Tumgik
#but then! Carlos is working out in the backyard and looks across and wait! is that Lando
marjansmarwani · 1 year
Note
Do you have any thoughts/theories about Carlos’ big storyline? Or why Tk looks so concerned or stressed in the released stills? I’m assuming it’s related to whatever is going on with Carlos. And I’m also curious if they’ve filmed the Tarlos wedding yet! They said they want to lead up to it and let us see the prep but could that mean a mid season wedding (ep8-12)? I would love to see them be husbands for a decent amount of episodes at the back end of season 4 and not like just 1 or 2 episodes as I do feel they don’t want to drag it out until the end of the season.
I think they’re going to hold off on the wedding and save it for either mid-season (though their shouldn’t be much of a break, I think) or for the finale. I strongly believe that whatever they plan will be foiled by an emergency of some kind so they’ll end up having a small backyard or ranch wedding instead and if I’m right about that they will probably be waiting for the finale (or premier but I hope not). So they likely haven’t started filming yet if that’s the case, but Ronen posted a picture that could have been taken from a ranch set so I might be wrong.
As for Carlos’s storyline, I can’t shake the feeling it’s going to be work related. Maybe he gets too personally involved in a case, maybe something happens that ends up with him having to face a threat and that’s what has TK worried. Those pictures give me worried TK with Carlos trying to reassure him vibes so I feel pretty okay about this theory.
Then there’s the episode titles.
Tumblr media
The first two are almost certainly whatever disaster starts the season, but the next two I think might be Carlos’s storyline. Maybe he sees a threat no one else does, and they tell him he’s wrong (but he’s almost certainly not). Maybe it’s TK that feels like something’s off and Carlos just writes it off as his fiancé worrying (but TK is right and something happens). It’s episode 4 that has me truly concerned, and my current theory is that whatever someone “cried wolf” about is in fact correct and someone is left alone and in danger. And yes, my money is on Carlos.
Do I have any actual evidence to base any of this on? No, except for the fact that it’s been a while since we got a Carlos work plot line, and I don’t think we’ve ever gotten one that spans across episodes. Which means that it’s high time, and I am very much here to see it happen.
36 notes · View notes
elementalmoments · 2 years
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
These belong together somehow
#Top photo: Hot neighbor seeing college freshman off as a favor to the family#he's from the city the school's in it's no hardship he drives up with Lando and shows him all the best spots so he has a headstart#Does Lando have a crush YEAH but he's shy and closeted and not gonna say anything whatever#but then! Carlos is working out in the backyard and looks across and wait! is that Lando?#he's so grown up! (he worked over summers and interned and stuff and he's probably come home for holidays and stuff#but Carlos travels a good bit for work and missed him so now it's like Lando's senior year and he's a whole adult)#but he's still sweet and still thinks Carlos is funny and they go out for pizza or something at Lando's faborite local place#which Carlos remembered#and they talk about school and Carlos' job and what Lando is going to do after graduation and Lando is like#you should text me next time you're in [city] and we can go for dinner or something so they exchange numbers#and Lando does the dumb little 'hey it's Lando :)' text and then theyre texting all the time at all hours and it gets a little flirty#and Carlos is like am i reading this right?? so he calls and it's the same on the phone too but now he can hear Lando's silly little laugh#and it's easier to picture him if his voice is shaking in the cold or his tone pitches up when Carlos compliments him#and Carlos does come visit - its a work trip really but he volunteered- and he gets to see Lando's dorm and they go out to dinner#and theyre sitting so close their forearms are brushing and Carlos could swear he can hear his own heart beating - or Lando's#and he very quietly says 'I would like to kiss you later' and Lando swallows and looks at him with those huge blue eyes and says#'you can kiss me whenever you want' - which is HUGE and BOLD (and a lie lmao hes not into PDA) but Carlos jist smiles and later#when they're alone he DOES kiss Lando#fic in the tags#f1#sports#carlos x lando#carlos sainz#lando norris#hot neighbor au#shirtless
35 notes · View notes
n0wornever · 3 years
Text
Ghostin’ - Luke Patterson x Reader
can i get something halloween related for Luke ? maybe you work together to spook some kids bc they can’t see him ? she/her pronouns ❤️
Tumblr media
She watched as the boys started to pull out all the tent creation equipment in front of her. She was tasked with watch Carlos and his friends tonight, on Halloween, as they had a sleepover in her Uncle’s backyard. Ray had a halloween party to take photos for, and with Julie away at Flynn’s party and Tia Victoria was at a work event, she was his last chance for a babysitter.
She agreed almost solely because she knew that she could count on the guys being around. After the last Julie and The Phantoms performance and the golden beam of light that saved them, somehow she was able to see and touch them, so she was enjoying their company. Luke appeared next to her, almost as if he had heard her thinking about them.
“Hey you!” 
“Hey.” 
They just looked into each other’s eyes for a moment before Luke started stuttering, trying to start a conversation. She smiled as she watched the hue of his face turn bright red as he talked rapidly. His attention was momentarily taken when his eyes landed on the four boys surrounding the blue tarp on the grass.
“What’s going on out there?” 
She leaned forward, letting her arms rest on her thighs. “Carlos is having a few friends over for Halloween tonight. They are setting up a tent to sleep outside and tell ghost stories,” She mimed a “oooh” in his direction, winning a smile on his end.
“Ghost stories, huh?” 
“Yeah,” She scoffed, giving him a smirk “Can’t believe some kids still believe in ghosts.” 
Luke rolled his eyes, pushing her shoulder back with his hand. She let out a slight giggle at the touch. Luke’s eyes widened, a larger smile plastering across his face as he looked at her. 
Her smile fell “Luke...what are you thinking about...” His gaze landed on the kids again before he met her eyes. 
“What if,” he started, standing up on the stair “We mess with Carlos and his little friends a bit.” 
She frowned up at him, already shaking her head “Hey, I do NOT want to get in trouble with my uncle because of you.”
He plopped back down next her, his shoulder leaning into her. “You, don’t have to get in trouble with anyone. Carlos still can’t see me. “ The grin on his face worrying her. 
“Listen Y/N, I’m not going to scar the kid....just spook him, in celebration of the holiday!” He rose his hands in defense, she couldn’t help but laugh at his half-handed attempt at an explanation.
“And how would you spook him?” She rose an eyebrow at him, trying not to focus on how close their arms were. 
Luke bit his tongue between his teeth quickly, launching into the plan. “We’re going to wait until it gets a bit darker, and they get the tent set up.” He was kneeling at this point, the energy springing into his tiptoes he leaned on. “And while they are telling ghost stories, I’ll ruffle the tent flaps and make other noises that he can here....and bam!”
Y/N smirked at the energy in Luke’s production. She pressed her hand to her chest. “So where do I come in?”
He smiled even bigger “You’re the most important part, when Carlos comes into the kitchen....you’ll walk him outside with a flashlight and explain to him that here’s nothing there...leaving him totally spooked.” 
Luke smiled to himself, huddled in a ball. She shook her head again, letting out a chuckle. “You made that all up on the spot right now?” 
He nodded, moving back to a seated position next to her. She bit down on her bottom lip, thinking about his plan. “I’m in.” She finally said, causing Luke to grab her hands in excitement, and leave her a blushing mess as she looked at him. 
That night, Y/N looked out the kitchen window as the mission began. She watched Luke tiptoe over to the tent. She could only see his messy hair and an outline of his hand, but she knew he had to be grinning ear to ear.
She watched as he began to shake the tent in.between his hands. She watched as Carlos’ flashlight beamed over in his direction. Luke took a pause before going in for the kill again. She saw the movement of the zipper opening and the flashlight beaming to the left and right before Carlos zipped back up the tent.
Luke hovered over the top of the tent, before rocking it back and forth again. This time, the four boys came trailing out, running up to the back door. She fought a smile as she watched Carlos catch his breath.
“Y/N, there’s something...in....the...backyard.”
She widened her eyes in fake shock “What? Carlos honey there’s nothing outside, this neighborhood is extremely safe.” 
Carlos shook his head vigorously, grabbing at her sweatshirt sleeve. “I swear there is, come on.”
She dropped the dish in her hand and followed him outside. She took the flashlight from his hand and moved it left to right, monitoring the entire yard. Her flashlight landed on a giggling Luke, but she moved past him like she saw nothing. 
“See, nothing scary to report. Are you guys sure you want to stay out here? You seem a little...spooked.” 
Carlos gazed at his friends who were already nodding before looking back up at her. “Maybe we could hang out inside for a bit?” 
She nodded, ushering them back in the door. She moved back into the kitchen to make them some popcorn, when Luke appeared on the counter in front of her. He was swinging his legs back and forth as he grinned. 
“Mission accomplished,” She smiled at him
“Couldn’t have done it without my favorite partner-in-crime,” He leaned in, kissing her cheek before poofing out of the room. 
.
.
.
.
Tag list: @xplrreylo, @lovesanimals, @anythingandeverythingfandom, @crybabyddl, @oswin05, @joshy-obx, @lukeys-giggle, @bumbleberry-pie @kiss-themoongoodbye, @anythingandeverythingfandoms, @marinettepotterandplagg, @lolychu, @bathtimejish, @dasexydevitt13@musicconversedance ,@txrii, @bestdressedandstressed, @daisiesforlacey​ @carleywhittaker @epikskool
260 notes · View notes
corvus--rex · 3 years
Text
Another one that's been put down for a nap. I actually have the four planned chapters outlined, it just takes a particular head space to write. It's a 90's au, which means that there is period-typical homophobia involved. Our boys are musicians still in the town they grew up in. Note: they both smoke (I'm sorry), and there's a brief mention of underage sex (both are high school seniors).
@jilli-bean, this is more of the au my paragraph came from. I remembered you asked if I would tag you when I wrote more of it. Here it is so far!
~*~*~*~
~~*~~ present day – June, 1997 ~~*~~
“So, like, I guess he’s gay or whatever. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just, like, y’know?”
The voice belonged to a girl in a sundress talking to her two friends while walking by. Keith stayed where he was leaning against the side of the building and flicked the ash off the end of his cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke in a sigh. Saying “there’s nothing wrong with that” was just the same as saying “no offense” and then being offensive. He’d lost patience for that phrase a long time ago. But even as done with it as he was, it was still better than getting kicked out of his last foster home three weeks before his eighteenth birthday after being outed by the family’s biological son.
The boys were the same age, and Keith’s foster brother Wyatt was upset at the time for Keith having better grades and, more importantly, attracting the attention of the girl Wyatt had a crush on. The ensuing fight over the girl led to Keith confessing his sexuality, and petty jealousy led to Wyatt telling his parents. His social worker was a godsend, and after a conversation with his best friend’s parents, Keith found himself moving in with them that night. The guest room became his permanently after that. He’d moved out into his own apartment with his best friend Lance McClain-Sandoval when he started college, but the McClain-Sandovals were one of the closest things to a real family he’d ever known. That first night felt like coming home for a second time, and the midnight conversation they had while lying on Lance’s bedroom floor would be forever burned into memory.
~~*~~ October, 1991 ~~*~~
They were supposed to be in bed already. The next day was a school day and both boys knew that Mariana would have their asses if she knew they were still up, but they didn’t care. Lance knew how bad Keith’s foster family was and had nearly crushed his mother in a hug when she got off the phone with Keith’s social worker. He had been the one to pick Keith up from his social worker’s office. And he’d been the one to drive to the Jacksons’ house with him to retrieve everything Keith had left behind. They found it all boxed up on the front step with a note reminding him that they just couldn’t have “someone like him” in their home and around their children. Keith, and Lance, took great pleasure in watching that note go up in flames in the fire pit in Lance’s backyard.
Keith had been fostered in the same large town of Arus for the last three years, and he and Lance had been friends since the first day Keith transferred to Arus High School only two months after the beginning of their freshman year. They had come out to each other in the summer after sophomore year, both relieved that they wouldn’t lose their best friend. They were even more relieved when Lance’s parents Mariana and Diego told the boys that they would love them both no matter what, and that it was no one’s business who they loved. Now it was only one month into their senior year and life was changing again.
“Tomorrow’s gonna suck,” Keith sighed.
“Yeah, it probably will. Wyatt’s an asshole and he’ll tell everyone. Probably starting with what’s-her-tits and blowing any chance he has with her,” Lance agreed.
Keith couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up. “Michelle? Yeah, little fucker never had a chance with her to begin with. She’s been banging Chris Proctor all summer. Won’t shut the fuck up about it, even when she’s hitting on me.”
That made Lance roll to face his best friend. “Wait, seriously? I thought she hated him. Something about basketball players not being as good as football players.”
Keith rolled onto his side. “Yeah, that’s what I’d heard, but I guess she doesn’t hate his dick.”
Lance snorted, but when he saw how the strings of fairy lights lit Keith’s face and the sparkle of laughter in his deep violet eyes, his breath caught. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew it was a bad idea. It had been only hours since Keith was kicked out of the Jackson house, and this wasn’t some summer sleepover spent fantasizing about the future. The crush he’d been nursing for his best friend burst into full bloom, and he couldn’t stop himself.
Noticing the change, Keith’s brows furrowed. “Lance? What? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head, “You’re beautiful, y’know that? I’ve been wanting to tell you that for so long.”
Keith’s expression softened. Lance confessing to feeling something more than just being best friends made a warmth settle into his bones. He’d thought his own crush would go unrequited forever and had begun to adjust into the idea that they would remain best friends and nothing more. Lance had just given him hope, and he wasn’t going to let the moment pass.
“Yeah? So are you. I thought I wouldn’t ever get to say it. But if we’re confessing…”
Impulse overrode higher thought, and Lance found himself inches away Keith’s face before he realized what happened. “Can I?” he asked in a soft whisper.
“Whenever you want,” Keith answered just as quietly.
Their first kiss was soft, gentle. It carried the relief of finally knowing how the other felt, and the promise of exploring those feelings. It was hesitant, nervous. It felt as though they were both worried that it was nothing more than a dream and that they’d wake up sore from falling asleep on Lance’s bedroom floor. But the very physical sensation of touch – Lance’s fingers threaded through soft black hair, the light touch of his thumb across high cheekbones, Keith’s hand sliding up soft t-shirt fabric, gripping the lean, compact muscle – it reminded them that they were very much awake, and that their kiss was very much real. When they separated, Lance pulled them back down, Keith nuzzling into his neck.
“I never thought kissing my best friend was something I’d ever do,” Lance said, basking in the afterglow of their kiss and the feeling of Keith in his arms.
“Mm, maybe not, but what about a boyfriend?” Keith asked, delicate fingertips tracing patterns into the t-shirt he had been holding so desperately only moments before.
“Yeah, I could get used to that.”
~~*~~ present day – June, 1997 ~~*~~
Keith was so lost in the memory of his first kiss with Lance he didn’t notice he was no longer alone until there was an arm on his shoulder and the cigarette was gone from his hand. He startled, then realized it was Lance. Keith was well aware how much Lance loved his leather jacket rocker look. It went well with the core of his music taste – a little punk, a little grunge, a splash of metal, a healthy dose of rock. He didn’t look it, but Lance’s tastes ran pretty much the same; it was one of the things they became friends over. But as much as Lance loved Keith’s daily wardrobe, Keith loved Lance’s more casual outfits, almost always topped off with the denim jacket whose back panel he had painted with a dragon and phoenix before gifting it to his boyfriend for his 18th birthday.
“Fucking hell, don’t do that!” he hissed. “Also, excuse you, that was mine.”
Lance just laughed through the smoke. “What, you worried about germs? We do a lot more than just swap spit, babe.”
Keith heaved a sigh, shaking his head at his boyfriend. “Yeah. I know that, and you know that, but I don’t think all of Arus needs to know that.”
“I’m pretty sure they’ve figured it out by now. I’m not exactly subtle, and almost the whole town knows about you after senior year of high school.”
“Fuck I still hate that asswipe. Ok, I’m done talking about him. You, me, Mario Kart, and the six-pack in the fridge.”
Lance crushed the cigarette butt under his sneaker. “Ooh, Mario Kart and pizza night. I still need to beat your ass at Rainbow Road.”
“Not gonna happen,” Keith threw over his shoulder as he walked away. He took off running when Lance gave chase, barely beating him to the truck.
As much as Keith’s true passions lay in art and music, he was also a skilled mechanic thanks to his foster father Carlos. He’d been with the Villalobos family for two years before a family emergency meant that they had to leave California for their parents’ native Mexico. If there was any other family that had felt like home, it was theirs. Carlos and Pilar treated him like one of their own children, and Keith got along with Daniela and Alejandro (Alex to his friends) like real siblings. They were back in California now, and he’d been able to reconnect with them and fill them in on what had happened with the Jacksons and how it had ended well despite them. After hearing about what had happened after they left, Carlos and Pilar had immediately called Lance’s parents, and now the two couples were good friends, the Villalobos slipping seamlessly back into Keith's life.
Keith had worked his way through college, and kept him working currently, thanks to the skills Carlos taught him. It was also those skills that got him his second most prized possession, the first being his his guitars. Keith had been working when the truck’s first and only owner brought it in on the back of a tow truck. He had bought it new, but the transmission on the ’94 Toyota Pickup blew out, and it wasn’t worth fixing. Keith said that it was a total waste of an otherwise solid pickup, and the owner told him that he could keep it if he promised to fully repair it. Six months of working on it in his spare time, and Keith had a rebuilt transmission and a fully working Garnet Red Pearl, extended cab Toyota Pickup.
~*~*~*~
Links to the rest of the series:
1 | 2 | 3* | 4 | 5* | 6* | 7 | 8 | 9* | 10 | 11 | 12* | 13 | 14 | 15* | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19*
13 notes · View notes
jatphantomsimagines · 3 years
Text
Before Us (2) | Luke Patterson
Tumblr media
Synopsis: In 1995, Sunset Curve was set to play The Orpheum. 25 years later they wake up in a whole new world and Luke finds somebody he once used to know.
Authors Note: I apologize ahead of time because this chapter is mainly filler, just gotta move the story along (and also show y’all Julie + Riley’s friendship)
PREVIOUS | NEXT
__/—–\__
All night long all Riley could think about was how quiet Julie had been at school after her crying session in the hallway. She was worried, so she decided upon waking up that she would head over to Julie’s house and walk with her to school. 
She had made it quickly, her thoughts clouded with the music that flooded through her headphones. They were old recordings she had found of her mom’s music, having moved them to her computer and changing them to a playable format. It was comfortable for her to be able to hear her mom, being able to sing along with her. Every so often there would be a duet, a boy's voice chiming in and singing along. 
Riley wasn’t sure who it was, not knowing much about her mom’s past besides what her dad had told her. This mystery man sang in Riley’s ears, her nerves calming and easing her anxieties about walking into Julie’s house unannounced. 
Walking up to the house, she could hear something coming from the backyard and she removed one of her headphones. Riley made her way down the stairs to Julie’s garage, heading over to the doors she could hear the familiar sound of piano chords being played and Julie’s voice ringing out through the open air. She echoed, energy seeming to buzz around Riley causing the hair on her arms to stand up. 
Tears came into her eyes and before she could stop herself she was running over and pushing the door open and looking Julie dead on. The girl continued singing, a smile lighting up her face and their gazes meeting. Julie finished singing and called the girl over, Riley joining the girl on the piano bench. The feeling was familiar, having been in this position so many times throughout their childhood. 
As Julie was about to speak up, both their attentions were brought over to the door where Flynn was storming in. 
“Carlos told me you’d be out here.” The two stared her down, waiting for her to continue. “The three of us need to talk.” 
“Are you okay?” Julie asked, Riley motioning for the girl to come closer to the piano, genuine worry flitting across her face. 
“No, I’m not okay Julie. You just got kicked out of music! I’ve been up all night thinking about what I was going to say. Might’ve drank seven sodas, but I need to get this out.” 
Riley couldn’t help but giggle, piping up quietly. “I thought that was how you spent most nights.” 
Flynn turned to look at the girl, rolling her eyes the same way Julie did when she was teased. Riley knew that the girls loved her antics, and even if they got annoyed sometimes they wouldn’t hesitate to be the first people to fight for her. 
“Look Julie, you can’t give up music. And Riley agrees.” Riley shook her head, looking very serious as Flynn motioned to her. “Your music is like a gift so that would be a tragedy. So, you’re basically cancelling Christmas, and I love Christmas.”
“May I add, I also love Christmas.” Julie couldn’t help but laugh at that comment, Flynn continuing on her rant without even batting an eyelash.
“When we were six we all promised to be in a band together. The Triple Threat.”
“I never agreed to that name.” Julie piped up. 
“Yeah well Riley did and that’s two versus one, anyways! Jules, if you leave the music program the three of us will be apart forever. That’s just what happens.” She joined the other two on the bench and Riley reached around Julie so she could rub Flynn’s back lightly. She knew that the other girl was over exaggerating but her worries were still valid and Riley wanted to ease them. 
“Sure we’ll see each other in the hall sometime, but we’ll have different lives, make new friends.”
“That’s not true. Can I please talk now?” Julie pleaded with the other girl and Flynn finally relented. “I just played the piano and sang again.”
A look of shook covered Flynn’s face and she laughed, looking between the two girls in disbelief. Riley nodded, still not quite believing it herself that her best friend was playing music again. 
“What? Why didn’t you just say so?”
“Well she would've had you not barged in and let your seven soda’s kick in.” Riley pointed out. 
“I’m so happy for you! And us!” She quickly grabbed Riley’s hand and squealed. “Look at you, looking all, I don’t know, alive again!”
“What made you play again?” Riley asked, bumping her shoulder gently about Julie’s. She was curious, wondering if Julie had managed to work through her grief during the night. 
“I found this song my mom wrote me.” She paused showing the two girls the song on the piano. Riley read it over and felt her heart clench. The song was all about moving on and moving forward, exactly what Julie needed right now. She hugged the girl tightly, still holding Flynn’s hand and giving it a squeeze. 
“I was so afraid to play it. Anything involving music reminds me of her. And then I woke up this morning, realizing that’s why I should play it. To keep her memory alive.” Flynn awed slightly and moved closer, wrapping herself around Julie’s other side and joining the group hug. Flynn gasped, pulling away quickly and speaking. 
“We need to tell Mrs. Harrison you can play so you can stay in school and our lives won’t be the awful pictures I just painted for you.” Riley laughed, standing up and dragging both girls with her. They made their way out of the garage together, Julie stopping to close the door behind herself. 
“Oh hey.” Julie speaking caused both Flynn and Riley to turn around and face the girl. Riley raised an eyebrow as Julie stared at the empty space next to her and Flynn coughed. She turned to look at the girls, realizing they were still there. “Let’s hustle.” 
And with that Julie was ushering the two girls off and on their way to school. The three of them huddled together laughing and talking about how they were going to convince Mrs. Harrison to let Julie stay in the music program. 
The easiest decision the three of them could come up with was to let Julie perform in front of her, hoping that Julie’s “killer voice and pure talent” would blow her away, Flynn’s words. Riley agreed, piping in that once Mrs. Harrison heard Julie again she would let her back into the program. 
Time seemed to pass by quickly as the three of them talked and talked, laughing away at each other’s stupid okes and making silly quips here and there. The energy around the three of them was comfortable, a relaxing presence that brought all of them some peace. 
“Do you think she’ll really let me back in?” Julie asked as the three girls walked up and into the school. 
“She has too, you’re too good to let go.” Riley answered. 
`
“Believe me, I think it’s wonderful that you sang again. I prayed for this moment for almost a year. But it’s too late.” Mrs. Harrison gave the girls an apologetic look and Riley felt her shoulders slump. There was no way it could end like this. She hadn’t even given Julie an actual chance to prove herself. 
“But what if you just hear her play, you know she’s amazing.” Riley pleaded. Mrs. Harrison shook her head. 
“It wouldn’t matter. A new student starts tomorrow. There’s only--” 
“So many spots.” Julie finished, knowing the line by now. “And if I don’t participate, I’m out. I know.” 
“I did everything I could to keep you here this year, but Principal Lessa was very clear that yesterday was your last chance. You’ll have to reapply next semester.” The bell rang as Mrs. Harrison finished explaining the situation to the girls and Riley couldn’t help but feel as if they had lost one of the most important battles of their lives. 
They had worked so hard, she had seen the progress Julie had made, had even heard her sing alone that morning. The sound of Julie finally letting go of all the pent up emotions she had been harboring and pouring them out into the best version of themselves. 
“I’m truly sorry.” She finished. Students began to file in for the next class and Riley led the girls out of the room, Flynn slinging her arm around Julie’s shoulders, trying to offer some comfort from the situation. 
The girls looked between each other and Riley sighed, the familiar action of her hands sliding into her pockets offering her some minor comfort. The jacket she wore belonged to her mother, something she had seen her wearing many times in photos of her own youth, and while Julie played music to stay connected to her mother, Riley went through her things and wore her clothes. 
“This sucks.” She kicked her toe into the ground, rubbing her shoe until a small sprout of pain surfaced. A frown stayed placed on her lips, Julie looking up at her and taking her hand in her own. 
“It’s going to be okay, I’ll get in next semester.”
“But you’re playing music now! You should be allowed to have the tools and training that we do, who cares if you needed some time.” Riley groaned and gripped her hair in hands. Julie ran over quickly, recognizing the action as a stress habit the other had developed after being in the car accident that killed her mother.  
“Riley, breathe.” Julie led the breaths, placing a hand on Riley’s diaphragm, just as her mother had done when the girl would have panic attacks at their home. After a few moments of breathing, Riley calmed down and the urge to pull at herself went away. 
“Thank you, mi cielo.”
-
Before Us Tags:
@vicesvsvirtuesfanfic​ @dpaccione​ @ashleyleblancx​
112 notes · View notes
arsonistslut · 3 years
Text
Suddenly...Liu woke up. His face didn't feel like it was burning anymore, and the sunshine that flowed into his room was starkly different from the darkness of the room he was just attacked in. It wasn't just that, though, everything around him seemed to be in a sort of dreamy haze. He was about to stand when his brother burst in the room. Liu nearly jumped out of his skin, quickly realizing that the scars that riddled Jeff's body before were totally gone. Was everything from before just a dream?
"Wake up, bro! You're gonna be late for school!"
All he could do was just stare at Jeff, confusion riddling his face.
"You alright, man?"
"..Y-Yeah, I'm fine!"
Liu rushed out of his bed and began preparing for school as his brother waited downstairs, rushing down as well once he was ready and walking into the kitchen, expecting the same wordless room where his parents usually were in the morning. Carla looked over at her son and smiled as she ruffled his hair.
"Good morning, you two!"
"Mornin' mama!"
Liu thought something was deeply wrong. His brother was never this jovial, and their parents barely ever talked to them in the slightest, and that was for 15 years! Was..was that all a bad dream? Was all that Sully shit a bad dream, was Jeff getting set on fire a bad dream? When him and his brother got to the school bus, Jeff sat next to one of the other kids, and Natalie sat next to Liu.
"Hi, handsome!~"
"Hey, Nat! How are you?"
Liu was thankful that at least she didn't change.
"I'm doing really well, my dad's recently gotten arrested, so now I'm living with my grandma, she's a sweetheart!"
"O-Oh, that's great!"
"Hey, did you hear about Jeff's new girlfriend?"
"No, he never told me! What's her name?"
"Cassie! I'm gonna be honest, those two are the cutest. They're such sweethearts, they're practically made for each other!"
"That's wonderful!"
Liu then looked outside the window..he couldn't help but wonder how he'd just realized this, but it was such a beautiful day outside! The birds were singing, the flowers were blooming, days like this came practically once every century in New Orleans. Maybe everything from before really was just a bad dream.
A delighted giggle came from Sully as he watched Liu go about his day in the world he'd so carefully crafted for him in his head.
"Finally safe..safe from the horrors that would taint your pure soul."
Nina boredly flipped through the late night channels, sighing as she wasn't able to find anything that interested her. It was far past her bedtime, and her eyelids were getting heavy, so when a particularly eye-catching news report showed up, it grabbed her attention right away.
"And now, we turn to New Orleans, which has been the site of a brutal massacre tonight, as 7 people have been recently found brutally murdered over the course of an hour. Police are not releasing any names of the victims, but they have apprehended a suspect who they believe is the killer, 17 year old Jeffrey Woods was recently arrested after having set the house of Bruce and Aurora Arkansas on fire. The lone survivors of this horrible night are reportedly one individual, along with the daughter of Bruce and Aurora. Liu Woods, Jeffrey's brother, has gone missing, if you have any information regarding where he may be, please contact the police. We do have footage of Jeffrey's arrest, but be warned, it may disturb some viewers."
The TV then showed footage of a group of police officers surround a pale teenager, his whole body caked in blood. Jeffrey shrugged and laid his knife down on the ground, placing his hands behind his head and allowing the police to arrest him. As he was led to the back of a cruiser, Jeff looked into the camera.
"You win some, you lose some, I guess."
The TV then cut back to the clearly shaken reporter.
"We'll provide more information as it comes to us. IN other news.."
Nina shut her TV off, a wide smile growing on her face. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but she related to Jeff. What was keeping someone like her from going on a rampage like that...? Snatching her laptop off her desk, Nina quickly logged onto 4-Chan and started a thread. She pondered over what to call it, then typed in an adequate name.
"Jeff's Killers."
Chapter 19: "Nothing but pure evil"
"Jeffrey..do you feel even the slightest bit of guilt for your actions?"
Woods had shown no shame throughout his trial. No guilt or remorse for his actions. He sure as shit wanted to, but when the judge asked him that question, he couldn't restrain the smile that came to his face as he remembered how good it felt to plunge his knife into his father's head, how good it felt to snap Troy's neck, how good it felt to drop that match. Besides, wasn't Zalgo right? This was going to keep happening until he died.
"I don't. They all deserved what they got. Besides, I didn't have any other choice."
Silence followed his words. Some gasped, some began to sob, some just laughed in amazement, but most of the courthouse was silent.
"Jeffrey Woods..you are nothing but pure evil. This court finds you guilty of all charges, and sentences you to death."
The judge forced back tears and pointed toward the door.
"Get him out of here.."
Woods was led away by a pair of policemen, and the courtroom cheered as he was led away.
"And then, my sentence got reduced to life in prison, and now..here we are, doctor."
"I see.."
Dr. Oborn wrote down more notes in his clipboard, before looking back up at his patient.
"Doc..can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, Jeffrey."
"...Was that judge right? A-Am I just..evil?"
"While murder is a horrific crime, and many people do seem to see you as nothing more than a psycho who killed for fun, I've spoken with you for over a year now, and I don't believe you to be evil. After what you've told me, I now know that your condition was likely caused by the trauma you referred to earlier."
"..Doc, I.."
Jeff let out a burst of relieved laughter, almost tearing up from joy at the doctor's words.
"You h-have no fuckin' clue how much that means to me! I..I thought I was a lost cause for the longest time..I-I mean, people don't feel happy when they kill someone, y'know?"
"You're not a lost cause, by any means. We've made incredible progress today, and I believe that you will be able to comfortably integrate back into society soon enough. Although, I am confused by one thing."
"What?"
"..How did you know about the things that happened after your hospitalization?"
"Zalgo showed me."
"Zalgo? Who is that?"
"Zalgo is the reason I believe in the afterlife. Apparently, it's a medical miracle I even survived the incident at the party, let alone heal so quickly that my body's now one big lump of scar tissue. Zalgo helped me to survive."
"This is the first time you've mentioned this.."
"Demon."
"Demon to me. You have previously stated your beliefs in Leveyan Satanism, so is this a sort of..representation of the devil?"
"No, the devil isn't real. Zalgo is. Look, can we t-talk about something else?"
Dr. Oborn placed one of his hands on Jeffrey's shoulder, growing concerned due to his growing..worry, almost.
"Is everything alright, son?"
"I...didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
"Nightmares, again?"
"No, I saw things, doctor..I've seen how this world will end."
"You've seen the apocalypse, you say?"
Jeffrey then just shook his head, something he feared he would do suddenly worming it's way into his brain unannounced.
"Jeff..are you having intrusive thoughts?"
"I..I don't want to hurt you, you don't deserve it.."
"Nothing will happen to me, son. I'll be just fine!"
"You..you sure?"
"I'm positive."
"Thank you, doctor.."
"Of course-"
Dr. Oborn was pleasantly surprised when Jeff reached across the table and hugged him, but didn't hesitate in hugging his patient back.
Chapter 20: A new terror
"Listen, man, I know what I saw! Some lanky motherfucker was running around my backyard, and wearing a white hoodie! They didn't catch Jeff The Killer, he's still fucking running-"
Carlos Kennedy changed the channel of his radio, confused as to how someone could genuinely believe that it was a good idea to log onto a radio show, ramble about how you believed a convicted killer was still able to run around your backyard, and think you'll be taken seriously. His attention to that was quickly interrupted by seeing a person lying near the road, face down. The good Samaritan quickly stopped his car and got out, rushing over to the seemingly unconscious person that was lying in a ditch.
"Hello?! A-Are you-"
A knife to Carlos's throat quickly cut him off, blood spraying out of his wound. The girl who stabbed him lifted his corpse off the decoy, a teenager in a white hoodie and a somewhat poorly made, but nonetheless effectively scary Jeff The Killer mask.
"Good work, Jethro."
"All I did was sit here, but thanks, Nina."
This was the first recorded murder committed by Jeff's Killers, after a year of just being a bunch of teenagers hanging out in an abandoned house where a bunch of patricide took place.
13 notes · View notes
youllneverknowrac · 4 years
Text
Oscar Diaz-Lockdown
(MBS)
“Anthony, mijo you are ten years old. You should know this multiplication shit by now.” You hear Oscar say as he sits in the dining room with both school age boys and Junior who had his own work to get done. Angel sitting at the table as well as he pretends to do school work by coloring,”Do the problem again and actually show your work.”
You guys have been stuck in the house for three weeks now due to the virus, the only person that was able to leave being Oscar since he still had to go to work. Thankfully it was Friday afternoon so that meant he was at home and could take over the role of teacher. It was fun being able to teach your kids at first, but after three days you wanted to pull your hair out. Carlos and Anthony, your two sweet boys, hated anything to do with school and put little to no effort. The only good thing that came out of this virus was that your oldest son was now home, his campus closing down for the time being. Even though you were glad he was back, you couldn’t wait for things to go back to normal. You were going a bit stir crazy and needed time to yourself. But alas the mommy role was a never ending one.
“I have snacks.” You smile, coming in with a tray of finger sandwiches you made and a bowl of chips. Oscar has been at it for the last hour with them and you figured they could use a break.
“Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Give me.” Angel says and drop his crayons excitedly, Carlos and Anthony sighing in relief that you came to the rescue.
“Say please.” You remind as you set the items down
“Please mommy.” He says and holds his hand out
“Good boy.” You smile and pass him one of the smaller cut sandwiches, letting the boys eat while you go check on Alexander who sat in his pack n play in the living room.
“Hi fat boy.” You coo at him, making him giggle as he wobbles to pull him self up,”Do you want to come with mommy?” You ask, picking him up and giving him a kiss,”My happy baby, yes you are.”
“I will switch right now.” Oscar says from behind you,”I’ll take the baby, you take them.”
“Hmmm let me think.” You smile as you turn around, Alexander snuggling into you chest,”No.”
“Mami please.” Oscar begs,”I love our kids, but they are going to make me jump through the fucking window.”
“How do you think I feel? I’m here 24/7.” You say,”With ALL of them. At least I offered to watch the baby while you help them with their work.”
“Fine, but if I start yelling and shit starts getting thrown you can’t blame me.” He groans
“If you yell at any of my baby’s.” You start, setting Alex down on the floor to scoot around,”You’ll be sleeping on the couch tonight.” You finish, wrapping your arms around your grumpy husband,”So you better take a few deep breaths and remember that you asked for this life. You put those kids in my stomach so you can’t get frustrated with them when times are hard.”
Oscar sighs and looks up at the ceiling in thought before meeting your gaze,”I’ll try my hardest to not go crazy.”
“Good.” You smile and pucker your lips, Oscar rolling his eyes before pressing his own against them,”Love you, now get back in there.”
“Yeah, yeah, love you too.” He mutters, turning around and heading back to the dining room. You can’t help but laugh as he sulks, sitting down on the floor with Alex while you pass the time by watching one of your shows.
~
“Mommy! I’m done with my work.” Angel says about half a hour later causing you to exit out of the program, no way you would be able to pay attention now.
“Oh yeah? Let me see.” You smile and take the page from him, the once white paper now filled with random color scribbles everywhere,”Good job baby, it’s so good. What color is this?” You ask him as you point to a green line that he drew.
“Um green. Like the grass.” He answers with a smile,”I’m a smart boy mommy.”
“The smartest.” You say and set the paper down on the coffee table, letting him sit across from you. Alexander sitting a few feet away while he plays with some toys.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Can we go to the park?”
“No, you know we can’t Angel.” You sigh,”Why don’t we go play in the backyard?”
“Backyard is boring.” He says with a shake of his head,”I wanna go to the park. Park!” He yells his mood instantly changing as he grabs one of the toys that laid near him,”Park, park, park!” He repeats angrily as he cries, the toy flying across the room.
“Go to timeout, you don’t throw things.” You say and stand up, grabbing his arm and helping him up to his feet, Angel trying to pull away with all his might,”Now.” You say more sternly
“Let me go.” He screams,”Play at the playground!”
“Angel, stop.” You sigh before your husband swoops in and picks the toddler up, holding him at arms length.
“A quien le gritas?” He asks,”Are you screaming at mommy? You are a kid and you do what she says, no questions. So go get in timeout now.” Oscar says as he sets him back down, his little feet taking off to the corner and facing the wall,”Stop crying, o te daré algo para que llores.” He warns, all noise ceasing from Angel.
“Thanks.” You say not meeting his gaze, you knew the kids needed discipline, but that was the area you failed in when it came to parenting. Oscar was usually the punisher which is why the kids never questioned his authority,”I feel like we’re all gonna snap any day now.” You admit, running your fingers through your hair messily.
“Yeah, but he still needs to listen and he can’t be popping off like that.” Oscar shrugs,”Even before all this lockdown bullshit started he always threw a fit when he couldn’t get his way. I’m tired of it, you need to stop babying him.”
“I don’t baby him.” You lie with a shake of your head. It was true, he was probably the one you babied the most out of all of the kids. Even when his brothers were his age you didn’t have to treat them like you do Angel.
“So you don’t carry him around on your hip all the time? You don’t let him sleep in our bed still? You don’t pick up every single thing after him? You don’t...” Oscar continues before you cut him off.
“Alright so maybe I do just a little.” You say, glancing back at him,”I don’t know why I do it, maybe it’s cause he has a different personality than the boys did. He lets me baby him. He can claim big boy status all he wants but he loves being my baby. I know I need to stop but it’s just so hard.” You groan, resting your head forward on Oscar’s chest, letting him embrace you.
“I like when you baby me too mami.” He chuckles softly,”But there has to be a limit.”
“You’re right.” You sigh and pull away,”Can I start tomorrow though? I just wanna cuddle him right now.” You admit, Oscar playfully rolling his eyes and not even bothering to respond before going back to the other kids.
You walk over to the sulking boy and pick him up,”I’m sorry mommy.” He sniffles and rest his head on your shoulder as you hold him,”I hate inside.”
“I know baby, me too.” You smile sadly and press a kiss to his forehead,”Are you going to be a good boy now?”
“Yes. No more timeout pwease.” He begs, even though he wasn’t even there for more than two minutes,”I’ll be a good, good, good boy.”
“Works for me...How about we build a fort? A huge one?” You ask him excitedly,”It’ll be so much fun.”
“Yeah!” He cheers,”Come on! We need to get blankies.”
“Go get the ones from my room, I’ll stay in here with Alex.”
“You got it.” He laughs before running down the hall and disappearing. You grin happily and go over to pick up the baby, heading to the dining room to ‘let school out.’
“Enough work, come help me and Angel build a fort.” You say, Anthony and Carlos darting up and racing to the living room,”You guys too.”
“Sure, why not?” Junior shrugs as he closes his laptop and goes to join his brothers.
“Come on.” You grin and hold your free hand out for your husband.
“I’m coming.” He reply’s, nonetheless taking your hand in his. The two of you joining the rest of the household for some quarantine fun.
~
“I know they are a lot to handle, but I think we would be bored if we didn’t have all of them in here with us.” You whisper to Oscar, all five of your kids spread out around you and fast asleep in the makeshift bed. After building the fort you guys spent the rest of the inside of it watching movies and eating junk food. Each kid falling asleep one by one until it was just the two of you awake.
“Yeah, I thought about that too.” He yawns,”We’re pretty lucky. Even luckier if you finally gave me my babygirl.”
“Stop.” You whine, Oscar bringing up this conversation at least twice a week,”We don’t need another kid. Are the five we have not enough?”
“They are enough, but I wouldn’t mind one more.” He chuckles
“That’s easy for you to say when you’re not the one carrying a whole human for nine months and then pushing said human out.” You remind him,”Besides what if it’s another boy? Are you still going to want to try again after?”
“If it’s a boy then it’s a boy.” He shrugs,”I know it’s going to be a girl though.”
“You said that about Alex.” You laugh,”And he’s most definitely not a girl.”
“Oh my god, just have another baby. Who cares?” Junior groans from somewhere in the fort,”I’m trying to sleep.”
“Aye, callate la boca.” Oscar says amusingly,”Don’t be listening to our conversation fool.”
“Kind of hard to do when your two feet away from me.” Junior retorts, turning on his side as he try’s to fall back asleep.
“We’ll talk about this tomorrow, but the answer is still going to be no.” You say to Oscar,”Now go to sleep, you have a class tomorrow morning Mr.Diaz.”
“Nah, I’m going to play hookie. One day isn’t going to kill them.” He chuckles,”Lets go for a drive or something, we don’t have to get out of the car. We could just drive along the beach.”
“That actually sounds fun. Let’s do it.” He agrees.
“Awesome.” You grin excitedly,”I cant wait, we all need to get out for a while.”
Oscar hums in response, lightly rubbing his eyes tiredly,”Night mi amor.” He says moments later
“Good night.” You reply, kissing his cheek before letting your eyes close. Angel’s foot digging into your back, but you didn’t care. You were too tired to move him. Each day since being in lockdown making you more and more exhausted, but it was okay. Being trapped in the house with the people you love most is way better than being stuck all alone.
293 notes · View notes
howtosingit · 4 years
Text
Fic: An Open Heart is an Open Wound to You
Days after the solar storm, Carlos and TK spend another night under the stars.
Basically, a re-do of the 1x02 disaster dinner, taking place just after 1x10.
4.1K | Also on AO3
——————
Carlos can’t help but to let out a deep sigh as soon as he steps foot into his apartment. There’s a stillness to the space, a quiet that comforts him. It’s been so hard for him to find that kind of peace in the past two weeks; between the shooting, the lack of sleep from the fallout of the shooting, the solar storm, and the additional work following the solar storm, he feels like he hasn’t had a moment alone to catch his breath. It’s making him feel off-balance, like he hasn’t been able to fully adjust to everything going on around him.
So, he takes a shower, and it helps. He can feel waves of tension flowing off him as he stands under the hot water. He breathes deeply, taking in the heat, cleansing his lungs. He massages his eyelids, his neck and shoulders, his arms, driving away the tightness that he’s felt building. It’s relaxing, and he stays under the shower head much longer than he planned to, swaying in and out of full consciousness. 
What feels like an hour later, he returns to his kitchen, opening the fridge to see what he can pull together to eat. He’s much calmer than before, but there’s still something off about his apartment. He looks around the room, trying to spot what might be making him feel on-edge, but nothing looks out of place. He can’t pinpoint what it is, but he feels like something’s missing. 
He’s staring off into space, brows furrowed in thought, when his phone buzzes on the counter next to him. The name on the screen brings a sudden smile to his face, one that drives his current concerns to the back of his mind.
Wanna come over?
His eyebrows raise slightly in surprise; in the many months that he has known TK, the man has never invited him over to his place. Sure, their moment on top of his Camaro only two nights ago seemed to imply that they might be moving in a different direction, but still... This feels big, in a way, and Carlos is ashamed to admit it, but he didn’t think TK would be taking big swings this soon. 
His delay in responding becomes obvious when his phone buzzes again in his hand.
I miss you.
His eyebrows raise even higher, this time accompanied by a soft smile. It’s not that TK has been constantly emotionally distant, but he’s not usually this forthcoming either, especially through text. Carlos huffs out a laugh, thinking about how it’s only been a couple of days since they had some alone time, but how much he has also missed his… whatever they are now. And since Carlos has never really been one to hide his true feelings, he doesn’t hesitate to tell TK that.
I’ve missed you too. Be there in 20 minutes, that okay? 
20 mins is perfect! No speeding, Officer Reyes ;)
Fondly, Carlos rolls his eyes, dropping his phone on the counter and moving towards his bedroom. If he’s going to see TK, he’s going to need to wear something other than his faded sweatpants. 
--------
Eighteen minutes later, he’s pulling up outside the Strand house, tapping his fingers nervously on the steering wheel as he comes to a stop. He doesn’t even know why he’s feeling anxious; he’s known TK for months now, and he’s seen a lot of different sides of the man that he’s come to care for deeply. For some reason, this invitation feels like a turning point for them, and the pressure of what that could mean causes him to rub at his forehead, trying to lessen the stress he feels building there. He just really wants this to work out, probably more than he’s ever wanted anything, if he’s being honest.
Shaking himself, he gets out of the car and moves up the front path towards the house, noting the absence of Captain Strand’s truck in the drive. With a deep breath, he raises his hand to the door and gently knocks. 
It must be only seconds later when the door opens, almost as if TK was standing there in wait. Their eyes immediately link, a gentle softness that pulls a breath from Carlos. He just saw TK earlier this week, but that doesn’t stop Carlos from feeling like he’s seeing him for the very first time; it happens more often than he will probably ever admit. 
“Hi,” TK says gently, cutting through the silence. Carlos feels his smile widen slightly in response. He takes a chance and steps through the doorway, sliding his arms underneath TK’s to wrap him in a hug, mindful of his shoulder. TK tenses in surprise before huffing out a laugh, wrapping his own arms around Carlos’s shoulders.
“Hi,” Carlos replies, pressing his face into TK’s neck. He’s quickly discovered that it’s his favorite place to be.
“Hi,” TK breathes out, nuzzling Carlos behind the ear. He shivers in response, feeling a little ridiculous, but he kind of doesn’t ever want this moment to end. Before he can say anything further, his stomach lets out a small groan and he feels TK begin to shake with laughter as he pulls away slightly, giving him an amused look. “Either you're hungry, or I’m awakening some very strange parts of your body.” 
Carlos rolls his eyes. “You awaken every part of my body, cariño” he says, knowing full-well how stupid it sounds as it comes out, but he also notices how TK’s eyes darken just a bit, so he can’t be too embarrassed. “I am a bit hungry, though,” he admits. “Work was a little crazy and I skipped lunch.”
TK grins, letting out a small noise of understanding. “I just may be able to help you with that,” he says, grabbing Carlos’s hand and turning to lead him further into the house. He follows, gripping tightly to TK’s hand as he looks around. The decor doesn’t surprise him — it’s very similar to the remodeled firehouse, and he recognizes Captain Strand’s commitment to his personal style. It makes Carlos smile, happy to see a little further into TK’s world. 
TK leads him to the back of the house and through the sliding patio door into the backyard, where he stops abruptly, Carlos jerking quickly to the side to avoid running into him. He looks out at the small, fenced-in area, and can’t help the sharp breath that steals into his chest.
The yard features a picnic table, currently ladened with a full dining setup. He can see multiple candles at both ends, dishes of food next to those, and two plates at the center. Near the middle, he sees two champagne flutes and an ice bucket with two bottles sweating in the mild Texas heat. Carlos’s gaze shifts upward, above the table, eyeing the string lights that criss-cross over the table, twinkling softly. He grips TK’s hand tightly, intertwining their fingers as he feels himself vibrate with overwhelming emotion. TK never fails to surprise him, and it knocks him back every time.
He thinks the other man understands, as TK rises up to press a soft kiss to his cheek before dragging them closer to the table. Carlos allows TK to drop his hand as he reaches for one of the bottles and pours two glasses of sparkling golden liquid for them. He’s confused as he silently watches, taking his glass with a small shake of his head, TK clinking them together and raising his eyebrow to indicate that Carlos should take a drink.
The minute the liquid hits his tongue, Carlos recognizes the definite lack of alcohol. “It’s grape juice,” TK confirms, a small blush on his face as he takes a sip. “I know it’s kind of childish, I just wanted to recreate the—”
Carlos cuts him off with a kiss, smiling as TK lets out a small gasp, causing Carlos to push closer, parting his lips. TK does the same and as their tongues brush against one another, Carlos can faintly taste the juice, but mostly he just tastes TK. It’s kind of his favorite taste in the world.
They get lost in each other for a moment, Carlos reaching up to grip the back of TK’s head when he senses TK’s hand on his waist. He feels like he could spend the rest of his life kissing TK and never regret a single second of it, but at some point they both need air. “I really like grape juice,” Carlos says when their lips part, pressing forward to rest his forehead against TK’s. He watches as TK’s lips raise into a soft smile.
“I hope it goes well with dinner, which I have to be honest with you, I did not make” TK says, pulling back to gesture down at the table. Carlos follows his lead, moving to sit as TK stands across from him, grabbing his plate to begin serving the food. Carlos recognizes the baked red snapper, and his heart immediately swells in his chest. “First big thing to know about me: I burn water. You do not want me to cook for you.”
Carlos lets out a sound of disagreement, staring up at TK as he moves along the table filling the plate with salad and bread and asparagus. “I’d be happy to give you some lessons,” he says. “I love to cook.”
“I remember,” TK says, a slight grimace on his face. He doesn’t let it linger though. “You really think you could teach me a thing or two? People have tried before.”
“I think we could at least get you past the ‘burning water’ phase,” Carlos jokes as his plate is placed in front of him. “This all looks incredible, TK. All of it,” he says, gesturing to the entire set-up. 
TK blushes down at his plate before reaching for his glass, raising it to hover between them. “To surviving a solar storm,” he toasts, and Carlos responds, taking another sip. “Speaking of, how’s work? You said today was crazy?”
Carlos nods, diving into his day as they begin to eat. It’s easy, comfortable conversation, with TK responding with his own insight into what’s going on at the firehouse. He may not be back at work, but his team texts him constantly in their group chat, and he’s stopped by to hang out with Buttercup a couple of times. When TK speaks, Carlos can’t help but stare openly, watching as his bright green eyes reflect the twinkling lights above them. The thought of TK is usually enough to make his brain short-circuit, but seeing him here, so relaxed and happy as he shares a story about Marjan and Mateo and a prank gone wrong, Carlos can’t help but to admire his radiance. He’s unlike anyone that Carlos has ever seen. 
“This was delicious, TK, thank you,” he says, tossing a napkin onto his now-empty plate. “It means a lot that you did all of this for me.”
TK, who at this point is completely relaxed, stares across the table at him, tapping his fingers along the wood grain. For a minute, they just sit in silence, staring at one another, happy to be sharing time and space. Carlos watches as TK rises and moves around the table, leaning down to press a short kiss to his lips. He grabs his hand and moves away, pulling Carlos up from the table. “Come sit with me.”
Carlos happily follows TK over to a garden bench off to the side that he had missed when he first entered the yard. They sit side-by-side, TK immediately folding himself into his side as Carlos puts an arm around his shoulder, careful of his healing injury. TK grips the hand in his lap, caressing his fingers, almost as if he’s distracting himself. Carlos waits with bated breath, unsure what he might be building to say.
“I used to dream about moments like this,” TK says into the silence. Carlos glances down at him, but TK is looking off towards the table and the twinkling lights, lost in thought. “My high school friends used to laugh at me all the time about my high aspirations for romance.
“I think I blame my parents. They may have gotten a divorce, but the minute I heard how they met, I knew soulmates were real. Something about the idea of a young firefighter and a stressed-out law student meeting because she forgot about her dinner in the oven while studying and nearly burned her building down, it just screamed everlasting love to me.”
Carlos huffs out a laugh, somewhat in response to the story but mostly in response to what TK is doing; he’s never openly shared so much personal information before. He can feel TK’s smile against his chest. 
“Even when they separated, I convinced myself that it wasn’t because they didn’t love each other, it was just because the world wasn’t built to support their love story. And then, years later, when I realized I was gay, I couldn’t help but wonder if the world was built to support mine.”
Carlos grips TK’s hand in his own, feeling the pain of his words. He remembers feeling similarly when he discovered the truth about himself. It’s a feeling that he knows will probably never go away completely.
“But my parents were completely supportive,” TK continues. “I never doubted their love for me, not about that. So, with all of that support surrounding me, I kept believing in love. In the fairytale of it all, the earth-shattering romance. Even when things got harder, I still believed in that dream.
“I dated a lot in college. I put myself out there, I charmed boys, I wooed them. I did everything I could to make it feel big, make it feel like that dream that I wanted. The problem is, you can’t just create a big love story out of nothing. I tried really hard to do that, too hard. Like, ‘dated a user and used with him because I thought it would bring us closer’ level of trying. Turns out, pills can help fill the gaps that you’re trying to fill with guys who don’t give a shit and dads who choose their work over you.”
Carlos can feel TK shaking, and he tightens his grip on him, learning down to press a kiss to his temple. TK turns his head just slightly, pressing his lips against Carlos’s shirt, near his rapidly beating heart. He knows it’s impossible to actually feel it against his skin, but Carlos can’t help but feel like TK has branded him. 
“My addiction got bad enough that my parents couldn’t ignore it anymore. I went to a rehab place upstate the summer after my graduation. When I came back, I enrolled in the academy. I’d always wanted to be a firefighter, and Dad was happy to have me close, to watch me. It worked for a few years. I fell in love with my job, with the high that comes with saving people. I stayed away from pills, I did the casual thing with guys. It wasn’t my old dream, but it felt okay. And then I met Alex.”
TK pauses, pulling away with a sigh to lean back against the bench, looking up at the night sky. Carlos adjusts himself to accommodate the sudden change, his nerves spiking at the movement, but also at the heavy way that TK speaks the name. 
“He was a nice guy,” TK says, still looking upwards. “Better than any of my college boyfriends, better than the casual hookups. He was a photographer, we met at a first responder fundraiser. He was nice to look at and we looked good together. I felt good with him. 
“My dad didn’t care for him. He thought Alex was too self-centered, too interested in who he was going to be and not at all interested in where he was or who he was with. I don’t really know if that’s true. Looking back, I can see that I fell into my try-too-hard behavior from before: I planned all of our dates, I introduced him to all of my friends, I bought him nonsense gifts just because, I said ‘I love you’ first. I was always the one putting my heart out there. I didn’t see all of that then, though. I thought he was my soulmate. I thought he was my dream, and I wanted to marry him.”
TK closes his eyes, heaving out a heavy sigh. Carlos itches to hold him again, but he doesn’t know where this all is going, and he wants to respect TK’s need for space. He scoots over just a bit, pressing their sides together again, but he doesn’t reach out, choosing instead to leave his palm lying flat against his thigh. It feels like forever, but finally, TK reaches out and takes his hand again, interlocking their fingers. 
“You know the rest,” he says with a sigh. “Nuclear breakup, at the dinner where I was going to propose. He had been seeing someone else for months. It’s so obvious to me now, he was always pulling away, filling his evenings with ‘work.’ There was this distance between us, and I didn’t see it. Or I didn’t want to see it. And then it all just collapsed around me, this fairytale idea of what our relationship was, and I couldn’t handle it. So I tried to fill the gaps again, and I went too far.” 
Carlos shutters out a small gasp at the reminder of TK’s overdose. No matter how many times he thinks about it, he can’t get past the idea that he was this close to never meeting the man sitting next to him. He was so close to never experiencing everything that TK makes him feel and want. TK turns, his eyes full of concern, and pulls their bodies together, caressing the back of Carlos’s neck as they both breathe deeply in each other’s arms. 
“You weren’t supposed to find me so soon, Carlos Reyes. When I got here, I wasn’t anything like myself. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I couldn’t feel anything, and I didn’t want to. I was so tired of trying. I was tired of losing myself to this idea of something that, clearly, I could never have. 
“And then you walked up to me in that bar and I… Carlos, men like you are not supposed to exist,” TK says with a laugh. Carlos rolls his eyes, opening his mouth to speak, but TK cuts him off before he can say anything. “Don’t argue with me on this, I’m right. I’ll ask every single person in Austin, and they’ll say the same thing. Even the straight guys.
“But there you were, and I may not have wanted to feel anything, but you didn’t give me a choice. You were otherworldly. And you have to know, you’re the best partner I’ve ever had in bed.”
Carlos can feel himself blush as he turns to hide in TK’s uninjured shoulder. He hears the firefighter laugh, and feels him press his cheek against Carlos’s curls.
“I mean it! I’ve never had anyone give so much of themselves to me before. It was overwhelming, in the best way. You lit me up, Carlos. And I couldn’t stay away, even when I really wanted to.” 
Carlos closes his eyes, knowing what TK’s going to say next. 
“That night,” TK says, squeezing Carlos tighter as his voice stutters. “Carlos, you have to know that I have so many regrets about that night and the way I reacted, the way I treated you. I’m so sorry.”
“Ty, I know,” Carlos says, raising his head to look TK in the eye. He cups his cheek, trying to rub away the stress that he can see on TK’s face. “You’ve already apologized for that, and I forgave you.”
“I know, I know,” TK replies, covering Carlos’s hand with his own. “But let me explain, okay. It’s important to me.” When Carlos nods, he goes on. “No one, and I mean no one, that I have ever dated has done something like that for me. Cooking me a full dinner after midnight, just because you wanted to see me, talk to me, get to know me?”
“It was ridiculous, I can’t believe I did that,” Carlos huffs, shaking his head. 
“It was my dream, Carlos,” TK whispers. Carlos’s eyes widen at his candor as they stare openly at one another. “That dinner was like something out of every dream that I have ever had about romance. The idea that someone would go to such lengths just to spend time with me? That they would understand my life in such a way that they wouldn’t be put off by my weird schedule? That they would light candles, and dress nicely, and serve me dinner? That was everything that I ever dreamed of, and something I had never had. And it scared the hell out of me.” 
“Ty, you don’t have to be scared of me,” Carlos tries, but TK keeps going.
“I know that now,” he says, “but then? Then I didn’t want those feelings. I didn’t want the dream. The dream had hurt me, the wound felt too fresh. I didn’t want the big, romantic fairytale. I just wanted simple and easy, and I hurt you. I was selfish and I made a mess of everything, and I’ll always be sorry for that.”
Carlos pulls away then, breathing deeply as he clutches TK’s hand in his. This is so much more than he expected for this evening, and he needs a moment to process. He looks at the night sky, the stars twinkling along with the lights hanging in his periphery. He wants to tell TK that he doesn’t have to keep apologizing, but he doesn’t think that his words would be enough. He realizes now that this dinner was TK’s way of making amends for that night. It means a lot to him that he would go this far to show how much he cares, even if Carlos forgave him months ago. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves on a nearby tree in the backyard, and Carlos gets an idea.
He rises from the bench, pulling his phone out of his back pocket and opening his music app. He clicks play on a song, keeping the volume low as he turns back towards TK. The other man is looking up at him, his face concerned as his eyes continue to twinkle in the lights. Carlos holds out his hand. “Can I share something with you now?”
TK doesn’t hesitate before taking his hand and following Carlos to the middle of the backyard. He turns and gathers TK into his arms, pressing him close as he starts to sway to the gentle guitar music. TK seems confused at first, but he slowly allows Carlos to turn them in a slow circle.
“I’m not a dream, Ty,” Carlos speaks softly into his ear. “I’m a person, just like you. And I’m not a perfect person, as much as I try to be. I’m going to make mistakes. You’ll make mistakes. We’ll make mistakes together. We’ll fight sometimes, we’ll scare each other. It’s going to be a lot. I’m not a person who feels things casually. I’m an all-in kind of guy.”
Carlos pulls back, cupping TK’s face in his hands. His eyes are shining with tears that have yet to fall, and Carlos can’t help but press his lips to TK’s forehead in comfort. 
“There are going to be more messes,” Carlos adds, staring directly into the eyes of the man that he probably already loves. “But I already know that I would rather make a million messes with you than live a mess-free life with anyone else.”
A tear falls onto TK’s cheek as he raises his hands to grip Carlos’s wrists, keeping his palms pressed against his face. 
“I’d rather be scared with you than have it easy with anyone else,” TK whispers, his eyes heavy as they refuse to break contact. 
Carlos feels every part of him melt as he closes the gap between them, pressing his lips to TK’s in a kiss that feels like a seal, binding them together. He can taste the salt from the other man’s tears, and he pulls him closer, wrapping him in all of the love and support that he has to give.
Later, possibly minutes or hours or days even, they break the kiss, but they don’t stop swaying in each other’s arms and, in TK’s hold, Carlos realizes that he’s finally found what he had been missing all along.
123 notes · View notes
reyesstrand · 4 years
Note
not sure if I’m allowed to send another but, what about 85 for tarlos?
sorry for the wait for this, but this idea got in my head and it kind of got out of control — a good ending to this series, i guess!! i hope you enjoy! 
prompt taken from this list. also available on ao3!!
Three weeks to the day after the solar flare, Carlos receives a cryptic text from his mom: come for lunch today?
He mulls it over; he loves his mother, and it’s no secret to anybody that knows him that he’s a total mama’s boy, but there’s got to be a reason behind her impromptu meal, and an evil part of his mind tells him it has to be bad news. She doesn’t mention anything about his sisters joining them, and Carlos doesn’t know if that should stress him out more or less. If it’s something bad, he’d assume that he and his sisters would find out at the same time — but that only leaves him more confused.
She’s a strong woman, and is a complete health-nut — ever since his abuela started having mobility issues, his mother’s been a champion for organic eating and natural sleep aids and doing yoga every morning. Carlos can’t put bad news from the doctor completely off the table, but he starts to drift towards the other countless possibilities — and so he can’t say no to her. Even if it’s his only day off that lines up with TK’s schedule, he spares a glance at his softly snoring boyfriend before figuring the man’s close enough with his own father that he’ll have to understand a shift in plans. And so Carlos finds himself more alert than he’d been when he’d rubbed sleep from his eyes and initially checked his phone five minutes ago, thumbs hovering over the screen before he sends her a simple of course, mami, and sets about getting ready for the day after pressing a quick kiss to TK’s hairline.
He’s showered and had his coffee and is trying to quietly get dressed when Carlos hears TK groan and grumble, clearly fighting between catching a little more sleep and getting out of bed. Carlos watches with a small smile as TK slowly sits up when he realizes he’s alone in bed, before their gazes catch, and his heart soars as TK’s eyes visibly light up at seeing him.
“Everything okay?” TK asks, voice still deep and groggy, and Carlos nods as he starts on buttoning up his shirt.
“We might have to change our plans today,” Carlos says apologetically. “I really—fuck, I really wanted to spend he day with you, but my mom wants me to come over and she usually doesn’t spring stuff like that on me unless there’s something wrong, and—”
“Hey,” TK cuts him off, and Carlos raises his brows at him. “It’s okay, seriously. Marjan’s been bugging me to take Buttercup to get some pampering, anyway.”
“You’re the best,” Carlos says, and TK grins at him.
“Damn straight.”
TK tilts his head up, clearly looking for a kiss. Carlos huffs out a laugh and comes in close, so their mouths are nearly touching, before he whispers, “You have no shame, do you.”
“Nope,” TK grins, eyes crinkling in the corners, popping the p before he closes the space between them and gets the kiss he wanted. “I’ll see you later, though?”
His eyes shine with hopefulness, and Carlos nods earnestly. “I’ll text you when I’m on my way home.”
There’s another brief kiss, before Carlos sighs as he presses their foreheads together.
“I hate just leaving on you,” Carlos admits, even though the thoughts surrounding what his mom’s intentions are with lunch are swirling around his mind.
“I’ll be fine,” TK says, ducking forward to press another kiss to the corner of Carlos’ mouth. “Say hi to your mom for me.”
It’s only half a joke — TK’s been talking, metaphorically, about meeting Carlos’ family for a week or so. He mentions it whenever Carlos talks about childhood memories or a story from one of his sisters, noting that Carlos has known his dad technically even before he knew TK. But it never evolves from a few jokes, and even though Carlos wants nothing more than to continue to make their relationship solidified through introducing each other properly to the people that mean the most to them, he doesn’t know how to seriously approach that subject.
Instead of trying now, Carlos leaves with a promised, “I’ll see you later,” before he grabs his keys and phone and makes his way out of his home.
The half-hour drive goes by mostly in a blur, because he’s too caught up in what might unfold at the lunch. They usually try to have big family dinners bi-weekly, due to everyone’s work schedules and his sister’s kids’ schedules, but he can’t remember the last time a meal like this was just dropped on him the day-of. He does have the right state of mind to stop and grab his mom a bouquet of lilies, her favourite, before he pulls up to the humble farmhouse he’d lived in his whole childhood.
“Is everything okay?”
The words are out of his mouth within seconds of stepping into the house, half-startling his mother as she pours out two glasses of sweet tea.
“Can’t I ask my favourite son to have lunch with me when I know it’s his day off?”
Carlos flushes a bit, handing the flowers to his mom as she pulls him in for a hug. “I’m your only son.”
“Still my favourite,” she grins, smacking a kiss on his cheek before she gestures toward the back deck. He follows her, taking a deep breath as he goes.
* * *
“I know something is up, baby.”
He'd been expecting something regarding her own well-being or health, or his abuela's, so when the conversation turns to him he's sort of confused. And Carlos has grown up hearing from people that he has his mother’s eyes, and as he looks into them now, he thinks he sees the similarities as she looks at him with a particular warmth laced with concern he’s been accustomed to since he was born.
“You know, I saw an interesting photo of you the other day,” she says it off-handedly, but Carlos still manages to choke on his drink. She doesn’t hesitate, going on to describe the picture he knows intimately because he posted it to his Instagram only forty-eight hours ago: him and TK, smiling as they stand close, too close to just be friendly to any onlooker, taken by Paul in the late hours of the night as they strolled around downtown after their shifts. He hadn’t even considered his family seeing the photo, and he silently rues the day his sisters made their mother various social media accounts so she could keep up with their lives. Her voice turns soft, as she squeezes his arm and asks, “Is there something you want to tell me?”
“Uh, I have to pee.”
He says it quickly enough that he can run off to inside the house, where the remnants of their lunch sits scattered over the counter. Carlos beelines for the bathroom and leans against the sink as he pulls out his phone.
how do you feel about my mom knowing about you?
seriously.
Carlos sends the messages to TK and taps his phone against the heel of his palm as he waits for a response. He thinks back to his mother’s implications — that she knows about them, is okay with them — and figures that he could always lie. It’ll look suspicious as hell, of course, after he just fucked off like that, but he’s never really brought any boyfriends around before. Mainly because he’s never been in a serious enough relationship to warrant that. But he thinks — he knows that there’s something real between him and TK, and he wouldn’t hate his mom and eventually his sisters knowing about him and meeting him and welcoming him into the fold of their family dynamic. But he needs to make sure this is still something TK’s okay with, that it’s going at his pace.
TK texts him back quickly, like always. i was serious about wanting to meet her someday. maybe even soon. so if you want to talk about me i support you.
you’re sure? Carlos texts back, as he feels his nerves starting to both tamper off and confusingly grow at the same time as he walks toward the backyard again, preparing to let his mother into this part of his life.
100%. tell her only the good things, i wanna impress her, TK replies, along with a string of heart emojis. Carlos huffs a little, quickly typing out, she’ll love you no matter what, before pocketing his phone and sliding back into his seat across from his mother.
“Sorry,” he mumbles, meeting her eyes, and as he opens his mouth to continue, she quickly interjects.
“Don’t lie to me, Carlos,” she warns, though there’s warmth behind her words, a desperate plea to tell him that she wants to be included in this part of his life, no matter how new it might be. "You know you can talk to me."
So Carlos takes another deep breath, not really looking at his mother as he whispers: “I met someone, mami.”
He stares down at the ground; after a few seconds, he shifts his gaze to stare at the blooming gardens that live in clusters around the yard, various vegetables and flowers alike growing with vengeance as the summer welcomes them back into the world. When she makes a noise and he finally meets her gaze again, she’s looking at him with nothing but fondness.
“Oh, baby,” his mom is smiling, now, and she brings his face close to press a kiss to his forehead.
“It’s only been official for a few weeks but, um, I really like him,” Carlos admits, as his mother lovingly squeezes his hand. With a laugh, he adds: “I like him a lot. And I’d love for you to meet him.”
His mother leans forward and curls her arms around him, like she did when he was a kid and he felt too small to conquer the world, and he immediately feels calm wash over him. “I would love to, mijo.”
(Carlos has a flash of a memory, then, coming out when he was fifteen years old and terrified but desperate for his truth to be known. He first told his older sister Camila, and then his mother a couple of days later, and he remembers so vividly how they hugged his then-tiny frame, all knobbly bones and a height he was getting used to, both of them supportive and loving and adamant that nothing would change how much they love him. He towers over both of them now, but he feels protected in his mother’s arms, like he always has).
As they pull out of the hug, his mother elbows him good-naturedly. “Alright, tell me about this boy then.”
His mama’s grinning at him teasingly as she says it, and Carlos sits back and huffs out a laugh of his own, rubbing the back of his neck.
“His name’s TK. He’s a firefighter,” Carlos says, barely holding back a bigger smile when his mother makes an approving face at that tidbit of information. “He’s—he’s funny and beautiful and has the warmest heart.”
“I’m so happy for you,” his mother says, eyes bright with love, as if just listening to him talk about TK has made her realize how truly happy he is. And maybe it's allowed himself to look at inside retrospectively and figure out that yeah, he is happier than he's ever been. “I’m sure I’ll love him. You’ll have to bring him around.”
“I will,” Carlos promises, feeling like he’s floating on air. “Oh, and he’s from New York City.”
He says it pointedly, knowing his mother’s always wanted to travel to the Big Apple.
“Well,” his mother says, “I guess we’ll have to show your city boy how we do family dinners, then.”
She brings him in for another hug as she smiles, before she goes off to refill their glasses. Carlos sits back, considering the idea of TK being a part of his family, for good — and he finds that he wants nothing else in the world.
87 notes · View notes
nico-di-genova · 4 years
Text
What’s in a Name
Prompt: Carlos calling TK, Tyler Kennedy Strand while proposing.
(Huge thanks to @evan-buckley-diaz for helping me come up with the proposal idea!)
       “Wait, don’t look yet,” Carlos says, moving his hands from TK’s shoulders to his face so he could cover the man’s eyes.
       TK paused for only a moment at the lack of sight, before he felt Carlos press against his back reassuringly, and took another hesitant step forward. Arms outstretched before him, shuffling forward slowly, he made his way to what he assumed was the backyard. Carlos had been weird from the moment he’d gotten home, meeting TK at the door with a kiss that felt a bit more enthusiastic than his usual greeting. Dressed in grey slacks and a tucked-in white button up, TK had almost immediately picked up on the strangeness of the whole situation. He was dressed like they were about to go out, not like this was a regular Tuesday night and TK had just gotten home smelling like smoke and sweat. Now, he was being led outside to what he could only assume was Carlos either showing him a body he’d just buried, or the grill that they hadn’t used in months. It was the middle of January, not exactly the perfect time for a bar-b-que.  
       “You’re being so weird,” he says, as Carlos tells him to step down, so he doesn’t trip.
       They must be in the backyard by now; he can smell freshly cut grass and feel the gentle breeze blowing around them. He’s thankful he’d taken a moment to change at the station, trading in his Austin FD attire for jeans and a black bomber jacket; it’s chillier than he was used to. Four years spent in Texas had turned him soft, he didn’t have the endurance he used to have against the cold.
       “Can I look now?”
       They’d come to a stop, Carlos still pressed solidly up against his back. TK leaned further against him, soaking up the body heat that rolled off him in waves. Where TK tended to run cold, Carlos operated as a human furnace. At night, curled up underneath the man’s thick comforter, it could get unbearable. Right now he was just thankful for the warmth.
       “Just a second, jeez, you’re so impatient,” Carlos huffed. TK could hear the smile in his voice, could almost picture it. The flash of perfect white teeth, and the dimples that would pull at the corners of his mouth. TK had seen that smile enough times that it was ingrained in his memory, impossible to forget.
       As odd as this was, TK had to admit it was nice. He’d spent most of the day dealing with pure stupidity. There was the man who’d set off fireworks in his kitchen and was surprised when his house actually caught on fire. The women who’d left her baby in her car while she went grocery shopping, only to realize she’d also locked her keys in the vehicle as well. Even his own team was being weird today. Marjan kept smirking at him like she knew something he didn’t, and his dad seemed to be going out of his way to avoid him. Judd and Paul had kept whispering behind his back as well and making snide comments that rubbed him the wrong way. All in all, it had been an annoying day, and as confused as he was by Carlos’ behavior he was also glad that he was finally home and not out dealing with anymore bullshit. Carlos being strange was something he could handle, at least it was a familiar strangeness.
       “Okay,” Carlos finally said, pulling his hands away, “you can look.”
       TK wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this.
       “Oh,” he breathed, “wow.”
       Their backyard had been transformed into something rivaling that of a middle aged mom’s Pinterest board. String lights ran from the trees and entwined around the beams of the pergola above him; they were a soft golden glow in the black of the night. He studied them in a sort of lovestruck awe, dazzling at the way they’d been so artfully draped around the yard. There were flowers too, hanging in streams from the lights, and petals scattered at his feet. They were white and stood out in stark contrast to the dark green of the grass.
       “What-?” he started to ask before the words left him. He was amazed, if not a little confused, and he couldn’t help but wonder just how long this must have taken Carlos to put together.
       “Do you like it?” the man asked. From the corner of his eye, TK could see the way Carlos was watching him. It was with the sort of intense interest that TK still wasn’t quite used to. His brown eyes drinking in every part of TK. No matter how many times Carlos told him, whispered it against his skin on late nights, TK would never truly believe that he was worth this. Whatever this was, it seemed like something befitting a storybook character.
       “I-. It’s beautiful,” he mumbled, not quite able to find his voice still. It was like he’d stepped into a fairytale, like Carlos was some prince who’d whisked him away to a world of wonder and whimsy. He was utterly captivated.  
       Carlos beamed, “I’ve been working on it all day. Well, technically, Michelle did help me a little bit, but it was mostly me.”
       He turned to face the man, taken further aback by the look in his eyes. Carlos was watching him with nothing but pure adoration in his features.. TK could feel his heartbeat quicken under his gaze.
       “Why?” He asked, voice quiet, “I love it, but why?”  
       It’s here where something filters across Carlos’ face. It’s small, just a flash, but TK can read it: hesitation. Carlos clears his throat and shifts to put his hands in his pockets.
       “Well, I um-. I had something I wanted to ask you actually.”
       TK feels his heart beat faster, hears the way his breath catches in his throat. There’s an inkling of something at the back of his head, something that tells him he knows where this is going. He tries to ignore that part, mostly because he doesn’t want to believe it just yet. He forces himself to wait, to listen, before he starts jumping to any conclusions.
       Carlos moves from TK’s side, coming to stand in front of him. In the soft light that surrounds them, Carlos is positively radiating. His eyes are catching the golden glow just right, shining brightly. TK could get lost in the way he’s smiling, beautiful and brilliant. He wants to lean forward and kiss the man, drink in the feel of that smile against his lips and feel the warmth that’s spreading through his heart grow. Carlos’ shirt is tight on his muscular frame, sleeves cuffed right at the elbow, and the first few buttons left undone to expose his perfectly sculpted chest. He’s effortlessly beautiful, and it’s enough to drive TK mad.
       “I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now, but I wanted it to be perfect.” he takes a moment to breathe, to collect his thoughts, before continuing, “because TK… I’m in love with you. Like, head over heels, suffocatingly in love with you. I love the way you look in the morning, before you’ve woken up, when I can just watch the sunlight fall across your face. I love the way you laugh, how it fills up a room. I love you when you’re mad at me, and your eyebrows furrow up in the cute way they always do. I love you even when you don’t want me to, because you’re worth loving TK. Every day, for the rest of my life, I want to love you. I choose to love you, more than anyone I’ve ever loved before, because you’re worth everything to me.”
       TK can feel tears burning at the corners of his eyes, turning his vision blurry. He manages to blink them away right as Carlos smiles at him, gentle and honest, and gets down on one knee. If TK was breathing before he’s certainly not now. Air lodges itself in his throat, as his eyes widen, and he has to take a startled half step back.
       “What are you doing?” he manages to choke out, hand coming up to cover his mouth in shock.
       Carlos laughs, “what does it look like I’m doing?”
       The tears well right back up. Even though they’ve been dating for close to four years, he still can’t possibly believe this might actually be happening. It doesn’t seem real, “Are you serious?”
       Carlos nods, “yeah, tiger, I’m serious.”
       TK watches, in disbelief, as Carlos reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring. It’s silver and catches the light as he holds it in his hand.
      “I love you so much,” he says, voice beginning to waver, “so, Tyler Kennedy Strand will you marry me?”  
      The words spill out of TK’s mouth before he’s even had a chance to think about them, “fuck yes.”
      It’s so easy to ignore any other part of him. To push away the insecurities, or the past, because he can look at Carlos now and see nothing but honest, open, truth. He’s loved, intensely so. He’s loved so much that the man he’s going to spend the rest of his life with has spent all day setting up this ridiculously cheesy proposal. It’s a little over the top, a little cliché, but it’s perfect. Carlos is perfect, and nothing else in the world could matter to him right now.                
                                                   ******
       It’s later, curled up in Carlos’ arms, that he notices something about the ring he’s twirling between his fingers.
       “Is their something on the inside?” he asks, holding the band closer to his face so that he can see the engraving that’s been etched into the metal. Carlos shifts beside him on the bed.
       “Yeah, it’s um-. It’s my initials, in my handwriting,” there’s a blush burning it’s way onto his cheeks. He must know how sappy it sounds, but TK is so in love that he thinks it’s probably the cutest thing he’s ever heard.
       “Seriously?”
       “Yeah. I just wanted something for us, you know. Something private.”
       And TK had thought he was done feeling emotional for the night, but apparently not. He slides the ring back on his finger, loving how perfectly it fits, like it was some missing piece of him. It’s got just enough weight to it that he can feel it and know he belongs somewhere. It may have taken him a few years, but he’s finally gotten it right. No botched proposal, no drugs bought in the early hours of the night, just Carlos beside him, warm and familiar.
       Shifting, so he’s straddling Carlos’ hips, he looks down at the man beneath him with a lopsided grin.            
       “You’re such a sappy idiot,” he says, teasing and light.
       Carlos grins right back, “the sappy idiot you’re marrying, Tyler Kennedy Reyes.”
        He can’t help but laugh at that, “Reyes, huh?”
       “Carlos Strand doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.”
       He doesn’t particularly care what name he ends up with, because in the end, they’re both equally his.
181 notes · View notes
Note
Carlos sets up a romantic dinner for TK’s birthday and this time they actually enjoy it haha
These two are so cute I swear.  Enjoy a cute picnic for the boys and TK getting some of the love he deserves.  Sorry for the delay on prompts but I am still working on them slowly.  
TK never really celebrated his birthday.
He had two powerhouse parents both consumed in their careers, therefore birthdays weren’t a big thing when he was growing up.  His parties were all when he was young and they were always held and catered at some kids playplace.  They had been fun, but not overly personal.  Then when he was older he partied so much that his birthday was hardly a special occasion.  His parents always presented him with a few gifts and his mom used to make french toast on his birthday, but that was about as far as celebrating went with his family.
Carlos Reyes couldn’t be more opposite of this if he tried.
As far as he knew Carlos celebrated each and every birthday with the four women who meant the world to him.  They knew how to throw a party and TK had been a little baffled by how far they had gone for Carlos’s thirtieth birthday.  The food was delicious and there had been dancing and decorations everywhere in the Reyes’s large backyard.  It had been nice, but definitely not what TK was accustomed to.  He was glad Carlos had his every year celebrated the way he deserved.  TK was certainly glad for each and every one of them that brought him here.  
So when Carlos outright pouted after TK told him he had picked up half a shift the morning of his birthday he struggled to understand what the big deal was.  The pout was adorable and it was nice that Carlos wanted to make his day special, but it still felt weird.  TK told him that he didn’t put much effort into birthdays in his family and that he didn’t consider birthdays to be a big thing.  Carlos simply rolled his eyes and said that was all about to change.  
TK got home to an empty house and it made his heart sink just a bit.  He didn’t want a fuss made, but he still would have appreciated at least Carlos being here.  He had woken up so early that they hadn’t had a chance to even share breakfast together.  His dad was sleeping today since he had an overnight shift so all was quiet on that end.  His mom had sent her customary text and of course Facebook had a flood of customary birthday wishes.  He tried not to let the house feel lonely as he got in the shower to wash away the sweat of his shift.  He took his time to enjoy the warm water and steam for longer than he usually would since it was his birthday and all.  Twenty-seven years might not be a milestone for most people, but TK would never take getting another year older for granted with all he had been through.  Not only his job, but also fighting mental illness meant he was grateful for each and every year he gained.  
He got dressed and primped as much as he ever did then resigned himself to sitting on the couch and scrolling through his phone until Carlos came back from wherever he had gone.  He walked out of their bedroom and jumped when he saw Carlos was, in fact, home already and sitting silently on the couch waiting for him.  
“You snuck in,” TK said a tad breathlessly as his heart calmed down.  
“To my own apartment?  Yes, so sneaky,” Carlos snarked back with a grin and TK couldn’t help but notice how nice he looked in a deep blue button down and pants just tight enough to outline his muscle.   “Happy Birthday, my love.”
“Thank you,” TK wasted no time in stepping closer to his boyfriend and running his fingers along his collar, pulling him close for a kiss once his fingers had reached the ends.  He was about to deepen the kiss to lead to something more when Carlos pulled away gently and brought one hand up to his face.  
“I plan to give you all the pleasure in the world,” Carlos promised him with a filthy smirk before his gaze grew more tender.  “First though I have something else planned for us.”  TK shot him a suspicious look which had Carlos raising his hands.  “I promise it isn’t a party.   Just something for the two of us.”
“Alright, I’m game,” TK trusted Carlos with his life, and he supposed that included birthday plans too.  
“Let’s get going,” Carlos smiled at him and pulled him by the hand out to the Camaro.  TK couldn’t deny he was curious about what exactly Carlos had planned.  His boyfriend wore a grin on his face and he seemed pretty excited for whatever it was.  He relaxed into the seat and really couldn’t think of a better way to spend his birthday than with the man he loved.  
They drove for nearly half an hour before Carlos pulled off the main road and to the edge of a gorgeous open field that had a large weeping willow tree to one side, perfect for sitting under.  The place was one of the most gorgeous in Austin he had seen so far, but he was still confused about what they were doing all the way out here.  The sun was starting to set slowly as he followed Carlos’s lead in getting out of the car.  Carlos stopped at the trunk of the car, popping it quickly and pulling out a basket with a classic checkered picnic blanket along with a few portable heaters to keep off the chill.  It was unusually warm for December and TK could hardly believe he had the boyfriend that would bring them out to a gorgeous spot for a secluded and romantic picnic. 
It only took a few minutes for them to be sprawled out on the blanket with a heater keeping them warm and tea light candles all around the blanket to give them enough light.   It was the most romantic and simple evening TK could have ever imagined.  
“This is…” TK couldn’t even find the words for how he felt right now as the candles danced across Carlos’s face enchantingly.  
“You like it?  Something different for us, but memorable I hope.”  Somehow Carlos had an insecure look in his eyes and TK had to remedy that as soon as possible.  That look didn’t belong in this moment.  He leaned over to kiss Carlos, not hesitating to pour his amazement into the kiss.  
“This is perfect,” TK whispered to him as they rested their foreheads together.  “Thank you for being so thoughtful, and so amazing.  I love you.”
“I love you too, Tyler,” Carlos kissed his forehead and TK could say this was the most perfect celebration he had ever ha
70 notes · View notes
sopwithwhump · 3 years
Text
Something Else is Taking Over
Hey y’all I overcame some writer’s block with some Welcome to Night Vale whump (just discovered the podcast, loving it! It has whumptential >:3) Cecil is experiencing strange blackouts, which lead him to waking up in different places, all beat up. Carlos cleans him up after he gets quite hurt from one such episode. Tw: possession 
It first occurred to Cecil that something was amiss when he suddenly found himself in the diner. Except, it was the daytime. The diner was only open at night. Except, he was on the floor. Bleeding. The glass door was broken, a Cecil-shaped hole smashed into it.
           He looked around. How the hell? It seemed that he was just at the grocery store, purchasing some wheat-free bread. Everything went black, for just a brief moment, and here he was.
           Still attempting to process what happened, he slowly got up, then snatched some napkins from the nearest booth and pressed them to his bleeding arm. He then quietly opened the door and ran out, hoping he wouldn’t have to explain his break-and-enter to the sheriff’s secret police.
           His car was out in the parking lot. The purple Volkswagen’s driver door was open and the keys were still in the ignition, although it was not running. Cecil was left with many questions. Usually he did not entertain questions, because he would go insane if he tried to search for answers to every question his Night Vale life created. He was conditioned to accept the strangeness of his town, to be fond of it even. But never had he been buying bread and then suddenly transported into a diner, seemingly having to have broken in to the place.
           He carried on with his duties of the day. Attending a press conference on the new playground adjacent to the dog park, and how no children are allowed to play on it, visiting Carlos to see what he had discovered about Night Vale today, and going out into the sand wastes to observe the giant sand snake and the blue helicopters circling above.
           When the evening came, Cecil sat in his recording booth. He flipped a switch, which caused the ‘ON AIR’ sign to illuminate. The broadcast then began.
           “A man in a black coat means misfortune. A man not wearing a black coat also means misfortune. You are not safe. Welcome to-”
           He blacked out. Then, a brief vision of the front of city hall. Then black again. After that, Cecil suddenly shook awake on the grimy space-themed carpet of the arcade in the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex.
           “Hey! Cecil! You alright?” A middle-aged man in a bowling shirt called as he ran over, carrying a red bag with a white cross.
           “Teddy? Oh… my head… my nose…”
           “Don’t move, Cecil. So… what happened to him?” said Teddy Williams, looking up at two boys who stood nearby.
           The first boy looked up at Dr. Williams nervously. “Well… you see… you were probably in the back… when he went totally berserk! He ran across the nice lanes, sir! And then he ran into the arcade-”
           The second boy slapped him. “Get to the point. You threw a five-pin bowling ball at his head. Hit him right in the face. That’s why his nose is bleeding!”
           “Dr. Williams, this isn’t true! I’m not the one who threw the bowling ball, Jimmy is!”
           “I don’t care who threw the ball, get outta my bowling alley!” snapped Teddy Williams. “Balls are not to be taken out of the lane area, nor thrown at people! Get out!” The two boys quickly exited the premises as Teddy kneeled in front of Cecil.
           “Cecil? You alright, buddy?” He took a penlight and shined it in Cecil’s eyes.
           “Bowling ball?” said Cecil, “Oww. Listen Teddy… I don’t know how I got here…”
           “I was listening to your broadcast. You got cut off. Then there were… a lot of crashing sounds. Then dead air. Soon enough someone comes running to me about a man trying to crawl into the pin retrieval area of lane ten. I was ready with my broom to chase the intruder when someone again came to my office to tell me that the ‘radio guy’ got hit in the head with a bowling ball. So I put the broom down and brought my medical kit instead.”
           “That… what? I… I blacked out, Teddy… I was running around like a madman? Owww… that explains the pain throbbing through my whole head. Maybe that kid was right to hit me with a bowling ball.”
           “I don’t know, I didn’t see. That’s not important right now Cecil, what’s important is getting you fixed up. Pupil response is fine, your brain didn’t get scrambled. Your nose needs some fixing, though. Come to my office.” Teddy helped Cecil up and gave him some gauze to hold to his face.
           “Sit down… lemme see here…” said Teddy as he took his light and examined Cecil’s nose. “Swollen like a balloon. I… think we should wait for the swelling to go down so the damage can be seen easier. Plus, this is a bowling alley, not a medical facility. Tough luck, Cecil. Just put some ice on it and see someone in a day or two.”
           “Thanks, Teddy…” said Cecil, sulking out of the office. Teddy tossed him a cold pack.
           “Keep it. I… hope you’ll be alright, Cecil.”
           Cecil spent the rest of the evening laying around in pain, holding ice to his face. He eventually went to bed in an attempt to get some rest. These blackouts had left him tired and achy for some reason. Maybe I should get an appointment with the doctor. Or the jam salesman, perhaps, he thought before going to sleep.
           Cecil’s morning went as normally as normal could be. The shrill cries of various sand-monsters in his backyard woke him up at the crack of dawn. After chasing them off his property with his broom, he kneeled at the blood stone circle in his kitchen, still wearing his purple collared pyjamas, to begin the day with a short devotional.
           And that’s when he blacked out once again. This time he caught a glimpse of the outside of the  library, and then the interior of the Arby’s. After another period of sensing nothing but void, he awakened on a cold linoleum floor. In pain. A lot of pain.
           “Cecil! Oh god… it’s you! How is it you? What? I…” he heard the voice of Carlos say. Cecil grimaced and groaned in pain as Carlos tried his best to gently roll him over. “Cecil… you just… smashed through the window… but… you didn’t look like you. Your eyes… they were all white. You… you could float… oh man… there’s blood everywhere…”
           “C-Carlos?” Cecil groaned, looking up at his boyfriend, “Carlos… w-what are you implying? Augh… it hurts… help me…”
           “Whatever. We’ll address that later. Let’s just… get you cleaned up.” He gently lifted Cecil in his arms, grimacing when Cecil did from the pain. He made his way back into the lab, cleared off the top of a lab bench, and laid Cecil on it.
           “Hang in there, Cecil…” said Carlos as he frantically gathered medical supplies, “I’m not a doctor, but I’ve got enough knowledge in advanced first aid…” he rummaged through a large first aid kit and laid out bandages, antiseptic, a pair of forceps, a cold pack, and many more items. He folded up an extra lab coat and placed it behind Cecil’s head, then proceeded to put on some blue medical gloves.
           “Alright, Cecil, let’s just have a look…” he said in a calm, yet concerned voice, “glass… some much glass, oh Cecil…” Cecil had suffered a large number of cuts from smashing through the window and whatever else he did before ending up here, many with glass embedded in the wound. As Carlos continued assessing his boyfriend’s condition, he noticed that Cecil’s left arm was very swollen. He gently brought Cecil’s arm over, which caused Cecil to flinch.
           “Sorry... just hold still, I gotta feel this… I’m worried it’s broken…” Carlos felt the injured arm until Cecil couldn’t help but convulse in pain.
           “I’m not sure if that’s broken or not… oh dear… but your nose does seem broken, however. Ok, we’ll deal with bones later… I need to take care of the bleeding… you okay, Cecil?”
           “H-hanging in there, Carlos…” he whimpered. Carlos looked a Cecil with concern and compassion before getting the gauze and other supplies ready. After sterilizing the forceps, he’s decided to start with removing a larger shard of glass.
“Okay, Cecil... this is going to hurt...” he said, taking Cecil’s right arm. He picked up the forceps. “Hold still... deep breath...” Cecil followed that instruction, drawing air in and holding it as Carlos swiftly worked the piece of glass out of the wound. After dropping it aside on a metal tray, he quickly applied pressure to the cut.
“Okay… two more. These ones aren’t as big.” He quickly removed the next two pieces of glass and worked to get the bleeding under control. Cecil whimpered.
“Hey, deep breaths. I know it hurts. I’m going to get you to the hospital after I clean and bandage the worst of these cuts, okay?” Carlos put his hand on Cecil’s chest. “Breathe.”
Cecil nodded and followed the instruction to take a deep breath through the pain. It hurt quite a lot. Everywhere. His arms, his head, his legs, everything. As Carlos kept one comforting hand on Cecil’s chest, he used the other to gather some gauze. He took it away to soak the cotton in antiseptic.
“This will sting, hold still…” Carlos gently cleaned the wounds, pausing whenever Cecil winced or made a sound of discomfort. Eventually, he had gently cleaned all the cuts he could see and had covered them.
“Okay, you did really good… I’ll just put that arm in a sling and we’ll get you to the hospital. Come on, I’ll help you down from there.” Carlos proceeded to help Cecil sit up, then move to a stool next to the lab bench.
“I’ll just take your arm… now Cecil… I just want to know… what’s happening to you?”
“I started blacking out and waking up in different- ouch! -places,” Cecil explained, flinching when Carlos moved his arm the wrong way. “Sometimes catching glimpses of random locations… I always seem to be floating. And… at a high speed…”
Carlos gently tied up the injured arm in the sling. “Yeah… yeah you were. Flying, I mean. Your eyes… they were all white… no pupils. It took me a second to realize it was you… but… not you. You scared me. Cecil… I don’t think I even have to ask, but are cases of… possession common here?”
“It happens, for sure,” said Cecil, “but- ah! Easy there! I keep myself protected with blood stone rituals and whatever… oh no…”
“Can whatever is possessing you be driven out? Like… is there a cure?”
“Depends on the thing, I guess…”
“Alright. Maybe the doctors at the hospital know more than I do. But we gotta stop whatever this thing is from just… completely wrecking your body.”
Cecil nodded. “But I mean… without a host, wouldn’t it die? Or possess someone else?”
“Cecil, don’t sympathize with whatever is possessing you, please. I’m sure they’ll kill it before it affects anyone else. Or something. I don’t exactly know how these things work yet. Let’s just get to the hospital, shall we?”
Carlos helped Cecil into the passenger seat of his car, then quickly drove off to Night Vale General Hospital. After paying a parking fee of five tears, he helped Cecil into the emergency department.
It was a busy night; they were in for a long wait. “Hour and a half, at least,” said the tired triage nurse at the desk, “take a seat.” Cecil sat down. He was shaking a little, and Carlos noticed this.
“You okay?” said Carlos, putting his hand on Cecil’s shoulder.
“Oh? Me?” Cecil then sighed. “Yeah… yeah I never liked hospitals. They’re too bright. They smell too clean. There’s too many machines. They also smell of the miasma of disease. I don’t know which is stronger.”
“Ah. Yeah, I know it can be uncomfortable. This is my kind of element, of course, working in science, but I can see how it’s unsettling to someone who works in a cozy, dark recording booth. I’m here, Cecil. Just focus on me.”
Cecil closed his eyes and nodded. He held Carlos’ hand as he settled in for the long wait.
About 15 minutes had passed when Cecil blacked out again. This blackout was very brief this time. When he woke up he was in a hospital bed. His whole body felt numb and heavy, as if he had had a couple drinks. Carlos looked into his eyes.
“Cuh… Carlos?” He groaned, “Carlos… what… happened…”
“You, uh… you had another episode. They sedated you. Fixed you up. Got rid of that demon that had taken up residence. Put it in a demon-proof jar for me to study. I’m glad you’re awake,” Carlos explained gently, “I gotcha. You’re going to be alright.”
“Thank you… Carlos…” said Cecil weakly. Carlos held on to Cecil’s limp hand.
“Don’t mention it. Now get some rest. I’ll be right here.”
13 notes · View notes
Text
@polyfacetious big ass Christmas Drabble Extravagaza: Day Sixteen
Jacob is lounging on the back patio, bare feet over the edge of a generic plastic lawn chair. His jogging pants sit low on his hips, just a hint of stomach visible where his sun faded t-shirt has ridden up, a football team’s logo long lost to the hands of time and the washing machine. The breeze moves softly through his grey hair, and the skin around his closed eyes is well worn with laugh lines. 
He’s so beautiful that Din doesn’t know what to do with himself, most of the time. 
It seems like a lifetime ago that they were working the same case for different organizations. (Din never liked working with the local cops. They didn’t like having the feds around.) Hard to believe it was only two years ago. 
And half a world away. Monte Carlo was a far cry from those long flights from North Carolina to Arizona, just to spend a little time with a man who stole his heart in one fell swoop. Gone were the badges and the long travel times and the sick, twisted men who used to put away. 
Now life was a small house with a tiny backyard, a retired husband and a kid that was just learning to walk. And if the kid had his way, Din would be just as grey haired as Jacob by the time the baby gates came down. 
Because the kid was utterly, and completely single minded when it came to food. If Din had known what the switch from formula and bottles to baby food would entail, maybe he would have waited a little longer. Because now he had a kid who had gotten his head stuck in the slats of the baby gate twice now, tried to climb it at least once (that he saw) and who would shove any unsupervised food into his mouth the second a head would turn away from him. 
No one ever told Din that parenting meant baby oil-ing up a little fat head while it wailed to get it unstuck from between two wooden poles in a baby gate. But then again, no one told him that he would hold a baby in his arms and love it so much that his lifelong ambitions would fall to the wayside to keep him safe. 
Or that he’d meet a drawling, playful marshal in the middle of the desert in Arizona and feel his heart come to life, like the Grinch’s. Jacob Vanth made his heart grow three sizes that day, and Din wasn’t afraid to admit it. (Mostly because it would make Jacob laugh if he did. He had a great laugh.)
But life had a funny way of changing when you least expected it, and there’s nothing in the world that would make Din give up this life he had for himself now. 
“You’re home early.” Jacob doesn’t open his eyes as he speaks, fingers brushing in idle sweeps against the metal bar at the top of the lounge chair. It’s distracting enough that Din doesn’t think to answer for another few seconds. 
“Work was easy today.” Part of giving up the life they left behind was giving up the job. Din couldn’t exactly be a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States if he was living overseas. So his clearance was signed away, his severance pitched into the same account as Jacob’s retirement to buy the house here, and then he started looking for work. 
Private security consulting was laughably easy. Din didn’t even have to deal with the customers beyond the initial consultation. He was the guy went in, who scoped out the house and the routine and suggested to the company how best to keep the client safe. 
It was for the best that way, because Din had no patience for rich men with bloated egos who thought they were above the law because they had money. Hell, he had spent the majority of his career working to put those very men away. If this job meant working under the thumb of an elitist asshole, then Din would have found another job. 
But his boss was a good man, a no nonsense kind of man who saw that Din’s use was best in offering information for each of their new jobs. He would lay the groundwork, and then whoever took over to keep the client safe could tailor those recommendations to best serve the client, and the business. 
“Let me guess…” Jacob cracks an eye open finally, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Din wanted to kiss it. “You went to some feller’s house, you told him that he had too many windows and not enough cameras, and then he paid your boss an obscene amount for someone to stand around and make him feel safe.”
That was eerily close to the truth, actually. But as Din was learning, if you’d met one 1%-er, you’d met them all. He takes a step out onto the patio, toeing off his freshly shined loafers. Din leans a shoulder against the open sliding door, leg crossed at the knee so that he could pull off his socks, one by one. 
The suit he was wearing was tailored, the most obscenely expensive thing that Din owned. He’d learned early in his career that sometimes, the suit was the only armor that a man had when he was out in the field. You had to be able to cut an intimidating figure to those you were questioning, while still radiating comfort and safety to those you were promising to protect, or to avenge their family members. 
Next comes his suit coat. Din folds it neatly across the back of the lounge chair opposite Jacob’s. Cuffs are undone, and folded up and over his elbows, one crisp turn at a time. Only then does Din perch himself on the place that Jacob made for him on the side of his lounge chair. 
Din was still learning this part. Leaving the job at the door. Before Jacob and the kid, he’d never had any sort of life. He had always marched on with blinders on, no thought in his head but the path to the job. Even in college, he’d abstained from the parties and the drinking and the casual sex. All that mattered was the job. 
Now, the job was what mattered least. Now, the job was a means to an end. A way to add to the coffers and help keep their kid in pull ups. And to keep Jacob Vanth in all the threadbare t-shirts his heart desired. (How someone could make something so sloppy look so good was beyond Din. But Jacob did it, and did it well.)
The job was no longer the first thing he thought of in the morning, or the last thing he thought of before bed. Now those thoughts were reserved for what he was going to make their bottomless pit of a kid for breakfast, before work. And the night time thoughts, well...those weren’t the kinds of things a man brought up in polite conversation. 
“Something like that.” Din was grateful for the fact that Jacob never seemed to run out of words. Din had never been the most talkative person. His colleagues used to tell him that it was like working with a robot. And then they’d laugh when he took it personal. Robots were creepy and weird. Din was just quiet. There was a big difference there. He felt, and he felt a lot. 
Like right now? There was so much love in his chest that Din felt fit to bursting, like an overfull water balloon, aching at the seams with just how much love was inside of him. Din reaches between them, fingers walking along the strips of soft plastic that made up the majority of the lounge chair, until he could brush his pinkie against Jacob’s. 
The touch is gentle, skin rasping against sun warmed skin. Jacob had calluses in all the right places, and Din greatly appreciated them when the lights were off and the door was closed. (He was working up to lights on, but it was a long way from Jehovah’s Witness to openly gay man in Monte Carlo. Some steps took longer than others.)
But more than that, the touch is still as electric as that first stolen touch was. Standing next to an old vending machine outside of a squat motel in the Sonaron desert, the case a long forgotten dream in the back of his head. Jacob Vanth had seen through him with extreme prejudice and peeled away the layers with just his eyes. 
Din was lost the second Marshal Vanth smiled at him, and there was no turning back. 
“How’s the kid?” It was surprisingly quiet in his walk through the house to get to the back porch. There were a pile of plastic frog toys spilling out of a bin in the living room, but the rest of the place was clean. Even the kid’s high chair, which looked like a disaster zone, most hours out of the day. 
“Sleepin’. He fought that nap today, boy.” Jacob lets out a low whistle, shaking his head solemnly. His wrist brushes against Din’s knee as he reaches down beside the lounge chair to grab the baby monitor there. A blinking green light on the front guaranteed that it was on. And if Din stayed still enough, he could hear the soft, snuffling breaths on the other end of the line. 
“He’s stubborn.” Din agrees quietly. The kid was a survivor, all the way from birth. (Sometimes, Din still had nightmares about finding him in that dumpster, out in the heat. What if he hadn’t stopped to take a breath. What if he hadn’t listened and heard that soft, mewling cry?) 
But you’d never know he was a preemie now by looking at him. The kid was walking now, a great trundling waddle, arms always outstretched. And when he caught sight of Din or Cobb after a break of not seeing them, he’d take off as fast as his little fat (Michelin man, that’s what Jacob called them) legs would carry him. It was enough to make Din feel like he was the most important person in the world. 
“Like his daddy.” Jacob agrees, using the hook on the back of the baby monitor to hang it off of the edge of the lounge chair again. “But he just went down, maybe ten minutes ago.” Jacob spares only a second to look at his watch before he’s turning those bedroom eyes on Din. He was in trouble. “Which means we got a little time to ourselves.”
As always, fear comes first. A lifetime of being told he was wrong, that he was abhorrent, Din still fears even the gentlest of touches in “public”. Even if public was in the sunshine in their own back yard. But fast on its heels was determination. He wasn’t going to be defined by an outdated rhetoric. Not anymore. Not when his life was so good. 
So Din makes a conscious effort to reach between them, to grab Jacob’s callused hand and laces their fingers together in some kind of internal defiance. (He couldn’t truly believe that this was wrong. How could something so pure be wrong? There had to be a mistake in how it was written down. That’s what Din had to keep telling himself. It was some kind of cosmic typo. God couldn’t really hate love like this.)
It earns him a slow as honey smile from Jacob, and that’s worth any amount of fear. 
“It looks like we do.” And Din knows exactly what he wants to do with that time. But there was nothing wrong with playing a little hard to get, especially if it got Jacob levering himself up into a sitting positon, and right into Din’s personal space. 
“We should spend it wisely.”
3 notes · View notes
dailyaudiobible · 3 years
Text
04/13/2021 DAB Transcript
Joshua 7:16-9:2, Luke 16:1-18, Psalms 82:1-8, Proverbs 13:2-3
Today is the 13th day of April welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I'm Brian it's great to be here with you today as we continue to move forward. In the Old Testament we are moving our way through the book of Joshua now. So. we’ve finished the Torah or the Pentateuch, and we are reading the story that comes next as the children of Israel cross the Jordan into the promised land and the walls of Jericho have fallen. The next city that was to be conquered was called Ai, but the children of Israel ran away from the people of Ai in defeat. And, so, now it's been determined that somebody that took things from Jericho that were supposed to not be taken, that were supposed to simply be devoted to destruction. And, so, all of that is getting sorted out. We’re reading from the New English Translation this week. Joshua chapter 7 verse 16 through 9 verse 2.
Commentary:
Okay. So, in the Old Testament today in the book of Joshua it is discovered that this man Aiken has taken treasure, has pillaged in some way the ruins at Jericho and hidden them. And this has caused the Israelites to be defeated in battle, in the next battle with Ai. And, so, all of the discovery is done, right? All of the investigation is done and it’s learned that Aiken is the one guilty for this and they find stuff buried in his tent and then all…all of…everything that has anything to do with Aiken then is destroyed. Then the children of Israel take the Army and go against Ai and defeat Ai. So, the second city is defeated in the conquest of the promised land. So, Ai was the little village and it…it's ruins still do exist, at least as archaeologically identified. I’ve been to that place. It’s in what we know as the West Bank near Bethel just like the Bible says. It’s…it’s like the site of it…it’s like in a couple people's backyards in kind is sort of sort of kind of like a neighborhood near…near main road. And, so, we've been able to speak to the archaeologists there and film a little bit there. There’s not a whole lot to be able to see that site. It’s sort of like a village up on a hill where this happened. But we could be like, “man, that’s pretty harsh, a harsh way to deal with Aiken. First conquest, all of this stuff going on.” And, so, we can scratch our heads and go like, “that's…that's a pretty severe punishment.” But if we’re wondering about that or maybe we’re wondering, why the severity and what those implications might be, really, we kind of find them in the gospel of Luke coming out of the lips of Jesus as He concludes a parable. “No one, no servant can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Okay. So, in the incident with Aiken, this is the first battle for the promised land. And if we pause just for a second and remember what it took to get to the promised land, like a whole generation wandering in the wilderness, like all of the plagues, freeing the people from slavery in Egypt, like all of that. Most of the time that we have been together this year in the Scriptures in the Torah we have been moving toward this place and it took an awful lot to get there. And, so, disobedience and rebellion are going to be introduced with the very first act? Well, that would undo…that would undo the whole thing. That would set a precedence. And, so, essentially a counter precedent was set, because as we saw the giving of the law what is one of the most important things for the people to remember? That there is one God and only one God, that there is no other, and that to disobey God, or to chase after another God is breaking the covenant. So, to the rebel or disobey against God or chase other gods in any form is idolatry and a breaking of the covenant. The children of Israel can hardly get across the Jordan River before we see this begin. And, so, that gives us just a little bit of a context for Aiken and a little bit of understanding from Jesus. And the thing is this is always gonna be a problem for them. This kind of stuff is going to plague the children of Israel. And…and really modify and diminish some of the mission. But we’ll watch that unfold as we continue the journey, not just to the conquest of the…of the promised land, not just like through the book of Joshua but through their entire history. We will…we will see that they are indeed what God called a stiff-necked people, right? Stubborn. But are we any less stiff-necked? That's a fair question as we move forward. And the stories as we move forward will serve as a mirror to answer that question.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word and we thank You for bringing us here. We are grateful. We love You. We revere You. We thank You for Your word and for all that it is bringing into our lives, all that we are learning, all that is being reconstructed in us, all that is being transformed and renovated. May we stay open to Your work we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s the website, it’s where you find out what's happening around these parts.
If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can access pretty much all of these things from there as well. There’s a Drawer icon in the upper left-hand corner of the app screen and that opens up a drawer and in there you’ll find these things like the community section, whether on the app or on the web and that's where the Prayer Wall lives that we talk about often because we are a community that…well…one of the things that binds us together because we’re all over the world, literally really really far away from each other physically. is that we’re in it together in spirit through prayer and just through being in each other's lives as we take this journey through the Scriptures. So, be familiar with the Prayer Wall. That's in the Community section of the website or in the app.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There is a link on the homepage. If it's the app that you're using, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.
And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement you can hit the Hotline button in the app, the little red button up at the top or you can dial 877 942 4253.
And that's all for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
This is Alan in New Milford CT. I would like to lift up my brother who called in on April the 8th whose family is suffering from covid virus. You have so many of your family members that you had mentioned my brother and you sounded so beaten, so desperate, so hurt. I can understand as a father how frustrating it must be to care for a family and trying to deal with a disease for which you have no power over. So, I want to join the many thousands and thousands of my brothers and sisters who are gonna pray for you in the next few days. Our dear heavenly Father we thank You for Your great grace and that Your hand can wrap around this world and touch families and loved ones wherever they may be. Father we take authority over this covid virus that has ravished this man's family and we curse it to its roots. And Father we stand on Your word. There are so many wonderful scriptures that regard healing and it’s by Jesus stripes…stripes he bore upon his back by which we are healed. And Your word tells us I am the Lord thy God who healeth thee. Father we stand on Your word. We just ask You to be merciful and gracious. And God where there may not be adequate medical help for them, we know that You are the chief physician. And, so, we look to You oh God to spare this man's family and encourage him and strengthen him and God give him hope. Father we all need hope in this time in this day. There's things going far beyond our own strength to do end to deal with. But God, we thank You that You are a gracious and merciful God. And, so, we bind together and thank You Father in Jesus name. Amen.
Hello DAB family my name is Matthew from the UK. Today is the 8th of April 2021. Let us pray. Father in the name of Jesus I come before you on behalf of my brothers and sisters at the Daily Audio Bible. I come on behalf…I come before you on behalf of Brian and his family. Lord bless them, protect them, and continue to encourage them to continue to deliver the Daily Audio Bible to the entire world. Father, I lift up every member of the Daily Audio family that is calling out to You now for one submission or the other. Father, those who are grieving, those are in pain. My Lord and my God, I commit them to You that Lord that You shine Your face towards them oh God and grant them the desires of their soul. Father, particularly today I lift up Carlos Vallecula from Brooklyn to You whose family have been afflicted with covid. Father You Lord who delivered me from covid You will deliver Carlos and his family from covid. Carlos do not be afraid for the Lord your God is with you. He said He has not given you the spirit of fear but the spirit of power of love and of sound mind. Everyone who came to Jesus received healing, therefore I do clear healings and the name of Jesus to your family. Be strong in Jesus’ name. Amen. Amen.
Hi this is Radiant Rachel and I have a prayer request for my niece Kaylee who some of you might remember has called in and sang some prayers before. She is struggling with a fear of feeling food in her throat. She was choking…well not exactly joking…it was in her esophagus and not her windpipe about a month ago and she's been taking some steps of progress and eating things like pizza and sandwiches and then she goes back to not wanting to have any solid food. And also, you know, not feeling comfortable with feeling even like cold go down her throat, like cold liquid. So, just please keep her in your prayers as she goes through the healing process of getting comfortable with feeling food in her throat again. And we just Lord we lift Kaylee up to You today. We just pray that she will have no more fear and that she will be able to eat and enjoy food like a regular little 7-year-old. And I just pray that she will be able to use this experience in the future to help someone else who might need some comforting. And we just thank You for healing her and thank You for giving her the nourishment that she needs to grow and develop and thrive in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Good morning DAB family today is April 7th, 2021 and I just want to thank Brian and Jill and the Hardin family for this podcast and the countdown begins for baby China to arrive. And I also want to pray for Emily, and I think her name is Kayla and some of the other DABbers, Victoria Soldier. You guys are heavily in my prayers, even some of you that I can't remember your names, but God knows your names. And I would also like to ask for prayers for my family, my household. Our house almost caught on fire due to the circuit box being so hot. It burnt. A lot of our things…our stuff that were plugged into the socket and we're having a hard time getting the insurance to cover those things that we lost. They’re asking for so much but we're just trying to stay positive and get everything that they want. So, this is __ from Mississippi. Just please keep us lifted up in prayer as well. And thank you so much. Have a blessed day everybody.
My name is Terrell calling from Missouri. I'm really going through it right now. I'm going through a divorce with my wife having to move out of the house pretty soon. We've been through it for the last six years and I'm just…I'm ready to do something better within our marriage. I really don't want to lose my family. I don't wanna lose my wife. Coming off of Easter this past Sunday, I'm hoping and been praying for a resurrection in my marriage. I want to see a revitalization…revitalizing…I want to revitalize everything that's going on and just make it all brand new. We've hurt each other in the past, nothing physical, but we just want to…I want to move past everything that's been wrong. I've learned so much over the last few years and I just want to be able to apply it to my marriage and do right by my wife and kids. I’m praying to be able to get her back, get my family back and just work through this in a way that God's called me to be. Thank you.
1 note · View note
missmitchieg · 3 years
Text
Triple Threat And The Fantabulous Redemption of One Carrie Wilson - Ch 3
Carrie went through the rest of her day with a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes, excitedly texting her dad that she was going to Julie’s after school and would be home by dinner. “Remember, Kayla! Dirty Candy’s got a rehearsal tomorrow! Don’t be late!” She called to her friend across the hall before quickly catching up with Flynn and Julie, wrapping her arms around their shoulders with a grin. “Are we ready, ladies?“
“Oh! Hey, girl. Yeah, we’re ready.“ Flynn smiled and wrapped her arm around Carrie’s waist.
“Sweet. We have so much to talk about and catch up on!“ She said as she started the walk to Julie’s with them. “Like how you came across the cool hologram boy band.“ She said and gave Julie a small smile, curious to hear how on Earth that happened.
“What? Nah, you don’t want the boring details of that.“ Julie deflected quickly. “And they’re not a boy band. They’re rock stars and they all get very offended if you call them a boy band.“
“Ooh, so-rry.“ Carrie laughed as she stepped in time with Julie and Flynn, turning her head toward her. “What about you, Flynn? Hey, you still a little Brat or have you seen the hot pink light?“ She asked, remembering one of the big arguments they used to have when they were younger.
“Once a Brat, always a Brat, Barbie Girl.“ Flynn grinned and flipped her hair. “Clearly you’re still the same pink princess you always were.“
“Always.“ Carrie confirmed with a nod. “Latest movies have been so bizarre, though. You know they used the plot of Princess And The Pauper and made the pauper a pop star for one? They remixed To Be a Princess.“ She huffed and gave an irritated eye roll.
“Wait, what?“ Julie almost shrieked and gave Carrie a shocked look, remembering that Princess  Anneliese   was her favorite Barbie character and doll and Princess And The Pauper was her favorite movie when they were little.
“Yeah, and not even well! It was so bad! And the next day, I really thought it was some crazy messed up fever dream, but no! Dad was there when I watched it and he was confused, too! They really have gotten so lazy, they’re just re-using old plots that were perfect and ruining them with weird, random changes! Like, if you’re going to remake a Barbie movie and remix and rewrite one of the best songs from it, you could at least do it correctly!“ Carrie ranted and sighed dramatically, making both girls laugh a little at her antics.
“Yikes. Barbie Girl betrayed by her childhood idol. Hurts, doesn’t it?” Flynn asked and gave her a look, referring to the time when Flynn’s favorite dolls were no longer on shelves and making Carrie wince slightly.
“But I heard Bratz came back, didn’t it?” Carrie asked her, getting a nod. “Any news about your favorite doll, Chic?“ She asked Julie, easily falling back into the habit of calling the girls by their nicknames.
Julie pouted and shook her head, slumping her shoulders. “Absolutely nothing. It’s like they just want everyone to forget they ever made them.“
“That’s evil.” Carrie rolled her eyes again, shaking her head in dismay.
“It’s awful, Carrie!” Julie huffed.
“And it’s not like I can do anything about it, either! I’m just me!” Carrie pouted sympathetically and gave her shoulder a squeeze.
“Maybe my dad can. I can ask him to make some calls. Yell at some idiots who clearly don’t understand the mistake they’re making here.“ She offered. “I mean, you don’t just upset Carrie Wilson’s friend and get away unscathed. You get away with a hole in your wallet.“ She smirked.
Julie grinned at Carrie, squeezing her back tightly. “You’re the best, Barbie girl!“ She said happily, making Flynn smile at them. “I missed having a friend as powerful as you.“ She said and Carrie shrugged, strutting in front of them.
“Well, you know. With great power comes great responsibility and all that. I’m just using my power to make my friends happy, because that’s one of my many responsibilities.“ She said simply and the girls just laughed and let Carrie lead.
Carrie smiled and kept walking in a comfortable silence with them, making a mental list of every question she had and everything she wanted to tell them. She really did have so many questions and so many exciting things to tell them about. She perked up as they arrived at Julie’s and walked inside, greeting her dad with a grin.
“Hey, dad. We’re home.” Julie said, waving at her dad looking at pictures on his laptop.
“Hey, Mr. Molina! Long time, no see!“ She said as Julie went to raid the fridge and cabinets to get some snacks and drinks.
“Carrie! Haven’t seen your face around in a while!“ Ray grinned giving Flynn a side hug. “Hi, Flynn. You girls have a good day at school?” He asked and they all nodded, Julie glancing with a smile at seemingly nothing for a second before handing Flynn a bag of cool ranch doritos and a can of 7-Up.
“Oh, you know. School was school. The usual. Hey, Barbie Girl. Cherry cola still your favorite?“ She asked and Carrie nodded, taking the can handed to her.
“Thanks.“
“Good thing Carlos loves cherry cola too. Dad, please don’t tell him I stole one for Carrie. We’ll be in my room.“ Julie said and led the girls to her bedroom, sitting in bed with their snacks.
Carrie looked around at Julie’s bedroom with a smile and sat next to her, taking a sip of her cherry cola. “Your room is cute, Chic. A little different than I remember, but cute.“ She noted, perking up when she saw a familiar box on a shelf. “Hey, is that your dream box?“
Julie looked up and nodded, biting into a dorito she stole from Flynn’s bag.
“Do you still keep the Chanel charm I gave you in there?“ She asked, biting into an oreo cookie.
“Yeah. I’ve thought about putting it on a bracelet, but I don’t wanna lose that. It’s-“ Julie smiled, stealing another dorito from Flynn and getting a “Hey! Not your doritos!“ from her. ”It’s one of my favorite memories of us.“
Carrie looked at Julie and gave her a sweet smile, wrapping an arm around her neck. “It’s one of my favorite memories, too. It was a really good day.“ She said softly, remembering how excited Julie was to have ”a real Chanel charm, mom!“ in her possession now.
She hummed and grabbed another cookie as Julie looked up and excused herself to go do something, unhooking her arm from Julie’s neck. “So Brat.” Flynn looked up, watching Carrie curiously.
“What’s the story on the hologram boys?“ She asked, deciding not to beat around the bush.
“OH. Um. They are- WERE a band from Sweeden. And Julie met them on twitter. And they started skyping and then did the hologram thing and here we are! Now they’re Julie’s band.“ Flynn said and took a swig of her drink, seemingly ignoring Carrie’s squinting eyes.
“Uh huh... Sweeden. That’s what Julie told you?” She asked and Flynn nodded.
“Yup! That’s what she said.“
“And Julie leaving suddenly, that wouldn’t have anything to do with the boys, would it?“ She asked suspiciously, crossing her arms. It totally wasn’t that she didn’t believe her best friends. They were just both acting too weird. Like that time when they showed up at her house unannounced, asked for water and Flynn was telling her and Nick about a racoon or whatever was in her backyard.
Flynn shook her head and looked up when Julie came back in, offering her an oreo.
“Everything good?” She asked and Julie nodded, taking the cookie.
“Yeah, we’re good. Hey. You guys wanna paint each other’s nails like we used to?“ She asked and Carrie nodded her head,  deciding to drop it for now.
“Sure. I’m do for a manicure, anyway.“ She said, deciding she could try again another day.
“Pink glitter for you, I assume?“ Julie asked and Carrie nodded with a smile, watching Julie grab a bottle of polish remover and cotton balls, hot pink glitter polish, a shiny purple polish, and a dark red polish that matched Flynn’s skirt perfectly.
“Hey, I have this exact glitter nail polish in my collection!“ She noticed with a smile and got to work on removing her week old, slightly chipped baby pink nail polish.
Julie chuckled as she started to paint Flynn’s nails expertly, gently holding her fingers still. “Maybe we’re not so different after all, then.“ Carrie nodded at Julie’s comment, laughing softly.
“No, the pink princess and the purple rock star really aren’t that different. The red rap goddess isn’t different from me, either. But she is awesome.” She said, making Flynn smile at the compliment.
“Thanks, Barbie Girl.“
“Just being honest, Brat-“ “She’s just speaking truth, Brat-“ Carrie laughed when she and Julie spoke at the same time, making Julie and Flynn laugh, too.
“I missed this so much. I missed my girls so much.“ She said, leaning her head on Julie’s shoulder.
“I missed you, too, Carrie. We both missed you so much.“ Flynn nodded at Julie’s words, looking up.
“You know... You and Dirty Candy sounded really good at Eats&Beats.“ She said with a smile. “It was so cool, it made me forget why I ha- Thought I hated you.“ She corrected herself quickly. “It was really good choreo and dancing. And I guess those outfits were pretty cute, too.“ She said, making Carrie chuckle.
“Oh, really? Not “too Barbie-like” for your tastes, Brat?“ She joked with a smirk. “You know, I actually came up with that look. I dreamed it up, drew it out and I had the outfits custom made.“ She told them proudly, making them grin at her in surprise.
“Ooh, the pop princess is a fashion designer on the side now, is she?“ Julie teased with a smile as she finished Flynn’s left hand and started the other.
“Oh, you know me, girls. Always looking for something else to be good at. Always looking for something else to be praised for.“ Carrie joked and rolled her eyes at herself, shaking her head.
“You were always the best dancer out of the three of us.“ Carrie smiled at that, looking down.
“Really? I always thought you deserved the title “best dancer“ out of us three, Flynn.“ She admitted softly.
“Me? No. I’m the rapper and the DJ out of us. Julie’s the singer and the pianist and you’re the dancer and apparently, the fashion designer.“ Flynn told her and Julie nodded in agreement, capping the bottle when she finished.
“Yeah, what Brat said. You’re totally the most graceful dancer in the room right now.“ Julie told her, speaking as if she really did believe it, surprising Carrie.
“Oh. Thank you, girls.“ She said softly, feeling her smile grow.
“Yeah, you’re amazing! The way you spin around? I can’t do that without falling over or getting dizzy.“ Julie grinned and laughed at herself.
“And that footwork, girl!“ Flynn said, blowing on her nails to dry them faster as Carrie opened the purple nail polish bottle.
“I work really hard to be that good.“ She said, sitting straighter.
“And all that hard work pays off.“ Julie confirmed for her. “And your voice is good, too! Not just your dancing.“ She said and Carrie smiled.
“Well, you know. Singing runs in the family.“ She bragged and flipped her hair, giggling with them. “Come here, Chic. Time for your nails.“ She said and Julie shifted to get closer, taking one last cookie in her mouth before she let Carrie start painting.
“You were really good at school, too. That song was stuck in my head for, like, an hour after.“ Julie laughed.
“That’s the goal. Get Dirty Candy stuck in everyone’s heads so they come back to our music videos on youtube. Hope one of them is a music rep and we get a deal. Become mega famous like dad.“ Carrie told the girls as she painted Julie’s nails.
“Or, become mega famous like Dirty Candy deserves because you guys are really good and deserve the recognition no matter who your dad is.“ Flynn pointed out and gave Carrie a look.
Oh. Carrie didn’t think about it like that before. She always just figured she would be in her dad’s shadow no matter the recognition she and her girls got. She knew they were good, but she knew her dad would always be bigger. She told Julie and Flynn as much, blinking when they both once again insisted that Dirty Candy was just as good and deserved just as much recognition as Trevor Wilson.
“Thanks, girls.“ She said after a minute and smiled, quickly finishing up Julie’s right hand and grabbing her left.
“Hey, we’re just telling the truth. You and your girls have real talent.“ Julie smiled and squeezed her hand.
“As do the two of you. And your band.“ Carrie said as she resumed painting Julie’s nails before remembering something. “Oh, hey. My friend Kayla wants to know if your bassist is single.“ She told her.
“Oh, Reggie? Yeah, he’s very single.“ Julie confirmed with a quick nod and a grin. “Kayla is Purple Candy, yeah?“ She asked and Carrie nodded.
“She’s got a huge crush on him.“ She giggled. “It’s kinda funny. He’s usually not her type, but he just does something to her.“
“And she does something to him.“ Julie smirked.
“She does?“ Flynn and Carrie asked at the same time, making Julie laugh.
“Ooh, if you two only heard the way that boy talks about ‘that pretty girl that smiled at me at Julie’s school’. It makes me and Luke laugh so hard. And- OH. And Alex, my drummer, he’s a Dirty Candy fan!“
Carrie grinned at hearing more about Julie’s band friends, laughing softly. “Oh, is he? Tell me more about your boys, Chic.“
“Alex really likes dancing. And he loves your music. Almost as much as he loves drumming. And Reggie, he may look like a super cool rock star, but he’s a total dork off stage.“ Julie giggled. “And Luke-” She blushed, growing shy. “Luke is so sweet. He gives really nice pep talks and he’s really supportive and encouraging when I’m nervous or when Alex gets really anxious.“
Carrie smirked and Flynn snickered at the dreamy, far away look in Julie’s eyes, finishing up her nails.
“-And he’s really funny and smart and cute and his lyrics are so good and-“ Julie blushed red and shut her mouth when she realized how much she was gushing about Luke and that Flynn and Carrie were laughing at her. “And- Well, you heard what Flynn said I sound like at school. He’s that. And so much more.“
Carrie snorted and nodded, capping the purple nail polish bottle. “Yes, and she was not exaggerating at all.“ She laughed, making Flynn cackle. “Your little crush on him is so cute, Julie.“
“So cute!“ Flynn nodded, still cackling into her hands.
“He’s obviously special to you. And I hope I’m right that your Luke feels the same about you. I hope you two find a way to be together and he treats you right. If he doesn’t, I’m here to cry to. After I pummel him like roadkill.“ Carrie said, making Julie and Flynn laugh again.
“Thanks, Carrie. I really appreciate that.“ Julie smiled gratefully and blew on her nails, shuffling to let Flynn in her spot to paint Carrie’s nails.
“Hey, that’s what friends are for.“ Carrie shrugged as Flynn opened the bottle with a smile, starting to paint Carrie’s nails.
“I’d hate to be the boy that hurts you, Barbie Girl.” Julie joked with a smirk.
“Ehh, I wouldn’t and don’t pity the next dumb boy that hurts her. He deserves whatever fury she unleashes on him, and what fury I unleash on him, if he loses his mind and hurts her.“ Flynn shrugged.
Carrie laughed at that and shook her head, covering her mouth with the hand Flynn wasn’t painting. “No. No. I’m so over boys right now. I’m not looking for a new boytoy at the moment. I’m just gonna live my life.“ She told them.
“You’re not gonna try to get back together with Nick again?“ Julie asked.
“Oh! I didn’t tell you yet! No, we’re never getting back together. But we talked it all out and we are friends. Just friends.“ Carrie smiled. “Well, on the condition that I don’t force him to watch The Bachelor and The Bachelorette with me anymore.“ She laughed. “Oh, he always got so bored so fast with those shows.“
Julie snickered into her hand, leaning her head on Flynn’s shoulder. “Oh, dear. Whatever will Barbie Girl do with Danforth-Evans now that she can’t watch trashy reality shows with him?“
Carrie almost snorted at that, but stayed still so Julie could finish her nails, chest heaving with laughter. “I’m sure our darling boy can find other things that both of us will enjoy doing together.“
“Our darling boy. That’s nice.“ Julie smiled and Flynn nodded with a grin.
Flynn finished painting Carrie nails and blew them dry, rolling her eyes fondly when she promptly pulled out her phone and took pictures of her nails for instagram. She smiled, though, seeing the caption on the post:
“Nails courtesy of my girl, rap goddess, bomb DJ, graceful dancer and favorite little Brat, Flynn 💖“
Flynn and Julie both liked the post and commented red and purple heart emojis on it, posting their own nails to their instagrams.
Carrie grinned as she liked and commented pink heart emojis on both posts, almost immediately getting a few texts from confused classmates who thought they all hated each other still. She kindly replied to the texts and put her phone away, just talking to the girls about everything and nothing for a few hours.
She left after a while to go home, telling everyone she promised her dad she’d be home for dinner. She hugged the girls good bye and walked out, heading home. She grinned as she thought about everything they’d talked about, looking down at her expertly done nails.
Step five... Semi accomplished? She thought and shrugged after a second, getting home quickly and walking inside. She was at least friends with Nick and hanging out with Flynn and Julie again. That had to count a little bit toward being a better person, right? Carrie thought so. She shut the door behind herself and walked toward the dining room, perking up when she found her dad. “Hi, daddy!“ She grinned happily and hugged him.
“Hi, baby! You have a good time at Julie’s today? How was school?“ He asked, happy to see his daughter so happy.
“Yeah. We talked a lot and we painted each other’s nails- She has the same polish that I do! And we posted it all on instagram because of course we had to.” She giggled again. “And school was school. Made up with Julie and Flynn. Made up with Nick. But we’re just friends now.“
She smiled as she sat down to eat with him, telling him all about her day. She felt her smile grow as he relaxed more, clearly not thinking right now about whatever it was that had been bothering him. Good sign. Good sign. She went up to her bedroom a while after, deciding to go to sleep soon if she wanted a good start tomorrow. She had a lot to do and a lot to say. She got ready quickly and laid in bed, slowly falling asleep.
3 notes · View notes
Text
mystery flowers - a seblos oneshot <3
decided that i had to write this before next week’s ep comes out!! based on my post from yesterday lol where the flowers are from seb for carlos but he messes up and doesn’t attach the card - enjoy!
“We’ve got mystery flowers people!” Carlos shouted, carrying in an enormous bouquet of flowers and drawing everyone’s attention. Seb put down his brush, hoping his makeup would make his actual blush less obvious, but the entire cast and crew were looking at the flowers, so he had nothing to worry about. Maybe the size of the bouquet was a little bit overkill, but once he had started adding flowers he couldn’t stop. He had wanted to give Carlos an opening night gift to show his appreciation for all of his hard work on the show throughout the semester, and when he had found that basket abandoned in the barn, it had all come together. He picked the flowers from his backyard discreetly, but when his mom saw what he was doing and started yelling at him, the damage had already been done. It had still been worth it, though, to see the smile on Carlos’ face as he carried in the giant bouquet.
Seb was about to go up to Carlos and talk to him alone when he processed one of his words and Big Red articulated his next thought: “why mystery?”
Carlos shrugged and said, “there was no card, so I’m guessing it’s dealer’s choice, but, if I had to bet, I’d say it’s for our leading lady!” He pointed at Nini who returned a shy smile, and everyone returned to their state of pre-show chaos.
Seb knit his brow in confusion. Why did Carlos think the flowers were for Nini? He had very clearly written Carlos’ name (accompanied by little hearts) on a small piece of card and-
Seb stood up suddenly, earning a concerned look from Kourtney. “You okay?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Seb stammered, his eyes darting around the room for his coat, “I just left something in my coat, I think.” Kourtney shrugged and continued doing her own makeup as Seb made a beeline for the corner of the room with the pile of jackets.
Once he found his corduroy jacket, his hands fidgeted frantically with the button on the right top pocket. He stuck his hand inside. Nothing. He opened the pocket on the other side and when he reached in he did feel the crisp edges of the card. Seb rolled his eyes at himself. Of course he had forgotten to actually put the card in the bouquet. He glanced around the room to make sure no one had caught onto what he was doing, but everyone was preoccupied with one last-minute emergency or another, including Carlos. He made his way back to the makeup tables and decided he would have to tell him about the flowers after the show.
.
As the cast walked off stage from the curtain call, bursting with energy, they all cheered and yelled incoherently. They had ushered Miss Jenn and Carlos onstage after all of the cast bows, and Seb had beamed with pride as the other boy grinned and bowed for the cheering audience. Their eyes met across the stage and when Seb caught up to Carlos in the wings the other boy took his hand.
“You were so good! Absolutely stole the show,” Carlos said, swinging their arms as they followed the rest of the cast backstage. “I told you you had nothing to worry about,” he squeezed Seb’s hand, earning a smile from the blonde boy. Their eye contact lingered for a few moments before Nini ran up to them and hugged them both.
“Seb!!! You were so incredible, it was so hard to hate you!” she gushed, and the boys laughed. “Oh my God, and Carlos,” she added, “might I just say, the best portrayal of Chad Danforth I’ve ever seen.”
“I second that!” Seb giggled.
“Let’s never talk about that again,” Carlos groaned. “But you? Nini Salazar-Roberts, you blew me away!”
Nini grinned, keeping her arms around them on either side. “Thanks! You know, knowing that the dean was here, it actually motivated me… Speaking of, I should probably go back out there and introduce myself!”
“Yes, go go go!” Seb pushed her back towards the stage and Carlos gave an encouraging thumbs-up. “I’m gonna go and quickly change out of these pants, they just don’t breathe at all,” Seb gave Carlos a knowing glance.
“Ok,” Carlos chuckled and raised his eyebrows as Seb rushed off to get his clothes, before turning to find Gina.
Once everything had quieted down a bit and most of the cast had filtered out, Seb, with the only trace of his Sharpay costume now the glitter in his hair, spotted Carlos packing up his binder in the corner of the room. He took a deep breath as his hand wrapped around the card in his pocket. Carlos glanced up and met Seb’s eyes with a smile. “What are you still doing in here? I thought everyone had already gone to Ashlyn’s.”
Seb fidgeted with his hands and looked down as he walked towards the other boy. “I was looking for you, actually…” Carlos raised his eyebrows in response, waiting for Seb to go on. “I know we joked about it earlier, but you seriously did such a good job stepping up to play Chad,” Seb said earnestly, as Carlos started shaking his head. “And I mean, as much as all the role-swapping tonight was an absolute mess, we managed to deal with it pretty well!”
“Luckily we had you as the star of the show to hold it all together,” Carlos smiled, swinging his bag over his shoulder.
Seb blushed, muttering a shy “thanks,” before realizing that he needed to say something now if he was going to. “Hey, um, before we go,” he started, Carlos glancing up expectantly, “I found the card that was supposed to go with the flowers.”
Confusion washed over Carlos’ face. “Wait, what do you mean?” he asked, and Seb held out the card in response.
“For you,” Seb said with a shy smile, and Carlos took the card, blushing at the little hearts doodled around his name.
“They’re from you?” Carlos asked, completely dumbfounded. He really had thought they had been for Nini. The possibility of the flowers being for him hadn’t crossed his mind at all, not even for a moment.
Seb nodded, gathering up the courage to respond. As a result, it came out all at once. “Yeah, I picked them on my farm this morning, did the whole arrangement as an opening night gift and even made the card, but because I’m an idiot, I forgot to actually put the card in the bouquet before leaving it in the hallway…” he trailed off with a shrug and a smile.
Carlos was overwhelmed. He still couldn’t believe the flowers were for him, let alone from Seb, the love of his life, or his crush, who was standing here all flustered in front of him. “You picked them yourself?” was all he managed to say, and Seb nodded sheepishly.
“I’m sorry- do you not like them?” Seb looked concerned, “I should’ve just bought a bouquet on the way here-“
“No, no, I love them, Seb!” Carlos reassured the other boy, putting his hands on his shoulders. “They’re beautiful,” he dropped his hands back down and cocked his head to the side. “But why didn’t you say something earlier? When I brought them in?”
“Well, you said that they weren’t addressed to anyone and I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of everyone,” Seb explained. “Especially after everyone thought that they were for Nini - I didn’t want to disappoint her right before going onstage,” he added, and Carlos nodded along.
“Ok, good point,” Carlos replied. “That might have dramatically increased the stress level in the room, and it was already pretty high, mostly thanks to me,” he chuckled.
Seb looked Carlos in the eye. “You know how incredible you are, right?” he asked. Carlos just stared back at him, speechless. “I didn’t just bring you flowers because I- I like you,” Seb blushed, and Carlos did as well upon hearing those words, “I brought them because you deserve them. This whole year you’ve been working so hard to bring this show to life, basically singlehandedly, when Miss Jenn was going through it, and no one has truly acknowledged that.” Carlos stared in awe at the boy in front of him. “I just wanted to show you how much I appreciate you, Carlos, for everything, but especially for giving me what I’ve always wanted by helping me become Sharpay.” Seb’s heart was pounding in his chest, and he couldn’t believe he had said all of that, but he was glad to have gotten it all out.
Carlos took a step closer to brush the few stray hairs that were hanging down onto Seb’s forehead out of the way, resting his arms around his shoulders, and the blonde boy thought he would combust right then and there. “Thank you,” Carlos said, his voice softer than Seb had ever heard it before. “For the flowers,” he added, smiling and shaking his head in disbelief, “and for everything that you just said.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” Seb smiled, glancing from Carlos’ eyes down to his lips and back, “it’s all true.”
Seb took another step forward and they both leaned in, their eyes fluttering shut moments before their lips connected. Carlos tightened his arms around Seb’s neck and Seb wrapped one arm around Carlos’ back, gently pulling him closer. The kiss was soft and careful but they pulled away after a few moments because they both found themselves smiling too much. Seb giggled and couldn’t help but give Carlos a quick peck right after they pulled apart, making the other boy blush even more. “Oh my God, you’re the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Carlos said, keeping his arms around Seb’s neck and ruffling his hairspray-hardened hair with one hand. Some glitter fell into his face and Seb scrunched up his nose and eyes but still couldn’t stop smiling.
“Stop, the glitter’s gonna get everywhere!” Seb laughed, and Carlos pulled his arms back but shrugged.
“Isn’t that the point?” he asked, reaching for Seb’s hand and intertwining their fingers. Seb shot back a giddy smile and squeezed Carlos’ hand.
A thought suddenly dawned on Seb and he pulled Carlos toward the door. “We should really get going if we wanna make it to Ash’s in time for the cake!”
“Cake? No one ever told me about cake!” Carlos replied with just as much urgency. “But will you at least help me carry the flowers to the car, since it’s your fault that they’re so big?”
Seb laughed and picked up one side of the basket. “Of course,” he said, and they carried the bouquet out into the East High parking lot together with dumb grins plastered across their faces.
61 notes · View notes