Chapter Text
Carlos's eyes trace up his fiancé's back. There he stands, hunged over Lou's Cage, his fingers tracing over the metal edges. His shoulders look tense, his teeth gnawing down on his lip in frustration.
He couldn't blame him. Right after the funeral he'd joined the rangers. Whatever little bit of time they could spend together, got taken in by the new job. And even worse... he'd cancelled the wedding. It takes him every little bit of strength left in his body, to get his voice to work.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"You talked to your dad?" Carlos never meant for it to sound so accusatory, but it did, just a little bit. As the words hit TK, he sees how he deflates, the hurt and the struggles of the day pushing him so far down he might fall over. "As in I ratted you out? Or I called my dad the moment you left the house..." he turns around slowly, his voice dying out as he locks their eyes.
"Are you... okay?" Carlos's voice breaks a little. Patiently he waits for an answer, he can see the internal struggle in TK's eyes.
"No Carlos!"
Neither of them had expected the sudden outburst, TK seems to be just as shocked at his own voice for a moment before following it up with a quiet "No."
It takes him exactly 2 strides to close the distance between them, tenderly he takes a firm grasp of his fiancé's face "You almost got someone killed, and what if something happened to you huh?" His breaths are ragged, they almost sound painfull.
Carlos can't bear to look at him, those green eyes seem to be able to penetrate every wall that he ever build. And without even locking them, Carlos can feel him chip away at the stones.
"I..."
"Promise me, you'll stop this obsessive behavior."
At that his head does shoot up "What?" He croaks, squirming out of the loving hold "You mean stop looking for the scumbag that killed my father?!".
TK doesn't back down, he inches closer again "No, but you have to stop obsessing about this, this is dangerous Carlos!" He pleads, hands already stretched out to him again. Carlos doesn't take the invite, he only moves back further "YOU of all people should understand!" He hollers swinging his arms around "YOU should understand what this feels like, you've felt it!!" The words came out like a stream, no end to them, and now he's getting dangerously close to hurting TK.
He can see it in the way the man's face retorts into a grimace, but there's no stopping his feelings from rolling off of his tongue.
"If you could find the one that killed your mother wouldn't you?!"
TK doesn't utter a word, he doesn't have to, his eyes say enough, "But I couldn't." His lip trembles softly, "And I have to live with that," TK moves closer one final time "You might never find your father's killer, and that's awfull, but you can't keep doing this, this is an addiction!!"
Carlos is seething, he can feel it in his veins "Don't." He barks back "You don't get to play that card, I'm not the addict here." Before he knew what he'd said, it was out. He'd said it. And never in his life has he seen TK so defeated.
"TK I—"
Immidiatly the blonde backs away, tears already burning in his eyes "Carlos listen carefully." He tries to keep his voice as steady as possible, even though it cracks and shakes and honestly sounds pathetic. The tears rolling down his cheeks also don't really help. He has to use everything in him to not scream, to not defend himself. A hiccup rips theough his chest, making Carlos's eyes snap up "I cannot lose another person to this kind of behavior, no..." he stops himself, the hurt in his eyes turning into determination "I will not!"
The silence that washes over the room almost dissolves them. It swallows them whole. TK is trembeling, Carlos can clearly see it, but the words run around in his mind.
Cannot lose another person? Who did he lose? Slowly his head start clearing up, the fog of exhaustion, hurt and anger dissolves. He's not mad at TK... he isn't. So why did he? "TK... I'm sorry I—"
"I don't care Carlos." He snaps back "But I am not willing to do this again, do you hear me?" There is that word, again. "Baby, again? I don't understand?" Now it's his turn to move closer, he trails his fingers up TK's elbow, drawing him closer.
"What do you mean, "again""
TK's own words seem to be repeating in his head over, and over again, it's as if he is trying to remember the exact words. His vision blurs even more as it comes rushing back, soft sobs rocking his body as he tries to explain himself.
"Hey, hey." Carlos whispers pulling him against his chest, he murmers soft things into his hair, now and then planting a kiss. "I'm sorry.." He hears TK whisper, "I just... for a moment I—"
He falls silent again, slowly sniffling against Carlos's shoulder.
"I'm sorry I scared you, and." Carlos' voice crackles softly before he is able to continue "I'm sorry, for what I said." He whispers rubbing soothing cirkles between his husband's shoulders, almost instantly the tension dissepears. Allowing Carlos to truely feel his husband's weight, the weight pushing against him, telling them that they're alive.
"Los, baby."
He hums at the familiar nickname, lifting his head so they can finally look at eachother. One look from TK's tired, loving eyes and Carlos breaks. He breaks like a dam, tears flow out in an instant. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to Tyler I— I'm sorry I—"
"Hey." In one soft, swift move, TK connects their foreheads, softly pushing back against Carlos's so he can feel the pressure. "You don't have to give up on the case, just... you have to stop with this obsessed behavior, or god knows what'll happen."
Slowly Carlos agrees "I promise..."
"Good." A big sigh of relief finally flows out of TK's lungs. He's been holding that for quite a while now, hours, maybe days.
As if made for eachother, they melt into a hug, something they haven't done in quite a while. It's warm, and safe and it makes Carlos smile in content "Baby..."
"Mhm?"
"I don't want to intrude." Carlos starts backing away a bit "but... you sound as if you've had this conversation before." It isn't an accusation, more a question, but TK doesn't react well to it. For a moment he dozes off, maybe looking for the right words "I've had it before." He finally decides to say.
"With who?"
Now it's TK's turn to put up his walls again, Carlos can almost feel them, but at the right moment he reaches out again, entangling their fingers "You don't have to talk about it amor."
And finally, that earns him a smile. TK's always been a fan of Carlos speaking Spanish, but the petnames, ohw, it makes him fall in love all over again.
With a beautiful smile pulling at his lips he shakes his head "Someone I cared a lot about." He admits, the sadness returning to his eyes.
"What happened?"
It takes TK a moment to find the words... he doesn't seem certain when he speaks them.
"He died."
He... Carlos's mind picks up on the word instantly. HE.
But pushing TK on this wasn't the right thing to do. Instead, he moves foreward again pullung his husband into his arms for another hug. "I'm sorry mi amor."
He can feel him smile "Everything is alright now." TK whispers into his neck "I've got you, and you are my whole world." Carlos can hear the hurt in the his voice as he says that, but he also knows that it's the truth, he can feel it. He can feel the love that TK has for him flow through his body. And one of these days, it might actually kill him.
Carlos wakes up to something warm pressed up against him. He doesn't have to open his eyes to realise who it is. He could recognise this person by touch alone.
He glances down at TK, who has comfortably nestled himself into his side, light snores filling the room. Though it's evident that he has cried even more, his red rimmed eyes are a clear sign of that...
With a deep, love filled sigh Carlos pulls him even closer, running his fingers through the messy blonde hair.
It takes TK 10 more minutes to wake up. And when he finally does as smile appears on his face, so bright that it light up the whole room.
Carefully Carlos leans in, ready for the first kiss of the day. Happily TK moves over melting into the touch. "You stayed." He whispers.
It hurts Carlos's heart to hear him say that. It only reminds him of the times he wasn't there, the times TK was probably worried out of his mind... because, he's been through this before...
Carlos's train of thoughts gets interrupted by a peck on his lips and then his almost husband ushering him out of bed, without letting go of him "We have work, move that pretty ass." He grins. "Mhm." Carlos hums back, a bit teasingly.
Though his husband is right, at this rate they're going to be late. With a final, deep kiss, they part ways, ready to start their day.
Very slowly Campbell leans back in his chair, glancing at Carlos as the younger man angrily types on his keyboard.
"Something up?" He pops the 'p' rolling himself closer to his, obviously distressed, partner.
"No just... I had a fight with TK the other night and... some things he said stuck with me." He admits too ashamed to look up.
"Did he say some hurtful Shit?" Campbell raises his eyebrow curiously "Fighting is normal for couples, I fight with my wife all the time." It was meant as a heartfelt joke, something to lighten Carlos's spirits, only it doesn't help, it was Carlos who'd been the jerk, not TK. "No, I said some things." His eyes wander off towards his phone, while everything had felt okay between them, TK had seemed a bit down lately.
"Did he forgive you?" Already not interested in it anymore, Campbell rolls back over to his desk, mindlessly typing in some numbers for a file. "Yes, ofcourse he has but... he seems off?"
At that Campbell glances over at him.
"Not angry or sad at me." Carlos tries to explain "But certainly about someone."
With a few soft, certain nods, Campbell lets him know he's following "Well.. you're a great detective, you'll figure it out."
"Ranger Reyes, Ranger Campbell, my office." A voice croaks through the bureau.
They both jump up, almost running to their boss's office. The old man's eyes burn into their skin, but he isn't alone in the office. Next to him stands a man, around maybe 33 years old. What he's wearing is certainly not appropriate for whatever situation they're in but their boss doesn't seem to mind.
"Reyes, Campbell, meet Alejandro, he's an illegal racer from, everywhere, to put it easy." The old man pushes himself up with a grunt "And he and his team are helping us to catch some car thieves, you two will be working with him."
Both rangers give a short nod, whilst studying the man even closer. He has pink scars that are quite obvious on his tanned skin, his dark eyes seem to smile at them. For some reason, Carlos feels at ease around him. It scares him.
"He will need extra drivers and a mechanic, you're free to use the undercover garage downtown, there will be a car waiting for you there."
That's all he says before waving them out, Alejandro close behind them.
"You made a deal with the rangers?" Campbell's voice is suddenly very deep, and clear, he's snapped into his Ranger persona with ease.
"I did." The criminal admits with a smile on his face. "You don't like people like me, I get it." And damn was he right. Carlos could almost feel the hatred bubble up at the nonchalant tone this prick is using.
"Shall we go to that garage of yours?" With a quick step he's already making his way out, with the rangers right behind him.