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One week. Charlie had one week before he’d stand with Nick under a beautiful flower archway secured in the sand with Daisey and their closest friends and family by their side. The last-minute details were handled, vendors paid, and RSVPs counted. So, if someone could explain to him why he was doom scrolling TikTok in a nervous panic while sitting on their kitchen floor, that would be great. They’d thought of everything, everything except for a wedding present from Charlie to Nick. Something he had just learned was a thing about thirty minutes ago. Charlie sent a vague text to Nick inquiring if he’d gotten him a gift, his fiancé sending back a joking text telling him that Charlie wasn’t going to get a sneak peek at his gift.
Charlie let his head drop back against the lower kitchen cabinet, glaring at the ceiling and his phone playing in his lap while he flicked a finger across the screen every few seconds, switching the video. He was never one to believe in fate, despite the overwhelming proof he had with Nick in his life. Charlie almost scrolls past the next video when the girl on the screen starts to talk about ‘the perfect cheeky wedding present.’
“Tao,” Charlie says the second the call connects. “Please tell me you still have your Polaroid camera.”
“Yeah, I don’t have any film but-”
“I’ll find some, can I come round and borrow it?”
“Um sure,” Tao says, confusion clear in his voice. “Why?”
“I’m going to be a shit husband never got a wedding present for Nick because I didn’t know that was a fucking thing and I’m starting a marriage with him thinking I don’t appreciate him cause I bet he got me the most thoughtful gift ever because that it who he is as a person.”
“Charlie, Charlie!” Tao says, his turn to interrupt. “You could give Nick a tissue that you wrote ‘I love you’ on and he’d be crazy about it. I’ll go buy you film and drop the camera off with Elle, I’m guessing where you’re going with this and I’m not taking those pictures.”
Charlie sits in silence, letting Tao’s words sink in. “Thank you.” He says softly.
“Can’t have the wedding we’ve all been waiting twelve years to start on the wrong foot now, can we?”
“I hate you,” Charlie says, his voice light, joking.
“Love you too.”
Two days later, Charlie finds himself pacing in his and Nick’s bedroom. “If you don’t stop that, you’re going to wear a hole in the carpet, and I know you two paid a small fortune to have it redone,” Elle says, sitting on the foot of their bed, Polaroid camera in hand. “How about we start simple, how many pictures are you wanting?”
“I was thinking of having seven, one for each of you to give to Nick.”
Saturday comes three days later, and Isaac is knocking on the door to where Nick is getting ready. They’d rented a small house just a short walk away from the beach where they were going to be saying their vows in an hour's time. Isaac hears Darcy’s voice from inside, telling him to come in. He pushes the door open, finding Nick lying on the floor, his head resting on Tara’s thigh and still dressed in his joggers and t-shirt.
“Hey there, got a little something for you from your groom,” Isaac says, grinning down at him and handing over the Polaroid.
The three of them watch Nick smile when he turns the picture over in his hand. A close up shot, cut off just above the tip of the nose and at the middle of the lips. Soft dimples and a bit of dark stubble is visible in the picture, and even with no real identifying features, Nick would know that smile anywhere. Charlie. “What’s he got planned today?” Nick asks.
“You’ll see.” Isaac gives him a cheeky grin. “What’s this one say?”
“ Cause I’d do anything ,” Nick says, arching his eyebrow and shaking his head. “Oh, Charlie.” He says, finger tracing across his lips in the picture before holding it close to his chest.
A few minutes pass, Nick’s mum arrives with a small tray of fruit, ready to help Nick get ready and dry his tears. “Nicky, baby, I’m so happy for both of you,” Sarah says the second Nick tears up when she walks in the room, pulling her much larger son down into her arms.
Tara and Darcy trade their favorite Nick and Charlie stories with Sarah while Nick changes into trousers and a dress shirt before Sahar knocks on the door. “Happy wedding day!” She says, hugging Nick before sitting down on the small couch next to Tara. They all watch Nick button his shirt, Sarah fidgets with his collar, before Sahar hands Nick another picture. “For you.”
They all watch the blush color of Nick's cheeks, “Char.” He mumbles, shaking his head and holding the picture close to his chest, not wanting to share this one with anyone else. The man he’d loved for twelve years was sitting on their couch, wearing one of Nick’s button-downs he normally wore to work and his boxers. The tight black ones Nick loved so much. One of Charlie’s feet was tucked under the opposite thigh, putting the soft skin Nick kissed so many times on full display while Charlie ignored the camera, reading his book.
“Well, let us see.” Darcy says, holding their hand out, Nick turns the picture around for just a second.
“What’s it say?” Tara asks.
“ To feel your touch ,” Nick says, blush deepening when he pulls the first photo out of his breast pocket to show his mum, when there’s a soft knock at the door and Imogen walks in.
“Nicholas,” she says, the word barely leaving her lips before she’s crying.
“Im, you can’t do that cause then I’m going to cry,” Nick says, pulling one of his closest friends into a tight hug.
“It’s just you and Charlie. Fuck.” Imogen says, looking up at the ceiling with the hope that her tears wouldn't cause her mascara to run. “We’ve been waiting for the two of you to get married for years.”
“Yeah, how do you think I feel?” Nick says, wiping his tears.
“Well, here’s my part of the gift from Charlie, you lucky bastard,” Imogen says, pressing the picture into his hand and going up on her tiptoes to kiss Nick’s cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you,” Nick says, kissing the top of her head before looking at the picture in his hand. Nick feels his mouth go dry. Again, it didn’t feature Charlie’s face, but he’d recognize him regardless. He wasn’t sure where Charlie was sitting, too focused on his crossed legs and the way the camera focused on the long, slender fingers Nick loved. Charlie’s shirtless torso and arms are on full display. Nick felt pride bloom in his chest at the thought of Charlie taking this picture. Not hiding the scars on his bicep, so incredibly proud of the man he was about to marry, and his heart racing at the words written at the bottom, ‘ I’m wrapped around your finger’ .
“Here’s mine,” Tara says, leaning her head onto Imogen’s shoulder and handing Nick his fourth upside down Polaroid.
Nick sinks to the small couch in the room, “for fuck’s sake, Charlie.” Nick groans, his eyes flicking briefly to his mum, “Sorry, mum.” He mumbles before quickly reading the words ( and I can’t stop ) and tucking the two pictures in with the others. Unable to look at the strip of tanned skin exposed by Charlie raising his hands above his head (clearly wearing one of Nick’s jumpers) and the trail of dark hair that disappeared into Charlie’s pants without having the urge to find his future groom and make their wedding very, very, late.
“Like you don’t have worse pictures on your phone,” Darcy says.
“Darcy!” Tara says at the same time Nick covers his face with his hands, muffled words barely heard, “Can we not in front of my mum?” Darcy only shrugged and popped a strawberry into their mouth before leaning over and passing Nick the picture for their pocket.
“Sarah, you might want to step out before I give him mine, then.” Darcy jokes.
“I’ll go pop in with Charlie to see if he’s ready.” Sarah says, “Don’t worry about it, Nicky, I probably walked in on worse.”
“Mum!” Nick blushes
“Sorry for this one, but your man is hot.”
Nick flips over the first picture to show Charlie’s whole face. Ice blue eyes on full display, looking into the camera with a look Nick knows all too well. Want. The same feeling that had been simmering just under the surface of Nick’s skin since he’d gotten the first picture. The desire started to bubble over at the sight of the full lips he’s spent years memorizing. Parted just enough that if Charlie were here in front of him, Nick could kiss him and slowly slide his tongue into Charlie's waiting mouth. The love of his life lay shirtless on their bed, one arm above his head, fingers lost in the curls Nick is so fond of burying his own fingers in. Sun rays streaming through the window and painting Charlie’s chest in warm light, highlighting the bed sheet sitting dangerously low, allowing Nick to see the hips he’s spent over a decade holding. Nick hears the door open and close, not bothering to look up to see who’s left or entered the room.
“You okay?” A voice he wasn’t accepting draws Nick from his thoughts, away from the words scrawled across the bottom in Charlie’s neat handwriting ‘ I need you cause ’ He looks up Tao, standing in the suit Charlie and Elle spent hours picking, holding Nick’s suit jacket and a picture out to Nick, the rest of their friends having silently left the room
“You tell Charlie I said this, and I’ll deny it,” Tao starts before Nick can look at the picture. “You saved him. You saved my best friend when I didn’t know he needed saving. Charlie would have probably died without you.” Tao says, his voice cracking in a way Nick had never heard. “I know I was a prick to you in the beginning, and this doesn’t even start to cover it, but thank you.”
Nick stands, closing the small gap between them and wrapping Tao in a crushing hug. “You know he saved me too, all of you guys did. You know that, right?” Nick asks, not moving his head from Tao’s shoulder. “Maybe not in the same way that Charlie needed saving, but you, he, made it possible for me to be the person I am today.”
“You’re an idiot,” Tao says, stepping back, ignoring the way Nick doesn’t seem to want to let go. “Stop it, your suit will be all wrinkled and Charlie will kill us both.”
“God, I love him,” Nick says, finally looking down at the picture. Charlie’s back, lean muscles, Nick had pressed thousands of kisses to. He knew every ridge of his spine and counted every small mole from the one on his lower back to the one at his hairline. The words Charlie wrote couldn’t have been more true: you’re everything.
“Do I need to give you a moment alone with the photo?” Tao teases.
“Oh fuck off, I’m emotional today. You try being so in love you feel like you’re going to die, and then the extremely fit person you're marrying keeps having thirst traps delivered with sweet words written on them. I’m having a bit of a hard time.”
“Well, let’s keep your time the only hard thing,” Tao says, snatching the picture from his hand and tucking it into Nick’s shirt pocket with the rest when the door opens for the last time.
“How are we doing in here? Tori’s currently sitting on the floor with Charlie while he cries over the note you sent with your gift. Having Daisy deliver it was a smooth move, Nelson.” Elle says, grinning at the two boys in front of her. “I need to know what it was.”
“He’s been wearing more jewelry lately, so I got him a simple silver chain, but one of the links is replaced with a flat charm that has ‘N&C’ engraved on one side and our wedding date on the other. As for the note,” Nick chuckles. “Here I have it written out on my phone.” He says, passing Elle the phone from his pocket.
“We’ve held each other's hearts for twelve years, now you can always hold us close to yours. I love you more than I could ever put into words, Char. Thank you for letting me call you my husband.” Elle reads out loud. “You’re always such a simp.” She jokes, Nick knowing she’s using the words to cover up her real feelings. “I really cannot cry again today, I need to save that for the vows, so here.” Elle thrust the last picture into his hand.
Nick’s jaw goes slack, his cheeks going past blush to full on flaming red. He tries to swallow only to find his mouth has gone dry. Nick’s eyes search the room, finding his abandoned glass of water. He grabs it and swallows it down in two gulps. It was a sight Nick had seen before. Charlie sprawled out across their bed, legs hanging over the edge, while unbuttoning his pants. What was new was the wanton way Charlie’s head was thrown back, as if the person taking the pictures had caught him mid moan, his eyes softly shut and lips fully parted. “Elle, can you please go tell my husband I’m ready to marry him.”
“He can’t be your husband if you aren’t married yet.” Darcy says, walking back into the room, “Just came to get these two, we’re supposed to walk down before the grooms.” They say, giving Nick a loving smirk at the last word.
“Right, yeah,” Nick says, it finally hit him that he was about to get married.
They push the door open; Darcy, Tara, Tao, and Elle head out a side door towards the beach to walk from the small rental house and to stand on either side of the aisle. And for the first time that day, Nick’s eye landed on Charlie, and they had decided to walk down the aisle together. No parents, no other escorts, just the two of them. Hands linked together, standing side by side like they had done for all these years. Through inpatient hospital stays, three years of long distance, and everything in between.
“Hi,” Charlie says when Nick reaches him. “Did you like your pictures?”
“Hi, I loved them,” Nick says, reaching out to cup Charlie's face in his hands. “I’m not going to kiss you until you’re officially my husband, but Charles Frances Spring, you are a hazard to my health.” Charlie giggles, lacing their fingers together and pushing the door open when the familiar music starts to play, walking hand in hand towards their forever.