Higher Education - Chapter 22 (final chapter)
This is the end, folks. Sorry it took so long bur it's the longest chapter so I hope the wait was worth it. As always, feedback = <3
Rated: R (light)
Damian pushed passed the sofa and headed straight for the bedroom hoping that he would find Reid and Luke not tangled up in one another. He'd seen enough of them together that night with Lily. He still couldn't believe what he had seen but now was the time to rectify all of his and Cara's worries. This was his vendetta.
--
Reid walked behind Luke covering both of his eyes with his hands and steadily pushing him forwards.
'Ok, so you've pushed me up countless steps and still haven't told me what's going on or where we are.' Luke laughed and squirmed underneath Reid's hold.
'Patience, Luke.' Reid whispered in Luke's ear and gently bit on the lobe causing Luke to shiver, and Reid smiled knowing that it wasn't just because of the cold. 'Ok, you ready?' Reid took his hands away and Luke gasped.
They were standing on the roof of Reid's apartment block with an incredible view of Dallas below and all around them. Reid followed Luke as he ran forwards to the edge of the building and gripped both arms around the younger man's waist.
'It's beautiful.' Luke said in awe. Each twinkling light matched the glitter in the sky. The darkness helping to highlight each and every illuminating sparkle from the local bar to the all-night gym across the street.
The wind rustled against them so Reid pressed forwards against Luke to keep him warm. He loved Luke so much it hurt, so much he felt as if a massive part of him was broken away each time he remembered the past few months without him. Without waking up next to Luke every morning and making each other breakfast. No one to share pizza with except Martin and his sister.
'I love you.' Reid murmured as he pressed his face into the space between Luke's neck and collarbone. A place he was well acquainted with. Luke's heart stopped a beat. They had said it to one another before but never had he heard Reid sound so raw or so open.
Luke lifted Reid's head and caught his lower lip between his, sucking softly. They kissed slowly, having already recaptured the passion earlier that day. Luke moaned and Reid spun his body around so that they were pressed against one another.
This was it for Reid. Luke was it.
--
'Damn, where are they?' Damian shouted as he ripped his way through the apartment. His men had searched thoroughly And they'd come up empty. 'Search the rest of the building, we'll soon find that bastard.’
The phone rang and Damian hesitated before letting the answering machine pick up a message.
'Guys, if you could stop fucking for one minute and pick up the phone that would be brilliant. And don't blush Luke; we all know what happened in my colleagues kitchen. The cleaners had a lot of fun cleaning all that up. So if you could get your hands out of each others pants right now and pick up... Come on guys, I know you're there I can see the apartment's lights are on...'
Damian froze. The man was outside and knew which apartment was Dr Oliver's.
Suddenly the idiot-proof plan had found it's second obstacle. Damian was an idiot.
--
Luke and Reid stayed on the roof kissing until their lips became too cold to move against each other's.
'We need heat.' Luke laughed as he made his way to the exit, dragging Reid along by his hand.
'And hot chocolate. With marshmallows.' Reid added.
'Ahh, marshmallows. A perfect metaphor for your heart.'
'I'm too tired for your fancy writer speak. Just make me warm.'
'Doctor's orders, ey?' Luke pressed Reid up against the corridor wall that lead down the stairs.
'Can't follow a simple order can you? I'm still bloody freezing--' Luke pressed himself hard into Reid and crushed his lips against him. He wrapped his arms around Reid's neck and grinded into the older man's groin sending shivers up both their spines.
Reid felt a vibration from his pocket and pulled away from Luke reluctantly. He flipped open his phone and saw that Martin was the person phoning.
'-- Look I know you've both just 'found each other' again,' Reid could hear the quotation marks Martin was making, 'But we need to discuss tomorrow. So stop shagging for five minutes...'
'Martin, hey!' Reid laughed. 'We're not even in the apartment and you know I'm not one for exhibitionism...'
'Liar! I can see you're lights are on, oh, and a figure just walked past the window. Wave, Reid!' Martin laughed.
Reid stared and Luke. Someone was in his apartment.
'Martin, are you sure that's my apartment you are creepily staring into right now?' Reid pulled Luke back onto the roof backing toward the fire exit ladder.
'Of course, Reid. Now about tomorrow...'
'Martin, call the police. Someone is in my apartment.'
'Now you mention it, there seem to be a lot of people in there now and I didn't think you liked orgies, especially when you've got a seventeen year old who is perfectly willing...'
'Call the police now, Martin. Luke and I are heading over right now.'
--
'We can't find anything, sir. They are not in this building.' one of Damian's men said gruffly.
'They may not be in the building but what if they're on top of it?'
--
Reid hurriedly explained to Luke the rest of the story avoiding the mentions of orgies and Martin's less than savoury comments about Luke's age and subsequent flexibility/stamina.
'Shit.' Was all that Luke said.
'I don't have an innate sense of protection over anyone but you, Luke, so we're bloody getting out of this right soap opera right now.'
Luke looked down at the ladder and was just about to put a foot on it when the exit door swung open.
--
Damian's men pounded up the stairs towards the roof, their heavy iron boot footsteps echoing up and down the staircase. They reached the door and pushed it open.
--
The door opened with a gust of wind revealing no sinister burglar behind it. Luke swung his leg over the ladder and quickly begun climbing down. All they had to do was make it to Martin's apartment before the men in his apartment realised that they weren't coming back. Reid followed Luke down the ladder quickly.
--
Damian's men swung open to see an empty roof. They returned back to Damian in the apartment.
--
Martin opened his door to find two rumpled and obviously freezing men. Reid had both of his arms around Luke, whose teeth were chattering from the cold.
'Don't just stand there, Martin. Let us in!' Reid tried to shout but his voice was hoarse from being in the cold for so long. Martin stood aside and watched as they both shuffled towards the sofa.
Reid placed Luke carefully down horizontally and covered him with a thick blanket that was lying over the top of the sofa. He stroked Luke's cheek and kissed his forehead before heading towards the kitchen and boiling the kettle.
'You really love him don't you?' Martin asked with a smile. Reid nodded and ducked his head as he concentrated on making hot chocolate.
'Did you ring the police?'
'Yes, I think they arrived about five minutes before you arrived here. I assume they've got the men but you'll have to go down the station and check.' Reid nodded and carried the hot mugs over to where Luke was shuffling around.
'Hey,' Luke smiled.
'Hey, yourself. I've got hot chocolate. Perhaps next time I try and be romantic, I'll make you wear a thicker jacket. I wouldn't be surprised if you've got hyperthermia considering it took us twenty minutes to get down that ladder.' Luke smiled as Reid settled the cup into his hands and tried to unlace the shoelaces on Luke's shoes.
'Get a room already.' Martin said as he slumped himself into an armchair across from them.
Reid just smiled.
--
Lily phoned Damian constantly throughout the night wondering if he had done it, if Reid was dead and her baby was safe again but she simply couldn't get hold of him.
'Hello, this is Ms Lily Walsh,' It still felt odd to say but the divorce was almost final now, she might as well get used to it, 'I was wondering if you have heard anything about a Damian Grimaldi?'
Calling Texas Police probably wasn't the best idea but she needed to know where Damian was.
'Yes, ma'am, he was incarcerated last night for breaking and entering.'
Lily gasped and dropped her phone. Luke was still not safe.
--
Casey pounded on Martin's door the next day. It was the day of Reid's trial and they needed to go over some details again. The meeting yesterday had finalised the date and time and with Casey's fathers connections he was able to bump up the date another couple of months as he wanted to be part of the trial whilst he was working for Martin.
It would be an incredible experience to sit in on such a case.
Martin opened the door wearing a sharp suit and his index finger pressed against his mouth telling Casey to keep quiet.
'What?' Casey whispered. Martin stepped back with a smile to show Reid and Luke tangled up together with Luke's back pressed against Reid's chest and the older man's arm slung over Luke's waist.
'Why are they here? Doesn't Reid have an apartment?' Casey asked.
'Ah, yes. Let me explain.'
--
Damian struggled against the handcuffs he'd been put in. This interview had being going on for far longer than he liked. His contacts were working hard to get him out but they weren't working fast enough.
'So, Mr Grimaldi, you broke into your son's partner’s apartment?' The officer asked.
'I've already told you all about Dr Oliver.'
'That doesn't explain why you needed to take two heavily armed men into Dr Oliver's apartment and tear it apart.'
'He needed to be punished.'
'Why, Mr Grimaldi?'
'For corrupting my son. For making him the way he is.' Damian shouted and rattled his handcuffs again.
'Sir, I'm afraid your prejudice won't work with me. I've just received a call from a Lucinda Walsh. She doesn't like you very much at all. In fact, she's asked me to make sure that you stay behind bars for a very long time. And you know what, Mr Grimaldi? Your blatant bigotry has just sealed the deal. Have a nice life in jail.'
The officer left Damian sitting in his cell still rattling his handcuffs as if he had the strength to tear them apart.
--
'Yeah, apparently you are free to go back into your apartment but it's pretty trashed, Reid. I'd get a cleaning service first.' Martin suggested.
'Yeah, ok. We'll need suits for today though, I'm not seeing the medical board dressed like this.' He indicated towards his ruffled clothes.
Luke smiled as he came out of the bathroom dressed in a slightly baggy suit, one of Casey's spares, and with his hair perfectly gelled and smelling like lemon shower gel. Reid wrapped his arms around Luke and took a deep breath in.
'Hey you. You should probably get dressed too.' Luke smiled.
'Sure you haven't used up all of the hot water? Now that I don't need cold showers anymore I'd rather keep warm.' Reid murmured from Luke's neck and dragged himself away to go and nick one of Martin's suits.
Luke smiled over the rim of his coffee at Casey and then remembered that he needed to ring his family to explain what was happening and how he was going to move in with Reid. He grinned at the thought and picked up his mobile preparing himself to make the call.
--
Two weeks later
Luke hugged Casey tightly at the airport. The internship was over and Luke was staying with Reid, the man who had flipped his life around so much he could hardly recognise it. He had enrolled at Dallas University to do an English course with a minor in Biology. An odd mix but Reid had insisted that Luke had to do it considering how good he was under Reid's instruction. Luke had replied that Reid was right.
Luke was very good under Reid.
'I'll miss you but you're coming back for good in a year so I won't cry too much.' Luke laughed in Casey's ear. Casey had been offered a job with Martin's firm after he had proved himself to being more than just a capable intern. All he had to do was keep up his marks and they would accept him with open arms next September.
Luke loosened his grip on Casey and Reid gripped Casey's hand and shook it.
'You better take good care of Luke or I'll sue you for something.' Casey pseudo-threatened. Reid laughed and promised never to hurt Luke again.
Luke stepped back into Reid's arm as it curled around him. He waved goodbye to Casey knowing that he would see him very soon.
His family was another issue all together. He and his mother we decidedly not speaking but Holden and Lucinda were coming to visit them in a month. He couldn't wait to show them around their apartment and explain how happy they were together. They understood that the age gap may one day become and issue but for now they were perfectly content.
Reid drove them back to their apartment with a giant smile on his face. Their home; where they could live together without too many complications and far too many sandwiches.