#carlos brings tk lunch

[detective-giggles]

Key to Your Heart

Another box checked off my TMP custom bingo! Only two to go.

Today’s fill is Carlos bringing TK lunch. Pieces of TK and Carlos’ relationship told through the meals they share. In a convenient 3 + 1 format! 

@chaotictarlos thank you for the encouragement (and the prompt!)

@noxsoulmate thank you for the beta and letting me talk your ear off about this! 

💜💜💜💜

1.

Carlos shifts the thermal bag in his hands and presses the doorbell. Buttercup barks and Carlos winces. He should have called first. What if TK’s sleeping? He just got out of the hospital and is probably resting. He should be resting.

Carlos has just convinced himself this was a terrible idea when the door swings open and he’s met by TK and Buttercup. The dog charges through the door and sits in front of Carlos, expecting good boy pats. TK’s eyes light up as he bites his lip and leans against the door.

“Hey!”

“Hi,” Carlos says shyly. “I hope it’s okay I stopped by. I brought lunch.”

“For me?” TK scrunches up his face – like he can’t quite believe someone would go through this kind of trouble for him. Even though they’re not actually together, Carlos kind of wants to punch TK’s ex for whatever he did that always makes TK feel like he’s not worthy of a simple act of kindness.

“Well, Buttercup might want some too. It does smell really good,” Carlos says. 

TK laughs and opens the door fully. “Sorry, you can come in.”

Carlos follows Buttercup inside the house and TK shuts the door behind them. 

As soon as he’s inside, TK pounces and pulls Carlos in for a kiss. Carlos kisses back, gently, until it becomes clear TK has more in mind than just a little hello kiss. Carlos slips his hand behind TK’s head and then squeezes gently at the nape of his neck.

TK pulls back with a little pout. “So bringing food wasn’t just a ruse so you could come over and have your way with me?” 

“What? No! Of course not,” Carlos says, horrified. “You’re still healing from a gunshot wound and I don’t want to hurt you.” 

TK makes a face (that Carlos can’t decipher) and then makes a beeline for the kitchen. Carlos follows and watches as TK pulls plates from the cupboard and sets them on the island. Carlos starts rummaging through the bags and pulls out more food than the two of them can eat.

“But,” Carlos starts. “When you’re cleared for duty, we’ll celebrate any way you want.”

“Promise?” 

“I promise,” Carlos says softly. “Now, let’s eat?”

💜💜💜💜

read the rest on AO3

Taglist(and if anyone wants to be added please let me know!): @plaidbooks @tailoredshirt @chaotictarlos @meditating-honey-badger​

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

I truly still can't get over that I was expecting to come into this season with TK and Carlos distant with each other and really struggling in their relationship, only to have it emphasized in every episode how happily married they are! Sure, things aren't perfect. We've been shown that Carlos is struggling and those struggles are impacting their marriage a bit, as we saw at the end of 5x01.

But Carlos is not at all neglecting his husband or checked out of the marriage the way I feared they would have him be for the drama of it!

He makes time in a busy day to have lunch with TK, aware of how precious their time together is. They hold hands and talk about the things that are important to each other.

He brings donuts to his husband's work and they smile at each other and flirt a little.

He runs to hug his husband with shiny eyes and calls him babe and then keeps touching him like he can't get enough.

They are so obviously in love and happily married. It's more than I could have hoped for that we'd get to see the evidence of that in every episode, even when we haven't gotten to the major Tarlos episodes yet, but here we are!

[emsprovisions]

❄️ Day 21 - You Can Call Me Babe for the Weekend ❄️

🎁 Today's fic is dedicated to @ironheartwriter! It’s Lana's birthday!!! Go and shower her in birthday wishes and love!

Summary: Carlos agrees to be TK's date to Enzo's family Christmas gathering in New York.

Word count: 1122

24 Days of Tarlos Masterpost

“Uchh,” TK groans, slumping into an empty chair beside Nancy with a bowl of Paul’s chili.

”What’s wrong with you?” She asks, eyeballing her best friend with apprehension.

”I need a date for this Christmas dinner thing my stepdad is hosting,” TK explains.

”Why do you need a date?” Marjan quirks a brow from where she’s seated across the table.

”Because,” TK starts, already beginning to wave his sass hand in the air. “My family will pester me about why I’m still single after Alex dumped me over a year ago. Or they’ll keep bringing him up and rehashing exactly what I did wrong to make my boyfriend be unfaithful to me. It’ll be a whole thing and I’d really rather avoid it. It’s just, how the hell can I find a date less than a week before I need one? And he has to be willing to go to New York with me and my mom.”

”I’ll go with you.”

All eyes around the table snap forward to the cop sitting at the end beside Paul.

Carlos is staring at TK with genuine interest in solving his problem and TK is practically melting inside at the thought of Carlos being his fake date to his dysfunctional family Christmas. He and Carlos have become close friends in the year that TK’s moved to Austin. In fact, he’s the one who invited the patrol officer over for lunch on his shift because he knows Carlos loves Paul’s chili. 

TK also has an embarrassingly huge crush on Carlos, one he knows Nancy is aware of, and she is making eyeballs at him right now and jabbing his calf with her foot to accept Carlos’s offer.

”Oh, that’s so sweet, Carlos, but you don’t have to,” TK shakes his head.

”I’d like to,” Carlos offers TK a small smile. His big, brown eyes get all soft, and TK is nothing but putty in this man’s hands because how could he refuse cow eyes?

He can’t. Which is how he has found himself days later wedged between his mother, bouncing a baby Jonah on her knee, and Carlos, on a plane bound for New York. 

His mom is in on the ruse, Gwyn also aware that her son has feelings for the officer, and she has agreed to play along for the sake of this weekend going smoothly.

Carlos is accepted into the de la Costa family like he’s their own son. He flirts with Tía Carmen, complimenting her and winking like they have years of inside jokes between them. He’s great with the small gaggle of children that are somehow related to Enzo. He even charms Enzo himself, who more often than not never seemed too impressed with the guys TK introduced him to.

It’s at the big family dinner though that Carlos is really put to the test as TK’s boyfriend. They had predetermined many details of their forged relationship, especially after Nancy intervened and brought up her extensive movie and book knowledge on the very subject of fake dating. But of course, the one aspect they somehow hadn’t considered to figure out is asked.

”So, Carlos, how did you and TK meet?” Enzo’s sister asks, as she passes Carlos a bowl of salad.

Carlos grins, looking over at TK beside him before back at Catalina. 

“We were on a call, actually,” Carlos begins. “It was raining, and I’d heard the 126 had a new fire captain, but I hadn’t met him or his son yet. We had to save this baby stuck in a tree and the moment TK laid eyes on me, I Was completely done for. All I could see were these bright green eyes, shining in the headlights. TK probably doesn’t remember this, but he stood beside me and grabbed my shoulder while his dad climbed the ladder himself to save the baby.”

Carlos is wrong. TK does remember all that. What surprises him most though is that Carlos also remembers it.

”I saw him again later that night after work at this honky tonk in Austin and I asked him to dance,” Carlos continues, looking back towards TK and reaching for his hand with a smile. “It was the best decision of my life.”

TK also remembers the line dancing at the bar. He stepped on Carlos’s feet and they laughed and he swore he’d never met anyone more beautiful. But TK was a wrecking ball back then. A hot mess fresh off a relapse and a breakup and he had no business getting involved with anyone else so soon, sexual or otherwise. He still felt too raw, too on edge, and even before he knew Carlos’s name, he knew Carlos deserved better than that. So they became friends. And now TK’s wondering if maybe he ruined their chance to ever be more all the way back then, on that first night they’d met. 

Only Carlos is looking at him like he hung the moon and practically everyone around the table is swooning over Carlos’s story. 

“God, that’s romantic. Dammit, Javier, why can’t you be more like Carlos!” Catalina turns to her own husband to swat at his arm, and the table dissolves into laughter and chatter, and TK can’t stop staring at Carlos.

He catches Carlos’s eye, and Carlos just smiles softly back at him. 

“Aren’t you two the cutest lovebirds,” Abuelita just melts from across the table as she catches them staring at each other. “Reminds me of me and my husband when we were young.”

TK just laughs and squeezes Carlos’s hand. “Hear that, babe? Sounds like Abuelita’s already planning our wedding.”

“I’m just saying,” Abuelita laughs. “I know that look when I see it.”

Later, when they’re alone for the night and trying to solve the issue of only one bed, TK just sinks onto the edge of the mattress, his head still spinning from earlier. “I didn’t know you remembered when we met that well.”

Carlos freezes where he’d been gathering pillows to make a makeshift divider on the bed. “I remember everything about you, TK.”

“What does that mean?” TK furrows his brows at his fake boyfriend. 

“It means I meant every word,” Carlos explains slowly with a small, hopeful smile. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, TK, and I know you weren’t ready for anything back then, but I’ve waited, hoping that one day, you might be.”

TK’s brows shoot to his forehead as he stares at Carlos. 

That night, the pillow divider is abandoned as their clothes end up on the floor, and TK does what he should’ve done all those months ago, and Carlos is even happier to become TK’s real boyfriend than to be his fake one.

[paperstorm]

So apparently there will be another Carlos surprises TK in the firehouse situation presumably in the next episode and I can't help but think of the last time he "surprised" him and came over so I am going to need everyone to cross the fingers that this will be a good kind of surprise and they gonna have a lovely lunch with everybody else and annoy everyone with their heart eyes and pda and everything is fine and the sun is shining and we don't have any other secrets that need to be shared in a bunk room.🤗

I'm so interested to see what this is going to be about!! We had him surprise showing up to the firehouse twice in season four, one was certainly not the best surprise of TK's life but the second one was the sweetest and most adorably clingy with Carlos bringing tacos and them passing their take out boxes to each other so they could both try both kinds he brought. I wonder which category this surprise will fall into 👀

[bam-bi-buck]

911 Lonestar 5x08 SPOILERS

Don’t answer it again!

Holy shit

Said we’d find you Julio - so it’s not because he’s at his friends house - that’s what I thought because of the promo - wrong place wrong time

Dude my heart is racing

Wyatt 😭

Wooo! Get em Julio!

Why are you standing next to the tree? Somebody’s gonna be there in know it

I screamed - I knew it was coming and I still screamed

Jojo 🥺

Enzo 😭

Well I’m glad he didn’t do it because of greed but idealism

Still doesn’t help him 😭

Boarding school until he’s 18?? 🥺

Whose gonna hug him 😭😭😭

Give me a good rating or Nancy’s gonna kill me lmao

Throwing up sucks, it’s been a few years for me, I’d hate to be in a sich where it’s continuously gonna happen

Love Owen supporting Tommy 🥺

Screw the insurance company

Put em up whoever dined the claim - we fight at dawn

Dang - Carlos’s voice when he woke up

Raised by some institution - TK 🥺

He has a point (imho)

Nooo, don’t fight

But no I agree this is hard choice but

That “bye” legit took me out

My mama “ooh you in the doggy house”

Owen going to the top

I hate this man already

Owen’s gonna make this man regret everything - in this case I’m okay

“Again?”

“Can I have the room?”

“You stay”

Mama “you stay bigmouth”

Oooh this is the case that wraps everything together

Two days?!?!!

“You didn’t hear that” lmao

Carlos let that boy eat his lunch

Owen bringing the budget - hell yeah break it down!

The two belt buckles being mentioned 🤣

I don’t know how I feel about this detective after how he treated Grace but I will admit he was funny this convo

Owen’s gonna go to that budget meeting and rip it apart

👏🏻CAPTAIN👏🏻NANCY👏🏻 in the house👏🏻

Damn killed the man they were looking for

Made it right? He’s dead now, how can you get info from him?

“Can I have a word with your paramedic?”

“I think that’s a decision for your husband”

LOVE CAPTAIN NANCY

“I’m not backing down, it’s my little brother” 😭

TK 😭😭😭

The attics bleeding - ew 🤢

Omg it’s Nestor!

He may not wake up - after all that

“The better half. Be right back”

“Speaking of”

“Middle of a thing”

Oh Carlos

4 kids??!

That thing on their ties kinda bugs me ngl

Knew they were gonna do that

“Tree Killer” 🤣

Oh dang - was not expecting that

The police are helping - though tbf the 126 specifically has helped the police a LOT through this series

“Bet you feel like a big old jackass” you tell him mama!

Love that me and my ma talk to the characters like they’re gonna talk back

“Set the president or kill the president?”

Special fund for Tommy!!!

Tommy!!!

No deal?!??!

Tommy no

Tommy yes???

Holy moley!!!

Heck yes!!!

“Surrenders not in my vocabulary either” 🤣

“He was a cop but he was my friend”

“Mine too” 😭

Oh a Ranger sold out a bunch of people?

Oh Campbell?

I’m not sure I believe it

My mama was like we’re gonna see some vigilante shit lmao

PROMO

NY?

Oooh

No! Carlos!

[sanjuwrites]

wip wednesday

in honor of me meeting CMQ on their pairing tour soon, here's another snippet of my zahra backstory <3 (and some tarlos too i couldnt pick)

thanks to @heartstringsduet @bonheur-cafe @honeybee-taskforce @nancys-braids @paperstorm and

@carlos-in-glasses @alrightbuckaroo @theghostofashton

zahra backstory

Zahra feels her heart break in her chest a little, and remembers all the ways that June shielded Alex from the brunt of the last year. She’s sure the kid feels lost at not knowing if his rock is okay. Before she realizes what she’s doing, Zahra beckons him over, letting Alex curl up into her as she hugs him. “June’s going to be just fine, Alex. She’s a strong girl, and she’s exactly where she needs to be, getting all the help she needs, okay? You don’t need to worry about anything but yourself.” She wraps her arms around him, giving him a hug, “Now, did you finish that math homework you need to turn in in the morning?”

Alex nods against her shoulder, and she smiles, safe in the knowledge Alex can’t see her face. “Good, because your mother would skin me if you missed it, you little shit.” A beat, and then, “don’t tell your mother I cursed around you, I can’t fill that swear jar up anymore.”

Alex smiles a little wobbly thing, “Can we watch a movie for a bit? I don’t wanna sleep alone up there.”

And, well, Zahra knows she shouldn���t, she should say no and send the kid back up to bed, but something in his voice won’t let her. “Okay, fine. But I get to pick the movie, you menace. Seriously, your mother is going to kill me and it’s gonna be all your fault.”

He giggles at that, snuggling into her side a little deeper, “Love you, Zee.”

“I love you too, kid.” She sniffles, “Repeat that shit and I’ll bury you, alright? I can’t have people knowing I’m going fu– freaking soft.”She feels Alex nod against her side and she smiles softly, letting the opening credits of Empire Strikes Back play on the TV.

aish fic

They’re both silent on the other end, and before Aish can add onto what she’s saying, the siren goes off on the other end. “Saved by the bell, Marwani. Be safe out there.”

“Yes ma’am. This conversation isn’t over though.”

She can hear TK shuffling in his room, and she sighs, starting to move through the kitchen and pulling tomatoes and cilantro out of the fridge to get started on lunch.

Aishwarya can’t force him to talk to Carlos, but maybe she can force him to leave his room. 

***

TK’s finger hovers over Carlos’s number in his call log, trepidation overwhelming him. 

It’s just Carlos, you know Carlos. He’s been dying to talk to you. He winces at the choice of words in his head, but powers through. He presses the call button, and brings it up to his ear with shaky hands. It rings out, and just as TK is getting ready to end the call, he hears Carlos’s breathless voice on the other end. 

“TK?”

The breath rushes out of TK, “Yeah.”

“I didn’t think you’d call, to be honest. Aishu made it kinda clear that you weren’t going to call…”

TK lets out the barest of chuckles, “Yeah, I figured it was time I dealt with this one head on – do you want to meet up somewhere?”

Carlos is silent on the other line for a second, “Do you want to come over? I can be at my apartment in twenty minutes.”

TK blinks in surprise, “You’re not at your apartment?”

“Oh, no I’m not. Ma wanted to keep an eye on me and Aishu agreed that I should stay here, so I did. I’ll be there soon, just let yourself in. I have your favorite water in the fridge, just please. Go over there and wait for me.”

i'm gonna tag @lightningboltreader, @reyesstrand, @liminalmemories21, and @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut!

[chaotictarlos]

For the angsty prompts- Tarlos- “you never listen to me”

Thank you! I'm a bit rusty but I think this is decent!

--

Send me an angst prompt and I might write something!

-

The exasperated sight that fell from Carlos’ lips told TK everything he needed to know. He shook his head and turned away from his husband, shoulders dropping as he shook his head. He knew better than to bring the subject up - and had known better several rounds ago but it was hard to let go. It was hard just to walk away when it was one of the very few things that they disagreed on.

“Tyler-” Carlos started and TK could feel his husband start to walk towards him.

“You never listen to me anymore,” TK interrupted before Carlos could say anything else. He moved forward, putting more space in between them. 

“What?” Carlos asked, the shock lacing the word and making TK turn back around. Carlos’ eyes were rounded, shock in them and the corners of his mouth were turned down more than they had been just moments ago. “That’s not true. I listen to you all the time. You tell me about your day, the random things Lou Two has done, the random shit you and Mateo get into. I listen to you.”

“You listen to everyday things,” TK said simply, shrugging a little. “But you haven’t listened to me about bigger things. Deeper things.Things that mean more than what I had for lunch two days ago. We’ve been married for so long that we’ve fallen a bit out of touch with listening to each other. I’ve noticed, I’m working to do better and I’ve talked to my therapist about it. Now I need you to realize it too.”

“I-”

“I know it’s hard,” TK said. “I know it’s hard when you’re so rooted in holding a stance that you don’t want to listen, but I need you to hear me out. I need to know that what I am saying matters and is valued.”

Carlos sighed again and rubbed his hand over his face. “I’m sorry that it’s felt like I haven’t been listening to you and hearing what you have to say.”

TK took a step forward, “I’m sorry too.”

“What you say does matter,” Carlos said as he closed the rest of the distance. “Even if I don’t like what you have to say.”

TK wrapped his arms around Carlos and gave him a ghost of a smile, “I’m glad to know that. What you say matters too.”

TK leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to TK’s lips, “But?”

“The answer is still no.”

TK sighed, feeling just slightly bad about the decision. “Will you at least think about it?”

Carlos pulled back so that he could look down at TK, searching his eyes for a few long moments. “Yes, I’ll think about it.”

[loveisharderthanitlooks]

Yeah, I don't buy that the lack of Tarlos in the first four episodes is intentional to show them drifting apart. I think the lack of Tarlos is the first four episodes is a consequence of removing Carlos from his role as a first responder. Because, actually, what we've seen is Carlos showing up and going out of his way to make time for TK - by meeting him for lunch when they only had 30 minutes, bringing him doughnuts at work just because and taking time of work to babysit the twins when TK asked him to.

I think that that if they wanted to show that the TK and Carlos are drifting apart, then there were easy ways they could have done that. He shows up the fire station to say he won't be home until late that night, again. Or have TK try to call him and not get an answer.

Because Carlos is no longer a first responder and he's not on scenes, it means we're going to see less of him, especially when the show is focusing on other characters as it has in the last three episodes. Even without the drifting apart storyline that's coming up, this is the same amount of Carlos we'd get anyway now that he's a Ranger. The people who wanted him to be a detective were warned it would mean less Carlos and it's come to pass.

[heartstringsduet]

Good morning, good night, good lunch break to y'all <3 Have something completely new I'm working I'll call 10 to 0 here on that I actually really like so far. thanks for tagging me @louis-ii-reyes-strand & @whatsintheboxmh

Carlos sighs and hangs his head. If he has to do this, he rather not look at them. “TK isn’t interested in me.”

“This one again,” Paul groans.

“He’s just not and that’s okay,” Carlos says, keeping his voice even.

“You gotta know when something isn’t meant to be. I’m just being realistic.”

The warmth to Carlos' left is gone as Nancy slumps backwards into his bed. “Realistic isn’t pessimistic, you lil’ dummy. All signs point to him liking you!”

“You just want that to be true.”

“Na, man. TK brings you homemade soup when you’re sick,” Paul’s thumb pops up, the other fingers follow with each added thing, “He texts you every day, he threw you a surprise birthday party that consisted of four friends and a homemade dinner because he knows you. I catch you cuddling on the couch under one blanket more often than not. Carlos, man, he calls you ‘babe’.”

Carlos closes a hand around Pauls’ fingers, needing him to stop. It makes his stomach feel fuzzy to hear it all listed like this, an amalgamation of everything that keeps him up at night but still he needs to say, “None of that has to mean TK likes me as more than a friend.”

Behind him Nancy makes a farting noise on her arm.

I tag anyone who wants to share &

@alrightbuckaroo @herefortarlos @lemonlyman-dotcom @ladytessa74 @lightningboltreader @birdclowns @freneticfloetry @paperstorm @welcometololaland @rmd-writes @strandnreyes @reyesstrand @decafdino @thebumblecee @mooshkat @liminalmemories21 @carlos-in-glasses @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @carlos-tk @bonheur-cafe @ambiguouspenny @fitzherbertssmolder @wandering-night19 @goodways @noxsoulmate

[strandnreyes]

something about 4x08 when at the beginning of the episode, Carlos says to Owen that he thought he’d surprise ‘your son’ with lunch. and then at the end of the episode, Owen says that Carlos will take great care of TK.

saying ‘your son’ is so different than just saying TK. It’s like… he’s your child but look at me I’m bringing him lunch and I’m going to feed him and love him and take care of him I promise

[lonestardust]

no but the no regrets? no regrets. confirmation from TK about this being his life now, how he now gets to experience life outside of work, for the first time as an adult, sure it's still his calling and his passion but this right now is his calling and there is so much life in being jonah's caretaker, he's not rushing to his shift or knowing he'll spend his morning between calls and lunch at the firehouse or preparing for a 24 hour shift the next day, which was everything to him all his life but now it's making chocolate chip cookie for breakfast and planning playdates and morning activities, he's up early, dressed and relaxed and taking his time waking his husband up, there is so much new life here and TK is always this open beautiful soul that is ready to do whatever it takes and in return it brings him so many blessings. the series ending with 'something good must end, so something great can begin' and it's really no regrets from TK from allowing owen to take him down to austin to everything that lead him to carlos to raising his brother.......... 😭

[alrightbuckaroo]

Thanks for the tags @jesuisici33, @strandnreyes, and @reyesstrand!

Rules: Share what you wrote this year! It can be works you posted to Ao3, Wattpad, Tumblr, or anywhere else! You can share everything you wrote or just the ones you're most excited about.

Bear with me, this is a long one, most are listed under the cut

January

wedding bell blues

“I mean, how do we even bring it up?” Marjan asks, eyebrows furrowed. “Hey, sorry your engagement fell apart, by the way we brought Catan.” She shrugs. “Seems a little less than empathetic.”

leave all your worries on the dance floor

“Oh my god,” TK’s eyes widen. “Do I have two left feet?”

Carlos smiles sympathetically, “Baby, I thought you knew.”

you go your way I'll go your way too

“You sure you don’t want anything else to eat?” TK looks down at the bottle of water in Carlos’ hand. Carlos is sitting across from him, they’re in the sleeping quarters away of the firehouse away from everyone. Carlos hasn’t stopped thinking about it; he’s barely thinking about anything else right now. It’s at the forefront of his mind, begging to be let out. “Yeah, I’m fine, I already ate.” He doesn’t realize his slip up until he sees TK set his bag of chips down. “So you weren’t here for lunch.” TK’s using the voice he uses when he’s not mad, just confused.

February

we’re a match, in every way that matters

Carlos and TK are made for each other; they always kind of have been. Even if they didn't realize it at first.

when you wake up in the morning and think you have nothing; remember this.

TK wakes up and Carlos isn't there; he doesn't know how he's lived like this before.

here comes a feeling you thought you'd forgotten

Carlos had spent years suppressing the feeling he never had a name for. Then he met TK Strand.

your love is sweet like sugar

TK wakes up to Carlos making breakfast. It's his first time waking up in Carlos' apartment, but he hopes it's not the last.

what is a promise if not your hand in mine?

TK might not wake up, and Carlos can’t even hold his hand. TK might not wake up, and all Carlos wants to do is hold his hand.

a shoulder to sigh on

Carlos has always carried it well; but that doesn't mean he has to carry it alone.

March

the music stopped but we went on dancing

Carlos has waited and waited for a day like today; but of course, something had to go oh so wrong.

you can count on me; i'll be there

Carlos is dealing with the stress of trying to become detective; TK becomes his biggest cheerleader any way that he can.

will you bee mine?

Carlos is teaching his third grade class when he gets stung by a bee; now it seems he has no choice but to finally visit the new school nurse, TK Strand.

some like it hot

TK is determined to win the fifth annual chili cook-off; the only person standing in his way is his long-time culinary rival, Carlos Reyes.

you drive me wild

TK has to ask Carlos if he can borrow the thing most precious to him. His car.

our love’s a protective poison

Gwyneth Morgan loves her son; that is an uncontested fact. Tyler Kennedy Stand is his father’s son; that is also, an uncontested fact. Gwyn loves her son, even though he has a tendency to act just like his father. Gwyn loves her son, even when he has a tendency to act just like his father.

i love you; i want us both to eat well

“How do you tell someone you love that they’re not good at something?” Carlos asks Nancy and Mateo. “I don’t know,” Mateo shrugs. “Nancy’s good at everything.” “Aw,” Nancy croons. “Babe, you’re so good at telling the truth.”

April

you've made so very happy

TK stabs his fork into a leafy green. “That was my friend, Cash. We’re having our high school reunion next month and one of the planning committee members dropped out last minute. He asked if I could fill in.” “You’re going to your high school reunion?” Marjan asks, wiping her fingers on her napkin. “You have a friend named Cash?” Paul is quick to follow up, both clearly focused on different things.

home is wherever i'm with you

Carlos says, “I love you” in so many different ways, and TK loves each and every one of them.

when life gives the lemons

Carlos starts, "So, I was in the neighborhood." TK’s eyebrows furrow, confused by what his husband is doing. “Carlos we’re married, we live together, this is our neighborhood. Why wouldn't you be here?” “Just go with it, babe.” Carlos says through a tired smile or 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.

this side of paradise

“It’s just, it’s our honeymoon.” Carlos explains. “Oh,” He can hear Grace perk up on the other end. “Where did you two decide to go? Cancun, Bali, Tuscany?” Grace draws out the y of Tuscany, hoping that’ll be the answer. “That’s the thing,” Carlos admits, “We haven’t.” “Oh.” He can hear Grace slightly deflate on the other end.

all my blood for the sweetness of his laugh

TK laughs and it sounds genuine and true. Carlos can’t help but smile, he feels like the sun has cracked open inside him. He feels a warmth inside himself that’s hot to the touch.

hooked on you

“Nancy,” Nancy looks up at the call of her name. TK is standing in front of her, both hands on his hips. Nancy releases a thin sigh. “Oh no.” Nancy knows what that pose means. TK’s upset. After finishing off the last sip of her coffee, Nancy asks. “What’s wrong?” “I’m upset.” TK announces as he takes space in the empty seat next to her.

May

i'd wait a million years for you

If you had told TK Strand that he would be marrying the love of his life in a place like Austin, Texas, he would have looked at you like you’d grown a second head. If you had told him that he would propose in the middle of the night, bed head and all, he would laugh and ask you, “Who do you think I am?”

June

anger has told me her real name is grief

Carlos is letting his grief manifest into anger; no matter how much he doesn't want it to.

a little taste of love

TK Strand, a florist working for the renowned flower shop, Bloom With a View, can't take his eyes off of Carlos Reyes, a baker working at Cake My Day, the bakery across the street.

July

as cute as a button

Andrea is taking TK down memory lane and they come across a koala named Kique, who happens to be missing one button eye.

we're a batch made in heaven

Carlos misses TK; so he does what he always does. Makes cookies.

August

all's fair in love and lizards

Love comes in many shapes and forms; and sometimes, that form is a stuffed novelty toy at a carnival game

summer slipped us underneath her tongue

TK Strand is a freshly heartbroken art history student who's been given the opportunity of a lifetime; studying art in the heart of it all, Paris, France. However, he thinks it's a cruel taunt from the universe. He's studying what he loves so much in the city of love but is stuck thinking there's no one out there who loves him. Carlos Reyes is a career driven culinary student studying at Le Cordon Bleu. He has hard time maintaining relationships, an even harder time of detaching himself from his work and and has an awful habit of doubting everything about himself. After a night out that they end up sharing with each other; they agree to keep any and all things casual. Well, like most things, that's easier said than done.

November

29 Going on 30

During a trip to New York City to celebrate TK turning 30, TK and Carlos stumble upon a list of things TK always wanted to do before he turned 30, all of them being references to romantic comedies he loved so much growing up. While TK is fine with leaving the past in the past, Carlos thinks there's no better time than the present. He thinks that TK deserves to feel the same type of love he loved watching on the silver screen, so he devotes the rest of their trip to just that. Told through a tale filled with everlasting love, a never-ending trek across New York City and the occasional painful reminder of the past, Carlos learns a little more about the city TK once called home and TK learns a little more about himself.

December

it was love at first sight

Carlos thinks love at first sight is nonsensical. Then he locks eyes with TK Strand.

the moment my heart fell

Carlos has never been more in love and it scares him. Each and every day, Carlos finds himself falling that much harder and he’s worried that one day he’ll reach the ground and never know how to get up again.

my world deeply stained by the color of you

Everything's vibrant, sparkling as if it's the debut of a color TK's never seen before. Pale grey doesn't cast over everything the way it used to and TK's afraid to close his eyes at the risk of never seeing the world's colors this way ever again.

no pressure tagging: @carlos-in-glasses, @lemonlyman-dotcom, @heartstringsduet, @freneticfloetry, @lightningboltreader, @orchidscript, @three-drink-amy, @bonheur-cafe, @ambiguouspenny, @never-blooms, @theghostofashton, @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut, @sanjuwrites, @wandering-night19, @thisbuildinghasfeelings, @rmd-writes , @welcometololaland and open tag to anyone who wants to share :)

[liminalmemories21]

18 (because I know you keep things and I love seeing the bts things) and 23 please Lim!

Thank you!

Okay, doing this in reverse order.

#23 - pick three keywords that describe your writing

hmm, okay, this is hard. Introspective? Funny (I hope)? Kind (I really hope)?

#18 - if you keep them, share a deleted sentence or paragraph from a published fic

Do I ever keep things. So, there was a whole section I wrote for We were in screaming color where they went to New York for Passover, and I really loved it and had to cut it when it turned out they'd apparently never been to New York (!?!). Anyway, this is a small part of it.

Enzo has classes on Monday, but they're not leaving until Tuesday morning, and they take the time to go out to Gwen's grave.  They take Jonah with them, and Carlos keeps an eye on him as he toddles around the cemetery while TK folds himself down next to the temporary marker.  The unveiling will be in late July, and Carlos has already put in for vacation time to come up for it.

He takes a few steps away to give TK privacy to talk to Gwen, and crouches to take the stick that Jonah solemnly hands him.  He turns at TK's voice, raised just loud enough to carry.

"Hey, Jonah, come say hi to Mom."

He takes Jonah's hand to help guide him over to the grave, and then lets TK settle Jonah on his lap.  Jonah squirms a little, and doesn't really understand what they're doing here, but he catches enough of TK's mood to settle for long enough to obediently say hello to Gwen and Carlos feels his heart clench when Jonah offers TK a small rock he has clenched in his fist.  He can see the tears on TK's lashes, but his voice is somehow steady when he tells Jonah, "That's perfect, honey.  Do you want to put it on her grave?"

Jonah looks a little dubious, but puts it on the marker and then looks at TK for approval.  TK kisses the top of his head.  "It's a way for us to remember her," he explains to Jonah.  He scrubs surreptitiously at his eyes and pushes himself up.  He looks at Carlos.  "You want to talk to her?"

He nods, and squeezes TK's hand as TK stoops to pick Jonah up and walks a little bit away for them to look at the buds on the fruit tree nearby.  He sits on the ground in front of the grave, in the same place TK had.  He's never really done this before, never really had anyone that close to him who's died.  He feels a little awkward, but, "Hi Gwen.  Your son asked me to marry him, and it was the best day of my life.  I know I screwed it up a little after that, but he's got more patience than most people give him credit for, and he's got so much patience with me even when I don't think I deserve it."  He puts a hand on the ground.  "I promise you, I am going to love him for the rest of my life, and I am going to try every single day to make him happy."  His voice catches in his throat.  "I wish you could be there, to dance at our wedding, and tell me you told me so, and make him laugh.  But, even if you aren't there in person, I know that you will be there in TK, and in Jonah, and in the memory of every person you met and loved, and through me for him.  And, I am so grateful for that.  I don't think I have words for how grateful I am for him, and that you trusted me with him.  I won't let you down, I promise.."

When he looks up, TK's watching him with a small tired smile.  They go to lunch afterwards at the tiny dim sum shop on Spring Street, and they cut up a dumpling into little pieces and let Jonah gum at them.  The owner remembers TK, and looks sincerely upset when he tells her that Gwen passed, and brings them out a plate of bao they hadn't ordered, and when TK says thank you Carlos can hear the tears in his voice.  "They were her favorite," TK says when they're alone.  "I can't believe she remembered that."

When Carlos suggests they just go home after lunch TK only makes a token objection.  "I was going to show you Manhattan." 

He nudges TK towards the subway, and hopes he's remembered the right one.  "We'll be up here a lot more times, you have years to show me New York.  Right now I think we all need naps, and he nods at Jonah who's already conked out in his stroller.

TK's mouth twists with amusement.  "I think I envy him a little."

They're playing blocks with Jonah when Enzo gets home that afternoon, and he makes a face as he sits down on the carpet with them.  "I am too old for this."  He points a finger at them, "Let this be a lesson, have your children when you're young.  Or," he reaches out to cup the back of TK's neck, "acquire them when they're past the age of crawling on the carpet."  TK grins and ducks his head, and offers Enzo a hand to lever him up off the carpet. 

TK gets quieter the later in the evening it is, but it isn't until after they've put Jonah to bed that he says, "I really miss Mom."

Carlos curves a hand across his knee, anchoring him, and Enzo reaches out a hand to TK and holds it firm when TK takes it.  "I know, kid.  Me too.  Every day."

[paperstorm]

I do agree that interpretation of TK's perspective in this arc sounds like the TK we've gotten to know over 5 years. But I have to admit that doesn't really come across to me in the episodes in question, which like the anon said feel a bit lacking in terms of showing his frame of mind. But maybe the in-universe explanation is that he and Carlos aren't in a great place before then and aren't communicating well as a result, so when this difference springs up between them they struggle to articulate what they're actually feeling because they're already off kilter. And I think that maybe comes across in the loft scene, when the discussion about Jonah gets derailed a bit when Carlos brings up Gabriel. That's when TK's frustrations really start to show, and I get the sense that if that wasn't already a point of contention between them that conversation could have gone a lot better.

I think the loft argument is one that I am struggling to understand what TK's in-universe side is, idk maybe it's just me maybe other people got it super easily, but TK just comes in so hot and it feels a bit out of nowhere to me? Carlos just brings up how hard he's been trying and TK goes off, and I would love to talk to whoever wrote that dialogue and get a better understanding of the character motivations they were going for.

The storytelling problem I feel is that there's a divergence between the 'showing' and 'telling' in terms of how Tarlos is doing this season. Because we are being told that they're in a bad place, as a way of explaining why the conversation about Jonah turned so quickly into an argument. But then what we are being shown is things like Carlos making time for lunch dates in which he doesn't want to talk about work, bringing donuts to the firehouse, making romantic dinners, throwing lavish birthday parties, going to therapy and being super honest even tho it's hard for him, actively working on the things they discuss in therapy. So what we see is them doing super good actually and Carlos putting in a ton of effort, so then when the narrative informs us to the contrary, it ends up coming off like all that massive amount of effort isn't good enough, and that makes TK seem unkind. I wonder if maybe the writers just really didn't want the audience to hate Carlos in all this, so they went overboard in explaining his perspective and making him sympathetic and showing him being a pretty fucking amazing husband. And I have loved seeing him being an amazing husband so I don't wish they hadn't done that, but the downside is it ends up being confusing when at the same time the narrative is telling us these two are distant and struggling and TKs' at the end of his rope, because we don't actually see that happening on screen, we're just told to accept that it's happening.

Idk I'm still mulling it all over! And I love these characters so so much. And that doesnt' change even if I think there is some subpar writing in this particular storyline.

[reyesstrand]

wip wednesday

thank you for the tag @birdclowns @carlos-in-glasses @alrightbuckaroo @strandnreyes @theghostofashton @inflarescent <3333

“You okay, baby?” TK asks, immediately on high alert. He’s felt varying degrees of anxiety in the nearly two weeks Carlos has been off work, but it creeps up his throat with enough intensity to knock him off-kilter whenever Carlos is in any form of discomfort. It reminds him of ribs cracking under his hands and lifeless eyes. He doesn’t know when it won’t.

“I’m good,” Carlos promises, squeezing his knee gently. With his stubble and soft curls and glasses, with the little dimple curving into his cheek, TK feels so much love he doesn’t know what to do with it.

He bites the inside of his cheek, and thinks about the logistics of this time off lasting forever. He’s had a few shifts back already, but Carlos goes back for real tomorrow morning, and the thought of him leaving the safety of their home is unsettling. Carlos seems ready for it—for normalcy, for the attention to slip away from him—and TK knows it’s impossible to think that Carlos would never go near the dangers of their jobs again, but TK’s starting to get a first-hand look at what he’s put his loved ones through these past few years, and finds it hard to grapple with.

Instead of posing the question he really wants to, he gently clambers over Carlos’ body from their relaxed cuddle on the couch and stretches his arms over his head before asking: “Getting hungry?”

Carlos nods, and moves to get up, too. “Let me help.”

“Nope, you’re staying there all day,” TK says, letting Carlos grab his hand and tangle their fingers together to keep TK close, even if for only another handful of seconds. Carlos looks up at him, all sparkling eyes and a pleading smile, but TK just shakes his head and laughs. “Don’t you cow-eyes me, Reyes.”

“Fine,” is Carlos’ only retort, as he brings the back of TK’s hand to his mouth for a quick kiss. “Love you.”

TK hums, and drags his free hand through unruly, well-loved curls. “Love you too.”

He slips away, then, watching as Carlos gets comfortable again and stretches out, arm curled behind his head. TK tracks his movements as he often does, and notes his steadily improving range of motion and healed knuckles. The nightmares have dissipated. TK spares one last look before he slips into the kitchen, where he opens the fridge and smiles over the fact that they’re going to have leftovers for weeks, thanks to their family and friends being so determined to make sure they’re eating.

There’s the tupperware with mismatched lids he recognizes from Nancy’s lunches at the firehouse and the well-loved matching sets from Andrea and Gabriel’s; the familiar scrawl of Paul’s handwriting with heating instructions on the post-it attached to his ceramic bowl topped with plastic wrap, the brightly coloured thrifted dish shaped like a flower from Marjan. He eyes the glassware housing a whole smoked brisket with several sides belonging to Grace and Judd, and pulls it out and sets it carefully on the counter, next to the container of croissants Iris had brought over with a shy smile.

getting to this late so!! i’m leaving an open tag, if you have something to share please tag me so i can see <3333

[welcometololaland]

Lola if you had to write and direct an episode of 911ls, what would you put in it?

Okay, friend. I've thought LONG AND HARD. and I come to you with this totally unhinged response. I'm also tagging @beautifulhigh because she asked me a similar question 💜

This would be a tripartite episode. I know LS always has a theme, but I've got absolutely no theme going on. Something about being cute, maybe. This episode is like the Lou one - fluffy filler because you KNOW Lone Star is a comedy.

Arc 1: The episode starts with the 126 getting called to a rescue in suburbia. The call is placed by a young girl, saying someone is stuck and they need help. EMS and fire rock up only to discover the "person" is a cat and the cat is stuck in a tree. Classic fire fighting story made funny. Marjan rescues the cat and brings it down from the tree, and hands it to TK while she brushes all the tree shit off her gear. TK (obviously) immediately falls in love with it. When he tries to give it to the little girl she looks at him confusedly and tells her it's not her cat - there's been a mix up and this cat LOOKS like her cat but is not her cat. For comedic effect, a similar cat strolls out of the little girls house at that very moment.

CUT TO BACK AT THE FIREHOUSE

Arc 2: They're all joking about the cat rescue over one of Paul's tasty lunches but TK is deep in thought - unsurprisingly, he can't stop thinking about the stray cat (it is now in a rescue). At lunch, Paul and Mateo get texts telling them they've been selected to appear in a hottest firefighters calendar. Paul is kinda ??? about it, Marjan is offended they didn't ask her even though she doesn't want to be in it and Mateo is wondering if he gets to be oiled up like a wrestler. Owen is understandably HIGHLY UPSET ABOUT THIS. specifically because he did not get asked. Judd is smirking at him.

(I think I would put in a scene where Owen grills TK about whether his skincare regime is no longer working and whether he's "past his prime" - TK is still thinking about the cat and has no time for this).

(I would also put in a scene where Owen goes to dinner at his best friend Judd's house and Grace and Judd die on the inside over how much Owen cares about not being asked to be in the calendar).

Arc 3: The 126 get a call out to a fire at a modelling agency. They're currently casting for a very high profile client, and suspect arson by a disgruntled rejected candidate who is still in the building. For reasons which I haven't come up with, it is determined that the culprit has to be one of the current set of rejected candidates. Carlos rocks up to interview the suspects as the 126 get the minor blaze under control and treat people for smoke inhalation. Paul is sent to help Carlos for the SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF HAVING INVESTIGATOR PAUL AND CARLOS TEAM UP. They're trying very hard to solve the mystery but unfortunately the models keep hitting on them, much to their dismay. Even though they're in the middle of a disaster, the head of the agency is asking Carlos to come in for a test shoot. Carlos is finding it very hard to do his job because TK keeps talking about a cat.

Eventually Paul and Carlos solve the mystery, apprehend the suspect and manage to escape with their wits intact. Paul decides to turn down the calendar offer based on this experience, unbeknownst to Owen. On the ride back to the station, Owen gets a text offering him a spot on the calendar and he is over the moon.

We end back at the Tarloft. TK is late coming home from work and Carlos assumes he has gone to a meeting. WRONG. TK walks in with the cat and begs on his hands and knees to keep it.

Carlos is immediately endeared. Lou II is disgruntled but TK insists they will learn to get along. The cat falls asleep in Carlos' lap on the sofa which TK is obsessed with, there's a cute scene of them being a cat family (maybe some cute kisses in there) and a light roasting of Carlos by TK for the modelling thing. At the end of the episode, Carlos puts the cat gently down on the end of the sofa and carries TK to bed because we deserve that.

THE END

tagging some people because there are certain themes I think they may enjoy: @dustratcentral (the cat) @rmd-writes and @howtosingit (Carlos as a model) @carlos-in-glasses (I just think you would like it) @goodways (Carlos getting harassesd by the modelling agency and light roasting at the tarloft) @strandnreyes and @lightningboltreader (cat content).