The Night Before
Reid sat alone in Katie’s lounge with a tub of ice cream and a spoon for company. Usually this would be acceptable and being alone wouldn’t have seemed so alien, but now with the addition of Luke Snyder, Reid had slowly started to realise that accepting loneliness wasn’t his only option.
He had spent the entire day in scrubs and sneakers going from one consultation room to another and had spent a significant amount of hours in the operating room with a pretty difficult tumour case, all having left him feeling weary and aching from head to toe.
He tried to shut off his brain. The fact that Luke crept into it so often was not only annoying and distracting but it was the fact that it came with a warmth right in the pit of his stomach and a fluttery feeling right inside his chest .... This. Was. The. Problem.
Bob Hughes. Not so senile after all. He was right and it wasn’t easy to admit it. In fact it was downright annoying. Luke was always going to be the spoiled rich kid from the inbred cookie cutter town with a penchant for bribery and blackmail ... and god did Reid love that.
Now, on top of all of this, Luke was also the guy with the deepest brown eyes and the cheekiest smile, the sharpest tongue and the feistiest temper Reid had come across for a while. The damned kid even gave him a run for his money- he loved this too.
Stop it, Reid thought. For someone who knows the brain inside and out you have a hell of a problem with controlling it.
This was inconvenient at best. Reid knew Luke felt something for him, or else he wouldn’t be in this position. Noah’s surgery and the aftermath wasn’t easy but it wasn’t hard for Reid to build those barriers again- the hard part was keeping them up. One look from Luke or one touch and his resolve weakened. Not ideal.
Definitely not ideal when the last thing Reid remembered hearing Luke saying was that Noah was the love of his life and the only man in the world for him. Ouch. Reid made a mental note to put a pin in this god damned obsession, yes that’s all it was and it didn’t hurt at all.
Luke had gone away to his parent’s cottage in the forest, or wherever the hell these rich people went to pretend they were ‘one with nature’, to try and sort his head out, leaving Noah in advanced recovery and Reid to work. Great. Reid hadn’t spent every odd minute glancing over his shoulder expecting to see Luke idling towards him, hands in pockets and with a cute grin plastered on his face.... no, he hadn’t....
Reid had seen Luke talking to Bob this morning so knew he was back in town. He wondered if Luke was asking for him. He’d mentally slapped himself for that, he was probably looking for Noah, and gone back to focusing entirely on saving lives. More important, right? Way more important than a yo-yoing blonde with dimples and .... Oh Shut up, focus on ... god anything else.
Now, sitting at home with a defiant stab of a spoon into solid ice-cream, Reid reminded himself that he was a world class neurosurgeon, a pretty damned decent looking one too so who wouldn’t want a piece of this ... Jesus. Low. Point. Feel like fucking Carrie Bradshaw. He made a mental note to tell Katie to burn her stupid self indulgent bullshit boxsets. Not that he ever watched them while letting sandwich making last that little bit longer to catch the end .... never.
The sports channel flickered and went grey. Reid felt his blood pressure sky rocket. He jabbed the off button and flung the remote across the room. One more thing to add to the list of why the past few weeks had been hell. Number one being that god awful ache in his stomach. The one he’d been trying to drown out with surgery and sandwiches.
The door bell rang as Reid stuffed one more mouthful of chocolate chip icre-cream into his mouth. Climbing over the sofa, he was sure Katie hadn’t left her key at home.
As he opened the door, he swallowed the ice-cream quickly and felt that headache .... that really bad hea...
“Hi.”
Fuck.
Luke stood, hands in pockets and looking significantly refreshed with a new haircut to boot. Can he make this any harder? Reid’s brain froze, literally, and he felt those barriers padlock themselves.
“Mr Snyder, you decided to grace us all with your presence again. Lucky Oakdale.”
“It’s nice to see you too, Docctooorrr Ollliivvveerrr.” Luke laboured his name, making a point of letting Reid know he was being snarky. God this kid thinks he’s so cute.
“Yea, well, I can hardly say the feeling’s mutual but I guess seeing as you’ve no doubt come over here for a reason, you might as well come in.”
Reid opened the door fully and let Luke step inside. He felt his stomach lurch and his palms start to sweat. Luke in such close proximity did this to him. This was not going to be easy.
“So... how’s the new wing coming on?” As Reid turned around to see Luke leaning back against the dining table resting on his hands with his eyebrows raised. Small talk was going to painful. Reid attempted to force his eyes to stop looking at the tiny sliver of toned stomach showing as Luke’s t-shirt slid up and answered...
“Fine. You know, Bob gets on my back about my ‘bedside manner’ and the budget, Doogie Hughes rears his ugly head expecting a look in on the progress, Kim thinks I’m an ass and -“
“And she’d be right.” Luke smirked.
“Oh well thank you. Now you can leave.” Reid gestured towards the door.
“Wow, I’ve been gone a week and you’ve already lost your sense of humour. Nice work Doc.”
Reid’s stomach flipped again. He loved this. Loved it so much he could scream. This was something he craved. Someone to fight back, someone to put up a challenge and someone who was as god damned cute as Luke while doing it. Why can’t this happen like it nearly did before Noah’s surgery?
“Wow! You’re so clever,” Reid’s words dripped with sarcasm, “You pick that up on your little trip cos it sure as hell wasn’t there before?”
Luke stood up straight and stepped towards Reid.
“As a matter of fact I think I learned it from the master,” Luke kept stepping forward and Reid felt his skin burn and tingle, “there’s only one pompous ass around here and he does sarcasm reaaaaalllllyyyy well. Think it must have rubbed off on me.”
Reid tried not to smile. He fought so hard to stop himself from reaching out and grabbing fistfuls of Luke’s jacket and kissing him like crazy. This is some sort of bitter sweet agony. He enjoyed the verbal sparring so much he didn’t want it to stop. He knew the second it did he’d lose his fight.
“Is that right?” Luke was now only a metre away and Reid felt himself catch his breath. This was not the way it usually went. Why wasn’t he in charge here?
“Yep, and you know it.” Luke raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to one side. They suddenly lost their rhythm and something stopped.
The silence was deafening. Reid could feel his heart beat in his ears. Something changed and Luke pushed his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor.
“I’m not with Noah.” Luke’s words came quick. His confident exterior melted slightly as he peered nervously under his eyelids at Reid.
The broken silence now seemed significant. They’d just entered a whole new territory.
“Good for you.”
“Dr Oli...Reid- don’t be an ass.”
“Oh charming. Thanks for the reminder Mr Snyder but the invitation to leave is still there when you get the hint.”
Reid felt irritated. Noah again, always Noah and to be honest, he was sick of the name, sick of the conversation and sick of the fact that he found it difficult to comprehend why sometimes he even felt himself being compared to him. This guy was Luke’s first love, granted, but acting like a petulant child, pushing and pulling and never having the guts to just grow the hell up and face things ... these things got to Reid. Sure, Noah was a good kid but for Luke, not so much. He felt anger even acknowledging the fact that he was internally discussing this.
“You don’t want me to leave.”
“Oh and he’s a mind reader too! Ladies and Gentlemen, roll up roll up, the amazing Luke Snyder is going to attempt to-“
Reid’s words were drowned out by Luke’s gentle yet forceful lips. He couldn’t move and his brain turned to mush. With his heart pounding and skin on fire, he felt Luke’s fingers tracing up his neck finding handfuls of his hair to softly hold. He shivered with desire and felt his heavy eyes close as he kissed back.
Nothing in the world felt better. Maybe brain surgery ... that was different though, just as good but different. This was something else. God damned heaven.
Reid felt fireworks in his fingertips as his hands met Luke’s chest and in a frenzied moment, neither knew where to touch or where to kiss, first.
Luke’s hands still clutching at Reid’s hair, Reid’s finger looping into Luke’s belt pulling his hips closer, Reid’s other hand running slowly and purposefully up Luke’s chest making him shudder. Reid felt his breathing catch as Luke pressed his entire body, in response, against his own and forced them against the door.
Reid, turning them both around, pressed Luke firmly against the door, mid kiss and held his head in his hands. As their kisses became slower and deeper, Reid felt dizzy but in control. He could feel Luke melting under his touch and as Reid slowly dragged his lips down to Luke’s jaw, then to his neck causing Luke to make noises he could barely stand, then to his collar bone...
“Reid...” Luke’s breathless word was overlooked. Reid couldn’t stop. He never wanted to.
He silenced with his lips and let his fingers find Luke’s shirt buttons. He was interrupted as he squirmed beneath Luke’s cool hands sliding upwards under his blue cotton uniform. This was nothing he’d ever experienced before. He wanted Luke, hated him, envied him, craved him, pitied him, needed him, loved.... god he loved this.
Between swollen lips, Reid let his tongue find Luke’s and his mind was officially blown. Luke was edible. Luke’s arms had wound their way around Reid’s neck and had tightened, pressing his warm body along every contour of Reid’s. This wasn’t just lust anymore... after weeks of tension and confusion, hurt and aching.... this was complete and utter blissful abandon. This was scary.
Reid’s eyes opened and his body, now taut and rigid, shocked Luke into awareness.
“Don’t you dare.” Luke, dazed and swooning, leaned in once more and tickled his lips along Reid’s jaw and as their mouths met again, Reid’s fear was gone.
He wanted Luke like he’d never imagined wanting anyone. In slipping Luke’s belt out of its buckle and unbuttoning his jeans, Reid knew they were crossing boundaries. Hell they were steam rollering them.
They were on fire. Luke fought to pull against Reid’s grey t-shirt underneath his overtop and pulled the material slowly over Reid’s head, only breaking the kiss for seconds. Any eye contact was solid and unwavering, eyes wide and sparkling. Luke’s hands traced up Reid’s chest then laced into his hair as he held on tight. Luke, now shirtless, couldn’t breathe. Intensity took over and as Reid unbuttoned his jeans, his hands moving lower, Luke felt his body shake. He pressed all of himself against Reid and tightly grabbing the man’s shoulders leaving small marks of pressure along his flushed skin. Reid could feel every millimetre of touch.
“Luke?” Incapable of much else, he knew he had to speak as the pace was like lightening.
Luke’s sigh of desire as his head fell onto Reid’s shoulder was an answer in itself.
“If you stop right now I’m never speaking to you again.” Luke’s pleading, his face inches away, caused Reid to smile slowly.
His lips tickled Luke’s as he spoke.
“Stopping is not an option,” Luke had never heard anything quite as sexy as that one line in his life, “I just want to make sure you’re ok.”
Before Reid could stop himself, he had let those words come out. Luke stopped and fixed his brown eyes on Reid’s, unwavering and full of giddiness.
“I’m good. I’m really good. I’m amazing. Why are you talking right now?” Luke’s lips teased slowly and lovingly along Reid’s jawline, a habit Luke had and something Reid could get very used to.
Reid, unable to understand why in hell he was doing this, continued, “I just want to make sure that-“
Luke stopped and fixed his eyes once more, inching closer and closer with each word. “Right now, I want you. Last week, I wanted you. Next week, I’ll want you. Hell, even a year ago, I wanted you... I just didn’t know it yet. I am here aren’t I? I haven’t been to see him yet, I didn’t even want to until I’d seen you....Only you.”
Luke’s words poured out, like warm butter on toast. Reid grabbed Luke’s face in his hands and let his lips stop the words, those unnecessary words that Reid didn’t need to hear. He wanted to, he needed to, but later. Right now, there was an afternoon just waiting to be filled and Reid knew exactly how he was going to fill it. So much better, sweeter and satisfying than eating ice-cream alone.
................................
He had spent the entire day in scrubs and sneakers going from one consultation room to another and had spent a significant amount of hours in the operating room with a pretty difficult tumour case, all having left him feeling weary and aching from head to toe.
He tried to shut off his brain. The fact that Luke crept into it so often was not only annoying and distracting but it was the fact that it came with a warmth right in the pit of his stomach and a fluttery feeling right inside his chest .... This. Was. The. Problem.
Bob Hughes. Not so senile after all. He was right and it wasn’t easy to admit it. In fact it was downright annoying. Luke was always going to be the spoiled rich kid from the inbred cookie cutter town with a penchant for bribery and blackmail ... and god did Reid love that.
Now, on top of all of this, Luke was also the guy with the deepest brown eyes and the cheekiest smile, the sharpest tongue and the feistiest temper Reid had come across for a while. The damned kid even gave him a run for his money- he loved this too.
Stop it, Reid thought. For someone who knows the brain inside and out you have a hell of a problem with controlling it.
This was inconvenient at best. Reid knew Luke felt something for him, or else he wouldn’t be in this position. Noah’s surgery and the aftermath wasn’t easy but it wasn’t hard for Reid to build those barriers again- the hard part was keeping them up. One look from Luke or one touch and his resolve weakened. Not ideal.
Definitely not ideal when the last thing Reid remembered hearing Luke saying was that Noah was the love of his life and the only man in the world for him. Ouch. Reid made a mental note to put a pin in this god damned obsession, yes that’s all it was and it didn’t hurt at all.
Luke had gone away to his parent’s cottage in the forest, or wherever the hell these rich people went to pretend they were ‘one with nature’, to try and sort his head out, leaving Noah in advanced recovery and Reid to work. Great. Reid hadn’t spent every odd minute glancing over his shoulder expecting to see Luke idling towards him, hands in pockets and with a cute grin plastered on his face.... no, he hadn’t....
Reid had seen Luke talking to Bob this morning so knew he was back in town. He wondered if Luke was asking for him. He’d mentally slapped himself for that, he was probably looking for Noah, and gone back to focusing entirely on saving lives. More important, right? Way more important than a yo-yoing blonde with dimples and .... Oh Shut up, focus on ... god anything else.
Now, sitting at home with a defiant stab of a spoon into solid ice-cream, Reid reminded himself that he was a world class neurosurgeon, a pretty damned decent looking one too so who wouldn’t want a piece of this ... Jesus. Low. Point. Feel like fucking Carrie Bradshaw. He made a mental note to tell Katie to burn her stupid self indulgent bullshit boxsets. Not that he ever watched them while letting sandwich making last that little bit longer to catch the end .... never.
The sports channel flickered and went grey. Reid felt his blood pressure sky rocket. He jabbed the off button and flung the remote across the room. One more thing to add to the list of why the past few weeks had been hell. Number one being that god awful ache in his stomach. The one he’d been trying to drown out with surgery and sandwiches.
The door bell rang as Reid stuffed one more mouthful of chocolate chip icre-cream into his mouth. Climbing over the sofa, he was sure Katie hadn’t left her key at home.
As he opened the door, he swallowed the ice-cream quickly and felt that headache .... that really bad hea...
“Hi.”
Fuck.
Luke stood, hands in pockets and looking significantly refreshed with a new haircut to boot. Can he make this any harder? Reid’s brain froze, literally, and he felt those barriers padlock themselves.
“Mr Snyder, you decided to grace us all with your presence again. Lucky Oakdale.”
“It’s nice to see you too, Docctooorrr Ollliivvveerrr.” Luke laboured his name, making a point of letting Reid know he was being snarky. God this kid thinks he’s so cute.
“Yea, well, I can hardly say the feeling’s mutual but I guess seeing as you’ve no doubt come over here for a reason, you might as well come in.”
Reid opened the door fully and let Luke step inside. He felt his stomach lurch and his palms start to sweat. Luke in such close proximity did this to him. This was not going to be easy.
“So... how’s the new wing coming on?” As Reid turned around to see Luke leaning back against the dining table resting on his hands with his eyebrows raised. Small talk was going to painful. Reid attempted to force his eyes to stop looking at the tiny sliver of toned stomach showing as Luke’s t-shirt slid up and answered...
“Fine. You know, Bob gets on my back about my ‘bedside manner’ and the budget, Doogie Hughes rears his ugly head expecting a look in on the progress, Kim thinks I’m an ass and -“
“And she’d be right.” Luke smirked.
“Oh well thank you. Now you can leave.” Reid gestured towards the door.
“Wow, I’ve been gone a week and you’ve already lost your sense of humour. Nice work Doc.”
Reid’s stomach flipped again. He loved this. Loved it so much he could scream. This was something he craved. Someone to fight back, someone to put up a challenge and someone who was as god damned cute as Luke while doing it. Why can’t this happen like it nearly did before Noah’s surgery?
“Wow! You’re so clever,” Reid’s words dripped with sarcasm, “You pick that up on your little trip cos it sure as hell wasn’t there before?”
Luke stood up straight and stepped towards Reid.
“As a matter of fact I think I learned it from the master,” Luke kept stepping forward and Reid felt his skin burn and tingle, “there’s only one pompous ass around here and he does sarcasm reaaaaalllllyyyy well. Think it must have rubbed off on me.”
Reid tried not to smile. He fought so hard to stop himself from reaching out and grabbing fistfuls of Luke’s jacket and kissing him like crazy. This is some sort of bitter sweet agony. He enjoyed the verbal sparring so much he didn’t want it to stop. He knew the second it did he’d lose his fight.
“Is that right?” Luke was now only a metre away and Reid felt himself catch his breath. This was not the way it usually went. Why wasn’t he in charge here?
“Yep, and you know it.” Luke raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to one side. They suddenly lost their rhythm and something stopped.
The silence was deafening. Reid could feel his heart beat in his ears. Something changed and Luke pushed his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor.
“I’m not with Noah.” Luke’s words came quick. His confident exterior melted slightly as he peered nervously under his eyelids at Reid.
The broken silence now seemed significant. They’d just entered a whole new territory.
“Good for you.”
“Dr Oli...Reid- don’t be an ass.”
“Oh charming. Thanks for the reminder Mr Snyder but the invitation to leave is still there when you get the hint.”
Reid felt irritated. Noah again, always Noah and to be honest, he was sick of the name, sick of the conversation and sick of the fact that he found it difficult to comprehend why sometimes he even felt himself being compared to him. This guy was Luke’s first love, granted, but acting like a petulant child, pushing and pulling and never having the guts to just grow the hell up and face things ... these things got to Reid. Sure, Noah was a good kid but for Luke, not so much. He felt anger even acknowledging the fact that he was internally discussing this.
“You don’t want me to leave.”
“Oh and he’s a mind reader too! Ladies and Gentlemen, roll up roll up, the amazing Luke Snyder is going to attempt to-“
Reid’s words were drowned out by Luke’s gentle yet forceful lips. He couldn’t move and his brain turned to mush. With his heart pounding and skin on fire, he felt Luke’s fingers tracing up his neck finding handfuls of his hair to softly hold. He shivered with desire and felt his heavy eyes close as he kissed back.
Nothing in the world felt better. Maybe brain surgery ... that was different though, just as good but different. This was something else. God damned heaven.
Reid felt fireworks in his fingertips as his hands met Luke’s chest and in a frenzied moment, neither knew where to touch or where to kiss, first.
Luke’s hands still clutching at Reid’s hair, Reid’s finger looping into Luke’s belt pulling his hips closer, Reid’s other hand running slowly and purposefully up Luke’s chest making him shudder. Reid felt his breathing catch as Luke pressed his entire body, in response, against his own and forced them against the door.
Reid, turning them both around, pressed Luke firmly against the door, mid kiss and held his head in his hands. As their kisses became slower and deeper, Reid felt dizzy but in control. He could feel Luke melting under his touch and as Reid slowly dragged his lips down to Luke’s jaw, then to his neck causing Luke to make noises he could barely stand, then to his collar bone...
“Reid...” Luke’s breathless word was overlooked. Reid couldn’t stop. He never wanted to.
He silenced with his lips and let his fingers find Luke’s shirt buttons. He was interrupted as he squirmed beneath Luke’s cool hands sliding upwards under his blue cotton uniform. This was nothing he’d ever experienced before. He wanted Luke, hated him, envied him, craved him, pitied him, needed him, loved.... god he loved this.
Between swollen lips, Reid let his tongue find Luke’s and his mind was officially blown. Luke was edible. Luke’s arms had wound their way around Reid’s neck and had tightened, pressing his warm body along every contour of Reid’s. This wasn’t just lust anymore... after weeks of tension and confusion, hurt and aching.... this was complete and utter blissful abandon. This was scary.
Reid’s eyes opened and his body, now taut and rigid, shocked Luke into awareness.
“Don’t you dare.” Luke, dazed and swooning, leaned in once more and tickled his lips along Reid’s jaw and as their mouths met again, Reid’s fear was gone.
He wanted Luke like he’d never imagined wanting anyone. In slipping Luke’s belt out of its buckle and unbuttoning his jeans, Reid knew they were crossing boundaries. Hell they were steam rollering them.
They were on fire. Luke fought to pull against Reid’s grey t-shirt underneath his overtop and pulled the material slowly over Reid’s head, only breaking the kiss for seconds. Any eye contact was solid and unwavering, eyes wide and sparkling. Luke’s hands traced up Reid’s chest then laced into his hair as he held on tight. Luke, now shirtless, couldn’t breathe. Intensity took over and as Reid unbuttoned his jeans, his hands moving lower, Luke felt his body shake. He pressed all of himself against Reid and tightly grabbing the man’s shoulders leaving small marks of pressure along his flushed skin. Reid could feel every millimetre of touch.
“Luke?” Incapable of much else, he knew he had to speak as the pace was like lightening.
Luke’s sigh of desire as his head fell onto Reid’s shoulder was an answer in itself.
“If you stop right now I’m never speaking to you again.” Luke’s pleading, his face inches away, caused Reid to smile slowly.
His lips tickled Luke’s as he spoke.
“Stopping is not an option,” Luke had never heard anything quite as sexy as that one line in his life, “I just want to make sure you’re ok.”
Before Reid could stop himself, he had let those words come out. Luke stopped and fixed his brown eyes on Reid’s, unwavering and full of giddiness.
“I’m good. I’m really good. I’m amazing. Why are you talking right now?” Luke’s lips teased slowly and lovingly along Reid’s jawline, a habit Luke had and something Reid could get very used to.
Reid, unable to understand why in hell he was doing this, continued, “I just want to make sure that-“
Luke stopped and fixed his eyes once more, inching closer and closer with each word. “Right now, I want you. Last week, I wanted you. Next week, I’ll want you. Hell, even a year ago, I wanted you... I just didn’t know it yet. I am here aren’t I? I haven’t been to see him yet, I didn’t even want to until I’d seen you....Only you.”
Luke’s words poured out, like warm butter on toast. Reid grabbed Luke’s face in his hands and let his lips stop the words, those unnecessary words that Reid didn’t need to hear. He wanted to, he needed to, but later. Right now, there was an afternoon just waiting to be filled and Reid knew exactly how he was going to fill it. So much better, sweeter and satisfying than eating ice-cream alone.
................................