Chapter Text
December 21st
“You cannot be serious,” TK mumbles as he sees the board at the airport.
It’s not like this is a real surprise, the snowstorm has been building up and up and up since last night; but did the conference coordinators think it was worth shortening the first responder safety instruction conference so everyone would be able to leave Nebraska early and maybe evade the disaster? Catch earlier flights before all airports are closed or maybe get on the road before it gets too bad? No, of course not. Given the fact that they’d scheduled this conference so close to the holidays to begin with, TK isn’t even surprised about their lack of compassion.
So here they are, early afternoon on the 21st, with hundreds of first responders from all over America looking up in defeat as the board at the Omaha Airport announces the same for everyone.
All flights are canceled.
They’re stranded in the middle of nowhere, only four days before Christmas. TK might be Jewish but he was really looking forward to the planned family brunch they’ll have at the firehouse on the 25th. Besides, who wants to be stranded in Nebraska?
Good thing then that TK has been a first responder for what feels like his entire life. Not losing his cool since he knows how to handle stressful situations, he quickly reacts; while everyone else is still staring at the board, he straps his duffle over his shoulder and makes a beeline to the car rental service desk. It feels like his initiative has started a domino effect, more people rushing over, and TK wants to jump for joy as he realizes he’s still going to be first in line. Quick reflexes are everything.
Which means he’ll hopefully still get a car because there’s no way a small airport like Omaha will have enough for everyone. Which also means that, as soon as he’s holding the key to his car in his hand, he’s gripping it like the treasure it is. Taking all the necessary papers, he gives the lady behind the desk a smile and a quick thanks, knowing full well that in mere minutes, she’ll be swamped by angry people stranded here. By the tight smile on her face, she knows it as well.
Next thing of order, getting to the parking lot before the crowd does so he won’t be stuck in traffic. He’s rushing so fast, he hardly pays attention to the line he passes – and damn, good thing he was fast – until he accidentally slams right into a solid body, papers and key to his precious car dropping to the ground.
“Shit, sorry.”
“Sorry, you okay?” a warm voice asks and TK freezes right where he’s kneeling on the ground.
He knows that voice.
Damn, he knows it, even if it’s been a few months since he’s heard it as close to his ear as it is right now. And sure enough, as he looks up he stares right into the eyes of none other than Carlos Reyes kneeling right next to him.
TK’s blood goes hot and cold.
“Carlos.”
“TK,” the man replies, looking shocked and equally as frozen in his movement.
He catches himself quickly though, picking up some more stray papers and handing them to TK as they stand up again. TK attempts to snatch them away, but Carlos isn’t quick enough to let go and they tear a little.
Annoyed already, TK doesn’t try to reign in his eye-roll. “Seriously?”
“Sorry, sorry. Hey, uhm–”
Whatever it is Carlos wants to say, he gets interrupted by the lady behind the car rental desk, raising her voice. It hardly reaches over the buzzing of the crowd but it’s loud enough that her words are understandable.
“Folks, I’m sorry to inform you but we only have three more cars left.” Whatever else she’s trying to say is almost drowned out by the groans and yells of the people around them but it’s something along the lines of apologies and the idea that people might carpool if they plan to go in the same direction.
TK can’t help but look back at Carlos and when he sees his gaze, he knows the man heard it too – and he knows exactly what he’s thinking.
“Well, tough luck, I guess. See you around,” TK says as dismissively as possible, then hefts his duffle further up his shoulder and moves in the direction of the parking lot.
It’s only five seconds until he can feel Carlos’ presence right behind him. “Are you serious right now? You’ll just leave me here?”
“I don’t see why I should feel obligated to carpool with you.”
“Oh, I don’t know… common human decency?”
“Ha! That’s very rich, coming from you.”
He can hear Carlos suck in a sharp breath before, to his astonishment, Carlos says, “Okay, yeah, I deserved that.”
TK stops abruptly, swiveling around so quickly Carlos almost smacks into him. “Damn right you deserved that. You don’t get to talk to me about what a decent human being would do.”
Carlos’ eyes narrow. Not in a mean way, more… confused, maybe even hurt. “So you lied to me then? When you said you accepted my apology and that you understood? That was just a lie?”
TK’s bristling, trying not to lash out. He just hates how after all these months, those damn brown eyes still affect him – which is exactly why he can’t carpool with the man. Swallowing, he tries to put as much ice into his reply as possible. “I understood you very well and I did accept the apology – that doesn’t mean I can’t still be salty about it.”
At that, Carlos’ eyes go comically wide. “You’ll leave me stranded here because you’re salty? TK! That– that’s outrageous.”
“Ha!” TK exclaims, a humorless chuckle falling from his lips and he has to restrain himself from firing that word back at Carlos as well – because if either of them has caused outrage for a certain action in their life, it’s that man! Instead, he maliciously fires back, “Way to sweet talk me into carpooling with you.”
It takes him a moment to notice how, with each passing second, they’ve drawn closer and closer. They’re currently almost in each other’s faces and TK’s sure he isn’t imagining how Carlos’ gaze flicks to his lips, if only for a second. It’s funny, really, because despite that, the man is also glaring at him now and TK is glaring right back.
After a few heartbeats – that are definitely not quicker because of how close he is to Carlos, nope – he simply turns and marches on, calling over his shoulder, “Have fun in Nebraska.”
“Seriously!?” Carlos yells after him and sure enough, TK hears him catching up right away. “I know it’s winter, but you don’t have to act so cold!”
Instead of snarking back again – and God knows there are a lot of things he could fire back regarding that comment – TK opts not to reply, biting his tongue instead. He doesn’t want to act cold towards Carlos. But he also definitely doesn’t want to spend, what? Thirteen-plus hours cramped in a car with the man – most likely even more, given the weather. If they even make it out of Omaha to begin with. TK’s pretty sure he’s not going to survive being confined for that long with this man.
Not after the way they left things.
“Urgh, damn it,” Carlos groans when TK stays silent. “Fine, what do I have to say or do for you to take me with you? Do you want me to beg?”
For just a moment, an image from a few months prior flashes through TK’s mind – an image of Carlos taking him apart, artfully, skillfully, grinning down at him with a wicked smile. You beg so beautifully. Their relationship was tipping on the edge of being something more, something serious, before it all came crashing down. But no matter how hard TK tried to push any thoughts of Carlos away after that, he still easily remembers how much Carlos loved to make him beg.
Maybe he should repay the favor.
“Would be a start,” he tells him just as they reach the parking lot and he checks the info on the papers to find the proper space and car. He spots it easily, not breaking his stride as he moves over to it, clicking the button to have it beep open.
However, before he reaches the car, a hand catches his elbow, far gentler than he would’ve guessed.
“TK, please,” Carlos asks, all bite and anger gone, leaving it raw and pleading. It’s not exactly begging – but it’s close. “Please don’t do this to me. I will do whatever you want, just please don’t leave me stranded here.”
TK has yet to turn around, biting the inside of his lip as he tries to reign in his emotions. He was hoping for a nice and comparably brief flight back to Austin. Today is even the day of the bi-weekly direct flight, so not even three hours in the air. It would’ve been all so great. Instead, he’s now looking at a road trip from hell, including at least one stop at a motel because he can’t drive thirteen-plus hours on his own.
If that isn’t bad enough already, the dilemma he’s currently facing makes it so, so much worse. If he leaves Carlos here, stranded, he’ll be a total ass, and that’s just not who he is. Carlos might’ve hurt him… but really, deep down, TK knows he was never truly mad at the man; more at the situation they’d found each other in. A situation TK wasn’t emotionally available enough back then to handle so he’d just shut down and shoved the man away from him.
That, more than anything, is what he regrets the most.
That and possibly the unresolved emotions he still has about this man that he was not prepared to deal with right now. But Fate’s obviously a bitch so now he’s looking ahead to a normally-thirteen-hour-but-currently-definitely-so-much-longer-drive with… his ex-something and his unresolved feelings and emotions for the man.
Great.
Just… great.
“Get in. And I don’t wanna hear a word from you. The minute you start badmouthing my driving style or my directional decisions, I’ll kick you out and I won’t care where the fuck we are. Got it?”
“Yes. Thank you,” Carlos replies, hastening to the passenger side.
“And your department pays your share,” TK adds as they both toss their duffle bags in the backseat. “No way you’re getting a free ride on AFD’s dime.”
Carlos nods as they settle in, then quietly offers, “I can also drive if–”
TK shoots him a glare and thankfully, Carlos shuts up. Not that it’s a bad offer – hell, it would be a great offer under any other circumstances, meaning they might be able to drive through the night. But TK vividly remembers Carlos in the driver’s seat of his Camaro, smoothly navigating the car, the muscles in his arms flexing with every turn they had to take and–
He takes a deep and calming breath. Lets it out. Takes another one.
“We’ll see,” he offers, then starts the car.
Only for the radio to be on full blast, making both of them jump, reaching for the control at the same time. Their hands smack against each other and they both pull back before Carlos dives in again and thankfully dials it down to a normal volume. They both sit there for a second, frozen, breathing too heavily from the sudden shock. Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You fills the car and TK doesn’t know if it’s the stupid bells in the song that are ringing in his ears – or if it’s the rush of electricity he got from touching Carlos’ hand again.
Oh God, he sounds like a teenager in a badly written YA novel!
Clearing his throat, he shifts into drive and navigates them out of the snowy parking lot; knowing full well that this will be a long, long drive home.