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1
It’s Catan night at the loft, and finally, Carlos has made it back from the store where he picked up a demanding list of snacks he and TK had forgotten. They all swore they’d wait for him to start playing, although Carlos isn’t confident any of them would hold true to that promise.
He unlocks the door and heads inside. Carlos’s heart warms at the sight of their friend group gathered together. At first, the group were known as “TK’s friends,” but they quickly became so much more than that. They’ve become part of his family.
By some miracle, they haven’t started the game yet. Thank god. Carlos needs redemption after the last game when Mateo and Nancy brutally took them out. They’ll pay for that tonight. He makes a beeline for the counter, hurrying to set the bags down before the food tips out.
Carlos begins to unload everything, half-listening to the chaotic chattering behind him. But as usual, TK’s voice stands out from the crowd as he loudly and clearly says, “Hi, cutie pie.”
It’s not one of their usual pet names, but TK always greets him when he comes back. He’s probably being a little shit again, teasing Carlos in front of all their friends. Even so, Carlos doesn’t think twice about responding to it.
“Hey yourself, babe,” Carlos throws over his shoulder in response.
The chattering stops. The chattering never stops on game night.
Carlos turns around.
Everyone is staring at him.
Marjan’s vibrating in her seat. Her jaw is dropped in an open-mouthed smile, and her eyebrows arch to her forehead as she breaks the silence with a little laugh. Next to her, Paul shakes his head and presses his lips together, trying and failing to hide the curve of his lips behind his hand as he looks anywhere but at Carlos. Nancy and Mateo are sharing looks with each other. And finally, in the middle of them all is TK, cradling Lou II in his arms.
Carlos may not be a detective (even if his captain keeps pushing him to take the exam), but it only takes a second to piece it together.
Oh.
He freezes. Maybe he’ll get lucky and the ground will crack underneath him, swallowing him up into the chasm so he can escape this moment. Hell, weirder things have happened in Austin. But the town doesn’t take pity on him tonight, leaving him to face the embarrassment himself.
He wills himself to stay strong, chin up, focusing his gaze on TK. He sends his fiance dirty looks as if to say, “this is your fault.” They’re both well-versed in eye-communication, able to have full conversations with looks alone. TK has the decency to look somewhat guilty, although he’s much more amused about the situation than he should be.
As always, Mateo is the first to speak with a loud whisper aired toward Carlos but obviously heard by everyone else. “Hey, dude…I think TK was talking to the lizard.”
Nancy snorts. “Yeah, he figured that one out himself, ‘Teo.”
“This is amazing,” Marjan chimes in, practically giddy with excitement.
Next to her, Paul glances between the two of them, and something seems to click. He always connects the dots. Carlos just really wishes he didn’t this time.
“Wait—this has happened before, hasn’t it? Please tell me this has happened before.”
Carlos’s face is burning now. This is it. This is his worst nightmare. He ducks his head, and that’s all it takes for the team to erupt in chatter.
“Oh my god, it has happened before.”
“I knew it!”
“I wish I would’ve gotten that on video.”
There’s no way out of this. He’ll never live this down, so he resigns himself to his fate. He walks over to join the group, standing next to TK and glaring. TK hands off Lou II to the grabby hands of Mateo.
Face-to-face now, TK tries to keep a blank expression. It was a valiant effort, even if it doesn’t work. Carlos can still see the mischievous twinkle in his eyes and the lines on his cheeks from the little smirk he’s trying to hide.
“Hey there, cutie pie,” TK teases.
The team bursts into giggles behind them.
Carlos rolls his eyes and puts on his best mean face. “You’re not funny.”
TK is grinning in full force now.
“Oh, really? Because everyone else seems to think I am.”
Carlos isn’t that upset. Ridiculous things like this come with being engaged to TK Strand, after all, but he’s not going to let TK get away with this so easily, especially not in front of their friends. His mouth seals in a straight line, arms folded across his chest. At his lack of response, TK tries a different tactic.
“I’m sorry?” TK offers, putting on his best puppy-dog face. He doesn’t sound apologetic in the least. Still, when he winds his arms around Carlos’s neck, Carlos drops his arms and allows TK to tug him closer because he’s a sucker. TK tacks on, “I do think you’re a cutie pie, too, for the record.”
“Who’s cuter, Lou II or Carlos?” Nancy hollers.
TK sends a warning glare at Nancy, although there’s a smile playing on his lips. “They’re equally cute.”
Carlos rears back. “Equally cute?! You mean I’m as cute as a reptile?”
“At least you’re not less cute?” Mateo offers with a shrug. He’s still holding Lou II in his lap, with him and Nancy taking turns stroking him.
“Come on, Carlos. I know you think Lou II is cute. Don’t pretend,” TK says. He turns them both toward where Lou II is basking in all of the attention. “I mean, just look at that little face.” Carlos looks, nose scrunching up. Nothing that has scales or crawls can be cute.
Everyone is looking at him, expecting him to say something.
“He’s…very colorful.”
He does have bright colors; Carlos will give him that—it’s one of the reasons he chose Lou II. Because bright colors are easier to spot when you can’t find something. But calling him cute? That’s a stretch.
“You’ll just have to accept there are two loves in TK’s life, now, Carlos!” Paul exclaims. The team laughs collectively again. Lou II scrabbles across the sofa toward Marjan, and the whole team plus TK coo at him. Great, so apparently everyone is obsessed with Lou II. Carlos doesn’t get it.
Carlos rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just play the game, alright? And eat the food I went out and got you all in the first place.”
“But I need to hear about the other times this happened!” Marjan brings back up.
TK opens his mouth—
And Carlos puts his hand over TK’s lips, cutting him off, “Nope. We’re not doing that.” This moment was bad enough. He refuses to relive the other times this happened. After this, Carlos will definitely be double and triple checking before responding to any endearment he hears in the loft.
Eventually, they do get the game started. Lou II stops getting shown off and is put back in his tank, much to everyone’s disappointment, and the teasing dies down, but Carlos has a feeling everyone will be calling him ‘cutiepie’ for the foreseeable future.
2
There’s a package at their door when they get home from date night. With the wedding coming up, they’ve had an endless number of packages being delivered to them, but Carlos doesn’t remember ordering anything recently. He picks up the box, squinting as he reads the unfamiliar company name.
“What is this?” he asks, handing it to TK while Carlos unlocks the door.
His fiancé takes it from him. A grin spreads across his face, and he bounces on his toes as he waits for Carlos to open the door. “It came!”
Carlos pauses in the entryway. “What came?”
TK slips around him.
“It’s a surprise!”
Great. With TK, a surprise could be absolutely anything, and Carlos is immediately suspicious, especially given how the mere sight of this package supercharged TK’s energy level. It’s not that TK’s surprises are always unpleasant, they’re just unpredictable. Carlos never knows if a surprise from TK means a sweet gift or a lizard in a to-go box.
“And are you going to let me see the surprise anytime soon?”
TK holds the box closer to his chest. “Hold your horses, babe. I’ve got to get it ready first.”
“Oh?”
He swats Carlos’s shoulder, gently shoving him forward. “Go into the bedroom. I’ll meet you there in a few.”
That piques Carlos’s interest. Maybe this surprise will be very pleasant.
He enters their bedroom and closes the door until it’s only open a crack. He sits on the edge of the bed and unties his shoes. TK drove him insane during dinner with his flirting and casual touches to Carlos’s thigh as they ate, making Carlos want to forget about the food and devour him right then and there. Carlos catalogs the possibilities, heart hammering in his chest.
What feels like much too long later, a little knock sounds at the bedroom door.
“Ready?” TK asks, still hidden. Even so, Carlos can hear his grin.
“Ready,” he confirms.
The door slowly slides open. Carlos leans forward.
“Tada!”
Well, that’s not what Carlos was expecting. In fact, Carlos is quite sure he never could’ve predicted this. Because in front of him stands TK, completely the same as before, but in his hands is Lou II. And Lou II, well…
“Is he wearing—?”
“—A tux!” TK interrupts, too excited to even wait for Carlos to finish his sentence. “For our wedding! See, it even matches ours! Isn’t he adorable?”
Carlos stares. Lou II is in a fucking wedding tux that’s eerily similar to theirs, bowtie and all. He looks ridiculous, and Carlos doesn’t know how the hell TK managed to get it on him in the first place. Plus, the thought of matching with a lizard makes him shudder.
But TK is all smiles as he coos at Lou II, murmuring compliments about how handsome he is. Carlos might not like Lou II, but he isn’t heartless.
So he puts on a strained smile, hoping TK is too invested in the little tux to notice, and replies, “Yeah, that’s…really something, babe.”
TK scratches Lou’s head happily. “It is, isn’t it?! I can’t believe I found someone who makes clothes for bearded dragons.”
That means this likely won’t be a one-time thing. Lovely.
As eager as TK is, though, Carlos needs to be clear. “TK…Lou II is not going to be in our wedding.”
“Aww, please Carlos?” TK holds Lou II out, pretending to be speaking for the lizard. “Please let me be in your wedding?”
Carlos looks at Lou II. “I’m sorry, Lou, but you might escape, and we wouldn’t want that.” And now he’s talking to a lizard. The things he does to please TK.
It works, because TK giggles, pulling Lou up to rest against his shoulder. “You’re right, baby. It wouldn’t be good if Lou II accidentally got loose at our wedding. But we can still get plenty of family photos here of the matching tuxes!”
Carlos sighs. “Yeah, I suppose we can.”
TK beams. “Great! Oh, and babe, just wait until you see what else I ordered him. I’ll give you a hint: he’s going to be able to match with both of us.”
Well, so much for any romantic plans this evening. Still, it’s endearing watching and listening as TK rambles about Lou II and the outfits. Carlos may not be a fan of reptiles, but he can’t wait for TK to get excited about them for the rest of their lives.
3
Carlos unlocks the door to the loft. Soft music echoes from the kitchen where TK is bobbing his head off-rhythm to the actual beat. TK turns his head, a smile lighting up his face. Carlos grins back. He’ll never get tired of returning to this every day after work. Returning to not just a house, but to a home, to their home.
“Hey,” Carlos greets, pulling off his shoes and padding into the kitchen.
After being deprived of TK’s touch all day, Carlos can’t help but slide up behind him. He leans down and props his chin atop TK’s shoulder. TK hums and leans back into him. “Hi. How was work?”
“It was fine. Just long.”
He wraps his arms around TK’s middle and watches as TK finishes cutting up some veggies and places them in an artful design on one of their ceramic plates. Some people think Carlos is the chef in their relationship, and while Carlos will admit that his mother made certain he knew his way around the kitchen, when he wants to, TK can also make quite impressive meals himself.
Tonight seems to be one of those nights. TK spreads thin cucumber slices in a fan across the lettuce, adding to the carefully created plate. He scoops up a few small pieces of apple and sprinkles it over the top, along with some more garnishes.
“That looks delicious,” Carlos murmurs into his ear.
TK pauses. Carlos pulls back to see TK barely holding back laughter, his lips pressed together tightly as he huffs breaths out of his nose.
“What?” Carlos asks, brows furrowing as he tries to figure out what TK finds so funny.
“This isn’t for us, babe.”
Okay, Carlos is officially lost.
“Huh?”
“This is Lou II’s dinner. Unless you want mealworms in yours, too.” TK gestures toward the plastic container full of squirming creatures that Carlos failed to notice earlier.
Carlos frowns. He doesn’t get it. “This is for the lizard?"
TK smirks. “Uh-huh.”
“B-But…you’re using the good plates! And why are you acting like you’re preparing a meal at a five-star restaurant?”
“Because Lou II deserves to know how special he is,” TK answers like it’s obvious and completely normal to be preparing the fanciest looking meal Carlos has ever seen in this household for a reptile.
Carlos looks back at the array TK has prepared. “Are you sure he can even eat all of this stuff?”
“Of course. I double checked everything online and with the vet.”
Ah yes, the vet. Carlos had to endure the experience of driving them there with Lou II sitting on TK’s lap and staring at him the entire time from his crate. As much as TK promised Lou II wouldn’t get out while they were driving, Carlos didn’t trust that for one second. Fortunately, they made it there and back without Lou II escaping and without Carlos crashing the car as a result.
“Don’t worry, I made us dinner, too,” TK teases, rubbing a hand up Carlos’s arm to his shoulder and squeezing. “It’s cooking in the oven right now.”
“So he gets dinner before we do now?” Carlos grumbles.
“I’m sure he’d be willing to share if you asked nicely.”
“Hilarious.”
TK laughs and presses a kiss against Carlos’s cheek before going back perfecting the plate for Lou II. He sprinkles a few more herbs on and garnishes it with the mealworms. God, the mealworms. They’re not as jumpy as the crickets, at least, but Carlos will never get used to the nasty little creatures being in their home. At least TK isn’t storing them in the cupboard anymore with the rest of their snacks, not after Carlos opened them thinking they were nuts and almost fainted.
After completing the plate—which looks more like an art exhibition at this point—TK brings it over to the giant lizard habitat that now takes up half of their sitting room. He lifts the lid and slides it in carefully where Lou II is sitting. “Dinner time, Louis!” TK singsongs. “Eat up.”
TK crouches and watches with rapt attention as Lou II bites a piece of apple. “Aww, he likes it!” His eyes light up as he continues to watch Lou II slowly devour the plate.
“He better like it, that plate included half of our fresh veggies.”
The timer on the oven goes off, and TK stands up. He knocks his hip against Carlos as he passes him. “Come on, complainer. Help me set the table.”
He grabs two plates, both identical to the one he gave Lou II, and holds them out to Carlos who blanches. “TK, has Lou II used any of these plates before?”
TK shakes his head. “No, I promise. I usually use his dish, but I wanted to make tonight extra special in celebration of his first successful vet trip.” Carlos must not be hiding his disgruntled look well enough, as TK adds, “Don’t worry, I’ll wash the plate twice before we use it again.”
Carlos takes the plates. He shakes his head and grimaces.
“No. No…that’s his plate, now.”
4
After an excruciatingly long week of back-to-back late-night shifts, Carlos finally gets to spend the whole evening with his husband. He’s been looking forward to this night all week – just the two of them relaxing and spending some quality time together. Lord knows they both deserve it. While they both love their work, sometimes it can overtake their lives which is why they need nights like this to unwind. Both of them have been caught up with extra shifts on opposite schedules this week with almost no downtime, and when they do, both are too tired to do much other than eat and sleep.
Now, fresh from a hot shower and dressed in his comfiest pair of sweatpants and an old APD t-shirt, Carlos steps out of their bedroom, ready to cuddle up to TK on the sofa for the rest of the evening. It was TK’s turn to pick the movie, so Carlos has no doubt he’ll spend more time paying attention to his husband instead of the screen, not that he minds one bit.
TK, also fresh from the shower after he hopped in and joined Carlos partway through, is clad in pajama bottoms and one of Carlos’s sweatshirts which engulfs him. God, he looks so soft and beautiful, and Carlos can’t wait to hold him and run his fingers through that damp, rumpled hair.
Carlos moves to sit on the couch, expecting them to take their normal position with TK leaning back against his chest. But there’s one big problem. One big, scaley problem.
“Ready for the movie?” TK asks, stroking Lou II with one finger as he perches on TK’s shoulder.
Maybe TK will put him away now that they’re about to start the movie. He knows Lou II can get squirmy after being held for long enough. So, for now, Carlos sits down on the other side of the couch. “Yeah, go ahead.”
But of course, for some reason, Lou II seems content to chill on TK’s chest for the movie, adamant not to give Carlos any cuddle time with his husband. While TK watches the movie, transfixed, Carlos glares at Lou II, trying to will him back to his tank. Lou II snuggles closer into TK’s neck in response. TK giggles and pulls him closer.
That should be Carlos cuddling into TK and making him giggle. Instead, he’s sequestered on the edge of the sofa, grumpy and alone. But he would never tell TK to put Lou II back, not when Lou brings him such comfort and happiness. Still, Carlos can’t help but be somewhat bitter; he missed TK this week just as much as Lou did.
Carlos spends a good portion of the movie with his arms folded as he sends scathing looks toward Lou II. He tries to inch in closer a few times, but each time he brushes against TK, Lou wiggles like he’s ready to pounce on Carlos until he moves back again. That lizard is a bigger menace than his husband.
Apparently, TK is paying less attention to the movie than Carlos assumed, as TK suddenly pauses the movie and turns his head to look at Carlos.
“What’s going on?” TK asks.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Carlos plays dumb, folding his arms even tighter across his chest and willing himself not to glare down at Lou II.
“Come on, babe. You’ve hardly been watching the movie. You’re sitting over there all grumpy. It’s obvious you’re not enjoying this. If you wanted to do something else, you could’ve just said.”
TK doesn’t sound mad, per se, but underlying his tone is a hint of annoyance. He doesn’t want to admit the truth behind his stewing, but the last thing Carlos wants to do is upset TK. He takes a second and considers the situation with roles reversed. If TK was the one acting grumpy and uninterested in spending time together after a whole week of hardly seeing each other, Carlos would be bothered, too. All he wanted to do is have a nice night, but he let his spite overtake that.
“I’m sorry.” He moves close to TK again, freezing when Lou II moves. This time, though, he doesn’t move away. He puts a hand on TK’s blanketed thigh and lets his racing heart slow down. A few seconds later, Lou stops wriggling. Progress.
“Is everything okay?”
“It’s stupid,” Carlos mutters. Already, he feels his face heating up.
“It’s not stupid if it’s bothering you.”
TK is staring at him with a knitted brow. God, he’s worrying him for no reason, now. There’s no other way to explain this.
“I missed you this week. A lot. And I was hoping to spend some time together tonight. Just the two of us.”
TK tilts his head and licks his lips. “If you wanted to have sex again, all you had to do was ask.”
He cracks a smile. “No. Well, maybe later. I just…I wanted to be able to relax and hold you, but I can’t do either of those when Lou II is taking my spot!”
TK doesn’t say anything for a second. Carlos swallows. Then, slowly, a grin starts to spread across TK’s face.
“Are you jealous of Lou II?”
“No, TK, I’m not jealous of the lizard.”
TK laughs. “You’re so jealous, baby.”
Okay, this wasn’t worth it. He shouldn’t have said anything. He should’ve let it go. At least then, he wouldn’t be facing a much too amused TK.
“I told you it was stupid.”
Carlos expects at least some sort of response, but instead, TK gets up from the couch, clutching Lou against his shoulder. The blanket in his lap falls to the ground. Then, TK walks over to Lou’s home and slips him back inside, double-checking that the lid is secure.
He returns to the couch and wordlessly nudges Carlos, who immediately scootches over to allow TK to nestle into his side. TK leans his head against Carlos’s chest, right above his heart. Carlos wraps an arm around him, while TK captures his free hand, overlaying it with both of his own and playing with his fingers. Carlos spends a second taking in the moment, noticing the way TK slots so perfectly against him. TK’s soft hair tickles his neck as he breathes in the scent of TK’s coconut shampoo, and he can’t help but drop a kiss into it.
“I missed you, too,” TK says, neck craned up to look at him. “And, of course I missed cuddling together. You could have said something, you know.”
“I know. But Lou II also missed you, and I can tell how much you missed him back. I didn’t want to make you put him away. You looked so happy.”
“You’re so sweet. But I can spend more time with Lou II this weekend. Right now, I want to be in my husband’s arms.”
Carlos tightens his hold and kisses his head again.
“Although, you know, I think Lou II missed having his other daddy around, too.”
Yeah, that’s a thing now. Carlos has complained to TK before, but his annoyance amuses TK to the point that it only makes him say it more.
“Mmm, I’m not so sure about that.”
“You missed him too, admit it!”
Carlos rolls his eyes. “Come on, let’s finish the movie.”
As TK grabs the remote to start press play again, Carlos looks over at the tank where Lou II is lounging on his rock. He thinks of all those times seeing TK holding and feeding and playing with Lou II. Maybe Carlos didn’t miss Lou II directly. He certainly didn’t miss watching him crawl around the loft when TK insists on letting him roam (also, as much as TK pushes, there’s no way in hell he’s going to let Lou II become a permanently free-roaming lizard). But seeing the child-like joy that the lizard brings TK? Yeah, he missed that.
5
When TK brought up the idea of going to the park on their day off, Carlos was all for it. They’re in that small window of time where the temperatures in Austin are cool, at least in the mornings. All of the flowers are budding, and the spring breeze brings an air of freshness to the big city. Growing up on a ranch, Carlos got used to spending a majority of his time outdoors. He misses that, sometimes, living in an apartment in the city. It can be confining—claustrophobic, even. There’s just something about green grass under your feet and the sun peeking through the clouds that makes you feel human again.
Plus, the idea of spending the morning holding his husband’s hand and just being there in the moment together sounds perfect right about now. There are a million things to do in and around Austin, but sometimes, the best days are the simplest.
But there’s a catch—Lou II is coming with them.
Ever since TK got a harness and leash for Lou II, he’s been taking him everywhere. A while back, he took Lou to the pet shop, and according to TK, everyone was obsessed with him, wanting to take pictures like he was a celebrity. TK’s also been taking him on short walks around the neighborhood and one day, even to the fire station. Carlos has never seen Lou II on his leash outside of the apartment before, but he figured the day would come, eventually.
So that’s what brings them to now, with TK stepping out onto the grass, holding a squirming Lou II in his hand.
The worst part is that Lou II has grown on him, not that he’ll ever tell TK that. But how could Lou II not grow on him when his husband loves him so much? TK’s adoration for Lou II is infectious. A few times, Carlos has caught himself walking over to the tank and saying hi to the bearded dragon in TK’s absence. Even feeding him crickets has become part of the routine, although Carlos will never enjoy that part.
“Look how excited he is to spend time with his daddies!” TK coos.
“Or maybe he’s trying to run away again,” Carlos suggests.
Lou II is an escape artist, that’s for sure. He’s never gotten out of the harness, TK makes extra sure of that, but he somehow manages to wriggle out of his tank on occasion. He never strays too far, and TK somehow managed to train him to come to his name being called—about half of the time. Carlos nearly had a heart attack one night when Lou II somehow managed to climb onto their fucking bed, specifically right onto Carlos’s chest. Carlos couldn’t get back to sleep after that, and even then, he had nightmares about lizards for the next month. Because of that incident, Carlos made TK swear he’d leave Lou II’s tank out in the main room and keep the door to their bedroom closed.
“He knows that outside time is a privilege. He’d never take that for granted, would you, Lou?”
Lou II wiggles in response, then starts traipsing around the grass. He moves with a wonky little wobble that might be cute with any other animal but on a lizard, it’s creepy. Carlos can hear the echo of his clawed feet scrabbling against the floors of their home in his head.
They walk for a bit, letting Lou II lead them. They must be a sight to see, walking a bearded dragon through the park like it’s completely normal. Really, it must be saying something that this is one of the most normal things in their life.
Lou II can’t go far with his tiny legs and the Austin heat, but they let him wander for a bit before settling in a nice shady spot beneath the trees. TK ties the end of Lou II’s leash to their bag which they’ve stashed with snacks for themselves (not Lou, thankfully, as Carlos refused to have his food in the same bag as a bunch of bugs).
TK tips his head back, exposing the broad expanse of his pale neck. His eyes flutter shut, and he inhales deeply. His hand rests on his lap, curled around Carlos’s wrist. It’s during small moments like this that make Carlos the most emotional. Because Carlos gets to share a lifetime of moments with TK now, not just the big ones, even the moments that are seemingly inconsequential; moments like this where they’re just existing side-by-side with each other.
As if feeling his gaze, TK cracks open his eyes. “Whatcha thinking about?”
“You. Us. Our life together.”
TK runs his finger along Carlos’s ring, a habit he’s gotten into ever since their wedding. “Tell me more.”
“I’m thinking about how lucky I am to be here with my husband right now. How far I had to come to get here, how far we both had to come. But there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
“Me neither,” TK whispers, scooting over until he’s half-sitting in Carlos’s lap. His eyes sparkle as he places a hand against Carlos’s cheek. “You’re a sap.”
TK moves impossibly closer, his lips so close that Carlos can feel the heat of his breath. God, this man drives him crazy.
“Mmm, maybe,” Carlos hums, because that’s about all he can manage right now.
He leans in to bridge the gap between them, but right before his eyes close, he spots the bright flash of Lou II in the corner of his vision, very interested in a big beetle on a rock near him. Carlos may not know nearly as much as TK about bearded dragons, but he does know that with pets, it’s never good for them to eat random stuff outside.
He breaks out of the haze that had fallen over him and snatches Lou II up in one swift motion. He’s seen TK grab Lou a thousand times, but this is the first time Carlos has held him. Lou II squirms around in his hand, scales bumpy as they brush across his skin. He still doesn’t understand why TK would want to cuddle with him; he’s not a cuddly animal, that much is obvious without Carlos holding him. But holding Lou II isn’t the worst thing ever. He thought he’d be more freaked out about it, not that Carlos had a chance to think it over. He reacted quickly, like a parent pulling their child’s hand away from a hot stove.
Great, now he’s making parent-child comparisons between himself and Lou II. His ridiculous husband is rubbing off on him way too much.
He doesn’t hang onto Lou II for long, worried that if he keeps holding him, he will freak out, eventually. So he plops him down far away from the beetle, making sure the harness didn’t come loose before letting him go completely.
TK stares at him, mouth parted slightly. “What was that about?”
“He saw a beetle,” Carlos explains. “And he shouldn’t be eating random things outside. That bug could’ve had a parasite or something—“
TK fists his shirt and yanks him in for a kiss. His lips are red, moist, and sweet, like the strawberries he was just eating. TK suckles at his mouth, and Carlos’s fingers find purchase in their normal spot at the back of his neck.
Carlos pulls away slightly. “So, do bugs turn you on, or…?” Carlos teases against his mouth.
“Shut up.” TK pushes at his shoulder. Carlos laughs. “What turns me on is the way you’re watching out for Lou II.”
“I didn’t want him to get sick. Beetles like that can be poisonous to bearded dragons. The article I was reading had one that looked just like that on there.”
“Wait—you’ve been reading articles about him? And you picked him up and kept him safe.” TK gets that insufferable smirk on his face. He reaches forward and taps a finger against Carlos’s chest. “You looooove him, admit it! You’re such a protective daddy.”
Carlos rolls his eyes. “You’re such a pain in the ass.”
“Yet you married me anyway.”
TK has a goofy, love-struck look on his face, head tilted to the side slightly as he looks up at him. Carlos’s heart speeds up, and he squeezes TK’s knee.
“Yeah, I did. And it was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
+1
The loft is empty and silent.
It’s wrong, everything about this is wrong. Carlos should be cooking them dinner, and TK should be sneaking bites as he sits on top of the counter swinging his legs and chatting about his day. Then, they would lounge on the couch together, watching a movie of TK’s choosing because they try to take turns, and it’s his turn to pick.
Instead, TK is in the hospital fighting for his life again.
Leaving TK’s side was nearly impossible. After visiting hours ended, he planned on camping out overnight in the waiting room, but Owen intercepted him first.
“You’re exhausted, Carlos. Go home, try and get some rest,” Owen told him.
Carlos tried to argue. That’s his husband lying in that bed, so lifeless and pale. How could Carlos possibly leave him? But his father-in-law comes in with the cincher, “TK would want you to take care of yourself.”
He’s right. TK is selfless like that, always putting other people before himself, just like he put his patient before himself when he shielded them with his body. So, with a promise from Owen that he’d be there just in case something happened, Carlos finally gave in and came home for the night.
Carlos paces the room. He told Owen he’d try to sleep, but his mind and body are too restless to even sit down. It’s past midnight, but he needs to be doing something, anything, or else he’ll go mad. He tidies up the kitchen, scrubbing at the counters until his fingers are raw. He straightens all the pictures, folds and refolds the the throw blanket on the couch until it’s perfect. But it doesn’t matter in the end. Because the one thing he needs the most is also the one thing he can’t do anything about.
He chucks a pillow across the room. His eyes burn. Past his blurry vision, he sees a flash of orange. It’s Lou II, moving around in his tank.
Damn it. Carlos can’t believe he almost forgot about Lou II. He should’ve been fed hours ago. TK would have never forgotten. But TK isn’t here right now, only Carlos, and already he’s messing things up without TK there. Then again, everything is messed up without TK.
Carlos drags a chair across from the kitchen to the tank, not caring about the grating noise it makes sliding across the floors. He collapses into it, combing his hands through his hair with deep breaths. Lou II comes over to the edge of the glass, little head cocked, looking just as lost as Carlos feels.
“Sorry. I know I’m not TK, but he…he can’t…” Carlos swallows hard, clenching his fist. He scrubs his eyes. “Well, you’ll just have to put up with me for tonight.”
Lou II might not be able to understand exactly what’s going on, but Carlos can tell he notices the difference in the air at TK’s absence. TK always greets Lou II when he comes home, always reaches a hand into the tank to stroke his head. But the light and life and warmth TK brings into their home is missing, and Lou II seems equally as jarred by it as Carlos.
Lou II starts to move around his cage, akin to Carlos pacing around the loft. “You know something’s wrong, don’t you?”
He watches Lou II’s chittering movements for another minute before caving. He gets what Lou II is feeling, after all, and even if he is a poor substitute for TK, he hopes he’s better than nothing. He cracks open the lid enough to stick his hand in, hesitating at first. Eventually, he settles a finger on top of Lou II’s head, petting slowly over the rough bumps. “I’m worried, too.”
Carlos strokes him in repetitive motions, taking a second to breathe. It might not be the same as running a hand through the fluffy fur of a dog, but there’s something soothing about it. He must not be doing a terrible job, either, as Lou II stills and closes his eyes.
He’s never had any sort of bond with Lou II, not like TK does. But now TK is hurt, again, and as stupid as it may sound, Carlos is grateful that he’s not completely alone.
“He’s going to be home soon, safe and sound. Because he’s a fighter. He’ll fight to come back to us,” Carlos says, unwavering. He has to believe it, for his own sake.
...
A week later, bruised and battered but alive, TK comes home to his family.
Carlos hovers around him, wanting to help but not wanting to smother him. Although really, TK owes him a bit of smothering time after all of this.
He helps TK settle on the sofa, hands fluttering to adjust the pillows. TK tugs on his hand, pulling him down with him.
As always, TK knows what’s on his mind. “I’m okay, baby. It’s okay.”
It’s true. There are still bruises on his arms and stitches along his hairline, but he’s here, in one piece, and that’s all Carlos cares about.
“I know. But it’s my job to worry about my husband.”
TK smiles, a soft little smile. He brings their conjoined hands to his lips and kisses next to the ring on Carlos’s finger.
A rustling noise catches TK’s attention. It’s Lou II crawling, claws scraping at the glass.
“Lou!” TK beams. Nothing could’ve stopped TK from getting up and walking over to the tank. Carlos stands and hovers behind him, ready to catch him if he falls. TK is wobbly, but he makes it, leaning over and putting a finger against the glass over Lou II’s paw. “I missed you so much, buddy.”
Carlos stands and slides up behind him, arms wrapping gingerly around TK’s stomach, making sure to avoid his fractured ribs.
“Did you two survive without me?” TK asks.
“We made do. But he missed you.”
“Aw, I missed you, too, Lou.” He reaches into the tank to pick Lou II up. Lou is delighted, burrowing into TK’s neck as he giggles. Carlos smiles and scratches at Lou II’s head.
“What happened while I was gone?!” TK gasps, doing a double-take between him and Lou. “Did you two bond? And I missed it!”
“Trauma bonding, I suppose,” Carlos says wryly. “And I realized we have something in common.”
“What’s that?”
Carlos kisses his cheek. “We both love you and your big heart.”