Work Text:
They walk in a line outside, down the front path, and to their van parked in the street. Elise is inside still, resting and reveling in the relief they’d helped bring to the distraught Lambert family.
He lugs some of the smaller cases, while Tucker deals with the bigger of them. Specs watches from the curb as he lugs the large and undoubtedly heavy trunk into the back of the van, before stepping to the side to allow Specs to add his. Placing them gingerly into their spot beside the larger Specs reflects on the events of the night. On his raging headache and his pride for their little company, their little family.
Tucker sits on the edge of the van, leaving room for Specs that he fills without pause. They lean against each other, smiling softly and enjoying the comforting, warm breeze. He takes Tucker’s hand gently, playing idly with his fingers for a couple moments before bringing it up to his mouth to kiss and interlocking their fingers, resting their joined hands on Tucker’s right thigh.
“Good job, tonight. Sometimes your gadgets really impress me,” Specs smiled, nuzzling Tucker’s shoulder.
“Oh, yeah,” he grunted back, “sometimes?”
“Mhm, every now and then,” he replied drowsily, letting his eyes fall shut but not close to drifting off.
“Your coloring pages weren’t half bad either,” Specs hummed a laugh, this being a routine banter at this point. “You’re feeling alright, though? That ten year old really packs a punch.”
“God,” he groaned out, “that must be what a wrecking ball feels like, I swear.”
“Bet there’s a you-shaped dent in their wall.”
He laughed lightly in response, letting the conversation fade away and companionable silence fill its spot. They basked in the opportunity to be together; comfortable, safe, and loved. Unclamping their hands, Tucker looped his right arm around Specs’ shoulders to pull him closer, letting his left hand resume what his right had started.
“Hey,” Tucker murmured quietly. Specs lifted his head off his shoulder, tilting it up slightly so Tucker’s mouth was against the side of his forehead. He watched the TV playing in the windows across the street while he waited for Tucker to continue, a cop drama he recognized vaguely from it playing constantly in his dentist’s waiting room. After a beat he hummed in acknowledgment, urging Tucker to continue.
“I’m glad we’re all safe. I love you,” Tucker ground out hoarsely. Specs looked up at Tucker, smiling and kissing his chin where he could reach.
“I love you, too, Tuck. A lot,” he squeezed his hand where they laid on his lap, pausing for a moment. “I’m thankful to just be sitting here with you, for this moment. I’m so glad to have you, Tucker.” He paused again, tilting his head down to look at the asphalt before them. “What we have means so much to me- our bond…I don’t take it for granted.”
Tucker didn’t know what to say for a moment, surprised by the level of intimacy they usually didn’t reach for.
“Me either,” he answered eventually, “I- I think-” he took a deep breath, trying to formulate what he was saying without it coming off too strong or too open, “I think we’re good for each other.” He finished eventually, a little lamely, something Specs saw straight through. He looked up at him again.
“What were you going to say?”
“Hm? Nothing else, just that.”
“No, you were gonna say something else,” he smiled softly, teasing, sitting up a bit more to look at him more clearly. “What were you going to say?”
Tucker met Specs’ eyes before quickly turning his head away, embarrassed.
“Come on, it’s just van talk, it’s like Vegas it won’t leave this van. You can tell me,” he grabbed Tucker’s hand again, sandwiching it between both of his in his lap.
He looked over at Specs again, taking in his sweet smile and the street lights reflecting off of his glasses.
“Uh, I was- fuck,” he cut himself off, dropping his head and clearing his throat, “I was going to say that I, uh, think…I think that this relationship, and you, mean a lot to me. Probably more than anything has ever meant to me,” he cleared his throat again, letting his head hang down still but meeting Specs eyes, “it feels…like this relationship was meant to happen.” He dropped his eyes again, playing with a stray fuzz on his pant leg with his free hand. “Like we’re-” he cut himself off suddenly, deeply embarrassed by what he was about to say.
“Are you saying we’re soulmates?” He asked, making fun a little bit.
When Tucker looked at him Specs was smiling widely, humorously but also clearly happy. Tucker deadpanned back.
“Soulmates? I say all that and you respond with soulmates?” Specs began to laugh and Tucker broke into a grin, that had been what he was about to say. “Shut the hell up.”
He pulled his hand away from Specs’ and grabbed either side of his head, minding his growing bruise, and pulled him into a kiss. Specs put his hands on Tucker’s shoulders, still laughing lightly but leaning into it.
They broke apart and Tucker leaned his forehead against the less injured side of Specs’.
“Yeah sure,” he murmured, “guess we’re soulmates.”