45 Relationship 101
Word Soap: As The World Keeps Turning
Author: SYLnl
Title: #45 Relationship 101
Rating: PG
Summary: The classic father son talk
Big Thanks To: ltklo, for brushing up my grammar
Previously on As The World Keeps Turning:
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20
#21 #22 #23 #24 #25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 #31 #32 #33 #34 #35 #36 #37 #38 #39 #40 #41 #42 #43 #44
“No food here. Disappointed?” Luke turned away from the closed counter and noticed Reid’s shivering. “What?”
“What they serve in here..” Reid trembled again and pulled a disgusted face. “I already applied for a budget raise, because this has to change. In a few weeks we open this state of the art neuro wing with some top doctors - present company included - while serving the most terrible food I ever came across. It will not do.”
They took their coffee and found a secluded table.
“You’re absolutely right,” Luke agreed. “Do you have any ideas?”
Reid knew that tone of voice by now, so he looked up. Luke obviously had an idea of his own, but first he wanted to share his brilliant one.
“I was thinking of that cook at Metro.”
“Terri Ciccone?” Luke laughed. “Yeah, I should have guessed. You’d go for the best.”
Reid grinned. “Exactly.”
“Last I heard, she’s very happy working for Dusty, though. And be honest… she’s a chef with her own kitchen right now. No way she would trade that for a hospital cafeteria.”
“Well…I was kinda hoping you would blackmail her. Or kidnap. Or something else you do so well to get what you want,” Reid teased and Luke slapped his arm.
“Forget about Terri. I have another idea. I was already toying around with this to implement into my plans for the new building complex across the street and it would work here too…”
He enjoyed Reid’s full attention and continued: “I wanted to talk to Henry about turning Al’s into a chain of restaurants, all with different names.”
Reid nodded. “That sounds like a great idea,” he bent over the little table, “So let me guess… your new complex would get its own Luke’s?”
Luke laughed and blushed. “Honestly, I was thinking about Reid’s… because of your love for food and… well… my love for you, of course.”
It didn’t happen very often. It didn’t happen very easily. But when it happened, it was a beautiful sight to see. Reid being speechless.
“I’m…” Reid made some hand movements, “I…” he took a deep breath, “I don’t know what to say…”
“I got that,” Luke laughed and when he saw Reid bending over, he willingly leaned towards him to collect a kiss.
“So you like that idea?”
“I do and I’m truly flattered, but I’m not sure it’s a good name, commercially speaking,” Reid looked very grave, although he altered his voice to imitate a conversation: “Let’s go to Reid’s tonight. Reid’s? Hell no, I don’t like that arrogant SOB.”
They both laughed and Reid raised his eyebrow. “I am serious, though. Maybe you should give that name another thought. I’m not exactly the most popular guy in town. But I love you for suggesting it.”
Luke smiled. “It’s a great name,” he insisted, “but we’d need another name for this place here. And no, Luke’s is not an option. Not at your place of work.”
Reid’s eyes lit up when he thought of a name and when he presented it to Luke, the enthusiasm doubled.
“Reid! That’s perfect!”
“But let’s keep it a secret. We’ll reveal the name when the wing opens.”
Luke gave him a nod, looked at his watch and pouted. “I need to cut you loose. It’s a few minutes to three.”
Reid leaned back in his chair. “But I’ll be home for dinner, so it will only be a few hours. Let’s hear it for Dr. Morgan.”
“Don’t push it now,” Luke feigned indignation and Reid grinned.
“Good. I like my men jealous.” He put his arm around Luke and squealed when his blond partner touched his inner thigh. Reid’s mumbled “Have mercy” made Luke laugh out loud.
“Just so we know who’s boss,” he grinned and still laughing they reached Bob’s office.
The older doctor was talking with a nurse in the hallway and smiled when he saw the couple coming his way.
Luke Snyder was an absolute miracle worker. Bob remembered vividly how Reid had approached him at their very first encounter and he smiled at the memory.
“You! You look important…”
Bob chuckled when he remembered how shocked Kim was. Okay, he had been thrown too. The arrogance, the sarcasm, the apparent lack of social skills… and look at him now. Sure, Reid was still living up to all those first impressions, but Luke had somehow stirred up this joyful and loving Reid and Bob really enjoyed that part of his successor too.
“Hey guys,” Bob shook their hands, “Luke, are you joining us?”
“Nope,” he brushed over Reid’s stomach and stepped away, “He’s all yours, Bob.”
Before Luke could move too far, Reid pulled him in for a kiss and slapped him softly on the cheek. “See you at home.”
With an almost soundless sigh Reid watched Luke leave and Bob patted him on the back. “Come on in, Reid. Let me distract you with some boring numbers and other stuff you really didn’t want to know.”
“That sounds promising,” Reid grinned, walked in and sat on the couch.
“Well, at least I don’t have to wonder if you two are doing okay,” Bob smiled and Reid shook his head.
“No, no need to wonder about that. I do wonder about the whole dynamics of it, though.”
Bob could almost see Reid opening up, so he seized that opportunity with both hands, made himself comfortable in a chair close to the couch, gave Reid a questioning look, and said: ”I’m not sure what you mean?”
Reid was deep in thought and Bob’s question seem to startle him a little, but he did answer: “Well, I guess I’m wondering if this is normal,” his smile was a little shy - What? Reid? Shy? - “I mean, we’ve been living together for almost three weeks now and for some reason I expected it to… I don’t know… to slow down. This emotional joy ride, I mean.”
Bob’s sympathetic smile was reassuring to Reid and he relaxed a little.
“I understand. I can’t tell you if or when it will slow down, because every relationship is different, but maybe it feels so overwhelming because it’s a whole new experience for you. To be so…out of control, in a way.”
Reid nodded. “True. For some reason I can’t contain this and it’s…”
“Scary,” Bob finished.
“Hell yeah,” Reid agreed. “Don’t get me wrong…not scaring me away, or anything. But I’m trying to wrap my brain around it and I can’t. And that’s a hard word for me. Can’t.”
They both chuckled.
“So maybe you should just stop trying,” Bob suggested. “Because love, being in love, is an uncontrollable force.”
“I’m starting to realize that,” Reid admitted. “And instead of declining, it seems to accelerate.”
“The best advice I can give you is to go with the flow. Don’t try to fight it, don’t try to slow it down, don’t try to analyze it, don’t even try to understand it. Just enjoy the ride.”
“I do…most of the time,” Reid grinned. “But on a day like today…we meet for lunch and you know how I love my job, Bob…” Reid shook his head, “But for some reason I just can’t let him go and I’m looking for ways to spend more time with him and in a way that feels like playing hooky or not giving my all…”
“I know exactly what you mean,” Bob said. “It’s a difficult balance to find, especially when you’re in those first phases of a relationship.”
“There are phases?” Reid sat up a little.
“Oh yes. Various ones. If I understand correctly, you’ve been in love with Luke for a long time. And even though you were in denial and Luke was still tussling with Noah, those feelings were there. Making you pretty miserable most of the time, because you were tossed around back and forth.”
“Thanks for bringing that up… I feel much better now,” Reid grumbled and Bob laughed.
“Hear me out. I do have a point.”
“And you’re planning on making it this century?”
“Shttt,” Bob looked as severe as possible, “what I’m trying to explain is that all that love was in there, with no place to go. When Luke finally came to his senses,” they both laughed, “it became safe to let all this love come out. And that’s the phase you’re in right now. All that built up love is coming out. Like a champagne bottle opened up.”
Bob made a exploding movement with both his hands.
“You’re discovering each other, you’re discovering parts of yourself that come out because of Luke, Luke is discovering things about himself that you stimulate…It’s one big adventure, it’s exciting and apart from some drama around you, it’s great to be around each other. It’s fun.”
“And you’re telling me it’s a phase. Something tells me I’m not gonna like the next phase…” Reid rolled his eyes.
Bob laughed. “As I said, no relationship is the same. So maybe your connection with Luke is just one happy, blissful phase. But don’t let it throw you, if it doesn’t feel so joyful anymore. It’s all part of life. Ups and downs. It’s natural.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know why, it just is,” Bob laughed. “But the lows aren’t necessarily a bad thing. They’re part of the flow, just like waves. It took me some time to figure out that the best way to deal with those highs and lows is to just accept them as part of the natural tide. Don’t let them throw you off course. Just trust what you know.”
“I know Luke is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Reid said softly. “I don’t understand it, but I do know.”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Bob indicated. “Use that as your anchor and you’ll be fine.”
“So you don’t think my attachment to Luke is in any way unhealthy?”
“No, I honestly don’t,” Bob stated calmly. “Quite the contrary. If you don’t mind me saying so…I have a feeling you’ve been living in the dark for most of your life and your love for Luke pulled you into the light. And it’s warming you up. It’s showing you a world you hadn’t seen before. No wonder you want to lavish in it, after being deprived of this light for so long."
Reid was moved and he cleared his throat. “Thanks, Bob.” He leaned back into the couch. “Between you and Luke, I will figure this whole social and emotion thing out, one day. You just wait and see.”
“Reid,” Bob leaned forward and looked very serious, “You’re already doing a hell of a job, trust me. I’m very proud of the way you’re handling yourself. Not only professionally, but also how you’re treating Luke. I know I’ve said it before, but the respect and love between you two is an example to us all. It really is.”
“Thank you,” Reid felt a need to snap out of the emotions and fell back on his well known tactic: humor. He sat up straight, slapped his legs and looked Bob in the eyes.
“So tell me… did you sign those adoption papers yet? If this wasn’t a classic father son talk, I don’t know what is.”
Bob laughed with all his respect, love and warmth on his face. “You know I’m here for you.”
“I do. And I’m glad.”
“Me too.” Bob rose to his feet and walked to his desk. “So…son…how about cracking some numbers?”
With a big smile Reid stood up and sat on the chair at the desk. “I don’t understand why you kept me waiting so long…”
They were almost done, when a knock on the door disturbed them. Seeing Nurse Taylor didn’t made it better, but before Reid could snap at her, Bob smiled friendly and asked calmly:
“Can we help you, Nurse Taylor?”
She nervously looked at Reid and nodded.
“I’m sssorry to disturb, but you ordered us to tell you when something changed in Mrs. Coleman’s condition…”
Reid swallowed a impatient “What is it”, gave her a nod and left his chair.
“You’re absolutely right. I did. And I assume something changed?”
“Yes Dr. Oliver,” she looked in shock by his calm question. “She’s coming to.”
“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll go to her at once.”
Her smile was insecure. “Thank you.”
“Thank you, Nurse Taylor.”
He felt Bob’s hand on his back and smiled when he heard the amusement in Bob’s voice.
“Very nice, Reid. She didn’t even leak.”
“I know! I’ll try harder next time,” he grinned to the man next to him. “I really want to see Barbara. Can we…”
“Of course. I’ll join you. Barbara is family.”
Reid hadn’t realized, but wasn’t surprised. “Of course she is.”