𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭, charlie conway

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 | the morning after

     THE TIRED BUT NONETHELESS content teens arrive home to the Nelson apartment, disparaging amounts of snow in their hair and on their coats. Though the lights are dimmed, Donna has waited up for them, and all she needs to see is them coming in freezing to discern that Charlie would not be walking home that night — no matter how close he lived.

Carrie and Chris walk ahead to their respective bedrooms, promptly needing a break from each other. They don't even want to get into the events of the evening with their mother. But as anyone would expect, Charlie and Crystal linger long enough for Donna to say something.

Charlie takes his suit jacket back from Crystal, promptly pulling her to him in an attempt to warm her up, her hands were like ice. Still sleepy from the trek home, she sighs and relaxes into him again.

"How was the dance?" Donna asks eagerly.
"It was magical, mommy." Crystal speaks in a way that showed everything she felt. After all, she was the type to wear her heart on her sleeve.

"Let me tell you Miss Donna, Crystal was the life of the party. She refused to leave the dance floor." Charlie explains. "I know I had a great time, did you Crystal?"
"The best time." She replies.
"That's great to hear... what about your brother and sister?" Donna prods, trying to figure out why her older children were behaving so strangely.
"They had fun. Something must have happened, 'cause Chrissy was pulling us out early but we were having s'much fun."
Donna processes the information slowly, distracted by the image of her daughter and her best friend's son cozied up together in their fancy clothes. She found it adorable.

"Alright Crystal, I should be heading out now... besides, it is way past our bedtimes."
Donna knew Charlie said "our bedtimes" rather than "your bedtime" for a reason — he never wanted to make Crystal feel different. That's why Donna had always known he would be the one for her youngest child. But despite the kindness of his comment, she knows it would be utterly irresponsible to let him out in that cold. Not to mention Casey had said to keep him overnight due to her identical concerns.

"Your mom wants you to stay here, Charlie. She was going to wait and then take you home but she left before it got too bad."
"Really? And that's okay with you?" Charlie questions.
"Of course it's okay with me, my second son." Donna's comment makes Crystal giggle.
"...Is Chris okay with this?"
"I'm his mother, so believe me when I say he's okay with this. He has to be."

Within a few minutes, things were settling down. Chris was already out like a light from the stress of the evening and Donna had finished preparing the couch for Charlie to sleep on (and was now getting ready for bed herself), which left the girls and Charlie brushing their teeth in the bathroom — Charlie having found a spare toothbrush under the sink. Crystal thought it was very silly to watch other people brush their teeth, so she couldn't stop laughing. Carrie had to spit out to tell her she could choke if she kept on giggling with toothpaste in her mouth. Charlie found it hard to smile with a toothbrush in his mouth though that was his instinctual reaction.

Before Crystal can run away, Carrie has to grab her and wash the makeup off her face. Crystal hated using a washcloth on her face because she found it to be abrasive, but because Carrie was being gentle and Charlie was right there, she wasn't going to throw a fit.

"Great, Charlie's gonna see me be ugly now" is the only obstinate comment Crystal can muster, but it doesn't work. All she gets is a dissatisfied Charlie crossing his arms in his white undershirt and boxers.

"You were very pretty with your makeup on, but you're always pretty to me."
Crystal just smiles at him, knowing she doesn't want to have to leave him, even if it would only be going up the hall. Something about being aware she would wake up the next morning not knowing Charlie and unable to remember an evening she would call the greatest in her life equally upset and terrified her. Charlie could see it in her eyes despite the smile on her lips.