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Charlie had never heard of Prom. It was a strange human concept, that according to April wasn't even that big of a deal in England, yet was still a big deal. One was supposed to dress nice, dance around and have a date. That was the most important bit according to April. Have a date.
And Charlie planned to.
After informing April of his plan, Charlie needed to set it in motion. He had been sharing quiet moments with Matteusz in lessons for a couple weeks now. He had even mentioned a quiet hi in the corridor. It was important that he make his move now. Charlie was ever thinking of his dwindling loneliness. Making friends did not ease the loss of his people, or his desires to have them back, but it did help him to feel like he wasn't quite so alone. Until he was able to make a decision about the future of his planet, he needed to feel that.
+
Charlie made his first move at the end of the day.
He approached Matteusz in the packed corridor. Dodging students who were rushing from lockers to the exit that marked freedom. Charlie coughed to get Matteusz attention.
The brunet looked up from his bag, and smiled questioningly at the man before him.
"Hello." Charlie intoned.
"Hello."
"There is to be a prom this week."
"So I have heard," Matteusz did not lose his smile, "What can I do for you?"
"I should think you should be my date."
Matteusz was silent.
"That is if the feelings behind the looks I was giving you were interpreted properly." Charlie found himself suddenly uncertain. He had never been rejected on his planet, and as the silence stretched Charlie started to wonder if he was not as desired as he had thought.
Matteusz burst into laughter. At Charlie's shocked expression he began to laugh harder. "I am sorry. I do not mean to be laughing at you."
As Charlie's expression morphed from shocked to upset and finally settled on confusion, Matteusz shock his head, indicating his need to explain himself before Charlie had a chance to rescind the offer.
"You did not interpret wrong," He paused noting Charlie's relief, "It is just I had not thought I would be asked to the prom, let alone with someone I would actually like to go with."
Charlie took a moment to let the words sink in, "Is that a yes?"
Matteusz smiled brilliantly, "Pick me up at my place."
+
Matteusz was nervous. He was not accustomed to getting dates. Let alone dates who were going to pick him up at home. Boy was that a choice he had made.
Matteusz was very comfortable with his sexuality. His small group if friends knew, and his parents knew. But knowing is very different from experiencing. His mother was quiet but congratulatory; his father was another story. In theory they were accepting of their son. It wasn't until they learned that Matteusz had gotten himself a date that the harsh criticisms started to make appearance.
But Matteusz refused to let his parents words harm his hopes. A boy had noticed him, and Matteusz had noticed him in turn. This boy had a sweet smile and soft hair, and though strange he seemed genuine. Matteusz needed a bit of strange in his droll life.
So now he waited. Avoiding his parents and hoping for Charlie to arrive without incident. He was dying to leave the awkwardness of the house, with his parents looming at the window in hopes of catching Charlie first and sending him away.
Matteusz saw him first. Of course he knew what he was looking for.
Charlie was dressed smartly in a suit and tie. He had a sweet smile and a bushel of flowers in his hands (Matteusz would later learn that Charlie had looked up what to do on a date in preparation, and he would fall a little deeper into the warm feelings he had growing inside him towards the man). He looked nervous, but Matteusz could have been projecting.
As he made his way to the door, hand already outstretched to make his presence known, Matteusz made his way to the door so he was able to answer it.
"Hello."
Charlie extended the flowers for Matteusz to take hold of, "Everything all right?"
"My deeply religious parents are very happy I'm going to dance with a boy. This has been an evening of love and warmth." He deadpanned.
Charlie looked at him confused, before brightening at his words, "Great!"
Matteusz broke into his own matching smile, "You are a very strange person."
Even with the knowledge that his parents are likely watching, even with the soft movement of the curtain out of the corner of his eyes, Matteusz couldn't stop himself from leaning forward to give the shorter man in front of him a kiss.
His lips were soft, and his breath warm against Matteusz cheeks. Matteusz pressed close, his hands bracketing Charlie's face as if afraid he might pull back. Charlie did the opposite. Through dazed, he quickly surged forward to feel Matteusz's compelling heat. It was a quick kiss, just barely a touch of lips, but it held a promise of more. It was a promise that both men needed.
Pulling back, Matteusz smiled at a dazed Charlie and held his hand out in offer. Gathering his wits about him, Charlie took ahold of the pro-offered hand and allowed Matteusz to guide him down the street in the direction of school, the prom, and the future.
Neither man knew it, but they had the same thought as they walked down the road hand in hand. There was not very much that had gone right in their lives, but that kiss was the beginning of a new chapter. And both men needed something that was good and felt right to enter their lives, even with the other parts of their worlds slowly deteriorating.