When Dex came to sit beside Sven in front of the older man’s ornate living room fireplace, he was aware that Sven had likely retreated there for a quiet moment alone. Though Nils and Lyla’s engagement party had wound down and only family remained now, gatherings never quite calmed when Charlie, Bristol and Alice were on the guest list together.
Dex approached with two glasses of an aged wine Sven probably hadn’t given Bristol permission to open. And Dex didn’t ask Sven if he wanted another drink before putting it in his hand and clinking his own glass against it.
Whatever jokes, energy, general all around foolishness Sven expected from Dex in the moments following didn’t come. Eventually Sven glanced at the younger, in wonder of what exactly it was he wanted considering the lack of one on one time spent between the two of them.
But Dex only gazed into the fire for a few more moments, sipping at his wine. And then, “You did an excellent job, Sven.”
The sincerity in the man’s voice was a change from their usual encounters and it caught Sven’s attention differently.
Dex took a breath, “Nils is a tremendous person. He’s...” Dex shook his head, as though he was struggling for the words grand enough to express his thoughts. “One could only hope to have a child so thoughtful, so utterly conscious and good-hearted. Your boy has a good heart, Sven.”
Dex took a sip of his wine but still cut Sven off before the man could speak up, “And don’t try to deflect any of the credit. We’re first time parents, we all make mistakes in the beginning.”
“After Adam...” the name, 19 years later, still pin pricked ever so slightly in Dex’s mouth. “There were so many moments I wish I could take back. So many times I was selfish and I couldn’t see past my own grief to be a good dad for Lyla...”
There was an honestly in him speaking on matters he’d never had a reason to discuss with Sven directly before. But the words came easily to Dex with intention. “Have you ever argued with a five year old over something you should’ve been the bigger person about because you knew you were both hurting from the same loss?” He chuckled, glancing at Sven for the first time. “Because I have.”
He took a breath, looking back to the fire as he leaned his forearms onto his thighs. “But our kids turned out extraordinary, no matter how badly we messed it up in the beginning. Somewhere along the line we learned, on our own or because we were taught that we had to grow before we expected our kids to do the same. Doesn’t matter the reason, we learned.”
Dex was quiet for a few beats and then, “I was so afraid Lyla wouldn’t be loved the same way without Adam in our lives. I loved hard but he loved well. He loved kind and he loved with lifelong commitment.”
Dex took a long sip of his wine. “I don’t have to worry about that anymore.” When he looked to the older man again it was with a warm smile. “We did good, Sven. Both of us. You did good.”
There were several moments in which the fire crackled before them but then, Dex stood. As he turned to leave the room he stopped to place a hand on the shoulder of the man he had known since he was 11 years old. They were both worlds apart from who they were then and the knowledge made Dex squeeze the shoulder he held, before slipping his hand off and moving to leave Sven to his peace.
Through the bustle of the warm, populated living room, Sven found himself laser-focused on only one thing. The very thing which had slowly consumed most parts of him over the last four years was now, at that moment, all he could bring himself to see, hear, and put his interest in. The form of Dexter D’Angelo, on the other side of the room, speaking animatedly with his hands, the boldest smile Sven had ever seen, entertaining people half his age that he’d met not an hour ago.
To Sven, even at the age of 58, Dex was the brightest star and he simply could not look away. He could only sit there on the sofa, far away, and imagine behind his eyes how it would feel to be by the side of such a striking energy. Sven had to dig the wedding band into his finger to tether his heart back to where it belonged. What kind of man was he, to be lost in the wonder of a man who was not his husband, at his granddaughter’s first birthday party, no less? The thoughts sank Sven’s stomach steadily, second by second.
And of all the surrounding people engaged in conversation, in drinks, in laughter, in enjoying friends and family, there was only one who noticed the faint furrow in Sven’s brows, the distance of his mind from his physical form.
“Feeling okay, dad?” A gentle hand came to rest over the back of Sven’s and when he looked over, his daughter-in-law was gazing at him with eyes as perceptive as her father’s.
It was still new for Sven to hear the title in her doting voice but ever since Lyla had married Nils, she grew closer to Sven than she had been her entire life. As though she embraced that marrying his son meant being a part of his family in a different way than she had been since she could walk, run, and jump. That their futures were tied together now and she would be steadfastly by Nils’s side when the roles one day reversed and the kids were the ones looking after their parents.
Sven returned to his reality with a soft sound and pressed a small smile to his lips, nodding. “Just fine, Lyla, thank you. Perhaps a little tired,” he answered, peppering the second sentiment in so she wouldn’t feel brushed off. He wasn’t lying, he could lie down.
Lyla’s smile grew more soothing somehow and she tilted her head to the side, as though she didn’t quite accept his reasoning. She shifted the baby in her arms closer towards Sven and cooed to her, “What do you think, Nov? Will you join your grandad for a nap later?”
Nova laughed happily at her mother’s tone of voice and then followed her gaze to Sven. The recognition in her eyes of her grandfather was accompanied by a blossoming smile and she reached a hand for his beard, a favorite way to inflict what she perceived as slapstick injury to him.
Sven noticed that Lyla was watching him, waiting to see if her actions helped to make him smile and he indulged because, well, of course, they did. The little girl between them was his whole heart and he certainly could forget the world for her for now.
Of course, the fates would grant Sven no such luck as their tender moment was interrupted by none other than Dex’s voice, calling over for his daughter, his toothy grin aimed right in their direction.
Lyla nodded to her father, indicating she was coming and adjusting Nova in her arms, she leaned in towards her father-in-law to speak to him quietly.
“Let me know if you need anything, even if it’s a distraction so you can stealth your way out for a break, okay?” she offered along with her knowing smile.
Nova cooed as her mother stood, drawing her away from her grandfather and Lyla rubbed her baby’s back. “I know, you miss daddy, he doesn’t make you go around saying hello to everyone like this,” Sven heard her speak lovingly before she kissed Nova’s dark hair.
His line of vision followed her to where she stopped briefly to check in with her husband and Sven couldn’t help but think to himself, this was it. This was all his mind and heart were at war for; the happiness of the family he worked so very long and hard to deserve.
As he stood himself, intending to move somewhere the view was a bit different, Sven exhaled deeply. It was worth it. It was worth it. It was worth it.
Dex: From now on we will be using code names. You can address me as Eagle One. Charlie, code name, Been There, Done That. Mom Vogel is It Happened Once in a Dream. Emma,
code name If I Had To Pick a Chick. Sven is...Eagle Two.
Dex grins, waiting for his comment to be met with something other than his partner’s perpetual scowl. With no such luck after 5 solid seconds of uninterrupted eye contact, Dex gives up.
dex will be a pro at sven's expressions because sven will honestly not bother saying anything unless necessary he'll just look at dex and hope his anger and frustration is obvious to his partner
△ sven and dex on their first mission together (is it too early to ask for them i hope not)
Sven and Dex trapped in a small closet together on their very first mission.
“This would be a lot more fun for me if your brother was in this here tight squeeze with me instead of you,” Dex groans, because the walls are so close around them that he has to suck in some of his breath to make room for both of them to fit somewhat comfortably. He’s sure Sven is doing the same as the man stares back at him for the comment.
“If my brother was on this mission he would be in this exact spot because this is your fault, D’Angelo,” Sven offers, and Dex is sure that if larger movements were allowed in their current position, Sven’s voice would’ve been louder.
Dex shrugs, inadvertently getting in Sven’s face in the process, “Call this a learning experience. Now we know not to try and outsmart Russian operatives in their own headquarters without properly disabling their security.”
Sven’s glares, if it’s possible for glares to do so, grows louder. Dex has only heard so many words out of the man during their mission but now he can hear via the glare, “We did not need to be pressed uncomfortably close on enemy ground for us to learn that,” with a side of, “An imbecile would know that without any help.”
“Hey, Vogel,” Dex’s says in response to the heated look. His tone has a bounce to it that makes Sven roll his eyes before Dex can even continue. “Is that a co2 laser in my pocket or am I just happy to see you?”
Dex grins, waiting for his comment to be met with something other than his partner’s perpetual scowl. With no such luck after 5 solid seconds of uninterrupted eye contact, Dex gives up. “It’s a co2 laser, Vogel, I’m not happy to see you,” he grumbles, squeezing his hand between them, maneuvering it to try and reach the gadget that would aid their escape. “You’re no fun.”
This time Sven doesn’t even bother with giving Dex a look.
