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“Alright guys, we’re heading out,” Mike said with a wave as he and Chuck got into Mutt. Julie gave a wave back, and the car raced out of the hideout, leaving her and the other two Burners alone. “Do you ever wonder where they go?” Julie asked. “What do you mean?” Dutch asked back, not paying much attention, too busy focusing on beating Texas in the video game the two were playing. “Where Mike and Chuck go. I mean, nearly every week, they get in Mutt and drive off without us. Sometimes they’re gone for hours.” Dutch thought for a moment. “Yeah, I guess I didn’t notice.”The conversation ended there until Texas won, knocking out Dutch’s car. In Texas style, he showboated and rubbed it into Dutch’s face. Dutch sunk down in his seat and crossed his arms. “To answer your question, Julie, I totally know what Mike and Chuck get up to. Texas knows everything.” Julie rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide her smile. “Really? And what are they doing, oh all knowing Texas?”“They’re going on a date. So, care for another beat down Dutch! Hiya!” Texas started back up the video game. “Whoa, whoa, hold up,” Dutch sat up straight. “A date? You think Mike and Chuck are dating?”“Yeah, have been.”Dutch shook his head with a laugh. “Oh, of all the crazy things you say, that’s gotta be the craziest yet.” “Yeah, there’s no way Chuck and Mike are dating,” Julie said, putting a strange emphasis on ‘dating.’ “They’re best friends and it’s not like they act all lovey-dovey around us.” “Secret relationships are always hotter.” “Texas!” Julie shoved him, her cheeks red. “I agree with Julie. Mike and Chuck have been friends since they were kids. They aren’t going off on dates.” Texas leaned closer into Dutch. “Oh yeah, then what ARE they doing?”“Working on Chuck’s car,” Dutch said as a matter of fact. “Since that race with Duke, Chuck’s car has been a total wreck, and even though he won, he was still screaming and freaking out the whole time. Mike’s helping Chuck get over his fears while he’s behind the wheel. Probably Chuck’s fears when Mike’s behind the wheel too.”Texas narrowed his eyes. “Hmmm, nope. No way. Totally dating.”“I figured they were double checking the city’s defenses,” Julie said. “Making sure all the security systems are running, checking for Kane bots, that sort of thing.”Dutch had his doubts. “Without us? Sometimes they are gone nearly all day. It doesn’t take that long.””And working on Chuck’s driving does?” Julie shot back.“It’s a better guess than they’re dating!” Texas threw his arms around both their shoulders. “Oh, Texas has a brilliant idea. Let’s go and find out! See who’s right, which is obviously me, but give you two a chance.”Dutch pushed him off. “You want us to follow them?””Yeah, Texas, that seems a little…stalker-ish.” “So you’re admitting I’m right.” Texas punched the air in victory. ”What!? No! I’m saying when they get back we should ask them," Julie said, but quickly felt her competitive spirit kicking in. She’d never, in a hundred years, admit that Texas was right about something and there is no way he was about this. Yet, something sparked in her to prove Dutch wrong as well, mostly because he had been beating her in video games for the last few weeks. She turned to Dutch with a sly smile. “And when Mike says they were checking defenses, Dutch, you can buy me dinner the next three times we’re at Antonio’s.” “Or when I’m right,” Dutch pointed to himself, looking just as competitive and driven. “You can get me five new paint cans.””You’re on.””Uhhh, and what if I’m right? Which I am.” Texas raised his hand and looked between the two of them.”You’re not.””But if I aaaam, you two have to do my laundry for two…no, three weeks!” Dutch wanted to hurl. Texas’ dirty laundry could shy away rats. It was practically a biotoxin with the stench. Yet, Dutch was confident. If Mike and Chuck were together, they would have shown some sort of sign, some hint. Yes, the two were close, closer than anyone else on the team, but that was because they knew each other for so long. The reason Mike put his arm over Chuck’s shoulder, or why Chuck clung to Mike when he was scared, was because they felt the most comfortable with each other. But not romantically comfortable! Friendship comfortable! ”Fine,” Julie said. “Texas, when I’m right, you get to buy me dessert.” “Yeah, and when I’m right, you gotta find me some scrap metal to paint on.””Deal!” Texas spit in both his hands and offered them to Julie and Dutch. Neither of them shook it, looking disgusted. The three sat in silence, the only sound being the rhythmic ticking of a wall clock.“Sooo, how long until they get back?” Julie asked.Dutch shrugged, “Who knows, last time they were out for like five hours.” Everyone’s eyes shifted to the clock.The three piled into Julie’s car. Too much was on the line to wait and Nine Lives’ cloaking system was their best option. Julie told herself they were just checking in on them, making sure Kane didn’t make a move while they were alone and vulnerable. Which made finding their location and sneaking up to see what they were doing totally okay. It wasn’t hard to find Mike and Chuck, Mutt had a tracker after-all, but Dutch hesitated to turn it on, feeling guilty. Yet, Texas didn’t seem to have a problem muttering something about Dutch taking too long, and turned the tracker on himself. A green blinking light appeared, right over the Burner’s usual test track. All guilt flew out the window. “Ha! See, I’m right. I think I’d like a few new shades of blue, Julie.” “Hold up,” Julie protested, cranking the wheel so Dutch fell into the dash. “We still don’t know what they are doing there. Mike and Chuck might be checking to make sure no one’s been using the track or making sure all the obstacles are still functioning. Like I said they were.” Dutch grumbled, and Texas leaned forward. “Or it’s a make-out session.””TEXAS!” They both yelled. Julie parked at the track and turned off the engine to not make a sound. They all pressed against the windshield to look down into the test rack, knowing they’d be seen if they stepped out of the cloaked car. It took some pushing and shoving, but each got a good view. Mutt raced down the track and came to a sudden stop, slamming on the brakes just below where the three were parked. Chuck was still screaming even after Mike turned the car off. The passenger door burst open and Chuck came flying out. He dropped to his knees and threw up. Mike got out of the car and hurried towards him. Chuck yelled something at Mike, and then promptly threw up again. Mike knelt by his side and put his hand on Chuck’s upper back. Mike was speaking with him, but up in Julie’s car it was hard to hear. Chuck lowered his head as if he was going to be sick again, but kept it down. “See!” Dutch pointed down. “They are doing test runs, getting Chuck accustomed to all the crazy stunts Mike pulls. I was right.” Julie crossed her arms and pouted; Dutch let out a victory laugh.“Don’t know, they’re real close,” Texas pointed out. Mike’s hand had yet to leave Chuck’s back, and the two were still kneeling side by side. “Yeah, cause Chuck’s getting sick. I’d do the same for you if you were puking all over the place!”“Suspicious.” Dutch rolled his eyes. “No, it’s not.”“Wait, look!” Julie shoved Texas out of the way. Down in the track, Mike and Chuck were getting back in the car, having a conversation no one could hear. “They’re leaving! Probably going to check defenses like I said.” Julie revved up the car and gave a distant chase. “Or they’re headed back to the hideout,” Dutch said and Julie tapped her brake so he fell forward. Texas laughed and Julie continued to drive with a proud look on her face. It was hard to follow them. Mutt was weaving in and out of lanes and roads, doing crazy stunts that only Mike was foolish enough to try. At one point, they had to turn the tracker back on to find just where Mike and Chuck went. They spotted Chuck first. He was seated in front of a massive metal tube, which buzzed with electricity. His back was to Nine Lives, but Julie could see he was doing some work in a maintenance panel, pulling on loose wires and reading over various flashing screens.Julie was about to rub it in Dutch’s face when Mike walked dangerously close to the cloaked car towards Chuck. “How’s it going there?” Mike was close enough to hear. Chuck just let out a loud groan in reply. Mike laughed and sat down next to him. Julie could see Mike reach for a wire and Chuck shoo his hand away. “Aren’t those wires part of Motorcity’s communication network?” Julie asked, fully knowing they were. “It would be real hard to fight Kane if those went down. Good thing Mike and Chuck are checking them…right Dutch?” Julie leaned closer to Dutch with a smug smile. He glanced away, pretending not to hear her. Julie just kept leaning in, her smile growing. Dutch threw his hands in the air. “Fine, fine. I’ll be the bigger person. You were right too, Julie.”“Thank you,” she leaned back into her seat. “Well, it looks like Texas is gonna be getting me dessert the next few nights.” Dutch nodded in agreement, already thinking of how big he wanted his scrap meal canvas to be.“Still dating,” Texas said and Dutch groaned. Julie couldn’t help but let out a faint chuckle and smile at Texas’ crazy theories and ideas. She looked back out to Mike and Chuck as Texas and Dutch argued. The two were sitting rather close together; their shoulders touching. But Julie knew that didn’t mean anything. The panel was probably small. Mike most likely wanted a better view, so he sat down very, very close to Chuck. Simple as that. The green screens disappeared and Chuck stood up, stretching. He and Mike walked back to Mutt, chatting. Julie watched them for a moment, entertaining the idea the two were a couple. It would explain a few things, like why Chuck always rode with Mike despite being terrified or why the two always seemed to be standing or sitting near eachother. Julie shook her head, forcing the thoughts away. Mutt drove off. “So, are we heading back?” Dutch asked. “I wanna see where they go next,” Julie said and drove after them. Despite taking a longer than usual route, Mutt pulled into Antonio’s. Mike and Chuck parked and headed inside, out of sight. Julie turned off the engine and exited the car following. “Whoa, whoa, what happened to being too stalker-ish?” Dutch asked. Julie said nothing continuing on. Texas grinned, enjoying himself far too much, and joined her. With a sigh, Dutch did the same.It was easy to sneak into the restaurant through the back. A cook raised an eyebrow at the three crouching past the doors, then shrugged, continuing what he was doing. Julie found a spot behind a booth for the three to hide. She peered over the top, trying to make herself small and unseen. Dutch did the same, but Julie forcefully pushed him down, aware that his hair would be spotted. Texas stood straight up and pointed to where Mike and Chuck were sitting. He opened his mouth to loudly tell the group where they were, but Julie and Dutch managed to wrestle him down before he could. Julie shushed them both and looked over the top again.Mike and Chuck were sitting in the gang’s usual booth across the eatery. Like before, Julie had a clear view, but the noisy restaurant made it hard to hear what they were saying. A server dropped off menus, and Mike gave her a thankful nod. Dutch and Texas asked what was happening, and Julie told them in a whisper. Dutch appeared annoyed and tired. “See, they are just having lunch. Can we leave now?”“Lunch date,” Texas said, but everyone ignored him. Julie sighed. She stopped spying on the two and slid down so she was sitting next to Dutch. She relaxed her head back, looking up at the flickering fluorescent lights. “Do you ever wonder, though?”“About what?”“About Mike and Chuck. They never talk about what happened before…,” she gestured out to Motorcity. “I mean, do you know anything about Chuck’s life back in Deluxe? Anything at all?Dutch thought for a moment. “No, no I don’t.”There was a moment of silence. Then suddenly Texas yelled out his name, standing and pointing towards Mike and Chuck. Dutch tackled him to the ground and covered his mouth. Texas tried to wiggle out of the grasp, but Dutch kept him down, calling him out for making so much noise. Julie peeked over the counter again to see what Texas was yelling about. Her heart nearly stopped from pure shock. Seeing Julie's expression, Dutch looked over as well. His jaw dropped to the floor. Mike’s arm was around Chuck, who was leaning in closer, resting his head on Mike’s chest. Under the table, Chuck’s hand laid on Mike’s leg, and their thighs touched. They weren’t talking, just quietly holding each other. They looked happy. “See, never doubt Texas. Never been wrong. Ever.” Texas puffed out his chest. Dutch and Julie were too shocked to speak. Texas continued to gloat, thinking they were listening. “Maybe…maybe it’s just…,” Dutch tried to think of a reason the two would be half cuddling in a restaurant booth platonically. He couldn’t. He watched the two part only to eat the small appetizers they ordered. Chuck’s cheeks were red the whole time, and it was clear Mike was teasing him or egging him on to make it worse. “Texas was right, I still can’t believe it,”“Maybe not...,” Julie did not sound convinced. “Never been wrong. Not once.”Dutch and Julie continued to ignore Texas, watching their other teammates. Mike paid, and they stood from the booth. Julie and Dutch ducked down quickly before poking their heads back over. Chuck and Mike were holding hands, finger interlocked together.They walked towards Mutt, both smiling and looking at the other. “TEXAS!” he yelled once the couple was out of sight and earshot. Juie shook her head. “Why wouldn’t they tell us? They have to know we’d support them.”“Maybe they didn’t want to be awkward. Dating within the team can make things…weird sometimes,” Dutch said. Julie glanced over at Texas. “If they want it a secret, then we need to respect that. Mike and Chuck will tell us when they are ready. It’s their decision not ours. We can’t let them know, we know.” Julie nodded in agreement. By the time the three returned to the hideout, Mike and Chuck were already back. Julie and Dutch gave each other a silent nod and went up to talk to them. Chuck and Mike were sitting at the bar. A stool noticeably between them. Mike was sipping on a soda while Chuck was working on various screens. Everything normal. “Where have you three been?” Mike casually asked. There was a beat of silence “Oh, you know…around,” Julie’s voice was higher than normal.“Nothing special.” Dutch added with a wide, fake smile. “Yeah, it’s not like we followed you around the city all day, seeing what you were doing,” Texas said, hands on his hips, confident in his sarcasm. Dutch and Julie stared at Mike in horror.For the first time, Mike seemed uncomfortable and tense. “Uh, what now?” Dutch put his elbow around Texas’ neck, half hugging him, half choking him. He forced a very loud laugh. “Ha! Ha! We were following some Kane Bots around! Seeing what they were up to! No big deal. We took care of them.” “Speaking of which,” Julie tried to change the subject and stop Texas from opening his mouth again. “Dutch, weren’t you and Texas going to show me that thing…over there?”Dutch thought for a moment. “Oh! Yes, we were going to show that thing. Come on Texas!” He forcefully dragged Texas away, who protested loudly, until they disappeared from view.“So they know,” Mike said the moment they were gone. Chuck nodded, ears and cheeks burning from embarrassment. It brought a coy smile to Mike’s face. He slid onto the stool next to Chuck. “I’m just surprised it took them this long to figure it out. You’re pretty obvious.”“Me!?” Chuck yelled. Mike gave a playful laugh. “Though, now that they do know, I can do this.” He leaned in and gave Chuck a kiss. Chuck pulled away, somehow more red than before. “Mikey! Not here!”“What?” Mike laughed again. “They know, no need hiding it or waiting till we’re alone.”“Oh! Oh yeah!” Chuck beamed. He leaned in and the two kissed again. Mike’s hand went into Chuck’s hair, deepening the kiss, unafraid. There was a loud crashing sound. Mike and Chuck parted seeing Jacob staring at them, his muffins scattered across the floor and his jaw dropped. “WHAT?”