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The gun fired.
There was a scream.
TK waited for that terrible pain to go ripping through him all over again. But it didn’t come. He opened his eyes and stared at the groaning heap on the floor, the gun sliding across the tile.
Then he looked at the door. A wave of relief crashed over him, enough to make him want to cry tears of panic and relief and sadness and happiness all at the same time.
“Carlos...”
Their gazes met and TK’s legs gave out. He didn’t fall very far before someone’s arms were around him pulling him close.
“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” Carlos promised. “I got you, Ty. You’re okay.”
TK pressed his face into his boyfriend’s neck. “You came...”
“Of course I did,” Carlos said softly, pressing a kiss to his temple. “I’m always going to find you. I’m just sorry it took so long.”
TK shook his head. “‘S okay, you’re here.”
He felt Carlos nod and he hugged him tightly. But TK pulled away.
“Nancy and Tommy-“
“We’re okay, Strand,” Tommy assured him.
“Define okay,” Nancy grumbled, getting to her feet.
“Uninjured?” He offered, his arm wrapped around Carlos’s waist. Nancy nodded and he relaxed a little bit. “Good.”
“Let’s get you all out of here,” Carlos suggested, looking at the man warily. “PD’s almost here."
TK looked at him for a moment, noting his t-shirt and jeans. “Are you off duty?”
Carlos just looked away, his hand dropping to the small of TK’s back as he ushered him out.
Tommy insisted that he stay home for the next few days, that he get some rest.
He didn’t.
He couldn’t put his mind at ease. He couldn’t get that gut-wrenching fear to go away; he kept looking over his shoulder for a ghost that wasn’t there.
And what’s worse is TK had hardly seen Carlos.
He was there for the ride to the hospital, he was there for the check-up, ignoring TK’s assertion that he was fine.
Physically, he had been fine, but the day’s events had stretched him to his limits emotionally. All he wanted was to go home and curl up with his boyfriend.
But after that, Carlos was quiet, hardly saying two words to him. He’d dropped him off at Owen and Gwyn’s house (where he endured a lot of panicked questions and overdramatized worry). And then he’d left for work and had yet to come back.
TK looked at the time on his phone from the nightstand and sighed. It was well after midnight. He rolled onto Carlos’s side of the bed, pressing his face into the pillow and breathing in the smell.
He hadn’t been able to stay at his parents’ for long. His mom was either smothering him or arguing with his dad. After a few hours, it became insufferable. He didn’t know why but there was a heavy feeling in the house, a thick tension between his parents, that put him on edge. So he’d called an Uber and spent the rest of the day at Carlos’s. He’d sent him a text, just to let him know, but never got a response.
What felt like an eternity later, a noise from downstairs caught his attention and he sat up. He’d left the light off in the bedroom and Carlos probably thought he was asleep. He heard another thud, followed by a muffled fuck. That made him frown; he tossed the covers back and started down the stairs.
He found Carlos leaning against the back of the chair, holding his shin, muttering something under his breath.
“Babe?”
Carlos jumped and looked up at him. TK saw the way his shoulders eased at the sight of him.
“Jesus...” he sighed. “I didn’t mean to wake you, mi cariño.”
“You didn’t,” TK shrugged.
Carlos let out a breath. “Have you slept at all?”
“Have you?”
Carlos shifted, looking away. “What do you mean?”
TK made a face. He knew his boyfriend was exhausted just by looking at him. Carlos never really had a problem with overworking himself. At least not that TK had seen. Carlos never pushed himself too hard, he knew his limits and didn’t push them.
So, TK moved next to him.
“Baby, what is going on with you?” Carlos shook his head and avoided his eyes. “No, no, I know something’s wrong.”
“TK-“
“If you don’t tell me, then I can’t help.”
Carlos looked up at him, a deep pain growing behind his eyes. “I thought I’d lost you.”
His voice was so quiet and so hesitant and so, so scared. TK softened and stepped closer.
“But you didn’t. I’m right here.”
“You weren’t right here,” Carlos snapped. There was a desperation in his voice that made TK’s heart shatter. He let out a breath. “I didn’t know where you were. For hours. And it killed me, Ty. Because I didn’t know what was happening to you, or if you were hurt.” His voice caught and he looked away.
TK couldn’t move; he stood there helplessly, wanting to reach out but worrying about the reaction he’d get.
“You’re supposed to run into burning buildings and clear car accidents and save kittens from trees,” Carlos continued. “Not get kidnapped and held at gunpoint.”
“Why not? Cause that’s your job?” TK joked, smiling a little. Carlos gave him a look; a moment later, he let out a weak laugh. “I don’t...I don’t know what you want me to say, babe. I can’t control the calls I go on. And that one seemed normal from the call. Grace didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary.”
“I know,” Carlos mumbled. “I just... I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you. Again.”
TK studied his face for a moment then took his hand and pulled him to sit down on the couch.
“I don’t want to make you a promise I can’t keep,” TK started, interlacing their fingers. Carlos looked away. “Listen, Carlos, I can’t tell you that something like that isn’t going to happen again, I desperately hope that it won’t. But I can’t say that I’m always going to be okay.
He lifted their hands and pressed a kiss to the back of Carlos’s. “I will promise, though, that I will try my best to always come home to you.” Carlos looked up at him, tears threatening to escape. “But only if you make the same promise.”
Carlos laughed a little. “What are you talking about?”
“You think I don’t know all the things you cops get up to?” TK smiled.
Carlos tugged him into a quick kiss. “Deal.”
TK smiled and kissed him again. “I guess this is a bad time to tell you about the minefield?”
“The what?”