𓈊 A Poppy By Any Other Name

Act XXXVII

Small warning for mention of cigarettes/smoking. It's nothing big, it's just talked about a bit.

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Scar's grip tightened around Grian, the latter trembling in the brunette's arms.

"They're gonna take me away," Grian murmured over and over, grasping tightly at Scar's jumper. He wasn't quite crying but his voice quivered as if he was.

Scar tried calming him by running a hand through his hair and rocking back and forth, but it didn't seem to do much. "No one is taking you away," he whispered. "You're safe. You're safe."

Mumbo gasped from the front hallway. "Stop, I never said you could-" He cut himself off with a yelp, and both Scar and Grian jumped at the sound of a crash.

Trying (and quite obviously failing) to stay calm, Scar nudged Grian to let him know he wanted to get up from the floor. Grian still clung to the brunette as they stood.

"Let go of me!" Mumbo shouted just before the police officer standing at the door came into the living room.

Scar put his arm out in front of Grian in a protective manner, glaring at the officer as he heard Mumbo let out a pained whine.

The policeman put his hands up. "We're not here to hurt anyone," he began.

"Then why was Mumbo screaming?" Scar demanded. "He wouldn't be screaming if you weren't hurting him."

"He'll be fine," the officer answered. He glaze flicked to Grian, who was cowering behind Scar. "I assume you're Grian?" Grian hid his face against Scar's shoulder. "I need you to come with me. Your friend Joel is waiting at the station for you. He's worried about you."

Yeah, right, he's worried, Grian thought bitterly. He doesn't care. He never cared. If he cared, he wouldn't have hit Lizzie.

Scar let out a stubborn hmph. "My boyfriend isn't going anywhere," he huffed, the title making Grian blush a bit.

The man sighed. "Would it make you feel better if you went with him?" he asked.

Scar hesitated. "No."

"Well, I'm not leaving without-"

Mumbo ran into the room, yelling incoherently, and started to hit the policeman. "Leave! Grian! Alone!" The officer was anything but bothered by Mumbo's shouting and hitting him. "And get out of my house!" Mumbo squeezed his eyes shut as he pounded his fists into the officer.

"Alright, alright," the man said, half-heartedly trying to swat Mumbo away. "You can sto-" He was cut off when Mumbo's fist collided with his nose. "Dammit, kid-" He stepped backward. "Would you cut it out?"

Mumbo glared at the policeman. "You threw me against the wall!"

"Listen, all I need is to take Grian to the station, alright?" Scar and Mumbo continued to give the officer dirty looks. "What can I do to convince you to let me take Grian?"

* * *

"Let go of me!"

Joel turned his head to see a rather large policeman walking into the station with Grian thrown over his shoulder, the boy thrashing and hitting the officer.

"Put me down!" Grian wailed.

The officer bent forward to set Grian on his feet, immediately having to block him from running out the door.