milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Charlie ambles downstairs. He's wearing Bartleby's sweatshirt again. Yes, it's big enough to fit a small island nation inside. It's also warm.

He sits at the bar and looks around.

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"Nick?" He holds Nick close and kisses his hair.

He doesn't pull away. Well, just enough to speak.

"That...that would be the bad. Alex...wandered off while I was talking to my sister and...he met someone who looks like me. Not...not another version of me, but...a man...named Simon...who had a knife and...threatened him. And...he called me over and...accidentally..."

He looks up to Charlie.

"Have...have I told you about Him?"

The capitalization is very very easy to hear.

Charlie shakes his head, combing his hand through Nick's hair to soothe him.

"It's me...but it's not. He's...He doesn't feel anything. He's all the dark shoved into a corner and let rot for eight hundred years. Everything I couldn't deal with. And He's...He's so twisted from the pain, he doesn't understand things. Like...emotion. Or...right and wrong. Or anything."

He looks to Charlie.

"But...he can only come out when He's called. And...Alex called Him by accident. And...He would have killed Simon if He wasn't more worried about Alex."

He sighs and leans back into Charlie, nose back at the crook of his neck.

"But He got out...for a little while. Scared Alex. Scared me. And...He does that. He...kisses on the nose. I don't. It's...it was just a reminder. I'm sorry. I...I shouldn't have freaked on you. You're going through...much worse than me right now."

"Oh," he says softly, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I won't do it again."

He shakes his head, smiling.

"No, no, it's all right. Just...a little weird, considering."

A cheeky grin.

"Anywhere else you can think of?"

"You mean like here?" He kisses Nick's temple. "Or here?" He kisses beside his mouth.

He nods sagely.

"Of course."

A grin.

"Then again, there's always here."

The forehead.

"Here."

The cheek.

"And here."

He kisses Charlie on the lips.

Charlie whimpers and his fingers tighten in Nick's hair, kissing him back.

And Nick kisses him, soft and slow, gentle. Comfort. Care.

Charlie kisses him for some minutes, then finally pulls away and whispers, "Don't let me do this, Nicky. You and Alex have something wonderful. I don't want to ruin it just 'cause I'm selfish."

He blinks at Charlie.

"Charlie? What're you talking about?"

Charlie sighs and bites his lip. "I want to sleep with you, Nick," he says finally, bluntly. "I'm not very good at this platonic cuddling thing. I like kissing you, I want to kiss you more, and I should stop and leave now because you've got Alex."

He blinks.

"Charlie? Alex and I spoke...about you. And the consensus between us was...that if you wanted, if you needed...comfort...if that's what might...if you wanted..."

He ducks, looking rather sheepish.

"You'll just have to wait for Alex...if you don't mind."

He nods and then looks to Charlie again.

"Or...we keep it where it was. However you'd like. And either way...I'm always here to talk...or hold you...or whatever."

Charlie blinks a few times, and then kisses Nick. "Yes. I'll wait for Alex, I'll--yes. Yes, please, Nick. Yes."

He laughs and nuzzles again Charlie's cheek.

"I'm not the Messiah come again, Charlie. I'm..."

A big smile.

"A big goofy puppy-man vampire. To quote Alex. Which I don't mind doing."

"you're a good sweet wonderful goofy puppy-man," he kisses Nick between each word, "and I want you so much."

Another laugh.

"Calm down, Charlie. No last call for cuddles or anything...I'm not going anywhere."

A hand on Charlie's head and a soft kiss on his forehead.

"But, uh...not to kill the mood or anything, but...you will look out for Simon, won't you? I'd hate...for him to hurt you. He...smelled of blood. And he's not like a version of me...who'll leave eventually."

He nods. "I'll look out for Simon. Looks like you but isn't you. I'll remember."

"Likes his stupid little knife too."

"Bloke who looks like you with a stupid little knife. I'll remember, Nicky, I will." He leans his head against Nick's shoulder and sighs. "I think I should head to bed. Liam insists I at least try to sleep." He runs his palm over Nick's cheek.

He nods.

"Sounds like a plan. Feeling any better about life in general?"

"I think I can handle it. Living, I mean. Thank you, Nicky. Good night." He smiles at him rather goofily as he gets up and heads for the stairs.

And a wave.

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