In-Laws

Part 4

Reid waved the waiter over.

“Reid, what are you doing?  That’s so rude.  You were raised to know better.”

“Mother, if you haven’t already figured it out, rude should have been my middle name.”

Luke whispered under his breath, “Either that or determined.”

Grinning, Reid snorted.  “That would work too.”  He looked at Luke and then his mother.  “I want us to order so we won’t be interrupted.  Mother, there are a couple of things you need to know and I promise to keep it brief.”

The waiter arrived, pad and pen at the ready.  “May I take your orders?”

“Yes.”  Reid glared at the waiter.  “Then I want you to make sure we do NOT get served quickly.  You can also get each of us another drink when you bring the meals.”

“No problem, sir.  Whatever you’d like.”

Taking down everyone’s order, the waiter disappeared into the kitchen.

“Tell me what’s going on, son.”

“First of all, Mother, why did you ask me to visit?  You even encouraged me to bring Luke, not Lucas, not Luciano, Luke -- remember that, it’s his name.”  He took Luke’s hand, lacing their fingers together and resting them as a unit on the table.

“I thought it was time I helped guide you back on to the path you were meant to travel.  I also thought if your young man really cared for you, he might support me in this.  You could even bring his baby brother with you.  There are excellent private schools throughout Boston.  I’m sure I could help Luke find a good placement for his sibling.”

“Ah, so this was all about my career and how much you care about my future.  Is that what I’m hearing?”

“Of course it is, darling.  Why else would you think I’d press you into coming here?”

“You may have forgotten, but I have a photographic memory.”

“How could I ever forget?”

“It’s one of the reasons I excelled in chess.  I could read and remember every person’s strategy from each and every game I played or watched, and learned even more from the books I’d read on the subject.”

“I know, dear.  You remember everything.”

“I do.”

Luke bit his lip.  He could see that Reid was about to say something monumental and Luke wasn’t sure he wanted to be within ten feet of Miriam Oliver, let alone seated at the same table.

“I remember being thrust into the limelight every chance you could shove me there.  You would even get friends of yours in the media to do features on your little angel about any of the myriad skills he was able to master at far-too-young an age.  Did you thrive on the periphery of the spotlight?  Was that it?”

“Reid, everything I did was to advance you and your destiny.”

“No, Mother, everything you did was to advance you.  You loved the attention your trained seal brought to you.  I remember when I quit competitive chess and asked Father if he was angry.  Do you know what he said?”

Mrs. Oliver shook her head and wisely remained silent.  Luke squeezed Reid’s hand.

“Father told me he didn’t care if I never did anything again for the rest of my life, but I shouldn’t tell you because you’d kill him if you heard him say that.  He was sad that I didn’t have a normal childhood because you insisted on continually setting me apart from my peers.”

“Maybe I should leave.”  Luke tried to stand, but Reid’s grip indicated otherwise.

“No, Luke, you belong by my side, as does Ethan... my son.  My incredibly normal, argumentative, irritating son.”

“And Mother, I like being a great white shark in a puddle called Oakdale.”

“But, Reid, it can’t be challenging enough for you.”  Mrs. Oliver’s tone of voice softened significantly.  “I want what’s best for you.”

“By the time I reached adulthood I never thought I’d actually be able to experience any sort of familial emotions.  But when Luke came into my life he turned everything I had planned for myself, including all of your goals for me, upside down.

“Do you have any idea how exhilarating it is to fall in love; to find the man of your dreams?”

“I married your father.”

“Did you love him?  Were you in love with him?  In love to the extent that nothing mattered as long as you could make it work with him -- everything else came a poor second?”  Reid cupped Luke’s chin and pressed their lips together.  “Do you ever remember feeling like nothing mattered but being in the same room as that person at the end of a long day and knowing his presence would make all the crap worth it?

“That’s what I feel like with Luke in my life.”

Luke felt the heat rise in his cheeks.

“Honey, don’t you mean that’s what it felt like when you met?”

“No, Mother.  It stills feels that way.  If it didn’t I wouldn’t have married him.”

“You mean he’s your...”

“As legal as we can make it in Illinois.”

Luke rolled his lips inward, lowering his head.  He took a deep breath.  “Mrs. Oliver, in case it matters to you, I feel the same way.  If Reid had wanted to leave Oakdale, I would have followed him.  It was his choice to stay.  I would never hold him back.”

The waiter arrived with their meals and drinks and hastily placed them in front of the threesome.

Reid looked at Luke and then his mother.  “I think we should enjoy our dinner.  I’ve said my piece.  Oh, and Luke, I hope you were listening because I’m not sure I could ever say a mouthful like that again.”

Tilting his head, Luke allowed a smile to creep across his face.  “Don’t worry.  I may not have a photographic memory, but this will be emblazoned on my mind forever.”

“Good thing.  And don’t tell the kid about this.  I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Luke chuckled.

The three ate in silence for several minutes before Miriam Oliver spoke.  “Reid, I did love your father, but maybe I also loved what you could do to advance our lives in the community when we started to discover all your hidden talents.  I thought all the publicity and attention made you happy.”

“I don’t believe you meant to harm me, but it hurt.  It hurt enough that I didn’t trust love until Luke wouldn’t let me run away from it.  He made me face my emotions honestly.”

 “I apologize for having let my ambitions for you take precedence over what was best for you. You’ve given me a lot to think about, son.”  Miriam took a few sips of wine.  “I think I need to take a good, hard look at myself. I’m sorry I hurt you, please try and believe it wasn’t done with malice.”

The wrinkles at the corners of Mrs. Oliver’s eyes suddenly seemed more pronounce.  Luke wasn’t sure, but he thought he detected moisture beginning to coat her lower lids. 

“I did what I did with the best of intentions. Maybe with time you can forgive me. I’ll try to be a better mother, Reid; I hope someday we can build a true mother/son relationship, and that you, Luke, and Ethan will allow me to be a part of your lives.”

Reaching across the table Miriam placed a hand over Luke’s. “Make him happy. I do love him, even though perhaps I haven’t been good at showing it.”

“I plan to make him as happy as he makes me -- that’s huge.”

Miriam laughed.  It was a surprisingly light, sweet sound.  “You have quite a way with words, Luke.”

“So I’ve been told.”  He glanced at Reid, risking a half smile. 

“Reid, I know we haven’t been anywhere near the ideal family over the years, but I think I may have just thought of a way to begin to make it up to you -- both of you.”

Furrowing his brow, Reid looked at Luke. 

“I promise this will be more for you than for me, but I will get some pleasure out of it as well.”

*~*~*~*~*

Having survived the night, Reid paced the length of the hotel suite as Luke watched him, propped up in bed, completely naked.

“You know, I’m beginning to get concerned.  You seem more interested in your mother’s suggestion than the fact that I’m lying here waiting for you, not a stitch of clothing between me and the sheets.”

Stopping short, Reid faced Luke.  “I did notice.”

“And here I thought the honeymoon was over.”

“That’s just it, Luke.  Do you really need to do this again?”

Luke’s eyes widened.  “I could do this several times a day; whenever we have the opportunity.  You’ve kept up pretty well until now.”

Reid smacked Luke’s foot through the sheet.  “Now who’s being the ass?”

“I know the wedding in Oakdale was more than you ever wanted, and you did it for me.”

“Then you also know anything we do in the State of Massachusetts is only legal in states recognizing same sex marriage.  There aren’t too many of them out there.  Is it worth going through all that again?”  Reid bit his lip, realizing he’d said too much.

Luke rolled over onto his side, pulling up the folded blanket from the foot of the bed to cover himself.

“Damn!  That didn’t come out like I’d meant it to.”  Reid quickly stripped off his shirt and pants and climbed on the bed.  He moved behind Luke, stroking his arm.  “I’m glad we had the whole ceremony.  The presents weren’t all bad and the food was great.”

“You picked out the food.” 

Reid rubbed Luke’s shoulders, feeling the tension slowly dissipating.  “I just don’t want to do anything just because my mother wants it.  This is something we do because we want it -- you and me -- we’re all who count in this decision.”

Luke rolled over.  His eyes were clear, always a good sign.  Reid could never resist when Luke turned on the waterworks.  It amazed him that with all the break-ups he had with Noah, the guy had never folded under the pressure of the Snyder tears.  No wonder he was doing well as an assistant director of dramatic films -- nothing fazed the guy.

Cupping Reid’s chin in his hand, Luke brushed their lips together.  “I know we don’t have the same rights as everyone else in the world, but I still can’t help wanting to be as married to you as possible.  At least if we took the plunge here, we’d be legally married somewhere.”

Still shocked by his mother’s suggestion, Reid wondered if there was an angle.  It didn’t seem like there was an ulterior motive.  She’d even suggested bringing the kid out for the ceremony on Luke’s private jet.  Maybe, just maybe, she’d been sincere in all she said at the restaurant; she was willing to change, admit past mistakes -- let her son live his life with whom he wanted, and how he wanted. He really wanted to believe it could be.

Blocking everything out for the moment, Reid took off his briefs and got under the covers with Luke.  He began to gently ghost his lips over Luke’s cheeks, neck, chest, working his way down, alternately licking and kissing.

“Reid.”

Luke began to writhe under the tender ministrations and threaded his hand in Reid’s hair.

Reid’s hands, lips, and tongue continued to explore the beautiful man beneath him, until neither man could wait any longer.  Entering Luke slowly, wanting this to be about desire, passion, and love, not just sex, he remained still. 

Covering the body beneath him, his lover’s legs wrapped around his back, Reid whispered in Luke’s ear.  “You’re everything to me, don’t you ever forget it.”  He began to slowly move, making sure to graze Luke’s prostate continually, driving him rapidly closer to the edge.

“Ahhh.”

“If you remember nothing else, always know that I’d do anything for you.  I love you, Luke.”

Arching his back, Luke dug his fingers into Reid’s shoulders, moaning as he shot between them.  The incredible tightness overwhelmed Reid and he followed Luke, spilling deep inside him.

The two clung together in silence for what seemed far longer than it really was, but Reid slipped out all too quickly.

Still holding Luke, Reid rolled them over on their sides, facing one another.  “I meant what I said.  That wasn’t the orgasm speaking, although it was definitely a moment to remember.”

Luke grinned, kissing Reid and closing his eyes. 

“Look at me, Luke.  I need to ask you something.”

Opening his eyes, Luke’s brow furrowed.

“This comes from me, and me alone.”  Reid took a deep breath.  “Luke, marry me, here, where it’s legal.  What do you say?”

Smiling a smile so broad that it looked physically impossible, Luke crashed his lips onto Reid’s pushing his tongue inside.  By the time they parted, Reid was sure they had a matching set of swollen lips. 

“Is that a yes?”

Eyes wide and sparkling, Luke lay back on his own pillow and gazed into Reid’s eyes.  “That’s the biggest yes you can imagine.”

“Okay.  Well, then.”

“I do think your mother’s right.  Ethan should be here for this one, even though we’ll have to make sure he understands we still won’t be any more legally married when we return to Illinois.”

“Whatever you want.”

“Reid, I like when you indulge me.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Mr. Snyder, I never do anything without getting something out of it for myself.”

“Uh huh.”  Luke rolled his eyes and held Reid close.

Resting his head on Luke’s chest, Reid nearly fell asleep listening to the rhythmic, strong beat of Luke’s heart. 

“We should call Ethan and Katie.”

“Now?”

“It’s an hour earlier there, they’d want to know.”

“Fine.”

Luke reached for the phone on the nightstand. 

The conversation between the brothers was short and Reid could hear Ethan cheering about getting out of school in the background.  Apparently Katie was the next one on the line.  Luke put the phone on speaker so Reid could listen too.

“Luke, Reid, there’s someone here who’d also like to come to the wedding.”

Reid grumbled.  He wanted this to be simple and small.  “Katie, you were at the big shindig.  This one will just be in an office.”

“It’s not me, Reid, it’s someone who didn’t attend the first time around.”

Reid looked up at Luke, who shrugged his shoulders.

“He’ll bring Ethan to you so he doesn’t have to travel alone.”

“Katie, stop beating around the damn bush.  Who is it?”

“It’s me, Reid.  I’m in Oakdale for a while -- on a shoot.”

Reid sat up, giving up his comfortable niche on Luke’s chest. 

Luke stared at the phone.  “Noah?”

“Hi, Luke.  Can I come?  I have no intention of making trouble, and there’s someone I’d like you to meet.  Meanwhile, I can take care of Ethan on the plane.”

Luke covered the mouthpiece with his hand.  “What should I tell him?”

“Tell him whatever you want.”

“Will you be angry if I let him join us?”

Reid looked up and down his partner’s hot body.

Luke laughed.  “Not like that.”

“I don’t care if he’s here or not.  I guess he’ll make a good babysitter.”

Luke uncovered the mouthpiece.  “Noah, we’ll see you and Ethan in a couple of days.  Just contact my secretary at the Foundation tomorrow after lunch.  She’ll have all the flight arrangements made by then.”

Disconnecting the phone, Luke bit his lip.  “Are you mad?”

“That the love of your life is about to come see you marry the other love of your life?  No, everything’s hunky dory.”

Reid’s stomach growled.  He left the warmth of Luke’s body and the bed and called room service, trying to figure out if it was hunger or indigestion he was experiencing.  “I need some pizza.”

Luke got out of bed and stood behind Reid, wrapping his arms around his waist.  “Good thing I can help you work it off later.”

[TBC]

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