911lsficrecs

[911lsficrecs]

So, I need a bit of help finding a fic. Basically, TK and Carlos get paired up to go into a building searching for a criminal on the run. They walk into the room and Carlos hears the bomb ticking before it goes off and moves in front of TK, they both end up trapped. I have looked for this fic for about 3 days now and still haven't been able to find it. I would really appreciate it if someone knew what this was. Thank you!

Hi! Normally I don't answer these asks, but I did actually know this fic! After some digging (and calling in a friend that is better at digging, shout out to @silvarafael and their superior bookmarks) here it is: With you, I fall down by @kiras-sunshine

It's great, I've read it several times, and I hope you enjoy reading it again. Happy reading!

[911lsficrecs]

To the Anon, they should try Couldn't break up by Alice Schuyler. Hopefully that's the fic Anon is looking for.

There you go Anon, someone worked their magic!

[911lsficrecs]

This is probably a total long shot and I’m not even sure if you find lost fics but alas I have lost one. And to be completely helpful I don’t know much about it. I only really remember that TK got hurt by a patient they were helping that had had a seizure and was postictal after and so had attacked TK. I can’t find it because I don’t know much else about it. But I’m hoping someone might recognise it. Thanks in advance!!

Hi Anon!

I can't say that I have a ton of experience finding lost fics and this one doesn't sound familiar too me, but I did try to search for it with no luck. I am going to post this though in case someone else knows it.

I hope you find it!

[911lsficrecs]

Will the Fever Break, or Will I Burn from Within?

a very belated birthday present for the ever-wonderful @sunshinestrand whom i love and adore more than life itself special shoutout to @officerrxyes for being the only reason this fic got anywhere and watching me scream into the doc many times  bad things happen bingo - shaking and shivering beta’d by: @officerrxyes and @brilliantbanshee title: motionless in white - hourglass word count: 6.5k AO3

“I’m so glad to be home,” TK sighed, leaning against the door as it fell shut behind him. 

Owen nodded, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension of what seemed like a never-ending shift. “Tell me about it, I’m exhausted.”

TK’s eyebrows knit together as he gave his father a once over. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, kid. Just tired from a long shift. You don’t have to worry.”

It took more than that to convince TK. If he was good at anything, it was worrying about his dad. “I still think you should consider taking some time off.“ 

"Who would keep an eye on you if I did that?”

“Literally everyone,” TK sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I think Judd is one incident away from watching me shower." 

"Speaking of incidents, did Michelle check you over after that last call?”

Keep reading

[911lsficrecs]

I’m with You (Tarlos Fanfic - chpt 2)

Thank you all for the wonderful response to Chapter 1 of my new story! Here is chapter two for you guys :). Hope you enjoy!

Summary: TK was as ready as he could be to meet Carlos’s family. He had prepared for it. He had even remembered to bring everything he nmovieeded with him to work that morning. Because he couldn’t be late. He had to make a good impression. Too bad the weather, work, and a car precariously perched on a muddy hillside all have other plans for him. Oh…and the concussion…yeah this will not be the perfect “meet the parents” he had hoped for.

[911lsficrecs]

I hope this ins't confusing but, Carlos had gone to a call and got stabbed/really bad injury but escaped. He was far away from home and one the news hit saying he was confirmed dead. T.K was devastated and the firefam tried to help him. Days later a badly injured Carlos arrives at the fire station limping and bleeding out as he tries to call for help but he collapses and the firefam has to hold crying T.K as they help Carlos. Thank you if you do this fic!

If you want this to hurt really bad, listen to Ghost of You by 5sos while reading. You’re welcome

Read on ao3 here

[911lsficrecs]

Always Prepared

Prompt: HI! I love your Out of Breath series! Can I request Carlos’ collegues and boss noticing that Carlos always carries an asthma inhaler with him without having asthma? Thanks (:

A/N: This doesn’t have any Tarlos, but it’s just a nice moment between Carlos and his partner, Officer McCoy.  You can also read this on AO3 here.

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,011

Keep reading

[911lsficrecs]

Oooh could you do #48 for Tarlos? I can definitely see that happening in the show.

You’re absolutely right Anon, I can too! I don’t think it’ll happen quite like I wrote it, but I hope you enjoy anyways! 

It takes two (to make a house a home)

[read on ao3]

Characters: TK Strand, Carlos Reyes

Relationship: TK Strand/Carlos Reyes 

Word Count: 1990

48. “I took your hoodie, and you’re not getting it back.” -- TK's hoodie is missing, and Carlos has a question to ask.

-----

It takes two (to make a house a home) 

TK swears under his breath as he searches his locker yet again and still can’t find what he is looking for. He could have sworn that it was in here. It definitely hadn’t been in his closet this morning. He picks up his phone and dials without looking - it’s always the same number at the top of his recent calls list. He tucks the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he rifles through the locker one more time - just in case. 

When the person on the other end picks up, TK asks his question without introduction: ”Have you seen my yellow hoodie?”

“I took your hoodie, and you’re not getting it back.”

TK pauses in his searching, “Wait, are you for real?”  

“Mhm,” Carlos confirms, “I am holding it for ransom.” 

TK sits back on the bench in the middle of the rows of lockers and chuckles, “I’m surprised at you Officer, turning to a life of crime?” 

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Carlos agreed gravely, “I’ve hardly seen you at all this week; I am willing to go to extremes. If the hoodie doesn’t work, I am dognapping Buttercup next.” 

“There’s no need to get the dog involved. What are your demands?” 

“You, here tonight for dinner.” 

“I can make that work, I suppose.”  To tell the truth, it had been a long shift and he had been planning on getting some takeout before going to bed early, but dinner with Carlos sounded far more appealing, “See you in 20 minutes?” 

“Come alone, or the hoodie gets it.” 

“Understood. I love you.” 

“Love you too. But you’d better hurry - the clock is ticking.” 

With that final warning, the line went dead and TK laughed to himself again. He still didn’t know what he had ever done to deserve someone like Carlos, but he would forever be grateful that they had found each other. He’s still shaking his head as he shuts his locker (now thoroughly destroyed from his harried but unnecessary searches) and bids goodbye to the rest of his team. After a quick stop in his dad’s office to let him know not to expect him tonight, he is on his way to Carlos’s. 

When he arrives he lets himself in and is about to call out for Carlos when he looks up to find the man in question leaning against the kitchen counter with a sly grin. 

“I’m going to need proof of life before this goes any further,” TK declares as he drops his bag next to his shoes and crosses to the kitchen to greet Carlos with a kiss. 

When they pull apart, Carlos steps aside to reveal TK’s yellow hoodie folded neatly on the counter. TK raised an eyebrow, “did you really steal it? How did you even manage that without me noticing?”

“I didn’t have to steal it; you left it here.”

“Now that makes more sense.” 

“What,” Carlos said, face morphing into an expression of mock offense, “you don’t think I could steal something?” 

“Of course you could babe,” TK said smoothly, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek, “I believe in you and support you. Forgetting something here does seem pretty normal for me though. I think more of my clothes are here than my actual home these days.” 

Carlos pulls away, expression suddenly shifting, “That’s actually kind of what I wanted to talk to you about tonight, actually.” 

TK freezes in the process of picking up his hoodie, “What? Is my stuff here a problem? I’m sorry, I don’t want to be in your way; I’ll get rid of some of it.” 

“No TK, that’s not it.” 

TK continued speaking, oblivious to Carlos’s objections. “You’re right, it was presumptuous of me to leave so much stuff here. This is your house, I shouldn’t have done that without asking you.” 

“TK,” Carlos said more forcefully, finally drawing TK’s attention to him, “that’s not what I’m saying.” 

“Then what are you saying, Carlos?” he asked hesitantly. 

Carlos sighed, “Can this conversation wait until dinner?” he pleaded. 

TK stood up straighter, “If you have something you need to say to my Carlos just say it - I can take it.” 

Carlos looked over at the counter, “This isn’t how I wanted to do this,” he said mournfully, “I made lasagna.” 

“Whatever you need to say, just say it and I’ll get out of your hair.” 

Carlos turned back to face TK sharply, “Wh-what do you mean get out of my hair? I thought we were having dinner?” he said with uncertainty, a frown spreading across his face. 

“There’s no need to let me down easy Carlos, I don’t need dinner to soften the blow.”

Carlos was beginning to look genuinely perplexed, “soften what blow?”

“If you’re breaking up with me just say it.” 

Carlos stares at him for several long, heart-stopping moments. The quiet stretches through the room and is enough to twist TK’s heart in his chest. He had always known this was all too good to be true, that it was only a matter of time. 

“Break up with you?” Carlos eventually splutters, “Why would I break up with you? You are quite literally the best thing that has ever happened to me TK. I would be the worst kind of fool to break up with you. Where is this even coming from? Wait,” he said, his face paling, “do you want to break up?” 

“What? No!” TK exclaims, “You just happen to be the best thing that has happened to me, Carlos Reyes. I still have a hard time believing I could ever get this lucky. Why on earth would I break up with you?!” 

They stare at each other for a few more seconds before Carlos speaks again.

“So,” he began, “just to clarify, neither one of us wants to break up?” 

“Definitely not,” TK responded decisively. 

“Okay,” Carlos replies with visible relief, sinking back onto the counter, “that’s good because I really didn’t want to do that.” 

TK mirrored him, his body sagging in relief as he leaned against the counter. “That past 30 or so seconds easily ranks in the top 10 worst moments of my life,” he agreed. 

Carlos shook his head, “I can’t believe that you thought I wanted to break up with you. Who makes lasagna to dump somebody?” 

“I don’t know!” TK exclaimed indignantly, “but you were acting weird, and I panicked! Besides, how am I supposed to know what you consider a good break up food?”

“For the record, lasagna is not a good break up food.” 

“Is there a good break up food?” 

“Yes,” Carlos said with such certainty that TK cocked an eyebrow. He considered asking, but thought better of it. 

“What is all this anyway? Why the scheme?” he asked instead, glancing around at the elegantly set table and incongruous yellow hoodie still resting on the counter. 

“I just wanted to ask you to move in,” Carlos said with a shrug. “I had this whole plan - the meal, a speech, it was a whole thing.”

A sharp intake of breath causes Carlos to turn to look at TK. His boyfriend is staring back at him, an unreadable expression on his face. “What did you just say?” he asks in a faint voice. 

Carlos frowned at him, “I had a plan?”

“No,” TK shakes his head, “before that. What did you want to ask?”

Carlos stared at him for a fraction of a second before the realization dawns on him. “I am a dumbass,” he declares mournfully. 

“No,” TK disagrees, doing his best to suppress a laugh, “You are not. You are a very intelligent and thoughtful person...who got a little flustered.” 

“That’s your fault you know. You always have the power to make me flustered, Ty.” 

“Don’t change the subject,” TK demanded, but the severity of his tone was lessened by the blush that was beginning to creep across his cheeks, “I believe you still have something to ask me.” 

“Did I? I don’t recall that.” 

Carlos laughed as TK swatted at him and grinned before turning to face him. TK followed suit, turning his body so he was facing Carlos. He locked eyes with him and resisted the urge to get lost in the depth and warmth of those eyes. He had a question he needed to hear first. “Ask me,” he repeated. 

“Tyler Kennedy Strand - would you stop leaving some of your stuff here and just move it all here? I have ample closet space to offer and all I ask in return is that you spend every night with me, and wake up beside me every day.” 

TK pretended to consider, “can you clarify ‘ample’?” 

Carlos narrowed his eyes at him and TK laughed, before reaching out to pull him in for a kiss. It was deep and lingering, hungry, and familiar. It was like home. 

When they pulled apart and TK found his breath, he gave his answer: “I find your terms acceptable, Carlos Reyes. I would very much like to move in with you and wake up beside you every day for as long as we have.” 

They shared a smile and Carlos leaned forward to give TK another kiss. This one is shorter, less heated than the first but what it lacks in passion it makes up for in warmth. 

This is the kiss he could get used to giving every day, he thinks. 

TK tries to deepen the kiss and as much as Carlos wants to give in (his entire body is practically screaming for it), he pulls away. 

TK makes a distressed noise and pouts at him. Carlos rolls his eyes fondly, “as much as I love kissing you,” he explained, “I have a feeling that another kiss might lead to rather more and as much as I also love that, I made dinner and it’s getting cold.” 

“Fine,” TK huffed, “but only because I love your lasagna.”

They set about preparing for dinner before eventually settling at the table. TK raises an eyebrow at the candle sticks prominently placed in the center of the table, “You really went all out for this, didn’t you?”

Carlos shrugged sheepishly, “There is a possibility I was nervous and overcompensating by overplanning so I didn’t have time to dwell on it.” 

“Why were you so nervous?” TK asked with a frown, “Did you really think I was going to say no?” 

“No, not exactly. But all the same, we don’t have the best track record with elaborate dinner plans, you may recall.” TK winced, but nodded. Carlos considered for a moment before speaking again, “Why do big plans never work for us?”

TK looked up from his plate in surprise, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, every time I try to make a fancy dinner to make a statement, it doesn’t work out. When you tried to surprise me with a fancy dinner out for our anniversary we both got called back into work because of that accident. We keep trying to do these special things, and they never work. Why?”

The silence stretched again as TK considered. It didn't feel harsh or uncomfortable though - nothing at Carlos’s house ever had. No, not Carlos’s house - his house. Their house. This was his home now and TK was pretty sure he would never get sick of thinking that. 

“My dad has always talked about grand gestures,” TK finally said when he managed to pull his thoughts back to the question at hand, “but I don’t think they ever worked much for him. I know they historically haven’t worked well for me, so maybe they’re just not all they’re cracked up to be. Maybe it’s the little moments that matter for us.”

Carlos smiled at him, and reached across the table to grab his hand. “That’s good, because I think we’re on the road to a lot more of those.” 

[read on ao3]

[911lsficrecs]

can i be him || a tarlos fic

chapter 2/4 word count 4.6k || read on ao3

When the lights come on and I’m on my own Will you be there to sing it again? Could I be the one you talk about in all your stories? Can I be the one?

Carlos can admit he’s feeling something akin to nervousness. Alex has become such a fixture in TK’s every day life. It’s been four months now and TK seems to be just as swept up in the man as he had been when their relationship first started.

By now, either TK or his partner would have called it quits but this relationship seems to have strong legs to it that are carrying this thing much further than Carlos had originally thought possible.

Keep reading

[911lsficrecs]

Always Prepared

Prompt: HI! I love your Out of Breath series! Can I request Carlos’ collegues and boss noticing that Carlos always carries an asthma inhaler with him without having asthma? Thanks (:

A/N: This doesn’t have any Tarlos, but it’s just a nice moment between Carlos and his partner, Officer McCoy.  You can also read this on AO3 here.

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,011

Keep reading

[911lsficrecs]

lit the spark (that set a fire)

tarlos / 20k / m

It’s Judd who explains it to them; that before the accident and before the station was rebuilt from the ground up, the 126 had a long-standing, friendly rivalry with Ladder 102. Their golden boy, Carlos Reyes, well—he kind of knocks TK off his feet. (Or, a firefighter!Carlos AU).

READ IT ON AO3!!!

[911lsficrecs]

Fic: i could live by the light in your eyes

“Why did you choose me?”

Also on AO3

—–

“Why did you choose me?”

Carlos is still trying to catch his breath, his left hand pressed against his sweaty curls as he leans back against his pillow. TK’s own sweat-soaked back rests against him, the thin sheet pulled low enough for Carlos to admire all of his favorite parts of his boyfriend’s body. 

Wait, not boyfriend. Fiancé. His eyes drag down to where their hands are clasped against TK’s chest, their fingers intertwined so that they can each feel the cool metal of the engagement rings resting next to each other, the way they have for the last two hours. TK’s face is turned away from him, but he knows the other man is looking at the rings, too, by the tone of the question. Carlos’s eyebrows wrinkle in confusion.

“What do you mean?” he asks.

Keep reading

[911lsficrecs]

I somehow managed to complete another chapter, so here you go.

[911lsficrecs]

The second chapter of Off Balance is done! And yes, this fic was born out of @officerrxyes saying she wasn’t planning on writing an amputation fic and for some reason I decided to do it even though I’m already working on way too many things.

[911lsficrecs]

could i please get a 5. “wake up, please wake up.” 🥺🥺 if that’s okay 💕💕

Just remember that I asked first before I did this. 

shut your eyes and fall apart

[Read on ao3]

Characters: Carlos Reyes, TK Strand, Owen Strand, Michelle Blake, The 126 Crew

Warnings: Major Character Death

Word Count: 3137

Prompt #5: “Wake up, please wake up.”

----

When the unthinkable happens, everyone left behind has to find a way to move on. Death is anything but simple for those left behind.

This one is sad, so be warned. Also, don’t hate me. It was just the first idea that popped into my head for this prompt and I was curious to see where it would go. We all have that answer now. Anyways, enjoy?

--------

shut your eyes and fall apart

“TK!” Carlos shouted, his voice heavy with fear as he pushed through the gathering crowd towards the fallen member of the 126. The look of unrestrained panic in his eyes caused the bystanders to step aside, forming a makeshift aisle for him to run to his fiance’s side.

 He skidded to a halt next to Marjan and Judd as he reached the edge of the crowd. They both reeked of smoke. He glanced at them quickly. They were covered in soot and dust from pulling TK out of the rubble he had fallen into when the floor had collapsed beneath him. The fire had raged on, making it nearly impossible for the 126 to retrieve their fallen teammate, but they had done it. The 126 never left a man behind. 

 The only clean part of Marjan’s face was the tear tracks as she shed silent tears, mouth moving in what Carlos could only assume was a silent prayer, a plea for TK’s safety. Judd’s face was dry, but the hands holding his helmet were trembling. Carlos had been about to ask them how he was, but now he dreaded the answer. He needed to see for himself. 

 He brushed past them, ignoring their half-hearted attempts to stop him, to keep him from TK’s side. He crashed to his knees on the pavement, hands hovering. He did not want to get in Michelle’s way, didn’t want to do anything to put TK in jeopardy. He settled on his left arm, closest to Carlos and out of Michelle’s way. He placed a hand on it, squeezing tightly. TK made no movement, gave no indication that he could feel Carlos’s touch. His heart sank. 

 “Wake up,” he whispered, leaning as close to TK’s still form as he could, “please wake up.”

 His voice broke on the last syllable but even that elicited no reaction, no sign of recognition from TK. He looked up at Michelle, eyes pleading and asking the question he couldn’t find the words to ask. The moment Michelle sighed and stopped working seemed to last an eternity. He wanted to yell at her - what was she doing? She needed to keep working, she needed to save TK. She couldn’t stop now. 

She met his eyes and shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, sadly, her gaze traveling between Carlos and Owen, who was at his side. 

 There was silence, for a moment, as Carlos’s world crashed down around him.  Michelle couldn’t mean...she hadn’t said...TK wasn’t...he couldn’t…

 The sound of Owen’s broken sobs from Carlos’s side crept into his consciousness, cementing this new reality. 

 TK was gone, and Carlos’s world was collapsing around him. 

-------- 

What was it TK had once said, back when they first met? 

 Everything’s just...gray. 

 Carlos understood that now. All of the color in the world seemed to have left with TK. Every moment was just a new blob of grays melding together. Things happened, people moved on with their lives, and Carlos just...existed. 

 That first night, right after it had happened, the 126 tried to look after him. As devastated as they were with their own loss, they made sure to be there for Carlos too. It’s what TK would have wanted, Paul reminded him softly when he resisted. He had allowed it, right up until it was time to go home. He insisted that he would be fine, that he needed some time alone. They had homes to go to, grief to process on their own. He would be fine and yes, he would call if he wasn’t. 

 He had meant it, too. Right up to the moment that he unlocked the door and stepped into the house. Their house - their home. Their home, which was unnaturally still and somber - it already felt like a grave. He dropped his keys in the dish by the door and stepped over the threshold. Each step felt like he was intruding on a shrine. He had to fight to urge to turn back; as if seeing their home without him would make it real. 

 But it was already real - the dust and soot still lingering on Carlos’s hands and uniform was a reminder that it was real - so he pushed forward. 

 He stepped through the kitchen, keeping his eyes straight ahead so as to not look at the counters, at the breakfast bar where just this morning they had shared a kiss before parting ways for the day. They had discussed dinner tonight; they had made plans for their mutual day off tomorrow. The kiss had been quick - soft and fleeting. 

 They hadn’t known it would be their last. 

 He swallowed and quickened his pace, eager to escape these ghosts that surrounded him. He proceeded through the living room with blinders on, desperate to ignore the memories of movie nights and make-out sessions, and nights with friends. He just needed to get to the bedroom, needed to change, needed to wash this day away. 

 But if the living room had been bad, the bedroom was worse. Carlos froze in the doorway; halted in mid-stride. The bed was haphazardly made - TK had been the last one up today and he had always griped about Carlos’s insistence on making the bed every day when they were just going to unmake it that night. But he had always done it, for Carlos. The nightstand on the right side still held his clutter - the odds and ends of daily life. The book he had been reading, an old envelope shoved unceremoniously into the pages to mark his place. A handful of coins from his pocket. The charging pad for his phone. All there, all blissfully unaware that they were now obsolete; that world had ended today, as far as Carlos was concerned. 

 His hands were trembling now, he didn’t even bother to try and still them. It was getting harder to breathe - the growing pain in his chest demanded release. He hadn’t shed more than a few tears since that moment. He had known that once he let go, he wouldn’t be able to stop. He crossed the room on shaking legs and sank onto their bed. No, onto his bed. He didn’t have anyone to share it with now. 

 Then, in the darkness on the lonely bed, Carlos finally let the tears come. 

 ------------- 

Michelle shows up soon after, and Carlos doesn’t know whether to hug her or scream at her. She doesn’t give him a choice though, in typical Michelle Blake fashion. She lets herself in and finds him on the couch, not crying but worn to the bone with exhaustion from crying, from mourning, from grieving. She kneels down beside him and wraps her arms around him. 

 “I’m so sorry,” she whispers into his neck, her own tears betraying her. That’s all it takes for Carlos to find new tears. They sit like that for hours. 

 At some point Carlos finds it within himself to stand up, to think. There is so much to handle, so many arrangements to be made. Death is anything but simple for the ones left behind. 

 He has a fleeting thought that he should be with Owen, that he shouldn’t have left his future father-in-law (no, that wasn’t right. There was no future anymore, in that regard) alone. TK would be worried about his father; Carlos should be there. 

 He says as much to Michelle, who squeezes his shoulder and shakes her head. “The others are with him. Take tonight Carlos, let yourself feel this and handle this how you want for tonight. Tomorrow you can go back to worrying about everyone else.”

 Carlos opened his mouth to protest, to point out how many ways she was wrong, but she simply shook her head. “It’s what TK would tell you too, and you know it.” 

 It’s that simple, irrefutable fact that gives life to a fresh wave of tears. Michelle doesn’t say a word, simply offers up her arms, which he falls into without a second thought. 

------------- 

He is alerted of the arrival of morning not by the sun or any alarm, but by a soft knock on the front door. He opens it to find Paul, Marjan, and Mateo on his doorstep. He glances at them without really seeing them; strung out from sobbing and sore from sleeping on the couch because he couldn’t face their bed. Paul seems to understand because he raises the bag in his hand and simply says: “I brought breakfast.” 

 Carlos steps aside to let them in, rubbing a hand down his face as he does. Once they’re all in he shuts the door and returns to the couch where he sinks into the cushions. Marjan comes over to hand him a foil-wrapped burrito and though she glances at the pillow and blanket that clearly state where he slept the previous night, she makes no comment. He accepts the offered burrito with a nod, but says nothing. 

 They all gather their food and scatter about the living room, eating in silence. The burritos are long gone before Marjan finally breaks the silence. Her voice ringing through the space feels like an interruption to a funeral mass. 

 “I feel like this is a stupid question but I need to ask it anyway: how are you?” 

 Carlos considers this for a moment. How is he? He doesn’t know any words that describe this feeling rolling through him. After some consideration, he shrugs. 

 Paul is next: “It shouldn’t need to be said either, but I’m going to anyway: we’re here for you man. We...can’t even imagine how you’re feeling right now, but we’re here for you. You are not going through this alone.” 

 There is silence again before Mateo speaks up. 

 “We miss him too,” is all he says. 

 When Carlos responds, even he is surprised by how rough and broken his voice sounds, “I know,” he croaks and swallows against the tears. 

 The others nod and the silence returns, ever so slightly lighter this time, somehow. 

 ---------------

Judd stops by with dinner from Grace. 

 “There’s no point in arguing,” Judd tells him dryly when he tries to claim that he doesn’t need it. “Grace cooks when she’s upset. We have enough food in our house to feed four armies right now.” 

 He accepts the containers, knowing when to recognize defeat. He then steps aside to allow Judd entry. The other man looks surprised, but follows him in. He crosses to the kitchen to put the food in the refrigerator, Judd on his heels. Once he has deposited the food he grabs two bottles of beer, offering one to Judd. The older man blinks, but accepts the drink, taking a seat the counter and twisting the lid off. Carlos follows suit. He had been avoiding the beer he knew was stored in the fridge. He had never had a drinking problem in his life, but this was not the time to test that theory. A little something to take the edge off with a friend was perfectly acceptable though, and something he figured they both deserved. 

 They sip their beers in companionable silence, each one waiting for the other to speak. 

 Eventually, Carlos finds the courage to ask the question that has been hounding him, the one he needs to know an answer to but who’s knowledge he dreads. 

 “Judd,” he starts, eyes firmly aimed at the counter, “do you think he was scared?” 

 He hears a small choking sound as Judd starts as he is sipping. He coughs quickly and sets his bottle down, the clink of the glass on the granite echoing through the eerily silent house. 

 “What do you…” 

 “Right before it happened, when it happened - do you think he was scared? You’ve been a firefighter for years, you were there.” 

 There was silence again. Carlos glanced up from the counter to find Judd running a finger down the glass bottle, tracing a pattern into the condensation as he considered. Eventually he responded in a low voice, “I reckon it happened too fast for him to feel much of anything.” 

 Carlos squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to breathe deeply. Once he felt a little steadier he asked the other question on his mind, the other question he had been dreading even more than the other. 

 “Did he suffer?” 

 “No,” Judd said firmly, “no. It would have happened too fast, he wouldn’t have…” Judd trailed off, cleared his throat, and tried again, “It’s no secret I’ve had my crisis of faith ever since I lost my old crew. I just couldn’t see how any god could let anything like that happen. I still wonder that now, about this, but if there is one thing I know for sure is that any god who may be out there would not have made that boy suffer for one moment. He didn’t deserve that.”

 Carlos nodded, hands shaking even as he considered it. It had been a reoccurring morbid thought that haunted him in this empty house when he was alone. What had TK’s last moments been like? Had he felt fear? Had he suffered? Did he have regrets? Who did he think of in those final moments? Had he been aware of the fact that he was going to die? Had he made his peace with it? Hearing Judd’s thoughts on it brought a sort of cold comfort. A part of him wanted to think that TK had had the time to make his peace, to have a last thought. But the reality that Judd offered had its own comfort: TK hadn’t had time to feel anything. No fear, no pain. He was just doing the job that he loved, and then he was gone. 

 It wasn’t poetic, but it was the kindest end Carlos could imagine if there must be an end. 

 And the universe had decided that there must be an end, so Carlos would take the comfort he could. 

------------------- 

On the second day, he goes to see Owen. He knows he should have done it sooner, but he couldn’t bring himself too. He told himself it was because he wasn’t strong enough yet; he said he needed to be more stable before he could support someone else. 

 It was a lie, but it helped him sleep at night (not that he was doing much of that anymore either).

 When the older man opens the door, there is a moment of silence. Carlos doesn’t even know what to say. Owen saves him the trouble by pulling him into a hug that says everything and more. 

 We both miss him, it seems to say, and it’s not fair, is it?

 Eventually, they break apart and Owen wordlessly steps aside so Carlos can enter. This house feels just as much like a tomb to Carlos. It may not be the home they shared, but it is a place in which they had started. He can see the echo of TK everywhere he looks and it is almost too much. They make their way to the kitchen in silence and Owen gestures for Carlos to take a seat at the counter before settling into his seat on the other side. 

 Carlos takes the opportunity to study Owen. He has always been older, but never before had he actually looked old. He does now though. There was none of his usual charisma, his hair was flat and dull, his skin lacking its usual glow. He looked worn; he looked defeated. Carlos recognized the look - he sees it in the mirror every day now. 

 “I’m sorry,” he says eventually, voice echoing in the resounding silence of the house, “I should have come by sooner. I...I’m sorry.” 

 Owen shakes his head. His voice is rough when he speaks, “You have nothing to apologize for son. I understand. I...can’t say I was much up to having visitors anyways.” 

 “Still,” Carlos insisted, “I should have. You’re still family to me Owen, I should have made sure you were doing okay. It’s what...it would have been the right thing to do.” 

 His hasty avoidance of TK’s name hung between them, making the air just a little thicker, just a little harder to breathe. There is silence in the wake of his statement in the shape of an empty chair between them they had each unconsciously left open. 

 “You’re still family to me too Carlos, I want you to know that,” Owen declares suddenly. “It…you may not legally be my son-in-law, but that is always what you will be to me. I need you to know that.” 

 Carlos nodded, his voice too thick with unshed tears to forge together any syllables. He and Owen lock eyes and he tries to convey everything he is feeling; how grateful he is to not lose this connection, how much he appreciates Owen still being here through that gaze because he doesn’t have the words. Owen reaches out and pats his hand resting on the countertop and gives him a soft smile, and Carlos knew that he understood. 

 They continued to sit in silence and Carlos couldn’t help but glance around the room. There were memories everywhere. The couch they had made use of more times than Owen would likely ever want to know about, the other end of the counter where Carlos had tried multiple times to teach TK how to successfully cook something to no avail. The corner where they had stolen kisses during parties and get-togethers; the back yard where they had laid in the grass and TK had told Carlos about the constellations. The memories were everywhere - there was nowhere he could go without seeing the ghosts. 

 He broke the silence, finally voicing the question that had been running through his head ever since the first morning: “Where do we go from here?” he asked, “How...how do we keep living without him?” 

 There was a silence that stretched in the wake of his question and Carlos started to regret speaking. He was about to apologize when Owen spoke: “We find a way, because he would want us to.” 

 Their gazes met again and Carlos swallowed thickly but nodded. Maybe that was how to see it, he supposed; maybe that was the key to moving on. Not in spite of losing TK, but because of TK. 

 Tyler Kennedy Strand had always been many things, but first and foremost he was full of life and love. He cared about the people he loved and wouldn’t want any of them to suffer on his account for a single minute. Carlos had never been able to deny TK anything he wanted and he supposed this was no different. He would find a way to find happiness again, for TK. 

 He just needed some time to find his way there. 

[read on ao3]

[911lsficrecs]

put some time aside

Characters: TK Strand, Carlos Reyes, Paul Strickland

Word Count: 2014

Prompt: “apparently everyone has a bet going that we get together.”

[Read on ao3]

Summary: TK learns that the 126 has a bet going on when he and Carlos are going to get together. Which is cool and all, but there is one problem: he and Carlos are already together. They’ve already been dating for two months. Apparently, his team missed that memo. Instead of just telling them though, he and Carlos decide to have a little fun with them first. But to pull it off they’re going to need an Inside Man.

Still in the process of moving and it sucks a lot right now so I took a break to write this fluffy thing. It made me feel better so I hope you all enjoy it too. I am pretty sure this was requested by an anon but I can’t find the ask so I am assuming tumblr ate it (rip). If it was yours I’m sorry and let me know and I’ll update the post.

Reminder that if you want a prompt of your own my updated list is here

Keep reading

[911lsficrecs]

A Puzzle I Love to Solve

Characters: TK Strand & Carlos Reyes

Word Count: 6155

When TK gets an invitation to a friend’s wedding back in New York, he’s torn. He does miss his hometown and there are people he’d like to see, but there are some he’d like to never have to see again. He knows at least one of them will be at this wedding. But he feels stronger with Carlos by his side; confident in this thing that they have.

Carlos is thrilled for a chance to see the Big Apple, but is more excited to learn more about his boyfriend; to see where TK came from, and the place and people that made him who he is. TK worries that some of the things from his past will change Carlos’s mind about them, but Carlos is in for the long game – he wants to know every inch of TK; even the not so nice ones.

Another prompt fill for @lauraperfectinsanity! This one is prompt 19

[Read on Ao3]

Keep reading