Early in their relationship, TK worries Carlos is cheating on him.
I need you to save me
TK drops his phone to his stomach after he sends the message and goes back to staring at his ceiling. He’s camping out in his room, not wanting to even come close to the situation happening in the living room. Being home with both of his parents is bad enough, but now Michelle is here too and she brought this guy she’s been seeing and it feels like a weird party of TK’s parental figures and bosses that he wants no part of. Their laughter floats to the second floor where TK has isolated himself, however, making him feel like he’s twelve years old and unable to fall asleep while his parents host their dinner guests.
And now his boyfriend isn’t answering his phone.
TK knows Carlos doesn’t work tonight, but they didn’t have any plans to meet up. It’s possible that Carlos made other plans, and TK doesn’t want to seem too clingy, but he also wouldn’t mind if Carlos was delighted to have him over.
wip wednesday!! i'm a little late (well aren't i always) because i had to keep writing until i got to a slow part that wasn't spoilery! big things happening here. huge.
tagged by @henrygrass @carlossreaders @paperstorm /
He wishes he could be cradled right now, wishes that Carlos would come in here and rock him to sleep like a baby and he’d wake up cured. He doesn’t trust his body not to betray or humiliate him any further, though, so he wraps his arms around himself, his clammy skin sticking together, and tries to disappear into pleasant thoughts.
He thinks of Carlos, mostly. Early on in their relationship, he used to press TK against the wall when they kissed and hold him there, pinned like a butterfly. He always felt so safe beneath Carlos’s hands, even when his grip tightened and bruised his wrists. TK loved it. He wanted to belong to Carlos. He wanted to be mounted on his wall so that he could be admired by him all day long. Sometimes in the evenings TK takes his time getting changed, hoping to feel Carlos’s arms crowd around him from behind and press him into the wall again. The arms do come, more often than not, but Carlos no longer pushes. They stand there in the middle of the bedroom like a pillar of stone rising from the ocean, connected to nothing.
the horniness you guys... it's killing him (tagging @reyesstrand @emsprovisions @afiendishthingynisba and anyone else who'd like to participate before the day is over!)
Here it is, finally! The long-awaited next chapter of The Lone Ranger!
“Is agent Dunn in?” Sam asks, approaching Brendick. He’d much rather deal with good cop than bad cop right now. He’s tired, his patience is short, and his temper is even shorter. He only managed to force himself to sleep for three hours this morning, and nothing about it was restful.
“No, he’s busy. What do you need?” Brendick asks. His tone is short, but he still seems to be in an ever so slightly less insufferable mood today.
“I found this,” Sam says, placing the trail cam, which is now tucked away neatly in an evidence bag, down on the agent’s desk. Him forgetting to turn it over to them sooner isn’t exactly a lie. He did forget, but he also held onto it longer than he probably should’ve. He’s already visited the tech people and had them enhance the picture of the brand. And he’s also already sent the picture to Ashlyn for her to decipher it.
Brendick looks from him to the camera and back to him. He cocks a skeptical eyebrow. “You found it?”
“Yes. I found it. It got missed when we were getting everything together to bring over.”
“Seems like a pretty big thing to just miss,” Brendick snarks, picking it up to examine it closer. He then turns his cynical gaze back on Sam. “And I couldn’t help but notice, you conveniently weren’t around this morning when we came to collect everything.”
“I had other things to be doing,” Sam says and turns to leave. The sooner he gets out of here the better. He has leads to chase down, and doesn’t have time to waste sitting here arguing with a pretentious FBI agent.
“We had our agents go take a stab at the neighbors.”
Sam stops walking.
“I talked to a Mrs. Sanchez. She said she gave a trail cam to a Ranger Campbell.” Brendick sounds smug. “That’d be you, wouldn’t it?”
“The one and only,” Sam says, turning back around to face the agent. He really should’ve walked faster.
“This,” he holds the camera up and wiggles it around in the air. “Was not in any of the evidence logs.”
“What do you want me to say?” Sam demands. “I picked it up and immediately got a call saying someone took a shot at my partner again. Things tend to slip your mind when that happens.”
“You’re a ranger, things don’t just slip your mind.”
“But here we are.”
Brendick, unfortunately, has a point. He’s a Ranger. Things shouldn’t slip his mind, but this had. He’s losing his edge. He can feel it slipping away through his fingers, but he can’t seem to get a grip.
“You’re really determined to stick to that story, aren’t you.”
“The facts, yes,” Sam looks him dead in the eyes as he lies. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other cases that need my attention, unless you wanna take them over too.”
When he turns to leave this time, he’s serious about it. He’s done talking to this guy. Brendick can keep heckling him, he doesn’t care. He’s not stopping.
“I better not find out you tampered with this,” Brendick calls after him as he heads for the door.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Sam replies, giving him a patronizing hand wave as he goes.
Chapter: 1/1 | Rating: General Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | Word Count: 4,382 | a newest installment of this is what falling in love feels like
TK Strand, a florist working for the renowned flower shop, Bloom With a View, can't take his eyes off of Carlos Reyes, a baker working at Cake My Day, the bakery across the street.
read on ao3 <3
tagging a couple of mutuals i wanted to share this with: @heartstringsduet, @carlos-in-glasses, @reyesstrand, @welcometololaland, @rmd-writes, @tailoredshirt, @chaotictarlos
Whisking Away Your Pain (a 9-1-1 Lone Star post 4x04 fic)
Carlos is struggling to come to terms with his trauma from captivity, avoiding the kitchen and losing his love for cooking and baking, but TK is there to help him heal, one home-cooked meal at a time.
AO3
It had been a few months since Carlos had been kidnapped by the serial killer who had taken Iris. TK and Gabriel had managed to rescue him, and his physical injuries had healed, but the experience had left its mark on him. In the immediate aftermath, Carlos was assaulted by nightmares, more often than not waking up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, his fight or flight response activated as he trashed against the sheets until his brain processed TK's arms around him and he was able to relax. During the day things weren't much better, as any sudden movement made him jump and he found it hard not to fear the worst after every case. All in all, given the experience, Carlos had seemed relatively normal, if a little shaken up.
But as the weeks went by, TK started to notice that some things were different now.
They had finished their shifts and were on their way home after Carlos picked TK up from the station. As they drove through the city, TK couldn't help but notice that Carlos seemed distant, lost in thought.
"Hey, you okay?" TK asked, breaking the silence.
Carlos shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm just tired."
TK didn't believe him, but he didn't want to push. They arrived home, and TK started to prepare some dinner. "Do you want to help me cook?" he wondered, but Carlos shook his head.
"I'm not really hungry," he said, settling himself on the couch with the book he always kept on the coffee table. "Maybe I'll order something later."
TK felt a pang of worry. Carlos had always loved cooking and seeing him avoid the kitchen was a sign that something was wrong. But maybe Carlos really was tired so he would give him the benefit of the doubt for now.
A few nights later, TK woke up in the middle of the night, and he realized that Carlos was gone. Turning around, he touched the sheets beside him, and they were still warm. His first thought was that Carlos had gone to the kitchen to bake something, as he often did when a case left him anxious, or life was too stressful. He began getting out of bed, reaching for his discarded hoodie from last night so he could go accompany him, but then he heard the front door open and close, quietly but not enough, and knew that Carlos had gone out for another run instead. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and turned to the clock on the bedside table. He got a sinking feeling when it read '4:04'. This was the third time this week he woke up to Carlos leaving the apartment or coming in sweaty and disheveled after a run.
TK didn't sleep much for the next hour that Carlos was gone. He tossed and turned in the bed, wishing there was something he could do to help, only managing to fall back asleep at around 5:30 after Carlos had returned and gotten a shower, before grabbing his keys and going out again. Even then he only slept for an additional half hour, finally getting out of bed with a tired grunt, showering and heading into work himself.
That night, TK decided to talk to Carlos about what was going on. He was all for giving him space and letting him work through problems on his own, but the day he had asked Carlos to marry him he had known they would become one after that, which included the fun times, but also the individual struggles and whatever else life threw at them.
"Carlos, can we talk?" He asked softly, coming to stand behind him. He lifted on his toes and set his chin on his shoulder, sighing when he saw Carlos perusing a takeout menu.
"Hmm," Carlos hummed in acknowledgement and tipped his head to his side, looking at TK out of the corner of his eye.
"You haven't been cooking as much as you used to," he said, rushing to add when he felt Carlos tense in his arms. "I'm all for takeout every once in a while, but I miss your cooking, baby."
Carlos still looked at him apprehensively, but he nodded with a smile that managed to look mostly real even if it didn't reach his eyes. "Sorry, things have been busy at work. I've been too tired to cook afterwards."
TK wished he could believe him, but he knew Carlos better than that. He usually loved cooking and baking as ways to relieve stress. It also kept them happy and fed, a welcomed plus in the 'Reyes family manual'. But lately he'd been avoiding the kitchen and it was all kinds of wrong.
"You've also been going for runs in the middle of the night. Are you okay?" TK pressed tentatively and rubbed his arm in an attempt to get him to open up.
Carlos hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I'm fine." He paused, and TK waited expectantly hoping he would decide to be honest instead, but Carlos put up his best cheerful facade and asked enthusiastically, "So, do you want pizza or burgers?"
"A burger is fine," TK said dejectedly. Carlos might think his words were convincing, but TK knew him better than he knew himself and he was sure he was lying. Still, he didn't want to push too hard and have him close off completely, so he let it go for now and decided to watch Carlos more closely from now on, hoping he could figure out what was really going on.
A few weeks later, TK came home from the gym to find Carlos sitting in their living room, staring blankly at the wall. He had baked some cookies earlier, and the sweet smell still filled the room.
"Hey, I made cookies," TK said, a soft and proud smile gracing his lips. "Did you try one?" He held out the plate with one hand and took a bite of a cookie with the other.
Carlos recoiled, his eyes wide with what could only be described as fear. "No," he said, his voice shaking. "No, I didn't."
TK frowned and put down the plate. He sat on the couch next to Carlos and turned to face him, grabbing his hands. "What's going on, babe?" he asked. "It's just a cookie?" He knew it was about more than that, but he needed Carlos to want to contradict him.
Carlos sighed and looked up at TK with tears in his eyes. "It's not that I don't want to. I can't." His voice cracked at the end and TK's heart broke alongside it.
"Okay, that's okay," he soothed, his thumb brushing back and forth over Carlos' hand. "Why?"
Carlos rested his head on TK's chest, whispering against his shirt as he explained, "It's the kitchen. I was held in the kitchen all day. And she baked cookies. She made me try one."
TK's heart sank as he understood what Carlos was saying. He had known Carlos was held in the house, but he had found him in the living room, and he had never mentioned the kitchen until now. He had wanted to read the full report of what happened, but Gabriel had kept it from him, promising it was for the best. Now he wished he had pushed harder.
"Why didn't you say something before?" he asked, moving his arms to Carlos' back pushing their bodies incredibly closer.
"Because I feel stupid," Carlos mumbled, laughing self-deprecatingly. "I'm a cop, I've seen worse. I shouldn't be traumatized by an old lady baking cookies."
"Carlos, look at me," TK pleaded. He pulled away and cupped Carlos's face. "You didn't see this happen, you lived through it. This is something that happened to you, not a case you worked. And you've every right to react to it any way your brain decides to. It's not stupid and it doesn't make you weak."
Carlos nodded, but TK could still see fear and shame mixed in his eyes. "I can't even smell cookies without feeling sick," Carlos admitted. "I can't cook, I can barely set foot in the kitchen for longer than a few minutes. Every time it's like I'm trapped there again."
TK put his arm around Carlos, holding him close. "It's okay. You don't have to do anything you're not ready for. We can keep ordering takeout and I can take the cookies to the station tomorrow when I go on shift. I'm sorry I baked them, I didn't know."
"No, no, TK. This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault," Carlos said, needing him to understand that.
TK opened his mouth to protest, but Carlos pushed up and silenced him with a kiss. "I'm alive because of you. You realized I was missing. You got my dad and APD involved. You made the connection to the pharmacy. Hell, you brought me back, TK."
"But I didn't realize any of that soon enough," TK whispered against his lips.
"I didn't make it easy on you. But you still got there in time and saved me." Carlos wasn't sure of many things right now, but he was sure he had brought it all on himself when he decided to lie to his fiancé and go investigate on his own. But luckily, he had chosen to give his heart to a man that always noticed the things he tried to keep hidden from the world. And it had been that connection and that loyalty that saved him. He had told TK those exact same words many times since he was released from the hospital, and he knew he would continue to repeat them every time self-doubt crept up on him.
TK nodded, pulling Carlos into a tender kiss before guiding him to sit between his legs and rest his head on his shoulder.
Carlos leaned into TK's embrace, his body silently shaking with sobs. He wanted to speak, say something to thank him, but the love and gratitude he felt for his fiancé and his gentle understanding overwhelmed him. All he could do was hold onto TK, and let his strength carry them both through the pain.
"It's okay. Let it out. We'll get through this," TK promised, a hint of sadness in his voice.
TK continued to hold Carlos until his tears ran out and his breath evened out. And that night there were no nightmares or midnight runs as Carlos found peace in the simple knowledge that he was loved deeply by the man next to him and that TK was loved as fiercely in return.
-x-x-x
A few days had passed since Carlos had opened up to him. TK had been keeping an eye on him, but otherwise, hadn't brought up the subject again. He knew from experience sometimes all you needed was time, and to know that you had someone willing to catch you when you fell.
One Friday night, TK was sitting on the couch, checking his phone, when Carlos came in from the grocery store with bags full of ingredients. TK looked up hopefully, curious and thrilled by the sight.
"What's all this for?" He asked, grabbing some of the bags and helping Carlos set everything on the counter.
Carlos looked up, a faint smile on his face. "I thought we could make my mom's chilaquiles," he proposed. "It's been a while since I cooked, and I think it would be nice to try."
TK could see the hesitation in Carlos' eyes, but there was also so much determination behind his brown gaze. He had always known Carlos was one of the strongest people he knew but seeing him work through his trauma like this caused a surge of pride deep in his chest.
"Sure, I'd love to help," he said, nodding enthusiastically, but also trying not to make a big deal of it. He was surprised but didn't want to question what felt like a gift. "What do you need me to do?"
Carlos' smile deepened, more at ease now, and he began walking TK through the instructions he remembered by heart. They chopped veggies, grated cheese, and boiled chicken, working side by side in the small kitchen, their shoulders brushing every once in a while, and their hands tangling momentarily, as they felt more normal than any other time in the last few months.
TK could see the tension in Carlos' shoulder start to ease as they worked. As TK's warmth and presence anchored him, his movements became more confident, his hands working deftly as he cut vegetables, shredded the kitchen and prepared the homemade sauce.
They finished preparing the chilaquiles in comfortable silence, the air thick with the aroma of spices and roasting peppers, but no longer heavy with unspoken words and hidden traumas.
When the dish was ready, they served it up and sat down to eat. TK's first bite felt like a revelation, not because he was surprised at the explosion of flavors, but because this dish was the physical representation of Carlos' fight against the demons of his abduction and the proof that he was healing and coming out the other side victorious.
Carlos savored the chilaquiles, and his eyes misted, a faint, grateful smile playing at the corners of his mouth. It was a small but genuine expression, and TK felt the pieces of their life begin to slide back into place. "Thanks for doing this with me," Carlos whispered between bites, rubbing TK's thigh with his socked foot under the table.
"Of course," TK replied simply. He knew that this statement applied to this moment and every other moment in their lives. He would gladly do anything for Carlos, even if it meant walking into the depths of hell to find him sooner and reduce his trauma even a little bit. "I'm proud of you for trying to cook again. And I'm glad we could do this together," he added, feeling his affection for the man sitting in front of him grow with each moment they spent together.
As they finished their meal, Carlos and TK basked in the peaceful stillness that had settled over the kitchen. Their minds and bodies connected by the intertwined fingers resting on the table and the unspoken acknowledgement of what this dinner meant to them and their recovery.
"Maybe next Friday we can try my mom's Hamantaschen Cookies?" TK tentatively suggested, as they carried the dishes to the sink.
"I'd like that," Carlos said softly. He wished he could express how much the offer meant to him, but that part of his captivity was still too raw to share. For now, he settled on TK knowing how much he's loved. "Want to watch a movie?" He tugged at TK's hand, leading him to the couch for a cozy evening together.
"Not washing dishes? Andrea would be appalled." TK teased, but Carlos kissed the grin right off his face.
"Cleaning can wait till tomorrow," Carlos said, his eyes soft and vulnerable. "Let's enjoy the moment. Tonight, I just want to be close to you."
TK's heart swelled with affection for Carlos, and he wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. They watched the movie in companionable silence, enjoying the simple pleasure of feeling safe and being close to the one they loved.
🔥 WELCOME TO THE FIVE ALARM FEST! 🔥
Is it getting hot in here, or is it just us? Five Alarm Fest is a 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star NSFW Fic Week open to all 18+ participants. We'll be burning it down from July 18th to July 24th with a different prompt for each day. Please check out the RULES before participating. Prompts for the week are as follows:
DAY ONE: Coda or Missing Scene
DAY TWO: Calling or Sexting
DAY THREE: New Experiences or New Kinks
DAY FOUR: After a Close Call
DAY FIVE: Rare Pair or Threesome
DAY SIX: Anywhere but the Bedroom
DAY SEVEN: Writer’s Choice
Please tag all posts with #fivealarmfest2022 and post each fic to the AO3 Collection. Any questions? Feel free to send us an ask. Please reblog to signal boost and we'll see you in July!
Just a little Tarlos fic I’ve had in my drafts for a while. And look, I project my feelings onto my faves okay, and I am feeling very much like Carlos at the moment, so I thought this would be a good time to post. WC: 500 even
___
“You’re late!”
TK shuts the door and freezes, his hand still on the lock. “I told you I would be.” He turns slowly and spies Carlos sitting on the couch, his knees up to his chest and TK’s throw blanket draped over his lap.
“I know, but…” Carlos holds up an envelope, unopened, and gives TK a look. “It came.”
“It? Wait, they don’t email those things to you?” TK toes off his shoes and hurries over, choosing to do a little hop over the arm of the couch instead of walking around.
“Nah. APD likes their paper trail.”
“You didn’t open it yet?”
Carlos shrugs. “I couldn’t… If I passed-”
“You did!” TK insists.
“If I passed,” Carlos starts again, “it would have been because of you. I want to share that with you.”
TK’s face softens, “you did all the work, babe.”
Carlos gives a bashful smile. He turns the envelope over in his hands but doesn’t attempt to tear into it.
“And you’re gonna open it now?” TK prompts.
“I… can’t. I’m too nervous.”
“Carlos…”
Carlos looks at the envelope in his hands and sighs. “I didn’t tell my dad. In case I blew it. I didn’t want him to be disappointed in me.”
“Carlos, you’re an amazing police officer. You have nothing to prove to your father. Or anyone else.”
“No, I know. It’s just… I’ve spent my entire life feeling like I wasn’t enough. What if this letter is telling me I’m not?”
TK shrugs. “What if it’s telling you the opposite?” TK gives Carlos’ knee a comforting squeeze. “Now, open it before I do.”
Carlos holds the envelope in offering and TK snatches it out of his hands. Carlos winces as he not-so-carefully rips it open. He watches expectantly as TK skims the document, simultaneously wishing TK would read it out loud and also hoping he wouldn’t.
“97 on the written…” TK murmurs, “91 on the oral board.” He looks up, the pride evident in his eyes. “You passed.”
“I- what rank am I? On the list?”
“Doesn’t matter. You passed!”
“It matters.”
TK rolls his eyes fondly and finishes skimming the print. “Fifth. Out of 62.” He adds quickly. “You’re in the top 10%! That’s amazing, Carlos. I’m proud of you.”
Carlos nods slowly. “I was really nervous in the oral boards, I should have done better.”
“It doesn’t matter. The field is where you’re tested. And as someone you’ve personally rescued, I can vouch for your field work. And I’m sure Miss Katie-Cat would too.” TK stands and pulls the blanket off Carlos, discarding it onto the floor. “Come on, we’re gonna celebrate.”
“Thank you for believing in me.” Carlos reaches for TK and pulls him onto his lap. “Even when I don’t believe in myself.”
“Of course. Carlos, I want you to see yourself they way I see you. And you know how I’m picturing you right now?”
“Without clothes?”
“Without clothes,” TK confirms as he leans in for a kiss.
___
Taglist: @chaotictarlos @itsjustmyfantasyroom anyone else: just ask :)
