Chapter Text
“I want to ask you a few questions,” the call had begun and Cecil had paused, drink halfway to his mouth after the customary “hello?” that came in the form of a question and he really, really needed to get caller ID. But there was no mistaking Carlos’s caramel voice and Cecil took a swig before setting his drink down carefully, wanting the boost to his bravery without getting drunk while actually on the phone to Carlos.
“Go ahead,” Cecil responded. He’d offered after all and Carlos had offered the same but the only real question Cecil could think of was ‘what are you doing this weekend’ so maybe making a list of his own to ask would be a good thing to start with.
“Not now. I…” There was a moment and Cecil could have sworn the little cough from the other end of the line sounded almost sheepish. “When are you free? I kind of need you to come to the lab. If you want, I mean, we’d want to take a few samples of the locals anyway just in case and with all that radiation around your studio…” There was an audible shudder and the concern in Carlos’s voice was flattering if baffling. “Just… Can you come down to the labs at some point?”
Cecil, truth be told, had stopped listening at ‘when are you free?’ because his mind had short-circuited. Metaphorically. At least, he doubted he was wires and glue, not flesh and blood. Probably. Maybe that was something Carlos could test for. Speaking of Carlos, the scientist cleared his throat, clearly waiting for an answer.
“Oh, I’m free now, honestly. It’s a little late though, so I’d understand if you’d rather… say tomorrow at one?” he suggested, most certainly not curling the telephone wire around his finger.
“That- That’d be great, actually!” Carlos responded and Cecil couldn’t help but feel his heart flip at the excitement in his voice. “I’ll see you then. Thank you, Cecil.”
“My pleasure, Carlos,” Cecil all but purred and he swore there was a surprised cough before Carlos promptly hung up and Cecil brought a pillow up to his face to muffle his excitement before finishing off his drink. It was late after all and Cecil wanted to be at his best for tomorrow.
When the morning came, damnable sun screeching through the window to make the room unbearably bright for someone who just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, Cecil grumbled. In retrospect, an even later appointment with Carlos might have been preferable, but then Cecil ran the risk of being late to his show and angering Station Management wasn’t a wise career choice. Or life choice for that matter.
So there he was, half past ten according to his most reliable clock, showered and trying to pick out an outfit that said “listen, I’m interested in science, how about we go out for coffee and you tell me all about it?” though the only clothes he had that spoke generally just moaned unintelligible things. Some of the moans were a little… third date anyway.
So something casual, comfortable, seductive? Like… a crop top with “HERE” printed on it and leopard print leggings? Perfect. Cosy too with the furry sleeves which he toyed with as he made himself coffee. By the time everything was cleared away and the chanting was all done there was nothing to do but head out and maybe Cecil skipped a little on the way to the door. The Faceless Old Woman tutted from just over his shoulder though and he calmed himself.
The door to Carlos’ lab wasn’t intimidating. Certainly not. It was just that the little doorbell beside it was. A little. Only a little though. And Cecil could do this. Absolutely he could, there was no reason he couldn’t. He was not nervous.
Fine, he was. But that was understandable, right? He didn’t actually know what Carlos had to ask him or what samples they were going to need, so it was perfectly okay to be nervous. But it was one now and, gathering his courage, Cecil took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
A beat. Then, a shocked “oh” from inside before the door opened and there stood Carlos looking beautiful as ever with his lab coat and perfect hair and… mildly surprised expression.
“Hey, Cecil. I, uh, lost track of time a little,” he explained, waving Cecil inside before pausing to look at him properly and Cecil could have squirmed under such an intense gaze. Carlos looked away from his midsection after only a brief moment though and Cecil thought he saw Carlos lick his lips before gesturing to the next room.
“If you could follow me then? We just want to take a few basic samples. Um, spit, hair, maybe blood if you’re good with needles?” he asked, glancing back over his shoulder to check that Cecil was still following.
“My dear Carlos, of course I am! How do you think I get into work?” Cecil asked, laughing.
Carlos did not laugh. Carlos looked worried and Cecil took a moment to admire the little scrunched up wrinkle he got between his brows when he frowned before Carlos was turning to him and Cecil stopped abruptly.
“You have to bleed to get to work?” he asked and Cecil nodded, holding his hands up where they were littered with tiny cuts, some fresher than others. Carlos’s hands too came up, superficial-looking chemical burns here and there and calloused but warm, gentle. Tender. Cecil raised an eyebrow as Carlos ran a finger over some of the older cuts and cleared his throat before taking his hands away.
“That’s… something. Come on, I want to ask you some questions about that too,” Carlos said and led Cecil into a room with a few humming machines, two other scientists, and a workbench that they’d considerately put a cushion on to make it a little comfier.
The man introduced himself as Jozef, an undergrad who’d offered to help despite being a geologist himself because no one else was available and the woman was Nadira, a biologist who was very intent on taking his blood sample while Carlos procured a clipboard presumably with all his questions on it.
The first one came while Cecil was distracted with Nadira’s instructions to clench his fist so they could take a sample.
“Uh, first question, I guess, how old are you?”
Cecil thought back for this one with a little frown. “Well, time loops, Mandatory Regression Day, and the fact that I was a sixteen year old intern for a really long time aside… I’d say around thirty?”
There was a brief silence in which Cecil glanced up to see three surprised faces and in Carlos’s hand…
A pen.
One of those plastic ones fortunately because the casing gave easily between Cecil’s fingers and he hurled it into the trash with a terrified expression.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he hissed, looking around quickly to check that no Sheriff’s Secret Police were right now descending on them. Then again, the idea that Carlos was such a rebel… A little exhilarating to be honest.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Carlos said once he’d finished staring at the trash can, utterly baffled.
“What? Don’t you know?” Cecil felt a wave of clarity and he shook his head as Nadira fussed to get his arm still so she could get that blood sample as he explained. “Pens are banned. Writing utensils in general, actually. You’re better off with electronics or a cocktail stick dipped in food colouring.”
“You’re… serious, aren’t you?” Carlos asked, and then set his clipboard down slowly. “Okay, Jozef, can you go get the tablet so I can get the answers on that? I don’t think we have any cocktail sticks.”
Jozef nodded and left the room and Nadira clicked her tongue, now doing something that looked scientific with Cecil’s blood and a humming machine with a few flashing lights here and there.
“Get him cotton for that arm, would you Carlos? And can you get a saliva sample while you’re there? This blood’s gonna take a minute.”
Carlos nodded and Cecil tried not to think of those warm hands as Carlos taped a little cotton ball to his arm where Nadira had drawn blood. When it came to the saliva sample though Carlos was right in front of him, close enough to see all those flecks of colour in those deep brown eyes and the slight bob of his throat as he swallowed, looking nervous before-
“Open up,” he said and Cecil couldn’t help the little shiver that ran down his spine as he obliged and tried to ignore the muffled laughter from behind Carlos. Then there was a cotton swab in his mouth and he pulled a little face that Carlos chuckled at.
“Sorry. We don’t exactly have flavoured ones,” he said, not quite apologising as he pulled the cotton swab back into the little plastic tube that Cecil supposed protected it from contamination.
Carlos handed it to Nadira who shooed him back to Cecil so she could focus on her work and Carlos cleared his throat as he leant on the workbench opposite Cecil and started firing off questions that Cecil answered easily, including but not limited to: a list of other contraband items, a rough explanation of the City Council, as much as he could without breaking any laws, a fervent denial of the existence of angels until Carlos got the message, and a detailed explanation of bloodstone circle use and maintenance.
The last one had them all staring at him for a minute before Jozef spoke up, having handed Carlos a tablet and sunk into a seat to be ready to help.
“Hypothetically… if we’d been neglecting our bloodstone circle since we arrived…” he began.
“Then I’d insist on seeing it and showing you the proper maintenance! A poorly kept bloodstone circle can have disastrous consequences!” Cecil exclaimed. “Show me.”
The state their bloodstones were in almost had Cecil in tears and he spent about an hour cleaning them up, Jozef asking him questions that he was all too happy to answer and Carlos hovering awkwardly at the door, observing. As team leader it was only natural that he wanted to know how to maintain the scientist’s bloodstone circle, Cecil supposed.
He was grateful for it at least when the questions got to be much more technical than he even understood let alone could answer and Carlos, presumably seeing how flustered he was getting, told Jozef to head on home. And if Carlos asked a few more questions in private, hushed tones, well… The Sheriff’s Secret Police wouldn't find out from either of them, certainly.
Before too long, the bloodstone circle was properly arranged and Carlos actually walked Cecil to the door, thanking him once more before Cecil left for work and if he was on cloud nine for his entire show and lingered a little on the topic of helping your local scientist, well… Who could really blame him?