Archive of Our Own

"Why don't you come inside, dear?" Trudie says as she notices TK's head move to try to look more into the house and that he doesn't seem to buy the story about her cat. "You look thirsty." She says. 

She'll give him some water and steer him of any suspicion of her being a suspect. She's just a sweet old lady living alone with her son. 

"Umm, sure," TK takes the bait and steps inside carefully. 

Trudie puts the knife behind her back, hoping she won't have to use it. 

TK gives her a small smile as she shuts the door. "You're the first person who actually answered the door," TK says. 

 “Oh, that’s not surprising considering the area,” Trudie says, shutting the door behind him. 

 "Is that cookies?" TK asks, commenting on the smell as he makes his way further into the house. "My mom and I used to love making cookies." 

"Used to?" Trudie asks. 

"Yeah, she passed last year."

"Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. A boy without his mother is such a tragedy," Trudie says sweetly. 

"Yeah," TK says sadly. 

"Would you like some?" Trudie offers. "I bet you haven't had a bite to eat all day." 

"Yeah, kind of been running around all day. I haven't thought about it." He grips his stomach as if it’s rumbling. He’s stolen glances around the room since he walked in. No signs of any pet. 

"Well, we have to do something about that," Trudie says, cheerfully. "Have a seat and don't move. I'll be right out." 

"Thank you," TK says, smiling. "Do you mind if I use your restroom?"

"Oh sure, dear. It's down the hall to the left," Trudie motions with her head, still hiding the knife behind her. 

TK thanks her as he heads in the direction she pointed out. 

-

Trudie makes it back into the kitchen and to Carlos. 

"I didn't know you were a gay," she says. "I love the gays." 

Carlos starts crying. He has to get TK out of here. He has to get him safe. He breathes heavily through the tape on his mouth. 

"Now," Trudie says as she takes the knife back out from behind her. "I can tell you love him very much. You wouldn't say anything or make any noise to put him in danger, would you?" 

Carlos shakes his head no. 

"Good," She says. "Now I'm going to remove the tape. I need you to answer some things for me. You aren’t going to yell, right?

Carlos shakes his head. 

She carefully removes the tape. 

"Please, please, please.” Carlos starts begging. “Please let him go. Do what you want with me just-"

"Dear, I'm not going to harm him.” Trudie interrupts Carlos’ hurried whispers. “Not unless I need to."

"You don't. I promise."

"He seems to suspect a little."

"No, no. TK's he’s-he's not very good at these things.” Carlos lets out a small fake laugh “Please just let him go."

"Well,  I can't do that," Trudie smiles. "He wants cookies."

Carlos opens his mouth to try to reason with her some more but she interrupts him. "Oh he must be out of the bathroom now," She grabs the tape to put it back on Carlos's mouth. Carlos doesn’t have time to fight it.

"Don't worry. I'll give him cookies and some water then send him on his way. No need for more mess." 

Carlos tries to fight her words through the tape on his mouth, but all that comes out is mumbles. 

"Ma'am?" He hears TK call out. 

Carlos' eyes go wide. Trudie's hand shakes as she grabs the knife again. 

"Stay quiet," she gently orders Carlos. 

Carlos closes his eyes as Trudie parts through the kitchen doors. He doesn't know what to do. TK is his only chance of getting out of here but if he alerts him he could endanger TK. Or TK could already be in danger and if Carlos doesn't warn him he could get hurt. Carlos doesn't know Trudie. She could be one of those accomplices that snaps without reasoning. 

-

"It looks like your bathroom is out of soap," TK says as Trudie exits the kitchen. "Is it okay if I wash in the kitchen?" TK asks as he makes his way to the door behind Trudie.

"No!" Trudie yells out and grabs the door best she can. TK peeked behind her, but the absence of change on his face let her know he didn't see anything. 

"No?"

"No, I mean. It's such a mess in there and the sink doesn't work too well."

"Oh," TK says. "Well, do you mind if I just grab your dish soap to use?" TK asks as he makes a move to the kitchen door again. 

"I’ll get it!" She says, stopping him. "Just give me one moment." 

She notices TK doesn't move away from the door and if she is to open it he will definitely see the legs of his fiance on the floor. 

"I'm just really embarrassed by the mess. Do you mind?" She asks. 

"Oh, of course," TK takes a step away from the door and turns his back. He peeks behind himself just in time to watch her disappear behind the door. 

She comes back out in seconds, dish soap in hand. 

"Thank you," TK says. He puts some in his hand and heads back to the bathroom. 

When he comes back she hands him his glass of water and puts the cookies on the table. 

"Ma'am?" TK asks again. "I'm sorry to bother you again, but you were right about the not eating...didn't sleep well last night either," TK admits. 

"Oh dear, I'm sorry." 

"Yeah, I was just wondering if you had any Advil or something? I have a bit of a headache." 

"Oh yes it's in the-" she stops. If he goes into the cabinet where she keeps the medicine he'll be bound to find the numerous bottles of morphine and other drugs she and Darryl have been using. As well as other things that will undoubtedly raise TK suspicions if not fully seal the deal on who they are. 

"I'll go get them," she says. 

"Thank you so much. I'm so sorry for all the trouble."

"It's nothing," she smiles warmly. 

TK watches her get up and head to one of the rooms down the hall. He silently follows while grabbing one of the dining room chairs. The door goes the wrong way so it won't lock her in but it'll buy him some time. 

He hears the old woman gasp as he shuts the door and blocks it with the chair. He runs to the kitchen to Carlos. 

Carlos yells the best he can as he hears the door bust open, thinking it could be Darryl since the old woman wouldn't run with such force. 

The muffled yelling subsides as he realizes it's TK, but they turn to muffled crying as he realizes his finace might've put himself in a suicide mission. 

The first thing TK does is make sure Carlos is okay. Carlos wants to yell at him that he should've looked for a weapon first, then worry about him, but there is TK always putting others first. Luckily TK doesn't waste more time trying to rip the tape off as he goes looking for something to free Carlos. 

TK hears Carlos yelling out some things but he can't make it out with the tape. Maybe he should've gone and ripped it off first. 

Carlos' yells start getting more panicked. 

"It's okay, baby. It's okay, I just have to find something.” TK rummages through the drawers.  “Damn, where are all the knives?" 

Carlos yells something else. It sounds like run or gun.

"Gun?" TK asks. 

Carlos repeats the word and nods. 

"Where?" 

A muffled answer that TK can't make out meets him. 

"Fuck," TK runs back over to Carlos to remove the tape so he could hear, but Carlos' yelling becomes even more panicked. 

"What? What is it?" TK asks as he slides down in front of Carlos. 

TK can see the fear in his eyes but Carlos isn't looking at TK he's looking past him. TK turns to face the monster and Carlos hears the sound of thin metal sliding into flesh. 

He screams through the tape and thrashes against the pipe. 

"I told you. I didn't want to make more of a mess. Look what you made me do,” Trudie whines. 

Carlos screams. No, this can't be. TK is fine. When he looks down, he'll be fine. Just a small warning wound. 

But he looks down. The floor is already pooled with TK's blood surrounding both of them as TK's green eyes look up at him, wide with shock and pain. TK’s choking, trying to breathe, trying to stay alive. 

Carlos screams and screams. He starts thrashing hard against the pipe. He closes his eyes and screams some more. 

He screams for TK, he screams for himself, he screams for his mother his father, TK's family, and both of their friends. He screams so hard in painful agony. The tape is now gone from his mouth. His screams get louder and they echo throughout the room. 

-

-

-

"Hey," a voice says. "Hey." 

But he keeps screaming. 

"Hey, hey." He hears again.

He feels a nudge on his shoulder.

"Carlos? Baby." 

Baby? TK?

"Carlos, baby. Wake up." He feels his shoulder move again. "Wake up." 

Carlos jumps up and forces his eyes open.  He's no longer tied to a pipe. He's not laying on the hard kitchen ground. There's no tape on his mouth. He's in bed. In the dark. 

He stares out through his room, his eyes are unblinking and confused. 

"I... I..." 

"It's okay," He feels hands on his arms and neck. "It's okay. You're home. You're safe."

"I'm home,” Carlos repeats. He can’t tell if it’s a question or a statement. 

"Yes." He gets the answer anyway.

He turns his head to the voice in the darkness. "TK?"

"Yes, baby. It's me." 

"TK," Carlos says again and turns his body to the man in the bed by him. 

"I'm here. You're okay." 

Carlos feels comforting hands on his cheeks now.

"I'm okay." Carlos grabs TK and lets his head fall into his fiance's shoulder. TK wraps both arms around him and pulls him closer. Carlos feels TK’s hands on his back, rubbing comforting circles on his body. 

"It was just a dream. It was just a dream," TK whispers in his ear. "You're okay. It was just a dream." 

 He should've known it was. He saw everything as if he was there but felt everything as if he was still laying in the kitchen. 

“It was just a dream,” he continues to hear the encouraging voice of the love of his life in his ear. 

They’ll talk about it in the morning. The exact situation whether this time it was TK he screamed out for or for himself. TK will think of ways to get Carlos’ mind off of it while researching more counselors for Carlos to see. 

They’ll figure all that out when the sun comes up. For now, Carlos just wants to feel the comforting hands of TK and the small soft kisses on his neck. He needs to know he’s here. He needs to know he’s safe, they’re both safe.