Chapter Text
Sam hugged him close, smelling so damn good and his hugs was the same as always. Warm and tight, making Grian feel small but protected. He shouldn’t feel this way. He knew it. But he was sleep deprived, exhausted and terrified. He clung tighter as Sam rubbed his back. “Sam… I …. “ Grian began weakly. He cut himself off. What could you say to someone you hadn’t seen in almost a year?
Same stroked his back. “It is okay, baby. I got you. Shhh it is okay. We can go now… I have a hotel room in town and we can talk about this okay?” He turned to the agents. “He is free to go?” He asked keeping a tight arm around Grian’s shoulders.
The agent nodded. “He is still be investigated but he can return home. Anything confiscated and deemed not of interest will be returned to you, after the investigation.” The agent told them blandly. “You can pick up the forms for this at the desk. You will need forms 102A, 103B…” He listed a dozen more off. “I would not take any out of town trips.” The man coldly advised. “We will be in touch.”
Grian didn’t care what they had. As long as he could go home. “Can… can we go?” He whispered desperately. He curled hard into Sam as he led him out towards his truck. It was just as familiar with the rust over the arches and the bench front seat. Grian sniffled as a flood of memories washed over him. Driving down the back roads on the weekend, windows down and singing along to the radio loudly.
Grian climbed up and paused, letting the familiar happy memories ground him. Sam was quiet until after he pulled away, thankfully getting Grian away from those two agents and the horrible room he had been locked away in. Sam finally spoke up. “So what did Scar drag you into?” He asked quietly, eyes on the road ahead. Grian could tell his husband was upset. He could see how his knuckles was white from the tight grip he had on the steering wheel. He could see his side profile, the way his eyes was crinkled in annoyance and worry.
Grian winced as he turned his head sharpish to look at Sam. “… Scar… didn’t do anything?” He tried, knowing that it wasn’t exactly true. “I … I.” He didn’t even know where to begin. Where could you? He didn’t know how to explain everything. It was so… unreal. Grian had major doubts at times and now he had to explain it to his husband who had even less time for anything supernatural than Grian had. Grian would try things with an open mind while Sam… not so much. Called it all hocus pocus and that anyone who believed must have smoked too much anything or born without a brain.
Sam sighed and turned to Grian for a second. “I don’t believe that. I just had to spring you from the fucking Department of National Security! Grian, baby, what has happened since I was gone? What sort of nonsense did that man put in your head?” He asked earnestly. “They said he had been found with illegal dangerous stuff.” Sam reached out and put his hand on Grian’s thigh. “Talk to me baby.”
Grian found himself crying again. “Okay… Pull over.” He felt the words choking him. He needed to talk to someone about all of this. He waited until Sam pull in a lay-by. The back country road was deserted, it looked like early morning, judging by the sky exploding in soft pinks and oranges. “It started the night I moved into the cottage.” Grian told him earnestly. “Now I know this is going to sound mad but…”
At some point Sam reached out to grasp Grian’s shaking hands. Grian did skip the sex dreams and anything like that, thinking he would sound like he should be committed if he told Sam that. He could already see the disbelief in Sam’s face. He finished his story bright red and flushed. Grian found himself squeezing Sam’s hands. “You believe me right?” He asked earnestly as he searched his face.
Sam took a deep breath. “Baby, do you hear yourself? I believe the lights flickered, that the cold drafts happened, but I think it sounds like an old place with wiring faults and leaky seals and probably mould.” He softly told him. “I think you were lost and scared and looking for something and Scar filled your head all this stories and you know how convincing he can be.” He gently reminded him. “He convinced you to leave me. But don’t worry, I am back. I am not letting you go this time.”
Grian burst into frustrated tears. It was his voice, the one full of doubts but sitting in front of him, telling him his worst fears in such a calm and collective way. He sat back in the weak sunlight and tried his best to sort his head out. Away from the cottage, away from Scar, away from Mumbo, it felt so unreal to him. That he was making it all up. “Sorry!” Grian found himself mumbling.
Sam moved over to the front seat and pulled Grian into a tight hug. “It is okay…. I am here, we can go back to the cottage and get you sorted. I bet you have been just caught up in your head again. I know how you can get lost in that big beautiful brain of yours baby.” He brushed a kiss to his temple before giving Grian a quiet promise. “We are going to be happy again.”