Sorry for the month wait. =[. Summer is exhausting with family trips, earthquake (it was really a tremor when it hit New York -.- but that didn't stop people from panicking), Hurricane Irene ( -.- again it was really a topical storm when it got to New York… no need for a national lockdown of the city transportation -.-), school and work. Well here is the conclusion of the story and then an epilogue next chapter.
And … sorry, longer A/N at the end. Skip the A/N if you want as it deals with how the ending is made.
Logie & Carlos
The sunlight inviting wakes up the brunette from his slumber. It's a perfect morning. Birds are chirping, which is rare because the anal manager shoos all birds as tweeting "disturbs his quiet time", the room is perfectly lit, not too much blinding light, and most importantly, Carlos will figure out Logan is his date. It kind of is obvious that only Logan can orchestra something this elaborate.
Beaming a smile rivaling the sun's rays, Logan jumps out of bed and walks over to Carlos' empty bed. Strange, normally Carlos never wakes up before Logan or before noon.
"Logie?" Carlos calls, walking out of the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around his waist. "Why are you near my bed?" He asks, drying his messy hair.
"I umm..." Logan stammers, hiding his redden face from Carlos. Why doesn't Carlos change in the bathroom like a normal person? "I mean, you're up!"
"Yep." Carlos cheerfully interjects, springing over to his best friend. "How can I not be up? I know who my secret admirer is." Carlos throws his clothes on.
"You do!" Logan shrieks more enthusiastically than he should be (like James in a Cuda store). "I mean you know, that's cool." Logan crosses him arms, trying to play off his excitement.
"Thanks Logie." He pulls the taller boy into a hug. Logan reciprocates, smelling the sweet shampoo Carlos used.
"I'm glad you found out."
"And now I am going to meet my date at the park."
Logan jumps back, confusion written on his face. What was the hug for? Wasn't Carlos going to tell Logan he knows Logan is the one? "At-at the park?"
"Yep, I spent so much time at the park. The clue has to be referring to it since 'I am always with you'… at the park." Carlos adds the last three words.
Logan thinks of different sceneries of how to fix this but the best one is not to fight Carlos' idea and run to the park first. That way Carlos will stumble upon Logan and Ta-Da instant prom date. "That is great Carlos. Go to the park." Logan inches to the door.
"Wait Logie. Where are you going?" Carlos jumps in front of him, blocking the one exit. "I didn't give you my gift for all your help."
"Oh, you really don't have to do that." Logan watches Carlos fumbling with the content of his pocket. "Just let me go to the pool now and we can call it even."
"Here Logie." Carlos ignores the request, handing him a note.
"Where you brought me corndogs." Logan reads, staring back at the happy Latino. "What is this?"
"Since you helped me with my scavenger hunt, the least I can do is give you a scavenger hunt of your own. And I am not taking no as an answer." Carlos jumps out the door. "I hope you have fun!" Carlos' voice echoes through the solid wood exit
Logan sighs, rereading the card a few times. "I guess this could be fun."
...
This is where they typically relax, eating corndogs (that Logan always paid for) after a hard day harmonizing to James and Kendall's voices. They should talk to Gustavo about writing more melodies for them but right now Logan has to search the pool for his next clue.
"What are you doing, Logan?" Kendall surprises him with a corndog.
"No thanks Kendall." Logan pushes the treat back. "I'm looking for something."
"Like this?" Kendall holds a wrinkly note in his hand. "Are you looking for a place to get corndog?"
"Yes!" Logan grabs the note. "Thanks Kendall."
"Where I accidentally locked us for a whole day." He reads.
"So does Carlos know it is you?" Kendall asks, shuffling in place.
"No, but he thinks his date is in the park."
"Well you better finish this soon and run to the park." Kendall pushes him. "Go get your man." He winks.
...
Obviously, Carlos is referring to the supply closet. Logan chuckles, recalling the time Carlos pushed him into the supply to hide from Camille's next acting practice and they both got stuck for the whole day and night. It's a wonder how their other friends didn't notice they were gone for the night; typical James and Kendall taking advantage of the situation.
"Hey Logan." James greets from inside the room. "I'm guessing you're looking for this?"
"Thanks James." Logan takes the letter. "Where we watch the stars together." Logan smiles, knowing they watched the stars in the park at midnight. Actually, they were shooting stars. Logan wanted to experience a night under a shower of falling shards of heaven and Carlos was the only one who agreed to watch it with him. James and Kendall were too busy doing things in their room… It's better not to ask what.
"So did Carlos say yes yet?" James snaps him out his memory.
"No. He doesn't even know it is me but I plan to surprise him at the park."
"Then what are you waiting for?" James pushes Logan out. "Go get your bunny, nerd."
...
Logan frantically jets around the park, looking for Carlos. Hopefully Carlos did not mistake Logan for someone else. Carlos is easily one of the most distracted person in the world. One time, in the park too, Carlos bear hugged a red shirted girl, thinking she was Logan… the police weren't too happy about that. Well in Carlos' defense, when Logan wore Mrs. Knight's red dress, he kind of looked like her. Still, not the best excuse when the girl has an over protective police as her father.
"What are you doing, Logan?" Katie runs up to the disheveled boy, licking her vanilla ice cream cone. "You know people will think you're crazy if you jump from table to table."
"I know but I have to find Carlos."
"He is not here." She nonchalantly states, enjoying torturing the romantic soul in front of her. "He left about an hour ago."
"With whom?" Logan yells at the girl, practically scaring her.
"Chill Logan. You are such a girl sometime." Katie backs away. "But he told me to give you this."
Another note. "Where you taught me math."
"So does Carlos fall for your charms yet? The non-freaky ones like… you know I don't know if you have any charms." She adds.
Logan scrunched his eyes. Everyone is asking him questions about Carlos. "No but-"
"Then go find him." She interrupts, shoving him aside. "Have fun wooing him. Remember James said pretend to be someone else when you're boring." She ends, skipping to a cluster of kids her age.
Logan walks to the next place, thinking why everyone is asking him about Carlos and when did Carlos set this up. It's not like Carlos was ever away from Logan's eyes.
...
Logan dashes to the bathroom. Weirdest place to teach math but the calming sound of rushing water helps Carlos concentrate on the number. One time Carlos answered a math problem here before Logan did. Carlos never let him down for it but as much as Logan hates people that beat him in academia, he is willing to let this slide for the sake of Carlos' happiness.
"Whew." Logan turns around seeing Mrs. Knight panting from her everyday jog. "Excuse me Logan, honey. I need to wash my face."
Logan scoots over, letting her pass.
"I'm guessing Carlos said yes? I mean that is why you're in the bathroom trying to look better for him just like James done for my Kendall." She asks, applying an array of cleanses to her sweaty face.
"I wish. Carlos does not know it is me." Logan somberly answers. "But thanks for your help planning the game."
"No problem honey but the game is not over."
"What do you mean?" Logan is confused at her proverb.
She turns around, holding a white paper in her hand. "When someone loves someone as much as you do, love will be returned." She winks and runs out of the cramp room. "Have fun sweetie."
Logan smiles. She knows exactly what to say to make him happy.
"Where you held me when the Jennifers rejected me."
...
Entering the busy lobby, Logan looks for a dirty brown sofa. This is where Logan was reading a medical textbook and Carlos suddenly jumped into his arms, sobbing. Again, Logan would kill anyone that jumps on him, let alone wrinkle a perfectly good textbook but this is Carlos and Carlos is… special. So that ended Logan's hour reading and began eight hours of cuddling, which he doesn't mind, and nursing Carlos back to his cheerful, hyperactive self.
Nope, the card is not on the cushion. Maybe Carlos gave the card to someone to hold.
"Hey Mr. Bitter." Logan walks up to the counter. He probably had the next clue. The grown man does owe Carlos a favor for office sitting. "Do you have something for me?"
"Umm… NO!" He snaps at the brainiac. "Now get out!"
Wow! For a hotel manager of hundreds of aspiring actors, he isn't very nice. Isn't kindness a required quality shared between all hotel managers? "You sure you don't have a letter or a note for me?"
"Oh yea, I do." Logan giggly jumps, watching the man disappear under the desk. "Closes your eyes." He sings, throwing a giant, red X on Logan's petite hand.
"What's this?"
"It's the X for RUINING MY OFFICE!" He slams the desk, the bell falls to the ground and chimes a "Palmwood welcome ring" (no really). "Put it on your door to remind your little boyfriend not to mess with me."
If it wasn't for calling Carlos his boyfriend, Logan might have lost his sanity and slap the X on his face but that can wait another day.
"Logan!" A girly voice calls from behind. Kelly waves her cell phone in the air, signaling him to come on. "Hurry Logan. I have a meet to attend soon."
Quickly sprinting across the room, Logan greets her. "I guess you have it?"
She nods and hands him another white card while texting away to their boss. "Where I held you when you broke up with Camille."
"You better not get another X." She notices in peripheral vision. "Your date would be disappointed if you can't go with him or he can't go with you."
"Wait what?" Logan jerks his heads, catching the keywords, date, go and him. "Carlos found a date in the park. I don't have a date."
"Psh, please. You always had a date." She groans afterwards, probably receiving another tedious task from Gustavo. "Bye Logan. Have fun finding the last clue."
…
Walking up the stairs to the roof, Logan thinks about what Kelly said, well what everyone said and asked. The point of the game was to be Carlos' unknown date, not create a date for Logan. It's as if life switched and Logan is obviously in the center of the game… a place Logan would never want to be.
He opens the rusty door to the blinding sunlight just like the day Carlos comforted him. It was in the afternoon and Logan caught Camille kissing James. He broke up with her because it is always bros before… girls and being friends with James is more important. But after his break up, he sat at the ledge of the roof and stared at the pleasant horizon. Of course Logan was depress, frowning at his life but the moment Carlos jumped on the ledge next to him, beaming the Carlos' famous smile, how can Logan stay depress? It's the little things Carlos does that make Logan happy. He would break up with a million pretty girls worldwide if Carlos would be there afterwards with a smile each time.
"Took you long enough." A deep husking voice taunts. Using his hand as a visor, Logan squints at the two shadowy figures in front of him, Kendall and James.
"Carlos told us you guys shared a lot up here." James waves his hand for the brunette to join them on the ledge. "You know, I can picture you guys together in a less hot version of Kendall and me but hey you guys are cute."
"Thank you?" Logan says at a typical James moment. Even in a complement for someone else, James still has to complement himself.
"What James is saying Logan, is you're perfect for Carlos." Kendall corrects his boyfriend.
"Like my hair is perfect for my face or Kendall's eyebrows are perfect for…"
"Ok James, Logan gets it." Kendall muffles his mouth with his hands. "And stop talking about my eyebrows."
Logan chuckles, knowing how sensitive Kendall is about them. "So… you guys have my card?"
"Maybe." James taunts. "I don't know if we have it."
Logan groans, peeling his face with his fingers.
"Just joking Logan." They laugh. Apparently everyone loves to torture Logan today. "But you have to answer some questions."
"Deal." Logan quickly says, holding his hand out.
"Questions first. Why did you do this for Carlos?"
"Because I wanted to ask him out without being a dork." James snickers, holding in his laugh. Logan glares at him.
"Sure Logan because this is not dorky." Kendall tries to hold his too. "Why is Carlos doing this for you?"
"He said it is to thank me for helping him."
"So you don't think Carlos' reason is the same as your?" Logan freezes at the bluntness of Kendall's words. He didn't say it as a question, more as a statement.
"Do you know something Kendall?"
Kendall smirks, follow by James crossing his arms. "Maybe but all I know is Carlos is waiting for you." He hands Logan the card.
"Where it all started." The card has to be referring to the living room where Logan gave Carlos the first clue.
"Carlos is an interesting person." James states. "I wonder how he can create a game for you while playing the game you created for him… but what does that matter? Go to him. He's waiting for you." He pushes Logan to the door.
…
Logan stumbles to the apartment door still thinking about what James said about Carlos miraculously creating a game in such a short time. It's not like he gave the boy much time the last two weeks to plan something that took Logan months in advance and six other people to help create. Carlos was basically by his side the whole time. Well except at night but Carlos is a fast sleeper. A minute on a pillow and he is out… heck a minute on Logan's shoulder and he's out
Logan sighs. Well, however Carlos did it, it was fun. He closes the door behind him and walks to his friend lying on the orange couch.
"Did you get all the clues?" Carlos asks, shooting up in a cross legged position and beaming friendly at Logan. Logan holds the fan of seven cards at him.
"All seven of them. You found your prom date yet?" Logan watches him spring off the sofa and walk towards him. He shrugs his shoulders in front of Logan, not really indicting if that was a yes or no. "Did you?"
"I don't know. Did you?" He playfully jabs back. Logan, confused with his mouth slightly open, stares at the overtly energetic friend as if he is dumb. Logan's been out searching for clues, left by the boy in front of him, and not searching for a date. "I guess you didn't." Carlos pouts.
"I was on a scavenger hunt the whole morning and afternoon." Logan exclaims, tic off that Carlos made him do it. "I didn't have time to look for a date." He adds, not like he was trying either way.
"I thought someone asked you out today. I had a good feeling." Carlos sings. Even with the cute, cuddly high pitch voice Carlos uses, Logan wants to do horrible, mean things to him. The past few weeks were about asking Carlos to the prom, not finding Logan a date! A paradoxical situation.
"And how do you have a good feeling? Did the parrot tell you or was it the coffee machine?" Logan jokes, blatantly obvious that he is annoyed. Carlos doesn't seem to care; a smile grows on his face as a scowl dominates Logan's.
"Well, did you find all your cards?" He does a double take at them.
"Obviously, Carlos."
"Well, what is your answer?"
"What is the question?" The cards crumple in Logan's white knuckled hand.
Sympathetically, Carlos shakes his head. "Did you read your cards? The back of your cards."
Logan huffs. Yay… more mysteries. He shakes his head, turning the cards over one by one. Surprise overtakes his eyes as he registers more words.
Will
You
Go
To
Prom
With
Me?
All seven words, all in Logan's handwriting, all of his original cards. Logan rereads the sentence as if it is so foreign to him. But these are the exact same cards Logan made for Carlos' hunt. So how did Carlos do all of this?
"Carlos, I-"
Carlos cuts him, pressing his lips on Logan's unexpected ones and wrapping his hands around both sides of Logan's head. Taken back for a moment, Logan realizes the heartfelt action and joins in on their kiss.
Carlos pulls away, a smile on his lips.
"How long?" Logan mouths, still a bit dazed by Carlos' advances. "How long have you known?" He asks feeling like he has been tricked the past weeks. Carlos and his innocence and stupidity, although oddly adorable, tricked him into believing Carlos had no idea but in actuality, Carlos knew it all along.
Carlos sits on the bouncy cushion and pats the empty spot next to him. "Since you defended me when James was gushing about Kendall this and prom that. I came home depress that no one asked me so…I planed to ask you… as a two friends but then James comes in and just goes on and on. I kind of wanted to ask you alone because I didn't know you would say yes… even if I ask as friends and not you know… boyfriends-besties."
"Then how did you know it was me afterwards?" Logan plays with the cards.
"You stuck up for me and… I don't know. I guess I was hoping it is you."
Logan chuckles, realizing how similar they are, hopeful romantics. "So if it wasn't me, you would have given me someone else's game?"
"I guess it would suck for the other." Carlos lightheartedly ruffles Logan's stomach, getting a laugh from him. "I wanted to ask you if you didn't ask me."
"One more question." Carlos nods his head proudly that he stumped the brains of Big Time Rush in something other than math. "How did you plan all of this?"
"That's the easy part. I handed everyone one of your card after we found one. That's why everyone that gave you a card was someone that helped you. And I had to do some secret stalking when you're reading and do some late night planning but it was worth it." Carlos stares at Logan's dumbfounded expression. Apparently, Carlos is a lot smarter than Logan thought. "I hope you had as much fun as I did with your."
Logan smiles, places the cards off to the side and folds Carlos' hand in his. He traces the silky ridges of the palm as if he is reading their future together.
"Logie?" Carlos rests their hands on his lap. "Put your hand in my pocket."
Skeptically, Logan glares at him.
"Don't worry." Carlos forcefully tugs the hands. "I promise it is rated G."
Logan chuckles and rustles in the denim pocket, fishing out a crumple card. Slowly he straightens the paper.
Logie
"So… What is your answer Logie? You never gave me an answer." Carlos smiles, already knowing the answer.
Without missing a beat, Logan wraps his free hand around Carlos' head and crashes their lips together for another kiss. "Yes." He whispers, pulling back. Reaching into his pocket, Logan unravels his card.
Carlos
"What is your answer?"
A smirk covers his face before he propels foreword; his smirk overlapping Logan's soft lips. "'I'm always with you. I wouldn't want to go with anyone else."
Sorry again for the month long wait. =[
I hope you like this. I was wrestling with ideas. The chapter was supposed to be Carlos thinking his date is Stephanie and Logie is sad. At the park Stephanie said yes to Carlos and Carlos starts talking about the game. She has no idea what Carlos is talking about and Carlos eventually realizes Logan is the one from discussing about everything he did with Logan. And the chapter ends with Carlos walking up to Logan and kisses him, holding a sign saying "Logie?".
But I thought Carlos recreating the scavenger hunt for Logan is cuter =]. I hope you like it. And I kind of didn't want to add another character, Stephanie, to the story. Just the small intimate BTR family is good enough for a fluffy chapter =]. I hope you like this instead of my original idea.
And thank you to my readers, alert-ers, reviewers and favorite-ers.
The next chapter is going to be the epilogue and will take a while because I have no idea what to write.
And please review ;].