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Carlos steps through the front door of the apartment a little after two in the afternoon, letting out a sigh of relief to finally be done with his fourteen-hour shift. It was a fairly quiet day of work, but time seemed to drag on forever, and he feels dead on his feet. He takes in the silence of his home for a moment, closing his eyes to clear his thoughts.
His moment is interrupted too soon by the soft tapping of paws on the hardwood floor, and he opens his eyes to find Max, their golden retriever, moving towards him from the bedroom. He crouches down, reaching out to cup the dog’s happy face in his hands, scratching his fingers through his thick fur. “Hi there, buddy,” Carlos says, letting Max lick him underneath the jaw. “Need to go outside?” he asks, pulling back to stare at him; he gets no response. “Okay, come on, boy.”
He opens the back door to let Max run out into the fenced-in backyard. Carlos leans heavily against the door frame, feeling his muscles protest at not being able to relax completely. He turns back to the kitchen, reaching into a cabinet for a protein bar. By the time Max wanders back into the kitchen, done with his business, Carlos has already scarfed it down, clearing his throat with a glass of water.
“Okay, buddy,” Carlos says, looking down at the canine. “I’m sure you’ve been sleeping since Dad left this morning, but we’re doing nap time now,” he continues, moving to close the door again before wandering over to the couch to take off his shoes. He realizes his mistake almost immediately; now that he’s sunk into the comfy cushions, he has no desire to get up again.
He doesn’t even hesitate before pulling off his shirt and pants, laying down to press his face against one of their soft decorative pillows. He sighs at the cool feeling of the air conditioning on his bare skin, watching as Max pads over to collapse onto the floor right next to him. Carlos reaches down to rest a hand on his back, closing his eyes and, within minutes, they’re both asleep.
Carlos awakens when he feels Max shift beneath his hand, his eyes blinking open to watch as the dog walks over to the front door, his tail wagging excitedly. Now that Carlos is listening, he can hear TK on the other side, trying to get his key into the lock. Finally, he manages, and his boyfriend bursts through the door, immediately looking down at Max in front of him.
“Hi there, buddy,” TK says happily, bending down to give the dog a kiss on the top of his head. Carlos watches as his green eyes scan the room to quickly find him, and how TK’s gaze moves along his nearly-naked body, stretched out on the couch. His boyfriend looks back up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Are we doing underwear naps on the couch now?” he teases, his eyes glinting. “Because I definitely want in on that.”
TK moves towards him, Max trailing behind, and he leans down over the couch, Carlos turning his head to meet him in a soft, simple kiss. Then, TK’s pulling back to kick off his shoes, yanking his AFD t-shirt over his head at the same time. He locks eyes with Carlos as he reaches down to unbutton his jeans, bending slightly to shuck them down to his ankles. Carlos reaches out lazily to press his fingers against TK’s stomach, hearing his boyfriend let out a soft gasp as he steps out of his pants.
With another quick kiss to his lips, TK moves to lay along the couch in front of him, Carlos scooting back as far as he can to make room. They end up facing one another, Carlos bringing his hand back up to rub up and down TK’s side before pulling him a little closer. Their legs slot together, TK’s cold foot gliding up and down the back of Carlos’s leg, and he reaches down to take TK’s hand between them, linking their fingers together as he raises them to his lips to press a soft kiss to the back of his boyfriend’s hand.
“How long have you been sleeping?” TK asks, staring at their hands as Carlos rubs his thumb against his skin.
“Since I got home, a little after two,” Carlos answers, his voice quiet to maintain the intimacy of the moment. “What time is it?”
“Half-past five,” TK answers, pressing forward now to kiss the back of Carlos’s palm. “Do you want to go back to sleep?”
“Just a little longer,” Carlos admits, feeling the way his eyes slowly start to drift closed at the thought.
“I’ll be here when you wake up,” TK whispers, and Carlos feels him shift even closer, TK’s free hand moving down to his waist. He sinks off to sleep with the touch of gentle lips against his cheek.
The next time he wakes, there are careful fingers tracing along his jawline. He stays still, trying to keep his breathing steady, as those fingers move to run along the ridge of his ear before trailing inward to glide over his eyebrows. They stop in the middle of his forehead, and then he feels a single finger run down his nose to his lips. His heart hammers in his chest as each touch sends a thrill through his body.
“I know you’re awake,” TK says, and even though his eyes are still closed, Carlos can hear the smile in his voice. “I heard your breathing change.”
Carlos huffs out a small laugh, his eyes slowly opening to look at his boyfriend in front of him. “Well, someone was tickling my face,” he responds, wiggling his nose to prove his point.
“Oh, I’m sorry, babe,” TK apologizes genuinely, bringing his fingers up to run through Carlos’s curls.
“Don’t be,” Carlos assures him, shaking his head. “I needed to wake up anyway.”
“In my defense,” TK starts, dropping his hand to Carlos’s shoulder, where he begins to run his fingers along his arm, “I kept my hands to myself for a long time until I couldn’t help it anymore.”
Carlos smiles at him, watching as his boyfriend’s eyes follow his fingers, which have now shifted to trace along his collarbone.
“Sometimes I have to touch you to remind myself that you’re real,” TK confesses, a red blush rising on his cheeks as he avoids Carlos’s eyes. “I mean, there’s no way I could dream up someone as wonderful as you, but still.” He lets out a quick breath. “It’s nice to confirm it.”
Carlos lets out a sigh at TK’s words, bringing the hand currently pressed to his boyfriend’s naked back up to his face to run his thumb along his prominent cheekbone. He understands exactly what TK means, having spent hours himself staring at the other man to ensure that he wouldn’t suddenly fade away.
When they go out with friends, always taking seats next to each other, he’s noticed how TK will link their fingers together as soon as he can under the table, the back of his hand pressed to Carlos’s thigh, and he won’t let go until he has a reason to. For his part, Carlos will keep his eyes on TK throughout most of the evening, watching as his eyes light up with laughter, or how his brows will furrow when he’s confused or agitated, the normally straight brown lines wrinkling expressively. He’ll watch how his bottom lip sometimes juts out in a pout, or the way TK will bite it when he’s anxious.
Carlos’s favorite pastime is when they’re both sitting in the same room, sharing space but doing their own thing, and he’ll just watch TK. He’ll notice how his boyfriend never stops moving, his leg constantly bouncing or his fingers twisting together; the only time that Carlos has ever felt him lay still is when they’re cuddled up together in bed with his arms wrapped around him, keeping him safe and grounded.
Their lives outside the four walls of their home are so chaotic that oftentimes when they choose to stay in, they just curl up with one another on the couch, watching TV or reading or scrolling through their phones, sharing funny posts with each other. It’s in those quiet moments that Carlos notices just how much TK loves him.
It’s the way he goes out of his way to bring Carlos a drink or snack when he’s wrapped up in a book for hours and hours; it’s in the way that he rubs the kinks out of Carlos’s back after a long day on patrol (a shared activity whenever TK’s muscles are also sore from work). It’s in the way they take Max on walks together, and TK buys them an ice cream cone from the shop on the corner, letting Carlos lick into his mouth on the way back home until he’s had his share.
Every little moment they spend together is wrapped in a love so strong and steady and powerful, that just like TK, Carlos has a hard time believing that it’s real. But it is, and it’s theirs, and it’s everything he’s ever wanted and more.
He pulls himself back to the present moment, his mind racing with the million little things that make his boyfriend so remarkable. He shifts his hand to grip TK’s chin, guiding him to look up. Their eyes connect, and Carlos is so blown away but the clear love and devotion that he sees, he can’t help but to press forward to kiss him softly, feeling the way TK’s hand on his chest squeezes in response, his lips parting to let Carlos in. They enjoy the taste of one another for a moment, and then Carlos is pulling back slightly, making sure that TK is looking at him before he speaks.
“Marry me.”
TK freezes against him, his green eyes widening as he stares blankly at him. Carlos waits, knowing how unexpected the words were, but he doesn’t regret saying them. He’ll never regret choosing TK.
“What?” his boyfriend finally says, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. Carlos just nods, pressing their foreheads together.
“I asked you to marry me, Ty,” Carlos whispers, feeling TK’s breath on his face as he exhales. Carlos brings his hand back around him, rubbing it up and down his back to soothe him; he can feel his boyfriend shaking. “This moment, right here? Us laying together on the couch in nothing but our underwear, taking a nap together after work, holding you? I want this, all of this, forever. I want you by my side, holding my hand, making me smile. I want to fall asleep to the sound of your breathing and wake up to your kisses every day until my very last day, and I’m hoping that you want that too, with me. So, Tyler Kennedy Strand, as much as I know you hate it when I use your full name, will you marry me, and be my best friend and nap buddy for the rest of my life?”
Carlos watches as TK’s eyes fill with tears while he speaks, his bottom lip trembling as sobs threaten to overwhelm him. Carlos brings their linked hands up to his mouth, pressing another kiss to the back of TK’s hand while he waits with bated breath. He sees TK’s gaze shift down to watch, a single tear falling onto his cheek at the movement.
“Aren’t you supposed to have a ring or something?” TK finally says, his tone teasing as he squeezes their palms together, looking back up at Carlos with a smirk, his eyes still shining with tears..
He feels his heart jump in fear at the unexpected reply. “I…,” he stutters, trying to gather his thoughts, “I can go get it. It’s in the bedroom safe, I can go get it.”
“No, no,” TK says, gripping tightly when he feels Carlos try to pull away. “Then I’d have to make you get the ring I have hidden above the closet door, and that’ll just take too much time. We’ll get them later,” he says with a bright grin, his tone light.
Carlos feels like his brain stops working, struggling to process what he’s just heard. His eyes widen as TK lets out a laugh, his green eyes crinkling with joy at having caught Carlos by surprise in the middle of his proposal.
“You…” Carlos starts, his voice weak. “You have a ring for me?” TK nods, his smile so wide that Carlos can see every one of his teeth. “So, is that a yes?” he asks hopefully, his brain finally able to connect the dots of this crazy conversation.
“Carlos Reyes, my answer is every form of the word ‘yes’ that you can possibly imagine,” TK says, bringing his hand up to cup Carlos’s cheek, wiping at the tears that have started to fall. “You’re my forever, I love you, and I want to be by your side until we’re so old that all we do, every day, is nap in our underwear. I couldn’t imagine anything more perfect than that.”
Carlos lets out a laughing sob, leaning forward to press their lips together in a kiss that’s wet from both of their tears. To Carlos, it’s the most perfect kiss they’ve ever shared.
“Oh my god, you scared the shit out of me, TK,” Carlos huffs when they break apart, his face dropping to glare at his fiancé, who just lets out another laugh, bringing his hand up to soothe the wrinkles on his forehead.
“Well, you better get used to it, Reyes,” TK smirks, his eyes playful. “You just signed up for an entire lifetime of me scaring the shit out of you.”
Carlos can’t help the smile that breaks out on his face at the thought of the two of them just like this, every day, for the rest of their lives.
“I can’t wait,” he whispers, capturing TK’s lips in a passionate kiss.
He’s never felt more loved.