Archive of Our Own ^beta

Less than six months after the bite, James finds himself on the verge of insanity. Or that’s what it feels like anyway.

The thing is, Kendall just smells so fucking good.

And it's not like James never noticed it before. Even before the sudden change in his life, he was familiar with Kendall's scent, what with having been his best friend for over a decade. They were physically close a lot when they were younger; as children, they used to wrestle and snuggle and do all sorts of things that they did less of later in life. But even then, in high school and after moving to Los Angeles, they still spent a lot of time together and even though they weren't pressed up against each other as much as they used to be when they were little, there were still moments when James got a whiff of Kendall's scent. In the recording booth, during video game nights with the boys, or when Kendall leaned in for a random hug – James was always aware of Kendall's smell, whether subconsciously or not, and associated it with home and a sense of belonging.

But back then, he never really registered just how good Kendall smells. He remembers the smell of Kendall’s soap and shampoo, maybe combined with a hint of sweat, or a little bit of cologne on special occasions. It was never a bad smell, but not a very memorable one either.

Now, however, everything has become so much more intense. He's still aware of the smell of Kendall's hygiene products, of course, or the million other little scents he never really noticed before because they are too faint for a human nose to pick up. But what's really driving him crazy is Kendall's scent.

Post-bite, James found out that every individual has a distinct scent. No two people smell the same, which makes it easy for him, with his new superior sense of smell, to figure out which one of his friends is around. At first, it was difficult to tell the scents apart because people who live together often share certain scents. The apartment smelled like a mix of all of them, really, and it took James a few days to figure out which smell belonged to whom. But now that he's acquainted himself with everyone's unique scent, it isn't difficult for him to say who is in any given room, even before he enters it. It's a handy little trick.

Nothing, however, could prepare him for what he felt when he smelled Kendall for the first time after turning.

In retrospect, he probably acted like a complete creep that first morning. At least Kendall seemed slightly alarmed when James jumped to his feet the second Kendall entered the room and moved over to him with a few swift steps. It might have been the fact that James had super speed now, though. Maybe Kendall was just taken aback by how fast James moved.

Overwhelmed by Kendall's scent, James stared at him for several seconds, sniffing and only barely resisting the urge to bury his face in Kendall's neck and breathe him in. Kendall just looked at him uncomprehendingly until James backed off. It took all of James’ willpower to do so.

Then he sat his friends down and explained everything to them. He told them about the bite and how it was going to change him, and how those changes were going to affect them. He left nothing out because he knew his friends would have to deal with this almost as much as he himself did. He expected them to freak out, but they took it surprisingly well; all three of them. They made it clear that he had their complete support as he went through the challenges that came with being a werewolf from one day to the next.

He's adjusted quite well; has gotten used to his heightened senses and the furry little problem he has every month now. He's found that with his friends' instant acceptance of his new… well, identity, everything was much easier than he expected it to be when he'd woken up naked and alone in the woods that morning.

There are things that are a little harder to overcome, of course. He's still working on suppressing the seemingly random surges of anger he experiences from time to time, or dealing with them in a healthy way. Jett in particular seems to bring them out frequently, which isn't all that surprising, considering he already pushed James' buttons when James was still human.

Loud noises are also something he's taking his time to adjust to. He really likes that he can hear conversations that go on in a different room, or that he can tell when someone's about to knock on the door before they do because he can hear their footsteps in the hallway, or the beat of their heart. His friends also love that particular skill of his, and more than once did Carlos make him listen in on the Jennifers' private conversations when he was convinced they were talking about him. They never were, though he still appreciated James' effort. But sometimes, there's a sound he can't block out because it's simply too loud. The worst is Gustavo's voice. It's loud for a regular human ear, but for his sensitive hearing, it's almost deafening. He's begged him to lower his voice again and again, but for some reason, Gustavo can't seem to remember it. Or he's doing it on purpose.

Either way, most of the changes are relatively easy for James to deal with.

The only thing he can't seem to get used to are the millions of things he feels every time he's around Kendall. He isn't sure what makes Kendall's smell so special to him, and wonders if any werewolf would feel that way near Kendall, or if it's just a problem James has. It takes a lot of strength for him not to jump Kendall the moment he sees – or smells – him. And rather than easier, it seems to get more difficult as time goes by.

Because not only does James want to spend all his time just smelling Kendall; he also wants to rub his own smell all over Kendall, because apparently, that's an urge that werewolves have as well. It would be such an awkward thing to do, though, and James isn't quite sure how to deal with it. He has a feeling Kendall wouldn't be all that thrilled to have James all over him, marking him as his territory, pretty much, when really, Kendall isn't his and never will be. So he ignores those urges and hopes they'll go away on their own someday.

The other thing is that James is extremely focused on Kendall at all times. He doesn't know if this is related to the scent thing, or if it's a different issue entirely, but whenever Kendall's in the room, James finds himself listening to his heartbeat, or watching him, and he seems to get incredibly jealous when someone so much as touches Kendall's shoulder. Whenever this happens – which it does a lot, considering neither Logan nor Carlos know anything about personal space – James feels this completely irrational rage that he can barely process. He finds himself wanting to snap at his friends for doing something as banal as patting Kendall's back after he's won a game during their weekly video game tournament, and wants to tear their heads off when their fingers brush Kendall's at dinner, when they reach for the ketchup bottle at the same time.

So far, he's always been able to control it, and hasn't lashed out at someone who didn't deserve it. But he can feel these almost possessive feelings towards Kendall getting stronger every day, and hopes more and more that he won't be driven to do something he might regret later. It has come to the point where he has to leave the room when Kendall and Logan are studying together because they tend to sit next to each other, shoulders touching and heads bent over their homework, because that simple, insignificant, unintentional and completely innocent touch makes his blood boil.

And even when he isn't close to Kendall, he can still sense him. Since they're usually both in the same building at the same time, it's surprisingly easy for him to keep track of Kendall, and he knows what he's doing or how he's feeling, even when they're several rooms apart. It freaked him out at first when he realized how accurate his internal werewolf GPS really is, but now it's become a bit of a habit for him to listen closely and make sure Kendall's all right at any given moment.

He wonders how Kendall would feel if he knew about this. Something tells him he wouldn't be thrilled about this clear invasion of his privacy. But no matter how hard James tries, he can't seem to stop.

So to say that he has a lot of issues to deal with now that he's a werewolf, would be a huge understatement. But what is he supposed to do? It's not like there's some sort of on/off switch for these feelings and urges. It seems to be something that comes with being a werewolf, and James just has to find a way to deal with it.

Easier said than done.

What makes matters worse is the fact that Kendall has been unusually clingy lately. James doesn't remember him being this touchy-feely when he was still human, and sometimes he finds himself wondering if it's something about his scent or general aura that makes Kendall touch him more frequently than he did before.

Or maybe he's just fascinated by the whole werewolf thing in general.

After James told his friends about what was going on, Kendall was the one who asked all the important questions. James figured Logan would be more interested in it, especially the biological/scientific aspect of it, or Carlos because he's always had a thing for puppies, and that's basically what James is at this point – a big, though admittedly slightly scary, puppy. But no; it was Kendall who wanted to know what kind of werewolf he is; citing several different movies and TV shows that deal with supernatural creatures and making James pick the one he was closest to, even though they all have their similarities and differences to what werewolves are, apparently, like in real life. Kendall was also the first one who asked him to shift; morbidly curious about the whole wolf shape-shifting thing. James refused, of course; figuring that even though Kendall claimed he wanted to see it, he was in no way ready to deal with seeing James in his wolf form.

So maybe that's the reason why Kendall suddenly seems to find an excuse to touch him several times a day. It's odd, though. James doesn't remember Kendall ever touching his arm before, when he wanted James’ attention, or leaning against him when they were watching a movie.

Actually, James is grateful for that last one, as it gives him an excuse to breathe in Kendall's scent without being too obvious about it. But at the same time, it makes it incredibly hard for James to ignore all the feelings and urges Kendall causes in him, and he knows that sooner or later, the situation will escalate and Kendall will find himself pinned to the nearest wall by a starved-for-physical-touch werewolf who has a thing for his scent. And James really isn't sure how Kendall would react to that. He has a feeling Kendall would start being a lot more reserved around him if he physically threatened him like that – because despite his obviously good intentions, it would probably come across as a threat.

Of course he would never ever harm Kendall or any of the others. He may be a werewolf but he's doing his best to control his monthly bloodlust, which has never been directed at any of his friends. His friends are his pack, in some way, so of course he's not going to harm them.

Either way, pouncing Kendall might give him the wrong impression, and have the opposite effect of what James would want it to have. And he’s not even entirely sure what that is.

So he needs to learn to control himself around Kendall, and hope he'll find a way to deal with his sudden obsession with the other boy without causing harm or changing anything between them. Because that is the last thing he wants.

This whole thing would be a lot easier if the alpha who bit him didn't abandon him the moment the sun rose. He gave James the basics before leaving but James felt like he knew nothing about what it means to be a werewolf. He never wanted any of this in the first place, and now he has to figure out everything on his own, and it sucks. He was offered a spot in the alpha’s pack, of course, but since the guy was on the move and not planning on staying in Los Angeles for more than a couple of nights, James had to decline. He wasn’t going to leave his boys and give up this life he’d worked so hard for. But it’s not easy. He's never felt more alone because even though the boys are doing their best to help him with this, they just don't understand what it's like. And he can't really talk to them about it because he doesn't want them to worry more than they already do.

Considering the circumstances, though, he's doing all right. It could be a lot worse. And it's not like he doesn't enjoy being a werewolf. He feels great and stronger than ever, and seems to be better at everything.

If only Kendall didn't fucking smell so good…

°°°

It’s a week before the next full moon, and James is seconds away from shaking Kendall. Because yes, he still has that effect on James as well. Even though they usually get along really well these days, sometimes Kendall is just so fucking irritating that James has to dig his nails into his palms to keep himself from snapping – or worse.

Because right now, he kind of wants to strangle him.

They’re at Rocque Records and they’re alone. It’s late and James is tired and really just wants to go back to the Palmwoods for some peace and quiet, and not deal with anything or anyone (especially Kendall) until the next morning. But Gustavo wasn’t pleased with their work today and claims they were out of sync when they rehearsed their latest dance moves, which resulted in Kendall and James both accusing the other of constantly fucking everything up, and Gustavo eventually ordering them to shut up forever and not leave the building until they’ve worked out their differences and made the dance look perfect. He also took their cell phones to make sure they wouldn’t get distracted.

James suspects that Gustavo may be a little out of sync with his zen or something. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Either way, he’s removed himself from the situation and left to go do something fun instead and James and Kendall are still stuck here and not getting anywhere. Because leaving them alone hasn’t really solved anything. Now they’re free to fight as much as they want, and James is just so very tired. And the fact that Kendall is lecturing him on how James’ signature dance move supposedly works really isn’t helping. At all.

“Will you fucking stop already?” James snaps suddenly, pressing his fingers to his temples in an attempt to make himself calm down. It’s not helping, however, and he sighs, dropping his arms to his sides and looking over at Kendall almost pleadingly. “Will you please, please just admit that you clearly have no idea what you’re doing? Your inability to admit when you’re in the wrong is just fucking grating on my nerves right now, and if you don’t stop, I’ll–”

“You’ll what?” Kendall asks, folding his arms over his chest and raising a brow challengingly. “You’ll turn into a big bad wolf and rip my throat out, is that it? Oooh, I’m scared.”

He sounds sarcastic and mocking, but there’s a glint in Kendall’s eyes that suggests he’s daring James to do just that. James narrows his eyes and growls without even meaning to. It’s an instinct now; rather than to sigh in exasperation or frustration (which would be his normal reaction to Kendall), he makes these low, animalistic growling sounds that come from deep down and probably sound terrifying to mere mortals.

…or not, because right now Kendall looks more stunned and intrigued than scared. His heart skips a beat; James can hear it clearly, but Kendall doesn’t look frightened. After blinking a couple of times, he tilts his head and looks at James speculatively before a smirk curls his lips. Never a good sign. “That was actually pretty impressive, dude.”

James rolls his eyes and turns away, pushing his hair back. “Let’s just get this done so we can get out of here, all right? I don’t want to spend all night here.”

Kendall seems to hesitate for a moment, then shrugs. “Sure,” he says. “As long as you stop tripping over your own feet, so we can do this properly. Seriously – you’d think being a werewolf would make you a little more graceful but it’s actually worse than before.”

James snarls. “I swear to God, Kendall, if you don’t shut up–”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Kendall sighs before James can finish. He walks over to the stereo and hits the 'play' button a little harder than necessary, and the music starts. James lets out a breath, hoping they won’t have to rehearse this stupid dance another fifty times because his patience is running seriously thin. He and Kendall really do get along just fine most of the time; they’re not best friends for nothing, but they’ve been doing this for so long now that they’re both tense and tired, which tends to make them want to provoke the other, which then often escalates and turns into a fight. James wants to avoid that tonight – or any night, for that matter because if they actually did get into a physical fight, Kendall wouldn’t stand a chance, and James might end up hurting him. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if that happened.

Kendall hums along to the song as they get into position, and gives James a sign. “Five, six, seven, eight–”

They start dancing and James watches Kendall in the mirror as he executes his own moves perfectly. The beginning looks truly great now; they’re almost perfectly in sync, at least for a while. For about half a minute, they’re doing well, and James grins at Kendall in the mirror, and allows himself to hope that they’ve finally got this down. He feels like they’re close to a breakthrough, and maybe they’ll be able to go home in only about ten minutes.

Of course that’s when Kendall takes a step to the right instead of the left, steps on James’ toes and slams into him with a force that makes him lose his balance. He grabs James’ shirt and yanks him forward as he goes down.

Only his new fast reflexes keep James from crushing Kendall with his weight, and he braces himself above Kendall with his hands at the last second; sucking in a breath when their faces end up only millimeters apart; noses almost touching.

He stares down at Kendall with wide eyes and swallows hard as the music continues around them. They’re both breathing heavily, and Kendall’s heart is beating even faster than his own. For a moment, James is distracted by Kendall’s big green eyes and the feel of his body pressed against his own. Then he makes the mistake of actually taking in a breath, and his nostrils fill with Kendall’s intoxicating scent.

His eyes roll into the back of his head and he makes a soft sound when he feels his blood start pumping harder. Before he knows what he’s doing, James bends his head and presses his face into Kendall’s neck, breathing him in as though his life depends on it. He shuts down completely and just focuses on the intensity of Kendall’s scent and the rapid pace of his heart, which makes James’ stomach flip and his head spin.

He brushes his nose over Kendall’s neck as he sniffs him, taking in even the faintest smell and letting Kendall’s scent overwhelm his senses. James starts nuzzling him, moving his face up to Kendall’s and rubbing their cheeks together, hands moving over Kendall’s arms and up to his neck and hair, leaving no spot untouched.

It isn’t until Kendall tenses beneath him and asks, in an almost small voice, “Uh… James, what the hell are you doing?” that James comes to his senses and jerks back, eyes wide. Kendall is staring up at him with equally wide eyes, more curious than scared; face flushed, pupils dilated.

James swallows hard and after a moment, he manages to focus enough to push himself off Kendall, stumbling backwards to bring some distance between them; suddenly mortified. “I’m… fuck, I’m sorry.”

He never loses control like this, ever. But in a moment of weakness, he let himself give in to the urges he’s been trying to fight for nearly six months now, and fuck, he doesn’t blame Kendall for looking more than a little freaked out.

In a moment of madness, he actually started scent marking Kendall, which is definitely not okay. Sure, Kendall’s as good as family, and since he doesn’t have an actual pack, the boys are the closest thing to one he has right now, but it’s still not okay for him to rub himself all over Kendall without his approval. What the fuck is wrong with him?

“I… should go,” he says before he can do something worse, and swallows hard as he gets to his feet. “I’ll see you later.”

He grabs his bag and heads for the door, leaving the rehearsal room and Kendall, still sitting on the floor with a stunned expression, behind. He tugs on his hair as he heads for the door that separates Gustavo’s floor from the rest of the building, and almost slams into it. He grabs the handle and turns it, but it doesn’t budge an inch.

James stares at the door uncomprehendingly; pushes and pulls until he comes to the conclusion that it’s locked. It’s a solid metal door, and while he could probably break it with some effort, he has a feeling that Gustavo wouldn’t appreciate it.

It takes a moment for the realization to sink in, and when it does, he groans in disbelief.

The door is locked. There’s no lock on the inside. They’re locked in. Their phones are gone as well, so they’re stuck here until someone comes to work the next morning.

“Fuck,” he hisses and slams his fist into the door. Something cracks and it takes a moment for James to realize that it’s his hand, not the door. He looks down at his bruised, bloody knuckles, then inspects the door and feels somewhat better when he sees the clear dent he left behind.

Then he presses his forehead to the cool metal of the door and tries to breathe. His head is pounding, his face still flushed in embarrassment, and he really has no patience for this right now. But since he’s already dismissed the option of breaking the door down, he doesn’t have much of a choice, does he? He’s going to have to wait here till the morning when either Kelly or Gustavo gets here to open the door.

And he’s stuck here for the rest of the night with Kendall who’s probably still freaked out by the whole sniffing and scent marking thing, and fuck, could this night get any worse?

He turns around and looks down the hallway where Kendall is standing, half of his body lit up by the faint light coming from the rehearsal room.

“What’s going on?” Kendall asks after a moment. “I thought I heard something… Are you okay?”

James looks down at his bruised hand again and flexes his fingers. “Yeah, I’m all right.”

“You’re hurt,” Kendall says, and before James can reassure him that he’s all right, really, Kendall’s made his way over to him and his fingers brush James’ hand as he looks at James’ injury.

Kendall’s scent washes over him again and James bites his lip hard as he tries not to inhale through his nose. “It’s fine,” he says after a moment of recollecting himself. “It’ll heal in a second. Werewolf, remember?”

Kendall looks up at him, eyebrows raised. “Really? It works that fast?”

James shrugs and nods down at his hands where the bruises are already healing. Kendall stares down at his hand, eyes widening a little as he sees the first real demonstration of James’ powers. It isn’t that James is ashamed of what he is now, not at all. But he’s never shown any of the boys anything like this, figuring they all thought James being a werewolf is cool in theory, but that they’d freak out if they actually saw something like this. Kendall, however, doesn’t look freaked out. He looks fascinated.

“Cool,” he breathes when the injury is completely gone and only a bit of dried blood is left on James’ knuckles, and James feels his cheeks heat up again. He looks away, a little embarrassed by Kendall’s intensely intrigued look at him.

“Why’d you punch the door anyway?” he asks after a few seconds of awkward silence.

“Because it won’t open. We’re locked in,” James explains with a sigh, stepping aside when Kendall’s head snaps up and he stares at James in disbelief. “Try it yourself.”

Kendall does, and it takes a moment for him to accept that James is telling the truth. He groans and kicks the door, then yelps in pain and jumps up and down, holding his foot. He looks ridiculous, but James can’t help smiling a little at how… fuck, adorable he looks.

When he recovers from the initial pain, Kendall sighs. “Can’t you break it down or something? Aren’t you supposed to have Hulk strength now?”

James rolls his eyes and shrugs. “Maybe I could, but I’d rather not deal with Gustavo’s wrath tomorrow morning when he sees the broken door.”

Kendall gives him a look. “He’s the one who locked us in! Don’t you think he’d be reasonable, given the circumstances?”

James raises a brow at him, and Kendall sighs. “Yeah. Right. Gustavo’s never reasonable.”

Kendall pushes his hair back and looks around. “So what now?”

James shrugs. “I guess we find a spot to sleep and wait for someone to realize we’re missing.”

Kendall makes a face but doesn’t look like he has a better idea either. At least until his face lights up and he storms off, heading for Gustavo’s office. “Or we could, you know, call someone.”

He reaches to open the door, then stops and lets his head fall back. “Unbelievable! Who locks their office at night?”

James raised a brow. “Everyone?”

Kendall sighs again and kicks that door as well, for good measure, before giving up and going back into the rehearsal room.

James gives the metal door another annoyed look, then follows Kendall.

°°°

After spending some more time rehearsing their dance – because what else are they supposed to do all night? – they finally call it good, and get comfortable on the floor of the rehearsal room, drinking their Gatorade. At least they’re not going to dehydrate or starve, so that’s something. As it turns out, the bathrooms and kitchen are also unlocked, so really, it could be a lot worse.

They sit in slightly uncomfortable silence for a while, James still replaying the scene from earlier over and over in his head while Kendall is probably doing the same.

Kendall’s the first one to break the silence. “So, those healing powers are pretty neat,” he offers, glancing over at James.

“They are,” James agrees, looking at his fully healed hand. No one would be able to tell it was bruised just a little while ago. “I’m never going to have to see Doc Hollywood again.”

“Lucky you,” Kendall murmurs, giving him a grin, which James manages to return. At least Kendall doesn’t seem to be completely shocked by his earlier behavior, which is something. And he's not bringing it up, which James is also grateful for.

He watches Kendall lean his head back against the wall, eyes closing as he sucks in a deep breath and releases it slowly. His Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows, and James is tempted to lean over and lick it. He smacks himself inwardly and looks away quickly.

“Sooo,” Kendall says then, “you still not gonna show me what you look like when you turn?”

James blinks and looks over again, pressing his lips together when he finds Kendall staring back at him with an unreadable expression.

“Kendall… I told you,” James says patiently, looking down at his hands, “I’m not comfortable with you seeing me like that.”

“Why not?” Judging by his tone, Kendall is not trying to be an annoying little shit; he honestly wants to know why.

James shrugs, not sure if he has a good answer. “Because I’m just not, okay?”

Kendall’s silent for a moment and James almost allows himself to hope that Kendall will let this go – but it’s Kendall and he never lets anything drop. “That’s not a reason,” he points out. “Come on, what’s gonna happen?”

James sighs and pushes his hair back. “I could lose control.” Which is a blatant lie, and Kendall knows it.

He can almost feel Kendall raise an eyebrow. “Oh come on. The other day you told Logan that you’ve learned how to control the whole shifting thing, so what’s the real reason?”

James sighs and gives him a look. “I just don’t want you to see me like that, okay?”

“Yeah,” Kendall says slowly. “You said that. But why not? Do you think I’m gonna freak out and run away? Guess what – not gonna happen. Even if I was scared, I wouldn’t get very far, considering we’re, oh, locked in.”

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" James asks, snorting. "You might get scared and be stuck here with me for the rest of the night."

Kendall rolls his eyes. "I don't get scared easily, and you know it. Come on, James. Please?"

James sighs and gives him a pleading look, but Kendall just keeps staring at him, bottom lip jutting out into a pout that should not be as adorable as it is, and he’s clearly not going to give up on this. James rubs his face. “Okay,” he says after a moment. “Fine. I’m gonna show you.”

Kendall looks surprised. “Really?”

James shrugs. “We’ve got nothing better to do anyway. I just hope… you can handle it.”

“Of course I can,” Kendall says eagerly, turning to face James and looking more than a little intrigued.

James sets his bottle down and takes a breath, closing his eyes. He turns away from Kendall a little, focusing, and feels his canines grow, his facial features shift, his ears grow pointed. Facial hair grows in places that are usually clean shaven, and his claws slide out. He holds his breath for a moment, keeping his eyes closed, then turns his head towards Kendall, letting him see. After a moment, he hesitantly opens his now golden-yellow eyes.

Kendall’s staring at him intently, and James feels his cheeks heat up again under Kendall’s gaze, and he looks away, wondering if this was a mistake. A moment later, he feels Kendall’s fingers brush his chin and turn his face back towards him.

“Let me see, dude,” Kendall says softly, and then inspects him closely, his face a mask of wonder. He doesn’t look freaked out, from what James can tell. He can hear his heart beating a little faster than usual, but he looks… fascinated, not frightened.

He’s such a weird boy.

“Cool,” Kendall breathes finally, and gives him a grin, and James shakes his head and turns away again, rubbing his face to make sure all his wolf features are gone.

“You are so weird,” he informs Kendall, reaching for his bottle again, just to give his hands something to do.

“I know, right?” Kendall says, laughing. “No, but seriously, dude, that looks amazing. Your eyes, your teeth, those claws? Dude. Can you turn into a full wolf as well?”

James shrugs. “Technically, I should be able to, but I guess it requires more practice. I'm not quite there yet.”

Kendall nods. “Well, still. This alone already looks incredibly bad-ass.”

James gives him a little smile and leans back against the wall, willing his heart to slow down. He honestly expected Kendall to want to get away from him as fast as possible, but either he doesn't look as scary as he personally thinks he does, or Kendall’s a lot cooler than he thought.

Maybe both.

Silence falls over them again as James contemplates this, and Kendall processes what he just saw.

Kendall’s the one to break the silence again, but this time, James feels his heart jump into his throat when he hears his words.

“So, uh, what exactly was going on before? You know, when we fell, and you kinda… did that thing?”

He sounds a little embarrassed about it as well, and James isn't sure whether that’s supposed to make him feel better or worse. He was also hoping Kendall wouldn't bring up that awkward little moment, but now that the question is out there, James can't really avoid answering it.

“I was… scenting you,” he explains vaguely, still hoping Kendall will let it go.

He should know better by now.

“Which means… what, exactly?”

“I was smelling you? It’s… it’s a wolf thing,” James says, shifting awkwardly.

“Yeah, I figured,” Kendall says, and James can practically hear him rolling his eyes. “But… I mean, I’ve noticed you kinda sniffing around us before, but you've never done that before.”

James groans and rubs his face, avoiding eye contact. “I guess it was the adrenaline or something,” he lies, still not looking at Kendall.

He closes his eyes and tips his head back, and when Kendall’s silent for a while, he almost thinks he’s done asking these uncomfortable questions. But of course he’s not that lucky, and a moment later, he almost freaks out when he feels Kendall’s smell in his face again as Kendall throws a leg over him and straddles him.

James’ eyes fly open and he stares at Kendall in shock. “What–”

“Do you like the way I smell?” he asks, and he’s close now, so close, and James can feel his head start spinning again as Kendall’s scent wafts into his nose. His eyes flutter, then lock with Kendall’s, who’s looking at him unblinkingly. He’s leaning in, their cheeks brushing as Kendall whispers into his ear. “Do you?”

James sucks in a breath and his hands come up to grip Kendall’s biceps. He wants to push him away; put some distance between them in order to clear his head, but Kendall’s right there, and he initiated this, and James feels his defenses crumbling when Kendall’s hot breath ghosts across his ear.

“Do you, James?” he continues, his voice barely audible, and his neck is right in front of James’ face now. “Do you like the way I smell?” He’s silent for a moment, then brushes his fingers over the back of James’ neck. “You can do it, you know? I don’t mind. You can, like, scent me. If you still want to.”

And that’s all the invitation James needs. His hands tighten around Kendall’s arms and he leans in the final couple of inches to bury his face in Kendall’s neck again, heart racing as he takes a deep breath, filling his nose with Kendall’s scent. He slides his hands onto his back, pulling Kendall against him as he moves his nose up Kendall’s neck and buries it in his hair, snuffling and gripping Kendall tighter. His skin prickles with arousal and he holds onto Kendall tightly, whimpering a little when he realizes that it’s not just Kendall’s scent he’s smelling, but his own as well. He didn't really get to do much scent marking earlier, but the little bit he did do already mixed his scent with Kendall’s, and it’s the most intoxicating thing he’s ever smelled; better even than Kendall’s smell on its own.

He loses himself for a moment; just sniffing and touching Kendall, getting more of his own scent on his skin, his clothes, his hair, marking every part of him he can reach without getting too inappropriate.

Kendall’s breathing heavily into his ear, his heart racing in his chest, and James presses his hand to Kendall’s throat, feeling his pulse under his flushed skin. He turns his face a little and feels Kendall do the same, and then Kendall’s lips are on his cheek, his jaw, and finally his lips, and James can’t suppress the desperate little growl that escapes him as he presses his lips to Kendall’s and kisses him desperately. It’s a hard, wet, clumsy kiss, but it doesn't matter; it’s the best thing James has felt in months, if not ever, and he clings to Kendall in desperation.

Kendall’s tongue brushes his lips and James sucks it into his mouth, sliding his own along it and moving his hands down Kendall’s back to cup his ass and pull him as close as possible. His heart skips a beat when he feels the bulge between Kendall’s legs against his own, and for a moment, he falters, stunned at the realization that Kendall is just as turned on as James is.

Now he recognizes what the unfamiliar scent coming off Kendall is; it's arousal, mixed with excitement and nervousness, and it sends a jolt of pleasure straight to James' groin.

He breaks the kiss and swallows hard, pulling back enough to look at Kendall, wanting to see his face and make sure he's okay with this development, even though his scent tells him everything James needs to know. Kendall's looking back at him with huge, dark eyes, lips red, glistening and slightly parted, hair a mess, and he looks positively debauched. James wants to ravish him, and opens his mouth to say something but he isn't sure what; he just feels like he should say… something.

Then Kendall smiles; a small, dimply smile that’s both innocent and seductive at the same time, and James’ words die on his lips and he flips them over so Kendall’s on his back and James hovering above him, a low growl in his throat.

Kendall’s heart is racing and he looks surprised for a moment but then reaches up and cups James’ cheeks, pulling him down into another rough, filthy kiss that’s all open mouths and teeth and tongues. James’ responding growl is a low vibration that goes through his entire body and Kendall moans in response to it, body pressing up against his. James twitches in his pants and thrusts his hips down against Kendall’s, eliciting another moan from the other boy.

Kendall bites his lip and now it’s James’ turn to moan before he draws back and stares down at Kendall, breathing heavily.

“You were marking me earlier, weren't you?” Kendall manages, voice soft and breathy, which is such a turn on. “With your scent?”

James licks his lips and manages a nod, feeling less embarrassed now that he knows that Kendall's at least a little into it, if his erection is any indication.

Kendall swallows hard. “You can do it, you know? If… if you want to. I mean… it’s kinda hot.”

James keeps staring and Kendall licks his lips nervously. “I mean, you seemed to be enjoying it, and it’s like, it marks me as yours, right?” He waits a couple of seconds, then adds quietly, “I like the idea of being yours.”

And that does it. James groans and bends down to rub his cheek against Kendall’s, brushing his hand over Kendall’s face and hair and neck, bathing Kendall in his scent. James kisses his jaw and chin, then licks a trail down his throat, sucking on his Adam’s apple, feeling it vibrate under his lips when another moan escapes Kendall, and dipping his tongue into the hollow between his collarbones, tasting him.

He's fumbling with the hem of Kendall's shirt, trying to get his hands under it so he can touch more skin; pull it off Kendall and see more of him, but for some reason, he can't get the damned shirt to do what he wants. He huffs in frustration, then tightens his fists around the fabric of Kendall's t-shirt and tugs, ripping it in half and pressing his face into Kendall's bare stomach.

"Fuck," Kendall whimpers, then adds, "Hey, I liked that shirt," and James snorts because it's such a Kendall thing to say.

James looks up at him for a moment and raises a brow, then keeps his eyes on Kendall as he kisses each rib gently, hands moving up his sides. Kendall's lip trembles a little and he lets out a shaky breath, pushing himself up on one elbow and reaching down to touch James' hair with the other hand. James' eyes flutter briefly and he leans into the touch before he focuses on Kendall's nipples, licking a trail around each one, then sucking on them, smiling against his skin when Kendall moans again. He's incredibly responsive; hand tightening in James’ hair almost painfully when James grazes his teeth over each nipple.

James kisses his way down again, biting Kendall's stomach teasingly and gently brushing a teasing hand over Kendall's crotch, grinning to himself when Kendall's hips jerk forward into the touch. He stops when he reaches the waistband of Kendall's sweatpants, following his happy trail with his tongue until it stops. Then he hesitates because while Kendall's arousal is undeniable at this point, he wants to make sure he doesn't do anything Kendall doesn't want him to do.

He hooks his fingers under the waistband and looks up at Kendall questioningly, breathing hotly against his stomach. Kendall sucks it in, his hipbones protruding a little more, and swallows hard, staring down at James with intense green eyes, tongue darting out to wet dry lips.

"What are you waiting for?" he asks then, raising one prominent eyebrow.

James blinks, but doesn't need to be told twice; he yanks Kendall's pants down to his knees and presses his cheek against his crotch, breathing in deeply and moaning helplessly at the smell that overwhelms his senses. James rubs his cheek against the bulge, then mouths Kendall's erection through his underwear, wetting the thin fabric of his plain white boxer briefs.

"Oh my god," Kendall moans, letting his head fall back as James continues his ministrations; just teasingly nipping Kendall's cock through his underwear. He pulls Kendall’s sweatpants down all the way, then moves up Kendall's body to kiss his collarbone again, pressing his own hips against Kendall's. There's too much fabric between them but before James gets the chance to remove any more clothing, Kendall reaches up and cups the back of his head and finds James’ lips again, kissing him deeply. James returns the kiss and starts rocking against Kendall in a painfully slow rhythm; wanting to draw this out for as long as he can because it may be the only time he'll ever be in a position like this with Kendall.

He focuses on the kiss and the sweet, sweet friction caused by their hips grinding against each other while Kendall's fingers tangle into his hair for a moment before gripping his shoulders and then sliding down his back. One hand slips under the fabric of James' tank top and James growls at the feel of Kendall's fingers against his bare skin, digging into the muscles, clinging to him.

He helps Kendall get the tank off him and throws it aside, bracing himself on his arms above Kendall and giving the other boy a moment to take everything in. Kendall's looking at him in a way he never has before. This isn't the first time they've seen each other semi-naked, but there's a raw, sexual desire in Kendall's eyes that James definitely hasn't seen before. He sucks in a breath when Kendall's fingers brush his chest and abs, leaning into the touch unconsciously and encouraging Kendall with soft, pleased sounds.

He leans down for a kiss while Kendall's tugging down his sweatpants and boxers with some difficulty. And when James’ cock springs free, he presses against Kendall again, moaning at the feel of Kendall's erection pressed against his own; now with only one thin layer of clothing between them. James nudges Kendall's legs apart and slides between them, rutting against him desperately and pressing his lips against Kendall's, muffling his moans with his mouth. He breaks the kiss and presses his face into Kendall's neck again, fitting his lips to the junction of Kendall's shoulder and neck, sucking a mark into his skin; unable to help himself.

Kendall whimpers into his ear, which sends a tremor through James’ body as the movements of their hips get more and more desperate. Kendall tightens his fingers in James’ hair and yanks his head back, letting his lips trail over James' jaw and chin before licking into his mouth again, pressing their lips together with an almost bruising force.

The CD stopped playing a while ago and the only sound in the room is their heavy breathing, occasional moans and growls, and the sound of sweaty skin sliding against each other. Their thrusts get frantic, breathing erratic as the kiss grows more heated and James can feel the familiar warmth spread in his stomach as he pushes against Kendall, fast and rough. Kendall cants his hips, pushing up to meet James’ thrusts, his breath heavy when the kiss breaks and they stare at each other hungrily. He feels Kendall twitch against him, his fingers digging into James' shoulders as he comes with a long moan and a shudder that seems to go through his entire body. James swallows hard and keeps pressing against Kendall; follows him over the edge a moment later, splashing come all over Kendall's boxer briefs and stomach. His hips keep moving lazily against Kendall's for a little while; then they still and he lets out a soft sigh.

Kendall's boneless beneath him, chest rising and falling rapidly, heart still racing in his chest. He's sweaty and flushed, damp hair plastered to his forehead, eyes semi-closed and lips parted, and James has never seen anything more entrancing. He leans down to kiss Kendall's bottom lip and he nuzzles his face into his neck for a moment, familiarizing himself with Kendall's post-coital scent. He allows himself to just bask in the moment for a few seconds before reluctantly getting off Kendall and trying to get his own breathing under control.

They lie there in silence; the only sound their heavy breathing and slowing heartbeats, and it's a while before one of them says something. After a few minutes, James can feel Kendall's eyes on him.

"You know, I could get used to that scenting thing if this is what it leads to."

James snorts and rolls onto his side, pillowing his head on his arm as he looks at Kendall. "Yeah? I didn't know if you'd be… up for anything like this."

"Are you kidding?" Kendall's brows shoot up and he shifts onto his side as well, propping his head up on his hand. "I've only been lusting after you for like, the past three years or so." He sounds sarcastic but the statement makes James freeze and he watches Kendall's face, looking for anything that might give away whether he's serious or not. Kendall's heart is still beating too fast for James to be able to tell whether he's joking, and when he sniffs, he smells… nothing to indicate that Kendall's not serious.

His eyes widen a little. "No. Really?"

Kendall nods. "Mhm." He shrugs, cheeks and neck flushing as he looks at a spot somewhere behind James' shoulder.

James keeps his eyes on Kendall, trying to figure out what he's supposed to do with that information. Before he can say anything in response, however, Kendall's wiggling out of his come-stained underwear, wiping himself up with it and then shrugging off his torn t-shirt. He inspects it and shakes his head, giving James a look before lying back down and shifting into a somewhat comfortable position on his back.

"Fuck, the floor's really not comfortable," Kendall mutters, pushing himself up again and looking out the door.

James just stares. Kendall's been naked in front of him before, sure, but never like this. He's completely comfortable naked in front of James; doesn't try to hide or cover himself up, and there's something really, really arousing about that confidence.

"Wanna go over to the couches out there?" Kendall asks, glancing back at James over his shoulder. "I figure that's where we're gonna sleep later anyway, so we might as well take this over there."

James' heart skips a beat at the implication that they're not going to sleep for a while, taking it as Kendall wanting more of this, and his cock hardens in anticipation. For a moment he thinks that maybe being naked out there is not the best idea, considering it’ll be the first thing whoever comes looking for them will see, but he figures they’ll be dressed by the time anyone comes to the studio anyway. If not… well. Whatever. Right now that’s the last thing to worry about.

He licks his lips and nods when Kendall looks at him expectantly. "Sure. Sure, yeah, let's go."

He shoves his pants and boxers down all the way and pushes himself up to his feet, picking up his boxers and wiping the dried come off his stomach. He watches Kendall get up as well and bites his lip hard when he's confronted with the sight of Kendall's ass. It's pretty flat and tiny, and James wants to bite it.

He flushes at the thought and takes a breath as he follows Kendall. Before Kendall can make it fully out the door, James finds himself reaching for his hand, flipping him over and pushing him up against the wall. Kendall sucks in a breath and stares at James.

"Did you mean it?" he asks, searching Kendall's face. "The thing you said about lusting after me?"

Kendall bites his lip hard enough to draw blood as he hesitates, his heart picking up its pace again. Then he nods.

James swallows hard and lets out an involuntary, low growl. He glances down at Kendall's lips for a second and leans in to suck the blood off it. Kendall moans helplessly, arms coming up to wrap around James' neck, holding James' head in place as he slides his tongue into his mouth. James responds to the kiss eagerly and pins him with his body, hands moving clumsily down Kendall's sides to cup his ass, picking him up and wrapping Kendall's legs around his waist.

Kendall's breath is coming in quick, shallow little puffs through his nose and James can feel Kendall’s cock give an interested twitch against his own. He presses their bodies together as he kisses him deeply and palms Kendall's ass firmly, digging his fingers into the soft yet firm flesh and probably leaving bruises. He hopes there’ll be bruises. He wants to mark Kendall all over and not just with his scent.

He breaks the kiss and starts peppering kisses down Kendall's neck, then presses his lips to it and sucks a second hickey into his skin, just a bit above the previous one. Kendall moans and James feels the vibrations of it against his lips, and only pulls back when he starts noticing the coppery taste of blood just beneath his skin. He draws back to inspect his work and presses his fingers against the nearly purple marks on Kendall's neck, smiling in satisfaction.

He can feel Kendall's eyes on him and glances up through his lashes.

"Fuck me," Kendall breathes and James’ heart skips a beat; then growls as he fits their lips together in another heated kiss, grinding against him again, his whole body trembling at the prospect of getting to fuck Kendall. He knows Kendall's serious when he trails his fingers down Kendall's cleft, circling his hole with a fingertip to feel Kendall clench around it; pushing against it.

"Lube," he murmurs, only barely managing to remember that little detail before he gets too carried away.

"Fuck," Kendall breathes, leaning his head back against the wall with an audible thump. He's panting and thinking frantically; James can almost see the wheels turning in his head, and he leans in to suck on his exposed neck while he lets Kendall figure out what they could use.

"Ladies room," Kendall gaps suddenly and James looks up at him in confusion. "The women's bathroom – it has soap and lotion."

James raises a brow at him; curious as to how Kendall knows this despite the fact that he just wants to fucking bury himself inside Kendall.

Kendall rolls his eyes. "Gustavo was taking a dump in the men's room one day, so I snuck into the other one," Kendall explains hastily, and adds, "Does it fucking matter? Just fucking get us there already!"

James shudders at the mental image of Gustavo in the bathroom and discards the thought it quickly. That's the last thing he needs to think about right now.

“Bossy,” he says with a little smirk. He slides an arm around Kendall's waist and carries him into the bathroom, almost running into the doorway when Kendall picks that moment to kiss him again. He manages to fumble the door open, missing the light switch as he stumbles over to the sinks and presses Kendall into the counter. He squints, then reaches for the first bottle, cursing when he ends up squirting soap onto his fingers.

"Goddammit," he mutters and wipes his hand hastily on a paper towel before trying the other dispenser and hurriedly coating his fingers with the lotion. It's not as ideal as actual lube would be, but it'll do.

He reaches down and presses a finger against Kendall's puckered hole, letting out a moan when his finger slides in without meeting any resistance. Kendall leans back against the mirror and moans loudly, bearing down on his finger and reaching between his legs to stroke his cock in time with the thrusts of James' finger.

James watches Kendall’s hand move up and down his cock while he’s pretty much riding his finger, and fuck, his face… James licks his lips as he stares at him and adds a second finger; opening him up and scissoring both digits to stretch Kendall.

"I can't see you," Kendall breathes after a moment. "I wanna see you."

James realizes belatedly that the light from the corridor isn't enough for Kendall's human eyes to see him, and he lets out a frustrated breath as he reluctantly pulls his fingers out, wiping them on the paper towel and quickly makes his way over to the light switch, flipping it on. The fluorescent lights are hardly flattering but it doesn't matter because just seeing Kendall like that, sitting on the counter with his legs spread and his hand jerking his cock furiously is almost enough for James to come right then and there.

"Fuck," he whispers and swallows hard, striding over to Kendall with two hurried steps. He pulls him off the counter and flips him over, gripping his ass with two firm hands. He spreads his cheeks and squeezes them, then slides two fingers back inside, adding a third one when Kendall relaxes around them.

The whimper Kendall lets out is amazingly satisfying and James grins as he keeps fingering him; focusing on making Kendall moan. And he does, loudly, and James is surprised that no one's heard them yet. The building must really be completely abandoned; otherwise there would be no way for someone to not hear this.

He sucks on Kendall’s shoulder, then licks the back of his neck and just watches him in the mirror as he keeps moving his fingers. After a moment, he reaches around Kendall to wrap his free hand around the base of his cock, wanting to keep him from coming from this alone because by the sound of it, Kendall’s close.

He finally pulls back and rubs a hand over Kendall’s ass, then bends down and bites Kendall's left ass cheek, smiling at Kendall's surprised yelp.

Then he pushes himself up again and kisses Kendall's shoulder, digging his teeth into it, and leaving another mark. By the time he’s done with him, Kendall’s going to be covered in marks. He licks his lips as he pictures it.

Kendall looks like he's about to lose it; panting heavily, sweat running down his temple. James licks it off and then reaches for the lotion again, squeezing a generous amount of the slippery substance onto his hand and reaching between their bodies to slick his cock.

He keeps his eyes on Kendall's face in the mirror as he rubs the tip of his cock against Kendall's hole teasingly, watching him furrow his brow and groan in frustration. "James."

James just smiles and slides his cock between Kendall's ass cheeks, grinding against him a little and moaning when Kendall clenches around the length of his dick, squeezing him in the best possible way.

"James, I'm fucking serious," he hisses. "If you don't get in me right now, I'm gonna–"

He never finds out the rest of Kendall's threat; when Kendall least suspects it, he reaches down to take hold of his cock and pushes it in slowly. He wants to just bury himself inside him but he doesn't want to hurt Kendall either, so he presses his lips together to keep himself from taking this too fast, giving Kendall time to adjust as he pushes in inch by inch.

Then he's buried entirely inside Kendall and it's the most amazing thing he's ever felt. He presses his face into Kendall’s neck to regain his breath, and sniffs him, letting all of Kendall overwhelm his senses.

Kendall wiggles back against him and making a content little sound that's both ridiculously hot and incredibly adorable.

James presses his lips to his neck, meeting Kendall's eyes in the mirror as he slips an arm around Kendall’s waist to hold him in place as he pulls back and starts fucking him slowly. It takes all he has to keep himself from thrusting harder, but Kendall's face is enough to distract him. He leans his head back against James' shoulder, baring his throat, and moans, hips pushing back against James’ to meet his thrusts. He's holding on to the counter, eyes screwed shut and mouth hanging open, letting out breathless gasps and whimpers as he impales himself on James' cock repeatedly.

James picks up his pace when he's sure Kendall can take it, and slides his hands onto Kendall's hips, nails digging into his skin and leaving crescents as he fucks into him again and again.

"Oh goddd," Kendall moans, falling forward and bracing himself on his elbows as he watches James move behind him in the mirror. He licks his lips and his eyes roll into the back of his head when James finds a particularly good angle and slams into him. He's still holding back, and probably always will, not trusting his new strength entirely just yet, but Kendall doesn't seem to mind and keeps muttering encouraging nonsense as they move together.

After a moment, James slides a hand up Kendall's back and pushes him down against the counter, then forces Kendall's hips back a little. One hand on his hip, the other one resting between his shoulder blades, James thrusts hard; enjoying the sound of the slaps of his hips against Kendall's backside.

Kendall's reduced to incoherent moans now; they seem to escape him whenever James thrusts forward, and they spur him on, making James lose himself in the sensations.

He bites his lip when he feels Kendall tightening around him and reaches around his body to wrap a hand around Kendall’s cock, jerking him roughly in time with his thrusts. He feels his own orgasm building and moans, then uses his free hand to yank Kendall back by his hair, pressing his chest against Kendall's back as he fucks up into him a few more times. They’re both staring at each other in the mirror, both flushed and sweaty, and then Kendall starts coming all over his hand, his inner muscles gripping James almost painfully as he comes undone in his arms.

James moans and buries his face in Kendall's neck, taking a deep breath of Kendall when he falls over the edge as well. For a second, he's tempted to pull out and come all over Kendall's sweet little ass, but then he changes his mind and just pushes into him all the way as his orgasm washes over him.

His hips still and he lets out a breath, sliding both arms around Kendall to keep him from falling forward against the sink; then stumbles backwards against the nearest wall, taking Kendall with him and holding him up with the last of his strength. He stays inside Kendall for a moment, then pulls out carefully, turning Kendall around in his arms and pulling him against him, face pressed into his neck.

He strokes Kendall's sweaty back slowly, down to his ass, and bites back a moan when he feels his come trickling down Kendall's thigh.

It takes a while for either one of them to find the coherence to say something, but eventually James asks, "You okay?"

"Mhm," Kendall murmurs, but it's not enough; James needs to know that Kendall really is okay, that he didn't hurt him, cause fuck, he was pretty rough.

"Really?"

"Fuck, yeah," Kendall laughs, letting out a breath. "That was…" He trails off for a moment, then settles for, "Intense."

James relaxes and tightens his arms around Kendall, kissing the bite mark he left on his shoulder. He nuzzles Kendall’s neck and kisses his ear gently. “It was.”

"Couches now?" Kendall manages, words a little slurred. He's getting heavier in James' arms, clearly exhausted, and James just nods, picking Kendall up and carrying him over to the sinks. He grabs a paper towel, wets it and wipes up most of the come on both their bodies while Kendall watches him through half-lidded eyes, a sweet little smile lighting up his face when James meets his eyes. James smiles back and then picks him up again and carries him out of the bathroom and over to the couches, gently setting Kendall down on one of them.

He reluctantly lets go of him long enough to turn off the lights; only leaving the one in the bathroom on for a bit of faint light.

He moves over to Kendall and realizes that the couch isn't broad enough for both of them to sleep on comfortably. Kendall seems to realize it too, and shakes his head and catches his wrist when James makes a move towards one of the other sofas. James looks at him and understands what Kendall wants; he gets down on the couch, lying on his back and pulling Kendall on top of him, wrapping his arms around him.

He loves the feel of Kendall’s bare skin against his own, and again thinks that maybe getting dressed wouldn’t be a bad idea now, but Kendall’s barely awake at this point, and James is too lazy to move. He figures he’ll be awake before anyone gets to the studio anyway, so there’ll be plenty of time to get dressed in the morning.

He kisses the top of Kendall's head and nuzzles him again, breathing in the scents he's now intimately familiar with, and tracing patterns on Kendall's back with a lazy finger. He's silent for a long moment, trying to come up with something to say. He doesn't want this to get awkward in the morning and feels like he should make it clear to Kendall that he's totally open for another round of this whenever Kendall feels like it, but before he can make up his mind, he hears a soft snore and looks down at Kendall who's fallen asleep on his chest. His lashes are fluttering against his cheeks and his mouth is partly open and he looks completely relaxed; almost angelic.

Something twists in James' chest and he tightens his arms around Kendall protectively, leaning down to kiss his forehead. Only then does he allow himself to close his eyes and doze off as well, letting his exhaustion finally wash over him.