So I went on a deleting rampage. Deleted a crapload of my stories, which were just crap. But I was happy to see that within the past few months a lot of you have been reading even the crap ones and reviewing. J So thanks.
I saved a few of my favorites in Microsoft, because I loved them, but they were cluttering my profile. If you liked one that I deleted, I shoulda kept track and made a list, tell me and I'll totally work on rewriting it. I didn't delete any recent ones or any long ones, not long ones mainly cause I didn't wanna read through them. :D
"Alas! We're in Nevada." Kendall said proudly as the four stood atop a skyscraper. "Almost to California."
"Know what's in Nevada?" James asked, wrapping an arm around Kendall's waist and pulling him to him.
"What?"
"Vegas." James sang.
"Vegas! Can we go? Can we go?" Carlos pleaded.
"What's Vegas?" Kendall interrupted.
"Oh gosh! It's like- this awesome city with lights everywhere and huge hotels and casinos and sketchy marriage places and-"
"Okay, calm down." Logan laughed, ruffling Carlos' short hair.
"Oh PLEEEASE, Kendall?" Carlos pleaded before turning to Logan. "Tell him, Pit! Tell him to let us go to Vegas!" Carlos begged, slamming himself into the boy and hugging him. Logan couldn't say no to that and Carlos knew it.
"It couldn't hurt anything." Logan reasoned. "And Carlos and James already made up your mind for you." Logan shrugged, hugging Carlos back.
James was already finding the city on Kendall's map.
"It'll only take a few hours to get there." he pointed out.
"I dunno…"
"Pleeease?" James groaned, hugging the blond from behind and kissing his ear. Kendall shivered and looked at Carlos, who was nodding in agreement.
"Fine. But how're we gonna get money for a room?"
"I have money." Logan volunteered. "Probably enough for two rooms for three days and two nights."
"You don't know how much they cost, though. They're expensive." Carlos said.
"We'll see." Logan shrugged.
As they flew, they all had the same thing on their minds. Possibly a few nights in a hotel room with their sweethearts? Both Kendall and Logan knew where this would go, and Carlos and James were plotting to make things happen.
But it was okay.
They had only been "romantically involved" for a few days, yet they couldn't help the feeling they got when they touched the other, when they kissed the other, when the other just smiled that him. It was intense, because normal teenagers didn't fall in love in a month. True, Kendall and James had bonding time while they were working the field in Nebraska. And Logan and Carlos had time while they were inside healing. But they all had that same feeling, like their heart grew a pair of wings themselves and was fluttering, trying to get out of their chests. Love. None of them knew that that was the emotion they felt, but they knew it had to be something close to it.
As the four boys reached Vegas, Kendall's jaw dropped.
"This is nothing. Just wait til it's dark." James glowed.
"So I spent all my money on one room for a night." Logan sighed. "Well, I still have a hundred."
They had arrived at a big fancy hotel/casino and Carlos had just joined James and Kendall from exploring.
"We can totally get a shitload of money out on the streets, just by showing people our wings!" James suggested. "Maybe do some flying, too."
"Oh- I know how to play Blackjack! I bet I could get you a bunch of money from that." Carlos said excitedly. Logan smirked and hooked an arm around Carlos' neck, kissing his hair.
"Let's go put our stuff down in the room, then we can see what happens." He said with finality. Everyone nodded and they followed Logan to the elevator.
"Would it be horribly offensive if I asked you if I could hold your hand?" James whispered as they rode the elevator, Carlos and Logan murmuring to one another cutely in front of them.
"Are you scared?" Kendall asked. Carlos held his hand sometimes when he was afraid.
James laughed and laced his fingers with Kendall's. This is NOT the way Carlos held his hand before.
"Kinda, I guess." James answered thoughtfully. "The only reason I can think that couples do it is cause they're afraid that they'll lose the other person in the crowd or something."
"We're not in a crowd, though."
"It's an expression of feelings, okay? Just like that." James pointed to Logan's arm over Carlos' shoulders, Carlos' arm around his waist, as they exited the elevator. "Kinda like saying 'Hey, I like you and wanna claim you as mine so nobody steals you. And I wanna be close to you cause you're warm and you smell nice.'"
Kendall laughed and looked down at the tangle of fingers his hand was engaged in. It was pretty, in a way, the way their hands were. Even though their fingernails were dirty and chewed, knuckles kinda hairy, it was beautiful.
"So you're claiming me?" he asked.
"Is that okay?"
Kendall laughed and nodded as Logan unlocked the door to their hotel room.
It was big and fancy, and it should be, because it was quite pricy. It had two beds side by side with a lamp in the middle, like a normal room.
"I've got food in the bag, just throwin' it out there." Kendall said, tossing his backpack on the bed on the left.
"I'm STARVING!" James sang, digging into the bag.
"So, how about that casino?" Carlos asked Logan.
"I dunno, Los. I could end up with a lot of money or no money at all." Logan sighed, doubtful.
"Take a risk!" Carlos pleaded. "It's HARDLY a risk. I'm awesome at Blackjack."
"Okay. Fine." Logan gave in. "It's only a hundred bucks- wouldn't get us too far anyway."
Kendall smiled to himself, seeing that Logan REALLY didn't want to risk losing all his money, but did anyway. Because Carlos wanted to.
"We're going down to the casino, then." Carlos said, picking up a few cookies, which James was munching on, before pulling Logan out of the room.
"Take note, baby-cakes. I'm about to double your money." Carlos said proudly, throwing in twenty-five dollars. They had gotten cash, and although twenty-five was nothing compared to everyone else's bets, Carlos was confident.
At the end of the game, Carlos did end up doubling Logan's money.
"That was awesome!" Logan smiled, kissing Carlos' cheek. It was close- Carlos almost lost a quarter of their money, but he came out victorious anyway.
Carlos was confident going into the next game and betted half their money- a hundred dollars.
And he lost.
"It's okay. It's fine! I still have a hundred." Carlos reasoned, this time betting only twenty-five.
Within an hour all the money was gone. Luckily Logan was able to pull Carlos away before they owed anything, though.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, Pit! I'm so so so so so sorry." Carlos said, brows upturned, eyes flooding with tears. "I WAS good. I guess I'm rusty."
Logan would have been beyond pissed if anyone but Carlos gambled away his money. But he couldn't be pissed off at this adorable little Latino with angel wings, who was now trying to hide his tears of guilt by turning away and swiping the liquid away quickly.
"You tried your best." Logan said awkwardly.
"I did! I totally did!"
"And I mean… A hundred bucks woulda only gotten us a meal at most, with the way we eat." Logan reasoned. "And we're almost to California anyway."
Carlos sniffled and turned, looking up at Logan with tearful eyes.
"You're not mad?" he asked weakly.
"No." Logan sighed, putting an arm over Carlos' shoulders and guiding him outside. "Let's just walk around. That'll cheer you up."
James was laying on the bed on his stomach, eating cookies and watching TV with Kendall sitting against the headboard when the phone rang.
"Should I answer it?" Kendall asked, confused.
"Probably." James said indifferently. Kendall reached out and snatched up the phone on the nightstand, pressing it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Is a mister Kendall Knight there?" came the receptionist on the other end.
"That's me."
"We've got a call for you- may we connect you?"
"Uh- who is it?"
"There wasn't a name given."
"Um… Okay. Connect me."
There was a pause, then a deep voice.
"Hey, son." The voice was chillingly familiar and made Kendall's eyes squeeze shut in horror. Vincent.
When Kendall said nothing for a while, he continued.
"One more week." Vincent murmured. "You know, you're really close." The man said. The question of how Vincent knew where they were sent shivers down Kendall's back. "I might just… Chop off a few days from your deadline. Let's say… Three o'clock, day after tomorrow?"
Kendall went pale, breath catching, noticing James staring at him in confusion.
"Have you got the boys?" Vincent asked.
"Yes." Kendall answered, hesitating a little.
"Good. See you at three."
"Yeah." Kendall whispered, feeling his mouth go dry. And the line went dead.
Kendall's eyes rose to James, who was now facing him, worry on his face.
"Who was that?" James asked. Kendall opened his mouth to tell him the truth- all of it, because he knew James would understand and give him hugs and kisses to make him feel better, but instead a lie came out.
"Front office." he answered hoarsely. "Just… Telling me about the casino downstairs."
"Oh." James nodded.
As they sat there and stared at one another, realization crashed into Kendall. This was his last chance to take advantage of their alone time before he had to say goodbye and James hated him forever.
"W-will you put the little thingy on the doorknob outside?" Kendall asked.
"Why?" James asked, but suddenly realization hit him and his eyes widened. "Really? Honest to God? You want to?"
Kendall smiled and James jumped up to obey. He came back to gently push Kendall to lay on the bed, legs over the side, and straddled him.
"I don't know how this goes- you'll have to teach me." Kendall whispered as he was kissed.
"No problem."
Carlos beamed with pride as he and Logan walked outside hand-in-hand. No one stared, because here in Vegas, gay was okay. Quite accepted, actually. And what really made him happy was when Logan would laugh at something he said, dimples showing and eyes glowing, before saying something else and laughing at his own joke.
Logan loved the way the colorful lights shone off of Carlos' dark eyes and the way the Latino lived to make him laugh. It wasn't something he did a lot back in St. Louis, but since they started this journey- since he met Carlos, really- he had laughed every day and smiled even more. And he loved the way Carlos clutched his hand, as if Logan would literally fly away at any moment.
"Look, Pit! We could get married right here right now!" Carlos said excitedly, pointing to a little building made for quick marriages.
"You're gonna have to take me to dinner first, toots." Logan snorted.
"Oh, c'mon! We have dinner every night!" Carlos laughed.
"Then I guess we have to go get married, then." Logan smirked, placing a dramatic kiss on Carlos' temple. "But I want a nice, pretty wedding in a church, with a big cake and my mommy and daddy there."
"Do I have to wear a dress?"
"Of course."
Carlos laughed and squeezed Logan's hand.
"Tell me about Mom and Dad." he suggested. Logan smirked at Carlos' use of the names.
"Mom's a sweetie- does what she has to to get us by. Even if it meant selling me to science a few times. But it got us a lot of money, which we needed. She just had surgery and can't work, by the way. Dad… I'm not so close with dad. He's a Marine- he retired a while after I left and now he's home with Mom. Never saw much of him, and when I did he wasn't such a good dad, cause I was a 'mutant freak' and all." Logan explained. He sighed, missing his mom, but turned to Carlos. "What about your Mommy and Daddy?"
"Oh, they're dead." Carlos shrugged.
"My God- I'm so sorry." Logan blushed, feeling horrible for bringing it up. Carlos just laughed.
"I was TOLD that when I was like two, my parents were killed in a house fire. So until I was eighteen, I lived in an orphanage."
"Why didn't anyone adopt you?" Logan asked.
"Cause I was a troublemaker." Carlos smirked. "Anyway, when I was eighteen- actually, on my birthday- I was kinda kidnapped and taken to some shit lab and they sewed these wings on me and I met Kendall and then we broke out and here we are now."
"They SEWED them on?" Logan asked in surprise.
"Yeah. And fucked with my hormones. It was a super long surgery- they had to connect all the nerves to my spine and shit. I was in surgery for like a day. Hurt like hell in the morning." Carlos explained. "How'd you get yours?"
"I was born this way."
"Really? Shit! Were there feathers all stuck in your mom's hoochy?" Carlos questioned. Logan laughed and shook his head.
"You're so cute. No- my wings grew on their own when I was really young." Logan smiled. "My bones are all hollow and my lungs are all big and my hormones are crazy and my metabolism is super fast."
"You're a LEGIT bird boy. That's hot." Carlos winked.
Logan blushed as they turned around, back to the hotel.
"So… If you love your mom so much, why'd you leave?" Carlos asked.
"Cause James asked me to, and he put up some great arguments. Sure- he was a complete stranger, but he convinced me. And I didn't want to go to the lab anymore. But don't get me wrong- I left Mom a letter and a bunch of cash. And I'll see her again someday." Logan said.
"Do you like James?"
"Not like I like YOU, of course. But he's an okay guy. Looks like a badass, but really he's just sweet and silly. Like you." Logan nodded.
"He's my buddy." Carlos beamed. "And it's good that Kendall has someone like me. I mean, I'll ALWAYS be in his life. But not the way-" Carlos cut himself off, about to say 'Not the way James will be', realizing his planned words would be false.
"Not the way what?"
"I dunno." Carlos shrugged. "Just got ahead of myself."
"Shocker." Logan giggled.
When they arrived at their room, they found the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on the doorknob. Carlos when white, knowing what that meant. But Logan just unlocked it anyway.
"PIT!" Carlos hissed, slapping his hand away from the knob. "They're FUCKING in there!"
"Doubtful. Kendall doesn't even know what sex is." Logan joked. But the Latino still looked horrified. "Look, I'll go in there and if they're doing the dirty, you and me will go roam the halls or something. Or I can kick em both in the assholes and tell them to stop."
Carlos giggled at this, but shook his head.
"Just be quiet. Don't disturb them if they are." he ordered. Logan nodded and crept into the room, peeking over the corner. The lights were on, so it was easy to see that Kendall and James were asleep in the bed, facing each other, James drooling inevitably on the pillow.
"They're just sleeping." Logan said allowed to Carlos, the Latino collecting the sign on the door and entering.
"Awe- look at em." Carlos melted. They were both shirtless, which was whatever because all but Logan slept shirtless. Little did Logan or Carlos know, they were also missing pants and underwear beneath the blankets.
The lights were turned off and Carlos removed his clothes, like his brother, he slept in his boxers, and climbed into the bed. Logan washed his face and brushed his teeth before doing the same, add a grey t-shirt. Only the bedside lamp remained on.
"How come you sleep with a shirt on?" Carlos pouted.
"I always have." Logan shrugged.
"Can we cuddle?" Carlos asked, eyes bright. It was their first night sleeping together.
"Do I LOOK like a good cuddle buddy?" Logan asked, embarrassed.
"Maybe if you took off your shirt." Carlos said with mischief.
"You don't wanna see my bod." Logan groaned. But Carlos was already tugging at the hem, so Logan gave in and took it off. Carlos just stared at the pale skin, ab muscles and hard muscles showing, a little bit of black hair on his chest and making a happy trail below his belly button.
"See? This is why." Logan groaned, pulling the covers over himself and reaching out a hand to turn off the lamp.
"God, you're so hot." Carlos sighed dreamily, plopping down on the bed, dazed. He rolled over to run a hand over the hard crevices on Logan's warm stomach and chest, Logan not objecting.
"I just wanna… Lick you all over." Carlos whispered. Logan burst into laughter, hugging Carlos to him in the darkness, Carlos still in awe.
Okay. Next chapter- the beginning of what you've been waiting for. :D Sorry, I'm just so excited.