A/N: This chapter takes place after the events of 1x10.
Hey.
Another text flashed across his phone again a few days later. He'd stayed at the intersection to help with the aftermath of the solar storm and subsequent traffic accidents. After T.K. had basically broken up with him (could you break up if you'd never been officially together?) it hadn't seemed right to follow him into the ambulance despite the alarming sight of blood staining his shirt. It wasn't his place, wasn't his right, to go and hold T.K.'s hand while they stitched him together again.
And then, just as Carlos had collapsed onto the couch at home, fully prepared to wallow in his post-breakup-not-breakup misery, there it was. A text. Just that one word again. His fingers hovered over the keys as he debated how to respond. Or if he even should at all. God damn this man. How could one word have such a powerful hold over him?
Before he could make a decision the entire phone lit up with T.K.'s name, the insistent vibration indicating an actual phone call. Carlos answered before he could stop himself. "Hey is everything okay?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm good, it was just a couple stitches," T.K. said. His voice sounded off though, strained. Carlos immediately wondered if he was in pain or if something else was going on. "Look I—can we talk?"
He couldn't. He was too exhausted after their first conversation and subsequent near death experience. "To be honest T.K., I'm not sure I can take being your emotional support right now," Carlos said. "I really like you and I—I'm not sure I'm prepared to be just friends or something."
Seriously. His heart couldn't handle it.
"No that's not—I—" T.K. paused for a second. "I think…this afternoon, I think I figured some things out."
"Okay," Carlos said, waiting. If T.K. wanted something from him he was going to have to come right out and say it.
"Is there any chance, I know this is asking a lot, but I was wondering if you could come by the station?" T.K. said, his voice shaky. "I just…this would be a lot easier in person."
Yes! His mind and other parts of his anatomy screamed at him. Throw caution to the wind! Follow your heart! Who cares if it doesn't last?
He took a breath and steeled himself against the desire and lust coursing through his veins. "Listen, T.K., if you don't want us to be a thing that's fine. But I'm not really good with this on again, off again, friends with benefits things okay? That's just not who I am," Carlos said, his throat tight.
"No I—god I'm totally fucking this up I'm sorry. I really like you too Carlos. Like a lot. Like a scary amount of a lot." T.K. took a breath. "I've been so afraid of…everything lately. Of losing my dad. Of messing things up. Of myself. And…I've been scared to be with you because I…" his voice caught, "I have really strong feelings for you. And I'm not sure I really deserve you but, I thought you should know, I don't want to be just friends. I…I want to see what we are. What we could be."
Oh. Oh shit. Carlos was glad he was already sitting down because suddenly he felt lightheaded, dizzy with the rush of emotions flooding through his body. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest he was sure T.K. could hear it through the phone.
"Carlos?" T.K. asked and he realized he hadn't said anything for too long.
"I'm here," Carlos said.
"It's okay if you're not—if you just want to move on I get it." T.K. sounded resigned now and Carlos scrambled to come up with words to reassure him.
"I don't want to move on," he said quickly. "You said you're at the firehouse?
"Yeah."
"I'll be there in twenty minutes."
He'd never found it quite so difficult to follow the speed limit, but somehow he made it in one piece. The bays were open and he spotted T.K. talking with the rest of his team. He looked good. Lighter somehow.
Their eyes met and Carlos felt all of the tension of the last fews weeks drain away as T.K. walked toward him. "I'm really glad you're here," T.K. said as they wrapped their arms around each other.
"Me too," Carlos said.
"I've been such a dick," T.K. said as he pulled back a little.
Carlos shook his head. "It's been a rough couple weeks. I respect that you needed some time." He swallowed and gently cradled T.K.'s face in his hand, thumb stroking his cheek. "Come on." He took T.K.'s hand and began pulling him toward the car.
"Where are we going?"
Carlos just smiled. "Do you trust me?"
Within forty-five minutes they were out in the field. "Is this like, the make out spot? You bring all your dates out to an empty field like this?" T.K. asked as they parked.
Carlos smiled. "Actually I've never brought anyone out here." He wasn't sure exactly why he'd chosen to share this spot with T.K. In fact his stomach was fluttering with nerves about it and he'd almost turned the car around half a dozen times.
"Well then I'm honored," T.K. said with a grin. Then his eyes narrowed. "Unless you brought me out here to murder me in which case I am very not into that."
"I'm a cop, T.K."
"Which means you're above murder?"
Carlos grinned. "It means that I would definitely get away with it."
"Haha. Seriously though. What is this place?"
Carlos cleared his throat, butterflies in full effect. "It's…a place I come to when I need to think. When I need to just…be. I thought after today, maybe we both needed that."
T.K. nodded. "Yeah. I think we do."
The sun was just beginning to sink, the sky ablaze with the end of the day as Carlos and T.K. settled on the car's hood. Carlos caught a slight wince as T.K. tried to get comfortable. "You okay?" He suddenly realized that maybe T.K. was in pain and wanted to go home and get some rest rather than sit in a dusty cornfield. "Is your chest—"
"It's fine," T.K. assured him. "Just popped a couple stitches, nothing major. They fixed me up."
"Are you sure? If you'd rather go home—"
T.K. took his hand. "Carlos I promise, this is where I want to be right now. Right here with you."
They sat for a while in silence, eyes trained on the darkening horizon and then the stars that began to scatter themselves across the heavens. "Wow," T.K. murmured, leaning back so he was lying on the hood of the car. "We don't see stars like this in New York."
"Texas definitely knows how to put on a show," Carlos said.
"You know you didn't tell me before on the phone," T.K. said. "I mean I was kind of assuming from the way you dragged me out here to your secret spot that you were still into this. But I know I've kind of given you the runaround lately so—"
Carlos squeezed his hand. "Yes, T.K. I am definitely still into this. Into you." He gave a sharp laugh. "I'm not sure I know how not to be into you. It's…a little terrifying."
"I've been called a lot of things. Terrifying isn't usually one of them," T.K. said, an amused expression on his face.
Carlos smiled and then his eyes grew serious. "I want things to be clear," he said quietly. "I'm not asking for promises, or labels or something, I just…I want us to know where we stand with each other. I need to know where we stand with each other."
T.K. nodded. "That's totally fair."
"So…"
"So I guess we're…dating?" T.K. said. "Is that—are you okay with that?"
"Yeah," Carlos said quickly. "Yes that's…I can do dating."
He wanted more, so much more, but he was willing to wait. To let T.K. come to him when he was comfortable. "I can definitely do dating. You've kind of gotten to me, Tyler Kennedy."
T.K. wrinkled his nose. "Oh god. I really wish I hadn't gotten arrested so you didn't know that."
"You don't like your name?" Carlos asked.
"No, it's what my mom calls me when I'm in trouble," T.K. said.
"How is she handling everything? I mean, first you move across the country, then you get shot…"
T.K. rolled his eyes. "She's handling it the way she handles most things. Overwhelming concern and smothering with a heavy dose of threatened litigation. She's called every day, both me and my dad, I've gotten about four thousand text messages, and I'm sure the minute she walks through the door I'll be force fed something. She means well."
"I know you and your dad are close, but you haven't talked much about your mom," Carlos said. "Do you miss her out here?"
T.K. took a breath and put a hand behind his head. "Yeah, of course I do. But I needed to leave New York. And she understood that."
"I'd like to know," Carlos said softly. "More about what happened in New York. Sometime. When you're ready."
T.K. blew out a breath. "That's…a messy story."
"I can handle messy."
"God. How perfect are you exactly?" T.K. asked with a shaky laugh.
"I am very far from perfect," Carlos said honestly. He interlocked his fingers with T.K.'s "But I guess being with you brings out the best in me."
T.K. leaned forward and Carlos met him halfway, lips connecting in a sweet kiss. There was less urgency than with their previous kisses. This was a kiss they could linger in. One that whispered they were safe, they had time.
Carlos quickly found they were too far apart and reached for T.K.'s hip, pulling him closer, pressing their bodies together. T.K. broke the kiss with a smile on his face. "I thought you didn't bring people out here to make out."
"What can I say? Sometimes I like to break the rules." Carlos grinned before his lips sought T.K.'s once more.
They laid there a long time, exploring, teasing, just being with one another as the northern lights shimmered in the sky above. After a while Carlos' arm began to go numb and the chilly night air crept in. He felt T.K. shiver and reluctantly pulled away. "I should get you home," he said. "It's been a long day."
"Or…" T.K. said slowly.
Carlos raised his eyebrows. "Or?"
"Or we could spend the night at your place."
Carlos felt something go tight within his lower belly. The thought of T.K. in his home, in his bed all night long…He shook his head. "Yeah I don't really want to be responsible for ripping your stitches out again. Your dad would kill me."
"Well then we'll just have to be careful," T.K. said with a smirk.
Carlos laughed as he slid off the hood of the car. "I'm not sure careful is something you do very well. One of us has to be the responsible adult here. Come on." He reached for T.K.'s hand and pulled him gently to the ground. "Besides. You coming over and spending the night seems like more of a boyfriend thing than a dating thing."
T.K. stopped, a hand on the car door. "What if I want this to be a boyfriend thing?"
Carlos felt that tug in his lower belly again. "Then…I would want that too."
"Okay."
"Okay…?"
"Okay, let's go to your place." T.K. grinned and disappeared into the car.
Carlos sucked in a breath and sent a last look up at the stars before he slid into the driver's seat. "Okay then. Let's go."
A/N: Leave your love in the reviews!