Title: Like Tomorrow Was Promised
Rating: PG-13, I suppose? A tiny bit of language.
Fandom: As The World Turns
Pairing: Luke/Reid
A/N: I told myself I wasn't going to write speculative-ending-fic (read: set myself up for disappointment), but then this happened. And it's probably one of the worst things I've ever written but I'm too pissed at the show to care. So, hopefully the attempt is appreciated?
LuRe fans: I love you all. I don't think I could have continued to watch without such amazing people to watch with. <3
Oh, this fic contains speculative spoilers for the end...but I think we all know what said end is by now.

Reid's not afraid to die. He's seen enough death for it to have become nothing more than an inevitability, not something he should dwell on- or deny when the time comes.

No, Reid's not afraid to die. But he is afraid of what it will do to Luke.

He can see the tears in the eyes of the man he loves- the only man he's ever loved, he thinks, then pushes it to the back of his mind- can see Luke's heart displayed on his sleeve, vulnerable, trusting, caring, loving as ever. Reid's not sure when or how he managed to fall in love with someone so- so sweet, so human, so much like everything he's not, and then he starts to wonder when he started making such good life choices. He can't help but smile a bit at that thought, but he winces as he feels his chapped lips crack and split and the next thought that runs through his mind is- not soon enough. He tries to suppress his shudder- for the sake of his broken ribs, or maybe for the sake of Luke's sanity- but he clutches tighter at Luke's hand and blinks away the tears that he can't hide any more.

"I love you," and it still feels foreign on his tongue; unfamiliar and odd but not wrong, just...new, so he tries it again, "God, I love you," and Luke's smiling through his tears, drawing shaky breaths to regain his composure enough to respond, "I wasn't sure I'd ever hear those words from you."

"Neither was I," Reid admits, because since when is a deathbed an excuse to beat around the bush? "But...I do. And I need you to know that." And that, well, what good does that do? Just hurt him more?, but he has countless head injuries that he can blame for the irrational state of his heart and- who the fuck is he kidding, the only ones he has to blame are himself and one Mr. Luke Snyder, for putting his heart to better use than it's seen for years.

At least it won't go to waste now.

Reid is tired. He can feel his eyes slipping shut against his will, vision blurring as the exhaustion overtakes him. But through the haze, he can still hear Luke's voice, feel his breath tickle his neck as he leans in to whisper, "I love you, too."

And it's almost like permission; the rush of relief that courses through Reid's body at Luke's words, the contented smile that crosses his face as he opens his eyes one last time to look into Luke's soul, to reveal everything he didn't have time to say, everything that couldn't be put into words.

Then he's gone, Luke's hand still clutched in his own as his final breath fades away, the softest sigh of "love" lingering impossibly in the air as two lives shatter and the world- oblivious, unconcerned- continues to turn around them.