"Don't touch me in the cabin."

☆

Carlos takes a step back from Rio in shock. "You said what?" He shouts, maybe a little too loudly. 

"Hey, are you getting in?" Jeff appears from around the corner, watching the two males a foot apart from each other. "You're not having a lovers tiff are you?" 

Rio instantly closes the gap between them as he slings an arm around Carlos' shoulder, pulling him close. "Not at all." He grins as he then turns to a not so convincing Carlos. 

Carlos exhales, surrendering to these ridiculous charades as he looks back at Rio. Their faces feel too close for comfort, considering the true circumstances surrounding them. "Not at all." He mutters back as he forces a smile. They possibly gaze at each other for longer than they would have liked, with them both aware of the truck driver watching on. 

"Good. I don't want any dramas in the cabin." Jeff says as finally, he turns and heads back around the truck. 

Carlos pushes Rio away in annoyance. "Have you forgotten I still have a gun?" 

"Change the record." Rio says, shaking his head as he turns his back on the other male, choosing to head into the cabin first. Carlos remains standing, frozen in place as again, the shift of autonomy seems to come into play. He stares at the cabin door, left open for him to enter. A dilemma fills his mind of whether he should carry on with this act, or even stay by Rio's side. Carlos could just as easily be the one to make a run for it at that moment. To face on his own whatever may happen next, but for some reason, his instincts were telling him that he would be no good at this alone. "Are you getting in or what?" Carlos sees Rio's head emerge from the opened door. He then turns to see the alternative. The dark woods and whatever lay beyond. His head still felt in pain, though at least bearable, but he needed to not be on his own right now. 

"Don't touch me in the cabin." Carlos grumbles as he heads to the light of the truck, climbing inside, causing Rio to hide his smile. 

They are soon settled, with the cabin vibrating as the engine shudders. Jeff reaches out and presses a button, filling the small space with some old country music. "You can't beat a bit of Dolly." He says as he seems to settle quite nicely behind the wheel. 

"Mmm." Rio nods in agreement as he looks to his left to see Carlos resting his head against the window..

"Your boyfriend, Thomas. Is he alright? I see his head is bandaged." Jeff says as he gestures towards the man. 

"It's nothing." Rio replies, choosing not to elaborate. 

"Haters?" Jeff wonders, raising an eyebrow. "You hear about that kind of thing. I say there's no place for it."

Rio looks at Jeff. "No. Nothing like that. We just…." 

Carlos feels the irritation of the conversation getting to him already and they had only just started. He slaps a hand on Rio's upper thigh, making him jump. "Please Jeff. Just drive. Jasper is tired and he should get some sleep." He pulls Rio to rest on his shoulder as his arm drapes around him, allowing him to whisper in his ear. "If you keep on talking, people are gonna get hurt." Rio can feel the gun through the fabric of Carlos' jacket, as his side presses against the other male's. It's enough to silence him. 

"Sure thing." Jeff says as he lowers the volume a little. With the tune of 'islands in the stream' being the only sound, apart from the engine. 

Carlos once again looks out of the window, with Rio daring not to move a muscle, but in time, he finds his body relaxing into the other male and not before long, Rio is falling asleep. Carlos feels the weight of the other male on his side gradually get heavier as he looks down to see Rio's head pressed against his shoulder. He begins to hear the heavy breathing of the other male and finds his hand lifting the few fallen strands of hair, covering Rio's face. Carlos smiles to see the slightly opened mouth, emitting light snores and wonders how he could even sleep in such a situation, considering what he had been through up until this point. 

"You were right."

"Mm?" Carlos looks over to Jeff, who is grinning. 

"He was tired. He must feel comfortable around you to fall asleep so fast." 

Carlos looks back at the sleeping male resting upon him. "It seems that way?" He utters as he lets the fallen strands of hair return to their original place. His gaze again returns to the window. He sees the slight reflection of his own face. How had he ended up here? Sat in a stranger's truck, with another stranger cuddled up to him? This was so far removed from his ideas of a quick escape without any distraction. But Rio had done just that. Rio had thrown him a curve ball. He had come from a different world to Carlos, but their reasons for being in this situation were the same. To escape, to be free from the suffocating voices of others. 

He finds his head rest upon the top of the other male's head of hair as for a moment he finds an ounce of peace within his body, as slowly, he too, drifts off to sleep.