Worried: A Scomiche Short Story

Part 13: Peace

Without further ado...the final installment. Enjoy.

It was much later when Mitch finally emerged from his room. Darkness had descended on the apartment, so much so that he moved his fingertips along the rough wall to guide his way towards the living room. The fluffy throw was wrapped snugly around his shoulders, and he had since acquired an old faded red hoodie of Scott's that was much too big for him and had mysteriously become his after Scott wore it only a handful of times, though Scott really didn't mind. When he reached the end of the hallway, he stood in the shadows for a moment rubbing his bleary eyes and observed the serene scene before him.

The room had always had a very open air feel to it because of the open concept layout and high ceilings, it was one of the reasons they'd chosen the place. But there was something special, almost magical, about it tonight. The only real light came from the little spotlights above the sink. The rest of the soft ambiance came from the orange tinted streetlights streaming weakly through the window.

The air in the room smelled clean and crisp, and Mitch later realised it was due to the large open windows that let the unusually cool evening air flutter in through the light curtains. The sound of crickets chirping softly in the greenery that surrounded the building filled their surroundings with gentle background noise.

Upon closer inspection, he also noticed the space was impeccably tidy. Poor Scott must've been really worried about him to need that drastic of a distraction. In the kitchen, the handful of dishes from this morning's breakfast had been cleared and the countertops had been wiped down. In the hallway their shoes had disappeared from sight, no doubt arranged neatly in the closet along with their jackets.

The living room surprised him the most, however. The blankets had been folded and draped over the back of the couch, throw pillows fluffed and put in order, old magazines removed from the side tables and the even the remotes to their entertainment system were neatly lined on the smudge free glass coffee table. It had been a long time since their apartment had looked like this, and if Mitch were to tell the truth, it did put his mind at ease. The gesture was so appreciated on Mitch's part, and he definitely owed Scott a bottle of wine or something.

At last his eyes fell on Scott: his sweet, steadfast Scott, whom had cared for him so well today. From his vantage point Mitch could see his profile but Scott hadn't noticed him yet. As far as Mitch could tell, it looked like he had showered and swapped his outfit from earlier for a pair of sweats and a plain white tee, and he'd taken his contacts out opting instead for the more comfortable black frames that Scott hated but Mitch secretly adored. He was sat at the head of their dining room table and the cool white light from his laptop illuminated the features of his face and reflected of his glasses as he tapped away. His hair was messy, like fingers had been run through it a few too many times, and Mitch thought he could see a bit of sleepiness pulling at the corners of his eyes, but overall he looked content, peaceful even.

Before his brain really registered what his limbs were doing, Mitch's bare feet propelled him across the chilly hardwood to behind where Scott sat, and he rested his chin on top of Scott's head while wrapping around the front of his shoulders in a loose squeeze of affection.

"Mitchy..." sighed Scott. He settled back instinctively into the embrace and tilted his head to the side and upwards in an attempt to get a look at him but had no luck, so instead he asked, "How you feeling? Have a good nap?"

"Much better, yes. Needed the sleep," Mitch murmured with a sigh of his own. "What are you workin' on? Music?"

"No, emails. Been ignoring Jonathan for a few days and he's not very happy with me," Scott replied sheepishly. Already closing his laptop and pushing the chair near him back with his toes he added, "Come sit. I'll fix us something for a late dinner since we missed lunch."