"You should be so lucky." Tomas smiled at him, then sat up and took his hand. "Are you going to be okay? Do you need anything else?"
"I guess a kiss is out of bounds, huh?"
"Yeah, kinda." If Cody was flirting, it was a good sign. It definitely wasn't a serious question; even Tomas could tell that.
Cody sat up with a groan. "No, I think I can handle myself from here. It's going to be embarrassing going in to work tomorrow, though. And I feel like shit."
"I'll talk to the captain. You won't get in trouble about this, believe me. Riley and I are on your side if there's trouble. Lean on us if you need to. We won't let you down."
"Okay," said Cody. He looked at Tomas like he wanted to say something else, and he wet his lips lightly, but in the end, he settled on one word only. "Thanks."
"Hey, we're friends," said Tomas. "You don't have to thank me."
He checked the phones then, and found a number of texts and a few voice mails. The captain had texted Tomas and wanted to know what was going on, but his tone was conciliatory and worried, not angry. Tomas showed that text to Cody to relieve his worry.
"Thanks," said Cody. "Um... I think I'm going to sleep some more now." He hesitated. "Will you go in with me when I have to talk to the captain?"
"You know I will."
Tomas took his leave, after making sure Cody didn't need anything else and bringing him some water and a snack from his fridge just in case. Then he started walking home, planning to catch a bus or call a cab when he figured out which way to go.
His phone lit up with another text, and he checked it as he walked. It was Auden, asking if he was okay and if he needed any help. He was finally getting off work, late even for him and the shitty hours the diner gave him. Tomas frowned at the phone, wishing he knew how Auden could help.
I've got to get him a car, even if he doesn't want me to. Then he could pick me up.
Instead, he walked and thought, and finally caught a bus that took him close to the precinct, where he picked up his car and then drove home, exhaustion settled deep into his bones.
He felt protective of Cody and worried for him, but at the same time, he was sure that the captain would see sense and not try to punish the fox for his reaction to something that must have been pretty damned awful. Cody needed to be looked after, even if he seemed cocky and independent.
He needs a partner, thought Tomas. And he was glad all over again that nobody could ever make Riley deal with dead bodies up close and personal, sniffing every intimate, horrible detail and reporting on them. It might be an important job, but it clearly sucked.
Poor Cody. I hope he doesn't decide to quit over this. Then again, if it's the best thing for him, I hope he does.
#
When Tomas got home, Auden had already showered and changed into pajamas. He looked so warm and comforting, Tomas didn't resist: he walked right into Auden's arms and held him, and let himself be held, until he began to feel a little better.
"What happened?" Auden asked at last, obviously bracing himself for the answer.
Tomas hadn't meant to talk about it, but everything came spilling out. He couldn't hold back from trusting Auden, and it had been silly to think he could. He was used to being alone, and he'd always been good at keeping secrets, even painful ones. He'd never had a problem with blurting things out. But this was Auden. He wasn't someone to keep secrets from, and Tomas was now one half of a relationship, not a single guy with lonely secrets.
He shared how broken Cody had seemed, and how he'd tried his best to look after him, but clearly there were job issues, and he'd been really traumatized. Tomas mentioned some of Cody's worries and how helpless it felt to see the cocky, cheerful fox brought so low he didn't even want to talk.
"I hope it was okay to come home," finished Tomas. "Maybe I shouldn't have left him. He's all alone there, and he put on a brave face, but what if he's not okay? I've probably left him alone with some pretty dark thoughts. I didn't mean to." The truth was, all he'd been able to think of was leaving in a respectable amount of time and getting home to Auden. Now all he could think about was that it had been wrong to leave in the first place.
Auden studied his face for a moment, frowning a little. "He's my friend, too. Why don't we both go over there and bring him something to eat, and maybe sit with him for a while, so he's not alone? That is, if he'll have us?"
Tomas stared at him. "Really? But you're in your pajamas and everything." It wasn't what he meant, exactly; more that he saw the exhaustion in Auden's face. It had been a long day for him, too. Dropping everything to go to Cody would be a sacrifice.
Auden smiled and patted his arm. "Of course really. Go on, text him to see if it's okay, and I'll find something we can take along to eat. Oh, and by the way: I'm not changing out of my pajamas." He gave Tomas a quick grin. "He can take me as I come. Ask if he wants pizza. Otherwise, I'll bring one of your frozen suppers."
Tomas started texting, then stopped. "Actually, I know what he'd like. We'll stop at the taco truck on the way."
"Ah, yeah. Of course. Actually, so would I."
Tomas nodded. Hunger was starting to catch up with him, too. Although it hadn't occurred to him earlier, he hadn't actually eaten much of anything today. That could be part of the reason he felt so discouraged, as well as all the rest of it.
He texted a brief message to Cody about wanting to come over again with Auden so Cody didn't have to be alone, and that they would bring food. He asked for a response whether that would be okay or not. He didn't have long to wait, but it felt like a long time, anyway.
