#professor!tk strand

[chaotictarlos]

I’ve always dreamed of me and you, now here we are

ship: Tarlos | fandom: 911 Lone Star | author: chaotictarlos | read on ao3

Rating: Explicit | Warnings/Tag: Secret Dating AU, Social Worker!Carlos Reyes, Professor TK Strand, ex’s to lovers, warnings to be added, smut in later chapters, m x m, anal sex, m x m smut

Summary: It’s a tale as old as time, meeting the right person but during the wrong time of life. TK Strand and Carlos Reyes dated in college but parted ways when they graduated, not knowing they would ever see each other again. Six years later, Carlos is working as a social worker in Travis County and TK has just accepted a position as a professor at The University of Texas at Austin. They run into each other when a mutual friend invited TK out for the evening.

Authors Note: I stepped away from this fic for a few months because some people can be so mean and hateful that they made me feel like I shouldn't continue it because they didn't like the direction the story was going / how the characters were being. I'm still struggling with this fic, but I'm trying to overcome it because not every fic has to be liked be everyone. Not every fic is written for everyone. There are millions of fics out there and I don't like every single one of them. That's okay. There are plenty of Tarlos fics that I don't like, but I don't make it the author's problem because it's not their problem. If you don't like this fic, that's okay but keep that to yourself. If you do like this fic, I would like to hear about your thoughts. I'm going to try and get back into this and get it finished up soon, but we'll see how I feel about it.

Thank you to @noxsoulmate for beta'ing for me. I hope you guys are enjoying this fic as much as I am! Leave me a comment and check out my other fics!

Prologue | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven

---------

Chapter Eight

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When Carlos shows up at the place he’s supposed to meet the guy that Marjan has set him up with, he’s early - almost too early for it to be considered normal but he’s nervous. It’s been some time since he’s gone out on an actual date and not just found someone at a club or bar to hook up with for the night.

He takes a look around the restaurant, trying to decide if he wants to find a table to sit down at or get a quick drink at the bar - when his eyes land on TK.  

Carlos feels his stomach turn slightly. 

TK’s out on a date and for a moment that’s all Carlos can focus on. He looks hard at the man he’s with and realizes it’s not Michael. Carlos also knows Michael - there was a time when Paul tried to set him up with Michael but he wasn’t really Carlos’ type.

No, this is another guy. A new guy.

Carlos feels his stomach twist into knots and the unfamiliar and ugly feeling of jealousy fills his veins too. He hates the feeling but the longer he stares at TK and his date, the more it grows. He turns on his heel and heads straight for the bathroom, needing a moment to breathe and get his head on straight before his own date arrives.

Carlos steps up to a sink and grips the edges, looking down and letting out a deep breath. He’s being ridiculous, is what he’s being. There’s no reason for him to continue to pine after TK and what could have been. If TK wanted any part of that - of him - he’s had plenty of time to say something but instead he’s gone on a few dates with other men - which is fine, TK owes Carlos nothing and Carlos knows that.

He looks up at his reflection and reminds himself that he has also had plenty of chances to tell TK that he still has feelings for him and has thought about what it would be like to try again, but he hasn’t said anything either. He rubs a hand over his face and tries not to mess up his hair.

He squares his shoulders and looks at himself intently.

READ MORE ON AO3

tags: @strangefurychaos @sapphire11 @first-kanaphan @noxsoulmate @rangergurlgleek1211 @detective-giggles @lonestardust @bubblesandroses8 @thebumblecee @mooshkat @importantbailiffpaperpony @a-j-cowwley @meditating-honey-badger @paperstorm @otter-love-asl @kiloskywalker @angeltk @firstprince-history-huh @brouill3r

[thinkingfandoms]

I just realized that all my favorite characters in TV series are either gay (or bi) or depressed.

That's the list:

[storiesfabled]

updated muse list

under the cut you will find the most up-to-date muse list.

911

evan buckley

maddie buckley

charlotte buckley-diaz // rowan blanchard // buck & eddie daughter

eddie diaz

athena grant

may grant

howard han

tommy kinard

bobby nash

harper nash // er registrar // ashley benson // bobby & marcy daughter

jonah nash // firefighter // tyler blackburn // ray & margaret son

raymund nash // principal // d.w. moffett // bobby’s brother

matthew ransone // police officer // casey deidrick // lou’s son

josh russo

ashlynn wilson // college student // victoria justice // henrietta & karen daughter

henrietta wilson

karen wilson

911: lone star

nancy gillian

trevor parks

arianna reyes // maiara walsh // tk & carlos daughter

carlos reyes

gabriel reyes

gabriella ryder // troian bellisario // judd & grace daughter

grace ryder

jackson ryder // football coach & pe teacher // eric stonestreet // judd’s brother

judd ryder

weston ryder // oil tycoon // jeffrey dean morgan // judd’s brother

aubrey strand // madison davenport // owen & npc daughter

owen strand

tk strand

victoria strand // liana liberato // owen & npc daughter

paul strickland

billy tyson

chicago fire

tricia boden // aisha dee // wallace & donna daughter

wallace boden

sylvie brett

matt casey

gabriella dawson

christopher hermann

stella kidd

patrick mcholland // hunter parrish // mouch & trudy son

rachel mcholland // anna kendrick // mouch & trudy daughter

randall ‘mouch’ mcholland

peter mills

kelly severide

leslie shay

brian ‘otis’ zvonecek

chicago med

anna charles

daniel charles

Mackenzie Crawford // er nurse // Elizabeth Olsen

will halstead

maggie lockwood

connor rhodes

chicago pd

kevin atwater

antonio dawson

eva dawson

hannah halstead // willa holland // jay & erin daughter

jay halstead

erin lindsay

trudy platt

adam ruzek

savannah ruzek // dianna agron // adam & kim daughter

Hank voight

Madeline voight // police officer // charisma carpenter // hank & trudy daughter

Criminal minds

Penelope garcia

Aaron hotchner

Alexandra hotchner // ssa bau // alona tal // aaron & haley daughter

Jennifer jareau

Emily prentiss

Derek morgan

Brynnlee reid-morgan // aisha dee // derek & spencer daughter

David rossi

Rylee rossi // hayden panettiere // david & erin daughter

dallas

Ann ewing

Bobby ewing

Christopher ewing

John ross ewing

Olivia ewing // britt robertson // bobby & ann daughter

Bryan jones // history professor // colin donnell

fire country

Bode Donovan

eve edwards

jennifer jameson // bakery owner // aja naomi king

luke leone

Sharon Leone

Vince Leone

freddy mills

Gabriella Perez

Manny Perez

Grey’s anatomy

Teddy altman

Jackson avery

Miranda bailey

Tuck bailey-jones

Stephanie edwards

Lexie grey

Meredith grey

Zola grey-shepherd

Alex karev

Chloe montgomery-shepherd // er nurse // madelaine petsch

Arizona robbins

Mark sloan

Sofia sloan-torres

Callie torres

Private practice

Cooper freedman

Addison montgomery

Jasmine montgomery-reilly // dove cameron // addison & jake daughter 

Jake reilly

Station 19

Travis montgomery

Theo ruiz

Ben warren

Zoey warren // college student // amber riley // ben & miranda daughter

supernatural

Annabelle buckley-moore // hunter // josephine langsford // evan buckley & jess daughter

Castiel

Crowley

arianna simmons // hunter // chloe bennett

Bobby singer

Rufus turner

Dean winchester

Johanna winchester // danielle campbell // dean & castiel daughter

John winchester

Sam winchester

[jewish-ship-showdown]

Ships that have already qualified (read before submitting):

Jude Lizowski/Jonesy Garcia

Tyler Kennedy "TK" Strand/Carlos Reyes

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Gwen Stacey

Willow Rosenberg/Winifred "Fred" Burkle

Francine Frensky/Muffy Crosswire

Susan Ivanova/Marcus Cole

Kate Kane (Batwoman)/Renee Montoya

Barry B. Benson/Vanessa Bloome

Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago

Willow Rosenberg/Tara Maclay

Jack Zimmermann/Eric "Bitty" Bittle

Justin "Ransom" Oluransi/Adam "Holster" Birkholtz

Danny/Reuven

Larissa "Lara" Bogdan/Jasmine

Kelsey Pokly/Isabella "Stacks" Alvarado

Rebecca Bunch/Audra Levine

Rebecca Bunch/Greg Serrano

Rebecca Bunch/Nathaniel Plimpton

Samantha "Sam" Manson/Danniel "Danny" Fenton

Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Selina Kyla (Catwoman)

Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Clark Kent (Superman)

Clark Kent (Superman)/Lois Lane

Harley Quinn/Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy)

Barney Guttman/Logan Nguyen

Leah/Chanan

Shay Goldstein/Dominic Yun

Marvin/Whizzer

Trina/Mendel Weisenbachfeld

Perchik/Hodel

Tzeitel/Motel

Monica Gellar/Chandler Bing

Molly McGee/Libby Stein Torres

Rachel Berry/Noah Puckerman

Fiddleford McGucket/Stanford Pines

Cristina Yang/Owen Hunt

Cristina Yang/Preston Burke

Levi Schmidt/Nico Kim

Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam

James Wilson/Gregory House

The Baker and/The Baker's Wife

Kim Possible/Ron Stoppable

The Jewish People/The Shabbat Bride

Alec Hardison/Parker

Max Eisenhardt (Magneto)/Charles Xavier (Professor X)

Steve Rogers (Captain America)/James "Bucky" Barnes

Arnold "Arnie" Roth/Michael Bech

Arnold "Arnie" Roth/Steve Rogers (Captain America)

Billy Kaplan (Wiccan)/Teddy Altman (Hulkling)

Bobby Drake (Iceman)/Hank McCoy (Beast)

Bobby Drake (Iceman)/Johnny Storm (The Human Torch)

Layla El Faouly/Mark Spector (Moon Knight)

Matthew Hawk (Two-Gun Kid II)/Clint Barton (Hawkeye)

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Betty Brant

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Eugene "Flash" Thompson

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/ Felicia Hardy

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/ Harry Osborn

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Mary Jane "MJ" Watson

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Wade Wilson (Deadpool)

Steve Rogers/Bernadette "Bernie" Rosenthal

Wanda Maximoff/The Vision

Midge Maisel/Susie Myerson

Hal Emmerich (Otacon)/Solid Snake

Casey Goldberg-Calderon/Lunella Lafayette

Fran Fine/Max Sheffield

Ben Gross/Devi Vishwakumar

Winston Schmidt/Cece Parekh

David Jacobs/Jack Kelly

Seth Cohen/Summer Roberts

Scout Touzani/Elias Wyrick

KJ Brandman/Mac Coyle

Lavinia Asimov/Poison Oak

Phineas Flynn/Isabella Garcia-Shapiro

Anon's Mom/Dad

The person reading this & their partner

Jerry Seinfeld/Cosmo Kramer

Simon Lewis/Isabel Lightwood

Danielle/Maya

Bram Greenfeld/Simon Spier

Miryem Mandelstam/The Staryk King

David Rose/Patrick Brewer

James T Kirk/S'chn T'gai Spock

Worf Rozhenko/Jadzia Dax

Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla

Brian Jeeter/Krejjh

Bobby Singer/Rufus Turner

Jonah Simms/Amy Sosa

Reish Lakish/Rabbi Yochanen

King David/Yonatan

Devorah/Barak

Moses/Tzipporah

Ruth/Naomi

Yaakov/The Angel

Rowan Roth/Neil Mcnair

Klaus Hargreeves/Dave Katz

Cecil Palmer/Carlos The Scientist

Josh Lyman/Donna Moss

Little Ash/Uriel

Lucille "Lucy" Kensington/Dr. Edison "Ed" Tucker

Fox Mulder/Dana Scully

Anshel/Avigdor

Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer

Wanda Maximoff (The Scarlet Witch)/Jericho Drumm

Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Shondra Kinsolving

Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Talia Al Ghul

Ben Grimm (The Thing)/Alicia Masters

Velma Dinkley/Daphne Blake

Velma Dinkley/Marcie Fleach

Didi Pickles/Stu Pickles

Velma Dinkley/Coco Diablo

Babushka (Tatiana)/Dedushka (Ivan)

Kitty Pryde/Illyana Rasputin

Natasha Romanoff/Wanda Maximoff

Marc Spector (Moon Knight)/Clint Barton (Hawkeye)

Hillel/Shammai

S'chn T'gai Spock/James T Kirk/Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy

S'chn T'gai Spock/Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy

Frankie Bergstein/Grace Hanson

Annie Edison/Jeff Winger

Maxine Myers/Paula Cohen

Baby Houseman/Johnny Castle

Tevye/Golde

Michael "Mike" Wazowski/Celia Mae

Talmudic couple having gay sex in the attic

Tim Drake/Kon El (Conner Kent)

Violet Baudelaire/Quigley Quagmire

Reuben Kent/Feliks Kaufmann

Anshel/Avigdor/Hadass

Amram/Zelikman

Anshel/Hadass

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN UNTIL MAY 8, 2023 @ 12:00 AM EDT

[tarlosweeklyprompts]

TWP EVENTS: Back to School

Hello and happy August! Since August is typically the back to school month for most schools, I thought it would be fun to do a "back to school" theme! Below are the rules and several prompts! This event will span the month of August. If you have any questions, let me know! An additional prompt will be added each Sunday to spice up the list.

P R O M P T S

College AU

Meet Cute - both go to the same coffee shop to study for an upcoming exam and accidently get the other's coffee order

TK the lead singer of a band that travels around to different colleges. Carlos attends one of his shows.

Enemies to lovers - TK and Carlos are roommates who hate each other.

"I don't want to be here, my friend made me come."

Summer Fling - TK and Carlos meet over the summer during a vacation trip. They part ways, thinking that they'll never see each other again only to see each other a few weeks later at the same college. Was it just a summer fling or something more?

Carlos and TK are both professors that teach at the same college. Nobody knows that they're secretly dating.

"I need someone to pose for my art finale, and I want it to be you."

After Gabriel's death, Carlos decides to leave the police life behind and go back to school to do something else.

Carlos works in the college library and TK goes there pretending to study but really it's so he can stare at Carlos.

Carlos and TK take their kids back to school shopping

Carlos works at the college radio station and he keeps playing songs that TK likes to try and impress him.

Childhood best friends who reconnect at college

"I always see you sleeping in the most random places."

"Can you help me study?"

College Party

Mutual pinning - TK and Carlos both like each other, but think the other doesn't and doesn't want to bring it up because they don't want to ruin the friendship.

Instead of following in his father's footsteps, TK decides to go to college instead of being a firefighter. There he meets Carlos, who's decided to take a different path too.

RA Carlos Reyes who always has to get on TK Strand for being the loudest person in the dorm.

TK and Carlos are roommates, one of them walks in on the other masterbating.

Rules:

The work has to be Tarlos centric but can include other characters.

All work must be properly rated and have appropriate warnings.

Accepted works: fic's, moldboards, fanart, gifs

All fics are due September 6

The prompt needs to be incorporated in some way in the fic

Minimum word count of 500 words

Please tag the blog url and tag it with the hashtag #twpbacktoschool

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION (SEASON 1 REVISITED)

This reaction is for season 1, series premiere episode "Pilot" which originally aired January 19, 2020. The episode was written by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minnear and directed by Bradley Buecker. Spoilers ahead!

9-1-1: Lone Star is one of many shows I started watching during the pandemic. As a fan of Ryan Murphy, I'd known about 9-1-1 with American Horror Story alums Angela Bassett and Connie Britton as well Peter Krause from Six Feet Under but I never felt compelled to watch the show. When I heard news of its spinoff series, Lone Star, what initially drew me in was Rob Lowe, one of my fave television actors. I waited for the first season to air before I started the show and after watching episode one, I was hooked! I immediately fell in love with the story of an all-male 126 in Austin, TX being wiped out (mostly) and two city slickers coming down south to reboot the team. I also fell in love with the characters, especially the father/son duo of Captain Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) and TK Strand (Ronen Rubinstein). I also loved the settling of Austin which is something we rarely see in television and film. 

My mom and I often joke about how we don't like rewatching any of the season episodes because Michelle Blake (Liv Tyler) is such a buzzkill. I finally convinced her to restart the series from the very beginning (not season 2) and last night I fell in love with Lone Star all over again. I totally forgot how amazing this show was from moment one. I also forgot that like its predecessor, the first season of Lone Star is much darker in tone than its subsequent seasons. Another thing I failed to recall is just how complex and likable these characters are. In the first episode alone we are dealing with the grief of losing an entire fire department, an overdose, a cancer diagnosis, and a missing relative. Whew! That's a lot! But the show does an amazing job of taking all of these serious things and injecting some humor into them.

Since I'm revisiting Lone Star in its first season, I thought it would be fun to react to these episodes. Unlike my current reactions, these will not be a recap of the episode. My goal is to comment on what I believe are the five most notable parts of the episode. So, let's start at the very beginning because I've heard it's a very good place to start! Let's talk about - PILOT.

THE END OF THE 126 Our first scene of the episode is easily the saddest moment of the entire series thus far. We see the all-male 126, including Judd (Jim Parrack) responding to a fire at a warehouse. When they arrive on the scene. Judd instructs the crew on where to go. He receives a call from 9-1-1 dispatch Grace Ryder (Sierra McClain) who is also his wife alerting him to all of the fertilizer inside the warehouse. Before Judd has a chance to alert his buddies, the entire place explodes killing all of the 126 except for Judd.

Having Judd as the lone survivor of the explosion is a great way to jumpstart this series. We get to see his journey as he grapples with an immense amount of grief while also dealing with all of the new changes at the 126. I often joke that Lone Star, at times, feels like X-Men: First Class. If Owen Strand is Professor X, leader of the new 126, then Judd is a mixture of Scott Summers (Cyclops) , Professor Xavier's second-in-command, and Logan (Wolverine) who is resentful of Owen and his presence at the 126. Perhaps the most touching moment of the episode is when Judd sees the photos of his fallen 126 brothers. All along he thought that Owen was coming in changing the firehouse with little regard for the men who served there prior. Judd breaks down in the middle of the firehouse and Owen asks the others to leave so Judd can have time to grieve openly. Finally the last bit of Judd's resolve melts and he decides to rejoin the 126.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON One of my favorite relationships on Lone Star is the relationship between Captain Owen Strand and his son, TK Strand. These two are very close and even work in the same firehouse. I love how TK's being gay is such a non-issue for both Owen and the show. TK is openly gay, he's in a serious relationship, and while Owen isn't exactly thrilled about him wanting to propose to his boyfriend, he supports his decision to do so. 

When TK learns his boyfriend is in love with someone else, it crushes him. It is then we learn that TK is a recovering addict and the rejection is enough for him to break his sobriety. Owen ends up finding TK before it's too late but it's all the encouragement the older Strand needs to leave New York City and start anew with TK at his side.

TK isn't the only Strand dealing with something big. Right before their big move to Austin, Owen is diagnosed with lung cancer, a result of his being at the Twin Towers on September 11th. I think it's interesting that Owen demands that TK be transparent at all times about his sobriety, or lack thereof, but Owen decides to keep his diagnosis a secret. 

126: NEXT CLASS Part of the agreement of relocating to Austin to restart the 126 is that Owen will diversify the team. One of the major complaints I have seen regarding Lone Star is that it's *too woke* and it's *diversity for diversity's sake*. I like that the show is self-aware enough to have Owen point this out. Ultimately when assembling a team of first responders you want the best of the best and you wouldn't want to hire someone based on their race or sexuality or gender identity when there are more qualified candidates. What the show does right is it gives viewers a valid reason for the inclusion of the new firefighters. Marjan Marwani (Natacha Karam), a proud Muslim woman) is a bit of a wild card but she is good at the job and doesn't mind inserting herself in dangerous situations. So is Paul Strickland (Brian Michael Smith) who is easily one of the smartest on the team. He just so happens to be a trans man. The only head-scratcher is Mateo Chavez (Julian Works) who has failed the firefighter's exam multiple times but his work ethic is unparalleled and Owen clearly sees untapped potential in the young firefighter. I do find it interesting that viewers of the show have poked fun at the *wokeness* of the show but I rarely if ever hear similar critiques about the OG series whose 118 boasts a black lesbian, an Asian immigrant, and a Latino. If the argument is that they don't make a big deal out of the diversity of the 118 then that's not true. Hen's sexuality and race plays a big part in the show. As does Chimney's being Asian and Eddie's being half-Mexican. Anywho, whether you love or hate them, the new hires are a breath of fresh air and along with Owen, TK, and Judd they make an incredible team. 

WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IRIS So, I know I said I would be addressing the most notable parts of the episode and while Iris Blake (Liv Tyler) is not my favorite character on the show, I do think her inclusion on the show is important. Iris is the paramedic captain and her team consists of Tim Rosewater (Mark Elias) and Nancy Gillian (Briana Baker). As a fan of the OG series, the 118 is one big team. There's the firefighters and the paramedics. They ride in the same truck unless they need to have an ambulance at the scene. They're all super close. On Lone Star, Iris is the first to point out that the firefighters and paramedics are separate units. This easily added an interesting dynamic to the show. Instead of having one captain, there are two and I like that Owen wasn't an asshole about it. 

The reason Iris is such a meh character to me is there's zero joy about her. I get it though! Her sister is missing and she is justifiably upset and in agony over her disappearance. With that said, everytime Iris walks on screen it's like there's this dark cloud over her. She's the Eeyore of the 126 and it makes her unlikable. I do like that they fixed something that was an issue in the OG series' first season which is making sure all of our main characters are tethered to each other in some way. It appears her and Carlos Reyes (Rafael L. Silva) are friends so when he starts showing up places it doesn't seem random.

Overall, I like Liv Tyler. I think she is a competent actress. I just don't think she was a great addition to this show. As mentioned before, she is the reason I find it difficult to watch the first season which is a shame because season one is so good! One thing I will say about Iris that is positive is I like that she is a crusader for the less fortunate.

THE GENESIS OF TARLOS Perhaps the most notable part of the episode is we get to see the beginnings of one of the most iconic duos in all of cable TV. If you go on any 9-1-1: Lone Star Reddit post or scroll through your Tumblr feed long enough, eventually you're going to encounter Tarlos. Tarlos is Lone Star's equivalent of Buddie; only these characters are actually gay and it totally makes sense for them to be romantically-involved. Sorry, Buddie shippers! Alas, I'm getting ahead of myself. 

I totally forgot that Tarlos actually happens in the pilot episode. The first interaction we see of TK and Carlos is at the scene of an accident. Carlos makes a comment about Owen and TK tells him that's his dad. We then see them at the honkytonk at the end of the episode and Carlos asks TK to dance. The chemistry between these two are evident from the start and it blows my mind that they have pretty much been together since day one. 

All in all, this was a great way to introduce these new characters. I immediately liked everyone and everyone has a clear motivation. One character I didn't really get to speak about because she didn't really factor into any of the major storylines is Grace Ryder. Grace Ryder, hands down, is one of my favorite characters on the show and I can't wait to talk about her more in future reactions. I love her and Judd together. I love how level-headed she is and at times she seems like she's the only one who can get through to him. Like Tarlos, these two have been together since the very beginning and it's going to be fun seeing how we get to where we are currently with them. The same goes with all of our other characters. 

So, to all my passengers,  I ask that you buckle up because it's sure to be a bumpy ride. The real question is, will season one hold up to the memory I have of watching it the first go round or will I walk away loving it even more? Only time will tell! Only next time ...

[etxrnaleclipse]

((While I work on drafts, please like this post if you'd be interested in plotting with one of the following muses - I'll come to the IMs to plot!:

Carlos Reyes || Rafael L Silva || APD / Texas Ranger || Ships only with TK Strand muses

Diogo Rosa Madrigal || Wagner Moura || Literature Professor || No ships

Grace Rosa Madrigal || Alice Braga || Broadway Performer || Ships with any 34+

Henrique Pinheiro de Souza || Selton Mello || CEO || Ships with males 35+

Pedro da Costa || Rafael L Silva || Rookie Detective || Ships with males 28+

Soraia Carvalho || Morena Baccarin || Bodyguard || Ships with any 37+

Theo Matos || Wagner Moura || Detective || Ships with males 38+

Vic Fonseca || Wagner Moura || Criminal turned Police Informant || Ships with males 38+

[lsophiam]

The couples of the 9-1-1 franchise ❤️

[reyesstrand]

Can you recommend some Tarlos fics? I’m new to the fandom and need my fix!

hi! welcome to the fandom! <3 sorry this took a couple days, i was trying to scour my bookmarks and some rec blogs to ensure nothing was missed (though i’m sure some have accidentally slipped through the cracks, and i hope people will reply to this post with any fics/authors i might have forgotten).

the lone star fandom’s full of some wonderful authors, so there’s really a lot to choose from! i would firstly recommend blogs like @lonestardaily and @911lsficrecs for their roundups and rec lists.

you could (and should!) delve into all of these authors and their works (most tarlos-centred; some focused on other characters and relationships) because they’re all so wonderful, and we’re lucky to have them to contribute to the fandom: @strandnreyes @iboatedhere @reyescarlos @terramous @sunshinestrand @tailoredshirt @maxbegone @morganaspendragonss @marjansmarwani @marwani-strickland @howtosingit @doublel27 @beautifulhigh @rafael-silva @djdangerlove @bellakitse @kiras-sunshine @petalwritesx @blueink3

and here are some of my personal favourite fics in no specific order:

Wings Are Frayed by @iboatedhere (147k; tk begins…and then some)

Me and You Back At Mama’s by @iboatedhere (9.6k; 5 moments at the reyes family ranch and 1 moment at the strand-reyes family ranch)

with all the sorrow and the joy by @lire-casander (20k; five times tk strand doesn't realize he's being told i love you, and the one time he gets to say it)

one single thread by @strandnreyes (11k; professors au)

to live for the hope of it all by @strandnreyes (54k; desert island/pilot!carlos & actor!tk au)

i’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout you, do you think about me still? by inconocible (25.6k; tk and carlos Just Talking™️ spanning from 1x03 to 1x08)

searching for a trail to follow again by @marjansmarwani (19k; 3x04 coda in three parts)

I’m in this for life by @marjansmarwani (18k; an it’s a wonderful life au, of sorts)

big love, small moments by @doublel27 (3.7k; 3x18 coda)

let our hearts beat here by @doublel27 (4.6k; carlos and tk take a mini vacation)

Two paper airplanes flying by liminalmemories (48k; all the conversations we didn’t see from season 3)

this day and the next by @tailoredshirt (1k; future talks)

i am desperate if nothing else by @terramous (3.9k; carlos whump w/ paramedic tk)

will you take my hand? by @morganaspendragonss (4.7k; 3x04 coda)

Ice in My Veins, Fire in My Heart by @howtosingit (6k; a pre-season 3 ice storm fic)

I Have Never Known A Love Like This by @sunshinestrand (3k; a schitts creek-inspired tarlos hike)

let me take your heart (love you in the dark) by @reyescarlos (5.4k; firefighter!carlos au)

disaster point by iimpossible_things(4.6k; spies au)

may there be abundant peace by @maxbegone (2.6k; 3x07/3x08 introspection)

The Line I’d Walk (For You) by TearsThisSideofHeaven (1.8k; introspection, carlos & religion)

The Marriage Tamales by @bellakitse (5.5k; 126 meet the reyes women; tk and carlos define their relationship)

But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep by @beautifulhigh (15.5k; carlos whump, discussions about the future)

again, this is by no means an exhaustive list, and if i’ve forgotten anyone, please feel free to reply to this post! happy reading, anon <3

[lire-casander]

the dream of someone else

[4,700 words] [teen and up audiences] [beta’ed by @moviegeek03. you're the best, brit. i wouldn't have finished this without you.] [title from you’ve got mail] [carlos reyes, tk strand, original female characters] [alternate universe — college, alternate universe — coffee shop, alternating povs, carlos is a criminal studies major, tk is a health science major, vandalizing of public property, alternate universe — movie setting, loosely based on you’ve got mail au, mentions of past drug addiction, mentions of recovery] [written for @911auweekend, day 1: not your average coffee shop au, day 3: outsider’s pov tinder date au, day 4: writer’s choice and for my good things happen bingo square coffee shop au]

[carlos reyes wasn’t expecting a penpal out of his busy mornings studying at the cafeteria. tk strand hadn’t expected anyone to reply to his message left on a table out of boredom and struggling.]

the dream of someone else on ao3

The cafeteria is bursting with life when Carlos sets foot in the place, ready for a quick break in between his classes. He’s spent the past three weeks holed up in his room trying to finish one of his essays, and he’s made it in time, so he thinks he deserves a reward. However, he would have liked for the place to be a bit quieter. He eyes the tables warily until he sees one free table further inside the cafeteria. He makes a beeline for the table, dropping his messenger bag on top of it noisily. Whatever happens now, this table is his now.

He knows he needs to leave the bag on the table to go order, and he isn’t really so keen on doing so, but he doesn’t want to give up his table and he desperately needs caffeine. He grabs his wallet, checks that nobody would want to steal his secondhand Introduction to Psychology textbook, and runs to the counter. For all the people boisterously chatting across the cafeteria, the baristas are not too busy, so he gets his coffee and a bagel in record time and rushes back to his table. His messenger bag is still on top of the table, and it doesn’t look like anybody has come even close to it. He sighs, falling down on the chair while managing not to spill his coffee, and takes his book out of the bag.

Carlos opens the book at the page he last marked, realizing he needs to take more notes from the book than he initially expected. He huffs; he’s been attending class these past weeks, but the stress of having to hand in an essay on Violence in Society has made him slack in his other classes. He needs to be ready for his class in around an hour and a half — he’s still cursing the planning he made at the beginning of the year, but he thought it’d be great to have such a span of time to relax and do nothing. If he could travel back in time and tell Carlos from three months ago that he wouldn’t have a moment to himself even with the ninety-minute gap between Introduction to Criminal Justice and Introduction to Psychology. He’s grateful that the building where he has most of his classes holds a cafeteria so he doesn’t have to run around campus and waste a lot of time. He skims over the last of the notes he took in class, which should be complementing the ones he takes out of his book, and reads that, according to what he jotted down a week ago, the professor announced they would be paired up for an upcoming project today.

Carlos doesn’t really want to work with anyone these days. He’s a perfectionist, he doesn’t like how other people work, and he ends up taking more than he can manage in order to finish the assignment in time. He’s been lucky to ditch working with peers for the past three months; he guesses his lucky streak ends this afternoon.

With a shake of his head, he focuses back on his textbook. He notices that the paper where he’s been writing down a few ideas is almost full, so he puts the book downwards and sticks his hand into the half-open messenger bag on top of the table. He fishes for a notebook and his pencil case, only to come up with just the former. He mutters to himself, “I know I put it somewhere in here,” before proceeding to turn the bag upside down — careful as to not slosh his coffee out of the cup. The movement makes the few contents inside the bag spill over the table, and as he finally sees his pencil case, falling onto the surface with a thud that gets somewhat lost in the background noises of the cafeteria, he also notices there’s scribble on the table.

He frowns. He isn’t one for vandalizing public furniture, but the presence of whatever message that’s on the surface makes him feel a bit icky about the cleanliness of the cafeteria. “What the—” he refrains himself from swearing, still under the spell of his mother’s words about gentlemen and swearing. He leans in, face almost against the wooden surface, so he can read the black-inked words, so different from his usual chicken scratch.

Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.

He repeats the words slowly in a soft voice, for fear that someone might overhear him and think he’s gone crazy. They roll nicely on his tongue, and the message behind them reaches Carlos’ heart. He’s moved by the force of the verses, which he recognizes are from Henley, and before he knows it he’s grabbing a sharpie and writing in the best handwriting he can muster the following verses to the poem.

In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.

He feels a wave of accomplishment at having followed the poem with the next few verses — conveniently forgetting he’s just written on public property with permanent ink — and sets to re-read his book and jot down a few notes that could help him study for his test.

There's a calmness in the cafeteria right before closing time that TK cherishes. He spends his days running around campus, attending classes or volunteering at the in-campus LGTBQIA+ association he discovered during his very first day of college. And, since about a week ago, he's had to juggle that with having to meet with Carlos Reyes for their joint Psychology project.

Sometimes he hates his life.

He waves at his favorite barista, who's wiping down at the counter, before he approaches her. "Hey, Anne," he greets, leaning onto the surface. "How's the day been?"

"Hectic as always." Anne smiles at him. "Your usual? I can even throw an avocado and Philadelphia bagel in it."

"You haven't run out of them today?" TK beams at her. Those are his favorite treats, but his schedule doesn't allow him to be at the cafeteria before everyone else's gone through the supplies of avocado and Philadelphia bagels.

"Let's say I got one for you," Anne tells him with a wink. "C'mon, TK, I'll bring you your coffee and your bagel to your table."

"You're the best!" He lifts his fingers to his lips to send her an air kiss before turning to his usual table by the far end of the place.

He flops down on the chair, immediately checking the surface for new words. TK knows he shouldn't have done it, but he'd come to the cafeteria one night after his weekly meeting at the local NA — a requirement from his parents in order for him to go to college three thousand miles away from them — and he hadn't felt all that good. He'd taken out his sharpie, and before he'd known it, he'd been scribbling down the first four verses of his favorite poem about remaining whole in the face of adversity. He'd needed the reminder. Anne had almost had a conniption when she'd seen how he'd written on the table.

But, the following night, TK had found the next four verses of the poem scribbled beneath his own four, and his heart had done a giddy somersault. He doesn't know who's behind the chicken scratch, but for a whole week straight he's been exchanging verses and messages. It's been a wild seven days, and there's been some sort of weird comfort in the knowledge that there's been someone at the other end of a sharpie ready to read TK's thoughts and whines.

He checks the surface, but the wood looks pristine — not a single word inked in black and blue.

Anne comes by with his coffee and his bagel, and sighs when he looks up at her helplessly. "Anne—" he begins, but she cuts him off.

"I couldn't stop it," she explains with a shrug after she's left his coffee mug and his bagel with so much as a small droplet of liquid sloshed on the otherwise clean table. "I know it's been some sort of escape these past days, but my manager said she couldn't afford having any table littered like that."

"It's not—" TK bit his lip before raising his voice. He's gone to enough anger management sessions to recognize the signals and try to appease them by breathing in deeply through his nose and exhaling through his mouth before continuing, "I didn't think when I started doing it. I'm sorry. But this is the only way I could communicate with this person," he says in a small voice. He doesn't even know if he's penpalling with a guy or a girl, but he knows the other person might as well be his soulmate, be it romantic or platonic.

"What about you stick to post-it notes?" Anne suggests. "You can place it under the table, make sure it doesn't fall down."

"If it isn't on the surface, how will the other person know where to look?" he asks, frowning. He has a stack of post-it notes, but he isn't sure the glue on the paper will hold for longer than a few minutes. "And won't it be taken away anyway?"

"What's under the table isn't checked that often," Anne offers. "Plus, Abigail from the morning shift thinks she knows who your penpal is," she continues in a conspiratorial voice. "She can always explain where to find the next note."

TK stares up at her for a moment, dumbfounded. He wasn't aware that the different shifts talked to each other — and that shouldn't surprise him at all, anyway; his father's a firefighter back in New York and he's grown up surrounded by the members of the different shifts since they were all a big family — but he also didn't know that they specifically talked about him. That opened a whole new world of possibilities, but one detail sticks to his memories, and that's what he decides to run with.

"Abigail knows who the other person is?"

Anne shrugs. "She thinks she does. She can't be sure. But there's this guy who sits here every single morning right around lunchtime, and he's always with a sharpie in hand. It's not a wild theory." She checks the clock over TK’s shoulder and winces. "I should get going. There's so much left to do before closing time."

TK watches her turn around and go back behind the counter. He focuses then on his bagel and his coffee at the same time as he grabs his notes for the project he's been forced to do with Carlos Reyes. It's not something he enjoys, mainly because Carlos Reyes is one uptight guy who always has the right answer and seeks attention at any given class by raising his hand and demanding to be asked whatever question the professor is throwing at them. Plus, he's been very insistent on taking notes for their project on his laptop, arguing that it's more effective and quicker that way.

It's been faster to get their essay rolling, indeed, but TK isn't going to admit that to Carlos. Not when he's giving off weird vibes with his hair all gelled back and his fitting chinos and his impeccable Henleys.

Not that TK’s been paying any attention. Surely Carlos Reyes is a hundred percent straight. And TK isn't interested.

Not a single bit.

With a groan, TK picks up his laptop and starts it.

Carlos is about to throw some punches. It’s been a terrible week, and the only reason why he’s been able to go through it has been the small post-it notes he’s been exchanging with his faceless coffee table penpal. He hadn’t noticed them at first, despairing when he found out the table had been wiped clean and all their conversations had gone with a sweep of bleach and a ton of cleaner. But one of the baristas — Abigail, according to her nametag — had pointed him in the direction of the underside of the table, where his fingers had found a trail of neatly paged stick-notes he’d avidly read. He’d spared one of his post-it notes he used for class to reply.

The next morning, he’d come back with a stack of post-it notes and a new sharpie.

Their conversations have become the only highlight in Carlos’ days, given that he’s stuck with TK Strand of all people for the Psychology project. Carlos doesn’t understand the appeal Strand seems to have over everyone; no matter who he talks to, Carlos always ends up listening to a comprehensive list of reasons why TK Strand is the perfect human being. And it’s not only from TK’s known friends at college — Carlos has met with Paul Strickland and Marjan Marwani for different joint projects before, and they’re cool; their only flaw is to be close to Strand — but also from Carlos’ own friends. He thinks he’s going to rip his ears off if he listens to Nancy and Mateo waxing poetic about how wonderful TK Strand is.

Carlos knows his hatred, if that’s how he wants to call it, is irrational. In fact, hate is a really strong word; Carlos Reyes has not hated anyone in his life except himself. And that’s been happening ever since he turned seventeen and decided that he could trust his parents with his most sacred secret. He sighs into his morning coffee; there’s no need to revisit that particular memory today. He allows his fingers to roam over the keyboard of his laptop, mindlessly settling his fingertips on top of a few keys without pressing on them. He’s got the document he’s sharing with Strand on his screen; they’ve worked a lot on it and Carlos thinks it’s beginning to turn into something readable.

He hadn’t expected TK Strand to be actually good at joint projects and college, if he’s being honest with himself.

Carlos sips from his coffee, reading over the last few sentences Strand has written and replaying in his mind how the next few words should sound like. They’ve talked about it during their last meet-up at the library, in between Strand’s classes and his appointments for the evening — whatever that meant. Carlos isn’t one to pry, and he surely doesn’t want to learn anymore than he already does about TK Strand.

Perfect scores in his GPA. Eligible for different scholarships. Always top of his class. Volunteer at the in-campus LGTBQIA+ association where Carlos has been too chicken to even set foot in.

TK Strand is a lot of things, and Carlos couldn’t even resent him for being himself. He can’t afford to be attracted to Strand either, so he’s been balancing on a tightrope ever since Strand first sat down beside him at the library and suggested they brainstormed for their project.

“Focus, Reyes,” he tells himself, shaking his head to get rid of the image of TK Strand wearing a frayed yellow hoodie. Carlos remembers thinking how good TK would have looked like in Carlos’ own pink hoodie. “I said focus, Reyes,” he repeats to himself.

He can’t get distracted; he’s here on a tight budget and he can’t fail his classes. Not everyone has been able to get a scholarship to cover for everything.

“Oh, no, thanks,” a voice says next to him. Carlos lifts his gaze from the screen in time to see a guy dressed in jeans and a green button-up sitting at the table closest to him. He’s speaking to Abigail, who’s seemingly approached him to offer some of the specialties of the day. “I’m waiting on somebody.”

Carlos smiles at the guy, who seems fidgety and nervous. The guy smiles back before saying, “It’s just—it’s our first date. I don’t know what he looks like and I’m really nervous. We met online, you know? Through one of these dating apps? Anyway, I should probably go apologize to the barista.”

Carlos watches as he stands up and moves towards the counter. Swallowing a snort, he picks one of his post-it notes and writes down A guy just sat next to me. He’s waiting on a guy for their first date. They met online. It’s adorable with some pointy exclamation points by the end of it. He wishes he could see his penpal’s face upon reading it. He hopes his penpal understands.

He hopes his penpal knows that Carlos feels like the guy in the green button-up every single time he sits down at their table and reads the messages left for him overnight.

“Reyes,” he hears, making his head shoot up in recognition. He’s met with the indecipherable gaze of TK Strand. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“I didn’t think you were a morning person, Strand,” he greets back, hand still under the table as his fingers press harder to make the post-it note stick.

“And I’m not,” Strand confirms, eyes scanning the cafeteria until they land on the guy talking to the barista. “But a good Tinder hookup has never hurt anyone,” he continues.

“Except for those girls who were assaulted a couple of months ago in Galveston,” Carlos is retaliating before he can stop himself. Strand frowns at him before shaking his head.

“Didn’t think you’d read the news,” he says after a beat.

“Didn’t peg you for someone who would actually know about those two girls,” Carlos replies.

Whatever Strand is about to say gets lost when the guy in green comes back and sits down. “Oh, hey,” Strand says in a casual voice, turning his back to Carlos. “I guess you must be Tony. I’m TK.” He sits down and starts chatting up the guy, who looks like he’s hit the jackpot.

Honestly, Carlos would be feeling the same if TK Strand had turned out to be his faceless Tinder hookup. That’s it, if he had the app downloaded on his phone. If he were a bit raver and stepped out of his comfort zone. If he were out to the world and not just his parents who didn’t even acknowledge the huge leap of faith he had taken.

He picks another note and writes Don’t get all “awww” on me because of the guy from before. It’s a Tinder hookup. With my Psychology partner who I kind of can’t stand but actually find attractive. I don’t really get why everyone’s so hung up on him. He’s just average! Anyway, this is no longer adorable

He doesn’t notice TK Strand’s gaze following his hand as he rips the note from the stack and places his hand once again under the table to glue it to the surface underneath.

TK is actually really fucked up.

He really, really, really, truly is.

He knows he shouldn’t have agreed to a coffee date with Tony — if that’s his real name — at the cafeteria where his penpal spends the mornings. He should have foreseen that he’d run into said penpal.

He never expected to find Carlos Reyes sitting with his laptop running and a steamy mug of coffee, right at the table where TK spends his evenings fantasizing about meeting his perfect penpal.

He never expected to witness as Carlos wrote something on a post-it note and stuck it under the table.

To say TK feels flabbergasted upon this revelation is falling short on the intensity of his feelings.

He’s ditched Tony as gently as he’s been able to before escaping the cafeteria in a rush, claiming to feel suddenly ill. Which isn’t exactly a lie. His stomach is running wild with butterflies scraping his insides with their tiny, imaginary wings.

TK leans into a nearby wall as soon as he gets outside the building to catch his breath. He rubs a hand over his face and draws in a shaky breath. He doesn’t know what to do next, because the force of his sudden realization is consuming him.

He’s been exchanging notes with Carlos Reyes — the guy with the rebel curl that falls on his forehead and that TK has been finding annoying and cute in equal parts, the guy with a penchant for order that TK has been willing to defy for so long, the guy with the brightest smile and the kindest eyes that TK has been refusing to admit he kind of like, maybe.

Paul was right, but TK doesn’t want to acknowledge that because Paul is always right. Even Marjan was right when she told him that this fantasy of penpalling with someone through messages on tables and post-it notes on a table at a busy cafeteria was nothing but a wild dream. It’s still not the wildest thing TK’s ever done — he shudders when he thinks of his past self, barely seven months ago, checking himself into rehab in Los Angeles after a stint gone awry when Alex had told him that he was in love with someone else. But this, whatever he had with his penpal, TK had thought it’d been real.

And now it turns out it’s been nothing but a mirage.

“Hey, are you okay?” he hears. When he lifts his eyes to the source of the sound, he meets the warm brown gaze of Carlos Reyes. “Did that guy bother you? You left in such a hurry, I didn’t think—”

TK surprises himself by stopping Carlos when he’s about to turn around and get back inside the cafeteria. His fingers find Carlos’ wrist and circle it gently. “Wait,” he says, his voice steady despite the state of nerves he’s in. “What are you going to do? Get back in and threaten ony? The guy hasn’t done anything.”

“Well, you seem pretty shaken up,” Carlos says in that soft tone of his, the same one he uses when he’s typing down one of TK’s ideas and he repeats the words to himself as though he fears he’d forget them. “If it hadn’t been the guy, then what? You sounded quite full of yourself inside, before.”

TK can’t stop the words from escaping his mouth, and he cringes when he hears himself saying, “It was you.”

The look on Carlos’ face changes so fast that TK feels dizzy just by looking at him. There’s a frown that blooms in between his eyebrows that TK longs to soothe until it disappears, and his eyes turn cold. TK doesn’t want the feeling that fills him.

“I see,” Carlos says slowly. “I hadn’t realized that you—I’m sorry. I won’t bother you again. I’ll pack my things and move somewhere else. I’ll email you my part of the project, even. That way you won’t be getting a panic attack whenever you see me.”

TK’s panicking. He doesn’t want Carlo to leave — he doesn’t want Carlos to think that he’s the reason why TK’s heart quickens and his breath hitches in his throat. Which, apparently, if TK’s being honest with himself, Carlos pretty much is the reason why all those things happen. Only, he hadn’t known until today that the crush he’s been developing on his project partner wasn’t at all incompatible with the crush he’s been developing on his secret post-it notes penpal.

But Carlos is walking back inside the cafeteria. If TK isn’t fast enough, he’ll be stepping outside of the building and TK will only see him in class. They’ll still have the notes, but they’re tarnished in TK’s mind now.

“Wait!” he exclaims, body setting into motion. He follows Carlos inside, but he doesn’t reach him until he’s at their shared table. TK notices that Tony is nowhere to be found; maybe he’s exited the cafeteria in the impasse between TK getting out and Carlos getting back in. “Carlos, wait a second.”

“I don’t think—”

“I know you’ve stuck a post-it note below the table,” TK blurts out before he loses his courage. “I’ve seen you do it before.”

“Huh?” Carlos is staring back at him, positively looking like he thinks TK has lost all his marbles. Maybe he finally has. “Is that a crime now?”

“You’ve been exchanging notes with someone for quite some time now,” TK continues, earning himself a startled glare from Carlos. Great, he thinks. Way to come across as creepy. “I—I know because—”

“You’ve been spying on me?” Carlos snaps back, grabbing his messenger bag and strapping it across his chest angrily. “What’s your problem, TK? Why can’t you go back to your perfect life and stop messing up with mine?”

“What do you mean, mess up with your life?” TK almost shouts back. He’s aware that they’re attracting so many people’s attention on them, but somehow he doesn’t care. “It’s you who’re always seeking for that perfect score! You stress me out! Is that it, then? You think I won’t be able to meet your expectations and fuck with your grade?”

Carlos blushes. He tries to sneak around TK to get out of the cafeteria, but TK’s blocking his only escape and he doesn’t budge. “Let me get through, TK,” Carlos hisses.

“Aren’t you curious about why I know you’ve been exchanging notes with someone under a table at the cafeteria?”

“Well, I think it’s stated that you’re a creep,” Carlos says easily, looking down at the floor. “Why would you know otherwise?”

TK is so baffled at those words — at the certainty with which Carlos has spoken — that he takes a staggering step backwards, allowing Carlos to move away. And then, a sinking feeling conquers his soul; he’s losing it again, everything he didn’t know he needed, and he’s watching it quickly vanish from his life and he can’t do anything to stop it.

Only this time, he actually can.

“It matters not how straight the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll,” he begins, voice slowly rising as he speaks. “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

He watches as Carlos stops dead in his tracks in the middle of the cafeteria, shoulders slumped forward. TK takes advantage of the momentum to reach him and gently push him outside the building. He doesn’t want any more witnesses to whatever this is. When they’re both outside, Carlos still looking down at the ground, with his hand tightly gripping the strap on his messenger bag, TK speaks again.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I’ve just realized, when I’ve seen you writing down a note and sticking it under the table.” He takes a deep breath, ready to fight whatever fleeing feeling he might get as he furthers through this path he’s chosen. “It’s been me the whole time. I know it’s not ideal, and I know we’ve been at each other’s throats for a long time, but the truth is—” He clears his throat. “The truth is, I don’t know why, to be honest.”

Carlos finally looks up at him, his brown eyes throwing more questions than TK’s ready to answer. “I don’t know why either,” Carlos admits softly. “Why we’ve been antagonizing, I mean. We’ve worked quite well together on the project.”

“Yeah, I think we make a pretty good team,” TK acquiesces, earning a tentative smile from Carlos. “And I’m not saying this,” he gestures between them and then towards the cafeteria, “should mean anything. But it’s a start, isn’t it?”

Carlos shakes his head, as though he’s making a decision. In the end, he slowly lifts his hand and says, “Hey, I’m Carlos Reyes. I’m a tad perfectionist, not a team player at all, and I love writing small notes underneath coffee shop tables for my not-so-secret penpal to find them.”

TK hisses out a breath and smiles back. “I’m TK Strand. I need to learn to work in a team, so maybe we could do that together?” He laughs bashfully. “I also love leaving random poetry on tables for my secret penpal to find it.”

Carlos laughs as TK lifts his hand as well and shakes Carlos’, and when the touch sends a wave of electrified surge through his body, he does the only thing he’s never done before.

He holds on.

[justapoet]

9-1-1: Lone Star

Carlos Reyes/TK Strand

for those who hadn't seen the spring

TK has pills in his hands, a hole in his chest, and Carlos' love in his eyes.

Infinity times infinity

Carlos loves stars, and he, somehow, found them inside of the most beautiful irises he's ever seen.

falling for you

Three times Carlos had had his heart broken and one time he could mend it.

Four-letter noun

TK writes a letter to Carlos, just because three little words are not quite enough.

you are the future, and the future looks good

TK has late night thoughts and a lazy morning beside Carlos.

i'll hold you close in my arms

The aftermath the the hostage, when TK’s at the hospital (again).

if i share my thoughts with you, would you share your life with me?

After a shift from hell, Carlos could use a little bit of kindness.

so dark up above, the sun's in my heart (and I'm ready for love)

TK could really, really use a hug and something to break the deaf sound of his blank thoughts. Instead, Carlos offers him space ― and a little bit more of his heart, even if it already belongs to TK.

you knew what it was ― he is in love (and so are you)

TK gets home to find his boyfriend dancing and singing to songs he doesn't know ― and he stares at him just because he can.

there is nothing new about me (but you)

After Owen finishes helping TK and Carlos moving in, the two of them have a little celebrating to do.

there ain't no way to burn when the fire's out

TK and Carlos have a fight over Owen and his stupid actions, and Carlos is alone when the fire starts ― and even more when, for him it ends.

gonna be okay (but surely not today)

TK apologizes as he should have done, and they talk about feelings, fires, and maybes.

let's have conversations in the dark

Getting home to Carlos, even a sick one, was the best part of TK's days. Even more, so, when sleepy conversations led to the future.

tell me your secrets (and ask me your questions)

TK was never used to be seen. Carlos had always been to scared to be heard ― and if Carlos could see TK through the veils of sorrow he carries around, TK could get used to hear some anwers in the silence.

it's a falling star you catch (and then you hope to God it stays)

TK is a reclusive champion skater that takes the world in like patterns on ice. Carlos is a professor that knows everything about words ― except how to use them. And while he might teach TK how to take things more lightly than lightweight, he migh as well learn how to make sentences that are filled with meaning ― and not necessarily sense.

hearts don't break around here ― multi-chaptered

In which TK is a florist in his free time, Carlos is skeptical in full-time, and they fall in love among flowers and through windows.

Anatomy of a broken heart (and its pieces) ― series

Although pain is not everlasting, scars stain more than just skin ― and if broken hearts still beat, broken souls might just mend themselves again (if given a chance, of course). Or in which the relationship with Alex left more scars on TK than only over his soul.

there'll be happiness after you

I know my love should be celebrated

falling feels like flying

if you never bleed, you're never gonna grow (and it's alright now)

he's got my past frozen behind glass, but i've got me (and you've got me too)

you drew stars around my scars

and when i break, it's in a million pieces

gleaming, twinkling (eyes like sinking)

[chaotictarlos]

I’ve always dreamed of me and you, now here we are

ship: Tarlos | fandom: 911 Lone Star | author: chaotictarlos | read on ao3

Rating: Explicit | Warnings/Tag: Secret Dating AU, Social Worker!Carlos Reyes, Professor TK Strand, ex's to lovers, warnings to be added, smut in later chapters

Summary: It's a tale as old as time, meeting the right person but during the wrong time of life. TK Strand and Carlos Reyes dated in college but parted ways when they graduated, not knowing they would ever see each other again. Six years later, Carlos is working as a social worker in Travis County and TK has just accepted a position as a professor at The University of Texas at Austin. They run into each other when a mutual friend invited TK out for the evening.

Authors Note: Here it is! I'm so excited to start posting this! This fic will be updated every Friday! Title is from See you later (ten years) by jenna raine

For @noxsoulmate who begged me to write this. I hope you enjoy it. 💙 Thank you for being my beta.

--

Couple years flashin' by

And I'm doin' okay

In the back of my mind

All I hear is your name

I bet you're happy and that's fine

But I regret just one thing

I never got to change your mind

- So Good, Halsey

--

Prologue

When TK Strand decided to go to college, he didn’t think it would lead him to cross paths with the love of his life. He had always viewed college as a place to find himself, explore parts of himself that he hadn’t had the chance to before, and figure out who he would be. Settling down had never been a part of that plan.

Meeting someone within the first week of college at a freshman mixer hadn’t been on his agenda.

Falling in love with that someone after building a solid friendship and then spending the next three years dating them hadn’t been on his agenda either.

But it’s precisely what happened.

It was a Saturday night, the first one after a week of college classes and staying up entirely too late only to get up the next day at 8 a.m. It wasn’t the best schedule, but TK was making it work and having fun. The first Saturday after the first week of the new school year was always when the very first freshman mixer of the year was held and TK was looking forward to it.

It was a great way to meet new people and find a person or two to hook up with.

TK wasn’t counting on meeting Carlos Reyes.

Read on AO3

tags: @strangefurychaos @ronensass @sapphire11 @first-kanaphan @angeltk @noxsoulmate @beautifulhigh @welcometololaland @rangergurlgleek1211 @detective-giggles @tarlos-spain @lonestardust @bubblesandroses8 @thebumblecee @mooshkat @importantbailiffpaperpony @cowlos-reyes @otter-love-asl

[tarlos-spain]

Pride month

This is just the begining of the story, but it's inspired by @tarlosweeklyprompts

Today's prompt is: "AU where TK and Carlos both works as professors and their students set them up."

Haven't arrived yet to this point but I couldn't avoid writing a long story

Title: First day of school

Summary:

Carlos and TK are the two new teachers at a prestigious school. Carlos is a Spanish teacher, idealistic and full of dreams to share with his students. The other is a newcomer to Austin, with a few ghosts on his back but full of illusions with an eye on all the science experiments he is going to do with his students. Carlos is gay and soon sets his sights on TK, but TK doesn't seem to have noticed him. Bad luck because the new science teacher has taken a liking to him from the get-go.

Chapter 01

The Austin community college was unprepared for the change involved in hiring the new Spanish teacher. They wanted someone who was a native speaker; they had already seen how things turned out when they hired someone who had learned Spanish on their many vacations on the beaches of Mexico.

After looking at a few resumes, Principal Scott and Head of Studies Collins had decided that Carlos Reyes was the best choice to start the school year. His cover letter stated that he was a native Texan, the son of two Mexican parents who had lived in Austin for half their lives. He said that his dream had always been to be a teacher and that he had been preparing for it all his life.

"His grades are impressive." Professor Collins said. "I see he's never gotten less than a high B, and that was in science classes.

"I hope he lives up to what we ask of teachers in this school." Replied the principal. "Call him, Sofia, tell him he's hired and to come in on Monday to update him on everything he needs to know about our school."

When Carlos received the news, he was eating at his parents' house.

They were waiting with the same eagerness as their son, to find out what they were telling him from the school and to see if his luck would finally change.

"I'm in, I'm a teacher at the best school in Austin."

"What a joy son." Andrea, his mother, hugged him tightly.

Then his father Gabriel walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm very happy too, mijo. But you know how those places are, they may not make things easy for you."

"I know very well who I am and that there are many people who don't like things about me. But like everyone else, right?"

Carlos laughed, hiding the nerves he felt inside. He knew very well that he was part of two minorities and that sometimes made life a little more difficult for him than for other people. There were also many who didn't take him seriously because of how much he loved teaching Spanish to children in elementary school, but there was always his calling and he wasn't going to let it slip away for anything in the world.

"I'm only saying this because I love you, you know that right son?" Gabriel said looking into his eyes.

Carlos nodded.

*

Apparently the school had decided that it was the year of changes and the Spanish teacher was not the only novelty for the beginning of the new school year.

If many thought it had been daring to hire Carlos Reyes, with how little he had to do with the school and its more traditional principles, the arrival of Tyler Kennedy Strand, as the new science teacher for the first years of high school seemed to shake all the foundations of the institution like the volcanoes they soon discovered the new science teacher liked to talk about.

TK, because he couldn't stand to be called by his full name and didn't like that Mr. Strand using the old phrase Mr. Strand is my father, if he wasn't a fire captain, was eager to show that there were other possible ways to teach science to kids.

When he had presented his proposal for the year to both Collins and Scott, at first they thought it was a joke. No one was capable of doing a new experiment of one every week, in addition to the other two hours of theory.

But TK seemed so convincing when he had given them the list of experiments, that even though they were sure he would fail and couldn't do it, they let him try. It was more likely that the kids at the school themselves would have put him off doing any more experiments after the first week of class.

That way they wouldn't have to be the bad guys and take away his enthusiasm.

The two school leaders and a good part of the faculty were even more surprised when, after that first week, TK, who had to get used to the students calling him Mr. Strand because that was the way the students addressed their teachers at school, managed to win over all the year 6 classes with his volcano experiment.

The volcano always worked and that year it did not fail him.

"Does anyone know where Strand came from?" asked Sadie, one of the school's English teachers. "You can tell he has too much experience, but he's too young, what are you, twenty-four?"

Keep reading on AO3

[troped-fanfic-challenge]

The Qualifying Round

It’s officially time to VOTE for the Qualifying Round of TROPED Madness 3.0! The structure is simple! Please rank the five (5) fics, first (1) being your top choice, and five (5) being your last choice! Since we only received five fics, we will be chopping one author and the ranking will be used to order all the remaining authors for the brackets in Round One.

You can vote here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXSfbtsIVwHs26EfP-lmRYnsqUHdzQZ7wDmmJhYTZiYtZucg/viewform?usp=sf_link

The five fics that we received for this round can be found below, or on AO3 here! Each fic follows the theme [Mystery], includes the tropes [Absent-Minded Professor] and [Characters who are not together are mistaken for a couple], and has a central character focus on [Wells Jaha (The 100) or Willie (JATP)]! When you vote, please be sure to take into consideration the USE of all these elements, because, as with all other TROPED events, the purpose is to select the authors who best utilize the requirements!

———

i could be your perfect disaster (Rated T) [9-1-1: Lone Star — Carlos Reyes x TK Strand]

Summary: He knocks. For a moment, Carlos thinks no one will answer. Just as he’s about to give up and return to his partner, the door squeaks open, revealing a young man around Carlos’ age with dark hair and the most gorgeous eyes Carlos has ever seen in his life. He swallows, trying to remember why he’s there.

“Hello? I’m Detective Reyes with Austin PD,” he states, taking in the way the man’s posture turns defensive. “Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?”

Or: While investigating a murder at a local college, Carlos meets an enigmatic TA

Speak to Me in Riddles (Rated M) [The 100 — Wells Jaha & Niylah]

Summary: Wells and Niylah have been partners solving murders for years, and they are very good at what they do. When a murdered woman is found in a small town, the mystery only starts with why the woman was hiding her identity. In order to find her killer they first have to find out who she really was.

TRIGGER WARNING: This does deal with themes of murder and the subsequent investigation, but there are very few specific details and nothing particularly graphic.

Your type of mind, so hard to find (Rated T) [Bridgerton — Anthony Bridgerton x Kate Sharma]

Summary: When Dr. Danbury sends her students on a quest to find ancient religious relics scattered throughout London, Kate Sharma is very displeased to find out that, due to her original partner dropping the class, she has been paired with Dr. Danbury's annoying, scatterbrained Teacher's Assistant, the ever infuriating (and ridiculously handsome) Anthony Bridgerton.

The Charred Chophouse (Rated T) [A Series of Unfortunate Events — Klaus Baudelaire & Carmelita Spats]

Summary: Fourteen years after leaving the island with his family, Klaus is perfectly content with his ordinary, low-profile life as a college professor.

Of all the people from his old life, it's Carmelita Spats who shows up to drag him right back into danger. Naturally.

see the white bees swarming (Rated T) [The 100 — Wells Jaha x Roan]

Summary: Sanctum is not a place that people visit. So when their second visitor in mere months rolls into town on his motorbike, Roan isn't surprised when his mother tasks him with figuring out just why Wells Jaha is gracing their town with his presence. Will the gig be as easy as Roan speculates it to be, or will the mysterious stranger give him more than he bargained for?

[jewish-ship-showdown]

QUALIFYING SHIPS UNDER THE CUT

Send me an ask or direct message if 🠺 You feel that any ship shouldn't be on here and explain why 🠺 You have any questions at all 🠺 You just want to say hi

Jude Lizowski/Jonesy Garcia

Tyler Kennedy "TK" Strand/Carlos Reyes

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Gwen Stacey

Willow Rosenberg/Winifred "Fred" Burkle

Francine Frensky/Muffy Crosswire

Luna Armoza/Matilda Franco

Susan Ivanova/Marcus Cole

Barry B. Benson/Vanessa Bloome

Michael Mell/Jeremy Heere

Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago

Willow Rosenberg/Tara Maclay

Jack Zimmermann/Eric "Bitty" Bittle

Justin "Ransom" Oluransi/Adam "Holster" Birkholtz

Danny/Reuven

Annie Edison/Jeff Winger

Larissa "Lara" Bogdan/Jasmine

Kelsey Pokly/Isabella "Stacks" Alvarado

Rebecca Bunch/Audra Levine

Rebecca Bunch/Greg Serrano

Rebecca Bunch/Nathaniel Plimpton

Samantha "Sam" Manson/Danniel "Danny" Fenton

Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Clark Kent (Superman)

Bruce Wayne( Batman)/Minkhoa Khan (Ghostmaker)

Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Selina Kyla (Catwoman)

Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Shondra Kinsolving

Bruce Wayne (Batman)/Talia Al Ghul

Clark Kent (Superman)/Lois Lane

Harley Quinn/Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy)

Kate Kane (Batwoman)/Renee Montoya

Martha Kane/Thomas Wayne/Alfred Pennyworth

Tim Drake/Kon El (Conner Kent)

Barney Guttman/Logan "Logs" Nguyen

Baby Houseman/Johnny Castle

Leah/Chanan

Shay Goldstein/Dominic Yun

Marvin/Whizzer

Trina/Mendel Weisenbachfeld

Perchik/Hodel

Tevye/Golde

Tzeitel/Motel

Monica Gellar/Chandler Bing

Amram/Zelikman

Molly McGee/Libby Stein Torres

Rachel Berry/Noah Puckerman

Frankie Bergstein/Grace Hanson

Fiddleford McGucket/Stanford Pines

Cristina Yang/Owen Hunt

Cristina Yang/Preston Burke

Levi Schmidt/Nico Kim

Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam

James Wilson/Gregory House

Ashlyn Caswell/Big Red

The Baker and/The Baker's Wife

Kim Possible/Ron Stoppable

Ellie Williams/Dina

The Jewish People/The Shabbat Bride

Alec Hardison/Parker

Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer

Arnold "Arnie" Roth/Michael Bech

Arnold "Arnie" Roth/Steve Rogers (Captain America)

Ben Grimm (The Thing)/Alicia Masters

Billy Kaplan (Wiccan)/Teddy Altman (Hulkling)

Bobby Drake (Iceman)/Hank McCoy (Beast)

Bobby Drake (Iceman)/Johnny Storm (The Human Torch)

Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde/Illyana Rasputin (Magik)

Layla El Faouly/Marc Spector (Moon Knight)

Matthew Hawk (Two-Gun Kid II)/Clint Barton (Hawkeye)

Marc Spector (Moon Knight)/Clint Barton (Hawkeye)

Max Eisenhardt (Magneto)/Charles Xavier (Professor X)

Natasha Romanoff/Wanda Maximoff

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Betty Brant

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Eugene "Flash" Thompson

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/ Felicia Hardy (Black Cat)

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Harry Osborn

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Mary Jane "MJ" Watson

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Wade Wilson (Deadpool)

Steve Rogers/Bernadette "Bernie" Rosenthal

Steve Rogers (Captain America)/James "Bucky" Barnes

Wanda Maximoff (The Scarlet Witch)/Jericho Drumm

Wanda Maximoff (The Scarlet Witch)/The Vision

Midge Maisel/Susie Myerson

Hal Emmerich (Otacon)/Solid Snake

Michael "Mike" Wazowski/Celia Mae

Casey Goldberg-Calderon/Lunella Lafayette

Fran Fine/Max Sheffield

Ben Gross/Devi Vishwakumar

Winston Schmidt/Cece Parekh

David Jacobs/Jack Kelly

Seth Cohen/Summer Roberts

Reuben Kent/Feliks Kaufmann

Scout Touzani/Elias Wyrick

KJ Brandman/Mac Coyle

Lavinia Asimov/Poison Oak

Phineas Flynn/Isabella Garcia-Shapiro

Anon's Mom/Dad

Babushka (Tatiana)/Dedushka (Ivan)

Hillel/Shammai

The person reading this & their partner

Didi Pickles/Stu Pickles

Captain Rivka Maror/Isaac The Wizard

Shulamit/Aviva

Jerry Seinfeld/Cosmo Kramer

Violet Baudelaire/Quigley Quagmire

Simon Lewis/Isabel Lightwood

Danielle/Maya

Bram Greenfeld/Simon Spier

Miryem Mandelstam/The Staryk King

David Rose/Patrick Brewer

Velma Dinkley/Daphne Blake

Velma Dinkley/Marcie "Hot Dog Water" Fleach

S'chn T'gai Spock/James T Kirk

S'chn T'gai Spock/James T Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy

S'chn T'gai Spock/Leonard "Bones" McCoy

Worf Rozhenko/Jadzia Dax

Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla

Brian Jeeter/Krejjh

Bobby Singer/Rufus Turner

Jonah Simms/Amy Sosa

Reish Lakish/Rabbi Yochanen

Couple having gay sex in the study hall attic (Talmud)

Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imanu

King David/Yonatan

Devorah/Barak

Moses/Tzipporah

Ruth/Naomi

Solomon's Muse (female)/Solomon's Muse (male)

Yaakov/The Angel

Velma Dinkley/Coco Diablo

Rowan Roth/Neil Mcnair

Klaus Hargreeves/Dave Katz

Cecil Palmer/Carlos the Scientist

Josh Lyman/Donna Moss

Little Ash/Uriel

Lucille "Lucy" Kensington/Dr. Edison "Ed" Tucker

Fox Mulder/Dana Scully

Anshel/Avigdor

Anshel/Avigdor/Hadass

Anshel/Hadass

Maxine Myers/Paula Cohen

[shadesofdeviant]

I posted 150 times in 2021

37 posts created (25%)

113 posts reblogged (75%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 3.1 posts.

I added 368 tags in 2021

#9-1-1 - 74 posts

#9-1-1: lone star - 48 posts

#buck - 46 posts

#evan buckley - 42 posts

#rinwrites - 32 posts

#tk strand - 31 posts

#carlos reyes - 29 posts

#eddie diaz - 25 posts

#bobby nash - 21 posts

#tarlos - 20 posts

Longest Tag: 124 characters

#i have never hated a character more on the first introduction than the buckley parents...except for maybe professor umbridge

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

For the first sentence, any pairing for this - "Do you need some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?"

"Do you need some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?" Fuck--Do I, is all Carlos can think as he watches TK parade around the condo in his new paramedic uniform, a toy stethoscope --a joke gift from Marjan upon news of his new job--around his neck that he playfully moves to pretend to listen to Carlos' chest every time his circuit around the room brings him within touching distance of where Carlos is sprawled in awe across the sofa. There is little difference in the two uniforms, the flag on his right sleeve is now the EMS patch, his shield now says 'Paramedic' rather than 'Firefighter', in fact, the biggest change is the word paramedic emblazoned across his shoulder blades like a footballer's name, but otherwise the rest is still the same; still the black fitted shirt that shows off his perfect frame, his name across his chest and the Austin FD shield and patch on the left-hand side, there's nothing drastically changed, and yet somehow it has Carlos trying to subtly adjust himself in his pants in response. Although if he's honest with himself, it's not the uniform, it's more than likely the way TK now holds himself that has Carlos reacting so carnally, the way the green-eyed beauty is much more upright and confident within himself, as if he's finally able to stand on his own and has grown six feet taller now he's no longer stunted beneath Owen's shadow. On his next circuit of the room, TK having an entire conversation between himself and some invisible patient and muttering things that Carlos has only ever heard Michelle and the other's say and has no hope of ever truly understanding himself, the Cop reaches out and snatches the new paramedic around the waist and tugs him around and down until he's straddling across Carlos' hips. "I'm feeling awfully light-headed all of a sudden paramedic, I think I need your medical expertise, right here." Carlos all but purrs, tapping at his lower lip and grinning as TK's beautiful eyes darken to rival the natural gems of the forest before the New Yorker leans in for a kiss.

Send me an ask with the first sentence of a fanfic and I’ll write the next five

46 notes • Posted 2021-08-23 23:51:42 GMT

#4

See the full post

73 notes • Posted 2021-02-22 00:28:38 GMT

#3

See the full post

80 notes • Posted 2021-05-21 23:43:09 GMT

#2

See the full post

137 notes • Posted 2021-02-22 03:40:19 GMT

#1

Without The Bad Times, We Can Never Appreciate The Good Times...

412 notes • Posted 2021-06-27 15:29:16 GMT

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