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Carlos is woken by insistent pounding on his front door. Beside him, TK mumbles sleepily and pushes his face further into Carlos’ chest.
“Door,” Carlos groans.
TK shakes his head. “Tell the woodpecker to stop,” he says nonsensically and Carlos stifles a laugh.
“Sure thing, baby, you just stay here. I’ll go talk to the woodpecker.”
TK pats blindly at Carlos’ hip and then rolls himself up more tightly in the duvet. Carlos kisses his hair, which is about all of TK that he can reach, then crawls out of bed.
He has the good sense to pull on a hoodie as he leaves the room, but figures out halfway down the stairs that it’s TK’s. It’s too tight around the shoulders and rides up above the waistband of his boxers when he stretches to loosen it a bit.
Whoever is at the door is still banging on it when he gets downstairs and he sighs when he looks through the spyhole.
“Michelle, it is way too early for you to be here,” he says as he swings the door open to reveal his friend standing there. “Not to mention the fact that it is my birthday and I was looking forward to a lie-in with my boyfriend.”
“That’s why I’m here,” Michelle says, pushing past him and taking a seat in of his armchairs like she owns it. “Happy Birthday, by the way.”
“Thanks,” Carlos groans. “Fine, come in. But before you tell me whatever it is you’re here to say, I’m making coffee.”
“Two sugars,” Michelle says as he walks over to the coffee machine.
“I know,” he says. “We’ve been friends for years.”
He turns on the machine, pulls two mugs out of the cupboard and then leans back against the counter.
“So,” he says, putting on his best cop face. “What are you doing here?”
Michelle has a look on her face which she usually reserves for fatally wounded patients or her sister. “Carlos, it’s about TK.”
“What about TK?”
Michelle sighs, leaning forward and bracing her elbows on her knees. “I don’t think you should be dating him.”
Carlos laughs, pouring coffee into mugs while waiting for Michelle to laugh too. Except she doesn’t. When he turns around, a full mug in each hand, Michelle is gazing at him with that same expression on her face.
“You can’t be serious,” he says, slamming the mugs down onto the coffee table and dropping onto the sofa. “Why the hell do you think that?”
“Carlos,” Michelle says, voice gentle. “You can’t really think he’s good enough for you?”
Carlos clenches his jaw, looking up at the ceiling and taking a deep breath to calm himself. “I can and actually I do think that. I love him.”
Michelle takes a sip of her coffee. “Does he love you?” she asks bluntly.
“Yes!” Carlos says without hesitation. “Why would you even ask that?”
“Carlos you’ve been dating eight months and I’ve only met him, what, three times?”
“He’s a firefighter, he’s busy,” Carlos says defensively.
Michelle raises her eyebrows. “I was a paramedic captain, Carlos, I know he can’t be that busy. He never comes out with us when we go to bars, that’s not normal. You’re supposed to meet your partner’s friends.”
“It’s complicated,” Carlos says and Michelle sighs.
“It was always complicated between Iris and Dustin too,” she says, her tone soft but decidedly pointed.
“That is nowhere near the same thing,” Carlos hisses. “Dustin was always an asshole to Iris – so much so that you thought he killed her. TK isn’t anything like him, Michelle!”
“Then tell me what’s going on,” she argues. “Because from where I’m sitting it looks like you have a boyfriend who didn’t even want to date you at first and now makes no effort to meet the people you care about – he didn’t even come to the ceremony when you got your commendation for bravery.”
Carlos flushes and his stomach twists as he thinks of the ceremony, how his parents were proudly sitting in the audience and how he’d asked TK to stay away because he was scared. Because he knew there was no way he’d be able to pretend that he wasn’t head over heels for TK or that his parents wouldn’t notice.
“Carlos, you’re my best friend, I just want you to be happy,” she says and he nods.
“I know, but you really have got him all wrong,” Carlos insists. “He doesn’t come with us when we go out to bars because… Listen, you can’t tell anyone this, okay? I’m only telling you because apparently, you think he’s an abusive asshole, but he’s had issues with substances in the past. Before he left New York, he went through some stuff and he relapsed so badly that his dad literally had to save his life, okay? So he doesn’t like going to bars, but he doesn’t want to stop me from hanging out with you. And that… that’s why he didn’t want to date at first either. He made that pretty clear, but I kept pushing.”
Michelle’s expression has slowly changed from one of concern to one of embarrassed horror. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I didn’t know.”
“I know you didn’t,” Carlos reassures her. “And I love how much you care about me, but TK? He’s a good guy, the best really. I can really see this lasting – hopefully forever.”
Michelle smiles tentatively. “That’s good, Carlos, really.”
Carlos returns her smile. “It is. And uh, about my commendation. TK wanted to come, but I asked him not to.”
“What?” Michelle asks. “Why?”
Carlos sighs and rubs his hands over his face. “Because my parents were there. And I didn’t… I don’t know, I guess I didn’t want to rub their noses in it.”
“In your homosexuality?” Michelle asks, frowning. “Carlos, you can’t keep him a secret forever. You’ve told them you’re gay, either they accept it and whoever you date or they don’t.”
“I know,” he says. “I know. I uh, I told them last week. They’re going to meet TK at the party tonight.”
Michelle raises her eyebrows. “Wow, so… it’s going to be a big night.”
“Yeah,” Carlos says. “It is. And... I would really like it if my best friend had my back and supported my relationship in front of my parents.”
“Of course I will,” she says immediately. “I’m sorry for doubting him. And you. I was just overprotective.”
“Well, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
They’re interrupted by a noise on the stairs and Carlos looks up to see TK stumbling into the living room, still wrapped in his duvet, hair sticking up in all directions and his eyes mostly closed. He walks straight past Michelle who is hidden from his view by the high back of the armchair and collapses onto Carlos’ lap.
“Why’d you leave?” he asks into Carlos’ neck.
Carlos wraps his arms around TK as best he can, somewhat hindered by the blanket. “Well, because Michelle was at the door and you wouldn’t get up because you thought she was a woodpecker.”
“Woodpecker?” Michelle asks at the same time as TK who finally realises she’s there and flushes pink before attempting to climb off Carlos.
“Nope, stay here, you’re warm,” Carlos says, refusing to let him move and TK stops struggling, still looking a little embarrassed.
“Hi Michelle,” he says quietly.
“Hey TK,” she replies with a smirk. “I just came by to discuss a last-minute party thing with Carlos, but I think we’re done. I clearly have nothing to worry about.”
Carlos smiles. “We are. I’ll see you later?”
“You will,” she confirms. “Someone’s got to protect TK from your mother.”
“God, don’t say that,” TK groans. “I’m already nervous enough as it is.”
“They’re going to love you,” Carlos reassures him, kissing his cheek and ignoring the soft look Michelle throws them both.
She nods in agreement. “They will don’t worry.”
“Thanks, guys,” TK says.
Carlos squeezes his waist under the duvet and Michelle smiles.
“I better go, see you boys later. Don’t have too much fun before the party, you need to look presentable.”
TK sniggers and Carlos sighs. “Oh my god, Michelle, please leave.”
She laughs and gets to her feet, waving as she lets herself out of the apartment.
“I like her,” TK says when she’s gone. “We should hang out more.”
Carlos grins. “I’m not sure letting you two become friends is a good idea, I’ll never know another moment of peace.”
“Like you’d want peace anyway,” TK teases. “Oh by the way.” He leans in and kisses Carlos softly. “Happy Birthday, baby.”
“Thank you, cariño.”
TK slides off Carlos’ lap, arranging them both so they're stretched out under the duvet with Carlos’ head against his chest. “So is everything okay? It’s pretty early for Michelle to come over for party stuff.”
“Yeah,” Carlos says. “She was just worried about something because she didn’t know the whole story and jumped to some conclusions. I set her straight.”
“Ah,” TK says. “Was it about me?”
Carlos shrugs. “Sort of, but don’t worry about it. She likes you.”
“Promise?” TK asks, his eyebrows pulled together in concern.
“I promise,” Carlos says. “Now, how about you help me get out of this hoodie and we’ll go back to bed?”
TK grins. “I like how you think.”
Carlos kisses him, one hand curling in TK's hair. “Oh, I knew you would. But honestly, I actually do need your help. This is your hoodie and it’s so tight I don’t know if I can get it off again.”
TK frowns, then gestures for Carlos to stand up. “Oh my god this is so unfair, I’m not that small. You’re just… beefy.”
“Beefy,” Carlos says slowly.
“Trust me I’m not complaining – unless you bust out of my hoodie like the Hulk and ruin it. I don’t have another yellow one, you know.”
Carlos lifts his arms straight up and the hoodie rides up to his bellybutton. “Just help me?”
They get the hoodie off and make it back to bed eventually – once TK has finished alternating between laughing himself silly at Carlos getting stuck and fretting about ripping it – and honestly, it’s the best way Carlos has ever started a birthday.