Work Text:
Watching Him
by Donna
Kevin looked over at Mulder as the older man shifted in his seat. He looked worried again as he worked with the inventory. He often did these days.
Kevin flashed back to the day he'd finally arrived here. He'd walked into the office as though he belonged and saw Mulder for the first time in nearly ten years. His first impression was that the man hadn't aged a day. His hair was still full and dark, longer than he had worn it before. He hadn't seemed as tall, Kevin grinned, but then Kevin wasn't four feet tall anymore. Mulder was still a tall man, lanky even though his muscles were more defined now. Before he had worked out and run, now he did manual labor, chopped wood - it made a difference.
That night, when Mulder had held him, protected him, he had felt safe for the first time in ages, safe and connected. Being close to the man, even now after all these years, made him feel the same. If only there was some way for Kevin to help get rid of the worry in his eyes.
He knew that Mulder was concerned that Walter was still gone. Personally, Kevin was delighted that Walter and Todd had taken the gimp away. Krycek upset both Mulder and Scully, and that was unacceptable. Kevin didn't know the story there, but the vibes from Mulder were always unsettled when Krycek showed up. Kevin had caught fear and anger and something less definable when he'd shown up this time.
Since Walter had been gone, the lines around Mulder's eyes had gotten deeper, the circles under his eyes darker on occasion. He ran his hands through his hair more, making it stick up in areas. Scully was forever brushing it down with a caress. Kevin knew he wasn't sleeping well, though it hid it pretty well from most of the others - but not Scully, never Scully.
That caused a smile on Kevin's face. The two of them had barely known each other when he had first met them, but after the events of that night, when he'd lain encased in Mulder's strong arms as the bikes had roared past them, somehow Kevin had known they were 'together' - whatever that meant to a seven year old boy. Scully hadn't understood any better than he had, but all these years later, there she was still at his side.
The way Mulder had looked at him then, for just an instant - it was as though they shared something; something deeper than just a rescue. Then Ruby had been returned and Mulder had been taken from him; banned by his mother from explaining or sharing their connection. She didn't know Mulder had become engrained in him, somehow imprinted on his brain.
Maybe someday he'd tell Mulder who he really was and what Mulder had done for him. There was no hurry, for now he could be by this man's side, helping him in anyway he could.
Suddenly Mulder's head came up and he smiled. Kevin looked away, grinning. There had been no sound, no warning but this man knew. The door opened and Scully walked in, well waddled, even as he rose to greet her. Kevin leaned back as they shared a kiss. He was home.
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