Work Text:
I’ll be out in five
Kids had to stay behind
for talking during a test xx
take your time!!
i’m just chilling out here xx
Charlie can’t help but smile when Nick sends a heart emoji in response, the sounds of children screaming and laughing as they play in the playground adding to his elated mood. He locks his phone so the screen goes black and tucks it between his legs as he waits for Nick to slip out of the school gates.
Though quick lunch dates during the week aren’t completely uncommon, their café of choice being directly in between the charity shop Charlie volunteers at and the school Nick works at, Charlie can’t help but feel a tad bit giddy, especially as he thinks about the Oreo Dairy Milk bar he has in the basket under his seat. While he knows it’s silly to count months, today marks exactly two months since Nick first revealed that he’s always loved Charlie and, well, Charlie’s never had an anniversary to celebrate before. Besides, the present he got for Nick, the chocolate bar, isn’t exactly extravagant. It’s just something to say that Charlie’s always thinking about him.
Now, it seems pretty fucking stupid.
But, before he can even entertain that thought, he hears the children squeal ‘Mr. Nelson!’ beside him at different intervals and looks up to see Nick grinning as he walks down the path between the main office and the school gates. His own smile returns as he watches Nick wave at the kids shouting for his attention and drives his wheelchair closer so he can greet him almost as soon as he exits the school grounds. Though Charlie thought it was impossible, Nick’s grin widens when his eyes fall upon Charlie and he hurries his footsteps to make his way over. Charlie giggles and welcomes his warmth when Nick bends over to hug him tightly, as if they’ve been separated for years. Then he pulls away to look at Charlie’s face and pulls him into a searing kiss. Charlie would’ve fallen into it entirely, if it weren’t for the gaggle of children reacting through the chainlink fence that separates the playground from the street.
“Ooh!”
“Mr. Nelson’s got a boyfriend,” one kid starts in a sing-song tone, triggering the others to join in. “Mr. Nelson’s got a boyfriend, Mr. Nelson’s got a boyfriend!”
Both men chuckle as they break their kiss and Nick straightens up to face the kids, grinning down at their little faces. Charlie watches on with a flutter in his chest.
“I think Mrs Thomas is calling you lot for lunch. Go on.”
Nick stays where he is, smiling at the group with his hands on his hips, and Charlie has to stop himself from giggling. He’s seen Nick in Teacher Mode before but it never fails to tickle him. He can tell, even with Nick’s back to him, that Nick positively adores this job, that Nick was made to be a teacher to small humans.
The kids giggle more at Nick before they run off and Charlie finds it hard to wipe the smile from his own face when Nick turns to look at him, staring up at his boyfriend with sparkling eyes. Nick matches his grin.
“Ready to go, Mr. Nelson?” Charlie teases.
Nick chuckles and nods, reaching out to grab Charlie’s free hand. Charlie blushes when Nick holds it up to press a kiss to the back of it and rolls his eyes fondly before starting to move in the direction of the café. Nick follows with a big grin.
Two months of this. How has it only been two months?
Before Charlie realises, they’re sat at their favourite table of the café, tucked away in the corner so Charlie feels like he and his wheelchair aren’t in the way, and Nick’s eyes are scanning the menu in front of him. Charlie can’t dampen the smile on his face, he’s not sure why.
He just loves Nick in a way he never thought was possible.
“You’re staring, love.”
Charlie grins as he catches Nick’s eyes over the edge of the menu. “Makes a change, doesn’t it? Usually, it’s you who can’t keep your eyes off me.”
“Well, that’s because you are a work of art,” he says simply, like it doesn’t send Charlie’s heart soaring, and looks back at the menu. “Think I might get the lasagna today.”
Charlie stares at Nick with a dropped jaw as he tries to process the way Nick just casually slipped in the compliment like it wasn’t the most poetic shit ever. Although, as Nick sets the menu aside, presumably set on having lasagna for lunch, Charlie does spot a glimmer in his dark eyes, one that clearly says he knows exactly what his compliment has done to Charlie. He sends him a lighthearted glare.
“You having the same as usual, my love?”
Despite still being in shock, Charlie grins. “Yeah.”
So that’s what Nick tells the waitress who knows them by name and Charlie busies himself with reaching for the chocolate bar under his wheelchair seat. He can feel Nick’s curious gaze on him once the waitress walks away and he looks up sheepishly, holding out the chocolate bar to Nick.
“It’s kinda silly but it’s been two months since we got together and I just…”
Nick smiles widely, taking the chocolate from Charlie as if it’s some kind of precious jewel. “You mean, it’s our two-month anniversary?”
Charlie groans. “It sounds so silly when you say it like that.”
“No!”
“And now I’m embarrassed.”
“No, Charlie,” Nick quickly says, reaching for his hand. “I just didn’t get you anything.”
Charlie shrugs. “It’s fine, I didn't want to make it a thing.”
“It could be a thing,” Nick whispers then plucks a napkin from the dispenser next to him. “In fact, I’m gonna make you something right now.”
Charlie, once again, rolls his eyes fondly as he watches Nick start to fuss with the napkin, ripping a strip from it. This is something he’s done for as long as Charlie can remember. Whenever they go out to eat together, he grabs something like a napkin or a paper wrapper for a straw and does some origami magic. Well, not quite magic, he’s not particularly artistic, but he always makes something that resembles what he sets out to make. His most impressive one so far was a mini paper hat that still sits on the head of the lone rubber duck that sits on their bathroom sink. He made that the first weekend they lived together. A part of Charlie thinks he maybe started doing it regularly after Charlie told him about his disordered eating habits because it always keeps Charlie distracted to watch Nick and ask him questions about what he’s making. His eyebrows furrow slightly when he sees the way Nick’s folding the strip of napkin.
“What’re you making this time?” he asks.
Nick seems to be so engrossed in his task that he doesn’t realise what he says until it’s already out in the open.
“An engagement ring.”
Then they both freeze. Nick’s fingers halt as Charlie stares at him with his mouth agape. His words echo in Charlie’s head. An engagement ring. An engagement ring. An engagement ring.
“A-A what?” Charlie breathes.
An engagement ring.
Nick stays still for a few moment and Charlie can see in his eyes that his brain is running wild. He can relate, what with his pounding heart and whirring brain. What the fuck is going on?
“Fuck it.”
Then Nick jumps off his seat and takes Charlie’s left hand before going down on one knee. In the middle of their favourite café in the middle of a quick lunch date. Is Charlie fucking dreaming right now?
“Nick…”
“Charlie, I love you so much, more than anyone else I’ve ever loved before, and, if these last two months have taught me anything, it’s that I want the rest of my life to be like this. Will you marry me?”
Charlie stares at him for a second or two, tears flooding his eyes. It’s such a stupid question because Charlie’s answer is so obvious. He doesn’t care if it’s too early, he chooses to believe that life started when he met Nick in form all those years ago and he refuses to acknowledge that there could be a life without him.
“Yes!” he giggles and Nick’s own tearful smile is radiant.
Without hesitating, Charlie pulls him close to capture his lips in a loving, maybe a tad tearful, kiss and the few other patrons of the café and the waitresses all cheer for them.
But, as they pull away from the kiss to stare into each other’s eyes, it’s like no-one else exists.
How Charlie was able to get anything done when Nick had to go back to work is beyond him.
Nick finished folding the strip of napkin into the paper ring he set out to make and it now sits proudly on Charlie’s left ring finger. Though it barely weighs a thing, Charlie can feel the weight of it and it makes him giddy every time he remembers what it is.
He’s engaged. To Nick Nelson. Forget little Charlie from ten years ago, Charlie from six months ago is screaming his head off. Never in a million years did he think this would ever happen to him.
But it has and he’s never been happier.
Charlie’s lounging in bed with his Kindle as he hears Nick potter about the bathroom before his shower, a silly smile on his lips as he feels his thumb play with the paper ring on his finger absentmindedly. The fact that Nick proposed today doesn’t feel real and the way he’d called Charlie his fiancé when he got in from work had sent his heart flying. The best part is Nick seems to be as excited by the idea of being engaged, if not more. Charlie’s not too invested in this like his brain tries to trick him to think, Nick is just as in love with him and desperately wants to spend the rest of his life with Charlie.
They’re going to be husbands.
A kiss to his cheek brings Charlie out of his unexpected trance and he grins up at Nick immediately, setting his now-locked Kindle aside.
“Hi, fiancé,” Nick whispers with a grin.
Charlie giggles and leans up to kiss him, replying against his lips. “Why, hello there, fiancé.”
Nick chuckles, leaning forwards to close the gap between them. Charlie welcomes the kiss eagerly, instinctively spreading his legs so Nick can lay between them, and tangles his hand in Nick’s hair. Like always, Charlie feels himself falling into Nick’s touch, the slide of their lips dancing together being the only thing he ever wants to experience from now on, the gentle touch of Nick’s hold being like a tattoo. He moans into the kiss at the thought and Nick pulls away, leaning their foreheads together.
“I love you.”
Charlie smiles. “I love you too.”
As it is every time, Nick’s smile is radiant at Charlie’s words and he pulls Charlie close towards him, wrapping his arms around him in one of Charlie’s favourite hugs. Charlie nuzzles into his touch.
“I thought you were going to shower,” he murmurs.
He feels Nick smile against his skin and they both pull away to gaze into each other’s eyes.
Husbands. Husbands. Husbands. Husbands.
“Well, I was wondering,” Nick starts, threading his fingers through the black ringlets at the back of Charlie’s head. “If you’d like to join me.”
Charlie can’t help his smile. His heart pounds with excitement now whenever Nick suggests something new, instead of anxiety, so he nods and squeals loudly when Nick doesn’t hesitate to pick him up.
“Nick! My God, you big rugby idiot!”
Nick echoes Charlie’s laughter with his own and marches him to their bathroom and Charlie feels like he’s about to explode from happiness. Nick sets him down on the worktop, next to the sink and pulls him into another kiss, though not letting it linger this time. He looks down at Charlie through his eyelashes and bites his lip. Charlie watches him, knowing there’s something going on in his brain.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he asks.
Nick smiles a little and says. “I wanna try something before the shower.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
In lieu of answering, Nick spins Charlie around so he’s cradling him and they’re both staring at their reflections. Charlie’s smile grows as he watches Nick duck his face into the crook of Charlie’s neck, pressing sweet kisses. Charlie reaches back with his right arm to bury his hand in his golden locks again. Nick looks back at their reflection, his eyes dark. Charlie swallows, his cock twitching in his pyjama bottoms.
“Just keep your eyes on the mirror. I got you.”
Charlie nods with a soft smile and watches as Nick continues to press little kisses to Charlie’s neck, his hands slowly reaching down to skim the waistband of his pyjamas. Just that touch alone has Charlie’s eyelids fluttering but he manages to keep his eyes on their reflection as Nick delicately dances his fingers up and down Charlie’s torso, just barely scraping across his nipples, which start to perk up at Nick’s ministrations. His other hand starts tugging Charlie’s trousers down so his cock springs out, already hard and waiting. Nick’s breath falters a little.
“Oh, darling, look at you,” he whispers in awe and then raises his hand to Charlie’s mouth. “Stick out your tongue for me.”
Charlie’s tongue falls out immediately and Nick groans, both of them watching in the mirror as Charlie lathers his tongue over Nick’s digits. Charlie moans at the sight and moves Nick’s head towards him to capture his lips in a kiss, right as Nick wraps his hand around Charlie’s cock. The gasp that rips from Charlie’s throat breaks the kiss and a groan quickly follows, looking back at the mirror when Nick gently cups his jaw to force his head in the direction with his free hand. Then he continues his previous trail with his fingers, circling Charlie’s nipples and pressing kisses to his neck, while also twisting his hand as he strokes Charlie off and swiping his thumb across his tip. All Charlie can seem to do is clutch onto Nick by his hair and let out the most debauched moans, keeping his eyes on his and Nick’s reflections. A small part of him sneers at his own reflection, at the way his left arm sticks out like it’s got a mind of its own, but then he catches sight of the white paper ring on his finger and, like a siren, he’s reminded of the fact that Nick is choosing to spend forever with him, had in fact asked him. So what if his left arm sticks out? It doesn’t bother Nick so why should it bother him?
And that just makes the coil he didn't realise was inside him ready to burst.
“O-Oh, Nick, I’m gonna--”
He watches as Nick snaps his head up to stare into the mirror and, God, the look in his eyes does it for Charlie. With a loud cry that echoes against the tiles and a harsh tug on Nick’s hair, Charlie feels the coil within him snap and his hips move at their own volition to fuck Nick’s fist, watching as white ropes of cum spurt out of him, decorating the wall in front of them. One glob even manages to splatter onto the mirror.
Nick watching him in awe makes his heart burst.
“Oh, baby, look at you, look at how beautiful you look,” he praises. “I can’t believe I get to marry you.”
Charlie whimpers and slumps against Nick once he’s over his orgasm, snuggling into Nick’s embrace. Nick whispers sweet nothings in his ear, except they’re everything to Charlie, and he can’t stop smiling at their reflection.
Then a thought jerks him out of the bubble he and Nick have fallen into and he looks up at Nick with wide eyes.
“We should probably tell our friends we’re together.”