Work Text:
“The streets seem emptier than usual” is the first thing that escapes Snuffy's lips after a while, a desperate attempt to dispel the silence that had settled in during the walk. “People must have already started taking refuge from the cold”
Even though it is a sentence said with the intention of not obtaining answers or continuations, Snuffy still directs his gaze to the man next to him, who seemed completely lost in thought. A low sigh escapes Marc's lips and his brow furrows without him noticing. He swears he's trying, but it was still difficult to get used to it all, “Mick”
The dark eyes blink before turning to the blonde, the gleam of guilt that reflects in their irises is enough for Snuffy to curse his damn lack of tact when dealing with the other, “Sorry, I got distracted”
This has been a common occurrence since Mick was released from the psychiatric ward after Snuffy took him to the hospital that day. He tends to get distracted very easily and usually can't show the old happiness that was on his face, but Snuffy knows that he's trying and that should be enough. He shouldn't be so selfish when he knows it was being difficult for him too.
Marc's watchful eyes notice when Mick's hand closes into a fist at his side, enough force in his arms to draw blood if he continues any longer. That was a habit he should have abandoned a long time ago, although it always returned when he felt the need to punish himself when he did or said something he shouldn't have in his distorted perception. Quickly, Snuffy's hand rushes to hold the shorter one's, gently forcing it open before intertwining their fingers and guiding them towards his coat pocket.
Moon looks surprised and a little apprehensive, but relaxes when he receives a soft kiss on his temple as a way of comforting him. “No need to apologize, it’s okay,” Snuffy’s voice is a little louder than a whisper, but it’s not like anyone other than Mick needs to hear him.
They continue walking, still with their hands clasped inside Marc's pocket. The conversation between them seems to be easier now, although both of their gazes were completely focused on the boy who walked happily in front of them, as if the world around him – especially behind him – didn't exist.
Don revealed himself as an energetic child after getting used to the two men's presence, and honestly, Snuffy couldn't be happier about it. Lorenzo was a treasure in his own right, whether on or off the field, and was one of the main reasons that the house didn't fall into an uncomfortable, deathly silence throughout the day.
The boy was even able to make Mick smile more often, in addition to driving away the worries that constantly came back to haunt Snuffy whether in nightmares or in reality itself. Don was their son, the son who would never again be left adrift or destitute, not while they were alive to stop the past from coming back to haunt him.
Snuffy knew it wouldn't be easy, he couldn't lie and say he hadn't been informed of this before he decided to take control of everything. Sometimes, as painful as it is to admit, he feels completely useless when he finds himself incapable of something that should be his responsibility. Unable to help Mick get out of fits, unable to stop Don from freaking out whenever he is placed in places with loud noises, unable to help himself when training takes too much of his effort and he finds himself unable to stop until he falls asleep or simply passes out.
It wasn't easy, it wasn't meant to be easy. But he's learning to deal with it, everyone is.
“Hey, Babbo” Lorenzo's pouty voice breaks Snuffy out of his thoughts, making him quickly turn his attention to the younger boy.
“Yes, Don? Any problems?” Marc questions calmly, stopping his steps next to Mick while the shorter man stared blankly at the dark alley that existed between two buildings in the area they were crossing.
“I heard something moving inside, I think it's a stray kitten” Lorenzo explains nervously, before turning around with his big puppy eyes almost watering. “He might be cold, okay?”
Snuffy seems about to make a decision (motivated mainly by the boy's tearful eyes, he admits), when Mick decides to take the lead, breaking free of the blonde's grip and heading towards the alley on his own. “I’ll take care of it, wait a minute”
Marc takes the opportunity to check Lorenzo's outfit, as he could do nothing to stop Moon from rescuing a helpless kitten. Although it wasn't snowing and the boy insisted that he didn't get cold easily, Snuffy preferred not to take any risks so as not to have to deal with a cold later, especially knowing that Don still had a very low immunity to most common illnesses.
While the orange-eyed man finishes adjusting the younger man's coat, Mick's presence reappears through the shadows of the alley. The cat was still a kitten with orange fur, who was visibly shaking in the dark-haired man's arms.
While the sight was captivating in its own right, it wasn't the cat itself that caught Snuffy's attention. It was the smile that Mick had on his face as he caressed the feline behind the ear and brought him close with the intention of allowing Don to hold him too.
He looked so…relaxed.
Marc always knew that Moon had a terrible weakness for cats, constantly being late for training because he had been distracted by a stray cat and had lost track of time while petting the cats. Seeing him like this now awakens in Snuffy a feeling of peace that he had rarely enjoyed in the last few difficult weeks, always too busy and worried to care about trivial things like that.
Two pairs of eyes turn to him at the same moment, and he knows he couldn't say “no” even before hearing the question.
“Can we have it, please?” the question comes from Lorenzo, who was holding the cat so close to him that Marc really couldn't answer anything other than “of course we can” that escaped his lips accompanied by an amused laugh.
Mick and Don celebrate with knowing smiles and a soft high five so as not to scare the kitten, who had fallen asleep against Lorenzo's chest. The rest of the walk back home seems simpler this time, and Snuffy can't help the smile that adorns his face as he feels Moon's hand chasing his to intertwine their fingers of its own accord.
It wasn't easy, no one said it would be. But they're slowly figuring it out, and honestly, Marc couldn't be happier with his family and their newest member.