Chapter Text
He looked at TK, a look of betrayal clear on his face but he shook his head, just as confused. He'd promised not send them a save the date.
“We got it from your sister,” Gabriel said. “I don’t suppose ours is on its way.”
“It’s not,” Carlos said flatly. “I don’t want you there.”
“Carlitos-“ Andrea stepped closer but he put a hand up.
“No, you don’t get to do this,” he said, shaking his head. “You didn’t say a word to me. For over a year.”
He felt a hand slip into his and TK pulled close; his actions would have made Carlos’s heart soar if he wasn’t so livid.
“If you don’t mind,” Gabriel said, addressing TK. “This is a family matter.”
TK looked to Carlos, who tightened his grip. “TK is my family. He isn’t going anywhere.”
Gabriel just stiffened and glared at him.
“Carlitos,” Andrea said softly. “This is not the way that we raised you.”
“Are you talking about not inviting you to my wedding? Or about who I’m marrying?” He raised an eyebrow.
He heard Judd say something like let’s give them a minute, and get his ass from Marjan. He had to bite back a smile at that.
“You should have told us.”
“Why?”
“Because we are your parents,” Gabriel snapped as if it was the most obvious thing.
“Who shut me out as soon as I introduced you to my boyfriend.”
“You stopped calling,” Andrea reasoned.
He let out a laugh, one that was devoid of all humor. “You stopped answering! I wasn’t going to keep trying to win you over.”
“Mijo, it’s your wedding.”
“Yes, I know,” he replied simply. “I am the one who proposed in the first place.”
Andrea seemed to soften at that. “You did?”
Carlos nodded. “And he said yes; can you believe it?”
TK laughed a little next to him and pressed closer, running his free hand over Carlos’s forearm.
Gabriel settled his gaze on TK. “You do not have my blessing to marry him.”
TK gave him a look, furrowing his brows and tilting his head. “I really don’t think that’s your place anymore.”
Carlos looked at him with a small, but proud, smile. Then he looked back up at his parents.
“You are no longer welcome in my house. I have never been more ashamed of you.”
Carlos’s face fell and he hesitated for a moment. “Dad-“
“You can enjoy your sinful life but you will not bring it into my home.”
“I think it’s time you left,” TK said, stepping between them. Carlos’s shoulders sagged under the weight of the words, threatening to send him crumbling to the floor.
“And you, you drag my son down with you, you-"
“He said go,” Paul said from behind, resting his elbow on Carlos’s shoulder.
Marjan came up on his other side, Mateo crossing his arms next to her, and he felt Judd’s hand on his shoulder. Carlos looked down with a smile. If he didn’t care so much about how much satisfaction it would give his father, he would have broken down.
Gabriel cast a glare over the group while Andrea- well, Carlos couldn’t quite read her look. There was hurt but also softness and sadness. She put her hand on her husband’s arm and nodded.
“Alright, we’ll go.”
When they turned to leave, Carlos leaned into TK, who pulled him into a hug.
“You’re okay,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to Carlos’s temple. “It’s okay, I’m so proud of you.”
Carlos pressed his face into the crook of his neck. “Thank you,” he mumbled.
“We’re always here,” he said, carefully pulling away. “Not just me.”
“All of us,” Paul promised.
Carlos smiled at them. “Thank you...”
“You’re family, Reyes,” Judd shrugged.
“Family protects each other,” Mateo smiled.
Carlos looked over the faces of his friends, of his family, and felt a deep sense of love and peace, a feeling that gave him strength and made him want to cry all at once. He didn’t have anything to give back to them but maybe that was okay.
“You can make it up to us,” Marjan started, as if reading his mind, “by letting me beat you in Mario cart.”
She smirked, bumping his shoulder playfully. He laughed and nodded.
“I'll play but can’t promise you’ll win.”
“Oh, I’ll win.”
They all started back toward the couches but TK tugged Carlos back.
“Are you going to be okay?” He asked, searching his eyes.
“I’ll be fine,” Carlos nodded, pulling him close and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You know, I really appreciate you.”
“Come on, love birds!”
TK bit his lip and laughed, “I really appreciate you too.”
Carlos closed the bedroom door behind him quietly, grimacing when the hinges squeaked. He heard TK shift in the bed and he sighed.
"Babe?" He mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
"Go back to sleep, mi cariño," Carlos said softly, kicking his shoes off by the door. "I'll be there in a minute."
"Nah, I'm up now," he grumbled, flipping the light on and running his hands over his face. "What are you doing home so late?"
"Early," Carlos corrected, smiling a little. He settled into the bed next to TK. "And I had a shift, remember?"
TK just hummed sleepily, curling into Carlos. The officer just smiled as he slipped back into sleep. Then there was a knock on the door downstairs and Carlos groaned. TK whined, holding him tighter.
"Amor, I have to get that," he said, reluctantly pulling away. TK whined again and pressed his face against his fiance's pillow.
Carlos smiled and made his way to the front door. He looked out the window and froze.
"Shit..."
"Who is it?" TK called.
"No one, Ty, just... stay there." He took a breath and slowly opened the door. "Mom."
She just looked at him for a moment. "May I come in?"
"No."
He cringed inwardly, wanting nothing more than to let her in. To sit with her and to hug her. For her to make everything okay again. But they hadn't seen each other- they hadn't spoken- since that day at the firehouse a few weeks before.
She seemed hurt by the statement too, looking down at the ground for a moment. "I wanted to apologize."
He tried to find something wrong, some hint of a facade, but she seemed like she was telling the truth.
"Mom-"
"You're father doesn't know that I'm here. I... hate that I missed important moments in your life, and I hate that I wasn't there."
"Carlos?"
He turned to see TK at the top of the stairs, a concerned look on his face.
"It's fine, T, go back to bed."
TK hesitated for a moment but nodded, disappearing around the corner again.
"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"
He shook his head. "No, ma. I just got home after a long shift."
"Should I come back-"
"Why are you here? What made you come? Why now?"
She tugged on her purse. "I saw how much you loved him. When you talked about him. How you looked at him."
Carlos smiled a little to himself. "He's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Andrea smiled. "And I would love to get to know him more. Anyone who's important to you should be important to me."
Carlos frowned. "And what about Dad?"
"He's blinded by his own beliefs."
He shook his head. "He's got his head up his ass-"
"Carlitos-"
"No, mom, he... he said those things to Tk." He shrugged and looked away. "It's one thing for him to say it to me, but not to him. You can't apologize for him."
"I know, I know." She stepped closer, her hesitation evident. "Even if your father disagrees, I want you to know that I love you. And I have never been more proud of you. For telling us, and for this life that you're building for yourself."
Carlos softened and, before he knew what he was doing, he pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back, tightly and desperately, like she missed this as much as he did. She pulled away after a few moments.
"Get some rest, mijo."
"I will," he nodded. "And maybe, we can go for coffee sometime. The three of us," he gestured up the stairs. "You can get to know TK a little more."
"I would love that," she smiled and nodded. "Good night, Carlos."
"Night, mom."
"And good night, TK," she called up the stairs.
"Night, Mrs. Reyes," TK said, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
She smiled at Carlos and patted his cheek gently before leaving. He closed the door and turned toward the stairs.
"So it went well?" TK asked, sitting on the top step and Carlos nodded.
"Yeah, I think so."
TK smiled and opened his arms, a silent invitation. Carlos let out a breath and nearly fell into his arms, curling up into him, his knees to his chest. He felt at home and safe in his arms.
"'M sorry I woke you up," he mumbled sleepily.
"It's okay," TK assured him, pressing a kiss to his head. "You tired?" Carlos nodded and pulled closer. "Let's go to bed, yeah?"
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