Thanks for the tags @heartstringsduet @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @welcometololaland @honeybee-taskforce @sznofthesticks @paperstorm @nancygillianmvp & @carlos-in-glasses 💕
Chapter Four of Eid Fic, aka love in a series of bursts & inches, went up this morning!! Next week is Eid!! And with it comes the fifth and final chapter. Here’s a little sneak peak!
He hopes he’s done the cake justice. That it can live up to the cakes of Marjan’s childhood, which her mom always bought from the local Persian bakery. He’d planned to buy one from the bakery in East Austin, but they didn’t have Persian love cakes in stock. Carlos suggested he try making it, and Paul and Mateo have been living their best lives as taste testers for the last three weeks. He thinks this one is the best he’s made so far.
His ears perk when he hears the shower turn on. He checks the clock on the stove and sees they’ve got a couple hours until Marjan and her parents, Paul and Joe are due to show up. He surveys the loft, the food is ready and what needs to be kept hot is warming on the stove or in the oven. The dining room is set and the living room is immaculate. He thinks he’s earned a nice shower with his husband.
Or maybe Carlos has earned a shower with him.
When he gets to the bathroom he has to lean back against the counter, admiring the way the water cascades down Carlos’s perfect skin. How the drops roll over his broad shoulders, following the planes of his firm back and disappearing over the curve of his glutes.
He’s perfect.
“You coming in?” Carlos asks after a few minutes, not bothering to turn around. “Or are you just gonna stand there staring like a weirdo.”
“It is not weird to stare at you,” TK says defensively, yanking off his clothes at lightning speed. His shirt lands on the counter, a sock gets flung into the bedroom. He makes a mental note to clean up the bathroom when they’re done. He steps into the shower as Carlos turns. “You’re beautiful, how am I supposed to not stare?”
Carlos tilts his head down, hiding a bashful smile, while he steps back to make room for TK under the spray.
He feels some tension release from his muscles as he steps under the warm water. Can’t help the soft sigh that comes out of him. They’ve been up cooking for hours, the smell of onion is bored into his skin at this point.
He smiles in gratitude when Carlos reaches for the shampoo and starts to work it through TK’s hair.
“You’re a really good friend, babe, I don’t know if I’ve ever told you that before,” Carlos says, voice so soft it can barely be heard over the shower spray.
“I feel like you have to say that, because I’m your husband.”
“You are my husband,” Carlos says, voice laced with gentle teasing. He places a hand on the back of TK’s head and tilts it forward to rinse the shampoo out. “But I’m saying that as someone who’s been on the receiving end of your friendship for about five years now.”
TK scoffs, stepping back and tilting his head to the side. He studies Carlos for a moment before diverting his eyes. “I’m too much.”
“Baby, no you’re not.” Carlos says, voice firm. He puts a finger under TK’s chin and ducks a bit to make eye contact.
“No, I am. I get too involved and I overreact. I try too hard and I make things worse.”
“That’s not true,” Carlos says. Voice still soft but tone forceful.
“I think it’s because before I moved here, I never really had friends. I had enablers. I had people who wanted to get high with me or have sex with me. Or both. But I didn’t really have friends.”
“Well,” Carlos says, placing a firm hand on TK’s waist and pulling him close so he can kiss his temple. “You have friends now, TK. You have a whole family of people who don’t think you’re too much. You’re the perfect amount of you.”
The line is corny enough to pull a laugh out of TK.
“It’s true,” Carlos continues.
