#carlosreyesweek2021

[manesalex]

Carlos Reyes looking at TK

@carlosreyesweek - Day 7: Creator’s Choice

[jamie-tartt]

Carlos Reyes Week: Day 4 ↳ TK and Carlos (Insp.)

[bellakitse]

part of the deal (of loving you)

Carlos reminds TK that worrying about him is part of loving him.

Written for @carlosreyesweek - Day 1: “I love you, but stop talking�� + fluff

Carlos Reyes has learned many things about himself in the year and a half of dating one Tyler Kennedy Strand.

He’s learned that he’s capable of having more love in his heart for one person than he ever thought possible. He’s learned that soulmates are real and that his, is a brave, cocky, tenderhearted, often bratty firefighter. He’s also learned that TK’s health and safety are vital to his mental state. Unfortunately, given that his boyfriend is all the previously said things – brave, cocky, and a damn brat – Carlos’ mental health is continuously getting tested.

He gets the call from Judd. The deep, aggravated sigh the cowboy lets out when he says hello, tells him what kind of call it’s going to be. “Man, come get your idiot boyfriend. Michelle says he might have a concussion, and someone needs to watch him.”

Carlos isn’t sure what sound escapes his throat, but it causes Judd to mutter under his breath.

“He’s fine,” he assures him. His tone tells Carlos that the older man is looking for patience and finding none. “But he took his helmet off before the all-clear in a house fire earlier, and a bit of the house fell on him. Michelle says he doesn’t have to go to the hospital, but he needs a sitter.”

Judd stops for a moment, and Carlos can hear someone shouting in the background.

“Yes, you do because you’re obviously an accident-prone baby!” Judd yells back, making Carlos wince, both at the comment’s volume and the words themselves.  Knowing who they’re directed at, he knows they aren’t well-received. “Seriously man, come and get him. Cap is still out of town on that conference of his, and I already have an infant at home. I don’t need one at work too.”

Carlos sighs as he hears more grumbling from the other side of the call. “I’m coming,” he says, already heading for the door. “Stop antagonizing him.”

Judd chuckles, his petty amusement clear. “But he makes it so easy.”

Carlos rolls his eyes, praying for patience himself. That’s another thing he’s learned to have more of since TK Strand came into his life. “Don’t make me call Grace on you.”

The silence he’s met with makes him smile for the first time since the call started – and when Judd calls him a dick, he’s finally calm enough to enjoy it.

 ֍֍֍

 He arrives at the firehouse fifteen minutes later, shaving off at least eight minutes of his usual time by turning on the extra light bar he keeps on his Camaro. He parks at the side of the building, hurrying out of the car in his need to get to his boyfriend. As he makes his way through the firehouse’s bay doors, he spots Nancy first. He gets a knowing smile from the pretty EMT, and, with a finger towards the station’s common area, she shows him where he needs to go. Carlos flashes her a grateful smile of his own before heading in the direction she pointed at.

He finds the usual suspects lounging around in the living room. Paul, who is to the side eating a banana, sees him first. He gives him a smirk around his mouthful, jerking his head towards the couches.

There, in the middle, with Buttercup on his lap, sits his boyfriend. He seems determined to focus hard on the dog as he pets him, ignoring the mean look Judd is giving him from the sofa across from him. Marjan sits next to TK, stroking his hair the way TK is doing with Buttercup, while poor Mateo sits a little farther away, looking anxious the same way the poor kid always looks when someone from the team gets hurt.

He clears his throat, drawing their attention while his focus goes to TK. He looks okay, at least physically. The thundercloud that is currently his face is a whole other story.

Marjan gets up from the couch, leaving the space open for him, and Carlos squeezes her arm in thanks as he passes her. Sitting down next to his boyfriend, he finds his pretty green eyes already watching him. The frown on TK’s face causing a wrinkle between his brows.

“Judd shouldn’t have called you,” he says, shooting his friend a dark look before turning back to him. “I’m fine.”

Carlos lets out a deep breath. It’s echoed by more than one person in the room, causing TK’s frown to deepen further. “TK, I love you,” he starts to say, hoping the declaration will lessen the sting of what he says next. “But stop talking nonsense.”

Judd lets out a snort at his words before getting up from the sofa, silently signaling everyone to follow him out of the room and leave them alone. Sensing TK’s turbulent mood, even Buttercup gets up from his special spot on his favorite person’s lap, also going away. Smart dog.

Once alone, they’re left in silence as TK stews. Carlos studies his boyfriend, taking in his shoulders’ tight lines and the way he clenches his hands.

“Hey,” he whispers, getting a little worried by TK’s strange mood. “What’s going on?”

TK doesn’t answer. Instead, he bites down on his bottom lip hard enough that it looks painful, making Carlos wince. He reaches out, pressing his thumb on it, pleased by the gasp TK lets out at the touch. As a result, his mouth parts, finally releasing that poor lip.

“Talk to me, sweetheart,” he says, hoping his voice is calm and reassuring. Patience, he remembers, is the key to TK.

TK looks at him; those green eyes of his are thankfully clear, as Carlos also remembers that Michelle checked him for a concussion. It takes him a moment to notice the blush working its way over TK’s face. His eyes distracting Carlos as usual.

“I’m embarrassed,” TK finally tells him in a low voice. “That was such a rookie mistake,” he continues, rolling his eyes at himself. “I know I’m not supposed to take my helmet off before we’re clear. It was stupid of me.”

“No,” Carlos shakes his head. He just hates the downtrodden look on TK’s face. “Sometimes mistakes happen, baby, but you’re an amazing firefighter. Okay?”

TK shrugs his shoulders, not agreeing but thankfully not disagreeing either.

Carlos looks at him again, the first thing TK said when he came in coming back to him. “Why didn’t you want Judd to call me, Ty?” he questions quietly, concerned.

TK lets out a sigh before he reaches out, touching his hand. There is a small smile on his face when Carlos turns his hand to intertwine their fingers. “You already worry so much about me,” he says, not adding anything else.

He doesn’t have to; Carlos can hear the rest of the thought without TK speaking them out loud.

Almost two years into knowing him and it still breaks Carlos’ heart that TK thinks he might be a bother to him. But unlike when they first started, he understands now where it comes from. Growing up with loving but often absent parents and then later a boyfriend that ignored him has conditioned TK to think he’s too much to deal with. When they first started, Carlos didn’t know how to fix it. Now, he understands it’s not about fixing it but helping TK realize it isn’t true for himself.

“Do you worry about me when I’m at work?” he asks, biting down on the urge to smile at the wide-eyed look TK gives him.

“Of course,” he rushes to say. “I always worry about you.”

“Hmm,” Carlos hums, all-consuming love for the man in front of him coursing through his veins. “Why is that?”

TK frowns deeply. “Well, I love you, of course, I–“ he trails off, eyes narrowing as Carlos finally grins, amused. “You think you’re slick, don’t you?” he says with a grumble that makes Carlos laugh.

“I think that I love you,” he corrects him, smile still in place as TK gives him a soft, almost shy look. “As much as you love me. I think we have jobs that involve risk, and I worry about you every time you clock in. Something I think you’re familiar with.”

“Yeah,” TK whispers, letting out a breath. “Yeah, I do.”

“Yeah,” Carlos agrees softly. “We’re always going to worry about each other, baby. It’s part of the deal of loving someone. But we’ll both worry more if we try to keep things from each other, right?”

TK nods, looking remorseful. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Come here,” Carlos says with a small tug on TK’s hand, letting out a content sound as TK immediately turns his body towards him, tucking his face into the crook of Carlos’ neck as he hugs him. He holds him tight, running his hand through TK’s hair the way Marjan had been doing earlier. Smiling into it as he feels TK all but melt under his touch. “How about I take you back to my place? I’ll make you something yummy to eat, and we can relax with a movie as I try to keep you awake for the next few hours, hmm?”

“Throw in some fooling around, and you have yourself a deal,” TK mumbles against his skin, giving his collarbone a quick bite when Carlos laughs.

“You drive a hard bargain, Strand,” he says, still chuckling. He leans in to kiss the tip of TK’s nose as he pulls back to look at him with a silly grin on that face Carlos loves so much. “So, home?”

TK’s smile grows as he nods once more. “Yeah, babe. Take me home.”

[detectivereyes]

Carlos Reyes Week - Day 3 ↳ favorite outfit

[howtosingit]

Fic: The End of Me

The reality of life is that, one day, it comes to an end. Unfortunately, Carlos Reyes faces that day long before he is ready for it.

*

Written for @carlosreyesweek - Day 5: “Just, hold on” + hurt/comfort

- - - - - 

When Carlos comes to, he’s truly surprised by how okay he feels.

The shattered windshield of his Camaro twinkles harrowingly in his direct line of sight, rain continuing to pour down outside, the droplets bursting against the webbed cracks of glass. At any other moment, he would find it peaceful, the stream of falling water creating a symphony of music for an audience of one, but right now it feels foreboding. He can’t escape the feeling that if the glass finally gives and the rain finds its way inside, it’ll only make this car crash situation worse. 

He shakes his head, blinking to refocus on everything else around him. He’s responded to enough calls like this to know that he should take stock of his injuries, since it will be the first question that the medics will ask when they arrive. He takes a deep breath, noticing how easy it is to do that normally. That likely rules out any trauma to his lungs, which is a relief. 

In fact, as he assesses the state of his body, surrounded by the evidence of his Camaro being slammed into a concrete guardrail, he’s relieved to find that he doesn’t really feel pain anywhere. It seems unlikely, sure, but he also wonders if the adrenaline coursing through him is just masking the pain. He knows he’ll find out as soon as he tries to move.

Except, the pain never comes.

Read on AO3

[marjansmarwani]

hold you ‘til the morning comes

1.6k || ao3

Carlos has known nothing but fear since he first got the report that a firefighter had died in the line of duty. After hours of wondering, here TK was: very much alive, but far from okay. But Carlos is not going to let him suffer alone.

Inspired by the scene in the promo of Carlos comforting TK --- Carlos Reyes Week Day 7: Anything goes

This idea came to me while I was watching the promo and @officereyes, being the wonderful enabler she is, encouraged me to write it. I carefully avoided any mention of who dies so I could be right either way, but I have my theories. Anyways, enjoy some Carlos introspection as he worries about TK 💕

--------------

When Carlos and Mya returned to the precinct, there was a tension hanging in the air. 

At first, he ignores it, choosing instead to focus on the path to his desk and the prospect of sitting down. A volcano erupting in the center of the city had left everyone a little crazier than usual, and after a full shift on patrol, he wanted nothing more than to collapse at his desk and bury himself in paperwork for the remaining hour. 

But as he and Mya headed to their adjoined desks, he could feel eyes on him. 

“Am I imagining things, or are people staring?” he asked his partner under his breath. 

Mya looked around and frowned. She paused in front of the desk diagonal to their own and stared down at its occupant, “What the hell is going on, Johnson?

Johnson, a young, quiet officer nearly jumped out of his skin at the mere prospect of being directly addressed by Mya. He swallowed nervously, glancing around the room before he responded as if hoping someone else would step in and save him. When no takers arose he swallowed again before speaking, “A report just came in. It...said that a firefighter died.” 

Carlos froze mid stride, a cold dread seeping through his chest. He turned and faced Johnson, catching the worried gaze of his partner as he turned. He kept his voice as calm and steady as possible as he asked the question he desperately needed to know, “did it say which station?”

Johnson shook his head frantically, nearly vibrating out of his seat with anxiety in the weight of Carlos’s gaze, “no, sir.” 

He felt Mya’s hand, warm and steady on his arm as she leaned closer, “there’s no saying it’s him, Carlos.” 

He nodded, jaw tight, but didn’t voice what he was thinking: but there’s no saying it isn’t either. 

Somehow his feet find their way to his desk where he sits, hyper aware of all the surreptitious glances thrown his way. It wasn’t just that it could be TK. It was that it could be Mateo or Judd, Paul or Marjan. It could be Owen, for all he knew. It could be any number of the members of the little family they had built for themselves in the midst of all the chaos and uncertainty, and Carlos didn’t want to lose any of them. 

But it could be TK, and Carlos didn’t know how he was supposed to live with that. 

The room was quiet and Carlos could feel more than one pair of eyes on him. He did his best to ignore them. He didn’t need their pity, and he had more than enough fear all on his own. He couldn’t really blame them though; in the months that he and TK had been together, his boyfriend had become known around the station. At first by virtue of being a fellow first responder himself, then later because he would stop by on days he was off to meet Carlos for lunch, or just to say hi. TK got on well with his coworkers, so he understood the heightened fear. They weren’t just worried for Carlos’s boyfriend, they were worried for their friend. 

He ignored the whispers and Mya’s concerned gaze and pulled out his phone, hands trembling ever so slightly as he accessed his recent calls. He tapped on TK’s name and waited, each ring another spike of fear being driven into his soul. All too soon the automated voice of the voicemail sounded and Carlos ended the call, placing the phone on his desk without a word or a comment to anyone. 

Not answering didn’t mean anything. TK often didn’t answer when he was on shift: it was hard to answer your phone when you’re scaling a building or doing whatever else the day might require. 

Or that’s what Carlos told himself, at least. 

He turned back to his paperwork, trying to bury himself in the routine, resisting the urge to check his phone every other second. The minutes tick by and soon his shift is over, but he can’t bring himself to leave. If he leaves and goes home to his empty condo, he might actually go crazy. So instead he stays, willing to trade off the unpaid overtime for the comforting monotony of paperwork. 

At some point, he realizes that the desk in front of him is still occupied too. He looks up to find his partner sitting resolutely at her desk, shuffling through her own paperwork. 

“Mya,” he began but she shook her head, effectively interrupting him. 

“I go home when you go home,” she declared firmly. “I’m going to be here for you no matter what, so just get over it.” 

Despite everything, he had to smile. “Okay,” he agreed, knowing when to admit defeat. He turned back to his paperwork, but not before checking his phone one more time. There were still no new messages, and he tried to ignore just how much further his heart sank each time. 

He had just turned back to his paperwork when the sound of loud voices outside the room filter to his desk. 

“They’re saying that fireman just ate it,” someone was saying, “he was dead before they could even get to him.” 

Eyes all over the room turned to Carlos, some more subtly than others, and clenched his jaw, determined to keep his expression neutral. 

“Carlos,” Mya began, already halfway out of her seat with the likely goal of telling whoever was talking to kindly shut the fuck up, but he shook his head. 

“It’s fine Mya, I’m just going to step outside and try calling him again.” 

She nodded and gave him a tight smile as he grabbed his phone and headed towards the back door. He opened it and stepped out onto the stairs, taking a deep breath of the crisp night air. It doesn’t fortify him as it usually does, but there is only one thing in the world that could make him feel better tonight. 

The fear that he has been burying inside his chest all night is ready to burst but he pushes it down one more time. There’s still no saying it’s him, there’s still no saying that he has anything to fear at all. He pulls out his phone with shaking hands, ready to try again and already dreading the sound of his voicemail. He’s just about to dial when he sees someone at the bottom of the staircase. He frowns, pocketing his phone. This isn’t the public entrance to the precinct. Most people didn’t even know it existed. He was about to call down, to see what the strange figure wanted when they stepped into the yellow light of the floodlight and their features came into focus and suddenly Carlos couldn’t breathe. 

He took the stairs two at a time, rushing down to TK, because it was TK. He was here, he was standing, and he was alive. He might just be the most beautiful thing Carlos had ever seen. 

He called TK’s name as he rushed down and when his boyfriend looked up at him Carlos was struck by the sadness in his eyes even from a distance. 

He slowed as he approached, taking in his appearance. He seemed to be unhurt, as far as Carlos could tell, but he looked smaller than Carlos had ever seen him. 

He stopped short of pulling TK into his arms, though he wants to so desperately. He studies him up close first, before speaking, “There were reports saying a firefighter had died and you weren’t answering your phone. I...” he trailed off, not sure how to explain what he had spent the past few hours feeling and not wanting to burden TK any more with his own feelings when the other man was clearly drowning in the weight of his own. 

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” 

TK’s voice is too small and Carlos’s heart aches, “It’s fine,” he assures him, “I’m just happy you’re safe.” 

He wants to ask what happened, he wants to ask all the questions echoing through his mind but TK is shaking and Carlos feels fear start to climb up his spine again, “Are you hurt?”

“No,” TK assures him, “I’m not hurt. I’m okay.” 

As they stand on the stairwell and look at each other Carlos reflects that in all their time together, that might just be the biggest lie TK has ever told him. He steps forward, hesitantly at first but when TK makes no move to stop him he pulls him into his arms, sheltering his shaking body with his own. He can feel TK’s body sag into his, losing some of the tension. It’s only a moment before he can feel his shoulder getting wet as TK’s body quakes with silent sobs. He pulls them down so they are sitting on the stairs and gently rests his chin on the top of TK’s head, running a hand in soothing circles on his back. 

His boyfriend is safe and he is beyond grateful. He wants to bask in the feeling of TK in his arms and the knowledge that he is safe, that he hadn’t lost him, but it feels selfish in the face of TK’s grief. He had lost someone today, and though Carlos doesn’t know the details, he understands. Whether or not it was someone from his station, whether or not it was someone from his team, the loss of any firefighter could feel like the loss of a family member. It could also serve as a reminder of what he stood to lose every day; that when the ones closest to you are the ones running into the fire beside you, there is so much more to risk.

Carlos would ask those questions later, he would help him through it, whatever it was. For now, they would just sit here, curled together in the stairway, savoring the warmth and existence of each other. 

Everything else could wait, for now. 

[sunshinestrand-inactive]

Make You Feel Wanted 

Written for Day 1 of Carlos Week: “I love you, but stop talking.” + Fluff 

[560 words] Read on AO3

***

Carlos has a tendency to go on rants. Good ones, bad ones, some in between. It’s always been a thing ever since he was younger. He always remembers his mama nodding along to him, a small smile on her face as she listened to him talk forever about the things he loved and sometimes even the things he didn’t really love. Sometimes, people weren’t so accepting of them though, no matter how good or bad they were. His speeches had a tendency to ruin relationships with past boyfriends, he remembers many rolling eyes. Carlos had learnt to keep quiet about some things after that. After meeting TK, a professional in ranting, he thought maybe he didn’t have to worry about it anymore. He felt safe enough to open that part of himself back up.

Carlos can’t even quite remember what he had been ranting about in the first place, he had just simply opened his mouth and words had begun tumbling out. But he is five minutes in now and he doesn’t seem to know how to stop. At least it had been a good one. TK sits across from him, nodding his head as he gently picks at his dinner. They had decided to make an entire day out of going to the market, getting fresh ingredients and making a meal. It had been such a good day. Carlos isn’t sure what words come out next but when he looks up from his own plate, TK is staring at him, chin resting in his hand and a soft smile on his face.

“What?” Carlos asks before he shakes his head. “Oh. Let me guess, I love you but stop talking, right?”

TK’s brows knit together in confusion. “What? No. Where in the world did you get that?”

“You were just staring at me, not saying anything. I didn’t mean to get so -”

“Carlos Reyes, you stop right there.” TK quickly cuts him off. “I wasn’t saying anything because I was listening. You were really on a roll, I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“I know but this is supposed to be a nice dinner and I’m ruining it.” Carlos whispers.

“Hey, you’re not ruining it. I will never feel that way, okay?” TK says, placing a hand onto Carlos’. “You’re allowed to be passionate and rant, whenever you want. Believe me when I say that I love when you talk about the things you love. I will listen to you every day, all day. Just like I know you would do for me.”

Carlos nods. “Yeah, I remember the boba incident.”

“Hey.” TK says. “That was a masterpiece of a rant.”

Carlos grins. “Yeah, okay, sure sweetheart. Seriously though I’m -”

TK smiles before he stands up and walks the small space to where Carlos is sitting. “Okay, now I’m going to say it. I love you but stop talking. There is no apology needed.”

Carlos opens his mouth but is quickly cut off by TK’s lips against his and he smiles instead. After a moment they pull apart and Carlos grabs TK, bringing him down to sit on his lap, his back to Carlos’ chest.

“Now, let’s change the subject.” Carlos whispers as he rests his chin on TK’s shoulder.

“No.” TK mumbles, leaning back into Carlos. “Tell me more.”

“TK -”

“Tell me more, Carlos. I want to know everything.”

[reyesstrand]

✨carlos week masterlist✨

i’ve loved seeing all the content over this past week, and now that it’s over i thought i’d compile all my little contributions in one place!

day one: fluff + “i love you, but stop talking”

moonlight (you’re my starlight) — tarlos, 1.2k

Carlos barely holds back laughter when he creeps around the corner and gets a full glimpse at the cause of the clanging: his boyfriend, covered in flour, a Happy Birthday banner half-hanging from the cabinets.

day two: romance + “i’ll always be here for you”

to be alone with you — tarlos, 1.3k

Carlos has spent so long being the one that others could go to—that everyone could rely on, no matter what—that when a bad day comes he doesn't know how to react. Thankfully, he has TK.

day three: friendship + “well, that just happened”

it’s quiet company — paul & carlos, 1.3k

It happens too quickly for them to even acknowledge it. But suddenly, Paul's being handed a diaper bag, Carlos has a sleeping baby in his arms, and Grace and Judd are giving them truly mischievous looks as they run off toward their car, yelling out their thanks for the impromptu babysitting job as they go.

day four: future + “you’ve come so far”

thinkin’ ‘bout forever — tarlos/carlos & his mom, 2.3k

He's always been a mama's boy and so, naturally, she's the first person he goes to when he realizes he wants to marry TK.

day five: hurt/comfort + “just, hold on”

where the sunlight ends — tarlos, 1.5k

"Hey, hey, just keep your eyes open," TK's voice shakes as he talks, going against protocol in every way as he rips off his gloves and ducks in close, pressing a kiss to Carlos' forehead. His hands are warm against Carlos' cheeks, using force to try and keep him awake. "Stay with me, Carlos."

day six: what if?/au

more than a melody — tarlos/reyes family/carlos & paul, 1.5k

They hadn’t expected that after three months of dating, their parents would meet for the first time on a call. But when has their relationship ever been conventional? (Or, a sequel to my fake-dating AU).

day seven: wild card/writer’s choice

you’re the light in the dark — tarlos/carlos & the strands, 2.4k

Carlos swallows down his fear. He’s a secure man, as sure of himself like he’s sure about this relationship. It’s still so new, but TK makes him feel like—like he can see the world in a whole different light. And so he tightens his grip around the potted succulent TK promised his mom would love, and knocks on the door. (Or, pre-2x01, Carlos meets Gwyneth).

[melofanish]

Carlos Reyes Week Masterpost

Carlos Reyes Week is OVER!!!

This is the very first event I’ve ever participated in, and it was fabulous. 

Endless thanks to @lire-casander​. She has been my backbone during this, holding my hand and guiding me through every up and down.

Thank you to every one who comented, bookmarked, gave me kudos, liked or reblogged. I am forever grateful <3

Anyway, here we go:

Day 1: “I Love you but stop talking” + Fluff

Giggles, Tickles and Mumbled Love Confessions.

Carlos is comfortable, cozy and ready for a chill night with TK. Cuteness ensues.

Day 2: "I'll always be here for you" + Romance!

The Field That Holds Our Hearts.

Their story started in this field. And, with enough luck and loads of hard work, it'll end when they're ninety in this field.

Day 3: "Well, that just happened" + Friendship.

Have You, Have Me, Have Us.

Five times Carlos reveals something about himself that no one else knows, and it helps him get closer to the 126 crew, and one time the 126 knows something that Carlos doesn't.

Chapter 1/6.

Day 4: "You've Come So Far" + Future.

Hold Us In Those Arms.

Carlos has had a bad day at work and home is his only solace. Somehow, listening to TK comfort someone that isn’t him is as soothing as if it were.

Day 5: "Just Hold On" + Hurt/Comfort.

Will You Always Be Here.

Carlos wakes up in pain. Everything hurts. Everything is loud. Everything is blurry. He wants to sleep. So he does.

Day 6: AU

Clumsy Your Way Into My Heart.

Carlos is overthinking his voluntary grovery shopping trip. Cereal box shenanigans and loads of blushing later, he realises that maybe grocery shopping isn’t all that bad.

Day 7: Writer’s Choice/Wild Card

Drunk In This Love They Have.

The fact is that he knows that Carlos loves his son. And he knows that TK loves Carlos, too. And so, if Owen has to wake up at one-thirty in the morning to drive his son to a bar so he can pick up said son’s drunk boyfriend, he’s willing to do that in a heartbeat.

[morganaspendragonss]

Could I request bleeding through the bandages for TK??

thank you so much for the prompt jillian! very sorry for the wait.

@badthingshappenbingo prompt: bleeding through the bandages

also my submission for day 5 of @carlosreyesweek : “Just, hold on” + hurt/comfort

prompts are still open! please keep sending them through!

ao3

The call comes at the tail end of Carlos’s shift, and he instantly hates whichever idiot decided to ruin his night by mugging someone. It’s in one of the seedier areas of town and apparently there’s at least one casualty; things always get messy in this particular area, so Carlos just knows he’s going to be pulling overtime tonight.

It’s fucking inconsiderate, really.

He and his partner share a look as they pull up, the crowd surrounding the victim visible even in the dark. Medical hasn't arrived yet, so it’s up to them to deal with both the mugger and the injury. Which - just great. 

Carlos sighs and gets out, trepidation growing as they get closer. He keeps his hand on his holster but doesn’t draw his gun; people down here don’t tend to be too friendly to cops and he doesn’t want to provoke them any more. To his left, Rachel is doing the same, the corners of her mouth pinched tight. 

A woman runs up to them, phone in hand and eyes wide with shock. The witness, Carlos presumes. 

“Officers, thank you for getting here so quickly; oh, it’s just awful, isn’t it, I still can’t really understand it -”

“Ma’am.” Carlos holds up a calming hand and she stops mid-rant, breathing hard. He signals to his partner to check on the victim before turning back to the witness. “Let’s all keep calm, okay? Can you tell me your name?”

“Caroline.”

“Okay, Caroline, can you tell me what happened?”

Caroline’s lips tremble, and for a second Carlos worries she’s going to launch into another incomprehensible stream of words. But she appears to steel herself, taking a deep breath before nodding. “That poor man was just running when someone came up to him - and normally I don’t pay attention to these things, Officer, but there was something not right about the other man. Anyway, I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it didn’t look too friendly and then, oh it was terrible, he - that poor man over there - moved and the other one just - stabbed him!”

Carlos pushes away a grimace, trying for a reassuring smile. “Could you see what the attacker looked like?”

“No, it was too dark, you see. But he did run off that way” - she points to Carlos’s right - “into those trees over there.”

“Thank you, that’s really helpful.” Carlos relays the information through his radio, then goes to meet Rachel. As long as medical isn’t here, they’re going to have to stay and make sure the victim lives long enough to make it to hospital.

There’s a gap in the crowd, and through it Carlos can see Rachel bent over a body on the ground. She spots him before he gets to her and immediately her face drops, eyes darting between him and the victim.

“Carlos, don’t come any closer!” she calls.

Carlos stops, frowning. “What?”

Rachel looks close to tears, though she’s clearly trying to maintain an air of professionalism for the onlookers. “Just… Please, Carlos.”

And there’s something in the way she’s looking at him - at the victim - that sends Carlos’s heart plummeting into his shoes. “No,” he whispers, breaking into a run, because it can’t be him, there’s no way the universe could be this cruel, surely -

Except it is. Carlos drops to his knees beside TK and he forgets all about being professional, his one hand reaching up to cup TK’s face while the other presses against his wound, blood already soaking through the makeshift bandages.

Distantly, he hears Rachel begin to manage the crowd, who have suddenly become very interested to know why a police officer is crying over a random jogger. He pays them no mind, though, attention wholly fixed on TK.

“TK,” he says, forcing the words past the lump in his throat. “TK, can you hear me?”

TK breathes sluggishly, his gaze barely meeting Carlos’s before drifting away again. “Carlos,” he breathes. “‘M tired.”

“Hey, no, don’t you dare.” Carlos panics as TK’s eyes begin to slide closed, pressing down harder on his wound. It elicits a gasp from TK which Carlos feels guilty about, but only just - at least he’s still awake. He can hear sirens in the distance, and he prays that they’re the medical team.

“I warned you, didn’t I?” Carlos murmurs. “Once they’ve fixed you up, you’re never getting out of the doghouse for the rest of your life.”

TK almost smiles at that. “If I remember,” he slurs, “that was about getting shot. You d-didn’t say anything ‘bout stabbing.”

“It was implied.”

The medical team finally gets to them and Carlos shifts to make room, though he keeps running his fingers through TK’s hair. One of the paramedics looks like they’re about to tell him to move, but one look at his face must make them reconsider. He keeps talking to TK, desperately trying to keep him awake, but Carlos can see the blood staining his hands and TK’s shirt and the grass and even the fresh bandages the paramedics have put on and -

And, it’s not enough. TK��s eyes slip closed.

“We have to transfer him now,” one of the paramedics says. Then, looking up at Carlos. “Officer, we’re going to have to ask you to move.”

Carlos stares. The paramedic sighs and is about to repeat herself when a hand grips Carlos’s arm. He turns to see Rachel watching him, an unbearably sympathetic look on her face.

“Come on, Carlos,” she says quietly. “He’s in good hands.”

“I can’t -” He shakes his head, wanting nothing more than to stay put, but he knows that every second he delays increases the chance of TK not making it out of this. He presses a kiss to TK’s forehead. “Hold on for me, love,” he murmurs, then allows Rachel to pull him up, using her as a means of staying upright.

He clambers into the ambulance with TK, Rachel telling him it’s all cleared with the sergeant, and stares into his pale face, hoping against hope that he’ll wake up again.

“Hold on.”

*

Hours later, he’s still in his uniform, having rebuffed all attempts to make him go home. The most he agreed to was washing the blood off his hands, but even then the fear was still present.

Fear that TK would wake up without him, yes, but most off all, fear that he would die, and Carlos wouldn’t have been there.

The 126 have been coming and going, the only constant besides Carlos, Owen. He’s sitting on TK’s other side, the harsh hospital lighting throwing his face into sharp relief. He looks old - older than Carlos has ever seen him, except for perhaps the last time they were in this situation.

Carlos refuses to think about that time. It had taken days for TK to wake up then; Carlos isn’t sure he could handle that this time.

He doesn’t know how long it’s been. All he knows is that he hasn’t slept, and TK hasn’t woken up. Owen’s drifted off a couple of times, every time startling awake only to look even sadder when he realises TK’s still asleep.

But, eventually, when even Carlos can feel sleep pulling at him, TK twitches. Carlos blinks, half-certain he imagined it, but, no, Owen’s alert too, both of them rising from their seats.

“TK?” Carlos says, daring to let a little hope into his voice.

There’s an agonising silence which feels like it lasts minutes, and then TK moves again, his eyes slowly blinking open. Carlos sags in relief, sitting down heavily in the chair.

“Oh, god,” he chokes out, grabbing TK’s hand and kissing his knuckles. TK’s gaze slowly focuses on Carlos’s face and a smile creeps onto his face.

“Thought I was in the doghouse,” he manages, his voice weak but still, somehow, teasing.

Carlos laughs wetly. “It’s under review,” he responds, but they both know it’s an empty threat. 

Carlos is never letting TK out of his sight again.

[kiras-sunshine]

Oh, you are the one I want

Written for Carlos Reyes Week day 2: “I’ll always be here for you” + romance

Summary: “but did you really think that if you call me in the middle of the shift sounding all miserable that I’m not going to come and check up on you?” 

Read on ao3

or

Carlos leans against the wall of the police station. It’s a sunny day and the sunlight is bright. The wall feels warm against his palm. He squints a little as he looks at his phone and selects TK’s phone number from his contacts list.

The line rings a couple of times before he picks up.

“Hey,” he says as soon as the line connects, and his voice sounds happy.

Carlos closes his eyes. It is ridiculous how much he misses him, even though he saw him yesterday. Still, just hearing his voice makes his heart flutter.

“Hey,” he eventually whispers.

He hears some rustling on the other end of the phone. He knows he is on a shift too, but he hoped it would be a quiet moment and that he would be able to pick up the phone.

“What’s up?”

He lets out a deep sigh. “I think--,” he starts but he lets his voice trail off. “I cannot make it today,” he eventually says, and a knot forms in his stomach immediately as he says it.

They had made actual plans because both of them had the evening off. A proper date night with a dinner in a restaurant and he had planned to take TK back to the field where they had watched the aurora borealis to star gaze this time because the forecast promised a clear and bright night sky.

He had been looking forward to it all. An actual date is a bit of rarity for them, not that he wouldn’t cherish any moment he gets to spend with him, but it is still a nice change to their hectic lives.

He wants to see him more than anything, but he is ridiculously tired, and nothing has gone as he hoped during his shift. They have been understaffed during his whole shift, and he has been rushing from call to call, and his stressed co-workers keep snapping at him. Every call he gets send on seems to bring the worst out of people, he has already dealt with drunken people, domestic violence case and an attempted robbery.

On top of that, he had been the first one arriving to the scene of a car crash that was the result of reckless driving and speeding, and the woman driving the car had serious injuries, and she had been taken to the hospital immediately, but he isn’t sure if he believes that she can make it out alive. It has been a while since he has seen that much blood.

He feels hopeless and defeated. He wants to see TK and forget everything about his shift, but he knows he cannot magically turn off his thoughts from work when he gets off shift and it will take even longer to shake off the events of the day, especially the car crash, from his mind and TK deserves better than rushed-down dinner with him shutting down and sulking.

“Okay,” TK says. His voice is quiet, but there are no traces of annoyance in his voice. He hears footsteps from the other end of the call, and he is quite sure he is walking to somewhere more quiet.

“I’m sorry,” he says, closing his eyes again.

He feels terrible for cancelling, but he knows, deep down, he cannot just put a brave face on and pretend to him that everything is fine. He would see right through him. It is almost uncanny how well he manages to read him, almost like an open book, and how thoroughly he has managed to learn to know him.  

It is a great feeling, being known and seen by someone he loves, and he cherishes the feeling of it, but it also means TK won’t fall for any facades of being alright. He loves him, maybe more than he can ever say, but he knows that his mind would circle just back to the events of the shift. Nothing kills romance faster than talking about gruesome accident scenes, and he knows he cannot avoid talking about it if they have the date as they planned.

A couple of his previous boyfriends always complained that he brings too much work to home and that he keeps constantly talking about his job. He sort of gets how that can be annoying and too much for people but talking it out is his way of dealing with his emotions.

He knows TK would listen to him, without any complaints, if he talked to him, but there is always a certain threshold of sharing the worst parts of his job with him because he understands it too well. He has seen his fair share of horribleness of life in his own job, and it feels almost unfair to dump the ugliest parts of his job on him, too.

“Don’t be,” he says, softly and reassuringly. “Are you okay?”

His voice is coloured by genuine concern and he knows that he is already caught on that something is bothering him.

“Yeah,” he replies, dragging his hand along his face, “just a rough shift and I need to do overtime.”

It’s not a lie, he convinces himself. It’s a simplified, cut-down version of the reality and thanks to the busy shift, the paperwork pile is a lot longer than he would like.

“You can tell me if you aren’t,” he says, simply.

It still makes his heart feel a thousand times heavier in his chest. He wants to see him, he wants to hug him, and he wants to pour all of the messy and unattractive feelings out of him, but he cannot do that in the middle of his own, or his, shift.

“I’m fine. Just—exhausted and people are being idiotic,” he tells him with an attempted laughter, but it ends up sounding hollow and joyless.

He is tempted to ask him to come over once his shift is over, but it feels a just a bit selfish to cancel all of their plans and still ask him to come over just because he needs him.

“Isn’t that how it usually is?”

His voice is lighter and even though he cannot see him, video chat would have given all of his secrets away immediately, he still knows he is probably sporting a tiny half-smile that tugs in the right corner of his mouth.

“Yeah,” he agrees, “and I will make this up to you.”

TK deserves the world, and he wants to make him happy, but as he leans against the wall, he knows that not burdening him with his issues in the middle of the workday or immediately afterwards, might be the best way to do it.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replies, without missing a beat.

He exhales audibly as he watches people walking in and out of the main doors. He knows he should get back to work.

“I should go,” he says, reluctantly. Merely hearing his voice helps a bit, but he knows he cannot dwell on his thoughts too long if he wants to make through rest of his shift.

“Okay,” he whispers and pauses for a moment. “Carlos?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

His voice is still quiet and gentle, but there is such certainty in it that it almost makes it sound powerful and it still sends the same thrill of happiness and warmth through his heart as it did the first time he heard he say it.

He squeezes his phone a little tighter. “I love you, too,” he says, unwilling to let the moment pass, but he still disconnects the call after a couple of seconds.

*****

Coming back to the dark and empty apartment hasn’t felt this much of a sucker punch into the gut for ages, but he knows it’s his own fault.

He throws the keys to the bowl he keeps on the table next to the door and crashes on the couch. He realises there is something underneath his back and he wiggles to pull it away from there. It feels like fabric and he realises that he holds one of TK’s black and plain AFD t-shirts in his hand, and he contemplates calling him, but he doesn’t know what he would say.

Instead, he keeps staring at the ceiling. He definitely loses track of time and he groans when he hears a knock on his door. He is almost tempted not to open the door because the only person he currently wants to see has a key and almost all of his neighbours know he is a cop and they always come to his door if they spot any sort of unrest anywhere near their building.

Still, he gets up and opens to door, and to his surprise, it’s not any of his neighbours, but his boyfriend.

TK is smiling, affectionately, and he is holding two pizza boxes on his left hand. His hair is sticking up a bit, and it looks like he has showered and dried his hair in a rush and instead of his normal short-sleeved button up and jeans, he is wearing a dark blue hoodie and a pair of sweatpants.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey, I thought we cancelled,” he replies, not very eloquently, but his mind refuses to cooperate because he wanted to see him, but he also didn’t expect to see him, and it feels slightly unreal to see him standing there.

“We did,” he says, and points him with his index finger, “but did you really think that if you call me in the middle of the shift sounding all miserable that I’m not going to come and check up on you?”

Carlos opens his mouth but closes it again, because he is not sure of the answer. He should have known. TK has a big heart, and he is one of the most caring people he has met, and he knows that he loves him, so he should have been able to count one plus one together.

Maybe he had subconsciously been aware of the possibility of this when he called him. Wanting to let him know that he isn’t alright without outright saying it aloud.

“I should have guessed,” he admits, biting down a smile.

“Damn right you should have,” he agrees, and his smile is warm and reassuring, and it reaches his eyes, making the corners of his eyes crinkle.

He hands the pizza boxes to him. The boxes still feel warm and the smell is amazing. He still lets out a surprised laugh when he sees the logo on the top of the box.

“You hate that place,” he points out.

He has never met anyone who would have more opinions about what proper pizza is than TK, and he has listened to his rants about superiority of New York’s pizza and the awfulness of the small place he prefers countless times. He would have thought that TK refuses to go anywhere near that place because had been so appalled by the pizza they once ordered.

He rolls his eyes, but he seems amused. “Yeah, but you love it. There’s enough for two, but if you want to be alone, I will go.”

He just stares at him for a moment. It means a lot to him that he tries to give him space and respect his boundaries by not storming into the apartment with his key, but right now, he feels like space is the absolute last thing he needs.

He reaches to place the pizza boxes on the living room coffee table. He returns to the door and curls his fingers around his wrist and pulls him into a tight hug and closes the door behind him. “I’m glad you’re here.”

TK chuckles a little, but he wraps his arms around him too and keeps stroking the space between his shoulder blades with his hand. He just hugs him a little tighter and burrows his face into his neck and the fabric of his hoodie.

He breathes in his scent, and he smells faintly of fruity soap and his hair smells a bit like coconuts. It’s such a familiar scent that he almost feels like he has just arrived at home.

“Thank you,” he mumbles, still against his hoodie, “I might not be the best company right now, though.”

“Hey, none of that,” he insists, determinedly. He holds him a little tighter. “I already know something is bothering you, and that’s why I’m here. I’m all in. I want to be around it all, the bad days and everything. I want you.”

He is half-convinced his stomach somersaults at his words and his eyes are stinging. He is almost speechless, and he just presses a kiss against his neck.

“I want to share it all with you,” he eventually whispers and reluctantly pulls away from their hug. “I just thought it would be easier for you if I didn’t burden you with it.”

He holds his gaze, and his eyes are gleaming. “Yeah, because I always like to take the easy way out,” he deadpans.

A short laughter escapes his throat, despite everything. It’s public knowledge that TK is a walking trouble magnet, no matter what he does. He attracts trouble and he is stubborn and determined. He loves a challenge and when he decides to do something, there is no stopping him. Opting to take the easy choice doesn’t really suit him.

“You don’t have to compartmentalize your feelings,” he points out, matter-of-factly, but there is still kindness in his voice as he picks up the pizza boxes and carries them to the kitchen.

“I never not wanted to see you,” he says, leaning against the kitchen island as TK takes out plates and cuts pizzas into slices.

It feels important that he knows he didn’t try to push him away, he wanted to protect him, shield him. “I had a crappy day, and I didn’t feel like I was up for any of our plans and pretend that nothing had happened,” he adds, staring at the plates, “and I felt guilty for cancelling, but I would have absolutely ruined the date.”

TK places the pizza cutter down. He gestures between them. “If the roles were reversed, would you have understood?”

“Of course,” he says, without hesitation, and the ridiculousness of his own thoughts is starting to dawn on him.

“Yeah, so I get it. We are first responders, there is no way of predicting what we will see and experience on calls. There is no guarantees that we even make home after a shift is done. It’s no wonder if we don’t always feel like following our plans and pretend to be a couple who don’t have to face death and destruction every day.”

He lets out a deep breath. He walks up to him and loosely wraps his arms around him and rests his head on his shoulder. “You’re right,” he says with a huff, “I knew you’d understand, it’s just—I didn’t want to be a burden.”

“You could never be,” he says, in a tone that is the softest he has ever hear him use, “for someone who reads people as their job, you’re really atrocious at predicting how will I react,” he jokes, but leans into the touch.

“Seems so,” he hums.

It has nothing to do with lack of faith in him, and everything to do with how he has been treated in the past and what he has deemed himself to be worth of.

“It’s a small wonder this doesn’t happen more often,” he muses, as Carlos lets his hand fall away and he sits near him on the kitchen chair. “We should come up with a codeword,” he declares, with a beaming grin, as he sits down, too.

“For cancelling plans?” He asks, as he takes a bite out of his slice of pizza.

“Yes. Just one word that would mean that either one of us has had a horrible day at work, automatically cancelling all potential plans and letting the other know that we might feel less than okay,” he explains, giving him a pointed look, “and no question asked.”

He knows that they can communicate, and that they have gotten better at talking to each other lately, and somehow more often than not they are on the same wavelength and just understand where the other is coming from, but his idea makes sense.

“That’s actually pretty good idea.”

He loves his job and TK loves his, and he knows neither one of them wouldn’t change them for the world, but their jobs can be exhausting, they drain every last drop of energy and it takes a lot to do it everyday basis.

“What should be the word?” He asks, his mouth half-full of pizza.

“I don’t know,” he shrugs, looking around himself, “it could be anything. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else,” he continues, and his gaze lands on the notepad that lies on the kitchen island next to the pizza boxes.

It has his, or more accurately, their grocery shopping list. He skims it through and looks up to him, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Broccoli?”

“Broccoli?” He echoes, but he ends up nodding. “Works for me.”

“Broccoli it is then,” he declares and picks up a slice of pizza. He glances at it suspiciously before taking a bite out of it. “If you ever need a proof how much I love you, this is it,” he grumbles, pointing at the pizza in his hand.

“Warms my heart, truly,” he says, with a thin smile, and strokes his calf with his foot.

They eat in silence for a moment until TK speaks again. His whole expression softens as he looks at him, but his eyes are grave. “Do you want to talk about it? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I’m here if you do.”

“Yeah,” he breathes out and examines his own hand. He runs his thumb over his right palm. “We were understaffed, everyone was grumpy, and it was a busy day. A call after a call, and majority of them were the sort of scenes that could have been avoided if everyone just stopped and considered how their actions affect other people.”

TK keeps his eyes on him, and he keeps nodding as he listens to his rambling. “The worst part was this car accident. Another patrol car had been chasing them ‘cause they were endangering the traffic with reckless driving. She ended up crashing her car against bridge railing.”

He sighs, half out of frustration and half because he can still see the scene in his mind in such a vivid detail. “I was the first one to arrive and it was—bad. The ambulance was a couple minutes out and there wasn’t much I could do, but I tried to help and talk to her.”

TK slides his hand along the kitchen island and takes his hand into his own. He holds it gently, just letting Carlos’ hand rest on his palm and he has his fingers loosely wrapped around it. It’s a small gesture, but it feels significant and compassionate.

“The ambulance arrived pretty fast, but I felt so helpless and there was so much blood,” he lets his voice trail off as he swallows. “They took her to hospital, and I hope she makes it, but I don’t know. It had been a bad day, but that was the last straw.”

He looks at their joined hands. “I’ve washed my hands so many times, but I feel like I still have her blood on my hands,” he admits in a brittle voice, even though it feels a bit ridiculous as he says it aloud.

TK says nothing of the sort, instead he reaches to kiss his forehead. “I’m sorry, that sounds awful.”

He doesn’t know what to say, so he just nods. Sometimes there are cases that are difficult to leave at work, he knows this, but it never gets easier. It is still feels difficult to shake them off.

“For me, it sounds like you did your best,” TK adds, softly. “And I know you know it, but it’s not your fault. Any of it.”

“Yeah.”

Deep down, he knows it. It’s only logical that he cannot have control over other people’s actions, but it still feels different to hear it from someone else.

“And it’s okay not to feel okay immediately afterwards. It would be a lot more worrisome if you were not affected by your job,” he adds, just as gently as before.

He supposes he has a point. He smiles at him, hoping that even a fraction of the gratefulness and affection he is feeling gets across. “Thank you for being here.”

He reaches to kiss his cheek. He can feel his slight stubble against his cheek as he does so. “I’ll always be here for you.”

Always is an awfully long time, but it fills his heart with happiness to know that they are casually throwing words like that around, that they truly are in it for the long haul.

“Me too, for you.”

TK laughs. “I know, babe. You’ve proved that so many times already,” he strokes the back of his hand. They both glance the slices of uneaten pizza, but he at least has lost any appetite he previously had. “What do you want to do?”

“Sleep,” he replies without any hesitation. His exhaustion is still there, and he feels calmer now, more grounded and that is only intensifying his fatigue. “Or attempt at least.”

It might be that the memories of the crash scene might haunt him or that he feels eventually too restless to lay in bed, but he wants to try at least. And he always sleeps better when TK is there with him.

His smile is warm and bright, like the first beams of a rising sun. “We can do that.”

[manesalex]

@carlosreyesweek - Day 4: TK and Carlos/ Romance

[jamie-tartt]

Carlos Reyes Week: Day 6 ↳ Carlos and other members of the 126 - Paul Strickland

[bellakitse]

better with you

"I want to be a source of comfort for you. I want to be a reason you are happy.”

Carlos lets out a low, amused breath. “TK, baby,” he pauses, shaking his head as he chuckles. The sound is warm and affectionate.

Written for @carlosreyesweek - Day 2: “I’ll always be here for you.” + romance

Their local honkytonk is pretty busy for a Monday night, TK notices as he leans against a wooden beam a few feet away from where his team has claimed a set of tables, looking out at the crowded dance floor. He sees that the bar counter is just as busy. Patrons wait for their pitchers of discounted beer that the three bartenders of the night fill with impressive speed. He shakes his empty glass of mineral water, hearing just the ice rattle and debates if it’s even worth braving the jam-tight crowd for a refill.

He’s still considering his options when a fresh glass of water with lime comes into view. TK follows the hand holding the glass with his eyes, tracking up a powerful arm to a broad shoulder. He woke up with his head on that very shoulder just this morning. Finally, he reaches a handsome and familiar face.

“Looks like you can use a refill,” Carlos grins sweetly as he passes him the glass.

TK returns the grin, feeling a now common wave of giddiness in the officer’s presence. It’s been happening more and more the longer he and Carlos date, this feeling inside TK that can only be described as unbridled happiness when he’s around him.

“You’re a godsend,” he tells him, his smile growing as Carlos slides his arm around his waist. He goes with Carlos’ gentle pull, stepping into his warm embrace as Carlos presses a kiss behind his ear in greeting. “I didn’t want to make my way through that crowd for a refill.”

“I’m always here for your hydrating needs,” Carlos gives him a joking wink and a pleased smirk when it makes TK laugh.

“My hero,” TK teases him back, shifting to get closer to Carlos when a man in a cowboy hat bumps into his arm on his way towards the dance floor.

Carlos moves him out of the way, coming to stand in front of TK while pressing him back into the beam, his hand just above TK’s head. It creates a private little bubble just for them in the middle of the busy bar.

TK rests his head on the column, bending his knees slightly as he tilts his head to look up at Carlos. He uses his free hand to slip fingers through Carlos’ belt loops, pulling him closer into the space between his legs.

“Hello,” he says, voice low, licking his lips at the slow and thorough look Carlos gives him.

“Hi, darling,” Carlos greets him back, the corner of his mouth quirking upward as TK slips his thumb under his shirt to touch the soft skin above his jeans.

“How was your day?” TK asks, going breathless as Carlos returns his touch with one of his own. He runs his thumb over the shell of TK’s ear and down his throat, pressing at the pulse point above his clavicle.

“Long and tedious. Too many idiots making things harder than they needed to be,” Carlos sighs. TK lets out a sympathetic sound of his own. He knows all too well what it’s like to deal with humanity’s lack of common sense.

“I’m sorry, babe.”

Carlos shrugs in return. He places his other hand at TK’s waist as he presses himself against him. TK lifts both arms to Carlos’ shoulders, holding his half-empty glass carefully behind his boyfriend’s back.

“It’s okay, it’s better now,” Carlos leans in, running the tip of his nose along TK’s jawline as he breathes him in.

“Yeah?” TK questions, his breath catching when Carlos nips lightly at his jaw. Out of the corner of his eye he can see his team sneaking sly looks in their direction, letting TK know he’ll get teased for the PDA later.

“Of course,” Carlos answers, pulling back to look at him with a sweet look on his face. “Everything is always better when I’m with you.”

TK looks into those brown eyes he’s falling in love with more and more every day. They’re tender, loving, and so honest. He feels blown away by them and the sentiment behind Carlos’ words. TK was sure he would cause Carlos nothing but heartache with the way they had started. His ability to make a mess of things had been in full force when he and Carlos began.

To know that despite that bumpy beginning, Carlos sees him as a place of solace humbles TK. It makes him vow to always be a safe harbor for the man in his arms.

“I’ll always be here for you,” TK answers, needing Carlos to know the promise he’s made to himself and is now making to him. “Always. I want to be a source of comfort for you. I want to be a reason you are happy.”

Carlos lets out a low, amused breath. “TK, baby,” he pauses, shaking his head as he chuckles. The sound is warm and affectionate.  “You aren’t a reason I am happy; you are the reason for my happiness.”

“Carlos — I,“ TK lets out a shaky breath, his pulse jumping at his boyfriend’s words. “I–“

Carlos smiles at him. He presses his forehead against his, eyes locking with TK’s. “Yeah, I know.”

TK smiles back, the giddiness he’s felt since Carlos arrived multiplying, leaving him almost lightheaded from the joy he feels. “Can I tell you anyway?” he asks, teasing.

Carlos’ smile is bright and just as joyous as it takes over his face. “Please, do.”

TK feels his insides melt from the sweetness of the ask. “I love you, Carlos,” he says with conviction, swallowing hard as it makes Carlos close his eyes for a moment with a peaceful expression.

“I knew – “ Carlos pauses, letting out a content noise. “You show me every day with every gesture you make,” he opens his eyes, now brighter than before. “You’re so full of love, baby,” he tells him, rubbing his nose against TK’s. “But to hear it from your lips – is the best thing I’ve ever heard.”

“I’ll tell you every day from now on,” TK promises. It’s a promise he plans to keep in the face of Carlos’ happiness. “Every day.”

“I’m good with that,” Carlos says with a wide grin that gentles in the next breath. “I love you, TK.”

TK answers by pressing his mouth against Carlos’, letting out a soft sigh as Carlos quickly takes control, parting his mouth with a teasing flick of his tongue. His sigh turns into a needy moan as the kiss deepens, and Carlos presses him firmly against the beam. Carlos sucks on his tongue, and TK couldn’t care less that they’re in public. Not when Carlos is making love to his mouth. TK would happily spend the rest of his life in this spot, being kissed by Carlos Reyes. Unfortunately for him, his team seems to disagree as they jeer in their direction, loud and ridiculous.

He lets out an annoyed groan as Carlos breaks their kiss with a laugh, his cheeks growing red in the face of the crew’s teasing.

TK rolls his eyes as he turns to look at his team, rolling them again as every one of them smirks in their direction. He takes Carlos’ hand, walking him over to their friends. “Was that really necessary?” he asks, his displeasure clear for them to see.

In the next instants, he mellows as Carlos throws his arm over his shoulder and presses a kiss at his temple.

“Is it really necessary to flaunt your happiness in our faces?” Paul asks with an amused grin. “We get it, you’re in love. No need to rub it in, brother.”

Paul’s comment is met with nods from the singles in their group; only Judd and Grace don’t join in as the happily married pair at the table. The others voice their agreement, teasing him and Carlos, but TK isn’t listening anymore. He looks back at Carlos to find his gaze on him. Love and happiness reflecting in his eyes.

He lets their friends keep making their jokes, knowing they mean no harm and are actually happy for them. It’s not like he can deny their comments anyway. He and Carlos are in love, and TK will show him and the world every day from now on.

[detectivereyes]

The Troubles in Life Are Not Worth Sayin’

written for day 1 of @carlosreyesweek - “I love you, but stop talking” + fluff

well it’s kinda fluffy... honestly this prompt matched up too well not to use with the “tonsilitis” square on my @badthingshappenbingo card lmao

beta’d by the usual suspects: @marjansmarwani and @firefighterstrand 💗💗

Kicking off his shoes as he walks through the door, Carlos groans. Usually his morning runs are therapeutic, a way for him to relieve all the stress he accumulates on the job and in his life. 

But when he woke up today not feeling well, instead of the usual relief he felt after taking a run around the block, he somehow found himself feeling worse.

When he goes to take a nice drink from his water bottle, Carlos soon realizes that he can’t swallow without feeling like there are knives lining up and down his throat. Sure he may have noticed yesterday that his throat was getting a little sore. But this is pain worse than any other sore throat he’s ever experienced.

In addition to his painfully sore throat, his head will not stop pounding. And while he hasn’t had a chance to slip in the bathroom to take his temperature, he’s sure that he wouldn’t like what the thermometer would have to say.

All symptoms that he tries his best to hide from TK, not wanting to ruin one of their rare days where they both have off. When TK calls him out on how raspy his voice is, Carlos just replies that he must have yelled too much on his shift yesterday. Thankfully, TK seems to accept that answer. But as the day progresses he knows TK is only getting more skeptical.

(continue reading on ao3)

[howtosingit]

Series Masterlist -- An Officer and A Gentleman: Carlos Reyes Week 2021

Fics celebrating Carlos Reyes, written for the @carlosreyesweek​ fandom event.

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Long Drives and Wild Rides - (Day 1: Fluff) - 3.7K Carlos takes TK horseback riding.

The Most Powerful Thing - (Day 2: Romance) - 4.1K A story about how Carlos Reyes learns to love, and the man that he finds to love him back.

The Favorite - (Day 3: Friendship) - 1.6K Carlos and the 126 get sidetracked while planning a surprise party for TK.

Badge of Honor - (Day 4: Future) - 1.7K Carlos receives a promotion at work, and TK couldn’t be more proud of him.

The End of Me - (Day 5: Hurt/Comfort) - 4.1K The reality of life is that, one day, it comes to an end. Unfortunately, Carlos Reyes faces that day long before he is ready for it.

Fire Meet Gasoline - (Day 6: What If?/AU) - 8.5K When Firefighter Carlos Reyes is transferred to the 126, he’s not looking forward to working with a team of out-of-town attention-seekers, including a one-time hookup that ghosted him. (An Enemies to Lovers AU)

Wildest Dreams - (Day 7: Wild Card/Writer’s Choice) - 2.8K Explicit. For Carlos Reyes, TK Strand is the calm in every storm.

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