Leaving the courthouse, where he was cleared of all charges, Vegas firstly notices Kinn. The latter stands under the bright light of a sunny day, habitually lifting his chin.
"Hey, Captain," it sounds without a challenge, but with a bit of irony in his voice, "haven't seen you so free for a long time."
Vegas squints and grins. Without Kinn, this freedom might not have existed. Among the accomplices of that lover of music and handsome young boys, there were those who let their boss down in the hope of shortening the term.
"Why not on duty?"
"I've taken the day off. I decided to personally deliver the boss to his house. Well, and one more thing," Kinn nods to the side, where Pete is desperately waiting for attention to be paid to him, all crimson with impatience. "I'll go in there for a while, say hello to a friend. Then I'll take you home" Kinn winks at both of them and heads inside the building.
Vegas smiles and opens his arms:
"Come here."
He expects Pete to be stubborn and only then— as if reluctantly— will approach him. But today, the rebellious wolf cub instantly finds himself in Vegas' arms, almost knocking the captain off his feet.
"Did you have to take me for an idiot for so long?" Splinter grabs his shoulders with the hands, and then wraps them around his neck, "I didn't even know you were in prison!"
"Well, firstly, not exactly in prison," Vegas presses his cheek to the warm temple, "secondly, what would it change? I just didn't want to completely become a misery in your eyes. After everything that happened to you through my fault…"
"That's enough! I don't want to talk about it," Pete shakes his head from side to side, gripping Vegas tighter.
When Kinn drives them to Vegas, the latter manages to whisper: I will have one more request for you, just not today. In response, Kinn theatrically rolls his eyes and, grinning, nods: okay, Captain. And then he drives away, leaving behind two, one of whom is hanging on the second, like a monkey on a tree, and is not going to let him go at all.
"I have a mess there, you know," Vegas opens the door of his apartment.
"Is this, like, a hint that I'll spend the evening with a rag in my hand? No, no, I didn't sign up for cleaning, okay?"
Vegas giggles and shakes his head.
"Well... if a little — I'll help."
Pete didn't have to bother with the cleaning. Vegas just opens the windows wide and lightly wipes off the dusty surface of the kitchen table. After getting instant noodles in the cupboard, he switches the kettle on. He turns on the vacuum cleaner for five minutes and changes the bed linen on the unfolded sofa.
"Such a fucking housewifey," Pete teases, sucking the tips of the noodles in.
They eat right on the floor in the room, leaning back against the sofa. For a very long time, Vegas feels for not in the middle of a storm, but as if on the shore with gusts of a gentle breeze in his face.
"You're very brave, my little wolf cub. Now I'm definitely in debt."
Pete grunts with a laugh, throwing back his head:
"Now I won't take it by sex. You should have offered it earlier, Captain."
Vegas gently ruffles hair on top of Pete's head and gets to his feet:
"Okay. Finish your meal here. I'll come back in no time."
The cheerful expression of Pete's eyes is replaced by an anxious one:
YOU ARE READING
Storms and craters
Fanfiction"Ninety-two days. Is it a lot or a little in order to stop at one of them and realize where he's made the greatest mistake? And he wouldn't have to sit on the other side of the table now, over which the dim light of the interrogation room lamp flick...
