Neither Rhyme Nor Reason (7/9)
Title: Neither Rhyme Nor Reason (7/9)
Author: gradgirl (aka Ali)
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Luke/Reid
Summary: When it comes to love, neither rhyme nor reason need apply.
Warnings: Based upon this prompt.
Author’s Notes: Written for a prompt by gypsieheart. Hope you enjoy it. And a huge thank you to cherimola for beta work. Comments are appreciated and loved. Thank you ~Ali
Previous Chapters: { One} { Two} { Three} { Four} { Five} { Six}
Chapter Seven
The plane ride back to Oakdale was somehow even more uncomfortable than the original trip. Luke barely made eye contact with Reid, and each time he did, Reid gave him a passive glance back. Luke knew what the doctor was thinking, a taunt, a dare, an acknowledgement of what was in the air between them. He was demanding Luke to label it, to say what that kiss meant, to stop lying…
“What?” Luke demanded, tossing aside the People en Español magazine. He knew some Spanish, but it was ridiculous to keep pretending that he was actually reading it.
Reid was tempted to say nothing; it was his first action when confronted. But everything about Luke… rules and reason went out the window. He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Mr. Snyder-”
“No!” Luke held up his finger and shook his head. “You don’t get to do that anymore.”
The older man’s mouth fell open for a moment. He was generally used to the anger and frustration from Luke, but the emotions radiating off of the young man were much stronger than usual.
“You sleep with me. You kiss me. You ask pointed questions about my sex life. No, Dr. Oliver, you don’t get to keep that wall between us by calling me Mr. Snyder.”
“Then why did you call me Dr. Oliver?” the redhead asked. It took all of his self-control not to get up out of his chair and kiss Luke again.
Luke’s tongue darted to wet his dry lips.
Say it, Luke, Reid demanded. Say it.
The plane jostled for a few moments. Both men looked at each other, their gazes locked. Reid was the first to look away, and Luke glanced down at the older man’s hands. They were gripping his chair so tightly his knuckles were white.
“Sorry for the problems, Mr. Snyder,” the pilot’s voice sounded soothing and calm over the PA system. “We’ve reached a pocket of turbulence. You and Dr. Oliver should remain seated.”
“Dr. Oliver…” Luke tried to get through to the redhead.
“Not now, Mr. Snyder.”
Luke nodded his head. His gaze remained on the doctor’s hands, remembering the feel of them against his face, tangling into his hair, his mouth pressed against his. Luke briefly closed his eyes. He knew they would be fine. They’d hit turbulence on the trip down to Dallas, it was how Luke had ended up in the doctor’s lap. But he couldn’t help but think about regrets-one regret in particular-Dr. Oliver had pulled away before Luke got to kiss him back.
*
Reid practically ran away from Luke once they landed. They got off the plane, and he turned to look at the blonde. Luke’s mouth opened, and his head tilted slightly to the left.
Say it, Luke, Reid demanded. Say it.
Luke’s mouth closed, and he offered the redhead a tight smile. “Are you all right? On the plane…”
Reid shook his head. “I’m fine, Mr. Snyder, and when you’re ready to…” He shook his head again. He didn’t play games, and he wasn’t going to force Luke out of the closet.
“Dr. Oliver…”
“Good-bye, Luke,” he said and headed in the opposite direct.
Luke’s mouth fell open. “He said it,” he whispered and his hand came up, touching his lips. Why did Reid saying his name feel more intimate than the kiss?
*
There was radio silence from Luke for exactly seven days, five hours and eleven minutes. Reid was counting, because that was what he did. He was methodical and aware of everything. In the operating room, he had to be six steps ahead, aware of any mishaps and plan for them. Reid had been spending a lot of time in the operating room. He took on any and all operations even vaguely related to a neuro trauma.
Work was what he was good at. The operating room was Reid’s home. He did it to avoid thinking about Luke, and it was easier to ignore Katie’s questions. The first night he got home all he told her was he was reinstated. He wasn’t about to sit on the couch and analyze a kiss, especially if it wasn’t ever going to happen again. And Reid was worried that Katie might admit to engaging in the same experience with the young man. Reid was aware of how much attention Luke showered on Katie. She was a nice woman and safe. Reid had never done safe but he remembered some elicit kisses with the guy he tutored in math in high school, and then having to see that same guy make out with his girlfriend afterwards. There were no promises made, but Reid knew the score. He wasn’t going to go through that again, no matter how soft Luke’s lips were.
Before going into work that morning, he’d found a note from Katie next to the coffee machine: “Break a leg or whatever the neurosurgeon equivalent is. Jacob and I will have pizza ready to celebrate.”
He chuckled when he’d read the note and almost reached for his phone. He wanted to talk to Luke. He’d missed the younger man and, in a moment of weakness, Reid had admitted it to himself. Today was a big day for Reid. This surgery was going to be complicated, but Reid had to be a success as well. Max Walker was one of Reid’s last patients from Dallas. He’d transferred most of his cases when he moved, but Max was special and Reid didn’t trust anyone but himself to do the surgery. The young boy’s parents had made the trip to Oakdale. Nothing could go wrong.
So why do you want to talk to Luke? he wondered. Reid knew the answer. He was tired of the silence and Max’s case was important. Failure wasn’t an option and with Luke, Reid had felt like he failed.
*
Luke ignored the burning pain between his shoulder blades. The hay had to be moved, and it was one of the few things he’d been able to do that would engage his hands, so he wouldn’t email Dr. Oliver or obsessively check his phone for a message. He knew that Reid had thrown down the gauntlet, waiting for Luke but the younger man wasn’t there yet. How was he supposed to put a label on what he didn’t understand?
“Luke?” Holden called out to his son. He’d been calling the younger man’s name for almost a full minute. “Luke!”
The blonde stopped and dropped a bale of hay. It scraped against his legs as it hit the ground. He winced at the cuts, before turning to look at his dad.
“What did Dr. Oliver do now?” Holden asked.
Luke felt his pulse pound around his temples, the same place where Dr. Oliver had held him when they’d kissed, but he attributed to the exertion from the farm chores. “Wh-what?”
“Dr. Oliver?” Holden looked at his son and saw a hint of fear skitter across Luke’s face at the mention of the other man’s name. “Luke, is everything all right?”
“I, uh, I haven’t spoken to Dr. Oliver in a week. He’s… Well… The plans are going well and he’s a busy man so I didn’t want…” He reached up, tugging at his shirt, trying to pull it away from his sticky skin and ignoring the way he couldn’t catch his breath.
“Luke.” There was too much Holden needed to talk to his son about, but he had no idea where to begin. “Is everything okay?”
“Sure, dad, why would you…” Luke stopped. He could pretend that nothing happened between himself and Reid, but they would still have to work together. He often demanded people look at him with respect, and after one kiss he was hiding like an adolescent. “Dad, is everything good with Molly?” Luke asked instead.
Holden paused for a moment, stunned by the turn of the conversation. “Y-yes. I know you kids probably want and expect your mother and me to-”
“No.” Luke shook his head. “I mean, I just want both you and mom to be happy. It hasn’t been easy, right? People want you with mom, it’s expected… But you love her and despite what other people say or think...you know…you know what you want…and you…even though…” Luke’s voice trailed off hopelessly.
“Luke…” Holden took a deep breath and looked at his son, waiting for the younger man’s gaze to meet his. He saw the fear so clearly now, and he mentally berated himself for not recognizing the look sooner. “When you find someone, when you find the person you that care about, that makes you feel…” Holden hesitated for a moment. His son needed him to be able to get through this. “When you fall in love, don’t let anyone destroy it. Know and trust what you have with that person. Your mother and I…we lost track of that, and too many times other people came into our relationship…” Holden offered his son a gentle smile. “If you’ve met this person, I’ll support you. No matter what, your mother and I just want you to be happy.”
“Thanks, dad,” Luke said. “I, uh… There’s something I need to do. I’m sorry to leave all of this…” He gestured behind him. But he’d avoided Reid long enough.
“No problem,” Holden assured him.
“Thank you…for everything.”
Holden nodded his head and watched his son walk away. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. There were just two rings before the pick up. “Lily? Yeah, it’s me. We have to talk. It’s about Luke…”
*
Reid’s shoulders were slumped, and he didn’t know how he was going to do this. He had promised Max’s parents perfection. Doctors weren’t supposed to make promises, but Reid knew that he could deliver. He wasn’t going to let down Max or his parents.
He’d been wrong to promise.
Somehow, the scripted speech came out. Unexpected complications, medical induced coma, we’ll know more when Max wakes up. We’re not sure the extent of…
The look in their eyes, watching the hope die felt like a sucker punch to Reid’s gut. And that was after he didn’t think he could feel any worse. His mouth opened and the apology stuck to his tongue. The doctor in him still knew he couldn’t say it. Malpractice suits, hospital damage, the neuro. wing, Luke, all of it would disappear if Reid admitted to a mistake. Instead, he watched as some nurse came to lead the family off to recovery and Max.
Reid looked down the hallway for a moment. He need to go back and look at the scans, figure out what he did wrong. He’d call Katie and cancel dinner. Get a drink. Shower.
Luke. He wanted Luke.
*
Luke took the quickest shower of his life. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was supposed to say to Dr. Oliver, but a week away from the snark and the arguments and just looking at him was too much. When Luke got to the hospital, he immediately went to the doctor’s office. The door was locked and there were no lights on. He started to wander through the hallways.
“Luke?”
He jumped at the sound of Alison’s voice. “Ali, hi.” He greeted his friend.
She gave him a gentle smile. “Oh, Luke, if you’re here for Dr. Oliver, now’s not a good time.” She’d known about the neuro. wing, heard the gossip about some of the loud arguments coming from Reid’s office. Luke was one of rare people who not only gave as good as he got, but willingly went back for more with Dr. Oliver.
“Wh-why? What happened?”
Alison glanced around. She’d had a few encounters with Dr. Oliver, and she didn’t want to get into trouble. “He had a rough surgery today. I’m not sure if he’s still here or not, but… For your own safety, I’d probably stay away.” She patted him gently on the arm.
“Thanks, Alison,” Luke said, but leaving Reid alone was the last thing Luke intended to do. If he had a bad surgery that meant… Luke shook his head. Reid would need someone, and he’d never admit it, but Luke knew it was true, and both of them knew that the person Reid needed was Luke.
*
When Reid finally made it home, all he wanted to do was crash. He’d called Katie and tried to explain what happened. She knew her roommate well enough to know that as much as he would need to talk about what happened, he wouldn’t want to do that with her. She tried Luke’s cell, but there was no answer. She debated leaving a message but decided against it. Packing a bag of Jacob’s things, she went to have dinner with Margo.
Reid found the note from Katie, and despite himself, he smiled. He wanted to review the case, go through the procedure again in peace and quiet. He was grateful that his roommate realized that. But a quick shower would have to come first.
The doctor had just reached for a towel when the he heard the knocking. “Dammit,” he muttered. He raced to his bedroom and tried to tug on a pair of jeans. The denim stuck to his legs and the knocking continued.
“Dr. Oliver?”
The redhead paused in his struggle when he heard Luke’s voice.
“Reid?”
Tugging off the wet jeans, Reid grabbed a pair of hospital scrubs instead it. The doctor knew he needed to get to Luke. A small part of himself hated that fact, but it didn’t still his hands from tying the bow on his scrubs and running toward to the door.
Luke’s hand was up in the air, mid-knock. “Dr. Oliver.” His gaze traveled over the doctor’s bare torso, watching some of the water droplets slide down his chest. Reid had reached for a shirt, but had yet to put it on.
“Yeah.” Reid held the door open wider and indicated that Luke should come in. “Did we have a meeting?” It was a ridiculous question. They both knew that Luke hadn’t spoken to him in seven days, sixteen hours and ten minutes.
“I’m sorry,” Luke said.
Reid shook his head. He was sick of apologies, especially from Luke. He wanted the truth and in this moment he wanted Luke. Remembering the scrub top, he tossed it over his head and pulled it down.
The younger man tried not to feel his disappointment, watching as the inches of Reid’s bare skin disappeared from view. “I-I heard about your surgery,” Luke began. It wasn’t what he intended to say, but he still didn’t know how to give in to Reid’s demand and finally explain what was going on between them, what Luke was realizing probably began that day in the elevator when Reid looked at him without saying anything for a few moments. He’d thought the older man was busy planning for a meeting, but Luke had felt the heat from the gaze.
Reid stood for a moment, staring at Luke, hoping to control his emotions. He felt nauseated. He had wanted to see Luke, but not like this. He couldn’t talk about his patients because of ethics, but apparently they didn’t apply to the hospital he was working at. “I don’t believe this,” Reid muttered.
“Dr. Oliver?” Luke started to close the gap between them. “I’m sorry.”
“Stop saying it! It’s like a default button with you. Someone looks at you funny and you’re sorry. What the hell are you sorry about now?” his voice was loud and dangerous.
“That you’re in pain,” Luke countered. He’d felt every sling and arrow of pain as the words were flung at him. But he couldn’t back down. He’d done that for a week now. More that, Luke knew that Reid needed someone and that person was him.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Reid said as he tried to walk away. He didn’t know what he wanted from Luke. Actually, there were quite a few things Reid wanted from Luke, but not now, not after his failure. He wanted to be alone. If Luke knew him so well, he would know that.
Luke reached out and grabbed the doctor’s arm. Ignoring the way it felt to touch Reid, the desire that pooled in his belly and made his knees shake, Luke’s grip tightened. Reid had a similar reaction and he was angry with himself because he could always control his emotions and reaction to a guy, but Luke…
Luke changed everything.
“I know,” the blonde whispered, and his palm opened for a moment, skimming up Reid’s arms before tightened again, not ready to let go. “I know about your patients. I know what they mean to you. And when I heard…”
“I can’t talk about my patients. And whoever said anything to you at the hospital should be fired.” Reid ground out the words, desperately wanting Luke to let go and praying he’d stay.
A small gasp escaped Luke’s lips. He didn’t want Alison to get into trouble. “Reid, please…”
The doctor ignored the way Luke called him by his first name and jerked lose. “What? Why are you here? You’ve ignored me for a week.”
“That’s not true,” Luke argued. “It’s not as though you have been trying to get in touch with me, either, and if you think I could ever forget…”
Reid turned around watching Luke. The fear was there, the determined wall to pretend that there was nothing between them, fully erected. But this time Luke had sought him out. “What?” Reid asked.
“What happened today?” Luke gently questioned. “Your patient…” the younger man hesitated for a moment, looking at Reid, checking every inch of the older man’s face.
The doctor tried to hold still, but his left hand tapped against his leg, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Luke always saw everything; he didn’t realize it, but he did. Reid didn’t want to know what the young man was going to see today.
“I’m sorry,” Luke finally said. “Whatever happened…it wasn’t your fault.”
Reid’s head snapped up, and in two quick strides, he was in front of Luke, his breath hitting the younger man’s face. “Of course it’s my fault! I’m his doctor. Max could be-” he stopped suddenly. He couldn’t do this. “I can’t talk to you about this.”
“I’m sorry, when did you become a miracle worker?”
“I always have been,” Reid countered. “Isn’t that why you were so desperate to get me here?”
“Max…” Luke hesitated for a moment. They didn’t go in great detail about his patients; mostly all of what Luke knew was what he could read on the doctor’s face. “A patient from Dallas? I remember in some of our emails while you were still in Texas, you insisted on being able to treat a select few of your patients, the ones you felt didn’t deserve to be ‘at the hands of a deli slicer.’”
Reid smirked in response and glanced down at the ground. “There were complications,” he noted. “Ethically speaking I can’t discuss my patients with you. I shouldn’t have said his name.”
“I won’t tell anyone,” Luke insisted, and his hand came up, hovering around the doctor’s shoulder. “But you… Is he okay now?”
Reid glanced up, looking at the younger man’s hand for a moment and then he closed his eyes. Luke decided to give in and placed his hand on Reid’s back.
“We won’t know,” the doctor said. It was as though Luke had given him the permission he needed. “I… I should have known. I should have… I promised Max. I promised his family…” He shook his head. “You’re not supposed to make promises. Doctors are optimistic or hopeful.”
“And you feel neither of those things,” Luke deduced.
“If he’s not…” Reid’s voice caught, and he shook his head. He wasn’t able to finish that thought. He wouldn’t even allow himself to fully realize it.
“He will be,” the younger man responded and his hand moved in soft circles across Reid’s back. “I’m annoyingly optimistic, remember?” he asked and cocked his eyebrow.
Reid chuckled softly, and his head ducked down. Luke had to move closer, so he wouldn’t lose his grip on the doctor. “Luke…” Reid’s eyes met the blonde’s and then looked at his mouth. “Luke…”
“Yes,” the blonde said, assuring Reid and promising that whatever the doctor felt or wanted, Luke was right there with him.
“You need to leave,” Reid finally told Luke and pushed himself away. He got farther then he expected, but the blonde’s quick hand was there on Reid’s arm again.
“No.”
“I told you… I promised I would never kiss you again. And if you don’t leave now, there will be two promises I broke today.”
The younger man’s hand slipped free and small gasp escaped past his lips. “Oh. I-I-I… The kiss was-”
Reid held up his hand. He couldn’t stand to hear another apology. “I’m sure it was ‘nice,’” he tossed out the word; the same one Luke had used to describe his time with Maddie.
“No,” Luke said. For the first time all night, his voice was calm, certain. “Nice is the last word I would say about kissing you.”
The doctor’s hand fell to his side and bounced for a moment. He wouldn’t allow himself to hope for something. All he wanted was to take Luke to bed and forget about the rest of the day, the rest of the world outside of them.
“When you kissed me… It was…more…everything than anything I’ve ever felt,” Luke said. He’d finally admitted it. He’d felt it since the moment Reid had kissed him. The words were out hanging in the air and Luke couldn’t take them back. But he could run. Turning on his heel, Luke walked out of the apartment.
Reid stood for a moment, looking at the closed door. “Okay,” he muttered to himself. “If this is going to work, he’s going to have to stop doing that.”
*
Luke was grateful that the house was quiet. His mother had mentioned his younger siblings and her having dinner at with Lucinda. Faith was probably chasing after Parker. The house was empty but Luke’s head was full. He hadn’t expected to run away. He’d done enough of that but once the words had left his mouth, he knew there was no turning back. Reid would expect… And Luke didn’t know if he could…
The blonde sat down on the couch, his hands came up, but they didn’t feel right. The fingers weren’t long enough, and they were tentative instead of going after what they wanted. They didn’t hold him like he had the right to. They weren’t Reid’s.
A pounding on the door pulled Luke from his thoughts. He got up and tugged open the door. A small gasp worked its way past his lips. “Reid…”
“I really wish you would stop running away and you can’t…” The doctor sighed. “You can’t say what you said to me and not expect…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop saying that! Stop apologizing for what you feel. You and I both know what is going on here. It’s been happening since we met and I’m just…” Rarely would the fight leave Reid, and he loved to fight with Luke more than anyone, but he’d never been there to force someone out of the closet either. “Am I wrong?” the doctor asked. His voice had softened and his shoulder slumped slightly. Please don’t let me be wrong.
“I’m not gay,” Luke tried to insist. His voice cracked on the last word, though. And he couldn’t meet Reid’s gaze. “I can’t be,” he added, the words were a plea.
The older man’s heart rate started to increase. Maybe there was a little more fight left in him after all. “Why?” his voice was stronger, this time, and his back straightened as well. Reid’s foot shifted slightly forward, but he still maintained a distance. “Why can’t you be gay? Because it’s wrong.”
“No!” Luke insisted. “I defended you to Mr. Hale.”
“Yeah, but without admitting the truth.” Reid’s feet continued to move, slowly closing the distance between them. Luke generally had a way of touching him, but now that the younger man was creating barriers and distance, Reid realized he’d missed it.
“I can’t,” the blonde repeated. Why was Reid here? Why did he care? Luke knew the answer to the first question, but he couldn’t be certain why Reid cared. Luke didn’t have anything the doctor would want. He wasn’t open and free. He wasn’t…
“Why?” Reid asked. His voice was deceptively calm, but the distance between them was completely gone. Since Luke still wasn’t able to meet Reid’s gaze, he saw the telltale twitch in his hand. “Why can’t you be gay, Luke? Because you had ‘nice’ sex with a girl.”
Luke’s head snapped up and his eyes met Reid’s. His heart was pounding, his chest and hands were shaking and he almost formed a fist, wanting to hit the doctor. Push him. Smack him. Anything to get Reid away from him. “Stop it! I loved Maddie.”
“I love Katie, that doesn’t mean I’m straight.”
The younger man let out a strangled sound for a moment. The hit had come from Reid, and yet Luke wasn’t ready to walk away. It was more than Reid’s tossing Luke’s words back in his face; it was as though Reid had known about Katie, about how she had made him… It was “nice” to be around Katie. She made Luke feel safe, the exact opposite of everything he felt around Reid, and with one kiss… Luke knew there was no turning back, but he wasn’t ready to leave this spot. He couldn’t walk away from Reid, but he couldn’t go forward, either. Going forward meant Reid. Luke was tied to Reid, but maybe he could make the doctor want to break first.
“Please, Reid, let this go.” Luke had always tried to be so strong in front of the doctor. Fighting about plans, standing up for the older man, proving to Reid that he was worthy… of what exactly?
Reid shook his head for a moment. “Why? You push more than anyone I’ve ever known. You don’t back down. Why can’t you admit what’s going on with you…” His tongue darted out and wet his dry lips. “With us.”
A soft moan escaped from deep in Luke’s throat. “Because I’m afraid I’ll start drinking again.”
The admission was a little unexpected. Luke had told him he was an alcoholic, but he didn’t realize it could be tied to Reid. “I know you’re an alcoholic. Would you drink because of us?” the doctor almost wanted to take back the question. He didn’t do relationships. Sex. He wanted sex. He’d wanted sex from Luke since the moment they met, but it was time to finally acknowledge the other thing that had happened from the moment they met: he was already in a relationship with Luke Snyder. Dammit.
The blonde tried to take a breath, but it got stuck on the lump in his throat. He gasped for a moment, and Reid reached out for him, patting his back. Luke’s breathing trouble continued. It was one of the rare times Reid had initiated the contact, and the automatic response overpowered Luke for a moment. The heat generating from the doctor’s hand worked it’s way through Luke’s system. How could he ever ignore this?
“Luke?” Reid leaned over, his breath dancing across the younger man’s face.
“Since you kissed me…” the younger man gulped again. “I’ve thought of only two things: kissing you again…and vodka.”
The doctor’s hand immediately slipped away. He looked around the room, trying to find the liquor cabinet, determined to empty every drop of alcohol or even cough syrup in the place. It would only put a band-aid on the situation. The bleeding would stop if Reid left, but it would leave Reid gutted as well.
“Luke…” He shook his head. Reid didn’t do this. He talked. He argued. He insulted. He was never without words, but now, all he could do was repeat the younger man’s name.
It was the smile. The sad, lost smile that nearly did Reid in, but it allowed him to find his voice. “Talk to me. Why vodka?”
The smile turned into a grimace. “It was so easy to hide, looks like water. It started in high school. My best friend, Kevin, and I liked to get drunk.”
“Why? I mean I know this town is a dump, but-”
“It was Kevin,” Luke cut him off.
Reid’s hand formed a fist for a moment. “Did he force you?” the doctor questioned. The only other time he’d felt the need to fight was for his patients. He wasn’t that guy. He wasn’t a dragon slayer or some sort of hero, but Luke made him want to find every person who made Luke not want to admit the truth.
“No,” Luke released his response on a bit of a chuckle. “I was a willing participant, because… Because when you want someone, proximity is everything. I’d do anything to spend time with him and then I’d do anything to try to forget what I felt when I was with him.”
“I make you feel that way?” Reid had to know, because he wasn’t sure if he could walk away. He might have to though.
“Yes.” Luke wanted to take back the words the moment he said them. Anything to take back that look in Reid’s eyes. His hands came up and his fingertips pressed into the doctor’s chest. The scrub top was so thin, and then Luke’s wrists bent and his palms were pushed into Reid’s chest. It was easier to focus on his hands then anything else. “Because if I stop… If I admit what you want me to… I’m so afraid I’ll start drinking again. I drank because I wanted Kevin and I couldn’t deal with it. And with you…”
“You can have me,” Reid said. He tried to keep still but he ached to touch Luke.
Luke gasped and his hands flew away. He tried to walk back, but he stumbled for a moment, and Reid’s hands came up, gripped Luke’s wrists and tugged him close.
“You can have me. It’s not wrong. And I don’t want you to escape or pretend any more. You can have me,” Reid said each word slowly.
“I’m gay,” Luke whispered his eyes focused on his hands in front of him. The strong and supportive grip was his life.
“I know,” Reid said and he tugged.
The younger man was propelled forward and Reid let go. Luke’s torso smacked against the doctor’s and the hands that were holding him, were keeping him close. Luke’s arms and hands were trapped between their bodies and Reid’s mouth was seeking his. The blonde let out a whimper of surprise, but Reid was relentless. His lips melded with Luke’s, and the younger man moved slightly, his head tilting and his nose brushing against Reid’s. The doctor continued to take the lead, and his hands slid up Luke’s back, holding the younger man’s neck, guiding him to get better access. Luke’s palms shifted; one went down, gripping the doctor’s side, and the other came up, tugging on the curls at the nape of Reid’s neck. There was a brief pull from Luke, and it was Reid’s turn to whimper.
Finally, Reid let Luke go, and the blonde’s breath came out in hot pants. They didn’t want to be too far away. Luke’s hands were still holding Reid, his fingers tangled in the doctor’s curls.
“Reid…”
The doctor leaned down, his nose nuzzled against Luke’s for a moment. “Yes.”
“I don’t think I can do this,” Luke said regretfully. He tried to disentangle himself, but Reid’s grip hadn’t loosened. “Please.”
“No.” Reid shook his head. “I’m not going to let you talk yourself out of this again or get drunk. Luke…”
“I’m gay, Reid. I’m also completely inexperienced.”
“But you’re a natural,” the doctor argued.
A smile tugged at Luke’s lips. “I don’t want to disappoint you. I finally said it aloud. I’m 22 years old and I just now admitted-”
“Why does it matter when you say it?” Reid’s hands slid down to the blonde’s waist. His fingers dug in for a moment. “It’s the truth and…” He shook his head for a moment. “I’m glad to be here the first time you did.”
“Reid…”
The doctor rolled his eyes. “You make me sappy. I hate that.”
Luke chuckled. “Thank you for being here, but I need time too, because… What if I can’t…” The words were rushed, but the impact of what they were talking about made the younger man pause for a moment.
“Can’t what? Have sex?” Reid’s fingers helped to propel the younger man closer again, their hips aligned. “If you can have ‘nice’ sex with girls…just imagine what it’ll be like between us.”
Luke swallowed thickly. He couldn’t deny that he hadn’t thought about it. But Luke needed to know… “Is that all this is? You want to get me into bed?”
The doctor’s eyes narrowed for a moment. He couldn’t believe after all this time that that was what Luke expected of him.
“Reid, if this is just going to be about sex, tell me now. We’ll go back to how things are. You’ll annoy me, I’ll annoy you.”
“I thought that was foreplay?” Reid noted and his eyes shifted back and forth for a moment, a grin tugged at his lips.
Luke tried to pull away, but the doctor’s hold was too tight. “Reid…”
“Yes, I don’t do relationships, Luke, I never have, mostly because I can’t stand people, and they can’t stand to be around me either. You push, you have since the moment we met and I like that. And yes, I want you, but…” His hand slipped around Luke’s back. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but… if you need to wait… Then I’ll do it. But…” He tried to keep the concern out of his voice. “How long exactly are we talking about here?”
Luke reached up and pressed a soft kiss to Reid’s lips. The doctor groaned and reached for Luke again. He planted his feet, trying to find his center of gravity, but his soul was being pushed into the younger man. Their lips moved together, opened and closed; Reid’s bottom lip fitted between both of Luke’s. A moment and then another shift, mouths opening again, Luke’s hands finding the doctor’s hair, trying to guide the doctor. Reid had the lead, but Luke would have to decide when it would end.
And that moment wasn’t here yet…
Reid’s tongue darted out, running along the seam of Luke’s lips and the blonde’s mouth opened, inviting Reid in, meeting, trying to gain control. The doctor’s hands gripped his sides; the blonde pulled away for a moment before coming back for a few quick kisses, and then they slipped apart.
“Okay…” Luke panted. “If you keep kissing me like that… Yeah, okay it won’t be ‘nice.’”
Reid chuckled. “I promise,” he assured Luke.
-------------------------------------------------
I appreciate the well-wishes. I am feeling much better, thank you. Hope you enjoyed the convo between Luke and Holden. And now, Luke has finally admitted that he’s gay. So what happens next? Hint: the next chapter is rated NC-17. ;-) ~Ali