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nancygillianmvp · 1 year

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i love him on purpose

1,756 words. rated t. summary: After a long week, Carlos plans a cozy date night of reading and comfort food for his husband.

Living in the heart of downtown, most things are within walking distance of Carlos, and TK’s loft, including some of the best queer nightlife Austin has to offer, TK’s favourite Chinese takeout place, a Trader Joe’s and a great bookstore.

Unlike most of the bookstores in the area, this one isn’t a chain but a little independent place with a coffee shop that makes some of the best coffee in the city. As it’s only half a block from their apartment, TK and Carlos are frequent visitors.

When Carlos stops to pick up an iced latte on the way home from picking up groceries, he has an idea.

It’s been a long week in the Reyes-Strand household, and the majority of Carlos’s opportunities to see his husband have been passing greetings as they head in and out the door for their shifts on opposite schedules and a few shared lunches at the firehouse—all of which ended up interrupted by calls.

But they both have the next two days off together, and Carlos’ shift ends earlier than TK’s, so he makes plans for a date night while waiting for his coffee.

They’ve both been working overtime since the wedding and the honeymoon to make up for the time off, so a date night is more than overdue. After a long week, Carlos has just the thing in mind for date night. Nothing fancy; after the week they’ve had, Carlos figures a quiet night is just what they need.

When he gets home, Carlos thumbs through the recipe folder on the counter until he finds what he’s looking for—a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe he’s made before with TK’s help. Carlos has always preferred the freedom and art of cooking over the exact science of baking. Still, cookies have always been one of TK’s go-to comfort foods—it’s not unusual to find him baking cookies at odd hours if he’s had a hard shift or wants to feel closer to his mom—cookies and Chinese takeout.

keep reading on ao3 or under the cut

By the time the cookies go into the oven, Carlos has flour in his hair—though he couldn’t possibly tell you how it ended up there—the kitchen is a mess. TK is due home in twenty minutes, which Carlos hopes will be enough time to clean up and have the whole apartment smelling like freshly baked cookies.

As Carlos takes the cookies out of the oven, TK texts to say a call ran over and he’ll be a little late. Carlos finishes the last of his washing up, and although they’re still hot, he can’t help but sample one of the cookies before settling into the couch with a magazine. Of course, it’s nothing like the cookies TK makes with Gwyn’s secret recipe—nothing will ever compare to those—but they’re perfectly crisp with a soft, chewy interior and chocolate that melts in his mouth. If nothing else, they’re made with love and make the apartment smell inviting.

“Hi, husband,” TK says as he walks into the apartment, throws his keys in the bowl on the end table and shrugs off his backpack. “It smells incredible in here, Carlos.”

“Hey, babe. How was your shift?” Carlos asks, standing and leaning against the arm of the sofa to greet him.

TK leans in to hug Carlos, momentarily burying his face in his neck. “Long. How was yours?”

“Uneventful.”

“Where is this delicious smell coming from?” TK asks.

“I made you cookies.” He says and watches his husband’s expression soften.

“You made me cookies?”

“It’s nothing special, just chocolate chip.”

“Nothing special? Taking the time to make me cookies is special, babe.” TK says, planting a kiss on Carlos’ cheek and crossing to the kitchen. “Thank you.”

Carlos stays resting against the back of the sofa as TK crosses the room and hops up to sit on the kitchen counter beside the rack of cookies.

“So what’s the occasion? I haven’t forgotten an anniversary—at least I hope I haven’t—and it’s not my birthday, so what’s the occasion?” TK asks as he takes a bite of the cookie in his hand. “Babe, these are delicious.” He says through a mouthful.

“No occasion. I don’t need a reason to spoil my husband, and besides, we’re overdue a date night.”

“I don’t know if I’m up for a date night, baby. It’s been such a long week. I was hoping we could just chill at home tonight.” TK says, and Carlos gets it; he feels the same, which is precisely why he planned a lowkey night in, not a night out.

“Who says a date night can’t be chilling?”

“What have you got planned?”

“You’ll have to wait and see, won’t you,” Carlos tells him with a wink.

“Do I get a hint?” He pouts, but Carlos shakes his head, his curls bouncing as he does so and plants a kiss on his forehead.

“No hints, babe. Grab your coat.”

TK hops down from the counter, grabbing a second cookie, “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

It’s a crisp fall afternoon, and the leaves crunch beneath their feet as they walk half a block to their destination, hand in hand.

“Are we going for coffee?” TK asks as Carlos stops outside the bookstore & coffee shop.

Carlos shakes his head. “We’re here to buy each other books, and then we’re going home to read and order Chinese for dinner.”

“So I get to pick your book?” TK asks.

Carlos nods. “And I’ll be picking one for you. Meet you outside when we’re done?”

TK steps inside and starts searching the aisles for the perfect book. On the other hand, Carlos already knows exactly what book to pick for TK and only takes a few minutes to collect the pink paperback he had in mind from a display of queer book recommendations put together by the staff.

He’s not waiting outside long before TK appears, grinning and holding a paper bag.

“It’s about a handsome Texan who falls in love with an even more handsome outsider. I thought you might relate,” TK says with a flirtatious wink as he pulls a familiar pink paperback out of the bag and presents it to his husband.

“That’s funny because I thought you—a handsome outsider—might relate to a book about falling in love with an even more handsome Texan.” Carlos laughs as he takes out the same pink paperback from his own bag, a copy of Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.

“We’re definitely on the same page today,” TK says, taking Carlos’ hand in his own to walk back to the apartment.

“Must be why we make such a good team.”

When they get back to the apartment, TK kicks off his shoes and changes into a soft pink hoodie, Carlos sets out tea and cookies on the coffee table, and they settle in to read. They start out at opposite ends of the couch. Carlos is wearing his reading glasses and maintaining impeccable posture as he sits up straight against the back of the sofa, while TK is curled with his knees up to his chest in the corner of the chaise, book in one hand and a cookie in the other.

After about half an hour, Carlos looks up from his book to see TK seemingly zoned out. His gaze is fixed above the book in his hands. “Why aren’t you reading your book?”

“I prefer watching you read,” TK says, dog-earing the book—earning a wince from Carlos—and placing it on the couch beside him, “I could watch you read all day. You look so peaceful, and you’re so damn sexy in those glasses.”

“Shut up,” Carlos responds playfully.

“You love me.”

“That I do.”

“Are you hungry?”

“I could eat,” Carlos replies, putting a bookmark in and closing his book.

They order Chinese and eat on the couch when it arrives, discussing what they’ve read and how Carlos can’t get over the similarities between TK and Alex Claremont Diaz so far. When TK clears away the takeout containers and puts the leftovers in the fridge, Carlos picks up his book to resume reading but is soon interrupted by TK planting himself right beside him, resting back against his chest.

“Read to me?” He asks, relaxing further into him and looking up at him with those green eyes softened into an expression Carlos finds damn near impossible to say no to.

Carlos nods and wraps his arms and the book around his shoulders. “Where were you up to?”

“Chapter two,” TK responds, and Carlos starts reading.

By the time Carlos starts reading chapter three aloud, TK looks like he might have fallen asleep, but he insists he wasn’t.

“I was just closing my eyes and enjoying the story. Your voice is so soothing. This was exactly what I needed tonight, babe. Thank you.” TK says, turning to kiss him.

Several hours later, Carlos is once again sure TK is falling asleep on his chest, so he closes the book softly and starts to take off his glasses.

“One more page?” TK asks, opening his eyes to look up at him.

Carlos can’t resist that look, “One more page.”

Later that night, as the moonlight peeks through the curtains, Carlos lies awake, enveloped in his husband’s comforting embrace. Like most nights, TK drifted off quickly while Carlos lies awake with the world's weight on his shoulders. Some nights, even being wrapped in his husband’s arms isn’t enough to quieten his anxieties.

As if he can sense how Carlos feels, TK, now awake, whispers to him. “He’s like you, you know.”

“Who?”

“Henry.”

Carlos is surprised at first, but for the most part, he understands the comparison other than one huge point of difference. “Yeah, maybe, except for the fact he’s a prince .”

“You’re a prince too, my very own personal prince charming,” Though he can’t see TK’s face, Carlos knows he’s grinning after delivering such a cheesy line.

“You are so cheesy,”

“But you love me,”

“I do,” Carlos says; he loves TK more than he ever felt possible or than he ever thought he could allow himself to. He thinks over a quote from the book that reminds him so much of his own relationship, ‘I love him on purpose,’ because despite everything in his own past, in TK’s past, he loves TK— all of TK—on purpose. So he whispers back to his husband, “I love you on purpose.”

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renegadesstuff · 1 year

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9-1-1 Lone star has been renewed for a 5th season 🥳❤️

Married Tarlos era here we go 😍😍

#911 lone star #tk strand #tarlos #carlos reyes #tk and carlos #tk x carlos #carlos x tk #carlos and tk #911 lone star season 4 #911 lone star season 5 #Married Tarlos

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alrightbuckaroo · 1 year

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When Life Gives You Lemons

Chapter: 1/1 | Rating: General Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | Word Count: 1377 | TK is helping Jonah sell lemonade during a hot summer day. They're not having any luck with customers until Carlos decides to walk by.

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“TK?” Jonah’s voice is quiet and TK can hear his confusion clear through the question. “Am I doing something wrong?”

He looks up at TK; his eyebrows knitted together, and his lower lip is jutted out. His green eyes showing slight defeat. TK doesn’t know how to do it; but he knows he wants that look to go away, “Of course not, buddy. We just need to be patient; someone will walk by, eventually.”

TK didn’t say it out loud; but he wasn’t too sure how true that would be with it being in the high 80s on a Thursday afternoon in the suburbs of Austin.

Jonah doesn’t seem too convinced by TK’s false optimism so TK tries his next best trick; distraction.

“Why don’t you inside, grab some more markers, huh?” TK suggests. “We can make some more signs, use some of that glitter glue we got yesterday.”

Jonah dejectedly agrees before hoping off of his chair and walking through the opened garage and into their house.

TK occupies his time alone by spinning the mixing spoon in the pitcher of strawberry fizzy lemonade and rearranging the red plastic cups. He feels his phone start to vibrate agains the table and hurries to grab it, at risk of the newly arranged cups becoming askew.

“Hey,” TK answers, not bothering to see who it is.

“Hey babe,” Carlos’ voice is cutting through the line and TK smiles to himself. He sounds exhausted but TK loves the sound just the same. “I’m heading home, did you want me to pick up anything for dinner?”

TK looks at the pitcher of lemonade again before answering. “Do you think we already have everything for chicken Alfredo?”

Carlos is quiet a moment, visualizing what they already have in the kitchen. “I think so, but, I’ll probably pick up some more parmesan cheese anyways. We just had it a couple of nights ago, is it that high in demand again already?”

TK shrugs even though he knows Carlos can't see him. “It’s Jonah’s favorite and I think he just needs a little bit of a pick me up.”

“What’s going on?” TK can hear Carlos getting into this car, the sound of his voice becoming more insulated.

“We’re selling lemonade.” TK mixes the pitcher again as he sees some of the flavoring start to settle at the bottom. “Well, we’re trying to.”

“TK, I already told you we can afford the science camp we’re sending Jonah to this week.” Carlos jokes.

continued on ao3 <3

#series: this is what falling in love feels like #tk strand #carlos reyes #tarlos #married tarlos #tarlos fic #tarlos fanfic #911 lone star fic #911lsfic #911 ls fic #my writing

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detective-giggles · 1 year

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Back to Square One

My contribution to @tarlosweeklyprompts whump week for the prompt Adoption Falling Through. I’m also using this as a fill for @badthingshappenbingo Crying Themselves to Sleep. Word Count: 1376 Warnings: The prompt says it all; but in this fic TK and Carlos deal with a failed adoption attempt. This fic has been in the works for a while, but whump week finally gave me the motivation to finish it. T- thank you for the beta! I appreciate you taking the time to make this fic as angsty as possible! hahaha.

***

Carlos lets out a heavy sigh, his hands gripping the steering wheel tight enough to turn his knuckles white. The car seat sits empty in the back, a reminder of everything that should have been and everything they had lost, again. Every time Carlos catches a glimpse of it in the mirror, he thinks he’s going to be sick. TK has been oddly silent on the drive home from the hospital which has been both a blessing and a curse.

He knows that TK is restless. He can see it in the anxious way he moves, tapping his foot against the floorboard and gnawing on the strings of his hoodie, hands twisting in his lap instead of one sitting comfortably in Carlos’ like normal

Carlos desperately wishes he knew what to say that could fix this. Something that could make him feel okay about this awful situation they are in, but with Carlos feeling the same, heavy sadness, how could he when he still felt so empty himself?

Carlos pulls the car into the driveway and kills the ignition. “Look, TK-”

He fights back tears as TK opens the door and climbs out of the car. TK slams the door a little harder than necessary and Carlos sighs and worries that TK’s going to make them wallow in their pain without the other to lean on - before he realizes TK is waiting for him.

He slides out of the car and makes his way to his husband. TK reaches for his hand, grabbing it tightly like it’s a lifeline, and together they make their way up the walkway. He squeezes Carlos’ hand as they walk, a silent I love you. I need you.

Carlos is prepared for TK to head straight to bed when they get inside. He is not prepared, however, to be greeted at his front door by his parents and Owen, presenting gifts and looking every part of the Proud Grandparents.

TK takes one look around the impromptu party, face falling even more, and freezes for just a second before making a beeline for the stairs. Carlos watches helplessly as TK takes the stairs two at a time and then disappears, slamming the door behind him. He winces as the sound echoes in the now silent space, itching to join TK and hide from the world.

He starts to follow and then stops, turning to face all three of their parents. “I’m sorry,” he says automatically.

“Carlitos… what happened?” Andrea asks and pulls him in close, wrapping him in a hug.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now. I- we just- I’m sorry, I need to go.”

“Of course. Go be with TK,” Andrea says. “We’ll clean up here and let ourselves out,” she offers as she presses a gentle kiss to her son’s cheek.

“Thank you.” Carlos hurries up the stairs without looking back.

“TK, baby?” Carlos pushes open the door and finds TK curled up under their blankets, holding a stuffed bumble bee that should have belonged to their daughter.

“I…can’t do this again.” TK’s words feel like a punch to the gut and Carlos tries to fight against the nausea as the reality of what TK said sinks in. He doesn’t blame TK for feeling this way, but he also wishes he didn’t. They still have a chance to have the family they want.

Carlos swallows hard, “TK, we don’t have to make any decisions right now. Everything is still so fresh and-”

TK shakes his head. “Carlos, I’m sorry. But I can’t.” He looks down, unable to meet Carlos’ gaze.

“TK, sweetheart, I…” Carlos pulls TK close and nods. He rubs TK’s back and presses a kiss to his crown. He can feel TK’s tears soak into his shirt. He wants to cry too, to mourn the family he’ll never have but TK needs him right now, so he stays silent.

“Yeah, okay, I understand,” Carlos says finally. He doesn’t understand, but he’s already watched TK’s heart shatter and he’ll do anything to make sure it doesn’t happen again. He wouldn’t put TK through this pain again if TK didn’t want to try. His husband’s mental health and happiness meant more to him right now than any could be family they would have.

Eventually TK’s sobs quiet to hiccups and soon he drifts off into, what Carlos assumes will be, a fitful sleep.

Carlos slips out of bed and makes his way toward the staircase. The door to the nursery is cracked and he pauses in the doorway, leaning heavily against the door frame.

The room is stuffed full of everything they would have needed for the new baby. Some stuff was new, some things were hand-me-downs. Carlos wasn’t even sure what was in all the boxes. He knew one thing, however, every item in that room was gifted with so much love.

He sighs, defeated. Numb. He wants to be angry; he wants to be able to blame someone. But instead, there’s the empty hollowness of his dreams slipping through his fingertips. His stomach flips and he feels nauseous again; his heart pounds as he thinks about all they need to do to turn the nursery back into a functional guest room.

Carlos turns and, against his better judgment, sends his fist flying into the door jamb. He regrets it almost immediately; pain explodes in his hand and radiates into his wrist and arm, but it doesn’t compare to the pain in his heart.

“Damn it,” he mutters. There’s a red smear from where the skin on his knuckles split upon impact and it’s already starting to swell.

Carlos slams the door behind him and hurries to the staircase, putting as much distance as he can between himself and the room.

He grabs an ice pack from the freezer and drops into a chair gingerly placing the ice pack over his throbbing knuckles. He stares at the wound, wishing that it could be the thing that helps him forget the sorrow that’s taken root in his heart. He would give anything to feel something other than the heartache that he knows will stick with him for weeks, if not months.

He nearly jumps out of the chair when he feels a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Let me see,” TK urges.

“It’s fine. I promise there’s no hole in the wall.”

“I’m more worried about your hand,” TK tells him, holding out his hand. “Come on.”

Carlos takes TK’s hand in his and lets TK lead him to the bathroom. He closes the toilet lid and sits. TK takes a peek at his hand and then rummages around in the cabinet for their first aid kit.

He’s silent as he digs through the overly-stuffed plastic box and starts setting supplies aside.

“I’m sorry, TK, you shouldn’t have to take care of me right now.”

“That’s what we do. Take care of each other,” TK says simply.

Carlos watches silently as TK cleans and bandages his wounds, then pokes at his hand a bit. Carlos winces when he hits a tender spot.

“Sorry, babe. You’re lucky, I don’t think anything’s broken. You’ll just be sore for a bit. But definitely keep some ice on it to keep the swelling down.”

“Okay,” Carlos says meekly. TK hands back the partially melted ice pack and Carlos holds it against his hand.

“You know, I-”

“TK, I know you’re hurting right now. And I’m sorry. I’d do anything to make this better. But please don’t give up on us.”

“Baby, I’m not giving up on us. Look, Carlos, we’ve only been married a couple of years. Let’s just enjoy this, enjoy us. And then, in a few years, maybe we can try again?”

Carlos nods, slowly, “So you’re not saying no?”

“I’m not saying no,” TK promises. “And if an opportunity arises in the meantime, we’ll revisit this, okay?”

Carlos lets out a tiny snort. “What, you think a kid is just going to drop into our lap?”

“You never know,” TK says. “Now, come on. You probably need some fresh ice. And I think I need some junk food.”

Carlos shakes his head and reaches for TK, pulling his husband down onto his lap. “All I need is you.”

#tarlosweeklyprompts #whump week #911lsfic #tarlos whump #bthb #adoption falling through #married tarlos #angst #hurt/comfort #tarlos #tk strand #carlos reyes

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sapphire11 · 2 years

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Into your darkness, I'll shine a light

TK & Carlos' married bliss is interrupted by a stalker who tests their ability to communicate and work together as a team.

Read on AO3

Chapter 1: Shrouded in Darkness

Preview: “I think someone might be following me?” The words come out like a question, but as he takes a right, followed by another right, weaving his way messily towards his dad’s, he amends, “Yep, definitely being followed.”

There is rustling in the background and the sound of the call changes so TK thinks Carlos must have put him on speaker. “What do you mean you’re being followed?” Carlos’ voice is calm, steady, but the undercurrent of alarm is clear. TK recognizes Carlos’ professional cop voice instantly.

“I mean I’m being followed.” TK supplies unhelpfully and a little hysterically as he once again makes several weird turns. He takes a deep breath then and answers more helpfully, “I’m driving to Dad’s, for dinner. There was a truck parked out front of the loft and it’s been following me since then.”

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Did I post something new after more than a month of not writing/posting anything? Yes, I finally did!!

Thank you’s are in order to everyone who sent me WIP asks for the last couple of weeks, all the support and especially my friend and beta @noxsoulmate Without whom this fic would not have gotten posted.

Tagging all my lovely friends: @rangergurlgleek1211 @malexsoulmates @chaotictarlos @detective-giggles @ronensass @firstprince-history-huh @bubblesandroses8 @beautifulhigh

#tarlos #tarlos fic #BTHB:Stalking #BTHB #stalking #tk strand #carlos reyes #nancy gillian #911 lone star #911 lone star fic #married tarlos #original characters #bthb card #bthb prompts

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911lonestarfeels · 1 year

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So I got up this morning at five so I could watch both episodes before work. Thank you Hulu for not posting things until 301.

I honestly have a lot of different thoughts on the episode I thought it was excellently acted. But I felt like the pacing was off you know?

My ethnic, cultural, and race background is fairly similar to TK. One parent who’s Jewish the other parent is not so maybe I’m not seeing things from the right perspective? Like I had no idea that Carlos had issues with the Rangers until that episode. I thought the discussion between him and Andrea was amazing. An example of having differing positions and facts that will back up what you’re saying being civil about it and agreeing that you can’t agree. I thought that was wonderfully done.

I also really liked that. TK didn’t try and mediate between Carlos and Gabriel. It isn’t a partners job to be supportive and help them find the right path forward. However, you don’t need to insert yourself in every situation. Especially one that you’re probably not qualified to handle them. As well as TK and Carlos know each other, he don’t know the totality of the history, both in the father, son, relationship, and the relationship that the Rangers had with minority groups. While TK is technically a minority, some minorities are more in your face than others. For example, I’m a teacher my dad was Jewish, so ethnically, not religiously I’m half Jewish. Well 48% according to ancestry.com but if you walked up to me on the street, you would think I was a pure wasp – you know white Anglo-Saxon protestant. TK has that same guise. I don’t know if it’s passing or just like flipping through the cracks. But in the day today he is not going to experience the same thing as Carlos or Gabriel or Andrea. Going to Andrea at that point then later Owen, was probably the best plan.

I think overall my issue with the two episodes is this they tried to shove too much into two episodes. The disagreement between Carlos and Gabriel, the half family coming to town and meeting everybody, Owen, being Owen, he makes drama wherever he goes, Gabriel’s death and funeral Being in one episode. And the next one we have Carlos attempting to go through every stage of grief, the postponement of the wedding, which I’m pretty sure all of us knew was going to happen, Carlos beginning to veer a little bit from the normal route, the wedding, all the stuff with Wyatt and Judd quitting, which should be in quotation marks, probably, the five second honeymoon, and then assisted suicide.

I have issues with that whole storyline, which I will not get into now because this post is incredibly long, but it wasn’t necessary to shoehorn that into the end of the episode. Unless they were trying to be cheaper and not have to film anything for next season? I really love this show And I love those boys. The Reyes parents were growing on me and I hope that Owen turns down his melodrama.

But the season long lead up to the wedding that was like 20 minutes. I was disappointed. Maybe there are outtakes that they’ll post somewhere

Oh! And where are Enzo and Jonah like you have the random cousins from California that you’ve never met but not your half brother that you share with your dead mom. Color me confused.

#tarlos #tk strand #911 lone star #carlos reyes #911 lone star spoilers #burning questions #s4 #why #4x17 #4x18 #married tarlos #There are some decisions I just don’t get.

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tarlosbuddieforever · 10 months

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Happy Tarlos Tuesday🫶

Credit to original edit goes to @annefraid

#tarlos #tarlosedit #my edit #911 lone star #911 lone star edit #tk strand #carlos reyes #tk and carlos #carlos and tk #married tarlos #tarlos wedding #husbands #tarlosforever #tarlos kiss #tarlos is endgame

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unknownwritersblog · 2 years

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5 times a guy said something rude to Kai and one of the men in her life said something. And one time Kai got fed up and fired back

#9-1-1 lone star #married tarlos #nakai reyes #tk strand #carlos reyes #fanfic

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kidsoftarlos · 7 months

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#9 1 1 lone star #fanfic #married tarlos #nakai reyes #brenden hale #gabriel hale #koa hale

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nancygillianmvp · 1 year

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you and me against the world

3,318 words. rated t. summary: when well-meaning but overbearing parents turn wedding planning into a nightmare, tk and carlos take matters into their own hands.

Much to TK’s chagrin, wedding planning has created an unlikely alliance between his father and his soon-to-be mother-in-law. The small, simple wedding he and Carlos had been hoping for seems more out of reach than ever each time their parents get together. As the pair try to outdo each other’s outrageous suggestions like a flash mob and a dove release, the wedding gets bigger and more over the top, and the budget does too.

“Are they driving you mad? They’re driving me mad. My dad has gone insane.” TK vents to his fiancé as they leave another session of frustrating wedding planning and walk hand-in-hand back to Carlos’s car.

“Yeah, he and my mom are bad influences on each other. What happened to a small wedding?” Carlos admits as he opens the passenger side door for TK. TK knows giving up control over the planning hasn’t been easy for him, but his parent's approval means everything, so when Andrea asked to help plan the wedding, how could he say no? Andrea and Gabriel eloped when they were young, and Carlos is an only child, so it’s her one chance to plan a big wedding, and she’s not wasting it.

“Neither of his marriages worked out. So why does he think he has the right to dictate how ours starts?” TK says, sinking into the passenger seat as Carlos

“What if we just eloped?” TK says out of the blue as they drive along in frustrated silence, and Carlos’s eyes briefly light up at the prospect before he looks back towards the road. He opens his mouth to protest, but TK keeps talking. “No, I’m serious; hear me out. We could just be married today without any of this stress.”

read more on ao3 or under the cut

“I want nothing more, but we can’t, TK. Our families have expectations about this wedding. My mom and dad eloped. They don’t want that for us.”

“It’s not their wedding,” TK argues back. The more he thinks about it, the more he wants this. For their wedding to be just that, theirs .

“TK…”

“Carlos…”

“We can’t, babe. I wish we could, but we can’t.” Carlos tells him, eyes fixed on the road ahead. And so, TK drops the subject and pushes it to the back of his mind.

They get home just in time for TK to turn around and head back out the door for his shift. He kisses Carlos goodbye, slings his backpack across his shoulder and heads to the firehouse.

It’s a quieter shift than usual, and all the downtime gives TK time to daydream about eloping again. After their first call, Nancy corners him in the ambulance when they return to the station, “Out with it, Strand,” she says.

“Out with what?”

“You’ve been quiet all shift. It’s not like you, dude. Something is up.” She says, and TK makes a face and opens his mouth to protest, but she continues. “So, out with it. What’s on your mind?”

A surprising bonus of transferring from fire to EMS has been his friendship with Nancy; after working so closely together as partners, she’s become the sister he always wanted growing up. She knows him better than almost anyone—except Carlos—she always knows when he’s in his head, and she’s never afraid to call him on his shit. Today is no exception.

“You don’t wanna hear this,”

“Oh, so it’s about the wedding?” She says, “I was the one who broke up with Mateo, dude. So I’m not going to fall apart at the mention of a wedding.”

“Wedding planning is doing my head in, Nance.” He admits. “And don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that Andrea and my dad want to be so involved—so many couples don’t get that kind of family support—but it’s exhausting. Every time we talk, they have new ideas and want more from us.”

“But what do you and Carlos want?” Nancy asks him, and he has to stop and think; it’s been weeks since anyone's asked him that.

“We just want to be married. I don't care about seating arrangements or flower colours or whatever; all I care about is marrying the love of my life, and I kind of want to run away and just get married. Just me and him.”

“So then do it, dude. It’s your wedding, not Captain Strand’s, Mrs Reyes’, or anyone else's. Yours . Your and Carlos’s. So if that’s what you want. Do it, TK. Your families will understand.” She tells him.

And he makes up his mind. “You know what, I think we just might. Thanks for helping me work this out, Nancy.”

“What are friends for?”

The unusually quiet shift leaves TK plenty of time to hide away from his father’s prying eyes in the bunkroom to research elopement destinations within a few hours' drive from downtown Austin and make a plan.

By the end of the shift, it’s all booked. TK has made a reservation at the same little chapel Andrea and Gabriel eloped to when they were young. He’s booked a charming little Airbnb in the hill country and made sure every detail of their elopement will be to Carlos’s liking.

As their planning has evolved, TK has made a note of everything Carlos loved. Written hurriedly and secretly in the notes app on TK’s phone is a list of all of Carlos’s favourite things; the suit he tried on that was later vetoed by TK’s father, the wedding photographer he wanted to book but Andrea didn’t think was the right fit, the dulce de leche cake he loved but Owen thought was too sweet, and the ring that had Carlos’s eyes lighting up with joy. It’s all there in TK’s phone because all he’s ever cared about in the planning process is what Carlos wants.

A few phone calls later, and the photographer is booked, the bakery is making them a mini wedding cake in the dulce de leche flavour Carlos loved so much, the suit is being tailored and will be ready to pick up by the end of the week, and the florist is organising the boutonnieres. Deposits are paid, and everything is scheduled for a week and a half’s time; the first day that their days off align for more than an afternoon at a time.

How he’s going to keep this a secret from Carlos for another week and a half, he doesn’t know, but a week and a half is nothing compared to knowing he’ll spend the rest of his life married to Carlos.

“Run away with me?” TK asks Carlos that evening as they cuddle on the couch, watching some home renovation show Carlos has been talking about for weeks. But, honestly, TK isn’t really watching it; he’s far too lost in a daydream about their elopement.

“What?” Carlos asks, turning his head which has been leaning up against TK’s chest, to look at his fiance.

“Let me take you away for a weekend, just us. No wedding planning, no well-meaning but overbearing parents, no stress, just you and me against the world. I’ll plan everything, do all the work, I’ll even drive. You won’t have to lift a finger.” TK says to Carlos.

“How do you always know exactly what I need?” Carlos asks.

“Is that a yes, then?”

“That’s a yes, TK,” Carlos says, turning to lean in for a kiss.

A week and a half later, TK has picked up the cake, the rings and the suits and packed it all into Carlos’s blue Camaro with their overnight bags, and a picnic dinner, with sparkling cider and chocolate strawberries, for after the ceremony.

“Where are you taking me, TK?” Carlos asks as they merge onto the motorway. It’s not often TK is allowed to do the driving, but somehow he’s convinced his control freak of a fiance to let him plan this date, prepare everything, and even drive, so he’s not about to ruin the surprise now.

“I told you, it’s a surprise,” TK says, keeping his eyes on the traffic.

“I don’t even get a hint?” Carlos pouts.

“No hints,” TK tells him, and Carlos drops the subject, settling in for their road trip.

For the rest of the drive, they blast Taylor Swift and sing along at the top of their lungs, totally carefree. Carlos looks more at peace than ever sitting in the passenger seat, wearing one of TK’s APD hoodies with his glasses. His curls bounce as he dances in his seat and sings like nobody is watching; it’s a side of him only TK gets to see, far removed from the polished cop with perfectly gelled hair. TK can’t think of a better way to start their wedding day.

“I thought we weren’t doing any wedding planning this weekend?” Carlos asks, confused, as TK pulls up to a chapel on top of a hill and puts the car in park.

The chapel is open-air, with sweeping views of the hill country. None of the pictures TK looked at online do it justice, not the chapel or the view. It’s breathtaking in person.

“We’re not planning,” TK tells him. “We’re getting married. Here. Now. Today. Just you and me against the world.”

“TK, my parents, your dad, we can’t,” Carlos protests, clearly conflicted. TK knows he wants this. They both want this.

“I’m not marrying our parents. I’m marrying you. Today . We have to do this on our terms.”

“But we’re wearing hoodies, TK. We can’t get married in hoodies!” Carlos exclaims, running a hand through his curls in exasperation.

“I would marry you in any outfit,” TK starts, pulling Carlos in close. “I’d even marry you in no outfit at all.” He whispers with a wink before adding, “I have our suits in the back of the car.”

“So we’re really doing this?”

“We’re really doing this,” TK says, pressing a kiss into Carlos’s forehead. “You know, I think that every moment we’re not married is a wasted moment.”

“So let’s not waste any more,” Carlos says, taking his fiance’s hand.

The chapel has two suites for couples to get ready separately, but they opt to share one. There’s an intimacy in helping each other get ready, in TK helping Carlos out of his hoodie, in Carlos’s fingertips brushing against TK’s hand as he buttons his cuffs for him.

TK is glad for the couch in the suite because the sight of Carlos with his touseled curls, black framed glasses and a tightly fitting dusty pink suit is enough to make him weak at the knees.

TK doesn’t realise he’s teared up until Carlos puts an arm around him and gently asks, “Are you okay, Tyler?”

“More than okay. I’m about to marry the love of my life.”

“We’re getting married,” Carlos says, smiling wider than TK’s ever seen.

They step out of their blissful bubble hand in hand and step up to the altar. The ceremony is a blur of happiness and more love than TK previously thought was possible to feel at once.

They say their vows quietly, so they’re the only ones who hear, not the officiant, not the photographer, just them, hand in hand with the sky shades of pink and orange behind them as the sun sets over the hill country.

TK goes first. The carefully edited vows written on notecards stay concealed in the pocket of his emerald green suit, opting to speak from the heart, much like his proposal.

“From the moment we first met, you’ve brought colour into my world again, and you’ve been by my side whenever I’ve needed—even when I gave you every reason not to be—I can’t imagine my life without you. I might make a career of saving people, but you’re the one who saved me, Carlos. You are my best friend, my soulmate, my everything .” TK’s words come out choked from his crying, but he knows Carlos understands him.

As he squeezes his hand reassuringly, TK continues. “It’s no secret that in the past, when things got hard, I had a tendency to run. But that ends today. I’m done with running away. From now on, no matter what happens, the only running I’m doing is towards you to face whatever life throws at us together. I am yours, Carlos, forever. I do.”

And then, through tears, Carlos says his vows. “Tyler Kennedy, getting to love you is the greatest privilege of my life, and I love you more and more each day. Nobody sees me like you do, and I still can’t quite believe I get to call you mine. I don’t know what the future holds for us; it might not always be an easy road, but to love is not to leave, so this is my promise that I’ll always be by your side. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. It’ll be you and me against the world, forever and ever. There aren’t adequate words in any language to describe the love I have for you; it’s infinite. I do, Tyler. I do. A thousand times, I do. In every lifetime and every parallel universe, I do.”

And after what feels like a lifetime of waiting, teary-eyed and more in love than ever, the officiant pronounces them husband and husband. Before he can finish getting the words out to say, “You may now kiss the groom,” TK leans in, takes Carlos’s face in his hands and kisses him like nobody is watching. In that moment, they’re the only two people in the world, and they’re husbands. They’re finally husbands.

TK places a ‘just-married’ sign on the car's bumper as they leave the chapel. He wants to shout it from clifftops and tell everyone they know that Carlos Reyes-Strand is his husband, but he also kind of loves that it’s their little secret. It’s the kind of good news they’d rather share in person than via a social media post or a phone call, so for now, only they know.

“Did that really just happen?” Carlos asks as he relaxes into the passenger seat. “Did we really just get married?!”

“Sure did. I get to call you my husband now, husband .” He says the word slowly, letting it roll off his tongue, enjoying how it sounds, still not quite believing he gets to call Carlos his husband for the rest of his life.

“You’ve been calling me your husband since you proposed, TK.”

“Shh,” TK says, leaning across the centre console to silence Carlos with a kiss, “Not the point, husband . I will never get sick of calling you that, husband, husband, husband.”

“I will never get sick of hearing it, husband,” Carlos says as TK puts the car into drive, and they start the journey to their Airbnb. It takes two hours of driving to get there—by which time the sun has well and truly set, giving way to bright moonlight—it’s a secluded spot in the hill country, miles from anything.

“We’re here,” TK announces as they turn off the road onto the drive for their Airbnb. The driveway goes on for what seems like forever, leading to a moonlit clearing and a tiny windowed cabin with a hot tub, just trees and miles of serene nothingness in every direction.

“Wow,” Carlos says as they step inside. The California king bed takes up nearly the whole room—it’s tiny in a cozy, intimate way. TK can’t think of a more perfect place to spend their first night together as husbands.

“You like it?” TK asks, leaning against the door frame and watching his husband take it in.

“I love it,” Carlos says, pushing TK up against the door and kissing him passionately. “And I love you. Thank you for today, Tyler.” Carlos starts to kiss TK’s neck and fumbles for the buttons on his shirt, but TK stops him.

“All in good time, babe. But first, your final surprise.” He says as he runs back to the car to grab their picnic. “A moonlight picnic under the stars.”

“Did you make all this?” Carlos asks as TK spreads a picnic rug in the grass and opens the basket, revealing a gourmet spread of sandwiches, chocolate-coated strawberries, sparkling cider, and a tiny wedding cake, just big enough for two.

“I got it from a deli downtown. Grace says they make the best sandwiches in the city.”

“Well, it looks perfect,” Carlos says as TK starts to lay out the picnicware and the food.

“Just like you.” He says, and he doesn’t think Carlos has ever looked more perfect; he’s glowing. TK’s not sure if it’s from the moonlight filtering through the trees or just the sheer happiness he’s exuding; either way, he loves it.

Carlos blushes slightly, adding to his glow, “You are such a flirt, TK.”

“You love it,” TK says back, brushing a curl off his husband’s face and then turning to pour two glasses of sparkling cider, holding one out to Carlos, “To us.” TK toasts.

“To us, husband ,” Carlos echoes, clinking his glass against TK’s and sipping his cider.

“You make that word sound so sexy.”

“Which word?” Carlos asks teasingly as he leans back against the picnic basket.

“You know exactly which word.”

“Oh, did you mean husband ?” Carlos asks, drawing out the vowels and batting his eyelashes innocently, and suddenly TK is weak at the knees again.

“You’re such a tease,” TK says, leaning back with his head against his husband’s muscular chest.

“Takes one to know one,” Carlos shoots back, earning a laugh from TK.

They fall into a comfortable silence while eating, broken by Carlos saying, “We should do this more often.”

“What, get married? I think it’s kind of a one-and-done activity…”

“Not get married. Do this—weekend getaways, moonlight picnics, eating strawberries and sparkling cider under the stars, all of this. We need to make more time for date nights.”

“I think that can be arranged,” TK says, holding a strawberry out to Carlos, he doesn’t have a hand free with one wrapped around TK’s shoulder and the other clutching TK’s left hand and fiddling with the silver wedding band on his fourth finger, so he opens his mouth and takes it with his teeth.

As they lay here, hand in hand beneath the stars, TK is certain eloping was the perfect choice for them. As much as he loves their friends and families, TK wouldn’t trade this moment with his new husband for anything.

“Are you ready to cut the cake?” TK asks, sitting up, and Carlos nods, placing his hand over TK’s as he reaches for the knife.

They cut into the cake together, Carlos’s right hand over TK’s left, moving as two halves of one whole. Once they have their cake on plates, TK leans back, and Carlos sinks into his lap, resting his head against his chest and looking up at him, sighing contentedly, holding the cake plate with one hand and reaching back to grab TK’s hand. “What are you thinking?” TK asks.

Carlos quotes TK’s own words back to him, clearly also thinking about the last night they spent together under the stars, “We make a pretty good team, husband .”

“We really do, don’t we,” TK says, and Carlos offers him a forkful of cake. “You’ve got to try this, babe.”

TK messily brings the cake to Carlos’s lips, “Careful, you’re getting it everywhere.”

“Maybe that was intentional,” TK says, pushing their cake plates aside and turning to kiss the cake off his face and then pressing a trail of kisses down his neck, pausing to unbutton his shirt.

“You’re really good at that,” Carlos murmurs into TK’s neck.

“That’s not the only thing I’m good at…” TK says, standing, pulling Carlos to his feet and leading him inside. He throws his own shirt to the floor as he pushes Carlos up against the bed.

#9-1-1 Lone Star #911 lone star #911ls #tarlos #fanfiction #9-1-1 lone star fanfiction #my writing #my fic #ao3 #carlos reyes #tk strand #cross posted #hurt carlos #engaged tarlos #tarlos fanfiction #tarlos fic #married tarlos #tarlos weding fic

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