Carlos hadn’t been to a circus in years – not since he was little. But there had been a raffle at work and Carlos had won a coupon for a free ticket. He kinda hoped that his brother and/or his dad were in town so he could invite them to go with him.
Carlos made his way to the ticket office that was set up, standing in the line with his coupon as he looked at everything around him. Some things were different than what he remembered or imagined a circus to be like, but not everything could be a dated cliche trope he supposed.
Once at the ticket office he smiled and offered the coupon. “Hey… this any good?” he asked in a joking manner.
“N-no,
it’s fine it’s nothing really! Just what the kind of makeup does to my
skin, maybe I’m allergic or something!” He shrugged off the questions,
making up some kind of half assed excuse just to grab up Carlos’s hand
and tug him towards the exit of the circus. He lead him towards a
bicycle but then turned awkwardly to Carlos and pressed, “Maybe you’ve
got a car?”
That made no sense, Carlos realized. Skip would know if the make-up made him react. But Carlos decided maybe he shouldn’t push it… especially since Skip was so eager to just get going and forget about it.
Carlos smiled and took out his keys. “Yeah, I’ve got a car. It’s parked in the middle of the field over there, where the parking was set up. Are, uh… any of your friends joining us?” Carlos had been under the impression that it would be a group of acrobats going out for food, but maybe he’d misheard or misunderstood.
Carlos wrapped his arms around Hancock and held him tight. He rubbed Hancock’s back right between his shoulder blades up and down his bony spine. “You should know, I share the same sentiments,” Carlos told him. “I really didn’t think my own life was going to ever look up again. So I’m glad… I’m really happy to have this.”
A low hum escaped the ghoul as the other began rubbing his back and he leaned into him, nuzzling into Carlos’ neck with a smile. “I guess we saved each other then, hmm? Think maybe we were meant for each other from the start–– slow as things might’a started, heh.”
Carlos huffed softly in amusement. Hancock was like a cat – just wanting all of Carlos’ warmth, it seemed. “It’s okay… because we’re together now, right? That’s all that matters.”
Carlos was saying this like they might be together forever. Relationships sometimes ended, he realized, but right now he didn’t see this one ending. He was pretty damn happy.
Carlos hadn’t been to a circus in years – not since he was little. But there had been a raffle at work and Carlos had won a coupon for a free ticket. He kinda hoped that his brother and/or his dad were in town so he could invite them to go with him.
Carlos made his way to the ticket office that was set up, standing in the line with his coupon as he looked at everything around him. Some things were different than what he remembered or imagined a circus to be like, but not everything could be a dated cliche trope he supposed.
Once at the ticket office he smiled and offered the coupon. “Hey… this any good?” he asked in a joking manner.
Skip
couldn’t help the laugh that rattled up through his throat, his hand
clasped over his mouth as he chuckled into his fingers and closed his
eyes. Facebook? Oh god, this guy was literally a dad
“I-I Don’t.. use Facebook?” He tried to say without too much laughter, his face still red at the idea Carlos studied him.
Carlos blinked. “Oh, you don’t?” he asked. That was weird, he thought. But he wasn’t judging. “Well, maybe a twitter or something?” Why was he laughing? Usually Carlos knew all the jokes, but right now he was so confused.
“Yeah, Twitter’s fine.” With that in mind, Skip gladly handed over his url from the slightly younger website. Realizing Carlos had asked for Facebook, and realizing his slowly developing crush for the scientist he wanted to ask how old he was but that was rude. Right? He shook it off, not now.
“Listen- I gotta go, usually the acrobats all go out for a slice after the show. But.. Maybe you’d like to come?” It never hurt to ask.
Carlos quickly input the url into his phone and he hit the ‘follow’ button. He looked at Skip. “Well, I haven’t had my weekly mandated Big Rico’s pizza just yet… so sure. I’d like to.” He smiled at the other man. “I had been planning on getting something to eat anyway.”
“Great!” He cheered, stepping away a bit and somehow blushing even more after his offer to get dinner. What was he doing? “L-let me to change really quick, just stay put.” He said quickly before rushing off behind the main tent, the flaps waving in the wind as he closed it.
Inside the tent, Skip began undressing as he went through a panic attack from his simple encounter. He was soon rendered helpless in the dressing room, not coming out for more than around five minutes.
Carlos, for his part, just stayed outside. He wasn’t sure what made him agree to going out to dinner with Skip and his troupe, but he had no reason not to go. He stayed where he was and waited for Skip to come and get him. He didn’t mind the time it took – maybe Skip was taking off his make-up or something. At the moment, Carlos just wasn’t invested enough in the other man to think that anything might be wrong.
Finally when Skip did come out and decide to show his face without any of the heavy makeup he had worn minutes before, his face was tear stained and red with his pale eyes looking vaguely bloodshot and tired, he worked up a smile. “Ready?” He pressed, worried that now without his fancy costume and glittery makeup that Carlos wouldn’t be interested.
Skip wasn’t dressed in anything spectacular, simply a hoodie and some jeans with tears into them and the hoodie had cuts down the sleeves, how odd.
Carlos smiled. “Yeah, I am,” he said as he put away his phone. However, one look at Skip’s face made Carlos pause. “Uh hey, wait a second… are you okay? Is something bothering you? Was it that guy from before?” Carlos was worried. Skip hadn’t seemed like he was crying when he disappeared into the tent.
The Perfect Scientist 