FIC: The Third Roommate (1/?)
Title: The Third Roommate
Rating: PG-13
Genres: AU, Romance, Angst
Word Count: ~ 1,750
Warnings: None
Summary: When moving to Chicago for a new job, Luke moves in with Jason and his grumpy best friend.
Disclaimer: Characters are property of ATWT, CBS, P&G etc. No profit is made from this fan creation. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: So I suck at writing summaries, but I don't want to give too much away. Feel free to tell me what you think about this story so far. Thanks to my beta ditzybea!
Luke inhaled deeply as he hopped out of the cab; immediately feeling the warm midday sun tickling his skin. His eyes lingered on the heavily trafficked street for a moment. While he was surrounded by the sound of vehicles driving past, the blond turned to look at the apartment building right in front of him.
The blond had been in Chicago countless times since he was born over twenty-six years ago, but this time it was different, because this time he was here to look for a place to live. It was the first step into a new life in a different city after he received a call from Chicago Tribune that he got the job he applied for.
He stepped closer to the front door, studying the door bell nameplate until he found the one tagged 'Smith / Oliver' and then rang the bell.
"Hello?" A soft voice sounded through the intercom a moment later.
"Hi. This is Luke Snyder. I'm here to look at the apartment?"
"Come up, it's Apartment 302."
Jason had sounded like a nice guy when Luke had talked to him on the phone the other day, yet he was nervous as he made his way to the third floor since he was about to meet his possible roommates. From what he had seen on the pictures in the internet it seemed like a great apartment. It was also close to his new workplace and he hoped that they would somehow be on the same wavelength, so that he could move in as soon as possible.
Luke took a deep breath, before he knocked on apartment door and the next moment a handsome man opened the door. He was almost a head taller than himself and next to the brown eyes and short brown hair, the nice smile caught his eye right away. "Hi. I'm Luke." He said, reaching out his hand.
Jason shook the younger man's hand. "Jason. Nice to meet you." He replied before opening the door further. "Please come in."
"Okay." Luke could feel some of the tension leave his body when he stepped into what seemed to be the hallway of the apartment. The walls were white and besides a small cabinet with a bowl of keys on it and a round mirror handing above it, the hallway was empty.
"So, my roommate couldn't make it after all, there was an emergency at the hospital." Jason said as Luke turned to look at him. "Reid said that he trusts my opinion as long as I tell you to stay away from his food." He chuckled, seeing the corners of the other guy's mouth twitch "I hope that's not a problem."
"It's not when the apartment is this persuasive." Luke teased.
"Fair enough." Jason smiled. "Well, how about I show you everything first and after that we talk to get to know each other a bit better?"
"Sure, sounds like a plan." Luke replied.
They only took a peek at both Jason and Reid's bedroom, before the brunette showed him the master bathroom, which comprised two sinks, a shower and a corner bathtub. Afterwards they looked at what could be Luke's room if he decided to move in. The room was about the same size as the other two bedrooms and also a walk-in closet. This bedroom also happened to have an attached bathroom, which could be his own because Jason and Reid shared the master bathroom. Finally they made their way into the biggest room of the apartment, the open plan kitchen-living room area. The kitchen furniture was white and there were four bar stools in front of the kitchen island. Among other things the large living area had two big couches and a Plasma TV on the wall.
"Do you want something to drink?" Jason asked as he had made his way to the fridge. "I have water, soda and beer."
"Water is fine." Luke replied and sat down on one of the couches; he really liked what he had seen so far. For a brief moment he wondered if there is a hitch somewhere, the place was amazing, the rent was fair and Jason was a nice guy; the blond could hardly believe his luck.
"Here you go." Jason said, handing the younger man a bottle of water. He thanked him and Jason sat down on the other couch. "What do you think so far?"
"Honestly, this place is amazing. I cannot believe you can't find a roommate yet."
Jason smiled at the blond but decided to ignore the topic for now, not wanting to come out with the truth just yet. "So you said on the phone that you want to move here for a new job at Chicago Tribune?"
Luke nodded his head. "Yeah, I just needed a change in my life, you know? I mean I love my hometown and having my family and friends around, but the job at the newspaper is a great chance. I'm really excited. Besides Oakdale is only an hour drive away and I still have my Foundation there."
"You have a Foundation?" Jason asked, sounding surprised.
"Yes, the 'Luke Snyder Foundation'." The blond admitted almost shyly. "We are helping sick kids. My mom is helping me taking care of it now, but I might have to go back for meetings once in a while."
"Wow, that's pretty impressive." Jason said, taking a sip from his water. "By the sounds of it you could probably afford to live alone at this place."
"First of all, thanks. And I don't really like to live alone." Luke nervously cleared his throat, scratching at the back of the neck. He hoped that Jason didn't ask him for the real reason; he decided to change the subject with a question of his own. "And you're a doctor?"
"Yes, I'm working as an emergency doctor and Reid is a neurosurgeon at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital." Jason replied. "Do you have any other questions?"
"I can't think of any right now." Luke shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, I guess in that case, it's time for me to tell you some things."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "I knew this is too good to be true. What's the catch?"
Jason let out a laugh. "I just want to be honest with you and I think there are two things you should know if you decide to move in. First of all, I have to tell you that Reid really isn't the easiest guy to live with sometimes." He chuckled softly. "He can be pretty rude and he always says what he thinks. I mean he and I have been best friends for two years now, but not everybody can handle his manner and two guys already moved out."
Luke gave him a small smile. "I've been through a lot in my life, believe me, a guy who isn't polite can't upset me just like that. I think I can handle it."
The older man nodded his head, but didn't say anything for a long moment. "Okay, but there is also the fact that both Reid and I are gay. I mean we're not together or anything, but I think it's fair to tell you the truth now to avoid possible trouble."
"Well, I actually didn't want to say anything yet, but I guess there is no reason to keep it as a secret now." Luke said. "I'm gay too."
Jason breathed a sigh of relief. "In that case, to come straight to the point, I think you would fit very well into our apartment and if you want the room, it's yours."
***
Several hours later Jason was lying on the couch, engrossed in reading a book. This was how he liked to relax after a long day at the hospital or whenever he had a day off.
It was after 8 o'clock when he heard the sound of the front door getting unlocked. He put the book down on the coffee table and a moment later, he watched as his roommate walked into the room muttering that he needed a beer.
Jason watched the man, three years his senior, as he gulped the first sip of his beer. Reid looked tired and yet he still looked gorgeous as ever. He got up from the couch and slowly made his way over to where his friend was leaning against the kitchen counter. "Bad day?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Reid replied, taking another swing from his beer.
The younger man knew that answer all too well, aware that it was pointless to ask again. In the past two years that they had lived together and somehow managed to become friends, Reid was mostly distant when it came to talk about his feelings. It had took Reid quite some time to open up a little and talk about his past when they first moved in together. He had come to accept that it was just how Reid was and there was nothing he could do about it. However sometimes Jason caught himself wishing that it was different, that he could somehow bring Reid not only to open up to him more, but also to loosen up and not take everything so serious all the time, hoping that it would bring them closer, much closer.
Jason let out a silent sigh, knowing that it would probably never happen and wiped the thought away. "So you're not even going to ask?"
"What are you talking about?" Reid asked.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about Reid." Jason said, crossing his arms above his chest.
Reid rolled his eyes. "Well do we have a new roommate or not?"
"That we do." Jason smiled. "Luke is a very nice guy. We had dinner together before he had to go back to Oakdale and got to know each other a bit better and I really like him. So please could you try to not scare this one away?"
Reid snorted. "I wonder how long he will persevere before he moves out like the other two?"
Jason playfully punched him in on the arm, trying to hide a smile. "Reid!"
"Fine. I can't promise anything though." Reid replied. "Especially when he's being an idiot like our last roommate."
"You know Reid, sometimes I think you want me all to yourself." Jason called to him as Reid walked towards his room to change. He simply raised his beer above his head as he kicked his bedroom door shut.
Rating: PG-13
Genres: AU, Romance, Angst
Word Count: ~ 1,750
Warnings: None
Summary: When moving to Chicago for a new job, Luke moves in with Jason and his grumpy best friend.
Disclaimer: Characters are property of ATWT, CBS, P&G etc. No profit is made from this fan creation. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: So I suck at writing summaries, but I don't want to give too much away. Feel free to tell me what you think about this story so far. Thanks to my beta ditzybea!
Luke inhaled deeply as he hopped out of the cab; immediately feeling the warm midday sun tickling his skin. His eyes lingered on the heavily trafficked street for a moment. While he was surrounded by the sound of vehicles driving past, the blond turned to look at the apartment building right in front of him.
The blond had been in Chicago countless times since he was born over twenty-six years ago, but this time it was different, because this time he was here to look for a place to live. It was the first step into a new life in a different city after he received a call from Chicago Tribune that he got the job he applied for.
He stepped closer to the front door, studying the door bell nameplate until he found the one tagged 'Smith / Oliver' and then rang the bell.
"Hello?" A soft voice sounded through the intercom a moment later.
"Hi. This is Luke Snyder. I'm here to look at the apartment?"
"Come up, it's Apartment 302."
Jason had sounded like a nice guy when Luke had talked to him on the phone the other day, yet he was nervous as he made his way to the third floor since he was about to meet his possible roommates. From what he had seen on the pictures in the internet it seemed like a great apartment. It was also close to his new workplace and he hoped that they would somehow be on the same wavelength, so that he could move in as soon as possible.
Luke took a deep breath, before he knocked on apartment door and the next moment a handsome man opened the door. He was almost a head taller than himself and next to the brown eyes and short brown hair, the nice smile caught his eye right away. "Hi. I'm Luke." He said, reaching out his hand.
Jason shook the younger man's hand. "Jason. Nice to meet you." He replied before opening the door further. "Please come in."
"Okay." Luke could feel some of the tension leave his body when he stepped into what seemed to be the hallway of the apartment. The walls were white and besides a small cabinet with a bowl of keys on it and a round mirror handing above it, the hallway was empty.
"So, my roommate couldn't make it after all, there was an emergency at the hospital." Jason said as Luke turned to look at him. "Reid said that he trusts my opinion as long as I tell you to stay away from his food." He chuckled, seeing the corners of the other guy's mouth twitch "I hope that's not a problem."
"It's not when the apartment is this persuasive." Luke teased.
"Fair enough." Jason smiled. "Well, how about I show you everything first and after that we talk to get to know each other a bit better?"
"Sure, sounds like a plan." Luke replied.
They only took a peek at both Jason and Reid's bedroom, before the brunette showed him the master bathroom, which comprised two sinks, a shower and a corner bathtub. Afterwards they looked at what could be Luke's room if he decided to move in. The room was about the same size as the other two bedrooms and also a walk-in closet. This bedroom also happened to have an attached bathroom, which could be his own because Jason and Reid shared the master bathroom. Finally they made their way into the biggest room of the apartment, the open plan kitchen-living room area. The kitchen furniture was white and there were four bar stools in front of the kitchen island. Among other things the large living area had two big couches and a Plasma TV on the wall.
"Do you want something to drink?" Jason asked as he had made his way to the fridge. "I have water, soda and beer."
"Water is fine." Luke replied and sat down on one of the couches; he really liked what he had seen so far. For a brief moment he wondered if there is a hitch somewhere, the place was amazing, the rent was fair and Jason was a nice guy; the blond could hardly believe his luck.
"Here you go." Jason said, handing the younger man a bottle of water. He thanked him and Jason sat down on the other couch. "What do you think so far?"
"Honestly, this place is amazing. I cannot believe you can't find a roommate yet."
Jason smiled at the blond but decided to ignore the topic for now, not wanting to come out with the truth just yet. "So you said on the phone that you want to move here for a new job at Chicago Tribune?"
Luke nodded his head. "Yeah, I just needed a change in my life, you know? I mean I love my hometown and having my family and friends around, but the job at the newspaper is a great chance. I'm really excited. Besides Oakdale is only an hour drive away and I still have my Foundation there."
"You have a Foundation?" Jason asked, sounding surprised.
"Yes, the 'Luke Snyder Foundation'." The blond admitted almost shyly. "We are helping sick kids. My mom is helping me taking care of it now, but I might have to go back for meetings once in a while."
"Wow, that's pretty impressive." Jason said, taking a sip from his water. "By the sounds of it you could probably afford to live alone at this place."
"First of all, thanks. And I don't really like to live alone." Luke nervously cleared his throat, scratching at the back of the neck. He hoped that Jason didn't ask him for the real reason; he decided to change the subject with a question of his own. "And you're a doctor?"
"Yes, I'm working as an emergency doctor and Reid is a neurosurgeon at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital." Jason replied. "Do you have any other questions?"
"I can't think of any right now." Luke shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, I guess in that case, it's time for me to tell you some things."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "I knew this is too good to be true. What's the catch?"
Jason let out a laugh. "I just want to be honest with you and I think there are two things you should know if you decide to move in. First of all, I have to tell you that Reid really isn't the easiest guy to live with sometimes." He chuckled softly. "He can be pretty rude and he always says what he thinks. I mean he and I have been best friends for two years now, but not everybody can handle his manner and two guys already moved out."
Luke gave him a small smile. "I've been through a lot in my life, believe me, a guy who isn't polite can't upset me just like that. I think I can handle it."
The older man nodded his head, but didn't say anything for a long moment. "Okay, but there is also the fact that both Reid and I are gay. I mean we're not together or anything, but I think it's fair to tell you the truth now to avoid possible trouble."
"Well, I actually didn't want to say anything yet, but I guess there is no reason to keep it as a secret now." Luke said. "I'm gay too."
Jason breathed a sigh of relief. "In that case, to come straight to the point, I think you would fit very well into our apartment and if you want the room, it's yours."
***
Several hours later Jason was lying on the couch, engrossed in reading a book. This was how he liked to relax after a long day at the hospital or whenever he had a day off.
It was after 8 o'clock when he heard the sound of the front door getting unlocked. He put the book down on the coffee table and a moment later, he watched as his roommate walked into the room muttering that he needed a beer.
Jason watched the man, three years his senior, as he gulped the first sip of his beer. Reid looked tired and yet he still looked gorgeous as ever. He got up from the couch and slowly made his way over to where his friend was leaning against the kitchen counter. "Bad day?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Reid replied, taking another swing from his beer.
The younger man knew that answer all too well, aware that it was pointless to ask again. In the past two years that they had lived together and somehow managed to become friends, Reid was mostly distant when it came to talk about his feelings. It had took Reid quite some time to open up a little and talk about his past when they first moved in together. He had come to accept that it was just how Reid was and there was nothing he could do about it. However sometimes Jason caught himself wishing that it was different, that he could somehow bring Reid not only to open up to him more, but also to loosen up and not take everything so serious all the time, hoping that it would bring them closer, much closer.
Jason let out a silent sigh, knowing that it would probably never happen and wiped the thought away. "So you're not even going to ask?"
"What are you talking about?" Reid asked.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about Reid." Jason said, crossing his arms above his chest.
Reid rolled his eyes. "Well do we have a new roommate or not?"
"That we do." Jason smiled. "Luke is a very nice guy. We had dinner together before he had to go back to Oakdale and got to know each other a bit better and I really like him. So please could you try to not scare this one away?"
Reid snorted. "I wonder how long he will persevere before he moves out like the other two?"
Jason playfully punched him in on the arm, trying to hide a smile. "Reid!"
"Fine. I can't promise anything though." Reid replied. "Especially when he's being an idiot like our last roommate."
"You know Reid, sometimes I think you want me all to yourself." Jason called to him as Reid walked towards his room to change. He simply raised his beer above his head as he kicked his bedroom door shut.