Under My Protection

Chapter 13

For PentatonixFangirl

"Dance with me Daddy!" David pulled Mitch off the couch as the music was playing loudly. I watched as the little boy flailed his arm all over the place. I honestly didn't know how this happened. All I know is that David was going over to one of his little friend's house soon. "Scotty!"

"I'm up." I got off the couch and lifted him in my arms. Then I spun him around. He giggled happily.

"I love you." David wrapped his tiny arms around my neck. I hugged him back.

"I love you too Buddy." The doorbell rang and he wiggled out of my arms.

"Hi Jay. Can we go play now Daddy?" I flopped down on the couch as Mitch went to go say goodbye to his son. The front door shut quietly.

"That kid wears me out." Mitch went over to turn off the music.

"Don't." His hand stopped in mid air. "It's nice. Besides I didn't see you dance." I didn't mean it to come out that way but it did. And it was too late to take what I said back.

"Maybe I was just waiting till we were alone."

"Mitch...." He chuckled nervously.

"I shouldn't have said that." We lived together for six months. We had sex once and somehow it made Mitch seem more awkward around me.

"Maybe I want you to." He bit his bottom lip to keep from grinning.

"I've never done anything like this before. Thought I'd warn you."

"Come here." I watched as he slowly put one leg on one side of my body and the other on the opposite. I went to run my hands up his thighs but he hit them away teasingly.

"Don't touch. Not yet." I felt one of my eyebrows raise up. He laughed quietly before leaning forward to kiss me. He tugged on the bottom of my shirt and we broke the kiss to take it off. His hands went over the scars that littered my chest.

"What are you thinking about?" We locked eyes. I noticed the blush on his face.

"What would have happened if I noticed you while I was playing? All those years ago...." I ignored the fact that he told me not to touch him and caressed his cheek. He brought my hand to the first button on his shirt. I popped it off with a little hesitation. Then I went to the next. Until the whole shirt was open. Then I went to kiss his chest, his hands twisting in my hair. We stopped when the doorbell rang. Mitch closed his shirt and went to answer the door.

"Hey!"

"Sherry?"

"Ready for another party tonight?" Mitch glanced back at me.

"We're actually staying in tonight." I watched her glance down a Mitch's neck.

"Oh! Have fun getting off the couch Scott!" I let my head fall into my hands in embarrassment. Mitch shut the door with a small laugh. He came to sit next to me, resting his head on my shoulder.

"You don't have to sleep on the couch Scott. Not anymore." He laced his fingers with mine.

"It's the polite thing to do."

"And....what if I asked you to come to bed with me every night?" I chuckled.

"Well, if we're being polite, how could I refuse?" He smiled. That smile is so beautiful. I leaned over to press my lips to his, my hand going to grab his hip to bring him closer. His hands went to hold my face. I heard my text tone go off but I ignored it. Mitch broke the kiss when the phone ran.

"I'll get it." I watched him walk away to answer the phone. I went to check my phone. That's when I knew what the phone call was about. David had hit the emergency button. Multiple times. I ran into the kitchen in time to see the home phone crash against the hardwood floor of the kitchen.

"Mitch?" I expected Mitch to turn around and be crying but I was surprised to see him determined.

"We have to find him."

"I know where he is. Come on." Mitch didn't budge. That's when I realized that he was using all his power to keep himself from crying. "He's okay Mitch. David is still hitting the button. He's okay." I had to repeat it multiple times to get him to understand.

"You're sure?" I handed him my phone to show the hundreds of notifications that were coming through from David clicking the watch.

"I can find him." I reassured Mitch. I held my hand out for him. He hesitantly took it. He didn't seem convince. "Okay. What happened?" We were with David's friend and his mom.

"I took my eyes off of him for a second and then Jay was screaming about his friend going missing. I'm so sorry Mitch." Mitch took a step away from the woman when she tried to hug him. I grabbed his hand.

"Let's go." I followed the strength of the signal to find David. It brought me to a small abandoned house. I grabbed my gun out of the console of the car and I saw Mitch flinch away from it. He really did hate guns. When we walked in the front door, David was sitting calmly on the weather damaged floor.

"David?"

"Daddy!" The little boy ran into Mitch's arms.

"Are you okay?" Mitch was kneeling down checking every inch of David for anything out of the ordinary. David pushed away his dad when he received a shower of kisses.

"I'm fine Daddy."

"Who took you?" I holstered my gun when it seemed like we were safe. I was waiting for David's answer.

"The man with the scary eyes. He said he'd hurt you." Mitch brought David into a tight hug, looking at me worriedly. He knew we were here.

"Put your hands up!" I put my hands up as officers broke open the door. They pointed their gun at me.

"If you let me, I'm going to reach in my pocket and get my badge." I handed them my identification.

"Is this your son?" I glanced down at where Mitch was holding David. We weren't allowed to get local authority involved.

"Yes. And my husband." Mitch stood up with the boy in his arms. Yet he was able to get one hand in mine. "I think you understand why I couldn't wait for a response from your offices. I can't lose them." They all looked at each other.

"We'll bring you in for questioning tomorrow. Get home safe."

"Thank you." I pushed Mitch and David out of the run down house. Then it was back home where Mitch kept David in his arms as we watched tv. He barely let David go to bed alone but the little boy had to tell him:

"It's okay Daddy. The scary man doesn't want me." It made Mitch leave slowly but he still left. I was coming out of the shower to the main bedroom. That's when I saw Mitch sitting on the edge of the bed trying not to cry.

"Shut the door please." He wiped the tears that poured down. "I don't want David to walk in and see me like this." I came over to sit by him, holding my towel tightly so it didn't fall to the ground.

"He has no idea how strong you are for him." Mitch put his head in the crook of my neck.

"You'll stay with me tonight, right?"

"Yes." After I got dressed, I went in the bed with him. He cuddled up to my chest immediately.

"I don't think you understand how much it means to me that you found David. Chris would have never done that." He was drawing patterns on my chest. "Thank you."

"I couldn't have left him. You guys are like family to me. The only people I have."

"You mean that?" I looked down at Mitch.

"With all my heart." Mitch moved over to kiss me. I shouldn't have said that. But I meant it.

Because I was falling in love with him.