Fic: First Kiss with the Last Boy (3/11)
Title: First Kiss with the Last Boy (3/11)
Author: gradgirl (aka Ali)
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Primarily Luke and Reid, mentions of Noah, Katie and the Snyder Clan.
Summary: Sometimes it's not about the first boy you kiss, it's the last. Different scenarios in which Luke and Reid could have shared their first kiss.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not my characters, just borrowing them for fic purposes.
Author’s Notes: Okay, so this week has been awful. And so please take comfort in this and I have been taking comfort in you and your lovely comments. Thank you. Again I have to thank my two betas (reilaroo and hopeful 624) for making this what it was.
This series is made up of 10 one-shots, individual situations in which Luke and Reid could have shared their first kiss. The last chapter explains how they are tied together. ~Ali
{ Chapter 1} { Chapter 2}
Chapter 3: Kiss That Counted
Reid absently flipped through one of the magazines he stopped to buy. He was on his way to Dallas after a brief stop in Old Town. Reid had made some dry comment about needing magazines. He didn’t want to have to talk to Mr. Snyder on the flight to Dallas.
Mr. Snyder, on the other hand, had watched his ex out on a date with another man. The doctor still couldn’t figure out why his patient wouldn’t want to keep Luke close instead of constantly pushing him away.
Initially and with great annoyance, Reid hated Luke’s at-all-costs tunnel vision, but now that they were flying to Dallas so he could get a hearing, the doctor could admit it was an attractive quality. And yet again, he was left to wonder why Noah was pushing Mr. Snyder away. A lone thought seeped to the surface of his brain that even though all of Reid’s instincts were to keep people away, he was glad that the young man was with him and would be there when he went before the medical board.
As that thought began to crystallize itself in his mind, he flipped another page of his magazine. He used a little too much force because the page ripped.
A gentle snort came from his traveling companion.
Reid looked over at Luke. The blonde had been reading a book-or so it seemed-Reid realized Luke hadn’t turned a page in quite a while.
“What?” Reid questioned.
“Nothing,” Luke replied innocently. He was a little too naïve in his response and that devilish grin split open his face. “Do you want me to get Izzy? I’m sure there must be some tape around here somewhere,” he noted, referring to the hostess who greeted them when they boarded the private plane.
The doctor’s lips formed a frown and his eyes narrowed slightly. “No.” He glanced down at the magazine. “It’s an ad for an anti-anxiety medication.”
“Are you making some sort of statement?” Luke asked, gesturing to the magazine.
“What?” the doctor’s eyes narrowed in confusion. He didn’t know if the blonde was intentionally trying to get a rise out of him or help by keeping Reid’s mind off of the board hearing. Either option was annoying.
“Well, this is a confined space,” the blonde remarked, a smile tugging at his lips. “Are you taking out your panic on the magazine? A little ironic considering what the ad is for.”
Reid refused to respond. It took a lot of his self-control not to smile or hurl the magazine at Luke. He didn’t want the younger man to realize he had that effect on Reid.
When the doctor didn’t respond, Luke got up. They had been sitting on opposite couches. The seating on the private jet was limited. There were two small couches and a table and chair if someone wanted to work. Luke moved and he sat down next to Reid. The redhead shifted, his thigh brushed against the arm of the furniture.
“Are you okay?” Luke asked. He was sitting sideways on the couch, his front facing Reid’s side.
The redhead couldn’t look at Luke. “The sincerity in your voice is making my teeth hurt.”
The younger man crossed his arms over his chest. He refused to be goaded. “Dr. Oliver, are you really okay?”
Letting out a breath, Reid turned as well. His body mirrored Luke’s. The couch, which was more of a loveseat, made movement difficult. His knee brushed against the blonde’s. When Luke didn’t move, Reid decided he wasn’t affected either. And that spark he felt? Static electricity from his foot against the carpeted floor of the plane.
“Dr. Oliver?” Luke’s arms slid down, his hands rested on his lap.
“I do not want to talk about my claustrophobia,” he replied, his gaze focused on Luke’s shoulder. He couldn’t bear to see the sympathetic slant of Luke’s eyes. The way they softened around the edges, but somehow grew larger as well.
“We could prep for your testimony,” Luke offered. “Do you want to-”
Reid held up his finger in a warning. “No.”
Luke crossed his arms over his chest again. “Who was the first person you kissed?”
“What?” the doctor sputtered.
Luke shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. He was secretly triumphant that he got Dr. Oliver to lose his cold demeanor for a moment. “I figured you don’t like small talk, and I already know your sign.”
Reid cocked an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
“Pisces,” the young man replied. “So, who was the first person you kissed?”
The doctor would never admit it, but a part of him was intrigued by where this conversation could go. Although, he was almost certain he knew Luke would name Noah if Reid were to ask the question in return.
“Well?” Luke prompted.
“Becca Finley,” Reid answered.
Luke’s stance quickly unraveled. “You’re messing with me.”
“It’s the truth, Mr. Snyder. The first person I kissed was Becca Finley.”
“But you told me you’ve known since you were nine that you’re gay. What? Did she corner you in the sandbox at preschool?”
Reid hesitated for a moment. He couldn’t believe he was actually going to talk about this and to Luke Snyder of all people. “Yes, I’ve known since I was nine that I was gay. When I was 13 and invited to my first boy-girl party, do you think I would announce it?”
“That makes sense,” Luke acquiesced. “So…”
“What? You want to know that her lips tasted like Dr. Pepper lipsmacker?”
Luke chuckled softly. “How did you-”
“It was seven minutes in heaven or some such game. It lasted an eternity,” he said empathetically. “At first, neither one of us did anything, but the cat calls of peer pressure made us act.” He shrugged. “It was dark, I closed my eyes and thought of Zach Potter.”
A smile tugged at Luke’s lips as he pictured a young Reid Oliver.
“Are we done?” the doctor asked. He hadn’t thought about that night in years.
“I guess I should have asked about the first real kiss-the one that counted.”
“Well, Becca didn’t rock my world, but she certainly confirmed that I am gay.”
Luke found himself smiling again; it was so rare not to want to scream or punch something around Dr. Oliver. He tried not to think about how attractive the older man was becoming in Luke’s eyes. Reid didn’t announce that he was gay to everyone, but he didn’t hide it either. He was confident in who he was. But it left Luke wondering what Reid wanted.
“So who did…” Luke gently cleared his throat, he still had a question to ask.
“Matt Bauer,” the words were whispered and held reverence. “I was 16.”
“Were you out in high school?”
“Yeah, but…” He shook his head, and Luke could almost see a blush stain the doctor’s cheeks. “I wasn’t… I was a science nerd. And not all guys were out. I spent so much time afraid that-” Reid stopped suddenly.
Luke bit his lip, trying to hold back a chuckle.
“What?” the doctor asked.
“I’m just imaging you in high school,” the younger man admitted.
It was on the tip of Reid’s tongue to ask if he liked what he had imagined.
“So tell me about Matt Bauer,” Luke instructed.
It was odd to hear that name come from Luke’s mouth.
“He was a soccer player. Dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes.” Reid’s own eyes closed briefly as he pictured that boy from so long ago. “Matt was also failing chemistry. He needed to raise his grades to stay on the team.”
“So you offered to tutor him.”
“Hell, no,” the doctor responded instantly. “I wasn’t going to take time away from my studies to help some stupid jock.”
Despite himself, Luke chuckled. “Of course not.”
“But my chemistry teacher was persuasive.”
“Extra credit?” the blonde asked, but he doubted Dr. Oliver would need such a thing.
“More lab time,” Reid responded instantly. “So every other day for a month, I tried to teach Matt. After the first week, I thought it would have been easier to just let him cheat off me.”
“Dr. Oliver!” Luke couldn’t contain his surprise. He almost felt scandalized by the comment.
“I didn’t, Mr. Snyder,” Reid said. “We stuck it out and eventually Matt started to get it. After the mid-term, when he got a B, he came to thank me.” Reid swallowed. “He was…so ecstatic. I’d never seen him so animated about something other than soccer. I offered to shake his hand and he laughed. Suddenly, I was propelled into his arms and… I couldn’t breathe and we both froze for a moment. He wasn’t that much taller than me, and his eyes… I was stuck. Before I knew what was happening, his mouth was pressed against mine. It was awkward, our teeth smashed together at one point, but it was everything I had ever wanted.”
Luke let the older man sit with his memories for a few moments. “And then what happened?” he murmured.
Reid pulled himself out of the past. “Matt ran out of there so fast. I never saw him run so fast-even on the soccer field. He pretended like he didn’t know me. Barely spoke to me again.”
“Dr. Oliver…” Everything Luke wanted to say felt so inadequate. He even hated the fact that he couldn’t call the doctor, “Reid.”
“I don’t apologize for who I am. I learned that from Matt.”
Luke leaned in closer, his left hand reached out to brace against the redhead’s thigh.
“Mr. Snyder, what are…”
Luke’s shoulders gently lifted. “Well, I don’t have any Dr. Pepper lipsmacker, and we still have an hour before we land in Dallas, so I can’t run away.”
The doctor felt himself frozen in place, but his heart was beating erratically.
Luke’s grip tightened on Reid’s thigh, and his right hand gently cupped the doctor’s cheek.
“Mr.-” The rest of that sentiment was cut off by Luke’s mouth. Reid shuddered and his hand came up to grab Luke’s side. The blonde started to pull away, but Reid’s mouth followed and Luke found himself to be a willing participant. It was different than his kisses with Noah, especially the first one. Reid knew exactly what to do with his mouth, but his hands were everywhere, Luke's hair, Luke's stomach, his lower back. It was as though the doctor couldn't stop touching him. And Luke? His fingers mostly stayed in Reid's hair, tugging and pulling, flexing, massaging the redhead's scalp, just trying to keep him close.
When breathing became necessary, they gently pulled apart.
“Why did you do that?” Reid asked. His voice was thick and Luke watched the rise and fall of the blue hospital scrubs.
“Your, um, response to my question-”
“Pity? You kissed me out of pity,” Reid noted, his voice cold and Luke felt like Reid’s words were digging into his chest.
“No,” the blonde insisted with a shake of his head and his hand reached up to cup Reid’s face again. “I just realized, no matter what happens afterwards, the first kiss always counts for something.”
“And what did that kiss mean?” Reid knew the answer for himself, but he doubted if Luke could tell him.
“I’m not sure.”
A knowing head nod was Reid’s only response.
“But I wouldn’t mind doing it again until I can figure it out,” the blonde admitted, moving his fingers until they threaded into Reid’s hair.
The doctor smiled briefly before Luke’s lips met his again.
===========
Onto Chapter 4...