#Tarlos Fanfiction One-shots

Unshakable

Carlos Reyes was used to change. As a detective in the Austin Police Department, partners came and went. His current partner, Garcia, was out on maternity leave, and the department had reassigned him a temporary one: Jose Rivera, a transfer from Williamson County. When Carlos learned it was someone from his Dallas Police Academy days, he felt a mix of relief and nostalgia. He and Jose hadn't been close back then—more acquaintances than friends—but there was comfort in familiarity. Starting over with someone entirely new would've been more difficult.

TK had met Jose only briefly, but the encounter left him uneasy. Jose was tall, broad-shouldered, and undeniably attractive, with a smirk that could disarm anyone. But what unsettled TK most were Jose's piercing green eyes—a shade eerily similar to his own. Those eyes weren't just charming; they were assessing, lingering on Carlos in a way TK couldn't quite shake. He told himself he was overthinking it. He had to be. The last thing he needed was to spiral into another episode of insecurity, not after the fallout from Iris and everything it dredged up. So he decided to ignore it and focus on his fiancé, the man who chose him, proposed to him, and loved him.

But the first time TK saw Carlos and Jose working together, something in him cracked. It was during a call where their teams happened to cross paths. TK was climbing out of the ambulance when he spotted them—Jose with his arm slung casually over Carlos' shoulders, laughing at something Carlos had said. And Carlos was laughing too, his posture relaxed in a way that made TK's chest tighten. Then Jose glanced at Carlos, and it wasn't the look of a colleague. TK knew that look too well. It was interest. And it made his stomach twist.

Later that night, on the drive home after Carlos picked him up from the station, TK couldn't hold it in any longer. "Jose's... something," TK said, his voice carefully casual.

Carlos chuckled, glancing at him. "Yeah, he's a character. Always has been."

"And hot," TK added, testing the waters. "Tall, built, great smile. I mean, those green eyes are killer."

Carlos hummed, oblivious. "I guess. I can see why people would think so."

TK pressed on, the tension simmering just below his calm exterior. "So... you don't think he likes you?"

Carlos gave him a puzzled look, laughing lightly. "Likes me? TK, he's just my partner."

TK sighed, keeping his eyes away from Carlos. "Carlos, I saw the way he looks at you. And how he touches you, like when he had his arm around you earlier. That's not just 'partner' behavior."

Carlos waved it off. "Jose's like that with his friends. He's a physical guy. It doesn't mean anything."

TK narrowed his eyes. "Oh, so you're friends now? I thought you barely knew him before."

"We're not best friends or anything," Carlos said patiently. "But we were in the Academy together. Just a casual 'hi' and 'hello.' Nothing more."

TK's jaw clenched, his voice quieter now. "So there's no past?"

Carlos frowned, glancing at him again. "Past? What past? TK, there's nothing there. There never was. You're reading into this."

The way Carlos spoke—gentle, like he was explaining to a child—only fueled TK's frustration. But the weariness in Carlos' eyes softened him. TK could still see the guilt lingering from their fight after Iris. Carlos had spent weeks making it up to him, proving his commitment. TK swallowed his frustration and let it drop, exhausted from his shift and craving nothing more than the comfort of Carlos' arms.