Sticks and Stones 2/2

[marsabi]

Title:Sticks and Stones
Author:Marsabi
Rating:NC-17
Warning: Sex, Hurt/Comfort

Continued here:



Luke runs to his car, the rain like ice at his back, and he drives like a maniac to Sawyer’s small house at the edge of town, the one Luke rented for him, gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles turn white. What has he done? Luke turns down the dark road to Sawyer’s place, his tires caked with mud, the moon barely a sliver of light, and he calls his Uncle Jack, giving him the story quickly. Then Luke calls 911.

He reaches Sawyer’s house, and gets out of his car, his limbs are heavy, his skin raw, his socks and shoes wet as he hurries to the front door. It’s unlocked and dark, and Luke feels his way along the wall, then he sees a small light down in the basement. Luke’s scar is burning, and for some reason, what flashes in his mind is the first time he really kissed Reid back, his lips quivering, his mouth moving to Reid’s like there was a gravitational pull, one that Luke couldn’t resist, not then, not ever.

He feels a similar pull now, only it’s his heart struggling to lead him and his scar again, a hard punch of pain, sensing Reid’s near. Luke makes his way down the creaky basement steps; he pushes the door open, knowing he should wait for the cops and his Uncle Jack, but refusing to do that, and at first Luke sees only the brightness of the sudden light. But then he sees Reid, tied to a table, his hands bound, mouth gagged, and a cold sensation moves through him as he sees Sawyer with a knife, cutting Reid’s beautiful skin. He must be okay. He will offer anything, make any promise to God, do anything to make that true.

Reid’s eyes look glazed, rolling in his head, his face pale, his hands are curled into fists, and Luke can see that it’s not a knife, but a scalpel that Sawyer is using. Luke takes all this in with a glance, but time seems to slow down. His stomach does a back flip, as the tip of the scalpel draws blood. It seems like a long, long way to reach Sawyer. And Luke, who has never been in a real fight in his life, at least not sober, who always wants to talk things out or do the right thing, is charging like a bull, driving his head with all his might into Sawyer, knocking the instrument from his hand, and pushing Sawyer to the floor.

“I did it to show you,” Sawyer is screaming wildly. “I’m right, I’m right about the pill. I wasn’t going to hurt him too much-” Luke feels a strange pulse of weird energy in the room, like somebody else is there. Sawyer seems to feel it too. He looks around frantically. “Are you here?” Sawyer says. “Are you?”

There’s a noise and Luke jumps. But it’s just the police bursting through the cellar. They grab Sawyer and Luke stumbles back up to his feet. He rushes to Reid, unsnapping his restraints, and removing the gag. Reid’s eyes are closed and he’s so still. Luke touches him in a daze. His skin is slick with sweat, blood pooling at his open incision, and Luke holds the edge of his shirt to the wound, applying pressure.

He holds Reid to him, clinging to his chest, making sure it’s beating. He has a heartbeat, doesn’t he? Doesn’t he? Luke shudders, putting his ear down, listening, blocking out the sirens and the noise. Yes, it’s beating, of course it is. He’s being so stupid. Reid makes a shuddering sound and Luke kisses Reid’s lips, his collarbone, his neck, his ear, his cheek. He cradles the back of Reid’s head, brushes his fingers into Reid’s hair.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Luke whispers. He can barely speak, and Luke feels like he’s about to break into pieces. He holds Reid carefully in his arms, as if Reid too might shatter. Luke inhales a jagged breath. Fear is gripping him hard. “And if I-” Luke swallows hard. “If I never saw you again-” Luke can’t finish. He wets his lips, which feel cracked and dry, and his fingers tremble in Reid’s hair.

Reid’s eyes open, slit-like. Bruises cover his face.“Still here,” Reid croaks out.

Luke exhales, breathing through the fear and the hurt. He nods and takes Reid’s hand in his own. Still here. The paramedics push Luke aside, and begin to work on Reid. His eyes close back up, but Luke hears his voice, hoarse but insistent, barking out orders to them. “Make sure you watch my shoulder. It’s dislocated. And give me a tetanus shot, Christ. The instruments down here aren’t sterile.”

Sawyer is fighting Margo as she cuffs him, his eyes frantic, his arms waving. “See, I can fix him. My pill works. His scar can heal-Luke, Luke, see the truth!” Then Sawyer’s eyes round with terror, he puts his hand up as if to ward off a blow. “Nooo! Don’t! I did it for you.” Sawyer looks like he’s seeing a ghost as he screams out, babbling to some unseen person incoherently now. ”Julie! I can fix you. I can make you perfect! It can still work!” He laughs hysterically, rocking back and forth, madness in his eyes. He doesn’t resist as they cuff him.

They lead Sawyer away and Luke can’t look at him.

When they arrive at Memorial, Dr. Lentz, a new hire to replace Chris Hughes, is there to fix Reid’s dislocated shoulder, which is flopping boneless at Reid’s side like a captured fish. The wound above his kidney is holding for now, thanks to the paramedics’ quick work, but will have to be stitched up next. Reid grips Luke’s hand tightly as Dr. Lentz manipulates his arm, rotating it up and back so the shoulder can snap into place, and Luke wonders that his own bones don’t crush from Reid’s hand, but he doesn’t say a word, determined to be there for Reid and not leave his side.

Reid has gone sickly pale. He lets out a small sound-a whimper- and then he clamps his lips together. Luke makes soothing noises, kissing Reid’s damp hair. The doctor has to repeat the rotation.

Reid looks only at Luke. They stare into each other’s eyes. Finally, the shoulder is back in the socket. Before he leaves, Luke thanks Dr. Lentz profusely, much to Reid’s annoyance.

“I would have got it right in the first rotation,” he says.

“I’m sure, but it’s kind of hard to fix your own shoulder.”

“Maybe I could have,” Reid grunts, wincing a little.

Luke rushes over and Reid lets him help with his hospital gown. Luke tries not to let his fingers shake as he carefully ties it.

“A first year intern could have done that faster. I’m going to look into replacing him. Even hurt, I could do a better job than that moron.”

Luke can’t help it. He laughs. The sound fills the room and Luke cups his hand over mouth, his laugh sounding close to a hysterical sob. He can’t explain it to Reid, but for the first time all day, Luke feels slightly better because Reid’s complaining, bragging, being an ass. Being Reid. Luke loves him more than he can say. He inhales Reid’s scent, feels his skin.

Reid raises his eyebrows at him. “Glad to see my situation amuses you.”

Later, they call in a specialist to examine Reid’s wound, the one the paramedics fixed, the one that Sawyer made with such cruel deliberation. Sawyer cut him, without anesthesia, with a surgeon’s precision. The doctor explains to Luke that Reid will have a scar, right above his kidney, but that the organ itself was not touched, and unlike Luke’s own scar, Reid’s can easily be fixed with plastic surgery down the road.

Reid sleeps through the exam, and Luke stays near. His other injuries are all minor bruises coupled with exhaustion, and Reid will recover from those in a few days, but for now, he needs rest and they give him some drugs to help him sleep and for the pain. Everyone urges Luke to go home and rest too, but Luke refuses to leave. He curls up on a chair, watching over Reid. Luke watches every breath. Reid is not meant to look like this. He’s not supposed to be this vulnerable.

Luke’s Uncle Jack stands in the doorway the next morning, and hands Luke some papers.

“What’s this?”

“Sawyer’s real name. Turns out he was a Dr. Chandler, and get this. He went to medical school with Reid, competed and lost some big grant to him. So maybe he’s hated Reid for years, you know?”

“I can’t believe it. When I checked his background, it all looked legitimate.”

Jack nods. “He’s good. We uncovered more. Chandler has a history of risky operations; he lost his medical license a few years back. And the unidentified woman we found in the woods this past week? Turns out that she was Chandler’s sister and he had been experimenting on her too.”

“What’s gonna happen to him?” Luke casts a look in Reid’s direction. He’s sleeping easily, his face, which is usually so guarded, is relaxed, his mouth parted slightly.

Jack taps Luke’s arm. “We have him now. He’ll get jail time or end up in some first rate mental hospital. Either way, he’ll be gone a long, long time.”

Luke thanks him and as Jack leaves, Luke goes back to Reid, taking his hand, looking down at Reid’s lean, capable fingers. Luke raises Reid’s hand to his lips and kisses each one.

When Reid wakes up the next day Luke is right there. So are the other Snyders. Reid seems startled and touchingly embarrassed by all the fussing over him, but Luke doesn’t care. He wants Reid to know that he is part of the Snyder family-his family.

When they’re gone, Luke just stares at Reid, taking in every part of his face, his body. Reid’s face looks a little emaciated, his jaw sharper than normal, but his eyes look clear, and Luke knows his blood pressure, which had dipped down low, is back up to normal.

“Hey,” Reid snaps his fingers in front of Luke’s face. “I’m not going to vanish. Sawyer is on his way to the nut house for a long time. Relax.”

“No, I know,” Luke forces a bright smile, running his hand over the back of his neck. “You’re doing great.” Luke nods his head vigorously, bobbing it up and down, grinning as big as he possibly can. “I’m so proud of you. You are tough, brave, Reid. God. And Dr. Lentz says your shoulder will be fine, you’ll be cutting open a brain in no time at all and you can get rid of the scar with some minor plastic surgery, and I think the staff actually misses your grim face wandering the hallway, they told me -”

“Luke,” Reid says, cutting him off. “It’s okay.” Reid’s eyes focus on him steadily, softening, and just like that the smile Luke is desperately trying to maintain slips away.

Luke takes a big inhalation of air. He forgets sometimes, that he doesn’t have to work so hard-not with Reid. They’ve always known what Reid once called “the important parts” of each other.

Reid peels back his blanket and pats the space next to him on the bed, and Luke climbs in, grateful. Their noses are close as they lay face to face, foreheads touching. Luke keeps very still, one hand pressing on the beating pulse of Reid’s neck. He nestles his body next to Reid’s, closing his eyes, feeling the warmth of Reid’s body, the rhythm of his heart, and finally, Luke is able to rest.

A few days later, Reid’s released from Memorial. Luke holds his hand, walking him slowly inside the house. They enter their bedroom, and Reid sinks heavily down on the bed.

“Home” Reid says, “Thank God. Those hospital sheets were killing me.”

“Home,” Luke smiles back, putting down his suitcase. Luke fluffs Reid’s pillow and goes back and forth from the bedroom to the kitchen, fetching him some oatmeal and tea, and some magazines and-

“Luke,” Reid says firmly. “Sit down with me.”

“No, no I’m fine. What can I do? Please, Reid. There must be something? Juice? An extra blanket? What? Tell me?”

Reid rolls his eyes, the gesture so familiar, it makes Luke’s chest ache.

“How about some real food? Or better yet. Get me some of Lucinda’s. Lobster tails. Caviar. Whatever you rich people eat to celebrate getting out of the hospital.”

Luke purses his lips. “Be serious.”

“I am serious. You know how much I like dating a rich man. But that private room you had me in at Memorial was kind of shabby. How about next time a psycho comes to Oakdale and kidnaps me, and I’m sure it will be before Christmas, you get one of those plasma televisions in the intensive care wing?”

Luke shakes his head. “Are you done?”

“Are you?” Reid’s blue eyes drill into him, making Luke squirm.

Luke understands what he means. Ever since Reid opened his eyes, Luke has been running around jumping through hoops, and desperately apologizing to him, or trying to apologize. But every time Luke begins to stammers out an “I’m sorry, can you forgive me?” Reid cuts him off, saying, “Don’t keep asking me such stupid questions.”

Meeting Reid’s eyes now, Luke sighs. “Done.”

Luke moves to the bed and scoots his body close to Reid’s.

***

Reid lies back on the couch, his feet up, happy to finally be home. His stomach is full from the feast that Emma delivered a few hours ago. If he wasn’t in love with Luke, he might have fallen for Emma and her pie, especially after the steady diet of Jello and soup at the hospital.

Luke’s finally letting him eat some real food. Thank God. All last week, Luke had played nurse, fetching him ice chips and hovering. Reid doesn’t mind some TLC, not from Luke, but his nursing skills he could have skipped happily. Luke is one lousy nurse. He was the only “nurse” at Memorial who wasn’t afraid of Reid, and what good was that? It had been a week of Luke in charge of Reid’s every move.

“Suck this.” He’d say insistently, normally words Reid loved coming out of Luke’s mouth, but not when he’s giving him prune juice. Or “Eat,” Luke would order, holding a plastic spoon of mushy oatmeal to Reid’s lips.

“No.” Reid had spat it out, but Luke would just shove another spoon at his mouth, giving him no choice but to chew.

“It’s good for you. You need to build your strength up.”

“I’m a doctor. I’m the Chief of Staff. I think I know what’s good for-” Reid had sputtered, oatmeal dripping down his chin. “Luke!”

“Couldn’t hear you,” Luke had said cheerfully. “You were saying?”

Even the sponge bath had been more embarrassing than erotic. Reid only agreed to allow Luke to do it because the idea of a nurse bathing him had seemed like a worse alternative. At first, Reid liked it. Luke touching him all over was never a bad thing, but then Luke began to vigorously scrub his skin almost raw, from his feet to his armpits to the tips of his ears.

“Are you planning to diaper me next?” Reid had complained.

“If needed,” Luke had answered. “Now roll to your side.”

“Why people think I’m the bossy one and not you-”

“Roll.”

Just as Reid had turned, ass to the door, Nurse Gretchen had come in with his pain medication.

“I’m so sorry, Chief Oliver!” She’d certainly sounded sorry.

“Get the hell out,” Reid had barked. Once the door closed, he rolled back and threw the damn sponge right at Luke’s laughing head.

But Reid had gotten Luke back. After Luke had confessed to feeling a strange throbbing in his scar area over the last few weeks, Reid had insisted on having Luke’s kidney examined, and Luke hated every minute of the exam. His kidney, much to Reid’s relief, was fine, even the skin around the scar was normal. Satisfied, Reid had chalked the whole thing up to Luke’s overly dramatic imagination.

“Why did you ever think of taking that pill, anyway?” Reid had said. “Like I want you perfect? I can’t think of anything more boring than a perfect body. What’s there to look at?” He’d given Luke a stern glance as his nephrologist finished Luke’s examination and left. “And to be clear, you’re not perfect, even if you fixed that scar.”

“What’s that mean?” Luke pouted.

“Your body has other flaws. For instance, you can’t seem to ever grow a beard, yet have an abundance of chest hair. You have dimples, which really belong to a six year old. Your second toe on your left foot is bigger than your first. You never tan, and don’t even get me started on your hair.” Reid smiled at him quickly, and then grunted at the impact as Luke launched his body into Reid’s arms.

“Love you,” Luke said into Reid’s neck.

“I love you,” Reid said easily back. And he does love Luke, every individual part, every flaw and every
attribute, inside and out.

Looking around their house, Reid pats his belly contentedly. He returns to his work, reading over some recent cases Memorial has dealt with in his absence, making notes, a pencil tapping impatiently in his hand. He can’t wait to officially get back to work. God knows, the clowns he calls his staff are running the place into the ground.

As far as what happened, for Reid it’s like some distant nightmare. He was plummeting, lights glaring over his head, his body flailing, his lungs aching. But that’s all he recalls-sensations. Chandler speaking words that made no sense, drowning, drowning in pain. The memory feels more like a shadow than a reality. Reid can remember the way he felt hot and clammy and cold all at once, that he’d wanted to vomit or maybe he had vomited, and the smell of the cellar was like wet earth and blood. He knows a hot jet of piss ran down his legs, when his shoulder was yanked out of its socket, and noises like braying sounds, animal noises, came out his mouth. He remembers being breathless and queasy, and thinking, almost detachedly, that he was about to die. And then-

He remembers attempting to open his eyes at Luke’s voice, and feeling Luke touching him everywhere. His head was swimming and he hurt like hell. As he finally gazed at Luke, Reid’s heart felt smashed against his ribcage. Reid had wanted to warn Luke to get the hell out. Run. He wanted to grab Luke and haul him away. All that he knew in that moment was that Luke must not be hurt. He remembers opening his lips to tell him, but only a muted sound of terror had come out. Then Luke was reassuring him, and Reid slowly had become aware of other voices in the room. Margo. Jack. Reid remembers wanting to put his hand up to Luke’s face, but his arm was numb. “Still here,” he said finally, his voice creaky, and the expression on Luke’s face had made Reid’s heart twist.

Reid never, ever wants Luke to look like that again.

After Lentz manipulated his shoulder, Reid was given painkillers and had drifted off to sleep, only to wake with a dozen Snyders huddled around him, a sight more frightening than Chandler. Luke had eventually kicked his family out and Reid had tried to stay conscious, but he couldn’t fight off his exhaustion. Later, in the dark hospital room, Reid stirred again, hearing the sounds of a nurse walking by outside his door. Reid felt awful. His head throbbed, side ached, nausea churned in his stomach, his feet felt like ice, and he was certain his skin was as pale as a ghost. Reid turned and found Luke’s head nestled at his back, his breath warm against the nape of Reid’s neck, his arms encircling him tightly, even as Luke’s legs awkwardly dangled off the bed. Reid shifted slightly to make more room for Luke’s body, pulling him closer, but the motion had woken Luke up.

“You okay?” Luke asked. “Are you in pain-” Reid had cut him off with a kiss. He knew his mouth probably tasted like crap, and his stubble rasped at Luke’s skin, but he didn’t care.

“Never better,” Reid had said, and the strange thing was that looking into Luke’s concerned eyes, Reid meant it. Luke’s mouth wobbled as he smiled, running his hands softly down Reid’s body.

“Luke,” Reid sighed, nuzzling the crook of his warm neck. “Why are you still here? I mean, it’s okay for you to go home.”

“It’s not home, not without you there.”

“Oh.” Reid blinked hard.

“Yeah,” Luke reached for him. Reid used to think that ultimately a person is alone in the world. He thought good things happened or bad, but people came and went regardless. Luke has taught him better. Luke has taught him what forever means.

“I suppose you can stay.”

“Really? Good.” Luke snuggled against him. “ Cause I wasn’t going anyhow.”

“Stubborn,” Reid chided.

“Concerned.”

Reid grunted at that, feeling warm and happy to be the center of Luke’s attention. He was damn lucky and he knew it. Reid stared deeply into Luke’s eyes, then let them travel slowly down his features like a caress. They lay back down together, face to face, and within moments, Luke had settled into a deep sleep, his mouth relaxed.

Reid scowls now, scribbling a note in the corner of the page, and he can feel Luke watching him, but that’s nothing new. Since the incident with Chandler, Luke is often hovering near him. Luke only leaves him to make some food or take a shower, and he’s always back in record time. Usually, Reid can’t kick Luke’s ass out of the shower. He knows it will be a sign that Luke is better, the day he lingers in the hot steam. Reid hears Luke say his name softly, and Reid grunts.

“What?” he isn’t looking at him yet. He expects that Luke’s face will be all scrunched up in concern, studying Reid like a lab rat, looking for any weakness. Reid focuses for one more moment on his work. Really, he needs to fire the entire nursing staff at Memorial, and half the doctors.

“I want to make love with you.”

Reid swallows, his throat moving convulsively, the pencil stopping in the air. “What?” Reid feels like he’s hurtling into the air, flying off a cliff. “What’d you just say?”

Luke shrugs, smiles shyly. “It’s been two weeks. Two weeks! We’ve never gone that long since, well, since the first time.”

Reid holds back from reminding Luke that waiting to have sex had been all his idea. “You’re not worried about my recovery?” Reid narrows his eyes.

“You look pretty healthy to me today,” Luke answers. Luke walks to him and places his hands on both sides of Reid’s face. “I want to make love.” His blushes, but he meets Reid’s eyes determinedly.

Reid puts his hand over Luke’s. “We always do.”

Luke gasps, his grin turning unsteady, and his eyes fill unexpectedly. Reid figures it’s all the stress and exhaustion from the Chandler nightmare making Luke’s emotions go haywire, because Luke, despite his sensitivity, never really cries. He rubs at his eyes now, trying to control himself, blinking them back hard, which only makes Reid feel like his insides have turned as soft as the damn Jello he’s been eating at Memorial.

“Just don’t expect me to start writing you sonnets in bed or bringing you flowers or any of that junk, and the last slice of Emma’s pie that’s in our fridge is still mine.” Reid releases Luke’s hand and gives his face a friendly swat.

Luke shakes his head, and says nothing, his eyes wet. Reid smiles faintly and catches one of Luke’s tears with his fingertip. Before Luke, the only word he’d ever used was fucking. It was the word that fit. But not anymore. Not that he’s going to get all mushy about it, but Reid can admit it, man up, and call it what it is- making love. Reid’s smile broadens, spreading slowly over his face. It’s right. It’s accurate. It’s exactly what he feels about Luke.

They face each other on the couch, and slowly undress. Luke presses kisses against Reid’s chest for every button he undoes, and Reid threads his fingers in Luke’s silky hair. He runs his palm down his face and circles the nape of his neck. Luke whispers sweet things to him, and his words send electric currents down Reid’s back right to his balls. Reid lurches against him, needing Luke’s mouth, his lips seal on his own, and he feels a clink of their teeth as they come together, their tongues sliding gently back and forth.

Reid holds Luke’s face, stroking it, and Luke opens his eyes. He has a sensual, almost hypnotic expression on his face, making Reid feel like Luke can read his every thought, know his every emotion like an open book. Reid sucks in a sharp breath, and kisses Luke again, his mouth straining for more. They pause to kick off their clothes, both of them fully naked and studying each other, breathing loud and fast already in similar rhythms. Luke’s palms move down Reid’s torso. He licks at Reid’s neck, bites his shoulder, gyrates his hips toward him. Reid can almost taste Luke’s cock in his mouth. His jaw muscle tenses at the thought, and thin fluid coats his dick.

Luke stretches his hips up, giving Reid a glimpse of his balls tight and full; groaning, Reid’s lips move down his body, sucking and nipping as he makes a path toward Luke’s cock. Reid’s mouth stops though as he grazes Luke’s scar, and for once, Luke doesn’t push him away, doesn’t tense up, and Reid sucks at it gently. Luke’s mouth opens in a soundless cry. Reid sucks the scar again, his tongue tracing the jagged line. Their eyes focus on each other, as Luke slides down to return the gesture, dotting tender kisses at Reid’s fresh scar, careful not to hurt him.

Luke is fully erect, pearls of pre-cum at his tip, his nipples hard buds, and his skin slightly flushed. A smile curves at Luke’s mouth, his dimples peeking through, and he gives Reid an engaging grin. Reid can’t get his own face to smile back. He stares at Luke and his eyes want to memorize Luke forever. Their cocks rub at each other, creating an unbearable friction and Reid strokes them both, tugging and pulling, until their dicks are hot and slick. Reid rubs their cocks some more, side by side, waves of pleasure and anticipation shooting through him, and Luke makes humming noises in the back of his throat.

Finally, Reid nudges Luke onto his back. He licks his shoulders all the way down to the cleft of his ass, and slowly parts Luke’s rounded cheeks, smelling his skin, his sex, his musk.

Reid feels Luke trembling as Reid’s tongue slithers at the sensitive flesh between Luke’s asshole and scrotum. He buries his face at Luke’s ass, and then starts to kiss each mound, his fingers at Luke’s hips, the sudden action wringing out a gasp from Luke, as Reid puts his tongue right at Luke’s hole.

Perspiration drips down Reid’s back, the muscles constrict in his chest and belly, but he takes his time. He licks and sucks, rimming his tongue at the sensitive pucker. Reid reaches around to stroke him, milking Luke’s seed. Reid’s tongue pushes in farther, and Luke rears up a little, groaning and writhing. Reid uses his fingers to stretch him wider, teasing Luke’s nubby gland with a few well-timed strokes that has Luke jerking his body like it’s on fire. Reid pulls away and Luke cries out in protest at his suddenly empty hole.

“I want to see you,” Reid says simply, and he flips Luke around and begins licking the head of his cock.

“Gonna come,” Luke pants out, his groin twitching at Reid’s lips. “Now.” Luke yanks Reid’s hair painfully, and wriggles all around. “Right now.”

“So come,” Reid murmurs, rubbing his jaw over the sensitive crown, and then taking Luke’s dick all the way into his mouth. A tremor rushes through Luke as Reid sucks.

Reid rolls Luke’s balls with one hand, pressing into the damp skin behind them, and sucks harder. His finger returns to Luke’s pucker, pushing in toward his sweet spot again and Luke explodes, hitting the back of Reid’s throat with ropey lines of cum.

Shivering, Luke collapses. Reid makes his way up Luke’s body and captures his mouth in a kiss. Luke is still breathing hard and Reid kisses his way to the tender skin of Luke’s ear. “Love you,” Reid says. His own dick is at Luke’s hip, throbbing.

In answer, Luke twists his legs up and over Reid’s shoulders. Their eyes latch on to each other, their bodies both glistening with sweat as Reid positions his cock and thrusts into Luke possessively. Needy grunts escape Reid’s lips as he feels Luke’s heat clutch him in welcome. Slowing down, Reid fists Luke’s half-hard dick to stiffness again. He moves inside of Luke in long sensual strokes. He looks down to where his cock disappears into Luke, joining them. Nothing in the world is better than right now.
They kiss, devouring each other’s tongues. Luke touches the side of Reid’s face, and hoarsely calls his name.

Reid picks up his speed, rocking Luke’s entire body with his thrusts. Finally, Reid angles his cock to glide right over Luke’s swollen prostrate again, and when he finds it, Luke gives a strangled cry, coming for the second time. Reid feels his own orgasm roaring through his body, as he plunges inside of Luke, and the orgasm is so intense for Reid, for a moment the room whirls, and all he sees are white, blinding lights. Then he falls on top of Luke, gasping, his cock empty, his mind blank.

“Jesus,” Reid swears. Luke rubs his back in gentle circles. He takes Luke’s other hand, lacing Luke’s fingers with his own, his body beyond sated, and Reid gives Luke one last kiss on his bruised lips. They don’t move. As far as Reid’s concerned, he may not move until Thanksgiving, when Luke no doubt will plead for him to go to the next big Snyder shindig, especially since the Halloween party was cancelled, and Reid already knows he will put up a fight and then agree, but only for Emma’s turkey and mashed potatoes and her pumpkin pie. Luke kisses Reid’s neck, looking up at him, a sweet smile on his face.

Okay, Reid acknowledges to himself, he might go for reasons other than the food.

“I want you to know,” Reid says casually. “I’ve decided to keep my scar. No way am I letting some incompetent idiot get his hands on my body for some write up in a half-baked medical journal.” Reid keeps his gaze on Luke.

“Are you sure?”

Reid raises his eyebrows. “I’m always sure.”

With a wordless exclamation, Luke wraps Reid in his arms, burying his face in the narrow space between Reid’s neck and shoulder.

“Thanks,” Luke whispers. “For that and for letting me take care of you all week too. I really needed to do it.”

“I know that,” Reid says, stroking his hair. “And I should be the one thanking you,” he adds gruffly.

Luke looks up, beaming.

“If you keep gazing at me like that, I may have to jump your bones again.”

“Promises, promises.”

Reid glances down at their bodies; his scar is crimson-colored and hasn’t stopped throbbing since Chandler sliced him, although the line is nearly perfect. Reid has to admit, for a crazy bastard, Chandler had a surprisingly steady hand. Luke’s scar is shaped a little like a spider’s web, with several botched knots of skin, and has faded to a darker purple color resembling an old bruise. Reid wishes, not for the first time, that he could have been with Luke during his difficult years.

“I guess now we’re like twins,” Luke jokes, gesturing to the scars. “A matched set.”

Reid nods and a faint smile touches his lips. The two scars look nothing alike, but he knows just what Luke means. He covers Luke’s mouth with his own, kissing Luke’s warm, tender lips. Reid closes his eyes, surrendering to the sweet taste.

A day later, Reid gets a phone call from Jack that he considers keeping private, but then Reid remembers that he’s promised not to coddle Luke or underestimate him like his family does. He hangs up the phone and finds Luke in their living room.

“Hey,” Reid says, planting a big smile on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Luke says immediately back, his eyes on Reid’s, and he just knows Reid so well, it makes Reid stare.

“There’s been a little more news about Chandler.”

Luke huffs out a little laugh. “Will this thing ever end?” He runs a hand through his hair and purses his lips, flinging his shoulders back like a soldier about to go into battle. Reid kind of admires how sexy Luke looks like that and is momentarily distracted. “Reid? What?”

Reid keeps his eyes locked with Luke’s. “Turns out Noah met Chandler in LA. He might have sent him here.”

Reid waits. Luke looks shocked, which Reid expected, and he sees him sway. He doesn’t try and sugar coat the truth about Noah. Why should he? But he walks closer to Luke and holds his hand out.

“My God,” Luke breathes in raggedly, his hands shake as he reaches for Reid’s.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m dizzy.”

They sit down. Reid keeps his arm around Luke’s shoulders.

“I can’t believe that,” Luke says finally. “I know Noah would never send somebody to hurt me. He just wouldn’t.”

“I don’t think it was you he was trying to hurt,” Reid says. Although, as far as Reid’s concerned, Noah is more than capable of hurting Luke, if Reid counts the mental pain Noah liked to dish out. Mind fucking, the only type of fucking Noah was into, was something he’d done to Luke on a daily basis.

“No,” Luke shakes his head. “Just no.”

“Well, he denies it and there’s no real proof Noah sent him. I just wanted you to know the facts.” Reid shrugs. He won’t push it. “How about we go to Al’s? I hear there’s a special on chili tonight? “

“Reid, “Luke says. “I want to talk about this Noah thing-“

“And I’m feeling cooped up. “ Reid folds his hands at his chest and gives Luke a long look. “I need air. I feel like if I stay in the house one more day, the walls might close in. It would help me to get out of here a little.”

“I guess we can talk over some chili,” Luke concedes. He moves to grab their jackets, hanging next to each other.

“Good.” Reid plans to keep the food coming fast, so there won’t be time for conversation. Maybe he’ll hold Luke’s hand or surprise him with a kiss. He understands that Luke needs to believe in Mayer’s innocence. But Reid doubts they’ve seen the last of Noah. A frown crosses his face as he follows Luke to the front door and he carefully locks up their house.

Reid’s scar is burning, ever so slightly.