dpracket

Luke watched Reid from across the lobby as John Dixon walked away from him.  Reid looked sweaty and exhausted.  Luke watched him run a hand through his hair and then massage the back of his own neck. And then as if he felt Luke there, Reid  turned his head toward him.  A small, fleeting smile graced his lips, and then he was walking toward Luke.  When he reached him, he gently tugged Luke by the inside of his elbow and then slotted their fingers together.  They walked silently down the hall, holding hands, away from the lobby, and straight to Reid's office.  As soon as they were inside, Reid pulled Luke to him and wrapped his arms around him, his face tucked into the side of Luke's neck.  Luke hugged him back, one hand rubbing circles on Reid's back and shoulders, the other arm wrapped around his waist.  They didn't say anything for a few mintues and simply held each other.

After awhile, Reid pulled back and wiped at his eyes.  He then gently slapped the side of Luke's face and rolled his eyes at himself.  "You okay?" Luke asked, kissing Reid's lips softly.  Reid nodded, but then he pressed his forehead to Luke's and closed his eyes because it had been an endlessly long day, and everything felt much too close to the surface.  "It's okay," Luke said softly.  "I've got you, okay?  I promise.  You're safe with me..."  Reid heard his own breath hitch as he tried to steel his emotions.  "And Reid?..."

"Mmm," Reid answered, his eyes still closed, his hands on Luke's hips.

"I love you too."  Reid pulled back and looked at Luke. Luke looked down, avoiding Reid's eyes.  "I didn't answer you earlier...ya know, outside..............in the parking lot......But I do.  I love you, Reid."

Reid nodded and finally spoke.  "I know."  It wasn't said with his usual cockiness; he didn't say it to appear self-assured.  It simply was a fact.  He knew Luke loved him, felt it in his core.  He put his finger under Luke's chin, and brought his eyes up to his own.  "I know," he repeated.  "And I love you..."  He kissed Luke.

Luke smiled against Reid's lips.  "I know," he said, echoing Reid's words.

Reid tried to smile, but it just wasn't there.  He let out a shakey breath and blinked away the emotion that was threatening his eyes again.  "I need to go see Katie," Reid said softly.

"Of course.  Absolutely," Luke said, rubbing Reid's arms.

"And I want to go pick up Jacob...take him home.  Let him sleep in his own bed."

"Sure," Luke said, nodding.  "Of course.  Whatever you need..."

Reid stepped back, out of Luke's embrace and scratched his head.  "I'm so fucking tired."

"That's because you've been slaying dragons all day," Luke replied, smiling.  "My hero," he joked, but then the smile left his face because he meant it.  "My hero," he repeated, barely a whisper.

Reid rolled his eyes and shook his head but then pulled Luke into his arms again.  "Stay with me tonight," he said softly, his lips moving with the words against Luke's ear.  "Fall asleep with me..."

Luke's answer was simple and clear:  "Yes."

Luke slowly opened the door to Katie's room.  Earlier, Reid had told Luke to make himself at home, while he went into Katie's room with a fussy Jacob to try to get him to go to sleep.  But that was an hour ago, and Jay Leno was now on, and Luke was pretty sure that Reid had gotten himself to go to sleep too.  As he opened the door, soft light from the hallway fell across the room, and sure enough there was Reid, sound asleep in the middle of the bed, with Jacob in a deep slumber on his chest.  Luke smiled and closed the door quietly. 

He debated just going home.  Surely, Reid would need to be with Katie in the morning at the hospital.  Chris had been out of surgery by the time he and Reid left the hospital, but there had been complications, and Katie was spending the night with Margo at the hospital.  Luke knew that Reid was exhausted, and he was glad that he was getting rest because tomorrow would probably be a busy and emotional day as well, even if things were better with Chris.  Luke yawned.  He was tired too.  It had been a long day.  But earlier, Reid had asked him to stay with him tonight and Luke wanted to be there if Reid woke up.

Luke walked down the hall to Reid's bedroom.  He stepped inside, turned on the light, and looked around.  He felt awkward, like he was invading Reid's privacy.  He had never been in here before.  He looked at the king sized bed and wondered if anyone had ever slept in it with Reid.  He shook his head, not wanting to think about it.

The room was fairly empty:   just a bed, two nighstands, a dresser, and an armoire with a TV.  The walls were bare.  The shallow closet was open, and Luke ran his hands along the clothes hanging in it, until his hand stopped on a black sweater.  He thumbed the material.  It was the sweater Reid had been wearing the first day they had played chess at Luke's house.  "I want to be alone with you..." 

Luke walked over to the nightstand and shuffled the magazines there:  a medical journal, Scientific American, GQ.  He picked up the reading glasses that were there.  He didn't know that Reid even wore them.  He imagined Reid wearing them while reading in bed and smiled.   Next, he spotted an acoustic guitar, leaning against the wall in the corner.  Did Reid play guitar?  Luke was certain Brad hadn't played, but maybe it was Katie's and she had just kept it in the guest room?

Luke approached the dresser and glanced at the items on it.  There were a couple of small framed pictures...one showed a couple with two young boys.  Luke ran his index finger over the curly headed boy who wasn't smiling.  Reid had never mentioned a brother, but clearly the other boy in the picture had to be Reid's sibling.  Reid's father was tall and slim like him, and the other boy had straight hair and softer features like the woman in the photo.  The other picture was a snapshot of what looked to be an adoloscent Reid with a man who had his hand on Reid's shoulder.  They were standing in front of a sign that read "Fenway Park."  Luke had no idea who the man was.

Luke sighed.  He hadn't known Reid wore glasses.  He had no idea whether or not Reid played guitar.  Could the doctor have a talent for music?  He didn't know anything about Reid's family.  He realized he didn't know much at all about the man he considered to be his boyfriend, the man who had told him earlier that he loved him.

You know the important parts.

Luke picked up a cardboard coaster that was sitting on the dresser.  Cobb's City Saloon.  Luke smiled, remembering Reid on the mechanical bull there.  It felt like forever ago; so much had happened since then.  And Reid was sentimental enough to have held onto it.  Wow.

Luke toed off his shoes and stripped down to his boxers, folding his clothes neatly and putting them on the straight-backed chair by the dresser.  He left the soft light on in the bathroom, pulled down the covers, and climbed into Reid's bed.  Reid's bed.  The pillow smelled like him.  Luke wished he was there.  He was exhausted.  He closed his eyes and easily drifted off to sleep.

He opened his eyes a couple of hours later when he felt Reid spooning him from behind, his bare chest against Luke's back.  The room was now dark, except for the red light on the baby monitor that was now on Reid's dresser.  Reid nuzzled behind Luke's ear with his nose.  "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted you in my bed?" he asked softly.

"Forever?" Luke replied, sleepily.

Reid chuckled.  "Yeah, pretty much..."  He kissed the back of Luke's neck and hugged him closer. "I'm glad you're here.  Thanks for staying."

"It's where I want to be."

They were quiet for a long time, feeling the warmth between their bodies, listening to each other breathe.

When Reid was sure Luke was asleep, he whispered "I love you," because now that he'd said it, he wanted to keep saying it.

It turns out Luke was still awake.  He smiled into the darkness.

fin