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Carlos broke away from the crowd and slid into the space besides TK at the table in the back. The other man was leaning against the table, watching the rest of his station enjoy himself on the dance floor.
“What, no dancing?” he asked with a sly grin.
TK chuckled, “Don’t get me wrong, I quite enjoy dancing, but sometimes sitting back and watching your friends make fools of themselves is far too entertaining.”
He was right, too. It had been a long day and the rest of the crew had taken this opportunity to unwind by indulging a bit at the bar.
“You’re sober,” Carlos noted. It wasn’t a question or an accusation, just an observation.
TK nodded, turning to flash him a quick grin, “Someone has to be to fully appreciate the level of blackmail that is happening out there. I’m not going to have to mop for at least a month at this rate.”
Carlos laughed appreciatively and leaned back against the table, matching TK’s relaxed posture. He let the comfortable silence wash over them for a little longer before he leaned closer, bending down to ask the question he had come over to ask.
“Are you wearing my hoodie?”
TK looked guilty, “Yeah. I left in kind of a hurry this morning. Didn’t look at my things too carefully and thought I had grabbed mine. Then I didn’t have time to go home before we all met up here so…” he trailed off with a shrug. Carlos chuckled.
“You know,” he said, “this could be avoided if you didn’t try to sneak out in the morning and maybe, I don’t know, turn on a light?”
“Where’s the fun in that?” TK quipped. Carlos raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed, “I wasn’t trying to sneak, I just knew you didn’t have to get up early this morning so I wanted to let you sleep longer,” he admitted. “You don’t get many mornings to sleep in and I figured you deserved it.”
TK turned his attention back to the dancing, but Carlos couldn’t help but dwell on what he had just said. As much as TK tried to make it clear that their relationship was physical and nothing more, sometimes even he accidentally did something that was so romantic that Carlos could hardly handle it. The idea that he knew Carlos’s schedule, knew that he liked to sleep in but rarely got the chance to; that he was willing to get ready in the dark to give him that chance...well, it didn’t exactly scream casual to Carlos.
He tried not to hang too much hope on these little moments though - he wasn’t looking to watch it crash down.
He returned his gaze to TK, who glanced back from the dance floor to find Carlos looking at him. He offered up a small smile that made Carlos’s heart race. He leaned forward again and TK tilted his head down to meet him. They were so close now that Carlos could feel the rustle of TK’s shirt against his shoulder.
“Just, stay away from Michelle if you can. She gave me that hoodie and if you want this to just stay between us…”
TK nodded, “I will, thanks for the heads up.” He was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again it was deliberate; measured, “Though I suppose if we ever wanted it to not be a secret anymore, that’s as good a way as any.”
Carlos snapped his gaze up to meet TK’s again, looking him in the eye. There was sincerity in his expression. Carlos took a breath, centering himself and calming his rapidly thudding heart.
“I suppose it would be,” he allowed and felt hope rush through him like a hurricane when TK smiled back.
Maybe they weren’t so hopeless after all.