#Stubble Carlos Reyes?? OH MY GOD???

[fangirl-paba]

“I’m keeping the stubble for the rest of the season”

OH MY GOD??? I mean I don’t know what kind of ups and downs Carlos will be going through in season 5 and I hope it’s not really bad and hope TK is there with him every step of the way, but I also always wanted to see him in a stubble/beard so…

CARLOS REYES STUBBLE ERA!!!!

Let’s fucking Go!!!! 🔥🔥

[stydiaeverafter]

Two Ships in the Night

Tyler-Kennedy Strand and Carlos Reyes come from two different worlds. But what happens during one particular night, will change the course of their lives forever. It was written in the stars.

Written for @911lonestarweek Day 3 - Alternate Universe (AU) 

Read on ao3

Tyler-Kennedy was a very rich man and came from a very powerful line of Strands. But all the money in the world couldn’t buy happiness. Every day was the same. His servants woke him up. They got him dressed. They made his meals. And then he would be on his way dealing with one social event after another.

This wasn’t what he called happiness.

One night as he was walking solemnly on his beautiful grounds, he decided to take a walk deeper in the forest. He didn’t usually go without a companion, but he was feeling as though he just wanted to run away from it all.

It started off as walking but soon changed into a run. He didn’t know where he was going but it didn’t matter. Tyler was ready for an adventure, or a new life.

***

“How did you find the gold?”

“Did the wench have it after all?”

Carlos Reyes smiled as he put his black muddy boots up on the table, “A gentleman never exposes his secrets.”

“Good thing you ain’t no gentleman!”

“Don’t make me cut out your tongue,” Carlos whispered, his eyes narrowing.

Everyone in the tavern went quiet, but then they burst out laughing.

“What will you do with it?”

“The gold?” Carlos asked. When the men nodded excitedly, he smiled in return, “Well, give it to the poor of course. I’m tired of the rich taking over our land. We’re the ones that work it and take care of it. Meanwhile, they eat their fancy dinners and dance their ridiculously overdone balls. Enough is enough.”

They all whooped and cheered, chugging for their mugs.

Carlos looked out the window above the candlelight and saw the storm was starting to pick up. The wind was bellowing. He wouldn’t want to be a soul dealing with such a beast.

Just then, the doors of Hog’s Wallow opened up with a bang!

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound. There was a man standing with a cloak and hood on. Carlos couldn’t make out his face. But he didn’t seem to recognize the man from the stance.

Finally, the man revealed his face and Carlos inhaled deeply. “My God…” he whispered, for he had never seen such a handsome man in all the land. He sat up as if that would grasp the man’s attention.

He was just so beautiful with his long blonde hair and what looked like blue-green eyes. But Carlos also had to take notice that he wasn’t dressed like any peasant.

No, this man was all but royalty.

Change of plans. It was now a game of cat-and-mouse. His night was looking better already.

***

Tyler-Kennedy didn’t plan on going into this small town at all. His plan was to stay on the outside and look in at life he would never know. But fate, in the face of the weather, told him otherwise.

So he arrived without so much as a hesitation into the first place he could find. The tavern was warm and quaint but smelled heavily of the drink.

“Well, hello there,” a strong pleasant voice said. Tyler looked over and his breath came to a halt within his chest. “And may I inquire for a name?”

The man before him was so beautiful, that he forgot how to think. His skin was silk and dark, the curls on his head were as black as night, he had brown eyes that you could spend an entire century looking within, and he had thick broad shoulders covered with a tannish shirt opened at the neck, chest hair revealed. It made desire bloom within his chest.

Tyler had seen beautiful men before. But none like this before.

The man wasn’t at all what he’d normally be admirable too, but that didn’t matter. Whatever he was feeling at that moment didn’t make a lick of sense… but he went with it. That was the point of something different, wasn’t it?

He decided to be wise and not give his full name, for he didn’t know who this man really was… and when the commoners found out what title he held over their land, he was sure a ransom would be made in his honor.

“TK,” he answered with a nod, trying not to show how nervous he truly felt. He was in unknown parts; he wouldn’t fit in here. His appearance proved that.

“Interesting name,” the man smirked. “I don’t recognize you… are you new to our humble home?”

He nodded, “I live some towns over. I’ve never been here before. It’s nice.”

“Ah,” the man replied, rubbing his stubbly chin which Tyler had missed in his gaze. “The weather stopped your travels, I reckon?”

“You assume correctly, sir,” Tyler answered, getting rather annoyed by the dull conversation of why he was here. He was cold, tired, and wanted a drink. Eyeing the bar, he saw the man motioning to the owner who nodded and spoke to a waitress.

A woman with a large bust smiled with crooked teeth and brought him a pint, “Here you are, kind sir.” He handed her a bundle of coins and her eyes widened and stuttered. “That’s more than we ask for, sir.”

“Keep it,” he nodded with a genuine smile. He might as well give back while he was escaping his life.

Tyler looked back at the man standing in front of him. He was giving him the most unusual surprised expression. Did he know who he was after all? “What? Why do you stare?”

The man shook his head as if waking himself up from a dream, yet a gleam still shining in his eyes, “You just surprised me is all. That doesn’t happen often.”

As if feeling a pull to the man, he got closer without control of his actions. As he leaned in, he saw the man actually tremble slightly. The feeling shot through him like a dart flying to its target. “If you stay close to me,” Tyler whispered in his ear, “it won’t be the last.”

***

Dammit. This wasn’t going according to his plan at all, Carlos thought miserably. He had now spent hours into the night with this man of great fortune.

He thought the game would be easy. Seduce and steal. It was the game after all, and he’d played this round many times over. He wanted to take the man for all he was worth, giving back to his people… but TK wasn’t like anyone he’d ever meant.

He was rich, that much was certain, yet he was acting like it wasn’t so. But why? What did he gain from this? Did he know Carlos found the gold? At first, he thought the man was playing him, and he got defensive, he wasn’t the one to be played with. He was the master of deception after all. But as the night grew deeper, TK kept buying drinks for Carlos’ men and tipped the tavern hands well.

It didn’t make any bit of sense. He was puzzled.

TK, which he knew the name stood for something more, was witty and kind. A soul that Carlos was suddenly craving to know more of. Carlos found himself opening up, without truly wanting to. Sometimes he would push at the man to see if he could get some sort of exposure, but TK paid no attention to this.

Maybe the man was a very wealthy merchant… but that still didn’t explain his clothes. He also wore a few rings, just like Carlos’... he tried to ignore the stirring in gut burning for a small touch. A pauper like he wouldn’t dare get his dirty fingers on such a clean….

His thoughts on their own accord went into a place he almost welcomed. In his mind, his lips were feverishly kissing the man on his neck, sucking softly at the skin there. TK’s hands pulling his hair roughly as Carlos moaned and undid that black belt, fingers exploring to where they so desperately wanted to be… wanting more… touching more… owning one another’s body with sweat and lust… and….

“Did I lose you?”

Carlos’ head shot up, “Pardon?”

“You seem quite lost in your thoughts…” TK smirked, then his expression changed to that of puzzlement as he took a sip of his drink, “You know… you have yet to tell me your name.”

“My apologies, sir,” Carlos wiped his sweaty hands on his brown pants and cleared his thirsty throat, “My name is Carlos Reyes.” As they shook hands, Carlos felt something unexpected; something new. In all honesty, he felt scared for the first time in years.

“Carlos,” TK inquired, “My goodness, that is a beautiful name.”

What in the devil was happening? How was this man sitting across from him seducing him with his words and that stare of his? Carlos was starting to get annoyed by the situation. “It was the name I was born with, sir, do not make it an issue of indulgence.”

TK’s eyes widened in surprise, and Carlos immediately felt pain for hurting the man. But the man was quick-whipped, “You speak intelligent words for a—”

The fire fueled on. “For what, sir? A poor pauper?”

“I did not mean….”

“Oh, but I think you did,” Carlos replied quickly and he stood up from the wooden table, angry he had let this random stranger get under his ruff skin like this. He was beginning to feel like the mouse in this game, and he was always calm and collected—now he was anything but that. “I think our night has come to an end… TK.. if that is your real name.”

“Why do you question it?”

Carlos narrowed his eyes, “Please don’t trifle with me. You are not a commoner, you come from wealth.” He motioned to TK’s outfit, “Your appearance alone tells me all I need to know of who you really are. And for the simple fact that you most likely speak down to others. Others you'd consider dirt on your nice shoes.”

TK’s frowned, still looking achingly beautiful, and Carlos wanted to smooth his expression with his fingers. TK took another big sip of his ale. “You know nothing of who I really am, so don’t presume to know otherwise.”

“Whatever your aim is, I want no part in it.”

“Why do you assume I have the motive for such an action?” TK asked as he bit his lip. The motion itself almost knocked Carlos over with lust. “I thought we were enjoying the night, getting to know each other and talking of things with little importance, yet fun nonetheless.”

“Well, as it may… I’ve suddenly grown tired of this dull lack of conversation,” Carlos nodded towards him, “So I’ll take my leave. Good night.”

As he gave money to Roman on his way out he didn’t look back, even though every voice in his mind, and even more importantly his heart, was telling him to.

***

Tyler-Kennedy sat there not understanding what could possibly have happened. He had thought they were getting along nicely. For once in his 26 years of life, he was enjoying himself with someone else’s company. What did he say that was so wrong? He was a fool to feel as though he could pretend he was anything but what he was.

He left more coins and started to walk away upset. Just then an old man grabbed his arm... tightly. Tyler looked over defensively, “Let go of me this instance!”

“I just mean to tell you to not take his actions to heart.”

“Pardon? I do not…. “

The man smiled and wiped his toothy grin. “You are his match in every way that matters, and he fears that. I can see you two together as clear as I can see my hand, sir.”

“So you read fortunes then?” Tyler scowled, running a hand through his thick hair. The man shrugged, but there was something very unnerving about the way he stared into his eyes.

“He thought you were like the rest of them, but you proved to be something quite different. You felt the same about him, no?”

Tyler thought for a minute. What was this old man getting at? But then he thought of what he was saying. Tyler-Kennedy felt at home here, well, when he was sitting in Carlos’ company. He had become quite shaken himself, feeling something far deeper than he should’ve in such a short time. But he would not give in to temptation, “No. I do not feel the same.”

“You lie. You lie not only about who you truly are but your feelings as well. Just because you were born into a certain situation does not make you that. Follow your heart.”

Tyler looked down, “My heart is stone. Nothing can break its walls.”

Shaking his head, the man took a sip of his drink and muttered, “But he will… he will. You shall see, my Lord. It was written in the stars.”

As Tyler turned away, nonplussed, he knew that there was truth in the man’s words.

***

Carlos sat by the edge of the water close to the tavern. His reflection was waving towards him with the help of the moon’s bright light.

His life had been such a mess, but he had enjoyed it… for the most part. He was an orphan who had made something of himself. He was respected by others and feared by some. They looked up to him as they would in a leader; he took care of the people, the ones the other’s left behind. It was something he took great joy in.

Carlos had just forgotten the dream of sharing his life with a companion. For so long he brushed the notion that he needed another. He didn’t want that for himself, truly he didn’t. So why in God’s name was this stranger unnerving him so? He knew he was wrong to lash out at the man for no just reason… but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was changing… maybe within himself. Something called fate. What if he was meant to meet TK?

He laughed at the thought; life didn’t work that way. If so, he wouldn’t be dirt poor. And if he were to think of that notion it begs the question of and what would he do? Save him from his poor life? A man, a proper man, like TK would never truly look his way. Carlos had known that and it had also fueled the fire within. He was tired of not being good enough. Dammit… he hadn't asked for this life… this hand he was dealt. Just once he wanted something that was truly his.

Carlos grabbed a large rock and threw it aggressively into the pond as he swore angrily.

As another rock flew past him and into the water, he turned and pulled his small dagger out.

TK was standing behind him, looking more beautiful than was truly fair. It angered him once more.

“I did not mean to frighten you so,” TK said softly, holding his hands up in a retreating manner.

“Who said you frightened me? You did not.”

A small laugh made its way out of TK’s mouth and Carlos' heart fluttered at the sound. “Your sword towards my throat tells another story.”

Carlos shook his head ignoring his witty banter, “What are you doing here? Are you following me?”

“Well, as there is but one exit… and the storm has finally stopped. I thought I should be on my way.”

“Back to your fortress of money I presume,” Carlos sneered, knowing he wasn’t being fair or kind and feeling instantly bad about it.

“My goodness, I certainly hit a nerve, haven’t I?”

Carlos rolled his eyes, “I’m right, am I not?”

TK nodded, “Yes, I suppose you are. I’ll be swimming in my coins tonight. Is that what you wanted to hear? Yes, I come from great money. My name is Tyler-Kennedy Strand.”

No… it couldn’t be. “You… you are a Strand?”

“That I am. In the flesh.”

“What on earth are you doing here? Will I have my head on a platter for even speaking with you?”

“I don’t know… are you going to try to hurt me?”

“I would never!” The words came quickly out of Carlos’ mouth before he could stop them. “I mean… you have given me no reason to do so. So I shall not… tonight.”

Again, TK surprised him, “I enjoy your spirit, Carlos. You are quite fun.”

“You have no idea how fun I can be,” he replied, eyes growing hungry without meaning so. It was as if TK had control over his mind, body, and soul. He hated it.

“Intriguing…” TK sighed and they stared at one another for a long time. Carlos’ heart was pounding behind his chest the entire time. TK broke off the stare and walked next to him closer to the water. As he looked out towards the mountains, the moon was shining on his face, making him even more breathtakingly beautiful.

“I did not mean to be so cruel, sir,” Carlos expressed, rubbing his head, “I suppose you did frighten me.”

“How so?”

“I think you know….”

TK had nothing to say to this, and Carlos cursed himself silently. Why was he acting like such a fool? Here he was, expressing his heart when it was clearly not reciprocated.

“I ran away.”

Carlos' eyes widened, not for the first time. What had he said? He ran away? Maybe by being open with TK, he was doing the same, “But why? You have everything a person could ever want.”

TK looked over at him with sadness and whispered, “Almost everything.”

His heart broke at that moment, for he knew just what TK had meant. Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than this man who stood beside him. Reason be damned.

Carlos looked in his eyes once more; those beautiful eyes that looked of sea glass were a siren calling his inner desires to come out and play. And by God, he wanted to play. TK licked his lips and it was all over….

His mouth moved towards TK’s as light as a feather, inviting his partner in if he wished. Carlos had never been so gentle, but then again, he’d never used his heart in this way either.

***

Tyler-Kennedy didn’t know what was happening, but all he knew was he wanted more of it as he kissed Carlos back. His lips moved slowly at first as a whisper, but when he felt a shock he pulled away.

Was the old man correct? Was this the beginning of what he saw….

As he faltered and stopped kissing back. Carlos pulled away. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have inquired….” Carlos said quickly looking down. No, he was mistaken.

Pushing the fear of what could be behind him, Tyler gently tilted the beautiful’s man’s face up to look at him. “I’m happy you did.” He moved closer once more, “The only mistake you made was pulling away….”

Their lips crashed into one another’s more feverishly this time around, surrounded with passion, and Tyler kissed as though he had never kissed another before. In truth, he hadn’t. There had been one man years past, but that was nothing like this. There was a fire within these kisses that made him feel alive for the first time.

Time ceased meaning. Nothing else mattered. Tyler never wanted this to stop. He craved the man in his arms.

Their fingers grazed over one another like a fairy dance; a dance of heaven meeting hell. He wanted more of that fire.

As if Carlos read his mind with some sort of sorcery, he breathed raggedly into Tyler's mouth, “Stay with me tonight?”

He wanted nothing more… but he knew that if he slept with this man, nothing would be the same. It wouldn’t be a one-time thing. Not with how he was feeling about this man, about this night. But looking into the future, what life could he offer them both? He was expected to marry another noble with great fortune and a title. Carlos, the man that had knocked the wooden stool out from under him, was not that. But he was so much more, in all the ways that mattered to his heart.

If he did follow through with this desire, they might both end up broken-hearted… especially if the old man had been correct about their future together. He thought they might be intertwined...and the way this night had gone, was making him believe it so.

But he couldn’t…even though he wanted it more now than ever before. “I cannot,” he finally said, moving out of Carlos’ firm but loving grasp. “I’m sorry.”

Carlos’ look of disappointment was a dagger to Tyler’s heart. He felt tears well up within his eyes and cursed his family’s name. He so badly wanted to be anyone else.

“I understand,” Carlos whispered, looking towards the ground.

He knew that Carlos thought the worst, but how could he tell him what he was feeling so deeply and that he was scared to hurt them both? Tyler shook his head, “No, I don’t think you do… I—”

“Lord Strand! Lord Strand?”

His loud interruption caught him off guard and he looked in the distance. Philip, his lead servant, and four other men from their manor were on their horses calling out his name.

“It seems your adventure of freedom comes to an end,” Carlos replied with a sad smile, on that did not reach his beautiful face.

“It appears so,” he all but growled. He didn’t want to do this, now that he had a taste of what freedom felt like.

Carlos touched his back gently, “Whatever this was… meeting you on this night… I am grateful, Tyler-Kennedy.”

It broke his heart to know that this was their farewell. But all he could do was nod in reply, “You as well.” He smiled, “And it’s TK if you don’t mind.”

Now Carlos smiled again touching Tyler’s face softly, “TK, I do hope to see you again someday.”

Tyler leaned in to kiss him once more and felt that fire within flicker in delight. He pulled away breathlessly and smiled, “I’m sure our paths will cross again. After all, it was written in the stars.” And with that, he walked away from the man who had changed the course of his path forever.

[emisfritish]

The First of Many Candles

Pairing : TK Strand / Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)

Summary : Today is Carlos’s birthday, and TK swears he isn’t trying to ruin it on purpose. Really. 

Notes : For @howtosingit, because today you deserve everything. Bri, I wish you the happiest of birthdays and I hope you enjoy this tiny contribution into that crazy fandom of yours. It’s not much, and I have no idea how good it’ll be, but I wanted to do this for you. I’m so thankful I’ve already been able to call you a friend for the past 10 years, and I wish you all the best for this coming year, may it bring you as much happiness as possible !

I hope you know how truly and completely I love you, and that you are one of my favourite people on earth. However, I also truly hope you know that the chances of this happening again are slim, because man writing them was HARD XD

This work can also be read on Ao3

This is definitely shaping up to be one of the best birthdays he’s had, Carlos thinks when he wakes up to the pleasant feeling of soft kisses being peppered all over his face, lips and slight stubble brushing against his skin every few seconds, and he smiles softly at the gesture. 

Even with his eyes still closed and in his half awake state, there’s no way he wouldn’t recognize the lips that are continuing to shower him with affection, and even if he had hoped to sleep in a little more today of all days, he has to admit this is one hell of a wake up call. 

His birthday truly is shaping up to be a great one already, he thinks as he opens up his eyes and is faced with one smiling TK Strand. 

“Morning,” whispers TK with a soft smile, before he bends down once more from where he is leaning on the side of the bed to press his lips against his. 

“TK, I have morning breath,” Carlos tries to protest, prompting the other man to sit up from his position, and pick up the mint box they keep on the nightstand for this very reason. 

As TK opens the box in search of one of the sweets, Carlos recalls Owen’s speech from when he had found a very similar box in TK’s room, and had gifted them both with a speech about how sweets and sugar this early in the morning or before bed was bad for both one’s dental hygiene and one’s health. TK had kept quiet about the reason they had the need to keep such a thing in close proximity to the bed and had just let his father’s lecture roll over him, which Carlos was still thankful for today, wishing to retain somewhat of a professional relationship with the older man. 

Thankfully, all thoughts of Owen are quickly pushed away from Carlos’s mind as soon as TK drops the mint box onto the side of the bed. His boyfriend bends forward and pushes one of the mints in his mouth, before he dives right back onto his lips for a heated kiss. 

Well, ok then. He really doesn't need further encouragement. 

After a few minutes of their tongues brushing against each other as they trade lazy kisses, Carlos brings both of his arms to go around TK’s neck, pulling the other man fully against him until his boyfriend is straddling his body and hovering over him. 

At the move, TK peppers a few more quick kisses against Carlos’s lips before he tries to pull away, only to laugh against Carlos’s lips when his boyfriend refuses to budge to let him lean away. 

“Happy birthday,” TK says softly, once Carlos finally allows him to pull back, and Carlos feels his mouth lift up into an answering smile. 

“How are you here ? I thought you had to work,” he asks his boyfriend, eyes wandering all over his boyfriend’s face as if not quite able to believe the other man is truly here, and TK just grins at him. 

“Actually, I requested the day off weeks ago. I wanted to surprise you,” TK replies, and Carlos feels his heart warm in his chest at the words. 

The fact that TK was thoughtful enough to request his birthday off of work and come here to surprise him would have been enough to melt Carlos’s heart already, but what really does Carlos in is the fact that if TK is in his bed this morning and came in while he was asleep, it means he actually used the spare key to Carlos’s apartment which was given to him weeks ago, but that he still seldom uses.

Although everything has been close to perfect in the months since him and TK finally got together officially, Carlos knows that his boyfriend still sometimes feels a little spooky about letting himself fall headfirst into a fully committed relationship, when he still vividly remembers the rug brutally being pulled from under him during his last relationship.

Both of them have been working on building trust and creating something solid for the past couple of months, and TK finally feeling comfortable to use the key and let himself into his house feels like a huge step forward, which Carlos feels elated about. 

Progress, he thinks happily, as he pulls on TK’s neck again until the other man leans back into  him. 

Their lazy kissing is interrupted a few minutes later when Carlos pulls back and wrinkles his nose, a strange smell catching him off guard. 

“What’s that smell ?” 

At the words, he sees TK’s eyes pop out of his head, before his boyfriend jumps off from the bed and makes a run out of the bedroom. 

“Shit !” he hears his scream from further into the apartment, and Carlos laughs when the distinctive smell of burnt food reaches him. 

“TK, I know you’re a firefighter, but please refrain from burning down my kitchen for the fun of it,” he shouts from where he is still lying down on the bed, only to laugh harder when he hears the uncomplimentary answer coming from down the hall. 

A minute later, TK sheepishly walks back into the bedroom, carrying a plate with what has to be the worst looking cake Carlos has ever seen in his life, and he can’t hold in the laughter at his boyfriend’s dejected face. 

The entire top half of the cake is so burnt that the knife TK must have used to try and cut it is actually standing tall in the middle of it, held still by the thick crisp of black and burnt cake batter on each side. 

TK sighs, looking down at the plate, before he dumps it onto Carlo’s chest of drawers and walks back towards the bed to straddle Carlos’s hips once again. 

“That was supposed to be your birthday cake,” he says dejected, and Carlos feels a new wave of laughter building up in his chest at how crestfallen his boyfriend looks at having burned the cake he must have baked quietly this morning after letting himself into the house while Carlos was still sleeping. 

God, his boy really could be the cutest sometimes. 

“Well I don’t think we really ought to eat that,” Carlos teases, and TK whines at the words. 

“I did my best !”

“I know you did,” Carlos smiles, appreciating the gesture and the time it must have taken for TK to plan out all of this. 

“I had even bought candles and everything,” his boyfriend keeps moaning, prompting Carlos to chuckle.

“Well… since we can’t blow the candles out, I can think of something else that could use some blowing,” Carlos teases with an exaggerated movement of his brows. 

“Officer Reyes, are you propositioning me ?” TK exclaims, falsely scandalized. “Need I remind you that you are an officer of the law ?”

“Oh trust me, I know. And I’m standing tall and ready for action right now,” Carlos replies with a cocky grin.

A few seconds of silence pass, before TK bursts out laughing, dropping against Carlos’s chest until his head is nestled between his boyfriend’s neck and shoulder. 

“Oh my god, that was awful,” he exclaims from his hiding place. “I don’t think I can actually blow you now. Not after you made the worst birthday pun ever,” he teases, his breath tickling Carlos’s skin. 

Carlos smiles fondly at the gesture, always happy to elicit such a joyful reaction from TK, even if it is at his own expense. 

Still, he’s not about to pass on a birthday blowjob though. 

“Come on TK, it’s my birthday,” he whines, and TK lifts his head back up to stare at him, fondness written all over his face.

 “Carlos Reyes. Turning 28, but behaving like an 8 year old.”

“Well, I don’t know what sort of activities you got up to at 8 years old, but…” Carlos starts to say, only to be cut off mid-sentence by TK diving back down and into him.

“Oh my god shut up,” his boyfriend whispers against his lips, before he starts back the heated kissing they were sharing earlier this morning. 

As Carlos feels his boyfriend’s lips traveling down his neck and chest, he closes his eyes back up, enjoying the pampering TK is currently showering him with. 

Just as TK’s mouth is nearing the place Carlos has been dying to feel his lips on and his boyfriend has only been teasing for minutes now, his doorbell rings and he groans in frustration. 

“Maybe they’ll go away ?” TK asks hopefully, facing up towards Carlos, but his face clearly indicates that he already knows it’s not an option, which Carlos confirms by shaking his head firmly.

It may be stupid, but being a police officer, he could never actually ignore someone at his door. Not when he’s seen enough cases to know that sometimes a stranger opening up their door is all it can take to save someone’s life if they are in danger. 

TK, who knows Carlos well enough to know that there’s no way they are just ignoring this, presses one last regretful kiss just below Carlos’s navel before he pushes back to sit upwards. 

“Shouldn’t you go and open the door then ?” he asks, and Carlos looks at him incredulously. 

“You expect me to go like this ?” he asks indignantly, eyeing down to where he’s still sporting a very obvious semi, which prompts TK to smile proudly. 

“I guess you have a point. I’ll go,” he concedes, getting up from the bed before he starts making his way out of the bedroom. 

“Wait, TK !” Carlos tells him just as he’s about to leave the bedroom. “You’re seriously going to go and open the door like this ?”

He eyes TK down, pointing to where his boyfriend is clad in only a pair of boxers and a tee-shirt with the saying  ‘Say hey if you’re gay tee-shirt’ plastered to the front, but TK just shrugs in answer. 

“But it could be my neighbors !” Carlos whisper-shouts, and TK grins at him. 

“Well if it is, they deserve this for coming to see you this early on your birthday morning,” he answers back with a smile, before he walks confidently out of the bedroom and towards the front door. 

Carlos drops back down on his bed, willing his semi to go away and shaking his head at the other man. 

TK could be so shameless sometimes, but god was he falling in love with the guy anyway. 

At the sound of a familiar voice, Carlos immediately sits back up onto his bed, mouth opening in shock. 

“Oh, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your sleep,” he hears the person say, before his boyfriend stammers back. 

“Mrs. Carlos-- I mean, Mrs. Reyes ! Hello !” his boyfriend stutters, surely having recognized the woman at the door from the pictures of his family Carlos has laying around his apartment. “I am so sorry to be meeting you in this state, please come in,” TK pursues, just as Carlos scrambles up from the bed to hastily pull on a pair of shorts.

“Mama, hi !” he says as he makes his way out of the bedroom. 

Truly, there is nothing like hearing one’s mother’s voice to fully kill a man’s semi. 

“What are you doing here ?” he asks as he rushes out towards her and hugs his mother hello. 

When he pulls back, he sees TK still standing next to the door, his cheeks heated red in mortification, and he can’t but feel amused at the sight. 

That’ll teach his boyfriend to go and open the door in an outfit that Carlos should be the only one to see him in anyway.

“Well, I think I’m going to go and…” TK starts to say before drifting off, clearly not knowing how to finish his sentence but wanting to regroup after the untimed encounter with his boyfriend’s mother. 

Seeing how embarrassed his boyfriend still looks and not able to imagine how he would feel if their situations were reversed, Carlos decides to throw him a rope. 

“You should go and get changed babe. We’ll be there when you’re done,” Carlos tells him kindly, and he sees TK nod gratefully, although patches of red are making their way down his neck. 

“Right, I’ll do that,” he stutters. “It’s very nice to meet you Mrs. Reyes. I’ll be uh… I’ll be back.”

He rushes out of the room, and as soon as he’s in the bathroom and they hear the door closing behind him, Carlos turns towards his mother, only to see her smile amusedly towards him.

“So that was the infamous TK !” she smiles at him, and Carlos rolls his eyes, knowing he’s in for some teasing. 

He walks back towards his bedroom to find a tee-shirt, and his mother follows him into the room, pausing when she sees the forgotten cake sitting on the chest of drawers where TK had left the plate earlier. 

“And that is... ?” she asks, trying not to show her disdain towards the state of the cake, and Carlos can’t help but laugh at the offended look on her face. 

“That would be TK’s attempt at baking a birthday cake,” he says fondly as he pulls a tee-shirt over his head. 

His mother nods in understanding, but Carlos can see her trying to hold in her laughter. 

“Right, that was very nice of him. The cake definitely seems…” she trails off, obviously not knowing how to politely describe the semblance of a baked good sitting in front of her. 

“It seems inedible, and it has to be the worst cake you’ve seen in your life,” TK’s voice finishes her sentence, and both Carlos and his mother turn towards the bedroom door where his boyfriend is now standing, dressed in a pair of jeans and one of Carlos’s shirts, a lot more presentable than he was 10 minutes ago. 

Carlos’s mother laughs at TK’s words, and both of the boys chuckle too.  

“You don’t have to be nice, trust me. I know it was a catastrophe,” TK smiles at her, before he walks forward and reaches out with one of his hands to shake hers. 

“Hi Mrs. Reyes, I’m TK. I’m very sorry for what happened earlier, but it’s very nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you,” TK continues, with one of his mega-watt smiles, and Carlos can see his mother melt on the spot. 

Which… He can totally understand, really. What with how he falls more and more for his boyfriend every time the smile is aimed at him. 

“No apologies necessary cariño, that was my fault. I should have warned I was coming,” she says, pulling TK into a quick hug instead of reaching out for his hand.

Carlos smiles warmly at the picture of his boyfriend in his mother’s arms, especially when he sees the shocked look on the other man’s face from where it’s popping over his mother’s shoulder. 

“As for the cake, it’s the thought that counts. How about I make us all some breakfast so we can all get to know each other ?” she asks kindly, and Carlos feels a wave of love for his mother and how easily she adapts to any situation. 

“Actually,” TK starts to say, and for a second, Carlos is afraid that the other man is going to announce he’s leaving. Maybe meeting his mother feels like too much pressure for him, like too much too fast...

“How about I go and get some breakfast for all three of us ? So that you can catch up a little while I’m gone. There’s a great bakery that my dad swears by fairly close to here. I could go now and be back in half an hour tops. It’s only fair I go, after you just drove to come here,” TK offers with a smile, which has his mother looking pleased. 

Carlos feels his heart quiet down in his chest at the words, and he beams towards TK. 

Not running, then. 

“That sounds lovely cariño,” his mother replies, and Carlos takes a second to try and remember when the last time his mother warmed up this quickly to one of his boyfriends was. Which is probably never, if he’s honest. 

Must be the Strand effect. 

At the words, TK nods once to himself, before he walks into the bedroom and automatically presses a quick kiss to Carlos’s lips. 

When he pulls away, Carlos sees his eyes pop out, looking like a deer caught in the headlight when he seemingly remembers that his boyfriend’s mother is in the room. Carlos just smiles reassuringly towards him, before TK makes his way to leave the apartment. 

As soon as the front door shuts behind him, Carlos’s mother whips around to turn towards him and beams. 

“Me encanta !” she says excitedly, and Carlos laughs at her enthusiasm. “It’s true ! He seems very sweet. And obviously, he’s very fond of you.”

Carlos is pleasantly surprised at hearing the words. 

Obviously, he knows that TK likes him, and he hopes the other man is starting to fall for him as deeply as Carlos himself is falling for TK. 

But TK, for all he wears his heart on his sleeve most times, can sometimes be a bit of an enigma for Carlos, and he was afraid that the love he swears he can see written on TK’s face sometimes was just wishful thinking on his part. 

“You think so ?” he asks, bashful, which prompts his mother to walk closer to him and caress his cheek briefly. 

“I know so,” she reassures him. “This one’s here to stay, I can tell from the love shining in his eyes.”

Carlos smiles warmly towards his mother, although he can feel his cheeks heat up in a way no one but TK can truly elicit from him. 

“I really like him Mama,” he whispers, and his mother hums. 

“I know, I can tell.” 

He smiles bashfully and she looks at him fondly, before she starts turning around in the bedroom. 

“Now young man, let’s tidy up this apartment a bit before that boy of yours comes back,” she orders, and Carlos groans at the words. 

“But Mama, it’s my birthday,” he whines, and his mother turns towards him and stares him down. 

“Yes, and I was the one who actually did all the work by pushing you into the world that day, so vamonos !”

And well… There’s truly nothing he can say to refute those words anyway. 

Later on, after TK’s come back with what his mother said were some of the best croissants she’s had in her life, and after the three of them have spent the entire day talking and laughing, his mother regaling TK with all of Carlos’s exploits from his youth, his mother goes back home after dropping a fond kiss on both of their foreheads, leaving Carlos and TK alone once again.

As they lie in bed, Carlos turns to his side and caresses one of TK’s cheeks. 

“My mother really liked you,” he says softly, and TK turns his head towards him and smiles, embarrassed. 

“Not quite how I imagined meeting her,” he says, and Carlos laughs at the words. “I’m not sure how your mother can like me after this, I didn’t think she’d end up liking the barely dressed, stupid, ex-addict man she met at the front door this morning, but somehow she managed. Your mom must be some kind of angel,” TK continues self-deprecatingly, and Carlos moves closer to him. 

“Well I don’t know about the man you’re describing, but I knew for sure she would like my sweet, smart, brave, strong and funny boyfriend though.” Carlos corrects him simply, and TK turns to his side himself so they are facing each other, before smiling gratefully at him. 

“Although said boyfriend really is terrible at baking. I have to say, I am a little sad I didn’t get to eat any cake today though,” Carlos continues, and TK pushes gently on his shoulder in retaliation. 

“I’m sorry ! I promise, I’ll do better next year. No more of this baking a cake nonsense, store bought food it is,” TK exclaims, and Carlos feels his breath catch in his throat. 

Next year. 

He has to admit he likes the sound of that.

And he loves the fact that the words just naturally rolled out on TK’s tongue without a thought, as if it’s a given for his boyfriend that he’ll still be there to celebrate Carlos’s birthday with him next year.

“That sounds good,” Carlos replies, voice shaking a little, and TK smiles up towards him. 

“Happy birthday Carlos,” his boyfriend whispers, emotion and happiness shining in his eyes. And although those three words aren’t the ones his mother said she could read in TK’s eyes earlier, Carlos hears them loud and clear anyway. 

As his eyes close and Carlos starts to fall asleep, the first thought he had this morning when waking up comes rushing to the front of his mind, and he smiles at the thought that he was right. 

Today has definitely been one of the best birthday’s he’s ever had, and he can’t wait to share many more with TK by his side.