Kendall's bad at the flirting. Sure, it's easy if it's with someone he isn't attracted to, he can carry a conversation and manage to get out that he would like to go out on a date. Badda bing, badda boom! He's got a date! But if he tries to flirt with someone he finds really attractive then his tongue swells and he can't use words and he sweats and it's fucking horrible.
So, of course, when he goes to the bar with James and his new boyfriend, Logan, he manages to find this adorable Latino that is friends with Logan and has a hard time forming words and talking to him.
Carlos, that's the adorable Latino's name, doesn't seem to notice or mind. He just smiles and talks animatedly to James and Logan and laughs and it makes Kendall have pain in his chest because it's beautiful and full of warmth. The perfect laugh.
And the boy's smile is better. It's big and bright and reaches his eyes and brightens up the dank bar.
In a way, for Kendall, it's love at first sight.
He doesn't say much the whole time, mostly just sipping at his beer as James talks about a new audition he has lined up for Saturday and Logan talks about how his professor is giving him extra books to read so he can broaden what he knows on some science bullshit that Kendall doesn't care too much to know about (and he doesn't know how James can seem so interested in it) and Carlos talks about the portfolio he's turning in for some photography class he's taking.
Kendall's eyes widen and he manages to get out a 'you're a photographer' and feels like an idiot because anyone who has a portfolio of photos they have taken for a photography class has to be a photographer and he tries to hide how much like an idiot he feels. If Carlos notices he doesn't say anything about it. He just smiles that smile Kendall is falling in love with and nods, a small hint of pride in the smile. Not so much pride that it's arrogant but enough to show that he loves what he does and getting recognized for it.
"Yeah! I wanna be a famous photographer some day!"
Naturally Kendall asks "What kind of photographer?" The general curiosity helps keep his voice even as he asks, interested.
Carlos mulls the question over, poking his bottom lip out as he does so and Kendall briefly has a hard time of keeping his attention on the whole of the Latino's face and has it just on his lips. But as soon as the other boy answers his attention is drawn to his whole face.
"Anything really. Mostly if I like something I'll take a picture of it."
Logan snorts and Kendall glances at him, a bit upset that he would make a rude noise at Carlos' remark, "Anything you like? How many times have you made me model for you?" It doesn't take long for James to give Logan a look, "He has pictures of you? What kind of pictures? Can I see them? Are you naked in any of them!?"
Kendall and Carlos laugh as Logan chokes on his beer and turns red, going into a spiel of how Carlos has not taken any naked pictures of him and how he should not get any ideas. This causes James to go into a long speech of how Logan should get naked pictures done and that they should have them done together and how they will magnificent and other such things. Kendall stops listening less than half way through it.
Carlos is laughing the whole time still, watching Logan sputter and tell James that no, they are not getting naked pictures and that he isn't allowed to flaunt them around and like hell is he posing on a bear skin rug.
Kendall only pays attention to Carlos' laugh. How crystal clear it is and cuts through the other laughing and chatter and the tv hanging in the corner of the room. It's a laugh that makes you feel good and forget about all the bad things in the world. That laugh guys always look for in someone. It's just perfect.
He doesn't notice when Carlos sees him staring. He's too busy looking and watching him that he doesn't know Carlos has stopped laughing and is looking back at him.
"...what is it?"
Kendall jumps a bit, shocked at being caught and sits up straight quickly, "Huh? Oh! Just...was just thinking..."
Carlos blinks at him and nods slowly and says nothing about it and Kendall again feels like an idiot. He hates it. He wishes he could act normal around everyone. He can talk to people easily but give him an attractive person and he becomes a bag of mush and screws things up.
He's actually shocked he's managed to have had girlfriends and boyfriends. Okay a girlfriend and a boyfriend. Jo was the first serious relationship he had that lasted more than a few weeks. It lasted months. But she had left and broken his heart. Then a year or so later he met Jett and they had gone out for seven months, but it had been pretty brutal on both ends.
Maybe there's something wrong with him. Maybe people don't like him and leave him. Does he want to do that to Carlos? Carlos seems like a great guy but could he handle it?
He scoffs at himself. What was he thinking? Not like he would end up going out with Carlos. Not any time soon. Probably not in the future. The guy most likely had someone.
"You really get stuck in thought a lot."
He glances over at Carlos, confused before he gives a nervous chuckle. He hadn't been staring at him but he had been staring at the ceiling for a good several minutes. Dammit. He really needed to get his head on straight.
"Sorry, didn't mean to.", he looked around, "Where did James and Logan go?" The two were missing from the table. He hadn't even seen them get up and leave.
"James got a call and went to answer it outside and Logan went to get them new beers."
Kendall nodded, "I see."
A long silence hung in the air. Very long.
Kendall doesn't know what to do. Just messes with the beer bottle, wiping the condensation off of the bottle.
"So, what do you do?", Carlos breaks the silence and looks at him. Kendall straightens up, knowing he doesn't really have much to share.
"Well, I work at a small music store down from me and James' apartment. Nothing fancy.", he shrugs. He doesn't go to school like Carlos and Logan and doesn't do an entertaining job like James. He works in a small and crappy music store that sells mostly odd cd's, low price guitars, and drums that have seen worse than Spinal Tap drummers.
It has to deal with music, which he loves, but it's not the best place.
Carlos gives him this look that lets him know that he thinks it's the best, "Wow? Really?!"
Kendall blinks at him, "Huh? You think that's cool?" Most people that hear about it think it's okay, then they see it and understand how shitty it is. The place is a little run down and belongs to some stoner guy that's only clear memories are about Woodstock and he believes sells weed in the back alley behind the building.
"Yeah!", Carlos grins and nods, "I haven't known anyone to work at a music store! Always wanted to work at one of those places, but I'm convinced I might buy everything rather than work…" Kendall laughed, he knew the feeling. He had felt the same too when he first started working there.
"I know. I think I spent my first three pay checks buying everything. The employee discount helped.", he shook his head. He couldn't count how many cd's he had bought. Of course he probably could have stolen all of them, what with the way his boss really didn't pay attention.
Maybe he could get some cd's for Carlos. He should find out what he liked.
Carlos laughed again. It seemed to get better each time Kendall heard it. It was the best sound in the world.
He really was over his head.
"What's so funny?", James and Logan walked back over, taking their seats again. Both looked amused, knowing type of looks on their faces that Kendall couldn't read.
"Kendall was just telling me about where he works is all.", Carlos gave a simple shrug, like it wasn't a big deal. It really wasn't.
James smiled and shook his head, "Crappy little place…" This got him a glare from Kendall that he ignored.
"I don't know, Carlos might like it.", Logan spoke up, taking a sip of his new beer, all nonchalant. James shoots him a look but it goes ignored, has Carlos and Kendall both grinning.
"Maybe you can show me the store sometime.", Carlos turns his attention to Kendall again, interest and childlike wonder in his eyes. Kendall was tempted to grab his hand and take him to the store right then, never mind that it was close till ten tomorrow morning.
Kendall nodded, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, "Uh, yeah! Sure! When ever you want!" He had a big smile on his face, heart beating in his chest frantically, and knew he was probably vibrating in his seat. He really was bad at flirting with attractive people.
Carlos grinned more, "Great! I can't wait!"
The rest of the night went smoothly, everyone talking and having fun and Kendall was getting better with talking to Carlos, still blushing and stumbling over words but getting better.
By the end of the night everyone was laughing and friendly and had a good time. James took Logan home so he could try to get some sleep before his test he had the next day and James needed to be well rested when he went to talk to his manager about an audition he had just gotten.
When they were gone Kendall was left with Carlos and it was a bit difficult to talk to him again. Without someone to jump into the conversation he didn't really know what to say, but he was trying.
"Well, I better getting going as well.", Carlos got up from the table, smiling. He looked at Kendall, who was certain he looked like a sad puppy, not wanting Carlos to leave. "It was fun. I'd like to do it again sometime." Kendall gave a quick nod, smiling instantly, a thing he was able to do really easily around Carlos, "Yeah, I would too."
Carlos grinned and searched his pockets a long moment before he pulled out a pen and took of the napkins on the table and wrote on it, "Here's my number. I expect you to show me that music store. I'd love to see it. And maybe we can come back here afterwards." When he was done he pushed the napkin closer to Kendall and walked away with a wave and a huge smile.
Kendall watched him leave, sad to see him go but then he looked at the napkin and his smile returned. Carlos had written down his number, in possibly the cutest sloppiest hand writing ever.
With a hop in his step and a dorky smile on his face, he quickly put the number in his phone, pocketed the napkin, and left the bar.
Perhaps he wasn't a total fail at flirting.