WANTED CONNECTIONS. carson callahan
01. it takes time to get through to carson—his walls are thick and he doesn't let people in easily but they managed to worm their way into his life to the point where it's difficult to imagine it without them. he'd never call them best friends, thinks he's too old for a bond like that to develop so quickly but that's essentially what they are. each day, he shares a little more. confides, even—discovers he really needed that. taken : dante headrick
02. someone who helps out with his dad; the circle of people who actually know that he's the primary caretaker of his dad is very limited, carson barely ever talks about him but when he does, it means he trusts the person he's talking to. it's an hour drive but they're happy to make carson's life easier for him—drop off food for his dad when he has to stay behind at work, sit with him, make sure he's doing okay, that he's taking his meds, especially when the nurse carson hires can't be there. they've become someone for him to rely on, a kind of person he hasn't had in years. it's comforting, he finds solace in that relationship, tries his best to show that he appreciates it, even though he has trouble saying that out loud
03. the person who put in a good word for him at the harbour; a friendly face he's met at some point in his career, never really friends, colleagues at best but they didn't mind helping carson find his feet. there was an opening, they knew he was good, it made sense. carson's grateful for the help and now feels like he owes them. he's tempted to get to know them better, get close but he's worried he might be coming off fake. maybe they have an ulterior motive, though? carson does owe them and maybe if push comes to shove, they'll need to cash in on a favor as well?
04. someone who reined him in a little; when he started at harbour, carson was lot more explosive, all over the place, move first, think later but it didn't always end well. with some tough love, a few pointers, a couple of that's not how we do things here, carson mellowed out, became more balanced. they're always here to keep him in check
05. someone he chewed out once for fucking up—rightfully or not—and there's been a grudge ever since. multiple people have told them to talk it out and put it behind them but they refuse to; when they're on shift together, it's hell for everyone involved
06. dinner and a movie; work is great from distracting carson from his current home life but sometimes even that doesn't do the trick and he needs an easy and classic reset. it's a couple hours every other week when the two of them decide to ignore their responsibilities and just spend quality time with each other until they inevitably have to face real life again. it's a highlight for carson, he can vent if he wants to—usually chooses not to, not too much at least, but the knowledge that he's got the option is comforting
07. romantic relationships of any kind, hook-ups—those which turned into casual friendships, those which ended up messy, maybe something ongoing, no strings attached because one divorce is enough to last him a lifetime. carson's difficult—he doesn't like opening up, plays better short-term because most of the time he doesn't know what he wants anymore.