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pau • they/them • 25 • 🏳️‍🌈

[ohmybuddie]

the place where I belong (home)

• 5,9k

• chris & eddie focused

• chris coming home

• buddie feelings realization

• cute buckley-diaz family

• not canon compliant at all

summary:

or: the one where Eddie leaves Christopher an accidental voicemail while he’s having a breakdown and somehow it fixes his whole life.

link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60610369

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[texasbama]

They really said we’re gonna make Christopher a player with underlying abandonment issues. Just like his dad. No no. Not that one. The other one.

[mattsire]

You know sometimes I look at the show and I genuinely wonder how anyone is ever actually expected to see these three and not think “this is two guys raising their son.”

Like are they not supposed to think it while seeing school pick up?

Or maybe they aren't supposed to think it at bring your kid to work day

What about bring your child to see Santa night?

Maybe no one is supposed to think it at dad number 2s welcome back to work surprise party?

Or how about spend the day cheering up dad number 2 while dad 1 works

Perhaps family game night after some flirting in the kitchen is when no one is supposed to think it?

Gingerbread house making and Christmas present opening ?

maybe spending an afternoon in the park helping their son ride a skateboard for the first time, together?

Or how about goofing around, taking photos, dancing together , at a graduation party?

or how about the good old “you better back me up telling our child no or else” moment

Family trip to their kids new Equine Therpay?

oh I know dad 2 cooking dinner while dad 1 plays a game with their kid!

How about when dads are semi freaking out if their kid is old enough to start dating?

When their kid is asking one of his dads who’s in a coma to wake up and come back while his other dad cries in the background?

Or maybe when they sit around talking and working on homework together? That’s def gotta be when people look at these three and don’t see two guys raising their son right?

Oh what’s that? They seem even more like two dads and their son now? Huh… how about that 🙃

[ohmybuddie]

i’m obsessed with the rookie rn!!! it’s so so good 🫶🏻

[exhuastedpigeon]

We talk a lot about how comfortable Buck is at the Diaz house, but I don't think we talk enough about how both Diaz boys are so comfortable in Buck's apartment. Some of our best Buckley-Diaz family moments and Buddie moments have come in that apartment.

"You wanna go for the title"/cuts immediately to them playing video games with Chris.

Chris showing up at Buck's when he's mad at Eddie.

Eddie and Buck talking after Chim punched Buck & Eddie taking care of Buck by not telling him what he wanted to hear, but what he needed to hear.

Chris roasting Buck with the, "You don't even have a couch"

The lasagna!

I could go on.

[teruel-a-witch]

7.16/7.25/8.06/8.08/9.02 Steve and Danny walking like a couple on vacation, before work, after work, to and from crime scenes, everywhere anywhere.

[herveiwfromthefloor]

Why do these boys fit so many fandom stereotypes?? I could make a thousand more of these 😭

[sunnoah]

season 1 mcdanno is sooooo important to me

[ddejavvu]

wait your new hotch blurb got me thinking what about they got secretly married and everyone knows that hotch is married they just don’t know it’s to bau!reader because he seemed very genuine in the wanting privacy so (after complaining) they respected that, and maybe one of the team members sees hotch and bau!reader kissing in the hallway of a hotel or something and confront him about cheating on his wife

"How could you cheat on your wife?"

Penelope's harsh, degrading accusation hits Aaron directly in the chest, through the layers of stoicism that he's come to forge over the years of working in criminal investigation and straight to his heart.

All Hotch can manage is a, "What?", and Penelope's eyes dim further.

"Don't do that, Hotch. I saw you. I saw you and Y/N kissing in your office. How could you do that to your wife?"

She looks so crestfallen that Aaron's chest actually aches, so unprepared to see the famously bubbly Penelope Garcia close to tears. Close to tears because of him, no less.

Aaron might have chosen his words more carefully if he hadn't been so startled by Penelope's unusual devastation, but his jumbled brain forgoes its job and his mouth takes over, uttering the thoughtless statement, "That's- that's what she's there for."

And in his mind, it's true, if not the complete truth. You are there for him to kiss, you're there to be kissed and loved and appreciated and cherished, but he's momentarily forgotten that Penelope doesn't know that you and his mystery wife are the same person, and his words so easily warp into possessiveness and disregard.

Her face contorts into a mixture of disgust and rage that could take out a serial killer, and he seriously considers recruiting her as Chief Lecturer of the BAU, "Hotch? How- how could you say that? That your wife is just- just some thing to wait on you while you run off with someone else? You- Aaron, I can't believe you, I thought you were better than that!"

She tries storming away, tears budding in her eyes but Aaron catches her elbow, ignoring the way she flails and squirms at his touch.

"Let go of me!" She tearily demands, but he grabs her by the other arm now, holding both of her shoulders.

"No, Penelope, listen-" He tries, reminding himself to send her to Derek later for a self-defense lesson, because the weak shoves that she's pushing at his chest with do very little.

"No! No, I'm tired of listening to men," She shrieks, "You were supposed to be better than that, Aaron! I trusted you, you were supposed to be the kind of man that I could admire, and- but you're not! You're just like the rest of them, you're some egotistical, possessive, heavy-handed, domineering son of a-!"

"Y/N is my wife." Aaron cuts her off, his voice slightly raised, but not harsh. Never harsh, not to the sniffling mess of ruffles and glitter in his arms that handed him her resume on pink stationary all those years ago.

She falls silent, finally, but her lips still tremble. Aaron squeezes her arms tighter, not rough but comforting, "Y/N is my wife. We married privately late last year. We kept it secret for safety reasons, but I'll admit we didn't need to hide it from all of you. I was not cheating on my wife, I would never-" He thinks momentarily of Haley, of the gut-wrenching sound of her cell phone ringing with a call she wasn't brave enough to answer in front of him, "I would never do that to Y/N."

It's a lot of new information to process, and Aaron grants Penelope all the time she needs to work through it. When her red-stained lips part again she breathes, "You married Y/N?"

"I did." Aaron nods, and though it's not the time to smile, he can't help that a ghostly one flits over his features at the mere thought of the day he'd married you, "I'll show you pictures when we're done here. Penelope, you can trust me. I don't blame you for accusing me- in fact, I'm glad that you did. I'm glad that your loyalty isn't blind. But Y/N is my wife, and that's why I kissed her."

A very wobbly, "Oh." Is all that Penelope can manage, and she sniffles again, staring at his tie rather than his face as he holds her steady in the hallway. He's glad that they've both shown up early for the day, but you're due to return with coffee for the three of you any minute now, and he offers her his pocket square to wipe beneath her eyes.

"You said-" She chokes out sheepishly, voice unsteady as she smears the tears off of her cheeks, "You said you have pictures?"

That's how you find them when you return, seated on the couch in his office peering down at his phone. You have to set the tray you'd been carrying down on Aaron's desktop before you can properly greet either of them, but you're immediately alarmed by the tears streaked over Garcia's cheeks when she stands to face you.

"You-" She starts, not giving you a second to speak, "-are a rat! You got married," She gushes, and Aaron chuckles deeply from beside her, standing and pocketing his phone.

"You got married to our boss, and you told me nothing," She hisses, but slumps so easily into your chest for a hug that you're more than willing to give her.

"I'm sorry, Penny," You gush, squeezing her tight, "We just- we were worried about safety. The more people we told, the more dangerous it would become, so we didn't share it with anyone. But- but we should have told the team, I know."

She sniffles and you draw back to pick up her drink from behind you, sugary and pink and topped with a thick layer of whipped cream, "I got you a drink. Forgive me?"

"Reluctantly," She tries scowling, but she's never been very good at it. She takes the drink from you huffily, jamming the straw inside and taking a drag at the thick liquid. It's barely nine in the morning, far too early for the concoction she's sipping, but she nods after she draws back from the straw.

"This is delicious," She decides, "And you two are traitors, and I'm telling everyone about this."

"You should," Aaron laughs, stepping up behind you to press his shoulder to your own. It's comforting just having him there, and you relax against him as Penelope takes her leave.

"I mean it," She warns, wiping another stray tear from her cheek and sipping at her strawberry drink, "I'm telling everyone. I'm- I'm gonna hire some guy to fly a plane over the city, and the banner is gonna say, 'Y//N Y/L/N and Aaron Hotchner got married without me'."

"That's fair," You nod, not bothering to bite back a grin as she lingers in the doorway of Aaron's office.

"And so help me god," She narrows her eyes at you, once more falling just short of intimidating, "If you try to take some extended-sick-leave time, and I find out you're hiding a pregnancy from me? No amount of frappuccinos in the world will make up for it!"

"Noted," You call out as she leaves, and Aaron's hand comes up to press against the near-indiscernible bulge of your belly before the door even clicks shut.

"She's good." Aaron observes, and you reach for your own non-caffeinated drink with a grin that's hard to drink through.

"Let's tell her about the baby at lunch," You propose, "I think she's more than earned a secret to keep."

[ilovewriting06-deactivated20240]

Promises

A/N: I’m back….again, hopefully for good this time. I’m working on a few more one shots and there may or may not be a couple series in the making. I also wanted to thank @kati-1997 for all the amazing ideas and help she gives (most of my writing is inspired by her ideas or at least incorporate her ideas).

I sigh as I finish up the autopsy as Max walks in. “Is everything okay Dr. Y/L/N?” I hum and look at him, “What? Yeah, yeah I’m okay. Why do you ask?” He tilts his head as he throws his gloves into the trash can, “It’s just today you’ve seemed quite perturbed and slightly irritable at times.”

I sigh again as I set my clipboard on my desk, “I’m sorry Max I didn’t mean to seem rude. It’s just.” I sigh as I sink into my chair and run a hand down my face, “Oh Max I’m sorry I don’t want to dump my burdens onto you.” He pushes his glasses up his nose and protests, “It’s hardly a burden, I consider you a close friend and I would like to help if I can.” I brush some hair away from my face and lean forward in my chair, “Its just, this morning I got into a fight with my boyfriend and I said some things, mean and nasty things, that aren’t true and I don’t know why I said them and now I don’t know what to do.”

Max leans against my desk before nodding, “I did not know you were seeing someone but it appears to me that you simply have to apologize.” I shake my head and groan, “You don’t get it, I can’t just apologize. He-, we-, it’s just, god Max it’s not that simple. What if he calls it off even after I apologize?” Max looks at me with serious eyes before asking, “Do you love him?” My eyes widen and I nod, “Yes! Of course I love him.”

Max nods as if he already knew the answer, “Then you at least owe him an apology, even if he does end it if you truly love him you need to apologize.” I nod knowing he’s right before jumping as a familiar voice cuts in, “Apologizing is definitely something that you should do, especially if you mean it. Speaking from personal experience a little remorse goes a long way.”

I spin around to meet the ocean blue eyes that I had watched break from my words just this morning. I lick my lips and nod, “I am sorry, truly and genuinely sorry. I never meant the things I said and I don’t know why I did it but I regret doing it.” I watch a smile threaten to give away his cover before he nods, “Just tell him that and I think you’ll be okay.” A small smile graces my face and I nod, “I will, I promise I’ll find a way to make it up to him too.” Steve nods before him and Danny look at Max, “Alright Max, what was it you called about?”

Once Max was done telling them the autopsy report on their latest victim they bid their goodbyes and start leaving. I bite my lip trying to decide what to do when I take off down the hall after them. When I get close to them I call out, “Commander McGarrett! Can-can I borrow you for a second?” He spins around to look at me before hesitantly nodding, “Yeah, here we’ll go in here so we have privacy, unless you don’t mind Danny hearing anything you say.” I know the silent question he’s asking with those words, is it about our relationship or about something else?

I point towards an empty room, “Privacy, please.” He nods leading us to the door before turning back to Danny, “I’ll be out in a second.” I see Danny’s concerned face before he nods, “Yeah, it’s fine I’ll wait here.”

When we get in the room and the door’s closed I grab Steve’s cheeks as tears threaten to spill down mine, “I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry! I didn’t mean what I said, if I had a problem with you putting your life on the line I shouldn’t have ever went out with you. I don’t have a problem with it, well, I mean I do because I can’t imagine my life without you, but I’ve come to terms with it. I don’t know what got into me this morning but, i-if you feel that you need to go to North Korea, go. I just have this feeling that it’s a bad idea and I know that you’re a SEAL I know you’ve done stuff like this before but you’d be dealing with Wofat, and he wants to kill you. It’s just, I don’t know how to explain it. I guess, I guess I’m just scared.”

I sniffle as I watch Steve’s face soften before he cups my cheeks and wipes the tears that I didn’t even notice had fallen, “I know you’re scared, I see it every day, even before we got together you were always scared for the team. I promise you, I’ll be okay, I’ll come home to you.” I nod as I feel more tears threaten to fall as I bury my face in his neck and wrap my arms around his torso. His hands slide to hold me close and he rubs a hand up and down my back, “I’ll come home to you, I’ll always, come home to you.”

I pull back just enough to make eye contact with Steve and I nod, “S-Steve, there’s something else that makes me want you to stay.” He brushes a piece of hair from my face as his brows furrow, “What do you mean baby?” I snort at the irony of his words before sighing, “I’m pregnant Steve. At least I think I am, everything adds up and I’ve got a pregnancy test in my bathroom cabinet but I’m too scared to take it.” I step back a little more as his eyes widen and his mouth opens and closes, reminding me of a fish, “What? H-how?” I tilt my head with a small smile, “Stevie, you know how. There’s really only one way to get pregnant.”

I watch as he smiles and pulls me into him before leaving a quick kiss on my lips, “Take the test, before I go. I want to know before I leave.” I smile and nod, “Only if you’ll be there when I do it.” He nods and cups my face, “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” I blush and shrug my shoulders causing him to frown, “Y/N/N, sweetheart, light of my life, you are everything to me. I’ve thought about kids and I honestly never thought I would ever have the chance or meet the right woman but now. Fuck, now I’m standing in front of my secret girlfriend who just told me she’s pretty sure she’s pregnant and I honestly have never been happier.” My smile drops slightly as I ask, “What if I’m not?”

He runs his thumb across my bottom lip with an adorable pout on his face, “Well, if you aren’t, we have all the time in the world, there’s no need to rush. I mean no one except us knows we’re together because I’m worried Wofat will use you against me and I would never forgive myself if he hurt you, because of me. But I’d also be lying if I said a small part of me isn’t overjoyed at the thought of being a father and praying that the test says you are pregnant.”

I smile and grab the back of his head pulling him into a passionate kiss, “I’ll take lunch a little early and head home and you can meet me there before you leave. Just let me know when you’re about to leave.” He smiles his dazzling smile that swept me off my feet the first time we met before nodding, “Yes ma’am.”

When we exit the room I wipe the remainder of my tears off my cheeks as Danny looks between us confused and worried. “Steven what did you do to her?!” I chuckle a little as Steve’s eyes widen, “I didn’t do anything! We talked about what she needed to talk about and she got a little emotional she’s a woman Danny, an emotional one at that.”

I scoff at Steve, “Excuse me, did you just say all woman are emotional? Because that’s not true, my sister’s like a brick wall, in fact you’d be better off making a wall cry than her.” Steve and Danny both laugh before Steve pats Danny’s shoulder, “Alright Danno, we gotta go. See ya later Dr. Y/L/N!” I fake an annoyed growl before yelling after his retreating form, “How many times do I have to tell you?! Call me Y/N!”

The response I get in return is a sly wink and a, “Sure thing Doc.” I roll my eyes before heading back into the morgue.

————————————————-

I take a deep breath as I shakily grab the box that had been tucked away in my bathroom cabinet for a little over a week as a gentle yet firm hand rubs circles into the small of my back silently urging me on as I open the Clear Blue box and pull out the pregnancy test. As I hold the test in one hand I read the instructions. When I set the box and leaflet down I turn to Steve with anxiety bubbling in my stomach, “Are you sure about this? If I take it, and it says I am there’s no going back.”

He uses his thumbs to rub circles into my biceps before pecking my nose, “Babe, no matter what you do, whether you take the test now or not, if you’re pregnant, you’re pregnant there’s no going back.” I wet my lips as I nod, “O-okay, it says I can pee directly on the stick so uh, here we go? I guess.”

I put the cap on the test and set it on the counter before washing my hands. I dry my hands before grabbing onto Steve making sure I can see the test from where I’m resting against him, “Stevie?”

His hand continues rubbing up and down my back, “Yeah, sweetheart?” I nuzzle into the warmth of his chest before sighing, “I kind of hope it’s positive.” He places a kiss on my hair before whispering, “Me too.”

I suck in a breath as the last block fills the screen before gasping at the word on the screen. The one little world that just changed our life forever…pregnant. I turn to Steve with my mouth hanging open to see the same expression on his face before he blinks and looks at me. As soon as we make eye contact he pulls me into a hug that lifts my feet slightly off the ground, “You’re pregnant. We’re going to be parents.”

He sets me down and holds me at an arms distance with a huge smile, “You are going to be the best damn mother ever.” I blush and smile, “And I know you’ll be an amazing father.”

I grab the test off the counter and sigh, “I don’t want to throw it away. It feels like such an important thing now. Like I want to keep looking at it to make sure I’m not dreaming.” I lean into Steve as he wraps his arms around my torso and rests his head on my shoulder pressing kisses along my neck, “Keep it.” I roll my head to the side to give him more access as I choke back a moan, “What?” He chuckles as he runs his nose up my neck before nibbling on my earlobe, “Leave it in your purse or somethin’ that way when you think you’re dreaming you can whip it out and see the proof.”

I let out a laugh that quickly turns to a moan, “Whip it out? Are we talking about the pregnancy test or your dick?” He bit into the juncture of my neck causing me to release a whine, “Steve.”

He hummed before soothing the bite with his tongue. He pulls back slightly and groans when I grind into him, “Baby, I gotta go.” I growled and dig my nails into his forearms, “Steve I swear if you leave me all riled up.” He hisses slightly before chuckling, “Or what? Come on baby, tell me what you’re going to do?” I throw my head back on his shoulder and look up at him, “I’ll be mad at you.” He gasps dramatically before running his hands up my shirt, “We can’t have that now can we?”

—————————————————

I pant slightly, covered in sweat as I button my jeans up. I turn and lean against the counter as Steve zips up his pants and grabs my hairbrush and the pregnancy test off the floor that had been casualties of our escapade. He hands me the pregnancy test and kisses me on the cheek, “Here ya go momma, I do have to go now.” I bite my lip to hold back tears as I nod, “I know, just, promise you’ll be careful.” He smiles a sad smile before nodding, “I promise. I love you.” I pull him in for a kiss and when we pull away I brush his hair back, “I love you too.”

————————————————————

I glance up from my laptop on my desk when the door is thrown open and a disheveled Danny falls through it. He looks at me with wide worried eyes before asking, “Do you know where Max is?” I furrow my eyebrows and shake my head, “No, he said something about running an errand but he left like twenty minutes ago. Why?” Danny runs a hand through his hair as he anxiously paces. I jump up and grab his shoulders, “Danny! Snap out of it, you’re going to make me sick, what happened?”

He stops pacing and takes a deep breath, “It’s Steve.” I let go of Danny as if he burned me and I feel the anxiety that’s been in my stomach since he left turn into dread, “What do you mean? Danny, what’s wrong with Steve?” He sighs and shakes his head and I grab his arm and shake him slightly, “Danny! What the hell is wrong with Steve?!”

“He’s missing.” I step backwards slightly as Danny continues, “We found out that Jenna Kaye was lying to us and we’ve lost all contact with Steve. We think Jenna has been working with Wofat, which means Wofat has Steve.” I feel the blood drain from my face as I dart for the trash can. I retch as the last of my lunch leaves my body and Danny rushes towards me. “Y/N?! Are you okay?!”

At his words I fully process what he says and feel tears start to overflow no matter how hard I tried to hold them back. I try and fail to hold back a sob as I shake my head, “No, no, this isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. He promised.” Danny furrows his eyebrows before taking a step back, “What are you talking about?” My eyes search his face debating if I should tell him our secret and remember that Steve trusts him with his life, so I know he can be trusted. “We- Steve and I- we’re together. Like together together.”

Danny shakes his head confused, “What?” I wipe my tears as I run and grab my purse remembering that I took Steve’s advice and squirreled the pregnancy test in my purse. I willed the tears away as I dug through my purse before finding the little white and blue stick that I had tucked away in a pocket. I shakily hand it to Danny and watch as the confusion morphed into surprise, “You’re? And he’s?” I nod knowing what he’s trying and failing to say, “Yes, I'm pregnant and the baby is his.”

His eyes widen before his facial features soften, “How long have you two?” He trails off and I wipe the remaining tears from cheeks, “A little over a year.” His mouth drops and for a second I thought he was frozen but he snaps out of it and whisper shouts, “A year?! And neither of you said anything?!” I nod, “We were going to, and then Wofat started targeting people close to Steve and he got scared and made me promise to keep it a secret, at least until you guys caught Wofat.”

He nods following along before asking, “Are you going to tell the others?” My eyes widen and I shake my head frantically, “No! Absolutely not, I’m not going to tell anyone anything until Steve is back and we decide if we want to or not, it’s not just my life I’m considering, I’m thinking for three now because god knows Steve doesn’t do much of that.” Danny chuckles and I continue, “Danny, you have to promise me, you can’t tell anyone about this, about the pregnancy or me and Steve.” He nods but I want a verbal response, “Promise me.”

He hands me the pregnancy test before nodding, “I promise Y/N. It stays between us, but I better be the godfather.” I sniffle and nod as I put the test back in my purse, “Deal, now, I’m going with you, I want to know everything you do, he’s my boyfriend and my child’s father, I think I’ve earned that right.” He nods before gesturing me to follow, “Okay, I’ll drive.”

————————————————————

I tap my foot anxiously as the team decides what they want to do. When they finally come to a decision I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that if anyone can find Steve it’s this team (and Joe). As they’re leaving I run to grab Danny’s arm, “Promise you’ll keep me updated.” He squeezes my arm and nods, “I promise, stay here with Lori and I’ll call as soon as we touchdown.” I nod and silently thank him.

—————————————————-

I fiddle with a pen that had been laying on Steve’s desk before jumping when Lori speaks, “I wouldn’t mess with his stuff.” I spin around and nod putting his pen back where he had it, “Oh, yeah, sorry I’m a fiddler when I’m nervous.” She nods before sitting on the couch and putting her feet on the coffee table, “Mind me asking you why you’re so concerned about Steve.”

I manage to not blush before sitting in one of the chairs and turning to face Lori, “Well, we’ve known each other for over a year and he has a way of working his way into your life, even if you don’t want him to.” I narrow my eyes as she sighs wistfully, “Yeah, I understand that.” I clear my throat and stand up from the chair, “Um, I’m going to run to the bathroom really quick. Do you want anything from one of the vending machines?” She shakes her head with a small smile and I spin around on my heal and rush towards the bathroom.

It’s not surprising to know someone else likes Steve but it’s awkward when someone outwardly shows it and it fills me with jealousy knowing that Lori works with him all day everyday and I only get him a few hours every few days. I splash my face with cold water hoping to quell my nausea before pulling out my phone and smiling at the lock screen. It was a picture of Steve and I sharing a quick kiss that I had managed to get a selfie of. I tilt my head back and blink, willing the tears away knowing that if I start crying now I’m not going to stop.

Once I’ve calmed myself down I grabbed some M&M’s from the vending machine and head back to Steve’s office. When I step into the office Lori is on the phone and I rush forward, “Are they there?” She smiles and nods before pulling the phone away from her ear and putting it on speaker. I sit beside her on the couch and listen as Danny rants about the poor excuse of a helicopter they call Tangerine and that when they opened the door chickens jumped out. He continues relaying the plan before asking, “Hey, Lori, is Y/N there?” I lean forward before answering, “Yeah, Danny I’m here, you’re on speaker.”

“Can I talk to you privately for a minute?” I bite my lip and grab the phone before turning it off speaker and walking across the room, “Yeah Danny, it’s just me now.” I hear him clear his throat before he asks, “How are you holding up?” I let out a noise of discontent and he sighs, “Yeah I figured, probably still dealing with morning sickness. Has that bothered you anymore since our conversation yesterday?” I shrug as I answer, “Yes but no, mostly just nerves, that’s what yesterday was about too. It’s honestly not all that bad.”

I hear him chuckle before he seems to sense the underlying anxiety and stress because his voice gets a little quieter and worried, “Hey, Y/N, listen. I know you’re worried and I can only imagine how you must feel right now but it’s not good for you right now. Just, try and relax, drink a cup of tea or do sudoku.” I snort, “That’ll just stress me out more, I don’t have the patience for sudoku I don’t understand the fun of it either.” I can all but hear the eye roll before he sighs, “Okay but seriously babes, you have to calm down. You worrying and stressing isn’t going to change anything. Look we’re 98% sure we have a lock on his location and I will call you as soon as we get him and I have a chance. I’ll bring him home to you Y/N/N, I promise.”

I bite my lip to hold back tears as I nod, “Thank you, I’ll try and drink some tea, maybe it’ll help.” He lets out a sigh of relief as he says his goodbyes. When I hand Lori the phone she lifts an eyebrow, “What was that about?” I blush slightly before smiling sheepishly, “I’ve been a little sick lately and I threw up yesterday when Danny told me and he was just checking to make sure I was relaxing.” She nods before standing from the couch, “Here lay down, take a nap, I’ll even go get you some tea if you want.” I smile and sit on the couch as Lori leaves the office to presumably get tea.

————————————————————

I sip my eighth cup of tea as Lori and I walk to her car to go to the military airport that the team would be landing at before I groan when my phone hits the ground. Lori spins around as I bend down to pick it up and check to make sure the screen isn’t broken. “Y/N/N, that’s like the third time you’ve dropped that thing today.” I tuck my phone ‘securely’ in the waistband of my leggings again before responding to Lori, “Yeah I know, I have a love hate relationship with these leggings. They don’t have pockets so my phone is constantly falling out but they’re so comfy. Literally feels like I’m not wearing pants.” She chuckles before motioning me to continue, “Come on they should be landing soon.”

I quickly catch up as excitement pumps through my bloodstream. We got the call about thirteen hours ago that they have Steve and would be home in about thirteen hours. I lean my head against the window and close my eyes as my stomach churns. I take slow breaths before opening an eye to glance at Lori, “Do you have any gum, a mint flavor preferably?” She hums before shaking her head, “No sorry, why?” I sigh before closing my eyes again, “Helps with nausea.”

When we pull into the airport I jump out of the car before leaning on the hood waiting for the plane to come into sight. I gag slightly before taking another sip of my tea hoping it’ll calm my stomach but all it does is stir it up more. I heave as I double over and groan when all that comes out is spit since there was nothing in my stomach to come out. Lori rushes over and lays a hand on my back between my shoulder blades, “You okay?” I take a sip of my tea once my stomach has decided to calm down and nod my head, “Yeah, yeah I’m okay.” She looks at me skeptically before nodding and then pointing to the ground, “You dropped something again.” I furrow my eyebrows and look down to see my phone, on the ground, again. “For fucks sake!”

———————————————-——-

I all but shake as the plane lands and oh so slowly the team starts to exit and there he was. He seemed okay, a little beaten and bruised but other than that nothing life threatening. I go to run forward but I’m beaten to it when Lori takes off and embraces him in a hug that is far from a friendly hug. I scowl but blush when Danny comes over, “You’re girlfriendness is showing. How’s the baby SEAL?” I smile and shrug, “I guess okay, making me sick every now and then though.” He chuckles and nods, “I remember those days, Rachel was sicker than a dog for her first trimester.”

I grimace thinking about how she must have felt before purking up as Steve starts walking towards me again. Danny senses my excitement and excuses himself and goes to stand by Joe. When Steve gets about ten feet in front of me I take off running and slow down slightly when I get to him so I’m not colliding too hard into his obviously sore body. I wrap my arms around his upper torso and bury my face in his neck as tears I’ve been holding back for two days start to fall. “I was so scared, Stevie.” He pulls me close and buries his face in my hair as he rocks us slightly, “I know baby, I know. I’m so sorry. I never meant for this to happen.”

I sniffle and nod slightly as I smile, “But you still came home, just like you promised.” I feel him pull back when we hear Kono, “Oh. My. God.” I spin around to face her when I feel the blood drain from my face as I process what she’s holding…my phone. I look at Steve wide eyed and his eyes immediately widen when he realizes what my lock screen is. I scramble forward quickly before grabbing my phone from her hands and making eye contact with her silently begging her to not say anything.

She must not interpret my look or she completely ignored my silent pleas, “You two are dating?!” My mouth opens and closes looking for an answer and glancing at Steve who looks just as helpless as me. I look back at Kono and say the only thing I can think of, “It’s not what it looks like!” She crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow, “Really? And how exactly do you explain why you and boss are locking lips?” My eyes dart between everybody and notice the surprised look on everyone’s face, except Danny, even Joe looks surprised. I feel Steve’s hand on my lower back before he speaks, “Okay, you’re right, there’s really no explanation for that other than the obvious.”

This time Lori steps forward and has the decency to look guilty and slightly horrified, “So, you guys are dating?” I glance at Steve and he gives a subtle nod that says he’s okay that we tell them. I sigh before nodding, “Yes. We’ve been together for a little over a year.” Everyone gapes at us as I smile finally relieved that I can show up when he’s at work to visit and that I can show him affection without worrying if some is watching.

————————————————————

After explaining everything and why we kept it a secret Danny is driving Steve and I back to Steve’s place after I promised him I would stay with Steve and make sure he was okay…and to call if we needed anything. His words to be exact were, ‘Call me if you need anything, and I mean anything, even if you can’t find a toothpick, call me.’ I lean forward resting my head on the side of the passenger seat before grabbing Steve’s hand, “I missed you.” Before Steve can answer Danny gags, “Alright love birds no PDA in my car.” Even though Danny seems perturbed at our fingers being interlaced on the center console I can see the faint smile threatening to curl it’s way onto his lips.

I see Steve roll his eyes before holding my hand a little tighter as if he’s scared I’ll pull away. I hum slightly as Steve finally speaks, “I missed you too, baby. How are you doing?” I rub circles into the back of his hand with my thumb as I answer, “Pretty good, I get a little sick every now and then but it’s not as bad as it could be.” He nods before relaxing into the seat, “That’s good.” I nod and place a kiss to his shoulder before shifting to lean on the drivers seat but maintain a grip on Steve’s hand scared that if I let go he’ll be gone.

———————————————————

When Steve and I are curled up in his bed finally settling down to get some much needed sleep I curl myself around him and he runs a hand through my hair while placing a kiss on the palm of my hand. I glance up at him from my position knowing he wants to talk and smile as I meet clear blue eyes filled with love. “I thought about you the whole time. I remembered my promise to come home to you and it gave me the energy to keep going.” I smile and place a kiss on his chest before snuggling further into him, “I know baby, you kept your promise and I believe you will for the rest of our lives and I’m making a promise to you.” He raises an eyebrow as he glances down, “What’s that momma?” I chuckle and roll my eyes at the nickname before answering, “As long as you keep coming home to me, I promise to always be here waiting, no matter what.”

He squeezes me a little tighter, “Promise?” I push myself up on my forearm before brushing away some stray hairs that had fallen into his face as I study his features that are illuminated by the moon before leaning down and kissing him. When I pull away with my lips still brushing his I whisper, “I promise, you just keep coming home and you’ll see I’m telling the truth.”

Tag List: @kati-1997 @djs8891 @natashamea18

[inkdrinkerworld]

hotch and reader who've had a fight so he's testy and short fused with the team all day till david/emily call you to tell you to come over to the bau and sort it out so he's not so difficult to work with

in hindsight, it was a stupid to be upset with each other over. you're both adults, so there's no way that between work and chores that you'd both see each other as much as a normal couple.

you and aaron were really just missing each other and couldn't get enough of each other to the point where you both came resentful at the ringing phones and being stolen away for work.

you weren't ready to let the fight be and neither was aaron. you just didn't know how bad he was taking it till your phone was pinging at work.

there's a million texts from his co-workers begging you to make up so he isn't so snappy and mean. even rossi texted.

with a sigh, you say, "i'm going for lunch," and grab your bag and head to the precinct.

when you get there, you see the chaos your husband has caused. there's more people than necessary in the bullpen, desks are crowded and people are walking around with hurried steps.

"what's going on?" you ask spencer as you spot him in the kitchenette.

"hotch is making everyone redo case reports, apparently it's not up to par." he's stirring an ungodly amount of sugar into his coffee. "i think he just needs to feel busy so he doesn't mull over your falling out."

spencer had gotten like a brother over the years you and aaron had been together and he's a damn good profiler so you're not surprised him or anyone else is aware of your fight.

"i'll go talk to him," spencer pats your shoulder, a marker of good luck as you weave through bodies to get to your husband's office.

you knock and his gruff, 'come in' isn't the least bit shocking. fights with him can consume him because he feels it's all his fault and that if something bad is happening it's because of him.

"aaron?" you mumble, skin clammy as you step into the hot, dark office.

"y/n, what are you doing here?" not honey. so he's still pretty pissed off.

"david said you weren't having the best day ever, so i thought we'd better sort the fight out." you say plainly as you sit on the lip of his desk.

you watch aaron's eyebrows crease to meet each other and then smooth out a couple times. "you know it's not your fault that we don't see each other as much as we'd like to, don't you?" you ask and watch your husband's shoulders sag.

"it's not yours either," he says softly, ashamed that he had implied that to you when you'd suggested having a day with just you two. "work is just work."

you nod, your hands reaching for his chair and rolling it closer to you. "it's hard, we both work odd hours, and that's fine." you reassure him, hands lost in his glossy hair. "but we have days off to take, even if it's just one."

aaron nods, letting his forehead fall to your sternum with a sigh. "i'm not mad at you for having a job like this, one that you love. i'd never ask you to leave it either, we just need to get better at managing our time together." you whisper the words as you continue playing with his hair.

"i'd never ask you to leave your either. i'm sorry everything got so convoluted." he says and you smile, kissing the crown of his head.

"i'm sorry too, my love." aaron raises his head and presses his lips to your jaw. "though, i think you need to apologise to david and the rest of the team. they've got agents from every department in the bullpen."

aaron sighs, his arms wrapping around your waist. "let them be busy for a little while longer, haven't had quiet time with my wife in a little while."

[luveline]

hey! would you mind writing sirius black x reader (ole flame or something) when they meet for the first time since azkaban at a meeting for the order? thank you and happy holidays!

thank u for requesting, hope this is OK! ♡

—you and sirius both get to go home eventually, 2.2k. fem

You were still kids when Sirius… went away. You thought he hurt James and Lily, and it didn't matter that you loved him because he was evil and cruel and he hurt the people he loved most in the world, and then you were outposted thousands of miles eastward, your life a shadow. 

Remus sent you letters. You always answered, even when it hurt, but his last was too much to believe. You told yourself that someone forged his handwriting through a curse or some new gimmick, and then a second arrived with a smaller envelope hidden inside. 

No name written on it. No Dear anything to begin. 

Things are different to what you've been told. Please come home, it said. This penmanship was shaken like a hand out of practice, but something felt familiar in the curves and dots. 

If Remus’ letter (and the second smaller one too) were in fact telling the truth, it means you did something awful, and so, for a while, you don't go. 

Please, the next letter says, again enclosed within a larger explanation from Remus, I'm sorry. I just want to see you again. 

Getting home isn't as simple as he might think. You have to picture the destination very clearly to disapparate, and you have no sustained recollection anymore of the places you used to go. You remember silly things, slices of memories; the four of them laughing in a big green field, the sweet smell of hair oil to your left; the beige walls of a rented flat where you'd lay in bed for hours, sometimes days at a time, before things got too terrible to sleep; a string-lit garden that last summer, hands of poker on a glass table. These places aren't real anymore. You can't go back to them. 

Upon your request, Molly forwards you an address and a secret code. 

Trains, buses, trains again. A long walk through a cold street. Some secret this or that. You arrive in the night and a frowning face ushers you in, past a painting sealed away and up the creaking stairs. You spend hours sitting on the end of a bed coated in dust waiting for the sun to rise, your back stiff with nerves. You could slip out before anyone else knows you're here, it's not as if Moody would give you away. But why did you come, if you were going to run straight back to your outpost? 

You don't want Sirius’ betrayal to be true, of course. It took your breath away imagining what it would mean if he hadn't done what you thought. If it's all lies (as it seems to be), if he's innocent as he and Remus claim, it means you turned your back on him and left him to suffer, and he's still asking you to come home. 

A few people stir for breakfast. Molly, who's voice you remember, and some younger sounding ones that may be her children, or perhaps the newer Order recruits. Then comes Remus’ voice. He sounds different. Less Welsh, more tired. Homely anyways as he passes your door with someone beside him. 

“...any day now,” he's saying, “try not to worry.” 

“I do worry. I've worried about it every day for years.” 

You freeze up. 

The stairs creak, Remus’ voice moving further away. “She doesn't need worrying.” 

Sirius must stay at the top of the stairs for a moment. He sounds close. “I wouldn't know what she needs.” 

“Come have some breakfast.” 

“I'll write her again.” 

“After breakfast.” 

“What if she doesn't come?” 

“After breakfast,” Remus insists. “She can ignore you once we've had toast.” 

“I forgot how funny you are,” Sirius mutters. 

Hearing his voice fills you with doubt. He sounds nothing like he used to, no easy confidence to be heard, just fatigue. 

You look down at your hands. Hearing his voice has a new emotion sprouting, too. When you first learned what had happened to your friends, you felt anger like a knife everywhere you went. How could he do that to them? How could he do it to you, be that person, ruin everything you'd loved and made together? But later, when anger faded and grief ached, you'd missed the Sirius you loved. Shamefully, in longing pangs, you'd toss and turn to dreams where things were different. 

Now there's a chance he might still be that person, and you're hiding from him in his own house. 

“There's someone here,” Molly says as you leave your room, her voice nearly too quiet to hear from the kitchen. “Moody's told me this morning.” 

“What?” Arthur asks. 

“Who?” a younger voice says. 

A small intermission of quiet. “Well, I don't know,” Molly says eventually, though she must have guessed it was you from the letter you sent. “But I'll need another loaf of bread. You'd better go, boys.” 

“Mum,” one whines. 

“Come on now.” 

The stairs whimper as you descend, the bannister sticky with old gloss under your hand. Paisley wallpaper and drapes catch your eye as you pass the overflowing shoe rack. There must be more people here than you'd thought. The coat stand is similarly overloaded. 

You can see into the kitchen as soon as you take the last step down. Molly stands wringing a dish cloth between her hands, two teenage boys at the kitchen table. Remus stands near her right with a cup of tea, and when he sees you, he genuinely smiles. 

“Oh, good,” he says, the scar that bisects his lip pulling as he takes a sip of tea. 

The teenagers turn to see you. “Bread, boys! Arthur, you can go with them," Molly says.

Arthur doesn't complain. You falter in the hallway, quiet as the trio of Weasley's leave the kitchen in their slippers to take a quiet exit from the front door. They smile politely as they go, but the boys whisper as the door shuts behind them. You wonder if they have an inkling of who you are, and then you wonder what you might say now they're gone. 

Molly remains, inquisitive to know that you need privacy but also the security of her company. She was always smart like that.

“Come in, then,” Remus says. 

“I–” You clear your throat. “I'm not sure I should.” 

A startle of silverware against china. 

Remus gives you one of his looks. It has tears threatening to well. Why didn't I fight to see him more? you think. Suddenly years have passed and he's changed, but his reassuring glances remain. It's like he's saying everything is fine, why wouldn't everything be fine? Chin up, dove.

Sirius appears in the doorway. Dark circles beneath grey eyes, his cheeks gaunt with hunger rather than the sleek sharpness he once possessed. He's still pretty, if wounded. It's as though you've found an old photo of him that's been smudged with age. He's stepped out of one of your moulding albums to haunt you. 

“Angel,” he breathes, his hand clasped low on the doorway, “you're here.” 

You look past him to Molly and Remus. There isn't a reality nor dimension where they'd let him stay here if they didn't believe his innocence. Remus explained it all in the letter and still you worried if he might have gotten it wrong, and simply believed what he wanted to believe, but it's not possible. Remus loved James so much, he would've killed Sirius himself if he really thought Sirius was the secret keeper who betrayed them. 

So. It's a relief to be home. 

You stare at him. “You look tired,” you say quietly. 

“I'm fine. I am.” 

He seems alright, considering. You'd even say he was handsome with his hair pushed away from his face, a dark shadow of stubble around his mouth, but he looks exhausted.  

You're expecting him to say what you'd say. How could you ever think I'd do it? 

Sirius was prone to similar bouts of pride, or righteousness, justice, whatever you want to call it, but he doesn't bother with that now. He looks at you as though you're the only person on earth, gaze narrowed but eyes wide, pain between his brows as he asks, “What's wrong?” 

Your hand finches up to your cheek to wipe the sudden tear away. “I thought I'd never see you again.” Your Sirius. 

“Don't be upset,” he pleads. 

“How can I not be? I left you all alone for so long.” 

He laughs roughly. “Sweetheart, what were you supposed to do?” 

“Not just give up.” 

“You thought it was me. That's the only thing you could've done. Either of you,” he says, gesturing backward with his hand. “It was hard… to know who to trust, at the end. It's not your fault.” 

You really were only kids together, not half as in love as James and Lily, but that doesn't mean you weren't mad for each other. He looked after you. You would've had a life, you think. 

“You were just gone,” you say, looking down at the floor between you, eyes tracing lines of wood grain. “Everyone. There was nobody left. And I just let you go.” 

“Do you want to come here?” he asks. You lift your head. His hand is barely in front of him, fingers open, palm up. 

It's like taking a stranger's hand for the first few seconds. You keep them low between you both, unfamiliar to each other. But, you find, as his fingers wrap around yours in that selfish way they used to do, squeezing rather than intertwining to make all of them fit, he remembers you.

You step a little closer, your arm to his chest, and look up at him through your lashes. It would melt him like a candle near a furnace, this look. He'd be smug or seething about something and you'd sidle in to stand between his shoes, unsure of what to say but determined to be there for him. It's the same now.  

“What's wrong?” he asks under his breath. 

“I left you all alone,” you repeat. 

“It wasn't your choice, okay?” He smooths his free hand from your elbow to your upper arm. 

Molly says something to Remus. He chuckles and says something in return. Happier to admit it if it's only for Sirius’ ears, you say, “I'm really sorry, Sirius. I miss you every day.” 

“I miss you too,” he says. 

You push your arms around his waist and hide your face in his chest, feeling for the lines of who he used to be, the dip of his spine in his back or the soft cotton of one of his old t-shirts. You regret hugging him at all, until he puts his arm behind your head, a shaky breath released against your crown. 

I'm scared, he'd said. But I don't want you to be scared, okay? Barely twenty, he smelled of the sticky red powder on the end of matches after a night doing things he couldn't tell you about. You could tell him you loved him, and he you, but you weren't to discuss Order business. We'll be okay. 

But Lily–

Everyone's going to be fine. I promise. 

“You promised,” you say to yourself. Too quiet for him to hear, but he does. 

“I promised you so many things I'm not sure what one you mean,” he says with a disappointed laugh. 

You pull away, taking his face into two hands. “How do you feel?” you ask, ignoring the tremble working up from your wrists. 

“What?” His eyes are dark. 

“How are you? Did they– I mean, are you okay? Are you sick?” 

“Remus has patched me up. And Cordelia, the medwitch, you know her?” 

“I don't know anyone. I've been away.” 

He nods sadly. “Yeah. Well, you look the same.” 

“I don't.” 

“You do! You look the same,” —he almost sounds happy, his lips curling into a smile— “sweetheart. Sweetheart–” He closes his eyes. 

You push his hair behind his ears. “You don't look the same,” you confess, “you have wrinkles, right… here.” You touch the corners of his eyes. 

“You're still beautiful.” 

“Mm. You can't even see me.” 

“I don't need to see you. I knew you would be.” 

You rise up to kiss his cheek gently. “It's like you're back, like– like, I always felt like you were gone. And now you're home again. You are home, aren't you?” 

He covers your hand with one of his. “You're here, so–” 

You laugh together nervously. “Yeah, I'm here.” 

“I have stuff to do to make it right.” 

“Then we'll do it.” 

“Okay,” he says. He swallows a breath, and wraps you in a surprisingly tight hug. “Did you read my letters?” 

I don't want anything from you. Just to see you're okay. 

“I read them. I'm okay. Don't I look okay?” 

“You look perfect. Just like the last time I saw you,” he says. It startles you how suddenly he sounds like he did when you were young, his flirting drawl, voice velveteen. 

“Not like that,” you laugh. 

He pulls you as close as you can be, rough now, his arms solid around you. “I missed that,” he says, rubbing your back. “I forgot how you sound when you laugh.” 

You've led very different lives. “I didn't forget yours.” 

“You wouldn't. You love having things to hold against me.” 

You stroke his hair. “Maybe a little.” 

[teruel-a-witch]

If Steve didn't want his co-workers to assume he was taking a vacation to 'reconnect' with his partner perhaps he shouldn't have looked at Danny like that and touched him in a way that indicated that this decision to take days off is directly related to him. Subtlety, thy name is not McDanno.

[chicgeekgirl89]

Fandom: 911 Lone Star Summary: When Carlos receives a late night call from one of his sisters who is worried about the health of his nephew, T.K. doesn't hesitate to jump in and show the entire family why he's worthy of Carlos' love. Thanks to @carlos-tk, @thisbuildinghasfeelings, @whatsintheboxmh, @lemonlyman-dotcom, @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut, @strandnreyes, @carlos-in-glasses, and @bonheur-cafe for the WIP Wednesday tags. I hope you will accept this instead, belated as it is! A/N: This is my 100th fic on AO3!! 🍾🍾🍾 (Not my 100th fic ever, many of them never made the transfer from ff.net, but still!) I've been sitting on this one for a while and seeing T.K. shine feels like it's worthy of being #100. Also Adriana and Francesca weren't supposed to be in this one, but they literally barged through those hospital doors and there was nothing I could do to stop them. I couldn't love them more!

Read on AO3

“Sooo…never again, right?” Carlos asks.

“Oh my god never again,” T.K. agrees fervently. “Why were the plates so weird? Some of them weren’t even plates at all. And the food was…bad.”

“So bad,” Carlos says. “Tiny and bad.”

“Three hours. We were there three hours,” T.K. says in disbelief as he slows down at a stoplight. “Why did we have to wait like thirty minutes between courses?”

“The menu said it was to give us time to renew our digestive energies and be more present in the dining experience,” Carlos says.

“I didn’t know my digestive energies needed to be renewed.”

“Me neither.”

It had taken them months to get a reservation at the trendiest new restaurant in town and they’d both been excited for the occasion. The menu promised a foodie paradise with unique dishes, creative presentation, and an emphasis on sustainability. They’d gotten dressed up and ready for a fun date night out only to be disappointed the moment they’d walked in the door. 

The place had been crowded, they were practically elbow to elbow with the tables next to them. Carlos had learned the intimate details of one couple’s fertility issues and another couple’s trouble with their neighbors.

Then the food had started coming and been a complete disaster. Carlos considered himself something of a foodie, and T.K.’s New Yorker palate had sampled a number of cuisines over the years, but this had been the worst food Carlos had ever eaten. He hadn’t been able to identify a single item on any of his plates and his tongue longed for something with even a hint of flavor. The plate that held a single, lukewarm radish had nearly been his undoing.

Overall it had been three hours of bland food, awkward company, and not at all what either of them had imagined.

“I’m starving. Can we please pick up something on the way home?” T.K. asks, his stomach letting out a gurgle as if to affirm his statement.

“God yes. I think Chu’s is still open, right?” 

Carlos pulls out his phone, but it lights up with a call before he can check to see Chu’s hours. “Why’s my sister calling?”

T.K. glances over at him. “Which one?”

“Lucía,” Carlos says. It’s not typical of his sister to call at this hour out of the blue and he feels his internal warning bells activate as he picks up the call. “Luci? Que pasó?”

“Hey Carlos,” she says, sounding tired and stressed. “Sorry for calling, I know it’s late.”

“It’s okay,” he says. “We’re just on our way home from dinner. What’s going on?”

“I don’t—I’m probably overreacting,” she says. “It’s just that Justin is out of town for work and I’m—“

Now he’s really worried. “Lucí, it’s okay. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Sebastian woke up sick a couple days. I didn’t think it was a big deal, both boys are sick all the time from daycare and school, but he wasn’t any better today, so I took him to the doctor. They said he’s fine, likely just a virus or something, but…his fever won’t break and he keeps saying his belly hurts.” 

Carlos can hear the deep seated worry in his sister’s voice and it rocks him to his core. His sister is an amazing mom, fearless and sure. To hear her so uncertain is throwing him off.

“I didn’t know if maybe T.K. could just give me some advice or something?” she says, ending it like a question.

He looks over at his fiancé. “What’s going on?” T.K. asks,.

“Sebastian’s sick,” Carlos says. “Do you mind?”

“No, no, put her on speaker,” T.K. says immediately, turning his eyes back to the road as the light changes.“Hey Lucía,” he says loudly so she can hear him.

“Hey T.K.,” she says. “I’m so sorry, I know people probably ask you for medical help all the time.”

“It’s not a problem. Tell me what’s going on,” T.K. says.

“He won’t eat, he’s barely drinking. His fever had been holding steady at around a hundred, but it just spiked up to one oh two. I’ve given him medicine, done cold washcloths, I don’t know what else to try.”

“And the doctor said what exactly?”

“That it’s probably a stomach virus,” Lucía says.

T.K. mulls that over for a minute. “Aren’t we like fifteen minutes from their place?” he asks Carlos.

Carlos nods. 

“Okay, Lucía we’re going to swing by, all right?” T.K. says, flipping his blinker on to get them turned around back the way they’d just come.

“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that—“

“We’re coming Luci,” Carlos says. “We’ll be there soon.”

“Okay, thank you,” she says, relief flooding her voice and loosening the knot of fear in Carlos’ chest.

He hangs up and looks at T.K. “It’s probably just a stomach bug.”

“Probably,” T.K. agrees. “But if it makes her feel better to have someone give her advice it’s worth going over.”

Carlos’ heart goes soft at those words. He’d never imagined he’d be with someone like T.K. Someone so kind and good, someone who would drive to his sister’s house at nine o’clock at night just to assuage her fears. It’s beyond his wildest dreams.

They pull into the driveway of the ranch style home about ten minutes later, T.K.’s ambulance driving having shaved a few minutes off their time and a few years off of Carlos’ life. At least they’re not driving the Camaro tonight so Carlos didn’t have to fear for the safety of his baby as they sped through yellow lights and weaved in and out of traffic.

Lucía opens the door before they even knock and the relief Carlos felt a few minutes ago evaporates at the sight of her worried face. She was holding back on the phone; in person she looks even more terrified and exhausted than she sounded. “Hey guys,” she says. “I’m so sorry to drag you all the way over here.”

“Stop apologizing,” Carlos admonishes her immediately as they step inside. “That’s what family is for.”

Sebastian lays on the couch in the living, looking younger and tinier than his six years, his face pale and drawn. There’s an episode of Paw Patrol playing on the television mounted above the fireplace and he has a blanket pulled all the way up to his chin. Carlos can see Fuzzy, his comfort bear, peeking out over the top. 

“Hey buddy,” he says, crouching down and giving his nephew a smile. “Tummy bothering you?”

Sebastian nods but doesn’t say anything, another sign that something is wrong. Usually he’s a chatterbox, happy to talk about school or his friends or soccer. Carlos smiles wider, despite the worry swirling in his gut, trying for calm and reassuring uncle. “Do you remember my boyfriend T.K.? From the party at Abuela and Abuelo’s house?” Carlos asks and Sebastian’s eyes move over his shoulder to where T.K. is standing behind him. He gets another nod.

“He’s going to take a look at you, okay?” Carlos says, standing up and moving back to where Lucía is anxiously hovering behind the couch so that T.K. has space to work.

“Hey Sebastian,” T.K. says as he takes Carlos’ spot. “You know I’m a paramedic, right?”

“Yeah,” Sebastian says, his voice small.

“Do you know what a paramedic does?”

“Help people feel better?”

T.K. smiles and nods. “That’s right. So let’s see if I can help you feel better, sound good?”

“Mhmm.”

“Awesome. Okay, I’m going to pull down the blanket and take a look. You tell me if anything hurts, all right?”

He gently pulls down the blanket and places his fingers on Sebastian’s wrist, looking at his watch while he does it. He pulls out a stethoscope he had in the car and listens to the little boy’s lungs, then takes his temperature with the thermometer Lucía has on the coffee table. He narrates quietly the entire time, letting Sebastian know what he’s doing as he does it.

“Okay, let’s see that belly,” he finally says with a smile.

He pulls up the top of Sebastian’s Power Rangers pajamas, talking to him softly while his hands palpate his abdomen. “You like Power Rangers huh? Which one is your favorite?”

“Red,” Sebastian says immediately. “He’s the head guy.”

“He is,” T.K. says. “I always liked the Green one though.”

Sebastian winces and makes a noise that breaks Carlos’ heart in half. T.K.’s hands immediately immediately stop. “Sorry buddy,” he says. “That hurt?”

Sebastian nods and T.K. gently puts his pajama shirt back into place. “I’m going to go talk to your mom and tío. You stay right here and make sure this couch doesn’t go anywhere, okay?”

He gets to his feet and nods toward the hallway where Carlos and Lucía follow him out of Sebastian’s earshot. “His pulse is a little fast and there is some tenderness in his abdomen,” T.K. says quietly. “That coupled with the fever and the lethargy is definitely concerning.”

Lucía puts her hand on Carlos’ arm and he covers it with his own in an attempt at reassurance. “So what should I do? Wait until the morning and see how he is? Give him more meds?” she asks.

“Considering his symptoms, I would recommend you take him to the ER,” T.K. says gently.

She blows out a breath as Carlos’ stomach drops. “Okay,” she says. “Okay um, okay. I’ll just wake up Nicholas and…”

“No, no, no,” Carlos says quickly. “No I’ll call Mom and ask her to come be with Nicky. I’ll stay until she gets here.”

“And I’ll go with you to the ER,” T.K. offers. “I can walk you through all the paperwork, field questions from the doctors, whatever you need.”

“Seriously?” Lucía looks teary eyed. “You’ll come?”

“Of course,” T.K. says. “Why don’t you go grab whatever might help keep him calm while we’re there? iPad or a book maybe. It could be a long wait.”

“Okay, right. Yes. Give me like five minutes and I’ll be ready,” she says, rushing off to go gather supplies.

“What are you thinking?” Carlos asks immediately.

T.K. has his neutral paramedic face on, but Carlos has learned to read between the lines. “I’m thinking it could be a number of things,” T.K. says. “Just a stomach bug maybe, but even if it is I think he’s dehydrated. And given his symptoms and the decline, I’m also worried about an impacted or perfed bowel or maybe even appendicitis.”

“How worried?” 

T.K. blows out a breath. “Worried enough that I wouldn’t wait until the morning to try and get him some treatment.”

His words unlock a whole new level of fear that Carlos has never experienced before, and it takes a lot for him to stay calm as he calls his mom and explains the situation. Lucía returns with a tote bag full of supplies and T.K. scoops up Sebastian, carrying him out to the car with Lucía on his heels. 

“Mom says she’ll be here in fifteen minutes. I’ll be right behind you,” Carlos promises as T.K. sets Sebastian gently in the backseat, pillowing his head on Lucía’s lap.

“Can you call Justin?” Lucía asks, looking like she’s barely holding it together. “He knows Sebby’s sick but I want him to know we’re heading to the ER.”

“Yes,” Carlos says. “I’ll call him as soon as I’m back inside.”

“Hey,” T.K. catches his eye as he climbs into the driver’s seat. “I’ve got them, okay?”

“I know you do,” Carlos says and then the door is shut and they’re gone, leaving him standing in the driveway, his heart in his stomach.

He trudges back into the house and sinks onto the couch, eyes glued to Nicholas’ sleeping form on the baby monitor. He’s not a parent, so why does this feel so awful?

It takes him a minute to emotionally prepare for this phone call and he has to take a deep breath before tapping Justin’s name on his screen. 

It rings and rings and then sends him to voicemail, so he tries again. And again. The third time, Justin finally picks up.

“Dude, if this is a butt dial I’m going to kill you,” his brother-in-law says groggily.

Carlos forgot that it’s nearly midnight on the east coast right now. “Justin,” he says, trying to keep his voice steady.

“What’s wrong? Are Lucía and the boys okay?” Justin immediately sounds more awake now that he’s heard Carlos’ voice.

“Everyone’s safe,” Carlos tells him quickly. “I’m at your place with Nicholas because Sebastian’s feeling worse. She and T.K. are on the way to the ER with him.”

There’s a pause, Carlos can practically feel Justin’s panic through the phone. “Okay, um, okay,” he finally says. “Shit, I’m in Atlanta. There won’t be any flights for hours…”

“My mom’s on her way here to stay with Nicholas,” Carlos says. “I’ll head to the hospital and keep you updated, okay?”

“Yeah, okay, um, thanks Carlos,” Justin says, sounding a little hoarse. “Please um, please tell them I love them, okay? And that I’ll be on the first flight out I can get.”

“I will.”

He hangs up just as the front door opens and his mom comes in. “Carlitos,” she says softly and he immediately gets up to hug her. “How is Sebby?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not sure. They probably just got to the ER, it could be hours before we know anything.”

“And Lucía?”

“She’s worried,” he says. 

“As are we all,” she says, empathy all over her face. “T.K. went with her?”

“Yeah, he said he’d help with things there.”

She smiles softly and touches his face. “You picked a good one mijo. Not every man would drop everything to help his boyfriend’s family.”

There’s a lump in Carlos throat and he struggles to speak past it. “I know.”

“You should get going.”

“Okay. Nicholas is asleep in his crib. I called Justin, he’s working on getting a flight back.”

She nods. “Keep me posted.”

“I will.”

The drive to the hospital is so lonely and silent that it makes each minute feel even longer beneath the glow of the streetlights. How on earth did he go from having dinner with his boyfriend to taking his nephew to the ER? It’s ridiculous. They should be home right now, cuddling on the couch or the bed, watching some stupid show that neither of them really cares about because what they’re actually interested in is making out with each other.

Instead he’s about to spend hours in a hard plastic chair praying that a six year old he loves dearly is going to be all right.

He’s so anxious to get there that he doesn’t realize until he’s through the doors that he has no idea where he’s going. Or even if they’re gong to let him stay. Surely they’re not going to let three adults hang out in the ER in the middle of the night when one would suffice. 

He forgot he has T.K. Strand in his corner.

“How can I help you?” the nurse asks when he steps up to the counter.

“I’m here for my nephew? Sebastian Bryant? He came in with my sister,” Carlos says, feeling awkward.

“Oh you’re Carlos,” she says immediately. “T.K.’s boyfriend.”

“I—yeah,” Carlos says, surprised by her familiarity.

“I’m Stella. It’s so nice to finally meet you, although I wish it wasn’t because your nephew’s in here. T.K. talks about you all the time.”

“He does?”

“Oh my god, try getting him to stop. Carlos this, my boyfriend that, and now I see why. You two are gorgeous together,” she says, flashing him a smile. “Here come with me. I’ll take you to them. Darlene? Can you cover the desk?”

Stella takes him down a hall, past the general area of the ER to a more closed off section. It’s not a room, but it’s quieter here, and Carlos can hear T.K.’s voice even before Stella pulls back the curtain to reveal him.

“Found someone who belongs to you,” Stella says.

T.K.’s eyes find him, soft and relieved. “Hey, I was just about to text you an update. Thanks so much Stella.”

“No problem. I’m going to check and see where we’re at with the tests and then I’ll be back.”

“How’s it going?” Carlos asks quietly.

Sebastian is asleep in the bed, an IV in his arm and Fuzzy tucked in beside him. Lucía is sitting in a chair next to him, his little fingers curled around hers.

“They’re going to take him for a CT as soon as one opens up,” she says quietly. “He was crying when we got here, but they gave him some pain medication and he fell asleep like ten minutes ago.”

“Good,” Carlos says in relief. It feels so much better to know that there are people actively working to help Sebastian. “Nicholas is with Mom, he was still asleep when I left. And Justin’s getting on the first flight he can in the morning.”

“Okay.”

Lucía’s face crumples and she immediately puts her hands over her mouth to stifle a sob. T.K. looks at Carlos. “I’m going to go grab us some coffee,” he says, slipping discreetly out of the room.

Carlos squats down by his sister’s chair and puts a hand on her knee. She immediately covers it with her own and squeezes. “I’m sorry,” she says. “He just—he’s so little. He was so scared when we got here, it’s so bright and they put in the IV and he cried and I just, I need Justin to be here, because I am not strong enough for this.”

“He’s coming,” Carlos says. “He’s coming as fast as he can. And until he does I’m here, all right? I’m here with you and Mom is with Nicholas. Sebastian is going to be fine. He’s scared, but you’re taking such great care of him. You are an amazing mom. You’re doing everything right.”

She nods a couple times, clearly trying to internalize his words before taking a deep breath and wiping her eyes. “You know um, T.K. is pretty amazing too,” she tells him, wiping at her eyes. “I thought we’d be here for hours before we got answers, but he called ahead in the car and that nurse, Stella, was waiting for us. As soon as we were in the door they were drawing blood and starting tests. It’s like they rolled out the red carpet.” She nods toward the doorway. “Not everyone would do that kind of thing for someone they barely know.”

“That’s T.K.,” Carlos says, warmth blooming through his chest at her words. “He’s…incredible.”

“You know, I already liked him a lot, but now…” She quirks a smile. “You’d better hold onto him.”

Carlos nods, heart fluttering away in his chest. “That’s the plan.”

T.K. comes back with coffee right about the same time someone shows up to take Sebastian for his CT scan. He’s unhappy to be woken up, but mollified when Carlos promises to take him for ice cream once a week for the next month. 

The nurse is incredible, telling Sebastian he’s going to go on a ride in a spaceship, although that does nothing to help Carlos’ heart when they start the sedation and he watches Sebastian’s eyelids flutter shut, his body going limp in a weirdly unnatural way. He’s gone for over an hour, all of them sipping tepid hospital coffee in a desperate attempt not to fall asleep as the clock ticks later and later. 

When the orderly returns with him he’s completely zonked out and Carlos hopes he’ll stay that way. It’s not long after that an ER doctor shows up and informs them that the CT scan is indicating appendicitis, despite Sebastian’s slightly atypical presentation of symptoms. Lucía takes the news better than Carlos thought she might, she’s clearly relieved to have an answer and a defined course of action, even if it does mean a surgery they’re told is being scheduled for the early hours of the morning. Someone will be by soon to get them admitted and transferred to a room for the night.

“You guys should go home” she says. “You’ve done more than enough, really. He’s just going to sleep until it’s time for surgery and they’re not going to let you come into the room with us anyway.”

“Don’t worry about them kicking us out,” T.K. says immediately. “If you want us to stay that won’t be a problem.”

She smiles at him. “You’ve done more than enough tonight. I’ll be fine. I promise. Go home and get some sleep.”

Carlos is reluctant to leave her, but she’s right. There’s no point in staying when it’s so late and nothing is going to happen until morning anyway. The moment of crisis is past and now there’s nothing to do but wait.

“I’ll come back in the morning for his surgery,” Carlos says.

“You don’t have to—“ She must catch the look of determination in his eyes because she cuts herself off and nods. “Okay. Thank you.”

He stands and she meets him with a brief hug before she turns to T.K. “I really can’t thank you enough. I don’t think I would have made it tonight without you T.K.,” she says.

“Yes you would have,” he says graciously. “But I’m glad I could help. If anything changes in the night you have my number, don’t be afraid to call.”

“I will.” 

Carlos can’t help but notice that T.K. gets a slightly longer hug than he did and the warm feeling in his chest only intensifies. He reaches for T.K.’s hand as they head out into the hall and T.K. gives him a tired smile in return. “Oh, hang on one second,” he says as they pass the nurses station, letting go of Carlos’ hand. “I’ll be right back.”

He jogs over and flashes that winning smile again at the nurse who’s there, not Stella this time, and chats with her for a minute before returning to Carlos’ side. “What was that about?” Carlos asks, interlacing their fingers together again.

“I just wanted to make sure they put Sebastian in a private room,” T.K. says. “They have the space, Natalie says it won’t be a problem.”

“Natalie huh?” Carlos says as they exit the automatic doors and head for the darkened parking structure. “She also falls victim to your beautiful eyes and charming smile?”

“Victim?” T.K. scoffs. “No one is a victim. I have paid for these hospital perks with dozens of coffees and donuts and muffins and even the occasional Target run. This is just good natured southern kindness being returned.”

Carlos laughs out loud. “Right. Not a single bit of it has to do with your innate charm and that smile that brings people to their knees and makes them feel like they’re only person you’ve ever cared about.”

“I mean, it had to start somewhere,” T.K. says, flashing him that exact smile. “But we’ve come a long way since then.”

“Well thank you,” Carlos says, meaning it from the bottom of his heart. “I honestly I don’t how to say thank you enough. My family is…they’re so important to me and I…”

“Hey.” T.K. tugs him to a stop and meets his gaze under the half light of the parking garage. “They’re important to me too.”

The drive home is blessedly short and they fall into bed exhausted at around midnight only to wake up again at five to head back over to the hospital. Carlos tells T.K. he doesn’t have to come, but the look he gets shuts him up immediately. T.K. is clearly invested. 

They stop for coffee on the way, real, decent coffee, and some bagels, plus a cake pop for Sebastian after surgery. 

He gets a text update as they’re pulling up to the hospital again; Justin is on a flight and should get there by the time the surgery is over. It’s a relief to know his sister will have her support to lean on again in the near future. 

Once they arrive Carlos sits back and watches in wonder as T.K. works his magic. Someone shows up to give Sebastian not one, not two, but three different stuffed toys along with a coloring pack and some Hot Wheels cars. T.K. sits down on his bed and explains the whole surgery in terms a six year old an understand, and when the time comes, Sebastian is whisked off without a single tear.

He’s seen T.K. at work before, but this is an entirely different level of incredible. He knows almost every nurse, every doctor, every orderly that they see, and if he doesn’t, by the time they leave he’s made them feel like an old friend. People can’t seem to do enough for him. 

Justin gets there about twenty minutes after the surgery starts, exhausted and haggard looking, his collared shirt buttoned the wrong way and his hair looking like he didn’t even comb it. T.K. somehow procures fresh, non-cafeteria coffee for him, whispering something about the doctor’s lounge, as well as a banana and a granola bar. 

Everything goes exactly as expected and soon enough the doctor is back to let them know that Sebastian was a champ during surgery and they expect a quick recovery. Lucía and Justin head back to wait with him until the sedation wears off, while Carlos and T.K. continue hanging out in the waiting room until Sebastian can have more visitors.

When Carlos hears a loud commotion behind him, he knows without even looking that reinforcements have arrived. Adriana and Francesca have shown up with more balloons than a circus, a gigantic stuffed bear, and several bags of god only knows what else. “Oh my god, Cesca don’t let them float away,” Adriana is saying as they try and get through the automatic doors that keep closing before all the balloons can make it through.

“I’m not!” Francesca snaps back. “It’s the stupid doors! You could like try to help!”

“With what hands?” Adriana cries, her arms full of stuffed bear.

“Ah, perfect,” Carlos says weakly, looking at T.K. who is already smiling at his sister and cousin’s antics.

“Carlos! Get over here!” Francesca barks and he stands with a sigh, going to help her get in the doorway. 

“Hello, good morning, how are you guys doing?” Carlos prompts as he grabs the brightly colored strings and yanks them inside, the balloons bopping along behind and nearly smacking an elderly woman in the face.

“I mean you’re both awake and have coffee, so I assume you’re fine,” she tells him as she plonks into a seat across from T.K.

“Yeah, geez, way to make our nephew’s surgery about you,” Adriana says with a roll of her eyes. 

Carlos doesn’t bother to remind her that technically Sebastian is a cousin to her, not a nephew; labels other than “familia” ceased to have any meaning to them long ago. “So what’s the deal? Is he okay?” Francesca asks.

“The surgery went well,” T.K. says. “Sebastian’s appendix didn’t rupture, so the chances of infection are low. He should be able to head home in a day or so.”

“Phew. Poor little dude. This sucks,” Francesca says.

“But he’s okay,” Adriana says. “That’s what’s important. Everyone is okay. And all his friends are going to be very jealous when he gets back to school.”

She opens one of the bags and pulls out a tray of something that immediately fills the air with the scent of tomatoes and cheese. “Why do you have tamales?” Carlos asks. “It’s ten am.”

“Because Mom told us to go by the house and bring them over,” Francesca says. “She doesn’t, and I quote, ‘want anyone eating that hospital garbage, it will rot their stomachs.’”

“Sounds like your mom,” T.K. says with a cheeky smile as he reaches for one of the tamales. 

“We also have…taquitos, mac and cheese for Sebastian, and…arroz con pollo,” Francesca says, checking the other bags. 

“Your mom just had this all on hand?” T.K. asks, his mouth full.

“Tía Andrea always has everything on hand,” Adriana says.

Despite his initial scoffing, by the time Justin comes back an hour later to tell them Sebastian is up for visitors, Carlos has eaten three tamales, half a dozen taquitos, and a plateful of arroz con pollo. Apparently hospitals make him hungry. They’ve also fed four nurses and an orderly that T.K. knows, and they haven’t even put a dent in what’s there. 

Justin looks a little less of a mess now, he’s clearly spent some time in front of a mirror and his shirt is buttoned the right way now. He’s smiling in spite of the tiredness in his eyes, which widen in delight at the sight of the food. “Oh thank god for Andrea,” he says, immediately reaching for a taquito. 

“Hey, how do you know it wasn’t us?” Adriana asks, clearly offended.

Justin fixes her with a look and she shrugs. “I mean, yeah it was Tía Andrea, but we’re the ones that brought it over here,” she says.

“Thank you for your service,” Justin says around a mouthful.

“How’s Sebastian?” Francesca asks.

“Better than Lucía or me,” he says. “He says it barely hurts and he’s very excited to have a cool scar.” He looks at T.K. “Apparently you’ve really made this hospital experience feel like a vacation T.K.”

“I’m just glad he’s doing all right,” T.K. says. 

“Can we see him?” Carlos asks. 

“Yeah,” Justin says. “Lucí sent me to get you all.”

“Well then let’s get this party moved!” Francesca says, closing up the tupperware with incredible speed built from years of cleaning up house parties and hiding the evidence before their parents got home.

They make quite a parade marching through the pediatric wing of the hospital with balloons and bears and food galore. But then, the Reyes clan usually does. They’re not exactly known for being a calm and quiet bunch.

Sebastian is sitting up in bed eating a popsicle, looking like the happiest human alive even with an IV in his arm and stitches in his side. “Sebby!” Francesca says happily. “You’re looking good there buddy!”

“You brought me balloons?” he asks as Lucía quickly rescues his popsicle, which is in danger of falling to the floor.

“We brought you balloons and a bear and macaroni and cheese from Abuela,” Adriana tells him.

“Can I have mac and cheese right now?” he asks Lucía.

“Let’s maybe wait until after the doctor comes by again,” she says.

“But then I can have it? And the ice cream Tío Carlos promised me?”

It gets a chuckle from everyone in the room. 

The women start to fuss, setting up the balloons and bear in the best possible place, but Carlos’ eyes are on T.K. who is not-so-subtly checking out all the monitors and lines, ensuring that things are exactly as they should be. God, he loves this man. He loves him more than he thought he could ever love a human being.

“Well this looks like a party!” A man whose name tag identifies him as Dr. Nguyen, comes into the room, iPad in hand. Carlos assumes this must be the surgeon. “Sebastian who are all these fine people who came to visit you?”

“This is my Tía Cesca and my Tía Adriana. They brought me balloons,” Sebastian says, pointing to them in turn. 

“Well that’s very nice.”

“And that’s my Tío Carlos,” Sebastian says.

“Oh, is this the Tío you were telling me about? The one who’s a paramedic and helped you feel better?”

“No, my Tío Carlos is just a police officer,” Sebastian says. “My Tío T.K. is the one who’s a paramedic.” He turns his head to look at where T.K. is standing next to his IV pole. “Paramedics help people feel better. Right Tío?”

T.K. freezes for a second, his eyes locking with Carlos’. “Um, yeah,” he says finally. “Yes, that’s right. Paramedics help people. And then doctors help them even more.”

“Yeah, Dr. Nguyen took my appendix out,” Sebastian says. He looks the doctor square in the face. “My mom says you have to tell me if I can have mac and cheese or not.”

Dr. Nguyen laughs. “I can do that. Let’s give you a little check up and see.”

“We’ll give you some privacy,” Francesca says, which is hilarious given that she hasn’t let anyone have a single minute of privacy since the day she was born.

They step out into the hall, Adriana and Francesca immediately abandoning T.K. and Carlos to go look for hot doctors. Carlos runs a hand through his curls and looks at where his boyfriend is leaning up against the wall. “Well I guess we know who his new favorite tío is,” he says.

T.K. looks up, uncharacteristically nervous. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that. You’re not just a police officer.”

Carlos chuckles. “Oh I’m sure he meant it exactly like that. Tío Carlos is just a tío who wrestles and gives him ice cream. Tío T.K. saves lives. You made an impression.”

T.K. blushes. “I’m glad I could help.” His gaze softens. “I can’t believe he called me tío.”

And despite the fact that no one in the family has ever referred to T.K. that way before, Carlos isn’t surprised in the least. “Is that okay?” he asks.

“Yeah,” T.K. says quickly. “Yeah I—as long as you and your family are okay with it. I don’t…I wouldn’t want him to be confused.”

“He’s not confused.” Carlos’ words are soft and he reaches down, intertwining their fingers. “I don’t think anybody is confused anymore about why you’re so important to me.”

T.K. meets his gaze and Carlos feels like he can see all the way into the vulnerability at the core of this man who came here so broken and lost, and is just starting to figure out how vital he is to everyone around him. Carlos leans in and their lips meet, soft and sweet. It’s not enough to really say thank you, he’s not sure he can ever truly find a way, but in this moment he knows he’ll try. Everyday for the rest of his life if he needs to.

The door to Sebastian’s room opens and Carlos reluctantly pulls back, keeping their hands firmly clasped even when T.K. starts to pull away a little. “Bad news,” Lucía says. “Mac and cheese is off the table until tomorrow. T.K., he would like to know if you have any connections that can get him jello instead. But only the red kind. Not the green.”

“Absolutely,” T.K. says, already pulling out his phone to send a text. “Red jello coming right up.”

Carlos shakes his head and smiles as they reenter the room, Sebastian’s face lighting up when he sees T.K. again. Carlos has always thought T.K. seemed like magic. And now everyone else can see it too.

[fannoona]

"...and there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear..."

[marvelgifs]

LOKI S01 E04 // LOKI S02 E05

[guardian-angle22]

Tarlos Wedding Celebration Event [Week 14] -> favorite kiss(es)-> Comfort Kisses