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“We know a lot of you are excited that we can have a Pride Parade again this year.”
Captain Kendricks had to stop his little speech as cheers erupted all around the command tent. It gave Carlos a good feeling and he didn’t tame his smile as he looked around the first responders of Austin. A lot had changed over the years, the departments’ goal of more diversity, more openness in their fields certainly a success. Of course, there were still some who weren’t as open-minded as others. But those mostly kept calm and at least didn’t outright spew hate.
Also, those first responders weren’t here today because the leading Captains from Police, Fire and Rescue, and Medic knew who to put on this particular job.
Not thinking about the last few black spots in the departments, Carlos let the euphoric atmosphere wash over him. The cheers and applause around him showed just how true Captain Kendricks’ words were; they were all simply excited to have Pride back this year, even though they were here to work and keep the community safe.
It was a huge success and such a relief after these past months and years of lockdowns and social distancing. With the world finally fighting a mutual enemy and slowly claiming victory over it, they could start returning back to normal. Or as normal as the world would ever be from here on out.
Once the present first responders had calmed down, Captain Kendricks went on. “Since you’re working and can’t really participate yourself, APD and AFD–” He gave a nod over to where Owen and Tommy stood, the leading Captains for Fire and Medical today; “– had an idea we hope you will appreciate and like. Do not feel forced to participate. But for those who would like to…”
He pointed over to a few boxes standing on a table, nodding to one of the officers to lift one of the lits and hold it up.
Carlos’ eyes went wide and he could hear some excited noises while the captain went on. “We allow you to wear your colors this year! We have many different ones here and we hope everything is covered. Feel free to take whichever represents you best or more than one if needed. We also have an armband for us allies. Feel free to take them home after your shifts, but please note that this is a one-time thing on the job. Other than today, we stick to our strict uniform code. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” the chorus came as a whole.
“Good. Other than that, remember to take your mandatory breaks to stay hydrated, and make sure you stay on the channel of the event dispatch so we don’t interfere with Austin’s dispatch. And now, chop chop, get your armbands if you want one, and then get out there.”
As the first people moved over to the table with all the boxes, Carlos looked over to the line of paramedics, and the moment he caught sight of the one he was searching for, the smile on his face broke out for real.
TK was already looking at him, his smile wide and beaming.
As they too made their way over to the table, they gravitated closer towards each other until TK was finally by his side.
“Did you know about this?” Carlos asked right away.
TK shook his head no. “I kinda knew Dad had planned something because he seemed giddy and he made an off-hand remark the other night. But honestly, I would’ve never pictured this.”
“It’s amazing, honestly,” Nancy threw in, right next to TK.
The 126 was here in full force, of course, being one of the biggest houses for diversity and allies. As they all reached the table, Carlos took two pride armbands and handed one over to TK, who took it from him – but not without leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.
“If you go on like that, the two of you won’t need those colors,” Nancy joked, for which TK shoved her good-naturedly.
“Ha ha! Very funny,” he replied, sticking out his tongue.
Nancy chuckled but otherwise didn’t comment as she grabbed an armband with the demisexual colors for herself, as well as a trans one for Paul. As she handed it to him, Paul leaned in and thanked her with a kiss.
A gesture that had TK roll his eyes. “Now who’s talking?”
The whole group laughed as they moved to the side to make room and to put on their armbands. One by one, all the first responders picked their colors, many among them showing proudly that they were allies to the community. As he looked around, Carlos could feel the pride swell inside his chest. The amazing rainbow of colors… and they were finally allowed to show them.
“Babe, you sure this armband will fit over your muscles?”
Looking back at TK, Carlos was caught in a flirty grin and those beautiful eyes with mirth shining in them. Chuckling, he pulled the armband over his wrist and then slid it up along his arm.
It was certainly snug but it did fit.
“I believe so,” he told him with a wink, TK already reaching out to adjust the position a little bit.
“Yeah well,” he began, covering Carlos’ arm with his hand. “It might snap, but for now, it certainly looks good on you.”
Carlos shook his head and chuckled at TK’s silly little grin. Stealing one more kiss from him, he repaid the favor and adjusted TK’s armband as well. The group was just about finished when Owen and Tommy stepped over towards them, both of them wearing ally armbands.
“So, how is it? Like the idea?”
“Dad, seriously? This is… like the best gift you could have ever given me,” TK spoke up first and Carlos could hear the sincerity of it. This was more than just simple praise and a thank you. This was so much more. It meant so much more to TK. To all of them, really.
“Na, son,” Owen said in his typical fashion of trying to deflect praise even though he clearly wanted it. “It wasn’t just my idea. All three departments worked together. But I’m certainly happy we got it through the higher ranks.”
“Thanks, dad, really,” TK said, ignoring Owen’s words as he hugged him close. “You too, Cap,” he added, pulling Tommy into a hug as well.
“You’re very welcome,” Tommy told him, accepting Nancy’s hug as well. “I want all my kids to be themselves. Be able to show it and be proud of it.”
Nancy and TK smiled at each other but before another word could be exchanged, Captain Kendricks called them all to order. They were about to leave the command tent and swarm out into the streets of Austin.
Ready to keep the Pride Parade calm and safe.
Carlos and TK followed the rest outside, briefly holding hands while they still could. Once outside, they shared one last quick kiss – then it was time to be professional and to do their jobs.
The Parade was a complete success so far. Again and again, people celebrated the show of pride and camaraderie the first responders of Austin displayed today. News cameras had panned in to them more than once, showing the multitude of colorful armbands on the uniforms of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics.
A lot of people seemed so touched, they cried happy tears.
And Carlos could fully understand them. The feeling he had ever since his captain revealed the surprise… it didn’t go away. He was honored, he felt free. He was proud of who he was and after all these years he could finally show it and not panic about a camera maybe catching him and his parents seeing him on TV.
No, nowadays, he knew that his mother and father would simply smile at the TV and hope to see TK as well.
So far, the day had been fairly quiet in Carlos’ section. He had heard of some altercations over the radio, but nothing serious so far. Still, a lot of the paramedics worked the grounds, making sure to be seen in case anyone needed them. Most of the firefighters were busy handing out water bottles if it was needed, making sure people stayed hydrated. Seriously, in moments like this, it was clear to see who was a Texan, born and raised, and who came from places not used to such heat.
Every year again, it amazed Carlos that people came from all over the country to participate in the different parades. It was wonderful to see, and TK and he had already thought about going to LA next year to join the parade there as well. Though Carlos was half-convinced TK wanted another reason to visit his buddy Buck up in the city.
Speaking of his man, Carlos smiled as he spotted him down the road, treating a young woman who, by the looks of it, had twisted her ankle. Carlos quickly checked his surroundings, making sure everything was still safe and sound, then his gaze wandered back to the scene. For a few moments, he allowed himself to simply watch the man he loved in action.
TK was smiling and obviously talking to the woman, who was laughing in return, letting herself get distracted by TK. Once he had taped her foot, he handed her something Carlos couldn’t see clearly but was most likely some ointment to put on later that day; he then got up, checked with her one last time, and after getting an affirmative nod from her, he waved, then moved on. Deeper into the mass again. Soon, Carlos lost sight of him.
Taking a deep breath, Carlos turned back towards the parade, eyes back on the crowd.
It was a few minutes later that he saw a little commotion within the crowd. Right away, he was on high alert – well, higher than before – and stepped forward, trying to catch the situation.
He could hear raised voices, but they didn’t sound angry. People seemed to apologize and after a moment, he could make out two figures moving away from the middle and over to the side, right in his direction. Stepping forward, he caught them right as they stepped onto the sidewalk.
It was two men, one of them holding his hand with a badly scraped wrist, the other one was bleeding from what looked like a little cut on his temple.
“What happened?” he asked once he was within earshot of the two men.
They looked up at him, both looking a bit spooked but not angry or aggravated. The one with the cut on his head was the first to speak. “Someone in the crowd lost control of the heavy flag they were waving. It came down in my direction and my friend Colin here tried to hold it back with his hand.”
“Alright, why don’t you sit over here,” Carlos directed them to a low wall next to the sidewalk. “I’ll radio for a paramedic or two.”
“One will be enough,” the man spoke again, only to be interrupted by his friend.
“Alex, you’re bleeding. I didn’t catch the flag quick enough, it still nicked you in the head.”
“What? Really?” the guy – Alex – moved his hand up.
Carlos was quick though, catching his arm gently, holding it back. “Better not do that. You will only rub dirt in it. Why don’t you just take a seat here and I will get someone to clean you up?”
Once Alex did as asked and sat next to his friend, Carlos reached for his radio and spoke into it. “Dispatch, this is Officer Reyes, position 1-27. Please send a paramedic my way. Better yet two.”
“Officer Reyes,” Grace’s lovely voice came through his radio, and like always, it had him just that little more relaxed. Even if her answer wasn’t ideal. “Paramedics are busy further away from your location. Would you be able to make it to the next medic tent?”
Carlos looked down the street to where he knew the next medic tent was located. He could see it from here but it wasn’t within his section anymore.
Looking back at the two men, he asked, “Can both of you walk?”
When they both nodded, he spoke into his radio again. “10-4, dispatch. Request for another officer to take my position so I can help the two patients to the tent.”
“10-4, Officer Reyes. Go on, your position will be covered.”
With that, Carlos nodded towards them, signaling the two men to follow him. He stayed close in case either needed assistance and made sure to clear the way. As they drew closer to the tent, Carlos could see Tommy in the outer area. On hot summer days like this, the first responders knew the importance of staying hydrated but a lot of other folks forgot in their excitement or didn’t know better; so all the medical tents had a covered outside area where people could sit at picnic tables and refresh if needed. There were only two people right now but they were getting up and ready to leave while Carlos drew closer.
Tommy caught sight of them and right away signaled them inside.
The tent wasn’t busy but there were a few patients there. Nevertheless, one of the other paramedics got up to check on Alex and the still slightly bleeding cut while Tommy motioned for Colin to sit down so she could look at his wrist. By now, it had begun to swell.
Carlos stayed back and let the experts handle it. He knew he could leave now but when he mentioned it, Tommy looked up at him.
“Officer, when did you last drink some water?”
He gave her a raised eyebrow, hoping to convey that he knew better than to not drink enough. But Tommy being Tommy smiled up at him, then motioned over to the mini-fridge with some refreshments.
“Radio dispatch, let them know you’re taking a break.”
“Cap–”
“I know a certain someone who will be mad at me if I let you step outside without making sure you’re perfectly fine.”
Rolling his eyes, Carlos moved over to the mini-fridge. “Now that’s just playing dirty.”
Tommy was already prodding and assessing the wrist but still chuckled. “I wouldn’t have to if you officers would listen to us more often. Thankfully with you, I know just what to say.”
There were some good-natured chuckles from the other paramedics in the tent and even Carlos couldn’t help but grin. Tommy was right. Everyone knew they only had to mention TK and Carlos would do just about anything. Even if it wasn’t necessary, he was still fine. Then again, he guessed he could very well take his break now and thus make sure not to get any raised eyebrows from TK later on.
Taking a bottle of water, Carlos casually leaned against the mini-fridge. Before he opened the bottle, he radioed dispatch once more.
“Dispatch, this is Officer Reyes.”
“Go for Reyes,” came Grace’s voice once more.
Carlos smiled into his radio. “I’ll have to take a break. I was ordered to drink some water.”
“Now who ordered you to do that, Officer Reyes?”
The amusement in Grace’s voice was clear to hear and it had Carlos chuckle.
“Captain Vega did.”
That got a laugh out of Grace and Carlos saw Tommy smile in return even though her focus never wavered from her patient.
“Now I’m sure Captain Vega solely spoke as a paramedic. You take care of yourself.”
“Will do,” Carlos promised.
Taking a sip, Carlos kept his eyes on the two guys he had brought in. It seemed the Colin-guy hadn’t broken anything but Tommy wanted to keep an eye on the swelling for a bit before she would tape the wrist and send him on his way. She got him some ice and then asked him to sit on one of the gurneys a bit further back in the tent, partially covered with drapes for privacy.
His friend, Alex, on the other hand, was quickly cleared, a simple butterfly tape enough for the cut just by his eyebrow. Tommy checked with his paramedic and then decided to also keep him, just to make sure he wouldn’t get dizzy from the partial hit against his temple.
Instead of moving to his friend right away, Alex came up to where Carlos was still leaning against the mini-fridge and asked if he could get some water. Straightening up and stepping away from the door, Carlos was about to move over to a bench when Alex’s voice stopped him.
“So, a cop in Texas and openly gay?” he asked, nodding towards the armband. “How’s that treating you?”
“Not as bad as one might think,” Carlos answered truthfully. “I admit, it wasn’t always easy. But until recent years I haven’t been as open about it as I am now.”
“What changed?”
Carlos shrugged, taking another mouthful of water before going on. “The department, I guess. There have been a lot of changes, a lot of programs that help with open-mindedness in a lot of topics. I mean, I never hid it, but… yeah. A few years ago I probably wouldn’t have run around with the colors on my arm.”
“Such a shame, those colors fit you so well,” Alex replied with a little smile that was… yes, it was flirty, Carlos had no trouble detecting that, even though the line itself was a bit odd.
“Ehm, thanks?” he replied, trying to think of how to nicely get away from the guy.
“Then again, I guess everything would look good on you. How long did it take to get those muscles?”
Carlos was immensely glad that the guy didn’t reach for him to touch his arms as others had done in the past. It made the whole situation a little bit less awkward. But really, only a little bit.
“Look, ehm,” Carlos replied, deciding that complete honesty from the getgo was the best way to go here. “Thanks for the compliment but I see what you’re doing, so please let me just stop you there. I’m happily taken.”
“So?” Alex asked and Carlos could feel his friendly smile slip away. “Does that mean no other man can tell you how good you look? Especially in that uniform.”
The way the guy’s eyes wandered up and down Carlos’ body made him uncomfortable in his own skin and he took a literal step back, needing some distance between them.
“As I said, thanks, but…”
Alex sighed, relaxing back a bit. Only now did Carlos realize that the man had been leaning towards him. “Such a shame. I had no idea you Texans were so uptight.”
“Uptight?”
A voice inside his head told Carlos that he should just let it rest – but another voice irked him to ask because the implication bothered him already.
Alex took a sip of his drink before he nodded. “Yeah. Uptight. A bit of flirting won’t kill anyone.”
“Maybe not,” he replied, trying to keep the coldness out of his voice. He was still in uniform and still needed to stay professional. “But I don’t see a point in flirting with other guys when I’m engaged to the love of my life.” For emphasis, he pulled out the necklace on which his ring was dangling.
To his chagrin, Alex didn’t seem impressed, simply shrugging his shoulders. “Some people put way too much value into such a simple piece of metal.”
“And others shockingly none at all,” Carlos deadpanned. “Besides, it’s not the ‘piece of metal’ I value. It’s my fiancé. It’s the person he is, the man I love, the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. This here?” He indicated the ring before putting it back inside his uniform shirt so it could rest next to his heart. “This is merely a symbol of that. One that – under normal circumstances – would tell decent people not to try anything.”
He held the man’s gaze until Alex quirked his lip and huffed out an unamused laugh. “You caught me there. Guess I’m not decent.”
“You would’ve been if you’d stopped when I told you.”
“Hey, can’t fault a man for trying.”
“Actually, I can. And I do. I don’t like people who can’t take no for an answer or who try to chat up a person who already said they’re committed to another.”
To his surprise, Alex’s stance changed and the quirk of his lips looked almost ruefully. “You’re a good man, Officer Reyes,” he said, and for once, the flirty note was gone, his statement merely sincere. “I hope your fiancé knows what a lucky guy he is.”
Carlos took in that sudden – and rather unexpected – change in demeanor but quickly decided to go with it. At least the guy seemed to finally take his no. “Truthfully, I’m the lucky one,” he therefore said, unable to suppress the little smile that always came when he talked or even thought of TK. “He’s a full ten, inside and out, and sometimes I can’t believe how lucky I am to be with him. Believe me, only a moron would consider stepping out on a man like him.”
Surprisingly enough, Alex’s smile turned even more rueful and now it could even be detected in his voice, a clear note of sadness there. “Yeah, I had a boyfriend like that, once. Sadly, I was that moron.”
Carlos had to bite his tongue not to comment on it. He hated cheaters, and not just since he’d seen first-handed how such infidelity could break a person. He simply didn’t get it, why a person would do that. Alex continued before Carlos could say something he might regret later.
“Made the biggest mistake of my life and then even let him go. I think of him quite often, to be honest. Guess you can say he’s the one that got away,” he added with a little chuckle that sounded forced.
Maybe it was Carlos’ big heart for which TK loved to tease him quite often but always with a fond smile, or it was the good mood that was going around today at the parade. But Carlos decided not to judge the guy too harshly. He was a cop, after all, he didn’t always need to understand a person’s motives or morals to be a decent person himself and help them.
“Well, maybe it’s time to let the past rest.” When Alex looked at him in question, Carlos shrugged. “Maybe you should stop thinking about the guy that got away and start seeing the one that is right there.”
When he nodded towards the back of the tent, Alex followed his gaze before quickly turning back to him with raised eyebrows. “Colin?”
“Why not? He seems like a decent guy.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Dude,” Carlos replied, hardly able to stay professional and not roll his eyes. “He literally took a hard hit just to keep you safe. I mean, I’m not one to say you should force yourself into liking someone just because they were heroic. But how about at least giving it a try? You might be surprised.”
Alex seemed to ponder that, eyes wandering back to where his friend was partially hidden by the curtains. After a moment, he turned back to Carlos, a slight smile on his lips.
“I didn’t know cops were handing out dating tips now too.”
“This one was for free,” Carlos joked back and it had Alex chuckle. “Maybe it’s time to stop being hung up over an old love and start seeing what’s right in front of you.”
“You know what, I think you might be right. I guess I’ve just known Colin for so long, and let him see the worst of me… I never even considered…”
Once again, his eyes wandered to the back before he turned to Carlos, this time with a genuine smile on his lips. “Thanks, man. And, I was right, by the way. Your fiancé is one lucky guy to have you.”
This time, Carlos didn’t negate or correct him. So maybe TK and he were both lucky to have each other, who was Carlos to deny that? Besides, it didn’t look like Alex wanted to continue this conversation for much longer. Instead, he gave a little wave, and at last, he moved to the back of the tent and soon out of Carlos’ sight.
Not quite sure how to feel about the events that had just transpired but deciding to be amused by it, Carlos let his hip rest against the mini-fridge again. As he let his eyes wander, he caught Tommy’s gaze and it was clear as day that she had overheard at least part of it and was as amused as him. They grinned at each other and Carlos could tell that her eye-roll meant something similar to ‘kids’.
His attention was soon pulled away from Tommy by a loud ruckus outside of the tent, laughter getting closer and drawing everyone’s attention to the tent opening. Just a moment later, the 126 stepped inside, greeting him as soon as they saw him. He made room for them to get some drinks but quickly moved back into place as the last two people drew closer. Nancy simply rolled her eyes and happily took the proffered drink from her boyfriend with a kiss instead of getting her own.
TK, on the other hand, drew closer, a flirty grin playing around his lips. “Well, hello there, officer.”
“Hello yourself,” Carlos replied, grinning and still not moving an inch. Especially not when TK stepped right between his legs in a pretense to reach the mini-fridge.
“Excuse me, officer, it seems you’re blocking the water supply.”
“Is that so? What a shame. Whatever will you do about it?”
TK’s grin was full of mischief – one of Carlos’ favorite looks on his fiancé’s face, if he was being honest – and a second later, the bottle from his own hand was gone, TK taking a long drink without breaking their eye contact.
“Mhh, good solution,” Carlos replied as he rested his hands low on TK’s hips to pull him in a little closer, his touch just shy of being too close to TK’s ass to still count as decent.
TK finished his drink in one go, not even stopping when Carlos raised an eyebrow. Obviously, he needed to suck in some air when he was done, but the grin was still there.
Chuckling, Carlos shook his head. “Dork.”
The grin turned even wider but instead of continuing their little banter, TK rested his arms over Carlos’ shoulders in a loose embrace; leaning in to catch his lips for a kiss that bordered on not-all-that-much-work-friendly but was still this side of maybe-alright. It was very much obvious that the atmosphere of the parade made them both a little bit bolder, TK’s mood clearly as exhilarated as his own. The contrast of TK’s cold lips – thanks to the water – compared to his own heated ones was an added bonus and momentarily shocked his senses. Now, this was an interesting discovery…
When the kiss ended, TK leaned back a bit, putting his weight against Carlos’ hands – knowing he held him tight and safe. “How’s the shift for you so far?”
“Okay, I guess,” Carlos replied with a grin. “Got to see my favorite paramedic in action earlier.”
“Oh? How did Nancy do?” TK asked without missing a beat, pulling a laugh from Carlos.
“I’m sure she did okay. How are you doing?”
“Meh… too long ‘till I got a glimpse of my favorite officer.”
“Want me to radio Mitchell? I’m sure she can stop by.”
“Oh my God, you two,” a yell from the seated firefighters interrupted them. TK didn’t even bother to turn around as he moved his lips in time to parrot Marjan’s exact words. “Get a room.”
“No thanks,” TK called back, still grinning at Carlos. “Our loft is big enough, we don’t need to find a new room.”
The collective groans from the 126 were hilarious and had them both chuckle before TK leaned in for another kiss; this one much tamer, far more work-appropriate – if there even was such a thing when it came to making out while technically on shift – and speaking more of their love for each other than their lust.
Somewhere in between, one of TK’s hands moved, softly sliding over Carlos’ shoulder, taking a detour over his heart and the ring nestling there, until it came to a rest against his neck, cradling his cheek. When the kiss ended, TK was still gazing at him, his thumb brushing over Carlos’ cheek.
“I love you, babe.”
“I love you, too.”
“God, why are you two always so disgustingly sweet with each other?”
“It’s called Love, Marjan,” Judd replied, “With a capital L.”
“Yeah, but look at Paul and Nancy. They’re in love as well and they aren’t… like that,” Marjan countered and while Carlos never stopped gazing into TK’s eyes, over his shoulder he could still see her gesticulating in their direction.
Immediately, there came protests from both Nancy and Paul. “Excuse me? Are you saying we aren’t as in love as these two?”
“Dude, face it,” Mateo chipped in. “No one’s as in love as these two.”
It had the table roaring with laughter and even some other first responders around the tent joined in while the 126 began to good-naturally bicker between them. It was the perfect background noise and Carlos greatly enjoyed it.
Until TK’s radio cracked to life, calling for an emergency close to the tent. It didn’t matter that TK and Nancy were technically on their mandatory break – they were the closest and they all knew it before TK even spoke the first word. There was always time for a break later when everybody was taken care of.
Leaning in one last time for a quick kiss goodbye, TK handed Carlos back his now empty bottle of water and then stepped back to pick up his medipac, eyes still on Carlos, who winked at him. “See you later?”
“Always,” TK replied, then moved to the tent opening.
Nancy was right behind him but called out over her shoulder to him, “Don’t worry, Carlos. I’ll make sure he gets back to you in one piece.”
“Whoa, quite the promise to make. You sure you can handle the burden?”
“Don’t I do it every day?”
“Hey, I can hear you!”
Grinning at each other, Carlos gave Nancy a little wave, and then she was gone, following her partner. Getting a fresh bottle and sipping his water, Carlos checked his watch. He still had a few minutes of break time, so he moved over to the tables, sitting down next to Paul in Nancy’s vacated seat.
They were in the middle of planning a private after-party – of course at Carlos and TK’s place – when the two guys Carlos had brought in stepped up to their table. Honestly, he had all but forgotten about them the moment TK had come into view. God, their friends were right, they were so sappily in Love.
To his surprise, Alex looked somewhat subdued, maybe even contemplative. Had Colin told him no? Judging by the way the man was looking at Alex before turning towards them, Carlos was sure that wasn’t the case.
“We just wanted to say thank you,” Colin spoke up. “We’re good to go again now. So, thank you for all your help.”
“No worries,” Carlos replied with a friendly smile. “That’s our job, after all.”
“Oh, by the way, just so you know, the idea with those armbands is amazing,” Colin said with a wide smile and it was so sunny, Carlos couldn’t help but answer it in kind. Colin seemed like a really nice guy and somehow, Carlos hoped that Alex had learned from his mistakes and really gave this man a chance.
He focused back on what was exchanged between the group just as Alex added. “Yeah, we truly love it. Maybe you have a way to tell the person who came up with this idea.”
“You can do so yourself. One is sitting right there,” Judd answered for him, pointing at Tommy, who acknowledged them with a nod and one of her motherly smiles before turning back to the patient currently sitting in front of her. Judd went on. “And I’m sure Carlos has no problem telling the other person – seeing how the guy’s his future father-in-law.”
Both their eyes went wide as Colin exclaimed, “Oh wow, lucky you, having such great inlaws.”
“Yeah, I’m a lucky man all around,” Carlos replied with a sappy grin that he knew he would get teased for later.
“I bet. We didn’t eavesdrop or anything but we could hear and see you and your fiancé. You’re cute together.”
“Uhm, thanks?” Carlos replied. It wasn't the first time they heard that and something told him it wouldn’t be the last time either. But it always made him somewhat bashful – yet another thing the 126 and his own precinct liked to tease him about.
“How long have you been dating?” Alex suddenly asked, seemingly realizing how forward his question was when he added, “If you don’t mind me asking.”
Carlos didn’t mind, not really. How would he ever mind talking about TK? So he answered, despite not understanding exactly why Alex wanted to know. “Little over two years. Why?”
Alex shrugged his shoulders. “Just curious. You were right as well, by the way,” he added, once again with that rueful smile, and Carlos squinted at him in question. “You are also a very lucky guy.”
“Thanks,” Carlos replied, unable to come up with another answer in light of this weird exchange and… inside joke?
“Well, have a good life. Oh and… don’t be a moron like me.”
Carlos’ confused frown got even deeper, even though he got the reference. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
For whatever reason, that seemed to appease Alex as he waved at the table as a whole and then reached for Colin’s hand to gently guide him out of the tent. Colin took the hint, waved as well and said his goodbyes with a big smile, and then followed along.
And just like that, the two were gone.
For a moment, they all sat in silence before Paul broke it. “Did anyone else think that something about that encounter was weird?”
Carlos was almost relieved when the others agreed. So he hadn’t just imagined that, good.
“Yeah, but only that one guy,” Marjan said, craning her neck as if to look if the guy was still to be seen. “What was wrong with him? Asking you about your relationship like that?”
“Not sure,” Carlos said, “He was hitting on me earlier though.”
“Dude,” Paul replied but Carlos shrugged.
“It wasn’t a big deal. I set the record straight, of course, and then pointed him in the direction of his friend.”
“And what did he mean with the moron-comment?”
“Uhm, I think I said something along the lines of, ‘only a moron would cheat on a man like TK’, and then he replied that he’d been a moron once? I guess he cheated on someone before and lost him. But who knows. I was just glad when he stopped flirting with me.”
“Awww, Officer Reyes, not used to being hit on,” Paul teased and Carlos shoved him away for that, but easily joined in on everyone’s laughter.
“Actually, it was to be expected,” Marjan threw in after a moment, focusing back on them instead of the outside of the tent. “After all, you literally wear a flag on you. And you are a fine specimen.”
“Thanks,” Carlos replied with a chuckle.
“Don’t forget about the uniform,” Mateo chimed in. “Chicks dig that and I guess dudes as well.”
“Well, we certainly know of one ‘dude’ who digs it,” Marjan replied, looking up and back at the entrance of the tent.
Following her gaze, Carlos was once again greeted by the sight of his man.
“Why do I get the feeling you’ve been talking about me?” TK asked as he leaned down on Carlos’ back, arms over his shoulders and chin resting on his head. Meanwhile, Nancy plopped down into Paul’s lap.
“We didn’t, not directly.”
“Na, we’ve been talking about the guys hitting on your man because he looks so damn fine,” Judd said, grin wide and shit-eating.
Carlos rolled his eyes, even as TK began to chuckle, leaning up so he could look down at him. “Well, he does look damn fine, I can’t fault anyone for trying to flirt with him.”
“Babe,” Carlos groaned, happy when TK’s mirth only intensified.
“What?” he asked. “It’s true.” And leaning down, he fake-whispered into his ear, still loud enough for everyone else to hear as well, “You look so fine and I’m so damn lucky that I’m the only one who gets to do more than just undress you with my eyes.”
“Oh my God, guys,” their friends exclaimed, groaning all around them and telling them once again to get a room.
But all Carlos could really focus on was the heat crawling up his neck while he still couldn’t tame his smile, TK’s chuckle a sweet melody in his ear right before he pressed a kiss to his temple.
It was only when his own radio came back to life that Carlos was reminded that he was still on duty and that his break was certainly over by now. Oh well, he would simply take a shorter one later on, no one would mind. Dislodging from his man, he quickly pulled him in for another kiss.
“See you later.”
“Stay safe out there. Don’t let other men touch what’s mine.”
Rolling his eyes once again, he shoved TK, who laughed out loud before plopping down into his vacated seat, snatching his hand to quickly press a kiss to his ring finger. To where his engagement ring sat whenever they weren’t on duty and where soon – very soon – his wedding band would join. Leaning down, Carlos caught his fiancé’s lips for one last peck but was quickly shoved away by Nancy, much to the amusement of everyone around them.
With a laugh and a small wave, Carlos finally left the tent to get back to his place. While he reported to dispatch that he was back on duty, he took in the myriad of rainbows waving around him, a sea of colors with every flag of the queer community imaginable represented.
At that moment, he couldn’t have been happier.
Life was amazing.