Kendall Knight was in a bit of a pinch.
He looked down at the picture of his best friend Logan Mitchell on his lap, sighing as he placed it back on his bedside table.
Logan's been gone for two years now. It felt like only yesterday the raven-haired boy left them, left him and James.
He left Kendall, his best friend in the entire world. And he left James, his long-term boyfriend that he had planned to marry when they were older.
He left, without a warning. Without a single warning.
Kendall got up and picked up his cell-phone, dialing a familiar number. He bit his lower lip as he waited, each ring making his heart pound faster and harder.
At the fourth ring, a soft musical voice tickled his ears.
"Hello?"
"Jamie, it's me Kendall. How are you doing today?" The dirty blond asked, knowing deep down that it was a stupid question.
Even though Kendall lost a best friend, a brother in Logan he knew the brunet lost more than he could ever imagine.
He heard a sniffle on the other end, James probably battling tears that still fell even after so long. "I'm okay, Kendy. Well I'm not okay, but still alive I guess."
"I know Jamie, I know. I know it's been hard on you; you and Loges...were together for a really long time, and what he gave you no one can ever take away from you. But I'm worried about you, you didn't answer any of my texts and calls this whole week."
"I know, I-I'm sorry. It's just...it's still hard to believe he's gone! I mean, he was someone very important to us, and that he's gone. I know he wouldn't be mad at us, for what we have but...everyone's been treating us differently since we got together. Camille slapped me the other day, saying I was just a good-for-nothing, selfish male whore. Because I'm moving on with you, L-Logan's best friend…!"
Kendall felt his bottle green eyes go wide at this, heart breaking as he pictured James hugging the home phone close, beautiful hazel-green eyes wet and red and puffy as his whole body shook from sobs.
"James baby, you know that's not true! You're not a whore, far from it believe me! Camille was always jealous of you and Logan; she had feelings for him too and made your life miserable when you two were together, but that doesn't mean a damn thing! And you were his best friend too, James, what right did she have to say that?! You're not a whore, James, you're not!"
"C-can you please come over?" James's voice sounded very small, broken.
"I'm on my way. It's okay Jamie, I love you." Kendall hung up before James could respond, grabbing his car keys and practically sprinting out the front door.
-Page Break-
James dropped the house phone in shock, falling to his knees. His eyes were wide, wet and filled to the brim with surprise.
'Kendall...l-loves me?' He played the blond's words over and over in his head, trying to make sense of them. He turned to see the photo framed on the wall, the photo of him and Logan and Kendall as kids. With jello legs James got up and unhooked the frame from the wall, tracing Kendall and Logan's smiling faces with a shaky, thin finger.
This picture was taken when they were really little, five years old at best. They were all laughing, carefree and arms around each other. A chubby, cute James in the middle, a pale-faced Logan to the left with an arm around the brunet's shoulders while a hat-wearing Kendall made the peace sign towards the camera.
James bit his lower lip, a tear plopping hard against the glass.
Things were much easier back then, when they were just kids. When they were all best friends, before all this dating and falling in love drama entered their lives.
'Logie...I miss you. I still miss you and there's nothing life can do to make me forget about you, but you're not here anymore. You always said to do what's best for me, to always be happy and do what I think is right for me. I loved you, loved you with all my heart and I will always love you; that being said, Kendall has been here since you passed away. He's been here for me, cheering me up and giving me something to look forward to every day. I had no idea that he felt the same way for me, the way you did but what really makes me happy is...that he was there for us then, and here for me now. So it can't be wrong right, for us to be together?
James clutched the picture tight to his chest, ducking his head. "He takes good care of me, Logie. He calls every day, helps me get through everything. He gives me so much attention, so much love...and everyone is against us. Camille, Jo, Guitar Dude, everyone looks at us weird. You and I, we were planning to marry someday, remember that? I wanted nothing more than to marry you, marry you and have a family with you...but now, I think I can see that with Kendall. He takes care of me, he never lets me down; I want to have a future with him, but is it wrong? I'm really betraying you, Logie? Am I hurting you, from wherever you are…?
The beautiful brunet leaned against the nearest wall, taking a deep breath.
"People look at us weird, thinking that it's wrong that we care about each other but the love you gave me he does too! It's not like we asked for this, and he never tried to pressure m-me either! He supported me in my pain, was the shoulder for me to cry on, everything! And I can't control how I feel; I'm in love! It might not be right but I can't stop feeling this way. I just want to be happy, to make you AND Kendall happy. I don't want to care what people say about us, but what do I do?!"
Anger welling up inside him, James threw the photo to the ground; the glass shattered upon impact with his dresser, fine shards digging into the blue carpet. The brunet slumped to the floor, knees against his chest as he cried harder.
"W-what do I do, Logie?!"
-Page Break-
Kendall wasn't taking any chances. In no time at all he was at James's house, flying out of the driver's seat and pushing back the ajar front door.
"James, Jamie!" He exclaimed, hearing shuffling upstairs. He dropped his keys and ran up the stairs, sprinting down the hallway until he reached James's room at the far end.
"James!" Said brunet was on the floor, sobbing over a ruined photo of him, Logan and Kendall as kids. He had the picture in his thin, shaking hands, eyes trained on the tiny, smiling faces.
Kendall swallowed hard, careful not to trip over the glass on the floor, getting down on his knees and wrapping his arms around James and pulling him in close. "James, Jamie it's okay…"
"Kendy…!" James choked out, meeting those deep bottle green eyes. His own eyes were wide as he cupped the dirty blond's face between his hands, as if seeing him for the first time in years.
"James, shhh it's okay. I'm here, I'm here…"
"Did you mean it?" James asked suddenly, expression torn between fear, relief and confusion.
"Mean what, James?"
"That you loved me…" Kendall froze at this, eyes growing wide.
'I-I really let that slip?! And over the phone too?!' He scolded himself, feeling his blood go cold. He saw the need for answers in James's eyes, taking a deep breath before meeting those soft hazel-green pools again.
"Yes James, I meant it. I do love you, with all my heart. I'm doing what Logan asked me to when he died: to always take care of you, to always be there and not let anyone hurt you, ever. I'm doing all of this for him, and for you...because I love you, I love you James." Kendall admitted, expression soft as he gave James a small smile.
'L-Logie asked him to do this? For...me?' James thought in shock, looking away as he thought over everything he's learned in the course of only twenty minutes.
Logan loved him. Kendall loved him. Logan asked Kendall to take care of him, to never let him down like...like that one time Logan did himself. He and Kendall were like brothers, more like brothers and that he had been in pain at having to leave James behind. Logan wanted to marry James, to be there for the brunet and love him forever; the fact that as he died he asked the dirty blond to do all of this and more, knowing Kendall loved James too...Logan wanted James to move on.
He wanted the best for the brunet, and he knew that Kendall would do everything he could to make James happy.
Because like Logan did once, Kendall loved, loves, James with all his heart.
'He loved me, but also knows that Kendall won't let leave me. He will love me; it's not wrong that I feel this way about him, it's not wrong!'
"James, James are you alright? Please, say so-" Kendall was taken back when James kissed him passionately, longingly. The brunet wrapped his arms around the shorter boy's neck, melting into the embrace as the other responded minutes later; Kendall wrapped one arm around James's curved hips, the other cupping his right cheek.
Their lips remained pressed together until air was needed, both pulling away panting with flushed faces. Kendall seemed happy but at the same time confused, wondering what was going on in James's head. "J-James? Why did y-"
"Because of what you said, Kendall. You were right, who cares what others think about us being together? Logan would support us, I know it! He l-loved me, he loved me but I know he'd want me to be happy! To be happy and move on with someone really worth it; the three of us started off as friends and that hasn't changed even with all the drama that's happened. I love Logan still, I will always love him but you...you're my future! You're my present and I know my future is with you! You have been here with me since day one, and the love Logie gave me you give me as well! You always remind me that Logan loves me, wherever he is, and that nothing will ever change what we had!
James wiped at his eyes, smiling in spite of the hot, boiling tears running down his cheeks. Kendall gently wiped them away with his thumb, their foreheads brushing.
"But that's just it, I fell in love with you! I love you, who said I can't love you?! I grew to love you, more than just as a friend and I-I wouldn't ask for anything more! You've always been there for me, and I know that I will be happy with you! I love your smile, your laugh, your eyes, everything about you! How you're here, how you make me smile and that even though Logan's not here...you can keep him close. Your best friend, your brother, the person we miss every day. So I'm sorry, I'm sorry for letting what others say get to me! I love you! What we have isn't wrong and I know I will be happy with you! I love you, Kendall!"
James hugged the dirty blond tightly, burying his face into his shoulder. Kendall's arms met his waist minutes later, the heat from his body comforting.
"I love you too, James. And I promise, I'll always be here for you…"
James smiled at this, closing his eyes and breathing in the other's scent.
From the window, a ghostly figure stood dressed in white. A raven with wild, spiky hair and pale skin. His big mocha brown eyes watched this exchange with a fond look in his eyes, a glow surrounding him as he began to fade away. His smile faded into nothing, but his words lingered for a tad longer.
And what he said?
And what he said...was this:
"Take care of him, Kendall. Take good care of him, please…"
This one shot...it was inspired by the song 'Cuidala Bien'. It's a really beautiful song, the lyrics really speak to you and from those lyrics this story was born. It's about moving on and that sometimes life can be hell, but there's always a bright side to everything. Hoped you enjoyed it, even though there was a character death. :/ Please read and tell me what you think, I'd really appreciate it and hope this one shot keeps everyone busy while I wait for the weekend to come back around! Thank you, you very beautiful people, and I'll see you in the next one! :) Disclaimer: I don't own BTR! I also don't own the song that inspired this one shot, though I wish I did! I only own the plot of the one shot!
