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“And that’s why you keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen,” the guy concludes, coughing as he waves away the lingering smoke. “And a first aid kit,” he adds when he notices the blood trickling down the side of his hand. He inspects the wound, then smiles at the camera. “Don’t worry. I’ve had worse. And I’m dual-certified, so…”
“Okay. I think we’ve seen enough.”
The guy is still staring at the camera when the video is paused, and horrified as he may be, Carlos cannot look away from the trainwreck that is TK Strand. “What did I just watch?”
Michelle laughs as she sits beside him, jotting notes in the margin of TK’s application. “Are you saying you don’t recognize cooking when you see it, Chef?”
“Were we watching the same thing?”
Michelle smirks, continuing to jot notes.
“He was trying to boil water, Michelle. How do you start a fire when you’re trying to boil water? And how do you cut yourself when you haven’t even picked up a knife?”
“Those are both excellent questions, but don’t ask me,” Michelle replies, signing the form for final approval before attaching it to TK’s audition packet. “Ask him on Monday.”
“Ask…” Carlos stares at her. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
__________
“You weren’t joking.”
“I wasn’t,” Michelle confirms, though they both already knew that. She and Carlos are still backstage, and while she acknowledges it’s covert and a bit creepy to watch TK roam around the set by himself, doing so is always enlightening. As a producer, she can usually get a general feel for a contestant from their application and video submission but spying on them in real time is much more informative. “He’s gonna have the audience wrapped around his finger in about two seconds,” she predicts, smiling when TK picks up a ball whisk and scrunches his nose like he has no clue what it is. “I mean, look at him – he’s adorable. And hot.”
Carlos can’t dispute that; TK is the perfect combination of both, but – “Neither qualify him for this show, Michelle. We received over 200 applications.”
“We did,” she agrees. “And they were all boring as hell. No one wants to tune in each week to see Paramedic Pearce with his perfect hair and perfect teeth making his perfect French omelet.” She scowls at the thought of him, his arrogance difficult to forget. “But this one…” She smiles as she directs her attention back to the camera, watching as TK starts fiddling with a spiralizer. “He’s just what we need to rake in the ratings and secure a renewal.”
The possibility of a second season of his newest cooking show when the first season hasn’t even begun filming yet is overwhelming and thrilling…but not surprising. Carlos has worked his ass off to be where he is today, and the industry that once tried to exclude him now embraces him. Peers and critics alike respect his hustle, and Carlos isn’t letting some kid from New York destroy his reputation. “What am I supposed to do with him, Michelle? He set his kitchen on fire trying to boil water, but now you expect me to turn him into a restaurant worthy chef in six weeks?”
“Yes.”
Carlos pulls a face. He and Michelle have known each other since childhood; she has always been his best friend and biggest supporter. But sometimes her dry humor and blunt tone are more than his nerves can bear.
“That’s the premise of the show, is it not? You told the network you could turn the worst cook in America into a chef of your caliber within six weeks. Or maybe I misunderstood?” She arches an eyebrow, inviting correction. When Carlos offers none, she continues, pointing at TK trying to operate a pasta machine. “This kid is your challenge. If you can turn him into a chef, then you can probably turn water into wine as well.”
Carlos snorts, then startles when TK knocks over a stack of baking pans.
Michelle shakes her head with a fond smile as they clatter to the floor. “You better get out there before he breaks something.”
__________
“Wow. It’s really you.”
Carlos isn’t sure what kind of reaction he was expecting, but this isn’t it. Who knew this kid could be so subdued? Or maybe he’s just starstruck based on how intently he’s staring.
“You’re a legend, you know?”
Carlos is indeed aware.
It’s a status he’s spent his entire life trying to achieve. As a child, he learned how to cook alongside his mother, but since then, he’s worked alongside some of the most famous chefs in the world while also becoming one.
He’s earned two international culinary degrees and countless awards.
He currently holds six Michelin stars.
His restaurants are both popularly and critically acclaimed; people wait months for the opportunity to book a reservation.
He's lost track of how many cookbooks he’s published, and his memoir not only topped the best seller’s list for over a year but is also being optioned for a movie.
He’s constantly sought out for interviews and guest appearances on TV talk shows and podcasts and recently narrated a documentary about the history and culture of Hispanic cuisine.
He endorses multiple products and has his own custom line of knives and cookware along with a line of specialty sauces.
He’s hosted at least half a dozen of his own cooking shows and served as a co-host or judge for multiple others.
He’s the epitome of celebrity chef and worth an obscene amount of money.
By the world’s standards, he’s an irrefutable – and enviable – success, and while Carlos is proud of his accomplishments, there’s still one thing he doesn’t have: someone to share it with. Someone to love who will love him in return. In his past relationships, Carlos’s partners clearly loved his fame and fortune but didn’t seem to care much about Carlos himself. At best, they were shallow and opportunistic. At worst, they were cruel and self-serving.
“One day the right boy will come along,” his mother has assured, and it’s ridiculous that Carlos is thinking about that now as this kid continues to stare at him with those gorgeous green eyes and a mischievous little smirk.
“Can I tell you something?” TK sounds like he’s asking permission even though Carlos knows he’s not. He doubts this kid has ever asked permission for anything. “You’re hotter in person.”
So are you, Carlos thinks, though that’s as far as this can go.
On Friday, he may have been shocked and irritated that Michelle had selected TK for the show, but over the weekend, Carlos spent time – too much time – stalking getting to know the kid online.
He’s watched News footage of TK’s rescues as a firefighter.
He’s seen photos of TK treating patients as a paramedic.
He’s read TK’s blog posts about his addiction and rehab, about his passion to stay clean and help others achieve the same goal.
He’s clicked on the links TK shared about climate change and beekeeping (and is maybe considering starting his own hive).
He’s laughed at TK’s stupid livestreams and stared at TK’s shameless thirst traps.
He’s smiled at TK making goofy faces while posing with his dog…then cried when he discovered the video TK had posted to mark the one-year anniversary of his mother’s sudden death.
In the span of two days, Carlos developed a crush as he came to understand and appreciate what he should’ve known from the start – that there’s more to TK Strand than meets the eye. Yes, he seems accident prone and can’t cook for shit, but that’s just one small piece of who he is. And while Carlos is still hesitant about the impact this kid may have on his professional career, he’s more concerned about the effect TK is already having on a personal level.
Because honestly, Carlos likes him. He likes him more than he should. He likes TK so much that he’s forcing himself to pretend he doesn’t like him just to maintain his distance.
As long as Carlos continues to do that, what could go wrong?
__________
“Wait. Wait,” Carlos repeats when it seems TK is hellbent on injuring himself. “That’s how you hold a knife?” TK is even more adorable when he looks confused, and Carlos is not going to survive the next six weeks. “Is that the way you hold a knife?”
“Um…yeah?”
“No. Not unless you want to lose a finger.” And that’s not happening on Carlos’s watch. He picks up his own knife to demonstrate proper technique. “Like this. Firm grip here, fingers tucked here.”
TK tries to match the model Carlos is providing, but he’s failing. Miserably.
“What are you doing?”
“I have no idea,” TK admits with a shrug and a laugh.
“Okay. Just…stop.” The last thing Carlos needs in this first episode is bloodshed. He crosses to stand behind TK, reaching around him to provide a more hands-on approach. “Like this,” he says, grasping TK’s hand and leading him through the motion. “Whether you’re slicing, dicing, or chopping, you always want control of the knife. And you always want your fingers protected.”
“Yes, Chef.”
It’s weird hearing TK call him that, but the formality will help keep this professional…even if Carlos is having very unprofessional thoughts as he continues to stand in TK’s space.
And it seems he’s not the only one.
“You know…if this is what you’re gonna do every time I hold the knife wrong, I’m not really motivated to learn how to hold it right.”
Carlos blushes at the obvious flirtation and steps back, immediately missing the warmth of TK’s skin, the feel of TK’s back pressed against his chest, the smell of TK’s shampoo.
TK arches a questioning eyebrow.
“I think that’s enough guided practice. You should be able to complete the task by yourself now.”
And in theory, that’s true.
But TK reverts to his dangerous knife grip, and Carlos has no choice but to resume his position; his arms framing TK’s body as he readjusts TK’s grasp and leads him through the motion once again.
It’s only when the episode airs that Carlos catches TK’s satisfied little smirk.
__________
Michelle was right: the audience loves TK.
They swoon over his eyes and his smile and his general hotness.
Half call him their little mini muffin while the other half call him a cinnamon roll, but both sides gush about how sweet and adorable he is.
They cringe (affectionate) over how clueless he is in the kitchen and wonder if it’s all an act. Can anyone really be this bad at the most basic cooking tasks?
But most of all, they obsess over the undeniable connection between TK and Carlos.
Not even an hour after the first episode airs, fans coin a name for the pairing and #Tarlos begins trending. Any article or social media post about the show is flooded with comments ranging from speculation to outright adulation for Carlos and his protégé, though one comment sums it up best:
Come for the cooking. Stay for the chemistry.
__________
“We have a problem.”
“We do?”
“Yes.”
Michelle smiles. She knew the Internet’s reaction was going to freak Carlos out.
“It’s not funny, Michelle.”
“Oh, Carlos.” She really does adore him, especially when he’s grumpy. “You’ve been in this business long enough to know that people talk.”
“Yes, but this can’t happen.” Carlos holds up his phone, showing her a meme that compares the stance he and TK were in during the knife demonstration to the pottery wheel scene in Ghost. “They can’t make us into a couple.”
“Honey. They already have.”
Carlos growls his frustration as he paces a circle in her office, then collapses in the chair in front of her desk. “Fine. We’ll cancel the show.”
“No.”
“Michelle.”
“Carlos.”
Carlos glares. “Why do you hate me?”
Michelle scoffs at the accusation. “Don’t be dramatic. You know I love you. I just love ratings more.”
Carlos rolls his eyes at her teasing. “What if I promised you another show, a different show with higher ratings?”
Michelle knows he could probably deliver on that proposition, but she has a better idea. “What if you stopped being scared of what’s happening and just let it happen?”
Carlos stares at her. “You know it’s not that easy.”
“It could be,” Michelle counters. “If you let it.”
__________
“Guess what I’m making.”
“A mess,” Carlos answers without even looking up because that’s TK’s default setting. Whether he’s cooking or just existing, the kid is a straight up hot mess. And God help him: Carlos loves it. He glances up when he hears TK laugh – such a bright, beautiful sound – and sees that he was right. There’s flour every-fucking-where. “TK. What the – ”
“This is how you showed me,” TK defends, somehow managing to look innocent as he tells the boldface lie. He’s also starting to smirk that little smirk that Carlos has learned to recognize as trouble. The combination of that expression and those green eyes have likely gotten TK whatever he wants his entire life, and Carlos is not immune. “Maybe you should show me again?”
Carlos snorts. He may have been oblivious to TK’s tactics in the first episode, but they’re filming the second episode now, and he’s well-aware of how TK operates.
“Please?”
Carlos sighs, feigning exasperation. “Fine,” he says, leaning into the performance even if his smile gives him away as he steps closer to TK, their arms brushing. “But pay attention this time.”
“Yes, Chef.”
__________
TK is playing Carlos like a fiddle, and I fucking love it!
Carlos gives his own little smirk as he reads the comment because he’s decided he loves it, too. He glances at Michelle as she watches him from across the table. The café is busy, but it always feels like it’s just them in this back corner, tucked away from the crowd and blinding sunlight.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she replies with a shrug, sipping her coffee. “I just like seeing you happy.”
__________
“Here…” Carlos offers, blowing on the soup before holding the spoon to TK’s mouth. “This is how it should taste.”
TK slurps the broth and swallows, nodding in appreciation. “Wow. Yeah. It’s – ”
“Actually edible?”
TK laughs as he shoves Carlos’s shoulder. “Mine was edible. Kinda.”
“Kinda,” Carlos agrees, though he’s being generous. “Now try this,” he says, waiting for TK to sample the bread.
TK leans forward, his eyes never leaving Carlos as he takes a bite. The moment shouldn’t be as sensual as it is…and Carlos shouldn’t be surprised when TK tilts his head back and moans like they’re in a bedroom instead of a kitchen.
After all, it’s episode three. Nothing this kid does should surprise him anymore.
“Omigod,” TK mumbles around the mouthful of perfectly toasted baguette. “This is amazing!” He straightens, eyes once again locked on Carlos. “You are amazing.”
There’s a beat of silence, and Carlos wonders if anyone else can hear how loud his heart is pounding. “I know,” he finally quips, breaking the spell and basking in the warmth of TK’s answering smile. He motions to TK’s face. “Got a little crud there, by the way.”
TK frowns and touches everywhere except where the crumbs are.
“Other side.”
TK repeats the process with the same result.
“Stop. Just…let me.”
TK doesn’t move as Carlos reaches for him, as time once again seems to freeze. “Thanks,” he whispers after Carlos’s fingers brush across his lips.
Carlos nods, holding TK’s gaze and knowing he’s not the only one who just felt something change between them.
__________
We manifested this and now IT’S HAPPENING!!!!!
Carlos winces at the high-pitched screaming he imagines as he reads the caption accompanying a gif of him wiping crumbs from TK’s mouth.
Apparently, the image broke Twitter.
Or more accurately, they broke Twitter – him and TK.
“That’s a good thing. Right?”
Michelle smiles at him as she sets down her coffee. “Oh, yes,” she assures, showing him the caller ID before accepting the network’s call.
__________
As burns go, it’s probably the most minor one Carlos has ever sustained, but TK responds to his gasp of pain like the world is ending. He literally drops what he’s doing – moment of silence for the quiche that could’ve been – and rushes to Carlos’s side, pushing him to sit on the nearest stool as if Carlos is too injured to stand.
It’s an overreaction that’s sweet and endearing, that makes Carlos feel protected and…loved cared for. Putting the L-word in TK’s mouth or reading it into his actions wouldn’t be fair, even if the emotion has lived in Carlos’s heart from pretty much day one. He loves TK, and he’s comfortable admitting that to himself now; whether he ever admits it to TK is something else entirely, though Carlos knows their time together is growing short.
This is episode four, which means the show is already more than halfway finished. In two weeks – three, if he counts this one – TK will be leaving, heading back to his life in New York, and Carlos needs to decide if he’s letting that happen. If he’s letting TK leave Texas without hearing how Carlos feels about him.
“Let me see,” TK says, taking Carlos’s hand in his.
“I’m fine.”
“Yeah, you are,” TK purrs, the innuendo unmistakable in his tone and appreciative little smirk. “But this needs ice.”
Carlos huffs a laugh at the duality of TK Strand: one second a flirty kid, the next a capable paramedic. He watches as TK jogs across the kitchen, scooping handfuls of ice from the freezer into one their prep bowls, then grabbing a clean towel before jogging back over. “TK. This really isn’t necessary.”
“It is if you don’t want it to blister,” TK advises, easing Carlos’s hand into the ice bath. “I know it sucks,” he soothes when Carlos hisses at the intense temperature change. “But it’ll be worth it. Just trust me.”
“I do.”
TK looks startled by the whispered words, and his smile is a bit shy, a version Carlos has never seen before. “I trust you, too.”
Carlos winks at him in reply, his boldness rewarded when TK blushes and ducks his head. It’s an unexpected reaction, but it fuels Carlos’s hope that his feelings will be reciprocated if he can ever confess them.
Three weeks, he reminds himself as TK pulls his hand from the ice and wraps it in the towel.
After a few seconds, TK removes the fabric for a closer inspection. Carlos’s skin no longer bears any mark of where the hot pan made contact, but TK still leans forward, pressing a kiss into Carlos’s palm. “There. All better,” he proclaims, releasing Carlos’s hand, then frowning when Carlos just stares at him. “It is all better, right?”
“Everything’s better when you’re around,” Carlos tells him, smiling when TK blushes once more.
__________
They break Twitter.
Again.
But the show also gets renewed, so there’s that.
__________
“We have a problem.”
“We do?”
“Yes.”
Michelle arches an eyebrow as Carlos sits in the chair in front of her desk. “I feel like we’ve had this conversation before.”
“We have. But it’s different now.”
“How so?”
“I love him.”
“I know.”
Carlos blinks. “You…know?”
Michelle smiles, amused by how shocked he sounds. “Honey. Everyone knows.”
“How?”
“Because we have eyes.”
Carlos scoffs at the explanation, though he doesn’t dispute it’s that easy to tell how he feels about TK.
“I don’t really see how that’s a problem, though.”
“It’s not,” Carlos agrees. He’s never been happier. “But this wasn’t part of the plan. I was supposed to teach him how to cook, not fall in love with him. And Michelle…” He shakes his head for emphasis. “…TK cannot cook. We only have two episodes left, and he’s just as much of a disaster in the kitchen as he was when he got here.”
“Oh, Carlos.” Michelle adores how clueless he is sometimes. “No one is tuning in each week to see TK cook. Or to see you cook, for that matter. In fact, this stopped being about cooking the second you two appeared on screen together.”
“Okay, so…” Carlos stares at her, not quite convinced. “If the show’s not about cooking, then what’s it about?”
“It’s about you and TK!” Michelle doesn’t mean to yell, but her patience only goes so far. “It’s about the way you look at him and the way he looks at you. It’s about the flirting and the teasing. It’s about the lingering touches. I mean…all you have to do is stand beside each other, and the Internet loses its shit. That’s what it’s about, Carlos. And that’s why you’ve been renewed. The network wants a second season but only if TK is on board.”
Carlos shakes his head. It would be a dream to spend every day working and living beside TK, but it’s not that simple. “TK is going back to New York.”
“Well, then…” Michelle shrugs. “…I guess you need to give him a reason to stay in Austin.”
__________
Something’s off.
Carlos can tell right from the start.
It’s the fifth episode, and TK knows they’re on a deadline. He tries to act like everything is fine, but there’s a certain fragility about him today. He’s quiet. He’s distant. He’s distracted. And when Carlos does manage to coax a smile from him, it doesn’t reach his eyes because he’s just…sad.
It’s so out of character that Carlos can’t help but worry. He acknowledges everyone has bad days, but that shouldn’t apply to TK.
TK is sunshine.
TK is joy.
TK is…crying?
The realization is so startling that Carlos can only stare, frozen with panic.
What is he supposed to do?
He knows what he wants to do, but is that what TK wants? Maybe TK prefers not to be touched when he’s upset. Maybe TK just wants to keep pretending everything is fine and wants Carlos to pretend as well. Maybe –
TK’s shaky inhalation turns sharp when the knife slices through his skin instead of the carrot he’s chopping for the mise en place, and it’s that sound that spurs Carlos into action.
“Hey.” He’s beside TK in an instant; his hesitancy erased as instinct takes over. He eases the knife from TK’s grasp, then lifts his injured hand. The cut isn’t deep, but it’s bleeding, so Carlos leads TK to the sink, watching the blood swirl around the drain as he cleans and dries the wound. Next, he reaches for the first aid kit they always have on hand – especially since TK arrived – and applies a dab of ointment to the cut before covering it with a bandage and a kiss. “There. All better.”
Carlos is trying to make TK smile when he repeats what TK said and did to him a few days ago, but that’s what causes the dam to break. He can’t recall ever seeing anyone this distraught as TK folds into him, seeking comfort that Carlos is happy to give. He wraps his arms around him, holding TK close as he sobs; his hand rubbing back and forth between TK’s shoulders in what he hopes is a soothing gesture.
Carlos doesn’t want to pry, but he does want to understand. “What’s wrong?” he whispers, so quietly that TK can ignore it if he wants to.
“Today is…my mom’s birthday,” TK answers, tripping over his words as his breath shudders with tears. “And I just…miss her so much.”
Carlos holds him tighter, wishing he could absorb TK’s pain. He thinks about the tribute video he watched that weekend before he met TK. It was so obvious how much TK’s mother loved him…and how much he loved her. “I’m sorry.” He presses a kiss to TK’s temple. “What can I do?”
“This,” TK replies, clinging to Carlos. “Just this.”
__________
That’s the first night they spend together.
But it won’t be the last.
__________
“Hey.”
“Hey. Sorry I’m late.”
“It’s fine. I already ordered.”
“Thanks.”
Michelle smiles as Carlos sits across from her, accepting the cup. “How’s TK this morning?”
“Better,” Carlos answers before realizing what she did there. “I mean…” He clears his throat and takes a sip of coffee. “I guess.” He shrugs, hoping he doesn’t look as flustered as he feels. “How should I know?”
Michelle just stares at him, waiting him out.
Carlos sighs. “Is it that obvious?”
“So what if it is?” Michelle counters. “Happiness shouldn’t be hidden, Carlos.”
“I’m not hiding it.”
“What are you doing?”
Carlos shakes his head. “I don’t know.”
Michelle hums at that, sipping her own coffee as she watches strangers pass by in the street outside the window. “Have you told TK you love him yet?” She glances at Carlos as he shakes his head again. “The last episode films tomorrow.”
“I know.”
Michelle knows he knows. But apparently he needs a reminder that the clock is ticking. “What should I tell the travel agency about booking TK’s return flight?”
Carlos smiles. Everything else may be complicated, but this part is easy. “Tell them to wait.”
__________
“You’re quiet.”
TK makes a sound of acknowledgment but doesn’t lift his head from Carlos’s chest.
Carlos fans his fingers through TK’s hair, uncertain how to read the moment. When he returned home from having coffee with Michelle, TK was still in bed, and Carlos had wasted no time in joining him. Sleepy cuddles had led to lazy kisses, which had led to something much more active, but now they’re just holding each other, warm and languid in the afternoon sun streaming through the skylights in Carlos’s bedroom.
“What are you thinking?”
“Not thinking,” TK corrects. “Hoping.”
“Okay.” Carlos tells himself everything is fine, even though TK sounds…worried? Scared? He fans his fingers through TK’s hair again. “What are you hoping?”
TK doesn’t say anything, and Carlos wonders if he’s going to respond at all when he looks up, his chin resting right above Carlos’s heart; his eyes so green they don’t seem real.
“I’m hoping I get what I want.”
Carlos smiles. “Don’t you always?”
TK’s answering smile isn’t as bright. “Not always.”
By now, he knows Carlos did a deep dive into his life the weekend before they met, but not everything that has ever happened to TK is documented online. Some things are too personal, too painful. He thinks he knows where this is going between him and Carlos… but he’s thought that before about another relationship and ended up in a situation he never wants to repeat. If he and Carlos aren’t on the same page – if Carlos doesn’t love him – then TK needs to cut his losses and run.
It's what he does, even if Carlos doesn’t know about that part, either.
TK sighs and sits up. He might as well just get this over with. If he ends up hurt, that’s fine. He’s used to that. But at least he’ll leave Austin knowing he was honest about how he feels.
“Carlos. I have something to tell you. And something to ask.”
“Okay.”
TK sounds so serious that Carlos sits up as well, the sheets pooling around his waist as he stares at TK, his heart pounding. Whatever happens next will change both their lives, but what if it changes in a way Carlos doesn’t want? TK can be so impulsive sometimes. What if he’s about to blow up everything without knowing how Carlos feels?
TK takes a deep breath, seeming to gather his courage. “Carlos, I – ”
“Wait! I need to say something first.”
TK startles at the interruption, then huffs a laugh. “Babe. You’re such a control freak.”
Carlos usually rolls his eyes at the familiar teasing, but his brain is stuck on one word that’s new. “Did you just call me babe?”
TK bites his lip and nods.
Carlos smiles, inspired by his spontaneity. “You know…I’ve thought of at least a hundred ways to tell you this, but I’m just gonna say it: I love you. I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you. And I know you have a life and a career back in New York, but I don’t want you to leave.” He pauses, his eyes misting. “Please don’t leave.”
TK doesn’t even try to wipe the tears rolling down his cheeks. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Yeah?” Carlos’s face hurts from how wide he’s smiling. “Which part?”
“All of it,” TK whispers as he leans into their kiss.
__________
“So…we’re gonna start today’s episode a little different,” Carlos announces, holding TK’s hand as they both stare into the camera.
“That’s right,” TK continues, beaming and barely able to stand still. “We wanted you to hear it from us that Tarlos is, in fact, real.”
“It is,” Carlos confirms, pressing a kiss to TK’s temple because it’s his new favorite thing to do. “And thanks to you guys, we not only figured that out, but we’ve also been renewed for a second season.”
“Yes! Another season of Carlos trying to teach me how to cook.”
“And another season of TK making an absolute mess in my kitchen.”
TK laughs. He loves bringing the chaos. And he loves Carlos. Mixing the two is going to be so…much…fun. “I think I’m up for the challenge, babe. Are you?”
Carlos nods and smiles. As long as he’s beside TK, he’s up for anything.