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Carlos had just finished up a run when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out as he let himself into his apartment, breathing heavily and heading straight for the fridge.
Pre-shift tacos?
He grinned at the screen and took out his Brita pitcher and an empty glass. It wasn’t often that his and TK’s shifts lined up, but when they did, getting tacos at the truck on 3rd had become their little ritual. He downed half a glass of water, then tapped out a reply.
See you in 30.
And if he spent a little extra time in the shower, and a few more minutes than usual on his hair, well, that didn’t mean anything.
“Another farmer’s market, huh?” Carlos leaned his elbows on the picnic table and finished his last bite of taco. “What, are the vegetables there more organic than the vegetables at the last one?”
TK rolled his eyes. “That’s my dad for you. Back in New York, he had his own produce guy. An actual guy who kept him in fresh, organic, specialty produce every week.”
“And what, he can’t find a fruit concierge here in Austin? And here I thought this was a hipster town.”
The corners of TK’s eyes crinkled when he laughed and Carlos’ gaze was drawn to his face, cataloging the way he bit his lip and how his head tipped forward. He wiped his hands with a napkin as he watched him.
“So, basically, yeah. That’s my weekend in a nutshell,” TK said, balling up his trash and arcing it neatly into the garbage can beside their table. “Helping my dad find the very finest organic mangoes Austin has to offer.” He pulled the crumpled napkin from Carlos’ hands and tossed that into the trash as well. “You?”
Carlos shrugged. “Some of the guys from down at the station are doing a thing. I don’t know, I might go, I might not.”
TK arched an eyebrow. “Not like you to be all wishy-washy. What’s the thing? Why not go?”
Puffing out a long exhale, Carlos thought about the last get-together he’d gone to with the members of his precinct, a cookout at Officer McClintock’s house where family members were all invited. “It’s just kind of a lot, sometimes.”
“Meaning?” TK dipped his head down and rapped his fingers on the wood of the table to get Carlos to look up at him.
“Meaning, they have these big family events, and everyone brings their spouse and their kids.” He raised his eyebrows, hoping TK wouldn’t make him say it.
“And you go alone,” TK finished for him. He frowned. “They know—”
“Yeah, TK, they know I’m gay. They’re cool with it.” He licked his lips and sighed. “Mostly. Doesn’t change the fact that I’m the only single guy at these things while everybody else is on diaper duty and parading around their husbands or wives.”
A beat of silence went by, and then TK leaned forward across the table. “Then I’ll go with you.”
Carlos blinked at him. “You’ll what?”
“I’ll go to the thing with you. Which—” He scrunched up his nose. “You didn’t say what the thing was. Did I just agree to go to a shooting range or play golf or something? Because I reserve the right to take back the offer if so.”
“Ah— no. Some of the guys just reserved the back patio at Murray’s.”
“Oh, they have a great quinoa bowl,” TK noted, his eyes all lit up. Carlos couldn’t fight a smile at the sight.
“They do,” he said, biting his lip. His brows knitted together as he pictured it, TK showing up with him. Pictured showing him off to the team. His grin faded, and he picked at a ragged part of the tabletop with his thumbnail. “Look— it’s nice of you to offer, and it’s cool with me if you want to come along, but— these precinct things aren’t exactly friend territory.”
TK chuckled. “What, you mean the other cops are kind of dicks?”
“No, I mean, when the other cops bring people along, they’re… it’s their spouses. Girlfriends, boyfriends. Not buddies.” When he couldn’t read TK’s expression, he continued. “So it’s cool with me if you come, but just be aware, they might, um, read into something.”
“Ah,” TK said, leaning back on his bench, dragging both palms along the table as he moved. Carlos sighed.
“So, it’s also cool with me if you don’t wanna come now. I get it. Like I said, they’re a lot.”
TK fell silent for a moment, and Carlos was certain he was going to rescind the offer. Which was fine; he wasn’t even sure if he planned to go, anyway. And the last thing he wanted was to subject TK to the nosiness of his fellow officers.
“Let ‘em.”
Carlos’ eyebrows shot up. “Let ‘em what?”
“Let ‘em read into whatever they want.” TK shrugged. “We know we’re friends. That’s what matters.”
It was true that they were friends, in the strictest sense of the word. It had been weeks since they’d last hooked up, and they’d actually been putting in the effort, getting to know each other. It had been nice.
But that hadn’t changed the way Carlos occasionally watched a bead of sweat wind its way down TK’s throat to his clavicle, and it certainly hadn’t changed the heat of TK’s gaze on Carlos when he showed up to one of their taco non-dates in the jeans he knew fit him best.
Sometimes, to Carlos, they felt like a ticking time bomb. One of these days, they were going to blow.
“Okay,” was all he said. “Murray’s. 7 o’clock tomorrow.”
What was one little bomb between friends?
When TK and Carlos met in front of Murray’s the next night, the party was already in progress.
“I probably should have mentioned— off-duty cops like to drink,” Carlos warned as they wound their way through the tables inside toward the back patio.
TK gave him a look. “I’ve hung out with my fair share of cops in my day.”
“I’m just saying…”
"There's a Perrier here with my name on it," TK said, clapping him on the shoulder reassuringly. "I’ll be fine.”
Carlos just nodded as they stepped onto the patio, already crowded with familiar faces.
“Reyes! You made it this time,” Sergeant Jackson said, waving him over from a nearby table. Sparing a glance to TK, he made his way toward the man’s table and said hello. “And you brought someone! That’s a first.”
Carlos suppressed a frown and avoided TK’s questioning eyes. “This is TK Strand, sir. He’s a firefighter over at the 126.”
“Pleased to meet you, sir,” TK said, reaching down to shake the sergeant’s hand.
“Likewise, TK.” He quirked a grizzled, grey eyebrow. “You keeping this one in line?”
TK grinned, and Carlos wanted to sink into the concrete beneath their feet. “Doing my best, sir. He can get a bit wily, though.”
“Don’t I know it,” said the sergeant, and— was that a wink? Carlos had to get them out of there.
“Okay, well, I think we’re going to go grab some food. See you around, Sarge.” He grasped TK’s hand and didn't let go until they'd found an open table at the back of the patio.
“Whoa, I didn’t know I was on a leash tonight!” TK’s eyes twinkled as he sat back in the wrought-iron patio chair. “I’d have worn something different.”
Carlos shook his head. “Pardon me if I don’t relish the idea of you and my boss gossiping about me.”
TK sucked in a comical, exaggerated breath, and pointed a finger at Carlos. “I do not gossip.”
“Sure you do. How else do I know about everything that goes on at the 126?”
His finger paused in midair, his eyes narrowed. “Osmosis?”
“Mmhmm,” Carlos mused, picking up a menu. “Do you want something to eat? That quinoa bowl with extra avocado, right?”
“Ooh, yeah, that sounds good. Should we get the ceviche?”
Carlos frowned. “I don’t think you liked it last time. Too much cilantro.”
“Right, right.” TK tilted his head and smiled. “Just the bowl then.”
Carlos flagged down a server, trying not to dwell on the realization that Murray’s wasn’t the only place in town where he had TK’s order memorized. Not by a long shot.
“Yo, Reyes!”
They looked up from their food to see Brian and Ricardo from the station, with Ricardo’s wife in tow, making their way toward their table.
“Hey, guys,” Carlos said, setting down his fork and wiping his hands on a napkin.
“Settle a score for us,” said Ricardo. “I told Mel I busted that reinforced steel door down at the Sugar Creek bust last week all by myself, and she doesn’t believe me.”
“And I don’t believe Brian either,” Mel said, gesturing at the other man. “The two of them are always so full of it.”
Carlos chuckled. “But you trust me?”
She shrugged. “You've always seemed like one of the good ones.” Her eyes drifted to TK, and she cocked her head to the side. “I’m so sorry— we didn’t realize you were on a date! We didn’t mean to interrupt…”
“Not interrupting. I’m TK,” he said, offering a hand for her to shake. She smiled at him appraisingly.
“TK, huh. So you’d know for sure. Is Officer Reyes one of the good ones?”
Carlos groaned as his head fell forward. He’d known what to expect when he brought TK to this thing, but that didn’t make it any easier to stomach.
“One of the best ones,” TK replied, and Carlos could hear the smile in his voice, even if he couldn’t meet his eyes.
“See? I told you!” Ricardo said, lightly swatting at his wife’s shoulder.
“He didn’t say if the door thing was true one way or the other!” she retorted. “Carlos?”
He dragged his gaze up to her, and sighed. “Yeah, it’s true.”
“Yes!” Ricardo shouted, as Mel rolled her eyes.
“You owe me,” Carlos mouthed at Ricardo as they walked away, and TK barked out a laugh.
“That happen a lot?” TK asked. “Cops trying to impress their significant others by embellishing their daring feats and adventures?”
Carlos shrugged. “I’m sure it’s no different in your world. Everybody’s gotta have a story to tell.”
“Well, we can’t all be as impressive as you, Officer Reyes,” TK said, taking a sip of his Perrier, his voice low enough to send a little thrill through Carlos.
Once their plates had been cleared, TK convinced Carlos to do a lap around the patio, saying hello to various colleagues and their families members as they came across them. TK had met many of his fellow officers already, on calls and at scenes, and he seemed to get along with all of them.
On more than one occasion, Carlos thought they seemed impressed that he’d managed to land someone like TK. He supposed he would have been impressed, himself, had he actually done it.
Partway through the night, TK spotted the old photobooth tucked into a corner of the patio and his eyes lit up. “C'mon, we’ve got to,” he insisted.
Carlos let himself be shoved into the booth, and TK climbed in after him. It was a tight squeeze on the bench, and Carlos had the wild, fleeting thought of pulling TK onto his lap, but instead just scooted closer to the outer edge, their thighs pressed tightly together.
“Okay, so, we just push this button and smile?” TK asked after he’d fed a bill into the machine.
“Do they not have photo booths in New York, city boy?”
“Very funny,” TK mocked, eyes narrowed as he looked at him full on. Click.
Laughing, Carlos reached up and prodded at TK’s cheek, pushing him to look forward. “Camera’s over there, you know.”
“Jerk,” TK said through a grin. Click.
Still feeling warm with laughter, Carlos turned forward, tilting his head to the side ‘til it just brushed TK’s hair. Click.
For a moment, they just sat there, shoulders pressed together, still chuckling. Carlos didn’t exactly want TK to get out, but—
“Oh, right. You probably don’t want to be stuck in here with me all night, huh?” TK said, pushing himself out of the booth and holding the curtain open.
“Don’t worry; I’m not claustrophobic,” Carlos said as he slid past him with a shrug.
“Damn, Reyes,” came a voice from behind them, and he turned to see Tonya from the station. “You and your boyfriend are pretty cute.” She held out the pair of photostrips to him, waving them back and forth, and he gave her a tight smile before pulling them from her grip.
“Thanks,” he said. It was easier than explaining that they were just friends.
“Let me see,” TK said, holding his hand out. Carlos gave him one of the strips, keeping the other himself. He was struck by his own heart eyes in the second photo… in all of them, if he was being honest with himself. “She’s not wrong," TK said softly. "We are pretty cute.” Carlos let out a surprised laugh.
“I guess that’s true.”
TK’s smile faded, and he blinked at Carlos for a few moments before he huffed out a breath and averted his gaze. “I, uh, need some air,” he said, before disappearing into the restaurant.
When Carlos found TK, he was sitting on the curb in front of Murray’s, staring off into the distance.
“Hey,” Carlos said, sinking to the ground beside him, careful to keep just a little bit of distance.
“Hey,” TK answered, before taking a long breath. “So, seems like you were right.” He crossed his arms in front of him over his bent knees. He still had his photostrip clutched tightly in one hand. “They all thought we were together.”
“Did that bother you?” Carlos couldn’t help but hold his breath a little as he waited for the answer. The last thing he wanted to do was make TK uncomfortable. That was why he had been reluctant for him to come to begin with.
TK furrowed his brow, focusing his gaze on his knees. “Yeah,” he sighed out. “It did.”
Carlos frowned, letting out a quick breath through his nose. “It did?”
“Yeah, because we’re not,” TK said. “And tonight, standing next to you, with all these people who know you and care about you… I felt like… maybe I'm ready for us to be. Maybe I want us to be.”
He felt his heart thud in his chest, his cheeks getting warm as he watched TK out of the corner of his eye. “Yeah?”
TK shrugged, leaning to the side just enough so his shoulder brushed Carlos’. “Yeah. If you still want us to be.”
Instead of responding, Carlos shifted on the concrete ‘til he was facing TK, one leg crooked between them. He slid a hand up along TK’s jaw and sighed at the look in his eyes. It was the most open he’d looked in the time they’d known each other. Carlos rubbed the pad of his thumb gently back and forth along TK’s cheek, and felt the warmth of TK's hand where it settled on his thigh.
“I really, really do,” he said, tipping forward until his forehead met TK’s temple. It was funny how they’d hooked up, on multiple occasions in fact, and now Carlos felt nervous to kiss him. He guessed this kiss just mattered more.
TK shifted his body, tilting his head forward enough that their lips met, sweet and slow. And to Carlos, it didn’t feel like the explosion of a bomb like he’d expected.
It felt like a new beginning.