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“I’m sorry, what are you making?”
“Knot cookies.”
“No I got that, I’m just confused as to what it actually is.”
TK pauses in the middle of sifting flower. “Knot...cookies.”
Carlos gives him a flat look before rolling his eyes. “Fine, don’t tell me.”
“Jesus Christ,” TK sighs. “I’m making- never mind, you’ll figure it out.”
Carlos grumbles something under his breathe but the looks gives TK is fond anyway. He knows Carlos is a little nervous. It’ll be the first time both their parents are under the same roof since...well since their roof burnt down.
Carlos is sitting at the breakfast bar. He crosses his arms together and hides his head in them.
“It’ll be fine,” TK says without looking up. He needs to stay focused on the number of cups he’s already sifted into the mixing bowl.
“I know,” Carlos groans, half whining. He lifts his head slightly to give TK some impressive puppy dog eyes. “Do you think your dad will bring Buttercup?”
He sifts the last of the cup of the flour and grabs his phone to make a note that it was his third. “Is that cop speak for ‘please text your dad to bring his dog?’”
“...maybe.”
TK laughs, flipping over to his messaging app and firing one off to his dad. “He says he will.”
He laughs again when Carlos visibly perks up. “That’s great! So if my dad and your dad get into another ‘fire department versus police department’ argument, we can talk Buttercup for a walk.”
“You’re gonna use the dog as a means to escape?”
Carlos blinks at him a few times. “Yes. TK it’s perfect!”
“Yeah, that way when he shits on the floor, it’ll be like christening the new place.”
“Exactly!” Carlos laughs, sliding off the stool and wandering around to the other side where TK is working. He kisses TK’s cheek. “See? You complete me.”
TK raises an eyebrow at him. “Babe, we share a brain cell, that is not the same thing.”
“Pretty sure it is,” Carlos jokes, sneaking a cracker off the serving tray. TK smacks him with a wooden spoon.
“Hey!”
“Stop eating the hors d’oeuvres! I spent like thirty minutes getting those to look the way they do.”
Carlos whines. “I’m hungry and you’ve left all this food out, what am I supposed to do?”
TK glances out the window as he gets another bag of flour. “You can help your parents up the steps.”
Carlos swears and dashes towards the door. TK smiles to himself as he sifts more flour. Carlos’ parents arrive with a special type of chaos. TK had told both sets of parents not to bring anything, so naturally Carlos’ mom arrives with three different dishes and two deserts. Then Carlos’ dad comes in with a box and Carlos has a box and apparently there’s three more in the truck.
All full of presents.
TK’s stands there gaping. “Those are presents!?”
Gabriel throws his hands up and says something in spanish. Carlos looks just as overwhelmed. “Apparently my mother thought we needed more housewarming gifts.”
“Um, okay, but we already had a housewarming…party…thing.” TK frowns, turning on the mixer from said party. He’s pretty sure Carlos’ mama was the one who got them that.
When they finally found a new place that they could actually afford and wasn’t a hour commute to both their jobs, the one twenty six and Carlos’ friends from the precinct surprised them both. They had a great little party. There were gifts that was more than enough to replace what they lost in the fire.
Except for Marlon Blendo. He is forever lost.
Still. The point stands. TK is pretty sure they have more stuff now, in their new place, than they ever did in their old one.
And their new place is bigger.
While Carlos and Gabriel carry in the other boxes, Mama Rayez bustles in with a couple of aluminum trays, nearly knocking her son over on the way to the over. TK already had the ovens prepped at the temp she requested, but he was never told what exactly she was making.
Apparently it’s still a surprise, because she bats at him when he tries to peak under the tinfoil. “No peeking! Where is your father, he is late!”
“You’re surprised?” TK smiles, giving her a hug. “Hi mama.”
“Hola carina,” She greets him warmly, smacking a kiss to his cheek. “I’m going to yell at him when he gets here, because we are late, so he is-“
“Very late, I’m very late, I’m sorry!” Owen arrives with a patter of paws, Buttercup barking excitedly.
TK rolls his eyes, smiling to himself. “Speak of the devil…”
“Owen Strand, you know it is bad form to be late, I cannot believe-“
“I forgot the dog! I had to turn around- hey stop hitting me! Gabriel help me out here!”
The house dissolves into chaos, the parents yelling at each other good naturedly. Carlos ducks out of the line of fire by pulling out all of the presents and starting to arrange them under the tree. One thing that TK has learned about Carlos, is that he’s very particular about his Christmas decorations.
TK tried to put the garland up on the banister going every three rungs, and Carlos came home and nearly had a conniption. It’s probably good that he’s got first crack at arranging the presents.
“Hey buddy,” TK stops the mixer and crouches down, careful to keep Buttercup from licking the flour off his apron. The dog immediately starts licking his face, clearly happy to be out from under peoples feet. “They’re crazy huh?”
“Heard that!” Owen yells. TK rolls his eyes and stands up, turning towards the sink to wash his hands. The cacophony of noise has died down slightly, and TK can see that Carlos is now arguing with his mom on which presents are supposed go where.
“Hi Dad,” TK says sarcastically.
Owen rounds the counter and gives him a tight hug. “Hey kiddo.”
TK gags dramatically, but narrows his eyes in suspicious. Owen lets him go and TK looks at him cautiously. “What’s with that.”
“With what?” His Dad’s tone is light.
And a little to casual.
TK gestures at him. “What’s with the sentimental tone?”
“What tone, I don’t have a tone.”
“You have a tone-”
“I think you’re projecting,” Owen says sadly, shaking his head, and patting TK on the cheek like he’s the one being weird. “And- oh are you making knot cookies?”
TK opens his mouth to reply, but before the words can make it out of his mouth Carlos is already yelling from the living room.
“Captain Strand not you too!”
…
From there its two hours of fun family chaos and food. At one point conversation dissolves into baby stories about TK and Carlos, which sets the both of them both laughing at each other and blushing with embarrassment.
TK does get to see some very cute baby pictures of Carlos though, so that’s a plus.
Naturally that’s when Carlos decides to waive the white flag and offers to take Buttercup for a walk. TK rolls his eyes at the poorly veiled attempt to escape the conversation but gets up from the table regardless. Carlos has migrated from the table to the kitchen to clean up the food a bit before they go. Hopefully the house will still be intact when they come back.
TK yells for Buttercup, who was probably asleep on the bed upstairs. Sure enough, there’s movement from upstairs, and then a different noise than what TK is used to.
“Okay who changed his collar!?” TK yells, digging around the bin he tossed in the closet when they moved in. It should have a leash in it.
“You know what his collar sounds like?” Owen calls back. TK rolls his eyes and emerges from the closet.
“Yes, I know what his collar sounds like, I took care of him for like a month and a half after I got shot, remember? And I also got him that one twenty six fire house tag, I know what it sounds like. Dad where’s the leash?”
Owen doesn’t look up from his phone where he’s showing Gabriel something. “Check my bag.”
TK roots around in the old decrepit thing that his dad calls a backpack but there’s no leash. “How do you bring the dog without a leash, Dad.”
“TK, I love you, but you’re lucky I remembered the dog.”
He lets out a frustrated noise. “Carlos, have you- oh hi.”
Carlos is not, in fact, in the kitchen like he thought, but instead right behind TK, catching him as he turns around. “Hi.”
“Have you seen that box- it had the extra shit in it from my Dad’s place, I think it had a leash in it.”
“Try upstairs in the closet of crap that we haven’t unpacked yet,” Carlos says. “But first…”
“What?”
Carlos glances up and TK follows his eyes to see the mistletoe he must’ve hung along with all the other christmas decorations. The mistletoe that they’re standing under.
TK looks back at his boyfriend, who gives him some pretty impressive puppy dog eyes. “Babe I love you, and that’s really cute, but I was joking about letting the dog shit in the house.”
He slips out of Carlos’ hands and pats him on the butt as he goes by. “Nice try though!”
Carlos groans, immediately complaining to both Dads while TK bounds up the stairs. Buttercup follows a few minutes later, sniffing around at the boxes TK’s dragged out of the walk in. They aren’t completely unpacked, and in case the parents wants a tour they decided to shove everything into one spot so it wouldn’t look as bad.
Also so they wouldn’t get scolded by Mama Rayez. But that’s besides the point.
“Stupid,” TK mutters. Buttercup flounces over, holding a chew toy in his mouth. “Hey where did you get that from? Which box what it?”
Buttercup blinks at him and squeaks the toy happily.
“Right,” TK sighs, looking at the different boxes. There’s only a couple that are open enough to be able to pull something out of, and sure enough the second one he looks in has a bunch of stuff for Buttercup.
“You know, you could’ve asked me to help you instead of snubbing me under the mistletoe.”
TK purses his lips to keep from smiling, glancing at Carlos who’s standing in the doorway. “I mean I could have, but that would have been a whole event, you’re mother would’ve gotten involved, and besides-”
“Babe.”
TK turns on one knee to grab at Buttercups collar, fishing around for the metal clip. “-I need to see if I can fix it or is the tag is gone-
“TK.”
“-because if it’s gone I have to figure out if I can even get a new tag-”
“Tyler Kennedy Strand, will you stop for a second?”
TK huffs. “You’re not even listening! Why should I- oh god.”
He was clipping the leash on automatically, fingers used to feeling out the metal clap of the collar through fur. He wasn’t paying attention to the fact that the whole collar was new.
The new collar has words on it.
‘Official Ring Bearer’
TK slides the collar so the metal part is facing him. There’s no new tags.
Just a ring.
TK is vaguely away that he made some high pitched squeak. But- holy shit. Holy shit.
“Oh my god,” TK breathes. Buttercup sits, chew toy still in his mouth. “Oh my god. Oh my god.”
There’s footsteps, and Carlos is crouching down in front of him, petting Buttercup. He’s smiling, hesitant.
That’s fair. TK feels like he might be about to puke, so he must look pretty green.
“So...I didn’t just get the parents together because of the holidays.”
“Clearly,” TK breathes, still staring at the ring. “So you’re- like- actually. Um, you’re actually. Doing...this.”
“Yes, TK, I am doing this. I am asking you to marry me.”
“Oh good,” TK nods. “Awesome. I think I might pass out.”
Carlos laughs. “Babe I haven’t even asked you yet.”
“Yeah but. But you’re gonna. You’re gonna- holy shit.”
He can’t feel his legs. If he has to stand up right now, he’s actually going to pass out.
Carlos reaches over to unclip Buttercups collar.
“Wait, but-” TK watches the ring disappear, then looks up at Carlos. “But aren’t you- you are gonna ask right?”
“Well, I was gonna give this whole speech,” Carlos says, reaching up and brushing his fingers over TK’s face. “But you’re crying, so I think that I can skip all that.”
TK blinks, realizing a little too late that there’s tears streaming down his face. He nods quickly. “Yes, can you skip the- just- let me see the- wait right you have to ask me.”
Carlos laughs again, dropping the collar on the floor. He must’ve taken the ring off it somehow. Both hands free he cups TK’s face and kisses him. TK melts into it, but he can’t get himself to stop crying.
“TK Strand,” Carlos whispers when he finally breaks the kiss, their foreheads still touching. “Would you do me the great honor of being my-”
“Yes.” TK interrupts, grinning like a mad man.
“...husband.” Carlos finishes, then kisses TK again. “And here I was getting nervous-”
“Can I see it again, oh my god,” TK interrupts again, grabbing Carlos’ hand from his face. “Carlos, Carlos, let me see it- oh my god.” He squeaks again as Carlos slips the engagement ring onto TK’s finger.
It’s...kind of perfect. It’s actually better than anything TK could have thought of, when he thought of ‘the perfect ring’, it’s like. The best thing that could’ve possibly been slipped on his finger and- he’s-
“Oh.” He whispers, staring at the thin black band, the stone set into it. It’s intricate and simple but it’s- it’s- “Carlos it’s perfect. It’s- you-”
“It’s part of two,” Carlos laughs, pecking him on the cheek and holding both of TK’s hands in his. “They go together, engagement ring and marriage. And I got one of those silicone groove ring thingies that I keep seeing on youtube that you can wear when you’re working. If you want.”
“I want,” TK says, stumbling a bit as Carlos urges him to his feet. “I so want. You’re amazing. This is amazing.”
Carlos laughs again, this little giggle thing, and TK makes some sort of noise in response. He loves Carlos laughs, he loves that he laughs often. He can’t believe this is happening. He can’t believe Carlos loves him so much that he would want to marry him holy shit.
“C’mon, babe,” Carlos pulls him from the bedroom and guides him down the stairs. TK can’t stop staring at the ring.
“How’d it go?” A familiar voice cuts through the white static of TK’s brain.
“I think I broke him?” Carlos’ reply to Owen finally gets TK to look away from the ring. “He’s not been that coherent.”
“He is right here.” TK says, the offended tone of voice betrayed by the fact that he’s still crying. “And he is very mad at you, Dad, what the hell!”
Owen presses a hand to his chest, foux surprise. “Me? Whatever did I do?”
“You knew!” TK can’t help it, he’s smiling as his dad comes from around the table to hug TK. “You knew.”
“Of course I knew,” His dad is smiling back at him, and TK is reminded of the last time he was about to get married. The difference in his dad’s reaction is night and day. “He asked me first, so I knew.”
“You made him ask?”
“No, he showed up with an expensive bottle of tequila and a really emotional speech that made me cry.” Owen replies, looking TK up and down. “And he apparently used it on you as well.”
“I am allowed to be emotional-”
“Is that my new son in law?!” Emma yells from the kitchen, and TK starts crying all over again when she bustles over to kiss his cheeks. “I’m so happy for you two, ah! I thought he’d never do it!”
“Mom,” Carlos groans behind them.
“Oh hush Carlitos, you took forever!” Emma grabs TK’s hand and pulls him into the kitchen. “He was talking about it every day, every time we’re on the phone together! I could barely get a word in edgewise!”
“Wait, how long has he been planning this?” TK wipes at his face with one hand, the other hand help by Emma as she tilts it back and forth in the light.
Emma flaps a hand around, still examining the ring. “Too long, I couldn’t even hear about his day without hearing about all the times he almost asked you.”
TK wipes his head around to stare at Carlos, eyes wide. “You’ve had- how long have you had the ring Carlos?!”
This time it’s Carlos’ turn to blush, sputtering while both dads turn to him. “I- does it matter?”
“It matters if we could’ve been engaged months ago-”
“If it makes you feel better TK,” Andrea pats his hand. “It took Gabriel over a year to propose to me after he got the ring.”
Gabriel gapes at his wife. “How did you know?”
“You hide it in your underwear drawer Gabriel! While we were living together!”
“That’s a perfectly reasonable place-”
“I do your laundry!”
“Okay, wait a second,” Owen interjects. “I kept my ring for Gwyn in the sock drawer-”
Carlos pulls him back out of the kitchen as the parents dissolve back into argument. “Hey.”
TK grins up at his- his fiance. “Hi.”
“So…” Carlos grimaces. “You kind of left me hanging before.”
“I left you- we had plenty of kisses! I kissed you lots!”
“But not under the mistletoe.”
“Oh- come here.” TK drags him over to the little sprig hanging from the ceiling. “I’m mad at you, you know. Used my own dog against me. Colluding with my dad.”
“Oh.” Carlos nods at him. “Well then, I guess I will have to deal with my fiance being annoyed at me on Christmas.”
TK plucks at the fabric on Carlos’ shirt, biting his lip to keep himself from crying again. “You think you can deal with it?”
Carlos pretends to think about it for a second, taking TK’s hand in his and running his finger tips over the ring. He leans in closer.“Yeah, babe, I think I can handle it.”
“Good,” TK whispers. “Because I love you Carlos Rayez.”
“I love you Tyler Kennedy,” Carlos whispers back, and finally, finally leans in to kiss him.
…
Happy holidays!