The next morning Luke didn't have to wake nearly as early as he had two weeks ago. He took his time showering, moving emotionlessly through the room as he dressed and gathered his papers. He was the first one in the meeting room, his paperwork laid out before him and he was going over some things before Mark and the others arrived. Once they did they went over the final numbers and began signing things. After everything had been squared away it was time for pictures. Luke always hated this part but he was able to genuinely smile and stand there with the other men, sometimes shaking their hands. By mid afternoon everything was settled and Luke was able to return to his room. He did so, but only long enough to change into swim trunks, deciding he needed a distraction. He ended up at the pool, swimming more laps than he had in years in an attempt to keep his mind off of Reid.

Across town at the hospital Reid was having a busy day of his own. He had a major surgery early that afternoon and had been awake hours before Luke. He found himself thinking about the blond for a good portion of the morning, focusing on his rounds but picturing Luke in his head as he wandered between rooms. When it came time for surgery he forced himself to focus, pushing any thoughts of Luke aside as he scrubbed and took a final look at his notes.

Evening came and the six hour surgery had gone off without a hitch. The patient was in recovery and Reid was cleaning up and changing into fresh scrubs in the doctor's lounge. A colleague came in and congratulated him on another success and while Reid smiled with appreciation, he found himself again thinking back to the night before. Now that he was done for the day he knew he had nothing to distract him from Luke, but even as he somberly drove him, a part of him wondered if he even wanted to be distracted in the first place.

Reid lived in a condo just outside the city. He could see the tall buildings and bright lights from his back porch but the air here was much cleaner and the stars were more visible. It was perfect for him, allowing him to remain close to his work and the city he'd grown attached to, but also giving him the freedom to get away. He pulled up into the small lot used by the four residents in his particular building, trying to remember each turn he had made during the drive but realizing that he'd sort of been on autopilot. He sighed as he stepped out of the car and came toward his door.

As he did he realized that there was someone sitting on his front step. Coming closer, he realized that someone was Luke.

When Luke saw him approach he stood up quickly, his eyes wide and hands awkwardly at his side.

"Luke?"

"Yeah," Luke began with a nervous smile. "I'm sorry to just show up like this… I tried to call you but it went straight to voicemail," he explained.

Reid just stared at first but finally blinked, hands patting his pockets before pulling out his phone.

"Oh," he said softly. "I turn it off during surgery, I must have forgotten to turn it back on." Silence. "Would you like to come in?" he offered carefully. Luke's mouth twitched, but he finally said yes. Reid led them inside, turning on the lights as he moved through the small condo. Just as Reid had done at the hotel, Luke began to look around, but he was much more eager about taking in the details, wanting to understand Reid more by learning about the place he lived.

It was a simple place, modern with clean lines and an open floor plan. They walked into the living room, the kitchen being just off to the left, separated by a countertop and some cupboards that hung from the ceiling. Straight ahead were three doors, all open and allowing Luke a glimpse inside. One was a basic but spacious bathroom. The other was a small room Luke assumed was intended as a second or guest bedroom, but he guessed from the desk and bookshelves that Reid was using it as his office. The last door, against the right wall, was only partially open and Luke saw a dresser and full mirror, a bed in the reflection. He looked away immediately, not trusting himself to imagine the details of Reid's bedroom.

Reid was over at the kitchen counter, dropping his keys in a bowl and laying his jacket down. Luke stood near the door, hands in his pockets and trying to stay as calm as possible.

"Just give me a few minutes to change," said Reid. Luke nodded and watched as the curly haired man disappeared into his room, the door closing behind him.

Five minutes later Reid was making coffee and Luke was sitting at the small table in the in between area Reid used as a makeshift dining space. With one mug in each hand Reid came to the table and sat down, handing Luke his mug.

"Thanks," said Luke.

Reid forced a smile. "So why are you here, Luke?" he asked. Luke shrugged.

"I'm not quite sure," he said honestly. Reid took a sip of his coffee, hoping it would help to remove the bags he knew were forming under his eyes. "I wanted to talk to you, I guess."

"About what?"

"About last night."

Reid looked up, glad in a way that Luke didn't seem embarrassed and that he wasn't beating around the bush.

"I already told you, Luke, you don't have to say anything," Reid insisted, but Luke interrupted.

"Just listen. Please." Reid pressed his lips together and nodded for Luke to continue. "I'm sorry that I let things get out of hand like that," he began, and Reid winced. "But not for the reasons you think." This had Reid's curiosity but he tried not to show it, again hiding behind his mug. "I wasn't ready, but I tried to convince myself that I was, so I let things go further than I should have. It wasn't fair to you, and I'm sorry for that."

"It's okay, Luke."

"No, it's not, Reid… I know I gave you the wrong impression last night. I didn't push you away because I didn't want you," Luke explained, his voice barely a whisper in the end. "Because honestly, I do want you, Reid, more than I've wanted anyone in a long time, and I think that sort of freaked me out when I realized it."

Reid said nothing, though he forced himself to meet Luke's eyes. He saw the utter confusion on the blonde's face and knew he wasn't going to be able to just stay quiet, only uttering words of dismissal and forgiveness. He could tell that Luke was unsure about where they stood and about what he felt.

"Noah was the first guy I ever fell in love with. Before him, I wasn't sure if I'd ever find something like that. I guess I just feel like I was so lucky to find that once, that I'm afraid it's not possible to find it again."

Reid sighed.

"I understand, Luke. Trust me," Reid said with a nervous laugh. He scratched the side of his face, fully aware that he was imitating Luke. He stared down at his coffee, his slight smile fading as the memories came flooding back. "I was in love once, back in college."

Luke stared at him, amazed by his confession and anxious to hear more.

"We met at a party my sophomore year through some mutual friends. We were together for… god, four years? After graduation we went to separate schools but somehow we made it work for another two years before things went down hill. I was visiting him for the weekend when he told me that he'd fallen for someone else. I didn't even bother to hear the details before I caught the next flight out of there."

Reid stopped. Luke knew he didn't want to say more, and also knew that he didn't have to. While Reid's story didn't necessarily make Luke's situation any different let alone easier to comprehend, it was still comforting to know that Reid understood where he was coming from. Reid looked up to see the way Luke was watching him, and he rolled his eyes.

"I didn't share that so you'd feel sorry for me, Luke," he said evenly. "I just want you to know that I mean it when I say I understand where you're at. It took me a long time before I was alright with just going out with another guy. You're still grieving over your relationship, I get that. And about last night, I didn't mean to pressure you into anything."

Luke's face softened. He was drinking up the honesty and sincere concern in Reid's words, feeling somehow honored that he was seeing this side of him. Compared to the cold, snappy man he'd met at the bar two weeks ago, Reid almost seemed like a different person. Luke enjoyed the contradicting sides of him, though, finding that they complimented each other in the most unique way. Carefully, he smiled.

"Thanks, Reid," was all he said. He reached across the table for Reid's hand, which the brunette gave to him willingly.