One of a kind

Chapter 11

Neither Carlos nor TK said anything to their parents, or anyone, about what had happened. Not because they weren't sure of what they were doing, but because they wanted to avoid the stares and comments.

They wanted to go slowly, to recover the magic of the beginning, as they said in the movies. They wanted something that would allow them to get to know and love each other, not Nancy's excitement or Judd's sermons about looking after TK this time. Above all, they didn't want to listen to either of their parents asking if they were sure, if it was a good idea after everything.

It was something for the two of them, something that only concerned Carlos and TK.

In a way, it was exciting to hide, to kiss in the hallway when no-one was looking or exchange those glances that made them blush. They'd never had that type of courtship, and, if they thought about it, neither of them really knew what a true courtship was.

When they'd slept together for the first time, they were both in very different places. Carlos had been in love with TK from the first moment he'd laid eyes on him, whilst TK was still recovering from many different wounds, some too deep to be healed by good sex.

Then, Carlos had to accept that the love of his life might die, only to then see him risk his life again in a bus. Time after time, he had to watch TK put himself at risk; there had been very little time for them to just love each other in peace.

When it hadn't been TK in danger, it had been the argument over Carlos's parents, and then the arsonist. Peace hadn't been at the base of their relationship, and this had caused their long-term problems.

They hadn't put down good foundations.

Now, they wanted to do things right, little by little, without pressure and without hurry.

Besides, TK had other things he still had to resolve.

Owen had, literally, run away when he saw that he wouldn't be able to get the 126 back, at least not his way. He'd abandoned TK when his son needed him the most.

"You should talk to him," Carlos said the afternoon they'd kissed, whilst Teddy slept and they could sit in peace on the sofa. "I know it's not your way of doing things, but..."

"What do you mean, not our way of doing things?"

"It took a while for me to see it, and don't get angry, but you and your dad are really alike with this. You don't like talking about things. You're a whirlwind when you're pissed off, like an erupting volcano, and it's difficult to calm you down."

Carlos was right and TK knew it, so he just smiled.

"You let it all go in the moment and say what you're feeling, but then you shut down. And when you come back it's like you're the only one who has to apologise, even if you're still hurting. It took a lot for me to realise that, and I almost lost you forever because of it."

Carlos pulled TK a little closer to him. He'd missed this, having TK pressed up against him, not because he wasn't doing well, but because they were okay. They were together and they wanted to be together. He kissed TK's head, as he had done so many times before, but this time felt special somehow.

"You prefer to hold back your feelings whether you're right or not, because you risk losing us," Carlos continued.

That was exactly what had happened between them. He couldn't forget that terrible day—the argument at the firehouse, when everyone had known that Carlos hadn't acted properly, and even Judd had been about to kick him out. But then TK had apologised to him; he was the first to do it.

And Carlos did what he always did, because that was his way of doing things; he said that nobody needed to apologise and that everything was okay, even though nothing was.