Being Alive [Charlie Barber]

Chapter 26 : Los Angeles

You were on your first date with Charlie Barber.

    It was pretty ridiculous to think about the fact that although the two of you were head over heels in love and knew each other's bodies and minds like they were your own, you had never gone on an actual date.

    Having to spend almost the entirety of your relationship in secret made it impossible to do what a normal couple would do.

    You never exactly minded. Spending brief moments alone with Charlie in his office or when he'd sneak to your apartment at night was worth more than anything more traditional.

    But you had to admit, being able to touch him in public and not have the anxiety of hiding away while you did so was a relief. Especially after everything that the two of you had been through recently.

    "We need popcorn, right?" Charlie murmured near your ear, squeezing gently at your hand. "I know we're going to dinner after this, but I don't think I can sit through a movie without it. It feels wrong."

    Tomorrow was your last day in LA and Charlie promised you that he would plan a date and take you out before you went back to New York. He chose a classic; the movies and dinner. He spent the morning buying the tickets and making reservations, feeling giddy at the idea he could go out with you.

    "Popcorn." You agreed excitedly, your thumb ghosting over his skin in a way that made his heart skip a beat.

    "That's my girl," Charlie said in a quiet voice, a goofy smile on his face as he walked to the concession counter with you.

    Getting praise from him, sexual or not, always made you feel on top of the world.

At the start, Charlie was only your boss. You looked up to him and were in the process of working towards a position like the one he had. You always admired him, and hearing him say good things about you was reassuring.

    Now that he was so much more than a boss, his compliments were not only validating, but they were also meaningful. You always felt so lucky that he loved you.

    While ordering popcorn and a drink for each of you, Charlie made it a point not to let go of your hand. It was a struggle to pull his wallet and the correct card out with just one hand, but he made it work.

    Charlie never wanted to let you go.

    "Comfortable?" Charlie asked you as he settled into his seat.

He pressed the button on the arm and jumped slightly in surprise when his chair whirred to life and began reclining. "Jesus, that's loud." He mumbled and it caused you to laugh. He caught your amusement and it made him happy to see you smile, even if poking fun at him had been the cause of it.

"I'm comfy." You assured him, then reclined your chair in the same way, causing both of you to stifle your giggles at the intrusive sound of leather squeaking and the gears inside of the chair humming louder than the trailers playing on the screen.

"Shh," Charlie teased you as he chuckled, "So noisy, honey."

You grinned, elbowing him playfully just as he was putting a big handful of popcorn into his mouth. Your jostling caused him to drop some of it in his lap, a few pieces falling onto the floor.

"Hey!" He said in between laughs, tossing the remaining popcorn into his mouth while brushing the rest of it off of his lap and onto the floor. He'd have to remember to pick it up later. It drove him crazy when people left messes behind.

Before you could tell him it was an accident, someone from a few rows over loudly whispered: "Shh! Quiet down!" to you and Charlie.

Through the darkness of the movie beginning to play, you and Charlie locked wide eyes, processing the fact that someone just shushed the two of you. It felt like you had just gotten in trouble.