universes. You’ve watched too many bad movies if you honestly believe in that.”
He manages to unleash his hands from Luke´s grip and stands up. “I think it´s time for me to leave now,” he takes a few steps towards the door and his hand is on the handle when Luke´s voice stops him.
“You learned to play chess from some really old Ukrainian guys at Harvard Square. Your parents made you participate in tons of chess competitions, but it made you feel more like a trained seal than their son so after a while you refused to play anymore. I´m not sure what your Uncle Angus had to do with it but I think he was the one who was coaching you. One time, when you lost, he took the knight you made a bad move with and pressed it so hard into your palm it hurt and he told you that that’s how it felt to lose. After that you won every game.” Reid is still standing at the door, unable to move when he feels Luke´s hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly.
“He came for your funeral and you two are so alike! He has the same humor and sarcastic responses as you do and he´s definitely just as rude as you are. He told me about the note you sent to him along with the knight when you graduated from medical school.”
Reid finally lets go of the handle and turns around. “Checkmate.”
Luke smiles a small smile, “Yeah, he kept the knight in his pockets all these years to remind himself how it felt to fail.”
Old memories that Reid has tried to not think about in years surface and he wonders how Luke knows about them. There is no way Angus would ever tell a private investigator about that, but the idea of Angus actually telling Luke isn´t much more believable. Luke seems to understand how confused he is because he takes Reid´s hand and pulls him over to the sofa where they sit down together.
“I know this is weird Reid, but can you please tell me about your dreams?”
They´re still holding hands and Luke´s thumb is stroking the back of Reid’s hand and it´s strangely comforting, even though Reid normally isn´t much for handholding. He briefly contemplates refusing to tell him and walking out, but it´s not really an option anymore. Luke knows more about him than Susan does and there has to be a reason for that, even if he doesn´t think much of the whole parallel universes thing. That´s too sci-fi even for a science nerd like him.
“It´s ridiculous really, they’re just dreams Luke.” His gaze meets Luke´s pleading eyes and he rubs his forehead and gives in. “They started a few months ago, somewhere in September I think, and at first it was just an annoying nightmare. I was driving somewhere and I was really pissed off at some guy because I wanted something he had but he wouldn`t give it to me, so I was on my way to get it. And I came to a railroad crossing and for some ludicrous reason I thought I could outrun a train. My car suddenly broke down right on the tracks, which by the way shouldn´t be possible considering how fast I was driving, but somehow it did. So my car was stuck on the tracks and I could hear the train rushing towards me. At first, I tried to start the car but when that didn´t work and I actually saw the train, I tried to unbuckle the seatbelt. But for some reason it was stuck somehow, totally unrealistic to be honest, but I couldn´t get out and then the train hits the car.”
“And then?” Luke´s voice is shaky and his hand is trembling again but his eyes are clear which Reid is relieved to see, tears makes him uncomfortable.
“That was all at first. Later on, I kind of had the continuation of the dream. I`m in a hospital bed and I´m pretty sure I´m going to die but there is no doctor, just some stupid nurse and this guy I can´t really see clearly. He wants to bring in some specialist to fix me but I kind of know it´s hopeless so I demand that he bring me a lawyer instead and I somehow make him promise that I want to donate my heart. Which is stupid, gay men aren’t allowed to donate organs and even if they were, you can´t decide who you want to give it to when you´re dead.” Reid snorts and shakes his head because he can´t believe he´s actually telling Luke all of this. And saying it out loud makes it sound even more stupid because it´s all so unrealistic.
“Reid, this really has happened. Not to you, but to another you, and somehow you´re dreaming of it.”
“Come on Luke, you can´t seriously believe in all this?”
“Yes, I can Reid! Because I was there and everything you just told me is exactly how it all played out.”
Reid tries to unleash his hand again but this time Luke´s grip tightens. “Look Reid, I know how all this sounds and I don´t blame you for thinking I´m totally crazy but all I ask for is, for you to listen to me.” Despite his better judgment, Reid actually stays exactly where he is and gives Luke his chance to talk.
“I have no idea how all this has happened and I don´t know how to explain it either. Maybe we´re not supposed to understand everything and instead of trying to explain it we should just accept it.” Luke sounds so certain and hopeful that Reid almost gives in…almost.
“Luke, I can´t do this right now. I need some time alone to think about all this.” He stands up and starts walking towards the door again.
“Please don´t leave Reid, we can work this out.” Luke follows him and takes a hold of his arm. Reid turns around and his hand moves up almost on its own accord and cups Luke´s cheek. He leans forward and brushes his lips lightly against Luke´s before pulling back. Luke immediately grips the back of his neck and pulls him forward again, smashing their mouths together. Reid hesitates for a second before giving in to Luke´s demanding tongue. He tangles his fingers in Luke´s hair and can´t hold back a moan when Luke´s other hand wanders inside his shirt. He takes a hold of the hem on Luke´s sweater and reluctantly breaks the kiss for the short moment it takes him to pull it over Luke´s head and as soon as it´s off, he claims Luke´s lips again.
Luke´s skin is smooth and warm and he lets his hands explore every inch of his lean torso. Luke breaks the kiss and Reid hears himself making a sound of disappointment he never will admit to actually making and licks a wet trail along Luke´s jaw line before biting down on his neck. Luke is fiddling with his shirt buttons and Reid helps him, anxious to feel Luke´s hands on his bare skin again. They finally manage to unbutton it together and Reid pulls it off while Luke captures his lips again.
Reid reaches down and palms Luke´s hard cock through his sweats when Luke suddenly pulls back.
“Reid, just wait a minute.”
Reid isn´t really in the mood for waiting and pushes his erection hard against Luke´s hip and leaves wet kisses on his neck. Luke doesn´t give in though and Reid sighs and looks up to meet his eyes.
“What?”
“Tell me you feel this too, this connection between us?”
Reid groans. He´s horny as hell and he´s not interested in talking about connections or weird universes, he just wants Luke. But Luke expects an answer and if this is going anywhere, Reid has to give one to him. The easy thing would have been to simply agree but Reid doesn´t want to lie to Luke and the truth is that he doesn´t know. He feels something, but he´s not sure what.
“I don´t know Luke,” he settles for an honest answer and as he suspected Luke doesn´t like it.
“If you don’t believe me and think I´m a total nutcase you´re free to leave. I don´t know what else I can do to convince you that I´m telling the truth.” His voice is firm and he has a determined look on his face but he can never hide the emotions in his eyes and Reid knows that he´s hurt.
Reid takes a step back and pinches the bridge of his nose, “I don´t know what you want me to say. This is all...I want you, isn´t that enough?”
Luke is quiet for a while and their gazes lock on each other before he takes a step towards Reid. “It´s enough…for now,” then his mouth is back on Reid´s and his hand is working on the button on Reid´s jeans.
It doesn´t go any further than jerking each other off, their foreheads pressed together, breathing in each other’s breaths. Both were too eager and too far gone to do anything more than just that. Afterwards they kiss slowly while Luke zips up Reid´s jeans and that´s the moment Damian chooses to walk in.
Even if Reid doesn´t really like the guy he has to give him some credit. Seeing how Luke blushes and starts searching for his sweater, Reid guesses it´s not every day Damian walks in on his son making out with his half naked male lover.
“Doctor Oliver! I have to admit, I´m a bit surprised to see you here”, Damian says with a smirk and a far too pleased expression on his face.
“No, you´re not,” Reid answers, “This is exactly what you were expecting to walk in on.”
Damian raises an eyebrow and looks pointedly on Reid´s bare chest.
“Well, maybe you got a bit more then you bargained for here, father Grimaldi. Although, not even a straight man as yourself can deny how stunning I am without clothes.”
“Reid!” Luke´s face color has gone from a slight blush to completely scarlet and he smacks Reid on his arm.
“What? Your father may be an over-bearing, blackmailing idiot who sticks his nose where it doesn´t belong, but that doesn´t mean there´s something wrong with his sight, does it?”
Luke does a fairly good job in rolling his eyes and hands Reid his shirt. He puts it on and buttons it up and the silence starts to get on his nerves. He has no idea what to say and both Luke and Grimaldi senior are staring at him and seem to be expecting him to say something.
“Well, I guess I should go then,” according to the frowns on the faces in front of him, that was clearly not the right thing to say.
“I thought you said you would tell him everything if you got the chance. Don´t tell me you wasted that opportunity and had sex instead?” Grimaldi senior looks questioningly at Luke, and Reid can´t decide if he´s disappointed or impressed by his son.
Reid didn´t think it was possible but it turns out that Luke actually can blush even more, “I did tell him!”
“Then why is he leaving?”
“Apparently he´s still trying to decide whether or not I should be locked up somewhere.”
“I´m still here you know.” Reid almost waves to make his presence clear but thankfully he manages to stop himself. He really needed to get out of there as fast as possible, “Luke, I… I´ll see you.”
In the eighteenth week, Reid still doesn´t get any sleep without the pills, he spends all his waking hours that week working and he can´t think of anything else besides Luke.
He doesn´t know what to think or what to believe after hearing everything that Luke had told him because it really did not make sense at all. Reid likes facts and figures and he is a science man first and foremost. He sees things in black or white, wrong or right and stories about parallel universes, stories about love that conquer all, even death, clearly don’t belong in his way of thinking.
The whole story about the loser ex-boyfriend and the doctor, was interesting to hear, not that he wanted Luke to know however at first, Reid had no idea why Luke felt the need to tell him about that. Everybody has a past and Reid wasn´t particularly interested in hearing of Luke´s former lovers, especially not one he was obviously still in love with. And then it turns out that the doctor somehow was him and that only made it even more confusing. A part of him wants to believe Luke but the rational side of him tells him that he should just forget about everything and go back to the life he had before Luke came and turned everything upside down.
He shakes his head and tries to clear his thoughts. He pulls out one of the patient files on his desk and tries to concentrate on it but to no avail. He sighs heavy and rubs his face before giving up and pulls on his jacket. He needs a drink.
He goes to the nearest bar and it isn´t long after he has ordered his first beer that he realizes that this is where he met Luke for the first time. And just as he thought things couldn´t get any worse, Damian Grimaldi sits down next to him.
“Good evening, Doctor Oliver,” Reid groans and hides his head in his hands.
“There´s no escaping you or your son is there?” Damian laughs and puts a hand on Reid´s stiff shoulder.
“I want to apologize for our last meeting, my son wasn´t very pleased with me when I told him what I said to you.”
“I wonder why.”
“Well, Luciano isn´t fond of using threats and blackmail to get people to do what he wants.” That makes Reid snort and Damian smiles but he doesn´t comment on it.
“So, if you`re done apologizing, feel free to leave.” Reid takes another sip of his beer.
“Actually I came here to tell you something, the apology was just a way to get you to listen.”
Reid just raises an eyebrow and Damian seems to take that as an invitation to continue.
“I know my son extremely well, we work together and have always been close. About two months ago, me and my son were in a car accident. Nothing serious, but Luke hit his head and got a small concussion. He was in a coma for three days and we started to get pretty worried. When he finally woke up I knew he was different, I couldn´t pinpoint what it was but he was acting differently and he seemed to have a completely different memory of his whole life. At first I thought he had some form of amnesia or that he suffered from a brain injury but the doctor told us nothing was wrong. Then he started to tell us things that didn´t make any sense, and he talked a lot about you. So I did some research about you and most of what he had told us about you was true, besides the fact that you never came to Oakdale and the two of you never had a relationship.”
“Is all this going somewhere?”
“My son is telling you the truth. Even though I can´t explain or understand everything about different worlds and switching places, I believe him. He´s not crazy, and frankly he´s too bad of a liar to make something as elaborate as that up.” Damian stands up and throws some money on the table, “This is on me. And Doctor Oliver? My son loves you for reasons I can´t even imagine to understand, but if he wasn´t telling you the truth, why on earth would he make up a story like that and risk losing you? Think about it.”
Damian leaves and Reid downs the last of his beer. He considers ordering another one but instead he stands up and puts on his jacket. He has something more important to do.
He´s knocking on Luke´s hotel door less than five minutes later. Luke opens it, dressed in the same sweats he wore last week and he has that messy blonde hair looking like he´s had a wrestling match with a duvet. He´s never looked more beautiful. Before Luke can say something Reid grabs him and kisses him with everything he´s got. It´s wet and messy and everything Reid could ever want and he doesn´t pull away until they´re both breathless.
“Luke,” he says and cups Luke´s cheek in that familiar way, “I don´t know what to think of everything you told me and I don´t know how I´m supposed to believe you because frankly, this whole parallel universe thing is a bit weird. But I don´t care if you´re crazy or if you belong in an institution or if you´re telling me the truth. The only thing I´m certain of is that I want you. I really, really want you.”
That´s probably the sappiest thing he´s ever said but when he sees the big smile on Luke´s face he knows it´s worth it.
In the eighteenth week Reid finally stops dreaming about trains, hearts and dying. He falls asleep curled up against Luke´s back, an arm wrapped around the blonde and their fingers tangled together.