Chapter Text
“C’mon, babe,” TK said excitedly, dragging Carlos by the wrist. “This is the best ice cream in the entire world!”
“I’ll take your word for it, you usually know what you’re talking about.”
TK stopped for a millisecond to smile at his fiance. He loved Carlos and he was so excited to share this ice cream spot with him! He wanted Carlos to know more about his childhood, so while they were up here visiting Gwyn, Enzo, and his new baby brother, TK wanted to take Carlos to all of his favorite spots. “They have so many flavors, some you’ve never even heard of!”
“You’ll have to tell me what’s good. I’m sure you’ve tried them all.”
“Hmm, well you like more fruity things, so I think you’d really like the banana blackberry or raspberry sorbet. And yes, I have tried them all!”
Carlos smiled fondly at his fiance, raising their linked hands to press a kiss to the back of TK’s.
“Oh, they also have this avocado lemon-lime gelato. It’s pretty good, not my favorite, but you might like it.”
“Which one do you think I’ll like the best? I’ll try that one first. I’m sure we can make more than one visit whilst we’re here to visit your mom and brother.”
“Really? You’d like to come back?” TK knew it was something simple, but none of his past lovers ever made an effort to enjoy something he liked, so at times, being with Carlos surprised him. He really had the best fiance ever and he couldn’t wait to marry him!
“I’ll do anything that makes you happy.” Carlos smiled. He’d never been in love with anyone the way he was with TK. He would eternally thank the universe for bringing TK to him.
TK’s heart melted. “I love you,” he professed, leaning in for a kiss. When they broke apart, he said, “I think you’ll like the raspberry sorbet the best, love.”
“I love you, too. Both of you, that is.” Carlos replied, returning the kiss whilst placing a gentle hand on TK’s bump.
TK loved feeling the warmth of Carlos as the New York wind whipped past them. Much like his little brother, their little one came as a surprise as well, but he wouldn’t change a thing for the world. TK placed his hand over Carlos’, “we love you too, Papi!”
Carlos chuckled. “I’m not sure I want the baby calling me that.”
“They’ll call you whatever you want. C’mon let’s go,” TK said pulling Carlos along again.
They arrived at Poe’s Creamery and waited in line. It was small and quaint, but definitely homey and had a lot of business based on the line. “You sure you don’t want to sit down, Tiger?” When TK told Carlos about their daughter, he immediately went into protective mode, especially since TK had been held hostage only a few weeks prior. TK had been pregnant then and they didn’t know it. TK found out shortly after and when he told Carlos, he was elated of course, but he couldn’t help but feel anger for how he not almost lost the love of his life but his unborn child. TK and their daughter are the best gifts Carlos ever received.
“No, I’m ok,” TK smiled. Carlos just nodded and placed his hand on the small of TK’s back. He applied the slightest amount of pressure and he felt his fiance immediately melt into his touch. TK leaned against him, resting his head on Carlos’ shoulder. Carlos kissed his hair and rubbed soothing circles on his back. TK was in his seventh month - things were starting to get really uncomfortable. TK wasn’t necessarily a small man, but he did have a slim frame. Baby Girl Strand-Reyes was measuring big for her gestation, so TK was experiencing a lot of aches in his hips, pelvis, and back since he was carrying low. He felt TK breathy laugh and heard the fabric of his coat rub together; she was moving. Carlos reached his other hand over and lightly pressed against where his baby girl was pushing.
“Baby girl wants ice cream too! Is that her foot?”
“Her fist. She was doing turns all last night, so she’s in a different position now.”
“You ok?” Carlos asked worriedly. He was always going to worry when it came to TK - he was such a danger magnet after all.
“Yeah, sides are a little sore, but I feel great! I love feeling her move.”
“Me too, Tiger!”
“I’ll have a double scoop of peanut butter caramel brownie and he’ll have a strawberry milkshake with extra whip cream and no cherry.”
TK froze and then his breathing sped up. “Tyler? You ok,” Carlos asked, panicked. “Baby, what's wrong? What’s the matter?” Carlos couldn’t help but imagine the worst case scenario, but it was clear TK was terrified of something. Carlos knew the feeling well after everything that had happened in the last year.
“Alex.” TK breathed as Carlos rubbed his back, trying to get him to calm down, stress wasn’t good for the baby but it wasn’t exactly good for TK either.
“What did you say, baby?”
TK couldn’t speak; he tried to discreetly point at a couple standing not too far from where they were waiting. “Um, let’s go,” TK said, pulling Carlos’ arm again. “I’m really tired, and so is she,” he rambled. “I got some pain in my back too, think I need to lay down.” TK actually wasn’t feeling any physical pain, emotional pain and physical aches, yes, but no physical pain. He just wanted to get out of there asap, so he was willing to pull the “I’m tired and pregnant” card.
“TK? Is that really you?”
Really universe , TK thought, you couldn’t have let me get away. “Yeah, yeah it’s me. Hi, Alex,” he said quietly.
“Well, TK,” Alex started looking at his ex, “you look… well big,” he said moving his hands in circular motion to exaggerate TK’s round bump.
“Alex,” Mitchell chided, elbowing him in the ribs.
“What? He is!”
“Yeah, well growing a human being will do that to you,” TK tried to defend.
“My apologies for my boyfriend’s rudeness,” Mitchell said trying to sooth the moment.
“Well, it’s not as if we expected anything else.” Carlos all but snarled.
“I’m Mitchell,” the man said, trying to deescalate a bad situation. He stuck his hand out.
TK took pity on him because Mitchell wasn’t in the wrong. Mitchell had no clue who he was and Alex did have a tendency to lie, so there was no question in TK’s mind that Mitchell had thought Alex was single when they got together. “TK,” he said, shaking Mitchell’s hand.
“So, how do you know Alex?” Mitchell asked. Wrong question.
“Funny story-” Carlos began.
“Babe, I got this.” TK interrupted, placing a hand on his fiance’s chest. TK turned back to Mitchell, but Carlos wouldn’t be silenced.
“Your lovely boyfriend cheated on TK. With you. But I guess I should thank you, Alex, because now I get to be with TK and give him the love he deserves.”
Mitchell went wide eyed. “Oh my gosh, is it true?”
TK sighed. “Yeah, it’s true. He told me the night I proposed. He had been seeing you for months.”
“I-I,” Mitchell didn’t know what to say. He kept looking between the three men before him. “I swear I didn’t know! I would never! Oh, I’m gonna be sick.”
“I know, I could tell the moment I met you. You are not at fault here, you’re not the only one who believed his lies. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.” TK sighed.
“No, I should thank you. Clearly, you dodged a bullet.” Mitchell offered. “And now I can too.”
“He didn’t, actually.” Carlos laughed. TK couldn’t help but join in.
“Really?” TK laughed.
“I’m confused.”
“Carlos means a literal bullet.”
Mitchell freaked and grabbed the chair next to him. “Oh my, sit down, sit down,” he said gesturing to the chair. “Are you ok? Is the baby?”
TK chuckled and sat, knowing that it would make Carlos and Mitchell feel better and he also wanted to get off his feet. “No, I’m good, and so is she,” he said happily rubbing a hand over his bump. “I wasn’t shot while pregnant.”
“Well-” Carlos started.
“I wasn’t!”
“You were still on the end of receiving a bullet.”
“Not like I planned it!”
“I’m so glad you’re doing better and that your daughter is fine as well.”
“You always wanted kids. I’m just surprised you found someone who was willing to procreate with you,” Alex rudely commented.
“I’m just so glad you had nothing to do with it,” TK retorted.
“Me too! I’m the one who dodged a bullet. You look horrendous! I mean how can you even stand to look at him,” Alex asked looking at Carlos, “he’s so, so big!” Carlos clenched his fists and tried to resist the urge to punch the arrogant dick. It wouldn’t go over so well back home if he got arrested for assault. Or murder.
“I have no qualms about punching this dick,” Mitchell offered, taking notice of Carlos’ clenched fists.
“Maybe not when we’re at an ice cream shop. There are children here.” TK hissed. “And you’re a cop, babe.”
“I, for one, am not,” Mitchell said without missing a beat.
“You really gonna punch your boyfriend?”
“My ex-boyfriend you mean.”
“I’m sorry?” Alex checked.
“You heard me.” Mitchell thundered. His voice was so powerful that Baby Girl Strand-Reyes jumped. TK quickly soothed her. “I’m not going to stay with someone when I don’t know if they can be loyal to me. I deserve better. Also, I’m not interested in being with someone who's rude, especially to someone who’s creating life! I’m just glad that TK has found someone that knows how he deserves to be treated.”
TK smiled at being defended. “Whatever,” Alex quipped, “if creating life makes someone look like that, then I definitely don’t want that. Uh, wow, you really let yourself go, TK.”
“I bet you wouldn’t look half as good as TK if you were in his shoes.” Mitchell scoffed. Alex looked furious.
Carlos was really trying to keep his temper in check, but this pain of a person was testing his patience. Carlos also hated the pain he saw in TK’s eyes as he wrapped his arms around his bump, as if shielding their baby girl from this conversation. “You know, I’ve tried being polite, but you are pushing it.”
“Am I, cholo?”
“Yeah.” Carlos got in Alex’s face and TK stood up so quick he almost tipped himself over. Sometimes he forgot how much his balance had changed. Mitchell quickly put out his arms to steady him.
“Babe, babe, hey, hey, look at me,” TK said squeezing himself between the two men. He grabbed Carlos’ face and rubbed his thumbs along his jawline. “He’s not worth it. Let’s go back to my mom’s. I know I need to leave before I get in trouble at our next appointment for my blood pressure,” TK tried to joke. Carlos’ resolve slightly broke at the mention of TK’s blood pressure being too high.
“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to upset you. I can’t stand here and let him hurt you.”
“It’s not your fault. And for him to hurt me, I would have to care.”
“Is there a problem here?” The manager asked walking up.
“Yes, actually,” Mitchell chimed. “This man here,” he said pointing to Alex, “has been verbally assaulting this man,” he explained gesturing towards TK, “and he’s been saying homophobic and racial slurs to this kind man,” he said gesturing to Carlos.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” The manager frowned, signalling over his security who took Alex by the arm and dragged him from the shop.
“I’m so sorry about him.” Mitchell apologised.
“It’s not your fault, you don’t have to apologise for that awful imbecile. I am glad that I’ve had the chance to meet you though. Honestly, when I found out Alex was cheating on me, I hated you. I thought surely you must be in on it with him and that you were both laughing at how he’d strung me along for all those months but I apologize for judging you when I didn’t have all the facts.”
“I’d have done the same thing in your shoes.”
“Here, on the house,” the manager said, bringing Mitchell his milkshake. “You two as well, what do you want,” he asked TK and Carlos.
TK and Carlos grinned; they wouldn’t turn down free ice cream. “I’ll have a scoop of butterscotch with chocolate syrup in a waffle cone and he’ll have a scoop of raspberry sorbet in a cup,” TK ordered.
“Coming up,” the manager said.
TK and Carlos turned back to Mitchell. “Thank you for standing up for TK,” Carlos said, offering his hand.
“Of course,” Mitchell said, shaking his hand. “When are you due, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Not at all, in two months. I’m a bit into my seventh month.”
“Here you go,” the manager said, passing TK and Carlos their orders.
“Thanks,” TK replied.
“Thank you,” said Carlos.
“The baby’s measuring a bit big which is why I look more pregnant than I am, but the doctor says she’s perfectly healthy,” TK continued.
“And what about you? How are you?” Mitchell asked.
“How am I?” TK felt confused.
“Well, I’m sure everyone always asks about your baby girl, and forgets to ask about you, so how are you?” Mitchell explained.
TK was surprised; only Carlos ever asked him how he was doing. He smiled, “achey, tired, stretched to my limits, getting to the point where I’m ready for her to get out of me, and so extremely happy that I could burst!”
Carlos smiled at his fiance. “Sorry, Tiger, she’s still got two months of cooking to do,” he said affectionately, taking his thumb and getting a drop of ice cream off the corner of TK’s mouth.
“I know,” TK laughed rubbing his bump, “but she’s getting crammed in there. Pretty soon, she’s not gonna have any room left to move.”
“We take it one day at a time, remember?” Carlos did his best to understand the changes TK was going through, but ultimately he knew he couldn’t. He would try to say the right thing, but sometimes he missed.
“Easy for you to say, you don’t have baby girl using your organs as a punching bag.”
Carlos bent down to be eye level with TK’s bump. He handed TK his cup of sorbet to hold and tenderly pushed TK’s coat out the way to put his hands on his daughter’s home. “Alright, baby girl, daddy’s got the ice cream you wanted. How about we calm down now?” He got a light kick to his left hand and then she stopped squirming. Carlos smiled, happy that he was able to communicate to his unborn child and do something to help out his fiance. He gave her a little pat, then stood up and took his sorbet.
“I swear you’re the baby whisperer,” TK said leaning against Carlos, feeling some relief for the first time since last night. “You’re totally handling the night shift once she’s born.”
“Whatever you want, Tiger, I will gladly do it! Besides, you’ll need your rest then too!”
TK jokingly glared, “you just want her all to yourself.”
“What? Sue me, you got nine months of quality time, as soon as she comes out, she’s all mine.”
“Whatever you say, baby,” TK said with an eye roll.
“You guys are really cute. I’m glad you found one another,” Mitchell spoke up. They had kind of forgotten he was there, oops.
“You’ll find yours too, and probably soon. I never thought less than a month after Alex and I ended that I would meet my fiance, and in a bit under a year, we would be expecting our first child, but this is the happiest I have ever been. Sometimes it takes having the worst to know what you truly deserve.”
Mitchell just nodded, speechless. “You two have a wonderful rest of your day. I’m glad our paths crossed despite all that happened.”
“Us too,” Carlos chimed. “Here,” he said offering Mitchell a napkin with their numbers on it, “if you ever find yourself in Austin-”
“I’ll be sure to contact you two,” Mitchell finished. With that, he waved and left the ice cream shop.
TK turned to Carlos and smiled at him. “What?”
“Nothing,” TK cooed, “I just love you.”
“I love you both too.”
“Best protector in the world,” TK said, leaning his head against Carlos’. He loved this moment he was living in with his love, and soon, their daughter would join them.
TK was exhausted by the time they made it back to his mom’s and immediately lay down on the couch, putting his hand over his eyes. “Is everything okay?” Gwyn asked, feeling confused.
“Don’t ask-” Carlos started when TK sat up again and looked at his mom.
“We ran into Alex. Of all the people we could possibly have run into it had to be Alex, didn’t it?” He asked, rhetorically.
“Oh.” Gwyn breathed. “You did know there was always a chance you might run into someone you knew being back here in New York, you did live here for the first 25 years of your life.”
“I know I did! But why has the universe got it out for me?” TK whined. Carlos moved from the door to sit down beside his fiance and rubbed soothing circles into the back of his hand.
“It could have been worse.” Carlos assured.
“True. I could’ve gone into labor from the sudden shock of seeing him,” TK joked, his bump jolting as he laughed.
“Don’t give her any ideas,” Carlos replied back, covering TK’s bump like he was covering his daughter’s ears. It was too early for her to come, and he didn’t want to speak that into the universe, his daughter being a danger magnet like his fiance.
“Relax,” TK assured, “we’re fine.” Just then, TK’s little brother let out a cry. Gwyn sighed a bit, having just gotten him down not even an hour ago. She moved to get up, but TK stopped her. “I got ‘em.” He struggled to get up, but Carlos knew to not help him unless he asked. The younger man grunted, jamming one hand into his lower back to massage away the aches and the other hand to hold the base of his bump to take some of the pressure off his pelvic bone.
Carlos smiled fondly as he saw TK waddle up the stairs. “He’s gonna be the best daddy!”
“He is,” Gwyn agreed. “I’m not sure what I’m gonna do when you guys go back on Sunday. Little man’s been spoiled since you guys have gotten here.”
“Yeah, he has,” Carlos chuckled. TK’s little brother liked sleeping on his older brother’s bump, probably makes him feel like he’s back in the womb. Whenever he’s eating, he likes to be in Carlos’ arms which reassures the Latino of his worries about having children of his own. He’s always wanted his own family, but like any parent, he’s worried if he would be good enough for them.
“Alright, there you go, bubba,” TK said in a loving whisper and he gently bounced his little brother up and down. “TK’s got ya, TK’s got ya.” TK looked into the big brown eyes of this little human he had grown to love dearly. His heart exploded when he first held his little brother, he couldn’t imagine how he would feel once he got to hold his own daughter. “You know,” he began, “your niece is gonna be here in a couple of months. Then there won’t be any bump for you to lay on, and my hands will be a little preoccupied with her,” TK chuckled. He found it a bit weird that his daughter would just be two months younger than his brother, but TK’s life has never been normal, so it fits the flow of the Strand lifestyle. “Your soon to be brother-in-law and I are trying to figure out her name. Any suggestions, little brother?” The baby just grunted. “Hmm, alright, I’ll be sure to put that down on the list.”
“He out yet?” Carlos leaned against the door frame drinking in the sight of his fiance with his gravid baby bump and cheeks that had gained just the slightest amount of weight during the pregnancy as TK rocked his little brother to sleep. Carlos imagined how this sight would look years down the line when it was their little girl in TK’s arms and baby number two on the way. Both Carlos and TK had talked about having kids, saying they wanted two or three, so they knew baby girl wouldn’t be the last for them.
“Almost, his lids are becoming heavy. How long you been standing there?”
“Long enough,” Carlos said, pushing himself off the door frame, taking his hands out of his pockets, and wrapping his arms around TK’s wider waist. He slowly lifted TK’s bump and held the weight of his child - it’s the least he could do since TK was always carrying the load. TK leaned into Carlos’ broad chest and just like that, his little brother was out. “Not even fifteen minutes,” Carlos commented on how long it took TK to get his brother asleep. “Your mom is gonna be pissed.”
TK chuckled, “yeah she is.” The couple just stood in their moment, loving the trance. “You know,” TK said after a while, breaking the silence, “this is gonna be us soon.”
“In about 10 weeks.”
“Yeah! You’ve been counting down too?”
“Course, I’m counting down the minutes until I meet mi princesa.”
“I love when you call her that,” TK said, turning to kiss Carlos’ cheek. Carlos could see that TK’s arms were becoming tired and raised his hands from TK’s waist to help him hold his arms up as TK moved his baby brother from his arms to his bassinet. When the couple had ensured he was still asleep, TK couldn’t help but stand there and watch him sleep. Carlos moved around to the other side of the bassinet. He fixed the blanket to provide some more warmth to the newborn.
“Do you think I’ll be a good dad?” Carlos didn’t have the courage to ask and look into TK’s eyes.
TK’s head immediately snapped up; he probably had whiplash. “No doubt in my mind, love,” he assured firmly.
“Really?”
TK smiled and waddled the few steps over to Carlos and took his hands. “When I first told you I was pregnant, you got down on your knees and showered my stomach in kisses. You would run to the bathroom with me in odd hours of the night so I wouldn’t be alone while I was nauseous. You held my hand and dried all of my tears when I started having sciatica. You also give the best massages to help me with every ache. You cried so hard when you found out she was a girl and stopped everyone on the street to show them a sonogram of your daughter. You’ve single handedly put together your daughter’s nursery. You sing or read to her every night. You talk to her in the mornings. You calm her down. The first and last words she always hears from you are ‘I love you.’ You tell her how beautiful and kind and intelligent and loving she’ll be. You squealed like a kid in the candy shop when you first felt her kick. And you protect her from everything! Me from everything! So yes, Carlos Reyes, there is no doubt in my mind that you won’t be the best dad in the world to our little girl, and the best husband, may I add.”
Carlos had tears streaming down his face. “I’ll be the best papa in the world. I want our little angel to call me ‘papa.’”
“Mhmmm,” TK hummed contently, leaning in for a kiss, “you’re our papi and papa.”
Carlos chuckled, “Oh Lord, I’m gonna have to keep you a leash, Tiger.”
“Maybe, but even then, that shows that you’ll always be with us.”
“Always, baby.”