Fic: ATWT: I don't wanna leave but I can't stay much longer
Fandom: ATWT
Title: I don't wanna leave but I can't stay much longer
Author: raynedanser
Pairing: Luke/Reid
Rating: PG13
Word Count: ~ 925
Author's Notes:
#1 - Takes place after the episode airing today. Posting now since it's going to get Joss'ed tomorrow. ;-)
#2 - Part II of the Longer'verse. You can find Part I HERE before reading this.
#3 - Y'all are a bad influence! What I posted earlier was fully intended to be a one shot and instead, someone mentioned sequel (you know who you are *coff*) and out this popped.
*****
The day after his confrontation with Reid, Luke stood outside Noah's hospital room door. His hands were clammy, his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest and there was a massive knot in his stomach. Through the window, he could see Reid at Noah's bedside. This was it. Time to come clean with Noah. It was either going to go really well - or really, really badly.
He inhaled deeply, plastered a bright smile on his face, and then pushed the door open. “Hey!” he said cheerfully. He quickly glanced at Reid, smiled a little more genuinely, then looked back at Noah. “How's it going?”
Noah's smile matched Luke's, though Luke was sure that Noah's was more genuine. “Good. Dr. Oliver says things are looking really good and my vision is clearing up.”
Luke carefully sat down on the edge of Noah's bed. From the corner of his eye, he saw Reid back discreetly back up, giving him space. Them space.
“Luke? What's going on? You look like someone kicked your puppy,” Noah asked as he took Luke's hand in his. Luke cleared his throat and gently pulled his hand free. “Luke?”
“Noah - We have to talk.” Behind him, Reid stepped closer. Luke didn't know how he knew, he just did.
“Ok,” Noah answered in confusion. He looked back and forth between Luke and Reid. “Luke? Dr. Oliver? Guys, you're scaring me here. What's going on? Am I not healing as well as you'd thought?”
At that, Reid stepped close enough that Luke could feel his heat against his back. “No, nothing like that, Mr. Mayer,” Reid rushed to reassure him.
“Ok, then what?”
The time had come. Luke smoothed his palms over his jeans, a nervous gesture that he'd always hated. Behind him, Reid ever so lightly touched his back just out of Noah's sight. “Noah - You asked what was going on with Re - Dr. Oliver and I. I wasn't completely honest with you.”
Noah waved his hand at Luke impatiently, waiting for more. Luke studied his face, trying to gauge how this was going, but Noah's face was carefully blank, revealing nothing.
Luke glanced up at Reid before continuing. When Reid nodded once at him, Luke took a deep breath and continued. “When we were in Texas...”
“You guys started to get along. I know that,” Noah interrupted.
“Well, yeah, but it's more than that.”
“I kissed him,” Reid blurted out, his hand sliding up to the back of Luke's shoulder, still out of Noah's sight. Any higher and Noah would notice, though.
Noah spluttered and looked anxiously from one to the other. “You - you kissed him? You're my doctor! Luke? Is that true?”
Luke nodded. “Yes, Noah, it's true.”
“But that was the only time, right?” Noah asked, seeking reassurance.
Luke could see Noah's composure slipping away. How much more did he want to hammer at it? He could deny it and move on, but no. He'd told Reid he wanted to be honest, honest he would be. He slowly shook his head. “No. It wasn't the only time. It happened again.”
Luke waited in silence as Noah processed what Luke and Reid had told him. Reid's hand fell away, leaving a cold spot on Luke's back.
“I'll just - I'll go out in the hall.”
Luke looked at him sharply. “No. Stay.”
“So, what now?” Noah asked quietly.
Luke wished they could skip this part of the conversation. Wished he could spare Noah this. But if he did that, it wouldn't be fair to any of them. This was for the best. He knew that.
“Noah, things hadn't been right between us for a long time,” Luke said gently. He leaned forward a little and Reid's hand was back, following him. Now, Noah wouldn't be able to miss the simple gesture. “We both know that. I can't...I can't go back to that. I have to move on.”
“With Reid.”
“Yes. With Reid.”
Noah made a choking sound that pulled at Luke. “Go, just go,” he gasped.
“Noah - ”
“Luke. Go. Please.”
“Still think telling Noah was the right thing to do?” Reid asked out in the hallway.
“Shut up.”
Luke found one of the hard hospital chairs that he'd spent way too much time in lately and sat down. When Reid sat next to him, he didn't look up.
“Look at me Luke,” he said gently as he placed one hand on Luke's arm. Luke slowly turned his head. “I can't even pretend to know how hard that was for you, but - ”
Luke forced a small smile. “Just make sure I don't regret it.”
Title: I don't wanna leave but I can't stay much longer
Author: raynedanser
Pairing: Luke/Reid
Rating: PG13
Word Count: ~ 925
Author's Notes:
#1 - Takes place after the episode airing today. Posting now since it's going to get Joss'ed tomorrow. ;-)
#2 - Part II of the Longer'verse. You can find Part I HERE before reading this.
#3 - Y'all are a bad influence! What I posted earlier was fully intended to be a one shot and instead, someone mentioned sequel (you know who you are *coff*) and out this popped.
*****
The day after his confrontation with Reid, Luke stood outside Noah's hospital room door. His hands were clammy, his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest and there was a massive knot in his stomach. Through the window, he could see Reid at Noah's bedside. This was it. Time to come clean with Noah. It was either going to go really well - or really, really badly.
He inhaled deeply, plastered a bright smile on his face, and then pushed the door open. “Hey!” he said cheerfully. He quickly glanced at Reid, smiled a little more genuinely, then looked back at Noah. “How's it going?”
Noah's smile matched Luke's, though Luke was sure that Noah's was more genuine. “Good. Dr. Oliver says things are looking really good and my vision is clearing up.”
Luke carefully sat down on the edge of Noah's bed. From the corner of his eye, he saw Reid back discreetly back up, giving him space. Them space.
“Luke? What's going on? You look like someone kicked your puppy,” Noah asked as he took Luke's hand in his. Luke cleared his throat and gently pulled his hand free. “Luke?”
“Noah - We have to talk.” Behind him, Reid stepped closer. Luke didn't know how he knew, he just did.
“Ok,” Noah answered in confusion. He looked back and forth between Luke and Reid. “Luke? Dr. Oliver? Guys, you're scaring me here. What's going on? Am I not healing as well as you'd thought?”
At that, Reid stepped close enough that Luke could feel his heat against his back. “No, nothing like that, Mr. Mayer,” Reid rushed to reassure him.
“Ok, then what?”
The time had come. Luke smoothed his palms over his jeans, a nervous gesture that he'd always hated. Behind him, Reid ever so lightly touched his back just out of Noah's sight. “Noah - You asked what was going on with Re - Dr. Oliver and I. I wasn't completely honest with you.”
Noah waved his hand at Luke impatiently, waiting for more. Luke studied his face, trying to gauge how this was going, but Noah's face was carefully blank, revealing nothing.
Luke glanced up at Reid before continuing. When Reid nodded once at him, Luke took a deep breath and continued. “When we were in Texas...”
“You guys started to get along. I know that,” Noah interrupted.
“Well, yeah, but it's more than that.”
“I kissed him,” Reid blurted out, his hand sliding up to the back of Luke's shoulder, still out of Noah's sight. Any higher and Noah would notice, though.
Noah spluttered and looked anxiously from one to the other. “You - you kissed him? You're my doctor! Luke? Is that true?”
Luke nodded. “Yes, Noah, it's true.”
“But that was the only time, right?” Noah asked, seeking reassurance.
Luke could see Noah's composure slipping away. How much more did he want to hammer at it? He could deny it and move on, but no. He'd told Reid he wanted to be honest, honest he would be. He slowly shook his head. “No. It wasn't the only time. It happened again.”
Luke waited in silence as Noah processed what Luke and Reid had told him. Reid's hand fell away, leaving a cold spot on Luke's back.
“I'll just - I'll go out in the hall.”
Luke looked at him sharply. “No. Stay.”
“So, what now?” Noah asked quietly.
Luke wished they could skip this part of the conversation. Wished he could spare Noah this. But if he did that, it wouldn't be fair to any of them. This was for the best. He knew that.
“Noah, things hadn't been right between us for a long time,” Luke said gently. He leaned forward a little and Reid's hand was back, following him. Now, Noah wouldn't be able to miss the simple gesture. “We both know that. I can't...I can't go back to that. I have to move on.”
“With Reid.”
“Yes. With Reid.”
Noah made a choking sound that pulled at Luke. “Go, just go,” he gasped.
“Noah - ”
“Luke. Go. Please.”
“Still think telling Noah was the right thing to do?” Reid asked out in the hallway.
“Shut up.”
Luke found one of the hard hospital chairs that he'd spent way too much time in lately and sat down. When Reid sat next to him, he didn't look up.
“Look at me Luke,” he said gently as he placed one hand on Luke's arm. Luke slowly turned his head. “I can't even pretend to know how hard that was for you, but - ”
Luke forced a small smile. “Just make sure I don't regret it.”