Music sounds better with you

We're engaged

It's a struggle to manhandle Nick down the little steps and into the other room, but it's easy enough to spot Kate and Polly because Polly catches their eye straight away and shoots them a thumbs up. Satisfied, Charlie moves them back to the dancefloor and goes back to balancing his full drink and his boisterous boyfriend as he tries to twerk to Lizzo.

It's quite the sight.

It doesn't take long for Polly to join them again, claiming she knew where she wasn't wanted and Kate knew exactly what she wanted. After a while, she disappears off herself, having spotted a couple of people she recognises from back home who summon her over, and not long after that, Pete opts to go home.

"I've got work tomorrow anyway, but more importantly, I think I'm cramping your style."
"Stay," Nick yells, dropping Charlie and moving over to pull Pete into a bear hug. "Come dance."
Pete laughs as he hugs him back, then gently pushes him away, then he pulls Charlie into a quick hug.

"I know you don't need me to tell you this, but see he gets to bed safely, will you?"
Charlie nods. "Oh, I will. I'm not letting him out of my sight for the rest of the evening."
With a thumbs up and a clap to Charlie's back, Pete disappears off, and then there were two.

Nick wastes no time in crowding him up against a pillar and cupping his face again. He's really sweaty and his hands are clammy, but his smile is wide and happy, so much so that his eyes practically disappear.

Charlie loves him so much.

"Kiss me," he demands, and Nick closes the gap between them with a messy snog. Once again, Charlie knows it's highly inappropriate for their current setting, but he can't bring himself to stop it, not when he's also a bit drunk and feeling rather possessive.

Nick Nelson, rugby captain and someone who is very vocally bisexual , left his own social early to come and snog him in a gay club. There's a private kind of honour to that that Charlie fucking loves.

He knows they probably look hot together, so he shouldn't be surprised when a stranger taps them on the shoulder, and when they break apart, Charlie can see a glint in his eyes that he doesn't much like.

"Hi," the boy says. He's probably older than Charlie, probably in Nick's year, and he's got a hungry look on his face. "Are you interested in taking on a third?"
"Absolutely not," Charlie tells him sharply. "Please don't touch either of us."

"Oh, come on," the stranger says, then slides his hand down to the small of Nick's back. "You're both stunning and I think a third would fit in here so nicely."

Nick flinches away like he's been burned. "Go away," he mumbles, with a little less fire than Charlie would like, to be honest, but he's also struggling to keep his eyes open. "Not today, weirdo."

"Another day then?" the guy tries.

"We're engaged ," Nick tells him, the ferocity of his frown creasing up his entire face. Charlie's mouth drops to the floor. "We are engaged to be married and we are not looking for a third. Kindly fuck off."

"Neither of you are wearing a ring," the bloke hums. "You look fair game to me."
"Well, we aren't!" Nick shouts, and stamps his foot. His grip on Charlie is so tight that it almost brings his feet off the floor. "Goodbye, strange man."

Charlie would almost feel bad for the guy if the word engaged wasn't circling around his head, like a cartoon character bonked with a mallet. Nick's happy to chase away people who try it on in clubs by telling people they're engaged now, which means he's probably thought about it outside of being a messy little drunkard.
Holy shit. Engaged. Engaged to Nick Nelson.

Wow.

This time, it's him that pulls Nick into a wholly inappropriate snog, one that lasts too long and not long enough at the same time. Nick's tongue isn't the most coordinated and they end up pulling apart because he stumbles again, but Charlie doesn't care.

They're going to get married someday.

"I love you more than dogs and the peanut butter Kit Kat Chunkys and also my bed," Nick tells him very seriously. "You are the best thing in the whole entire world. I would die for you."
"That's dramatic," Charlie giggles. He stumbles a bit as Nick loses his footing again on the small step but he manages to keep them both upright. "Woah, babe. Steady on."
"I don't wanna," Nick says, then he yawns. "I'm tired and I think I'm horny."

"Christ," Charlie mutters. "I don't think you'll get much luck here tonight, love. Do you wanna go home?"
"Time s'it?"
Charlie checks his phone. "It's almost 3am. Let's get you home."

Nick grips him tighter. "You're coming with me, yeah? You're not going back to halls?"

Charlie falters for a second. He doesn't actually know Nick's address off the top of his head, and while he could ring Manrika or Harry, he doesn't know if they are out or even if they're asleep. He shakes his head.

"You're coming with me to my flat," he tells Nick, lacing their hands together. "You haven't stayed around mine yet."
"But we can't shag in a single bed," Nick whines, loud and brash enough for Charlie to slap a hand over his mouth. "What?"
"Shut up," Charlie laughs.

He knocks his forehead against Nick's shoulder. He's very sweaty and Charlie wrinkles his nose as he pulls back and his forehead is damp. "First of all, we can, and have, shagged in a single bed. Secondly, you're going to fall asleep the second you get on the bed, you mark my words."
"That is incorrect," Nick slurs. "I am going to make you feel so good, you'll be begging for me to..."
"Are we interrupting?" Polly asks, appearing from seemingly nowhere. Nick's face goes redder than his hair. "Sorry if we are."
"It's fine." Charlie bites his lip to hide his laughter. "I'm thinking I might take this one home, if you want to share a cab."

Polly nods. "Yeah, I'm happy to leave. Have you seen Kate?"
"Um," Charlie says sheepishly. "No, sorry. I've been babysitting this one."
"I don't need a babysitter," Nick says, pouting. "I am very capable of looking after myself on a night out."
"Yeah?" Charlie cups his face in his hands. "What's your address, babe?"
Nick lets out a long exhale. "I don't fucking know."

"He's coming back with us," Charlie tells Polly again. "Come on, let's find Kate."