Usually Charlie doesn't stay over at Finn's. Usually it feels like too close to letting people know that they're more than friends. But this time when Charlie wakes he's tangled up in Finn's duvet, the other boy sleeping peacefully beside him.
Charlie vaguely remembers falling asleep whilst watching a movie with Finn last night and guesses that Finn just didn't want to wake him but now he's in Finn's apartment and it appears he's going to have to entertain himself until Finn wakes up.
Charlie heads to the kitchen.
He's never been particularly skilled in the kitchen but he does have some capability. His father was never the most domestic person and so Charlie learned to fend for himself. And when pot noodles or beans on toast became a bit bland he actually learned to cook. Simple things like pasta at first; working his way up until he could actually make a proper meal that required some skill.
And so Charlie sets to work making pancakes.
It's the smell of them that wakes Finn from his slumber. He stumbles into the kitchen bleary eyed, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers slung low on his hips.
"G'morning," he says, still sounding half asleep.
Charlie can hardly breathe, looking at Finn is slightly like looking directly into the sun and Charlie can feel himself burning from the inside out.
But the pancakes are at risk of burning too and so he quickly tears his gaze away. Allows Finn to try and wake himself up as Charlie puts the pancakes onto plates and sets the table.
"You didn't have to make breakfast," Finn tells Charlie even as his stomach rumbles.
"I wanted to," Charlie answers simply.
Smiles are shared. Pancakes are eaten. And when Charlie's phone begins to ring it takes him a moment to realise that he's supposed to answer it.
"You gonna get that?"
Charlie is snapped out of his daze and grabs the phone, spots that it's Matthew's name flashing up on the screen.
"Hey Matty," Charlie says, sounding somewhat nervous.
Matthew rarely rings. The two of them Skype once a week, and occasionally they text in between, but there's never any real need for a phone call so this is unusual to say the least.
"Hi Charlie," Matthew replies, "what are you doing right not?"
"I'm just hanging out with a friend."
"Any plans for today?"
Charlie has plans to attempt an essay, to kiss Finn, but not much more than that.
"Not really," Charlie admits, "just some bits and bobs."
"Good, cause you have plans now."
"I do?"
"I'm five minutes away."
"From where?"
"You, idiot," Matthew says sighing slightly, "who are you with? Will they mind me showing up cause I'll just meet you there if not."
"I'm at Finn's," Charlie says slowly.
"Finn's?" Matthew repeats. "As in Finn from back home? As in Finn who used to be my best friend?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. Wow. You guys are friends now?"
"Yeah."
"Will he mind me coming round?"
Charlie quickly covers the phone and asks the question, unsure of what he wants Finn's reply to be.
