Bulletproof (27/52)
Title: Bulletproof
Author: blasthisass
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Summary: AU- when Luke is shot by Colonel Mayer, his condition quickly deteriorates. In order to save his life, Bob calls in a young, hotshot doctor from Texas, brilliant and already making a name for himself.
Disclaimers: All characters and such property of ATWT, CBS and anyone else who can legally take credit for them. If they were mine, I would take infinitely better care of them.
Title from the song by La Roux. There is dialogue from both the time in which the story takes place as well as the LuRe storyline.
A/N: This is unbeta'd, so any mistakes are mine.
Comments much appreciated . . . I love them like Reid loves Luke.
Previous parts: prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26
***
“Are you sure she’s okay to travel?” Dennis Judd demanded, leaving his wife in his daughter’s hospital room as he rushed out after her doctor.
Reid rolled his eyes. He didn’t think he’d ever met a family member of one of his patients that was more overbearing and protective than Dennis Judd. “Well, there’s certainly less risk than when I flew her out here.”
Dennis Judd started, grabbing Reid’s arm to whirl him around with almost enough force to dislocate Reid’s shoulder. Reid grunted in surprise at this change in his velocity and fixed his adversary with a stony glare. Dennis Judd reciprocated as good as he got. “Are you saying she wasn’t cleared to travel here?”
Reid sighed, exasperated. “No, that’s not at all what I said.”
“You said that it was riskier to bring her here then than it was to fly her home now!”
“I know what I said. And that’s true. But only because of the fact that she had a dangerous brain tumor then,” Reid explained slowly, as though the fact were completely obvious. He smirked lightly. He felt he shouldn’t push Dennis Judd’s buttons, as the man was unbelievably tall and could easily beat Reid into a pulp. “But medically speaking, she’s perfectly fine to travel.”
Dennis Judd let out a snarl of frustration, but nodded curtly and made his way back to his daughter’s room, trying to calm himself so that his wife and Annie wouldn’t see the unhinging effect that Reid had on him.
Reid chuckled in satisfaction, crossing annoying the Judds off his mental list as he started to make his way to Human Resources so that they could arrange the Judd’s travel information and book their tickets. And if Reid had been the type of man to fall to the weakness of avoidance, he would have taken the route through cardiology to get to HR. The long way, certainly, but it wouldn’t take him past the physical therapy rooms.
As it was, when Reid rounded the corner, he was met with the sight of Luke Snyder, coat over his arm, laughing casually with Burt, who was mimicking snapping the former’s cane over his leg. Luke chuckled and Reid cursed at himself, eyes flying to the dimples, as though he couldn’t even control himself. But Luke just looked so damn good, the light smile on his face and natural blonde hair long enough to form distinct sideburns and curl up into a light upsweep and, for fuck’s sake, Reid was only human.
Luke chuckled, smile fading slightly as he looked around, as though nervous, and spotted Reid, stopped dead in the middle of the hallway, eyes fixed on Luke. Luke swallowed nervously, his face stiffening, mind flashing back to Reid at the bar with his scotch even as he couldn’t help but give the doctor a once over.
Luke shook his head, turning back to Burt as the latter gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder and disappeared into the physical therapy room. Luke bit his lip, staring resolutely at the ground, willing himself not to say anything or do anything that he would regret. He clenched his fist tightly, but then he heard Reid start to move decisively and as Reid closed the distance between them further, everything around Luke seemed to vanish until all he could feel were Reid’s lips on his in the chill of the air and all he could see was Reid at the bar. And when it became clear that Reid was simply walking past him without another word, Luke lost it.
He grabbed Reid’s arm and whirled the older man around, slamming him hard against the wall.
“What the fuck?” Reid growled, his eyes meeting Luke’s eyes, his breath caught at their sudden proximity.
Luke let out a soundless laugh, his fists curling around the material of Reid’s lab coat, his head ducking down to the fabric momentarily before looking up, his eyes blazing. “‘What the fuck?” he repeated, his voice cold. “I think I’m the one that should be saying that.”
“You just shoved me into a wall,” Reid pointed out.
“You kissed me,” Luke growled. “You can’t just kiss someone and . . . and . . .”
Reid raised an eyebrow, glancing around the hall before fixing Luke with a stern gaze. “Do you really want to discuss this here?”
Luke started, gaze passing over the minimal distance between them before backing away slightly. He cleared his throat, hand waving in the air hesitantly, as though he wanted to fix Reid’s collar before turning and walking down the hall. Reid contemplated him carefully, thinking that this would be a perfect opportunity to avoid the issue altogether and leave Oakdale the next day relatively unscathed, but, as though he were a dog on a leash, he felt himself drawn to the disappearing youth and proceeded to follow him down the hall.
***
Reid raised his eyebrow as he glanced around the bathroom, the door swinging casually shut behind him. “Kinky,” he murmured, just loud enough for Luke to hear. The latter blushed furiously before stiffening his jaw, eyes blazing.
“You kissed me,” Luke accused, looking hurt and angry.
Reid snorted. “I wasn’t that drunk. You kissed me.”
“What are you, twelve?” Luke demanded, crossing his arms defensively in front of his chest. He didn’t particularly wish to remember that it had certainly happened that way. “We kissed each other.”
“Well, now that we’ve exhausted all possible explanations for what went down, I’m going to go back to work and let you brood,” Reid answered snarkily, turning around and walking toward the door.
“You can’t just kiss someone and then run off and sleep with the next available guy!” Luke blurted out, flushing further as Reid glanced back at him, looking utterly surprised.
Reid raised an eyebrow, turning around and staring hard at Luke, who suddenly looked ridiculously young. “First of all, I didn’t sleep with anyone that night. Second of all, does your boyfriend know that you’re upset over this?”
Luke inhaled sharply and Reid hated himself for the guilt that flooded throughout Luke even as his shoulders fell down, marionette strings cut loose. Hated himself for the way he ached to once again fix Luke. He took a tentative step forward but it wasn’t tentative enough and, as though Reid were a hunter, snapping a twig and Luke the prey, the latter started and took two steps back.
“He doesn’t know. And of course I’m upset,” Luke whispered, eyes locked on Reid’s. “It should have never happened.”
“And yet you don’t go out of your way to forget that it did, which would be ridiculously simple starting tomorrow, seeing as I’m finally getting out of this hellhole,” Reid mused, unable to stop himself from gazing intensely at Luke. For every step forward he took, Luke quickly skipped backwards twice until his back hit the wall and he inhaled sharply in anticipation.
“You . . . you’re leaving tomorrow?” Luke murmured, eyes widening. He shouldn’t be saddened, he should be relieved but it was as though he were losing the only stable force in his life. He should be glad that he wouldn’t have to worry about Noah finding out about New Year’s, but a greater part of him tried to remember what life had been like before Reid Oliver had come to town-he hated that the only adjective he could think up was empty.
Reid nodded, stopping several steps in front of Luke, as though he realized what he was doing and cursed himself. “I expect the party in the square to be the biggest blowout this town has ever seen,” he murmured to himself. Luke let out a single, breathless chuckle, his eyes now sadder than angry. “So, don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me,” Reid informed Luke, sounding almost sarcastic, turning to leave the room.
“Did you really mean it?”
Reid paused, closing his eyes as Luke once again made to impede his running. “Mean what?”
“When you told me you’re gay and that I’m your type,” Luke murmured, his heart pounding, demanding to know why he wasn’t letting the doctor leave. Why he was more curious than angry.
Reid bit his lip. He had to get out. Get out of the room; get out of the fucking state before he got in too far over his head. “I learned a long time ago: the most important thing in life is sincerity. Once you can fake that, you can fake anything. And I hardly think a type qualifies as anything.”
Luke snorted. “You are so full of shit,” he replied, falling out of his stiff military position for a moment before realizing that he was teetering on the verge of flirting and backing away again.
Reid shook his head. The door was so close, so perfectly ready to be used to end this thing forever, but he couldn’t convince himself to leave. “Fine. Yes, I am gay and yes, I am madly in love with you,” he said sarcastically, nerves tingling. Not true, right? “Feel better about cheating on your boyfriend now, Mr. Snyder?”
Luke flinched visibly, eyes falling, fist clenching. Reid groaned, gripping the edge of the counter to physically stop himself from running over and embracing Luke, apologizing. “A kiss is just a kiss. It won’t happen again, even if you want it to,” Reid murmured regretfully, sounding strangely bitter. He turned to walk out of the room.
“I thought it would,” Luke admitted softly, almost to himself, looking slightly surprised when Reid paused once again. “Make me feel better,” he clarified as he realized how the sentence might be interpreted. “That maybe . . .” It would make it worthwhile. But you’re leaving and I hate that you’ve made me care. He shook his head, smiling slightly. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Reid asked, looking down at the door handle, his hand wrapped tightly around it. It would take so little effort just to pull and . . .
“Everything. Nothing. Your Christmas present,” Luke chuckled.
Reid started, inhaling sharply. He didn’t even make to deny it.
Luke frowned, contemplating whether he should say anything. It was his last time to admit what he could be feeling, but it really wouldn’t do him any good, would it? “And also . . . I’m just glad to have met you.”
Reid closed his eyes, as though the words had broken him and his hand slacked around the handle. He bit his lip, glancing over the crackle of electricity at Luke, who swallowed visibly as he caught the look in Reid’s eyes. Before he could think about it, consider its powerful want and affection, Reid made his choice and in three long strides he was back across the room, his hand on Luke’s cheek, his lips lightly grazing the space between Luke’s cheek and lips. Luke’s eyes closed automatically, lips parting and head tilting away from Reid’s hand so that maybe, just maybe, Reid’s lips would connect with his and Reid would take him right then and there.
But a feathery brush against the corner of his lips was all he got before Reid pulled away, walking toward the door and wrenching it open, as though it were an incredible impossibility. He paused, glanced back, looking as though he wanted to say something, some worthwhile parting words that would unbendingly fix everything, but he either couldn’t think of anything or couldn’t bring himself to say what he was thinking, for he shook his head and finally left the room, the slam of the door unusually loud in the suddenly silent room.
Luke slumped back against the wall, eyes strangely wet, fist clenched, shifting to rid himself of the butterflies in his stomach, the tingling in his groin. Reid would take him right then and there. He couldn’t believe he’d even thought that. He hadn’t even thought about such a thing with Noah and he felt as though he could no longer use his paralysis as an excuse. He shook his head. Re-Dr.Oli-Reid was going back to the life he loved and that was all there was to it. They would all have to go back and pray that the lives they were re-entering were the lives of normalcy that they’d always been meant to have. It was safer than imagining what might have been if either of them had the chance to do more. To feel more.
Chapter 28-->
Author: blasthisass
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Summary: AU- when Luke is shot by Colonel Mayer, his condition quickly deteriorates. In order to save his life, Bob calls in a young, hotshot doctor from Texas, brilliant and already making a name for himself.
Disclaimers: All characters and such property of ATWT, CBS and anyone else who can legally take credit for them. If they were mine, I would take infinitely better care of them.
Title from the song by La Roux. There is dialogue from both the time in which the story takes place as well as the LuRe storyline.
A/N: This is unbeta'd, so any mistakes are mine.
Comments much appreciated . . . I love them like Reid loves Luke.
Previous parts: prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26
***
“Are you sure she’s okay to travel?” Dennis Judd demanded, leaving his wife in his daughter’s hospital room as he rushed out after her doctor.
Reid rolled his eyes. He didn’t think he’d ever met a family member of one of his patients that was more overbearing and protective than Dennis Judd. “Well, there’s certainly less risk than when I flew her out here.”
Dennis Judd started, grabbing Reid’s arm to whirl him around with almost enough force to dislocate Reid’s shoulder. Reid grunted in surprise at this change in his velocity and fixed his adversary with a stony glare. Dennis Judd reciprocated as good as he got. “Are you saying she wasn’t cleared to travel here?”
Reid sighed, exasperated. “No, that’s not at all what I said.”
“You said that it was riskier to bring her here then than it was to fly her home now!”
“I know what I said. And that’s true. But only because of the fact that she had a dangerous brain tumor then,” Reid explained slowly, as though the fact were completely obvious. He smirked lightly. He felt he shouldn’t push Dennis Judd’s buttons, as the man was unbelievably tall and could easily beat Reid into a pulp. “But medically speaking, she’s perfectly fine to travel.”
Dennis Judd let out a snarl of frustration, but nodded curtly and made his way back to his daughter’s room, trying to calm himself so that his wife and Annie wouldn’t see the unhinging effect that Reid had on him.
Reid chuckled in satisfaction, crossing annoying the Judds off his mental list as he started to make his way to Human Resources so that they could arrange the Judd’s travel information and book their tickets. And if Reid had been the type of man to fall to the weakness of avoidance, he would have taken the route through cardiology to get to HR. The long way, certainly, but it wouldn’t take him past the physical therapy rooms.
As it was, when Reid rounded the corner, he was met with the sight of Luke Snyder, coat over his arm, laughing casually with Burt, who was mimicking snapping the former’s cane over his leg. Luke chuckled and Reid cursed at himself, eyes flying to the dimples, as though he couldn’t even control himself. But Luke just looked so damn good, the light smile on his face and natural blonde hair long enough to form distinct sideburns and curl up into a light upsweep and, for fuck’s sake, Reid was only human.
Luke chuckled, smile fading slightly as he looked around, as though nervous, and spotted Reid, stopped dead in the middle of the hallway, eyes fixed on Luke. Luke swallowed nervously, his face stiffening, mind flashing back to Reid at the bar with his scotch even as he couldn’t help but give the doctor a once over.
Luke shook his head, turning back to Burt as the latter gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder and disappeared into the physical therapy room. Luke bit his lip, staring resolutely at the ground, willing himself not to say anything or do anything that he would regret. He clenched his fist tightly, but then he heard Reid start to move decisively and as Reid closed the distance between them further, everything around Luke seemed to vanish until all he could feel were Reid’s lips on his in the chill of the air and all he could see was Reid at the bar. And when it became clear that Reid was simply walking past him without another word, Luke lost it.
He grabbed Reid’s arm and whirled the older man around, slamming him hard against the wall.
“What the fuck?” Reid growled, his eyes meeting Luke’s eyes, his breath caught at their sudden proximity.
Luke let out a soundless laugh, his fists curling around the material of Reid’s lab coat, his head ducking down to the fabric momentarily before looking up, his eyes blazing. “‘What the fuck?” he repeated, his voice cold. “I think I’m the one that should be saying that.”
“You just shoved me into a wall,” Reid pointed out.
“You kissed me,” Luke growled. “You can’t just kiss someone and . . . and . . .”
Reid raised an eyebrow, glancing around the hall before fixing Luke with a stern gaze. “Do you really want to discuss this here?”
Luke started, gaze passing over the minimal distance between them before backing away slightly. He cleared his throat, hand waving in the air hesitantly, as though he wanted to fix Reid’s collar before turning and walking down the hall. Reid contemplated him carefully, thinking that this would be a perfect opportunity to avoid the issue altogether and leave Oakdale the next day relatively unscathed, but, as though he were a dog on a leash, he felt himself drawn to the disappearing youth and proceeded to follow him down the hall.
***
Reid raised his eyebrow as he glanced around the bathroom, the door swinging casually shut behind him. “Kinky,” he murmured, just loud enough for Luke to hear. The latter blushed furiously before stiffening his jaw, eyes blazing.
“You kissed me,” Luke accused, looking hurt and angry.
Reid snorted. “I wasn’t that drunk. You kissed me.”
“What are you, twelve?” Luke demanded, crossing his arms defensively in front of his chest. He didn’t particularly wish to remember that it had certainly happened that way. “We kissed each other.”
“Well, now that we’ve exhausted all possible explanations for what went down, I’m going to go back to work and let you brood,” Reid answered snarkily, turning around and walking toward the door.
“You can’t just kiss someone and then run off and sleep with the next available guy!” Luke blurted out, flushing further as Reid glanced back at him, looking utterly surprised.
Reid raised an eyebrow, turning around and staring hard at Luke, who suddenly looked ridiculously young. “First of all, I didn’t sleep with anyone that night. Second of all, does your boyfriend know that you’re upset over this?”
Luke inhaled sharply and Reid hated himself for the guilt that flooded throughout Luke even as his shoulders fell down, marionette strings cut loose. Hated himself for the way he ached to once again fix Luke. He took a tentative step forward but it wasn’t tentative enough and, as though Reid were a hunter, snapping a twig and Luke the prey, the latter started and took two steps back.
“He doesn’t know. And of course I’m upset,” Luke whispered, eyes locked on Reid’s. “It should have never happened.”
“And yet you don’t go out of your way to forget that it did, which would be ridiculously simple starting tomorrow, seeing as I’m finally getting out of this hellhole,” Reid mused, unable to stop himself from gazing intensely at Luke. For every step forward he took, Luke quickly skipped backwards twice until his back hit the wall and he inhaled sharply in anticipation.
“You . . . you’re leaving tomorrow?” Luke murmured, eyes widening. He shouldn’t be saddened, he should be relieved but it was as though he were losing the only stable force in his life. He should be glad that he wouldn’t have to worry about Noah finding out about New Year’s, but a greater part of him tried to remember what life had been like before Reid Oliver had come to town-he hated that the only adjective he could think up was empty.
Reid nodded, stopping several steps in front of Luke, as though he realized what he was doing and cursed himself. “I expect the party in the square to be the biggest blowout this town has ever seen,” he murmured to himself. Luke let out a single, breathless chuckle, his eyes now sadder than angry. “So, don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me,” Reid informed Luke, sounding almost sarcastic, turning to leave the room.
“Did you really mean it?”
Reid paused, closing his eyes as Luke once again made to impede his running. “Mean what?”
“When you told me you’re gay and that I’m your type,” Luke murmured, his heart pounding, demanding to know why he wasn’t letting the doctor leave. Why he was more curious than angry.
Reid bit his lip. He had to get out. Get out of the room; get out of the fucking state before he got in too far over his head. “I learned a long time ago: the most important thing in life is sincerity. Once you can fake that, you can fake anything. And I hardly think a type qualifies as anything.”
Luke snorted. “You are so full of shit,” he replied, falling out of his stiff military position for a moment before realizing that he was teetering on the verge of flirting and backing away again.
Reid shook his head. The door was so close, so perfectly ready to be used to end this thing forever, but he couldn’t convince himself to leave. “Fine. Yes, I am gay and yes, I am madly in love with you,” he said sarcastically, nerves tingling. Not true, right? “Feel better about cheating on your boyfriend now, Mr. Snyder?”
Luke flinched visibly, eyes falling, fist clenching. Reid groaned, gripping the edge of the counter to physically stop himself from running over and embracing Luke, apologizing. “A kiss is just a kiss. It won’t happen again, even if you want it to,” Reid murmured regretfully, sounding strangely bitter. He turned to walk out of the room.
“I thought it would,” Luke admitted softly, almost to himself, looking slightly surprised when Reid paused once again. “Make me feel better,” he clarified as he realized how the sentence might be interpreted. “That maybe . . .” It would make it worthwhile. But you’re leaving and I hate that you’ve made me care. He shook his head, smiling slightly. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Reid asked, looking down at the door handle, his hand wrapped tightly around it. It would take so little effort just to pull and . . .
“Everything. Nothing. Your Christmas present,” Luke chuckled.
Reid started, inhaling sharply. He didn’t even make to deny it.
Luke frowned, contemplating whether he should say anything. It was his last time to admit what he could be feeling, but it really wouldn’t do him any good, would it? “And also . . . I’m just glad to have met you.”
Reid closed his eyes, as though the words had broken him and his hand slacked around the handle. He bit his lip, glancing over the crackle of electricity at Luke, who swallowed visibly as he caught the look in Reid’s eyes. Before he could think about it, consider its powerful want and affection, Reid made his choice and in three long strides he was back across the room, his hand on Luke’s cheek, his lips lightly grazing the space between Luke’s cheek and lips. Luke’s eyes closed automatically, lips parting and head tilting away from Reid’s hand so that maybe, just maybe, Reid’s lips would connect with his and Reid would take him right then and there.
But a feathery brush against the corner of his lips was all he got before Reid pulled away, walking toward the door and wrenching it open, as though it were an incredible impossibility. He paused, glanced back, looking as though he wanted to say something, some worthwhile parting words that would unbendingly fix everything, but he either couldn’t think of anything or couldn’t bring himself to say what he was thinking, for he shook his head and finally left the room, the slam of the door unusually loud in the suddenly silent room.
Luke slumped back against the wall, eyes strangely wet, fist clenched, shifting to rid himself of the butterflies in his stomach, the tingling in his groin. Reid would take him right then and there. He couldn’t believe he’d even thought that. He hadn’t even thought about such a thing with Noah and he felt as though he could no longer use his paralysis as an excuse. He shook his head. Re-Dr.Oli-Reid was going back to the life he loved and that was all there was to it. They would all have to go back and pray that the lives they were re-entering were the lives of normalcy that they’d always been meant to have. It was safer than imagining what might have been if either of them had the chance to do more. To feel more.
Chapter 28-->