Work Text:
i gently knock on charlie's door. i don't know why i felt the urge to go talk to him, but that's what is happening now.
i hear him mumble "come in" from inside. i push the door open and charlie puts down his phone.
"hey." i say, whilst standing in the doorway.
"hey." he smiles.
"can we.. er... talk?" i ask.
"oh ! yeah of course." he sits up in his bed and pats a spot next to him, inviting me to sit down, and so i do.
"what's wrong?" he asks as i begin to pick my fingernails.
"michael." i say.
"what about him? did you guys get in a fight or something?"
"no - just — well.." i pause.
charlie looks at me with a face mixed of concern and confusion.
"i uhm." i pause again. how am i supposed to explain this if i can barely figure it out myself?
"i kind of — i mean — i think.. i think he's — i think — i uhm- fuck."
i bury my head into my hands.
"you like him?" charlie asks.
"i'm — yeah.. i think — i don't know.. i just know i feel something different with him."
"you seem more happy around him."
"yeah.. i think i am happier when i'm with him. he's just so.. different."
"yeah?" charlie asks.
"yeah. he's just. like — like, i've been with friends with boys before and stuff but like they've only been friends, because you know i've like never had a crush on anyone before. but i'm still not sure if i have a crush on him or maybe i'm just misunderstanding my feelings."
"i've felt that way before. you know you don't have to figure out this stuff immediately."
“i know, it’s just.” i pause. “i don’t want to accidentally start treating him differently because i know these feelings and lose him.”
“then you may have to take the risk.”
“but— what if he doesn’t like me or something—“
“tori.”
“what?” i look at him.
“you believe he doesn’t like you?”
“well.. no. i’m just - always so rude to him. and stuff.”
he looks at the wall for a second.
“what?” i ask.
“nothing.”
theres a pause for a moment. and he looks at the pictures of him and nick on his wall.
“sometimes the risk is worth it.” he says as he looks at the pictures. and then the room is silent another moment.
“i think he likes you.” charlie smiles.
“you think?” i ask.
“yeah. i saw him around truham last year, and he always seemed so unhappy.”
“so you think he’s happier around me?” i ask.
“you guys are both happy around eachother, and that’s a good sign of a healthy relationship.”
i smile at charlie, and wrap my arms around him, bringing him into a hug.
“thanks.” i smile.
“of course.”
i get up from his bed, and before i leave his room i say something.
“i’ll consider talking to him about it.”