Second Chances - Part 3
PART 3
“So…..” Luke started, “what brings you to Vegas?” It was the best he could come up with at the moment. He nodded his thanks to the bartender as he placed a bottle of water in front of him.
Reid looked at Luke out of the corner of his eye, “First drinks, now small talk….I’m beginning to rethink this whole friendship thing,” he said with a light smirk on his face.
Luke swatted his shoulder, “Don’t be such an ass, Reid. It’s just a simple question. I would think that someone who proclaims to be a “genius” can handle a simple question.” Luke shot a sideways glance at Reid as he brought the bottle of water up to his lips.
Reid nodded his head as he pursed his lips. He always loved that Luke didn’t take any of his shit. “Convention for geniuses,” he replied dryly. “Guess you weren’t invited,” he turned toward Luke and gave him his best smirk.
“Good one, Reid,” Luke said rolling his eyes. “Medical conference, I assume?”
And somehow they flowed back into their easy banter. It was as natural as breathing…..
“You assume correctly. But they only invite the ‘geniuses’ to speak,” Reid said using air quotes with a sarcastic look on his face.
“And that would be you?” Luke said shooting Reid a grin.
“Of course,” Reid shrugged after taking another drink.
“So what do you do, when you’re not busy being a genius?” Luke asked as he cocked his head to the side.
“I’m always a genius,” Reid retorted. “It doesn’t come and go…” he explained like he was talking to a child.
“You may be a genius at medicine,” Luke allowed, “but in small talk…..not so much,” he said shaking his head as he wrinkled up his nose. Luke’s eyes suddenly lit up with an idea, “Let’s make a deal, no talking about work.”
Reid quirked a skeptical eyebrow as he narrowed his eyes, “And what do you presume we should talk about, seeing as you just pointed out I’m not good with the small talk?” he shot back.
“Touche’,” Luke said.
“See….genius,” Reid shrugged.
“You’re not getting off that easy. We can talk about anything you want,” Luke responded with a big smile on his face. He’d always wanted to get to know Reid, now was his chance.
“Anything?” Reid questioned.
“Except medicine,” Luke clarified. “Alright,” Luke said, clasping his hands together, “I’ll go first. You can ask me any question you want, and I have to answer it honestly. Then, I get to ask you a question. And so on and so forth. Think you can handle it, Genius?” Luke challenged.
Reid did like a good challenge, and the saucy grin on Luke’s face made him take the bait. “Fine,” Reid agreed, “but just to clarify, I can ask anything I want?” Reid quirked an eyebrow, “Sure you’re ready for that, Mr. Snyder?” he taunted. The temptation to ask Luke anything was too great.
“Bring it on, Dr. Oliver,” Luke shot back.
Reid didn’t hesitate, “When was the last time you jerked off?”
There was silence for a few seconds as Luke ducked his head and bit his bottom lip. Reid sat back in his chair with a grin on his face as he watched the inevitable blush he knew was coming. Yep, there it was…..Maybe this would be fun after all?
The blush staining Luke’s cheeks was a pretty shade of pink as he lifted his head. “This morning,” he answered, meeting Reid’s gaze. “In the shower, to be more specific,” he said cocking his head to the side.
Reid stared back…swallowing. Touche’.
“My turn,” Luke sang as he rubbed his hands together. “Any brothers or sisters?”
“No and no,” Reid replied.
“How did you get the name Luciano?” he fired back.
“You remember Damian, right?”
Reid stared blankly.
“Bad Dad?” Luke asked and Reid nodded. “Luciano’s an old family name, and Damian’s the only person who calls me that. I hate it, it reminds me of him.”
“Moving on,” Luke said, changing the subject. “Ever have a one night stand?” he asked. If Reid could ask about jerking off, than anything was fair game.
“Yes,” Reid replied casually.
“How many?” Luke asked, unable to stop himself.
“That’s two questions,” Reid said raising any eyebrow. “Rules are rules,” he chided. “How ‘bout you?” Reid asked as he took another sip of his beer.
“Are you asking me if I’ve had a one night stand, Doctor Oliver?” Luke asked as he cocked his head to the side.
Reid nodded, suddenly fearing the answer. Maybe he didn’t want to know.
“No,” Luke said, shaking his head, “I haven’t.”
Even though it was illogical, Reid felt relieved.
“How many one night stands have you had?” Luke asked, now that it was his turn. He just needed to know. He bit his lip as he waited for the answer.
“Six,” Reid answered.
Luke just nodded his head. Six…..He’d always wondered and now he knew.
“How come you’ve never had a one night stand? You’re young, attractive…..” Reid suddenly stopped talking. He found himself remembering the night of Noah’s surgery, the night they’d almost had sex. Not that he was looking for a one night stand with Luke that night. He’d already known he’d wanted much more than that.
“I thought about it,” Luke said, chewing on his bottom lip, “believe me, I’ve thought about it.” He paused, looking down slightly, “But it just never felt right. I guess I want to know that it means something,” he said as his eyes met Reid’s.
“I can understand that,” Reid said softly.
They held each other’s gaze for a few beats, both men suddenly remembering the night of Noah’s surgery, and that afternoon at Lily’s.
“Favorite dessert?” Luke asked, needing to change the subject. God, how he wished he’d had sex with Reid at Lily’s that day. He’d wanted to, but then Noah had shown up and fucked it all up. He’d always wondered if things would’ve turned out differently if he’d taken Reid upstairs and let things happen.
Reid furrowed his brow in deep thought as he contemplated his answer. Luke chuckled. It was by far the longest it had taken Reid to answer a question so far. “You and food,” Luke said shaking his head, “some things never change.”
“You wanted honesty,” Reid reminded him. “I need to think about it. It’s a difficult decision…..buuuutttt, I’m gonna have to go with Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream,” he nodded, satisfied with his answer.
“Really?” Luke asked with surprise. “After all that thought, you come up with ice cream?”
“Really,” Reid confirmed.
“I’d have figured you for something more elaborate.”
“It’s always the same. I know what I’m getting, and sometimes…. simple is better,” he said shrugging.
“It is, isn’t it?” Luke agreed, thinking it over.
“What about you?” Reid asked. “Favorite dessert?”
“Thin Mint girl scout cookies, hands down. I buy like 75 boxes and eat them year ‘round,” Luke confessed.
“Only 75?” Reid smirked with amusement dancing in his eyes.
Luke punched him in the arm. “It’s for a good cause,” he defended.
“Whatever makes you feel better, Snyder,” Reid teased.
The two men smiled at each other. This was fun…
“Best day of your life?” Luke asked.
“First solo surgery,” Reid replied without hesitation, “first time I saved someone’s life.”
“You?” Reid asked.
“The day I finally got sober for good,” Luke answered as he picked at a napkin. He hated that part of himself, but there it was, and he had the scars to prove it. He used it as a reminder of what he had to lose. He had almost lost that battle of sobriety when Reid left.
Reid’s heart clenched as he thought about Luke’s kidney. He didn’t like the thought of anything having the potential to harm him, ever.
“Why did you decide to become a neurosurgeon?” Luke asked. He’d always wanted to know.
“Sorry…..medical question,” Reid smirked. “You lose your turn.” Luke pouted. “My turn,” Reid said rubbing his hands together. “Yankees or Red Sox? You should think carefully,” he warned.
“Red Sox,” Luke said, without hesitation. Reid nodded his consent.
“Ever had sex in a public place?” Luke asked, catching Reid off-guard.
Reid quirked an eyebrow in surprise, “Yes, and only once to answer your next question. How about you?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest.
“No, but I’ve always wanted to,” Luke admitted with a light blush on his neck.
“Well, this is Vegas after all. I’m sure you’ll get your chance.” Reid suddenly needed another beer. The thought of Luke having sex with someone else wasn’t an image he wanted in his head.
“Most embarrassing moment?” Reid asked.
Luke groaned. “Lily walking in on me jerking off to Brian and Justin on my laptop,” he answered as he ducked his head. He was proud that he kept the blushing to a minimum this time.
Reid laughed out loud, “Good choice,” he said, nodding his approval. “They have been the stars of many of my fantasies,” Reid said, still chuckling, as he took a sip of his beer. “Your mom?” he repeated, shaking his head with amusement.
“I know, right?” Luke said as he ducked his head. “But it was Brian Kinney. I mean, how can you resist that? He’s so fucking HOT,” he said drawing out the word hot. Reid’s dick twitched upon hearing Luke say the word fucking.
“Agreed…”
“I can’t believe you actually watched Queer As Folk” Luke said in utter disbelief as he shook his head grinning at Reid.
“Now you know my dirty little secret,” Reid said as Luke started laughing.
“Brian Kinney….” Luke said, shaking his head.
“Fuck….” Reid agreed.
Luke’s dick twitched at hearing the word fuck roll off of Reid’s tongue. “Top sexual fantasy?” he asked before thinking about what he was really asking.
Reid glanced at Luke. He was suddenly at a loss for words. You….anywhere, anytime…..always you.
He cleared his throat, “As fun as this is, I need to go check on Trey. I promised him the use of my photographic memory for blackjack, as long as he bought me dinner,” Reid said suddenly looking around the room. He needed to distance himself before he said something he couldn’t take back, something they’d probably both regret.
“Right,” Luke said trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He didn’t want Reid to leave. “I really should check on Casey, too. He kinda has a thing for stripping in public places,” he said shaking his head, remembering the last time Casey decided to bare it all. “Allison said she’d have my balls if Casey didn’t make it to the wedding tomorrow.”
“Ouch….You kinda need your balls,” Reid smirked.
“That I do,” Luke agreed.
Silence…..
“Do you wanna maybe hang out later, if it’s okay with Trey?” Luke asked, not knowing what else to do. This couldn’t be the last time that they saw each other. It just couldn’t. Luke’s stomach clenched at the thought.
“You’re really taking this friend thing seriously, aren’t you?” Reid teased.
“What can I say, when I do something, I like to do it well,” Luke smirked, trying to keep the conversation light, when inside his heart was pounding against his chest.
“I’m sure I’ll find you before the night’s over.”
“I’m holding you to that, Dr. Oliver,” Luke said as a grin lit up his face.
One look from that man, and Reid would agree to anything. “See ya around, Luke,” Reid said, holding up his beer in salute.
“See ya around, Reid.”
*********
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“So…..” Luke started, “what brings you to Vegas?” It was the best he could come up with at the moment. He nodded his thanks to the bartender as he placed a bottle of water in front of him.
Reid looked at Luke out of the corner of his eye, “First drinks, now small talk….I’m beginning to rethink this whole friendship thing,” he said with a light smirk on his face.
Luke swatted his shoulder, “Don’t be such an ass, Reid. It’s just a simple question. I would think that someone who proclaims to be a “genius” can handle a simple question.” Luke shot a sideways glance at Reid as he brought the bottle of water up to his lips.
Reid nodded his head as he pursed his lips. He always loved that Luke didn’t take any of his shit. “Convention for geniuses,” he replied dryly. “Guess you weren’t invited,” he turned toward Luke and gave him his best smirk.
“Good one, Reid,” Luke said rolling his eyes. “Medical conference, I assume?”
And somehow they flowed back into their easy banter. It was as natural as breathing…..
“You assume correctly. But they only invite the ‘geniuses’ to speak,” Reid said using air quotes with a sarcastic look on his face.
“And that would be you?” Luke said shooting Reid a grin.
“Of course,” Reid shrugged after taking another drink.
“So what do you do, when you’re not busy being a genius?” Luke asked as he cocked his head to the side.
“I’m always a genius,” Reid retorted. “It doesn’t come and go…” he explained like he was talking to a child.
“You may be a genius at medicine,” Luke allowed, “but in small talk…..not so much,” he said shaking his head as he wrinkled up his nose. Luke’s eyes suddenly lit up with an idea, “Let’s make a deal, no talking about work.”
Reid quirked a skeptical eyebrow as he narrowed his eyes, “And what do you presume we should talk about, seeing as you just pointed out I’m not good with the small talk?” he shot back.
“Touche’,” Luke said.
“See….genius,” Reid shrugged.
“You’re not getting off that easy. We can talk about anything you want,” Luke responded with a big smile on his face. He’d always wanted to get to know Reid, now was his chance.
“Anything?” Reid questioned.
“Except medicine,” Luke clarified. “Alright,” Luke said, clasping his hands together, “I’ll go first. You can ask me any question you want, and I have to answer it honestly. Then, I get to ask you a question. And so on and so forth. Think you can handle it, Genius?” Luke challenged.
Reid did like a good challenge, and the saucy grin on Luke’s face made him take the bait. “Fine,” Reid agreed, “but just to clarify, I can ask anything I want?” Reid quirked an eyebrow, “Sure you’re ready for that, Mr. Snyder?” he taunted. The temptation to ask Luke anything was too great.
“Bring it on, Dr. Oliver,” Luke shot back.
Reid didn’t hesitate, “When was the last time you jerked off?”
There was silence for a few seconds as Luke ducked his head and bit his bottom lip. Reid sat back in his chair with a grin on his face as he watched the inevitable blush he knew was coming. Yep, there it was…..Maybe this would be fun after all?
The blush staining Luke’s cheeks was a pretty shade of pink as he lifted his head. “This morning,” he answered, meeting Reid’s gaze. “In the shower, to be more specific,” he said cocking his head to the side.
Reid stared back…swallowing. Touche’.
“My turn,” Luke sang as he rubbed his hands together. “Any brothers or sisters?”
“No and no,” Reid replied.
“How did you get the name Luciano?” he fired back.
“You remember Damian, right?”
Reid stared blankly.
“Bad Dad?” Luke asked and Reid nodded. “Luciano’s an old family name, and Damian’s the only person who calls me that. I hate it, it reminds me of him.”
“Moving on,” Luke said, changing the subject. “Ever have a one night stand?” he asked. If Reid could ask about jerking off, than anything was fair game.
“Yes,” Reid replied casually.
“How many?” Luke asked, unable to stop himself.
“That’s two questions,” Reid said raising any eyebrow. “Rules are rules,” he chided. “How ‘bout you?” Reid asked as he took another sip of his beer.
“Are you asking me if I’ve had a one night stand, Doctor Oliver?” Luke asked as he cocked his head to the side.
Reid nodded, suddenly fearing the answer. Maybe he didn’t want to know.
“No,” Luke said, shaking his head, “I haven’t.”
Even though it was illogical, Reid felt relieved.
“How many one night stands have you had?” Luke asked, now that it was his turn. He just needed to know. He bit his lip as he waited for the answer.
“Six,” Reid answered.
Luke just nodded his head. Six…..He’d always wondered and now he knew.
“How come you’ve never had a one night stand? You’re young, attractive…..” Reid suddenly stopped talking. He found himself remembering the night of Noah’s surgery, the night they’d almost had sex. Not that he was looking for a one night stand with Luke that night. He’d already known he’d wanted much more than that.
“I thought about it,” Luke said, chewing on his bottom lip, “believe me, I’ve thought about it.” He paused, looking down slightly, “But it just never felt right. I guess I want to know that it means something,” he said as his eyes met Reid’s.
“I can understand that,” Reid said softly.
They held each other’s gaze for a few beats, both men suddenly remembering the night of Noah’s surgery, and that afternoon at Lily’s.
“Favorite dessert?” Luke asked, needing to change the subject. God, how he wished he’d had sex with Reid at Lily’s that day. He’d wanted to, but then Noah had shown up and fucked it all up. He’d always wondered if things would’ve turned out differently if he’d taken Reid upstairs and let things happen.
Reid furrowed his brow in deep thought as he contemplated his answer. Luke chuckled. It was by far the longest it had taken Reid to answer a question so far. “You and food,” Luke said shaking his head, “some things never change.”
“You wanted honesty,” Reid reminded him. “I need to think about it. It’s a difficult decision…..buuuutttt, I’m gonna have to go with Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream,” he nodded, satisfied with his answer.
“Really?” Luke asked with surprise. “After all that thought, you come up with ice cream?”
“Really,” Reid confirmed.
“I’d have figured you for something more elaborate.”
“It’s always the same. I know what I’m getting, and sometimes…. simple is better,” he said shrugging.
“It is, isn’t it?” Luke agreed, thinking it over.
“What about you?” Reid asked. “Favorite dessert?”
“Thin Mint girl scout cookies, hands down. I buy like 75 boxes and eat them year ‘round,” Luke confessed.
“Only 75?” Reid smirked with amusement dancing in his eyes.
Luke punched him in the arm. “It’s for a good cause,” he defended.
“Whatever makes you feel better, Snyder,” Reid teased.
The two men smiled at each other. This was fun…
“Best day of your life?” Luke asked.
“First solo surgery,” Reid replied without hesitation, “first time I saved someone’s life.”
“You?” Reid asked.
“The day I finally got sober for good,” Luke answered as he picked at a napkin. He hated that part of himself, but there it was, and he had the scars to prove it. He used it as a reminder of what he had to lose. He had almost lost that battle of sobriety when Reid left.
Reid’s heart clenched as he thought about Luke’s kidney. He didn’t like the thought of anything having the potential to harm him, ever.
“Why did you decide to become a neurosurgeon?” Luke asked. He’d always wanted to know.
“Sorry…..medical question,” Reid smirked. “You lose your turn.” Luke pouted. “My turn,” Reid said rubbing his hands together. “Yankees or Red Sox? You should think carefully,” he warned.
“Red Sox,” Luke said, without hesitation. Reid nodded his consent.
“Ever had sex in a public place?” Luke asked, catching Reid off-guard.
Reid quirked an eyebrow in surprise, “Yes, and only once to answer your next question. How about you?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest.
“No, but I’ve always wanted to,” Luke admitted with a light blush on his neck.
“Well, this is Vegas after all. I’m sure you’ll get your chance.” Reid suddenly needed another beer. The thought of Luke having sex with someone else wasn’t an image he wanted in his head.
“Most embarrassing moment?” Reid asked.
Luke groaned. “Lily walking in on me jerking off to Brian and Justin on my laptop,” he answered as he ducked his head. He was proud that he kept the blushing to a minimum this time.
Reid laughed out loud, “Good choice,” he said, nodding his approval. “They have been the stars of many of my fantasies,” Reid said, still chuckling, as he took a sip of his beer. “Your mom?” he repeated, shaking his head with amusement.
“I know, right?” Luke said as he ducked his head. “But it was Brian Kinney. I mean, how can you resist that? He’s so fucking HOT,” he said drawing out the word hot. Reid’s dick twitched upon hearing Luke say the word fucking.
“Agreed…”
“I can’t believe you actually watched Queer As Folk” Luke said in utter disbelief as he shook his head grinning at Reid.
“Now you know my dirty little secret,” Reid said as Luke started laughing.
“Brian Kinney….” Luke said, shaking his head.
“Fuck….” Reid agreed.
Luke’s dick twitched at hearing the word fuck roll off of Reid’s tongue. “Top sexual fantasy?” he asked before thinking about what he was really asking.
Reid glanced at Luke. He was suddenly at a loss for words. You….anywhere, anytime…..always you.
He cleared his throat, “As fun as this is, I need to go check on Trey. I promised him the use of my photographic memory for blackjack, as long as he bought me dinner,” Reid said suddenly looking around the room. He needed to distance himself before he said something he couldn’t take back, something they’d probably both regret.
“Right,” Luke said trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He didn’t want Reid to leave. “I really should check on Casey, too. He kinda has a thing for stripping in public places,” he said shaking his head, remembering the last time Casey decided to bare it all. “Allison said she’d have my balls if Casey didn’t make it to the wedding tomorrow.”
“Ouch….You kinda need your balls,” Reid smirked.
“That I do,” Luke agreed.
Silence…..
“Do you wanna maybe hang out later, if it’s okay with Trey?” Luke asked, not knowing what else to do. This couldn’t be the last time that they saw each other. It just couldn’t. Luke’s stomach clenched at the thought.
“You’re really taking this friend thing seriously, aren’t you?” Reid teased.
“What can I say, when I do something, I like to do it well,” Luke smirked, trying to keep the conversation light, when inside his heart was pounding against his chest.
“I’m sure I’ll find you before the night’s over.”
“I’m holding you to that, Dr. Oliver,” Luke said as a grin lit up his face.
One look from that man, and Reid would agree to anything. “See ya around, Luke,” Reid said, holding up his beer in salute.
“See ya around, Reid.”
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