#911fluffweek

Tagging List: @chaotictarlos, @detective-giggles, @sgirl18, @sapphire11, @bubblesandroses8, @porscheanakinns, @firstprince-history-huh, @beautifulhigh, @rangergurlgleek1211, @shadesofdeviant, @otter-love-asl, @tarlos-spain, @ramblingdisaster73, @tarlossource

ii.

The club lights strobe around them, bathing the room alternately in lurid colours and strange shadows. The place is packed, the doors practically straining on their hinges, but the only thing TK is aware of is Carlos’s body moving against his own, their movements perfectly in sync with each other.

It’s been a while since they were last about to do this, to come out and just let loose for the night. In fact, TK thinks the last time might have been when they were out with Paul what seems like a lifetime ago; so much has changed since, and TK feels like a completely different person to who he was back then.

He and Carlos have officially been together for a few months now, but it’s like the universe has been working to stop them from actually being able to enjoy it. They’ve managed to squeeze in some dates here and there, but between the shooting, the solar storm, TK’s medical leave, and weeks of opposing shifts, getting a moment to themselves has been difficult.

But now, finally, they have one. And TK is going to milk it for all it’s worth.

He turns slightly in Carlos’s grasp, his head tilting up to catch his lips in a searing kiss. Carlos grips TK’s hips tighter, pulling them flush against his own as he deepens the kiss, and TK gasps, a sharp thrill shooting down his spine.

The night stretches out blissfully in front of them, the knowledge that this isn’t just a fling that will end with the cold light of dawn making it all the sweeter. It’s still a little surreal, even now, but it also feels so damn right.

TK’s heart hammers in time with the music and he sinks into Carlos’s hold, losing himself in his heat.

iii.

It’s not that TK never felt at home at the condo. The opposite in fact; Carlos’s place had been home even before he could officially call it his, and he feels the loss of it keenly. The thing is, though, even after he’d fully moved in, it had been a struggle to think of it as theirs.

It had been home, sure, but it had also been Carlos’s place.

Carlos had found it a little funny, and it had taken several slip-ups on TK’s part and just as many gentle corrections on his for TK to get used to our dining room, and our bedroom, and our house.

And then—well. Just as he’d started to get used to it, it was all gone. Ashes. It hurt, deeply, but TK knew that it was his turn to be the one to lean on, to let Carlos be the one to set the pace. Carlos had lived there for years, after all, and what was TK’s month compared to that?

Really, anywhere that Carlos is would be home, but this—holding the keys to a house they’d picked out together, a house they’d signed the lease for together, a house they’d picked the furnishings for together—feels like coming home. 

He hates that it was the condo burning down that got them to this stage, but TK can’t stop a grin from emerging on his face as he slips his key into the lock.

He finds Carlos in the kitchen, humming and shimmying to a song playing from the speakers. To his credit, TK really does try to bite back his laughter, but he can’t quite manage it, letting out a loud snort which has Carlos stopping in his tracks, flushing a deep red.

“I see the unpacking’s going well,” he says, walking over to the kitchen counter and leaning a hip against it. 

“It was, actually,” Carlos defends, still blushing. “I didn’t realise you’d be back this soon.”

TK shakes his head; as adorable as Carlos’s embarrassment is, he needs to let him know he’s not making fun. “You can relax, babe. You know I always love seeing you move those hips.”

“Mmm, don’t I know it.” Carlos leans in and kisses him, lingering a moment before pulling back, a wide smirk on his face. “How about you help me finish unpacking here and we’ll see about showing you more of that hip action later?”

TK grumbles, but does as he’s told, the two of them falling into a comfortable rhythm as they work to getting their house in order. It’s ended up being the perfect blend of their different styles, which probably shouldn’t work together, but somehow do, and TK loves it here. They both do, he knows—nothing will ever replace what they lost in the fire, but being able to build a home together is beyond special.

He keeps sneaking glances at Carlos as the afternoon goes on—sue him, his boyfriend is built like a Greek god—and TK smiles when he realises Carlos has started dancing again. He probably doesn’t even realise he’s doing it, which makes the whole thing so much better.

TK watches for a while, then walks up to Carlos and taps him on the shoulder. “Mind if I cut in?” he asks, gesturing to the wooden spoons he was twirling around.

There’s a brief moment of confusion, before Carlos’s eyes light up with realisation. He barely wastes a second in tossing the spoons aside (though, it’s more like a careful placement in the correct drawer) and grabs TK by the hand, sending him into a literal spin.

TK laughs, taking a moment to right himself after the sudden movement caused him to stumble inelegantly. Neither of them are in time with the music as they dance around the kitchen, carefully avoiding the boxes still scattered around, but it’s not important. 

For the first time in his life, TK feels fully, completely at home. It’s not a feeling he wants to let go of.

iv.

“I think they were expecting something slower,” TK murmurs, burying a laugh in Carlos’s neck. Their guests are all wearing expressions with varying degrees of shock, and he can’t really blame them—he’s pretty sure the last thing anyone expects to hear during a first dance at a wedding is a country song. “I still can’t believe you even remember it.”

Carlos shrugs. “I still can’t believe you don’t. It is our song, after all.”

TK rolls his eyes, remembering their first conversation on this topic months ago, back when they were still sorting out all the wedding minutiae. 

“‘Our’ song, babe?” he’d said, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Why, because we danced to it for five minutes before leaving to get off in the bathroom?”

“Exactly,” Carlos had replied, his tone so serious that TK wasn’t sure whether he was joking or not. He’d rolled his eyes and lightly shoved at TK’s shoulder. “No, babe. Because it was the first time we danced together on the night that we met. That’s special, right, even if it did only last five minutes?”

TK hadn’t exactly been able to argue that one, and he has to admit now that it was a pretty good choice. If only to see the way Judd almost choked on his champagne in surprise when the song started.

It’s a little untraditional and, if he’s being honest, TK had never thought that one day he would be getting married in Texas on his new husband’s family ranch, with their first dance being to a ‘cowboy song’, as he’d once called it, much to Carlos’s horror. But he and Carlos have never been ones for tradition, and TK wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s perfect,” he admits, his eyes never leaving Carlos’s. He stops the dance, not caring that the song is still playing, and steps closer, pressing their bodies together. Everything else fades into the background as he leans up and kisses Carlos, barely moving when they break apart. “I love you, Husband.”

Carlos’s face lights up in a grin that could rival the sun in its brightness. “I love you too, Husband.”

v.

Music is floating through the door when TK gets home, and it’s enough to alleviate the weight he’s been carrying all day. It’s not that it had been a bad shift per se (though, when your standards for a good day are ‘nobody dies’, your view tends to get a bit skewed) but it had been long and tiring, and he’d missed his family desperately.

Sometimes, he still can’t believe this is really his life. But Ana, now three, has been living with them for a year already, and TK can’t imagine their home without her anymore. She’d been a blessing, coming into their lives after years of fighting to get on adoption registers, right when they were beginning to despair of ever managing it.

They did, though, and now TK gets to come home to scenes like this. 

Scenes like Ana standing on Carlos’s toes as he guides her slowly around the room in a basic dance. TK watches for a moment before getting his phone out and hitting record; he’ll be damned if he misses the opportunity to get this on film.

Carlos, having heard him enter, rolls his eyes when he sees what TK’s doing, but flashes him a quick smile before returning his focus to Ana. She hasn’t noticed TK’s entrance, her face scrunched up in deep concentration as she grips onto Carlos’s hands as tight as she possibly can.

When the music ends, Ana claps her hands and giggles. TK takes the moment to make his presence known, dropping to his knees and holding his arms out. She barrels into him, almost knocking him over, and presses her face into his chest, her tiny hands creating creases in his uniform shirt.

“Hi, sweetheart,” TK murmurs, dropping a kiss in her hair. He gently detaches her from him and manoeuvers them until she’s sitting in his lap. “Looks like you guys were having fun while I was at work.”

She nods enthusiastically. “Papa was teaching me to dance! Abuela showed me photos when I was with her and Abuelo and I wanted to be just like her!”

“Abuela got out the photo albums again, huh?”

Ana nods again. “Of her… Her…” She frowns and looks up at Carlos.

“Her china poblana dresses,” Carlos says softly, smiling as Ana grins and points at him. 

TK laughs and draws his daughter into a hug, rocking them gently, his gaze going up to Carlos. “Well, from what I saw, you were dancing even better than Papa,” he says, smirking as Carlos gasps in mock offence. He looks back down at Ana, tapping on the back of her hand. “You know,” he starts, smiling, “I think I might need some dancing lessons too. Think you can teach me?”

Ana lights up and immediately gets to her feet, as if she’d been waiting for him to ask. She grabs TK’s hand and pulls him up, leading him to where Carlos must have cleared a space for them earlier. The music begins to play again and TK lets his daughter take charge, playfully sticking his tongue out at Carlos when he laughs at TK getting firmly told off for putting his foot in the wrong place.

At some point, Carlos joins the dance, the three of them stepping and bouncing around the front room. Ana’s laughter fills the house, shrieking with delight when Carlos sweeps her from the floor and wraps both her and TK in his arms. TK leans his head on his husband’s shoulder, a hand placed on their daughter’s back, and breathes out slowly, all the exhaustion from earlier forgotten. 

Eddie took a quick glance out in the yard and ran to the door, hollering at the boys to wait for an adult to supervise.  He then headed on out to help them with the last few steps, with Buck following closely behind to assist.  

By that time Hen had also emerged from the kitchen, placing a large bowl of popcorn down on the coffee table and a couple of drinks for the boys to enjoy during their indoor movie time.  Coming over to where Karen was watching, she placed her arm around her wife’s waist.  “Do you think this will help these two realize their feelings for each other?” Hen asked bluntly, not holding back on her words as they watched Buck placing his hand gently on Eddie’s lower back as Eddie taught the boys how to safely start the fire.  

“Who knows at this point,” Karen said with a chuckle, grabbing Hen’s hand and pulling her outside.  It was time to relax and enjoy their ‘adult’ date. 

XXXXX

With the exception of a few interruptions, one for changing the movie because Captain America is better than Iron Man, and for snack refills, the boys had mostly left the adults alone for the evening, allowing them to relax and take a break from the stresses of their jobs.  They all ate way too many s’mores, and maybe had a few too many beers, while they chatted and caught up with one another around the cozy fire pit.  

Buck always thought Karen was awesome, but as she relayed her stories about her work with NASA, he revised his opinion to her being an awesome genius.  He couldn’t help but ask her a gazillion questions, pausing at times to glance at Eddie, concerned that he was taking over the conversation.  But then Eddie would send him that soft smile, that he only really saw Eddie give to him, and he would feel all warm inside, and comfortable to keep asking questions.

But it was getting late, and Hen and Karen had stretched back on their blanket, cuddling and watching the stars.  Buck smiled, he was happy to have the two of them in his life, and that they were comfortable enough to show their relationship to them.  Leaning back on the blanket he was sharing with Eddie, he let out a small chuckle.

“What?” Eddie asked him, looking at him in confusion, not understanding the source of his laughter.  He had been laying down on one of the pillows previously, but now had himself propped up on his elbow, looking at Buck.

“I was just remembering a conversation that I had with Christopher awhile ago,” Buck said with a grin.  “I forget how the topic came up, but I said that stargazing was something you did with someone special...and I think that may have inspired this evening plan.” Buck added, motioning up to the sky, now filled with glittering stars.  Buck thought back to the rest of the evening, the boys had set it up like the ultimate date he wished it was.  He glanced back at Eddie, watching his reaction closely as he reached out to take Eddie’s hand in his, deciding to take the plunge.  “And you’re special to me,” he said simply, caressing the back of Eddie’s hand with his thumb, waiting anxiously for Eddie’s response.

At the least he had expected some sort of acknowledgement, maybe a brotherly hug at the most.  But all of a sudden his arms were full of Eddie, and Eddie’s lips were against his and he felt like he was flying.  He could feel Eddie’s hands in his hair, tugging his curls gently as the kiss continued, Eddie pressing his body flush against Buck’s.  Eddie nipped at his bottom lip, and Buck let out a small gasp as Eddie continued to explore his mouth with his tongue, the two of them so caught up in each other that they didn’t register the flying projectile until it made contact.  

“What?!“ Eddie exclaimed, pulling the offending pillow away from his head and glaring over at Hen, who had been the obvious thrower.  Buck blushed at the sight of Hen and Karen staring at them, trying to pull away from Eddie, but Eddie was still on top of him and was refusing to move a muscle.  

“Keep it PG you two,” Karen added, her attempt at looking stern failing miserably as her excitement for the two of them started to show in a widening smile.  “We’ll go check on the kids, let you two cool down a tad,” Hen added with a laugh, pulling Karen towards the house.

Buck took a quick glance at his watch, noticing that it was after midnight.  “We should...we should probably go in and help get Christopher to bed,” Buck commented, still distracted by the weight of Eddie on top of him.  

Eddie groaned and shifted off Buck, not wanting to move an inch.  But Buck was right, and so once he was able to get to his feet, he reached down and helped Buck to a standing position as well.  Then, before Buck could escape into the house, he pulled Buck in for another kiss, a much gentler one this time but still full of passion.