#firefighter!carlos is here!

[adelle-ein]

okay yes ztd is pretty awful and i keep giggling at things i'm absolutely not supposed to be giggling at bc they're just so fucking stupid but like. at least it's an entertaining kind of awful. i'm amused by the awful. aini was just bad AND boring

[tarlosislove]

For those who are new to the 911verse because of Buck, hello! This is just another post I'm making to show that there's been Queer characters here all along! 🏳️‍🌈

I'm so glad because of Buck being canonically Bi new people have started watching the show, maybe you didn't know there's been Queer characters the whole time, maybe you don't know that there's a spinoff that is also v queer.

Both 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star have been Queer from the very beginning.

9-1-1: Hen and Karen are Lesbians, they're married and have a son together. The first season is.. rough with them but we as a fandom have basically agreed to ignore that storyline because they are incredible now and have been for a long time, just push through that storyline and it's all good from there. Shipname: Henren

You'll see Michael and David for a few seasons, they're really sweet and I love them, they're said to still be together but they're not on the show anymore. (That is completely the fault of the actor for Michael)

Josh is a recurring character, he's gay and Maddie's friend and co-worker at the dispatch center.

Buck has had so many moments throughout the show that just makes complete sense that he is now discovering his Bisexuality. So don't worry you're not gonna have to wait 7 seasons to see Buck have Queer moments.

There's also several times we see Queer characters that are just there for an episode because they were part of the rescue.

•

9-1-1: Lone Star: Carlos and T.K are gay and get together at the beginning of the show and are still together as we're going into season 5. Shipname: Tarlos

Paul is a Trans man firefighter. As a Trans person Paul means so fucking much to me.

Nancy is Bisexual, while there has only been one comment in the show both the writers and the actress for Nancy have confirmed she's Bi.

Again there are times when you see Queer characters that are there for an episode or for a rescue. I love when shows do this because it just normalizes Queerness throughout and it's not just main characters that are Queer.

These are both gay firefighter shows and I truly hope you love them! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜💖

[dumbseee]

i’ll protect you.

f1 au/fic: in which y/n is a driver for ferrari, her and lando have been friends since childhood and started together in formula one. their closeness sometimes confused their friends. ask them if they were more than friends, they will laugh and say that they were just friends. but one day during a race, y/n got involved in a major crash. which made lando realise how scared he was to loose her.

lando norris x driver!reader

(fc: maggie lindemann)

warnings: mention of crash, carlos is still a mclaren driver with lando, mention of injuries.

note: english isn’t my first language so this may contains some mistakes xx (idk what to think about this one tbh)

liked by charles_leclerc, landonorris, lewishamilton and 3 799 087 others.

y/n: ready for tonight’s race! your girl is going to get that damn podium, mark my words xx

_

landonorris: in your dreams kiddo

y/n: @.landonorris you’re three months older than me.

lewishamilton: good luck y/n!

liked by y/n.

fan1: WE ALL BELIEVE IN YOU Y/N

fan2: GO Y/N

fan3: with that car i’ll be praying for your safety first bestie

fan4: praying for your first podium!

lilymhe: i’m rooting for you!

alex_albon: @.lilymhe i’m literally right HERE

liked by y/n.

"dude, you should sit down." carlos’s voice echoed in lando’s head which almost made him jump. he didn’t even realise that he was walking around the hospital’s hallways like a maniac. the driver sighed and sat down next to his teammate, carlos squeezed lando’s shoulder to show him that he was there too.

a few drivers were at the hospital, waiting to know if you were okay. daniel, carlos, charles, alex and of course lando were there. to be fair, all the drivers wanted to come but crowding the hospital wasn’t the right thing to do so only your closest friends came while the others went back home but waited for news too.

"are you y/n l/n’s friends ?" finally a doctor came, lando immediately stood up and almost ran to the older man. "she’s out of surgery, she’s very lucky that the firefighters were quick to get her out of the car because she has some burns on her arms and legs but nothing major." the doctor felt kinda uncomfortable to have that many men surrounding him, but he added, "she has a broken arm and a sprained ankle. it could’ve been worse so whoever prayed for her tonight, it worked. she’s awake, so you can see her, but be gentle."

"you should go first." charles told lando, who still looked out of it. "i think she’d prefer to see you first than daniel or alex." he adds with a smile. "uh, first of all this is rude." daniel answer while pointing his finger at charles, which lighten up the mood. "we ALL know i’m her favorite."

lando smiled and thanked his friends before slowly entering your room. he almost choked on his own saliva when he saw you laying on your bed, looking lifeless. this wasn’t you, you were far from being lifeless, you were literally the life of the party. always smiling, cracking jokes, making fun of alex or george will the others would laugh. but there you are, breathing through tubes and covered in bandages. your eyes were closed, lando took a look at your face and swallowed back tears.

he hated it, he hated seeing you being hurt, he couldn’t close his eyes because he’d see the crash again and again. the sound of your car smashing against the barriers, the smell of burnt, gasoline, the sound of the ambulance, the audience’s screams and cries, the commentators struggling to find their words. for a second everyone thought you were dead, everyone including lando. for a second, he thought about a world where you weren’t there anymore, and the only thing he could see was the dark. a world without you meant a world where the sun wouldn’t go up anymore, where happiness was gone forever.

lando let himself fall on the chair behind him and completely broke down. the tears wouldn’t stop from running down his cheeks, he didn’t know that he was capable of crying that much tears. he couldn’t stop sobbing either.

"l-lando?" the driver jumped and immediately stood up when he saw that you were waking up. "y/n? fuck, y/n can you hear me?" he didn’t know if he could touch you, too afraid to hurt you even more. "yes i can so please lower your voice." you furrowed your eyebrows and opened your eyes. the sight before you broke your heart, a sobbing lando, with a worried expression.

"what happened?" you asked, while trying to get up but a sharp pain stopped you. lando gently pushed you back against the bed. "i almost lost you, that’s what happened." he softly pushed a strand of black hair away from your face and sat down, taking your hand in his. "fuck… everything is coming back to me now." you mumbles and bite your lip. you take a look at your body and notice a huge cast on your left leg and a second one on your right arm. you also had a few bruises on your face and left arm caused by the fire.

"how are you feeling?" he asked you, while caressing your hand softly. "could’ve been better, so not only did i not make it to the podium, but i also almost died, what a performance." you laughed and expected lando to laugh with you but he just dropped your hand and looked at you with a hurt expression. "wha-…"

"how can you say it like that? how can you joke about death when you almost lost your life for real? y/n i don’t think you understand how worried sick i was to fucking lose you! i saw everything! the whole crash happened in front of me! i saw the firefighters pull you out of your car, i saw you being literally lit on fire! i couldn’t even move from my car, i felt helpless and useless. i even wondered if the crash happened because of me." he snapped, he wasn’t yelling but his tone was loud enough for you to understand that he was really pissed at your joke.

you felt bad, you didn’t know that lando witnessed everything and now you felt terrible. how traumatic that must’ve been for him. you didn’t know how you would’ve reacted if lando had crashed in from of you. "lando, i didn’t know i’m-…" he cut you off again, he ran a hand though his hair. "let me finish, please." you bite your bottom lip and nodded.

"the thought of loosing you made me fucking sick. i threw up when i got out of the car, i wanted to see you so bad but the way your team stopped me from seeing you made me think it was over. and do you know what a world without you looks like to me? nothing, that shit cannot exist, because a world without you means a world without me. if you fucking die, y/n, best believe that i’m going with you." his words made you cry, silent tears kept streaming down your face. when he saw it, he closed his eyes and kissed your forehead.

"i didn’t want to make you cry, i’m so sorry." he continues to kiss your forehead and then kissed your cheek. "no, i’m sorry for making you so worried about me." you answer while grabbing his hand. he smiles at you and start to kiss every little bruise on your arm. his gentle gesture made you cry even more. "i swear to take care of you now." he adds while connecting his forehead to yours. you both close your eyes and enjoy the peaceful moment until you both heard noises coming from behind the door of your room.

"ouch! you fucking stepped on my foot, càbron!" carlos’s voice could be heard which made you smile. "move your ass leclerc, i can’t hear shit." now it was daniel’s. "all of you shut up they’re going to hear us!" alex added. "aie! carlos what the fuck! that was my foot!" charles almost yelled to his friend. "see how it hurts?" added the spaniard, with a devilish laugh.

lando and you both started laughing at your friends shenanigans, knowing damn well they were behind the door trying to listen to your conversation.

liked by landonorris, danielricciardo, alex_albon and 1 690 097 others.

y/n: thank you for being my guardian angel <3

_

landonorris: always and forever my love

danielricciardo: i can’t believe you have no words for me when i had to sleep with carlos and he pushed me off the bed with his fat ass

carlossainz55: @.danielricciardo LIAR

alex_albon: @.danielricciardo i slept on a CHAIR

charles_leclerc: @.danielricciardo i slept on the GROUND.

fan1: im so glad she’s okay

fan2: OMG LANDO AND Y/N???

maxverstappen1: glad you’re okay y/n! can’t wait to see you on track again!

liked by y/n.

fan3: MY DREAM CAME TRUE

[emsprovisions]

I know I am being greedy here but,

3. I can't seem to take neither my eyes, nor my mind off of you, TK

8. being ur partner's mum's favorite.

from romance prompt please.

From this list of writing prompts that I am no longer accepting. Hello anon! Someone else has also asked for no. 3 so I will answer theirs :)

being ur partner's mum's favorite.

Carlos sits on the couch, his ankle crossed over his opposite knee and a beer in his hand as he watches his husband playing firefighter with action figures and a toy fire engine with their young sobrinos on the floor. They keep pausing because they want to hear TK’s stories from his firefighter days, since apparently–according to Six-and-eight-year-old Diego and Juliana–paramedics aren’t as cool. They giggle as TK keeps playfully correcting their terminology of the ladder truck and exactly how many inches of line they should start and Carlos’s heart just swells. 

“Ay, TK?” Carlos’s mom pops her head in from the backdoor, “Are you in here, mijo?”

“What do you need, Ma?” Carlos sits up, uncrossing his legs and making to get up.

“Oh, no, you stay right there, Carlitos. I need TK’s expertise.”

“It’s fine, babe, I could do with stretching my legs anyway,” TK smiles up at Carlos. He gets up, much to Diego and Juliana’s dismay, and promises he’ll be back. He purposely walks around the couch so he can pass Carlos, stooping to kiss the top of his head as he does so. 

After TK disappears, Carlos is left alone with his sobrinos, and they coax him into playing firefighter with him instead. But Tío TK does it better than Tío Carlos, evidently. 

When TK’s been gone for too long, and Carlos’s brother-in-law wanders in to check on his kids, Carlos stands up. 

“Have you seen TK?” He asks Ricardo as he approaches. 

“He’s out on the back porch,” Ricardo says, almost bitterly. “With your mom, and Tía Lucy, and my wife.”

“Uh, thanks,” Carlos says, looking at Ricky apprehensively before excusing himself in search of his husband. 

TK’s got a glass of sweet tea in his hand, slapping his knee, while Ana clings to his arm, gasping for breath. 

“No way!” She laughs. “Tonterías! That did not happen.”

“It did,” TK nods. “I swear it on my mother’s grave.”

TK looks up as the screen door swings shut and sees Carlos step out before anyone else. 

“Hey, baby!” TK calls. “Come join us.”

Carlos lingers by the door, watching TK fit in with his family so seamlessly. They’ve been married for nearly a year now, but sometimes it still surprises him that he has this. He not only gets to be himself, he gets to be himself around his family, and they are all enamored with TK, too. 

TK’s smiling at him, patting the empty seat beside him and Carlos smiles and slides onto the long bench beside his husband, an arm going around his shoulder and TK’s hand falling into place on top of his knee. 

“What did I interrupt?” Carlos asks. 

“Oh, I was just telling everyone about that call we got the other day, where the neighbors were having a domestic dispute and one of them threw pickle juice all over my patient and it turned out she’s allergic to pickles,” TK grins, catching Carlos up on the story. “Ana here doesn’t believe that we get calls as ridiculous as that all the time.”

“That’s because that’s impossible!” Ana scoffs. “Who’s allergic to pickles??”

“My patient, evidently,” TK smirks at her. 

Carlos laughs, “There’s a lot of stupid people in this world, Ana. You would not believe the absurdity of some of the calls I used to get under APD.”

“Babe, you get ridiculous cases now too,” TK reminds him. 

“Cuéntanos más de tus historias, TK.”

TK smiles warmly at Tía Lucy over in her blue adirondack chair in the deck before looking up to Carlos for help. 

“Tía wants to hear more of your stories,” Carlos tells him, looking up at his great aunt and the delight on her face. She can’t speak English, but she can mostly understand it, and joy and humor are universal languages anyways. 

TK launches into more funny stories from different calls before Ricardo comes outside with a screaming Diego, and it’s time for Ana to go home. 

Andrea takes TK inside and Carlos is tasked with helping Tía Lucy inside and to her chair in her room. 

“You have a sweet young man, Carlitos,” she tells him in Spanish. “Muy guapo y divertido.”

It’s not the first time she’s commented on TK. Honestly, Tía Lucy always fawns over Carlos’s husband to the point Carlos wonders if she doesn’t have some schoolgirl type crush on him. Carlos has no idea how TK charms everyone that comes into his orbit, he’s just happy he’s the lucky guy TK vowed forever with. 

“I think so too, Tía,” Carlos responds in Spanish, winking at her. 

They chat for a while longer before Tía Lucy says she’s tired. Carlos kisses her cheek and wishes her a goodnight. He wanders back out into the main room to find TK and his mom chatting in hushed voices on the couch. TK has his hand on Andrea’s arm, rubbing his thumb back and forth over her skin. She pulls him into a tight hug, then kisses his cheek and whispers something into his ear.

Carlos watches the scene unfold, feeling a little bad for interrupting. But before he can duck into the kitchen unnoticed, his mom catches sight of him. 

“Oh, Carlitos!” She pulls away from TK and wipes delicately at the skin beneath her eyes. 

“Hi, Mamá. Everything okay?” Carlos asks, coming nearer to them.

“We’re okay,” TK reassures. His eyes are a bit shiny too. He reaches out for Carlos’s hand and Carlos comes close enough to give it to him.

Neither of them offer up any hint of what their conversation was about, but Andrea stands up and gives Carlos a warm and tight hug. And even though he’s almost twice her size, he still folds easily into his mother’s arms. 

It’s not until they’re in the car, driving down the 35, the darkness of the night stretching all around them and Carlos’s hand extended over the console on TK’s thigh, does Carlos find the bravery to ask what that was about.

TK plays with Carlos’s fingers with both hands and says in a quiet voice, “She was talking to me about being a Ranger’s spouse…”

Carlos glances over at TK. It’s hard to get a read on him as they pass through swathes of light from oncoming headlights and the rare street light. 

“Oh?”

TK shakes his head, “You’ve been in law enforcement the entire time we’ve been together, baby, it’s not like her advice was anything I haven’t already worried about before.”

“What did she say?” Carlos asks, his anxiety spiking and suddenly wishing he’d saved this conversation for home so he could see TK better. 

TK’s fingers keep brushing over his knuckles. “She just wanted me to know you could be in danger sometimes, which again, isn’t really new. But she also wanted me to know if I ever need to talk to someone about what I’ll go through as your husband, I could talk to her.”

Carlos glances over again, softening a bit at his mom offering that to TK. “What do you think about that?”

“I think it’s nice.” Carlos can hear the smile in TK’s voice. “I love your mom, and I love that she would want to be there to help me support you.”

“Buuut…?”

“No but’s,” TK says, shaking his head. “She says we’re a strong couple, and sees how much we love each other. She thinks we can handle anything.”

“She’s not the only one,” Carlos smiles, squeezing TK’s thigh. 

“No,” TK smiles. “She’s not the only one. She told me the best thing I can do for you is love you, and remind you you’re never alone in life, and remind you to take care of yourself and put work away when you’re home.” 

Carlos turns his palm up and TK gives him his hand, lacing their fingers together. He takes it a step further by cradling Carlos’s arm and tilting sideways to lean against Carlos’s bicep. 

“You do a good job of making sure I’m taken care of, baby,” Carlos says softly as he takes their exit for home. 

“You’re worth it,” TK says simply, turning his face to kiss Carlos’s shoulder. 

“You know my family’s enamored with you, right?” Carlos smiles.

TK laughs and teases, “Are you jealous Tía Lucy dotes on me now more than you?”

“No,” Carlos says, his voice light. “I love seeing you with our family. It makes me happy.”

TK snuggles up against Carlos’s arm even more in the passenger seat and Carlos tells him he better not fall asleep when they’re five minutes from home. He feels TK’s smile against his arm, and fondness for his husband impossibly grows. 

TK sure does know how to steal a Reyes’s heart.

[f1povs]

You’re safe with me

Pairing : Sergio Checo Perez x reader

Summary- y/n sister of Carlos Sainz. When he followed his dreams of being a f1 driver she followed hers and became a firefighter. After things went south on a call y/n decided to move in with Carlos.

A/n : so this is an idea I’ve had for ages and thinking of writing a whole story on this idea. This is my first time actually posting something as never had the confidence to post but after seeing so many amazing writers on here and other apps I thought I might as well try so please no hate or negativity. If you have any advice then feel free to share and if you think I should write a whole story then please say and I will do my best 🙏

Y/n watched the world go by as she sat in her favorite park, her gaze distant and unfocused. It was as if she was watching a movie play out before her eyes, with all the characters moving in slow motion. She knew everyone around her, the way they smiled, the way they laughed, the way they lived their lives. But she felt disconnected from it all, as if she were merely an observer in someone else's story. Her mind wandered back to the countless times she had watched her brother, Carlos, race his heart out on the track, cheering him on from the sidelines, her voice echoing above the roar of the engines.

She remembered the day she had decided to become a firefighter. It had been an impulsive decision, born out of a desire to protect those she loved and make a difference in the world. Little did she know that it would lead her down a path filled with heartache and loss, with every victory she achieved coming at the cost of someone else's suffering. But she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in her accomplishments, even as she struggled to come to terms with the darkness that lurked beneath the surface.

The wind picked up suddenly, rustling the leaves of the trees and sending a shiver down her spine. Y/n looked up, her eyes meeting those of a stranger who was staring at her intently. For a brief moment, they locked gazes, and she felt a strange sense of familiarity wash over her. It was as if this person knew everything about her, all her secrets and fears, and they were offering her a glimmer of hope in return. But then the moment passed, and the stranger turned away, disappearing into the crowd like a ghost. After sitting in the park for a while y/n decided that she couldn’t be here, in this town anymore. Y/n picked up her phone and rang her brother.

Carlos: hey y/n are you okay?

Y/n: um yeah I’m okay. Um I’m just wondering if… I… um… could come move in with you?”

Y/n held back the tears trying to escape her eyes as she spoke to her brother.

Carlos: yeah of course you can move in when are you coming I’ll get a room ready.

After couple hours flight, Y/n smiled as she spotted her brother, Carlos Sainz, standing outside the airport terminal. He looked as handsome as ever, dressed impeccably in his racing gear. Despite the hectic week of training getting ready for the race on the weekend, he'd managed to take time out of his schedule to pick her up from the airport. She hadn't seen him in months, not since the accident at work.

It wasn’t a long drive but seemed like forever. Carlos tried making small talk but y/n wasn’t really interested. She was in a world of her own as she stared out of her brothers car window. No one knew how bad the accident was. All they knew was that y/n was in an accident at work.

Finally y/n and Carlos arrived. The paddock was abuzz with activity, a whirlwind of color and motion that seemed to swirl around her like a dream. She had been away for months, as y/n stepped out of the car the familiar smell of racing fuel and burning rubber hung thick in the air, mingling with the sounds of engines revving and tires screeching. It was like being in a live-action painting, vibrant and alive with the energy of a thousand hearts beating as one. Y/n thought it was nice to be back with her f1 family. Everyone was excited to greet y/n but there was one particular driver who was more excited to see her.

As Sergio Perez turned the corner, his heart skipped a beat. There she was, standing by the lockers with her brothers and his friends, her back to him. It had been months since they'd last seen each other, and the familiarity of her figure was almost overwhelming. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves as he walked towards her. His gaze drifted over her shoulder-length hair, the way it casually fell across her back, and the way she was hugging herself, as if she were cold. He fought the urge to run up and envelop her in a warm embrace, instead opting for a friendly wave as he neared.

“Hey, y/n!" he called out, his voice sounding a little more nervous than he'd intended. She turned around, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. But the usual sparkle in her eyes had gone. Before her eyes would sparkle in the fluorescent light, and Sergio would find himself blushing, but this time was different.

"Hey, Sergio," she replied, her voice soft. "It's good to see you ." She walked over to him, her steps light. He noticed that she was wearing the same perfume she had been wearing the last time they'd met, and it made his heart race a little faster. But as she got closer Sergio could see something was wrong.

Fast forward to race night

The sun began to dip below the horizon, bathing the grid in a warm, golden light. The race was about to end. Everyone cheered as the drivers rushed past the checkered flag. Max at P1, Sergio at P2, and Carlos at P3.

The three men stood on the podium as they celebrated their wins. The crowd cheered and shouted celebrations. Fireworks exploded overhead, their colorful bursts of light painting the sky with a kaleidoscope of colors. It was a beautiful sight, one that would have filled her heart with joy on any other day. But tonight, the sound of the explosions sent her spiraling back to that fateful night, the night of the explosion that had taken the lives of so many, including those closest to her. the fireworks only served as a painful reminder of the day that had changed her life forever. She couldn't help but shiver as she stood on the edge of the crowd, her heart racing and her palms slick with sweat. The memory of the explosion was as vivid as if it had happened only yesterday: the screams of terror, the heat that seared her skin, the deafening boom that shook the ground beneath her feet.

Sergio Checo Perez stood on his podium and searched the crowd for y/n. As soon as his eyes landed on y/n, He could see the pain in her eyes, the fear that gripped her soul, and in that moment he jumped off the podium and raced to y/n in the crowd. His fellow drivers and his team was shouting for him to come back and celebrate the win but he had to do everything in his power to make her feel safe, to make her feel loved. He knew that the accident was more than a normal accident that can happen on the job like she had said. He knew there was more to the story, he knew that the the memories were painful, he knew what was happening as he has experience people he knew go through the same thing and he could never erase the memories that haunted her, the demons that tormented her every waking moment.

Now, as she sat there, on the floor in the crowd, watching the fireworks light up the sky, she felt him approaching, his presence a warm, comforting blanket wrapping itself around her. He knelt down beside her, his expression a mixture of concern and understanding. "Hey," he whispered, reaching out to take her hand. "You don't have to go through this alone." She didn't know if she could believe him, but for some reason, she found herself leaning into his touch, feeling a small spark of hope ignite within her. "I know it's hard," he continued, his voice gentle and soothing. "But we'll get through this together, okay?"

Her eyes met his, and for a brief moment, she allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for her to find peace, to find happiness again. And in that moment, she knew that she wasn't truly alone anymore.

They sat there together, watching the fireworks explode overhead, their fingers intertwined. As the last of the fireworks faded away, leaving the sky empty and black once more, Sergio leaned forward, his lips brushing against her ear. "You're okay. You are safe with me," he whispered.

Y/n closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his breath against her skin. She knew he was right. Slowly, she turned her head, meeting his gaze once more. There was something in his eyes that she had never seen before, something that told her that he was in this for the long haul.

As they sat there, the wind picked up again, sending a shiver down her spine. But this time, it felt different. It felt like a new beginning, like a promise of better things to come. And for the first time in a long time, Y/n allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was still goodness left in the world, still a reason to keep fighting, to keep going.

Hand in hand, they rose to their feet, the weight of memories and losses not so heavy now. Together, they began to walk through the paddock , their steps echoing through the darkness. As they walked, they talked, sharing stories and laughter, finding solace in the comfort of each other's company. And with every step they took, Y/n felt a little lighter, a little more at peace.

Eventually, they reached a small, secluded clearing, surrounded by tall, ancient trees just outside the circuit. Sergio turned to face her, his eyes searching hers for an answer. She knew what he was asking, and she knew what she wanted to say. Slowly, she nodded, her heart racing with anticipation and fear. He smiled, a soft, gentle smile that made her heart skip a beat, and then he leaned forward, his lips meeting hers in a kiss that was both tender and passionate.

As they kissed, the world around them faded away, leaving only the two of them, their love for each other the only thing that mattered. And in that moment, Y/n knew that she had found her home, her place in the world after everything she had been through. She knew that together, they could face anything, overcome any obstacle. Because no matter what happened, they would always have each other.

[laura1633]

imagine some sorts of halloween party, everyone showing up in basic costumes like cowboys, firefighters etc. then doors open and there he is one and only max verstappen. in a ferrari fernandos years race suit. everyone just doing a collective “woooooow”, while charles choking on his drink.

later charles approached max, who was completely ignoring him all night, like he didn’t turned charles’ world upside down. charles asks him about his costume and max goes on full rant about how he wanted to tribute fernando, since he was his childhood hero. and charles is like “heyyy stop fangirling over fernando, i am here, i am ferrari driver, i am better, kiss me please, lets go upstairs”

safe to say max got massage and that night were pretty red lighted🤭

(i just remembered that charles and carlos have their surnames on suits and imagine charles later made max weat it🤭🤭)

Max in a Ferrari race suit, Charles would die 😂😂

I can imagine him saying to Pierre that surely Max was wearing that outfit on purpose to flirt with him!! So when Max says its because of Fernando Charles gets jealous... and Max did want to dress up as a bit of a Fernando tribute but also knew it would drive Charles wild 👀

Charles probably asks Ferrari to make him another race suit but with slightly different measurements .... they have no idea why but it's Charles so they just do it. The measurements are of course Max's! Max gets given the race suit as a gift to wear but when he looks properly at it he sees Charles has had a label sewn into it that says 'Property of Charles Leclerc' 😂

Loving the Halloween theme 🎃

[sugdenlovesdingle]

as usual way more than Seven Sentence Sunday

thanks for the tag @welcometololaland @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @sznofthesticks @carlos-in-glasses

Sorry to my tarlos/lone star peeps but the bucktommy brainrot is real at the moment so have a little bit of my first fic for them based on this ask @buckevantommy got the other day that made me laugh. (tarlos/lone star will be back soon)

---

"Good morning probie." Buck happily greeted Ravi as he walked into the firehouse to start his shift after having had a few days off.

"You do realise I'm not a probie anymore, right? I'm a fully qualified firefighter, just like you."

"Of course you are probie."

"You were there when I officially qualified!"

"Uhuh."

"You know what - never mind. Why are you so happy anyway?"

Buck shrugged, the smile never leaving his face.

"Can't a guy just be happy? It's a nice day, traffic wasn't crazy, life is good."

"Right. But it's not even 8am yet. Nobody is this happy this early in the morning."

"I am." Buck said simply, brushing past him to put his stuff away, having changed into his uniform at home. "Has anyone made coffee yet?"

"Uh... I uh... don't know... uh... I uh... just got here." Ravi stammered.

"That's ok, I'll go check." he made his way up the stairs to the kitchen where Hen had just poured herself a cup. "Morning." he greeted her and moved around the kitchen to find a clean mug.

"Morning Buckaroo. No Tommy today?" She asked.

In the year or so that Buck and Tommy had been together, it wasn't unusual for Tommy to join them for breakfast if his own schedule allowed it.

"Nah, I thought I'd let him sleep. His shift doesn't start until six and I need him well rested when he gets into that helicopter."

Hen nodded and took a sip of her coffee, and choked on it when Buck turned around and she saw the name on the back of his shirt.

"Uh... were you in a hurry this morning?"

"No? I had to run some errands, I've been up since around 5."

"Errands? This early in the morning?"

"Hmm. Had to pick something up across town." He picked up his mug and joined her at the table. In the back of her mind the sound of something clinking against the mug did register as off but it was too early to figure out why.

"Right. I think you've picked up Tommy's shirt this morning. it says Kinard on the back."

Buck's smile got even bigger and he seemed to be actually glowing.

"I know. I took his name when we got married. These are my new shirts. I picked them up this morning." He took a sip of his coffee and that's when Hen noticed the ring on his finger.

"You did what now?!"

---

tagging @lemonlyman-dotcom @bonheur-cafe @oldfangirl81 @your-catfish-friend @sanjuwrites

@cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @chicgeekgirl89

+ open tag for whoever feels like sharing something!

[carlossreaders]

WIP WEDNESDAY

“What are you going to be, Isa?” TK asks from the left side of Carlos, trying to help Isabel who is still struggling to walk with her [redacted].

“I dunno. Some kids from school are going to be power rangers, so I might do that.” They enter the building and take in all of the spooky decorations. “I’m going to be a shark! Wait, no, maybe I’ll be a firefighter like daddy!” Elias says, trying to grab the cart from the cartpark.

“He’s a paramedic, Eli.” Isabel says matter-of-factly as TK pulls the buggy out, the blue cart being quite small. Definitely not big enough to fit Elias, who would normally be inside right now.

“I’m actually dual-certified, so I could be both if I wanted. That means, if Aunt Marjan ever needs me out in the field as a firefighter, I’m there.” Carlos begins laughing for a moment, shutting up when he gets a glare from his [redacted]. Carlos swallows before saying, “totally, when I first met your dad he was a firefighter. He made the switch a little after we adopted you, Isa.”

“When you guys [redacted], right?” Elias pipes in. Carlos looks at TK, but the paramedic doesn’t look back at him, seemingly avoiding eye contact. “When we were [redacted], yes.” TK says as he pushes the cart into an aisle.

here me out, when i first started posting these, i didn’t know i had to take out so much stuff to avoid spoilers, so my apologies! ALSO i hit the 20k word mark the other day!!! <3

thanks for the tags!! @paperstorm @carlos-in-glasses @thisbuildinghasfeelings

no pressure tags! @strandnreyes @reyesstrand @butchreyes @chicgeekgirl89 @carlos-tk @emsprovisions @lightningboltreader @liminalmemories21 @welcometololaland @reyesstrand @tellmegoodbye @ironheartwriter @rmd-writes @freneticfloetry

[guardian-angle22]

Tag Game Tuesday: 911 Lone Star Fandom Edition

Thank you for the tags! @thisbuildinghasfeelings @rmd-writes & @goldenskykaysani

When did you first start watching Lone Star? Who or what introduced you to the show?

I first started watching LS around the 2nd or 3rd episode of season 1 after seeing some adorable gifs of Owen & TK floating around on my tumblr feed.

I wish I could find out who patient zero was that first brought them to my attention from my follow list, but I think it must've been someone from the Skam fandom? maybe?

Which season is your favorite?

Season 3, baby!! and ngl, I highly doubt anything will top it at this point just based off where the plots have gone since.

Who is your favorite character? (Bonus: If you answered TK or Carlos, who is your favorite besides them?)

I mean - y'all knew what the answer would be to this one, right? Obviously Paul is my favorite. I do also really love TK. I know I have a reputation for loving Paul because I get very animated about him LOL... but I would like to put TK in my pocket and keep him safe forever, thank you.

Top five episodes. Go!

3.13

2.09

3.08

2.08

3.04

If you could pick any character to be given a "begins" episode, who would it be and what would that episode look like?

Paul. One hundred percent, I need it from Paul. I know everyone and their brother is going to or has answered Carlos for this and that tracks for a tarlos based fandom... but my unpopular opinion is that we've gotten quite a bit of character backstory for him this past season compared to some others like Nancy, Paul, and Marj. I feel like Paul has been part of the core group since the beginning but hasn't seen the amount of meaty plots as some of the others have. He's due!

What is a scenario or storyline that you would like to see in season 5?

Okay, I have two ideas for this: - an episode in which some of the characters who rarely interact are somehow trapped together due to some kind of emergency/disaster/storm and must navigate their way out together while the rest of the team helps from the outside. There are a few groupings we could use for it, but I personally would have the potential pairings be one of the following (or all three at once??): Paul & Tommy... TK & Grace... Judd & Carlos. I feel like these 3 pairings are people we don't get to see interact one-on-one often (or at all) and it would be super fun! - a true HEAT WAVE. they very briefly had that heat thing happen in 4x01 but I want a whole episode about a temperature heat wave and how first responders have to deal with them. this is TEXAS, c'mon. Plus the theme of heat throughout the episode could pop up in various character's stories. Tarlos = sexy heat. One of the firefighters = heat in the form of pressure in their job like a promotion of some kind. etc.

What do you think is going on in this still?

I have absolutely no fucking clue 😂 So I will instead direct you to this wonderful little spec fic by @littlemissmarianna As much as I hate everything to do with the Gabriel plot and tbh am not excited to see its continuation... if they manage to pull something off like that fic, I might actually enjoy some of it!

We all know about the elusive 5x05 spicy scene that has been teased, so what is your prediction for how it could possibly top 1x02?

... soooooooo I must confess something here...

*whispers* I don't actually know all about the elusive 5.05 spicy scene. someone needs to fill me in. I have not been paying attention to spoilers & speculation as much this time around since last season's speculation went so terribly for me 🤭🤣

Where was the Tarlos honeymoon in your mind?

Something about Carlos "getting homesick after a weekend in Branson" just tickles me. and the sarcastic way TK talks about the idea of Carlos wanting to travel the world also just amuses me to no end...

so this paired with the way the wedding went down, I think TK wouldn't want to make Carlos travel very far. or leave his mother so soon. I think TK wants his husband to feel as safe and comfortable as possible and so they spend a weekend at a nice spa/resort near Austin. Some place like this: Miraval Austin and then spend the rest of their honeymoon week bundled up together at home.

Shoutout one of your favorite fan creations.

for fics, I'm gonna be a little lazy here and link some of my previous themed fic rec lists:

but truly there are some wonderful fics in those lists!!! For some fanart: - this one by @whatsintheboxmh is one of my faves. ankle grab my beloved. 🥺🥰 - this one of s5 TK by @fitzherbertssmolder is so adorable! - this one of BUTTERCUP! by @greentealycheejelly is absolutely precious. - this one of Paul & Marjan!! by @heartstringsduet is amazingggg. give me all the paul fanart - this one of Grace by @yorit1 is stunning.

I'm not sure who has already done this, but I'm gonna tag some mutuals that I don't think I've seen it from yet (no pressure though!!) @lemonlyman-dotcom @herefortarlos @tkstrandreyes @three-drink-amy @littlemissmarianna @mikibwrites @alrightbuckaroo

[ironheartwriter]

WIP Wednesday!

Happy WIP Wednesday, friends. I was tagged by @whatsintheboxmh (thank you, May 💜)

I'm still not feeling great so today's WIP Wednesday is a Work is Published Wednesday from the last chapter I uploaded of: Kaleidoscopic Hearts

Carlos draws another breath, licking his lips before he continues, “Hi, I’m Carlos Reyes, I was born and raised here in Austin, and I’m a police officer. You seem familiar, though. Like I’ve seen you somewhere before.” TK smiles, a genuine smile that has his eyes, along with the silver ring around his irises, gleaming, “It is very nice to meet you, Carlos,” he says softly. “My name is TK Strand. I was born in New York, I lived there for my entire life until just about six months ago, and I am an addict and a firefighter, so you’ve probably seen me while at work.” “Well, welcome to Austin, TK,” Carlos finds himself smiling at how ridiculous this was, but at the same time it felt like they owed it to each other to try and have that clean slate. “You’re a long way from home, though. Maybe I could show you around sometime or something.” “Mm, I don’t know,” TK hums, licking another scoop of ice cream off his spoon in a way that Carlos was almost certain had to be illegal, his eyes now transfixed on TK’s lips and the way they curled into a smirk as TK’s hand returns to his knee, “My soulmate might have something to say about that.” “Soulmate, huh?” Carlos responds, forcing himself to look away to TK’s lips and back to his eyes, the most brilliant shade of green ringed in silver. He could swear his heart was roaring in his ears, and yet the sound of TK’s voice rang through his head just as clearly, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use that word before and actually mean it.” “Well, I do,” TK’s voice drops as he shifts a little closer to Carlos, and Carlos resists the instinct to move back for the first time, his grip on TK’s shoulder tightening just slightly, but if anything, that serves to encourage TK, rather than deter him, TK pressing into the touch. “And I will use it as often as I can, now that I know all too well how close I am to losing what has the potential to be the greatest adventure of my life.” Carlos draws a slow breath, all but under a spell as he listens to TK, “You’re going to be the death of me, TK Strand."

Tagging: @emsprovisions, @sapphic--kiwi, @strandnreyes, @reyesstrand, @carlos-in-glasses

@chicgeekgirl89, @heartstringsduet, @nisbanisba, @bonheur-cafe, @welcometololaland

@firstprince-history-huh, @captain-gillian, @nancys-braids, @literateowl, @eclectic-sassycoweyes

@corsage, @lemonlyman-dotcom, @paperstorm, @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut + open tag

[burnt--t0ast]

Carlos as a firefighter for @carlos-tk

check out @911actions gotcha for gaza! Commissions are closed, but you can learn more and donate to a good cause here: 911actions.carrd.co

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

Missing Moments I Want to Know About in 1x09/1x10

The show leaves us to fill in a lot of blanks for TK and Carlos during season 1. I always want to know more, but I think the blanks I want filled in most are the ones that occur in 1x09 and 1x10. Here are the ones I think about the most:

1.How does Carlos find out that TK is awake?

Does he find out through the first responder grapevine that the firefighter who was shot is going to be ok? Does someone from the 126 (Paul maybe?) call him? Does TK call or text him himself?

If I had to guess, I'd go with Paul letting Carlos know. Maybe before Carlos leaves the hospital he gives Paul his number and asks him to update him if anything happens.

2. What is TK told about Carlos after he wakes up and how does he feel about it?

We see TK's reaction to Owen asking about how long he's "been seeing the cop," but we don't see any further than that. I think TK can assume from Owen's comment that Carlos was at the hospital...otherwise how would Owen know about them? But does anyone say anything more to TK? Does Owen/Paul/Marjan/Mateo/Judd mention how upset and worried Carlos was or ask TK if he wants them to call Carlos to let him know he's ok? How does TK feel once it sinks in that Carlos, his "boyfriend who he doesn't even really know is his boyfriend boyfriend" was sitting by his hospital bed?

I see TK in this post-coma moment as being very much in crisis, and not just about the question of his relationship with Carlos. TK feels lost and confused about where his place is and what he wants to do with his life. I like to believe (though we don't actually have much evidence of this since there's no Tarlos interaction between 1x05 and 1x10) that TK was starting to come around and let his walls down a bit more in the time leading up to him getting shot, but then, post-coma, his crisis makes him take a step back from all that until he figures out where he's supposed to be. I think TK probably felt things when he found out that Carlos sat by his hospital bed, but I think he shoved those feelings down while he dealt with the crisis at hand.

3. What led them to the juice bar in 1x10 and how did they both see the situation at the time?

Whose idea was it to go there? Did TK call or text Carlos or was it the other way around? Had they been texting or talking back and forth at all since TK woke up or was this their first contact? What was said in the conversation that led them there? What were their expectations?

TK seems to be the one most passionate about boba so that makes me think he chose where to go. Or maybe it was a place they were planning on going together before he got shot, like TK had mentioned it in passing weeks ago and Carlos remembered and suggested that as the place they could go.

I wonder if TK thought from the beginning that he'd be essentially breaking things off with Carlos. Perhaps that perceived inevitability was why he filibustered a solid 6 minutes on boba? I get the impression that they both knew there would be a conversation about their relationship because when Carlos brought up the "elephant in the juice bar," TK immediately knew what he meant. Also, in hindsight, it is HILARIOUS that Carlos calls TK out here for avoiding talking about something. Oh, Carlos.

Side note: I wonder what Carlos' reaction would have been if TK had said that he liked Carlos and wanted to continue hooking up but still didn't want anything more. Would Carlos have said that wouldn't work for him? Because I really think at that point it wouldn't have. After the strong feelings he felt while sitting beside TK's hospital bed, could Carlos have continued being casual? Or would he have agreed to it just to keep TK (HIS SOULMATE) in his life even if it would have caused him pain?

4. What happened between the juice bar and the firehouse hug?

I feel like it's obvious that we're missing a pretty big conversation in there. The best evidence for this is the way Carlos goes face first into TK's neck when he shows up at the firehouse. That is not a man who isn't sure if they're even a "we" or who is solemnly accepting that they might not be meant to be. So what happened?? There's some great fic exploring this moment (SEE BELOW), which is where a majority of my headcanons on it come from.

I think it's clear that TK had to reach out first here. Both from Carlos' attitude at the end of the juice bar scene and from what we know about Carlos in general, there's no way Carlos was going to push any further without TK making it clear that's what he wanted. HOWEVER I could possibly see Carlos going to the hospital to check up on TK as he got his stitches fixed. I don't think he would go with any motive of getting TK to agree to a relationship with him. It would solely be about making sure that TK was alright. Even then, I'm not sure if he would do it. He certainly would have wanted to, but he might have held back based on TK's attitude at the juice bar. Carlos likely would have felt that TK might not want him there. I've definitely enjoyed fic that has him doing this, though.

Probably the most likely possibility is that Carlos simply went home after the juice bar/solar storm incident. His heart was surely shattered after being essentially rejected by his soulmate after putting his feelings out there in the most direct way he'd done so far. We know so much more about Carlos now and it just makes it even more apparent how much it took for him to sit there in front of TK and tell him how he was feeling like that when he thought it might not be reciprocated! And then, when it wasn't (at least from Carlos' perspective in that moment)...HEARTBREAKING.

Ultimately, I believe that TK had his epiphany and reached out to Carlos wherever he was (either at the hospital with him or Carlos' house or somewhere else). The conversation they had is something that I would like to see more than perhaps any missing moment in the entire series. Imagine the look on Carlos' face when he realizes what TK is telling him! As his previously-shattered heart is mended in an instant 😭 I want to see it so bad! Thankfully I have fic to fill the void. Speaking of, here are just a few excellent examples of fic that fills in this and some of the other moments I've discussed here:

silver in the night by @reyesstrand

the elephant in the juice bar by @taralaurel

Simple and Plain and Not Much to Ask from Somebody by @howtosingit

Steady up ahead by @paperstorm

Still Waters Run Deep by @welcometololaland

Just Let Me Hold You by tkstrands (is this writer on tumblr?? If so let me know and I'll @ them!!)

[nancys-braids]

🌈🌈🌈🌈

thank you ren!

Paul raised his eyebrows as he sipped his drink, taking a deep breath, then grabbed her hand, “Marjan. You don’t have to be 100% anything. You don’t have to label yourself yet, or ever. But when you talk about her, your face lights up this entire room. I never saw that in you when you talked about Salim or Joe. I think you should do whatever makes you happy, and if that’s Nancy, then I think you should go for it.”  Marjan sat with that for a moment, thinking. I don’t have to be 100% anything. Her entire life she’d felt this pressure of what she was supposed to be, or who she was supposed to be with. Her one big decision she made for herself, being a firefighter, was the best one she had ever made. Maybe it was time she chose her happiness over what others expected.  “Paul, you have to stop being so right about everything,” Marjan teased.  “It’s my specialty.” Paul winked. 

using this as my contribution for wip wednesday!

thank you to @paperstorm @birdclowns @carlos-in-glasses for the tags + everyone else who has tagged me over the past like two months i promise im trying to get back into writing and participating here!

no pressure tagging: you + @captain-gillian @pelorsdyke @bonheur-cafe @literateowl @reyesstrand @nisbanisba @strandnreyes @whatsintheboxmh @eclectic-sassycoweyes @freneticfloetry @heartstringsduet @sugdenlovesdingle @oldfangirl81 @welcometololaland @rmd-writes + open tag :)

[emsprovisions]

Happy Sunday y’all! 🖤 new episode tomorrow! Who’s excited for train derailment? I know I am 😌 for now enjoy another peek from the top secret au:

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Officer Reyes,” TK smiles as Carlos approaches him at the edge of the taco truck pavilion.

“Please, call me Carlos,” the cop waves the formality away with his hands. “Have you ordered yet?”

“No, I just got here a couple minutes ago. Have you been here before? You seemed to know the place well from your texts.”

“Yeah, this is one of my favorite lunch spots. If you’ve never been you have to try this truck,” Carlos gestures to a blue truck to TK’s left, with a feral looking taco logo and TK shrugs and nods.

“I’ll follow your lead.”

He can’t help but wonder what the pair of them look like as they order similar meals and sit down at a quiet picnic bench together. He wonders if anyone’s looking at them like some parole officer and his parolee, or if they look like a couple squeezing in a quick date where they can.

He’s pretty sure no one would guess Carlos was [redacted].

“I’m sorry to do this, but I don’t really have a lot of time,” Carlos informs him, gesturing at the radio clipped to his shirt. “I have a thirty minute lunch break, but I might still need to respond if a call comes in.”

“Oh, you’re alright,” TK waves him off. “I used to be a firefighter, so believe me, I get it. Plus, it’s not like this lunch is a social call.”

Carlos nods, his shoulders setting. “Right.”

Thank you for the tags @ironheartwriter @heartstringsduet @carlos-in-glasses @tellmegoodbye @lemonlyman-dotcom @chicgeekgirl89 🖤

No pressure tags @strandnreyes @alrightbuckaroo @butchreyes @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @paperstorm @captain-gillian @nancys-braids @nisbanisba @corsage @firstprince-history-huh @decafdino @lightningboltreader @reyesstrand @eclectic-sassycoweyes + Open 🏷️

[cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut]

Thanks to @sznofthesticks @heartstringsduet @paperstorm @theghostofashton @carlos-in-glasses @lemonlyman-dotcom @redshirt2 @freneticfloetry @bonheur-cafe @sanjuwrites @alrightbuckaroo for the tags! I’ve started my big edit on Boxing Fic, so Sunday’s sentences will be from the passage I’ve edited that day! 🥊

TK Strand – or, more formally, Tyler Kennedy Strand. Formerly a paramedic, and a firefighter before that. He has a small, repetitive rap sheet from his time in Austin, comprised solely of bar fights in a part of town Carlos would charitably describe as undesirable. Two or three a month since his arrival, none of the arrests ever sticking, on account of his evident sobriety on each occasion, and on account of none of his opponents seeming keen to press charges, or to talk about the incidents at all, in fact. He really must be a good fighter. Hardly seems fair of him to take those finely honed skills out of the ring and into a bar like that, to set himself against people both impaired and untrained. And yet, the list of TK’s misdemeanours comes to a stop just under three months ago – the approximate time the department became aware of Judd Ryder running an underground fight club on Friday nights in a secret location in the city.

Carlos has every right to know this information, to have used the resources at his disposal – from the safety of his undercover apartment – to figure out exactly who he’s dealing with here, but as TK stops mere feet before him, casting his enthralling gaze beyond the window and pointing off to the left, Carlos is struck by a pang of guilt that this lovely, devilish, hurting boy has no idea who’s truly in his midst.

No pressure tags below the cut

@birdclowns @mooshkat @fitzherbertssmolder @inflarescent @welcometololaland @herefortarlos @sugdenlovesdingle @jesuisici33 @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @strandnreyes @reyesstrand @lutavero @lightningboltreader @louis-ii-reyes-strand @tarlosmalec @liminalmemories21 @catanisspicy @chicgeekgirl89 @inkweedandlizards @thebumblecee @noxsoulmate @never-blooms @ladytessa74 @thisbuildinghasfeelings @three-drink-amy @orchidscript @rosedavid @rmd-writes @goodways

[sugdenlovesdingle]

This is way way WAY too late (but surely it's still the 19th *somewhere*???) because I kept changing my mind on what I wanted to write...

but here is my @911lonestarevents fic for @ramblingdisaster73 I hope you like it!

View from the taco truck (AO3)

TK and Carlos' relationship through the eyes of their favourite food truck vendor

---

The first time Jessica saw them was a few weeks after officially opening up her taco truck. Business wasn’t exactly booming yet so she spent most of her days people watching.

She’d seen the cop hanging around near her truck for a while and wondered what he was doing.

She had a half a mind to call him over and ask before she saw another guy, in a uniform she didn’t immediately recognise, walk up to him and his face light up.

They were close enough to hear their conversation and she couldn’t help but eavesdrop.

“Hey…” the cop said happily as the other guy walked up to him. Jessica noticed the Austin fire logo on his shirt. He’s a firefighter then. They awkwardly smiled at each other for a moment before the firefighter pulled the cop in for a hug.

“Did you find it alright?” the cop asked.

“Sure.” he replied. “I’m starting to find my way around this small town better every day.” He grinned.

The cop groaned.

“You’re never going to let me forget that are you?”

“You’re the one who called Austin a small town. I looked it up, Austin is the fourth most populous city in the state with a population of almost one million people.”

“Well in my defence, if you knew my mother, you’d understand. I think she knows at least 75% of those people. If not more.” The cop insisted as they walked over to the truck to order.

Jessica tried to compose herself to not let on she’d been listening in on their conversation.

“Would you consider Austin a small town?” The firefighter asked the her before she could even think of taking their order.

“Uh… no not exactly…”

“Thank you!” he exclaimed and turned to the other guy. “See? She agrees with me.” He turned back to the her. “He called Austin a small town.”

“I just meant the community. Cops. Firefighters. First responders. They all know each other.”

“Uh no, that’s not what you said.” The firefighter grinned, clearly enjoying the argument.

The cop laughed and rolled his eyes and gave the Jessica a “See what I have to put up with?” look.

She smiled and tried to figure out why he looked so familiar until she noticed the name on his uniform and the proverbial light bulb switched on.

“Well… I don’t want to take sides…” she started. “But I’m pretty sure we went to high school together. Carlos Reyes right? Two older sisters. Luisa and… Ana?”

“Uh… yeah… yeah that’s right.” Carlos stammered, clearly trying to remember her.

“I looked a little different in high school.” She told him. “My name was Juan back then. I was on the football team. Among other things.”

“Oh… oh right.” Carlos replied, trying to piece together the information.

“My sister Gabriella was best friends with Luisa.”

“Gabriella Suarez? She called you Juanito!”

“Yeah that’s right. I got by Jessica now though. And I own this truck. Have done for a few weeks now.”

“Right, right… I’ve uh… heard good things… about the food…”

“So what’s your speciality?” The other guy cut in. “He promised me tacos that are, and I quote, better than that crap from Taco Bell. So what should I get?”

Jessica took their order and told them to take a seat at one of the picnic tables near the truck while she made their food.

They sat down and from the corner of her eye she watched the firefighter put his hand on the table, smiling when Carlos grabbed it.

“So do you believe me now? About Austin?” Carlos asked while rubbing his thumb across his knuckles.

“What? No.” He protested. “What is it you cops say again? Once is an incident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern.”

Carlos laughed.

“So I have to find two more random people I know to prove I’m right?”

The other guy shrugged.

“Depends on how badly you want to be right.”

Their conversation moved on from their bickering to other stuff and every time Jessica glanced over to them, she saw their joined hands on top of the table, and matching dopey smiles on their faces.

“Guys, your order’s up.”

“I’ll get it.” Carlos got up to grab their food.

“I put in a little extra.” Jessica told him. “Since we all know each other in this small town.” She joked and Carlos laughed and shook his head.

“At this rate he’s going to mention that in his wedding vows.” He said and walked back to their table.

---

The second time Jessica saw them and actually had a few minutes to talk to them, they were both in their regular clothes and an older man in a baseball cap was with them.

“I’m telling you dad, the food here is great.” The guy whose name she’d learned was TK told the older man as the three of them walked up to the truck. “Carlos and I come here all the time for lunch.”

“Well I’m always in the mood for tacos, but you two really don’t have to buy me lunch. I’m sure you have better things to do.”

“We just want to say thanks for helping out today and giving up your day off, captain Strand.” Carlos told him.

“It’s Owen. And of course I’m helping my son move in with his boyfriend. Did you really think I’d let you two do everything on your own?”

“No, but we’re still grateful.”

“So let us treat you to lunch. Sit down, we’ll order for you. I know what you like.” TK told the man Jessica had worked out was his father, and the man sat down at one of the tables.

They placed their order and waited by the truck as Jessica worked. Business was starting to pick up, her truck becoming popular with both cops and firefighters, and she had a feeling she knew who was responsible for that.

“So, moving in together?” she asked them, making conversation.

“Yep.” TK replied happily. “He’s officially stuck with me now.”

“I wouldn’t want to be stuck with anyone else.” Carlos told him and kissed him.

Jessica smiled.

“I’m happy for you guys, but have mercy on us single people, ok?”

Carlos chuckled but TK apparently considered it a challenge and leaned on the truck to focus all of his attention on her.

“Maybe we can help you find a date? What are you looking for? Guys? Girls? Both?”

“Guys. But I’m not really looking right now. Me and my ex broke up not too long ago and I’ve got my hands full with this truck.” She told him.

“But you haven’t met our friend Paul yet. He’s single. Or our friend Mateo. If you’re into the Marvel nerd type.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Let me show you a picture.”

“TK.” Carlos said gently and covered TK’s phone screen with his hand. “You don’t have to play matchmaker for the whole of Texas, you know.”

“Jessica is not the whole of Texas! And Paul and Mateo are great guys!” TK protested while Jessica focused on preparing their food. “And it worked for Nancy and Marjan.”

“You’re just going to take credit for that just because you know both of them?”

“No, I gave them a push in the right direction.” TK insisted.

“Just keep telling yourself that, babe.” Carlos teased and thanked Jessica when their food was done and they joined TK’s father at their table.

---

The next time Jessica saw them, was not long after that day, but this time they both looked exhausted and Carlos especially was dressed in an outfit he didn’t seem to be very comfortable in. He was tugging at the neck of his hoodie, and pushed the sleeves up and pulled them back down again, just to apparently give his hands something to do in the few minutes it took for them to order their food.

They took the food to go instead of sitting down at their usual table and didn’t stop to talk like they usually did.

Later, Jessica heard through the grapevine (aka her sister still being friends with Carlos’ sister) their house had burnt down and they’d barely made it out alive.

She wished she had either of their numbers so she could tell them she was sorry for what happened to them and that she’d be happy to help them with anything they might need.

It turned out that was just her taco special with homemade salsa when they showed up at her truck again a few weeks later.

“We’re looking for a place to live.” TK sighed. “Living with my dad is… a lot.” He settled on. “At least he knows to knock now before coming into our room.”

“We’re viewing a couple of places this afternoon.” Carlos told her. “Including this loft downtown that looks pretty great in the pictures.”

“But we’re looking to rent and that loft is for sale only. You heard the estate agent.” TK sighed.

“We can at least go take a look. They might change their mind.”

TK rolled his eyes and gave Jessica a look that said “See what I’m dealing with here?”

Jessica decided it was best to stay out of it and focus on preparing their food.

---

After that day it was a long time before Jessica saw either of them again.

TK had stopped by her truck a few times with a female paramedic she learnt was his coworker Nancy, and Carlos had come by on his own once or twice.

They both looked tired and miserable and while Jessica wasn’t one to pry, she was curious about what was going on.

She decided to bite the bullet and ask the next time Carlos came by.

“No TK today?” she asked, hoping she sounded at least a little casual.

“No.” he said, sounding a little harsher than he’d meant to. “We broke up.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

He shrugged.

“It is what it is.” He paid for his food and left.

The next time she saw him winter had well and truly hit Austin and he’d asked for a favour. Lunch for a group of people seeking shelter from the storm in a nearby furniture store.

It was a big order but business had been slow because of the bad weather so she said yes.

“I know it’s a lot but I can pay extra if needed.”

Jessica shook her head.

“I could use a little help preparing it all though.”

“Sure. Tell me what to do.” Carlos said as he opened the side door, shrugged off his jacket and pushed up his sleeves.

“If you’re ever fed up with being a cop, I could use an extra pair of hands at the truck. And you actually know what you’re doing in a kitchen, unlike some teenager I have to train.”

He’d given her a small smile and told her he’d keep it in mind.

---

Winter turned into spring and business started to pick up again.

Jessica focused on her work but every time she saw someone in either an Austin PD or Austin fire uniform, she wondered how Carlos and TK were doing. If they were back together or had gone their separate ways for good.

She’d considered asking her sister for an update again but with her first nephew being born, it slipped her mind whenever she was with her or they talked on the phone.

Some of TK’s coworkers had become regulars at her truck too but she told herself to stay professional and not ask anything. She didn’t know these people, they were her customers.

She made small talk with them, just like every other customer, and that was that.

Until one morning, a few days after a building not far from her truck had collapsed, and the street had been full of rubble and people covered in dust, reminding her of the images of 9/11 she’d seen on tv so often over the years, there they were again.

Together. Holding hands, sharing kisses, looking happy. Happier than she’d ever seen them.

It made her happy knowing they had found their way back to each other.

She watched them for a moment, wondering if they would come up to the truck or were simply passing through on their way somewhere.

“Why don’t we just get tacos?” she heard TK ask. “They don’t need all of your fancy snacks, they’re our friends, they won’t mind.”

“I know… but I want it to be special. I want to always remember it.”

“Do you think you’ll forget it if we don’t have four different kinds of cheese?” TK stepped in front of Carlos and slipped his hands into his open jacket, around his waist.

“No…” Carlos trailed off and kissed the grin off TK’s face. “Just humour me ok? Let me have this.”

TK laughed a little.

“You can have everything you want baby, for the rest of our lives.”

They shared another kiss and Jessica almost felt like she was intruding on a private moment and made herself look away.

It was still early but she could do some prep work for the lunch rush.

“Hey, are you open for business yet?” she heard a now familiar voice ask from behind her a little while later. She turned around and saw Carlos and TK standing there with their arms around each other.

She smiled at them.

“For you guys? Always.”

“Good. Because we’re celebrating, and I miss your salsa.” TK told her.

“Apparently my cooking isn’t good enough for him anymore.” Carlos joked.

“You’re the best chef in the world, baby, but nothing compares to Jessica’s salsa.”

“Well my salsa has missed you too.” Jessica told them. “We both haven’t seen you in ages. I was beginning to think you’d moved away.”

“We did almost go to New York a while ago.” TK mused. “But our future is here.”

“My future is wherever you are. Even if that’s in New York.” Carlos vowed and the two of them shared a kiss, completely wrapped up in each other.

Jessica briefly wondered if they realised they were still standing in front of her truck or if they’d forgotten about the world around them altogether.

“We actually got engaged this morning.” TK told her after coming back down to earth when they broke the kiss.

“That’s great! Congratulations!” she said and found she was genuinely happy for them.

“TK proposed to me at 3:18 this morning.” Carlos said, beaming.

“And he said yes.” TK added.

“We haven’t even told our families and friends yet.”

“Wait, I’m the first person you told?” Jessica asked them.

“Yeah, yeah you are.” TK confirmed. “Some of our friends are coming over this afternoon and we’re going to tell them… and we should probably call our parents later too…” he trailed off.

“But this one was craving tacos and well… I can’t say no to him.” Carlos added with a smile.

---

Over the next few months business started to pick up more, Jessica hired someone to help her out part time, and TK and Carlos stopped by regularly for lunch, or just a catch up and some of her now famous salsa.

She’d heard everything from their search for a perfect wedding venue, and their frustrations on their parents taking over, to the giddy happiness when everything had been taken care of.

It was late one night in May when Jessica heard a car coming closer as she was in the middle of cleaning up and closing up for the night.

A pair of headlights turned onto the street and blinded her as they came closer.

She held up her hand to shield her eyes until thankfully the driver parked the car and turned off the engine.

She heard the car doors open and close but it wasn’t until they were right in front of her that she recognised Carlos and TK.

She smiled at them and tried to blink away the lights dancing in front of her eyes.

“Hi guys.”

“Hey.” TK replied and leaned on the truck. “I know we’re super later and you probably just want to go home… but I’m starving and we were hoping you would still have some leftovers? Of anything.”

“Uhm sure, I can throw something together for you.” Jessica told him and took a good look at the two of them. They were dressed in suits, looking smart but also kind of tired.

“You’re the best.” TK said dramatically and closed his eyes briefly as Carlos chuckled and pressed a kiss to his temple. “I feel like the only thing I’ve eaten today is a piece of cake.”

“That’s because that is the only thing you’ve eaten today.” Carlos reminded him. “You didn’t even look at the buffet.”

“Yeah, well, I was kind of busy.” TK said and leaned in for a kiss. “Busy marrying the love of my life.”

Jessica nearly dropped the container she’d been holding.

“You guys got married?”

The two of them nodded and held up their hands to show her their wedding rings.

“Today?”

“Yeah. Officially about…” Carlos started, quickly checking the time on his phone. “10 hours ago now.” He showed her a picture of himself and TK holding hands, standing in front of one of their friends who was officiating their marriage.

“Wow. Congratulations.” Jessica said sincerely. “This is on the house.” She put the take out container on the counter. “Call it my wedding gift for my two most loyal customers.”

They thanked her and showed her a few more pictures.

“We’re flying out to Hawaii in the morning for our honeymoon. 8 days in paradise as a gift from our parents.” Carlos told her while TK devoured the food. “So we should probably get going to get some sleep before our flight.”

TK nodded and held out his taco to feed Carlos a bite.

“Good?”

“Very.”

“Told you late night tacos was a good idea.”

Carlos nodded and stole another bite.

“Hey, get your own!” TK protested but Carlos just grinned.

“You just promised to share your life with me. That includes tacos.” He joked.

“I don’t remember that part of our vows, Reyes.”

“It’s Reyes-Strand now.” Carlos said and Jessica watched TK melt a little at the reminder.

They talked for a few more minutes and promised to stop by with pictures once they were back from their honeymoon.

“Enjoy Hawaii.” Jessica called out to them as they walked back to their car. Carlos’ arm around TK’s waist, TK leaning into him and feeding him bites of his taco.

She smiled to herself, thinking this is what true love looked like, and hoped one day she would find a love like theirs.