#the way tk is rubbing his thumb over carlos' hand. it's so soft. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

paperstorm · 8 months

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Carlos definitely told TK to hop on and TK hold on like a baby koala and Carlos carried him to bed and sat against the headboard with TK wrapped around him with his face buried in Carlos’ neck and just breathing each other and letting their scent mingle after that I believe Carlos helped TK bathe just like he said and they fell asleep holding hand with their foreheads touching

"I'm getting snot on your shirt," TK mumbles.

"It needed to be washed anyway," Carlos replies. He rubs TK's back slowly, palm sliding methodically up and down over the soft cotton of his hoodie.

TK sniffs, and Carlos tightens his arms around him. He's scared, too. It's an atomic bomb of bad news, and he's had far less time to process it than TK has. The idea of losing him has always terrified Carlos, no matter how it might happen, but this way seems particularly awful. Carlos isn't going to lie to TK and say he isn't scared. But they will tackle it together, like they'll tackle everything for the rest of their lives. Of that, Carlos is sure.

"I love you so much," he whispers.

TK makes a soft, hurt noise and buries his face more completely into Carlos's neck, tears leaving his skin damp.

"I love you, too," TK whispers back. "I didn't mean it. What I said before. Please don't leave me."

"Never," Carlos promises him. "Never ever, baby. You're mine."

TK nods.

Carlos kisses his cheek, leaning out of the hug so he can see TK's face. It's still red and swollen, streaked with tears, his eyes pink-rimmed and sad. Carlos takes his cheeks into his hands, using his thumbs to wipe some of the moisture away.

"Let's have a shower," Carlos suggests, because he can't let them sit here marinating in fear and heartbreak any longer. He's never been good at being still, he has to do something. "I'm all gross from work."

"You're not gross, you're perfect," TK argues, and for just a moment that makes him cry harder.

"Hey," Carlos murmurs to him, ducking down and not letting TK look away from him. He tracks his eyes, smiling at him when TK's gaze meets his.

"What?" TK asks.

"You are beautiful. And funny, and brave, and brilliant. You mean everything to me. Everything about you is my favorite thing. And you're all mine, okay? Forever."

TK sniffs again and nods. "Okay."

"Let's have a shower."

"You really do wanna bathe me, huh?" TK asks, finally cracking a smile through his tears.

Carlos brushes a few more tears off his cheek and then kisses his heated skin. "Yeah. I really do. You had an awful day. And then sat here for hours waiting for me. Let me take care of you."

TK nods. He stands when Carlos does, letting Carlos put an arm around his shoulders and give him a squeeze as they make their way toward the bathroom.

Carlos sits TK on the closed lid of the toilet. He starts the shower, angling the nozzle away from the door so water doesn't splash onto the tiled floor. TK blows his nose noisily, hiccupping once or twice and looking up at Carlos. He seems so small right now, the bright light of him so diminished, and Carlos likes him small sometimes, but not like this.

He unbuttons his own shirt, letting it fall off his shoulders and to the floor. When he steps closer, TK lifts his arms up like a little kid waiting to be undressed and Carlos chuckles fondly. He bends down, pushing up the hem of the maroon hoodie and getting it off over TK's head.

Carlos can't help leaning in further and pressing a kiss to TK's lips. TK hums softly into it, and stands when Carlos pulls gently at his hand. He undresses them both the rest of the way and then helps TK into the shower, taking only a moment to drink in the stunning sight of him. TK is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, and despite the heaviness of this moment, Carlos is so excited to spend the rest of his life with this man.

TK holds out a hand, reaching for him, and Carlos takes it and steps into the shower after him. He moves in close, wrapping TK back up into his arms under the warm, soothing spray.

#911ls asks #i hadn't thought of Carlos actually getting to bathe him but this inspired me #911 lone star

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mooshkat · 1 year

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Gif prompt. Tarlos m/m 15 🥵

send me a smutty gif prompt !

It's not TK's fault that he couldn't pay attention to the movie. He's seen it countless times before and was meant to be showing it to Carlos, but...who could blame him for getting distracted when his fiancé looked like that.

Carlos was relaxing into the corner of the couch, legs still spread from where TK was laying between them before he got up for a drink. His sweatpants hung low on his hips, and his shirt was riding up enough to expose a soft belly that TK wanted to bite.

They could try watching the movie another day, TK decides as he walks back over to the couch. He sits between Carlos' legs and starts running his hands up his thighs.

TK leans down and gives into the urge to nibble on his fiancé. Carlos gasps at the touch and TK smiles, nipping at his hip before working a love bite onto his skin. He rubs hands up and down Carlos' thighs again before tugging at the waistband to his sweatpants.

"Baby," Carlos complains, even as he lifts his hips for TK to pull them off. TK has never been happier that Carlos got into the habit of ditching his underwear at home than he was right now. "You're supposed to be watching the movie."

"I'm multitasking." TK gets more comfortable on the couch and pulls Carlos further down so he can push his legs back and get to his main goal.

"You're a fucking liar," Carlos bites back, but any annoyance is cast aside as TK licks a broad stripe over his hole. "Oh, fuck, fuck, please."

It's not often that TK gets to do this with Carlos. His fiancé is an absolute sweetheart that loves to be the one servicing, but when TK has the chance, oh, the reactions he can pull from him.

The noises that Carlos makes—the desperate way he begs, the way he's stopped holding back his moans as TK has his way with him—are some of the best sounds he's ever heard.

TK licks and nibbles along Carlos' rim until he's loose enough for TK to work his tongue inside. He moans, grabbing onto Carlos' leg and spreading them further as he really dives in.

Carlos is whining, legs shaking as he claws for a grip on TK's hair to pull him closer. He rocks down on TK's tongue, incoherent words spilling from his lips as his dick quickly fills out against his thigh.

He goes to grab it but TK bats his hand away, doubling his efforts to get Carlos off without his dick being touched. He hums, smiling as Carlos jerks from the vibrations.

"Baby, baby, please, I can't—I'm—" Carlos shakes his head before moaning loudly as TK rubs his thumb along his perineum. "Oh god, that's, fuck."

TK works in a finger alongside his tongue and quickly finds Carlos' prostate, massaging it relentlessly until his fiancé is shaking apart under him as he comes.

His own dick is achingly hard in his pants but he ignores it for now and pulls away, pressing a kiss against Carlos' trembling thigh before moving to his stomach to clean up the mess Carlos made.

"I should let you do that more often," Carlos says between heaving breaths. He looks down at TK and smiles, running his fingers through his hair before curling them and tugging gently. "Come here, I want a kiss."

TK easily obliges, scooting up to lean over Carlos and draw him into a kiss.

Carlos licks into his mouth, moaning at the taste of himself on TK's tongue. He grabs TK's hips and presses his leg between his thighs, grinding up against him.

"Go ahead and use me to get off, baby."

#this got. long. whooops #did i also rewrite this like three times before being happy with it? perhaps #katie.txt #moosh worbs #i accidentally used the word thighs a lot in this but. can u blame me #tarlos

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sapphire11 · 2 years

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Sneak Peak of this weeks Chapter (also my WIP Wednesday snippet) Header by the wonderfully amazing @chaotictarlos

They make it safely to the couch, Carlos pushing TK to sit and then moving off into another part of the house to do something that TK doesn’t really pay attention to. Instead he slowly takes in the space around him. Now that he’s made it past the initial wave of everything he allows himself to wade through the gentle waters of comfort. The couch he’s sitting on is comfortable, soft and TK sinks into its embrace. A chuckle escapes at the thought that it’s exactly the kind of couch he’d choose; big enough for two grown men to cuddle on for movie nights or other activities.

Carlos comes back into the room, extending a steaming mug of what smells like chamomile tea to TK.

“Thank you,” TK mumbles as he takes the mug, leaning into the steam and inhaling the fragrant scent of chamomile mixed with more. Carlos settles onto the couch a fair distance away from TK and a feeling of unease washes over him. He wants to shift closer, bridge the gap, but he also wants to respect that it’s not just his feelings he should be thinking about right now. The comfort he feels from having Carlos close is clearly making the other man a little uncomfortable. Instead of focusing on any of those feelings TK takes a careful sip of the hot liquid, humming and allowing a small smile of content to form as he closes his eyes to bask in the feelings swirling around him.

“Is that…”

“Vanilla and cinnamon….” Carlos interjects.

“A family recipe.” TK finishes and he opens his eyes in time to see surprise and hope flash across Carlos’ face. The emotions are gone in a flash, schooled behind the best poker face TK’s seen in a long time. It worries him a little bit that Carlos is working so hard to hide how he’s feeling. It feels wrong.

Carlos clears his throat, “My mother’s recipe, you told me I ruined chamomile tea for you the first time I made it and you haven’t been able to drink it any other way since.”

TK nods, “I can see why.” Silence blankets them for a few minutes and TK pretends to look around the loft, while truly taking a moment to observe Carlos out of the corner of his eye.

“I’m sorry.”

Carlos’ eyes snap to his. “You have nothing to be sorry for TK.”

He shakes his head, “I’m clearly making you uncomfortable. In your home.”

“It’s your home too TK.” Carlos sighs, shifting an inch closer on the couch, clearly fighting a desire for physical connection.

“You can touch me, you know.” TK cocks his head, “It makes me feel safe.” He holds a hand up to stall whatever Carlos is going to say in reply and looks away as he barrels on, “and look, I know that doesn’t really make sense. None of this makes sense, but I still feel all these things. It’s like my senses are tied to these missing memories and the feelings are all still there, it's just the picture that’s missing.”

A hand lands on his knee, stalling his ramblings, but an encouraging look and a soft swipe of Carlos’ thumb push him forward.

“The taste of vanilla and cinnamon chamomile feels like family,” TK smiles softly at Carlos. “The feel of your hand in mine, thumb rubbing across knuckles feels like safety.” An inch closer on the couch, “The smell of your pillow, and your shirt, the sound of your voice, they all feel like coming home.” Another shift closer together in sync this time.

“I know, I know, it doesn’t make any sense when I can’t remember you. But I want to Carlos, I don’t want this to just be another dream I wake up from. I want this to be real.”

#WIP Wednesday #911 lone star #TK amnesia fic #amnesia fic #I was lost in the feelings of the memories

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djdangerlove · 2 years

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Tarlos Comfort Prompt #3

# 1 || 2

Carlos woke to the other half of their bed empty and cold. It’s not unusual for one of them to be up at odd hours even if their schedules manage to line up but he’s on his feet headed for the room across the hall within seconds of realizing how long TK must have been gone.

His bare feet are silent on the hardwood as he tiptoes the distance between their bedroom and the nursery but the door squeaks on its hinges when he nudges it open with the backs of his fingers to peer into the lamp lit room.

“Babe?” He whispers at his husband sitting in the glider nestled in the corner with their eight month old daughter tucked into his arm. TK slowly lifts his gaze and Carlos steps into the room when tears glisten on the younger man’s cheeks in the purple glow of the illuminated ceramic butterfly resting underneath a lampshade. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

TK’s grin quivers across his face and Carlos drops to a crouch in front of him, knees almost weak with relief at the genuine happiness enveloping the room. “Sweetheart,” Carlos smiles back, hands rubbing warmth up and down TK’s pajama covered calves. “What’s gotten in to you, huh? I thought Stella is supposed to be the one that’s up crying in the middle of the night.”

“No, she’s fine. She’s…” TK sniffs as he looks back down at their sleeping daughter in his arms. “She’s perfect.”

“And you?”

“I’m…” TK reaches out with his free hand, fingertips tracing the slight stubble running along Carlos’ jaw. “I’m just lucky. So lucky, Los, that sometimes I feel like I can’t breathe.”

Carlos rearranges himself to sit on the arm of the glider, pulling TK into his side and running a thumb over the soft baby hair curling on Stella’s head. Sitting here in the soft glow of lamp light, his family safe and happy in his arms, he blinks against the moisture threatening to dampen his face, too.

“I was lucky to see my twenties,” TK murmurs, his head coming to rest against Carlos’ side. ��It took…several miracles for me to see thirty. I’m not… I almost didn’t have this and sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by the fact that I do.”

Carlos drops his chin to rest on the crown of TK’s head, wayward tufts of hair tickling his skin. “I’m sorry then.”

TK’s laugh causes them both to worry that their daughter will suddenly wake for the rest of the night but she stays content in her dad’s arms. Carlos smiles to himself thinking he understands how she can feel so safe and unconcerned with the rest of the world right where she is at. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you see…Stella and I made this pact awhile back.”

“Oh? Is that right?”

“Mmhmm, and we’re taking it very seriously. There’s no way we can break it. Ever.”

TK tilts his head out from under Carlos’ chin to turn narrowed eyes at him. “And what exactly is this pact that you and our baby have made?”

“To overwhelm you,” Carlos grins dopily at him before kissing the top of his head, “with so much love,” he continues, peppering kisses down his husband’s face, “and happiness, that you’ll never have to worry about not having it again. So sorry, you agreed to a lifetime of being overwhelmed.”

#tarlos #carlos reyes #tk strand #tarlos fic #911 lone star #future fic

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howtosingit · 3 years

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Fic: i want your midnights

“It’s late, you should be asleep.” * Carlos prepares to return to work.

1.6K | Also on AO3

- - - - - - -

TK wakes up alone in their dimly lit bedroom.

Moonlight shines through the balcony doors to his right, bathing the rumpled sheets next to him in pale hues and shadows. He runs his hand against them, letting out a sigh at their coldness. Squeezing his tired eyes shut for a just moment, he chooses to ignore the sharp, quick pain that radiates from his stapled skull in favor of getting out of bed to search for his missing human blanket.

He finds Carlos exactly where he thought he would: sitting on one of the bar stools, his head propped up on his hand as he leans over the counter, slowly scrolling through something on his laptop. TK can see his leg bouncing slightly, his foot tapping against the stool’s leg from where it’s resting on a support beam.

“It’s late, you should be asleep,” Carlos says without turning to look at him, his exhaustion clear in the tone of his voice.

TK merely scoffs in reply, stepping away from the bottom of the stairs and crossing the room to wrap his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. “I could say the same thing about you, babe,” he whispers, pressing a gentle kiss against Carlos’s neck before burying his face in his soft grey shirt to inhale his favorite scent.

“Couldn’t get my brain to shut up,” his boyfriend explains, shifting to run his hand along TK’s arm around his waist, his eyes still fixed on the computer screen in front of him.

TK hums, glancing over to the screen as well, unsurprised to see the 783-page APD manual taking up half the screen, a document filled with notes about protocols filling the other half. He’s seen the manual a lot in the past two weeks, pretty sure that Carlos has been pouring over it every chance he gets during his time off work.

His boyfriend had filled him in on all the details of his suspension the day TK was released from the hospital, immediately saving him from feeling any ridiculous guilt about Carlos taking time off to care for him after his incident.

Instead, Carlos had decided to take some time off for himself following his one-week suspension. TK knows that the investigation, as well as his short hospital stay and Grace and Judd’s accident, has thoroughly rocked their world, and he’s thankful that Carlos willingly gave himself time to process and recover.

Now, however, their days at home are numbered. TK gets his staples removed tomorrow, and he’ll have a few more days of recovery after that before he’s back to work. As for Carlos, he reports for his first shift the next evening, one that TK knows he’s incredibly anxious about.

Which is why TK is not at all surprised to find him studying the ADP manual at midnight in their kitchen instead of sleeping in their bed where he belongs.

Without a word, TK reaches forward to grip the corner of the laptop, slowly closing it. Carlos doesn’t object to the action; instead he just lets out a sigh, his wide frame shrinking as he collapses in on himself, almost like he’s shutting down along with the device. TK rubs his back for a moment before sliding his hand up his spine and running his fingers through the short, cropped hair at the back of Carlos’s head. Gently, he guides his boyfriend to face him, taking in the tiredness behind his favorite pair of beautiful brown eyes. He gives Carlos a small smile, waiting until the other man returns it, before he leans forward to press their lips together.

Carlos gasps against him, his body shaking as his mouth opens up to TK’s affection. There was little distance between them before, but now they cling tighter, their bodies pressed together as their arms wrap around each other. Carlos whimpers softly, and TK answers him by sealing their connected lips, allowing none of their love to escape. They’re both too tired for the kiss to become the start of something more, but that’s okay. It’s a conversational kiss, one where Carlos says “I need to know you’re going to always be here with me” and TK responds with “I promise you there’s nowhere else I will ever be.”

They still cling tightly to one another when their lips separate, each of them gasping for breath in the sliver of space between them. TK’s head spins, his nose dragging against Carlos’s as they find safety and security in their warm embrace.

“Come be my blanket?” he asks after a moment, keeping his eyes closed.

Carlos doesn’t respond with words; instead, he shifts, slipping off the bar stool and reaching to take TK’s hand. He takes the lead, moving to flip off the light switch before beginning the ascent up the stairs, dragging a willing TK along behind him.

They don’t speak as they climb into bed, each of them taking their sides. TK turns to face the wall, Carlos slotting in behind him to cover him completely. His boyfriend slides his arm around TK’s waist to link their fingers over his stomach before resting his chin in his neck, fitting perfectly in the slot created between his collarbone and left ear as if he was designed to do so.

For others, the arrangement might feel too close, too restrictive. To TK, there is nothing better than feeling Carlos’s touch against every inch of his body. The perfect human blanket providing maximum security and warmth.

TK waits until Carlos’s breathing settles, dragging his thumb against the back of his hand, before he speaks again.

“Tell me about the manual?”

Carlos huffs, the puff of air pressing against TK’s neck. “You ask as if you don’t already know,” he says into TK’s skin.

“I mean, I have an idea,” TK admits, tightening his grip on Carlos’s hand, “but I want to hear it from you.”

Carlos nods against him, pressing his lips against TK’s stubbled jaw.

“I’m scared to go back.” TK hears the way his voice shakes.

“I know.”

“I don’t want to mess up again...”

TK makes a noise of disapproval. “You didn’t mess up, Carlos. You were cleared to go back because you did the right thing.”

“Yeah…” Carlos trails off. “But, I keep thinking about how it felt when no one believed me.”

TK lets the admission hang in the silence, waiting for Carlos to continue.

“I’ve never really fit in with everyone else in the precinct, for a lot of reasons, but I’ve never been a total pariah before.”

“You’re a better officer than all of them, that’s their problem.”

“I think you’re biased, Ty,” Carlos argues weakly.

“Oh, really?” TK fires back, rolling to face Carlos directly while still keeping them as close as possible. “Then why have you been studying that manual for two weeks now?”

“I-” Carlos starts, his eyes shifting to look past TK. “I’m just reminding myself of protocols so I don’t get rusty.”

“And?”

“And nothing,” Carlos assures him. “That’s all.”

“So you’re not mentally reviewing every single call that you’ve responded to in the past five years?”

“No, I-” He cuts himself off at TK’s look, letting out another huff as he rolls his eyes. “How did you know?”

“Because I know you, Carlos,” TK reminds him, bringing a hand up to cup his boyfriend’s face. “You’re a good man, one of the best I’ve ever met, and yet every day you try to make yourself better.”

He watches as tears fill Carlos’s eyes, his bottom lip quivering slightly as he stares at him.

“So, what did you find? Have you made any bad calls?”

“I haven’t always followed protocol,” Carlos admits, his voice thick with emotion.

“Do you regret that?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I did the right thing.”

“You’re sure?”

Carlos pauses, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth as he considers the question.

“Yes,” he finally answers, his voice strong and certain.

“Me, too,” TK agrees, running his thumb along the curve of Carlos’s cheek. “I’m always sure of you.”

He watches the tear fall from the corner of his boyfriend’s eye and run along the ridge of his nose. He leans forward, pressing their lips together again.

“Trust yourself, Carlos,” he says when he pulls away to find more tears running down Carlos’s face. “Trust yourself the way that I trust you. The way that I know I will always trust you.”

Carlos lets out a quiet sob, no longer able to hold it inside.

“Promise me?” TK asks, refusing to let it go.

His boyfriend nods. “I promise,” he whispers around another soft sob.

TK smiles, sliding his hand down to Carlos’s shoulder and pressing gently. His lover understands immediately, rolling over to face the door out to the balcony. TK slides in behind him, mirroring their earlier positions, content to now be a blanket for Carlos. He presses his lips to the other man’s cheek, transferring all of his love to him in every touch they share.

“I love you, Carlos, and I believe in you, with everything in me,” TK whispers into his ear, tightening his grip when Carlos shivers beneath him. “And in case you forget that, I promise that will be here every moment of every day to remind you, no matter what.”

Carlos responds by bringing their joined hands up to his mouth, pressing a wet, shaky kiss against the back of TK’s hand. He has no problem hearing the words that Carlos can’t speak.

They stay there, sheltered in their loving embrace, until they both sink into a deep, peaceful sleep that they only ever manage to find in each other’s arms.

#tarlos #tarlos fic #911 lone star #tk strand #carlos reyes #I wrote a thing #my tarlos one-shot collection

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rafael-silva · 3 years

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hold me close, closer: a tarlos fic

After working the same rough and hectic shift, Carlos and TK share a calming bath to wash away the day’s tension and stress. Being in each other’s arms eases their worries and uplifts their spirits.

@larrytothemoonandback prompted: tk and carlos + sharing a bath

emotional hurt/comfort, light angst, comfort, fluff, cuddles, kisses, carlos reyes needs a hug, softness, really there are so many kisses

2.3k | on ao3

*****

It had been a long, hectic shift for Carlos and TK.

A never-ending shift of one call after another, as TK dubbed it in one of the few texts he had managed to send Carlos in between blaring bells.

And it appeared from Carlos’s reply of tell me about it that he was going through the same thing.

They had met on a few calls scattered over the hours, and every time, the other man looked slightly more tired and drained. Still, though, they’d give each other small smiles that held the promise of going home to each other when their frantic shifts would finally come to an end.

After returning to the firehouse from their final call, TK robotically made his way to the showers, while chanting hallelujah over and over in his head as he stepped under the warm spray of water.

TK absolutely loved his job, his found family, but some days it would get so exhausting to the point where TK’s knees shake, threatening to give out on him. He holds on, proceeding to also robotically change into his civvies and throw his backpack over his shoulder.

He tells everyone good night as he makes his way towards the Uber, sighing as he drops against the backseat. He then unlocks his phone to send Carlos a message.

TK: Hi, babe. Just moved from the station heading home. Can’t wait to see you.

TK slips the phone back into his pocket and sits in silence until the car pulls up to the condo.

TK whispers something along the lines of thank you to the driver, stumbling up the porch stairs and to the front door, pushing his key into the keyhole. The condo is dark, the missing Camaro from the driveway was TK’s first clue that his boyfriend wasn’t home yet.

He flicks on a light, toeing his shoes off near the door and drops his keys into the bowl sitting on a table near the door. His phone pings in his pocket as he’s walking into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

He fishes out his phone to see a new text from Carlos.

Carlos: Hey, baby. Can’t wait to see you, too. I just need to finish some paperwork before I get out of here. I’ll be home as soon as I can.

TK: Just arrived home. Take your time, baby. I’ll be waiting for you.

TK sighs again, walking—or more like dragging his feet—up the stairs and into their bedroom. He falls backwards against the bed, closing his eyes as his body collides with the soft mattress, a much-needed sensation after the day he’s had.

He feels bad that he’s finally home and can relax while Carlos is still at the station, working. In hindsight, TK had wished he had gone to the station to meet Carlos there and then they’d go home together.

TK nods to himself, making up his mind. He grabs his phone to text Carlos again.

TK: Let me know when you’re on the way.

He lies back on the bed, scrolling mindlessly through his Instagram and loses track of time. He’s liking a post here and then when a notification from Carlos pops up at the top of his screen.

Carlos: Heading out now.

TK gets to his feet then and steps into the bathroom, turning on the tap in the bathtub and pushes the drain-stopper down. He quickly retrieves Carlos’s favorite candles, some vanilla scented, others lavender, from the bedroom and sets them carefully around the space, lighting each one as the tub fills with hot water. He also grabs the organic mint-scented body wash he and Carlos share and drizzles a good amount in the water, watching it foam up.

TK is looking forward to taking care of Carlos, after the long day they’ve endured. He’s also doing it for himself if he’s also being honest, because he can feel the aches already setting in his muscles and the warm water definitely helps there. But taking care of Carlos is his priority. Besides, that always help him feel better, too.

And TK knows Carlos always appreciates a good bath.

Looking around the bathroom, the paramedic nods, satisfied with the setup.

He hears keys rattling, followed by his name being called a few minutes later.

Downstairs, Carlos discards his keys into the bowl with TK’s and places his wallet next to it. He stretches his neck, moving his head backwards and then side to side until some of the tension there eases.

“Up here!”

Carlos looks in the direction of TK’s voice, and notices the hallway and bedroom lights are switched on. He wills his tired legs to ascend the stairs, and then steps into the bedroom, eyes immediately searching for TK. When they don’t find his boyfriend, he realizes the other man must be in the bathroom.

Before joining him, Carlos unpins his badge from his uniform shirt and removes his belt, unclipping his service weapon as he goes. He crouches in front of the bottom section of his closet, sliding the door over to reveal his safe. He punches in the code, the lock clicking and Carlos places the items inside before locking the safe.

He groans when his knee cracks as he gets to his feet, kicking off his shoes and wasting no time in heading to the bathroom. He just really wants—and needs—to see TK, to hold him, to kiss him.

The sight he’s met with makes his tired face light up and tugs the corner of his lips upwards.

“Welcome home, babe,” TK smiles from his place, now lying in the tub with his arms resting on either side of the marble.

“What’s the occasion?” Carlos asks with an amused lifted eyebrow.

TK shrugs. “Do I need a reason to pamper my boyfriend?”

A blush colors Carlos’s cheeks as his smile widens.

“Care to join me?” TK extends a hand towards Carlos.

“Wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Carlos expresses, hands already working to unbutton and remove his shirt, followed by his undershirt and pants.

As soon as he kicks his boxer-briefs away, he takes TK’s offered hand, holding on to it as he lowers himself into the warm water, sitting between TK’s legs. Moments like these and sharing a bath with TK, always reminds Carlos how grateful he is that he picked a condo with a bathtub big enough to comfortably fit two adults.

Carlos lets out a satisfied sigh as soon as his body is immersed, closing his eyes as he falls back against TK’s chest.

He hears TK chuckle from behind and feels the younger man’s arms go around his waist, effectively pulling him even closer into his hold.

“Besides, we’ve both had incredibly long shifts, I think we deserve this,” TK adds.

“Hm,” Carlos agrees.

“You deserve this, babe. You’ve been working so hard lately.”

Carlos blindly finds TK’s arms with a hand and gives him a squeeze where it lands on an arm.

“I got you, baby,” TK promises.

“You always do,” Carlos responds, dropping his head against TK’s shoulder.

TK moves his head and brushes a soft kiss to Carlos’s temple, feeling the officer gravitate towards his touch.

Comfortable silence settles between them for a while, both of them enjoying finally being in each other’s arms and letting the water wash the day’s troubles away.

“Thank you for this, Ty,” Carlos whispers. “I really needed it.”

TK nods, nuzzling his face against the back of Carlos’s head. “Of course, baby. Anything I can do to help. Do you wanna talk about it?”

Carlos shakes his head after a moment of thought. “Maybe later. Right now, this is all I need.”

“Okay,” TK replies.

“Couldn’t wait to get home to you,” Carlos speaks after a moment.

“Couldn’t wait to have you right here,” TK responds, pressing a sweet kiss to Carlos’s shoulder.

To Carlos’s very tense shoulder.

TK pulls his arms from around Carlos, and the slightly bigger man lets out a disappointed sound at the loss of TK’s touch.

“Just for a minute,” TK reassures his boyfriend. “You’re gonna like this, trust me.”

Carlos trusts TK with his life, but he also already misses TK’s warmth.

However, TK’s assessment of Carlos liking whatever he planned is proven right soon enough, as TK gently uses his thumbs to massage and rub at the heavy knots sitting in Carlos’s muscles.

TK smiles at the heavy groan Carlos breathes out, knowing it’s helping his boyfriend.

“That’s it,” TK whispers. “Let me take care of you.”

Carlos wishes he could turn around and kiss TK in this moment, but between the warm water and TK’s tender ministration, he feels his bones and muscles turning into jelly.

TK pushes down slightly harder, loosening up the worst of the tension he finds, feeling satisfied himself when Carlos sags back against him, clearly feeling a little better.

“That…God, Ty, I needed that, so much.”

“Yeah, I could tell,” TK chuckles. “Are you feeling better?”

“Much,” Carlos nods.

Before returning to their previous position, TK cups some water into his palms and places them over Carlos’s head, letting the water run through the officer’s hair and down his neck. Carlos seems to be onboard with this, as well, because he’s tilting his head backwards a little in TK’s direction.

TK takes the hint and repeats the action a few more times, until Carlos’s hair is damp. TK then slowly cards his fingers through Carlos’s soft curls, the product he applied that morning long gone now.

With a kiss to Carlos’s neck, TK’s arms return to Carlos’s middle, wrapping around him and holding him close once again.

“We both have a day off coming up soon, we can do whatever you want,” TK says.

“Just wanna spend it with you.”

“We can most definitely do that. We can sleep in, have late breakfast in bed, lots of cuddles and oh! We can bake,” TK plans, almost giggling at the idea of baking. It’s one of his favorite things to do with Carlos in their downtime. He mostly sits on the counter while Carlos does most of the baking, but TK also sometimes helps with the batter.

“Sounds perfect, baby,” Carlos smiles, closing his eyes and resting his head back against TK’s shoulder. “Brownies or cookies?”

“Hmm,” TK contemplates for a few seconds. “Cookies, chocolate chip cookies.”

“My specialty,” Carlos replies.

They really are Carlos’s specialty. TK remembers taking a batch of chocolate chip cookies into work one day for everyone, and the crew had gone absolutely mad over them. The huge tupperware container was empty in a matter of minutes.

TK smiles at the memory, remembering not only his team’s joy for the delicious cookies, but also Carlos’s delight and pride when TK told him what had gone down.

The water starts cooling a few minutes later, both men feeling it and a shiver runs through Carlos’s body.

“I think it’s time to get out,” TK’s the first to say. “We can order in and watch a feel-good movie.”

“As tempting and comforting as that sounds, I don’t think I can really rely on my legs to carry me right now,” Carlos chuckles.

TK giggles along and helps Carlos into a sitting position.

“Come on, I’ll help,” the paramedic says, making sure Carlos’s grip on both sides of the marble is secure before stepping out of tub and grabbing a towel, wrapping it around his waist. He prepares a towel for Carlos before moving back towards him, holding out a hand to the officer.

Carlos takes TK’s hand but instead of using it to pull himself up, he pulls TK closer to him. And this time he does kiss TK, closing the distance between them by capturing TK’s lips with his own.

TK, albeit a little surprised, immediately opens up to Carlos, deepening their passionate kiss. His other hand instantly travels to the nape of Carlos’s neck, settling there and he gives Carlos an encouraging squeeze. They pour everything into the kiss, their worry for each other, their concern, their relief for the other’s safety. The kiss has infinite layers to it, and Carlos and TK visit each and every one of them.

Eventually the need for air to wins and they separate. They don’t pull back completely, their foreheads still touching, each of them breathing a little heavily with identical kiss-swollen lips. They breathe each other in, taking it all in.

“Lets get into something comfortable and continue this on the couch,” Carlos whispers into the small space between them.

TK nods and with another light kiss to Carlos’s mouth, he pulls back. He hands Carlos the towel when he’s out of the tub, and they make their way back into their bedroom.

They find themselves nestled against each other on the couch once they’re dressed in comfortable t-shirts and sweats (TK had also grabbed Carlos’s old police academy hoodie on their way down, knowing he’ll be wanting to slip into it later during the night) with Carlos flipping through Netflix.

TK is lying between the officer’s legs, an arm draped over Carlos’s thigh with his back against his chest, his other arm is placed over the one Carlos has wrapped around TK.

“Here,” Carlos says as he hands TK the remote control. “Pick a movie.”

They sit in silence as TK scrolls through the list, Carlos watching him with a fond smile decorating his face.

“Hey,” Carlos whispers.

TK turns to face him, his features filled to the brim with love and affection.

“I love you, Ty.”

A big smile spreads on TK’s face, his green eyes turning soft. “I love you too, ‘Los.”

He leans in, claiming Carlos’s lips in a tender kiss.

They settle back when they pull apart, Carlos planting a kiss to TK’s head.

He inhales the scent that is all TK, and he feels comfort brewing in his gut, he feels safe, he feels whole. He feels lighter as the worries of the day seep away.

Lying on the couch, with TK in his arms, Carlos is home.

And when TK nuzzles his body backwards and moves closer into Carlos’s hold, Carlos knows in his heart that TK is home, too.

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takeyourpillsbitchh · 3 years

Note

Carlos cow eyes

Since there wasn’t much context here, I guess I’ll just go with the flow and incorporate those soulful, big, brown eyes into this angsty, hurt/comfort fic that no one asked for 🥰

Also no one asked me to post this at midnight but I can’t sleep so why not 💁🏻‍♀️

⚠️TW: use of the f-slur in regard to a character explaining how it was used as an insult towards them.

It was late by the time TK was unlocking the front door and walking into his and Carlos' shared house. His whole body was sore, he was tired and all he wanted to do was shower, eat something and go pass out in bed. It had been an excruciatingly long day, but he knew the night was far from over.

Stepping into the house, TK sighed, instantly feeling so much relief at just being in their home. Turning back to lock the door, TK rested his head on the cool wood and slid his duffle bag off his shoulder.

"TK?" Carlos called. TK could hear him walk towards the entryway, tensing up and not looking forward to the conversation they were going to have to have tonight. "Hey, my love, are you okay?"

TK said nothing as he turned around, keeping his head hung low, moving to mold his body against Carlos'—strong arms enveloping him in warmth and comfort. Carlos stood there with him for a moment, rubbing his back, kissing his head, and just holding him. After a moment, though, Carlos pulled back, reaching up to caress TK's cheeks.

Brown eyes met blue—soft and sweet until realization filled those brown eyes and his sweet smile melted into a frown.

"Baby, what happened—"

"Can I please go take a shower before we talk?" TK pleaded, leaning into Carlos' touch.

"Of course," Carlos nodded, leaning in to press his lips to TK's forehead. "Want me to heat up dinner?"

"Please." He nodded, pulling away gently. TK made his way toward's their bedroom, stripping down once he reached the joined bathroom and winced at his reflection in the mirror.

His face was a lot more bruised than he originally thought. The bandage on his forehead was spotted with blood, the split on his lip was bleeding again, and his torso was littered with purpling bruises. Stepping into the shower, he switched on the water, sighing when the warm water soothed over his sore skin.

He wasn't sure how long he actually stood there, eyes closed, just letting his body relax as steam built up and surrounded him. Eventually, he built up the strength to wash himself, being extra careful with his forehead when washing his hair.

Getting out of the shower, he dressed in a pair of Carlos' sweats that hung low on his hips and a tank top. Walking out into the bedroom, he smiled softly when he noticed his uniform had been picked up off the floor, his phone had been plugged in and their bedding had already been pulled back.

He made his way back to the kitchen, assuming he hadn't been gone as long as he thought, considering the plate on the counter still had a bit of steam coming off of it.

"I didn't know how hungry you'd be, so I just warmed you up a bit of everything," Carlos spoke gently, setting a glass of ice water next to the plate that held baked chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and asparagus.

"Thank you," He breathed softly, kissing Carlos when he walked around the island and grabbed TK's face.

"Eat up and then we'll go to bed, okay?"

"Okay." TK nodded, leaning in to press another kiss to Carlos' lips before sliding onto the barstool, humming to himself as he took a bite of chicken. "Thank you, it's really good." TK offered a small smile to his boyfriend.

They continued like that, Carlos moving about the kitchen, cleaning up silently while TK ate. He was nearly done when he glanced up to see where Carlos was and realized he was watching him—big brown eyes all lovey and concerned and worried.

"You're doing the thing." He said around the bite of food he had just put in his mouth.

"What thing?" Carlos asked, perfect eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"You're giving me the Carlos cow eyes," TK answered, looking at Carlos pointedly before shoving another fork full of food into his mouth.

Carlos pressed his lips together and let a sigh out through his nose before walking over and leaning across the counter to take TK's empty plate before intertwining their hands together.

"I just wanna make sure you're okay, babe," he said, rubbing his thumb over TK's bruised knuckles.

"I'm fine," TK answered just as softly.

"Wanna talk about it?" Carlos asked, wanting nothing more than to just know what happened to his lover.

TK tilted his head in a motion to tell Carlos to come around the counter, letting Carlos turn his stool and step between his thighs. Big, warm hands splayed over his thighs as Carlos leaned in to press a kiss to his neck. TK leaned into the kiss, relaxing from just being so close to him.

"So, tell me." Carlos prompted, pulling back to look at Carlos, his insides twisting at the bruising on TK's face that already seem to look darker from when he first got home.

"Well, today had been a pretty busy day. Just call after call after call. We were all tired and stressed and just ready to go home. It was like fifteen minutes before our shit was supposed to end when we got a call about a fire and needing backup. So we get there and there is already another crew there so of course, dad goes to find their captain so we can get our orders on what to do," TK explained, his fingers finding the hem of Carlos' t-shirt and playing with it absently, letting them dip under to graze alone smooth caramel skin.

"Anyway, everything was fine you know, but the other captain kinda gave dad the go head to run the call and I guess his crew wasn't very happy about that and got mouthy with dad, saying he wasn't his captain so he didn't have to listen to him and threw it in his face that since he has cancer, he shouldn't even be there." Carlos' mouth dropped open at that and TK nodded in a yeah, I know kind of way.

"So, I stepped in and just told him to back off. We were all there for the same reason and that arguing wouldn't do any good for anyone," TK continued, taking a deep breath and glancing at Carlos, "Then he proceeded to say that if he wasn't gonna listen to a half-ass captain with cancer, he sure as hell wasn't gonna listen to his pussy ass f*ggot son either." TK saw the anger that flashed in Carlos' eyes at that and ran his hand up to Carlos' chest soothingly. "I know that pissed me off, too. And I retorted and I guess it was enough to push him over the edge and he swung on me missed and I swung back and didn't miss, which pissed him off even more. Dad, Judd, and one of the other firefighters broke it up."

"Damn, baby. I'm sorry you had to deal with that." Carlos shook his head, hands moving to TK's waist, making him wince. When Carlos gave him a concerned look, TK bit the inside of his lip and leaned back against the counter, and let Carlos lift up his tank top.

"Jesus, baby," He breathed as the dark bruises on his abdomen were revealed. "Are you okay? You sure nothing is broken?"

"I'm okay, Michelle looked me over before I came home," TK shrugged, looking down to where Carlos was racing over his bruised ribs with feather-light touches.

"You gonna press charges?" Carlos asked. TK snorted a laugh and shook his head.

"Nah. He left looking worse than I do." He shrugged. "Dad said he'd make sure the guy was getting reprimanded. I don't wanna take it any further than that it's not worth it."

Carlos nodded but TK could tell he wanted to push but wouldn't, he'd let TK handle it how he wanted and he really appreciated him for that. Carlos looked down again from Carlos, feeling his chest tighten for a second as he grabbed Carlos' hand.

"You mad at me?" He asked softly, feeling his eyes well up with tears.

"For not wanting to press charges? Of course not, even though I think you should--"

"Not for that." TK cut him off gently, glancing up just long enough to see those confused eyebrows again before looking back down, "F-for getting in a fight."

Carlos was quiet for a moment before reaching out to tilt TK face up by his chin to look at him. "Baby, look at me. I am not mad or disappointed or anything of the sort. It's not like the bar fight where you got into a fight just to fight. He came at you first, it was self-defense and even if it wasn't, I still wouldn't be mad after he said those things about you and Owen."

"Okay," TK nodded, his voice still shaky.

"Let's go to bed, yeah?" Carlos asked, running his fingers through TK's damp hair.

"Will you carry me?" TK pouted at Carlos. "It hurts to walk."

Carlos chuckled before motioning for TK to wrap his arms around his neck. He shifted, wrapping TK's legs around his hips, and lifting him up by the waist, holding him tightly. He stood there just holding TK for a moment, kissing his shoulder, whispering sweet things to him, and swaying gently. TK smiled to himself, pressing small kisses to Carlos’ shoulder and neck and breathing in his sweet, comforting scent.

Once they finally made it to the room, Carlos stripped them both down, completely naked, and they crawled into bed together, cuddling under the sheets—bodies pressed close together from head to toe.

"I love you." Was the last thing TK heard from Carlos' deep, sleepy voice before he fell asleep cuddled against his lover's chest.

#tarlos #prompts #911 lone star #tk stand #carlos reyes #tarlos fanfic #tarlos prompts #gallavich1012 prompts

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paperstorm · 2 years

Text

WIP WEDNESDAY

I was tagged by my girls @rmd-writes and @welcometololaland. This is a little something from the Missing Moment for 2x8

“Gettin’ a little sick of seeing you in a hospital bed,” Carlos tells him.

“I don’t do it on purpose.” TK grins and tugs at his hand, and Carlos sits carefully next to his hip, occupying the spot that TK’s mother had just vacated.

“I know.” Carlos brings TK’s hand to his mouth and kisses the heel of his palm. “I love you.”

“Love you,” TK repeats. For a moment they just look at each other, Carlos wanting to drink in the sight of everything he could have lost tonight, and TK seeming content to let him. Then TK frowns a little, and asks, “How did you figure out where we were?”

Carlos shakes his head. “That’s a really long story. I’ll tell you when you don’t have a concussion.”

“Okay.”

Slowly, Carlos licks his lips and considers whether he should speak the words that seem caught in his throat. It all worked out, in the end. His suspension has been lifted. His instincts were correct. His father – the man Carlos has spent his entire life intimidated by and whose approval Carlos has been desperate for since before he can remember – said he was proud. Told Carlos that he’s capable, that he’s a good cop. Told Carlos he knew TK was his boyfriend and smiled at him about it like he wasn’t uncomfortable, like he wasn’t putting on a mask of tolerance but truly accepted who Carlos is. Everything is okay, now, but it very much wasn’t okay earlier, and TK doesn’t know that. Carlos wonders if he should leave it that way.

“Hey.”

Carlos blinks his eyes back into focus and TK is frowning at him.

“What’s going on? Where did you just go?”

“I got suspended today,” Carlos tells him, making a snap decision. He’s trying, lately, to be better at this. He’s trying to let TK in, to let TK see all his flaws and his soft parts, because that’s what he wants from TK. Carlos wants every single bit of him, the amazing parts, the difficult parts, the parts he doesn’t like about himself, and he knows it isn’t fair to expect that and not be willing to give it in return.

“Why?” TK asks. “What happened?”

“That …” Carlos shakes his head. “Is also a long story. Sorry, I will tell you. It just doesn’t entirely matter at the moment.”

TK doesn’t look like he understands, but he tugs gently at Carlos’s hand. Carlos stands and crawls gingerly over top of him, making sure his knees are carefully placed to land on the mattress and not on TK. He settles beside him, curled into him with his arm across TK’s chest and his head sharing the one pillow. TK rubs his arm, thumb moving in a slow, comforting arc along Carlos’s skin.

“The point is, my dad … he was involved in it and he was so … disappointed in me.”

“Baby,” TK murmurs.

Carlos closes his eyes and presses his forehead against the side of TK’s face. He wishes TK weren’t injured right now for so many reasons, but in this exactly moment at the top of his list is because he wishes he could fully burrow into him without risking hurting him.

“It’s okay, it’s fixed now. And he knows about you, actually. They both do.”

TK pauses. He turns his head a degree so that his lips touch Carlos’s nose as he breathlessly asks, “You told them?”

“No,” Carlos admits. He wishes he had. He would love to be able to tell TK that he was brave enough to do that, but it wouldn’t be the truth. “They figured it out, when they saw us together.”

“Oh.” TK jostles him lightly when Carlos doesn’t continue. “Okay, and?”

“He’s okay with it,” Carlos says, still hardly daring to believe it. It sounds like a story from someone else’s life, or a daydream he’s had a million times but never believed would come true. “Said he can’t wait to meet you.”

“Carlos,” TK breathes. He squeezes Carlos’s arm. “That’s amazing, I’m so happy for you.”

“Me too. You wanna meet them, right? I mean, as my boyfriend?”

“Yes, of course I do.” TK kisses his nose. “Of course I do.”

“They’re gonna love you,” Carlos tells him, feeling glad to be in a hospital suddenly because it feels like his heart might burst.

“Duh, I’m very loveable,” TK jokes, but Carlos slides his hand up to curl around the side of TK’s neck and press his lips into TK’s cheek.

“Yeah, you are,” he agrees.

I will tag @reyesstrand and @strandnreyes (unless you've already done it in which case ignore me)

#tarlos #tag game #wip wednesday #911 lone star #paperstorm writes #911ls: missing moments

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tngrace · 3 years

Text

Confessions

TK gets hurt during a training exercise at the academy which leads to a confession to Carlos about his past.

The background for their freshman year & how they met is in part one. But I don't think you have to read it for this to make sense.

Thanks to @moviegeek03 for helping this along and encouraging me to make this into a series. Your support means the world girl!

Read on A03; Tarlos/911 LS Masterlist

Sophomore year was going smoother than Carlos expected. TK had enrolled in the fire academy, and Carlos was still taking courses at ACC. He still wasn't sure what path he wanted to take, but he knew one thing for certain. He wouldn't be where he was without TK and his unwavering support.

Their friendship had steadily built all throughout freshman year. When TK made the decision to stay, Carlos decided to move into TK’s apartment wanting to get away from the family ranch and have a little freedom. Their closeness only grew once becoming roommates, and their friendship solidified into one of the best things in either of their lives. Right before school started back, he made the leap and kissed TK one night during Netflix and chill. They were both surprised, happily surprised, but surprised Carlos was the one to make the move. They’d both been thinking it, but Carlos was always so patient with TK, TK wasn’t sure Carlos would take the leap. It took a couple weeks, but when they became official, there was no stopping them. Carlos was well on his way to falling in love. He knew TK still had things he wouldn't talk about, and Carlos respected that because he knew he had his own share of things he wasn't necessarily hiding but just didn't talk about. They were building a strong foundation though, and he truly believed in them.

His class schedule varied each day. Mondays and Wednesdays were his longest days. Tuesdays he didn't have any classes, so he worked at a community center that offered activities for kids, teens and elderly . Thursdays and Fridays were half days and he would go to the center after that. TK's schedule was pretty straight forward being in the academy. He was in class until five each day, and he worked most weekends at a coffee shop with the occasional night shift at a restaurant for extra money.

Carlos was surprised when he pulled into the parking lot of their apartment complex mid-afternoon from class on a Wednesday to see TK's jeep. He was just running home to grab a book he'd forgotten that morning, but he had a bad feeling his afternoon classes were going to be forgotten. Carlos didn't recall him mentioning being home early, so he was a little worried. TK was laser focused on finishing the academy at the top of his class so something must have happened for him to already be home. He grabs his bag and heads inside. "TK," he calls out, closing the apartment door behind him.

There's no response so Carlos's concern mounts as he heads back towards the bedrooms. TK is curled up in his own bed, which is odd considering they've slept together every night in Carlos’s room since becoming official. "TK?" Carlos raps his knuckles on the door frame.

He gets a groan in response, so he walks over and sits on the edge of the bed. He gently pulls the covers back. He manages to hold in his soft sigh at TK's tear stained cheeks. "What happened?" He murmurs softly as his fingers graze TK's cheek.

"Got hurt."

Carlos manages to hold in a sigh once more. He's learning TK can be a danger magnet without meaning to be. "How bad?"

TK shrugs and winces. "Definite bruising. Possibly cracked a rib."

"TK! Did you go to the hospital?!" Carlos is too exasperated with his boyfriend to watch his tone, his fear that TK is hurt in any form of way sneaking into his voice without him meaning too. He hates when it makes TK shrink in on himself some, but cracked ribs are no joke.

"No. Will be fine," he huffs.

"Come on let's at least go get you checked out." When TK doesn't move, Carlos does let his sigh escape. "Please? It'd make me feel better to know you're gonna be ok." He breaks out the pouty face he knows TK can't resist.

"Fine. But they're not gonna tell me anything I don't already know; EMT remember? And you have class."

"Just humor me. Class will be fine without me for one day." Carlos helps him up and gets TK's shoes back on from where he'd kicked them by the door. He decides to take TK's jeep knowing it'd be easier for him than trying to sink into Carlos's car. Once TK is buckled, with a lot of wincing on his part, Carlos heads for the hospital.

TK is quiet, and Carlos can tell his anxiety is spiking by the way TK's leg bounces and his thumb gets bitten. He gently reaches for TK's hand pulling it from his mouth and lacing their fingers together. "Wanna tell me what happened?" Carlos asks quietly to try and help alleviate TK's anxiety.

TK sighs but nods as he stares out the window. "Was a training exercise. What would happen if we were in the middle of the rescue and was ordered out because of the fire and structural concerns. Someone was still trapped and I thought I could get them. But the floor gave way and I fell. It's all simulated so it wasn't like I fell far. But with all the gear…."

Carlos squeezes his hand softly in support. "I landed on something down below. Don't think my ribs are actually broken. Just maybe cracked. The instructor told me to go get checked out, but I just came home."

"Can I ask why?"

TK is quiet for so long Carlos isn't sure he's going to answer him, and his leg has started bouncing again. "Don't like hospitals," is the only answer he gets before they arrive so he decides not to push it. He finds a parking spot, and then runs around the jeep to help TK out. "Come on. If you're as fine as you say you are we won't be here long. And if you're not, it's better to know," Carlos says quietly as he wraps his arm around TK as they head in.

TK stays quiet and he sneaks out from under Carlos's arm when they get inside the ER. He knows Austin is more progressive than Texas, but it's still Texas and he doesn't want Carlos to feel any kind of judgment for being with him. He signs in and the receptionist at the desk gives him paperwork to fill out. He tells Carlos he's got it and he can go sit, but Carlos tells him to bring it with him. TK shakes his head and tells him he's fine as he moves to the side and hunches over the desk to fill it out. Carlos knows TK has a stubborn streak so he tries not to argue with him even though he’s not sure why TK won’t come sit down.

Once the paperwork is done, TK passes it back to the lady behind the desk and they go to take a seat. Carlos can tell TK is in pain and he wishes more than anything he could take it away. They wait about forty minutes before they're called back. TK tells him he doesn't have to come if he doesn't want to, but Carlos just squeezes his hand in reassurance and goes back with him.

Carlos helps TK get changed, barely suppressing his gasp of surprise at the bruising across TK's chest. He's as careful as he can be getting TK's shirt off, but he can still see the pain in his eyes. They're not back in the exam room long before a nurse comes and wheels TK away for X-rays after taking his vitals. Carlos can feel her judging stare when she enters the room and sees their laced hands. He wants to snap at her when it makes TK shrink in on himself even more, but he doesn't say anything in fear she'd take it out on TK when Carlos wasn't with him.

Carlos texts a classmate to take notes for him for his afternoon classes, and then plays a game on his phone while he waits. The nurse brings TK back, and he can feel the anxiety radiating off his boyfriend in waves. The nurse doesn't say anything when she leaves, and Carlos scowls at her as he moves back by TK's side. TK won't hold his hand making Carlos curse the nurse even more. He rubs his hand up and down TK's thigh trying to reassure and calm him. " 'm sorry you're having to deal with this," TK eventually says.

Carlos reaches up and gently pulls TK's bitten lip from his teeth.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be." He runs a hand through TK's hair. "A team remember?" He leans up and pecks TK's lips, holding his head steady when TK tries to pull away.

"Carlos."

"I don't care what she said. It's me and you," he murmurs, but he does pull back not wanting to add to TK's anxiety.

TK goes for his hand finally, but the curtain moves and a different nurse enters, making TK jerk his hand back causing him to wince.

"Want me to get you some pain meds sweetie?" This one asks as she takes TK's vitals again.

"No. No thank you. I'm fine."

"You sure? You look like you're in a lot of pain."

"No pain meds. Please," TK says, not looking at Carlos in any way. He can only think that the nurse hasn’t read his file.

"Ok maybe some advil then? Something to take the edge off?"

TK tenses at her words, his face draining of color. Carlos is looking at him curiously wondering what is going on, but TK has recoiled even further into himself.

"Maybe in a bit," Carlos finally answers so the nurse will leave and his boyfriend will hopefully relax again.

"No problem. Just push the button when you're ready for it. The doctor should be around with the x-ray results soon." She pulls the curtain as she leaves.

Carlos doesn't push. If there's one thing he's learned about TK in the year he's known him it's that TK will shut down even further when pushed. He runs a hand through TK's hair hoping to provide some comfort. TK's poor lip is bitten raw, but Carlos doesn't try to stop him.

The doctor enters about half an hour later and confirms TK's self diagnosis of a few cracked ribs. He suggests some breathing techniques to help with deep breathing to prevent from getting pneumonia. He also suggests TK take a week or two off from the academy to heal, but TK wouldn't hear of it.

"Well Mr. Strand since we can't prescribe you any pain medication, I would recommend you at least take it easy. I can write something up to give to your instructors, but I wouldn't recommend you complete any training exercises for a little bit. If the pain becomes too much, come back and we'll see how we can help." Carlos watched TK get paler as the doctor talked. He wasn't sure why the doctor wouldn't prescribe TK any pain meds knowing he had to be in severe pain, but it didn't seem to surprise TK so there was something Carlos was missing. He was debating how to bring it up when the doctor announced the nurse would be by with his discharge papers in just a minute. TK became more anxious after the doctor left and they were left in silence.

Carlos did his best to distract him, deciding now wasn't the time to ask what was going on. "Once we get you home, we'll put some ice on your ribs and get you settled on the couch with Netflix,” Carlos attempts a grin. TK nods but doesn't say anything biting his poor thumb nail to the quick.

The same nurse that offered TK advil earlier returns with discharge papers and a paper to give to his instructors. Carlos thanks her, and then helps TK back into his clothes. It's hard doing it without hurting TK but they finally get him dressed in his sweats. "Alright cariño, let's get you home." Carlos wraps his arm across TK's shoulder, and TK is too tired to shy away from him this time. He sees the same judging nurse from earlier, but Carlos just tightens his hold on TK and gives her a smile. She can take her judging and shove it as far as Carlos is concerned. If he wasn’t focused on getting TK home, he would find her supervisor and report her. His priority though will always be TK.

TK is quiet the whole way home, staring out the window, leg bouncing, and biting his lip. Occasionally his hand will run through his hair, and Carlos wishes more than anything he could take this anxiety and pain away from him. He periodically squeezes TK's knee in reassurance, but he's not sure it's helping much. Once back at the apartment, he hurries around to help TK out. Luckily they have a ground floor apartment, so he doesn't have to worry about getting TK up any stairs. Once through the door, Carlos tries to steer TK towards the couch, but TK stops. "What's wrong?"

TK won't meet his eyes, and Carlos can feel how he's vibrating with anxious energy. "I can't have pain meds because I'm an addict. I got… I got addicted in high school." He starts pacing and Carlos lets him even though he really just wants to pull him close and comfort him. "I went to a party with a boyfriend. He… I was young and stupid but that's not an excuse. I just wanted to feel something, something other than ignored. The pills helped, but I had to keep taking more. Dad…."

TK lets out a shuddering breath as he tugs at his hair. Carlos can't stand it, can't stand to see TK so upset. He walks over to TK and pulls his hands down as gently as he can. TK is tense, his breath coming too quickly for Carlos's liking. He gently wraps his arm around TK and pulls him against his chest. TK stays stiff in his arms, but he doesn't pull away.

"Slow deep breaths please," he whispers. He keeps his own breaths measured, slow, and deep as he lets a hand gently rub TK's back. He can hear TK almost wheezing, and he knows that has to be increasing the pain. "You're ok, TK. Everything is ok. Just match my breathing," he murmurs softly, guiding TK's hand to his chest to try and help. It takes a few minutes, but TK starts to slow his breathing matching it to Carlos's. "That's it. You're doing good. Everything is ok." Carlos just keeps up the slow breathing and rubbing TK's back until he feels TK sag in his arms.

He half carries half guides TK to the couch. He does his best to get him comfortable before kneeling in front of him. He carefully wipes the tears from TK’s face. “You’re ok. You’re going to be ok. You don’t owe me any explanations you don’t want to give ok?”

TK takes some shuddering breaths as he nods.

“Easy cariño. Slow breaths. I’m gonna get some ice to put on your ribs. Just want you to relax, ok?”

TK gives him a shaky nod; Carlos kisses his forehead and goes to the kitchen. He has some homemade ice packs from soccer strains that mold more easily around body parts, so he grabs those, an ace bandage and a towel. He gets TK a bottle of water before returning to the couch. TK has scrubbed his eyes free of tears, and is holding his ribs carefully. “Shirt on or off?”

“Off,” TK whispers, his voice scratchy.

“I’ll be as careful as I can,” Carlos promises as he sets everything in his hands down. He eases TK’s shirt over his head, sharing a wince when TK winces. He gets TK to hold the towel over the worst of the bruising, before he lays the ice pack down. TK winces again because it’s so cold, but he knows it’ll help. Carlos loosely wraps the ace bandage around him to hold the ice pack in place. “Can I hold you?” Carlos asks tentatively once the bandage is wrapped. “No pressure. No need to talk. Just want to hold you.”

TK nods, so Carlos crawls behind him on the couch. He eases TK back against his chest getting him as comfortable as possible with cracked ribs. Once TK is situated, Carlos runs a hand through his hair to help relax him. “I’m sorry you got hurt. I’m sorry you’ve had such a rough afternoon. But there’s one thing I want you to never forget,” Carlos murmurs quietly. “I’m always going to be here for you no matter what.”

He can feel TK’s body relaxing the more Carlos rubs his head. “You’re the only other person who’s been to the hospital with me. Dad was the other,” TK whispers so quietly.

Carlos kisses the top of his head. “I’ll always be there babe.”

“I’m sorry for freaking out on you.”

“Don’t. It’s been a stressful afternoon. It’s ok I promise.”

TK relaxes more into Carlos’s chest and just starts talking. “I got addicted to opioids sophomore year of high school. I was dating a guy named Alex. He turned out to be a real ass. He was all into partying, and I went along with it just wanting to feel something. Mom and dad were always so busy after the divorce; I think I was just looking for attention from anywhere I could get it. Dad found out when I OD’d senior year and he found me in the bathroom passed out. He decided to be more present; he helped me get clean. He was the one who thought it best to get out of the city. Mom just wanted to micromanage me, but dad seemed to get it to a degree. I’ve always looked up to him, wanted to be just like him, and mom hated it. When dad suggested an escape, I randomly picked a place on the map, and here I am. I’ve been clean for two years. I went to meetings all the time freshman year, I just didn’t tell you. You were, are, the best thing in my life and I didn’t want to lose that. I found a good therapist here too. She’s been really helping me.”

“I’m glad TK. I’m so glad you chose here. I’m so glad you found someone to connect with that you are comfortable with. I’m so glad you shared this part of you with me. I feel honored.”

TK glances up at him, and offers the first smile Carlos has seen from him all afternoon.

“You were the easiest decision I’ve ever made. I’m the lucky one.” Carlos gives him a soft smile, but he can see the afternoon was worn TK down and he doesn’t want the exhaustion to stress him out. “Why don’t you try to rest. I can help you to bed or we can stay right here. I’m going to do some reading for class before cooking.”

“I’ll just stay right here with you.” Carlos kisses his head again as TK drifts off finally looking peaceful. He grabs his book to read making sure not to jostle TK. He knows the coming days are going to be painful for TK, but he feels he has a better understanding of his boyfriend now. He ends up skipping a couple of classes to help TK; TK goes to meetings wanting to keep himself accountable. He even invites Carlos to one of his therapy appointments as his therapist’s suggestion. It takes almost two weeks for the bruises to fade and TK to get back to one hundred percent. While Carlos hates that TK got hurt, he also has learned to appreciate every little thing with TK because he always feels more in love with him after.

#tarlos #tarlos fic #911 lone star #911 lone star fic #writers life #tarlos college years #tarlos college au

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kiras-sunshine · 3 years

Text

Home and Heart

Written for day four of Carlos Reyes Week: “you have come so far” + future

Summary: Carlos gets a job offer in a different city

read on ao3

It’s already dark, but their backyard is illuminated by a string of fairy lights TK has managed to hang up on near the chutes of the house.

Carlos has no idea when he had the time to put those up because they definitely were not there in the morning when he left for work, and TK got off from his shift only an hour before him, but he also had picked up food from their favourite Thai restaurant.

They had eaten the food at their backyard, underneath the lights and the bright night sky. The weather is warm, and the gentle breeze doesn’t bother him at all. The yard is so quiet, he can only hear distant noises of cars, a few birds chirping in the nearby Cathedral oak tree, and slight sounds of the grasshoppers. TK’s grunting mixes in with all of that.

Neither one of them had wanted to go back inside, so he is sitting on a garden chair and TK sits on the ground in front of him, in between his knees and he keeps massaging his stiff shoulders. He had pulled a 24-hour shift, and the impromptu dinner date at the backyard definitely was a surprise for Carlos, a good kind of surprise at that and he had enjoyed it immensely, but he had been psyching himself up the whole day to have a certain conversation with him, but now he doesn’t want to break the serenity of the moment.

Also, he has no idea how to break the news to him.

“You’re thinking too loud,” TK murmurs at one point, startling him from his own thoughts. He had been just absent-mindedly staring at the star patter of his button-down as he worked on a particular muscle knot near his shoulder blade. “Are you going to tell me what it is, or do I have to guess?”

He lets his palms rest against his shoulder as he exhales deeply. He should have guessed he would see straight through him. After being five years together it shouldn’t be a surprise that he knows him, through and through.

“Yeah, I’ll just pick something up,” he says, placing a kiss on the top of his head as he gets up and heads inside. He walks straight to their bedroom, picks up an envelope from his drawers and returns outside with it.

Letting him read the letter feels like the easiest choice.

TK is already standing up when he hands it to him. He had already teared it open in the morning, so he just pulls out the letter and starts to read it. His eyes are moving fast across the page. He looks at him carefully, and the corner of his mouth keeps twitching and when he looks up from the letter, his face is lit up by enthusiastic and bright smile.

Before he knows it, TK is already pulling him into a tight hug. He laughs, sounding genuinely delighted and Carlos just burrows his head into his neck. “I’m so proud of you,” TK tells him, and he hears rustling of the paper and he thinks he might be reading the letter again, “I mean I’m always proud of you, but you know.”

He feels his fingertips stroking along his spine, and in return, he presses a kiss on his neck.

He has been offered a job as a detective. It’s definitely the next logical step on his career path, and he certainly has the experience and qualifications for the job. He likes being an officer, but he also knows if he really wants to make any change in the way police departments work, he has to advance on the career ladder.

“It’s in Dallas,” he points out, sounding almost remorseful to his own ears, too. It’s the only aspect of the offer that keeps bothering him. He obviously is flattered that they want to offer him the position and he knows he is great at his job but uprooting his whole life might not be worth of a job.

“Yeah, I read that bit,” TK says, and surprisingly he has no traces of hesitation or sombre in his voice. He pulls away from the hug, but still rests his hand on his waist and kisses him. It’s a quick and brief kiss, but still full of reassurance. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” he whispers.

He is the first person he has told about the offer, and he guesses it is only fair because his decision will affect his life, too, and while he was nervous about telling about it, he never expected him to get cross with him, but it still feels like a relief to hear his words of support and excitement.

“Do you want the job?” He asks, cocking his head to the side, as he studies him with his gaze. Any attempts of finding an answer in his eyes are futile.

“I don’t know.”

It’s as honest answer as he can give. Sure, he has been thinking about promotion for a while and getting promoted to detective is in his plans but moving to another city definitely wasn’t included in his plans for the future.

Maybe if he were still alone moving away would not be such a big deal, but he is not alone. Still, sometimes unexpected things can be the best things in life. He certainly wasn’t looking for a relationship, but he still managed to find the love of his life on a call about a baby stuck in a tree.

TK hums sympathetically. “Is it about Dallas?”

“Yeah.”

He folds the papers carefully back into the envelop and places it on the table next to the abandoned takeout boxes. “I get that. It’s not an easy decision and I guess moving wasn’t in our plans,” he says, glancing at the dim yard that opens in front of them.

“Tell me about it,” he sighs out of frustration and rubs his face with his hands.

A couple years back, he had sold his condo. It was a bit small for two people, and they wanted to buy a house instead of an apartment, and it is exactly what they did. The house is not enormous, but it’s theirs and it has everything they need, and most importantly it’s home in a way that no previous place of his own has been.

He knows it’s only a physical place and lots of other great houses exist, but he has grown fond of it. It is such a combination of both of them, all the little details and marks they have left on it and its decoration. He knows his home is where his heart is and TK still holds his heart, and he can be happy wherever he is with him, but he still believed they would live there longer than a couple of years.

“Hey,” TK whispers, gently and Carlos lets his hands drop. “You’ve come so far with you career, and we have come so far, so I’ve got your back no matter what you choose.”

His voice is soft, but still determined and sincere and he doesn’t doubt for a moment that he wouldn’t mean his words.

He rubs his neck as he tries his best to flash a reassuring smile at him. “Yeah.”

TK gives a lopsided smile as he looks down his left hand and fidgets with the silver band that rests on his ring finger. “Besides, when I said I do I did mean that I’m always going to be in your corner.”

Carlos chuckles, but his gaze darts to his wedding ring, too. It makes his own ring feel heavier, in a good way, and he knows there is truth in his words, and he has proved it countless times already during the years.

They are a team, a great one, and he supposes they have been a team since the night of the solar flares, and while he knew the whole time that a job offer couldn’t derail what they have, he is still a bit overwhelmed how well he is taking it and the amount of support he is offering him unconditionally.

“That,” he says, nodding towards the ring he has put on his finger a little over a year ago, “doesn’t mean you have to potentially blindly follow me across the state.”

It’s about his career, and he knows that ultimately it comes down to him if he wants to accept the offer, but he knows it’s going to have to be a mutual decision. He is not going to force him to move into a different city and leave his family and a place he calls home behind, and especially if he is not completely in on the plan, too.

“Nope,” he agrees, “and I like Austin. Our family and friends are here, and it feels like home, but I also meant my wedding vows, I literally took them as an oath. And I intend to keep my word when it comes to you.”

TK wraps his fingers around his wrist and slides them lower so that he can intertwine their fingers. His hand feels warm against his and it is more comforting that he can even describe.

Their wedding was sort of small. Just their closest friends and family, all their loved ones in one place. It was beautiful ceremony and it felt like them, and they had gone big on the parts they wanted to, and one of those parts had been the vows.

Carlos had spent months trying to perfect his own vows, and TK’s vows still are absolutely one of the most beautiful and touching things anyone has ever said to him. He had teared up because his vows had been so full of love and it had felt a little surreal that he got to be in the receiving part of it.

A short part of the vows were in Spanish. Ever since their relationship got official, TK had gotten in his head that he wanted to learn Spanish, and while he didn’t have to and it hadn’t been necessary in any way, he had attended some online courses and done independent studying. It had been a slow process, and Carlos still wouldn’t call him fluent, but his skills are definitely more than decent.

Still, the idea that he had learned an entire language for him makes his heart flutter. His accent is still bit off, but it’s so incredibly endearing that he hasn’t had the heart to correct him.

Carlos still has the piece of paper TK had written the vows on, and he knows TK has kept his piece of paper safe, too. He can admit that he sometimes reads it through and wonders how in hell he ended up so in love and so lucky.

“So, did I,” he replies, gently caressing his thumb with his own.

He hasn’t read the vows he wrote since the wedding, but he still can recall them word by word, and he had been completely serious about them and meant every single word, and he had vowed that he would cherish his happiness and love as if it was the most precious thing in the world he has ever had.

He still wants to honour those vows and do exactly as he promised to do.

“I know,” he breathes out, “and if you really want to take the job, then you should. And if you decide to do that, then we’ll have a real talk and figure it all out.”

He kisses his forehead and lets his lips linger there for a moment. “I love you,” he whispers.

“So you have said,” TK tells him, with a dazzling grin on his face, and he knows they will be alright no matter what.

***

Carlos has had the rule of keeping his personal and professional lives separate. After TK and befriending the entire crew of 126 had obviously blurred the lines a bit, and suddenly personal life made its way to workplace and scenes, and while he tried to stick to professionalism, he let the rules loosen up a bit.

When he realised that he kept casually running into his father-in-law and bunch of people who considered themselves to be equivalent of siblings of his husband, he had completely given up the distinction of work and personal life.

Let alone the fact that he kept running into his actual husband, who has Strand-Reyes stitched into the place of his last name on his uniforms. It’s definitely cramped there because the space for last name isn’t that big, but the sight of it never fails to make him smile.

So, as he has accepted that he half-works with people who he ends up spending all the holidays and most of his free time with, he longer feels awkward if he looks for TK once they have cleared up a scene.

They are once again on the same call. It’s nothing too messy, a car crash in the middle of the road. His partner is still directing the traffic as 126 is cleaning up the last of the debris and drying up some oil that leaked from another car.

“Hey,” he greets when he walks up to him next to the fire truck.

“Hey. How’s the most handsome first responder in Austin doing?”

Carlos grins as he glances at the ground. He briefly wonders how on earth he changed from making his own rules to separate work and personal life to shamelessly flirting with his husband on scene. “I don’t know, how are you doing?”

“Hah, real funny,” he shoots back, and his smile is bright, and he looks genuinely delighted to see him, even though they only saw each other six hours ago when they both left for their respective shifts.

He knows he could wait until they are both home, but their shifts overlap a bit, and he supposes this is as good moment as any.

“I turned down the job in Dallas,” he says, as he looks at Marjan and Mateo finishing up the cleaning process on the road.

“Oh.”

The uncertainness has now found its way to his face.

“It didn’t feel right to take it,” he explains.

The more he thought about it, the less he wanted to move. His parents and most of his sisters live in Austin or near it. Most of TK’s family lives there, too and he knows that he would have moved with him if he had asked, but leaving 126 behind would have devastated him.

Besides, he knows Austin like the back of his own hand. He knows people there and the communities and he is almost fond of his precinct too, and leaving all that behind felt just fundamentally wrong.

Dallas isn’t that far away, but it still hadn’t felt like the right decision.

“Okay.”

“I spoke to my captain, she said there should be job openings here within a year too, if everyone follows their retirement plans,” he adds.

“That’s great,” he tells him, with a low chuckle. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’ve got everything I need right here,” he replies, pointedly looking only at him with fondness.

TK bites his lower lip as he laughs. “If you’re happy, then that’s all that matters.”

“I am.”

“Good,” he breathes out and grins at him before he reaches to kiss him, quickly and briefly. His work and personal lives are irrevocably intertwined, and he couldn’t care less.

“I’m still proud of you.”

He opens up his mouth to answer, but before he gets anything out, Judd interrupts them. “Hey lovebirds, break it up. We gotta go.”

He hears a collective groaning and exasperated sighs. “How long can their honeymoon phase possibly last?” Matteo complains. “Another five years?”

He laughs, but he sort of hopes he never gets tired or less delighted to see him. He still gets the same thrill as he did when he first saw him and realised that there was something worth pursuing between them.

“Be safe.”

“You too.”

#carlosreyesweek2021 #tarlos #tarlos fic #carlos reyes #tk strand #fluff

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sunshinestrand-inactive · 4 years

Note

paige!! could i request #17 with tarlos please 💗

Thank you for the request lovely Jamie!! I really hope you love it and it goes well with the prompt!! 💕💕💕

Prompt taken from this list in case anyone would like to send one in. ☀️

17. saying just the right thing to calm you down.

“TK is in the hospital.”

Carlos had had the day off and was at home when he got the call. He then had to thank whatever higher power was out there that he hadn’t been on shift when it happened. Owen had said that the 126 had been called out to a car accident that had turned into a road rage incident. TK, bless his heart, had attempted to break up the two but had instead ended up on the other side of a knife. Tears blurred his vision as Owen insisted that he was okay, that his turnout coat had gotten the brunt of the attack.

His world seemed to have fallen into slow motion as he hung up the phone, telling Owen to let TK know he would be there as fast as he could. He quickly grabbed his keys and ran from the house. The ride from their house to the hospital, which was ten minutes, felt like a year to Carlos as he finally pulled into the parking lot. He barely managed to turn off the car before getting out and running through the emergency room doors.

As soon as he stepped foot into the building, the members of the 126 turned to look at him. Here they all were again, sitting in a waiting room just hoping one of their own would be okay. Carlos had been on the other side of this before, after he had been grazed by a bullet and even though he was not a member of this tight knit firefighting family; they had sat in this waiting room and waited for any kind of news that he would be okay.

They were his and TK’s family. No amount of anything would stop that from being true.

Carlos gave them a nod as he passed by on his way to TK’s room. He froze at the doorway as she spotted TK. The last time he was here on TK’s behalf, he had been in a coma after being shot. Despite being in a weird situation with their relationship, Carlos had felt panic he had never felt before. But now, TK sat upright, his eyes open and a smile on his face as he talked to Owen.

He was alive.

“TK.” Carlos choked out. All the panic he had been feeling on the way over here was coming to a helm. TK looked over at him, that beautiful smile still on his face. Owen nodded to himself as he stood up and walked out of the room without a word. Carlos felt himself lose breath.

“Hey Carlos.” TK said and if Carlos hadn’t been panicking to death, he would have made a joke about TK being so nonchalant as he sat in another hospital bed.

Carlos slowly approached his bedside, his breathing getting worse. His gaze fell from TK’s face to his stomach where he knew the cut was. He could almost see the stitches that took over TK’s skin to close the wound.

“Carlos,” TK said softly. “Baby, I need you to look at me.”

Slowly he did. His eyes meeting TK’s.

“I need you to breathe and listen to me, I’m okay. I’m not leaving. I promise you.”

Those two little words, I’m okay. That was enough to cause Carlos’ wall to break and he felt tears fall down his cheeks. It was true. This wasn’t some kind of sick dream. TK was in a hospital bed yet again but he was okay. There was nothing that could change that in this moment. TK reached out to grab Carlos’ hand, his thumb running over his skin softly.

“I was so scared.” Carlos whispered under a sob. TK nodded, using the grip on his hand to pull him down onto the bed next to him. Carlos went willingly, tucking his face into the crook of TK’s neck and began crying. TK soothed him, whispering small words to him and rubbing his back with his free hand.

After a few moments, Carlos had begun to calm down but was still in a whirlwind of emotion and TK took Carlos’ hand, putting it palm down onto his chest and Carlos began to feel the soft thump of TK’s heart against his hand.

“You feel that?” TK whispered, his head leaned against Carlos’ slowly rocked as Carlos nodded. “It’s still beating. I’m sorry I made you worry but this heart is still beating. This heart loves you so very much and it will not leave you. I will not leave you, Carlos.”

“You don’t know that.” Carlos whispered, although he could feel his body begin to calm.

“No, you’re right. I don’t. But I will do absolutely everything in my power to fight to make sure that it keeps beating so I can come back to you. I promise.” TK said, putting his pinky out towards Carlos.

Carlos broke, letting a laugh out and he shook his head. “You’re a dork.”

“You agreed to go out with me, this is all your fault. Now don’t leave me hanging.”

Carlos rolled his eyes, linking his pinky with TK’s. “I promise to do the same.”

“Good.” TK agreed and they let their hands fall.

And TK was right, the both of them would do anything in their power to not break that promise.

#tarlos #911 lone star #prompt fill #officerrxyes #benjisvictor #userjilly #paige writes

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bellakitse · 3 years

Text

Ease your heavy heart

He leans against the doorframe taking in TK and their little boy. He’s fast asleep, his face tucked into TK’s arm, his tiny fingers gripping his father’s shirt.

When their son gets sick, TK feels guilty for not realizing how serious it is sooner. Carlos comforts him.

Written for @911lonestarangstweek - Day 4: Sickfic + “You need to rest.”

Carlos makes sure the house is locked up before he starts to make his way up the stairs. He bypasses his bedroom and heads for his son’s knowing that’s where he’ll find his husband. He leans against the doorframe taking in TK and their little boy. He’s fast asleep, his face tucked into TK’s arm, his tiny fingers gripping his father’s shirt. It’s the most peaceful sleep he’s seen Luca have in days, and he has to believe part of it is because he’s finally home and no longer in the hospital. It settles Carlos a bit after days of unending worry.

“He sounds better,” he comments softly, his voice low as to not disturb the quiet too much.

“Yeah,” TK says back as he looks down at their son with the same worried frown he’s been looking at him with since Luca was admitted into the hospital with pneumonia.

“He’ll probably sleep through the night,” Carlos continues, swallowing a sigh when TK mutters another ‘yeah,’ his gaze not straying from Luca’s small frame. “Which means that you can come to bed,” he says, not at all surprised when TK instantly starts shaking his head in protest.

“No, I – “

“You need to rest,” he cuts TK off, his voice leaving no room for argument. He pushes off the door frame, making his way over to their son’s bed, sitting at the end. “You haven’t had a proper night’s sleep in days.”

TK frowns at him, and Carlos can tell he’s about to have a fight on his hands by the stubborn set of his jaw. “I have to make sure he’s okay.”

“He is okay, babe,” he says softly. “The doctors released him from the hospital because his infection is clearing up. In a few days, he’ll be right as rain again, running us ragged as we chase our little speed monster around the house,” he jokes, hoping it will get a smile from TK.

Instead, TK looks down at their boy with a worried look, biting down on his bottom lip.

“We can’t let him tire himself out,” he says like he’s making a mental list. “I – “ he stumbles on the word. “We need to make sure he’s completely healed – “

Carlos frowns at the edge he hears in TK’s voice. It’s tense and high-strung enough to raise the hairs on the back of his neck. He reaches out slowly to touch his face, feeling a pang in his chest when TK looks at him with wide, panicked eyes.

“Baby,” he starts with caution. He cups the side of TK’s neck, pressing his thumb to his pulse, feeling it race under his finger. “What’s happening right now?”

TK swallows hard. He closes his eyes for a moment as he lets out a shaky breath. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers as he opens his eyes again, the guilt in them clear as day. “I should have realized sooner that it wasn’t just a cold. I should have – “

“Baby, no,” Carlos cuts him off quickly before he spirals further. “This is not your fault.”

TK shakes his head, and Carlos can see the tears he’s trying to hold back. It’s become a familiar sight the last few days. “I’m a paramedic. I should have seen the signs sooner, the wheezing, the fast breathing, the coughing.”

“We thought it was a simple cold,” he reasons, his heart aching when TK lets out a sniffle.

“I should have known it was more,” TK answers, looking down at Luca, the tears finally slipping down his cheeks. “I’m a bad dad.”

“Oh, TK,” he sighs softly. He moves closer to him, taking him in his arms, grateful that he accepts his embrace. “You know very well that isn’t true.”

TK shakes from his silent crying as Carlos tightens his hold on him, and Carlos realizes with a heavy heart that his husband has been bottling in all his fears and guilt, hiding it away from him.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers into the side of his face. “I should have realized you were feeling this way sooner.”

TK shakes his head against him, pulling back to look at him as he gets his emotions under control, and Carlos feels that ever-present love he has for his husband mix with the need to protect him.

“Don’t apologize,” he says softly. “You were focused on Luca; he’s our priority.”

“No, you’re both my priority,” he shoots back just as soft. “Just like I know me and him are yours. I should have checked in with you more these last few days.”

He tilts his chin up, pressing a kiss to TK’s brow, letting his lips linger as TK lets out a sigh, his body melting into his when he hugs him again.

“This wasn’t your fault,” he says into his skin. “And you are a wonderful dad and paramedic, okay? Shit just happens sometimes, baby.”

TK lets out another sigh, but Carlos feels his body loosen further in his arms, easing his worry.

“That’s a bad word, Papa.”

They break apart at the comment to find Luca looking up at them with a curious expression on his face.

“Hey, sweet boy,” TK says softly, wiping away at his face as he gives Luca a loving look. “You should be sleeping.”

Luca looks at TK, a frown taking over his small face as he sits up, coughing a bit as he does so. “Dada, you crying? Why?”

TK reaches out to rub his back, soothing the cough away. “I was just a little sad, sweetheart. Papa was giving me a hug to make me feel better.”

Luca looks over at him and then back at TK. He goes up to his knees and then to his feet on the bed, standing a few inches higher than them. He takes a wobbly step forward, his little arms going around TK’s neck.

TK lets out a small amused huff, the first genuine smile Carlos has seen on his face appearing as he hugs Luca back.

Carlos smiles, warmth spreading through him at the picture his two loves make together.

After a moment, Luca breaks the hug but not before kissing TK on the cheek. “Better now?”

TK nods quickly, clearing his throat before he speaks but still sounding overwhelmed by their son’s sweetness. “So much better, baby, thank you.”

Luca smiles bright and happy at TK, pleased as always when he feels he has helped one of them.

“Do you think you can go back to sleep, Luca?” TK questions him gently as he places a hand over his forehead, checking to see if he’s warm. “You need to rest.”

“That sounds familiar,” he mutters, grinning when TK shoots him a look.

“Not sleepy,” Luca answers with a slight pout even as he lets out a yawn. “Can we watch Disney plus?”

TK looks like he wants to argue but can’t in the face of their adorable son, and Carlos decides to intervene.

“Let’s go watch in our bedroom,” he says, shrugging when TK gives him another look. “It will help him fall asleep again, and this way, if he’s with us, maybe I can get you to sleep too.”

TK stares at him for a moment longer before turning towards Luca. “What do you say, bud? Want to sleep with us tonight?”

Carlos chuckles as TK is barely done asking before Luca is wrapping his arms around his neck again, ready to be carried.

“Guess that’s a yes,” TK huffs as he stands with Luca in his arms. He turns his head to press a kiss into Luca’s curls, reaching for Carlos’ hand when he also stands up.

“Thank you,” he says to him, giving his hand a squeeze.

Carlos returns the gesture, and just like TK did with Luca, he leans in to press a kiss into TK’s hair. “Anytime, sweetheart.”

#911 lone star #tarlos #911 lone star fic #tarlos fic #911lsangstweek #baby luca #tk x carlos #my writing

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howtosingit · 3 years

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SNEAK PEEK: Next to You (That’s Where I Want to Be) - Chapter Seven: February | Bewitched, Body and Soul

Hello, friends! I know that it has been 7 weeks but who’s counting a long time since I updated this fic, and I have no excuse other than the fact that my writing muse has been off hibernating while my brain went “let’s freak out about the show airing and care about literally nothing else.” So fun!

I’m slowly finding my way back into the groove of writing, but I don’t want to keep you all waiting any longer for some content from this AU, so here is the entire first scene of the next chapter! Thank you for your patience, your kudos, and your support, and I hope you enjoy this little taste of what’s to come 🤗

(If you have no idea what I’m talking about but find yourself intrigued, check out the fic masterpost to read the first six chapters!)

SNEAK PEEK (2.2K) UNDER THE CUT...

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“Why is it completely impossible to find a decent man around here?”

Carlos glances up from the book in front of him to find Michelle standing at his side, glaring down at her phone as she swipes through something on the screen.

“‘Around here’ as in… the library?” he teases, gesturing past the desk in front of him and out towards the third floor study area. Since it’s still pretty early in the semester, the couches and tables aren’t filled the way they will be next month for midterms. Carlos likes working the checkout desk when it’s not as busy; it gives him more time to keep up with his own reading for class.

“What?” Michelle asks, looking up from her phone to glance around the space. “No, not the library, Carlos.” She shakes her phone, letting out a frustrated groan before tossing it down on the desk in front of her. “I’m serious, there are no decent men left in the world.”

“Well, hey-”

“Straight men, Carlos.”

“Ah,” he says, pressing his lips together to keep from laughing. After a few years, he’s very familiar with Michelle’s tragically complex dating history, so he knows to just go with her on this one. “I can’t really speak to that, sorry,” he adds unhelpfully.

“Yeah, yeah, Mister ‘I’m so in love with my boyfriend I make everyone around me want to puke’,” she scoffs, rolling her eyes as she shuffles through a stack of returned books on the cart nearby. “We can’t all just accidentally move in with our soulmates like you did.”

Carlos feels heat on the back of his neck, but he also can’t stop the smile that pulls at his lips, or the way an image of his roommate flashes through his mind. He feels like he’s been wearing an unbreakable smile for the past three weeks, and he refuses to be embarrassed about it.

Because TK Strand is his boyfriend, and it’s honestly everything he’s ever wanted.

It’s a little crazy how easily they’ve fallen into their new relationship, but in hindsight, Carlos realizes it’s not that surprising. For the past six months, they’ve formed a bond unlike any he’s ever known. TK is the person that he wakes up to - even though their beds are on opposite sides of the room - and falls asleep talking to. He’s the person that Carlos seeks out when he’s stressed or excited or just wants someone nearby. They talk about anything and everything, they laugh until their stomachs hurt, they cry while watching movies together. There is nothing that stands between them now; no walls, no fears, no ex-boyfriends. To Carlos, they sometimes feel like two sides of the same coin, while also somehow still being their own individual coins. It doesn’t really make sense when he tries to understand it, but it overwhelms him in the best possible way.

He knows that Michelle is happy for him, even though she likes to joke about how disgusting and in-love he is right now. But, that still didn’t stop her from giving him a bone-crushing hug when he first told her, his face as red as a firetruck when she affectionately whispered “I told you so, Carlos” in his ear before planting a kiss on his cheek.

In his “honeymoon period” - as his friends have taken to calling his current state of being - he can’t even be mad that she was right.

He’s pulled from his thoughts when Michelle’s phone dings on the desk next to him, her answering growl at the message causing his brows to furrow and his lips to pull downward into a frown. “What’s this about, ‘Chelle’?” he asks, preparing himself for one of her classic tirades.

“I don’t understand why guys have to get so cagey and weird about Valentine’s Day plans,” she begins, her lips pursed in annoyance as she continues to glare down at her phone. “Like, I’m not trying to coerce you into a date on this one freaking day just so that you feel obligated to marry me and give me children one day, you know? I just want chocolate and wine and some good sex! Why does that have to be such a thing?”

Carlos stares at her, trying to figure out how to respond. To be honest, he’s never really seen the point of Valentine’s Day. Sure, he absolutely loves romance - he used to dream about finding his fairytale prince, after all - but he’s never really seen the point in fixating on one day when real romance happens every day. He feels like a lot of people bottle up all of their grand gestures for a few major holidays, but forget to make simple gestures the rest of the year, and he’s never really understood that. It doesn’t help that he’s never had a person to share one of those holidays with, but as he sits and listens to Michelle, he realizes that that’s no longer true.

That thought causes something resembling fear to settle at the bottom of his stomach. For the first time in his admittedly short relationship with TK, he feels wildly unprepared.

He shakes himself out of his thoughts, determined to leave his stressing out about it until later. Right now, it’s Michelle’s turn.

“I mean, did you tell them that?” Carlos asks, gesturing to the phone when Michelle just stares at him. “The person you’re talking to?” he clarifies.

“Yeah, but he’s just being an ass now,” she scoffs, tossing her phone down again. She starts pacing behind him. “Talking about how he doesn’t ‘know if he’s free’ or how he ‘might already have plans, so he has to check and let me know later.’ Like, he’s obviously pretty careful about making plans on Valentine’s Day, so he totally knows if he already has them or not!” She’s rubbing tiredly at her face when the phone behind her rings and Carlos watches as she throws her hands up in frustration before moving to answer it. “Whatever, I’ll just buy my own chocolate and wine and spend the night at home. Who needs a man to have great sex anyway?”

Carlos is saved from answering when Michelle picks up the phone, all traces of frustration disappearing from her voice as she speaks to the other person on the line. With a shake of his head, he turns back to the front of the desk, adjusting his glasses as he finds his place in his book once again.

He makes it through a few more chapters before he’s once again interrupted, this time by the soft rapping of knuckles on the counter in front of him. He jumps slightly, pulled from his pages as a wide smile takes over his face when he looks up to find his boyfriend leaning against the desk just off to his left, staring at him with a soft smile. “Hey, you,” TK says, his face resting on his palm as it rests on the counter.

“Hi,” Carlos whispers back, and he knows that if he could look in a mirror right now, his eyes would be squinty from the way his smile takes over his entire face. He can’t help it, he’s always just really, really happy when he gets to see TK. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Not too long,” TK answers, sliding along the counter until they’re directly in front of one another. “When I came up, your face was all scrunched as you were reading, and I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Carlos clearly hears what he’s not saying - I just wanted to look at you - and his heart starts somersaulting in his chest. He bites down on his bottom lip, hesitating for only a moment, before he stands from his chair to lean over the desk and press a gentle kiss to TK’s lips.

“I like it when you disturb me,” he says when they part.

“And I like it when you kiss me,” TK says, glancing down at Carlos’s lips before staring up at him, his green eyes wide and beautiful as a faint blush covers his cheeks. With a lovestruck sigh, Carlos leans forward again, unable to help himself. This time, he lets the tip of his tongue peek out between his lips, hoping just a little taste of TK will keep him satisfied until he’s done with his shift.

TK groans when he pulls away again, trying to chase Carlos’s mouth but finding himself blocked by the desk between them. “Why do you have to be working right now?” he complains, his bottom lip jutting out.

“Stick around a little longer and I might not have to work at all,” Carlos teases, reaching out to run his thumb along TK’s pronounced lip. “You’re going to get me fired for inappropriate workplace behavior.”

“Now, wait a minute!” TK cries, stepping away from Carlos’s touch and crossing his arms over his chest. “I just came by to check out my favorite librarian, sir. You’re the one who can’t keep his hands to himself.”

Carlos rolls his eyes at his boyfriend, but he can’t stop the smile that appears on his face to mirror the one on TK’s, the man obviously pleased with his own joke. It makes Carlos want to take on the world for him, just to see him smile like that every minute of every day.

“I find it hard to focus when you’re around,” he admits, shaking his head as he looks around them. It’s still early in the afternoon, so there are very few people in the study area, and only a couple passing through. He glances behind him to see that Michelle has disappeared, probably to fulfill an archives request or something. “You think I’d be used to it by now,” he continues, picking at his fingers as he avoids eye contact with TK, “but I don’t know that I’ll ever be.”

“Hey,” TK says softly, reaching out for him. Carlos immediately takes his hand, linking their fingers together and laying them on top of the desk. TK’s thumb drags against his skin, and he feels little bursts of electricity on every one of his nerve endings. “You know I feel the same way, right?” his boyfriend asks, ducking his head to make eye contact. “Like, I think 98% of what goes on up here is just Carlos Carlos Carlos all the time, on a constant loop,” he says, gesturing to his head with a sardonic smile.

“Especially when you’re wearing those glasses and scrunching your face about something in one of your books,” TK adds on, lifting his free hand to trace along Carlos’s eyebrows. “I’ve had endless dreams about this crease between your eyes, it’s really beyond ridiculous.”

Carlos shivers when TK adjusts his glasses on his face, running his fingers along the edge of the frames as his eyes slide around to take in his features. It’s exhilarating, terrifying, and somehow affirming all at the same time, to be admired by the man before him.

They’re really doing this, the two of them. They’re falling in love, and it’s just as easy as breathing.

“We really are disgusting, aren’t we?” he jokes, parroting the claims made by all of their friends in the past few weeks.

“Oh, totally, without question,” TK nods, his eyebrows scrunching adorably as he lets out a laugh. “I would definitely want to punch us if we were other people.”

“I’m glad we’re not though. Other people. I’m glad we’re us.”

“Damn it, Carlos,” TK whines, dramatically folding himself in half as he pushes away from the desk like someone’s forcing him to do so, “I really am going to get you fired if you say things like that to my face.”

Carlos doesn’t respond, watching as TK glares at him for a moment before his smile breaks through. With a shake of his head, he dives back towards him, pressing a hard kiss to his lips. Before Carlos can even remember to kiss back, he pulls away again.

“Okay, I’m taking control of this situation,” TK says, shaking his head when Carlos raises his eyebrow in question. “Nope, stop it, put that eyebrow down and stop looking adorable, Reyes.” TK begins to slowly walk backwards away from the desk, a new look of determination on his face. “I’m going to go downstairs to get you a juice, and then I’m going to go sit in that chair furthest from this desk and study until you’re done.”

He looks proud of his new plan, clapping his hands together in triumph as a ridiculous grin takes over his face.

“And then what?” Carlos can’t help but tease, his tone challenging.

“And then,” TK fires back, his grin transforming into a smirk, “you and I are going back to our room and we are definitely not going to get any studying done whatsoever. How does that sound?”

Carlos lets himself have this moment, lets himself feel the way his body and soul comes alive as he looks at the man in front of him. The man of his dreams, now the man of his reality.

“Perfect,” he finally says, unable to hear it over the pounding of his heart.

Every moment with TK sounds more perfect than the last.

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#tarlos #tarlos fic #carlos reyes #tk strand #about my writing #next to you fic #sneak peek #this is basically like a one-shot #so that's fun #also rafa's picture from this morning provided some really great motivation #what can I say? - I love seeing that man in glasses #so everyone thank rafael silva - for this and everything else he does

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