It was lunch time and Dr. Reid Oliver was done with surgeries for the day, but still had rounds to take care of. They didn't start for another hour, however, so he needed to kill time. He knew his boyfriend, Luke Snyder, had a meeting, which meant that he couldn't pass the time by making out with the younger man. As disappointing as that was, it was okay because Reid needed to take care of something. On a mission, Reid grabbed his jacket from his office and made his way to his best friend, Katie Peretti-Snyder-Hughes's house across town. He knew her husband Chris 'Doogie' Hughes was at the hospital, so he didn't worry about meeting him with Katie. Twenty minutes later, Reid rang the doorbell and Katie answered, toting Jacob in her arms.
"Hi, Reid," she said, smiling.
"Hi, Goldilocks. Can I come in?" Reid asked.
"Of course," Katie said, letting him in and closing the door.
"I need your help," Reid said immediately.
"The great Dr. Oliver needs my lowly help?" Katie said skeptically.
"Yeah. With Luke."
"Problems?" Katie asked gently.
"No. But I'm sure you know that the stupid holiday commonly known as Valentine's Day is in a couple weeks." Katie smirked in her attempt not to smile. "I know Luke is going to expect me to do something," Reid said very quickly. "So I need your help."
"What did you have in mind?" Katie asked, shifting Jacob to her other arm.
"I don't know. That's why I need your help," Reid said, plopping down on the couch. "I've never done this before." The ends of Katie's mouth twitched, trying not to smile. "He's probably expecting a candlelit dinner with flowers and candy."
"What's wrong with that?" Katie asked, putting Jacob on the floor as he started to squirm.
"I don't do candlelight dinners," Reid said abruptly.
Katie sat down on the couch next to her friend. "How about, instead of thinking what Luke would want you to do for him, you think of what you want to do for Luke. As long as it comes from your heart, he'll love it." Reid looked at Katie, his brows furrowed in thought and frustration. "What do you want to give to him, to show him you love him?" Katie asked. "And don't say sex," she qualified, seeing the smirk on the doctor's face.
Reid sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "This shouldn't be so difficult."
"You're thinking too much, Reid," Katie said, rubbing his arm. "Close your eyes and forget for a moment that you're a brain surgeon and that everything you do needs to be rational and logical." Reid scowled at her. "Do it." Reid continued to glare at her, but eventually closed his eyes. "Good. Now don't think. Let your heart overpower your brain. Listen really hard and really carefully to it. What is it telling you to do?"