Chapter Five

"Where are we going?"

James smiled, tipping his head back to rest against the headrest on his seat. His eyes were trained on the road in front of him, and one hand was on the wheel - the other holding the hand of his date. He was sitting in the driver's seat of his Lamborghini, the tan leather seats practically sparkling in the sunlight that poured through the windshield. Carlos Garcia sat next to him, his fingers interlaced with his own. Carlos was looking at James with a questioning look, but James only shook his head, not taking his eyes away from the road as he responded.

"You'll see." Was all he said.

Carlos fell back against his chair with a huff, tapping the arm rest on his other side impatiently. James couldn't help but feel amused. He'd grown to like this guy - as a friend, at least. But then again, James always liked people who were rich. Their money infatuated him. James let the wheel in his hand slide underneath his palm as he turned a corner, heading down a well lit street in downtown Los Angeles.

The city streets were alive with people, as they usually were on a Friday night. Several stores had their doors wide open to let in the crowds of tourists and shoppers, and the lights of their store logos flicked on as the sun started to sink. It wasn't quite sunset yet, but the red tinged clouds signaled it wasn't a long way off. James let his foot rest on the brake, slowing his car as they made their way down the busy street - not wanting to hit the pedestrians that seemed ready to dart out into the street at any moment.

"I haven't spent much time on this side of town." Carlos said, glancing around at the crowds, "I bit touristy for my taste. The 'Studio is on the other side of town, and so is my condo."

James nodded, "That's good. That means this will be your first time of where we're going."

Carlos furrowed his brow, but gazed out the window instead of responding. A few blocks down the road, where the sidewalks were still full of bustling pedestrians, James finally pulled to the side and parked. Carlos looked around, trying to figure out where they were going, but was distracted when James appeared on his side of the car, holding open the door. Grinning bashfully, Carlos heaved himself out of the car and gazed around as James closed the door behind him. He heard the beep of the horn as James locked it and felt a hand on his lower back as the taller man came to stand beside you.

"This way." James said, pushing Carlos along. The sidewalk was paved with red masonry, with trees planted in constructed places along the curb. The shops that lined the road had overhangs that blocked out most of the sinking sun, and Carlos gazed up at them, marveling at the string lights that hung down directly above his head. James stopped abruptly in front of one of the shops and gestured towards the open door, signalling for Carlos to go first. "After you."

Carlos stepped inside, blinking as he let his eyes adjust to the dimmer light than outside. Music was playing from a speaker overhead - an artist that Carlos' father had worked with for several years, though he couldn't remember their name. He gazed around the room and realized he had stepped into a lobby. He looked over his shoulder at James, who smiled at him warmly.

"This way." James repeated, leading Carlos across the lobby to where an elevator waited. Stepping inside, he noticed that the wall of the elevator was glass, and he wondered where James was taking him. The brunette punched a button on the keypad - which was odd, because there was only a single button on it. Carlos opened his mouth to question it, but was silenced by a knowing look from James.

The interior of the elevator was similar to the overhangs outside. String lights lined the ceiling, draped strategically around the sides. As the elevator started to rise, Carlos saw that the glass gave him a view of the sidewalks below. Several groups of people still crowded over it, hiding the masonry from view. The elevator took them higher and higher, and Carlos blinked with confusion as it lead higher than the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. It took them up until the people below looked like ants, coming to a halt that made Carlos dizzy. "What is this place?" He asked.

James didn't respond, but faced the doors of the elevator with a grin. The doors slid open, revealing a large restaurant. Stepping out, Carlos saw the rows and rows of tables, all made up and draped with white table cloths. Tons of people sat at the tables, talking and laughing with their guests. Past the tables, to the far wall of the restaurant, there was a window that reached from the floor to the top of the ceiling, overlooking the city below. His attention was jolted away from the view as a hostess appeared in front of them, holding a set of menus and a bright smile.

"Is it just you two?" She asked.

"Yes. We'd like a table on the outer rim, please." James said, winking at Carlos. The hostess nodded, turning away from the boys and leading them towards the dining area. As they neared it, Carlos saw that the tables were set in two sections. The entrance from the elevator led down a few steps to an inner row of tables, and a few steps down led to the tables that stood next to the window. As the two boys followed their hostess to the outer row, Carlos realized that the restaurant was designed in a circle shape, overlooking the city on all sides.

The view was breathtaking. He looked over the rooftops and the mountains beyond that were bathed in an orange-red light from the sinking sun. He could see the Hollywood sign, and hundreds of buildings that stretched out in all directions. Following the hostess along the ring, a familiar tower-like building came into view. "There's the 'Studios!" Carlos exclaimed, pointing to it.

James laughed, glancing in the direction of Carlos' extended finger. He could see the tall building, silhouetted against the light. On the roof stood a large billboard that read Platinum Edition Studios with the company's logo underneath.

James followed the hostess to a table that was already set with two wine glasses, a set of plates, and silverware. The white tablecloth turned pink in the light, and James pulled out one of the chairs, motioning for Carlos to sit. His date grinned and slipped into the seat, placing his hands in his lap as he waited for James to take the seat across from them. The brunette took his place, taking the set of menus from the hostess. He passed one to Carlos and opened the carefully bound folder, eyes skimming over the meals.

From where they sat, the two of them could see the sun sinking over the ocean, turning the water a dark shade of scarlet. Carlos found himself mesmerized by the sight of it. "I never thought LA could be so…. beautiful." He whispered.

James gave him a confused look, "Haven't you ever seen any romantic film, like, ever?"

Carlos laughed, turning his gaze away from the sight to look into James' hazel eyes. "Yeah, but, I always thought that was just film. In the time I've been here, I've only seen smog and desperation."

"You're looking in all the wrong places then."

After their meal, James led Carlos back out onto the street outside the building that lead to the restaurant. Carlos gazed up at the tower, realizing that the overhangs that had distracted him on the way in must have hidden the building from sight. The sun had completely disappeared below the horizon, but the sky had yet to fall completely black. Overhead, it was a deep shade of blue, with the last of the sun's rays streaking across it.

The street around them was less crowded now, but there were still a few groups of people wandering the sidewalks. James took Carlos' hand, leading him away from the restaurant and down the street. The street lamps dappled the red stones beneath their feet, and Carlos felt as though he'd stepped into one of the romantic films that James had teased him about earlier.

"Where to now?" Carlos asked, although he already knew what James would said.

"You'll see."

The men walked hand-and-hand down the sidewalk, passing several groups of people who seemed to be on dates of their own. Up ahead, Carlos saw a neon sign that was shaped to look like dolphins leaping out of water, and the word AQUARIUM was lined in turquoise letters.

"An aquarium?" Carlos asked skeptically, "The last time I've been to an aquarium was when I was a kid."

"This isn't just any kiddy aquarium, Los." James' voice was laced with amusement, "This is one of the best in the world."

Carlos narrowed his eyes, but didn't rebuttal as they crossed the street and stood outside the entrance to the aquarium. Now that he was closer, he saw that the entrance was a tunnel shaped to look like a shark's mouth. He let his fingers trail over the teeth, which were made of shiny plaster, and found himself oddly excited. They padded into the building, stepping over a red carpet that was made to look like the tongue of the shark.

The inside of the aquarium was dark, but a blue light came from the tanks that surrounded them. Carlos stared in awe at the hundreds of fish and sea creatures that swam around him, making him feel as if he had just stepped into the depths of the ocean. James led him towards the nearest tank, where a school of shiny, red colored fish were pushing their faces against the glass. Carlos smiled, watching as a lone fish struggled to keep up with the others, and followed James along the endless rows of tanks.

They passed through an archway, leading them into a tunnel that was made to look like the inside of an undersea cave. The walls were lined with two large tanks, where hundreds of fish swam together. As he watched, Carlos could see a large sting ray float through the schools of fish, coming to a halt in front of the glass. The short man was mesmerized by the motion of the animal, which seemed to stare at him with wide eyes. It's long tail wrapped around it's body, and it turned away, pushing its way through another school of fish. Carlos watched it go, and felt started when he felt a hand slink around his waist. Turning his head, he saw James staring after the stingray as well. "Fascinating, isn't it?" He asked, his eyes sparkling in the blue light.

Carlos nodded, and let himself be steered away as they reached the of the cave and walked out into a much larger room. The ceiling reached several stories above Carlos' head, and the walls were lined with a massive tank that stretched all the way around. This room was much brighter, do to the size of the aquarium, and as he gazed around, he saw that his skin was covered in the dappled light. Looking at James, who was gazing around in awe, he saw the same speckled light covering him as well. James noticed him staring, and looked down with a smile. He grabbed Carlos' hand, and led him towards one side of the room.

From here, Carlos could see larger creatures swimming through the plants inside the tanks. Here, there were large groups of sharks, who swam lazily around their tank. These weren't the vicious sharks that news reporters warned about in the waters of the beach near LA, but smaller, more docile ones. Carlos watched as a small one, possibly a baby, swam towards him, looking confused. He placed a hand gently on the glass, and the baby shark poked the glass on the other side. Smiling, Carlos watched as it turned away, to a shark that floated in one spot not far away. He guessed it was the baby's mother. The smaller one joined her, and together they swam away. James watched it to, a content smile on his face.

"This is amazing." Carlos breathed, staring around with wide eyes.

"I knew you'd like it."

James turned to face him, and for a moment, Carlos thought he looked as if he wanted to say something. There was an emotion in James' eyes that he didn't recognize, but it was gone so quickly that Carlos figured he must have imagined it. The light of the water dazzled in James' eyes, and Carlos found that he could not look away. James grinned and took Carlos' hand again, leading him away from the aquarium. "We have one more place to go," He explained as they padded across the room, the lights dancing on their skin as they did so.

"James," Carlos murmured, "This place is beautiful."

The two men walked down a path, paved by brown stones embedded into the ground. The sky was black now, with a few stars shining through the lights from the city. The path was lined with rows of flower studded bushes, perfectly landscaped, looking to visitors as if they had just walked into a fairy tale. Short lights lit up the path, glowing brightly around them and casting warm lights onto the flowers.

They were at the botanical gardens in downtown LA, not far from the aquarium. From where they walked, they could see bright light illuminated from a large pond, where a fountain stood in the center, pattering the water's surface with crystal clear droplets. All around them, the massive garden stretched on, leading into winding paths that went to several different attractions. They were headed to the pond, where large koi fish glittered just under the water's surface.

Carlos broke away from James' side to scurry down the rest of the path, peering over the stone ledge to the water below. The koi dipped in and out of view, swimming underneath water lilies and flower petals that floated in the dazzling water. He felt James approach his side, but continued to stare at the beautiful water before him.

"Come on, I have something to show you." He felt James whisper into his ear, with a hand on the small of his back. Carlos turned reluctantly away from the fish pond, allowing James to lead him down the stone path.

These bushes were packed with carnations that fluttered in the slight breeze. James let his hazel eyes flick to their clumps of petals, allowing himself to stop for a moment to look at them. Carlos stopped too, following his gaze to the flowers before him. "You know," James murmured, exchanging a glance with his date, "Carnations have always been my favorite flower."

"Really?" Carlos asked, tilting his head to the side, "I never knew. My favorite are lillies."

"Daffodils are pretty amazing. Like you." James smiled as Carlos lit up, his brown eyes sparkling. He put his hand on Carlos' back, tearing his eyes away from the carnations as he led the way to his destination.

The gardens were mostly empty, except for a few other couples who were admiring the rows of flowers around them. James felt the light breeze ruffle his hair as he saw exactly what he was looking for come into view - a wooden bridge that stood over a creek. A garland of flowers were draped around the railings, glittering in the light that came from the bubbling creek below. Lanterns were perched on the knobs of the railing, illuminating the bridge just enough to not take away from the light from the creek. The wood itself was a deep shade of oak, and creaked underfoot as James led Carlos onto the bridge.

James led Carlos to the topmost part of the bridge, and leaned over the railing, the flowers rustling below him. Carlos joined him, and together they gazed down at the sparkling water below. More koi fish swam in the clear water, which was dappled with water lilies and flower petals like the pond. On the banks of the creek were tall ferns, and as they watched, a small frog lept from the shelter of the leaves, and gazed into the creek. It gave a throaty croak and lept into the water, causing a small splash that rippled the water. The frog swam towards a lily, pulling itself on top and lapping at the water bugs that swam around it.

"This place is amazing, James." Carlos breathed. It seemed that the shorter boy was truly in awe of the garden around him. James agreed with him. He had been here many times before - mostly with dates he hoped to swindle into marriage - but he always thought it was a beautiful and romantic place. He hoped to bring a real love interest here one day.

"Carlos." James whispered, turning his gaze away from the water to stare at the man next to him. The shorter man was staring intently at the creek, but tore his gaze away when James said his name. Carlos' brown eyes locked with his, and James couldn't help but smile when he saw a look of awe in the man's eyes. He knew that Carlos wasn't just awestruck by the garden, but by him as well.

He had planned this date well. He knew the most romantic spots in the city, and chose them deliberately to bring Carlos to this exact spot. As they had dined over their dinner, he had noticed the glances that Carlos would give him when he thought James wasn't looking, and how he had looked quickly down at his plate when James looked up. The taller man had deliberately brushed his hand against Carlos' when they had toasted their wine glasses over their dinner, knowing that the contact would add an extra layer to the romantic atmosphere of their date.

He knew that the aquarium, with his dazzling light and incredible sights, would spark something in Carlos. He knew that the moment beside the shark tank, where their eyes had met for several long minutes, would pull at just the right strings in Carlos' heart.

James had done this countless times. He had perfected the art of stealing someone's heart and making them fall in love with him. He knew every angle, every trick in the book. He knew how a simple glance, a touch, a whisper, could drive someone crazy. He knew that he was getting what he wanted. He was getting Carlos' love, but he had to seal the idea in the other man's mind.

"Yes, James?" Carlos asked, his voice barely more than a breath.

"I've never felt, the way I feel about you, with anyone else before." James began, allowing his voice to shake, "I never thought I could like someone as much as you. I never thought I could love someone as much as you."

He heard the breath catch in Carlos' throat at the word 'love,' and gazed into the Latino's eyes as he waited for his response. Carlos was silent for a moment, before responding in an equally shaky voice, "What are you saying?"

"I love you, Carlos Garcia." James replied, reaching out to grab Carlos' hand gently.

Carlos didn't pull away, and allowed James to cup his fingers in his hand, rubbing his thumb against the back of Carlos' hand. The shorter man was stared awestruck at James for several moments before he realized that he hadn't said anything in response. "I love you too, James."

James reached up with his other hand and cupped Carlos' face in his palm. His thumb rested against the other man's cheekbone, and he stepped forward. Carlos stared up at him, eyes wide, as James leaned forward. His nose brushed against Carlos', and his lips hovered just above the others. James watched through half-lidded eyes as Carlos let his eyes shut, and pressed his lips against the short man's. He felt Carlos tense under his touch, but soon relax as he deepened the kiss.

They stood like that for a moment, before they pulled away, staring at each other with eyes that reflected the light from the creek.

"I do love you, James." Carlos whispered, staring deep into James' hazel eyes with a look of pure love.

"I do love you, James."

Kendall and Logan watched through narrow eyes at the screen in front of them. A laptop was perched on the island in their kitchen, displaying the end of James and Carlos' date. Kendall snorted with disgust as the video cut away, and glanced up at the man across the counter from him.

Fredrickson was watching their reactions with an amused glint in his eyes, but remained silent. Kendall turned to Logan, wondering how he reacted, and was met with a look of confusion.

"Is that it?" Logan asked, looking at Fredrickson with a furrowed brow.

"Yeah," The reporter replied, "After that, they left the garden and Mr. Diamond took the kid home. He dropped him off at the condominium building and headed home. Why?"

Logan ignored his question and turned to Kendall, still looking confused. "Why didn't he propose?"

Now it was Kendall's turn to look confused. Logan had a point. James had been so cocky about the ring he planned to propose with, and they had expected him to go through with the proposal at their date tonight. The sickening romantic atmosphere of it all was enough for James to secure a solid 'yes' from Carlos, so why didn't he do it?

"I have no idea." Kendall replied, "He's not the type to miss out on an opportunity like this. Maybe… maybe he has feelings for Carlos?"

Logan shook his head, dismissing the idea. "James knows better than to catch feelings like this. He's too heartless, anyway. No, Kendall, he's got a trick up his sleeve - and we have to figure out what it is."

Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing! They really help me out a lot, and keep me inspired to keep writing!

I, personally, LOVED writing this chapter! I'm not usually one for romance, but I had a lot of fun with this one. I really hope that you guys liked this chapter, and let me know what you thought about it!

Thank you to wickedbad, theguestreviewer, and the guest who reviewed my last few chapters! If this chapter gets ten more reviews I'll post the next chapter within a day of the tenth review! I'm really excited for this, but I'd like to know that people are reading it with me!

Thank you all for your support!

Much love, Carnie