Two amateurs might become experts - FFF related Part 1
Title: Two amateurs might become experts
author: scotianova
warning: sexual content (mild), not revised
AN: It's been a while since I managed to write something, and this piece is related to two FFF-prompts.
I am happy if you enjoy :)
Luke pressed his cheek against the smooth, sweaty skin, concentrating on the strong steady heartbeats close to his ear, he gently traced the sparse copper hair encircling the small, firm rosy nipple.
A soft content sigh coming from those delicious lips was his reward.
“You’re such a cuddler…thought so.” The baritone chuckled but Luke knew he didn’t mind.
“You’re a cuddler too …only I didn’t think so in the first place.”
He smiled against Reid’s skin and underlined his utter sense of wellbeing with a gentle kiss on said nipple.
“Yeah, I know I might leave that kind of impression - sometimes.”
Reid replied and buried his nose in Luke’s soft hair, inhaling the mix of shampoo, sweat and Luke and he seemed to share Luke’s contentment:
“Your hair smells good - and so does that entire YOU.” He added kissing Luke’s tousled locks.
Luke hummed something unintelligible, and it didn’t matter which melody float around in his head - it was just an expression of sheer bliss. He didn’t remember the last time he’d felt better, more content, more at ease and more accepted than right now.
He was so happy, that he’d taken the risk and come here - not knowing what would happen.
It had been a typical crazy Luke-move, taking the risk to invade Dr. Reid Oliver’s life - he’d met ‘him only a month ago - on a sad day, a very sad day actually.
Luke had come back home from New York to attend Bob Hughes funeral. Well, Bob Hughes’ death hadn’t come out of the blue. Since the nice doctor had retired many years ago, he hadn’t been his old self anymore. Somehow - retiring had made him fade away.
Having been a very popular doctor and a good man, countless people had come to pay their last respect to Bob, a lot of eulogies were delivered, weird ones and good ones.
The one Luke liked best came from a colleague, who had been asked by Kim to say something to honor Bob.
“I met Bob at a conference ages ago - he tried to coax - or actually it was more like coerce or even bribe me - to join his staff at Memorial. Fortunately I was still Alzheimer-free, therefore I stayed where I belonged - at Presbyterian in New York. I am not sure if he ever forgave me - and although he and I couldn’t be more different, despite he was married countless times and I am a confirmed bachelor, despite he changed his opinion as often as I change my socks … we became friends anyway. Good friends. His wife Kim asked me to say something about him - from an external perspective. But what could I say that you all don’t know anyway? He was a nice, a kind doctor, and more a father figure than a professional chief of staff. We disagreed a lot, yet we respected, even liked each other and I have to admit: The world is poorer without him.”
Luke had smiled at the doctor’s words - his little speech was different in a good way.
He was probably forty-something Luke assumed. And he was attractive. Slim, his dark blond- reddish short curls were highlighted by a few cheeky gray streaks, but his face looked young, a bit boyish even - at least when he smiled at the end of his speech. It was obvious that he wasn’t comfortable with standing there in front of the funeral party - but refusing Kim’s request surely hadn’t been an option.
Later the day Luke noticed the doctor slipping away from the reception after he’d scarfed down two large helpings of food, before Luke had had the opportunity to get talking to him. He would have liked that - considering the doctor lived in New York just like him.
Too bad, that the curly bailed out so early.
So Luke made conversation with people he knew - unfortunately his family wasn’t in Oakdale lately, his parents were on a business trip in France, and his siblings were indispensable too. Casey needed to take care of his grandmother so Luke finally took a leave and stopped by at Yo’s since he wasn’t tired yet.
Leaning at the counter, he oversaw the room, wondering if he’d find a familiar face. What could he say? He was a people’s person and he didn’t want to be alone tonight. He was coming from a funeral and life was short, so he needed company!
Sipping his drink he looked around and almost missed the new arrival. But he didn’t and was even so lucky, that his object of interest dropped himself on the stool next to him and ordered a beer. While wondering how to start a conversation Luke listened to the silent, content moans coming from the doctor’s throat swallowing the cold golden liquid.
Well, it was a muggy day; Luke sympathized with the thirsty man and noticed that he’d obviously changed since he wasn’t wearing his suit anymore but black jeans and a short-sleeved light-blue shirt.
“Thirsty?”
Either the addressee didn’t hear Luke’s question or he ignored him deliberately.
“Hi. I’m Luke.” He tried again.
Not the most sophisticated way to introduce yourself to a stranger but at least a straightforward one.
“Who asked?”
“Obviously - not you…”
“So, why are you telling me then?”
“Because I know that you are Dr. Reid Oliver so I am at an advantage over you.”
Luke grinned and got Reid Oliver’s eyebrows raising to his hairline in return.
“I was at the funeral today -listened to your little speech. I liked it, it was pithily.”
“Lucky me…”
“Huh?”
“I am thrilled that you liked my speech - since I m a professional speechwriter.”
Luke laughed at that and surprisingly enough the cranky doctor joined shortly after.
“…You know, I have known Bob Hughes my entire life, I grew up here. It’s weird to know he is no more.”
“You can say that, death is ‘weird’… and so is life.”
“Meaning?”
“…nothing. Forget about it.”
After Reid Oliver’s third beer Luke renewed his attempt to engage the uncommunicative guy in conversation:
“Usually… Are you a cranky, an aggressive, melancholic or a funny drunk?” He asked and was surprised that Reid Oliver didn’t shoot back another cranky reply but chuckled:
“No - actually I am a touchy drunk. So keep your distance in case you’ve made a vow of chastity!”
Luke choked on Reid’s bluntness, but managed to return:
“I am only chaste on Mondays.”
“Good to know…I always work late on Mondays - so I won’t yearn for you unnecessarily.”
After that both seemed unsure what to say next therefore both looked anywhere but at each other and that well-known wavering tension of possible options spread between them.
They were grown gay men, out and didn’t need to pretend being clueless about what was going on. Both of them were in a weird, sentimental mood, they were needy and might have liked to be distracted.
After another two beers, some mutual innuendos, flirting, suggestive smiles, shy smiles, crooked smiles and huge ones, however it was Reid who pulled the ripcord out of the blue.
Silently groaning he murmured:
“I guess it’s time for me - I am tired and …“ he hesitated for a second, “… and drunk. Not a wise state to continue our ‘conversation’.”
“Oh…” Luke’s disappointment was unmistakable.
So Reid turned to him and looked him in the eye - openly and honestly - and said:
“Look, you’re a hot guy, and normally…but unfortunately you remind me of someone …let’s say … well, let’s say… someone I was supposed to forget, so it’s a very bad idea to take this -“ Reid made a gesture including the space between the two of them “to take this somewhere else.”
“He hurt you.” Luke refused to let him go so easily.
Reid took a deep breath.
“You can say that again - but most of all, I hurt myself. Those attacks of stupidity and pathetic illusions still make me nauseous sometimes. It’s always the mistakes you make yourself that hurt most and keep bothering you longer than the one who caused them, right?”
“What kind of mistakes did you make?”
Luke asked calmly and placed a glass of water he’d silently ordered in front of Reid who understood the supportive gesture without words and gulped it down.
Meeting strange people at funeral is a bit like sharing a train compartment on a long journey, you know, you’re probably never going to meet them again, so it’s so much easier to open up and finally unload some of those burdens that are clinging to you way too long.
“I regressed, at the age of 38 I suddenly acted like a 15 year old, suffered from unhealthily increased heart rate, dry mouth, unable to from sentences that would have made sense, starry eyes, and started fantasizing of walks in the park and dinners for two, hoping that it could work with this guy, that love could work, that…I simply managed the nine yards whole…whatever…”
“What happened?”
“Nothing unusual, I guess. I wanted to believe that he answered my feelings, but he didn’t - at least not the way I hoped he would. The day I told him I was considering accepting a job offer in the town he lived he asked me to reconsider… it might be too soon to make that kind of decision - two weeks later he dumped me to reunite with his ex who’d treated him like dirt for years. Well, learning that I couldn’t even measure up to a guy who treated him like a servant, pushed him away over and over again… was a hell of a lesson for my ego.”
And after a short break:
“The worst of all - I should have known, I should have trusted my first impression, that he was a spoiled brat who couldn’t accept that he was rejected by his so called great love. He had to try once again to win him back. He even had the audacity to contact me after they broke up for good - months later.”
“What did you do then?”
“I ignored him. I don’t have a reputation to make the same mistake twice.”
“And then?”
“Well, I concentrated on what I can best, on my professional life. There I am an expert and not a clueless amateur.”
“What about me does remind you of him?”
Luke had to ask.
Reid was silent for a moment before he finally answered, soft and Luke sensed Reid’s upcoming sadness that was still connected to being reminded of his lost love.
“He had those deep soulful eyes - like a pool of freshly made chocolate - and a smile that just took my breath away…”
“Oh…I am sorry.”
“For what?” Reid asked - confused.
“For me reminding you of him, for a guy breaking your heart…”
“… an organ he accused me to lack…” Reid added a bit absentmindedly but continued:
“It’s not your fault! BUT, as I said before - the both of us hooking up - that would be a very bad idea!
Therefore I wish you a very good night, Mr. Luke. … And thank you for bearing the sentimental, drunk version of me.”
Luke wanted him to stay, to talk, to get to know him better, maybe even to take him with him and make out with him… he was sad too, and lonely and admittedly horny, and the older doctor was hot like hell. But looking him in his sad eyes Luke knew he was supposed to let him go.
“Goodbye, Reid. It was nice to meet you.”
With that he leaned in, cupped the stunned doctor’s pretty face and pressed his lips firmly on that beautiful mouth.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you for the entire time, the first moment you opened your mouth to say something.”
He whispered, gently searched those blue eyes for a message indicating the doctor wanted him to stay, but recognizing vulnerability he slowly and deliberately exhaled and nodded.
“It’s not the right time - I see! Take care, beautiful Reid Oliver.”
And who knew - maybe it was a good thing that Luke hadn’t told Reid about his own pathetic past love life and his desperate attempts to save a relationship that was unstable from the beginning. If anything Luke would say he was a bloody amateur either, when it came to fulfilling love, but Luke always had been the one not to give up, but willing to learn and open up to new experiences.
Part 2: http://scotianova.livejournal.com/61532.html