{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08","title":"I'm actually doing this. ","subtitle":"fremi08","author":{"name":"fremi08"},"link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"service.feed","type":"application\/x.atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom","title":"I'm actually doing this. "}}],"updated":"2020-07-12T07:16:08Z","entry":[{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:18903","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/18903.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=18903"}}],"title":"Prequel Those summer nights","published":"2016-04-18T12:20:39Z","updated":"2016-04-18T12:20:39Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"\"No.\"

\"Aw, come on.\"

\"No.\"

\"I promise he won't say no.\"

\"Well, I am saying no.\"

\"But why? And don't try to tell me you don't think he's hot. Because I've seen you looking at him when you think nobody is watching.\"

\"What? Are you watching me all day? That's .... understandable, but creepy.\"

\"And you're deflecting. Come on, Reid. You can at least talk to him.\" Gretchen urged.

\"I talk to him all the time.\" Reid grumbled, his eyes flicking over to the tall figure in green scrubs over at the nurses station.

\"No, you grumble and growl at him. And that's about work.\"

\"What else would I talk to him about?\" Reid played dumb.

Gretchen sighed. \"Oh my god, you are so frustrating.Sometimes I don't know why I keep trying.\"

\"Then don't.\" Reid suggested, glancing at the hot nurse again, following him with his eyes while he walked away, zeroing in on his ass and long legs.

\"When you look at him like that?\" Gretchen laughed. \"I'm gonna keep trying.\"

\"Good luck with that.\" Reid answered, walking away.

Gretchen crossed her arms and watched him stride through the hall. \"Stubborn ass\".

Reid could feel Gretchen's eyes boring into his skull when he walked away. He knew she meant well, but he just wasn't willing to give her the satisfaction of being right. Because the new nurse, Luke Snyder, was everything Reid wanted in a nurse and in a man.
He unlocked his office and left the door ajar. He sat down in his chair and started to work through his file.
A soft click made him look up into a pair of familiar brown eyes.

\"Hey.\" Reid said as he leaned back into his chair. Nurse Snyder took this as an invitation and planted himself firmly on Reid's lap and pressed a kiss onto his lips.

\"Hey yourself.\" He ran a hand through Reid's hair. \"I saw you talking to Gretchen. Is she giving you a hard time again?\"

Reid laughed. \"She is certain I have a thing for you and that I should ask you out.\" He leaned in and kissed Luke again. \"She may be on to something.\" He whispered against Luke's lips.

\"You think we should tell her?\" Luke asked.

\"Nah. She'll figure it out soon enough.\" Reid grabbed Luke by his hips, intending to push him off but ending up pulling him closer instead. \"Still not sorry you transferred here?\"

Luke locked his arms around Reid's neck and pulled Reid into a open mouthed kiss which left them both breathing heavily.

\"When I get to spend so much time with you like this? Never.\"

*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:18450","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/18450.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=18450"}}],"title":"Those summer nights chapter 10 (last chapter!)","published":"2016-04-18T12:04:42Z","updated":"2016-04-18T12:04:42Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"Waking up warm and sated, with his head on Reid\u2019s chest and Reid\u2019s arm firmly around his waist, was something Luke could get used to. Easily.
He rubbed his cheek against Reid\u2019s chest and finally allowed his mind to think about everything that had happened yesterday. And last night. And again early this morning. He blushed thinking about it, how easily he gave himself over to Reid, that he trusted Reid just as Reid trusted him. There was no shame, no holding back, no pretending, there was only love and fun and laughter. And it was completely new to Luke that having sex with someone could be like that.
In his previous relationship sex was something that didn\u2019t happen often and when it did, it was under the covers, quick and sometimes painful. It often left Luke unsatisfied, shameful and lonely.
Because of that, it had taken a lot of time for Luke to trust someone enough to have penetrative sex with them.
Last night after hearing Reid\u2019s love confession, none of that seemed to matter. It all disappeared when Reid kissed him, held him in his arms and pressed his body against him, whispering words of love and praise and awe in his ear. Now that he knew how sex with the right partner could be, Luke had no plans to let Reid get out of his bed any time soon.
He started to move his hand across the planes of Reid\u2019s stomach and chest, softly rubbing one nipple with his hand and taking the other in his mouth and tease it with his tongue. When he bit down softly, he felt Reid move under his mouth and Reid\u2019s hand moved to the back of Luke\u2019s head to keep in him place.
\u201cSnyder\u2026\u201d Reid groaned.

Luke smiled against Reid\u2019s skin.
\u201cGood morning.\u201d He said, releasing Reid\u2019s nipple and placing his head on top of his folded hands on Reid\u2019s chest. \u201cHow did you sleep?\u201d
Reid stretched his arms over his head and then down again to grab Luke and pull him up so their faces were next to each other. \u201cGreat.\u201d He murmured while kissing Luke\u2019s cheek.
He let his hands travel down Luke\u2019s body and then come to rest on his ass. He squeezed slightly and pushed his down so their pelvises were pressing together.
\u201cBut before we start again here, let\u2019s move to the shower.\u201d He let a finger slide into Luke\u2019s cleft and teased his opening. \u201cI think we could both use one.\u201d
Feeling Reid\u2019s hands and fingers had Luke grinding down on Reid already, he was getting so turned on from just a few touches. There was something in Reid\u2019s touch that set Luke on fire.
He started laughing and stopped his movements. \u201cYeah, you\u2019re right. Let\u2019s be sensible.\u201d He moved to sit up, but Reid followed him effortlessly.
\u201cNo reason we can\u2019t start again in the shower.\u201d Reid said, kissing Luke soundly on his lips, morning breath or not.
\u201cYeah, yeah. Okay, let\u2019s go then.\u201d Luke untangled himself from Reid and bounced towards the shower.
\u201cCome on, my shower is ridiculously big and it has 4 different jets and a rain shower head. You\u2019ll love it.\u201d
And Reid did.
Later that day, after their shower, where an enthusiastic Luke rimmed Reid until he was shaking and couldn\u2019t take it any more and begged Luke to fuck him. Shocked at first - because he was very new to being the penetrator \u2013 Luke enthusiastically agreed and it didn\u2019t take him long to roll on the condom Reid had conveniently brought into the shower and lining up behind Reid.
Reid already pushed back, trying to take Luke inside of him, but Luke teased him by moving his cock up and down Reid\u2019s cleft.
\u201cGet a move on, Snyder.\u201d Reid groaned.
\u201cShhh,\u201d Luke hushed him. \u201cRelax, I\u2019ve got you.\u201d He ran his hand up and down Reid\u2019s side soothingly before pressing the head of his cock more firmly against Reid\u2019s opening.

\u201cYesss.\u201d Reid hissed and dropped his head against the cool tiles, feeling overwhelmed by the feelings swirling around inside of him. He needed Luke to take him, to make him Luke\u2019s completely.
As if Luke knew what was going on inside Reid, he moved one hand to Reid\u2019s shoulder for leverage and carefully slid in all the way. He looked down to see his cock disappear into Reid\u2019s warm, welcoming body and once he was fully inside he had to still for a few moments or he would come immediately.
\u201cCome on, come on, come on.\u201d Reid urged, rolling his hips, trying to get Luke to move.
\u201cStop. Stop, I \u2013 I need a moment, or this is going to over within 2 seconds.\u201d Luke panted. It made Reid grin but he stopped his movements to let Luke pull himself somewhat together.
Luke took a few shuddery breaths, trying to focus on other things than his throbbing cock inside Reid\u2019s heat.
He then slowly started to move in and out, wanting to take it slow and make it last, but Reid was having non of it. He shoved back against Luke, basically fucking himself on Luke\u2019s cock. And Luke started to move with him until he pounded into Reid, both hands now holding on to Reid\u2019s shoulders.
It didn\u2019t take long for them to finish, first Luke then Reid right after. Luke held on to Reid, panting harshly and draping himself over Reid\u2019s back, without even pulling out.
\u201cWow, Snyder\u2026 You\u2019ve got some moves there.\u201d When his breath returned to somewhat normal, Reid turned around, causing Luke to slip out of him. Reid grimaced at the feeling, but was quickly distracted by the look on Luke\u2019s face. He looked flushed, proud, amazed and had a huge grin on his face.
\u201cI can\u2019t believe you let me do that.\u201d He sighed happily, while wrapping his arms around Reid\u2019s shoulders.
Reid snorted. \u201cLet you? I\u2019m pretty sure I begged you.\u201d He pulled back to brush Luke\u2019s wet hair out of his eyes. \u201cThere\u2019s no me letting you do anything. If you want something, tell me. If you don\u2019t, fine. There\u2019s plenty of stuff we can do.\u201d He kissed Luke quickly but thoroughly.
\u201cI know you had\u2026 reservations about all of this. I just hope you know you can tell me anything.\u201d
Luke just hugged him tighter. \u201cI know.\u201d His voice sounded muffled against Reid\u2019s shoulder. \u201cI don\u2019t know why I waited so long.\u201d Then he shook his head. \u201cThat\u2019s not true, I do know why. It\u2019s just. that last night and now this. it\u2019s so completely different than everything I\u2019ve ever known. I should have known that after the things we did last summer, but I had no idea it could be like this. Especially now.\u201d He lifted his head to look into his eyes and he smiled. Bright and happy. \u201cNow it\u2019s more than just sex and I think that matters too.\u201d
Reid resisted to urge to roll his eyes at the sappiness of Luke\u2019s statement, but he had a hard time disagreeing with Luke. So he just kissed Luke again. And again.
*
Later that day, they were enjoying a late breakfast in Luke\u2019s kitchen when Casey came back. Luke and Reid were sitting close together at the table, working their way through everything they\u2019d cooked up earlier. They heard the front door slam shut and then Casey\u2019s heavy footsteps came their way.

When he entered the kitchen, he stopped dead in his tracks and looked at the men sitting at the table. Slowly a smile came onto his face. \u201cWell, this is unexpected.\u201d He stepped into the kitchen and walked towards Reid with his hand stretched out. \u201cI hope you came to put Luke out of his misery? He\u2019s been impossible to live with lately.\u201d
Reid laughed, while Luke groaned in embarrassment, his ears turning red. Reid took Casey\u2019s hand and shook it firmly. \u201cI\u2019ll do my best to make him happy.\u201d He smiled, but there was a serious undertone to it that made Luke blush even harder.
\u201cAwww\u2026\u201d Casey teased. He tried to ruffle Luke\u2019s hair, but Luke slapped his hand away. \u201cShut up, Case.\u201d But his voice lacked any trace of anger, because there was nothing that could destroy his mood today.
But right then, a voice called out.
\u201cLuke?\u201d
Except that.
Luke sighed. He looked over at Reid, shrugged his shoulder as if to say \u2018sorry\u2019 before calling out. \u201cIn the kitchen.\u201d
Casey slowly backed out of the kitchen, mouthing \u2018good luck\u2019 to Reid. It made Reid frown in confusion and he looked at Luke. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d
\u201cLuke? Sweetie?\u201d A woman in her late forties entered the kitchen, but stopped in the doorway when she noticed Reid sitting very closely to Luke. She narrowed her eyes at Reid, but then turned to Luke.
\u201cLuke?\u201d She asked. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d
Luke rolled his eyes, but stood up and walked towards his mother. He kissed her cheek and said, \u201cGood morning mom. Nothing is going on.\u201d He grabbed the coffeepot from the counter and held it up. \u201cDo you want some coffee?\u201d
\u201cWhat? Yes, sure\u2026 coffee.\u201d His mother answered distractedly, her gaze still on Reid who just looked back. \u201cBut shouldn\u2019t you introduce me to your\u2026 friend?\u201d
\u201cOh right, yes. Sure.\u201d Luke answered and put the coffeepot down again. He then gestured between his mother and Reid. \u201cMom, this is Reid. Reid, this is my mother, Lily.\u201d
Reid stood up to offer a handshake which Lily took while she looked at him curiously.
\u201cAnd what is your relation to my son?\u201d She asked.
Before Reid could answer, Luke stepped around his mother towards Reid and stood beside him, taking Reid\u2019s hand in his. He looked at Reid with his eyebrows raised as if to ask \u2018okay?\u2019.
Reid shrugged and then smiled a little and nodded.
\u201cMom, don\u2019t freak out, but\u2026 Reid and I are together.\u201d Luke said, giving Reid\u2019s hand a squeeze.
Lily knitted her brows in confusion and she looked at Luke and Reid alternately. \u201cTogether? What do you mean, together?\u201d She then focused on Luke. \u201cCan I talk to you for a moment?\u201d
Luke sighed and looked at Reid. \u201cDo you mind?\u201d
\u201cNo, of course not. Go talk to your mother.\u201d Reid sat back down, but let his hand slide up and down Luke\u2019s thigh. \u201cI\u2019ll be here.\u201d
\u201cOkay then. Mom, let\u2019s go to the living room.\u201d Luke let Lily pass and walk in front of him to the living room. He didn\u2019t close the door behind him though, Reid noticed with a smirk.
In the living room Lily turned to Luke. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on, baby? Why haven\u2019t you told me you were seeing someone? What about Noah? Have you spoken to him?\u201d
\u201cWhy haven\u2019t I told you? Seriously mom?\u201d Luke asked disbelieving. \u201cWhen you shove Noah into my face every time we talk or see each other? Even when I told you, like a million times, that I don\u2019t want to be with him? What would you have said if I told you had met someone new? Would you have accepted that? I don\u2019t think so mom.\u201d
Lily took a deep breath, letting the words of her son sink in.
\u201cI don\u2019t know. Maybe not.\u201d She answered truthfully. \u201cBut all I ever wanted is for you to be happy. And really Noah misses you, baby. It\u2019s very hard for him without you. I always thought and still think that you and Noah were good together.\u201d
\u201cWe were not.\u201d Luke disagreed. \u201cMaybe I was good for him, but he certainly wasn\u2019t good for me. He hurt me, mom. Over and over again. I really don\u2019t understand why you won\u2019t believe me and support me on this. Why you always choose his side.\u201d
\u201cHoney, no\u2026 You\u2019re my son and I love you. I will always be at your side, no matter what.\u201d
\u201cHonestly? It doesn\u2019t feel like you are, mom. You let him live with you, you constantly mention him to me and try to push me back with him. It feels like you\u2019re only thinking about him and what he wants. Not about what I want.\u201d Luke said quietly.
Lily stepped towards Luke and cupped his cheek for a moment, before pulling him into a hug.
\u201cI\u2019m sorry I made you feel that way. That was never my intention. And Noah\u2026 I love him too and he has no one else. If he\u2019s not with you, he\u2019s alone. I think that is why I took him in and tried to get you back with him. I\u2019d hate for him to be all alone.\u201d
Luke pulled back and shrugged. \u201cYeah well\u2026 he has himself to blame for that. He could just make friends instead of trying to claim my family. And besides, it\u2019s not like you can\u2019t still see him if we\u2019re not together. You don\u2019t have to break up with him.\u201d Luke smiled a little. \u201cBut enough\u2026 I don\u2019t want to talk about him anymore.\u201d
\u201cWell then,\u201d Lily took Luke\u2019s hand and pulled him down with her on the couch. \u201cTell me about that man that is sitting in your kitchen, at your kitchen table. How did you meet him?\u201d
Luke\u2019s thoughts went back to when he first met Reid and he smiled and started to tell his mother everything that happened since last summer. He didn\u2019t go into details, but there wasn\u2019t much he left out. He felt relieved to finally be able to share his feelings with Lily. And she listened to him, she noticed the way his eyes sparkled when he talked about Reid, how he sometimes blushed and smiled while telling her something seemingly insignificant.
She noticed he looked happy, even though there were still bags under his eyes.
The reason for them was explained by Luke shortly and Lily was surprised to hear that they only really started their relationship the day before.
\u201cYeah..,\u201c Luke said with shining eyes. \u201cYesterday was really amazing. Seeing him standing there outside my door suddenly.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cIt\u2019s so stupid though\u2026 we could have been together since last summer.\u201d
Lily smiled. \u201cSometimes you need some time away from someone to really know how you feel.\u201d Luke nodded. He wasn\u2019t sure whether she meant Reid or Noah. Or maybe both?
\u201cBut what happens now? Are you going to travel back and forth? Or is he moving here?\u201d Lily asked.
\u201cI don\u2019t know. I mean, we haven\u2019t talked about that yet. But I think that you can rule out him moving here. He\u2019s a world renowned neurosurgeon mom, there\u2019s nothing here for him. But we\u2019ll get to that soon enough. For now, I just want to us to enjoy each other.\u201d
Back in the kitchen, Reid had listened to Luke\u2019s story even though he thought already knew everything that happened. But it turned out he was wrong, because hearing Luke talk about how he felt when he returned home from the beach, how he tried to forget everything but couldn\u2019t was difficult. It reminded him of himself, and how he hadn\u2019t been able to get Luke out of his thoughts or the time they spent together.
Reid focused back on Luke\u2019s mother when she made it obvious she wasn\u2019t too happy about Luke\u2019s latest words.
\u201cBut how are you going to see him? You have almost nofree time as it is. Your work is here, your family and friends are here\u2026 Luke, everything you care about is here.\u201d
\u201cExcept Reid.\u201d Luke said calmly. \u201cAnd I can\u2019t predict (?) the future, but I do know one thing. I want Reid to be a part of it. A big part.\u201d
Lily narrowed her eyes. \u201cAnd does he feel the same way?\u201d
\u201cYes.\u201d Luke simply stated. It made Reid smile because it was true. He did feel the same way.
\u201cBut,\u201c Lily started to sputter, \u201cbut if he doesn\u2019t want to move here\u2026 that would mean that you-\u201c
\u201cMom, stop.\u201d Luke held up his hand. \u201cLike I said, we haven\u2019t talked about it yet. So you don\u2019t have to worry about something that isn\u2019t even here yet.\u201d
\u201cI don\u2019t you to move away, Luke.\u201d Lily voice turned soft. \u201cYou always said that you wanted to stay close to your family, your friends, the place where you were born, your work. You have a history here, you don\u2019t want to throw that away, do you?\u201d
Luke stilled and folded his hands in his lap. \u201cI really think you\u2019re getting ahead of yourself here.\u201d
Then he looked up and looked his mother straight into her eyes. \u201cBut whatever I decide to do in the future, I hope that you would support my decisions. Whether you agree with them or not.\u201d
Lily swallowed and it took her a few moments to reply.
\u201cYou\u2019re all grown up now. And you have the right to make you own decisions and your own mistakes. But, Luke, honey,\u201d she took one of Luke\u2019s hands in her own, \u201cyou will always be my baby and I will always worry about you.\u201d
Luke didn\u2019t answer, even though Lily\u2019s words seemed to imply that his decisions would be mistakes, but pulled Lily into a hug.
\u201cThat\u2019s okay.\u201d He said. \u201cYou can worry about me, just let me live my own life.\u201d
*

After Luke had shown his mother out and he closed the door, he leaned against it for a few moments.
The conversation with his mother was, although emotionally draining, one of the best conversations he had with her in a long time. This time she actually seemed to listen to him. Luke guessed that her finding Reid in the kitchen probably had something to do with that. He wasn\u2019t foolish enough to think that she would immediately fully accept his relationship and stop trying getting him back together with Noah, but for now Luke felt better about his relationship with her than he had in a long time.
\u201cAre you okay?\u201d
Luke turned to see Reid standing in the doorway from the kitchen, hands in the pockets of his jeans.
He pushed himself away from the door and walked towards Reid. He took Reid\u2019s face in his hands and kissed him hard on the lips.
\u201cYes.\u201d Seeing the dazed look on Reid\u2019s face when he pulled back, Luke grinned.
\u201cAre you? You probably didn\u2019t like hearing some of that.\u201d Luke turned serious.
Reid circled his arms around Luke\u2019s waist and pulled Luke close.
\u201cI don\u2019t mind that she doesn\u2019t like me. I can live with that. As long as you like me, I\u2019m good.\u201d
They stayed like that for a few minutes, just embracing each other and enjoying the closeness, until a shrill sound made them reluctantly separate. Reid pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered with a brisk \u201cDr. Oliver.\u201d
Not wanting to listen it on Reid\u2019s conversation, Luke went the kitchen to make some more coffee and clean up the dishes from their breakfast.
When Reid came back into the kitchen, the coffee maker just beeped, indicating the coffee was ready.
\u201cYou want some?\u201d Luke asked, holding up the coffee mug.
\u201cSure.\u201d Reid leaned against the counter, watching Luke pour the coffee.
\u201cI just found out I have an extra surgery scheduled for tomorrow morning at 7 AM. That means I have to go back home today.\u201d After a few moments he added, \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d
Luke sighed. \u201cYeah me too. I hoped we would at least have a few days.\u201d He turned to look at Reid. \u201cI suppose we better get used to this then?\u201d
Reid didn\u2019t answer at first, but took Luke into his arms and held him tight. \u201cI can\u2019t offer you a solution right now. I don\u2019t-, . I wish-\u2026. I want to stay here.\u201d Then he shook his head. \u201cBut I also want to be at the hospital, performing the surgery I know no-one else can do. Selfish huh?\u201d
Luke pulled back a little and took Reid\u2019s face in his hands. \u201cNo, it\u2019s not selfish. It\u2019s who you are. I meant what I said to my mother about you and your work. But, \u201cLuke shrugged, \u201cwe\u2019ll work it out. For now, let\u2019s just enjoy what we have.\u201d He took Reid\u2019s hand and tugged Reid with him towards the bedroom. \u201cAnd right now\u2026 we still have some time. We should make the most of that.\u201d

*
In the next weeks and months Luke and Reid tried to have somewhat of a normal relationship. They tried to make time for one another, but their busy schedules and shifts at odd hours didn\u2019t make it easy. There were quick visits that mostly were spent in bed and there were long telephone- and skype calls that left them both frustrated.
And after 6 months they both agreed that this wasn\u2019t working for them. The few days a month they could see each other, just weren\u2019t enough. And yes, while their phone and skype sex was awesome, it was nothing compared to being together and being able to kiss, to stroke, to caress, to grab, to grind and just to feel each other\u2019s touch. They didn\u2019t want to be apart from each other anymore.
So when Reid asked Luke the next time he saw him to come live with him, Luke jumped into his arms and gave him a very enthusiastic \u2018YES\u2019. Together they broke the news to Luke\u2019s family, who were happy for them, but also shed a lot of tears. Only after promises to visit often, were they willing to let Luke go.
Noah was still there, living at Lily\u2019s house, but he stayed in the background and tried not to bother either one of them.
In the end Luke still went over to see him. He gently told Noah that he should move on and start living his life. That him and Luke were never getting back together. Never ever.
Luke patted Noah\u2019s shoulder and told him to believe what Luke was saying.
In the weeks following, everything was set for Luke\u2019s move. All his stuff was either in storage or sent over to Reid\u2019s. It was a warm summer day when Luke\u2019s closed the door to his and Casey\u2019s apartment for the last time. Reid stood beside him when they looked at the building once more.
\u201cThis is it.\u201d Luke said, emotions audible in his voice. He\u2019d had already said goodbye to Casey the night before, which involved a lot of hugging and slaps on the shoulder. Even Reid couldn\u2019t avoid it.
\u201cYou\u2019re the guy who\u2019s making by best friend very happy. So, you get a hug. Deal with it.\u201d Casey had said and then almost crushed Reid in his big arms.
Sensing Luke wasn\u2019t far from crying, Reid cupped his cheek with one hand. \u201cI love you. So much, it\u2019s just\u2026 stupid. Let\u2019s go and start our lives together.\u201d

Luke took Reid\u2019s hand and linked their fingers together. And together they stepped out of the shadows and into the sun, ready to start a life with one another.

Fin."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:18211","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/18211.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=18211"}}],"title":"Those summer nights chapter 9","published":"2016-04-18T12:03:52Z","updated":"2016-04-18T12:03:52Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"Texting with Reid had taught Luke some new things. They had been exchanging messages for more than a week now and while he thought he had gotten to know Reid quite well over the course of the summer, the texts showed a different side of Reid.
He was funny and quick witted and sometimes asked absurd questions, just for fun, that had Luke laugh out loud no matter where he was. Reid wasn\u2019t afraid to start up a conversation, but sometimes there was a significant amount of time between his texts. He had explained early on that this was due to his schedule and sometimes emergencies.
What was absolutely the same as before, was that Reid was genuinely interested in what Luke had to say. Whether is was related to his job or his family, Reid never ignored a text.
It was easy and it was comfortable and Luke enjoyed it a lot. It wasn\u2019t until Luke received a text from Reid that he did something spontaneous and possibly ruined everything.
The text itself was simple enough: \u2018I HATE this time of year\u2019. Reid had sent it almost an hour ago and Luke hadn\u2019t seen it until then.
To Luke, this was impossible. It was December, the most magical time of the year. And Luke absolutely loved every part of it. To hear that someone didn\u2019t just dislike it, but hated it, was something Luke was unable to let go. So he did the first thing that came into his head and called Reid. He didn\u2019t even think about it, he was just going to make Reid see that the holiday season was a festive time and that one should enjoy it, not hate it. He bit his nails waiting for Reid to answer.
As soon as Reid answered with \u2018Dr. Oliver\u2019, Luke started the rant that had been building inside his head. \u201cI can\u2019t believe you hate this time of year! How can you not like December? It\u2019s the best time of the year. There are decorations and lights and people give each other presents and-\u201c.
But right when Luke wanted to start explain why Christmas was simply amazing, Reid cut him off. \u201cNot now, Luke.\u201d
\u201cBut Reid-\u201d Luke tried, the smile fading from his face.
But Reid had already ended the call, leaving Luke staring at his phone, dumbfounded.
Slowly Luke sat down at the kitchen table, still staring at his phone. Then he cursed and threw the phone on the table.
Was this just a case of serious bad timing or did Reid not want to talk to him at all? Luke hoped for the first option, but at the same time, he feared it was the second. A nauseous feeling crept up from his stomach and a voice inside his head mocked him \u2018See? You\u2019ve done it again. Imposing yourself on someone like that. Why did you have to call him? You should have respected Reid\u2019s wishes.\u2019
He dropped his head on the table, muttering \u2018stupid, stupid, stupid\u2019 and emphasizing every word with an extra bang of his head to the table. It hurt, but in a different way. Physical pain, he could easily deal with. He was used to it. But emotional pain, he didn\u2019t have the best track record of dealing with that. He absentmindedly rubbed the scar on his back. It wasn\u2019t that he felt the urge to drink, he was in a much better place now, but it was still difficult at times.
He sighed to himself and decided to go get ready for work. He would be early, but there was always something that needed to be done and it would take his mind off of things.
Luke took a quick shower and headed off to the hospital.
*
It isn\u2019t until the afternoon of the next day shift that Luke turned his phone back on. He was dead on his feet when he came home after his shift early in the morning and he had fallen into bed, barely able to get his scrubs off, and passed out . He didn\u2019t have to go in again until that evening, so he slept late and lounged around in bed, playing around on his Ipad.
After he made himself a somewhat healthy lunch, he showered and put on his clothes for a trip to the grocery store. He grabbed his keys and his phone on the way out. Sitting in his car, he turned on his phone and threw it on the passenger seat. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the music that played on the radio when his phone chimed. Luke glanced over to it, but couldn\u2019t really seeanything on the screen. He forced himself to wait until he had parked at the store because he strongly believed in safe driving, but it took a lot of willpower.
When he arrived at the parking lot, he parked the car in the first spot he saw, which was far from the closest to the store, and pulled the keys out of the ignition.
He picked up the phone and unlocked the screen.
And there it was.
He had three messages. The first was a missed call and the other two were text messages. The screen showed Reid\u2019s name as the one who had called him. Luke grinned to himself when he opened the app to view his messages. Sure enough those were Reid\u2019s too.
Luke threw his head back against the head rest on his seat, relief flooding through him. He resisted the urge to squeal, but squeezed his phone instead.
The first message was short. \u2018Just tried to call you back. No luck. Are you okay?\u2019
The second wasn\u2019t much longer. \u2018Luke, let me know if everything is alright. Thanks\u00b4
Even though the message was short, the concern Reid had for him was evident to Luke.
That is why he quickly typed out a message back.
\u2018I\u2019m fine. Just wanted to talk to you. Bad timing, I guess?\u2019
Luke pressed \u2018send\u2019 and shoved the phone in his pocket. He climbed out of his car, but hadn\u2019t even made to the entrance of the store yet when his phone buzzed.

\u2018You could say that. Yesterday was not a good day. It\u2019s not that I didn\u2019t want to talk to you\u00b4
Luke grinned again. \u2018Good to know ;-).\u2019 He shoved the phone back into his pocket and went to get a shopping cart.
--
He had just loaded his grocery bags into his car when his phone buzzed again in his back pocket. It read \u201cI\u2019m free if you are?\u2019
Luke responded quickly. \u2018Give me 10 minutes\u00b4
When Luke came home and had put away his groceries, Reid called. And they talked for almost two hours, before Reid was called into an emergency.
Luke tentatively asked about Reid\u2019s bad day and Reid had no problem explaining what had happened with the 7 year old boy who was rushed into the hospital after he was hit by a car. Reid had spent most of the day trying to save his life, but in the end there was too much damage done to the boy\u2019s small body and Reid had to call it.
Luke knew from personal experience how hard dealing with these cases could be, how much they could affect you in your work. He told Reid about patients he\u2019d had under his care that didn\u2019t make it and tried to make Reid see that it was okay to be upset about it. He suspected Reid didn\u2019t give himself much time to grieve for anything or anybody. They argued about it, because Luke was right. Reid didn\u2019t grieve or mourn or do anything really to process bad days with difficult cases. He just ploughed on, working even harder, trying to be better and stronger so he would be able to help other patients.
Luke admired him for that and told him so. Reid on his part explained to Luke why he was envious of Luke\u2019s sunny disposition and easy way to handle people.
They both laughed about their admiration for each other and changed the subject to a dozen others.
When it was time for Reid to go, abruptly, he made a quick promise to call again. Or Luke could call him, even if he wasn\u2019t sure he would be able to pick up the phone. Luke let him know he was completely okay with that.
After that, their goodbye was hasty, but it left Luke with a buzzing feeling and a smile etched on his face.
Baby steps, he reminded himself.
But after that first phone call, it was like a dam had broken. Luke talked to Reid almost every day and never got tired of it. They never ran out of things to say and even if there fell a silence between sometimes, it was never uncomfortable.
One day Luke was telling Reid about celebrating Christmas with his large, crazy family, how big and loud it could be and he heard Reid groan on the other side of the line.
\u201cWhat is it with you and Christmas?\u201d Luke asked amused, but curious.
Reid sighed. \u201cI just don\u2019t care for it. I never have. It\u2019s just another day really.\u201d
Luke frowned. \u201cYou never cared for Christmas? Not even as a child? You didn\u2019t leave cookies and milk for Santa or got up really early to open your presents?\u201d He could easily picture Reid as a child, serious but eagerly waiting for Christmas morning.
\u201cNo, I can\u2019t say that I did.\u201d Reid answered. After a few moments of silence, he added, \u201cNot all of us celebrate Christmas quite the way your family does.\u201d
Luke bit his lip. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I didn\u2019t-\u201c
But Reid interrupted him. \u201cDon\u2019t apologize, I wasn\u2019t judging you. I was merely stating a fact. My parents were very different from yours. We never had elaborate celebrations. Not at Christmas, New Years or even a birthday. And that\u2019s alright. They taught me to work hard and become the best at what I do. And after they died, I continued to do that. So, this Christmas? I\u2019m working, just like every other year. And it\u2019s fine. Really.\u201d
Luke barely breathed, listening to Reid talk. This was the most Reid had shared about his past. He didn\u2019t like to talk about it, so Luke knew little to nothing. He only knew that Reid\u2019s parents had died in a car crash when he was about 10 years old and that he lived with his uncle until he went to college. Luke could tell form the way Reid had talked about it, they weren\u2019t the happiest of times. That\u2019s probably why he did not mentioned it.
\u201cOkay, if you say so,\u201d Luke said tentatively, \u201cit\u2019s just-, I would just hate for you to miss out on anything. Christmas is supposed to be a happy time even if you don\u2019t believe in anything, you know? Christmas can also be about spending time with your loved ones.\u201d
Reid snorted. \u201cSpending time with loved ones? And who would that be? My non-existent family?
Reid sounded bitter and sad and it went straight through Luke\u2019s heart.
Everything in Luke wanted to reach to Reid, to show him that he wasn\u2019t alone. So that\u2019s exactly what he did. He didn\u2019t even think twice about it.
\u201cI know you don\u2019t have any family left, Reid. And I am so sorry about that. But that doesn\u2019t mean you don\u2019t have people in your life that care about you, people that love you.\u201d Luke said urgently.
\u201cI\u2019m a cold, sarcastic asshole, Luke. People don\u2019t love me. Maybe there\u2019s one of two people that can stand to be around me and one of them is my boss. Who probably only cares about the work I do.\u201d Reid countered.
\u201cWell- what about me?\u201d Luke asked quietly, even though his heart was pounding in his chest.
Reid sighed. \u201cWhat about you, Luke?\u201d
\u201cMaybe I\u2019m someone that cares about you? Or even more?\u201d By now Luke was starting to sweat, phone almost slipping out of his hand, but he was determined to take this chance. He had to know if Reid could ever look at him the same way Luke looked at Reid.
It went completely silent on Reid\u2019s end and Luke held his breath without noticing.
When Reid spoke again, his voice sounded completely different. There was nothing left of his normal bravado and his voice sounded small.
\u201cLuke? What are you saying?\u201d
Luke\u2019s knuckles went white from his death grip on his phone. This was it, all or nothing.
\u201cIsn\u2019t it clear by now, Reid? Do I have to spell it out for you?\u201d Luke let out a short, nervous laugh. \u201cI didn\u2019t keep my end of our summer deal. I was supposed to say goodbye to you at the end of the summer and just take the good memories with me back home. I wasn\u2019t supposed to get attached, I wasn\u2019t supposed to enjoy being with you so much that I never wanted the summer to end. I wasn\u2019t supposed to miss you more than I thought possible and I sure as hell wasn\u2019t supposed to fall in love with you. But guess what\u2026.\u201d Luke took a deep breath to steady himself before he added the last part. \u201cI did do al of those things and I don\u2019t regret it.\u201d
When the line stayed silent, Luke rubbed his face with his free hand. He felt his throat close up and then with the telling burn in his eyes, he was close to crying.
\u201cReid,\u201d he pleaded, \u201csay something. Please.\u201d
He heard Reid take a shaky breath and then a clearing of his throat. \u201cI don\u2019t- It\u2019s not-\u2026
\u201cI don\u2019t expect you to feel the same way or to even want to think about it.\u201d Luke hastily interrupted. \u201cAnd I didn\u2019t even plan on telling you, but it kinda just\u2026 happened?\u201d Then he sighed. \u201cLook, I\u2019m sorry if made you feel uncomfortable. I don\u2019t want to make things awkward between us now, but I guess that\u2019s kind of inevitable now, right?\u201d
When there was no answer, he closed his eyes to force back the tears that were threatening to spill.
\u201cOkay then. I get it. I-I wish you all the best, Reid. Please, take care of yourself.\u201d
And ever so slowly, Luke pulled the phone away from his ear and he pressed the \u2018end\u2019 button on the screen.
*
It took Luke some time to get himself together for at least a little bit. He stopped re-reading Reid\u2019s texts obsessively, but could not bring himself to delete them. He did try, but he could never go through with it, he wasn\u2019t ready yet to let go of everything that reminded him of some of the happiest times of his life.
Casey was always around, watching him with concerned eyes, but he didn\u2019t say anything, he didn\u2019t offer empty words that would not make Luke feel better anyway and Luke was grateful for it.
He threw himself into his work, barely taking the time to have a break and eat or drink properly. Sleep came very rarely and he could not remember the last time he had a full night\u2019s sleep. It wasn\u2019t until there were bags under his eyes and he was pushing the food that Casey picked up on the way home, around on his plate that Casey finally opened his mouth.
\u201cLuke, I know you\u2019re hurting, but this, \u201che gestured to Luke from head to toe,\u201d has to stop. You have to eat, drink and sleep. You\u2019re not doing yourself any favors here. You know you have to be careful.\u201d
Luke glared at him. \u201cDon\u2019t start, Case. I\u2019m not in the mood.\u201d
Casey glared right back. \u201cI don\u2019t care if you\u2019re in the mood or not. You know I\u2019m right.\u201d
\u201cSo?\u201d Luke shrugged.
\u201cSo stop! I\u2019ve let you do whatever you wanted so far, but you\u2019ve got to stop wallowing in your misery man. It bothers me that you would treat yourself that way. He\u2019s not worth your health, Luke.
\u201cWell, if it bothers you so much, you can always leave.\u201d Luke said coldly.
Casey stood up abruptly and pushed his chair back. \u201cYou know what? I think I will. And while I\u2019m gone, you think about what you\u2019re doing and why, I might add.\u201d He turned and stomped out the room and a few seconds later Luke heard the front door slam shut.
He looked down into his plate of food miserably. Of course he knew Casey had a point. He should be more careful with how he treated his body. He\u2019d already destroyed one kidney with reckless behavior, he should treat the other one with a little bit more care and respect. He could not afford to let his emotions run his life, not again.
That\u2019s why, after staring down at his plate for a few more minutes, he quickly shoveled a few bites into his mouth and washed it down with a few gulps of water. He threw the rest away and cleared the table, put away the dishes in the dishwasher and let himself fall onto the couch.
He groaned, burying his face in a pillow. Luke didn\u2019t want to be sensible and do the right thing all the time, especially now, he wanted to be emotional and cry and make do stupid things. But he wasn\u2019t a teenager anymore and his body could not handle treatment like that anymore.
So Casey was right. And Luke felt sorry for fighting with him when all Casey did was worry about him.
Luke pulled out his phone and typed out a message to Casey, apologizing for what he did and promising to be better.
It didn\u2019t take long before his phone buzzed with Casey\u2019s short but to the point reply.
\u201cYou better.\u201d
Luke smiled and typed back \u2018ily2\u2019.
He laid back down again on the couch and stared at the ceiling. If only he could solve this thing with Reid so easily. Accepting that what they had - whatever it was - was now over, was something he wasn\u2019t ready for. He was not ready to let go of something he instinctively knew could be amazing! There was something between the two of them that was unlike anything Luke had experienced before. And he was sure Reid felt it too. The way Reid had understood Luke, didn\u2019t judge him for his past makes mistakes, the way Reid had opened up and told Luke a few things about his childhood, his past even though it was clearly difficult for him to talk about. Luke knew that this was not something Reid did often, Reid had told him so. Then why wasn\u2019t he willing to explore this thing between them further? Luke felt the urge to punch or throw something, but settled for stomping the cushion next to him. These thoughts in one form or another, kept circling in Luke\u2019s head. He couldn\u2019t make sense of it and it drove him crazy. He wanted to shake some sense, or rather, some emotion into Reid.
Sighing, Luke got up to make himself some tea and then was stopped in his tracks by a knock on the door. He briefly contemplated to just let it go, but decided against it in the end.
Another knock made him yell, \u201cYes! I\u2019m coming.\u201d He briskly walked towards the door and yanked it open. To his complete and total shock, it revealed the object of Luke\u2019s thoughts.

Reid.
A disheveled looking Reid with red eyes, bags under them, a few days\u2019 worth of stubble and unruly hair, but still, it was Reid.
\u201cReid? What-?\u201d It felt like Luke\u2019s brain had suddenly shut down, because everything went completely blank.
Reid took a small step towards Luke, pointing at him with the index finger of his right hand.
\u201cDid you mean it?\u201d He asked in a soft but firm voice.
\u201cWhat?\u201d Luke\u2019s brain was still rebooting, because he had no idea what Reid was talking about. \u201cDid I mean what?\u201d
Reid took another step and was now standing opposite Luke in the small hallway. His hands clenched at his sides
\u201cWhen you said you were in love with me. Did you mean it?\u201d
\u201cWhy?\u201d Luke asked, thoroughly confused.
\u201cPlease, Luke. Just-..\u201cReid eyes searched Luke\u2019s almost desperately. \u201cTell me\u2026 did you mean it?\u201d
Luke swallowed and looked right back into Reid\u2019s eye. \u201cYes.\u201d He said in a clear voice. \u201cEvery word.\u201d
A noise came out of Reid\u2019s throat and he hung his head for a moment and shook it. When he looked up again, his shone with something new that took Luke\u2019s breath away and his lips curled up in the corners.
Reid lifted his left hand and cupped Luke\u2019s jaw, his thumb stroking Luke\u2019s cheekbone. He stepped even closer to Luke, while pulling Luke towards him at the same time.
\u201cI\u2019m glad.\u201d He said softly, before pressing his mouth to Luke\u2019s.
Luke\u2019s head was spinning. One moment he was hurting because he thought he\u2019d lost Reid and now Reid was here! Kissing him and being glad Luke\u2019s was in love with him.
Reid must have felt the confusion in Luke, because he pulled back to rest his forehead against Luke\u2019s. \u201cAre you alright?\u201d He asked, his hand moving to the back of Luke\u2019s neck.
\u201cYes-no\u2026 I don\u2019t know.\u201d Luke answered truthfully, reaching out to touch Reid\u2019s face. \u201cI\u2019m confused.\u201d
His fingers touched the stubble on Reid\u2019s cheek and he had to stop himself from letting his mouth follow the path of his fingers.
\u201cHow are you here? Why are you here?\u201d He asked. \u201cI\u2019m so happy to see you, but I don\u2019t understand\u2026 at all.\u201d
Reid laughed softly. \u201cIsn\u2019t it obvious by now, Luke? Do I have to spell it out for you?\u201d Luke immediately recognized the words. It was the same words Luke used when he\u2019d confessed his love to Reid. Hope started to bubble up in his chest, but he still needed Reid to really say the words out loud.
\u201cYes... tell me. Because you are not obvious at all.\u201d Luke smiled.
Reid moved closer and pulled Luke into an almost bone-crushing hug. It felt so good to finally have Reid\u2019s body against his own again, that Luke let out a shaky breath and buried his face in Reid\u2019s neck, his arms wound tight around Reid\u2019s waist automatically.
Then Reid started to speak, his mouth close to Luke\u2019s ear. \u201cAfter the summer, I was so confused, Luke. I was a mess and didn\u2019t understand why and I tried to shut it down. So I did what I always do, I worked. I worked so much I didn\u2019t have time for anything else. I tried to forget about you, about how it was between us last summer.
And then, then you contacted me and I was right back to square one. I realized that you had touched something in me and it scared the hell out of me. And then after our last\u2026 conversation, I completely panicked. And eventually, it was Terry that slapped some sense into me. She made me realize that I shouldn\u2019t just let you go. Not because we made some stupid summer-agreement.\u201d Reid pulled back to press a kiss to Luke\u2019s forehead. He then leaned his own forehead against Luke\u2019s and closed his eyes. After a few moments of silence, he took a deep breath.
\u201cWhat I\u2019m saying is\u2026 I want to give us a try, Luke. Because- because I\u2019m in love with you too.\u201d Reid confessed. \u201cAnd I want to spend the rest of my summers with you.\u201d
The burst of happiness inside of Luke upon hearing Reid\u2019s words, was like fireworks. A burst of light, color and joy and it warmed him from the inside out.
He whispered \u201cMe too.\u201d and lifted his hands to cup Reid\u2019s face and their lips met with a kind of gentle aching desperation. It felt so, so right that Luke wanted nothing more than to stay right there in Reid\u2019s arms, kissing him until he couldn\u2019t breath anymore.
But then Reid moved his hands down Luke\u2019s back, pressing them closer together. And as if a switch was turned on, everything turned hot and frantic after that.
Until Luke wrenched his mouth away from Reid\u2019s to pant, \u201cCome on. We\u2019re not doing this in the hallway.\u201d He kicked the door shut and then dragged Reid through the hallway towards his bedroom. Yes, they would have to talk a lot more, but right now, it could wait until later.
Their clothes came off the moment they reached the bedroom. When they both were completely naked, Luke tugged Reid down with him as he laid down on top of the covers. They hastily started rediscovering each other again, hands roaming and mouths searching, trying to give each other as much pleasure as possible.
Luke already knew that Reid was in proportion everywhere and while he thought it was unfair that Reid looked the way he looked, while he ate the way he ate, Luke wasn\u2019t complaining.
Because when Reid\u2019s perfectly shaped cock finally slotted into place inside him, it fitted him like a key to a lock. And it knocked the breath out of Luke because the feeling that he always had during his time with Noah, that there was missing something, something significant and beautiful, that feeling was gone. Luke finally felt whole as if he had been waiting for this, for Reid and his body to make him feel helpless and powerful at the same time. He didn\u2019t question it or try to understand it, in fact he stopped thinking altogether, because the feeling of Reid inside him, with his hands on Luke\u2019s hips, his mouth on his neck was becoming almost too much. Instead, he just felt. Felt Reid move inside him, felt Reid\u2019s hand move from his hips to his thighs and back up to his stomach, his chest and back to their original place, felt Reid\u2019s mouth move from his neck to his chin to his ears, his eyes and finally to his mouth. And it felt so good, so right as nothing before.
Later, when they\u2019re coming down from their highs and a cold nose pressed against Luke\u2019s neck, Reid murmured sleepily,\u201dWe should work on lasting longer than 5 minutes.\u201d
Luke shook with laughter and put his hands on Reid\u2019s arm around his waist. \u201cStop. It was perfect.\u201d
And after a moment of silence, Reid replied, \u201cYeah.\u201d and he kissed between Luke\u2019s shoulder blades.

*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:18050","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/18050.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=18050"}}],"title":"Those summer nights chapter 8","published":"2016-04-18T12:02:24Z","updated":"2016-04-18T12:02:24Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"2 months later

Luke l\u00f3ved his work at the hospital. He loved almost everything about it. Every day was different and even though he always felt dead tired after the end of his shift, he couldn't think of anything he'd rather do for a living.

When he returned from his summer job, he looked forward to starting his job at the hospital. He still had a few days to adjust again and get ready for his first day.
He had visited his family, enjoyed spending time with them, especially with his brother and sisters, but at the same time he was happy he had his own place.
His mother's seemingly innocent questions about how he spend his summer and with who, started to annoy him quickly. It didn't help that his ex still lived at his mother's house and even though he usually wasn't home when Luke visited (Luke made sure of that), there were things that reminded Luke of him everywhere. Clothes, personal items and sometimes Luke could even smell his cologne.
It made Luke not want to go to his mother's house anymore so instead he started to invite his siblings to his apartment.

He tried not to think about a certain neurosurgeon who made his summer an incredible experience, and focus on his job.
And it worked, to some extend. But when he came home after a long shift and crawled into bed exhausted, his mind always drifted to blue eyes, capable hands with slender fingers and strong arms that could keep Luke warm. Sometimes he let his mind go further and he pleasured himself with thoughts of Reid, of Reid's body and how he could make Luke feel.
But there were nights that he couldn't sleep, no matter how tired he was. Nights that his mind was filled with images of him and Reid being together, just living their life. Those nights were difficult, when he tossed and turned and wasn't able to grasp hold of any sleep.
His feelings for Reid were the same as the day Reid left him standing outside his house. If anything, they seemed to get stronger, but still... he hadn't tried to contact Reid.

It wasn't that Luke wasn't content with his life, because he was. He had a great job, great friends and he loved his family, crazy as they were. But he did miss something extra in his life. He missed someone to call his own, someone to care of, to love and to spend his days and nights with. And he wanted Reid to be that one.
But if his past relationship taught him anything, then he wasn't going to run after Reid. He had done that with his ex for a long time and it had gotten him nowhere. He'd been called clingy, overbearing and smothering. And even though Luke didn't really understand why, because why would you not want to take care of the one you love or spend time with them, the experience had made him careful.
Caring for people was in his nature, otherwise he wouldn't have become a nurse, but he had become cautious in how far he wanted to go with giving his care and affection in his personal life.
He had to be sure it was wanted by the person he gave it to. And he wasn\u2019t sure Reid was in the same place as he was.

*

The moment Luke turned the key to unlock the door to his apartment, his phone started ringing. He recognized the ringtone he assigned to his mother and sighed. After the day the had, he was not in the mood for fending off the remarks about his life. So for a moment he contemplated not picking up, but he knew she would call him until he picked up.
Luke kicked the door shut behind him and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

\u201cHi mom.\u201d Luke let himself fall down on the couch when he greeted his mother.

\u201cHey sweetie. How are you?\u201d

\u201cI just came home from work and I\u2019m tired.\u201d He rubbed his eyes. He wasn\u2019t lying, he really was tired.

\u201cOh honey, I\u2019m sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?\u201d His mother asked concerned.

\u201cNo mom, it\u2019s fine. I\u2019m just gonna grab something to eat and then go to bed early.\u201d Luke answered.
\u201cThanks for the offer, though.\u201d He added, because he did appreciate her concern.

\u201cSo\u2026 how have you been? I haven\u2019t seen you much lately.\u201d His mother asked.

Luke stood up from the couch and walked to the kitchen to inspect if there was anything edible left in there.

\u201cI\u2019ve just been busy, mom. You know, new job and all. It takes time to get used to everything. And I need to focus on that, I just don\u2019t have the time or energy for much else.\u201d

He found a container with left-overs that grandma Emma had given to him yesterday, telling him he needed to eat healthy if he was so busy all the time.

\u201cI know, I know. I just don\u2019t want you to over-work yourself. You need to take care of yourself, sweetie. Especially in your condition.\u201d She added.

\u201cMom, I don\u2019t have a condition.\" Luke said. \"And I am taking care of myself. In fact, I'm about to eat some of grandma's meatloaf, so really, there nothing to be concerned about. And I don't think I can overwork myself in two months.\" He put the container in the microwave, adjusted the time and pressed 'start'.

\"Maybe not.\" His mother laughed a little. \"But I can't help but worry about you.\" Luke then heard some noise in the background. He stared at the microwave, counting down the seconds till his food was ready.

\"Noah says hi.\" His mother's voice sounded again.

Luke rolled his eyes. \"Thanks. Listen, my food is almost ready, so I'm gonna go, okay?\" He said, ending the call abruptly. \u201cBye mom.\u201d

He pressed \u2018end\u2019 and tossed the phone onto the countertop, resisting the urge to throw it across the room. He would celebrate the day his mother could have a conversation with him without mentioning Noah.
The microwave dinged, indicated his food was warm. Luke pulled out the plate and moved to sit on the couch. He turned on the TV, searched for something to watch on Netflix and ate quietly. Just as he was finishing up washing his plate, his phone rang again. Casey.

\u201cHey Case, what\u2019s up?\u201d Luke cradled the phone between his ear and his shoulder, while he dried off his plate.

\u201cLuke! Do you have any plans for Halloween?\u201d Casey asked very enthousiastically.

\u201cMaybe I\u2019ll take Ethan trick or treating, but I haven\u2019t checked with my mom yet. Why?\u201d

\u201cYou want to hang out later? I could come over?\u201d Casey said.

Luke frowned. It wasn\u2019t like Casey to stay in on any holiday, but especially not on Halloween. \u201cDon\u2019t you have a standing invitation from Malone\u2019s?\u201d Casey was notorious for partying hard at Malone\u2019s, a bar in the centre of town.

\u201cYeah.\u201d Casey sighed. \u201cBut I\u2019m not feeling it this year. I don\u2019t know. Maybe\u2026 maybe I just want to spend some time with my best bro!\u201d

Luke snorted. \u201cWe see each other more than once a week, Case. What\u2019s going on?\u201d

It stayed silent for a few moments. Then Casey said, \u201cAllison doesn\u2019t know if she wants to go through with the wedding.\u201d

\u201cWhat?\u201d Luke was stunned. Allison had been the one to press Casey into marrying her, Casey had just wanted to make her happy. \u201cWhy?\u201d

\u201cWell, apparently she doesn\u2019t know if I\u2019m the one.\u201d Casey said with emphasis on \u2018the one\u2019.

\u201cWow. That\u2019s rough.. \u201c Luke said empathically. \u201cYou didn\u2019t see it coming?\u201d

\u201cI don\u2019t know, maybe? She\u2019s been a little distant lately, but I thought she was just busy and tired, you know? But turns out, she\u2019s been having coffee with Chris, her ex and my uncle.\u201d

\u201cAre you serious?\u201d Luke was shocked. \u201cDid she cheat on you?\u201d Again, Luke added silently.

\u201cShe says she didn\u2019t, but right now, I don\u2019t know what to believe.\u201d Casey sounded downright miserable.

\u201cDid you break up or\u2026 \u201c Luke hesitantly asked.

\u201cNot yet. But right now, everything is messed up. On one hand I want to convince her that we \u00e1re meant te be, but after everything we\u2019ve been through\u2026 I mean if she still has doubts after all this time then I don\u2019t know what to do about it.\u201d

\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything you can do about it. It\u2019s something that she has to feel and know in her heart to be true. When she doesn\u2019t\u2026 I don\u2019t know what to tell you right now.\u201d It was hard hearing his best friend in pain, but Luke didn\u2019t know how to fix it. \u201cDo you want me to go talk to her?\u201d

\u201cNo, that\u2019s alright. I don\u2019t know if that would make it better or worse.\u201d

\u201cThanks.\u201d Luke said in a mock-offense tone.

It made Casey laugh for a moment, but then he got serious again. \u201cIt\u2019s just difficult, being here with her. I don\u2019t know how to act, you know? Do I pretend everything is fine or do I ignore her or what?\u201d
He sighed again.

Luke sat up straighter. \u201cYou know, if you wanted to get away for a while, you can always stay with me, if you want? I have an extra room, you know that.\u201d

\u201cReally?\u201d Casey \u201cBecause I could be there in about 30 minutes.\u201d

\u201cWow, you really do want to get out.\u201d Luke laughed.

\u201cYeah, but if it\u2019s inconvenient\u2026 I mean, it doesn\u2019t have to be tonight.\u201d

\u201cJust get your ass over here, Case. I\u2019ll make sure the spare room is ready for you.\u201d

\u201cThank you Luke. Really, thank you.\u201d Casey\u2019s voice was thin but sincere.

\u201cNo need to thank me, you\u2019re my best friend. Now, come on, I\u2019ll see you soon.\u201d

Luke ended the call and fell backwards into the pillows. He couldn\u2019t wrap his head around what Casey had just told him. In his eyes, Allison and Casey were great together. Sure, they had their \u2026 up and downs, so to speak, but in the end they really loved each other. Or, at least, that what Luke thought.
Luke rubbed his eyes for a moment, then pushed himself off the couch to go put clean sheets on the bed in the spare room.

*

Living with Casey turned out to be both annoying and great. Annoying because Casey was messy, like really messy and didn\u2019t clean anything. But great because he cooked amazing meals and made sure the fridge was always stocked with everything Luke liked.
Like Casey wanted, they\u2019d stayed home on Halloween and watched old horror movies. It was fun and they felt like going back to all the summers they lived together at the beach. Maybe it was because of this that Casey brought up the subject of \u2018Reid\u2019 to Luke.

\u201cDo you ever think about that doctor? The one you met this summer?\u201d He asked one evening, seemingly innocent while mashing up potatoes for diner.

Luke almost choked on the coke he was drinking and coughed violently. \u201cJeez, warn a guy, will you?\u201d He wheezed.

Casey looked at him amused. \u201cI think I got my answer.\u201d He said in a sing-song voice.

Luke tried to throw a napkin at his head, but the air worked against him and it fell limply between them.
\u201cShut up.\u201d

\u201cVery mature.\u201d

\u201cShut up.\u201d

Casey finished mashing the potatoes and pulled out two plates. He loaded them up with meat, vegetables and the potatoes. He then put on the plates in front of Luke and sat down across from him with his own plate.

\u201cI\u2019m serious though. You were pretty hung up on him then.\u201d Casey said before stuffing his mouth.

Luke looked at his full plate miserable. \u201cI still am.\u201d He admitted quietly.

Casey looked at him pensive, while chewing his food. \u201cWhat are you going to do about it? And don\u2019t start with the \u2018I don\u2019t want to be clingy\u2019 thing. Because sending him a text or calling him is not clingy and you know it.\u201d

Luke shrugged. He started eating hoping it would get him out of answering to Casey. But Casey didn\u2019t let go this time. He knew what Luke in love looked like and he was determined to urge Luke to follow his heart.

Luke swallowed and said, \u201cIt\u2019s not what we agreed upon. It was just for the summer and nothing more.\u201d

\u201cBut you didn\u2019t know then how you would feel now.\u201d Casey argued.

\u201cTrue, but that doesn\u2019t really matter, does it? It\u2019s not like he has tried to contact me.\u201d Luke shoved another mouthful into his mouth.

Casey looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. \u201cIs that what this is about? Are you afraid he doesn\u2019t feel the same way?\u201d

Luke sighed. \u201cOf course I\u2019m afraid he doesn\u2019t feel the same way. What if he doesn\u2019t want anything to do with me now? Besides he\u2019s not a relationship-kind-of-person. He said so himself. What good would it do me to set myself up for rejection?\u201d

Casey leaned forward to catch Luke\u2019s eyes. \u201cThen you\u2019ll know and you can move on. It\u2019s been months now and you\u2019re still in love with him even without seeing him or talking to him. It\u2019s time to do something.\u201d

Luke stared at his best friend. It wasn\u2019t that he hadn\u2019t thought about doing exactly what Casey was saying. But the fear of rejection was always bigger than his courage. But Casey was right. He couldn\u2019t hang on to a dream, it was better and healthier to know for sure where he stood. He felt like maybe now he could actually do it.

\u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d He told Casey.

\u201cWhat?\u201d

Luke laughed at Casey\u2019s face. \u201cWhat, you didn\u2019t think I would agree with you?\u201d
\u201cOh, I know you agree with me, I just didn\u2019t know if you\u2019d be man enough to admit it.\u201d Casey grinned.

Luke narrowed his eyes at him. \u201cThere are so many ways I could go with that sentence that I\u2019m not even going to bother.\u201d

Casey just laughed.

They finished eating and Luke cleaned everything up, since Casey had cooked.

Luke went to his room and sat down on his bed. He stared at his phone for a long time, trying to find the courage to do what he wanted to do.

Finally, he opened his list of contacts and found Reid easily. But then the problem was, what to say?
Just \u2018hello?\u2019 or \u2018How are you?\u2019. It sounded so stupid. It took him about an hour of weighing the possibilities before he finally settled on \u2018Happy Thanksgiving, Reid. I hope you\u2019re doing well. Luke.\u201d
He wasn\u2019t completely satisfied with it, but is was the best he could think of.
He typed the short message in and then his thumb hovered over the \u2018send\u2019 button. Then with sudden determination he pressed send and immediately threw his phone on his bed and ran downstairs.

\u201cSo, I sent Reid a text.\u201d He said casually while sitting down next to Casey, who was lounging on the couch, reading a magazine.

Casey jumped up and enveloped him in a hug. \u201cWell done! Good for you, man!\u201d

Then he pulled back and looked at Luke expectantly. \u201cAnd?\u201d

Luke grimaced. \u201cI don\u2019t know. I threw my phone out of sight and came downstairs.\u201d

\u201cWhy?\u201d Casey laughed. \u201cDon\u2019t you want to know his reply?\u201d

\u201cDon\u2019t laught at me, this is really serious, Case. What if he doesn\u2019t answer? Or\u2026 what if he does and it\u2019s \u2026\u201d Luke shook his head.

\u201cAs I said before, then you\u2019ll know. And that\u2019s better than staying in the dark.\u201d Casey stopped laughing, but kept smiling. He squeezed Luke\u2019s shoulder in support. \u201cCome on, go get your phone and we\u2019ll go out. Take your mind of things.\u201d And he gave Luke a little push against his shoulder in the direction of the door.

\u201cYo\u2019s?\u201d Luke asked as he did as Casey asked. \u201cShoot some pool?\u201d

\u201cSure.\u201d Casey replied, while pulling his shoes from under the table.

Luke took the stairs two at the time and contemplated putting on a clean shirt, when he saw his phone laying on the bed with the screen lit up, indicating he received some kind of message in the previous minutes.

Immediately his heart rate picked up and he snagged up the phone to look who tried to reach him.

Thanks! You too. Things are good. How are you? Reid

It was short and nothing special really, but Luke couldn\u2019t help but do a small happy dance. He let himself fall onto his bed with his phone clutched in his hand.
He re-read the message few times, smiling because it just like Reid, not fuss and to the point.
Luke briefly considered not replying immediately, because he didn\u2019t want to come across as too eager or demanding, but then again, Reid hadn\u2019t wasted anytime texting him back\u2026

I\u2019m good. My job is amazing, I love it and I\u2019m learning everyday. I\u2019m living with Casey now, as friends (Luke felt it was vital to emphasize that last part). He\u2019s dealing with some stuff. It\u2019s fun though. Reminds me of the summer\u2026 Luke.

He\u2019d meant it as a bit of a joke, but when Luke hit \u2018send\u2019, he realized that living with Casey did remind him of how they lived during the summer, it reminded him of the carefree time they spent at the beach. And even though he really loved his job, a part of Luke wanted to go back there and just enjoy life as it came every day. The easy way he and Reid fell into step with each other, no expectations, just enjoying every day, was something he missed.
During his relationship with Noah, Luke had often wondered and worried about the future. It was hard for him to enjoy their everyday-life together, he was constantly trying to appease Noah and try to fit himself into Noah\u2019s life. It took him too long to realize that Noah never really made room for him. Not permanently.

You need Casey to remind you of last summer? I must have done something wrong\u2026 Reid

Luke barked out a surprised laugh. Just like that, with a few texts, he felt like the months he had no contact with Reid melted away and they picked up right where they left off.
Grinning he quickly started to text Reid back.

About half an hour later, Casey \u2013 who had been waiting for Luke downstairs, came up to see what was keeping Luke.
He peeked through Luke\u2019s open door and found him laying on his bed, reading something on his phone with red cheeks.
\u201cWhatcha doin\u2019?\u201d Casey suddenly said, startling Luke into shrieking and almost dropping the phone.

Casey started laughing and it didn\u2019t take long for Luke to join in.

\u201cAsshole.\u201d Luke laughed.

Casey grinned. \u201cI couldn\u2019t help myself.\u201d He nodded towards Luke. \u201cWhat were you so focused on?\u201d

Luke\u2019s cheeks flushed and he couldn\u2019t help the goofy grin that spread over his face. \u201cReid texted back.\u201d

\u201cAh\u2026, that explains why you didn\u2019t come back down.\u201d

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, I totally forgot.\u201d Luke apologized, sitting up straight.

\u201cIt\u2019s okay. But I guess we\u2019re staying in tonight?\u201d Casey asked, already knowing the answer.

\u201cYeah, I guess we are. We can go tomorrow though?\u201d Luke suggested, feeling a little bit guilty about ditching Casey for Reid.

\u201cSure.\u201d Casey said easily. He didn\u2019t really care, only wanted to go out to take Luke\u2019s mind of Reid. \u201cI think I\u2019m going to bed early.\u201d

Luke frowned. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d

\u201cYes, Luke. I\u2019m fine. I just want to clear my head a little bit and maybe a good night\u2019s sleep will do that.\u201d

\u201cDo you want to talk about it?\u201d Luke offered hesitantly.

\u201cNo. Not now anyway. But maybe later.\u201d Casey said. \u201cYou enjoy your texts with hot doc.\u201d He wiggled his eyebrows. \u2018

Luke laughed and threw a pillow at him. \u201cShut up.\u201d

*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:17875","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/17875.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=17875"}}],"title":"Those summer nights chapter 7","published":"2016-04-18T12:01:40Z","updated":"2016-04-18T12:01:40Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"Luke was buzzing with nervous excitement. He felt his heartbeat in his throat when he walked from the beach to the house. His shift had ended 10 minutes ago and he'd packed his things quickly. He'd shouted goodbye to his colleagues and friends, declining their invite to come and hang out with them. When Casey had come up to him, wiggling his eyebrows and teasing him about hooking up with the hot doctor, again, Luke hadn't even talked back, he'd just smiled and slung his bag over his shoulder, not bothering to close the zipper. He just slapped Casey on the shoulder.

\"See you tomorrow, Case.\"

\"Yeah. Sure.\" Casey answered, a little surprised because Luke always reacted whenever Casey teased him. Always. \"Have fun with your doctor tonight.\"

Luke turned around and smiled wickedly. \"I will.\"

But now, when he'd almost reached the house, his courage seemed to slip a little and his nerves began to take over. Silently he scolded himself that there was nothing to be nervous about. He was just a guy about to have sex, like many other young guys. Nothing special about it. Except that this was special to Luke and it did mean a lot. But he wanted it, oh, he wanted it badly. He couldn't remember the last time he wanted someone like this. And what he knew for sure was that Reid wanted him back just as much.
Luke took the stairs two at the time and pulled open the back door.

\"Reid?\" He called out. There was nobody in the room, but there were traces of Reid everywhere.

He walked across the room towards the stairs. \"Reid?\" He called out again.

\"I'm upstairs!\" Reid's voice came down muffled.

Luke bounded up the stairs, leaving his backpack(??) at the bottom of the stairs, heading straight for Reid's bedroom. He froze on the doorstep when he saw what was going in there.

\"What- what are you doing?\" Luke's voice was hoarse and he tried to swallow, but his mouth felt dry.

\"I'm packing.\" Reid answer, walking back into the closet to get more of his things.

Luke's knuckles went white around the doorframe. \"I can see that.\" He said slowly. \"But why?\"

For a few moments Reid didn't answer, he emerged from the closet with a armful of clothes and dumped them on the bed. He began folding all the pieces expertly before starting to explain what happened.

\"I got a call from Terry. There's an emergency at the hospital that needs my expertise and skills. I have to get into the operation room as soon as possible.\" He said while arranging the folded pieces into his suitcase.

\"Oh.\" Luke said, still hovering in the doorway. \"How soon is that?\"

Finally, Reid stopped what he was doing and stood up straight. He lifted his head and looked Luke straight in his eyes. \"A taxi is on its way now, so maybe half an hour?\"

\"Half an hour?\" Luke was shocked. That soon?

Reid sighed and walked towards Luke. He cupped Luke's cheek with one hand and stroked his cheekbone, making Luke lean into the touch.
\"I'm sorry.\" He said. \"This isn't... I didn't....\"Reid sighed again. \"There's nothing I can do about it. I can't say no.\"

Luke swallowed. \"No, no, of course you can't.\" Then he bit his lip. \"But are you coming back? He asked tentatively.

The answer came quick. \"I don't think so, no.\"

But when Reid took in Luke's face, disappointment so obvious on it, he sighed. \"Listen, I was going to leave anyway in a few days. I don't know how things will go with my patient, but I probably won't have any free time left when I'm done operating. You know how it goes, Luke.\"

Luke nodded briefly. \"Yes, I know. It's just-... This isn't how I thought tonight would go.\" He said with a weak smile.

Reid moved his hand to the back of Luke's neck and pulled him forward, his other arm sliding around Luke's back.
\"I know, me too.\" He kissed Luke quickly, but firmly. When he pulled back, Luke chased his mouth with his eyes closed, pulling Reid back into in a deeper, wetter kiss. It made Reid forget about what he was doing and he kissed Luke back, his hands gripping the fabric of Luke's shirt.
They kissed for minutes, not minding anything but the feel and taste of each other.
It was when Reid felt Luke's arousal pressing against his own, that he broke the kiss, breathing a little heavy, \"We\u2019ve gotta stop.\"
Luke didn't respond, he felt that if he would open his mouth right now, he would say things that Reid didn't want to hear. So he just removed his hands from their favorite place, Reid's hair, and tried to take a step back. But then Reid put his hand under Luke\u2019s chin and lifted his head.
\"Come on, you can help me pack.\"

Ten minutes later, everything was packed into the suitcases and they had put them in the hallway. It was then that Reid noticed Luke's bag. It was thrown against the bottom of the stairs and the contents threatened to spill out.
Reid bent down to put everything back into the bag, when he stumbled upon a familiar box between the clothes. He stared at it, his mind going in a million different directions, but stubbornly coming back to same thing: Luke was ready. He'd come here with the intention to fuck. Reid swallowed. He had been waiting for this day because he desperately wanted to bury himself into Luke's ass, make him forget everything else but Reid's name. He kept staring at the box until he heard Luke's footsteps coming down the stairs, then he sprung into action and quickly shoved everything back into the bag and closed the zipper.
\"I checked the rooms again, but I don't think you forgot anything.\" Luke said, coming to a stop next to Reid.
Right. He was leaving and definitely not introducing his dick to Luke's ass. Or the other way around, he didn't care.
\"Reid?\" Luke asked, waving his hand in front of Reid when he didn't answer.

Reid just stared at him, taking him in, his eyes, his mouth with the ridiculously sexy lips, his crazy hair and broad shoulders and like that, the control he'd fought so hard to keep since Luke walked into the house, suddenly was gone.
He lunged at Luke, grabbing his face and kissing him with such force that Luke stumbled back against the wall, which was just fine with Reid. He pressed himself as close as possible to Luke's body, trying to feel all of him. \"God, Luke, I want you.\" He murmured, kissing along Luke's cheek to his ear, licking and sucking at the soft lobe.
Luke was startled when he suddenly had his arms full of Reid, but he got on board quickly and moaned when Reid continued to suck on his neck, sliding his hands down Reid's back to pull him even closer.
Reid started to push Luke's shirt up and lowered himself to his knees when a car honked just outside, breaking the intensity of the moment.
\"No, no, no...\" Luke chanted, burying his hands in Reid's hair. Reid let his head lean against Luke's stomach, his breath coming out in harsh pants. \"Fuck.\" He muttered, sliding his hands up Luke's torso again. After a few moments, he stood up again, cupped Luke's cheeks in both his hands and kissed him again. This time he kept it sweet and warm.
\"I think that's me.\" He said, slowly moving away from Luke. He opened the front door to find the taxi waiting for him at the side of the road.
Luke pushed himself of off the wall and moved to grab one of Reid's bags. Reid took the other and together they walked towards the taxi, shoulders touching, and stuffed the bags in the trunk.
Wordlessly they made their way back to the house where Luke lifted up his own bag and Reid made sure all the lights were off before closing the front door and locking it.
\"I hate goodbyes.\" Luke said, his hands twisting around the strap of his bag.
\"Then we won't say it.\" Reid joked, placing his hand on Luke's arm. \"Listen, I-I had a great time with you this summer, Luke, and I really wish I didn't have to go right now.\" Reid inhaled deeply. \"But it is what it is. So, I want you to enjoy the time you have left here and when you go back and start working as a nurse, you're going to be amazing.\"
\"Yeah?\" Luke tried to smile.
\"Of course. I'm never wrong.\" Reid said with a wink. \"Oh, and don't let that ex-boyfriend of yours mess with you. Okay?\"
Luke nodded, appreciating Reid's words. It gave him a warm feeling in his chest and he wanted to give something back. So he grabbed Reid's face in his hands. \"And you go to your patient and be amazing, okay?\" He leaned in and kissed Reid again, trying to hold all his emotions in check and be casual about never seeing Reid again, even though the kiss didn't last long, to Luke it meant everything.
When it ended, he was unable to lift his eyes and look at Reid when he pulled back, but he heard the last words \"I'm sorry.\" whispered against his ear.
Luke didn't say anything back this time. He was trying to deal with not being ready to let go yet, not with his hands or with his heart.
He felt Reid's lips on his own one more time, just a soft press. And the next thing was the car door closing and the sound of the engine starting.
When Luke finally dared to look up, all he saw was two red lights in the distance.
After standing there, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened, he pulled out his phone.

\"Are you free tonight?\" Luke asked when someone on the other end picked up,

\"I thought you were spending the night at Reid's?\" Casey asked.

\"Reid's gone.\" Luke's tone was flat as he was still staring off into the direction Reid disappeared in.

\"What? What do you mean, gone?\" Casey sounded confused.

\"I mean that he's gone. He just left.\" Luke closed his eyes, his own words hitting him hard suddenly.

\"Left as in not coming back?\" Casey asked. \"Where are you?\"

\"I'm outside his house.\" Luke turned to look back at the beautiful house where he spend so many happy hours with Reid.

\"Okay, well... just- come home, Luke. We'll talk then, okay?\" Casey said.

\"Yeah, I'll be right there.\" Luke disconnected and hoisted his bad higher onto his shoulder.

-----

\"So, what happened?\" Casey asked, once Luke was home and sprawled out on the couch.

Luke had one arm slung over his eyes. \"He got a call from the hospital and had to leave immediately. When I got to his house tonight, we had about 20 minutes before his taxi was there.\"

\"Oh. Wow... that's pretty brutal, man.\" Casey sympathized.

Luke snorted. \"Yeah, you could say that.\" Then he sat up. \"You know what bothers me? I know we kind of agreed that this was just a summer thing, but he didn't even seem fazed. Like he didn't really care that we're never going to see each other again.\"

\"It bothers you because you do care.\" Casey said softly.

Luke made a face. \"I know it's stupid, but yeah... I do. I knew what I was getting into and still I let my feelings make everything difficult.\"

\"You can't help how you feel, man. It either happens or it doesn't, you can't stop it.\" Casey stood up to get himself a beer and Luke a coke. He threw the can at Luke, who caught it in one hand. \"Don't open it yet.\" Casey grinned.

Luke put it down on the coffee table and let himself fall back into the cushions. \"What am I going to do now, Case? I don't want to hang on to something that is never going to be real.\"

\"Why can't it be real though?\" Casey asked, sipping his beer.

\"Because- because that's... not what we agreed on.\" Luke said weakly.

\"So? Things can change, right?\"

Luke shrugged.

\"Or are you scared that things have just changed for you, but not for him?\" Casey asked carefully.

Luke sighed. \"I don't know. He never said anything about it...\"

\"But neither did you.\" Casey interjected.

\"True.\" Luke agreed. \"That doesn't have to mean anything.\"

Luke's thoughts went back tot that afternoon, when Reid had sat on his lap and they just enjoyed sitting together quietly. Reid had admitted that he liked it, just sitting there watching the ocean. It definitely was a moment and it made the ache in Luke's chest hurt even more.

\"I just know we could be good together, you know? There is something there. I don't want to let that go to waste.\" Luke said.

\"Then don't.\" Casey said, leaning back with an easy smile.

\"What?\" Luke looked up, frowning.

\"You still have his number right?\"

\"Yes?\" Luke answered hesitantly.

\"So? It's not like he dropped of the face of the earth? You can easily stay in touch. Jesus, Luke, it's not like you to be this dense.\" Casey said a little exasperated.

Luke's frown got deeper. \"I don't want to go against his wishes, Case. He'll resent me for it, and he'll think I'm clingy. We both know he wouldn't be the first.\"

\"Luke, stop it.\" Casey said sharply. \"We're not going down that road again.\"

The sharpness in Casey's voice made Luke look up and look at his best friend. He saw the concern in Casey's eyes and it moved him. He really couldn't ask for a better friend than Casey.

Out of the blue, Luke suddenly said, \"I love you, Case. And thank you for being here for me.\" His eyes suddenly stung.

Casey leaned forward, put his hand on Luke's knee and squeezed gently. \"Anytime. And I love you too.\" He stood up and stretched out his arms. \"I think I'm going out for a while. You wanna come?\"

\"No thanks.\" Luke answered, gently opening up the coke can. \"I'm not in the mood.\"

\"Okay, you get this one night to mope, but after that you're coming with me, you hear?\" Casey warned.

\"We'll see.\" Luke laughed.

\"I'll see you tomorrow, amigo. And in the meantime, think about what I said.\" And with that, Casey was gone.

Luke sat back, flipped on the TV and tried to focus on what he saw. But after about 10 minutes, he gave up and switched the tv off. It was no use; he couldn't concentrate. All he could think about was how different this day ended than Luke had thought this morning. Now that Reid had left-that their 'thing' was over, he couldn't help but think that maybe he should have given up his inhibitions sooner. But if he was honest with himself, he knew he wasn't ready before. It would not have been a good experience, no matter how much he liked Reid.
Luke sighed. It didn't even matter now. He was back to spending nights alone.
*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:17487","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/17487.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=17487"}}],"title":"Those summer nights chapter 6","published":"2016-04-18T12:00:27Z","updated":"2016-04-18T12:00:48Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"\u201cTell me about your new job?\" Reid asked one night as they lay in bed, Reid's head pillowed on Luke's stomach. They had just completed two rounds of vigorous sex (but still without actual fucking) and were basking in the afterglow.

Luke ran his hand through Reid's hair. \"What do you want to know? There's not much to tell, I haven't started yet.\"

Reid rolled onto his stomach to be able to look at Luke. \"Well, you mentioned working in your hometown? What kind of hospital is it?\"

A small smile appeared on Luke's face thinking about the hospital back home.
\"It's a small hospital. Nothing fancy, but there are good doctors there and the Chief of Staff is not only a great doctor but also a wonderful man.\"

Reid rolled his eyes. \"Let me guess, you're all on a first name basis with each other.\"

Luke laughed. \"Yes, we are. But that's because our families are connected. His grandson is my best friend.\"

\"Right, Casey.\" Reid nodded. \"The bi-sexual one.\"

\"Yup, that's him.\" Luke confirmed.

\"He gets a lot of attention on the beach.\" Reid said, his eyes getting a faraway look.

Luke's hand stilled in Reid's hair. \"Yes, of course, he's a very good looking guy.\" Luke said after a moment. Then he added, \"Right?\"

Reid turned to look at Luke. \"Yes, he is.\" Then he slung his arm over Luke's waist and pressed a kiss to his nipple. \"But not my type and he's definitely not the hottest guy on the beach.\"

Luke blushed and smiled and his hand resumed stroking Reid's hair.

After a few moments, Reid asked, \"Were you two never tempted to hook up?\"

Luke made a face. \"Ew, no. He's like a brother to methat would be so gross.\"

Reid laughed. \"It could've happened, you know... friends having a good time, maybe having a little bit too much to drink, one thing leads to another... you know how it goes.\"

Luke's hand stilled completely this time and then he pushed Reid's head away and moved to sit up. He grabbed his shirt from the floor, where it had landed when Reid tore it off of him a few hours earlier, and pulled it over his head.

Reid pushed himself up to his knees, completely surprised with the change in Luke's attitude. \"What? What did I say?\" He asked confused.

Luke angrily stuffed his feet into his shoes and looked around for what else was his in the room.
Reid pointed at the chair in the corner and said calmly, \"I would put on the pants first and then the shoes.\"

\"Shut up.\" Luke said and kicked his shoes off again. But his anger seemed to dissolve a little. He didn't move to get his pants, but instead set his hands on his hips and hung his head. He breathed in through his nose heavily.

\"I'm sorry. That wasn't ... I shouldn't react like this. Not anymore.\" He sighed.

Reid knee-walked to the edge of the bed and gently grabbed Luke's arm. \"Hey, it was just a joke. I didn't mean anything by it.\"

Luke looked up and met Reid's eyes. There was so much shame and misery in Luke's eyes that it caught Reid by surprise and it left him with no idea what to do, so he remained silent.

\"I know.\" Luke said. \"But there's just a lot about me that you don't know.\"

\"Like... what?\" Reid asked a little hesitantly. He wasn't sure if this was something he'd want to talk about. This went further than just a little fun between two guys. It seemed almost relationship-py.

Luke snorted. \"You really want to know? You want to know how I did get drunk and kissed a guy just like you said? Only I didn't kiss Casey. No, I aimed a lot higher than that. I kissed my grandmother's husband. And I knew he wanted it, because he'd been flirting with me for months.\" He said in a bitter voice.

\"Wait, what?\" Reid interrupted. \"Your grandmother's husband?\"

\"No, not my grandfather obviously,\" Luke answered Reid's unspoken question. \"Don't make it any worse than it already is. It was my grandmother's umpteenth husband.\"

\"Oh.\" Reid said, because he still didn't know how to react to this Luke, this hurt and angry Luke.

\"Yeah, oh. Look, Reid, I know you're an awesome doctor, so you must have noticed the scar my back.\"

Reid nodded. \"You had a kidney transplant.\"

\"Yeah, I did. Because I destroyed my own kidney by drinking. And then, after the transplant, I wasn't careful or thankful, no, I just drank more. I am a drunk, Reid and I do horrible, horrible things when I drink.\"

Reid frowned. He'd suspected Luke had some issues with alcohol, because he never wanted a beer of glass of wine and combined with the scar on his back, Reid was intelligent enough to put two and two together.

\"But you aren't drinking now, are you?\" He asked.

Luke shook his head. \"No, I've been sober for 3 years and 8 months.\"

\"See?\" Reid slid his hand down Luke's arm and grabbed his hand. He pulled him back towards the bed where Luke reluctantly sat down. \"That's amazing! You're doing great. You're fighting it.\"
\"Yes. But it's still a struggle every day. I still think about drinking almost every day.\"
\"But you don't do it! You should be proud of yourself for that.\" Reid tried to make Luke see that he was strong for battling his addiction, but he wasn't sure he could find the right words.
\"I am proud of myself. But when I think about the things I've done, the people I've hurt... it's hard to feel good about myself.\"
Reid shrugged. \"We've all done things in the past that we're not proud of. You have to let it go.\"
Luke eyed Reid suspiciously. \"Even you?\"
Reid rolled his eyes. \"We're not talking about me, Snyder.\" But after a few moments of silence, he added, \"But, yes... even me.\"

\"How do you let go of it?\" Luke asked, feeling a little more relaxed, now he found that Reid wasn't judging him.

Reid huffed out a laugh. \"I don't know. If it was easy, those half-assed therapists wouldn't make so much money.\"

\"I've been seeing one for years, look at where it got me.\" Luke shot Reid a bitter smile.

Reid grabbed Luke's hand and pulled him down on the bed with him again. \"It got you here, with me. You're healthy, you finished school and you are about to start a new job. I'd say that's pretty good.\"

\"Yeah?\" Luke laid his head on Reid's chest, relaxing in the feel of Reid's hands sliding over his back. \"Maybe you're right.\"

\"I always am.\" Reid murmured. \"Now, enough with the heartfelt talks, okay? Let's take a nap, you're going to need your strength later.\"

\"I'll hold you to that,\" Luke yawned and pressed a kiss to Reid's sternum.
It felt intimate and part of Reid wanted to shove Luke off for getting so close, but another part, a part he was still afraid to listen to, made him tighten his arms around Luke and drop a kiss to his hair.

One more week

------

They spent as much time together as possible in the next days. The impending good-bye weighed heavily on both of them.
Luke knew if the circumstances were different, that he would definitely want to date Reid, to explore if this fling could grow into an actual relationship. He was pretty sure that they would be good for each other, they already were. No-one had ever made him feel the way Reid could make him feel. Not that he had much to compare his feelings to, but his last boyfriend certainly hadn't been able to ignite the fire inside Luke that Reid had. Luke felt like he was finally becoming a man, a healthy gay man who wasn't afraid or ashamed of what he wanted. And right now? He wanted Reid. And even though it started that way, Luke didn't just want Reid for sex. Reid was funny, sarcastic and brutally honest and Luke found himself more and more attracted to him. He liked spending time with him, thought about him while he was at work and he looked forward to going up to the house when he was finished. His body buzzed with excitement every time he walked up to Reid and saw the desire in Reid's eyes. And even though they were very creative in bed and had done a lot of different things, they still hadn't really fucked yet. Sure, Reid has had his fingers up Luke's ass and vice versa, but there was still a part of him that had issues with giving himself completely like that. It wasn't that he didn't want to, because he really really did, but since his past experiences with penetrative sex weren't that good, they left him apprehensive to try again. Luke had almost immediately noticed though that Reid was a very different lover than what Luke was used to. Reid was sometimes gentle, sometimes rough, sometimes playful and sometimes very intense, but he was always doing everything he could to make it good for the both of them and not just for himself. He never pressured Luke into doing anything he didn't want, but Luke could tell that Reid wanted very much to fuck him. Luke's thoughts went to a couple of nights ago, when Reid had fucked Luke's thighs from behind and when his cock slipped between his crack, pushing against his entrance, Luke felt Reid tighten his grip on his hips and Reid's sharp intake of breath was enough for him to want to start pushing back and welcome Reid in, but before he had the chance to move, Reid drew back and started thrusting between his thighs again. He rested his forehead against the back of Luke's neck and breathed erratically. Luke remembered that it had taken only a few more thrusts and Reid came with a muffled cry.
Just thinking about that night, a few days ago, gave Luke chills all over his body again. So with less than a week to go, Luke decided that it was time for him to really move on from the past.
He had picked up a box of condoms this morning before his shift and put them in the bottom of his bag. He tried to put all thoughts about Reid, Reid's hands, Reid's mouth, Reid's cock out of his mind, but every time his eyes caught a glimpse of his bag, he felt a rush of excitement and anticipation run through his body.
It was around lunchtime when Luke was standing on the beach, close to the tower, looking out over the water, when he felt a warm hand on his back.

\"Hey.\"

Luke smiled and turned to look at the person beside him. \"Hey.\"

\"Busy?\"

\"Nah, it's okay. It's almost time for my break.\"

Reid smirked. \"I figured, that's why I'm here.\"

Luke raised his eyebrows in question. \"Really?\"

Reid gestured behind him towards the house. \"Yeah, I ordered chinese and I thought maybe you'd like some too.\"

\"Chinese? God, I love chinese!\" Luke almost groaned. \"Give me a minute and then I'll go with you.\"

Luke jogged up the stairs, calling out to his friend and colleague, \"Hey Jeremy, I'm taking my break now, okay?\"
An answer came right away. \"Sure, no problem. Enjoy your doctor!\"

Luke grinned and then hesitated for a moment, debating whether to take his bag with him, but then decided against it. He would save that for tonight, when they had all night.

He jumped down the stairs, pulling on a shirt on the way down.

\"Ready.\" He said smiling, stopping next to Reid. They started walking towards the house. Luke slung his arm around Reid's shoulders just because he felt like it. He did notice the look of surprise on Reid's face, but Reid said nothing. Instead he moved his arm to rest around Luke's waist, two of his fingers tucked into the waistband of his shorts.
It made Luke smile and he looked over at Reid to see Reid looking right back at him.

\"What's got you so happy today?\" Reid asked with a hint of a smile on his lips.

\"What do you mean?\" Luke asked, genuinely surprised at Reid's question. He didn't think he was acting any differently than normal.

\"I don't know, there's something about you that's... extra happy or something.\" Reid answered. \"I mean, you're always all sunshine and rainbows, but today you seem extra chipper.\"

Luke shrugged. \"Maybe it's just the weather? It's really nice today.\"

Reid narrowed his eyes. \"For as long as I've been here, the weather has been exactly the same every day, including today.\"

Luke laughed and shook his head. \"Well, then I guess I'm just looking forward to the chinese.\"

Reid looked like he didn't believe him, but didn't say anything else. He turned his attention towards the house that they'd reached in the meantime. He took Luke inside and motioned for him to sit down at the table, which was already set with plates and glasses.
Reid grabbed the sushi out of the fridge and unpacked everything on the table.

Luke clasped his hands together. \"This looks great, can't wait to taste it!\" He exclaimed.

\"Well, dig in, Mr. Snyder.\" Reid invited, placing two water bottles on the table. He sat down opposite Luke and started to pile food onto his plate. Luke rushed to fill up his plate, not wanting to miss out due to Reid's overzealous appetite.

Half an hour later, Luke wiped his mouth and sighed. \"I'm stuffed. You ordered too much.\"

Reid looked up from his plate, smiled around a mouthful of rice, \"You eat like a child, Snyder.\" Then he swallowed and nodded towards the left-over food on the table. \"Are you sure you're done eating?\" He asked.

Luke patted his stomach. \"Yes, doctor, I'm sure. In fact, I have to get back in a few minutes. But I'll see you tonight, right?\"

Reid nodded. \"Sure. Are you coming right after you're done or are you going home first?\" He asked, while standing up slowly. He walked towards Luke and motioned for him to slide his chair back.
Luke raised his eyebrows, but obediently slid his chair back. \"I'll be here as soon as I'm done.\" He said.

Reid placed his hands on the back of the chair and swung one leg over Luke's, then he sat down, straddling Luke. Reid's hands slid from the chair to Luke's shoulders, up his neck until he cupped both cheeks. Reid started to lean in, then stopped to whisper, \"Can't wait.\" and dove in to kiss Luke's already open, waiting mouth. The sudden flare of passion made Luke moan into Reid's mouth and he wrapped his arms around Reid's back to pull him closer. The feel of Reid's weight on his lap did unexpected things to Luke's insides. It felt incredibly intimate somehow to have Reid sit on his lap and Luke never wanted it to end.
But after a few minutes of thoroughly exploring each other's mouths, Luke had to wrench himself away. \"I don't want to leave, but I really have to.\" He sighed.
Reid nodded, but made no effort to stand up. Instead he leaned his head against Luke's.
\"I like this.\" He admitted quietly.
Luke tightened his hold on Reid's body for a moment. \"Me too.\" He said. \"But I really have to go.\" He grabbed Reid's hips and pushed him back a little. He tried to catch Reid's eyes, but Reid wouldn't look at him. He pushed himself off of Luke and turned to clean up the table.
Luke came up behind him, not understanding what was going on with Reid, but he leaned against Reid for a moment and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. \"See you tonight, okay?\"

Reid nodded and gave Luke a small but genuine smile. \"Yeah, see you later.\"

When Luke reached the door, he turned halfway and gave a short wave. \"Bye.\"

Before Reid could react, Luke was out the door. Something had changed in that short moment, but Luke didn't know what it was. Something felt different, ever since Reid had sat down on his lap. And Reid felt it too, Luke was sure of it. The moment when Reid put his head against Luke, saying that he liked it, was the moment something shifted.
Luke wasn't one to let something go and he wanted to know what was going on, so he decided he was going to talk to Reid about it and hopefully get some answers. Tonight.

What Luke didn't know, was that Reid was staring after him, wondering what was going on himself.
Sitting in Luke's embrace, feeling his heart beat and the warmth of his breath on his shoulder, feeling Luke's arms tight and safe around him, gave Reid a feeling that almost knocked him over. If it was possible, he would have been completely happy sitting there forever.
Reid ran a hand through his hair and then back down over his face.
He felt... off and overwhelmed, not like himself and he didn't like it at all. It was supposed to be free fun this summer, with Luke, but there was something about him that made Reid feel things he didn't even know were possible for him. Things he didn't even want, things he never wanted. But today, his stomach full, sitting with Luke, in a warm room with the sound of the ocean in the background, today for a moment, he could see Luke in his house, his bed, his life.
And that scared him out of his mind.
*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:17300","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/17300.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=17300"}}],"title":"Those summer nights chapter 5","published":"2016-04-18T11:59:22Z","updated":"2016-04-18T11:59:22Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"Hours later, Luke walked home, his mind replaying the night over and over. He felt a little giddy and couldn't stop smiling. When he came here to the beach, for the 4th year in a row, he never would have thought that he would meet someone like Reid. That he would end up having a summer fling with someone like him.
Luke still had trouble believing he was having casual sex in the first place! This wasn't like him at all, but there was something about Reid that made Luke not care about his self-inflicted abstinence. He was 24 years old and it was about time he started to really live his life instead of just letting it pass by. He was really going to get some this summer!
He certainly didn't get it during his time with Noah, who wasn't really interested in sex. Sure, they'd tried some things, Luke was no virgin and it had been great at times because Luke had loved Noah, but his body certainly didn't react to Noah's touch as it did to Reid's.
Because when Luke had kissed Reid for the first time, he felt it all over his body. He'd felt dizzy and his body tingled. And all he was able to say when the kiss ended was 'wow'.
True, he didn't have many experiences to compare it to, he'd only kissed a few people, but this was the stuff you read about in silly romance novels. Kissing Noah certainly hadn't felt like this;he could do it for hours and hours and still want more.
Problem was, Noah hadn't been very physical. No matter how Luke was sometimes craving a kiss, a touch, anything really, Noah wouldn't or maybe couldn't give him what he needed. That led to many arguments with accusations flying back and forth and ultimately was one of main reasons that made Luke break up with him. He needed other things than Noah did.
For a long time Luke had thought he was the freaky one, that's his needs were abnormal. Even Noah had told him he was obsessed with sex and that it wasn't healthy.
He'd read a lot about the subject since then and slowly he came to realise that he wasn't weird or wrong for wanting to be close to his boyfriend. That physical intimacy was just as important as the spiritual and intellectual aspect in a relationship.
And yet, here he was, being physical with someone even though he didn't know well and didn't have any other feelings for at this point. Yes, he liked Reid, found him attractive and easy to talk to, but he didn't really know much about him. But he made Luke feel at ease and comfortable. He felt like he could be himself and didn't have to pretend to be something or someone he wasn't. He liked that Reid was so open about what he wanted and that right now, he wanted Luke. It was flattering to be wanted by someone like Reid and it made Luke feel mature, like a man instead of a boy.

Luke smiled when he thought about Reid and how he was all over Luke, touching him everywhere with experienced and knowing hands, telling him how hot Reid thought he was.
Maybe this was just what Luke needed to get back out there, to build his confidence back up. Reid had no trouble complimenting Luke on every part of his body and it made Luke feel really good.
He was still smiling when he reached the apartment he stayed in with another lifeguard, Casey, who also was his friend. They'd know each other since they were little kids and had been friends ever since.
Casey lay sprawled on the couch, watching tv with a concentrated look in his face. \"Hey man.\" He looked at Luke briefly, before turning his attention back to the screen.
\"Hey Case.\" Luke answered, grabbing a coke from the fridge and plopped down next to Casey, after pushing his feet off the couch onto the ground.

\"You're up late.\" He looked at Casey who's eyes were still glued to the screen.

\"Couldn't sleep. So I thought maybe watching tv would tire me out.\"

\"Did it work?\" Luke asked, his eyebrows raised.

\"Obviously it didn't.\" Casey gestured to himself. \"Because I can't stop watching this.\"

Luke laughed. \"What are you watching?\"

Casey shrugged. \"I don't know what it's called, but it's about people who try to live as cheap as possible. It's really fascinating.\"

\"Picking up some useful tips?\" Luke teased. \"I didn't think you'd need it.\"

\"You never know, Lukey, you never know.\" Casey replied with a sigh. Then he turned his attention from the tv to Luke.

\"So, how was your evening?\" He waggled his eyebrows. \"How did it go with your man?\"

\"Shut up, he's not my man.\" Luke shoved Casey against his arm. \"But it was really nice. We talked and we just connected.\"

\"You just... connected.\" Casey repeated.

\"Yes, connected.\" The tips of Luke's ears turned red. \"I mean, we.. uhm... kind of had sex.\"

\"What?\" Casey slapped Luke on his arm. \"Really? Good for you, dude! It was about time for you to get out there.\"

Luke laughed. \"I know, that's exactly what I thought. We already kind of had sex yesterday and I totally freaked out today, because you know me... But tonight we talked and some other stuff happened. And it was amazing\". Luke's whole ears were red now and the blush threatened to go down his neck.

\"Okay, okay... I don't want any details, God.. \" Casey said, holding his hands up.
But then he grinned and clasped Luke on his shoulder.

\"But really, I'm glad you go out now and have fun. Lord knows you deserve it after the clusterfuck with Noah.\"

\"It wasn't that bad, Case, come on.\" Luke said frowning.

Casey raised his eyebrows, as if to say really?, to which Luke huffed out a laugh.

\"Okay, yeah, it kind of was.\"

\"Yes, it was and the whole 'him living with your mother thing' is still fucked up. And I know it gets to you. So I'm happy for you. Are you going to see him again?\"

\"Yeah, we'll see each other at the beach of course, but we kind of agreed to spend the summer together, for as long as he's here.\"

Casey nodded. \"Nice!\"

\"You don't think it's weird?\" Luke asked, picking at his jeans.

Casey shrugged. \"It kind of is, because it's you and you never do anything like this. But I like that you're doing it, man. You should live a little. Life is short, you know.\"

Luke sighed. \"Yeah, I know.\" Then he squeezed Casey's knee. \"Thank you.\"

\"You're welcome. Now shut up so I can watch how to make coffee using an old sock.\"

----------------------

Over the next days, Luke worked his shifts on the beach during the day, being stared at by Reid. During lunchtime, sometimes they actually had lunch together, sometimes they went inside to get each other off and sometimes they just talked. Reid found himself looking forward to that time of day, taking a break from his research, watching Luke walk up to the house, a smile of his beautiful face.
He found Luke incredibly sexy and he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Luke was completely oblivious about it. His ex-boyfriend clearly did a number on his self esteem. But apart from being sexy, Reid also found out that Luke was smart and sometimes funny and sarcastic. He could hold his own in a discussion and make Reid see another point of view. He was passionate about his work, his family even though there was also a lot of drama there. Luke\u2019s relationship with his mother was.... strained, to say the least.
But he was fiercely protective of his siblings, which Reid found admirable but could not relate to, being an only child.

Thinking about all this while lounging outside watching Luke do his lifeguard-thing, whatever that was, Reid suddenly realised that he knew a lot about Luke. And it didn't bother him at all to know these things about him. Luke liked to talk, like many other people and could go on and on, but what was truly exceptional was that Reid liked to watch Luke talk, gesturing with his hands, his face expressing every emotion he felt and so expressing even more sometimes than his words. On top of this, he heard what Luke was saying, he sparred and argued with him. And Luke seemed to like it to. He launched himself into discussions passionately, disagreeing with Reid many things. Often he would get into Reid's space, his eyes sparkling because it was fun. And it always ended in a hot makeout session which made Reid's belly tingle just thinking about it.
They hadn't done 'it' yet, but Reid was certain that was happening any time soon. But in the meantime, he thoroughly enjoyed teaching Luke the many ways two men could enjoy each other.
The ringing of his phone made Reid reach into his pocket and bring it to his ear without even looking at the screen.

\"Dr. Oliver.\"

\"Reid? Hey, it's Terry.\"

\"Terry? Why are you calling me?\" Reid asked, his eyes still trained on Luke. \"Something wrong?\"

Reid heard Terry sigh at the other side of the line. \"No, you doofus. I just wanted to see how you were doing.\"

\"Why?\" Reid asked confused.

\"Why? Because I want to know, that\u2019s why.\" Terry confirmed. \"So, tell me, are you having fun in my house?\"

Reid's mind went back to all the fun he had with Luke on several surfaces in Terry's house and he smirked.

\"Sure, lots of fun.\" He admitted easily.

\"Ha ha. Very funny. Now, tell how you really are.\" Terry answered, not believing a word.

\"Terry, I'm not lying. I am having a good time here.\"

\"Wait, you're.. serious?\" Terry asked, apparently in shock.

\"Yes, I'm serious. Why wouldn't I like it there?\" Reid shrugged even though Terry could not see him.

\"Well, I don't know Reid, maybe because you said and I quote 'I'll go, but I won't like it. And a month is three and a half weeks too long'? Now you've been away for a little over two weeks and you're telling me you're enjoying yourself? What happened?\"

\"Nothing happened. There are a lot of things for me to do here. Like Luke. And I'll admit it, the view of the beach and the ocean is pretty great. I like it.\"

\"What kind of things do you do, Reid? Just out of curiosity.\" Terry inquired.

\"I do research, Terry. But I sit outside when I do it and occasionally admire the view.\" He didn't lie, but it was definitely stretching the truth.

But Terry wasn't easily fooled. \"I know you don't care for nature, so I'm gonna assume you're talking about the eye candy on the beach.\"

Reid smiled ot himself. \"Maybe.\"

Terry groaned. \"Please Reid, don't invite random strangers into my house for you-know-what.\"

Reid reacted annoyed. \"What? Why not? You're the one who told me to enjoy myself here. And that's what I enjoy. Who cares?\"

\"Reid please, I don't care who or how many you,\" Terry cleared her throat, \"...uhm\u2026 meet, but please, don't turn my house into a brothel.\"

\"Are you calling me a whore?\" He asked highly amused with the turn the conversation had taken.

\"No?\" Terry said, a little unsure.

Ried laughed. \"Relax, I wouldn't do anything like that. So far, it's just one guy.\" As soon as the words left his mouth, Reid slapped his hands over his eyes. Why?? Why would you tell her that?

After a few moments of silence, Terry spoke again, excitement evident in her voice. \"My God, you went out and met someone? The sea air really must do you good.\"

\"Technically, he came up to me, but yes, I've met someone and have been spending some time with him.\" Reid admitted.

\"What?? Tell me more, what's his name, what does he look like, what does he do?\" Terry rambled.

\"Ha, no. Not gonna happen. I'm not telling you anything more.\"

\"Why not?\" Terry almost whined. \"Come on, you've got to give me something.\"

\"No, I don't. Besides, it doesn't matter. In about 10 days I'm going home and that will be the end of it.\"

\"But, Reid... \" Terry started.

\"No, I shouldn't have told you anything. Now, go back to work and make sure the hospital will still be there when I get back.\"

He could vaguely hear Terry protesting, but he pressed 'end call' anyway and threw the phone next to him on the couch.

10 days... he was going home in 10 days. It should make him happy and it did, but it also made him uncomfortable and something heavy settled in his chest.
His eyes sought out Luke again on the beach and didn't dare to think about why just seeing him made him feel a little lighter.
*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:17034","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/17034.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=17034"}}],"title":"Those summer nights chapter 4","published":"2016-04-18T11:58:31Z","updated":"2016-04-18T11:58:31Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"Reid woke the next morning feeling pleasantly relaxed. He yawned and stretched, before falling back into the pillows. He folded his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. His thoughts went back to the night before, to the feel of Luke's body against his own, the way his mouth tasted, the feel of Luke's big hands roaming over his body. He could get hard just thinking about it. Everything last night had turned out to be so much better than he'd thought beforehand. Luke was everything he could want in a summer fling, so he really hoped Luke was on the same page as he was. Problem was, he didn't want to ask Luke about it. He hoped he could just let thing happen and hope for the best. He groaned to himself and rolled out of bed.

After a quick shower, Reid stepped outside and sat down on the couch on the deck. He spotted Luke down the beach laughing and talking to some kids. Reid put on his sunglasses for some undetected gazing and drank his coffee. After some time Luke seemed to look his way, so he raised his hand in greeting, but Luke didn't react. He turned back to the children and took some of them with him to the water.
Reid frowned. Did Luke really not see him, of was he ignoring him? Usually Luke was the first to wave or shout something.
For his own peace of mind, Reid decided on the first and went inside to grab his laptop. He might as well get some research done.
It didn't take long for him to be completely immersed in the material and he didn't even notice it was way past lunchtime until his stomach loudly protested being neglected for so long.
He looked up from his laptop, shoulders stiff from sitting in the same position for hours. He craned his neck and rolled his shoulders to loosen up while scanning the beach quickly. He couldn't find Luke so Reid went inside to make himself some lunch. After eating a little too much, which happened more often than Reid would like to admit, he suddenly felt tired. Taking a bottle of water with him, he laid down on the couch outside, shoved a pillow under his head, planning to just enjoy the sunshine for a little while.

When he opened his eyes again, Reid realised he had really fallen asleep. He was surprised to notice that he actually felt rested and surprisingly cool. When he rubbed his eyes and looked around him, he found that the white parasol had been opened thus giving him shadow and keeping him from burning alive.
There was nobody close by, so Reid suspected that the kind person who did this for him, did so some time ago. Checking his watch, he let out a surprised sound when he saw that he had been asleep for almost two hours.
He picked up the bottle of water and drained it in a few long gulps. It immediately left him feeling more awake. Reid couldn't help himself when he let his eyes drift over to the lifeguards' tower. It seemed there was only one person left and that person looked an awful lot like Luke. He was leaning against the stairs and seemed to be staring into the distance.
Reid hesitated to approach him because as much as he tried to ignore it, he did have the feeling that Luke was avoiding him. He couldn't figure out why; there was no animosity between them when they had said goodbye last night. Any other day Luke would have sought out some kind of contact during the day, but today he didn't.
But then again, who other than Luke would have opened the parasol for him so he didn't burn?
Maybe he was waiting for Reid to come to him?
Reid shook his head. It wasn't like him to worry so much about some one else's feelings or actions. Deciding he wasn't going to to so this time, he stood up and sauntered over to the tower where Luke was still leaning against the stairs, lost in thought.

\"Hey.\" Reid said casually, hands in his pockets.

Luke didn't hear him approach and jumped into the air, shrieking, \"Jesus!\" Luke pressed his hand against his heart to calm his racing heart. \"You scared me.\"

\"Sorry.\" Reid laughed.

Luke narrowed his eyes at him. \"Don't say things you don't mean.\" He said sternly, but then he started grinning too.

\"So,\" Reid gestured, \"how are you?\"

Luke rubbed the back of his neck. \"You mean in general, or since last night?\"

Reid raised his eyebrows. \"Both, I guess?\"

\"Well, in general I'm fine.\" Luke started, but then paused. He took a deep breath. \"But on the other thing, I'm not so sure.\" He rushed out.

Reid tensed up and his face lost the open, relaxed expression and it turned into a blank mask. He felt disappointment and something like irritation taking him over.

\"Is that so?\" He asked, folding his arms over his chest.

\"Don't be mad, okay?\" Luke took a step and placed his hand on Reid's arm. \"I don't regret it, if that's want you think.\"

Reid frowned. \"But you're also not fine with it.\"

\"No. Yes. I mean.. it's hard to explain.\" Luke gestured a little helpless with his hands.

\"Okay, well, you don't owe me anything.\" Reid was still keeping his face expressionless, careful not to show any emotions. But he did feel disappointed and sad that Luke obviously didn't look back on their date pleasantly, maybe he even felt a little angry.

\"No, maybe I don't. But I want to ....\" Luke stopped, not knowing how to continue. After a few moments of silence, he continued, \"Can I come over tonight? I feel like I need to explain some things about me.\"

\"Like I said, you don't owe me anything. But sure, you can come over tonight.\" Reid said stiffly.
\"I'll let you get back to your.... thing.\" Reid gestured and turned away.
\"See you later then.\" He called over his shoulder, not bothering to wait for Luke's response . He was too busy stomping away, as well as he could in the dry sand.
Luke watched him go, hands on his hips, with an unreadable look in his face. Then he turned away with a sigh. Later. Tonight.

*

Several hours later, Reid was sitting outside, again perched over his laptop. But this time he wasn't reading, or writing. No, he was waiting for Luke, while pretending to be busy.
He felt a little childish for it, but Luke's reaction today had caught him off guard; he hadn't seen it coming at all. He knew he wasn't good at reading people and he didn't care about it. Never made an effort to improve on his social skills. But last night, he thought is was pretty obvious that Luke had enjoyed himself. They both did. So what was up with Luke's attitude?
Out of the corner of his eye, he was something moving. Reid knew it was Luke, even though he didn't even look at him. Reid already recognized him by the way he moved.
He didn't look up though, not even when Luke was 5 feet away from him.

\"Hey.\" Luke greeted him, standing so close his feet almost touched Reid's.

Reid closed the lid of his laptop and looked up slowly, raking his eyes over Luke's legs, his hips, his chest and finally his face. A blush crept up on Luke's cheeks when he watched Reid checking him out so openly.
It wasn't what Reid had planned to do, but is seemed he couldn't help himself around Luke.

\"Reid.\" Luke said softly, a hint of embarressment in his voice.

\"What?\" Reid said innocently. He stood up an impulsively kissed Luke on the cheek, before stepping back again. Luke turned even more pink and he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

\"Do you want some coffee?\" He asked and Luke nodded. \"Sure.\"

\"Okay, I\"ll be right back. Sit down, make yourself comfortable.\" With that, Reid turned away towards the house.
When he got back, he saw Luke sitting on the couch, next to the spot Reid had been sitting. And for some reason, it made Reid feel a little better that Luke hadn't chosen one of the chairs.
\"There you go.\" Reid placed the coffee in front of Luke on the table, then sat down folding his hands around his own cup.

\"Thanks.\" Luke smiled briefly at Reid, but didn't make a move.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, glancing at each other and it felt a little awkward and uncomfortable, because neither of them knew how to start.

\"I meant what I said earlier.\" Reid suddenly spoke up. \"You don't owe me anything. We had some fun and if you want to leave it at that, that's fine. \"

Luke smiled. \"I know that's what you think. But for me, what happened last night, has never happened to me before. So, I kind of freaked out and I want to tell you know why.

Reid drew his brows together. \"I don't understand. What do you mean, has never happened to you before? I'm sure a guy like you gets a lot of attention.\"

Luke smiled a little and shook his head. Then he took a deep breath. \"I told you I've only been in one relationship before, right?\"

Reid nodded. \"Right.\"

\"Well,\" Luke continued, \"that means I've only ever been with one person.\"

\"I know, that's what you just said.\" Reid interrupted.

Luke shook his head. \"No, you're not listening. What I mean is that I've been with one person. In a relationship and you know... \" Luke gestured with his hands to make Reid understand what he meant.

Reid stared at him for a few moments, but then he understood what Luke was trying to say and his eyes grew large in disbelief.
\"What?\"

Luke's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. \"I know, stupid right?\"

\"No no.\" Reid denied hastily. \"Not stupid, I'm just surprised. I mean, at your age and with your looks...\" Reid gestured to Luke.

\"Well, I'm just not really someone for one night stands and before my relationship I felt like I wasn't ready for anything and after it, I just didn't know if I would want to.\" Luke admitted. \"Which is why last night caught me by surprise. Because I've never been in a situation like that. Never met anyone who made me... I don't know... just feel and not care about anything.\"

\"Oh.\" Reid said, folding his hands en letting them hang between his knees. \"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?\" He glanced over at Luke.

Luke smiled. \"I'm not sure. I think that if we had met in everyday life, I would want to date you, take things slow, you know?\"

That wasn't really what Reid was after. He wasn't looking for a relationship, no matter how attracted to Luke he felt.

But Luke continued. \"But this is a different situation, right? I mean, it's summer, we're only here for a few weeks.\" He bit his lower lip and looked at Reid through his eyelashes. \"I think maybe it's time for me to enjoy myself and just have a good time?\" Then he joked, \"Upgrade my skills and gain some experience?\"

Reid wanted to smile, but kept a serious face. \"Are planning on using me for my body, Mr. Snyder?\"

Luke turned red immediately. \"No, God no, that's not what I meant. Shit, I'm so bad at this.\" He groaned and buried his head in his hands and Reid was unable to stop his laughter now. He took Luke's hands and pulled them away from his face. Luke though kept his eyes firmly on the ground.
\"I'm sorry, I was just messing with you.\" Reid said, still grinning.

\"Really?\" Luke asked, still not looking at him.

\"Really.\" Reid put his index finger under Luke's chin and lifted up his head. \"And to answer your question, I think it's high time for you to just have some harmless fun with no strings attached. And for as long as I'm here, I'm very willing to help you do that.\" He leaned in, placed one hand on Luke's thigh and kissed Luke on his mouth, short and chaste. Luke kissed him back , short as it was.

\"Isn't this weird?\" Luke asked, still somewhat embarressed for basically propositioning Reid.
\"Just agreeing to have some sort of... summer fling, I guess? It seems a little cold and clinical.\"

Reid hummed, keeping his hand on Luke's thigh and moving it up a little higher. \"Maybe, but it's good to know we are on the same page about this.\" He squeezed Luke's thigh and put his other hand behind Luke's neck, pulling him towards himself. \"And there's nothing cold or clinical about this.\" Reid smashed their mouths together, immediately licking into Luke's mouth. Luke reacted on instinct, opening his mouth and kissing Reid back with sudden fire.
Reid let himself fall back onto the couch and pulled Luke on top of him. His hands slid over Luke's back, pushing him down on Reid even more. The feel of Luke's weight on top of him was exquisite and his hands slid lower to Luke's hips and then around them to Luke's ass. Reid opened his own legs to fit Luke between them perfectly. They were still kissing and Luke's fingers were firmly buried in Reid's curls, tugging and kneading.
When Reid moved his hips upwards to grind against Luke, Luke wrenched his mouth away and threw his head back to arch even more into the movement. Reid couldn't help but follow Luke's movement and started kissing his neck, sucking bruises into the skin where he went.
\"Fuck.\" Luke panted. \"I can't.. .Reid... I ... \"

\"What? What is it?\" Reid moved one hand up to cup Luke's cheek.

\"I... It's... This is happening so fast.\" Luke said breathless, looking down at Reid.

\"Too fast?\" Reid asked, his hands sliding up Luke's back.

\"I don't know.\" Luke's hands moved from Reid's hair to Reid's cheeks, thumbs stroking his cheekbones. \"You make me lose my mind.\"

\"Which is bad, why?\" Reid asked, a little smug. His hands never stopped caressing Luke's back and ass.

Luke's eyes swept over Reid's face, taking in every detail from his jaw covered with a little scruff, the slope of his nose, the line of his eyebrows that Luke followed with a finger to his beautiful clear blue eyes. The look in Reid's eyes seemed to satisfy something in Luke, because he smiled.
\"It's not.\" He whispered before leaning down and kissing Reid again. This time he wasn't waiting for Reid but started to grind against Reid, making Reid moan into the kiss.
Then suddenly he stopped, lifted himself off of Reid and stood up, leaving Reid lying dazed and confused on the couch.

\"Let's go inside. It's a little too public out here for me.\" Luke said, holding out his hand to Reid.

Reid nodded and scrambled to sit up and take Luke's hand. They kissed making their way to the house. Once inside, Luke pressed Reid up against the door and mumbled, \"This is much better.\" His hands slid under Reid's shirt and started exploring the warm skin of Reid's belly.

\"Yeah?\" Reid asked between kisses.

\"Now I can do this.\" Luke fingers moved down to open the buttons on Reid's jeans.
When he had them open, he sunk down to his knees till he was eye-level with Reid's dark red briefs.

\"Sexy.\" He murmured.

Luke slid his hands up Reid's thighs and started to pull down his pants till they were mid-thigh. He ran his fingers over the ridges, tracing the outline of Reid's cock with his fingertips. He looked up to Reid to find him looking down at Luke with dark eyes and breathing heavily already.
Luke kept his eyes on Reid while slowly pulling his briefs down. He leaned forward and licked a stripe from the base of Reid's cock to the tip.
Reid let his head fall back to door behind him and closed his eyes to completely focus on the feeling of Luke's mouth around him.
Feeling emboldened by Reid's reaction, Luke opened his mouth wider and sucked Reid's cock into his mouth. Reid groaned and fisted his hands in Luke's hair. This immediately turned on Luke even more and he moaned while trying to get Reid's cock as deep as possible. He didn't have much experience, but God, did he enjoy giving head to someone who was just as enthusiastic to get it. Reid tugged on his hair, burying his fingers in the strands, sometimes his fingers scratched his scalp and moved down to his ears, stroking the outer shell.
Luke had added a hand to cover the entire length of Reid's cock together with his mouth. He moved them in unison, bobbing up and down, sometimes applying suction, sometimes licking and sometimes doing both. It didn't take long before Reid pulled Luke's hair, panting, \"Luke... stop... I'm gonna come...\"
Luke pulled off for a moment and smiled wickedly. \"Good, I want you to.\" And he took Reid back into his mouth, continuing to suck and lick with renewed enthusiasm.
\"Oh god...\" Reid groaned, feeling the start of an orgasm build up low in his belly. He looked down at Luke, who was looking right back at him with wide eyes. Then Luke added a hand to fondle Reid's balls and that was it.
The force of the orgasm had him hunch over and he held on tight to Luke's hair, while coming down his throat.
After swallowing, Luke licked Reid's cock clean and let him slip out of his mouth just when Reid was about to get too sensitive.
\"Jesus, Snyder... \" He said, resting his head back against the wall. \"Come up here.\"
Luke stood up, grinning and started to lean in, only to draw back a moment later.
\"Sorry, is it okay if I kiss you?\" He asked, looking unsure of himself suddenly as if he hadn't given Reid one of the best orgasms of his life.
Reid didn't even answer him, but grabbed him by the back of his head and pressed their mouths together, kissing him deep. He wrapped one arm around Luke's waist and pulled him against himself, feeling Luke's hard-on press against his hip.
\"Give me one moment to catch my breath and then I'm going to take care of you.\" He promised. \"Let's go upstairs and get rid of these clothes...\"

*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:16764","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/16764.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=16764"}}],"title":"Those summer nights chapter 3","published":"2016-04-18T11:57:34Z","updated":"2016-04-18T11:57:34Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"As it turned out, Reid really was waiting. It was 7.35 and Luke still wasn't there. Technically Reid knew Luke was only 5 minutes late, but to Reid it felt like he had waited for ages by now.
This was unfamiliar territory, because mostly it was Reid that people waited for. He was often late, due to his job.
So to be on the other end was something that was new and very unwanted for Reid. He was annoyed that he was anxious for his date with Luke. He told himself that it was only because he was hot for Luke's body and couldn't wait to get his hands on him. It was just sex. Yes, that was all it was.

When Luke arrived a few minutes later, he immediately apologised for being late.

\"Sorry I'm late.\" A slight blush crept up Luke's cheeks. \"My mother called, saying there was a family emergency and then I couldn't just hang up on her.\"

Reid frowned while ushering Luke inside. \"I hope it's not too serious?\"

Luke shook his head. \"No, it's nothing serious. It's just... complicated\". He let out a frustrated sigh.

Reid placed his hand on the small of Luke's back and led him outside to the deck.
\"You... uhm... want to talk about it?\" He asked tentatively.

\"No!\" Luke immediately declined. \"Thank you for offering, but no, it's not something you want to talk about on your first date.\" He gave Reid a small smile, but it didn't really reach his eyes.
Reid made it his mission to have Luke smile at him genuinely before the night ended.

\"Make yourself comfortable,\" he said, \"and I'll get you something to drink. Would you like some wine or beer or...?\"

\"No, I don't drink, so soda or water is fine.\"

\"You don't drink at all or just tonight?\" Reid asked curiously.

Luke shook his head. \"No, I don't drink at all.\"

After a few moments, Reid nodded. \"Okay then. I'll get you some water.\"

When he returned, Luke had taken a seat on the couch, looking out over the ocean. It wasn't quite dark yet, but Reid had switched on the lights outside. They casted a soft light over the deck and it looked quite romantic, Reid noticed, not sure if he should be happy with that.

\"This is nice.\" Luke said, looking around.

\"Well, I'd like to take credit for it, but all this isn't mine, so... \" Reid shrugged.

\"I don't mean just the furniture, but you know.. everything here, the whole atmosphere is nice.\"

Reid looked around again and decided that he was quite okay with how things looked. He gave Luke a lopsided grin. \"Yeah, I know what you mean.\"

They stared at each other for a few moments, before they turned away their heads at the same time.

Reid cleared his throat. \"So, dinner should be here in about half an hour.\"

Luke looked at him curiously. \"What are we having? I have to admit I am kind of hungry.\"

Right then the doorbell rang. \u201cGuess you\u2019ll find out right now.\u201d Reid grinned at Luke.

During dinner, they talked a lot about their work and all things attached to it. Reid found himself laughing at some the things Luke experienced as a nurse and Luke nodded sympathetically when Reid shared some of the things that he found difficult about his job, about working with patients that had very small change of getting well.
It amazed Reid that he was able to talk to Luke as if he had knew him all his life. There was something really familiar and easy about him.

When they finished their meal, Reid cleaned up and brought out two steaming cups of coffee.
He sat down next to Luke again and again was struck by how comfortable he felt around Luke. He felt a desire to get know everything there was to know about Luke, his likes, his dislikes, his favourite tv-show, if he ever had nightmares, what made him laugh and he really wanted to know what Luke looked like when he came.
But it wasn\u2019t just about that anymore. It may have started out like that, like a purely physical thing, but it was turning into a lot more than that.

He placed the coffee on the wooden table in front of them and turned to Luke.

\u201cSo..,\u201d he started, \u201cwhat are you looking for in a guy?\u201d

Luke almost choked on his coffee, caught off guard by the direct question. He quickly placed the cup back on the table, coughing a little.
\u201cSorry\u2026 sorry..,\u201d he croaked out. \u201cI didn\u2019t expect that.\u201d

\u201cIt\u2019s okay if you don\u2019t want\u2026\u201d Reid started to say, feeling a little guilty.

\u201cNo, it\u2019s fine.\u201d Luke quickly interrupted him. \u201cI just don\u2019t really know how to answer that.\u201d He looked at Reid, cheeks a little red. \u201cI\u2019ve only been in one long-term relationship so far.\u201d

\u201cThat\u2019s not so bad.\u201d Reid said. \"How long did it last?\"

\"About four years. I ended it last year. the break-up didn't go well, it turned ugly and I feel bad about that. But he wasn't... we weren't right for each other. It just took me a long time to see that.\"

\"You were young. Don't beat yourself up over it.\" Reid reached out and place his hand on Luke's forearm, giving him a little squeeze before pulling back.

Luke glanced at him. \"Thanks. I could have handled it better, I think.\"

\"Where is he now?\" Reid asked.

Luke huffed out a laugh. \"You're not going to believe this, but he lives with my mother.\"

Reid didn't know what to say to that, so he just stared at Luke, dumbfounded.

Luke scratched the back of his head nervously. \"I know, believe me, I know.\"

\"Your ex-boyfriend lives with you mother? But... why?\" Reid was genuinely curious, because this didn't sound like a normal thing.

\"Yeah, well.. my parents tried to adopt him at one point, so... this isn't even the weirdest thing that happened.\" Luke cleared his throat. \"The thing is, my mother is convinced that we are soulmates and meant to be together for the rest of our lives. So when I broke up with him, for very valid reasons I might add, she took him in.\"

\"And now she hopes that you two will get back together?\" Reid asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

\"She does a little more than hope.\" Luke voice turned bitter. \"She's constantly mentioning him when we talk. You know like 'oh, Noah helps me much' or 'Noah was really sad today, wasn't it your anniversary'? Stuff like that. And sometimes she just tries to talk me into getting back with him. And she can be very convincing but this is something that is never going to happen. But she won't hear it.\"

\"What about him? This Noah-guy?\" Reid asked.

\"What about him?\" Luke looked at him confused.

\"Does he know it's really over?\"

Luke snorted. \"He should. I've told him many many times, in very clear words. I really don't know why he's holding on to it so much. I mean, when we were together, he didn't seem to care so much. Wouldn't even hold my hand when we were going somewhere. He was always worrying about what people would say or think.\"

\"But not about what you said or thought.\" The words had left Reid's mouth before he even thought about it.

Luke looked at him, surprised. He didn't answer right away and his eyes moved downwards as if he was thinking of something.
Reid felt bad immediately. \"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I don't know anything about it. Hell, I've never even had a long-term relationship. So yeah.. I'm sorry.\"

But Luke reached out and covered Reid's hand with his own. \"No, don't be sorry. It's just.... you're right. He never really cared about my thoughts or feelings. And it's... , \" Luke blew out a breath. \"You know what? I don't want to talk about him anymore. Come on.\" He stood up and pulled Reid with him, still holding his hand. \"Let's walk along the beach for a bit.\"
Luke tugged his hand and started walking towards the shore, pulling Reid with him. Reid followed him, his hand warm in Luke's, feeling ridiculous and awkward. He'd never held a guy's hand like this and here he was, on a first date with Luke, letting him hold his fucking hand.
A part of him wanted to pull his hand back but another, bigger part enjoyed the feel of Luke's big hand closing around his. And when Luke moved his hand and laced their fingers together, Reid even found himself squeezing a little.
Luke looked at him briefly and smiled, he said nothing , just looking out over the ocean.

After a few moments of just silently walking together enjoying the warm night, Reid spoke up.

\"This is... nice?\" He said.

Luke laughed. \"You're asking me or telling me?\" He swung their hands back and forth a little.

Reid shrugged. \"I don't have a lot of experience with romantic, moon-lit strolls along the beach. But I thought maybe this was okay.\"

Luke stopped walking and turned to Reid. He placed his free hand on Reid cheek, fingertips resting on his ears. \"It's more than okay. It's amazing and I really really want to kiss you now.\"
He pulled Reid towards him by his hand until they were almost chest to chest,
Reid briefly wondered when he gave up control of the night to Luke, but looking into Luke's eyes this close, he felt all thoughts about his plans for this evening leave his head.
Luke leaned in and Reid met him halfway, eyes already closed.
The first touch was just a brief brush of lips, but it still felt amazing to Reid. He untangled his hand from Luke's and moved it to Luke's neck, pulling him closer while simultaneously opening his mouth. Luke immediately reacted and deepened the kiss. It was slow, exploring and sweet and lasted several minutes.
When they pulled back, Luke's eyes shone and he sighed. \"Wow.\"

\"Yeah?\" Reid asked, his hand still on Luke's neck, thumb rubbing just below his ear. It felt intimate, but right.

\"Yeah.\" Luke smiled. He leaned in to kiss Reid again.

\"I like this.\" Reid murmured against his lips. And he meant it. His plan to seduce Luke and have him in his bed before the night was over had flown out the window somewhere along the evening. He found that he enjoyed Luke's company, just talking to him, being near him. And kissing him, well that was just amazing. He still wanted to 'get it on' with Luke, but the other things were just as important. He would follow Luke's lead and wait until he was also ready.

But right at that moment, he felt Luke's hands slide down his back and grab his ass to pull him flush against his body. At the same time, he started to kiss with more hunger and fire. Reid could feel Luke start to harden against his hip and he let his own hands start to explore Luke's body as far as he could reach.
Luke groaned and started to slowly roll his hips against Reid's. So yeah, maybe Luke was ready now...

Reid hands slid under Luke's shirt, his nails raking against Luke's ribs. He teased Luke's nipple with his thumb, causing Luke to break the kiss, breathing heavily. He placed his hands on Reid's shoulders and let his head rest against Reid's neck.
\"Fuck, you're hot.\" Luke smiled breathily. Reid let his hands fall down to Luke's hips, gripping him tightly.
\"S're you.\" He whispered, while kissing along Luke's jaw to his ear to which Luke let out a low noise. Then he pulled back and placed his hands on Luke's neck, thumbs moving along his jaw.

\"Maybe we should go back to the house and continue this inside?\" Reid whispered before claiming Luke's mouth again, wet, hot and demanding.
Luke kissed him back with just as much enthousiasm, until he ended the kiss and shook his head.
\"No.\" He said and felt Reid tense up against him. \"Not yet.\" He added with a mischievous smile.
\"Let's go for a swim first.\" He stepped away from Reid, his fingers at the hem of his shirt, teasingly drawing it up slowly.
\"A swim?\" Reid echoed. There was nothing appealing tohim about a swim in the ocean, so he was about to decline politely when he saw Luke slowly pull his shirt over his head, a teasing grin on his face.
\"You don't want to?\" Luke asked innocently while his hands slowly opened the top button on his jeans.
Reid took a step forward towards Luke, his eyes following the movement of Luke's hands.

\"Go swimming? No.\" He said, looking back at Luke's face.\"Other.... things? Definitely.\"

\"Too bad.\" Luke shrugged but with a smile of his face. \"I am going swimming.\" He pushed his jeans down his thighs, revealing tight black boxers. He took off the jeans, but kept the boxers on.
Reid swallowed, taking in the sight before him. But before he could reach out to grab Luke, Luke turned and walked towards the water. When he reached the waterline, he looked back over his shoulder. \"You sure you don't want to come?\" He grinned.
He pushed the black boxers down his ass, giving Reid an eyefull of two perfectly round cheeks before pulling them back up and slowly walking into the water.
Before he was knee-deep in the water, Reid was fumbling with his belt, eyes still fixed on Luke, trying to get everything off as quickly as possible. By the time he was down to his boxers, the water already came up to Luke's waist.
Reid hesitated for a moment, but then decided to keep his boxers on too and waded into the water. The water felt pleasantly warm against his skin, but the sand between his toes and other things he felt against his feet made him cringe. He tried to see into the water what is was he felt, but the darkness made that impossible. When he looked back up, he found Luke standing in the water up to his chest about 5 feet away from him. Luke's eyes were dark and shiny and the thought that he was naked beneath the water, made Reid's cock half hard already.
He walked towards Luke and stopped right in front of him. He didn't touch him,even though he itched to get his hands on Luke.

\"Now what?\" He asked in low voice.

Luke stepped even closer, so they were chest tot chest with not more than an inch between them.

\"Now..\" Luke said with a glint in his eyes, \"now... we swim!\" He splashed two handfuls of water on Reid and dove away from him into the water.

Reid was too surprised by Luke's actions to duck away, so he spluttered and coughed to get the water out of his mouth. Then he wiped his face with two hands and smiled.

Oh, it is like that huh?

When he saw Luke resurface, Reid quickly dove in and swam towards him under water. Because Reid would never open his eyes in water like this, he waved around with his arms until his right hand hit Luke in the stomach. Reid immediately grabbed him by the waist with two hands and stood up, shaking his head, sending droplets flying around him, until Luke grabbed his cheeks both hands, holding him still and pulled him in for a very wet, deep kiss. His hand slid to the back of Reid's head and then his arms wound around Reid's neck.
Reid immediately responded by wrapping his arms around Luke's back and pulling him flush against his own body. He felt Luke's whole body press against his own and he slid his hands down to Luke's ass and gripped him firmly.
Luke broke the kiss and looked down at their bodies pressed together, breathing hard.
He rolled his hips forward and let out a noise when their erections pressed together. They kept on kissing, hands roaming and hips rolling. But it wasn't enough.
After some time, Luke moved his mouth to Reid's neck mumbling \"I need more, get your hands on me.\"
Never had Reid obeyed an order that easily and he slid a hand to Luke's front, first squeezing him through his boxers, causing Luke to softly moan against his cheek.
Reid smiled and then used both hands to tug Luke's underwear down for better access. He started to stroke him, first moving slowly, using his thumb to draw circles around the head. Luke dropped his head on Reid shoulder, watching Reid\u2019s hand moving over his cock.
He bit his lip to keep himself from crying out when he felt Reid's mouth on his neck, sucking a bruise.
Wanting to make Reid feel just as good as he felt, Luke wriggled his hand into Reid's boxers and wrapped his fingers around Reid's very hard erection. When he started to move his hand, he heard Reid suck in a breath, muttering \"Fuck, Luke.\"
Reid used his free hand to push Luke's chin up and he caught his mouth in a deep, filthy kiss. They kept stroking each other until they both came with a moan and a shudder, first Luke and shortly after Reid followed.
Luke removed his hand from Reid's boxers and rinsed the come off in the water.

\"Wow, that was... amazing..\" He smiled lazily.

\"It certainly was.\" Reid replied, leaning in give Luke a slow warm kiss. Luke slid his arms around Reid's neck and pulled him close. He trailed his hands through Reid's short curls and he felt Reid's hand come to rest on his hips.

\"It's like I can't get enough.\" Luke sighed when they pulled apart.

Reid hummed his agreement, while kissing Luke's ear.

\"We should head back though, I need a shower.\" He said and took Luke's hand to start wading through the water towards the shore.

\"Yeah, I need to get home. I have an early shift tomorrow.\" Luke agreed.

When they reached the shore, Reid bent down to grab his clothes and rolled them up into a bunch. Luke was a little bit more careful and folded them over his arm. They walked back towards the house, shoulders brushing against each other every now and then.

\"You wanna come in and take a shower before you leave?\" Reid offered casually when they reached the house.

Luke looked at him for a few seconds, contemplating the offer. \"Tempting, but I better get home. It's not far.\" He stepped into his jeans, grimacing when the material clung to his wet body.
Reid laughed. \"Okay then, your choice.\"

Luke pulled his shirt over his head again and stepped into Reid's space. \"I had fun tonight.\"

Reid grabbed Luke's hips and pulled him closer. \"Me too.\" He leaned in and kissed Luke one more time.
Luke broke the kiss and pecked Reid on his lips a few times. \"I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow okay?\" He let his hands slide down Reid's torso, teasing him by flicking a nipple.

Reid groaned. \"Unless you want to continue this inside, I suggest you go now.\"

It made Luke smile and he moved his hands up to cup Reid's jaw, kissing him one more time.

\"Alright, alright, I'm going. See you tomorrow.\" He turned and walked away. Right before he turned the corner, he looked and waved at Reid smiling. Before Reid could stop himself, he lifted his hand up to greet him back.
*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:16435","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/16435.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=16435"}}],"title":"Those summer nights chapter 2","published":"2016-04-18T11:56:39Z","updated":"2016-04-18T11:56:39Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"Thinking of Luke as a nurse didn't just turn Reid on. It also made him think about the hospital, about his job, his co-workers and his patients. It made him restless and he felt trapped inside the house no matter how beautiful it was. Of course, he didn't have to stay inside, but for him there was little appeal in taking the same walk over and over again.
He tried to fill his days with reading, books and medical journals alike, watching some television and looking out over the beach, enjoying the view with a beer.
But as fine as the view was, Reid felt a little creepy for watching the same people everyday. He didn't think they'd really notice, but he never felt quite comfortable.
Reid decided to get head start on the research he had planned to do when he returned. He got his laptop, went outside and created a workspace for himself using the couch and coffee table. Soon he was completely engrossed in the material.

\"You're not working, are you? On your vacation?\" Reid's head shot up, he hadn't heard anyone approaching. Luke.
Luke who he'd thought about more than he was willing to admit. Luke, who he wanted to fuck into the mattress from the moment he saw him, but who also made something unfamiliar stir in Reid's chest when he looked at him even though he firmly stomped that down. Luke, who made Reid's gaydar ping off the charts and who he was pretty sure about that he was at least attracted to Reid.

Reid sat up and shrugged his shoulders. \"I'm going stir crazy doing nothing, so yes, I am working.\"

Luke put his hands in the pockets of his short and leaned forward a bit. \"And what are you working on?\" He asked, curiosity obvious in his voice.
\"Research.\" Reid answered, knowing very well that this meant absolutely nothing.

\"That doesn't tell me anything.\" Luke laughed. \"Research on what?\"

\"Cerebral vasospasm.\" Reid said with a face that gave away nothing.

Luke's laugh disappeared from his face and a frown appeared instead.

\"Cerebral vasospasm?\" He repeated.

\"Yes. You're a nurse right? You know what that is.\" Reid said.

Luke nodded. \"Yes, I know what it is. But why do you know what that is? Are you a doctor?\"

\"Neurosurgeon actually.\" Reid leaned back into the cushions, waiting for Luke's reaction.

\"Really? You're a neurosurgeon?\" Luke eyes went wide and he sunk down on the chair across from Reid.

\"Yes, I am. One of the best, if not the best in the country.\" Reid didn't know if he should feel flattered or insulted by Luke's surprise. \"Why are you so suprised?\"

Luke's cheeks turned pink and he didn't meet Reid's eyes. \"I'm not surprised!\" He denied. \"I just didn't know.\" He slowly lifted his eyes to meet Reid's. \"So, the best in the country, huh?\"

Reid crossed his arms. \"Yes.\" He agreed.

\"How old are you then? Because you don't seem old enough for the kind of experience you need to get to the top of the field.\"

\"How old do think I am?\" Reid smirked. He knew he looked younger than he actually was, especially without his doctor's coat, but he was curious to hear what Luke came up with.

But Luke wasn't playing along. \"I am not guessing your age, man. I'm terrible at that. I could just as easily flatter or insult you.\"

\"Fine. I'm 35.\" He really didn't care if people knew his age. \"What about you?\"

Luke lifted his arms and linked his fingers together behind his neck, resting them there. He looked at Reid with a glint in his eyes.

\"What do you think?\"

A quick calculation of Luke's years in school and taking in his appearance , gave Reid the confidence to give Luke a straightforward answer.

\"24\".

Luke's mouth dropped open first, then it closed again, his lips forming a pout. \"Most people think I'm younger than that.\" But he looked at Reid through his eyelashes and smiled.

Reid laughed. \"Sorry. You're not offended are you?\"

Luke shook his head. \"No, of course not. I'm still a lot younger than you.\" He grinned.
And with a quick look over his shoulder, he stood up. \"Listen, I've got to go.\"

Reid nodded, trying not to feel disappointed. \"Okay.\"

Luke hesitated, turning around and then back to Reid again. \"You should come to the beach sometime. Go for a swim?\"

Reid had absolutely no plans to do such a thing, but when he looked up at Luke, standing there, with the sun behind him, looking absolutely beautiful, for some reason he found himself saying, \"Maybe I will.\"

Luke grinned. \"Alright, I'll see you there then.\" With that he quickly walked away to join his friends at the tower. He looked back once to find Reid still watching and waved.
Reid didn't wave back, he felt a little embarrassed that he'd been found out watching, so he just lifted his chin a little in acknowledgement and then turned back to his laptop.

A few hours later, Reid decided it was time for a break. But just as he was standing up and head inside to fix himself something to eat, screaming voices coming the beach, making him stop in his tracks and search for where they came from.
He spotted a few surfers in the water, waving and screaming. When he looked closer, he saw a man in the water holding up another man who was clearly unconscious and bleeding from his head. When he saw Luke and another lifeguard sprint towards the water, he didn't even think before his feet were moving too and he was running towards the lifeguards who were now carrying the man out of the water and laying him down onto the sand.
The man was still bleeding from the wound on the side his head and from another cut on his stomach. When he reached them, Luke was already on his knees, examining the wounds.
Reid dropped to his knees on the other side of the man.

\"What happened?\" He asked Luke.

Luke looked up, startled by Reid's presence or his question, or possible both, but he answered quickly and to the point.

\"He got hit by another surfboard, first on the head, then his stomach got cut, probably by one of the fins.\"

\"Okay. You take the stomach, I'll take the head.\" Reid instructed. Luke didn't want to lose any time by questioning Reid's presence or orders, but did as Reid told him to do.
They both worked quickly and thoroughly, using whatever was available to patch the man up as best as they could. He wasn't in immediate danger, but a blow to the head could injure the brain in ways that were not immediately visible.
Reid\u2019s hands became sandy very quickly and he cursed under his breath. \"Fucking sand is everywhere.\"

Luke didn't even look up, but kept working on the man. \"It's the beach, what did you expect?\"

Just as their victim was regaining consciousness, the ambulance, notified by the other lifeguard, turned onto the beach.
Together with the ambulance crew they quickly transfered the man into the ambulance, while Reid updated them on the man\u2019s condition. The paramedic assured Reid for the third time it wasn't necessary that he ride with them and finally Reid accepted it and stepped back, hands on his hips.
He felt Luke coming to stand beside him and they watched the ambulance drive away.
\"Thanks.\" Luke said, nudging him with his elbow. \"We make a pretty good team.\" He smiled.
Reid looked at him and smirked. \"Yes, we do. You take instructions very well.\"

Luke blushed, but also laughed. \"You don't know the halfof it.\" He teased. Then he winked at Reid and started to walk away backwards, keeping eye contact with Reid.
Reid found himself smiling back and unable to resist the urge to follow Luke.

\"Well, maybe you can tell me all about it over dinner sometime.\" He said.

Luke stopped walking abruptly. His eyes searched Reid's face as if he was looking for something.
\"Are you... do you mean...\" Luke hesitated, \"like a date?\"

\"Yes, exactly like a date.\" Reid nodded. \"Say... Friday?\"
Luke looked at Reid for a few moments, but then he grinned. \"Okay then. Friday.\"
Reid held out his hand and waggled his fingers. \"Give me your phone.\"
Luke patted his shorts, then held out his hands apologetically. \"I don't have my phone here.\"
\"Oh well, then here,\" Reid reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, \"give me your number and I'll text you. Then you'll have mine. We can work out the details about Friday later.\"
Luke accepted Reid's phone and quickly punched in his number. He gave Reid back his phone and thumbed over his shoulder. \"I should get back.\"
\"Yeah, okay.\" Reid pocketed his phone again.
\"I'll see you Friday then?\"
\"Yes, Friday.\"
\"Okay.\" With one last smile, Luke turned and jogged back to the tower, giving Reid a good view of his moving body.

Reid walked back to the house, trying to brush the sand off of his fingers, but to no avail. He grumbled and decided to take a shower immediately. Then he needed to think about his date with Luke on Friday. He really wanted that tan, muscled body naked in his bed. So how was he going to achieve that?

When Friday rolled around, Reid still had no idea what he was going to do with Luke on their date that night.
Dinner? A romantic stroll along the beach? Problem was that Reid wasn't a romantic person at all, he could care less about moonlight or candles or cheesy music.

Through a few texts, Reid learned that Luke was very much up for dinner. Reid had suggested to have something decent delivered to his house and eat out on the deck. After all, he had a magnificent view on the ocean. And it was more likely that things would end up the way Reid wanted them to.
Usually when Reid had dates, his goal was to get them into bed, have amazing sex and, if they were really nice, maybe make 'em breakfast in the morning before sending them on their way. It rarely happened that he slept with the same person more than once. That would just lead to expectations Reid didn't want to fullfil. His job was his life and every now and then he wanted a warm body to lose himself into for a few hours.
Now Reid had no problem admitting to himself that he found Luke very attractive and that he hoped that maybe he could see Luke for the duration of his stay at the beach house. A few weeks of fun and then back to his life, where there was no room for anything else than his job.

During the day, Reid sat out on the deck, reading and researching . Every now and then, he looked out over the beach, trying to find Luke between the hordes of people on the beach.
He spotted him a few times, but because it was too crowded to really see anything, he turned his attention to his laptop and book.
Before he knew it, it was close to six o'clock and the sun was starting to go down. The beach was much less crowded now and he could see Luke talking to one of his colleagues.
Reid watched him talk, gesturing with his hand and smiling.
After a few minutes, Luke obviously said goodbye and he made his way up to the house.
Reid leaned back and waited for him to come up.

\"Hey Reid.\" Luke smiled.

Reid nodded. \"Luke.\"

\"So, I'm going to go home and shower and change and all that and then I'll be back here at seven thirty or so?\" Luke asked, making gestures towards the house and somewhere in the distance.

\"Yeah, sure.\" Reid replied. And when Luke turned around smiling, Reid said with a wink, \"I'll be waiting.\""},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:16163","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/16163.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=16163"}}],"title":"Those summer nights","published":"2016-04-18T11:55:08Z","updated":"2016-04-18T11:55:08Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"\"\"

Part 1

Reid slowly opened his eyes, blinking in the dark, trying to take in the unfamiliar surroundings. The room he was in was mostly white-white walls, white carpet and white sheets on the wooden bed. The bed was extremely comfortable and Reid pushed his face back into the soft but firm pillow, trying to catch some more sleep. The sounds from outside made it impossible to drift off again, so he slowly sat up and reached for the remote control on the night stand. He studied the buttons and then chose one. Immediately the curtains opened and the sunlight freely flowed in.
Reid laughed before quickly shielding his eyes with his hand. \"Unbelievable.\"

He got out of bed and walked towards the window to take in the view.
Right below him the beach stretched out and disappeared into the calm ocean. A few people were in the water surfing and a few were walking along the shore.
It was still early, but the sun already felt warm on his skin through the window.
He made his way towards the kitchen and searched for all the supplies needed to make coffee. Terry had been right; the kitchen was fully stocked and soon the coffeemaker came to life.
When Reid arrived yesterday he'd been too exhausted to look at anything and he just crashed on the bed until this morning.
Now, he took the opportunity to check out the whole house. It was ridiculously large and luxurious with big white couches, enormous lamps and a kitchen that was as big as his whole appartment.
It was nothing Reid would choose for a vacation for himself, but than again, he wouldn't choose anything but just keep on working.
Which was exactly why he was standing in this beach house, or beach mansion, looking out over the ocean.

\"You need some time away from the hospital after everything that's happened, Reid. And I know you don't do vacations, but I have cleared your schedule for next month and I'm giving you the keys to my beach house. Conny will give you all the information you need about it later.\" When Reid started to protest, Terry raised her hand to shush him. \"No, Reid. I am serious. You're going and I don't want to hear another word about it.\" Reid resisted the urge to say \"Yes, mom.\" and looked at the determined face of his boss of 4 years. He knew protesting would not change anything. \"Fine, I'll go. But I promise you, I won't like it. And a month is about three and a half weeks too long.\"
Terry dropped a set of keys into his hand. \"A month, Reid. Not a day less.\" She turned and walked around her desk again. \"You'll love it. Now leave.\"
Reid looked up from the keys in his hand and gave her a little smile. \"Thank you, Terry. It means a lot that you would do this for me, even if I don't want it.\"

And here he was, against his will sure, but he had to admit the house was beautiful, if way too much for just him. And the view of the ocean and the sound of the waves crashing softly onto the shore were strangely relaxing.
Taking a mug of coffee with him, he stepped out onto the deck in just his sleeping pants and t-shirt. There was a huge lounge set with thick white pillows on it. Reid sat down sideways and stretched his legs out onto the couch and closed his eyes. He turned his head towards the sun and let the warmth envelop him. The coffee mug rested against his stomach.
The noise of an engine made him open his eyes and he squinted into the sunlight. He could make out a red truck that was approaching and heading towards a wooden watch tower.

Lifeguards. Reid thought. The truck came to a stop and four lifeguards hopped out.

\"Damn.\" He muttered, taking in the sight before him. This vacation just got a whole lot more interesting. Reid sat up straighter and resisted to urge to run inside and to get his sunglasses. He slowly drank his coffee as he watched the guards settle in and laugh and joke with each other. There were 2 heavily muscled guys, with tight T-shirts stretched over big shoulders, one skinnier pale dark-haired guy and the last guy, well that guy was just about perfection in Reid's eyes. Short, dark blond hair, broad shoulders, some muscle definition on his shoulders and chest and narrow hips and long, long legs. Reid would be content to just sit there and ogle him all day. Or, you know, bend him over the couch and fuck him senseless.
After a good fifteen minutes of just blatant staring, Reid got up to get some more coffee and make himself some breakfast. His movement made one the lifeguards, one of the muscle guys, look his way. He raised a hand in greeting and Reid could hear him shout 'Hey!'.
He just raised his hand in a sort of wave and quickly made his way inside. In the kitchen he found everything he needed to make himself a decent sandwich. He decided to eat outside on the deck, so he shoved his sunglasses on his nose and balanced his coffee, sandwich and phone in his hands. Outside, he pushed open the white parasol to give himself some shade and not get sun burn on his first day.
Before coming here, Reid had worried that he wouldn't be able to relax or find something to keep him busy. But here he was, sitting outside, looking out over the beach and finding himself actually enjoying it. Granted, it was just the first day and he'd been only outside for about an hour, but all in all this was a promising start.


-------------


Over the next few days, Reid found he was still enjoying himself. He still got up fairly early, that habit was hard to lose, made himself coffee and breakfast and sat outside for a few hours, reading a book or watching the people on the beach. The lifeguards, and one in particular, still had most of his attention. During the day, the beach slowly filled up with people, making it harder for Reid to enjoy the scenery. That's when he usually got up and took a walk into town, bought some groceries to make himself dinner and just wandered around a little.
Sometimes he took a walk along the shore, but the sun was hot and Reid burned easily.
The evening were his least favourite time of day. He watched some television, sometimes walked along the beach for a while, but truth be told, he was kind of bored and mostly went to bed early.
Four days in and Reid began to feel itchy. He wanted to get back to work, examine patients, get his hands inside a brain. He felt ridiculous that he wasn't even able to enjoy a week off without wanting to get back to work.
It was late in the afternoon when he decided to go sit out on the deck for some time. He took a beer from the fridge and his book and moved to the comfy couch outside, eyes shielded by his sunglasses.
When he sat down, he glanced over to the lifeguard tower and saw two of the lifeguards, dressed in white -tshirts and blue shorts playing with a frisbee- the dark-haired guy and Mr. Perfection. They were laughing and joking and even though Reid had no desire to join them, he felt a little lonely sitting there by himself.
He turned his attention to the book until a dull thud made him look up. The frisbee had landed a few feet from his deck and he watched Mr. Perfection jog up to get it.
He stopped when he reached the frisbee, but made no effort to pick it up. In stead he looked at Reid. \"Hey.\"

\"Hello.\" Reid said, pushing his sunglasses a little firmer on his nose.

\"Nice place you\u2019ve got here.\" He gestured to the house with his hand.

Reid shrugged. \"It's not mine, but I agree it's a very nice place.\"

\"It's not yours?\" Luke asked, his head tilted.

\"No, it's my boss's house. She forced me to take a vacation and offered her house to me. I'm here for the next month.\" Reid had no idea why he said all that to a complete stranger; up close he was even more beautiful than Reid thought.

\"Wow, I wish I had a boss like that.\" Mr. Perfection laughed. \"They wouldn't have to force me to take a vacation here.\"

Reid smiled a little at that, but didn't respond. After a few moments of silence, the guy shuffled his feet, burying his toes in the sand. He said, \"I'm Luke, by the way and that's Jeremy.\"

Reid got up and walked the few feet towards Luke, his hand outstretched. \"Reid.\"
Luke met him halfway and shook his hand.

\"I'm a lifeguard here.\" Luke thumbed behind him with his other hand.

\"Yeah, I figured.\" Reid let go of his hand.

\"It's a great summer job. I've been doing this for a couple of years now. But this will probably be my last year.\" Luke said with a little sigh.

Reid was happy he was still wearing his sunglasses, even though it might seem a bit rude to keep them up when you talked to someone. He could let his eyes roam over Luke's body and very much liked what he saw. He'd thought Luke was attractive from afar, but close up he was down right beautiful.
\"What? Why?\" He replied when Luke's words finally registered.

If Luke noticed anything, he didn't let it show. \"I've just finished school and I'm starting a new job after the summer. So in the future there will be no more long school vacations.\"

\"Oh.\" Reid said. Then, curious, he asked, \"What kind of job?\"

Luke flushed a little and one of his hands came up to the back of his head and scratched the short hairs there. \"I am a nurse. I just finished college at the university of Illinois.\"

Reid's eyebrows shot up, because he certainly didn't see that coming. but the thought of Luke in scrubs was very pleasant. What he didn't get, was why Luke was blushing.

\"Well, congratulations then.\" He said with a nog of his head and was awarded with a blinding smile for Luke.

\"Thank you. I can't -\" Whatever Luke was going to say, was drowned out by a voice calling his name.

\"Luke! Come on!\" The other guy, Jeremy was it? yelled and waved at Luke.

Luke turned around and waved back. When he turned back, he smiled at Reid. \"I should get back.\"

\"Yeah, sure... no problem.\" Reid said, but he felt a little disappointed that their conversation was cut short. \"I'm sure you're busy.\" He gestured towards the tower.

Luke laughed again. \"No, not really. My shift is over, I was just hanging out until Jeremy was ready to go. And I guess he's ready now.\" When Reid didn't answer, he started walking backwards towards the beach and his friend.

\"So, I'll see you around?\" He asked, his head titled to the side.

\"Yeah, sure.\" Reid answered and watched Luke turn around fully and jog back to the tower.
Jeremy said something to him and hit him on the shoulder. Luke glanced over his shoulder to Reid before shoving him away. They playfully wrestled each other for a few moments then amicably walked away.

Reid watched them go, his eyes fixed on Luke. Damn, a nurse. He was so going to lose himself into a detailed fantasy tonight."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:15682","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/15682.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=15682"}}],"title":"2015 LuRe Yule Challenge : Christmas Shopping","published":"2015-12-24T19:30:34Z","updated":"2015-12-29T08:24:34Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"yule 2015"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fremi"}}],"content":"

\"\"


Christmas shopping<\/b><\/span><\/p>

in which Reid makes a little boy cry but all ends well…<\/span><\/span><\/span>





"I don't see why I have to do this." Reid grumbled, while shrugging on his coat. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Nicole, who had been his assistant for more than 5 years, sighed. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Reid, come on. Do I really have to explain it again? You do this for all your wonderful nurses and colleagues who are always there for you when you need them and who are willing to help you out." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Help me out?" Reid raised his eyebrows. "Are you serious? It's a miracle I'm able to do my job when they are around." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Yeah, yeah." Nicole rolled her eyes. "You're a genius. Believe me, we all know it. But we also know you'd be lost without all of them. So stop whining and come with me."<\/span><\/span><\/span>

Now it was Reid's turn to roll his eyes, but he didn't argue anymore and dutifully followed Nicole out the door, stuffing his hands deep into the pockets of his coat. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"It's not that I don't agree with the idea of all of this, but with the salary I pay you, I would think you could do this without me." Reid started again when they walked out of the hospital. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Nicole snorted. "You should be thankful I'm coming with you. But if you don't stop bitching about it, I'd be happy to turn around and work in my beautiful, organized, quiet office." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. It's just... There are so many people, especially those small ones and they make a ridiculous amount of noise. I can't stand it." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Nicole's faced softened a bit. "I know you have... hang-ups about this. But it's only a little shopping Reid. It'll mean much more to your staff if they knew you picked out their Christmas present yourself. I'm not expecting you to spend the rest of the day shopping, just pick out what you think they'll like and have it delivered to the hospital." Before Reid could open his mouth to protest, she held up her hand and shh-ed him. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Yes, you do know what they like. Don't act like you don't care about them. We all know you better than that." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Nicole, I'm serious, I don't know what anyone likes!" Reid answered, trying to sound convincing.  Nicole was right; he knew a lot about the people who worked for him, business and personal stuff. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Yes, you do. Just take a little time to think about it." Nicole grabbed Reid by the arm and pulled him towards the entrance of the mall. "But, since I'm a good mood, I'll help you out."<\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid looked at her suspiciously. "Really?"<\/span><\/span><\/span>

Nicole laughed and then almost immediately disappeared out of Reid's sight the moment they set foot inside the mall. She had let go of his arm and seemed to dissolve in the sea of people before him. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Reid barely stopped himself from calling out her name, because he really didn't want to draw attention to himself but he couldn't help but picking up his pace and looking around for her, anxiety starting to show on his face. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
But soon enough he felt a hand on his arm again and there she was again, smiling innocently. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Where did you go?" She asked. She started to walk again, but kept her hand on his arm this time. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Where did I<\/i> go? Where did you<\/i> go? You're the one who disappeared on me<\/i>!"<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Don't be silly, Reid. I would never do that. I know how you feel about crowds." She patted his arm and then focused on the festive and beautifully decorated display windows.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Now, who's first?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>


------<\/span><\/span><\/span>

Two hours later, Reid was done. More than done. A headache throbbed behind his eyes and he had to fight the urge to cover his ears with his hands to escape the noise. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Okay, okay." Nicole relented. "You're right. I think we have something for everyone now." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid sighed in relief. He started to make his way to the exit. "Let's get back to the hospital then and do some actual work “He grumbled.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

But Nicole grabbed his arm to stop him. "Not so fast, Dr. Oliver."<\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid looked down at his arm and then back up to Nicole, his eyebrows raised. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Nicole huffed. "Don't give me that look, it doesn't work. Now, listen. you still have one more thing to do." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid gritted his teeth. If he didn't get out of this hellhole very soon, he didn't know what he would do. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Nicole continued as if she didn't notice Reid's reaction.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"You have to buy me something." She smiled brightly.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"What?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Nicole's smile made way for a frown. "Are you saying you're not going to get me anything?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Can't I just give a bonus and be done with it?" Reid asked with a frown matching Nicole's. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Pff. That bonus is mine anyway and you know it." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid sighed. She was right. She was far too valuable to Reid to not give her a generous bonus. She really deserved it for putting up with him. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
He supposed he could try and give her a small personal present.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Come on Reid, you don't want my stocking to be empty on Christmas, do you?" Nicole teased.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"I don't want anything to do with your stocking. In any way." Reid muttered, which made Nicole laugh out loud. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"I'm going back to the hospital now. You take your time; I've cleared your schedule for the rest of the afternoon."<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"I’ll be back in half an hour. Tops."<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Okay fine. I'm sure Santa will get me something nice." Nicole laughed as she walked away. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Hey! Santa doesn't exist, remember? I'm the one buying the presents! " Reid yelled after her retreating back.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

He stared into the crowd for a few moments, until he heard a soft, trembling voice behind him. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Santa doesn't exist?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid froze on the spot, afraid to turn around. But a small hand tugged on his sleeve. "Santa doesn’t exist?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Slowly Reid turned around and was faced with a small boy, about five or six years old. Big brown eyes that were looking right at him, slowly became watery. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Uhm.. maybe?" Reid said uncertain. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Now the tears definitely started to roll down the boys face. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"No, no, no." Reid felt his face heat up and panic rushed through him. He crouched down to the kid's height and moved his arm as to touch the boy's arm, but decided against it after all.

"Don't cry, I don't ... please... " But the more Reid spoke, the harder the boy seemed to cry. "Oh shit." He said, standing back and looking around him frantically, trying to find the boy's father or mother.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

Between snotty inhales and teary hiccups, the boy answered. "You shouldn't say that, it's a bad word." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid looked at him in confusion, thinking about what he'd said. "Oh right. Shit. Yes, okay. I'll try to remember that." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

At that point, he heard a voice call out "Ethan!" and when he turned he saw a guy with crazy dark blond hair come running towards them. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

The boy shouted, "Luke!" and held out his arms. The guy, Luke<\/i> apparently, swept him up in a fierce hug and held him close. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Don't even do that again. God, I thought I'd lost you." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Ethan tried to worm his way out of Luke's arms. "Luke, let go of me." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"'Shh, it's okay, Eth, I know you were crying, but it's okay." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"No, it's not okay Luke!" Ethan started to sniff again, "Santa doesn't exist!" <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"What?" Luke exclaimed. "Where did you get that idea?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"He said so!" A chubby finger was pointed accusingly at Reid, who had been watching the exchange so far with interest. Now he felt like a deer caught in headlights when two pairs of eerily similar brown eyes focused on him. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"You told a little kid that Santa doesn't exist?" Luke put Ethan down, but held on to his hand. He leaned in closer to Reid, "What's the matter with you? Why would you do that?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>
He hissed. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid stared at him. "Excuse me?" He asked, taken aback by the hostile tone in the guy's voice. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"I didn't do anything. If you had paid better attention to your son, he would not have been wandering around, listening to other people's conversations!" Reid bit back. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

And just like that, Luke seemed to deflate right in front of him. "You're right." Luke rubbed his forehead tiredly. "I mean, he's not my son, he's my little brother, but I should have paid more attention to him. I just got distracted for a moment and then he was gone, just like that. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Now Reid felt bad about accusing him of negligence. It didn't help that this guy, this Luke<\/i> was ridiculously attractive. From the wild hair, to the expressive brown eyes, the tall, slightly muscular frame, Reid liked it all. And hearing the boy wasn't his son, but his brother, well... that made the whole thing even better. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Yeah well." He shrugged. "From what I've heard, that's what kids do. So, don't beat yourself up, but pay a little more attention next time."<\/span><\/span><\/span>

Luke's ears turned red, but Reid couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or something else. "Usually he doesn't let me out of his sight, but he saw something he liked and went for it." Luke let out a frustrated noise. "I still should have watched him better." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"What did distract you? Was it at least worth it?" Reid asked, surprising himself with an attempt at small talk. He didn't want to let go of him, of Luke yet. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Luke snorted. "No. My ex-boyfriend and his date. Christmas shopping together, can you believe it?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid made an 'I don't know' face and grumbled, 'I don’t even know why anyone would go Christmas shopping voluntarily." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Luke looked amused. "Not a big fan of Christmas shopping?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"I don't like Christmas and I don't like shopping. So no." Reid replied.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Then why are you here? Besides telling little children Santa isn't real." Luke asked, adding the last part in hushed toned with a sideways glance at his little brother, who, fortunately, was completely focused on the Christmas displays. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid sighed. "My assistant is very adamant that I personally buy the presents for my staff. According to her it makes it more... "<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Personal?" Luke offered smiling.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Yes, exactly. And meaningful." Reid rolled his eyes. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"What, you don't agree?" Luke was clearly surprised, but also amused by Reid's lack of holiday spirit. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"I don't know. It seems that no matter who bought it, the present stays the same. So, what's the difference if I bought it or someone else? I just don't get it." Reid shook his head. <\/span><\/span><\/span>


"I think that maybe it's the thought that counts?" Luke tried.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid snorted. "If that were true I should just write them a card." Then he groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Oh god, I have to write the cards too."<\/span><\/span><\/span>

Luke laughed out loud and it made Reid forget his misery for a moment. He lowered his hands to take in the sparkle in Luke's eyes and the ridiculous dimples in his cheeks. Reid felt himself smiling back at Luke, before lowering his eyes to the ground. He briefly glanced back up and noticed Luke was still looking at him, smiling. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"So..., " Luke started after a few moments of silence, "where do you work then?"<\/span><\/span><\/span>
Reid thumbed over his shoulder, without even knowing if it was the right direction. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"I'm the Chief of Neurosurgery over at the hospital."<\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Oh wow. Really?" Luke eyes widened in surprise. "You're<\/i> the Chief of Neurosurgery? Are you... you're not...?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"What? Am I what?" Reid asked, clearly suspicious. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Oh, it's. nothing. I just... " Luke's cheeks flushed and he rubbed the back of his neck. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"What?" Reid took a step closer. Now he really wanted to know what caused that reaction in Luke. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Luke shifted uncomfortable form one foot to the other. "It's nothing." He started to look around, eyes looking everything but at Reid. "I don't want to take up any more of your time, so we're going to go. Ethan!" He called out. "Come on, we're going." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Ethan came skipping towards Luke and grabbed his hand. "I just saw Santa, so I guess he is really after all, isn't he?" He chattered excitedly, glancing at Reid for a moment, before focusing his full attention on Luke. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Yes, he is definitely real. The nice gentleman here was just joking." Luke ruffled Ethan's hair. He looked at Reid with pleading in his eyes. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Reid coughed and cleared his throat. "Yes, yes, of course. He's real. I was indeed just joking." <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Ethan frowned at him. "It wasn't very funny."  <\/span><\/span><\/span>

That made Luke snort in amusement. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"I guess not." He said a little sheepish. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Well," Luke said, "good luck with your Christmas shopping. I hope you find what you're looking for." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Thank you." Reid said. He was disappointed that Luke had to go and it seemed that it had something to do with Reid's job. But he couldn't for the life of him figure out why that would be. He had never seen Luke at the hospital before, he was sure of it. He would have remembered meeting Luke. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Okay then...bye!" Luke said with a little wave, turned and walked away, tugging Ethan along with him. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Yeah, bye." Reid said softly, watching Luke walk away. It was the first time in God know how long that Reid found a man interesting enough to make an attempt at small talk. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

And it had gone pretty well, he thought. Up until Luke learned about Reid's job. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Reid shook his head. He didn't know what to make of it. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

And it didn't really matter, because Luke had said his goodbyes and walked away, without giving Reid his name or his number. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
He sighed and turned to walk back into the shops to buy the last of the presents.

----<\/span><\/span><\/span>
A knock on the office door, made Reid look up. But before he could say anything, Nicole was already standing before his desk, holding up a clothing bag. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"What is that?" Reid said frowning. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"I made sure that you look respectable on Friday at the Christmas dinner with the hospital board.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid groaned and let his head fall onto his desk. He resisted the urge to bang his head a few times, but it was a close call. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"I'm not going." He grumbled. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Yes, you are. There's no getting out of it this year. All the department heads are going to be there. You have to go." Nicole sat down in the chair opposite Reid's desk and folded the bag in her lap.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

"I know, I know." Reid sound resigned. "But I really don't want to." <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Okay, now you're just being a big baby." Nicole laughed.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
"So?" Reid scowled. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"You're 36 years old, Dr. Oliver. Start acting like it." Nicole rested her elbows on the desk and leaned forward a little. "I may have something to get you through the dinner pleasantly." <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"What, a bottle of scotch?" Reid asked, still disgruntled. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"No silly, a date!" Nicole clapped her hands, clearly very excited. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"No." Reid said. He had no need for a guy on his arm that he didn't know and probably found boring. That would make the night even worse than it already was. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Yes, Reid. All you have to do is say yes and I make it happen." She said mysteriously. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Haven't you tried that before?" Reid asked, narrowing his eyes. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Nicole leaned forward and looked at Reid with serious eyes. "Yes, I have. But.."<\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Like three times?" Reid interrupted. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Yes, but..." Nicole tried. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"With the same guy?" Reid interrupted again. "Who kept saying no?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Nicole sighed. "Will you let me talk?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Do I have a choice?" Reid sounded resigned. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"No." Nicole answered. "Hear me out. I know I tried to set you up before and it didn't work out. But this time, I know it's going to work out." <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"And how would you know that?" Reid asked suspiciously. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Because... a little bird told me he's definitely interested in going out on a date with you." Nicole leaned back triumphantly.  <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"Why is he interested now and not before?" Reid still didn't believe her. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
" Well, apparently before, he was just getting out of a shitty relationship and not looking for something new." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"And now he suddenly is? Well, you know what? This time it's me who's not interested." <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Reid crossed his arms stubbornly. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Come on, Reid. Don't be like that. I guarantee you want to meet him. He's good looking, nice and from what I hear he's a great kisser." <\/span><\/span><\/span>Nicole pressed. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid rubbed his face with one hand. "Nicole, I appreciate what you're trying to do here, but I really don't need you to do this. I don't even have time for someone in my life right now." <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"That's bull and you know it." Nicole leaned over and grabbed Reid's hand. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
"I know you're extremely busy and you spend most of your time right here, at the hospital. But I also know you're lonely, Reid. You're 36 now. Don't you think it's time to try and find someone to settle down with?" <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid thoughts wandered back to last week, to meeting Luke at the mall. Now, that was someone he wanted to get to know better. But he'd lost his chance and let Luke walk away. He couldn't imagine this guy Nicole tried to set him up with was going to make a bigger impression on him than Luke did. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"Reid?" Nicole called his name, waving a hand before his eyes. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
He blinked and shook the thoughts of Luke out of his mind.  Too little, too late.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>
Maybe going on one date with this guy wouldn't be so bad. He could try to get little bit more smooth so the next time a really cute guy crossed his path, he'd know what to say. Maybe this date could help him achieve that. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"I'll do it." He said. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Nicole squealed, "Yes!" <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"But under one condition. You have to promise me that he's really willing to do this. I don't want to be stood up, like an idiot." <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Nicole pushed the chair back and stood up. "Don't worry. His best friend is engaged to nurse Stewart, so my source is solid." She walked towards the door and turned one more time. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

"I'll take care of everything. I will make sure he's going to pick you up here, okay?"<\/span><\/span><\/span>
And just before she disappeared through the door, "You won't regret it, I promise."<\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid shook his head. Sometimes he really hated Nicole's meddling in his personal life, but he knew it came from a good place. She worried about him, always fussing over his eating habits and trying to convince him he needed someone in his life to take care of him. He didn't exactly disagree with her, he wouldn't mind having someone to come home to, but he preferred to keep his personal life to himself.

But he trusted her and that was why he let her handle a lot of things, which now apparantly included his love life. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
He opened the folder on his desk and focused on his patients, abandoning all thoughts of dates and Luke.

----------------<\/span><\/span><\/span>
It was close to 6 o'clock and Reid was in his office, pulling on his suit jacket. It was a very nice suit; Nicole really did her best. The dark blue fabric complemented his eyes and it was really form fitting. Reid smirked. At least he would make a good impression on his date, he knew he looked good. As a finishing touch he put a little product in his hair and styled it quickly. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Then a knock on the door. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
He gave himself on more look in the mirror and sighed. "Ridiculous." He muttered to himself.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

In a few steps he reached the door and carefully opened it. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

His eyes widened. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

And widened. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

And then widened some more. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Because there right before him, was the one guy he hadn't been able to put out of his mind.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

“Hi.” He said, his cheeks pink from nervousness and he stuck out his hand. “I’m Luke Snyder and I’m going to be your date for tonight.” <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid grabbed his hand and shook it, still dumbfounded. “Dr. Reid Oliver,” was his simple reply. He gestured for Luke to come in to his office. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

“I know.” Luke smiled while brushing past Reid and into the office. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

“Did you know….” Reid didn’t finish the question.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

“No!.” Luke hastily explained. “I didn’t know. But when you told me what you did and where you worked, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together.” He bit his lip and looked at his feet. “Are you… disappointed?” <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Reid had composed himself somewhat during Luke’s explanation and his mind was going in a million different directions.<\/span><\/span><\/span>

“Nicole tried to set us up before, but you didn’t want to. Why not?” <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Luke held out his hands in front of him. “Okay, but don’t be mad. My friend works here at the hospital and he said that you’re … a bit difficult. To work with, at least. He kind of told me not to do it, that you weren’t a nice person.” <\/span><\/span><\/span>

“Oh.” Reid said. He knew what people who didn’t really know him said about him, but to hear Luke say it, actually hurt for some reason. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

“But then I met you and yes, you were grumpy. But also funny and I could tell that, in spite of your complaints, that you cared. And then I kind of wanted to get to know you better. So I told my friend that and she told Nicole, I guess. And here we are.” Luke briefly looked up at Reid. “Are you mad?” <\/span><\/span><\/span>

“No, I’m not. Surprised yes, but not disappointed or mad. The only reason I agreed to this date was that I needed to get my mystery guy, *you*, out of my head.” Reid admitted freely. Hearing Luke explain what happened, restored his confidence very quickly. “But I don’t think that’s going to work out.” He shot Luke a smile. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Luke shook his head, smiling. “Your mystery guy, huh?” <\/span><\/span><\/span>

“Yes. I only knew your first name and that isn’t a lot to go on. But,” Reid took a step closer to Luke, “now I’m hoping that maybe we could loose the ‘mystery’.”<\/span><\/span><\/span>

The tips of Luke’s ears turned pink, but he kept his eyes on Reid. “Let’s see how tonight goes first, okay?” Then he leaned in and kissed Reid on the cheek. “But I’m hopeful.” He breathed in Reid’s ear. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

Before Reid could react, Luke pulled away, leaving Reid speechless. So instead he swung open the door, grabbed Luke’s hand and pulled him with him into the corridor. <\/span><\/span><\/span>

“Let’s go then.” He grinned.<\/span><\/span><\/span>



fin<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/i>








<\/p>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:15534","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/15534.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=15534"}}],"title":"Wallet","published":"2015-01-24T11:44:38Z","updated":"2015-01-24T11:44:38Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08; fff; reid\/luke;"}},"content":"Reid let himself into the house quietly. He turned on the light and looked around. Everything was the same as he left it early that morning. <\/span>
Katie was away for a few days and Luke... well, Luke didn't want to spend the night yet. He was still 'adjusting', Reid made air quotes in his mind. <\/span>
So, he was alone. And normally he was okay with that. But today, even though he hadn't celebrated in years, he'd still hoped somewhere deep down that Luke would do something. But he hadn't heard from Luke all day. No texts, no phone call, nothing. He felt stupid for hoping, scolded himself for letting himself be vulnarable only to get disappointed. Again. <\/span>
And now it was close to nine thirty and Reid was tired. <\/span>
"Well, congratu-fucking-lations to me, have a beer." He had only one minor surgery planned for the next day and it wasn't till late in the afternoon. <\/span>

He grabbed a bottle from the fridge and sat down on the couch, flicking on the tv. After a few minutes, a knock on the door made him look up, brow furrowed in annoyance. He wasn't in the mood for anything anymore at this moment. <\/span>
But when he got up and opened the door to a delicious looking Luke, holding up a cake and small but perfectly wrapped present, it was very much worth it. <\/span>

"Happy birthday." Luke said, with a smile, looking at Reid through his eyelashes. <\/span>

Reid stared at him for a few moments, taking in the fresh haircut, soft looking sweater and tight jeans, before clearing his throat. "Thanks." <\/span>

"So... ," Luke peered into the living room, "can I come in?" <\/span>

Reid stepped back and opened the door a little wider. <\/span>

"Yeah, sure. I just wasn't expecting anyone anymore." He took the cake from Luke and placed it on the table. <\/span>

"You thought I'd forget your birthday?" Luke asked incredulously. <\/span>

Reid shrugged. "Yeah well, I hadn't heard from you all day, so... " He trailed off. <\/span>
Then he gestured towards Luke. "But I see you've been busy today. With the new hair, and new clothes.. I think?"<\/span>

Luke blushed. "Yeah, I wanted to..." He cut himself off, shaking his head. "No. Come on, let's eat some cake."<\/span>
He darted towards the kitchen to get plates. <\/span>
Reid followed him at a slower pace, intrigued by what Luke wanted to say. He watched Luke for a moment being busy with getting plates and cutting cake. He leaned in a little closer. <\/span>
"Why are you nervous?" <\/span>

Luke almost dropped the knife he was holding, startled by the question. "I'm.. I'm not nervous."<\/span>

Reid, starting to get a little anxious himself,  stepped another bit closer and put his hand over Luke's. "Luke, what's going on?" <\/span>

Luke seemed to calm down a little, letting out a sigh. He turned towards Reid and looped his arms around Reid's neck, pressing his face against Reid's. <\/span>
Without even thinking about it, Reid's arms found their way around Luke's waist and he held him tight. <\/span>

"I love you." Luke murmured against his neck. Reid's hand found it's way into Luke's hair and he tugged softly to make Luke look at him.
"I love you too." He said, leaning in for a kiss. Luke sighed against his lips and returned the kiss with enthusiasm. When he pulled back, his eyes shone. <\/span>
"Let's eat some cake and then.. you can open your present." He kissed Reid again, short and sweet, grabbed the plates and moved to the couch. <\/span>

Once they were seated, Luke grabbed his present again and offered it to Reid with a nervous smile. “Happy birthday. Again. I hope you like it.” He bit his lower lip. <\/span>

Reid accepted the present, curious what it was. Not because of the present itself, but because of Luke’s nervous behaviour. <\/span>
“I’m sure I will.” And he really was sure. Knowing Luke, he would have put a lot of time and effort into finding the perfect gift. <\/span>

When he opened it, tearing away the paper, a beautiful leather wallet appeared. Reid turned it around in his hands, admiring it. “It’s great, I love it.” And he meant it. He wasn’t used to getting presents on his birthday, let alone have someone with him to celebrate the day. So Luke could have gotten him a coaster and he would still be happy with it. <\/span>

He kissed Luke and squeezed his hand. “Thank you.” <\/span>

A blush appeared on Luke’s face and took Reid’s hand in both of his. “I’m glad you like it. But that’s not all I want to give you tonight.”<\/span>

Reid tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. “Okay?”<\/span>

Luke blush deepened and he cleared his throat. “There’s something inside the wallet.” <\/span>

Reid gave Luke a long look, then turned his attention to the wallet in his hands. He slowly opened it and found the all too familiar little foil-wrapped square. He took it out and stared at it for a few moments. He felt hope bubble up that this meant that Luke would finally, finally be ready to sleep with him. What else could it mean? Then he felt Luke’s hand curling around his wrist. <\/span>

“Reid, listen. You know I’ve been…, “Luke swallowed, “hesitant about having sex with you. I want you to know that i don’t want to wait anymore. Because I love you and you love me and to be honest, I can’t stop thinking about it. And I thought today would be a good day, because Reid, I want you to know that you have me. In every way possible. We’re so good together and if what we’ve been doing so far is any indication, sex will be so so fantastic. I keep imagining what it will be like to feel you, to really feel you. I’m just… I don’t…. , “he began to sputter before rambling on. “I don’t have a lot of experience and I want to be good at it for you, but waiting isn’t going to make me more experienced, obviously. So, yes, I did get my hair cut and I bought new clothes, because I want to turn you on and I thought…” <\/span>

Reid suddenly surged forward and silenced him the best way he knew how. With his lips. <\/span>
“You’re right. I do love you. And god, yes you turn me on. You didn’t need to buy new clothes for  that. Or get a haircut. But I do appreciate it. “He smirked, but then turned serious. “I don’t care how experienced you are. Or not. I just want you. And I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been thinking about.. exáctly. But later. Because right now,” He stood up and pulled Luke up with him, “we need to take this to the bedroom, because we’re gonna  need more than just this.” <\/span>He held up the condom and grinned. <\/span>
 "},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:15207","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/15207.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=15207"}}],"title":"New York Christmas (2)","published":"2014-12-29T08:26:39Z","updated":"2014-12-29T08:26:39Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"yule 2014"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"part 2

Once he was in his hotel room, he threw his bag on the bed and went straight for his laptop.<\/span><\/span>
He typed in 'Dr .Reid Oliver' in the google search bar and immediately got results. A lot of results. It turned out that Dr. Reid Oliver wasn't just any neurosurgeon, he was at the top of his field, even at his age, which was 34, Luke found out.  Only 9 years between them, Luke thought.<\/span><\/span>
After reading all the information he found valuable, he skipped all the medical stuff, he closed his laptop and laid down on his bed.<\/span><\/span>
He went over their meeting again and he was sure that Reid was going to ask for his number of give him his number, when Noah came between them, acting like Luke's boyfriend.<\/span><\/span>
Luke couldn't blame Reid for his reaction, he probably would have acted to same way if it had happened the other way around. He groaned when he thought about what Reid would think now. Luke had tried to flirt a little with Reid, even if he wasn't very good at it, and now Reid probably thought he had boyfriend. How was he going to make this right?<\/span><\/span>
*<\/span><\/span>
It turned out, he couldn't. He'd tried to call the hospital, but they wouldn't put him through. Which he found logical, but was annoyed by anyway. Then he's searched for an email address, but  he couldn’t find anything. The search for anything personal about Dr. Oliver, didn't give him any results either. The doctor didn't participate in any social media; he had no Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account. After a month had passed and Luke still hadn't succeeded in contacting Reid Oliver, he stopped trying. Yes, Luke had taken an immediate liking to him and Reid was still a very active part of his masturbation fantasies, but apparently some things weren't meant to be. And besides, it wasn't like Reid couldn't contact Luke, because unlike Reid, Luke did like social media and was very active on it.<\/span><\/span>
He'd documented his move to his new apartment quite thoroughly, his excitement to live on his own obvious through the pictures.<\/span><\/span>
He still visited the coffeehouse frequently, always hoping to run into Reid, but it never happened. It was also a way to keep in touch with Noah, who, to Luke's shock, was falling for a girl.<\/span><\/span>
"Luke, you know I'm bi, why is this such a shock to you?" Noah had asked, his eyes wide in confusion.<\/span><\/span>
No, Luke hadn't known that Noah was bi, thank you very much. He'd thought that Noah was gay, since they were in a committed relationship. He couldn't really explain why, but it left a sour taste in Luke's mouth, one that he was eager to lose. So he'd tried his hand on dating to up his self-esteem, but after 3 dates that turned to be boring, weird and awkward, Luke gave up on that road. In the back of his mind, a certain doctor kept popping up and Luke found himself comparing everybody to him. Which was crazy because he'd only seen Reid twice and talked to him once, for like 5 minutes.<\/span><\/span>
So, after a few months, Luke had come to terms with Noah having a girlfriend and concentrated on his writing. He had an amazing office in his new apartment, with a great view on the city and he didn't know it that was the cause for his burst of inspiration, but he was grateful that he was able to write again.<\/span><\/span>
Now that he lived on his own, he'd spent a lot of money on his apartment, indulging  a little bit. Noah had always been opposed to it, which Luke understood to a certain extent.<\/span><\/span>
But now, Luke bought himself a great apartment, spent hours and hours designing the interior and now that is was ready, it really was his home.<\/span><\/span>
As the months went by, Luke settled in to his new life, single and for the first time living on his own. He never saw Reid again and thoughts about him became less and less.<\/span><\/span>
Until one afternoon in mid-August, Luke was walking towards the coffee shop and he saw Reid at the other side of the street. Luke stopped and stared, not believing it really was Reid.<\/span><\/span>
He was about to shout his name, when he saw Reid stop walking, yank his beeper from his belt and with a massive eye roll, turn on his heels and take off running back where he came from.  All Luke could do was stare after him for just a few seconds until he disappeared into the crowd. <\/span><\/span>
There was no way Reid would hear him if he called out and he was too far away to run after.<\/span><\/span>
It left Luke no other choice than to walk into the coffee shop. He ordered a coffee, waved to Noah who was standing in the back and slumped down on a seat near the window.<\/span><\/span>
Noah turned out to be a much better friend than boyfriend, because it didn't even take him a minute to sit down next to Luke, after squeezing his shoulder in greeting.<\/span><\/span>
"What's up, man? You look pissed." Noah asked, setting down a blueberry muffin in front of Luke.<\/span><\/span>
"I am pissed." Luke grumbled, taking the muffin and biting into it.<\/span><\/span>
Noah just looked at him questioningly.<\/span><\/span>
"I was just starting to forget about him and now, just 2 minutes ago, I saw him again. But before I could say anything, he was gone already." Luke said around a piece of muffin in his mouth.<\/span><\/span>
"Oh shit." Noah looked empathically. "Reid? He was here?"<\/span><\/span>
Luke swallowed. "No, he was on his way apparently, but his pager went off by the looks of it so he took off again." Luke combed a hand through his hair. "Fuck." He cursed. Then he looked at Noah.<\/span><\/span>
"He hasn't been in here since December? You haven't seen him?" He asked. "Because what are the odds that I would run into him again?" He shook his head. "Not even run into him, just stand there and gawk like an idiot." He slapped a hand over his eyes.<\/span><\/span>
"No, really. I haven't seen him. You know I would tell you if I had, you know that." Noah said, gently rubbing Luke's shoulder.<\/span><\/span>
Then Luke sat up and straightened his back. "Okay, enough of this. Either I stop thinking about him or I'm going on a mission to find him." Then he slumped back in his chair again.<\/span><\/span>
"What if I find him and he's not even interested? What if all my trouble is for nothing?" He groaned. "Oh god, I don't even want to think about that."<\/span><\/span>
"Well, at least you'll know." Noah said cheerfully.<\/span><\/span>
Luke shot him a dirty look. "You're not helping. At all."<\/span><\/span>
"Sorry". Noah smiled. "I've got to get back to work, okay? Are you staying or going?"<\/span><\/span>
"I'm leaving." Luke stood up, gave Noah a quick hug and turned to leave. "I've got some thinking to do."<\/span><\/span>
It turned out Luke didn't need to do much thinking, because he had already decided in his heart that he was going to try and get in touch with Reid. If just a few seconds of seeing him again could spike Luke's heart rate, he owed it to himself to find out if this man could really be his man.<\/span><\/span>
But after some time, Thanksgiving had already come and passed, it seemed to Luke that the universe was working against him. Nothing he tried worked. And finally after spending 90 minutes in the hospital where Reid worked, wandering around the halls, looking and asking around for him, he told himself to stop this. It obviously wasn't meant to be if it was this hard to find him. It seemed like Reid was hiding himself from Luke which of course was ridiculous, he didn't even know Luke was looking for him.<\/span><\/span>
With Christmas approaching again, Luke decided to put his quest for Reid away and dedicate his upcoming time to Christmas shopping. He still had about 2 weeks, but he had a lot of people to shop for.<\/span><\/span>
He agreed to meet Noah at the mall and shop for Luke's family together.<\/span><\/span>
It took them 3 hours of wandering in and out of stores, to purchase the gifts for Luke's siblings. Both of them tired and a little cranky, they decided to take a break and sit down for coffee.<\/span><\/span>
From where they sat, they had a good view on some guy dressed as Santa Claus, taking pictures with little children and passing out gifts.<\/span><\/span>
They both stared at him, sipping their coffee.<\/span><\/span>
"Maybe you should ask Santa Claus to give you your most desired present." Noah grinned.<\/span><\/span>
"And what would that be?" Luke decided to play dumb.<\/span><\/span>
"Oh, I don't know, maybe meeting Reid again?" Noah replied with his eyebrows raised.<\/span><\/span>
Luke laughed. "Yeah, maybe I should. Nothing else seems to work."<\/span><\/span>
"Well, go on then." Noah gestured. "He's not very busy now."<\/span><\/span>
Luke just stared at Noah. "You've got to be kidding right? Are you actually suggesting that I go up to Santa and ask for a boyfriend?"<\/span><\/span>
"Why not? What have you got to lose?" Noah asked.<\/span><\/span>
"That's not... I don't... "Luke sputtered. "Santa is for kids, Noah. And I stopped believing in Santa Claus about 20 years ago." He shook his head. "You shouldn't make fun of this, Noah. Because I am certainly not amused." He pushed back his chair and stood up.<\/span><\/span>
"Let's get the rest of the presents and get out of here." Luke grabbed the bags with presents and started to make his way through the tables and chairs.<\/span><\/span>
"Luke, wait!?" Noah said, also standing up hurriedly, grabbing his bags. "Luke!" One of his bags hooked behind the leg of a chair and Noah was jerked back. "Luke, wait!" He called out once more, but Luke didn't stop, he kept walking. It wasn't until he felt a hand of his shoulder that he stopped moving. He startled when he saw a friendly, bearded face, with twinkling eyes behind wire-framed glassed and a red hat atop his head.<\/span><\/span>
"Is there anything you want to ask me?" The man said, a friendly smile on his face.<\/span><\/span>
"Seriously?" Luke asked, getting angry. He crossed his arms before his chest and narrowed his eyes. "Did Noah put you up to this?"<\/span><\/span>
The guy, Luke refused to call him Santa, shook his head. "I just want to know what you want most for Christmas."<\/span><\/span>
"Okay, this officially isn't funny anymore. Shouldn't you be taking pictures with children who, I don't know, actually believe in you?"<\/span><\/span>
"You're never too old to believe in Santa." 'Santa' said gently. "What's the harm in telling me your wish?"<\/span><\/span>
"I'm not making a fool out of myself here." Luke said. He wanted to turn and walk away, but the look in the friendly blue eyes, made him stay.<\/span><\/span>
The man didn't say anything, but just kept looking at Luke with a questioning expression on his face.<\/span><\/span>
Luke uncrossed his arms and huffed. "Fine, do you want to know what I want? I want Dr. Reid Oliver. Can you make that happen? No? That's what I thought."<\/span><\/span>
And with his cheeks red, he turned quickly and walked away. And if he felt a gust of wind blow around his head, he didn't pay attention to it.<\/span><\/span>
After a minute or so, Noah caught up with him. "Hey, I saw you talking to that Santa-guy. What was that about?"<\/span><\/span>
"Nothing." Luke mumbled, still embarrassed. "Let's just finish shopping, okay?"<\/span><\/span>
*<\/span><\/span>
The next week, Luke hurried into the coffee shop. It was snowing and he was freezing cold. He stopped just inside the door to stomp and get the snow of his boots. He looked for Noah but couldn't see him anywhere.<\/span><\/span>
He made his way to the counter and ordered his coffee. He clutched it in his hands to warm them up and saw a spot opening up by the window. He sat down and stared at the people walking by.<\/span><\/span>
Suddenly he felt someone poking him. He looked up to find the woman sitting next him, nodding towards the counter. He looked at her in confusion.<\/span><\/span>
"What?"<\/span><\/span>
"Someone is trying to get your attention." She said with a shrug and turned her attention back to her friend.<\/span><\/span>
Luke turned around and saw Noah standing behind the counter, gesturing frantically. Luke shook his head, not understanding what Noah was trying to say. Then Noah waved him over, urgently. So Luke stood up and moved through the tables towards Noah.<\/span><\/span>
"What's wrong? You look like an idiot." Luke said with a laugh.<\/span><\/span>
“Well, you better be thankful to this idiot, because look to your right. At the window." Noah said.<\/span><\/span>
Luke furrowed his brow and turned his head. And right there, after almost a year, he saw a familiar doctor, dressed in scrubs, sitting at a table, browsing through a magazine.<\/span><\/span>
"Oh my god." Luke let out and almost without thinking about what he was doing, he made his way over to him. He stopped at the table and just stared. He couldn't believe it, there he was, the man Luke had been mooning over for almost a year and a week after he told a fake Santa he wanted Dr. Reid Oliver.<\/span><\/span>
"If you're just going to stand there, could you please move? You're blocking my light." The smooth voice was exactly how Luke remembered it.<\/span><\/span>
He suddenly came to his senses and laughed. "No, I'm not."<\/span><\/span>
Now, the doctor slowly raised his head until his eyes met Luke's. And judging by the shock that was evident in his eyes, he remembered Luke very well.<\/span><\/span>
After a few moments of silence, "Mr. Snyder.", he said, with a nod of his head. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.<\/span><\/span>
"Dr. Oliver."  Luke replied, nodding his head, but unable to hide his smile.<\/span><\/span>
They stared at each other, both not knowing what to say. Luke couldn't sit down, because there was no seat available for him. So he just stood there, looking down.<\/span><\/span>
Then Reid cleared his throat and looked away. Luke shuffled his feet and tried to think of something to say. He felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment, but this wasn't the time to chicken out.<\/span><\/span>
"Listen, Reid," he started to say, but Reid quickly drank his coffee and stood up.<\/span><\/span>
"Reid, wait." Luke wanted to stop Reid from walking away again, but there was no need, because Reid had no intention of leaving.  <\/span><\/span>
Instead he tugged on Luke's arm, making him follow Reid to a corner of the establishment.<\/span><\/span>
"I can't talk when I'm sitting down and you're standing up." He said with a little crooked smile.<\/span><\/span>
Luke automatically smiled back. "Yeah, you're right." He bit his lip.<\/span><\/span>
"So, last time we spoke... "Luke started, but was unsure what he was going to say.<\/span><\/span>
"Your boyfriend came to say hello." Reid interrupted.<\/span><\/span>
Luke cocked his head. "I thought you'd think that. But he's not my boyfriend. Not now and not then."<\/span><\/span>
"He's not?" Reid narrowed his eyes. "Does he realize that, because he sure acts like your boyfriend."<\/span><\/span>
"Well, to be honest, we'd just broken up the week before. So there might have been a force of habit there." Luke watched Reid, who still eyed him suspiciously.<\/span><\/span>
"What, you don't believe me?" Luke asked.<\/span><\/span>
"I didn't say that." Reid said defensively. "So, he's your ex?"<\/span><\/span>
"Yes, I've been single for more than a year now." Luke admitted, a small blush crept up on his face. If that wasn't an invitation, Luke didn't know what was.<\/span><\/span>
"Okay. Yeah. Alright then." Reid nodded.<\/span><\/span>
Luke shoved his hands in his pockets and rolled back and forth on his feet.<\/span><\/span>
"So..., how about dinner?" He asked, looking at Reid through his eyelashes.<\/span><\/span>
"I'm off at seven. Come by the hospital at seven thirty." Reid didn't miss a beat.<\/span><\/span>
"What, tonight?" Luke asked a little confused.<\/span><\/span>
"Uhm, yes?" Reid looked unsure all of a sudden. "If you can't, it's no big deal. We can do it some other time."<\/span><\/span>
"No, no, tonight's fine. I just wasn't expecting it." Luke quickly explained. "I'll pick you up at the hospital, then." He smiled brightly.<\/span><\/span>
"Speaking of which," Reid glanced at his watch, "I've got to get going. I have a patient waiting for me to dig into his skull."<\/span><\/span>
Luke made a face. "That's one lovely image."<\/span><\/span>
Reid laughed. "I know, can't wait." He placed his hand on Luke's forearm for a moment and squeezed gently. "I'll see you tonight."<\/span><\/span>
"Okay, tonight." Luke breathed. Reid hesitated a moment, but then quickly nodded, turned and walked away.<\/span><\/span>
Luke stared after him, a smile lingering onhis lips.<\/span><\/span>
A slap on his shoulder made him wince.<\/span><\/span>
"And?" Noah's asked, stepping in front of him.<\/span><\/span>
"I have a date tonight." A big dopey smile spread over Luke's face. "He remembered me too."<\/span><\/span>
"Tonight? That's .... quick." Noah said, looking at the clock on the wall. "What are you going to do? You don't have much time to plan something."<\/span><\/span>
"I don't know and I don't care." Luke said. "As long as we're spending time together, everything is fine with me."<\/span><\/span>
Noah studied Luke's face for a moment. "I'm glad you're happy. But Luke..."<\/span><\/span>
Luke held up his hand. "No. Don't spoil this for me. I know you think tonight could turn out to be a disaster, but Noah, I know it won't. I can't tell you why, but there's something about him that's so right and familiar, even though we've only met a couple of times." He gave Noah a quick hug and turned to leave.<\/span><\/span>
"I'll let you know how it went, okay? Just be happy for me."<\/span><\/span>
*<\/span><\/span>
With a few minutes to spare, Reid was freshly showered, dressed and ready to go. He smiled to himself, thinking about how one year ago things were totally different. <\/span><\/span>
Last year<\/span><\/span>
After dealing with the emergency that had called him away from his meeting with Luke, he had returned to his office.<\/span><\/span>
He plopped down on his chair and turned to stare out the window. He thought back to his conversation with Luke. He was pretty sure Luke was interested in him, he even made a small attempt at flirting, which Reid had found cute. But then the bulky barista turned out to be the boyfriend. So Reid had left immediately, calling himself stupid for being interested in someone who was obviously taken.<\/span><\/span>
Luke Snyder.  The name had a nice ring to it. Reid sat up straight and turned to his computer. He quickly typed in the name in the google search bar and waited on the results. Within a few seconds, the page was filled with information. The next hour Reid was completely engrossed in Luke's life. Luke was from a place called Oakdale and he was now 25 years old. 25, only 9 years younger than him, Reid thought. But apparently a lot happened to him in his young life. And when Reid read an article about Luke being kidnapped with his boyfriend by some crazy twins, there was also a photo of the two of them next to the article. And sure enough, Luke's boyfriend was the barista that had kissed Luke's cheek.<\/span><\/span>
"Fuck." Reid muttered. He quickly closed the browser and scolded himself. Was he really interested in Luke or was he just lusting after him? Because Luke was very attractive, with his short, brown hair, sideburns and one day stubble. Not to mentioned his big, brown eyes that displayed his emotions openly.<\/span><\/span>
His waist was slim, but his shoulders were broad. He was beautiful, Reid thought.<\/span><\/span>
But apparently also taken. So Reid resolutely pushed any thoughts of Luke and his easy smile out of his head and focused on his job, like he always did. And if he avoided the coffee shop from now on, well, no one needed to know, right?<\/span><\/span>
But now, now he knew that there was no boyfriend at all. There was only Luke, Luke with his mesmerizing smile and eyes that seemed to see and know so much. Luke, who he hadn't been able to get out of his head since they met in that small bookstore, despite the fact that Reid thought he was in a relationship.<\/span><\/span>
Reid wasn't someone who had many relationships, romantic or otherwise. He focused on his job, working hard to be at the top of his field and stay there. It took up a lot of his time and energy. He didn't have time for other people, he rarely had time to himself. And if he had some time off he spent it researching or reading medical journals.<\/span><\/span>
But even since he met Luke, he found himself thinking about evenings together on the couch, watching a movie, going out to dinner or spending  lazy Sundays in bed. But he never seriously considered going into a relationship, mainly because he thought Luke had a boyfriend. So he'd spent the last year avoiding the places he might run into Luke.<\/span><\/span>
But today, there something was pulling him towards the coffee shop. He hadn't even made the conscious decision to spend his break there. He didn't question why after a year of not going there that today he suddenly went. He was just glad that he did. Because now he was going out with Luke. And glancing at his watch, he saw it was almost seven.<\/span><\/span>
Reid locked his office and walked through the halls, towards the entrance.<\/span><\/span>
Luke already stood there waiting, looking delicious is a dark grey winter coat, light grey scarf and a woolen beanie on his head.<\/span><\/span>
When Reid reached him, he couldn’t help but placing a hand on Luke’s cheek and leaning in to kiss him on the other cheek.<\/span><\/span>
It startled Luke, he clearly wasn’t expecting that, but he smiled widely and his eyes shone.<\/span><\/span>
“Hey.” Reid said. “You look amazing.”<\/span><\/span>
“Really?” Luke said, looking down at his coat. Then he grinned. “Wait ‘till you see what’s under this.”<\/span><\/span>
Reid lifted one eyebrow and fought a grin. “Is that so?”<\/span><\/span>
“Oh no, no, no… I didn’t mean it like that.” Luke’s face turned red and he buried his head in his hands. “God,” he groaned. “I just meant, I bought a shirt and…” he peeked through his fingers to find Reid laughing.<\/span><\/span>
“Okay, you can stop laughing now.” He said, but laughed a little himself.<\/span><\/span>
“You’re cute.” Reid said, still smiling. Then he took Luke’s hand and pulled him with him.<\/span><\/span>
“So, where are we going?”<\/span><\/span>
“I don’t know.” Luke confessed. “But you asked me out, don’t you have anything planned?”<\/span><\/span>
“No.” Reid was a little embarrassed to say. “It was kind of a spur of the moment thing.”<\/span><\/span>
He looked at Luke. “Did you eat already?”<\/span><\/span>
When Luke shook his head, Reid smiled. “Great, I know great place we can go.<\/span><\/span>
*<\/span><\/span>
The restaurant was amazing. The food, the atmosphere, the company, everything seemed perfect. Reid and Luke talked for hours.They were the last ones to leave, Reid pleasantly buzzed from the wine he’d been drinking and Luke laughing at the sarcastic jokes Reid told.<\/span><\/span>
“Where do you live?” Luke asked, holding on to Reid’s hand again.<\/span><\/span>
“Close. Why?” Reid asked.<\/span><\/span>
“Because I want to make sure you get home safely.” Luke laughed again.<\/span><\/span>
“I’m not drunk, you know.” Reid said. “I would never do that on a first date.”<\/span><\/span>
“I know, I know. But I just want to walk you home, alright?”<\/span><\/span>
Reid looked at him for a moment, then swung both their hands back and forth. “Alright. Let’s go then.”<\/span><\/span>
Only 5 minutes later, they had reached Reid’s apartment. They came to a halt in front of the door and were just standing, not really knowing how to say goodbye.<\/span><\/span>
Finally, Reid broke the silence. “So… do you want to come up, maybe?”<\/span><\/span>
Luke looked him right in the eye and answered, this time without smiling, but very serious, “Yes.” His intention was very clear.<\/span><\/span>
Reid swallowed. He turned to open the door, then turned back around to look at Luke. "Are you sure?"<\/span><\/span>
Luke nodded. "I'm sure."<\/span><\/span>
They rode the elevator upstairs in silence, just watching each other. The air was thick with anticipation and the moment the door opened on their floor, their hands reached for each other and their fingers linked together immediately.<\/span><\/span>
Reid opened the door and let Luke go first. He closed the door behind him and took off his coat. He motioned for Luke to do the same. He then stepped around Luke towards the kitchen, asking him if he wanted to drink something.<\/span><\/span>
But Luke followed him into the kitchen, saying, "No, I don't want anything to drink. I want something else though." When Reid turned to him, Luke put his hands on either side of Reid's face. "I really really want to kiss you right now. Is that okay?"<\/span><\/span>
Reid's eyes widened a little, he wasn't expecting Luke to be so upfront. But he wanted to same thing, he really really wanted Luke to kiss him right now. So he murmured, "Yeah." And not one second later, Luke's lips were on his, warm and a little dry. But as soon as he opened his mouth and started exploring Reid's mouth with his tongue, everything turned warm and wet.<\/span><\/span>
Reid's put his arms around Luke's waist, pulling him closer and let his hands slide up and down Luke's back to have them come to a rest on Luke's ass. Luke made a sound in the back of his throat and damn if it didn't turn Reid on.<\/span><\/span>
He pulled back and began to slowly push Luke in the direction of his bedroom. Once there, they peeled away the layers of clothing on their bodies and started a journey to discover everything there was to know about the other.<\/span><\/span>
Afterwards, when they lay in each other's arms, still breathing hard, Reid with his head on Luke's chest and Luke drawing circles on Reid's back, Luke smiled.<\/span><\/span>
"You know, it's so weird."<\/span><\/span>
"What?" Reid asked through a yawn.<\/span><\/span>
"I feel like I've know you for a really long time. But we didn't really meet until yesterday. It just feel so familiar with you, like we've done this a hundred times already. If it hadn't, I would never have come up with you. I've never in my life slept with someone on the first date."<\/span><\/span>
Reid looked up. "That's because you've only been on one first date before me. And then it took you two years to sleep with someone.' He smirked.<\/span><\/span>
Luke closed his eyes. "I can't believe I told you that."<\/span><\/span>
Reid laughed, but then turned more serious. "But I know what you mean. I don't know why or how, but is seems like we fit." Reid moved his hand down and stroked Luke's bare thigh. "We are compatible, at least between the sheets. And we've got to see about everything else, but I have a good feeling about this."<\/span><\/span>
For a moment Luke's hand on Reid's back stilled, then he pushed at Reid's shoulder and flipped them over, so he was now on top of Reid. "You do?" He asked, his eyes shining.<\/span><\/span>
When Reid nodded, Luke leaned down and kissed Reid deep and forceful. "Good." He breathed against Reid's lips. "Because I really don't want to leave here anytime soon."<\/span><\/span>
And when Reid locked his arms around Luke, pulling him down for another kiss, he murmured, "and I don't want you to."<\/span><\/span>
This time when Luke felt the gust of wind around his head, he did pay attention to it. He looked out the window, to the stars visible between the clouds. Then he looked back at Reid and he smiled.<\/span><\/span>
"It's a Christmas miracle."<\/span><\/span>


The End.<\/span><\/span>
             "},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:15011","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/15011.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=15011"}}],"title":"New York Christmas (1)","published":"2014-12-29T08:25:34Z","updated":"2014-12-29T08:28:55Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"yule 2014"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"New York<\/span><\/span>, November 2013<\/span><\/span><\/b>


"I'm sorry Noah." Luke said, his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his cheeks warm and flushed. "I can't do it anymore. I think we both know that this isn't working and hasn't been for a long time. We're best friends and I love you, but I think that's all there is. We're not.... lovers anymore."<\/span><\/span>
Noah stared at Luke, ready to fight him and convince him that this could still work. But then he sighed. Luke was right.<\/span><\/span>
"Yeah. I know."<\/span><\/span>
Luke almost dropped his mug of coffee in surprise. "Really?" It slipped out of his mouth before he knew it.<\/span><\/span>
Noah almost laughed. "Don't be so surprised, I'm in this relationship too." He said.<\/span><\/span>
"Yeah, of course, I know." Luke hasted himself to say. "But before, you never... you know." He trailed off.<\/span><\/span>
They had been together for years. Everyone knew them as 'Luke and Noah'. But ever since they moved to New York so Noah could go to film school their relationship slowly began to change.<\/span><\/span>
Luke, who wholeheartedly supported Noah's dreams, felt lonely in New York. He had planned to dedicate himself to writing while Noah was at school, but he lacked inspiration and ideas. Without anything to really focus on, Luke felt alone and bored. He strolled around town hopping in and out bookstores, trying to find something that sparked his imagination. He tried to talk to Noah about it, but he didn't want to dampen his spirit. It wasn't often that Noah was really happy and being in New York seemed to do just that. And when Noah was happy, Luke was happy. And things between them were good. At least for a little while.<\/span><\/span>
Noah's time was filled with school and projects and artsy friends and there was little space in his life left for Luke. And as time went by, they became more roommates than lovers. This left Luke thinking about their relationship and how it seemed that they had always been better friends than real partners. There wasn't much room in their life for passion and Noah was always a bit apprehensive about it. He tried sometimes, for Luke who loved sex, but it always been was a little awkward and not quite satisfying.<\/span><\/span>
So with little to do and a whole lot of time to think, Luke came to the conclusion that maybe it was time to move on. He wanted Noah in his life; he loved him dearly, but as a friend. There were too many differences between them for their relationship to really work. So today he decided to talk to Noah about it, a whole list of arguments in his head to make Noah see his point. But it turned out not be necessary. To Luke's surprise, Noah agreed with him.<\/span><\/span>
"No, I know." Noah sat down on their worn coach. "It's not that I don't love you, Luke. I do. But is seems it's not enough."<\/span><\/span>
Luke sat down next to Noah and took his hand. "I know you love me. And I love you. But I think we both know that it isn't enough for a real life lasting relationship. You are my best friend, Noah. And I can't imagine my life without you. But I want more from a relationship. I need someone who wants to spend time with me, someone who needs me in his life. I don't want to be a convenience." He said quietly.<\/span><\/span>
Noah squeezed Luke's hand. "You're not a convenience, Luke. You're my best friend too. But we obviously need different things. And that's okay. But you're right that it's about time we acknowledged that."<\/span><\/span>

"So, this is it then?" Luke asked, his throat closing up. Because even though he was the one to instigate this talk, he was still sad to see his years with Noah come to an end.<\/span><\/span>
Noah shrugged. "I guess." He looked at Luke with a small smile. "Now what?"<\/span><\/span>
Luke rubbed at his eyes. "I don't know. Are we still going to.... "<\/span><\/span>
"Live together?" Noah finished Luke's question. "We can, for now. But it will get really weird if one of us meets someone else." He flushed a little.<\/span><\/span>
Luke cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. "If one of us meets someone else? I wasn't even thinking about that yet."<\/span><\/span>
The colour on Noah's cheeks deepened.<\/span><\/span>
"Have you... did you meet someone, Noah?" Luke asked incredulously.<\/span><\/span>
"No, no. Not like that. God, Luke. I'm not cheating on you. I would never do that." Noah hastily denied.<\/span><\/span>
"I never said you were." Luke crossed his arms. "But there is someone, isn't there?"<\/span><\/span>
Noah shifted on the couch. "No, not really. I mean.. shit." He cleared his throat. "Okay, don't get mad, alright?<\/span><\/span>
"Why would I get mad?" Luke asked. "Noah, you're starting to freak me out here."<\/span><\/span>
Noah got up from the couch and started pacing. "You know the coffee place where I work, right?"<\/span><\/span>
Luke rolled his eyes. "Of course. I've been there many times, remember?"<\/span><\/span>
"Okay, so.. there's this..." Noah hesitated.<\/span><\/span>
"What? There's this what, Noah?" Luke asked.<\/span><\/span>
"There's this customer that comes in a lot. And..." Noah hesitated again.<\/span><\/span>
Luke couldn't believe it. Here he was, trying to muster up the courage to talk to Noah about their relationship the whole afternoon, and Noah was telling him he liked some customer that came into the coffee shop where he worked? On one hand he should be glad that their break-up was so amicable, but on th eother hand it bothered him that Noah had already moved on. That he liked someone else even before they had split up.<\/span><\/span>
"Seriously Noah? You have the hots for a guy that comes into the coffee shop?" He laughed, short and sharp. "I can't believe you. We've been broken up for what, 5 minutes and you're already moving on to someone else?"<\/span><\/span>
Noah looked offended. "I'm not moving on to anything. But sometimes someone catches your eye. And can you honestly say that you've never been attracted to someone else?  I distinctly remember you telling me about some guy you met in the bookstore around the corner from the coffee shop and what a great 'talk' you had." Noah made air quotes with his hands.<\/span><\/span>
Now it was Luke whose cheeks turned red. In his mind he saw the man he had literally bumped into in the bookstore. After both of them apologized, they had struck up a conversation. It lasted only a few minutes, but the man had made a lasting impression on Luke. He clearly remembered the striking blue eyes, looking into his own curiously.<\/span><\/span>
Noah smirked. "I see you know what, or should I say who, I'm talking about."<\/span><\/span>
"Oh shut up." Luke said. "That was just one conversation and it lasted maybe 3 minutes. It's not like I have seen him since." <\/span><\/span>
"Listen, it's a little weird to hear about your crush right now, okay?" Luke said. "I think we need  some time apart. I'll sleep in the guestroom tonight, but tomorrow I'm checking into a hotel for a few days. We can both sort out some stuff and discuss how we're going to  drop this bomb in Oakdale." He looked at Noah, who had a look of terror in his face.<\/span><\/span>
"God." Noah groaned. "Your mom is not going to take this well."<\/span><\/span>
"I know." Luke sighed. "I think we should both go home on Thanksgiving and break the news. It will be better if we're both there."<\/span><\/span>
"I really really don't want to, Luke." Noah whined. "You know how she gets. Especially now your father left her for Christine."<\/span><\/span>
Luke nodded knowingly. "And that's exactly why you're coming with me. She'll never believe me if I say it's a mutual decision when you're not there to back me up. Come on, it will be fun to see the rest of the family right?"<\/span><\/span>
"Yeah, okay." Noah caved. "But just for one day, Luke!"<\/span><\/span>
"Sure." Luke agreed easily. "You can leave the next day, I'm not sure what I'll do. We'll see."<\/span><\/span>
-----------------<\/span><\/span>
After Thanksgiving, Luke ended up staying another few days in Oakdale. He stayed with his dad, because just as they predicted, Luke's mother Lily wouldn't stop crying over their breakup. Luke and Noah both tried to make her see that this was really for the best,  and that they would stay friends. Just before he left again for New York, he went by his mother's house to say goodbye.<\/span><\/span>
When she saw him, Lily pulled him into a hug and started crying again.<\/span><\/span>
"Mom, please." Luke sighed. He gently pushed her away and onto the couch.<\/span><\/span>
"You have to stop this. Noah and I are over and we're not getting back together. We both want it this way. We decided it together."<\/span><\/span>
"But you love each other!" She'd wailed.<\/span><\/span>
Luke had patted her hand. "Yes, we do. But as friends, mom. Can't you be glad that we're still friends? I know you love Noah and you'll still be able to see him."<\/span><\/span>
"But not as much." Lily sniffled.<\/span><\/span>
"No, probably not. But it wasn't much now either, mom." Luke was getting irritated.<\/span><\/span>
Lily played with the tissue she'd used to dry her eyes. "What happens when one of you meets someone else? Will you still be friends then?"<\/span><\/span>
"I'd hope so." Luke said. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get there." He didn't have the heart to tell his mother that Noah already had his sights on someone else and that a handsome blue-eyed stranger kept popping up in Luke's head.<\/span><\/span>
"I just.. I wanted... I can't believe..." Lily went on, bringing the tissue back to her face to wipe at her eyes.<\/span><\/span>
"Yeah, well.. First loves don't always last forever. You know that." Luke said, "And I'm glad we realized that we weren't right for each other before things really died between us and we'd end up hating each other." He slapped his thigh, stood up and held out his arms.<\/span><\/span>
"Now, stop crying, give me a hug and be happy that we are happy. Try to focus on something else. We'll be fine, okay?" He kissed her cheek.<\/span><\/span>
"All the kids gone?" He looked around for signs that they were in the house.<\/span><\/span>
"Yes, they went to see Lucinda. Except for Faith, she's with Parker." She sighed.<\/span><\/span>
"Mom, she an adult. She can make her own decisions."<\/span><\/span>
Lily smiled a little watery. "Just like you, huh?"<\/span><\/span>
Luke smiled back. "Yeah, just like me. Well, tell them goodbye for me. I have to go." He gave Lily a hug. "Don't be sad anymore, be happy. Maybe we'll both find someone new, okay?"<\/span><\/span>
Lily put her hand on his cheek. "I just want you to be happy, baby. I love you."<\/span><\/span>
Luke swallowed. "I know. I love you too."<\/span><\/span>
----<\/span><\/span>
Back in New York, Luke felt a little restless. It was strange being single after being in a relationship for so long, even though he still lived with Noah in the same apartment. <\/span><\/span>
Luke knew exactly when Noah's favorite customer had come in that day, because Noah had a sparkle in his eyes and an easy smile on his face that Luke hadn't seen there for a long time. Luke felt a little twinge in his gut thinking about how someone else seemed to make Noah happy. Noah insisted that nothing had happened, but Luke knew it was only a matter of time.<\/span><\/span>
It made him feel like he had to do something, to get out, meet people, and start something for himself. He'd been to the bookstore where he met the handsome blue-eyed stranger a few times, but he didn't see him. He laughed at himself, because what were the odds of them meeting again in the same place in a huge city like New York? But still, Luke kept going there a few times a week.<\/span><\/span>
One afternoon when he had been wandering around the bookstore for an hour, he suddenly felt stupid for trying to meet a stranger with who he'd only exchanged a few sentences weeks ago. The man probably couldn't even remember him or that they had talked in the first place.<\/span><\/span>
He shook his head, while walking outside and heading towards the coffee place where Noah was working .<\/span><\/span>
When he walked in, he noticed the place was crowded and the only open spot was at the bar along the window.<\/span><\/span>
When he walked up to the counter, he saw Noah busy with helping customers. He hadn't noticed Luke yetWhen is was Luke's turn, he saw Noah's face change from professionally friendly, to a genuine smile.<\/span><\/span>
"Oh hey!" Noah said.<\/span><\/span>
"Hey." Luke replied, grinning. "Busy today?" He said with a short jerk of his head towards the rest of the place.<\/span><\/span>
"You have no idea." Noah sighed.  "I don't know what's going on, but it's been like this the whole day."<\/span><\/span>
"Is it time for your break any time soon?" Luke asked.<\/span><\/span>
"I haven't had a break in hours, so I am so ready for one. But I'll have to check if there's someone available to take over. Wait here, okay?" Noah stepped into the back, only to appear a few moments later."<\/span><\/span>
"I can take a break in a couple of minutes. Take a seat somewhere and I'll bring you something, okay?"<\/span><\/span>
Luke nodded. "Sure."<\/span><\/span>
He made his way over to the bar, sitting down on one of the stools. He placed his bag on the seat beside him, to keep it free for Noah.<\/span><\/span>
But after 15 minutes, Noah still wasn't there and Luke didn't see him behind the counter anymore. He sighed and drummed his fingers impatiently on the bar.  <\/span><\/span>
A voice suddenly startled him. "Can I sit here?"<\/span><\/span>
Luke, annoyed with Noah for making him wait so long, decided to give the free stool away. So he grabbed his bag without looking up and let slide on the floor to make room.<\/span><\/span>
Luke stared out the window again, barely listening to the murmured 'thanks' next to him.<\/span><\/span>
He started to drum his fingers again, thinking this was so typical. This is exactly what he meant when he told Noah that he wanted someone to put him first. Noah often just... forgot about him. It made Luke feel insignificant and small.<\/span><\/span>
"Could you stop that?" The words were spoken in a clipped voice, filled with annoyance.<\/span><\/span>
Luke immediately stopped drumming his fingers and folded his hands together. He glanced sideways, wanting to say 'sorry'. But instead he found himself staring into the blue eyes he'd been thinking about for weeks.<\/span><\/span>
"It's you." He breathed, a smile forming on his face.<\/span><\/span>
The man narrowed his eyes at Luke. "What do you mean 'it's me'? I just asked you to stop making noise, so I can enjoy my coffee in peace."<\/span><\/span>
Luke completely ignored the last part of what the man said and started to explain. "We met at the bookstore a few weeks ago. We talked about that book you were to buy. I can't remember the name of the book right now, but... "Luke stopped rambling when he saw the confusion on the face in front of him.<\/span><\/span>
He huffed out a little laugh, but didn't sound cheerful. "You don't remember. That's okay. I'm sorry." Luke made a move to stand up, grab his bag off the floor, but he was stopped by a hand on his arm.<\/span><\/span>
"Chess History and Reminiscences." The man said, with a pleased look in his face, as if he was proud of himself for remembering.<\/span><\/span>
Luke sat down again slowly. "Yeah. That's the one."<\/span><\/span>
They stared at each other for a few moments, before Luke stuck out his hand.<\/span><\/span>
"I'm Luke, Luke Snyder." He said with a smile.<\/span><\/span>
His hand was taken into a firm grip. "Dr. Reid Oliver."<\/span><\/span>
Only now did Luke notice the scrubs underneath the coat the other man was wearing.<\/span><\/span>
"Ah, okay. So you probably work at Presbyterian Hospital?"<\/span><\/span>
Reid hummed his agreement.<\/span><\/span>
"What are you? A nurse or a doctor?"<\/span><\/span>
Reid's eyebrows shot up and an amused smile crept up his face. "You think I'm a nurse?"<\/span><\/span>
Luke eyed the man next to him. "You could be a nurse, why not? But I understand that you're a doctor."<\/span><\/span>
Reid grinned. "Right, I am a doctor. Please, don't ever tell my nurses that you thought I was one. I'd never hear the end of it."<\/span><\/span>
Luke smiled back. "I'm glad you're not offended. So what kind of doctor are you?"<\/span><\/span>
"I'm a neurosurgeon." Reid said, trying hard not to look cocky, but failing miserably.<\/span><\/span>
"Really? You're a neurosurgeon?" Luke's eyes went wide with surprise. "I thought neurosurgeons would be...” he suddenly snapped his mouth shut.<\/span><\/span>
Reid smirked. "You thought neurosurgeons would be what? Older? Or less handsome? Or less attractive?"<\/span><\/span>
Luke's cheeks reddened, but he kept looking straight into Reid's eyes. "Maybe all of the above." He tried to flirt.<\/span><\/span>
Reid look back, a few moments too long for it to be innocent, but then looked away and cleared his throat. "What about you, what do you do?"<\/span><\/span>
Now, this was not something Luke wanted to talk about with an interesting, handsome neurosurgeon. He didn't have a successful career, hell, he didn't even have a career. He shifted, a little uncomfortable.<\/span><\/span>
"I.. uh... I write." he finally said. It wasn't a lie, but he hadn't exactly written anything lately.<\/span><\/span>
"What kind of writing?" Reid asked curiously. "Books or columns or ....?"<\/span><\/span>
"I'm working on a book." He said, again not exactly a lie. He did start to write a book, but he only had two words, chapter one.<\/span><\/span>
"You wanna tell me what's it about, or is that a secret?" Reid asked, leaning in a little.<\/span><\/span>
"I'm still working on the plot, so there isn't much to tell you." Luke dodged the question.<\/span><\/span>
"Oh. Okay." Reid replied.<\/span><\/span>
They sat in silence for a few minutes, both looking outside through the window, until a beeping sound made Reid reach for his waist.<\/span><\/span>
"Damn.”:  He said, looking down at the beeper. "I've got to go."<\/span><\/span>
"Listen," He started to say, but he was interrupted by a dark haired guy calling Luke's name and putting a hand on his shoulder.<\/span><\/span>
Luke, I'm so sorry, but I got a chance to talk to, " Noah glanced at Reid, ... you know. But I'll see you at home, okay?" He quickly kissed Luke's cheek, before hurrying back to the counter.<\/span><\/span>
Luke, who hadn't seen Noah coming, was too surprised to answer. But when he turned around again, wanting to hear what Reid was starting to say, he found the stool beside him empty. He whirled around only to see Reid walking towards the door with large strides.<\/span><\/span>
"Fuck." He muttered, grabbing his coat and bag and hurried after Reid. Once outside, he called out Reid's name.<\/span><\/span>
But Reid was already out of sight, swept up in the crowd.<\/span><\/span>
"Fuck!" Luke growled. He yanked open the door again and got inside, going straight for Noah.<\/span><\/span>
"What the hell, Noah? Why did you do that?" He went past the waiting customers and slammed his hands on the counter.<\/span><\/span>
"Luke, I am working!" Noah hissed, while continuing to fix a coffee. "I don't know what you're talking about."<\/span><\/span>
"You're an asshole!" Luke hissed back. When he saw the looks he received from the people around him, he added, "We'll talk about this later." Then he turned around and stomped out of the door.<\/span><\/span>
---<\/span><\/span>

Part two:
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<\/a>3 years later<\/span><\/b>

<\/p>

Luke stepped out of the training complex, briefly inhaled the fresh air after being in the locker room and quickly walked to his car. A few fans came running to him followed by a handful of photographers. <\/span><\/p>


The little kids reached him first, tugging on the sleeves of his sweatshirt. "Luke? Can we have your autograph? Please?" It was the same question every day and every day Luke smiled, gave his autograph and posed for pictures. He never minded, in fact he liked that he had fans that were still so enthusiastic about seeing him. He had learned to ignore the clicking of the cameras of the nearby photographers and never even looked in their direction. <\/span><\/p>


When he gave back the pen he used to sign the last autograph, he smiled one more time and turned to go to his car. <\/span><\/p>


"Luke! Luke!" Now that the kids were gone, the shouting became louder and the camera's came closer. "How's Reid? Everything okay? Luke! Are you two breaking up? Luke! Come on! Just answer one question! Luke!!<\/span><\/p>


Luke pulled his cap deeper over his eyes and slid into his car, thankful he was always able to park near the entrance because he had his own parking space. The downside to that was that they always knew if he was there. <\/span><\/p>

Once he shut the car door, the photographers backed off just a bit, giving him little space to drive away. Nevertheless, Luke always made sure to drive slowly and carefully. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if he accidently hit <\/span>the papparazzi even if they jumped in front of his car to get a good shot. <\/span><\/p>


Fortunately, he was able to drive away pretty quickly and he began to drive home, checking his mirrors to see if he was being followed. When that didn't seem to be the case, he relaxed in his comfortable seat and sped up a little. He was anxious to go home;he knew Reid was waiting for him and it was a special night after all. <\/span><\/p>


*<\/span><\/p>


"Reid?" Luke asked while stepping into their home. <\/span><\/p>


"Yeah, upstairs." He heard Reid's voice, coming from somewhere above him. <\/span><\/p>


Luke took the stairs two at the time, coming to a sudden halt in the doorway of their bedroom. He took in the sight that was before him. The lights were dimmed, there was some funky saxophone music playing in the background and Reid was laying on the comfortable sofa that stood opposite their kind-sized bed. <\/span><\/p>


He had placed a small table nearby on which a bottle of wine and two glasses were standing. Waiting. <\/span><\/p>


Luke smirked. "You want to do it in here?"<\/span><\/p>


Reid sat up, shrugging his shoulders with a small smile. "Sure, why not?" <\/span><\/p>


A year after they had started dating, Luke had organised an intimate dinner to celebrate the occasion. During that evening they had decided that they would do that every year. Not just remember and celebrate the date, but really sit down together and tell the other what it was they loved, what still attracted them to the other person, to express what about the other made them happy. <\/span><\/span><\/p>


Reid grabbed the bottle of wine and started to pour wine into the glasses. "You want one too, right?"<\/span><\/p>


"Of course." Luke smiled. He leaned in to kiss Reid, letting his lips linger a little bit. <\/span><\/p>


He raked his hand through Reid's curls, tugging on them a bit to make him look up. <\/span><\/p>


"You okay?" He asked softly.<\/span><\/p>


Reid nodded, his hand coming up to grab Luke's shirt and kiss him again. He tugged a little harder, causing Luke to lose his balance. <\/span>Thanks to his quick reflexes, Luke caught himself with one hand on thearmrest beside Reid's head and held himself up, smiling into the kiss before carefully lowering himself onto Reid's body. Reid's arms came around him immediately, holding him close. <\/span><\/p>


Luke broke the kiss and nuzzled into Reid's neck. He sighed, completely content with just laying there with Reid's hands stroking up and down his back. <\/span><\/p>


After a few minutes, Reid tugged on Luke's hair to make him look up. "Don't fall asleep now." <\/span><\/p>


Luke shook his head. "I'm not,I’m just very very comfortable." He kissed Reid's neck once more and pushed himself up to stand up, giving Reid space to move his legs from the couch. Luke fell down again, leaning his head against the cushions. His hand came up to play with the curls on the back on Reids' neck. <\/span><\/p>


Reid reached over and grabbed the glasses of wine and passed one to Luke. He sat back sideways, facing Luke and held out his glass. <\/span><\/p>


"To us. To another year." He said<\/span><\/p>


Luke smiled. "To us." He replied and let his glass touch Reid's softly. They both <\/span>took a few nips and then looked at each other again. <\/span><\/p>


Luke touched Reid's hand for a moment. "Shall I start?"<\/span><\/p>


"If you want, sure." Reid said with a nod. <\/span><\/p>

Luke reached out and cupped Reid's face. "I love you. It still seems more and more every day. I know I've said that before but it's still true. Even though the last year has been difficult," Luke swallowed, "it's still true."<\/span><\/p>


He took a moment to gather his thoughts. They flashed back to about 9 months ago, when the pressure of a life in the spotlight in Barcelona got to Reid. He had no idea what it would be like to live with someone as famous as Luke. And to be honest, he underestimated it. Soccer players in Spain were like gods to the fans. So the constant attention in the press, the ever present reporters and photographers, the fans that seemed to always be at their gates and the lies in the tabloids and newspapers just became too much at one point. So Reid took a leave of absence from the job he grew to love and left. He'd flown back to the States, saying he needed to get away. Not from Luke, because he loved Luke with his whole heart but from their life in the spotlight. He left <\/span>Luke, who was devastated, behind but he did not begReid to stay. If Reid wanted to stay, he should do so because he wanted to. Not just because he gave in to Luke. <\/span><\/p>


It took Reid almost two months, 7 weeks to be precise, to fly back to Barcelona, to Luke, to their life. The weeks apart taught him that even though, despite their efforts, their life in Barcelona was not very private, is was their life together. A life alone, without Luke, was no longer an option for Reid. He missed Luke with every fiber of his being. It wore him down, tired him out and it didn't take his sister Renée very long to slap her brother over the head and tell him to come to his senses. What made matters worse, was that he saw pictures of Luke emerge, looking tired with bags under his eyes. And when he played, he played without the enthusiasm and lightness that was so typical for him. He committed some unnecessary faults on the field, frustration radiating from his body, his mouth set in a grim line. <\/span><\/p>


It shattered Reid's heart and there was nothing that he wanted more than to be by Luke's side, paparazzi and fans be damned. So he flew back, asking Luke's forgiveness for not staying and trying to work something out. <\/span><\/p>

After a few nights filled with long talks, they both agreed that their time in Barcelona had to come to an end. They already stayed longer than they had planned , but since Reid had loved his job and Luke got a great extension on his contract, they decided to stay. But now, 3 years later, they were both done. Luke was going to see if there was a club back in the States where he could still play, because he was not ready to retire at 29 and after Reid made some calls, it was obvious he had no trouble getting a position anywhere he wanted. <\/span><\/p>


And while during their time apart they both felt the absolute worst, it also made it very clear that they never wanted to be apart again.<\/span><\/p>


"Maybe even more true," Luke continued, "because now I know what life without you is like and I really don't want to go through that again."<\/span><\/p>


Reid felt his cheeks get warm and he looked down, he still felt guilty about the way he handled things back then. <\/span><\/p>


"I know, me too." He said. "And I am sorry for making you feel like that. I don't want you hurt you, Luke. I never did." <\/span><\/p>


"I know and I didn't bring it up to make you feel bad, I just wanted to say how I feel." Luke said. <\/span><\/p>


"There are a lot of things about our relationship that aren't easy, most things are though. But Reid, please understand that falling in love with you is the easiest thing I ever did." He sighed. <\/span><\/p>


"You know that I had doubts when we started out. About how people would react to us, about <\/span><\/p>


what the press and the fans would say. And yes, sometimes it was really bad and sometimes it didn't matter at all. But I never had doubts about us and I know it was the same for you. It was the circumstances that drove you away. And I felt guilty, Reid. Guilty that I was the reason you had to go through all that shit, that your privacy that means so much to you, was and ís shot to hell. All because of me and what I do for a living." Luke said with a pained expression on his face.<\/span><\/p>


"No, Luke, no. Don't blame yourself. " Reid said, taking one of Luke's hands between his own. <\/span><\/p>

"What happened...." Reid searched for words. "We've talked about what happened. Does it still... bother you?" He asked tentatively.<\/span><\/p>

Luke thought about that for a moment. "No. It doesn't bother me <\/span>every day and I don't think about it 24\/7. But now, when we're looking back on the past year, it just brings back certain feelings." He shrugged. "I can't help it."<\/span><\/p>


"I know and I understand, because I feel the same. I guess we both feel guilty”,he said with a hint of a smile, "because I still hate the way I handled things. Looking back on it now, I say to myself 'what was I thinking?' But at the time, it seemed like the only option was to go away. I should have stayed and talked to you." <\/span><\/p>


"Yeah, you should've." Luke agreed. "But we talked about it when you got back and we're good now, right?" <\/span><\/p>


Reid squeezed Luke's hand. "We're more than good. We're amazing. If there's one thing I learned from the whole thing, is that I never want to be without you, Luke."<\/span><\/p>


He took a deep breath and continued. "I love you too. It seems more every day and I am so sorry for hurting you the way I did. I promise you I will never do something like that again. I can't promise I will never hurt you again, because I will. I'm stubborn and I can be an ass sometimes, But I'll try, Luke." He stopped and stared at Luke. "I want you to be with me for the rest of my life. I really do." He scooted a little closer to Luke, cupped his face with both hands and kissed him, slow and deep. Luke kissed back with enthusiasm, his hands coming up to hold on to Reid's wrists. <\/span><\/p>

When the kiss broke, Reid pulled Luke towards him, resting his forehead against Luke's shoulder. "Maybe when we get back home, we should look into this marriage thing." Reid's voice was muffled against Luke's shirt. <\/span><\/p>


To say Luke was surprised hearing these words coming from Reid was putting it lightly. <\/span><\/p>

He jerked back and looked at Reid with wide eyes, completely shocked.<\/span><\/p>


"What?" he almost shrieked.<\/span><\/p>


Reid hasted himself to explain. "Look, I know we agreed early on that marriage wasn't our thing and I still don't see the need for a piece of paper telling me that you're mine and I'm yours. But think about it, it would give us certain rights that we wouldn’t have otherwise. It would be just a technical thing, no one needs to know, right? It would be just you and me."<\/span><\/p>


Luke thought about Reid's words for a moment. "I see your point." He nodded. "And it's not like I'm against getting married, I just don't care about it. At all. And I'm glad you're on the same page." He leaned back into Reid's space. "We could look into it when we're back." He said, while ghosting his lips over Reid's cheek to his ear. "But I already know we're going to be together for the rest of our lives." He whispered. <\/span><\/p>


Reid closed his eyes, inhaled Luke's scent and let his hands trace Luke's strong arms. Even though Luke was being a little playful, Reid picked up on the serious undertone in his voice. <\/span><\/p>


He pulled Luke into his arms and whispered back, "You're my everything, Luke. Even when I don't act like it, it's still true. Never forget that."<\/span><\/p>


Luke wrapped his arms around Reid's back in return and nodded against Reid's head. <\/span><\/p>


"I know." He pinched Reid's side softly. "We just need to work on the acting like it." He smiled. <\/span><\/p>


"Ha ha." Reid said. "As if I'm not perfect already." <\/span><\/p>


"No." Luke replied, still smiling. "You're not perfect. But you're perfect for me."<\/span><\/p>


"Jesus, Snyder. That has got to be the cheesiest line I've ever heard." Reid groaned.<\/span><\/p>


Luke smiled sweetly. "But you love it." <\/span><\/p>


Reid looked at him, at Luke's smiling face with the big brown, expressive eyes in which Reid saw so much love, just for him, that he had to swallow something in his throat before he was able to answer. <\/span><\/p>


"I do. God, I do." His voice was still a little hoarse. He pulled Luke towards him and kissed him again. "Let's move this to bed and I'll show you exactly how much you mean to me."<\/span><\/p>


"Yes." Luke didn't need any more words to accept Reid's offer. They quickly got lost in each other, but took their time celebrating each other, not wanting to rush this time. When they finally did move together, bodies perfectly in sync, they wanted to savour the moment, stretch it out, but the passion between them became too overwhelming too quickly, leaving them both out of breath, panting into each other mouths, unable to kiss properly. <\/span><\/p>


Later when their breathing had slowed down and they cleaned up a little, Reid lay in Luke's arms, his head on Luke's chest. He drew little circles on his stomach, watching the muscles contract under his touch. <\/span><\/p>


"You know, if someone told me 5 years ago that I would end up here, with you, like this, <\/span>I would have scheduled a lobotomy." He said contemplative. <\/span><\/p>


Luke smiled in the darkness and moved his hand to Reid's head, burying his fingers in his hair. "Why?"<\/span><\/p>


Reid moved on top of Luke, resting his chin on his folded hands on Luke's chest. <\/span><\/p>


"Oh, come on, Snyder. Why would you, the international soccer star, give me the time of day?"<\/span><\/p>


Luke's hand stopped for a moment, before gripping Reid's curls a little tighter. "You know, I never think of myself like that. I'm really just a guy. And when we met, when I first saw you, there was something about you that just drew me in. Even before I knew you were gay and I was willing to admit that I was attracted to you physically, there was something else." <\/span><\/p>


"I know." Reid said quietly. "I felt the same way. I've watched you for years as a soccer player, but when I met you as a person, it was like the whole you-being-famous-thing seemed to disappear and there was just you. I guess we kinda are perfect for each other, huh?" He said with a crooked smile.<\/span><\/p>


"Jesus, Oliver, that has got to be the cheesiest line I've ever heard." Luke teased, laughing. <\/span><\/p>


"I rest my case." Reid replied with an smile just a wide. <\/span><\/p>



The end.<\/span><\/p>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:14540","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/14540.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=14540"}}],"title":"Collision chapter 46","published":"2014-11-17T13:12:00Z","updated":"2014-11-17T13:12:00Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"Chapter 46<\/span><\/b>

Four weeks later the cast on Luke's ankle could come off. That also meant that Luke had to return to Barcelona to start physical therapy and cautiously resume training. <\/span><\/span>
Saying goodbye was once again difficult, but this time they had something to look forward to: Reid  heard he was offered a job at Barcelona's main hospital, Hospital de la Santa Creu, that had plans to add a new part to the hospital dedicated to neurosurgery. They needed someone to design it and to get it up and running. <\/span><\/span>
Reid marveled at the opportunity to do something like this for such a big and well-known hospital. It was a bit of a disappointment that Reid couldn't come to Barcelona with Luke immediately and the three months it would take him to arrange everything for his move to Spain were going to be hard, but at least this time they had something to look forward to. <\/span><\/span>

Before he left, Luke asked Reid countless questions about his house and if he wanted to change anything or add something, but Reid just shrugged and said, "I don't need much, maybe  an office? And a full fridge. That's about it." <\/span><\/span>
Luke, sitting at the breakfast table, looked at him. "Seriously. There isn't anything you want? Or want differently that was it is now?" <\/span><\/span>
Reid walked over to him, straddled him and took Luke's face in his hands. "You're going to be there. What more could I possibly need?"  He kissed Luke, hard and deep, which lead to grinding and groping and stroking and panting until both of them came, their pants hastily undone. Reid rested his forehead against Luke's. "I love you, Luke. I just wanna live with you,  I really don't care about anything else."<\/span><\/span>
Reid's honesty made Luke's eyes water and he tightened his arms around Reid. "I love you too."

* <\/span><\/span>
In the three months they were apart, Luke had resumed playing and and even though he lacked match practice, he was on his way to his old level rapidly. He was a little more cautious during the matches, but he scored a few goals and gave some assists. <\/span><\/span>
Reid in the meantime, was busy looking for someone to replace him, which wasn't exactly his job, but he couldn't help but interfering in the search for the right candidate. <\/span><\/span>
He grumbled about it to Luke on the phone who just laughed at him. "Just admit it Reid, no one is ever going to be as good as you, right? But you better keep looking, because I expect you to be here in a few weeks, replacement or not!"<\/span><\/span>
"Oh I'll be there, Snyder. Don't worry about that! In fact," he added, "Renée is coming over this weekend to help me pack."<\/span><\/span>
"Really?" <\/span><\/span>
"She said that it was easier to do it now and ship some stuff ahead to you."<\/span><\/span>
"Good thinking." Luke laughed. "Be sure to send her my love."

"I'm not promising anything, you know I tend to forget stuff like that. But I'll try to remember." Reid said. <\/span><\/span>
"I think I'll just give you a call sometime this weekend, then I'll talk to her myself." <\/span><\/span>
"She'll love that, she's just as in love with you as me. And we're going to watch you play this weekend, in fact, we're staying up for it. So we fully expect you to win. No pressure of course." Reid grinned. <\/span><\/span>
"Yeah well, we should win this weekend, but I can't make any promises." Luke sighed. "I have a meeting planned with the coach for tomorrow to discuss starting in the basis<\/i> again. I really want to and I think I'm ready for it. I know coach talked to the physical therapist today and I know he's very satisfied with my progress. So keep your fingers crossed." <\/span><\/span>

* <\/span><\/span>
It was close to midnight and Renée let herself fall onto the couch in the living and groaned. <\/span><\/span>
"I never knew you had to so much shit. I thought you weren't sentimental, but God, it looks like you haven't thrown anything away in 10 years!"<\/span><\/span>

"Stop whining." Reid scolded her. "At least I'm not taking the furniture with me." He looked at Renée. "You know you can stay here anytime you want when I'm gone, right? Me not living here doesn't change anything about that."<\/span><\/span>

Renée sat up slowly and bumped her shoulder against Reid's. "It's really happening, huh? You're moving away." She looked down at her hands, folded in her lap. "I'm so happy for you, I really am, but I hate that you're going away." <\/span><\/span>
Reid wrapped an arm around her shoulders."I know. But it won't be forever. And you 'll come visit, right?" <\/span><\/span>
Renée nodded. "But it won't be the same." She sniffed. <\/span><\/span>
"No, it won't be." Reid said, pressing a kiss to her hair. "But is that a bad thing? You get to have an amazing brother-in-law, who's world famous by thy way, " <\/span><\/span>
"And super hot." Renée interrupted.<\/span><\/span>
"And super hot." Reid agreed smiling. "And we'll move back in couple of years." <\/span><\/span>
"I know, I know." Renée said. "And I know things change, but I'm just sad to see you go." <\/span><\/span>
"I wouldn't want it any other way." Reid said, squeezing her shoulder. They sat together for a moment, both their heads filled with thoughts of Barcelona and Luke. <\/span><\/span>

"Okay enough of this." Renée said and stood up. "I'll get us some beers and we're going to watch Luke play. It starts in half an hour right?"<\/span><\/span>

She returned with two beers and bag of chips in her arms and dropped down on the couch again.<\/span><\/span>
"Do you think he'll play the whole match?" She asked, her mouth full of chips. <\/span><\/span>
This was Luke's first match starting right from the beginning. <\/span><\/span>
"I don't know." Reid shrugged. "His ankle has healed well, but he probably lacks stamina. It would probably be wise for him to play just one half. It probably depends on how the match goes." <\/span><\/span>

They sat in silence, watching the interview before the match. There was brief mentioning of Luke and his state of health, but otherwise it was pretty standard. <\/span><\/span>

Then the players were walking onto the field, unsmiling and head held high. As team-captain Luke shook the hand of the referee and the captain of the opponent, posed briefly for photos with them and jogged back to his team. Then the referee blew the whistle and the match started.
After 43 minutes of nailbiting excitement, Reid and Renée were standing in front of the TV, watching Luke take aim for a free kick, right outside the penalty area of the opponent. They watched him concentrate, then approach the ball and hit it with confidence. The ball curled over the players and landed in the upper corner of the goal, way out of the reach of the keeper. 1-0 Barcelona. <\/span><\/span>
Luke celebrated on the field with his team, walked over to the side of the field, waving to the crowd. Then he caught sight of a camera, jogged up it, stopped and blew a kiss into the camera, before turning with a wink and jogging away. <\/span><\/span>

Reid and Renée, who were celebrating the marvelous goal on their own in the livingroom, saw Luke blow the kiss and Renée punched Reid in the shoulder, hard. <\/span><\/span>

"Reid!! Did you see that? That  was totally for you! He gave you a kiss on TV!" She almost toppled over in excitement. "This is so awesome!"<\/span><\/span>

Reid just stood there, watching the replay and rubbing his painful shoulder, but grinning like a n idiot. <\/span><\/span>

*<\/span><\/span>

"Reid?" Luke called out as soon as he was inside the house, slamming the door shut behind him. And Reid was already there, catching him in his arms and kissing him senseless. <\/span><\/span>

"God, I've missed you." He murmured against Luke's lips. <\/span><\/span>

"Me too." Luke wrapped his arms around Reid, one hand sliding up in Reid's hair and one hand sliding down into the back of Reid's jeans. <\/span><\/span>

Reid responded by grabbing Luke's hips, pulling him flush against him and grinding his hips against his, desire spreading through them like fire. "I want you." He breathed heavily. <\/span><\/span>

"Yes." Luke just groaned and turned, rubbing his ass against the front of Reid's jeans. Reid pushed up Luke's shirt and stroked his back up and down, fingers spread wide to feel as much of Luke's warm skin as possible. Then his hands went to the waist of Luke's sweats and he pushed them down together with his underwear in one movement. He knelt behind Luke, resting his head for a moment against Luke ass cheeks, his hands moving up and down Luke's legs. He breathed in deeply, trying to keep himself from going too fast, but Luke reached behind himself and put his hand in Reid's curls and grunted "Come on!" <\/span><\/span>
Reid stood up quickly, reached into his pocket where he’d put the lube and a condom earlier with exactly this situation in mind, poured some lube on his fingers and opened Luke up with quick, urgent movements. <\/span><\/span>
"You ready?" Reid asked, already upzipping his pants and shoving his jeans down. <\/span><\/span>

Luke hummed his agreement, hands flat against the wall, his head handing down. Reid didn't waste any time, rolling on the condom and slicking himself up.
He pressed his whole body against Luke, his cock sliding between Luke's cheeks. He licked Luke's ear, groaning when he started to push in. Luke tried to push back, drawing Reid in until he was fully inside. Reid stilled for a moment, feeling himself throbbing inside Luke's body, relishing in the feel of being completey surrounded by Luke after being away from him for a long time. <\/span><\/span>
"Come on, Reid." Luke urged, moving his body against Reid's. "Fuck me!"<\/span><\/span>

Reid started to move in short, sharp thrusts, picking up the pace each time he pushed back in. <\/span><\/span>

"This won't last long." He gritted out. <\/span><\/span>

Luke shook his head, placing one hand behind him on Reid's thigh, meeting him thrust for thrust. He used his other hand to stroke himself quickly and before long, he heard Reid groan loudly and stiffen behind him, which made him come as well, spurting over his hand. <\/span><\/span>
Reid leaned against Luke's back, panting, wrapping his arms around Luke and kissing the nape of his neck. <\/span><\/span>

Luke tilted his head and laughed softly. "That was quick." <\/span><\/span>
Reid smiled against his hair. "Yeah... well, I got a little worked up, waiting here for you."<\/span><\/span>
He held the condom while pulling out, tied it off and walked towards the bathroom to get rid of it, jeans hanging open. Luke pulled up his sweats and followed Reid to wash his hands. He gave Reid a lazy smile in the bathroom mirror when he entered. <\/span><\/span>
"We'll have to do that again later," he said, "only then, I'm going to fuck you."<\/span><\/span>

Reid leaned in and kissed him. "I can't wait." He mumbled against Luke's mouth. "Now, let's eat."<\/span><\/span>

They made their way into the kitchen, starting their life in Barcelona together with sex and food. <\/span><\/span>

It was going to be great.<\/span><\/span>

The End. <\/span><\/span>

(epiloque will follow)<\/span><\/span>
 "},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:14187","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/14187.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=14187"}}],"title":"Collision chapter 45\/46","published":"2014-11-03T14:48:39Z","updated":"2014-11-03T14:48:39Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"Over the next week a lot happened.

Luke got the OK from Barcelona to travel to the States and start his recovery there.  After spending a few days in Luke's home just eating, laughing, watching television, careful and slow fucking and just being together, Reid and Luke had to pack up their stuff and make the trip back to America,  to Reid's apartment.
Reid had to go back to work, while Luke stayed home, filling his time with watching TV, talking to Renée on the phone, reading and secretly loving the normalcy of living with the man he loved.
When Reid came home from work, they enjoyed dinner together or breakfast, depending on Reid's shift. The fact that he couldn't move well was annoying and bothered Luke, but at the same time he felt happy and relaxed.
After spending a week doing almost nothing, Luke finally mustered up the courage to make a call to his family. He called his dad's cell and smiled to himself when he heard his dad's voice.

"Luke?"

"Yeah, it's me."  Luke breathed. "How are you, dad?"

"Good, I'm good. What about you? We've been worried about you, Luke. We haven't heard from you since you went back to Barcelona and then we saw you break your ankle on the field." Holden paused for a moment. "I've been trying to call you, son. Why haven't you called me back?"

Luke swallowed. He felt the guilt rise up inside him. Because he knew exactly why he hadn't called his father back. 

"I'm sorry, dad. It's just... you know..." Luke said hesitantly, “...difficult."

"You mean with your mother." Holden stated. "I understand that it is difficult for you, it's difficult for me too. But you can't shut the rest of the family out because of your mom."

"I know, I know." Luke replied. "And I didn't mean to shut you out,  I just didn't want you to get caught between me and mom." He stayed silent for a moment. "How... how is she?" He asked tentatively.

"I know she misses you." Holden answered. "She does love you, you know."

Luke laughed bitterly. "Does she really? She might love the idea of me, but I'm not so sure she loves the real me. You know, the me that likes men and has a boyfriend."

"I think she just needs time, Luke." Holden tried to re-assure Luke.

Luke snorted. "No dad. You know as well as I do that this is who she really is. She's always been like this. Remember how she treated Noah, the barista from Java? If I really thought that all she needed was time, I would gladly give it to her. But I don't think she'll change her mind now or in the future."

Holden sighed. "Maybe you're right. I tried to talk to her about it, about you, but she won't even hear me out. It has put a lot of pressure on our relationship lately."

Luke felt a pang of guilt at hearing his father's words. "I'm sorry, dad. I never meant to come between you like that."

"Not your fault, son. This isn't the only thing your mother and I don't see eye to eye about. We'll work it out. Or not."

"So, how've you been? How's your ankle?" Holden 'subtly' changed the subject.

Luke laid his head back on the couch cushions and stared at the ceiling.

"I'm great. Well, apart from the broken ankle, which needs time to heal of course. Other than that everything is fine." Luke took a moment before adding, "Actually, I'm staying with Reid now. He came to Barcelona to get me and brought me here."

"He flew to Barcelona to come get you?" Holden asked. "Wow, that's saying something."

"I know." Luke smiled. "He's ... amazing, dad."

"Can I..."Holden hesitated, "meet him? I mean, I would like to see you now that you're here and if he's there too, then..."

Luke interrupted him, laughing. "Dad, it's okay. I would like to see you too and I'm sure Reid would like to meet you." To be honest, he wasn't sure. In fact, he was almost sure that meeting the parents wasn't high on Reid's wish list. But Luke figured since he already met Reid's parents, Reid would just have to put up with it.

"Yeah?" Holden asked. "How about next week? End of the week maybe?"

"I'll have to check with Reid, because I don't know his schedule for next week. But I'll get back to you on that, okay? I'll text you."

"Maybe I'll ask Lucinda to join me, I'm sure she would like to meet Reid too." Holden suggested.

"That would be great, dad! I'd love to see her again and I can't wait to see her and Reid together." Luke grinned.

They continued to chat for a couple of minutes before they said their goodbyes. After he hung up, Luke was pensive. He thought about what he said to his father about his mom. If this really is who she is, then Luke had to seriously consider the possibility that he would never see his mother again. In his mind, he was trying to come to terms with that, but talking about it with his dad ripped open the wounds that had barely healed in the first place.

When Reid came home, he found Luke in the bedroom sitting on the bed, lost in thought and staring out the window. He took a moment to take in Luke's appearance and not for the first time wondered what he did right to have this gorgeous man in his life. He walked towards Luke, burying his hand in his hair and tugging lightly before leaning down to kiss him.

"Hey." He said after pulling back. "What's up?"

Luke shrugged. "Nothing. Just stuff." He let himself lean against Reid, seeking his warmth and comfort. After a couple of minutes of just sitting there in silence, Luke continued, "I talked to my dad today."

"Okay." Reid said cautiously. "Everything okay?"

"With him? Yes. My mom though.... She's still the same. Won't talk about it. And now they're having problems because of me and my... situation."

"Don't blame yourself for their problems." Reid tightened his arm around Luke's shoulders. "They're different people and have different outlooks on things. That's the problem. Not you."

"My dad said the same thing." Luke let out a short dry laugh. "But it's kind of hard so see it that way right now."

"I know." Reid said, his lips against Luke's hair.

Then Luke pulled back and wiped his hands over his face. "Anyway, my dad wants to come visit next week. Is that okay with you?"

Reid didn't bat an eye. "Sure, my house is your house. You can invite anyone you want."

Luke stared at him for a few moments. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Okaaaay, but I would like it if you were there too. When is your night off next week?"

Reid sighed.

Luke crossed his arms before his chest. "Don't be ridiculous, Reid. Are you seriously saying that you don't want to meet my father? I've met your parents, haven't I?"

Reid rubbed his forehead. "Yes. I know and they loved you. But that's probably not going to happen with your father and me. I'm not the type of guy a parent wants for their child. I'm sure you understand what I'm saying." He looked at Luke knowingly.

Luke just stared back. "No, I don't understand what you're saying. Why wouldn't my father want you as my partner? You love me, look out for me and take care of me and you let me do the same for you. You make me happy, Reid. I really don't see where you're going with this."

"I'm not a friendly type of guy, Luke. I'm not warm and fuzzy. I'm cold and rude, people refer to me as 'Dr. Evil'." Reid tried to explain to Luke what he meant.

Luke shook his head, smiling softly. He lay back on the bed and pulled Reid on top of him. Then he took Reid’s face in his hands and kissed his lips.

"I don't care about any of that. And neither does my father. He knows how happy I am right now and that's all he wants for me. It'll be fine, trust me." He kissed Reid again, soft and slow.  "Come here, lay down with me, okay? I could use a nap." Luke scooted up the bed clumsily with one leg, but managed to wrap Reid up in his arms anyway.

"I love you." He whispered against Reid's hair. Reid kissed Luke's collarbone in return.
It annoyed Reid that he felt nervous about meeting Luke's family. He waservous that maybe Luke's family wouldn't like him. Normally he couldn't care less about people's opinions of him, but this was about Luke, Luke's family. And Reid certainly didn't want to add to the family drama.
He held Luke just a little bit tighter and promised him silently that he would try and be on his best behaviour.

*

It turned out that it wasn't all that difficult for Reid to keep his promise. He liked Holden, even if he thought he was a bit soft. He enjoyed the stories Holden told about a young Luke. To Luke's embarrassment he even brought a photo album so Reid could see pictures of Luke growing up through the years. Reid absolutely loved meeting Lucinda. After what Luke told him about her and finally meeting her in person, he couldn't help but admire that woman. After she interrogated him first and Reid gave back as good as he got, she smiled and welcomed him to the family.
They didn't talk about Luke's mother all night, but they all felt her non-presence. It made Luke happy and sad at the same time. Happy to see that his family accepted Reid as his boyfriend and sad that his mother couldn’t do the same. He just hoped that in time she would be able to fully accept him. When Holden and Lucinda said their goodbyes, Holden enveloped Luke in a bear hug. "Maybe next time she'll be there too."  He whispered in Luke's ear.
He kissed Luke's cheek and turned to Reid who instinctively took a step back to avoid a possible hug, making Holden smile.
"Don't worry, I won't even try." Holden stuck out his hand for Reid to shake it. "Thank you. For tonight and for taking care of Luke."

Reid shook his head. "Don't thank me for that. He does the same for me." He felt Luke's hand grab his own and squeezed back lightly.

Holden nodded in understanding. Lucinda hugged Luke and patted Reid on his cheek, telling them both to not be  strangers and come visit her in Oakdale.

After the door closed behind them, Luke turned and hobbled back to the living room. He let himself fall on the couch and closed his eyes.
Reid walked up to him and threaded his fingers into Luke's hair. "You tired?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah." Then he opened his eyes and looked at Reid. "I had a good time, though, tonight. You?"

Reid sat down on the floor with his back against the couch, his head leaning against Luke's shoulder. "Your father's nice. And your grandmother is spectacular." Reid grinned. "I see why you love her."
Luke smiled and put his hand on the back of Reid's neck, his thumb caressing the soft hair there. Reid enjoyed the feel on Luke's fingers on his scalp and closed his eyes.
After a few minutes, he turned and sat on his knees. He leaned over Luke and kissed him softly. "Let's go to bed. We'll clean up tomorrow."

Luke hummed and kissed Reid back, open mouthed and suddenly hungry. He tugged at Reid's shirt, trying to get his hands on his skin.

Reid pulled back, his eyes growing dark. "I thought you were tired."
Luke licked along Reid's jaw and whispered, "Not anymore." He tried to push himself up from the couch, but his casted leg stopped him, making him groan in frustration. "I hate this thing. Can't wait to get it off."
Reid smiled and murmured, "I can't wait to get you off."

Luke, still frustrated, huffed. "Well, you're going to have to help me get to bedroom first."
"What's wrong with right here?" Reid asked, a mischievous smile of his face.



 *"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:14057","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/14057.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=14057"}}],"title":"Collision chapter 44","published":"2014-08-27T13:14:20Z","updated":"2014-08-27T13:15:18Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"snyder\/oliver"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"

<\/a>Chapter 44<\/b><\/span>

<\/p>

<\/p>

Reid found himself walking through the Barcelona airport, a little suitcase rolling behind him. The flight had been fine even though he still tensed up during landing and take off. He even managed to get some sleep during the 10 hour flight. Now he was walking in a Spanish city, looking for a cab to get him to his boyfriend as soon as possible. <\/span><\/p>

Once he was seated in, he looked out the window trying to take the scenery, but his thoughts were mainly on Luke and how he was going to see him again. It really had been too long. Luke had gone home that morning and Reid was finally going to see his fabulous house in the hills. When the cab left the city and went out into the hills, Reid sat up a little straighter, because he knew they were getting close. After another 15 minutes, the driver came to a stop at the gates and when Reid looked through it, he saw Luke's house up ahead. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"A fucking driveway." He muttered under his breath. "Of course, why not." <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He paid the driver and got out and, remembering what Luke had instructed him to do, pressed the button of the intercom. He rolled his eyes at the sheer decadence of it all and waited impatiently for Luke to buzz him in. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Hey." He heard Luke's voice croak through the speaker. "Come in." <\/span><\/p>

And sure enough, the gates opened slowly and Reid walked up the drive way. About 10 meters in, he turned and saw the gates close slowly behind him again. He shook his head and continued his walk towards the front door. <\/span><\/p>

He saw Luke standing outside, leaning heavily on his crutches, his face pale, but his smile wide and happy. And in spite of himself, Reid returned the smile, not quite as big but equally happy while he picked up the pace and hurried towards Luke. <\/span><\/p>

When he reached him, he dropped his bag, carefully took Luke's face in his hands and kissed his beautiful, smiling mouth. <\/span><\/p>

When Reid pulled back, he said nothing, but let Luke lean against him, pressing their foreheads together. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Your driveway is ridiculous." Reid finally said. "And so is the gate."<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke laughed. "I know. But it keeps the unwanted out." <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid smirked. "And the wanted in?" <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Exactly." Luke laughed again. Then he nudged Reid with one of his crutches, "Come inside, these crutches are killing me, I'm not used to them yet."<\/span><\/p>

They made their way inside, Reid's steadying hand on Luke's back while he hobbled into the house. <\/span><\/p>

"So, do you want a tour of the house?" Luke asked. <\/span><\/p>

"No, not right now. Just show me the quickest way to your bedroom." Reid answered, his hand still on Luke's back while he pressed a kiss to Luke's neck. <\/span><\/p>

Luke grinned and bowed his head to give Reid more room. "I'm not sure what good I'm going to be in there, but let's go." <\/span><\/p>

"Just leave it to me." Reid said smirking, while picking up his bag and following Luke. <\/span><\/p>

Apparently, the quickest way to Luke's bedroom really wasn't quick at all. <\/span><\/p>

Reid looked around, taking in the luxuriousness and the size of the house. "Jesus, you really live here alone?" <\/span><\/p>

Luke smile faltered a bit. "You don't like it?"<\/span><\/p>

"No, I do, it's beautiful. But it's... huge." Reid said, his eyes just a bit bigger than usual in awe of his surroundings. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke shrugged. "Yeah, I know. What did you expect? Some sort of cabin?" He couldn't help but sound a little annoyed. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He loved his house. He put so much care and dedication into the design of it so it would really feel like his home. And yes, maybe it was a little big for one person, but he loved the open spaces and high ceilings. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid shot Luke an amused look. "I said I thought it was beautiful."<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"And huge." Luke added. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Because that's what it is." Reid stopped walking to really look at Luke. "Why are you mad?" <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"I'm not mad." Luke said stubbornly, while making his way into the bedroom. He sat down on the (also huge) bed and tossed his crutches to the side. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Okay, what are you then?" Reid asked while sitting down next to him. "Because there is something."<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry. I was just really nervous about you coming here and seeing my house, my home. I just want you to love it as much as I do and I really want you to feel at home here." He looked at Reid a little sheepishly. "I might have been a little apprehensive about it. Stupid, huh."<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid wrapped his arm around Luke's shoulders and pulled him to his chest. "No. It's not stupid. I get it. And I'll let you know what I think about it after I've seen the whole place." He kissed Luke behind his ear. "But for now, lay down." He moved Luke backwards and let him fall onto the mattress. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Can you move up? Do you need another pillow to rest your ankle on?" <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke scooted up the bed, using his other leg to push him up. He pointed towards a heavy looking pillow. "Yeah, that one."<\/span><\/p>

Reid carefully placed Luke's foot onto the pillow, let his hand slide up Luke's leg to his hip and settled down next to him. Luke turned his head and watched Reid watch him. <\/span><\/p>

Reid reached up and cupped Luke's cheek, thumb stroking behind his ear. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"You scared me." He said softly. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke moved his own hand over Reid's. "I'm sorry."<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid shook his head. "Not your fault. Blame the asshole who mowed you down." <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid propped himself up on one elbow. "What did he say to you anyway after he tackled you?" <\/span><\/p>

"Nothing more than what he was calling me all through the game. Faggot, sissy, that sort of thing."<\/span><\/p>

Reid's thumb stopped rubbing circles behind Luke's ear. "What?" He asked incredulously.<\/span><\/p>

"Reid, don't freak out, okay? It's just a way to break my concentration. It happens all the time. Not with these..." Luke hesitated for a moment, "words, but it's nothing new."<\/span><\/p>

"Are you serious? This is not okay, Luke. Please tell me you're not okay with this!" Reid raised his voice. <\/span><\/p>

"No, no, of course I'm not okay with this, but what am I going to do about it? He got punished for the fault he committed. The things he said were not heard by the referee, so there's really nothing I can do."

This is a sport for men, not for sissy boys.<\/i><\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He could still the venom in the voice of his opponent after he'd tackled him to the ground. He wasn't going to tell Reid this. He would only be worried and angry, while there was nothing either of them could do about it. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"I don't want him to get away with it, like this is the same as calling someone an asshole or something. Because it's not. You know that, Luke." Reid was not letting go this easily.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"I know, I know. But let's not talk about that right now. Let's focus on the fact that I am here and you are here and<\/i> we are in bed." Luke wiggled his eyebrows and reached out a hand and placed it on Reid's hip. It didn't take much to focus Reid's attention elsewhere. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"What are you saying here, Snyder?" He leaned over Luke, his mouth inches from Luke's. "Are you sure you're ready for... anything?"<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke raised his head and covered Reid's mouth with his own in a searing kiss. <\/span><\/p>

When he fell back on the the pillow, he smiled wickedly. "Absolutely. It just means you're going to have to do all the work."<\/span><\/p>

* <\/span><\/p>

Reid blinked his eyes, waking up slowly in the pitch dark room. Leave it to Luke to have such thick curtains that no light could come in.
Looking over at the night stand he could just make out the number on the alarm clock. 8.15 am.<\/i> Still too early; he felt way too comfortable to get up. He laid his head back down on Luke's shoulder and carefully placed a hand on his chest, feeling him breathing. Luke was laying on his back, one arm up, with his hand under his head. His mouth was a little open and he snored softly. Rid couldn't help himself and kissed his stubbled jaw. <\/span><\/p>

Even though the reason he was here was awful, he was still glad to be here with Luke. In his ridiculous house, which was actually kind of beautiful.
And spacious, very spacious. He was going to look around today and judging by the way his stomach was rumbling, he would start with the kitchen.
Slowly, he moved himself off of Luke, pressing one more kiss to his chest and padded out of the bedroom. Remembering how they got to the bedroom yesterday, he made his way though the house and found the kitchen without too much trouble.
Reid softly whistled in appreciation. The large space was filled with the lastest equipment and technology.
After checking some cabinets, he found everything he needed to make coffee. While the machine brewed the coffee, Reid stood in front of the window, looking out over the hills.

Is this a place where he'd want to live? Far from everything he knew and loved? <\/i><\/span><\/p>


The house was beautiful, there was not doubt about that. He recognised Luke's touches and saw his personality reflected in the furnishing and decorations. It felt like Luke was everywere and Reid loved it. He could actually see himself living here, sharing a life with Luke. <\/span><\/p>

He poured in two cups of coffee and made his way back to the bedroom, placing the cups on the nightstand. He then crawled back into bed and started to kiss Luke's face. His cheek, his jaw, his nose, his eyes and finally his lips. Reid felt Luke's lips turn into a smile against his mouth and murmured 'good morning'. <\/span><\/p>

Luke rubbed his cheek against Reid's and sighed happily. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Hey". Luke made a move to cuddle up to Reid, but groaned when when he felt the heavy weight from the cast on his leg. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"What is it? Are you in pain?" <\/span>"Can I get you anything?" <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"No, it's fine. I just can barely move, it's annoying." Luke complained. He placed a hand on the back of Reid's neck and tried to pull him down. "Where did you go?"<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"I, " Reid declared while reaching out to the night stand to grab a cup, "have made you coffee. Can you sit up?"<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke pushed himself up with his arms and rested against the headboard. He took the cup Reid held out for him a smiled. "I could get used to this. I'm a little disappointed you did't make breakfast though." <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Don't push it, Snyder!" Reid warned. "Or I'm taking this coffee away again." He made a move to snatch the cup away from Luke.<\/span><\/p>

"No, no, no, "Luke protested laughing. "I was just kidding." He clutched the cup with both hands and leaned back against the headbord again. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Thanks for this." Luke turned his head to look a Reid who was sitting down beside him. <\/span><\/p>

Reid said nothing, but quietly enjoyed his coffee and this morning moment with Luke. <\/span><\/p>

After a few minutes of silence, Reid placed his cup on the nightstand and turned to Luke. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"How long will it take you to get ready to fly to the States?"<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke tilted his head and thought for a moment. "I have to check in with the Barcelona medical team, but I don't think they'd want to see me right now. I have to take it easy though, no pressure on the leg. So maybe two days? I'll have my grandmother send her jet."<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid nodded. "Two days is what I thought too. Ánd if your grandmother could send her jet, that would be great. It will be so much easier for you."<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"And you." Luke added smiling, grasping Reid's hand and pressing a kiss on his palm. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"And me." Reid admitted, eyes on Luke's lips. "Now, we just have to find a way to pass two days..."<\/span>

*<\/p>

<\/p>


<\/p>



<\/p>

<\/p>

<\/p>

<\/p>

<\/p>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:13807","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/13807.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=13807"}}],"title":"Collision chapter 43","published":"2014-06-27T11:22:25Z","updated":"2014-06-27T11:22:25Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"Chapter 43<\/span><\/b>

Luke was sitting in the locker room, tying his laces. He was thinking about the conversation he had with Reid a few days ago. It wasn’t the first time he replayed every sentence in his head. Reid had sounded defeated, almost like he was giving up on the idea of them ever living together in Barcelona. Luke had agreed with him that things didn’t look good now, but <\/span>he was certain that Reid would be with him next year. He’d tried to make Reid see that he had to stay optimistic, but he felt like he couldn’t really get through to Reid.
Reid had admitted that he was exhausted and that he was having b trouble seeing a light at the end of the tunnel right now. He had said that things would probably look better in the morning, but he couldn’t really convince Luke that he really believed his own words. <\/span><\/p>

The whole conversation made Luke worry about Reid. He didn’t doubt that Reid loved him, that he wanted to be with him, but the months of trying to get to Barcelona and getting rejected every time seemed to take their toll on Reid.
But there wasn’t much that Luke could do about it right now. He wasn’t in the position where <\/span>he could take a vacation; he had to play every week and sometimes more than once a week now that the Champions League season had started. It would be until Christmas at least before <\/span>he would be able to fly back to the States and even then it would only be for a few days. It wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. <\/span><\/p>

Luke knew better than to suggest that Reid could come live with him with or without a position at the hospital but he secretly wished Reid would do just that. But he also knew that Reid wouldn’t be happy if he couldn’t dig around a brain from time to time. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span>There really was no one to blame for the situation they were in, but that didn’t make it any easier. He missed Reid so much, missed everything about him. His smile, his eyes, his dry comments while watching television, his arms around Luke shoulders, the way he enjoyed a simple sandwich, Luke felt he could spend the rest of his life just watching Reid. But at night, he missed Reid’s arms around him, his hands travelling over Luke’s body, exploring every inch of it, the feel of his cock pressed against his ass. It didn’t matter how much Luke jerked off to the memories of Reid or during phone sex, he always ended up wanting more. <\/span><\/p>

Staring at his now tied laces, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. <\/span><\/p>

“You okay?” Luke looked up into the concerned face of his friend and team mate David Menkov. <\/span><\/p>

Luke nodded and stood up, stretching his arms and legs. <\/span><\/p>

David narrowed his eyes a little. “You sure? It’s Real Madrid out there. We need you to be focused.” <\/span><\/p>

Luke slapped David on the shoulder and laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m good. We’ll kick ass.”<\/span><\/p>

*
Walking onto the field, taking in his surroundings and the atmosphere in the stadium, Luke consciously pushed back any thoughts of Reid and focused on the game. <\/span><\/p>

83 minutes in and the score was still 0-0. Luke played a good game, sharp and fast. His direct opponent, and up-and-coming player whose attitude was as big as his talent, had been bugging him throughout the game. He was in Luke's space all the time, whether the ball was there or not, pushing him when the referee wasn't looking. It didn't bother Luke that much, it was annoying, but there was no penalty against it. And he recognised the behaviour, when he was young himself, Luke wanted to prove himself against the bigger names on the field.
But what did bother him, were the things he said to Luke. Almost every time he walked past Luke, he called him a faggot or a sissy. But always in a soft voice and with his head turned away from the referee, so he wouldn't get punished for it.  Luke tried to ignore him, but it got harder and harder as the match went along. <\/span><\/p>

The time crept towards the 90 minute mark <\/span>and neither <\/span>of the teams had scored yet. Frustration became a part of the game and when Luke got the ball from a defender to set up an attack, he never looked behind him, eyes fully focused on the ball and the narrow space he saw between the two defenders. He was just about to set off in a sprint, when he felt a heavy blow against his ankles, sending him to the ground, crying out in pain. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

*<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Reid was in the doctor's lounge, taking a well-deserved <\/span>break. It was no co-incidence he was taking his break at this time of the day. Luke was playing and it was a very important match. He'd already switched on the TV and put on the Real -Madrid - Barcelona game.  He only had time for the last 15 minutes of the game, but it was enough for now. At least he was able to see Luke. He'd noticed Luke's opponent was annoyingly in his space all the time. He saw him talk to Luke, but Luke ignored him. Reid was cursing under his breath, not wanting to draw attention to himself by openly lashing out, but when he saw the attack on Luke, when he actually could hear the breaking of bones and Luke's cries of pain, he couldn't help but jump out of his chair, while shouting 'No!’ He stood in front the TV with eyes wide and fists clenched, ignoring the looks he got from his co-workers, watching Luke lay on the field, his face contorted in pain. The medical team was already with him, carefully examining his ankle. The attacker stood by with an unreadable look on his face, then he crouched down next to Luke and said something to him. Luke turned his head towards him and just stared for a moment. Then he put his arms over his face as if he wanted to shield himself from the world. A stretcher was brought onto the field and they carried Luke off into the depths of the stadium, away from Reid's view, leaving a terrible ache in his chest. <\/span><\/p>

His eyes were pulled from the TV screen when his name was sounded over the intercom, asking for his presence in the ER. With one last look at the screen, where the match already continued, Reid turned to walk <\/span>out of the lounge and quickly walked towards the ER.<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

*<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

A few hours later, Luke was sitting in the hospital, listening to the surgeon explain what he was going to do during the surgery that would set the broken bones in his ankle. The surgery wouldn't take long, but Luke was looking at 3-4 months of recovery after that.
Luke fought to keep his tears at bay when the surgeon explained why it was a complicated fracture. His season was shot to hell because some asshole needed to prove himself. <\/span><\/p>

The attacker had been sent off the field with a red card, but that didn't make Luke feel any better. He was only punished for breaking Luke's ankle but for not the things he'd said. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"We'll operate today, a team is getting ready right now." The calm voice of the surgeon pulled him out of his thoughts. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"Okay." Luke nodded. The sooner they fixed his ankle, the sooner he could begin his recovery.
"Do I have time to make some phone calls?" <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"Sure." The surgeon answered. "I'm going to make sure everything is ready for you."<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"Could you please grab my bag for me?" Luke gestured towards his bag, which was sitting in the corner of the room. "My phone is in there." He smiled apologetically. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

The surgeon handed over his bag and opened the door. "See you in the operating room, Mr Snyder."<\/span><\/p>

Having another man, another surgeon no less call him that, made Luke feel a little uncomfortable, so he smiled weakly and turned his attention to his bag and dug out <\/span>his phone. He quickly checked his messages, but there were no messages from Reid. Luke sighed. He knew if Reid would have able to contact him, he would have, but he felt a little disappointed none the less. <\/span><\/p>

He scrolled through his contacts, found Reid's name and pressed call. After a few rings it went to voicemail. Luke tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice when he left a message telling Reid what happened and that he would be having surgery shortly.

*<\/span><\/p>

Reid pulled off his surgical cap with a sigh and wiped the sweat off his forehead. The surgery had been difficult, but he managed to save the patient's life. He longed for a hot shower and a long massage. But first he needed to call Luke. Grabbing his phone out of his locker, he saw Luke had already called him and he hurried to listen to the voicemail Luke left him. He cursed when he heard Luke's voice telling him that he had to undergo surgery and he would talk to him afterwards. Reid leaned his head against his locker with a thud. He needed to see Luke, not just for Luke's sake but also for his own. Especially now that Luke was injured, Reid felt the strong urge to take care of him. And Luke needed someone to take care of him right now; he wouldn't be able to get around with a broken ankle. Reid swiped through his phone, until he reached his agenda, checking his schedule for the next week. A small smile crept up on his face. Maybe this would work. If only he could get Luke to agree...<\/i><\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

* <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

After the surgery, which was done under local anesthesia, the first thing Luke asked for was his phone. He smiled when he saw Reid's text, asking, no telling him, to call as soon as he was able. He pushed his head a little further into the pillow and called.
Reid picked up after the first ring. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"Hey." He said. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"Hey." Luke answered. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"How are you feeling? Did the surgery go okay? How bad is it?" Reid asked, walking through his apartment, picking up clothes and dumping them into the washer. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"I'm sore and my ankle hurts, but the surgeon said everything went as well as could be expected, so I should make a full recovery. It will take me a couple of months though. My season's pretty much over." Luke said miserably. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"I'm sorry." Reid said. There was a silence for a few moments before Reid asked “Have you thought about where you’re going to go when you get out of the hospital?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“What do you mean?” Luke asked, not getting where Reid was going with his question. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Well, you need help, right? You can’t move around properly, can you?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I don’t know, I haven’t thought about that yet. But when I need help, I’m sure the club can help out with anything I need.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Oh, right.” Reid sounded disappointed. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Wait, why?” Luke asked. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“It’s nothing.” Reid answered. Then he sighed, “I just thought that maybe I could come get you and you could stay with me while you’re still in the cast.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke was stunned into silence. Never had the thought crossed his mind that Reid would actually want to care of him. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“You-you want to come here?” He asked confused. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Well, only for a few days, because I can’t take any more days off. But I figured, since you don’t have anyone <\/span>living with you there, that you would want to come to the States for a few weeks, to give your ankle the time it needs to heal.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“And we could spend a few weeks together.” Luke added, his heart speeding up just thinking about seeing Reid again. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Well, yeah.” Reid laughed nervously. “What do you think?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Reid could almost see Luke’s smile through the phone and he clutched it a little tighter. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I think you’re amazing and this is the best idea I’ve heard in a long time.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“So, you’ll do it?” Reid asked, trying to tamp down the bubble of happiness that rose up in his chest. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I have to check with the club first to see if it’s okay that I go out of the country and when I have to resume physical therapy, but yeah! Of course!!”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Good, because I already cleared my schedule for the next 5 days and I booked a flight for this evening.” Reid admitted. “I’ll start packing right now.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I love you.” Luke said, amazed that this incredibly busy man would take the time to come to his side and take care of him. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I love you too.” Reid answered without hesitation. “I’ll text you the details of my flight soon. Just let me know where I’m supposed to meet you and I’ll see you soon.” He smiled. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

*<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:13533","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/13533.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=13533"}}],"title":"Collision chapter 42","published":"2014-05-14T14:24:17Z","updated":"2014-05-14T14:24:17Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"Chapter 42<\/span><\/b>

<\/span><\/p>

This was it. He was going to come out of the closet and admit he was in a relationship with a man. How different was his life going to be after everyone knew the truth about Luke Snyder, soccer legend?<\/span><\/i><\/p>

<\/span><\/i><\/p>

It was a month after the magazine with Luke’s interview came out. As it turned out, his life wasn’t all that different. <\/span><\/p>

Yes, he’d gotten many, many reactions to the interview, mostly positive, but there were also really negative ones. There was hate mail and a certain amount of threats. And in the stadium the crowd sometimes chanted hurtful phrases, but all in all it wasn’t as bad as he’d thought. Back in the States, he knew he had been discussed in many shows and even the President of the United States Soccer Federation had complemented him on his courage. <\/span><\/p>

His place in the team was still the same and most of his fellow team players didn’t care at all but Luke could tell from the behaviour of some of the players that something had changed. Not on the field, they were all professionals there, but there was tension in the locker room. Luke hoped that in time that would fade when they realised he was still the same as always. The club had his back and still had the same amount of faith in him.
Luke hadn’t given any other interviews since the magazine had come out, but the club had given a statement that the players’ personal lives were just that and they were proud of Luke for being honest. <\/span><\/p>

During press conferences Luke had to dodge countless questions about his personal life and about his partner, but he only talked about soccer because that was why he was there in the first place and he always said ‘no comment’ when the questions turned personal. <\/span><\/p>

Photographers were still trying to get pictures of him when he left the stadium and followed him on his way home, but at soon as Luke passed through the gates of his house, he was alone and he knew they weren’t able to see into his house unless they used a helicopter. And that wasn’t very likely, or at least he hoped it wasn’t.
His father had worried a lot when Luke told him what he was going to do and had discouraged him from doing it. When Luke asked what his mother thought about it, Holden refused to answer and suggested they just ‘give her time’. At the end of their conversation, when Holden understood that this was what Luke wanted, what he needed to do, he’d told him he would support him, like he always had. His next call was to Lucinda and her reaction was one of full support, just like Luke had expected. She did ask him whether he was sure about it. Luke told her it was what he needed to do and no, maybe he wouldn’t have chosen to do it right now or like this, but now that he didn’t really have a choice, he was more than okay with it. He was done hiding. And Reid wholeheartedly supported it, what more could he ask for in this situation?<\/span>

<\/p>

The only thing that was really started to get to Luke was the fact that Reid was still back in the States, dealing with the situation all by himself. And it wasn’t easy for him. <\/span><\/p>

Because even though Luke hadn’t mentioned Reid’s name and he had only told the story of how they met, it hadn’t taken reporters even a day to find out who Reid was and were he worked. They found him at the hospital, pestering him with questions. <\/span><\/p>

They were so persistent and rude that Reid’s CoS had security remove every reporter from the hospital. Reid hadn’t answered one question; he just ignored all of them, remembering what Luke told him about dealing with the press. But it had become very hard when the questions turned more personal (if possible) and got a mean edge to them. It had taken every ounce of self control Reid possessed to not get violent and punch the guy’s lights out. <\/span><\/p>

He’d resorted to hiding in his office and trying to do as much work as possible from there. <\/span><\/p>

Now with the reporters and photographers <\/span>removed, the halls were relatively quiet again, but Reid knew that they would be waiting for him outside the hospital and follow him home, just like they had done every day since they found out he was Luke Snyder’s boyfriend. <\/span><\/p>

It made him question why on earth he had ever wanted Luke to come out. Reid had severely underestimated the lack of privacy, the amount of reporters and the lengths they would go to to get a picture or a quote from him.
Luke had suggested he <\/span>hire a chauffeur, someone who was used to drive while trying to dodge photographers. But Reid wouldn’t have any of it. He figured this amount of attention wouldn’t last, it had to die down at some point, right? They had to become bored it there was nothing to tell and no interesting photos to take. He suddenly understood what Luke had been talking about when he talked about living in the spotlight. It was far worse than he’d ever imagined. <\/span><\/p>

Reid arrived home late that evening; he’d driven around for an hour trying to lose any followers and he was quite successful. There was only one photographer waiting for him at the entrance of his apartment building and he ignored him and the light flashes coming from his camera. <\/span><\/p>

He slammed the door behind and leaned back against it for a moment, closing his eyes in frustration. <\/span><\/p>

“Everything okay?” a voice called out, startling him. <\/span><\/p>

“God, Renée. You’re going to give <\/span>me a heart attack.” Reid ran his hand over his face, pushed himself off the door and headed towards the kitchen with Renée close on his heels. She watched him open the fridge, scan the contents and slam it shut again without getting anything. <\/span><\/p>

“How are you holding up?” She asked concerned. <\/span><\/p>

“Fine.” Reid grumbled. He opened the fridge again and grabbed himself a beer.<\/span><\/p>

“Really?” She asked, her arms crossed across her chest. “Because you don’t look like it.”<\/span><\/p>

Reid sighed and walked towards the living room and plopped down on the couch.
“It’s fine, really. It’s just that the attention is more than I thought it would be, you know? The reporters, their stupid questions, the photographers, it’s awful.” He smiled a small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “At least now I know what Luke is going through every day.” <\/span><\/p>

Renée sat down next to him and rubbed his arm. “It won’t always be like this, you know that right? When you move to Barcelona, it probably won’t be this bad.” <\/span><\/p>

Reid said nothing, but played with the label on his beer bottle. <\/span><\/p>

“What? You’re still going to Barcelona, aren’t you?” Renée asked, frowning.<\/span><\/p>

“I don’t know. It seems like the only way I can move to Barcelona is quit my job and let Luke support me. Hang out in his ridiculous house all day, doing nothing.” He looked up and faced Renée. <\/span><\/p>

“Why? Is there no opening at the hospitals there? Nothing at all?” She asked.<\/span><\/p>

“No. I tried, believe me, I tried. And not only that, but I learned today that I have a critical patient coming in, which will be keep me occupied for at least two more months and probably more. She needs therapy and eventually surgery. So there’s no way in hell that I will be able to move this year.” Normally a new case like this would get Reid all excited and he still was, but the consequences it brought along with it didn’t make him very happy. Of course he would dedicate his time and full attention to his patient so she could go on with her life. But Reid wondered when he got to do the same.<\/span><\/p>

“Did you tell Luke yet?” Renée inquired.<\/span><\/p>

Reid shook his head. “No. I haven’t talked to him today. Or yesterday. He’s very busy right now, you know. Matches, training, publicity, that sort of crap.”<\/span><\/p>

Renée rubbed his arm.  “I’m sure he’ll make time for you.” She said reassuringly.<\/span><\/p>

Reid patted her hand and sat up a little. “He probably would, but I just… I hate it, this distance. Just phone calls or Skyping, it’s a poor substitute for the real thing.” He took a swig from his beer. “Especially since I don’t know when it will end, you know? If I knew that by March next year, I’d be living in Barcelona with Luke and working in a great hospital, then it would be bearable. But I don’t know and it’s-“ He let out a frustrated noise. He finished off his beer and wanted to throw the bottle through the living room in frustration. Instead, he put if back on the coffee table and leaned back again. He looked at Renée.<\/span><\/p>

“How are things with you? Nobody is following you around, are they?” He asked.<\/span><\/p>

“Nah.” Renée shrugged, sounding almost disappointed. “Luke Snyder’s sister-in-law isn’t that interesting to the press apparently.”<\/span><\/p>

“What about mom and dad? Have you heard anything from them about it?” <\/span><\/p>

Renée looked at her brother with narrowed eyes. ”You could call and ask them yourself, you know.” <\/span><\/p>

“I know, but I’m asking you.” Reid answered. <\/span><\/p>

Renée sighed. “I talked to dad the other day and they were fine. There have been one or two photographers and one journalist called about an interview, but he turned him down, of course. And that was basically it.”<\/span><\/p>

“Good.” Reid grumbled. <\/span><\/p>

“Well, since you’re no fun tonight, I’m going to bed. I’ll be here for a few days, if that’s okay.” Renée stood up and walked around the couch on her way to the bedroom. “But I suggest you try to call Luke, because you need some cheering up and I’m not the one to do it.” She ruffled Reid’s hair from behind and laughed when he tried to smack her away.<\/span><\/p>

Reid got up and walked towards the kitchen to grab another beer. “Good night and can stay as long as you want. You know that.” <\/span><\/p>

Renée looked at Reid for a moment. “Seriously, call him.”<\/span><\/p>

“He has enough shit to deal with without me adding to it.” Reid uncapped the beer bottle and took a big swig. <\/span><\/p>

“So you’re just going to ignore him? I’m sure that will make him feel very good.” Renée said sarcastically. “This isn’t just about you, you know. You’re in a relationship now, you figure things out together.”<\/span><\/p>

Reid smiled a crooked smile at her. “When did you become so wise?” <\/span><\/p>

Renée stuck out her tongue and moved towards the guest room, saying, “Pff, I’ve always been the wiser one.” <\/span><\/p>

Reid settled on the couch again and turned on the TV again, flicking through the channels until he hit the sports channel. He watched it until the commercial break, but before he could get up and get himself another beer, he heard Luke’s voice coming from the TV. His eyes widened when he saw the commercial for shampoo featuring Luke and his ridiculous, amazing hair. Reid smiled, remembering all too well how said hair felt under his fingers, or on his chest when Luke kissed his way down. He groaned and reached for his cell. <\/span><\/p>

< I just saw your new commercial. Shampoo? Really Snyder?><\/span><\/p>

Within one minute his phone rang. <\/span><\/p>

“Hey.” <\/span><\/p>

“Don’t mock my commercials.” Luke’s voice came through. “I have very good hair for a shampoo commercial.”<\/span><\/p>

“Do I want to know how much you got paid for this?” Reid asked. <\/span><\/p>

“Probably not.” Luke smirked. “But just know it’s responsible for the brand new car in my garage waiting for you.”<\/span><\/p>

And just like that, Reid’s smile faded. “Yeah, about that…”<\/span><\/p>

<\/a><\/p>*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:13307","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/13307.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=13307"}}],"title":"Collision chapter 41","published":"2014-05-06T15:28:20Z","updated":"2014-05-06T15:28:20Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"

Chapter 41<\/span><\/b><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke woke just before ten o’clock, which gave him some time to get dressed and make coffee in anticipation of Kevin’s visit. <\/span><\/p>

And surely, a few minutes after ten, the bell from the gate rang, indicating a visitor had arrived. Luke buzzed him in and moved to the front door to wait for Kevin outside. <\/span><\/p>

He leaned against the door frame, looking down the driveway expecting Kevin’s yellow Ferrari to speed up to the house. <\/span><\/p>

But what he saw was an old blue Honda moving slowly towards him. He cringed a little, knowing how much Kevin loved his car. He probably had to sell it to help cover his debts. <\/i><\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Luke walked down the few steps to greet Kevin when he got out of his car. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Hey man.” Luke said, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand and holding out the other for Kevin to shake. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Hey.” Kevin said shortly, grabbing Luke’s hand and shaking it quickly. He released Luke’s hand and stepped back. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke furrowed his brow. It wasn’t like Kevin to be so short. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

He nodded towards the house and said, “Let’s get inside.” He turned and moved up the stairs quickly. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Once inside, Luke made both of them a cup of coffee and they went outside to sit on the huge balcony, enjoying the morning sun. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

They stared into the distance, each with their own thoughts. After a few minutes, Luke cleared his throat and looked at Kevin. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“So… Do you want to talk about it?” He asked. He wasn’t sure if that was the reason Kevin wanted to meet up with him, so he decided to just ask. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin still stared right ahead. “Talk about what exactly?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke gestured with his hand. “About why you were arrested? What’s going on Kevin?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

It took Kevin a few minutes to answer.<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I’m a gambler. Always have been. But lately it’s gotten out of control. I thought I could handle it, but-.” He stood up abruptly and started pacing. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I lost money, Luke. Serious money.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“How serious?” Luke didn’t think it could be that bad; Kevin pulled in a very decent pay check. Not as much as Luke, but he still made millions a year. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Millions. A lot of millions.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke let the information sink in for a moment. “It that why you were arrested for tax fraud?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I have never paid the amount of taxes I should. I think it’s ridiculous how much taxes we pay. And I got away with it for years.” He gave Luke a sly grin. “I had better use for that money.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“But you didn’t get away with it, Kevin. I’m sure if they found out about recent years, they will dig into earlier years too.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin stopped pacing and stood in front of Luke, forcing Luke to look up to him. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I don’t have the kind of money I need to pay the taxes or the people I owe money to. And frankly, I’m more concerned about them than about the government.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“What do you mean?” Luke asked slowly.<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin inhaled sharply. “They made it very clear that I don’t pay up soon they will find ways to hurt me or my family or.., my friends.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke looked at him incredulously. “You make it sound like you owe money to the mob or something. I’m sorry, but this sounds like a very bad movie, Kevin.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I know, I know. But trust me, it isn’t. I can’t tell you much about it, but these guys are… well, they’re criminals. And they don’t shy away from violence.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke shifted in his chair uncomfortably. “Why are you telling me this?” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin sat down on his hunches in front of Luke, looking Luke straight in the eye. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I need money, Luke.” He said. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“You want me to loan you money?” Luke asked, not sure if he was understanding what Kevin was saying. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“No.” Kevin said, while putting a hand on Luke’s knee. “I want you to give me the money I need.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke looked down at Kevin’s hand on his knee and suddenly felt threatened. He pushed Kevin’s hand away and stood up and walked a few feet away from Kevin. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Why should I just give you money? You can’t just come here and demand I give you millions of dollars. That’s insane!” He said, raising his voice in growing anger.<\/span><\/p>

Suddenly Luke realised something. <\/span><\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Is this what you wanted to talk to me about, back in June? Right before the accident? Were you in trouble already then?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin stood there, staring at Luke before raising his chin. “Yes, it was. Being injured bought me some time, but not anymore.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Again, why should I just give you the money? You don’t even know if I have that kind of money.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Oh come on, Luke. Everyone knows how much money you make. You are the highest paid soccer player in the world, that’s just common knowledge.” He gestured around him. “You paid for this house in cash. You told me so yourself.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin took a few steps towards Luke. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Even if I have access to that kind of money, why should I give it to you?” Luke didn’t move. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin cocked his head. “Because I know stuff about you that I’m sure you don’t want to get out.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you threatening<\/i> me? <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin didn’t even blink. He pretended to think about the question, furrowing his brow before looking straight at Luke. “Yes, I guess I am. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke crossed his arms over his chest. “This should be good. What kind of stuff do you think you know about me that I don’t want to get out?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Remember the last time I was here, in February?” Luke nodded.<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“You really shouldn’t leave your phone and Ipad unattended, you never know who might want to take a peek.” Kevin smiled an evil smile. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I assume you wanted to take a peek.” Luke said, still not knowing where Kevin was going with this. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin took a few steps towards Luke and leaned forward to breathe in Luke’s ear.<\/span><\/p>

“Let’s just say that, based on the porn I found, I think the reason you’re single is that you’re into guys.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke jerked his head back to get away from Kevin. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Well, that’s hardly a secret now is it? I know you’ve been out of the loop because of the accident, but I thought you would have caught up by now. “<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin stared at him, his face blank. “What?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I mean, I told the team during the Championships, before our last match, that I am, in fact, gay. They all know, Kevin.” Now it was Luke’s turn to lean close to Kevin. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“But the fact that you thought you could blackmail me with it disgusts me. I thought we were friends, Kevin. Good friends. I really don’t know what I did to make you treat me this way.” There was anger and disappointment in Luke’s voice.<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke turned and went back into the house and after a few moments Kevin followed him. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“So maybe the team knows, but I haven’t read anything about it in the press. Only speculation, Luke. I’m sure you don’t want the public to know that their hero, their soccer god, likes to suck cock, do you?” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke stopped walking and turned to face Kevin once more. “You would do that to me? You would deliberately try to ruin my life? My career? Why?” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin didn’t have it in him to look into Luke’s eyes at this point. “I don’t want to.” Desperation was evident in his voice. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Then why?” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Kevin shrugged. “I need money. A lot of money. And since you’re not denying that it’s true, I’m guessing you’re going to give it to me.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke’s eyes immediately turned cold and his face hardened. “I’m not denying or confirming anything. I think we’re done here. You can leave. Now.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Think again Luke. I’m not joking around, if you don’t give me the money, then-“<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I don’t care. Leave, before I do something I might regret.” Luke clenched his fists, trying to remain in control and not physically attack his former friend. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Luke, please-.” Kevin started to beg. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“No. You ruined every chance of me giving or even loaning you any money with your ridiculous threats. Now go.” Luke wanted to walk away, but didn’t trust Kevin to leave his house on his own. So he stood there and watched Kevin walk away, his shoulders slumped. It wasn’t until he heard the front door close with a bang that he allowed himself to give in to the emotions that were running through him. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

He collapsed onto the couch and buried his head in his hands. What was Kevin going to do?<\/i><\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

The demands and threats that Kevin made hurt him more than he wanted to admit. They had been friends, they hung out, Luke had even invited him into his home. Luke was always very careful <\/span>who he invited, but he had trusted Kevin. <\/span><\/p>

But now the remarks, the looks, it all made sense. Kevin knew. And so far he hadn’t told anyone. But now, he needed serious money. Luke believed that, for the right amount of money, Kevin would sell his story to the tabloids. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Reid, I need Reid.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Not bothering with the time difference, he pulled out his phone and called Reid. To Luke’s disappointment, it went straight to voicemail. Fuck!<\/i><\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke got up and started pacing. He knew there was really only one thing he could do. But he needed to talk to Reid about it. Luke abruptly stopped pacing when his phone rang. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Reid?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Yeah, hey. It’s me.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Where are you?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I’m at the hospital, I was called in for emergency surgery. I just got out and saw that you called. Is there something wrong?” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke let out a dry laugh. “You could say that.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“What? Are you hurt? What happened?” The worry was evident in Reid’s voice. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“No, I’m fine, I’m not hurt. Well, not physically anyway.” Luke tried to reassure Reid, but failed spectacularly.<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Okay. Talk to me.” Reid walked into his office and shut the door. For Luke to be calling him in the middle of the night something big must have happened. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke took a deep breath. “I talked to Kevin this morning. He just left.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“And?” Reid asked impatiently. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

So Luke continued and told him everything that happened that morning between him and Kevin. <\/span><\/p>

When Reid heard about Kevin’s threats, he cursed out loud. “Son of a bitch!”<\/span><\/p>

After hearing the whole story, he didn’t really know what to say to Luke. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“What are you going to do?” He asked, wanting nothing more than to wrap Luke into his arms and keep him safe from everything and everyone that might hurt him. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke sighed. “Well, I think there is only one thing I can do, don’t you?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Meaning?” Reid didn’t know for sure if he understood what Luke was saying. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“There’s this magazine here in Spain, the biggest in the country and they’ve been asking me for an interview for ages. I think I’m going to agree to give it to them.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“And tell them what exactly?” Reid asked cautiously.<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Uhm.. everything?” Luke said, hoping Reid would understand what he meant.<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Define ‘everything’, Luke.” Reid asked again. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke started pacing again. “Everything about me being gay. I’m even prepared to admit that I’m in a relationship, but I won’t give them your name. I promise.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Reid swallowed. Even though he had always wanted Luke to come out and stop hiding who he was, this was definitely not the way he wanted it to happen. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“God, Luke. This is- I can’t believe that asshole would do this to you. If I had known what he was up to, I wouldn’t have fixed him.” He didn’t have an opinion on Kevin before, he didn’t care, but now he hated him with everything he had. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Yeah, you would have. You’re a doctor, you fix people. No matter how bad of a person they are.” Luke smiled, in spite of everything. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Reid just grunted. He knew Luke was right, but didn’t want to admit it. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Luke, if you’re really going to do this, you can tell them my name. I don’t care and neither does my family. You know that. I don’t want you to feel like you still have to hide something.” He said in stead. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke felt a warm feeling spread through his body upon hearing Reid’s words. “Are you sure?” He asked softly. “Because-“<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I’m sure.” Reid cut him off. “I only wish I was there right now, with you. I’m sorry you have to go through this alone.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“But I’m not alone. I have you even though you’re not here.” Luke paused for a moment. <\/span><\/p>

“I love you. I love you so much.” He said, his emotions almost taking him over.<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Reid closed his eyes, he felt Luke’s emotions and his own were just as strong. “I love you too.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke cleared his throat, composing himself. “I better go call my dad and grandmother, let them know what’s coming.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” Reid hesitated a moment before asking, “Have you heard from your mother?” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke shook his head. “No. She’s not going to take his well.” He said sadly.<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I’m sorry, Luke.” Reid said sincerely. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke shrugged. “It’s not your fault. I can’t sit around and wait for her to accept me for who I am. It hurts, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I know, but still…” Reid trailed off. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Okay, I have some calls to make. I’m gonna get to it. You go home and rest.” Luke said. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I’ll do that.” Reid promised. “Let me know how everything goes, okay?” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I will. I miss you, Reid.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I miss you too.” Reid admitted easily. “Take care of yourself for me.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke promised to do so and he ended the call after a quick goodbye. He stared at the ceiling. This was it. He was going to come out of the closet and admit he was in a relationship with a man. How different was his life going to be after everyone knew the truth about Luke Snyder, soccer legend?<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>*"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:12713","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/12713.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=12713"}}],"title":"Collision chapter 40","published":"2014-03-31T11:37:07Z","updated":"2014-03-31T11:37:07Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"Chapter 40<\/span><\/b>

<\/span><\/p>

"Arrested?" Reid asked incredulously. "For what?" <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke continued to tell Reid the story he just learned from Mike. As it turned out, Kevin was suspected of tax fraud. <\/i>When he was investigated , it was found out that Kevin not only owed the government money, but a lot of other people as well. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"But he must bring home a decent paycheck-Where does all of that go?" Reid asked, sitting down next to Luke at the table. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"Well, it turns out Kevin likes to gamble. A lot." Luke explained. "But apparently, he's not very good at it. He owes some really shady people money. God, it's just so unreal. I mean, we were never really friends, but we did get along. How did I or anybody else not notice this?"<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

"People who are addicted can be extremely careful and resourceful in hiding it.” Reid said. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Yeah, maybe. He must be really addicted, because he does make a lot of money, as you said.” Luke sighed. “It’s just… I feel like I should have noticed. I mean, we are on the national team together.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“What’s going to happen now? Does he have to go to prison?” Reid asked. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I don’t know. God, I hope not. I have no idea how much money is involved, Mike just told me the headlines, so to speak. I’ll probably learn more details once I get back to Barcelona.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke suddenly realised something. Before the accident on the field, Kevin had wanted to talk to him. After it happened, he never said anything about it again. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Do you think that’s what he wanted to talk to me about?” He asked Reid.<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Reid frowned. “You mean before the accident?” Luke nodded. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I don’t know. Could be.” Reid shrugged. “Do you really want to know? Maybe it’s best to stay out of it and not get involved.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke smacked him on the arm. “Don’t be like that. He’s my teammate and if he trusted me enough to talk to me about it, maybe he’ll let me help him now.” He stood up and made his way back to the bedroom. “I’m going to try and call him.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

When he returned a few minutes later, Reid asked, “Any luck?” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“No, I got his voicemail.” Reid rolled his eyes. That would make sense when someone was arrested, right? <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke hesitated. “Do you think I should call his parents? See if they know anything?” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Maybe you should let it rest for a few days. There’s nothing you can do right now. Besides, Mr Jackson could very well be out on bail today or tomorrow.” He walked towards Luke, rested his hands on his hips and leaned in to kiss Luke briefly. <\/span><\/p>

“Listen, I have to go into work, but I shouldn’t be long. So dinner tonight?” He cocked his head. “Are you cooking again?” <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke shook his head laughing. “No, but I am willing to order something. Just text me when you leave the hospital okay?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Okay.” Reid kissed Luke again before heading towards the bathroom to take a quick shower. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke sat down again, leaning his head on his hand. Could it be that Kevin’s gambling problem was what he wanted to talk about? Was he going to ask Luke for money? <\/span><\/p>

Luke knew he couldn’t rest until he knew the whole story and he wanted to hear it from Kevin himself. <\/span><\/p>

He decided to send Kevin’s mother a text that he had heard about what happened and if there was any way he could get in contact with Kevin. <\/span><\/p>

He sighed and stared into nothing, thinking about his interactions with Kevin before the accident. He tried to find something that could have been a clue; something that hinted at the situation that Kevin was in. But he came up with nothing. The only thing Luke had noticed about Kevin was he seemed to zero in on that part of Luke that he kept secret until now, but that had nothing to do with what was happening now. <\/span><\/p>

He hoped Kevin’s mother would answer him soon, because he really wanted to talk to Kevin and see if he could help him out. The fact that he was leaving for Barcelona the very next day wasn’t helping. But he couldn’t postpone it any longer, the new season started next week and he had to be there. He already stayed at Reid’s much longer than he had planned beforehand, which meant that he didn’t even have time to visit his family before he flew back. He told his father the news a few days ago and he wasn’t happy about it, but understood Luke’s need to stay with Reid as long as possible. His mother still hadn’t contacted him and when Luke asked his father about it, he didn’t really get an answer. Lily hadn’t talked to Holden about it, in fact, she hadn’t mentioned Luke since he left. It hurt Luke to learn this about his own mother who seemed to cut him out of her life because of his sexual orientation. <\/span><\/p>

Reid had been very understanding and sweet when Luke told him about it, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. He simply held Luke, he didn’t tell him that everything was going to be okay, because Reid never made a promise which he wasn’t certain he could keep. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Saying goodbye to Reid would be the most difficult thing he ever had to do. Luke already decided that he wanted to say goodbye at Reid’s apartment and not at the airport. He didn’t want any emotional scenes in public; he didn’t want to draw any more attention to himself than necessary. As always he was using his grandmother’s jet to fly to Barcelona. He had gotten so used to flying in a private plane that if Lucinda ever thought of selling her plane, Luke knew he would buy one himself. He had more than enough money for it even if he only used it a couple of times a year. <\/span><\/p>

Maybe he should buy one anyway, Luke pondered, to make it easier for Reid to come visit him as long as he wasn’t able to move to Barcelona. It frustrated them both that until now there wasn’t a hospital able to offer Reid the position he wanted and needed. It left them with an uncertain future, not knowing when they would be able to see each other again. <\/span><\/p>

So tonight was going to be their last night together and Luke was determined to make it count. When he <\/span>still didn’t hear from Kevin’s mother by two o’clock, he decided to push the whole Kevin-situation out of his mind and focus on his last night with Reid. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

* <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

The next morning, Reid woke with Luke draped over him, their legs tangled together. He felt warm puffs of air graze his chest every few seconds. <\/span><\/p>

He tightened the arm he had around Luke’s shoulder a bit, already knowing he was going to miss these quiet moments in the morning.
They didn’t get much sleep last night. When Reid got home, Luke had food waiting for him and they ate together, sharing stories, kisses and touches. <\/span><\/p>

When they finished dessert, Reid had lead Luke to his bed and proceeded to make love to him for hours, leaving him a sobbing, writhing mess, begging for release. <\/span><\/p>

When they snuggled up to each other after, they couldn’t stop touching, kissing softly but intensely, not wanting the night to end. <\/span><\/p>

But of course, as everything else, this night also came to an end and Reid knew they had to get up soon if Luke was going to make it to the airport on time. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

He tried to dislodge his limbs from Luke’s without waking him and slid off the bed to make some coffee. He stared out of the window, the sound of the coffeemaker filling the kitchen. He honestly didn’t know how he was going to get through the days without Luke here. Reid had gotten so used to him being here, being with him every day, that he just knew the days and nights ahead of him would feel empty and cold. <\/span><\/p>

It made him even more determined to try and get a position at a hospital in Barcelona, even though up till now his attempts were unsuccessful. <\/span><\/p>

Two warm strong arms around his waist shook him out of his thoughts. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Morning.” Luke murmured with his lips against Reid’s neck. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Reid placed his hands over Luke’s on his stomach and leaned back, his body moulding into Luke’s. <\/span><\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“I made coffee.” He said, unmoving. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke hummed, but didn’t move either. They just stood there, enjoying each other’s warmth and presence. After a few minutes Luke stood up straight and turned Reid around. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“Come on, I want to take a shower with you.” He grabbed Reid’s hand and pulled him <\/span>towards the bathroom. <\/span><\/p>

They took a long shower together, savouring each other, touching, kissing, bringing each other to climax with urgent strokes, making memories that were meant to help them last through the time they were forced to spend apart. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

* <\/span><\/p>

Hours later Luke stared out of the window of the private plane, his mind filled with images of Reid and their desperate goodbye. The hardest part was that neither of them knew when they were going to see each other again. It felt as an indefinite goodbye, maybe even a farewell, even though that wasn’t what either of them wanted. <\/span><\/p>

Luke remembered Reid’s promises that he would do everything in his power to try and get a job in Barcelona and his mumbled “I love you so much,” had a sadness to it that struck Luke to the core. He remembered his own clinging to Reid, not wanting to let him go and the last touch of their hands when Luke finally turned around and walked out the door. <\/span><\/p>

Now, sitting in the luxurious plane, staring at the clouds beneath him, he wiped at his eyes, trying to stop the tears that kept threatening to escape his eyes. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

“When, Reid? When will I see you again?” He whispered, letting his head fall against the window. <\/span><\/p>

The beeping of his phone startled him and he reached for it immediately, hoping it was a message from Reid.<\/span><\/p>

But it turned out to be Kevin’s mother, informing him that Kevin had been released on bail and due to a special deal, would be able to leave the country to join the team in Barcelona. <\/span><\/p>

That meant Luke would see him soon. He hesitated for a moment, but then quickly wrote a text to Kevin, telling him he heard about what happened and that if he wanted to talk about it, he could come to Luke’s tomorrow before the whole circus around the season-start began. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

The rest of the flight went by without any disturbances and when Luke got off the plane in Barcelona, he breathed in the warm air and he actually felt happy to be back in the city where he lived for years now. <\/span><\/p>

It didn’t take him long to get to his house and when he stepped in, he let his bags fall on the living room floor and went immediately outside on the balcony. <\/span><\/p>

He took in the amazing view and smiled. It felt good to be back. The only thing that could make it better, was if Reid was here with him. <\/span><\/p>

Luke took out his phone and he texted Reid that he had landed safely and was back in his house. He didn’t expect an answer right away. There was a time difference between them now and Reid could very well be in surgery. <\/span><\/p>

Luke yawned, the flight and saying goodbye to Reid caught up with him. He went inside, made his way to the kitchen and rummaged around the cabinets in search of food. The fridge was fully stocked by his housekeeper, but nothing looked appealing. He finally settled on some soup, heated it quickly and ate it standing at the kitchen counter. <\/span><\/p>

He carried his bags to his bedroom, only got out what he needed right now, resisting the urge to fall into bed immediately. After he peed and brushed his teeth, he undressed himself and crawled into bed in his boxers, too tired to care about sleep pants or a t-shirt. <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

*<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

Luke woke in the middle of the night, startled and unfamiliar with his surroundings. He let himself fall back onto the pillows, remembering where he was and why he felt cold. <\/span><\/p>

He missed Reid’s warmth, his arms around him and his breath against his shoulder. <\/span><\/p>

Luke rubbed his eyes and got out of bed. He was wide awake now, his body thought it was morning already. After taking a quick shower, he grabbed his phone from the night stand and went to the kitchen to make some sort of breakfast, even though it wasn’t even morning yet. <\/span><\/p>

He scanned through his messages, happy to find one from Reid, (Good. Now get some rest. Love you)<\/i> and one from Kevin (Thanks. I’ll be at your place around 10 okay?). <\/i><\/span><\/p>

Luke frowned. That was short, even for Kevin. Then he shrugged it off, he’d probably hear all about Kevin’s troubles in the morning. <\/span><\/p>

After eating a small breakfast, Luke worked out in his built-in gym, running 5 miles and lifting weights. After about an hour he decided to give his muscles some rest and went for another shower. <\/span><\/p>

By now the sun was coming up and Luke really didn’t know what to do with his time until Kevin would meet him. <\/span><\/p>

But it turned out his body knew better what Luke needed, because as soon as he fell down on the couch, he fell asleep. <\/span>
<\/p>

*<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:fremi08:12290","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/12290.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/fremi08.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=12290"}}],"title":"Collision chapter 39","published":"2014-03-18T16:52:20Z","updated":"2014-03-18T16:57:39Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"atwt"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"luke\/reid"}},{"@attributes":{"term":":author|artist: fremi08"}}],"content":"

Chapter 39<\/span><\/b><\/p>

<\/p>

“Well that went well, I think?” Reid said, closing the door behind his parents. He turned to see Luke standing a few feet away from him, his expression uncertain.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Yeah? You think so?” He asked hesitantly.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Are you an idiot?” Reid asked, crossing his arms. “They freaking loved you. My dad was completely star struck. I think he was just one minute away from asking for your autograph.” He walked towards Luke and wrapped his arms around his waist. <\/span><\/p>

“And my mom fell in love with you the moment you smiled that ridiculous smile of yours.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke blushed and smiled. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Yeah, that one.” Reid kissed Luke firmly on his mouth. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He leaned in and buried his face in Luke’s neck. “I’m glad.” He mumbled against Luke’s skin. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Were you worried?” Luke asked, his hands coming up to stroke Reid’s hair. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid shrugged. He never thought that his parents wouldn’t like Luke as a person, but he had worried about everything else. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He mind went back to a few hours earlier when he was in the kitchen getting dessert. His mother had volunteered to help him, leaving Luke alone at the dinner table with her husband. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid had felt his mother’s gaze on him while he moved around the kitchen getting everything ready. Finally he turned around and looked at his mother. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“What is it? I know you’re dying to say something.” He had crossed his arms in defence, expecting his mother to disapprove of Luke or rather everything around Luke. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

But she surprised him, placing one hand gently on his cheek and searching his eyes. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"You're happy with him."<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid nodded. "I am mom." He looked in the direction of the dining room. "It's kind of ridiculous how happy I feel when he's around."<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"No, it's not ridiculous." She smiled softly. "You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you’ve finally found your man. But I worry too, because he won't be around much longer." His mother's eyes were concerned. "He has to go back to Barcelona soon, right?" <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Yeah, don't remind me." Reid said with a small sigh. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"I'm just concerned how things between you two are going to be when he's away. I can't help but thinking back to-". <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Don't." Reid cut her off immediately. "This is nothing like that." <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Are you sure? I don't ever want to see you go through anything like that again." <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

"Yes mom, I'm sure. Luke knows about Ray, we talked about it and we talked about how we're going to deal with things when he has to go back. It really is different; I wouldn't fall for someone like that again. I know there are similarities and Luke hasn't officially come out yet, but he is going to. He’s not going to force me into the closet, mom.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Okay, if you’re sure…” She said hesitantly.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“I am, don’t worry so much. I’m a big boy.” Reid smiled crookedly. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

His mother smiled back. “I know, but you’re still my baby. You always will be.” She stepped forward and put her arms around Reid’s waist to hug him. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“And I like Luke. He seems like a good man.” She pulled back and leaned against the counter. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“How’s the job search going? Did you find anything in Barcelona yet?” <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid sighed. “No. That is more of a problem than I first anticipated. The hospitals seem to struggle with a lack of budget and my COS isn’t willing to let me work there for free obviously. But I’m still working on finding a solution so we’ll see.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“I hate to see you move so far away.” Reid’s mother admitted. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“I know, mom. But it’s only for a few years and we’ll come back eventually.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

After that the rest of the night went smoothly. Luke and Reid’s father instantly connected over their shared love of soccer and thoroughly disagreed on what was the most beautiful goal ever. But they argued good-naturedly even though they never came to the same opinion. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Hey.” Luke’s voice brought him back to the present and Reid felt Luke’s hands slip under this shirt. “Everything okay?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid didn’t answer, but grasped Luke’s face in his hands and started to kiss him, wet and open mouthed. Luke groaned and immediately opened his mouth to kiss Reid back passionately. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Leave the dishes, I want to see you naked.” Reid whispered against Luke’s mouth, sending a shiver down Luke’s back. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Okay.” Luke answered breathless. He hooked his fingers in the waistband of Reid’s jeans and pulled him with him to the bedroom. Once there, he removed his fingers and slowly started to unbutton his own shirt. <\/span><\/p>

Reid just stood there and watched, letting Luke turn him on more every second. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Once Luke had worked his way down to the last button, he slowly pulled the material over his shoulders, revealing the tight undershirt. When he made a move to remove it, Reid’s voice stopped him. “Leave it on.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke smirked and his hands went down to his belt buckle. He didn’t remove the belt, just left the buckle hanging open. When he started to unbutton his jeans, he more felt than saw Reid move towards him. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He looked up from under his eyelashes. “Stop. Just… watch.” Reid actually listened to him and stopped moving, but he didn’t look happy about it and his fingers twitched against his thigh. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Luke.” Reid almost whined. “I want to touch you.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Soon.” Luke whispered. He knew what he was asking Reid to do, because it had become clear to him a while ago that Reid was much more about touching than seeing. Reid always had his hands on Luke’s body, even when they were just sleeping. An arm thrown over Luke’s stomach, or a leg thrown over Luke’s or a hand curled protectively around his head. Even when they were just sitting on the couch, or having dinner with Reid’s parents for that matter, Reid still found a way to constantly touch him, lacing their fingers together, settling a hand on Luke’s leg. And when they had sex, god,<\/i> Reid’s hands, mouth and tongue were everywhere, driving Luke absolutely insane. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke shuddered just thinking about it which caused Reid to smirk this time. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

When Luke was down to his boxers, he stopped undressing. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Close your eyes.” He said in a soft voice. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid narrowed his eyes for a moment but did as Luke asked him to do. After a few moments he felt something soft over his eyes, covering them completely. It was some sort of blindfold or mask. He started to panic a little. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Luke, I don’t… “ But Luke was there immediately, pressing his chest against Reid’s back while he fastened the blindfold. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Shh.. I’m here.” Luke put his hands on Reid’s arms and started rubbing them. “I’ve got you. Don’t think about anything, just feel.” When Reid didn’t answer right away, he reached around and put his hands on Reid’s chest and started to unbutton his shirt. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Is this okay? Are you okay?” Luke asked while pressing his lips to Reid’s neck. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“I… don’t know.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke then stepped around Reid and cupped his face. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“If you don’t want to do this, I can take it off now. You can take off now.” Luke moved to kiss along Reid’s jaw line until he reached Reid’s mouth and started to kiss him. Slow at first, but soon it turned passionate and Reid forgot that he was wearing a blindfold until Luke pulled back. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Do you want to take it off?” Luke asked softly, while proceeding to unbutton Reid’s shirt.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid took a breath and shook his head. “No, I trust you.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke smiled and kissed him again. “Good.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He pushed Reid’s shirt <\/span>off his shoulders and let it drop to the floor. He ran his hands over Reid’s chest, his thumbs rubbing the nipples, making them hard. He let his hands wander down Reid’s stomach until his fingers came to a stop at the waistband of Reid’s jeans. <\/span><\/p>

Luke let one finger follow the treasure trail, dipping it into his boxers and brushing over the head of Reid’s cock, causing Reid to suck in a breath.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Wow, someone’s eager.” Luke smiled. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Get on with it then.” Reid all but growled. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He didn’t have to tell Luke twice. His jeans were opened and on the floor pooling around his ankles before he even knew what was happening. Luke knelt down and tapped Reid’s right leg to make him lift it and then the left one. <\/span><\/p>

Once the jeans were gone, Luke took Reid’s hand and led him to the bed. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Lie down on your stomach.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid sat down first, a little unsure of where exactly he was, but scooted back quickly and rolled over. Luke stood at the side the bed a few moments, just admiring the view of his boyfriend sprawled out and waiting for him to make a move. <\/span><\/p>

Slowly he crawled up Reid’s body and lowered himself carefully on top of Reid, his cock resting between Reid’s ass cheeks. He rolled down his hips and watched as Reid clutched the sheets in his hands. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“I think you need to be completely naked.” He whispered while raising himself to his knees and hooking his fingers over the elastic band of Reid’s boxers, taking them off in one swift motion. <\/span><\/p>

As if on cue Reid immediately spread his legs to make room for Luke, but Luke had other plans. <\/span><\/p>

He placed his hands on Reid’s ass, kneading and rubbing before suddenly slapping it with his flat hand. Reid jerked with the unexpected blow, buried his face into the pillow and grinned.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“You like that?” Luke asked hotly, bending down to press his lips against the welt, kissing where the skin was hottest, soothing it. Reid made an approving noise in the back of his throat so Luke slapped the other cheek as well, before opening his mouth and running his tongue along the outline of his own handprint. <\/span><\/p>

Reid let out a deep moan and moved his hips to get Luke to where he wanted him next. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Patience, I’m nowhere near done with you.” Luke dragged his palms up Reid’s thighs and back down again, scraping his teeth against the red swollen flesh, encouraged by the soft noises that Reid tried to muffle into the pillow.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke then placed his hands on both cheeks and pulled them apart. He licked the length of Reid’s cleft. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Is that what you want?” Reid didn’t answer, but just pushed his hips further up. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke’s eyes were fixed on the pink puckered entrance of Reid’s body. He pushed his thumb against it, smearing his saliva around it. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Answer me Reid. Is this want you want?” He licked again, but lingered on Reid’s hole this time. <\/span><\/p>

Reid just let out a moan and pushed his hips up again. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

But Luke wanted to hear him say it. He pulled back and sat on his hunches, not touching Reid at all and waited.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid lifted his head. “Luke?” He said unsurely, not knowing where Luke was. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Luke?” His voice got louder, but he still kept the blindfold on even though his hand moved to his face involuntarily. He turned over and his legs collided with Luke’s.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Annoying isn’t it, when someone won’t answer your question.” Luke teased. He placed his hands on Reid’s ankles and moved upwards, stroking as he went. Reid let out a shaky laugh and his nervousness subsided.<\/span><\/p>

When Luke’s hands got to Reid’s upper thighs, he stopped moving and bent forward to take Reid’s cock in his mouth in one swift motion. Reid arched up from the bed and sucked in a breath. Luke hollowed his cheeks and sucked hard before letting his tongue circle the head and licking up the pre-cum. <\/span><\/p>

He reached out and grabbed the lube from the bed table, placing it beside him. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He then started to kiss along the length of Reid’s shaft, moving down to his balls and gently sucking them into his mouth. His hands moved under Reid’s ass until he got a good hold and he lifted Reid up a little, his mouth travelling lower. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Before he arrived at Reid’s entrance, he lifted his head and asked again, “Now tell me if you want me to rim you right now.” He breathed against Reid’s skin, making him break out in goose bumps. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Yes! Fuck yes, Luke! I want you to rim me!” Reid nearly shouted, not being able to contain his desire to feel Luke’s tongue on his most private part. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke smiled and mouthed wetly at Reid’s hole, his tongue wriggling its way into it. He rolled and twisted his tongue as deep as he could get it. Reid gasped for air from the sensation of it and reached down to grab his cock and pump it a few times. <\/span><\/p>

Seeing Reid touch himself, he let his hands out from under Reid letting him fall back to the bed and pushed Reid’s hands away. <\/span><\/p>

He took Reid’s cock into his mouth again and drove Reid crazy with his mouth, tongue and hands. After some time he pulled back and climbed up Reid’s body, kissing him hard and letting Reid taste himself. It only made Reid harder if that was even possible and he held Luke’s hand in his hands, angling it so he could kiss him even deeper. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Do you want me to fuck you or do you want me to ride you?” Luke whispered when he broke the kiss. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“God, Luke, you’re driving me crazy.” He pulled Luke’s head down to kiss him again. “Just fuck me now and I’ll let you ride me later.” He said breathing hard. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke reached for the lube and smeared some on his fingers. He circled Reid’s opening a few moments before spending the next minutes carefully stretching him open, hitting his prostate a few times, until Reid was begging him to just fuck him already. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke withdrew his fingers and moved to line up and enter Reid, but Reid stopped him. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“What? What is it?” Luke asked breathlessly, barely able to control himself and not just thrust in. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“I- I want to see you.” Reid said while reaching out aimlessly for Luke. “Can I take it off?”<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke surged forward and yanked the blindfold from Reid’s eyes, not bothering to undo it properly. <\/span><\/p>

Reid blinked a few times, adjusting to what little light there was in the bedroom and immediately grabbed Luke and pulled him in for a kiss. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke settled down on top of Reid and started to work his way into him, causing Reid to break the kiss and let his head fall down on the pillow. He let out a moan feeling Luke enter his body, the little burn he felt only intensified his pleasure. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“God, you’re so tight.” Luke murmured while bending down to kiss Reid’s shoulder until he bottomed out, balls pressed tight against his ass. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Move.” Reid commanded breathlessly, clenching down. Luke gave Reid’s shoulder a little nip and drew out, giving Reid about half a second to register it before he snapped his hips forward in a thrust that nearly knocked the breath out of Reid. Luke reached out to grab Reid’s wrists and held them against the mattress while fucking into him <\/span>in a wild rhythm. Reid cried out, his body shuddering and clenching underneath him. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Soon the only sounds filling the room was the heavy breathing of both men and the sound of smacking flesh, Luke pistoning deeply inside of Reid. Sometimes he stopped to roll his hips a few times and grind down before thrusting again. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid cursed and groaned with each breath that was pushed out of him, his cock trapped between his own bare stomach and Luke’s, still covered with his undershirt. Luke shifted his grip on Reid’s wrists, hand moving to clasp over Reid’s and thread their fingers together. Reid gripped back tightly, rocking into Luke’s thrusts, toes curling as his body began to shake with an impending orgasm. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Fuck, Luke.” Reid groaned, eyes wide and looking into Luke’s. “Fuck fuck fuck fuck-“<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Are you gonna come?” Luke panted, dropping his forehead onto Reid’s chest. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Yessss.” Reid choked on a whimper when Luke’s hips snapped forward at an increasingly maddening pace. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Come on then, Reid. Come on.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid’s moans were practically wrenched from his chest, knuckles white from clutching <\/span>Luke’s hands as the burning sensation built and built until everything seized up in a climax so forceful it left him gasping for air. <\/span><\/p>

Luke was still thrusting into him, forcing each spurt out of Reid’s cock with a forceful snap of his hips. Luke groaned, buried his face in Reid’s shoulder and came just as forcefully. They stayed still for a few minutes until their breathing slowed.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“That was… amazing.” Reid mumbled. “You are amazing.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke grinned. “Maybe next time I’ll tie you up too.”<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He pulled out of Reid slowly and moved to the bathroom to get a washcloth and cleaned them both up. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke took off his undershirt and snuggled up to Reid, his now naked chest pressed against Reid’s back. Their hands found each other and rested on Reid’s heart. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

It didn’t take long before they both drifted off into a blissful sleep. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

The next morning they woke to the sound of Luke’s phone beeping. Luke untangled himself from Reid and snatched his phone from the night stand. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Luke.” He said sleepily. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He listened for a few moments before sitting up in shock. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“What?!” He quickly got off the bed and walked towards the living room. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid could just make out Luke saying “Why?”, after that Luke was out of earshot. He rubbed his eyes and get up as well, curious as to whom Luke was talking to. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

He found him in the living room, one hand pressing his phone to his ear and the other running through his messy hair. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Reid decided to make some coffee while waiting for Luke to finish his call. After some time, he heard Luke disconnect and it only took him a few seconds to make it to the kitchen as well. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“Who was that?” He asked. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Luke stared at Reid. “That was Mike.” He ran his hands through his hair again, messing it up even more. <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

“You’re not gonna believe this. Kevin has been arrested.” <\/span><\/p>

<\/p>"}]}