Chapter Text
Charlie had a lot of talents when he was younger, at least, that’s what his parents used to say in most of their family therapy sessions. He doesn’t hear it as often now, but the thought still counts, even if he hasn’t been a depressed and on the verge of a breakdown every waking moment teenager going on a couple of years now. Now, /now/ he’s just that, in adult form.
Honestly, he needs to get out of this place. Herne Bay is a nice town, don’t get him wrong, it’s…quaint if you really squinted at it. Charlie’s grown up all his life here, so it was a safe bet that his business would have to start somewhere…well…close, but now, he’s too afraid to leave and that’s where the hate stems from more than anything.
His best friend Tao and his girlfriend/other best friend Elle are living their best queer lives in Seoul on a gap year, his friend Issac is his assistant out in the wild while attending university for the world record of the quietest bachelor’s degree ever studied and himself? He takes photos and has a mildly popular Instagram. That’s it really.
He kind of…fell into photos around Year 9, when he was starting to explore coming out and while the whole “coming out” thing didn’t really work out to his hopes, the photography thing did and it grew from a hobby to a family thing to a small business that was deemed decent given it was used quite often, but not exactly spectacular.
He was grateful for anything though, seriously, at least he was making money somehow.
He had hoped to use his apparent skill to photograph more ambitious places, like Milan or for a magazine or something and he’s tried to have some luck, but London’s a big place and there are only so many fashion houses and publishers you can go to before your portfolio is rejected more than once and he’s not exactly ready to mentally torture himself again anytime soon with putting on a flashy suit and keeping his quirks in check, so he’s still here.
Still plain old boring Charlie Spring, gay photographer from Herne Bay, United Kingdom. What a title.
Shaking his head, Charlie just smiled forlornly at Issac while the other boy started setting up the lights for the day in their booth while shoppers milled around them, his chair already set up next to Charlie’s laptop and chair with books to read and baby items for Charlie to use if needed and all sorts of things for whatever decided to come in today.
It was a mixed bag normally, so it was good to be prepared for all of it and not look unprofessional. He’d done that one, early on in his uh…career (if you could call it that) and it hadn't ended well for him or the other person. (He’d also not gotten paid, which sucked.)
“Alright there, Char? You’re out in space again.”
Charlie chuckled as he turned to Issac, who smirked when he saw the expression on the photographer’s face. “Maybe I’m just praying we get some work today and you don’t get to read your book that’s more interesting than me, Issac.”
“Rude!” Issac shoved him in the shoulder and they both laughed before Charlie checked on his camera equipment, running a hand over the strap.
Ah yes, his trusted old friend, the Nikon D7500 DSLR, a rather expensive camera his parents had given him for Christmas when he graduated, around the same time when they realized that their son wanted to take photos for a living and wasn’t exactly willing to give that dream up like others. At the time, it was one of the best and it still did the job even now as the model had gotten slightly old, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t eyeing up something better like the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR.
Now that was the proper dream. That camera to him was like someone looking at a centrefold and it would help so much if it really took as many clear photos as it seemed to on the numerous ads and pages Charlie had been bombarded with over his Insta timeline.
Just thinking about it made Charlie’s little photographer heart have an instant hard-on and to his chagrin, he had to really wipe it from his memory for the day in order to concentrate on putting the right lens on the current camera he was lucky to have at all for the first customer they knew was scheduled for later on that morning. So much for true love and all that.
Sometimes he wondered if he’d ever get there, photo wise or real life wise.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry, I know you’re just setting up, but do you do portraits?” Here we go.
It had been a busier day than usual for them, but Charlie was just living for it. He was bustled around barely able to get a break as people came to either inquire about photo packages, view his Instagram on the tablet attached to the booth or blessedly, have photos done.
In fact, it had gotten to the point where a small line had formed which he and Issac attempted to clear quickly with minimal success, but ultimately ended up doing as best they could until the late afternoon, in which Charlie was exhausted by the normal time they closed.
Taking a sip of water, he was about to sit down along with Issac who was very engrossed in this month’s book (some weird space martian thing) when a throat cleared and despite himself, Charlie was about to be so unprofessional and groan before politely telling whoever this person was to “fuck off, we’re closed” in not so many mean words, when he looked up and found out that he couldn't breathe.
The guy, standing there with a rather fussy baby in his arms that he’s clearly trying to calm down, looked so out of his depth, brown eyes wide and strawberry blonde hair falling on his face. He’s a little young, toting a diaper bag and he’s dressed in a rugby sweater from some team Charlie’s never heard of (not that he really cares as it’s not his scene but fuck he wants to know now) and sweatpants with sneakers, but their eyes meeting signalled the end for Charlie as he looked so helpless and knowing Issac is watching them and seeing Charlie’s high school phase of only crushing on straight boys returning with a vengeance, he speaks. “Hi.”
“Hi.” The guy swallows and it takes all of Charlie’s willpower not to get closer and sink his teeth into his adam’s apple before he talks again. “I just…wondered if you were still taking photos. I was supposed to get my Mum something for her birthday and I just-”
As he talks, Charlie finds himself feeling concerned as he’s progressively becoming more rattled and he feels sorry for him almost instantly as he continues. “-I completely forget and she loves seeing Addie, so I figured if I wasn’t too late, I could get something small done and I heard there was a photographer nearby and-”
“Hey, hey-” Charlie grabs him by the shoulder and it’s enough to not only stop this guy (he’s a little familiar, but Charlie can’t palace where he’s seen him) from going on a full-blown tangent, the darling little baby girl in her yellow onesie and matching sloppily tied headband stops as well, her similar shaded eyes to her…older brother? Uncle? Cousin? Father? look up at him and he melts, as he does with all the babies and smiles at her.
“Hello there little one. Someone seems a little tired. Did your…” He evaluates as he side-eyes the man carrying her on his side as he watches them back before he’s looking down at her again. “...did you Daddy wake you up from a nap?”
“Yes. Yes, I did. I didn’t mean to.” The guy’s shoulders fall like he’s so disappointed in himself, Charlie wishes he didn't. He's seen that look to often before. “It’s okay, we work with sleepy babies all the time. We’re about to close, so if she’s tired, we’ll have to make this quick.” Charlie’s /never/ stayed open past the time he hires the stand for, but this is as good of an excuse from “The King of Excuses” (Tao’s words, not his) to do so, seeing how desperate this guy is making him believe to be.
That or it’s the crush, which he’s now acknowledged despite the clear evidence in front of him that this guy is a massive heterosexual. Who knows?
“Really? Oh, thankyou so much!” He smiles at the utter relief on the other's face, all the while Issac is looking at him in mild confusion, before there is realisation and he’s smirking behind his book as Charlie glares at him to say anything as he turns back to the taller man, his clipboard of appointments in hand. “Just need to pop both your and this little darling's name down as well as an e-mail address or social media as well as a phone number so I can send you the images when done.”
“Oh, right. Uh…” The guy shuffles around, trying to hold the baby that is seemingly hanging off Charlie’s every word in one arm and use the pen with the other, but eventually, he hands the clipboard back and Charlie surveys the information.
NAME: Nick Nelson/Addison Nelson
E-MAIL/SOCIAL MEDIA: @nick_nzzz
PH: +44********
WALK IN/APPT?: Walk-in (Sorry)
Charlie snorts at the last line. “You don’t have to say sorry for walking in.”
“I know, but I feel bad as you are clearly closing up.” Nick (so his name is Nick, huh?) expresses with a sheepish grin and Charlie can’t help but laugh, which seems to take Nick off guard a little as he’s a little startled, but his shoulders are dropping and Addison (Addie is such a cute nickname) is also giggling with them, which is just too much cute to handle.
“Come in and take a seat.” Charlie beckons towards the empty booth and they are going through packages faster than they can say an awkward hello again. it seems Nick only wants something simple, however, as he already was getting to saying before, so it’s not long before he’s up and snapping photos of a loudly squealing Addie as he shakes a rattle, Nick in disbelief as it unfolds. “How are you getting her to smile like that?”
“Oh, babies seem to…take to me.” Charlie shyly admits as he pulls another funny face, sending Addie back into hysterics. “I don’t know what it is, just natural talent I guess.”
“Well, whatever it is, I need it bottled so I can drink it ASAP.” Nick admits and Charlie can’t help but grin, settling into a conversation he originally thought he would be way too tired for.
There’s also a point where Nick snaps a photo of him entertaining her on his photo, making Charlie remark that if ‘he wanted to be the photographer, he could have said so’ and Nick not missing a beat and follows it straight up with ‘but he didn’t want the babysitting duties’. They both crack up laughing when Addie looks at them confused.
Eventually, though, Addie’s eyes start to droop, before Charlie’s camera is down and he grabs her before she can hit the hay on his backdrop, cuddling her close as if he’d been holding babies his whole life (which he sorta has, if you look at Oliver, his younger brother and all the photos he’s taken over the last 3 years), almost missing the touch as Nick takes her off of him and cradles her in one arm like she’s made of gold as she sleeps.
He doesn’t mean to, but finds himself gripping Nick’s wrist as he swipes his credit card. “Hey, Nick, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah?” Nick looks up at him and Charlie smiles shyly. “I’ll get those photos to you by tomorrow. They look adorable, by the way. Your Mum is going to be in tears at how cute her grandbaby will be.”
“I’ll be holding you to that, Charlie Spring.” Nick grins tiredly before he’s finally gone and despite himself, Charlie practically falls into his still set up chair with a groan. Issac just laughs from behind that damned book again. “Wait till Tao finds out about this.”
Charlie just gives him the middle finger before sighing. Yes, he’s truly done for now.