Boy In Blue [ bxb cglre / agere ]

LOVE IS IN THE AIR - chp7

This chapter makes over the 10k mark for this book! I am very, very proud of myself. I really hope it's 10k of pure joy for you! I know we haven't gotten to the fluff yet, but it is coming, my friends. I believe in building up the characters, so that's what it'll be!

Anyways, this is mostly just filler for Charlie's past with Liam and how he felt during last chapter's events.

Written on 02/15/23, Edited on 22/2/23

Some told me I accidentally published the same part twice, so thank you for the notif! Enjoy!

Q : do you have a comfort item of clothing ?

A : i love my footie onesies, honestly .

Charlie POV

It was a hot summer day at school. The shouts of children filled the yard as they passed the ball to each other, their voices full of glee despite the occasional angry call when someone missed the goal. Charlie didn't like these hot days very much. It messed with him a lot, especially the dampening of his hair, his binder seeming a lot heavier than normal. See, he was very self conscious of his hair, as it was one of his best attributes. Having them out of maintenance was a big bother for Charlie.

He sat alone, as per usual. He was on the far end of the bleachers, knees tucked to his chest and eyes overlooking everything around him, staying alert of his surroundings. It was something that comforted him. Knowing what to expect, and being ready for all situations he may face, even if those scenarios were cruel and simply made out of pure paranoia.

One thing he could never wrap his head around, though, was this pull he felt towards Liam. Every time he would look at him, his worries and his worst thoughts would disappear, like a dandelion being blown out and carelessly following the breeze, free of its previous restraints.

The thought of him alone brought a small smile to Charlie's lips, his features softening as he looked at his friend running across the field, maneuvering the ball with amazing nimbleness. He couldn't help but stare, as were many of the girls. He felt that maybe, some day, he and Liam would be more than friends. It was a silly crush, he knew, but it was a crush that helped him keep trying every day.

He continued to stare – with shame – at Liam, his light tan skin glistening in the harsh sunlight, just as his dark hair did. His face was of pure concentration as he rolled the ball around, skipping next to opponents and scoring goal after goal - he looked ethereal, even in these circumstances. Charlie could not take his eyes away from the angel that was only mere feets away.

A blush crept up his neck and to his cheeks, his smile widening as he saw Liam approaching him, sweat dripping down his forehead. Charlie quickly fumbled to get him a towel to dry off, presenting it to him like a sire would a knight. Charlie was in awe; infatuated by this man.

Liam grinned and gently took it from him, rubbing his face without care and then setting it next to Charlie. This made Charlie frown. He picked the towel back up and sat up, reaching for Liam's face and gently wiping away some sweat instead of lathering it all across his face. Liam looked at him agape, a blush very evident on his light tan skin.

"T-thanks for that." He pursed his lips as he attempted to hide his smile, but in the end, he couldn't hide it. Charlie just looked at him with admiration, a look that he realized was being reciprocated by Liam.

Liam shook his head to remove himself from his trance and grinned, a grin that Charlie grew to love very much. "Wanna join us? There's a spot that opened up in the group." He pointed his thumb to the field behind him, and Charlie's eyes widened.

"Oh- oh no, it's okay uhm- I don't really wanna.." His voice trailed off as he was left tucking himself deeper into his hunched position. Though he didn't want to admit it, it was pretty clear that sports were not on his list of favourite things. He hated the slicked back hair, the sweat rolling down his shirt, the ache in his muscles, and worst of all.. the embarrassment.

"Oh- no no, it's okay! I was just asking 'cause you look a bit lonely." Liam seemed to ponder something before calling out to his team, then sat down next to Charlie. "You okay, Char? You seem a bit down in spirit."

"I'm f-fine, just.. thinking."

"Thinking about how absolutely handsome I am?" He wiggled his eyebrows before striking a pose, still grinning from ear to ear. Charlie blinked at him, flushing some more as he realized that yeah, that's exactly what he was doing. He mutters a small yes, and ducked his head under his arms to avoid confronting Liam about how absolutely handsome he was.

"Well I think you're super cute, Char. I mean- look at you. So cute." He cooed over him, then hesitated and gently brought him into a small side hug. Surprisingly, Charlie reciprocated it, smile widening as he gently laid his head against Liam's chest.

"You stink.." Charlie muttered, but didn't move. He couldn't move, too entranced by this amazing hug to let go.

"Yeah.. I know. Showers aren't very accessible right now. Did you know that one of them totally broke in the middle of a student washing himself? I swear, this school is playing with fire with its budgeting." He chuckled and moved himself away from Charlie's hug as it was getting a bit warm for the both of them. "I think I better head back, but would you.. maybe wanna go to the park after school? I heard there's uhm- this really amazing ice cream place."

Charlie simply looked at Liam, unable to formulate words. Liam took that as a sign of rejection and his smile faltered a bit. Charlie nodded his head uncontrollably as he realized this fact, smiling some more as he admired the man in front of him. "I would really like that, I think."

"Yeah? Okay then, it's a date!" Liam's eyes widened as he realized what he had just said, hand covering his mouth in fear of having made Charlie uncomfortable.

Charlie just continued smiling, resting his cheek against his arms that laid across his tucked knees. "O-okay!"

As Liam moved away, that was when Charlie had realized how much he was smiling, and how wide his smile was. He had never felt so happy in his life.

Liam really made life worth it.