Work Text:
Underwater (A Tarlos in Danger fic)
@SpacesNShadows
Starring:
Carlos Reyes, TK Strand
Listen to the audio with sound effects here:
*best experienced with headphones
“We made it!” TK said, sipping from the straw of his non-alcoholic drink
“we made it. Cheers babe.” Carlos echoed after TK, and raised his glass for a toast.
The bright, cloudless afternoon sun, shine through a small hole on the sunbrella that was covering TK and Carlo’s beach chair. TK was annoyed.
“Babe, we gotta move to another one, there’s a hole in the umbrella” TK starts packing up his beach bag.
“TK, it’s fine, just move your chair a little” Carlos already made himself comfortable, reluctant to move.
“No babe, it’s our honeymoon and everything has to be perrrfect.” TK turned to see Carlos still sitting in his chair. Carlos pouted and TK giggled. “babe stop doing that.”
“doing what?” Carlos pretends to be confused, “oh you mean my famous Carlos cow eyes?” carlos said, as he leans closer to TK.
TK laughed and put his right hand on Carlos’ face, “yeah you’re about to wreck me again”
A light vibration could be felt from the sand.
“Baby, you feel that?” Carlos’ face turned. His cop senses were tingling, something didn’t felt right.
“I can always feel you from your soulful eyes babe” TK’s thumb was rubbing Carlos’ face, unaware of the situation that was about to unfold.
“no baby I’m serious. I think it’s an earthquake.” Carlo’s serious tone of voice wiped the smile off TK’s face.
“what…?” TK said, as he starts noticing The beach table started shaking, The spoons on their cocktails cling against the glass. TK felt it this time. He looked at Carlos, and then into the crowd. There was no panic but the crowd was concerned.
It went on for several seconds and It stopped.
“huh. I guess it’s just an airplane flying really low to us” TK said, trying to make sense of the situation.
“TK, planes don’t fly over this side of the island”
Rumbling could be heard, the ground started shaking hard enough for the cocktails to fall over the beach table. The crowd started screaming. A heavy banner hanging from the ceiling in the nearby open-air drinks bar fell, and a standing speaker monitor on a tripod toppled over a man. TK ran over and pulled the monitor away from the man’s chest.
“Sir, are you okay? Do you feel Any pain?” TK had to shout, the noise was too loud.
“No I’m okay, thank you” TK helped the man stand up. Glasses were falling off the shelves, lights were flickering and the patrons were holding on to anything sturdy to ground themselves.
“TK! TK!”
Carlos came running towards TK. It was hard to keep his balance running across the sand. He reached for TK and pulled him under a table. A minute went by and the tremors stopped. The Music stopped. A screeching sound could be heard before a man speaks through the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I think we just experienced an earthquake. If you’re hurt, please get yourself checked out at the first aid center just right by the bar. For your safety we advice you to stay out of the water until we get an all-clear from the beach guard. At any point of time if you-”
The emcee was interrupted by a Tsunami warning. The water receded. People could be heard shouting to get off the beach.
The siren prompted Carlos and TK to look at each other with panic in their eyes.
“Babe..?” TK said, catching his breath.
“We’re gonna be fine” Carlos held on TK’s face with both hands, and then stood up to yell the loudest his lungs would give, “EVERYONE GET OFF THE BEACH, GET OFF NOW!”
Chaos erupted. There was a stampede, everything was getting knocked off and people running into each other. Carlos pulled TK and started running towards the main street.
“We got to get to high ground!” Carlos looked around to find their best option. “There!” Carlos pointed at a 5 story building about 2 blocks away. It was the tallest in their immediate vicinity.
TK turned to have a quick look at the situation behind them. Everyone was running in the same direction. His eyes then focused to the horizon further ahead, and his pupils dilated. A tall wave was approaching.
“BABE IT’S COMING! IT’S COMING!” TK shouts in between his breath.
“w-what?” as Carlos turned to see what was coming, he tripped over a fallen pole and hurt his ankle. He was in pain. TK took a knee beside Carlos and checked his ankle.
“TK, I’m not gonna make it. You gotta go, you gotta run!” Carlos said, holding on to his ankle.
“No, I’m not leaving you!” TK said.
“TK, RUN AND DON’T LOOK BACK! GO, GO!” Carlos said.
“I’M NOT LEAVING MY HUSBAND BEHIND!” TK said, as he puts Carlos’ arm across his shoulders and pulls him up. Carlos gave a loud groan and tried to hop as fast as he could. After several feet forward, Carlos stopped.
“Babe what are you doing come on!” TK’s desperate voice was heart breaking. He looked into Carlos’ watery eyes and knew Carlos was going to say something that he wouldn’t want to hear.
“Baby, baby, listen to me. You got to go, I’m only slowing you down.” Carlos said while he shook his head.
The wave is approaching, it’s height was taller than anticipated. People are getting caught and swept away.
“I said I’m not giving up on my husband, so don’t you dare give up now.” TK fireman lifted Carlos and ran several feet ahead, through an open door to the reception lobby of a three story resort. TK carried Carlos as he climbed up the flight of stairs as fast as he could, as the water broke the windows and doors right behind them. They continued to make their way the third floor as the water slowly rises to the second floor. TK put Carlos down along the hallway.
“Baby, listen to me. I’m gonna leave you here for a minute, I’m gonna find us a way up to the roof.” TK said, and bolted off before Carlos could say anything.
TK ran from one end to the other of the straight windowless hallway with rooms on either sides, searching for a staircase that could lead to the roof. He eventually found a ladder that could be a way out. TK climbed up and tried to open the hatch but it seemed to be sealed shut. TK gave several hits with his elbow to no avail. He jumped right back down and looked around for anything that he could use to break it open.
“TK, the water’s rising!” Carlos could be heard shouting from across the hallway.
TK ran back towards Carlos, and tried opening several doors of the rooms along the way but they were all locked. (Any body in here? Hey! The water’s rising we need help!)
“baby, baby. I’m gonna find us a way out” TK tries to assure Carlos. “I just need something to break the hatch, or we could just swim towards the lobby and break a window or-“
“TK, TK.” Carlos interrupted, “I wont be able to climb that ladder, and the lobby’s already flooded.”
TK had his hands over his head and then they looked at each other, without say a word more, and started tearing up. TK sat beside Carlos and put his head on Carlos’ shoulders.
“I’m sorry baby, it was my idea to come here” TK’s voice was dry, soft but still audible.
“Baby, this isn’t your fault. Nobody could’ve known this would happen.” Carlos’ voice was cracking.
The lights went out, and emergency lights lit up and cast a soft beam along the hallway. Carlos and TK stayed seated with their legs stretched out, their backs against the wall. They could feel running water underneath their legs and their beach shorts were soaked. The water had rose to the third floor where they’re at.
“Baby, If we don’t make it out-”
“Carlos. Carlos, I love you baby, and I love you always” TK interrupted Carlos and kissed him in the lips.
Was this a goodbye kiss? Because it certainly felt like it. Trapped and hopeless was not something that the both of them were not familiar with. TK held on to Carlos’ hand and rest his head on Carlos’ shoulder. And Carlos had his mouth on TK’s head, while tears continued to run down his face.
“TK. TK… Don’t give up my boy” a familiar voice rang in TK’s head.
“Mom…?” TK whispered to himself. He rubbed his eyes, stood up and started banging on the door to the room right in front of them. the door was not possible to break in.
The Water rose quickly to the level of their hips. At the corner of TK’s eyes, he saw a floating broomstick. He grabbed it, pulled Carlos and made their way to the other end of the hallway where the ladder leading to the roof was. The water continued rising, and they could almost start swimming. They moved as fast as they could and reached the dimly lit end of the hallway. At this point, the ladder was almost unnecessary as they were floating towards the ceiling. Carlos watched as TK desperately tried to break the hatch with the broom stick, putting as much force as his tired arms could. He tried so hard that the broom stick broke into two pieces.
“There’s got to be another way out!” TK dove into the waters and came back up several times to take a quick breath. Carlos got a hold of TK’s face the next time he popped up. The water was rising close to the roof.
“TK, baby, it’s okay, it’s okay.” – Carlos said, as he tried to smile amidst the disaster.
“Baby, I’m sorry I tried. I tried..” TK’s voice was breaking.
Carlos put a hand on TK’s face and said “I just want you to know that I love you and I will live through every moment we shared to just come back here again.” Carlos was calm, and tearing.
“I love you baby, and I have no regrets. Thank you for building a home with me.” TK said calmly. "goodbye baby"
They both take several deep breaths to prepare themselves as the water was close to the ceiling. They kissed mouth to mouth as they fully submerged into the water.
They held on to each other for as long as they could, and then broke apart. It was dark underwater, but they could still each other from the beam of the emergency light that pierce through the water. TK sees bubbles coming out of Carlos’ mouth as Carlos loses his last breath, slowly becoming motionless. Flashbacks of their journey from strangers, to friends, to lovers, to fiances and then husbands ran through both of their heads in chronological order. Amidst the sense of fear, there was also a sense of calm and happiness. They were grateful to have found each other, and There was no doubt that they would do it all again.
TK was still conscious but was left with very little air in his lungs. He was ready to let go, but a loud grinding noise could be heard underwater.
“TK, don’t give up… Hold on my boy, mommy’s coming” This time, TK was sure of it. He heard his Mom’s voice reverb through his head but it was clear.
TK looked around and noticed the wall was cracking. He swims forward and tries to break the walls with his bare fists under the water. With the grace of Gywn, the walls caved after some large debris hit the wall from the outside. The water gushed out to level itself with the flood outside. The water must be receding. TK was pulled through the hole by the current. He emerged from the water on the outside and breathed, floating down the rapids as he attempt to grab on to anything to anchor himself. He eventually grabbed onto a tree and panned his head around to look for any signs of Carlos.
Cars, bodies and debris floated by the receding water. The flood was probably two and a half stories at this time.
“Carlos! Carlos!” Tk looks at caved wall, “come on baby, come on.”
Carlos emerged from the water and sucked in all the air he could. He was disoriented and got struck by a chunk of debris, slowly floating away from his point of emergence.
“CARLOS! HANG ON BABY!” TK lets go of the tree and tries to swim towards Carlos. It was a challenge in these rough waters, but that didn’t stop TK from reaching his beloved husband. He grab Carlos’ hand, and pulled himself closer to him, “I got you baby.” Carlos was breathless, and disorientated.
They floated several blocks down, and the current was slowing. As they approached the roof of a building, several survivors signaled for TK and Carlos to swim towards them. With the remaining strength that TK has, he held on to Carlos as he tried to swim towards the survivors.
They reached and pulled TK and Carlos out of the water, and laid them down next to each other.
As TK and Carlos catch their breaths, they locked their eyes at each other, and Carlos reached for TK’s hand.
“You saved me, baby” Carlos said under his breath.
“No, I think my mom did” Tk said, rolling over to Carlos for a cuddle.
“You both did. Thank you for not giving up on me, when I broke my ankle. Baby I wouldn’t be breathing right now if it weren't for you”
“Because, Carlos Reyes, you are my home, and it'll never be home without you.” TK sat up as he said that.
The sun is setting. the orange sun rays showered TK's face. Carlos had both his hands on TK's face and said, “Tyler Kennedy, Loving you was the best decision I've in my life. I love you.” Carlos leaned in for a kissed.
THE END