Chapter 1: The Past to the Present
With the tip of his fingers he tied the rope tightly with as a knot making sure it won't snap like the other times he tried to pull this stunt. He used large elastic bands and tied them to two locked doors and pulled them as far as he could and tying them to the main rope creating a slingshot. He grabbed his safety gear and placed them on his knees, elbows, shoulders, and his black hockey helmet. Turning around he looked at the cleared hallway and narrowed his eyes when he saw the cushions, pillows, and blankets piled up to make his landing as comfortable and painless as possible. He sat on his boards and placed his fingerless gloves and smiled as he felt his blood pump with adrenaline and excitement at what he wanted to accomplish. From his pocket he took out a lighter and flipped it open and an orange flame appeared on the top of the burner. He lowered it to the rope and quickly closed the cap throwing it aside and gripped the hand-made handle bars of his board. He waited and grinned when he heard a snap he yelled as he was pushed forward and zooming through the hallway with an alarming speed making tears come out of his eyes from the harsh air hitting his eyeballs and skin. "Wooooo-hooooo!"
The teen didn't hear the opening and closing of a door and footsteps, his eyes widened when he noticed a familiar adult standing in the middle of the hallway, "uh-oh."
The adult turned when he heard unusual noises and gasped when he saw the teen coming towards him dangerously. He quickly took a step back and saw him pass by and gaped when he saw the latino get thrown into a large pile of pillows and blankets creating a storm of feathers from the newly torn cushions. He ran to him and noticed the grinning latino slowly sitting up. His worried expression turned into an annoyed one and he crossed his arms. "Carlos."
He would be screaming with joy if he didn't hear the adult's voice call out his name, he slowly peeked from the blanket that somehow rested on top of him. With a nervous laugh he gave him a small wave, "hey Logan you're back early."
Standing in front of him was Logan Mitchell one of the youngest CEO's in the United States he specializes in hospitable management and owns facilities across the nation including some in other countries. He stood five feet and nine inches he has light skin making him seem pale with piercing brown eyes well structured cheek bones and chin, his brown hair matching his eyes was slightly spiked up front in a short faux hairstyle. He was currently wearing a white button up shirt the sleeves rolled to his elbows with a loose black tie around his neck, gray slacks with black shoes. His arms were crossed on his chest a frown on his lips his brows scrunched in anger making Carlos flinch, "my meeting ended early."
"Oh."
Logan sighed and watched Carlos crawl over the mess of blankets and pillows and stood up once he reached the tiled floor. "How many times did I tell you not to pull of anymore of your dangerous stunts?"
"A lot."
"Apparently; not enough."
He rubbed the back of his neck, "sorry Logan…I got bored."
"You got bored?" he said in a perplexed tone with a quirked brow. "You got bored with rooms filled with video games, TV, movies, comic books, regular books, and a bunch of stuff that could keep you occupied for weeks maybe months?"
He looked at the floor with interest feeling with guilt. "I'm sorry it's just…" he looked up at him, "I want to try new fun stuff that I don't get to do much here."
"You could have done something else, preferably something that was safe and won't give you any more injuries." He stepped towards him taking off Carlos's helmet smoothing out his hair and dusted off a few feathers on his shoulders.
"I'm sorry to worry you," he apologized again making Logan smile down at him.
"Promise me you won't do it again or other stunts; I don't want another bathtub pool incident again."
"It was one of the hottest days in Minnesota!"
He raised an eyebrow at him.
"Okay."
"Good," he kissed his temple and gave him back his helmet. Carlos's eyes widened when he saw him heading towards the door separating him from the world.
"You're leaving? You just got here."
Logan gave him a smile over his shoulder, "I'll be back soon I just have to deal with some stuff then we could play a game or do something together."
He smiled in excitement as he opened the door, "oh before I forget make sure to clean up before I come back."
His shoulders slumped as he looked back at the feathers in the ground and some of the torn pillows and scattered blankets, "yeeeaaah."
Logan chuckled and closed the door he turned around to look at the mess listening to the faint clicking sound of the door being locked. He sighed taking off his safety pads and throwing them carelessly at a nearby sofa, he sat on a chair and looked at the helmet on his lap. Placing a hand on his temple he felt a small smile creep onto his lips as he remembered the kiss Logan gave him earlier. Every time Logan gets close to him or passes his personal space he always feels butterflies flutter in his stomach or faint tingles when he touches his arm or hand. But when Logan placed his lips on his skin his heart skips so may beats he wonders if it could be hazardous to his health. He shook his head with his thoughts who was he kidding Logan will never fall for a guy like him who always wants to goof around and have fun he has no idea how Logan puts up with him, he probably wants a sophisticated intelligent man or woman, but he doesn't care as long as he gets to spend time with his crush.
If he can call it that, he has been having a crush on Logan since he was twelve years old and doesn't know if it is a crush or something beyond that. When he got older he started having wet dreams with the handsome brunette making him feel uncomfortable around him making Logan having to explain the changes of his body through a health video he made him watch. Those were the most embarrassing months of his life, but he was able to control them as he grew. He didn't know if he liked girls or guys and was facing that conundrum for a while until he had a conversation with Logan finding out that he was bisexual and apparently so was Carlos when Logan talked about hot men or women he would blush to a color of a tomato making Logan laugh.
Looking back at the door his smile faded into a frown, the door was dark brown with a gold color knob that only locks from the outside. When Carlos was young whenever Logan walked out the door he would try to open it to follow him or go outside, he's been in his little area ever since Logan took him in when he was nine years old.
Flashback
Carlos adjusted the large hockey helmet on his head for the hundredth time that day with his small hand, while the other was held tightly by his dad. They left their apartment two hours ago and had been on multiple buses to get to their destination. Carlos craned his neck to see the largest house he has ever seen, his dad said that it was a mansion where some rich people lived. He looked at the large house with a curious expression as his father pulled him around it to a small door, in the middle of a large hedge, his dad opened it and he gasped at the flowers that were blooming in front of him. They were in a garden surrounded by a rainbow colors of flowers from lightest to the darkest shades and a water fountain in the middle with large trees in the end, he felt like he was in another world like in his fairy tale books his mom used to read.
He wanted to stay and look around, but his dad pulled him harshly having no choice in the matter, but to go with him. They walked to a glass door and he pushed it open making sure that his son was behind him. In the middle of the hallway there were two people a man that made Carlos hid behind his father and a young boy that was a few years older than Carlos.
"Do you have it?" the man asked not bothering with greetings and getting straight to the point.
Mr. Garcia swallowed nervously, "I need more time."
"I have been patient and gave you too many chances either you don't have it or we will take away your property." The man said with a neutral tone, but his eyes will forever be embedded in Carlos's memories because it reminded him of the evil villains from the cartoons he watched before they do something bad and hurt people.
"I have nothing left I'll soon lose my home and I lost my job I have nothing."
"That is not true," he looked down to see intertwined hands and a small child that was hiding.
Mr. Garcia's eyes widened and stepped fully in front of Carlos making sure that he wasn't able to see him, "you're not taking my son."
The man raised a brow, "who said anything about taking your son I thought that maybe your boy will have to go to a orphanage since he doesn't have a mother and will probably be fatherless soon."
He clenched his jaw not wanting to show fear to this man in front of his son.
"Father," the young boy said gaining his attention.
"Yes?"
They both turned around their backs facing Mr. Garcia, he took the opportunity and crouched so he was at eye level with his son. "Listen to me hijo no matter what happens remember that I always love you alright."
He gave him a confused look when he saw his father's worried face; his father never showed any fear he always saw him as a strong man that could face anything. Nonetheless he nodded, "I love you too papi."
He gripped his hand tightly and tapped his helmet, "be strong no matter what we are Garcias we are always strong and brave there will be times when you want to cry or feel upset or sad, but never forget to be fuerte, strong."
"I don't get it."
"You will someday."
"Mr. Garcia," he stood up and turned to the two who still had neutral looks making him unable to read them. "I will forget about your payment in exchange for your son."
Immediately he shook his head, "I'll find some other way to pay you, but I'm not giving up my son."
"It is not a question and you have no opinion in the matter." In other words it is an order than a decision and they both knew it. Mr. Garcia looked down at his son and back at the man.
He nodded solemnly.
"I will give you five minutes to say your goodbye and then you will remove yourself off of my property, I suggest you leave the city." With that said the man left leaving his son the young boy to the other two occupants.
Mr. Garcia crouched again and whispered, "remember what I told you and hopefully I'll see you soon."
"¿Papi?"
The man let go of his hand and turned around quickly opening the door.
"¿Papi donde vas?" the child asked as he followed him.
Mr. Garcia closed the door and walked away not looking back Carlos reached the door. "Papi!" he looked up at the handle, it was too high for him to reach and placed his hand on the glass watching his father walk away from his life.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see the boy who was next to the evil eye man, "it's okay," the boy assured him with a smile. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Do you know when my dad is coming back?" Carlos asked.
"No," he softly said. "I don't know if he's coming back."
Looking back outside he couldn't see his father, but only the reflection of himself and the boy who gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Come on I'm going to show you where you're going to stay."
"I'm supposed to go home," he said not moving from his spot.
"You can stay here until you can go back home."
The boy grabbed him by the shoulders and gently took him away from the door walking him towards a different direction. When they were a few feet away from the door he grabbed the child's hand and took him to a staircase. Carlos looked back again as if his father will appear and call for him, but he didn't as they reached the top of the stairs and reached another hallway. The boy turned and continued walking, it was bare except for a few paintings hanging on the walls and the occasion vases with different flowers probably from the garden he saw earlier. What seemed like hours they finally reached a large dark brown door, the boy took out a key from his pocket and placed it inside the keyhole turning it unlocking the door. They entered and Carlos's jaw dropped at the size of the room it was the size of his entire apartment maybe larger, the teen took his advantage to lock the door putting away the key in his pocket.
"Come on I'm going to show you you're room."
He followed him walking to a hallway and noticed that there are more doors than the hallway he was in earlier. He wanted to ask what was in them, but they reached the end and the boy opened the door on the right, "this is your room."
Carlos went inside and his eyes widened at the size of it, it was probably bigger than their living room and kitchen combined. The walls were light blue including the ceiling and the carpeted floor was dark blue, there was a queen size canopy bed with blue covers and light blue curtains that were tied at the bed posts. There was a dark brown desk with a chair in front of it a dark brown dresser, a window near the bed that gave him a view of the full moon with dark blue curtains and there was an open door that shows a bathroom.
"I'll be back with some pajamas; you can make yourself comfortable while you wait." Carlos turned to see the boy leave the doorway. He walked to the window and stood in front of it looking at the city in the distance and looked down to see the garden looking beautiful under the moon light. His father left him in a large house with a boy he didn't know and a man with evil eyes. Looking down he expected his dad will return and take them back to their small home. He liked the room he was in, but he rather sleep in bed with the man that raised him. But for tonight he won't, he'll sleep alone wondering when he will come back or if he will come back at all. He felt his cheeks wet and wiped it with his hands, they were tears. His father said to be strong, but right now he felt like curling in a ball and cry until he runs out of them and that's exactly what he did his legs weren't able to hold his small shaking body and he fell on his bottom hugging his legs and hiding his face on his knees crying his eyes out.
He will never get to see his father again; he won't be able to take him to school, watch movies, play games, read him to bed, or tell stories about his mom. He jumped when he felt someone next to him and lifted his head to see the boy putting his arms around him. "Shh, it's okay; everything is going to be fine."
"I-I want t-to go-o home back to my p-papi," Carlos felt movement and was surprise to feel being moved. He looked up and noticed the boy was smiling down at him wiping away the tears on his cheek with his thumb then he gently pulled his head so he was lying on his chest. With his small arms Carlos wrapped them around the teen and cried, he felt his arm being rubbed gently and his soothing voice in his ear telling him that everything was going to be okay.
"My name's Logan what's yours?"
He sniffed and replied with a small voice, "Carlos."
"You have a nice name," he complimented.
"Gracias."
He looked down at him, "you speak Spanish?"
"A little, m-my d-dad taught m-me," this brought fresh new tears and felt Logan hugging him again.
"It's okay Carlos I'm going to take care of you so everything will be fine and you'll be comfortable as possible alright?" That was the last thing he heard before everything turned black and he fell asleep.
The next day when he woke up Logan was next to him and held him in his arms when he cried again and again and again. Soon he fell right at home in his own little area in the mansion and Logan gave him every toy he ever dreamed of playing making him smile again after nearly half a year after being depressed. He tried to follow Logan when he started leaving claiming that he needed to start learning how to be alone in his area because he will soon be doing a lot of work making him busy. One time when Logan left he tried to open the door it was locked and when Logan came he asked why the door was always locked every time he left. Logan claimed that he always locked the door to make sure that no one comes into his area because his mansion is one of the oldest in the state and there are always people visiting and didn't want anybody to come for his safety. At first he was upset that he was being locked up, but soon it became a habit and it didn't bother him. But as he grew older he started finding the idea of being in his area irritating, but he had to bear it for everything Logan had done for him it will seem selfish of him to ask. As he grew up he started liking him more as a friend and soon had a crush on him and is still debating if he reached the level of love since the last time he felt love towards a person he left him to who knows where.
Shaking his head he got up grabbing the blankets and folding them as he started cleaning getting his mind off of his thoughts and started thinking about what he will probably do with Logan for the rest of the day.
