The Pact (Scömìche)(completed)

10 The missing piece

a/n

Mitch makes an appearance at last.

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Esther's head whipped round, and she took Scott to one side. "What, you want me to call Mitch, are you sure?"

"Please just do it, before I change my mind."

"Right."

She moved away with her phone, and almost immediately started a quiet conversation that Scott couldn't hear. He went to sit with Kirstie and asked her about the twins, about New York, anything to distract him from the knot that had formed in his stomach.

He hardly heard what Kirstie said, but he was grateful that she kept talking. Her hand sneaked into his, and when the doorbell rang barely fifteen minutes later he gripped her hand tighter. He shot a look over at Esther, but she was already on her way to the door, nodding to him as she passed by.

"It's all right, sweetheart, we're here with you," Kirstie said quietly. She placed her other hand over his. "It's gonna be fine."

Scott couldn't answer. He could only feel the gentle pressure of her small, warm hands enclosing his trembling right hand, the nausea from what should have been delicious food smells, and the sudden dryness of his mouth.

"May I present Mitchell Grassi, actress and model!" Esther called out, sounding breathless.

Scott kept his back to the house, and his breaths came fast and shallow. He felt Kirstie squeeze his hands, and then she got up.

There was a chorus of greetings, and he glanced up to see Mitch and Kirstie embrace. She was crying, but Scott couldn't afford to give in to tears. Not here, not yet.

Mitch whispered in Kirstie's ear and kissed her on both cheeks. He moved on to Kevin, whose brilliant smile told of his joy at meeting his bandmate again. He hugged Mitch and almost lifted him off his feet.

Then Mitch went over to Avi, who was lifting chicken from the grill onto plates. He tapped Avi on the back and he turned, put down the tongs and engulfed Mitch in his arms. Matched in size, the two men held each other tight, saying nothing. Scott saw how they fitted together effortlessly, and it hurt.

Scott bit his lip, unable to take his eyes off them. Avi wore a dark blue check shirt and black jeans. Apart from one plain earring and his wedding band, he wore no other jewellery. Mitch's pink shirt contrasted well with skin-tight ripped grey jeans and thick soled black loafers. Scott picked out the fine gold chain around his neck, the many rings he wore, the mismatched earrings. Mitch looked like a model off-duty. He looked wonderful.

Finally Avi patted Mitch's back one last time and released him, wiping his eyes before turning back to the grill. And Scott's heart contracted as he watched Mitch walk towards him. He looked like an angel, but Scott knew that when angels appeared, they could strike fear into the heart of an observer.

Scott stood, and his heart curled tight in his chest, hardly daring to beat. He supposed everyone was watching, but he only looked at one face. How could one small person take up so much space?

He was struck dumb by the jump from imagination to reality. Mitch was really there, holding out both hands, speaking. Scott blinked slowly, and tried to process. His lip quivered.

"Hello Scott."

"Mitch. I - it's been a while." Scott licked his dry lips. "Welcome back."

He stared at the tattooed hands hanging in the space between them, watched the slender fingers curl and open uncertainly.

"I've been wanting to see you all for so long, and it's wonderful to be here."

Mitch's voice was smooth, a little lower in pitch than Scott remembered. It gave him chills. He watched his own hands reach out without him asking them to move, and take the waiting hands. They were warm as they held on lightly.

There was a hint of a tan on his cheekbones, and Scott inhaled deeply, catching spice in Mitch's cologne. He forced his legs to stay still, finding support in the ground under his feet. He would not run. Even though the sight of Mitch blinded him, he would stand firm.

He knew Mitch was not the crying kind, but his beautiful brown eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"Oh God, I - I can't-"

Scott's voice broke, and he dropped Mitch's hands and reached forward. He gathered Mitch up and wrapped his arms around him. They were both crying, gasping for air. Mitch put his arms around Scott's waist, and he fitted perfectly like a missing puzzle piece.

It was love and pain, fire and ice, and Scott opened his heart to it for a moment. But it was too much to bear, and he screwed his eyes tight and tried to control his breathing. He opened shaky arms and let go.

When he opened his eyes Mitch was still there, and beyond him he saw Kirstie and Kevin, Avi and Esther holding on to each other for support. Every one had tears in their eyes, and Kirstie was sobbing, dabbing her eyes with a knuckle.

Scott mustered a shaky smile and held his arms wide. "Come on, guys."

The six friends came together immediately for a group embrace. Kevin said a prayer of thanks as they bowed their heads together. With Mitch's arm laid lightly round his waist, Scott felt a jittery burst of elation. He had hardly dared hope for this reunion. But it was happening for real, not in a fevered dream.

They stayed together until Avi spoke.

"We need to rehydrate after all this crying," he rumbled, his voice lower than usual. "And we need to eat."

"I'm all for that," Kevin chimed in. The spell broken, Avi returned to cooking, Esther went in search of tissues, and Kirstie withdrew to repair her makeup. Kevin poured water and helped Avi dish up the food.

Scott sat on the long couch and motioned to Mitch, who sat nearby on a chair.

"You look great, really great Mitch. I... well, there's a lot to catch up on." His heart was beating normally, almost.

Mitch folded his hands together. "Thanks, and yeah, I hoped we could catch up. Thanks for inviting me, I appreciate it."

Scott heard the formality in his tone, and was grateful for the distance it gave them. He needed time to work out how close he could get to the flame that lit his darkness and warmed his cold heart, without getting burned.