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“Morning lieutenant!”
It had only lasted a few days, being Lieutenant at the 129, and the title had never really felt like it fit. Mateo knew he was a good firefighter, but he also damn well knew he wasn’t ready for Lieutenant for, like, ten years or something. He’d only taken the role to protect Captain Tatum from himself.
Still, it had felt pretty bad-ass to hear that title — Lieutenant — even if just for a little while.
So, when those words came across the aisle in the store, it took Mateo a moment to process them, before turning and coming face-to-face with Barrett.
“Pr— Barrett! Hey,” Mateo nearly dropped his basket full of shopping, which earned a chuckle from Barrett.
Now, Mateo hated feeling like he was being laughed at. Always had; too many people laughed at his expense, but this didn’t feel like being laughed at.
It felt…
He wasn’t sure how to put into words how it felt, to be honest. So he tried to ignore the warmth in his cheeks, which wasn’t quite embarrassment. “What you doing here, Barrett?”
Which was how he ended up talking to Barrett for nearly twenty minutes in that store, then agreeing to a drink that Friday evening. To catch up. For old times’ sake. Old times having lasted barely any time and being all of, what, two months ago?
When he mentioned it to Marjan, she got this coy smile; which she denied having meaning when Mateo pushed her on it. But when they finished shift on Friday afternoon, Marjan called out to him, “Have fun tonight, Mateo,” with a twinkle in her eye that Mateo couldn’t decipher.
There was a healthy crowd when he reached the bar and it took a minute to spot Barrett. Barrett saw him a split-second later and the smile he sent across the bar made the background noise fade to static and the crowd disappear into shadows.
Then someone crossed between them and the moment broke.
“Hey, what are you drinking?” Barrett had to lean in closer to be heard over the noise. His words — or maybe it was his lips... — brushed Mateo's ear and the same warmth from early reignited in Mateo's face.
Having a quiet drink to catch up was going to be impossible in this place, but Mateo gave Barrett his order anyway, hoping he hadn't been close enough for Barrett to feel the heat from his fading blush. As Barrett turned to order the drinks, Mateo wondered if this reaction was what Marjan had seen, knowing somehow before Mateo did.
“It’s kinda loud,” Barrett said, when he carefully handed Mateo his drink. “I didn’t realise it got so busy this early.”
A moment of boldness brought words from Mateo’s tongue before he could reign them in. “How about we just have this one then go somewhere quieter. My place isn’t far from here.”
The noise didn’t matter; Barrett’s smile — even more brilliant than the last — was the only answer Mateo needed.