Chapter Text
Charlie never found himself to be a romantic.
…Okay, that is a lie. He’s never viewed himself as someone who would get that love story he wished upon when younger and dreamed about when lonely. He doesn’t deserve it, and he’s accepted it. Charlie Slime, kinda college drop-out, kinda trying to do a simple online degree now he has all his single year of university loans paid off. He looks exhausted constantly, bags under his eyes, hunched over his laptop at a coffee shop typing away at an assignment he has due at the end of the week, and by god has he learned his lesson about procrastination a while ago.
He sips his coffee, staring at the wall of text on his screen as he scans over for any mistakes in his sleep deprived delirium writing.
His phone buzzes. Setting down his coffee and changing his attention to his phone, he opens up his messages.
BOLAS BOLAS BOLAS BOLAS
Foolish: is anyone going to that party tonight?
Phil: Foolish why are you even asking we all were invited it’s literally at Roier and Cellbit’s place
Foolish: I just wanted to know!!! Plus I’m sure Cellbit wants to know too
Cellbit: actually yeah that would be nice for a headcount
Baghera: well I am. There’s a karaoke machine so I gotta be there and I’m sure Charlie will be too for exactly the same reason
Charlie hisses in a breath at that. He forgot about the party. He was planning on going, of course, but..is he really in the best shape for a party? He’s running off fumes and caffeine currently after all.
Slime: uhhh…about that.
Phil: don’t tell me you can’t go again you couldn’t last time either. This is practically the only times we get to see you between our classes, yours, and our jobs
Slime: I already dropped out once I don’t want to mess this up a second time
Baghera: didn’t you say that essay was due end of this week? It’s literally Sunday. Give yourself a break!! Have some fun!
Slime: kinda running off caffeine and spite right now too
Phil: just come for a couple hours then go home and sleep
Foolish: I’ll buy you like three energy drinks to chug
Phil: Foolish no
Slime: oh I’m down then
Baghera: you should shotgun them even
Slime: oh hell yeah
Phil: you two are menaces
Jaiden: I’ll record!
Phil: Jaiden.
Jaiden: hey I’m not enabling I just want to watch this shit
Slime: foolish you better not get the gross shit or else I’m making it your problem
Foolish: how many times have I picked up energy drinks for you all when you are studying late? I know what to get trust me
Charlie smiles a little, turning to his laptop and shutting it, placing it in its carrying case and then into his backpack, stuffing his notes in as well before chugging the rest of his coffee and tossing the cup. He runs out to his old car he has been driving since he was a teen and drives home to get himself a little bit less undead looking before the party.
Running around the apartment, he tries to locate his jacket, knowing he’ll likely want it because the party is mostly outside. He finds it sitting on his old couch he picked up off the street with a free sign. A small kitten with the greenest eyes and black fur stares up at him with the biggest curious eyes a kitten could muster.
“Koda…” he sighs. He knows he’ll have to bribe her or something to get her off his jacket.
Lucky for him, he needs to feed her before the party anyways. He runs to his kitchen, shaking the bag of kitten food, slightly chuckling as he watches the kitten’s ears perk up in interest as she runs over. Practically tripping over herself in excitement.
“You get way too excited over food.” He chuckles as he takes his measured scoop out and places it into the bowl and watches as the kitten devours her meal. Turning around, he walks over and grabs the jacket from the couch, glancing it over and groans when he notices there is in fact fur all over it from a certain kitten. He guesses a lint roller will have to do as he grabs said item from a cabinet near his door. After that is done, he makes sure he has his keys in his jacket pocket as well as his wallet.
Assured he has everything, he exits the apartment and heads his way to the party.
Cellbit and Roier are renting a place together a block down so he can easily walk over, but he finds himself grimacing a little seeing the amount of people there. It’s not exactly a large party, but still enough to enhance any anxiety he has about social interactions. Well, he might as well get this over with.
——————————————————-
Mariana has always had the most fun at college parties. She lives the high life, or she supposes the college kid life. Roier invited him, of course, and who was he to say no?
An art major, he often finds himself drawn to large groups of people as well in order or hopefully to find a muse for a piece. Someone that screams out ‘paint me’ to her with the energy they carry.
However. heart sank when he saw Foolish pull up to the party. Admittedly he does feel a little bit still upset over her relationship with the guy. So much in fact, it inspired a set of pieces that he was encouraged to enter into the display at the university’s art gallery.
Anyways, that’s not fully the point. Mariana is well aware that her best friend’s fiancé is close friends with Foolish. And he refuses to make it awkward at the party, so she will just have to shove those feelings aside for now. Maybe a drink will do. He goes to the kitchen through the back door and grabs a beer, cracking it open and taking a sip.
“Mariana, are you sure you want to be drinking already?” Roier’s voice pops up from behind him.
“Well I mean we all are old enough at this party.” He shrugs, “might as well start having a little fun. Plus, I’m not going to drink that much.”
“Just making sure.” Roier explains, “after all you drove here.”
“You‘ll let me stay the night if I get bad.” Mariana takes another sip.
“Give me your keys then.” Roier demands.
“I already said I’m not drinking much, and you know I won’t drive while drunk, I’m not that stupid.” Mariana grumbles.
“You saw Foolish and immediately went for the alcohol, I know you. This won’t be your only one. And I’m not taking any chances.” Roier retorts.
Mariana gives in at that, digging into his pocket and placing her keys in Roier’s waiting hands.
With that Roier shoots him a grin, “enjoy the party!” And leaves him be with his beer, the grin feeling grating to Mariana.
“Cabrón,” Mariana huffs under his breath, and returns to the party outside, watching as more show up.
In the distance, he watches as someone she’s never seen before walking down the sidewalk in the direction of the party. Messy brown hair, hands tucked in the pockets of a green bomber jacket he seems to be wearing, scuffed looking red converse, and the greenest eyes she’s ever seen behind these box framed glasses. Swearing under breath, she takes a larger sip of her beer. Cute guy, but probably is dating someone already with her luck.
Excited shouting erupts as the guy gets close enough, as it seems Foolish and a couple others he’s either vaguely aware of or have only seen in passing through mutual friends run over to him, Foolish carrying a bag with what looks like cans of something and shoving it into the cute guy’s arms, causing a guy- she thinks is named Phil- to face palm. Cellbit runs to join the small group, seemingly very excited to see whoever this guy is too.
She just watches, getting caught off guard by the feeling of Roier being back seemingly watching out at the group as well, before commenting “Gatinho’s been very excited for this party because all of his friends confirmed to be coming. Charlie doesn’t often come for whatever reasons, so him being here really made his night.”
“Charlie? Is that the guy who just showed up?” Mariana asks curiously.
Roier nods, “Right, you likely haven’t met him before this. Yeah, he's part of Bolas. Just dropped out first year, and they all stuck together.”
Mariana hums. That makes sense why he hasn’t met the guy before. She watches what looks to be now the group cheering as Charlie seems to be shotgunning an energy drink for some godforsaken reason.
“You should go introduce yourself. Who knows, maybe he is exactly what you are looking for.” Roier nudges her, and Mariana turns back to look at her friend in abject horror. “Right now? While my ex is right there?”
“Oh he wouldn’t mind. Charlie is exactly your type too.” Her friend gives him a sly grin.
“I think I’d need more than one drink in order for that to happen.” And Mariana downs the rest of the bottle.
“Reminder, if you get drunk..”
“Yeah yeah I’ll be staying here for the night I’m aware. Literally gave you my keys.”
Roier nods, before rushing off to go chat with the group they were watching, leaving Mariana alone with her thoughts.
His eyes turn back to Charlie. He watches how the setting sunlight kisses the skin leaving a golden glow, how his eyes close when he laughs, she wonders how they would look under tinted studio lights. How it would reflect against his emerald eyes and if the shadows would only accentuate the angles. He would love to capture this man under a moment with charcoal and chalk, scratched onto paper with careful frenzied hands, afraid to wait too long for this perfect moment. God, she wishes he was her muse.
She blinks out of her thoughts to see the man staring back at her, was he really all that obvious?
And then he smiles.
Fuck, does that go straight for the heart. Someone kill him already. He scrambles back into the house for another drink.
——————————————————-
Charlie watches as the stranger disappears again, leaving him slightly confused about what just happened. He felt eyes on him, and turned around to see someone standing at the porch of the house, staring directly at him.
“Charlie, are you good?” He hears the concerned voice of Phil speak beside him as he snaps away from the empty spot where he was now staring himself.
“Oh! Yeah I’m fine, don’t worry.” He grins to ward off any worry.
Baghera cuts in before anyone else can question, “Karaoke time now, right? Might as well get in as much time as we can before Charlie has to run off again.”
Charlie, thankful for his close friend, nods, “Yeah. I want to get as much karaoke time in as possible.”
And with that, their little group rushes off to the house once again. When inside, Baghera is practically trying to shove her way through the locked door. Roier seems to poke his head into the kitchen, before grinning. “Hey Charlie, mind grabbing us some drinks from the fridge? We need to set up the basement tv for karaoke.”
Cellbit seems about to say something, but Roier gives him one look and he just shuts his mouth and nods.
“Uhh… well, I have an essay I need to work on later. And I still have two energy drinks,” Charlie responds.
“We have water and soda in there too.” Cellbit assures, “grab a couple of each and we’ll be set. I already have some set aside snacks for us in the basement.”
Charlie nods, and steps into the kitchen.
The kitchen is not exactly that large, counters taken up with party snacks, a small table, and… that one guy who was staring at him earlier staring out the window with a beer in hand. Charlie blinks in surprise, did… no Roier didn’t know, right?
Well, either way he shouldn’t make this awkward. He gives a simple hi as he steps forward and opens the fridge grabbing the drinks.
The stranger stares back almost like a deer in headlights, “Hola.”
Charlie smiles, “Don’t think I’ve ever met you before. Name’s Charlie.”
“Mariana.” The stranger, or Mariana now he knows, responds.
They exist in comfortable silence for a bit, Charlie turns around ready to leave, when a blurted out “eres lindo,” stops him in his tracks. Charlie turns around, shocked to have heard that, but sees how Mariana seems to be gripping the window sill and takes another sip of beer. Oh, he must be drunk.
Charlie chuckles, “thanks. I think you’re pretty good looking yourself.” Then he walks out of the kitchen, leaving the stunned but wasted Mariana behind, and going down the stairs where he sees all of Bolas minus Roier waiting.
“Oh. Where did Roier go?” Charlie asks.
“Someone has to maintain the party up in the yard.” Cellbit shrugs.
“Fair enough.” He walks over to set the drinks on the table, before taking the microphone that Baghera’s holding out to him. “Alright. Who's ready for some karaoke?”