Obsessed with a true crime podcast about missing persons cases, TK and Ashlyn dedicate much of their free time to theorizing and analyzing clues, eagerly awaiting each new update. When the podcaster suddenly goes silent—no posts, no news—the two decide to take matters into their own hands. Suspecting that something isn’t quite right, they keep their husbands in the dark as they work together to uncover the truth behind the mystery.
I’m doing it guys. I’m manifesting a Ranger Reyes spin off. With lots of domestic Tarlos. And Tarlos as parents. And more of Mr Ranger Soup man and him and Carlos being a chaotic duo. And TK and Mrs Soup being bitchy Ranger wives, first towards each other and then later on WITH each other. And little play dates between Jonah and the little soup dumplings. And Carlos getting shot again because lord knows they didn’t have nearly enough drama last time. Im manifesting it with all my might. I’m using all of my strength to will it into existence. It’s gonna work, guys!
I don't think I've shared anything from this one yet. It's a silly little oneshot I have going on in the background because I'm obsessed with the idea of TK and Ashlyn being friends and hating each other's husbands. And I'm also obsessed with TK integrating into the Ranger spouse club. Enjoy!
The friendship had blossomed out of TK hand delivering a fresh batch of lemon squares to the Campbell residence after he had learned how his husband had interrogated poor Mrs. Campbell.
TK hadn’t been sure what he was expecting when he drove over–lemon bars in the passenger seat and a three-year-old strapped in the backseat of his Jeep like a peace treaty–but the petite brunette with striking eyes and a kind smile wasn’t it. She held the door open, that cross that caught Carlos’s eye at once framed proudly on her chest.
She’d laughed–at first–when TK said he was Carlos Reyes’s husband, but two hours later, TK left her house with her contact in his phone and a box full of hand-me-downs for Jonah that her youngest had grown out of during his most recent growth spurt.
Now, TK and Ashlyn regularly hangout on the long nights when their husbands have failed to leave the office by six, and TK’s found a fast friend in her and her advice on parenting, even if he still sort of hates her husband. She also still sort of hates his, so they’re even.
With Ashlyn’s help, they’ve even extended some of their gatherings to other Ranger wives. TK doesn’t exactly know how he became integrated into a ‘Real Housewives of Austin, Texas’ situation, but he loves it. There is something about the whole thing that makes him feel like he’s made it in his adult life, especially right now while he’s still in his stay-at-home-dad era to take care of Jonah.
He’s extended the invitation to Ranger spouse wine night to Nancy, who’s shown up early with a cheese tray and a bottle of Prosecco, ready for all the hot goss fresh off the press now that she doesn’t have TK to supply her with it all while they supply the bus at work.
Thank you for the tags @rangersoup @strandnreyes @thisbuildinghasfeelings @welcometololaland @nisbanisba @henrygrass @paperstorm @futures-tense @lemonlyman-dotcom @everlastingday @carlossreaders @alrightbuckaroo @heartstringsduet @carlos-in-glasses @bonheur-cafe @sapphic--kiwi
Open Tag since this is kinda late! 💕
TK and Carlos' peaceful life is shattered when a figure from Carlos' past reemerges, thrusting them into unknown danger. Sam and Carlos team up to safeguard what matters most from the looming threat, while TK and Ashlyn watch over their families, aware that danger lurks around every corner.
Happy Wednesday everyone! Now that smut week is over, I'm back to editing/writing A Dangerous Game. So, here's a snippet from Chapter 4 that will be out next week! Thank you for the tags @carlos-in-glasses @whatsintheboxmh ❤️
“I think you look like you’re cosplaying as a high-end escort,” Ashlyn says, arms crossed and leaning against the doorframe.
TK takes one last look at his reflection, then spins around. “And that’s bad? This is what strippers wear, right? Sexy?”
Ashlyn pushes off the doorframe, starting to circle him, scanning from head to toe—it makes TK’s heart beat faster. He needs to look the part.
“I don’t know, maybe for a bachelorette party, but in this case…” She reaches out, starting to unbutton his shirt.
TK wiggles away from her touch, batting her hands away. “Ash—”
“Let me help. We committed a crime together; sartorial assistance should be the least of your worries.” She swats TK’s hand back, undoing his top two buttons, then scans him again, face scrunching up in thought.
TK stays still, the protest dying in his throat. Each second feels like pins pricking at his confidence.
“Okay, no. Take it off,” she finally declares.
“What? Why?” His hands automatically go to his now partially open collar, protectively. “I thought I looked sexy?”
“Sure,” Ashlyn mumbles, already walking toward the closet. “But it feels like you’re trying too hard.” She starts rifling through his clothes—a woman on a mission. “You look like you’re begging for the job. You want to look like the job is begging for you.”
“I don’t actually want the job, Ash.”
She freezes, clutching a gray V-neck she just took out of the closet, and looks at TK with narrowed eyes. “Only we know that. He could be the man in the red hat; if you’re gonna..." Her voice drifts off, exhaling sharply as she tosses the shirt at his chest. “I just want to minimize the risks.”
He stares at the soft, worn cotton. “This? Really?”
She shrugs. “Yeah. It’s cocky but not arrogant. It says, ‘This is my body, no big deal.’ Trust me. And wipe off some cologne—you need to smell like you, not like a perfume counter.”
The words land like a slap—unwarranted hurt that he tries to mask with a quiet “rude.”
“Sorry.” She pinches the bridge of her nose, voice gentle now. “What I mean is, maybe you could smell less… packaged?”
“That’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Hi. I am obsessed with your user name and icon!
Do you think knowing Carlos will change Campbell's stance on the job and on his marriage?
First off, thank you so much Michelle (both for the kind compliments and the excuse for me to write an essay about my beloved blorbo)!!!
The short answer is yes.
But as THE Ranger Soup blog, i feel I'm morally and legally obligated to give a long answer, so here is my essay:
In actual canon (not canon to me) we know a handful of things (but not nearly enough things if you ask me). Here are the facts: Soup buys the same flowers for his wife for every special occasion. Soup states that his wife quote "gets it." and elaborates that she gets that there are more important things for him to use his brain power on than giving her actual thoughtful gifts. This, to me, almost insinuates a little bit of an unbalance in his work-life balance. But the caveat to this is, that we also know for a fact that he absolutely loves his family and thinks having kids is the greatest thing in the world (otherwise he wouldn't have four of them!) AND he'll play hooky from work to go to his kid's birthday party which insinuates the opposite, that he values being there for special moments with his family over work. We also know for a fact that Ashlyn is extremely loyal to her husband and has absolute faith in him (if she didn't, she would've told Carlos and Bridges about the house in Mexico right off the bat, but instead she risked going to prison rather than betraying her husband).
So with this in mind, I think Ashlyn truly is understanding and does quote "get it" and doesn't put pressure on him to make big grand gestures, and he does other things that count for a lot more (showing up for things involving the kids even when he's supposed to be at work) and to me, him being there for things like that is more important to her than him getting her nice things for anniversaries and what not. And how I think all of this equates in his straight man brain is: oh she gets it and doesn't pester me, therefore flowers are fine. I don't need to put in a bunch of effort. I'm doing great. *double thumbs up*
But now to get to the "yes" of it all. I think that working with Carlos "I'm going to buy a loft for my boyfriend" Reyes, the actual king of romantic gestures, will be a very eye-opening for Soup. I think seeing the effort Carlos puts forth into showing his deep appreciation for his husband will make Soup stop and think and reflect a little bit. And ultimately go from "She gets it and gives me grace therefore i don't need to be going all out." to "She gets it and gives me grace, therefore I should be going all out to show her how much appreciate her and her understanding. And I should be doing a better job of making sure she knows how important she is to me."
