The evening they spend at Nick's with both their sets of housemates is one of Charlie's favourite nights... maybe ever.
He can't remember a time he's laughed this hard, right from the moment he walks in to see a flustered Nick making a careful list of everyone's Chinese orders on a notepad like a disgruntled dad. He takes one look at him from the hallway as he kicks off his shoes and immediately dissolves into giggles.
"Hi, darling."
"Someone has written egg fried rice twice on my list!" Nick shrills by way of greeting. "Are we getting four portions or five?" He flings the pen down dramatically onto the kitchen counter. "Let's start again."
"Sorry about him," Charlie mutters to Kate and Polly as they shed their coats. He hangs them on the bannister. "He's always like this when we order food for more than just me and him.""It's cute," Polly says, then immediately retracts her statement once Nick starts shrieking at Ben to clarify if he wants crispy chicken or chunky chicken in sweet and sour sauce. "Okay, damn."
"I promise he's normal," Charlie insists, sliding into the kitchen where he sidles up to Nick and wraps one arm around his middle. "Sweetheart? Wanna introduce the girls to your friends?"Nick sighs and kisses him on the crown of his head. "Sorry, baby. I put you down for a veggie chow mein and some prawn toasts, is that...?"
" Nick," Charlie laughs, pinching the skin just above Nick's belly button through his t-shirt. "Introductions please."Nick sighs again and then turns to Kate and Polly with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, ladies. This is Ben and over here we have Holly."
"Hi Holly, I'm Polly." Polly strolls across the kitchen and shakes both their hands, which makes them both look a bit bewildered.
"And I'm Kate," Kate says from the doorway, offering them a wave instead. "Nice to meet you."
"Hiya, Charlie!" Charlie spins and sees Manrika trundling down the stairs in her dressing gown and slippers. "Sorry, I know I don't look my best but I'm knackered. ""Hi," Charlie beams at her and accepts her proffered hug. "This is Polly and this is Kate."
"Hello! Welcome," she says, then pulls Kate into a cuddle of her own. "I'm Manrika." To Charlie, she stage-whispers, " Is this one in full control freak takeaway mode?"
"Yes," Charlie whispers back, then schools his face to something very serious as Nick pouts at him."I love you very much despite it, Nick."
"Despite it?" Nick sighs again. "It's a big responsibility ordering a takeaway for this many people, I will have you know." He hands the menu over to Kate. "Let me know what you want and I'll add it to the list, yeah?"
Eventually, everyone makes it into the kitchen and lists their order on Nick's notepad and, once Nick has reread the order out loud in full (twice), he bustles out of there and closes the door behind him so he can ring it in.
"I don't know why we don't just use UberEats," Charlie complains for the thousandth time, watching his boyfriend pace up and down through the stained glass of the kitchen door. "He's worse than my mum."
"Poor Nick," Harry titters, slinging his arm over Manrika's shoulder. He's still wearing his work uniform, and Manrika wrinkles her nose.
"You smell like chip fat."
"And the fact that you two are doing this now is still so weird, " Ben says. He turns to Polly and Kate. "They've only been official, like, two days."
Both Manrika and Harry scoff. "It's been blatantly obvious since before the summer, I think.""You would think that," Claire says as she uncorks a bottle of wine. "Rosé, anyone?"
"Food's ordered," Nick says as he reappears through the door. "Should be about forty-five minutes."
"Perfect," Charlie says, sidestepping back into Nick's space, then he makes a happy little sound as Nick's arms curl around his middle. "What film do you guys wanna watch?"
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Music sounds better with you
RomanceCharlie's not long turned 18, and he promised Nick ages ago that they'd go together for his first time clubbing. Always over-cautious when it comes to Charlie, Nick had immediately agreed, insisting they use it as an excuse for Charlie to come up an...