When Reid returned to his condo that night he immediately wandered to the back patio to find Luke reading a book. Luke didn't have his own key but he knew where the spare was hidden. Still, Reid wasn't surprised to find him here. Again. He wasn't sure if Luke just preferred sitting outside or if he was afraid to go into Reid's house without him home. It was something they had yet to discuss and seeing him there in the light, so calm and peaceful, and feeling far too tired to worry about it himself, Reid decided that now was not the time to talk about it.
"Now what?" Reid asked bluntly, coming to sit across from Luke at the small table. Luke seemed to have a different book every time Reid saw him.
"Oh, 'What I Was' by Meg Rosoff," Luke said distractedly, glancing up at Reid for a moment before turning back to his book. Reid smiled and sighed into his seat, closing his eyes and taking the moment to relax while Luke finished his chapter. He realized, sitting there in silence, just how much of a rhythm they'd fallen into the past few months. He couldn't count how many times they had found themselves in this exact same situation. Okay, so maybe he could count them, but he really didn't care to. The point was, he knew Luke, and Luke knew him. They knew the good, the bad, the quirks and the annoying habits, and yet somehow they still found themselves here over and over again on Saturday night, sharing this silence as their day of separation came to a close, patiently waiting to transition into a night and following day together.
They made dinner together that night, taking twice as long as necessary to make spaghetti for two and with enough leftovers to last them the rest of the weekend.
"Does that mean we don't have to leave the house?" Reid had asked casually as he started to rinse the spaghetti. Luke came up to him and threw a noodle at his chest. Reid stared, trying not to look amused.
"You have to work tomorrow," Luke laughed.
"Do you always have to be such a downer?" Reid grinned.
They prepared their meals and sat together at the small dining room table, talking occasionally but silence reigned for most of the meal. Neither of them seemed to mind.
"So I'm finally going to get to try some of this world famous cooking from Grandma Emma, huh?" Reid said, still chewing. Luke rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore his table manners.
"You've had her cooking before. What about Thanksgiving? And I just brought you some pie and smoked ham two weeks ago," Luke replied. Reid crinkled his nose.
"Leftovers don't count."
Luke laughed. "Alright fine, but yes, she's already planning out what to make. I'm preparing for a feast."
"A dose of heaven in hell," teased Reid, who still liked to refer to Luke's hometown as Oakhell.
A short while later Reid was doing the dishes from that evening while Luke lounged on the couch, flipping idly through the channels. Reid watched him from the kitchen, trying to imagine what Oakdale was really like. He'd seen a few pictures of the town and of Luke's family, but he knew that photos never did anything justice. He thought to the picture he had of Luke on his phone, knowing that it certainly was lacking compared to what he saw when Luke stepped off his plane each time. He wondered what they were like, what they were really like. He wanted to know more about Luke, almost desperately, and knowing that in two weeks time he would finally have that chance absolutely thrilled him.
Even if he didn't let it show.
That evening they curled up in bed, watching an old black and white film. Well, Reid was watching it. Luke was cuddled beside him reading his book. Occasionally Reid would poke Luke's glasses, causing the blond to laugh, and would kiss him softly before they fell back into silence. A little after midnight they decided to get some sleep. Somehow they both seemed to know that wouldn't happen for a while, though, as they moved under the sheets. They laid close to each other, legs tangled together as always, fingers absently picking at the other's. Even in the darkness they could see each other, sense the other's eyes on them and feel their warm breath on their face.
"So do you actually want to come to Oakdale?" Luke whispered in the dark. He was laying against Reid, who was idly stroking Luke's messy hair.
"Do you think I would have agreed if I didn't want to go?" asked Reid. Luke smiled.
"True," he answered simply. Reid kissed Luke's hair and sighed.
"Alright, so meeting the boyfriend's parents isn't exactly my favorite occasion," Reid began with a soft laugh. "But I know this is important to you, and honestly, I'm curious about where you come from. Maybe if I spend some time in your hometown with your family and friends, I'll be able to figure you out a bit more."
Luke smiled into Reid, kissing his bare chest. He realized silently that Reid had referred to him as his boyfriend. It was the first time either of them had used that word. He moved closer, reaching up and kissing along Reid's shoulders, his neck, then his jaw and cheek, before lightly capturing his mouth.
It wasn't really planned. After all, they'd shared plenty of evenings by now where they did behave and simply slept through the night side by side. Tonight, though, there was something buzzing between them and it was impossible for either to ignore. They weren't sure if it was because of their new plans to visit Oakdale or not, but whatever it wasn't, it was undeniable.
Reid rolled on top of Luke, his lips burning passionately against the blonde's. They held each other and urged the other closer, hands brushing over hips and pressing their bodies together. They spent the next few hours making love before finally passing out together in the bed, waking the next morning only as the sunlight filtered in through the bedroom window.
