abyss ↣ joe sugg au

forty four

[Trigger Warning: mentions of depression/suicide]

When Charlotte got back to the flat, she was ready to throw herself into bed and cry for a decade. Instead, she raised her eyebrows in amusement as she saw the living room was full of lazing bodies. Tyler and Troye were cooing over Caspar on the rug, and a dark-haired girl Charlotte had never seen before was clutching at her stomach as she laughed at the three of them. Alfie was spread out on the double-seater and Zoe appeared to be plucking his eyebrows and Joe was sat on the one-seater, his glasses upon his nose.

Everyone stopped to look at Charlotte as she let out a chuckle. 

"Cinders!" Caspar yelled, ditching his lovers to greet Charlotte at the door. "Nice of you to join the party."

"Get out my house." Charlotte joked, nudging Caspar in the ribs. 

"But then who would be your entertainment? Unless you wanted to see the many magic tricks Bob the Builder over there can do with his hammer." Caspar winked at Joe, who seemed to be wearing dungarees, having to dodge a pillow afterwards.

Zoe and Alfie greeted her next, wrapping her in a hug from both sides and she could only chuckle as she mumbled a good to see you.

She was then being pushed to the floor by a happily engaged couple, giggling and screaming in protest as she went. They were all chuckling by the time Troye and Tyler rolled off her and she was left a breathless mess on the floor. 

"Hi." It was innocent and accompanied by a pair of blue eyes above her. She just let out a disbelieving laugh before Joe peppered her face in kisses and helped her onto his lap on the armchair. 

"This is Bethany by the way, she's the reason I'm gay." Troye ruffled Bethany's hair and she swatted him away, causing Troye to squeal. 

Charlotte snorted into the back of her hand before giving a little wave. 

It was such a nice surprise. All thoughts of her Mother and Joe's letter were suppressed to the back of her mind and she had this warm feeling in her chest as she watched her friends laugh with each other. 

The night was one of the best Charlotte's had in ages. They played the stupid games you'd play at teenage parties and laughed until their cheeks started to ache with it. Zoe and Alfie were staying at a hotel down the road, planning on staying a week. Troye was letting Bethany put mascara on him, claiming it was practice for the wedding despite Tyler's protests. Caspar's face was already covered in make-up and he was currently lying on the floor, dragging his finger over his cheek and going cross-eyed as he looked at it. 

Charlotte must of fallen asleep eventually though, because she was being nudged in her ribs and her eyelids were heavy and she was warm everywhere and the lounge was silent and dark. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, before she realized she was on Joe's lap in the armchair and he was wide awake beneath her.

"What time is it?" Charlotte grumbled, burrowing back into Joe's neck in protest. 

"Five." 

"Why are we awake?" Charlotte yawned and Joe chuckled causing her whole body to vibrate and she shushed him with a hand on his chest. 

"I want to go somewhere. Like we used too." Joe whispered into Charlotte's ear and her heart fluttered in her chest at the idea. 

She nodded but they stayed there for a few more minutes, her hand rising as Joe's heart beat in his chest. A smile played across her lips as she looked around the wreckage of their living room, she probably should of felt regretful or disheartened that she'd have to tidy it later. Instead, she just felt warm. She couldn't help but feel as though nights like last night should of been the ones she should of had when she was younger, that the littered living rooms and empty bottles should be the ones clogging up her memories of the past. Zoe and Alfie were curled under the sofa blanket on the double-seater, Caspar and Bethany were a tangled mess of limbs in the centre of the living room and Joe soon informed her that he'd let Troye and Tyler have their bedroom.