The TV in Katie's living room was blaring a loud baseball game. With her and the Kid out, he could turn it up as loud as he wanted, if only to shove aside the torturous visions his brain contained. But the crack of baseballs on bats, the sound of cheering crowds and the annoying play by plays by the announcers weren t enough to tame his unwanted thoughts. "How the hell did this happen?" he contemplated.

"How did Dr. Reid Oliver, the biggest douche bag and most brilliant surgeon on the planet fall for some spoiled kid at least 12 years his junior?" It was a fluke. He had better things to worry about than whether the boy wanted him or not. He could think about his upcoming surgeries now that he had his license back thanks to Luke. He could think about the new neurology wing he would be heading thanks to Luke. He could think about Luke s pink lips, his chocolate brown eyes, and his golden hair. He could think about Luke s perfect ass. "Crap" He said aloud in a matter of fact tone. He hated feeling frustrated, even more so when it came to unrequited feelings.

He had done what was best for his patient and for himself. He was done trying to win the loud-mouthed man s affections when he clearly wasn't over Noah. He let Luke go. He had told him to stay by Mr. Mayer's bed side and talk to him and be there for him when he woke up; if he woke up. It broke his heart to see Luke in that room day and night, always talking to his unconscious ex-lover, holding his hand, sleeping in a chair, hunched over with his head resting on the bed next to Mr. Mayer's thigh. He had refused to sleep in the cot as not to break physical contact with the brunette man. His career allowed him to see that kind of devotion a million times between loved ones but he never experienced it firsthand himself.

His mind was forced back to the present when the doorbell rang. He reluctantly put aside his comfort food of beer and pizza, stood, brushed crumbs off his jeans and brown sweater, walked to the door and yelled as he unlocked it, "SOMEONE HAD BETTER BE DYING!"

He swung the door open to reveal the object of his infatuation. The first thing he noticed was the boy's red eyes and tearstained cheeks. He looked exhausted. His hands were shoved in his jean pockets and he was shivering a bit. Reid's heart skipped a beat with worry. Luke looked up at him through a curtain of blonde hair, with terribly conflicted eyes and opened his mouth to say something. Nothing came out. He tried again. His lips moved and he forced out the sound "I " but his mouth shut and then he quit trying to speak. Reid knew it wasn t about Noah. If he was dead, he would have been paged. If he were awake, he would have been paged. Whatever it was, all the pressure Luke had on his shoulders had finally broken him.

Every nerve in his body screamed at him to reach out the hold the boy. So he did.

He stepped out on the porch and wrapped his arms around Luke. His right arm snaked itself around Luke's neck, his fingers massaging his scalp and his left arm went around his waist, brining their bodies flush against each other. The instant he was in Reid's grip, Luke melted. As Luke swung his arms around Reid's back and held onto his sweater for dear life, he felt the younger man collapse against him and let out a breath it seemed he d been holding for months. His blood ran hot when he heard Luke let out a soft "Reid" against his neck. Keeping his long arms around Luke's waist and shoulders, Reid ushered the weary boy into the house.

Reid grabbed the blonde's face between his hands and with a cautious and curious tone asked, "Luke, why are you here?"

"I..." Luke couldn t get the words out. He eyes were unfocused, busily roaming around Reid's face but also absent at the same time as if his mind was a million miles away trying to find the correct answer. All Reid could ascertain was that Luke's eyes were getting cloudy and his face was beginning to scrunch up. "Crap." he inwardly cringed.

Reid pleaded "Don t cry. I can t stand to see you cry Luke." The admission only made Luke's tears come faster. They rolled down his cheeks as the doctor looked on in fear. His mind raced with ways to stop the crying, all the while wondering what his presence meant. He worried that Luke was only here out of his anxiety over Noah. But his doubts were overshadowed when, on an instinct that he only had when it came to the vulnerable boy, he pulled Luke in for a crushing hug and whispered a soothing "shhh" into his ear, all the while stroking his blonde hair and rubbing circles into his back. Again, in the midst of being held by the redhead, Luke breathed out "Reid" and nothing else.

He noted that Luke obviously hadn't showered in a couple of days. Reid pulled out of the hug, eliciting a whimper from the boy. "Luke, listen to me." Luke's eyes focused on his face. "Are you listening?" Luke nodded his head. "Good" Reid smiled. "You smell really bad so you re going to take a shower." Luke cracked a small grin at the doctor's candidness. Taking that as a sign of encouragement, Reid continued. "Then you are going to sleep." He paused. "In my bed. Got it?" Again, Luke nodded.

Reid had never heard Luke so quiet before. He didn t like it. He not only wanted answers but he wanted to hear the voice that made his pulse race. Reid gave Luke some towels and some old clothes he pulled out of his dresser and directed Luke to the bathroom. While he was showing, Reid let himself think about why Luke was here and everything it could possibly mean. He hoped it was because he had finally chosen new love over first love. But his common sense told him it was because he was guilty and upset over Noah. He didn't care. All that mattered was that Luke was here with him and he warmed at the thought despite his concern over the young man's condition.

Wearing hand-me-down blue sweat pants and an old faded grey Harvard T-Shirt from Reid, Luke sat on the couch with his back against the older man's chest. Reid didn't remember how they ended up in this position, with one of his legs hanging off the couch while the other was pressed against the cushions and Luke nestled between them, but it made him feel alive. He was grounded by Luke's body against his. They sat there silently for a long time. He wasn't keeping track of how long though. He was too occupied with running his fingers through Luke's wet hair. The spot where the strands rested on his shirt was damp from the liquid but he didn't mind. He noted that Luke's hair was darker when it was wet and it smelled wonderful. He couldn't resist pressing his face against the back of Luke's head and cautiously inhaling the man's scent.

His free hand wasn't so free. Luke was gripping it between his own two hands. It seemed to Reid that Luke was examining it. He ran his course fingers, used for mucking out stalls and taking care of the world, over Reid's soft ones, which were used only for eating and saving lives.

And now loving Luke.

Reid knew he should be trying to question Luke about why he was here and what exactly it is he wanted but he couldn't bring himself to ruin the moment, so Luke did it for him.

Reid was a little startled when he heard a solid yet unsure "Reid, I have to tell you something" come from Luke's pretty lips. "Crap" Reid thought again for the third time that night. And then Luke said the words Reid had been dreading hearing ever since he realized he cared for someone other than himself and his two roommates.

"I m in love with Noah. I still want him." With those two little sentences, Reid felt like he had been kicked in the guts by a guy wearing soccer cleats. The room was dead silent. Luke was still sitting with his back against Reid's chest, still examining his hand. They were both glad they couldn t see the other's face.

"Then why are you here?" Reid demanded in a deadpan voice, hoping his gut wrenching disappointment didn't seep through. In a small and ashamed voice, Luke answered.

"Because I want you too."