IVN CARVALHO Elite S5

IVÁN CARVALHO • Elite S5

˙ ˖ ✶ Devi

"Yup, and I'm really not drunk enough to indulge in any sort of nonsense with guys. Hypothetical, I sleep with the guy and next thing you know I'm in one of those saw traps. So clearly this is all about the self preservation of my body and mind." Kit laughed, his eyes trying to avoid puppet guy as much as possible even if the man was waving over at him with his puppet's hand. "See this is what the world needs more of, standards, sanity, decorum. That last one I still don't personally have since I'm barely an adult even at my age, but still." Once given the green light to ditch this event he went off with his new friend. "You think we'll run into J-Lo at the bodega and she'll try to have us try her famous bacon egg and cheese, with a bag of chips, and an orange drink? But honestly, a bodega sandwich sounds heavenly right now, and since we're both hot I'm sure he'll give us extra."

The thought of running into someone she knew at what was now described as similar to a Craigslist ad filled Devi with horror. "Please tell me you're joking. He really tried to flirt with you through his puppet? I can't think of a single person that would actually work on." Now there was no way she couldn't be convinced that they were in the start of a very bizarre horror movie. She shot him a wide eyed expression and quickly shook her head. "You could not pay me enough to go talk to him or his puppet." Which was saying something these days. Her dark eyes darted back to where her friend was enjoying herself. Seeing as though she was occupied with someone, it probably wouldn't hurt to skip out on this thing. It'd be better than sticking around and waiting to interact with the ventriloquist or someone worse, if that was possible. "I'll take you up on that. Anywhere has to be better than here right now. I think there's a bodega nearby where we can get a diet coke and something other than pricey bar food." She suggested, more than ready to ditch the mixer.

˙ ˖ ✶ Marcus

"You definitely should but then put a slutty picture as your icon so you'll get more traction. What do they call that? Thirst trapping?" Kit giggled, the idea of this sweet man thirst trapping people on twitter seemed so far fetched to him. "Your DM's would be flooded, and I can't even repeat some of the things they'd be saying to you, well I could but you'd probably lock me up somewhere because they're that unhinged," he mused. "Young vulnerable, very demure and very modest world renowned best selling author Kit Santos, caught in a risky adventure with would be hottest muscle baker in New York city. Is their passion just as decadent and sweet as their desserts or is it a spicy," Kit said dramatically as if he was reading the gossip blogs. "Not that any of it matters, I'd just rather not get you involved in any of my craziness, you're far too sweet and good for that," Kit could not find a single flaw in Marcus Thompson, try as he might there wasn't a single blemish in his personality. The man was a walking green flag, and whilst love was quite tricky and complicated given both their pasts, he was sure there were many around the city completely in love with his friend. "Hey, parents do love me! Plus Kit Thompson has a ring to it, but Marcus Santos sounds better or maybe we should hyphenate. I'm not signing a prenup by the way." Things were so easy like this with Marcus, Kit could always just relax and find the flow of words with such ease. Jokes, laughs, warm hugs, he was like the kindest fire that would always draw you in. He was safe, he was the safest place.

Kit was quick to bury himself in Marcus' embrace, his words completely muffled against the man's chest. If he could freeze time and just stay like this forever, he would. "It's just that the anniversary of my time in that place is coming up and I can't help but remember all my friends. To everybody else in the world they're just characters in a book series, but..they were my family when I was sick. I remember all the laughs and stories we would share when we were all in that home, how even through all the laughs we could see how each of us was terrified," Sifting through all the memories of his youth a tear found its way down his cheek as he looked up at Marcus. "I don't understand why I got a second chance, and I just hope I'm actually doing something meaningful with the memory of them." he sighed. "Sorry, I know this isn't the usual fun and happy Kit you're used to seeing."

Marcus chuckled softly. Wise wasn't a word he thought most people would label him with and when they did, it was likely because he just repeated sage advice his grandma gave him at one point. "I'll have to put that in my Twitter bio or something." He joked. The next comment from his friend pulled a louder laugh from him. "Okay, okay, you can ask me to bake you whatever at a more reasonable time then so the rumors don't get too out of hand. That'd be like, anti-wingmaning for you." The small moments in life where he could joke around with a friend like this were easily some of his very favorite. To him, those moments were what life was all about. "I think I have an aunt that would believe the tabloids and then the next thing I know, I'd be in the middle of a family meeting." Eloping itself wouldn't be the problem, his family would just be a little concerned if he actually did it within less than a year after his failed engagement. "I like to think no two people are quite alike." A small smile rested on his face. "Keeps things interesting and lets you learn a lot more from different people."

When the conversation turned a little more serious, Marcus reacted appropriately, offering all his attention to Kit. "You know I always have one of those for you." His arms stretched out to offer the other a hug. "I'm also always willing to listen if you ever need it, but I get it if that's also not what you need right now." He knew it was exhausting to talk about certain subjects if they felt too mentally or emotionally draining in that very moment.

˙ ˖ ✶Dom

"Ten? Weak, I'm going to buy out the entire truck and have myself a feast." Kit said intent on achieving this goal no matter what stood in his way. "Also, I've never had an issue with your hands being busy, usually I'm on my knees at that point with you, but I don't think you want to mix tacos and me doing that right now." he teased lovingly. "I definitely want a huge batch of the birria tacos and some agua fresca, and I am prepared cause I have brought the ka-crocs!"

open starter @boroughshqlocation: 10 Year Anniversary @ Casa De Tacos, Queens

"i'm makin' it clear right now, you have to pry all ten of these out of my dead cold fuckin' hands man, i'm not sharin', or splitin' or anything, and i mean that shit." he says matter-of-factly as he rubs his hands in line, now not being too far from getting rewarded for the day. it had been a long ass stressful day at the garage (as per usual) so nothing was standing in his way of having this one thing, even if it meant he cut in front of the annoying little toddlers that kept screaming and running around a few feet ahead. children were the future his ass.

˙ ˖ ✶ Marcus

In Kit's eyes there wasn't a single soul in New York that could ever compare to Marcus Thompson's beauty. All the lights within the grand scape of the city that never sleeps felt dim next to the utter radiance of this one man. The sincere kindness in his heart could spark a fire in the coldest abyss, and Kit Santos was truly amazed at his friend every single day. The wisdom and pain behind his eyes, the smile that could always make him forget he ever had a bad day to begin with, and an embrace that felt like home. These were just a few of his favorite things. He knew his friend wasn't the type to post thirst traps, he'd never engage in frat boy behavior of the sort, he wasn't wild and rambunctious, but ever so sweet like the slow trickle of honey on a hot summer day. "Not gonna lie, you could do that but you'd probably disappoint the person because their end goal would always be you, and I honestly can't blame them. You're a catch." Kit mused, rolling his eyes at his best friend's compliments before nudging him slightly. He knew there was pain and regret in both their pasts, but whenever Marcus was near Kit tried to stick to the positives, anything filled with joy to match the energy his friend brought to his life. "I did have a side gig for a little big ghost writing for women on onlyfans, so I could definitely get into the headline business if you'd think I'd be that good at it." he laughed, and he thought about how different his life turned out to be thanks to the people in his life. "Good, because they'd definitely love me and hey if anything I'm sure the variants of ourselves are happily married with their pack of pets in Copenhagen or somewhere that isn't the United States." Lately Kit had been thinking about what his next move in life would be and being an author in another part of the world sounded nice, but he'd miss life in the big city, and most of all he'd miss his friend, he'd miss Marcus. "Alright, I'm taking your last name then, unless my parents fight me and then we'll hyphenate."

This was the kind of hug he'd never wish to be freed from, the one where he could cry his little heart out without fear of judgment or reproach. Even with all of the pent up emotions of guilt and regret, he couldn't help his smile as Marcus spoke.  “I love you completely. And you loved me the same. That's all. The rest is confetti,” he replied, as he kissed Marcus' cheek. "But you're right, it's not fair, and I should know just how amazing of a friend you are by now, it's just always been this little thing with me to not be able to say everything I want to. Which is funny coming from a writer." he chuckled, even if the words sounded bitter sweet. "I've always tried to make sense of it, the why me, why not any one of them who had so much ahead of them and they were such good people and I'm just...me. But you're right, plus they'd hate that I was thinking this way at all, plus I got to meet you." As he leaned on Marcus' arm, letting his words sink in he thought about his friends, and how each of them would react to Marcus, and he couldn't help but laugh. They'd all love him, even if one in particular would be slightly jealous of him. "Thanks, and most people who've read my books have gotten to know them in a way, but I'll tell you that there was definitely one of them who would've been obsessed with you. She was so boy crazy which is why we got along so well. Such a lively girl, beautiful to the very end. Her name was Emily, and she wanted to be a model, and a thousand other things, she could never quite decide." he giggled. "If I actually start talking about them I don't think I'll ever stop."

Marcus let out a hearty laugh at this universe where he was posting thirst traps. He hardly posted pictures of himself as it was, most of his social media containing those special to him more than himself and the occasional picture of something he baked and was proud of. "I wouldn't even know what to do in that situation. I'd probably end up sending whoever DM'd me toward a single friend." It wasn't like he was completely hopeless when it came to navigating romantic interest. It had more to do with the fact that, regardless of how much time passed, his heart was still very much with his ex. A couple failed first dates a few months back only solidified that for him. "If you weren't a best selling author, I'd tell you, you should start writing headlines like that." Wasn't this what life was all about, laughing and simply enjoying the moment with people you cared about? It was to Marcus. His life was so rich with people who made being around them as easy as breathing. "Oh, don't worry, I didn't mean it like that. My family would be delighted with you. Whatever lecture I got would have nothing to do with you." He meant what he said. He couldn't think of many, if any, friends his family disliked. Maybe he was just a good judge of character. "Hey, I'm fine with whatever. I'm not really someone to get hung up on the little details." He played an active role in planning his own wedding, but he cared less about the details and more about getting to marry the person he was in love with.

Marcus was quiet as he held Kit in a warm hug. He wanted to be able to give the other the space to get what he needed to off his chest. When he was sure the other said what he wanted to say, he finally spoke up again, "First of all, you don't have to apologize for that. I saw this thing and it said something like 'don't hide yourself when you're in pain, it's unfair that we laughed together but you cried alone' and that's how I feel about this. Besides, no one can be happy all the time." Something his grandma would remind him of whenever he tried too hard to keep everything together for the sake of everyone else. "I don't know how the universe works," he started, his heart aching for his friend and the loss he suffered, "and I think it's unfair that you lost them. I'm glad you did get a second chance though, even if you can't understand why you got it." Kit was the type of person he believed you could somehow miss even if you never met him. "For what it's worth, I think you are. I know I didn't know them, but I bet if there's an afterlife and they can see how you're keeping they're memory alive, they'd be happy with it." He paused for a moment, "If you want, you could tell me more about them or we can go find something to do to take your mind off it. Whatever you need."