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It’s rare that all of the Paris Squad can get together for a sleepover these days, but everyone made a concerted effort this weekend.
Nick knows it’s because their time together is getting more and more limited. Before long, he’ll be packed and heading off to Leeds. Tara and Darcy will be traveling for their gap year. Elle is really taking adulthood seriously and already has a studio that she wants to rent in Europe.
But tonight, it’s a chill night at Charlie’s house. His parents are out of town and Tori is spending the evening with Michael. Charlie invited them both to join the rest of the squad, but Tori simply gave her brother a wry look before saying:
“You’re too old for a babysitter.”
That was her roundabout way of saying that she and Michael wanted to spend time together, just the two of them. At least, according to Charlie.
It was a fun night, but now it’s nearly three o’clock in the morning. For some reason or another, they opted not to sleep in the Spring living room like usual and crowded into Charlie’s bedroom.
Nick is so close to falling asleep when …
Pmpf!
“Oi,” Nick hisses, sitting upright on Charlie’s bed.
He glares through the darkness until his eyes land on Tao. Nick hurls the pillow that smacked him in the face back at Tao, which the latter deftly catches out of the air.
“What are you on about?” Nick demands.
“It’s so late,” Tara moans. “Go to sleep.”
“I’d love to,” Tao says, pointedly. “But your boyfriend,” he continues, jabbing his finger at Nick for emphasis, “won’t stop snoring.”
“What?” Nick says, incredulously. “He’s not.”
Elle, Tara, and Darcy make noises of disbelief. Meanwhile, Isaac snorts near Charlie’s desk.
“Come off it,” Darcy says. “He’s like a lawn mower.”
“You’re right beside him,” Elle says, baffled. “How does it not bother you?”
Before Nick can reply, Isaac chimes in:
“He’s in love.”
“He’s whipped,” Tao counters. “Elle would cut off my oxygen before putting up with that.”
“True story,” Elle confirms.
“Enough,” Nick says, unhappily. Directly to Tao, he adds: “Stop talking about Charlie like he’s not here. It’s not his fault.”
“We know, Nick,” Tara says, diplomatically. “Just try … readjusting him?”
“For our sanity,” Tao chimes in.
“… One … to talk,” comes a sleepy voice.
Six heads turn to look at a barely awake, bundled-up Charlie.
“Char?” Nick whispers.
“Hypocrite,” Charlie mumbles, his voice thick with sleep. “Tao chews … like he’s eating nails.”
Darcy barks a laugh while Tao gasps like he is morally offended.
“What!”
“Babes, he’s right,” Elle laughs.
“You had that one coming,” Isaac agrees as Tara titters nearby.
Nick feels Charlie adjust beside him. Eventually, he opens one eye to look at Nick. It doesn’t take Nick long to understand what Charlie is wordlessly requesting from him.
Carefully, Nick adjusts his own position and gathers Charlie in his arms. He presses a kiss to the top of the younger boy’s head, earning a contented sigh.
“Thanks for defending my honour,” Charlie says, sleepily. Nick’s lip quirks. “My Knight Nick.”
Nick grins despite himself. He’s certain that no one else heard that remark. If they had, they’d one hundred percent take the piss out of him and Charlie.
“You’re the King Charles the people deserve.”
Nick is mostly teasing, but he’s also completely serious. The last thing that Charlie says before they both doze off is:
“Quite right.”