Chapter Text
When the gun fires, Carlos can feel it. Every bone in his body shakes, every muscle tenses, his heart stops, adrenaline spikes. He hears a body hit the floor. It’s Wolfe, one of the suspects his father was looking for. His eyes move to Tommy- her hands still up as she gasps for breath- then to Nancy pinning a blond woman to the ground, then to-
“TK!”
The paramedic in question is leaning against a table, looking like he was going to topple over any minute. Carlos pushes past Owen and rushes to meet him, hesitating only when he registers the bandage on his forehead.
“Hey-“
“Hi, babe, hi…”
TK grabs him and lets out a soft sob, hugging him desperately. The fear and panic in his voice is almost enough to break Carlos. But it’s the relief- that he hears in the words, the way that TK nearly collapses against him, the way he holds tightly to the back of his shirt- that hits him the hardest.
He hears Owen say something, then Nancy, then Tommy, but none of the words reach him.
“I got you, baby, it’s alright,” he assures him quietly, taking a breath- a real, deep breath- for the first time that day. He feels TK start to slip, his head dropping slightly. He carefully slides his hand to the back of TK’s neck, his other arm wrapping around his waist as he carefully lowers him onto the chair.
“Baby, stay awake for me,” Carlos pleads, crouching in front of him and gently playing with the hair at the base of his neck.
“‘M ‘wake,” TK mumbles. His fingers are still closed tightly around the fabric of Carlos’s shirt.
Someone puts their hand gently on Carlos’s shoulder and he looks up to see Owen. Tommy gingerly lifts the bandage on TK’s head. Carlos can hear sirens coming closer and, clearly, TK can hear them too. He groans and covers his ears, slowly leaning forward. Carlos presses a soft kiss to his forehead and TK scrunches his eyes closed. Owen leaves, and Tommy goes to talk to Nancy.
Carlos can’t help but look at the man on the ground. He caused so much trouble for so many people. If it had just been the robbery, the fire, and the suspension Carlos might feel smug at his current situation ‘cause karma’s a bitch.
But now it’s more than that.
Now, TK is hurt, he’s bleeding and it’s his fault. So Carlos isn’t feeling smug or proud or anything else he usually feels when he catches a suspect. He’s angry- furious, more accurately. His hands are shaking and he clenches his jaw.
And then TK has a hand on his neck and is pressing a weak kiss to Carlos’s wrist.
“You foun’ me…”
“Yeah,” Carlos smiles, looking up at him again. “I’m always going to find you, mi amor.” He pulls the sobriety chip out of his pocket. “Nice touch, by the way.”
TK smiles a little. The first responders outside have turned the sirens off now, probably thanks to Owen. A new team of paramedics are here too, leaning over Wolfe and Carlos wants to scream at them, to tell them that he shouldn’t be a priority.
But he knows the procedure so he doesn’t say anything.
“Did I miss dinner?” TK asks softly, like he’s scared of how Carlos will respond.
“It’ll be there when we get home.”
“But you work tomorrow.”
Carlos smiles- because of course TK knows his schedule. And, god, he wants nothing more than to tell him, about everything. The robbery, the conversations with his father, the suspension, even the conversation he had with Owen. But he closes his mouth again and shakes his head.
“No, cariño. Don’t worry about that.”
TK looks at him for a moment before tugging him into another hug. “I was so scared.”
“I know, I know. But you’re okay now.”
TK’s grip tightens, but he pulls back as fast as he can. He puts his hands in his lap and Carlos frowns.
“What’s wrong?”
“Um… your dad is here?” TK says quietly.
Carlos sighs and shakes his head, not sparing a look for his father. He got the attention of a passing medic, just as TK slumped forward and lost consciousness again. He stepped back far enough for them to get to work, making sure they knew about his history with opioids.
“He got his one year chip yesterday,” Carlos says proudly, smiling as TK shifts on the gurney.
“A hell of a time to go sober,” one of the medics jokes. Carlos just nods. His gaze occasionally drifts toward the ambulance that Wolfe was being set up in. He didn’t deserve it. They’re starting to take TK toward the ambulance but he grabs Carlos’s wrist.
“You’re coming with me, right?”
“Absolutely.”
He follows alongside the gurney, shielding his boyfriend’s eyes against the lights. They stop for a moment outside the ambulance and, god, Carlos can’t take his eyes off him. The pattern seems to be, as soon as Carlos takes his eyes off him, something happens and everything goes wrong. So he just watches him. TK waves him closer. He obliges, resting a careful hand on TK’s waist.
“What’s up, mi amor?”
“Our dads are talking.”
Carlos lets out a little laugh. “Yeah, that’s going to work in our favor,” he jokes.
TK smiles and closes his eyes again as they move him into the ambulance. Carlos aches to get in with him but-
“I thought I told you to stay put.”
Carlos looks at his father and that stupid white stetson. “You did.”
“You went with your gut.”
He nods, shoving his shaking hands into his pockets. “I did.”
“Good for you.” Carlos starts to smile. “I’m proud of you, son.”
Carlos is this close to breaking down, letting out a breathy laugh. “Thank you, sir.”
He looks back at TK for a moment and everything seems to be falling into place. He runs his thumb over the coin in his pocket, momentarily forgetting about the secrets he’s keeping from his father.
Then his dad asks if he’s going to ride with his boyfriend and his brain short circuits. Of course, the answer was yes, he was just waiting for his dad to walk away.
“You knew?” Carlos asks incredulously.
Gabriel smiles; it’s a mix of amusement, pride, and something else- was that sadness? “Since the day we ran into y’all at the market.”
The market? That was weeks ago; why hadn’t they said anything?
“I expect a proper introduction next time.”
Next time.
A weight lifts off Carlos’s shoulders and he smiles, despite his exhaustion and anxiety. “I think you’re really going to like him, Dad.”
“I already do,” Gabriel says proudly. “My son has great instincts when it comes to people.”
And Carlos wants to take back every negative thing he’d said about his father.
“Go, ride with your boy.”
Carlos’s smile widens as he nods and climbs into the ambulance, settling on the seat next to TK. His eyes were closed but Carlos intertwines their fingers anyway because he needs to make sure he’s really okay.
“’S ever’thing okay?” TK slurs, squeezing his hand gently.
Carlos nods. “Yeah, babe, everything’s fine.”
TK’s fine, his dad knows and doesn't care, and he gets his job back when all of this is over. Everything’s perfect.
God, he wishes it worked out that way.