Finder's, Keepers. | Scomiche

Chapter 7

     "Scott? Mitch?" Scott opened the door for Kirstin and immediately crossed his arms, waiting for answers. "I'm sorry. I guess shouldn't have left him here, but he insisted I leave. He wanted to be alone, Scott. I'm not going to stop letting him make his own decisions about what he wants. I was outside in the car keeping watch until ten minutes before eight just like you told me to do. Not one person I didn't recognize as already a resident went in or out the front door."

     "Okay. I'm going to take him back to my place and, frankly, at this point, I think we should file these as evidence." He picked the pictures up off the coffee table and handed them over to her. Kirstin looked uneasy as she scanned the picture from last night.

     "How did none of us notice someone taking a picture this close?"

     "This person has been taking pictures like this for years unnoticed. He is extremely good at keeping himself hidden."

     "Scott?" His head turned to the weak voice coming from the bedroom.

     "Please go file them, I'll talk to Montgomery about Mitch staying with me and I'll probably have to explain these pictures."

     "What is there to explain, though? They are innocent enough, are they not?" Kirstin laid a hand on his. "These pictures won't get you in trouble."

     "But they are getting Mitch in trouble. If this guy has a terrible jealous streak, us showing any hint of affection towards each other is going to make this guy angry. People do irrational things when they are angry and I don't want Mitch to get hurt."

     "I won't get hurt. I have both of you protecting me." The detectives turned to Mitch leaning in the doorway, his shoes on and a bag slung over his shoulder.

     "Yeah, you do." Both Scott and Kirstin smiled softly at him. "Ready to go?" Scott lifted his arm and Mitch walked to him, tucking himself underneath it and glanced over at Kirstin, feeling a little weird that someone was watching them show affection. Her smile only brightened.

     "Scott. Mitch is such a fucking keeper and you know it." Mitch stepped forward away from Scott and crushed Kirstin in a hug, so thankful that she and the rest of the team were so willing to accept him into their group. "There is no way you are getting out of this family, you understand? You're stuck with us now." Mitch let her pull back just enough so he could gauge her face, matching the amount of affection presented there on his own. Hopefully, more.

     He heard Scott move around behind them before Kirstie's eyes flicked over his shoulder. Scott wrapped around him from behind, his long arms trapping both him and Kirstin. "I know he is." The vibration from the warm chest behind him made his heart feel like it was blooming, waves of adrenalin flowing out to his toes and fingertips and adoration and respect for the two people squeezing him tightly the only thing rolling around in his mind.

     "I'm ready to leave this place." The detectives broke apart at Mitch's voice and finished coming up with a plan.

***

     Mitch woke up to the sound of light chatter and the smell of pancakes. He slipped out of Scott's large bed and into the bathroom, slipped on borrowed sweatpants, and as quietly as he could, opened Scott's bedroom door and padded down the hallway. He stopped just out of sight and listened closely to the whispering voices. The whole team was here. He rounded the corner slightly and cleared his throat. All five faces turned to him.

     "Hey." Scott's smooth voice drew him from out of the dark hallway and into the light. "You can take my spot here. I'll make you a pancake." Mitch nodded and slid down into the already warmed chair, a little too nervous to look up at the curious faces looking at him, so he fiddled with his fingers. Scott's hand scooped under his chin and lifted his head all the way back to meet his eyes. "You okay?"