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morganaspendragonss · 3 years ago

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“Why are you wearing my sweater?” “Because it smells like you.” With Carlos’ the one wearing the sweater!

holly's august extravaganza day 19: whatever here that's left of me (is yours)

thank you!

34. “Why are you wearing my sweater?” “Because it smells like you.” (from the fluff section of this list)

ao3 | 1.4k | hurt/comfort, post 2.12, supportive tk, softness

The morning after the fire, it’s TK who wakes up first, and for once it makes perfect sense. Carlos had barely been able to sleep, and though it hadn’t exactly been a picnic for TK either, he’s not the one going through the grief of losing years of his life all at once. Not to the extent that Carlos is, anyway.

TK sighs and rolls his head to look at Carlos’s sleeping face. He runs his thumb softly over the crease on his brow, wishing the simple motion could smooth it away and make everything okay again. Make it so last night never happened, and this is just a normal morning in their own bed, in their own house.

He tries to pretend for a little while, but the illusion is shattered all too quickly by a soft knocking at the bedroom door. Carefully, TK removes Carlos’s arm from where it is loosely slung over his hips and gets out of bed, checking to make sure he hasn’t disturbed him before padding across the room.

He keeps the door only cracked open to prevent too much light from getting into the room. His dad is on the other side, smiling sadly, a large box in his hands and several bags at his feet. TK braces himself for a joke; his dad has always been the type to fall back on humour in difficult situations, but he finds himself pleasantly surprised.

“I meant to give these to you guys last night,” he says, lifting the box slightly, “but things were so crazy that… Anyway. You left some clothes here when you moved out, so I figured you might want them.”

“Thanks, Dad.” TK takes the box from him, glancing down into it. There’s not much—a couple of hoodies, some screwed up t-shirts and button ups, a pair of sweats—but it’s all he has, and more than Carlos does. He sighs softly, then turns back into the bedroom and places the box down by the wardrobe. Carlos is still asleep when he glances at him, and all TK wants to do is curl up beside him again.

But when he goes to close the door, he instead finds himself with an arm full of bags.

“Those are from the crew,” he dad explains. “Paul stopped by with them earlier; he said to tell you that if there was anything you two needed, they all want to help out.”

TK nods. He’d thought the crew might do something like this, though that doesn’t make him any less grateful.

His dad shuffles awkwardly, clearly finding the silence uncomfortable. “Mateo wanted to contribute too, but we told him not to. You know, because—”

“Because he’s only just replaced his own clothes, I know.”

“Yeah.”

Silence again, and TK loves his dad, but he can’t deal with this right now. Guilt lies thick in the air, somehow worse than last night, but TK is in no mood to address it now. Maybe later, when they’ve had time to think about it all, but right now he’s too tired. Besides, there’s no way he’s getting into what he’s sure will become an argument when Carlos is sleeping just feet away.

TK takes a step back. “Carlos is still asleep,” he says. “So I’m just gonna…” He tips his head back, gesturing into the bedroom, and his dad understands, also moving back.

“Right, of course. I, uh, I have my follow-up appointment at the hospital today, but I’ll see you guys later. Maybe then we can talk?”

“Sure.”

Without waiting for an answer, TK gently shuts the door and turns to place the bags on top of the box. Carlos stirs when he climbs back in bed, his eyelids cracking open.

“Did something happen?” he mumbles, trying to push himself upright.

TK shushes him. “It was just my dad dropping some clothes off for us,” he whispers. “Go back to sleep, baby.”

Carlos drops back off within seconds, TK watching the steady rhythm of his chest and listening to his soft breaths. He reaches out and lightly runs his fingers through Carlos’s hair, pushing back a few stray curls. It’s almost like any other morning, so TK closes his eyes and pretends for a little while longer.

TK would have been happy to stay in bed with Carlos all day, but eventually the grumbling of his stomach becomes too insistent to ignore. He heaves himself up once more and selects a shirt at random from the box of his old stuff, wrinkling his nose when he sees what it is. He’d left this one behind on purpose, the print too much for him to care what happened to the shirt. The same goes for most of the clothes in the box, but it’s not like he’s spoiled for choice, so it’ll have to do.

There’s a pair of jeans his size in one of the bags, so TK bundles everything up and trudges to the bathroom. He’s been running into fires his entire working life; he’s perfected the art of getting rid of unwanted smells, but this time is different. This time, no matter how many times he washes himself, the smoke and grime still feels like it’s sticking to his skin, a permanent cloud around him.

TK blames his dad’s shampoos, because it’s easier than admitting he’s imagining it.

Once he’s showered and dressed, he heads to the kitchen to make breakfast. Carlos joins him not ten minutes later, still looking exhausted, though he attempts a wan smile when their eyes meet. TK returns it and kisses him on the cheek, passing him a cup of coffee.

He studies his boyfriend as they stand in silence, his heart breaking at what he sees. Carlos is a big guy, but right now he’s never looked smaller, shoulders hunched and his eyes darting around the kitchen, as if taking it all in. They’ve hung out here together before, especially right after TK got shot, but it must feel different now, knowing there’s nowhere else for them to go.

Knowing that, technically, this is now their home.

Carlos sets his mug on the counter and scrubs his hands down his face, then puls at his sleeves like he’s trying to stretch them to fit. Which… Wait.

“Are you…” TK leans closer, peering at the hoodie Carlos is wearing, and—yep. “Why are you wearing my hoodie?”

Carlos flushes and tugs at the neckline—another demonstration of how uncomfortable it must be for him to wear it. The height difference between them is miniscule, but sizing is another matter entirely; TK’s hoodie is obviously pulled tight across Carlos’s chest and it doesn’t sit right on his body, too small for his build.

“Babe,” TK starts worriedly, “was there nothing in your size from the crew? You should have said something. We can fix this, you don’t need to be uncomfortable.”

There’s a beat, and then Carlos, studiously avoiding TK’s gaze, clears his throat. “It smells like you.”

TK blinks. “What?”

“I’m wearing it because it smells like you. I don’t— The only clothes I have left of mine smell of the fire, but this is yours and… I don’t know, I guess it makes me feel safe?” He laughs nervously, pulling at the hem as though he’s going to take the hoodie off. “Pretty stupid, right?”

TK puts a hand out and stops him. “No,” he says softly. He honestly has no idea how that hoodie smells even remotely like him after a month abandoned here, but if it makes Carlos feel safe, then who is TK to argue? “Not stupid at all. You should keep it.”

Carlos raises an eyebrow. “You don’t care that I’m probably stretching it?”

“Why would I?” TK asks. “I left it here for a reason, Carlos. Plus, I’d sacrifice a thousand hoodies if I knew it would make you feel safe; one is nothing.”

It’s far from the most romantic thing TK’s ever said, but the way Carlos hugs him makes it feel like it. He presses kiss after kiss to Carlos’s cheek and the shell of his ear, comforting him like he tried to do last night.

“Besides,” he whispers after a moment, “this just means it’ll be big enough for when I inevitably steal it back from you.”

And, for the first time since the fire, Carlos laughs—really, truly laughs. The sound is muffled against TK’s shoulder, but it’s so goddamn beautiful, and TK would do anything to hear it again.

Even if that involves giving up every hoodie he owns.

#911 lone star #911 lone star fic #tarlos #tarlos fic #tk strand #carlos reyes #owen strand #lone star #911ls #holly's august extravaganza #fanfiction #my fanfiction #writing #my writing #anonymous

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loveyouhomex · 3 years ago

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I don't know if any of this makes sense, but as @oopshiaddict has had a bad day today, I wanted to write something small about Carlando to get your spirits up again. I know you might already be in bed, but maybe this will make you smile tomorrow morning 🧡

_____________________________________________________

Sleepy Lando

When Lando comes home from the factory that night, he’s feeling as if he’s been awake for more than two days instead of the mere ten hours he’s actually had his eyes open for. He even got to sleep in today, Jon not having the time to come to his place to do the daily workout with him, so he doesn’t quite understand where this tiredness comes from.

A low and exhausted sigh escapes his lips when he closes the front door behind him, his body momentarily slumping against the hard wood that feels cold and rigid against his back. Rubbing his hands over his eyes, he tries to get motivated enough to slip out of his sneakers, but even that seems to be too big of a trial.

How childish would the media think him to be if he’d buy shoes with velcro the next time he’d have the time to quickly slip into a shoe store? They’d probably sign him off as even more of a weirdo than they already do.

He giggles to himself; another sign that he definitely needs to get into bed as soon as he can.

“Lando? Are you okay?”

Carlos’ voice is mixed with amusement as well as a tiny hint of concern. Leaning against the front door giggling to himself is probably the first indicator of Lando going insane - at least that must be what the Spaniard is thinking.

Lando opens his eyes underneath the hands that still cover his face, peaking through the fingers at his boyfriend who’s standing in the doorway of the kitchen at the end of the hallway. He’s got his arms crossed in front of his chest and he looks a bit ridiculous in the yellow shirt, the long blue and white checkered pyjama pants and the black adilettes on his naked feet.

But even now, Lando can’t stop himself from thinking that Carlos looks good, maybe he’s made a ridiculous outfit choice, but nonetheless - he definitely looks good.

“Yeah I’m okay,” Lando finally manages to say, his hands running through the curls on top of his head which probably look like a mess, but let’s be honest, when do they not.

“I’m just really really tired.”

Carlos lets out a little laugh at that and crosses the hallway with a few, big steps. He takes the keys out of Lando’s hand and throws them in the small bowl on the dresser next to them, where the Brit keeps all of his keys.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

Lando knows he’s playing the role of a toddler right now, but he pouts, stretching out both of his arms toward his boyfriend, his back still leaning against the door.

“Carry me?”

A snort leaves Carlos’ mouth and one of his eyebrows shoots up his forehead.

“Are you a baby or an adult?”

“A very, very tired baby.”

Lando still pouts, giving Carlos an accusatory look for taking so long to finally do what the Brit has asked for. And because a tired Lando can very quickly change into an annoyed little baby bear, grumbling at everything Carlos says and moping in the corner as far away from his boyfriend as he can, but still close enough so that Carlos cannot miss him sulking, Carlos does what he does best: giving in to Lando.

He steps closer, lifting Lando up who crosses his legs immediately behind the Spaniard’s back, burying his nose in the crook of Carlos’ neck. Sighing contently, Lando tightens his hold around his boyfriend’s neck, snuggling as close as he can, and presses a kiss against the soft skin.

“You’re such a baby. But you’re my baby, so that’s okay,” Carlos chuckles, still an amused tone to his voice when he carries the Brit up the stairs and into the bedroom.

He carefully lowers the smaller one down on the mattress, Lando making an unhappy sound in the back of his throat, a pout threatening to arise on his lips again, when Carlos presses a sweet kiss against Lando’s mouth.

“Come on, get changed so we can cuddle up underneath the blanket before you fall asleep and I have to get as far away from you as I can so you’re not able to kick me in your sleep.”

“Why are you so mean to me,” Lando whines, his legs pulled up to his chest and his chin positioned on top of his knees. “I’m too tired to get changed, can’t I just sleep in this?”

“No, because you won’t let me hear the end of it tomorrow if you fall asleep in your clothes now.”

Carlos sighs dramatically, but secretly he loves when Lando is like this - all clingy, tired and adorable. He loves taking care of the younger one, loves that Lando trusts him so much that he actually shows this side of him in front of Carlos, not shying away and trying to hide it like he would do with other people.

So he helps Lando change into his pyjamas, giving him another kiss when they’ve actually managed to do that within five minutes which is a new personal record; it usually takes a lot longer to get him to change when Lando is as tired as he is right now .

Carlos quickly goes down to the kitchen once more, getting a bottle of water to put on the bedside table as there is nothing he hates more than waking up with a dry mouth in the middle of the night.

When he gets back, Lando is already curled up beneath the blanket, his chest moving up and down slowly and for a short moment Carlos thinks he’s already fallen asleep. But then the Brit opens his eyes, squinting at Carlos whose frame gets illuminated from behind by the lamp in the hallway.

“You look like an angel,” he mumbles, tiredness weighing heavy on his tongue already, so it takes Carlos a moment to understand what Lando has just said. His lips are forming a smile and he can’t help the fondness that’s spreading in his body.

“You’re too sweet, mi amor.”

He quickly turns off the light in the hallway and closes the door behind himself, before he steps into the bedroom. Putting the water bottle on the bedside table he crosses the room with a few steps, closing the shutters halfway, just like Lando likes it best.

Then, finally, he slips into bed next to his boyfriend. The smaller one quickly snuggles up to him, his arm finding its way around Carlos’ waist and his legs getting tangled up with the Spaniard’s. Pressing a soft kiss against Lando’s hair, Carlos breathes in the fading scent of Lando’s mint shampoo, his nose buried in the brown curls.

“I love you, Carlos, thank you for always taking care of me” Lando mumbles when he puts his head on Carlos’ chest, nestling it underneath his boyfriend’s chin. His mind is already hazy and sleep is just around the corner, so he nearly misses Carlos’ answer.

“Always. I love you too, cariño. Sleep well.”

#carlando #lando norris #carlos sainz jr #f1 rpf #Unfortunately I don't k ow how to do a read further on tumblr so it's the full textpost #If someone knows please tell me and I'll add it #carlando fanfiction

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howtosingit · 4 years ago

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Fic: I’ll Build My Life Around You

Sometimes TK can be reckless on the job, and he doesn’t always think about what that means for his boyfriend.

Written for @tarlosweek2020 - Day 3: First Love Confession

2.2K | Also on AO3.

-----

The drive from the hospital to Carlos’s apartment is tense, and TK has no idea how to lighten the mood.

He’s not quite sure what he expected, but as he turns to look at his boyfriend in the driver’s seat next to him, it’s not a clenched jaw or a hard stare forward. He doesn’t really get why Carlos is so upset; it was only a minor accident, he’s got a few scrapes and bruises, but he’ll be back to work for his next shift later this week with no problems. He’s totally fine.

Except, Carlos isn’t acting like he’s fine. If TK didn’t know any better, he would almost say that Carlos seems angry with him.

They’ve been dating for almost three months now, and anger isn’t something that TK really associates with his boyfriend. Not that Carlos is an emotionally shallow person or anything. TK has heard him go on and on about work and other officers and politics and a number of other things. His boyfriend gets frustrated a lot, and because he tries to remain professional in public, TK is one of the few people who gets to see it unleashed.

Carlos can also be sensitive. If there’s one thing that TK knows with absolute certainty, it’s that his boyfriend wears his heart on his sleeve for the world to see. He feels the pain of others so deeply, and all he wants to do is take care of everyone that he meets. His hero complex is the size of Texas, and it’s something that TK can relate to. They both have an overwhelming need to help people, and for TK, it’s what keeps landing him in the emergency room.

But TK knows that Carlos gets that, that he understands it. So, the negative energy radiating off of him right now is confusing. Especially since he’s usually very tactile and gentle when TK gets hurt, always willing to wrap him in his arms and cover him in kisses. It’s actually pretty gross, how cute they are together, but TK wouldn’t trade it for the world.

He loves Carlos, even if he hasn’t told him yet.

They pull into the driveway, still not a word said between them, and Carlos makes no move to exit the car once he’s parked. TK watches as he curls his hands tightly around the steering wheel, the muscles in his forearms visibly flexing, even in the dim evening light.

“I think they said I should ice my side as soon as I get home,” TK finally says after what feels like an hour of sitting in silence. Carlos jumps, turning to look at him. His expression is hard to read, but TK sees a storm of emotions in his boyfriend’s brown eyes, and it causes his heart to beat painfully in his chest.

“Right, yeah,” Carlos says blankly, turning to push his door open. TK doesn’t move, watching as Carlos circles around the car to open the passenger door. They don’t speak as Carlos holds out his hand, helping TK out of the car and up the front path to the front door.

He breathes through the slight discomfort in his side as Carlos sorts through his keys, unlocking his apartment and ushering TK inside. He immediately moves towards the couch, sinking slowly down onto the cushions while Carlos passes through to the kitchen. TK warily watches as he preps an ice pack, trying to gauge how best to break the ice that currently separates them.

Carlos comes back into the living room, handing the ice pack to TK and reaching for the pillows at the far end of the couch. He silently places them around TK, ensuring that he’s properly supported, before moving over to the armchair and taking a seat.

“You know, you could’ve just taken me to my dad’s house if you didn’t want me here,” TK says, his own frustration growing as the minutes pass. Carlos looks directly at him for the first time in what feels like forever, his brown eyes wide as he stares at him.

“I never said I didn’t want you here,” he replies, his voice smaller than TK thought it would be based on his previous scowl.

“Well, you’re sure not being very welcoming,” TK grits out, giving his boyfriend a hard stare.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Carlos fires back sarcastically, his eyebrow arched, “my boyfriend was in the hospital today, so I’m just feeling a little off.”

“Why are you acting like this is a big deal, Carlos? I’m fine,” TK sighs, rolling his eyes dramatically.

“Of course you are,” Carlos mutters, shifting forward to place his elbows on his knees, looking down at the floor. “You’re always fine.”

“And you’re usually much more comforting, so I don’t get what your problem is right now,” TK snarks.

“You’re right, TK,” his boyfriend snaps, his voice louder and harsher than TK has ever heard it. “I’m usually scared out of my mind, or at least I have been the past five times you’ve been in the hospital since we started dating!”

“I have a high-risk job, of course I get hurt sometimes!”

“You get hurt so often because you’re reckless!”

TK’s jaw snaps shut, his heart hammering in his chest as he reels back. Carlos gives him a hard look, his chest rising and falling as he breathes heavily.

“Getting shot was not my f--”

“You know I’m not talking about you getting shot, Tyler!” Carlos cries, jumping to his feet. TK watches as he paces in front of the TV, his boyfriend’s agitation rolling off of him in waves.

“I’m talking about you tearing your stitches when you were supposed to be taking it easy. I’m talking about you getting a concussion because you took your helmet off before clearing a site. Or running up a flight of stairs before making sure that they were safe, and then falling through and bruising your ribs!

TK rises from the couch, tossing the ice pack to the side, his blood boiling from hearing all of his failures from the past two months.

“It’s my job to save people, Carlos, you know that!”

“You can’t save anyone if you seriously hurt yourself, Tyler.”

“So, what?” TK snaps, throwing his arms in the air. “Are you reprimanding me? Are you saying I’m bad at my job? What do you want from me, Carlos?”

“I want you to care about your own damn life sometimes, TK!”

Carlos’s words ring throughout the room as they both stare at one another, TK trying to figure out what the hell is going on right now. In the months that they’ve been together, they’ve never raised their voices at one another. They’ve actually been disgustingly cheesy, to the point of vomit-inducing, if Judd is to be believed. TK knew that a fight was bound to happen; they’re both such passionate individuals who care very deeply about things. He just never expected it to be following an injury.

The silence goes on for too long, and before TK can respond, Carlos breaks it.

“Do you know that I still have trouble sleeping sometimes when you work a night shift?” he starts, and TK’s heart sinks, wondering where Carlos is going with this. “I’ll dream about you laying in that hospital bed, after you got shot, not knowing if you’ll survive, and when you’re not there next to me when I wake up, it takes me a while to remember that you made it through that.”

An emptiness crawls through TK at Carlos’s confession, his mind racing as fast as his heart as he pictures Carlos waking up by himself, terrified that he’s lost TK forever. He doesn’t remember being shot or his short coma, but that doesn’t mean that no one else does. He never even expected it to still be on Carlos’s mind; he’s certainly never mentioned it before.

“And I’m not telling you this to make you feel guilty,” Carlos continues, bringing his hand up to rub at his temple. “I just need you to know that every time I get a call or a text saying that you’re in the hospital, a part of me wonders if I’m ever going to get to see you again.”

TK moves a step closer, twisting his fingers together for something to do. This conversation has gotten so much bigger than he thought it would.

“Carlos, you know I understand that,” TK starts, his voice small between them. “I grew up with this, so I get what you’re going through. I guess I just thought you were okay with it because of your own job.”

Carlos gives a nod, turning away a moment. TK stares at his profile, watching the way he clenches his jaw as he bites his bottom lip, the tense set of his shoulders, the way his hands ball into fists. He recognizes that his boyfriend is trying to ground himself, and it’s best to give him his space to do it -- which is why he’s not expecting it when Carlos suddenly turns to look at him again, his eyes now shining with tears.

“Can I hold you for a minute?” he asks quietly, his voice cracking on a sob.

TK doesn’t respond; instead, he cuts across the room, ignoring the twinge of his bruised ribs, to fold himself into Carlos’s strong arms. His boyfriend all but collapses against him, the tension and anger finally dissipating as he holds TK close, ducking down to press his face into his neck, near TK’s pulse point.

They stay like that for a moment, allowing their actions to speak for them. TK rubs his hands up and down Carlos’s back, soothing him. His mind is still trying to sort through the past ten minutes and everything that they admitted to. Even though they’ve only been dating for a little while, TK feels confident enough in them that he knows what Carlos said without actually saying it.

He pulls away slightly to take his boyfriend’s face in his hands, rubbing away the tears that have fallen on his cheeks. They look into each other’s eyes, brown meeting green, and TK finds the confidence to push forward.

“I’m sorry for scaring you, babe,” he says, making sure that Carlos understands how much he means it. “And I’m for not realizing how much this was all affecting you.”

“No, I’m sorry, Ty,” Carlos starts. “You got hurt today, and instead of being there for you, I was an asshole.”

“I’m glad we talked about this, though,” TK admits, plastering on a small smile. “Look, injuries are going to be a part of this relationship. If it’s not me getting hurt, it could be you. We’re going to have to find a way to deal with them.

“And I know I can be reckless, I know I can get myself into trouble. I’m working on it, I promise.”

Carlos looks away for a moment, his shoulders rising as he takes a deep breath in and out.

“I know you can be hot-headed sometimes, TK, it was the entire topic of conversation on our first date.”

“Hey!” TK exclaims, pulling back a bit to level his boyfriend with an affronted look.

“Am I wrong?” Carlos asks, nodding when TK doesn’t contest it. “I didn’t think so. I guess it’s just different, the consequences feel bigger now, and more personal.”

TK takes Carlos’s hands in his, bringing them up to his mouth to press a kiss to his knuckles.

“I get that, I do,” he assures him. “It feels bigger for me, too, what you face every time you’re on patrol.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” TK nods, stepping close again. He looks up slightly, taking in Carlos’s open expression. “This thing we have here, it means a lot to me, and I’d really like to hang on to you for a long time.”

Carlos closes his eyes, a bright smile taking over the bottom half of his face. The sight of it makes TK’s heart beat faster, the love he has for this man threatening to overwhelm him.

So, he decides to let it.

“Hey,” he whispers softly, watching as Carlos’s eyelashes flutter, his warm brown irises reappearing. It’s breathtaking.

“I love you, Carlos.”

Carlos practically melts in front of him, a bright sparkle appearing in his eyes as his smile widens even further. Then, he’s pressing forward, connecting their lips in a kiss made impossible by their shared grins. To TK, it’s still perfect in every way.

“I love you, too, TK,” Carlos breathes out when they separate, pressing their bodies together in a tight hug.

TK lets the joy of hearing those words consume him, holding tight to the man he loves more than he’s ever loved anyone before as tears start to fall from his eyes.

He knows that he’ll do everything in his power to keep coming home to Carlos, and that they’ll build a long and happy life around their love and commitment to one another.

He believes in them.

#tarlos #tarlos fic #tarlos fanfic #911 lone star #tarlosweek2020 #tk strand #carlos reyes #I wrote a thing

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melofanish · 4 years ago

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Have Me, Have You, Have Us

@carlosreyesweek Day 3: “Well, that just happened” + Friendship.

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

This is a multi-chaptered fic. I've tried to write them all in time to be published together, but by God, they weren't having it. I still haven't decided how I'll update, but I'm thinking bi-weekly. Tags will be updated accordingly.

Tags: Carlos Reyes, TK Strand, Paul Strickland, Marjan Marwani, Mateo Chavez, Judd Ryder, Owen Strand, Michelle Blake, Original Female Character, Original Male Character, Developing Friendship.

Warnings: Mentions of Past Homophobia.

Beta: The owner of my soul @lire-casander

Read on AO3

---

Chapter 1: Paul: Live This Life, It's All We Have

Carlos walks into the honky-tonk a mere forty-five minutes after his shift ended. He was on the way home when TK called him and asked if he would detour. He likes the man, so it didn't need much pondering over.

He sees TK standing in front of one of the multiple dartboards hung on the wall, alongside Michelle, Captain Strand, Judd, Marjan and Mateo. They seem to be engrossed in a contest, if the annoyance on Marjan's face, the smugness in Judd's and the paper and pen in Mateo's hand are anything to go by.

He hesitates for a moment, the idea of walking into the middle of the group to greet them sends a slight shiver down his back and he quickly decides he'll wait for them to finish. He spots Paul sitting at the self-claimed "126 table." He moves towards the bar, ordering mineral water, before he grabs his drink and walks towards the man. Recognising TK's jacket slung over the chair right next to Paul, he plops on the next stool over.

Paul turns around, a hint of surprise in his eyes, until the realisation of who this hits him, and it's replaced with a smile.

"Hey, man."

"Hey," Carlos greets him back, "how you doing?"

Paul shrugs, and even though it's not much, Carlos understands the meaning behind it all the same. They fall into a comfortable silence, Carlos' eyes roaming the open area ahead of them. Three girls stand in the corner, dancing quietly amongst each other, two elderly men occupy a booth, Carlos gets the vibe that they're trading life-altering experiences. More "dudebros" hang around the snooker tables and dartboards. Carlos is about to focus back on TK, when he notices a singular woman sitting in a booth alone, a drink in her hand, a small, shy smile on her lips and eyes trained somewhere on their table.

Carlos frowns. He turns around, about to ask for some super-human Paul deduction powers when he realises that Paul is staring right back at her. A shy smile on his face too.

Carlos blinks. He looks back at the woman and sees that her eyes are now on her table, and then he turns to Paul, and his eyes are roaming the ceiling of the bar. He turns back to the woman, and now she's looking at Paul again. And Paul has his eyes locked on her.

Carlos curls into himself slightly, trying to get out of their visual field. He's sitting somewhat between them, and he'd like to not be. He concentrates on his drink, and everything else in the bar that isn't Paul and his potential lady friend.

A few minutes later, he can't help but look towards her again. She's got her phone out now, scrolling up and down on the screen. Turning to Paul, he finds he's looking at his drink as well.

Carlos goes baffled. The woman is clearly interested in Paul, and while he might not be a super-detective like the other man, he can tell that the feeling is reciprocated. And yet, they're both just sitting here, alternating between eye flirting and avoidance. His curiosity gets the best of him, and he slides into the chair in between them.

"So, you're just not going to talk to her?"

Paul gawks at him, eyes widening in clear shock before he schools his reaction into some form of indifference.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Man," Carlos starts, rolling his eyes at the man, "I may not have the Gods of perception poised on my shoulders, but I'm not that blind!"

Paul narrows his eyes in response. Carlos is pretty sure he's going for accusation, but he's been trained to pick up on anything underneath, and in this case, it's a moment of contemplation. Whatever it is though, Paul seems to have made up his mind on it rather quickly. He sighs and looks down at his drink again.

"It's hard, man. Last thing I need is another rejection."

Carlos can't help the wave of sympathy that goes through him. The again that Paul’s not saying takes him back to the night they went clubbing. TK hadn't said much about why, just that a friend needed a night to have fun and forget about things.

"Ahh. Yeah. That's the queer life."

Paul snorts in reply, "Yeah, not all of us can find the one gay firefighter transfer and charm the pants off him."

Carlos lets out some mix of a loud laugh and a snort.

"Hey! I'm lucky right now, but that doesn't mean growing up didn't suck."

He can tell he's said too much by the way Paul goes quiet, and the atmosphere around them changes. With both understanding and pain. They look at each other, sharing a sympathetic smile, trying to convey a silent "yeah? You too?"

"Parents took it hard?" Paul asks.

Carlos lets out a genuine smile at that. If there's one thing he was blessed with the moment he was born, it was his family.

"The family was amazing. It's everyone else that wasn't."

Paul doesn't ask after that, not verbally at least. Carlos can see the questions in his eyes. He takes a calming breath. No one knows the story that's swarming around his mind right now. Michelle might have collected and connected bits and pieces through the years, but other than that, no one in Austin knows about his childhood.

But here he is. He's okay. And he has a friend who is in a place he was in years ago. Fighting with acceptance and fear of rejection. He takes another breath.

"I came out to my dad and sister when I was 12. Everything went well. They were supportive, pledged their love, all of that," he starts. "A few weeks later though, I started finding notes in my locker."

Paul lets out a groan, undeniably aware of what kind of notes Carlos is talking about.

"A few weeks after the notes started, I got called into the principal’s office and told that my dad would be informed and they would help us "change my homosexual ways", he added, air quotations included.

It takes him back to a decade and a half ago. When a young, short and lanky Carlos was in science class, the notes hidden in the depth of his backpack. When the school speakers boomed with the principal's voice saying "Carlos Reyes, please report to the Principal's office. Carlos Reyes, please report to the Principal's office." He remembers thinking, hoping, that it was about the notes, that the principal will ask who is sending him the vile words, and will make them stop.

He remembers standing up to leave, and the teacher, Mr. Roger, telling to pack his bag as well. He remembers hearing a strange tone, but not quite understanding it. He knows now it was poison, venom, hate. He remembers doing it anyway. He remembers the walk down the hallway, bag on his shoulders, and the teachers glaring at him through the glass slits in the doors.

He remembers getting to the office. The secretary, Ms. Harding, holding his hand, telling him "The Lord will cure you." He remembers not knowing what they meant. Not knowing what they were talking about. He doesn't get the chance to ask. He remembers being led to the Principal's room, the big office much more intimidating to his twelve-year-old eyes than it should have been. He remembers the nameplate; a large golden script of "Mr. Steve Atwood" and a smaller "Principal of Lubbock Junior High School" on a wooden piece. He remembers thinking it wasn't normal wood, it was red, and he didn't know wood could be red.

He remembers Mr. Atwood speaking, telling him that life is ruled by the Bible and God and Jesus. That he's a child who can still change. That this isn't the way to continue living. That his dad will be informed. That he will get help. That there are camps. That he will stop being this way.

"Were you out at school?" Paul asks, the horror evident in his tone.

It's the same horror Carlos remembers feeling when they were leaving church a few weeks before the incident, his sister by his side and their dad a few steps up ahead, talking to a neighbour. His sister had pointed towards a rainbow flag hung on the house across the street from the church. "We should get you one and hang it at home, that way the other boys like you will know where to find you," she had giggled. He had giggled right along with her, until he heard a gasp coming from behind him, and turned to find Mrs. Atwood behind him, eyes wide as he stared down at him in what he now knows was disgust. He remembers the fear that ran through him. But then his sister ran ahead. And he had followed her.

"Not really, but it doesn't make a difference," he explains. "It's not like they would have been supportive if I sat them down and told them."

Paul shakes his head, and then asks, "And then what happened?"

"My dad came in somewhere through the dialogue, I remember Mr. Atwood standing up, trying to greet him, but he was mad. Angry in a way I've never seen before. He told me to go outside and wait for him."

Carlos pauses, the memory assaulting his senses. "I heard him screaming at the principal, saying that it wasn't Mr. Atwood's place to talk to me, that I was a child, that it was none of his business. That I wouldn’t be coming back to that school again."

He remembers the entire interaction like it was mere days ago. His dad walking out of the office, squatting down to Carlos' level and asking him if he had all his things. Carlos had answered a weak "yes", and his dad was already holding his hand, pulling him out of the school and into the car.

"He was quiet throughout the car ride. We turned into our street, but he just kept going, saying he forgot to get something from the store. He started to joke around with me then, telling me he was the World's Strongest Man and he could carry me, and the car and everything and anything. I played right along, and somehow, I found myself agreeing that if he could carry me then he was as strong as he said. We circled around the block, didn't even go to any stores, and parked in front of our porch. He pulled me through his door, hid my head in his neck and ran me home."

Carlos pauses. He can see Paul frowning over the story losing sense. Just like he had thought for so long. It never made sense to him why his dad carried him. Why that day? Why that fast? Until…

"I later found out that someone had written the wonderful “f” slur on our garage door, and he didn't want me to see that."

Paul smiles and nods. Carlos knows there is nothing else he could do. There are no words or actions to express what he felt when he found that out. His dad, the man that had spent his everything raising him, seeing something he knew would hurt his child, and doing everything in his power to protect him. If he turns out to be half the father his dad was, he would consider himself a good father.

"We started packing almost immediately, and we were out of that town in a week. He wouldn't let me or my sister leave the house, not even to play in the yard, throughout the week. Dad said he got a transfer, but he was home for a month, so I have a feeling that wasn't exactly true."

"He just packed y'all up and brought you here?" Paul asks.

"Yes. That's exactly what he did. He wanted us to live freely. To love freely. And he knew we wouldn't be able to do that in Lubbock. So he moved us out."

"To Austin?"

"Yeah, I mean, it was miles better than Lubbock, so, no complaints." Paul hums, but Carlos isn't done, "And plus, I met you, my new bestest friend in Austin!"

Paul laughs at that, and Carlos can't help but join him at Paul's mumbled "Yeah, right!"

The laughter dies down, and the easy silence returns. Carlos lifts the drink to his lips, eyes searching for TK. He sees him practically hanging off Mateo, arms around his shoulders. Marjan butts in between, shaking her hands towards the board while TK makes some sort of hand gesture. They're trying to show Mateo how to throw a dart, he realises. Slightly to their side, Michelle, Captain Strand and Judd hang around, beers in hands, looking pleased. His vision roams the bar again, falling on the woman, and it dawns on him that he never got to tell Paul what started the whole story in the first place.

The realisation sends him into a frenzy. He turns to Paul, only to, of course, find him looking at the woman. He pokes Paul's arm, and his eyes break off her to focus back on Carlos.

"I didn't tell you my coming out story because I had nothing better to do, you know," Carlos starts. "I have more story."

Paul shakes his head, a smile on his face, before making a "go ahead" gesture with his hands.

"When we moved here, my dad sat me down, and told me that he had my back, and that I should live free. Be the person that I am, who happens to be gay. And I thought that would be it, you know, I'd live now. My family was supportive. I was in an open city. I had it all good."

"But?" Paul interrupts.

"But. It wasn't that easy. That interaction with the principal and the looks of the teachers hit me harder the more I grew up, the more I started to understand what they meant. And I found myself a seventeen-year-old gay guy that was out in every way but wasn’t really out. I wouldn't ask anyone out. I wouldn't flirt. I wouldn't even let myself look at guys. All because I was afraid of that judgement and rejection and hate."

Paul huffs a breath, eyes moving to stare at the table. Carlos doesn't speak either. He knows that's what this is all about. The fear of not being accepted. Of not being taken in and liked because of something as trivial as their identity. He knows Paul is contemplating the situation. The win-loss ratio. He knows he did, many times before. He still does.

"How did you get over it?"

Carlos is so lost in his own thoughts and emotions, he almost misses the mumbled question. He takes a breath, letting it out almost instantly in a sigh.

"My dad told me that I had spent too much time in fear. If I'm out, I might as well be out, live life, love life, and stop taking every rejection like it's the end of the world."

Paul nods, looking away at the woman across the bar, before Carlos continues, "When I still complained though, he then said "stop letting homophobic dickhead assholes control your life, if you like dick then you like dick, if the dick you like is a judgemental dick then find a better dick"."

Paul whips his head up to stare at Carlos, realises he is being serious, and proceeds to break out in a booming laugh. Carlos feigns offence for a moment, withdrawing his hand and holding it to his chest.

"You dare make fun of my father's sage advise?!"

Paul is still laughing, letting out broken no's and never's. Carlos drops the act, hands landing on the table and laughing with Paul, until it dies down.

"How did your nerdy self come from such wisdom?" Paul asks, after they take a moment to catch their breath.

"Hey! I took after his wisdom and handsomeness, I'll have you know!"

Paul snorts as he looks at the woman again, and Carlos turns his head just in time to see her lift her head up, make eye contact with Paul, and smile. He hears Paul inhale, and then, the scratch of a stool on wooden flooring.

He looks back at Paul, and finds that he's on his feet, fixing his pants. A grin takes over his face, and Paul levels him with a glare. It does nothing to diminish the excitement he feels when Paul pats his shoulder as he moves to the woman's table. The happy smile that takes over her face increases his own. And when she gestures at the empty seat across her - after a moment of talking - and Paul slides in, he realises that his heart beats with joy for him.

He's brought out to focus when arms circle his torso, and the very familiar lips of one TK Strand press a kiss on his cheek.

"Hi."

"Hey."

"What's Paul doing?" TK says, gesturing with his chin towards the booth they're in.

"Going after the proverbial dick he likes."

#carlosreyesweek2021 #Day 3: Friendship #Day 3: Well that just happened #Friendship #Carlos Reyes #TK Strand #Paul Strickland #Marjan Marwani #Mateo Chavez #Judd Ryder #Owen Strand #Grace Ryder #Michelle Blake

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janefaery · 4 years ago

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Jane’s canon verses, inspired by @zzozo

01 - PRE CANON . I have to tell you a secret that will see you through all the trials that life can offer. Have courage and be kind.

Prior to Prince Ben’s first proclamation, Jane is a shy and eager to please girl that’s known for being a teacher's pet - mostly due to her mother’s status as Headmistress, but also from her constant attempts to please. Meek and insecure in a way that stems from her mother’s version coddling, Jane is a shadow desperate to gain the approval of her peers and destined to fail at it from the very start.

“You did all your homework, Jane, no one is going to come to take you to the isle!” Her mother would tell her. “You made your bed, you don’t need to worry about being sent to the Isle.” With an aunt imprisoned on the Isle and her mother’s ‘kind’ reassurances of what a good girl she is, the need to be perfect is something Jane’s always felt, but that’s a goal no one could achieve.

Not a royal like the rest, Jane is often looked down on by the rest of her age group not only for her lack of royal blood, but her lack of human blood. Being part fae means that she is ‘other’ to them, she’s a sidekick instead of a hero, subhuman instead of human. Even the others born to magic are against Jane, her mother’s role in restricting the use of magic leading to others of her kind viewing her as a traitor, something that it’s far easier to hold against Jane than to fight over with one of the most powerful magical beings of Auradon.

The difference is something learned at a young age, from the moment she asks to be the princess in a game of pretend at daycare, eager to live out her happy ending. The other children jeer at her, bullying her for thinking she could have a happy ending. She’s not a princess, she’s fae, and everyone knows fae are incapable of love, so why would anyone choose her? Excluded from the game and in tears when her mother collects her, Jane changes daycares, but never forgets what she learned.

Folding herself smaller and smaller like a piece of origami paper in an attempt to become something beautiful is an artform Jane masters, but it doesn’t stop her from being shunned at lunch tables when she starts school. Jane’s isolation fills her with the need to find a place where she fits in, her own community, and each rejection she faces reaffirms her belief that she’s unpopular because of some personal failing on her own part.

She offers to help with every event and brings little gifts to everyone she tries to thank, any opportunity to make friends or be useful is something that Jane jumps on in an attempt to endear and ingratiate herself with people, but the more she swallows her own needs, the more disconnected she feels, drowning without a clue how to truly reach anyone.

02 - DURING CANON . I know it isn’t easy, but at least we should try to get along together.

Terrified at first of the villain kids that arrive in Auradon despite debating for their right to live there, it seems unlikely that Jane would find her place among those labelled as misfits and troublemakers, but it doesn’t take long before Jane is swept up in their folds and left feeling more like she belongs in their presence than in anyone else’s.

With the VKs in the school and the sense that she might have found a crowd to belong to, Jane begins to morph from someone insecure and anxious into someone shallow and snobbish. The friends that she so eagerly latched onto are abandoned for a chance to sit with the princesses she always adored without second thought. Morality and righteous equated with prestige and place of birth, Jane’s position at the cool kid’s table didn’t last long as the chair was snatched from beneath her the moment she no longer met their standards.

Grabbing the wand and bringing down the barrier might have given Mal and her friends the chance to prove they wanted to be good and turn against their own parents, but Jane learned more about who she was inside than she did the villain kids.

She was disloyal, willing to abandon the people that first befriended her and stood up for her all for someone with popularity. She was untrustworthy, willing to steal the wand and use magic to improve her own looks and as a result, she’d nearly brought every evil back to Auradon by collapsing the barrier. She’d wanted to be the cool girl with the fancy hair, the hot girl with the ripped skirt that everyone wanted, but where did that get her? What did it prove except that maybe she did belong on the Isle just like that quiz said?

Quick to learn her lesson, Jane resolves to be more open and less judgemental, to stand by the side of her friends instead of abandoning them for popularity. If Jane avoids anyone after the mess of the coronation, it was Audrey, who Jane views as a symbol of her own weakness and how easily she can be corrupted.

———

Jane’s revelations aren’t shared by everyone, her faith in Mal and her gang soon shown to be an unpopular choice when Jane realizes her own mother plans to have them expelled without hearing their case. Royalty isn’t always right and neither is the law, the time Jane spends around the VKs makes it clear that blind justice never cares for those caught up in its wake and that sometimes the rules need to be broken. Making up her own mind to go behind her mother’s back for help isn’t something Jane regrets, but the realization that her mother isn’t always right shocks Jane down to her core.

Rattled and beginning to question what she’d grown up hearing her entire life, it encouraged Jane to reach out to her new friends for support and greater understanding for the world outside of the careful playpen that her mother made for Jane’s life.

In them Jane found the courage and inspiration to begin reaching out for things she wanted, transforming from a mascot to a cheerleader and finally feeling seen by someone. As confidence building as that is, getting her first boyfriend perhaps gives Jane a greater boost of esteem and for the first time, Jane’s entirely life felt perfectly on schedule, attacks by sea witches aside.

———

Her life planned from the beginning, Jane is expected to be the Fairy Godmother one day and headmistress of the school, it’s not a secret she’s meant to replace her mother and be everything she is, but without magic. Content to follow in her mother’s footsteps, it’s easy to agree to her mothers plans on her career when Jane’s focus is elsewhere.

Still the same little girl wanting to play princess at heart, Jane is a romantic that dreams of her future with a loved one, confident that at last her happy ending is playing like it’s meant to. She knows the stories, that you grow up and go through a noteworthy event, you meet your true love and eventually you’re married.

The Coronation was her noteworthy event and Jane never questioned that Carlos was the one when he asked her to Cotillion, officially becoming her first boyfriend. Their relationship lets Jane feel like everything is falling into place and granting her everything she ever wished for. By being with Carlos, she has inclusion into his friends group and having a boyfriend means she isn’t alone. Having proof that she’s desirable to one person boosts her self esteem and gives her faith that everything will work out in the end because it has to, it’s her happy ending.

That certainty remained with Jane all through Auradon Prep, her time spent making sure Carlos never doubted her adoration and striving to have her fairytale play out perfectly until the story twisted. Graduation brings with it new opportunities for everyone, but it also brings about a fork in the road where both Jane and Carlos have to admit it’s better if they split ways.

People in fairytales don’t break up and Jane knows it’s for the best, but she’s left with a sense of loss and the certainty that she’s missed her chance at a happy ending because things didn’t work out. Firmly reminded of her status as a sidekick instead of a princess, Jane tries to let go of her romantic aspirations to focus on her career, dedicating herself to growing into the person her mother always planned for her to be.

03 - POST CANON . When there is kindness, there is goodness. When there is goodness, there is magic.

At fourteen, Jane dreamed of living anywhere but in the same kingdom as her mother, of going off to college and spending her summer on a beach while mermaids swam in the bay, or waking up in the spring to throw open a window gazing at Sherwood forest to see flowers blooming. She had the grades, there wasn’t any reason why Jane couldn’t go anywhere she planned and graduating Auradon Prep felt like a finish line to cross to begin living life on her own terms, but it didn’t work out that way.

Single and with her mother praising her newfound dedication to establishing her career, Jane surrenders her dreams of going away somewhere to school and instead enrolls in online classes at MIT. Slowly Jane’s vision of herself fades away, her mother’s hands molding Jane’s future into a duplicate of herself.

Working hard to earn a place at Auradon Prep like her mother, Jane soon finds herself with a job that no one thinks she deserves, whispers of nepotism following wherever she goes. Despite the time it takes up, Jane refuses to surrender her role with helping to organize social events for the castle, the one job that Jane enjoys more than anything else she’d found. Perhaps she could never be a princess, but at least she could make other girls feel like they were.

It’s easy for life to feel empty when you’re always helping someone else live out your dreams. Classes were taken without making new friends, balls were arranged without expectations of being able to dance, and new couples were celebrated while Jane doubted she would ever be anyone’s girlfriend ever again.

You dated once and married in fairytales, Jane dated once and went through a break-up, she helped other people achieve their happy endings without having her own. Yet no matter how often she tells herself that, it doesn’t make it any easier, the stress and anxiety building as Jane struggles to live up to her mother’s ideals.

Each day feels the same, waking up, throwing herself into every little project she can find, trying to make her mother proud, and working until she’s ready to pass out. The longer Jane exists in that pattern, the more established it becomes until it seems she’ll never break free of it.

Until she moves out.

Nineteen and with her own place, Jane answers to her own rules for the first time, no longer hearing her mother’s comments about her bed or when she wakes up or what she’s wearing. No fear of the woman wanting to go through her phone or searching her room, it’s a breath of freedom that sparks the first change in Jane.

Years after the first arrival of the Isle born, scandals and political fights help tentative friendships forge connections of unbreakable steel, people call Jane ‘bestie’ and encourage her to be her own person instead of a copy of her mother. It’s the acceptance that was always so rare in Auradon, that feeling of belonging, and it’s enough for Jane to give up her job at Auradon prep and begin to figure out who she is when she takes charge of her own future.

04 - PRESENT . And Ella continued to see the world not as it is, but as it could be.

The shift in her life isn't one that can be attributed to any single moment in time, but Jane has slowly been changing throughout the years and as she finds people that welcome her close, she gravitates to them more than her mother. With her efforts no longer devoted to living out fairy godmother's life plan, jane's priority turns to the isle and doing what she can to take care of her friends.

Using up her vacation time and sick days to travel away from work for a tournament isn't a move her mother approves of, but there's nothing she can do to stop Jane. Time is available and Jane is young, a flight of fancy can be forgiven in a teenager even if it is disappointing, something fairy godmother made sure that Jane knew.

One trip could be forgiven, but a second mere weeks later could not. No matter the reason for the trip, jane and her mother saw it from radically different perspectives, what jane saw as an important political meeting to defend the rights of the isle and possibly forge diplomatic connections was a waste of time to Fairy Godmother, who accusing Jane of shirking her duties and proving she wasn't responsible or serious when it came to obligations to Auradon Prep.

Anger getting the better of her, Jane finally breaks the dream her mother has long held and tells the truth - she won't be future headmistress of AP and that she's quitting at the end of the year.

Jane not only attends the town hall, but streaks her hair red, the vibrant color a testament to her support of the isle as well as a declaration of her feelings towards a certain pirate. It's a move that draws scrutiny and disapproval from the media as well as her mother, but for once that isn't enough to stop Jane from doing what she wants to with her life, finally searching out the path that will lead her to happiness.

It's on this path to self discovery that Jane begins to shed her fears of her magic, experimenting in the hopes that her fae blood might be something that could lead to doing something for the place, the people she'd come to care so much about.

During a celebration on the Isle for Ulf Night, everything goes wrong.

She creates a bioluminescent tree to help shine light on the isle, its glow fueled by the feelings sparked in her by the night, but her happiness comes at a cost. Fairy Godmother has enemies on the isle and they don't enjoy the sight of her daughter roaming freely on the Isle, a tourist in what's been their prison, and the sight of her so freely using magic when such a thing in Auradon would earn some a prison sentence is too much for the patience.

Jane is soft and unguarded, she's easy prey for a group of attackers no matter how many months she's spent learning self defense from the Lost Revenge crew, and a blow to the head finally brings her down.

When she wakes again, she's locked up in a cell, held prisoner on the Isle without any expectation of rescue. She schemes of how to break free, of biting at her captors and stealing a sword, determined to break free when she couldn't depend on anyone else to help her.

The invasion of the pirates proves Jane wrong about that and they continued to prove her wrong as she is kept aboard the Lost Revenge to heal. Recovering takes weeks into months, but Jane grows stronger and fills her hours with crafts, creating things with her hands as a way of expressing gratitude she doesn't have the words for. There in the medbay of the ship, Jane feels safe and happy, a sense of belonging that's been foreign her entire life, and when she's well enough to leave, Jane doesn't go far.

After being fired by email and receiving word from her mother that amounts to being told not to talk with her unless Jane resumes living life in accordance to Fairy Godmother's ideals, there's little to keep Jane in Auradon and she happily gives up the apartment she can no longer afford in favor of moving in to the apartment behind the Chip Shoppe on the Isle, her life again reshaping itself as she adjusts to living on the Isle and creating her own path.

#⁕ kindness is free ; love is free ⋯ [ headcanons ]

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rungalwaysheretolisten · 4 years ago

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Transformers Armada Review episodes 1-4 Season 1

I am putting the read more so that you do not have to read all of this if you do not want to. This is a review for episodes 1-4 season 1 and again, a reminder, these are my thoughts, if you don’t agree with what I have to say that fine but please respect my thought and opinions on what I think about the serious.

This is the review for episode 1-4 I would like to call the introduction to Transformers Armada.

Why? Because that is what it is, the whole 4 episodes are establishing the series and what to somewhat expect for the rest of season one. As I began watching season one with my twin Jamie who was with me to talk about the serious, we both started talking about how we got into the Transformers fandoms, and I believed at least to my memory, Transformers Armada was the serious we were introduced to the Transformers.

I am not sure if we might have been introduced by our father way longer than that with G1 but as far as I can remember Transformers Armada was something my sibling and I watch in the garage at our home. Why the garage? Well, I don’t really remember why but I think it was because the tv was out there for some time, and it was a way for us to watch something we wanted to watch while our other family members watch what they wanted to watch inside. We also watch it at our neighbor's house and I think Transformers Armada might have been showing on Tsunami/Adult Swim. I not sure because when we thought about it another question came into both my and my sibling minds.

Is Transformers Armada an anime or a cartoon? That was a question we wanted to ask you guys because there are many reasons why it could be an anime and why it might not be. My reason I think it an anime is because of how it is anime. Transformers for me at least look like anime, from the way the eyes on the humans look, the way the transformers look so amazing when they start to fight. It also at some times look bad and some anime can look bad sometimes too. There are so many moments where the humans look so odd, or like with Rad, his neck might be too long or they don’t look that detailed. Or when some of the Autobots look like they were quickly sketched then drawn.

The reason for that is, well, it hand drew, and with the time they need to release episodes for this very first season, they probably really had to move fast and something came out wrong. But it, not a big deal for me as I am pretty sure as the series goes on the animation for everything gets way better. With that said tell me or comment if you think Transformers is anime or a cartoon.

So, after watching all four episodes what do I think about it? Well, I think they are okay, there not the greatest because there a lot of exposition when it comes to them repeating things we already know. Like when the next episode begins again they talk about what happens and even recap vents we already know, but that not necessarily a bad thing. Why, because if you did miss episode one on tv and you were starting episode three, you wouldn’t be lost and you quickly be told what going on. So in a way that is very clever but with things differently and being able to just watch it online, it does become annoying and I can see why a lot of people don’t like that.

Another thing is that we are introduced to the characters and right away you know what they are like, for example, we know Carlos, his best friend sidekick. We know that Rad's other friend get them into this mess in the first place, we have Alexia who is a smart girl who best friends and come along for the fun, and then the bullies who become friends. The human characters are a very loud and child-like wonder, which is fine but can be sometimes annoying.

There is are times where Rad just explains too much or wines a bit, Carlos makes some funny jokes but also can be a bit annoying, and Alexia always seems like she is upset or angry with them and also wines a bit or act a bit of “I’m the cool kid” when really there a big ass nerd just as much as they are. Plus we get the bully that Skinny name Billy, bully that fat and clumsy name Fred but honestly, I like Fred because I had a friend who was like Fred that did bully me but became my friend in school so that is not a bit surprising. But I feel where the kids are somewhat annoying, is where the Transformers are so much cooler and are very simple to know about there personally right away without it being somewhat annoying.

Like Hotshot who was my favorite as a kid is the young rebel kid, Red Alter who is the Mangus of the group, where he very stiff and do thing the books guy. Then Optimus Prime being this hero who comes to save the day. Megatron the villain and also full of himself leader, Starscream which is more completed because in the being he is acting like his normal typical self was he full of himself a bit, and act high and mighty.

What is odd for me is because I thought this Starscream was a bit different, who listen to Megatron commands and was already second in command, which I found very odd that was even debated when Demolisher had that big fight and said he wanted to be in changed but then I remember that this was the first season and they still figured out Starscream probably which when we do get into Starscream episode I plan to explain more about why I think he is a well-written character. I not going to say much here about Starscream here because

I wait till his episode come but I want to keep this in the back of my mind at the end of episode four, we hear that Starscream was punished, we don’t see how he was punished for not listen to Megatron but when we get to Starscream episode that was I’m going to point out this episode again and talk about it in more detail, but I have to say that was a very clever way of doing that and I can’t help but think that was intentional for Starscream character.

Then we have the last two Decepticons Cyclonus who is very annoying and in my opinion is don’t have a purpose at least of right now with the serious, and demolisher who I also don’t like that much but think there could be some potential with him, which I go into later in the other reviews but for know just think he not that bad vs Cyclonus. Finally, The mini-cons which I find are the most interesting part of this whole 4 episodes because of course this is all about them, about why there here and connects to the story of the Autobots, Decepticons and helps bring in new people into the serious while introducing a new idea about having smaller bots giving bigger bots power-ups for them to fight. Each one doesn’t talk only making beep boop sounds which even make the most mysterious and odd when the humans can talk to them when they have touched them, or that the

Autobot and Decepticons can talk to the one they partner with. In some of the episodes, we even learn that they even know some of the mini cons names and were partners with them a long time ago during the war, like with Optimus and leader one. The only thing I find odd in episode three when it comes to Megatron he doesn’t recognize him for a moment. He looks confused, then we hear him say the min-cons name, and what I got from that and I find interesting, is that Optimus right away remember his mini cons, vs Megatron who forgot about his, it shows how Megatron just use others for his own game and don’t care about them at all, that he only wants power and will use anyone to get that power. I plan to go more into deep with this when we get into the Starscream episode but for now, I just find this very interesting in his character.

Overall the episodes were okay, they had okay, animations, there was something that could have been changed like them repeating things we already knew about, and I think they were still working on some of the characters mostly Starscream and again, I find the transformers more interesting then the children but I think that kinda the point of that is to make the transformers more interesting vs the kids. So would I say watch this episode, again, you're not missing much if you skip on it because there easy to find out what going on however, I think to just learning about the min-cons back story and to see how the character grow you could watch this episode and find something out of it to enjoy, but again, it would not be amiss if you did skip these episodes.

So yeah, that my take on these episodes will be reviewing on Sunday night episodes 5-8.

#rung mun is talking again #Transformers Armada review by Rung mun #Transformers Armada #Starscream #megatron #HotShot #red alert #demolisher #cyclonus #Transfomers Armada

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ayellowcurtain · 4 years ago

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Hey!!! I wanted to ask if you could do a story where all the parallel universe noorhelms come together for some reason I would love to see that

(hey!!! so so sorry for the half-year long wait, anon. It’s a lot of people to take care of and I struggled a little bit, but I finally managed! So sorry again <3)

Mia feels a little weird, too self-aware. Alex’s place is huge and he used to host the biggest parties, but this is different, not a fuck boy party type of scenario. It’s like a double date, times six. She talked to Zoe, she and Senne are in a grey area type of situation too, just like Mia and Alex.

Hopefully, everyone will survive tonight.

Thankfully, Zoe heard when Mia begged her to get there as soon as possible. Being left alone with Alex for more than a few hours was dangerous. And even with people there, Mia knew it wouldn’t be easy.

“So...you and Alex?” Zoe asks while they’re putting the plates and cups on the table and Alex and Senne are busy, going in and out the apartment to bring all the drinks inside.

And that’s a very good question. It’s hard to let go of them for Mia. Alex is her dream guy and that’s hard for her to admit, seeing how hard it is for her to fall for a man. They’re fucked up equally and there’s no bullshit between them so it makes so many problems easier to deal with. But Mia also feels like her life is out of her hands when she’s with them. Having to consult someone to make any decision annoys her too much.

She needs time to figure herself out and Alex is giving her that, but they’re still close so it’s tempting to watch him all the time and not kiss him.

“I don’t know, it’s still complicated. You and Senne? still hiding for your friends?” Zoe laughs and shrugs and Mia wishes it was that easy for her and Alex.

The boys are finally done with the drinks and a minute later, the intercom is ringing and the house starts to get crowded, just like Mia wanted, to keep her from thinking about being at Alex’s place after so long. There’s no time for her to talk to Alex and that’s good.

Charles, Noah and Alejandro couldn’t come so they’ve a little more space and peace and the boys are obviously outnumbered. Liv wants to go out after dinner, to explore the city and maybe take some pictures, go to a club. Manon doesn’t seem too excited to go, constantly on her phone, but Nora insists and Alex sits down with them to show the best clubs, some that he knows a friend of a friend that can get them inside.

As times goes by and they’re all more relaxed, eating Zoe’s delicious food, Mia hears some conversation that Manon and Charles are not together anymore. Liv and Noah are having problems too. Alejandro and Nora are not a couple.

She looks at Zoe and feels a little stupid for be giving Alex a hard time when all these amazing girls have actual shitty boyfriends.

Senne is constantly around Zoe, making sure she’s having fun, and Edoardo and Ele are constantly holding hands, smiling, constantly moving together like magnets. Grace starts talking to avoid the awkward silence about shitty boyfriends, Daniel apparently lived in Berlin for a while so he also has some tips of where the girls can go after dinner.

Mia smiles when Alex gets excited, talking so passionately about their city. He talks about her friends like they are his friends too and Mia is happy he feels like that. She opens her phone and shows pictures of everyone and Alex complements the photos with some parties they all went too or weird situations they all went through. He even talks about Carlos and Kiki and how good they are together and how happy they are living together.

Ele talks about the fights all of Edo’s friends started a few times to defend one of her close friends. He rolls his eyes and explains that he wasn’t thinking what he was holding was a chair when he hit someone. Senne and Alex get really excited about that, complaining about Zoe and Mia not understanding when they hit some assholes with things that were a lot smaller than a chair.

The night goes by so quickly and Mia wishes they all had more time together. At first she and Manon thought there was way too many beers and wine, but they’re almost running out of wine when Liv and Nora decided to finally go to the club Daniel and Alex suggested them to go.

Alex goes downstairs with them while he calls some of his rich friends and everyone that stays helps Mia wash the dishes and put everything away.

Edo looks around, talking about how he would never be able to afford such a modern place in Rome. Ele complains that he doesn’t have to, since he likes the USA so much and Daniel and Grace laugh, saying he’s just staying at the wrong state in America.

Mia lets them all have that argument and she goes to talk to Senne and Zoe, it’s been a while since Mia talked to someone in flemish and there’s no better opportunity than this one. She’s sitting on the couch when Alex comes back, telling everyone that the girls finally got a cab and he got them to go to the best club in Berlin for free.

#zoenne #winterberg #incantava #noliv #manon demissy #nora grace #grace x daniel

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harvestleaves · 5 years ago

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Take a Breath

Prompt 1: Are you taking requests for your TK with asthma series? If so I'd love to see one with him and Carlos. I know Carlos showed to the rescue in the 1st one but maybe they're on a call together and TK has an attack and he tries to hide it from everyone bc he knows they're busy but Carlos notices and takes care of him... idk I'd just love a tarlos one

Prompt 2: Idk if you’d write it, but: TK has an asthma attack in the middle of sex with Carlos.. or, if you don’t want to write that, TK has a really bad asthma attack during a call

A/N: I chose to combine these two since I’m not sure I’d write a sex scene with them well enough, so this is Carlos helping TK when he has an attack on a call they meet up at. You can also read this on AO3 here.

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,170

Carlos sighed heavily as he pulled up to the fire scene, already spotting TK in his gear talking with Judd. A smile appeared on his lips when he caught TK’s eye and waved to his boyfriend before he got out to help one of his coworkers secure the perimeter so no spectators got close to the fire. He’d been hesitant to let TK go into work since he was coming off the tail end of a chest cold and he didn’t want the other to overexert himself and end up having an asthma attack.

TK looked good from what he could see, and he trusted Judd to take care of his boyfriend and to let him know if something was wrong. It was TK he was usually unsure about, knowing his boyfriend's tendency to not care about his own well being while on a call.

“You sure you’re up for this? I heard you wheezing back at the firehouse, the last thing I want is you having another attack.”

TK looked over at Judd with a frown at his words before he grabbed his helmet with a glare.

“I’m fine, why does everyone keep worrying about me? Carlos almost didn’t let me go to my shift today, and now you? I mean, I know you have a heart now, but I didn’t think he’d recruit you to try and keep me grounded.”

“Hey, I didn’t talk with your boy before we left, but I could hear your shitty breathing halfway across the kitchen. Even with the amount of coffee you were trying to drink. Did you take your inhaler before we left?” Judd asked curiously before he started to give out orders.

“Yes, big brother. I did take it,” TK huffed with a frown and a roll of his eyes, moving to step closer to the flames before Judd reached out and grabbed his bicep to turn him around.

“Hey, look me in the eyes and tell me you’re up for this. Otherwise, I’ll have you doing crowd control with your boy.”

TK leveled Judd with a glare as he yanked his arm away. “I’m fine Judd. Promise.”

The long wheeze that followed TK’s words didn’t fully convince Judd. However, Paul yelling for him and TK didn’t really leave Judd to argue with the younger man on the subject as he turned to go back to running the call.

----------

TK let out a shaky sigh of relief at the end of their call and made his way over to the rig to sit down, stifling a few congested coughs as he rubbed a hand over his chest.

Noticing that TK's breathing was ragged, Carlos frowned and moved to crouch down in front of his boyfriend, setting a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

“Tyler? Babe, you okay? Do you have your inhaler on you?”

TK shook his head with another cough before he winced and looked up at his boyfriend with wide eyes, Carlos’ heart breaking at how scared TK looked.

“Tiger, you can’t keep doing this to yourself. You need to start telling people if you’re having trouble breathing. I know everyone else has told you the same thing,” Carlos sighed as he moved to cup TK’s face, stroking his cheek with his thumb before he slid an inhaler out of his pocket.

“Now, take a breath for me, Tiger.”

TK raised an eyebrow in surprise as the inhaler was brought up to his mouth and he took a ragged breath of the medicine, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to regulate his breathing.

“That’s it, baby, just breathe for me. You’re okay,” Carlos cooed softly as he pressed a kiss to TK’s temple before he looked over to where Judd was shooting him a worried look before waving the older man over.

“Tiger? I’m gonna step away to talk to Judd really quickly, I just need you to try your inhaler again. Okay?”

The nod TK sent his way was enough for Carlos as he stepped to the side to talk to Judd.

“How’s the kid? He was wheezing back at the station, but he said he took his stuff before the call,” Judd frowned as he caught Carlos’ shoulder, sneaking another glance back at his younger brother.

“He’s still wheezy. I carry his back up inhaler, but I think he needs a breathing treatment. Is it okay if I take him? I think he’d be more comfortable if I took him to my place, let him relax and take his meds with fewer people around,” Carlos explained as he looked back at TK as well.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Keep me posted on how he’s doing,” Judd nodded as he turned toward’s TK and ruffled his hair gently. “I’ll check in on you later, feel better kiddo.”

“C’mon babe. Let’s get you to my place. I’ll let you get a shower while I get a treatment going for you.” Carlos helped TK to his feet and over to his cruiser, buckling the smaller man into the passenger’s seat before he hopped behind the wheel.

----------

“I’m gonna grab a bag to put your gear in and I’ll call to have Judd come pick it up to take it back to the station to get cleaned, then I’ll grab you some clothes. Your job is to get into that shower and wash all the dust and smoke off, I don’t need it irritating your lungs any more than it already has,” Carlos stated firmly as he pointed TK towards the bathroom before grabbing a trash bag for all of TK’s gear.

He returned to the bathroom holding some black sweatpants and a navy Austin PD hoodie for TK, setting the fresh clothes on the counter before he gathered up the gear, placing it into the bag for pickup before he set it in his garage.

TK shuffled out to the living room with a shy smile to Carlos after his shower, his chest still rattling as he wrapped his arms around Carlos’ waist for a hug, the baggy sleeves of the sweatshirt falling over his hands like mittens.

“You sound a little bit better, I think the steam helped your lungs a little. I’ve got a neb prepped in the bedroom and a movie ready to go. Though I will drag you to the ER if it doesn’t help. Deal?” Carlos ran his fingers through TK’s damp hair as the other nodded against his shoulder, a small laugh rumbling in his chest as TK nodded in agreement.

Once Carlos had TK settled under a blanket with the nebulizer mask over his face, he ran his hand up and down the others’ back. The gentle misting sound lulling TK’s eyelids shut despite the medicine increasing his heart rate. Although he should feel wired from the medicine, the feeling of finally being able to breathe, coupled with Carlos holding him close was making him sleepy, finally feeling relaxed and safe despite the panic he had been feeling less than an hour ago.

#9 1 1 lone star #tk strand #carlos reyes #tarlos #tarlos fic #judd ryder

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weekendwarriorblog · 4 years ago

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The Weekend Warrior Is Back!!! Raya and the Last Dragon, Chaos Walking and More

Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior!

This is probably going to be a little different from any of my previous columns, because New York City theaters reopen on Friday, and I swore that once they do, I would be writing about box office again. But this will also essentially be a previous column, so it will include reviews, it will include festivals and repertory series, and basically, whatever the hell I want to write about.

But let’s be realistic here. While there are a lot of movie theaters in New York City, not all of them will open, and they’ll all still have a capacity ceiling at 25% or 50 people in the larger theaters. Many of the larger multiplexes like AMC will be able to show films on two, three or more screenings to be able to make up for the limited capacity, but smaller theaters and those who have been doing well with the virtual cinema may remain closed. I know that the Angelika will be reopening to show some of the indies that haven’t had a theatrical release in NYC yet like Minari, and the IFC Center is reopening but with insanely strict protocols. (Don’t you DARE take off your mask even if you’re watching a three-hour movie! The good news is that they’re showing a lot of great movies on reopening including a comedy series that includes a number of Lynn Shelton movies.)

There’s also the issue of New Yorkers who are still petrified of being out in public, even those who have already been vaccinated and are possibly spending time in congregate settings that are just as likely to cause COVID spread than movie theaters. (I’m not gonna go on a rant about the egotistical and elitist film critics and journalists who have been ranting about movie theaters reopening for the past six months – for some reason, they think they’re as important as essential workers. Guess what, NAME REDACTED, you’re not.)

The big release of the weekend is the Disney animated movie RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, which will hit probably around 2,400 theaters on Friday as well as be available for a premium on Disney+. I honestly don’t know a ton about this premium streaming release, but this is the second one after last year’s Mulan, which came out (better sit down for this) six months ago!

This magical fantasy adventure centers around Raya (a teen girl voiced by Kelly Marie Tran), who is trying to save her world that has been relegated to dust by the destruction of a valuable magical gem that contains destructive spirits imprisoned there by the legendary dragons. When Raya finds the last dragon, Sihsu (voiced by Awkwafina), the two of them must travel across the land collecting the separated pieces of the gem to reassemble them and restore their world. Raya is thwarted along the way by her arch-nemesis Namaari (Gemma Chan) who wants to reunite the gem pieces to help her own city of Fang.

(Raya is preceded by the animated short Us Again, which is a nice wordless short about a cranky old man who reflects back on his younger days dancing with his wife. It’s okay, nothing particularly memorable.)

Raya and the Last Dragon, on the other hand, is pretty wonderful, a mix of action, adventure, magic and humor, directed by Don Hall (Big Hero Six) and Carlos Lopez Estrada (Blindspotting) in a way that blends those disparate elements in fun ways. I’ll freely admit that I was a little worried that Akwafina’s schtick was going to annoy me, but after a while her wise-cracking dragon grows on you. In fact there are actually so many other funny characters to add to the laughs that the more brought in the mix on Raya and Sihsu’s journey, the more enjoyable the film gets.

One of the reasons the film works as well as it does is that unlike last year’s Onward, it wasn’t just the two characters and what they had to offer but how their situation changes as it goes along and they visit different cities. I was pretty surprised by how well the film keeps you entertained and invested in the journey.

I also absolutely loved the score by Thomas Newton Howard, which may be even better than his score for News of the World, which I honestly think he’ll get another Oscar nomination for. This is a film that explores all sorts of emotions as well as its Southeast Asian myths, so I feel that I was always going to be a complete and total patsy for this movie since it combines a lot of things I like such as fantasy and Asian mythology. In that sense, Raya is also a nice companion to the recent Mulan, which made my Top 10 last year, but sadly never even got a nominal theatrical release.

So let’s talk about box office, something I haven’t done in almost a year. Last weekend, Warner Bros’ Tom and Jerry had a fairly spectacular opening of $13.7 million. Raya is the first new wide release Disney movie since Pixar’s Onward literally a year ago. That ended up opening to $39 million in 4,310 theaters but only grossed $61.5 million domestic after its legs were cut short by COVID one week later. Raya will likely open in about 2,500 theaters by comparison and that’s with limited capacity for safety, but it should fare decently against the second weekend of Tom & Jerry, and I could easily see it bringing in $15 million or even as much as $18 million, but again, we’re in the baby steps part of the reopening, and things are going to start slowly and keep building as the vaccine continues rolling out.

Being released theatrically by Lionsgate this Friday is CHAOS WALKING, the adaptation of Patrick Ness’ future-set young adult novel The Knife of Never Letting Go, which stars Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley. Holland plays Todd Hewitt, a young man living in a world with no women where men’s thoughts can be perceived by everyone around them. One day, he discovers a mysterious girl named Viola (Ridley), when she crash lands on this planet but her very presence puts Viola’s life in danger, so Todd agrees to accompany her to find her own people.

Yeah, where do I even begin with the latest film from director Doug Liman that was probably filmed two or three years ago and was being delayed even before COVID came along? That’s already a bad sign, but when see how “The Noise,” the way that we hear all of characters’ thinking emerges, it immediately feels like it’s gonna be a problem. Sure enough, it’s such an awkward plot device to watch smoke billowing from the heads of the various characters as we hear their thoughts that it takes most of the movie to get used to it, and yet, it’s still so comically inept a concept that you can’t help but laugh when Holland continually rants, “My Name is Todd Hewitt,” over and over to keep Ridley’s Viola to hear his pubescent teen boy thoughts on experiencing his first girl.

The thing is that the scenes with just Holland and Ridley aren’t bad, but when you have a movie with actors like Mads Mikkelsen, David Oyelowo, Demian Bechir and Cynthia Erivo, it’s disappointing that they can’t elevate the movie above anything other than the most obvious sci-fi (and Western) pastiches. Mikkelsen is the town mayor who is so obviously another bad guy, that he doesn’t bother to put too much into his performance cause we’ve seen him do it so many times before.

Liman is more than a competent filmmaker but he clearly is unaware of how watching clouds pool around the heads of characters as we hear and see their thoughts become material, and even the introduction of the particularly silly-looking aliens – called, get this, the “Spackle” -- makes you forget that this is a sci-fi film from the director of Edge of Tomorrow (or whatever it ended up being called). It’s not even particularly surprising when we find out what really happened to the women in Todd’s community.

I have a feeling that the problems within Chaos Walking come straight from the Patrick Ness source material and the fact that he decided to adapt it himself may have made him tone-deaf to how hard it is to make the film’s central premise work without eliciting guffaws even from the most dedicated or devout fans.

This is also opening in IMAX theaters this weekend, and when it comes to New York, that might be the ideal way to see it (if you so choose) since it’s generally bigger theaters with a maximum of fifty people. Honestly, I don’t think Chaos Walking will make more than $5 million this weekend even in what should be over 2,000 theaters and with the presumed star power of Holland and Ripley from their franchise work. This could be seen as counter-programming from the animated movie, although any teens ready to go back to the movies might stick with Raya as well. Honestly, how this didn’t end up getting dumped to streaming compared to some of this weekend’s better movies is beyond me.

Offering a bit of indie counterprogramming for the two (relatively) big studio movies is Eddie Huang’s BOOGIE, the directorial debut of the Fresh Off the Boat producer, being released by Focus Features into who knows how many theaters? (1,000 or less, I’d Imagine.) It’s a coming-of-age movie starring Taylor Takahashi as Alfred “Boogie” Chin, a Queens high school basketball ace who dreams of one day playing in the NBA but whose temper gets him in trouble with the scouts for college where he’s hoping to get a scholarship.

I was kind of looking forward to this one, because I generally enjoy Fresh Off the Boat, and I’m interested in what stories Huang has to offer as a filmmaker. The film has its merits but it’s not necessarily Takahashi, who isn’t strong enough to really keep the viewer’s interest.

On the other hand, Huang was wise to cast the amazing Taylour Paige (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) as Boogie’s love interest and even better than both is Pamelyn Chee as Boogie’s “Tiger Mom” mother who is sugary sweet when it comes to wooing possible recruiters but also is a complete nightmare to his ex-con father (Perry Yung).

Thinking back on the movie, I definitely didn’t hate it as there were character relations and dynamics I enjoyed, but not all of it clicked with me, and it’s hard to imagine this one connecting with audiences as well as some of the other movies out this week, unless you’re into college hoops, which I am not.

As far as box office, I’m not sure this will be in more than 1,250 theaters (if even that) and even if it plays in New York City (where it would normally find its biggest audience), I just don’t think there’s much awareness for the movie out there. In fact, I see it only playing in one movie theaters in NYC, and that’s way up in Harlem, presumably hoping to get the street ball fans, but I’m not so sure too many up there will be interested in an Asian-American story, so honestly, I don’t think this will make more than $500,000 or $600,000 tops.

Besides the reopening of movie theaters, the other big excitement this week is the launch of Paramount+, the relaunch, spin-off, rebranding of CBS All Access that I had also been considering checking out. It will launch on Thursday, March 4, with the animated family movie THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN, which was supposed to be released by Paramount Pictures last year and did get a bit of a theatrical release in Canada while theaters were open there last year. This one involves SpongeBob and his buddy Patrick trying to retrieve SpongeBob’s beloved pet snail Gary, who has gone missing.

I generally enjoyed the first to SpongeBob movies, even though I never watched the show, and the regular creators and voice actors always seem to step up their game in terms of the wackiness whenever they’re given a chance to bring the lunacy to the big screen. In this case, it comes in the form of some of the guests including Snoop Dog and Danny Trejo in an odd Western section complete with musical number or Keanu Reeves introduced in the same section as a tumbleweed named Sage. (Oddly, this also features Awkwafina providing the voice of a robot, and I kind of liked her in more of a subdued role like this.) Although SpongeBob and his friends are CG animated, the movie doesn’t try too hard to integrate the live action in as fluid a way as last week’s Tom and Jerry – live actors just kind of show up – but it’s still pretty darn entertaining to watch another movie in which everyone involved, including director Tim Hill (who shockingly directed last year’s awful The War with Grandpa!), just going about making the movie as crazy and wacky as possible, something that should appeal to kids and… THC-laced adults (preferably not those watching with kids) … to get an overall enjoyable experience. Maybe it’s no surprise that I was particularly tickled with SpongeBob and Patrick’s adventures in Las Vegas.

Along with that, the streamer will have a new animated series called KAMP KORAL: SPONGEBOB’S UNDER YEARS, which is a CG-animated series that focuses on SpongeBob and friends when they were younger, which actually is one of the funnier bits in the movie as well.

There’s a lot of great stuff coming to Paramount+ that should make it a real player in the streaming world, and that includes all of the Paramount movies that will be streaming on it, both those that are getting a theatrical release this year and the studio’s absolutely vast library over the past 100 or so years.

And that’s not all! This weekend also sees the release of the sequel thirty years in the making, COMING 2 AMERICA, which will launch on Amazon Prime Video on Friday (after being sold to the streamer by Paramount, oddly), so yeah, there’s plenty of options to keep people home this weekend even with theaters reopening.

Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall are back as Prince (now King) Akeem of Zamunda and his trusty aide Semmi, and in fact, almost every character and actor from the movie has returned, as the duo return to America to find Akeem’s illegitimate son Lavelle (Jermayne Fowler) in queens, hoping to teach him the Zamundan way so he can take over as King after him. Unfortunately, Lavelle is joined in Zamunda with his family which includes mother Leslie Jones and uncle Tracy Jordan.

Unfortunately, reviews are embargoed until Thursday, so I’m not sure I’ll get to review this one, but I did like the movie, more than I thought because my rewatch of the original 1989 movie led me to believe there was a good reason I hadn’t watched it in over thirty years. The sequel offers a lot of originality and humor in the forms of Leslie Jones and Tracy Jordan, but that’s all I’ll say about it for now.

Incidentally, you can check out an interview I did with director Craig Brewer over at Below the Line AND I also talked to the film’s make-up team, and after you see the movie, you’ll understand why I’m holding it until after people have seen the movie.

Another movie that would probably have gotten a theatrical release but now will be seen on Hulu is the Joe Carnahan-directed BOSS LEVEL, reteaming him with long-time collaborator Frank Grillo as a man who cannot die, because he’s living in a single day that’s being repeated over and over as he takes on a series of assassins sent to kill him.

This as a really fun action-comedy that never lets down in terms of either half of that genre, and it’s kinda groovy to see Mel Gibson playing a fairly key role since he became the master of that action genre with the Lethal Weapon movies. But this really is Frank Grillo’s show as a leading man, and while I can understand some thinking him not having enough charisma for that sort of thing, I respectfully disagree.

We get into this high-concept premise pretty quickly as we watch his character, Roy Pulver, take on a string of assassins for his over 100th attempt to do so, and as per the title, it is a lot like a video game where Roy has to defeat all of the assassins on his way to the big boss, Gibson’s The Colonel. Apparently, Roy’s wife Gemma (Naomi Watts) has been killed by the Colonel or his thug (Will Sasso) so Roy is now on a quest for revenge. But first he has to survive the onslaught of killers, all of whom he’s given cute nicknames.

Easily my favorite of the killers is Selina Lo’s Guan Yin, a feisty swordswoman who proves to be the most formidable opponent for Roy. I won’t say how he bests her, but it does involve Michelle Yeoh, who has such a strange nothing appearance in one section of the movie, you wonder what she’s doing there. In fact, the movie does hit a slight lull after the initial concept is introduced, but it

Listen, I’ve long been a fan of Carnahan’s dark sense of humor and to some, it might seem mini-spirited, to me it harks back to one of my favorite movies he directed, Smokin’ Aces, a similar movie with a crazy ensemble cast, though maybe a slightly smaller budget. Still, Carnahan is a terrific action director, which makes this one of the stronger action movies in a while, and he finds a way to take a fairly simple premise and make it bigger in that Roy’s dilemma turns into something where he has to save the world, but also something more emotional and personal as he tries to bond with his son before said world ends. I guess in many ways, it’s hard to put into words what makes Boss Level so special, but I can only hope that Ryan Reynold’s Free Guy is as good as this after being delayed so many times, because this will be a tough act to follow for sure.

Over at the Metrograph, still closed physically unfortunately, they’re doing a series this week called “David Fincher/Kirk Baxter” which looks at the relationship between the director and his frequent editor, showing a series of movies over the course of the week: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network

The Metrograph has a lot of movies as part of its digital membership (just $5 a month) including Chloé Zhao’s very first film, Songs My Brother Taught Me, which was available to members through Wednesday night. (Sorry, I tweeted about it multiple times if you missed it.)

This week also launches the 26th annual “Rendezvous with French Cinema” up at Film at Lincoln Center, which was actually one of the LAST events to happen up there LAST year. This year, they’re keeping things safe by holding it virtually. It runs from March 4 through March 14, kicking off on Thursday with Sébastien Lifshitz’s Little Girl, which will be released by Music Box Films in the Fall. There’s a lot of fairly recent French films with an all-access pass available to rent all 18 films for $165. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen anything, so can’t really recommend anything but I’ll probably be checking out the free talk “How Music Makes the Film” on Monday, March 8.

Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood) and Sigourney Weaver star in Philippe Falardeau’s MY SALINGER YEAR (IFC Films), based on Joanna Rakoff’s book. Set in New York of the ‘90s, Qualley plays Joanna, a grad school student who dreams of becoming a writer who gets hired as an assistant to literary agent Margaret (Weaver), whose biggest client is J.D. Salinger. Although Joanna’s role is more of a glorified secretary, she gets to go through Salinger’s fan mail from around the world, and she decides to start answering some of the letters to the author, an experience that helps her find her writers’ voice.

I wasn’t sure if this movie would be for me, but I find Qualley to be quite delightful, and this was a light film with a comedic tone from the Canadian filmmaker of the boxing movie, Chuck, and the Oscar-nominated Monsieur Lazhar. I enjoyed its look at the New York literary world of the 1990s, and it kept me quite invested even if I’m not particularly invested in Salinger’s work or an obsessive with The Catcher in the Rye as many are. Weaver is also fantastic as Joanna’s boss – think of a lighter version of Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada – and also enjoyed the tentative relationship between Joanna and her writer boyfriend Don, played by Douglas Booth.

Basically, Falardeau has created another generally wonderful and crowd-pleasing movie that sadly missed its opportunity at a festival run to build an audience after debuting at the Berlinale almost exactly a year ago. Presumably, this will open at the reopened IFC Center this weekend. (In fact, IFC Center released its reopening schedule and it’s a pretty cool mix of IFC Films movies from the past as well as some of the Netflix movies that weren’t released in NYC previously.)

Okay, let’s get to some other releases from the week, beginning with Ivan Kavanagh’s SON (RLJEfilms/Shudder), the latest film from the Irish director of The Canal, a fantastic horror film that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival about seven years back. In this one, Andi Matichak from Halloween plays a single mother whose son David (Luke David Blumm) suffers from all sorts of maladies but when she starts getting closer to a local detective (Emile Hirsch), he discovers that there’s a lot more to her past and to her son’s ailments.

Honestly, I do not want to say too much about the plot, because there are so many shocking surprises in the movie once you think you know where it’s going, although I will say that it has connections to films like The Lodge and shows like Servant, but it also does a good job fucking with the viewer’s head, so you never know what’s really happening and what might be in the characters’ heads.

I will say that the movie is very dark and quite disturbing with lots of gruesome gory sequences, but if you’re a fan of smart horror, you’ll want to check out Son. (I’ll have an interview with Kavanagh over at Below the Line next week.)

Sony Classics is finally releasing Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s doc THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS (Sony Classics), which has been playing on the virtual festival circuit all the way back to Sundance last year, so we’ll see how many people are left to see it. It’s set in the forests of Piedmont, Italy where a handful of 70-to-80-year-old men are on the hunt for the rare white Alba truffle, which has resisted all modern science to be cultivated.

For whatever reason, I procrastinated on watching this movie for most of last year, maybe because I’m not that big a fan of cinema verité docs, but this is infinitely entertaining between the various men featured – including a lot of real characters in there – and how the movie shows their close bond with their truffle-sniffing dogs. This is a genuinely enjoyable movie that I feel can appeal to a wide range of viewers, although be aware that is in Italian, so maybe one should consider that even with the cute dogs, this should probably be watched by teen or older rather than small kids. (I don’t remember anything particularly racy, but the movie is Rated PG-13.)

Staying in the dog realm, Magnolia Pictures is releasing Elizabeth Lo’s documentary STRAY on Friday, which documents the life of Zeytin, a stray dog living on the streets of Istanbul, and some of his dog frenemies. Actually, this was a pretty wonderful film that I quite enjoyed, although there were a few dog fight sequences that disturbed me a little bit. But it’s a great look at Turkey through the eyes of some of the canines on the street, how they interact with the humans around them. Essentially, Stray is the dog version of Kedi, but I’ve seen other similar docs like this including Los Reyes – this one is just as strong as either of those movies, the images of all the beautiful dogs accompanied by gorgeous string music by Ali Helnwein that helps you understand the dogs’ complex emotions. Seriously, if you like dogs, you can definitely do worse than the previous two movies mentioned. Stray is available via Virtual Cinema, including that of the Film Forum.

Filmmaker and EDM artist Quentin Dupieux (Rubber) is back with his latest, KEEP AN EYE OUT (Dekanalog), starring Belgian comedian Benoît Poelvoorde as police officer, Commissaire Buran, investigating a guy (Grégoire Ludig) who has discovered a dead body in a puddle of blood outside his apartment building. The prime suspect is then left alone with a one-eyed rookie, and if you’ve seen any of Dupieux’s other films, you’ll probably know to expect the unexpected as things get crazier and crazier. (I seem to remember seeing this last year at some festival, maybe FantasticFest, but I’ll have to watch again before remembering if this was one of Dupieux’s movies that I liked.) This will be available in select theaters and also in virtual cinema this Friday. (Oddly Dupieux’s last movie, Deerskin, debuted at last year’s “Rendezvous with French Cinema” right before theaters shut down for a year, and I don’t want to be superstitious, but yeah, I’m worried.)

Barnaby Thompson’s Ireland-set crime thriller PIXIE (Saban/Paramount) stars Olivia Cooke (Sound of Metal) and Alec Baldwin with Cooke playing Pixie Hardy, a young woman who wants to avenge her mother’s death by pulling off a heist that will allow her to leave her small town. The crime goes wrong, and she’s forced to team up with a group of misfits including Baldwin’s Father McGrath.

Bradley Parker’s action-thriller THE DEVIL BELOW (Vertical) deals with a team of researchers who are investigating a series of underground coal mines in Appalachian country that have been on fire for decades where they discover a mystery. It’s getting a combined theatrical, VOD and digital release Friday.

Phil Sheerin’s directorial debut THE WINTER LAKE stars Emma Mackey (Sex Education) as Holly, a young woman with a secret that’s uncovered by her unstable neighbor Tom (Anson Boon from Blackbird) and the two of them are pulled into a confrontation with her father, who wants to keep the family secret buried. This will be in select theaters on Friday, On Demand on Tuesday, March 9 and then on DVD March 23.

Dylan McCormick’s SOMETIME OTHER THAN NOW (Gravitas Ventures) stars Donal Logue and Kate Walsh, Logue playing Sam who is stranded in a small New England town after his motorcycle crashes into the ocean seeking refuge at a run-down motel run by Walsh’s Kate, a similarly run-down and lost soul. When Sam learns that his estranged daughter Audrey, who he hasn’t seen in 25 years, lives in the town, he starts to learn more about why he ended up there.

Jacob Johnston’s DREAMCATCHER (Samuel Goldwyn) stars Travis Burns as Dylan aka DJ Dreamcatcher who meets up with two estranged sisters at the underground music film festival, Cataclysm, where they become entrenched in 48 hours of violence and mayhem after a drug-fueled event. Sounds delightful.

Some of the other VOD stuff hitting the ‘net this week include: 400 Bullets (Shout! Studios), Sophie Jones(Oscilloscope), Dementer (Dark Star PIctures), Black Holes: The Edge of All We Know (Giant Pictures)

That’s it for this week. Next week, theaters hopefully will remain open, and we’ll have some new movies to write about.

#TheWeekendWarrior #Movies #Reviews #RayaAndTheLastDragon #ChaosWalking #SpongeBobMovie #BossLevel

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midoridragonuus · 4 years ago

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0408

< previous | compendium >

It's warm.

That's all they can think about.

It's warm... It's hot. Stifling hot. A summer breeze wouldn't make a dent in the humidity.

The sun itself leaves a beautiful golden sheen on their lover's hair. They can't help but run their grease-stained fingers through it. Light freckles of dirt are left behind. Neither of them care - apparent by their matching smiles.

"Coin for your thoughts?" the blond hummed, pushing his glasses up his nose until the reflection of the sun was no longer as blinding as his love for the person beside them.

"Bold of you to assume I can think."

Raucous laughter echoes the field. The wheat waves in a lazy summer heat, disturbed only by a duo of delicate movements.

"You're an idiot, Valley," the blond man snorts, fingers dropping to the dirt as they trace a pattern around the other's splayed hand.

"If I was an idiot, you wouldn't be here," Valthaas counters. They lift their right hand from the mud slowly hardening beneath the two of them. They clasp over the long pale fingers of the man beside them.

"No," he answers softly. "I wouldn't."

Cicadas fill the silence. There were so many in the fields that they could have premiered at an orchestral hall. Valthaas didn't mind, though. Bugs were no more of an issue than the oil in their shop or the grease in their machines. Engineering was dirty work. There wasn't a day that went by that they didn't have soot smeared on their cheeks or sweat soaked clothes from hours confined in a lab. Perhaps that's one of the reasons that he liked the field - very few people were willing to venture into it. Although it wasn't far from the University, most of their peers were... 'above frolicking.' They didn't want to get dirty, or waste time laying in the dusted fields when they could be studying. Perhaps, above all, that's why they liked the man laying at their side.

The feelings were mutual. The man was so tired of the pretentious assholes that littered the streets. He was tired of the sneers. Tired of the gossip. The snickering. He was tired of trying to impress others into appreciating his work. That's what drew him to Valthaas in the first place: Valley didn't care if he wasn't dressed for the occasion. They didn't care about his family lineage. Valthaas only cared about one thing: the science behind his theories.

They spent so many late nights together. As the double moons would shine in their windows, they'd be curled up together on the couch debating hypotheticals. Sharing food. Arguing the devil's advocate that would wind up creating the solution to one problem and cause several more. Science had brought them together, but it was the mutual benefit that bonded them. They both wanted company in an unfriendly place. It was a band-aid - one neither was ready to take off. It's why those nights under the same quilt, and the days spent waxing and waning under a summer sun were so addictive.

"Carrey?" Valthaas' voice rises higher than the shrine of bugs.

"Hm?" The other twists onto his side, smearing mud across a tattered overcoat. He doesn't so much as flinch - all the more endearing to the one staring him down.

"I..."

He knew what was coming. He could hear it in the hesitation in the back of Val's throat. It was a trepidation wrapped in feelings the two had sat on for years.

Carrey draws the other's fingers to his lips. Gentle kisses are the only rain that field would see for months. It was encouragement. Support. It was a way to let the other person know he'd return the sentiment tenfold.

Still. Valthaas can't find it within themselves to speak. The fear was paralyzing. Thankfully, Carrey would do it for him.

"I love you, too."

- x -

There's a single light in the darkness. It's a frozen blue, flashing the time in cruel, taunting numbers.

04:08

Again and again, until the eight turned into a nine, and continued its march forward. Valthaas could only watch, trying desperately to focus on the numbers rather than the pain that swelled with each flash of memory.

The way his nose would scrunch any time he disagreed. How his glasses were too big, and despite the offer to fit them properly, he always waived it away. How his hair shimmered like a nymph in the summer sun and how the moon would cause him to look like an ethereal being. How no one else noticed Carrey the way they did... It wasn't a mystery, of course, but it was something Valthaas was eternally grateful for.

At least, he was grateful. Until Carrey wasn't Carrey any more.

"The past is gone," they whisper, voice cracking in the dark. "It's gone. He's gone. It's not real. Not anymore."

At the sound of their master's voice, several robotics spark to life. There's distinctive beeping. There's the whirring of machines. It's the only lullaby Val can stand, anymore.

"Are you okay?" A tinny voice echoes the room. "I've detected your life signs in distress."

"Disregard," they whisper, head in their hands. "It's nothing."

"That dream again?"

KALLISTA was far too inquisitive for her own good. That was something he'd have to patch in the next update.

"I'll take your silence as a yes."

"I said disregard!" It was a harsh snap - one that caused several of the smaller bots to pause. Another wave of silence swept the room. Even KALLISTA didn't dare to poke further.

The minutes ticked by. The bots resumed their duties before returning to their charging stations and entering sleep mode. Valthaas merely laid in bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Sleep wouldn't come. Not for a long, long time.

- x -

"I didn't even say it!" they laugh, drawing the other on top. Carrey's body obscured the sun - and Val was okay with that. For all they cared, Carrey was their sun.

"Then say it," he answers. His long hair fell over his shoulders, tickling whatever skin is left exposed by Val's tank top. "Say what you mean, Valley."

Bright eyes bore into ones as green as peridot. Valthaas was sure they'd put the Windsinger to shame if they ever stood side by side. They were willing to bet their future career on it.

"Okay," they exhale. With a deep breath, they said what they'd meant to.

"I love you, Carlos Saavas."

#drabble #flight rising #c:valthaas

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video-killed-the-radio-host · 4 years ago

Note

Ghost/living person for Kevin and Carlos

I was so excited to get this ask you have no idea. I'm so glad to have an excuse to write Kevlos💛💜

CW for domestic abuse(not between Kevin and Carlos )

Carlos wasn't sure what to think when a new couple moves into his house, but there isn't much he can do about it, being dead and all. He moves into a corner in the living room and studies the pair.

The slightly shorter of the two held the obvious authority. This man's wardrobe likely cost more than Carlos made in his entire life. He had dark sharp eyes and dressed in all black.

The smaller but slightly taller man was clearly the submissive personality. He was almost unnaturally skinny but what catches Carlos's attention is the unnatural amber color of the man's eyes. They were so captivating that he didn't realize at first that they were trained on him. Not through him like most people, on him. Almost as if-

"Can you see me?" Carlos finds himself asking aloud.

The skinny man starts to respond but Carlos puts a quick hand up to stop him, not missing the heavy flinch from him. Interesting. "Don't answer out loud. I don't think he can see or hear me."

The other man is speaking now so Carlos turns away to face him.

"Kevin what the hell are you doing?"

Kevin- the skinner man, Carlos had put together- flinches again at the raised voice.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" Kevin's voice is soft.

Carlos turns to look at Kevin once again. It appeared that Kevin had taken one of the coffee mugs from the box he was holding but had dropped it onto the coffee table, chipping the handle. It wasn't much damage and didn't really warrant a huge reaction. Or at least Carlos didn't think so.

The man- Carlos decided to dub him Asshole- rips the cup from Kevin's hands and drops it onto the hardwood floor. Ceramic shards scatter across the floor. Kevin shuffles his feet to avoid being cut.

"There. Now it's trash too."

Kevin keeps his eyes down and seems to be trying to make himself smaller.

"Clean it up. I'm going out." And with that, Asshole leaves, slamming the door unnecessarily loudly behind him.

Carlos watched as Kevin slowly unfolds himself and kneels to pick up the shards. "Kevin?"

Kevin freezes, trembling violently. He keeps his head down but Carlos didn't need to see his face to see the fear there.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Carlos promises. "I can't even touch you." His attempt at a joke falls flat.

"Please move your foot." It's just over a whisper but makes Carlos look down.

A piece of the mug had ended up under his foot. Carlos moves his foot back. "Sorry."

Kevin doesn't speak. He gathers up the remaining glass and stares at the shards in his hands.

Carlos decided to try for a conversation. It's been ages since he talked to anyone. "Was that mug important to you?"

There's a long stretch of silence before Kevin speaks again. "One of my clients gave it to me."

"Clients?"

"I help kids find a good forever home." Kevin stands and presses his lips together, clearly trying not to cry.

"Maybe I can fix it?"

"How? You're dead." Kevin says rather bluntly before shrinking back. "I'm sorry. That-that was rude."

Carlos chuckles. "Yes. I am. But I still may be able to help." He kneels down beside the living man. "Can I see?"

Kevin offers him the handful of glass. Carlos squeezes his eyes shut as he does his best to focus all of his energy.

Kevin gasps softly as the mug starts to mend itself. "H-how?"

Carlos smiles gently. "It's a ghost thing. I think. I've only ever done it once before."

"Thank you...um…"

"Carlos."

"Carlos." Kevin smiles a little. "Thank you."

"Can I ask you something kind of personal?"

"Oh….um...sure."

"Does he hurt you often?"

Kevin's eyes widen and he starts to shake again. "He's never raised a hand to me."

"O-"

Kevin puts the mug down and puts his hands over his ears, curling his fingers into his hair and pulling. Carlos is starting to worry he was going to hurt himself. Carlos bites his lip and leans forward a bit. He touches the back of Kevin's head and a moment later he goes limp, asleep.

-----.------

Over time, Carlos and Kevin have stolen conversations when Asshole- Diego, Carlos has learned his name was, but Carlos liked Asshole better- wasn't around. Kevin had slowly started to open up to him. Carlos also had learned that Asshole liked to get drunk and yell a lot. Mostly at Kevin over the smallest things not in his control.

Carlos made several offers to help or do something about him but Kevin always said no. Some nights, Asshole got a little too close to physically hurting Kevin for Carlos's liking. True to Kevin's word, Asshole never actually hit Kevin but he yelled a lot and broke things.

He wasn't ready to admit it, but Carlos had gotten attached to Kevin. His smile, his laugh, the way his eyes light up when he talk about placing a child in a good home. Carlos realizes-with horror- that he was starting to fall in love again. He keeps this to himself of course, knowing he had no chance with a living person. He hadn't fallen in love since his fiancee had died during a hiking accident; back when he was alive.

What finally made Carlos snap happened exactly a year after Kevin moved in. It was the dead of night and Carlos was lounging in the dark living room as he didn't need sleep.

The front door slams open, causing Carlos to jump and nearly fall off of the couch. Asshole staggers in, clearly drunk. Carlos's danger meter is going nuts. Kevin had been asleep for the last hour and a half. Asshole seemed more pissed than usual. Carlos stands and follows as Asshole staggers to the bedroom. He slapped the light on, causing Kevin to stir and sit up with a confused expression. Carlos would have found it adorable if he wasn't worried for the man's safety.

"Diego?" Kevin yawns.

"Who the fuck is Carlos?" Asshole demands.

If Carlos's heart still had worked, it would had stopped.

"What?"

"You heard me. Who is he?" Asshole shoves a piece of wadded up paper into Kevin's face. "Don't lie to me and maybe I'll go easy on you."

Kevin's tired eyes focus on the paper and he pales. "Diego i-its not like that. I promise. I-" he ducks as a fist flies at his face and smashes into the headboard.

"I told you not to lie to me. After everything I do for you? You turn around and whore yourself out?" Asshole pulls his hand back and strikes Kevin across the face with an open hand. The slap is loud and the room goes dead silent for a moment. "Answer me! Who is he?" He hits Kevin again and Carlos can feel himself vibrating with anger.

"He's no one!" Kevin yelped and put his hands up to protect his face. Asshole grabs his wrist in a motion that would at least leave a sprain. "He isn't real! I made him up! Carlos…. Please…." His voice dropped to a whimper. "Help me…"

That just served to piss Asshole off and he grips Kevin's jaw. "No body wants you." He growls. "You're lucky I took pity on you. No one loves you. No one cares about you. You have only me and you belong to me. I'm going to find this Carlos and I'm going to-" he squeezes his grip on Kevin's jaw. "You're going to watch."

Kevin is still pale at this point and he stares at Carlos with fear filled eyes. Asshole raises his hand to hit Kevin again but something in Carlos snapped. He summoned a strength he didn't know he had and managed to shove Asshole off of Kevin.

Asshole tumbled into the floor, hitting the wall. Carlos didn't care. He looks at Kevin and reaches for him. Kevin flinches away. Carlos pulls his hand back. "Call the cops love. Don't let him get away with this. Please. I don't like seeing you hurt. I lo-"

"Don't say it." Kevin whispers. "I know. And I agree but please don't say it. Not yet." He stands on shaker legs and takes a stumbling step forward. He continues like this until he gets to the kitchen, where the phone was.

Kevin manages to make the call before collapsing. Luckily the first responders were fast for once.

Two stressful weeks later, Kevin is back home and Asshole is in jail. It did take Kevin time to recover but he had Carlos there for support.

------.-----

Kevin lived for fifteen more years, helping thousands of children to find good homes. He passes in his sleep, a peaceful way to go. He didn't fear death though, because knew Carlos was waiting for him.

The first day after Kevin died was overwhelming. They shared the rush of euphoria.

Carlos puts his hand on Kevin's cheek. "I've waited so long to be able to touch you."

Kevin leans into the touch. "I love you. Thank you for waiting for me."

"I would have waited forever if I had to. I love you."

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

So I'm not sure if this is what you wanted but its what struck me

#welcome to night vale #wtnv #wtnv carlos #au #wtnv kevin #wtnv diego

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howtosingit · 4 years ago

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Fic: Somebody Misses You When You’re Away

TK returns to New York City for the first time since moving to Texas, and Carlos faces his own insecurities back in Austin.

Written for @tarlosweek2020 - Day 1: “Are you wearing my hoodie?” + Fluff

3.7K | Also on AO3.

-----

Carlos taps his fingers against the hard, wooden tabletop, his eyes fixed on the phone in front of him. While he watches, the screen goes dark due to inactivity, and he lets out a sigh, his heart clenching in his chest.

“You look really pathetic, you know that?” Michelle says, and he glances up to find her staring at him from the other side of the picnic table, her head tilted to the side as she sucks her milkshake through her straw. Carlos can see a teasing glint in her eyes, but there’s something else there too, something like pity, and it just makes him feel even smaller.

“Yeah,” he admits, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands, “I know I do.”

From his new position, Carlos can’t see Michelle’s face, but he feels her hand on his wrist where she reaches out to touch him, rubbing her thumb soothingly along his pulse point. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asks gently.

This time, Carlos lets out a small groan, hoping to convey exactly how dramatic he knows he’s being. “It’s completely ridiculous, I know, but I miss him.”

When he gets no response, Carlos looks up again, catching the half-smile and gentle gaze of his best friend. “What?” he asks, raising his eyebrow in confusion. He definitely thought she’d laugh at him.

“You are just the softest soul, Carlos Reyes,” she responds, shaking her head slightly. “It’s hard to believe that you exist sometimes.”

Carlos feels a blush rise on the back of his neck and to the tips of his ears, rolling his eyes as he looks away in embarrassment. “You sound like TK.”

“That’s because he knows how good he’s got it,” Michelle fires back, no heat in her claim as she ducks to catch his eye. The statement sticks to Carlos, hitting at his current train of thoughts. The fear that maybe Michelle has finally learned to read his mind causes a grimace to take over his face. “Ah, looks like I poked something there,” she says in response to his reaction.

“I feel like I’m going crazy here, chica,” he grits through his teeth, the unsettling thoughts that have kept him up for the past few nights flying to the forefront of his mind.

“It’s okay to miss your boyfriend when he’s out of town, Carlos.”

“Is it?” he asks, his voice cracking slightly as his fears threaten to take over. “Because it’s only been four days, and it’s not like I don’t hear from him. We text or talk every night before bed.”

“Well, that’s a good thing!” Michelle practically yells, her eyebrows furrowing as she gestures widely as if all of his problems are solved by that one admission.

“Then why do I feel like I’m going to lose him?” Carlos whispers, biting down hard on his bottom lip to contain every other dark thought that’s been swirling around in his head.

Michelle’s arms drop back down to the table, her hands moving to cover his own on top of the table. She gives him a penetrating look, and after years of friendship, Carlos knows that she’s trying to pick up on everything that he’s not saying out loud.

“Why would you be thinking that?” Michelle hedges, tightening her grip on him.

“He didn’t choose Texas,” Carlos starts, looking down to avoid any judgmental looks that she might give him, “and he loves New York. He’s sending me all of these pictures of his favorite places, and when we get to talk, he seems so happy and excited to be back there.”

“Carlos--”

“What if he decides that’s where he wants to be?” he pushes forward, his voice breaking again. The thought makes his heart beat rapidly, the fear of TK leaving him coursing through him like an untamable fire.

“Didn’t he already consider moving back to New York, when he got shot?” Michelle reminds him, leaning closer. “He stayed, Carlos. He picked the 126, he picked you!”

“Yeah, but now he’s back there and it feels different. He’s remembering his entire life there, and it wasn’t all bad, ‘Chelle! What if he comes back and no longer feels like this is where he belongs?”

“Then he’ll talk to you about it!” Michelle exclaims, jumping up from the table to move to Carlos’s side. She wraps her arms around him, pressing her chin into his shoulder. “Carlos, you guys have been together for almost three months, and I know it started off a little crazy, but you two have built something solid. You love him, I know you do.”

Carlos takes a deep breath, the words cutting through him. “I do,” he agrees. “I love him so much, Michelle.”

“Have you told him that?”

“We’re not there yet,” Carlos says. “It’s only been a couple of months, I don’t want to scare him by moving too fast.”

Michelle huffs out a breath, dropping her forehead against his shoulder as she lets out a groan.

“Carlos, how many times do we have to have this conversation?” she starts, her voice serious, like she means business. “You can’t hold yourself back to make other people comfortable. It’s not fair to yourself. If you’re worried he’ll leave, you have to tell him the truth.”

“Michelle, you don’t get it,” Carlos says, turning to face her. “If TK decides that he wants to move back to New York, I’m not going to try to stop him.”

“What do you mean?” she asks, pulling back to look at him, the shock clear on her face. “Why wouldn’t you?”

“I just want him to be happy, Michelle,” he tells her, tracing the lines on his left palm thoughtfully. “I love him, I do, so much, but if New York is what makes him happy, if it’s what he wants, I’m not going to stand in the way of that. I don’t want to be that kind of person.”

“Oh, honey,” Michelle sighs, leaning her head against him again. “They really don’t make many men like you, Carlos Reyes.”

He wishes that made him feel better.

-----

When TK first told him that he was going to New York for a week to see his mother for his birthday, Carlos was really excited for him. They had talked a lot about his mom before, and Carlos knew that his boyfriend missed her a lot. He was truly happy that TK would get to spend some quality time with his mom, just the two of them in the city.

Except, there’s also the fact that it means they’ll have to spend an entire week apart.

In the two and a half months that they’ve been dating, he and TK have spent as much time as possible together. They both have insane work schedules that don’t always line up, but they make up for it where they can. When he’s working a late shift, TK will bring him takeout if he’s off, and they’ll eat together in the park next to his station. When TK is on a long shift, Carlos will sometimes stop by the 126 and hang out with the crew. He and Paul have become really good friends, and he enjoys the camaraderie that he finds with the team.

When their schedules do line up, TK usually stays the night at his place, and they like to wake up early and go for runs together before making breakfast - TK handles the fruit and toast, Carlos does the eggs and turkey sausage. It’s become a part of their routine, along with spur-of-the-moment nights out, exploring Austin.

The point is, they try to spend a good amount of time together, something that they both enjoy. Judd likes to joke that they’re still in the honeymoon stage of their relationship, and one day they’ll get sick of each other. (TK calls him a liar, knowing only too well how much Judd loves to spend time with Grace, even after years of marriage.) They haven’t really had the opportunity to miss one another yet, keeping each other in the loop about what’s going on in their lives regularly. It’s not that they’re dependent on one another to have a good time, but they’ve both been pretty clear about how committed they are to each other, and to building a strong, healthy relationship together.

So, when TK goes to New York for seven days, Carlos freaks out a little bit.

He doesn’t mean to, he actually tries really hard not to, but his insecurities are a little too strong for him to overcome them completely.

It starts with just missing his boyfriend. The sight of his smile, the twinkle of his green eyes, the way that his uniform clings to him when they see each other on a call. TK still texts him pictures, and they talk on the phone a couple of times, when they can find a moment. It’s not that his boyfriend ghosts him for a week.

It’s just different, and he’s trying to adjust. He’s trying to be normal. He hasn’t told TK anything, he hasn’t acted weird when they’ve talked; he’s answered all of his texts because he loves texting TK. He’s so, so happy that TK is having a good week with his mother in the city that built him. He would never want to ruin that.

It’s just that Carlos loves him, and misses him, and can’t wait to see his face again.

-----

TK texts him the morning that he’s due back in Texas, reminding him of his arrival information, as if Carlos hasn’t gone to bed every night looking at the note on his fridge.

He parks his Camaro in the lot closest to the terminal, willing to pay the fee if it means getting to see his boyfriend sooner, before heading inside to wait. He’s way ahead of schedule, his impatience pulling him out of his apartment and towards the airport earlier than necessary. Still, he takes a seat at the edge of the baggage claim area, pulling his phone out to make sure he hasn’t missed a text from TK.

Thirty minutes later, his phone chimes with a message from his boyfriend, letting him know that he just landed and he’ll be out to see him soon. Carlos jumps to his feet, a wide smile on his face at the thought that they’re finally in the same timezone again. He feels ridiculous and gets so distracted by trying to talk himself down to a normal level of excitement that he doesn’t spot TK until he’s less than ten feet from him.

“Hey, you!” a familiar voice calls out, and Carlos feels the way all of his anxieties and insecurities fade into nothingness when he turns and takes in the man he loves.

TK is dressed for comfort, rocking his day-off sweats and a hoodie, but Carlos swears that no one has ever looked more stunning. That, plus his unkempt hair, no doubt from sleeping on the flight, melts his heart to a liquid mess inside his chest. Before he can even consider it, he’s diving towards his boyfriend to pull him into a tight hug, burying his face in TK’s neck to press a kiss to his soft skin.

TK laughs gently at the reaction, wasting no time in wrapping his arms around Carlos’s waist. They stand there for a few moments, taking their fill, before TK moves away slightly. Carlos, thinking that his boyfriend probably wants some space, let’s him go, but before he can step back, TK is gripping his neck to pull him into a chaste kiss.

Carlos closes his eyes at the contact, fireworks exploding behind his eyelids. This week is the longest they’ve gone without kissing, and he definitely forgot how mesmerizing it is to be close to TK in this way. He may not have gone anywhere, but kissing his man always feels like coming home.

“I really missed that,” TK breathes out when they separate. Carlos huffs out a shy laugh, ducking his head to press their noses together.

“Me too,” he says.

TK gives him a smile, turning towards the baggage claim. He reaches for Carlos’s hand, interlocking their fingers as they stand side-by-side, waiting for TK’s bag to appear.

“How was your mom?” Carlos asks, his curiosity about how TK’s feeling right now getting the best of him.

“So good!” TK says, his eyes bright as he launches into the recap of his week, telling Carlos all about the surprise party they planned for his mom. He remembers TK being really excited to help with the preparations before he left.

They’re walking towards the car, hands still linked, when TK pauses mid-sentence and turns to look at Carlos.

“Are you wearing my hoodie?”

Carlos stops in his tracks, looking down at the outfit he quickly threw on before leaving the apartment. He’s unsurprised to find TK’s yellow hoodie stretched across his chest; in his boyfriend’s absence, he’s taken to wearing it around his apartment whenever he was really missing him. Up until yesterday, it even still smelled like TK.

“Um, possibly,” he answers, a small grin forming at the corner of his mouth as he gives TK a sheepish look. “Sorry?”

“Don’t be,” TK assures him, leaning towards him to press their lips together again. “I like seeing you in my clothes.”

“You do?”

“Yeah,” TK laughs, dragging Carlos across the lot towards his car. “Though I should probably start buying them a size up if you’re going to be stealing them from me.”

A strange hope fills Carlos’s chest, and he can’t help but notice how TK’s joke implies a future investment in their relationship.

“So,” he starts, popping his trunk so that TK can throw his bag inside, “you want me to take you home?”

“Actually, if you’re okay with me using your shower, can we go back to your place?” TK asks, stepping close.

Carlos wraps his arms around him, his hands coming to rest at the base of his spine.

“You can use my shower anytime,” he mutters, pressing their lips together again, determined to catch up on all the kisses he missed this past week.

-----

Carlos flits around the kitchen while TK showers, throwing together a quick snack for the two of them. There’s a smile on his face the entire time, a response to hearing the running water from the bathroom down the hall. Nothing about this moment is anything to throw a party over, but after a week of thinking through worst-case scenarios, he’s going to soak up every single moment of having his boyfriend back in his apartment.

TK comes out in a different pair of sweats and a soft t-shirt, toweling his hair dry.

“I made you some lunch,” Carlos says from the couch, smiling when TK lets out a groan and dives forward to grab a chip from his plate.

“You are a literal dream, babe,” he sighs, dropping down next to Carlos and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Carlos flushes, turning to take a sip of water to avoid responding, but he can’t help the smile that pulls at his lips.

“And you in my clothes?” TK starts, taking a bite of his sandwich. “Also an actual dream I’ve had before.”

Carlos laughs, his heart pounding in his chest. He remembers the advice Michelle gave him a few days ago and his mind spins, wondering if this is a moment where he can be a little more honest with TK about what he’s feeling.

“It, um,” he begins, breathing heavily through his nose as he pushes forward, “it stopped smelling like you yesterday.”

He feels TK shift next to him, pressing their knees together. Carlos glances up at him nervously, surprised to see TK giving him a strange look. Then, his boyfriend leans in, pressing his face into his shoulder and inhaling deeply.

“It smells like you now,” TK whispers, pulling back, his green eyes glinting softly. “You wore it a lot while I was gone?”

Carlos nods, maintaining eye contact. “Whenever I missed you, which, not to sound too lame, was kind of all the time.”

TK sucks in a sharp breath at the confession, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. Then, without warning, he gets up from the couch and moves towards the door, his sudden absence like a hot knife through Carlos’s chest.

“This stopped smelling like you after the fourth day,” TK starts, his back to the room as he digs through his bag, “but I still wore it to bed every night.”

He turns, and Carlos realizes that he’s holding his own grey zip-up hoodie, the one that he puts on after he showers, before he has to get into uniform for work. Carlos hadn’t even realized it was missing.

The tear falls unexpectedly, as does the overwhelming feeling of relief that, just maybe, TK struggled with their distance this past week, too. Before he can duck away, or go somewhere to pull himself together, TK is crossing the room and planting himself on the floor in front of him.

“Hey, what’s going on?” he asks, reaching forward to brush the tear from his cheek.

“It’s nothing, I’m just being ridiculous,” he assures him, avoiding eye contact.

“It’s clearly something,” TK says, rolling his eyes as he cups Carlos’s face in his hands. “Tell me.”

“I don’t want to freak you out.”

“Well, okay, but now I am freaking out a bit,” TK says, giving Carlos a serious look. “Carlos, I swear, you not telling me what you’re thinking is going to stress me out way more than just telling me the truth.”

Carlos bites his lip, trying to figure out the best way to approach this. It’s not that he doesn’t want to be honest with his boyfriend, he just doesn’t want to push too far and ruin this thing that they’ve spent the past few months building.

Except, a part of him knows that what they have is strong, and good, and that it works for them. They aren’t in the same place that they were three months ago; they have the hard conversations now, and this is technically no different. It’s just not hard in the way TK is probably expecting.

“My brain went a little nuts this week, while you were in New York,” he starts, reaching out to squeeze TK’s wrists gently when it looks like he might interrupt.

“I saw how much fun you were having there, back in your hometown and with your mom, and I got scared.”

TK pulls back slightly, a look of confusion taking over his features. “Scared about what?”

“I know it probably sounds ridiculous, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how you might decide that Austin isn’t where you want to be right now,” Carlos admits, his voice thin as he voices his festering insecurity.

“Oh,” is all TK says in response.

There’s a heavy silence as they sit close to one another, each of them working through their own thoughts. After a moment that feels like years, TK finally speaks.

“I didn’t get to tell you,” he starts, a small smile appearing on his face as he looks at Carlos openly, “but my mom is planning to visit next month.”

“Oh,” is all Carlos can say, confused by the direction the conversation has taken.

“Yeah,” TK continues, huffing out a laugh, “after the first two days of me talking about you non-stop, she said she wants to meet the man that I’m clearly in love with.”

All at once, the air is practically sucked from the room as Carlos’s brain replays the sentence over and over and over again in his head. Each time, he decides that he must have misheard the words, but TK just keeps staring at him, his eyes shining brightly with a look that Carlos would swear could only be affection.

“Sorry I told her before you,” TK apologizes, leaning forward, “but she was relentless. You know moms.”

“That’s okay,” Carlos assures him, his eyes filling with tears as the reality of what’s happening washes over him. “I told Michelle a few days ago.”

TK’s face breaks out into a giant smile as he shakes his head, leaning forward to press their mouths together in a gentle kiss. There’s no heat behind it, just a pure want for connection.

“You know, the whole time I was there,” he says when they break apart, nudging their noses together, “I was thinking about how I want to bring you with me next time, and show you off to everyone I know. I want to walk you around my city and show you where I grew up. I want you there with me, by my side, the next time I go, and every time I go after that.”

“Really?” Carlos gasps, cupping TK’s face in his hands.

“Really,” TK says. “New York was my home Carlos, and there’s still a lot of things that I love about it, but Austin is where I belong. I may not have had a choice in moving here and joining the 126, but I chose to stay. And even better, I got to choose you, babe. So far, it’s the best choice I’ve ever made.”

“I love you,” Carlos whispers, pulling TK into an intense kiss. He knows he’s crying again, but this time he doesn’t care. He can’t be embarrassed, not when he gets to hold and hug and kiss the love of his life, the man who loves him back. He’s waited so long for this and he can’t believe he’s finally found it.

TK pulls away with a gasp, and Carlos can’t help the pride that swells inside of him when he spots the blush on his boyfriend’s cheeks, along with his blown pupils. “I love you so much,” TK breathes out, already diving back in for another kiss.

Later, as they reach for each other in bed, Carlos finally allows TK to remove the yellow hoodie from his body, knowing that he no longer has any need for it.

Not when he’s holding the love of his life in his arms.

#tarlos #tarlos fic #tarlos fanfic #911 lone star #tarlosweek2020 #tk strand #carlos reyes #I wrote a thing

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beeexx · 4 years ago

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Set after 1x10 Carlos and TK have another moment. It’s basically a long extended scene. Can be read on ao3 as well. Enjoy When TK asks, a little hesitant, about going back to Carlos’ place Carlos has to stop and think about it. He wants to say yes, but a part of him knows it would be a really bad idea to jump back into bed with each other again. There is an overdue conversation and words to be exchanged between them and TK makes him stupid, resisting him out here on the hood of the car already turning into a bit of a struggle for him. He takes too long to answer because TK’s face falls, closing off and Carlos scolds himself. Before the hand can be retracted from his grip he squeezes it tightly making TK’s eyes snap to his.

“Yes, but only to sleep, nothing else.” He says kindly, he doesn’t want it to come off as rejection. TK searches his face before he smiles a little, making Carlos’ heart flutter.

“Okay.” He promises.

The drive back is silent, but not uncomfortably so. Carlos can feel tiredness seeping into his bones, the cataclysmic day he’s had, along with probably everyone in the state, finally beginning to take its toll on him. TK doesn’t say much either, but he looks lighter and a little more settled than he has for a while, and that, that is something. When they get to his place he unlocks the door and switches the lightswitch on and TK stumbles into him, his face showing clear discomfort. Maybe he’s thinking of the last time he was here and how the night that was supposed to be nice and romantic ended up pretty terrible. Carlos coughs, pointedly and TK looks at him in embarrassment. Carlos just rolls his eyes and smiles because in this moment he can’t bring himself to bust his balls about what happened.

“Come on.” He says and TK follows him. He opens the door that leads to his bedroom, a room TK’s never made it to before because all the sex has literally only happened on the couch, against a wall or on the floor. It was honestly mind blowingly good sex according to Carlos, but it never felt very intimate to him. It always lacked a certain kind of softness or caring to it, that Carlos somehow knew they could have. But a wall was always up with TK, even when they were literally fucking against one, which is what he would describe what they were doing, definitely fucking, but not having sex. TK looks hesitant again, like he’s thinking along the same lines and his eyes keep flitting around the room in uncertainty. His eyes land on a photo that’s sitting on his nightstand where there’s a picture of him, his three sisters, and his parents. Carlos loves that picture. He walks over to his closet, and leaves TK standing in the middle of the room, eyeing the bed, and starts looking for something for TK to wear. It feels appropriate for some reason, even though Carlos’ seen everything underneath, a few times already.

“Here.” He says and tosses him a T-shirt and some pyjama pants he hasn’t used in ages. TK catches them easily enough and Carlos turns around to give him some privacy to change. He changes out of his jeans and steps into a pair of shorts. He doesn’t miss the look TK sends him when he takes the shirt off and he hides his smirk. Being appreciated is always nice. TK changes out of the tracksuit bottoms but when he tries taking his shirt of he grimaces in pain. Carlos knows he will push through and take the shirt off himself, but he steps up close anyway.

“Here, let me.” He says and sees TK gulp at the sudden closeness. He nods numbly though and drops his arm to the side. Carefully Carlos fits his hands underneath the jumper and slowly lifts it over his head. He makes sure to be careful when he gently pulls TK’s hand over his head, and not graze the wound. He puts the jumper down on the chair by the mirror.

“You want to keep your own T-shirt?” He aks and TK shakes his head.

“No I’ll take yours.” He says quietly. Carlos nods before he repeats the motion, even gentler than before. His fingers accidentally caresses TK’s side and he doesn’t miss how the skin jumps underneath the touch or how TK very audibly gulps. He tosses the shirt towards the chair, hopefully doesn’t miss it, and finds he can’t take his eyes off the very glaring plaster over TK’s heart. A part of him wants to reach out, feel his heart underneath his fingers to reassure himself it’s still beating. He sighs and the gently reaches forward, places his hand just underneath the plaster and rests his palm there instead. TK’s eyes flutter close and his breathing picks up, Carlos can feel it, faintly, but still feel it, even with his hand a little misplaced. He hears TK bite back a whine as he takes his palm away and he smiles cheekily at him when TK opens his eyes again.

“It’s been that long huh?” He’s being presumptuous but a part of him doesn’t care and kind of feels like he deserves to gloat a little bit about TK’s apparent lack of sex life.

“Shut up.” He grumbles, and the moment is broken by that as Carlos laughs and pulls his shirt over TK’s head. It’s a lot too big for him and while TK is in no means small, he’s definitely smaller than what he is. The look is doing things to Carlos and he has to force his eyes away, because seeing TK disappear in his clothes is making his heart jump in his chest, while it also kind of makes him a little horny. It’s a very odd combination.

“Bed time.” He says and turns over to the side he always sleeps on. He pulls the covers back and gets inside, settling against the headboard and waits for TK to do something other than just stand in his room, looking a little lost. When he finally comes back to it he moves to the other side of the bed and gets in. He pulls the cover up and lies on his side where the wound isn’t and then groans.

“I need to text my dad.” He says and slowly and awkwardly gets out of bed again. Carlos gives him a look.

“Yeah well how many 26 year olds do you know that are recovering addicts with bullet wounds in their hearts?” It’s meant to be a joke, but it falls a little flat, the reminder of how many bad things have happened recently to him, so Carlos’ eyes soften.

“Only one.” He says, heavily and TK looks at him for a long time, a little vulnerable, so Carlos smiles reassuringly at him.

“I’ve met your dad in passing, I’d say texting is a good idea.”

“You’ve met fire captain dad, overprotective dad of only son is a whole different story.” He chuckles and Carlos snorts.

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

“He can be a little… much.” TK settles on.

“Because he cares.”

“Yeah.” TK. says softly, and puts the phone down. He gets comfortable again and pulls the covers back over his arms as he settles on his side. Carlos looks at him for a while, how soft he looks with his hair unstyled and wearing Carlos’ clothes. He doesn’t look small but he looks like someone Carlos wants to care for, to pull close and hold against him and reassure that things will be okay. It’s an overwhelming ache, a need to do it that comes out of nowhere, that is almost so overpowering that he almost does it, almost. They’re not there yet so he clenches his hand and exhales through his mouth. Despite all the emotions TK brings out in him he’s happy he’s here in his bed with him at least. And with that the tiredness and exhaustion is creeping back in, and he allows himself to fully feel it, doesn’t think it will take long until he falls asleep after this. Slowly he reaches forward, TK’s eyes widening as he strokes his cheek, and wipes the corner of his mouth, smiling softly. TK exhales loudly and Carlos pulls back and turns off the light.

“Good night TK.”

“Good night Carlos.” He whispers.

……….

When Carlos wakes the next morning it’s to an empty bed. It disappoints him more than it probably should because no promises were made between them. Honestly, not many words were spoken between them at all last night. Once the light was out he had fallen asleep rather quickly, the day finally taking its toll. He woke up around 4am though because he was overheating, and the answer to that was that in their sleep they had both seemed to move, with TK securely tucked into his side, his breathing heavy and fluttering against Carlos’ cheek. Carlos hadn’t wanted to move away from the position and had chosen to suffer through the warmth until he fell back asleep again. The clock says it’s 11am, which is very late for him. He’s always been an early riser but after a solar storm even he seemed to have some limits when it came to waking up. He sighs but gets out of bed, in search for some coffee. When he opens the door he is met by the fresh roast of just that wafting through the air and TK sitting on his kitchen island with his phone, still in Carlos’ clothes. He stops for a moment, taking in the view and his heart flutters against his ribs, unable to stop the feeling it brings when he sees TK in his kitchen.

“Spending the night and staying to drink coffee in the morning, that must be some sort of record, huh?” He jokes, making TK look up and blush a little.

“I made some coffee, there’s some for you too, I hope you don’t mind.” He says and points to the mug on the counter.

“No not at all.” He walks up to it and takes a sip, smiling around the mug. Honestly, nothing beats the first taste of coffee in the morning. TK’s back is still turned away and Carlos puts the mug down again, sensing that something’s not quite right.

“I’m surprised you stayed.” He can’t help but say and sees TK take a deep breath.

“I thought about leaving but it didn’t seem… right, after everything.”

“Okay.” Carlos steps around him and leans against the chair, opposite TK. He looks small on the counter, his legs dangling off the edge, and Carlos’ clothes hanging off him loosely. He bites at his lip before he glances at Carlos and then to the ground.

“What is it?” He prompts, unable to leave whatever it is hanging between them.

“I need a favour.” The words are rushed out and Carlos frowns.

“Okay.” But he can’t take the insecure look that keeps on passing over TK’s face so he takes a step forward, and another, until TK’s eyes widen and his body seems to move on autopilot and his legs open up for Carlos to step in between. He rests his hands on either side of TK’s body and looks at him with what he hopes is an honest and open look.

“What is it?” He says gently and TK’s eyes flit away from him again, but this time he follows them and finds an orange pill bottle beside TK’s cup of cooling coffee. He frowns and looks back at him.

TK sighs.

“It’s pain medication from the hospital. I just… I don’t fully trust myself with those…”

“Oh.” Carlos say like and idiot and TK grimaces and looks at the bottle warily.

“Have you taken any before?”

He shakes his head.

“I asked specifically to only be given ibuprofen when I got discharged the first time. But after yesterday when I pulled the stitches and overstrained, well everything, I got given those to take and was too distracted to say otherwise. But…”

“Are you in pain?” Carlos frowns and TK grimaces, which is all the answer he needs.

“A little, it’s manageable, but not exactly comfortable.”

“Okay.”

“So can you keep those for me then?” He sounds ashamed and defeated and he’s shrunk in on himself and Carlos’ stomach twists itself into a knot.

“Of course.” He says and takes the bottle in his hand before he very gently lifts TK’s shin up to meet his eyes.

“Hey.” He says gently and TK’s lip twist upwards, not really a smile, but something almost like that.

“Do you want one now?”

TK doesn’t look away but he seems to think about his answer.

“Not the best question to ask an addict.” He says and Carlos rolls his eyes at the bad joke.

“Can you take them on an empty stomach?” He rephrases another question and TK shrugs.

“Yeah but it’s not advised.”

“Okay, well you’re definitely staying for breakfast then.”

TK bites his smile down, his cheeks flushed and Carlos is fucking overwhelmed with the urge to kiss him. He tracks the movement with his lips, eyes dark and hungry and TK exhales meaningfully.

“Breakfast first before any life altering decision are made.” Carlos decides and it makes TK chuckle, the moment once again broken. Carlos knows he keeps avoiding the elephant in the room that keeps growing between them, because he knows that if he were to overstep this made up boundary they would end up where they started months ago, which was eventually what broke them to begin with. TK’s words about a team hangs heavy in his mind, and while he agrees that they do, he’s not sure it’s enough. Or he needs something that is a little more of a reassurance of friendship, or something.

“Sure.”

“What do you want to eat?”

TK just shrugs as a response which is unhelpful and Carlos lifts an eyebrow.

“Okay, well I’ll think of something.” He’s stepping away, but he doesn’t get far before he’s pulled back forcefully, maybe a little too much so because he stumbles and almost knocks TK off the counter. He steadies himself with a hand on his side.

“I’m not easy to love.” Carlos stops moving and frowns at TK who looks like he hadn’t mean to say that.

“I mean - “

“What makes you say that?” Carlos doesn’t move his hand away from TK’s waist, if anything he brushes his hand across his side, feeling the lean muscles underneath the thin shirt he’s wearing. TK opens and closes his mouth a few times.

“My track record kind of agrees with that.” Carlos just frowns, waiting for more of an explanation.

TK sighs and waves his hands around them expasterly, and grimaces as his shoulder hurts but Carlos waits him out, kind of demanding an explanation he knows is behind the outburst.

“Okay fine, I’m a mess half the time and honestly probably not only because of being an addict. But when I’m not a mess I am either too much or too little so I always give people a reason to leave.”

He’s sad and it makes Carlos ache for him, while at the same time feeling such anger on his behalf because of what he knows of TK, he’s pretty special, and none of what he’s just said is true.

“Or maybe you haven’t met the right person yet.”

TK scoffs, but it’s not cruel, it’s more in a self-deprecated kind of way.

“I just… everyone leaves Carlos, everyone. So that either makes it something wrong with me or with the whole word. And the statistics for something being wrong with every person I meet and want to date is much lower than something being wrong with me, so the conclusion is pretty obvious.”

“There is nothing wrong with you.”

TK shakes his head.

“Right.” He mutters.

“It’s not.” He cups both his cheeks, forcing him to look at him. Reluctantly he meets his eyes. “I want to convince you that’s the truth but I’m not sure I can either. So I’ll say this, you think you are too much? Well okay, so I misread the signals completely and made you a romantic dinner when clearly you were only looking for a hookup.”

“Yeah, I’m still very sorry about that.” And Carlos believes him.

“I know but my point is I can be pushy and ‘too much’ as you put it, too. That is not a trait significant only to you. Hell we don’t know each other that well and I already care about you a lot, possibly more than you care about me. But just like you, I have a job that sometimes demands too much of me, to the point where I want to withdraw into myself for days and not speak to anyone. I once didn’t show up to my sister’s birthday party because of a really rough day and she didn’t speak to me for a month.” TK winces and grimaces and Carlos nods.

“Yep. So guess what pretty boy you really aren’t the only one here that’s made mistakes or are going to make mistakes either. Are these just not excuses?”

“What?”

“You told me you’ve felt numb every since you came to Texas, but aren’t you just punishing yourself in some kind of way. Or are you thinking you’re not worthy of feeling anything that could be good because you’ve gotten hurt in the past so you force yourself to feel nothing at all instead.”

TK’s eyes widen and Carlos can literally see his defences falling apart, the wall breaking, he’s been seen.

“W-what?” He chokes out and Carlos smiles kindly.

“Did I hit it on the nail?”

“Maybe…” He confesses and Carlos squeezes his face gently between his hands.

“It’s not living, if you’re hiding, if you’re not yourself even when you have made mistakes. You shouldn’t be alone with it at least.”

TK has unshed tears in his eyes and his breathing is a little shaky. Carlos removes his hand but not before stroking his cheeks gently. He puts his hands down on either side of TK and nudges his nose with his own. TK’s lips twitches and that’s something.

“You should let yourself feel the good things too. You have people who care a lot, that much I know. I went to the hospital and your dad was there every day while you were in the coma, and he had to literally force the others to go back to work, otherwise they would have stayed right there with him. You have me, so if you want to be friends we can be, no hard feelings.”

TK shakes his head quickly.

“No, no, I don’t want to be just friends though.” Carlos bites down his smile, but he thinks it slips through anyway.

“Well that’s something, progress.”

“But I did mean it when I said my last relationship ended badly. I-I proposed and he broke up with me because he found someone new so I relapsed and I almost died. My dad found me in my apartment and managed to bring me back. So this is the second time this year I’ve almost died.” He grimaces at the painful memory and Carlos sighs heavily, feeling, well… a lot and mostly just very badly for him.

“That’s rough, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, I go to meetings and it’s something, sometimes it doesn’t feel like it’s enough though, so I don’t know.”

“And therapy?”

“That too.”

“Normalise guys who go to therapy 2020.” And the joke makes TK snort, but it turns into a small smile in the end.

“Shut up dork.”

“Me? A dork? Don’t think that’s quite right.”

“Please you were totally into Star Wars growing up.”

“Maybe you’ll find out if you date me.” He smirks. TK laughs and it makes Carlos smile, something settling a little steadier into his chest when he hears it.

“So…” Carlos says, because he needs to hear some more words before this conversation is over. TK sighs but looks determined after a little bit of contemplation.

“So, I would like to date you, get to know you, take things slow and then we will see.”

“Ah, so dating huh?”

“Yes. Exclusively though, I like you so I’d hope we wouldn’t be seeing other people, is that too much to ask?” He asks, the uncertain tone back again. Carlos honestly think that’s going to be the least of his problems. He’s already hooked on TK and only him.

“So, you like me huh?” He settles for, teasing, and hoping to make TK comfortable again.

“Yes.” He scrunches up his face in an adorable little grimace and it makes Carlos laugh, happily and a little more freer.

“Cool.”

“You’ve suddenly gotten tight lipped on me?”

“What can I say I like watching you sweat a little bit.”

“Rude.” He pouts and oh no. Carlos grips the counter tighter because he’s looking extremely kissable at the moment, lashes long and a little redness to his cheeks.

“Well I like you too, dating sounds like a good idea to me.”

“Cool.”

They stare at each other none of them saying anything, the tension in the room suddenly back in full force. Carlos thinks TK knows exactly what he’s doing and that thought alone is making him even harder to resist. He coughs to break the tension.

“So, breakfast?”

TK groans.

“You’re really going to make me ask aren’t you?”

“Ask what?”

“To ki - no you know what…”

Carlos doesn’t have time to ask what before TK is pulling him down and slotting their lips together. His eyes falls shut and one hand settles on TK’s side the other finds his way onto his face, cradling his face close while TK’s hand settle in his hair. He hums happily against TK’s lips and feel him smile in return. When Carlos nibbles at his lip playfully TK opens it up and he has to stifle a groan when their tongues meet, TK’s tongue curling around Carlos which just makes him kiss hungrily back.

And that’s where he stops and pulls back. This time TK chases after him whining loudly before he pouts when he doesn’t get another kiss.

“Fucking tease.”

“Kissing without even a proper date, doesn’t seem right.”

“You and I definitely skipped a few steps when it comes to the dating rule book.”

“Yep, so breakfast?” He asks cheekily and TK rolls his eyes but nods.

“Yeah sure.

“Okay.” But he leans in and gently pecks TK’s lips before he steps back, slowly discarding himself from where he has gotten a little tangled into TK, who has swollen lips and messy hair and dark eyes, and who Carlos now gets to date.

Not a bad start to the day. He thinks it can only get better.

“So eggs?”

“Yeah, sounds good.” He hears TK jump off the counter and come join him in the kitchen.

Carlos has a feeling it’s the start of something good. And that’s enough for now.

#9-1-1 lone star #911 lone star #carlos reyes #tk strand #tk x carlos #tarlos #tarlos fic #fanfiction #my writings

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brokengem · 5 years ago

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Day One - The Grinch - Gilvie

Fandom: Descendants Pairing: Gil/Evie Summary: “That girl will never learn, keeping riffraff like you as friends. She’ll forever be a disappointment.”

Leaving nothing but a little bit of destruction in her wake, Gil picks up the pieces.

Warnings: Angst with a Happy End. Minor Verbal Abuse/Humilation. Evie gets hurt. Minor blood mention. totally didn’t forget my warnings Notes: Yeah. Yeah. I’m a day behind. This little fic went through a bunch of little rewrites before I got to the point where I liked it. I also sadly had stuff happen yesterday that put me back a day. Day two and three will be done tomorrow(hopefully). Coming Up Next: Jay/Audrey

The holidays in Auradon were a lot different than Gil was used to. So much more cheerful and colorful with decorations of all kinds and brilliant light displays everywhere. In all his years alive, he was feeling his happiest this season.

He was even happy that his dad was off the Isle with his wives and the twins. They even managed to help the old man with building their cabin in the woods. Gil was actually pretty excited to visit and see what they’d done with the place for the holidays. He was sure his mom and her sisters had gone the extra mile to make it decent now that they were able to get their hands on proper decorations.

With a cheerful tone slipping from his lips, Gil made his way to Evie’s castle. He had only been there two days earlier, watching as Uma, Dizzy and Celia helped her with the tree. The quartet singing Christmas songs on the top of their lungs before Evie shooed Carlos, Jay, Harry and himself out to rig up the lights.

And if there was one person he’d like to meet his mother it was her.

As he broke through the trees, her castle finally entered his view. His smile wilted just slightly at the sight. The string of lights they had worked on were torn from their hooks, dangling solemnly against the castle. The wreaths Evie and Dizzy had taken the time to handcraft were tossed harshly on the ground.

“Evie?” He called, picking up one of the discarded wreaths, gently brushing a finger against what was left of a blue bow.

“You continue to be useless, my dear,” the door opened revealing the evil queen Grimhilde. Her eyes found him and he could only offer a confused smile as they narrowed dangerously.

She scoffed, wrapping a black and purple scarf around her neck, “That girl will never learn, keeping riffraff like you as friends. She’ll forever be a disappointment.”

For once Gil couldn’t find words as he watched the older woman walk pass. He scolded himself as she disappeared among the trees. There were plenty he had wanted to say to her and yet words had managed to escape him.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he turned back to the castle, he had more important things to worry about.

He entered and took in the bits of carnage the evil queen had left in her wake.

Evie’s pristine kitchen looked as though a bomb had been dropped in it’s center. Various foods littered the floor, some with mushed footprints. The cake Uma and Celia had baked two days prior was nothing more than a chocolate mess on the wall. It looked like the queen had thrown a full blown tantrum. Gil worried over what other disasters were to be found in the house, but he still had to find Evie and knew where she would most likely be.

A small part of him hoped and prayed that her little sanctuary had been spared of the evil queen’s wrath.

The carnage was far worse than he expected as he froze in the doorway to Evie’s studio. Evie’s favorite sewing machine had been thrown to the ground a few pieces broken and scattered around it. Pages from her sketchbooks had been ripped to shreds with barely a chance to save them. Torn dresses and other various clothing Evie had been working were thrown about.

The Christmas tree the girls had worked so hard to decorate was laid to waste on its side. Stray pieces of popcorn and broken ornament pieces surrounded the blue haired girl sobbing on the floor.

“Evie?”

A choked sobbed escaped her as she folded in on herself, clinging tightly to something just out of sight.

“Evie, you have to get up slowly, okay?” he tried to smile, despite how small and broken she looked.

Another sob racked through the girls body, “she...she ruined everything. Destroyed everything. I’m useless. Worthless. Why did I even bother?”

He could just barely make out her soft words in between each sob. Gil watched as she reached out, her fingers wrapping around a star shaped ornament missing one of it’s tips. It was one of the ornaments Dizzy and Celia had made in the colors representing everyone. Evie’s hand closed around the primarily red and black star, dragging the broken piece meant to signify Harry closer. Her lap already filled with a mixture of blues and whites and reds and earthly tones. Evie hugged them as close as possible, not caring that some of the more pointed ends were pricking her skin.

“I shouldn’t have agreed,” she whispered to herself, fingers playing with the star he recognized as his. “I should have gone back to the Isle instead. It’s my fault.”

Gil tried to get her attention once more, finally finding the will to move. He took a step forward, being careful to not destroy any more of her things.

The horrific yell that escaped her froze him once more. He could only watch as she screamed through her sobs.

“It’s my fault!”

Before he could even think to stop her, Evie slammed her hand against the floor. The broken shards embedded into her skin as she pulled back harshly, blood dribbling down from her palm.

“Evie!”

He stopped caring about the damage he’d cause and crossed the room to her, the stars fell from her lap as he hoisted her up into his arms. Evie cradled her bleeding hand to her chest, sobbing into the vest as he barrelled down the hall and into the nearest bathroom.

A quick prayer was sent to Hades for the empty house as Gil set the girl down on the closed toilet seat.

“What were you thinking?”

Evie’s sniffles were his only reply as he searched for the first aid kit. She didn’t move besides extending her hand out for him when he silently asked. Gil hated seeing her like this; eyes all red and puffy, tears streaming down her red cheeks. He had never seen her look so defeated.

He apologized the second she hissed in pain as he pulled the first ornament piece from her hand.

“You know, I wanted to ask you something,” he smiled at her, trying to get her mind off what happened as he continued to take out piece by piece. “It’s gonna be silly but do you want to come visit my family with me? My mom’s really excited to meet you. Of course, I can’t stop rambling about you so of course she’s curious. Even dad’s kind of excited. The twins just want to see you again. I may have to fend them off with sticks. “

His smile grew as a soft huff escaped her from between her sniffles.

“You may think I’m joking,” he gave her a toothy grin, “but I’m not. There, all done.”

He’d dabbed the peroxide on as gently as he could and wrapped her hand. She made no move to take it out of his grasp. Taking a chance, he pulled her up and wrapped his arms tightly around her smaller frame.

“Don’t listen to your mom, okay. She doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about. You’re the best, Evie. Don’t let her bring you down. She’s just a...a...what��s the name of that green guy from the movie you like?”

“The Grinch?” Evie mumbled against his chest.

He gave her a squeeze, “exactly! She’s just a grinch. Trying to ruin your holiday. Don’t let her.”

Worry crept over him as her body began to shake. Gil wondered if maybe he’d said something wrong. Just as he went to ask, Evie laughed. Her forehead rested against his chest as she continued. He joined her, happy to finally hear the sound.

“You can’t just call my mother the grinch,” she mumbled.

He gave her side a poke, “Course I can. You know I’m right.”

She hummed, pulling herself free from his arms. He continued to smile down at her until she returned it with one of her own. It didn’t quite reach her eyes like it usually did but he’d take it.

Evie sighed, looking down at her bandaged hand, “I should start cleaning up this mess before the others all get back.”

Gil caught her uninjured hand before she could escape, “it’ll be quicker with two.”

A smile returned to her lips as she looped her arm around his, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

#descendants #gilvie #gil legume #evie grimhilde #evie x gil #gil x evie #25 days of christmas #gaelle writes

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