Tyler Simms (thelasttoascend) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2019-09-17 09:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, deran cody, tyler simms |
Who: Tyler Simms & Deran Cody
What: A broken down truck and a man to the rescue
When: Early August [backdated]
Where: Just outside OC
Rating/Warnings: Low
Status: Complete
Tyler pushed his fingers through his hair and pushed off from where he'd been leaning against the side of his car, despondent and actually dying from the heat. He'd broken down an hour ago, on the side of the road and called for a tow - or for someone to come and check out the car for him and make it work again - and had been told someone would be with him 'shortly'.
Shortly had turned into over an hour, during which time Tyler had finished the water he had in the car and was officially sweating himself to death.
He tugged off his shirt and climbed over the barrier onto the grass verge, shades down over his eyes. His hazards were on, his car was pretty obviously broken down with the hood popped so he figured he wouldn't need to actually flag the mechanic down when he got here, so he stretched out, jeans sitting low on his hips as he tucked his hands under his head and settled in the shade for a while.
Maybe he'd not fry to death in the meantime.
In an effort to appear more legitimate in his day to day dealings Deran worked odd jobs here there and everywhere. One of them happened to be a tow truck driver as he had a talent for cars and nine times out of ten if it could be fixed it was fixed and the person could continue on in their day.
Today was his day on shift so clad in a uniform that was not in any way for the weather, all black with the occasional highlight of colour and tight in pretty much all the wrong places. Tattoos weren’t an issue thankfully as Deran had several and they peeked out from the short sleeves on the shirt he was forced to wear and his hair golden blonde and kissed by the sun was pulled back into a low bun at the base of his skull which highlighted the piercings in his ears. He’d conform but only so much, the rest they could go fuck themselves with.
Spotting the car wasn’t hard and he immediately swung in behind the vehicle before he slipped out. “Hey, sorry about the wait.”
Tyler appeared from his position in the shade, propped up on his elbows and still feeling like he was dying. He wiped his chest with his shirt and stood up, tucking it into the waistband of his jeans.
"Thanks for coming out," he replied with a little, relieved grin. "I was beginning to think they'd just leave me here to melt. I'm no mechanic but I'm pretty sure it's broken."
He waved his hand towards the engine. "Probably gonna need a tow."
Deran turned his head to regard the guy who appeared out of the shade. Upside at least he was attractive which beat out the other four calls he’d responded to today.
“Did you get any sort of warning light or notification before it broke down completely?” He asked as he approached with a kit that he rested on the baking tarmac.
Tyler's fingers pushed through his hair and he wrinkled his nose, trying to remember if he'd seen any lights on the dash. Possibly the check engine one? He had no idea; Pogue and Reid always had a sort of sixth sense for when his car was about to break and fixed it before he really knew.
"Uh, there might have been an orange one that looked like a tap," he said, ambling a little closer. He tipped his head, looking at the guy for a moment. Something about him reminded Tyler of Reid, in a kind of abstract way, "I'm not great with cars."
“And was it making any sort of sound before you broke down?” The light in question sounded like it was the engine warning light but that could literally be anything so the more questions he asked the better understanding he’d had of what the problem might be.
Car wasn’t smoking so that was a good sign.
Tyler shook his head. "I don't think so? Rattling, maybe? Sounded just as I stopped like something popped." He moved a little closer, climbed over the barrier and sat on it, elbows braced on his thighs. "It just rolled to a stop and wouldn't go again."
Rattling? Deran frowned faintly. "Sounds like there might be an issue with the engine then. May not be able to fix it on the side of the road but I'll do what I can." He rummaged out some tools and proceeded to lean over the engine of the car, running diagnostics and doing some other checks to see if it was something he could fix there and then.
"How long you had the car?"
"Couple of years," Tyler said, perched carefully on the barrier. It was glad he had jeans on; he could feel the warmth of the metal even through the fabric. "I'm figuring something in there's broke, I'm overdue a service and I have the shittiest luck."
He smiled a little, tipped his head. The guy wasn't Reid - but then no one really was - but he could appreciate that he was a good looking guy and that made this whole experience a little better.
"It's not the end of the world if it's gotta be towed." Though if it was expensive to repair, Tyler might just buy a new one...
Deran continued to poke around until he'd confirmed what his gut was telling him which was the car was going nowhere unless towed by him. "Good thing you feel that way," he murmured as he ducked out from under the hood and wiped his hands clean on a small rag tucked into the back pockets of his pants. "Because I might be able to work some miracles but your car is beyond my realm of expertise."
Tyler sighed, "Just my luck." At least he wasn't going to be stuck in a truck with a guy who only had three teeth and smelt like a sewer. "Sorry to have called you out, man." He got to his feet and rubbed his hand through his hair, lacing his fingers behind his neck. "You think it'll take long to get back?"
"It's cool," Deran said with a shake of his head. "Kinda my job." He reached up to close down the hood before he starting making preparations for getting the car onto the back of his truck. "Whereabouts you live?" If he knew that he could tow the car to a garage supported by the other guy's cover which was closest to his place so he didn't have to go very far to a) get home or b) come to pick it up if it could be fixed.
Tyler gave his address, which he knew wasn't in the most expensive part of town but he and Reid liked their shitty flat, even if Caleb would have an aneurysm if he saw the inside. Such a mother hen.
"But if you can just drop it off at a garage I can get a lift home from a friend or something." He shrugged, "Reid'll probably be able to come get me." If he wasn't... occupied. In which case, Pogue or Caleb would. He was lucky, he knew, to have a network of people he could rely on. Even if they were... well, the dreams were weird.
He rubbed the back of his neck and moved away to grab his personal effects out of the car, the toolbox jumping on the floor slightly as he walked away.
Deran glanced in the direction of his toolbox, frowning as it seemed to have moved slightly but he definitely hadn't touched it. "I'll get you and your car to a garage and then you can make a call to your friend to come pick you up." It didn't take Deran very long to get the car onto the back of his truck and secure because he did this on a regular basis so it was sort of like riding a bike.
"Hopefully the folk at the garage will be able to tell you if it can be saved."
"I'll just buy a new one if it can't," Tyler said, climbing into the passenger side of truck and belting himself in. "Could give that one to someone or sell it as, like, a project or whatever."
The way the guy said that he'd just buy a new car suggested to Deran that money was definitely not an issue for him. It wasn't like just anybody could go out and buy a new car like that.
"Fair enough," he concluded with a nod of his head as he finished securing the car to his truck. "And I think we're good."
Tyler just nodded and leaned back into the seat. "Thanks again, man," he said, as the truck rumbled to life and pulled away, back to the garage.