Something That Was Changing Your Mind

“Agápi mou!” Maddox exclaimed.

Vidar braced himself, feeling someone hit his chest like a train as arms wrapped around his waist. After a few seconds of realigning himself, he hugged his partner back with a smile, “Maddy.”

Maddox was giggling in pure excitement, “I’ve missed you so, so much! You and Kai were gone for so long and we were all starting to get worried!”

“We got caught up,” Vidar replied coolly, taking off his glasses finally, “Sorry I didn’t message, I didn’t want anything bad to happen if I lost my phone.”

“Maybe I’ll forgive you,” Maddox leant backwards to look into Vidar’s eyes, “I’m just glad you’re safe, V.”

“I’m always safe.”

“You’re not invincible, babe,” Maddox frowned slightly, “You don’t have to act like you are around me.”

Vidar avoided xyr look, “I don’t act like that all the time, do I?”

“Ye’ do,” Ian spoke up, startling the two, “Kid’s right about that one.”

“Ha! See, I win!” Maddox pulled away from the hug fully to glimmer in the acknowledgment.

“I see, I’m being ganged up on.”

“Dinnae say that like a’m some sort o’ kid,” Ian laughed dryly, “Either way, Lucian wants tae see ye’, about th’ whole ‘getting a stray in ‘ere’ thing.”

“You brought back a stray?” Maddox bounced on xyr feet excitedly, “Is it a cat, or a dog, or a rat, or a —“

“He’s a human bein’.” Ian interrupted, incredibly deadpan, “‘N’ Lucian ain’t exactly happy about that, Vidar. That sort o’ stuff falls tae me, ye’ know?”

“I’m sorry,” Vidar nodded his head, “It wasn’t exactly my idea, it was Kaiden’s.”

“Aye, well Hamish isnae goin’ tae get much crap for it now, is he?”

“I’m sure if we mentioned it…”

“Kaiden is constantly impulsive ‘n’ impossible to deal with,” Ian crossed his arms and Maddox flipped xyr head between the two, “Ye’ on th’ other hand? Aren’t.”

“You know what it’s like to try and stop him when he’s on a certain track.”

“Have a go livin’ with th’ eejit, trust me, ah know.”

There was a silence, in which Maddox just stared at the two like xe didn’t fully understand what was going on. Finally, Ian sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose and shutting his eyes.

“Just tell me this bairn is somethin’ special, Vidar,” Ian mumbled, sounding much softer than he had before, “If he is, he might hae a fightin’ chance.”

Vidar started walking to Lucian’s office, one hand in his pocket and the other tugging Maddox along, “He’s been running from a gang that’s followed him from Belgium to here.”

“That’s somethin’ tae work off,” Ian tried to keep up with Vidar, “But we dinnae do runnin’, it wilnae save him forever.”

“How old is he?” Maddox finally spoke up.

“I don’t fully know, he doesn’t speak English,” Vidar squeezed xyr hand as he responded, “I’d guess maybe late teens.”

“Well, we can’t just throw a kid on the street and to the dogs!” Maddox protested.

“That part is out of our hands,” Ian sounded as dry as usual again, “Only Vidar ‘n’ Kaiden can have a go ‘n’ protect him now.”

“I’ll try my best.” Vidar nodded.

“Of course you will, Vids!”

“Ye always were the best o’ us.”

They stopped in front of the officer door, where Kaiden was nowhere to be found. Vidar knew where he was, he was with Lars, cleaning off the blood on his face before he went before Lucian.

“Good luck, agápi mou,” Maddox stood on xyr toes to kiss Vidar on the cheek.

“Ye’v got this,” Ian patted Vidar’s back before walking away, “Al! Pauline! We’ve got some messes tae wash up!”

With one last squeeze, Maddox ran off too, probably to find Hamish.

Vidar fished his glasses out of his pocket, putting them back on his face and taking a deep breath. In, and out. He then knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” Lucian’s question sounded more like a statement.

“It’s Vidar, sir.”

There was a pause, “Come in, Mr Ekblad.”