lol, okay so I’m using this as a double-fill. @noxsoulmate picked “bruises” from my BTHB card, and this is also filling the TWP Pride prompt of: AU where they meet playing in an lgbt sports league.
This is my first time writing a meet-ugly, meet-cutes are kinda my thing. Also, I played fast and loose with the timeline.
***
TK sighs. “I don’t know, Paul. It sounds kind of awful.”
“What? Like you have other plans?”
TK scowls, tapping at his phone. He knew that in an attempt to meet people in his new hometown, Paul had found an LGBT sports league and signed up for a flag-football team. TK, on the other hand, had simply decided not to meet new people.
“Please. We just need someone to fill in for a few games until James gets back on their feet. If we don’t have enough people to play, we get disqualified. Please.”
“Yeah, okay. But you have to buy me a drink after,” TK relents.
Paul cheers, “There’s a boba place near the field! Anything you want!” He comes around the back of the sofa and leans in, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “And maybe you’ll meet someone while we’re there.”
“You’re not making this sound any better!” TK calls after him.
***
“I feel like I’m going to be awful at this,” TK mutters. Paul hands him a little elastic belt with some bright yellow flags drifting down from each side. TK watches as Paul clips on his own little belt and then grabs a football off the bench.
“Come on. Let’s throw a few before the game starts.”
TK rolls his eyes; tossing the ball around now won’t do anything except guarantee his arm will be too tired to throw later, but he acquiesces and follows his friend to the middle of the field, where other players are stretching and warming up. They take turns throwing the ball back and forth, trying to get into a rhythm before the game starts.
Paul throws one a little too hard, and TK curses, jogging backward, his hand raised, in an attempt to catch it. He hears a little commotion behind him, and his body slams into something solid- as does his elbow.
The football hits the ground next to him with a sad thump. TK whirls around and sees someone on the ground, his hand covering his face.
“Oh my god,” TK exclaims. “I am so, so sorry. Are you hurt?”
Paul jogs over. “Carlos, are you okay?”
“I- maybe?” Carlos pulls his hand away from his face and grimaces when he realizes it’s covered in blood.
“Here,” TK holds out his hand. Carlos takes TK’s hand in his clean one and allows TK to pull him off the ground. He makes his way to the bench with TK following a short distance behind. Paul hands him a towel, and he immediately puts it on his nose and groans as he tips his head back.
“Go find us some ice?” TK asks Paul. Paul nods and jogs away. TK slips a hand behind Carlos’ head. “Hey, keep your head up.”
“Huh?” Carlos grumbles and gives him a look but obeys and settles upright again.
“You’re not actually supposed to tip your- never mind.” TK is pretty sure Carlos is glaring at him, but it’s kind of hard to tell, with his face mostly covered. “Can I take a look?”
“Is that really such a good idea?” Carlos asks, but he pulls the towel away and drops his hands into his lap.
Carlos hisses as TK pokes at his face but otherwise stays silent. “It’s not broken,” TK says finally. “You’ll have a pretty nasty bruise, though.” He reaches for the towel, but Carlos snatches his hand away and brings the towel back to his face.
“Well, thank you, Doctor.”
“Uh, firefighter, actually,” TK murmurs. “But I’m dual-certified as a paramedic.”
Paul returns with a small bag of ice a few moments later, and TK takes it from him, attempting to place the bag on Carlos’ face.
“I’ve got it,” Carlos snaps, taking the bag from TK and holding it to his nose. “I think you’ve done enough.”
TK’s face heats up, and he steps back slowly, turning to Paul, “I should go. I really am sorry,” he adds, turning back to Carlos before walking off the field.
***
“Strand, you have a visitor,” Marjan calls. “He’s in here.”
TK looks up from his spot on the sofa and sees Carlos, in full APD uniform, trailing shortly behind.
“You taking after your dad and punching cops?” Mateo laughs.
“I didn’t know he was a cop!” TK hisses, “And I didn’t punch him.”
He jumps up and hurries over, pausing in front of Carlos. Even with Carlos’ swollen cheek and the bruise forming underneath his eye, he’s still the most handsome man TK has ever seen.
“I’m sorry about your face,” he blurts out.
“I’m sorry,” Carlos says simultaneously.
“Wait, what?” TK asks.
“I’m sorry,” Carlos repeats. “About yesterday.”
“Wait. I crashed into you, and you’re apologizing to me?”
Carlos chuckles and winces. “Yeah, I suppose I am. I was in pain, but that’s not an excuse to have snapped at you. You didn’t do it on purpose, and you were just trying to help.”
“This conversation isn’t going at all how I thought it would,” TK laughs.
“And you were right; nothing is broken. Just my ego is bruised.”
“And your face,” Paul teases.
“Right,” Carlos mutters. They stand in an awkward silence for a few moments before Carlos speaks up. “So, um, does Mr. Dual-Certified have a name?”
“TK. TK Strand,” he holds out his hand, and Carlos gives him a firm handshake.
“Well, TK Strand, maybe I’ll see you around?”
“Yeah, I’ll be…around.”
“Just maybe not on the football field?” Carlos says. “But, if you wanted to come to watch a football game… Paul could probably tell you when we’re playing next.”
TK grins bashfully and nods, “Sounds good; I’ll be there.”
“Great,” Carlos says goodbye to Paul and then turns to leave.
Paul nudges TK hard, and he stumbles forward. “Maybe afterward, I could buy you dinner or something? As an apology.”
“Yeah. Or maybe that could just be, like, a regular dinner, and we never bring this up again?” He says, gesturing to his face.
“Deal. It never happened.”
“Okay, see you there.”
Paul and TK watch, and Carlos gives a little wave as he exits the firehouse. TK turns to see Paul looking smug.
“I told you it was going to be awful,” TK says. “And it was.”
“And I told you that you were going to meet someone,” Paul points out.
“That doesn’t make it better! Wait, Paul… did you do this on purpose?”
Paul shakes his head and makes his way towards the staircase.
“Paul? Did you? Paul!” Paul just shrugs as TK follows him up the stairs.
Hello all! For June I'm bringing back the 24 hour Pride Challenge that I put on last year! It turned out to be such a fun event and so many people participated! It was a joy to read all of the fics that were submitted for the challenge!
How it works:
I will post a prompt every other day and you will have 24 hours to write a fic based on the prompt and post it. For example if I post a prompt on Monday at 12 p.m. EST you would have until Tuesday at 12 p.m. EST to post it. The next new prompt would then be posted on Wednesday at 12 p.m. EST.
The first prompt will be posted Thursday, June 1, at 12 p.m.
**note because of the event happening and prompts being posted every other day I will not be posting regular weekly prompts.
Days prompts will be posted:
June 1
June 3
June 5
June 7
June 9
June 11
June 13
June 15
June 17
June 19
June 21
June 23
June 25
June 27
June 29
Rules:
The work has to be Tarlos centric but can include other characters.
All work must be properly rated and have appropriate warnings.
Accepted works: fic's, moodboards, fanart, gifs
The prompt needs to be incorporated in some way in the fic
Minimum word count of 500 words
Please tag the blog url and tag it with the hashtag #twppride2023
Any questions? Just ask!
*reminder that I also have a discord for this blog and if you're over 18, DM me for a link to join!
Fill for the June 3 prompt for @tarlosweeklyprompts
Prompt: Someone sets up newly single TK up on a blind date with Alex but he never shows. The bartender, Carlos Reyes, is happy to help him forget all about Alex.
Rated M (ish, purely for safety)
Length: 4.9k
Summary:
TK watches Carlos squeeze a quartered lime slice in a tight fist, the juice dripping over his fingers to spill into the glass below, and tucks his bottom lip between his front teeth. A fresh cherry is dropped on top of the ice, and the peachy-toned mocktail is pushed over to TK’s side of the bar.
“Enjoy,” Carlos smiles widely at TK.
TK has to take a few moments to calibrate his brain and uses the few seconds it takes to grab one of the black paper straws to will the blood flow to return to his brain.
The host brings two fingers up to his mouth to stifle a little chuckle and then explains, “Oh I see. Yes, your mother brought you here to have dinner with this gentleman.” He gestures towards TK in the booth. “She said you didn’t know what he looked like.” He leans in closer to Carlos and holds up a hand to the side of his mouth so that TK can’t hear the rest, “and would be nervous, so she wanted to help get you to the table and then disappear for your big date.”
Carlos’ eyes grow wide. “My big what?”
“Um.” The host is starting to look pale, darting his eyes back to his stand longingly. “I’m not quite sure? It seems-”
“It’s fine,” TK butts in from the booth, “we’ll be fine, thank you.”
The host accepts that immediately and walks away quickly, perhaps expecting Carlos to object.
Carlos simply lowers down into the booth and stares at the table. “What in the hell is going on?”
TK scoots closer, wrapping an arm around Carlos’ and smiling. “Hi baby. Well, I’m not sure but I have a theory.”
Read on AO3.
For @tarlosweeklyprompts Gwyn and Andrea are best friends and try to set their sons up on a date - not knowing they're already together. Thank you @tarlos-spain for the beta.
written for @tarlosweeklyprompts pride month celebration - Someone set's up newly single TK up on a blind date with Alex but he never shows. The bartender, Carlos Reyes, is happy to help him forget all about Alex.
beta'd by the incredible @chaotictarlos
Carlos Reyes, in all of his eight years tending and owning a bar, has had one rule.
Never pick up a customer.
He debates throwing this rule out the window for the first time in his life as he eyes the ridiculously pretty man at the end of the bar. The man has been sipping the same glass of mineral water for the last hour as he looks around, presumably waiting for someone.
Carlos makes up his mind when he sees the man check his phone one more time and his shoulders drop in defeat. He slides over to Lexi, who’s standing near the middle of the bar wiping down some beer glasses she’s just washed.
“Hey, switch sides with me, will you?” Carlos asks, glancing at the guy again.
She raises an eyebrow at him, “You want to switch to the busier side of the bar? For free?”
Carlos rolls his eyes, “Lex, please, I cannot keep staring at this guy at the end of the bar for the rest of the night. I am not above begging you to switch me, seriously.”
Her other eyebrow joins her first one as she stares at him, “You, Carlos Reyes, who’s never flirted with a customer since he bought the bar, want to switch sides so you can flirt with this guy?”
“Lexi, you are aware I am technically your boss, correct?”
“Fine, fine. I just served everyone, you should be good for a minute,” Lexi says before she walks over to a new customer that slides up to the other side of the bar. Carlos picks up the bar towel and begins to wipe the counter down, slowly working his way down to the stranger sitting at the end.
“Rough night?” Carlos asks the man, his breath catching in his throat as he looks up, meeting his eyes with Carlos’s. Carlos looks into the prettiest pair of green eyes he’s ever seen, and he has to slightly clear his throat to come back to himself.
Lets start the Pride month, with my contribution in the shape of some fics, thanks to @tarlosweeklyprompts. So this is the first one.
Prompt: TK and Carlos both have Austin Pride off and are able to attend together.
Characters: Carlos Reyes, TK Strand and Andrea Reyes. Also a lot mentions to Gabriel Reyes
Pairing: Why change? Tarlos and only Tarlos
Summary: It is the first Pride in which TK and Carlos are married and Carlos had prepared the day with his father... now everything has changed.
Title: The pride that couldn't be
"I've packed two large bottles of water in my backpack and I've taken external batteries for the cell phones, if we get separated I don't want us to lose sight of each other because we know how the streets get later. Do you want to take a sweatshirt in case it cools down later?"
When he didn't get a response from Carlos, TK poked her head out the bedroom door, but his husband wasn't listening. He was sitting on the bed, staring off into nowhere.
He walked over to him and sat down next to him, but Carlos didn't react until he stroked his cheek to get his attention.
"Were you saying something?" Carlos asked with a sad smile.
"What's wrong my love?"
Carlos breathed heavily and rested his head on TK's shoulder.
"Sorry I didn't want to ruin today, with all the plans we had for pride." TK said nothing and allowed him to continue talking. "We have been thinking for so long about what we would do today and before that on the honeymoon, before that on the wedding that without realizing it I had forgotten, it sounds terrible, I know, but I had almost forgotten that my father is already here and that I had been waiting for months for the moment to invite him to Pride with us."
"Oh, Carlos, my love, really, why didn't you tell me before? I've been talking about today for days. We should stay home, watch a couple of movies, order dinner and..."
"No, that's not what I want." Carlos turned to him and kissed him. "I want to... I wanted to show this part of my life to my father taking advantage of the fact that Pride was right after the wedding, my father."
TK motioned Carlos to lie down next to him on the bed and then took his hand.
"I know it won't be the same and there's nothing I can do to bring Gabriel back to you, but I'd like you to share with me the day you had in mind with him. It's silly, I know."
"It's not silly at all." Carlos's smile became much more relaxed. He turned and half turned on his side on the bed, took both of TK's hands and kissed them. "Have I told you today how much I love you? I hate it when I forget to remind you one day."
"You told me this morning, when you got out of the shower and found your bathrobe fresh out of the dryer."
"Well, then I'll tell you again, because you don't have to do this. I don't want to ruin your day by being down."
"I've packed two large bottles of water in my backpack and I've taken external batteries for the cell phones, if we get separated I don't want us to lose sight of each other because we know how the streets get later. Do you want to take a sweatshirt in case it cools down later?"
When he didn't get a response from Carlos, TK poked her head out the bedroom door, but his husband wasn't listening. He was sitting on the bed, staring off into nowhere.
He walked over to him and sat down next to him, but Carlos didn't react until he stroked his cheek to get his attention.
"Were you saying something?" Carlos asked with a sad smile.
"What's wrong my love?"
Carlos breathed heavily and rested his head on TK's shoulder.
"Sorry I didn't want to ruin today, with all the plans we had for pride." TK said nothing and allowed him to continue talking. "We have been thinking for so long about what we would do today and before that on the honeymoon, before that on the wedding that without realizing it I had forgotten, it sounds terrible, I know, but I had almost forgotten that my father is already here and that I had been waiting for months for the moment to invite him to Pride with us."
"Oh, Carlos, my love, really, why didn't you tell me before? I've been talking about today for days. We should stay home, watch a couple of movies, order dinner and..."
"No, that's not what I want." Carlos turned to him and kissed him. "I want to... I wanted to show this part of my life to my father taking advantage of the fact that Pride was right after the wedding, my father."
TK motioned Carlos to lie down next to him on the bed and then took his hand.
"I know it won't be the same and there's nothing I can do to bring Gabriel back to you, but I'd like you to share with me the day you had in mind with him. It's silly, I know."
"It's not silly at all." Carlos's smile became much more relaxed. He turned and half turned on his side on the bed, took both of TK's hands and kissed them. "Have I told you today how much I love you? I hate it when I forget to remind you one day."
"You told me this morning, when you got out of the shower and found your bathrobe fresh out of the dryer."
"Well, then I'll tell you again, because you don't have to do this. I don't want to ruin your day by being down."
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Someone's set up newly single TK on a blind date with Alex but he never shows. The bartender, Carlos Reyes, is happy to help him forget all about Alex.
"So," TK clicks his tongue, "what brought you to New York?"
The man pulls a face that is equal parts endearing and hilarious.
"Seriously? How does everyone know?"
TK just rocks sideways on the stool.
"It's a gift."
"Aren't I supposed to be asking the questions?" He leans an elbow on the edge of the wood grain. "That's usually how this works."
"Well, I hope this isn't too usual for you," TK lifts his brow.
"Actually," he clears his throat, "no. It - I don't usually do this."
And suddenly, for just a second, some scared version of this stranger seeps through the sarcasm and swagger. It's fleeting but TK catches it. And that little look convinces him even more to stay.
