Everything is Red [tyrus]

Chapter #4: The petrol station

*Chapter written by Sarah*

~

Cyrus was buzzing as he stood there at the petrol station, adrenaline already coursing through his veins. He could feel himself overheating slightly in his black get-up, completed with a black ski mask and black leather gloves, but he didn't dare take any of it off.

A few days of laying low and focusing on getting a new car had passed by now. They were growing increasingly restless doing next to nothing all day, so this was a breath of fresh air (quite literally) for both of them. A cool breeze washed over them every time the sliding doors opened, and Cyrus let out a small sigh of relief every time they did.

The plan had been simple. Visit a petrol station in the middle of nowhere at 1am - right around closing time for this particular station - get their hands on some money, ideally through some minor threats, grab some supplies and book it out of there.

TJ was usually the one to concentrate on the confrontation aspect of their plans, but the young supervisor didn't seem to be putting up much of a fight whatsoever.

"I'm so fucking done with this job," he muttered to no one in particular, watching as TJ raided the cash register for at least half of the cash inside, sitting back with folded arms. "I'm moving next chance I get."

Cyrus smiled slightly despite his nerves, rushing about the station to grab food supplies and stuff them into a large bag they had brought along with them.

TJ kept his gun out despite the supervisor's indifference, glancing over at Cyrus occasionally to make sure he was still okay.

It was a quick operation, it always was, and after about 3 minutes they were headed for the entrance again. Cyrus grabbed a magazine and some toothpaste on the way out, while TJ just grabbed a cheesy-looking baseball cap with the words 'where's my coffee?' stamped across it.

"You're so dumb," Cyrus told him as soon as they were out of earshot, breath slightly laboured as they booked it to their car.

It was freezing even for an autumn night, with both of their cheeks tinged red from the biting cold. The car door handle was cool against his skin as he pried it open, hastily dumping their bags inside and clambering in. TJ ripped off his ski mask and his gloves, tossing them onto the backseat before starting the car and pressing down on the accelerator.

Cyrus watched through the rear mirror as the petrol station became yet another place to them.

"That was good," he panted once he had torn his own ski mask off, pulling his baggy black shirt over his head to reveal a blue one underneath.

"It was," TJ agreed, sending him a wide smile.

He wasn't exactly sure how long they drove down that highway, but by the time they pulled over into an abandoned looking strip with grassy hills as far as the eye could see, the first glimpses of sunlight were showing in the sky.

A smile lit up Cyrus' face as he jumped out of the car, grabbing his camera from the backseat and walking out into the open field to snap a few pictures. TJ shook his head and walked around to the boot of the car, watching fondly as Cyrus attempted to get the right angle.

He rummaged around for a few blankets before closing it again, opening the backdoor to grab some of the sandwiches they had taken.

"Breakfast!" he called teasingly, which had Cyrus sending him a playful glare. He lingered in the field to take a few more pictures, before lowering his camera and trudging through the grass again to approach the car.

"Inside or outside?" TJ asked.

The look that had crossed Cyrus' face upon hearing the word 'Outside' seemed to be enough of an answer, because he laughed slightly and reached over to open the backdoor.

"After you."

Cyrus gave him a sarcastic smile, climbing into the backseat and looking over at TJ expectantly.

The man just laughed, throwing a blanket over Cyrus before joining him. He shuffled right over to Cyrus, pulling him in as close as physically possible and handing him one of the sandwiches.

"Thanks," he mumbled, snuggling into TJ's side for warmth. TJ playfully knocked Cyrus' head with his own, bringing an arm up to wrap around Cyrus' shoulders.

"Anytime."

That's how they remained for next half hour; cuddled together in the back of their car, eating sandwiches and watching the sun rise through their window. Soon enough, the sky was painted with varying pinks and oranges, and Cyrus found himself almost completely entranced.

"It's pretty, but you know what's prettier?" TJ mumbled.

Cyrus rolled his eyes slightly, looking over at him. "I don't know TJ, what's prettier?"

"You."

Cyrus snorted and gave him a playful shove. "That was so lame."

"More like 'smooth as hell.'"

"Sure," said Cyrus, leaning his head on TJ's shoulder. "Smooth as hell."