Disclaimer: I don't own BTR, sadly, if I did it would not be on Nick
Pairings: Eventual Carlos/James, possibly Kendall/Carlos and Logan/Carlos. I'm not sure.
Summary:An AU of BTR that sort of blends in with canon. Carlos is a hooker, James sells drugs, Logan cooks meth, and Kendall needs to find three roommates before he's evicted from his apartment because he can't pay the rent. When the four unlikely friends hear about a chance to audition for a boy band, they jump at the chance to make better lives for themselves.
Warnings: Language, sex, prostitution, probable drug use. It's a very grown up version of BTR people.
3
We're Too Far From the Start
The dreaded pink notice of impending eviction is stapled to his door when Kendall opens it in the morning, after he's sure the landlord has gone. Reality hits him like a truck, only it smashes dreams instead of bones.
Shit.
He has a week to come up with almost a thousand dollars. If he even somehow manages to find a job the most he stands to make is a couple hundred bucks at best. There's no way he can make enough. He has to come up with a plan to pay off the rent or he's going to be sleeping on the sidewalk in seven days, out in the Minneapolis summer heat.
He has an idea.
The flyers are ugly ass cheap things. He couldn't waste what little money he had left on getting nice ones printed out. He made do with a pack of magic markers and scratch paper from the bottom of the recycling bin. It's not professional, yeah, but whoever is desperate enough to take him up on his offer isn't going to be expecting lamination and neat, bold text. They look okay, he's spelled everything right, the paper isn't stained. They'll do.
He doesn't know what to look for. There aren't neon signs that come over people's heads announce if they're looking for a place to live. It'd be great if there were, but there aren't, because the universe isn't that kind.
"Hey." He goes up to the first guy to come around the corner. He's got a gray hoodies on, with the hood up to cover most of his face, and ridiculously large, expensive sunglasses that match his black leather boots. Kendall thinks he can see a purple bandana under the dude's long bangs, which is weird, but beggars can't be choosers. "You thinking about moving?"
"Not really." The guy tries to go past him, Kendall doesn't let him, he widens his plants his feet firmly on the ground and won't budge, makes sure to move into his way.
"Well, if you change your mind or you know someone who is, take a look at this." He folds his flyer into a neat square and gives it to him, relieved to see it shoved into the back pocket of the navy blue skinny jeans rather than tossed into the garbage.
One down; only four dozen more flyers to go.
The next guy has a shifty look about him. His eyes are water bright, red rimmed, and he smells strongly of cleaning chemicals and has the unmistakable odor of burning about him. He could be a smoker or a janitor, or something else entirely, but he looks like he could use a place to live.
"Are you looking for an apartment?"
"Maybe." The guy sniffles, rubs a hand through his brown hair, and a little piece of ash flutters out. Weird. "Are you looking for someone to lease your place to?"
"No, I'm looking for a roommate or two."
"I don't know." He shakes his head, but he's the first interested person Kendall's seen all day. He needs his money.
"Utilities are included in the rent, food too."
"How much?" He has him; he might keep his apartment yet.
"I dunno, like, three hundred a month?" It's reasonable, pretty cheap for electricity and water included.
"Deal." The little dude slaps a wad of cash into his hand. That's kind of suspicious, definitely suspicious, but who is he to judge? "That's six hundred; I'm paying for two months in advance."
"Cool, here's the address." He gives out his second flyer, relief flooding his blood, settling his nerves and calming the erratic beating of his heart.
"I'm Logan; I'll be back with my stuff at the end of the week."
The sun has already sunk halfway down in the sky. The day is at its longest hour, the summer heat and sun shorten his shadow to almost nothing. He's about to take a break for lunch, pay off what he can with his landlord, and hope for an extension of no one else comes through. Six hundred is good; six hundred is enough to maybe get him another week or two before he's out.
He's trying to peek around the side of the building, to see if anyone is coming, when he's smashed into from behind. His flyers scatter, drifting through the air, landing on the sidewalk delicate as butterflies, spread out in every direction.
"Dude!" His nose feels like it might start to bleed any second and his hands sting with cuts that produce big, fat droplets of blood that sit on the surface of the wounds and threaten to fall but don't. "Watch where you're going!"
"Uh." The guy who hit him is small, wearing black jeans that are too tight for anyone to be wearing, guy or girl. He can practically see his dick in his pocket. His shirt's no better, tight in the chest and torso, without sleeves. He's dressed pretty gay, really, terribly gay, like he's on his way to live on a rainbow. Kendall doesn't care if he's gay, dudes love who they love and fuck who they fuck, he isn't going to knock on something that's just another aspect of human sexuality. Just 'cause he doesn't want to try it himself doesn't mean it's wrong.
"Shit, man." He blows on the cuts to alleviate the sting, wincing. "What the fuck?"
"No hablo inglés." The guy says it rushed, panicked. He obviously understands.
"No, I'm not mad. You just surprised me and scraped me up a bit."
"Sorry. I have somewhere to be." He looks busy, bouncing on foot to foot, and he smells very sweet. He's wearing perfume like a girl. He smells like apples and lilacs, but manlier too. Kendall can't explain it; it's not bad, just different. It must be a gay thing.
"Hold up, if you're in the market for a new apartment, I need some roommates."
"Thanks!" He takes the paper, grinning, stuffs it into the side pocket of his impossibly tight jeans.
Kendall watches him sprint away and feels more than a little hopeful.
IDK yet if I'm going to continue. I have more in mind, let me know if anyone is interested in reading more. 3
Besos y brazos