Kendall and Carlos sat at the round table side by side. Carlos rubbed his face, then his hands ran through his fuzzy hair before looking at Kendall.
"Tell me. What happened?" Kendall asked.
"I got the MRI done," Carlos said. "And they found something…"
Kendall was silent, staring, waiting. Okay- "something" could mean anything.
"I have a tumor right here," Carlos said, pointing to a spot on the top of his head, above his right eye. Kendall let out a breath, eyes searching Carlos' for any trace of a joke. "And… They said that if I don't have surgery to get it out, it could grow. They don't know if it's cancerous, but if it isn't removed I'll keep having crazy headaches and it might get worse and spread."
Kendall stared at the table in shock. His day was going so well- he got to spend the day with Katie, and he was planning on a romantic time with Carlos, in which he would propose. Suddenly he let his head drop, burying his face in his arms.
Carlos felt sobs trying to escape, but he compressed them, tears falling from his eyes. He hated letting Kendall down. He hated watching Kendall cry. He hated feeling the sadness radiate from the man he loved.
It was about ten minutes before Kendall sat up, eyes red, nose snotty, bloody tears smeared over his face and arms.
"So we'll get you surgery," he said.
"Surgery costs more than 40,000 dollars, which we sure as hell don't have."
"Who GIVES a shit? Carlos, you might DIE if it doesn't happen! This isn't a time for you to be AFRAID, okay? This is life and death, and I'm not gonna let your fears kill you!"
Carlos was taken aback- why was Kendall yelling at him?!
"Why're you yelling?" he asked quietly.
"I'm pissed! You don't deserve this! And I wasn't even there to comfort you when you found out- JAMES was! What a shit boyfriend I am! And DAMMIT, Los, you will DIE if you're too scared to get this surgery! I know that's what it is- we could get money no problem, you just don't WANT to! This is no time to be scared."
Suddenly Carlos couldn't take it. DAMMIT, he had just found out he had a tumor in his fucking BRAIN, and Kendall was yelling at him? He got up, almost knocking over his chair, and stormed to the bathroom.
"LOS!"
"Shut the fuck up!"
With that, Carlos slammed the door and locked himself into the bathroom, where he fell to the floor in a heap of sobs.
Bloody tears streamed down Kendall's flawless cheeks as his arms wrapped around his knees and he slowly rocked himself on the bed.
He didn't want his Carlos to die. Carlos was being a dumbass- what kind of a person turns down a life-saving surgery just because they're afraid?
Carlos exited the bathroom, the lights flickering off, and he entered the bedroom. He hesitantly approached the bed, staring in horror at his panicked boyfriend.
He sat on the bed quietly and touched Kendall's back.
A sob escaped Kendall's mouth as he laid his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. Carlos' cheek pressed against the golden hair on Kendall's head and his hand reached up to stroke Kendall's cheek- smearing blood on his skin.
"Change me," was all he whispered, and that only made Kendall cry harder.
Carlos had realized it as he lay on the bathroom floor feeling sorry for himself.
They couldn't afford the surgery to remove the tumor- he knew that for damn sure. Even if they could, he would be too afraid to get it. But yet… He would die without the surgery.
Needless to say, the almost-wenty-three-year-old wasn't ready to die. He had new friends and a new apartment and Kendall to live for, plus he was in college, ready to live his dream!
No, he couldn't die yet. So there was only one option.
He was done crying, feeling sorry for himself. He made his decision, and although he was afraid for it, he had to do it.
"If you don't, I'll have Logan or James do it," Carlos said softly into Kendall's hair. "I'm not leaving. I just started my life- I'm not ready to go."
"I won't do it," Kendall said, his long arms clutching around Carlos helplessly. "This is no life for such a sweet soul. We'll get the surgery. J-James and Logan'll loan us the money."
Carlos was suddenly lifting Kendall's head from his shoulder, holding it in his hands and waiting for Kendall's eyes. He searched those eyes for some sliver of someone who will understand, but found only this helpless and panicking Kendall. So he spoke, hoping someone with some sense would hear through that thick skull.
"I'm afraid," he said quietly. Kendall's brows furrowed and his hand held the back of Carlos' head, staring at him before bringing his head to his shoulder.
"I'm too afraid to get the surgery," Carlos said, voice weak. He wasn't afraid to admit his fears- hell, he was afraid of the dark. But he did hate letting others down with his fears. Normally he would suck it up and make that person happy at his expense, but this time he saw his way as more logical.
"You don't have to be afraid. I'll be with you every step of the way," Kendall said.
"But even if they get it out… What if it's malignant?" Carlos said quietly. "What're the chances that another one'll form? Or there's more cancer in my body? Even if I had the surgery done, it wouldn't be over. I'd just die slower and more painfully and you'd have to watch it."
Kendall didn't reply as Carlos reached up to wipe snot from his nose with the blanket.
"If I'm a vampire, you'll never have to watch me die," he said quietly. "I'll never be an old man, hugging and kissing a twenty-one-year-old. We'll be like Logan and James. I'll love you forever- no questions asked."
Kendall had to admit, this was tempting. But no- he didn't want his sweet Carlos to be a monster. He didn't want to watch him suck the life out of a person. He didn't want those innocent clear tears to turn to the deathly red that Kendall's were. He didn't want those perfect white teeth to be ruined by razor-sharp fangs.
"I have to talk to James," he said.
"What?"
Kendall suddenly got up, leaving Carlos alone.
Logan had been in the shower, James reading a magazine at the kitchen table when the door opened. James stood, understanding everything, when Kendall stormed straight to him, and his arms were open, ready for a hug.
"Why him?" Kendall asked, hugging James tight, fingers curled into the back of his shirt.
"The worst things happen the best people," James said quietly, rubbing his creation's back.
"It hurts," Kendall said.
"I know, bud, but he's hurting something bad right now," James whispered. "He's so scared- he needs you to be strong for him. He needs you to hold him and tell him it'll be okay."
"It won't be okay," Kendall was suddenly sobbing. "H-he won't get the surgery and he wants me to t-turn him."
Logan stepped out of the bathroom in only a towel and froze at the scene. James turned his head to kiss Kendall's hair, whispering something that made Kendall turn his face to his maker, faces only centimeters apart.
If Logan hadn't known what Kendall was going through, he would have been offended. He suddenly realized that Carlos was all alone at his apartment and didn't hesitate to go next door.
Carlos was half-heartedly trying to eat the Chinese food that Kendall brought him when Logan entered, hair wet and messy, in only a white towel around his waist. Carlos had never known how muscular Logan was beneath his shirt and had to look away out of guilt.
"How is he?" Carlos asked.
"James is caring for him… I just didn't want you to be alone."
"You couldn't have thrown on some clothes?" Carlos laughed a little. Logan smiled and sat at the table.
"How are you feeling?"
"Kendall yelled at me… When I told him, he yelled. So I locked myself in the bathroom and a while later came out to find him on the bed, sobbing like a baby. I hate that he's so torn up," Carlos sighed, stirring rice around in orangey sauce.
"I know that if I found out something fatal was wrong with James, I would be angry, too."
"He wasn't mad about my tumor. He was mad at me for being too afraid to get surgery."
Logan sighed, looking at the helpless and childish face of his friend. Logan would consider this Latino his best friend, James not included, and he hated that he had to go through this.
"I can compel you to not be afraid," he said quietly.
"What's that mean?"
"I never really taught James how to do it, because he would get carried away with it, but I can hypnotize you so you will not be fearful. I hate it- taking the willpower of someone- but this is life and death."
Carlos looked back down at his food, thinking. Wouldn't that be the perfect solution? To have Logan hypnotize him to be brave and get surgery? Well, it wouldn't solve everything. There was still the money problem.
"You do not have to decide now," Logan said. "I just wanted to let you know that it is an option."
Carlos smiled a little and nodded.
Meanwhile, back at Logan and James' apartment, Kendall's sobs had subsided to sniffles as James murmured to him. James was great at calming people down. Really all he said was things like "it'll be okay" and "let it out".
"Logie and I are here for you guys. We can give you money for surgery- not THAT much, but we can help out," James said, rubbing up and down Kendall's back as they hugged.
"I don't want him to be in pain and afraid, but I also don't want him to be one of US. I want him to live a long, healthy human life," Kendall said quietly.
"But if he's dying, would you change him?"
"I… I dunno…"
"You'd be surprised. I once changed a man that my husband killed, just because I thought he was engaged," James chuckled. Kendall laughed, pulling back a little to wipe his face.
"Gonna be okay?" James asked, rubbing up and down Kendall's biceps. Kendall smiled a little and nodded. James leaned forward to place a long, almost motherly kiss on Kendall's forehead. "The door's always unlocked. Unless we're fucking- then it'll be locked."
This made Kendall laugh and shake his head.
"You make it hard to not fall for you. With your bear hugs and your forehead kisses and your calm talk and your jokes," Kendall admitted. James smiled a little.
"Yeah, well, don't tell Logie that," he said.
That night Kendall sat in the bed watching TV with Carlos knocked out between his legs. He was exhausted from the doctor's visit and the crying.
Kendall looked down and watched his boyfriend sleep through the flicker of the TV. His thumb ran softly over the tan and smooth cheek which was wiped almost raw from crying. Carlos hummed in his sleep and moved his head into the touch.
This angel sleeping on him… Kendall couldn't even imagine Carlos as a vicious leech. He didn't WANT to imagine it. But yet, he didn't want to imagine Carlos spending the rest of his life going through surgery after surgery, possibly chemo therapy, his head shaved and stitches through his scalp… Kendall didn't know if he could watch that for the rest of Carlos' life. Carlos was right- it would be a slow, painful death and Kendall would have to watch it.
He decided he wouldn't decide now. He was done thinking about it for the day.
Right now, he wanted to just enjoy Carlos while he was happy and healthy. His thumb ran over Carlos' cheek again, and this time those liquid black eyes opened to look up at him. Carlos' hand reached up to cover Kendall's.
"I love you," Kendall whispered.
"I love you too," Carlos smiled. Without warning, the Latino rolled off of the bed and disappeared out of the room.
He soon returned with a kitchen knife in his hands, and he straddled Kendall's lap, kissing him.
"Whatcha doing?" Kendall laughed.
"Kissing you," Carlos said. "Is that okay?"
"It's perfect." Kendall's hands ran up Carlos' thighs. "What's the knife for?"
"I wanna feed you."
"No way," Kendall said sternly, breaking the make out session.
"I want to feel what it's like before you can't do it anymore. Before I NEED my blood," Carlos pouted.
"James drank from you that time."
"It's not the same."
"Los..."
But Carlos was already licking up Kendall's chin, sucking on his bottom lip, and kissing him again.
"It'll hurt," Kendall said.
"Not if it's smooth and gentle and sexy," Carlos said. "James told me. When him and Logan get down and dirty, Logan likes to bite. And James said that when they're going slow, it actually feels really good."
"What does James know?"
Carlos raised the knife to the left side of his neck.
"Don't," Kendall begged. He didn't want to see Carlos hurt himself, and he didn't know if he would be able to stop drinking if he started. "What if I drain you?"
"Then I'll be dead," Carlos said as if it were simple. Without hesitation, he dug the knife into his vein and tossed it onto the floor. Yes, it hurt like hell, but he wanted this. "Don't resist it."
Kendall's hands pressed gently to Carlos' warm back, pulling him closer. He could smell the sweet velvet of Carlos, and he noticed Carlos watching the red whirl in his eyes hungry. He licked up the dripping blood from the wound, groaning with the taste on his tongue, sugar sweet. He kissed the cut softly before latching his lips over it and suckling gently.
Carlos had to admit- it hurt at first. But when Kendall's hands raised to the back of his neck to tilt his head backward, his other hand gentle and supportive on the middle of his back, it was nice. He couldn't feel anything leaving his body, only Kendall's love and emotion flowing into him.
It didn't take long for the savage in Kendall to want to use his fangs to get even more of a blood flow into his mouth. It was then that he pulled away, trying to calm himself.
Carlos connected their mouths in a kiss, coming back quickly in disgust.
"How do you drink that shit?" he asked, nose twisted up.
"Are you kidding? You've got the sweetest blood I'll ever taste," Kendall said, licking his lips. "You taste like… Like sugar and heaven."
Kendall smirked and ran his thumb from about Carlos' nipple to the wound, collecting the dripping blood and sucking it off of his thumb.
"You're bleeding like a stuck pig," he noted.
Carlos pressed his hand over the wound before getting up, stumbling from dizziness.
"It'll be okay," he said, hurrying off to the bathroom. In those three words, Kendall knew Carlos meant EVERYTHING will be okay. He wasn't so sure, but he liked to think so.
Next chapter's gonna be dramatic and exciting! Buckle up your seatbelts!