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“Elle, don’t you think Nick Nelson looks like a golden retriever?”
It’s film night at Tao’s, and the boy is draped across his bed, taking up nearly the entire mattress. Isaac sits next to him, book in hand, with barley enough room to sit cross-legged next to the pillows. Charlie sits on the floor, leaning against the end of the bed and holding a large bowl of popcorn.
“I don’t even get a hello?” Elle asks, indignant, “I walk in and just immediately start getting asked questions about Charlie’s boyfriend?”
On the floor, Charlie buries his face in his hands, smiling.
“Hi, Elle. Please ignore Tao, he and I have already been over this.”
“And you agreed,” Tao persists, “you said he does.”
“I mean, he sort of does.” Elle sits next to Charlie, Tao leaning his head off of the bed to sit between theirs.
“I agreed he looks like one. A little. Sometimes.”
“Thank you.” Tao says with a triumphant smirk.
“But he doesn’t act like one.” Charlie insists.
“Oh, really? He’s a rugby lad. He likes running round in the sunshine and fetching a ball.”
“You’re being ridiculous.” Charlie laughs.
“Ridiculous?” Darcy pops her head through the doorway. “What’s ridiculous? I love ridiculous things.”
“She really does.” Says Tara, following her girlfriend into the room. Darcy perched on the corner of the bed, Tara joining Elle and Charlie on the floor.
“I do,” Darcy preens, “that’s why I’m dating you.”
Tara grins, grabs a handful of popcorn and promptly chucks it at her girlfriend. Darcy leans forward, successfully catching a couple of pieces in her mouth.
“Anyway, what’s ridiculous? Other than us?” Darcy asks.
“Tao is.” Charlie says.
“Oh, what’s he done now?” Tara leans over to grab another handful of popcorn, eating this time rather than throwing it.
Tao sits up at that, throwing his hands into the air in mock offense.
“How dare you all. I’m the least ridiculous person here!”
Elle snorts. “We all know that’s not true.”
Tao sticks his tongue out at her. “I am a beacon of sense and sanity.”
Isaac doesn’t say a word, just lowers his book for long enough to give Tao a pointed stare. It speaks volumes, and as he raises his book again the rest of the group dissolves into laughter.
“Anyway,” Tao says after the pause, “Charlie says I’m ridiculous for saying Nick’s basically a golden retriever. We all know he looks like one -“
“A little.” Charlie interjects.
“A lot.” Tara amends, Darcy nodding along.
“Okay, fine. But he doesn’t act like one. He’s just sweet, and dogs are sweet. That’s all.” Charlie says, clearly not convincing Tao.
“If you throw a ball across the room I would bet you fifty pounds he’ll bring it back to you.” He says.
“Fifty pounds?” Charlie raises his eyebrows.
“Fifty.” Tao repeats, his expression deadly serious.
“He should be here soon, right? Let’s test that theory.” Darcy says, taking a tennis ball out of her hoodie’s pocket and holding it aloft.
Elle blinks at her. “Why did you have that?”
Darcy shrugs. “What really matters is who’s going to be going home fifty pounds richer.”
“Right.” Tao holds out his hand to Charlie, waiting for him to shake it.
“Wait, wait. Before you idiots make this bet, we’re settling the terms.” Elle slaps Tao hand down before Charlie can take it.
“Okay, fine.” Tao relents with an overly dramatic eye roll. “The terms are this - When Nick gets here, you, Charlie Spring, are going to throw that tennis ball across the room at some point during this film. If he does not get up and bring it back to you, I, Tao Xu, will give you fifty pounds. But if your golden retriever boyfriend does in fact get up and bring the ball back to you, just like a sweet little golden retriever fetching a ball, you, Charlie Spring will give me fifty pounds.”
Charlie tilts his head to the side, considering.
“Charlie. Think about this. Think about Nick.” Tara gently grabs Charlie’s shoulder, looking him in the eyes. “Are you really ready to lose fifty pounds, Charlie?”
“So we clearly know what side of the bet Tara thinks will win.” Elle quips.
Charlie bites his lip, looking deep in thought.
“Twenty five.” He says.
“Twenty five pounds?” Tao extends his hand again.
“Twenty five.” Charlie repeats, and he shakes Tao’s hand.
Darcy hands the tennis ball to Charlie, who tucks it just out of sight under the bed.
“I don’t even care who wins, this is gonna be more entertaining than whatever film Tao makes us watch.”
“Oi!”
“When’s Nick supposed to get here, anyway?” Tara asks.
“Any minute now,” Charlie says, opening his phone to see if any new messages have come in. “He had to take Nellie for her walk before he came over, but he’s dropped her at home already so he should be here soon.”
“More like he had to go on his walk,” Tao says, “you know, because he’s a golden retrie-“ A pillow hits Tao in the face before he can finish his sentence. Isaac grins, his book temporarily abandoned.
“Does that mean you don’t agree with me?” Tao inquires.
“No, I do,” Isaac says, already picking his book back up, “ I just think you’re belaboring the point.”
“You’re all insufferable.” Charlie says, the grin on his face betraying him. “Do you all think I’m going to lose this bet?”
“Yep.”
“Yeah.”
“Pretty sure.”
“Sorry Charlie but, yeah.” Elle takes the popcorn bowl from Charlie, giving his arm a sympathetic little pat as she does.
A noise from downstairs has all their heads turning toward the door. After a moment the door opens, revealing Nick, clearly having just bound up the stairs.
“Sorry I’m late, everyone.” He greets them with a tiny wave. The group choruses their hellos. Elle moves from the floor to sit next to Tao on the bed, leaving the spot next to Charlie open for Nick. He slides into the spot, putting his arms around Charlie and murmuring a breathless “Hi.”
“Hi.” Charlie replies, leaning forward to give Nick a peck on the cheek.
On the bed, Tao rolls his eyes.
“Yes, you’re cute. Can we get on with the film night now?”
Darcy cups her hands around her mouth, getting right next to Tao’s ear before saying in a loud stage whisper, “Homophobia!”
Nick laughs, snuggling into Charlie’s side.
“So what are we watching tonight?”
It turns out, after a lengthy and passionate discussion, they’re watching Jurassic Park. Darcy had been the one arguing for it the loudest, and even Tao eventually relented seeing as ‘both the practical and CGI effects were revolutionary for their time’.
Despite not being subjected to something as boring or sad as one of Tao’s usual film night picks, Charlie can’t focus on the screen. He’s too wrapped up in the feeling of Nick curled up next to him, one of his arms slung over Charlie’s shoulders and his head resting against Charlie’s own.
They’re about an hour into the movie when Charlie gets a sharp poke to his other shoulder. He turns to see Tao, who gives a pointed glance to the section of the bed next to Charlie’s left hand. The spot where Charlie hid the tennis ball.
Right, well. Charlie doesn’t really want to stop cuddling his boyfriend, but if he’s lucky Nick won’t move. Then he’ll get to keep cuddling his boyfriend and he’ll get twenty five pounds from Tao.
Charlie tries to be sneaky about grabbing the tennis ball. Luckily Nick seems focused on the movie. Everyone else, however suddenly has their eyes on Nick and Charlie.
Charlie gives Tao a smile and a nod, and finally tosses the tennis ball over towards Nick’s side of the room. Tao’s room isn’t huge, so it’s not as if Charlie can properly throw the ball, but he tries to at least make it obvious to Nick that he is throwing it.
All of the others seem to hold their breath as Nick takes notice. He turns away from the screen as Charlie throws it, eyes tracking the ball as it bounces across the room. He stares at it where it’s landed for a moment, then turns to look at Charlie, clearly confused.
Moment of truth. Charlie can practically feel the others staring, all of them waiting to see what Nick will do. Darcy leans so far forward she nearly falls off the bed.
Nick looks as if he’s going to say something for a moment, then seemingly remembers that the others are (supposedly) trying to watch the film. Instead of speaking, he scoots out of Charlie’s embrace, then crosses the room to grab the tennis ball. He sits back down, hands the ball back to Charlie and asks quietly, “Did you need that for something?”
Tao pauses the movie.
Charlie turns around to see everyone grinning, Tao’s arms raised in -
“VICTORY!” He shouts. “Come on, Charlie. Twenty five pounds, pay up!”
Nick looks adorably bewildered.
“What? What’s going on?” He looks from face to face only to land back on Charlie’s, so confused.
Elle rests a hand on Nick’s shoulder.
“Oh, you sweet little golden retriever.”
This only serves to confuse Nick more. “I’m… not following?”
Charlie takes his boyfriend’s hand.
“Okay, so Tao and I made a bet -“
“A bet which I’ve just WON!”
“Yes, thank you Tao. We made a bet about whether you would go bring a ball back if I threw it, and Tao bet that you would, so he’s just won it.”
Nick looks at Tao. Looks at Charlie. Then he looks at all the others, in various stages of amusement and celebration. He doesn’t seem to find any answers.
“Um. Okay? Sort of a weird thing to make a bet about.” Nick doesn’t sound judgemental, but he does still sound confused.
Charlie climbs into his lap, wrapping his arms around Nick’s neck.
“Well it started with back when I first had a crush on you -“
“Aww, you had a crush on me?”
“Shut up!” Charlie laughs. “So back when I first had a crush on you Tao said you looked like a golden retriever. And then earlier tonight he said it again and everyone agreed, so then he was saying you even act like a golden retriever and I said you don’t so we made the bet -“
“And I won!”
“Yes, thank you Tao.” Elle says, “look, Nick, I hope you’re not insulted that we were talking about you behind your back.”
Nick shrugs, finally looking a bit less confused.
“Why would I be insulted you all think I look like a cute dog?”
“That’s exactly what a golden retriever would say.”
“Shut up, Tao.” Charlie affectionately rolls his eyes, “you’ve already won the bet.”
“I mean, we sort of all won the bet.” Darcy says. “We all bet against Charlie. So maybe Charlie should give us all twenty five pounds.”
Elle shoves Darcy off of the bed, right into Tara’s waiting arms.
“That’s not how it works and you know it.” She says.
“It was worth a shot.” Darcy shrugs, grinning mischievously.
Nick hugs Charlie closer, looking his boyfriend in the eyes.
“You bet twenty five pounds that you would throw something across a room and I wouldn’t go and get it for you?” He asks, teasing disbelief in every word.
Charlie buries his face in Nick’s chest.
“Well in hindsight it probably wasn’t the smartest bet.”
Nick laughs.
“I just didn’t want them all to keep calling you my golden retriever boyfriend.” Charlie mumbles into his shirt.
“I don’t mind it, Charlie. Actually I think it’s kind of sweet.”
“Aww.” Darcy says from her spot in Tara’s lap. “Golden retriever boyfriend likes being called golden retriever boyfriend! That’s so cute.”
Charlie emerges from his hiding spot in Nick’s chest to look his boyfriend in the eyes again.
“You really don’t mind it?”
“Char, you could call me anything and I’d think it was sweet. And if this lot want to have a dumb nickname for me, I can think of a lot worse things than being compared to a cute dog.”
Charlie can’t help it. He just can’t not kiss Nick right then. Nick makes a surprised little noise against his lips, then enthusiastically returns the kiss.
“Oi! When you two are done snogging each other’s faces off, Charlie still owes me twenty five pounds!” Tao reminds them all.
Charlie breaks the kiss, Nick and his foreheads still touching.
“Oh,” Charlie says, “ I actually don’t have it on me, Tao. You’ll have to wait till Monday.”
Tao makes an indignant noise in objection, only to be hit by Isaac with the pillow again. Elle grabs another pillow, and soon Tao is being pillow-attacked on two fronts. In the corner Tara and Darcy are cuddling while playfully arguing about something inane. A warm feeling settles in Charlie’s chest, safe and surrounded by people he loves.
One person he loves in particular.
Charlie looks up through his lashes to meet Nick’s eyes.
“Well then, golden retriever boyfriend,” Charlie says, and Nick beams, “where did we leave off?”
And he captures his beautiful, golden retriever boyfriend’s lips in another perfect kiss.