You Make Me Smile

Luke and Reid were sitting on the couch at Reid and Katie's apartment on a lazy Saturday afternoon, watching a Cubs game. Reid had off from work, and Katie was on a trip with Jacob, and would be back three weeks later.

"Oh, dear God, they suck worse than an intern on the first day," Reid commented idly, frowning and rolling his eyes.

Luke laughed, and Reid's mouth twitched a little at the corners at the sound. Luke made him want to smile, but Reid just wasn't used to the simple action.

Luke looked at Reid, and his eyes widened a little. "Reid, did you almost smile?"

"Hey, it's not like you haven't seen me smile before. Relax," said Reid, scoffing at Luke's over-analysis of his every action.

It was Luke's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah. Like what, three times?"

Reid shrugged nonchalantly. "So I'm not a fuzzy bunny. You are surprised by this... why?" he finished with a quizzical expression.

Luke grinned. "No, not surprised, just wishful, I guess. It'd be nice to see you do it more though, you have a beautiful smile."

Reid was taken aback. "Reid" and "smile" didn't fit in the same sentence together, unless "not" was put in the middle of the two antonyms. Much less "beautiful smile". But Luke had just said it, flippantly, like the sentence was said all the time. Reid never ceased to marvel at Luke.

Reid was good at hiding his emotions though, so he shrugged it off and tried to focus on the game again.

Luke was looking at Reid with a strange expression. Reid didn't recognize it, but it quickly melted into something like determination, and playfulness. Reid felt butterflies invade his stomach.

Without further ado, Luke picked up the remote, and turned off the TV.

Reid looked at Luke with an expression of mock-incredulity. "Why did you do that for? We had about two more innings until the Cubs lost!"

"How did you know they were going to lose? Is the perfect Dr. Oliver also psychic? No surprises there," Luke joked.

Reid snorted. It was so Luke to root for the underdog. "Even a person with the mental capacity of Hank Coleman could tell you that the Cubs are going to lose. I'll bet you anything that they do."

Luke grinned. "Anything? You are so on."

Reid was suddenly nervous, although he'd be damned if he was going to show it. "Wait, what does anything, in this case, mean?"

Luke laughed. "You'll find out later, when I win."

"Oh, you're hilarious."

"Then why aren't you laughing?"

Reid was stumped on that one. For once, he couldn't think of anything witty to toss back. So he shrugged it off again, but damn it, there was no game to turn back to. Somewhat reluctantly, he looked back at Luke.

Luke was once again wearing that strange expression, the hybrid of determination and playfulness. "I am going to make you smile," he announced.

Reid rolled his eyes. "And just how do you propose to do that?"

Another expression was added to the mix of determination and playfulness on Luke's face: mischief. "I have some ideas."

Luke dragged Reid over the computer, and searched a Brian Regan video on UsTube. "This guy is hilarious," said Luke. They watched, what was in Luke's opinion the funniest sketch of the comedian's, "Stupid in School." Reid had to admit to himself, the guy was pretty funny, but years of practice of hiding emotions kept him from bursting out laughing. That would give Luke too much satisfaction, and Reid's pride was at stake here, something he never ever lost. Luke, however, wore his heart on his sleeve, so he was laughing throughout the entire video. Reid had to work doubly hard not to smile- Luke's happiness was contagious. After the video was done, Luke was looking at Reid incredulously. "Not even a small smile?"

Reid shook his head, and it was all he could do to keep a smirk from appearing on his face. "Nope. Are you done yet?"

Luke shook his head vigorously. "Not even close."

Luke dragged Reid into the bedroom. Reid was bewildered- what the hell was on Luke's mind? Luke tossed Reid onto the bed, and started tickling the soles of Reid's feet.

Reid was really very ticklish, so he covered his face with the nearest pillow while spasms of laughter ran through him. Luke was dying to see Reid's expression, and attempted to pull the pillow away from his face several times, but Reid was stronger, so Luke gave up.

"Well, here's something that always makes me smile," said Luke. He told Reid a story about his childhood, when he was seven years old and playing in Snyder pond. It was one of Luke's favorite memories- he was so blissfully carefree and full of youth. Reid pursed his lips together, trying desperately hard not to smile at the thought of a sandy-haired, youth-faced, lanky, younger Luke.

Luke finished the story, and studied Reid's expression carefully. There was just the hint of a twitch of a smile, playing around the corners of Reid's lips. "Oh my God, you're cracking!" said Luke gleefully.

The trace of a smile vanished from Reid's face, but his eyes retained the expression. "Not at all! Just admit it, Snyder, you lost. You just can't make me smile."

Luke snorted. "Well, damn. This isn't over, you know, I will make you smile. And speaking of losing, the game should be over by now. Let's check the score on TV, and see who won that bet of ours."

Reid nodded. He almost smirked, and then Luke turned on the TV in the bedroom. The score was 5-20- the Cubs lost.

Luke groaned and Reid clapped once and pointed at Luke, wearing an expression of triumph, his mouth still not smiling, but his eyes were glowing. "Ha! Yes! I told you, Reid Oliver never loses."

Luke shrugged in defeat. He'd lost twice today. Then he put on a brave smile. "You are so confident. It's the thing that annoys me most about you, and the thing I love most about you."

Reid looked kind of shocked. "Did you just say you love me?"

Luke looked down. That had kind of slipped out, but Luke realized that he still meant it. A blush grew on his face. "I, ah... um... well, yeah, kinda, I guess..." He looked at Reid in the eyes, and his confidence grew. "Yes."

Reid's eyes dropped downward, and he stared at a cushion. "You... you love me?" he asked again, tentatively.

"Yes, I said that already," Luke laughed nervously. The nervousness quickly disappeared though, because a smile was creeping up Reid's face. A genuine, happy, beautiful smile.

"Oh my God. Reid... you're smiling."

Reid quickly realized that he was, but he was, after all, Reid, so he tried to deny it. But there was no stopping the full-blown grin that was fast appearing on his face. "No I'm not!"

Luke laughed incredulously. "Yes you are! Reid Oliver is smiling! Ha!"

Reid couldn't help but laugh at Luke's enthusiasm. Luke laughed again, still more incredulously. "And he is laughing! Wow, Reid, if I had known I was going to get this kind of reaction, I would have told you I loved you a long time ago."

Reid blushed. The grin got bigger. Luke couldn't believe his luck. He laughed and pushed Reid down on the bed, pinning him down, balancing his weight on Reid's wrists and resting his legs on Reid's. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you," Luke sang.

Reid was pinned down, but he managed to reach up far enough that he could kiss Luke. "Shut up, Snyder, I love you too."

Luke released Reid and sat up, more than a little shocked at the sudden confession, and sure that it was just made flippantly, in the moment. But then Reid sat up, kissed him again, turned both of them around, and pinned Luke down on the bed. He kissed Luke lovingly, but by no means gently. Luke felt like he was connected to Reid's very soul, and he realized that Reid meant it when he said he loved him back. Both Reid and Luke deepened the kiss, until Reid pulled away.

"What?" said Luke.

Reid was grinning. "Remember how the winner of our bet got anything?"

Luke smiled seductively, catching on. "Yeah?"

"Well, I won, so... can I show you my definition of "anything"?"

Luke laughed, a sexy laugh that shook Reid with desire. "Please do. And yes, you did win, and leave it to you to remind me of that fact."

Reid smiled, and his eyes looked at Luke's with nothing but love. "I won a long time ago, Luke," he said softly.

Luke's heart kind of exploded at that, and he kissed Reid until he felt lightheaded. Reid kissed him back with the same passion, and love was mixed with desire and passion as Reid claimed his winnings all throughout the night, and all throughout forever.