Chapter Text
When his Mum mentions that she is going to Manchester for the weekend at the end of next month the information wafts into Nick’s one ear and out of the other without registering. His mind is occupied with study notes, exams, revision timetables and, of course Charlie; there isn’t much room for anything else.
The boys are unaware of the negotiations that have taken place between their mothers. While Sarah thinks she won that battle, she also knows she may not have won the war. Hostilities could easily break out again between now and the end of June. While she is tempted to share her success with the boys, especially when she sees how unhappy Nick and Charlie are, she is reluctant to build their hopes up, so she holds her tongue. Permission was only grudgingly given and potentially could be withdrawn at any time.
Therefore, she leaves it until a few days before she is due to go away to text Jane about the arrangements for Friday, she receives a short reply – I’ll leave that up to you. Not effusive but it appears the honeymoon is still on.
After dinner on the Monday evening before she goes away, she collars Nick to help her with the washing up, Nick is so lost in his own thoughts while clearing the table, she has to ask him twice.
“Do you have any plans for the weekend?”
Nick is startled, this is not the kind of conversation he has with his mother. Nick floats between Charlie’s house, hanging out with friends at the cinema or the park, or his own bedroom at the weekends; it is his mother who has plans that occasionally involve him.
“Nicky, have you forgotten that I’m away?”
Nick groans a little inside, he had. Weekends are not much fun at present, with this thing going on between him and Charlie, their alone time is a minefield. If his Mum is away, then he’ll be stuck going round to Charlie’s if he is to see him at all, unless…
“Might see if Tao will organise a film night.”
Film nights are the few occasions recently where Nick and Charlie have felt relaxed in each other’s company. It comes to something when Tao’s presence makes things easier between them.
“Only, I wondered if you would like to have Charlie to stay?”
Nick almost drops a glass, he saves it, but sacrifices a spoon to the floor.
“Stay here, for the weekend?” A host of possibilities crowd Nick’s mind – him, and Charlie, alone in the house together for two whole days. But as quickly as the excitement rises, then the bubble bursts; Charlie will never be allowed if his parents know the truth, and Nick is not prepared to lie about his mother’s whereabouts. He registers surprise that his Mum is even suggesting it. Why has she suggested it?
Nick catches an expression that he cannot remember seeing on his mother’s face before, Mischievous? Triumphant? He’s confused.
“Jane and Julio know that I will be away, we thought it would be nice for Charlie to keep you company instead of you being here on your own.”
The room is suddenly too hot, the glass slides out of his sweating hand, fortunately it isn’t one of the good ones.
“Fetch a dustpan and brush and clear that up, please Nick, before one of the dogs cut their paws,” his mother orders, “and perhaps you could wait until I am actually away before you start smashing the house up?”
Sweeping up broken glass from under the dining table is a good distraction from the thoughts that are crowding his head, Charlie, with him, alone here in the house, in his bedroom, in his bed! With nothing to do but be together and no one to disturb or overhear them… Nick thinks he might have spaced out for a minute.
Unfortunately, the thoughts of being alone with Charlie are pooling in his groin. His chest is tight, he can hardly breathe; he suspects there is a very real danger that he might expire from sexual anticipation long before the weekend. He finishes sweeping and starting to straighten up from beneath the table, bangs his head. That clears it.
His Mum is waiting, she has more to add.
“Nicky, I know you are about to die of embarrassment so I will say this quickly. How you spend the weekend is up to you and Charlie but remember Mr and Mrs Spring are entrusting you with something very precious. Charlie is still very young, and you need to be the responsible one. I have total faith in you, to judge Charlie’s mood and act accordingly, even if that is against your wishes.
“Apart from that you can please yourselves, except no parties, no neglecting Nellie and Henry… and I’d rather you didn’t use my bedroom.”
Stunned, Nick nods his head in silent consent and flees upstairs.
******
NICK: I have some news
CHARLIE: Go on, spill the tea
NICK: Ur Mum says u can stay the weekend at mine, Friday night 2 Sunday teatime.
CHARLIE: akdfsjgrnjgnjbnj!!!!! Really, Mum said that…??????????
CHARLIE: Ur Mum ok with that???
NICK: …
CHARLIE: she doesn’t mind???
NICK: No, her idea
CHARLIE: …
NICK: Mum won’t be here
NICK: Mum’s going away
NICK: I can’t wait.
CHARLIE: Nellie is sleeping with me!
The conversation descends into a variety of emojis… hearts and smiles and puppies, they joke and flirt and banter like the early days, but Nick cannot find the right way to tell Charlie that his Mum won’t be there when he is. He recognises a fear in him that Charlie will back out if knows the truth. He can’t stop Charlie’s parents informing him, but the longer they message, the deeper Nick finds himself in deception, and the moment for honesty long gone.
******
Charlie is wary of his mother; Mrs Nelson has always been a far more relaxing adult to be around, and far less watchful that his own parents, although he and Nick are always careful not to overstep the boundaries. He is ecstatic about the weekend at Nick’s, but at breakfast the next day he tries to curb his exuberance and merely thanks his mum for giving her permission.
Jane gives her son a squinty look, “You’re happy about staying there all weekend?”
Charlie is a little confused, “Of course!”
Jane seems to be struggling with her words, “If you are at all worried about anything, you can talk to me or your father.”
Father? “Why should I be worried about being with Nick.”
Jane gives him a soft look, almost fond, Charlie is bemused by it all, but resolves to not to question it. Treats like the weekend at the Nelsons have been rare this year, he doesn’t want to jeopardise it by drawing attention to himself, even in his own home.
******
Julio insists on giving Charlie a lift to Nick’s even though the houses are only ten minutes’ walk apart and it isn’t raining. Charlie has lived up to his name and been a like a coiled spring all day, ticking off the hours until five o’clock when he was expected at Nick’s. After all the tensions of the previous months, his exams, the rows, being grounded and then policed by his parents, along with the unsettling dynamic of his and Nick’s attraction, he is both tied in anxious knots about the stay and yet frantic for the freedom it implies. He’s terrified that due to some misspoken word or action the privilege will be withdrawn. He doesn’t understand the need for a lift, but he doesn’t argue, he is an old hand at skating on thin ice.
The car pulls up outside Nick’s house, and Charlie moves to open the door, but his dad catches him by the arm and says almost urgently.
“There’s something for you, on the back seat.” Charlie looks around and sees a tightly bound carrier bag, he picks it up, it isn’t heavy.
“Nick is a good lad,” his dad is saying, “I like him, and I trust him, but remember you don’t have to stay with him if you don’t want to.”
Charlie gives his dad a quizzical look, does his dad mean tonight, or forever? Confused he stuffs the bag into the top of his rucksack and clambers out of the car, closing the door just slowly enough to hear his dad say, “have fun.”
His parents have been acting weird all week.
******
“You smell nice”
Charlie has greeted and been greeted by Nellie and Henry. He is standing the kitchen, in the arms of his fragrant boyfriend, who he suspects is freshly showered and possibly has also had a shave, not something that Nick is accustomed to do regularly.
He expects Mrs Nelson to appear at any moment, she must be at home, her car is on the drive, but that doesn’t stop him moving in for a spectacular snog (with tongues) that leaves them both breathless. They break apart, Charlie looks around at the kitchen doorway, they are still alone.
“Mum’s not here.” Nick supplies the missing information.
Charlie looks up hopefully “when’s she due back?”
Please let it be later, seven o’clock, or even eight, just so they can have some time together.
Nick coughs and looks a little sheepish. “I’m not sure exactly.”
Charlie takes this at face value. “So, we can make out in the kitchen a little longer?”
This is Nick’s cue to lift his boyfriend onto the kitchen island, so that for once Charlie can lean down and kiss him. Nick slots perfectly into the space that Charlie has created for him, legs slightly parted. He runs his hands through Charlie’s hair and down his back pulling him closer, feeling the muscles trembling, he knows this is the time to say something… but the words just won’t come.
Everything he has read up on the internet, or advice from unexpected sources is meaningless with Charlie in his arms. Nick is paralysed by desire… and terrified.
It is Charlie who senses Nick’s reluctance, without grasping the cause of it, and pulls the plug, “Come on,” he grabs Nick’s hand and jumps down from the counter, “before your Mum comes home and catches us. It’s time for me to thrash you at Mario Kart… again.”
******
Nick feels a total idiot, not only because Charlie has now beaten him for the fifth game running, but because having longed for time like this alone with his beloved, he is throwing away his opportunity. His Mum might as well be downstairs like a normal Friday evening, even the bedroom door is open.
“Would you like something to eat, Mum’s left us some of those little pizzas. We can have them while we watch a film.”
Charlie agrees, he’s in a happy place, and he knows it pleases Nick when he eats with him. Charlie follows Nick downstairs to the kitchen, where they cook pizza and make tea before taking it into the sitting room which houses the big telly. Charlie glances at his phone, it is nearly 8 o’clock, Mrs Nelson still isn’t home, and hadn’t planned to be if she had left food for them. Curious.
Nick starts playing with the remote, looking for a film they haven’t watched recently that will suit them both. On the way back from the bathroom, Charlie suddenly remembers the bag his dad gave him, it is probably snacks of some sort, the kind that Charlie finds easiest to eat. He is still feeling a bit hungry and imagines Nick is too, so he collects it and brings it back with him, to where Nick is sitting on the sofa wondering if Charlie could stand to watch Pride again.
Snuggled under the fleece throw, (it’s June, they don’t really need it, but Charlie is always cold, and Nick loves to indulge him), Charlie produces the bag.
“What have you got there?”
“Mystery parcel,” Charlie replies, ripping the bag open. “My dad gave it to me just as he was leaving, I’m hoping there is chocolate.”
Nick’s body catches up with his brain too late and before he can shout don’t open it, Charlie has tipped the contents out into his lap. There are two different types of flavoured condoms, lube, a packet of wet wipes and a large bar of Dairy Milk. Charlie brandishes the chocolate as a prize before he registers the nature of the other items.
“I don’t understand.” He says quietly. “Why would my dad give me these…?”
He turns to Nick, who has gone quite pale and is praying for the sofa to open up and swallow him whole.
“Nick. What’s going on?”
Nick can hardly speak; he seems that yet again he has messed up big time. He feels tears forming and through them forces out a single whisper…
“Sunday”
“What?”
“Mum’s away till Sunday evening. I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you. It seemed such a good idea when Mum suggested it, but the more I thought about it, it seemed that I was manipulating you.
Charlie says nothing but instead looks down at the haul in this lap, suddenly he knows why his dad has given him this, it isn’t just about being safe… it’s his blessing.
Nick is still speaking, “Char, we don’t have to do anything, we can hang out and play more Mario Kart, or we could go to the cinema, or invite Tao and Elle and the others round.”
Charlie looks at him in disbelief.
“Are you kidding me, I have my wonderful, fit boyfriend, who I love to distraction, alone, with no one to disturb us for forty-eight hours, and you want to spend it playing Mario Kart??”
“No… no I don’t… but at least I know what I’m doing with Mario Kart.”
Charlie laughs softly and gathers his boyfriend in for a kiss.
“You’re a dork… But I love you, Nicholas Nelson… it will be ok… let’s go to bed.”