*****PG13*****
“What a day,” Luke stretched out, playfully nudging Reid’s leg with his foot. He was rewarded with amused twinkling blue eyes.
“Feeling neglected, are we?” Reid put away his magazine and stretched out too.
“Just connecting,” Luke grinned and Reid spread his arm, so Luke could nestle himself against his doctor.
“So…connect,” Reid teased, “Oh wait… I haven’t asked you about that talk with the contractor guy you had. He looked very startled when I showed up.”
“He was,” Luke chuckled, reliving that strange encounter in the kitchen that morning. “He didn’t know you were working at home.”
“Obviously. He looked kinda guilty.”
“I’m sure he did. He had just made some awkward confession and we were talking about that when you came in for coffee. I think he died a little.”
“Ah, I like confessions,” Reid raised his eyebrow, “or am I not allowed to know…”
“You know I don’t keep secrets from you…”
“Confession sounds kinda private, though…” Reid softly pulled one of Luke’s locks, “And it’s okay…I don’t feel threatened.”
“Hmmm,” Luke let his finger wander over Reid’s bare chest, “maybe you should…I mean…he is mumbling my name in his sleep…”
That had Reid’s full attention. “He what?”
“I know…weird, huh? In his defense…it freaked him out too.”
“But how did he know?”
“Waylon told him.”
“Ah,” Reid frowned, “that doesn’t make it true, does it? Maybe our guilt stricken husband was looking for a stick to beat his partner.”
“True…” Luke said pensively, “but apparently Waylon has a lot of faults, but lying doesn’t seem to be one of them.”
“Hmmm,” Reid didn’t sound convinced.
“And Dave did admit that he’d had some fantasies about me…”
“No surprise there,” Reid’s frown deepened. Teasing Luke with the obvious admiration of his contractor had been fun, but he started to feel a little uncomfortable now. Having a crush was one thing. Telling the object of your affection about it, was a whole other story.
“He didn’t tell me to test the water,” Luke smiled at him, “More to make sure I would hear it from him…”
“Ah,” that made sense, “he’s afraid hubby is gonna stir up trouble…”
“Exactly. Although there might still be a chance for those two…”
Reid’s fingers stopped massaging Luke’s skull.
“What? You’re kidding!”
“Nope. Apparently this tragedy made them open up about the frustrations and anger and it cleared the air. At least enough to feel some hope again.”
“That’s…something,” Reid shook his head in bafflement.
“I know. I was in shock too. Especially because Dave had told me that Waylon had found some guy to…you know…”
“Fuck,” Reid said calmly, making Luke chuckle.
“Exactly.”
“And Dave is giving this guy a second run? Really?”
“Wouldn’t you?” Luke pushed himself up a little, so he could look in Reid’s eyes. “You wouldn’t even discuss it? You would pull the plug?”
Reid looked even more stunned now.
“You have to ask? I’m taking this commitment very seriously and I expect the same from you. So breaching the trust in that way…deliberately jeopardizing what we have together…yeah, I think I’d pull the plug.”
When he saw Luke smile, he calmed down and raised his eyebrow.
“You had any doubts?”
“Not really,” Luke shrugged, “but that old insecurity started whispering again. I mean…I’ve been basically raised on affairs. You might even call me the result of one, although my mother and Holden weren’t officially together when she met Damian. But having an affair almost feels like a matter of course, especially in this town. Inextricably bound up with marriage…”
“Good thing we’re not married then,” Reid snorted, pulling Luke close. “But I hear you and I agree. It’s like the new norm. Something to expect when you’re in a relationship…I really don’t get it and it’s definitely not my norm.”
“I know. Nor mine. I already have the best.”
“Exactly,” Reid grinned.
“But I guess Waylon’s situation was different. After Tristan’s accident, he was pretty sure his marriage was over.”
“True. That’s the danger of assuming…”
“I guess,” Luke smiled, “but Dave looked more at peace than I expected, so I think that’s an unexpected bonus. That they can grieve together.”
“Yeah, tragedy can do that,” Reid’s hand started an explorative expedition over Luke’s body, “and I sure hope things work out for them. That will keep his mind off of you…”
“Ah, so you were a little threatened…”
Reid looked Luke in the eyes.
“Not really. I mean, look at you. Any guy in his right mind would have a crush on you…” Reid softly bit in Luke’s earlobe, “…even the straight ones.”
They both chuckled.
“I’m glad you think so,” Luke whispered, moving in for a soft and slow kiss, “and I’m glad you trust me.”
He flinched a little when he noticed Reid touching his ring and that gesture catapulted him back to that moment he thought he’d lost Reid. His own jealous fit, when he’d seen Reid and Gary hug, and the anger that made him give back his ring to Reid. It felt like ages ago, but for some reason also very present.
“It’s still there, isn’t it?” Luke whispered and Reid looked startled.
“What is?”
“The memory. Me, returning the ring.”
The sparkle left Reid’s eyes. Suddenly he looked tired and sad.
“Sometimes.”
“What triggered it this time?”
“You being glad I trust you, I guess.”
“Because it reminded you of that moment that I didn’t trust you.”
“Right.” Reid’s sigh was deep and then he shrugged. “I just… I don’t know… I was in shock. I just didn’t understand why you would even consider that I would do something like that.”
“But you understand now, don’t you?” Luke forced himself to stay calm.
“I do. It’s what you said before: you’ve been raised on affairs, so that’s what you expected.”
“Back then I did,” Luke whispered and it made Reid smile.
“I know. I see the change, Luke, I really do. But I guess the impact was big enough to leave some persistent scars.”
“They will heal,” the confidence was evident, “because I will never open them up again.”
“I know,” the warmth of their bodies made Reid sleepy and he smiled in Luke’s hair. “And no handsome contractor can interfere.”
“Exactly,” Luke whispered and then came up a little. “You think Dave is handsome?”
“I do,” Reid looked confused. “He is. Not hot, but yeah, handsome. His husband…that’s the hot one.”
Luke recognized the tease and grinned.
“I don’t feel threatened,” he repeated Reid’s earlier remark.
“Good,” Reid pulled him back in, “because he’s just a spark, compared to your fire…”
And Luke proved him right.
