Luke walked into the pit to see all of his employees bustling about. They had four hours to finish the final layout and get it to print.

He saw Amber telling a group of copy editors about his unfortunate experience with Reid at the airport.

Amber caught his glimpse, which was a mix of anger and resignation.

She just laughed and went back to the story.

He turned and went into his office then and slammed the door shut.

He had a migraine. He just wanted to get this over with so he could go home and fall asleep in his nice king sized bed.

He heard a knock and looked up. He waved the co-owner of the newspaper into his office.

"So, I hear you had a run-in with an old friend today."

"You heard wrong. He and I were never friends."

"I remember Reid. He was a freshman when I was a senior. He once stood up to Kevin Jenkins, the bully of the senior class, because he was harassing Katie."

"I still don't get how they are best friends. Reid is rude to everyone but her."

"Reid isn't that bad, Luke. He didn't have the best childhood you know."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Just forget it. You're going to believe what you want, anyways."

"Thanks for the pep talk, but my plans don't involve seeing him again while he's here."

"Well, according to Alison, his meeting with Bob went well. I think Reid is going to move back."

"Well, I'll just go out of my way to avoid him then."

"What about your hospital story? If he's the chief of staff, you're going to need him on your side."

"That's why I have minions. I can just order one of them to cover the beat."

"Luke, this story is huge. It could set us up for years financially."

Luke groaned and closed his eyes in frustration.

Of course, she was right. He knew it. He also knew he had people depending on him for their livelihoods.

"I don't want to think about Reid anymore tonight."

"Good. We only have a few hours to finish this edition. Come out of your hole and help with the layout."

"Whatever you say, Emily."

Luke joined his staff then and everything went off without a hitch.

The edition was done with an hour to spare and was sent to the printers.

He was enjoying a cup of tea, when his office phone rang.

Who the hell would be calling me at midnight?

"Luke Snyder."

"Hi Luke. This Katie!"

"Hi, Katie! I haven't talked to you in months!"

"I know, I know. I've been a horrible friend. So here's the thing. I just put Madeline down for the night and I got a call from Reid asking me to pick him up from the hospital. I really can't leave, because Chris was called in for an emergency surgery on one of his patients. I know this is a lot to ask, but could you please just pick him up and drop him off at my house"

"Jesus Christ, Katie. What makes you think I would want to take Reid anywhere, let alone see him?"

"I know, Luke. I'm sorry. I couldn't think of anyone else to call. I knew you'd still be up because of the newspaper. "
"Why was Reid at the hospital until midnight, if he was merely visiting?"
"Apparently, Bob offered him the job on the spot, and a neuro trauma came in and Reid scrubbed in."

"Of course he did."

Luke sighed knowing he couldn't turn Katie down.

"I'll pick him up, but you owe me big time. And I'm collecting."

"Thank you, Luke. So much. I have homemade buckeyes. You can take a dozen home."

Luke's stomach grumbled then and he realized he hadn't eaten in over thirteen hours.

"Fine."

Luke grabbed his jacket and headed back to the hospital.

Luke walked in and asked the receptionist to page Dr. Oliver to the parking lot.

He went back and sat in his car listening to music.

He looked in his rearview mirror and saw Reid headed towards him.

Reid didn't say anything. Just slid into the passenger seat.

Luke looked at him then. Reid's hair was messed up, he had blood on his scrubs, and Luke could see the tension in Reid's shoulders.

"Rough day?"

Reid looked at Luke then.

"It was fine."

Reid never was much for words. Luke just rolled his eyes and started the car.

He was about halfway to Katie's when he could hear and feel his stomach rumbling.

Reid said, "You know I could eat."

"Huh?"

Luke wasn't sure what Reid was trying to say.

"Is there a place in Oakdale where they serve food past eight o'clock at night?"

"Yes, Al's is open all night."

"I forgot about Al's. They used to have the best shakes."

"They still do."

"So who runs the diner these days?"

"Henry Coleman and his wife."

"Henry Coleman has a wife? I was always convinced he was gay."

"Really? I never thought about it much, but then he is a lot older than me."

"He and I are the same age, Luke. Not that much older."

Luke shrugged,

"Whatever."

Reid told Luke to stop at Al's and get some dinner, because his constant stomach rumbling was annoying.

Luke pulled in and they went inside.

Luke sat down and ordered a grilled cheese sandwich, with fries and marinara sauce.

Reid ordered a bacon cheeseburger, two orders of fries, and a chocolate shake.

For once, they sat in comfortable silence as they ate their food.

When it came time to leave, Reid threw down a $20 bill.

"Reid, you don't have to pay for me. I can afford my own."

"No, I figured, you went out of your way to pick me up and drop me off. I could afford to tip my chauffeur."

"For the last time, Reid. I'm not your chauffeur. And this is the last time I drive you anywhere."

"Okay." Reid was grinning at him then.

He pushed out the door and got back in the car.

Luke didn't understand Reid at all. One moment he was being a complete jerk to Luke, then the next he was joking around with him.

One thing was for certain though, he was still damn irritating.

Luke thought back to when he was eleven. Two weeks before he entered fifth grade he and his family were invited by Reid's parents to attend a back to school cookout and pool party.

Luke insisted that he was not going. He begged his parents to let him stay home, but they told him he had to go.

He went unwillingly and pouted nearly the whole way there.

When they arrived, he thought his prayers had been answered when he looked around and didn't see Reid anywhere.

But his luck ran out when not even a minute later, Reid was bounding out of the house in his swim trunks and food.

He put the food on the table, barely acknowledging the Snyders presence and jumped into the pool.

Luke looked over to see his parents talking to the Oliver's and Faith playing with Reid's little sister Kennedy.

He was stuck standing all alone. So he walked to the far end of the pool and sat on a lounge chair under the shade of a tree.

He had his Walkman, and he started listening to music.

Ten minutes later, he saw a blonde haired girl come into the backyard and sit down next to him.

She removed her shorts and tank top and jumped in the water too.

She and Reid swam and roughhoused in the water for a bit.

Then she got out of the water and sat on the chair next to him.

She motioned to Luke to take off his headphones.

So he did.

"Hey. I'm Katie Peretti. Who are you?"

"I'm Luke. "

"Cool. So how old are you?"

"I'm eleven."

"Cool."

"Why are you talking to the loser, Katie?"

"I'm just being friendly Reid. Maybe you should try it sometime."
"I don't need any more friends. Especially not with a loser."

"Be nice, Reid."

"I don't think that's possible, Katie. Besides, I've gotten used to him being a jackass to everyone."

Suddenly Luke felt a huge wave of water come over him.

Reid had just thrown a bucket of water on him.

Luke didn't respond though. He simply got up; made sure his Walkman was still okay, removed his shoes and his shirt to remove the water and walked away.

He could hear Katie berating Reid in the background for his behavior, but Luke didn't care.

He had too many bad memories of Reid to last him a lifetime. He didn't need to stick around for Reid to treat him like crap.

The food was served then and Luke grabbed his hotdog and sat as far away from everyone as possible.

Katie eventually came to him as the night was ending and apologized to him.

The rest of the school year, anytime he saw Katie she always waved to him, or came over to talk to him. His fifth grade friends were astonished that a hot blonde girl in ninth grade who pay him any attention.

Luke loved the attention, but always freaked out when he realized he didn't find Katie hot, like they did.

No, the person he found hot was a certain redheaded boy who treated him like shit, and that confused the hell out of him, more than anything else in his life did.

He convinced himself that he was just confused and that it didn't mean anything.

Luke was snapped back to reality then, when Reid honked his car horn at him.

"Where the hell did you go, Luke? Oz?"

"Shut up, Reid."

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting in Katie's driveway.

Luke got out.

"You don't have to walk me to the door. Just because I paid for dinner, doesn't mean I'm expecting you to put out or something. Plus, that's awfully presumptuous of you, assuming I'd even be into that."

"Whatever, Reid. I heard enough rumors in junior high to safely assume you are into men."

"Just because I'm gay, doesn't mean I have to be into every guy I know."

"I never said you did. And that works both ways."

"Why are you coming into Katie's house?"

"Because she promised me chocolate if I dropped you off."

"Oh, I see how it is. You have to be bribed to do something for me."

"Basically."

"Good to see you're still the same selfish brat you've always been."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I remember how annoying you were when we were younger."

"And I remember how much of a jackass you were."

"Water under the bridge."

"So you're telling me that me being annoying is okay to bring up and throw in my face, but you being a jackass is water under the bridge. Go fuck yourself, Reid."

"Actually that isn't a bad idea."

"Oh God. That is not a mental image I want."

Although now that Luke thought about it, maybe it was.

"Mmhmm. Don't even try to deny that I am a gorgeous man."

"How do you ever fit your head through any doors?"

"Easy, I just insist on bigger doors."

"I didn't even know they made them that big."

"That's what he said."

Reid laughed at his own joke and opened the door to the house.

The kitchen light was on and Luke could hear Katie swearing in the background.

"Hey, Katie. Do you kiss your daughter with that mouth?"

Katie turned around then and hugged Reid tightly.

"Welcome home, stranger."

"Where do I put my bags?"

"Down the hall, third door on the left. The bathroom is connected."

Katie turned to Luke.

"Thank you, Luke. I'm glad to see you didn't kill each other."

"Not yet. Although if Reid continues to talk, I may have to cut his tongue out."

Katie just laughed. She handed Luke a tin.

"Here are your buckeyes."

"Thanks for the food."

Luke turned to leave.

Reid was back then having put his bags in the room.

"What, no goodnight kiss, Snyder? I'm offended. Well good thing you were a cheap date."

Luke simply raised his middle finger and walked out the door to the sounds of Katie giggling.

Luke went home then.

He opened his apartment door.

He walked in, got ready for bed and flung himself on his bed.

He lay in bed for a good hour, running over the events of the day.

He was pissed, horny, and still hungry.

He opened the tin and ate a few buckeyes.

But that didn't solve the problem of being horny.

However, when he closed his eyes all he saw was Reid's face and Luke simply refused to even go there.

So with his raging hard on, he flipped over and tried to think of the unsexiest things he could.

Women, stonewashed denim, his parents having sex…

Eventually Luke fell asleep.

He was awoken six hours later with a text message.

Reid accepted the job. Now get to work getting the info-Amber

And Luke's pissy week was complete.

Wonderful, he was never going to escape Reid Oliver now.