Chapter Text
126 was called to a traffic collision. Thankfully there wasn’t any causalities besides minor injuries. Tommy instructed TK and Nancy to check out the last vehicle while she was checking out the other one. TK was surprised to see that the driver was his ex-boyfriend. He didn’t let that affect his job and proceeded with professionalism.
“Sir, do you feel any discomfort anywhere else that we should know?” TK said leaning a bit while cleaning the wound on his forehead.
“TK!” Alex whispered under his breath. “I didn’t expect to meet you in this way” He grinned ear to ear.
Nancy glanced at TK hearing that. TK didn’t flinch at all. He was doing what he was supposed to be doing.
“Do you?” TK asked again.
“Huh?” Alex didn’t understand what TK was referring to.
“Feel any discomfort or anything we should know?” TK asked maintaining his same professional aura.
“No.” Alex replied.
“Okay then. You are perfectly fine to go, sir.”
“TK!” Alex grabbed him by his arm when he leaned back, ready to go. “We need to talk!”
Before TK could even reply, Nancy jerked Alex’s hand off TK’s arm. TK cocked an eyebrow at her and she only whispered a what in reply.
“Nobody touches my partner without his permission, sir.” Nancy said gritting her teeth. She wasn’t even trying to be subtle.
“Maybe you don’t know but we know each other!” Alex replied getting down from his car.
“Used to know.” TK said looking at somewhere far.
“I know you are mad at me but we need to talk!” Alex said trying to reach for TK’s arm once again.
“That’s enough.” TK said stepping away from Alex. “I don’t have anything to talk about. Also, don’t touch me like we are best friends.” TK said glaring at him. Displeasure could clearly be seen in his eyes. “You are good to go, sir. Let’s go Nance.” TK walked towards the patrol car, so did Nancy.
Alex saw TK hugging the daylight out of the officer who was standing few steps away the police car, who was talking to a civilian while taking notes few seconds ago. Alex gritted his teeth when he saw the officer rubbing TK’s side which clearly looked like he was trying to calm him down. Alex smirked thinking he still had this effect on TK. He left the collision site thinking about reaching out to TK once again.
“Babe, are you okay?” Carlos asked when he saw TK walking towards him as fast as he could. He took him in his arms. Something told him that TK really needed a hug.
“I met Alex. He was in one of the cars.” TK replied.
“Is he okay?” Carlos asked rubbing TK’s side, trying to sooth him.
Nancy shook her head hearing Carlos. She knew Carlos was a nice man but the first thing that came to his mind about his boyfriend’s ex-boyfriend was if he was okay was beyond being just nice. “You are hopeless, Reyes.” Nancy shook her head for the infinity time, leaving the love birds alone. TK was fake glaring at Carlos pursing his lips which Carlos knew was TK’s why are you like this look. In a positive way.
“What?” Carlos asked not being able to understand what these two partners just said to him.
“Nothing. You are just so nice that sometimes I hate you.” TK said fake glaring at him.
“You love me.” Carlos whined.
“I do.” TK smiled at Carlos. “He is perfectly fine. Now go, before I do something inappropriate in public, while on duty.” TK said rushing Carlos to continue what he was doing.
“Menace.” Carlos whispered before walking away.
126 went back to the station after clearing the scene. Nancy took it as her personal business to let everyone know that Alex was in Austin and TK’s boyfriend was a dumbass. She loved Carlos as much as she hated Alex even though she didn’t know him. According to her, it’s mandatory to hate your partner’s douchebag exes. Nice ones are considerable.
“Guys!” She called everyone to grab their attention.
TK whined hearing her tone. “Nancy!”
“Shut up, Strand, it’s my right.”
“Yeah sure.” TK said pursing his lips. He sat at one corner knowing this conversation was going to go long.
“Long story short, one of the drivers was TK’s ex Alex at today’s scene.” She said putting both of her hands on her waist. “He wanted to talk to TK, even grabbed him by his arm.” Nancy continued.
“And Nancy thought I am some damsel in distress and she needed to save me.” TK said while sipping his sparkling water from the corner.
“Shut up!” Nancy glared at him. “I didn’t punch him. You should be happy.” TK didn’t reply just shook his head smiling. “So, here comes the interesting part.” Nancy continued.
“Interesting? I don’t think anything related to that asshole can be interesting.” Marjan said making disgusted face.
“Of course, it’s not him. It’s Carlos.” Nancy said clapping her hands. Everyone paid more attention to her shifting in their places. “So, as y’all know he was on the scene as well. TK told him that he met Alex and he was one of the drivers. The question is what did Carlos say in reply?” She looked at everyone scanning from the first to the last one. “Whoever gets it right, will get to eat all of whatever Carlos brings next time. If no one gets it, I will get to have it.”
“You are really a gambler, Nance.” TK said whining.
“He told him to fuck off.” Marjan replied. Nancy shook her head left to right.
“Nah, my man is really nice. He asked TK why was Alex in Austin?” Paul assumed Carlos’s answer.
“Nope!” Nancy replied grinning.
“He asked TK if he was alright?” Mateo said.
“Nope! But you are close.” Nancy grinned again. TK was glaring more at her.
“Knowing Reyes, since there was a collision, he probably asked if Alex was okay.” Judd said chuckling while browsing through the newspaper in his hand. He didn’t notice all of them were staring at him. After noticing few moments of silence, he looked up. “What? I was just saying, he couldn’t possibly have said that.” He looked at TK who was blushing. “Or did he?” He looked at TK again putting down his newspaper.
“He did.” TK said smiling.
Everyone chuckled. They knew Carlos was a nice man. Sometimes too nice for his own good.
“You have got one hell of a nice man, TK.” Marjan said smiling.
“Yep.” Tk smiled.
“But we never had any bet or anything. No one is getting anything.” Nancy shrugged walking away from the scene.
“Hey!” All of them screamed at the same time. Nancy didn’t look back and kept on walking.
TK got off work. He was waiting for his uber when he noticed Alex approaching him outside of the station. He didn’t pay attention to him and kept on browsing his phone.
“Hi.” Alex greeted him.
"Uh hi.” TK replied.
“Can we talk?” Alex asked.
“I don’t think we have anything to talk about, Alex. Plus, my uber is here.” He gestured at the car approaching him. He got in without saying anything.
*****
TK entered their loft silently. He noticed Carlos swaying his hips on the Spanish song he had been listening and cooking something. The smell of the food lightened up TK’s mood automatically.
“Babe!” He hugged Carlos from the back who tilted his head slightly to press a kiss on TK’s cheeks.
“Hey baby!” Carlos greeted. “Wash yourself up, dinner will be ready in ten minutes.” He pressed another kiss on somewhere between TK’s jaw and lips, the only place he could reach without risking burning his veggies. TK didn’t move and pressed his face more in to Carlos’s back whining. Carlos could feel TK shaking his head on his back. “Hop hop tiger. Don’t be a lazy bum.” Carlos nudged his shoulder back on TK.
“Rude.” TK whispered still clinging to him. Carlos smiled while stirring.
“But you love me.” Carlos turned off the stove turning around. He took TK in his arms who looked up at him through his eyelashes smiling brightly. He looked extra adorable in Carlos’s eyes whenever he is clingy.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” Carlos pulled TK even more closer pulling him by his waist. “You want to talk about something?” Carlos asked.
“Yeah. But that can wait. I am dead hungry.” TK pouted.
“Thought so. Now go wash up.” Carlos pushed TK outside of the kitchen.
TK walked his way up to the washroom stomping. Carlos smiled shaking his head seeing his boyfriend being childish. They ate dinner that Carlos cooked. Carlos didn’t think TK really meant it when he said he was dead hungry. He ate everything without leaving a single thing. Carlos always cooks more than they actually need. According to him, it’s better to store the leftovers rather than remaining hungry. He feels extra happy on days like these for developing this habit. After dinner, they were cuddling on the couch and watching trailers of random series and movies Netflix recommended. Carlos knew TK was absentmindedly browsing random things. He didn’t point out and let TK gather his thoughts.
“Alex came by the firehouse when I was leaving.” TK said sitting up to face Carlos.
“What did he want?” Carlos asked taking TK’s hands in his.
“Wanted to talk. I just brushed him off. You don’t need to worry about him.”
“I am not worried about him, baby. Well, if you are talking in the context of you getting back to him or something.”
TK snorted a little hearing that. “That much confidence, huh?” TK teased.
“Yep. I mean look at me.” Carlos gestured at himself giving TK a smug smile.
“Shut up.” TK pinched Carlos’s stomach as in his abs jokingly but winced in return. “Gosh are these even more hard today?”
Carlos only shrugged in reply. “So, what’s bothering you?”
TK laid back in Carlos’s arms rubbing him arms absentmindedly. “I don’t know. Meeting Alex at the collision site might be a co-incident but him showing up at the fire house is definitely not. Why does he even want to talk to me after what he did!”
Carlos kissed TK’s hair rubbing his nose for a few second. “You smell nice.”
“I stole dad’s new conditioner. Don’t tell him.” TK chuckled.
“You little thief.” Carlos threaded his hands through TK’s hair. They were even more softer and smelled really nice. They fell in to a comfortable silence like they always do. “If you ask me, I think you should give him a chance.” Carlos said after some time breaking the silence.
“Him who?”
“Umm Alex?”
“You are not serious, right?”
“I am Ty. I think you should hear what he has to say.”
TK unwrapped Carlos’s arms around him and sat straight to look at him.
“You do know what he did right?” TK asked.
“I do. And that’s why I think you need a closure.”
“You are impossible.” TK spat louder that he intended to. “I am not going anywhere near him. I OD’d the next day last time I saw him. Do you want anything like that to happen again?”
TK stood up pacing in front of the couch. Carlos tried to interrupt but he didn’t let him. “I don’t need any closure, Carlos. Not from him. I don’t even want to see his face. I am way better than I was when I was with him.”
TK calling Carlos by his name only meant he was upset. He never calls Carlos anything besides several pet names he randomly comes up with. It only reminded Carlos of how TK said ‘How complicated can it be, Carlos’ when they fought for not introducing him to his parents.
“You being this upset just by hearing his name is the perfect example of why you two need to have a proper closure, babe.” Carlos said carefully.
“I am not upset. Why would I be upset? He has always been a bad news. I was too blind to see all the red flags. Dad was right about him since day one. He even told him that on his face several times and I misunderstood dad instead, like an idiot.” TK said without taking a breath raising his hands in the air.
“Exactly TK. It was your parents. You never told him what he did to you and how you were affected. And how you are better off without him. Also, people change over time.” Carlos said pursing his lips.
TK put both of his hands on his waist looking down at Carlos. “I am not talking to him and that’s final. Look at us. He has been in our life for one day and we are already fighting.”
“We are not fighting.” Carlos said standing up. He pulled TK by his waist harshly who almost bounced against his body. Carlos held him tightly, leaving no space between them. TK looked to his side avoiding Carlos’s piercing gaze. Carlos didn’t move and kept looking at him.
“What?” TK asked looking slightly at Carlos and then looked to his side again squishing his eyes shut. “Don’t give me those eyes ugh!”
“I am not giving you any eyes.” Carlos teased.
“Sure, you are not.”
“What made you think we are fighting?”
“You called me TK.”
“Isn’t that your name? Which you came up with, I might add.” Carlos teased and TK glared at him. “Also, you called me Carlos. Not baby.” Carlos grinned.
“Wow!” TK mocked. “I didn’t know we are now treating each other like that.” TK said without any visible emotion on his face. Carlos couldn’t guess if he was teasing or being serious. TK removed himself from Carlos’s grip and walked towards their bed room.
“Baby, I was just joking.” Carlos followed TK.
TK looked back at Carlos with that same serious face again. “You have one minute to check the locks, turn off the TV and unnecessary lights, tidy the couch until I lock the bedroom door.”
Carlos looked at him dumfounded. “And you have wasted thirty seconds.” TK said and walked back to their bedroom, hiding a huge grin.
Carlos did all of the things TK mentioned on running mode. He only stopped running and slowed his footsteps when he entered their bedroom which wasn’t locked. TK was half lying on his elbow putting his right hand under his cheek smirking at Carlos who was huffing.
“You are going to be the death of me!!!” Carlos whined on his way to their bed stomping his feet. He jumped on TK putting all of his weight on him who lost his balance by the sudden action. TK held Carlos’s head on his chest dearly. “I thought you were mad at me.” Carlos said.
“I am not. But don’t call me like that, ever again. I am your baby, babes, Ty, all the other sweet spanish words you call me with which I can't pronounce correctly.” TK said pulling a strand of Carlos’s curls. Carlos winced and slapped his hand away over his head.
“I will never. Even if we are in the firehouse, even if we are in front of your friends, even if we are on scene, even if we are in front of your parents or even mine.” TK grinned and pressed a kiss on Carlos’s curls. Carlos looked up at TK putting his chin on his chest. “I will call you Tyler instead.” Carlos waved his eyebrows at TK mockingly. He knows how much the other hates that name. His grin faded and he scowled at Carlos.
“Do I look like a 'Tyler' to you? You know what we have a nice floor. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable there?”TK removed Carlos from top of him and put a distance between them.
Carlos whined having lost the warmth. “You called me by name first. And now I am the culprit. That’s not fair. At least give me a kiss.”
“Nope.” TK said making his pillows ready to sleep. “So that you remember you are not pulling a me on me, ever again.” TK said yawning.
“Things a man needs to do for love.” Carlos murmured while making his side as well, half lying.
“I heard that.” TK said lying on his side facing Carlos. Carlos only stared at him pouting. “Okay fine! Come here.”
TK spread his free arm and Carlos grinned. He lied back pressing his cheek against TK’s chest. TK threaded his fingers in the beautiful curls against his body. Carlos loves being played with his hair. It automatically relaxes him. TK even joked several times that Carlos would fall asleep just after waking up if someone plays with his hair for ten minutes, which Carlos obviously denied. Carlos pressed his head even more in to TK’s chest. He was sure he heard a things a man needs to do for love before he drifted off to dreamland.