fic: A Beautiful Mess, 5/22

[musicandme]

Fic: A Beautiful Mess, 5/?
Summary: Luke is a pediatrician! He is officially Dr. Luke Snyder.
Spoilers: References to Luke's past from canon and that's about it.
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Wish they were mine but they're not.
Note: This was inspired by this entry in lure_prompts by the brill _alicesprings. Feedback, concrit, etc. welcome! ♥



Reid realizes that this will be the first time that they're meeting outside of the hospital. Sure, he's seen Luke in the parking lot but that's not like meeting him at a bar or the local coffee house. It's been a long time since he's dressed for a date but he doesn't think about it too much. He has a black button-down and a pair of black jeans that he puts on, slides a belt through the belt loops, puts on his shoes, and goes to the place they've agreed to meet.

He's heard of Metro but he's never actually been there.

When he arrives, the dinner crowd is pouring in, and Luke's already sitting at a table.

"Am I late?" Reid asks, taking his seat.

"Oh, no," Luke shakes his head. "I'm early. I had to drop something off at my dad's house and came here afterward. So, you're right on time. The waiter just came over here. Let me get you something to drink."

"Already trying to get me drunk, Dr. Snyder?" he jokes.

"I don't have to get you drunk to take advantage of you," he quips, both of them smirking at the joke.

When the waiter arrives, Reid orders water. Luke seems to be drinking some kind of soda, his fingers tapping against the glass, and wiping off the condensation that's forming on it because of the ice.

"So," Reid begins when the waiter leaves, unsure of what to say.

"So, here we are," Luke completes his thought, folding his arms, and leaning forward on table.

Reid's not really good at small talk. Luke knows that. Most of the time while he's talking, Reid gives him a one word response. That's probably the only way that Luke knows he listens. Reid's used to Luke talking and he's not talking now.

In fact, he looks a little anxious.

"You okay? Yet another family crisis fanning the flames of insanity?"

Luke laughs and looks at him, really looks at him since he's been sitting across from him. Reid recognizes this Luke as the one who's come to visit him in his office. Reid's a little more at ease now.

"Well, yeah, there's always a little bit of that. I feel like you know a lot about me and I know almost nothing about you ... still. Do you lead some secret life that you're keeping hidden from everyone at the hospital? Wait, don't tell me. You're a Russian spy with plans to take over the hospital and thereby acquiring some of the most talented minds in medicine?" Luke guesses, acting completely over-the-top in a way that Reid tries not to like. But, even that he finds amusing.

"Uh, no," they both laugh. "I do what I need to do to get by. I'm great at what I do and that's all I need to be. I've only ever had one goal and that was to be a doctor and do the best damn work I can do day in and day out."

"Yeah, but what about friends? Family? Boyfriends? Hobbies?"

It's question after question with Luke and even after everything it's taken to be on this date, Reid still tries to skirt around the answers. "I like baseball?"

"Playing it?"

"Watching it."

"Oh. What's your favorite team?"

"Are you gonna ask me what my favorite color is next?"

"Re --"

The waiter arrives just in time to deliver Reid's water and waits for their orders. They haven't even looked at the menu yet and the waiter tells them that he'll be back.

Reid glances down at the menu but Luke continues to stare at him. He can feel Luke's eyes boring a hole into him from across the table and he lifts his head to meet his gaze. There's a strange expression on Luke's face and it worries Reid. He's almost sure that Luke's going to get up and leave the table.

"Was this a good idea? You and me?" he wonders. "We don't have to do this."

Reid nods, "You're right. We don't have to do this." Reid stands and Luke's about to follow suit when Reid's hand reaches out for his. He looks up at him, confused. "Come on," he urges him and Luke reaches for his hand, holding on to it as he stands.

They walk out of Metro, hand-in-hand.

---

They walk straight into Java, order coffee, and sit across from each other at one of the small tables.

"So, what exactly was your master plan?" Luke asks, blowing over his drink and taking a small sip when it's cooled.

"Metro just seems like the kind of place you go to when you wanna get someone drunk and take them home. It's not the kind of place where you talk about friends or baseball. But, here, in a place where you can actually get a decent cup of coffee, this seems more like a place where you can talk about the mundane things."

Luke hides his smile behind his mug and looks down at it before looking back at Reid. "Okay," he nods, accepting that response. "So, you've been here for almost four months."

"Astute observation."

"And," he continues. He's never actually stopped talking when Reid interrupts him. "I was wondering what you think of Oakdale."

Reid looks at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, what do you think of it? Do you have any favorite hang out spots? I don't see you at any of my hang out spots and I've been back for a little while now. What do you do for fun?"

"Uh," and this is the part that Reid hates when it comes to small talk.

"And I already know you like to watch baseball. You also like to eat. You like to eat a lot. You seem really rude and uncaring to innocent bystanders but I'd like to think that I know you well enough to know that that's absolutely untrue ..."

"See? And you said that you didn't know me," Reid smiles, taking a sip from his mug. "I'd say that you're more than informed."

"That's all there is to you?"

Reid considers that for a moment and looks away before he lifts his eyes to meet Luke's. "That's more than most people know."

Luke seems to understand this. He understands that Reid doesn't really open up to many people. He understands that Reid's often cold and aloof when it comes to relating to other people and yet with Luke, he's been honest from the start. Maybe he hasn't always been warm and fuzzy to him but he's certainly been more open to him than he's been with anyone else.

"Oh," Luke nods, a small smile on his face as he looks down at his mug. "That's ... that's actually pretty flattering."

Luke can suck his cock in his office but this makes him blush.

"Yeah, well ..." Reid doesn't know what to say and he's further stunned into silence when Luke's hand casually slips into his. They both look down at their clasped hands, fingers exploring each other's skin. Reid's thumb moves slowly over his palm while Luke's fingers flex against Reid's.

"Luke! Hey, man," Reid hears the greeting but his eyes are still on their hands as they both pull them back so that they rest against the table. It's a slow separation of palms and Reid can still feel the warmth of Luke's hand in his.

"Hey, Casey," Luke smiles up at his friend and Reid turns his head, eyes squinting a little to place him.

"Dr. Oliver," Casey says with surprise in his voice. "What are you guys doing here?"

"You knocked over my pencil cup," Reid remembers now. He'll never forget Casey, the janitor, coming in to clean up while he was still in his office. Reid's eyes were on him the whole time. He just had a bad feeling about his presence and he'd been right. It started with the pencil cup. The pencils and pens went flying to the floor. After Casey picked them up, he tripped over the chair and hit his head on the corner of Reid's desk. He gave him a quick exam right there. He's barely seen him since.

"Uh, I ..." he seems a little nervous, rubbing the back of his neck, and nodding. "Yep, you remember."

"Can't forget a bonehead move like that," Reid says before sipping his coffee.

"Bonehead move," Luke repeats. "Yeah, that sounds like him," he laughs and Casey crosses his arms.

"Ha ha," he rolls his eyes and grabs a free chair, dragging it over to their table. "So, what's going on? Doctor conference at Java?"

"Not exactly," Luke tells him before glancing back at Reid. Reid can sense that this is the kind of guy who can't really take the hint. He has to grab the hint and be beaten over the head with it. "We're kind of ... um."

"We're on a date," Reid finishes for him.

"Oh ... oh!" Casey immediately jumps up and moves the chair back to where he found it. "So sorry. I didn't know. I thought you guys were ... anyway. I'm just waiting for Ali. I'll ... I'll wait somewhere else. See ya," he leaves just as fast as he arrived, heading out the door.

Luke laughs when he leaves and shakes his head. "I've known Casey since high school. We were in college together for a little while but he dropped out and ... we've just been reconnecting since I got back in town."

Reid can imagine the both of them, young, in high school, probably getting into trouble together. "Why Oakdale?"

"Huh?"

"You could've ended up anywhere. Why'd you come back to Oakdale? If I grew up here, I'd probably get the hell out and never come back."

Reid hasn't been here long but the amount of drama in this town is an amount he never thought possible in the real world. He's taken care of gunshot wounds, amnesia patients, and in three months has had to deal with the brother's wife who's sleeping with the other brother. He's had to deal with the two cousins (first cousins) whose budding romance was put to a halt because she rolled down a hill and hit her head on a rock. There have been countless of stories that he's heard that he doesn't even try to understand.

"I did that," Luke chuckles. "I left as soon as I was done with college and I don't know. I mean, no place has ever felt like home. My parents are here, my grandmothers, my brother, my sisters. I'd miss them too much I lived anywhere else."

Reid doesn't understand that. As an only child, he's only ever had to look out for himself and his parents never factored into his plans. He's always done what he's wanted to do.

"You've never stayed anywhere for someone you love?" Luke wonders.

Reid can answer without hesitation, "No."

"Consider yourself lucky," Luke finishes his coffee and pushes his mug away. Luke looks at him then, really looking at him. There's a sad expression that crosses his face and he heaves a heavy sigh. "I ... I don't know why you ..." he shakes his head and stands up. "I can't do this, Reid."

Reid's eyes follow him until he's out the door. He doesn't know how to react to that quick decision but he knows he has to follow him. Grabbing his jacket, he quickly heads to the door, and runs out to find him. Luke's quickly walking away to his car and Reid catches up with him. "Whoa, hold on a minute." Luke stops but he doesn't turn to look at him. "What was that about? You can't just say that and run away."

Luke turns to face him, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I'm sorry but I can't. I didn't ... I didn't come back here for ..." he sighs and leans against the side of the building. "I came back because I thought that I was safe here. I thought that the gay men who live here already know my history and would know to stay away from me. I didn't think I'd meet anyone here. First day at the hospital and I didn't know that I'd meet you."

"I'm not following you, Luke."

"I'm damaged goods, Reid. I'm not good in a relationship. And I thought ... I thought that we could just get together and get what we need and what we want from each other but you ..." he looks down and shakes his head again.

Reid steps forward then and reaches forward, his hand coming up to cup the side of Luke's face, slowly moving his thumb gently against his cheek. Luke lifts his head to look at Reid and Reid notices the tears forming in his eyes. His heart clenches when he sees it, wanting nothing more than to take whatever this is away from him. Leaning in, he presses his lips against Luke's and at first, he doesn't react very much. But, then he feels Luke's lips moving, his hand coming up to rest against Reid's arm.

They stand there, in the middle of Old Town, people walking through to get from here to there, and Luke and Reid couldn't care less.

---

They don't talk about it on the way back to Luke's place. Reid's driving him home after their kiss. He doesn't expect anything from him. He doesn't ask anything of him. He wants Luke to feel safe with him.

This is when Reid finds out that Luke's living with his mother.

"I still haven't found a place. Don't know if I want to live in an apartment or get a house out here," Luke tells him after saying that he lives at his mom's place.

"Must be annoying to come home to younger siblings after a long day at work."

"It's been okay. Besides, they're usually ready for bed by the time that I come home. There isn't enough time for them to annoy me. Don't get me wrong, they still find their ways, but it's fun to help them with homework and play with them. My brother Ethan's still young enough that he wants to hang out with me. My sisters think that they've outgrown me but when my sister Natalie needs a ride somewhere, then she remembers that she needs me after all," he chuckles and Reid smiles just because Luke is finally smiling again. "My sister Faith's just moved home again. She was living with her boyfriend but it didn't work out."

"Younger sister?"

"Yeah, too young for all of that. She's always had a really tough time. I wasn't there for her that much when she was growing up. I was already in college and working. But, I'm trying to be there for her now."

Luke takes on a lot. Not only does he help his family but he voluntarily helps at the hospital as well as doing his own job. Who's there to take care of him?

Reid pulls into the driveway and parks there. Luke turns to look at him and Reid looks back. "You can come in, if you want, and have a drink."

"I'm all right," Reid turns to open his door, getting out of the car. Luke follows suit and they both walk to the door together.

"Did you just walk me to my door?" Luke asks, crossing his arms in front of him.

Reid realizes that it's true and laughs, shrugging. "I guess I did. Next time you can walk me to mine."

"Next time?"

"Next time," Reid nods, confirming for him that he wants to see him again.

"Okay," Luke smiles at him and Reid finds himself, not for the first time, smiling right back at him. Luke's the one who leans forward and Reid meets him halfway, both of them sharing a goodnight kiss. "Goodnight," he says quietly when he pulls away from him.

"Night," Reid responds and turns to leave. He hears Luke opening the door behind him when he walks toward his car. As he gets into the driver's seat, he finds Luke still looking at him. He gives him another smile and then he walks inside.

As soon as he's back inside, Reid's head tilts back against the headrest. That smile always manages to completely unravel him and this time is no exception.

Next.