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"You're terrible," Charlie laughs as he watches Nick slaughter his way through their drum lesson.
Nick may be talented at a lot of things, but he's quickly realizing that having any musical abilities is not one of them. He loves music, but he's never had any interest in playing an actual instrument before.
Not until he met Charlie, anyway. He could easily listen to Charlie talk for hours about his obsession, and Nick loves getting to experience something that means so much to him.
"I'm trying," Nick whines as he attempts to follow the beat. It could be worse, he thinks, but then again, he's not the expert here. Sure, he can easily hit the drums, but that doesn't mean the sounds that he produces are appealing to anyone's ears.
Least of all Charlie's, apparently.
"Here, budge up, let me help," Charlie offers as he takes a seat next to Nick on the tiny stool.
That completely shatters Nick's concentration, but he's certainly not complaining. Their thighs are pressed together, and all of the air slowly seeps out of Nick's lungs when Charlie covers Nick's hands with his own. His grip is firm but still incredibly gentle as he guides Nick through a new beat.
Nick should be paying more attention, but all he can focus on is Charlie. He's mesmerizing, and Nick has never seen him look more beautiful.
From his soft, messy curls and cozy jumper, to his strong hands and plush lips, he's absolutely breathtaking in ways that Nick has never noticed about another boy before.
Nick has plenty of friends, but they've never caused his heart to flutter or his pulse to race the way Charlie does. They're generally fun to be around (apart from Harry, who tends to be a dickhead most of the time), but they're nothing like Charlie.
Charlie is sweet and kind and never makes Nick feel self-conscious about things that other people would probably tease him for. When Nick's fountain pen exploded, Charlie laughed with Nick about it, not at him. He also attempted to help scrub the ink off, even though it was basically a lost cause.
Nick's hands were blue for days, but he didn't mind so much in the end. He was surprisingly disappointed when the ink finally wore off because it had been a constant reminder of that moment he shared with Charlie.
Even now, despite how awful Nick is at playing the drums, Charlie has been nothing but patient with him. Whenever they're together, Charlie just makes everything better.
Not only has Charlie quickly become his very best friend, but he's also Nick's comfort zone. Being around Charlie makes him feel lighter and happier, and Charlie's presence always fills Nick with an overwhelming sense of joy.
Some might call it a crush, even though Nick himself hasn't dared to name it yet.
He likes Charlie, he knows that for certain now, even though he's never fancied another boy before. It's scary, but in a fun way, like riding a roller coaster or watching a horror film.
Nick doesn't actually like horror films all that much, but he'd happily watch one with Charlie so he'd have an excuse to cuddle with him whenever things got too scary.
Okay, so Nick's got it bad.
He's still not entirely sure if he's attracted to boys in general, or if it's just Charlie, but he'll eventually figure it out. Nevertheless, Nick isn't terribly concerned about the specifics anyway, because what he feels for Charlie is all that matters.
When Nick was thirteen, he was crazy about a girl called Tara Jones. They kissed once, which felt monumental at the time but is nothing more than a distant memory now.
Nick doesn't remember a lot about it, just that Tara had taken the lead and initiated the kiss. It was a nice experience overall, but now Charlie is the only person that Nick is interested in kissing.
"There, you're a pro now," Charlie declares as he finishes the beat with a flourish.
God, he's so beautiful, Nick thinks as he stares into Charlie's eyes. His gaze briefly drops to Charlie's lips, and then quickly travels back up in a flash of panic.
When Charlie releases Nick's hands and stands back up, he says something that Nick is only distantly aware of. Hopefully it wasn't anything important, since Nick was noticeably distracted.
"Do I have something on my face?" Charlie laughs as he eyes Nick curiously.
"What? No," Nick immediately looks down as a white-hot flash of embarrassment floods his cheeks.
"You were staring," Charlie says while nudging Nick's foot with his own.
"No, I wasn't," Nick denies as he chances a peek back up at Charlie's smug expression.
Charlie clearly isn't buying it. "Okay then," he smirks.
"I wasn't, I promise," Nick insists as he reaches out and pokes Charlie in the stomach. Sure, it's a thinly-veiled lie, but at least there's no malicious intent behind it. He would just rather not make things even more awkward if he can avoid it.
"So I'm repulsive then?" Charlie says, feigning offense. "Rude," he adds for dramatic flair.
"What? No, I - " Nick falters as Charlie starts giggling uncontrollably.
"God, you're insufferable," Nick says as he grips the front of Charlie's jumper and drags him forward. Charlie stumbles slightly, but Nick quickly steadies him by wrapping an arm around Charlie's waist. He gasps softly, worried that maybe he's gone a bit too far but Charlie doesn't seem to mind their new arrangement.
"I'd find that a lot easier to believe if you weren't blushing," Charlie grins while reaching down to pat Nick's cheek.
Nick expects him to pull away, but instead, Charlie slides his fingers up into Nick's hair and gently combs through it.
"Charlie," Nick whispers, eyes fluttering shut as he melts into Charlie's touch.
"Oh, shit, sorry," Charlie recoils and takes several steps backward.
Nick wants to stop him, but Charlie just keeps moving further away as he speaks.
"That's definitely a side effect of spending way too much time with Tao, Isaac, and Elle," he explains as he settles onto his bed. "We're always in each other's personal space, so I often forget that not everyone is like that."
"Oh, well… I didn't mind," Nick admits as he ducks his head in an attempt to hide the persistent blush on his cheeks.
"I can also be a bit clingy and annoying sometimes, so it's probably best that you learned that now rather than later," Charlie laughs weakly.
Nick shakes his head and says, "No you're not. You're..." as he struggles with how to finish the sentence. Lovely, beautiful, adorable, handsome, charming... He's too nervous to say any of those things, so what he finally settles for is: "Amazing."
"No, I'm not," Charlie disagrees while quickly looking away.
"Yes, you are," Nick insists as he gets up from the drumkit and joins Charlie on the bed. There's a chill in the air, and he already misses the warmth of having Charlie pressed against him. "You're easily the nicest person I've ever known, you always make me laugh, and you're so bloody talented at like, everything, it's ridiculous."
"Shut up," Charlie groans as he hits Nick with a pillow.
"On second thought," Nick says as he swats it away, "you are kind of annoying."
"Oh am I?" Charlie teases, as he shoves the pillow back in Nick's face. "Well, you're free to leave then, don't let me stop you. I mean if I'm that awful to hang out with, maybe you should - "
"Charlie," Nick cuts him off with a warm smile, "you're my absolute favorite person to hang out with; I hope you know that by now."
Charlie moves closer and lays his head on Nick's shoulder. "You're my favorite too."
"Good, then at least we finally agree on something," Nick snickers as he leans his head against Charlie's and wraps an arm around him.
They've never cuddled like this before, but Nick thinks he could definitely get used to it.
They sit in companionable silence for a moment before Charlie says, "Wanna go watch a movie?"
"Can we make popcorn?" Nick asks hopefully as he sits up and turns to face Charlie.
There's an odd flash of uncertainty in Charlie's eyes, but he seems to brush it off quickly.
"Only if we can put extra butter on it," Charlie remarks. "Otherwise, I will absolutely be judging your dreadful snacking decisions."
"Um, obviously," Nick says as he gets up from the bed and offers Charlie a hand. Not that Charlie needs his help, Nick just enjoys taking any opportunity that allows them to touch. Even if it's just for a brief moment.
"Shall we, then?"
"We shall," Charlie nods as he allows Nick to pull him up.
Notably, he doesn't let go of Nick's hand until they reach the staircase.
🍁
About an hour into the movie, Nick turns to look at Charlie and realizes he's fallen asleep. Not that Nick minds, since he's feeling a bit drowsy himself. He's warm and comfortable, and it would be so easy for him to just curl up with Charlie and nap for a while.
He briefly considers it, but then he looks down and notices Charlie's hand lying between them. Palm up, fingers curved slightly, just begging to be held.
He couldn't, could he?
Maybe just for a moment?
Slowly, Nick reaches down until his hand is hovering directly above Charlie's. For a split second, he can feel a tangible crackle of energy between them which shocks him into pulling back.
He waits a moment, pausing to check that Charlie is still asleep before he tries again. He still can't quite bring himself to make contact, but his hand lingers for a few seconds longer this time.
Just as he's about to pull away again, Charlie suddenly raises his hand and laces their fingers together.
Nick's first instinct is to panic, but Charlie doesn't seem upset when Nick glances up. He looks completely relaxed, not like someone who just caught their best friend being creepy.
Charlie smiles sweetly and tightens his grip on Nick's hand. "Hey."
Nick immediately freezes as he tries to come up with a plausible excuse for what he's done.
"I'm so sorry," he says in a rush as he turns towards Charlie, hands still clasped firmly together.
Charlie frowns slightly and says, "For what exactly?"
"For making things weird," Nick explains. He decides not to elaborate because that would only make things worse. He rambles when he's nervous, and he's already made this awkward enough.
Charlie shuffles closer until there's hardly any space left between them. "Does this feel weird to you?"
"Well, no," Nick says, although he's grateful that Charlie probably can't tell how hard he's blushing. "It's nice, actually."
"Yeah, it is," Charlie agrees. "I'm really glad you're here."
"Me too," Nick replies as his breathing finally starts to even out. There's nowhere in the world I'd rather be, he silently adds.
"Tell me something," Charlie says as he lays his head right next to Nick's.
"Like what?" Nick asks. There are so many things that come to mind, but he's not sure if he's ready to say the words yet.
I might I like boys, but I definitely like you.
I really love holding your hand.
Your laugh is the greatest sound in the world.
I would realign the stars just to make you smile.
He can’t bring himself to say any of those things, but maybe someday.
"A random fact," Charlie clarifies. "Something about you that you've never told anyone."
I think I'm falling in love with you briefly flashes through Nick's mind before he finally says, "I really don't like the dark. I'm not afraid or anything, it's just kind of unsettling," he adds. "That's why I have those lights above my bed, and I've even got a nightlight that I use sometimes. Any small light will do, I just hate being in complete darkness."
"Thanks for sharing that with me," Charlie says as he squeezes Nick's hand. "Do you want to hear one of mine?"
"Of course," Nick nods. Charlie is the most fascinating person Nick has ever known, and he would love to hear anything that Charlie feels comfortable telling him.
"I like doing laundry," Charlie admits. "I know, it's bizarre," he says in response to Nick's amused expression, "but it's kind of calming. I like sorting clothes, and the sounds that the machines make. I also like the smell of fabric softener, even if it tickles my nose and makes me sneeze sometimes."
"Oh my God, that's adorable," Nick blurts. He hadn't meant to say that, but the delighted look on Charlie's face makes him very glad that he did.
"You think so?" Charlie beams. "I've never told anyone that since it's probably kind of silly. "My mum just thinks I like helping her out, which is partially true, but I also really enjoy it."
Nick shakes his head and says, "Nothing is silly if it makes you happy."
"You're silly," Charlie counters while giving Nick a cheeky grin.
"Yeah, but I…" Nick trails off as Charlie's words connect in his brain. "Wait, you're saying that I make you happy?"
"How did someone so clueless make it all the way to year eleven?" Charlie deadpans. "I mean, honestly, Nick."
"Um, excuse you," Nick withdraws his hand from Charlie's and shifts away from him. The couch isn't very big, but Nick manages to put some distance between them.
"Hey," Charlie protests, lower lip trembling dramatically. "You're just going to abandon me like that?"
"I'm literally right next to you," Nick laughs. "It's not like I've gone to Siberia, I haven't even left the couch."
"I know, but…" Charlie falters as he gives Nick a wounded look. "I like it when you're closer."
Nick knows that Charlie is only messing with him, but seeing him look so crushed tugs sharply at Nick's heart. "Come here," he relents, opening his arms wide.
Charlie lights up at the invitation, and immediately launches himself at Nick.
"You make me happy too, by the way," Nick murmurs as he wraps his arms around Charlie and rubs his back.
Charlie hugs him tightly in response and mumbles "your turn" against Nick's shoulder.
"Okay, I got one," Nick says. "I can't believe I'm telling you this, but I used to be terrified of the vacuum cleaner when I was younger."
"Well, they are pretty loud," Charlie points out, "so that can be really scary for a little kid."
"Yeah, I suppose, but it was so bad that my mum could only vacuum when I was at school," Nick winces.
Charlie looks up at Nick and smiles. "That's because she's the best."
"Yeah, she is," Nick agrees as he playfully taps Charlie on the nose. "Your turn."
Charlie thinks for a minute and then eyes Nick warily. "I didn't actually want to join the rugby team."
"What?" Nick is in shock. Even though Charlie seemed hesitant at first, he picked up the sport fairly quickly, and Nick thought he was enjoying it. "Then why did you?"
"Because you asked me to," Charlie confesses.
"Charlie," Nick frowns. "You know I wouldn't have minded if you said no."
"I know, but I'm really glad you asked," Charlie says. "It meant a lot that you thought I could do it, so I figured that I should at least give it a try."
The for you goes unspoken, but Nick hears it anyway.
"That's sweet," Nick replies, "but promise you'll tell me next time? I don't ever want you to do anything that you're not completely comfortable with."
"Promise," Charlie nods as he tucks his face against Nick's neck. "Tell me something else," he says, lips brushing against Nick's skin as he speaks.
That effectively short-circuits Nick's brain, so he quickly says the first thing that comes to mind.
"I prefer using fountain pens because they make my writing look fancy."
It barely qualifies as a secret, but it's definitely something he's never told anyone before. Maybe one day he'll put his elegant penmanship to good use and write Charlie an old-school love letter on vintage parchment.
"Until they explode all over you," Charlie teases as he looks back up at Nick.
"Oi," Nick groans. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"
"Hardly," Charlie agrees, "but at least you look really good in blue."
"Charlie," Nick blushes as he pokes Charlie's side. "I believe it's your turn now."
"I actually cried when I learned that the Harry Potter universe wasn't real," Charlie laughs, recalling the memory. "Tori used to read the books to me when I was little, and I was convinced that I'd get my Hogwart's letter when I was eleven."
"Aw, poor baby Charlie," Nick sympathizes. "I didn't get into Harry Potter until a few years ago, or I'm sure I would have been equally traumatized."
Charlie sits up and excitedly asks, "What's your Hogwart's house?"
"Gryffindor," Nick proudly announces. "Yours?"
"Slytherin," Charlie grins. "I was sorted into Ravenclaw once, but I really think Slytherin fits me best."
"So we're basically Harry and Draco without the rivalry," Nick observes.
"Oh, please," Charlie smirks, "everyone knows they secretly wanted each other."
Nick can see the exact moment that Charlie realizes what he's said as his eyes go comically wide.
"Not that we, I mean - "
"I know what you meant," Nick says as he ruffles Charlie's hair to ease the tension.
"Your turn," Charlie reminds him as he lies back in Nick's arms again.
They fit so perfectly together, and Nick could easily stay like this forever.
"C'mon, think of a really good one," Charlie urges.
"Oh, I've got one already," Nick says as he recalls another fact. "I really like taking baths. Like, with bubbles and everything. I always liked them when I was a kid, and I guess I never grew out of that. I mostly take showers now, but I still love a really good bath."
Normally he wouldn't be so eager to share such personal information, but he trusts Charlie completely. He knows Charlie would never expose any of his secrets or do anything to embarrass him. Plus, he likes the idea of Charlie knowing things about him that no one else does.
"My parents would never allow me to spend that much time in the bathroom," Charlie muses, "but that's probably because I share the house with a lot more people than you do. It sounds nice, though, especially the bubbles; I haven't taken a proper bath in ages."
"You should," Nick suggests as he tries not to imagine Charlie in the bath. No, having him literally lying against Nick is absolutely not the time for those thoughts.
"I also really like those fizzy things too," Nick confesses, cheeks flaming hotly. "They don't really do anything, but I love how they turn the water different colors."
"You like bath bombs?" Charlie says incredulously. "Like the kind from Lush?"
"Yep," Nick confirms. "I mean, what's cooler than sparkly intergalactic bath water, right?"
"There's glitter too?" Charlie giggles.
Nick hangs his head and sighs. "I should really learn to quit while I'm ahead."
"Oh no," Charlie disagrees as he sits up again. "Now you have to tell me more because I'm invested in this story."
"Okay then," Nick says as his blush slowly subsides. "Well, technically it's not even real glitter, it's made from seaweed, actually. I read that online which I thought was pretty interesting. It's just really hard to wash off, so I try to avoid the sparkly ones now. That first time was a complete accident, so I had no idea that I would end up looking like Edward Cullen afterwards."
"Oh my God," Charlie claps a hand over his mouth to stifle another laugh.
"That was fun explaining to my mum," Nick continues, "because apparently, I forgot to rinse the tub after I took a disco bath, as she called it."
"Was she upset?" Charlie asks, wide-eyed.
"Nah," Nick says, "she was just surprised to find the bathtub looking like a craft shop exploded. It did look kind of cool though," he quietly adds. "On me, I mean. Not the tub."
Charlie gives him a shy smile and says, "I really wish I could have seen that."
"Well," Nick pauses as he reaches for his phone, "I could show you if you like."
"Oooh," Charlie squeals as Nick scrolls through his camera roll.
It doesn't take him long to find the photo, but he suddenly feels hesitant about letting Charlie see it. Nick isn't naked, but he is shirtless and covered in glitter with droplets of colored bath water clinging to his chest.
Objectively speaking, it's a really good picture at least, and bathroom lighting is universally flattering.
Despite his reluctance, he secretly wants to see Charlie's reaction, so he silently hands Charlie his phone and hopes for the best.
"Holy shit," Charlie gasps, mouth falling open in shock. "You… you're… wow," he gushes while zooming in on the photo.
"What?" Nick asks, casual as ever, as if he hasn't just shown Charlie a topless photo of himself straight out of the bath.
"Um," Charlie clears his throat and returns the phone to Nick. "You, um… that's a really good picture. If they ever decide to remake Twilight, you should definitely audition."
It sounds like a joke, except that Charlie's expression is far too serious.
"I'll keep that in mind," Nick says as he pockets his phone.
He's not sure what just happened, but now everything feels wrong. The air between them is charged with negative energy, and Nick desperately wants to fix it. Had showing Charlie the photo been a mistake?
He seemed to have liked it, but now he's looking everywhere but directly at Nick.
Unless…
Oh, Nick realizes as he makes the connection. Maybe Charlie liked it a little too much?
That thought gives Nick a renewed sense of confidence as he reaches down and brushes his fingers against Charlie's.
"Your turn," he grins when Charlie finally looks back up at him. "And it better be something of equal value, after that."
"Fair enough," Charlie concedes. "This is something I've never told anyone about, not even Tao. I'm not ashamed of it or anything," he's quick to add, "but it's something I've always kept to myself."
"Well, I'd be honored to hear it," Nick says as he reaches for Charlie's hand again. It's becoming second nature at this point, like Charlie's hands were meant to be held by his.
"I really like wearing lip gloss," Charlie admits. "Not at school, obviously, just occasionally when I'm at home. It smells really nice though, and I love the way it makes my lips look."
"Can I see?" Nick asks softly as he rubs his thumb over Charlie's knuckles. "I bet it looks really lovely on you."
Charlie bites his lip nervously and says, "You really want to?"
"Yeah," Nick smiles, "if you're comfortable with showing me."
"Okay," Charlie says as he extracts himself from Nick and grabs his hand. "Let's go back to my room, though."
🍂
Once they're back upstairs, Charlie retrieves a couple of tubes from his nightstand and hands them to Nick. One is clear with a holographic sheen, and the other is a pastel shade of rosy pink.
"I have a few others too," Charlie tells him, "but I think these are my favorite."
"They're pretty," Nick says as he carefully inspects them both. He doesn't know a lot about makeup since his mum doesn't wear very much, but he knows either of them would look gorgeous on Charlie.
"Which one do you like best?" Charlie asks as he climbs onto his bed.
"This one," Nick suggests while uncapping the pink one. It reminds him of cherry blossoms and it almost matches the natural hue of Charlie's lips. "May I?" he asks while sitting next to Charlie and turning to face him.
"Oh, um, yeah, of course," Charlie nods as he parts his lips.
"Hold still," Nick instructs as he cups Charlie's face with one hand. With the other, he carefully paints the gloss onto Charlie's lips the same way he's seen his mum apply hers. He manages to only make one tiny smudge, which he quickly corrects with a gentle swipe of his thumb.
"There," he says as he pulls back to survey his work.
Oh, holy fuck.
He knew Charlie would look good, but he wasn't expecting this. The soft lighting above his bed creates a dazzling shimmer across Charlie's lips, which only amplifies the effect.
He’s gorgeous.
Charlie carefully rubs his lips together and says, "Well?"
"It… you… that, uh, looks very nice," Nick stammers as he struggles to form a coherent sentence
"You really think so?" Charlie preens.
"You have very… um, yeah. It looks great," Nick finishes lamely.
"I have very what?" Charlie asks as he shifts closer.
"Nothing," Nick says, "you're just… you're…"
Jesus Christ, Nelson, get it together, Nick's brain screams at him. While he may not always be the most articulate person in the world, he can usually string words together a lot better than this.
"What?" Charlie presses, head angled towards Nick's.
There's hardly even a foot of space between them now, and the scent of Charlie's lip gloss is making it nearly impossible for Nick to think clearly.
"Beautiful," Nick says as he ducks his head shyly, "you're beautiful, Charlie."
"Oh," Charlie blushes as he reaches out to tilt Nick's face up. "So are you, Nick. I especially love your freckles," he adds as he slowly begins tracing them with his finger.
"Really?" Nick asks, genuinely surprised. "I used to be a bit self-conscious about them when I was younger, but that's probably because I have so many," he laughs.
"Do you still feel that way?" Charlie frowns as he runs his finger down the bridge of Nick's nose.
Nick has no idea where any of this is headed, he just knows he never wants it to stop. He's never seen this side of Charlie before, so bold and confident, and it's driving him mad.
"Nah," Nick shakes his head, "not anymore."
"Okay, good," Charlie smiles, which completely melts Nick's heart.
Charlie has the most beautiful smile (the most beautiful everything, really) and Nick can't believe his luck that fate brought them together.
It had to be fate, he reasons, because Truham didn't even start mixing form groups until literally this year.
They don't have any other classes together either, so it's not very likely that their paths would have crossed otherwise. Nick doesn't take music or art, and Charlie certainly wouldn't have joined the rugby team if Nick hadn't asked him to.
It was definitely an intervention of fate, one that Nick is eternally grateful for.
"Nick?" Charlie says a moment later while sliding his fingertips down Nick's cheek and cupping his jaw. "Have you ever kissed a boy?"
Nick's heart pounds wildly as he quickly looks away. He can't do this, not while staring directly into Charlie's eyes because the intensity suddenly feels suffocating.
"Hey," Charlie says as he trails his thumb along Nick's jaw.
Nick promptly looks back up again as Charlie lays his other hand on Nick's shoulder. "No," he answers honestly after a beat of silence. "I um… I actually haven't kissed anyone at all since I was thirteen."
Charlie gives Nick a curious look and says, "Do you want to?"
"Want to… what?" Nick asks, just to be sure. Even though it's extremely unlikely that he's gotten the wrong idea here, he would prefer to limit the embarrassment if possible.
The hand on Nick's shoulder suddenly travels upward until Charlie's fingers are gently rubbing the back of his neck.
"Kiss me," Charlie clarifies.
In lieu of a verbal response, Nick leans in and slowly brushes his lips against Charlie's. Even though he has imagined this moment many times, nothing could have ever prepared him for the reality of it.
The way Charlie is holding him like he's something precious, Nick's hands gripping the front of Charlie's jumper, Charlie's fingers pressing firmly into Nick's skin like a brand, Nick's soft gasps when Charlie takes control and deepens the kiss… it's dizzying.
Charlie tastes like the cloying sweetness of his lip gloss, but Nick has never enjoyed artificial flavoring so much. They end up kissing for several minutes, until Nick's lungs are burning and they finally pause to catch their breath.
"If I had known that wearing lip gloss would have such an effect on you, I would have shown you sooner," Charlie jokes as he pecks Nick's lips once more.
"Charlie," Nick whines as he hides his flushed face against Charlie's neck.
"I'm just teasing you, babe," Charlie giggles as he slides onto Nick's lap.
"Babe?" Nick repeats as he wraps his arms around Charlie and holds him steady.
"Sorry," Charlie winces. "I'm not cool enough to pull that off, am I?"
"On the contrary," Nick murmurs while kissing his way up Charlie's neck, "I think you're the coolest person I know."
"That's just because you have a big, embarrassing crush on me," Charlie laughs as he tilts Nick's face up and kisses him properly.
"Perhaps," Nick says, "but as long as you keep kissing me like that, you can call me anything you want."
"Anything?" Charlie challenges.
"Do you have something specific in mind?" Nick asks while giving Charlie's hand a reassuring squeeze.
Charlie squeezes back and says, "I do, actually. It might be a little too soon for it, though."
"There's only one way to find out," Nick smiles as he steals another kiss.
He's really going to have to learn to control himself before they hang out in public again, Nick realizes. Charlie is extremely kissable, so that's going to be quite a challenge.
"Um," Charlie says as he slides his arms around Nick's neck, "could I… maybe, call you my boyfriend?"
"You really want to?" Nick asks. "Like, officially?"
"More than anything," Charlie admits. "I suppose it's rather obvious now, but I really like you. I have for quite a while, but I wasn't sure if you felt the same way."
"I wasn't either if I'm honest. Not at first, anyway," Nick says as he rubs Charlie's cheek. "I still knew there was something extra special about you though, even when we first met. Like how you completely took my breath away from the moment I saw you. And," he pauses to kiss Charlie's forehead, "the way you have continued to, every day since."
"Nick," Charlie whispers, eyes brimming with tears as he surges forward and kisses Nick again. "God, you're the sweetest, and I don't deserve you."
"Oh no," Nick frowns. "Please don't cry, love. I didn't mean to - "
"Just let me be soppy for a moment," Charlie jokingly insists as he uses the sleeve of his jumper to dry his eyes.
"I can do that," Nick says while rubbing Charlie's back. "I just never thought I could be this happy," he explains. "Everyone always has so many expectations of me, but I love that I can just be myself around you."
"A dog-loving Marvel nerd who's awesome at rugby and terrible at video games, but looks awfully cute when he pouts after every loss?" Charlie sniffs while dabbing at his eyes again.
Nick gives Charlie a playful smirk and says, "I would resent that if it weren't mostly accurate. Although," he continues, "you could kiss me after I lose. That might help me feel better."
"Or," Charlie suggests, "you could kiss me after I win."
"So basically that means I get a kiss either way, so who's the real winner here?" Nick winks.
Charlie reaches out to take Nick's face into his hands and says, "still me," before kissing him senseless.
And really, who is Nick to argue with that logic?
🍁
"Charlie?" Nick says a while later after a considerable amount of time spent making out on Charlie's bed. There's barely enough room for them both, but Nick prefers it that way since it means getting to hold Charlie in his arms.
Charlie looks up from where he's been curled up against Nick's chest, just quietly dozing off. Nick knows he should probably head home soon, but he's far too comfortable right now.
"Hmm?" Charlie mumbles, blinking sleepily up at Nick.
"I like you too," Nick says as he runs his fingers through Charlie's hair. "I just realized that I forgot to say it back, and I really needed you to know. I may be unsure of what label fits me best, but I like you so much, and I'd be honored to be your boyfriend."
"Nick," Charlie blushes and buries his face against Nick's shoulder. "Really?" he asks as he looks back up and catches Nick staring down fondly at him.
"Really," Nick grins as he cups the back of Charlie's neck and kisses him slowly.
At this point, Nick has lost track of how many kisses they've shared, but every single one has been indescribably perfect.
"So… boyfriends?" Charlie asks hopefully. "I mean, if you're sure? We don't have to label it yet if you're not ready to, and I really don't want you to feel pressured - "
"Boyfriends," Nick quickly interjects and kisses Charlie softly.
When he pulls back, Charlie gives Nick a pleading look and says, "Promise you'll tell me if you change your mind? I know things can be really confusing at first, and you know I wouldn't mind taking this as slowly as you need to."
Nick smiles warmly and nuzzles Charlie's cheek. "I really appreciate that, but I'm good, I promise. Just because I haven't figured everything out yet doesn't change how I feel about you. I don't know whether I like guys exclusively, or if I still like girls, but none of that matters. You're the only one I want to be with," he finishes as he peppers Charlie's entire face with kisses.
Charlie exhales shakily and says, "How are you so perfect?"
"I can promise you that I'm not," Nick laughs while nudging his nose against Charlie's, "but I'm pretty sure that you just might be."
"Oh, no," Charlie teases, "never mind. Now I know you've gone mad."
"That I have," Nick agrees as he brushes his lips against the shell of Charlie's ear. "Mad about you."
"Nick," Charlie groans, "that was so - "
"Cheesy?" Nick finishes for him. "Yeah, I know. But I have a boyfriend now, so I get to be embarrassingly romantic whenever I want," he adds while pulling Charlie in for a breathtaking kiss.
"Wow," Charlie gasps against Nick's mouth, "that sounds pretty serious; you must really like this guy."
"Actually," Nick counters as he takes a delicate hold of Charlie's face, thumbs sweeping lightly over Charlie's cheeks, "I love him."
🍂