#you’re telling me Carlos had his injuries and Marjan has had hers | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

morganaspendragonss · 3 years

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holly's august extravaganza day 17: you and me (moving through this world as a two-man team)

for both my incredible birthday twin jenny (@laelipoo) and a little bit for myself! i hope you are having a wonderful, wonderful day and i wish you all the love in the world. i'm so glad we became friends and i cannot tell you how glad i am for our conversations 🥰🥰🥰

many, many, many thanks to jenny as well for helping me out with the plot!

ao3 | 3.1k | firefighter carlos, hurt/comfort, pining, developing relationship, major character injury (two of them 😌)

TK does not have a crush on the 126's latest hire.

Carlos Reyes: an Austin local, an incredible firefighter, and—objectively speaking—the most beautiful man TK has ever laid eyes on. Which is, in fact, the entire point; TK has eyes and, yes, he will use them to sneak a look or two when he’s suddenly sharing space with a man who looks like a Greek god.

That does not mean he has a crush, Paul.

(and, sure, maybe he does sometimes dream about how soft Carlos’s lips look and the soft blush he gets when he laughs and those little flecks of gold in his eyes, but he’s only human)

(how TK knows about the gold in Carlos’s eyes is none of anybody’s business)

The thing about Carlos Reyes is that he isn’t only stupidly hot; he’s also just plain nice. TK can’t even make up a flimsy excuse to keep his distance. Carlos is, quite literally, perfect.

He shares recipes and book recommendations with Paul, he spars with Marjan, he discusses superheroes with Mateo, and Judd has had nothing but good things to say since before Carlos even joined them. Apparently they’d worked together a lot before the explosion, when Carlos was with the 116, and he’s ‘one of the best damn firefighters’ Judd has ever seen.

He even makes time to hang with the paramedics, which...isn’t a new development, exactly. But it is recent, and TK is willing to bet they’d still be pretty divided if Tim hadn’t suddenly transferred back to Maryland and he hadn’t taken the leap to be a full paramedic.

Even after that… His friends were hardly going to abandon him after he switched, but Nancy had still only been semi-included at best. She’d called him out about it during their first week working together, but fixing it had been a slow process.

Until Carlos came along, that is. Excluding Judd, they all regularly hang out at his place now, and Nancy’s inclusion had never even been a question. Safe to say, Carlos has charmed everyone in the firehouse, including both captains, and the worst part is, he doesn’t seem to realise he’s doing it.

He’s perfect, from his freakishly toned body to his infuriatingly sweet personality to his incredible skills in the field, and TK does not have a crush, goddammit!

One morning about three weeks after Carlos’s arrival, TK is greeted in the firehouse by the sound of a long, beautiful laugh coming from the kitchen. Three weeks is an embarrassingly short amount of time to admit that he’s memorised everything about him, but he instantly recognises the noise as coming from Carlos, even if he can’t see him yet.

He saunters into the kitchen, where Carlos is standing with Paul, and leans up against the counter. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Carlos turns with a winning smile and holds out a steaming mug of coffee, clearly freshly made even though TK only got in two minutes ago.

He blinks. “How—” Then, taking in the slight pinkness to Carlos’s cheeks, “Are you seriously offering me your own coffee, Reyes?”

Carlos shrugs, forcing the mug into TK’s hands. “I only just made it so technically it belongs to anyone, and I can always make another,” he says. “Besides, you look like you could use it more than me.”

His grin has TK narrowing his eyes and stubbornly refusing to drink even though Carlos is right—he really, really needs it.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that was an insult.”

“Who says you do know better?”

TK splutters, momentarily left speechless in the face of Carlos’s smile and the twinkle in those goddamn eyes. He turns to Paul for help, but Paul...has disappeared. Huh. TK honestly hadn't noticed him go.

He shakes his head and looks back to Carlos, only to be stunned silent again by the way his smile has softened into something else, something more.

TK’s heart skips a beat or two and he swallows, staring down into Carlos’s coffee. “Whatever, Reyes,” he mutters.

It was too late for a witty comeback anyway.

Carlos’s laugh follows him out of the kitchen, and TK wonders when, exactly, he let himself fall this far.

“Earth to TK? Hello?”

TK is rudely snapped back to reality by one Nancy Gillian’s hand waving violently in his face. He scowls at her, to which she responds with an eye roll.

“Stop drooling over your man and come help me with inventory.”

“I’m not drooling,” TK argues, following her over to the rig. “And he’s not my man.”

“Right,” Nancy drawls, folding her arms over her chest as she leans against the ambulance. “So you’re just going to deny that weird energy around you two that makes the rest of us feel like we’re creeping on something?”

“Exactly.” TK nods emphatically, then frowns. “Wait, what?”

Nancy casts her eyes heavenward. “You know,” she says, “you’re a lot of things, Strand, but I hadn’t pegged you for oblivious.”

TK’s next words are reflexive, said without thought for the consequences—the story of his life, really.

“I’m not oblivious!”

The grin spreading over Nancy’s face rams home just how much he’s fucked up with those three words. TK drops his head in his hands and groans, unable and unwilling to look Nancy in the eye.

“Not a word,” he warns, which Nancy appears to respect, for now. TK is well aware that there will be words—several of them—later, whether he wants them or not.

The thing is, he really isn’t oblivious. He knows perfectly well what Nancy is talking about and he has often fantasised about all the things he’d do to Carlos given half a chance. TK likes Carlos, way more than just in the physical sense, and he’s pretty sure that Carlos likes him right back. It would be so easy to start something between them and, god, TK wants to. He just… He can’t.

One year—that’s what he promised himself back in New York. One year on his own to sort his head out and figure out how he fits back into the world after the overdose. Granted, his sobriety anniversary is only a couple of months away now, but he refuses to give up on his promise, especially when he’s so close.

Maybe in a couple months, if Carlos hasn’t gotten bored of something that’s clearly going nowhere.

But not now.

“He did not ask me out!”

“He totally did, dude, and you know it. You want to say yes, I can tell.”

“No, I don’t. I—”

“Children,” Tommy interrupts from the back of the ambulance. They’re heading to a callout, and Nancy has not let up the entire way about something TK is certain never actually happened. “Either of you want to enlighten me on what the argument is about this time?”

“TK’s too chicken to go out with Carlos,” Nancy jumps in, before TK can stop her.

“I am not!” he protests. “Plus, he wasn’t asking me out, he said we should go over to his place for dinner sometime, which Carlos does all the time. So there.”

“Strand, you are not this dense,” Nancy snarks, probably rolling her eyes. “His exact words were, ‘You should come over sometime’.”

“We were all there! It was obviously the plural you.”

“Oh my god—”

“Alright!” Tommy sighs wearily. “Nancy, can we keep from provoking TK until we’re back at the firehouse and he’s no longer driving?”

“Ha!” TK exclaims, but Tommy’s not done.

“TK, if I weren’t your captain, I’d be telling you that Nancy is right and you should pull your head out of your ass before it’s too late, understand?”

Now it’s Nancy’s turn to be triumphant as TK struggles to form a coherent response. Thankfully, he’s saved from further torment by them finally pulling up at the scene—a warehouse where one of the workers had become trapped after parts of the upper level walkway had broken and fallen. Apparently, the falling metal had caused some of the machinery to malfunction, turning the call from simple to beyond complicated in a matter of minutes.

“TK, grab your turnout gear and your bag; I’m sending you in with them,” Tommy informs him as soon as they’re out of the rig. “Normally, we’d just talk the firefighters through it over radio, but given your training it’ll be quicker and safer for you to deal with our patient.”

TK grins; he’s missed the adrenaline rush of running into emergencies more than he can say. “Got it, Cap.”

“Maybe try and look a little less happy about a serious injury, too.”

“Copy that.”

The noise when they enter the warehouse is deafening, an ugly screeching cutting right through TK’s skull.

“Shouldn’t they have shut the machines off?” he shouts, fighting to be heard.

“Apparently they can’t,” Judd calls back. “Something wrong with the control panel, I don’t know exactly what.”

TK groans—just what they need. The sound is lost in the din, but Carlos still looks over and gives him a sympathetic grin, shrugging in a ‘what can you do’ motion. TK can’t help but grin back, the mere sight of Carlos easing the annoyance he feels and the headache already beginning to build behind his eyes.

Their patient, when they reach him, is pinned under a large, heavy-looking sheet of metal. He’s bleeding from a gash on his temple and his skin is worryingly pale, to the extent that TK can tell even from a distance. He jogs to the patient’s side and kneels down, pressing his fingers against his neck.

“Cap, I have a pulse,” he reports into his radio after a few seconds. “But he’s unconscious with a head wound, and I think there are probably injuries I can’t see yet. Possible spinal damage, but I can’t tell until we’ve got this metal off him.”

“Copy that,” Captain Vega says. “Get ready to run a line; he’s gonna need it as soon as he’s free.”

TK nods and moves to secure a c-collar around his neck. “We need to cut this thing off of him,” he says, addressing the team. “Quickly, but carefully.”

Judd steps forward, brandishing the saw. He hands TK a couple of spare turnouts and kneels on the patient’s other side. “Couple of you need to cover him, and yourselves.”

TK doesn’t even have to ask before Carlos appears next to him, taking one of the turnouts from him. He smiles gratefully before arranging himself to provide maximum protection to all three of them as Judd starts working on the metal. The vibrations from the saw are unpleasant, and TK dreads to think what effect it’s having on the already unstable machinery, but it’s the only option they have to get their patient free.

Fortunately, everything seems to go off without a hitch, and soon the team are able to remove the metal. TK immediately gets to work, feeling for any damage. As he suspected, there’s a pretty large gash on the man’s leg which is bleeding badly, though thankfully it seems to have missed any arteries. He also seems to have a broken wrist, but he should heal.

TK quickly wraps his leg, then gets Carlos and Judd to help move him onto the spine board. It feels like, for once, the call has gone as smoothly as possible, and TK allows himself a breath of relief as they prep to get the guy outside to the ambulance.

Naturally, that’s when everything goes to hell.

The machine closest to them lets out a threatening groan and shudders before there’s a loud roar and it explodes. On instinct, TK folds himself over the patient as shrapnel rains down on them, and he sees Carlos doing the same in his periphery.

The downpour seems to last forever, but eventually it slows and comes to a stop. TK cautiously lifts his head, his heart pounding, and sags in relief as it seems that the worst is over.

They need to get out of here, now.

He stands, a brief stab of pain running through his back—probably because of his awkward position over the patient—and turns to Carlos, reaching to offer him a hand up.

Only to see Carlos’s face tight with agony, and then the cause—a jagged piece of shrapnel running right through his hand.

“Carlos,” TK breathes, horrified. Carlos looks up at him, his breathing carefully measured and his eyes wide, and TK drops back to his knees, reaching out for him. “It’s okay, I’ve got you, don’t worry.”

Carlos swallows and nods, his eyes squeezing tight. TK’s heart rate skyrockets, and he’s barely able to keep his cool as he signals to the others to get their first patient out of the warehouse.

“Cap, the team are bringing him out, but we have a problem.”

“Talk to me, Strand, what’s going on?”

“It—It’s Carlos.” TK breathes out shakily and takes a moment to steady himself before continuing, “It’s not serious, but some of the machinery broke apart and some shrapnel impaled his hand. I’ve got to stabilise the shard before we come out to you.”

“Alright, but hurry. I don’t want you guys in there for longer than necessary.”

“Copy.”

Stabilising the shrapnel with rolls of gauze and wrapping Carlos’s hand should be a matter of course—it’s an easy process that TK could probably do in his sleep. But this is Carlos, so his damn hands won’t stop shaking and he almost fumbles and drops his supplies.

He manages though, and soon he’s helping Carlos up, instructing him to hold his injured hand above his heart. Carlos sends him a wobbly smile, which ends up turning out to be more of a grimace, but it’s a comfort nonetheless. Things could have gone so much worse today; TK could have even lost him, and he would have never been able to—

But that’s not important. Carlos is okay, or he will be, and they still have plenty of time to figure out whatever this is between them.

Everything will be okay.

TK’s back and side twinge again as they make their way out, but he brushes it off, too focused on getting Carlos to the hospital as fast as possible. Tommy shakes her head as they make their way over, her eyebrows raised despite the concern clearly in her expression.

“Never a peaceful moment with you, Strand, is it?” she asks dryly, hissing as she inspects Carlos’s wound.

“In my defence, Cap,” he says, more at ease now that they’re safe, “it’s not me who’s injured this time.”

Tommy hums, then directs Carlos into the back of the rig, jumping in after him. “Get back here, TK. Nancy’s driving.”

She has a teasing look in her eyes that instantly makes TK suspicious, but he moves to comply, shrugging off his turnout coat as he does. The movement hurts, which is weird, but he thinks nothing of it.

At least, until Tommy’s eyes go wide and she stands from her seat, holding her hands out towards him. “TK, do not move,” she instructs, her eyes firmly fixed on his right side.

TK frowns, then follows her gaze down, and— Oh.

His grey undershirt is stained with blood, and it’s difficult to miss the large piece of metal sticking out of his side. He has no idea how he missed it, but now that he knows, the pain slams into him full force, causing him to stagger.

“Oh,” he gasps, eloquently.

Then, his legs buckle and the world goes black.

TK wakes up to a steady beeping sound, which only exacerbates his pounding headache. He groans, scrunching his face up, before slowly peeling his eyes open, almost slamming them shut again after getting an eyeful of obnoxiously bright fluorescents.

“You’re awake,” a voice says, sounding surprised, then the lights suddenly dim, the room lit by the gentle glow of a lamp. TK sighs in relief and shifts to look at his saviour.

It’s Carlos.

“You… You’re here,” TK states, confused. His gaze drifts down Carlos’s body and lands on the white bandages around his hand, the memories of the warehouse suddenly hitting him all at once. “Shit, you— How are you?”

Carlos shakes his head and comes to sit in the chair by TK’s bed. “I can’t believe you’re the one asking me that.”

“I’m a paramedic, it’s my job.”

“Not when you’re the one in the hospital bed,” Carlos counters, sighing. “If you must know, I’m fine. They gave me some pretty good drugs, so…” He shrugs, and TK can’t help but laugh, which proves to be a very bad idea.

His side lights up, an unnecessary reminder that TK is very much not on the good drugs, and he moans softly, slowly settling back in the bed. “I hate you,” he mumbles, eyes closed.

“You love me,” Carlos says, and TK’s heart seizes in his chest.

The silence after his words is deafening, so TK forces himself to crack his eyes open enough to look at him. Carlos is frozen in his chair, biting his lip hard, and he looks like he either wants to bolt or be swallowed by the earth.

TK thinks he should probably be feeling the same. They’ve been dancing around this issue for weeks now, and he’d thought he had it under control. That he could last that little bit longer until his one year was up; that he could ignore these feelings that have been steadily growing since he first laid eyes on Carlos.

It was a hopeless endeavour; he recognises that now. TK remembers the fear he felt when Carlos was injured back at the warehouse, the desperation for him to be better, and now with his own injury…

He could have lost this chance before he ever got it, and TK isn’t about to let it slip through his fingers now. He reaches out and takes Carlos’s good hand, startling him into meeting TK’s eyes.

“Yeah,” TK whispers, just loud enough for Carlos to hear him. “I think I do.”

The smile Carlos gives him lights up the room, and he doesn’t waste any time in leaning down to kiss TK. And it’s… It’s everything TK had hoped and imagined it would be and more. It’s soft and sweet and gentle and perfect, and he never wants it to end.

But end it does, though Carlos doesn’t go far. TK smiles at him, squeezing his hand with all the strength he can muster.

“That’s a yes, by the way,” he says.

Carlos frowns. “What?”

TK’s smile widens and he flicks his eyebrows at Carlos. “To dinner. Or were you not asking me out after all?”

Carlos huffs a laugh, and the look in his eyes when they lock back onto TK’s melts his heart and makes his entire chest ache. “Does Friday work for you?”

He nods, tugging Carlos down for another kiss. “It’s a date.”

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beeexx · 3 years

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A little Tarlos moment fron 2x09

Read on ao3

TK’s headache has moved further down from his forehead, to settle like a blanket of pain wrapped over his eyes instead. It makes sitting in the uncomfortable hospital chair all the more worse, the bright light doing nothing other than adding to his growing discomfort and slight nausea. He is tapping his leg, the sound bouncing off the quiet sleepy room, and he thinks that the only reason Marjan hasn’t whacked him to make it stop is because she’s still pitying him over his brief spell in a room similar to the one Judd is in for a concussion that still hasn’t completely gone away. He moves his head between his legs, closes his eyes to try and drown out some of the blinding lights and breathes through his nose.

He keeps bouncing his leg though.

TK hates hospitals. He has many reasons for disliking them but he’s never had to spend a night on the edge of his seat, worried sick for people he cares about before, not in this capacity at least and it’s making him feel sick.

The worst thoughts rush through to the surface unbidden. What if he never gets to see either one of them again, hear them laugh, joke around with Judd, dinner at their place every other Sunday. What if Judd doesn’t make it? What if Grace dies? What if -

“Hi, you okay?” It’s Carlos of course, back from his coffee run, who gently places a hand on his shoulder. TK tenses for a moment, caught off guard and suddenly ready to bolt right out of his seat. He can’t fully tamper down his reaction and Carlos notices of course. TK thinks he’s probably frowning and it doesn’t take long for Carlos to start to shuffle around until he’s sitting on the ground in front of TK, coffee cup left forgotten on the chair. TK opens his mouth-

“Don’t tell me you’re fine, it’s very obvious that you aren’t.” Carlos chastises making TK look up from the ground he’s been staring holes at. His lip twitches though and he nods.

“Yeah, I won’t.” He promises and it makes Carlos’ worry lines less prominent for a moment. His hair is still a little sleep tussled, a few strands of curls at the back Carlos spends ages on each morning to lie flat are now loose and he looks tired, he is probably as tired as TK feels.

It’s been just a few days since the kidnapping and TK’s gotten used to having a particularly sort of nasty headache as his daily companion since then, ruining both his days and nights with spells of pain that won’t go away. Well, it’s probably ruined Carlos’ nights too, judging by the growing circles underneath his eyes, and TK’s constant tossing and turning every time they’re in bed. It’s been a few days of bad sleep and lounging around the house with Carlos worrying. It makes TK feel really bad, he hates it when Carlos worries about him.

Both he and Carlos had however gotten their best night’s sleep in days when the call came through, waking them both and sending TK into a near panic attack when he heard what had happened. He’s strung so ridiculously tight he’s scared he’s going to snap in half and he goes back to bouncing his leg, trying to distract from his discomfort, averting his eyes.

“Hey, no shutting me out.” Carlos gently cups his chin and forces him to meet his eyes, thumb stroking up and down in comforting motions, eyes kind and understanding. TK sighs but he nods.

“Sorry.” His voice cracks and he clears his throat, trying to get the lingering thickness away. He looks away for a moment, sees Mateo is asleep with his head resting on Paul’s shoulder while Paul is reading, frowning slightly as his eyes move across the text, flipping pages now and then. Marjan left with Tommy a while back to go do something TK isn’t sure of exactly and he hasn’t seen his dad for a while either. They are all somewhere near of course, lurking, in case something changes.

“I’m scared.” TK keeps his voice down though, just in case. Carlos nods and moves his hands to cover TK’s thighs, pressing gently down on his right leg to stop the movement. It’s an involuntary reaction on TK’s end that he stops, the effect of Carlos’ touch on him, anchoring, calming him down almost immediately. Carlos gently squeezes his knee.

“I know baby, I am too. But the doctors are optimistic and we have to believe them.”

“They are cautiously optimistic and I don’t know what that means in doctor lingo but cautiously sounds like it’s not something to celebrate yet.” He mutters.

“Maybe not, but it’s not cause for sitting here looking close to fainting either. I don’t think Judd would like it if you ended up in a hospital bed yet again after getting out of one so soon.”

“I would do it if it would make him wake up and bust my balls.”

Carlos' mouth twitches.

“He’s going to wake up.” Carlos says with such conviction TK believes him.

“But what about Grace?” He whispers, dread filling his stomach. Grace with her kind eyes, easy smiles, never ending patience and generous support TK’s not realised he’s cherished this much until she’s suddenly been hurt, with the outlook not seeming good. He is scared, terrified even that she might not make it. He doesn’t know what it would do to Judd if that was to happen. Carlos grows serious and his eyes travel to the room she is in, sadness passing over his features. With Michelle gone a lot Carlos and Grace had formed an easy friendship to fill up that empty space, and so it wasn’t totally unusual that when TK came home after shifts to find Grace and Carlos out on the patio together, drinking lemonade and chatting away, smiles wide and whatever task they had said they would do, long forgotten. It’s not just TK it pains to see Judd and Grace hurt, it pains Carlos just as much and TK immediately reaches forward, cupping Carlos’ cheek and leaning his forehead on his, offering his comfort up like it’s second nature. They both exhale, breathing through it together.

“It’s going to be okay, it has to.” Carlos says quietly and gives himself over to the worry for a moment before he pulls himself together, pushing the worry down. TK knows compartmentalising like Carlos can do is something that isn’t always the healtihest of coping mechanisms. Right now though, TK isn’t going to say anything, god knows he has a terrible track record of bad ways to deal with things, and he wishes at this moment that he could do it too, push it down and focus on something else.

“The doctors say Judd is going to wake up but it will be a few hours until then, so we’re going to have to believe that everything is going to be okay. In the meantime why don’t we go home and shower and change clothes.” He suggests.

“Not to sleep?”

“I’m not aiming that high today, I don’t think either of us will be able to do that. But you don’t look too good right now and it’s worrying me a little, so instead of checking you into this hospital myself I suggest we go back to mine and recharge for a moment and come back with food for everyone. I’m sure they’ll all need it.”

It’s a distraction, probably as much for Carlos as it is for TK, but it’s a distraction born out of kindness and a big heart, the need to do something other than sit here and worry sick. Carlos, TK has learnt during this year, is the kind of person that needs to do something, he’ll feel absolutely useless sitting still. His brain works best when he’s doing things while TK tends to be the other way around, shutting down, unable to do anything other than freezing, standing still in his growing anxiety, until everything boils over and the urge to either get high or do something almost as equally stupid gets too much and he can’t stop it, sending him down bad paths.

So he takes the opportunity and nods. Carlos gets to his feet and holds his hand out for him. TK takes it and gently and carefully Carlos pulls him to his feet and wraps an arm around him immediately. For a moment TK snuggles close, nosing at Carlos’ neck before he moves his head away, focusing on walking instead.

“How’s your head?”

“Sore.” He admits out loud and Carlos frowns. “It’s feeling more like a migrain though so maybe it’s just stress?”

“Maybe, do you want an ice pack?” TK thinks of saying no but he isn’t looking forward to getting into the car with the raging monster banging against his eyelids so he nods. Carlos gently kisses his forehead, squeezes his hand before he walks away, leaving TK alone in the mostly deserted hallway, with his thoughts again.

Being a firefighter has made TK somewhat immune to certain high risk situations, gruesome injuries, fright so visceral people become unpredictable, or shock so silent it feels it lasts for days unable to break free of, and death too, to some extent at least. His dad’s cancer, which had been a suffocating presence, expanding each day inside of TK’s ribcage, making it impossible to focus on anything other than it, giving him little room to exist outside of the anxiety and constant worry. Tim more recently, which had been quick and taking the breath out of him, slamming straight into TK like a block of concrete, catching him unaware.

His own overdose is a reminder that it takes different shapes.

And then this. Relentless, big, sudden. Impossible to escape. Scary.

They all wear their worry on their faces and clinging desperately to hope that feels like it’s dimming with each moment he stands here.

He twists the string of Carlos’ APD hoodie, the first thing he had gotten his hands on when they were rushing to get here in the middle of the night. It was a few hours ago now and there hasn’t been an update for a while now, other than that they can only wait which anyone knowing him should be aware he’s terrible at.

Carlos comes back shortly after, holding the promised ice pack, TK looks behind him at a nurse with red cheeks and a bright smile as she watches them.

“Carlos Reyes did you flirt with a nurse to get me this?” But he accepts it gratefully and presses it to his face, exhaling in relief at the cold seeping onto his clammy skin.

“I charmed her more likely, by talking about my very cute but bratty boyfriend.”

“Yeah I’ve changed my mind, I don’t care how you got it, I’m just happy that you did.” Carlos snorts and ruffles his hair.

They drive back and Carlos helps TK up the stairs before he disposes of him gently onto the bed. When he goes to leave, TK tugs him back, holding tightly onto his hand.

“Where are you going?” He sounds small, he feels small right now.

“Just to get some water, I’ll be right back -” But TK shakes his head, moves the pack of ice away and pulls harder on Carlos’ hand until he gets the hint and climbs into the bed. TK pulls him close, arms wounding around his neck and tucks his face into Carlos’ neck. Carlos' hands come to rest on his waist, big and strong, secure around TK. He feels the heath of them through the shirt he is wearing. He can feel Carlos’ heartbeat against his ribcage too, riverbating through him.

Still here. Still alive.

TK is used to danger.

But he isn’t used to this kind of danger, when it feels deeply personal, like an attack.

And it’s all so sudden, after Carlos’s suspension that has luckily been lifted but had given him enough stress and worry making TK wish he could march into Carlos’ precinct and yell at his boss that one of their best officers deserved better. It comes too soon after he was taken hostage and hurt, the wound hasn’t even begun to heal and it’s been roughly torn open again making TK feel so goddamn unsteady, the fear he’s suddenly been slammed with so tangible as it presses down on him from all sides. He feels he’s been edging closer and closer to a panic attack all night and the only thing that hasn’t sent him completely over the edge is having Carlos near.

But he’s also so goddamn scared suddenly. He’s suddenly terrified of losing Carlos. A car accident, those happen so often and maybe TK’s been naive but this has never felt like such a palpable threat to him before, until now. Until Judd and until Grace.

“Talk to me?” Carlos whispers, forcing TK out of his thoughts for a moment and TK hugs him closer, biting down the tears that have come unwillingly.

“You can never leave me.” The words come pouring out of him and his voice breaks, unable to be kept steady. He bites down hard on his lip but an audibly sniff escapes and when Carlos tries to move his head away TK hugs him tighter, not wanting any space left between them.

Carlos is quiet for a moment, but no longer than that. He takes his hands away from TK’s waist and wraps them gently around TK’s wrists to gently tug them away from his neck so he can look at him.

“What’s wrong?” He asks and takes TK’s hands in his, holding them delicately, stroking his thumbs soothingly across TK’s skin. TK angles them slightly against Carlos’ chest, closer to his ribcage, where he can feel the thumping of Carlos’ heart underneath his shirt. It comforts him, the only steady rhythm to latch onto at the moment, to try and steady his own breathing, copying the unwavering rise and fall of Carlos’ chest.

“I don’t know…” TK whispers, unable to meet Carlos’ eyes. He focuses on his and Carlos’ tangled hands, trails the blue veins with his eyes, Carlos’ slender and long fingers, trying to find the right words, while also buying some time.

“No?” Carlos gently pushes and TK shakes his head. “TK.” Carlos sighs before he cups TK’s cheek and angles it up so he can meet his eyes. TK blinks a few times to clear his watery eyes and Carlos wipes a stray tear away with his thumb, expression stricken, like it gets when he wants so badly to help but doesn’t know what to do.

“When I was taken hostage…” He begins, clears his throat a few times, can’t bear watching Carlos upset. “I didn’t really stop to consider how awful it was for you during those hours, and I haven’t been able to grasp the intent completely behind your worrying these few days and now it makes me feel like such an ass. But I understand it now too, what happened to Judd and Grace, it could happen to us too and it’s so scary, so scary Carlos, what if -” He stops, gulps down more tears and bites his wobbling lip hard.

“Hey, hey.” Carlos says gently and TK’s eyes snap to him. They are sad, but determined too. “It could, but even so I will always promise to fight to get back to you.”

“I wish you could promise me you won’t leave me or that I could promise that nothing’s going to happen to me.”

“Well knowing you, letting you out of my sight has proven to be a massive mistake, I swear you’re the most accident prone person I know.” TK wetly chuckles and Carlos’ mouth twitches, the joke easing the tension between them.

“I get scared too, all the time…” Carlos confesses and TK searches his face, reaches out automatically to smooth over the worryline on his forehead, itching to kiss it away.

“Yeah?” TK asks. Carlos nods.

“Yeah, all the time. Especially where you are concerned. But I do think it’s only normal with our jobs and so on. Just… I don’t know, try and be more careful?” The frown grows into a wry little smile and maybe if TK wasn’t so shook from earlier he would have joked it away, but he nods seriously instead.

“I promise. I will always come back, always. Even if I leave.” It’s a painful reminder of TK walking out on Carlos a few months back, still making TK feel ashamed of how he acted. But things are different between them now and walking away from Carlos and from everything they have built together and are going to continue building, that is not an option anymore. “Good.” Carlos whispers and kisses his nose making TK smile. “I will always come back too. Always. I will fight every day to make that promise true.”

“Me too.” TK promises, takes their intertwined hands and kisses the promise into their hands, hoping that the day will never come where he doubts it, doubts them and their future.

“We’re going to be okay.” Carlos promises and TK closes his eyes and rests his forehead on Carlos’, slowly starting to accept it.

“Yeah.” TK whispers.

“And so is Judd and Grace.”

TK isn’t fully there yet where he dares believe it to be true, but he isn’t giving up hope that it’s all lost either.

“So, how about a shower?”

TK opens his eyes, yawns before he stretches, pops his back and nods.

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”

Carlos helps him to his feet and in the bathroom they undress each other before they get in together. TK hums in content as the hot water washes over him and with it the last doubts he has about the future, down the drain where it belongs. As soon as Carlos joins him inside TK walks close, presses his body to Carlos’. It’s not sexual, but it’s a need, to have him near, to let the calmness of Carlos’ wash over him and bring with it a comfort only Carlos can bring out in him and judging by the harsh breath escaping Carlos’ he craves the contact almost as much as TK does. TK presses a soft kiss to Carlos’ heart and it grows comfortable between them. That’s until Carlos decides to squirt shampoo loudly on top of TK’s head, breaking them out of the moment. TK’s glare turns into a laugh and Carlos’s eyes sparkle, so very much alive and TK’s insides flutter.

They shower for longer than what they had planned and when they do make it back to the hospital, carrying food from a place Carlos knows to be one of Grace’s favourite takeaways he feels better, more hopeful and willing to believe that things will work out. Carlos’ hair is messy from TK running his fingers through it, but his arm is secure around TK’s waist and TK’s leaning on his shoulder, watching their family help unpack the bags.

And then Judd wakes up.

#tarlos #tk x carlos #carlos reyes #tk strand #911 lone star #9-1-1 lone star #missing scene from 2x9 #tarlos fic #911 lone star fic

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tngrace · 4 years

Note

“I really need you” please!

Thank you nonnie. this is gonna be another coda/extension of 2.03 with members of the 118 making an appearance in the story. I tweaked some of the dialog, and who said and did some things to make it fit where I was going with this. Plus it gave me an excuse to watch parts of the episode again, especially stealing the fire truck scene. 😍🤣

And @moviegeek03 thank you for being so wonderful and becoming a trusted friend. Have some of that TK whump we discussed. 😉 i’m pretty sure this is the most whump I've ever written in one setting. This also ended up being more Judd & TK focused than Tarlos.... not sure how that happened. 🤔

Prompt was from this list. I'm officially closing that list but please feel free to send me a request if you have one and I'll see if I can do anything with it.

4 word prompts masterlist- find all completed fics & requests waiting to be written here. I've got 2 left to write after this one.

TK was exhausted. They'd been working the wildfire for a week, getting little sleep. Out of state crews were to be arriving any minute, and he was hoping that would mean they could catch a break. He just wanted a little rest, and to talk to Carlos. The few texts they'd exchanged wasn't enough anymore.

Before he was able to find a quiet spot for a call, his dad called a meeting with all the out of state crews that had arrived. He let's out a deep breath and throws on his jacket, before joining his crew. Out of town crews made him uncomfortable just because he wasn't sure he could trust them. With his team, they knew each other's moves and thoughts as they worked together. He knew they needed the help, but he was leary. His leariness remained especially when he saw some guy constantly staring at Marjan. It set his already frayed nerves on edge.

TK is gathering shovels and picks with Mateo when he learns Judd, Paul and Marjan are abandoning them with one of the 118 crew members. To say he is not happy about it would be an understatement. He tries to put on his best face though, and he can’t turn off his friendly personality even though he tries when he realizes it's the guy who stared Marj down. Plus Mateo is doing his damnedest to engage him so TK throws in his own comments to try and help because he knows how personally Mateo takes things and he just wants to protect him.

The work is hard and tiring on his already tired body. Plus Buck just doesn’t seem to want to engage with him. TK understands though; Buck is probably feeling just as abandoned as he is by his team which he tries to convey to Mateo. At least TK still has Mateo; Buck was left by both of his other team members. As they’re comparing their wildest calls, TK sees a burning car rolling down the hill at top speed at them. He doesn’t even think; he just reacts diving towards Buck with a yell at Mateo to look out.

He collides full force with Buck, knocking him out of the way. He can feel the air knocked out of himself as well as they collide with the ground. They’re up and moving before his body can even process possible injuries, the adrenaline spurring them on. Once the fire is out, and the dog is reunited with his owner, TK doubles over to catch his breath. He can feel the struggle, knowing he must have sustained some bruising to his ribs when knocking Buck out of the way. He feels a twinge in his ankle too, but ignores it. He can’t afford to be hurt though with it being all hands on deck, so he takes as deep a breath as he can and stands back up before anyone can notice.

“So that was weird,” Buck says to him as they watch the guy retrieving his dog from Mateo.

“Right?” TK says with a confused look on his face.

“Nice moves by the way. Good reflexes,” Buck says with a smile on his face before he walks off to get back to work.

“Yea you too,” TK says watching the scene and still mentally trying to asses himself. He has enough medic training to know what he should be feeling for, and when all he can come up with is the soreness in his ribs, he decides to push on.

After that, Buck opens up more to them also explaining his fixation with Marjan earlier, and it makes the day pass faster. TK does his best to ignore the aching in his ribs and ankle. Buck notices how off TK would get at times, especially when he wouldn’t take a break from digging, but he brushed off every attempt Buck made at making sure he was ok. Mateo has noticed the same thing, but he also knows when to push and when not to push TK.

By night fall, they’re heading back down the mountain, still discussing their wildest calls, and TK is limping and having to pause his talking every now and then to catch a breath. His ribs and ankle are throbbing now, and he just wants some Tylenol and bed. Mateo effectively ends their pissing contest on who has the wildest calls, but before he can even contemplate the fact that Probie was the voice of reason, they encounter the rest of their teams minus his dad and Hen.

They tease them about already having their feet up, but one look at Judd and Marjan and TK knows somethings wrong. “What? What’s wrong?” he asks feeling the panic building under his skin. It’s not ideal for his ribs, but he can’t stop it, not with the way they’re looking at him.

“You didn’t hear did you?” Marjan finally asks finding her voice first. TK is looking between all of them as he hears Buck ask, “hear what?”

Paul speaks up then, explaining how his dad and Hen went up to provide air support to find the missing kid. TK’s eyes never leave them as he listens, his breathing becoming more erratic the longer Paul talks. When he hears the fateful words that the chopper went down, he’s almost positive he stops breathing. He feels his world tilting; he feels his knees giving out, but before he hits the ground again, Judd is off the back of the ATV so fast TK is not sure how it happens.

“Woah there brother,” he says his arms coming underneath TK to catch him. TK can’t stop the whine when Judd’s hands connect with his sore ribs. “What the hell?” Judd asks him as he holds him up.

“Uh... I might can help with that,” Buck says when TK refuses to answer Judd. He explains how TK saved him from the runaway car, and how he’d been limping and breathing weird ever since. He explains that he tried to get TK to take it easy, but TK insisted he was fine and kept working.

“Of course he did,” Judd says before muttering under his breath about idiot little brothers.

“Uh... Judd,” Paul and Marjan say at the same time as TK’s erratic breathing becomes extremely apparent and his eyes glass over.

“Fuck,” Judd grunts as he takes more of TK’s weight. “Let me get him calmed down and then you can check him over,” he tells Eddie before more or less dragging TK off to the first quiet spot he can find. They’ve been down this road with TK’s panic attacks before, and Judd seemed the best to handle them.

He gets TK seated before coming around in front of him and placing his hands on TK’s shoulders. “Hey kid. Eyes on me,” he says as one of his hands come up to cradles TK’s neck to keep his head from lolling too much. He can tell TK has really worked himself up this time, by the glassy look in his eyes and how TK doesn't appear to hear him. “TK! Look at me,” he says sternly as he finally gets TK’s eyes on him. He takes TK’s hand and places it along his own chest so TK can feel his breaths.

“I’m gonna call Carlos and you’re going to focus on breathing,” Judd tells him digging in his pocket for his phone while making sure TK stays with him. “Slow and steady,” Judd reminds him as he focuses on keeping his own breaths even for TK to match.

“Gracie!” Judd says when she picks up. “I need you to get me Carlos. TK is having a panic attack, and he needs to talk to him,” Judd relays. He knows she’s working tonight, and he’s not sure about Carlos so he did the only thing he knew would guarantee Carlos would answer. It doesn’t take Grace five minutes before she has Carlos on the line. Judd quickly explains what has happened and that he needs Carlos to talk to TK.

He puts the phone on speaker so he can go back to holding TK’s head up. “Alright Reyes you’re on speaker. He can hear you,” Judd relays and he steadies his breathing once more for TK.

“Ty, you’re ok. I’m here. Judd’s there. You’re whole team is there. I know you’re tired. I know you’re exhausted, but I need you to focus on breathing for me ok?” Carlos murmurs softly. Judd can tell TK is focusing more listening to Carlos and he tells him to keep talking.

Slowly but surely TK comes back around and his breathing is more even. “Carlos,” he finally says in a choked whisper when he realizes his boyfriend is talking to him.

“Yea love, I’m here,” Carlos says as TK finally reaches for the phone from Judd.

“You good? You’re not gonna kill over on me are you?” Judd asks him as he sees TK sitting up more on his own.

“I’m good,” TK promises as Judd finally passes him the phone.

“Five minutes little brother, and then I’m letting the Army medic check you over,” he warns before giving TK time to talk to Carlos.

TK takes the phone off speaker, but he knows Carlos has already heard. “Ty? Why is the medic looking you over?” he asks TK with worry clearly seeping through his tone.

“Judd’s being overprotective as usual,” TK says but he knows Carlos doesn’t buy it. He lets out a sigh and then winces when his ribs twinge. “I’m tired, exhausted really. I saved one of the other guys from a different team today from a runaway car. The collision with the ground may or may not have bruised my ribs, and I may or may not have tweaked my ankle, but I’m fine,” he tries to stress not wanting his boyfriend to worry anymore.

“Tyler,” Carlos stresses knowing TK is not fine. If he was fine, Judd would not have had to call him tonight.

“Ok, I’m not fine,” TK admits trying to hold his tears off. “I’m hurt. I’m tired, so tired. Dad is possibly hurt or dying or we don’t know. He.. He crashed in a helicopter and no one’s heard from him, and I just... I just got him back from the cancer, and I just almost lost him last week. I just.. I can’t... I can’t... I can’t do this again. I can’t lose him. I can’t... ” he gets out in a rush with his breathing hitching and his ribs protesting.

“Easy Tiger. Breathe,” Carlos calms. “Breathe TK. It’s going to be ok.” TK tries his level best to control his breathing and stop the tears once more.

“I just really need you,” he gets out as a few stray tears fall. “I don’t think I can do this.”

TK can hear background noise and Carlos talking to someone in Spanish, before Carlos is telling him he will come. “Wait? Who was that? Where are you?” TK asks knowing Carlos rarely uses his Spanish unless he’s on the phone with his family or on a call where he needs to use it. TK doesn’t think Carlos is working, which means he must be with or around his family.

“I was at my parents,” Carlos tells him. “But I’m coming to you, ok?”

“What? No! You can’t!” TK says feeling the panic rise once more. Carlos won’t even broach the topic of his parents with him, and TK doesn’t know why. He hasn’t had the time to question Carlos on it either between Tim’s death and being called out to assist with the wildfire, but TK knows it’s something. But the last thing TK wants is to pull Carlos away from his family knowing how little time Carlos gets with them. Besides he doesn’t want Carlos near this fire either.

“TK it’s fine. I can be there within three hours. Just breathe baby,” he says when he hears TK’s hitching breath once more.

“Carlos no. Don’t. Stay with them, please,” TK begs the tears falling faster now despite how much he tries to stop them. It’s amazing how broken down and non-cooperative the body can get when it reaches the stage of exhaustion TK is in. He doesn’t want Carlos’s parents to have a bad impression of him if they know about him, or for them to be mad he’s pulling Carlos away when they rarely get to see him. It's causing his panic to rise once again.

Judd has returned to force TK into being checked over and notices the tears and erratic breathing once more. “Damn it kid,” he says as he kneels in front of him again. He once again places TK’s hand along side his chest, before putting the phone back on speaker. Carlos is doing his best to get TK to listen and calm down, but Judd finally has to speak up.

“It’s not working. Look I’m gonna see if I can get him calm,” he tells Carlos who then explains what happened. Judd sighs knowing TK’s mind is just too worn down at this point. “Drive safe,” he tells Carlos before hanging up knowing it’s useless to try and tell Carlos to stay in Austin.

“Alright kid, breathe with me,” Judd instructs as he forces TK to focus on him and breathe. Once TK is breathing normally again, Judd motions for Eddie to come over and check him out. The others have gone to the command tent to see if they can reason with the Commander. Judd would love to be in there helping them, but he knows his anger would get the best of him because he knows what the Commander is going to say. Besides TK needs him and that is his top priority right now.

Eddie checks TK over, noticing the dark bruising along his ribs. He feels of them making TK wince as he apologizes but they both know it has to be done, and while they don’t feel broken, with the bruising he thinks one might be cracked. “I’m good,” TK tries to say, but Judd ain’t buying it.

“Just let him wrap your damn ribs kid,” Judd says tossing Eddie an ace bandage. “I know you’re not gonna stay in the tent and rest, even though that’s where you should be, so at least let us make sure you’re not going to do more damage.”

TK finally relents and Eddie does his best to stabilize TK’s ribs. He then moves on to check TK’s ankle, and once his boot is removed, the swelling is obvious. Eddie feels along it and determines it is just twisted. TK had come to the same conclusion, so he lets Eddie put a brace on it to keep from making it worse. Eddie leaves them with it once he’s finished his medical assessment, knowing Judd probably needs a minute with his kid brother.

“Look I know I’m not going to be able to keep you sidelined on this,” Judd started getting a definitive agreement from TK making Judd rolls his eyes hard. “But I want you to be smart about it, and try not to make your injuries worse.”

TK does agree to that, even though they both know once he's caught up in the moment, he'll forget his promise. He doesn’t want to be laid up anymore than Judd wants him injured. “Now wanna tell me why talking to your boy sent you into another spiral?” Judd asks as he helps TK up and towards a picnic table.

“Not really,” TK murmurs as he drops down to rest.

“Fine. I won’t make you talk if you don’t want to. I know what that’s like. But you know I’m here for you bub.” At TK’s nod, Judd announces he’s going to find them food and water and for TK not to move. TK decides he needs to inform his mom what is happening, so while Judd is gone he calls her. He’s just wrapping up the call when he feels someone walking up behind him. He assumes it’s Judd returning with the promised food and water, he had no plans of touching, but is surprised to see it’s Buck with pizza.

Even though Judd had told him not to move, TK is up and moving as Buck starts to talk. He doesn’t think he can handle any small talk, and he doesn’t want to talk about how he is. He just wants to find his dad, even though he knows deep down he is in no position to go out looking for him. Even though he knows it, he doesn’t think it’s going to stop him, especially when Buck holds up keys to the fire truck.

They grab their go bags and sneak through the command center. TK is a little slower than he’d like because of his ribs and ankle, but Buck is patient with him. TK tries to talk Buck out of going so he doesn’t get fired as well, but Buck doesn’t back down. TK is thankful because he knows he’s not fully up to going this alone. He gets frustrated easily when Buck doesn’t explain his total plan and tries to divert him from the 118′s truck. He just wants to get in it and go before Judd finds him.

It doesn’t take long for Judd to gather everyone up when he gets back to the table he’d left TK at and finds it empty. Eddie is the first to piece it together when he realizes Buck is also missing. They grab backpacks and race off to the fire trucks, splitting up to surround them when they see two bodies trying to sneak around. They flip on their flashlights and Judd speaks up before the guys make it to the 126′s truck.

“Hey! Dumbass! Dumbasser!” Judd calls out making them both freeze. TK knows he’s screwed by Judd’s tone of voice. He slowly turns to face Judd and realizes Paul and Mateo are with him. He sees Buck looking the other direction, so he can only assume Marjan and Eddie are there. “Did you stop and consider the consequences of what you’re about to do at all?” Judd asks shining his light on TK making him wince hard at the bright light as Paul shines his on Buck.

TK’s theory of Marjan and Eddie coming in from the other side is confirmed when they both speak up. “You obviously don’t know Buck.”

“You two didn’t seriously think that you could sneak off and drive into wildfires did you?” Marjan asks in an accusatory tone, making TK scrunch his face with a wince feeling like a scolded kid.

“Yes?” he says, more like asks, timidly. He’s hurting, he’s exhausted. He just wants to find his dad and sleep for a month. He wants this stupid wildfire over with so he can go back home.

“Well that ain’t gonna happen,” Paul finally pipes up. TK feels the defeat creeping in until Buck stands up to them. “You think you’re gonna stop us?” he asks.

“Stop you? We’re going with you,” Mateo supplies like an excited puppy going on his first adventure. “Come on let’s go,” Eddie say as everyone starts loading up.

TK and Buck share a look as everyone jumps into the truck. TK gives Judd a skeptical look making Judd roll his eyes. “Just get in the damn truck before I change my mind,” he huffs helping TK climb up. Once everyone is in, they take off up the mountain to find their captain and Hen.

Judd does his best to keep TK from over-exerting, but it’s useless. As soon as the truck stopped, TK was out and racing for the helicopter despite his limp. Judd watched from the sidelines as TK crawled all over it, screaming for his dad. He knew they weren’t there though; he knew Owen would’ve tried to get them somewhere safer. He can see the defeat creeping in to TK’s face. He decides to take the lead and tells everyone to fan out. He grabs TK and makes him come with him so he can keep an eye on him. He takes the backpack off TK’s back so it’s less he’s carrying and exerting himself.

Once Hen and Owen are found, Judd can’t stop TK from climbing into the mine to get to his dad. He knows TK is probably doing more damage to his ankle and ribs, but he can’t stop him. They’re able to get both Hen and Owen out safely and loaded in the trucks. TK sits next to his dad the whole way back, telling him over and over he’s going to be ok even though Owen is unconscious.

Since they were able to complete the rescue safely, their reprimands are minimal. Once they’re dismissed from the Commander, Judd steers TK to the medical tent. “No argument,” he says gruffly when he sees TK start to protest. “You are hurt. You are exhausted, and brother, I’ve lived through the kinda panic attack you hard earlier. You are resting. You are getting fluids and a proper medical assessment even if I have to tie your ass to the bed.”

“That won’t be necessary Judd,” they hear turning towards the voice. Carlos is standing there in uniform watching them. He’d used his badge and uniform shamelessly to get through to San Angelo as quickly as he could after hanging up with TK. He hadn’t explained it to his parents, just told them he had to go, and here he was.

TK’s eyes filled with tears before he could stop them. Carlos had really come. He was here. TK all but collapses in his arms, and Carlos catches him as always. “I’ll leave ya to it,” Judd says clasping Carlos’s shoulder before he goes to check on the captain.

Carlos gets TK over to a bed, and TK clings to him when Carlos tries to lay him down. “I’m not going anywhere Tiger,” he whispers as he finally gets TK stretched out. A medic comes and checks TK over, Judd having sent her over after detailing what he knew of TK’s condition. She starts an iv to run fluids before listening to his lungs. She doesn’t think anything is broken, but she does advise he take it easy in case one is cracked. She elevates his ankle wrapping it in ice and suggesting he rest for the time being. Carlos sits by his bed the whole time carding his finger through TK’s hair.

“I’m sorry you left your parents,” TK says quietly.

“Don’t,” Carlos tells him as he softly kisses him. “You needed me, and here I am. I always said I would come if you needed, and that doesn’t change just because I’m visiting my parents.”

TK gives him a sleepy nod, Carlos’s fingers working like magic as always to relax him. “Rest TK, and then we’ll go home and you can rest some more.” TK turns into Carlos’s touch giving a sleepy nod, before he lets his body succumb to the exhaustion and he falls fast asleep.

The out of town crews are dismissed while TK is sleeping. Eddie and Buck both check in on TK and see Carlos sitting beside him watching him sleep. They leave their numbers and well wishes with Carlos before following Hen to check on the captain. They let her have a moment with him, while they say goodbye to the rest of the team. The 126 decide to all catch some sleep now that the wildfire is contained. They know they’ll be dismissed to return to Austin soon, but they all need some much needed sleep. They check in on their Strand boys before they all crash for some much needed rest.

It’s the next day before they load the truck to head home. TK decides to ride back with Carlos letting his dad have room to stretch out in the back of the truck to rest as Judd drives them home. He’s still feeling the exhaustion, and he’s glad they have mandated time off. His head lolls against the window as Carlos drives them home. He knows over the next few days they’ll have to talk about his panic attack and how he freaked out again over Carlos’s parents, but for now he’s just glad to be back with Carlos and almost home.

#tarlos #tarlos fic #911 lone star #911 lone star fic #4 word prompt fic #writers life #big brother judd #judd & tk #126 & 118 #i love a fire fam #this is more fire fam than tarlos #but i got my tarlos moments in there

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bluenet13 · 3 years

Photo

Hay Amor en Todas Partes (Part 2/2)

Written for @badthingshappenbingo

Fandom: 9-1-1: Lone Star

Characters: T.K. Strand, Carlos Reyes, Firehouse 126 Crew (basically everyone is here)

Prompt: Losing Their Temper

Summary: After a night out, Carlos and TK encounter two men with nothing good to say. When tempers flare, punches fly, chaos ensues, and two become six, leaving Carlos and TK at their mercy.

Chapter 1

Links: ff.net - AO3

Judd and Grace were tangled together on the couch watching a movie when Judd's phone rang. Frowning, he grabbed it and looked at Grace in confusion, showing her the name on the screen. Confusion on both their faces, because sure, both Judd and Grace were friends with the officer but he rarely called them.

"Reyes?" Judd said, instantly putting the call on speaker. "Carlos, you there? TK?"

A grunt could be heard from the other end and the couple shared a puzzled look. "Is this some kind of joke?" Judd asked, managing to sound only mildly exasperated.

"Should we call TK?" Grace inquired, moving to her phone already.

Hearing another groan, and shuffling on the other side, Judd's features twisted to mild disgust. "Do you think they… are they-?" Judd cut himself short, shaking his head, not even wanting to think about what he could be hearing, and moved to end the call.

"Judson, wait," Grace directed, her hand coming to rest over his. "Turn the volume all the way up. I don't think this is an accidental call." And never one to question his wife, Judd did as directed.

While Judd spent his days saving lives in the physical world, Grace spent hers helping people through a phone, and nobody was better at her job than her. So now, she closed her eyes and listened. Opening them again and looking at her husband with horror in her eyes as soon as they both recognized the distinct sound of fists and feet connecting with a body, and various accompanying pained gasps and grunts.

"Carlos what the hell is going on? Where are you? We're coming to help," Judd screamed into the phone, but no response came. Then a gruff voice softly spoke, but it sounded far away so they could only make out the word 'alley'.

"Grace, call 9-1-1. Then call the crew, I want to stay on the line with Carlos," Judd directed, turning to his wife, even as he ran to their room to get a jacket and some shoes. "And don't bother calling TK, I'm sure whatever is happening they're together."

When Judd came back to the living room, Grace was already standing by the door, dressed and ready to go, keys already in her hand and phone pressed to her ear.

"Where do you think you're going?" Judd breathed out.

"To help. TK might be your teammate, but he and Carlos are my friends too. Let's go," Grace left no room for argument, and opened the door, not waiting for Judd to follow, just knowing that he would.

And so he did.

-x-x-x-

Carlos Reyes has always known he would die alone. It was a fact he had accepted the very day he enrolled in the police academy. And he had made peace with that notion, even if he wasn't fond of the idea. But right now, he cursed inwardly, because he had much rather die alone than face the possibility of TK dying alongside him, or even worse, instead of him.

TK Strand had almost died more than a few times, and long ago he had already questioned and accepted his own mortality, but he had never made peace with the idea of losing people close to him. And there was no one he wanted to lose less than Carlos Reyes, so right now, he stilled his nerves and told himself he would welcome death like an old friend, hoping destiny would see it as an invitation and chose to take him instead.

When the shot ran out, TK and Carlos both flinched. Hands unclasping as they both waited for the pain. Eyes going simultaneously wide as they reached the same conclusion when none came. Both, cop and paramedic, were too scared to turn around to their boyfriend and what they would find there, so instead they just closed their eyes and waited. Until the sounds of sirens gave them the little push they needed to continue being brave and turn to each other.

Simultaneous smiles reached their lips as they saw the other one was okay, and Carlos and TK collapsed in an embrace. Holding each other up, both hanging on for dear life.

Footsteps coming close broke the hug, and Carlos and TK fumbled and stumbled as they both tried to push the other behind. Neither sure of the upcoming threat, just focused on protecting their boyfriend. But the attempt was unnecessary because they were finally safe.

Aaron laid on the ground in front of them, blood pouring out from a sniper round to his head, and the other five men had disappeared, but most likely were currently being rounded by APD, if the blinking red and blue lights in every direction were any indication.

"Are you guys okay?" Marjan asked first.

"What the hell happened?" Judd added not a second later.

"Paramedics are on route," Grace directed, phone still pressed to her ear.

"Come on let us help you," Paul offered, holding out his hand.

"You both look like hell," Mateo said, because he just couldn't help himself.

TK and Carlos looked up and away from Aaron's body, to see their friends, their family, surrounding them. Everyone was there, Judd, Grace, Paul, Marjan, Mateo, even Nancy. All looking nervous and sounding more than a little bit breathless.

"What? Uh? How?" TK fumbled with the words, staring at the group with wide and still slightly frantic green eyes. "How did you find us?" He finally managed to whisper.

"You have to thank your boy over there," Judd drawled, his hands closed into fists at his sides.

Turning to Carlos, TK raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

"When, when they were focused on you, I took out my phone and tried to contact Judd. I couldn't send a message so I just left the call open. I thought of calling 9-1-1 but you never know who's going to get that call and if they're going to take something like this seriously. Besides, I already knew where the best operator in town was," Carlos explained, smiling shyly at Grace. "But I wasn't sure it had even worked. Sean was standing over me and I couldn't see the screen well," Carlos finished with a breathy laugh, one of pure relief.

"It worked, alright," Judd said proudly, "but what the hell happened?"

Both Carlos and TK deflated at that, neither wanting to relive the experience. But their friends deserved to know, especially because they had all paused their lives to be here, so they took turns telling the story. From the moment they left the bar until just now when the 126 rescued them from almost certain death.

"Bastards," Paul hissed, eyes darkened.

"I would kill him myself if he wasn't already dead," Judd mumbled, staring at Aaron's lifeless body, and only managed to look slightly regretful when Grace whispered a stern 'Judson'.

"I hope the other five rot in prison," Nancy said under her breath, and everyone else nodded.

"Damn, that sucks, dude. That's why you shouldn't go out without adult supervision," Mateo teased lightly.

"Not that you are that much of an adult, probie. But you're right. No more bars or nightclubs unless the crew is there," Marjan added with finality.

Still shaken and in pain, Carlos and TK couldn't help but laugh because their friends were truly something. But they wouldn't have it any other way.

"Can we go home, baby?" TK asked after a moment of silence, turning to his boyfriend.

"Yeah, we can," Carlos whispered, pushing TK's hair back and kissing him on the forehead, where a bruise was already forming.

"Uh no, you're both going to the hospital," Judd interjected.

"But -" Both TK and Carlos tried to say.

"No buts, if it was only one of you that was hurt, we all know the other one wouldn't have it any other way. So no arguing now, and just do as we say," Paul said, leaving no room for argument.

TK just pouted and tried to give the team his best puppy eyes but they were seemingly immune to his charm by now because they all shook their heads and turned around.

"Come on, Ty. We can make a date out of it," Carlos offered, groaning as he lifted himself from the ground and extended his hand to TK.

Taking it, TK kissed Carlos' bruised knuckles and mouthed a silent 'thank you'. Then let himself be pulled off the ground as they walked to the waiting ambulance, their weight supported in between Judd and Paul, the rest of the crew instinctively moving to surround them from all sides, enclosing the couple in a protective circle.

-x-x-x-

The next few hours were spent in the ER, both TK and Carlos going for countless x-rays, and scans. But in the end, their injuries were deemed to be painful and bothersome, but not life threatening. So when it was nearing 5 in the morning, they were finally discharged with clear instructions to take it easy, rest for the next few days, and come back if any of their symptoms or injuries worsened.

"Ready to go home?" Carlos asked TK as he helped him close the bottoms on his shirt. Thankful the team had brought them clean clothes so they didn't have to wear the bloody and dirty ones.

"I have never been more ready," TK said sincerely, pushing Carlos' hand away. "But, I'm not the one with three cracked ribs, I can dress myself."

"Yeah, but you're the one with two broken fingers, and a sprained wrist," Carlos said matter-of-factly.

"Can we stop comparing scars and get the hell out of here?" Paul deadpanned from the door, then turned around to shout something towards the waiting room. "They're decent guys, you're good to come in."

Carlos blushed and TK rolled his eyes, parting his lips to say something, but his attempt was interrupted as the rest of the 126 came into the room. Conversation flowing easily as if they had all been together in the room for the past few hours.

"Besides, I think we can all agree you both look like hell," Marjan added helpfully, the rest of the team nodding their agreement. Their words teasing, but their eyes betraying the concern and anger they were all feeling.

"What are you guys still doing here?" TK asked, ignoring their jokes, because he had already looked at himself in the mirror, and knew exactly how he looked.

"It's been hours, you should have gone home," Carlos agreed.

"Did you guys really think we would leave you alone after what happened?" Paul asked incredulously.

"Yes?" TK shrugged, but smiled at them anyways. "There's these helpful apps called Uber or Lyft if you guys didn't know, we would have called one."

"Dude, what's the point of having friends if you have to rideshare home from the hospital?" Mateo said softly, then looked uncomfortable when all eyes turned to him.

"Probie is right," Marjan said with a smile, clapping Mateo on the shoulder, "you guys are family and family don't let each other take an Uber from the hospital."

"Much less after getting the crap beat out of you by racist and homophobic assholes," Paul added under his breath, looking ready to murder someone if he could get his hands on any of the six men who attacked his friends.

"What's taking so long?" Judd popped his head inside the room, cutting all conversation short. "Come on, let's go. Tommy and Owen will meet us at your house."

Hearing his dad's name TK groaned and silently wondered if it was too late to ask his doctor to admit him for the night. Carlos picked up on his anxiety, and took his hand and squeezed softly.

"Did you really have to call him?" TK couldn't help but ask, "tonight, I mean. Couldn't you have waited until tomorrow?" He amended after everyone glared at him.

"Of course we had, we didn't all want to lose our jobs," Marjan said with a shrug, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably. Everyone was rattled, and no one was doing a good job of hiding it.

"At least this time it really wasn't your fault that you got hurt, so maybe Cap will take it better," Mateo offered, but even he sounded like he didn't believe his words.

"Or he might just finally decide to bubble wrap TK so he stops getting hurt," Nancy proposed, "I know Tommy and I were talking about it after the whole kidnapping incident."

"That actually sounds like a great idea," Carlos perked up at that.

"Shut up, Reyes, you're in the hospital too," TK mumbled.

"Behave boys," Grace said softly, in her best 9-1-1 dispatcher tone, calm and collected but firm in her opinion. "You know Captain Strand worries about you, TK. We waited to call him and Tommy after we knew more of what was happening, but we did after the doctor spoke to us. If it was the other way around and Owen was hurt, you would have wanted us to call you too."

"Thanks, Grace," Carlos breathed out, while TK only nodded, "actually, thank you all. We don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up with half the cops in the city." He did know, but he didn't want to voice those words. Instead choosing to end with his attempt at a joke.

"No need to thank us," Nancy said, stepping from the back of the room for the first time, "took me long enough to break Strand in after the last fiasco and parade of potential paramedics. I just can't deal with a new partner. And I'm sure your partner feels the same, Reyes."

Everyone laughed at that, but it never reached their eyes. T.K. and Carlos were okay now, but the events of the night would remain with them for some time. For now, the crew would just be there for their friends in whatever way they needed, and hope their love was enough to chase away any memories of what Aaron and his men had said and done.

-x-x-x-

Reaching their house a half hour later, Carlos and TK stepped out of Marjan's car with a groan, awkwardly leaning against the door and each other as they tried to steady themselves. Quickly getting out of his truck and the Camaro, respectively, Judd, and Paul ran to their friends, each setting one of their arms over their shoulders as they helped them to the front door.

Reaching the porch, Carlos smiled and TK groaned as Tommy, Owen, Gabriel and Andrea came into view, all of them instantly crowding the boys, fussing over them, asking questions, and offering to help. But thankfully, Paul took pity on them and respectfully pushed everyone away, sharing the doctor's words and reminding all their friends and family that Carlos and TK needed to rest.

As soon as they made it inside their home, they collapsed on the couch, both in pain but content to be in each other's arms and surrounded by their families and best friends. Once they were all settled around the living room, Owen handed them their prescriptions with two bottles of water, staying in front of them for an extra second as he looked them up and down. Seemingly satisfied with what he found, Owen nodded, squeezed both Carlos and TK's shoulders and stepped away. But visual confirmation wasn't enough for Tommy and Nancy as they insisted on checking the boys over, for their own benefit and mental peace. Gabriel and Andrea, for their part, went straight to the kitchen, setting bags on the counter and containers on the fridge. When they came back into the room, Carlos thanked his parents and hugged them both, silently wondering when his mother even had time to cook all that or if maybe she just had a stack of comfort food lying around on the fridge ready to go next time disaster struck.

Everyone then shared some small talk before they all left the house an hour later. The crew promising to be back on their next day off so they could play some video games or board games, while Owen and Andrea offered to return the next morning to make sure they were alright and help them around the house, and Gabriel vowed to get the Rangers on the case so these men could never attack or harass anyone ever again.

-x-x-x-

"Are you okay?" Carlos asked eventually, once they were finally alone in their bedroom, both just wearing boxers and a towel over their shoulders as they continued to air dry their damp bodies.

"Not really," TK said honestly, head tilting sideways as he looked at Carlos thoughtfully. The shower had helped, but it hadn't been enough to erase all the fears and worries after the night they just had. "But I will be. What about you?"

"Pretty much the same, but mostly just worried about you," Carlos admitted softly, fingers carding through TK's hair as Carlos stepped in between his legs, while TK sat on the bed.

"Why? I didn't go through this alone. It didn't just happen to me," TK explained, moving his hands to Carlos' hips and pulling him closer.

"Yeah, but I feel like it's my job to protect you. And I failed at it," Carlos said simply, eyes darkening as he felt the plastic splint on TK's wrist brush against his skin.

"Why, because you're a cop?" TK wondered.

"Because I'm your boyfriend."

"And I'm yours," TK said easily, "so that means we protect each other."

Carlos nodded, but still looked unconvinced.

"I'm a big boy, Carlos. I can handle some homophobic and racist assholes," TK tried next.

"But you shouldn't have to," Carlos whispered. His fingers now softly running over the bruise on TK's temple.

"And you shouldn't either. No one deserves something like this. But, sadly, these things happen," TK said with a shrug. "And I know that doesn't make it better, but it's just the way it is."

"It sucks." Carlos sighed, because it did and there was nothing else to say.

"It sure does. But we will be okay. We just need to go about this like we do everything else, we handle it together and move forward as a team. No need for you to take the weight of the world on your shoulders alone. Not when you have someone to bear it with you." TK moved his hands from Carlos' hips to his back, softly running his fingers over the tense spots and knots around his boyfriend's shoulder blades. It was a bit awkward with broken fingers and a splint, but like everything, they made it work.

Carlos hummed his agreement and closed his eyes, taking a moment to enjoy the comfort his boyfriend was so graciously gifting him, even when he was hurt too. After a few minutes, Carlos opened his eyes again, instantly getting lost in the green of TK's gaze, and his body naturally leaned forward. TK easily met him in the middle, their lips connecting in a sweet kiss.

TK's hands left Carlos' back to wrap around his body, pulling him closer as they slowly deepened the kiss. Lips parting in simultaneous invitations, but the moment was short lived as TK hugged a little too hard and Carlos groaned against his lips. His injured ribs protesting the movement even when his heart leaped in his chest.

"You're hurt," TK breathed out, stepping out of his boyfriend's space and limping to the bathroom, a smile gracing his face after hearing Carlos' little whimper at the loss of contact. "Lie down," he directed when he returned a minute later, supplies in hand.

Carlos raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I would love nothing more but I think we're in no physical condition for that."

"Ha, ha." TK waved the bottle of 'Arnicare' in his hand, before pointing to the bed.

Carlos nodded and carefully sat on the bed. Then took a few steadying breaths before he fell back on the mattress. Barely suppressed grunts and a wince escaping as the movement pulled at his tired and sore muscles.

Moving forward TK put some of the cream on Carlos' abdomen and began rubbing softly, mindful of the broken ribs and bruises that were already visible on his skin. "Just relax," TK said softly, feeling Carlos tense under his touch. "I won't hurt you."

"I know," Carlos said honestly. TK could never, would never. But the memories of what happened at the bar were still fresh on his mind. So, he moved his hand to TK and set his palm over his thigh. And only then could he really relax. His heart needing the physical connection as much as the sight of his boyfriend standing in front of him.

When TK finished with the cream, he wiped his hands on the towel and left the room. Returning soon after with two ice packs, one which he set over the worst of the purple coloring his boyfriend's skin, and the other one over his own temple. He then turned off the lights and climbed into his side of the bed.

Wordlessly, Carlos shuffled closer and set his hand over his boyfriend's chest, letting the steady beat of TK's heart ground him and calm his own. "Thank you," he whispered eventually, hoping the simple message conveyed more than just gratitude. He wanted it to mean 'I love you', 'if I had to go through this I'm glad it is with you', 'I'm sorry you had to hear those things and get hurt', and so much more. But his words were failing him tonight, so he settled for the two words that would always be true.

"Anytime," TK mumbled, voice laced with sleep. "But Carlos, promise me one thing?"

"Anything," Carlos offered easily.

"Next time this happens, because we both know it likely will," he began, but quickly backtracked, "I hope not the beating part, but the insults. Promise me that when, if, it happens again, you won't try to defend my honor." His words were serious, but Carlos sensed the smile that was on his lips. "You looked damn hot when you punched the bastard on the face, but -"

Carlos chuckled at that, knowing that losing his temper had only made things worse, even when he had done his best to keep TK under control. But still, he promised nothing. Because as certain as he was that something like that could happen again, he was also confident that he would always defend TK. From homophobic and racist men, or anything else that threatened his boyfriend. And TK seemed to know and understand because he didn't press the issue any further. Mostly because he would do the same thing. Anytime and any day.

"But thank you," TK did say, his hand seeking Carlos' and intertwining their fingers together, before he moved it to his lips and pressed a kiss over his knuckles.

"Anytime, and always," Carlos echoed his boyfriend, before ending on a promise of his own. Then he inhaled a deep breath, taking it all in. "I love you, Ty." The words flowing more easily this time.

"Love you, too."

The previous night might not have gone like they expected, but they had made it through. And now Carlos and TK simply continued to bask in their love. Because love could take many shapes and forms, and it sometimes happened in bed after a night of dancing at the bar, but other times it just entailed taking care of one another, and shared bruise cream and ice packs.

Snuggled against each other, and content, TK and Carlos eventually fell asleep. Because even when the world was at its darkest, the actions of their friends, families and each other had shown them that there was still love everywhere around them. Most people just had to look hard enough to find it, but for Carlos and TK finding it would always be the easy part. Since their love was a simple fact, a constant, and a reality that was as true as breathing.

#911 lone star #911 lone star fanfiction #tk strand #carlos reyes #tarlos #bad things happen bingo #tw homophobic slurs #tw racial slur

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reyesstrand · 4 years

Note

#9 for Tarlos please 🥰

thank you for the prompt! i hope you enjoy!! 💗

feel free to send me a number from this list. also available on ao3!

((tw: minor description of blood/injuries caused by a car accident))

Ever since he was a kid, he knew that it was hard to leave some calls at the scene.

Sometimes they lingered on the trip back to the firehouse, where a silence fell over the whole crew as nothing but dead air passed between their headsets. Other times, they dug in deeper, as if they were physical things with claws and teeth, refusing to be shaken off until something worse occupied their minds. He saw it enough with his dad when he was still a little too young to understand why he had to work such long hours; he saw it when the towers fell, and it was like he had to grow up overnight, practically set aflame at the thought that he could’ve lost his dad, like other kids lost their parents in a single moment.

TK doesn’t let that stop him from giving his all, though, even if that means he becomes too personally wedged into rescues.

It seems like it’s going to be a standard day, when they get the call from dispatch about a motor vehicle accident. The rest of the team seems to think the same thing—given the fact that they seemingly have no qualms about pushing him for the juicy details on his date night last night, only spurred on by the fact that Carlos had picked him up at the station yesterday afternoon and dropped him back off this morning.

“Come on, aren’t we supposed to be professionals here?” TK says, though he can barely get it out without smiling.

Immediately, voices erupt around him through his headset, all of them essentially calling his bullshit. Marjan smacks him in the shoulder.

“Hey!” TK laughs, nudging her in the side with his elbow in retaliation.

“If you spilled the details, maybe I’ll go easy on you,” Marjan says, cocking a brow, and TK rolls his eyes and barely suppresses a groan.

“There’s nothing to tell?” TK tries, though he knows his lie is evident to all of them.

“That hickey says otherwise,” Judd pipes up, and TK shoots him a glare.

“Come on now, children,” his dad says, and TK huffs a little laugh.

And then he looks out the window as the rig slows.

“Shit,” Paul says, following TK’s line of vision. And, well, yeah. Because the road is a mess, various vehicles piled up. But it’s what’s at the heart of the accident that catches all of their attention: a semi-truck, tipped onto its side, with a dull grey car trapped underneath.

“Okay, everyone, all hands on deck,” Owen says, all of them out of the truck the moment it comes to a full stop. They’re the first to the scene, only a few police cruisers trying to set up a barrier, and so he hears his dad yell to him that he’s on point for checking on the car driver. It’s all he needs to hear to immediately jump into action, even as his dad keeps shouting orders for Paul and Judd to grab the jaws and deal with the truck driver.

He and Marjan move into a jog, hiking their gear up high on their shoulders.

Once they get to the driver’s side of the car, TK knows it’s going to be a tough day.

The driver is completely crushed under the weight of the steering column, the whole front of her car folded in like an accordion. There’s blood dripping from a gash on her forehead, and what looks to be a broken arm, and TK has only barely set eyes on her and he already doesn’t like the way she’s trying so hard to breathe.

“Ma’am? My name’s TK, and this is Marjan, we’re AFD,” TK starts, the spiel coming out of his mouth without a second thought. Marjan clears the window of the sharp shards of broken glass, giving them more room to work; he meets her eyes and she nods, reaching down for her radio to call for the jaws and some extra hands. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Rachel,” she gasps, and TK nods, pressing his fingers to her wrist that looks mostly uninjured for a pulse. It’s weak, but he tries to school his features so she can’t see his worry.

“Marjan, we’re going to need to secure her neck, and once medical gets here we’re going to need to get her on oxygen,” he says, before meeting Rachel’s eyes. “Okay, Rachel, we’re getting you out of here. We just need a minute to secure you.”

“Hurts to—breathe,” she stutters, and TK clenches his jaw. Marjan opens the backdoor of the car with a few good tugs, and slips into the seat, reaching around to place a neck brace on Rachel.

“TK, tell me what’s going on.”

His dad’s voice pulls him from listening to Rachel’s shallow breathing, and he responds: “Female driver, she’s completely pinned, Cap. Weak pulse, low BP—I need medical here now.”

“They’re coming, maybe a minute out,” his dad says, sidling up to him. He looks through the car and meets TK’s eyes, both of them knowing how time sensitive this rescue is going to be.

TK feels a little relieved when he sees Mateo arrive with a backboard, and Nancy and Tim trailing just steps behind him. Judd’s voice crackles through the radio, informing them that the truck driver’s only a little banged up.

“Hey, Rachel, the paramedics are here now, okay?” TK says, though when she latches onto his arm, he squeezes her hand. “I won’t leave you.”

She nods, looking at him with wide, scared eyes.

When Nancy gets the other side of the car open, pulling a nasal cannula from her bag and talking with Tim about her ABCs, TK keeps her looking at him. She looks like she’s going to drop any second, tears sliding through the grime on her cheeks, her breaths still too weak.

“Hey, just talk to me,” TK says, his only thought to keep her awake.

Rachel just starts crying harder.

TK meets Nancy’s eyes from across the car, and feels Marjan at his side. “Hey, hey, Rachel. Listen to me. Do you have someone? Someone waiting for you at home?”

“Lena,” she sniffles, her voice growing weaker. “We’re—we’re getting married in April.”

“Tell me about her,” TK says, eyes pleading, barely registering the murmured conversation around them as a plan forms.

“She’s always worrying about me, calls me a danger magnet,” she laughs wetly, and neither of them mention the blood that stains her lips.

“Sounds like my boyfriend,” he tells her, and she meets his eyes, something hopeful presented in her gaze. “I got shot last year and burst my stitches a week later. He tells me all the time that I’m not allowed to go to the hospital again unless I want to send him to an early grave.”

Rachel smiles at him, faintly, and squeezes his hand. “She—she’s my best friend. I just want to see her again.”

“You will,” TK says, before he can even think about what he’s promising.

He steps back for a moment, being pulled into the plan from his dad. He’s left with the job of talking to Rachel, considering he’s made the most significant contact with her.

TK takes a deep breath, and returns, frowning at her pained expression. “Okay, Rachel. We’re going to have to use some equipment to get you out, and I won’t lie to you, it’s going to hurt. But think of Lena, okay? I promise you that we’ll get you back to her.”

“But my chest,” she groans, trying weakly to move against the weight pushing her down again. Both he and Nancy immediately reach out to settle her, hands on her shoulders. “I think I have a concussion, and—and it hurts. Everything hurts.”

“You’re going to see her, so soon,” TK promises, imagining what he’d want to hear if he were in her place. He thinks of Carlos, and knows he’d do anything if it meant getting home to him. “I swear to you. I will make sure you get home to her.”

“TK,” Marjan whispers, and he meets her gaze before his eyes flit away. He knows what it means, to make impossible promises. But he fully intends on keeping this one.

“Now, I’m going to count down from three, and me and my team are cutting you out of here, okay?” TK says, and she nods, eyes closing tight. “Think of Lena.”

It’s a bit of a mess, once Owen starts them on the routine procedure, using the jaws and every tool they have to remove the driver’s door; to wedge her out from the steering column. Once she’s on the backboard and lifted onto the stretcher, they start losing her, and Tim immediately starts on compressions.

TK holds his breath, staggering back against the car. Marjan squeezes his shoulder until they hear Nancy declare that she’s got a pulse. They rush her to the ambulance, and that’s supposed to be it. TK knows it.

“Take a breather,” his dad says, cupping the back of his neck. TK nods, feeling exhaustion ache deep in his bones. “You did good, kid.”

TK just nods again. Marjan knocks her shoulder into his before giving him some space, heading off to check the few witnesses still standing around for any superficial injuries. He ends up walking to somewhere private, which ends up being the back of the ladder truck, where he can lean against the paneling and keep himself upright.

He doesn’t realize how out of it he feels until there’s hands gently cupping either side of his face, carefully tipping his head up.

“Carlos?” TK’s voice sounds weak even to his own ears, and his boyfriend nods, looking concerned.

“TK, are you okay?” Carlos asks, and it’s only when he drags his thumbs across TK’s cheeks and wipes away the tears there that TK realizes he’d even been crying. “Sweetheart...”

“I’m okay,” TK says, sniffing hard. “I swear. I’m just exhausted.”

He leans into Carlos’ touch, though, because he’s got his boyfriend here and doesn’t want to have to let him go just yet.

He voices his desire, barely audible to anyone but his boyfriend. “Stay with me for a minute? I just need to—to get my head on straight.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Carlos whispers, and TK sighs and drops his head to rest against Carlos’ chest.

“Just—just a rough call,” he murmurs, mostly into Carlos’ uniform. He feels a hand carding through his hair, and settles under the touch. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I’ll be wherever you need me, Ty,” Carlos says, ducking down to press a kiss to the crown of TK’s head. “Always.”

#tarlos #911 lone star #tarlos fic #my fic #trevorvanriemsdyk

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harvestleaves · 4 years

Text

Role Reversal

Prompt: Hi, i'm in love with your out of breath series and i have a prompt If you can write It please. Carlos, for some reason has problems breathing in a scene with the 126, so it’s time for TK to help him. Thank you ❤️

A/N: Happy one year to the Out of Breath ‘verse!! This time it’s Carlos’ turn! He has an allergy induced asthma attack. It was fun writing Carlos, I love his character and I feel that there definitely needs to be more on his background. This is also posted on Ao3 here.

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,399

Carlos always had seasonal allergies, and there were times he couldn’t go on his elementary school field trips to local farms due to his allergy to hay and horses. Needless to say, springtime was usually the one season that he was out of commission due to his sinuses. But since he’d met TK in the middle of the summer, his boyfriend had yet to see him get more than just a cold.

But now, it was late March and all the flowers and trees were starting to bloom again in Austin, and Carlos’ eyes itched. It had started out early on patrol with his partner, Derek McCoy, and the other officer handed Carlos a Benadryl and a water silently before focusing back on the road when he saw the younger male rubbing furiously at his eyes.

Carlos was thankful for the allergy pill. It had calmed his itchy eyes, but his head now felt like it was stuffed full of cotton and his sinuses ached from the amount of congestion he was experiencing.

And to top it off, he was now wheezing.

Carlos couldn’t remember the last time his allergies had given him respiratory symptoms, and because of that, he knew for a fact that the inhaler in his desk back at the precinct with his name on the label was at least two years expired, and thus no good. His mama would kick his ass for not keeping his medications filled if she knew of his stupidity.

Shaking his head with a wheezy laugh at the thought, he raised an eyebrow when they got a call over the radio for them to head to a car crash on the highway.

“You good to go? You sound like shit,” Derek frowned as he looked at his partner in concern before he flicked the lights and siren on.

“Does TK know about your allergies? Or the fact that you have allergy induced asthma?”

“It hasn’t acted up in a few years, and plus, it’s only a problem during allergy season. It’s not the same,” Carlos grumbled with a pointed look over at McCoy.

“Hypocrite. You want your boyfriend to be open to you about his asthma and you won’t tell him that you have allergy induced asthma? How exactly is that fair to him?” Derek asked the younger man curiously as he pulled their cruiser up to the scene of the crash, raising an eyebrow at the trails of smoke rising from each of the vehicles before he spared Carlos a second glance.

Hopping out to help his partner with traffic and crowd control, Carlos stifled a cough into his elbow, wincing at the high pitched wheeze and rattle that his lungs produced. He sounded like TK the few times he’d had to take his boyfriend to the ER for his own asthma, and he knew he probably needed a breathing treatment to open up his lungs, but his pride was keeping him from admitting his weakness.

Maybe he was a hypocrite. How could he expect TK to be open and honest with him when he never even explained to his boyfriend how he already knew how to operate an inhaler, or how he could put a nebulizer together in his sleep? He hadn’t had a relationship before this one with TK that had lasted longer than a few weeks, so it never really crossed his mind to explain his personal heath history with his boyfriend.

Carlos figured he’d talk to TK about it later, he had a job to do in the meantime.

Spotting the 126 rolling up to the scene, Carlos couldn’t hide the dopey smile that fell across his face when he spotted TK hop out of the firetruck to help Judd get the victims out of the cars before he quickly turned back to his work with a blush.

___________

The call went pretty quickly, with no serious injuries for either of the drivers involved, which TK was always thankful for. Once he helped Marjan and Mateo load the gear back onto the rig, he made his way over to Carlos to talk to his boyfriend. He was glad the two of them only had about an hour left in their shifts, one of the few days that their shifts lined up perfectly.

However, the closer he got to his boyfriend, the more he realized there was something wrong with the other male. Carlos’ usually tanned face looked pale, and his eyes were slightly bloodshot. But the most concerning thing to TK was the awful wheezing coming from his boyfriend, and the way his shoulders seemed to heave with every breath made TK wince internally.

“Hey babe, you feeling okay?” TK asked softly as he reached out a hand to Carlos’ bicep to squeeze it in concern.

“H-hey Ty. Yeah, ‘m fine. J-just allergies, y’know?” Carlos explained, trying to stifle a round of coughs that were making their way up his throat, but he couldn’t keep them down.

The next bought of coughs had Carlos doubled over, hands resting on his knees as he wheezed for breath that didn’t seem to want to enter his lungs and his heart started racing in panic. He hadn’t had an attack this bad since he was a kid, his allergies typically only ever made him sneezy with the occasional wheeze, not full-blown respiratory distress like he was currently experiencing. And it terrified him.

The only comfort Carlos found in that moment was TK’s soothing voice and the firm hand over his back as his boyfriend kept him upright, calling over Carlos’ partner.

Derek made his way over to them with a frown and crouched down in front of Carlos.

“He’s got allergy induced asthma. Seasonal allergies started kicking in today. He took some Benadryl this morning and I thought it helped. Check his pockets, I know he carries your spare inhaler around.”

TK nodded and quickly patted down Carlos’ pants, a sigh of relief leaving his lips when he pulled out the inhaler and quickly shook it up before pressing it to his boyfriend’s lips.

“C’mon ‘Los. Take a deep breath for me babe,” TK whispered softly into Carlos’ ear, as the other man took a shaky breath of the medication, letting it out in a harsh wheeze before another round of coughs shook his body.

“That’s it, let it all out. Can you try another puff for me?”

Carlos nodded slightly at TK’s question and inhaled another breath of the medication, letting it settle into his lungs for an extra few seconds before he shakily let it out, leaning his bodyweight into TK.

“There we go, catch your breath. I think you’re still gonna need a breathing treatment. I think you should go to the hospital for it though,” TK said softly as he ran his fingers through Carlos’ curls gently, looking up as Captain Vega made her way over to them with Tim and Nancy.

“Hey guys. Carlos needs to get taken in, allergy induced asthma attack. He took two puffs of albuterol but he’s still wheezing and could use a treatment,” TK explained as they loaded Carlos onto a gurney and Tim slid an oxygen mask onto his face along with a pulse-ox meter onto his left hand.

“Sats are in the mid 80′s, and I’ve got him on 100% O2. I’ll get him on a neb in the rig. Do you want to ride with him?” Tim asked TK, noticing how he still looked shaken up over seeing his boyfriend unable to breathe.

“Yes. Because once he’s better, he needs to tell me why he didn’t tell me he also has asthma.” TK nodded firmly with a pointed look at his boyfriend.

“It slipped my mind. H-haven’t had an attack this bad since I was little. And none of my relationships lasted long enough for them to find out about allergies, let alone asthma. I didn’t wanna get judged,” Carlos explained tiredly, a wheeze trailing his words as he looked groggily up at TK.

“Baby. You know I am the last person who will ever judge you for having asthma. I love you, and nothing about you will ever change that.” TK whispered softly as he pressed a kiss to Carlos’ forehead before hopping into the ambulance with him, squeezing his hand gently. Both a signal and a promise that he would always be there.

#911 lone star #911 lone star fic #911 lone star fanfic #tarlos #tarlos fic #Carlos Reyes #tk strand

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lonestarbabe · 3 years

Note

How do you think the writers could improve the characters? Like aside from Owen because we all know how he needs to change, they just aren’t doing it and making these changes for his character. I mean for Mateo, Paul and Marjan. I feel like when they have their little storylines, they don’t rly show much I mean they are interesting and I love seeing more of my faves of course but they don’t rly show these characters progressing in any way aside from Marjan’s recent storyline where she saved the girl in the house and maybe Paul’s with his sister. But with TK or Judd and even Grace’s storyline after the crash, we have seen slow growth in their characters and how they have learned from some experience to be better and be more open or something. Mateo’s was interesting because we saw his roommates and life outside of work which I loved but he moved in with Owen and we rolled right into another Owen-center or Owen-related plot line and it’s just annoying. Of course it was nice that Owen offered Mateo a place to stay because his burned down but as soon as Mateo moved in, it was all about Owen’s man pain and we cut to a later intervention about Owen lying about his surgery and other behavior. Paul’s first I think was when he went on the date with that woman who basically told him she couldn’t date him because he is trans at least that’s what I got from it. And like that’s not a nice storyline Paul didn’t learn or grow from that and probably only felt like shit in the end despite brushing it off. And the one with his sister was eventually resolved but I want a storyline for him that doesn’t involve his identity because that’s not just who he is- of course it’s a very important part that shouldn’t be ignored but I just want storylines for him that aren’t JUST about that- he’s Paul with great observation skills and he’s a good friend and a nice guy. And Carlos, too. The one in 2x8 with his dad was *chef’s kiss* amazing but I want more solo storylines for him. I know he’s TK’s partner and I love that for him because they’re cute but I want storylines for just Carlos. And I don’t meant to complain because the arsonist storyline where his place burns down looks rly good and maybe that’s a start if it’s just him in the house but I hope you get what I mean? And I love Marjan, Mateo, Paul and Carlos I don’t mean to complain about their storylines because I’m grateful we even get anything on them with how much the writers have eyes just for Owen but yeah I just want more (and better) for them

You make a lot of strong points, and I really think you’re right that there’s still more to do, adn that there’s a lot I hope for when it comes to those characters. Yeah, I think the main thing is to give them time, but not just time, they need to give them quality screentime. Some characters have been getting more screentime without being more developed, which is a major struggle that the show needs to get over to better showcase its characters. Oh no, this is going to wind me up!!

(TLDR: they just need to flesh out the characters and show that they are more than just one part of their identities.)

You’re right about those storylines not allowing growth. Paul’s storyline with his sister ended up being about his sister’s growth, and the thing is, the Josie storyline was very similar in all the wrong ways. It was about Josie’s discomfort. Transphobia becomes something that is about the phobic people rather than the person who is experiencing it! These people also claim to be accepting of his transition, but they also show the opposite with their reactions (Josie was like, “you’re perfect but I can’t date you because you’re trans” while Paul’s sister also commented that she didn’t care that he was trans but also droned on about how she missed her sister... who Paul points out never existed. Like the whole storyline seems to be a pat on the back for transphobes, as if to reassure them that their behaviors are what we should be empathetic to.) Ultimately, Paul wasn’t the active participant in his own story; thus, he can’t really grow and develop. Paul needs to have more storylines that he is an active participant in (by making the scenes in his perspective rather than that of the subjugators). We also haven’t seen Paul’s flaws, whereas we’ve seen flaws of the more fleshed out characters. We know he’s heavily intellectual, observant, and a great listener, but I also want to see a moment when he has more of a struggle (one that is not related to him being trans because he needs a plot beyond that one part of him).

Mateo also is reduced to basically an object in other storylines. His screentime is rarely about him. Even in that last episode that featured a storyline about him, that storyline basically reduced him to a pawn in Owen’s storyline, which didn’t allow Mateo to have any growth. We didn’t learn anything new about him (at least not anything meaningful to the deeper nature of his character). We know very little about what makes Mateo ticks, and I think he is the character who is most reduced to just a few characteristics. He’s constantly a ditzy figure, and I want to see him as more than the probie. In the first episode, we saw that he’s attentive, and that he works hard. Let’s show those qualities some more. I think that especially because he is dyslexic, that it’s harmful to not showcase more diverse sides of him and to neglect the ways that make him stand out. He’s treated as a kid too often, and it’s okay to make him naive on some things because he’s newer to firefighting, but he needs to grow and show that he is making progress and is growing. I like that they bring up his dyslexia, but I don’t think they’ve utilized it as well as they could have, and it would be nice to show how he deals with it and how it impacts him. Just like I want to see mentions of Judd’s PTSD continue to pop up (and they’ve brought it up several times, whcih is nice), it would also be cool to see his dyslexia pop up casually and not as a forced “look he has dyslexia” plot. Like it has to do more for his character. Further, I would never want to see him reduced to just his dyslexia, so I think it’s a careful balance. With Mateo, I just want to see him become a real person because right now, he just feels like a stock character.

Marjan has seen some more development than Mateo. I’ve liked that she’s joined the Austin Annihilators, and I also enjoy the storyline we just saw with her, which really showed us more of her, and I’m glad we saw a storyline that wasn’t about her religion (because like Paul, she deserves to have storylines that show the full extent of who she is as a person). You see a lot about Marjan’s flaws as well as her deep drive for good in the episode. You see that she cares, but you also see that maybe ego does influence her in a way that isn’t always positive (which let’s be real... that’s true of ANY person haha). She’s going in the right direction, but I still think there’s more developing to do.

Also, Grace seems like she has more development, but she also still hasn’t had that much. Like in the episode where she could have been featured more, that was still Judd’s perspective, which I have no problem with. The episode was beautiful, BUT I still want to see a moment that is just Grace’s. 2x10 gave us some of this where Grace was struggling with her injury, and that was excellent. We know a good amount of her history, too, but I want to see the world from her perspective. Also, add in flaws (which again we got a little bit of in 2x10)! I want Grace to be more than the diligent wife who is constantly there to support Judd. She needs to be her own character.

In some ways, they’ve been letting Tommy down too. They started well with her, but they’ve still got some ways to go for me. We’ve seen a lot of her with her family and the same issues of her feeling out of touch and disconnected from them when she goes back to work, but I’d like to see some fresh storylines on that front!

Carlos, of course, still fails to get all the attention he deserves as well. He’s had some independent development, but I would like to see him in more scenes with other charaters. I live for Tarlos moments, but I also want Carlos to be separately connected and have relationships of his own that they explore in the show because he should never just be TK’s plus one! Like a lot of the other characters, I don’t want him to become an object for other people’s storylines. I’d like to see more of his mental processes and how he deals with his career and maybe see him in action more because we don’t see that a whole lot (and Owen somehow became the hero in 2x08, which is okay, but it was also Carlos’ plot so it was a funny choice to me). Anyways, MORE CARLOS. Let us see this wonderful man in all his multifaceted glory.

Even TK and Judd could use more development, but they’re obviously much better off. Owen, on the other hand, the character we’ve seen so much of, also has an interesting development. We’ve seen a lot of him, but I don’t know that he’s even developed that well (he’s pretty stagnant even if we’ve seen more sides of him) because his storylines are a bit repetitive. That repetition in general is an issue for Lone Star because they tend to latch on to just one trait of a character and then they keep doing plots based on that one trait.

Really the theme here is that without flaws, characters are always going to feel flat. They don’t need to be big dramatic flaws like having murdered someone or something equally dramatic, but I need to see the gradients in the characters and see more range of reactions and their personalities. They need to have balance, and they need to feel like they have depth and aren’t just being used to tell plots. Moreover, I don’t want characters to be props for plots that are not their own. Of course, characters always support other plots, but if they never have any moments that are their own, they become objects rather than actors!

#911 lone star #meta #screentime #character development #character analysis #elise rambles

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insidious-intent · 5 years

Text

October Leaves

Coda to 1x08 since we never got more details about how Carlos and the rest of 126 handled TK’s injury. Here there be angst.

It takes eight days.

Time passes, but Carlos can’t tell how fast or slow. He drives through the day untethered, a slow falling leaf in October. Suspended in the air, hovering in that moment before drifting to the ground. The world feels hazy.

He takes the elevator to the eleventh floor, and does not stop to say hi to the nursing staff. It’s been three days and there has been no progress in TK’s condition, since he isn’t awake. He enters the room quietly, taking the chair right next to the bed.

TK stays unconscious on the bed, connected to tubes and machines, pale and vulnerable. A stranger may see and think TK looks like he’s at peace, but Carlos knows better. Carlos watches the gentle rhythm of his breathing, the slow movement behind closed eyelids.

“Why won’t you wake up, TK?” he asks, voice shaky and cracking. He stays in the chair.

It’s five in the morning when Carlos is shaken awake, the slightly parted blinds in the hospital room letting in the faint honey rays of the morning. His breath catches at the sight of Owen, peering into his face and asking him if he’d like a cup of coffee.

Carlos doesn’t make eye contact saying he’s on his way out anyways but thanks. He doesn’t know what to say to the man.

Standing outside the hospital, he can’t help but look up at the high floors, imagining TK standing at the window of the eleventh floor room, smiling that sweet siren smile of his. For a moment his mind thinks it’s true, that he can see a silhouette in the window, when he’s shoved by a fast walking woman staring at her phone. She mumbles sorry but keeps on walking, heedless of the body she hit.

Carlos puts his head down and walks back to the car.

Grace Ryder is married to one of the firefighters - Judd. She’s also the dispatcher who talks to him often. She finds him in the room, sitting in his usual chair, half dozing because even though he has all this time now, he cannot sleep. Owen had to pull some strings to get him the time off, but he doesn’t know what to do with himself. Except sit here, right next to TK.

She asks how Carlos is holding up. “We don’t see you around much, Officer Reyes.”

“I’m sorry ma’am, I’ve been a little busy,” he says, trying not to sound too annoyed. She doesn’t seem to mind, sitting with him for an hour before leaving, a soft pat on his shoulder the only indication of her departure.

“It feels like a year has passed already,” he says to TK. He wishes and prays that TK can hear him, even though the lack of a response grates at all his fears, amplifying.

“I just wanted a little more time, to get to know you better first.” His laughter is too close to a sob, and he hopes none of the staff heard him. “All I wanted was a little more time.”

He doesn’t stay long that night.

He walks in the next day to see a couple familiar faces in the room. Paul and Marjan are both still half in their uniforms, exhaustion radiating from every inch of their faces. They move forward and touch his shoulder, anchoring him in their presence. He’s very happy to see them.

“How is he?” Marjan asks, voice a little groggy.

Carlos shrugs, and says nothing. He feels helpless and hates feeling this way. How is there nothing he can do to help TK? Why won’t he wake up?

They stay for a couple hours before manhandling him back to his car. “You need a shower and a shave,” Marjan says. “Badly,” Paul adds.

He goes home.

He is forced to go for a couple shifts before he can come back. It’s been eight days, and he hasn’t heard any news from the team.

He walks in to see the room empty, TK not in the bed that he should be in. A giant wave of panic seizes Carlos, and he runs out of the room to grab the first nurse he can find.

“There was a GSD patient in room 14B,” he shakes her a little, “where is he?”

"I-I don't know," she stammers, and it's only then that he realizes he's been gripping her arms hard enough to hurt. He lets her go and she smiles at him weakly, rubbing up and down her arms.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “I was just-” he waves a hand when he hears his name.

“Carlos! Where have you been?” Judd yells from behind him. He turns to see the guy running up to him with a big smile on his face. “He’s awake!” Carlos takes off running after Judd.

TK is in a bigger room, sitting up and sipping from a cup of water. The 126 is all there, along with Michelle and her team, and even Grace. The crowd is all milled around TK and Owen, all in various stages of happiness.

TK’s eyes turn bright the moment they land on Carlos. “You’re late,” he says in a soft tone.

Carlos laughs in relief. It feels like he laughs for a while, knees weak and lungs burning.

“They said I was out for eight days,” he says, grabbing Carlos as soon as he gets within grabbing distance. Carlos goes easily, and the team makes space for him by TK’s side.

His hands shake as they trace TK’s face, memorizing the shape of his laughing wide awake eyes, the curve of his big smile. Owen’s glance is knowing and happy, from where he’s standing on the other side of TK.

“Welcome back,” he says, because after everything that has happened this is the only thing left to say. He moves forward, knocks his forehead into TK’s, closing his eyes. TK feels solid in his arms, warm, real, alive.

“Thank you for waiting for me,” TK says in turn, hand on Carlos’ arm.

#911 lone star #tarlos #tarlos fic #my fic #my writing #carlos reyes #tk strand #coda to 1x08 #lone star spoilers

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cupidmarwani-archive · 4 years

Text

Conspiracy (1/?)

Summary: After Owen Strand's mutilated corpse is found in his home, his son is the prime suspect. Throughout the investigation, however, it becomes obvious how many people could have done the deed.

Warnings: death, violence, implied csa/gaslighting/physical abuse, discussion of child abuse, PTSD/flashbacks

WC: 1220

Carlos parks his car on the street, the driveway already crowded with patrol officers and the coroners. It must be a slow morning, if they’ve already made their way here. They won’t move the body without clearance, which explains why they’re lounging around outside, smoking and chatting. They’re always a little blase about dead bodies, a skill Carlos hasn’t managed to cull quite yet, even though he’s been a homicide detective for almost a year. His captain said eventually, he’d stop having nightmares. Eventually.

Officer Tamin meets him at the front door, her lips set into a grim line. She’s too young and inexperienced to get here. After they finish clearing the scene, he’ll see if he can get her sent home.

“Detective Reyes,” she says. “Victim is Captain Owen Strand- the new guy at firehouse 126.” She leads him through the front door and the living area, meticulously clean. It reminds him of those interior design catalogues in the doctor’s office waiting room, or a model home like the ones he spent a month touring. “We already found and bagged the murder weapon. I hope you have a strong stomach, Reyes. This one’s messy.”

Lying on the kitchen floor is what’s left of Captain Strand. Carlos recognizes his face from a news article when the firehouse reopened, but the rest of him is practically unrecognizable. His stomach has been cut open, spilling entrails across the tile. There’s probably fifty stab wounds all over his body. It also seems like he’s been castrated, and that part is missing despite the large pool of blood. This must have been personal. Before Carlos can take a closer look at the body, he spots a young man leaning against the counter, taking a sip of water and staring at the captain.

“Officer?” Carlos prompts.

“TK Strand, victim’s son and one of his firefighters. He’s the one who found the body. Something’s kinda off.”

He nods and dismisses her to approach TK. The man’s face is completely blank, but his eyes are focused sharply on the mess. It could be shock, and yet, there’s no grief on his face. No pain. Just acceptance, like he knew this was coming. He doesn’t react to Carlos in front of him until he clears his throat. Then, bright green eyes snap to his, and TK’s chapped lips curve up in a wry smile.

“You’re here to investigate my dad’s death.”

“Yes. I’m Detective Reyes.” He holds out his hand. TK looks at it, and then Carlos’ face, making no move to shake it. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

TK shakes his head. “Don’t be. He deserved it.”

Carlos looks over to the body again. It’s not just a murder, but a horrific way to die. Judging by the amount of blood, the captain was probably still alive for the majority of his injuries. Definitely for the castration. That alone suggests looking into the romantic interests in his life, but Carlos can easily tell that TK has no lost love for his father. There could be a history of abuse there, and TK finally snapped. It wouldn’t be the first victim to murder their abuser. Carlos wouldn’t even blame him if that was the case.

“Why don’t we go into the other room, and you can tell me what happened?”

“I’m fine right here. Would you like a drink?”

Without waiting for an answer, TK pours a second glass of water from the tap in the fridge door and holds it out like a peace offering. It’s just water. There’s no way he could have done anything to it. Nonetheless, Carlos puts the offered glass on the counter and resigns himself to conducting the interview right next to the body. The body of TK’s father.

“Officer Tamin told me you’re the one who called 911. Tell me how that happened?”

“I needed to get some stuff. Some more of my clothes, because I didn’t have a lot in my duffel bag. I came in with my key, got my things-” he nods toward a suitcase in the entry to the kitchen, “and decided to get some water. I found him like that.”

Carlos jots his answer down in the notepad he carries with him. “You still live with your father?”

“After he forced me to move to Texas and stay in his house? Yeah. But I’ve been crashing with Marjan- one of my crewmates- lately.”

There’s enough anger in his tone to set off alarm bells in Carlos’ mind. Still, he keeps his face neutral and copies down the words. He thanks TK and says they’ll be in touch, keeping in the back of his mind that TK is a suspect. The man clearly has issues with his father. One of the uniformed officers takes him to get checked out by medical and brought to the station for an official statement, so he won’t be able to go anywhere while Carlos finishes up at the scene and stops by Firehouse 126 to inform them of what happened to their captain.

He crouches next to the body and looks at the captain’s face. It’s completely uninjured. His eyes are still open, his lips slightly parted, his hair neatly gelled. Disregarding the rest of the body, he could be on his way to the store or a date. Once he pulls on his gloves, Carlos cups his face and lifts it to make sure there aren’t injuries on the back of his head. Nothing. This man is visibly muscular, so unless he was drugged, it would have taken someone stronger than TK to subdue him enough to do this kind of damage. Or he had to have help.

“Officer Tamin,” he calls, easing the captain’s head back to the floor. “Have the coroner run a tox screen. And make sure that TK Strand doesn’t leave the station until I’ve talked to him some more.”

“Yes, detective.”

Then he starts looking around the kitchen for the “missing piece.” It can’t have gone far, unless the killer took it with them. He can’t imagine why they would. This isn’t a trophy kill, or a serial who likes to remember. It was personal, unskilled, and impulsive. Sure there was some planning to kill him, but not any as to how it would be executed.

“Detective Reyes?”

Carlos lifts his head. Officer Tamin’s face has gone grey, the blood rushing away from her ochre skin as she holds something up with a gloved hand. It’s no question what she’s found. He holds out an evidence bag for her to set it in, and asks where she found it. She points to a pair of metal bowls tucked almost under the dining room table. They’re dog bowls, filled with water and kibble, although the kibble is stained and wet with blood. Fuck.

“We know where the dog is?”

“At the station,” Officer Tamin says. She sounds like she’s going to be sick. “He’s the firehouse dog. Sometimes he goes home with Captain Strand, but his son said the dog is at the 126 today.”

“Okay. That’s good.” With a deep breath, Carlos leaves the scene to the crime scene photographers and coroners, dismissing Tamin back to patrol while he prepares to tell the new 126 that the man who brought their family together is gone.

@smileofthesun27 @skylark50 @heartofmarjan @chiefsheepbird @ebug2002 @proceduralpassion @cauldronbornkid

#tarlos #911 lone star #mine #fic #conspiracy!fic

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morganaspendragonss · 4 years

Note

hey holly! could i request 54 from the whump list + tarlos 💗

thank you for the prompt jamie! it was my pleasure to write it, i hope you’ve had a very happy birthday and that the next year brings only good things for you!

54 - "I’m fine.�� “No you’re not, you’re losing a lot of blood.” (from this list)

ao3 | 1.5k

TK wakes up in pieces.

He notices the pain before anything else, his side feeling like it’s on fire and his head splitting open. It’s dark when he manages to crack his eyes open; he can just barely make out the vague silhouettes of trees surrounding the car. TK frowns, immediately regretting the action as pain lances through his head, and tries to remember what happened.

He’d been with Carlos. They were on their way back from an impromptu vacation after two weeks of opposing shifts led to TK cashing in some time off to spend the weekend together. There’d been this light, and that Carlos had…

Carlos!

TK’s eyes fly open, ignoring the pain as he whips his head to the left, searching for his boyfriend. His heart drops when he sees him - Carlos is pinned against his seat, a large branch stretching across his chest, and there’s glass embedded in his arms. Lower, TK can see a dark stain on Carlos’s jeans, worryingly close to his femoral, and the dash is pressed hard against his legs.

TK leans over as far as he can without jostling his own injuries too much and presses his fingers to Carlos’s throat, breathing out a shaky sigh of relief when he feels a pulse.

“Carlos,” he says, coughing lightly. “Hey, Carlos.”

There’s a tense few seconds of silence before Carlos moans, his eyelids fluttering weakly. “TK?”

“Yeah, it’s me. How are you feeling?”

“Hurts.”

TK forces a chuckle. “I bet it does, babe. Can you be more specific?”

“Chest,” Carlos gasps, tight lines of pain on his face. “Legs.”

“Can you move your arms at all?”

Carlos shakes his head no, and TK sucks in a sharp breath. This just got a whole lot harder; if Carlos can’t reach that wound on his leg, then he’s going to have to deal with them both, and TK doesn’t know how long he can do that for.

“Okay,” he says, trying to keep his tone light for Carlos’s sake. “Your leg is bleeding, it’s too dark for me to tell, but I’m worried it’s nicked something, so I’m just going to put some pressure on it.” He stretches his arms out, the distance uncomfortable but manageable, and covers the wound with both his hands, pressing down hard. Carlos lets out a pained cry and TK winces. “Sorry, sorry.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. You’re losing a lot of blood.”

Carlos’s eyes squint open, a weak glare forming before his expression turns to alarm when his gaze lands on TK’s face. “And you have a head wound,” he counters. “Anything else you neglected to mention?”

TK hesitates, thinking of the wound in his side that he’s yet to check himself, then shakes his head. “I’m fine.”

Carlos scoffs, but he doesn’t get a chance to argue back as the car chooses that moment to shift.

TK can’t suppress the cry that escapes his lips at the movement, something ripping from his body. Blood starts to freely gush from the wound, soaking his shirt; he grits his teeth against the pain, willing himself to stay conscious. Fortunately - or perhaps not so - Carlos is too out of it to notice his predicament, and TK wants to keep it that way. He increases the pressure against Carlos’s tight with his left hand, slowly moving his right to his own side. He tries to press down as hard as he can, but it’s difficult to split his strength, all he has left focused on keeping Carlos alive.

“Carlos,” he grits out. “Carlos!”

He gets no answer save for a worrying wheeze, and one look at his boyfriend’s face confirmed all of TK’s fears. Carlos has passed out, his skin appearing deathly pale ieven in the darkness of the car, and the branch is now flush against his chest, stopping him from breathing properly. TK wants to check his pulse, but doing so would mean moving his hand from his own wound; besides which, his limbs aren’t cooperating anymore, his body growing heavier as his eyelids start to droop.

He’s on the verge of giving up when voices reach him, growing closer with each passing second.

“Sir, can you- Shit. TK?”

“Hey Marjan,” TK groans. He tries to look over at her, but the motion turns his vision to static, threatening his tenuous hold on consciousness.

Marjan curses again. “Paul, it’s TK and Carlos!” she calls. Noise comes from the opposite side of the car as someone else arrives, followed by more swearing.

“Hang in there, brother,” Paul says, face grim.

“Not going anywhere,” TK mumbles. He blinks hard and tries to focus on Marjan’s face, catching her eye. “Y’need to get Carlos out first.”

“We’re gonna get you both out, TK.”

“Carlos first,” he insists. “He’s hurt. Promise me, Marj.”

“You’re hurt too,” she says softly, glancing around anxiously - presumably looking for the rest of the team.

“Him more than me.” TK attempts a grin, though he’s not sure it works. “Paramedic, remember?”

If Marjan says anything in response, TK doesn’t catch it, because the car shifts again and the world goes dark.

The next time he wakes, it’s to the sound of machines beeping and a dull ache spreading through his entire body. TK twitches his fingers, feeling another hand tighten around his, and hope lights up his chest for a brief second.

“Carlos?” he asks, heart sinking when the other person sighs in a way that is distinctly un-Carlos like.

“He’s okay, son,” his dad says, smoothing TK’s hair back. “You both are.”

TK forces his eyes open, the bright lights sending a lightning rod of pain through his head, but he breathes through it, turning to look at his dad. “What happened?”

His dad grimaces, looking worn as he shifts in his chair. “You were involved in a car accident,” he explains, tears gleaming in his eyes. “We’re not sure how exactly, but you rolled off the road down an embankment, which was still pretty muddy from all that rain this weekend. It took a long time to extract you both because we were afraid of destabilising the car and hurting you more.”

He takes a breath, squeezing TK’s hand hard. “We got Carlos out first at your insistence, so I’m told. He lost a lot of blood, but he’s awake and talking now.”

TK looks up at his dad with wide eyes, daring to hope. “He’s okay?”

“Some broken ribs, a fractured knee, a few minor scratches, and there’s the gash on his leg, but, yeah, he’s okay.” He smiles, a somewhat watery affair, before quickly growing sombre. “You, on the other hand, neglected to tell us just how bad that side was. You crashed in the ambulance, scared us half to death. You’re lucky you got here when you did - both of you are.”

A few tears slip down his cheeks and TK’s heart aches with guilt. “I’m sorry,” he says, nervously picking at the bedsheets. “I was just worried about him; I honestly didn’t realise it was that bad.”

His dad sighs. “I know, son.”

TK bites his lip, preparing himself for a fight as he gears up to ask his next question. “Can I see him?”

“TK -”

“Please, Dad. I need to see him.”

He turns a pleading gaze on his dad, who just smiles sympathetically, a hand rubbing his arm. “TK, neither of you are up to be moved right now. But, I do have another idea.”

He pulls out his phone, tapping through it before handing it over to TK, who frowns at the display.

“Why are you facetiming Paul?”

“You’ll see.”

TK huffs, but doesn’t press. It’s agony waiting for the call to connect, but his breath catches in his throat when it does.

Because Carlos is staring back at him, and he’s okay.

“Carlos,” he breathes, desperately wishing he could reach through the screen to touch him.

“Hey babe,” Carlos says tiredly. “I’m glad you’re awake.”

TK nods his agreement, scanning what he can see of Carlos for injuries. He’s bruised and battered, as TK is sure he himself is, but he’s alive, and that means the world right now. Carlos smiles at him, and TK can’t help but smile back, relief exploding in his chest.

“Man, how do y’all even do that?” Paul’s voice comes from off-camera, though TK can just imagine the look on his face right now. “You’re not even in the same room and I still feel like an intruder.”

“You can leave if it makes you uncomfortable,” Carlos says, gaze briefly going to where Paul presumably is before snapping back to TK. He winks, grinning. “We’ll probably be a while.”

TK laughs, Carlos too, and even Paul and his dad join in eventually. He settles on the pillows, letting his eyes briefly drift closed before looking back at his boyfriend, love sitting warm in his heart.

Yeah.

They’ll be okay.

#911 lone star #911 lone star fic #tarlos #tarlos fic #tk strand #carlos reyes #lone star #fanfiction #my fanfiction #writing #my writing #userjillian #userkimmy #tuserpaige #tuserjenny #reyeslonestartag #officereyes

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morganaspendragonss · 4 years

Text

someday, i’ll breathe again

prompted by @mimierose, idea by @theworld-is-out-there. thanks guys, so sorry it took me so long to write! i hope you both like it!

A shout from above grabs their attention, followed by the pounding of feet coming down the stairs towards them. TK’s able to shove Mateo out of the way, but the guy forcefully collides with him as he goes past, his momentum knocking TK off balance and sending him tumbling down the stairs to the landing below.

He lands hard, stars exploding in his vision, the pain in his head masking the sharp sting in his arm.

ao3 | 2.1k | warning for references to needles and past addiction - this is not a relapse fic

The ambulance arrives at the scene just behind the truck, and TK grins when he climbs out, spotting Carlos already deep in conversation with his dad. Nancy hits him as she walks past, any initial reservations she’d had about him joining their team long since forgotten.

“Head out of the bedroom, Strand,” she says, rolling her eyes at his show of offence.

“I’ll have you know my head wasn’t even close to the bedroom,” he protests, following her to the back of the ambulance. It’s not even a lie; he’d actually just been thinking about how much he was looking forward to their movie night later. They haven’t spent much time together properly in a while, shifts rarely lining up, both of them too tired to do much more than sleep when they do.

Becoming a paramedic has meant that some of the danger has gone out of TK’s job, but the workload has increased more than he realised it would. Medical get far more calls than fire in a day, and much as TK loves it, he can’t deny the bone-deep exhaustion at the end of most shifts.

He wouldn’t trade it, though, not for the world.

Nancy sends him a withering look, but she doesn’t get a chance to respond before Tommy’s striding back over to them, having consulted with his dad.

“What are we looking at, Cap?” he asks.

“PD needs some help clearing the building,” she responds. “It’s due to be demolished in a couple of weeks, but there have been some reports of squatters, gangs, local kids, hanging around. They want to make sure everyone’s out, and they want medical on standby just in case. Ordinarily, we’d wait out here, as you know, but Captain Strand and I have agreed that it would be more efficient and useful to have you inside. There might be people in there who don’t have the time to wait to be carried out.”

TK grimaces, hearing Tommy’s implications loud and clear. Her gaze flicks over to him, but she doesn’t comment, and TK tries to pull himself together as she continues laying out the plan.

“We’ll be going in in teams of three - two firefighters, one paramedic. TK, you’re with Judd and Mateo; Nancy, you’re with Marjan and Paul. Captain Strand and I will be waiting out here - keep us updated.”

“Yes, Cap.”

He and Nancy nod, turning to gather supplies into their medical bags. They work silently and efficiently; TK had been surprised by how easy it was to fall into a natural rhythm with his new team, but it feels normal now, like he’s been doing it forever.

Tommy takes his arm before they join the others, pulling him to one side. “You good to do this, Strand?” she asks, voice firm but caring. TK appreciates the thought - he’d told her about his history during his interview in case she wanted to think twice about hiring him - but he knows that he can do this.

He nods, adjusting the strap on his bag. “Yes. I’m good, Cap.”

She smiles. “Good. Now, go, and both of you be safe.”

TK jogs over to the others, arriving just in time to hear Nancy bemoaning him and his distinct lack of driving skill to Marjan.

“That’s so rude, Gillian,” he protests. “I’ll have you know I used to navigate New York traffic and never once got in an accident.”

“And yet you can’t take the ambulance more than five yards without threatening to crash it.”

“I’m surprised he can get it that far,” Judd puts in, which TK thinks is wholly unnecessary. It’s not his fault that the firetruck is totally unmaneuverable, or that the ambulance is only barely better.

He opens his mouth to tell Judd this, but his dad chooses this moment to call them to attention, so he’s forced to settle for a glare directed at the back of Judd’s head.

“You’ll take alternating floors,” Owen tells them. “Judd, Mateo, TK - start on the ground, work your way up through the even numbered levels. Paul, Marjan, Nancy - the same, starting on one and doing the odd floors. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Cap.”

“Good.” Owen looks round at them all, eyes seeming to linger on TK for the briefest second longer. “The structure seems stable, but stay alert. We don’t know what you’re gonna find in there, and I’d like to avoid any injuries. Police will be around for back up if you need them. Good luck.”

They spring into action, heading towards the building as a unit, and TK has to admit that he’s missed this. Doing rescues with the team, adrenaline pumping through his veins, never quite sure what’s going to happen from one moment to the next.

He sticks to the back of their little group, letting Judd and Mateo go ahead of him as they sweep the ground floor. There’s no-one there so they move onto the next level, TK’s nose wrinkling as the smell gets worse the higher up they go. They work without speaking, for the most part, though judging by the numerous backward glances Mateo keeps sending him, TK suspects that it won’t last.

Sure enough, as they’re moving from the fourth floor to the sixth - their last but one target - Mateo falls into step with him.

“It’s been weird since you became a paramedic.”

Ahead of them, Judd groans. “Here we go again.”

“What?” Mateo protests. “It has.”

TK looks between them, curious. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just weird that you’re not on call with us anymore,” he says, shrugging.

“I am literally on call with you right now, Mateo.”

“Yeah, but not with us,” Mateo sighs. “And it’s not like you’re at every call, and you don’t do rescues, and you ride in the ambulance now. I know that this is what you want to do, and that’s really cool, seriously, but it’s just -”

“Weird,” TK finishes, laughing a little. He nudges Mateo with his shoulder. “I get it. It’s been weird for me, too.”

“Really?” He seems surprised, looking over at TK with wide eyes. TK sends him a wry smile.

“Really,” he says. “But -”

A shout from above grabs their attention, followed by the pounding of feet coming down the stairs towards them. The guy - a squatter, more than likely - freezes when he catches sight of them, but only briefly, before continuing to barrel down to them. TK’s able to shove Mateo out of the way, but the guy forcefully collides with him as he goes past, his momentum knocking TK off balance and sending him tumbling down the stairs to the landing below.

He groans, vision swimming as he attempts to push himself upright. His bag is lying a couple of feet away, contents spilling everywhere, and the thought crosses his mind that Captain Vega’s going to be pissed if he loses anything. He tries to get to his feet to collect it all, but the pounding in his head quickly informs him that’s not happening any time soon.

Judd and Mateo’s faces appear in front of him, their mouths moving but no words coming out. Or… That’s not right. TK focuses as best he can, trying to blink some of the haziness from his mind.

Eventually, their voices reach him, as though underwater. “You with us, brother?” Judd asks, worry evident in his tone.

TK nods, then instantly regrets it as another wave of dizziness washes over him. Hands grasp his shoulders, pulling him up to rest against the wall, and it’s then that he notices a sharp sting in his right arm. He must have cut it on something, which isn’t ideal, given how dirty everything is here.

“Alright,” Judd says, his voice clearer this time. “I’m gonna need you to focus up for me, okay? You’re the paramedic here; you’ve gotta tell us what to do.”

TK huffs a small laugh, closing his eyes and taking a moment to clear the fuzz in his brain. “Definitely have a concussion,” he mutters. “Must have hit my head on the way down.”

He hasn’t opened his eyes yet, but he can feel Judd’s eye roll. “Yeah, no shit. It don’t look too bad, though; you’ve got a bit of a scrape on your cheek, but it seems fine. Hurt anywhere else?”

TK hums, doing a mental check. His entire body aches in some capacity, and he’s probably going to be bruised as hell tomorrow, but his cut is the only other injury he can detect. “Arm,” he says. “Think I cut it on something. Glass, maybe?”

Judd pushes his sleeve up, then sucks in a sharp breath. “Aw, shit, kid,” he murmurs, and TK gets the distinct impression he wasn’t meant to hear that. “Probie, let the captains know? Then go join the others; tell them they’ll have to finish the rest of the building themselves.”

TK frowns, forcing his eyes open. Mateo’s moved too far away for him to hear whatever he’s radioing in, so he turns to Judd instead, panic flaring at the pained look in his eyes. “What? What’s going on?”

Judd hesitates. “That wasn’t, um. That wasn’t glass you landed on, kid.” He shifts, carefully picking something up from the floor, pursing his lips before holding it up for TK to see.

A needle.

All the air feels like it’s sucked out of the room, a band tightening around his chest as his eyes blow wide, fixating on the object in front of him. His heart is racing and his thoughts are scrambled in a way that has nothing to do with the concussion because he just landed on a needle, oh god.

And TK had never been one for any of that stuff, not like some of his friends at the time were, but sober is sober, and he can’t lose that, he can’t, he won’t -

“You haven’t, okay? Just breathe, brother, that’s it. Breathe.”

Judd’s words reach him from far away. TK wants to comply, but his body doesn’t feel like his own, and his shaking fingers scrabble frantically at his uniform collar, the choking sensation only getting worse. A distant noise lets him know that Judd is still talking, and TK tries to latch onto that, leaning into the solid and grounding presence at his side.

Slowly, the panic starts to subside. He still feels on edge, weak and shaky, but he can breathe again, which counts for something.

“Sorry,” he gasps out when he’s able.

Judd’s mouth twists into a grimace. “None of that, now. You okay?”

TK nods, though he doubts it’s very convincing. “I will be,” he amends. “Give me a minute.”

At that moment, Judd’s radio crackles to life. “Ryder, what’s your status?” his dad’s voice says, very carefully professional.

Judd looks over to him. “Think you can stand?”

At TK’s nod, he grasps his radio. “Me and TK are on our way out, Cap,” he reports. “Be with you in a few.”

“Copy that.”

TK groans, taking a shaking breath before planting his hands on the floor, attempting to heave himself upright. He makes it to a half-crouch before his balance gives out, and it’s only Judd’s reflexes that save him from face planting the ground again.

“Jesus, TK,” Judd sighs. “Let me help you.”

His tone leaves no room for argument - not that TK could put up much of a fight at the moment if he tried. He leans his weight on Judd, letting him do most of the work to get them down the stairs and out of the building.

“Sorry for freaking out on you,” he murmurs. “I just…”

“I know, kid,” Judd says softly. “You’re alright, though.”

TK doesn’t say anything, not entirely convinced that Judd is right, but comforted by the sentiment anyway. It’s not until they’re nearing the ground floor that he realises something else, and it’s almost enough to make him want to turn back.

“This is going to be so embarrassing.”

Judd frowns. “What?”

He points between his head and his arm with his good hand. “I’m going to have to go to hospital to get these checked out.” He sighs. “A paramedic needing a ride in his own ambulance. I’m never going to live this down.”

Judd laughs, long and loud, and it’s enough to make a smile tug at TK’s own lips. “You’re something else, kid,” he says, gently ruffling TK’s hair.

TK grumbles and bats him away, but his heart isn’t in it. He’s never been more thankful for Judd, truth be told, and he knows he can trust him to understand. And as they head outside, TK starts to believe that maybe Judd was right after all.

They’ll be alright, in the end.

#911 lone star #911 lone star fic #lone star #911ls #tk strand #judd ryder #mateo chavez #nancy gillian #tommy vega #fanfiction #my fanfiction #writing #my writing #userjillian #tuserjamie #userkimmy #tuserpaige #tuserjenny #reyeslonestartag

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marjansmarwani · 4 years

Note

If it’s okay to ask for another prompt, #6, Tarlos please? If not you can absolutely just ignore this 😄

Feel free to ask for as many as you want! Here it is - it ended up being absolutely nothing like what I planned it to be, but that just happens some times and I have very little say in it.

I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for the request! 💕

----

Not anyone, you’re the one

Read on Ao3

Characters: Carlos Reyes, TK Strand, Owen Strand

Relationship: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand

Word Count: 3222

Prompt 6 - "you're bleeding"

---

In the aftermath of the solar flare, Carlos and TK have a heart to heart.

----

“You’re bleeding.”

There are so many things he should say to TK; wants to (needs to) say to TK, but when Carlos finally gets to his side in the aftermath; the first thing out of his mouth is an observation that is far from astute. For a moment the blood on TK’s shirt - far, far too close to the bandage covering a bullet wound that almost took TK from him before they had even had a chance to truly start - was all he could focus on. There was commotion everywhere, flashing lights and flames and sirens, but all Carlos could focus on is TK and the blood staining his shirt.

TK shrugged in that almost self-conscious way of his; the way he was when he did not want the spotlight, or when he was hiding something.

“It’s nothing, really,” he said with that shrug. Carlos arched a skeptical eyebrow but offered nothing more in challenge. It had been a long and traumatic afternoon - he could still feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Adding in the talk they had finished right before the world had gone to hell, now was probably not the best time to engage that particular desire. He had a feeling that once he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop. He didn’t want to pour his heart out to TK just yet - not here, not now.

“If you say so,” he said instead.

TK frowned at him and for a moment Carlos thought he might have actually been disappointed that Carlos hadn’t pushed him. But then they were surrounded by his team and the frown was gone and Carlos was sure he had imagined it. There is fussing and Carlos knows Judd doesn’t mean it when he rants about how TK is a danger magnet that should never be allowed in public unsupervised, and the others exchange skeptical looks at TK’s insistence that he is fine, really. Carlos isn’t sure exactly how he fits here in this group which has clearly morphed into some kind of ragtag family unit. He’s not sure how to interact here; he’s not sure of his place. He mostly listens, studying the others as they interact. They all strive to be close to TK as if they need assurances he is still with them (a sentiment Carlos fully understands). There are small touches; little moments that are exploited for tactility. A chance to feel for themselves that he is still here; still breathing. Glances around show Carlos that he is not the only one fixated on the bloodstain. It is too soon and far too close for comfort. He’s not sure where he fits here, but he does know that they are all on the same page. They’re all allies on this front and between them, they manage to get TK onto the ambulance right beside the bus driver.

It’s not until the doors swing closed behind him and the ambulance pulls away that the remainder of the 126 starts to show their fear.

“I swear to Christ that kid is going to give me gray hair before I’m 40,” Judd laments.

“How do you think I feel?” Captain Strand asks drily, running a hand through his salt and pepper dusted hair. “This didn’t happen on its own you know.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Mateo asks softly, eyes still tracking the ambulance as it drives away from the scene.

Paul claps him on the shoulder, “Of course he is. He probably just pulled his stitches acting the hero. They’ll clean it up and restitch before sending him home.”

“It’s lucky for her he was here. I don’t think we would have been able to get to her in time,” Marjan says lowly. This brings the rest of the crew and their false bravados back to center and their expressions grow darker. Carlos is speaking up before he even knows what he is going to say: “He’s lucky you guys showed up too. If it weren’t for you…” he trailed off, but the words he left unsaid hung within the group. Their eyes are on him too, as if they are just really registering his presence. There is a raised eyebrow from Judd, a knowing look from Paul; but no one says anything. It hits him again that no one knew about them before the shooting. Even now they have no way of knowing what transpired between them here today.

Though to be fair, Carlos isn’t too sure he knows that either.

Captain Strand, bless him, clears his throat and pulls his team’s attention away from Carlos and back to the matter and the scene at hand.

“TK will be fine,” he says bracingly, with such surety Carlos almost thinks he believes it, “in the meantime, we have a scene to clear.” He then turns to Judd, “I hate to ask again, but would you mind taking over? I need to call the Deputy Chief, make sure...”

“I can head to the hospital,” Carlos says abruptly, the words out of his mouth before his mind has even processed them. “It’s my day off so I have the time and you guys have this to deal with.” He trails off, gesturing vaguely at the mess surrounding them.

The Captain looks torn. It’s obvious that he doesn’t want to leave his team and a job unfinished, but the way his gaze keeps drifting towards the direction the ambulance left from betrays just how much he would like to drop everything and run to TK’s side; to see with his own eyes that he is okay. Eventually, he nods.

“Thank you, Carlos, I appreciate that. I’d also really appreciate it if you could keep me updated if you wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course,” Carlos says quickly, understanding that it is not so much a request as it is a requirement. Captain Strand will not be able to stay here unless he is sure TK is okay, and it will be up to Carlos to make sure that he knows that.”I’ll let you know what’s going on as soon as I know.”

The captain nods gratefully, some of the tension leaking from his shoulders. He smiles as Carlos and claps a hand on his shoulder, “I appreciate this son, thank you.”

“Not a problem,” Carlos assures him, even as his own mind is calling him a fool for getting involved. TK had essentially just dumped him not even an hour ago, and here he was spending his afternoon off heading to the hospital to wait for him.

Not going really wasn’t an option though - he needed to know that TK was okay just as much as the captain did. If he was honest with himself, there was no version of this where he just went home.

With a half-hearted wave in the general direction of the rest of the team and their curious looks, Carlos turned and headed back towards his car. Getting out of the area was easier than Carlos had anticipated and he arrived at the hospital before he was ready to face it. He allowed himself a few moments to sit in his car; to take a few deep breaths. There hadn’t been any time to process anything. It had been one thing after another - each thing coming one after another, determined to topple him blow by blow. And it wasn’t over yet.

He allowed himself another deep breath and pulled himself out of his car. He needed to do this one last thing; have his heart shattered one last time before he could go home, call Michelle, and have a beer. He could do this.

He entered the hospital and approached the information desk, waiting patiently for the nurse to finish her call. When she glanced up at him, he smiled - pushing his doubts and hurt back under the guise of practiced politeness. “I was looking for a TK Strand? He was brought in by ambulance a little while ago.”

She returned his smile and turned her gaze to her computer. She typed and then looked back up, “We have a Tyler Kennedy Strand?”

Carlos nodded, “Yes, that’s him. Would you be able to tell me where I could find him?”

She glanced back at her screen, “He is currently in treatment, but it may take a while for him to be done. We’re pretty slammed here today and it appears his injuries were not priority ones”

“Of course, I understand.”

She looked up at him again, still smiling, “There’s a waiting room right outside the ER. Why don’t you take a seat there? It will likely be a while before you’ll be able to see him.”

“I will, thank you, ma’am.” He left her with a parting smile and headed towards the waiting room indicated. It was crowded, and Carlos figured he shouldn’t be surprised. He had almost forgotten that this hadn’t happened to him in a bubble - the entire city had been affected. He wasn’t the only one having a rough day. In fact, judging by the look of the people and injuries he saw cramming into the ER waiting room, he was having a better day than most.

He sighed as he sank into a chair with a view of the doors to the treatment bays and the nurse’s station. He allowed himself a moment to close his eyes. His nerves were fried. Between his conversation with TK, the shock of the accident, the fear of watching TK going into an overturned bus and then of watching him pulled out of a flaming bus - it had been a long day. He wanted nothing more to hide under his blankets and sleep for the next week, but he had a promise to keep. So instead he settled in and let his mind wander.

One thing he hadn’t counted on when he had agreed to come here in Captain Strand’s stead, was the time for his mind to wander. He kept playing that conversation with TK over and over again in his head. The worst part of it, he mused, was that he couldn’t even be mad at TK. He had asked a question, and TK had given him the only answer he had. He hadn’t lied to him, he hadn’t tried to lead him on. He had done the right thing.

It wasn’t his fault that it was also the thing that had crushed Carlos’s heart.

He had known that there was only ever a 50/50 chance this thing with TK would work. It was chaotic from the beginning and doomed from the start. But things had been looking up. He had been so sure they were finally on the upswing; that things between them would finally be okay. That this was something he could rely on.

Then TK had gotten shot and their short, sweet romance had been blown to hell.

He knew that he had made an idiot of himself then, he knew he had put too much of himself on the line. But he had been so scared, and the thought of losing TK; of losing what they had overwhelmed his sensible nature. His actions had pushed TK who was already in a vulnerable position; had forced him to confront his feelings in addition to the shock and pain and sheer novelty of being alive again. TK had been given too much to deal with all at once, and something had to give.

Carlos had just selfishly hoped it wouldn’t be them.

He let his mind wander as the waiting dragged on, studying the others in the waiting room. He tried to guess their stories, tried to piece together what had brought them here to this hospital today. Had any of them had their heart broken today too?

The waiting stretched on and beyond a few texts exchanged with Captain Strand, Carlos spent most of it utterly unoccupied. He was just about to check the clock on the wall simply for something to do when the sight of a familiar striped shirt and a bloodstain that haunted his mind stepped out of the treatment bays and towards the nurse’s station. He watched as TK said something to the nurse and was handed some forms to fill out.

Even though logically Carlos knew he had to be okay, he was pretty sure there was nothing could have made him feel better at this moment than seeing TK Strand up and filling out paperwork. He shifted anxiously in his seat and when TK handed the forms back to the nurse and turned towards the exit, he shot out of his seat and met him at the door.

He called his name and TK froze, turning to look at Carlos with a bewildered expression. “Carlos?” he asked, “what are you doing here?”

Here, Carlos paused. “Your dad wanted to come but he was still on shift and I didn’t have to work so I said I would because I figured you would need a ride home and...well I guess I’m here to pick you up.”

TK raised an eyebrow and Carlos cringed. Smooth Reyes, he chided himself, not weird at all.

“You really drove out here and spent the past hour in the waiting room on your day off just to give me a ride home after I dumped you?” TK asked skeptically.

Carlos cringed. Well, you put it like that…

But TK was shaking his head, “You’re too good to be true Carlos Reyes,” he said softly, “There was never any chance I deserved you.”

Carlos looked up abruptly, expression furrowed, “What are you talking about?”

“I never deserved you,” TK repeated, “you’re too good to be stuck with someone like me.”

“TK, no…”

“It’s true Carlos, you don’t have to lie to me.”

Carlos just stared at him. He wasn’t entirely sure what was happening but he did know that it was nothing he had planned on. “Hey,” he said, “why don’t we get out of here and talk.”

TK glanced around the crowded waiting room - including a few bored individuals who had taken an interest in their conversation - and nodded. Carlos gave him a small smile and gestured towards the door. Once they were outside he led TK to his car and climbed in. Once they were settled and the doors were shut he turned to face TK, speaking before TK could get a word in. “First of all, that’s ridiculous. And even if it were true I think I get some say in the matter and I want to be with you. Whatever it is you think I deserve or you don’t deserve doesn’t change that. Secondly, how are you feeling?”

TK blinked, mind whirring as he considered all the implication of Carlos’s words. “I’m fine,” he said eventually, “they redid my stitches and I’m under strict instructions to not enter any more flaming buses.”

Carlos nodded, “That’s good advice, you should follow it.”

TK grinned at him, and Carlos returned it. Too soon the smile slipped off his face and he sighed, “I think we need to talk Carlos.”

Carlos swallowed and turned in his seat so he was facing TK and nodded.

“First of all,” TK started, “I’m sorry. What I said earlier...I panicked. I wasn’t sure what I wanted and I panicked. It’s been a weird few days for me and I…”

He trailed off and Carlos raised an eyebrow and offered, “panicked?”

TK nodded.

Carlos sighed again, “It’s okay TK, you’ve been through a lot. I shouldn’t have tried to push you. It’s okay if you don’t know what you want right now--”

“But I do,” TK interrupted. When Carlos gave him a skeptical look he continued, “I do know, now. I want to be a firefighter, here in Austin. I want to be with you Carlos; I want to give this a try - if you’re willing.”

Carlos stared at him, mouth agape. This was what he had wanted, but he hadn’t allowed himself to even hope that it could actually happen. He was mulling it over in his mind, replaying the moment to make sure it was real when he realized abruptly that TK was still awaiting an answer.

“Yes. I mean, yeah - I’m willing. Ready, even.” He followed it up with a grin, that TK returned even if it was strained.

“Before you make any hasty decisions, I think I need to tell you some things. You deserve to know the whole story of what you’re getting into before you jump in.”

Carlos nodded and TK started. He told him about his past, how he had been an addict who struggled to get clean. How he had found Alex, and how that had fallen apart. How he had relapsed; how he had ODed. How he had ended up here; not ready for a new relationship, still licking old wounds when they had met. Carlos let him speak uninterrupted, mentally putting the pieces into place in his own story. It explained so many things and made his heart ache for the other man. He had been through so much, but he was still trying; still clawing his way up to the surface, fighting all the way. Carlos was proud of him.

He said as much when TK finished his tale, and TK scoffed, “proud at me for being an addict?”

Carlos shook his head, “Proud of you for fighting, for beating this. I’m sure it hasn’t been easy, but you’ve been putting in the work. I don’t know if I would have been strong enough.”

“You would have,” TK said softly but Carlos shook his head, “Maybe, maybe not. It doesn’t change the fact that what you have done is nothing short of amazing TK, and I am impressed by you. You said you don’t think you deserve me, but I think it might be the other way around. What have I ever done to deserve someone so strong and resilient?”

TK looked like he wanted to say something, but the words seemed to die in his throat. He looked overwhelmed. Carlos reached out a hand and placed it on his knee, “How about we stop focusing on who does or doesn’t deserve who and just focus on how lucky we are to have found each other,” he suggested gently.

TK nodded, looking up at him with a smile and watery eyes, “Unbelievably lucky,” he said so quietly that Carlos almost didn’t hear him. Carlos smiled back at him and they sat there in a warm and welcoming silence for a long time. Eventually, TK placed a hand on top of Carlos’s and squeezed it lightly.

“We should go somewhere and talk some more,” he began, “but there’s another conversation I need to have. Would you mind driving me to the 126?”

Carlos nodded, “As long as you change your shirt. I don’t think I can stand to see your blood for much longer. It reminds me of how close we came to not having this.”

TK glanced down at the ruined shirt and the ominous bloodstain. “I think this is it for this shirt,” he agreed mournfully, “it’s a shame though, I really liked it.”

Carlos shrugged as he turned the car on, “I did too, but I think I’ll get over it. I like you more.”

Read on Ao3

#911 lone star #911 lone star fic #tarlos fic #carlos reyes #tk strand #my writing #prompt fill

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marjansmarwani · 3 years

Text

My original bthb masterpost seems to have disappeared into the ether (or somewhere else where the search function cannot find it) but, look! It’s almost done! I’ve been working on this for several years now so having the end in sight is very exciting! I’m actually very proud of all of these, and eager to get the last few done!

I do have a plan for crisis catch-and-carry but not really for the other two so if you’d like to suggest/request something I’m not making any promises but I’d love to hear your ideas!

See completed works under the cut or find them on ao3

911: Lone Star

head to toe, hand in hand (unwilling suspension)

In an instant a routine call turns disastrous and Carlos knows help is coming, he’s just not sure if he can hold on long enough. But he’s determined to try - he refuses to make his loved ones face the alternative.

was there something I could’ve said? (vivisection)

An average call turns deadly when someone hellbent on taking a paramedic hostage appears. TK offers himself up before Nancy can say a word and she is left with nothing to do but worry and face the fear of losing another partner, knowing that this time whatever happens is her fault.

fading under dying light (Grabbed by the hair)

After a rough shift TK comes home to an empty condo and decides to go for a run to clear his head, to avoid being alone with his thoughts. But when he runs into trouble on his run it’s Carlos who comes home to find him, to save him. He just hopes he was fast enough, that he wasn’t too late to save the person that matters most.

In the midnight hour, we came alive (Infected Wound)

He heard footsteps behind as he walked him but thought nothing of it until he noticed a figure leaning against the side of a building, at the mouth of an alley. It seemed innocent enough but something about it made the hair on the back of Carlos’s neck stand on edge. Something wasn’t right.

Or, When Carlos goes off on his own while out with TK and Paul, he finds more far trouble than he expected.

say that we’ll stay with each other (Electrocution)

On what seems like a normal day and a normal house fire things go from bad to worse in an instant and Carlos is left to confront his biggest fear, one of the things that keeps him up at night. But this isn’t a dream, it’s very real and Carlos will do anything to make sure it doesn’t mean the end. Not from them, not for TK.

Groundhog Day (Wound that would not heal)

He had never really been sure he believed in the concept of luck, but he might just have to start. At this point the evidence was kind of overwhelming: luck existed, and his was terrible. Or, 5 times TK hurt his shoulder and the one time someone else did.

I think the end of it all may look a lot like the beginning (Surrender)

When TK wakes up in the middle of the night to find Carlos’s neighbor’s house on fire with her son trapped inside, of course he has to go in. There was never any version of this where he didn’t. Carlos knows that too - it’s one of the things he loves about the other man. But when things go from bad to worse in an instant and Carlos is left on the outside and TK is left facing the possibility of the end, there’s nothing either of them can do but hope for the best.

Trouble Will Not Take Me (Communication cut off)

A routine call leaves Marjan and TK trapped in the aftermath of an explosion. Their radios are broken, there is no way out, and TK is fading fast. Marjan tries to be an optimist, but even she is struggling to find a bright side - or even hope. She just doesn’t want to watch her friend die, and she’ll do whatever she can to prevent it.

Blame Friday the 13th (Stabbing)

Judd blames Friday the 13th. TK thinks he being ridiculous, but he can’t deny that this is not how he thought today would play out.

Or, TK and Judd run into trouble while trying to run some errands. Bad things happen.

Stars Will Guide You Home (I will only slow you down)

All Carlos wanted to do was take his boyfriend out for some good Tex-Mex. All TK wanted to do was spend time with Carlos.

Neither of them had planned on being victims of a carjacking.

Thankfully they have each other to get through this, and that should be more than enough (they hope).

Friends Like These (Outnumbered in a fight)

TK hadn’t started it this time, he swears. He had just been minding his own business when he saw this guy harassing a girl. So, of course, he said something. He hadn’t realized the guy would take it so badly, and he definitely hadn’t realized that he had much larger, angrier friends.

Or, TK gets in a bar fight that is definitely not his fault.

Forever (If We Make if That Far) (Near death experience)

When Carlos is asked to help with an undercover sting, he jumps at the chance. When it all goes wrong, he is almost certain he is going to die.

But then he doesn’t. He wants to move on, but he’s stuck. Staring death in the eye did not leave him feeling as invincible as he would have hoped.

Luckily, he has this boyfriend who is pretty wise (and alarmingly familiar with near-death experiences) and determined to help him through, no matter what.

Brother (I will hear you call) (Chapter 1 - big brother instinct, Chapter 4 - confrontation)

A series of incidents in which Judd looks out for, protects, and harasses the little brother he suddenly found himself with.

Chapter 1: TK gets separated from the group on a call and Judd just knows something is wrong (turns out, he’s right) Chapter 2: Idiots say stupid things at a bar, Judd isn’t about to let that stand. No one messes with his brother. Chapter 3: Judd decides to have a “talk” with Carlos. TK objects. Chapter 4: Judd has a flashback and lashes out. TK just happens to be in the way.

Holding On (Until You Can’t Anymore) (I ain’t got time to bleed)

“Woah man, you’re bleeding!” Paul exclaimed, hand jutting out to grab TK’s shoulder, turning him to face him so he could see the growing dark stain better.

TK pulled away from him, avoiding his eyes, “don’t worry about it, it’s nothing.”

Paul raised a skeptical eyebrow, “It doesn’t look like nothing.”

Or,

TK is hurt when the crew responds to a large scale factory accident and refuses to stop to get patched up. Bad things happen.

Safe in Your Arms (Arm in a sling)

An accident on a call leaves TK laid up, but Carlos is there to take care of him.

Someday (But Not Yet) (Voice breaking)

When Owen is hurt TK is worried he is not strong enough to look after his dad. He is trying to be as strong as his dad would be for him, but some people remind him that his dad would be the first one to tell him it’s okay to feel.

———————————————————————-

Voltron:

I’ve Got You Brother (Hostage situation)

Lance glared at the militia leader; his gaze steely, and Hunk instantly knew what was about to happen. But he wasn’t going to let it happen – not this time.

“Wait,” he interrupted before anyone else could speak, “take me. I’ll go with you willingly, and you’ll let everyone else go.”

He could feel the looks of horror from his team, especially Lance, but he refused to acknowledge them. He was going to make the sacrifice play this time, and his best friend was just going to have to deal with it.

Or,

Hunk sacrifices himself in a hostage situation to prevent Lance from doing the same. He finds out it’s not a lot of fun. Bad things happen.

Ready, Aim, Fire (Human shield)

One of the things Pidge loved the most about being in space was the tech. In the past year she had seen, destroyed, and built more things than she could ever have imagined in her wildest dreams on earth.

Which is why this planet just pissed her off. It was bad enough that they were under attack, but could it at least be some sort of cool new tech? No, they were using fucking arrows. She was taking this personally.

Or,

The paladins are engaged in battle with an anti-technology race. Pidge is unpleased, but Hunk always has her back – and her front. Bad things happen.

He Ain’t Heavy (He’s My Brother) (Blood from the mouth)

After a routine supply stop goes wrong (because of course it does) Lance and Hunk are stuck in a collapsing cavern with only each other and their injuries to get themselves back to the castle.

And nothing can ever be easy.

Or,

Hunk and Lance go on a mission to find some minerals. Bad things happen.

#911 lone star #911 lone star fic #bthb #bad things happen bingo #not me throwing on all the bthb tags so I can maybe find this later

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morganaspendragonss · 4 years

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Oh I hope you’re still doing the bad things bingo for tarlos! Because I’ve been having this idea that Carlos would be the first to volunteer to disarm a bomb and get caught in the explosion all while poor TK and Michelle are outside the building being held back by their team. It goes perfectly for the getting into an explosion bingo.

Always happy to write for Tarlos! Please everyone keep prompting me (other fandoms are available!)

@badthingshappenbingo prompt: Caught in an explosion

Fandom: 9-1-1: Lone Star

ao3

It’s the kind of call every first responder dreads. A bomb threat in an apartment block, civilian’s lives on the line, the whole situation a hair’s breadth away from disaster. Their ride to the scene is silent but for Owen briefing them on their duties; they’ll be on standby unless and until something goes wrong.

It’s crawling with cops when they get there as well as a couple of EMS crews, including Michelle and her team. Owen goes straight over to the police chief, leaving the others to prep the equipment.

“Anyone ever run a call like this before?” Mateo asks, wide-eyed.

Marjan nods. “Once, back in Florida. It was…” She trails off and shrugs.

“Intense?” Mateo fills in, causing a smile to appear on Marjan’s face.

“Sure, Probie.”

“We had a couple hoaxes in New York,” T.K. adds. “Never the real thing though.”

T.K. doesn’t listen to Mateo’s response, his eyes scanning the officers on crowd control. He can’t see Carlos among them, but he recognises his cruiser, so he must be here somewhere. He keeps looking, but his dad returns before he can find Carlos.

“Alright, 126, listen up,” Owen says. “We’ve had no evidence to suggest that this might be a hoax so, as you all know, we have to treat this as if it’s the real deal. Fortunately, the block is mostly clear, and the PD have sent in some volunteer officers with a PSBT to find any stragglers and, if possible, identify the threat.

“We’ll be working in conjunction with EMS in the event of an explosion. In that case, Paul and Judd, you will be going inside if it’s deemed safe to extract any casualties. Marjan and T.K. - you’ll be with Captain Blake, so do whatever she tells you. Mateo - water.”

They all nod and disperse, T.K. chasing after Owen as he walks away, a sick feeling growing in his stomach. There are officers in there, and Carlos isn’t here, but surely he wouldn’t be so stupid to volunteer for something so dangerous.

Except T.K. knows this is exactly the kind of thing Carlos would do; not because he’s stupid, but because he’s the bravest person T.K. has ever known, and he would do anything to save people.

“Dad, do you know who’s in there?” he asks, and the pitying look on Owen’s face is confirmation enough.

His dad sighs heavily. “Yes, Carlos is in there,” he says. “But, T.K., you cannot let this interfere. We still have a job to do.”

“I know,” T.K. replies, but his eyes are on the building, as if searching for a sign that Carlos is alive, is okay.

That’s when the bomb goes off.

T.K. doesn’t even know he’s moving until his dad’s hands come down on his shoulders, holding him back. “I have to go in there,” T.K. says, struggling to get free. He can feel the team’s eyes on him, but he doesn’t care, he just has to get to Carlos.

“No, you’re staying out here,” Owen says, forcing him further towards the truck. “Paul and Judd have it covered.”

“But -”

“No buts,” Owen interrupts. “T.K., you’re compromised. It’s for everyone’s safety - including Carlos’s - that you need to stay here. Clear?”

T.K. fights for a second more, but he knows his dad is right. He has to trust Judd and Paul to get Carlos out okay. Owen smiles at him.

“He’ll be okay, son.”

T.K. wishes he could believe him.

He’s kept busy by Michelle as civilian after civilian comes through to EMS, but he keeps glancing up to watch for Carlos, and he knows she’s doing the same. It’s a comfort, being with her; there’s a kind of solidarity in it, knowing that he’s not the only going out of his mind with worry for Carlos.

Paul’s voice comes crackling over the radio. “Cap, we’ve found the PD. They were pretty close to the blast, but it looks like the protective suits held up okay. Couple of them are buried under some rubble; we should be able to shift it, but make sure EMS are standing by.”

T.K. looks over at Michelle, eyes wide and panicked. She reaches over and squeezes his hand, understanding written all over her face, and it’s only that that stops T.K. from running straight into that building.

It’s an agonising wait, but eventually Paul emerges, a familiar figure in his arms. Carlos’s protective helmet has fallen off, and even at a distance, T.K. can see the blood matting his hair. His heart seizes, but he tries to stay composed as Carlos is left with them. Paul’s hand comes down on his shoulder, the touch brief, but it grounds T.K., calms his racing nerves a little.

Up close, Carlos’s injuries don’t seem too extensive, but the gash at his hairline is worrying. Carlos groans, his eyes fluttering open, and T.K. does his best to smile reassuringly as he comes back to awareness.

“Hey,” he murmurs, a hand on Carlos’s face. “You’re okay, it’s okay.”

“T.K.?” Carlos frowns, then tries to push himself up, only for Michelle to push him firmly back down on the ground.

“You stay right there, mister,” she warns, but there’s a smile in her voice.

Carlos laughs tiredly. “Hey, chica.”

And, at the sight of Carlos’s smile, T.K.’s able to relax a little. Carlos is okay.

Michelle finishes patching up Carlos’s head quickly, then helps him to sit up, passing him over to T.K. as she turns to the next patient.

“You had me worried, asshole,” T.K. says, bringing Carlos’s knuckles to his lips.

“Guess we’re even, then,” Carlos jokes, and T.K. smiles.

Tim comes over to get Carlos into an ambulance, so T.K. drops a quick kiss on his forehead and lets him go, closing his eyes in relief. He wishes, sometimes, that his boyfriend didn’t have to be so heroic all the damn time.

Then again, that’s just who Carlos is, and T.K. would be lying if he said he didn’t love it. And he wouldn’t change it for the world.

#bad things happen bingo #911 lone star #911 lone star fic #tarlos #tarlos fic #tk strand #carlos reyes #michelle blake #tk x carlos #lone star #911ls #fanfiction #my fanfiction #writing #my writing #anonymous

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marjansmarwani · 4 years

Text

The Boss’s Son (Part 3) - Role Reversal AU

[Part 1] [Part 2]

Firefighter Carlos Reyes and Officer TK Strand have been going strong, growing ever closer. But it’s still a secret. TK is the son of Carlos’s boss after all. Taking things slow; keeping them private - it makes sense. But life doesn't always agree, and sometimes fate has other plans.

The last part of the role reversal au originally requested by @buttercupstrand . It’s so much longer than I thought it was going to be and probably should have been at least two separate chapters, but I said 3 chapters and I am nothing if not stubborn. It covers a lot of ground though

[Ao3 Link]

Dinner tonight? I’m cooking.

Why does that feel like a threat?

TK scoffed at the response. I can cook!, he typed back, You’re not the only one with skills.

TK, I’ve seen your kitchen. I don’t think anything has ever been cooked in there. Nothing edible, at least.

Rude.

But true.

...fine. Take out at my place?

It’s a date.

“Alright, I’ll bite,” Mya said as she plopped down into the chair next to his desk, “who have you been texting all morning that has you looking like that?”

“No one,” TK said quickly, sliding his phone under the paperwork he was supposed to be doing.

Mya raised a skeptical eyebrow, “Well, I hope No One has a hot lady friend because I need myself some of what you have going on.”

“Mya,” TK hissed, glancing around the squad room. She simply rolled her eyes, “please, it’s not like everyone doesn’t already know. You’re not exactly subtle. The only thing we can’t figure out is who this mystery man is. Want to clue your partner in?”

“I like to maintain an air of mystery,” TK replied, making a show of shuffling his paperwork and picking up a pen. “Now if you don’t mind, I have paperwork to do.”

Mya scoffed as she got up from the chair, “Fine, keep your secrets. I’ll get it out of you eventually.”

“Good luck with that,” he called after her as she headed to her own desk. Once she was gone he slid his phone out from under the paperwork. It vibrates as he does so, and he picked it up eagerly expecting another message from Carlos. He felt the slightest bit of disappointment when he saw it was not Carlos after all, but his dad.

Want to meet for dinner tonight? There’s a Paleo place on Lamar I want to try.

TK felt a bit of guilt swell up. Between work and stolen hours with Carlos, there had been little time to see his dad.

Sorry, he replied, I’m busy tonight. Soon though.

A few seconds later his dad’s response popped up, I’ll hold you to that. I’m pretty sure I saw you more when we lived on different ends of the county than I do now that we’re in the same city.

TK read the message and sighed. His dad certainly knew how to pile it on. How about tomorrow?

I’ll hold you to that kid.

TK grimaced as he slipped his phone into the drawer of his desk, turning his attention to his paperwork. He really felt that they were making the right choice in figuring out what they were and how it would go before sharing it with everyone, but that didn’t make keeping it from his dad any easier.

-----

“What do you think?”

Paul considered for a moment before replying, “I think it needs more chili powder.”

Carlos rolled his eyes, “That’s your answer to everything.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”

Carlos shook his head but did shake more chili powder into the pot. He stirred it again and take a taste. When he didn’t say anything, Paul gave a smug smile, “I was right, wasn’t I?”

Carlos ignored him, instead turning towards the dining area, “Hey guys, dinner’s done.”

Paul chuckled but helped Carlos to carry the food to the table, where they were met by the rest of the crew. They settled down to eat in silence, the only sounds the clatter of silverware and glasses. Marjan was the first to speak, “Why do we have anyone else even on kitchen detail? Between Reyes and Strickland, we’re guaranteed to eat gourmet every night.”

“Nope sorry, we are not your personal chefs,” Paul said flatly.

“Oh c’mon, why not show off your talent?”

“Yes, but with everyone cooking, you appreciate our cooking just that much more when it does happen,” Carlos reasoned.

Marjan rolled her eyes at him as another voice sounded from the other end of the room, “haven’t you ever heard of too much of a good thing Marjan?”

They all turned to find Captain Strand walking towards them, settling into the empty seat at the table. He made no move to grab a dish and Carlos frowned at him, “You not eating Cap?”

Owen shook his head, “No, I grabbed some lunch while I was out for my meeting today. Smells good though.”

Something in his voice caught Carlos’s notice and he was sure there was more to the story. But it wasn’t his place to pry into his captain’s life – especially not when he was keeping secrets of his own.

As if to remind him, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He surreptitiously pulled it out and glanced at it under the table.

The tornado watch has been updated to a warning, be careful out there today, TK had texted.

Always am, he sent back, Same goes for you too.

You know me, careful is my middle name.

It is not, Tyler Kennedy.

I regret telling you that.

Carlos grinned at his last message and was about to type out a teasing response when a loud crash from outside jolted him back to reality. They exchanged glances around the table before getting up and grabbing the turnout coats and heading into the torrential rain.

The rain was coming down so hard it was difficult to even see a few feet in front of him, but Carlos squinted and was able to make out the sight of Mateo dangling from the banner above the bay door. He shook his head and went to help Judd lift up the ladder so Mateo could climb down. He was about to ask the Probie if he was okay when he happened to glance down the street.

Apparently, the warning had been pretty accurate, because there were four separate tornadoes spinning through downtown. He froze, and Judd walked into him, nearly toppling him.

“Damn Reyes, what’s…” but Judd trailed off as he saw what Carlos was looking at. “Shit,” he swore instead. Carlos could only nod.

Owen joined them, “Judd, Carlos – you must have some experience with this. What is the protocol?”

“Protocol is def con 1. We don’t get out asses killed so we can save everyone else’s asses later.”

Carlos nodded, “Batten down the hatches and ride it out. It’s going to be a long shift.”

Owen nodded, “Alright team, you heard them. Let’s get inside and ride this out.”

Carlos pulled open the door to the station and ushered everyone inside. Once everyone was in, he took one last look at the tornadoes before pulling the door shut tightly behind him.

Today was going to be a very long shift. His phone buzzed again, and he pulled it out.

Apparently “warning” is Texas speak for they’re already here. Stay safe please, and call me later?

Despite everything, Carlos had to grin at that. Count on it, he texted back. Maybe today wouldn’t be a total disaster after all.

-----

TK didn’t bother knocking when he arrived at his father’s house. He simply used the key his dad had given him to let himself in.

“Dad?” he called as he entered, “are you here?”

His heart was thudding in his chest. He had called Carlos at the end of his shift to see how their day on the ground had gone only to be told that his father had insisted on going into a partially collapsed house only to have it collapse on him all the way. Carlos assured him that Owen was fine, but nothing short of seeing his dad with his own two eyes was going to quell the racing of his heart.

“Dad?” he called again as he headed towards the kitchen.

“In here!” Tk breathed a sigh of relief as he heard Owen’s cheerful response and turned the corner to find his dad mixing his quinoa salad.

He smiled when he saw TK, “I hope you don’t mind, but I decided I didn’t want to go out tonight so I just threw together whatever I had in the fridge.”

TK didn’t answer. He was too busy examining his dad for any sign of injury from the day’s events. When he got close enough, he pulled his dad into a tight hug. Owen made a surprised noise but didn’t resist, returning the embrace almost immediately. When they pulled apart, he gave TK a concerned look, “You okay kid?”

TK took a deep breath, pushing down the urge to yell at him, “I’m fine, how are you? I hear a house collapsing on you is not exactly recommended for your health.”

Owen froze, “How did you hear about that?” he asked.

It was TK’s turn to freeze. How had he heard about it? It’s not like he could say Carlos told him.

“The rescues were all over the news dad, the only thing they’ve shown all day is tornado recovery.”

Yes, good. That would work. He had been largely too busy to watch any of the coverage, but he was banking on the fact that his dad had been too.

It seemed to as his dad nodded, looking slightly chastened, “I’m fine, I’m sorry I had you worried.”

TK rolled his eyes, “I’m always going to worry about you dad, it’s my job.”

“Well it is also my job to worry about you, so I guess we’re just going to have to live with it.”

TK shook his head fondly, before nodding towards the dinner, “Looks good, anything I can help with?”

Owen shook his head, “I’m all set, actually. Do you want to change first, or are you still expecting to be on duty during dinner?”

TK looked down at himself with vague surprise. He had rushed out of the precinct so fast after his conversation with Carlos that he had completely forgotten he was still wearing his uniform. “Give me 3 minutes to change?”

“Clock starts now,” Owen said over his shoulder as he reached into the cupboard for glasses. TK grinned and grabbed his bag from where he had dropped it and headed to the bathroom to change. He made quick work of changing, carefully folding up his uniform and placing it back into his bag. He paused at the vanity to give himself a quick once over when an item on the counter happened to catch his eye. He frowned as he glanced at the solitary pill bottle. As long as he could remember, his father’s bathroom had always been littered with various bottles of hair care vitamins and supplements. To see only one bottle next to the sink is so foreign that TK can’t stop himself from reaching for the strange, lonely pill bottle.

It’s clearly a prescription, but it looks nothing like the supplements he has grown used to seeing. He glances at the label: granisetron. He frowned at it. That wasn’t any medication he was familiar with. He was about to pull out his phone to google it when his father’s voice drifting from the kitchen snapped him back to his senses. What was he doing? This was his dad’s home; Owen might always go out of his way to assure TK that he should always consider it his home too, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was about to go snooping into his father’s private business. No, he would ask his dad about it. It was only fair to give him the chance to explain.

He replaced the bottle and left the bathroom with a heavier heart. Maybe it was nothing, but every fiber in his being was screaming at him that this was far from nothing.

Owen looked up as he reentered the kitchen, “I was starting to think you’d gotten lost, what happened to 3 minutes?”

His tone was light and teasing, but TK couldn’t bring himself to lighten up. He had stopped at the threshold of the kitchen, examining his dad anew. He seemed the be the same as always. Maybe he looked a little more tired or drawn than usual, but a 24-hour shift during a tornado was no joke. He needed to just ask the question. If he didn’t it would weigh on him all night.

“Dad,” he started, “can I ask you something?”

Owen glanced up from where he was setting the table, surprised, “Of course you can. What’s up?”

TK spoke slowly, deliberately, making a conscious effort to keep his voice even. “When I was in the bathroom just now, I noticed a new prescription bottle - granisetron? Is everything okay?”

Owen froze, and TK’s heart sank. So, it wasn’t nothing. It was definitely something.

When Owen looked up and met TK’s gaze, his eyes were sad. “We should sit down first before we talk about this.”

TK dropped his bag again, moving slowly towards the table, feeling like he was on a funeral march. He was hyper-aware of everything as he crossed to the table; he had a sinking feeling that after this conversation, nothing would ever be the same again.

------

To say Carlos was surprised when there was a knock on his door in the middle of the night would be an understatement.

He had just gotten off the phone with his sister (after already having spoken to his other sister and his mother) assuring her that yes, he was perfectly fine after the tornado and receiving reassurances that yes, she was fine too. They all were and Carlos was beyond grateful. He had just been debating whether to turn on the TV for a bit or to just go to bed when the knocking started. He frowned, glancing down at his phone for the time. What could anybody possibly want at this hour?

That initial confusion was nothing compared to the confusion and panic that he found when he opened the door to reveal a disheveled TK on his doorstep. The man just looked defeated. His usually perfectly styled hair was a mess, his eyes were red with the unmistakable signs of recent tears. Carlos’s heart ached.

“TK,” he asked, “are you okay?”

TK shook his head and Carlos cursed at himself for asking such a stupid question. “Are you hurt?” he asked, his heart pounding.

TK shook his head again, “Can I come in?” he asked softly.

Carlos stepped aside and shut the door behind him. He watched TK walk over to the couch and drop onto it, settling with his head in his hands. Carlos crossed the room and sank onto the couch next to him, gently.

“What can I do?” he asked softly.

TK’s voice was muffled by his hands, but the pain that leaked through almost shattered Carlos’s heart, “Can you just sit with me?”

Carlos nods, blinking away tears of his own, “As long as you need.”

He sank further into the couch, closer to TK. TK leaned into him, and Carlos hesitantly wrapped his arms around him. He half expected the other man to shake him off, to push him away. Instead, he leaned into the embrace, burying his face into Carlos’s neck. Carlos felt the neck of his shirt growing wetter, but he said nothing. He simply sat, rubbing gentle circles on TK’s back.

At some point, they would talk. He would ask TK to tell him what was wrong, he would ask what he could do to fix it. They would discuss whatever this problem was. But for now, they would steal this quiet moment. The rest of the world had almost been swept away today, but that was outside. Here, in this embrace, they were safe.

Carlos was intent to keep it that way, for just a little longer.

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Keep reading on Ao3

#911 lone star #911 lone star fanfic #tk strand #carlos reyes #tarlos #role reversal au #au #my writing #i know I've been aiming for friday updates but this counts as friday damnit

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