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Ever since Charlie had been outed, he dreaded the moment school dances would come up. He knew that he would either be forced to go out with all his friends and their partners, or he would stay home and stay under the covers until all mentions of the dance were over. He never once imagined a scenario where he would actually be in a relationship with someone, especially after all the bullying. He wanted to go and have his gay disney prince romance, but he just never thought that would become a reality for him.
Of course, prom was coming up in a few weeks. The schools were buzzing with excitement, and prom seemed to be all anyone was talking about.
They were at Tao’s weekly movie knight watching some random horror movie that no one was really paying attention to. Since Charlie and Nick came out as a couple, movie nights had extended to Tara, Darcy, and Nick being invited along with the regular gang. A very welcome invitation too - the new addition of the three had brought much more chaos, and it seemed like no one even pretended to be watching the movies anymore (much to Tao’s dismay.) A high pitch scream sounded from the TV, but all anyone was talking about was who asked who out to the prom, or what they were going to wear.
“Okay, hear me out, a duck tape prom dress, just like in 2013! We could make them match!”
“Darcy, absolutely not. Do you realize how much duct tape we would have to use? It would end up being more expensive than an actual prom dress.” Tara rolled her eyes, leaning back in her bean bag chair, smiling.
“Okay but what if we made dresses out of balloons? Oh, or condoms! That would be hysterical. Do you think we would get kicked out? Let me show you pictures!” Darcy yelled, while pulling out her phone, swiping through god awful photos she had saved.
Charlie watched this all unfold and laughed to himself at Darcy’s enthusiasm, but that didn’t stop a pang of hurt from forming. Nick still hadn’t asked him to the dance, not that he expected it. Nick was lovely, but Charlie would understand not wanting to go. Especially considering him and Nick hadn't been out for too long. The rugby boys would likely be there, including Harry and Ben, and Charlie didn’t want to pressure him into going and having to deal with them. Not to mention, he sometimes still can’t believe Nick was dating him and actually liked him back. Charlie struggled with low self esteem, and his head still told him that maybe Nick was lying to him (even though he knew that wasn’t true) or that Nick wanted to keep their relationship a secret (again, also not true.) He had just about convinced himself that Nick may not have wanted to go to prom, but especially not with him.
“Thank god we don’t have to deal with dresses. Ugh. All we have to do is throw on some slacks and call it a night. Even that’s too much effort.” Tao said to everyone, while hogging the popcorn bucket.
“Oh, come on Tao. You know you’ll have fun. Besides, I’m excited to finally get to wear a prom dress!” Elle said. “I ordered one online that should be coming in a few days, I can’t wait to see it in person.”
“Elle, you’ll look beautiful! I didn’t know Tao had asked you to the prom!” Nick said, leaning over to them, hoping to get the promposal story.
“I actually asked him. I knew he wouldn’t admit to wanting to go, so I’m forcing him to come. I baked him cookies and wrote “prom?” on them in icing. I think he only said yes because of the cookies, but now I get to drag him to the dance.” She said, swiping the popcorn out of Tao’s lap and throwing some into her mouth with a wink while Tao rolled his eyes (fondly.)
“Okay, well, when someone comes over with cookies, it is a known fact that you have to just do what they say. Especially when someone bakes as well as Elle does.” Tao pulled out her most recent cookie filled tupperware and stuffed an entire one into his mouth, nearly choking to death.
Issac started laughing at him, and then turned to Nick and Charlie, still smirking at Tao nearly dying by baked good. “You guys are coming to the dance too, right?”
Charlie tensed up, and Nick immediately noticed. They hadn’t really discussed it at all, but Nick thought that Charlie wouldn’t want to go, especially seeing how he reacted to Issac’s question. Charlie sometimes got nervous in larger group settings, especially with school related things, and as much as Nick wanted to give Charlie a night straight out of a romance movie, he didn’t want to force him to go.
“I don’t think we were planning on it. Maybe we’ll just have a chill night at one of our houses instead!” Nick said, giving a squeeze to Charlie’s hand in reassurance. Charlie faked a smile and tried to look nonchalant about it all.
“Oh, but you guys HAVE to come! When else will we all be dressed up and looking pretty?” Darcy said, with Tara nodding in agreement. “Besides, who else will help me spike the punch bowl? Wait, that’s still a thing, right..?” she looked at Elle, who just laughed into Tao’s shoulder. (Tao blushed and froze up, still not willing to admit his crush on Elle to anyone, even himself)
“I don’t know, we’ll think about it.” Nick said, mostly just trying to deflect the question. He felt bad for Charlie, being put on the spot like that. Charlie, however, felt a pit in his stomach at Nick’s response. He didn’t think Nick wanted to go with him, and when Nick quietly asked him if he was alright, he just shook his head and cuddled into Nick’s side, playing with the hem of his sweater.
Issac then stole the cookies out of Tao’s lap which started a full on pillow fight - cookies and feathers were flying all over Tao’s room, and all prom questions were dropped.
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The next few days, Nick noticed Charlie was a bit quieter than usual. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and he wasn’t very talkative, even when they were hanging out after school. Charlie actually got his homework done instead of bantering about everything like usual, and when Nick messaged him asking if he was okay, he got left on read. He thought that maybe Charlie had been anxious about exams or that Harry was giving him a hard time. Nick was a bit concerned, and asked to take Charlie out on a day, just the two of them. When he brought it up, Charlie told him that he was busy that day and since then….he had been distant. Nick was a bit hurt by that. He didn’t know if he did something wrong. They were now at school and eating lunch with Tao and Issac, who were still talking about prom.
“Elle told me she’s wearing purple and that I have to match - do you think she wants me to wear an entire purple suit, or just a bow tie? Do I need to get her flowers? Wait…how do you even dance? Help me guys, I don’t know anything about prom.” Tao groaned, putting his head in his hands. Charlie felt that familiar pit in his stomach and just couldn’t stay any longer without nearly bursting into tears.
“I just remembered I left something in the art room. I’ll see you later guys.” Charlie said softly, eyes downcast while gathering his things and nearly running away from their table. Nick watched him run off, and once Charlie was far enough away, Nick hesitated but asked, “Guys…does Charlie seem okay to you?”
“I wouldn’t be if my boyfriend didn’t ask me to prom.” Tao said.
“Yeah, why haven’t you asked him yet?” Issac said, looking up from his book.
“I didn’t think he wanted to go? He never said anything about it and I don’t want to pressure him...” Nick said.
“This is Charlie we’re talking about. He thinks he’s being an inconvenience when he asks for anything. He probably thinks you don’t want to go with him.”
Shit.
Nick froze after Tao spoke - he was right. Charlie probably did think Nick didn’t want to go with him, which is the most ridiculous thing Nick could even think of, because who wouldn’t want to go to prom with Charlie? Charlie was the loveliest person and he would love to go to prom together. He was kicking himself for not just asking him instead of assuming they weren’t going. He felt like the biggest idiot to ever exist. Of course Charlie wouldn’t ask him if he wanted to go - Charlie had some of the lowest self esteem, and Nick was so ashamed that he didn’t think of that. He had to make this right somehow.
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Nick was torn between promposal ideas. Flash mob? Too difficult. Write a song? Can’t sing. Copy Elle and bake? Burns water on the stove. Nothing seemed to fit. He felt so lost and simultaneously so guilty all at once. It had to be perfect. Charlie deserved the absolute best. He also needed to act quickly, now that prom was only three weeks away.
Since that day at lunch, Charlie had been a bit less distant. Nick suspected that he had a chat with Mr. Ajayi, because not only did Charlie seem to feel better, but anytime he walked past Mr. Ajayi in the hall, he got a very aggressive glare directed at him. He was just glad Charlie seemed to be doing better than before, even if the art teacher hated his guts. It reminded him of how Tao was when he and Charlie first started going out. He couldn’t believe it had been so long since they met. Nick started thinking about the first time Charlie ever visited his house, when suddenly, he had an idea.
He needed poster board and markers.
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“Nick, what’s up with you? Take this off!” Charlie said, giggling. Nick had pulled a beanie over Charlie’s head after they got to his house. Charlie couldn’t see a thing and just thought Nick was being ridiculous.
“You’ll see, Char! Patience!”
They stumbled up to Nick’s front door while laughing, and Nick’s mom silently opened the door, and handed him the supplies. She winked at Nick with a small smile, and quietly shut said door, leaving Nick and Charlie outside by themselves. “Stay right there Charlie, one second!” Nick said, getting everything together. He took one last look before he gave Charlie the go ahead.
“You can take off the beanie now!” Nick exclaimed, a few seconds later.
The beanie came off of Charlie, and when he opened his eyes, he froze.
Right in front of the door, Nellie was sitting with a little sign around her neck. It said “Prom?” on it in (horrifically drawn but very cute) bubble letters. Nick was sitting next to Nellie with a bouquet of sunflowers.
“Nick…what are you doing?” Charlie said, in slight shock.
“Doing something I should have done weeks ago. Charlie…would you do me the honor of going to prom with me?” Nick said, realizing just how nervous he was.
“I thought..I thought you didn’t want to go with me, and that we would just hang out the night of prom?” Charlie said, and immediately wanted to clap his own hand over his mouth. He felt so dumb for asking that. What if Nick thought he didn’t appreciate what he had done? What if Nick all of a sudden changed his mind and actually didn’t want to go together and had only just realized it and would laugh at how dumb he was being and -
“Charlie, of course I want to go with you.” Nick said, while getting up and putting his hands in Charlie’s. “I’m really sorry that I made you feel like I didn’t want you to go with me. I thought you would be a bit nervous about a school dance, but I shouldn’t have assumed that. I should have asked you first. Charlie, you are the most important person to me and I’m sorry I was so dumb. Can you ever forgive me?” Nick was looking at him with such love in his eyes and a soft smile. He just really loved Charlie.
Charlie looked at Nick, and smiled. All of that prom ridden anxiety dissipated in that moment. He realized that while Nick had never asked him, he also had not asked Nick. He started to laugh, while gathering Nick in a hug, still laughing.
Nick was taken aback, not at all expecting that reaction. “Charlie….are you okay?”
“Yes! Yes, oh my god, yes. I just realized neither of us asked each other. I just - why are we like this?” Charlie said, with such a bright smile it almost blinded Nick. He was gone for this boy. They stood there in each other’s arms, staring into each other's eyes, and leaned in for a kiss. Their lips met, and fireworks went off, per usual. They’ll never tire of that feeling.
Nellie then barked at them, like she was reminding them what they were there for.
They both turned to look at Nellie, and then each other. “I almost forgot! Yes Nick, I would love to go to prom with you. There’s nothing more I would rather do, if you would still have me.” Charlie said, still smiling.
Nick’s eyes lit up, and he ran, picked up Charlie, and started spinning around while Nellie was barking excitedly. They were both laughing hysterically, reminding themselves of their first beach date.
“I LOVE CHARLIE AND WE’RE GOING TO PROM TOGETHER!” Nick yelled, still holding Charlie. Nellie ran around them, tail wagging, almost like a congratulations. Nick’s mom was watching from the upstairs window, with a tear in her eye at how happy Charlie made her son.
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The night was finally here. Everyone was rushing around to get ready, music blasting. The girls had kidnapped Charlie to help him get ready - when they found out he was going to prom, they may have been more excited than he was. They helped him pick out his outfit, style his hair, you name it.
The boys gathered in the front of Tao’s house, waiting to start prom pictures. Nick had butterflies in his stomach. He had only been apart from Charlie for a few hours, but he missed him already. A car pulled up, and Elle, Darcy, Tara, and Charlie were about to get out.
When Elle got out of the car, Tao’s jaw quite literally dropped. Issac and Nick couldn’t stop laughing at his reaction, but in all fairness to him, she did look gorgeous. Tao was worse at hiding his crush than Charlie was with Nick before they got together. Elle walked up to him and he couldn’t even get a word out, he was stammering so much.
Darcy and Tara got out next, in complementary outfits, of course. Darcy had a jumpsuit on, while Tara had a long flowing dress. They looked stunning, and Nick felt weirdly proud of them, especially knowing Tara for as long as he had. He used to think him and Tara would go to prom together, and in a way they were. Just…her with a girlfriend and him with a boyfriend. Who would have thought? It felt like a weird full circle moment.
The minute Charlie got out of the car, Nick’s heart stopped and he couldn’t look away. Charlie was beautiful. Not just because of the formal wear, he just…was. Nick was constantly awed by Charlie and everything he did, but he saw a future when he looked at Charlie in his suit. He saw their wedding day. He saw the house they would one day own. He saw his soulmate. The sun was behind him, casting a golden glow around him, and he had a smile on his face. How could someone see Charlie, and not fall in love with him? In that moment, Nick realized just how lucky he was.
Charlie walked up to him, and in typical Charlie fashion, he looked up at Nick and asked “Do I look okay?”
Nick stared at him for a moment with all the love in his eyes, and all he could say was, “I love you.”
Charlie had never felt more beautiful or loved in his life.