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thank you to @carlos-in-glasses @actuallylemon @smallbirdrising for the tags! from Infinitely Yours:

His gaze whips to the cell across from him, newly occupied. His stomach turns at the sight of Sir Raymond with a whip in his hand, poised to strike. Catherine has fallen to the ground at his feet, shielded bravely by Cooper. Each has a pair of manacles around their wrists.

The tip of it slices through the air with a harrowing crack. Cooper falls to the ground, hand over his face. He cries out.

Catherine sobs. "We—We don't know anything! I swear!"

Carlos jumps to his feet. Without thinking, he bangs the restraints around his hands against the cell bars. "Hey!" he tries to shout, fury raging in him like a fire. These two are innocent. He won't see them hurt like this if he can help it.

"Wait your turn, Reyes," Sir Raymond says, cracking the whip in the air. "There's plenty more where that came from." He continues to bring the whip down on Cooper, who barely possesses the strength to lift his arm over his face.

Carlos doesn't relent. He makes a nuisance of himself, uncaring of the ache in his bones. His efforts cause a cacophony of metal until Raymond shouts in frustration. He throws the whip to the ground and marches into Carlos' cell. Carlos barely has any time to be pleased with himself before Raymond is pinning him against the wall by the throat.

"Think you're so clever, don't you?" Raymond spits. His fingernails dig into the skin, leaving sharp divots in their wake. "You're on borrowed time, Reyes. If I had it my way, the worms would've gotten you the night of the murder."

thanks to @carlos-in-glasses and @smallbirdrising for the tags! From Infinitely Yours (medieval au):

All of a sudden, a small object is being pressed into his hand. Cold. Circular. Carlos looks at it and gasps.

"Tyler," he says, searching for a way to explain the ring in his hand, "I didn't mean for you to—"

TK kisses him hard, shutting him up. He kisses until Carlos has run out of air, and is forced to inhale while still locked against TK's lips. One of his favorite things—to breathe TK in. He doesn't think about when he'll get this next.

"Ask me," TK murmurs against his lips. He tastes of salt. They both do.

He hesitates. This isn't how he wanted it. It's nothing like he pictured. There's supposed to be a creek and a sunset and birds chirping overhead. They're supposed to be deliriously happy, not... not this. Not trapped in an impossible situation.

"I... I don't..."

"Ask me," TK pleads, voice growing stronger. "You know the answer, baby. Just say it." His hands tremble against Carlos' face, his neck. He's desperate for this in a way Carlos hasn't seen before. "I'll only let you do this if you promise me—" he closes Carlos' fingers as best he can around the ring— "that this is our future. Our only future."

Chapter 3 of No One Gets Left Behind is coming soon! And here we have a little bit of reeling from the thing I don't want to spoil:

Inside the honky-tonk, to the tune of the band playing Suspicious Minds while the line dancing really gets going, Carlos insists on paying for the whole round of drinks, rinsing his wallet by leaving Ricky a huge tip.

Joe’s eyebrows raise. “Hoo. Okay, big spender.”

“Forget about it.” Carlos shrugs. “It’s the least I could do.”

“You’re not the one who caused anything to go down, here.” Judd casts a furious glance over at the husband and wife, who sneer back at him. “They should be the ones buying us drinks.”

“I wouldn’t drink anything they bought me if my throat was on fire,” Owen says.

“Probably not a great idea to drink alcohol if your throat’s on fire anyway,” Joe ponders.

“I just hope Jonah’s okay,” Carlos says quietly.

But Owen hears him over the music and pats Carlos on the back. “Ah, he’s out there bouncing his little heart out. Doesn’t have a care in the world.”

“I don’t know.” Carlos sighs and pushes his pointer finger against the scuffed bar where the cherry lacquer has flaked away. “He feels things so deeply. Just like TK. Even when he doesn’t really understand what the feeling is.”

“Kids are resilient,” Judd tells him. “Jonah’s resilient. I mean, that boy has been through a lot worse than encountering..." he throws a thumb over his shoulder and shouts, "MR. AND MRS. ASSHAT over there!”

And even though Mr. and Mrs. Asshat probably couldn’t hear Judd, Carlos finds himself breaking into a laugh that he needs like medicine.

Open tags and tags below:

you’re laughing. i told you a joke and you’re laughing. i love you

911 Lone Star: Road Kill (4x09)

(insp.)

thank you to @carlos-in-glasses @ladyknight1512 and @actuallylemon for the tags! here is another whumpy snippet from the kindred spirit sequel, which I have decided to name Infinitely Yours!

The door to the chamber opens, then slams shut as soon as TK steps through. He puts a hand against the wood, and suddenly roots grow out from it, sealing it from the inside. Banging ensues as the guard requests—as respectfully as possible in this situation—for TK to open the door.

Carlos can't help the relief that floods him, though it is matched by panic and guilt in equal measure. Slowly, the man he would give his entire heart to—the man he has failed—turns around and faces him.

TK's expression crumples in an instant. "Carlos," he gasps.

Carlos hangs his head. "You... you shouldn't be here," he says, although it's more of a whimper with the way his voice trembles. He hates himself for the tears that drip from his eyes. He never wanted TK to see him this way—a weakened failure of a man.

TK is at his side in an instant, cupping his face. "What have they done to you?" he asks, voice eerily quiet with anger.

Only then does Carlos entertain the idea that TK's rage might not be pointed towards him. It's made easier to believe by the way TK is caressing his cheek and the devastated expression he wears.

A lump is steadily forming in his throat. "You shouldn't be here," he says again. "It isn't... it isn't safe."

No One Gets Left Behind

E, 20k. Chapters 1 of 5 now on Ao3.

TK and Carlos take Jonah on a night out to a very special place when the honky-tonk hosts a family-friendly event, but even while surrounded by all their closet friends, not everyone is happy to see them. When disaster strikes, Jonah unexpectedly becomes the evening’s hero.

Chapter 1: Kisses for Breakfast

“What’s happened, mijo?” Andrea asks. She’s wandered over, catching the tail of the conversation, and finds herself with a little nieto cuddling into her.

“There was a mean man,” Jonah says.

A squeeze to TK’s shoulder makes him jump, but it’s only his own dad here to find out what’s going on.

“A guy confronted you in front of Jonah?” Owen asks.

“Look. I don’t want to make a huge deal out of this,” TK says, and turns to Carlos. “I just think we have to watch our backs a little, babe. I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?” Carlos stares at TK with a face like stone, a living boulder about to crush its way down a hillside.

“I just–”

“No.” Carlos slides off his barstool cooly. His cowboy boots clink as his feet meet the floor.

“Babe?”

“This is our place, and our night, with our family. Just as much as anyone else’s.”

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