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Nick used to be pretty neutral towards parties. He liked seeing his mates outside of school and there was usually some drama to have a laugh about. But the music was often obnoxiously loud and all the sweaty bodies pressed against one another made him feel claustrophobic. Nick would start out having fun but end up seriously overwhelmed and strangely lonely. He liked chatting with everyone, but parties often got so intense he couldn’t even just be with his friends.
Parties were still pretty chaotic, but now he got to go with Charlie Spring, so they were about 10 times more enjoyable. Really, Charlie made everything better, but parties in particular. Even if they weren’t his boyfriend’s favourite thing in the world, he would go just for Nick, and that knowledge alone made his stomach warm and his face hot. Charlie would put up with being in a room full of people he didn’t like, with music blasting and the smell of cheap alcohol in the air, just to spend time with Nick. Him. Regular old Nick Nelson. What he had done in life to deserve to love someone as wonderful as Charlie Spring, he would never know, but he was eternally grateful for it.
Now parties meant holding tight to Charlie’s hand so they wouldn't get lost in the crowd and making terrible drinks to force the other to try. They meant sneaking off to empty corners of the house to talk properly or make out. They meant watching the colour rise in Charlie’s cheeks after a few drinks and teasing him for being a lightweight. They meant kissing those cheeks and making them redden further, the flush of his skin making his blue eyes glitter in the dark.
Best of all was when they would get separated, just for a little bit. Because it meant Nick would be able to find Charlie again, and pick him out of the mass of people. Very rarely did Nick get the chance to just happen upon Charlie unexpectedly because they were so often together. If the pair wasn’t together, then they were usually planning on when they would next see the other. But at a party, Nick got the delightful opportunity to see Charlie out of the corner of his eye, simply existing. He could watch him for a moment. It was a captivating sight, Charlie at a party. He would smile so shyly when around anyone besides his closest friends, and he would always duck his head in the same way, letting his dark curls cover any lingering embarrassment he felt. Even better was when he was really engaged in a conversation, his eyes bright and hands waving about as he explained something. Charlie had beautiful hands. They even looked elegant wrapped around a red solo cup.
Nick would always just watch until Charlie spotted him. Because of course, Charlie’s reaction was at least half the fun. Tonight, he was talking to Darcy, his face crinkling in a laugh. He had the most wonderful laugh in the world—so kind and true, with just a hint of awkwardness that made it perfectly adorable. Charlie saw him mid-laugh and stopped, as if all the air had whooshed from his lungs at the mere sight of him. He looked almost shocked for a second, like he couldn’t believe that Nick was here even though he had been the one to drive them. And then his face split into a grin, lighting up the dingy room and bringing the sunrise about 7 hours too early. Nick had to touch him.
The older boy pushed his way across the room, dodging drunken teenagers and terrible dancing. Nick slid an arm around Charlie's waist when he reached him, tugging the smaller boy into his side. Charlie smiled up at him, his eyes soft as he peered through his long lashes. "Hi," he said shyly.
"Hi," Nick flirted. "Fancy seeing you here."
"Dork," Charlie replied with a roll of his eyes, though he looked pleased to see him.
"Didn't realise you were too good for me these days, Charles Spring," Nick said with exaggerated offence.
"Oh you didn't hear?" Charlie teased. "I'm the cool one in this relationship now."
"Well, as long as we're still together, I suppose I'll…"
Darcy cut him off with a fake retching noise, and Nick blushed guiltily, feeling bad that he had partially forgotten she was there. Though based on the glazed look on her face, she wasn't particularly offended. "If you two are going to be this gay, I'm going to find Tara."
"I thought you'd encourage such behaviour," Charlie joked.
"Not unless I can do it too," she pouted. "I refuse to be out gayed."
Charlie laughed, and Nick found his eyes inexplicably drawn to his mouth. His lips were a brighter red than normal, most likely from the fruity concoction he was drinking. His tongue was dyed red too, and it made Nick want to suck on it.
Woah there.
Maybe he had more to drink than he thought. He and Charlie were affectionate in public, but definitely not to that extent. They'd need to sneak off somewhere. His eyes went wide at the thought, scandalising himself, and he swallowed back a noise at the thought of proposing such a thing to Charlie.
"Oh my god." Darcy pretended to gag.
Nick blinked in surprise, coming back to the present moment to see Charlie smirking knowingly at him, while Darcy rolled her eyes. "That's it, I'm finding my girlfriend. I recommend you two find a room."
Nick spluttered at the accusation, but Darcy held up her hand to stop any excuses. "No, no, don't let me get in the way of young love."
Charlie laughed again, and Nick shook himself away from the distraction to cry indignantly, "We're the same age!"
She walked off dramatically, nose in the air as if she had been personally slighted before turning back around to give them a parting cheeky grin and wave. Nick shook his head at her antics—he really didn’t know how he kept himself entertained before becoming friends with people as funny as Darcy and Charlie and Tao.
He turned to see his boyfriend looking at him, the smile lingering on his face though it had changed somehow. It looked a little more… mischievous, perhaps was the word. And then Nick Nelson realised he had Charlie Spring all to himself. And he was looking at him like—
That.
Charlie used to absolutely despise parties. They were overstimulating in the worst possible way, and his social anxiety made him feel like everything he did was wrong—from his laugh to the way he held his drink. But Nick enjoyed the occasional party and Charlie really couldn't say no to him. It's not like he'd turned into some part animal. He just really liked the look of delight that overtook Nick's face whenever he agreed to go with him—like it was that first time, before they were together, and Nick had asked him to go to Harry's party, desperate for his friend.
Charlie would do just about anything for Nick, and that included putting up with crappy music blaring in his ears and overcoming his anxiety of being in a crowd of teenagers. Besides, he got to drink, and lean against Nick and flirt enough to make him all flustered, and just act like a normal teenager. If they got separated, Charlie didn't have to worry because now, somewhere in that foreboding crowd was Nick Nelson, who would swim through that sea of people just to get to him. It was almost like he was a lighthouse, a quiet beacon that would draw Nick home and guide him safely through the chaos of it all. They seemed to be drawn to each other like magnets. He knew Nick would always find him, so he had taken to sneaking off during parties just so he could wait until his boyfriend would spot him, and Charlie could watch him out of the corner of his eye. Nick always paused to stare at him for a moment, a slightly stunned look on his face, as if Charlie were some magnificent sight he had stumbled upon. It always made his heart beat quickly in his chest, a resounding sound even louder than the music.
Deeper than that though, was this warm feeling of love and happiness that came from the knowledge that Nick would always look for him, that he would choose to spend his time with Charlie when all of his friends were right there. A small voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Tao made a joke about a loyal pup who always finds his way home, he shoved it aside to focus on the look in Nick’s eyes. Everything about the older boy radiated warmth—from the rosy colour of his cheeks and full lips to the glowing brown of his eyes to his honey red hair. He was bright like a fire, but not one that was consuming. More like a smouldering fire that still kept him warm on a winter night. Right now though, his normally shining eyes looked a little darker, burning black like embers of coal. Charlie felt the smirk on his face deepen, and he leaned up to kiss the skin behind his ear, then watched in delight as Nick’s ear turned red.
“Hey,” Charlie whispered, before kissing the shell of his ear.
“H-hi,” Nick replied shakily.
“The garden should be empty by now.” He watched Nick’s Adam's apple bob in his throat as he swallowed.
“Oh?” Nick said, slightly distracted as he shifted their position so he could clutch him closer to his body and bury his face in Charlie’s hair. “What are you proposing?”
Charlie nuzzled further into his chest, and he could hear Nick’s rapid heartbeat through his cotton shirt. “Well,” he answered casually. “It’s a bit loud in here. Maybe we could go there and… talk?”
Nick pulled back just enough to give him a sceptical look. “Just talk?”
“Do you not find my conversation stimulating Nicolas?” Charlie gasped in mock offence. Nick opened his mouth, likely to make some joke about ‘other stimulating things they could do,’ but Charlie quickly covered his mouth with his hand. “Don’t say it!”
“Say what?” Nick asked once he removed his hand, pretending to be shocked. “Charles Spring, did you think I would make a sex joke? You absolute deviant.”
“Enough you,” he grumbled. “Race you to the garden?”
Before Nick could reply, he was off like a shot, dashing towards the door and shoving through the throng of people without a care in the world. He could hear Nick shouting after him and laughed, high and free. He made it to the back garden a few moments before his boyfriend, collapsing on a small bench as he caught his breath. Nick came out after him, panting with his hands on his knees. “You are too quick for your own good. It goes against the laws of science.”
“You’re just a sore loser,” Charlie said, sticking his tongue out childishly.
Nick flicked his tongue with his finger, and Charlie let out an indignant noise. The older boy chuckled to himself before joining him on the bench. Charlie leaned into him, and Nick wrapped an arm around his bony shoulders, encouraging the smaller boy to collapse against him. They sat like that for a while, letting the excitement from the party cool in their blood. “So, talking?” Nick asked at last, breaking the silence.
“Hmm,” Charlie hummed noncommittally, letting his eyes close as he slumped against his boyfriend.
Nick kissed the crown of his head. “Or we could not talk.”
Charlie made a small sound of agreement then cupped his cheek and captured his lips with his own. Nick kissed him back enthusiastically, a sloppy rush of lips on lips and hot breath and fumbling hands. Charlie pulled back to catch his breath, laughing and half in a daze. “Nick, you are drunk! I can taste it on you.”
“I don’t know how you could even tell, ’cause all I taste is whatever drink Darcy made you. You’re worse off than I am,” Nick accused, though he was laughing too.
“But I’m not driving,” Charlie declared, his speech slightly slurred, and then he kissed Nick again, just because he could.
Nick kissed him back hard, pulling away just to say, “Neither am I, Michael volunteered,” before falling against him in another kiss. Charlie let him guide their motions, his own limbs feeling slightly strange and heavy. Nick gasped for air, and Charlie thunked his head against him, meaning for it to be romantic but it ended up mildly painful.
“Ow!” Nick complained, and it made Charlie giggle.
“Why are we like this?” Charlie asked, but Nick just kissed him some more. He missed and kissed his chin instead, and that made them both laugh.
They sat there together in the stillness of the night—laughing and kissing and talking because they were young and in love and a little drunk. Nick looked at Charlie like he hung the moon, and Charlie smiled at Nick as if he were the sun itself. The music blasting from the party could still be heard in the garden, a muffled noise that somehow made their moment alone all the more special. Charlie could live in this moment forever, and the feel of Nick’s lips on his own made him feel like he did. He might not love parties, but he did love Nick Nelson, and a small naïve part of him knew that he always would.