AN: Happy Wednesday Rushers! 15 minutes to Thursday still counts right? As always I'm humbled by your feedback. Thank you so much! This chapter picks up the morning after 16. Kendelle talks about their feelings. This is on the lighter side. I hope you enjoy! We're coming up on my favorite bit of the story soon. Thanks again guys and please let me know what you think!

I hadn't even opened my eyes yet but it was already too bright. My mouth was drier than the Sahara and my eyes felt gritty. This was the worse hangover I had in months. The only thing that kept me from falling back asleep was how thirsty I was. I groaned as I tried to sit up. It was an arm around my waist that stopped me. When I opened one eye it almost fell out of my skull. Kendall was shirtless and underneath me.

"What the hell?" I muttered. "Wake up."

I looked down and saw I was in his shirt, my underwear was tossed on the floor. The night before came rushing back. I remembered Kendall and I screaming at each other, us admitting our feelings and things getting hot and heavy. Thankfully, there was no telltale soreness between my legs.

"Morning." He groaned looking around blearily. "What do you remember?"

I swiveled around and saw Kendall rubbing his eyes. He had hickeys all down his neck and was just in his boxers.

"We were wasted, we fought and you told me you had feelings for me."

He flushed at this. "Then we came back here?"

"You said you were an asshole to distract me from your giant fucking boner."

He rolled his eyes and ducked his head. "Shut up."

"You're right I bet it's not even that big."

He feigned annoyance but his voice was teasing. "I don't remember it seeming small to you last night when you were on your knees."

Suddenly an image of me blowing Kendall popped into my head. "Oh god."

"I could always show you again." He said smugly.

"I thought you were being a dick to compensate for not having one." I smacked his shoulder. "Clearly I was wrong."

He hummed at this. "Clearly. But I am sorry for being so awful to you."

"Can we have this conversation after I drink a gallon of water?"

He was already tugging on his jeans. "Fine by me."

Before this morning I didn't know I could have a walk of shame on a tour bus. But as Kendall and I stumbled down the tiny hall with the bunks and out to the kitchen I definitely felt it. We tripped over our shoes, his belt, and my purse. When we stepped into the kitchen the guys gave low whistles.

"So you finally fucked?" Logan joked.

"It's about time, you owe me twenty bucks, James."

I was too busy downing a bottle of water but Kendall clucked his tongue at this.

"What do you mean finally?"

James pointed at the two of us, amused. "It was obvious you liked each other from like day three. It was only a matter of time."

"And when we saw you two basically dry humping at the club we knew one of you cracked. Then we came back here an hour later to your shoes in a pile and the back door locked." Carlos explained, wrinkling his nose. "And Kendall isn't exactly quiet."

"Shut up," I muttered I was sure I was blushing a bit. "It's not that obvious."

Kendall leaned into my ear. "You're covered in hickeys and in my shirt it's obvious."

I peered into the reflection of the toaster and saw that my neck was littered with dark marks and purple spots. They matched the ones on my legs. A fuzzy image of Kendall's head between my thighs rushed back. My makeup was smudgy and I looked a bit like death. The remains of last night's lipstick had smeared making me look like the Joker. Some of it was on Kendall's neck.

"I need to shower and then I need an IV full of coffee." I winced at my pounding head. "And something for my headache."

Kendall said something about joining me under his breath as I walked past him. It was jarring and I almost expected him to make a joke about the Jett incident. But he just gave me a half grin and his eyes were soft. I bumped into the door and blushed furiously.

"If you two are going to be hooking up you can't fuck in the shower or while we're on the bus," James demanded as I shut the door behind me. "The bus is a sacred place. Is this really happening?"

Over the spray of the water, I heard Kendall chuckle. "I guess so, it feels good, right."

I couldn't hear anything after that, the water was too loud. The steam seemed to ease my hangover but the water did little to wash away the night before. I looked down and had been surprised to see hickeys dappling my skin. They were on my breasts, my stomach, the inside of my thighs. It was a sight I hadn't seen in such a long time. Last time it was bruising on my hips from where I had been held down and scratches on my face from him trying to silence me. But last night had been all chemistry and desire. It was a welcome change and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

Kendall liked me, and I liked him. After all, this time of hating each other and egging each other on, things had worked out. It was still so new and I felt like it was all some dream I would wake up from. Last night was a little hazy but the way I had felt was not. We had finally admitted it to ourselves and to each other and the world was still turning.

"So where are we today?" I asked after I had dressed and sat in the kitchen. "I fell asleep in Atlanta."

"We're going to be in New Orleans in a few hours," Logan reported, looking at his watch. "Kelly emailed a schedule. It's a light day, Gustavo wants to focus on recording."

I sipped my coffee. "Sounds like a plan."

Carlos couldn't contain himself. "So you and Kendall?"

"Yeah." I smiled into my mug. "I'm surprised too."

"We're not surprised. Honestly, you guys have enough tension to power a small city." James nodded to the shower where Kendall was. "He'd try and bitch about you but he'd end up flustered. And I don't know if you noticed but he stares."

"I'd have to be blind to not see it. I still don't know when it happened, our game was just a way to get him to stop being a dick. But I think during our video and then the way he defended me I realized he wasn't a complete asshole."

Logan looked up from his phone and shrugged. "I think he got jealous after our makeout party. He was pouting like a kid when you were onstage the next day."

"I was not jealous." We turned to see Kendall rubbing a towel through his hair.

"Oh no, you were just sulking every time we talked to her." Carlos tossed him the bottle of aspirin. "Totally not jealous."

He spoke around a mouthful of coffee. "Len, was I jealous?"

"It was kind of cute?" I offered as I let him sit next to me. "But it's not a coincidence that they call it a green-eyed monster."

Our friends all shrieked with laughter at this while Kendall scowled. He slumped in his seat and squeezed my thigh.

"I hate all of you."

I rested my chin on his shoulder. "Sure you do."

Begrudgingly he groaned and brushed his lips against mine. "Fine, maybe not all of you."

After we choked down enough breakfast to soak up our hangovers the five of us moved over to the studio bus. Gustavo wanted the guys to pick up the pace for their album. They had been recording for a few hours and wrapped up their second song of the day. I had four songs completely done and recorded was trying to write a fifth and sixth. As agreed in our contract Gustavo would write two songs for me later in the summer. My goal for today was to write one song and record another. Apparently, Liz thought it would be a good idea to premiere the new songs next week at a Fourth of July festival we were playing at. I had only come up with a few lines for my newest song.

"Alright let's take it from the top." Gustavo hit a button on the control panel. "And one, two, three."

The music started and the guys moved along to it. Apparently, the song was about falling for someone who played hard to get. Kendall seemed to find this funny because he nodded at me as he sang.

"You'll never see her break a sweat because she knows she's hard to get."

The small wink he gave me went unnoticed by everyone else but it sent the blood rushing to my face. We may have admitted how we felt for each other but having him act on it was new. I slid down the couch and went back to trying to write. I jotted down a few lyrics as they came to me. Part of me wanted it to be about Kendall, but I didn't want to make it too obvious. Even though our game was over and we both seemed to win, I wanted people to focus on my music. I worked diligently as they recorded, glancing up at Kendall every so often.

"Elle, do you want to hop in the booth?" Gustavo asked a bit later. "I want to get a rough track of the vocals down before we get to the city."

I closed my notebook and made my way to the booth. As I passed Kendall he rested his hand on my lower back sending electricity down my spine. Once inside I slipped on the headphones, the instrumental track Gustavo and I worked on came through. It was partially about the game Kendall and I had played. We had been in the thick of it when I wrote the song.

"So he wants to play a game? Well, he'll have to wait and see because I won't taste defeat." I tested the lyrics out and bobbed my head. Beyond the microphone and the panel separating us Kendall crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Leave him at the door so he'll be wanting more."

The corner of his mouth quirked up into a half smile and he winked at me. I rolled my eyes at him and gave him a tiny wave as I sang. His friends were too busy on their phones to see our exchange but Liz looked from Kendall to me and cocked her head. I pretended not to notice the way she mouthed 'What the hell?' at me. Surely she had seen the hickeys and pieced everything together.

"I'm gonna leave him wanting more, more, more."

It didn't take long to finish the main vocals for the song. We finished a bulk of it just as we got to the city and I was relieved. Another song was done and I was one step closer to finishing my album. We piled off the bus to head into the venue. Liz caught me by the arm and we stayed back until it was just the two of us.

"So what happened between you and Kendall?" She pointed to my neck. "The makeup artist has her work cut out for her tonight."

I played with my fingers and avoided her eye. "He likes me, I like him."

"Obviously." She tutted but then lowered her voice. "Are you okay? Was he too much?"

She didn't have to say Jett's name for me to understand her. She was asking if I had been taken advantage of, it was touching and I appreciated her concern.

"We didn't sleep together. I'm not ready for that. But yeah, I'm okay."

This assuaged her fears because she scoffed. "It's about time anyway. I'm happy for you."

"I don't know how serious it is but for now it's good," I told her as we stepped off the bus. "It's better than fighting."

"And better for me, I don't have to keep you from tearing his head off."

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "I live only to serve you. So I'm glad I could make your job easier."

Liz disappeared through the door and I jumped when I felt a hand on my arm. When I turned I was face to face with Kendall.

"Hi." His voice was warm.

"Hi." I echoed.

He leaned down and kissed me, sliding his hands down my back. "I like the song."

"Thank you." I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I like yours."

Kendall looked around to check that we were alone. "So we're in New Orleans."

"So we are." We walked hand in hand to a shady corner of the parking lot.

He stood in front of me so I was hidden from anyone's view. "Are you going to flash me for some beads?"

"Kendall!" I smacked his arm and giggled.

"What, it's the tradition. When in Rome."

"We're not in Rome Kendork. Besides it's nothing you haven't seen before."

He shrugged and trailed his hand up under my shirt. "It's something I wouldn't mind seeing again."

I peeked over his shoulder and was satisfied that no one could see us. "You're ridiculous."

"Just a peek?" He leaned down to kiss my neck. "I'll show you mine."

I pulled my shirt up, flashing him my chest for just a moment. Kendall nodded appreciatively and pulled his shirt up too. I shoved him, snickering a bit.

"Did you like what you see?"

He held the door open for me. "Very much so. You?"

I glanced over my shoulder. "Between your hairy chest and beads? I would rather have taken the beads."

He grumbled at this. "You're lucky you're cute."

My fingers ruffled his hair. "I know."

The article we had done for Rolling Stone said Kendall and I were in sync. That our chemistry was enough to set the arena on fire. That had been before we admitted our feelings for each other. Now that it was out in the open I was surprised the arena hadn't spontaneously combusted and turned into a smoldering crater in the ground. He walked out with a spring in his step and his hug lingered for an extra moment.

"New Orleans. How are we feeling tonight?" He shouted. "How great is Elle?"

They all cheered and applauded. It was a stark contrast to how things had been in the beginning. Just a few weeks ago Liz and Gustavo had to literally script what we said to each other. It seemed like a lifetime ago as our song started. Kendall and I danced around the stage and when we flirted it wasn't to win a round of a game. His smiles were genuine and I wasn't trying to elbow him in the ribs.

"Oh whoa, oh." I clapped to the beat. "New Orleans let me hear you!"

"Oh whoa, oh." They sang back at us.

On the jumbo screen above our heads, Kendall and I were making out in the back of the cab. Now that we had done it for real, it was easy to see why the fans thought it was more than just acting. It had been real, every moment of it. He seemed to be thinking the same thing because when we reached the end he turned red, a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

"I could almost feel the weight of her kiss on my lips." His voice was low.

"Anything could happen on a night like this." My fingers brushed against the hickeys that were covered by makeup. "On a night like this."

Kendall thanked the fans and gave me a side hug, his hand reached down to smack me. I jumped a bit and he huffed out a laugh.

"Thanks, Kendall."

He walked back to the side of the stage and stayed for the rest of my set. When I danced and rolled around the stage I caught his eye. He ran his hand over his face and wore a small smirk. Without thinking I gave him a wink and bit my lip.

"We're all alone now." I changed the words to the song I premiered last night. My face matched his. "And you gave me something to sing about."

The rest of my opening set went well. The fans were energetic as always and I thanked them several times for sticking by me, nominating me and supporting the music I was putting out.

"It's been fun New Orleans! I'll see you soon!" I waved and took a bow. "Make sure you're just as loud for my friends Big Time Rush!"

With that, I ran backstage. The crew and Liz congratulated me on another show well done. I took a towel and wiped my face and made my way to the craft table.

"I gave you something to sing about?"

Kendall walked up to me and handed me a bottle of water. I shook my head and pointed down to my inner thighs and then my neck.

"You can't see it under the makeup but I definitely wasn't quiet last night. You try explaining that to the makeup artist while she puts concealer on your thighs."

"What can I say I had to show you how sorry I was. I figured that was the best way." He shrugged, faking a pout. "But if you don't like that I could stop. But like you said, you weren't quiet."

I swatted him on the shoulder. "Let's not be too drastic, it is a fan favorite after all."

He tugged at the tee shirt he was wearing. He had hickeys of his own and a few scratches on his shoulder. "I could tell, I couldn't wear a tank tonight because someone had to get handsy."

I sipped my water and hummed. "I wonder who."

"Dogs! Showtime!" Gustavo shouted from his control panel.

Kendall sighed. "Duty calls."

"Break a leg.

He fixed his snapback and squeezed my hand. "Thanks."

Unsurprisingly, the guys' performance was amazing. I was still entertained every night by them and I sang all the words to their songs. Part of me wondered if things were so entertaining because of the blonde running around onstage. I still wasn't sure if last night was a one-time thing but his glances told me it wasn't. I had changed into a fresh outfit and hit my cue to come out.

"It's all about you, no lie it's the truth." I pulled Kendall's hat off and placed in on my head. "Just wanted to say I have a big time crush on you."

Luckily for Kendall, his face was already flushed from the heat but I knew him well enough to notice his cheeks darken. His friends did too because Logan jokingly shoved him and laughed loudly. We sang Count On You and I made sure to smile at the other guys to maintain appearances. Kendall did his part by not hugging me for a beat too long.

After the show, we had a small meeting while the stage was being packed away.

"The five of you are putting on great shows. Tickets are selling out quickly, pre-orders for your albums are doubling every day." Gustavo began, holding up the latest numbers. "And the albums are coming along. Dogs, you're about halfway done."

Liz cut in. "Elle you are too, so we're not worried about it. Like Gustavo said you're doing a fantastic job. We need to keep that fire going."

"Which is why the next few weeks are so important for us," Kelly explained, looking at her iPad. "Next week, as you know, is the Fourth of July festival in Florida. Each of you will be performing a new song. We're there a total of three days, one regular show, the festival which happens earlier in the day and then the awards in Orlando. And then, of course, there's the Young Hollywood Awards in New York. That's an important day too. So keep the energy up and stay rested."

Hearing our schedule for the next few weeks stressed me out but excited me. Being able to do what I loved meant the world. But like I said it was really fucking stressful so as soon as our meeting wrapped I went out for a smoke. Kendall was close behind and held the door open for me. We leaned against the bus savoring each puff.

"You excited for the festival?" He asked. "We played it last year, there are private pools for the bands and it's a giant party."

"The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday so I'm always down. And the fact that there's a pool makes it a hundred times better."

Kendall agreed and flicked some ash. "The fans seem to like us."

"I know the comments on my video are wild."

"I wonder what'd they do if they knew were actually into each other."

He grabbed my hand and I sighed. I knew I had to ask sooner rather than later. "What's going on with Jo?"

"Jo?" He questioned, he seemed like he hadn't been expecting that.

I looked for the right words. "Are you together? I don't want to be that girl who breaks up a couple."

He let out a mouthful of smoke and leaned his head on the bus. "Honestly? I don't know, we haven't talked that much and she seems really focused on her movie. She gets like this and it always turns into a break. We argued the other day and haven't talked since I don't know though."

"I see." My heart sank a bit.

"But this time feels different and I like you." He looked around as if Jo was going to pop out. "And frankly, I don't give a shit. She's been on my ass about everything. Don't worry about her, let me deal with that."

This made me feel a bit better and if I was being truthful, part of me didn't give a shit either. "So we're cool? I just wasn't sure after last night."

Kendall laughed quietly. "More than cool."

I nodded, shifting my weight. The awkwardness had lifted. "Good."

Kendall tossed the glowing bud that remained and moved to stand in front of me. Then, he reached up and plucked my cigarette from my mouth. He stubbed it out under his shoe and he looked back up at me. He pressed me against the bus and kissed me gently. My head tilted and he held onto my waist.

"Last night was good, I liked it. And I want it to happen again if that's cool."

"More than cool." I echoed, laughing like he did.

Kendall went back to kissing me, our tongues met and I held fistfuls of his hair. We were in our own world, surrounded by the warm air and taste of nicotine. Neither of us noticed the clearing of a throat right away.

"Yo, lovebirds!"

I shot out of my skin and Kendall jerked. We looked over to see James peeking around the corner of the bus. I couldn't tell if he was amused or annoyed.

"The rest of us would like to leave if that's okay with you." He said sarcastically. "We've been trying to get your attention for five minutes."

Kendall gave him the finger. "We're coming, quit complaining."

"We're going to have to buy a hose or something." He grumbled as he walked off.

"Drama queen." I snickered.

Kendall waved my comment off and went back to kissing me. I felt his hand reach up my shirt and to my chest. We stayed this way for a moment before I pulled away.

"I don't think he was joking about getting a hose. We should go."

He rolled his eyes but draped his arm over my shoulder. "They better get used to it, we have the rest of the summer."

My face broke into a grin as I leaned into him. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

AN: Kendelle is officially together, kind of? I thought this chapter was really fun and I hope you did too! My favorite part was probably the scene where the guys talk about how obvious it was or the end scene. What was yours? Next week's chapter is fun and a bit different. I hope you stay tuned. Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought. See you soon!