Ty Solomon (shadowbadge) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-01-25 21:24:00 |
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Entry tags: | #september 2017, ty |
Who: Madison and Ty
When: Monday, Sept 25, late morning
Where: out and around town
Status: Complete
The fun of the auction had worn off pretty quickly Sunday morning. Ty and Jared had gone home together and made good on all the tension that had built between them all night, and not even noticed the fog rolling in. The power outage was impossible to miss, of course, but Ty had figured it would be back on by morning. It wasn’t. It wasn’t on all of Sunday either, which made for a busy work day. The power at the station had been restored sometime in the late afternoon, but most of the town was still dark. And the fucking fog. Ty didn’t think he’d worked that many traffic accidents in one day his whole career.
Monday saw more fog, but also more power. That was a good thing, especially in the case of traffic lights, and as he got his coffee and squinted out into the whiteness, Ty hoped that would mean people would stop running into each other so much. School was canceled at least, so that was something.
He’d gotten paired up with Madison on the schedule, and Ty was actually kind of excited about it. They’d gotten to exchange a few pleasantries since she’d started work, and Ty had promised to take her out to drinks soon, it just hadn’t happened yet. He had told her that he was in the closet here and not to mention his dating preferences to anybody, but he hadn’t gotten to really tell her why, and he wanted to. They’d been kind of close back in Bangor, and he was eager to catch up.
Settling into the driver’s seat of the cruiser as they got ready to go out on a call -- another fender-bender, surprise surprise -- Ty flashed Mads a grin. “Feel like this is the first time I’m really getting to see you,” he said.
"Probably because it is," she replied with a grin. "More or less." Mads had been in town for about a week now and working nearly the same amount of time, yet she'd only been able to see her old friend in passing. Differing schedules would do that to you. She had hoped to make good on the offer to grab drinks this past weekend, but the situation with Fin had stunted any desire for social interaction with anyone. Now that he seemed to be on the mend and looking to the future rather than focusing on the past, she felt better about going out and having fun. Shame the fog decided social lives were for people that didn't work civil service.
She stared out the windshield and made a face. "I swear, this fog is something else. Can cut the damn thing with a knife." She gulped down some of her coffee and made yet another face, this time directed toward the travel mug in her hand. The coffee was bitter and strong. Good for keeping her moving, not so much for her taste buds. "But enough about that. We both know the fog sucks. What's new with you?"
The fog did indeed suck, but they’d all been bitching about it for the past day and a half, so Ty was okay with not going over it again. He had to drive in it, slow and careful, so he probably wouldn’t be able to resist grumbling over it some here and there, but for now catching up with Mads was way more appealing.
He laughed a little at her question, because there were so many new things to talk about. Well, okay, really only one, but it was big. To him, anyway. Ty had been tempted many times to call Mads up to hang out on some of his trips down to Bangor in the near-decade since he’d moved to Point Pleasant, but he’d only done it once or twice. She had her own life and he’d always been a bit embarrassed that his libido had brought him down there. It was easier to just pop in and out of the city to get his fix undetected. To pretend he was living his life in some kind of normal way.
“Well ... shit,” he said with a chuckle. “Feels like a lot, lately. Mom’s still doing okay, still super into church, still living with my aunt. Work is work, you know how that goes. You’ll like working for Barrett, he’s a good boss. The town is ... the town.” Ty made a vague gesture with one hand before putting it back on the steering wheel. He wet his lips and then smiled faintly. “I uh, think I met someone. Finally. Well okay, not met, but we’ve y’know ... started something.”
"Considering it's been forever since I last saw you I'm not surprised you feel a lot has happened," she pointed out with a smirk. "I mean, hell, last time we actually honest-to-God hung out was, what?" Mads paused, tilting her head slightly as she did the math in her head. "Shit. 2 or 3 years ago?" That number was surprising. It didn't feel like it had been that many years but the math checked out. That meant there was at least one major life changing event she'd experienced that Ty wouldn't know about. She wasn't chomping at the bit to tell him, not like he was about this certain someone he met.
"Oh?" She quirked an eyebrow and flashed him a conspiratorial grin. "Solomon's finally caught himself a man, huh? Adorable." She nudged his arm gently with her elbow. "So, come on then, give me the dirt. I wanna hear all about this mystery man. If that's okay of course. He in the closet as well?" Mads took a sip of her coffee, brow furrowed. Finally, a chance to ask the question she had been holding in since she reconnected with him. "What’s up with that anyway? You're out back in Bangor. What changed?"
“Something like that, yeah,” he said about the length of time since their last hangout. Ty didn’t know any details about Mads’s divorce, but he had been to her wedding and he had noticed that the last name on her uniform was her maiden one. He could assume what that meant, but Ty didn’t want to just bring it up out of the blue. Mads was right that it had been a few years since they’d gotten to hang out, so he didn’t feel entitled to question her about it just yet. Besides, he had actual good news that he wanted to bounce off of someone.
He grinned a bit at her comment about him ‘catching’ a man -- it had been more like a man had fallen into his lap. “What changed was moving into the same town as my mother,” Ty answered first, giving Mads a meaningful glance. She’d heard plenty about his homophobic parents, mostly in the context of ‘they’re why I moved to Bangor.’ “She’d make my life hell if I was out, so ... I figured it was easier this way. And it was for a while, but I think that’s changing. But okay first, you have to swear to keep it to yourself, okay? Because he, uh ... he works with us.”
"Gotcha," she said with an affirmative nod. Mads should have guessed that his mom was the reason for the shuffle back into the closet. She could understand the decision. Easier to play the 'don't ask, don't tell' game than have his mom bemoaning his orientation constantly. It was a shame. No one should have to put up with that shit, especially not from their parents. He did seem to indicate that might be changing, though. Hopefully for the better.
Her smile widened. "Ohhh?" This new tidbit excited her. A secret gay relationship and with a co-worker? What had she just walked into, a soap opera? She was beginning to understand why her grandmother had been addicted to the ridiculous things. "Cross my heart and hope to die," she promised, crossing her finger over her chest as she did so. "So... is it Gaines? It's gotta be him." Because she didn't see Barrett swinging that way and, even if he did, he didn't seem the type to pursue a relationship with a subordinate.
“What?” Ty said with a laugh that very clearly said Mads had hit the bullseye immediately. He glanced over at her, unable to hold back his stupid grin. “Why’s it gotta be Gaines? There’s ... other guys ...” There were a few other deputies in rotation, but Ty was pretty sure they were all married. They were definitely a bit on the older side, and not the kind of specimens of manhood that Jared Gaines was. Then there was Barrett and that was just a big Nope. Fuck. Ty knew that his reaction had left no question about it, so he wasn’t really going to make Mads defend her guess. “Yes, it’s Gaines. But he’s not really out either ... not that he’s ... I dunno, this is all kinda experimental for him, so we’re keeping it on the down-low.” He trusted that Mads would keep her mouth shut, cops in general were good at keeping secrets and watching what they said.
Mads gave him a triumphant smirk. "Knew it." It was obvious when one looked at all the information, really. The other deputies and Barrett weren't likely options because of age/marital status and Jared seemed fond of Ty based off of their conversations. He was also most definitely Ty's type. Hearing that this kind of relationship was a new thing for Jared intrigued her. What was it about Ty had made him want to test the waters, as it were? It wasn't information she needed to know and wouldn't seek out, but it was something interesting to ponder. "No need to worry," she assured, then made a zipping motion across her lips. "My lips are sealed. So how long have you two been together?"
It was a little challenging with how much he wanted to ramble and gush, but Ty kept most of his focus on the road. It was slow going through the fog, and the fact that it was daytime helped a bit, but it was still like driving through pea soup. The last thing he needed was to get into an accident because he was busy running his mouth about his boyfriend. Ty very nearly said they weren’t together-together, but they were. Just in private.
“Uhh, lesse,” he mused, thinking back. It felt like so much had been packed into so little time. “I guess it’s been a couple weeks now. I mean, we’ve been okay friends for years, but since his divorce we’ve been hanging out more. Got drunk one night and I came out to him. He was cool about it. But pretty soon he’s telling me he’s always been curious, so we uh ... satisfied that curiosity, and things ... progressed from there.” Ty chuckled faintly as he slowed down to take a turn, and he risked a glance over at her. “It’s getting kinda serious. I haven’t felt like this since Bangor.”
Mads listened attentively to Ty's tale. A drunken, experimental hook-up that ended up turning into more. That was definitely an interesting start to a relationship though not too unusual in the grand scheme of things. Not that it particularly mattered if it was unusual or not. It was the result that was important and it proved to be a pretty damn good result. Mads flashed him a smile. "Well, then, here's to many more weeks." She raised her coffee in a toast then took a sip. "Can't say I know Gaines terribly well, but he seems like a good guy. Definitely one to hold onto. Not to mention good looking." A wink. "Lucky."
Ty huffed a bit at her toast, glancing briefly over. Many more weeks. God, he hoped it ended up being more than that. Which was kind of scary all by itself. He could feel himself wanting to overthink it right then and there, his mind wanting to spin off into all the mitigating factors that stressed him out about commitment, and everything there was to be afraid of. He did his best to push it all away and just let himself be excited to finally tell a friend about what was going on. “He is a good guy,” he confirmed, flashing a decidedly goofy grin through the windshield. Ty toned it down and cleared his throat. “He’s a good cop too, you can count on him to have your back.” There, some professional appreciation for balance. “Okay I’m done gushing like a fourteen year old now. How’re you settling in?”
That goofy grin almost made Mads laugh out loud, but she managed to reduce it to a small chuckle. It made him look a bit like a lovesick puppy. It was kinda adorable, really. A laugh couldn't be helped, however, when he attempted to dial back on the excitement and speak about Jared in a professional capacity. What a dork. “I don't doubt he is both of those things,” she replied with a smile. “And I'm settling in well enough. Haven't unpacked everything but maybe this fog will finally make me actually stay home and do it.” Fat chance. She already made plans to visit Darren's friend Dominik in the hospital and then check on Fin at the store after work. Maybe, though.
“How long did it take you to finally get settled? Hopefully less time than it will inevitably take me.”
Ty wouldn’t have bet on them having any free time at all if this weird-ass weather kept up, but he didn’t say so. Let Mads find out about how much overtime they tended to work on her own, as things happened. She knew how this town was. Honestly, he was more than a little happy to have another pair of hands to help with the workload. “Oh man, I don’t even remember,” he answered with a chuckle. “A couple of months of really slowly unpacking? Work kept me pretty busy right off the bat. Where’d you end up getting a place?” Ty glanced over, but kept it extra brief. “We gotta do like a housewarming thing for you.”
“Only two months? You work fast.” Mads was pretty sure she would be living out of boxes for the next year with how little time and motivation she would likely have. It had taken her and Steve a good four months to finally get everything unpacked when they moved into their first apartment together. This time around it was just her in a town that was sure to keep her on her toes continuously. Yeah, it would take a while.
“Trailer at Seaview,” she answered with a bit of a shrug. “Thing's a little run-down, but not too bad. Decent for how much I ended up paying for it.” It had been a pretty good deal when she looked back on it. She cocked her head to the side. “A housewarming thing, huh? As long as I don't have to play host I'm all for it.” She placed him a wide grin. “Shower me with gifts, food, and drinks! Money and desire willing, of course.”
Ty was pretty particular about his personal space, so living with boxes around for a couple of months had felt like way too long to him. But everybody was different, and if Mads could stand all the cardboard, then more power to her. “Hey, I’m close to you pretty often then,” he said with a laugh at what she said, tossing another quick glance over. “Jared lives in Seaview. For now, anyway.” He’d made a couple of noises about moving, but Ty didn’t think that was happening right away. “And it’s gotta be at your place since it’s like, a housewarming. But I’ll do all the hosting. Hell, I’ll come over early and help you unpack some shit if you want.” It wasn’t an entirely unselfish offer -- Ty missed having friends like Mads around, a lot. People who knew him and he could be himself around. “We can drink margaritas and gossip in entirely unprofessional ways.”
“Oh? Whereabouts?” Not too close to her, she suspected, considering she'd never managed to see or run into him. “I'll have to bake him a pie and welcome myself to the neighborhood." She chuckled, obviously kidding. One, that was a bit too Pleasantville-esque for her, and two, she couldn't bake worth beans. Not for lack of trying. Ty had seen pictures of her more amusing failed attempts. Mads flashed him a grin. “And don't worry. I'll take your car being there as a 'sock on the door' sign. Won't let anyone bother you. I got your back,” she added with a wink and a laugh.
“Does it really have to be at the house? I need an official source on this.” She shook her head with an amused smile. “Okay, fine. We'll have it there, but I'm holding you to the offer to help unpack and host. Otherwise we'll be sipping margaritas from solo cups like a bunch of college kids.” And there were just some things from the past that did not need to be revisited.
“He’s kinda toward the back, maybe you just haven’t noticed,” Ty said in regard to where Jared’s place was. It was handy for being there mostly unnoticed ... not that he thought there were many people in Seaview who were paying attention to who’s car was in what driveway. Or maybe there were, fuck, he didn’t know anymore. It was feeling more and more like it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like they were humping right there in the front yard or anything. “If it’s like that blackberry monstrosity you made, I would go for a six pack instead. I appreciate the backup though,” he added, flashing Mads another teasing smile.
“Uh yes it has to be at the house, otherwise it’s more of a ... ‘welcome Madison to town even though she’s too snobby to invite you over’ party,” he said with a laugh. Ty shook his head. “You got my help no matter what, but if it takes too long, I’ll totally throw you a welcome party at my place. Just throw a guest list at me. I just know I could use some out-of-uniform time with adult beverages and good music, you know?”
“Shhhhh.” Mads held up her pointer finger toward him in a hushing motion. If he didn't need all his concentration to get through the fog, she would have placed her finger against his lips to further emphasize her playful command. “We do not speak of the blackberry incident. Still surprised Wilson actually finished his piece though. A true gentleman.” A gentleman that vomited it up not even an hour later. Poor thing.
“Phht, snobby my ass. More like saving everyone from the horror. I'm actually being benevolent not wanting it there.” She grinned. “We'll see what happens with the location, but there will definitely be a party because out-of-uniform time is a must. We should make it a thing too. Every week we make it a point to just sit around, relax, and bitch. I have a feeling we'll need it.”
“Yeah well, you know how people are. Especially in a small town. Always nosy and judgey,” Ty reminded her with a grin of his own. “It’ll just be friends though, of course, and they won’t care.” Madison wasn’t a total stranger to Point Pleasant, and she was on the force, so that probably worked in her favor as far as people wanting to ‘get to know’ her went. The badge fended some of them off for a while. Though he wouldn’t be surprised if some of the older ladies started bringing their single sons around her soon. God knew he’d ‘accidentally’ run into so many women and their daughters over the years.
“I am so down for that though. A weekly beer and bitch. Yes please, let’s make it happen. We can rotate houses and everything.” Ty pulled the cruiser to a stop at a red light he could barely see, and squinted ahead of them through the fog. A shape loomed on the other side of the intersection, big and square with dimly flashing orange lights. The back of a truck. “Looks like another accident,” he murmured with a sigh. Ty flipped the flashers on, though he waited until their light turned green before he scooted through the intersection, just in case.
“Ha! Beer and Bitch. I love it. That's definitely what we're going to call it.” Because to call it anything else at this point would be a sin. ”I nominate your house for our first meeting.” Mads noticed him looking ahead intently and did the same, leaning forward in her seat in hopes of getting a better view of whatever it was that got Ty's attention. Flashing orange lights. She sat back in her seat with a sigh. “Oh, wow, an accident. I can hardly contain my shock,” she deadpanned.
“I see what you did there, you tricky bitch,” Ty said with obvious glowing affection, shooting her an amused look. “Fine, first Beer and Bitch is on me.” He didn’t really mind, honestly. His house was pretty consistently clean, thanks to his anal retentive nature, and he liked having people over. He just hadn’t really played host in a long time, hardly ever in this town. But it would be a good opportunity for Mads and Jared, two of his favorite people, to get to know each other better and that felt important for some reason. Like he had a bestie now who had to approve of his boyfriend choice. Funny how easy it was to slip back into that mindset. Maybe even Grady would show up, though that meant he and Jared would have to behave ...
Whatever happened, it would be nice, Ty decided. He put it out of his mind for the moment as he pulled up behind the truck and put the cruiser in park. Duty called, even if it was dumb, boring duty, writing up fender-benders for people who wouldn’t stay put during the fog. “Your turn to yell at somebody for being irresponsible,” he said, flashing Mads another smile before he moved to get out.