selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos just laughed. “Well, you aren’t getting one of those
things with me, I’m afraid. I haven’t been with anyone since before college. I
think I told you that before…” God, Carlos hadn’t thought about that event with
Ralphie for years.

“Heh, it was an example. Still, I’m sure you’re better than some kid right outta school.” He shrugged. “Not that I really expect anything to happen on this little trip, that’ll be entirely up to you, my friend. Whatever you want is just fine with me.”

Carlos smiled at him. “Well… I want to have fun, and to make a good friend. As for anything else…
well, a good rule of thumb my Dad always told me was to make sure you can stand
a road trip with someone first before things got serious.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos looked at him and gave him a dorky grin. “Heh, thanks…
my dad’s still trying to tell me all the time.” He sighed. “Yeah, I know we
should technically now be in the same age group, but… I dunno, I guess I’m just
an over-thinker. Part of my job and all.”

“There’s somethin’ about hearing it from someone who ain’t your parent though.” He let out a light chuckle and shot a wink over at the other man. “We’re close enough, I prefer older people anyway, more experience, more patience–– usually–– less likely to try to use me for money, heh.”

Carlos just laughed. “Well, you aren’t getting one of those
things with me, I’m afraid. I haven’t been with anyone since before college. I
think I told you that before…” God, Carlos hadn’t thought about that event with
Ralphie for years.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

“I’m thirty-six,” Carlos told him, smiling slightly. “A bit older than thirty.” He then sniffed and turned his head to the windshield,
pretending to put on a bit of a pompous attitude. “I could practically be your father!” He was joking completely, of
course.

“Well, that is a bit older than I thought, heh. Still not a huge difference though, not if ya ask me.” All he got in response to his other comment was a little eye roll and a snort as Hancock turned his attention back to the road ahead. “I still think you’re handsome as hell, even if ya are eight years older than me.”

Carlos looked at him and gave him a dorky grin. “Heh, thanks…
my dad’s still trying to tell me all the time.” He sighed. “Yeah, I know we
should technically now be in the same age group, but… I dunno, I guess I’m just
an over-thinker. Part of my job and all.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos laughed softly. “You know, I don’t hear that sort of
thing very often,” he said. “Mikey teases me about the grey all the time, but
not meanly. I just haven’t really thought of it as making me ‘distinguished’.”

“Well, you should hear it more. I think you’re a very handsome man and you deserve to be told that more often.” He paused, then added. “Besides, that ‘salt and pepper’ look has always done things for me–– but that may just be me having a thing for older men, who knows?”

Carlos actually giggled at that. “Come on, man… I don’t
think I’m that much older than you. Am I?” He tried to think if Hancock had
told him how old he was – he was younger than Carlos, obviously, but by how
much? He didn’t know off the top of his head.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos got a little flushed at that. He smiles sheepishly,
dropping his gaze. “C’mon… I’m not really ‘handsome’. I’m thirty and I’m already
greying, see?” He laughed nervously, smiling at Hancock.

“Are you serious, mate? I happen to think it makes you look distinguished, for one thing.” He smiled over at him. “There’s nothin’ wrong with a little grey hair, and if you have a problem with it, there’s always dye or magic to cover that right up. Regardless of hair color though, you are an attractive man and I don’t wanna hear you sayin’ otherwise. No putting yourself down, my friend.”

Carlos laughed softly. “You know, I don’t hear that sort of
thing very often,” he said. “Mikey teases me about the grey all the time, but
not meanly. I just haven’t really thought of it as making me ‘distinguished’.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

“You’ll be right here to remind me, if I forget,” Carlos
said with a smile. “But it’s up to you – I don’t mean to push. It was just a
suggestion.”

“Good point. Guess there ain’t any reason not to let ya drive, heh.” He shrugged. “Maybe I’ll hand over the wheel at some point, we’ll see, I s’pose. I don’t mind it so much when I got good company, anyway, long as I have someone to chat with, I’m just fine. ‘Specially when that someone’s as handsome as you are.”

Carlos got a little flushed at that. He smiles sheepishly,
dropping his gaze. “C’mon… I’m not really ‘handsome’. I’m thirty and I’m already
greying, see?” He laughed nervously, smiling at Hancock.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos rolled his eyes slightly and looked at Hancock with a
smile. “It won’t be tough to figure out,” he said. “And I’m completely awake,
so it isn’t like I’ll ‘forget’ where I am because of fatigue or something. Also,
I live in Oregon. There are backroads everywhere that aren’t even paved. I
think I can handle it.” He sighed. “Though, if you’re worried about your car, I
guess you can try me out on an easy road first.” Carlos wasn’t really offended –
he knew that plenty of Americans were bad drivers, so there was definitely a
stigma.

“I’m not worried about the car, but this is the easy road.” He chuckled softly, turning on his blinker as he took the next exit and got off onto another somewhat wide road–– at least by his country’s standards. “I wasn’t tryin’ to offend ya or anything, but I’ve seen it plenty’a times where folks from countries that drive on the other side’a the road end up on the wrong side after takin’ a turn or something. Seems easy, but it ain’t hard to forget, y’know?”

“You’ll be right here to remind me, if I forget,” Carlos
said with a smile. “But it’s up to you – I don’t mean to push. It was just a
suggestion.”