Black Coffee and Patience

Sorry to everyone who already read this chapter i had to make a few edits!

Lukas's call to Emil was short but serious. He warned his little brother that someone knew where he was and what he was doing and that he may be in danger. Lukas told him he would explain later and that he would transfer some money to him so that he could buy a plane ticket out of iceland as soon as possible. He didn't want the chief to get his hands on the one person he cared about more than anyone in the entire world. Although he was bad at expressing it, if anything ever happened to Emil he would never be the same.

After calling his brother he headed off with the officer who was assigned to escort him back to his apartment. The two climbed into a silver sedan and were on their way, with Lukas nervously looking out the windows in fear of someone spotting him. He sat in silence as the police officer made sure not to drive directly to Lukas's apartment but instead go to a movie theatre a little ways away from the man's apartment. The cop explained that dropping people off at public venues was the easiest way to deter suspicion just in case Lukas was still being watched. That way anyone watching would assume he just ordered a taxi to pick him up so he could see a movie.

Upon being dropped off, Lukas headed inside the theatre and to the bathroom, where he opened his phone and his banking application. He quickly transferred some money to Emil's bank account before heading out and towards the exit to the opposite side of the theatre. From there, he headed back home.

As soon as Lukas got to his building he sped past his doorman and practically ran up the flights of stairs to his apartment. Unlocking the door, he slipped his coat off and stomped into his room, not feeling energetic enough to cook himself dinner. Knowing tomorrow was a big day, he decided not to dwell, and instead shut his eyes and let himself doze off, hopeful that tomorrow would finally be the end to all of the madness at the lab.

-

The next day, Lukas woke up an hour before his alarm, his anxiety setting in as he realized what was ahead of him. Work started in two hours. The detective had told him to go to work as usual, pretending not to know anything about the investigation in order to not raise suspicion. Even though Lukas had warned Emil about what was going on, they didn't want to risk putting anyone in danger by having Lukas suspicioulsy not show up to work.

Lukas sat up in bed and softly stroked the white of his bedsheets. He looked out the window to a sleepy Oslo, the barely risen sun lightly dusting the city with a layer of morning dawn. A peaceful beginning to a potentially chaotic day. He let out a sigh and rolled his neck, cracking it as he stood up from the comfort of his bed. He then rolled his wrists and extended his shoulders, stretching before he set his bed.

He slipped off his work clothes from the day prior and sleepily changed himself, barely paying attention as he fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. Once dressed, he slipped into the kitchen and sighed. He didn't really have an appetite.

Heading over to the sink, he filled a cup of water and poured a little into the succulent on the windowsill above the faucet. Lukas enjoyed taking care of his plant, as he felt satisfied knowing he was at least successful in keeping at least one living being alive other than himself.

He set the glass down in the sink before pausing to stare at the chopsticks in the sink. It took him back a few days to when he and Mathias were giggling and playfully cooking breakfast. Lukas hadn't yet mustered up the energy to wash the dishes in the sink. He smiled for a moment, remembering that he had promised Mathias a date when they were eventually released from this depressing mess. He felt his face blush and immediately slapped himself, forcing himself to focus instead on the hours to come. He didn't have time to be thinking about dinner dates when his date was still locked in an underground laboratory.

Backing away from the sink, Lukas turned and grabbed his lab coat. He figured he'd take a little trip before work. Slipping on his shoes, he left his apartment and went down the stairs, hoping to quietly slip out before his doorman could catch him. Luckily, the man was distracted, and Lukas slid past without a trace.

Lukas strode down the street with a slight bounce in his step, leaving behind his typically cold demeanor as he felt a little glimmer of optimism for the rest of the day. He made a few turns before arriving at his destination: the coffee shop where he and Mathias first saw each other.

As he walked in he was greeted with warm smiles by a few of the regulars who recognized him. He returned their gestures with nods and slight smiles, not exactly rememering their names. Although he was typically there every morning, he had never really cared about any of the customers except Mathias.

When he walked up to the counter he was greeted very excitedly by Anette, the barista who poured his black coffee every morning. The girl was always extremely enthusiastic and Lukas always responded with the most monotonous, deadpanned demeanor. It was an interesting dynamic.

"Lukas! Oh my god! Haven't seen you in days! Where have you been?" she practically shouted before turning to pour his coffee.

"I've been pretty busy" Lukas replied, shrugging.

"Ugh- I totally feel that" she replied with a smile. She slid his coffee across the counter and rang him out.

"Actually- um. Can I get Mathias's usual order as well?" Lukas asked, eliciting a confused look from the barista.

"Mathias? Oh- oh my god! Crazy-hair Mathias! He hasn't been here in a while either" the barista muttered before her eyes got really wide, "OMG are you guys finally dating?! Me and Eira have totally had a running bet to see who would make the first move.. so cute!"

Lukas nearly choked. "Um-no" he replied curtly, taking his card out of his wallet to pay. She winked and turned to make Mathias's drink, leaving Lukas with a slightly pink face. When she returned she rang him out.

Before she handed the card back, she whispered, "My bet was always on you."

Lukas quickly shoved the card into his wallet and grabbed the drinks, practically running out of the shop as the young girl waved goodbye with a wink. As he walked down the sidewalk he looked at the drinks and laughed. They were quite reflective of their personalities. Lukas usually got a small black french roast coffee. Mathias ordered a vanilla and caramel latte with whipped cream and caramel drizzle. It was a miracle the man was so fit.

Lukas continued to walk until he finaly reached the laboratory. He had finished his coffee and didn't want to look suspicious having two, so he threw his cup out before walking in. He greeted the recepcionist with a smile and proceeded down to the 16th floor. He was still quite early, so he hoped none of the other people with access to the lower floors had clocked in yet.

Upon arrival, the room was dark, and Lukas was glad, because he wasn't exactly sure how to explain to any of his colleagues why he was holding such a sugary drink in front of a human specimen. Turning the lights on, Lukas grimaced at the sight of the Dane. Somehow he looked like he had gotten worse. His skin had a bluish tint and from afar it looked as though his hair had lost its original golden glow.

Lukas stepped forwards and set the drink down on the lab table beside the the table Mathias was restrained on. He leaned over and checked the Dane's pulse, surprised to find it was functioning normally. His lips were slightly chapped and his skin looked dry, which was most likely due to the effects of the combination of drugs in his system.

Lukas lightly poked him, hoping to elicit a reaction. Nothing. He then shook his shoulders. The man twitched slightly, but nothing else. The Norwegian then decided on something a little more drastic. Holding his nose, Lukas cut off his breathing supply. The Dane began to shake before his lips parted and his eyes shot open. Lukas let go and watched as Mathias took a deep breath before looking up at him. At first he looked ready to fight, but upon realizing it was Lukas, he smiled.

"Lukas" he let out weakly, his voice strained as he looked up at the Norwegian.

"I brought you something that'll hopefully cheer you up" Lukas said, a slight grin on his face as the redness returned to Mathias's cheeks. The previously blue hue was seeming to fade. Lukas lifted up the coffee cup from the table and watched as Mathias raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"My order?! You didn't..." Mathias let out, looking more lively than Lukas had seen him in days.

"A large vanilla and caramel latte with whipped cream and caramel drizzle for Mathias, the most patient and cheerful human-experiment I've ever met" Lukas exclaimed, eliciting a hearty chuckle from the Dane. Mathias reached for it before realizing his wrists were still pinned to the table. Lukas grimaced.

Heading over to the computer, Lukas logged in and unclocked the cuffs, releasing his legs and arms from the table. "Drink quick, I don't know when the other scientists get into work."

Mathias excitedly shot up from the table and stood, stretching his body for a moment before taking a few steps. Lukas frowned. He couldn't imagine being strapped down to a table for that long without being allowed to stretch or walk.

The Dane reached for the drink and practically gulped it down in one sip. "The last time I had food or drink that wasn't through a tube was when we made breakfast" Mathias stated, surprising Lukas. He had forgotten that the "experiments" were fed through tubes.

Lukas walked back over to the table before he heard the faint sound of the elevator moving down the shaft. "Mathias. Table. Now!" Lukas shouted as he realized they were about to be joined by one of the other scientists. Mathias quickly set the cup down, wiped his mouth, and laid down on the table just in time for the elevator doors to open.

Lukas turned to see the same assistant that had forced him to inject Mathias with fentanyl earlier that week. "Not to be a bother" Lukas shouted, "But I think I accidentally uncuffed the specimen! Do you know how to re-secure the body? Sorry!"

The assistant looked furious. "You idiot! You're lucky it wasn't awake. That thing would've killed you" he scolded, pushing Lukas away from the monitor as he re-locked the cuffs. "What were you even doing on the computer anyway?"

"I wanted to log the vitals" Lukas replied quickly. The assistant sighed, rubbing his temples as Lukas pretended to be an innocent young scientist.

"Next time- just ask me for help" the assistant uttered, obviously annoyed at the newbie.

"Will do!" Lukas enthusiastically stated, giving the man a thumbs up and a charming smile. Lukas heard Mathias trying not to laugh from across the room. Luckily the assistant did not have the best sense of hearing. Lukas decided to head upstairs to avoid any more trouble. He wasn't sure being in the same room with Mathias during the police raid would be the smartest idea.

As he reached the 14th floor, where he decided to work on a previous experiment, he let out a small smile. Now all there was to do was wait.

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