Chapter Text
He slows the car and glances over to the ringing phone. He can’t see the caller ID, and though he doubts it’ll be worth stopping for, he still rolls to the roadside. It’s the middle of nowhere. Wheat fields left and right. He reaches for the phone and lets out a soft whistle, surprised.
“Hello Gavin,” he says.
“Hello… Tom.”
Just a couple of weeks since the transfer. Not that many reasons, Tom thinks, for a junior inspector to ring up his old DCI. He didn’t expect to hear from him. Not this soon.
“You on your way home?” Gavin asks.
“Just started back,” he says. “A minor B and E, but the village is all the way across the county. And you?”
“Crown Court. Might head back for a bit now, get another report off my desk.”
Busy schedule, Tom notes. It’s probably not a social phone call, then.
“Always liked one thing,” he says, “about working in the city. Short distances.”
“Your B and E, something interesting at least?”
“Not unless you count a stolen lawnmower.”
There is a snort on the other end and Tom smiles. You’d have been bored silly, he thinks. In the brief silence he hears the traffic in the background. A parking lot, by the sound of it. Perhaps Gavin’s called to talk about the trial. He’s never lead in a court case before. Probably wants to run something by him.
“So, this trial…“ Tom says.
“Triple murder.” It’s a brag, then he back-pedals a bit. “My predecessor’s case. Trial’s already started by the time I came in. Looks like it’s going to be a long one. ”
“A high-profile case? Not bad for a start.”
“Can’t complain.” Casual tone, but Tom picks up a tension, barely there. He looks out into the fields, into the low afternoon sun.
“You in a hurry?” Gavin asks.
“No.”
It’s been a long day and there’s still an hour-long drive ahead. Still, he can spare a few minutes.
He thinks of the last time he’s seen Troy. The day before he left, in his emptied-out flat. He thinks of it often, if he’s honest, and it doesn’t take anything away from it. He remembers how it felt, as if it's just happened. Troy, pressed against him. Held. And then slowly, frantically, the kiss. He did nothing to stop it, nothing at all.
Tom turns off the engine and leans back into the seat. No. He’s not expected to hear from him, after that.
“Middlesbrough’s alright,” Troy says, and Tom blinks at the shift in topic. “Different than it was. Less rough.”
“I think I’ve never been.”
Perhaps he’s run into some trouble with the new governor, Tom thinks. And he wants advice.
“Department’s in good shape,” Troy says. “Loads of new equipment, new cyber unit. The DCS runs a tight ship.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Asked me if I’m as good as my final assessment says.”
Tom laughs. Doesn’t sound like he’s in trouble. Far from it. He can hear the grin in Troy’s voice and he imagines him sitting in his car, there in the parking lot. It’s not as though he doesn’t know the feeling. He does. It’s never too far away these days, either. He wants to see him. He’s been wanting to see him.
“He had a look at my reports,” Troy says, “and I guess I passed muster.”
“And the cases you’re getting?”
“Apart from the trial, homicide and a couple of armed robberies. Nearly done with them.”
“Sounds like you’re settling in alright,” Tom says.
“I am, yeah...” Another pause, and Tom can tell Troy is about to cut to the chase. “You could come around sometime. Up to Middlesbrough.”
The pause that follows is Tom’s. Would have been a simple question, a few weeks ago. With a simple answer.
“Of course,” he says. “Be happy to.” But that’s not all.
On the other end, Troy lets out a small breath.
“When did you have in mind?” Tom asks.
“The weekend after next?”
“I’ll talk to Joyce and Cully. They’ll be thrilled.”
“They — that’s…” Troy goes quiet for a moment, and Tom waits. “I thought…” Here the silence stretches, and despite himself Tom presses the phone to his ear. “Just you.”
There is a silence and Tom nods slowly, to himself. All the small talk. Their usual little remarks. And he still has no idea what made Troy call him in the first place. What he knows is, he cannot let things get out of hand. Not like he did that time. Just you.
He looks along the road. Not one car has passed him by since he’s stopped. Why this call? The invitation? And then it appears to him that perhaps... most likely, Troy doesn’t know it himself. That he might not know what he’s asking for, what it is exactly he wants from Tom right now... except for this one thing. To see him.
“How’s Saturday?” Tom asks.
“Good,” Troy says at once. “Saturday’s good. Around two?”
“Alright…”
Tom moves in his seat, somewhat uncomfortably. There’s another huff of breath, on the other end. He can just about see Troy puffing his cheeks – relief? Anticipation? And there it is, again, that same feeling. It has no right to be as strong as it is. To be pulling at him as it does. He wants…
“I’ll get going,” he says. He turns on the engine and, phone still in hand, turns the car towards the road.
“Right,” Troy says. “I’ve got the report to finish…”
Tom blinks against the sun and checks the satnav. Low traffic, no alerts. The time estimate nearly the same as before.
“See you soon.”