The aftermath of Chris Hughes' dreadful saga

[kittyblackcat]

Title: The aftermath of Chris Hughes dreadful saga (Oneshot)
Author: KittyBlackCat
Disclaimer: Did you see all the hetero couples of ATWT having a sex drought while they watch, envious, Reid and Luke christening ever place in Oakdale? No? Then I don't own anything.
Rating: PG-13(for language mostly)
Summary:  Post today (August27) preview for next week. Katie is furious with Reid for lying to her. Reid doesn't take it well. Can Luke make things better?
Words: 6683

AN: When I watch the preview with Katie screaming at Reid, this came out. It was meant to be short but for those who have read my AN for my other stories...you know I can't seem to be able to write a 2000 words and less story where Lure is concerned! Anyway, For those waiting for And nothing else and Le choix du coeur, don't despair please! Writer's block really sucks and I'm trying, I've started the next chapter for Le choix so hopefully I'll be able to update soon. In the meantime, my writer's block flew away long enough for me to write this, so enjoy!
PS: Sorry for the title. I know it's not good but I just couldn't think of a title for this and I'm frustrated with the whole Chris storyline


The aftermath of  Chris Hughes’ dreadful saga

When Reid Oliver got home that day, he was happy. He had just had a wonderful dinner date with his boyfriend who seemed to be ready to move to the next step. Of course, Reid was willing to wait longer (sort of…well not really, but he would if he had to…damn what had that kid done to him?) but it seemed like he wouldn’t have to. Of course, that didn’t mean he’d be able to get Luke in bed anytime soon either. Luke wasn’t the only thing putting a damper on things. Reid had made it clear that he didn’t want to rush things. When he made love to Luke for the first time, he wanted all his attention to be on the younger man, and not on his job or anything else. As it was, he had to get up really early the next morning and meet Dixon before and probably after his rounds…so yeah wrong time. Plus, Katie would probably be home so that would be wrong place too. But still Reid Oliver was happy. At least until he sent foot in his home. There, on the couch, folded in two, was his roommate and best friend, sobbing in her hands. ‘Damn you Doogie Hughes!’ Reid thought angrily ‘What the hell have you done now you moron!’ Forget the virus killing Chris Hughes: Reid was going to beat it to him! ‘ I knew I should have strangled that idiot the moment he set his eyes on Katie!’

“ Ok what has Doogie done now?” Reid asked, sitting on the couch beside his friend. He put his hand on her back to try to rub it but she didn’t leave him a chance. “Don’t touch me!” Katie screamed at him between her sobs. Reid furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. It wasn’t the first time he had seen Katie cry but until now she had never ever rejected his touch when he tried to comfort her. Quite the opposite actually! Katie was the reason Reid now knew what to do with a crying woman. She had ‘trained’ him to be a good comforting best friend. Mostly against his will mind you: why should he have to rub backs and hug? There were reasons he was gay! One of them was so that he wouldn’t have to deal with woman and those sorts of needs! And besides, what was Hank’s usefulness if Reid was the comforting one?

“Katie, come on talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Katie asked her voice breaking. She turned her head to her friend, no not her friend, her roommate and glared at him “You want me to tell you what’s wrong? I think that should have been the other way around don’t you?” She asked in a harsh, sarcastic tone. Reid gulped. He knew what this was about now. And he didn’t like it one bit. He had never seen Katie so angry…especially not at him. Damn Chris Hughes and his lies!

“So you know about Doogie?” Reid asked tentatively. He didn’t want to fuel his friend’s anger. A furious Katie was not something Reid knew how to handle. It made him really uncomfortable.

“Yes!” Katie screamed “I know about Chris! I know…I can’t even look at you!” Katie got up from the couch and started walking to her room. However, Reid had another idea. He wasn’t going to let things like this. He put himself in front of her and tried to calm her down. It was useless though. She kept pushing his hands away and she refused to let him try to explain.

“Katie please let me explain!”

“There is nothing to explain! You knew…you knew that Chris could die from this disease and didn’t tell me. How could you know that and not warned me! Why did you do that to me! Damn you! Damn you!” Katie screamed at her roommate while punching him as hard as she could on his chest. Reid’s heart constricted. He didn’t do emotions…he didn’t do guilt…at least before Oakdale he didn’t. But now…this woman…she meant something to him. She meant a lot and to see her like this. If hitting him what was she needed than so be it. Reid would do anything to make Katie a little better. His heart was aching at the sight of his devastated roommate.

“What Dr.Oliver? No defense? No word of wisdom?” Katie snarled “The perfect Dr.Oliver has nothing to say? You know, they told me…everyone told me what an ass you were and that I shouldn’t live with you but I didn’t listen! I trusted you! I believed in you! And that’s how you thank me?” She screamed.

“No.” Reid replied simply “I told him to tell you Katie, I did. I tried to convince him to…”

“Well you obviously didn’t try hard enough!”

“Katie…”

“You know what Dr. Oliver I don’t want to hear it! Actually I don’t want to see it either! I want you out of my house and out of my life!”

Reid looked at his friend in shock. He knew she was angry but he had never expected her to throw him out. He cared about her so much and she looked at him with such hard eyes.

“You can’t mean…”

“Yes I mean it! Get out!” Katie said coldly. “GET OUT” She screamed pushing him towards the door. Reid looked at Katie with sad eyes, pleading with her but she stayed firm. Reid looked down at his feet. This was his fault. He should have told Hughes to go to hell and tell Katie immediately. He had tried to imply things but….obviously it wasn’t enough. If Katie wanted him to go away, the least he could do is give her that. Casting one last look at the place he had come to call his home, Reid Oliver opened the front door and walked out.

*****************************************

Luke Snyder was happy. He had had a wonderful day with his boyfriend. Okay, not the entire day had been great…the whole issue with Chris Hughes was really taxing but he trusted Reid to take care of it. So yeah, Luke was happy and it was with a huge smile that he answered the door after it rang. His smile got bigger when he saw it was Reid only to fall as soon as he registered Reid’s expression. He looked…my lord Reid looked dead. His eyes were dull and his shoulders were hunched.

“Reid?” Luke asked, getting worried. He had never ever seen the older man in such a bad state. “What’s wrong?” No response. Reid looked like he was somewhere else entirely, and it didn’t seem to be a nice place at all. “Reid?” Luke whispered. “Reid?” Luke tried again touching his boyfriend’s cheek. This time, it seemed to wake him up. “Hey” Reid answered softly.

“Hey” Luke answered back “What…”

“Can I stay here the night? Please” Reid choked out. Luke frowned. Something was very wrong. He had expected Reid to want to spend the night one day but not for whatever reason he had today. Reid…Reid just didn’t look like himself. Luke grabbed his boyfriend’s hand and brought him to the couch, sitting him down. “Is that a yes?” Reid asked

“Of course it’s a yes!” Luke said strongly. “Reid, what happened? Oh my god…” Luke said suddenly having a dreadful thought enter his head “is it Chris? He’s not..I mean he can’t be…Reid” Luke grabbed the older man’s head between “Did something bad happened to Chris? Is that why you looked like someone’s dead?”

Reid snorted bitterly “Something’s dead but it’s not Chris. It’s because of Chris”

“What do you mean? What’s dead?”

“My Katie” Reid answered softly

“Your…? Reid please explain I don’t get it” Reid swallowed with difficulty and laid back on the couch.

“My friendship with Katie…He told her”

“Who Chris?” Reid nodded “Well that’s a good thing isn’t it” Reid laughed darkly.

“Not when dear Doogie decided to tell her about how I knew all along and didn’t tell her”

“But you tried!” Luke exclaimed “You gave her as many clues as you could. You told Chris to tell her every time you saw him! You implied things in front of them both, leaving the door open for Chris to start talking to her! It’s not your fault he was so damn stubborn Reid.”

“Yes it is” Reid whispered. “Katie is…Katie is my friend Luke. My best friend. Hell Luke if I’m totally honest about my feelings she’s my freaking sister! And I betrayed her! I lied to her!” Reid screamed. In his eyes, Luke could see a mixture of guilt, helplessness, devastation and disgust. “I betrayed her…and I lost her”

“Reid no. You didn’t lose Katie. I’m sure she’s not angry at you” Reid laughed.

“She kicked me out Luke”

“WHAT?” Luke screamed in shock with a tinge of anger mixed in it.

“She kicked me out” Reid repeated again, this time softer. Luke could barely hear him and his voice was laced with such a profound sadness that it broke Luke’s heart on the spot. “I…I…” Reid was choking on his words, tears filling his eyes. “I lost her. It’s over. I lost her for good. The first one I…and I lost her”

A tear slid down Reid’s cheeks as he closed his eyes and tried to get control over his emotions again. He failed miserably. He couldn’t do it. Reid Oliver had always been socially awkward and isolated from his peers. Being put on show by his parents as a chess genius and doing well in school hadn’t help him socialize or relate to his peers. But he had been fine with that. He did what he had to do and that was it. He didn’t care about people. But then this rich brat had had the audacity of blackmailing him and had brought him to this hellish town where he soon met an insufferable woman and her kid. And he fell in love with her…well not in love in love, it was just a figure of speech. It had always been clear to him that he could only fall truly in love with a man but…he fell for Katie in a friendship/family kind of way and he had fallen hard. He didn’t know how and he didn’t know when exactly it had happened, but Katie Snyder and her son had found a way through all of his defences and a way to his heart as surely as the young man beside him had. And loosing them…Loosing that funny, meddling, caring woman and that wonderful baby who looked at Reid like he was the most awesome thing beside his mom…it hurt. Reid Oliver had never known what having your heart broken felt like. He had never let anyone get close to him enough for it to happen. And now that he knew what it felt like…he didn’t like it one bit.

Luke looked at his boyfriend’s face with a heavy heart. Reid wasn’t really an emotional being. Not on the outside anyway. Luke knew that Reid thought his idea of sentimentality was leaving the last doughnut, although Luke was fairly certain that wasn’t exactly true. I mean, the man had given up his job for Luke! Obviously, Reid underestimated himself there. Either way, that wasn’t the point. The point was that Reid seldom showed his vulnerability or his emotions and when he did, it was normally concerning Luke. But even then…even then Luke had never seen Reid like this. He had never seen him so hurt. Luke took a hold of his boyfriend’s hand and kissed it. He wanted Reid to know that he was there and that he wasn’t planning on leaving him. Reid slowly opened his eyes and another tear fell down.

“You really love her huh?” Luke said softly. Reid looked Luke in the eyes.

“More than I’ve loved anyone but you” The doctor answered. “I don’t know how or why, but Katie…she came to mean a lot to me. I grew attached to her and her kid. She’s the first one…She’s the first one I remember opening my heart to in so, so long. She’s…She’s special to me. And I was so angry at Chris for lying to her, risking hurting her, but he wouldn’t listen and now…now I lost her” Reid looked away and plastered a fake smile on his face “Well, is there any way we can get a sandwich in here?” Typical deflection

“Reid, don’t” Luke said firmly. “Not with me” Luke said softer putting his hand on Reid’s face. “You don’t need to do this with me” Reid dropped the smile and looked at Luke gratefully. He put his hand behind his partner’s head and brought him closer so he could kiss him. The kiss was soft. A simple touching of lips against lips. Luke looked at Reid, their forehead touching and kissed him again. This time the kiss was rougher. Tongues battled tongues, hands grabbed everything they could until they finally settled in one place and squeezed the two bodies so tight they could make one. Luke was now sitting in Reid’s lap and when the kiss ended, he stayed there, hugging his boyfriend as hard as he could, trying to convey his love for him and the fact that he was there if need be. They stayed like this for an unknown number of minutes, Reid seeking comfort from the younger man as much as possible. Luke kept him grounded. Reid had felt he was falling apart ever since he had left his..no Katie’s home. But with Luke close to him, the pain was a little more bearable.

“Don’t leave me” Reid whispered in Luke’s neck. The younger man strengthened his hold. “Never” he whispered back, lending a kiss on the older man’s neck.

Reid pushed Luke slightly, to look at him in the eyes. “Luke I…I…” Reid tried but failed to say. He had never said it before and he didn’t know how. His boyfriend however seemed to understand nonetheless.

“Don’t say it” Luke said “I know you’re not able to say it now. I don’t want you to force yourself. When you want to say it, I don’t want it to be for reassurance or because you think you have to. I…I can’t say it either Reid. Not yet. But don’t think that it’s not there ok. Even if I can’t say it yet, I feel it. And…I know you feel it too” Luke added with a small uncertainty in his voice and looking away. Reid took his boyfriends chin in his hand and forced him to look at him as he said “I do”. Luke gave Reid a small smile before kissing him tenderly.

“Come on” Luke said getting up. “We’ve had a long day. Let’s get some sleep ok?” Luke grabbed Reid’s hand and brought him to his room. Once there, he undressed down to his boxers, looking away from Reid and blushing as red as a tomato, before slipping in his bed and gesturing for Reid to get in. He tried not to check Reid out since it really wasn’t the time, but he couldn’t help himself and at Reid’s chuckles, it seemed he hadn’t been the only one checking the other one out as they undressed. Reid crawled in to bed beside Luke and the younger man cuddled against his side. Reid had never been one to cuddle, but this wasn’t so bad. No. It wasn’t bad at all. Actually, right here, right now, it was what Reid needed the most. Luke hold on to his boyfriend, his hand going up and down his back to offer a small comfort, but unlike Reid, he didn’t fall asleep. He was tired, but most of all, now that Reid had fallen in a deep sleep, and didn’t immediately need him, he was mostly angry. Carefully, the young man untangled himself from his lover and got dressed. As much as he enjoyed sharing his bed with Reid, he had a more important thing to do. He had a certain Snyder to go talk to.

********************************************

Katie Snyder felt miserable. Her boyfriend was sick and might not get better and her supposed friend had known and lied to her. She was sad, and worried and furious!!! Angry at everything, she punched her pillow in frustration and started sobbing again. After loosing Brad…damn it couldn’t she get a break? She was so upset that she almost didn’t hear the door of her apartment being open and closed with force. He was back.

“Damn it Reid I told you to GET OUT” Katie screamed from her bedroom, not even turning around. She really didn’t feel like seeing Reid right now. Or ever actually.

“Well then, it’s a good thing my name is not Reid” Luke’s voice resonated across Katie’s room. His tone was hard and glacial.

“Luke?” Katie said turning around to face her bedroom’s door. The younger man was leaning against the opposite wall with his arms crossed on his chest and his jaw set firmly. His eyes were like she had never seen them before. Luke Snyder looked pissed. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh I don’t know Katie, what do you think I’m doing here?”

“If Reid sent you, you can tell him…”She started angrily, but Luke interrupted her.

“Reid is sleeping. At my house and in my bed and as far as he knows I’m cuddled right beside him at the moment. Do you have any idea why?” Katie stayed silent. It made Luke only angrier. “You mind telling me Katie what in the world is your problem? I like you Katie. I like you a lot but seriously right now, I’m wondering what the hell is wrong with you”

“Wrong with me? Nothing is wrong with me!” She replied angry. She got off her bed and glared at Luke. “ This is my house. That means I can do what I want and that includes having roommates or not having roommates and I decided on the not.”

“Why Katie?” Luke asked making his tone softer. Both of them getting angry would serve no purpose at all. They would only make each other even more angry and Katie wouldn’t listen to anything he had to say. “Why would you hurt Reid like that? Because he didn’t tell you about Chris? Is that it?”

“Yes! That’s exactly it!” She said strongly

“Really?” Luke asked sarcastically “And where is the ‘I don’t want to ever see Chris Hughes again’ banner?”

“What?” Katie asked confused.

“You have told Chris to get the hell out of your life right? I mean, he lied to you! Just like Reid. So obviously he received the same speech you gave Reid right? ‘cause you know he was your boyfriend so I figure him lying made his speech even worst than Reid’s. Right?” Luke’s voice was cold and more than a little sarcastic. Damn. He had wanted to talk calmly about this but seeing Katie like that…not caring how badly she hurt Reid…it just pissed him off!!! And even worst was that Katie had just looked away.

“Oh I see. Reid lies to you because Chris told him not to tell you, all the while telling Chris to tell you every time he sees him and leaving you as many clues as he can without betraying his colleague who’s really more his patient at the moment and he’s out the door. But Chris? Chris your boyfriend who pressured Reid into not telling you, who’s been lying constantly to you, who refused any test done on him even though he knew perfectly well that this disease has the potential to kill him and leave you as a widow again…he’s all forgiven!”

“ It…It’s different!”

“HOW?”

“He’s my boyfriend Luke. And he’s sick. He needs me right now”

“Yeah! And he needed you a week ago but did everything he could so you wouldn’t find out he needed your help and support! What does that tell you?” Katie didn’t answer. She simply looked at her feet. Luke pinched his nose, and tried to calm himself down. “Look Katie, I know you love Chris and I get that. And from what I’ve seen he loves you too. But love isn’t everything Katie. I know that. I’ve learned that. Because when Noah was blind and I wanted nothing else but to be there and help him, he didn’t want me to. He constantly pushed me away. And that wasn’t right Katie. And Chris didn’t treat you right.”

“So what you want me to break up with him? He’s the first one I’ve been able to imagined being with since Brad. I’m not leaving him!”She screamed

“I’m not telling you to!” Luke screamed back. “Frankly what happens between you and Chris is none of my business. I personally think he has some grovelling to do, but feel free to forgive him at your own pace. What is my business however is my boyfriend coming to my house looking half-dead! You aren’t being fair Katie! My boyfriend did nothing but be there for you and help you!”

“Help me? HELP ME!?! He lied to me! He…”

“YES HELP YOU!” Luke screamed “He took care of Chris for you. He was upset for days for you. He was worried sick about Chris because of you. I’m not saying he wouldn’t have cared at all about Chris sickness if you weren’t dating him, he would, but he wouldn’t have been so personally involved. And that’s why he didn’t tell you. Because he didn’t want to hurt you and Chris kept telling him that he would be fine and that telling you would only worry you. And yes deep down, Reid knew that was a load of bull, but Katie” Luke said, his voice getting very emotional. “Reid loves you. He may have hurt you by lying to you, but everything he did, he did because he loves you. If you forgave Chris for his lies because he loves you, than why can’t you forgive Reid? He tried Katie. And so did I. I talked to Chris just this morning to try to convince him to tell you but…”

“Wait Chris had told you too?” Katie said, hurt slipping in her voice.

Luke bit his lip. He didn’t want to lie but…he didn’t want to but oil on fire either. He sighed. “No, Reid told me” Katie’s face turned to red again and Luke knew she was about to explode again. He had to stop it. “Because he had to Katie or I would have left him! I would have dumped him!” The explosion was contained. Instead, Katie got surprised and confused.

“What?” she asked

“Yeah, your boyfriend had the brilliant” Luke said that last word sarcastically,”idea of renting a room at the Lakeview so Reid can give him his injections there as opposed to at the hospital. As a result, when I get to the hospital to wait on Reid being finish with his patient, I’m told he didn’t have a patient and had already left. Then, like that lie didn’t already sit badly enough with me, I get my ex-boyfriend of all people telling me that my current boyfriend had his arm around some guy, looking quite intimate, and was going up the elevator to a room.”

“Oh my God” Katie whispered, her hand going up to her mouth. Luke must have thought that Reid…but Reid wouldn’t do that.

“Yeah. Noah told me Reid was cheating on me and then when I ask Reid about the patient he was supposedly seeing…”

“He lied or hid things anyway and you believed Noah.”

“Yeah…for a while. I admit I overreacted.” Luke said sheepishly. “But then at the cocktail, when I asked Reid why he had come to Chris’ rescue he lied again and I told him that if life with him was going to revolve around lies then I wanted nothing to do with it. So he told me about Chris. It wasn’t….He…He wanted to tell you Katie. So often! And he was really upset about it. He loves you! He’d never lie to you but this situation was a big huge mess and Katie, if you look at it rationally, you’d know that it wasn’t Reid’s mess.”

Katie started crying again “Yeah I know…It’s just…It’s so hard!” Luke sighed away his anger. It wasn’t easy for her either. “Come here” he said, hugging her.

“Thank you. I needed that”

“Yeah, well it seems tonight I’m a teddy bear” Katie looked up at him with a confused expression “I keep getting hugged”

“Wait” Katie said thinking about that statement “You mean that Reid, The Dr Reid Oliver, hugged you?” she said incredulously. Luke nodded. “No way! I didn’t think he was there with you yet. It took me forever to train him to hug me! I wished I had been there with a camera! That must have been so cute!”

“Not with him crying it wasn’t” Luke said in a harsher and colder tone than what he would have liked.

“What?” Katie whispered. “Reid was…no he couldn’t… I mean… why would he…?”

“ You mean beside the fact that his sister had just told him she wanted nothing to do with him anymore?” Katie looked at him in shock “Katie, when I said Reid loved you, I wasn’t kidding!”

“yeah but his sister? He…He really sees me as family?” She asked tears going up her eyes. Dear lord what had she done? After all those months, after all this time trying to break into Reid’s shell and bringing him in the world of them mere mortals….after all the nights Reid spend on the couch beside her suffering through yet another comedic comedy and then suffering through her crying all over him because the characters had a happy ending and her Brad was still dead…

“Yeah…He even told me that, excluding me, you’re the person he loves the most in the world. And I’m pretty sure you’re little Jacob is right up there with you. He’s crazy about you guys! He really let you in Katie and now he thinks he’s lost you and he’s devastated. He tried to retain his tears from falling as you can imagine, but I saw a couple escape. It…It broke my heart. To be quite honest with you, when I marched back here I was so furious that if you’d been a man I could have punched you.” Katie was shocked at this “Which would have been wrong of me because Reid loves you and because it really isn’t your fault. Yes you reacted badly and you hurt Reid a lot but it’s Chris who made this whole mess and while I forgive you…I’ll be honest Katie I’m pissed at your boyfriend and it’ll take a freaking lot to make him forgive him at this rate. He hurt you and gosh…Katie you should have seen what those lies were doing to Reid! He was so upset.”

“Yeah, I can imagine. If there’s one thing Reid doesn’t do it’s lies…and play games. I think…I think that’s why it hurt me more that Reid lied than Chris. Because I’ve never ever expected it from him. He’s my go to guy. The one I knew I could depend on to be there for me if things went to hell with Chris”

“He’s still that. You just need to tell him that” Katie nodded. She wiped the tears from her cheek, took her purse and followed Luke out of her house. She had some grovelling to do.

********************************************

When Katie arrived at Luke’s residence, she didn’t wait a second before asking him where she could find Reid. She was determined to apologize to him as soon as possible. She too loved Reid very much. She had never wondered what word would describe best their relationship. She didn’t think they needed to put a label on their friendship and love. But now that she thought about it, she saw that Reid was right: brother really was the most fitting label for Reid. And it was time she told him as such. But when she got to Luke’s bedroom and saw Reid sleep so peacefully, she had second thoughts about waking him up immediately. He probably hadn’t eaten anything since he left their home and what people didn’t know was that a Reid who doesn’t eat at least every two hours is a very tired, and drowsy Reid. He was probably exhausted right now. Lord knows she was and unlike Reid, she actually had experience with how to deal with her emotions being all over the place. He didn’t. So she sat on the bed and looked at him. She caressed his hair with her hand and felt him stirred.

“Luke?” He asked half-asleep.

“Nope sorry” Katie whispered. “I can get him if you want. He’s downstairs. He wanted to give us some privacy plus I think he’s fixing you something to eat”

“Food?” Reid said immediately sitting up in the bed. He was suddenly very awake. Katie laughed.

“Yeah food, Reid”

“Katie” Reid said softly “What are you doing here?”

Katie tried to answer but she couldn’t. Her throat closed down on her and tears came to her eyes. She had been unfair to Reid and she felt so bad about it.

“Hey, hey. Don’t cry. Come here” Reid said, taking her in his arms. Her sobs just intensified.

“Katie come on! Stop crying. You know I can’t stand to see you cry…Come on Katie” She just cried more “ Katie if you don’t stop crying I’ll have to go kill Doogie for hurting you.” Katie laughed.

“You really are my big brother” Reid looked at her surprised but then…

“Luke went to talk to you didn’t he?”

“Well I would call it more giving me a reality check”

“What did he tell you?”

“Nothing I didn’t know deep down. Well except for the fact that you were already at the hugging stage with him” She teased. Reid groaned. She was never going to let him hear the end of it. He had been very clear that he had never hugged a partner before they had been officially together for over 6 months and having sex for at least half of that time. Now she was going to talk about how sweet it was that he didn’t wait with Luke and how cute his love for Luke was and other things like that. She would keep awing at him and he could forget hooking up with Luke at his place: she’d probably put video cameras everywhere just to catch him acting ‘sweet’. However, as much as he wanted to be upset about that, he couldn’t. Not when he had Katie hugging him and teasing him again. He had really thought he had lost her for good.

“I thought I had lost you” Reid said softly.

“Yeah” Katie sobbed. “I’m so sorry Reid. I acted like…like a bitch.”

“Don’t say that”

“But I did. I was unfair to you. You know I didn’t even get angry at Chris?” Reid looked away at that. That hurt. He was the one who had been there for Katie all these times, not stupid Doogie Hughes!

“But that’s only because I’m so afraid he’ll die Reid. If he wasn’t sick…” She didn’t complete but she didn’t need to. Her tone getting cold told Reid everything.

“Yeah I know how that feels. If he wasn’t sick I would have strangled him for lying to you and being so darn stubborn!”

“It’s one of his faults. And one of mine is to be over-emotional and react too quickly on those emotions. I…I wasn’t serious about not wanting to see you again. I know it looked like that and at the moment, I really thought what I was saying, but…Reid, I love you ok. Not in a romantic way, thank god, but I do love you. You’re family and I shouldn’t have treated you so badly. I was mad, furious even, at you but you know I never wanted to hurt you right?” Reid nodded “I mean after all the time I spent training you to feel and show emotions I wouldn’t set out to hurt those feelings and have you close yourself off again!”

Reid laughed. “Yeah well, you weren’t the only one working on that you know”

“Actually I don’t. But rest assure that once I have grovelled and bribed you with enough food into forgiving me I’ll be asking some questions about you and that boyfriend of yours mister. We haven’t talked about our lives in forever! I think it’s about time we catch up don’t you think?“

“God no! Talking about feelings and love and emotions…and ewwwww feelings about Doogie Hughes of all people! I don’t wanna know that! I won’t be able to eat all day. Hell it’s a miracle I got any food in me today after that awful image of you and him in bed together. Yuck! Just mentioning it makes me want to take a shower.”

“Oooohh can I go in the shower too?” Luke’s voice was heard from his bedroom door. He stood there with a plate. “I brought you some sandwiches” He said smiling as he put the plate down on the bed. Reid looked at the plate with a questioning expression while Katie shook her head and said “Oh no Luke!” in a sad and kinda exasperated voice. “What? There’s edible”

Reid picked one and looked at it closer before looking up at his boyfriend. “You call that a sandwich? What is this? Even Jacob eats more than that” Katie sensing Reid had no clue he was being insensitive and hurting his boyfriend’s feelings, decided to intervene. After all, she owed Reid for the whole ‘Get Out’ fiasco and that was one step to forgiveness. Although deep down, she knew the only person who hadn’t forgiven her was herself. “Reid!” Katie scolded in her best mom voice. “Your boyfriend just prepared a meal for you, without you having to ask him to, to the best of his abilities and with all his heart. That is not what you say. Now what do you say Reid?”

“But Katie look at this thing!”

“Reeeiiiiidd” She gave him the mom glare. “But…” he started but was interrupted by her hand going up, “But..” again Katie stopped his protest and glared some more. He glared back but eventually gave up and sighed.

“Good! Now what do you say?”

Reid rolled his eyes “Thank you for making me this delicious meal” he said with difficulty.

“And?” Katie insisted “And I’m sorry for insulting the size of your sandwiches. They look delicious.” Reid added “And?” Reid looked at her. She didn’t really want him to say that, did she? Katie raised an eyebrow. Oh yeah, she wanted him to say that. Damn it! Why can’t he resist her? “And you are a wonderful boyfriend and I should be forever grateful that you care for me and about me and I don’t deserve someone as extraordinaire as you but I will try every day to cherish you as you deserve” Reid’s voice was rather monotone and it was obvious by his pauses and his eyes going to the right, that he was repeating words he had learned by heart before. Luke looked at the scene with an incredulous smile on his face. Sure he’s been a little hurt about Reid’s comment to his sandwich but he hadn’t expected an apology. He knew Reid hadn’t meant to be insensitive. But apparently, Katie had other ideas. And her ideas were funny to watch!

“Wow Katie, you weren’t kidding when you said you had trained him!” Katie smiled at him proudly.

“You told him?” Reid exclaimed. Oh this was bad.

“Well yeah. He needs to know so he doesn’t train you on what I’ve been training you.”

“Oh what can I train him on then?” Luke asked

“Well I still haven’t gotten to…”

“Hell no! This stops now!” Reid interrupter. Katie and Luke simply looked at him. “There will be no training tips or any kind of tips for that matter between you two. Actually, there will be no training where Luke is concerned at all, except for you” Reid pointed at Katie “training him on how to make me acceptable sandwiches like I trained you to do!”

“You trained her to make you sandwiches?”

“Oh yeah and trust me when I say I’ll have to train you too.” Luke looked at her in confusion. “He’s a doctor Luke. Sometimes, he’s so busy he has less than 10 minutes to eat lunch. And when he hadn’t foreseen that and he calls you saying he’ll be home in 5 and need to be back at the hospital 5 minutes after that, you need to learn how to make Dr.Oliver-approved sandwiches fast otherwise he won’t eat. And you don’t want to be treated by him if he didn’t eat. He’ll fall asleep in the middle of your surgery”

“Really?”

“What?” Reid said “I’m a big boy! I need food!”

“Is he?” Katie asked, looking at Luke. Luke didn’t understand though

“Is he what?”

“A big boy!”

“Katie!” Reid screamed at her in indignation but it only made her laugh. Luke however, didn’t screamed. He turned bright red and mumble quickly “I don’t know yet”

Katie looked at him in shocked. She was pretty sure Luke didn’t see any significance to that but she did because unlike Luke, she knew a lot of things about Reid’s past relationships. And most times, they weren’t true relationships. They usually revolved around sex. And even when Reid got more serious with a guy, if he had waited to get together with the guy as long as he had waited for Luke, he wouldn’t have waited two hours before pushing him on the nearest surface and having sex with him. It meant a lot that Reid was ready to wait and not pressure.

“Well, if you don’t know yet, I better leave you two alone” She said getting up. “Maybe taking that shower you mentioned before” she added innocently right before leaving. Reid rolled his eyes. That woman! She really will never stop meddling. Talking about meddling. “So Luke, you brought me to you bed, waited until I was asleep and then sneaked off to go talk to Katie without me knowing about it?”

Luke cringe “Are you angry?” Reid got up and walked until he stood right in front of his boyfriend. “What for? For trying to help me? For taking care of me? Of course not Luke” Reid said softly taking Luke by his hips and bringing him closer. He lifted his hand to Luke’s cheek and said “I actually feel quite lucky to have a boyfriend that cares about me enough to go to the bat for me.” Luke sighed in relief and smiled at Reid. The older man softly kisses his lips, taking his time to explore and taste his boyfriend. When they finally pulled away, Luke was grinning like a fool.

“Sooooooo, Shower?” Luke asked

Reid groaned in disappointment. “ I can’t. I work early tomorrow and need to be asleep like 4 hours ago. Raincheck?” Reid asked uncertainly. He knew dating a doctor could really put a strain on a relationship and he really hoped Luke wouldn’t be mad or too disappointed about this. But Luke was smiling and sighed playfully “Ah the troubles of dating a doctor” he teased. He kissed Reid’s lips tenderly. “ But I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Reid smiled at that, “Although I would really like it if maybe… you could take those much needed sleeping hours here…with me” Luke said biting his lips. Reid smiled and grabbed Luke, kissing him passionately. They continued kissing on the bed lazily for a couple of minutes before calling it a night and falling asleep in each other’s arms, both with a smile on their faces.

THE END

AN: One day I will be able to write a fic that will be short! This just never stops! I wanted to write like 2000 words max! I really did! This way I would have time to work on another fic, try to get inspired for my two ungoing ones. But no. Again, I wrote way more than I wanted and yet I needed too if I wanted to put everything I wanted to put. Anyway, I really, really hope you enjoyed this!!!