#tarls

Fandom: 9-1-1 Lone Star

Pairgin: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand

Characters: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand

Hearing your heartbeat

After the incident in the ice, Carlos is worried, even if TK is fine, the doctors told him about possible heart problems. beginning of season 3

thank you so much for your support and your love! i hope you enjoy reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it!

#1 ~ small kisses littered across the other’s face.

kiss me to happiness [718 words] | on ao3

It’s a slow morning when it happens. TK has been lazing around on the bed, half awake but not quite, clinging to Carlos with one heavy arm and most of his weight on his boyfriend’s chest like a warm, human blanket, the friction of skin on skin enough to make Carlos smile wildly with happiness.

“Move in with me,” he blurts out, low enough for it to be taken as nonsensical mumbling, but TK’s fine hearing picks up on it.

“What?” TK asks, pushing himself off Carlos and up his arm — the one that’s not currently pining Carlos to the bed. He doesn’t answer right away, as though he’s actually trying to decipher the true meaning of Carlos’ words. He blushes, ever so slightly, ready to deny his own statement, when TK cuts his attempt at speaking again.

Carlos has been expecting a verbal reply — yes, no, whatever — but instead what he gets in response is an armful of TK effectively trapping him against the mattress and peppering kisses on his face. All of a sudden, there’s no inch of skin that goes unkissed by TK’s frantic lips. They’re everywhere — on his nose, on his cheeks, on his forehead — in a quick succession of pressure and love, while TK climbs on top of him.

“I take it you like the idea, then?” Carlos manages to question in between TK’s kisses that keep missing Carlos’ lips.

“Yes,” TK breathes out, taking a break from his kissing crusade to lean back, all his weight on the hands that have him propped up the bed now. He’s smiling when he repeats, “I think I’d say yes to you a million times, Carlos.”

Carlos shivers. It’s everything he’s ever wanted to hear from TK, ever since that first night they couldn’t get their hands off each other, ever since the failed dinner date and the subsequent weirdness, ever since swearing to himself that he’d always try his best to bring color to TK’s life. And yet, actually getting to hear it comes as a big surprise.

He knows that it’s a big step for his boyfriend — he knows the reasons why TK moved back in with his father when they both came to Austin, and he knows the reasons why TK stayed — and Carlos has been refraining from asking because he still thinks that it’s TK who should set the pace at which this relationship moves forward. Carlos is fine with letting TK choose how they evolve — he loves TK with his whole being, and making him happy is Carlos’ only goal.

“Yes?”

“Don’t act so surprised now,” TK teases him, leaning back in to peck him on the forehead again, narrowly avoiding Carlos’ lips when he lifts his chin just slightly. “I practically live here anyway, don’t I?”

“I’m not surprised,” Carlos tries to tell him, but it comes out a jumbled nonsense as TK keeps kissing his way around Carlos’ face. “It’s just—”

He doesn’t know how to word it. He’s the one who’s just now blurted out that he wants TK to move in with him — there’s no denying that he’s been wanting it for so long that it’s scary — but he doesn’t want TK to feel rushed into something he might not be ready to do just now.

“You’re not rushing me into anything,” TK reassured him. Carlos wants to hide his face in the pillows at the realization that he’s spoken out loud. “I live here already, Carlos, we both know it. Everyone knows it. I just didn’t want to assume I had already moved in because I didn’t want you to feel pressured, what with everything that’s transpired with your parents and your career and—”

This time it’s Carlos’ turn to shut TK up with a kiss, finally claiming his lips, trying to pour everything he feels for TK into it. “I love you,” he whispers against TK’s skin once they both come up for air. “I love you so much.”

TK smiles softly. “I know,” he whispers back. “I’m so lucky you love me.” He leans back and pecks him on the lips. “I love you too.”

“I’m the lucky one,” Carlos promises, tugging at TK’s shirt until he’s collapsing on top of Carlos, both a tangled heap of flesh and bones and endless love.