#still i feel tk deserves some appreciation

[immapsychoclown]

its still septembrrr

[tavshortfortavern]

Being delulu is the solulu

Tav x Dammon slowburn

Heavily based on my Tav, Artemis who goes by they/them and a drow. Lawful/Chaotic Good alignment. Spores Druid.

Tropes: Unrequited (at the beginning), friends to lovers, slowburn, they fell first- he fell harder

This could be a fic but I'm not confident for that yet. Have this outline instead of how i imagine this pairing play out. Enjoy my Tav pining away for this npc

Tav x Dammon during the game

Tav grows to like Dammon after partially fixing Karlach's heart in Last Light Inn

His quick offer to help, gentle attitude, and skill catching their eye. The first time they met, Tav clocked him as handsome but slowly comes to appreciate everything else

Later on Tav wouldn't stop noticing his blue eyes, they weren't infernal like the other tieflings. Light blue, similar tk gemstones

So they've caught some feels but with the Shadowcurse, the cult and planning a prison break- that gets put to the wayside

Still, they always look forward to seeing him working at his forge when they're at Last Light or when they speak with him to trade

Is very subtle and discreet when it comes to liking him. No one probably notices. They're a little more generous in paying, they always look for him when they walk into last light, and they've got a softer expression when talking to him

When they reach Baldur's Gate they stay silent but are instantly looking for him. Trying to recognise his form among the many refugees, straining their ears to hear that familiar sound of a hammer, and asking about him (and by him they mean 'other refugees not present') to the tieflings at the refugee camp

Their companions point out another blacksmith in rivington since they need new gear but Tav dislikes the thought of turning to another smith thats not Dammon

He's their favorite after all but they don't say that

But they enter the Lower City. Tav being Tav is on rooftops and jumping to get around- when they hear a familiar sound of a hammer. Is that who they think it is!? They look down at the source of the sound and see a familiar face.

They call out to greet him excitedly, startling said blacksmith out of his work, looking out his forge to see the adventurer recklessly climb down from the roof of his shop.

They of course fall to the ground in an undignified heap but sit back up to greet him. He hears laughter next as the rest of your companions climb down after their leader.

Dammon notices them and excitedly greets Karlach. Bringing up that she looks well rather shyly

Something sinks in Tav as the two converse, seeing the way he regards their tiefling friend

They bury it and soak in the happiness of reuniting with a friend

Now was the time to make allies. An army controlled by the absolute was about to invade. They inform him of the situation and have his promise to stay safe and help when the time comes

Tav's mind is completely occupied by the many tasks they needed to accomplish in the city until the time of the invasion

Fast forward, Tav is at High Hall with their companions and every ally they could muster. Its the final battle up ahead and the air is beyond tense

Outside is chaos and everyone is look at them. Them. For encouragement. Something. They gave their speech, it seems to do the trick but their heart is pounding. There's never been more pressure on them, the stakes never higher

One misstep. One wrong move. And its ove-

Then Tav is speaking with Dammon and he recounts everything they've been through since the grove. Whatever happens, he trusts you.

And the pounding heart ceases.

From simple words of faith.

They're not completely at ease for the battles ahead but they decide it doesn't matter. They have to win. For these people they've come to care about. For the civilians like him who's at the most danger

They (he) deserve a chance at a peaceful life.

Tav defeats the Netherbrain. The city is saved. though it needs rebuilding.

He's the first thing they search for among the rubble. They find him bruised and shaken but alive, having taken shelter with the other tieflings

Tav is quick to tend to his injuries. Thanking the powers above he made it out intact

Tav x Dammon post-game

Tav sticks around the city. There's a lot to rebuild and heal after all.

Some of the companions depart, off to accomplish their own personal goals or seek one.

Never let it be known that their newfound status as a savior stops them from menial tasks and errands. They'll be picking up rubble and delivering supplies for weeks at a time, or spend even longer in healing wards

While they earned their fame for defeating the Absolute, they won hearts for staying and healing the hurts

Their healing spells becoming well known and lauded for. Even more so Heroes Feast and Create Water. Supplying a significant amount of food and water for the less fortunate

Thankfully they always have their room at Elfsong tavern that miraculously stayed largely intact

Being so close to his forge, Tav frequently comes across Dammon working even more. People needing tools and repairs more than ever, it seems like he never leaves his forge

That worries Tav so they make time to visit. Once they see his haggard appearance they make sure to visit with food and drink.

There was a shortage thanks to the disaster but they've always been a hoarder and with most of their companions away, camp supplies are in excess.

He's one of the few people in the city who'll treat them like a person instead of a saint or legend. And the hero is in desperate need of some levity during this

Its not an unusual sight to see Tav lounging by his forge with a meal, taking a much needed break from helping rebuild, conversing about whatever as he took his own break (heavily enforced by Tav).

He mostly talks about his comissions but sometime brings up how the other tieflings are doing.

Tav finds he doesn't talk about himself a lot but eventually learns he's a bit of a loner, gets absorbed with his work to the point of forgetting to take care of himself, and surprisingly under all that politeness, has a side to him that doesn't mind making deals with a nearby diabolist for infernal iron.

In return he learns of Tav's little loot hoarding tendencies and thievery. This happens when they approach him, calling his name in a hushed tone trying to get his attention.

He's confused at their behavior when they hand him piles of infernal iron. His eyebrows shot up as Tav rather excitedly presents him with it

When asked about it they mention going to hell and killing a devil, taking everything that wasn't bolted down in his home.

If it was anyone else he wouldn't have believed them for a second. But Tav is a whole other beast, he's starting to learn

He notices some of the materials look rather familiar. Enriched infernal ore. Similar to the steel watchers... He stares at Tav questioningly who looks anywhere else trying to come up with an explanation

C-can't have them going to waste now! Right? Those steel watchers are gone (that i definitely did not have anything to do with), its time to recycle, Tav tries to explain

So you admit you stole them, Dammon replies but inspects the iron anyways.

After learning how much he likes working with infernal iron, Tav gathers all the material they had stored in their chest to give to him. He doesn't know if he could pay for all of it but Tav just wants to see what he makes of them

Dammon is a little flushed seeing how much they're looking forward to his work. And even more so at the effort they expended trying to gather all of this

He's probably one of the few people Tav consistently interacts with since staying in the city and vice versa since he's not the social type either

Before they could count themselves allies, now they've naturally fallen into being good friends who hang out in their free time.

Dammon is always amused when Tav comes by with a dozen different things to be done for a dozen people that asked for their help. Their fame hardly changing them

He's also come to expect their reminders to take care of himself.

He used to the low key loneliness of living by himself. Even with the bond he's formed with the refugees he forgets to meet up with them while working. So when Tav starts coming by its a welcome change

He would begin working from first light, until well into the night when Tav shows up with a warm meal and a cold drink, they spend a while recounting their day and what needs to be done before returning to their own tasks

While slow going he begins to open up about his past. His life in Elturel, the descent into Avernus, his apprenticeship, sometimes touching on his childhood

Some days a rougher than the last. The collective trauma of the ithillid invasion affecting everyone and Dammon wasn't completely free of his experiences in the shadowcursed lands.

He's gotten used to moving on and hiding it but Tav has spent way too much time with their own group of traumatized weirdos to not notice

They've gotten pretty good at getting people to open up about deep rooted issues without putting too much pressure. After weeks of working together and solving conflicts he gets more comfortable talking

Having someone listen was a nice experience and allowed him to reflect on some things he refused to think about

Tav tells him about their adventures with the tadfools. They notice he pays extra attention whenever Karlach is brought up and adjusts accordingly, bringing up more stories involving her. Liking the smile he has on when they do so

They've had a few hiccups and issues. With the city as vulnerable as it was, a few malignant forces tried their luck seizing power. But thankfully Tav was there

A vampire coven, a few remaining cultists, and bandits couldn't hold a candle to an elder brain. With some new allies Tav successfully repelled them with little issue

Of course Dammon was treated to the sight of a gore covered adventurer looking sheepish asking for repairs and new arrows a few times

One time they showed up particularly banged up making him usher them inside and treat their wounds with what medical supplies he had

When they were particularly injured after a fight Dammon let them rest in his place. As they were resting in his room they noticed a certain book left out on a chair

That day was spent relentlessly teasing a blushing tiefling. He should have known a nosy Tav would have found that book

There's never a dull moment with Tav but he's come to enjoy it

But nothing lasts. When the last of the enemies falls and everyone seems to have everything at hand, Tav feels the call for adventure once more

They did promise a companion a cure for their affliction and plan to set out of the city to follow a lead with them

This means a round of goodbyes from the friends they made in the city. Last but not least Dammon

He's surprised when he's informed the day before but figures it was only time. They have one last meal at elfsong tavern, toasting for goodluck. He admits he'll miss them.

He's disappointed he couldn't do much else the next day when he gives them some extra arrows

It doesn't strike him immediately but after the first few days the forge feels too quiet

Sometimes he would look up from his work when he hears someone approach expecting Tav to be there

He hears stories and rumors later on while having a drink in elfsong tavern.

New exploits Tav accomplished, the people they saved and the monsters they've faced. One bard started singing about their adventures and he finds himself returning to hear them

While he enjoys his work things feel a lot more monotonous lately with them gone. He finds some spark of familiarity hearing about their adventures

Tav sends letters every now and then. Briefly outlining new quests and how their doing. Finishing by saying they hope he takes care of himself

He sends his own in return, updating them of the city and the rebuilding, reassuring them he's eating regularly but that's as far as hearing from them as he got

Months go by and he hears from Jaheira about a reunion party with the heroes of Baldur's gate with the possibility of Karlach being there. He hasn't heard from her in so long, much less know how she was faring

One of the things he regrets is not finding a way to fix her engine and having to send her back to avernus when she just escaped

When he hears the other tieflings planning to write letters to this reunion party he jumps in

He's not sure how a letter would get to Karlach who's in Avernus but he is sure that Tav would find a way

So he starts it by adressing it to Tav before asking him to pass it to Karlach knowing they'll be more than happy to

When Karlach Visits

Tav reunites with some old friends to finally fix Karlach's engine. Having found Zariel's forge and plans to travel there. They need to be armed to the teeth

They just so happen to be in Baldur's Gate.

Tav brings them over to Dammon's forge, already knowing he'll be happy to see Karlach again

When they return its without any announcement as usual. He's focused on a new project when he hears a throat clear. He tells them to wait a second assuming its a client. Tav's voice catches his attention. He whirls around and sees his friend with that familiar smile

He's greets them happily but his eye catches the sight of Karlach and his tone shifts. Its a touching reunion

Its obvious how captivated he was. Tav would stand to the side admiring the scene

Eventually the conversation turns to their purpose there. Tav explains the mission and he's more than eager to help.

As they trade they enter casual conversation

The conversation between them turns to the city, Tav asking if he's eaten anything, roasting his cooking, Dammon defending said cooking, mundane things but companions are left to watch in silence as these two friends catch up

Then Karlach asks about the city and they both go in to the rebuilding efforts. Tav goes in to the various misadventures that occured, Dammon jumping in to include an emberassing moment that he saw happened to Tav.

It derails as they start bantering, bringing up inside jokes and references born from the time spent around each other in the city

Tav has their hand on his shoulder, leaning close to tell a joke. Dammon leaning back standing comfortably next to them, snorting at what they just said when Karlach pipes up-

"So how long have you two been together?"

This is getting long, will make part 2

[nerdy-frog98]

I am now on season 4 of 9-1-1 Lone Star! It took me a hot minute to get here, but 💥

I want to share some opinions, but a little disclaimer; this show was not really made for me. As an ex-religious girlie, the amount of religion in the show often makes me uncomfortable. I also have a hard time with overbearing personalities, so Owen puts me off about 80% of the time. Even with all that in mind, I still really love this show. It might not have been made for me, but I can still appreciate good storylines and characters the way they were intended to be enjoyed.

First. Tarlos is the only couple I care about on this show. Nancy and Mateo are kinda cute too, and I love the Tommy dating storylines, but I am not invested in any of them like I am Tarlos. (The freeze emergency at the beginning of season 3 was so good, oh my god. The angst between them was insanely good.)

Second. As far as individual storylines go…I mainly care about Judd + Grace (as a couple), TK, and Carlos. Sometimes Tommy, and sometimesssss the others in the 126. The first four I stated though, I consistently care about their storylines. On the other hand, I *rarely* care about Owen’s storylines unless they revolve heavily around the 126 or TK. If he’s on his own with his friends or a love interest, I get so bored 😭

Third. One thing this show does almost as well as the og 9-1-1 is the platonic relationships between the characters. The 126 having game nights is so cute. TNT interactions make me super happy. It’s overall very believable that these characters love and respect each other.

Fourth. Both 9-1-1’s are traumatic, but lone star kinda feels…more and less at the same time. More side characters die in brutal ways, but the characters don’t seem to linger on the trauma the way the og characters do with theirs. Like, Tommy’s husband died and that episode was traumatic, but then the next episode she seems to be doing okay. Maybe I just binged the episodes too fast ?

Fifth, and this is more like an addition to an earlier point, but holy shit. Some of the stories on this show are so fucking good. The episode where Marjan saves the girl from her abusive fiancé was amazing, and then the following episode with her being hunted by the fiancé and ultimately being saved by herself???? THAT WAS TELEVISION, BABEY. I was sobbing so hard I had to pause and take a breather. I plan on rewatching that episode again real soon, because wowwowow.

Overall, the show is entertaining and I love a lot of what the show is trying to do. The negatives were very strong in the beginning (season one was rough with how much religion was brought up. S1 Grace was enemy #1), but they’ve gotten better as the show matured and found its footing. I’m trying to catch up so I can watch the final part of the show live. [as much as I’ve struggled with a lot of the material, I am sad it was cancelled. Wasn’t deserved.]

[onetimetwotimesthreetimess]

EESHU HOW ARE YOU DOING AFTER THIS EPISODE??? i’m very torn because it was amazing and soft in a lot of scenes, i love me some judd screen time and i love that we are finally getting to see what this situation is doing to him, i love seeing tnt together like that and i loved carlos getting his closure, talking to his dad, accepting that he’s ready to live on and that doesn’t mean he’s forgetting his dad, and that he’s ready to take jonah in and be a dad himself. and i loved that tk was there to support him.

but also, there were so many plot holes in this ep i needed to rewind a few times just to catch up. i know it’s the last season and they’ve got a limited number of episodes and they need to give everyone a good closure, but how about we give this huge ass plot twist at least two episodes?? how about we give carlos finally finding his father’s killer a little more screen time that just those 10 minutes? how about we get to see tk’s reaction to carlos being shot in the chest?? how about we get at least a conversation between carlos and tk, be it a fight about carlos not wanting to adopt jonah and tk leaving him or be it a reconciliation after the whole shooting situation. like that comment tk made about choosing jonah over carlos was very random, it felt like it was just thrown in there. and then i cried so much during that last scene with carlos talking to his dad, but even then, what happened in between that comment from tk and that last scene?? we were missing so much information this time, i really felt like the plot holes were too much

i really hope that with those three episodes left we really do get some closure for everyone, and i hope it won’t be as rushed as this episode was. because it really was thrilling and beautiful, but it also lacked so much of what makes 911 lone star.

anyways, i just felt like ranting a bit, i read in some of your posts that you were a bit disappointed too so yeah :,)

Hello Cece!! hi.

I’m right there with you. This episode left me with mixed feelingsss.

I loved Carlos’s storyline. Absolutely loved the plot twist in the end. It not being Campbell—it slapped. I always considered the chief being the insider and I’m so glad the show went that one. Always appreciate how the reason was something as simple as money—because that’s usually the root cause of this kind of thing—money. I love that it wasn’t something more complicated than that. It felt real. And when Carlos realised that he still feels as broken—I felt that. We all saw this coming and it happened anyway. That’s how grief works. So all in all, I’m 100% satisfied with Carlos/Gabriel’s arc.

Now coming to Tarlos, this episode was just bad when it comes to them. Idc the reason, time limitations or whatever —it was done poorly. If they had the time to include a 10 second scene of TK considering the very real possibility of divorce from Carlos, then they had time to show a 10 second resolution clip. A hug in the end was just not enough. I’m usually okay with off screen resolutions tbh when it’s an ensemble cast but this storyline deserved better than that. Additionally, it could also be because I’m against the whole magically fixing the ‘parent’ situation in a show for a happy ending thing.

I’m hoping though that episode 11 will fix some of this itch I’m feeling currently lol

[pinksparkl]

Spoilers for Your Telepath Boyfriend is Feeling... Good

A perfect audio for 4/20, even if it is only 4/7 🤣

We've only had 2 audios from this universe, but already, James is my FAVOURITE~~ 🫠🥰

Not that I didn't appreciate Fooliverse!Gavin... he just wasn't my cup of tea. More of him for you guys~~

James is so giggly~~ 🤭 I love him~~

With his description of magic, I'm leaning towards his partner being unempowered in all universes and not just Imperium.

Forget "James has a point" because he has lost the goddamn thing 🤣

But I will not let "you're sweet, and I'm not" slide. (Cue me squishing James' cheeks together like the "idiot sandwich" meme except I'm making him say that he is sweet until he believes it) It's like when any Redacted character says something like "I'm not good with words" and then follows it up with the most heartbreakingly beautiful words ever to exist. Just because he feels the need to separate himself from his emotions at times to get the job done doesn't detract from how sweet he is and how much he cares for those he loves.

I love that despite how... uninhibited he feels, he still has his partner's comfort at the forefront of his mind, always careful not to be too much or to overwhelm them 🥹

*gasp* James is a "love as physical touch" type of person, and a little cat-coded imo. Boi is cuddly~~ too bad he has to have a stern persona 99% of the time in Prime universe... I hope he and his partner cuddle and snuggle a lot when he is home.

And omg! "You might get a little... ...secondhand. Hmm, who knows?" 😂 don't mind if I do~~

"Pardon our dust"? Is James a Destiny player? Do we need a "Watching Your Telepath Boyfriend Play Online Multiplayer (with a grumbly alpha opponent)"?

His giggles!!! 🥰

Ooh~~ the subliminal brainwaves tone in the background! Someone who knows this stuff better might know what hertz that is.

Him calling them "home" twice has my entire heart~ 🥰

I love how the whole "higher higher" bit was basically a reverse of the "deeper deeper" bit from his Imperium sleep aid. (Note: this is absolutely being added to my sleep aid playlist~ so calming and cosy~ 😁)

And that kiss??!? 😍 and his mid-kiss thoughts are so adorable and carefree~)

His vibe-killing "I'm hungry" was so funny 😂 (of course you're hungry, you were smoking for god-knows how long, and then talking tk me for 30mins, you got the munchies!)

Right now I'm imagining his partner cooking something filling that doesn't take too long to make... (proper mac'n'cheese?) and James is just holding onto them, nuzzling into their neck as they cook. Hope they don't get distracted and burn anything 😂

While I wouldn't be up for joining James in this particular method of slowing down one's thoughts (asthmatic here) I fully support him in whatever things make him feel comfortable. Maybe some edibles if they didn't affect me badly...

Brb gotta re-listen to this at least 27 more times to imprint James being happy (and comfortable and stressfree and loving and completely honest) in my brainwaves.

My god this man deserves some happiness. (If you can't make your own, store-bought is fine)

[thxrnking]

Imperfect - Chapter 8: Unite

Content Warning: none that I can think of, let me know if there’s something I should put here

[Imperfect Masterlist]

Author’s Note: I won’t go into too much detail about the delay. If you follow me you’ll likely be aware of enough. In either case I thank you all for being so patient with me. If you have any kind of reaction, I would really appreciate hearing what you think, in tags or replies or messages or whatever means. Be safe. Be well. - TK

----

“Congratulations, Jack,” Mother tells him, “You actually managed to prove useful for once.” She isn’t looking at him. There’s a sickening look of satisfaction on her face as she takes in the rampant chaos around them.

Thum thum.

Jack isn’t looking at her either, instead looking across the mass of minions in the throne room. There’s hundreds of them, maybe thousands and it almost feels like Jack’s actually seeing them for the first time.

For as long as Jack can remember, life has been nothing but agony; utter terror at even the thought of defying his Mother. Every day has been focused on survival by taking the path of least resistance. It’s been a miserable existence. Yet Wanderlust has been there.

Not every day; you couldn’t set your watch by him, but he was always going to come. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but he was coming back. Thinking about it, there were many days where Jack only dragged himself out of bed with the thought of ‘maybe today’.

Now, he’s somewhere amongst that writhing mass, but Jack can’t accept that that’s it. It can’t be over, this can’t be the end. Mother’s magic is powerful, but so is Wanderlust. Magically, maybe or maybe not, but the Prince did something Jack didn’t even know was possible.

He gave Jack hope.

Thum thum.

It burns fiercely in his chest as he looks out over the crowd, desperately searching the minions for any sign of who they used to be. They’re identical in every aspect; same heights, same colours, same designs, but there has to be something; some quirk, a birthmark, the way one of them holds themselves. There has to be some way he can figure out which one of them is Wanderlust.

Nothing.

Jack looks to Mother, glaring intensely. Whenever Jack has been unsure and confused she has always been there to tell him the answer. She’s been the one to give him the guidance she’s always insisted he needed, and Jack has never once questioned it. She’s his Mother, there was no reason to.

“I’m sure this must hurt you,” Mother tells him, “but it’s all for the best.”

There was a time Jack would have believed that. Accepted it without question, bowed his head and followed her instruction. Even now, part of him is trying to push him down that road but as he glares at her, it’s like he’s seeing her clearly for the first time.

Thum thum.

It’s not that she’s lying, she really believes this is for the best but Jack doesn’t. It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense that the strange blue stranger who’s followed Jack for years, showed him kindness he probably doesn’t deserve, is gone. That he’s lost. That just doesn’t make sense.

Wanderlust’s friends are engaged in battle, Dancing with minions, freeing them from Mother’s magic. So it is doable. They’re saving them, slowly but they’re still doing it, they’re still trying. They’re not afraid, not hesitating. It looks hopeless. There are so many minions and so few of them, but they don’t stop trying.

Jack takes a deep breath. It’s weird. Like he’s spent years walking around in a foggy daze, half asleep. Never argued, never fought back, never questioned. He’s always done as he’s told and it’s made it so easy for Mother….Night Swan to mould him to her needs.

Thum thum.

Now though, at long last, it’s like he can finally breathe. Like he can actually see and think and feel for the first time. Her words are just words. Where he used to be afraid, now there’s just...rage.

He turns, stepping purposefully into Night Swan’s eyeline, standing, staring. Fists clenched, brow furrowed, Jack stands in outright defiance of her, something he hasn’t done in a very long time. She doesn’t even blink.

“A little late to grow a conscience.”

She doesn’t even look at him but Jack doesn’t budge. She took his voice in so many ways a long time ago, but he won’t let her dismiss him now.

“Remember your place.”

Seconds slowly tick by until she finally turns to him. Her lips are a thin line, her piercing eyes boring into him. It’s a look Jack has seen many times before and sends a chill through him. Silence, hot pointed silence stretches out between them. Jack doesn’t flinch or move, while Night Swan’s glare silently dares him to give her a reason.

Thum thum.

“Think about this very carefully, Jack.”

A jolt of anger pierces her stern voice. She can feel it too, can’t she? The shift. The change between them. Even as Jack’s every instinct tells him to stop, that defiance will lead to his death, he turns and runs.

The impulse has barely passed by his brain before he bolts, running straight into the mass of minions. None of them move, forcing him to weave and sometimes push his way past. He doesn’t dare to look back to see if she’s following. It’s a question that doesn’t need answering. She doesn’t matter any more.

Thum thum.

Distance. There’s no such thing as too much of it at this point. As he runs, the pounding in his chest matches the sound of his feet. Steady, firm, unwavering, even as he feels wired and frantic, his breathing erratic.

Thum thum

Strong, heavy, sturdy. It pulses up through his feet, shaking his very bones. He begins to slow as it dawns on him. Corrupted strangers surround him. He turns, this way, that way. He comes to a stop. Waiting, heart beating. Come on.

Come on!

Thum thum

There. Something. A firm tug pulling on him, trying to draw him forward. Like a heartbeat played by a bass drum. Constant, unerring, unwavering. And getting stronger.

Slowly he steps through the crowd. While the minions don’t part as they would for the Night Swan, they start to move, stepping out of his way, as he follows the pulse one step at a time.

Thum thum

Jack doesn’t know where it’s leading him. Maybe there’s a flicker of a thought somewhere at the back of his mind, but in truth, the adrenaline coursing through him is making it very hard for it to get through.

Thum thum

The minions are shifting around him at this point, guiding him through until he steps into a gap in the crowd. The minions around it are all facing in but Jack’s focus is drawn to the one on the other side of the makeshift clearing.

Thum thum

It’s foot stamps in time with the beat. None of the other minions around the gap move.

Can it…?

Thum thum

They stamp again. They can feel it too.

Wanderlust?

Thum thum

The minion reaches one hand across to his shoulder before throwing it forward, then doing the same with the other.

Jack steps forward, his own arms moving, following the guidance of the beat, joining in the Dance without thinking, without questioning.

Thum thum

They both move, together, though not quite in sync. The minions around them watch in silence, sure to give them space as they move.

The pair of them circle around each other, before reaching, finally moving as one. A hand to one direction, the other to the other, then Jack reaches across himself. It’s his move. One of his favourites from his favourite performances. One he’s used since he was a child. A move of pure self-indulgance, included for him and him alone.

He spins and as he turns, he sees the minion’s hand held out to him, as Wanderlust has always done. Every time, holding a hand out for Jack. To help him up, to invite him in, to let him know he’s seen. No matter how many times the performer ignored it or dismissed it or pretended it wasn’t there, Wanderlust was always reaching out to him.

Jack sees the hand and doesn’t hesitate, grabbing it.

Dark smoke quickly engulfs the minion. Jack tightens his grip, ignoring the numbness and thrusts their hands in the air. The smoke blows away to reveal black, blue, gold, purple, pink and a wide smile.

The Prince, grips Jack’s hand and pulls him in, wrapping his free arm around Jack’s back and holding the performer close, chuckling gently. He mutters something but Jack doesn’t hear it, brain frozen in shock.

He did it.

He actually did it.

[stonerzelda]

so sincerely a massive and genuine thank you to everybody who's reached out to me with words of comfort or advice or comfort and. For having my back basically, i cannot express how much i appreciate it to the point ig im using it as an excuse for not replying to anybody. All of it means the world to me but if im bei g honest I just dont know what to say anymore that would still sound genuine when i always end up isolating and cant seem to make the effort to try to express my thanks. All this to say I think i might be taking a bit of a break again at least for a little while, i don't really have any other way of keeping touch but im sure it wont be long. Just a lot going on right now and ngl im feeling pretty defeated in a lot of ways and as of right now I am kind of losing another mental battle lol. Basically ily and i appreciate every single person who's tried to reach out and I promise you made a positive impact. Eventually im going tk try to respond in the way those of you who know who you are deserve but i just. Cant right now. I hope i haven't hurt anybodies feelings by being distant but yeah. Im gonna kick myself in the ass a bit and get it together and once i do i know i owe you guys at least some acknowledgment for always being there for me idk what else to say and this post is so long but yeah. Love u see you soon and thank you ❤️

[morganaspendragonss]

Hello, I adore your writing! I was wondering if you could do sick or injured TK but he’s hiding bc he just feels like he doesn’t deserve to take time off or look after himself and he maybe collapses and Judd is super big brotherly, protective, sweet and bandages him up or takes him home to look after him? If it doesn’t inspire you it’s absolutely no problem, keep up the amazing work you and writers like you are so appreciated more than you know!

if you're still here, anon, hi! and thank you so much for this prompt! i'm sorry it took me forever to get to :(

in the week running up to christmas, i am going to try to post a prompt fill every day, but i can't promise. maybe i'll only get this one out lmao. we shall see. either way, hope you enjoy!

ao3 | 1.2k

There’s some sort of irony, he thinks, that in the same year he almost freezes to death, he might actually die of heat. Summer in Texas is no joke, but there’s no way TK is going to admit to struggling to anyone, not when he knows all the jokes they’d undoubtedly make. Besides, he’s sick of being, well, sick, and he doesn’t want to see the inside of any kind of medical facility for the rest of the year unless it’s to do with his job. In which case he sees one nearly every day, but details.

And it’s just… After January, TK had to take months off while his body recovered from the accident, while he gained his strength back and learned to live with the side effects he seems to be stuck with now. One of those being migraines, which is why he doesn’t think much of it when his head starts pounding and he can’t really move his head without feeling an overwhelming dizziness and nausea. He’s been told countless times by Tommy to take time off if he needs it and TK knows that’s the sensible option, but he feels like he’s wasted half of this year at home and he hates these new limits that have been forced on him. If he is physically able to get through this, then he will.

Still, as the day goes on, he’s becoming less and less sure that he can. It’s like someone is running a drill right between his eyes without pause, but TK knows from experience that there’s no stopping a migraine once it’s begun. The best thing to do is ride it out, but today’s is worse than any he’s experienced before. The sun is unrelenting in its intensity and neither team has had much time for rest today, which means no time under any sort of shelter or even a minute to take a sip of water.

But he just pulled the rig back into the station, a blessed wave of cool air hitting them as they exit, and TK plans on making the most of the reprieve, however brief. He makes a beeline for the kitchen, grabbing a towel and running it under the faucet, then takes his water bottle from the fridge and heads up to the bunk room.

Once in bed, he pulls the sheets up so they cover his eyes and lies as still as possible, resolved not to move until another call comes in.

It works for about five minutes until TK is sweating through the covers and he throws them off, panting as a sudden breathlessness overtakes him. There’s a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach that he knows means nothing good, but he’s afraid to move – things will only go one way from here, but TK would really, really like to believe that for once it won’t.

But, of course, it does.

The churning in his stomach increases with his heart rate, and TK eventually has to throw himself out of bed and stumble to the bathroom, cursing his bed being furthest away from the hall. He barely makes it in time, the first heave taking over his body no sooner than he drops to his knees by the toilet.

And, because his body hates him, it fights against what it so clearly wants to do. Strings of bile dangle from his mouth as he heaves, his abdomen cramping painfully and his breath coming in short, sporadic gasps.

It takes a long time and several rounds of throwing up in the bowl for the nausea to subside, and with it, it takes all of his remaining energy. The smell coming from the toilet is awful and it threatens to turn his stomach again, but reaching up to flush is too much for him. TK sits in a heap on the bathroom floor, head slumped at an angle that’s sure to hurt if he stays here long enough, but he can’t care. He doesn’t have the energy; his limbs are all so heavy and his eyelids just want to droop closed, but he’s still on shift, he needs to be alert, he needs—

“Strand!”

TK’s head jerks up from where it’s dropped to his shoulder and the pain in his head strikes a new peak. He just wants to curl into a ball and die, but whoever called his attention won’t let him; he’s grabbed by the shoulders and shaken like a ragdoll, as much as he tries to get his body under some sort of control. 

Something is held to his lips and when the water hits his throat, he greedily gulps it down, only to immediately have to force himself above the toilet as it comes straight back up again. When he comes back to himself, he registers a touch on his back, and TK manages to moan and twist in their grip until their face swims into view.

“Judd?” he slurs.

“Yeah.” Judd squints at him, then sighs and shakes his head. “Tommy sent me to check on you before she left; EMS crew got sent on a call ten minutes ago.”

“What?” TK scrambles to push himself to his feet, but his limbs betray him and if not for Judd catching him, he would have collapsed back down.

“Man, you’re a stubborn bastard, Strand,” he huffs, not letting TK go so as to keep him in place. “And you’re a damn fool if you think she didn’t know something wasn’t up. She had her suspicions too, and I think we’ve just confirmed them.”

TK rolls his head in an approximation of a shake. “It’s just a migraine. Get them all the time now. Fucking ice.”

Judd snorts. “That’s one way of putting it. But this ain’t no migraine, it’s just a nasty bit of heat exhaustion. Though, you’re lucky we figured it out because if we’d waited for you to tell us you’d be heading straight to the hospital.”

The word hospital filters through the mush that’s become TK’s brain and his eyes widen, locking with Judd’s. “No,” he says. “No hospital. I don’t… I can’t.”

“Hey, relax.” Judd rubs his arm and then, making sure TK isn’t just going to crumple, lets go and eases himself down to sit next to him. “You’re not going to the hospital, but only if you’ll let Gracie take you back to our house while this thing runs its course.”

“Can’t…”

“Can. Grace is downstairs now and she’s told me that if I don’t bring you out, she’s going to come up herself and make sure she doesn’t leave without you.”

“I’ll throw up if I get into a car.”

Judd shrugs. “I mean, take a sick bag, please, but I got a baby daughter. That car’s seen worse.”

TK sighs and squints up at Judd. “You’re not letting this go, are you?” he asks, though, in truth, he doesn’t really want him to. He can admit it now; he feels like shit, and having someone take care of him is kind of exactly what he wants and needs right now.

“Nope.” Judd grins as he stands to help TK up. “This is how we do.”

TK wouldn’t change it for the world.

[chaotictarlos]

WIP Wednesday sneak peak?

Sure! Here's some from the breakup fic! (If you want to see something from something else just let me know!)

Under the cut because it's a little long.

His drive home took much longer than it normally would because of the snow. When he was halfway home, Nancy called an additional three times. When his phone started to ring for the fourth time he picked up.

“Nancy I don’t want to -” He started but she cut him off.

“Hey dude, we’re at the hospital and TK is… well he’s here, and, um, he’s asking for you,” Nancy said, and even over the line, he could feel the nerves radiating off of her.

He rolled his eyes, “Of course he is. Look-”

“Carlos,” Nancy cut him off again. “I think you should come. I know you’re still on shift but, this is important.”

He paused, his reply dying on his tongue at the seriousness of her voice. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose for a second.

“Yeah, okay, I’ll be there soon.”

He hung up the phone after he got the details from Nancy and pulled his car over for a moment, letting his forehead drop to the steering wheel. He couldn’t deal with whatever conversation TK wanted to have now. As much as he wanted to talk to him and figure things out, the week had been accident after accident, and tragedy after tragedy, and he was tired. His heart was still hurt.

And he hated that TK only thought of him when he was in the hospital again.

--

As he made his way back into the hospital, Carlos thought of the things he could say to TK. He rehearsed the words over and over again, thinking about how he was going to tell TK that while he didn’t mind being there for him in his various times of need and injuries TK couldn’t just spring things on him anymore. He was going to tell TK that if he wanted him to show up to the hospital every time he got a cut or - god forbid - worse then they had to talk and had to have the closure conversation both of them deserved to have.

He took a deep breath and braced himself before he walked around the corner. The first thing he saw was Nancy sitting, looking more distraught than he would think she would look.

“Hey, bud.” She said, standing up and pulling him into a hug. “I appreciate you stopping by, especially while you’re still on shift.”

Carlos felt his eyebrows wrinkle in confusion at the tight hug she gives him and there was an unsettling feeling starting to twist its way into his stomach. Nancy has barely said anything and already Carlos was starting to be filled with a sense of dread and thinking that whatever happened with TK was worse than he had thought.

“Mh-hmm.” Carlos hummed, noncommittal because he wasn’t entirely sure what was going on.

“I know he will, too.”

“Yeah?” Carlos scoffed. Typical TK. First time he wants to talk to me in months and, of course, he’s in the ICU.” Carlos said, walking over to the receptionist and signing in.

“About that…” Nancy started, sounding uncertain.

“What?” Carlos picked up on her tone and put the pen down as he looked up at her.

“TK didn’t ask me to radio you today.”

“What? You said that he wanted me here.” Carlos could feel annoyance bubbling up, wondering if this was just another Nancy ploy to force them back together.

“I did kinda say that, didn’t I?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah. Well… that was a lie.” Nancy fidgeted with her hands and Carlos picked up on her slightly unsteady breathing. None of it made him feel any better.

“A lie. Why…why would you lie about--”

“Excuse me. I’m sorry to interrupt,” A woman said as they came up to both of them. “Are you one of the paramedics that rescued the boy from the ice?”

“Yes,” Nancy said.

Carlos looked between the two, the unsettling feeling growing stronger when the woman asked Nancy if she was one of the paramedics that had saved a little boy. Carlos was just getting bits and pieces of what happened, of what might have happened to TK, and the longer he didn’t know for sure, the more irritated and annoyed he had grown.

“You’re a hero.” The woman said to Nancy.

“No…The hero is my friend TK,” Nancy said with a quick glance at Carlos, eyes shining with tears that hadn’t fallen yet. “Who went into the lake to save your son.”

Into the lake, the words echoed in Carlos’ mind and his heart clenched. Did she mean that TK had gone into an ice-cold lake to save someone? It sounded like the exact kind of stupid, dangerous move he would do if it meant saving the life of another person.

[sunshineacd]

Six/Seven Sentence Sunday

Tagged by @reyesstrand and @marwani-strickland thank you so much, lovelies  💛💛

 More from the first son/royal secretary AU 

Five minutes later, Carlos finds himself on the back of a horse and he’s riding alongside TK in one of the many fields. It’s gotten a bit warmer since they left the stables but not by much and Carlos still feels the cold bite at the skin that is exposed.

“It sure is peaceful out here.” Carlos says, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

“It is, indeed.” TK agrees. “Sometimes, I like to come out here just to take some time when things get a bit too much. You haven’t quite seen anything until it’s all lit up at night though. Then, it’s a really beautiful sight.”

Carlos believes it and he wants to experience it, honestly. And he surely wouldn’t mind doing it with TK by his side. He quickly shakes the thought from his head. He’s supposed to be keeping himself in line.

“Maybe one night when we’re both free, we can take a walk to see it.” TK says, as if reading Carlos’ mind and it effectively snaps him out of his thoughts. “I mean, if you’d like that.”

“I would,” Carlos admits softly. “However, I don’t want to intrude or take you away from your work. I’m sure it’s more important than showing me around.”

“You have nothing to worry about,” TK says. “The duke and duchess encourage me to have time to myself, especially during the holidays. They always tell me that the last thing that would want me to be is overworked. They don’t understand how difficult that is sometimes.”

“Well, if I am helping you to relax then by all means, I can continue assisting with that.”

TK chuckles. “I appreciate it.”

“I overheard my mom talking about a Christmas Eve gala. Is that something you are involved with?” Carlos asks.

“Yeah, it’s a yearly thing and everyone attends. A charity is picked and all the proceeds made during the event is donated to the charity. It’s actually really fun, although helping to plan it can sometimes be stressful. But, our planning team is amazing and they always make things easier.”

“It’s good to hear that not all your holiday is overtaken by stress.” Carlos says. “Now, I can understand why the duke and duchess are pushing for you to take a step back from your work.”

“Hey, you’re not allowed to take their side on this.”

“I honestly have no choice at this point.” Carlos defends and he mindlessly reaches across the small space between their two horses, placing his hand over TK’s that’s resting on his thigh. “You deserve to have some time for yourself and your family.”

TK looks down at Carlos’ hand on his and for a moment, it’s as if TK may in fact like him back and maybe Carlos no longer has to push his feelings down. But he barely has any time to find out as he startles back, nearly falling off his horse at the sound of a ringtone. He pulls his gaze away from TK as he answers his phone and looks at the horizon.

He takes three deep breaths and tells himself it’s for the best, that it’s not worth it. And he hopes that one day, he’ll believe it.

I think everyone has been tagged, but if you want to do it then by all means, please share <3

[marjansmarwani]

They are giving us Owen crumbs—I appreciate you making it into a meal! I was really hoping they would unpack the trauma around TK’s most recent hospitalization that we got hints about here, but alas, we got repressed clown trauma. They might address it next week but I am guessing the fanfic will be more of what I would like to see! I was also kind of hoping to see TK recognize his dad’s clown fears and go to check on him. The lack of TK/Owen interaction this season has to be deliberate, right??

That’s what I’ve been saying all along, Anon. There’s been a strong focus on fathers and sons lately with bringing in Wyatt and whatnot, so never having TK and Owen interact feels like it has to be deliberate.

To be honest their relationship is one of the things that first pulled me into the show in season one. I am a sucker for a good, loving father-child relationship (and no, I do not want to unpack that) and while I absolutely stayed for the other characters, that’s what pulled me in in the first place. Their relationship was solid, then season 2 sucked, and now season 3 has fixed everything but not that. It just feels like they’re avoiding it on purpose and I don’t know why.

And this isn’t even really a criticism, I love what we have gotten from the season so far and I understand that focusing on that would have taken some of that away. I’m not demanding that they focus more on TK and Owen. Other characters have gotten to shine and that’s amazing! But it absolutely feels deliberate. I love that we got to focus on Carlos in that arc — he deserved it and Rafa delivered — but from the stills we know they filmed a scene of Owen in TK’s room. But they cut it, and that just feels suspicious.

I’ve been theorizing that they might be using it for a flashback later on (and I spent a good amount of time ranting to @moviegeek03 last night about how they had the PERFECT opportunity to do that and then just, didn’t) and I’m still holding onto it. Them choosing the clown focus worked narratively with the clown rescue and I enjoyed that scene, but still. I would like to focus on the other thing.

Hence, writing another Owen fic. I just can’t escape them.

[bellakitse]

Friendships, Proposals and Tabitha the Cat

Nancy waits until it’s firmly locked before she turns to Carlos. “Dude,” she says, putting a hard emphasis on the word. “Give that man his ring already.”

+

Nancy’s friendship with Carlos and TK grows when she stays with them while her place is rebuilt – she helps Carlos work up the nerve to propose to TK.

Written for @911lonestarweek - Day 3: Found Family/“We’ve got your back, no matter what.”

Following ‘Making friends in Life or Death situations’

Nancy Gillian wakes up the same way she has for the last four weeks – in Carlos and TK’s guest bedroom with her cat Tabitha scratching at the door because she can hear TK moving around the house, and she wants to leave Nancy to go find him. Her cat is in love with TK, because of course she is.

“If you love him so much, why don’t you sleep with him?” she questions her cat, still half-asleep and annoyed to be woken up so early on her day off. “Instead, you sleep with your butt in my face and then leave me for that pretty boy before 7 a.m.”

Tabitha meows at her in response, looking so unimpressed and impatient all at once it’s almost impressive.

“Not sure what you’re going to do when our apartment is repaired,” she continues, easily ignoring the stink face as she opens the door, letting Tabitha out. “There you go, brat, go to your equally annoying other half.”

Tabitha meows at her once more, the sound coming out vaguely threatening. Nancy shrugs, used to it by now. She looks back at the bed and contemplates diving back under the covers, but as she checks the time to see it’s close to 8 a.m., she thinks better of it. She’s not the only one off-shift in the house today, and if there is one thing she has learned since temporarily moving in with Carlos and TK while contractors work on building back up her tornado-destroyed condo. It’s that when Carlos is off from work, he turns into a gourmet chef who makes the most delicious breakfasts she’s ever tasted in her life.

She heads for the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash up before heading downstairs, following the sound of voices and pots clanking.

“Good morning,” she calls out, still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes even after her shower.

Carlos looks up from where he’s cracking eggs to greet her with a smile. “Morning, Nance, there’s coffee,” he points with a tilt of his head towards the coffee machine.

Nancy smiles gratefully and passes TK, who is sitting on one of the counters, holding Tabitha up to his face as he gives her kisses.

“You’ve stolen my cat’s affections, Strand,” she says, rubbing the top of his head in greeting.

“She’s our cat now,” TK corrects her, childishly sticking his tongue out at her. Nancy returns the gesture, always seeming to revert back to a school-grader around her friend and partner.

“Children, behave,” Carlos chides them, sighing tiredly when they give him twin grins.

She steps up next to him, bumping her shoulder against his, getting a fond smile back from the cop and an arm thrown over her shoulders as he hugs her to his side. Since the tornado and subsequently the start of their friendship just a month ago, she and Carlos have bonded to the point that she now considers him something like a brother.

She feels blessed that he seems to feel the same way.

TK had said as much when they’d discovered she was temporarily homeless, offering their home to her without a second thought as she stood in Carlos’ hospital room. She had initially felt awkward about invading their home, used to handling her problems on her own. TK had, in turn, scoffed at her, telling her she was already family to him, but after saving Carlos’ life, as far as he was concerned, she was now their sister. Carlos had nodded in agreement from his bed, and when it made her cry in response, not really used to having people caring for her like that since Tim died, TK had pulled her into a tight hug, thanking her once more for taking care of Carlos and assuring her they were there for her. ‘We’ve got your back, no matter what.’

“So what’s on the menu this morning, Chef Reyes,” she asks, coming back from her thoughts to peek at the stove.

“Shakshuka, sweet potato hash and for something sweet strawberries and cream pancake muffins and fruit,” Carlos rattles off quickly, like it’s an effortless breakfast and not a menu she would find at some fancy restaurant for brunch. “What?” he questions when she looks at him in amazement.

She turns towards TK when he lets out a laugh to find a look of understanding on his face. “Can you believe this guy?” she questions, getting another longer, louder chuckle from her partner.

“I really can’t sometimes,” he answers her while looking at Carlos with heart eyes. “He’s just too good to be true,” he continues, turning towards Tabitha when she licks his face. “Isn’t he Tabi? Isn’t Carlos just perfect?”

Tabitha meows at TK’s baby voice, budding her head against his.

“See, she agrees,” TK beams in their direction. “She’s so smart.”

Nancy rolls her eyes, finally pouring herself that cup of coffee. “She just likes the sound of your voice; she doesn’t really understand.”

“Yes, she does. Watch,” TK argues. “Tabitha Gillian, listen to me. Is Carlos the most amazing guy in the world?”

Nancy looks from TK to Carlos, smirking as she sees the beginnings of a blush work its way up his neck.

Tabitha meows at TK, causing him to grin.

“Do we love him more than anything, even more than catnip?” he continues to ask earnestly, though Nancy can see the glint of mischievousness in his eyes that tells her he’s messing with Carlos because he likes it when his boyfriend goes bashful.

Tabitha, either because she really does understand TK or because she’s an agent of chaos, makes another noise.

“That’s why I’m going to marry him, and you’re going to be our ring bearer,” TK says to her, going in for the kill. He starts to kiss Tabitha all over her little orange head, not even getting his eyes scratched out because he’s a lucky bastard, not noticing the way Carlos has frozen over their breakfast.

His wide eyes find hers, and she raises an amused eyebrow at him as she takes a sip of her coffee, letting him know without words she remembers his ring comment from the day of the tornados, smirking when he scowls at her.

He clears his throat, giving TK a loving smile when he looks up from his lovefest with her cat. “Breakfast is ready, baby,” he tells him, already moving towards the dining room table with two plates, placing them for her and TK before getting his own.

They don’t talk much as they eat; she and TK are too busy making appreciative noises to speak, and Carlos looks at them fondly while they do.

TK finishes before them, getting up from the table in a rush. “Okay, that was delicious, but I gotta go,” he says as he gathers his plate. “Dad has his eight-month post-surgery appointment, and I told him I would meet him at the doctor’s office,” he reminds them. “I won’t be back until the evening. We’re spending the day together for some father-son bonding afterwards.”

He goes around the table to Carlos, taking his face in his hands as he leans in to kiss him. “Thank you for breakfast, babe,” he whispers with a smile against Carlos’ mouth. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Carlos answers, giving him another sweet kiss of his own. Nancy smiles at the display. They have always been an affectionate couple, but seeing TK and Carlos in the privacy of their home has truly shown her just how deeply they love each other.

TK comes around the table to her, giving her a kiss on the top of her head before leaning down to scratch Tabitha’s ears. “You three be good,” he warns them with a teasing smile as he heads for the door.

Nancy waits until it’s firmly locked before she turns to Carlos. “Dude,” she says, putting a hard emphasis on the word. “Give that man his ring already.”

“Nance – “ Carlos starts, already sighing.

“He’s practically screaming, ‘propose to me!’, Carlos,” she continues, ignoring him. “I’m pretty sure he’s ready to hire a skywriter at this point if you don’t take the hint.”

“I can’t just propose, chica,” Carlos answers back tiredly, running a hand through his hair. “It needs to be perfect. TK deserves perfect.”

Nancy rolls her eyes so hard, she thinks she might strain something. “TK is madly in love with you. You could literally propose while on the toilet, and he would still think it’s perfect.”

She snorts when Carlos wrinkles his nose at her in disgust. Drinking the last of her coffee, she waits quietly as he thinks, finally raising an eyebrow at him when he opens his mouth to speak.

“What if he says no?” he asks her quietly, and Nancy feels a spark of empathy for her friend, but mostly she feels annoyed at his ridiculous question.

“You’re not injured anymore,” she starts dryly, rolling her eyes at him again when he gives her a confused look. “I can and will hit you across the head for being stupid.”

Carlos gives her a dry look of his own, though his lips twitch with the hint of a smile. “You’re so nice; remind me why we’re friends again?”

“Because I saved your life,” she answers matter of fact, smiling when it makes Carlos laugh. “And me being nice wasn’t part of the deal, dude.”

Carlos shakes his head at her, smiling reluctantly. “Well, do you think you can try to be nice for the afternoon and help me plan my proposal?”

“Oh my god, I didn’t really think this talk would work,” she blurts out, her eyes widening with excitement. “Yes! Of course, yes!”

Carlos laughs again, giving her a fond look that she returns. “Okay, then. Let’s do this.”

 ֎֎֎

 TK comes back home after the sun has set. He blinks at her in surprise when she opens the door for him, having heard his car pull up.

“Hey, Nancy,” he says with a smile, his face clear and glowing. He chuckles as she gives him a curious look. “Father-son bonding turned out to be facials,” he explains with a shrug. “You know my dad and skincare.”

Nancy smiles at him, nodding.

“Where is Carlos?” he asks, looking around the living room, and Nancy can’t help herself as she wraps her arms around him, giving him a tight hug.

“I love you both,” she whispers into his ear. “And I’m so glad we’re friends.”

TK returns the hug before pulling back to look at her with a bemused expression on his face. “We love you too, girl.”

“I know,” she answers, feeling her heart warm for her friends and what she knows is about to happen. “Carlos is waiting for you in the backyard.”

“Oh, okay,” TK says, smiling, starting to walk towards the back door, stopping when he sees she isn’t following him. “You’re not coming?”

She shakes her head at him. “This is just for the two of you, honey, but for the record, I’m really happy for you.”

TK gives her another curious look before he continues to make his way to the back while Nancy goes to sit on the couch. She smiles when she hears TK gasp as he opens the door to find the yard covered in twinkly white lights. Her smile only grows as he looks back at her with wide eyes.

“I’ll be here,” she calls out to him, waving him forward.

She pulls out her phone, scrolling through her messages, smiling softly when she finds one from her contractor letting her know her place should be ready in another week.

Tabitha meows at her from the stairs, and she pats the space next to her on the couch, cooing at her baby when she comes to rest beside her.

“You’re going to be a ring bearer,” she tells her cat as she hears TK shout out a ‘yes!’ from the backyard. “Won’t that be fun, Tabitha?”

[kanmom51]

First namjin, then sope, and then… oh god, I almost do not want a 🐯🐥🐰 vlive… Please Hybe, give us a 🐯🐥 live, or a 🐯🐰 one… Or even a 🐥🐰 live (if you dare). But by putting the maknae line together in a live feels like a set up… Just thinking about it makes me anxious bc I know it’ll be a mess in the comments with mostly JM getting a sh!t ton of hate. International fans don’t know how to behave, and with the hate he gets on the daily on twitter for being a homewrecker or whatever those idiots think he is… I just know it’ll be bad. I know he’s a grown man but having a vlive with the maknae line specifically feels like a set up for him to get even more heat from delulu shippers. Sigh… I remember him making a face when he saw a comment in one of their recent ot7 vlives, still don’t know what that was about but I can guess as he looked sad to read whatever was written there. At this point i’d rather those delulu idiots got their subunit/vlive/whatever else they want from TK instead of hybe setting JM up to get direct hate thrown at him like this. It’s bad enough the amount of terrible things they say about him on social media just because his members love him, sigh… If this fandom didn’t hate him as much as they do I wouldn’t mind getting that live bc I love all their interactions with each other (some more than others but that’s beside the point), however these people clearly don’t. They don’t appreciate him and they blame him for being himself. It makes me so angry. He does not deserve to be constantly treated like this you know? I love 🐥🐰‘s relationship but not at the expense of either of them getting tons of hate bc of it. This was more of a rant, sorry for coming here to talk about this but I found your blog a month ago and I really enjoy reading your thoughts.

Ask 2:

This is the first time I've ever been scared for the thought of a Vminkook live and its because of the hate that's been non stop piled on JM for the last couple of months. Its always been bad, but this take the cake how he's been treated this whole Butter Era. I know that Vminkook live is gonna be a disaster for him. The comment section will be TK flooded. Since TK have no problem saying their unit name, odds are, they will say it with JM there and that's gonna create a firestorm. I'm not ready.

Ask 3:

I hope and praying for a vmin, jk already did one and probably he might do a solo one on his birthday. I don't want a jkk one neither a vminkook one, because those will only bring jm hate. especially a vminkook one. as that anon said, th might start touching or flirting with jk OR jm, and it would be hell. I'm already on rest on twt because these days are pure hell there, imagine what would happen.

Ask 4:

i really dont want a vminkook live, i just know its gonna be used against jimin when tk interacts and hes gonna get called thirdwheel or names again especially considering how touchy tk are with each other and how jk looks cold while interacting with jimin these days

I know where you are all coming from. I really do. I too am sick of the hate JM keeps getting.

But we have to stop thinking this way. To let the toxic part of the fandom win, in a way. Letting them have what they want because otherwise they will attack (figuratively). It's kind of giving into blackmail or letting a bully win.

Wouldn't leaving JM out of specific content be letting them win at their own game?

Instead of wishing for JM not to be together with the two people he loves most, and for us to be able to enjoy their interactions, we should be on our keyboards fighting back. Every bad hurtful comment should be followed by a positive loving one. Every bad hateful Twitter post should be reported and followed by posts filled with love and appreciation for JM, same on Weverse or any other social media platform.

The bullying hate filled behaviour towards JM will always be there. It would be naïve to think that him not being in the live would prevent any kind of hate towards him. The haters will find a reason to hate him whatever happens. If there is a Vmin live, there will be hate in comments. If there is a TKK live they will find a way to insert hate against JM in the comments (and you think JM won't be watching that live even if he's not in it?). We saw that the hate was there even in a BTS live with all of the members.

Let's be realistic. If indeed Sope are up next, then the week after - JK's birthday - the likelihood is for a Vminkook live (remember JK piping up asking "what about my birthday?").

I say brace yourselves. Instead of allowing those shits (yes, they are true shits, not afraid to say it) to get to you, fight back, just like I said. Show JM how much love is out there for him. Show him that there is more love and support for him than hate.

[rafael-silva]

hold me close, closer: a tarlos fic

After working the same rough and hectic shift, Carlos and TK share a calming bath to wash away the day’s tension and stress. Being in each other’s arms eases their worries and uplifts their spirits.

@larrytothemoonandback prompted: tk and carlos + sharing a bath

emotional hurt/comfort, light angst, comfort, fluff, cuddles, kisses, carlos reyes needs a hug, softness, really there are so many kisses 

2.3k | on ao3

*****

It had been a long, hectic shift for Carlos and TK.

A never-ending shift of one call after another, as TK dubbed it in one of the few texts he had managed to send Carlos in between blaring bells.

And it appeared from Carlos’s reply of tell me about it that he was going through the same thing.

They had met on a few calls scattered over the hours, and every time, the other man looked slightly more tired and drained. Still, though, they’d give each other small smiles that held the promise of going home to each other when their frantic shifts would finally come to an end.

After returning to the firehouse from their final call, TK robotically made his way to the showers, while chanting hallelujah over and over in his head as he stepped under the warm spray of water.

TK absolutely loved his job, his found family, but some days it would get so exhausting to the point where TK’s knees shake, threatening to give out on him. He holds on, proceeding to also robotically change into his civvies and throw his backpack over his shoulder.

He tells everyone good night as he makes his way towards the Uber, sighing as he drops against the backseat. He then unlocks his phone to send Carlos a message.

TK: Hi, babe. Just moved from the station heading home. Can’t wait to see you.

TK slips the phone back into his pocket and sits in silence until the car pulls up to the condo.

TK whispers something along the lines of thank you to the driver, stumbling up the porch stairs and to the front door, pushing his key into the keyhole. The condo is dark, the missing Camaro from the driveway was TK’s first clue that his boyfriend wasn’t home yet.

He flicks on a light, toeing his shoes off near the door and drops his keys into the bowl sitting on a table near the door. His phone pings in his pocket as he’s walking into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

He fishes out his phone to see a new text from Carlos.

Carlos: Hey, baby. Can’t wait to see you, too. I just need to finish some paperwork before I get out of here. I’ll be home as soon as I can.

TK: Just arrived home. Take your time, baby. I’ll be waiting for you.

TK sighs again, walking—or more like dragging his feet—up the stairs and into their bedroom. He falls backwards against the bed, closing his eyes as his body collides with the soft mattress, a much-needed sensation after the day he’s had.

He feels bad that he’s finally home and can relax while Carlos is still at the station, working. In hindsight, TK had wished he had gone to the station to meet Carlos there and then they’d go home together.

TK nods to himself, making up his mind. He grabs his phone to text Carlos again.

TK: Let me know when you’re on the way.

He lies back on the bed, scrolling mindlessly through his Instagram and loses track of time. He’s liking a post here and then when a notification from Carlos pops up at the top of his screen.

Carlos: Heading out now.

TK gets to his feet then and steps into the bathroom, turning on the tap in the bathtub and pushes the drain-stopper down. He quickly retrieves Carlos’s favorite candles, some vanilla scented, others lavender, from the bedroom and sets them carefully around the space, lighting each one as the tub fills with hot water. He also grabs the organic mint-scented body wash he and Carlos share and drizzles a good amount in the water, watching it foam up.

TK is looking forward to taking care of Carlos, after the long day they’ve endured. He’s also doing it for himself if he’s also being honest, because he can feel the aches already setting in his muscles and the warm water definitely helps there. But taking care of Carlos is his priority. Besides, that always help him feel better, too.

And TK knows Carlos always appreciates a good bath.

Looking around the bathroom, the paramedic nods, satisfied with the setup.

He hears keys rattling, followed by his name being called a few minutes later.

Downstairs, Carlos discards his keys into the bowl with TK’s and places his wallet next to it. He stretches his neck, moving his head backwards and then side to side until some of the tension there eases.

“Up here!”

Carlos looks in the direction of TK’s voice, and notices the hallway and bedroom lights are switched on. He wills his tired legs to ascend the stairs, and then steps into the bedroom, eyes immediately searching for TK. When they don’t find his boyfriend, he realizes the other man must be in the bathroom.

Before joining him, Carlos unpins his badge from his uniform shirt and removes his belt, unclipping his service weapon as he goes. He crouches in front of the bottom section of his closet, sliding the door over to reveal his safe. He punches in the code, the lock clicking and Carlos places the items inside before locking the safe.

He groans when his knee cracks as he gets to his feet, kicking off his shoes and wasting no time in heading to the bathroom. He just really wants—and needs—to see TK, to hold him, to kiss him.

The sight he’s met with makes his tired face light up and tugs the corner of his lips upwards.

“Welcome home, babe,” TK smiles from his place, now lying in the tub with his arms resting on either side of the marble.

“What’s the occasion?” Carlos asks with an amused lifted eyebrow.

TK shrugs. “Do I need a reason to pamper my boyfriend?”

A blush colors Carlos’s cheeks as his smile widens.

“Care to join me?” TK extends a hand towards Carlos.

“Wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Carlos expresses, hands already working to unbutton and remove his shirt, followed by his undershirt and pants.

As soon as he kicks his boxer-briefs away, he takes TK’s offered hand, holding on to it as he lowers himself into the warm water, sitting between TK’s legs. Moments like these and sharing a bath with TK, always reminds Carlos how grateful he is that he picked a condo with a bathtub big enough to comfortably fit two adults.

Carlos lets out a satisfied sigh as soon as his body is immersed, closing his eyes as he falls back against TK’s chest.

He hears TK chuckle from behind and feels the younger man’s arms go around his waist, effectively pulling him even closer into his hold.

“Besides, we’ve both had incredibly long shifts, I think we deserve this,” TK adds.

“Hm,” Carlos agrees.

“You deserve this, babe. You’ve been working so hard lately.”

Carlos blindly finds TK’s arms with a hand and gives him a squeeze where it lands on an arm.

“I got you, baby,” TK promises.

“You always do,” Carlos responds, dropping his head against TK’s shoulder.

TK moves his head and brushes a soft kiss to Carlos’s temple, feeling the officer gravitate towards his touch.

Comfortable silence settles between them for a while, both of them enjoying finally being in each other’s arms and letting the water wash the day’s troubles away.

“Thank you for this, Ty,” Carlos whispers. “I really needed it.”

TK nods, nuzzling his face against the back of Carlos’s head. “Of course, baby. Anything I can do to help. Do you wanna talk about it?”

Carlos shakes his head after a moment of thought. “Maybe later. Right now, this is all I need.”

“Okay,” TK replies.

“Couldn’t wait to get home to you,” Carlos speaks after a moment.

“Couldn’t wait to have you right here,” TK responds, pressing a sweet kiss to Carlos’s shoulder.

To Carlos’s very tense shoulder.

TK pulls his arms from around Carlos, and the slightly bigger man lets out a disappointed sound at the loss of TK’s touch.

“Just for a minute,” TK reassures his boyfriend. “You’re gonna like this, trust me.”

Carlos trusts TK with his life, but he also already misses TK’s warmth.

However, TK’s assessment of Carlos liking whatever he planned is proven right soon enough, as TK gently uses his thumbs to massage and rub at the heavy knots sitting in Carlos’s muscles.

TK smiles at the heavy groan Carlos breathes out, knowing it’s helping his boyfriend.

“That’s it,” TK whispers. “Let me take care of you.”

Carlos wishes he could turn around and kiss TK in this moment, but between the warm water and TK’s tender ministration, he feels his bones and muscles turning into jelly.

TK pushes down slightly harder, loosening up the worst of the tension he finds, feeling satisfied himself when Carlos sags back against him, clearly feeling a little better.

“That…God, Ty, I needed that, so much.”

“Yeah, I could tell,” TK chuckles. “Are you feeling better?”

“Much,” Carlos nods.

Before returning to their previous position, TK cups some water into his palms and places them over Carlos’s head, letting the water run through the officer’s hair and down his neck. Carlos seems to be onboard with this, as well, because he’s tilting his head backwards a little in TK’s direction.

TK takes the hint and repeats the action a few more times, until Carlos’s hair is damp. TK then slowly cards his fingers through Carlos’s soft curls, the product he applied that morning long gone now.

With a kiss to Carlos’s neck, TK’s arms return to Carlos’s middle, wrapping around him and holding him close once again.

“We both have a day off coming up soon, we can do whatever you want,” TK says.

“Just wanna spend it with you.”

“We can most definitely do that. We can sleep in, have late breakfast in bed, lots of cuddles and oh! We can bake,” TK plans, almost giggling at the idea of baking. It’s one of his favorite things to do with Carlos in their downtime. He mostly sits on the counter while Carlos does most of the baking, but TK also sometimes helps with the batter.

“Sounds perfect, baby,” Carlos smiles, closing his eyes and resting his head back against TK’s shoulder. “Brownies or cookies?”

“Hmm,” TK contemplates for a few seconds. “Cookies, chocolate chip cookies.”

“My specialty,” Carlos replies.

They really are Carlos’s specialty. TK remembers taking a batch of chocolate chip cookies into work one day for everyone, and the crew had gone absolutely mad over them. The huge tupperware container was empty in a matter of minutes.

TK smiles at the memory, remembering not only his team’s joy for the delicious cookies, but also Carlos’s delight and pride when TK told him what had gone down.

The water starts cooling a few minutes later, both men feeling it and a shiver runs through Carlos’s body.

“I think it’s time to get out,” TK’s the first to say. “We can order in and watch a feel-good movie.”

“As tempting and comforting as that sounds, I don’t think I can really rely on my legs to carry me right now,” Carlos chuckles.

TK giggles along and helps Carlos into a sitting position.

“Come on, I’ll help,” the paramedic says, making sure Carlos’s grip on both sides of the marble is secure before stepping out of tub and grabbing a towel, wrapping it around his waist. He prepares a towel for Carlos before moving back towards him, holding out a hand to the officer.

Carlos takes TK’s hand but instead of using it to pull himself up, he pulls TK closer to him. And this time he does kiss TK, closing the distance between them by capturing TK’s lips with his own.

TK, albeit a little surprised, immediately opens up to Carlos, deepening their passionate kiss. His other hand instantly travels to the nape of Carlos’s neck, settling there and he gives Carlos an encouraging squeeze. They pour everything into the kiss, their worry for each other, their concern, their relief for the other’s safety. The kiss has infinite layers to it, and Carlos and TK visit each and every one of them.

Eventually the need for air to wins and they separate. They don’t pull back completely, their foreheads still touching, each of them breathing a little heavily with identical kiss-swollen lips. They breathe each other in, taking it all in.

“Lets get into something comfortable and continue this on the couch,” Carlos whispers into the small space between them.

TK nods and with another light kiss to Carlos’s mouth, he pulls back. He hands Carlos the towel when he’s out of the tub, and they make their way back into their bedroom.

They find themselves nestled against each other on the couch once they’re dressed in comfortable t-shirts and sweats (TK had also grabbed Carlos’s old police academy hoodie on their way down, knowing he’ll be wanting to slip into it later during the night) with Carlos flipping through Netflix.

TK is lying between the officer’s legs, an arm draped over Carlos’s thigh with his back against his chest, his other arm is placed over the one Carlos has wrapped around TK.

“Here,” Carlos says as he hands TK the remote control. “Pick a movie.”

They sit in silence as TK scrolls through the list, Carlos watching him with a fond smile decorating his face.

“Hey,” Carlos whispers.

TK turns to face him, his features filled to the brim with love and affection.

“I love you, Ty.”

A big smile spreads on TK’s face, his green eyes turning soft. “I love you too, ‘Los.”

He leans in, claiming Carlos’s lips in a tender kiss.

They settle back when they pull apart, Carlos planting a kiss to TK’s head.

He inhales the scent that is all TK, and he feels comfort brewing in his gut, he feels safe, he feels whole. He feels lighter as the worries of the day seep away.

Lying on the couch, with TK in his arms, Carlos is home.

And when TK nuzzles his body backwards and moves closer into Carlos’s hold, Carlos knows in his heart that TK is home, too.

[welcometololaland]

I think my favorite has to be the Push one, the image that keeps being replayed in my head is Carlos fucking TK 'mostly gently'. For some reason it's so sweet and hot. The feelings of them being reunited without shying away from the rawness of their emotions and the lingering pain of the breakup was absolutely breathtaking.

I also lived for the restroom scene in match in a tinderbox, I agree with everyone, i want more haha. I want Carlos to slowly tame this little feral TK.

And I also loved the 3x07 coda (so hot with Carlos so desperate for TK, it's what we deserved after seeing TK's butt bouncing in these sweatpants) and phonography, pure perfection ❤️‍🔥.

I'm waiting to read the last one because I don't want it to be over, but the tags already own my soul, I know it will be amazing.

"mostly gentle" oh Carlos, he tried hard but I feel like TK would not have helped in this situation hehe - also yes that's what I love about push fics! they can be so raw and there's still that little bit of hurt. I know they're back together, but those wounds take time to heal ❤️

"feral tk" S T O P the ideas this gave me were NOT good!!! okay I'm actually so motivated to write a follow up 👀

thanks for appreciating the smut week fics and I hope the last one lives up to your expectations!

[3416]

Do you think that bisexual Buck could be confirmed on 9-1-1? Idc about buddie but am someone who believes that Buck is bi. There have been comments, Buck using gender neutral pronouns when talking to Maddie about her crush, Maddie saying that she wouldn't set up Josh with Buck because Josh deserves better and TK thinking that Buck was flirting with him. How do you think this would be written in the story? People forget that LGBT+ characters don't need romantic relationships to be good rep.

i think people forget that a lot too, lol. and there is a much better case for bi buck than any other sexuality headcanons in the og in my opinion, but i still don't know if the show will ever go out of their way to confirm it. like fandom truly can discuss rep until we're blue in the face but all the arguments about gay vs bi characters when the character on tv is actually portrayed as straight and will likely never be anything but is silly to me. i've seen a lot of that for eddie and i'm like...... fbdndjdjd all the infighting for smth that's not gonna happen is crazy imo. headcanon all you want.. you dont need "proof" just to have fun or stretch canon or write or think, but the arguments about viability are unhinged.

i personally think it might just stay a headcanon for buck still though.. if they continue to make him date women on screen until the shows over, but i still think it's much more reasonable to see potential in this being acknowledged when compared to a whole ship between two main characters becoming canon. i just feel like the best advice is don't get your hopes up?? like i know it's way too late for so many people, but i read some of the lines that people use as evidence like the stuff with tk or the joking about josh as more fanservice than narratively teeing anything up, so it's hard to say. knowing the writers see the fan talk online and discuss it amongst themselves but have never actually done anything concrete beyond some random lines feels like them saying: we see you, we appreciate you, here's something to have fun with, but that doesn't mean your interpretation is the end all be all or what we wrote/think about the characters or even what the majority of the demographic thinks so we're not gonna change the entire vision just for your hyperspecific ideas. and that's... how media works, and so many people forget it or never knew in the first place apparently. literally a lack of recognition that other people have different interpretations AND that you are part of One of those and not necessarily the majority just bc you're in your little online community. sorryfjdjf that morphed into more rant but ultimately! that seems more reasonable to think, but i still don't know that the show will ever go there tbh!