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Squeaks, Spines, and Snowbanks: A Winter Road Trip Adventure 🐀 🦔 ❄️

“Is that everything?” Charlie asked, nervously checking both cars to ensure they had packed all their supplies and secured the cages holding Nick’s two pet rats and his own little temporary lodger. Well, in the case of his hedgehog, Ignatius, it was more of a trunk – with Nick’s help, he had built a large, rectangular wooden enclosure with a framed chicken-wire lid. The padlock, a recent addition after finding his little escape artist rummaging in the kitchen in the dead of night, was secure.

Charlie had never been allowed a pet growing up, and had picked up a volunteer job in his first year at uni to get his furry fix (or not so furry, as may be the case). Somehow, this had led to him now overwintering a hedgehog, which turned out more complicated than he’d expected, but he’d quickly fallen in love with his prickly little friend.

Nick’s ownership of the rats had been less of a voluntary choice. He’d inherited them from a former flatmate who had fucked off without notice or forwarding address, and left Nick and his other two flatmates to figure out what to do. Neither Sai nor Otis wanted to take care of the rodents; they found them a bit unnerving and never fully warmed up to them. Nick, big softie that he was, couldn’t bear the thought of the two “parentless” fur babies and decided to adopt them. Within a month, he’d started reciting all sorts of rat facts at random, which he found during his frequent forays into Google rabbit holes, fully embracing his role as the “rat father”.

As if Charlie needed any more reasons to find Nick adorable and kind and... yes, okay, hot. He’d been trying to repress his massive crush for many months now, to no avail. Why had the universe deemed it necessary to dangle this perfectly imperfect specimen of a man in front of him, the literal manifestation of all his wet dreams but also a walking, talking green flag? And with no hope of ever fulfilling his secret fantasies of domestic and sexual bliss? The past few months had been a form of purgatory; the Classics nerd in him couldn’t help but compare his fate with that of Tantalus.

Life at uni was meant to be his gay liberation. After the bullying and years of snide remarks in secondary school, he’d expected to finally be out and proud. He’d imagined finding his people and flirting his way through the gay bars, dabbling in the occasional hook-up when opportunity presented itself. Instead, he met the literal man of his dreams during fresher’s week... 

They became fast friends, and Charlie thought he’d done a good job at hiding his embarrassing crush. At first, Charlie had assumed Nick was straight, but quickly learnt that he was bisexual. He immediately snuffed out the glimmer of hope that revelation ignited, because Nick was so far out of his league he might as well be in another galaxy. Besides, he couldn’t allow anything to jeopardise their friendship. Nick was one of the most important people in his life, and he couldn’t let his very inconvenient feelings get in the way of that.

Over the months since then, there had been silly little moments that made him doubt himself—moments when Nick looked at him a certain way, or somehow ended up sitting closer than one might expect of a platonic best friend. Nick was a hugger—his hugs were the warmest, safest, most amazing hugs in the world, and he was generally a very tactile person, maybe more so with him than with any of their other friends...

No. Nope, not going there! They were about to spend literal hours in the car together, and afterwards, two weeks in a cosy cottage...

When Nick had suggested spending their winter break at his grandmother’s holiday home in Inverness, Charlie had panicked. Two weeks alone with his best friend in close quarters, without anyone else to distract from the (entirely one-sided) intense pining? That was a recipe for disaster, and massively increased the risk that he might give himself away, which would inevitably ruin the best friendship he’d ever had.

At first, he thought he had the perfect excuse: his Beetle would never accommodate the huge wooden hutch as well as the cage containing Nick’s two pet rats plus two humans and the supplies they would need to pack.

He had almost resigned himself to the usual Christmas nightmare with his mum and extended family when Nick came up with the brilliant idea of asking Tao to come with them to Scotland. Their eccentric friend had been moping around since his breakup with Aoife weeks ago, and really needed an intervention. Conveniently, Tao also had a VW Golf with a roomy backseat, so between the two vehicles there would be enough space for the animals, supplies, three humans and their luggage.

Charlie still wasn’t entirely convinced this trip was a good idea, but with Tao as a buffer and distraction, maybe he could make it through two weeks with Nick in a charming cottage by the sea... A charming cottage with a cosy fire lit at night... Sitting on a sofa or maybe on a shaggy rug in front of the fireplace, cuddled together in the glowing, romantic light... NO. This simply wouldn’t do. He had to get over this silly crush, but Nick being so fucking amazing and gorgeous made things incredibly hard difficult.

At least he wouldn’t have to suffer through the entire ten-hour drive sitting next to Nick, since they’d stop every two and a half hours for loo breaks and so they could switch drivers and rotate who spent time in the Beetle together. The passenger seat in the Golf was occupied by the cage containing Penelope and Piper (Nick’s aforementioned rats), and the back seat was entirely taken up by Iggy’s huge pen.

Charlie’s VW Beetle would be the second vehicle, and even though Nick frequently took the piss and called it an old tin, Charlie knew he secretly appreciated the classic car's sturdy build. Everyone knew how much Charlie loved his bug—a beautiful 1967 model in Brunswick blue, with all manual features, from the windows and sunroof to the old AM/FM radio. Still, he’d never taken a ten-hour road trip before, and he couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous about whether his beloved car would be up to the challenge.

So many reasons why this was a bad idea...

He checked the bags for life in the rear footwell for the third time to make sure he had packed the speciality kitten food and the cut-up fruit he knew his prickly little friend loved, which caused Tao to huff in exasperation and throw his hands in the air dramatically.

“Honestly, Charlie, how many times do we have to check before you’re satisfied? You’re such a mother hen; they do have shops in Inverness, you know.”

“But Iggy only eats the Purina Kitten Chicken kibble! Who knows if they carry that?! And he needs snacks, but you refused to travel with mealworms...”

“I have to side with Tao on that one, Char,” Nick interjected. “Imagine if the container popped open somehow and we’d suddenly find them everywhere... ewww,” he visibly shuddered.

Tao made a show of looking at his (non-existent) watch. “It’s almost noon! We really should get going. It’s a ten-hour drive, and that’s without taking any breaks.”

“Fine. Let me just check the glove box for the paper map.”

“Charlie! Seriously, we are NOT going to need a paper map!”

Nick placed a calming hand on Tao’s shoulder. “Leave it, Tao. You know how anxious Charlie gets. If having one helps him feel less worried, what’s the harm?”

“Fine. But we really need to leave if we want to make it before midnight.”

Having noticed how tense his two friends were, Nick decided it would be best to split them up for the first leg of their journey. He asked Charlie to ride shotgun in the Beetle and Tao to follow in the Golf with their precious cargo. Nick was a little concerned about Charlie’s anxiety, even though he found his flustered friend quite adorable. Maybe Charlie would feel more at ease if he didn’t have to drive right away, and Nick could be there to make sure he was comfortable. He had packed Charlie’s favourite snacks and a travel mug of coffee, which Charlie was happily holding in his long, slender hands, taking a few appreciative sips. 

This was why he had to keep his shit together—Nick was the perfect friend; he could read him so well and knew just what he needed in any given situation. Their friendship was too precious and special to put at risk.

“I wonder what Tao’s doing to keep himself entertained,” Nick mused half an hour later as he took the ramp onto the M1.

“Oh, I’m sure he’s listening to Radiohead and thinking about the panoramic photos he’ll take in Scotland.”

Nick snorted. “Cinematic views!” they both exclaimed at the same time, which set off a fit of giggles.

They checked their rear-view mirrors regularly to make sure Tao was still following them. Everyone had agreed that the Beetle should go first, as it had some... speed limitations. Even though both drivers were using GPS to stay on track, it wasn’t safe to text each other if anything went wrong, since whoever was driving the Golf was alone. It was best to keep each other in sight. 

Every now and then, Charlie would wave at Tao and wait for a hand gesture in reply. As they reached the 2.5-hour mark, they were travelling along the M6 past Birmingham towards Stoke-on-Trent. Charlie pointed to a service station sign, gestured for Tao to confirm he understood, and received a thumbs-up in reply. 

After everyone had their toilet break and a chance to grab snacks and coffee (Charlie and Tao) or tea (Nick), they debated who should take their solo turn in the Golf. Charlie volunteered, but Nick persuaded him to spend some time with Tao, as everyone had calmed down after their earlier bickering. The next planned stop was in the Lake District, somewhere around Penrith.

While Nick had been perfectly happy tuning into a station on the old radio, Tao predictably complained about the Beetle's lack of a decent sound system. Fortunately, Charlie had had the foresight to pack a portable speaker, and soon they were singing along to Tao’s questionable but entertaining song choices. Charlie was glad that his friend wasn’t playing his breakup playlist; the whole point was to get Tao out of his funk. He understood how Tao was feeling, but after two months of wallowing, he thought it was time to gently suggest peeking over the rim of his misery teacup. 

“How are you doing, really?” he asked, hoping Tao might let his guard down a little. Sometimes his friend could be pricklier than a bristling Iggy. They had been friends since year seven, and Tao had been there for him through thick and thin. He could be a force to be reckoned with when he defended the (admittedly few) people he really cared about.

“I’m fine. Guess I should’ve known better; Theo warned me that Aoife is flaky. I thought we had enough in common, but in retrospect, we probably weren’t that compatible. I mean, she didn’t even like Donnie Darko!”

“Seriously, Tao – nobody really understands that movie! I know it’s one of your favourites, but not everyone is a film and screen media buff like you.”

“Shut up! It’s a great movie; it’s just... complicated!”

“Sure, that must be it,” Charlie acquiesced to avoid another movie-related tirade. “But if I’m honest, I felt like you guys weren’t all that serious. And I always thought Aoife was a bit aloof.”

“Aloof?” Tao mused. “I actually think that word sometimes applies to me...”

“Well...” Charlie grinned at his friend. “If the shoe fits...”

“Oi! I’m a very warm and caring individual!”

They both snorted at that.

“You need someone warm and caring who finds your quirks endearing, not annoying,” Charlie ventured carefully. “Someone who gets you and appreciates you for who you are. Someone who balances you out.”

Tao scoffed. “Are you calling me unbalanced?”

“Oh, I think I have cornered the market for unbalanced.”

“No, you don’t. Honestly, you’re one of the most genuine, kind, and supportive people I know. You don’t have a selfish bone in your body, and you don’t compromise on your values and beliefs. Most people I know wouldn’t be able to cope with half the shit you’ve gone through and come out the other end as level-headed as you are.”

“Well, I did have my sister and my friends, and I was lucky enough to get the mental health support I needed. That’s not a given nowadays.”

“True. I guess I get frustrated with myself when I brood about the breakup and get all tetchy. Like, you survived so much worse, and here I am complaining...”

Charlie cut him off. “Tao, this is not a contest. Breakups suck; I totally get it. But honestly, fuck Aoife! She’s not worth it, even if her Irish accent was lovely.” After a brief pause, he ventured, “I told you about this really awesome girl I met at that art exhibition in the autumn; I still think I should introduce you. She is stunningly gorgeous and a wonderful human being.”

Tao grumbled, “If she’s so amazing, what would she want with me?”

“Hey! Stop saying mean things about my friend!”

That got a small smile out of Tao. “Okay, okay, fine! I’ll stop. But honestly, I don’t know that I’m ready, and I don’t think I have the confidence to chat up a beautiful woman.”

“You could just meet her as a prospective friend. I’ve been talking to her, and she really is amazing. She’s so strong, went through a lot, like me, so we’ve sort of trauma-bonded.”

“Alright. Let’s plan something for when we get back.”

Internally, Charlie pumped his fist in triumph, genuinely excited. Elle was a talented artist and such an all-around amazing person. He imagined her hitting it off with Tao, since she liked quirky people. And no matter how much Tao might deny it, he was definitely quirky in his own way. 

🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔

As they approached their next stop, Charlie asked Tao to check the weather app to see what awaited them in Scotland. Despite the overcast skies, they had only encountered a small rain shower so far, and he figured more rain was likely in their immediate future.

“Oh my god! It looks like we might get some snow on the way, like, when we get close to Glasgow!” Tao seemed excited about this prospect, but Charlie’s brows furrowed in concern.

“Do we need to plan an overnight stop?”

“Nah, I doubt it’ll be much. Don’t they usually get most of their snowfall in January and February?”

“I suppose so, but you never know. Let’s keep the option in mind, just in case.”

Although it was only late afternoon, darkness was starting to settle as they arrived at the service station. 

“That’s the only downside,” said Nick, looking at the sky. “We’ll have to drive quite a stretch in the dark. I don’t mind it, but I’d like to be the passenger for our next leg.”

“’course,” said Charlie. “You’ve been driving for, what, five hours now? Let’s get a quick snack and some caffeine. Tao, do you want the Beetle or the Golf?”

“I’ll drive the Golf again, and maybe do the last leg driving your bug?”

Everyone agreed, and Tao left to remove his contacts since he preferred to use his glasses for night driving.

“So if we do end up getting snow, what do we do?” Nick asked nervously.

“If driving conditions get iffy, we’ll find somewhere to stay the night,” said Charlie, slightly baffled by Nick’s apparent anxiety.

“But what about Penny, Piper and Iggy? What hotel would be willing to accommodate three rodents?!”

Charlie was thunderstruck. How had he not thought of this? Obviously, they couldn’t leave them in the car, especially with how cold it would get overnight. 

“Shit.”

Tao returned, horn-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. “Okay, why do you two look like your brain cells just quit on you?”

“We were just talking about the possible snow, and what we’d do if we needed to stop for the night,” Charlie responded dolefully.

“Oookay? Not really seeing the issue here; I’m sure there’s plenty of hotels and B&Bs in Scotland...”

“And just how many hotels do you know of that would happily host a hedgehog and two rats?” Charlie exclaimed in exasperation. He really shouldn’t get frustrated with Tao, since the thought hadn't occurred to him either.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh! What the fuck are we gonna do if...”

“Char,” Nick interjected gently, “we can worry about it if it actually happens. We might just get some pretty flurries; the app isn’t exactly detailed in its predictions.” Clearly, Charlie’s anxiety had overridden Nick’s, who always became a calming influence in the face of his friend’s fretfulness. It was like a dance they had perfected.

“Fine. Let’s just get going; hopefully we’ll get there before it really starts coming down.”

They agreed to stop again after Glasgow, somewhere around Stirling or Dunblane. After checking on their four-legged charges, Charlie got behind the wheel of his beloved Beetle again, and Nick folded himself into the passenger seat. Tao pulled up behind them, and they continued on.

Soon, they crossed the border into Scotland. Charlie smiled at the sign for Gretna, thinking of the classic novels he’d read in which Gretna Green featured as a village of vital importance. Deep down, he was a romantic at heart, though he would deny it to his dying day. He had a reputation to uphold as a sarcastic, sharp-witted cynic. 

It had grown truly dark outside, and suddenly, small specks drifting down from the sky caught the light in the beams of their headlights. 

“Oh,” Nick breathed. “It’s so beautiful!”

Charlie grunted. Where Nick saw beauty, he saw only the potential for this to go completely sideways. Normally, he found Nick’s exuberance and positivity endearing, but there was a time and place for it. “You know this car is not really equipped for driving in the snow, right?” he ground out, fingers tightening on the steering wheel.

“It’s only light flurries. We’ll be okay, Char. And if it gets worse, we’ll figure something out, I promise.”

His friend, the eternal optimist...

An hour later, Charlie was gripping the wheel tightly, anxiety bubbling in his stomach. Precipitation had thickened, and it started to stick to the asphalt. Tao was still behind them, though there was not much traffic anymore. The roads were now practically deserted, and Charlie was crawling along at a maddeningly slow speed.

His tyres were relatively new, but certainly not intended for snowy conditions. As the motorway slowly disappeared beneath a blanket of white fluff, he started to panic.

“I can’t see the road markings anymore!”

If he veered off the asphalt, he worried they would get well and truly stuck. But pulling over wasn’t a good idea either, as it might result in the same outcome. Not many people were out driving; the last car had passed them more than ten minutes ago, and its driver had beeped their horn at them for going so slowly.

By 6:30 pm, they had only made it about 50 miles from their last stop and were going excruciatingly slowly. At this rate, it would take another 90 minutes to get anywhere near Glasgow, and Charlie’s hands were beginning to cramp. He was so focussed on the road, worried about staying on the actual tarmac since he couldn’t see the markings, that he didn’t register Nick talking to him.

When he felt a warm hand on his knee, he jumped so hard he almost hit the roof.

“What the fuck, Nick!”

“Steady, Char, it’s okay! I’ve been trying to talk to you, but you’re, like, completely zoned out.” Nick spoke soothingly, as one might to a spooked horse.

“Honestly, if you’re trying to cause an accident, there are better ways to go about it than giving me a heart attack!” There was more than one reason for Charlie’s heart rate to rise at Nick’s touch, but he could play this one off as merely being jumpy from stress. 

“Sorry, sorry! I just wanted to see if you want me to swap with you. If we keep going like this, your hands will, like, fuse with the wheel. Seriously, your picture could be in the dictionary for white-knuckling right now.”

“I don’t really want to stop. If I do, I’m not sure if we’d get this car going again, and I really don’t fancy getting stuck out here in the middle of nowhere.”

“Okay. We’ve got about 50 miles to go before we reach Glasgow. Let’s try to make it there, and I’ll look up places to stay overnight. Is there anything I can do to make this less stressful for you?”

“Well, as much as I enjoy you feeling me up, maybe that’s not the best tactic right now...” Charlie infused his voice with sarcasm and glanced sideways at Nick, noticing a blush darkening his freckled cheeks in the dim light. Interesting...

Charlie mentally slapped himself. This was definitely not the time to allow his mind to wander down that fanciful primrose path, even if staring out at the road was a good excuse to mull things over. He really needed to concentrate on driving.

“Can you find some good music? Something with a nice beat but also calming?”

A moment later, the sound of thunder and rain came from the speaker, followed by the opening notes of Riders on the Storm by The Doors. Charlie burst out laughing, and Nick joined in with a deep chuckle. Funnily enough, the song was actually kind of perfect.

Nick kept discovering weather-related songs that were great to drive to and not only fit impeccably with the conditions they were facing but also struck a chord with Charlie’s sense of irony. 

As they were nearing Glasgow an hour and a half later, by which time Charlie had started to get a headache from the tension, Tao flashed his lights. Nick craned his neck to see what was going on.

“Erm, Char, it looks like Tao really needs to pull over.”

“But we’re, like, ten miles away from Glasgow! Surely, he can wait that long!”

“It’ll take us another twenty minutes at the speed we’re going. I don’t know what’s going on, but he’s flapping his arm pretty wildly.”

“Fine!” Charlie grunted, annoyed but worried that Tao had some kind of mechanical issue with the car – that would be very, very bad.

After pulling over, he turned on the hazard warning lights and carefully got out of the car. Tao did the same, keeping a safe distance of about 30 metres between their vehicles, and walked quickly toward them.

“I’m so sorry, so sorry, but I really, really have to pee! I’ve tried to hold it, but I’m about to wet myself!”

Nick shooed him away to do his business, visibly suppressing laughter. “He probably shouldn’t have guzzled that huge iced coffee on top of the apple juice...”

“It’s really not that funny, you know,” Charlie chastised. “I seriously hope my car won’t get stuck. Like, what if the tyres spin out in this mess?”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine; we can figure something out. We do have the cat litter we could use for traction...”

As they talked, another car slowly approached. It seemed to swerve slightly as it rounded the bend, its tyres leaving snaking tracks in the snow.

Somehow, the next few seconds seemed to unfold in slow motion. Nick and Charlie watched helplessly as the driver lost control and the car moved inexorably towards Tao, who was doing up his trousers with his back turned. 

“TAO!” Charlie screamed in panic, frozen to the spot as he watched his friend get thrown several feet and land face down in a snowdrift. The car hadn’t been going fast, but had enough momentum to propel Tao forward from where he had been standing.

Suddenly, time seemed to revert to normal speed. Nick grabbed Charlie’s hand, and they ran to Tao as fast as they could, their feet alternately slipping and getting stuck in the snow, both in a state of absolute terror.

“Tao, oh my god, are you okay?”

“Fuck, Tao, please say something!”

They shouted over each other, afraid to touch their friend in case he was seriously injured, but needing to at least roll him to his side as he was literally face-planted in the snow. The driver of the other car approached, shouting in a heavy Scottish accent that neither of them could make sense of, nor cared to interpret, in their fright.

Nick carefully positioned Tao on his side in the recovery position, taking care not to jostle him too much. Charlie felt his eyes sting with tears, fearing the worst.

“Ow,” croaked Tao, blinking his eyes open. “What happened?” he asked dazedly.

“Oh my god! You’re alive! You were hit by a car. Don’t move!” Charlie shouted.

“Can you pipe down? My head hurts!” Tao whined.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Charlie hovered his hands over his friend, unsure what to do.

“Can you wiggle your fingers?” Nick asked.

Tao nodded and moved his fingers.

“Okay, great! Now how about your toes?”

Tao moved his feet, then rolled over onto his back. “I don’t think anything’s broken, but my glasses are gone, and my head hurts.”

Nick placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You have a cut on your face, probably from your glasses. It’s not very deep, but we should get it looked at as it’s close to your eye. Let me call 999.”

Charlie marvelled at how calm and collected Nick was as he assessed Tao. Then again, he probably had enough experience from playing rugby, where people got slammed into the ground regularly.

“I’ll call,” he said, thinking Tao was in better hands with Nick. He stepped away and called for an ambulance, providing their approximate location. By the time he finished the call, Tao was sitting up, despite Nick’s warning to stay put.

“I can’t stay here in the snow. I’ll get fucking hypothermia to boot!” Tao snapped.

Nick raised his hands in surrender and helped Tao up, then guided him slowly to his car. The engine was still running, so it was warm inside.

While they waited for the ambulance, Charlie searched in the snow for Tao’s glasses, and Nick got the other driver’s information. The older man apologised profusely, asking repeatedly if their friend would be okay. Nick promised to let him know the next day, and after several more apologies, the man drove off.

The 45-minute wait really tested their patience. Charlie kept searching and finally found Tao’s glasses, though both lenses were cracked. Tao was grumpy, Nick hovered, and Charlie fretted. To top things off, Iggy, a nocturnal being, suddenly became lively and made a valiant attempt to escape from his enclosure. While this wasn't unusual, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Charlie carefully stacked some heavy items around the lid’s outer edge to prevent another bid for freedom. 

Once Tao was loaded into the ambulance, Nick and Charlie followed with both cars—luckily, they were able to get back on the road with only minor slipping and spinning of tyres. When they arrived at the hospital, Nick and Charlie took turns, one of them waiting with Tao while the other stayed with the animals. They looked up different accommodations around Glasgow and settled on a budget-friendly hotel. They’d just have to figure out how to sneak in the extra guests...

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Three hours later, a bedraggled and bandaged Tao was bundled into the Beetle with Charlie, and Nick followed in the Golf. The hotel wasn’t far, but the room they’d booked was technically only for two people – student budgets only stretched so far, after all.

“We already have to smuggle in the pets, so we might as well smuggle in another human, too,” Nick tried to joke. It fell flat; Charlie’s only response was a sarcastically raised eyebrow.

Nick dutifully collected the room key while Charlie scoped out the entrances and exits. They were in luck; the emergency stairs were at the back, hidden from the reception’s view. It was well past midnight, and the receptionist seemed bored and utterly uninterested.

While Nick assisted Tao to the room, Charlie went back to the car and decided to bundle Iggy in a towel, as there was no way they could carry the massive wooden trunk up three stories unnoticed.

He got Iggy settled in the tiny bathroom, placed some paper pellet litter in the shower basin, and Nick went to retrieve the cage containing his pet rats. He draped a blanket over it in hopes of concealing his cargo, an effort made comical by the cage’s sheer size. Given his own considerable bulk, he barely squeezed through the door with it.

Eventually, everyone collapsed on the two single beds, exhausted. Charlie offered to share with Tao, since they were both much slimmer and would fit more easily on the small mattress together (honestly, there was no other reason at all!). They fell asleep within seconds.

The next morning, they woke after ten, leaving them less than an hour to clear the room and check out. Sneaking the large cage out in broad daylight would be a whole new level of risky and awkward, as more people and staff were milling about. 

To top things off, they all felt tired and achy, the stress from the previous evening having taken its toll.

Charlie went to the bathroom first, only to realise he had a massive cleanup job to do: Iggy had made good use of the litter in the shower basin, and to top it off, bits of paper pellets and hedgehog droppings were scattered throughout the bathroom. He stood in the open doorway, taking in the mess and fighting the urge to cry while Iggy peeked out innocently from behind the toilet brush.

“Are you okay?” came Nick’s voice from directly behind him.

“Ummm.” Charlie shrugged, unable to express how he felt, torn between the bizarre impulse to laugh and wanting to cry. This was meant to be a fun, relaxing trip, a low-stress holiday season without his family—how had they ended up here? At this point, a Jane Spring Christmas sounded almost easier than whatever this was.

Nick peeked over his shoulder and started to chortle. “Oh, my god. Are you sure Iggy isn’t a gremlin, and we fed him after midnight?”

“For fuck’s sake,” Charlie sighed, no longer able to suppress his own giggles. It was just like Nick to find a way to make him laugh even in the middle of chaos.

“What’s going on?” Tao groaned, still lying on the bed.

“Iggy decided to spread litter and droppings all over the bathroom floor, and I think he’s seriously considering the toilet brush as a potential mate,” Nick chuckled. “He is an absolute menace, worse than Darcy.”

Nick and Charlie worked together, using up all the toilet paper and flushing so often they thought someone might come knocking to check what was going on. Luckily, they did not block the drain...

Even though they were able to pick up all the droppings and rinse off the shower floor, none of them felt like using the shower afterwards – aside from hand soap, they didn’t exactly have appropriate cleaning products. Hopefully the cleaning staff would sanitise before the next guests arrived...

With Tao as lookout and Charlie distracting the receptionist, Nick snuck the rat cage out via the back stairs. Only a couple of guests noticed, and while they gave him disapproving looks, nobody said anything. After depositing Iggy back in his pen in the back seat, Charlie sank into the driver’s seat of the Golf and sighed deeply. What a night...

They grabbed some coffee and pastries at the hotel and agreed to stop at a Tesco in Perth and pick up a meal deal to tide them over until they reached Inverness. Everyone was tired and ready to get to their destination.

The snow had stopped, and according to weather reports, it had mostly affected southern Scotland. The A9 had been cleared, so they should be able to make good time on this last stretch.

Much to everyone’s relief, the rest of the journey was uneventful. Iggy was quiet—it was daytime, after all—and the skies were clear. Charlie was grateful to be in the Golf alone. He needed to decompress and calm down, and he did that best by listening to music and simply letting his mind wander.

🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀

Four hours later, they arrived at a charming semi-detached cottage right by the sea, about eight miles north of Inverness. After slipping off their shoes in the welcoming foyer, they eagerly went to explore. Inside, they found a cosy sitting room with stunning sea views and a fireplace; a fully stocked kitchen with everything they might need—including a fancy coffee machine, to Charlie’s delight—and, at the back of the house, two inviting bedrooms separated by a spacious bathroom. 

There was also a small back garden with a picnic table, and in the front, facing the sea, a gravelled area held four outdoor lounge chairs and a low table.

The house had obviously been updated and modernised, and someone must have been there recently to put fresh sheets on the beds and towels in the bathroom.

Charlie eyed the two bedrooms nervously. One was larger, with a very inviting double bed; the other smaller, but no less charming, with a single bed. Two of them would have to share...

Tao came to the same conclusion and, as if to further amplify Charlie’s gay panic, asked if he could please get the single.

“I mean, I literally got hit by a car yesterday, and I’d really like to rest in peace and quiet.”

“It’s not like either of us snores, Tao!” Charlie retorted, hoping he could somehow extricate himself from this quagmire. While they had group sleepovers in the past, he had never shared a room, let alone a bed, with just Nick. His imagination ran wild at the possible scenarios, each more embarrassing than the last, until Nick spoke and brought his thoughts to a screeching halt.

“I don’t mind sharing with you, Char.” A rosy glow appeared on Nick’s cheeks and neck after uttering those words, but Charlie was too dazed to dwell on the possible reason for his blush. He might as well have been clubbed over the head, as his brain seemed offline.

“Are you sure?” he asked, frantically trying to come up with a valid reason to refuse without hurting Nick’s feelings. “I mean, I might toss and turn a lot, wake you up by accident in the middle of the night.”

“I’ve never noticed you do that before, and we’ve had plenty of sleepovers with the gang,” Nick retorted, glancing down at his adorable pug-patterned fuzzy socks, which seemed to hold all his attention, his cheeks flushed a little deeper than before.

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Charlie conceded, unable to think of a reasonable excuse.

“Thank you!” Tao exclaimed dramatically, pulling his suitcase into the smaller room and collapsing on the bed. “Now we’ve got that sorted, I’m gonna take a painkiller and have a nap, if you two don’t mind.”

Charlie and Nick spent the next half hour getting Iggy, Penny and Piper settled and bringing the rest of their belongings into the house.

As they unpacked their clothes, they moved awkwardly around each other, each trying not to be in the other’s way. It was the most uneasy and clumsy they had ever been around each other, and Charlie felt increasingly tense.

After the third time bumping into each other, saying “no, you go ahead,” Charlie finally broke.

“Why is this weird as fuck?”

“Honestly, I have no idea,” said Nick, clutching a hoodie with one hand, his other palm rubbing his neck. Charlie knew this was a nervous gesture, and he felt bad for making Nick so uncomfortable. 

“Sorry, I think I’m just really frazzled; it’s been such a crazy, weird, and stressful trip. You know I’m an anxious mess at the best of times,” Charlie tried to explain his unease and clumsiness. Why couldn’t he just act normal?

“It’s okay, we’ve definitely had quite an adventure. I’m just glad you caught Iggy before he broke out. Imagine him crawling in the footwell and getting underneath a pedal!”

Charlie gaped at him, horrified by the thought but relieved that the tension was broken. “Oh. My. God. Leave it to you to come up with my nightmare scenario!”

“We’ll need to really secure him well for our trip back. Honestly, as much as I find your stories about Iggy’s escapades entertaining, I’ve gained a new appreciation for the challenge of caring for a wild animal.”

“I’m sure we’ll have loads of anecdotes about his antics that we’ll laugh about after I set him free in the spring.”   

They finished unpacking and stowing their belongings away, then settled on the sofa with cups of tea, admiring the view.

“Nan really got a gem with this place,” Nick mused. “I know she loves it here when she visits, and sometimes she rents it out on Airbnb, but lately she’s had a couple of troublesome guests, so she wanted to take a break from that. I’ve only been up here a couple of times, but never in winter. It’s so peaceful.”

“It’ll be dark soon, but I’d love to go for a walk and explore a bit tomorrow. Do you know the area well?”

“I remember a few places. There’s an ice cream shop that has the most amazing bubblegum milkshake...”

“You have the taste buds of a five-year-old, I swear!” Charlie joked.

“Oi! I can’t believe you’d disrespect the bubblegum flavour in front of me!”

They chuckled, sipping their tea. Silence with Nick was rarely strained; they could exist in the same space comfortably without needing to talk or do anything.

As if Nick had read his mind, he said, “You know, I’m really glad you agreed to do this. I just feel like I can be myself around you, and you just... like, I don’t have to talk, or joke around, or do things just because everyone else is. I can just... be. I don’t have to worry about what you might think, or that you’d judge me or perceive me differently.”

Charlie listened intently. He knew Nick had struggled for a long time trying to meet the expectations of others – his dad, his older brother, his rugby mates; he had been weighed down by social standards and perceptions of masculinity, trying to fit into a mould that wasn’t right.

“I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with David this Christmas. When I heard he was coming home and bringing his latest conquest, I just...” Nick trailed off, shrugging.

“Well, your mum is awesome, so of course she came up with this solution. Queen Sarah, to the rescue.” Charlie adored Nick’s mum. She was one of the warmest, most caring individuals he had ever met, aside from Nick. Easy to see where he got it from.

“I just feel bad for abandoning her. Christmas was always our thing; we’d bake, and decorate, and sing off-key to all the Christmas songs. I know it sounds lame, and childish...”

“Nope!” Charlie shouted. “David’s toxic male bullshit is not permitted here. You know that’s where these thoughts are coming from. I think it’s adorable how much you get into the holiday. And baking is a valid hobby for any gender; I don’t care what your dad and David say.”

“I know, I know. Tara’s told me the same thing before. It’s just, I’ve internalised this stuff for so long, it’s really hard to stop thinking this way. It’s gotten better since I started uni and joined the LGBT society. It helped me realise how much we’re still indoctrinated with gender roles and standards, and how stupid that really is.”

“Indoctrinated, huh?” Charlie teased. “Look at you, using the big grown-up words!”

Nick retaliated by tickling him (after placing their mugs on the table for safety), and Charlie thought: this. This is familiar. This is easy. The banter, the teasing, even the deep and meaningful conversations. It’s what made their friendship so very special, and why he couldn’t bear the thought of putting it at risk...

After a few minutes, they went back to the kitchen for another cuppa and to check on their pets. Iggy was quiet, curled up inside his little box in the pen, but Piper and Penelope were climbing the rungs of their cage, so Nick decided to let them out for a bit. They carried them into the lounge, shutting the door to keep them contained, and watched them chase and wrestle each other.

“They’ve got the zoomies,” said Nick, smiling fondly. “Nellie used to get them too, but she’s getting older now. You know, I never expected to bond with these two menaces, but they’re so smart and fun.”

“I would never have pegged you for a rat dad, but you’ve really taken to it like a duck to water. Maybe you’ll be one of those teachers who has a classroom pet?” Charlie mused.

Nick’s head shot up, and he stared at Charlie in wonder. “How have I never thought of that?” he exclaimed. “That’s absolutely bloody brilliant, Char! I’ll have a guinea pig, or a rabbit, or something cute and fluffy and harmless that they can pet and enjoy! There’s so much I could teach them...”

“Okay, okay! Wow, I’ve got you all excited; you’re like Nellie when we say WALK!”

Nick groaned, scooping Penny and Piper up to deposit them back in their cage. “You know, ever since Tao called me a golden retriever, you all keep coming up with dog analogies for me. I don’t know whether to find it funny or insulting!”

“Oh, you should definitely take it as a compliment! Every friend group needs a loyal, friendly, and affectionate... mmmphf” Charlie was cut off as Nick tackled him and slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Grfff mmm!” Charlie mumbled, pushing at Nick’s arm. “Geroff! You giant rugby lad!”

They both laughed, and somehow, Charlie found himself on his back with Nick hovering above him, golden fringe hanging down and almost touching Charlie’s forehead. He could feel Nick’s breath ghosting over his cheek. Something shifted imperceptibly, and Charlie stopped laughing, staring into honey-brown eyes, breathless for a whole different reason.

After an intense moment (it could have been seconds or even minutes), Nick cleared his throat as he sat up, face aflame, scratching his neck. Uh-oh, I’ve made him uncomfortable again! Charlie mentally chastised himself.

“Wanna play Mario Kart?” Nick asked, climbing off Charlie and reaching for the Switch he had placed on the coffee table.

“Sure!” Charlie agreed eagerly, thankful for the distraction.

Five rounds of Rainbow Road later, Nick groaned in frustration. “Can you just let me win one time? How are you always so good at this?”

“Well, you know what it’s like. You get to be good at real sports; I get to be good at fake ones.”

“No, you’re just good at everything,” Nick said as if it was a fact.

“No, I’m not.”

“You so are! You’re a proper little nerd!”

“I’m not!”

“Let’s see. You’re good at video games, literally all your classes but especially maths, playing the drums, taking care of rescue animals, and you are good at sports! You run so fast...”

Now Charlie slapped his hand over Nick’s mouth. “Shut up!”

“You know it’s true!” Nick argued, muffled by Charlie’s hand. “Get off me! Get off!”

Something caught Charlie’s eye, and he looked out the large window.

“Oh my god!” he exclaimed. “It’s snowing again!” This time, he thought the sight was enchanting.

Large, fluffy snowflakes were drifting slowly, softly from the sky. Nick looked at the snow drifting down, then at Charlie, and by unspoken agreement, they got up and bundled into warmer clothes.

“Hey, is that my hoodie?” Nick asked when he saw Charlie swallowed up by teal fabric.

“It’s nice and warm!” Charlie argued. “Please, can I wear it?” He pouted pleadingly, knowing his friend was a pushover for his puppy dog look.

“As long as you don’t ‘forget to give it back’, like you did with the last five you’ve borrowed. I actually quite like that one.”

Charlie shrugged noncommittally, knowing full well that he would only return the garment when it no longer smelt of Nick. Not that he’d ever admit that.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Outside, the world was slowly turning into a winter wonderland. Snow settled on every surface, giving the bare branches a soft, fluffy look and muffling all sound.

As much as he hated driving in it, Charlie loved the snow. He joined Nick in a snowball fight, then they made snow angels, their hands brushing as they moved their arms through the snow. Nick was taking pictures, chatting away about winter childhood memories. Sometimes they would just lie there, looking at each other and smiling, snowflakes settling on their hair and melting on their skin, adding sparkly little diamonds to Nick’s cinnamon freckles, as if he wasn’t beautiful enough already...

They were forced to go inside an hour later because Charlie’s teeth were chattering. Nick found him warm, fuzzy socks and jogging bottoms to change into, then draped a soft blanket over his head and shoulders. After making two mugs of hot chocolate, he started a fire in the fireplace and settled next to Charlie on the large ottoman in front of the flames. 

“Are you warming up?”

“Ugh, you know I’m always cold. But yeah, this is really helping, thanks!”

“You look so cuddly like that,” Nick murmured, looking at him fondly.

“Do I?” Charlie asked, surprised. What did that mean???

“Yeah...” Nick cleared his throat and turned toward the fire. “So, that was a lot of fun.”

“Yes, it was. Totally worth it!” Charlie agreed.

“I think my nan has a sledge somewhere; maybe we can try that out tomorrow.”

“Oh my god, I haven’t done that in ages! Not sure we should, though, with Tao concussed and everything.”

“Oh my god, I totally forgot he was here with us,” Nick exclaimed abashedly. “I’m such a shit friend!”

“No, you’re not! It’s okay; he’s been zonked out on painkillers and needed the rest. We’ll check on him at dinner time, and we’ll take good care of him. But we’re allowed to have fun. You shouldn’t feel guilty about that!” 

Nick sighed, folding his arms across his chest. “Still, he’s been hurt, and here we are, acting like...”

“Nick. There’s not much we can do for him, aside from making sure he’s comfortable and eats and drinks enough. It was a freak accident, and none of us is at fault.”

“You make me sound like I’m one of your pets,” came Tao’s croaky voice from the doorway, causing both boys to jump.

“Tao! How are you feeling?” exclaimed Nick, while Charlie shouted, “Christ, Tao!”

Tao looked between his two friends, quirking an eyebrow at Charlie. “I see how it is. I’m doing okay, Nick, thanks for asking,” he responded with an exaggerated, acerbic tone.

“Sorry, Tao. You startled me. I’m really glad to see you’re feeling a bit better,” Charlie said contritely.

“Why are you all bundled up like that? I mean, I know you get cold easily, but it’s actually nice and cosy in here.”

“We were outside playing in the snow,” said Nick.

Tao snorted. “I see. You’ll never beat those golden retriever allegations, are you?”

Nick groaned loudly.

“Did you chase any snowballs?” Tao teased, making Charlie giggle.

“You’re the worst,” Nick complained. “I was going to bake your favourite brownies tonight, but if you’re gonna be mean to me...”

“Aw, come on, Nick! You know we love you!” Tao wheedled.

A few minutes later, Nick and Charlie prepared dinner and a batch of brownies while Tao rested on the sofa.

“Do you still have a headache?” Charlie asked. They had been instructed to monitor Tao’s pain level and have him avoid screens for 24 to 48 hours.

“It’s not too bad. I’ll take another painkiller in a bit and go to bed early. My shoulder hurts a bit, but it’s manageable.”

“I’m just glad you didn’t get seriously injured. Honestly, when I saw you flying through the air, my heart stopped.” Charlie shuddered at the memory.

“I bet it would have made for an awesome movie scene,” mused Tao.

Charlie snorted. “Only you would think something like that.”

After Tao retired to bed, Nick and Charlie decided to watch a movie. Since it was close to Christmas, they chose Love Actually, both agreeing it was a classic.

“Mum and I used to watch this every year when I was younger,” Nick reminisced. “It’s funny, after I realised I was bi, I suddenly understood my obsession with Hugh Grant and Colin Firth...”

“Not Rowan Atkinson?” Charlie joked.

Nick giggled. “Sorry, but once you’ve seen someone brush their teeth in their Mini while steering with their feet, there is no hope...”

“I used to laugh so hard at Mr Bean episodes when I was younger, but somehow the humour doesn’t hit the same anymore,” Charlie pondered.

As the movie continued, they settled comfortably against each other, as they had done many times before, and Nick draped a blanket over both of them. Not that Charlie really needed one, with a human radiator next to him—to say nothing of the other reasons Nick’s proximity caused his core temperature to rise...

By the time the credits rolled, Charlie was tied in knots from trying to carefully maintain his position, rather than melt into the wonderful man next to him, and he stiffly rose from the sofa.

“Hot chocolate before bed?” Nick asked hopefully.

“You are such a child!” Charlie giggled. “But yes, please!”

Half an hour later, after changing into pyjamas and brushing their teeth, they stood in the bedroom in awkward silence. The curtains were closed, and the room was bathed in a soft, muted light from the small table lamp beside the bed.

Charlie cleared his throat. “Okay, time for bed, I guess!” he said with forced bravado, and plopped himself on the left side of the bed, away from the window.

“I think you’re gonna have to move over, ‘cause that’s my side of the bed.”

“Well, I got here first, so...” Charlie retorted cheekily.

“Did you now?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmmm. Okay,” Nick said, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and then proceeded to plonk himself right on top of Charlie.

“Nick! You’re crushing me!”

“What are you gonna do? It’s my side!”

“I’m gonna tickle you!”

“Don’t you dare! We’re gonna have to fight.”

“Okay, we can fight,” Charlie retorted, twisting to shove Nick off him, only to get whacked in the head by a pillow.

After a few minutes of a full-on pillow fight, Charlie managed to grab Nick’s wrists and hold him down. “Do I win?”

“I guess so,” Nick sighed, grinning.

Charlie sat back, but before he could move off Nick’s lap, Nick sat up so they were face to face, both still slightly out of breath from their exertions.

Charlie froze, heart hammering. This must be what a frightened rabbit felt like, he thought. You can practically see their heart frantically beating in their ribcage when they sit still, frozen in fear. He internally face-palmed at his inane thoughts.

Nick was staring at him, eyes wide and luminous in the soft, golden light, cheeks flushed, hair dishevelled—he looked more beautiful than ever. As much as his brain screamed at him to do something, say something, he couldn’t bring himself to move a muscle, mesmerised by the sight before him.

And then, Nick’s gaze dropped to his lips before locking onto his eyes again. It was unmistakable this time, unlike all the other little moments that had come before, which had driven Charlie to distraction, making him question his sanity.

Charlie full-on panicked. He was still perched precariously over Nick’s thighs, only inches between their chests, and Nick’s hands were lightly resting on his hips. He felt like whatever decision he made right now, in this moment, would impact the rest of his life.

Thoughts were racing, chasing each other. If I move now, and he wanted me to stay, wanted to do what his gaze clearly signalled, I might hurt his feelings. But if I misread this situation, and I drag this moment out too long, he’ll realise how I feel, and that’ll make things awkward, and then our friendship will change, and I can’t...

“Char?”

Unable to speak coherently, Charlie forced out a rough “Hmmm?”

“Are you... Is this... okay?” Nick asked hesitantly, clearly anxious.

“Mmmhmm,” was all Charlie could manage.

Nick’s eyes dropped to Charlie’s mouth again, and he surreptitiously wet his lips. A shallow gasp escaped Charlie at the sight. There was no mistaking this, surely???

Their gazes collided, stormy sea to molten amber, the rest of the world fading away. Suddenly, Charlie didn’t feel anxious anymore; all the tension, nervousness, and stress of the past few days fell away. Now, there was only certainty, a quiet understanding that needed no words or explanation.

Nick slowly, inexorably closed the distance, hesitating only just before their lips would touch, a silent question swimming in the honeyed pools of his eyes. 

A tiny nod from Charlie was all it took—Nick’s lips found their counterparts in the sweetest, softest, most incredible touch Charlie had ever experienced. It was the chastest of kisses, yet it ignited an inferno within that defied logic and reason.

Nick lingered, a quiet hum reverberating in his throat, before pulling back and looking at Charlie with awestruck, bright eyes. He swallowed and took a deep breath.

“God, Char,” he breathed, “I’ve been wanting to do that for so long...”

“You have?” Charlie asked incredulously.

“Why do you think I came out to you as bi within literal days of meeting you? I don’t usually proclaim my sexual preferences to everyone I meet!”

“Oh!” Charlie had assumed Nick shared this information because he’d realised that most of their friend group was part of the community. Because he felt safe doing so. And because he wanted them to know he was a safe person.

“Yeah, oh!” Nick chuckled. “Sometimes I thought I might have a chance, but then you’d give me such mixed signals, and I’ve been so, so confused!”

“I’m sorry! I just... I guess I was afraid to show how I felt, because our friendship is really important to me. You’re my favourite person, and I didn’t want to risk...”

“You’re my favourite person, too,” Nick interjected. “You’re so beautiful, and kind, and smart, and you just get me. Like, I can truly be myself around you, without feeling like I have to act any certain way or watch what I say. I guess I was worried too that our friendship would suffer if you didn’t feel the same. But recently I’ve started to think that you might...”

“Yes, I do. I feel the same. I’m still in shock, to be honest. I mean, I thought I picked up on little signs, but I was afraid of misreading things. It’s not like you made it obvious!” Charlie still couldn’t believe this was happening. Maybe he was dreaming?

“I thought I was completely obvious! That’s why I didn’t say anything; I thought, surely, you had picked up on it and didn’t feel the same. But then I realised that you might just be trying to protect yourself, because you’ve been hurt before.”

“I think you need lessons on being obvious!”

“And I think you need lessons on reading signals!”

“Okay,” Charlie replied sassily, “maybe you need to teach me some lessons...”

In response, Nick smashed their lips together, toppling Charlie backwards and pressing his body into the mattress. When Charlie gasped, Nick tentatively opened his mouth and carefully brushed his tongue against Charlie’s.

Whatever coherent thought might have been left was entirely scrambled. All his senses were taken over by Nick: the faint taste of chocolate, the citrusy, woodsy scent of his aftershave, the feeling of stubble against fingertips, and the beautiful sound of low, gentle moans... This was what complete and utter bliss felt like.

Nick’s lips trailed along his jawline to behind his ear and down his throat, nipping and licking along the way and causing an involuntary shiver. Charlie could feel his skin erupt in goosebumps; his body felt alight in tiny flames wherever they touched.

“That obvious enough for you?” Nick murmured against his collarbone.

“Ummm... yeah,” Charlie said breathlessly.

Eventually, the stress of the past couple of days caught up with them, and after a few more lazy kisses, they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.

🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔

“ER’HR’HMMM!”

Charlie jerked awake to the sound of someone clearing their throat loudly and dramatically.

“Wuh...huh?” Nick mumbled into Charlie’s t-shirt, where he was snuggled in tightly, an arm slung over the slimmer man’s waist.

Tao was standing in the doorway, arms folded across his chest, eyebrows disappearing behind his tousled, dark fringe of hair. He shot Charlie a sharp, questioning look.

“Erm...” was all Charlie could utter.

“I came here to alert you to the fact that a certain spined menace has somehow managed to make his way into my room and find the granola bar I had in my backpack. He’s only managed a few nibbles, but I figured you might want to know, and maybe relegate him back to his proper home?”

“Oh fuck,” groaned Charlie. “What time is it?”

“It’s about four am, and I’d like to get back to sleep. We can discuss this,” he gestured wildly at the bed and its occupants, “in the morning.”

Sheepishly, Charlie got out of bed and went to collect his little nocturnal nuisance. He cursed himself for forgetting to weigh down the corners of the lid on Iggy’s habitat. Despite the padlock, he had managed to squeeze out once before, so Charlie usually took extra measures to prevent a nighttime escape.

As he settled Iggy back in his enclosure, Tao thankfully went back to bed without further comment or discussion. The only possible explanation for this was that his accident must have truly worn him out—he would normally never let something like this slide without extensive commentary. Tao was his most opinionated friend.

He expected Nick to be asleep when he returned to the bedroom, but found him sitting up, leaning against his pillow, watching Charlie with wide, concerned eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Nick! I meant to talk to you in the morning to see if you wanted to keep this private for now, and here I’ve gone and messed it all up...”

“Char! No! This isn’t your fault,” Nick interjected, but Charlie was on a roll.

“I mean, I know you’re out as bi, but I figured we’d need to talk about how to tell our friends—that is, if you wanted to tell anyone at all. I mean, I know this is new, and I don’t know if you’ve ever been public with a relationship like this, I mean, with another guy, and...”

“Charlie! Stop!” Nick exclaimed, interrupting the uncontrollable word vomit. “It’s okay. C’mere, please.” Nick reached for Charlie’s hand and gently pulled him to sit beside him on the bed.

“Fucking Iggy,” Charlie huffed.

Nick chuckled, then broke into full laughter. Charlie stared at him, wide-eyed, in amazement, which made Nick laugh even harder. This proved contagious, and soon they were both lying on the bed in fits of giggles.

“Will he be okay after eating whatever he got into?” Nick asked after they calmed down a bit.

“Yeah. He only got a few nibbles in, and I looked it up; he won’t come to harm from this one time, but we can’t let him have it again. I guess tomorrow we need to hedgehog-proof the place.”

Nick turned serious. “Listen. I have no intention of hiding you. To be honest, Sai, Otis, and Christian will be the first to know. They’ve been ribbing me for long enough about my crush on you.”

“Crush on me? And just how long, exactly, have they known about this?”

Nick blushed. “Ermmm...”

“Nick?”

“So, umm, since... Sincetheweekwemet,” he rushed out.

Charlie’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that?”

Nick threw his hands up in exasperation. “UGH! Since the week we met, okay? I know, I’m a disaster!”

“Well, bisexuals are known to be that. But I’m not much better,” Charlie quipped.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s been about the same for me.” Charlie would never admit that for him, it had started the day they met.

“Why are we like this?” Nick chuckled.

When Charlie yawned so hard his jaw almost popped, Nick bundled him up in his arms, and sleep took precedence once more.

Over breakfast the next morning, Tao launched a full-blown inquisition. He demanded to know why they would ask him to tag along on a trip where he’d be guaranteed to be a third wheel. He was slightly mollified when they explained that they had literally just got together last night, and even more so when Nick proudly proclaimed that he was so happy to be Charlie’s boyfriend (!!!) and wanted to let their friends know as soon as Charlie was comfortable with it.

It was a morning of revelations for Charlie, and the conversation ended with Tao seemingly appeased by their promise not to be “insufferably coupley” during their 12 days in Scotland.

Of course, this was a promise they broke the same day... but their holiday ended up enjoyable regardless, because Tao was secretly happy to see his friend with a loving, devoted partner who would, ten years later, become his husband.