Disclaimer: I do not own ATWT or its characters.
Author's notes: It's back to Nukeville for me, though I did enjoy my brief holiday in Lureland lol. This fic came about due to a Facebook convo in which jberri79 and I speculated as to why Luke never slept with Reid. We are both avid Nukes, but c'mon - Luke's a red-blooded young man, and for Christsakes just *look* at Reid. So I came up with this ridiculous idea for what could have gone wrong - you know, besides baby rattles (?).
This is AU, Reid is alive, and he saved Chris by retrieving the heart in Bay City whilst properly operating a motor vehicle. You know, like a brain surgeon would have no trouble managing.
This will have six chapters, and there'll all done, so I should be able to update quickly and frequently (hopefully daily).
"Come in for awhile," Reid said, in a noncommittal tone designed to conceal how very badly he wanted Luke to say yes.
Luke leaned against the doorframe as he weighed the offer. Reid had only relocated to his own place days ago, as a recuperating Chris Hughes permanently moved in with his fiancée, Katie, and her son. Since then, Reid had eagerly awaited the moment in he and Luke's schedules when they could find the time to relax in his new apartment together - and hopefully do much, much more.
Luke understood what Reid was asking. Especially now that they had both confessed their feelings, he wanted to take things in a more physical direction. Luke wanted that, too. He missed the intimacy of sex; that soul-connecting moment when it was impossible to tell where one man ended, and the other began.
He chalked up any hesitancy on his part to the fact that he'd never been with anyone but Noah. That, and the little matter that Noah was leaving tomorrow for Los Angeles. It didn't help that their last conversation had gone badly.
Luke knew that Noah didn't mean what he'd said. Whatever scars they'd given one another, they would never not be in each other's lives. Still, hearing Noah say he couldn't be Luke's friend had stung, despite knowing Noah couldn't hold to that any more than Luke could. They were simply a part of one another - no matter how much had changed, that wouldn't.
Now, Luke regarded Reid. While the other man's expression was carefully neutral, his eyes betrayed the hope - and yes, the lust - within. Smiling, Luke relaxed a fraction. Maybe things with Noah were shit at the moment, but things with Reid couldn't be better.
Luke reminded himself that accepting the invitation didn't mean he was committing to taking things to the maximum. But why shouldn't they finally enjoy the chance to give each other pleasure? He knew he'd have to explain some things to Reid before they proceeded too far, but that could wait for another occasion.
Decision made, Luke raised an eyebrow; seductively, he hoped. "Why Dr. Oliver, are you trying to corrupt me?"
Reid snorted at Luke's adorably ridiculous attempt at a come-hither expression. "You better believe I am," he answered unrepentantly. "Is it working?"
"Hmm," Luke pretended to consider. "Why don't you take me inside and find out?"
Reid didn't need another invitation. Backing himself through the door, he pulled Luke into the apartment with him, heatedly kissing the younger man as they moved to the couch. They both laughed as Reid dropped onto the sofa, pulling Luke atop him in an awkward yet enthusiastic full-body crash.
Soon enough, though, the feeling of each man pressed tightly against the other seeped in. Luke swallowed at the feel of the other man's erection growing against his own. He realized this was really happening. Whatever they were going to do, it would amount to a hell of a lot more than kissing.
Luke could get on board with that plan. It had been too long, and he was so damn horny. And having one sexy, hot, and very hard Reid Oliver panting beneath him pretty much screamed opportunity.
Still, when Reid's hands moved from Luke's waist to his butt, Luke tensed. Just slightly, but Reid felt it. "Do you want to stop?" At the concern in Reid's voice, the tenderness from a man most wouldn't have thought capable of such care, Luke melted.
"No," Luke replied. Reid loved him, dammit. There was no good reason not to just let go, and enjoy the other man's touch.
Reid's hands dug into his ass, pulling Luke more firmly against him. As Reid began to thrust upwards, pressing their groins together, Luke found it easier to push aside the quietly nagging thoughts that wanted to invade the moment. He only distantly heard the unzipping of his own pants, and wouldn't have registered it at all had Reid's hand not dipped inside the waistband of his boxer briefs.
Luke groaned, losing himself to the sensation of being touched by someone else after so long. It was good - incredibly good. So much so, that Luke's internal alarm almost failed to sound when Reid used his other hand to begin pulling up Luke's shirt. Almost.
Luke's hands shot to hold his shirt down over his groin. Reid pulled back from their kiss to gaze at Luke with a perplexed yet amused expression. "I've seen you shirtless before," Reid reminded his boyfriend. "Trust me - you have nothing to worry about."
"Thanks," Luke returned. Leaning in to kiss Reid, he discreetly pulled his shirt all the way back down. Returning the kiss, Reid surprised Luke by letting go of the shirt, only to suddenly grasp Luke's briefs and jeans at the waistband, pulling them down significantly with one expert tug.
Instinctively, Luke quickly jerked his body up, and moved his hands to his groin to shield it. Judging by Reid's horrified expression, though, he knew he'd been too late. He could've kicked himself for his idiocy.
"What the hell, Luke?"
Scrambling, Luke moved to climb off of a visibly-thrown Reid. Unfortunately, frozen in shock, Reid hadn't thought to release his hold on Luke's pants. This resulted in the denim being pulled farther down as Luke turned and tried to stand, giving Reid a nice, full view of Luke's backside, as well.
"What. The. Fuck."
Yanking his pants up quickly, Luke moved to calm Reid. "I can explain," he began desperately as he tucked in his deflating erection, and zipped his jeans.
"Now would be an excellent time," Reid answered coldly. Beneath the now-icy exterior, though, Luke detected the hurt he'd just inadvertently caused. Moron, Luke cursed himself. He should've never let things get so far without explaining.
Frankly, though, he wasn't sure if he'd ever intended to explain this. Luke had mostly assumed he'd have this little problem taken care of before there'd be any chance Reid would see it. He simply hadn't gotten around to it yet; that was all.
"It was a long time ago," Luke began. "It doesn't mean anything now."
If Luke sounded just a bit unconvincing even to himself, that wouldn't have been a problem with just about anyone else. But Reid was no kind of fool. He picked up on the slight pause; the barely-there note of doubt within Luke's otherwise seemingly confident argument.
As he stood to stare Luke down, he said simply, "When."
Luke's hesitation spoke volumes. Reid knew whatever the answer was, it wouldn't be good. But he wanted - needed - to know.
"After Noah's surgery," Luke guiltily whispered.
Reid recoiled slightly, but recovered admirably. "Exactly when did you find time for that? Would this have been before or after you accused me of trying to kill Noah? Before or after you damn near fucked me?"
"Reid, please," Luke began despondently.
"Don't 'Reid, please' me," came the curt reply. "Just answer the damn question, Mister Snyder."
Luke couldn't believe that five minutes earlier, he was safe in Reid's arms, ready to chart a whole new chapter in their relationship - and now, this. "I love you," he begged. "We can get past this - this is nothing! This means nothing!"
"Really?" Reid's voice was bathed in sarcasm. "Explain something to me. Did Richie Rich fall on hard times? Did your fortune suddenly evaporate?"
"What? No," Luke answered blankly, confused by the question.
"Then WHY the fuck is it still there? Just answer me that. And don't you dare fucking lie to me. You owe me the truth; you owe both of us the truth!"
A thousand excuses rolled through Luke's head as he thought of a response, but all of them seemed to die on his lips. Instead, he actually let Reid's demand sink into his brain, and realized the other man was right. He deserved honesty.
The only problem was, Luke was struggling to be honest with himself. How could he hope to come clean with Reid? Luke attempted to put his thoughts in order, and gain some kind of grasp on his own feelings.
Why was it so hard to answer Reid's question? Why hadn't he taken care of this before things went this far? After taking too long to answer, Luke finally realized why he didn't want to admit the truth - to Reid, or himself.
"I'm sorry." Spoken in defeated resignation, the words weren't a plea for forgiveness. They weren't uttered with expectations of absolution, or a fragile hope that maybe - just maybe - they could survive this. Instead, Luke knew. They both knew.
"Go." Reid said nothing else, and his face seemed a mask of composure. But his eyes told a different story. Luke had cut him deeply.
Luke wanted to say something, anything, to try and ease the blow. But he understood that nothing would, and any attempts to appease Reid with kind words or protestations of regret would only draw out the torture. Still, as he reached the door, Luke turned to look at Reid one last time.
"I am so, so sorry," he said quietly. Meeting Reid's eyes, Luke spotted the beginnings of tears. That was enough to make him quickly flee, breaking down into sobs as he hurried away from the apartment.
In his car, Luke allowed the tears to flow unchecked. Why?, he asked himself sorrowfully. Immediately, the answer flashed before his eyes, and his devastation began to morph, turning from bleak sadness into unadulterated, seething anger. He started the car, and tore out of the parking lot, headed down an unstoppable warpath to confront the indisputable cause of all his misery.
Noah. Fucking. Mayer.