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#reyes sister
garbinge · 1 year
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Break-In
Bishop Losa x OC Manny Reyes
Day 27 these April Prompts: “This used to belong to my mom”
Summary: After a break-in at her apartment, the middle Reyes calls her brothers just to be sent to voicemail, leaving her to rely on her least favorite Mayan, Bishop Losa. 
A/N: My girl Manny <3 This is the start of a larger story for my girl that will probably take place over the course of one shots that can be read individually but flow a lot better if read all together. You can read my other Manny fic for some background or just more Manny content <3 
Family Night
Word Count: 2.4k
Warnings: All my fics are 18+ regardless of content. Angst. Mentions of guns, violence, break ins. 
Mayans Taglist: @drabbles-mc​ @justreblogginfics​ @narcolini​ @danzer8705
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Manny sat completely still in the closet of her bedroom, her hand over her mouth to muffle any uncontrollable sounds of her breathing as a couple tears fell from her eyes. There was still shuffling and scuffling happening beyond the closet doors, each sound causing her to shake. Normally, Manny would have been quick to fight off intruders in her home. She wasn’t one to falter or scared of a fight, but things changed when she heard the gunshot. 
She wasn’t sure what they shot, who they shot. But it spooked her. Her phone was on her nightstand, just feet from her, almost taunting her. Since she couldn’t call for help, she sat hidden in the closet, waiting for the intruders to leave. 
It was silent for about 5 minutes but she let 5 more go by before emerging from the closet. She moved to grab the weapon from her drawer, realizing immediately she hadn’t grabbed the gun she had strictly for this reason. With one more deep breath, her shaking stopped, her crying stopped, and she was stealth, slow, and calculated in her moves as she cleared her apartment. 
After realizing she was alone, she rushed back into her room and grabbed her phone. First she called Angel, strictly because he was the first one in her phone, she hung up after the 4th ring, not letting the voicemail get a chance to speak. Her next dial was EZ, this time she let the rings bring her to the voicemail in hopes that he’d answer but there was no luck. She wasn’t going to leave a message, she wasn’t naive. She tried both of them one more time before giving up and moving onto someone else. Coco. 
“What’s up?” His voice was so relaxed it made Manny mad. 
“Are you with my brothers?” Manny’s voice was on edge. 
“Nah, they’re up north on a run.” Coco inhaled a cigarette as he spoke. 
“Fuck!” Manny yelled out. 
She couldn’t see him but Coco was pushing off the wall he was leaning on as the worry filled his body. 
“What the fuck is it?” He asked holding the phone tighter to his ear like that was going to get him answers sooner. 
“Some motherfuckers just broke into my apartment and trashed it,” she was looking around now, seeing that everything had been torn apart, her couch cushions were tossed on the other side of her room, drawers were open, it was a wreck. “I don’t know who but I heard a gunshot.” She immediately moved to the front window of her apartment and looked outside. Her mind was going back and forth, she was hoping there wasn’t any of her neighbors bleeding out but another part of her needed to know what the fuck they shot at. 
“Fuck! You good?” Coco asked as he tried to think through what to do. 
“I’m fine, I just– I don’t really keep company that would do this, you know? It’s gotta be a club hit. Or-or something Angel and EZ got into I don’t know.” Manny rambled. “Can you just– can you come here? Not really feelin’ like being alone.” 
“I’m over the border, Manny.” Coco said with sympathy behind his statement. “Let me call one of the guys that’s at the clubhouse.” 
Manny wasn’t in the space to argue or make calls so she just agreed. With her brothers not answering, she had to trust Coco and his decisions. 
____
There was a knock at the door, and Manny heard it creep open. With her gun loaded and next to her, she creeped up and pointed it at the person who entered. 
“They shot your door open.” Bishop said as he ran his hand threw his beard before turning towards Manny. He stepped back and put his hand up when he saw Manny was extending out a gun right at him. “It’s just me, Manny.” 
Those words didn’t really offer a lot of comfort to the girl. Bishop wasn’t exactly Manny’s favorite Mayan, let alone favorite person. Bishop and Manny had a very complicated history. Manny blamed a lot of the shit that went on with Angel and EZ on Bishop. Now, she wasn’t naive, she knew that Angel and EZ were in charge of their own decisions, but she also knew that as club president, they’d follow Bishop blindly into anything. And they did. Manny remembers when Angel joined the club, that was the start of Bishop and Manny’s tense relationship. Fighting in the front yard of the Reyes house when Bishop and a few other club members pulled up and pulled Angel away. She remembers when Bishop ordered EZ to go on a run and he ended up coming back with a gunshot wound. The names he called them, the way he acted around her, all extra salt to the wound. Every one of those instances and more were running through her brain mixed with the adrenaline from the break in, shooting Bishop seemed like a decent option. But Manny wasn’t psychotic. 
She lowered the gun, a little relieved to know that the victim of the gunshot was her front door and not one of her neighbors. 
“Coco called me. Filled me in.” Bishop's hands were still raised in innocence as he slowly walked towards the girl. 
“Yea? He tell you my brothers didn’t answer cause they’re out on a run.” Another reason added to why Manny very much didn’t like Bishop. 
There was more truth behind that, though. Manny’s last conversation with her brothers wasn’t exactly a pleasant one. But she wasn’t going to let Bishop know that if it meant she could blame him for something else. 
Bishop ignored the comment and Manny put the gun on the coffee table, probably one of the only pieces of furniture still upright in the apartment. 
“You clock anything? Tattoos? They say anything?” Bishop was trying to figure out who did this so he could figure out what the fuck he was going to do. 
“While I was hiding in my closet, scared for my life?” The sarcasm dripped off her voice. “No. Sorry.”
“Alright.” Bishop nodded and looked around trying to figure out what to do. 
“There were probably like 5 of them. They were calculated but they didn’t hit the bedroom, just here. With everything tossed around they were probably looking for something.” 
“You hidin’ anything?” Bishop asked and it caused a little more tension to grow between them. 
She was. Her brothers gave her something a week ago. It was a flashdrive. She didn’t ask what was on it and in hindsight she wished she did. But she also knew that whatever it was, the club wouldn’t have known about it especially if Bishop was asking this. Despite her being mad at her brothers, she wasn’t going to rat them out. 
“Yea, a million bucks under my mattress.” Her face turned in a smile that was fully mocking him now. 
“I’m here to help.” Bishop was now trying to work with the girl. 
“You’re doin’ an amazing job, prez.” Manny wasn’t letting down. 
Bishop stood there, if this was one of the guys they’d be put in their place way before this, but this was a line he hadn’t towed often, and tried to avoid in most cases. 
“I’m gonna take a shower, wash this fuckin’ disaster of a night off. If you leave, do some boyscout shit on the front door lock and send someone else to stand post please and thank you.” Manny didn’t want to deal with any of this, her anger over the whole situation, her brothers, and now Bishop being here put her over the edge. 
________
As Manny came out from the bedroom, her hair being dried by a towel in her hand, she didn’t expect to see her apartment pretty much put back together let alone Bishop horizontal on the couch playing with his pocket knife. Open and close as he stared at the ceiling. The sound of her footsteps alerting him to sit up. 
“I, uh, tried my best to clean up. I’m the only one still in Santo Padre, everyone else is either on the run up north or on the other side.” Bishop knew Manny was privy to certain things, whereabouts being one of them. “I’ll stay outside though, just was waiting to give you the heads up.” He stood up and was making his way to the door. 
“You didn’t fix the lock.” Manny said her eyes following him to the door. Bishop was about to explain how it was impossible to fix but that it didn’t matter because he’d stand watch and have one of the guys fix it tomorrow but Manny cut him off. “You can stay on the couch.” Bishop’s head turned up at that until she finished her sentence. “I’d rather them shoot you first to warn me.” 
He chuckled at that. “Fair enough. You think I could use your bathroom?” 
“Through the room on the right.” Manny said, pointing as she made her way to the kitchen. 
Looking at the couch, Manny realized she should get Bishop some blankets and a pillow. She might not have liked Bishop but she was grateful he was watching out for her tonight so she’d be a decent host at the minimum. She poured two glasses of water, placing one on the coffee table, next to the gun she had placed their originally, and then she took the second glass into her room to grab spare bedding. 
She was shocked to see Bishop staring at her stamp collection. She cleared her throat which made him place the stamp book back on her dresser before turning to face her. Manny’s hand was extended out handing him the glass of water. 
“Sorry, I–uh,” Bishop grabbed the glass of water and took a few steps away from the dresser. “I used to collect stamps with my kid. The album caught my eye.” 
“I wasn’t coming to spy on you. Was grabbing you a blanket.” Manny turned to her closet. 
Bishop stood awkwardly in the middle of Manny’s room, looking around at the pictures in the room, the things on her nightstand, the stuffed animals on the bed. 
“Used to belong to my mom.” Manny said as she turned around and handed Bishop the blanket. 
“Huh?” Bishop asked with a frown as he had the water in one hand and the folded blanket in the other. 
“This,” Manny moved over to her dresser and picked up the stamp album, “used to belong to my mom. We collected them when I was a kid. Before she died.” She placed it in a new spot on the dresser standing up so it was more on display now. 
Bishop nodded. “Me and my kid used to go to different flea markets, vintage stores, pawn shops, whatever the fuck, and pick them up. Before he died.” His last three words were spoken directly at her since they were repeating what she said. 
Manny’s head snapped to Bishop’s. “I–” She started to say that she didn’t know, like that would excuse all of her behavior to the man but she stopped and just offered condolences. “I’m sorry about your kid. That’s rough.” 
“So’s losing your mom, I know that was some gruesome shit, then with EZ going away,” Bishop tried to sympathize with her. 
“Yea. It’s been rough. Doesn’t seem to let up.” What would have normally come out as sarcasm came out in a soft voice. 
The two of them moved back into the living room, the front door was wide open, Bishop dropped the blanket and glass quickly and drew his gun, his other hand instinctively moving behind him to shove Manny behind him. Her hand reached forward, grabbing her gun from the coffee table and situated behind him, watching his six like she had learned how to do from her brothers. She still hated that her younger brother had taught her how to defend herself but in this moment she was grateful. 
“Stay here.” Bishop said as he cleared the apartment, Manny staying on alert at the front door as she closed it with the back of her foot. 
Bishop reappeared now, gun back in his waistband. 
“Must’ve been the breeze.” He pointed to the door before bending down and picking up the tossed blanket and glass and dropped them in a more proper place . “If you got some rope I’ll boy scout this shit closed.” A smile filled his face which caused Manny to push off the door and laugh. 
“Didn’t realize you were so funny, Obispo.” She used his full name, something she never did as she went into her junk drawer in the kitchen and pulled out some string and tossed it to him. 
She moved to the recliner she had bought strictly for her father for when he came to visit, bringing her legs up to her chest as she watched Bishop fidget with her door. After he tightened the last knot, his eye fell to a picture that was hanging on the wall. Manny clocked it immediately, she also saw how quick he was to look away. Like he had intruded on something personal. 
“Ellie. My ex.” 
“Oh, I didn’t realize you uh” Bishop shook his head, embarrassed to have overstepped. 
“Like girls?” Manny laughed as she saw Bishop squirm. “I’m shocked, the guys love to clown me on it. Especially Gilly.” She drank the rest of her water. “But, I don’t…you know…” Her head shook from side to side expecting Bishop to understand what she was insinuating and Bishop’s forehead wrinkled in a frown. 
“I don’t just like girls.” She said expecting Bishop to understand but his face was still twisted in confusion. “I’m bisexual, Bishop.” Manny said it as straightforward as she could. His face let the confusion fall but he stood there awkwardly. “Jesus Christ, it was easier coming out to Felipe.” Manny laughed. “Take a fuckin’ breath, prez. You don’t gotta say anything.” 
“No, sorry, just realized I don’t know much about you.” He sat down on the couch.
“I could say the same.” Manny looked directly into his eyes. 
“Guess we don’t know much about each other.” Bishop leaned back against the couch. 
“Guess we don’t.” Manny didn’t take her eyes off him. 
Bishop stared right back at her. “Maybe we should learn more.” 
“Yea, maybe we should.”
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randomperson3736 · 8 months
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She's not coming home
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Paring(s): TK Strand x sister! Reader, Carlos Reyes x best friend! Reader, Owen Strand x daughter! Reader, the 126 x reader
Genre: angst, sad
Warning(s): Blood, character death, crying, guns, getting shot
Word bank: Y/N- your name
Summary: You get seriously injured out on a call with Carlos and he's the one who has to tell TK and Owen that you didn't make it.
Notes: Hiii, just a heads up this is kinda rushed and bad and I have no idea why I wrote it but yea hope u enjoy anyway.
"T-this is office Reyes, my partners been shot and s-shes losing too much blood. I need a ambulance right now!"
The call was nothing but a noise complaint. It just some teenagers having a party and had their music up too loud. So, how did it get like this? The thought kept running through Carlos's head, as he desperately tried to stop the blood from gushing out of your chest.
Your uniform was now covered in deep, red blood. Your blood. You stared blankly at Carlos, as he kept trying to keep you awake, but you were slowly losing the battle. "C-carlos..." Your voice was so small and quite, Carlos just barley heard it.
"Shhh, save your energy. The ambulance should be here soon, ok? So, just keep your eyes open" Carlos's voice was breaking with each word. Saltly tears run down both his face and yours but everytime he tried to blink them away, more just kept coming.
"...Carlos... P-please tell TK and my d-dad that I love them..." You asked, practically begging him. "No, no, no... your gonna tell them yourself, ok? Don't say stuff like that, your gonna live, Y/N" Carlos's voice was stern but if looked into his eyes you could easily see the fear in them.
The ambulance siren could be heard in the distance. "You hear that? Their coming. Everything's going to be okay" Carlos whispered, but you couldn't even hear those few words. Everything was going black. Your battle would soon end.
~~~~~~~
Carlos stood in the waiting room of the hospital, frozen. He had blood all over him; on his face, on his clothes, everywhere from head to toe. He glanced down at his hands that's haven't stopped shaking since the incident. They were covered in blood. His best friends blood.
A older nurse, probably around 30-40 came up to him and asked if he was already since he had blood all over him. He just looked at her blankly before shaking his head no. She just gave him a small, sad smile before pointing towards the bathroom, so he could clean up.
Carlos stared at himself in the mirror, before slowly turning on the tap. His eyes welled up with tears again as the blood slowly come off his skin. He watched helplessly as the blood went down the sink, washing away into sewers.
Carlos's heart was ripping into a million pieces just as the thought of her blood washing away into nothing. It pained him. He took a couple deep breathes before leaving the bathroom, so he could make the call. The call no one ever wants to make.
He slowly pulled his phone from his pocket, and stared at TK's name. A million emotions filled his head as he brought his shaking finger to the call button. It rang a couple of times before TK's voice could be heard.
"Babe? Is everything okay?"
Carlos took one final deep breathe before he answered. He's voice breaking even more than before. "TK.... something happened... a-and I need you and Owen to come down to the h-hospital"
~~~~~~~
"CARLOS!"
The said man, looked up at the sound of his boyfriends voice calling his name. He stood up from his spot and wiping his hands slowly on his pants. TK pulled him into a hug before pulling away. "Are you okay? What happened? Is Y/N is okay?" TK asked, barley giving Carlos time to speak.
"I- I...." Carlos took a deep breath before continuing. "We were out on a noise complaint call about some teenagers throwing a party but w-when we got there, some drunk kid pulled a gun out and she... Y/N jumped in front of me a-and..."
"And what Carlos? What happened to my daughter?" Owen's voice cut through the silence, tears threatening to fall.
"I-I'm so, so sorry" The tears Carlos had been trying to hold back, finally fall, rolling down his skin. TK choked on a sob before falling to his knees, screaming and crying for his loss sister.
Carlos bent down to TK's level and pulled him into his arms, rocking him back and forth, trying to smooth his broken boyfriend. "I'm so sorry, I couldn't protect her"
Owen just stood still in the same spot, tears falling slowly down his cheeks. He didn't want to believe it. He couldn't. His little girl, his baby girl was gone. Owen could hear his sons broken crys but he was too forced on his fallen daughter.
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pazzesco · 5 months
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Las Mariposas [The Butterflies]: Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa Mirabal (L-R). They were three sisters who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, and were involved in clandestine activities against his regime. Despite the leader seizing their property and placing them behind bars, the sisters – Patria, María Argentina Minerva and Antonia María Teresa, remained resilient and continued their mission to restore democracy in their country, a battle that ultimately cost these brave, powerful and feminist women their lives. The three sisters were assassinated on the 25th of November 1960.
At their time of death, Patria was 36, Minerva was 34 and Maria Teresa was 24.
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Their deaths led to the establishment of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25th.
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The Book:
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leclercskiesahead · 4 months
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I don’t think we talk about this photo enough
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outcastpack · 6 months
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illyanarasputinfan · 11 months
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Marvel’s Midnight Suns - The Art of the Game (2023) Paul Davies
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azurecanary · 9 months
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Not Nerdist trying to convince me that Emilia Clarke's Super Skrull is the most powerful MCU character when Daisy Johnson, Robbie Reyes and Nico Minoru canonically exist in this universe.
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drempen · 1 year
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Besties 🖤
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watmalik · 1 year
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TK and Carlos' reactions on seeing young Carlos with Gabriel.
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chicgeekgirl89 · 4 months
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Summary: A nightmarish White Elephant gift haunts Carlos for the entire holiday season. Rating: M (no sex, but like...heavy on the implied) A/N: Is this a Christmas fic? Yes. Is it now January? Also yes. But Christmas is a feeling you can have anytime! Read on AO3
“Noooo!!!” 
There’s a collective shout of protest from the entire group as Mateo snatches a mug full of handmade chocolate from Paul and returns smugly to his seat on Owen’s sofa. “I got it for you boo,” he says, smiling up at Nancy with such a lovesick expression that it prompts another groan from everyone.
“Cap that’s not fair! People shouldn’t be allowed to steal gifts for other people!” Marjan protests. 
“You’re just mad because now Paul’s gonna steal your bath bombs!” Mateo tells her, not looking the least bit sorry.
“Yep,” Paul says, hopping up and plucking the bag of bath bombs from her lap.
“Cap!” Marjan protests again, trying to grab it back and failing.
“There is nothing in the rules that says you can’t steal a gift with the intention of giving it away once the game is complete,” Owen says calmly.
“Is there anything that says how unfair it is that the couples get to take home two gifts?” Marjan grumbles, crossing her arms and sinking back into her chair petulantly.
“Maybe you should bring a boyfriend next time then,” Mateo shoots back.
“Okay enough children,” Tommy says calmly from where she’s sitting next to Judd and Grace. “Marjan you get to either steal or pick a new gift.”
“Fine,” she huffs and rolls her eyes. “I will take a new gift.”
Owen’s annual White Elephant party has been in full swing for a couple hours. The food and drinks have been flowing all night and they are deep into their gift exchange. Tommy holds a gift certificate for a local movie theater, Carlos stole a set of ornaments from Nancy two rounds ago, Judd has managed to wrangle a set of freezable beer glasses back after three steals, and Grace has threatened bodily harm to anyone who tries to take the gift card for a pedicure that she unwrapped to start the game. 
It’s been a night full of laughter and holiday spirit, much needed after the last few months. T.K. is snuggled into Carlos’ side, his eyes full of light and happiness. The relief Carlos feels at seeing him enjoy this time with friends and family is palpable. 
“Fine,” Marjan says, putting on that air that says she’s “rising above” even though she’s likely still harboring bitterness inside. “I will choose a new gift.”
She opens a gift bag with snowflakes on it to reveal a “Grow Your Own Avocado Kit” that mollifies her. “Okay Tommy, you’re up,” T.K. says. “Are you stealing or opening?”
“I think I will open,” Tommy says, reaching for a flat-ish gift that’s wrapped in the standard Amazon gift wrap. “I like an element of surprise.”
She puts on a face of fake contemplation and shakes it lightly. “Hope it’s not breakable,” Judd teases. 
“Doesn’t sound like it,” she says, pulling the packaging off. 
She and Grace both realize what it is at the same time and their eyes go comically wide. “Oh…my,” Tommy says as Grace clears her throat and shifts a little, clear amusement on her face.
“What is it Tommy?” Nancy asks, craning her neck to try and see.
“It is um,” Tommy turns it around for everyone to see, “an adult advent calendar.”
For a long moment the only sound in the room is Michael Bublé crooning on about white Christmases and sleigh bells. And in that moment, Carlos should realize that he’s doomed. But he’s too relaxed and full of holiday cheer to realize his fate has been sealed. So instead he sits there in blissful ignorance and doesn’t realize that his fiancé, cuddled sweetly in beside him, is already plotting a course of action that is going to ruin his holiday season.
“Well,” Owen says finally, “that is…an interesting choice. Who um, who decided to bring that gift?”
“It was me!” Mateo says proudly. “My buddy got one last year and said it was awesome. He and his girlfriend really enjoyed doing the activities.”
Carlos winces. Poor Mateo. The kid really doesn’t get it sometimes. 
“Babe,” Nancy says patiently. “What do you think an adult advent calendar is for?”
“I don’t know,” Mateo says, obviously confused by everyone’s reactions. “Like drinking wine and stuff? Things for adults.”
“Mateo, can you really not think of another meaning for the word ‘adult’?” Judd asks.
He wrinkles his forehead in confusion and then it clears, his mouth forming an “o” shape. “Oooooh, adult like…ADULT.”
“There it is,” Paul says with a nod.
Marjan leans over Tommy’s shoulder. “Twenty-four naughty challenges for every fast day,” she reads aloud. “Every fast day? What the hell does that even mean?”
“I think it means this came from a country where English isn’t the primary language,” Grace says in amusement.
“Oh god, Tommy, I’m so sorry!” Mateo says, looking horrified.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Tommy says with a laugh. “I don’t think I’ll be getting much use out of this as a single person, but it’s the thought that counts, right?”
The group gets a good laugh at Mateo’s expense and the game moves on. Owen opens a gigantic Hershey bar and immediately goes on a rant about how sugar is a metabolism killer before trying to foist it off on Judd to give to Charlie, and then Marjan steals Grace’s gift card and all hell breaks loose for about ten minutes as vicious gameplay ensues. Carlos loses his ornaments and ends up with the Hershey bar, which, if nothing else, will make his nieces and nephews happy, so it’s not too big of a loss. 
When the dust settles everyone is left with a gift except for T.K. “What’s it going to be T.K.?” Judd asks. “Are you taking the last gift or choosing to restart the violence?”
T.K. looks up at Carlos, a wicked smile on his face and Carlos’ stomach lurches. “Please don’t,” he says.
“Don’t what babe?” T.K. asks innocently.
“You know what,” Carlos says, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck. 
Because somehow, in all the chaos, Tommy still has the sexy advent calendar. Apparently no one else is interested in “naughty challenges for every fast day.” But T.K. is always up for naughty challenges. And embarrassing the shit out of Carlos. 
“What are you two whispering about?” Nancy asks suspiciously. “Are you crafting some master plan for stealing these bath bombs? Because you can pry them from my cold dead hands.”
“Relax. I don’t want your bath bombs Nance,” T.K. says in that voice he uses when he’s about to ruin Carlos’ life. It’s the one that’s obnoxiously casual with hints of mischief and delight and it sends fear shooting through him like nothing else.
“Okay well we don’t got until New Year’s, pick a gift T.K.!” Judd says.
“If you insist.” T.K. stands and walks toward Paul only to do an abrupt about face and grab the advent calendar from Tommy instead. “I think we can probably find a way to have some fun with this at our place.”
Carlos dies. He literally dies. He can feel his face going fire engine red. He wishes he could sink into the couch and disappear. He knows T.K. is sex positive. He knows that that entire 126 is far more aware of the intimate details of their bedroom life than he would like. He knows. But rarely does he have to see it flaunted so blatantly in front of his face. In front of his soon to be father-in-law’s face. 
Right now Carlos is also sex positive in that he’s positive they’re never having sex again.
T.K. plops back down next to him and opens it up to a random page. “Ooh look at Day Eighteen babe!”
“I wanna see Day Eighteen!” Mateo comes running and leans over Carlos’ lap to take a look. 
“Don’t look at Day Eighteen, skip right to the end,” Nancy says, snatching it from T.K.’s hands and riffling through the pages. “Game in Santa? Is that like a threesome? Do you have to hire a Santa actor? That feels like something that should have been booked months in advance.”
“Santa actors are indeed very busy this time of year,” Owen says. “And I’d imagine a Santa willing to participate in a threesome is going to be much more expensive than your standard mall Santa.”
Carlos slumps lower in the couch and covers his face with his hands. This is a nightmare.
Carlos is on shift the next day when his phone buzzes with a text message. He and Lexi are on desk duty, working on end of year paperwork. Other people might be unhappy about it, but as much as Carlos enjoys the more active aspects of his job he also finds paperwork soothing. It’s like putting things to bed and tying it all up in a neat little bow. 
Lexi does not agree.
“Whyyyyyy are there so many forms?” she moans, dropping her head dramatically onto her desk, dangerously close to her coffee cup.
Carlos automatically reaches over and moves it to safety. “You’re going to have to do them all over again if you spill coffee on everything.”
“No I won’t. I’ll just send them in covered in coffee stains. That’s admin’s problem.”
“Your desire for perfection is admirable,” Carlos teases her, picking up his phone to find T.K. has sent a picture of their sock drawer. Everything is neatly aligned and perfectly in place, just the way he likes.
Thanks for doing the laundry babe, he texts back. 
Three little dots pop up immediately followed shortly by a second picture, this time of their spice cabinet. Carlos frowns in concentration and zooms in a little bit. “Did he refill all the spices?” he asks under his breath.
“What was that?” Lexi asks, clearly eager to be distracted from her work.
“T.K.’s home today and he’s sending me pictures of his chores,” Carlos says, showing it to her before typing back, Busy day huh? Thanks.
Their sergeant calls them in for an impromptu meeting after that and Carlos doesn’t get to look at his phone again until lunchtime. A third picture greets him, this time of their vacuum, lines apparent on the carpet where T.K. has done some vacuuming. Carlos chuckles to himself, amused by his boyfriend’s antics. Thank you? he responds. What’s with all the extra chores today?
He knows something’s up when T.K. begins responding immediately. Even through the phone he can sense T.K.’s eagerness and glee. Whatever’s going on, T.K. is very proud of himself and probably about to make Carlos just a little crazy.
It’s Day Seven.
Carlos stares at the text, his mind drawing a blank. Day seven of what? December? What does that mean?
He texts T.K. back asking as much and receives yet another picture in reply. Carlos has to bite back an incredulous laugh when he realizes it’s a page from that stupid advent calendar telling them to send suggestive texts to each other throughout the day.
This is your version of sexting? he types out, trying not to smile too obviously. The spice cabinet and the vacuum? Very hot.
The reply comes immediately. No, it’s your version of sexting. This is my version of sexting.
The dots disappear for just long enough that Carlos gets distracted by a couple forms that need his signature. When he absentmindedly checks his phone again a few minutes later his jaw drops.
T.K. has sent a selfie of himself in front of their bathroom mirror. His shirt is unbuttoned, chest fully exposed, his belt and the button on his pants undone so they’re slung low on his hips with the waistband of his boxers peeking out tantalizingly over the top. And his face, god his face. Most of the time T.K. looks like a giddy little boy. But with his head tipped back, eyes half closed, mouth slightly open, god, he looks like… 
Fuck.
“Carlos? You okay?” Lexi asks, bringing Carlos crashing back into the present and his current location.
He shifts a little and immediately turns his phone screen off. “Yeah, just um, just need a break I think.”
She nods. “See? Told you. All this paperwork is bad for you.”
“Yeah,” he says, clearing his throat, heat still pooling in his midsection. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Don’t rush. The paper’s not going anywhere,” she says.
He slips into the locker room, checking to make sure no one is around before locking himself in one of the bathroom stalls. He taps T.K.’s name and it takes only one ring before his boyfriend is picking up. “Hey baby.”
“Jesus Christ T.K.,” Carlos says. “I’m at work.”
“I’m aware.” T.K.’s voice is full of delight. 
“You’re going to kill me,” Carlos says, letting his head fall back against the cool metal of the stall wall.
“Mmm might you be a fan of the advent calendar after all?” 
Carlos huffs. “No. I have,” he checks his watch, “four more hours before I can get home to you. I very much do not like the advent calendar right now.”
“Four hours huh?” T.K. says. “I can send a lot of sexy text messages in four hours…”
“T.K. I swear to god, do not keep sending me stuff here. I’m going to turn my phone off.”
It buzzes as he speaks and he pulls it away from his ear to see yet another text message. “Just one to remember me by then,” T.K. says, his voice flirty. “I’ll see you when you get home.”
And then he’s gone, leaving Carlos alone and turned on as hell. He sucks in a breath and tries to give himself a stern talking to about professionalism and decency.
It barely works. 
He equal parts wants to worship T.K. and murder him.
He can’t help himself. He opens the last text. Couldn’t resist, it reads and then there’s a picture of T.K. in nothing but his boxers, lip caught between his teeth, his free hand so suggestively placed that Carlos considers faking sick and rushing home as fast as he can.
Instead he hardens his resolve. Two can play at this game. 
He flicks through the pictures on his phone, settling on a selfie he took a couple weeks ago. He’d really been feeling himself after a heavy lifting session and snapped it in the gym bathroom. His shirt is pulled up between his teeth, his curls messy and sweaty in a way he knows T.K. thinks is sexy as hell. You can just make out the faint outline of a bulge in his shorts. 
Carlos smirks as he sends it, then turns his phone off without waiting for a reply. He has to make it through the rest of the day and that’s not going to happen if T.K. keeps texting.
When his shift is over he stops at the grocery store to grab more cheese and a salad to go along with the pasta they’re having for dinner. He gets home a little after six, his mouth watering at the smells of tomato and garlic that are swirling from their loft out into the hallway. “Hi!” he calls as he steps inside and slips off his shoes.
“Hi.” T.K. steps out of the kitchen, an apron over his clothes and an amused smile on his face as he gives Carlos a welcome home kiss.
Carlos rolls his eyes. “Dinner smells good.”
“Should be ready in a few minutes.” T.K. watches as he sets down his work bag and starts looking through the mail that’s on their console table. “Have you checked your phone lately?”
“I turned it off,” Carlos tells him. “You were extremely distracting and I didn’t think I could make it through the rest of my shift if you kept texting.”
T.K. takes a step closer, false casualness coloring his voice. “You might want to take a look.”
Carlos sets the mail down. “If I look at more dirty pictures of you now we’ll never eat dinner. And I’m starving.”
“I think my dirty pictures are the least of your worries,” T.K. says, glee lighting up in his eyes. “Your picture on the other hand…”
Carlos smiles as he pulls his phone out and powers it back up. “Oh you liked that huh?”
“I definitely liked it. And so did everyone else.”
“Everyone else? What are you talking abo��“ Carlos’ eyes go wide as forty-six missed messages pop up onto his screen. The most recent one is from Judd, and when he opens the text thread he finds that—
“Yeah, you sent your revenge thirst trap to the 126 group chat babe,” T.K. tells him.
Horror fills Carlos from top to bottom as he scrolls through the messages.
“Whoa, what is this, Thirst Trap Thursday?”- Paul
“Dang, do you lift bro?”- Mateo
“Oh Carlos, sweetie, I think you sent this to the wrong person.” -Tommy
“Okay Officer Hottie!”- Nancy
They go on and on, everyone chiming in at one point or another, including Owen, who offers to hook Carlos up with his supplement regimen the next time they’re at the house and culminating in a text from Judd asking everyone to stop forking texting, his phone hasn’t stopped buzzing for an hour.
Carlos has never been more mortified in his entire life. “Oh my god,” he says.
“Deep breaths. You’re okay,” T.K. says, patting him gently on the back.
Carlos pulls back and glares at him. “This is your fault!”
“Pretty sure I didn’t send my sexy pics to the wrong group thread. How is it my fault?”
“You and that stupid advent calendar! This never would have happened if you’d just let Tommy keep it!”
“It’s one picture Carlos. Everyone will have forgotten about it by tomorrow.”
(No one forgets. They bring it up all the time. They blow it up to poster size and hang it in T.K.’s locker at work. They send a graffitied version of it to Carlos on his birthday. The following year’s white elephant exchange includes a copy in a garish frame.)
Carlos crosses his arms over his chest. “We’re getting rid of it.”
T.K. snorts. “No we’re not.”
“Yes we are!”
“It’s my gift! You can’t throw away a gift!”
Carlos clenches his jaw. “That thing is trouble T.K. I don’t want it around anymore.”
T.K. steps closer. “That’s funny. Because usually you like it when I get into trouble.”
“Do not start with that.”
“Come on baby,” T.K. says, his tone flirty and suggestive. “We were having a pretty good time with it before all this.” He runs a finger along the buttons on Carlos’ shirt. “I thought that picture was hot. And I like that everyone knows this beautiful body is all mine.”
God help him, something inside of him unspools when T.K. talks like this. “Your dad saw it. And Tommy,” he protests, the embarrassment lingering.
“Tommy sees bodies all the time at work,” T.K. says. “And my dad really doesn’t care. Honestly it’s kind of surprising he didn’t send a selfie back.” He looks up at Carlos through his lashes. “Let’s have dinner and then I’ll make you forget about anything except how hot we both are, okay?”
He must be the weakest man alive. “Okay,” he says. “But you have to promise me that that stupid calendar will stay between us from now on.”
“I promise,” T.K. says, patting his chest. “Only the two of us will know anything about it.”
“Good,” Carlos says in relief.
A couple weeks later Carlos comes home from Christmas shopping, struggling to find his keys as he exits the elevator with an armload of bags full of gifts for his family and T.K. He’s so focused on trying to extract his keys from his pocket without dropping anything that he doesn’t notice their front door is slightly ajar until he’s reaching toward the lock. 
He immediately goes on high alert. T.K. had texted he was on his way home five minutes ago. There’s no way he could have gotten here so fast. And even if he had, there’s no way he would have left the door ajar.
Carlos carefully sets down his bags and pulls out his phone as he eases the door open a little further, peering carefully inside. There’s music blasting and the smell of cookies in the air. Are they being robbed by the Keebler elves?
He ventures in a little further, body tense and ready for a fight, when out of nowhere there’s a blood curdling scream and he has to duck as a mixing bowl comes flying at his head. “Whoa!” he yells as it crashes to the floor behind him, splattering something all over their entryway.
“Carlos?! What the fuck?!”
He looks up to find his sister staring at him. “Cesca! Oh my god!”
“You scared the shit out of me!” she yells angrily.
“You scared the shit out of ME!” he yells back, rubbing his chest where his heart is still thundering away.
“Why is everyone yelling?" Adriana appears from the bedroom looking confused and mildly annoyed, giving him his second heart attack of the last three minutes. 
“Why are you both in my house?!” he asks incredulously. 
“We’re baking cookies,” Francesca says, as if this is totally normal and acceptable.
“Don’t you have an oven at your place?” Carlos asks.
“It’s broken,” Adriana tells him, as she walks around the couch and then spots the mess the mixing bowl left on the floor. “Cesca, what the fuck? We’re going to have to make the icing all over again.”
“He broke in and scared me! I had to defend myself!”
“I didn’t break in, this is my house!” Carlos says. “And you left the door open!”
“Sorry you have a weird ass bougie slidey door that’s difficult to close,” Cesca mumbles with a roll of her eyes as she returns to the kitchen.
His heart finally returning to normal, Carlos steps outside and retrieves his bags and then firmly closes and locks the door behind him. He’d prefer if his cousin and sister were on the other side, but getting rid of them is harder than getting rid of Christmas card glitter. He’s just going to have to accept their presence in his home until they get tired or bored and leave. 
“Why didn’t you just go to Mom and Dad’s?” Carlos steps around the sticky mess on the floor to deposit his purchases on the couch before going in search of a towel to clean it up.
“We did,” Adriana says. “Your mom kicked us out.”
Carlos picks up the mixing bowl and swipes a finger along the icing inside, popping it in his mouth as he heads toward the kitchen sink. “Why would she kick you out for baking cookies?”
His eyes land on the kitchen counter and he stops dead in his tracks. Every square inch is covered in gingerbread people, some of them already decorated, some of them still plain brown. But decorated or not, one thing is very, VERY clear. Every. single. one. is having sex.
“Tía Andrea claimed it was pornographic,” Adriana says, picking up a piping bag to add some details to a pair that are doing it doggy style. 
Carlos feels like he’s having an out of body experience. His sister and cousin have always pushed the envelope of decency a little bit, but this is another level entirely. And he’s completely trapped. If he expresses dismay they’ll call him a prude. If he says nothing, he risks this happening again. 
“We call it The Caramel Sutra,” Francesca tells him. “It’s for our Christmas party.”
“You and T.K. are invited, by the way,” Adriana says. “It’s on Friday.”
“I think we’re busy,” Carlos says, his voice strained. Does he yell? Does he run? Does he go in the bedroom and shut the door until they leave? 
“Oh my god, not you too,” Francesca says with a roll of her eyes. “That’s the same look Mom had on her face right before she started yelling at us to get our smutty cookies out of her kitchen.”
“I mean, they’re pretty…aggressive,” Carlos says.
“They’re just cookies,” Adriana says. “Don’t stand there and pretend like you’re some kind of prude. We know what you and T.K. get up to around here.”
She picks up something off the counter and waves it at him. Hot dread spikes through him as he recognizes the god damn Sexy Advent Calendar. “Where did you get that?” he asks.
“It was on your bed,” she says. 
Damn it T.K.
Despite his best efforts to get T.K. to forget about the calendar, he’s given in a few times and allowed his boyfriend to use it to spice things up. Most of the suggestions are ridiculous, but Carlos has to begrudgingly admit that a few have been kind of fun. Still, he hadn’t expected anyone else to see the stupid thing.
“Why were you in my bedroom?” he asks, trying to keep his voice even, still not rising to the bait they’re dangling in front of him. 
“I was using your bathroom,” she says. She flips a couple of pages. “Did you guys try Day Nine? Oooh Tía Maria is going to make you go to confession for that one.”
“What’s Day Nine?” Francesca asks, wiping her hands on a towel and leaning over to see. “Oh god. Wow. Do you have that hip flexibility?”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Carlos says, unable to stand it any longer. “Give it to me.”
He holds out a hand but Adriana pulls it back. “No. I’m getting ideas.” She pulls out her phone. “Hold still.”
“Now what are you doing?” he asks.
She lifts the calendar and snaps a photo of it with him in the background. “Perfect. I’m going to hold onto this in case I ever need it for blackmail.”
“Adriana, give me the calendar,” he demands in his best police officer voice.
It does not work. 
She flips another page. “Oooh lap dance on Day Twelve! Nice that T.K. got to revisit his stripper roots on that one.”
He lunges for her, his hand closing around air as she darts away from him into the living room. “Adriana I am not kidding!” he yells as he follows her.
She runs around the couch, facing him down on the other side as she flips another page. “Tell us Carlos, what is your ‘free naughty wish’?” 
“My current wish is that you leave here and never come back!” he says, feinting to the left and then dashing to the right to try and catch her.
She squeaks and evades him again by climbing up onto the couch cushions, holding the calendar high above her head. 
“Get down from there! No shoes on the furniture!” Carlos yells.
“Throw a pillow at him!” Francesca says from where she’s mixing new frosting and watching the entire situation unfold.
He turns around sharply and glares at her. “Shut up!”
“You shut up!”
He changes course and stalks toward her. “Oh hell no Carlitos,” she says, cutting through the dining room and holding the mixing bowl threateningly above the floor in front of Lou II’s aquarium. “I will drop this on your carpet and I will not feel bad about it.”
“Day four seems messy,” Adriana says.
“Stop reading it!” Carlos yells.
“Um, hi?” 
They all turn toward the once again open loft door to find T.K. standing there, his work bag in hand. 
“T.K.! You’re here!” Francesca says in delight.
Carlos uses the momentary distraction to vault the couch and snatch the calendar from a shocked Adriana. She lets out a squawk and topples into the cushions as he lands on the other side, triumphant. “Hey babe,” he says, slightly breathless. “Welcome home.”
“This looks fun,” T.K. says, that gleam in his eyes that says he’s going to be of absolutely no help to Carlos. 
Everyone dreams that their family will get along with their significant other. Sometimes Carlos dreams that T.K. would get along a little worse with his.
“T.K. I need to know, who was on top when you did Day Thirteen and do you have regrets?” Adriana asks.
“Our personal life is none of your business!” Carlos hisses at her.
“Then why did you leave your sex-vent calendar out in the open?”
And that is when Carlos loses it. He’s sixteen years old again, the two of them invading his privacy, and he reacts accordingly. “IT WASN’T IN THE OPEN IT WAS IN OUR BEDROOM AND YOU’RE NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE HERE AT ALL!”
There’s a brief moment of silence as they all process his outrage. And then, “T.K. want a cookie?” Francesca asks.
“I would love one,” T.K. says. “But I think your brother might combust if I don’t talk him down a little bit first.”
She shrugs. “They’re here when you’re ready.”
“I’m fine,” Carlos snaps when T.K. walks over to him.
“Mmmm okay,” T.K. says, amusement on his face. “Come on, come here for a minute.”
Carlos follows him into the bedroom and stands stiffly with his arms crossed as T.K. shuts the door, giving the illusion of privacy even though his sister and cousin can probably still hear every word. “This is why we should have gotten rid of this thing!” Carlos yell whispers at his boyfriend, shaking the calendar angrily. “You can’t leave it lying around! My family has no boundaries! They wander in and out at will! This is our private sex life and I don’t want them to be a part of it!”
“I know,” T.K. says calmly, prying it gently from his fingers. “I get it. I’ll make sure it gets put away where no one can find it.”
“Thank you,” Carlos says, releasing an angry breath. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for you to come home to this.”
“Carlos I am familiar with the ways of your sister and your cousin. It doesn’t surprise me anymore to come home and find them hanging around.”
“Does it surprise you that they broke into our home to bake pornographic cookies in our oven?” Carlos says bitterly.
T.K.’s eyebrows rise. “That…is a little surprising, yes.”
“Well that’s what’s happening. So, yeah.”
He sits down on the bed and tosses the calendar down beside him. T.K. steps forward until their knees bump together. “You know what might help?” he asks gently.
“What?” Carlos asks, still feeling moody and pissed off at his family.
T.K. rubs a hand up and down his arm, that gleam back in his eye. “If we try out Day Sixteen again.”
Carlos flashes him a sour look. “I hate you.”
“But you loved Day Sixteen,” T.K. says, pushing a hand into Carlos’ curls. 
That’s true. And T.K.’s sweet smile and bright eyes and the way his fingers feel in Carlos’ hair make his stomach do that stupid flippy thing that always happens when T.K. is around and he feels himself teenage angsting a little less. But then he glances down at the advent calendar beside him and remembers what a nightmare it’s been.
“I don’t think we should use it anymore,” Carlos says.
“Not even for Day Sixteen?” T.K. tries.
“We don’t need a calendar for Day Sixteen. We already know how to do it.”
T.K. sighs. “Fine. You win. I will get rid of the advent calendar.” 
“Really?”
“Yes. Really. It’s clearly bothering you, so I’ll make it disappear.”
A smidgen of guilt flitters through Carlos, but the relief at not having to worry about the unpleasant side effects the calendar seems to bring them overpowers it. “Can you get rid of my sister and cousin too?” He realizes he sounds whiny, but he’s too wound up to care.
“I will.” T.K. says. “But it might take a little while. You know how difficult it is to get them to leave.”
Carlos sighs. “I know.”
“And your mom would probably want us to invite them to stay for dinner.”
“Ugghhhh,” Carlos groans. “Fine.”
T.K. steps back and holds out a hand. “Now come on. I’m actually dying to see these cookies.”
Carlos lets T.K. pull him to his feet. “I knew you would be.”
Noche Buena has always been chaos at his parents’ house, and it’s only gotten crazier since his sisters started getting married and having kids. Their family seems to expand by at least ten people a year and everyone has an open invitation to show at up at any point throughout the night.
Carlos goes over early to help with tamale assembly. The house is already full of family even though it’s early yet. His sisters are all here with their husbands and kids, and a few cousins, tíos, and tías have shown up to help with food prep too. He smiles as he listens to his mom and Tía Maria argue over how much salt to use in the masa. They have the same argument every year and every year the tamales are exactly as good as the year before no matter how much or how little salt they put in. 
He’s stirring what equates to a vat of sauce when the doorbell rings. “I’ve got it Andrea, your hands are full,” Tía Lucy says as his mother searches in vain for a towel on which to wipe them.
She disappears from the kitchen and seconds later he hears her exclaim, “T.K.! Feliz Navidad, come in, come in!”
“T.K. is here?” The words are spoken nearly in chorus and the next thing Carlos knows he’s been left completely alone as every woman in the house flocks to the front door. When they return they have his boyfriend in tow. 
“Now you know that you are family in this house, no more ringing the doorbell mijo,” Carlos’ mom is chastising him as they walk in, the rest of the group murmuring their agreements and insistence that he simply walk in and out at will like everyone else as they return to their food prep duties.
“I’ll remember for next time,” T.K. promises, even though Carlos knows full well that he won’t. 
“T.K.! Come taste this!” Lucía, one of Carlos’ middle sisters, holds out a cookie toward him.
He takes it dutifully, his eyes finding Carlos’ and sparkling with joy. Sometimes Carlos feels like his family is some kind of zoo exhibit, wild and crazy and amusing to anyone on the outside. But T.K.’s brightness and exuberance have fit seamlessly into the mix. In fact sometimes Carlos thinks T.K. fits in better than he himself ever has. 
“Ay, let the man kiss his boyfriend. They haven’t seen each other in hours,” Teresa says over the chatter, her Mrs. Claus apron fluttering as she bends over to check on things in the oven.
They let him through the crowd and Carlos pauses his stirring to give T.K. a brief peck on the lips. “Welcome to the crazy,” he says with a smile.
“I love the crazy,” T.K. reminds him.
“I know,” Carlos says, warmth filling him from head to toe. “Don’t let them talk your ear off. Oh,” he lowers his voice, “and definitely do not answer if Tía Maria and Tía Dolores ask you whose pozole is better. It’s a trap.”
“Got it,” T.K. says, giving him a mock salute with his un-cookied hand.
“Carlos! The sauce will burn! Stir!” Tía Maria calls out sternly and Carlos quickly returns to his duties. 
T.K. is pulled away after that, plied with food and drinks and taken to the living room for conversation by most of the tías. “Mom, go with them,” Elena urges. “We’ll handle things in here.”
“There’s still so much to do,“ his mom protests.
“We’ve got it,” Lucía insists. “Go.”
She looks reluctant, but removes her apron. “Don’t let Adriana and Francesca touch the masa.”
“Hey!” they protest at the same time from where they’re seated on the counter’s barstools, both of them halfway through their second glasses of wine and doing absolutely nothing to help.
“You heard me,” she says, giving them all a warning look before disappearing out the door.
Carlos switches hands, his right arm aching from stirring. Teresa sidles up to him. “So,” she says. “How’s the advent calendar working out for you?”
Carlos whips around. “I’m going to murder you!” he says, holding the dripping spoon out like a weapon at his sister and cousin. He should have known they wouldn’t keep it to themselves. 
“No murder during the holidays,” Teresa tells him.
“What?” Francesca asks. “She asked how you guys were doing. What was I supposed to say?”
“Literally anything else,” Carlos tells her through gritted teeth.
“I think it’s fun,” Lucía says. “You’ve gotta keep things interesting somehow.”
“But not too interesting. That’s how you end up like this,” Elena says, rubbing a hand over her pregnant belly.
“Good thing Carlos and T.K. don’t have that problem,” Adriana says. “All fun and no consequences.”
“Tell us about Day Nine,” Lucía says, her eyes sparkling. “That sounded very fun.”
“Since when did we become a family that discusses our sex lives?” Carlos asks, feeling suddenly hot and short of breath.
“Oh we’ve always talked about it,” Elena tells him. “You’ve just never gotten to be part of it because you’ve never brought a boy home before.”
“Sh! Shut up!” Teresa hisses, all of them going quiet as Tía Maria reenters the kitchen. 
She looks at them suspiciously. “Your mother wants the green tablecloth with the poinsettias on it.”
“I’ll get it,” Francesca says, hopping off her bar stool and opening a drawer next to the pantry. “Here you go.” She’s doing this fake sweet innocent thing with her face that makes her look even more guilty.
“Gracias,” Tía Maria says, still eyeing them all as if she knows exactly what they were just talking about. “Carlos, you’re not stirring.”
“Sorry tía,” he says, quickly turning around and going back to work. 
She gives them all one more look and then leaves. Carlos puts his spoon down and turns on his sisters. “And that is just one reason why I don’t like talking about my sex life. Are you trying to get me lectured on Christmas Eve?”
“God don’t be such a prude,” Adriana says with a roll of her eyes, popping a chocolate into her mouth and talking around it. “You’re over here gatekeeping the good stuff from us.”
“I’m not gatekeeping anything,” Carlos says. “You could get that stupid calendar on Amazon if you really wanted it. And we didn’t even finish it anyway.”
“Uh oh. Trouble in paradise?” Elena asks.
“Did one of you get a sex injury?” Francesca wants to know.
“God I can’t remember the last time I had a sex injury,” Lucía says wistfully.
“No!” Carlos says. “I told him we had to stop because everyone kept asking us about it.”
There’s silence in the kitchen. “You quashed your boyfriend’s holiday sex fun?” Teresa asks. “Yikes Carlos. Not good.”
“What a Scrooge,” Adriana mutters.
And odd mix of guilt and embarrassment floods through him. “I—it was—“
“Someone literally handed you a book of Christmas sex ideas and you turned it down,” Francesca shakes her head. “I’m ashamed to call you family.”
“Rejecting your partner can be very damaging to the relationship,” Lucía says as if she’s reciting from a self-help book. “Especially at the holidays.”
“I really don’t need your advice thanks,” Carlos says, even as her words hit home. Has T.K. been feeling rejected? He hasn’t seemed off or upset but…sometimes T.K. is really good at hiding things from him.
“Just saying this is Texas. There are plenty of other Carlos Reyeses around if T.K. feels like you’re not respecting his interests,” Francesca tells him right before she drains her wine glass.
“Okay, we’ve made the poor boy suffer enough. Let’s leave it,” Teresa says, finally taking back the reins of peacemaking oldest sister. “But seriously Carlos,” she says, leaning closer so only he can hear, “you should live a little. Before you know it you’re old and married and have to schedule sex on Google calendar between karate classes and PTO meetings. Take advantage while you’re both still young and fun.”
Carlos feels stricken. He continues stirring automatically, but as soon as he can persuade Lucía to take over he goes to find T.K. 
His boyfriend is laughing at something Tía Lucy is saying and Carlos pauses for a moment to appreciate how natural T.K. looks sitting with the rest of the Reyes clan. If T.K. thinks organizing their sock drawer is the sexiest thing he could possibly do, he is deeply, deeply wrong. Seeing T.K. fit into their family like he’s always been there is a massive turn on.
But there are more important matters at hand so Carlos pulls himself back to the moment and interrupts. “Hey, sorry tía. T.K., can I talk to you for a second?”
“Ooh some Christmas secrets? Or are you two off to kiss under the mistletoe?” Tía Lucy asks, the sparkle in her eyes matching the one Lucía had earlier. “Wait! I have some in my pocket you can use.”
“That’s okay, we’re good,” Carlos says, waving her off as T.K. gets to his feet. “We’ll be right back.”
T.K. follows him up the stairs and down the hall to his childhood bedroom. “Everything okay babe?” he asks when the door is shut securely behind them, his brow furrowed in concern.
“Did I make you feel rejected?” Carlos asks. “When I said no more advent calendar?”
“Rejected? What are you talking about?” T.K. asks in confusion.
“I told you no more advent calendar. Did that make you upset?” 
“I mean…it was kind of a bummer,” T.K. admits. “I was having fun and I thought you were too when you weren’t sexting our friends or chasing your family around the loft.” He shrugs. “But it’s fine. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah,” T.K. says, patting his stomach reassuringly. “Come on. Tía Lucy was about to tell me about the time she went paragliding in Hawai’i.”
T.K. heads out the door and back to the party, leaving Carlos to relive the kitchen conversation on his own. All he can think about is scheduling sex on Google calendar. Which sounds exactly like something he would do. And he absolutely does not want that to be their future. 
Maybe his sisters are right. Maybe he is too much of a prude. 
Carlos looks around and spots his dad’s printer. Before he can second guess himself he grabs a piece of paper and goes to work. 
XXX
T.K. is woken by soft, but persistent kisses. He inhales deeply, eyes fluttering open, gritty with lack of sleep. “Hey,” he grinds out.
“Merry Christmas,” Carlos says softly, pressing another kiss to his lips, then sliding his body over until he’s draped across T.K.’s torso. He trails kisses across T.K.’s collar bone, around his pec, and then back up to his neck.
“Mmm, that’s nice,” T.K. says, shifting a little bit to get more comfortable.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” 
They’re crammed into the full size bed in Carlos’ childhood bedroom, but T.K. doesn’t mind a bit. It means they have to snuggle close, cuddling each other while they sleep.
Last night they’d donned matching pajamas and stayed up late playing games with Carlos’ sisters and brothers-in-law after the kids went to bed. T.K. had stuffed his face with tamales and buñuelos and laughed at the antics of the Reyes children. They’re a special kind of chaos and it’s very funny to see his calm, sweet boyfriend absolutely lose his shit over a board game. 
T.K. skates a hand across Carlos’ bicep and up the back of his neck, toying with the soft curls he finds there. “What time is it? Do we need to get up?”
Carlos shakes his head. “I don’t hear the kids yet.”
T.K. blinks a few times and squints so he can focus on the alarm clock next to the bed. “Carlos!” he squawks. “It’s five o’clock in the morning!”
“I know,” Carlos says, nuzzling into his neck.
“Baby.” It comes out on a long suffering groan. “We’ve only been asleep for like four hours.”
“We need to take care of the final day of the advent calendar before everyone wakes up,” Carlos tells him softly, his nose brushing against the shell of T.K.’s ear.
T.K. frowns and pulls back a bit, forcing Carlos to lift his head and look at him. “The advent calendar is done. The last day was yesterday.”
“Mmmm, are you sure about that?”
“Yes?” T.K. says in confusion. “It was Game in Santa. Which we couldn’t figure out.”
“You know I’ve always thought it was kind of lame that you don’t get anything from an advent calendar on the twenty-fifth,” Carlos says. “It seems like you should get an even bigger gift.”
“I think that’s the point. You get something every day and then all your Christmas gifts on the twenty-fifth,” T.K. tells him.
“I don’t like it,” Carlos tells him.
T.K. snorts. “I’ll be sure and submit your complaint to the advent calendar council.”
“Good,” Carlos says, nuzzling down into his chest again. “But for now, I think you should check the advent calendar and make sure we didn’t miss anything.”
“The advent calendar is at home.”
“Is it?”
“It should be since you made me swear on my life that I would hide it away from any prying eyes.”
Carlos rolls away from him and reaches over the side of the bed, dropping a piece of computer paper on his chest. “Carlos what on earth?” he asks with a laugh.
“Take a look,” Carlos says, a smirk on his face.
T.K. reaches over and turns on the bedside lamp and squints as he reads Carlos’ bold handwriting.
Day 25: Fulfill a Fantasy.
He looks up at Carlos, a questioning look at his face. “What does this mean?”
“What do you think it means?”
“I—-I have no idea. You’re going to have to spell it out babe.”
Carlos pushes up onto an elbow and uses his free hand to grip T.K.’s hip, stroking his thumb back and forth right along the waistband of his pajama pants. “You stole Adriana’s phone last night.”
“You saw that?”
“I did,” Carlos says. “You deleted the blackmail photo she took of me and the calendar, didn’t you?”
“Very good detective,” T.K. says with a chuckle.
“You took care of me,” Carlos says, his voice low. “I think you deserve something special for that.”
He pulls T.K. closer and kisses him, firm and insistent, his mouth warm and wet and it sends sparks flittering through T.K.’s core. He pulls back for a second. “Are we going to have sex in your childhood bedroom?”
“Mhm,” Carlos says, diving in for another kiss.
T.K. lets him go for a second and then pulls back again. “We’re not allowed to have sex in your childhood bedroom. You tell me all the time that we’re not allowed to have sex in here.”
“I know.” Another kiss.
“Then what—?” 
“Isn’t it one of your fantasies to have sex with me in here?”
“I mean yeah but—“
“Well,” Carlos says, trailing a finger down T.K.’s bare stomach so that his muscles jump and twitch under his touch. “Let’s consider this a one-time special Christmas gift. But you are going to have to be very, very quiet.”
“What if your sisters walk by?”
“The door is locked.”
“What if your mom walks by?”
“T.K. do you want to do this or not?”
God he’s so turned on right now. Carlos’ fingers dip beneath the line of his boxers and T.K. arches into his touch, letting out a moan that Carlos immediately swallows in another kiss. “Yes,” he says breathlessly when Carlos releases him from it. “God yes, yes, yes.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“This is going to get us both on the naughty list,” he says.
Carlos laughs. “I think I can deal with that for one year.”
Tagging some people who might be interested in reading: @lemonlyman-dotcom, @liminalmemories21, @carlos-in-glasses
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garbinge · 1 year
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Pottery
Angel Reyes & EZ Reyes & Sister OC Cynalena ‘Cyn’ Reyes
Day 15 from these April Prompts: “Pottery”
Summary: The youngest Reyes sibling deals with the death of her mother and the effect that has on each of the Reyes men. 
A/N: I apparently love to give funeral backstories to sibling OCs I have full multichap stories for. I have a whole nestor x cyn story that I’ve been working on and hope to post sometime soon, but in the meantime enjoy this little back story of her life with her brothers. 
Word Count: 2.3k
Warnings: All my fics are 18+ regardless of content. Mentions of death and blood. Angst, a whoooollleee lot of it. 
Mayans Taglist: @justreblogginfics @drabbles-mc @narcolini
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The house was empty. Not physically by any means. There was furniture throughout, pictures hung along walls, some older, some newer. There were even signs of life, keys hung on hooks that were conveniently placed near the front door, shoes tossed around underneath in an untidy pile, and finally a chair pulled out from under the table, like someone had just gotten up and was expected to be back. But unfortunately, no one was expected to be back in that seat. Which is why the house felt empty. 
Cyn stood at the front door taking in the emptiness, staring at the chair right hand to the head of the table, taking note of the plate full of crumbs and mug that had dried coffee stains in it by now. It had been 3 whole days since her mother had passed but each one felt like an eternity. 
The first day was when she found out, the numbness hadn’t hit anyone yet, the shock was still prominent. Each member of the Reyes family trying to wrap their heads around the news, except EZ, who was there. Who saw his mother laid out on the ground, the blood leaving her body. EZ had hit numbness the minute the paramedics pronounced her DOA. 
The second day was when everyone else was caught up to the middle Reyes sibling. That’s when the quiet overcame them, no one had much to say. The only chatter in the house was Cyn who ended up putting together her mother’s memorial services. It was very much a ‘if she didn't do it, it wouldn’t get done’ situation but she took the opportunity to really just dive into it, push the grief and mourning aside and just busy herself. 
The third day was the day before the services. There wasn’t anything left to do which is what left Cyn standing in the house she was currently growing up in, just barely 17. She stared at the dishware for a moment before making her way through the living room and into the kitchen. There was no sign of anyone being in the home, but she knew her father was probably laying in bed, it took him two days to even enter the bedroom, let alone sit in the bed he shared with his now late wife, but once he did there was no getting him out. 
Cyn looked around at the kitchen, her face filled with sadness but also a tad of disgust when her eyes roamed over the misplaced stack of dirty dishes and trash bin that was overflowing. After a quick deep breath, she decided to fill her mind with more busy work. Cleaning the dishes, taking out the trash, clearing the dining room table. Her last task was washing the blankets from the living room, figured she could at least swap out whatever her father was using in the bedroom with a clean blanket. As she was taking things out of the dryer she heard the front door close rather loudly followed by heavy footsteps. Angel. She knew each of her brother’s footsteps, she had come to learn through the years of them sneaking in and out of the house. Angel’s were heavy even when they wanted to be soft and secretive, while EZ’s were more calculated, like him. 
She peaked her head around as she folded the last blanket. Angel caught her movement and nodded his head toward her. 
“Sup.” 
“Hey, where’ve you been? Where’s EZ?”  Cyn picked up the blanket she was going to bring in for her father and folded it over her arms so it was cuddled in front of her.
“What is this, 20 questions?” The sound of the fridge opening echoed in the house as Angel opened it. 
“I just figured we could go over the schedule for tomorrow.” Cyn walked into the kitchen beside him.
“Schedule?” Angel frowned. “We get her ashes, we spread her ashes, and then we drink at some shitty restaurant afterwards with people we haven't seen in years telling us how sorry they are for our loss.” 
Cyn wasn’t going to argue with her eldest brother, she understood they were all hurting and Angel had a tendency of acting out even on a good day. 
“Pops hasn’t left the room, I’m not even sure if he’s eaten.” 
Angel popped open a beer, “He’s been drinking though, there’s only 6 beers left, I bought a 24 pack yesterday.”
“I had a couple,” EZ said as he entered the kitchen from the back door. “Needed to get out and get some air last night, took some with me.” 
“A couple? You took like half the fuckin’ case,” Angel snapped. 
“They’re in the family fridge, figured they were up for grabs.” EZ shrugged his older brother off. 
Cyn knew what was about to happen, she’d seen her brothers argue with each other time after time. 
“Family fridge? What the fuck is that?” Angel was shutting the fridge. 
“Do you want me to pay you back, Angel? Fifteen fuckin’ dollars for the case of stale ass miller lite?” 
Angel scoffed and ushered out the kitchen chair and sat down abruptly. “Man, shut the fuck up.” 
Cyn quickly brought herself into the conversation in hopes to de-escalate it. 
“I cleaned up, Pops–”
“You what?” EZ turned to her, his eyebrows frowning while his eyes were wide. His head snapped as he rapidly moved through the house leaving Angel and Cyn alone in the kitchen looking at each other in confusion. 
He stomped back into the kitchen, practically running to the microwave and looked at it displaying the time. 
“Why would you do that?” His voice was nervous, but scaringly loud. 
“What? Clean?” Cyn frowned, a little bit of attitude dripping off her voice. 
“The microwave had 3 seconds left on it, she always left it at that when she’d reheat her morning coffee,” EZ was moving just as quickly as he was talking. “You washed her blankets and cleaned up her mess, those were the last things we had of her.” 
EZ’s voice was starting to become more shaky as it raised at his little sister. Cyn stared at him, shaking herself because this was one of the handful of times her brother ever yelled at her. They were close, not just in age but also as siblings, Cyn even considered him a friend. They went to school together, they talked all the time, he knew the girl, and yet he stood there, during one of the most heartbreaking times of their lives, losing it on her. 
Angel spoke up. “You sound fuckin’ crazy bro.” 
“Me? I’m crazy? At least I’m acknowledging she’s gone, you’re in denial and Cyn’s trying to be her.” 
Angel saw Cyn’s face drop, the pain of EZ’s words slashing through her like a knife. 
“Yo. Watch it.”
Angel stood up, still towering over EZ in height. 
“Come at me all you want, but don’t come at our baby sister on some bullshit.” 
EZ got up in Angel’s face, not letting the height the eldest Reyes had on him sway his ego in the slightest. “I’m doin’ for this family, what it can’t do for itself.” 
“What the fuck does that even mean, bro?” Angel was frowning down at EZ. 
EZ didn’t answer, he just stood there for a couple seconds before he turned away and walked right back out the door he came through. 
Cyn felt her stomach fall into a pit, the tears were welling up in her eyes. She was staring empty out of the kitchen window, the words of her brother still sitting fresh inside her brain. All of them, not just the ones that were directed at her. It was the moment she fully realized she lost what she had with her brother. He was no longer her friend. The only thing connecting them now was blood and that even felt shaky. 
Angel’s hand on her shoulder caused her to jump and turn to him. “Don’t let his dumb ass get to you, he’s all fucked up from seeing it all go down.”
“Wouldn’t you be?” Cyn’s voice was pointed. Old habits die hard, she tended to always take EZ’s side growing up because he always had hers. She felt like she needed to defend him in this moment. 
Angel’s hand fell from her shoulder at her response and she immediately back tracked. “Fuck, Angel. I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “I’m fucked up too.” 
Angel nodded, his face solemn as he chugged the rest of his beer and placed it empty on the table. “I gotta head out, I’ll see you tonight or tomorrow morning or whenever, just text me the details for the service.” He was placing a quick kiss to her head and making his way out the same door the other Reyes brother had just left from. 
“Angel.” Cyn called out, taking one step forward but it was too late, he had already left. Her head fell in defeat and her eyes closed for a couple seconds before she processed everything. After a deep breath of accepting everything, she shook it off, grabbed the empty bottle, threw it in the recycling and walked over to her parents bedroom with the blanket still draped over her arm. 
She lightly knocked on the door, waiting for a response but opened it even without one. 
“Pop?” Cyn peeked her head in and saw him laying on his side in bed, the blankets were moving up and down from Felipe’s breathing, which gave Cyn a slight bit of relief. She moved into the bedroom swiftly, not wanting to disturb him much more than she already had. 
“I have a new blanket for you. Fresh from the dryer so it’s still warm.” Her voice raised in a hopeful tone, thinking maybe that fact would bring him some type of comfort. “I’ll leave it here at the corner of the bed.” She placed the blanket down gently and moved to grab the empty glasses and plates that were in the room to move them to the sink. As she reapproached the bedroom door, she turned and spoke up. “I’m going to be heading down to the crematorium, we’re picking out an urn for them to place Mom’s ashes in. I told Angel and EZ about it but I have a feeling they’re probably not gonna be able to make it, but I just wanted to let you know, in case, but no worries, i can handle it. I’ll pick up dinner on my way home, too.” She felt herself rambling, her father wasn’t much of a talker usually, but the silence felt worse these days. “Um, alright. I’m gonna head out.” She started to close the door but then opened it again. “Love you.” It was said at that same hopeful tone as earlier but this time she was closing the door before she could be let down by his lack of response. 
_____
She felt small staring up at the wall full of urns. She felt alone too. Her eyes were darting from one row to the next, taking in all the urns, some made out of ceramic, some handmade in Mexico, some porcelain, some marble, metal, and even glass. Scanning them all trying to pick one for her mother was seemingly difficult, her mind was scattered all over the place. 
“That one.” Her father’s voice startled her. Turning her head she saw him standing next to her, pointing to the handmade and hand painted urn on the second shelf. It was black and clay coloured with accents of blue, green, orange, and yellow as flowers and patterns along the body of the urn. It felt like Marisol. Cyn actually was wondering how she had completely missed it. 
Cyn nodded and got one of the operators of the crematorium to assist her in the purchase. Her father stood outside and waited for her to wrap up, it was probably his first time out in fresh air since the day everything happened. 
“You want to walk downtown and grab a bite?” Cyn asked as she approached her father. Her face wasn’t looking at him as she asked, she was too busy fidgeting with the receipt into her bag to notice he was in his own world. 
“You’re not replacing her, you know.” Felipe’s voice was raspy and low as he spoke. 
Her face snapped up to see him staring into the sky. 
“I heard what EZ said. You’re not replacing her.” This time Felipe’s voice was more stern. 
“Thanks.” She wasn’t quite sure what to say here. 
“You should leave.” Felipe looked over at her now. 
“Alright, I’ll bring food home for you.” Cyn didn’t take his words to heart. 
“No, Cynalena.” Her full name left his mouth. “Leave Santo Padre.” 
Those were probably the heaviest words she heard all day. She didn’t respond. Not just because she didn’t want, but because she had nothing to say. 
“The service is at 11AM tomorrow, I’ll let EZ and Angel know. The word has spread to the family, everyone who needs to know, knows. Love you, Pop.” She kissed the side of his head and made her way in the opposite direction, not taking a second to look back at him but just keep walking forward. 
Her footsteps stopped and she looked up to see a neon sign turn on. Dusk was approaching so the moment it turned on and illuminated onto her feet she was looking up at it. Her gaze turned to inside the tattoo shop in front of her and before realizing it, she was inside and on the chair getting something permanently on her skin to commemorate something she wanted to permanently forget. 
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The jumbled thoughts I had while watching Fast & Furious X, as someone who didn't watch any Fast and Furious movies before:
SPOILERS
- Car chase and machine guns within the 1st 10 minutes. Perfect. Exactly what I came here for.
(Did they film the initial rio scenes in portugal??? The extra's Brazilian accent was almost as weird as Joaquim de Almeida's lol)
-"The big strong man is having feelings" my friend when Vin diesel looked constipated while talking to Michelle Rodriguez
-If I didn't already know I was bisexual, Charlize Theron and Jason Mamoa's confrontation would make sure I became aware of it
-Jason momoa licked the knife and my friend and everyone else groaned. I proclaimed myself in love with him. I don't think I'm ever gonna live this down
-The truck flipped, and they willingly crashed into it. How are none of them dead?????
-I love Jason momoa's character. I really do.
-How tf is Vin diesel still alive???????
-How is anyone still alive!!!???
-I hope the cop dies (Aimes). Kill him brie
-Me watching Mia kick the asses of armed men "I love women"
-John Cena?!?! I literally yelled I'm the movie theater btw
-Shots 😂😂 I love Brie Larson
-What exactly is the plan brie?????
-Why is daniela melchior speaking with a Brazilian accent???? Why are Portuguese actors pretending to be Brazilian???
-Ludmila?!?!?!?
-Oh, Dante is crazy crazy. God, I love him
-Pete Davidson?!?!??!?!
-Really?? C'mon Michelle (Letty), priorities
-As a portuguese person, I'm very proud of the fact that the best moments of this movie take place in portugal.
-This is also the 1st time I've ever worried about the consequences of what happens to the country and the people that live there during an action movie.
They blew up the dam and now the entirety of Northern portugal is without power.......... fuck these guys.
-Aimes still working with Dante after 10 years and never trying to double cross him for more power (as is implied) sounds very gay to me and my friend. I ship it now. Love me some villainous gays!!
-My friend watching them leave the river: "good for them cause it's not everyone that leaves the Douro alive"
-Gal gadot?!? I read somewhere she dies In another movie. Does anyone die in this???
-The rock!!!!!!
-That's it?!?! Where's the rest of it???????
All in all:
Silliest thing I've ever seen in my life. I can see why people like it and will definitely be watching the next ones and binge watching the ones before!!
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atlasfoundation · 1 year
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Midnight Suns #4
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sanjuwrites · 9 months
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do anyone ever wonder where carlos’s sisters were when he came out, or when he married iris, or all these other things that happened as a domino effect to his coming out?
because i’m an older sister, and i feel like i would have stepped in at some point, helped eliminate all the miscommunication around carlos’s feelings. and carlos seems to love his sisters very much - from the brief glimpse we got of them lmao - but it seems odd that this didn't hinder their relationship at all. like i get that they were older and definitely weren't around as much, but i'm in uni and i certainly keep tabs on what's happening in my family, and i step in where i can.
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nctafraid · 6 months
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@writtenxbeginnings
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"Before you ask, I'm okay." Two words that were actually his most common lie. But TK had gone back to work, and Carlos still wasn't cleared by the department. Of course part of that was due to him going against procedure, and the other part was due to everything that had happened at the house. He hadn't really talked to the 126 about it, but he was sure they all knew the major details. And Grace was more involved in it than any of the rest of them. It didn't surprise him at all when she was the one who showed up at their door. After making way for her to come into the room, Carlos grabbed the toys that he and TK had bought for Charlie to play with and set them on the ground.
He was moving a little slower than normal, his body still forcing him to recover from the ribs that TK had broken while doing CPR. But he did make it back to the couch, smiling over as he looked at Grace. "Would you like any tea or coffee?"
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illyanarasputinfan · 1 year
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Jaki Martinez
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