Work Text:
“It’s not fitting, Charlie!” Nick grunted, his face tight in concentration, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.
Charlie sighed and reached up to awkwardly rub his arm. It wasn’t easy, in the position they were in.
“It will fit, love.” He reassured.
“It’s not! Oh god, I can’t do this!”
“Take a moment and try again.” Charlie tried to smile up at his boyfriend, but eye contact was tricky.
Nick sighed, “I’m worried I’m going to-”
“Maybe you’re coming in… like, too high, I think? Try a different angle?” Charlie could tell his boyfriend was rapidly losing confidence, becoming more flustered by the second.
Nick bit his lower lip and carefully changed position, just a millimetre.
“Charlie...” he whined.
“You’re over thinking, Nick. You don’t need to be so cautious... Just line it up... Yes, like that, now... Push it in.”
Nick gave one last, firm push and sighed as it finally slid all the way in with one smooth motion. He instantly relaxed, sagging a little and letting out the breath he’d been holding.
“Yes!” Charlie sighed in relief. “See, sometimes it pays to be a bit more... Forceful.”
“Easy for you to say...” Nick huffed, “It’s not you who’s-”
Charlie laughed, “Fair point. Now, come on.”
They carried on for another few moments without talking, only the occasional grunt and sigh escaping their lips.
“See… we’re doing it. I knew we could. Now you’ve just got to… yeah that’s it.” Charlie smiled as Nick reached round and grasped hold of his goal.
“Like this?” Nick’s voice was strained from the effort of holding his position.
“Perfect. That’s it… yeah like that.” Charlie encouraged, relieved and excited that finally they were getting somewhere.
“OK… OK… so now….”
“You’re doing great.” Charlie twisted to look over his shoulder, “But maybe… maybe go a bit faster?”
His parents were going to be home soon, and he did not want to still be doing this when they walked through the door.
Nick groaned, “Char… I’m trying.”
“Sorry! But… come on, Nick! Just…do it… faster…” Charlie panted, his breathing starting to become laboured under the exertion.
“I don’t think I can go any faster, Char. If I…” Nick groaned again.
Charlie let out a strangled sighed, “Right, we’re switching.”
“What?! Char I don’t think-”
“Nick, please.”
“You really want to… to…”
“Yeah, I do.”
Nick sighed and slowly eased himself out of the tight hole he’d only just managed to squeeze his way into.
“Come on, I’m smaller than you, it makes sense.” Charlie tsked, encouraging Nick to hurry up so they could switch positions.
“Well, yeah… I get that. But I just think it’s more logical for me to be the one to do this.”
“Why? Are you saying I’m too small and weak.” Charlie teased.
“Fuck off, Char. You know that’s not what I mean.”
“Mmmmhmmm. Good. I’m not sure why we thought it was a good idea for you to be the one-”
“It was your suggestion!” Nick huffed exasperatedly. “You asked me to.”
“Hmmm, I don’t want to argue. Not today. Now budge over. Let me try and slide in from the top.”
Nick rolled his eyes but obediently complied, dropping a soft kiss to Charlie’s forehead as they changed positions.
With their places switched it was soon Charlie who was huffing and grunting, but he was right; he was quicker. Nick may have the benefit of stronger quads and biceps to help steady himself and the frame he was holding up, but years of drumming meant Charlie had faster digits, and a steady rhythm.
Working together under Charlie’s guidance they were soon nearing completion; Nick holding the frame in position, Charlie’s fingers moving fast.
“So close, Char… so fucking close!”
“Yes!”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
“Last one! Nick, last turn and… YES!” Charlie fell back and sighed.
“We did it, Char! Fuck, I love you.”
Charlie grinned and flopped to the side, reaching across the small space between them to kiss Nick. “We did it. We really did it. I can’t believe… finally!”
“Finally!” Nick echoed, reaching out to pull Charlie closer. “Happy birthday, love.”
“Best birthday present, ever!”
Nick beamed, “I still can’t believe this is what your parents gave you for your birthday. I may never be able to look your dad in the eye again.”
Charlie laughed, “God, don’t. I’m sure I’ve never burned so red when they told me. But I’m not complaining. It’s perfect.”
“Mmmm, you’re perfect. I’m knackered though!”
Charlie giggled and gently shoved at his boyfriend. “Come on, we’re a sweaty mess. We both need a shower.”
“Yes! Shower!” Nick jumped to his feet, dragging Charlie up with him, his earlier tiredness seeming to vanish in an instant.
“Separately, Nicholas!” Charlie laughed, eagerly trailing behind.
Nick stopped and turned to Charlie with a pout, “But Charlieeee, we’ll save water if we shower together.”
Charlie snorted, “We know from experience, that will not be the case!”
Nick flushed bright red, “God, don’t remind me. You wouldn’t look at mum for a solid week after that incident.”
“You didn’t lock the bloody door, you idiot!”
“I wasn’t expecting us to still be in the shower by the time she got home, and in my defence, that was definitely your fault!”
Charlie felt his whole face burn red as Nick chuckled and turned towards the bathroom again.
Charlie looked back over his shoulder and grinned, “We’re forgetting something Nick…” He called out to his boyfriend’s retreating back. Nick turned back round and started towards him, a frown on his face. Charlie waved his hand in the vague direction of his bedframe.
“What?” Nick asked.
“Not seeing something rather important missing from this scene?”
Charlie watched Nick’s brow furrowed for just a second, and then he burst out laughing.
“Mattress!” Nick chuckled.
“Might be helpful, if we actually plan to sleep in our wonderful creation tonight.” Charlie nodded, smiling widely.
Nick grinned, “Wasn’t planning to get much sleep in it to be honest….Char!”
Charlie laughed as he gently swatted his boyfriend’s arse, “You don’t think we’ll need a mattress for… other activities too?” He waggled his eyebrows and Nick laughed.
“Yeah, yeah I suppose we’ll need the mattress for that too!” Nick sighed exaggeratedly. “Come on, Spring. To the mattress!” He turned and made his way down the stairs to where Charlie’s brand new double mattress was leaning against the wall of the hall.
///
“Mmmm, happy birthday.” Nick pressed a kiss against Charlie’s neck and pulled him impossibly closer, his breathing still fast.
Charlie laughed, “It’s not my birthday anymore.”
He ran a hand through Nick’s hair and closed his eyes, sighing contentedly. Nick’s head on his chest rose and fell in time with his own rapid breathing.
“Well, we when we started it was still your birthday, so it still counts.”
Charlie hummed happily, a wide grin on his face. He enjoyed the feel of Nick’s hair between his fingers for another few minutes, and then he let his hand drop from Nick’s hair to the bed with a flop, bone tired and floaty.
“Ugh… mess.” His hand landed in a cold, wet, sticky patch.
Nick snorted into Charlie’s chest.
“Towel or wash job?”
“Ugh, wash, definitely. How the hell am I going to explain to mum I need fresh sheets less than twelve hours after I get my new bed...” Charlie groaned.
“Char,” Nick laughed, “I think they know by now, don’t you? Wasn’t that sort of the point of you getting a new bed?”
Even only being able to see the top of Nick’s head, Charlie knew Nick was smirking. He gently shoved him in the shoulder.
“Shut up.” He whined, “I don’t care, I do not want to advertise the fact we christened the bed six hours after we finally finished building it to my mum.”
“Which we managed without killing each other, a modern day miracle.”
“Adding ‘ Survived building IKEA furniture with BAE. Hashtag, relationship goals’ to my bio….” Charlie grinned.
Nick groaned, “Come on, idiot. Let’s change the sheets quick so we can actually sleep.” Nick rolled off of Charlie and held a hand out to pull him up from the, very comfy, new mattress.
They threw on their underwear and quickly stripped the bed of Charlie’s brand new double bedding, another birthday present from his parents.
As they pulled the yellow sheet off of the mattress, Nick let out a loud laugh and Charlie had to rush to slap a hand over his boyfriend’s mouth. “Shhh! You’ll wake my parents.” Charlie glared at him, and then gasped, groaning, as Nick licked his palm.
“Ugh, you’re gross!”
“And you love me.”
Charlie, who had been wiping his damp hand against his boxers, softened and looked up at Nick who was smiling down at him with a look in his eyes that made Charlie’s heart give a little flutter, even two years on.
“Yeah,” He breathed out, “I do.” He smiled as Nick pulled him against his chest and proceeded to kiss him, long and slow. Charlie felt his knees go weak… but that was definitely a result of their earlier exertion and not because kissing Nick still sent tingles down his spine.
Nick eventually slowed the kiss and pulled back to rest his forehead to Charlie’s, “Let’s get these sheets in the wash so I can cuddle up so close to you in this massive bed that you’ll be wondering why you even needed a double.”
Charlie laughed and pulled back to gather the sheets in his arms.
He groaned, “Seriously… I’m not looking forward to mum’s snarky comment tomorrow when she sees these in the wash – ‘Really, Charlie? They’re brand new and you couldn’t even keep them clean twenty four hours?’ ”
Nick frowned at him, “So… just wash them yourself?”
Charlie frowned back, “What, do a wash just for these?”
Nick shrugged, “Well, yeah. I mean, I don’t bother now. But when we first started… you know…” Nick waved his hand absentmindedly.
“Having sex, Nick. You can say it… sex. Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex.”
“Yes, yes! Alright. When we first started having sex, I’d stick the sheets on for a quick thirty minute wash and then tumble them when mum was at work, so she wouldn’t know.”
Charlie laughed, “God, you’re adorable.”
“Shut it, you.”
“Why don’t you bother now?” Charlie frowned again.
Nick blushed and gave a half shoulder shrug, “Well… mum twigged. Obviously.” He flinched a little, “And then gave me a talk.”
“Oh my god, you never… what?!”
“Not like… the talk. Obviously, we’d already had that… before, you know. But she cottoned on and said it was wasteful to use the tumble dryer for just my sheets, so she made me promise to just… stick them in the wash basket but that when the basket got full, I had to put a proper wash on. So I do, couple of times a week.” Nick grinned.
Charlie just nodded and frowned at his own sheets, “I don’t think I even know how to use our machine, to be honest. Like, for a normal wash, let alone a quick wash… mum’s always been a bit funny about us doing laundry. I might have dyed a blouse of hers pink when I was like… six or seven?”
Nick chuckled and bent down to drop a kiss to Charlie’s cheek, “I need to know that story. But first let’s get these in the wash, I’m sure we can figure it out. I’ll show you.”
They walked down the stairs, being careful to miss out the third step from the top; the step that had been the cause of Nick being caught trying to sneak out at 6am, the first time Charlie had hidden him in his room overnight.
Once in the kitchen Charlie quickly deposited his sheets in the machines drum and then turned on his phone light to illuminate the machine’s buttons.
“I can’t believe we made that much mess to be honest…” Nick whispered as he pulled out the drawer of the machine and glanced inside, “OK, same as ours. Where’s your washing powder?”
Charlie opened the cupboard under the sink and leant down to pull out a large glass jar with tablets inside.
“Mum uses these?” He held them up, “I think…”
Nick pursed his lips. “OK, well I assume we just use one in the normal drawer? And then maybe don’t use fabric conditioner?”
Charlie shrugged, “No idea about fabric conditioner… you’re the expert it would seem.” He teased quietly.
Nick gently shoved him and stuck his tongue out.
“Give one here.” Nick held his hand out and Charlie dropped one of the blue, squishy tablets into his palm.
“OK, so powder, or tablet in this case, goes here….” Nick pointed to the right hand side of the drawer, “And normally I put fabric conditioner here…” He pointed to the small compartment in the centre of the drawer, “But it would appear your mum is posher than my mum, so…yeah. That’s it.” Nick pushed the drawer shut and then knelt to stare at the dials on the front of the machine.
Charlie bent down next to him.
“OK, now what?”
“I’m looking… it’s different to mine, but…” He pressed a button after a moment and the washing machine beeped.
“Shhh….”
“We’re in the kitchen, your parents won’t hear. And if they do hear that beep, they’re definitely hearing the machine spin at the end. You sure you want to wash these now and not jus-”
Charlie groaned, “God no, let’s risk the noise. I can’t handle mum making comments….”
Nick smiled sideways at Charlie, “OK, so I think…” Nick pressed another button and the small screen lit up.
00:30
“Perfect!” Nick grinned proudly at Charlie, who couldn’t help grinning back, even as he rolled his eyes.
“So, now I just press start, yeah?”
“Yep!” Nick popped the p at the end of the word and stood back up, stretching his hands above his head and pushing his shoulders together as he did so.
Charlie pressed the small start button and joined his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around his naked torso and enjoying the feel of their skin touching.
Nick brought his arms around Charlie and rested his cheek on top of his curly hair.
They stood like that for a moment as the quiet whirring of the machine behind them started up.
“So…” Nick spoke quietly, but Charlie could hear the smile in his tone, “How or why did you dye your mum’s blouse pink when you were seven?”
“Or six… I was probably six!”
Nick chuckled, “You sound defensive!”
Charlie sighed and nuzzled his face into Nick’s chest. “I’d wet the bed…”
“Ah, OK… and how did that lead-”
“Tea?” Charlie pulled away from Nick and started filling the kettle, knowing Nick would never turn down a cuppa, even if it was nearing 1am.
Nick dropped himself on to a dining chair and rested his elbow on the table, watching Charlie as he made them a cup of tea each by the light of his phone.
“Thanks, love. Feel like I should be making you the tea though, birthday boy.” He smiled and tilted his head up at Charlie.
He placed the two mugs in front of Nick and then dropped himself in Nick’s lap. He was regretting not putting a t-shirt on before coming downstairs. Luckily for him, Nick always ran warm and with his arms wrapped around Charlie, it was enough to stave off the cold air of the night.
“Not my birthday anymore. Was an amazing day though, thank you for my presents.” Charlie kissed Nick’s neck, hovering a little longer and gently sucking the soft skin until Nick moaned under him, tightening his grip.
“You’re trying to distract me…” Nick whispered in a sing-song tone, even as he moaned again as Charlie trailed his kisses back up to Nick’s lips.
“Maybe…”
Nick laughed, “Come on Char…”
Charlie pulled back a little and huffed.
“Fine! I used to… have accidents sometimes. Not often! But-”
“Char, it’s perfectly normal to wet the bed when you’re little. Please tell me you’re not seriously embarrassed about that…” Nick placed a kiss under Charlie’s ear, and Charlie felt himself relax again into Nick’s arms.
“Mum… she wouldn’t get cross, like, she wasn’t angry and she’d always say she knew I couldn’t help it, or whatever. But, I don’t know, I just remember feeling anxious…ha! Started young…like I was disappointing her or something? Like she’d obviously be tired and would just seem a bit… annoyed. If I went to her? Told her I’d had… an accident.”
Nick nodded into Charlie’s shoulder.
“So, I don’t know… I tried to hide it from her. Like I didn’t have them often and I honestly can’t remember how old I was. But I thought I’d be helpful and so she didn’t get cross, I put my new red bed sheet in the machine and pressed a load of buttons until it came on.”
“A red bottom sheet?”
“Pokémon. I wanted a Pokémon bedroom… she brought me the full matching bed set. A Pokéball bedding set.”
“Ah, yes… Pokémon. Of course.”
“Anyway, I obviously didn’t realise she’d bought herself a new white blouse that day, and had put it in the washing machine ready to do a white wash before she wore it… soften it up a bit or whatever?”
Nick nodded, “Ah, and so your new bedding… and her new top….”
“Yep.”
“Shit.”
“Yep.”
Nick snorted, “Sorry!”
Charlie laughed and slapped his biceps.
“Shut it, you.”
“Oh Char, little Charlie Spring trying to be helpful…”
“Mum was furious.” Charlie sighed and he felt Nick move one arm from where it had encircled him and lift it up to start gently stroking his back.
“I’m sorry, love. I hate that she made you feel you needed to hide when you had an accident.”
Charlie shrugged, “Honestly, I think it’s just how my brain works. Even back then. Like, as I say, she was never cross, but I felt like… an inconvenience maybe?”
“Still, when we have kids we’ll make sure they never, ever, feel worried to come to us, day or night, not matter the reason.”
Charlie felt himself freeze against Nick’s chest. He hadn’t been aware he was even moving before. Breathing, yeah. Moving, not consciously anyway. But he was now very aware of how still he was, frozen, not even breathing in his eighteen year old boyfriend’s arms.
“Kids?” He eventually squeaked.
Under him, Nick also seemed to have frozen.
“Umm… well, yeah… I mean, I mean if you want kids, obviously…I mean you might not… and that’s… I mean, I think I want kids? But if you don’t… and obviously I don’t mean yet…just like… ten, fifteen years maybe? But… we don-”
Charlie’s brain eventually came back online enough to realise Nick was stuttering away, clearly embarrassed, under him.
“Idiot!” Charlie shoved him affectionately. “Don’t try and give me a heart attack on my birthday!”
There was an awkward pause for a moment, and then Nick mumbled. “It’s not your birthday though, is it?” He had clearly tried to sound jokey. He failed.
“One day… like you say, ten, fifteen years. Maybe. Yeah. Yeah, I think…” Charlie swallowed. “Maybe.”
“Yeah?” Nick’s tone instantly changed, and Charlie could almost sense his boyfriend’s invisible tail wagging away happily.
“Yeah.”
“Cool.”
They sat up a little straighter and reached for their cooling teas. They slowly sipped their teas in silence, both apparently lost in thought.
“I have to say though,” Charlie eventually mumbled, “You know what I’m like for sleep. I can’t promise I wouldn’t just grunt at my child if they woke me up at like… 2am or something stupid. No matter how much I might love them. I’m not sure I’d be a good dad… I think-”
“You’d be a great dad, Char.” Nick reassured, “But, fair point. You and sleep…” He turned his head to grin teasingly at Charlie. Charlie shoved him again.
“But that’s OK. I’ll take the middle of the night laundry duties; bed wetting, sickness, exploding nappies… I’ll do all of that, but you have to promise to do all the spider catching, no matter the time of day or night.”
Charlie’s heart ached at the idea, even so far into the future, of Nick Nelson sleepily changing bedsheets, while he cradled their child back to sleep his and Nick’s bed. Because he’d do that, he’d hug and love and reassure their child, even at 2am. But he would not be doing that on the floor of a bedroom when he could be in his warm, comfy bed.
“We’ll need to have a kingsize bed.” Charlie said without thinking.
“Hmmm, what?” Nick quirked his head.
“I mean, deal. I’ll do spider catching. You do the washing. And the nappies.”
“It’s a deal.” Nick laughed and closed the small space between them with a gentle kiss.
The washing machine behind them beeped again, the short cycle ended.
Neither of them noticed, too lost in the soft brush of their lips and their bare chests pressed together.