Chapter Text
It’s well past midnight when they eventually return to the station that TK finally has a chance to pull out his phone and can see the missed calls and the text thread that has extended out to 10 unread messages. He swears under his breath and looks up at Nancy apologetically.
“I’ll be right back to help you restock, it’s Carlos…” he gestures to his phone in his hand and Nancy nods understandingly.
“It’s fine, go. He’s probably worried sick” she smiles and opens the back doors of the ambulance to begin the restock herself. TK hits his boyfriends name and waits for the phone to connect, walking in the direction of the bunk room. The phone barely rings once before he hears his boyfriend’s frantic voice on the other end.
“TK. Are you okay? I saw…”
“I’m okay. I’m okay. Relax, babe. It wasn’t us.” TK cuts him off quickly and hears the faint voice in the background before Carlos takes a deep breath that rattles down the line .
“I know that means it was someone else and I’m so sorry for that but I’m so glad it wasn’t you.” TK feels the guilt burn in his chest at the thought of Carlos worrying about him.
“I think they’re going to be fine, both were stable when I last heard, so no need for the apology”
“Okay” he whispers “I should have called someone else who would have known, but I just wasn’t sure If I wanted to know if it was you” Carlos voice cracks on the last word and TK yearns to be able to physically comfort him, show him that he is perfectly fine and put to rest the images that have probably been invading his boyfriends mind all evening.
“I’m sorry. I knew you were done; I didn’t even think you would have heard about it.”
“I put the TV on just for something to be on and then there was news about an ambulance crashing down a hill and-’
“- you assumed your disaster-magnet of a boyfriend was involved?” TK finishes for him.
“Came across my mind” Carlos deadpans before sighing and going silent and TK sits down on his bed in the bunk room as he gives his boyfriend a moment to put himself together again.
“I’m really okay” TK promises a few moments later and when Carlos speaks again the stress has gone from his voice, but he still sounds much more subdued than he usually does.
“Okay, I’m glad”
“Are you okay?” TK asks.
“I’m still getting used to constantly worrying about you” Carlos admits, and TK goes to apologise again but swallows it back down knowing this won’t be the last time this happens.
“If it makes you feel any better, I worry about you too” TK offers and Carlos huffs out a laugh.
“It does, thanks.” Carlos replies softly. The silence settles between them, and TK happens to glance at the wall, cringing when he sees it is nearing 1am.
“I’m sorry I took so long to get back to you, you should be asleep”
“Yeah, I probably should” Carlos says and TK sighs to himself at how shaken up he still sounds and the fact he can’t seem to fix it. “Stay safe, yeah?”
“I will do my very best to not live up to my apparent image” TK jokes and can imagine Carlos rolling his eyes. “We still on for dinner tomorrow?”
Carlos doesn’t reply and there’s silence on the other end of the phone for long enough that TK pulls the phone off his ear to see if it’s still connected.
“Carlos?” TK questions “You still there?”
“Can you do something for me?” Carlos asks clearly unsure of himself.
“Anything”
“Can you stay on the phone while I try to sleep?” the question makes TK pause and he can’t stand the thought that Carlos is so worried about him that he can’t sleep.
“I’m going to call you back” TK tells him and doesn’t give Carlos a chance to respond before he is ending the call and switching to a video call. There’s a few second wait where he wonders if he has made a mistake before the call connects, Carlos appearing on his phone and it takes one look at his boyfriend’s eyes to realise he isn’t okay.
“You didn’t have to do this” Carlos says apologetically and TK doesn’t ever want Carlos to think that there’s ever a reason he couldn’t say what he needs.
“I did. This is me proving I’m alive and fine. See?” TK says moving the phone further back so Carlos can see his whole torso.
“It wasn’t that I didn’t believe that you were okay” Carlos replies “I had just made it to the point where I was expecting a call to say it was you and then you called me. I think my brain has whiplash”
“I’m sorry” TK says “It was a bad night all around”
“Won’t make the top ways to spend an evening, no” Carlos admits before taking a deep breath and the lopsided smile that appears after doesn’t look completely fake.
“Want me to bore you to sleep?” TK asks finally, knowing it’s the right choice when Carlos visibly relaxes and then he is moving from the lounge and up the stairs, the screen going dark as he switches lights off.
“You probably have work” Carlos says, yellow light suddenly glowing onto his face and TK watches as he lowers himself to the bed, shutting his eyes for a moment when his head hits the pillow.
“I have time” TK promises and proceeds to fill the silence with the more amusing calls of his day until he sees him go still and he can hear the familiar sounds of Carlos asleep.