Halloween oneshot--The Ghost of Love

[moonchilddj]

Hi guys! This is only a tiny bit late, lol, 'cause I got stuck on an ending...but nonetheless, I hope you enjoy!

The Ghost of Love

Author: moonchilddj

Characters/Pairings: Snyder family, mentionings of other Oakdalians/LuRe

Rating: NC-17

Summary: It’s Halloween, two months after Reid’s death. Time moves on, and the world turns without Reid. Or does it?

Beta: Unbeta’ed. Any mistakes are mine!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of As the World Turns, or its lovely characters. If I did, it certainly wouldn’t have ended as it did! I’m just borrowing the characters, and returning them in…mostly pristine condition~ *grin*

Author’s Note: Happy Halloween, everyone! This bunny bit me unexpectedly after I’d finished writing up Chapter Three of The Butterfly Effect, and I had to get it out! Title comes from a wonderful song by the Rasmus, which inspired this fic. I hope you guys enjoy it! ^_^ Comments, as always, are love!

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It had started out as an ordinary night. Well, ordinary for the kids, anyways, who got candy out of it. Luke had to envy his two younger siblings, who could still pull off trick or treating. Even Faith had gotten together with a few of her friends to have some Halloween fun.

Not him, however. He was older, responsible, and he’d gotten the duty of taking Ethan and Natalie trick or treating. Which really wasn’t so bad, because Ethan was the most awesome little vampire he’d ever seen, and Natalie, he was sure, was Lady Gaga, if the makeup was to be believed. Ah, to be a kid without a care in the world, to get to dress up in a cool costume and get enough candy to last for months.

He smiled to himself as he watched them clamber up to a door eagerly, standing back on the sidewalk to watch the proceedings. He’d seen a lot of the residents of Oakdale dressed up for Halloween as he went around with his siblings, it seemed that the town was caught up in the spirit of things. Jack and Carly were a vampire couple, with Carly’s blond hair dyed black with a wild lightning streak of white running through it, Tom and Margo were Morticia and Gomez Addams…even his own mom and dad had gotten into it, with his mom dressed as a supermodel and his dad as James Bond. It was actually pretty fun, and he’d gotten some great pictures that he would soon be sending to Casey and Allison in Carbondale.

If only Reid could see this…

Luke had had the thought run through his head before he could stop himself, and his amusement at watching his siblings dropped. He sighed to himself quietly, and rubbed his arms briskly when a cool evening breeze blew across, chasing the leaves across the ground.

Some days were pretty good. The Neuro Wing took up all his time, and he had plenty of stuff that distracted him, that he could make it through a day without thinking of the man he’d loved and falling apart. And then some days…

“Luke?” Ethan’s little voice piped up, and the blond jerked himself back to the present, gazing down to the boy.

“Yeah, Dracula Junior?” he teased lightly as Ethan stuck his tongue out at him through his plastic fangs.

“Could you hold my candy bag for me? It’s getting heavy!”

“Well, that’s a good thing.” Luke replied as he ruffled the little boy’s hair. “You’re making a killing, huh?”

“Yeah! But my arms are getting tired!”

“Look at his bag, Luke!” Natalie encouraged as she tossed her platinum-wigged head. “All that candy’s going to last until next Halloween!”

“Nuh-uh!” Ethan giggled as he handed the pumpkin-decorated bag to his big brother.

“Oof! What do you have in there, giant-sized jawbreakers?” Luke replied as he took the admittedly-heavy bag. “You guys ready to go to the next house?”

They fairly dragged him onwards, and he chuckled to himself, stepping around other little trick-or-treaters and their parents. After making sure he didn’t trip on Natalie’s costume, he lifted his head so as to steer his siblings around anyone else that was coming ahead.

The sun was just about to set, and the porch and street lights were just starting to come on. Darkness was creeping in, and the last thing he wanted to do was have an accident with someone else and candy-eager kids.

There was only one figure coming their way, thankfully free of kids following after, so he herded his two siblings to make room on the sidewalk. The light bounced onto the man’s face, and…

The candy bag dropped to the ground as Luke’s mind went blank. It had to be a trick of the light, just the way the lights formed in the shadows and planes of the man’s face, and how it glinted in his hair.

It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t. He had been there when the man he’d fallen in love with had been declared brain dead. He’d been there when he’d held his hand for the last time, before his heart had been used to save Chris Hughes’ life.

When the man had come up upon them, he jerked back, startled, into the trunk of a tree, and almost fell over the side as the man turned his head to gaze at him with those same blue eyes.

“Luke?” Natalie replied in concern when she noted that her big brother had stopped walking, and was having a staring contest with the man that had come to a dead stop before Luke. She grabbed Ethan’s hand, glancing down at her little brother’s bag of candy on the ground, and back to Luke. “…You okay?”

“Just a trick, just a trick, just a trick…” Luke muttered to himself, raising a shaking hand to his face so he could wipe the image away. Only it was still there when he had removed his hand. The ghost man’s hands even reached out to softly grab his shoulders, startling a breathy squeak out of him as he stared at the man with wide eyes.

“…Don’t scare the kids now, the costumes are bad enough.” came the soft mutter, wry and quietly understanding as he gazed at Luke. “I know…I just…just keep it cool. Okay?”

A jerky half laugh slipped from Luke, and he swallowed the boulder that was stuck in his throat down. That was impossible. How could he be calm about seeing a man that should be dead, unless he was going crazy. If that was the case, then he definitely didn’t want to alarm Ethan and Natalie.

He sucked in a deep breath and jerked away from the…mirage, mind’s trick, whatever…and glanced to his younger siblings, before he bent to pick up Ethan’s bag. “Uh…let’s get going, guys, we’ve got a lot of houses to cover, all right?”

Natalie noted that Luke’s hands were shaking when he straightened, and she glanced curiously at the other man that had shaken up her brother, then back to Luke. “Are you--”

“Come on!” Luke replied brightly, sure that he was just imagining things as he nudged the two along quickly. It had only been two months since Reid had died, of course he would still miss Reid…his mind was still stressed. Had to be.

“Luke…” the illusion uttered behind him, and Luke walked away his siblings from the man, almost to the point of running, taking a shaky breath, then another the farther he got away. He was just seeing things, seeing what he wanted to see. God knew that he missed Reid so badly sometimes, that he felt like curling up into a fetal position and staying there.

He peered up at the full moon that glinted through the autumn leaves, and nodded to himself. He was just…thinking so hard of Reid, he just saw Reid’s face where it wasn’t. Shadows played tricks on the eye, after all.

He didn’t look back until he’d ushered Ethan and Natalie to another house, and waited until they were thoroughly distracted with candy to even glance back. Dark eyes flicked through the trees, people and houses, before he exhaled noisily when he didn’t see the man. He just wished he could be sure that he wasn’t disappointed when he didn’t see him.

--------

It was almost eight in the evening before Luke had gotten back home with the kids. Ethan’s enthusiasm over his candy had made him forget his scare, and Luke was back to himself as he pushed the young boy gently back down on his toes from bouncing.

“You know that mom and dad won’t let you have that candy until they’re sure that it’s safe, right?’ he replied as he chuckled at Ethan’s furious pouting, fangs and all.

“Awwww! Not even a Sweet Tart or a Reese’s Cup?” the boy protested as he gazed up at Luke plaintively.

“Not even.” Luke replied as he patted the top of his head. “It’s for your own safety. Don’t worry, it won’t take that long. Let Natalie help get your makeup off, and I’ll fix the dinner that mom left for us, okay?”

“Oooookaaaaay.” Ethan sighed dramatically, taking his sister’s hand as Luke smiled at them and opened the door for them so the kids could rush in.

The blond picked up their bags with a sigh, one of his hands on the door, before he turned at the sound of a footstep.

The appearance was slower this time as the man came around the corner of the building between gate and house, and Luke didn’t jump so much this time, though he felt his stomach lurch up to his throat as he stared at the man.

“…I can’t be going crazy…I’m t-too young for a nervous breakdown…”

“Though you’ve gone through enough to cause one, I bet.”

The reply was familiarly dry, almost teasing, that Luke had to sag against the doorway, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes tightly.

“You’re not going to faint on me, are you?” the voice asked, the footsteps coming closer.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Luke replied weakly. “It’s not every day that I see a dead man walking…it’s only happened once before, and dad wasn’t really dead…you…you…”

Warm hands jolted him out of his stuttering, and he gasped, opening his eyes to the handsomely-familiar face as tears burned his lashes.

“I know. I know.” the man whispered as he rubbed his thumbs against Luke’s cheeks gently. “I get it. You have every right to be freaked out, Luke. But I’m not dead. I’m warm, here, alive, breathing. You feel me, don’t you?”

“I sh-shouldn’t be able to…I saw…”

“It wasn’t my time.”

“Wh-what?” Luke replied, gazing at the man in confusion as the man who looked so much like his Reid gave a little smile to him.

“That’s what I was told. I remember that clearly. It wasn’t my time to die, even if I had had a run-in with a train that caught me before I caught it. And besides, I saved that douche bag’s life, that counts for something, I guess. I know, you did everything…they did everything. I saw it.” He brushed away the tears that started to streak down Luke’s cheeks. “I saw it all. I guess that the people upstairs decided that I deserved a second chance.”

“A second chance…?” Luke sputtered as he gazed into his face. “I…you…how…? No…no, how do I even know that I’m not just hallucinating?”

“You’re a lot of things, but crazy isn’t one of them. Well, with the exception of being gaga over Noah, but I’ll forgive you that one~ I could tell you a thousand things to show you you’re not crazy, but I know the brain pretty well…you’d talk yourself out of it somehow. So…”

It had to be pretty hard to kiss a figment of his imagination, but that was what Luke found himself doing as his mouth was caught warmly by the other man’s. So warm, so damned familiar, that he found tears flowing down his cheeks as he gave a small, muffled whimper.

Could it be real? Could *he* possibly be real?

His hands cautiously snaked up, taking in the feel of the other man’s coat and shirt, then sliding up into curly soft hair. That was familiar, too, and he gripped, pulling the man into him as the kiss turned desperate, hungry as he kissed him back.

“Mm…easy…don’t try to climb me…”

Luke let out a breathless, tearful little chuckle, and kissed him again, and again. “I could…and wrap myself around you, and never let you go. Ever. Is it you, Reid…? Really? Please, don’t let me be dreaming…I couldn’t take it.”

Reid Oliver’s fingers tangled softly into Luke’s hair, stroking through it, sliding along the nape of the blond’s neck soothingly as he held him close. “You’re not dreaming. I’m really here. I promise. There’s always that corny thing about Halloween that says that ghosts are closer to the human world on nights like this…guess it’s true. I’m sorry I made you wait.” He turned his head to smirk at him. “Miss me?”

“You…” Luke uttered softly, before Reid’s back found the doorway with a soft thump as he gazed into those blue eyes. “How could you even *ask* that? If you’ve seen everything, if you’ve been able to hear everything…”

“Shhh. I have. Just teasin’ a little…I’m sorry.” Reid whispered, pulling him closer with a little squeeze of his arms. “I missed you, too. I wish I could’ve come sooner. Spared you all your pain.”

“Oh, Reid.” Luke breathed softly, burrowing his face against the space between his neck and the collar of his shirt as he breathed him in with a relieved sound. “You’re…you’re here. That’s all that matters. That’s all I want. That’s all I’ve ever wanted ever since I realized I’d fallen in love with you.”

“Then you’ve got me.” Reid murmured, softly capturing Luke’s face with his hands and kissing him again. “So…you going to invite me in?”

“I don’t know…you’re not going to bite me and suck my blood when I’ve got my back turned, will you?”

The short bark of laughter from the older man made Luke grin widely from ear to ear. He’d missed that sound almost as much as he had missed his scent, his eyes, kissing him, the touch of his hand.

“Well, not that kind of biting~ But I hope you’re not against a couple of nips and hickeys~” Reid drawled, lips curving when the blond took his hands and pulled him into the house with him.

“Oh, I’m definitely up for that.” Luke breathed, shivering at the mere thought of it as he closed the door behind Reid. Some part of him was afraid that the older man would disappear, really, but he ignored the fear, pushing it away as he pulled him down for another kiss. “But…I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to everyone…mom and dad and everyone that knew and missed you.”

“Worry about that later.” Reid whispered as he kissed him once more. “I’m famished. I heard you talking about food. Let’s eat and take care of your siblings, and maybe…after…”

Biting down amusement at his ever-present love of food, Luke licked his lips. “After…?” he echoed.

“…After, we can collect on that promise…to be continued…”

Oh god. Luke let out a soft breath when he remembered those words, so innocent at the time, when they’d thought they had all the time in the world to consummate their relationship. And then…then…

“Hey. Stay with me, here.” Reid’s fingers were so gentle as he cupped his cheek, and Luke leaned into the touch eagerly, starving for it. “I know. Lots of stuff happened between then and now. But I’m here. That’s all that matters. Right?”

“Right.” Luke breathed quietly, kissing his palm tenderly. He set the bags of candy on the counter, where his parents could check it later when they returned from the Halloween party at the Mona Lisa. Really, all he wanted to do was cling onto Reid and never let go, but he had to think of Ethan and Natalie, too. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, before he forced himself to back away from the man, making his way through the kitchen to the casserole in the oven.

It didn’t stop Reid from embracing him from behind, and he sagged into his arms gratefully, closing his eyes and savoring the moment. “Thought you wanted to eat?” he teased softly, thrilling at the soft chuckle in his ear.

“You look so good, I could skip dinner and go right to dessert. But I’ll be good, ‘cause of the rugrats.”

Luke laughed and leaned to kiss Reid’s jaw softly, before he started on dinner. It didn’t take long, and he pulled out four plates, calling to his siblings that it was time to eat.

Ethan and Natalie had never met Reid, since most of the time that Reid was around Luke or their parents, was when they were on play dates or school. The youngest boy peeped shyly at Reid, curious about the man that was reluctant to let go of Luke’s hand, even to eat, but when he found out that he was a doctor, exploded with questions about what he did and if it was cool.

Natalie remembered Reid’s face from the pamphlet that Luke had had for the neuro wing. Her brow was furrowed thoughtfully, glancing from Reid to her brother, and back again, as she struggled to solve the mystery of the man that had made her big brother cry.

He could see the questions in his sister’s eyes, knew she was suspicious, but Luke didn’t have the courage to tell her, nor the energy. He didn’t want to scare her, a man back from the dead. He would find a way to tell her, his parents, too, but right then, all he wanted to do was to savor Reid’s closeness. He could barely stop himself from touching Reid in some form as they ate, just to make sure that he was really there.

He tried to not rush his siblings, but when it came time to dessert, a pumpkin pie from Grandma Emma, he caved. After making sure that they both had their slice of pie with whipped cream, Luke told them that they could watch movies together upstairs with their dessert, no scary movies, though.

Reid’s mouth twitched knowingly around his third helping of casserole as Ethan blinked inquisitively.

“Aren’t you going to come watch with us, Luke?”

“I’m going to talk with Reid, okay? I might go to bed a little early, so I want you both to brush your teeth and do your nightly stuff after dessert. No candy, either.” Luke replied with a small blush as he glanced to the older man, then back to his siblings as he ruffled Ethan’s hair, and kissed Natalie’s brow. “Have fun. Night, you two.”

“Night, Luke.” Natalie murmured cautiously, glancing to Reid again, before she turned and slid an arm around Ethan’s shoulders, heading upstairs with him.

“Not too subtle~” Reid drawled as he polished off his dinner, licking the tines of his fork as Luke laughed.

“I wasn’t being pushy, was I?”

“Nah. You weren’t shoving them out the door or anything.” Reid put his fork down with a soft clink of metal on china, and smirked at him. “Nice ego-booster, though.”

“Thought you’d enjoy it.” Luke smirked back as he moved from the table, and climbed into his lap. “I missed you. I just want…”

“Shh. I know, me too.” Reid whispered as he stroked a hand up the blond’s back. “I missed you like crazy. I hurt, every time you thought of me. All I wanted was to stop your pain.”

“You are, now.” Luke whispered back as he slid his arms around Reid’s neck, gazing into his eyes. “You’re here, and…just don’t get mad if I’m extra clingy, huh?”

“Never.” Reid breathed softly, before he pulled Luke into a kiss, deep, lingering and lush. Tongue tangled with tongue, and he moaned into the mouth that he had missed, cupping the back of Luke’s neck as he rocked up against the body against his own. So warm, so giving. He could feel Luke’s response, feel the answering arousal pressing against his stomach. He kissed him hard, then pulled back with a gasp so they could both breathe.

Enjoying the glaze of pleasure in those dark eyes, he smoothed his fingers over the nape of the blond’s neck. “Let’s take this somewhere more private.”

“Preferably with a bed.” Luke agreed, reluctantly climbing out of Reid’s lap, and taking hold of his hands to pull him out of the chair.

“Plates?” Reid muttered, before his mouth was captured into another hot kiss.

“Later.” Luke whispered, navigating through the house with him and heading upstairs in between kisses. He hoped whatever his siblings were watching was loud enough when his back hit the wall on the way up, for Reid was as eager as he was, lips hungrily, desperately mashing against his own as if he hadn’t kissed him for years. He could understand the feeling all too well. If his lips were kiss-swelled, he was definitely not complaining.

Somehow, he got them to his bedroom, using shafts of moonlight coming through the windows to guide their way. He pushed open the door, walking backwards with Reid still kissing the breath out of him, and when he’d gotten them properly into the bedroom, with the door firmly closed behind them, he sank his fingers into Reid’s hair, kissing him back.

The moonlight was gorgeous on Luke’s skin. He wasn’t an overly-sappy person, but when he’d gotten Luke’s shirt off, his own fingers gliding over the younger man’s chest, Reid had to admit that Luke looked almost ethereal. Perfect. He wanted nothing more than to worship the blond, and set about doing so, his mouth wandering along his neck, down over his chest, and enjoyed the soft moans and gasps he received in return, along with the fingers in his hair.

“Reid…nn…don’t stop.” Luke breathed out, and Reid smiled.

“I don’t plan to. Not this time.” he whispered back as he pushed Luke to his bed with a light shove. He straddled the blond’s hips with his knees, bending over him as he paid homage to the sculpted torso with his lips, all the way to the barrier of jeans at Luke’s hips. He could feel Luke’s fingers tugging at him restlessly, begging for more, so he obliged, pulling the button and zipper free and stripping the blond thoroughly.

Sitting back to admire his handiwork, Reid licked his lips as he dropped the remainder of Luke’s clothes to the floor. “Damn, how is it you’re not taken, again?” he muttered as Luke gave a raspy chuckle and reached for him.

“Simple.” the blond whispered back, kissing his jaw, along the curve of the older man’s neck. “I only want you, Reid. No one else is going to cut it.”

“Oh…good to know.” Reid breathed as he felt the blond’s hands working busily, likely popping a few buttons on his shirt as he worked the garment off of him.

“Like you didn’t know. You drive me crazy, you arrogant, stubborn, gorgeous ass.” Luke breathed against his ear as he tossed the shirt away, greedy hands reaching for supple skin instead.

“Mm, you mean me, or the ass you liked staring at when I would walk away~?”

“I thought you didn’t see…!”

Reid laughed at the slight, flustered sputter he received in reply, gazing down at him with a smirk. “Your eyes about bored a hole into me every time, how am I not going to notice? I am a gay man stupidly in love with a rich brat named Luke Snyder.”

Luke snorted softly and swatted at him, his smile huge, complete with dimples. “Well, at least the feeling’s mutual.”

“Definitely.” Reid murmured, kissing him again before he lifted himself off of Luke’s body, moving to undo and strip down his pants as the blond underneath watched eagerly.

How many times had he thought about Reid and himself making love? How many times had he wanted to see Reid naked? Before the accident and after…too many times to count, which was why he couldn’t keep his hands off of him as he traced out Reid’s hips, moving down long legs when the garment was shed. He wanted to take in every inch with his eyes, with his hands, with his mouth, his body. There was so much he wanted to do, but what he ached for the most was to have him within himself. He wasn’t going to take the chance this time, not when the opportunity was handed to him on a silver platter.

“Reid…” Luke breathed, his voice low and achingly raw, before the older man kissed him, soft and unbearably sweet.

There was nothing more to be said. Luke could see that Reid understood, that he wanted him just as much, that he had to have him. It had been a while since he’d had sex with anyone, and he wasn’t sure if he should just rush it, get the sting over with so that he could feel Reid moving within him, but if--

His runaway thoughts were halted when gliding hands moved, coaxing him to his hands and knees. He could feel lips moving over his skin, from his shoulders to his thighs, kisses pressed everywhere, the warm stroke of a tongue sliding over his entrance. The sensation was that sharp, that needed to his body, he clapped a hand to his mouth, crying out into his palm so he didn’t make noise and alert his siblings to his activities.

Luke trembled hard, gasping in between his fingers as his body convulsed, pushing up into that knowing tongue that knew just what to do, what to make him come undone. He spread his legs, nearly falling face first into the bed before Reid’s hands gripped at his hips.

“Reid…” Luke whimpered under his breath, sagging, then arching his back when the tongue stabbed softly into him. He forgot about how long it had been, he forgot about his fears, he just wanted the older man so badly, he could’ve cried from the sheer need.

Hard as a rock, his cock pressed up tightly against his stomach, the blond turned his head with a gasp, dazed eyes catching upon the curly hair, which he tugged at with a restless hand.

“Now…*now*…Reid…”

The sound of Luke’s arousal was music to his ears. He knew he couldn’t have lasted long, not in this mindframe, with wanting Luke so badly. Reid allowed for the insistent tug on his hair, pulling away from the blond and then lining himself up properly as he slid up behind him.

“Now?” he rasped as Luke bit his lip hard and pushed up against him.

“Yes…Reid, please…”

Moonlight on silk. Skin against skin. Perfection, that was the only way that it could be worded as Reid buried a moan against Luke’s shoulder, sliding in deep until their bodies were melded together intimately. He could feel Luke trembling around him, inside and out, so he waited, not in a rush to hurt him. He wanted him, but he wanted it to be mutual.

It didn’t take long, not with the fact that Luke wanted him just as much. Panting, he arched against him, fingers moving so they grabbed softly at the older man’s hip, both for balance and for reassurance. He felt Reid moan and shift in return, and closed his eyes at the sparkles of pleasure that danced through him.

“Yes…” he gasped, arching his back as he pushed up against him, initiating the first thrust that had him gasping at the jolt of sheer need. This was what he wanted. It almost made him wonder just how in the world he’d survived without it, without Reid inside him. Why had there been so many delays, when it felt this *good*?

Luke threw his head back with a quiet moan, resting it in the crook of Reid’s neck as he pushed himself into Reid, thrusting back against him when the older man’s body came to meet him in the middle.

“Luke…” Reid whispered, shaky and low with need, before he launched back on his knees, pulling the blond along with him so that he was straddling his lap, impaled upon him.

The blond jerked and cried out, covering his hand with his mouth when the jolt of pleasure turned into a stab of pure and utter need. He let out a shaky breath through his fingers and rocked himself down upon him, taking him inside himself with a thrust that had him seeing double. It was as if he couldn’t get enough, and he took him in as deep as he could get. Once he was sure that he wouldn’t get too loud, he reached behind him, burying his fingers into Reid’s hair and pulling him up against him with a low whine.

“More…”

Luke was of the voracious sort, it seemed. Reid loved it as he stroked his fingers over the blond’s hips, before he loosened one of his hands so he could wrap it around Luke’s length. The moan he got in return was worth it, and he flexed his hips, pushing himself into him with a deeper, harder thrust that pulled out a gasp of pleasure.

“Like that?” he breathed against the younger man’s ear as Luke nodded eagerly, rocking his hips to match the first of his thrusts.

“Nnh, just l-like that…Reid…don’t stop, don’t stop.”

Reid smiled against his skin, and matched the squeeze and stroke of his hand to the roll of his hips, enjoying the sensation of his lover’s body folding around him as if he was trying to take him in and hold him there forever. He thrilled to the sound of Luke’s gasps and sighs, and quickened his thrusts as he watched the blond’s head roll back in the glint of the moonlight.

“Beautiful…” he sighed quietly against his ear, soft and earnest as he strengthened his grip upon him, his hips rolling harder, faster as Luke gave a soft whine and squirmed restlessly.

“Close…so close…” the younger man breathed, closing his eyes as he clasped at Reid’s arm. “I…I need…”

“I know, Luke.” Reid whispered. He could feel how desperate Luke was for release, down to the way he clung around him within and without. He moaned under his breath, then purred into his ear. “Come on. Come for me, Luke. Let go.”

How could he resist something like that, when Reid surrounded him? His scent, his touch, the breath against his ear, the feel of him so deep and hard inside him? Luke whimpered, gasping Reid’s name as his nails dug into the man’s arm, before that tension inside him snapped with another thrust to his prostate.

He choked back a cry of pleasure as his back arched, his body going ramrod straight as he bucked into him, his release spilling between the older man’s fingers as he clutched around him.

That was all that Reid needed, for his world went white when Luke gripped onto him, and he smothered a growl against the blond’s shoulder as he gave one more fierce thrust of his hips, before he joined him in climax, sighing quietly as he filled him. Fingers drifting lazily, he caressed Luke, before they rested on the blond’s thigh.

“You okay?” he breathed quietly as they rested together, panting in a rhythmic fashion. He watched the moonlight filter through the window, turning Luke’s hair to silver. He lifted a hand to stroke his fingers through the blond’s hair, hearing a small, content sound drift from him. “Mm, is that a yes?”

Luke chuckled faintly, and reached up to take Reid’s hand in his, twining their fingers together. “Stay.” he breathed softly as the older man blinked.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t disappear on me when I wake up…I don’t want this to be a dream.” Luke whispered as he dropped a kiss to Reid’s palm quietly, resting his head against Reid’s shoulder as he closed his eyes. “Stay with me.”

Arms embraced him softly, tightening just a little as he sagged against him with a small yawn.

“I’m not going anywhere, Luke.” Reid whispered against his ear. “I won’t, ever again.”

He hoped that the man was telling him the truth…his heart would break into pieces if he woke up alone. He squeezed Reid’s hand, and dozed off against him, trusting in his warmth and the feel of his body against his.

------

Sunlight. It streamed through the windows in Luke’s room, and the warmth soaked into him as Luke murmured groggily, opening his eyes and stretching. God, his body ached. Surely trick or treating hadn’t been that strenuous--

The blond paused, remembering with a start. Reid’s face in the shadows. Reid at his doorway. Dinner. The most intense lovemaking he’d ever gone through. He rolled over quickly, his heart in his throat as he peered behind him for the man’s face.

Nothing.

Luke sucked in a breath, alarmed when he found no trace of the man that he’d been sleeping with. No clothes. No warm body. Not even a wrinkled blanket. Had it all been a dream?

He rolled up to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself as fear and dismay lodged in his chest. Had he dreamt Reid? It had felt so real…and his body ached in that way that it did when he’d been intimate with another…not counting that it had been a while since Noah, it had that pleasant sting, and he remembered skin and hands and lips…

Had he been haunted? Had Reid visited him for one last time? It was Halloween, and crazy things happened around that time. If he’d only been there, just to love him and leave him…

The sob that choked his breathing edged off in a sharp gasp when his bedroom door swung open, and he wheeled around, finding the man he loved standing at the doorway with a tray.

“You’re awake.” Reid’s very-real, very warm voice uttered, and he stepped forward with the tray, kicking the door closed. “Your mom was more than a little stunned to see my face, but I get the feeling that seeing people come back from the dead happens a lot in this town. She actually didn’t say much.”

He noted that the blond was very quiet, and frowned at him as he brought the tray over to him. “Luke? Are you all right?”

He was barely able to set the tray down safely before he was tackled, arms wrapping tightly around his back. Reid blinked, and carefully patted the blond’s back awkwardly. “Luke?”

“You’re here.” Luke breathed against his neck, sending up shivers with each syllable along the older man’s skin. “You’re really here. You’re alive, and I didn’t dream you up, and I can feel you breathing, and…oh, Reid…”

He felt the blond shivering in his arms, and pulled Luke closer to him, cupping the back of his head. “I told you I would be…I’d never lie to you, not about this. Nor would I ever leave you willingly. I told you I love you, and I meant it, then and now. Get used to me, brat…you’ve got me in your life for keeps.”

Luke let out a choked laugh, and nuzzled in close. “That sounds good. More than anything.” He relaxed when Reid’s hand stroked through his hair. “You’re not leaving, you’re really here, and…is that a danish?”

Reid snorted softly as he shifted the blond so he could cradle him in his lap, and pull the tray over. “Yes, that is a danish. Hungry, brat?”

“Famished.” Luke murmured, snuggling in contentedly. “I worked up an appetite…or else I’m inheriting your bottomless pit of a stomach.”

“Shut up and eat your breakfast.” the older man muttered with a smirk of amusement as he picked up his coffee. “And maybe I’ll give you another reason to be famished~”

“Is that a promise, Dr. Oliver?” Luke hummed, before he gasped a little when his chin was grabbed softly, and he was pulled into a thorough kiss that left him tingling from head to toe in untold promise.

“That’s a promise and a plan, Mr. Snyder~ One I intend to collect on, many, many times over, until you get sick of me.”

“Problem with that plan…it’s never going to happen.” Luke smiled cheekily at him. “Because I’m going to want you, every single time. And probably some times where I tackle you first.”

“Looking forward to it, then.” He kissed him again. “Because this time, I’m  going to make sure we have all the time in the world to do it.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Luke whispered against his mouth. “I love you, Reid.”

Reid’s arms tightened around him, holding him as close as possible. “I love you, too.” he whispered against his ear, spending the day after Halloween whole, healthy and with the man he loved. Crazy things happened in Oakhell, and he was glad they did, this time.