Oliver's Army
17.
“When do you have to leave?”
Luke had woken on Sunday morning to a thin line of errant sunlight streaming down across Reid’s face from the curtained window to the left of the bed. He’d watched the sleeping man for the next few minutes until Reid’s eyes, disturbed by the light, fluttered open. He’d meant to greet Reid with a kiss, but the time he’d had alone with his thoughts had allowed the prospect of Reid’s departure to weigh heavily on his mind and he was unable to stop the whispered question.
Reid blew out a long breath and turned toward Luke, his fingers reaching out to caress his stubbled cheek. He’d always been a bit of a sucker for the rough scratchiness of a man’s face and it was something he’d not felt in a long time, since before he’d started sleeping with Scott. The other man had always been clean shaven during their encounters and they’d never spent the entire night together, so there was no morning stubble to brush his fingers and lips against.
“My flight’s at noon,” Reid murmured as he began to drag his fingers lazily down Luke’s face and over his lips before trailing then down his chin to his neck. “So we have at least two hours before I have to be at the airport.“ Leaning forward, he followed the path of his fingers with his lips, teasing Luke’s cheek, his mouth, his chin and his neck with fluttering kisses.
As he moved his lips down toward Luke’s chest, he felt the other man shudder. Bringing his head up to look at Luke’s face, he saw him swallow thickly, his eyes glistening with unshed moisture. “Luke?”
“Oh God, you must think I’m some kind of weenus,” Luke mumbled, his hands coming up to press to his eyes. “I swear, I’m not usually such a freak, it’s just that I’m not ready to say ‘goodbye’ to you yet.”
“So don’t,” Reid whispered as he rested his chin in the soft hair of Luke’s chest. “Come with me.”
Luke propped himself up on his elbows. “What? Well, I guess I could fly out there for a few days. Would I need to book a hotel room or do you think you could put me up at your place?” he asked, a smug grin on his face.
“Tell you what, leave the trip open-ended, forget the hotel and I’ll clear a dresser for you,” Reid said, his face suddenly serious, his eyes betraying just a hint of worry.
“Reid? What are you asking here…because it sounds an awful lot like you want me to move in with you.”
Reid gulped audibly and buried his face into Luke’s furry chest. “Scuzminluvwiffew.”
“What was that you just said there?” Luke chortled. “I couldn’t hear you…maybe you should say it again, only this time, look at me.”
“I said, ‘It’s because I’m in love with you’, that’s why I’m asking you to take a chance and just move in with me right now. I don’t want to do the long-distance thing, Luke. I’m finally letting myself love someone and I want to be all in.”
Reid watched as Luke blinked a few times, his mouth opening and then closing as if he wasn’t quite sure how to respond.
“It’s too soon, right?” Reid asked, lifting himself off of Luke and rolling over onto his back. “Shit, of course it’s too soon. Listen, Luke, forget it, it was a stupid idea. See? I’m crap at this relationship stuff. You’re probably ready to run screaming from the room.”
“Aaand, there he goes again, folks,” laughed Luke as he pushed himself up to a seated position on the bed and leaned over Reid to press a kiss to his lips. “Jumping to conclusions and going on and on about nothing. You needed to give me a minute to process what you said. You just told me that you loved me and I just wanted to roll it around in my head for a bit.”
“So, what’s the verdict, Mr. Snyder? You think you could see yourself loving me back anytime soon?” Reid asked softly.
Luke pulled down the sheet and swung one leg over Reid so he was straddling the other man‘s waist. “Oh, I’d say that ship has already sailed, Dr. Oliver. In fact, I’ve never been more in love with anyone in my entire life,” he said, as he wiggled seductively. “So, how about if you go ahead and cancel your flight, and I’ll arrange for the Worldwide jet to fly us out later tonight,“ Luke began rubbing his hands in circles on Reid’s chest, causing the other man to shiver underneath him. “That way we’ll have time to finish what I’m about to start right now. Then, when I’m done ravishing you…at least for this morning, I’ll pack a few things, make arrangements to be away indefinitely, and last, but certainly not least, you and I can go over to my Mom and Damian’s so that you can explain why you were such an ass last night…and, yes, we will make up a lie, as I don’t think either of them needs to hear the truth.”
Reid groaned, “Oh God, no, don’t make me do that. I’m not good with…mmmm…that feels incredible…but I still don’t want to…fuck, Luke…”
-The End (But Really Only the Beginning)-
Epilogue
“When do you have to leave?”
Luke had woken on Sunday morning to a thin line of errant sunlight streaming down across Reid’s face from the curtained window to the left of the bed. He’d watched the sleeping man for the next few minutes until Reid’s eyes, disturbed by the light, fluttered open. He’d meant to greet Reid with a kiss, but the time he’d had alone with his thoughts had allowed the prospect of Reid’s departure to weigh heavily on his mind and he was unable to stop the whispered question.
Reid blew out a long breath and turned toward Luke, his fingers reaching out to caress his stubbled cheek. He’d always been a bit of a sucker for the rough scratchiness of a man’s face and it was something he’d not felt in a long time, since before he’d started sleeping with Scott. The other man had always been clean shaven during their encounters and they’d never spent the entire night together, so there was no morning stubble to brush his fingers and lips against.
“My flight’s at noon,” Reid murmured as he began to drag his fingers lazily down Luke’s face and over his lips before trailing then down his chin to his neck. “So we have at least two hours before I have to be at the airport.“ Leaning forward, he followed the path of his fingers with his lips, teasing Luke’s cheek, his mouth, his chin and his neck with fluttering kisses.
As he moved his lips down toward Luke’s chest, he felt the other man shudder. Bringing his head up to look at Luke’s face, he saw him swallow thickly, his eyes glistening with unshed moisture. “Luke?”
“Oh God, you must think I’m some kind of weenus,” Luke mumbled, his hands coming up to press to his eyes. “I swear, I’m not usually such a freak, it’s just that I’m not ready to say ‘goodbye’ to you yet.”
“So don’t,” Reid whispered as he rested his chin in the soft hair of Luke’s chest. “Come with me.”
Luke propped himself up on his elbows. “What? Well, I guess I could fly out there for a few days. Would I need to book a hotel room or do you think you could put me up at your place?” he asked, a smug grin on his face.
“Tell you what, leave the trip open-ended, forget the hotel and I’ll clear a dresser for you,” Reid said, his face suddenly serious, his eyes betraying just a hint of worry.
“Reid? What are you asking here…because it sounds an awful lot like you want me to move in with you.”
Reid gulped audibly and buried his face into Luke’s furry chest. “Scuzminluvwiffew.”
“What was that you just said there?” Luke chortled. “I couldn’t hear you…maybe you should say it again, only this time, look at me.”
“I said, ‘It’s because I’m in love with you’, that’s why I’m asking you to take a chance and just move in with me right now. I don’t want to do the long-distance thing, Luke. I’m finally letting myself love someone and I want to be all in.”
Reid watched as Luke blinked a few times, his mouth opening and then closing as if he wasn’t quite sure how to respond.
“It’s too soon, right?” Reid asked, lifting himself off of Luke and rolling over onto his back. “Shit, of course it’s too soon. Listen, Luke, forget it, it was a stupid idea. See? I’m crap at this relationship stuff. You’re probably ready to run screaming from the room.”
“Aaand, there he goes again, folks,” laughed Luke as he pushed himself up to a seated position on the bed and leaned over Reid to press a kiss to his lips. “Jumping to conclusions and going on and on about nothing. You needed to give me a minute to process what you said. You just told me that you loved me and I just wanted to roll it around in my head for a bit.”
“So, what’s the verdict, Mr. Snyder? You think you could see yourself loving me back anytime soon?” Reid asked softly.
Luke pulled down the sheet and swung one leg over Reid so he was straddling the other man‘s waist. “Oh, I’d say that ship has already sailed, Dr. Oliver. In fact, I’ve never been more in love with anyone in my entire life,” he said, as he wiggled seductively. “So, how about if you go ahead and cancel your flight, and I’ll arrange for the Worldwide jet to fly us out later tonight,“ Luke began rubbing his hands in circles on Reid’s chest, causing the other man to shiver underneath him. “That way we’ll have time to finish what I’m about to start right now. Then, when I’m done ravishing you…at least for this morning, I’ll pack a few things, make arrangements to be away indefinitely, and last, but certainly not least, you and I can go over to my Mom and Damian’s so that you can explain why you were such an ass last night…and, yes, we will make up a lie, as I don’t think either of them needs to hear the truth.”
Reid groaned, “Oh God, no, don’t make me do that. I’m not good with…mmmm…that feels incredible…but I still don’t want to…fuck, Luke…”
-The End (But Really Only the Beginning)-
Epilogue