#911 lone star fic

[strandnreyes]

E // 29k // alternate universe

TK’s second winter in Antarctica starts the same as the first—short days, cold nights, and a never-ending work load. Except when Carlos returns part way through the season after a sudden departure last year, TK has to learn to cope with being in the most remote place on Earth with the man he used to warm up with nearly every night. An expedition for emergency maintenance throws them together again, but when they become part of the emergency, they’re forced to face their pasts.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

thank you to @lightningboltreader and @rmd-writes for beta-reading, and @welcometololaland for additional thoughts and encouragement!

[welcometololaland]

COMPLETE

One year on.

a long time ago (we used to be friends) | E | 911 Lone Star | 12/12

Carlos Reyes is on the path to conventional success. He has a law degree, a nice car, his own apartment and an interview with one of the top law firms in the country. That's until Carlos’ runaway ex-boyfriend arrives back in Austin and immediately lands himself in trouble. As it turns out, a murder mystery involving TK Strand is a case that Carlos can’t quite stay away from. OR The exes to lovers, college sweethearts, murder mystery fic where the motto is: be gay, solve crime.

chapter 1: a long time ago, we used to be friends

chapter 2: but i haven't thought of you lately at all

chapter 3: if ever again, a greeting was sent to you

chapter 4: short and sweet, to the soul i intend

chapter 5: come on now, honey

chapter 6: bring it on, bring it on, yeah

chapter 7: just remember me when

chapter 8: you're good to go

chapter 9: come on now, sugar

chapter 10: bring it on, bring it on, yeah

chapter 11: just remember me when

chapter 12: we used to be friends

thank you to @rmd-writes @celeritas2997 and @pragmatic-optimist for their enduring support and patience with me.

[lemonlyman-dotcom]

love in a series of bursts & inches

Ramadan Mubarak ☪️ I am thrilled to share Eid Fic, now known as love in a series of bursts & inches

It’s Eid 2024 and Tarlos is preparing to host Marjan and her parents for a celebratory dinner at the loft, where they will be meeting Joe for the first time. Over the night before and morning of Eid, both TK and Marjan reflect on the past four years in Austin, and the Eids they’ve spent together building a bond as found family.

But found family isn’t really just found. Being surrounded by a group of people who fuel you, she thinks, is intentional. She’s built this network of friends, of people who embrace each other and nurture each other’s strengths in ways none of them received growing up. They see each other, not just how they want to be seen but for who they truly are; messy and tender parts and all. They know what needs to be celebrated and what still needs healing, when to give each other space and when to find each other and drag their asses back home.

These people saved her life on the side of that highway. And now she’s choosing to live it.

Updates every Wednesday during Ramadan, culminating with the final chapter on Eid!

Chapter One On the night before Eid 2024, TK & Carlos prepare the loft for the party and discuss the heavy weight of generational & cultural expectations, and the crushing letdown of failing to stand up to them. Meanwhile, on Eid 2020 TK brings a homesick Marjan to a Turkish tea house where she answers some questions about Ramadan & Eid, and they both reminisce over their childhood memories from some of their own religions’ biggest holidays: Eid & Yom Kippur.

Chapter Two On the evening before Eid 2024, Marjan reflects on her Eid abaya and the traditions behind the clothing she wears for the holiday, and remembers the impact her broken marriage arrangement had on her family and her own future. Meanwhile in 2021, a few weeks after the fire that destroyed TK and Carlos’s house, Captain Strand hosts a barbecue for Eid in his backyard. Marjan and TK discuss the weight of putting expectations on the wrong relationships, and Marjan makes some realizations about found family.

Read now on Ao3!

A massive thank you to my beta readers @bonheur-cafe who has been a huge asset offering up her own experiences with some of the themes explored in this fic and helping brainstorm, and @carlos-in-glasses who held my hand from the very beginning and cheerled and generally reassured me. And a huge huge thanks to my invaluable sensitivity readers @messymindofmine & @kiwichaeng 💛💛💛

Tag list! Folks who’ve expressed interest: @chicgeekgirl89 @certifiedflower @guardian-angle22 @liminalmemories21 @ambiguouspenny @never-blooms @basilsunrise @ladytessa74 @vineofroses @welcometololaland @alrightbuckaroo @fangirl-paba @reasonandfaithinharmony @rmd-writes @freneticfloetry @reyesstrand @lutavero @heartstringsduet @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @sznofthesticks @thisbuildinghasfeelings @thebumblecee @louis-ii-reyes-strand @firstprince-history-huh @herefortarlos @carlos-tk @noxsoulmate

[heartstringsduet]

First Aid

Summary:

New York City. 2016.

Two liars meet.

In a city eating him up, Carlos hides how he makes ends meet and why he keeps on knocking on TK’s window to be patched up. Desperate to be loved, TK hides his true self and relies on substances to be the perfect son, lover, friend.

Two liars meet - and fall in love with each layer unpeeled.

[Ch.1] [Ch.2] [Ch.3] [Ch.4] [Ch.5] [Ch.6] [Ch.7] [Ch.8] [Ch. 9] [Ch.10] [Ch.11] [Ch.12] [Ch. 13] / 20 -> Please heed the tags and warnings! thanks to my beta readers @rmd-writes @welcometololaland ; my sensitivity reader @freneticfloetry & the tumblr helpers and cheerleaders mentioned in the notes 💕

[three-drink-amy]

Teach You How Forever Feels

Updating every Monday

Alone and struggling in New York after the death of his mother, TK is left with custody of his five-year-old brother, Jonah. With Owen's encouragement, TK moves to Austin for a fresh start, questioning every move he makes as he's thrust into the role of parenthood. But it all leads him to Jonah's new school where he meets Carlos Reyes, the kindergarten teacher. Between pick up and school meetings and chance run ins, TK can't help but feel something for him, even though he knows it can't happen.

chapter one | chapter two | chapter three | chapter four | chapter five | chapter six | chapter seven | chapter eight | chapter nine | chapter ten | chapter eleven | chapter twelve | chapter thirteen | chapter fourteen | chapter fifteen | chapter sixteen | chapter seventeen | chapter eighteen | chapter nineteen | chapter twenty

chapter twenty-one

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

It's been a tough year in a lot of ways, but one thing I've been able to consistently count on to bring me joy is the incredible writing in this fandom! I feel like 2023 has been almost a golden age of Tarlos fic. With both the sheer quantity AND quality of fic, it has been a wonderful time to be a Tarlos fic reader! In celebration of this golden age, I wanted to share a list of some of the fic that brought me the most joy in the past year.

Of course, this is not a comprehensive list...as much as I may want to, I can't possibly read everything this fandom has to offer. There's still a lot to get to on my to-read list. And even from the fic I did read, I'm sure I'm forgetting some amazing ones. There's just SO MUCH. But here I have listed (alphabetic by author) some of the fic that most resonated with me the past year, fic that I still think about and reread, and fic that has taken up full time residence in my brain!

There are A LOT...so I'll be putting the list under the cut.

all my blood for the sweetness of his laugh by @alrightbuckaroo

A truly beautiful little fic about Carlos' feelings about TK's laugh. A bit of angst and a lot of love.

anger has told me her real name is grief by alrightbuckaroo

An excellent 4x17/4x18 fic that deals a lot with Carlos' grief and the journey he goes through in those two episodes.

my beatin' heart belongs to you by bartsy

A fic about Carlos' anxiety after the death of his father, manifested in his fears for the safety of his husband. This fic is so beautiful and very in character. I would love it so much if the show would go even a tiny bit in the direction of exploring Carlos' anxiety!

It Beats for You by @basilsunrise

A 4x04 coda, porn with feelings and bottom Carlos...truly, what more could I ask for?? Very hot and SO MANY feelings!

she has almost killed me with love for that boy by @beautifulhigh

Another 4x04 coda (there can never be enough) that's also a study of the different types of love, all of which Carlos has in his life.

How quickly we change overnight by @birdclowns

A pre-canon fic about TK and his relationship with Alex. I particularly love this kind of thing where we have so little concrete information in canon. It's a perfect opportunity for fic, and I really love this one. Alex could easily be handled as some horrible villain, but the way he's handled here is far more realistic and I think it makes my heart break for TK even more.

Even if the World Ends Tomorrow by @bonheur-cafe

A post-apocalypse AU that's a little terrifying but ultimately very hopeful. This is one that I kept thinking about long after I read it.

can i be close to you? by @catanisspicy

A 5+1 fic about TK asking Carlos if he'd still love him if he was a worm. A true delight! This is another fic I still think about all the time.

slowly, then all at once by catanisspicy

A fic about TK and Carlos loving each other, which is one of my favorite things in the world.

The Center of the Maze by @carlos-in-glasses

7 times TK and Carlos thought they would never get married and one time they actually did. This fic covers so many of the most significant moments of their relationship and is so very beautifully written. I think my favorite part is (predictably) the section related to the soulmates scene.

When Soulmates Swim by carlos-in-glasses

A wonderful AU where TK and Carlos get to know each other while swimming together. It's everything: hot, sweet, beautiful, poignant, and sometimes incredibly hilarious.

Release the Hand to Relax the Animal by carlos-in-glasses

A fic that's all about touch and the great sex, past and present, that TK and Carlos have had. A true masterpiece.

We Have Suffered Enough by @chicgeekgirl89

A 4x16 coda. Oh, the soulmates scene! I'm automatically going to love anything even remotely soulmates scene-adjacent, and this one is particularly beautiful.

Shiner by chicgeekgirl89

A 4x15 coda dealing with Carlos finding out about TK's black eye, which is something I desperately wanted to see on screen. I love the way it goes here. It's incredibly sweet.

Cold Feet by @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut

A lovely little fic that has Carlos feeling some big feelings about his soon-to-be husband.

When I'm Like This by cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut

An early season 1 Tarlos fic with a lot of angst and feelings, which is always one of my favorite things. This one is ridiculously hot, yet also filled with so much emotion and feelings and gorgeous writing. Just thinking about it makes me want to reread!

to build a home by @freneticfloetry

A Carlos character study, from pre-series through season 4. If there was ever a character I wanted to study, it's Carlos Reyes. And this fic is beautifully done, expertly exploring the complexities of his character and the gaps canon has left to be filled.

The Sting by @goodways

Shortly after they're married, Carlos gets involved in an FBI sting operation that requires him to go on a date and flirt with another man, something that TK is not thrilled about. This fic is at times funny, emotional, hot and sweet.

First night by goodways

The first time TK and Carlos have sex and all the feelings and attempted avoidance of feelings that comes with it. So many feelings!!!

Take my hand, take my whole life, too by @heartstringsduet

HANDS. What more could I ask for? This fic is an absolutely gorgeous exploration of TK and Carlos' intimacy across their whole lives together. I'm ready to tear up just thinking about it!

But most of it was beautiful by heartstringsduet

An at-home Tarlos honeymoon fic. I call a lot of fic on this list beautiful, but sometimes there's no better word. This fic is beautiful.

broken glass by @irispurpurea

A beautiful, heartbreaking exploration of Carlos' grief. It's all fragmented and non-linear, which only adds to how moving and powerful it is.

a little bit more by krissyloowhoo

An installment of a series in which TK and Carlos adopt a baby girl. This one features Carlos in love with what a good dad TK is.

Stand your brand of love by @ladytessa74

A Tarlos honeymoon fic written prior to the end of the season. This was a go-to reread for me in the weeks leading up to the finale. Even now, when it's no longer technically canon compliant, the emotions hit just as hard.

How I linger to admire by ladytessa74

This fic is pretty much my dream season 5. It has everything: Carlos solving his father's murder, TK and Carlos getting held at gunpoint, and Lou II saving the day. Several items on my wish list for season 5 were directly inspired by reading this fic.

Do it all over again by ladytessa74

TK tries for a do over of the proposal because he thinks Carlos deserves better, which leads to a series of funny, adorable and touching moments. The writing is beautiful, and it even inspired a cross stitch! I have many favorite things about Tessa's writing, but one of my very favorite things is the way she writes the intimacy and affection and touch between TK and Carlos. This fic is filled with some of my favorite examples of that.

All Your Colors Make Me Feel Alive by @lemonlyman-dotcom

This wonderful fic uses the music of Beck to explore moments in TK and Carlos' relationship. Angst and fluff: the best combination.

I'm Not A Fortress, But I Will Try To Protect You by lemonlyman-dotcom

TK and Marjan have a conversation in the wake of the events of 2x04. One of my favorite parts of Lemon's writing is the incredible amount of backstory detail, most particularly the friendship between TK and Marjan. There are hints of this in canon, but here it's beautifully developed and I love it so much.

Call Me If You Get Lost by lemonlyman-dotcom

TK and Carlos go for a romantic weekend while also looking out for a friend. This fic is a delight and so much fun!

Love From the Other Side by @lightningboltreader

Exes to lovers and only one bed...what could possibly be better?? I particularly enjoy the conversation between TK and Carlos that leads to their reconciliation.

We were in screaming color by @liminalmemories21

I was looking forward to this season 4 fic since before the season even started airing! I can imagine it must have been particularly difficult to write, from the ridiculous season 4 timeline to all the plotholes and inconsistencies that the Iris storyline and Carlos' sudden two sisters created, but it was done beautifully. It made me think about so many season 4 details and moments in different ways and ultimately led to an enhanced appreciation of the season.

I need you so much closer by @marjansmarwani

A 4x04 coda. This one focuses on all the many people who love Carlos. I always love to read about Carlos being loved!

where the empty space is a saving grace by @maxbegone

Carlos talks with Gwyn in the time before he's revived by TK and the narcan in 4x04. Beautiful and poignant.

etched in gold by maxbegone

A lovely little wedding moment where TK and Carlos get some alone time during the reception.

By Your Side by @never-blooms

The Reyes kitchen through the years. If there's anything that deserves more exploration, it's the Reyes family and all their complexities. This fic does an incredible job of this and is so beautifully written.

The Calling by @orchidscript

This is a fascinating and beautiful fic about TK using his experience with addiction to help people in the course of his job as a paramedic. It's something I would love so much for them to explore on the show!

Under A Star Spell by orchidscript

In this AU, Carlos practices folk magic. The fic itself is absolutely magical. One of the things I love about it is how different it is from pretty much every other Tarlos fic I've ever read.

Lost and Found by @paperstorm

A 4x04 coda (if there's one thing about me, it's that I love a 4x04 coda). I loved this episode so much but there was so much more I wanted, particularly to see what happened in the aftermath at the hospital, which is why this fic is so appreciated.

Ritual by paperstorm

An installment of Andie's spectacular Missing Moments series. I could easily have put every installment on this list, but I chose the one for 2x11, which is my favorite of the season 2 fics. I'm always a sucker for Carlos working through his feelings about his relationship with his parents!

The Firehouse by paperstorm

An incredible AU with TK and Carlos as childhood friends who meet again years later when Carlos is undercover and TK is living a life of crime. The angst in this one is spectacular, and the payoff is beautiful and earned and extraordinarily satisfying.

peace by @redshirt2

Carlos post-breakup. This little fic is heartbreaking and perfectly captures Carlos' desolate state of mind as he's left alone.

dream this night away by @reyesstrand

A pre-season 4 honeymoon fic where TK and Carlos end up in a motel after their flight is cancelled. A little bit of angst and a lot of love and tenderness.

to which there is no reply by reyesstrand

An absolutely gorgeous honeymoon fic, this time canon-compliant, that features Carlos struggling with his grief and being loved by his husband.

balancing act by reyesstrand

TK and Carlos sharing food and falling in love. What could possibly be better? This fic is so beautiful and it spans the entirety of their relationship. An incredible achievement and a true gift to readers!

the strong will never fall by @rmd-writes

Another 4x04 coda (I truly can never get enough). This one is incredibly tender and emotional.

shine some light on my day by @rosedavid

A sweet, fluffy, gentle fic about TK and Carlos waking up and getting ready for the day together. Domestic fluff at its finest!

and salt the earth behind you by @safeashousespdf

TK brings Carlos to New York 6 months after Gwyn's death and TK grapples with the ways things have changed and the ways he has changed. This fic is incredibly powerful. I read it months ago but I still think about it.

you and me, forevermore by @strandnreyes

A gorgeous wedding coda that made me cry multiple times.

Come what may, I'll still stay by strandnreyes

Carlos struggles with his work-life balance when he becomes a detective. It gets worse and worse until he makes a pretty big mistake that shows him just how bad things have gotten. Lots of angst, but also lots of happiness by the end and so much love permeating through every bit of it. This was one of the THE fics of the year for me and it still lives rent free in my brain!

no rules in breakable heaven by strandnreyes

An AU where Carlos takes a job as a private chef in the Hamptons for TK's family. Jen wrote so many incredible AUs this year, but this one was my favorite. Just the right amount of angst with a proportionately happy ending! And the descriptions of the food Carlos was preparing always made me very hungry.

As long as it's with you by @tailoredshirt

TK and Carlos spend their first Valentine's Day as husbands in the ER, but it's nothing too serious. This fic is mostly soft and sweet. I still think about it all the time, especially the little gestures and affectionate touches between them. It's a lovely little fic that's guaranteed to make you smile.

tell me how by @theghostofashton

Carlos and his grief leading up to the wedding. Beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved this so much.

Back to You and Me by @three-drink-amy

A lovely 4x16 coda. In celebration of finding out that TK doesn't have to worry about Huntington's, TK and Carlos go back to the honky tonk where it all began!

The Weight of Grief by @wandering-night19

This is an absolutely riveting fic that has TK near-death in a coma (again). It's poignant and heartbreaking. One scene in particular in the final chapter makes me want to cry just thinking about it! Some chapters deal with Andrea and Gabriel backstory, which eventually links up to the ongoing story in the present. The whole thing is so well written and beautifully constructed.

living at the centre of a wound still fresh by @welcometololaland

A heartbreaking, beautiful masterpiece of a fic. Carlos struggles with his grief on their honeymoon, but TK is there to help him through. Just thinking about this one makes me want to cry...and also reread!

a long time ago (we used to be friends) by welcometololaland

A masterpiece of an AU, exes to lovers with private investigator Carlos and wrongly accused of murder TK. They work together to clear TK's name and come back together in a beautiful way.

[theghostofashton]

now i wake up by your side

pairing: TK/Carlos wordcount: 17.5k rating: M

Carlos has given him everything, and he still can’t manage to get over himself. “Do you think that’s fair?” “To Carlos?” he sniffs, rubbing roughly at his eyes. “’Course not. He deserves better.” “To you, TK,” Sara says. or, three years in the future, tk decides to introduce carlos to the world.

thank you so much to @lutavero for requesting, and to @sanjuwrites for betareading <3

read on ao3!

[reyesstrand]

balancing act

tarlos, explicit, 31k words

endless thanks to @rmd-writes for the initial cheerleading and beta-read! <3

Carlos remembers finding solace in coming home from a long, tormenting day at school to see his mother at the stove, and how helping her knead dough or start up the grill or dice up vegetables allowed him to get out of his own head. Carlos remembers the way the world felt like it was swallowing him whole when TK left that night, unable to get the smell of red snapper out of his nose for what felt like weeks afterward. Carlos compares it to the way it felt to feed him, just now, and how it’s like time stopped and started all over again, because this is what his grandparents did for each other, what his parents still do for each other, and he never thought he’d get it for himself. Or, a study of TK and Carlos sharing meals and falling in love. (AKA, food fic).

chapters: one - two - three - four - five - six

[alrightbuckaroo]

tender eyes that shine

1/1 | Rating: M | 16.1k | A Carlos Reyes character study in which Carlos learns to love himself a little more, even the soft parts. | All the thanks in the world to @bonheur-cafe for beta reading this one <3

Carlos is eight years old.

His favorite food is pizza flavored Kraft macaroni and cheese, his favorite movie is Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron , his best friend is a stuffed koala named Kique, and at this very moment, he’s heartbroken over the passing of his abuela.

“No llores, nieto,” Carlos’ abuelo tells him during the wake of her funeral. Gray clouds are scattered across the sky and coating the somber event in an even more somber tone.

His abuelo crouches down, his joints cracking and popping as he stoops to Carlos’ eye level. He raises a calloused thumb and wipes away the tears that are still falling from Carlos’ wide brown eyes.

“Men like us,” His abuelo continues, his words casting a wide net. ‘Men like us’ is synonymous with anyone that looks like Carlos, has his skin tone, or shares his namesake. “We don’t let the world pity us, we can’t let them see us as soft.”

Carlos nods, wiping away any new tears that are starting to fall. The right sleeve of his charcoal gray suit now comes away colored a staunch black where Carlos’ tears have dampened it.

For some reason, the way his abuelo says ‘soft’ ricochets off of Carlos, as if it were stone and Carlos is a thin sheet of glass nestled into a window pane. It’s left a dent, an imprint, an impression, but hasn’t done enough damage to cause a crack.

Carlos’ bloodshot eyes shine with hesitation as he asks, voice small and insecure, “Reyes men don’t cry?

“Reyes men don’t cry,” His abuelo confirms.

continued on ao3.

[carlos-tk]

thanks to @carlos-in-glasses @welcometololaland @janto4ev @liminalmemories21 @sznofthesticks for various other tags this weekend - i’m going to use those to tag you all back and kick us off for seven sentence sunday

He finally gives him a reprieve and lets his lips meet the solid expanse of Carlos’ newly exposed chest. Marking him up in ways Carlos knows he’ll be seeing and feeling for at least the next week.

TK’s hands have already made light work of undoing half the buttons on his previously crisp business shirt, and Carlos swears he’s determined to make sure it’s unsalvageable after tonight.

“Off,” TK demands a half second later, interrupting his thoughts and pushing Carlos’ arms up, pulling it the rest of the way over his head, and tossing it to the concrete floor beside them.

“This too,” he mumbles against Carlos’ lips, unfastening his belt with one hand and dragging it out of the loops of his dress pants with some well practised finesse.

He moves onto the offending pants next, fumbling the button open and the zipper down, shoving his boxers down with them and finally getting a hand on Carlos’ aching c*ck.

“Fuck!” he gasps at the needed relief and the touch of TK’s nimble fingers on him.

“TK–god–baby I won’t last long if you keep that pace up,” he forewarns in the hope he’ll slow his ministrations.

TK simply hums where his lips are pressed against his jaw and instead increases the speed of his strokes, slick and rough and punishing.

“Well that’s kind of the point baby,” he teases and pulls away with a smug grin and pointed look.

He appeases him though, pulling his hand off and lets his fingers trace Carlos’ abdomen, a series of teasing touches until he’s instead pinching his nipple sharply between his thumb and forefinger.

Carlos hisses, and his c*ck pathetically twitches and dribbles even more pre-come.

open tag for YOU + tags under the cut 💗

@whatsintheboxmh @celeritas2997 @rmd-writes @strandnreyes @lemonlyman-dotcom

@heartstringsduet @alrightbuckaroo @mikibwrites @noxsoulmate @eclectic-sassycoweyes

@reyesstrand @bonheur-cafe @theghostofashton @reyescarlos @reyestrandd @sunshinestrand

@three-drink-amy @thisbuildinghasfeelings @thebumblecee @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @inkweedandlizards

@orchidscript @chicgeekgirl89 @safeaswrites @doublel27 @fitzherbertssmolder @fallout-mars

@firstprince-history-huh @freneticfloetry @herefortarlos @lightningboltreader @louis-ii-reyes-strand

@never-blooms @mooshkat @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @birdclowns

@vineofroses @basilsunrise @honeybee-taskforce @ladytessa74 @chaotictarlos @nancygillianmvp

[strandnreyes]

E // canon compliant with a twist // complete

A week away with their friends sounds like the perfect escape after the fire, the firehouse closure, and a month of uncertainty. What’s supposed to be a relaxing getaway quickly becomes anything but when Carlos starts noticing odd patterns and inconsistencies that make him question if the fire has left him paranoid, or if there’s something more to the story than the resort is letting on.

Chapter 1 (9k)

Chapter 2 (6k)

Chapter 3 (7k)

Chapter 4 (6k)

Chapter 5 (7k)

thank you to @lightningboltreader @rmd-writes for beta reading!

[welcometololaland]

NOW COMPLETE

Chapter 8 - A Family Affair

Do you like Tarlos? Do you like pets? If so, you have come to the right place, specifically this fic - a Tarlos love story set in a pet store by @strandnreyes and Lolaland

The Rainbow Fish | E | 911 Lone Star | 8/8

Despite being a big fan of animals, TK Strand has never owned one. He’s never had a reason to enter a pet store, until he gets caught in a torrential downpour. Carlos Reyes knows a lot about pet stores. It comes with the territory, considering he works at one. That being said, none of his in-store training ever taught him how to help a beautiful, rain-soaked stranger pick up the aquarium rock display they just knocked over. OR The Tarlos pet store meet-cute.

Chapter 1: The Rock Incident

Chapter 2: Carlos 1, Carlos 2, Carlos 3

Chapter 3: Employee of the Month

Chapter 4: Lou the Lizard

Chapter 5: Job Application

Chapter 6: Cat Rescue

Chapter 7: Epilogue Part 1: TK vs Cat, Carlos vs Lou

Chapter 8: A Family Affair

Thank you to @rmd-writes and @lightningboltreader for being our trusty beta readers!

[lemonlyman-dotcom]

Any fic recommendations for Jealous Carlos or Jealous TK?

Girl (gender neutral), you know Lemon’s always got recc’s. I have searched my bookmarks for you and here’s what I got.

It's A Date by notapartytrick (is this person on tumblr?) TK's signed up for this year's firefighter calendar. Carlos is trying to be brave about it. (Keyword trying!!!)

love of my life by @colonoscopys break up era fic!! TK spots Carlos while he’s on a date and has …feelings about it. Or 5 Times TK grovels, and One Time He Doesn’t Have To

Blood on the tracks, fire in the hills by thenorthface (is this person on tumblr??) GOSH THIS FIC IS SO GOOD!! Another break up era. Carlos becomes a detective during the breakup, and runs into TK on a case. Lots and lots of angst and a little jealousy in this one where Carlos has a successful & famous boyfriend who his parents love and TK is trying to get his shit together. Also just a really exciting fic with a murder investigation and some brilliant character development.

i'm highly suspicious that everyone who see you wants you by @chicgeekgirl89 this fic is SO CUTE!!!!! TK is an outrageous flirt and he loves to make Carlos just a lil jelly, Carlos loves to show him who’s boss.

starvin' darlin' by @ambiguouspenny vampires! This one is a bit of a twist on the jealousy theme, but Tarlos runs into one of Carlos’s exes and it gets TK thinking…

watching from the sidelines by @maxbegone another breakup era fic!! Carlos & TK try to be friends, TK encourages Carlos to date someone else. Full of angst and pining and jealousy that TK doesn’t feel he has any right to have 😭

[nancygillianmvp]

lesbophobia has no place in this any fandom.

after sharing a snippet from a nancymarjan wip i recieved a vile lesbophobic anon ask that had me feeling unsafe in this fandom and considering scrapping the wip, but i've spent long enough living in fear, so instead i'm doing the opposite. here are my two already published but never posted to tumblr nancymarjan fics from before s4.

to kiss you again

nancy/marjan, 1,108 words, rated t.

In search of a new beginning, Marjan shares a New Year's kiss with a friend at a party. (marjan pov)

and again

nancy/marjan, 2,023 words, rated t.

It's New Years Eve and Nancy is hoping to start off the new year with a kiss from somebody special. (nancy pov)

[chicgeekgirl89]

Fandom: 911 Lone Star Characters: T.K. Strand, Carlos Reyes Rating: T Summary: In the early days of their budding relationship, Carlos and T.K. discover some of each other's more adorable characteristics. Or, five times Carlos learns adorable things about T.K. and one time T.K. learns something adorable about Carlos. A/N: So what had happened was, I wrote "Glasses and Smut and Your Naked Butt" and then I had too many cute little scenarios to fit into a 5+1 so I wrote a second one. Cheers! Read on AO3

Kitty

Carlos has never met anyone who can go from zero to sixty the way T.K. can. He barely has the Camaro in park before T.K. is leaning across the console, pulling him in for a dirty, dirty kiss full of tongue and teeth and desire. Normally Carlos would protest this kind of activity in the car, but they’re right in front of the condo, it’s late, and therefore unlikely that anyone will see them.

So he lets T.K. go on and doesn’t say a word as he somehow maneuvers himself across the console and into Carlos’ lap, which, quite honestly, is where Carlos wanted him for the entirety of dinner anyway. He’d been so enchanted with the idea of actually dating T.K. instead of just being his fuck buddy that he hadn’t quite thought through how hard it would be to keep his hands off of him in public.

“Put the seat back,” T.K. says breathlessly in between kisses.

Carlos follows his orders, both of them slowly reclining downward toward the backseat, while somehow managing never to fully detach from one another. Carlos’ breath catches as T.K. bites into his earlobe. “Do you want to take this inside?” he finally asks, when it seems like T.K. isn’t going to be content with just a heavy make out session.

T.K. pauses long enough to flash him a smirk. “No. Live a little Reyes.”

If anyone else uttered those words Carlos would push them off and call it a night. But T.K. Strand has cast some kind of spell on him, so Carlos lays back and watches greedily as T.K. sits up and starts to take off his shirt. His eyes follow the motion of T.K.’s hands as they slowly work at his buttons and then suddenly freeze. “Oh my god!” T.K. yells.

“What? What?!” Carlos asks in a panic, sitting up abruptly and almost hitting his head on the car’s roof.

“There’s a cat!”

“There’s—what?” Carlos asks in confusion, his heart still pounding away in his chest having imagined that T.K. was seeing an ax murderer or a bear or Mr. Johnson who sometimes walks around with his bathrobe open.

“There’s a cat out there!”

Before Carlos can formulate a response, T.K. has vaulted off of his lap and out of the car leaving Carlos shocked and alone. He takes a second to adjust his pants before getting up and following his boyfriend.

T.K. is kneeling on the sidewalk, hand outstretched, making little “pspsps” noises. 

“T.K. what are you doing?” Carlos asks, shifting back and forth, still trying to alleviate the situation in his pants that his boyfriend started but did not finish.

“There’s a cat. Look! Come here kitty, that’s right, who’s a good kitty?” 

A black cat with white markings on its chin and paws wanders over to T.K. and starts to rub up against his hand. “Oh, god, T.K. be careful, it could have fleas,” Carlos says.

“You don’t have fleas, do you? No you don’t,” T.K. says, using a voice that Carlos has never heard before. “It’s too well taken care of to be a stray. No collar though. Do you know whose it is? It must be one of your neighbors.”

“I’ve never seen it before,” Carlos says. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

“We can’t leave it!” T.K. says. “It must have slipped out. Someone will be looking for it. It can’t stay out here all night alone.”

“T.K.,” Carlos sighs. “What do you want me to do? It’s late. We can’t exactly go knock on doors.”

T.K. fixes him with a look as he scoops the cat up into his arms and cradles it like a baby, the cat perfectly content to let him. “Are you a police officer or not? Start police officering.”

“Pretty sure cats are more of a firefighter thing,” Carlos says wryly.

T.K. squares his shoulders. “Carlos. This baby is out here alone and afraid. We need to find out who it—” T.K. glances down at the cat’s belly and back up, “who he belongs to and get him home.”

Carlos feels a smile twisting at his lips. T.K. looks adorable standing there in the glow of the streetlight, fiercely protecting an animal he met two minutes ago. It’s precious really.

“He might belong to Mrs. O’Grady,” Carlos says. “She has like five cats. Let’s go see if her light is still on.”

“Thank you,” T.K. says in relief. “Come on little buddy, let’s go find your home.

Mornings

The first time Carlos wakes up with T.K. next to him, it’s one of the most thrilling moments of his entire life. He feels warm and safe and happy and there’s a sense of victory in it too because T.K. has held him at arm’s length for so long. To finally see his patience rewarded feels like a huge step forward. Staying the night is something couples do. It’s permanent, not just chasing a high.

He watches T.K. for a while, memorizing how he looks in the soft light of the morning, the way his mouth hangs open a little bit, his arms and legs splayed out awkwardly across the mattress, his hair a glorious wreck.

This is a T.K. that few people get to see, and Carlos is elated to finally be one of them.

Eventually nature calls and he slips from his bed to take care of business and then go make them some coffee. He assumes T.K. will wake up and wander out when the smell starts to waft upstairs, but he doesn’t.

Carlos goes to check on him and finds him in exactly the same position as half an hour before. He chalks it up to a very successful night of sex and heads back down to start working on french toast.

He takes his time, enjoying the feeling of cooking for someone other than just himself. Another thirty minutes roll by as he cooks and there’s still no sign of T.K. when he’s done.

He plates up their French toast, bacon, pours them each a cup of coffee, setting it all on the table before making his way upstairs.

T.K. has wrapped himself in the sheet and pulled it up over his head like a cocoon. Carlos smiles and is tempted to snap a picture, but instead he kneels on the mattress and gently pulls the blankets away from T.K.’s face. “Good morning,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to T.K.’s forehead.

Nothing.

He sits down on the mattress and puts his hand on T.K.’s hip. “It’s time to wake up,” he whispers teasingly, shaking him a little bit.

Still nothing.

What the hell?

Now he’s actually concerned. “T.K., hey,” he says, shaking him a little more harshly. 

“Gowayyyy.”

The words are slurred together and punctuated by a swipe of T.K.’s arm that narrowly misses hitting Carlos in the ribs. 

Okay, so at least he’s alive. That’s something. 

“I made breakfast,” Carlos says softly, brushing his fingers through T.K.’s hair. Surely that will be enough to get him going.

It only gets him another grumble. 

Carlos sits back, struggling to decide if he’s amused or disappointed. He’s just about decided to go back downstairs and eat his breakfast alone when T.K.’s arm slaps the empty expanse of mattress between them and then a sort of muffled sound escapes him, that bears a passing resemblance to, “Come here.”

Carlos’ eyebrows rise and he has to stifle a laugh as T.K.’s arm flops around again and then finally connects with Carlos’ thigh. He curls his hand around it and gives a feeble tug, not enough to actually move him, but enough to indicate that he wants Carlos to come closer.

“I’m confused. Do you want me to leave or stay?” Carlos asks in amusement.

T.K. turns his head so that he’s facing Carlos, even though his eyes are still closed, and gives another tug. Carlos chuckles and obliges, sliding down so that he’s parallel to T.K. on his side.

T.K. immediately curls into him, mashing his face into Carlos’ chest and hooking a leg over his hip. Carlos quirks a fond smile and runs a hand through T.K.’s hair.

“D’you mke me brkfst?” T.K.’s voice is scratchy but slightly more intelligible now.

“I did,” Carlos says. “I thought it would be a nice way to start the day.”

T.K. hums into his chest and then, with a valiant effort, opens his eyes and squints up at Carlos. “I hate mornings,” he says.

Carlos bursts out laughing. “Yeah, I kind of figured that out,” he says, stroking a hand through T.K.’s hair.

His eyes close again and he snuggles more tightly into Carlos. “What did you make me?”

“French toast and bacon. And coffee.”

T.K. hums against him. “That sounds good.”

“Sooo…are you going to get up and eat it?” Carlos asks.

“I’m trying.”

“This is you trying?”

T.K. cracks one eyelid. “It’s a process.”

“So I see. How do you manage to get up for calls at work?”

“That’s different.”

Carlos fails to see how, but he doesn’t push it. “What if I bring your breakfast up here?”

That gets him two eyeballs. “You don’t like food in bed.”

That’s true. The thought of crumbs between his sheets makes Carlos shudder. But breakfast is ready and T.K. is not, and he looks so damn cute all bed rumpled and sleepy that it’s making Carlos throw some rules out the window. “I’ll make an exception this time.”

T.K. rolls onto his back, a smile on his face as he stretches and puts his hands behind his head. “This house comes with five star service.”

“This is a special occasion. Don’t get used to it,” Carlos says, giving him a peck on the nose before rising to go get their food. 

But the fact is, T.K. could ask Carlos to bring him breakfast in bed every day for the rest of his life and he’d do it. That’s just how it’s going to be. 

Chat

Carlos is pulled from sleep by someone’s voice. At first he thinks he might have fallen asleep in front of the TV or maybe with a podcast going. But the more he rouses, the more he realizes the sound isn’t steady and clear enough to be either one of those.

He blinks a few times, trying to get his bearings. His room is dark, it’s clearly still the middle of the night, and T.K. is pressed up against him, head pillowed against his chest.

The sound stops and Carlos listens intently, his heart now speeding up in his chest as he tries to figure out if it was real or a dream. If it was real…is there someone in the condo? 

He’s about ready to slide out of bed and grab his off-duty weapon to go investigate when T.K. lets out a big snuffling sound and then says, “nthebthtb.”

Carlos relaxes at the realization that the sound was just his boyfriend and gently brushes a hand over his arm. “You okay babe?” he whispers into the darkness.

T.K.’s face contracts into a scowl. “‘nthe bathtub.”

“What?”

“Put it in the bathtub.”

The words are clearer now, but Carlos is beyond confused. “Put what in the bathtub?”

T.K.’s head whips up and turns in Carlos’ general direction, his eyes still closed, his neck bent at an awkward angle. “The alligator!”

Carlos shifts so that he’s sitting more upright and looks down at T.K. with raised eyebrows. “T.K. there’s no alligator.”

“No you…you have to put it in the bathtub,” T.K. demands again.

He looks so distressed that Carlos has to bite back a laugh. “Okay, I’ll put the alligator in the bathtub.”

T.K. mumbles something unintelligible and snuggles in against Carlos again before whipping his head up one more time. “And socks!”

“The alligator needs socks?”

“No.” T.K. pauses for so long that Carlos starts to worry that he’s going to get a crick in his neck before finally saying, “Don’t let him eat…the purple ones.”

Then he flops back down and lets out a snort before seeming to go fully back to sleep, leaving Carlos amused and very curious.

Carlos has an early shift and T.K. is still sound asleep when he leaves, so he doesn’t get to mention anything about their bizarre middle-of-the-night conversation until he gets home at the end of the day.

“Hey babe!” T.K. says cheerfully, coming to give him a sweet kiss as he walks through the door. “I made Italian wedding soup and got bread from that new bakery down the street. Should be ready in like fifteen minutes.”

“Sounds good,” Carlos says as he finishes removing his shoes. He reaches into his work bag. “I got you a present.”

T.K.’s already halfway back into the kitchen, but he turns back, surprise on his face. “A present? Wait,” he frowns. “Did I forget something? Is today—“

“Relax,” Carlos says with a chuckle. “You didn’t forget anything. This is a just-because gift.”

T.K.’s face brightens again. “Oh well in that case, gimme gimme!”

He holds out his hands and Carlos drops a small plastic bag into them. T.K. reaches inside and pulls out a pair of bright purple socks. “Wow, thanks babe!”

“I promise not to let the alligator eat them,” Carlos says, trying to smother the smile on his face.

T.K.’s brow furrows. “What alligator?”

“The alligator in the bathtub.”

There’s a beat of silence. “Did you hit your head today?” T.K. asks. Then he freezes and addresses himself, a concerned look on his face. “Wait, did I hit my head today?”

Carlos full on laughs and decides to put him out of his misery. “Last night in the middle of the night you woke me up to tell me to put an alligator in the bathtub. And then you were very insistent that he not eat purple socks.”

“Oh my god.” A blush forms on T.K.’s cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I—sometimes I sleep talk. It used to happen a lot when I was a kid and I mostly grew out of it, but once in a while it still happens. Usually only if I’m really tired. It’s been so long since I’ve spent the night with anybody, I didn’t think to tell you.”

He looks so adorably embarrassed that Carlos reaches for his hips and pulls him in so their bodies are flush against one another, needing to touch him. He quirks a smile. “That,” he says, “is very cute.”

“No it’s not, it’s embarrassing,” T.K. says, squirming a little bit. “Sometimes I say really weird stuff.”

“Trust me when I tell you that is not the weirdest middle of the night conversation I’ve had,” Carlos assures him. “You wouldn’t believe how many drunk and stoned people think they’re Jesus when they’re hauled into lock-up at three am. I’ll take your alligators any day.”

T.K. snorts. “I have definitely never claimed to be a deity.”

Carlos raises an eyebrow and bites his lip before saying, “That’s true, although I do seem to remember you saying the Lord’s name an awful lot when we went to bed last night.”

T.K. shoves his bicep good-naturedly. “What I say in the throes of passion is supposed to stay in the throes of passion Carlos.”

“So what you’re telling me is that anything we say in bed is privileged information?”

“Yes.”

“Mmm, good to know.”

Thief

Where the hell is his APD t-shirt? 

Carlos stands in front of his closet, hands on his hips as he stares into its depths, completely baffled. He’d worn it to a workout two weeks ago and he’s sure he put it into the laundry. He had to have. He’s checked his gym bag, the trunk of the Camaro, his locker at work, the laundry basket itself, and the washer, just in case it had gotten stuck to the side and he hadn’t noticed. It’s been three full days of searching and now he’s sure. It’s not here. 

It’s not anywhere.

Which doesn’t make any sense. Because t-shirts don’t just get up and walk away. 

It’s not that big of a deal. It’s only a t-shirt after all. One from his brief stint on the department softball league a few years ago. It’s just that Carlos is a careful, meticulous person. There’s a system to his laundry. And now, after all these years, it’s really eating at him that it might have failed. 

He’s about to dive back into round five of removing every single thing from his closet, when he hears the front door open. “Carlos? You home?”

It’s T.K.’s voice and it sounds off, meaning Carlos immediately abandons his search and goes downstairs to soothe whatever has his boyfriend’s spirits down.

T.K.’s doing that thing where he kind of pulls back into himself, and it takes some coaxing for Carlos to tease the full story of his shitty day out of him. Then there’s cuddling, kissing, dinner, and more kissing before Carlos offers to run T.K. a bath and let him relax for a bit. 

He’s finishing up the dishes when T.K. comes back downstairs and wraps his arms around Carlos’ waist from behind. He smells like the lavender scented soap that Carlos left out for him and Carlos breathes it in before turning around to give him another kiss. “Better?” he asks, running a hand through T.K.’s hair, down to cup the nape of his neck.

“Yeah,” T.K. says. “Thank you.” He looks up and Carlos can still see some vulnerability in his eyes. “Is it okay if I stay here tonight?”

It’s on the tip of Carlos’ tongue to tell him he can stay every night for the rest of his life if he wants, but he’s learned T.K. well enough to know now isn’t the moment. “Of course,” he says instead. “You’re always welcome here.”

He’s about to ask if T.K. needs to borrow something to sleep in, but then he looks down and the words die on his tongue. He takes a step back, brow furrowing.

“What?” T.K. asks. “Is something wrong?”

“Is that my APD shirt?” Carlos asks.

He already knows the answer, but he’s so surprised it’s the only thing that comes out. 

“Um…no?” T.K. says, trying for innocent and failing miserably.

“T.K. it has my name on the back,” Carlos says.

“There are lots of people with the last name Reyes in Austin.”

“Right and I’m sure so many of them played on the department softball team in 2018,” Carlos replies. “Where did you find it? I’ve been looking for it everywhere.”

“It was in your drawer,” T.K. says, but he’s no longer meeting Carlos’ eyes. 

“It was not in my drawer,” Carlos says. “I looked. Several times.”

T.K. shrugs. “Well you’re welcome that I found it then.”

Carlos narrows his eyes. “You didn’t find it. You stole it.”

T.K.’s jaw drops. “Carlos. You’re accusing me, a brave, loyal member of the AFD, who serves his community on a daily basis, of stealing?”

“It’s not an accusation, it’s a fact,” Carlos says, tapping a finger against T.K.’s chest. “You stole this out of my laundry.”

“Not sure those charges are going to stick in court, officer.”

“T.K.” Carlos growls out his name.

“Okay, fine, I stole it!” T.K. says. “I was getting ready for work here last week after you left and I realized I’d forgotten a shirt to wear to the station. It was in your clean laundry basket so I grabbed it and wore it. I was going to wash it and bring it back but then…”

He looks embarrassed so Carlos softens his gaze and drops the teasing facade. “Then what?” he asks gently.

“It was just so soft and comfortable and…it kind of felt like being with you. Even when I wasn’t. So I kept it.” He looks up and scrunches his nose a little. “Sorry?”

Carlos is speechless. His heart feels so soft that it’s making his knees go a little weak. He cups T.K.’s face in both of his hands. “You don’t need to be sorry. You can keep it.”

“Yeah?” T.K. asks.

“Yeah,” Carlos assures him. “But we can also find a drawer for you, if you want. So you can keep some of your own stuff here.”

“You’re just saying that so I don’t steal more of your clothes.”

Carlos scrunches his nose, making a silly face so T.K. knows he’s teasing. “Maybe. A little.” He presses a kiss to T.K.’s lips. “But it’s also because I want you here.”

“Thanks,” T.K. says softly, that warm, reassured glow back in his eyes. “So…is this when I tell you that I also have a pair of your shorts? And some socks?”

Filibuster

T.K. is sitting on the couch when Carlos comes down from his shower. This is a little surprising only because Carlos thought T.K. might join him in the shower. It doesn’t usually take much more than a light hint. Often the phrase, “I’m going to take a shower” is enough to get T.K. on his feet and stripping off his clothes, but today he’s right where Carlos left him, staring at his phone.

“I’m making stuffed peppers for dinner. Does that sound good?” Carlos asks.

“Yeah, sure,” T.K. says quickly, like he’s very distracted. “Did you know there’s a type of tarantula that keeps frogs as pets?”

Carlos blinks a few times, as he takes this information in. “No, I did not know that,” he says, heading for the kitchen to find the peppers.

T.K. gets up and follows him. “There’s this type of frog in South America that evolved to taste bad. So tarantulas won’t eat them and instead they keep them to eat all the bugs and stuff around their homes and keep their spider babies safe. They’re like a tiny little tarantula pet cat.”

Carlos turns around and nearly knocks T.K. over, not having realized that his boyfriend was standing so close behind him. He reaches out and gently moves him out of the way as he heads for the stove and begins to prep the filling for the peppers. 

“I just think it’s so cool, two completely different species living together like that,” T.K. continues, hopping up onto the counter, that hyper-focused look in his eye. “Nature is amazing. Forming symbiotic relationships all the time.”

“That is cool,” Carlos says. He chops the peppers in half and rinses them out to remove the seeds.

“Sharks have that too,” T.K. continues. “Those little fish that attach themselves on and eat all the scraps from the shark’s meals. What are they called?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I’ll look it up.”

For a moment there’s only the sound of ground turkey sizzling on the stove as T.K. busies himself in his phone. “Oh right. Remora fish.”

“Of course,” Carlos says in amusement. “How could I have forgotten that?”

“And rhinos! With the birds that are always hanging around!” T.K. sighs. “They’re so cute.”

Carlos walks over and pats the side of T.K.’s thigh. “Move please,” he says mildly, waiting until T.K. shifts over enough that he can get into the drawer that’s hidden behind his legs.  He extracts the spoon he needs and then taps the space again indicating that T.K. can move back, which he does, still talking. “We had a pet frog in my class when I was in third grade. His name was Sir Henry. He died on the hundredth day of school.” At this T.K. looks a little glum. Then he perks up. “But my teacher got a hamster after that and we got to vote on a name. We picked Pikachu.”

“Sounds fun.”

“I wonder if hamsters have a symbiotic relationship with another animal,” T.K. says, picking his phone back up again. “Hm. Nope,” he says after a minute. “But, hamsters will eat their babies if you don’t separate them. Oh! Did you know that it’s illegal to own just one guinea pig in Switzerland? You have to have two because they’re social animals and they’ll get lonely. But then in Peru people eat them for special occasions. Isn’t that crazy how different those two countries are?”

“Almost as crazy as spiders keeping frogs as pets.”

“I wish I had a pet frog,” T.K. says. “Do you think Buttercup would eat it?”

“I’ve seen Buttercup eat his own poop. Yes. I think he would eat a frog if he could catch it. Do you want your filling spicy or not spicy?”

“Spicy,” T.K. says immediately. “I have an old aquarium tank, it could live in there and I wouldn’t take it out if Buttercup was around—wait, do frogs get lonely? Would I need to get two? What if they had babies? Then I’d have hundreds of frogs and I don’t think the tank would hold more than a couple.”

“An overcrowded frog tank does seem uncomfortable. Do you want dressing on your salad?”

“Do you have that organic balsamic still?”

“I think there’s some left.”

“That then please.” He steals a piece of carrot and pops it into his mouth, talking around it. “Maybe I’ll get a tarantula instead. I think a tarantula would be okay by itself.”

“Please do not get a tarantula,” Carlos says with a soft chuckle.

This catches T.K.’s attention and he smiles. “Are you afraid of spiders?”

Carlos wipes his hands on a towel and goes to him, bracing his hands on the counter on either side of T.K.’s legs. “I’m not afraid. I just have a healthy respect for them.”

T.K. eyes him, his mouth twisting into a smile. “You’ve been letting me talk about spiders and frogs for like half an hour.”

“I have.”

“You don’t think that’s annoying?”

Carlos kisses the tip of his nose. “Not in the slightest. You’re cute when you chat at me.”

The fact is he loves it. His home has been so devoid of this wild energy and now that it’s here he doesn’t know how he ever lived without it. 

T.K. drops his eyes, a slight flush creeping over his cheeks. “Thanks.”

“I did miss you in my shower though,” Carlos tells him. “So next time you decide to go down an internet rabbit hole, maybe you could do it when I’m not all naked and wet.”

T.K. bites his lip, his eyes lighting up. “I will work on my timing.”

+1: Hangry

T.K. is delighted to be picking Carlos up for a change. He’s borrowed his dad’s truck for the night (he’s going to get his own car soon…ish…) to surprise Carlos with a fun evening out.

“Hey,” he says excitedly as Carlos slides into the passenger seat, leaning in for a kiss. “You look great.”

Carlos is in jeans and a black polo that is juuuuuust a tad bit too tight in the best kind of way. It nearly distracts T.K. enough to cancel the date and drag Carlos back upstairs to his bed instead, but he forces himself to focus. He knows Carlos has had kind of a rough week at work and he’s determined to make tonight extra fun to make up for it.

“Hey,” Carlos says, his smile genuine, although there’s a little tightness around his eyes that T.K. wants to soothe away with his thumb and butterfly kisses. “Thanks for picking me up. It’s good to see you.”

The way those words melt him inside. Carlos is so good at saying little things that to anyone else would mean almost nothing; but to T.K. they mean the world. He still hasn’t quite gotten used to how much Carlos likes having him around.

“How was your day?” T.K. asks as he pulls out into traffic, carefully navigating between cars that are driving way too slowly for his taste.

“It was um,” Carlos stumbles over his words as T.K. hits the brakes and then accelerates around a Ford Fiesta that he deems far too slow. “It was fine. Just one of those weeks, you know?”

“Yeah,” T.K. says sympathetically. “Well don’t worry. Tonight we’re going to forget all about work. I promise.”

Minutes later T.K. neatly swings them into a parking spot. “Oh,” Carlos says in confusion as he takes in where they are. “I thought we were going to dinner.”

“We are,” T.K. says. “But, I thought we’d do something fun first. I haven’t played mini golf in forever!”

The 126 had driven by the course on a call the other day, the brightly colored animals and windmills catching his eye out the engine’s window. It seemed like the perfect way to spend an evening. Just relaxing and being silly with each other.

“Right,” Carlos says, something strange flickering in his eyes. 

“You hate mini golf,” T.K. says, feeling crestfallen. “Damn it I should have asked. I’m sorry. It just looked so fun and you’ve had a hard week and I—“

“T.K., T.K., take a breath,” Carlos says, reaching over and taking his hand. “I don’t hate mini golf.”

“We don’t have to stay,” T.K. says, still sensing some odd hesitancy in his boyfriend.

“No let’s do it,” Carlos says. “I haven’t played in forever either. It’ll be fun.”

He’s already sliding out of the car, so T.K. follows him, pushing aside the doubt he’s feeling. Hopefully Carlos’ reticence is just work related.

Hopefully.

They grab some clubs and balls (T.K. chooses green, Carlos picks blue) and then head out to the first hole. 

It goes well enough for a bit, they’re both moderately terrible. Carlos keeps hitting his ball too gently so that it comes rolling back toward him instead of up and over all the little hills, while T.K. takes to swinging with all his strength, his ball ping-ponging around into other greens so he has to go chasing after it.

“That’s a mulligan!” he declares for the third time when his ball hops an embankment and goes splashing down into a little pond.

“You can’t call them all mulligans T.K.,” Carlos says with a sigh that sounds a tad impatient.

“Why not?” T.K. says. “Who are you going to report me to? The police? Oh wait. It’s a little late for that.”

He means it to be flirty but Carlos just gives him sort of a strained smile and a half hearted “haha.”

When they get to the next hole Carlos’ ball does the same thing it’s done every other time and comes rolling straight back out again. “Are you kidding me?!” he cries, a little too loudly and angrily.

T.K. frowns at him, trying to get a read on what’s happening here. Carlos seems off. Like super off.

T.K. walks up and places his own ball down, but before he can swing Carlos says, “Can you please take a step back?”

T.K. lowers his club. “What?”

“You’re too far into the green. It’s cheating.”

He blinks a few times. “Cheating? First I can’t call a mulligan now I’m cheating? It’s just a game Carlos.”

“Yeah, a game that has rules that you’re not following,” Carlos insists. “You’re not supposed to be that far into the green. And don’t think I didn’t see you basically slide your ball into the last hole instead of putting. That one shouldn’t even count.”

“Okay, what is going on here?” T.K. says, feeling annoyance snap sharply at his good mood. “You’re kind of being a dick. If you didn’t want to play mini golf you could have just said so.”

“I told you I like playing mini golf!”

“Well you’re definitely not acting like it!” T.K. fires back. “You’re acting like you’d rather be anywhere else!”

“Why are you putting words into my mouth? Just take your turn and play fair T.K.!”

“Uh, excuse me?” 

The pimply faced teenager who gave them their clubs and balls earlier waves at both of them. “Can we help you?” T.K. asks.

“Hi, yeah, I’m sorry, we’ve had some complaints that you two are fighting. Can you try to keep it down? This is a family establishment.”

T.K. looks at Carlos whose face is going red with embarrassment. “Sorry,” he says quickly. “Won’t happen again.”

The kid leaves and T.K. frowns, putting his hands on his hips. “What is going on with you?” he asks. “I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“I don’t know,” Carlos says sullenly, refusing to meet T.K.’s eyes.

His stomach suddenly gives a loud rumble and all the pieces click into place in T.K.’s brain. “Oh,” he says, annoyance and anger settling back down where they belong. “Okay. I get it.”

He turns and heads for the car.

“What? Get what?” Carlos asks as he follows along, confusion evident on his face.

T.K. stops next to his dad’s truck. “You’re hangry.”

Carlos sputters in indignation. “Hangry?”

“You know. When you get so hungry that the entire world feels like it’s shitting on you and you get all cranky until you eat something. Did you eat lunch today?

“I—“ Carlos considers this. “No. We had to skip it because a call came in.”

T.K. nods in satisfaction. “See? Hangry. Don’t worry. We’ll get you all fixed up in no time.”

He drives to their favorite taco truck. His dinner plans had been bigger and fancier, but this is an emergency. He plops Carlos down at a picnic table (still protesting and whining away, only furthering T.K.’s satisfaction that he’s right) and then marches over to the truck to order two of everything.

He waits until Carlos has wolfed down one birria taco and one fish taco before speaking. “Better?” he asks.

Carlos wipes his mouth on a napkin and reaches for a third taco, chicken this time. “These are so good,” he replies, shoving half of it into his mouth like a man who hasn’t been fed in months. “Thanks.”

“Mhm. So next time, maybe just tell me you’re hangry instead of acting like you put your cranky pants on to see me,” T.K. says.

The sigh that leaves Carlos is long suffering. “I already said I was sorry in the car.”

“Buuuut you didn’t tell me I was right.”

This gets him a withering look. “Do you really need to hear me say it?”

“I mean…I wouldn’t hate it.” God he loves teasing this man. It’s so easy to get a rise out of him.

Carlos huffs. “Fine. You were right. Thank you for feeding me because I was hangry.”

“Aw, you’re so cute when you’re annoyed.”

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

After a brief hiatus from fic recs, we are BACK!

To make up for what we've missed, this week we are going to be focusing on fic recs from the first SIX EPISODES of season 3:

3x01 The Big Chill, 3x02 Thin Ice, 3x03 Shock and Thaw, 3x04 Push, 3x05 Child Care, 3x06 The ATX Files.

Here are this week's prompts:

Ice storm arc!

The 126 separated

Marjan being a badass

PUSH--the coma, the wakeup, the "hey baby, breathe," the aftermath that the show didn't have time to give us so our wonderful fic writers had to craft it for themselves, etc.

Detective Carlos Reyes

Tommy coping with her husband's death

Judd becoming a father to Charlie/Judd becoming a father to Wyatt

Rules:

Every week there will be a different prompt, and everyone is encouraged to share a fic (or a few!) recommendation that meets the prompt and tag a few fic-reading friends. The game can be played all week, so no pressure to post right away. Please feel free to use the banner above, to make your own, or to not use one at all!

Finally, please use the tag ‘Rewatch Read-Along Week 17’ and at the end of the week @911lonestarrewatch will post the link to the tag for the comprehensive list of fic recs!

Thanks to @guardian-angle22 for the banner!

Here are my recs:

Chapter 2 of The Center of the Maze by @carlos-in-glasses

Obviously I highly recommend the entire fic, but Chapter 2 is the part that deals specifically with what we're focused on this week. A heartbroken Carlos sobbing on the side of the road...is there a sadder image?? 😭

Seven Ways (Back to You) by @welcometololaland

An amazing series made up of 7 fics that deal with TK and Carlos finding their way back together in far more depth than the show could have ever given us!

Half agony, half hope and Coming and going by @goodways

The first is a wonderful Push coda filled with yearning and love and sweetness and making up and MAKING UP 😏, while the second is a truly delightful fic occurring in the aftermath of TK's coma where, as Shannon so aptly puts it in the summary "TK and Carlos boink so hard that TK passes out." I couldn't choose between the two, so I'm reccing both!

all my blood for the sweetness of his laugh by @alrightbuckaroo

Carlos reflecting on what he missed about TK while they were apart and how much he likes TK's laugh. Carlos' joy at making TK laugh is always one of my favorite things!

My Family, More or Less by @lightningboltreader

Carlos coming home to TK and telling him about his eventful night helping Katie get reunited with her parents...with a little help from his father-in-law more or less!

Learning, relearning by @fallout-mars

A really beautiful little fic a few weeks post-coma, with TK and Carlos so in love and so happy to be back together.

Tagging some fic readers who might have recs to share:

@lemonlyman-dotcom @paperstorm @carlos-in-glasses @reyesstrand @strandnreyes

@vineofroses @bonheur-cafe @alrightbuckaroo @herefortarlos @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad

@heartstringsduet @liminalmemories21 @lightningboltreader @fangirl-paba @reyestrandd

@chicgeekgirl89 @firstprince-history-huh @noxsoulmate @ladytessa74 @sznofthesticks

@literateowl @nancygillianmvp @bonheur-cafe and OPEN TAG for anyone else who wants to share some fic recs!