Ethan Snyder, Ruler of the World
"Are we almost there?" Natalie asked from the back seat.
"Nat, we just left...we'll be at the Lakeview in about twenty minutes," Luke answered as he drove.
"I don't think that blonde woman really twisted her ankle. I think she's faking it," Reid said, looking out the side window.
"Her name is Carly."
"Yeah. Whatever. I still think she's faking the messed up ankle."
Luke nodded.
"Is she a relative of yours?" Reid asked through a mouthful of food.
"Carly?"
"Yeah, her."
"Sort of...she's my cousin-in-law I guess? You know who Jack is, right?"
"Yeah, the cop...the one at the farm. He wasn't buying the ankle act either."
"He's my dad's cousin. Hmm....though Carly and Jack aren't married anymore, so I guess technically that makes us ex cousins-in-law? But they're together and will probably get married again, so that makes us.........Are you still eating cookies?"
"Who made these? They're fucking heaven."
"REID!"
"You said the eff word," Ethan giggled.
"Shit, I'm sorry," Reid said, glancing back at the kids.
"REID!" Luke repeated.
Natalie and Ethan looked at each other and laughed. "That's two bad words," Ethan said excitedly. "You're gonna be in trouble."
"If you share those cookies with us, we won't tell mom," Natalie said, holding her hand out toward Reid. "Right, Ethan?"
Ethan nodded excitedly, his brown eyes gleaming, and hell if he didn't remind Reid of Luke.
Reid picked up the Ziplock bag off his lap and reluctantly handed it back to Natalie. "I see blackmail runs in the family." He looked over at Luke and winked. Luke reached over and intertwined his fingers with Reid's. Reid looked down at their hands, ran his thumb over Luke's knuckles, and tried to ignore the warm feeling in his chest.
"Luke, why are you holding Doctaw Weid's hand?" Ethan asked around a mouthful of cookies.
"Please, don't talk with your mouth full,buddy" Luke said.
"Yeah, don't talk with your mouth full" Reid repeated, turning his head to Ethan and smiling. "Where are your manners, young man?" he joked.
Ethan giggled and then swallowed. "Why are you holding hands?" he asked again.
"Uh...we...um..."
"They like each other, silly," Natalie said. "And when grownups like each other, they want to touch each other and kiss and stuff."
"Ewwww," Ethan groused.
I know...ewwwww," Natalie agreed.
"Yeah, ewww,' Reid echoed, smiling at Luke and squeezing his hand.
"Doctow Weid...you like boys?" Ethan continued his line of questioning.
"Um..." Reid kept his eyes forward and tried to repress his smile.
"Because you think Luke is cute?"
Reid laughed. "Yes. I think Luke is very cute." He looked over and caught Luke's amused expression. "Eyes on the road, Snyder..."
"Luke thinks you're cute too," Natalie offered. "I heard him tell Faith. Actually, he told her you were hot, but mom doesn't like me to use that word that way..."
"Natalie..." Luke complained.
"I won't tell, if you don't," Reid looked back and smiled at Natalie. "And give me a cookie...turnabout's fair play." He turned and held his right hand out to Natalie, who put a cookie in it.
"Please, don't let this hot talk go to your head," Luke teased. "Your ego is already over inflated."
Reid licked his lips and smiled again, before turning back around and stuffing the entire cookie in his mouth.
"Doctaw Weid, if you are hot, you should open the window. I'm hot too." Ethan tugged at his clip-on tie.
Natalie rolled her eyes, "Not that kind of hot, stupid."
"Nat, be nice," Luke instructed.
"Luke, if you think Doctaw Weid is cute, and you want to kiss him, then you should get married like daddy and Molly."
Reid started coughing and let go of Luke's hand so that he could cover his mouth to keep the cookie he was chewing from ending up on the dashboard.
Luke glanced sideways at him, the smile leaving his face. "Don't choke," he said gruffly and pulled his waterbottle out of the cup holder and handed it to Reid.
"Thanks," Reid said, unscrewing the cap and taking a long drink. He cleared his throat. "Ethan, our state laws don't allow two men to get married." Reid explained.
"That's not fair..." Ethan said sadly.
Reid shrugged. "No, I guess it's not..." He looked over at Luke who was now staring intently at the road. He reached over and tugged Luke's earlobe gently before returning his hand to his own lap.
"Grandmother can get that law changed," Natalie said confidently.
Luke chuckled.
"I don't think your grandmother has that kind of power," Reid said.
"You clearly have not met Lucinda Walsh," Luke anwered, laughing again.
"Some day, I'll run for boss, and I'll change the law," Ethan said innocently. "And then you can marry Luke and always love him and live at our house with us." He giggled. "And kiss."
Reid nodded and looked out the side window. He thought about kissing Luke and decided that there were definitely worse ways he could spend the rest of his life. And then he mentally kicked himself in the ass for even thinking such a thing.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Lakeview. Faith and Parker met them in the parking lot. "I'll take the kids inside...do you need help carrying that stuff in? Parker can help, right Parker?"
"Yeah, of course," Parker said, heading to the back of Luke's car.
"No, there's not much...I think Reid and I can handle it. You guys go inside; we'll be right in."
Luke watched the two teens walk away with his young siblings and then made for the rear of the car. Before he could get there, Reid grabbed his hand and pulled Luke's body against his. He moved his hand to the back of Luke's neck and pulled their mouths together. Luke met his lips with an open mouth, and their tongues slowly slid against and around each other as the kiss deepened.
Reid broke the kiss and then turned them around so that Luke's back was against the car. He pressed himself against Luke's body and kissed his jaw. He ran his right thumb along Luke's left eyebrow and then down his cheek and across his lips.
Luke sighed and pressed his face into Reid's neck, and Reid brought his hand up to tug at Luke's hair.
Reid pulled back and cupped Luke's neck. "Someday, when your little brother rules the world...if the rules change...ya know...we can...uh...we can...maybe talk about it...maybe..." His eyes dropped to Luke's lips.
"Just this morning, you were calling the whole idea archaic."
Reid shrugged. "It's different in the context of you..."
Luke smiled and pressed a light kiss to Reid's lips. "This discussion's a little premature, don't you think?"
"Yes. Definitely. But...I just...if that's something you expect to have in your life...if it's something you want...someday...ya know...I don't want you to assume that you can't have that with me...if and when we get to that point...maybe we can consider it...i mean, if you want...
Luke laughed and brought his hands up to either side of Reid's face. "God, I love it when Nerd Science Guy comes out to play."
Reid rolled his eyes and tried to pull away, but Luke held him tighter and brought Reid's mouth to his. He kissed him lightly and then wrapped his arms around Reid's shoulders.
"I like you a lot, Mr. Snyder," Reid said softly against the side of Luke's head.
"I like you too, Dr. Oliver."