Kendall found Carlos in the kitchen late one night making a glass of water. He had been asleep, Kendall watching TV, when it happened.
"What're you doing up? It's late," he said, approaching Carlos and rubbing his hands up Carlos' bare back and biceps.
"I was thirsty," Carlos replied sleepily as he sipped from his cup. Kendall's nose grazed against his shoulder, catching the indulgent scent of the sweet blood inside. His pulse boomed below Kendall's fingertips, the veins popping out in his hands and lower arms enticing Kendall.
Suddenly Carlos turned and sat his glass on the counter, innocent eyes almost fearful up on his boyfriend. Lately there were times when Carlos felt a bit like a deer, Kendall being a lion. He knew Kendall was knew at being a vampire, but it hurt and scared him when Kendall bit him.
"Don't bite me," he said quietly.
It wasn't until then that Kendall realized how hungry and close to biting Carlos- AGAIN- he was.
Carlos looked up into those eyes he loved, knowing Kendall was about to do just that by the way red clouded around his pupils. The now-swift booming of his heart, he knew, only hypnotized Kendall more, but he couldn't control it. He knew hungry vampires were like animals- they could hear your heart, every breath, smell the fear, and were unbelievably fast. He didn't want to be afraid of Kendall, but until he got himself under control, Carlos wasn't completely safe.
"Do I need to go next door?" Carlos asked, pressed against the counter. He knew if he went next door, James would make sure he was safe and maybe Logan would knock some sense into Kendall if he tried anything.
"No," Kendall said with heartbreaking fear.
"Well… You scare me sometimes."
"I'm sorry, sweetie, I don't mean to," Kendall said, stepping back.
"They have blood over there."
"I'm okay," Kendall said gruffly. He was starved.
"Okay… Night."
Kendall watched as Carlos slowly walked back to the dark bedroom. How could he be so STUPID? He couldn't be hungry around Carlos- Carlos smelled so good, his heart was so healthy and beat strongly, and his tan skin just looked so smooth and hypnotizing!
He knew that if he didn't get his shit together, Carlos might just up and leave him. Carlos didn't deserve to constantly be afraid around the man he loves- he deserves to feel completely safe around him.
Wasn't there a little thing called a MAKER to teach Kendall about this stuff? James had told him the basics, but that was just about all the guidance he got.
Without telling Carlos, Kendall grabbed his phone and left, going next door.
"It's okay, baby," James whispered, stroking Logan's smooth face until his eyes closed and he fell asleep again. James' head snapped to the blond towering over the bed, who had woken him up, thus waking Logan up. Well, Logan was only half-awakened.
"What?" James mouthed. Maybe he secretly gave Kendall and Carlos an extra key to the apartment, but Logan couldn't know about that.
"I'm starved."
James swiftly slipped from beneath Logan's arm to stand.
"We have stuff in the fridge- you know that," James whispered once they exited the bedroom. "You should have some, too."
"I don't want THAT."
"Then what do you WANT from me?" James groaned.
"I don't KNOW!"
James rolled his eyes and retrieved a blood bag. If Kendall was hungry, it was 2 AM- this is what he was going to get. James warmed it up in a clay coffee cup, along with one for himself. They sat at the table in only the light from the kitchen and drank.
"You're stir-crazy, aren't you?" James said, licking red liquid from his upper lip.
"Maybe."
"You wanna go out and jump scrapers and punch things and try to break shit, don't you?"
"Exactly!"
"Me, too," James said thoughtfully. "I've been cooped up in this sack for too damn long."
"So let's go," Kendall shrugged.
"Maybe when Logan wakes up."
"Noooo," Kendall groaned. "Just you and me. Right now. Let's just- GO."
"Logie'd pop a cap in my ass."
"Doesn't he always?" Kendall smirked. "And besides- he's part of the problem! You need a little break. Just for the day."
"No way!"
"Think of it as a maker/creation bonding trip. If we're gonna be neighbors forever, and 'bonded', then I think it's important that we know each other," Kendall said persuasively. "All I know is that you're married to Satan and you're from the 50's."
"I guess."
"CARLOS? CARLOS, OPEN THE DOOR!" Logan pounded on the apartment door across the hall from his own frantically. It was a Saturday night, so he knew Carlos was there and not at school.
Finally Carlos appeared at the door, in just PJ pants, a bowl of Fruity Pebbles in his hand.
"Whaaaaat?" he answered.
"Is James here?"
"No, he ran off with Kendall," Carlos shrugged.
"WHAT?"
"ReLAX!" Carlos laughed. "Kenny texted me and said that he and James went on a 'bonding trip' and would be back tonight."
"I did NOT get a text or a note or a voicemail or ANYTHING about this!" Logan almost squeaked. "Where exactly are they?"
"Relax, bud! They just went SOMEWHERE. They'll be back. Kendall won't try anything, I promise."
"You don't know that."
"I DO know that. Just come inside and watch cartoons with me," Carlos said soothingly, hand reaching out to pull Logan in by the shirt and picking the door closed behind him.
Logan looked around. The apartment was, of course exactly like his own, except, since they had only lived there a few days, it was barren of decorations. Dishes filled the sink, boxes were stacked against walls, and the TV stood on the floor beside a pile of boards that would soon be an entertainment center when put together.
Carlos could sense that Logan was on edge. He didn't like that his husband was off God-knows-where for God-knows-how-long with a man Logan didn't trust and was dead set on proving that he was in love with James. Carlos trusted Kendall- sure, James was sexy and Kendall's maker- but he knew Kendall wouldn't try anything. So now it was his job to calm Logan down and maybe, just maybe, do some bonding himself. And who ISN'T cheered up by Tom and Jerry?
"Do you want some cereal?" Carlos offered. Logan shook his head and Carlos sat on the couch, shoving a spoonful of sugary breakfast into his mouth. "Sit down," he ordered over a mouthful.
Logan carefully sat on the cushy blue couch and turned his attention to the TV.
The dumb TV show reminded him of the beginning of his and James' relationship. When they first ran away together, they had stayed at a hotel with a TV in the bedroom. James had just giggled hysterically, sometimes laughing like a luniac at the absurd violence of the cartoon animals. That was when Logan had found out that the boy loved cartoons. That night was also the first night James had said that he loved Logan, even after only knowing him for a month.
"It's an old one, but I like it," Carlos said. "Normally Kendall's here watching it with me, but you know. I bet you were alive when this cartoon came out, weren't you? How old are you?"
"I do not see how it matters how old I am."
"Were you a pilgrim?"
"Not quite."
"Oooh- I bet you were one of those guys with the snazzy suit and the huge cigar and the fedora from the twenties, weren't you?"
"At one point."
"You're OLDER than that?"
"Quite."
"What year were you born?" Carlos asked.
"Why do you care?"
"It looks like I'm gonna be around you for like, the rest of my life. So I wanna know about you."
"I was born in 1882."
"DAMN!"
"Damn indeed."
"Did you have siblings?"
"Only a younger brother."
"Did you like him?"
"Of course I liked him," Logan scoffed.
"Well one of my big brothers doesn't like ME," Carlos shrugged.
"Well back in my day, you loved your family no matter what they did, because the life expectancy was 50 year old if you were very lucky and sickness was everywhere," Logan said almost angrily. "Anything could happen to them."
"Okay. So you liked your brother."
"He was like you, I think," Logan said thoughtfully. "He was very, very polite and generous."
"Awe- you think I'm polite and generous?"
"And he was always so playful and happy," Logan continued on. "I loved him a lot."
"I remind you of him?"
"A little bit, yes."
"So you're James' maker, and James is Kendall's maker… Who's your maker?" Carlos asked, setting his empty bowl on the floor and hugging his knees to face Logan.
"A girl I met when I was young. She was very beautiful and enticing- she changed me. She was an ancestor of James in some way or another."
"She was pretty? What was her name?"
"Delilah."
"Hey there Delilah what's it like in New York City, I'm a thousand miles away, but girl tonight you look so pretty," Carlos sang, but his voice trailed off when Logan didn't look amused. He awkwardly cleared his throat. "Oh. I see."
"I loved her more than anything. I drank from my own brother for her. I killed people for her. Which is why Kendall worries me," Logan explained. "I know what it is like to have uncontrollable feelings toward ones maker, as does James."
"Look, buddy. I dunno how you and James are when you're alone, but I know I need a little break from Kendall. I'm sure after however many years with James you've had you need one, too," Carlos said. "Am I right?"
"Perhaps."
"So take a bubble bath. Go on a walk. Watch some porn. Go shopping. I dunno what you like to do, but you should do something that's fun to YOU. You're like Kenny- you only think of James and forget about yourself sometimes," Carlos said. "Like right now, talking to you is fun to me. I'd never be able to do this if Kenny was here, cause, you know, you guys hate each other."
"You call him 'Kenny'?"
"Yeah. Don't you have a pet name for James?"
"A few. It just seems that 'Kenny' is a somewhat unattractive one," Logan said skeptically.
"Yeah, he used to hate it. There isn't much you can do with my name. Like, James calls you Logie, I'm sure you call him Jamie, I call Kendall Kenny. What do you call ME? Kendall came up with 'Los', but that's not cute," Carlos whined.
"Neither is Kenny, so I expect you are okay," Logan smirked.
"So what're you gonna do with your day?"
"I'm unsure. I have not been alone in years," Logan said strangely.
"We could work on your 2013 slang," Carlos said excitedly.
"James has already tried that," Logan said.
"We could… Go shopping."
"Hm… I have enough clothes."
"Eh, whatevs, man. You've got all day to decide," Carlos shrugged. "But you're welcome to stay here and hang with me."
Thanks, Theweirdblond for your help!
By the way, if you guys haven't read our story "Untouchable" yet, it's a nice longish one to read when you're bored! I love it! It's like, suuuper adventure-packed and adorably gay and involves a shitload of cuteness and romance and emotions and adrenaline and happiness and hilarity, so check it out and leave us a few nice reviews like I just KNOW you will for this one!