#Married Tarlos

[chicgeekgirl89]

Summary: After the gas cloud dissipates, Carlos and T.K. go home and Carlos starts to realize just how much his work interfering with his life.

Read on AO3

Carlos had never realized exactly how much a person can say with a hug until he fell in love with T.K. Strand. Before that, hugs had just been a quick way to say hello or give a little comfort to someone else. Truly, as an adult, the only people he really hugged were his mom, his sisters, and his niece and nephew. Now hugs are one of the top five ways of finding out what his husband is feeling.

Hugs from T.K. Strand can be put into the following categories:

Happy Hugs- Tight, but squishy, sometimes a little bouncy and they don’t tend to last very long because T.K. usually has things to say to go along with them.

Silly Hugs- T.K. flopping as much of his body onto Carlos as humanly possible and smothering him with his weight. If they’re upright this results in lot of staggering around and potentially falling to the floor, if they’re on the couch or in bed then Carlos is usually smashed flat into the horizontal surface. T.K. considers it a bonus if he can do it while wet, dirty, smelly, or naked and make Carlos squirm in discomfort.

Worried Hugs- Fast, quick squeezes of reassurance that are over within seconds because T.K. needs to run his hands over Carlos and check for injuries; physical and emotional. 

Tired Hugs- Floppy, boneless, short and usually followed by T.K. requesting that Carlos shower or come to bed with him. Sometimes the latter part can be circumvented by the promise of food.

Sexy Hugs- These involve the running of T.K.’s hands up Carlos’ chest first, before he loops them around his neck. This type of hug is accompanied by a lot of kissing and grinding until Carlos gives T.K. what he wants.

I Almost Died Today Hugs- Carlos hates these hugs. T.K. sags into him, like he can barely hold himself up anymore and needs Carlos to take over. He smushes his face into Carlos’ neck and exhales and clings on so incredibly tight. There have been too many of these in the short time they’ve known each other, more than anyone should have to endure.

It’s the last kind that Carlos gets when T.K. and Tommy come through the front door of Tommy’s house and it immediately makes him worry. He’d known that they were in a tenuous situation out there with the train crash and the gas cloud, but it isn’t until T.K. basically collapses in his arms that he understands without words that he almost lost everything today. 

He holds on tightly, aware that they have an audience, some of whom are very young and don’t need to realize the danger that almost made them orphans today. So he says nothing, instead rubbing his hand up and down, trying to soothe away the fear and exhaustion he can feel eking out of his husband’s bones. 

He cups T.K.’s cheek in his hand when they pull apart, searching his eyes. “You okay?” he asks.

T.K. nods wordlessly and then their attention is pulled to the awkward situation happening around them. Carlos doesn’t envy the conversation Tommy and Trevor are about to have, so they make their excuses and head out.

By the time Carlos has stowed his things in the back of the Camaro, T.K. is already in the passenger seat, head tipped back, eyes closed. Carlos buckles his seatbelt and looks over at his husband. “Do you want to talk about it?”

T.K. shakes his head without opening his eyes. “Not yet.”

“Are you hungry? Do you want to pick something up?”

Another shake. “I just want to go home.”

He turns his left palm upward, a silent request, and Carlos obliges, slotting the fingers of his right hand into place. T.K. has already put his ring back on after work and Carlos can feel it tucked in between his fingers, a reassurance that whatever happened today, they are still here and things are okay.

They pull out of the driveway, Carlos steering with one hand. “Was Trevor at the house when you got there?” T.K. asks.

“He was,” Carlos says. “I guess he wasn’t supposed to be.”

“Did he tell you about what’s going on with him and Tommy?”

“He did.” Carlos keeps his voice mild despite the concern swirling inside of him. He’s not sure he really wants to hear how close he came to becoming a widower today, but T.K. will need to process it eventually and he’s more likely to spill how he’s feeling if he thinks Carlos isn’t freaking out. “Quite an ultimatum he laid down.”

“Almost as bad as a secret wife.” T.K. turns his head and finally opens his eyes, the ghost of a teasing smile on his face.

“Almost,” Carlos says with a chuckle. “Do you think Tommy’s going to do it? Meet with Trevor’s ex?”

T.K. shrugs. “I don’t know. Probably. Tommy talks a big talk, but when it comes down to it, she’s a mom. I think she gets it. She’ll want to try and make it work. And after today…I think she knows what she wants her priorities to be.”

After today. It’s an opening and Carlos waits, letting the opportunity to talk sit comfortably between them so that T.K. can choose to take it if he wants to. It turns out he does.

“We were trapped in a school,” he says, his voice quiet, hand still holding onto Carlos’. “We weren’t supposed to be there, but there was a missing woman and the gas cloud was coming and Tommy wouldn’t leave her behind. She told us to go, but we didn’t.”

“You couldn’t leave her alone,” Carlos says in understanding. 

“No. We couldn’t.”

There’s a moment of quiet. “Did you find the woman?” Carlos asks curiously.

“She died.” T.K.’s voice is flat and Carlos feels a stab of sympathy. “It was…awful. A terrible way to go.”

Carlos hears the words T.K. doesn’t say: he watched a woman die a horrific death and thought he and two of the people he loves most in the world were next. Carlos squeezes his husband’s hand in reassurance before raising it to his lips and pressing a kiss to his wedding ring. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

T.K. leans his head back against the seat. “Me too.” He’s quiet for a moment and then, “I used a fan.”

Carlos thinks he misheard. “A what?”

“A fan. There was a fan in the classroom and when the gas started coming in I turned it on to try and blow it away.”

Carlos bites the inside of his cheek. “You thought a fan was going to save you all from a giant cloud of toxic gas?”

“Well it sounds dumb when you say it like that!” T.K. huffs indignantly. “It was all we had Carlos!”

“Maybe you all could have just started blowing really hard. Feels like it would have had the same effect.”

“I hate you,” T.K. says grumpily, but he doesn’t let go of Carlos’ hand and the tension that was clinging to him seems to have shaken loose.

“I’m sorry,” Carlos says, keeping his tone light and teasing. “I’m sure you and your fan did a great job.”

“Damn right we did,” T.K. grumbles, shifting to get more comfortable. “You’d better be nice to me or the next time you want something blown I might say no.”

“Really?” Carlos throws T.K. an amused look. “You love blowing me. You’d last five minutes.”

“Longer than you’d last with my mouth on you,” T.K. shoots back, a wicked smirk on his face.

The car falls into comfortable silence and a minute later T.K.’s fingers go limp. Carlos glances over and finds T.K.’s head is leaning against the window, cheek smushed adorably into the glass. He smiles and curls his fingers a little more tightly so their hands don’t slip apart.

When he pulls the Camaro into its parking spot he cuts the engine and speaks softly, trying not to startle his husband. “Hey, we’re home babe.”

T.K. blinks awake and looks at him, eyes slightly unfocused. “Did I fall asleep?”

Carlos nods. “Just for a few minutes.”

T.K. groans and stretches as much as the confines of the car will allow. “Almost dying really takes it out of you.”

“Come on. Let’s get you upstairs. Everything will feel better once we’re home.”

When they’re inside Carlos sends T.K. to shower while he heats up some soup from the freezer and throws together a small salad. “I’m really not hungry,” T.K. says when he returns, bundled up in a hoodie to fight against the chill of the air conditioning.

“I know,” Carlos says, cupping the back of his neck and pressing a kiss to his damp hair. He smells like soap and shampoo. “But you need to eat something.”

They sit at the table, T.K. slowly making his way through the bowl, one spoonful at a time while Carlos pulls out yet another file, this one about a murder his father worked for six months in 2003. He already went through four files at Tommy’s house tonight, he doesn’t need to keep looking. It’s more of a habit than anything else at this point, or maybe a compulsion. When he has downtime he looks. One of these days, all of that looking is going to pay off, he knows it. And the faster he gets through these files, the faster that payoff will come.

T.K. doesn’t give him a pointed look or ask him to put the files away. He doesn’t say much of anything really, just eats two thirds of his meal before pushing the bowl away. Carlos looks up at the sound of the porcelain sliding across the table. “Do you want something else? I can make you a sandwich. Or there’s a little bit of pasta left from the other night.”

T.K. shakes his head. “I think I’m going to go to bed. Are you coming?”

Carlos checks his watch. It’s already after eleven. He has work tomorrow, it would probably be smart to curl up beside his husband and get a decent amount of sleep tonight. “Let me just finish up with this case and then I’ll be in. Twenty minutes tops.”

T.K. opens his mouth and then closes it without saying anything, his shoulders slumping a little. He looks small tonight, vulnerable in a way that hurts Carlos’ heart. Carlos almost closes the folder in his hands and gets up. He almost wraps his husband in his arms and whispers how much he loves him, reassures him that he’s safe, that they’re alive and together. He almost pulls him into the bedroom and makes soft love to him until he forgets the horrors he saw today.

But before he can do any of that T.K. turns and walks away and it feels like something between them shifts a little bit in a way that Carlos can’t quite figure out. And then he looks down at the file again and sees a name he recognizes from another case and he’s no longer at home finishing up work for the night, he’s digging deep into the past until his neck aches and his eyes feel gritty. When he finally looks blearily at his phone it doesn’t say eleven twenty pm but one forty-seven am and he feels a shock that so much time has passed without him realizing it.

He hastily puts things away and cleans up the now cold soup bowl, leaving it in the sink for the morning before quickly brushing his teeth and pulling off his clothes for bed.

The light on his side of the bed is still on. T.K. must have left it for him, thinking he’d be in soon. Or maybe just hoping he would be. Carlos can’t actually remember the last time they went to bed together. It’s been…weeks probably. 

The realization disturbs him. T.K. had a terrible day, he should have been in here comforting him, not working an impossible case that he’s completely lost on. But he’s here now, he tells himself. T.K. could have asked if he needed Carlos to be with him.

Usually when he climbs into bed, T.K. instinctively rolls toward him, even if he doesn’t wake fully. But tonight T.K. stays firmly on his side, almost on the edge of the mattress. Carlos’ side feels colder than normal and there’s an odd ache in his heart that he can’t figure out, almost like he needs to cry, but the tears won’t come. 

He shifts his body closer to T.K.’s, sliding a hand over his hip until he’s spooning against his back, but T.K. still doesn’t stir. He’s got his airpods in and when Carlos cranes his neck he can see that T.K.’s moody playlist is on. That makes him feel like total shit. T.K. was hurting tonight and instead of asking Carlos for help he’d come in here and wallowed in his sadness alone. 

Carlos closes his eyes and swallows around the lump in his throat. He knows he’s been drowning himself in work lately. He knows it’s taking a toll on him and that he hasn’t been the best husband.

He’ll be better, he promises silently to himself and to T.K. in the dark and quiet safety of their bed. He’ll leave the office on time tomorrow night. They can have dinner together, maybe watch the new episode of Only Murders in the Building or Secret Lives of Mormon Wives because he knows how much T.K. loves trashy reality TV and he’s heard some chatter around the office that it’s fun in a horrifying kind of way. 

Tomorrow, he thinks as he begins to drift. Tomorrow he will hold his husband in a tight hug that means “I love you, I’m sorry, I’m glad you’re safe, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” and kiss him and love him the way he deserves. Tomorrow he will start trying to fix what he suspects he’s been slowly breaking for months. 

But the problem with tomorrow is that by the time it arrives, you often forget the promises you made yesterday.

[aesthetictarlos]

Happy Tarlos 1st Wedding Anniversary to those who celebrate ❤️✨💍

[welcometololaland]

Item Number Nine | E | 911 Lone Star | 1/1 | ~8,000

--

for @omegasamwilson as part of the @911actionforgaza who requested tk and carlos trying out daddy kink, but who also graciously gave me room to make it a little playful and not-quite successful.

also big thank you to @rmd-writes for the beta and @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut for the sensitivity read 💜

--

There’s a lot that can be said about their relationship – the timeline of soulmate strangers to husbands – but the single thread that connects it all is how undeniably in sync they are. If Carlos cries, TK will too. If TK decides to write a list of sexual fantasies, Carlos will ply him with a notepad and pen and then read over his shoulder, making unhelpful comments about his handwriting.

OR

A very sweet, slightly silly, sexual adventure.

Read on Ao3

[tarlosbuddieforever]

Tarlos Wedding BTS I’m currently obsessed with~

This one with Papa Reyes has me all teary eyed🥺😭 I hate that he couldn’t be at their wedding💔

These are my edits of the BTS photos.

Credit for original photos goes to @ foxtv , @ tvinsider , & @ Ronen Rubinstein on Twitter!

[renegadesstuff]

9-1-1 Lone star has been renewed for a 5th season 🥳❤️

Married Tarlos era here we go 😍😍

[alrightbuckaroo]

When Life Gives You Lemons

Chapter: 1/1 | Rating: General Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | Word Count: 1377 | TK is helping Jonah sell lemonade during a hot summer day. They're not having any luck with customers until Carlos decides to walk by.

---------

“TK?” Jonah’s voice is quiet and TK can hear his confusion clear through the question. “Am I doing something wrong?”

He looks up at TK; his eyebrows knitted together, and his lower lip is jutted out. His green eyes showing slight defeat. TK doesn’t know how to do it; but he knows he wants that look to go away, “Of course not, buddy. We just need to be patient; someone will walk by, eventually.”

TK didn’t say it out loud; but he wasn’t too sure how true that would be with it being in the high 80s on a Thursday afternoon in the suburbs of Austin.

Jonah doesn’t seem too convinced by TK’s false optimism so TK tries his next best trick; distraction.

“Why don’t you inside, grab some more markers, huh?” TK suggests. “We can make some more signs, use some of that glitter glue we got yesterday.”

Jonah dejectedly agrees before hoping off of his chair and walking through the opened garage and into their house.

TK occupies his time alone by spinning the mixing spoon in the pitcher of strawberry fizzy lemonade and rearranging the red plastic cups. He feels his phone start to vibrate agains the table and hurries to grab it, at risk of the newly arranged cups becoming askew.

“Hey,” TK answers, not bothering to see who it is.

“Hey babe,” Carlos’ voice is cutting through the line and TK smiles to himself. He sounds exhausted but TK loves the sound just the same. “I’m heading home, did you want me to pick up anything for dinner?”

TK looks at the pitcher of lemonade again before answering. “Do you think we already have everything for chicken Alfredo?”

Carlos is quiet a moment, visualizing what they already have in the kitchen. “I think so, but, I’ll probably pick up some more parmesan cheese anyways. We just had it a couple of nights ago, is it that high in demand again already?”

TK shrugs even though he knows Carlos can't see him. “It’s Jonah’s favorite and I think he just needs a little bit of a pick me up.” 

“What’s going on?” TK can hear Carlos getting into this car, the sound of his voice becoming more insulated.

“We’re selling lemonade.” TK mixes the pitcher again as he sees some of the flavoring start to settle at the bottom.  “Well, we’re trying to.”

“TK, I already told you we can afford the science camp we’re sending Jonah to this week.” Carlos jokes.

continued on ao3 <3

[911lonestarfeels]

So I got up this morning at five so I could watch both episodes before work. Thank you Hulu for not posting things until 301. 

I honestly have a lot of different thoughts on the episode I thought it was excellently acted. But I felt like the pacing was off you know?

My ethnic, cultural, and race background is fairly similar to TK. One parent who’s Jewish the other parent is not so maybe I’m not seeing things from the right perspective? Like I had no idea that Carlos had issues with the Rangers until that episode. I thought the discussion between him and Andrea was amazing. An example of having differing positions and facts that will back up what you’re saying being civil about it and agreeing that you can’t agree. I thought that was wonderfully done. 

I also really liked that. TK didn’t try and mediate between Carlos and Gabriel. It isn’t a partners job to be supportive and help them find the right path forward. However, you don’t need to insert yourself in every situation. Especially one that you’re probably not qualified to handle them.  As well as TK and Carlos know each other, he don’t know the totality of the history, both in the father, son, relationship, and the relationship that the Rangers had with minority groups. While TK is technically a minority, some minorities are more in your face than others. For example, I’m a teacher my dad was Jewish, so ethnically, not religiously I’m half Jewish. Well 48% according to ancestry.com but if you walked up to me on the street, you would think I was a pure wasp – you know white Anglo-Saxon protestant. TK has that same guise. I don’t know if it’s passing or just like flipping through the cracks. But in the day today he is not going to experience the same thing as Carlos or Gabriel or Andrea.  Going to Andrea at that point then later Owen, was probably the best plan.

I think overall my issue with the two episodes is this they tried to shove too much into two episodes. The disagreement between Carlos and Gabriel, the half family coming to town and meeting everybody, Owen, being Owen, he makes drama wherever he goes, Gabriel’s death and funeral Being in one episode. And the next one we have Carlos attempting to go through every stage of grief, the postponement of the wedding, which I’m pretty sure all of us knew was going to happen, Carlos beginning to veer a little bit from the normal route, the wedding, all the stuff with Wyatt and Judd quitting, which should be in quotation marks, probably, the five second honeymoon, and then assisted suicide.

I have issues with that whole storyline, which I will not get into now because this post is incredibly long, but it wasn’t necessary to shoehorn that into the end of the episode. Unless they were trying to be cheaper and not have to film anything for next season? I really love this show And I love those boys. The Reyes parents were growing on me and I hope that Owen turns down his melodrama.

But the season long lead up to the wedding that was like 20 minutes. I was disappointed. Maybe there are outtakes that they’ll post somewhere

Oh!  And where are Enzo and Jonah like you have the random cousins from California that you’ve never met but not your half brother that you share with your dead mom. Color me confused. 

[unknownwritersblog]

Surprise! I posted a chapter of Kai and Canon Events. I haven't written Kai in quite awhile, but it feels fitting to return to her with the final season upon us.

[kidsoftarlos]

[carlos-in-glasses]

I love thinking about this.

[aesthetictarlos]

I need to see Carlos absentmindedly playing with TK's fingers and his wedding band at some point

[murdersansy]

Came for the firefighters, stayed for the gays.

Nobody will understand how much these two mean to me, I love them so much and I know their married era is gonna the best.

(Also I don't know if they changed their last name, was that mentioned, and I never noticed? Anyway, if I found out they did I'll go back and change it on tk's nametag)

Update: after someone pointed it out that there was some deleted scene I went back to see them and WHY DID THEY CUT THOSE IT WOULD'VE BEEN AMAZING!! But anyway turns out they did keep their own last name.

[tarlosbuddieforever]

There fixed it. Now both Gwyn and Gabriel attended😢🥺 #myedits

[hookinhand]

thinking about the fact that tk is carlos’ best friend is actually so intimate!!! like yes they’ve been together for years and been there for each other through everything!! and also!! they know each other so deeply and that makes them more than husbands it makes them best friends who choose to spend every day treating each other like it!!! there is something so special about couples that are genuine best friends it is so beautiful!!!!

[dear-viv]

Our married Tarlos ❤️

Much more matured, gentle and perfect.

.

.

Btw, and this is how TK is looking at his husband 😍

[sapphic--kiwi]

i wanna hold you like every hour's borrowed; letting happiness run wild but leaving room for sorrow

my entry for the @911lonestarevents countdown to season 5 exchange! a gift for @bonheur-cafe ❤️