A Friend Wouldn't

by darkgirl3

Carlos' parents find out that TK's more than just a friend after an accident puts Carlos in the hospital.

I Own Nothing

AN: I wrote this back after the fourth episode aired on an idea of how Carlos' parents find out about TK and him. I know it's already happened, but wanted to post anyway.

Summary: Carlos' parents find out that TK's more than just a friend after an accident puts Carlos in the hosptial.

Title: A Friend Wouldn't

TK was sitting beside Carlos' hospital bed holding his hand even though he was unconscious. He was thankful that the man he loved was still alive after the car crash. It had happened in a matter of seconds. He'd been laughing at something that Nancy had said, but then he'd heard the sound of metal being smashed together. It was an awful sound and he'd heard it many times before.

He was pretty sure that he'd almost stopped breathing for a second when he'd looked towards the street seeing Carlos' patrol car being shoved from one side of the street to the other at the stop light. He hadn't even thought about it, he'd grabbed his bag and took off running. He wasn't even sure who'd been calling his name, he hadn't cared. Seconds counted which was why he'd put it all aside knowing that Carlos needed him not to panic because it was him.

It had taken the jaws of life to get Carlos out, the car had been that smashed in. He'd almost lost him twice in the ambulance. Nancy had driven it, there was like some kind of silent agreement. Captain Vega hadn't told him he shouldn't be doing it either. He was the second most qualified behind her. He knew how to hold it together because he'd had practice many times when his dad had been in trouble.

It had all been a blur at the time, his mind working non stop with all his training being put to use. Once Carlos had been wheeled right into the operating room he had felt the adrenaline wearing off. He knew there were broken ribs and his shoulder had been dislocated. His left leg was fractured and there was bruising all over the left side of Carlos' head and body. He'd hit his head against the side of the car so they'd had to go in and stop the bleeding there too.

He loved Carlos more than anything he thought he could. He'd signed the papers so they could operate since he was Carlos' power of attorney now. They'd been dating unofficially for probably a year and seven months. Officially it was seven months and Carlos had asked him to move in the month before. He'd said yes without even skipping a beat because he realized he was actually in a healthy relationship for once. He felt loved and taken care of by Carlos in more ways than one. He didn't feel like he was the only one doing the things in the relationship either. The Sunday's they didn't work they made meals together. Even when grocery shopping together and not just at the farmer's market.

After he'd signed the papers the adrenaline had started wearing off. He wasn't even sure who'd caught him at first, but he'd looked down seeing Carlos' blood on his hands and his legs gave out. He hadn't cared who was watching he had broke because he knew how bad it was. He wasn't a medic working on a patient anymore. He was a boyfriend terrified he was going to lose the one he loved. His head was slightly hurting now from falling apart. Judd had grabbed him before he had fallen to the ground. He'd got him to a private waiting room before he'd completely lost it.

The rest of the 126 had been in there too waiting with them until the doctor had shown up. Carlos had coded twice in surgery, but they'd brought him back. He was lucky to be alive and TK knew it because he'd watched the crash. He kept replaying it in his head the five hours that they'd been operating on him. At some point he'd changed out of his medic uniform. There had been a lot of blood on him. Judd hadn't left him for a second and he was grateful for it. The last few months they'd gotten even closer. Judd really was like a brother to him, not just because of the 126 family either. He loved the others too, but there was something about Judd that helped at times. This was definitely one of those times he needed a friend and big brother.

Tommy had been the one that told him he seriously didn't want to freak Carlos out when he woke up seeing him covered in blood. She'd told him not to worry about finishing the shift out either. He was where he needed to be, but Nancy and her had left when they'd gotten a call. There had been no way he could have gone back out. He had made it through getting Carlos out and here, but then his mind was racing.

~TKC CTK~

The sound of voices asking where their son was at brought TK out of his thoughts. A second later the door was opening in a hurry. He barely had a chance to let go of Carlos' hand before his parents saw him doing it. Carlos hadn't said anything yet about them, but he really didn't care. He'd meant it as long his love needed it he'd be whatever he wanted. The only problem with that right now was if they found out he was on the medical papers. He honestly had no idea what to say, but he'd think of something. He'd keep Carlos safe without letting anything slip out.

He backed up letting Carlos' parents next to the bed excusing his self going out in the hall. They hadn't asked or said anything, too worried about their son he figured. He didn't want to go far so he went to the waiting area he'd been at earlier. He shook his head seeing Judd still sitting there going through his phone. He hadn't even known Carlos' parents' number. Grace had called them for him, he couldn't even talk the first hour afterward they got there. It was one of the reasons he was beyond grateful that Judd was here.

"His parents showed up, they didn't even notice I was there so I gave them the room." TK said sitting down in the chair he'd been in most the time there before he'd gone in the room. "Did you get a hold of my dad?" He asked.

"No, I guess with the meetings all day he's got his phone on silent or maybe it's dead." Judd replied. "Did you two ever work out who you are besides a friend?" Judd asked.

"No, they don't even know I'm living with him now." TK said running his hand over his face. "It's complicated, but I'll never break his trust by telling. Even if he'd... if he'd..." He couldn't say it because he refused to think about it.

"Hey, Carlos is alive and you're the one to thank for that. He's not dying, someone has to keep you level headed." Judd said giving TK a half hug. "You saved his life by getting him out of there as fast as you did. He wouldn't be alive right now if it had been any other medic there. You heard the doctor that counts for everything." Judd added.

"I know, I just keep seeing the lines when he coded." TK said in a low voice. He needed to be grounded right now. Carlos wasn't able to do it and his dad was no where so he took the comfort in his brother.

"Excuse me, did you say you saved our son?" Carlos' mom asked.

TK looked up seeing Carlos' parents standing there. This time they were actually looking at him. "Yes, I was the medic that got him out." He stood up meeting their eyes.

"You're TJ right, our son's friend we met a while back." Carlos' dad said. "I thought he said you were a firefighter?" He asked.

"TK, but yes, sir. I'm him. I have duel certification, but recently I needed a change so I became the medic for the 126 after ours was killed." TK explained. "I was just doing my job today."

"From what he just said it seems you did a lot more than most could have. Thank you, for saving our son. I don't know what we would have done if you weren't there." Carlos' mom said before she moved closer hugging TK. He definitely wasn't expecting that, but he let her hug him. She squeezed him tight too thanking him again for what he did.

He honestly didn't know what to say so he told her she was welcomed. At least it was going okay so far he thought. Carlos' dad shook his hand thanking him as well before they sat down. The nurse had needed the room which was why they had come out. TK was nervous that he'd do or say something wrong which would result in them finding out. He opened his photo album on his phone scrolling through the pictures.

He needed to take his mind off of things and he needed to see Carlos' smile right now. The picture Carlos had taken this morning was the first one on there. It was them snuggled up in the bed, his head barely visible from under the covers in the first one. The second and third had him kissing Carlos. TK found another one from this morning with them dressed. Carlos had been holding him from behind while they took a selfie. He couldn't help but share the photo on Instagram with the words, 'Love you, come back to me.' written in the caption.

~TKC CTK~

TK had let Carlos' parents go back in the room when the nurse had said she was done. He figured they needed more time with him right now. He wasn't planning on leaving and he was off tomorrow anyway. He'd finally convinced Judd that he wasn't going to fall apart again when Grace had shown up after her shift. His dad had also called and he'd promised him he was fine. He should go out like he'd planned with his mom after all they were trying this being a couple again. His dad still had shown up with his mom before they'd gone out. He was happy they were back together. He'd come to terms with him having a little brother as well. He couldn't wait to see him, but he'd also decided to move out at the same time when Carlos had asked. He had survived a year without dying or having a relapse. Carlos kept him sane from any thoughts of that.

He was fixing to go find something to eat when one of the nurses caught his attention. She needed him to sign another form, which he did. The only thing was at the same time Carlos' parents were finally exiting his room. He had hoped that the question of papers being signed wouldn't get asked, but of course it did. Carlos' dad asked one of the other nurses if they had to sign papers. TK groaned knowing that the nurses here knew that he was seeing Carlos. Carlos has put his name down and that he was his boyfriend when they'd done it. Carlos was his as well now, which he knew would come as a surprise like this if his dad found out. He hadn't had that talk with him yet and he just wasn't sure when the right time was.

"No, his best friend already took care of that." Carleene the head nurse said. Her sister was on the force and a friend of Carlos'. They also had gone to school with him so knew about how his parents were. It relieved TK on that front at least for now.

"Oh, um thank you. If he wakes up please call us." Andrea replied surprise in her voice at that.

"Could you tell us who this person is? They are the first one you call." Gabriel asked.

"I'm sorry because of the HIPPA laws I can't give you that information." Carleene said. "You will have to ask your son when he wakes up." She added.

TK hoped that Carlos woke up soon so he could take him home. He wouldn't have to say anything about them. At least if he did get cornered he could say best friend since Carleene had upped his friend rating. Though he had felt like Carlos had become his best friend not just his boyfriend. Things were slightly strained between his dad and him right now. He tried not noticing it, but had happened even if he didn't want it to.

~TKC CTK~

Four days past and even though TK hadn't wanted to he'd gone to work for two of those days. Every time they dropped a patient off he'd checked in with Carleene if he didn't have enough time to see Carlos. The first day back he'd been swamped with over thirty calls the shift so he hadn't seen Carlos except for a few seconds. He could have sworn that the fates were working against them that day. However, he had gotten off shift and crashed in the chair beside Carlos' bed. He'd taken hold of his hand intertwining them before he'd fell asleep exhausted. He hadn't even ate anything put a protein bar that Tommy had given him and a bowl of fruit that Marjan had forced him to eat before he left shift.

The second day he'd been on shift with Carlos still in the coma he got more time with him. He'd spent his lunch break with him thanks to Nancy saying they needed supplies. She had forced him to go because he was driving her crazy constantly checking his phone when they weren't on a call. He really had done it a lot, but he didn't know why Carlos wouldn't wake up. Every thing was right, but then again he'd been in a coma for a few days his self after he got shot.

It was the fifth day that TK was sitting in the same chair with his head against Carlos' good side. He was asleep, but not in a deep one like when Carlos was holding him. The pressure of his hand being squeezed and someone saying his name woke him up. He thought it was a nurse at first, but when he opened his eyes Carlos was looking at him. A smile on his face for the first time in almost a week.

"Hey, Tiger. You look like hell." Carlos said his voice sounding off.

"Please tell me you're actually awake and this isn't a bad dream?" TK asked worried he was dreaming. He'd had the nightmare the other night on shift. His dad had shaken him awake when he'd started screaming for Carlos. He hadn't bothered going back to sleep instead he'd taken Buttercup for a walk.

"I'm awake, about an hour ago. I was told to let you sleep. Carleene said you needed it or she was going to have to put you in a bed beside me." Carlos said. He'd wanted to let TK know right then, but when their friend told him what happened and all about his boyfriend staying by him the last week he couldn't wake him from the sleep he needed.

"You have no idea how happy I am that you're awake." TK said before he got up being careful of the various monitors and fluids plus Carlos' injuries, hugging him. "I missed you so much. I guess I know what you went through when I was the one here." He said after he'd sat back down. "You scared me to death."

"I don't even know what happened. Last thing I remember was us making love before work. Every thing else is blank. The doc said you saved my life. I guess it's a good thing you switched jobs. I'm just sorry I scared you so badly." Carlos said.

"I think one of us remembering is enough. Trust me I wish I could forget it, babe. I knew you needed me so I put it aside til after we got you here." TK said back just happy that he was able to talk to the man he loved.

"Thank you, for saving me. When I get out of here I'll make it up to you. Might be a month or so, but I'm thinking a weekend away. See if I can't get us one of those cabins again like this past summer." Carlos offered.

"You can make it up to me by getting better. Though the weekend away there again would be nice. Never had sex outdoors before so that was a plus." TK smiled. "Oh, so I'm your best friend. It's what Carleene told your parents when they started asking about who signed the papers. They still don't know it was me because I never said a word and she didn't either. I just thought I'd let you know in case they start asking you about it." He said in a rush hoping that it didn't scare Carlos. "You are right though, they are nice people. I tried avoiding them, but some how your mom was always near when I showed up on shift. She tried making me eat the other day, but I seriously wasn't hungry. The crew had force fed me almost because I seriously stopped eating. I didn't meant to I swear, I just... I was worried and you know when I get overwhelmed and worry I some times forget to eat." He sighed knowing he was talking a lot, but it had been five days. He missed Carlos more than anything.

"First, seriously you stopped eating? I swear I am going to have to spank your ass when I can again. The last time you did that I was the one that forced you to eat before I had my way with you; while you were handcuffed to the bed." Carlos couldn't help but smile at the last part. Even if he wanted to get his boyfriend for not eating. "Secondly, I'm sorry I put you in that position. I thought about it the last hour. I don't want to hide who you are and what you mean to me anymore. Carleene asked me what did I think you would have done if it went the other way, if I died. I couldn't ask you to never say that, to hide our love as if it wasn't here. I love you and I don't want to hide us anymore." He finished.

"I love you too, I promise I'm not going anywhere. I just wouldn't betray your trust by telling them. You are the only person that's ever seen everything I am outside of my parents. You put me back together this past year." TK said.

"I want to tell them, I want them to know I got someone like you to love me. Even when I'm terrified of things changing. That crash made me realize that I don't just want to have you as my friend. I am doing the same thing you did at first with us. I didn't even realize it either and I know how much that hurt. I want to be more than boyfriends one day so can't exactly get married to the best paramedic in Austin and hide it." Carlos said which he hoped didn't scare TK.

"I don't know about the best paramedic in Austin, but I'll settle for being your husband one day." TK smiled back because it didn't scare him. "All you have to do is ask, there is not an ounce of fear. I'm already completely in love with you." He stated before he got up leaning in closer kissing Carlos. He put everything in the kiss wanting him to see just how much he loved him.

Carlos didn't want to break the kiss, but his lungs were still slightly sore and they protested. He leaned his forehead against TK's looking into the green eyes he loved so much. "Then Tyler Kennedy Strand will marry me? There isn't anyone else I want to spend my life with. You're my best friend, my partner, you made my life less lonely when you came into it. I hate that you went through that nuclear break up, but I'm so happy that it brought you into my life." Carlos asked.

"I'd be happy to be your husband, but we are not using my full name at the serves." TK answered with a smile. "Seriously, you can use my other nickname, but not Tyler."

"Oh so I can call you Tiger in front of everyone. Okay how's TK Strand-Reyes sound?" He asked.

"I like it, but I love Reyes-Strand better. Has a better ring to it." TK replied.

"If I was't stuck in this bed I'd show you how happy I am right now." Carlos said back bringing his good hand up cupping the back of TK's head. He kissed him for all he was worth until air was demanded by his body.

TK couldn't stop smiling, he was happy. Nineteen months ago he'd almost died after the proposal he'd thought up to someone else went wrong. He knew this one wasn't going wrong, he was exactly where he was supposed to be. It took a little maneuvering, but he managed to get in the bed with Carlos. He laid his head against his good shoulder letting all the worry he'd still felt go. He fell asleep with Carlos holding him for the first time in five days.

~TKC CTK~

Carlos had fallen asleep at some point listening to TK's light snores. He loved the sound of them, even if TK swore he didn't snore. It was adorable along with the fact he some times talked in his sleep. He could also do these little sighs that were content in sound. The ones he loved the most was the slight mumbled words when he tried waking him up. Right now he wasn't trying to wake him up, he wanted him to sleep. He hadn't planned on asking TK to marry him in the hospital. He might have had the ring for about a month now though. He'd seen it and new it was the one he wanted for TK even if it was a while before he asked.

He was fixing to go back asleep when someone cleared their throat. He'd been focused on TK that he hadn't even noticed that someone else was in the room. When he looked over towards where the window was at he saw his mom and dad there. Okay so this hadn't been the way he'd planned on breaking it to them, but he didn't care. There was no way to look past the fact TK was curled into him either. He'd kicked his boots off before he'd gotten on the bed earlier, but he hadn't been under the blanket. Though TK was covered up now.

"You scared us nearly to death." His mom started in a low voice. "I haven't been this worried since your dad was shot three years ago. I worry about you so much, Carlitos. I wonder if you're happy because you're all alone. You never say anything about anyone. I'd done convinced myself that it was going to take a miracle for you to find someone to love. I stopped worrying three days ago though. I came here to just sit beside you, but he was already here. He was talking to you and reading to you. I knew that he wasn't just your friend. A friend doesn't sit beside your bed and beg you to wake up because you're their whole world. A friend doesn't look at you the way he has when he thought no one else noticed." She looked from Carlos to TK who snuggled closer into Carlos' side.

"I saw your patrol car son, you shouldn't have gotten out of there alive. I didn't get the full impact of just how bad it could have been until I saw it. He really did save your life that day. I don't understand a lot of things. I'm not perfect either, but we both can see that it wasn't just his job he was doing. He had something more important than a friend or fellow first responder to save. I met your mom at an accident the first month on the job back before I started on the Rangers. I held her hand until they cut her out of the car. I showed up at the hospital the next day to see her; went back every day til she was released. I'm not promising we can change our way of thinking over night, but the last five days we got to know your boyfriend, he seems like a really incredible guy." Gabriel finished taking a breath because he hadn't stopped much for one since he wanted to say what was on his mind.

"I didn't think you wanted to know. You never said anything after I told you years ago, so I kept it hidden from you. Until TK came here I was lonely most of the time. I just hadn't noticed it, you don't have to worry about me mom. He is kinda the best, especially his heart, it's so big and when I met him it was destroyed. I don't think anyone's ever put shattered glass back together before now." Carlos said looking at TK with a smile on his face. He felt better now that his parents knew. "He's not my boyfriend though, I asked him to marry me before we fell asleep. He didn't even think twice when he said yes." He stated looking over to his parents hoping he didn't see anything negative there. "I don't know when it'll be, but I would love you two there. It's okay if it takes time, this one's really patient, especially with stubborn guys like me." He really couldn't ask for a better soon to be husband.

"Yes, we're not going to miss our son getting married. We're sorry it took us so long, we really just want you happy, Carlos." His mom smiled before she got up going over to her son kissing him on the top of the head. "We're going to go let you two get more rest. I love you, baby. I can see why you love TK as well."

Carlos smiled because she actually got his name right this time. "Thanks mom, I love you too. Did you cover him up?" He asked.

"I couldn't just let him get cold, it's freezing in here and he's going to be my other son soon. I'd be a bad mom if I didn't find him a blanket too." She answered.

"I'll talk to you later. He's a good one." Gabriel said before he left too.

Carlos felt like he didn't have this enormous rock on his chest anymore. His parents hadn't refused to talk about it. He figured the time they had spent with TK thinking of him as a friend only to figure out something else had given him incite to who he was. He let out a heavy sigh wishing that TK was awake so he could know.

"I guess we only have to tell my parents now." TK said against Carlos' neck. "I would have said something, but you needed that the most. Also, this blanket is seriously warm. I think she got it out of the drier they got here." He smiled.

"We can tell your parents later, I just want to lay here and hold you. I guess you were right, nothing ever stays the same." Carlos said.

"We got nothing but time to work on when and where, but I agree. Sleep is something we both need more of. I think I've gotten maybe twelve hours in five days. I think Nancy was ready to knock me out with something in the rig at one point. Tommy said she knew nothing so they were both in on it." TK laughed knowing they had only wanted him to sleep. He had been running low without being able to sleep much.

"They aren't going to have to worry because when you go back on shift tomorrow you're going to be well rested." Carlos replied. "I'm going to be well rested when I go back to work too. In like two months." He groaned.

TK leaned up kissing him before pulling back. "Don't worry I'll keep you company when I can. You might not get as much rest as you think once we find out how to have sex with that cast on." He smirked which got a head shake from Carlos before they kissed.

~THE END~