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The loft is quiet when he gets home after his shift. It’s been silent for a couple of months now, but this silence feels different. Before this, the silence was eerie and deafening - holding such a weighted presence even through it appears weightless. He had been surrounded and suffocated by it, having nothing to let him escape from it and his thoughts and loneliness. Now, the silence feels the exact opposite. It’s weightless; serene; and freeing from all the chaos that exists within his head in the once-empty loft.
That shift wouldn’t have been possible without the one person who helped create both the pressure-filled quiet and then the calming stillness: his boyfriend TK Strand.
The loft was suppose to be their new home before the ice storm hit. It took a long time for them to call it theirs between their breakup, TK’s latest hospitalization, and then their reconciliation. Carlos had led himself to believe that he’d be alone in the loft he bought for them forever.
There’s no sign of TK anywhere, which he finds to be a bit odd these days because whenever he returns home after him, TK usually appears from wherever he to greet him with a hug and a kiss. Since he’s still in recovery and TK hasn’t been cleared yet to return to working as a paramedic, TK spends most of his time here. Even though TK is here all the time, Carlos still gets nervous about a possible setback or complications happening when he’s not there with him.
Carlos walks further into the loft, his eyes roaming to the empty kitchen. Sometimes he’ll find TK there making himself something to eat in a hoodie and pair of joggers, even though he prefers waiting for Carlos to be there so they can share their meals together.
A wave of relief washes over him when he sees TK laying on the couch. He’s on his side with one hand shoved underneath the decorative pillows with the other tucked against his mouth, his knees are slightly bent from being curled up against the back of the couch, and he’s not wearing any socks.
Carlos can’t help but think that TK isn’t completely comfortable or warm where he’s at so he walks over to the nearby chair and picks up TK’s throw blanket.
As he touches the soft material of the blanket, he can’t help but pause and rub it between his fingers. It doesn’t appear as anything other than a decorative piece that TK brought into his life but this throw blanket is actually quite special to their relationship.
The throw blanket may be a staple in their loft nowadays , but it’s one of its first appearance in Carlos’s townhouse when TK moved in with him will always be something that Carlos will cherish.
Their first rainy day off together was spent on the couch, where things also happened to become very heated between Carlos and TK very fast when they started hooking up. TK wanted to spend the day watching movies with Carlos after a few long shifts in a row. They’ve been missing each other with their days off and Carlos usually planned days for them that he wanted to be perfect and unforgettable, so when the rain canceled those plans and TK came over to him with a pile of DVDs and his throw blanket, and an adorable pout on his face that Carlos couldn’t say ‘no’ to, they camped out on the couch. They shared a quick back and forth about making a bet that TK was going to fall asleep from being warm and cozy in the blanket. TK was wrapped in the blanket and snuggled into Carlos’s side and it wasn’t even 10 minutes into the first movie TK put on before he was asleep. Carlos didn’t even know what the movie was because he was enjoying watching TK fight off falling asleep. With the sound of the rain hitting the roof and the windows and TK’s radiating body heat, it wasn’t long before Carlos succumbed to sleep himself.
Unfolding the blanket, Carlos fluffs it out away from TK so his angelically sleeping boyfriend isn’t disturbed by the breeze it creates. Then he comes back over to him and carefully drapes the blanket over TK, watching as it fits and outlines his body underneath it. With itching hands and wanting to get the frays away from brushing and tickling TK’s cheek, Carlos forces himself to step back because he wants TK to rest his body as much as he can while he’s recuperating
He squats down next to the couch after, his worrisome eyes wandering over his boyfriend’s exhausted face and praying that he’s able to find some sort of peace in his sleep. He has dark circles under his eyes and they look sunken in. The color in his face has started to return a few days after coming home.
Carlos is instantly reminded about all of the days he spent next to TK’s bedside in the hospital, where he felt like he was unwanted and couldn’t be there for TK fully because he felt like a single touch from him would be a violation. Now, he gets to be by his side and give him all the affection and supportive touches that he wants.
Ever so gently, Carlos runs his fingers through TK’S soft and unkept hair. His hand moves back down, holding the side of his face in his palm, his thumbs ghosting over his cheekbone. With an adoring huff, Carlos smiles because he could honestly spend his entire night just sat there on the floor and watch TK sleep. Before he decides to shift to that position, he leans forward and presses a light yet lasting kiss to his forehead.
Then TK shifts, his eyes squinting as he opens his eyes, his face still not looking well-rested enough. His fist uncoils and his fingers find the blanket’s frayed edges. “Hey, babe. Did you just get home?”
“Mm hm,” Carlos answers with a hum, coaxing TK to remain still by starting to comb his fingers through his hair again.
TK yawns before stretching out his legs and twists his body, letting out a slight groan. “Just give me a couple of minutes and I’ll join you in bed.”
When Carlos notices TK pushed the blanket down to his waist, he fixes it by pulling it back up to cover his shoulders and starts tucking him in.
“What are you doing?“ TK asks him, sleepily and confused.
“As far as I’m concerned, you’re already set for bed. Do you mind if I join you here instead? It actually looks really comfortable.” He tells him in a soft voice.
TK sits halfway up, lifting the throw blanket that Carlos just finished fixing up, inviting him into his space.
Carlos already knows that the blanket isn’t big enough to cover both of them but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care that his back, neck, and shoulders will probably be sore from sleeping in a position he’s not used to because he has to fit on the couch. He doesn’t care about any of it because as long as he has TK almost laying practically on top of him with his cheek pressed against his chest, he’s exactly where he wants to be.
TK shifts over more when Carlos stands up to lay with him, scooting back until Carlos finds where he wants to land. Then he crawls back over to him, Carlos’s arms open and more than ready to wrap around TK and keep him grounded and close to his body. Just as he was hoping, TK lays his head on his chest and nuzzles into him until he’s comfortable.
With one hand, Carlos begins to traces random patterns and shapes from between TK’s shoulders to the length of his spine from under the throw blanket.
As he continues the lazy and mindless movements, he can’t help but drift into thinking about all the times where he missed out on getting to hold TK. Flashes of TK being out in the freezing temperatures and snow without being the one to make sure he was safe and warm taunt him.
When he looks down he’s met with TK’s green eyes looking right back up at him. He brings his hand up and rests it against Carlos’s cheek. The tip of TK’s tongue darts between his lips, licking them just before he leans up and kisses Carlos with soft lips.
It’s like TK knew what he started thinking about and wanted to bring him back into this moment - the moment where they’re together and TK is okay.
”Love you,” TK mumbles against his lips, pecking them one last time before resting his head back down on Carlos’s chest. He slightly squirms and tangles their legs together.
”I love you too.” Carlos responds, leaning down and kissing the top of TK’s head. He closes his eyes, keeping his nose in TK’s hair and taking in a calming breath. His shoulders relax when he exhales and a soft and content sigh comes from his lips.
Before closing his eyes, Carlos’s hands momentarily leave TK’s body to make sure the blanket is mostly around TK to keep him and warm and secure as it possibly can. There’s just something about seeing TK wrapped in his throw blanket that makes Carlos’s heart swell in his chest. It’s the last thing he remembers before sleep takes over his body.
When Carlos wakes up the next morning to clattering noises in the kitchen, the throw blanket is covering him. A small smile graces his lips as he turns onto his side and he pulls the edge of blanket up to his chin, the frays tickling his skin just as TK’s hair probably did during the night hours. He takes in a breath and can faintly smell TK’s scent within the fabric.