Reid knew what he had to do. He had texted Luke to meet him in his office and he was sitting at his desk rolling his pen from side to side. He was angry with himself. Angry that he was so weak. That he couldn't sacrifice more for Luke, but he had to get out of Illinois if he was going to be able to live his life without a criminal record. He thought back on the past four months he had spent with Luke and almost fell apart reminding himself how crippling it would be not being able to wake up with Luke's body pressed against his. He would miss the bickering and the snarking. He would be surprised if he could ever meet someone like Luke again.

A knock on the door brought him out of his memories and he called out to the person to allow them in. Luke opened the door and walked in. He was wearing a tight green shirt and even tighter jeans. Reid's breath caught in his throat but he swallowed and remembered Lily's plan. He had to go through with it to make himself look like a complete bastard so Luke would never suspect who was behind it. It seemed to be set into the universe; he would be the eternal bad guy.

Luke smiled and walked towards the desk slowly.

'Hey,' He said softly. 'Where were you at lunch? I thought we were getting Al's and going back to yours?'

'Luke, this has to stop.'

Luke laughed,

'What? Having Al's? I thought you loved food.'

'Not that. Us. Together. I can't do it anymore.' Luke blinked and bit his lip.

'Don't do that. Don't bite your lip. I can't resist you when you do anything with your mouth.' Reid thought.

'Who found out?' Luke asked in realisation. Reid would only break up with him if he thought they were in danger.

'No one. I just got bored of you.' Reid realised that Luke wasn't going to believe him if he didn't hurt him. He hated this; he hated hurting Luke in any way. His hands were clenched under the desk, balled into fists.

'What?' Luke's eyes met his.

'I thought this was just going to be a short fling. Sex. Convenient, you know. But I let it go too far. You want more than I want.'

'Someone else has put you up to this. I know it! Who? Who knows, Reid?' Luke was angrily blinking away tears and shaking his head in disbelief at the words Reid was saying. He was so gentle the night before.

'No one. I've told you. I just wanted sex, Luke, is that so hard to understand? But now I find out you're younger than the legal age, I can't risk a fling destroying my career.'

'A fling? That's all it was? To you? I was nothing?'

'Not nothing, per se. Just… a distraction.'

'That sounds like nothing to me.'

'It was a relationship of convenience. I wanted sex and you were there. Simple, really.'

Luke wasn't going to cry. He wouldn't let himself cry over this jerk who had played him. He'd slept with this man countless times and fallen for him. He was nothing to Reid, he could see that now. The stony face that Reid's face expressed told him all he needed to know. He was a toy for Dr Oliver's distraction.

'You told me you loved me.' Luke whispered.

'I know. That was a lie.' Reid gritted his teeth. He couldn't stand what he was doing to Luke. He could see that the younger man was about to either punch him or burst into tears and he didn't like either outcome. He wanted to run and catch Luke in his arms, holding him and telling him how he was lying and he loved him more than sandwiches, Katie and medicine. But he couldn't.

'And our first time. When I asked you if you wanted me. That was a lie too?'

'Kind of. I wanted your ass, I wanted your mouth and I wanted to fuck you.' Reid shrugged.

That last sentence destroyed Luke. He felt his heart rip to shreds inside his rib cage. He felt his pulse falter and his knees go weak. He was broken. Reid had successfully broken his lover and the only man he could picture a feasible future with. Luke blinked through the oily rivers that had collected under his eyelids despite his internal protests.

'I'm leaving town. Tomorrow. I can't stand this suffocating little town any longer,' Reid paused, 'You can close the door behind you when you leave.'

Luke nodded and opened the door. He turned around.

'Fuck you, Dr Oliver.' His voice cracked as he said it but he was proud to get it out. Reid nodded which Luke found strange but he left too quickly for himself to dwell on the details of their exchange. He ran out of the school gates, salty streams covering his face and his feet pounding the grey gravel. His blonde hair was ruffled from his fingers running through it. Nothing would work to heal him now. He was broken.

Dr Oliver had made sure of that.

Reid had not moved an inch. He was proud of Luke to have insulted him as he left. He hoped Luke could find someone to move on with. Someone who could take him out to fancy restaurants and hold his hand in front of the whole of Podunk. Someone who could kiss him in public and take him to the back seat in movie theatres. Luke still had that to look forward in a boyfriend.

But he had made Luke feel like the most wanted person in the world; who kissed his neck and shoulder blade before he fell asleep, massaged his back after a particularly tough day and laced their fingers together before they made love. Reid was the man who wrote in Luke's science book.

Reid wouldn't cry. He would go for a run later to get out his anger and omnipotent misery. He stood up from his desk and turned around to face the glass window behind him. He looked out across the school playing field and sighed heavily.

'Have you done it?' Said a voice behind him. He didn't jump, he felt numb and nothing could shake him out of his self-made despair.

'Yes. He thinks I'm a bastard and is probably going back to your house right now. Congratulations, you have your son back.'

'Good. When are you leaving town?'

'Tomorrow. Today's flights were fully booked.'

'It seems this has all gone to plan. And just think, Dr Oliver, if you hadn't slept with my son you would still be working here.' Reid turned around to face Lily Snyder with a determined smirk on her face.

'I know, Mrs Snyder. Unfortunately, we did sleep together and this is the situation I have found myself in.' Lily shivered still not able to comprehend or even slightly understand how her son had slept with this man.

'Goodbye, Dr Oliver, I'll trust you'll be more careful next time you choose a lover.'

Lily smirked and let the door slam behind her. She had won. Her son was back at home and, with time, Damian would convince Luke that he meant well.

'Goodbye, Dr Oliver!' She thought.

Reid slowly opened the apartment door to find a note from Katie saying she would be back soon. He was emotionally drained and his brain hurt from the amount of times he had re-watched the expression on Luke's face as he created a bastard's view of their relationship. He fell back onto his bed and he sung his arms out. He was shattered and all he wanted was to fall into a dreamless sleep. His hand hit something near his headboard and he realised it was one of Luke's t-shirts. He pulled it to his face and fell asleep reliving moments with Luke.

His Luke. Not the broken Luke he had created earlier that day.