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TK focused on lifting the weights as Paul explained why he wasn't going to ask out Josie. "That's grim."
"Yeah that's easy for you to say Mr charmed existence, when was the last time you tasted stone cold rejection?" Paul asked.
"Hundred and sixteen days ago when I asked my boyfriend to marry me and he moved in with his trainer instead." TK said, sitting up and fixing his 252 necklace.
"That's rough, I'm sorry." Paul said apologetically, patting his shoulder as he passed.
"Damn bro, is that why you and Carlos aren't dating again yet?" Mateo asked.
"Yeah it was not my best day and I'm still healing from it which Carlos understands." TK replied, he hoped that Carlos didn't give up on him before he was ready but he knew deep down that Carlos would never do that.
"Sorry if all of us teasing you about Carlos made you uncomfortable at any point."
"Don't worry, y'all are just teasing like any family would, it's actually nice to have sometimes." TK assured. "Enough about me, let's go back to you Paul."
----
TK pushed the food on his plate around with his fork and sighed, he hated that Paul was hurting and he wanted to help him.
"TK? Everything okay?" Carlos asked as he came back into the room, placing the drinks down on the table so he could wrap his arms around TK, resting his head on his shoulder. "What's up?"
"How do you feel about going clubbing tonight?" TK asked, holding onto Carlos' arms and letting himself be comforted by him.
"I thought you wanted a quiet night in? Just the two of us?" Carlos asked softly.
"I did and I'm sorry for disrupting our dinner plans yet again but I think it might just be what Paul needs."
"You never have to apologise for wanting to help a friend Ty, when does Paul's shift end?"
"In about two hours unless a call comes through last minute." TK replied, kissing Carlos' arm gently.
"Well then that gives us enough time to finish eating and get changed before going to the station to pick Paul up." Carlos kissed the side of TK's head and let go of him so he could sit down at the table.
"You know you are the best friend anyone could ask for right?"
"You aren't so bad yourself." Carlos winked.
----
TK reached for Carlos as soon as they were in the club, wrapping his arm around his waist and smiling as Carlos wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"Y'all sure we still in Texas?" Paul asked as he looked around.
"I wouldn't stereotype if I was you." Carlos joked, placing a hand on Paul's shoulder
"Ha good point."
"Keep Austin weird baby." TK smiled, patting Paul's shoulder as the three of them headed onto the dance floor, getting lost in the dancing bodies almost instantly.
"I'd call this night a success." Carlos said after at least an hour of dancing
"Paul definitely seems a lot happier now." TK smiled, looking over at their friend who was happily dancing with a brunette.
"Thanks to you, you are a great friend TK." Carlos praised, crowding in closer to speak to him.
"You look so good tonight and I know that's not fair to say because I've got you stuck in this weird limbo where we're going to date but not just yet but I can see everyone looking at you and I just want to hold onto you and let them all know you are mine." TK rushed out after a few seconds of eye contact.
"You don't have me in a weird limbo, I'm choosing to be there because you were the best relationship I've had and if I have to wait an extra few months on top of the few years I already went without you then I'll happily do it, you are worth it Tyler."
"I want to kiss you so badly right now." TK admitted, their faces so close that their noses were almost touching.
"Just a little closer and you will be."
"I'm still not ready for a relationship, I wish I was, you don't understand just how much I wish I was." TK groaned, glancing at Carlos' lips.
"It doesn't have to be a whole thing, we're adults I'm sure we can handle it." Carlos said, wrapping an arm around TK.
"What happened to being happy to wait?" TK teased playfully.
"You are such a brat." Carlos laughed, rolling his eyes fondly.
TK laughed and pulled Carlos into a kiss, letting himself get lost in the moment, all of his worries dropping away.
TK didn't know how long the two of them stood there kissing until someone knocked into them but he felt more alive than he had in a while.
"Want to head back to mine?" Carlos asked, leaning in closely to TK's ear.
"I'd love nothing more." TK smiled, reaching down and holding Carlos' hand.
"Hey, I found you again! I saw y'all and then I got a drink and lost y'all again." Paul said as he joined them, swaying slightly.
TK and Carlos shared a knowing look and let go of each other so they could guide Paul towards the exit and Carlos' car.
----
TK walked into the kitchen with a smile and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before joining Marjan and Paul at the table.
"Where were you this morning? Carlos was going to make you the best hangover cure breakfast, his words not mine."
Paul lifted his head from the table and looked at TK with an unimpressed look.
"I left before y'all scarred me for life." Paul deadpanned.
"I have no idea what you mean." TK said innocently, shrugging at Marjan.
"Look at you being all butter won't melt, that act won't work on me." Paul replied, sharing a look with Marjan.
"The walls at Carlos' are not as thick as you think they are."
"There is no way you heard anything last night!" TK said before his eyes widened and he covered his mouth with both hands.
"Not that there was anything for you to overhear of course, Carlos and I are just friends." TK added on weakly after a few seconds.
"Oh I'm not on about last night, I was dead to the world the second my head hit the pillow in the guest room." Paul said, grinning as TK let out a relieved sigh.
"I'm on about this morning, I'm happy for y'all but I did not need to hear y'all's reunion so I rushed out of there like the flash."
"Just friends TK?" Marjan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes just friends! Who had sex...twice." TK groaned and placed his head on the table.
"If it makes you feel any better then your reunion kiss looked really cute with how closely you were holding each other." Marjan laughed, stroking TK's hair.
"How would you know?" TK asked, sitting upright again and looking at Marjan.
"Paul took a photo and sent it to the group chat, I'm guessing you were too busy this morning to check."
"Y'all are so lucky that my Dad isn't in that group chat!" TK groaned.
"Wait so you saw us kissing? I take no blame for whatever you overheard this morning then, that's on you."
"I thought y'all were going to drop me off at mine but then y'all had to be great friends and care about my well-being so didn't leave me at my apartment alone." Paul said with a fond eye roll.
"Yeah Carlos is pretty amazing like that isn't he?" TK smiled, getting lost in his thoughts for a few moments.
"So y'all are just going to act like you are still just friends after all of this?"
"We're adults, I'm sure we can handle the fact that we had sex maturely."