Well, after some stalling and streak freezes, I finally hit 2000 day streak on Duolingo. I told myself I could let the streak go now.
Honestly, ever since Duolingo took away the tree layout and forced the path learning on everyone, it just hasn't been the same for me. I've tried, stuck with it, and it's not grown on me. I find it dull and tedious instead of motivating and inspiring. It's stifling. They took away the chat boards where you could find great tips and explanations, the layout is shitty AF if you want to practice a certain topic. I feel like I'm barely learning anymore. Like the courses are moving forward before I understand the foundations.
I still want to continue learning Spanish but Duolingo will no longer be the daily slog I drag myself through to do it!
could you do something like tk is learning Spanish and carlos is helping him and just dying over how cute tk and his lil accent is
Learning Español
Claimed by Red💋
*FEEL FREE TO CORRECT MY SPANISH-I took French all throughout High School and part of College...I know some basic phrases/words in Spanish, but the rest I’m using Google Translate for*
Warnings: cursing, teasing, a smudging of implied sexual themes
All TK wanted to do was be able to communicate better with the Hispanic population of Texas. Considering the amount of times they’ve been called to kitchen fires or other emergencies revolving around the Hispanic population, he needed to learn how to communicate with them because they wouldn’t be able to always rely on Mateo to be there to translate...plus he thinks that Mateo probably doesn’t always tell them everything that the callers say. But the point is that he was not learning Spanish because of his boyfriend-it wasn’t because he wanted to be able to surprise his boyfriend by being able to communicate with his family in two months when they went to his cousin’s baby shower.
TK also refused to tell the team that he was learning Spanish, he was absolutely not asking for help. He’d rather die than feel the embarrassment of stumbling through his totally true excuse of wanting to communicate with the people they were called to help. So he had Duo Lingo...and he swears that he’d be haunted by that little Owl by the time two months-he means when he finishes learning what he needs to learn to communicate with the Spanish speaking population of Austin.
Logically, TK knew he would eventually be caught in the act...he just thought it’d be closer to the deadline-he means closer to the time he was more fluent in Spanish...for the population of Austin that spoke primarily Spanish.
TK had been practicing with his headphones in. Since he’d finished his chores early and everyone else still had a while to go, he thought he’d be safe in practicing verbally on his bunk. Listening to the audio, he repeated the sentences quietly, “Buenos dias. ¿Cómo estás?*” He cringed at his obvious northern accent with the words.
He passed the audio, having to type out a few sentences on his phone before the next audio appeared. TK rolled his eyes at the sentence. He’d known that one from the amount of people they got coming into the station having an emergency regarding not being able to hold their bladders. “¿Dónde está el baño?**”
“¿Seriamente? Sabes dónde está el baño, TK,***” Mateo called as he and Marjan entered the room.
TK will forever deny the fact that he shouted in surprise. He shut his phone screen off, stuffing it, and his headphones, into his pocket. He could feel the blush rising up his neck. “I-I know where the bathroom is,” TK stuttered.
Marjan raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you trying to learn Spanish from an app on your phone, TK?” He could already see the teasing glint in her eyes.
“What? No. What makes you think that?”
She smirked, “Creo que es lindo que estés aprendiendo español para Carlos.^”
TK didn’t know exactly what that meant, but he could make a few guesses based on the words he’d already learned. “I’m not-it’s not for Carlos. It is definitely not for Carlos. Like, over 50% of the population in-in Texas is Hispanic. I want to-I want to be able to communicate with them in case-in case Mateo isn't here...hey, I didn’t know you spoke Spanish,” he tried desperately to try to force the focus off of himself...but that was a no go.
“That’s sweet...but we know you’re learning for Carlos.”
“What’s TK learning for Carlos,” Judd asked as he walked in, followed by Paul.
“Nothing,” TK answered quickly.
“Él quiere poder hablar español a su amante,^^” Mateo smiled widely.
“For the non fluent Spanish speakers in the room,” Paul asked.
“TK wants to be able to talk to Carlos in Spanish...Mateo and I think it’s cute.”
“Oh my God, I didn’t even know a person’s face could get that red,” Paul chuckled as he looked at TK.
In a fit to get out of the room and hopefully throw them off their game, TK growled out, “Cállate, pendejos^^^.” Thankfully, the alarm sounded. Soon enough they would have to work and they wouldn’t be able to think about the fact that TK was learning Spanish.
___________
Shift couldn’t end soon enough. He had dealt with the team teasing him all day. His dad had stepped in at one point, wanting to know what had the crew in stitches. To say his dad was amused would be an understatement. He could blame it on the embarrassment for forgetting to beg the crew not to mention it to Carlos...and God was he beating himself up about that slip of the mind.
“~Mierda,” TK groaned to himself as Carlos beamed at him from where he was standing with Mateo and Marjan. TK had decided that if he was going to be teased by his crew, he might as well learn the important Spanish words: the swear words. “I hate all of you,” he growled as he walked past Marjan, Mateo, and Carlos.
The way to Carlos’s place was quiet. TK could tell that Carlos had many questions, but he was respecting TK’s privacy. TK knew that he would come clean once they got home, but he let himself have this moment to prepare for Carlos’s reaction later. “/Tan estúpido,” he muttered to himself, “should have just kept it on written and matching.”
“How long have you been studying Spanish? You seem to be switching between Spanish and English easily,” Carlos quietly spoke, as if afraid to broach the subject because he thought he might scare TK off.
“Not long enough,” was the response.
That raised many questions but Carlos kept his mouth closed. He bit his lip, trying hard not to continue on the subject...but it was just so cute. It was clear that TK had a good ability at learning quickly and being able to remember the vocabulary. But the best thing about the whole experience of TK speaking Spanish was his accent. The little lilt in his words from growing up in New York absolutely had Carlos’s heart beating faster. “I could teach you,” it slipped out before Carlos had the chance to stop it.
TK went even more tense than he had been. “I’m not in the mood to be made fun of by my own boyfriend,” he bit out.
“Amor, that’s not what this is. I want to help you learn...hearing the words fall from your lips...it’s cute and sexy as hell,” Carlos chanced a look over at TK as they pulled into the driveway.
TK was biting his lip, seeming to think over the idea. “¿Seriamente?,” he finally asked. “You’re not going to make fun of me when I can’t pronounce the words right...or when the accent isn’t right?”
“//Soy tan serio como puede ser. The accent is cute, Querido.”
TK’s eyes narrowed at Carlos as if looking for a lie. “///Lo que digas Papi.”
Carlos felt the arousal course through his body. From the look on TK’s face, he could see just what he was doing to Carlos. If the smirk was anything to go by, he had already planned out the night. “Say it again,” Carlos whispered.
“Lo que digas,” the smirk widened.
Carlos growled, “you know that’s not what I meant.”
“I think you’ll have to be more specific next time, Papi…”
____________
*Good morning. How are you?
**Where is the bathroom?
***Seriously? You know where the bathroom is, TK.
^I think it’s cute that you’re learning Spanish for Carlos
