[turkey day, nov 21]

[youfeelluckypunk]

They've graciously been invited to Derek's Thanksgiving celebration on the actual day itself, but Reid had gotten to thinking after Luke had told him of the invitation that it would be nice to throw a small get-together of their own. Halloween at the bookstore had been a success, after all, and in spite of the fact that they'd been sent to a hellish version of Darrow for the next ten days, Reid had really enjoyed planning and decorating for the holiday with his boyfriend. In a way, it also serves as a bit of a housewarming, even if nobody else needs to know that. They've been officially living together for a week now, though the only real difference is that he's handed over his keys to the Dimera apartment back to the landlord.

Still, being able to call this apartment home, knowing that he gets to spend every night with the man he loves, it means something special to him, and he wants to share that sense of home with the rest of the people he cares about.

So he sends out texts to Alec and Magnus, Peter and Jason and Hild, telling them all to save the date for the twenty-first so they can have an early Thanksgiving celebration. Others are welcome, of course, and Reid suspects they'll have more than enough food because he'd made arrangements for one restaurant in particular (one that he visits often and had already been promoting take-out for Thanksgiving Day) to set him up with a turkey dinner early. There are all the expected fixings, though he'd ordered four turkeys because Luke still needs to eat more to make up for all the weight he'd lost in the alternate version of Darrow, plus a couple pumpkin pies and various other desserts strewn out across the table. The wine Peter had given to him on Halloween is out, available for consumption to those who want it, but Reid will be sticking to water tonight.

If anyone asks, he's been slaving away in the kitchen all day long, brewing coffee after coffee as he and Luke make sure everything looks nice and neat for their first Thanksgiving dinner together. The food is set out over the counter in the kitchen, china and utensils and glassware placed at the very end so people can take what they want and find a place to eat in the living room, where they've placed extra chairs, and it isn't until they hear the first knock at the door that Reid finally decides he's satisfied with the way everything looks.

Every single person who will be here tonight has been through so much, seen more than one person ever should, but tonight, Reid is just grateful that they're all still here.

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[youfeelluckypunk]

Letting out a low hum of agreement, Reid deepens the kiss, and it occurs to him that he may very well never stop being amazed by what he's capable of when he's with Luke. Together, they've not only overcome some of their deepest fears and been through the sort of trauma most people will never see in their lifetimes, but they're getting past that. It'll take some time yet for Reid to stop hearing his mom's words ringing through his mind, to erase the image of that awful smirk on Maeve's face, and to remind himself that being tempted by the Dilaudid Tobias had offered in that world isn't the same as actually taking it; but he thinks about it less and less as the days go by, and he has someone to help him do it. Moving on is easier with Luke by his side. Everything is easier, it seems.

Even this, making out like they're not both well into their thirties with the ability to practice some semblance of self-control, it's so unlike anything he would have imagined for himself. It's not just being here with his boyfriend, it's knowing that there's a group of people in their living room, any one of which could walk in here at any moment, and simply not caring because the benefits outweigh the risks. If they're caught, they're caught, and Reid doesn't think either one of them will feel anything close to shame because this is their home. They're in love, showing just how thankful they are for each other, and he's more than happy to continue on like this until they agree it's probably time to return to their guests.

The problem is, if Reid has a choice, he's not going to want to stop. Not so much a problem, he supposes, but Luke had been right when he'd said this isn't like Halloween. They can't just see people out and lock the door behind them because chances are, their friends will be here for a good stretch of the evening. Reid has no complaints about that, of course, he's so pleased to see the people they care about looking as happy as they do, considering what a majority of them have been through. Having each other to lean on is a gift that Reid doesn't take for granted, and he hopes he's able to display that well enough this evening; but until they're back out there to spend more time mingling, he intends on making it very clear to Luke that there's nothing he's more grateful for than this relationship. Than finding someone who makes him feel like he can be himself every second of the day without feeling judged in any way.

That's a valuable thing, and Reid knows just how aware of that Luke is. There's no lack of trust between them, their bond had been in place well before they'd shared their first kiss, and it's only grown. Every relationship is sure to have its ups and downs, they can't possibly agree on everything, but Reid isn't afraid of the day they inevitably have their first fight. He isn't afraid because he knows ultimately, they'll get through it. They'll always remember that this is what's important, this genuine love and connection. Nothing else will matter in the face of that.

Pulling away just slightly, Reid meets Luke's eyes, smiling softly as he takes a moment to gaze at how utterly beautiful his boyfriend is. With a quiet sigh, he presses another kiss to Luke's lips, shaking his head as he does. "I would challenge anyone in the other room to suggest they're luckier than I am," he says. "Every single one of them would lose."

[notaretriever]

"I don't know, I imagine I could give you a fairly good run for your money when it comes to luck," Luke answers, lifting both hands to cup either side of Reid's face for one more long, slow kiss. They've nearly used up all of their ten minutes and while he thinks they might be able to get away with staying in here a little while longer, he knows with every minute that passes, their risk of being caught increases. It isn't as though they're doing anything particularly indecent, but he has a terrible feeling that with their luck it's going to be Alec who walks in on them again. Or maybe that's more of a commentary on Alec's luck, but whatever the case, Luke thinks he'd rather spare him that experience all over again. At least this time he's aware of what he might be walking into.

"Are we going to fight about that?" he asks with a grin, taking a step away so that he might actually make a real effort toward going back into the other room with some of the pies. Crossing the kitchen, he reaches for one of the cupboards and begins to unload the small dessert plates he'd bought weeks ago in preparation for this very event. The forks are in the drawer directly behind Reid, the one he's still leaning against, and Luke looks forward for a moment, still fighting his smile, then decides to get the knives they'll use to cut the pies first, which are in the knife beside the kitchen and a fairly safe distance away from his boyfriend and the ass Luke might be unable to keep himself from laying his hands on if he gets that close again. "We could argue about which of us is the luckier one and see who comes out on top. And then use it later to decide which of us really comes out on top."

He says it in a low, conversational tone, as if he'd speak about this with anyone, slowly unloading knives from the drawer beside the sink and placing them on the counter to cut the pies. It's a tease more than anything and it's just another added layer to their relationship that he enjoys more than he'd ever imagined he might, simply because he hadn't imagined it at all. Being able to so casually tease someone in this manner, playfully, flirtatiously, it's all so new to him, so unexpected. Luke doesn't think he's ever going to stop enjoying the chance to find opportunities like this one, moments when he can say something others might not expect of him, the sort of thing they'll never even hear, because he's found the one person he really wants to spend his life with.

"You're going to have to move," he adds a moment later, moving back over to where Reid is standing and reaching around him for the drawer with the forks. "Or put yourself at risk of being thoroughly groped again under the guise of getting the forks for the pie." Which he's doing, he really is, gently moving Reid away from the drawer so he can open it and take out a handful of forks, but he can't seem to help the way his hand slides down over the small of Reid's back, over the curve of his ass, and he smiles, giving a light squeeze before stepping back again. "I did warn you."

[youfeelluckypunk]

He's gripping the counter behind him so tightly that he's sure his knuckles have gone white, but Reid can't seem to force himself to push away from it to help with the pies. There should be a bit of guilt in watching his boyfriend do all the work, grabbing plates and knives that they'll be washing later because nothing in this apartment will be going to waste tonight, but then Luke says that. The worst part (or, perhaps, the best) is how evident it is that his boyfriend's innuendo had been entirely intentional and yet, Reid is somehow supposed to maintain his composure because they have a room full of guests just outside the kitchen.

It calls for a very specific type of revenge, he thinks, but it's just going to have to wait for later. That doesn't mean he can't tease, though. Really, he's just following Luke's lead.

"I think I'd like to make a very concentrated effort to be the one who comes out on top," he says, grinning devilishly at his boyfriend when Luke squeezes his ass. "We can save our fight for something better, don't you think? Let me have this one tonight, I can show you just how thankful I really am." It's more of a promise than anything else, and the effect of this form of revenge is really dampened by the fact that it's actively backfiring on him.

They've yet to switch roles in bed, Luke's consistently been the one on top since the first time they'd been intimate; but they have talked about it, even from that very first night they'd discussed their expectations. It's not something Reid's ever done before and just talking about it makes him a little nervous because he isn't sure he'll be especially good at it but at the same time, just the idea of being buried inside of Luke is arousing in itself. He ducks his head just to avoid gazing at Luke for too long because he knows if he does, he'll be tempted to go right back to kissing him. Right now, with all that's running through his head, that seems like a very imprudent things to do.

"I will always put myself at risk for being groped by you, by the way," Reid adds, finally stepping forward to take the forks from Luke's hand and grab one of the pies. It delights him to be able to say things like this without feeling embarrassed, without feeling like Luke might not respond in kind, but they've found an excellent balance of playfulness in their relationship that Reid is so grateful to have. While they're deeply in love and that's as sincere as it can be, they also know how to have fun together, and Reid hadn't realized how important that really was until he'd been faced with it in this relationship.

"I don't look too disheveled, do I?" he asks, lifting his eyes in a failed effort to see his hair. "Or is it as messy as it always is?"

[notaretriever]

They're still teasing each other and yet there's something so sweet and so genuine in the way Reid is speaking about showing Luke just how thankful he is that he has to pause and really smile at his boyfriend. This isn't the sort of relationship he's ever had before, which is something he thinks about nearly every day. There are just these moments where he's reminded of how lucky he is, how far he's come, how much things have changed, and he doesn't mind at all, he's never been adverse to change and change like this has been especially welcome, but he has to acknowledge that he's truly new to all of this. The way they interact, the light teasing, the genuine affection under the teasing, it's all new to Luke and he thinks it's mostly new to Reid, too, which makes it all a little more fun to navigate. They're discovering how they fit together, the ways in which they're meant to interact, the ways they'll communicate, and as of right now, he thinks it's all working out rather well for the two of them.

"We can save our fight," he agrees and although he's still making a joke, his voice has gone soft as well. There's just something about the way Reid looks at him, the way they speak to each other, it all makes Luke feel rather important in a way he never has before. Being a Shadowhunter had been a certain level of important, being Valentine's second in command when it came to the Circle had been another thing entirely, being a pack leader had been what Luke still thinks was his most important call to duty, but this is something else. This is being important in a way that doesn't matter to a single person beyond this room and he thinks it's by far the best he's ever felt. Being important to one person, as it turns out, is a lot better than being important to an entire army. It's something Luke realizes he's known for a long time now, that being important in Clary's life had always been better than being a pack leader, but it's only here with Reid that it's really been driven home.

With a smile, he sets aside the knives he'd been preparing to take out into the other room with the pies, and reaches up to smooth his hands over Reid's hair. It doesn't help, it doesn't change anything, but he's always rather liked how his boyfriend's hair curls wildly, without any hope of control. It's effortless, it makes how unbelievably attractive he is seem so simple, and Luke doesn't really know how to say that. He's comfortable with some things -- with telling Reid how much he loves him -- but for some reason it's still difficult to word compliments in a way he likes unless they're in bed together, and then he thinks without speaking. He wants to tell Reid that he's beautiful, that his hair is perfect in the way it's a complete mess, but he only smiles and cups his face again.

"Perfectly disheveled," he says with a smile, then presses another soft kiss to Reid's mouth before he steps back and picks up two of the pies to bring out into the other room. "Shall we? Before the masses start to rebel over the fact that they've yet to be served their promised dessert? I've seen Magnus eyeing the kitchen for the better part of an hour already."

[youfeelluckypunk]

As delightfully fun their teasing always is, Reid loves these quiet, tender moments between them even more. With his teammates at the BAU, he'd been the subject of a lot of teasing it, most of it fond and affectionate so he'd rarely taken offense. The prank wars between him and Morgan had always been something to look forward to, as well, mostly because they'd never failed in finding another way to get a leg up over the other. As he often describes them, the team had been like his family, and as the youngest of that family, he'd grown accustomed to receiving the regular brunt of the jokes.

That's not what it's like with Luke, not at all. While they are playful with each other, it comes from a different place in their hearts. He doesn't tease Luke the way he would have teased Morgan, doesn't joke with him the way he would with Garcia or JJ; everything is on an entirely new level, more balanced and in sync than he's ever been with anyone else.

But this, the way Luke looks at him, the way Luke makes him feel when he looks at him, Reid has absolutely nothing to compare it to, and he finds it pointless to even try. He understands that people are different, that not everyone is interesting in entering into a committed relationship with just one person, but Reid thinks they must never have been look at quite like this. There's a hint of desire there but more than that, there's genuine love, and it threatens to knock Reid to the floor with its sheer force. What they feel for each other, it sometimes almost seems tangible, like Reid could reach out and grasp it in his hands, this connection between them. On a day like this, seeing that look in Luke's eyes somehow seems all the more important, and he huffs a breathless laugh just before Luke kisses him again.

He's not sure how he's supposed to go from this profound gratitude for having his boyfriend in his life to going out to deal with Magnus's fake flirting, but Reid merely nods, unable to even form proper words just yet. As he's following Luke out of the kitchen, earning the approving whoops of more guests who've apparently been patiently waiting for dessert as long as Magnus has, Reid manages to give them all an enormous grin. It's the first Thanksgiving dinner he's had with a family that isn't his team and knowing that every single person is here out of want and not obligation means more to him than he truly knows how to express.

Maybe next year, he'll have figured out how to say it. Maybe by then, he'll have been able to let it process a bit more, this new feeling of having friends who choose to enjoy his company. Until then, he's content to let it be, to simply let the pleasantness of the evening warm him, and he rests a hand against the small of Luke's back as his boyfriend cuts into one of the pies.

"'And suddenly we see,'" he murmurs, barely loud enough so Luke can hear him over the music and chatter behind them, "'that love costs all we are and will ever be. Yet it is only love which sets us free.'" He presses a kiss to Luke's shoulder, ignoring the catcall that surely belongs to Magnus, then smiles up at his boyfriend. "It's true. You have set me free."