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To flat 42 and a freshers week that fits us

From there, the night feels like it goes by in a flash. They move from the flat to a campus bar, where he and Kate tuck themselves in a corner and keep chatting away over some fruity cocktails that the freshers reps are giving away for free. Conversation flows easily between them and they barely notice everyone disappearing off, presumably to the club.

"Oh," Charlie says once they've both clocked that their group has gone, his eyes wide as they meet Kate's. He doesn't recognise anyone in the bar as faces from earlier, and all the second years in their bright orange tops have gone too. It's just them and some older students, probably third years, and another group in the far corner playing darts.

They've been left behind.

Then suddenly, they both start laughing, proper full on deep from within laughter that has the tables around them staring at them for a few moments. "Oh my god ."

"We might be two of the most unenthusiastic freshers ever," Kate chuckles. "I'm not even pissed off. I've had much more fun sitting chatting with you than I ever thought I'd have on my first night here."
"Me too," Charlie agrees. "Another drink and then home?"

"Sounds perfect to me, Charlie."
Charlie scans the QR code on the table and orders them both another mimosa. As Kate pops to the toilet, he texts Nick to let him know what's happened (they've been texting on and off all night, but as Nick gets progressively more pissed, the replies space out further and further) but as soon as this one goes to read, he gets a phone call mere seconds later.

He answers easily. "Hi, babe!"
"They did what ?" Nick shrills. "Who the fuck was it? I'm going to go sick. They just left you in a campus bar and didn't tell you they were moving on? Who are these absolute cunts?"

"Nick, babe, it's fine," Charlie laughs. "I'm with Kate, one of my flatmates."
There's some clattering on the other end of the phone, then suddenly Nick's voice gets louder. "It's not fucking fine, Char. That's really awful behaviour, not even asking you if you want to join."

"I think it was fairly obvious that neither of us wanted to join..."
"Char, I'm so angry," Nick interrupts. "Are you okay? Are you... is this Kate a nice person?"
"She's lovely, yeah," Charlie tells him, grinning as Kate slides back into her chair. "We're having a great time just chatting and drinking to be honest. And it's not like I won't go out this week. I'll go to the LGBT society stuff and go to, like, clubs where I know I won't hate it."

Nick sighs. "I'm still going to tell the girls that your freshers reps are awful people," he grumbles. "I'm so sorry, baby."
"For what?" Charlie asks. "You didn't do anything. And for what it's worth, Kate and I pissed ourselves laughing when we realised we were so wrapped in our little bubble that everyone had gone without us."

"If you're sure," Nick says warily, like the wonderful overprotective lug that he is. Charlie feels a rush of warmth pour into his belly when he thinks about how looked after Nick makes him feel. "I can come and find you if you want."
"I'm really fine, love," Charlie promises him. "Kate and I have said we'll have a couple more drinks here and then head home. It's only a few minutes from our block."
"Mmm." Nick sounds thoroughly unimpressed, and Charlie can't say he blames him.

It was a shitty thing for the reps to do, but he'd be lying if he said he was that surprised. Partying seems to be an integral part of the University of Leeds' freshers scene and he can see why Nick, wonderfully extroverted Nick who can talk to anyone and charm them in an instant, would have thrived during this time. It's different for him, hence his flat choice, and even though he likes clubbing well enough, it's definitely not something he's built for a week of.

In fact, he could tell from the moment he walked into that flat that they weren't his people. Nobody made much of an effort to come and speak to him aside from the rep, and he'd fallen into conversation so naturally with Kate once they'd started talking that he wasn't interested in attempting to make forced conversation about where he was from or what course he's studying with anyone else.

He's absolutely fine, pretty content, even, and he reassures Nick of this again before Nick tells him he loves him and goes back to his own night out. Charlie snorts to himself as he hangs up the phone, then apologises to Kate for taking so long.
"My boyfriend," he explains. "He's been here a year already and half his house are freshers reps, so he wants a full report on why ours left us behind. He's livid."

Kate snorts. "I'm not surprised. Imagine if we hadn't found one another and we were just left to our own devices." She drains the last of her drink in front of her. "I know uni is meant to be the time of your life and stuff, but I had a feeling I'd struggle with the culture of it all a bit."
"Same, which is why I'm grateful we've got the little flat."

"God, same," Kate says. "And I'm glad I've met you, Charlie. You're exactly the kind of person I hoped I'd end up living with."
"Same," Charlie agrees happily, then raises his fresh glass of cider and clinks it against Kate's.

"To flat 42 and a freshers week that fits us."
"To us." Kate raises her own, and beams. "Let's hope the other two are as much fun as we are."
Call it drunken optimism or naivety, but in that moment, Charlie has a good feeling that they will be. He's sure of it.