"Put it down Luck." Kirk's voice didn't change from its normal calm collected cadence as he ordered the man to put down something he was actively trying to pocket for what felt like the 100th time this week. They were at the grocery store this time and Lucky had tried to pocket a candy bar from the counter at the self-checkout.
"Mother fucker has eyes in the back of his fucking head," Lucky muttered hoping Kirk wouldn't hear but he needed to get his frustrations out.
"I heard that. I don't need eyes in the back of my head to know what you are getting up to." The little freak was a klepto maniac. If Kirk hadn't found him cute the night he broke into the liquor store Lucky would be sitting in jail for petty theft for, what he informed Kirk, was the 5th time.
"What is the big deal it's just a candy bar!" Lucky was getting agitated. He hadn't been able to steal a thing since running into Kirk. That night at the liquor store he had told the man his folks were good for the damages, but when Kirk demanded their number the conversation did not go how it usually did.
"Hello ma'am. Your grown son here has informed me that you are more than willing to pay for his current predicament, is that true?" Kirk asked the woman who answered on the second ring. Picking up a stranger's call so quickly. This was not her first rodeo. Kirk threw the man a disdainful look before continuing. "Whether this is true or not I don't want any form of cash payment. Instead, I would like you to let me handle these situations from now on. If anyone else has to call you about him I want you to give them my number. I'll make sure Lucky stays out of jail and try to stop this little habit of his."
"I'm sorry but are you calling for payment or are you a friend of Lucky's?" Lisa was tired, it was 3 in the morning and having been startled awake by her phone ringing she didn't quite hear the first half of what the man had said.
"Yes, ma'am I'm real good friends with Lucky now. That's why I wanted to call you and ask that you not worry about getting these kinds of calls from your son in the future. Sorry for waking you I'll discuss the details with him directly." Better to just glaze over the specifics and let the woman know peace.
Lucky looked dumbfounded at this new information. This random guy was going to do what now?
"Wait can you put Lucky on? I don't know what's going on right now and I'm still confused. I just want to know that he is ok." Lisa was used to her son getting himself in all kinds of situations and this one with a strange man calling Lucky a friend was the scariest she had ever been confronted with. Was this some kind of code? Was the guy a thug threatening her son's life? His voice sounded far from menacing or threatening but who knew?
"Here she wants to talk to you."
Lucky picked up the phone. "Hi mom."
"What's going on Lucky? Are you in danger? Where are you we will come get you right now I'll wake your father." Lisa insisted.
"I'm fine I think?" Lucky wasn't sure either. Kirk hadn't done anything to him but the promise of what was to come seemed a bit ominous to him. The man wasn't scary about it though. His voice when speaking to his mother was calming and sweet as if having a normal conversation with an elder.
"Thank god. We are coming to get you send us your location."
Lucky side-eyed the hulking man. He was not hovering over him as he spoke to his mother like someone threatening him would. Instead, he was sauntering over to inspect the damaged door and giving Lucky some privacy.
"No it's okay." maybe it was the tenderness in Kirks's voice as he spoke to Lucky's mother but something made him want to hear what this guy's plan was for him.
That was a week ago and Lucky had come to regret the decision wholeheartedly. Well, he couldn't say it was entirely regrettable. Kirk hadn't allowed him to leave his side for the entirety of his time with him. At firsthey even slept in the same room. Kirk had said it was to keep him from being able to sneak off and steal things. By day 3 Lucky had tried to sneak off while Kirk was knocked out in bed but he heard the floor squeak and the big man shot right up out of bed. Now instead of just the same room he was forced to lay next to him on the same bed. The dude was a cuddler in his sleep.
During the day when they went places, Lucky would try to swipe something and in that same tender tone of voice he used over the phone with his mother Kirk would order him to drop it. The deep baritone of his voice was like ASMR or something. It gave Lucky almost the same buzz as the adrenaline rush of stealing did. So even if he was forced to put it back it was a tiny consolation.
Kirk had his hands full with the man. He didn't realize it would be so much work to keep him out of trouble. It was honestly even more work keeping himself in line. Using the excuse of Lucky's kleptomania he even made him sleep next to him. He felt a bit guilty for doing that. Lucky didn't seem to mind too much since he cuddled him right back every night.
