Author's notes: sdkgjnsdkjgnsjdnsd I'm seriously overwhelmed at how much you guys seem to like this story! Honestly, your comments and reviews make me happy (and some of them even make me laugh. I'm looking at you, Mr. President - your last review made me laugh entirely too hard). As always, review and comment if you want to; I love to hear from everyone.
Speaking of which, I would like to address that I will be putting fluff into this fic. It'll be scattered at times and it may come with a spattering of smut, but it won't be all angst, drama and sex, I promise. ;)
As for James finding out about Carlos, I can tell you this: keep reading and you'll find out!
This chapter is the second part (/conclusion) to the sixth installment, seeing as I couldn't fit it all into one chapter.
Oh - it may be another day (or almost two) until I update again. I've been working on this fic every night for a week straight, so I may give myself a break, but I may not. Who knows?
Characters: Kendall, Carlos, Christopher Knight.
Warnings: a moderate amount of fluff and cuteness, then some arguing at the end.
After sleeping for a while, Kendall wakes up and forgets where he is for a second, before feeling Carlos' arms wrapped around his torso, the other boy's chest pressed against his back and warm breath hitting the nape of his neck. Shivering, Kendall moves a hand down and runs his fingertips over Carlos' forearm, listening to the deep sounds of his breathing, a smile on his face. He wonders what Carlos is dreaming about and wonders if this thing between them will go anywhere, secretly hoping that it does.
Carlos shifts behind him and sighs deeply, tightening his hold around Kendall's waist, placing a small kiss to his shoulder, smiling against the warm and still sweaty skin.
"Evening," he mutters, letting his lips brush along Kendall's shoulder slowly, feeling him shiver again. "How'd you sleep?"
Biting his lip, Kendall lays his arm against Carlos' and then smiles. "I slept perfectly. How about you?"
"Same. It's nice to have someone to hold onto," Carlos laughs and gives Kendall's shoulder one last kiss before pulling away. "Do you know what time it is?"
"Um," Kendall hums as he reluctantly moves away from Carlos, reaching across the mattress to turn his clock around. "Holy shit! It's a quarter after five!"
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Kind of, yeah. Let me go see if anyone's home." The arms around his waist pull away and Kendall stands up, grabbing a random article of clothing off the floor before slipping them on. When he looks down, he realizes that he grabbed Carlos' briefs and blushes deeply, turning to smile at the other boy before leaning across the bed to kiss him softly. "I'll be right back."
Carlos chuckles and nods his head, licking his lips when Kendall pulls away. "I'll be right here. Grab my shirt while you're down there, please?"
As he straightens up, Kendall nods and watches as Carlos moves onto his back, folding both arms underneath his head; when he moves, the sheet slides down to his lower abdomen and Kendall swallows, tearing his eyes away from Carlos. He moves toward the door and opens it slowly, stepping out into the hall quietly, looking up and down it quickly.
He doesn't see anything and moves toward the stairs, taking them quickly, eyes scanning the living room and the foyer before he steps off the last stair, moving into the kitchen. It's evident that no one is home, but Kendall does a quick sweep of the house anyway before moving into the living room to grab Carlos' shirt and his cellphone. Pulling the shirt over his head, Kendall looks down at the way it hangs off his body and his heart thumps quickly when he realizes that he's in Carlos' clothes.
Colour creeps along his face and Kendall checks his phone as he walks back up the stairs, noticing a text message from both his mother and his father; he checks the one from his mother and it says she's working a double shift and won't be home until late in the morning. The second message, from his dad, says that he'll be coming home later since his mother's working and he wants to have a late dinner with Kendall. Groaning quietly, Kendall moves into his room and replies to his mom with 'Don't work too hard. Love you.' Once that message is sent, he sends one to his dad that says, 'What time are you going to be home exactly?'
"No one's home," he mutters when he moves to the bed, setting his phone down on the nightstand, glancing at Carlos, who's looking at him with a slight grin. "What?"
"You're wearing my clothes," Carlos points out, nodding to the shirt, the grin on his face spreading. "You look good in them," he adds, licking his lips.
Kendall blushes again and sits on the bed, folding his legs under one another. "Thank you."
"No problem." Chuckling, Carlos sits up and mimics the way Kendall is sitting, leaning in to kiss him gently. "You wanna play twenty questions now or do I need to be clothed for that?"
"You can be naked if you want," Kendall replies, grinning a little.
"But you're a bit overdressed for this occasion, don't you think?"
Looking down at the shirt, Kendall bites his lip and nods, pulling the fabric over his head, tossing it onto the end of the bed. "How's that?"
"Better, but don't you think I should put some underwear on, too?" Carlos moves a hand to Kendall's chest and strokes it lightly.
"I'm wearing yours," Kendall says smugly, grinning as he moves his fingers along the back of Carlos' hand slowly. "But you're welcome to a pair of mine, if you really feel out of place with your nakedness."
Carlos rolls his eyes and shakes his head, laughing as he drops his hand to Kendall's thigh. "I think I'm good with the sheet. So, twenty questions?"
"We're not really going to play that, are we?"
"No, of course not," Carlos replies, rolling his eyes again. "I'm going to ask more than twenty questions, and I hope you ask me more than that."
Nodding, Kendall smiles and licks his lips. "Alright. You start, since it was your idea."
"Alright. What's your last name?"
"Don't laugh at me," Kendall warns, blushing when Carlos laughs and promises that he won't. "My last name is Knight."
A grin tugs at the corner of Carlos' mouth and Kendall smacks his hand lightly. "I'm not making fun of you! It's a great last name, but I expected something different. Something... rich or exotic."
"Just cause my parents are rich?" Kendall asks, quirking a brow.
"Pretty much, yeah."
Kendall rolls his eyes and laughs. "Alright, so what's your last name, then?"
Pursing his lips together, Carlos shrugs. "Garcia," he replies, smiling at Kendall when a grin takes over his lips. "Did you expect anything different?"
"Yeah, maybe something a little harder to say."
"Is it because I'm Mexican?" Carlos teases, winking at Kendall.
"Of course." Laughing, Kendall nudges his knee against Carlos'. "Your turn."
Carlos hums and moves his hand down Kendall's thigh slowly. "You play guitar, right?" He nods toward the corner and smiles.
"Yep. Guitar, piano, and drums," Kendall answers, putting his hands on the outside of Carlos' thighs.
"That's hot," Carlos mumbles, licking his lips slowly. "Your turn."
Screwing his face up, Kendall thinks and rubs his lips together. "How old are you?"
"Does it matter?"
Kendall shrugs and laughs. "Not really, but I'd still like to know. You said you graduated a few years ago, so I was just wondering."
"I'm twenty," Carlos answers, smiling. "I'll be twenty-one in August."
"Noted." Laughing, Kendall leans in and kisses Carlos softly. "Your turn," he whispers as he eases back slowly.
Carlos' eyes flutter shut and he breathes in deeply. "When's your birthday?"
"November," Kendall answers. "Did you always want to be a mechanic?"
"Not always," Carlos mumbles as he opens his eyes, looking at Kendall. "It was kind of a last-resort thing, you know? My parents saw me going down a 'dangerous' path and Gustavo saw it too, you know, so he offered to teach me everything he knows. Logan too, because he was just as screwed up as I was. Now we're on the right path and we're both happy."
As Carlos speaks, Kendall nods his head and rubs his thighs. "I'm glad you're happy," he says softly, smiling a little.
"Me too." With a small chuckle, Carlos moves his hands to either side of Kendall's neck, thumbing across his jaw. "What do you want to do with your life? Like, career-wise."
"Something that deals with music." After a pause, Kendall grins. "I want to be a producer or I want to become a performer and share what I love to do with millions of people. I want my music to make someone happy some day," he adds, a small blush creeping along his cheeks.
"That's great." Carlos smiles and rubs Kendall's neck slowly. "Will you play something for me sometime?" When Carlos says that, Kendall suddenly remembers how Camille asked the same thing and he nods, ducking his head a bit as he blushes more. "What are you blushing for?" Carlos asks, laughing quietly.
Shrugging, Kendall plays with the sheet covering Carlos' lower half. "I dunno, I'm just not used to people hearing me play, that's all. No one's been forced to sit through a performance of mine for years," he admits, licking his lips.
"Well," Carlos starts, leaning over to rest his forehead on top of Kendall's, mumbling, "I wouldn't be forced to do anything. I want to hear you play, and you can take all the time in the world to do it for me. I won't pressure you into it, you know."
And the strange thing is, Kendall does know that Carlos would never pressure him into anything; he can tell it by the way Carlos speaks and touches him, fingers light as a feather against his skin. The whole thing makes Kendall smile and he lifts his head, pressing his forehead against Carlos', the tips of their nose touching.
"Who's turn is it now?" He asks, studying Carlos' eyes quietly as he waits for an answer.
"Yours," Carlos answers, slipping his arms around Kendall's neck, cupping the back of his head with one hand.
Kendall nods and closes his eyes, breathing softly through his nose. "Do your parents know that you're gay?"
"Yeah, they know." A chuckle leaves Carlos' throat and he licks his lips. "They kind of found out on their own before I had the chance to tell them. My dad found my porn stash and they confronted me about it that night when I came home. I was like, fourteen when it happened and I can remember being terrified that they would hate me, but... they didn't," he adds, moving his fingers through Kendall's hair slowly. "What about yours?"
Snorting, Kendall shakes his head and sighs. "No, they don't know. I'm gonna tell them before I leave for college in the fall," he mutters, brushing his nose against Carlos'. "I think my mom will accept me, but my dad may freak out and I honestly don't care."
"What's up with that anyway? Sorry, I don't mean to intrude, but -"
"It's fine," Kendall sighs, interrupting Carlos. "Things weren't always like this, you know. I remember being little, and he'd come home at the same time every night... that's back when things were great and my parents still loved each other. But then we moved here and he became this big, fancy lawyer that handled murder cases and shit like that and we started to see less of him. He would miss my concerts and make it up to me by buying me another guitar or something else, when all I wanted was for him to show up..." His voice cracks and he clears his throat, feeling Carlos' hand cupping his jaw.
"You don't have to keep talking about it," Carlos whispers, his other hand smoothing down the back of Kendall's head.
Taking a deep breath, Kendall shakes his head. "No, I'm alright," he mutters, focusing on the way Carlos' fingers feel as they move down the nape of his neck. "I still loved him, even when he chose work over me and my mom, but then things just got ridiculous. He would come home later and later and start to drink the second he got in, claiming it was to 'wash the memories of the day away' which I knew was bullshit, but I never said anything. I didn't want to say anything 'cause I didn't know what he'd do to me, but he's never... he's never been violent, not with me and not with my mom. He was just absent, then he turned into a drunk when he was around us, and I couldn't handle it."
The entire time, Carlos listens to Kendall talk and nods his head, running his fingers across his shoulders lovingly, letting his touch tell Kendall that it's okay and that he's there. The other boy seems to relax under his fingers and Carlos strokes his skin slowly, rough fingertips brushing along the smooth skin of Kendall's shoulder, dipping down over his bicep.
"Then he tells me that he's cheating on my mom and acts like it's nothing," Kendall continues, letting out a harsh bark of laughter. "And he's so stupid, picking some other woman over my mom, who is perfect. She's suffered through everything my dad has put her through and she's still here, being a great mom and wife, when he's out fucking someone else. It makes me sick, thinking about him with someone else and how he lies about it, probably lies to her and doesn't tell the woman about his wife and kid at home."
"Asshole," Carlos mumbles, dragging his fingers over Kendall's elbow.
"You have no idea," Kendall mumbles, shaking his head and sighing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to unload on you like that. I just... haven't been able to get my feelings out yet. So, thank you for listening," he adds, smiling meekly.
Shaking his head, Carlos smiles and leans in, kissing Kendall's lips gently. "It's alright, and I don't mind listening. People say I'm a good listener, and I guess that's true from time to time."
"Well, thank you, again." Kendall grins at Carlos and kisses him again. "Who's turn is it now?"
"Uh," Carlos laughs, shrugging a shoulder. "I dunno. I guess we'll wing it from here?" When Kendall laughs and nods, Carlos licks his lips and makes a thinking face, tapping his fingers against the bend of Kendall's arm. "We'll go with basic things now. What's your favourite colour?"
"Blue," Kendall answers immediately, grinning. "What about yours?"
Carlos' teeth worry his bottom lip and he laughs nervously. "Purple," he answers in a tight voice, scrunching his face up slightly.
"Aw, are you embarrassed?" Kendall laughs and kisses Carlos' lips. "I think it's cute, that you're embarrassed and that your favourite colour is purple."
"Yeah, yeah," Carlos mumbles against Kendall's lips, kissing back. "Favourite band?"
Easing back, Kendall narrows his eyes. "Incubus," he says, nodding his head. "Definitely Incubus. Favourite movie?"
"Donnie Darko."
"Great movie," Kendall mumbles, moving his hands up and onto Carlos' sides.
Carlos laughs and nods slowly. "It's perfect," he replies, sliding his hand down over Kendall's forearm. "Do you drink beer?"
"Of course, what kind of teenager would I be if I didn't?" Shaking his head, Kendall pushes Carlos down onto the mattress, straddling his lap. "What's one thing that turns you on the most?"
"I thought we were asking innocent questions." Carlos' tone is halfhearted and he smirks, moving a hand up the front of Kendall's stomach.
"We are, but I just wanted to ask."
Carlos nods and thinks for a moment, splaying his hand against Kendall's skin. "Being bitten," he answers finally, rubbing his hand in slow circles.
"Me too," Kendall offers, making a small noise.
"Good to know." Closing his eyes, Carlos takes a deep breath and slides his hand up slowly. "Would you like to go out on a date with me tomorrow night?"
The offer is unexpected and Kendall blinks, staring down at Carlos as he chews on his lower lip. "That's kind of random, and not a fact about me," he mumbles around his lip, moving a hand to touch Carlos' chest.
"It's what I was thinking.. and I want to know: are you willing to go out with me tomorrow night?" Carlos asks again, cracking an eye open to look up at Kendall, grinning.
"Well," Kendall starts, chewing on the right side of his lip before releasing it and catching the left side between his teeth. "I guess I could... Yes, I'd love to go out with you tomorrow night." Heat creeps along Kendall's chest and spreads over his neck and face, a blush settling in for the countless time that afternoon.
Chuckling, Carlos sits up and wraps his arms around Kendall, kissing his jaw softly. "I won't take you anywhere weird, I promise. Just dinner and then maybe we can hang out with Logan and Gustavo and a couple more people afterwards," he whispers, the words falling against Kendall's skin as a soft breath.
He wants me to hang out with his friends, Kendall thinks, feeling Carlos' lips travel up the inside of his jaw, hot breath falling against his earlobe. He shivers and lets his eyes roll back before he closes them, moving a hand to the back of Carlos' head, threading his fingers in the other boy's dark hair, swallowing hard. When Carlos' lips touch the shell of his ear, Kendall drops his head forward and slumps against Carlos' chest, breathing deeply through his nose.
"Is that a yes?" Carlos whispers again, breathing softly against Kendall's ear, making him squeak; he laughs at the noise and drags the tip of his nose down, letting it trace the curve of Kendall's jaw as he waits for a response.
"Y-yes," Kendall manages to whimper, pressing his free hand against the middle of Carlos' chest.
With a smile, Carlos pulls away and rests his head against Kendall's. "What kind of food do you like?"
Kendall shrugs and buries his face against Carlos' neck, mumbling, "I like anything, doesn't matter."
"Gorgeous and he's not picky. I think I've found the perfect man," Carlos teases, moving his hand up, touching Kendall's back. His fingers drag up the curve of the other boy's spine and he hums, closing his eyes. "My mom's a teacher and my dad's a cop," he says after a moment, laughing quietly.
"And does he know you smoke pot?" Kendall asks, his words falling against Carlos' neck.
"Yes, but he turns the other cheek. Says he doesn't mind if I smoke it, but if I start selling it, he's going to slap me upside the head."
Giggling quietly, Kendall wraps his arms around Carlos' neck and nuzzles him a little. "Your parents sound great," he mumbles, sighing.
"My mom's awesome and my dad's cool once you get past the fact that he's a cop," Carlos replies, shrugging a bit. "Your mom sounds amazing, I definitely need to meet her one day."
When Carlos mentions meeting his mom, Kendall's heart pounds in his chest and he takes a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. He thinks about Carlos and his mom meeting and talking, the two of them bonding over something, and he swallows hard, reminding himself not to look too far into the future and to focus on the present. "Well, if you hang around for a while, you can meet her," he says, smiling against Carlos' neck.
The two of them fall into a comfortable silence and Kendall feels like he could fall asleep against Carlos' chest, breathing in his scent while he rubs his back slowly. He almost dozes off once or twice but manages to stay away, focusing on Carlos' breathing or the hand on his skin, the fingers moving around in small circles.
"Are you hungry?" Kendall asks.
Carlos shrugs. "A little," he replies, chuckling.
"Come on." Reluctantly, Kendall moves off of Carlos' lap and stands next to the bed, taking the other boy's briefs off before handing them to him, grinning. "You'll need those," he mumbles, watching as Carlos pushes the sheet off his legs, before pulling the briefs on, snapping the elastic against his hips before standing.
"Won't you need pants, too?" Carlos asks, moving a hand over the curve of Kendall's ass.
Rolling his eyes, Kendall moves away and goes around the bed, grabbing a pair of boxers from the floor; he puts them on quickly and turns around to face Carlos, smiling. "Now I'm all set."
Once he's close enough, Carlos slips his hand into Kendall's and smiles, nudging him toward the door. Kendall gets the message and leads Carlos out the room, stepping into the hallway quietly. The whole house is quiet and the hallway is dark as they make their way to the stairs, Kendall intertwining his fingers with Carlos'.
Kendall leads Carlos down the stairs and he watches the other boy quietly, eyes roaming over his shoulders and arms, gaze going down the curve of his back before he realizes they're at the bottom of the stairs. Squeezing Kendall's hand lightly, Carlos smiles and follows him into the kitchen, letting go of his hand reluctantly, letting his own rest easily against his thigh.
"Lemme see what we have," Kendall mumbles as he goes to the fridge and opens the door, bending down to look at the shelves. He makes a humming noise and Carlos watches him as he walks to the counter, hopping up onto it, drinking in the sight in front of him. "We have eggs, if you want to eat breakfast for dinner?"
"Sounds good to me." Leaning back, Carlos rests his head against the cabinets and smiles as Kendall grabs a carton of eggs and a gallon of milk from the fridge, shutting the door with his hip. His boxers hang low and Carlos' eyes go over the sharp cut of his hips, biting his lip softly. "Do you know how to cook?" He asks, swinging his legs back and forth, listening to the soft thump of his heel hitting the cabinets below him.
Kendall rolls his eyes and sets everything down on the counter. "I know how to cook, don't worry. I'm not going to poison you," he replies, turning to smirk at Carlos before going around the kitchen. He grabs a bowl and two plates, a skillet, some butter from the fridge, and a whisk, carrying it all over to the counter where the eggs and milk are.
"Wasn't worried about you poisoning me," Carlos mumbles, smirking as he turns to watch Kendall. "And I think it's sexy that you know how to cook, and that you're going to do it in your boxers."
"Don't get used to it."
They laugh together and Kendall starts working on cracking eggs into the bowl; he whisks them when he's done cracking and he adds a splash of milk to them, mixing it together. Leaving his work station, Kendall goes to grab the salt and pepper shakers from the middle of the table, singing softly to himself as he walks back to the counter, watching Carlos from the corner of his eye. He bites his lip and stops in front of the bowl, shaking salt and pepper into the egg and milk mixture before he whisks it again.
Kendall grabs the pan and the butter, moving a couple of inches to stand in front of the stove. "Do you want anything else with your scrambled eggs?"
"Toast," Carlos replies, leaning his head against the cabinet, eyes fixated on Kendall. "Please," he adds playfully, grinning.
"Gotcha." As he sets the pan on the stove, Kendall turns the burner on and goes to grab a knife and a spatula from the dishwasher, giving Carlos a perfect view of his back. He hears the other boy groan and smirks, blushing slightly before coming back to the pan, holding his hand over it to determine how hot it is. Once it's at temperature, Kendall cuts off a piece of butter and tosses it into the pan, turning the heat down immediately before going to grab the bowl of eggs.
"Anything I can do?"
Turning, Kendall smiles at Carlos. "You can fix the toast, if you want."
"Great!" Carlos laughs and jumps off the counter, biting his lip. "Where's the bread?"
Kendall laughs and points to a cabinet to his left. "And the toaster is -"
"I can see the toaster." With a smirk, Carlos goes behind Kendall and smacks his ass just after he pours the eggs into the pan. A yelp of surprise leaves Kendall's throat and he laughs, swatting Carlos' arm before turning back to the stove. He stirs the eggs and pushes them around the pan slowly, watching Carlos from the corner of his eye again.
Twenty minutes later, Carlos and Kendall sit on the counter next to one another, eating and enjoying the silence. When Carlos is done eating, he hops off the counter and puts his plate in the sink, turning to lean against it, watching Kendall quietly. He smiles when the other boy looks up and raises his eyebrows, the expression saying what are you looking at me for?
"I'm glad I met you," he says, licking his lips slowly.
Another blush fleets across Kendall's cheeks and he looks down at his almost-empty plate. "I'm glad I met you too," he mutters, biting his lower lip before finishing off the rest of his food. When he looks up, Carlos is standing in front of him, smirking; it almost scares Kendall and he does jump a little, laughing.
Sighing, Carlos rubs Kendall's thigh slowly. "I should probably get going. You don't know what time your old man's coming home, do you?"
"Oh shit! No, I texted him, though," Kendall says, suddenly jumping off the counter, moving Carlos out of the way. He moves toward the stairs and goes up them, just barely hearing the soft pad of Carlos' footsteps as he follows. When he gets to his room, Kendall grabs his phone and reads the text from his father, biting his lip. "He says he'll be home at seven," he mumbles, turning to look at Carlos, who's leaning against the door frame.
"And... what time is it now?"
Kendall looks at his phone and laughs. "Six thirty."
"So, I should be going," Carlos mumbles, pushing off the door frame and moving toward Kendall. "That's cool, I'll get outta here before he comes home," he says, leaning in to kiss the space between Kendall's shoulderblades.
"Mm," Kendall hums, tossing his phone onto the bed. "But we'll see each other tomorrow," he says, his voice hopeful.
Carlos laughs against Kendall's skin and nods, kissing the nape of his neck. "Of course. I'll text you tomorrow and tell you what kind of outfit to wear and what time I'll be picking you up, alright?"
"Okay."
Putting his hands on Kendall's hips, Carlos turns him around and lifts a hand, cupping his chin lightly. With a smile, he leans up and kisses Kendall softly, closing his eyes the second their lips touch. He sighs and slides his hand up, pressing his palm flat against Kendall's jaw, kissing him slowly before easing away, licking his lower lip. "Have a good night, Kendall."
Kendall swallows hard and smiles. "You too," he says and adds quickly, "and drive carefully."
"I always do," Carlos replies, laughing before pecking Kendall's lips again. He drops his hand and grabs his shirt from the bed, slipping it on quickly before bending down to pick his pants up. Slipping into the denim, Carlos looks at Kendall and smiles, eyes roaming over his body for what feels like the countless time. "Goodnight," he whispers, leaning in to kiss Kendall one last time once his jeans are done up.
"Goodnight, Carlos."
With that, Carlos turns and disappears into the hall, making his way to the stairs before Kendall comes out, following him down into the living room. He watches Carlos kneel in front of the coffee table, dipping down and reaching underneath until he grabs his shoes. Once he has them, Carlos stands up and pulls them on, looking at Kendall with a smile. "Thanks for inviting me over," he says, slipping his hands into his pockets.
Kendall knows that Carlos is procrastinating and he smirks, nodding. "Thanks for coming over."
"Anytime," Carlos says, winking at Kendall before lifting a hand, running it through his hair. "See you tomorrow," he says finally, and smiles one last time before moving to the door, grabbing his keys out of his pocket. He opens the door and walks out of it, letting it click back in place behind him, leaving Kendall alone in the living room.
Outside, Kendall can hear the sound of Carlos' engine revving and he waits until the noise is gone before going upstairs. He pulls his boxers off and goes into the bathroom turning the water on; part of him doesn't want to shower, but Kendall knows that his father will smell sex and sweat on his skin and he'll question where it came from. Then again, Kendall thinks, maybe he won't even notice.
Deciding not to chance it, Kendall climbs into the shower and washes thoroughly, singing to himself as he rinses the suds off. He steps out of the tub once he's done and grabs a towel, wrapping it around his waist as he walks back into his room, looking around it slowly. Even though nothing had been moved, it feels different and Kendall breathes in deeply, smiling to himself as he moves toward his dresser, opening drawers and pulling clothes out.
Ten minutes later, Kendall's dried and clothed, lounging on the couch when the door opens. He turns the TV down and tilts his head back, watching his father walk through the door in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, an outfit Kendall's mother refers to as Christopher's 'plain' clothes. Dropping his head back toward his chest, Kendall focuses on the TV and listens to his father's shoes drop to the ground, counting off seconds in his head, stopping at six when he feels the couch dip at the other end.
"Hey," Christopher says, and Kendall can tell by the tone of his voice that he's exhausted. He wonders where his father has been staying and quickly pushes that thought from his mind. "What are you watching?"
Kendall shrugs and looks at his dad. "I dunno, something about cars. I'm not really paying attention," he mutters.
"Ah," his father says, nodding, not taking his eyes off the TV. "Did you eat already? I smell food."
"I had something a while ago, but I can eat again." Turning his head toward the TV, Kendall sighs and taps the remote against his knee.
"Good, 'cause I'm starving. You want pizza?" Kendall shrugs and makes a noncommittal noise, eyes glued to the screen. "Pepperoni and sausage with extra cheese sound good?" In honesty, it did sound good - perfect, even - but Kendall makes no attempts to tell his father that and he just shrugs, making another noise.
Christopher gets off the couch and goes into the kitchen, leaving Kendall alone for a few minutes while he calls in the order. When he comes back out, Kendall's slumped in the corner of the couch with his feet against the edge of the coffee table, knees bent slightly. He doesn't say anything or acknowledge the fact that his father is back, just keeps watching a guy work on a transmission on television, wondering why he's watching something about cars anyway. Because of Carlos, Kendall thinks, smiling fondly.
"How have you been?" Christopher asks and Kendall turns his head, narrowing his eyes.
With a shrug, Kendall turns back toward the TV. "I've been fine. Working, getting ready to go to Berklee.*"
Christopher nods and clears his throat. "How's your mom doing?"
"Do you really care about how she's doing?" Kendall snaps, throwing the remote onto the cushion between them.
"Kendall, you know I care about your mother," Christopher says, spreading his hands helplessly.
When his father opens his mouth to speak again, Kendall cuts him off. "Clearly you don't. Where have you been staying, huh? With Samantha? Or are you living in a hotel or out of your office?"
"I've been staying at a hotel," his father admits, pursing his lips together. "And I'd appreciate it if you showed me a little respect."
"That's laughable," Kendall snorts, shaking his head. "The adulterer wants me to show him some respect. I didn't know you earned respect by cheating on your wife of what is it? Twenty years?"
Clenching his jaw, Christopher stares at Kendall. "You may be an adult, but you're still my son, living under my roof."
"Yeah? While you're where? In some lavish hotel room, fucking your precious little secretary while mom and me are here, working and living our lives like nothing is wrong!" Kendall raises his voice and laughs angrily. "You know what? I don't even care. In a couple of months, I'll be out of here and you can do what you want. I hope mom finds someone better, honestly. She doesn't deserve this, you know," he adds, voice going soft when he speaks the last six words.
His father sighs and nods. "I know, Kendall, and I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"You never do. When I was eleven and you missed my first concert, you said you didn't mean to stay at work late. You said that you were just going over things and finalizing the paperwork for a big case and that everyone lost track of time. You missed it and bought me a fucking guitar to make up for it. A guitar, dad! When all I wanted was for you to come see me play," Kendall's voice breaks and he chuckles, wiping at his eyes with his fingers. "Doesn't matter now. You'll never get to see me perform, and it's your own damn fault."
The world goes quiet and Kendall sniffles, crossing his arms over his chest, refusing to look at his father. Meanwhile, Christopher gapes at his son and then closes his mouth, clenching his jaw again as he turns to stare at the TV. They sit in silence until someone knocks on the door and Christopher gets up, going to answer it. Kendall listens to him talk to the pizza boy and hears the door shut before his father calls out, "Pizza's in the kitchen. I'm going to go back to my hotel. Tell Jennifer I miss her."
Kendall waits until he hears his father leave, recoiling when he hears the door slam, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He wants to scream and cry and trash everything his dad owns, but most of all - Kendall wants Carlos. With a sigh, Kendall gets up and turns the TV off before moving to the kitchen, opening the pizza box and grabbing a slice, eating it over the box, thinking about Carlos as he eats. He wants nothing more than to lay on the couch with Carlos, feeling their bodies press tightly against one another, Carlos' breath against his ear.
Part of him wants to call Carlos and beg for him to come back, but he doesn't; he just eats and thinks about everything, Carlos coming to the front of his mind and making him smile, despite all the shit he's going through. When Kendall finishes two slice of pizza, he puts the box in the fridge and turns all the lights off before locking the door and triple checking everything. He makes his way upstairs and falls onto his bed, staring at the ceiling with a hand resting low on his stomach, thinking about the way Carlos touched him.
It's the memories of Carlos' touch - and his kiss - that makes Kendall smile and he sighs heavily, closing his eyes. He's not tired, but he lays in the middle of his bed with his eyes closed anyway, fingertips brushing up and down the middle of his stomach, pushing his shirt up to touch the thin trail of hair leading down to the top of his shorts.
Fuck him, Kendall thinks as he opens his eyes, turning his head to look out the window. He can see the moon shining brightly against the night sky and he takes a deep breath, cradling his head in the crook of his arm, watching the moon for a while, thinking about how things will change the second he leaves for Boston. When he thinks about leaving, Kendall thinks about abandoning Carlos and his chest tightens; he pushes the thought away and thinks about spending the rest of his summer with Carlos and Logan and their friends.
*Berklee is a school for music and it's in Boston (obviously, I've mentioned that once or twice) - so if you were wondering what school Kendall was going to, that's it! (Also, this fic is set in Minnesota. I haven't mentioned that yet (or I don't think I have, anyway), so if you were wondering about that too, I'm sorry! But now you know. :D)*
