Eh, I liked this at first...it's funny that I was working on this even longer than A New Arrangement and that's so much better than this. I got so stuck halfway through and it's all rushed and blah...but it's very fluffy. And James is cute, I'll say that :P meh. Enjoy!
When people saw James, they took one glance at his handsome face, his perfectly styled hair and toned body and bright smile and immediately thought, this guy looked like a lot of fun. He looked like he knew how to party, get all the girls (well, guys, but they didn't always know that), come top in a glamorous job and live life to the full, on the edge every second.
James wasn't even a little bit like that. They only part even vaguely similar to him was that whole thing about getting all the guys. Not that he liked to brag, but getting dates wasn't difficult for him. The rest, however, was a mile off. He didn't have a glamorous job; he worked six (seven if necessary) days a week in an Italian restaurant, waiting tables. He didn't like to party; if he was thrown into it, then sure, he could enjoy himself, but he didn't go looking for loud music and alcohol and ecstasy. No, he was perfectly happy living a tame life. And at twenty four years of age, he wanted to finally find something special. Or rather, someone special.
He'd had plenty of relationships in the past, but they'd all been playful ones. At first he'd loved that kind of lifestyle, but as time went on he began to tire of casual sex and dates and make out sessions, and wanted real feelings. But nobody else ever seemed to, at least nobody he ever ended up with. His friend Logan, around the same point he did, also began to wish for love. He tended to have less relationships than James, being a bit more absorbed in work, but then miraculously, he found love with Camille Roberts. That was over three years ago. James had been looking for love for about four years. Still nothing serious, nowhere. He needed to find a lawyer or something, they were serious people.
Logan was even getting married really soon. In a month, actually. James was happy for him, of course he was, but he was also painfully jealous. Yes, maybe getting married at twenty four wasn't the most sensible option but he wanted to be married, dammit! If that wasn't proof that somebody really wanted a serious relationship with someone, he didn't know what was. None of his relationships had even involved that "hey, you can have this drawer for your things!" phase. It was just shameful.
And now here they were, chit chatting about Logan's stupid happiness and Carlos' eagerness to plan his 'party out of freedom' as he had always put it. So not only did Logan get to have a ceremony celebrating his triumph in the name of love; he got to have another party beforehand just to rub it in.
"Everyone knows the most important part of any man's wedding," Carlos said in a slow and dramatic tone, "is the bachelor party."
Logan scoffed, shaking his head. "And what about the whole 'until death do us part' crap that I also partake in?"
"Oh sure, if you wanna talk about all the boring serious stuff." Carlos rolled his eyes. "Anyway, because you need to have an amazing party, as in the best bachelor party ever, I will be planning it all. Now, remind me again; you're definitely bisexual?"
Logan nodded with a chuckle, and Carlos grinned. "Perfect." He turned to James. "And I assume you'll be coming, Diamond."
"Well . . ."
"Oh, come on!" Logan whined, smacking his arm. "It's my bachelor party! And if Carlos is planning it it's gonna be amazing!"
"See, that's the problem!" James argued. "I hate Carlos' parties!"
Carlos gasped, hand on his chest. "James, I'm heartbroken."
"Don't be offended, alright? I'm just not into strippers and body shots and huge messes everywhere and people running around no pants on."
"That's because you're boring," Carlos siad, the same time as Logan exclaimed, "Who the hell doesn't like strippers?"
"Okay, I like strippers. Just not at a party. I think they belong in a club. You should go somewhere to see a stripper, not go to a nice cheery party and suddenly have one spring on you like a wildcat looking for tips."
"Well, will you at least consider going?" Carlos persisted. "It won't take me long to arrange things, I wanna have it this Saturday, starting at eight."
"I'll be taking my nephew and niece to the movies on Saturday," James told him. "The Lego Movie showing is at seven."
"Then maybe after that? Come on."
"Well . . . I'll think about it."
"Great!" Logan and Carlos simultaneously ruffled his hair, grinning. There was no need for him to tell them that he had no intention whatsoever of going to that party. Never in a million years. It was nothing personal, of course. Just business. Or something.
"Everything is awesome," James hummed cheerily as he drove away from his sister's house. He always enjoyed spending time with Ali's kids; Emma and Andrew were just the sweetest things. They'd been delighted and entertained by the movie, and the toys from the Happy Meals he'd bought them beforehand.
He drove home to his building, pulling into his usual space and heading off into the lobby. He took the elevator up to his floor. However, when he got there he could've sworn he heard a very faint throbbing. With a definite and steady beat. He walked down the hallway towards his apartment, mouth gaping when the sound got louder. A terrible thought crept into his mid. He didn't . . .
He stopped in front of the door, hearing definite and loud party music coming from behind it. He figured he probably didn't need his key, and opened the door, walking inside.
The music and cheering was instantaneous and loud. The lights were dimmed, a few lights Carlos had bought dangling around to give that standard celebratory look. He could smell alcohol, could see it in cups and bottles all over the place, on tables and in people's hands and they swayed and grinned and laughed and cheered. Then a woman dressed in a minuscule blue corset, a g-string and fishnets walked past him, and he lost it. "Carlos!" he roared, barging through the crowds.
"Buddy!" Carlos exclaimed in delight, appearing by his side. "You made it, I knew you would!"
"What do you think you're doing?!" James demanded. "This is my home."
"Hey, I didn't manage to book a—"
"Oh, don't give me that shit," James snapped. "You did this on purpose."
"Well, maybe. But hey, my parties are the greatest!"
"I hate your parties," James grumbled, pushing past Carlos as he made his way towards the couch. Only to discover it was occupied by several laughing men and a stripper dressed in a tiny red skirt and the skimpiest bra he'd ever seen. Not that he'd seen a lot of them. "Come on, you don't mean that!" Carlos laughed, an arm wrapped tightly around James's shoulders. He refused to be swayed by James' foul mood. "Otherwise you wouldn't have shown up, right?"
"You threw Logan's bachelor party in my apartment!" James yelled in frustration. "I didn't have a choice, did I?" He looked around for something else to be mad about. "And why are there so many strippers here?"
"I hired them. There aren't that many, Jamie. Three girls, three guys. No big deal. The party guests love them. Logan seems to too." He pointed over at where Logan and some other guy James didn't know were happily grinding up against two strippers, a girl and a small dark guy. "But, you should've asked me first . . ."
Carlos chuckled, pushing his cup of whichever alcoholic beverage it was into James's hand. "But if I did that, I'd have to let you know where the party was, wouldn't I! Then you wouldn't have come." With that, Carlos sauntered off, cheering along to the music with some other party-goers. James sighed, pushing his way through the crowds of people. Maybe he'd find peace in his room. Or the bathroom, or somewhere. Fuck, he'd sleep in the bathtub, he didn't care at this point— "Hey, watch it!"
"Sorry," James mumbled, quickly sidestepping the man whose toe he'd trodden on, turning around in the direction of his room and suddenly coming face to face with a pair of very green eyes. "Sorry," he repeated, staring down at his drink.
"You look so tense, babe."
"Huh?" James looked back up. He called me babe . . .
Oh. The green eyes belonged to a man only an inch or two below him. He had thick dark blonde hair falling across his forehead, a smirk on his lips, a little dimple in his cheek that James found way too attractive. Then there was a bare chest, bare arms, bare stomach, all lightly muscled and sun-kissed skin. A pair of the tightest leather shorts James had ever seen –he wasn't sure if he could even call them shorts— were slung low on his hips, along with a pair of black boots. Well, now it made sense. James, not knowing what else to do, lifted his cup and gulped the entire drink down, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand afterwards. "I'm in a bit of a daze, these parties aren't really my thing . . ."
"Then maybe you need to relax," the blonde purred, smirk widening like a Cheshire Cat's as his hands moved up to James's broad shoulders.
"Umm, w-well, I guess I could try," James stammered nervously as the stripper stepped closer to him. He never knew what to do in these situations. "I, I take it Carlos hired you?"
"Uh huh. He throws great parties." The stripper ran a hand up to James's hair, ruffling it fondly before asking, "What's your name then? Party pooper?"
"James," James squeaked nervously as the blonde's other hand ran down over his chest. "Umm, and you are . . ?"
The blonde grinned, eyes glinting as he gave a coy little wink. "Call me Babydoll."
"Babydoll, that's, um," he cleared this throat and chuckled nervously. "That's an interesting name. I assume that's like, a stage name thing . . .?"
"Obviously." Babydoll rolled his eyes. "Not every guy I meet in these places is as numb as you are. I've gotta keep myself safe, you know?"
"Uh, sure."
"Great, so now that we've settled that," Babydoll reached out and took his hand, and he just about felt his heart stop, "Should I get you another drink before we dance?"
"Yes please," James squeaked. Babydoll turned and disappeared into the crowds, hips swaying. James felt that his cheeks were very very red. People danced around him and for a totally crazy second, he actually wanted to join in.
"Here you are."
He jumped and turned to see Babydoll standing there, holding out a red cup. "Drink up," he said, resting a hand on his hip. "You need to loosen up, just a little. This is a party, not a funeral."
"It could be Carlos' funeral by tomorrow," James grumbled, before tilting his head back and gulping down his drink. His throat burned and he coughed, "Shit—"
Babydoll clapped him on the back and he managed to suck the air back into his lungs, before unwillingly finishing his drink. He could already feel the effects seeping in and panicked a little bit. "I don't wanna drink too much," he roared over the music.
"I totally get it," Babydoll giggled, winking at him before taking his hands and yanking his body closer. James stumbled and stared in awe as he began to dance, hips swaying in a mesmerising fashion, muscles rippling, though he was much skinner than James. He gazed up at him through his eyelashes and smirked before, still holding James' hands, he turned around and began dancing right against him, grinding his ass lightly off his crotch. James let out some sort of mixture between a squeak and a grunt, blushing even more than before and laughing a little because that drink must've been pretty strong.
But he could control himself. He was a sensible and mature adult . . .
—Twelve minutes later—
James gulped down another shot, laughing and adoring the buzz it gave him. "This is the greatest party ever!" he roared, dancing and swaying with his hands fumbling at Babydoll's hips. "I'm having sooo much fucking fun!"
"It's about to get more fun!" Carlos laughed, clapping him on the back. He winked at Babydoll, who grinned and turned away, disappearing into the crowds. "Dude, where are your pants?!"
James looked down, seeing that he was just wearing his socks, blue button down shirt and boxers. He shrugged, laughing as he slurred, "Maybe I left em in the bathroom . . .?"
"Whatever, not important. Hey, Babydoll!" Carlos called and Babydoll appeared again, holding a shoulder of vodka. He handed it to Carlos before sitting up on the kitchen table. James watched the way his muscles flexed when he hopped onto the table, licking his lips. God, he was hot. His jaw dropped and he felt himself choking for air when Kendall flicked his hair back from his forehead and lay back on the table. Just in time for Carlos to trickle some vodka down over his chest and stomach, the liquid pooling in his abdomen. He grabbed a lime slice, James realised with a jolt, and held it out for Kendall to bite it. He did, holding it between his pink lips and folding his arms up behind his head, supporting it and beaming up at them.
"He's all yours, man," Carlos said, clapping James on the back. "You're welcome."
James dove forward, mouth landing on Babydoll's flat stomach to suck and lick up the vodka. It burned in his throat and his cheeks grew hot as he heard the blond moaning slightly, body flexing, purring like a little kitty cat. "Mmm," he keened, one hand moving to slide down his own body as if he were trying to turn James on. But he probably was.
James licked up his chest, lapping up all the alcohol he could before he reached his mouth. He leaned in and plucked the lime slice from between Babydoll's lips. He held it between his teeth and straightened up slightly, before turning away and spitting it out. He glanced back down at Babydoll's cute confused face. "I hate lime," he slurred. Babydoll laughed and James kissed him sloppily, tongue licking and prodding in his open mouth. This was the most fun he'd had in a long time. He never ever wanted it to end.
He tugged Babydoll off the table by his hand and suddenly they were pressed up against the wall, kissing filthily and panting and groping each other's bodies. James tore open the top button on his shirt and let Babydoll untie it the rest of the way, hands sliding over his body as James did the same and grasped his ass, palming it roughly and sticking a hand under his thigh to hoist it up against his hip. When he pulled back, a little trail of spit dangled between their mouths and he laughed loudly.
"We should totally bang," he cheered, grabbing Babydoll's hand again and tugging him through the dancing people. "It'll be so hot."
Babydoll suddenly slowed to a stop, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I don't sleep with clients, sorry hun," he said with a pout, giving James a little tap on the nose with one of his long fingers. "But if I met you elsewhere, trust me, I wouldn't say no."
"But I'm not a client," James whined. "I'm just a dude."
"I met you at work, so I consider you one."
"Uggghhh," James groaned, on the verge of stomping his foot in a temper. "But I wanna have sex with you! You're all sexy so let's . . . let's sex!"
Babydoll just shook his head, laughing a little. "I should get back to the party . ."
"What? Baby, no, don't leave me!"
But then the stripper vanished, and all he could see were party-goers. He stumbled through them, trying to spot Babydoll again. His apartment wasn't even that big, where did he go?!
At some point, James stumbled int his bedroom which, miraculously was empty. "I'll never forget his flawless smooth skin," he wailed, before dropping onto the bed and beginning to snore. He didn't really consider that whole 'blackout drinking' thing. Maybe he should have.
James woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and aching limbs. He opened his eyes a fraction and grimaced, blindly reaching for the covers and pulling them over his head. The light of the morning sun from the windows made his eyes water and sting. He yawned weakly, stretching out his sore limbs and finally opening his eyes properly, blinking a few times to adjust to the dimmer light. At last, he risked peeking out over the edge of the blanket. The light made him squint but it wasn't so bad now.
He sat up in bed, feeling his skin sticky with sweat. He was still wearing his work shirt, but it was unbuttoned all the way down. And he realised, with a shock, that he was only in his boxers and socks. What the hell had he been doing?!
He heaved himself out of bed, glancing at the floor and seeing one or two empty beer bottles. He sighed, leaning down to pick them up and walking out of his bedroom, down the hallway to the living room. He saw Carlos sitting on the couch, slumped over a cup of coffee and looking totally drained. There was confetti and streamers and empty paper cups all over the floor and furniture. He sighed. "Long night, huh?"
"You have no idea," Carlos chuckled. "Logan's knocked out in the spare room. You had a fun night, huh?"
"Well . . ." James sat down beside him. "I guess I did. I don't really remember."
"You don't?" Carlos laughed. "I'll leave you to come up with it on your own. It's not exactly a forgettable night. So, am I forgiven for throwing the party here? I'll help you clean up."
"Yeah, I guess I forgive you. And you will do all the cleaning up." James stood up. "However, I will make you and Logan some breakfast before you leave. That's my end of the bargain. Now grab a trash bag and get to work, chop chop!"
James fried some bacon and made toast while Carlos cleaned up the apartment. When Logan finally emerged from hibernation he fed them both and sent them on their way. Then he went to take a long shower. So, what had happened? As he scrubbed the sweat and stink off under the shower spray, he tried to piece it together. He'd obviously been drinking. His mouth hurt a little . . . did he get in a fight? No, Carlos said he had a fun night. A play fight . . .?!
This had never happened to him before. Was he totally losing his mind?
He got dressed and hurried to work, thanking The Lord that he only had a short shift today. His head was killing him and he felt like never ever ever going out ever again. Ever.
James didn't see Carlos or Logan much over the next couple of weeks. Logan was really busy with his wedding stuff, obviously, and Carlos had been hanging out with his family most of the time. But James was happy anyway; he got to have relaxing nights in front of the TV or with a book, no worries about socialising necessary.
Then one late afternoon, after work, he decided to go to the library and get some more books. Just books, nothing more. That was what he expected, at least.
He'd always kind of liked libraries; the silence was more comforting than eerie, most of the time anyway. He'd never been in one of those creepy old libraries with massive shelves; this one was very modern, with carpet on the floor and computers and everything. He headed straight to his favourite section, spotting the sign.
Well, so much for happy peace.
James examined the bookshelf, frowning and sighing when none of the titles caught his eye or seemed particularly useful. He'd been standing in the history section for over five minutes now, and he had not found a single good book. He gave another mournful sigh and turned around, glancing over at the front desk of the library. There were two very stereotypical looking librarians there; an oldish man and a younger woman, who was pretty but really, she looked like a librarian. Then there was a younger guy, with blonde hair. While the other two were busy, he didn't seem to be doing much. Which was why James decided to go ask him for some help.
"Hi," he said softly. "Can you help me with something?"
The young man looked up, smiling sweetly and leaning forward. James was startled; those bright green eyes looked awfully familiar. "Sure," he almost purred. "What can I do for you?"
"Um . . . I've been looking for some history books," James replied slowly, stumbling over his words. "I wanted to find out some stuff about Russia, with the revolutions and stuff during the First World War . . . but I can't find much to help me."
The blonde turned to his computer and typed something in, glancing at the screen for a second or two before nodding and saying, "I have some books here you could use." He stood up, walking around from behind the desk and towards the shelves James had been standing at. James followed him quickly.
"Hmm, let's see . . ." He took a book off one of the top shelves, standing on his toes to reach it. James's eyes focused on his back, how his shoulder blades strained against his shirt. Then his eyes strayed some bit lower. Damn.
He bent down to take a book off a lower shelf. James bit his lip.
Then he suddenly remembered loud pop music, a taste of vodka on his tongue. A tongue that wandered up the flushed skin of a pale and toned stomach . . . ". . . Babydoll?!"
"Shh!" a nearby man hissed, scowling at him before going back to his book.
James blushed as the blond turned around to face him. Then he grinned and nodded. "You remember me."
"Well . . . yeah," James stuttered. How could he not? Though admittedly, he hadn't up until that point.
"I wasn't sure if you did, that's why I didn't say anything. You were pretty drunk, after all." He turned back around and searched the book shelf for another minute, before turning back with two more books and handing them all to James. "There you are, that's the best we've got." He smiled sweetly. "So. You like history, then?"
"You're a librarian," James deadpanned.
Babydoll giggled. "I don't really call myself that. It's a bit weird."
"Does your other job not pay enough?"
"Nope. And I like it here anyway. The quiet is good and it's convenient for . . . well, my home situation I guess." He grinned at him. "So. What's you life like?"
"Long, tiring. I'm a waiter. But I do love history, I like to read about it." He reached into his pocket for his library card. "It's totally geeky, I know. But I wanted to teach it when I was younger. Who knows, maybe I still will. It's doubtful at this point, but I still enjoy it."
"That's cool. You've got it all figured out," Babydoll smiled. Then he held out his hand. "I never told you, did I? My real name's Kendall. Kendall Knight."
James shook his hand. He remembered when that hand had run down his chest seductively and gulped. "James Diamond."
"Want me to check out these books for you?"
"That'd be great . . ."
"Great!" Kendall took the books and the card from James, walking back to the front desk. His hips swayed with every step. James's cheeks flushed.
"So." Kendall scanned the books through along with James's card. "How's your friend, the one who was having the bachelor party. Logan, was it?"
"Yeah. He's okay. Their wedding won't be for another week or two . . ."
"He's young to be getting married," Kendall commented as he picked up the books and the card, giving them to James. "But hey, love is love I guess."
"Carlos thinks the same thing," James replied as he took the books and put them in his bag. "He's our friend; he threw the bachelor party for him."
"Oh yeah. He's the one who called. Seemed a fun guy."
James nodded. "So . . . do you go to a lot of parties? Like that, I mean?"
"That's usually what I do. I'm employed by a club but I don't work in there all the time."
"Oh." James paused, hands in his pockets. He bounced on his toes awkwardly. "So, um . . how does your girlfriend or boyfriend, or whatever it may be feel about that?"
Kendall giggled, cocking an eyebrow. "I'm not into girlfriends, and I'm single."
"Oh. That's . . . that's cool."
"Oh, really?" Kendall leaned forward, batting his eyelashes a little and smirking. "And why is that?"
James leaned forward too, deciding to play this game too. "Because I'm kind of interested."
Kendall bit his lip, cheeks flushing.
"So. What if I was to ask you out?"
"I'd be inclined to accept it."
"Dinner?"
"Sounds good. I'm free tonight."
"I'll pick you up."
"Seven." Kendall grabbed a notepad from the desk and scribbled down his address, handing it over. "It's not hard to find. Oh, wait!" He took the paper back and scribbled something else down before handing it back with a grin. "My phone number, just in case."
"Got it," James said, pocketing the paper carefully and vowing to guard it with his life. "Want me to give you mine?"
"Text it to me." Kendall's eyes fell on something behind him, and James turned to see a woman walking over to return some books. "I'm gotta get back to work. See you tonight, James Diamond. Don't be late!"
"As if," James murmured, waving to him and stepping back to let the woman go to him. As he walked towards the door, he turned around to see Kendall talking to the woman in a low voice, taking her books with a friendly smile. His eye caught James', and he was sure that he gave him a brief little wink. He smiled to himself and left the library. So now he just had to find a nice restaurant, nice clothes and maybe some kind of gift to flatter him with.
How about a nice new g string? Stop it James!
As it turned out, James didn't need any help with finding Kendall's home. It was a cute little two-storey house, with a car parked in the driveway and a small lawn at the front. He thought he could see some flowers, but it was difficult in the low light. A couple of the street lamps weren't working, though there was a little light above the front porch. He was about to get out of the car and go to the door when a face popped up at the window. It was Kendall. He waved and grinned at him, before disappearing and opening the front door a few seconds later. As he slipped on his jacket and headed down the driveway towards him, James opened the car door and held up the flowers he'd bought him. Extremely cheesy, yes, but he didn't want to risk trying anything out of the ordinary.
"Oh, are those for me?" Kendall exclaimed, taking them and sniffing them happily. "They're gorgeous, thank you! They smell so great."
"I'm glad you like them," James grinned, cheeks flushing as Kendall pecked him innocently on the cheek.
"I'll go put these inside, give me a second," Kendall said, turning and walking quickly back up the driveway to the open front door. James was surprised to see a dark-skinned woman appear there, who looked to be at least a few years older than Kendall was. A housemate, maybe? Kendall handed her the flowers and they talked for about a minute, before she closed the door and Kendall returned to the car. "Okay, I'm here," he announced chirpily, sliding into the passenger seat. "Let's get going, yeah?"
"Yeah," James replied with a smil,e starting the engine. They drove off down the street. "It's a nice neighbourhood," he commented. "How long have you lived there?"
"Oh, since I was eighteen," Kendall replied. "And yeah, it is nice."
"And how long ago was that . . .?"
"Oh, right!" Kendall laughed. "We don't know each other's ages, do we? My birthday's in November, I'm twenty two."
"I'm twenty four, my birthday just passed," James replied. "So . . ."
"By the way, I almost forgot," Kendall turned to look at James properly, looking a little apologetic. James was just driving into town and looking for a place to park as he said, "I've got to be home before eleven, Kelly's got to catch a bus to Minneapolis in the morning and needs to get up early."
"Oh, is that the woman I saw?" James asked. When Kendall nodded, James added, slightly puzzled, "So, is she your housemate?" He couldn't understand why a housemate needed Kendall home because she needed to get up early in the morning. Maybe she couldn't sleep alone or something—
"No, just my neighbour, she lives next door. She babysits for me too."
"She . . ." James parked much more sloppily than he'd intended to. He turned to gape at Kendall. "You have kids?!" Was this a deal breaker for him? He'd never dated somebody with kids, could he handle kids? Oh shit—
"No, no!" Kendall shook his head hurriedly. "Me? As if, who'd have kids with me, I'm as gay as Christmas. They're my siblings."
"Oh," James replied slowly. "That makes more sense, I guess . . ." He quickly got out of the car and ran around to open Kendall's door. Kendall got out, smiling gratefully and shutting the door behind him.
"I'm their guardian," Kendall said as he walked with James down the street. "Our parents died in an accident in the middle of my senior year."
"Oh, god. That's terrible." It was a terrible time to lose your parents, it didn't take a genius to figure that out. "I'm sorry . . ."
"It's okay . . . anyway, since I was eighteen at the time I managed to kind of cling on to them. We stayed with my aunt for a while but she's practically elderly and she couldn't be a fit guardian for them. I basically dropped out of school straight away to find a job and take care of them full time. I knew if I didn't have financial support for them, social services would take them away and they'd all get split up and I couldn't let that happen."
"So, you work at the strip club because it pays well?" James asked as they neared the restuarent he'd chosen.
"Yep. Obviously some of my money goes to the club but anything extra I earn at a party, I keep for myself. That's why I work in and out of the club. And I got the job at the library just for a bit of backup. Plus it's handy because the kids can go there after school and I can keep an eye on them while I work. Sometimes Kelly takes care of them. I'm so grateful to her for all the help she's given me."
"That's a nice story," James said slightly wistfully as he opened the door for him and they walked inside. "Table for two?" He said to the hostess, who nodded and grabbed two menus, leading them to a table. "I mean, it's sad, but it's nice. You really gave a lot up for them."
"They're everything to me," Kendall said, blushing as James pulled his chair out for him and he sat down. "Thank you. They're my whole family and they need me. Plus, I kind of need them."
"Tell me about them."
"Well there's Eloise, she's thirteen. She's really quiet, maybe it comes from being the middle kid for such a long time. Then there's Katie, she's ten, and she's so clever, it's unbelievable. Then Tommy is five and he's the baby. He was only a baby, really, when Mom and Dad died, so I've basically raised him. He's so sweet but he can be a bit shy, you know how kids are."
"Well, actually, I really don't," James chuckled. "I'm an only child."
"Oh. What's that like?"
"Well, pretty lonely. But it's also kind of cool because all the attention is on you."
"Yeah, that sounds nice," Kendall chuckled, picking up his menu for the first time and opening it up. "So, what's the food like here?"
"Really good," James told him, doing the same. "But if I were you, I wouldn't get the vegetarian pasta tubes, it tasted like sweet mush after a while . . ."
"I'll keep that it mind."
In the end, Kendall picked out the stuffed chicken and James got a steak, his usual habit that he never could break out of. "Interesting," Kendall chuckled, eyeing it as he cut his chicken up. "You like yours still walking."
"Does that creep you out?" James asked instantly, wondering about the million different outcomes that could come from this situation.
"No, no. I do too."
"It's nice to see we have something in common."
"Yeah, it is."
They tucked into their food and sipped from their glasses of white wine, laughing and joking and pouring each other more. Well, James poured Kendall some more, he didn't want to risk drinking too much. Plus, he liked the idea of a tipsy Kendall. He had a feeling he'd be a lot of fun to spend time with. He was enough of a party king when he was sober. Then again, that had been him on duty . . .
"I can't even remember the last time I ate out," Kendall chuckled as he and James tucked into the berry cheesecake they'd ordered for dessert. "It's a strange feeling."
"I guess you wouldn't get the time with the kids to take care of."
"Not just that. Nobody to go with." Kendall finished off his glass of wine. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I have friends. But we don't go out too often and as for dating, well . . ."
"Most of the men you meet are when you're working," James finished, able to guess. "And you don't date clients."
Kendall nodded in confirmation. "Exactly. But it's worked for me so far, going down the other road can usually only end in disaster."
James couldn't help flashing him a cheesy grin and a wink. "Except for me."
Kendall laughed, scooping up the last mouthful of his cheesecake. "Yeah. Except for you."
James insisted on paying the bill and the two left the restaurant, arms slipped casually around each other's waists. James opened the car door for Kendall, resisting the urge to give a little bow, and let the blond sit in before doing the same and driving him home. The little suburban estate was now in darkness, except for the faint light from the houses, and the bright street lamps over their heads. "Here we are," James announced, parking in front of Kendall's house. "Right on time."
"Thanks. Kelly will be pleased."
"Good!"
"So." Kendall grinned at him, cheeks slightly flushed as he said, "I had a really great time."
"Me too," James replied happily. "We should do this agin."
"Definitely, it was so much fun." Then Kendall leaned in, caught him totally off guard, and kissed him. He even gave his lip a quick little lap with his tongue, and then he was gone. Shit. What a guy. "I'll see you soon," Kendall chirped, giving him a playful wink before he opened the car door, getting out and bending over slightly as he did. James stared at his ass shamelessly. "Night!" he calld, waving before shutting the car door. As he strutted up to the front door, hips swaying, and stuck his key in the lock, he turned and glanced over his shoulder, and stuck out the thumb and little finger of his left hand, giving them a little wiggle by his ear. Then he opened the door, and disappeared inside.
James drove home, feeling light as a feather. He could still sort of feel Kendall's lips (and tongue) on his. God, he was hot. He wondered how things would go with him, because he'd never dated a stripper before. He'd dated fellow students, and people in the restaurant, or in other restaurants, or in different professions altogether. They'd lasted a couple of months at most before the whole thing just fizzled out. They just wanted some fun.
It really seemed like he was looking in the wrong place for something different from that. He danced scantily for a living, he partied for a living.
James arrived in the parking lot and stopped the car. He reached into the compartment between the two seats to grab his phone and wallet when he suddenly noticed. Kendall's black faux leather jacket was left crumpled on the seat. He picked it up, tucking it over his arm and leaving the car. He smiled to himself as he decided he could bring it back tomorrow. Hopefully he wouldn't miss it before then.
As luck would have it, James only had a short morning and lunch shift at the restaurant the next day. So at about three, once he'd signed out and nipped back home too change out of his uniform — so he looked good and didn't smell like food — he headed back to Kendall's place. He hoped that he would be home, but as far as he knew a lot of the local libraries were closed on Mondays. He wasn't disappointed as he saw the blond's car parked in the direvwat when he arrived.
James parked and grabbed Kendall's jacket from the passenger seat, leaving the car and locking it after him. The front garden was much prettier during the day, little daisies covering the grass, which was cut neatly. He walked up the paved path to the front porch and knocked on the blue front door. He heard someone yelling, in a high-pitched childish voice. Then a deeper voice, one he recognised, "Just a minute!"
A few seconds later, the door opened and Kendall stood there, hand pressed against the frame. He was wearing a casual cute little plaid shirt and dark jeans. They were dusty with flour, as was the red apron covering his chest. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw James. "Oh. Hi! What brings you here?"
"I brought your jacket back," James replied, handing it to him. "You left it behind."
"Oh, thanks. I didn't even notice." He held it under his arm, careful not to get any flour on it. "You busy? Come in for a while if you like."
"Kenny, who is that?" a voice piped up suddenly. James's eyes fell to where a young blond boy stood by Kendall's leg, reaching no higher than his knee. "This is my friend James," Kendall told him briefly, before looking up at James and adding, "This is Tommy. Remember, I mentioned him . . .?"
"I remember. Nice to meet you, Tommy." James grinned down at him. Instantly Tommy's face lit up in a wide grin and he dragged Kendall by the hand back into the house, roaring, "We're making cookies!" as a way of inviting James inside. Chuckling, James walked in and closed the door behind him, walking down the hallway into the kitchen. The table was covered in flour and dough and scattered chocolate chips and raisins and candy and a couple of rolling pins, one large and the others kid sized and made of plastic. Two girls stood at the table, one with blonde hair tied back in a braid, the other with brown hair and large eyes. "Eloise and Katie," Kendall introduced, pointing to the blonde first and then the brunette. "Girls, say hi to James!"
"Hi James," they chorused, looking up briefly before going back to their work.
"Sorry it's a bit chaotic in here, I wasn't expecting anybody," Kendall said a little breathlessly, hanging his jacket up on a rack. "I'd promised Tommy we could make cookies today and I left them to it while I made dinner . . ."
James glanced at the oven Kendall had pointed to, where a deep dish of what looked like lasagna sat and baked slowly. The smell of food in the room was very comforting, he found. "You cook?" he enquired, glancing at Kendall.
"I love to cook," Kendall replied, biting his lip and blushing a little as he started to gather stray pieces of dough from the table and crush them together into one larger ball. "My parents taught me when I was little, they both worked in a restaurant."
"Lucky. My parents work in cosmetics," James joked, earning a little smile from the blond. "Want some help?"
"It's pretty messy."
"I can handle it. Here, I'll clean this flour up."
Some time later, three trays of cookies waiting to be baked once the oven was free, lay on the table in front of them, the mess all cleared up. Though Eloise had some flour on her cheek and Tommy had some telltale chocolate smears on his chin. "You're so messy," Kendall laughed, kneeling down to clean him up with a wet cloth and pecking him on the nose. "Eloise, come here. I've gotta clean you too." Eloise groaned but did as she was asked.
"Are you staying for dinner?" Katie asked James suddenly, staring at him intently. James was caught off guard. "Um, I dunno . . ."
"Well, it's my turn to set the table. So I need to know," she told him grimly.
James glanced at Kendall for help, and Kendall chuckled, shrugging. "Well, I'd like to stay," James said at last, smiling a little nervously at her. "If there's enough for me."
"There will be!" she chirped, suddenly beaming. "Kendall always makes a lot." And off she went to fetch plates and glasses.
James found that he'd never been in a room more homely than this one. "Do you want juice, James?" Kendall asked as he poured apple juice into Tommy and Eloise's glasses, with Katie pouring cranberry and orange into hers. "Or is water okay for you? And I might have beer—"
"Water is fine," James interrupted, smiling at Kendall. "Thanks."
A few minutes later, with a bowl of salad and a plate of garlic bread set in the middle of the table, Kendall placed the dish of lasagna down too, beginning to scoop up helpings and serve them on the plates. "You're having salad," he said sternly to the three children. "No arguments. And yes, Tommy, I know you don't like the olives, you don't have to eat them."
The meal was loud and busy and bustling, laughter and chatter and the metal clanging of forks and knives hitting the plates as the children ate eagerly. James munched happily on the delicious food, watching Kendall every now and then, how he ate slower than the rest of them, taking his time and keeping an eye on them to make sure they didn't make any messes. Was this what being a parent would be like?
That thought caught him off guard and, a bit frightened, he quickly helped himself to more salad.
"They seem to like you," Kendall said later, after returning from the living room where he'd given the children a plate of the cookies they'd made. He set out a smaller plate and two cups of coffee on the table for James and sat beside him. "I'm glad of that. They can be bit headstrong when they want to."
"They're all adorable," James found himself saying. "They remind me of you, you know."
"Really?" Kendall flushed slightly, a goofy smile on his face. "People don't usually say that."
"Well, they're blind. They all take after you. I know they're not your kids, but . . . seriously." James grinned. "And Tommy seems to follow you around like a little puppy."
"Yeah, well." Kendall smiled. "He's like that, I guess. Always been a bit more dependent than the girls, though he's still little. And besides, he can't really remember Mom and Dad . . . he knows I'm his brother and everything, but I feel like sometimes he thinks I'm them, you know?"
"I know. It must be tough for him. Well, for all of you."
"It can be, but we manage. We love each other, that's all you need really." Kendall sipped his coffee, grimacing a little before adding in some more milk. "God, I can't stand strong coffee."
"Really?" James chuckled, sipping his. "I'm the opposite, the blacker the better."
"You're just strange."
"So are you."
"Am not!"
James just grinned, leaning and kissing him lightly. "Are too," he murmured against his lips.
He stayed until after Tommy and Katie had gone to bed. Eloise was lounging on the couch, flicking through the channels when he finally figured he should head home and get ready for work the following day. Kendall gave him a hug and very sexy kiss goodbye, adding on a little wink at the end and a playful, "See ya!"
To his disappointment, James didn't see Kendall again until the end of the following week. They went to see a movie together and grab a bite to eat, before going and making out on his car. That had been his favourite part, although it did make him feel like they were a couple of dumb teenagers in a wildly exciting sexual relationship. Carlos and Logan teased him relentlessly over it, but hey, he was happy. Very happy.
Then to his surprise, Kendall called and suggested he pop in and see him at work. He missed him, but was working a long shift. He figured it would make sense. James did agree, it was a logical plan. It just terrified him just a little bit. He thought about bringing someone along, but he knew it'd be better if he went alone. Didn't mean he felt comfortable.
So that night, James briefly showed the bouncer his ID before he slipped into the flashing strip club. And yes, he was not only slightly uncomfortable, but also nervous. He'd never gone anywhere like this by himself. Carlos or Logan or another friend would always be with him. He wondered what he should do first; maybe buy a drink? Or find a table?
"Hey cutie, can I help you with something?"
James turned and gulped nervously because yep, there was a topless girl right in front of him. Hey, at least she had some panties on . . . "Um, well." He cleared his throat nervously. "Actually, I'm looking for my friend. He works here." He felt her hand on his thigh and smacked it away quickly, laughing nervously. "Sorry, I-I'm not—"
"Not into chicks?" When James shook his head, the blonde girl shrugged cheerily with a hand on her hip. "No biggie, we get those in here simetimes. But usually they swing both ways since that's what we aim for."
"So, it's like . . ." James looked around. "A bisexual club?" When she nodded, he chuckled. "I didn't know that was a thing."
"It can be if you think of it, pretty good idea though! I mean, why should you go to two different clubs for different gender strippers? They're all in one!"
"I guess that makes sense," James said, shrugging. "So, um—"
"Right, your friend. Where do they work?"
"Umm, a dancer. Babydoll?"
"Ohh, right! Babydoll." The girl pointed. "He's on that stage, right over there by the sofas. Want me to bring you a drink?"
"Oh, that'd be great," James said. "Uh, just a beer is fine. I'll be over there . . ."
"No problem."
James walked across the club, occasionally having to just barge past someone because they were consistently in his way. He sat down on one of the sofas the female dancer had directed him towards, and looked up at the stage. Kendall was tangled around one of the metal poles, dressed in tiny silver shorts, ass cheeks hanging out a little as he swayed and ground his hips against it, showing off every asset he had to the audience. Many of the spectating men and women were shoving money into his shorts and James couldn't help wondering if that was uncomfortable. All that rough paper scratching against your special parts?
"Here's your beer," the stripper announced, breasts dangling in front of his face as she served it to him. He paid her quickly, hoping she would give him some personal space. She did, thankfully. "You came at a good time, he's almost finished up on the stage, he'll be on the floor like me in a few minutes."
"Oh, great!" James said happily. "Thanks."
She left again, and he turned his attention back to his boyfriend now sliding down the pole slowly and sensually, ass out to the crowd. He saw one or two hands reach out to grab it before he was straightening up and he was out of reach again. He really was good at his job, and he did seem to earn a lot of tips. James could see why he would work in a place like this. It wasn't the worst job he could have.
James watched him and tried not to think about hm dancing like that with no shorts on (which of course made him think about it more, and have to subtly place his jacket bunched over his lap), until the song ended. Then he stopped dancing, much to the disappointment of his audience, and hopped down off the stage, heading over towards the bar. James lost sight of him in the crowds and took another sip of his beer.
"Hi James!"
James jumped, looking up to see Kendall standing in front of him, holding a round empty tray and beaming. "I wasn't expecting you to get here so early."
"Y-yeah, well I figured I would, I wanted to see you . . ."
"Aww," Kendall cooed, sitting beside hm and kissing his cheek. James blushed. "You're such a sweetie. So, what did you think?"
"I thought you were amazing," James replied, finally managing not to stutter. "I mean, I already saw you dance at Logan's party but this was different. You're a natural."
Kendall chuckled. "A natural topless dancer, yep. That's me. Can I get you anything?"
"Um, well I drove here so I don't wanna drink too much . . ."
"A virgin cocktail on the house?"
"Uh, sure. Surprise me. They won't mind?"
"Not if I tell them who you are. I'll be right back." Kendall got up and swayed off into the crowd, a few pairs of eyes following him as he did, both male and female. James sat back and finished his beer, finally able to relax. He thought about inviting Kendall to see him where he worked; it would be a totally different scene to this. But hey, he liked cooking, he liked restaurants, he liked food, he liked James. It could work out pretty well.
He glanced to his left, and he realised he had a pretty good view of the bar. He saw Kendall casually leaning his elbows on it; well, he saw the back of him. A very nice view, in fact. When he saw he wasn't the only one enjoying it, he felt a pang in his chest. There were two men watching him, sitting on bar stools. One elbowed the other, grinning and pointing at him, murmuring something in his friend's ear before stepping towards Kendall and placing his hand on his hip.
Kendall reacted as though he'd been electrocuted, turning to glance at him with wide eyes. The man said something to him as his friend got up, moving to the other side of Kendall. Suddenly he was surrounded, and smiling politely, talking to them, but James saw the slight downturn of his mouth when they kept touching him, the little frown and the wider smile of relief as he got his drink from the bar, put it on his tray, and hurried away. They watched him go, still smirking. One of them took out his wallet.
"Here you go," Kendall announced, beaming at him again and handing him the large glass of a pale blue drink. "Pineapple and orange juice, crushed ice, grenadine, some blue colouring. We call it Bluebell."
"Interesting," James commented, taking it from him and sipping it. "Thanks. It's really good."
"Good." Kendall smiled sweetly at him, before hearing someone call his name (well, stage name) and turned around. It was the men from before. He sighed. "I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"
"Take your time," James said reassuringly. However, as Kendall left, James could still see him, and kept an eye out as he drank his cocktail. Kendall walked back to the men, turning to the one who held out a wad of cash to him. Kendall sighed, visibly unhappy and tucked it away safely. Then he pressed his hands to the man's chest and pushed him down onto one of the nearby sofas, climbing on top of him and straddling his lap. He started to sway his hips lightly back and forth, the man staring hungrily at him and prodding at his bare waist, even as Kendall gently smacked his hands away. James wondered for a stricken moment what on earth he was doing and felt unbelievably hurt, but then he realised; Kendall was giving him a lap dance. It seemed fairly obvious now.
The lights in the club and the glamorous stages, the glitter as far as the eye could see started to fade in James' eyes. He suddenly saw the job for what it really was; serving drinks and swaying for people who couldn't keep their hands off of you. He was never one to think pitying thoughts about people who worked in the vastly immense sex trade like Kendall did, but somehow now, as he watched him smack his customer's friend's hands off his ass, he truly wondered if it was as carefree as it seemed. And then there was that whole thing with needing to create a fake name for safety purposes . . .
The club became less of a party zone, and more of a prison.
Kendall and James met up for coffee the following afternoon. Kendall sat down across from him, the second to arrive, with his honey nut muffin and foamy cappuccino, grinning and kissing him. "Heya, what's up?"
"Nothing much, and you? How are the kids?"
"They're great, really great." Kendall sipped his coffee and smirked playfully. "So. Last night. . .?"
"O-oh, yeah, it was interesting. Er, very interesting. Well, actually . . ."
"Uh huh?"
Oh god, here I go. James swallowed nervously. He kept in mind that he had his boyfriend's best interests at heart, it made him a little braver. "I wanted to ask you about your job."
"My job? Oh." Kendall's open grin dropped to a different kind of smile; a puzzled and uncertain one. "What about it?"
"Are you happy there?"
And the smile dropped to just a puzzled frown. "I don't understand," Kendall replied, brow furrowed. "What do you mean? It's a job."
"Well, yeah. I'm happy at my job, people can be happy with their jobs. I know you like your job at the library . . ."
"Oh. Um," Kendall pressed his lips together for a moment, thinking it over and at last replying, "I guess I'm not. I never thought about it until now."
"You didn't look like you were enjoying it," James burst out. "You and the men, I was watching you and you just looked frustrated the whole time, trying to stop them touching you and stuff . . ."
"It can be annoying," Kendall sighed, putting his coffee cup down.
"Well, why don't you quit?"
"I need money, that's why I started. And what else would I do anyway?"
"I've been thinking . . ." James bit his lip. "Last night I was thinking about it and stuff, and um . . . well, maybe you could take shorter shifts at the club, maybe do your little party thing, then do something else in that spare time. Like a course . . ."
"Classes?" Kendall echoed, puzzled. "College classes?"
"Y-yeah," James stumbled. "They have evening classes in a lot of things for people like you I suppose, mostly 'mature' students but I'm sure you can. Like something to work in maybe an office, finances, or languages . . . or maybe culinary arts . . ."
"Being a chef." This time it was more of a statement. His eyes were slightly unfocused.
"Exactly. I'm not saying I love to wait tables but I, I love meeting new people." James stirred his coffee in a slight daze. "I love meeting tourists and telling them my favourite places when they ask, I love meeting the locals and business people when they ask me my opinions. I love seeing them smile at me and tell me how much they enjoyed coming and when they give me tips just for being polite, it's a nice feeling, you know? And you told me that you love cooking."
Kendall was still looking away from him. He opened and closed his mouth twice, before clenching his lips together and finally turning towards James again. James, admittedly, was afraid of the response he would get. But then Kendall let out a pretty breath and asked timidly, "Do you really think I could do it?"
"I think you could. I think you should."
"But I . . . oh god, this is scary." But he was grinning. "What about the kids though? I can't keep asking Kelly to babysit for me, I might have to take on extra shifts at the c,ub when I get spare time or with parties . . ."
"I can do it." Crap.
"You'd really do that for me?" Kendall exclaimed, eyes wide, face lighting up adorably. James was sure he had visibly melted.
"Of course I would, I'm your boyfriend. We look out for each other, right? You'd do it for me."
"Oh, of course I would!"
'Then why are you so surprised?"
"I don't know . . ." Kendall's cheeks were flushed. He sipped his cappuccino and then smiled playfully at James. "I guess I'm just in awe of how amazing and supportive you are."
James squeaked. "T-thanks." The highlight of that sentence for him, naturally, had been 'amazing'. He wondered if he was letting himself fall too hard again. But he knew damn well he couldn't stop himself now. There was nothing to grab onto.
When people saw James, they took one glance at his messy hair at every departure from that cute suburban house, his paint stained jeans and frequent trips to purchase kids meals at a takeout and thought that this guy definitely had kids. He looked like he had maybe two or three, a noisy bunch, but people he knew he couldn't live without, even if they exhausted him.
James was starting to feel a little like that. Of course, they weren't his kids, they weren't even Kendall's. But he spent a lot of time with them these days, getting the hang of cooking for them and cleaning up their messes. They watched TV and played board games together, or sometimes they were happy just doing little individual things while he supervised, ready to step in if he needed to. He stayed over some nights, where Kendall arrived home and the kids were asleep and he wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing him in greeting and reminding him how great he was, and how much he loved this new course, and how he couldn't thank him enough. Though his efforts to thank him were quite sufficient.
He'd babysat plenty of times before, for different people and at different ages. Obviously this was different. He really felt an emotional attachment to them, which he knew came from his emotional attachment to their guardian. He felt himself falling for Kendall more day after day, and it was starting to really daunt him. He found he could just lie awake an extra half an hour after they were spent and the blond had fallen asleep, and just watch him breathing softly, sometimes tossing and rolling onto his belly to cuddle into the pillows, or to James. This was really becoming something he needed in his life. He wanted to be with Kendall all the time. And hey, if the kids were there, that was great too. Alone time, kid time, didn't matter. As long as they were together.
Eloise, Katie and Tommy seemed to enjoy his company just as much as he enjoyed theirs. Tommy began to cling to him just as he did to Kendall.
And Kendall left the strip club. Of course, he still worked for them, doing parties and private events. But he didn't dance on the stages anymore. It meant he earned a little less money, but despite the extra events he worked, he still had more evenings off. Which meant more time to study for the classes, and more time to spend with James and the kids, or finishing housework he finally had the time for.
He had his first job interview some few months after his short course began. He came home with a crestfallen expression, grieving that he'd totally messed it up and there was no way in hell he would get the job. And he didn't. But he put on a brave face before his next one. An the next. And the stripping events that followed. James remembered that dark and desperate place that was "between jobs" and was so relieved he wasn't stuck there right now.
James was playing a game of scrabble with Eloise and Katie (Katie was frighteningly skilled at it) with Tommy sitting beside him and colouring when Kendall got home at about six o'clock, from another interview. And this was the true beginning of his new life.
"I got a job!" Kendall shrieked, running into the living room. There were tears in his eyes. "In a real professional kitchen! Me!"
James gasped, leaped to his feet, grabbing the blond's flailing hands. "Are you serious?!"
Kendall nodded frantically, tears spilling over. "I can't believe it, the manager really liked me and just offered it to me at the end of the interview, and the head chef liked me too, I met her and she's so sweet and I'm so excited—"
"This is amazing!" James cheered, the children running and hugging Kendall, cheering too. "Your hands are shaking."
"I can't believe this is happening to me," Kendall said breathlessly. "I'll have to take even less club events now until I eventually just stop. It's so bizarre, I've worked there for so long . . . but I know I'll love the change, I just know it."
"I'm proud of you," James grinned, pecking him on the lips. "You've gotta keep going on and making this dream come true for yourself, okay?"
"Okay," Kendall said softly, nodding. "Thank you. I couldn't have had the guts to do this without you."
"It was nothing. I just want you to be happy."
"I am happy," Kendall murmured, hands pressed against his shoulders, their noses bumping together. "You make me so happy."
Katie let out a loud cough.
"And so do all of you, of course," Kendall added, rolling his eyes and turning to them, holding out his arms. "Family hug, come here!"
They all laughed, all hugged him close. James watched and didn't feel out of the loop. Rather he felt like he belonged, and felt proud of it.
Later that evening, Kendall seemed eager and efficient when he put Tommy to bed and Katie and Eloise went too. Once they were alone, he pounced where James was sitting cluelessly on the couch, greeting him with a long passionate kiss and suggesting, with a little sway of his lips and a wink that they celebrate this new chapter in his life. Really, it was both their lives. But James didn't correct him, instead nodding and following him upstairs to his bedroom.
When they made love, as James liked to call it, in this way, it was often taken slow so they wouldn't wake anyone sleeping in the next room. There was a lot of giggling, a lot of voice muffling with the comforter and pillows, a lot of loud moans covered up by gentle kisses.
"James?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, anything."
"Okay, good. Um . . ." Kendall rolled onto his belly, leaning up on his elbows and smiling at James. The brunet grinned up at him, reaching and thumbing his flushed cheek. The two were still sweaty and struggling a little for breath, naked bodies blush pink and heartbeats beginning to slow. "So we've been together for a while. And it's been really amazing, I feel like we really click, you know?"
When James nodded, a little nervously, Kendall continued. "I guess what I'm trying to ask is if you feel, um, like I do, that we should take our relationship to the next level . . ."
James felt his heart begin to beat much, much faster. "Y-you mean . . . like, sharing drawers?"
"What?" Kendall frowned. "Why drawers?"
"Oh, you know, I just . . ." James looked down at the mattress, feeling his palms start to sweat. "It's just that whole 'you can have this drawer for your things' stage . . ."
"Well, I was actually thinking more along the lines of us just sharing a place."
James squeaked, mouth gaping open as he stared back at the pink faced Kendall. "Don't freak out, I know it's a big step . . . there's no pressure or anything, really, especially since it'd kind of have to be you moving in here, you don't have room in your place for the kids, so—"
"I would love to move in with you," James interrupted. "I mean, god, I'd love it so much. You're serious."
"I am," Kendall chuckled. "I've never been in that stage with a guy before—"
"Oh, neither have I! I thought I'd never get there."
"Well." Kendall grinned, leaning in and pressing his lips against the brunet's. "Surprise," he added when he pulled back. "I love you."
"And I love you," James replied, grinning, tugging Kendall back down to rest against his shoulder.
When people saw James, they took one glance at his handsome face, his perfectly styled hair and toned body and bright smile and immediately thought, this guy looked like a lot of fun. He looked like he knew how to party, get all the girls (well, guys, but they didn't always know that), come top in a glamorous job and live love to the full, on the edge every second.
James wasn't even a little bit like that. He didn't need to be like that. He had his beautiful boyfriend, who was perfect in every way imaginable. They had three wonderful children, and he felt so welcomed into their family. He didn't have a glamorous job; it was long and tiring, and he only got more exhausted when he came home to a messy house and frequent arguments over broken toys or the TV remote. He and Kendall sometimes fought. The usually made up within the hour.
He'd had plenty of relationships in the past, but they'd all been playful ones. And at twenty five years of age, he'd finally found that someone special.