Charlie woke up to the sensation of a tongue working its way around his feet, making him curl his toes and giggle.
His first thought was that it was Scott, maybe, trying to break it to him gently that he had a foot fetish, but then he realized Scott’s arm was around him.
“I assume that’s a dog,” Charlie said aloud right as he came to that conclusion.
Beside him, Scott sat up on the bed. The licking stopped immediately.
“What have I told you about that?” Scott said. The sound of paws on the floorboards trailed around to Scott’s side of the bed, and then the sound of licking started again.
“Quit it,” Scott said, but he didn’t seem particularly concerned.
Tired as he was, Charlie forced himself to sit up, looking over to see Scott with Fluffy’s head in his lap.
“I thought that was you for a second,” Charlie admitted. “Could’ve been kinda hot if it was.”
Scott raised an eyebrow.
“What? I’m just saying that I’m willing to experiment with whatever you’re into.”
Scott chuckled, petting Fluffy’s enormous head.
He glowed in the morning. His hair was a mess, his eyelids were heavy, but everything about him was so soft and wonderful.
Charlie was going to fall in love with him. Maybe he was already in love with him.
It was hard to imagine not falling for him. Scott was the sweetest man Charlie had ever known, and somehow, he wanted to spend time with Charlie.
That was amazing.
Unable to help himself, Charlie leaned over and kissed Scott, on the cheek first, but then on the lips, humming happily to himself as Scott kissed back, putting just a little extra pressure into it.
If Charlie hadn’t absolutely needed to be at the library in half an hour, nothing on Earth would have stopped him from climbing into Scott’s lap and getting them both off.
As it was, he’d overslept, and now he needed to go before he had the chance to show Scott how sexy he was in the morning.
Charlie clambered over Scott’s legs, neatly avoiding Fluffy as he got up off the bed, still kissing Scott as he climbed over him.
It was hard to stop kissing him. Everything about him made Charlie want to take a week off so he could just explore Scott’s whole body, inch by inch, make sure he memorized everything.
He felt stupid for wanting that, but he wanted it anyway.
This was more than the thrill of a new relationship, and Charlie knew it. Scott was important to him.
The thought that Scott might have been the person he was looking for—as in the person, the one person—was terrifying, but exciting all the same.
“You leaving?” Scott asked, disappointment in his voice.
“I’m sorry,” Charlie said, grabbing his underwear from the floor. He only needed to go in for an hour or so to supervise while other people counted the books on the shelves, so they could deal with yesterday’s clothes.
He’d fully intended to get up early, but Scott had worn him out.
“How are you?” he asked, pausing at the side of the bed. He couldn’t just run away. He needed to know that Scott was okay with everything that had happened between them so far.
“Uh. Fine? Kinda sleepy,” Scott said.
“You’re okay with your sex life suddenly involving twice as much dick?” Charlie asked. He was worried that Scott was going to freak out, decide he’d had enough of this, back out before everyone found out that they’d been together.
Charlie would have been devastated, but he would have kept Scott’s secret. He knew how confronting, how scary being out could be for some people.
Generally, Hope Springs was a great place to be gay. But not everyone moved in knowing that. People had baggage. They had pasts.
Charlie got the impression that Scott had a little of that. He might not even have realized he did, but he seemed to be coming out of his shell now.
It was beautiful to watch, and Charlie wanted to see it all the way through. He wanted to hold hands with Scott at Pride next summer.
Baby steps. They needed to get past this first hurdle before they could do that.
“I’m fine,” Scott said, frowning in confusion. “Should I not be? I guess maybe you’re expecting… regrets, or something, but I’m just not feeling anything like that. At all. I’m… happy. Except for the part where you’re leaving.”
“I wouldn’t leave unless I absolutely had to.” Charlie pulled the t-shirt he’d been wearing under his sweater back on.
He was glad he’d decided to dress down for their date. Having Scott accept him, even when he wasn’t wearing one of his usually neater, better-fitted work outfits, meant a lot.
All Charlie had ever wanted was someone to love him for who he was. Soft and sweet. Kind of a nerd. Not necessarily as into fitted jeans and polished shoes as he made it look like he was at work.
Someone who could see all of him and still like it.
Scott felt like that someone.
“When can I see you again?” Scott asked, playing with Fluffy’s ear.
Charlie’s heart skipped. The question was so simple, but so meaningful. Scott wanted to see him again.
Scott had done all the asking so far. Charlie wasn’t sure why he was still worried.
“Well, my mom told me to invite you to a family dinner, but we always have lunch together on Sundays, so I’m inviting you to that. That is, uh… if that’s something you want to do? I know it’s a little soon for a meet-the-family thing…”
Charlie chewed on his lip, unsure if he’d done the right thing. He didn’t want Scott to feel forced, but he did want to see him as soon as possible.
As soon as possible was tomorrow, since Charlie knew that even though he was only supposed to be at the library for a few hours, he’d still be there at midnight, somehow.
“I’d love that, actually,” Scott said. “Your mom seems cool, and I already know Owen and Jude, so…”
“That just leaves Riley, but he won’t be there this week,” Charlie said.
He was starting to miss his older brother, but Riley would come back eventually. He always did. Sometimes it just took him six months or so.
“Riley’s your oldest brother, right?”
“Yeah, right. I told you, didn’t I? Owen’s the middle one. Riley’s… actually, I think you’ll like him. He’s, uh. He’s a little odd, but he’s a good man.”
Scott nodded thoughtfully, apparently taking that information in. “An acquired taste, you said. So you’re the baby of the family?”
“I’m not a baby,” Charlie defended automatically. He’d heard that a lot as a kid, and while he’d accepted that it was the trade-off for being the spoiled youngest, he still didn’t like being thought of as anything less than entirely capable.
“I know.” Scott smiled at him. “But you are cute.”
“I can’t stay,” Charlie said. He was regretting that more and more by the moment. The temptation to call in sick was strong, but if this didn’t get done today, it’d just be pushed back until next weekend.
He didn’t need it hanging over him until then. Most of his job was great, the part where he spent a whole day counting and re-cataloguing books was less so.
“I know. I wish you could, but I know you can’t,” Scott said. “Can I have another kiss before you go?”
Charlie smiled slowly, leaning in to peck Scott on the lips. “You can stay over tomorrow, if you want. Or I can come home with you.”
“Come home with me,” Scott said. “That way, we won’t have to be quiet.”
Charlie beamed at him, a tiny knot of excitement forming in his stomach. He was eager to do this again. Scott had been amazing in bed, whether or not he realized it. He’d been so responsive, so ready to try new things.
“Tomorrow.” Charlie threw his sweater over his head, pulling on his jeans and grabbing his discarded socks and shoes on the way toward the bedroom door. If he was going to be anything like on time, he needed to leave right now.
“Tomorrow,” Scott promised. “But I’m gonna text you all day.”
The thought of that made Charlie’s heart clench. Scott seemed so into him, in a way he wasn’t used to. All his past relationships seemed extremely casual in comparison.
Maybe that was just what Scott was like. Intense.
Charlie didn’t mind at all.
“Not if I text you first,” he said, closing the bedroom door on his way out into the hallway.
The task ahead of him was boring, but the thought of Scott was enough to get him through it.