Leaning back against his side of the booth, Reid frowns, his brow furrowing in thought. "Just one," he answers, and it hadn't exactly been a pleasant experience. If Luke hadn't been there, if he hadn't changed into his wolf form, Reid might not be here to talk about it right now. They hadn't been dating yet, both of them still convincing themselves that they could be satisfied with being good friends for fear of ruining what they already had, but even then, Reid had known he wouldn't be able to keep that going for very long. Without a moment of hesitation, Luke had torn the vampire apart to keep it from attacking, and the only fear Reid had felt was that Luke might get hurt. He remembers threading his fingers through Luke's fur, void of any suspicion that Luke would hurt him, and in spite of the circumstances, it brings a soft smile to his lips.
It fades as quickly as it appears, if only because he knows Graham is waiting for him to continue, and Reid refocuses his attention on his partner. "They disintegrate," he says. "They can be wounded, but they'll heal. When I saw it, the vampire's head was torn from it's body, and it was like-- like it turned to dust. The way Stoker described in Dracula. There could be others, though, that die differently. With so many factions running around the city, it's hard to pinpoint exact weaknesses or what to expect overall."
Their waitress stops by then to offer refills, and Reid gladly accepts more coffee, though he's a bit relieved when she leaves again. The diner is admittedly a bit too public a place to be talking about this at length but as long as the place stays relatively empty and the servers keep more to themselves, he thinks they'll be fine. The topic of relationships, of course, is a perfectly safe one here, even if it's a bit foreign to Reid to discuss so openly.
Graham's question, neither judgmental nor mocking, serves to remind him of just how different it is here. His teammates at the BAU had always seemed surprised when Reid would show interest in someone, as if his intelligence meant he couldn't have feelings, even though he'd shown time and time again that couldn't possibly be true. He hadn't exactly been emotionally stable after what Hankel had done to him, after all, though he supposes that's a far cry from falling in love. With Maeve, there'd been the initial surprise, then then the teasing, which is precisely why he'd wanted to keep it from them in the first place--especially Morgan, but even JJ and Garcia, who'd meant well in offering advice Reid hadn't sought out in the first place.
"I did," Reid confirms, finding it easier to smile again now that he's talking about his boyfriend, and he doesn't try to hide it. He trusts Graham already, even with this, and he lets out a short laugh. "He was the very first person to help me when I arrived here, actually. I just-- I felt like I could trust him, and I don't often feel that way about someone right off the bat. Obviously, I turned out to be right." It'd taken them a few months to be able to work up the courage to admit their feelings to each other but once they had, Reid had felt like his whole life changed. Every day, he's grateful for having Luke in his life, and he knows very well that he could never walk away from what they have. Even if given the opportunity to go home.
"But you met someone!" Reid brightens at the news, pleased to see Graham smiling like that because it seems so genuine. "That's really great, congratulations. Are you-- I mean, is it serious or just starting?" His cheeks flush then, and he holds a hand up. "You don't have to feel obligated to answer, of course, I just remember how good it felt to be able to call Luke my boyfriend for the first time. It still feels good."
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branchandroot
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Date: 2015-12-26 07:20 am (UTC)It fades as quickly as it appears, if only because he knows Graham is waiting for him to continue, and Reid refocuses his attention on his partner. "They disintegrate," he says. "They can be wounded, but they'll heal. When I saw it, the vampire's head was torn from it's body, and it was like-- like it turned to dust. The way Stoker described in Dracula. There could be others, though, that die differently. With so many factions running around the city, it's hard to pinpoint exact weaknesses or what to expect overall."
Their waitress stops by then to offer refills, and Reid gladly accepts more coffee, though he's a bit relieved when she leaves again. The diner is admittedly a bit too public a place to be talking about this at length but as long as the place stays relatively empty and the servers keep more to themselves, he thinks they'll be fine. The topic of relationships, of course, is a perfectly safe one here, even if it's a bit foreign to Reid to discuss so openly.
Graham's question, neither judgmental nor mocking, serves to remind him of just how different it is here. His teammates at the BAU had always seemed surprised when Reid would show interest in someone, as if his intelligence meant he couldn't have feelings, even though he'd shown time and time again that couldn't possibly be true. He hadn't exactly been emotionally stable after what Hankel had done to him, after all, though he supposes that's a far cry from falling in love. With Maeve, there'd been the initial surprise, then then the teasing, which is precisely why he'd wanted to keep it from them in the first place--especially Morgan, but even JJ and Garcia, who'd meant well in offering advice Reid hadn't sought out in the first place.
"I did," Reid confirms, finding it easier to smile again now that he's talking about his boyfriend, and he doesn't try to hide it. He trusts Graham already, even with this, and he lets out a short laugh. "He was the very first person to help me when I arrived here, actually. I just-- I felt like I could trust him, and I don't often feel that way about someone right off the bat. Obviously, I turned out to be right." It'd taken them a few months to be able to work up the courage to admit their feelings to each other but once they had, Reid had felt like his whole life changed. Every day, he's grateful for having Luke in his life, and he knows very well that he could never walk away from what they have. Even if given the opportunity to go home.
"But you met someone!" Reid brightens at the news, pleased to see Graham smiling like that because it seems so genuine. "That's really great, congratulations. Are you-- I mean, is it serious or just starting?" His cheeks flush then, and he holds a hand up. "You don't have to feel obligated to answer, of course, I just remember how good it felt to be able to call Luke my boyfriend for the first time. It still feels good."