Hehe. Lots of love go out to these amazing people nigel small, taeXen, I AM AIR, WeLoveTheLove, qwertyuiop, ThisHendersonChick14, Miss-Invisible-Heartbreak, Hikari no Kasai,carlosgarcia, Mr. President and my muse, MoonbabyAstroRock3r.
Also, a huge thank out to carlosgarcia. You reviewed 4 times and read the story in one go. So, I shall dedicate this chapter to you, because well, you are amazing. :)
Wow. Alerts and favourites still happening. Hugs to you people!
Behind The Lens
Chapter Fourteen; The Rise Before The Fall.
After Logan and Lucy had picked a broken Carlos up from the floor, the evening was pretty much cancelled. Every shattered sob that Carlos cried broke Logan's heart. They carried him into the apartment, in which Logan told Lucy it was okay to leave, that he would be there for Carlos through the crying. She politely nodded, planting a small kiss to Carlos' forehead, leaving the room after giving Logan a pat on the back for good luck.
Logan sat back down on the bed beside Carlos, the mattress dipping as he made contact.
"Carlos.." Logan whispered. "Everything will be fine.. I promise.."
Carlos' eyes glanced up at Logan, glossed over from the tears. He held back another tear, before bowing his head again, without a word. Logan placed his hand on Carlos' back, rubbing it in a circle. It was ironic, really. This was the same position they were in when they first kissed, only difference, the roles were reversed. Logan was broken and Carlos was there to clean it up. Now, it was Logan's turn to grab the mop and bucket.
Slowly, the evening closed. Once Carlos had calmed down the crying, he silently climbed into bed, pulling Logan with him with his hand. Following the tight grip, Logan climbed in after him, pressing his body up to Carlos' muscular back, his arm draped around his stomach. The duvet smothered the boys as the stars came out to play, the teenagers wrapped up in each others embrace.
Carlos rolled over in the bed, still fully dressed. When his arm went out and fell flat against the mattress, his eyes jolted open, realising the emptiness. Propping himself up on an elbow, he scanned his apartment, noticing no sign of Logan. Carlos blinked rapidly a few times, praying it was a dream. Praying that last night did not just happen. That he wasn't going to lose his home, that Logan didn't see him cry. He was the strong one that needed to protect Logan, not the other way around.
He pulled himself out of bed and into the bathroom, shedding his clothes and climbing into the shower, allowing the cold, crystalline water to roll over his caramel skin like a waterfall splashing over rocks. Carlos got back out, wrapped a towel around his waist and entered the main room, just in time to see the door open.
Standing in the doorway, grinning stupidly and carrying a bunch of grocery bags was Logan.
"Morning," Logan smiled, closing the door and placing the bags onto the kitchen counter. "Did you sleep well?"
"I thought you'd left me.." Carlos quietly mumbled, dropping his head.
"Why would I do that?" Logan questioned the Latino.
"Well.." Carlos croaked. "You saw me cry. I went weak a-and I-"
"It doesn't matter if you cry, Carlos," Logan said sternly. He moved over to the Latino, wrapping his arms around Carlos' wet neck. "A man who shows his emotions is far more attractive then someone who shows a tough exterior."
Carlos smiled, warmth enveloping his body. "You're too sweet."
"That I am." Logan smirked in a cocky manner, before planting a chaste kiss on Carlos' lips. The kiss deepened as they moaned in ecstatsy, tongues wildly lashing out each other's mouths, each boy fighting for domination. As they pulled away, Carlos let out a contented sigh.
"What did I do to deserve you?" Carlos grinned.
Logan let out a light chuckle. "Clearly something amazing!"
They shared a mutual laugh as Logan unhooked his arms, moving over to the counter. "I got us some breakfast. Thought I could make it for a change, y'know, seeing as you're always doing it."
"Be careful, okay? Don't want you hurting yourself." Carlos playfully replied with a wink.
"Don't worry," Logan laughed. "I won't burn down your apartment."
The minute the words escaped his lips, he turned to face Carlos, noticing the Latino's happy composure dropping rapidly. He instantly regretted his choice of words.
"Shit," Logan pleaded as Carlos slumped to the bed, eyes glazing over. "Carlos, I am sooooo sorry! I swear, I forgot and I.."
"It's fine.." Carlos breathed. "It's not my apartment anymore.."
"Yes it is," Logan stated. "It's more your apartment than his."
"Doesn't matter," Carlos shrugged. "The papers say it's under Henry's name. It was never mine to begin with."
"We ca-" Logan pleaded.
"Logan, leave it," Carlos said rather sternly. "It's none of your concern. I'll figure something out.."
Logan left it at that. Carlos got up from his seat, grabbed some clothes and headed back to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. A deep, depressed sigh escaped Logan's lips as he walked over to the kitchen, grabbing out the ingredients for making waffles. He learned this technique from Johanna when he was younger. She loved to make breakfast in the morning for him, all by hand. She hated grocery-store brought food.
When Carlos returned, he pushed a forced smile onto his face as he sat to eat his breakfast. He ate it slowly, which was so unlike him. Normally, Logan was the one who took his time and used proper dinner etiquette. Carlos was usually more concerned in throwing it down the hatch before it grew legs and walked away.
Once the awkward breakfast was over, Logan cleaned up the plates. In an instant, as he looked on at a clearly miserable Carlos, an idea clicked in.
"I have an idea." Logan's eyes widened.
Carlos turned to face him. "Logan.. What are you going to do?.."
"Trust me Carlos," Logan smirked as he grabbed his jacket and phone from the counter, heading towards the door. "This will fix everything."
"Logan, serio-"
"Trust me!" Logan called out as he closed the door on Carlos, mid-sentence.
As he puttered along the hallway, he quickly knocked on the door down. He stood there for a moment, hearing shuffling behind the door. A shadow appeared at the bottom, when suddenly, the oak door swung open.
"Logan," Lucy smiled. "Is everything okay?"
"It will be.. Lucy grab your coat and keys.. I have a plan." Logan smirked, his dimples becoming more prominent.
Lucy looked at him worringly, before heading back into her apartment to grab a leather jacket and her keys from the table. She closed her door and locked it, following Logan down the hall, stairs and through the lobby, heading out in the Californian sunlight and into a taxi that Logan had called on the journey down the building.
"Where to?" the man behind the wheel asked as the teenagers climbed in.
Logan thought for a moment, looking down at his phone and then to the man through the mirror. "Palm Wood apartments."
The man nodded as he started to drive, the machine purring as the wheels rolled over the asphalt. Lucy stared at Logan in confusion, knowing that Logan had told the man to take him to his own apartment block. But each little roll of her eyes or the raising of her eyebrows didn't make Logan budge. He stayed silent, a cocky smirk plastered across his face.
The hum of the radio was enough to keep Logan from responding to Lucy. Each time the rocker chick questioned what the model was doing, he'd smiled, turning the opposite direction and blatantly ignore her. It was amusing, hearing her annoyed huffs and sighs as the car carried on with it's journey. Soon, it came to a halt. Logan quickly paid the man and fled the car, Lucy in tow.
"Will you tell me what's going on?" Lucy complained as they entered the lobby.
"In time," Logan smiled. "Now, wait here. I'm going to go and speak to my mom. Be back in like, 5 minutes? If not, call the police. She's probably killed me."
Lucy threw a sarcastic smile in his way as he fled the scene, heading for the elevator. Lucy stood around in the lobby, completely ignoring the man at the desk. Her eyes made contact with his for one second, in which, the man gave her the most disgusted look possible. Lucy was literally liked rubbish scattered on his perfectly clean floor. Rather than apologising, Lucy shot her own dirty look, completely missing the fact that Logan had reappeared.
"Hey, ready to go?" Logan asked.
"Yeah," Lucy turned back. "Wait, what? Going where?"
"You'll see." Logan replied with a smile.
Carlos laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His mind was racing with tons of thoughts, the problem was, he didn't know what was important. Henry was throwing him onto the streets, he texted Roberto whose completely ignored his texts and calls since the magazine went out across the country, and now, Logan was getting himself involved in something he shouldn't be worrying about.
He was snapped out of his daze when he heard a knock on his door. He climbed off the bed, swinging his feet to the floor, before making his over to the door. As he opened it, he was met with a face he could literally punch the crap out of. Henry.
"Carky," Henry smiled as he barged into the apartment. "Have you made any plans on where you're staying? Better yet, maybe mommy or daddy will take you back?"
"If you don't get the fuck out, I will cave your skull in." Carlos seethed, anger overtaking his body.
Henry laughed sadistically, crossing his arms across his chest. "Do that and see what happens. As I said, maybe they might allow their adopted son back in? They might finally have forgiven you for being a disgusting homo. You never know, things change."
"I swear Henry, if you don't get the hell out-"
"Please. It's not my fault that they kicked you out after you told them you were gay. Shouldn't have said anything, should you." Henry rolled his eyes.
"I told them for you! I told them because I loved you! I wanted us to be out in the open with each other." Carlos spat.
Henry scoffed. "I never loved you, Carlos. You were merely my meal ticket. A boy who was so smitten having his first male relationship.. Like candy from a freakin' baby."
Tears began to well up in Carlos' eyes. Every word that Henry said so easily stung. It dug all the way through his skin and to his bones, causing them to shake. It was painful, because after everything, Carlos saw the light. He saw the truth. The truth that Henry was saying.
"However, I have a proposition," Henry raised his eyebrows, closing the gap between himself and Carlos. "If you desperately wanted to keep the flat, we can make arrangements."
"What?" Carlos replied timidly, hope rising in him.
Only to be shattered.
"Tell you what, you be my little sex toy whenever I need you.." Henry placed his hands onto Carlos' chest. "And you can stay here."
Swiping his hands away, Carlos stepped back into the kitchen, face a crimson colour. "I'd rather die!"
Henry scoffed again as he rolled his eyes. "That can be arranged, my dear Carlos.."
Soon, Henry departed from the apartment, leaving a shaken Carlos. Quickly, the Latino ran to the sink, turning the tap on and collecting a handful of water, hastily splashing it on his burning face. He needed to calm down before Logan got back. He couldn't let Logan worry about another thing. He was the protector, not Logan.
He moved over to the bed, sinking onto it. He had no idea what he was going to do. As his body sunk into the mattress, his thigh pocket vibrated. Stuffing his hand into the fabric, he pulled forth the mobile, noticing the text from his Logie.
Logan: 'Hey, come over, I got a surprise. 23 Sycamore Lane.'
His eyebrows furrowed at the text, confused as to what the model wanted. Once the confusion had sunk in, Carlos collected his coat and keys, locking the apartment as he made his way to the address. He had never heard of it, so, he simply got a taxi. But once the journey began and drove through California, Carlos realised it was heading to the posh part of California. The rich quarters.
The taxi pulled outside the large block of flats that were sat on the location.
"We're here." the man said gruffly.
"Yeah.. Thanks.." Carlos said, paying the man as he climbed out.
He moved over to the building, entering through the posh lobby. It looked even more expensive and nicer than where Logan lived, which, Carlos didn't think was possible. It was huge. The man at the front desk gave him a polite smile as Carlos walked over.
"Are you Mr. Carlos Garcia?" the man asked politely.
"Yeah.." Carlos replied. "Is, err, Logan Mitchell here?"
"Apartment 2J, sir." the man smiled, pointing his hand out in the direction of the elevator.
Carlos thanked the man, confusion oozing from his voice. What was Logan up to?
The elevator hummed and buzzed as the doors slid open, revealing a small hallway that had only 2 doors. The apartments were clearly huge, seeing as one door said 2J and the other said 2K. He moved across the floor, knocking against the solid wood door, engraved in gold letters. Instantly, almost telepathically, the door swung open, Logan's huge grin plastered on his face.
"What are yo-"
"Come!" Logan cheered, pulling Carlos into the apartment.
It was huge, like, a mini mansion squished onto one floor. Carlos' eyes glanced around the room, noticing the posh decour and ceiling to floor windows that lighted the room up so brightly, you would need sunglasses.
"What's all this?" Carlos asked, ending it with a slight laugh.
"Well," Logan smiled, standing next to the couch Lucy was laid on. "You were going to lose your home, Carlos. I thought I'd come up with a solution that will, basically fix everything, make us happy and shove it all in Henry's face."
"Logan, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Carlos questioned, his breath beginning to hitch in his voice.
Logan stepped closer, his eyes sparkling as they trained on Carlos. Lucy climbed up in her seat, onto her knees, anticipation for Logan to speak the words she knew he was about to say.
"I am, Carlos," Logan grinned, taking Carlos' hand into his. "I brought this place, for you, for me, to live together. You said it yourself- one day, you wanted us to move in together. I think I'm ready, and right now, I think the ordeal with Henry was a blessing in disguise. It made me realise how much I love to be around you. And well, it might be selfish.. But I want that always. Everyday, I want to wake up to your face. I want to go to sleep together, eat together.. The works."
Carlos thought back the heat climbing his neck, waiting to envelope his cheeks in a vivid dusted pink.
"S-S-So, you brought us an apartment?" Carlos said, sounding flabbergasted.
Logan nodded. "For us."
"I-I-I don't know what to say.." Carlos gushed.
"Say yes, you idiot!" Lucy called from the couch.
Both the boys laughed in sync, their eyes connecting. It lingered for a moment before Carlos leaned forward, crashing his lips onto Logan's. They hummed in delight into the passionate smooch, hearing the gushing from Lucy in the corner.
Pulling slightly away, Carlos sighed. "Yes.. But, one problem. I feel bad for leaving Lucy to deal with Henry alone.."
"I got that covered," Logan grinned, turning to face Lucy, Carlos' hand held in his. "Lucy, as you know, this apartment has 2 bedrooms.. Me and Carlos are only going to really need one."
Instantly, her eyes grew twice the size they normally were, pupils widening. "Shut up!"
"Lucy, do you wanna live with us?" Logan laughed and smiled at the same time, watching the girl launch herself from her seat and over to the boys, encasing them in a hug.
"Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes! Oh my god, I love my favourite gays!" Lucy squealed, pulling away. "Now, the fun part."
"Fun part?" Carlos questioned her.
Lucy nodded, grinning sadistically. "Time to go and bury the hatchet on that nasty excuse of a human being."
The three shared a mutual, dark smile before bursting into laughing. It was all such a rush. In seconds, Carlos had entered an unfamiliar apartment that was now going to be his home from now, and not only that, but Lucy would now be a flatmate. Everything was crazy, and yet, so perfect at the same time.
Logan's fist lightly hit against the oak door, waiting for a reply. His fingers found their way down Carlos' arm, intertwining between Carlos' fingers. A warmth of happiness flooded his body as Carlos squeezed onto his hand, signalling their growing bond. A shuffling noise could be heard as the door slowly opened, Henry's nasty, rat like face appearing.
"Oh, and what do I owe the pleasure?" Henry smirked sarcastically as he opened the door.
"Visiting you is never a pleasure." Lucy stated with a death glare.
"Fiesty, aren't we?" Henry responded, turning to Carlos. "Do you have the papers? Packed your things yet?"
"I have the paperwork all done," Carlos said, handing over the large stack in his other hand to Henry. Shocked and off-guard, Henry grabbed them, flicking through rapidly, making sure the signatures were all done.
"That's it? No fighting against me? No begging or pleading or crying?" Henry said, furrowing his eyebrows.
"I took the higher road, Henry," Carlos smiled. "I shall be a bigger person and move out."
"Move where? Back to your homo-hating parents?" Henry scoffed.
Carlos shook his head, lightly laughing as Logan squeezed his hand for reassurance. "No, you idiot. To my new flat with Logan and Lucy. Down on Sycamore Lane. Quite a nice place, really. Really expensive as well, right Logan?"
"Oh yes, extremely expensive. With the money I put down on the apartment, I could have brought both your apartments Henry." Logan smiled, tilting his head.
A faint laugh could be heard from Lucy, as she stepped forward. "Whilst we live large, you can stay in the slums, where you belong."
"Bitch.." Henry growled.
"Oh, but Henry," Lucy laughed. "I've always been a bitch, it's a part of my personality.. But I can change. I don't think you can change what you inherited genetically sweetie."
Henry's eyes darkened as the trio shared a satisfied look of content. He scoffed loudly, stepping back to close the door. "You lot can go to hell!"
Swinging the door to close, it hit the hinges with a sickening slam.
"Yeah, well, we'll see you there you motherfuckerrrrr!" Lucy shouted in a sing-song voice, before turning to the guys. "That felt good."
"I bet it did." Logan smiled.
"So, we ready to start our new lives in our new, fancy apartment?" Lucy grinned.
"Ready as I'll ever be." Carlos said with a soft smile.
Hands still gripped together, the pair walked on down the hallway, followed by a skipping Lucy. Their happiness shone as they made their way to Carlos and Lucy's floor to collect their things and organise in them moving out so that new tenants could move in. But despite their happiness, they didn't know about the darkness looming close.
"Yes sir.. Everything went smoothly, they brought it all.. Their new address is down on Sycamore Lane."
Henry grinned a dark smile as he hung up the phone, laying it down gently on the side of the counter.
"Awh, if only they knew what was coming.." Henry spoke to himself.
Anyone who thought it, you were right. Henry is working with the bad guy and silly enough, Carlos and Logan played into his hands because they didn't know! Save the boys!
Unfortunately, as many of you people want me to kill Henry, I can't. He's my favourite OC to write, like, ever! I like writing for a bad guy. I can literally put my negativity into his dialect and make him a total ass. So, Henry is sticking around. He will get karma, just, not yet.
Last bit- It all kicks off next chapter. The bad guy makes his move on the pair. What's he/she going to do? What's their motive? Who are they? So many questions.. Get ready for drama, my dears. It's going to be a rollercoaster.