Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One: A lucky break and a complete mess

Nick Nelson looked up from the job adverts in the local paper when he heard the door of the cafe open.

“Morning, Elle.”

“Hey, Nick,” Elle replied warmly as she manoeuvred her sons’ double pushchair through to her usual table in the corner. She always liked to sit by the bay window, which afforded views of Alexandra Park and Bath Abbey in the distance. 

“Your usual?”

“Yes, please.”

Nick started making a double-shot skinny oat mocha and placed an apple and raspberry muffin on a plate. When he brought them over, Elle had one of her year-old twins on her lap while the other slept in the pushchair.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks Nick. One of these days I must get the recipe for these from you. I can’t believe they’re low-sugar.”

“If you ever have the time to bake, juggling these two,” he replied, "it's yours.”

Elle laughed, and tossed her leonine mane of thick, chocolate-brown corkscrew curls a little so it fell out of reach of her son who was reaching out to tug it.

“Chance would be a fine thing! These two have a busier social life than I do!”

In response to his mother’s chuckle, the baby grinned at her before turning his smile to Nick.

“Hello, little man,” Nick murmured, stroking the baby’s smattering of tiny, black-brown curls. “Is this Dylan?”

“Jonah.” Elle grinned and kissed Jonah’s head. He giggled and reached for her muffin. She broke off a piece and handed it to him. 

“Glad you like that, Jonah,” Nick said to the baby as he jammed the morsel into his mouth. Elle giggled. 

“How are you today, Nick?”

“Good, thank you,” Nick’s reply was automatic. He was getting used to ignoring the palpitations that were becoming regular companions. “What have you got planned for today?”

“My friend Darcy is meeting me here. We’re going shopping, and then we’re meeting my husband and friends for our other friend Tori’s birthday lunch. I say ‘friends’ but they’re all like family!”

Elle’s warm, sing-songy voice soothed Nick slightly.

“Sounds like a lovely afternoon. Your husband’s an architect, right?”

“That’s right. I got together with Tao when I started working for Charlie at the firm. Charlie and I went to school together, and he and Tao were housemates at uni.”

“Do you work there as well?”

“Not currently. I used to be a PA for Charlie, but I left when our surrogate went into labour early, and Tao and I agreed that I’m not going back until next year. The twins being premature meant their first year was rough, and it feels like it’s only now that I’m getting to enjoy being a mum.”

Nick gave her a soft smile. Over the six months he’d been working at Rainbow Leaf, he’d gotten to know some of Elle’s story. He was in awe of her resilience, living her life as an openly trans woman, dealing with transphobia and assumptions her whole adult life.

“Lucky twins to have such devoted parents.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Elle’s phone flashing on the tabletop.

“I’m so sorry, Nick. It’s Darcy…”

“Don’t worry, go ahead.”

Nick stepped away and went back to the service counter, where he returned to the job adverts in the local paper. He also pulled up the saved job websites on his phone.

It was mid-morning on a Thursday; the cafe was quiet, and Elle’s voice travelled over to Nick’s ears.

“... Darce, it’s okay. I’ll take the boys swimming instead and meet you for lunch... All right, good luck. Hope you find some staff to fill in ... bye!”

A few minutes later, Elle came over to the counter to pay. Her eyes flickered over the newspaper on the counter.

“You’re looking for another job, Nick?”

“Oh, well ... kind of. It’s all right working here, but I’m having some serious cash-flow problems, so I’m on the hunt for either a better-paying regular job or an evening job that’ll boost my income.”

“Have you worked in food for a while?”

“Since I was sixteen, so over half my life, apart from uni where I trained to be an English teacher. I’ve pretty much done everything. I’ve waited tables, done bar work, kitchen prep, cheffing, food retail, then marketing was my last ‘proper’ job.”

“So how come you’re working at the Rainbow Leaf Café?”

“I quit the marketing job so I could focus on developing a career in food writing and media–”

“Oh yes, you have a Youtube vlog?”

“Yeah. I could only do that with my boyfriend paying his share of the bills. It was even his idea.”

“And then he left, I’m guessing?”

“Yes, nearly a year ago. He fell for one of his clients. Decent-paying work in the food industry is hard to come by, so I had to take whatever I could get, and this was it.”

“Oh God, Nick, seriously?”

“I know, right? There are so many students in Bath who are cheaper to hire that I can’t get a look into the restaurants where there’s more chance of tips. The bills are piling up so I’m just looking for anything that means I can keep my flat. Otherwise, I’ll probably have to leave Bath.”

“And you didn’t fancy returning to teaching?”

“My teaching career never really got off the ground. Teaching English took the joy out of the subject, and I definitely didn’t enjoy the system. Now it’s been so long that I’d have to do more training, and even though I’d get paid for it, I’d be earning even less than I do now.”

“That’s terrible,” Elle sympathised, before suddenly raising one elegant brow. “Say, have you ever done event work?”

“Sure. Events catering was my very first job when I was a teenager. I can still balance multiple plates on my arms.”

Elle eyed Nick’s thick biceps before fishing out a glossy, fuchsia business card from her purse and handing it to Nick.

“Darcy is always looking for reliable service staff, and she’s short for an event tonight at my husband’s office. In fact, she cancelled on me so she could do a ring round of her back-up staff. If you can email her a CV and give her a quick call, I’m pretty sure she’ll give you a gig tonight.”

Nick looked at the card in his hand.

Darcy Olsson

Managing Director

Spring-Olsson Events

Tel ...

“Thank you. I’ll call her straight away. Hopefully this will be a lucky break for me.”

“You’re welcome.”

--

Darcy Olsson swept into Charlie’s office with her usual flare, but her cousin barely glanced up from his drawing desk.

“What, Darcy? The Dublin Project plans need to be submitted to the contractors ASAP.”

Darcy merely tapped her electric pink Doc Martens against the hardwood floor. He finally lifted his head to take in his quirky cousin’s athletic form, encased in a rainbow tie-dye, pleated midi dress cinched at the waist with a wide gold belt. She was wearing two big pink barrettes in her bleach-blonde and pink hair.

“Lunch? Because it’s Tori’s birthday at the weekend, and she’s working four days straight from this evening?”

His heavy, bloodshot eyes widened.

“That’s today?”

“Yes, it is, Charlie Spring! I told you about it last week, remember? I even told Kieran so he’d put it in your diary and remind you.”

“He quit yesterday.” Charlie sighed and ran his hands through his lank, dark, curly hair. Suddenly he became aware that he couldn’t remember whether he’d been home yesterday or the day before.

“Another PA hits the dust, eh?” He nodded and rubbed the days-old scruff on his chin. “What happened this time?”

“I called him to pick up some blueprints from the house and bring them over to me in the office. But I hadn’t realised it was four am, you see. Apparently, that and missing a root canal appointment last week were the last straws.”

“To be honest, I was surprised he made it two months considering he didn’t know what an architect was when he started. What were you doing here at four am, by the way?”

“Working on another set of plans for the Walters Project,” he admitted. “God, I’m a complete mess! The time ran away with me, and now I’m rushing to finish the Dublin plans.”

“I thought you’d agreed to put the Walters Project on hold until you’d heard from them again. No amount of tweaking is going to make them hurry their decision. The designs aren’t the problem. They’re a bunch of weirdos.”

“It’s just so bloody frustrating!” he cried, getting up from his drawing table and pacing around. “We’re the perfect firm for the job. It makes no sense.”

“I know, Charlie,” she murmured, going up to hug her cousin. “It would be amazing for the firm if you got the Walters contract. It would set you guys up for life.”

“And you and Tori and Michael, and Mum and Dad.”

“It would, but at the end of the day, you’re doing great without it. Every day, the firm is getting noticed for your amazing work.”

“You’re right, and I needed to hear that, but I just can’t let such an exciting project go without a fight.”

“Just don’t let the Walters Project and everything else run you into the ground, Charles, please. I know it’s been tough this year without Elle.”

Charlie nodded, and smiled at his cousin, who was as close to him as his big sister Tori.

“Where are you going for lunch?”

“Just to the Corner Bistro.”

“Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll join you, okay?”

Darcy raised an eyebrow.

“If you don’t show up, I’ll give Aled all the crab-cake canapés tonight,” she threatened.

Charlie couldn’t help but light up a little at the mention of crab cakes. If there was one food on the planet he couldn’t resist, it was those crab cake canapés.

“Tonight?”

“Aled’s close party for the Weston Estates job? Please don’t say you forgot? I just spent all morning getting my staff sorted out. Elle found me a new server, thank God.”

“Shit, of course. That’s tonight.”

“You are hopeless, cousin dearest. Aled’s big night, you have to go.”

“With you holding crab-cake canapés ransom? Of course.”

Darcy kissed her cousin on the cheek and skipped out of the door. Charlie put his pen down and groaned into his hands.

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Two: Collisions, Canapés, and a Darcy Olsson Idea ™ 

Nick turned up at the offices of Spring, Xu and Last Architecture at precisely four pm, wearing a well-fitting white shirt and dark blue jeans with white trainers as per instructions.

The building, located on the edge of central Bath, was easy to spot with its curved glass frontage and huge, open lobby, not to mention the huge initials ‘SXL’ over the door. Elegant, rectangular white leather couches were arranged around the space, along with models of commercial buildings and housing estates on glass platforms.

Against one wall, two young guys dressed similarly to him in jeans and white shirts, with dark blue aprons over their clothes were setting up a bar. Pacing up and down in front of them was an athletic, average-height woman, of about 30, the clunk of her bright pink Doc Martens echoing through the lobby. Nick made a beeline for her.

“Yes, I’ve got another server, a newbie, but we’re still one short in the kitchen so I need you to get here as soon as possible. No, Jamie, thirty minutes isn’t good enough when you live five minutes away...” She turned round, took in Nick standing in front of her and smiled. “I’ve got to go. If you want to stay on my books, get your bum here now.” She promptly hung up.

“Err, hi.  Darcy?”

“That’s right. You must be Nick Nelson.”

“That’s me.”

“Thank you so much for coming at short notice. Do you mind if we walk and talk?” 

“Not at all.” 

Darcy started walking, and Nick had to double his pace to keep up.

“We’ve had three go off with some sort of flu bug, and this event is special as it’s for Aled, one of my best friends.”

“Happy to be here. Am I dressed okay for tonight?”

Darcy stopped and appraised Nick’s form. He ran a hand through his floppy strawberry-blond hair, cut in a short back and sides. He was tall, broad and solid, and if it wasn’t for his earnest expression and kind face, he would be kind of intimidating.

“Perfect.”

“So, what’s the deal with the party?”

“This will be your standard drinks-n-mingle do. It’s a celebration of the successful completion of Aled’s biggest contract to date, but it’s also a way for the firm to showcase their talents to potential clients.”

“So be charming and don’t leave anyone hungry or thirsty?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Got it. What’s the canapé menu?”

“Crab-cakes topped with mango salsa, rare roast beef in mini-Yorkshire puddings with horseradish, cherry tomatoes filled with pesto cream, and Indian-spiced potato fritters. There will be mini strawberry cheesecakes and fudge brownies later.”

“Pretty classic. Where do you need me for now? I can help with the food prep if you like or help set up the bar.”

“A hand in the prep zone would be great,” replied Darcy. “Chef is currently by herself until the kitchen assistants arrive and is going a little berserk.” She fished out a dark-blue apron from her vintage, rainbow Louis Vuitton Speedy handbag. “Put this on, and I’ll show you through to the prep kitchen.”

In the prep zone, trays covered every surface and boxes were stacked in every nook and cranny. A few servers were milling about but the only person doing anything was a petite woman with thick, straight black hair in a net. She was wearing chef’s whites and was carving a large joint of beef with a huge knife.

“Er, hi?” Nick said as he approached her. “Chef?”

“What?”

She turned round, a carving knife in her hand, and Nick stepped back slightly. She had startlingly wide, blue eyes and the slightly deranged look of a chef under pressure. Nick knew it well.

“My name’s Nick. Darcy said I should give you a hand with the prep.” When she looked him up and down with a raised eyebrow, he added, “I have a year’s experience from Tante Claire Culinary Academy and have worked in the food industry for sixteen years.”

“Hmm, okay.”

She turned to face him fully. Her chef’s whites were perfectly tailored and embroidered with her name.

Tori Spring-Holden

Executive Chef/Director

Spring-Olsson Events

“Where shall I start?”

“Wash, hull and halve the strawberries over there,” she barked, pointing to three crates of exquisite, shiny berries. “No leaves, perfect halves. Don’t throw anything away. I use the discard to make strawberry leaf vinegar.”

“Yes, Chef!”

“You’re one of those enthusiastic types, aren’t you?” she said, looking him up and down.

“I just love being in a kitchen, Chef. And pastry is my forte.”

“Hmm, translate your enthusiasm into precision, and we’ll get along just fine.”

“Yes, Chef!”

Chef nodded and returned to the roast beef, while Nick went over to the pastry section. As he picked up the paring knife, he grinned to himself. 

--

Two hours later, the lobby of SXL Architecture was full of people all drinking, eating and chatting. Nick worked his way around his section in the usual figure-of-eight, keeping an eye out for empty glasses and hungry faces. His first job as a teenager had been as an events waiter at a country hotel in Kent near where he grew up, and the skills came back to him in a flash.

There was a particularly thick crowd of people around an elfin guy with wispy white-blond and green streaked hair and a shy smile. Figuring this was Darcy’s friend Aled, and observing that his beer glass was empty, Nick tucked a bottle under his arm along with a tray of crab cakes before approaching.

“Aha, now here’s the most important guy in the room,” said Aled as Nick approached. “I love those crab things.” He lifted one and popped it in his mouth. “Cheers.”

Nick set the tray down on the coffee table momentarily before fishing out an opener from his apron pocket.

“Can’t have the man of the hour going dry now.”

Nick finished pouring the beer. He picked up the tray again and offered him the crab cakes again. Aled scooped up a handful onto a napkin.

“Thanks, New Guy,” Aled replied. “Hope Darcy lets you stick around.”

“Maybe she will if you tell her how awesome you think I am!” he joked before walking away.

Nick headed back to the kitchen to refill the crab cakes. He left the lobby through a service door, into a corridor, and went slap-bang into someone, a male someone. The guy went flying backwards, crashing into the opposite wall of the corridor, and then ricocheted, landing on top of Nick, who was sprawled on his back. The tray ended up a few feet away from them, and the last two crab cakes landed on Nick’s chest, splattering them both with mango salsa.

“Ow!”

“Shit!”

“I’m so sorry, sir!” cried Nick.

“No, no, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been skulking here,” the guy said, picking up the crab cakes off Nick and popping them into his mouth, before rolling off Nick and onto his back. “God, I love those things. Yum.”

“Yeah, they seem to be really popular,” Nick replied as he got back on his feet.

Nick held out his hand. The man took it and hoisted himself up to standing. He was taller than Nick anticipated but still only came up to Nick’s shoulder. When he looked at his face, deep, almond-shaped, electric-blue eyes looked back. They were framed by longish, wild, sable hair and an angular jaw with the beginnings of black stubble.

The man was dressed in an expensive-looking grey suit, and his handsomeness made Nick’s skin tingle and his tummy jump a little. However, on second glance, Nick observed that he looked exhausted and a little too thin, even for his lean build. His shirt was buttoned up wrong, his hair was a little greasy, and his shoulders were slightly hunched.

“They are the best thing my sister makes, I swear,” the guy said. “I hope she's made extra tonight.”

“Your sister? Tori?” Nick realised, connecting the dots as he reappraised the man’s appearance.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Tori and my cousin Darcy run the catering company together. Darcy is always telling me not to linger here during these parties because I get in the way, but I still find myself doing it ‘cause I hate doing the whole ‘mingle’ thing,” he rambled. “This is why... oh God, you’ve got that mango stuff all over you. I’m such a moron,”

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s mainly on my apron, I can dab it off. Besides,” Nick replied, “you’ve got it all over your face.”

The guy touched his forehead with his left hand.

“So I do.”

“Nick,”” Darcy walked through from the kitchen and stopped in her tracks. “Charlie? Everything okay?” She looked pointedly at their right hands, which were still intertwined.

“Oh, yeah ... we had a little collision. I’m okay, but are you, uh, Nick, is it?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” He let go of his hand and smiled back at him. “Nice to meet you, Charlie.”

“Charlie, go clean up and then get in there. People are asking for you!”

Nick noticed a flicker of movement from Charlie’s left hand, his thumb rapidly striking his index finger. Charlie took a deep breath and then blew it out, pursing together his full, pink lips.

“Sure. Nice to meet you too, Nick, and sorry again.”

“No problem.”

After a last, furtive glance at Nick, Charlie walked back to the party. Darcy and Nick headed to the kitchen where Nick wiped his apron and quickly started loading up another tray.

“I’m so sorry about my cousin. He’s kind of all over the place. He’s worried about this massive contract. He’s short on sleep, and his PA quit yesterday...”

“It’s fine Darcy. No harm was done.” Nick replied before going to stock up on the rare beef canapés.

Wow, talk about a big old hot mess.

“What did you say?”

Nick whirled round.

“Shoot, sorry Darcy, my mouth runs away with me sometimes and my inner monologue spills out. I didn’t mean it unkindly.”

“You said that he’s a hot mess.”

“Yeah.” Nick’s cheeks burned bright red. “It was just a random thought. He seems like a lovely guy, but he obviously needs some looking after.”

“He is a lovely guy. He’s the best cousin a girl could have,” Darcy replied, sighing slightly and smiling at the door Charlie had just disappeared through. “He just needs a good person in his corner at work, and he’ll come back to himself.”

“Poor Charlie,” Nick replied. “I hope he gets someone soon.”

Nick then disappeared through the kitchen doors back to the party, leaving Darcy staring after him.

--

Charlie awoke with his face pressed against a half-done drawing. He peeled himself from his drawing board and then became aware of the not-so subtle scent of Thierry Mugler’s Alien.

“Darcy,” he mumbled. He looked up to see his cousin dressed in pink dungarees and a white, pink and chocolate striped t-shirt, hands on her hips.

“Charles Francis Spring, I can’t believe you fell asleep in your office again,” she cried.

“Uh–”

“Why didn’t you go home after the party?”

“I don’t know…” He stood up and stretched out his lean frame. “I did the mingling thing for an hour, but I was running out of small talk with Aled’s friends and those business network people, so I stole a plate of crab cakes and a bottle of beer then escaped up here.”

Darcy pursed her lips and ran a hand over the sketches on his board.

“Where you got wrapped up in the designs for Walters Enterprises head office, I see.”

“Yeah.”

“This is getting really old, Charlie,” she sighed. “I went to your house this morning to make you breakfast, and you weren’t there. You’re never there.”

Just the word ‘breakfast’ was enough to make Charlie’s neglected stomach grumble.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sleeping in the office isn’t healthy. Now come home with me right now, have breakfast, get cleaned up and have a rest. I checked your schedule. You haven’t got anything pressing until after lunch.”

“But there’s still so much to do…”

“I’ll tell Tori if you don’t.”

If there was one thing Charlie couldn’t deal with, it was his big sister’s worried, intense stare.

“Fine.”

When they got into the large kitchen in the farmhouse-style property Charlie owned in the Limpley Stoke Valley, Darcy immediately started pulling out eggs, bread, butter and milk.

“I’m not going to manage French toast, Darcy. I’ll have cereal.”

“Just two pieces! French toast with berries is on your safe food list,” she begged. “Please! You’re really hungry Charlie, I can tell by your face.”

“You can?”

The amount of care Darcy showed him sometimes took him aback. He didn’t deserve it, didn’t deserve her really.

“Yeah,” she replied softly. “Look, there’s maple syrup, the proper stuff, and I’ve got a pack of that Rwandan coffee you like for after.”

Charlie didn’t have any fight left in him.

“Ugh, fine.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes while they ate, until Darcy felt brave enough to broach the idea in her mind.

“So, what did you think of Nick?” Charlie looked up. “You know, the waiter you bumped into?”

Deep, dark brown eyes, pink cheeks and strong biceps flashed through Charlie’s mind.

“Yeah, I remember. He was lovely. And he clearly had more brain cells and charm than your usual minions.”

“You know he’s way overqualified for that job. Elle told me he was just after anything to alleviate his dire financial straits. His CV is mostly food industry-related, but it’s impressive and I think he would be an amazing asset.”

“Isn’t it a good thing that his CV is mostly food-related if you’re planning to hire him permanently?”

“Actually, I am thinking of him for you, not me.”

“Huh?”

“You can’t keep going through assistants like water, Charlie You need someone in your corner, someone who isn’t workshy and who won’t put up with any of your shit.”

“Gee, thanks,” he huffed. “But he’s not a PA.”

“He has mad-good people skills, he’s organised, and he’s clever. All those things transfer well to a PA job.”

Charlie thought about it for a moment. What did he have to lose? And even if it was a non-starter, Charlie could stand to be around a good-looking man for a while.

“Can I see his CV?”

Darcy picked up her iPad and pulled up a copy of his Curriculum Vitae.

“Here.”

Charlie skim-read it. Darcy was right, it was very good.

“I trust your instincts, Darce, so set it up.” He pushed away his now-empty plate. “Now, please may I have my coffee?”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Three: From Despair to Opportunity

Nick had been mulling over his unfiltered comments about Darcy’s cousin ever since the party at SXL two days earlier. Darcy hadn’t contacted him since, but Nick knew from the other servers at the party that there were two events in the next few days that needed waiting staff.

He shuffled between the tables at the Rainbow Leaf Café, cleaning up the last of the plates and cups. As he worked, he tried to stem the tears that threatened to break through the façade he had maintained all through his busy Saturday shift.

He was going to lose his flat. He was going to have to leave Bath and move somewhere cheaper.

Suddenly, the door rattled and there was a knock on the glass.

Nick opened the café door and Darcy walked in with Elle and the twins in tow. Darcy took in the smell of lemon disinfectant and glistening tables.

“Sorry, Nick, we thought we had half an hour before you closed.”

“Oh no, we close at four-thirty on Saturday, but come in, come in. What can I get you?”

“Fifteen minutes of your time?” said Elle. “If you’re not busy, of course.”

“Not busy. Grab a seat. Would you like drinks? I haven’t powered down the espresso machine yet.”

“Skinny decaf flat white would be great, if you don’t mind?” replied Darcy.

“Me too,” agreed Elle. And the boys will take any leftover warm milk if that’s okay?”

“No problem. I’ll be over in a mo.”

Nick made their drinks and tea for himself. He then shut down the coffee machine before flipping the ‘Closed’ sign on the front door.

“So, what can I do for you both?”

“Nick, the CV you sent me is great. English and Creative Writing degree with a teaching qualification, a year at the Tante Claire Culinary Academy, and years of experience in food industry administration and marketing as well as your culinary expertise, not to mention that your Youtube channel is ace. I did some ringing around and followed up your references. They were glowing.”

Nick gasped and grinned.

“So, are you going to offer me more work at your events because that would be so great...”

“No.”

“Oh.” Nick felt his cheeks heat up and he looked down at his tea. “Sorry, I just hoped, you know…”

“Nick, you know you’re too good for jobbing around events. Way too good.”

“Huh?”

“We’d like you to meet with my cousin Charlie instead,” explained Darcy, “to discuss working for him. He needs someone sensible on his staff.”

Nick sat back in his chair.

“Right, you said his PA quit. I’ve never done that kind of work, though.”

“It’s like you said the other night. Charlie needs someone to look out for him, and you seem to be a natural. I’ve never had so many positive comments about a single member of my service staff before. You charmed everyone.”

“I worked with Charlie for nearly six years,” interjected Elle. “He is a phenomenally talented architect, but he needs someone to support him, keep him ticking along to perform at his best. Having gotten to know you over the past few months, and after hearing such amazing reports from your referees, we think you could be that support.”

“But my aim is to be a full-time culinary writer. I quit my last regular job to do it. Working other jobs is only temporary until I can improve my finances.”

“Keeping Charlie on track is a job of fits and starts. Sometimes you’re flat out and other times, you’re twiddling your thumbs,” Elle explained. “If you did this, you’d be earning more and would have time to create your content, which you wouldn’t have if you worked here and worked for Darcy in the evenings.”

“How much money are we talking about here?”

“What did you earn from your last admin job and YouTube income combined?”

Nick named a figure.

“Multiply that by three, plus expenses.”

Nick couldn’t help but be tempted. Even if he stuck it out for just three months, he’d be off the financial rocks.

“Okay, I’ll meet with him.”

--

For the second time in a week, Nick found himself striding into the SXL Architecture building, except this time he was wearing a charcoal suit instead of jeans. He was still a little uncertain about becoming a PA, but with his finances so precarious, he couldn’t turn down any reasonable, stable employment, especially when it would pay so well. 

The receptionist directed Nick to Charlie Spring’s office suite, and after a moment hovering outside, he walked in. An athletic, South Asian woman in her late forties, with streaked black and dark brown hair and glasses, looked up from her furious typing.

“Hello, can I help you?”

“My name’s Nicholas Nelson. I’ve got a two o’clock meeting with Charlie Spring?”

“Of course, dear.” The woman hopped up, gave Nick a friendly smile and offered out her hand for a shake. “Welcome. I’m Priya Singh, Charlie’s secretary.”

“Nice to meet you, Priya. Call me Nick.”

“Take a seat. Charlie’s just finishing up a phone call, and we’re still waiting on Darcy, so it’ll be a few minutes.”

“Sure.”

“Would you like a coffee?”

“No thanks.” Nick glanced around the room, feeling fidgety, and spotted a water cooler in the corner. “Actually, please could I have some water?”

“Help yourself, dear.”

Nick filled up his bottle and sat down on one of the white sofas. The pair sat in silence for a minute until curiosity got the better of Nick.

“So, uh, your job is separate to that of Charlie’s personal assistant?”

“Oh, yes. I work Monday to Friday, nine ‘til five. I answer the phones, type letters, take memos, chase up paperwork from clients, and do the filing.”

“And his personal assistant?”

“His PA does everything else.”

Darcy breezed through the doors at that moment, so Nick couldn’t ask the question on the tip of his tongue.

What else was there?

“Nick! So sorry I’m a little late. Priya, everything good?”

“Cooking on gas,” chuckled Priya. Darcy giggled and pecked the older lady on the cheek.

“Good to hear! Nick, shall we go through?”

Nick followed Darcy through a large pair of frosted glass doors, and into a huge office space with floor to ceiling windows. There were three drawing desks lined up in a row, each with drawings on them, and in the middle of the room were smaller tables with models of buildings on them, in various states of construction.

There were two other desks. One was empty except for a computer and a telephone. Charlie was sitting at the other, surrounded by files and rolls of blueprints. He was wearing a blue shirt that matched the colour of his eyes, with the sleeves rolled up, dark blue jeans and well-worn white Converse.

“Thank you, I’m currently without a PA but I’ll have my secretary make the arrangements when she gets the chance. Thanks, bye.”

Charlie put the phone down and looked up to see his cousin and Nick Nelson, who was dressed in a smart suit that emphasised his broad frame.

“Hello, Charlie,” he murmured. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

Charlie stood up and came around the desk.

“You too, Nick,” he said. As they shook hands, Charlie felt warmth radiate up and down his arm, and his toes tingled. Nick was better looking than he remembered, his well-fitted suit highlighting his handsomeness. “Thank you for coming in today.”

“Thank you for inviting me. I am still a little surprised that you’re considering hiring me given my lack of experience.”

“But you’re experienced in so much more, Nick,” piped up Darcy. “You’re clearly intelligent, organised, and sensible, much like Elle, who did the job successfully for years. The twits Human Resources have been hiring haven’t been able to last the course, so we’re taking the matter into our own hands.”

“I see,” replied Nick. “So, what exactly does the job involve? Because I thought it would be like secretarial work, but apparently Priya does that.”

“She does, although out of hours, you might have to send some emails or write the odd letter,” replied Charlie.

“I could handle that.”

“Good. The rest of the work is, I’m afraid, mainly running around doing things for me that I would otherwise neglect. I travel a lot, so you would be responsible for making travel arrangements and for big jobs you’d come with me.”

“Okay, yes I can do that.”

“I often host client meetings out of hours, so you will have to make restaurant reservations or liaise with Darcy and my sister Tori to cater for meetings I hold at my house.”

“Nick, when Charlie is designing, he tends to go into this zone where he forgets to do the most basic things, so when he’s like that, you kind of need to take over for him,” Darcy explained.

Nick looked over to Charlie who sighed and nodded.

“I’m afraid so. I’m supposed to follow a meal plan for health reasons, but I’ll often forget to get groceries, so my weight plummets. I forget to do the laundry. I forget to shave. I realise it’s kind of pathetic, a grown man needing nannying, but when I try to do it all, the quality of my designs suffers.”

Nick thought back to when he was in the writing or cooking zone. He would be in his pyjamas, ignoring phone calls or emails, in order to finish.

“I totally understand,” he sympathised. “You need someone who will enable you to do your best, while making sure you don’t turn into a mess in the process.”

“Exactly!” 

They all laughed.

“Doesn’t your husband or boyfriend help out?” Nick suddenly asked, then clapped his hand over his mouth “Or uh... wife or girlfriend? Partner.” His face went red. “You know, when you’re in ‘the zone?’”

Charlie looked away.

“No husband or boyfriend,” he murmured.

“Oh, right.”

Silence descended momentarily.

“So, uh, I’m guessing that the hours for this job aren’t nine to five?” Nick said, trying to get the conversation back on track.

“Um, no. Technically it’s a forty-eight-hour working week with the hours flexible, and eleven pm to seven am protected, but in practice, some weeks you’ll do ten hours and others, you’ll do eighty,” replied Darcy.

“That’s what Elle meant by ‘fits and starts.’”

“Yep.” Charlie pointed to the empty desk. “Your desk when you’re in the office, but you can work from home if it’s appropriate, and sometimes you’ll be working in my house.”

“Where do you live?”

“Near a tiny village called Avoncliff in the Limpley Stoke Valley, about nine miles out of town.”

“The house is beautiful,” gushed Darcy. “Charlie designed it himself with a bit of help from Elle’s husband Tao,” she added. "Tao specialises in designing spectacular individual residences."

“I am pretty proud of it,” he admitted. “It used to be a hay barn dating back to Tudor times and was almost condemned. It took a year to turn it into something special.”

“Wait, is it the honey-coloured house with the massive feature window? Right by the river?”

“Um, yes.”

“I’ve seen it when I’ve been walking near Avoncliff,” replied Nick. “It’s gorgeous. The river there is stunning.”

“That’s the one,” agreed Charlie, smiling as he thought of the panorama he saw every day, but then his smile faltered. “Although I’m not spending much time there at the moment.”

“Which is something that you might have to challenge more often than not,” interjected Darcy, to which Charlie gave her an evil stare.

“Do you have a car, Nick?”

“I do, although it’s a bit of a rust bucket. Still, I’m sure it will work for this job.”

“That’s great, but you can borrow one of the company cars or vans for times when you have to ferry clients, models, and equipment around.” Charlie took in Nick’s suit. “And please feel free to wear what you like around the office unless we’re meeting clients or going to events.”

“That sounds great.” Nick couldn’t help but smile at them both. “I’m not really the suited-and-booted kind usually.”

“Me neither. So, Nick, I’m keen to give this a go,” added Charlie when he saw his warm grin. “I feel comfortable with you, and I trust Elle and Darcy’s judgement. Can you start straight away?”

“I have to give my boss a week’s notice, I’m afraid.”

“No problem,” replied Charlie. “Let’s get you to HR to make things all official.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Four: Nicholas Means Business

A week later, Nick turned up at Charlie’s office at eight o’clock for his first day and let himself in using the keys and codes he had been given the day before.

By the time Priya arrived an hour later, Nick had managed to work the fancy coffee machine, get IT system access, and open his new email account. The older lady helped Nick sync up Charlie’s Outlook calendar with his own and gave him a rundown of Charlie’s team’s current, upcoming, and potential projects.

“The biggest of the potential projects is Walters Enterprises. It’s to design new head offices for them in London and regional offices in Hong Kong, Houston and Sydney,” Priya told Nick over iced lattes. She seemed to have a thing for them.

“That sounds major.”

“Totally. It’s on hold though, because the Walters are stalling even though they seem to love Charlie’s designs. They’re coming into town in a few months, and their visit will need to be meticulously coordinated. It’s a massive deal.”

“Because it’s such a lucrative contract?”

“Yes, but it would also boost SXL’s position and get us onto the AJ100, the list of the country’s top firms. Charlie’s hoping that if he can show them some of his other work, introduce them to the team and convince them that he’s trustworthy and reliable, they’ll stop procrastinating and choose us.”

“Surely it’s obvious he’s amazing?” Nick blurted. Priya raised an eyebrow, and a blush crept up Nick’s neck. “I know I know nothing about architecture, but I have a sense of aesthetics and this building, for a start, is spectacular,” he added. “Why are they dawdling?”

Priya shrugged.

“The Walters are eccentric. They are well-known to do things their own way. This is just one of those things, I guess.”

Coffee over, Nick settled himself at his desk and looked over the list of tasks that Kieran had left unfinished. It was a long list. Most of it was mundane but not actually difficult, and by half past twelve, the only task left on the list was to speak to Marie, the Walters Enterprises’ executive PA. Deciding to bite the bullet and call her, Nick picked up the phone.

“Allo, Marie Martins.”

Nick grinned. Marie was French.

“Hello, Marie, my name is Nicholas Nelson. I’m Charlie Spring’s new PA at SXL Architecture. I’m calling to plan your visit to our offices. From the memo I’ve been given, I understand that your bosses are coming to Bath in the summer to meet with Charlie. Is that right?” 

“You are cutting to the chase. Good!  We will all be travelling by train from London and will arrive at around eleven o’clock on 3rd August.”  

“I can meet you at the station to escort you to our offices. We will be serving lunch before the meeting. Do any of your party have any special dietary requirements?”

“No, it’s very good of you to check, though.”

Nick glanced at the memo that was attached to Kieran’s list.

“Mr Spring would also like to invite you all to dinner at his house in the evening. He understood that your bosses were planning to spend the night in Bath to visit the Pump Rooms the next day.”

“That is correct. I will ask them. I do not think they have any plans for dinner.”

“Do you need any assistance with booking accommodation or arranging tours?”

“I have booked the hotel, The Bath Priory, but I confess that I have not yet looked into arranging the touristy things my bosses want to do.”

“Well, please let me email you a few links, and if you need any further assistance or opinions, please feel free to consult me. I’ve lived in this area for a number of years and have many contacts.”

“That is very kind, Nicholas. I will get back to you after I’ve received your email.”

“No problem,” Nick replied before adding, “J'ai hâte de vous rencontrer, vous et vos patrons.” ( I’m looking forward to meeting you, you and your bosses)

“Ahh, vous parlez français!”

“ Oui, mon père est français .” (Yes, my dad is French)

“Très bien. Au revoir, Nicholas.”

“Au revoir.”

Nick hung up and smiled to himself before looking up to see Charlie sitting at his desk staring at him. Nick looked at his watch.

“Good afternoon , Charlie.”

“Hello,” he replied, his voice raspy. The appeal of his features was tempered by the fact that he was tired and dishevelled. “Yes, I know. I was up late drawing.”

“How late?”

“It was after three am,” he admitted. “Thank you for speaking to Marie, by the way. I meant to ask you to do that this morning but it seems that you’ve been pre-informed. Sounds like it went well.”

“No problem.”

“No problem? She made my last two PAs cry.”

“Speaking French helped.”

“Yeah,” Charlie looked down at the floor before glancing back at Nick. “You, uh, didn’t put that on your CV.”

Nick shrugged.

“What would you like me to do next?”

“Oh, I’m sure there’s a long list on your computer.”

“I’ve done it all,” Nick interrupted.

“Oh, ah...” Charlie pinched his nose. “I don’t know.”

Nick was starting to understand why some of his personal assistants had quit in the past.

“What needs to be done at the house?”

“I don’t know where to start,” he confessed. “There are piles of letters that need going through. The suits I wore last week could do with dry cleaning. I haven’t had a chance to go grocery shopping, but haven’t got a list together for my meal plan. Has Darcy given you my safe food list? Um–”

“I’ve got the list,” Nick confirmed. “Look, I’ll go over to your house and get started. If you think of something else you need me to do, phone me. While I’m at yours, I’ll peek in your kitchen and put together a provisional shopping list then run it past you later before going to Sainsbury’s.”

“Um, sure.”

Nick got up and walked over to his desk. He put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder and squeezed it. Charlie looked up with tired eyes, and a ‘help me’ look that made Nick feel a rush of warmth for the guy.

“Charlie, you hired me to be your personal assistant. Please let me assist you.”

Nick held his gaze in earnest, and Charlie relaxed a little.

“Okay. Just one thing before you go?” Nick nodded and smiled. “Would you mind getting me a cheese and pickle sandwich and a pot of tomato soup from the deli on the corner? I’m starving.”

“Not at all.”

--

On Nick’s second day, Priya took him into the Commercial Drawing Hub, the huge open-plan office where the architects and designers on Charlie’s team worked on the various projects. There was also the Residential Estates Drawing Hub, which Aled supervised, and the Individual Residence Drawing Hub, which was Tao’s domain.

“Now, the first person you need to meet is Isaac Henderson,” began Priya as they walked through a set of glass doors towards the large open-plan space. “You’re lucky he’s in today because he’s a huge introvert. He does as much as he can from home.”

“What’s his role?”

“Isaac is our preservation and sustainability consultant,” Priya said as they walked. “He researches the history of proposed sites, liaises with archaeologists and local historians, and he makes sure we use as much local labour and materials as possible.”

“Wow, that sounds like a lot of work and pressure,” Nick murmured. “Is he an architect as well?”

Priya nodded, but her expression was slightly downturned.

“He trained with Charlie, Tao and Aled, and he’s almost like their fourth partner in many ways, but his first love is research, and he didn’t want a partnership. He still does a bit of design consultation when Charlie asks. They’re close friends.”

“Close? Or close ?”

The question was out before Nick had a chance to even think about what he was asking, and he clapped his hand over his mouth. Luckily, Priya was unbothered.

“I like your lack of filter, Nick!” she chuckled. “No, they’re just mates. Charlie, Tao, Aled and Isaac are like brothers. They all lived and studied together at Bath Uni.”

They walked along the corridor that abutted the larger open office and then Priya knocked on a frosted glass door.

“Isaac?”

“Hey Priya-Pops!” called a warm, Liverpudlian voice. “Come in.”

Isaac was sitting in an armchair in a corner of the square office which had two walls of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, all packed with books. There were also bookshelves built into a large writing desk and books piled on the coffee table and on a shelf below a large stand-up drawing desk.

“Isaac, this is Nick Nelson, Charlie’s new PA. I’m showing him around the Hub.”

Isaac put down the journal he was reading, heaved himself to his feet, and gave Nick a big grin behind his bushy, brown beard. He was a couple of inches shorter than Nick, stocky, and despite the warm weather, was dressed in green corduroy dungarees over a long-sleeved black t-shirt.

“Ahh, good to meet yous,” he said as he shook Nick’s hand. “The Pocket Rocket tells me you’re going to get our Charlie all sound, like.”

“’The Pocket Rocket?’”

“He means Darcy,” interjected Priya.

“Yeah, when me and the boys started uni, she were only fourteen and tiny but louder than a loud thing! She stopped being tiny but didn’t stop being loud, so I still call her that.”

“She was certainly determined when she decided Charlie and I would suit working together,” Nick replied.

Isaac’s grin grew bigger as he looked over Nick.

“Oh, I’m sure she was,” he remarked. “Hope you like a challenge.”

“Yeah, I do. I’m pretty determined too,” Nick said. “Competitive, don’t give up without a fight.”

“Remember that when you’re chasing Charlie around. Our Elle can tell you some right good stories.”

“Will do, thanks Isaac.”

“Yous are very welcome,” Isaac said before taking a seat in his armchair again. “Pop in for a cuppa when you’re settled.”

With a final wave, Priya and Nick left Isaac’s office and Priya showed Nick into the Hub. Most people were polite, but Nick couldn’t help notice the air felt tense.

“This last spot is where Robbie usually sits,” stated Priya as they approached a cluttered corner desk, where a tall, thin body was hunched over some blueprints. “Robbie?”

“Priya, what a pleasant surprise. Charlie let you out of the gilded tower, did he?”

The voice was nasal and slightly sneering. The man to whom it belonged was around forty, with flat, brown hair, tied in a ponytail. He had small, black eyes and a prominent Roman nose.

“He’s not in this morning,” Priya replied, apparently nonchalant about Robbie’s disdain for Charlie.

“Surprise, surprise. Woe betide he keep regular office hours.”

“I just wanted to introduce you to Charlie’s new PA, Nick Nelson. Nick, this is Robbie McKay, Executive Architect for the Commercial Division. He’s the most senior architect in the Hub.”

“Hello.”

“Ah, so you’re the latest. I’d say, ‘see you around,’ but I’m leaving for Madrid to break ground on the GMD Project after next week. Based on your predecessors’ less-than-stellar performances, I doubt you’ll be here when I get back.”

“Robbie!” admonished Priya. “That’s no way to greet our latest team member.”

“What? The fact is, he’s, what, number five this year? Frankly, I’m tired of having to get to know yet another incompetent, revolving-door PA, as are the rest of us.”

He gestured to the rest of the team who had stopped to listen with interest. 

“I see. Well, I have work to do,” Nick stated, turning on his heel.

By the time Nick had marched through the Drawing Hub back to Charlie’s office, Priya almost running to keep up, he was absolutely fuming.

“Priya, what the hell was that?” he cried once the office door was closed. “Has that Robbie guy always been so, so–”

“Obnoxious, disdainful, arsehole-ish?”

“Yeah.”

“To a degree but he’s been worse recently.”

“Hmm, is that so?” Nick walked over to the coffee machine and started to prepare them both iced lattes. “Tell me more.”

--

The following evening at 10pm, after another day where Charlie had only turned up at SXL at two pm, Nick returned to the office. He walked through darkened corridors towards a faint glow, coming from Charlie’s office.

Charlie was so caught up in his work that he didn’t notice that Nick had tiptoed through the frosted glass doors, not until he stood right in front of him and placed a wrapped parcel of fish and chips on his desk. From the only chippy in town that Charlie had on his safe list.

“Jesus Christ! What the fuck!” he cried, jumping up. “Nick, what are you doing here?”

“My job,” he said. “Eat that, and then you are going home.”

“But—"

Whatever protests Charlie was about to make died on his lips as his stomach growled loudly in response to the smell of crispy, beer-battered haddock and triple-fried chips, laced with sea salt and malty vinegar.

“Eat,” Nick commanded.

He paused for a second, not wanting to give in, and for a moment, he held Nick’s gaze. It was unflinching, determined.

He lasted less than six seconds before his hunger won out and he tore the paper open.

“Jesus Wept, that’s good!” he mumbled through a mouthful of hot, flaky fish.

“Charlie, you hired me to look after the things you neglect, right?”

He nodded and kept eating.

“Well, I’m starting with you. How can you work productively when you don’t eat or sleep well?”

“I get by.”

“Bollocks. You’re a mess, and I’m not having it. What kind of assistant would I be if I let my boss wander around looking like shit?”

“I could fire you, you know, for talking to me like that,” Charlie said, the left side of his mouth lifting slightly.

“You could, but you’re not going to.”

“I’m not?”

“Nope,” Nick replied, giving Charlie his cheekiest smirk.

“And why not?”

Nick pulled out a box of chocolate and ginger cookies from a large M&S tote bag along with a bottle of chocolate milk.

“Because I also brought dessert.”

“My favourites!” he said, reaching for them. “How did you know? I deliberately left these off the safe foods list because they’re the one food I can binge.”

Nick held them out of his grasp.

“Elle. And you can’t have them until you’re home in your PJs.”

Charlie put his arms down and crossed them in a fake huff.

“Fine, Mum.”

“I’ll be Princess Peach if it gets you in bed by midnight.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Five: Charlie Spring’s New Routine

Charlie woke up on his side, in his bed, auburn sunlight teasing under his thick, double-lined curtains. On his bedside table, were the remnants of the cookies and creamy chocolate milk that Nick had given him before bed, mere crumbs and dregs.

He sat up, stretched and rubbed his face. The alarm clock read 8.06am. He had slept for eight solid hours.

A clean pair of jeans, white t-shirt, green lumberjack shirt, underwear and socks had been placed on the chair opposite Charlie’s bed, and a pair of dark green Converse trainers sat underneath. On his small dressing table, his moisturiser, cologne and hair products had been arranged in the order Charlie would use them.

Charlie got out of bed and padded to the bathroom, where he was not surprised to see his toothbrush and toothpaste, razor and shaving gel out on the glass shelf. His face wash, shower gel, shampoo and curl conditioner had also been lined up. New towels had been placed on the heated towel rail.

Charlie took the hints and had a long shower, sorted out his face and got dressed. Just before he headed downstairs, he looked at himself in the mirror.

He looked… better. Almost normal.

As he descended, the smell of his orange shower gel gave way to the delicious smell of butter, cinnamon and coffee emanating from the kitchen.

“Hey,” called Nick, not looking up straight away from his laptop. “I’ve just done a batch of filter coffee from that Rwandan blend in the fridge, and there’s some cinnamon rolls warming in the oven. I got some nice strawberries from the market too. I saw that they’re on your safe food list.”

“Thanks,” Charlie murmured, stopping for a moment to take in the sight of his new PA, dressed in a pink shirt and indigo jeans, sitting at the large table in his farmhouse kitchen. He appeared to be going through a stack of documents.

Considering Nick was so new, it felt oddly comforting to have him there.

“Sleep okay?” Nick asked, turning around after a moment. He smiled as he saw that Charlie was wearing the outfit he’d left out, which lit up his whole face.

“So well,” Charlie replied.

“Sorry if I was a bit heavy-handed yesterday, but seeing how well you look right now, I’m also not sorry.”

“Yeah, no sorries about that. I needed it,” Charlie replied. “When did you have time to lay out all my stuff like that?”

“I did it yesterday afternoon, when you were in the office,” Nick explained. “I met up with Elle. She told me how to set things up.”

“It was really helpful,” Charlie said. “Decisions I didn’t have to make this morning.”

“I’m glad,” Nick replied, giving Charlie a warm smile which made him want to duck and look away a little.

“I won’t always need you to do that for me, by the way,” Charlie added. “But right now, I guess I do.”

“No problem. You tell me when to stop.”

Charlie walked over to the coffee pot, poured himself a brew, then put a warm cinnamon roll and some strawberries on the clean plate Nick had left out.

“What are you working on?” he asked, taking a seat opposite Nick.

“I’m making a spreadsheet of the project work and the conventions and other appearances you should try to do this year,” Nick explained. “Elle gave me a whistlestop guide to The Charlie Spring Year.”

“That was very thoughtful of her,” Charlie replied, smiling.

“There’s another spreadsheet I’ve been working on,” Nick added, more quietly. “I hope you don’t think this is too presumptuous.”

He clicked onto a different document.

Charlie Spring Daily Routine: Spring/Summer 2023

“Oh,” Charlie said, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip of his coffee.

He took the laptop from Nick and looked at the spreadsheet. It was certainly comprehensive.

“What do you think?” Nick asked after a minute. “I don’t want to overwhelm you, but I thought this would be helpful.”

“This routine has me in the office in the mornings, and working from home later in the afternoon,” Charlie observed. “It’s quite different from what I’ve been doing recently.”

“I know, but it fits better with the rest of the team,” Nick replied. “Priya says they struggle with ‘direction and vision.’”

Charlie sighed. He knew this but had buried his head in the sand about it.

“Yeah.”

“I realise I know nothing about architectural direction or vision. Like, I have no idea what that even means really, but I thought that if you were able to be around when they’re also at work, it might help.”

“You’ve managed to come to that conclusion in just a few days?”

“I might not know the first thing about architecture, but I trained as a teacher,” Nick explained. “I know a thing or two about getting people to come together.”

Nick crossed his arms and pursed his lips.

“Okay,” Charlie replied. “Let’s give it a whirl.”

“Yeah?”

“Two weeks,” Charlie said. “And I reserve the right to tweak it.”

Nick grinned and took the laptop back.

“You got it, boss.”

--

After breakfast, Charlie gave Nick the keys to his well-loved and slightly battered silver Volvo XC90 and they drove over to the SXL offices.

“Do you mind driving this morning?”

“Not at all,” Nick replied, tossing the keys up into the air and catching them with a flourish.

Charlie laughed, and for a second the sound felt alien to his ears.

“Thank you,” he said eventually, climbing into the front passenger seat.

“Wow, this is a great car,” Nick gushed, deftly handling the large vehicle around the dips and curves of the A36. “Amazing visibility, smooth on the road, and it’s roomy, too.”

“Glad you like it,” Charlie replied. “I’m not that great a driver to be honest. I overthink it. This car was chosen because it would keep me alive in an accident. I love it because it’s saved my arse on more than one occasion.”

“Well, it’s definitely going to keep you alive,” Nick laughed. “It’s a tank!”

“I know, right?” Charlie laughed. “Um, how would you feel about driving me to work for the next week or so, during this new routine thing? Seeing as you can actually drive, think, and talk at the same time and not seem like you’re about to explode.”

“Hey, if you want me to, boss, I’m happy to.”

Nick turned to Charlie briefly as they approached some lights and flashed him a dazzling, warm smile that left Charlie’s fingertips and ears feeling hot and tingly.

“Thanks.”

They pulled into Charlie’s parking space behind SXL at 9.30 and walked in via the back entrance. Just as they were about to head up to the partners’ floor, however, Charlie stopped.

“Maybe I should dip into the Hub instead,” he murmured to Nick behind him. “I’ve been avoiding it for ages.”

“Want me to come with you? I can create one of my beloved spreadsheets for notes.”

Charlie let out a short guffaw.

“Yes, please.”

Charlie turned towards the Drawing Hub, Nick following. Near silence descended as the various project groups stopped in their tracks when he walked in, and several people started shuffling designs around or clicking furiously at monitors.

“Err, hi, Mr Spring,” ventured a young, red-haired woman in a black pinafore dress. “My name’s April Howard. I’m Mr McKay’s intern. I started a few weeks ago.”

“Really lovely to meet you, April. Sorry we’ve not had a chance to meet before, and please call me Charlie.”

April went a shade of deep coral and her eyes darted towards the rest of her group.

“Umm, uh... would you like a coffee? Yea? Or some water?”

“No thanks. I’ve just had a coffee,” he replied, smiling at Nick. “What is your group working on at the moment?”

April’s eyes widened as Charlie stepped over to their desks. She glanced at her colleagues who looked equally startled.

“Um, we’ve been helping Mr McKay with the final elements of the GMD Project,” she explained. “We're flying out to Madrid next weekend. It’s due to commence a week on Monday.”

“Yes, I had the pleasure of meeting Señor Marquez-Diaz when we agreed the plans and signed the contract,” Charlie replied.  “Can you show me which final elements you’ve been working on?”

April and her colleagues clicked on one of the monitors. Charlie examined the plans, his expert eye picking up the details immediately.

Anxiety started to burn a hole in Charlie’s gut as he looked over unfamiliar design features. He could feel his fingers tapping against each other.

“Hmm,” he murmured. “Is Robbie in this morning, April?”

“No Mr Spring, I mean, Charlie,” she replied. “He’s uh, working from home.”

“Thanks,” he murmured, another nervous knot pinching inside him. “Nick, please could you email Robbie for a Teams meeting? We should catch up.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

“ASAP,” Charlie added, so quietly that only Nick could hear. Nick nodded.

Charlie turned to April, who was bouncing on her heels.

“Thanks, April.”

Charlie moved on, meeting the other groups, asking Nick to take pictures or notes here and there, giving small bits of advice to some of the architects, associates and interns on the shop floor. He worked the room for an hour or so, before they returned to the quiet of their offices.

“Oh my God, I should have done that sooner,” Charlie exclaimed, collapsing on the sofa in his office. “The atmosphere’s so tense down there! Everyone’s either behind on targets or taking too many liberties with their design briefs, especially Robbie. What the fuck is going on with his project?”

“He said something about breaking ground in Madrid soon.”

“Yeah,” Charlie replied, rubbing his eyes. “The client for that project is extremely exacting. Can you pull up the tracker for GMD? I just want to see what they said when Robbie submitted the updated designs.”

Nick went over to his computer, logged in, and found the project tracker.

“Um, Charlie, are discussions with the client kept in another document on this software?” Nick asked. “I can’t see any notes about submitting plans to the client or any contract updates on this tracker, but I also don’t really know what I’m looking for.”

“No, it’s just one document,” Charlie replied, getting up. “Show me?”

He came over and stood behind Nick, and leaned forward. As he did so, he caught Nick’s spicy scent, a bit like mulled wine at Christmas.

“Here,” Nick murmured. “Have I opened the right thing?”

Charlie sighed loudly.

“Yeah, that’s it,” he said. “Mind if I swap places with you?”

“Sure.” Nick got up and Charlie sat in his place. He was, again, surrounded by Nick’s scent as he sat in the warmed chair. “I’ll go get you a coffee.”

“Actually, Nick, would you mind getting me a banana as well, please? They keep some in the main staff kitchen.”

“Of course.”

When Nick stepped out of the office, Charlie called Tao and Aled.

“Guys,” he began on the group call, “we are in some serious shit.”

By the time Nick returned, Charlie was back on the sofa, his head in his hands.

Nick placed his drink and the requested banana in front of Charlie on the coffee table.

“How long has it been since you did a walkabout in the Hub like that?” Nick asked.

Charlie paused to think, embarrassed that he couldn’t remember straight off.

“Probably when your predecessor started, so two months? And I missed last month’s management meeting. I’ve just been so tired and stressed and obsessed by the Walters Project that I’ve neglected everything else.”

He leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. A moment later, the sofa cushion next to him sank as Nick sat down beside him.

“You can talk to me about it if you want,” Nick murmured. “Boss-Assistant confidentiality and all that.”

Charlie chuckled and turned to face him.

“It’s hard to talk about. Lots of layers as to why I’m a car crash of a human.”

“We’ve all been there at one point or another,” Nick replied quietly. “Look, you don’t have to tell me about it, but what can I do to help?”

Charlie thought for a long moment.

“I need you to keep me away from the Walters plans, and on top of all our actual projects instead, until after we meet with them.”

“I could schedule some time in, like an hour a day, if you still wanted to keep working on them?”

“No, as soon as I get involved with them, I won’t want to stop. A clean break is better,” Charlie replied. “If that means wrestling blueprints out of my hands and manhandling me back home, you’ve got permission.”

“You got it, boss. Anything else?”

“How do you feel about using your charm to get to know the interns and associates a little? Or is that a bit much?”

“You think I have charm?” Nick teased.

Charlie felt his cheeks flame up.

“Well, uh, think of it as a charm challenge,” he replied. “It’s just that as the boss, I feel like I miss out on getting to know the stuff that’s really going on there. The nitty-gritty.”

“I’ll give it a whirl, but no promises. They might see me as the boss’s interloper.”

“No problem, just see what you can do.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Six: Being the Boss (is hard work)

Charlie’s nerves were jangling as he waited for Robbie McKay to join the Teams meeting that Nick had set up. Soon enough, Robbie’s pinched face was on screen.

“Charlie.”

“Hi Robbie, thanks for joining us.”

“Your minion was rather insistent. Wait, what do you mean, ‘us?’”

Nick zoomed out the camera so Robbie could see who else was in the conference room.

“Tao, Aled, and Isaac have come in on this meeting, so we can plan a way to move forward.”

“What do you mean?”

Charlie continued with the words he had prepared in his head.

“And we have Priya and Nick here too. They’re doing the admin.”

“Why the hell am I meeting with all of you? I thought this was a quick catch-up about the progress of our current projects before I go to Madrid.”

“It was supposed to be, but seeing as we are about to be in breach of contract for the GMD Project which breaks ground in ten days,” Charlie couldn’t help his voice going high and squeaky, “that affects all the partners, too.”

Robbie rolled his eyes.

“’Breach of contract?’ How?”

Charlie nodded at Priya who shared blueprints on the screen.

“These were the agreed plans when we signed the contract,” explained Charlie before glancing at Nick, who gave him a thumbs-up. “Nick’s just emailed you another copy of that contract. The one which stipulates that any and all changes to those plans, however minor, are agreed with GMD in writing.”

Robbie’s eyes widened and the sourness of his expression quickly turned steely, his jaw tight.

“I see.”

“You were there in the room when we signed that contract, Robbie, just ten weeks ago,” Charlie continued, “so I was a little surprised to see that there are quite a number of design changes, none of which appear to have been agreed with our client.”

Priya put up the latest designs on the screen.

“They’re only minor changes, Charlie,” Robbie sneered. “That contract says we can make minor adjustments.”

“Minor adjustments are only allowed if there are issues with materials sourcing,” Isaac piped up. “Or if sustainability becomes a concern.”

“And these aren’t minor changes,” Tao added. “You’ve changed the roof from a hip to a sawtooth, and you’ve added three times the amount of glass that was agreed.”

“To allow for more natural light,” Robbie countered. “It would reduce lighting bills.”

“But it would increase heat in the building,” added Aled, “in a landlocked city where the temperature in summer has consistently been above 35 degrees for the past few years.”

“Not to mention affecting wind resistance,” added Tao.

“A sawtooth roof would increase the AC use in the building by 33%,” said Isaac. “That’s an unacceptable trade-off.”

“We’re going to have to talk to the clients again, and the contractors, and the interior designers,” Charlie said, feeling his palms start to sweat. “Until we’ve done that and agreed a way forward, the GMD Project will have to go on hold.”

“Then I’m walking,” Robbie replied, nostrils flaring. “I mean it, Charlie. I’ve put my heart and soul into these designs. It’s some of my best work, and I don’t see why it’s got to go on hold because of bloody paperwork!”

“This isn’t your building, Robbie,” Charlie insisted. “It’s our clients’, and they are the ones who have to live with it. It’s a twenty-million Euro project; they were extremely specific about what they wanted. And a hot, sawtooth-roofed building wasn’t it!”

“I can’t work like this,” Robbie stated. “You want to be the boss, Charlie? Then act like it. Look after the interns and associates and answer their stupid bloody questions all the livelong day like I do. You want final design approval on everything? Then be here. Answer your fucking emails and phone calls.”

Charlie sighed, his breath feeling jagged in his chest. Suddenly a glass of water was pushed in front of him, and under the conference table, Nick placed a small fidget bracelet into his hand.

“I will admit that I have not been as present as I could have been recently,” Charlie admitted, twisting the small bracelet through his fingers, “but you’ve worked here long enough to know how to read a contract, including your own. The one which clearly sets out your roles and responsibilities.”

“Do we need to take a five minute break?” suggested Aled, eyes darting back and forth between Charlie and the screen.

Charlie leaned back in his chair and took a sip of water.

“Yeah, good idea.”

“No, I don’t think there’s anything left to say,” Robbie snapped. “I quit. You don’t value my work, my ideas, or my experience.”

“The only thing of yours we don’t value is your hubris, Robbie,” shot back Charlie, before looking around at his partners. “Believe me, we have enough grounds to terminate your employment after this contract debacle, but we’re willing to take our issues to mediation and agree on a performance management plan. HR is on standby to arrange it.”

Robbie shook his head.

“No, I’m done. No mediation or ‘performance management’ bullshit. Just send me a final payslip.”

“You have a three month notice period,” Isaac pointed out, not looking up from his book.

“Then don’t pay me or whatever. I told you,” he seethed. “I quit.”

He ended the call, leaving a black screen behind.

“Oh wow, he’s gone,” murmured Nick. “What happens now?”

Charlie had no idea.

--

Charlie spent the rest of the afternoon in the boardroom with Tao, Aled and Isaac.

The client, Gael Marquez-Diaz, was an enigmatic Chilean advertising executive who had started a boutique agency in Santiago just five years earlier. GMD had quickly become one of the most sought-after agencies in Latin America, and they chose SXL Architecture to design their new European division offices in Madrid.

“There’s no way around it,” Charlie sighed, after going over all the plans, old and new, as well as the contracts. “I’m going to have to tell GMD about the fuck-up, update the contractors, and hope that the financial penalty isn’t too severe.”

“This was a pretty big project to delegate to Robbie, Charlie,” said Aled. “How come you didn’t oversee it yourself?”

“Because it came up at the same time as we were bidding on the Walters Project, and Robbie had been angling for bigger projects.”

“He’s pissed off that we didn’t make him a partner,” said Tao with chagrin.

“Totally,” agreed Isaac. “But this kind of crap is why.”

“I thought it would be okay. I worked with him on the bid and the original pitch, and once GMD signed on the dotted line, everything seemed golden. After we confirmed the contractors, I stepped back completely.”

“So you have met the contractors?”

“Yeah, we went with GSE Iberia. We worked with them in Santander a couple of years ago for that ferry port redesign and they were a dream.”

“Assuming the clients and the contractors want to proceed, I think the only way we are going to get out of this scrape with our reputation intact is if you personally oversee the GMD project, Charlie,” said Aled. “There’s no way you can trust it to any other architect in the Hub. There’s nobody else experienced enough.”

“But then what’s going to happen to the other projects if I’m off in Madrid?”

“We can work it out–” began Tao.

But Charlie was in rambling mode.

“Robbie was supposed to be overseeing another three projects this year, and two bids, while I worked on Walters and the Dublin Project, which is due to start in October. But he’s clearly not been doing that because when I went in there it was carnage. The teams are all sniping at each other, getting carried away with their designs and dithering over decisions.”

“I can step in and cover for Robbie – and you – for a few weeks, Charlie,” offered Isaac. “We’re better off without that miserable git in the long run.”

“Amen,” agreed Aled.

A knock on the door startled them, and all four men jumped.

“Hi,” murmured Nick, carrying a tray of drinks and a plate of biscuits and fruit. “I thought you might like some sustenance.” He turned to Tao, Aled and Isaac. “I asked your assistants what drinks you liked, hope that’s okay?”

“Sure,” replied Tao. “Uhh, that’s kind of you.”

“You’re welcome,” Nick replied. “I’ll be in the office when you’re ready to go home, Charlie.”

He gave them an awkward wave before departing. Charlie watched him go until a throat-clearing took his attention back to his friends.

“Ohh-kay,” laughed Isaac, “so you have the hots for your new assistant.”

“Shocker,” added Aled, but followed it up with a kind smile. “A ruddy, Celtic-looking hunk-a-man. Bound to happen.”

“Where did he even come from?” Tao wondered.

“Your wife,” said Charlie. “She introduced him to Darcy. The pair of them decided he would be the perfect assistant for me, and you know what? He’s done more in the past few days than my last assistant did in two months.”

“Just be careful, Charlie. He looks like the straightest person I’ve ever seen, plus you’re his boss.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” said Aled. “I met him when he was serving at the Weston Estates close party a couple of weeks ago and got a bi or pan vibe from him.”

Tao shrugged.

“I said what I said.”

“Nothing’s going to happen, Tao,” Charlie mumbled. “He’s the best assistant I’ve had since Elle and I’m not going to ruin that.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Seven: Getting To Know You

Nick returned from the boardroom, made himself a cup of tea and took out a cinnamon roll from the box he’d left by the coffee machine. He glanced at his phone to see a missed call from his best friend Tara, so he quickly called her back.

“Nicholas! What’s occurring?” she asked in her soft Welsh accent. “How’s the new job? I’m upset by the lack of update-texts!”

“Well, I knew you had that big case you were working in London. And this is only day four! Are you back in Bristol?”

“Yes, I’m home,” she replied, her voice high and fast. “Now, tell me, tell me!”

Nick gave her a rundown.

“So yeah, it’s a bit of a strange one, but I like it so far, and it’s not too overwhelming.”

“Does that mean you’re going to start creating content for your YouTube channel again? You must be running out of saved posts and compilations.”

“I hope so,” Nick murmured, “but I haven’t been feeling very creative until now because I’ve been so stressed about money. I did do a short vid last night though on making cinnamon rolls.”

“Good, well hopefully your mojo will return,” Tara replied. “What’s he like anyways, this Charlie guy?”

Chaotic, clever and cute, Nick wanted to say.

“Lovely, but a bit all over the place. It’s like he can’t focus on more than one thing at a time, which is great when he’s designing buildings but less great when he forgets to eat or sleep.”

“Sounds like he has ADHD,” Tara said . “Or at least, maybe he’s a bit neurospicy.”

“I have no idea what that means, but his mind is insane. Like, I saw him draw a building design on a napkin at lunch today, complete with angles and measurements, in just three minutes.”

“Oh no.”

“What?”

“Nicholas, have you got a crush on your boss?”

Nick imagined Tara’s warm, brown eyes widening in her rounded face.

“No! What makes you say that?”

“What does he look like?”

“Um–”

“Nick.”

“Fine! He’s our age, a couple of inches shorter than me, slim with dark curly hair.”

“And blue eyes, I bet?”

Nick sighed.

“Yes, blue eyes, huge ones.”

“ Just your type then .”

“ Fuck, yes, okay, he’s my type, but nothing’s going to happen. He’s my boss.”

“All right ,” Tara murmured, but Nick could hear the amusement in her voice.

“Anyway, can I ask you a legal question? Seeing as you are Ms Badass Lawyer who tries cases in London and all.”

“You can ask.”

“So a guy quits his job and doesn’t work his notice period. The reason he quit is because he got upset when his boss told him that he’d compromised a project by not running design plans by the client. In this situation who’s going to get sued?”

“Just to check, you aren’t talking about yourself, are you?”

“Even I can’t fuck up that quickly. It’s one of the architects who works here.”

“Okay, well, the employee could be sued, but that’s expensive. The better option, if they’re not prepared to work, is for the firm to try to put them on gardening leave for the notice period, so they can’t work for a competitor.”

“And if that ship has sailed?”

“Then they need to get a lawyer with employment law experience to go over the contract and see whether it’s worth damages being sought.”

“What about the contract with the client? The one that’s been compromised?”

“If the company are in breach of contract, for whatever reason, they are liable, but there are many steps between the mistake and getting sued. Again, they need a good commercial lawyer to go over the contracts and help them plan.”

“Thanks, Tar. I’m sure my boss has thought of those things. I imagine they’ve already got lawyers.”

“Well, if not, please put my name forward.”

“Will do.”

“Gotta go, Nick. I have a date tonight.”

“Oh? Who’s the lucky lady?”

“A girl from Tinder called Lucy. Seems cute. Cute enough to get my braids redone.”

“Oo-ooh, she must be if you got your braids done nice,” Nick replied. “Good luck!”

“Bye-ee!”

After Tara hung up, Nick wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself, so decided to do a bit of research and look at the GMD Project’s notes. He didn’t understand most of it, but he could see that the notes were sparse in content. He compared Robbie’s notes to Charlie’s for the Dublin Project, which were extensive. Every single tiny change was recorded.

He clicked into Google to try to understand the complex design and construction language, but soon had to admit defeat. He had heard that architects trained for several years and now understood why.

So instead, he Googled the client and he Googled Madrid.

It didn’t take long before he was down a food rabbit-hole, researching bakeries, restaurants, and markets, and looking up Spanish recipes. The ideas for his Youtube channel flowed, and by the time Charlie was tapping on his shoulder, he had filled two pages of notes with potential posts.

“Hey, what’s that you’re doing?” Charlie asked.

“Oh, just some food ideas,” Nick replied, looking up to see a very tired Charlie above him. “Ready to head home?”

“Hmm,” Charlie murmured. “I think I may need to stay for longer to review the GMD Project plans so I’m ready for when we meet our lawyers.”

“When’s that?”

“Tao is contacting them tonight to arrange a meeting on Monday.”

Charlie sat at his desk and started tapping at his tablet.

Nick stood up and walked over.

“I have an alternative suggestion.”

“You do?”

“You let me drive you home and get you dinner then you wake up fresh and do the review in the morning,” Nick replied. “You’ve been bossing all day, and it’s clearly draining. I tried to understand those project notes and whoosh!” Nick waved his hand above his head. “So complicated!”

Charlie laughed, a musical lilting giggle that made Nick’s insides feel like melted chocolate.

“All right, let’s do it your way.”

--

“Charlie.”

A warm hand on his shoulder gently shook Charlie from his slumber. It felt nice, gentle yet firm.

“Hmm.”

“We’re at your house, Charlie.”

“Nooo… I’m comfy.”

Nick’s deep, rumbling laugh sent small shivers of pleasure from Charlie’s ears to his neck and down his spine, and he couldn’t help but open his eyes. His assistant was looking at him from the driver’s seat, his head tilted to one side, and one chunky arm draped along the back of the passenger seat. When Charlie looked round, he could see that Nick had reversed the Volvo into its space, something he never managed to do.

It kind of felt intimate. Heads so close, Nick’s arm behind his head…

“It’s getting pretty late, boss.”

“Oh God, yeah!” Charlie unclicked his seatbelt and hopped out of the car.

Nick collected their work bags and Charlie’s blueprints. As they walked to the front door, he pressed the keys into Charlie’s hand.

“Okay?”

“Sorry, I guess I was tired.”

Charlie held the front door open and let Nick pass by. They walked through to the large farmhouse kitchen. 

“It’s been a long day. You’ve not really stopped since we got to the office and you had a tough situation to deal with.”

Charlie collapsed into one of the ochre armchairs by the huge floor-to-ceiling picture window that faced the River Avon.

“Ugh, yeah. I was not expecting that.”

“It’s pretty shit,” Nick replied, taking a seat in the opposite armchair. “But isn’t it better to know now than down the line when the project started?”

“Oh, definitely,” Charlie agreed. “But my head’s fried now.”

Nick jumped to his feet.

“Well, let me feed you, and then I’ll leave you to your evening.”

“Wait, you don’t have to cook dinner for me as well. You topped up my groceries. I can work it out.”

“It’s no trouble. I was making amatriciana sauce anyway, so I put a jar in your fridge this morning. All there is to do is cook some pasta.”

“’Amatriciana?’”

“It’s a Roman pasta sauce with tomato, guanciale, which is like bacon, and just a pinch of chilli,” Nick replied. “It’s one of the oldest pasta dishes in Italy, and it’s absolutely delicious.”

“Wow, you really do love food, don’t you?” Charlie laughed before getting serious again. “Look, you’re my personal assistant, Nick, not my butler, personal chef, or maid. I know that sometimes the role has to overlap with those things, but it’s okay to boundary your time.”

Nick shrugged.

“I like assisting you, but I love cooking for people,” he said. “Please.”

“Only if you join me for dinner,” Charlie replied. “Please.”

Nick paused for a moment.

“Love to.”

“Great!” Charlie grinned. “What can I do to help?”

“Freshen up and set the table?” Nick replied. “God, it feels weird me telling you to do that in your own house.”

“As we’ve established though, I need telling sometimes. More often than not.”

They hovered for a moment, and Nick opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped and headed into the kitchen.

By the time Charlie returned from washing his face and changing into joggers and a sweatshirt, Nick was bending pasta strands into boiling water.

“Your induction hob is so cool,” he gushed, as he heard Charlie come in. “It’s really fast.”

“All the appliances were a gift from NEFF after we expanded one of their factories,” Charlie explained. “It’s supposed to be top of the range.”

“Definitely,” Nick agreed, before turning to the American-style fridge-freezer to retrieve the sauce. “It’s a dream kitchen.”

“It’s a bit wasted on me,” Charlie admitted. “The best I can manage is a sandwich or mixing rice or pasta with sauce.”

“That’s why I thought you might like this dish,” Nick replied. “So easy.”

“Apart from making the homemade sauce part,” Charlie laughed. “What’s this one called again?”

Nick opened the jar of sauce and gave it to Charlie to have a look.

“Amatriciana. Bacon, tomatoes and chilli are on your safe list so I thought you’d like it.”

Charlie inhaled the smoky smell and his tummy rumbled.

“This is definitely the kind of thing I’d pick in a restaurant.”

“Good.” Nick took the jar from him and emptied it into a sauté pan. “Would you like me to add some cheese?”

Charlie shook his head.

“No thank you. Cheese with bread or crackers only. One of my weird things.”

“No problem. I’ll just grate some onto mine separately.”

Charlie watched as Nick flitted about the kitchen, warming pasta bowls in the oven, getting a colander ready for the pasta, getting the cheese and the grater ready. It was like watching a graceful dance composition unfold.

“Oh, I should lay the table,” he murmured. “Did you want a drink?”

“Just water, please,” Nick replied, distracted by testing the pasta. “Driving.”

“Sure.”

Five minutes later, a delectable, steaming bowl of Pasta Amatriciana was placed in front of Charlie before Nick took a seat opposite with his own food.

“This looks amazing,” Charlie murmured before taking a bite. His mouth filled with the most delicious burst of tomato, salty bacon, and hot chilli, wrapped around a perfectly al dente piece of pasta.

“Okay?” Nick’s tone was wary.

“Mmm!” Charlie grinned as he shoved another forkful of pasta into his mouth. “It’s brilliant.”

Nick’s face lit up, and Charlie thought, not for the first time, that his new assistant really did have the most delightful smile.

They ate in silence for a couple of moments, but when Nick paused to take a sip of water, he suddenly put his fork down.

“Charlie, could I ask...” his words tailed off. “Never mind.”

“No, what is it?”

“Um, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but um, why do you have the special diet? With the safe foods list?”

“Oh.” Charlie put his fork down too.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Nick, one of your main jobs is going to be getting me to eat, so you should know. Just, obviously, I’d rather not be the subject of the staff gossip any more than I already am.”

“Boss-Assistant confidentiality,” Nick promised.

Charlie took another bite of his pasta and a sip of wine and made himself swallow them before speaking.

“I’ve had treatment for an eating disorder and anxiety in the past,” he said. “The first time was when I was about twelve, after we had a family bereavement, and then again when I was seventeen and stressing about A-levels. The last time was after my last relationship breakdown, six years ago or so.”

“Charlie...” Nick murmured. “You were so young.”

“Yeah,” Charlie replied, pushing a forkful of pasta along his bowl. “I had lots of weird rules and rituals around food when I was ill, and the safe foods list helps me not get into them again, if that makes sense.”

“I totally get it,” Nick said. “What are your early warning signs of a relapse?”

Charlie looked up.

“You know about early warning signs?”

“I do,” Nick replied. “One of my exes had anorexia, and we knew she was struggling when she started buying lots of cookery books and odd ingredients.”

Charlie felt a stab of disappointment. Of course, Nick liked girls.

“Let me guess, she’d cook amazingly complicated things for other people, but couldn’t eat it herself?”

“Yep.”

“Was that why you broke up? Her anorexia?”

Nick shook his head.

“We got through that, and she recovered. No, in the end she broke up with me because she was moving to uni in Scotland and I was coming here.”

“Food rules are my thing. Some have been truly bizarre. One time I insisted I had to follow Kosher even though we’re not Jewish, and another time, everything had to be organic and no foods were allowed to touch on the plate. It doesn’t make sense, and yet it does at the time.”

“I’ll remember that,” Nick promised. “The safe foods list seems pretty comprehensive.”

“It’s taken years to get to that point though. For a year after I was last in treatment, it was basically toast, cut apples, peanut butter and baked beans. I wouldn’t have touched this pasta with a bargepole.”

“Well done on getting here then,” Nick said, lifting his fork of pasta. “Thanks for letting me cook for you.”

“This pasta needs its own list,” Charlie said with a giggle. “It’s so good!”

“Noted!” Nick replied with a huge beaming smile. “Any other meals that you really like?”

They talked about favourite foods and meals for the rest of their dinner.

“Seriously, I’ve never had such good churros,” Nick said as he scraped the last of his pasta sauce from his plate. “They were like, the size of this table. I’ve tried recreating them at home, but no luck.”

“We’ll have to try them when we go to Madrid,” Charlie commented.

“So we’re definitely going? Me too?” Nick asked. Charlie nodded. “I wondered if we would, given the state of the GMD Project.”

“Yeah,” Charlie confirmed. “Isaac’s going to look after the Hub while we’re gone. I’ll confirm the date we go out there when I’ve spoken to the contractors.”

“Guess I’d better book flights and somewhere for us to stay. Anything I need to know?”

Charlie took another fortifying sip of his wine.

“The main thing is to book somewhere quiet that has a kitchenette because I start to struggle with restaurant food after a while. And could you book us business class flights, or at least, lounge access? While I’m fine with flying, I get stressed in airports, so the lounge helps.”

“I probably should tell you that I’m a bit of a nervous flyer,” Nick admitted. “But I’m fine with airports!”

“Haha,” Charlie giggled, “we’re a perfect contrast then.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Eight: Network Nick

The next morning, Nick was quiet as he drove Charlie into work.

“Are you all right, Nick?” Charlie asked as they started to enter the town.

“I was just thinking about how I get to know the team in the Drawing Hub,” he murmured, glancing quickly at Charlie before training his eyes on the road again. “They weren’t hugely friendly when I met them with Priya.”

“You don’t have to if it feels like too big a request,” Charlie backtracked.

“No, I want to,” Nick said. “Maybe I’ll just buy them cake.”

“I’d keep that one in your back pocket for now,” Charlie advised. “They might see it as a bribe.”

“Which it would be,” Nick agreed. “Food is just my solution to every problem.”

Charlie laughed but it was kind of distant, and Nick wanted to smack his own head. The guy had told him he had an eating disorder, and there he was, talking about giving food willy-nilly.

“I think, just head to the Hub at lunchtime and chat to the interns and associates a bit. But don’t tell them anything yet about Robbie or that we’re going to take over in Madrid.”

“Okay, I can do that,” Nick replied.

There was a pause that neither filled until they were just a couple of minutes away from SXL.

“So, what are you up to–”

“Do you have plans–”

They both laughed.

“Were you going to ask what my plans are for the weekend?” Charlie asked. “That’s what I was going to ask you.”

“Yep.” Nick grinned. “Anything exciting?”

“To be honest, I don’t know,” confessed Charlie. “I haven’t had a weekend free in ages. I’ve always been working away or drawing or planning. I’ll ask my friends and family what they’re up to.”

“Darcy seems like she would have fun plans,” Nick replied. “She was telling Priya about puppy yoga classes yesterday.”

“Yeah,” Charlie laughed. “Before she and Tori started the events business, you’d call her and she’d just randomly be clubbing in Amsterdam or hiking in Snowdonia.”

“Oof, that’s a bit too spontaneous for me,” Nick replied with a grin. “Some of my friends are coming over from Bristol tomorrow and it’s been planned for ages.”

“Sounds fun.”  

Nick pulled into Charlie’s parking space and they walked into the lobby towards the lifts.

“Guys.”

Isaac was behind them, holding a book in one hand and a massive cappuccino in the other.

“Morning, how are you?” Charlie asked.

“Good, but I need a hand moving my desks around. Now that the weather’s better, the glare from the sun is making it harder to draw, like.”

“I can help you,” offered Nick.

“What about others in the Hub?” Charlie added. “Nick and I have lots to organise for GMD this morning, pronto.”

Nick turned to Charlie in surprise. He said ‘pronto’ with a very authentic-sounding Spanish accent.

“Apparently, Robbie’s parting shot yesterday was telling the GMD team that Madrid wasn’t happening. Of course, they’re moping, and now the whole Hub has joined them in sympathy.”

“Fuck’s sake,” Charlie murmured. “Good thing we’re meeting with Youssef first thing Monday.”

“Who’s that?” Nick asked.

“Youssef Farouk is our lawyer,” replied Charlie. “We keep his firm on retainer; they’re based in Bristol.”

“What should we do about the Hub’s morale?” Isaac asked. “Are you going to speak to them?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Charlie replied. Suddenly he turned to Nick and gave his assistant a wicked smile. “But Nick’s going to talk to them first.”

--

“Hey, it’s April, right?” Nick said as he approached the young intern, who was currently hunched over a sketchpad, drawing furiously.

She looked up and immediately raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm?”

“I’m Nick, Charlie Spring’s PA? We met the other day.”

“Oh, yeah.” She looked down at her sketchpad again. “How can I help you?”

“Charlie’s asked me to find out some information for the GMD Project,” he replied. “But I’ve been through all the notes on the tracker and can’t find anything on his list.”

“Why?” she asked, quite loudly, drawing the attention of the others nearby. “I mean, GMD’s on hold, isn’t it?”

“Who told you that?” Nick scoffed, running a hand through his floppy auburn fringe. “Because nobody told Charlie! It’s all ‘Nick, book some flights’ and ‘Nick, find this out’ and ‘oh, Nick, make sure you book that meeting with GSE Iberia!’ And I’m like, I’m not even sure who GSE Iberia are!”

“Really?”

A couple of others drifted next to April, a tall, Arabic girl wearing a purple hijab and a stocky young guy with shaggy blond hair and ink stains on the pocket of his white shirt.

“I mean, it’s a lot,” Nick continued. “They told me it could be busy, but OMG, Charlie’s on an absolute mission today.”

“He’s meeting with GSE?” asked the girl in the hijab.

“Yeah,” Nick said. “Sorry, what’s your name?”

“Aleena Khan,” she replied. “I’m the junior architect for the GMD project.”

“I’m Jay, Jay Knight,” said the blond guy. “Associate architect. You’re Nick, right?”

“Right,” Nick replied. “Anyway, sorry to be so flustered and have to pester you, but I need this information before the meeting with GSE, and I’m struggling with the tracker thing.”

“Don’t bother with it, not for this project,” said Aleena. “Mr McKay didn’t like to use it. Said it was slowing us down.”

“So does that mean all the info I need is in his head?”

Nick stamped his foot slightly and rolled his eyes.

“We kept some notes—" began April.

“So Madrid’s definitely happening?” Jay cut in. “Mr Spring’s going instead of Mr Mckay?”

“Yeah, he wants to meet these GSE people next week online, and if that goes okay, we’ll start in Madrid as soon as possible, but it depends on that meeting so he’s stressing about it.”

Jay, Aleena, and April looked at each other. Nick glanced around the Hub. It was very quiet with people on other projects looking over.

“What’s on the list?” Aleena asked.

“He wants me to speak to the BIM Lead about the models. What’s a BIM Lead? This is my first time working in an architecture firm.”

“That’s me!” piped up a middle-aged Nigerian lady wearing a grey shift dress, which contrasted with her bright green headwrap. She walked over from a corner desk. “I’m Judy. BIM means ‘Buildings Information Modelling.’ I make sure all our digital construction models are up to scratch through a project run.”

“Lovely to meet you, Judy.” Nick flashed her a full-beam smile. “I hope you’ll help me.”

“Of course, young man,” she said, giving him a thumbs up. “Anything to keep the GMD Project going.”

“What made you think it wasn’t happening?” Nick asked.

“It was Mr McKay,” said a tall, slim guy in his early thirties with flaming red hair. “I’m Connor, by the way. I’m not working on GMD, but we all heard him storm in after the meeting with Charlie yesterday.”

The people behind him started nodding and murmuring.

“Sounds like you guys have some serious tea to spill!” replied Nick with a half-smile.

“Yeah,” agreed April. “Speaking of tea, would you like a cuppa, Nick? I think we could all do with a round.”

Nick beamed at her and then at all of them.

“I’d love one,” he agreed. “Got any biscuits? ‘Cause if not, I can get some from the exec floor.”

--

“Hi everyone,” Charlie began, trying not to tap his foot under the table. “Thanks for coming up. I’m sure by now you’ve heard that Robbie McKay has decided not to continue working for SXL.”

He glanced around the room at April, Aleena, Jay and Judy. Isaac, Nick and Priya were also sitting in.

“And I’m sure you must be wondering what that means for the GMD Project. I want you all to know that you’ve done some amazing work on this over the past few months. First on the bid, which was mostly Aleena’s work, then on the designs, a group effort, and the modelling was some of your best, Judy.

“Robbie leaving means that I am going to be taking over as project lead, and we are going to be reverting back to the designs that were agreed with the client in the contract meeting two months ago.”

The project team started giving each other looks.

“All that work,” mumbled April. “All those late nights.”

“I know you’re disappointed, but the client didn’t agree to those design revisions. We are meeting with the contractors on Tuesday to show them the original plans, and I’d like you all to attend, if you can. It will be the same team you met with the first time you briefed them.”

“We didn’t brief them,” interjected Aleena. “Mr McKay didn’t want us there.”

“You didn’t go?”

The quartet shook their heads.

“No, Mr Spring,” confirmed Jay in a quiet voice. 

“Guys, please call me Charlie,” he said softly. “Look, if you didn’t go first time round, then it’s even more important you’re at the meeting on Tuesday. We will need to hit the ground running when we go to Madrid.”

“And all of us are going?” checked April.

“Except Judy,” said Isaac. “With no Robbie, and Charlie in Madrid, I’ll be overseeing the Hub, and I need you.”

“Of course,” Judy said, looking relieved. “Thank God, because I do not want to leave my kids with their dad.”

“Then it’s settled. Tuesday, first thing.”

After the project team filed out, Nick, Charlie, Priya and Isaac hung back in the meeting room.Charlie let out a breath of relief.

“Thank you so much for talking to them,” Charlie said to Nick. “That went a lot better than I expected, and we’ve got all the information that should have been on the tracker.”

“I’ve uploaded it all to the project file,” Nick replied. “And you’re welcome.”

“He did a bang-up job in the Hub, Charlie,” added Isaac. “When I came out for a brew, they were gassing like they’d been mates for years.”

“Well, it was Charlie’s idea to seem like he’d overwhelmed me,” Nick said. “They totally bought into that.”

“Glad it worked,” Charlie murmured, his cheeks going pink. “Now, Nick, I think we should take the afternoon off. We’re going to be mad-busy next week before Madrid.”

“Are you sure?” Nick was already thinking of the baking he was going to do, and the vlog posts he was planning.

“Yeah, Charlie? Are you sure?” Isaac asked. “You, take a day off?”

Charlie grinned.

“One hundred percent sure.”

--

As was typical for a warm, spring Saturday afternoon, Bath was crowded with tourists and locals. However, Parade Gardens wasn’t too busy, and Nick, Imogen, and Sahar were comfortably lying on the grass, reading Delicious magazine; Red, White and Royal Blue ; and the Times Educational Supplement, respectively.

“Tell us.”

“Not yet.”

“Ni-ick,” Sahar whined, piling her long, thick, black hair on her head and pinning it with a Biro before pulling it out again. 

“Tell us your news, please!” Imogen added before moving to sit behind her partner to plait her long hair.

“Be patient. Tara will be here soon, and then I’ll tell you both.” When they pouted at him, he added, “Patience is a virtue.”

“But it’s not my virtue, and I’ve survived for thirty-three years without it, so tell us,” whined Sahar.

“No!”

A shadow suddenly fell over them.

“Guys!” Tara cried, hands on her hips. “What are you bickering about?”

“Tara, you’re early for once in your life!”

Sahar got to her feet and gave her old friend a big hug, followed by Imogen.

“I know, amazing, right? I caught the train from Bristol instead of driving.”

“Hey, where’s my hug?” Nick asked, rubbing grass off his jeans before curling his arms around his best friend.

“You both look well,” Tara said. “No Christian?”

“No, he’s on a research trip in Yellowstone,” Imogen said. “Look, he sent us this yesterday.”

Imogen showed Tara a picture of lanky, blond Christian in a baseball cap and sleeveless vest, sunburnt but cheery.

“Aww, he looks happy.”

“I know, right?” Imogen said, and Sahar kissed her cheek. “We miss him loads.”

“The house is too quiet without him,” Sahar added. “He’ll be back next week though.”

“Sahar, still torturing the kids with Kafka in the original German?” Tara asked.

“I will be, after the Easter holidays. I’ve already got The Trial lined up.”

“And you, Imogen?”

Imogen grinned, and Sahar kissed her on the cheek again.

“I got the business loan!” she cried, and Tara squealed. “We’re going to open the boutique in three months.”

“Yay, I’m so happy for you,” Tara replied, and she and Nick hugged her again.

“Excellent. What about you, Nick? New job still okay?”

“What new job?” asked Sahar before grabbing his arm. “That’s your news?”

“Yup.”

“Tell us, tell us!” cried Imogen.

They sat back down on the grass and Nick passed around the cans of M&S Gin and Tonic the girls brought while Sahar opened a packet of Kettle Chips.

“So, I’m a personal assistant to a commercial architect,” Nick began.

“What?” Sahar exclaimed.

“That’s like, really different,” added Imogen. “How did you end up there?”

Nick explained the events of the past week.

“It’s still quite new, but it’s exciting,” Nick said. “Travel, more time and thank God, more money.”

“Nick, that’s amazing,” Imogen gushed. “We’re so happy for you.”

“Finally, some good news after a year of crap,” said Sahar.

“Ask him about his boss,” Tara murmured before sipping her drink.

“What about his boss?” asked Imogen.

“The architect?” said Sahar. “I dunno why, but the word makes me think of an old guy in a suit with a pencil behind his ear and blueprints tucked under his arm.”

Tara guffawed.

“Google SXL Architecture,” she told them. “Do it.”

“You’re such a menace, Tar!” Nick exclaimed. “But no, he doesn’t look like that, at all, Sahar. He’s–”

“Hot!” yelled Imogen, holding up her phone. “Charlie Spring, Head of Commercial Architecture Division. This is your boss?”

Nick took in the image of Charlie, where he was wearing a fitted, designer navy suit and a white jacquard shirt with no tie; he was smiling widely which showed off his dimples, every sable curl was perfectly in place and his blue eyes looked especially twinkly.

“How did you get that pic up so fast?” Nick asked.

“It’s a gift,” Imogen said, shrugging. “So?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“He’s like a curly-haired, boy version of Zooey Deschanel with a runner’s body,” sighed Imogen. “If just his picture is turning me into a pan-disaster, you must be a melty mess every morning.”

“Angelcakes,” began Sahar, “anyone remotely attractive our age turns you into a pan-disaster.”

“Oi!” Imogen slapped her partner on the arm. “But yeah, that’s true.”

She giggled and kissed the spot on Sahar she’d just hit.

He’s lovely, gentle and kind, and obviously gorgeous,” Nick said, “but I am not a melty mess. We have a good working relationship, and that’s it.”

“I bet you’re either pining for him, shagging him, or both by Christmas,” chuckled Sahar, winking.

“Give over,” Nick retorted. “I am not going to do anything to jeopardise this job. With how much they’re paying me, I’ll be out of debt in six months, and if I stay for a year, I’ll have enough for the deposit on my own flat.”

“If you say so, Nick,” murmured Imogen, looking at the picture once more before putting her phone down. “Do you actually like the job though? Or is it just the money you’re doing it for?”

“It wouldn’t have been something I’d have thought to do for work, but it’s cool. My main role is to keep him organised, and that’s something I find pretty easy. We’re going to Madrid for a big job soon.”

“Madrid?” squealed Sahar. “That’s one of my favourite places, isn’t it, Immy?” Imogen smiled and nodded. “Does this Charlie guy need another assistant?”

“I know it sounds cool, but it’s going to be stressful. We have to go because Charlie had to performance-manage one of the architects leading the project. He then quit, so now Charlie has to go fix the problems he made.”

“Ah, is that the legal thing you mentioned?”

“Yup,” Nick agreed. “He and the other partners in SXL have a meeting with their lawyers in Bristol on Monday morning.”

“Which firm?”

“Not sure,” Nick replied. “The lawyer’s name is Youssef or something.” Tara grabbed Nick’s arm, causing him to spill a bit of his can. “Hey!”

“Not Youssef Farouk?”

Nick shook the drops of G&T off his hand.

“Sounds right. Why?”

“He’s the senior partner in the firm I work for,” she replied, pulling out her work phone. “I’ve been trying to get a case with him since I joined. He’s stern but brilliant.”

“Ooh, this could be your way in, Tar,” said Imogen through a mouthful of the crisps.

“I know, right,” Tara muttered, tapping furiously into her phone. “Let’s hope he’ll let me sit in.”

--

The heatwave that had gripped England during early April had well and truly abated by the time Charlie and Nick, along with Tao and Aled, drove into the larger city of Bristol, forty-five minutes from Bath, for their meeting with Youssef Farouk. The rain was pouring and the skies were grey. Nick, who was wearing cream chinos and a pinstriped blue shirt, had forgotten his coat.

“What on earth was I thinking, wearing this?” he grumbled. “I’m going to look like a mess.”

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning,” Charlie murmured, stopping at a crossing. He gestured to Tao and Aled to go ahead of them before turning to Nick.  “Are you all right?”

“Sorry, boss. I got caught out with the weather today. I like to be organised and look smart.”

“So I’m learning,” Charlie replied, giving Nick a warm smile. “For what it’s worth, you look good, just cold.”

Nick looked away, and Charlie hoped he hadn’t made him uncomfortable.

“Thanks.”

“After this meeting, we’re going for an early lunch at Pintura Yard. Would that make you feel better?”

“Really?” Nick’s face lit up. “I didn’t know that.”

“Youssef’s husband Nathan is the executive chef there,” Charlie replied. “They’re family friends, and it’s been ages since we caught up, so he’s opening up just for us.”

“Oh, then you’re not going to want me hanging around. I can always amuse myself elsewhere.”

“Not at all,” Charlie replied. “It would be lovely if you joined us. If you want, that is.”

“If I want? To go to the best restaurant in Bristol? Of course!”

Charlie laughed.

“It’s great. You’ll love it.”

“Do I need to double-check the safe foods list with their menu?”

“That’s sweet of you, but Nathan knows my safe foods,” Charlie explained. “He’s my godfather; he and Youssef are like uncles to me and Tori, and practically to Darcy, too. Dad went to uni with them.”

“Ah, okay,” Nick replied. Suddenly he was distracted by his phone vibrating in his pocket. He took it out and stared at the screen.

“All right?” Charlie asked.

Nick looked up from his phone to see that the green man had appeared at the crossing.

“Yes, sorry, it was just my best friend,” he replied as they crossed the street. “I should tell you, she’s a lawyer in this firm, and Mr Farouk is letting her sit in on your meeting if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure,” Charlie replied. “What’s her name?”

“Tara, Tara Jones,” Nick told him. “She’s brilliant, doing incredibly well with her cases since she moved down from Leeds last year.”

“How come she moved?” Charlie asked. “For the job?”

“Bad break-up,” Nick said. “After we graduated, she moved up north for her girlfriend, but when she found out she was cheating on her, she decided to move back to be closer to her family in Cardiff and to me and our other uni friends.”

“God, how awful,” Charlie murmured. “She must have been devastated.”

A flashback suddenly hit Charlie.

Walking into the townhouse I designed for him, for us, so excited to surprise him for Valentine’s Day. Seeing him in the arms of another, the sneers, the shouting…

“Charlie,” Nick murmured, touching his elbow. “Charlie, are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry, I get distracted pretty easily by random thoughts,” he explained. “Let’s go inside.”

--

Nick was sure he could see the stress flow out of Charlie, Tao, and Aled as the meeting with Youssef Farouk and Tara progressed. 

Youssef was in his late fifties, athletic, with salt and pepper hair and a cropped beard, and an unflinching countenance. Nick was kind of intimidated at first, but once he got talking, it was clear that he cared deeply about Charlie and SXL.

“So we are agreed,” Youssef said, “Tara here will write to Robbie Mckay on SXL’s behalf to issue a notice of gardening leave for three months during which time he will be prohibited to speak to other firms. We will also send a reminder of the confidentiality statement he signed when he was first employed.”

“Thank God you suggested that when we set the firm up,” murmured Aled. “I never expected to need it.”

“Nobody does, Mr Last,” replied Tara, “but that’s why it’s important to have.”

Aled replied with a warm smile.

“With regards to the GMD project,” continued Youssef, “I will attend the meeting with your clients and GSE Iberia, and if there is going to be a delay, SXL will offer up to a 3% reduction in fees.”

“Agreed,” said Charlie.

“Absolutely,” echoed Aled.

“Yep,” murmured Tao.

“Wonderful,” replied Youssef. “Let’s go to lunch.” He turned to Tara. “Would you like to join us, Miss Jones? We’re going to my husband’s restaurant.”

“Yes!” she replied, bouncing in her seat, glancing at Nick who gave her a big grin. “I mean, yes, please, sir, that would be lovely.”

Youssef nodded, his expression neutral, but as he rose from his seat, Nick was sure he smiled to himself, just a little.

The restaurant was only around the corner and appeared closed when they approached. But then Youssef produced a set of keys and showed them all in. Just one table was laid in the middle of the calm, modern dining room.

A stocky, short Afro-Caribbean man in his fifties emerged from the kitchen wearing a black chef’s uniform with a rainbow trim, his name embroidered over the left side.

Nathan Ajayi, Executive Chef/Proprietor

Pintura Yard, Bristol

“ Welcome, welcome,” he said, welcoming them with open arms. “Good meeting?”

“So good,” said Tao, stepping forward to give Nathan a hug. “Youssef and Tara here have completely sorted out the shit-show.”

Nathan hugged Aled and Charlie, dropped a kiss on his husband’s cheek and then turned to Nick and Tara.

“Hello, who do we have here?”

“Uncle Nate, this is my new PA, Nick Nelson,” Charlie said.

“And I’m Tara Jones, Chef Ajayi,” Tara said, holding out her hand. “I work with Mr Farouk.”

Nathan glanced at his husband.

“Well, dear, you must have done a good job if Youssef asked you to family lunch.”

“’Family lunch?’” Tara’s eyes were on stalks.

“Didn’t you know?” Nathan laughed. “Charlie’s my godson, and I’ve known Tao and Aled since they were gangly uni students.”

“Then I’m honoured,” Tara murmured, and Nick could tell she was trying her best not to squeal and clap her hands as she usually did when she was excited.

“Ahh, the honour’s all mine,” Nathan replied, grinning at Youssef. “Sit, sit!”

--

Nick couldn’t stop grinning as he drove Charlie, Tao and Aled back to the SXL offices. And he beamed at everyone he came across when he went to the petrol station to fill up the Volvo. The people at Sainsbury’s got the same joyful greetings when Nick went to top up Charlie’s groceries for the week.

As he was leaving the supermarket, his phone pinged in his back pocket.

Tara

T: Can you BELIEVE the lunch we just had?? Still buzzing!!

T: I walked around with caramel on my top lip for the rest of the day and I don’t even care!

T: I’m going to have dirty dreams about that wild garlic and asparagus cream thing we had to start.

T: And that seared lamb with the smoke? Wow.

T: Are you even alive right now?

Nick: Nope. I Am Dead.

N: Well, I will be after I eat the rest of those caramel choux Chef Ajayi insisted I take home.

N: And the petits fours. Gonna be in a sugar coma.

T: What was it like being shown around the kitchen?

N: AMAZING! He talked through his inspirations, his creative process, his ingredients sourcing

N: Tar, sorry, Charlie’s calling me!

“Charlie, everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just that I just got off the phone with Gael Marquez-Diaz.” Charlie’s voice was breathy, his words rushed.

“The client?” Nick said, his stomach suddenly somersaulting. “Oh no, did I miss something? Was I supposed to have called his office after we came back from lunch or—”

“No, no, he called me directly. The PAs before you were so unreliable, I gave him my number.”

“Oh.”

Nick idly wondered if Charlie still thought he might turn out unreliable but pushed that thought down as Charlie spoke again.

“Look, the reason he called is because he wants to attend the meeting with GSE Iberia himself.”

“Okay—”

“And he wants me there.”

“But you are going to be there.”

“In Madrid!” Charlie exclaimed, his voice high. “He wants me, us, to be at the meeting in person. In Madrid. Tomorrow.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine: Off to Madrid

The British Airways lounge was a zone of calm after the chaos of check-in and security. Charlie had barely coped with all the noise and lights and chatter. 

“Right, boss, what are you drinking?” Nick asked, after he had found some leather armchairs free, facing Heathrow’s expansive runways, the lights twinkling against the amber sunset.

“Would you judge me if I said a double Glenfiddich?” Charlie replied, sinking into the soft, supple leather and resting his holdall and blueprints case against the side of the chair. “On the rocks.”

“God, after this whirlwind, not at all. Would you mind if I had the same?”

“Why would I mind?”

“Because I’m on the job?”

“So am I,” Charlie said. “Look, we’re not doing anything but flying to Madrid tonight, so if you need a drink, go ahead and have one.”

“Got it,” Nick said, giving Charlie a thumbs-up. “And food?”

Charlie’s first thought was a big fat NO, but then he thought about how late it would be when they boarded the flight and what mystery edibles might be served on board.

“Some sort of cheese or ham sandwich, no mayo, some fruit and some ready salted crisps or Pringles?”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Nick put his rucksack and laptop bag by the chair next to Charlie’s and disappeared to the bar. Charlie sank back into his seat, closed his eyes and put his earphones in to let the sounds of Mac DeMarco surround him. He felt his heart rate start to slow and the tension in his neck and shoulders drop.

From the second his phone call with Señor Marquez-Diaz ended, it had been a whirlwind of travel arrangements, packing and then speeding up the M4 to Heathrow. Through all of it, Nick had been a rock, from calling the airline to organising a hotel to helping Charlie pack. He tried to imagine Kieran or his predecessors being so calm while Charlie paced and muttered orders. Even Elle would have struggled with such a last-minute arrangement.

A sudden hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his reverie.

“That was quick,” he said, turning towards Nick.

It wasn’t Nick.

“Hello there,” came a smooth, clipped voice. “Is anyone sitting here?”

Charlie looked up and up. A tall, suited and booted tank of a man with a thick, sandy quiff and even thicker beard was hovering, pointing at the empty seat next to Charlie.

“Um, no,” he replied, putting in his earbuds and closing his eyes again.

A minute later, curiosity got the better of him and he opened his eyes to glance in the direction of the stranger. The man was looking in Charlie’s direction too, and when they made eye contact, he smiled.

Charlie quickly took out his phone.

Nick (PA)

C: So despite the fact that the lounge is half-empty, a big bear has taken the chair next to us and he’s kind of staring at me.

C: Please can you hurry back? I feel like he’s about to attempt a conversation.

N: No worries, boss. I’m almost there.

Charlie took a deep breath and inhaled a very strong whiff of Burberry Touch and Brylcreem, then spied the guy’s brogues just inches from his foot. Had he moved his chair closer to Charlie?

“So where are you flying to tonight?” the guy asked.

“Oh, um—"

“Darling,” Nick said, putting his hand on the back of Charlie’s neck for just a moment, jolting him with warmth. “Sorry I left you for ages. I made them make fresh sandwiches without mayo.”

“Thanks, love,” Charlie murmured, instantly reacting to Nick, despite his nerves.

Nick placed a tray of drinks, sandwiches and crisps down on the coffee table in front of his and Charlie’s chairs before sliding into his own and bringing it as close as possible. Charlie could still feel the man’s eyes on him though. He glanced at Nick who nodded slightly to confirm Charlie’s suspicions and then held his hand out. Charlie slid his hand into Nick’s large, warm, sturdy hand and linked their fingers.

“Feeling okay?” Nick’s reply was equally quiet.

“Better now you’re back,” Charlie said. He let go of Nick’s hand and picked up one of the tumblers of whisky. Cheers.”

“Cheers, darling.”

They clinked their glasses together and Nick slipped his arm around Charlie’s shoulders. Charlie let his head fall back against Nick’s forearm and closed his eyes for a moment before lifting his head so Nick could extract his arm. They sat in silence for a while, sipping their drinks, picking at sandwiches and crisps. Charlie’s eyes soon drifted closed again, and he wasn’t sure how long it was before he was being gently stroked behind his ear.

“Darling, time for our flight,” Nick was whispering.

“Ahh, yeah, okay,” Charlie replied, blinking his eyes open.

He downed the dregs of his whisky and stood up, smoothing down his jeans and shirt.

“Got everything? Rucksack. Holdall. Laptop bag. Blueprint case,” Nick checked. “Passport and boarding card.”

“Everything, love,” Charlie replied, picking up the laptop bag and blueprint case, and patting his shirt pocket.

Nick slipped his arm around Charlie’s waist, and they walked towards the exit.

“Just let me know when you want me to drop the act,” he said when they were out of earshot. “You weren’t kidding about that creepy guy. He was eyeing you up like prey even after I turned up.”

But the noise from the main concourse of Terminal 5 had started to infiltrate Charlie’s brain, and he felt his breathing speed up.

“Um, r-remember when I told you I get stressed in airports?” Charlie said, tapping his fingers together and trying to breathe slow and deep.

“Yeah?”

“Please can you hold on until we’re at the gate? I really don’t want to have a panic attack in front of three zillion people.”

“Sure,” Nick replied. “In fact….”

Nick paused and pulled something out of the front pocket of his rucksack.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a fidget popper,” he replied. “Like bubble wrap on a key ring.”

Charlie took the toy and pressed the buttons a few times before they left the lounge. It helped to distract his fidgety fingers. 

“Thanks.”

Nick smiled down at him.

“Shall we?”

Luckily the gate was close by, and within twenty minutes, they were seated on the plane. Charlie felt himself relax again and he sipped his champagne, looking out over the runway and the night sky.

“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done today, Nick,” he said after a minute. “You’ve really gone above and beyond. I promise that the job isn’t usually this hectic. More often than not, all I do is draw and go to meetings, and all my assistant has to do is go shopping and type a few emails.”

“Uh-huh,” Nick mumbled.

Charlie turned in his seat to look at him.

Nick was trembling slightly, breathing heavily, sweat beading at his temples.

“Oh God, you said you’re not a keen flyer.”

“I’ll be okay when we’re in the air,” Nick said through gritted teeth. “It’s take-off and landing that get me.”

“What can I do to help? Do you want the fidget thing back?”

Nick shook his head.

“Hold my hand when we start moving?” he asked. “Sorry, that’s stupid.”

“Nick, it’s not,” Charlie said. “Of course I’ll hold your hand.”

“Thanks.”

Charlie curled his hand around Nick’s, and drank his champagne with the other.

“Do you want something to drink?” he asked. “Take the edge off?”

Nick shook his head and scrunched up his nose. It was kind of cute.

“I’ll be sick,” he mumbled. “I’ll have one when we’re in the air.”

“Okay.”

--

Nick’s eyes had remained closed through take-off, his hand firmly wrapped around Charlie’s, but when he heard the seatbelt sign ping off, he felt brave enough to open his eyes and look around.

“Hey,” said Charlie, pulling out one earbud. “Better now?”

“Yeah,” Nick agreed. He gave Charlie’s hand a squeeze before letting go.  “Thanks, boss.”

“Anytime.”

Nick undid his seatbelt and stood up, then walked to the front of the cabin towards the loo.

“Are you all right, sir?” asked a flight attendant, a mumsy lady with dark brown hair and a warm demeanour. “Nervous flyer?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Lucky you have such a lovely husband to hold your hand,” she said, smiling.

“Uh, ah...” Nick glanced over at Charlie, who was staring out of the window, head bobbing slightly to whatever he was listening to, his curls touching the glass. “Yes, I am.”

“Would you like some champagne now? I noticed you didn’t have one earlier.”

Nick could see himself getting used to the business class life.

“Yes please.”

“No problem.” She patted him on the shoulder and turned to get the bottle. “I’ll bring some to your seat shortly.”

When Nick returned from the loo, two full glasses of champagne were sitting on the little mini-table between his and Charlie’s seats, along with two bags of pretzels.

“Ace,” he said, sliding back into his seat. “I can finally enjoy this.”

“Definitely. You deserve all the treats after what’s been thrown at you today,” agreed Charlie, taking out his earbud. “You should probably know though...”

“What?”

He ducked his head to whisper into Nick’s ear.

“The flight attendant thinks we’re married,” Charlie murmured. “It felt easier to play along. Hope that’s okay.”

“Yeah, she mentioned it when I was by the loo,” Nick agreed. “Fair assumption to make, when I had a death grip on your hand.”

“Haha, true,” Charlie said with a laugh.

Nick took a sip of champagne and opened one of the bags of pretzels. Charlie pushed the other one in his direction and Nick put it in his bag.

“So what are you listening to?” Nick asked as he reached into his bag for his own phone and earbuds.

“Mac DeMarco,” Charlie replied. “Have you heard of him?”

“I know a few of his songs. I love that one, ‘Still Together.’ It’s so mellow but poignant.”

“That’s one of my favourites,” agreed Charlie. “I’m listening to Salad Days at the moment.” He showed Nick the screen of his phone. “What about you, what are you listening to?”

“An audiobook. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse.”

“I love that book,” Charlie replied, his eyes sparkling. “It’s such a gorgeous, sweeping saga.”

“It’s one of my comfort reads,” Nick admitted. “My dad’s family lives in the south of France, in Narbonne, so I’ve been to Carcassonne a few times; it’s one of my favourite places in the world.”

“It’s gorgeous there. I went to Carcassonne with Isaac, Aled and Tao in uni,” Charlie said. “We went to study the citadel and chateau as examples of mediaeval architecture, but mainly spent a lot of time drinking red wine.”

“Haha, sounds fun!” Nick said. “Most of my university days were spent hunched over a desk reading, or typing, typing or reading.”

“Not much fun,” said Charlie. “Did you enjoy uni outside of your course?”

“Loved it, loved living in Bath. Made friends for life,” Nick replied. “Although most of them have moved to Bristol now because it’s cheaper and bigger.”

“You weren’t tempted?”

Nick shook his head.

“Bristol’s cool, but Bath is home, you know?” he said. “Even when Jared and I broke up last year, I wanted to stay.”

“Jared?” Charlie asked, and Nick saw the flicker of surprise in his face. He was used to people assuming he was straight, even gay men. 

“Uh, yeah… We were together for five years but he was cheating on me with a client in Liverpool, and when her company offered him a job, he left.”

“Oh God, Nick,” Charlie said, putting a hand on his arm. “How awful.”

“Everything all right, gentlemen?” asked the friendly flight attendant, whose badge said ‘Diana.’ “Would you like some supper tonight?”

“Yes, please, I’m starving.” Nick took the menu from her. “The chicken pomodoro and the prawn fricassee both look delicious... what to choose? I’ll go with the prawns!”

“Excellent. And for your lovely husband?” she asked, eyeing Charlie’s hand on Nick’s arm.

“The chicken, please,” Charlie said, grinning at Nick who tried to suppress a laugh. “Oh, and if you’ve got any spare cheese and crackers after service, please could I have an extra portion?”

“Of course, sir!” Diana replied, grinning. “And I’ll make sure your vino is topped off too.”

When she left, Charlie removed his arm.

“I have to admit, I was expecting you to decline the meal,” Nick said.

“Oh I’m not eating that chicken,” Charlie said. “I’ll just have the cheese, crackers and maybe some bread and fruit.”

“Then why...?”

“Because you’ll enjoy the chicken,” Charlie replied, giving him a tiny wink before putting his earbuds back in.

Nick put his earbuds in too, and turned on his audiobook, a sinking realisation hitting him as he sipped his champagne.

Sahar was right.

--

Madrid Airport was relatively quiet as they went through immigration. With a little bit of alcohol inside him, and Nick’s solid presence next to him, Charlie found himself almost relaxed.

“Are you doing okay?” Nick asked Charlie as they made their way through the arrivals hall. “Not too overwhelming?”

“No, I’m all right,” Charlie replied. “I can cope when it’s like this. Say, what are the hotel details? You did send them to me but I’ve forgotten.”

Nick showed it to him on his phone.

“Here you go,” he said. “Why?”

“For the taxi,” Charlie explained, looking around. “That way.”

They joined a short queue at the taxi rank and within a couple of minutes, were piling their bags into a car.

“ Buenas noches, señores,” the driver murmured. Good evening, gents)

“Buenas noches, señor,” Charlie replied. “ Nos vamos al Hyatt Regency Hesperia, por favor.” Good evening, sir. We’re going to the Hyatt Regency Hesperia, please)

“Por supuesto,” the driver replied as he pulled away from the rank. “Ustedes son ingles? Habla español muy bien.” (Of course. Are you English? You speak Spanish very well)

“Muchas gracias. Mi padre es español. Es de Almería.” (Thank you very much. My father is Spanish. He is from Almeria)

“Muy bien.” (Very good)

From the other side of the car, Charlie heard a sigh.

“You okay, Nick?”

“Um, yeah,” Nick replied, rubbing the back of his neck and then running his fingers through his floppy fringe. “So, uh, you speak Spanish?”

“Yeah.”

“Like, fluently.”

“Well, my dad’s Spanish,” he said.

“That’s cool,” Nick replied, his voice slightly rough. After a pause, he cleared his throat. “So, uh, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get you a hotel room with a kitchenette on short notice,” he said. “But they’ve got a two-bed apartment that I’ve reserved which is available from the day after tomorrow for two weeks if we need it.”

“I’m just happy we managed to get here,” Charlie replied, resting back against the seat. “Honestly, despite the fact that this trip was so last minute, you’ve made it one of the easiest journeys I’ve ever done.”

“Thank you.”

“No, seriously, thank you.”

--

Charlie woke up the next morning to the sound of a phone ringing. Disorientated, he fumbled for his mobile, only to realise it was his hotel room’s landline.

“Hello?”

“Morning, boss!”

“How are you so chirpy?” Charlie grumbled. He glanced at his phone. “We got in at midnight and it’s not even eight o’clock.”

“What can I say, I’m an early bird ,” Nick said, his voice bright. “Anyway, sorry to wake you, but I wanted to make sure you had plenty of time to get ready and have breakfast before the car picked us up at 9.30.”

“Thanks Nick,” he replied. “Um, but about breakfast though…”

“Are you going to struggle with it today?”

“Probably,” Charlie admitted. “I don’t think I can face the buffet.”

“If we were at home, what would you be having before a big meeting like this?”

Charlie paused for a moment, imagining himself in his kitchen.

“I have a box of cinnamon flavoured cereal that I keep in the back of the cupboard. I can usually manage a bowl of that and some fruit.”

“Why don’t I knock for you in an hour, and I’ll bring some fruit for you?” Nick suggested. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to find cinnamon cereal.”

“Fruit would be great,” Charlie replied. “I’d better get up and get dressed.”

“Great, see you at nine.”

When Nick knocked on the door at nine on the dot, Charlie was dressed in a Paul Smith grey suit, with a cream shirt and a grey and floral print tie. He was staving off the nerves by pacing the room and drinking his third cup of coffee. 

“Hi,” Nick said, breezing in with a carrier bag. He was dressed in navy suit trousers with a matching waistcoat and a Bath Rugby black, royal blue and white striped tie, with a white shirt. Charlie’s tummy jumped at how well he suited his outfit. “How are you feeling?”

“Nervous as hell,” Charlie replied, sitting in the desk chair. “You?”

“I’m good,” Nick said, putting the bag down on the slim desk. “I got you something.”

“What’s that?”

Nick pulled out a carton of milk, two bananas and a box of cinnamon cereal.

“Not sure if this is similar to the one you have at home, but I thought it might be worth a try?” he said. “I smuggled a bowl and spoon out of the breakfast room.”

Charlie picked up the box.

“It’s the same, just a different name.” He reached for the bowl and spoon and the carton of milk. “Thank you.”

Nick beamed back at him.

“You’re very welcome.”

--

" Muy bien. Estoy feliz, (Very good. I’m happy) ” Gael Marquez-Diaz said, sitting back in his chair, twenty eyes on the tall, slim, tanned silver fox, both around the table and on the videolink. “ Vamos a comenzar el lunes.” (We’re going to start on Monday). 

Nick heard Charlie sigh in relief before he stood up, leaned across the table and shook his client’s hand, followed by the reps from GSE Iberia, the contractors.

“ Lunes, Monday,” he confirmed before turning to Youssef and Tara, April, Aleena, Jay and a bunch of execs from both GSE Iberia and GMD on the video-link. “We break ground on Monday.”

The boardroom and everyone on the video call started clapping, before saying their goodbyes.

“Well done, Charlie,” murmured Nick as Charlie sat back in his chair.

“Thanks,” he replied. “God, I’m ready for food now though,” he added quietly.

“I have a few options for lunch--”

“Charlie,” interrupted Señor Marquez-Diaz. “ Vienen con nosotros a almorzar?” (Are you coming with us for lunch?)

“Oh, uh, por supuesto,” he replied. “ Donde?” (Of course. Where?)

“Quiero ir a Mo de Movimento, pero tengo que trabajar ahora .” (I want to go to Mo de Movimento, but I’ve got to work right now) He turned to his assistant. “ Reserva la mesa para todos nosotros a las 13h.” (Book the table for all of us at 1pm).

“What’s happening, Charlie?” Nick asked quietly.

“Our client has asked us to join him for lunch at one o’clock,” he said. “After all the drama, I don’t think we can say no,” he added under his breath.

“What about… you know?”

“I’ll just have to manage,” he murmured.

“See you there, Charlie,” called one of the GSE guys as they were leaving.

“See you at one,” Charlie agreed.

He and Nick exited the GSE offices, onto a pretty, leafy Madrid street.

“We’ve got an hour to kill,” Nick said as they started walking. “The hotel’s on the way if you want to stop for a refresh.”

“Actually, can we walk in the direction of the restaurant?” Charlie said. “And maybe Google the menus so I know what I’m dealing with.”

“Sure.”

They ambled along the street slowly, Charlie stopping every now and then to look at different buildings.

“Sorry, this must be so boring to you,” Charlie said, as he snapped photos of a Neo-Mudéjar style construction. “But I love big cities where there’s so much juxtaposition of different styles.”

“You say sorry way too much,” Nick replied. “My job is literally to help you do what you love and what you’re good at, and I’m doing it in bloody Madrid! Believe me, I’m not bored.”

Charlie laughed out loud.

“Good to know.”

“Did you want to look up this restaurant then?” Nick said, flopping onto a nearby bench.

“Yes, just so I can be forewarned.”

“What was it called?”

“Mo de Movimento,” Charlie replied. “I know of it because I’m familiar with Muñoz’s work- he’s the designer- but I have no idea about the food.”

“Huh,” Nick said as he read the website. “It’s a Mediterranean restaurant where pizza is the speciality. I was expecting something more fine-dining to be honest.”

“Pizza?”

“Yeah.” Nick showed him the menu on his phone. “See?”

Charlie grinned.

“I can do pizza.”

“Top of the safe foods list,” Nick remembered.

“Cool.” Charlie jumped up. “Can we keep walking? After two hours in that boardroom and the prospect of lunch with virtual strangers, I need to work off some energy.”

“No problem.”

They walked in the direction of Parque de Bravo Murillo, with Charlie stopping now and then for more photos of buildings. Suddenly Nick was the one stopping.

“Oh my God, it’s a giant Dalek!” he exclaimed.

Charlie laughed as Nick stood in the middle of the street, staring at the building.

“Dr Who fan, are we?”

“The biggest,” Nick replied. “David Tennant is my idol.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but this isn’t a Dalek. It’s Sala Canal de Isabel Dos . It’s an early 20 th century water tank that’s been turned into an art gallery,” he said. “We can go in if you want. It’s free.”

Nick checked his watch.

“Maybe for fifteen minutes?”

They wandered in, and Nick was instantly mesmerised by the quiet, unusual space.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” whispered Charlie. “Because it was a water tank, it had to keep cool, so they built a steel cistern at the top. But it was so heavy that they supported it with the ornate brickwork buttresses you see, hence the unusual design.”

Nick turned to Charlie, whose expression was serene as he took in the building’s circular internal construction.

“You look so happy!” Nick blurted, before quieting his voice. “Sorry, my internal filter’s shot today.”

“No S-word,” Charlie replied, grinning back. “I am happy right now for the first time in ages. Are you?”

Nick looked at his surroundings, and felt a warm Spanish breeze drift around him. Two weeks ago, he’d been living on café scraps and instant noodles, and now his life was completely different.

“Yes, Charlie. Yes I am.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten: Shopping trips and paper cuts

Towards the end of their long lunch with the client and the contractors, Charlie started getting antsy, and looked over to where Nick was sitting with Gael Marquez-Diaz’s assistant. He had a small frown on his face as he tapped at his phone, occasionally prodding at the remnants of his chocolate cake.

“Ah, necesito volver a la oficina,” (Ah, I need to return to the office) said their client. “Muchas gracias por almorzar conmigo!” (Thanks for having lunch with me!)

“Muchas gracias, Señor Marquez-Diaz,” (Thanks, Mr Marquez-Diaz) replied Charlie. “Hasta el lunes.” (See you Monday).

“Hasta pronto!” (See you soon!)

As swift as the silver fox he resembled, their client was out the door, his assistant almost running to keep up.

“Shall we head out?” Charlie asked Nick, whose eyes were still on his phone.

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Nick replied, standing up.

They started walking back towards the hotel in silence, Nick’s eyes trained on the ground, the trees, anywhere but Charlie.

“So is there a reason why you’re not your usual, chatty self?” Charlie asked after a few minutes. “Was lunch that bad?”

Nick stopped walking and turned to face Charlie.

“Sorry boss, lunch was fine.”

“Then what is it?” pressed Charlie. “You’ve been giving organised sunshine vibes since you started working for me, but right now you look like someone shot your puppy.”

“British Airways cancelled the flight I booked for us tomorrow.” Nick pulled out his phone to show Charlie. “The first flight back that has seats is Friday afternoon. We’d only have a couple of days at home before we’d have to come back on Sunday night to be fresh for Monday morning.”

“Oh.”

“And I emailed the hotel about the two-bed apartment I reserved. They’ve had another request for it so they will only hold it for us if we pay, so that’s another complication,” he continued. “I’m so sorry Charlie.”

“Hey, no S-word,” Charlie replied. “You haven’t fucked up, BA has.”

Nick blew out a long breath and his tense shoulders dropped.

“Thanks, boss. But what do you want to do?”

“Do you need to go back home before Monday?” Charlie asked. “For family, partner, pets…?” He didn’t think Nick had those, as he’d not mentioned anyone other than his ex-boyfriend, but he wasn’t sure.

“No,” Nick replied. “I mean, I only brought a few days’ worth of clothes but other than that the only thing I’d miss is rugby practice, which isn’t a big deal.”

“Then if you’ve got no objection, why don’t we just stay in Madrid?” Charlie suggested. “We can video call with Priya every day, and the Hub too. I can get plenty done on my laptop, tablet and sketchbook before we break ground on Monday..”

“Cool. I’ll ask the hotel about their laundry service, or see if there’s a laundrette nearby.”

“And we can just buy some more clothes,” Charlie replied with a shrug. “The GSE guys were saying it’s going to be thirty degrees here by the weekend. We’ll need some summer stuff.”

“Oh.”

Nick tensed up again.

“What?”

“The thing is, Charlie, my finances are a bit precarious until payday. I can’t afford—”

“Oh no, Nick, don’t worry about that. We have an expense account for this kind of thing.”

“Really?” Nick’s face lit up. 

“Plus, British Airways owe us the cost of two business class flights, don’t they?”

“They do…”

“So let’s stay and go shopping,” Charlie said, bro-tapping Nick’s arm. “But don’t be thinking you can buy a whole Loewe wardrobe or something!” Nick chuckled, a sound which made Charlie warm to his lovely assistant even more. “H&M, Zara, maybe a bit of Diesel or Desigual, okay?”

“Sounds good, boss.” Nick opened his phone for the calendar. “When do you want to go?”

“This evening,” Charlie said. “Most shops here are open until 9 or 10 pm. We can get it done in a couple of hours and go for a beer and some tapas.”

“Sure, boss, sure,” Nick murmured, and Charlie wondered why his shoulders were hunched again.

--

“What do you think?” asked Charlie, holding up first a dark green and then a slightly lighter green t-shirt. “I think the forest suits my skin tone better, but the spring green is a better colour for summer.”

Nick pursed his lips together.

“Um, they both look good,” he replied, eyeing the huge piles of clothes Charlie had already tried on in the store.

“Yeah…” Charlie agreed. “I’ll just get both.”

“Great,” Nick replied, giving his boss a thumbs-up and then picking up the bags of clothes they’d already bought.

“Wait, maybe I should try on some of those linen palazzo pants they had in the window. They looked cool.”

Nick bit his lip to stifle a groan.

“Sure…”

“Haha, just kidding!” Charlie interjected with a wink. “I can see you’re losing the will to live. I’ll just pay for these and we can go get some beers.”

“Thank God, Charlie,” said Nick with a grin. “I was trying not to show it but browsing for clothes isn’t my thing.”

“Yeah, I got that by the way you walked into H&M, chose five outfits and some underwear and were done in ten minutes. I kind of wish I was like that.”

He glanced at his loose jeans and old, black Adidas t-shirt and then at Charlie’s skinny, indigo jeans, slim-fit white t-shirt and light denim overshirt.

“But the reason I look like a scruff bag and you look like you stepped out of GQ is because you’re discerning,” Nick countered.

“You don’t look like a scruff bag,” Charlie replied. “I liked your meeting outfit with the Bath Rugby tie this afternoon. That was well smart.”

Nick felt his cheeks flush.

“Thanks boss.”

Charlie paid for his t-shirts and they exited onto the street, busy with shoppers, commuters and others.

“How about this place?” Charlie suggested, pointing at a small bar on the corner of a pretty garden square, which had bare brick walls and a short menu that was scribbled on a blackboard.

“Yeah!” he agreed. “This looks great.”

“It is?” Charlie tilted his head. “You’d say, wouldn’t you, if you preferred somewhere different?”

“Seriously, this is exactly the kind of bar I’d choose,” Nick replied. “I can hold my own in fancy places but to chill out, I prefer little dives, basic taprooms and old man pubs.”

“Good to know.”

The bar was about half-full when they walked in and approached the counter. Charlie immediately spoke to the barman in Spanish, gesturing to the different taps. The barman, a slightly stocky, shorter man with cropped dark hair and stubble, couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Charlie, and Nick found himself stepping closer so he was just behind.

“This place is a microbrewery, and all the beers are made in the back,” Charlie explained. “He recommends one made with local honey which isn’t sweet at all, but they also have a straight-up hoppy lager.”

“Or we have a range of bottled beers,” the bartender murmured in English, looking Nick up and down, “if you want something simpler.”

“The honey one,” Nick said before looking at the food menu on the wall. He put his hands on his hips. “Tortilla and jamón.” (Spanish omelette and ham)

“Las mismas para mi,” Charlie said. “ Gracias .” (The same for me, thanks).

They took a seat at a high table near the window, and for a while they just people-watched or looked at their phones.

“ Dos cervezas con miel,” the bartender announced, putting down their drinks and a small bowl of crisps. (Two honey beers.)

“Oh, we didn’t order crisps…” Nick started saying, but it was to the bartender’s back. Charlie placed a cool hand on his wrist.

“It’s a local byelaw in Madrid that all alcohol has to be served with food,” Charlie explained. “You don’t have to eat them. I certainly won’t.”

“No?”

“Unless I’ve seen them open a fresh bag, I can’t trust that they’re clean,” Charlie explained. “You must think I’m mad, but I read something somewhere about the number of germs on snacks in a bar and now the thought stresses me out.”

“Makes sense,” Nick replied. “Are you okay with the tortilla and ham though?”

“Yes, because they come from the kitchen,” Charlie said. “I realise it’s nitpicky.”

“No, I get it. In the kitchen, one or two people prepare the food fresh, but at the bar, it’s more ambiguous and you don’t know how long it’s been sitting out.”

“Exactly,” Charlie replied before taking a sip of his beer. “Ooh, I do like that.”

“Me too,” Nick agreed. “Good choice, boss.”

“What would you be doing tonight, if we were at home?” Charlie asked.

“Watching a bit of TV, doing some cooking, and making or editing videos for my YouTube channel,” Nick said. “I might go to the gym or for a runaround at the rugby club. What about you?”

“Other than work, you mean?” Charlie said with a smile. “I would go for a run, play the drums, or hang out with my family or friends.”

“You play the drums?” Nick asked. “That's so cool! Where’s your drum kit?”

“It’s in the garage,” Charlie said. “But I haven’t picked up my sticks in months.”

“To be honest, I’ve barely made any YouTube videos for months,” Nick admitted. “But I did make one for those cinnamon rolls I baked the other day.”

“I loved those.” Charlie said. “Priya did, too. She was raving about the ones you brought to the office.”

Nick felt his cheeks heat up.

“Coming from you, that means a lot,” he said.

“Don’t tell Priya but I took the last one that she was saving,” Charlie stage-whispered. “Did you post the video you made?”

“Not yet,” Nick said. “It needs editing.”

“Would you show it to me when it’s done?”

“Yeah, of course,” Nick replied. “Err… why?”

“Because I’m fascinated by construction,” Charlie said. “I’m such a dork that I really want to know how you made something so intensely buttery and syrupy yet so fluffy it felt like a cloud in my mouth.”

Nick felt his cheeks heat up.

“Oh.”

“Wow, you look like a tomato right now,” Charlie teased. “Do you always go red with compliments?”

“I go red at everything,” Nick admitted. “And as for compliments, it’s been a while since I got any, but I like them. I thrive off my YouTube comments.”

“Noted,” Charlie replied, taking another swig of his beer. “Me too, although not when people gush. That’s just cringe.”

“Totally!” 

They drank in silence for a couple of minutes but then Nick decided to ask something he’d been wondering since the previous day.

“So when you’re away like this,” Nick said, shifting on his stool, “how do you balance work and free time?” He paused, gulped at his beer. Charlie turned towards him, tilting his head slightly. “I guess I’m asking about boundaries, because we’re working together, sharing an apartment from tomorrow… how do you like to separate your time when you’re sharing space with a colleague?”

“Oh.” Charlie swirled the beer in his glass. “Well, when Elle was my assistant, separating my personal time and my work time was easy because I could always tell Elle what I needed and vice-versa.”

“What about when Elle went on parental leave?”

“Well, the first assistant, Ash, made it clear that they wanted to keep to a routine, so they turned up wherever I was during office hours and read a book if I didn’t need them. They didn’t want to socialise at all out of hours, so I ate a lot of room service on that trip.”

“Sounds sensible but dull. What happened to them?”

“They had to leave midway through our first trip to Bratislava because their partner got sick, which was a shame because Elle spent three months training them.”

“Oh no.”

“The next one didn’t last long enough to travel with me, and then with the next two I didn’t gel with, so I said they were free to do what they wanted unless I needed them.”

“That sounds like a recipe for disaster though,” Nick replied. “They were still at work, after all.”

Charlie put his beer down and tapped his fingers together.

“Yep, and it was my fault,” he murmured. “With Katie, when I finally called her after four days, she was hungover after clubbing in Amsterdam, and I didn’t want the client seeing that. Then with Kieran, I was so into the Walters Project that instead of agreeing a plan, I just asked him to do stuff randomly, even in the middle of the night.”

“Hey, it’s okay Charlie. It must have been hard to adjust when you and Elle were a team for so many years,” Nick said. “What about if I’m ready every morning for work at nine, and if you don’t need me, I’ll work on my food editing stuff, explore a bit of the city maybe, but always be nearby.”

“Yeah, that works,” Charlie agreed. “Then depending on the day we can agree what we do in the evening when we wrap up at five-ish? If either of us want alone-time, we just say.”

“Five on the dot, or earlier, unless the client needs something,” Nick insisted. “And be honest about our needs.”

“Yep. It’s a deal.”

Charlie held his hand out and Nick shook it, before both of them burst into peals of laughter.

--

“ Su comida está lista ,” (your food is ready) said the bartender, appearing out of nowhere, startling Charlie. The guy was right next to them with a tray of tortilla and ham.

“Err… gracias,” Charlie said, taking the tray from him and putting it on their table.

The bartender didn’t leave though, instead taking a step closer to Charlie’s stool. Charlie felt his back stiffen and his mouth go dry.

“ Entonces, tal vez podríamos divertirnos un poco mientras estás en la ciudad,” (So maybe we could have some fun while you’re in town,) the barman murmured. Charlie felt himself freezing, barely managing to glance at Nick, trying to decide what to say.

“Darling,” Nick said suddenly. “You really need to eat something.” He tapped Charlie on the knee, pointed at his watch and showed him the time.

The sweet relief unfroze him.

“Yes, yes I do,” he replied, Charlie said, smiling at Nick before giving his hand a squeeze. Nick’s thick, warm fingers squeezed back and it gave Charlie the courage to reply to the bartender.

“Lo siento, mi novio y yo somos exclusivos.” (Sorry, my boyfriend and I are exclusive.)

The barman’s face fell slightly, but then he shrugged and left.

“Sorry about that.”

“No problem.” Nick said, taking a piece of tortilla. “Seems like getting hit on is a common thing for you! I mean, twice in twenty-four hours…?”

“It goes through phases,” Charlie said, reaching for the tortilla too. “I always seem to get it more in Spain though. Something about me must scream ‘easy prey.’”

“Well, you speak fluent Spanish and you’re very pretty,” Nick said as he reached for a piece of ham. Then he looked up. “God, Charlie, sorry, that was my runaway gob again. I didn’t mean it as a come-on, just a statement of fact.”

Nick’s face had gone bright red and his eyes darted all over the room. Charlie’s own face, still heated from the bartender’s flirting and Nick’s rescue, flushed all over again.

“Haha, it’s fine,” he said. “I’m sure you must get it yourself, being tall and handsome,” Charlie added. “Again, not a come-on, just a statement of fact.”

Nick laughed.

“I get hit on by women when I go out, but hardly ever by guys,” he said, settling back in his stool to swig at his beer. “I go out with both but my longest relationships have been with men.”

“When did you first realise you were… not straight?” Charlie asked. “I knew I was gay when I was seven and watched Aladdin for the first time.”

“I was fifteen when I got an inkling, after watching Pirates of the Caribbean and getting turned on by both Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. The following summer, I kissed a gorgeous boy, Matt, during a game of Truth or Dare at the Kent Schools rugby camp, and he was my true bisexual awakening. We dated for a year.”

“Did you come out at school?” Charlie asked. “I was outed just before we moved to Somerset and it was awful.”

“There were rumours about me, especially after I was caught hugging Matt in the locker room after he had a bad rugby match. I managed to bat them off though as I wasn’t ready to come out at school,” Nick said. “Officially, I waited until uni because my dad was, well, still is, not that accepting,” Nick replied. “How old were you?”

“Eleven,” Charlie mumbled through a mouthful of ham. “It was a rough couple of years.”

“That’s so young! You said you moved to Somerset at that time? To Bath?”

“No, to Chew Magna,” Charlie said. “The village was a big change from suburban Kent, I tell you!” 

“Kent? No way, I grew up in Kent,” Nick said. “Whereabouts?”

“Near Rochester. What about you?”

“Not too far from Rochester. Truham?”

“Sounds familiar.”

“How come you moved?” Nick asked, passing Charlie the last piece of tortilla, while he took the last of the ham.

The shake started in Charlie’s arm instantly. Damn, he should have anticipated that question.

“Um…”

“It’s okay, Charlie,” Nick murmured, “do your finger taps. I’ve got that fidget toy and some water…”

“It’s not panic,” Charlie was able to say. “It’s g-grief.”

Nick didn’t say anything but leaned over and took his hand. Charlie gripped back, letting his thumb press into Nick’s chunky fingers. They sat like that until both of them had finished their beers, and then Nick looked at Charlie with dark, questioning eyes.

“What do you need right now, Charlie?”

Charlie stood up, his hand still attached to Nick’s.

“Another beer, somewhere else, and then can I talk about it?”

“Okay,” Nick agreed. “But you know, you don’t have to talk about it with me just because it came up."

Charlie squeezed Nick’s hand before letting it go.

“I want to though, and I never normally do. My therapist always tells me to roll with these moments, even when I’m alone, not that I want to put you in the role of therapist…” Charlie was rambling, but he couldn’t seem to stop. “Because God, that would be going even more above and beyond than you already have. But I guess I feel safe with you…”

“Charlie… boss…”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s buy some takeaway beer from that horny barman and you can tell me as much or as little about what happened as you want, if you still want to when we get back.”

“Good plan.”

Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting on the chairs in Charlie’s hotel room, drinking beer and eating cinnamon cereal out of the box.

“So…” began Nick. “Do you still want to talk?”

“Yes,” Charlie replied instantly. “Boss-Assistant confidentiality?”

“Goes without saying.”

“Well, you know how I have a sister, Tori?”

“Yeah, she’s kind of formidable. Hard to forget.”

Charlie smiled at this.

“True,” he agreed. “Well, Tori and I also have a little brother, Oliver.”

“Yeah?”

Charlie nodded.

“He was a surprise baby. I was seven and Tori was eight when he was born. And he was, still is, pure sunshine.”

“Yeah?”

“The happiest soul. Mum, Dad, Tori and I absolutely adored him from the second he arrived, and he absolutely loved us with his whole heart.”

“Oh no, is this story going to break my heart?” Nick murmured. Charlie merely shrugged. 

“When he was four, he cut himself while making paper chains with us at Christmas. A tiny paper cut that wouldn’t stop bleeding for hours. Mum and Dad took him to the doctor and they ran some tests.”

“Oh no.”

“He had leukaemia,” Charlie said. “He was admitted to hospital straight away for all the chemo, but despite the fact that they caught it early, it was all really stressful.”

“God, Charlie, how devastating.”

“That was the same year that I got outed and bullied at primary school, and my parents nearly separated from the stress of everything. It was a really crap time for our family.”

“Was this around when you got the problems with your eating?” Nick realised.

“Yes, although I didn’t end up getting treatment for it until we moved to Somerset,” Charlie told him, sniffling a little. “We were all struggling so my Abuela, that’s my dad’s mum, came over from Spain to stay with us, to help out. She was the warmest, gentlest and kindest person in the world.”

“Yeah?”

“The night Olly got the all-clear from his cancer, and Mum and Dad brought him back, Abuela had a massive heart attack and passed away in the house. Mum found her and she had nightmares about it for months afterwards; they were really close because Mum’s mum was very distant.”

“Oh no, your poor mum.”

“After that, she couldn’t cope in the house, and eventually said to my dad, ‘either we move out of Kent as a family, or I’m leaving you.’”

“What does your dad do for work?” asked Nick.

“He’s a comparative literature professor,” Charlie replied. “He used to work at Kent Uni, but when Mum said her ultimatum, he applied for posts all over the country and ended up at Bath Spa University.”

“And after you moved to Somerset, how were things?”

Charlie smiled.

“It took a while, especially when I was ill, but things came together for us. We all had family therapy after my second time with the eating disorder, and since then we’ve been much closer. Somerset is home now, and I’d never move away.”

“And Olly?” Nick asked. “Where’s he, these days?”

“He lives in Boston. He’s a cancer research scientist at Harvard.”

“That’s amazing.” Nick returned Charlie’s smile. “I feel really honoured that you chose to share your family’s story with me,” he said, getting up and opening his arms. “Would it be all right to give you a hug?”

Charlie didn’t hesitate. He stood up and stepped into Nick’s waiting arms.

“Thank you for listening when I needed to talk.”

“Thanks for trusting me.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Eleven: El tiempo pasa en Madrid (time passes in Madrid)

“Hola ,” Nick greeted the shopkeeper Carlos at the small mini-mart around the corner from the Hyatt. “Err… ” he looked up the word for honey on Google. “Miel?”

“Si, por supuesto.” Carlos took two steps and picked up a jar. “It’s okay?” he checked.

“Perfect,” Nick said. “Perfecto.”

“What you make?”

“Torri-jas?” Nick said, showing him the recipe on his phone. Torrijas, Spanish-style French toast with honey.

“Torri - has,” Carlos corrected and gave Nick a thumbs-up. “Muy bien y delicioso.”

“Gracias.”

“Your marido will like?”

“Marido?” Nick wasn’t sure what Carlos meant.

“Charlie? Err…” Carlos mimicked Charlie’s curls with his fingers. “Your… husband?”

“Oh, uh…” Nick felt his cheeks flush.

Another customer came in and Carlos turned his attention to them.

¿Eso es todo, Nick? Everything? ”

“Err … si.” He handed over a five-Euro note.

“Gracias. Hasta pronto, Nick!”

“Hasta pronto.”

Nick made his way back to the Hyatt, where he and Charlie had been staying for ten days; they had been in the apartment for a week. It was still early, so Nick crept in quietly, making sure to close the door with a gentle touch. He immediately stepped on something on the floor.

A small envelope with the hotel logo embossed on it was at his feet with the words ‘Feliz Cumpleaños!” on it. Uncertain what it meant, Nick opened the envelope up. It was a card with balloons on it.

Estimado Sr. Spring, ¡Feliz cumpleanos! Por favor acepte estos vales de bebidas para celebrar su día especial.

Hotel Hyatt Hesperia

Dear Mr Spring, Happy Birthday! Please accept these drinks vouchers to celebrate your special day.

Hyatt Hesperia Hotel

Nick clapped his hand over his mouth, did an about-turn and headed back to the mini-market.

--

Charlie woke up to the enticing smell of chocolate. He followed his nose and padded out of his bedroom and into the apartment’s open-plan kitchen and living area.

Nick was dressed in sleek, grey slim-fit joggers and a tight, white t-shirt. He was putting the finishing touches on a chocolate cake by piling up pieces of cookie and chocolate. There was a ring light positioned over the cake, and next to it was his iPhone, balancing on a small tripod.

“…It really is the easiest chocolate cake,” he was saying, in a confident, deep voice. “One bowl for cake mix and one for the ganache icing... lovely, rich and dark. Now I’ve improvised here with what I could find in the local shop, but if I was at home, I’d be going to town with sprinkles and chocolate decorations. It’s a birthday cake after all!”

Nick picked up the phone off the tripod and turned it to show off the cake from different angles.

“Right, everyone, thanks for watching today’s video on ‘Emergency Birthday Cake.’ See you next time.”

Nick clicked the phone and the ring light off, then stepped back and sighed.

“Hope he likes you,” he murmured to the cake as he tilted his head to appraise it.

“He will,” Charlie said, walking into the main kitchen area. “It’s gorgeous.”

“You’re awake!” Nick exclaimed. “Happy birthday!” He came forward and thrust two envelopes into Charlie’s hands. “The big one is from the hotel, but the little one is from me.”

“Thank you--”

“I didn’t have time to go shopping for an actual present, so this is it...” he gestured to the cake with both his hands. “You don’t have to eat it but everyone should have a cake on their birthday.”

“Nobody’s made me a cake since I was little,” Charlie said, taking out his phone to take a picture of it. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah?” Nick’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. Charlie noticed that he had a smudge of chocolate on his cheek and resisted the urge to wipe it off with his thumb.

“Yeah. What time were you up to make this?”

“Just my usual time,” Nick replied. “I have to confess though...” he looked down at his feet before looking back up at Charlie with big, doleful eyes. “It didn’t click that it was your birthday today until the hotel put that card under the door.”

“To be honest, I wasn’t going to mention it.” Charlie replied. “My family will FaceTime me at some point, and I’m happy with just that.”

“You’re not mad-keen on loads of attention, are you?” Nick observed.

“Nope. Last year, I went to the cinema with Tao, Isaac and Aled, then had a family dinner at the weekend,” Charlie replied. “I quite fancy going to the cinema again actually.”

“Sure,” Nick said with a grin. “I’ll see if there’s a cinema that does English-language films.”

“Thanks,” Charlie said with a grin. “Do you want to come too? You don’t have to, because I know we’ve been in each other’s space a lot recently.”

“I’d like to come. It’s been ages since I went to the cinema,” Nick said. He checked his watch and then showed Charlie. “Eight-thirty, boss. We should get ready to go on-site.”

“We should,” Charlie agreed. His eyes fell on the cake. “Would it be okay if we cut a wedge for us to eat later, and take the rest out to the site? I’m sure April, Aleena and Jay would love some, and so would the GSE guys.”

“Sure.” Nick agreed.

--

“Step to your left, Nick!” Charlie said, seconds before a forklift truck whizzed by, carrying a load of concrete slabs.

“Sorry!”

“You’re good!” Charlie called back, adjusting his hardhat before looking at blueprints; they were pinned on a wall outside the Portakabin which served as the site office. “Aleena, could we double-check this...”

The noise of drilling cut in, and Nick put his ear defenders on, then took them off because his ears felt sweaty instantly. Instead he decided to brave the stale heat inside the Portakabin. There was a water machine inside so Nick filled up his bottle and pressed the cold steel to his forehead.

“God, it’s so bloody hot,” complained Jay as he walked in. “I must be on my third bottle of water already.”

“I know, right?” said April, coming in behind him with Aleena. “I’m starving, too.”

“Why don’t we have a snack break?” suggested Charlie, taking off his hat and ruffling his squashed curls. “The foreman will come find us when it’s time to check the caissons.”

“What do you feel like?” Nick asked the group as he opened up the bag of snacks he brought whenever they were on site. “There’s some oranges, almond cookies, paprika-flavoured crisps or...” he pulled out the plate holding Charlie’s cake, which he had pre-cut into slices and wrapped in foil. “... chocolate cake.”

“Wow, that looks homemade!” exclaimed Aleena.

“Yes, it is,” replied Nick, the familiar tiny seed of pride blooming at the thought of someone enjoying food he’d made. 

“Amazing,” agreed April. “Is it a special occasion?”

“Um...” Nick looked at Charlie.

“It’s my birthday today,” Charlie admitted.

“Happy birthday!” chorused Jay, April and Aleena. “You kept that quiet!” added Jay. 

“ Es tu cumpleaños?” (it’s your birthday?) asked Miguel, the site foreman, coming in with a couple of Gael Marquez-Diaz's representatives. “ Hoy?” (today?)

“Si,” Charlie replied, pointing to the cake. “ Queréis un trozo de tarta?” (would you guys like a slice of cake?)

“Si, gracias!” (Yes, thanks!)

What followed next was a flurry of enthusiastic Spanish from Miguel and the clients, but with Charlie looking increasingly uncomfortable, especially when they patted him on the back. Charlie started tapping his fingers together, and when Nick heard Miguel say ‘ un monton de cerveza,’ he realised what was going on. If there was one word he knew for sure in Spanish, it was ‘cerveza,’ which meant ‘beer.’

“Charlie, I, uh, just wanted to remind you about your plans for this evening. Your family...?”

Charlie blinked at him and the corner of his mouth lifted up.

“Thanks Nick...” He squared his shoulders and turned towards Miguel. “Lo siento mucho, tenemos planes para esta noche, pero gracias. Sois todos muy amables.” (I’m so sorry, we have plans tonight, but thanks. You’re all so lovely.)

“Ah, no hay problema.” Miguel replied, seemingly unbothered by Charlie’s brush-off.

They spent the next few minutes eating cake and chatting in a mix of Spanish and English, before heading back out again.

“Thanks so much for the save,” Charlie murmured as he filed out of the Portakabin. He placed his hand on Nick’s forearm. Heat and tingles suddenly shot up Nick’s arm. “Those guys were up for throwing me a birthday bash and I just… no.”

“Sure, you’re welcome, boss,” Nick murmured.

“Still okay for the cinema tonight?”

Charlie had a tiny smudge of chocolate at the corner of his mouth. Nick resisted the urge to rub it away with his thumb.

“Yeah, of course. I’ve found some movies that are playing near the hotel.”

“You’re the best, Nick.”

Nick glanced into dark blue eyes, framed by sweeping, dark lashes, and a spike of cold sweat rippled along the back of his neck.

“Charlie, are you coming?” Aleena called.

Charlie smiled at Nick then turned and followed her onto the site.

--

They finished on site at four, and after waving away Aleena, April and Jay’s offers of birthday drinks, Charlie climbed into the taxi Nick had ordered and they headed back to the Hyatt.

“God, it was so hot today,” he sighed, resting his head back against the headrest. “I must look a right state.”

“No you don’t,” Nick replied, passing him a water bottle. “Now, which movie would you like to see? The choices in English are Super Mario Bros, Air which is about Michael Jordan, or, uh,” Nick paused for a sec, “ Evil Dead Rise.”

“Not a fan of horror movies?”

“Not really,” Nick admitted. “I know they’re not real but I don’t like jump-scares. You?”

“I don’t mind them, but I don’t want to see Evil Dead Rise,” Charlie said. “I saw a trailer on TV, and it looks a bit pedestrian.”

“So…?”

“How hard would you judge me if I said that I wanted to watch Super Mario Bros like I’m ten years old?”

“Not at all. That would be my top choice too!” Nick replied with a smirk. He tapped into his phone. “Six pm showing or eight-thirty? And what would you like to do about dinner?”

Charlie thought of the delicious food they’d eaten in various restaurants around Madrid over the week with the project team or the contractors. However, the meals he’d enjoyed the most were the ones Nick had made in the small kitchen of their hotel apartment. The only other person whose food he enjoyed as much was his sister Tori’s.

“8.30? And could we eat in the apartment first?” he asked. “Something simple?”

“Got the restaurant-fatigue?” Nick replied. “Elle told me you might find it hard after a few days.”

“Yeah, the combination of my social battery draining and the number of food choices on offer just gets overwhelming.”

“Well, I’ve been meaning to try making a proper tortilla,” Nick said. “The recipe is just eggs, onions, potatoes and olive oil. All on the safe foods list.”

“Perfect,” Charlie replied. “What did you get up to today, while we were checking the foundations?”

“Not a huge amount, to be honest.” Nick glanced out the window; they were crawling past Bernabeu Stadium in the Madrid traffic. “It was too hot in the Portakabin to get much done, and the site is just a little too far away from anything interesting to explore on foot.”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t think about that,” Charlie replied. “You probably didn’t need to be on site all day.”

“It’s okay,” Nick said. “I did manage to finish the editing on my cinnamon rolls video and start putting together the one for your birthday cake.”

“Well, tomorrow we’re not going to the site,” Charlie replied. “Aleena is doing really well so I’m going to leave her in charge and we can work from the hotel.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Nick replied, blowing out a long breath through his lips. “Actually, Tao and Aled have asked for a meeting tomorrow. I said I’d get back to them once I knew how long you’d need to be on site.”

“Yeah, they mentioned it on our group chat. It’s about hiring Robbie’s replacement,” Charlie realised. “Aled asked a recruiter for some help.”

“What time do you want me to suggest, boss?”

“The morning,” Charlie replied, “because Miguel and the GSE guys gave me a birthday present just now, which is for tomorrow at 6pm and we’ll need time to get there.”

“Oh?” Nick was typing notes into his phone so didn’t look up straight away. “What’s that?”

“Have you ever heard of Club Deportivo Arquitectura?”

“No... is that an architects’ club or something?”

“Nope,” Charlie murmured, unable to keep a giggle out of his voice.

Nick looked up and Charlie pulled the envelope out of his bag, then passed it to his assistant. His confused expression quickly flitted to one of excitement.

“These look like tickets to a rugby match!” he exclaimed, fingering the silver hologram of a rugby ball on one of the tickets.

“They are indeed, Nicholas,” Charlie told him with a smirk. “They’re one of the oldest teams in Spain, and they’re playing tomorrow.”

“You like watching rugby?” Nick ventured, looking up.

“Yep,” Charlie replied. “I go to see Bath play at The Rec with my dad a few times a year.”

“How do you manage the noise and the crowds, when you struggle with airports and other busy places?”

Charlie shrugged.

“I know, it doesn’t make sense. I think it’s because at a rugby match, I’m focussed on the game and I like the camaraderie, you know? But I need to be in the right headspace. If my eating’s off or I’m stressed with projects, it’ll be too much. Otherwise, my dad and I would get season tickets to The Rec.”

“Ah, okay, I get it,” replied Nick. “So, uh, who are you taking with you to this match?” he asked. “Because, uh, you know, I love rugby… I play on a team in a league and everything.” He made puppy eyes at Charlie, who guffawed out loud.

“I would be most honoured if you would accompany me, Nick.”

“Yes!” Nick cried, his smile taking over his whole face. “The honour would be all mine.”

They returned to the hotel. Charlie took a short nap, then showered and changed into loose jeans and a long-sleeved Foo Fighters t-shirt. He called his family and then ventured out to the kitchen area, where Nick was chopping up salad while watching something on his phone and taking sips from a bottle of Madri.

“Hey,” Charlie said, “what are you up to?”

“Just getting dinner ready while I preview my videos,” Nick replied, looking over his shoulder at Charlie and grinning. “I like to see what the videos look like on a phone, tablet and laptop before I release them into the world.”

“May I see?” Charlie asked, coming to stand beside Nick.

“Of course.” Nick restarted the video. “I’d love to hear what you think actually, as a newbie to my work.”

“Sure,” Charlie agreed, reaching into the fridge for a beer. “I’d offer to help with dinner prep, but I’m a liability in the kitchen.”

“Nope, it’s all in hand,” Nick replied. “I’m about to start cooking.”

“Cool.”

They stood side-by-side quietly, Charlie watching the video while Nick started making the tortilla.

“And when the dough is this gorgeous, silky consistency, and trying to climb up the mixer, it’s done!” Nick was saying on the video. “Don’t try to handle it yet. It’s like a grumpy baby at this stage. It just needs to be covered up, kept warm and allowed to sleep for a bit.”

Charlie chuckled, and glanced at Nick, who froze for a second before blushing.

“You have good banter,” Charlie said, taking a swig of his beer. “I like it.”

“Uh, thanks,” Nick murmured before turning his attention to the omelette.

Charlie kept watching the video, as Nick tended to dinner, his tummy rumbling as the small kitchen filled with the delicious smell of frying onion and potato. By the time Nick was presenting a beautiful plate of perfectly golden, swirly cinnamon rolls on the screen, real life Nick was preparing to flip their omelette.

“Okay, so the technique to this is not to overthink it, or the egg will go everywhere,” he said to the tortilla, as he grabbed a dinner plate. “One, two, three!”

Nick swiftly covered the frying pan and turned the tortilla onto the plate before sliding it back in to cook on the other side.

“Woo-hoo!” Charlie cried, giving Nick a round of applause. “That was so cool!”

Nick wiped his brow with the back of his hand then rubbed his hands on a tea-towel.

“You think so?” Nick turned to face Charlie.

“You’re a really talented chef, and that video…?” Charlie gave a chef’s kiss. “I almost feel bad that I’ve stolen you away from doing it full-time.”

“Don’t, boss,” Nick replied. “This job is the reason I can even think about YouTubing full-time in the future.” He took the phone from the holder and slid it into the pocket. “Any other thoughts on that cinnamon roll video?”

“Only that the kitchen it was filmed in was kind of small,” Charlie observed. “It’s even smaller than this one. The scope and style of videos you could film would be greater if you could access a bigger kitchen.”

“I wish, Charlie,” Nick said. “But my flat is absolutely tiny, and I’m way, way off being able to afford a bigger place.”

“Why don’t you use the farmhouse?” Charlie suggested, leaning against the counter. “You’d have more workspace and better light for videos. Plus you wouldn’t have to film from the side. You could film yourself facing the camera from the kitchen island.”

“Y-you wouldn’t mind?”

“Not at all,” Charlie shrugged. “It’s not like I make the most of the space, and you’re in and out of the house all the time.” Nick was silent for a full minute. “Nick? Are you okay?”

Nick stepped towards the hob and turned it off. Then he stepped towards Charlie.

“Thank you,” he murmured, wrapping his strong arms around Charlie and hugging him fiercely. “It’s your birthday, but you just gave me the biggest, best gift ever.”

--

The following evening, Nick and Charlie jumped on the Madrid Metro and made their way to Estadio Nacional Complutense, the stadium Club Deportivo Arquitectura played at. The stadium was about the same size as The Rec, Bath Rugby’s iconic ground, but the spectator areas were far more open because it was set in the expansive grounds of one of Madrid’s universities.

Nick and Charlie took their seats in the main stand, close to the halfway line, on the edge of the bench so Charlie had some space if he started to get overwhelmed. Nick had chosen to wear a light blue shirt representing the team he played for in Bath, the Pulteney Pitchers, while Charlie was wearing a Bath Rugby top with the familiar blue, black and white stripes.

They had bought CD Arquitectura flags on the way into the stadium but hadn’t bought any of the drinks on offer in the lobby. Now exposed to the unrelenting Madrid heat, and seeing the other rugby fans with cans of beer, tantalisingly dripping with condensation, Nick was debating going to get some.

“Hey,” murmured Charlie, nudging Nick’s arm with his. They were sitting quite close on the benches as people started taking their seats around them. “I’m going to the loo, and I thought I’d get a couple of beers on the way back. Want some?”

“Yes please,” Nick replied, nudging Charlie’s arm back. “Maybe get two each. It’s so warm here.”

“I know, right?” Charlie stood up but slipped slightly on the smooth concrete, so steadied himself by grabbing Nick’s shoulder. “See you in a mo.”

Charlie weaved his way towards the lobby, and Nick watched him go, then looked around him, still not quite able to believe that this was his life. Easy job, an expense account, travel, new friends and, and… an amazing, gorgeous boss.

He ducked his head down and rubbed the back of it with both his hands. He could feel his crush on Charlie beginning in earnest, and it wasn’t a good thing. He would end up making things awkward, he’d lose this amazing job, and then he’d lose his flat and have to leave Bath.

Suddenly, Nick was aware of shouting behind him, and it snapped him out of his spiralling. He was being stupid. Things would be fine. When they got back to Bath, he’d snap out of it. Maybe it was time to date again.

He dwelled on that last thought and felt his insides clench. No, he wasn’t ready for that yet, and it had nothing, well, very little, to do with Charlie.

“¡Ey! ¡Chico pelirrojo!” (Hey! Redhead guy!) The shouting behind him continued. “¡Gran chico!” (Big guy!)

The middle-aged woman next to him tapped him on the shoulder and pointed behind them. Nick turned round to see a huge, dark haired guy with a slightly receding hairline, about his age, wearing a navy blue rugby shirt and denim shorts. His top said ‘Madrid Titanes RFC’ on it.

Nick made eye contact with the man who nodded. Then he pointed at himself to be sure the giant was talking to him.

¡Si, tú! ¿De dónde eres? (Yes, you! Where are you from?)

Nick had absolutely no idea what the guy was saying. He looked around for Charlie, but he was nowhere to be seen. Helplessly he turned to the woman next to him.

“Um…” He threw his hands up, making the universal sign of ‘I don’t know.’ He glanced down at himself and spotted the Union Jack flag embroidered on the chest of his shirt. “English?”

The lady stood up and turned to the big guy. “¡Es inglés!” (He’s English!) Then she pointed to the Union Jack and the IGR symbol; Nick’s team was part of the International Gay Rugby syndicate.

The guy grinned and clapped before turning to his friends and saying something to them. Nick realised that the big guy was surrounded by his teammates, mostly other big, burly guys, all wearing the same navy rugby tops.

And then the big guy was clambering down the stands, his friends behind him. Nick looked left and right; still no Charlie. The stands were nearly full now, so he couldn’t escape without falling over fifty people. A moment later, the big guy was standing right next to him. Nick stood up, feeling vulnerable with the hulk towering over him.

Nick tried to interrupt but the guy was on a roll, rambling in rapid Spanish. Then at least five guys were behind him, speaking even more rapidly, gesturing to his top and theirs before suddenly going silent and looking at him expectantly.

“Uh, um… no…” Nick took a deep breath and tried to remember what to say. “No habla… Spanish?”

“Nick, you okay?” Charlie’s face appeared from behind the mob of rugby guys. “What’s going on?”

“Charlie, thank God!” Nick reached a hand out towards him, and Charlie took it, allowing Nick to guide him back to his seat. “These guys have all come to speak to me, but I’ve got absolutely no bloody idea what they’re saying.”

“Okay, let me see what they want. They’re smiling so I don’t think you need to worry.” Charlie handed Nick the beer and turned to the team. “ Señores, ¿qué está pasando?” (Gents, what’s going on?)

After listening to the team talk animatedly for a couple of minutes, Charlie quickly explained to Nick why the rugby guys were so enthusiastic.

“They saw that symbol on your top,” Charlie smoothed his thumb over the IGR symbol on Nick’s chest, which caused Nick’s breath to hitch in his throat. “That’s when they got excited.”

“Oh.” Nick felt himself go red. He turned to the group. “Hola?” He pressed his hand to his chest. “Nick.” Then he put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “Charlie.”

The rugby guys all offered greetings and shook Nick and Charlie’s hands. Nick zoned out a little as Charlie spoke back and forth with the team.

“Un momento,” Charlie said eventually. “They’re Madrid’s LGBTQ+ rugby team. They asked if we’re ex-pats. They were hoping we’d join them because they’re always looking for new members. They’re disappointed that we’re not but have invited us to go for drinks with them after the match.”

“Do you want to?” Nick asked.

“I think so,” Charlie replied.

“But yesterday you didn’t want to go out with Miguel and those guys?”

“Because they wanted all the attention to be on me for my birthday,” Charlie explained. “These guys are far more interested in you!” Charlie patted Nick’s chest again. “My social battery’s topped up now, and it might be fun to go to some gay bars with actual LGBTQ+ Madrileños. It’s been fucking ages since I went out-out like that.”

Nick sighed. It had been ages for him, too.

“I’m down if you are.”

“Sure,” Charlie said. “They do think we’re an item,” he added with a slight lilt to his voice, “but we can deal with that later!”

Charlie explained to the Titanes, and soon they were saying goodbyes and returning to their seats.

“Wow, what chaos,” Nick said, reaching for a can of beer to pass to Charlie.

“I know, right,” Charlie agreed.

“What beer is this, anyway?” Nick asked, staring at the unfamiliar can.

“It’s non-alcoholic; they don’t serve alcohol inside stadiums in Spain, apparently.”

“Oh.”

“Makes the prospect of drinks with the Titanes more appealing, doesn’t it?”

Nick turned round to where the team were sitting and raised his can at them. They all cheered in response.

“Yes, boss. Yes it does.”

--

CD Arquitectura won the match 45-23, with two spectacular tries and a blinding conversion in the second half. At half-time, Nick and Charlie had met with the Titanes again and agreed to meet them in Chueca, Madrid’s gay district, at a bar called Iris y Violeta. There they would be joined by more of the Titanes, including a few who spoke English, according to Raul, the team captain who had came to speak to Nick.

“Oh my God, I’ve died and gone to gay architect heaven,” Charlie murmured as he and Nick walked in. “It’s so bright! Look at the space! The pilotis, the violet edging, the rainbow details in the cornicing... wow, there’s a sign for a roof garden! It’s a homage to Le Corbusier!”

“I have no idea what any of that means, but this place is stunning,” Nick added, taking in the various Pride flags displayed on the walls. “There’s every kind of queer in here. I love it.”

“Um, so what did you want to do about their assumption that we’re a couple?” Charlie asked. “I mean, if you wanted a hook-up tonight, that’s probably not convenient--”

“I don’t.” Nick’s tone was almost sharp. “Sorry, boss,” he added sheepishly. “I’m just not ready for any of that.”

Charlie wanted to slap himself across the face. Nick had told him that he had suffered a terrible break-up the previous year. Why did he have to say anything about hook-ups?

“I’m the one who should be sorry,” Charlie mumbled.

“No S-word,” Nick murmured, gently tapping Charlie on the elbow. “Don’t let that stop you, though. I could be your wingman?”

Charlie looked around the bar. It was a buffet of hot bodies, but when he brought his eyes back to Nick’s honey browns again, he knew the answer.

“No,” he replied. “As beautiful as everyone in this place is, I’m not down for a hook-up tonight.”

“You’re not?”

“Even if the guy is lovely, one-nighters usually make me feel crap about myself. After the last time, I told myself that I wouldn’t do it anymore, and I haven’t, even when I’ve been lonely as fuck.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Nick agreed. “Girl or boy, I never particularly enjoyed casual hook-ups. I’m too romantic at heart.”

“I just want to drink and hang out with this insanely sweet and enthusiastic rugby team who are desperate to hear about England and talk about the match with us.”

“You got it,” Nick replied. “Do we need to get a story straight? How long have we been together? How did we meet?”

“Um...” Charlie glanced out towards the street where he could see Raul approaching. “Together three years, Elle introduced us because she thought we’d get on and now you work for the firm. We live together, and we want a dog but we’re too busy.” Charlie stopped to catch his breath. “That okay?”

Nick spotted Raul too and stepped closer, snaking an arm around Charlie’s waist.

“Perfect,” Nick dipped down to whisper into Charlie’s ear, “ darling.”

Charlie felt his insides dissolve into mush. However, Raul was then right behind them, clapping them both on the shoulders.

“NICK Y CHARLIE! ESTAIS AQUI!” (Nick and Charlie! You’re here!)

And then Nick and Charlie were bundled into the bar, bought drinks and introduced to an insane number of people. Nick got talking to a group of British and American teachers who taught at international schools in Madrid while Charlie chatted with the Titanes’ female coach, her partner, and Raul’s husband Javier, who was one of the fly-halves.

The Titanes were generous, refusing to let Nick and Charlie pay for any drinks all evening. Any cocktail that Charlie liked the look of appeared in front of him a few moments later. Nick, however, was fussier, sticking to a steady stream of Old-Fashioneds instead.

Charlie didn’t appreciate how big Iris y Violeta was or how much he had drunk until he tried to find the toilets. They made their cocktails strong in Madrid, and the many brightly-coloured drinks he had already consumed were pinging him behind his eyeballs, making his head spin.

He eventually found the loos but got lost on the way back. Had he come through the purple door or the pink one? He went through the pink and up some stairs. He tried to look for Nick, Raul, and the others, but he couldn’t see them and he could have sworn the bar was on the opposite side of the room before. He headed over that way but when he got closer, he couldn’t see them at all. He looked around; the room kind of looked like a big garden. There were stars in the ceiling and everything!

“Hola precioso, ¿estás perdido?” (Hello, gorgeous, are you lost?)

There was a man dressed in black, kind of big, not Nick-big, but solid, older than him.

“Creo que sí. No puedo ver a mis amigos,” Charlie said. (I think so. I can’t see my friends.)

“Quédate aquí, y ellos te encontrarán.” That made sense. He should stay in one place. (Stay here and they’ll find you.)

“Okay.”

The man grinned and waved at the barman with a 50 Euro note. The barman took the money and produced a bottle of something gold and two shot glasses.

“Tequila?” The man in black asked Charlie, pouring out two shots. Why not? It was only a little slammer...

“Claro.” (Okay.)

--

Charlie still wasn’t back from the toilets, and Nick was starting to feel antsy. Neither of them had eaten much, and it was nearly eleven pm; Nick was feeling quite tipsy on his Old-Fashioned cocktails, but Charlie had tried a plethora of different, wild-looking drinks in that time.

“Hey, how do you say ‘Where’s Charlie’ in Spanish?” Nick asked one of the teachers, a sweet, older lady called Darsha, who reminded him of Priya back home. “I can’t see him and he’s had a lot to drink.”

“Donde es Charlie?” said Darsha. “Hey, Raul! Adonde fue Charlie? Está un poco borracho.” (Where did Charlie go? He’s a bit drunk.)

“El baño ,” (the toilet,) Raul replied, then held up two empty martini glasses. “ Hace dos cócteles... eep.” (Two cocktails ago…)

“I’d better go find him,” Nick said. “Excuse me.”

Nick walked around the large bar on his way to the toilets, but there was no Charlie. Worried, he turned back towards the bar but then spotted the sign for the roof garden. He made his way up the stairs. Every table was occupied and the dancefloor was heaving with gyrating, writhing bodies. He glanced over to the bar, and thankfully there was Charlie, squinting at an old man wearing black leather trousers and a sleeveless black t-shirt, who was pouring shots from a bottle of Patron.

“Charlie?” Nick said as he approached.

“N-N-Nick!” Charlie slurred. “Meet Pah, no Po, no... Pooh!”

“Paolo,” the older man replied quietly.

“Oh God, you’re wasted, Charlie.”

“I’m fine. F-fine! Want a shot?”

Nick slipped an arm around Charlie’s waist and lifted him to his feet.

“No, I think it’s time we headed back to the apartment.”

“I don’t wanna!”

“¿Quien eres?” (Who are you?) said Paolo. “Yo lo vi primero!” (I saw him first!) He started to press Charlie’s shoulder to get him to sit down again.

“Hey!” Nick stood up straight, towering over Paolo. He wracked his brain for the word the shopkeeper had said to him the previous day. “ Marido! Husband!”

“Hee-hee, you called me ‘darling,’” Charlie giggled, resting his head on Nick’s shoulder.

“Come on, darling, time to go to bed.”

“Don’t wanna.” Charlie stuck his bottom lip out as he leaned into Nick’s ear to whisper, “You can’t make me.”

“Wow, you’re kind of a brat when you’re drunk, aren't you?” Nick murmured.

Nick’s cheeks suddenly felt hot and flushed. Charlie was staring back at him with huge, blue eyes, framed by those ridiculously long, black lashes. His tongue poked out of his shiny, red mouth and flicked against his top lip, and then he raised one eyebrow. Nick’s palms were sweating and his heart was racing; he couldn’t remember the last time he had been so annoyed, or so turned on, in his life.

"Yeah,” was Charlie’s reply, and tequila-scented breath wafted across Nick’s face. “Brat.” He drew out the ‘t’ of the word.

Nick reacted instantly. He scooped Charlie off his feet and threw him over his shoulder, resisting the sudden urge to slap his perfect, peachy derriere, and marched out of the roof garden.

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Twelve: Tequila! It makes me (un)happy!

It took Charlie a minute to realise Nick was taking him home.

“Hey!” Charlie started to kick his legs against Nick. “I wanna stay. Po! Tequila!”

“Trust me, Charlie, you will thank me in the morning.”

“Where are we going? Nick? Nicholas?” In addition to the kicks, which were landing against his thigh, Charlie started to pat and slap Nick’s lower back, and wriggle as well. One of Charlie’s slaps landed right on Nick’s bum-cheek, causing him to stop in his tracks.

“Fuck’s sake,” Nick hissed. “Just stay still and I’ll try to find a taxi.”

“But no, I need the loo… I’m gonna pee! Pee-pee! Pee!”

And then Charlie started to make retching noises. Nick diverted to the toilets, got Charlie into a stall, and was about to open the toilet seat for him to be sick, when his wily boss slipped past him and made a run for it.

“Hahaha!” he cackled, before he disappeared out of the restrooms. “Fooled ya!”

He didn’t actually get very far because he ran into Raul and Javier, two solid walls of muscle who contained him until Nick could catch up.

“Not you too,” Charlie said to them. “Quiero un coctel.” (I want a cocktail.)

“Ay no! Estas tan borracho! ” Raul cried. “Necesitas volver a casa con tu marido!” (Oh no! You’re so drunk! You need to go home with your husband!)

“No, no es mi marido! No es divertido!” Charlie retorted, sticking his tongue out at Nick. “Quiero fiesta!” (He’s not my husband! He’s no fun! I wanna party!)

“Is he always like this when he’s pissed?” Darsha asked. Of course, Nick didn’t know.

“Err, kind of,” he replied before turning to Charlie. “Charlie, why don’t we have a little party at the apartment?” He suggested in desperation, anything to get Charlie out of there. “Just the two of us.”

Charlie leaned forward and put both his hands on Nick’s shoulders, then pulled him in slightly.

“What kind of party?” he mumbled before looking up at Nick with his big, wide eyes. One of his hands drifted down Nick’s chest and abdomen, until his thumb was resting against Nick’s waistband. “You know, if you were to bend me over that kitchen counter… that would be a really good time!”

Nick’s breath caught in his throat, which was drier than the bar’s Martinis, and he started to feel dizzy as all the blood inside him rushed down south.

“If you come with me, I’ll show you what I mean,” he said after what felt like an age staring into Charlie’s eyes.

Charlie didn’t move. He just pouted in Nick’s direction, looking kind of smug, so much that Nick kind of wanted to fuck the smug out of him.

God, he was in trouble.

“Charlie, we need to go.”

“No.”

“Charlie.”

“Uh-uh.”

“Nick,” Darsha whispered into his ear. “Raul’s got you a taxi.”

“Thanks, Darsha.”

“Good luck tonight. You’re gonna need it.”

“Taxi’s waiting, Charlie,” he tried once more. “Everyone’s going home.”

“Everyone’s a party pooper! Poo!”

Nick’s patience snapped.

“I can’t believe I’m working for such a... such a ...!” he cried, unable to finish his sentence and scooping Charlie over his shoulder once more.

“Hey!”

He managed to get Charlie into the taxi, and within a minute, his boss was asleep against the window of the car. When the car turned off the main road towards Chamberi, the district where the Hyatt was located, Charlie started to stir. He turned over, opened an eye then looked at Nick. A second later, he was undoing his seatbelt and curling up on the seat with his head in Nick’s lap.

“Charlie…”

“Wanna sleep now.” He lifted one arm and waved it around. “Shh!”

And so Nick had to ride the rest of the way with Charlie’s hot, snuffling breath warming his semi. 

Nick’s next dilemma was how to get Charlie out of the taxi when they arrived at the hotel.

“Charlie, we’re back at the hotel.”

Charlie didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he brought his hands to hold Nick’s hips and squeezed them before adjusting his head on Nick’s thighs. The driver murmured something in Spanish, gesturing at Charlie with a smirk. 

“I know, mate. It’s been an interesting evening,” Nick replied, gesturing back with his palms open and an eye-roll. “Would you believe he’s an adorable angel when he’s not pissed out of his skull?”

After a couple minutes of coaxing Charlie to move, Nick gave up, managed to slide out from under him, and went to explain his predicament to the doorman.

Charlie did not appreciate being moved, whining loudly from the second Nick extracted him from the taxi, but started to settle as Nick carried him bridal-style through the hotel. They were followed by a hotel employee, who walked behind them to open doors. Throughout the short walk, Charlie gripped the lapels of Nick’s rugby top, snuggling against Nick’s pec.

“You…  called me ‘darling,’” Charlie mumbled as they got into the room. “Liked that.”

“Come on, Charlie, let’s get you to bed.”

“Call me ‘darling’ and you… can… ” Charlie slapped Nick’s chest lightly, lifted his head and opened one eye. “Anything you want.”

“Good to know,” Nick murmured, swallowing hard. “Can you walk from here?”

“Nope.” Charlie tucked his head into Nick’s chest again and wrapped an arm around his neck. With his other hand, he brushed the skin under Nick’s throat that was exposed by the collar of his rugby top, using his thumb to trace a line up and down.

“Fucks’ sake,” Nick hissed as new heat surged through him. With great effort, he carried Charlie into his bedroom and laid him down. Charlie pouted and kicked his Converse off then crossed his arms.

“Where’s the tequila, Nicholas?” he asked.

“No more tequila, Charlie,” Nick replied, a little sharply. “It’s time for bed.”

Charlie tried to get up, but only made it two steps before tripping. Nick, who had been trying to find Charlie’s pyjamas, managed to catch him before he face-planted.

“You have strong arms, Nick,” Charlie said after a moment. He slid his slender fingers up Nick’s arms until he was gripping Nick’s biceps and then grinned. “Firm.”

Nick’s patience was wearing thin. He placed his hands on Charlie’s forearms and pushed them so he let go of Nick’s arms, then picked Charlie up at his waist and sat him back on the bed.

“Take your jeans off,” he commanded. “Now.”

Charlie bit his lip then unbuttoned his jeans one button at a time without breaking eye contact with Nick, revealing tight, bright blue Calvin Kein boxer briefs. Very, very tight.

“Now what?”

“Socks, too.”

Charlie toed off his socks.

“Get under the covers.” Charlie hesitated, so Nick added, “I don’t want to have to tell you twice, darling.”

Charlie gave him a sleepy smirk then got into bed, pulled the duvet over his shoulders, and turned on his side. His eyes immediately started drooping.

“What about... party?” he whispered as his eyes fluttered shut.

“Another time, Charlie,” Nick told him, kneeling at his side. A stray curl fell into Charlie’s eye, and Nick brushed it from his forehead. Charlie gave him a sleepy smile.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

And then Charlie was asleep. Nick stared at him for a few moments, and tried to breathe out the myriad of feelings swirling inside him. When he was absolutely sure Charlie wasn’t going to wake up, he moved the wastepaper bin next to the bed, found Charlie’s phone in his jeans pocket, put it on the charging pad, and then backed out of the room.

As soon as he was in his own room, Nick found himself pacing. His close friends and family sometimes called him a control freak because he liked to be on top of things; he hated surprises. And his mild-mannered, cute, sweet boss turning into a brattish banshee was a big fucking surprise.

Nick let out a cry of frustration into his hands, but they smelled of Charlie, and his delicious scent sent a hot shiver down his spine. It was a mixture of Charlie’s usual cologne, Le Labo Another 13 , his Neals Yard orange shower gel, and hints of tequila, salt and musk. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He was red-faced, his hair darkened with sweat, his rugby top rumpled from carrying Charlie.

And he was also ridiculously, painfully hard.

He stripped to his grey boxers and lay down on his bed. Now free of the denim, his thick, straight, pale erection was tenting the cotton fabric, darkening the material with dampness, demanding action. Nick tried to think of the most unsexy things, like Voldemort and hoarders’ houses on home makeover shows. Nothing worked. The memory of the way Charlie felt draped over Nick’s shoulders, how he curved his slim arms around Nick’s hips in the taxi, how he had stroked Nick’s chest with his thumb... The flashes kept assaulting Nick’s mind over and over.

Nick switched focus, trying to think about Charlie’s drunken behaviour instead. God, he had been a pain in the arse. Literally. He had actually hit Nick’s arse at one point when he was carrying him over his shoulder. It was feeble, more of a pat really, but Nick had wanted to slap Charlie’s arse right back. That perfect, cute, peachy arse that he spent far too much time each day looking at.

His erection grew even more at the thought, and heat traversed the length and breadth of his body. Nick was suddenly trembling, desperate for a release. He pulled out his cock and used the copious amounts of precum as lube to slowly jerk off, trying to imagine anyone hot other than Charlie. Josh O’Connor? Manu Rios? Paul Mescal? Omar Rudberg?

Yet time and again, his mind came back to Charlie. Finally, his tired, irritated brain gave in and let his imagination run riot.

****

There is a knock on the door. I’m sitting on a sofa, just in my boxers.

“Come in.”

It’s Charlie. He’s also just wearing boxers, his tight, bright blue Calvin Kleins. His hair is slightly messy, and his eyes are the same bright blue as his briefs. I can’t help but stare at every ripple of his lean, tanned body. He runs almost every day, and you can tell. Each muscle is perfectly defined.

I sweep my eyes back to his face. He looks worried.

“Nick, I’m so sorry. I behaved terribly. What can I do to make it up to you?”

“What are you prepared to do for me?”

He pierces me with his beautiful eyes, considering my question carefully.

“Whatever you want me to do.”

I hold my arms open and spread my legs. He takes three slow steps from the door and stands between my thighs. I reach out to touch the side of his leg and when my fingertips touch his olive skin, he shivers slightly.

I do it again, on both sides and he bites his juicy bottom lip.

"Sit here,” I tell him, patting my right thigh. He turns side-on and gingerly sits down, holding onto my shoulder for support. His fingers are cool, but the rest of his body is warm.

“Like this?” he asks, his voice almost as shaky as his coltish legs.

“That’s good,” I tell him, slipping my arm around his waist to hold him there. I then scoop my other arm under his legs and drape them across my lap.

“Please tell me, please, how can I make this right?” he whispers into my ear. “I’ve been a very bad boy.”

“Yes, you have,” I whisper back. “You upset me, a lot.”

I run a hand over his legs, then finger the edge of his briefs. They’ve ridden up so I’m seeing even more of his slim, tanned thighs.

“You don’t have a tan line here,” I say. “Charlie, have you been sunbathing nude?”

He drops his eyes away, dips his head and curls inward, crossing his arm over himself.

“Yes.”

“You really have been naughty, haven’t you, gorgeous?” He nods but doesn’t look at me. I tilt his chin up. His eyes are massive now, like a deer’s. “Hmm.”

“Whatever you want, Nick, please.”

"You’re sounding kind of desperate there, Charlie.”

“Desperate for you to stay.”

“Let’s take care of that right away. I’m not leaving, but I can’t accept your bad behaviour.”

“I know. I need to pay for my actions.”

“You do,” I confirm. I grab a cushion and throw it on the floor. “Stand up.”

He stands.

“Take off your briefs.”

He does what he’s told. He wants to be told.

His nude body makes my mouth water. He has a beautiful, ripped abdomen, a perfect V that leads to a trimmed patch of dark curls, but not too trimmed. I’m going to enjoy losing my nose in them, when he deserves my mouth on him, of course. His cock is a shade darker than the rest of him, average sized but perfectly straight, with a dark pink tip and a glistening slit.

“Now take mine off.” 

He complies readily. He starts to throw my boxers behind him, but I stop him. “Uh-uh. Neat and tidy, now.”

He folds my boxers, then picks his up and does the same, stacking the garments and placing them next to me on the sofa.

“Good. Now get on your knees, baby.”

I see a flicker in his jaw and the corner of his mouth lifts then he’s positioning the cushion between my legs.

“What would you like me to do now?” he asks as he kneels in front of me.

He’s eyeing my erection, which is waiting for his attention.

“Suck me. Make this the best blow job you’ve ever done.”

“Anything for you... you’re the boss.”

His mouth is slick, wet and hot as he takes me inside. He puts just the right amount of pressure on my shaft, knows just how much to tease my tip. He sucks his cheeks in as he takes me to the back of his throat, and makes a slight choking noise as I hit his tonsils. His lips are cherry-red and puffy as he blows me, and his wild, dark, curls sweep back and forth, tickling the tops of my thighs; it’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen or felt.

I can’t resist ploughing my fingers into his hair, lightly scratching his scalp.

“Mmm...” he moans.

“Charlie.”

He looks up, and I see that his pupils are huge, making his eyes look black as midnight. I glance down and he’s diamond-hard too. He’s enjoying this. He's not learning a lesson. I’ve just rewarded him.

“Having fun, gorgeous?”

He ducks his eyes. He knows I know and he answers with a shrug. I tug his hair lightly; he moans again and inhales sharply through his nose. He speeds up, moving me in and out of his mouth faster as his elegant hands grip my hips.

He’s too good at this. He holds my hips tighter as he feels my arousal start to crest, and within minutes, I’m spilling onto his talented tongue.

“Show me?” He opens his red mouth and shows my cum, silently asking for permission to swallow. “Okay, baby.”

He gulps it down and sits back on his heels, a satisfied sigh escaping before he looks away guiltily.

“It seems that I’ve inadvertently given you a pleasure instead of you giving me an apology, Charlie,” I murmur. “You are a bad, bad boy.”

“I am... you’re just so tempting, Nick. I couldn’t bring myself to tell you that my act of service was also a reward for me.”

I’m mad at him but impressed at how this beautiful creature runs rings around me all the time. I pat my knees again.

“Come sit here.” He climbs onto my lap and I encircle his waist with my arms. “You still need a punishment.”

“Yes.” He opens his mouth to speak some more but I press a finger to his lips.

“No, no more words from you until I tell you to speak, got it?” He nods. I realise what I have to do next. I let go of his waist and nudge his shoulders so he reclines. “Turn over.”

He turns over, and I feel his erect cock press against my thigh. My body can’t help it; I start to feel aroused all over again.

“Look at this lovely brown arse,” I murmur, “so smooth and soft.” I caress his skin with my palm.

His breath hitches. He’s so clever that I’m sure he’s figured out what’s coming.

“How can someone as adorable as you be so mischievous, eh, gorgeous?” I ask. “Well, I meant it when I said you need to learn a lesson. And I think we’re going to have to go...” I pause, and squeeze one of his delicious cheeks. “... corporal.”

He turns his head to try to look at me, but I gently turn it back so there’s no tension in his back.

“Charlie, do you understand what I’m about to do to you?” I whisper. “You can speak.”

“Yes... you’re going to s-spank me.”

“Do you agree with me doing that?” I check. I always check.

“Yes.”

“What is your safe word, baby?”

“Cinnamon roll,” he repeats automatically.

“That’s right, love. Cinnamon roll.” I make sure I say it too. “Now, I’m going to spank you five times on the right for your drunken antics, and you’re going to count them. Then five on the left, for the nude sunbathing. I want you to count those too. Finally, you get five across both, for not telling me my apology blowie was going to get you hard. Those need counting as well.” He is silent again. “Repeat what I’m going to do.”

He repeats what I’ve just told him.

“Good.” I rub both his arsecheeks to warm them up slightly. “Ready?”

“Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes... boss.”

“Three, two, one...” I bring my hand down on his right cheek.

“God! One!”

“No profanity, gorgeous. Just counting.”

I spank him again.

“Two!” And again. “Three.”

At the end of the first round, both of us are panting, and his right cheek is the colour of a blush rose. It’s stunning.

“What were those five spanks for, Charlie?”

“I was a drunken idiot who was rude and brattish when you tried to look after me.”

“Good boy,” I tell him, dropping a kiss between his shoulder blades. “Round two.”

After the second round, Charlie is squirming, gripping a cushion.

“What are these spanks for, love?”

“I was an attention-seeking sun-slut who sunbathed in the nude on the balcony for all to see.”

“You are very beautiful, my little sun-slut. But you’re for my eyes only, understand?”

“Your eyes only,” he repeats. I kiss his shoulder this time, and he hums a little.

“Round three.”

When I finish the last spank, he cries out. He’s leaked all over my thighs, but he’s being extra-good, waiting for me to let him come.

“What was Round Three for, gorgeous boy?”

“For getting hard while blowing you. I should have told you how much I wanted your cock in my mouth before I blew you.”

“That’s right.” I turn him over and peck him on the lips. “Well done, baby.”

He looks up at me with reddened, watery eyes, and I rub my thumb across his pink cheeks.

“Nick,” he croaks. “Thank you. Forgive me?”

“Shh, shh...” I draw him into my arms and cradle him, holding him close but gently over his sore arse. I’ll massage some balm into his cheeks before we go to sleep. “You’re forgiven, love. You always were.”

I reposition him on my lap and take his cock in my hand, then tug it lightly. He comes almost immediately, hot white bursts spilling all over my reddened palm. He lets the tears fall down his face as he gives me a satisfied smile before burying his face in the crook of my neck.

****

Nick looked down at his palm, covered in his own seed, but as the satisfaction of a really good orgasm dissipated, it gave way to the crippling burn of shame.

How was he ever going to look Charlie in the face again?

--

Charlie woke up to bright, streaming sunlight assaulting his eyes. He turned over but the motion made his head thud and his insides ripple with nausea. He rubbed his face and swallowed; his mouth was drier than the Sahara. After a minute, he managed to raise himself up onto his elbows and look around.

It was then that it occurred to him that he had absolutely no idea how he got home or what time it was. He glanced down at himself. He was wearing his Bath Rugby top and boxers. His jeans were on the armchair in his room, folded neatly. He looked at the bedside table. Lined up were a bottle of water, his insulated coffee mug, paracetamol and ibuprofen packets.

Charlie picked up the water and took a sip before picking up his phone, which was on the wireless charging pad.

Nick (PA)

N: 07.10am: I’m out today.

N: 07:10am: Please call Elle.

Charlie fell back against the pillow and groaned. Since he started as Charlie’s PA, Nick’s texts had been warm and friendly, but today they were perfunctory and short.  Charlie sat up again, swallowed some pills, drank more water and half the coffee, before calling Elle. She picked up on the third ring.

“Hi Charlie… Tao, can you take Dylan? No, I just changed him.”

“Should I call back?”

“No, just hang on a sec… Thanks love. Yeah, I’ll pass the phone over once I’m done ,” she said. “Right, Charlie, I’m here. Tao’s settling the twins. They ganged up on me and started walking on the same day!”

“Amazing,” Charlie murmured, his head still thudding against his skull. “They’re doing better than me. I’m still in bed. It was a late night.”

“Not that late, according to Nick,” Elle replied. “It was just after eleven when he got you back to the flat.”

“You’ve spoken to Nick this morning?” Charlie said.

“Yeah, he phoned me first thing.”

“Really?”

“He called to ask how to handle your hangover,” Elle told him. “He was quite upset. Apparently you were very drunk and he had a hard time getting you back to the hotel. He had to carry you through the lobby and into the room to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself.”

“He did?” Charlie leaned forward. “Wow. I have absolutely no recollection after about the third cocktail.”

Elle sighed down the phone.

“Charlie, you promised you weren’t going to drink like that anymore,” she said. “I didn’t warn him that you turn into a toddler when you’re wasted, and he was caught off-guard.”

“It wasn’t planned, Elle,” Charlie said, clutching at his coffee mug. “We met these LGBTQ+ rugby guys at the match, and they invited us for a couple of drinks afterwards.”

“And a couple turned into several cocktails and tequila shots with a leather-wearing old pervert, according to Nick.”

“Seriously?” Charlie felt his face flame up with shame. “Oh God, no wonder he’s disappeared for the day.”

“You need to fix this,” Elle told him. “You cannot afford to lose another PA, and Nick is very good at it. He’s so organised he puts me to shame.”

“He’s been amazing,” Charlie agreed. “This trip has been a dream… well until last night. Oh God, he should have told me to slow down.”

“That’s not his job, Charlie!” Elle shot back. “You have to take responsibility for your own health and wellbeing.”

“I know, Elle. It just didn’t even occur to me that I was that pissed until it was way too late,” he said.

“It never does, lovey. It just hits you out of nowhere. All of us know that, but Nick didn’t, and honestly, he sounded like he’d been to war or something. I just pray he’s not somewhere out there writing his resignation letter.”

“Fuck,” cried Charlie. “Fuck!”

“Look, don’t panic,” Elle replied. “Just sort yourself out, give him some space, and if you haven’t seen him by the evening, text him to see if he’s all right.”

Charlie realised then that he had barely spent a few hours apart from Nick since the weekend before they arrived in Madrid. The apartment was eerily silent; he had got far too used to the sound of Nick pottering in the kitchen or typing at his laptop.

“Yeah…”

“Do you think you can face eating something?”

Charlie’s stomach rolled at the thought at first, but it gave way to hunger, and once he felt that, carb cravings kicked in.

“I’ll see what’s in the kitchen. Nick’s kept it very well stocked since we arrived.”

When Charlie got to the kitchen, he felt a lump rise in his throat. Nick had set up the coffee machine with a pod and mug and laid out a bowl, a spoon, and Charlie’s favourite cinnamon cereal with a Post-It stuck on it.

Made a fruit salad. It’s behind the yoghurt in the fridge. Safe snack choices in the cupboard above the coffee machine. Nick.

Charlie had never had to know where his safe snack choices were in the apartment. Nick would just produce them for him.

“Charlie? Charlie, are you still there?”

“Yeah, sorry, Elle. I’m just going to have some cereal and fruit while we chat, okay?”

“Of course!” He could just imagine her grin. “Take your time.”

He poured himself cereal, topped it with some of Nick’s fruit salad and milk, and sat down on the sofa.

“Right, I’m settled again,” he mumbled through his first mouthful.

“Cool. When do you think you’re coming home?”

“Soon,” Charlie replied. “I think I’ll be able to hand things over by the end of this week. Why?”

“Nothing, we just miss you, ” she murmured, and Charlie could just imagine her smile. “Dylan and Jonah want to see Uncle Charlie.”

“I miss you, too, all of you,” he replied. “Darcy is sending me daily videos of her dancing in my house while Tori just keeps sending me grumpy cat memes.”

“Come home soon, okay? ” Elle said. “Right, Tao’s itching to speak to you.”

“Okay, bye, Elle.”

There was a rustling and a moment later, Tao’s voice came on the line.

“Well there he is, our Madrid Marvel, ” he deadpanned. “How can you go from masterminding a twenty million-Euro project to drunken menace in the space of a few hours?”

“You heard about that from Elle, then?”

“Oh, I got a live show.”

“What?”

A second later, Charlie heard his own voice come through the phone with Rosalía playing loudly in the background.

“TAO!! I want tequila! Pow! Pow! Tequila! It makes me happee-ee! Po-Pa-Pow, saluda a mi amigo!”

“Jesus, no wonder I’m in the shit with Nick,” Charlie said as his headache started thumping again.

“Look, while you’ve been drinking Madrid dry, there’s a few things that have come up. Sorry to bring up work on a Saturday, but it’s important.”

“What’s going on?”

“Two things. The first is that we’ve heard back from the recruiters regarding possible candidates for Robbie’s replacement. We’d like to interview next week because Isaac’s getting slammed, and nobody’s projects are getting their sustainability reports done.”

“Well, everything’s on track for us returning this time next week, so you can set up the interviews,” Charlie replied, hoping that Nick would still be around to help him organise things. “Has the recruiter suggested anyone we know?”

“I only recognised two, Rosie Black and James McEwan. You worked with them on some projects in London, right?”

“No, but I’ve met them. Both are good candidates, but if I remember, James has more managerial experience.”

“Okay, well we’ll talk about that with Aled and Isaac in the week.”

“What was the second thing?” Charlie asked before taking another mouthful of cereal and milk.

“Have you submitted anything for TICAE? The deadline’s soon.”

Charlie sighed. The International Commercial Architecture Exposition was one of the biggest conventions in the architecture world, and if he wanted to elevate SXL’s position and secure better clients, they needed to make a showing. It was being held in Berlin this year, the first time it had been held in Europe since before the pandemic.

“I’ve got nothing,” he admitted. “I’ve spent so long wrapped up in stupid shit that I haven’t collected any research or written up any interesting projects.”

“Charlie …” Tao grumbled. “Aled and I have already submitted for the Residential Expo.”

“I’ll figure it out,” he replied quickly. “When’s the deadline?”

“A week on Friday,” Tao said. “Please try to come up with something. It’ll be embarrassing when firms like Greene and Greene and Mary Reed submit ten posters and we’ve not even got one.”

“Leave it with me.”

“Okay.”

After he put the phone down on Tao and Elle, Charlie finished his breakfast and returned to his room where he took a look in the mirror.  He looked rough as fuck. His hair was sticking out in every direction, while he had dark circles under his eyes and a greyish pallor under his tanned skin.

He returned to bed with his coffee, but the light was too bright, and after a few minutes he got out again, restless. He wandered out into the living area, paced around for a bit, and then sat down on the sofa.

Nick (PA)

C: 11.34am: Sorry about last night.

C: 11.34am: I’m a menace when I’m drunk. I should have told you. I have a well-deserved hangover this morning!

C: 11.34am: Thanks for setting everything out for me again. You must have been up at the crack of dawn.

C: 11.34am: Are you okay?

C: 11.35am: Sorry, I shouldn’t be texting you. You need a day off from me. A whole weekend.

C: 11.35am: Hope you are having a nice day doing something fun. Charlie xxx

After realising that he had completely ignored Elle’s advice, Charlie downed his coffee and dragged himself into the shower. By the time he stepped out, he’d decided he was going to spend the day exploring some of Madrid’s famous museums.

He got dressed, and was about to head out the door when his phone buzzed in his hand.

Nick (PA)

N: 12:01pm: I’m okay, just a bit tired. Hope the hangover isn’t too awful.

N: 12.01pm: I’m doing a walking tour with April. It's been fun so far. See you at some point soon. N.

Charlie’s gut clenched as he read the texts.

He was out with April?

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirteen: Remembering

Charlie was curled up on the sofa in the living area of the apartment on Sunday night, eating the last slice of his chocolate birthday cake and the last of the fruit salad Nick had made the day before. He wasn’t watching the TV which was randomly tuned to some Spanish reality TV show on Telecinco; instead, he was trying to enjoy his dessert and not think about the possibility that Nick might be seeing April.

He hadn’t seen Nick since Friday evening, which he could still barely remember. The night before, Saturday night, he had been about to fall asleep when Nick came back to the apartment; he heard him go to the bathroom for his nightly shower and then close his bedroom door. In the morning, the sound of the apartment door clicking woke Charlie up. He had gone out for a run, visited a couple of galleries and had a cheese salad sandwich at a cute bocadilleria, but Nick was still out when he returned. He had been out all day.

Charlie had texted him to say that he wanted to get to the construction site early in the morning. Nick had replied back within two minutes with a simple thumbs-up emoji but no actual words. Panic clutched at his insides. What if Nick truly was building up to resign?

Just then, as Charlie was starting to ruminate and obsess, the apartment door clicked open and Nick walked in carrying a grocery bag.

“Err, hi,” Charlie said, scrambling to his feet.

“Hi.” Nick glanced at Charlie briefly but then shuffled into the kitchen and started putting the groceries away. “How are you?”

“Physically fine but otherwise mortified and anxious,” Charlie replied. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think properly about what I was doing. It was a stupid thing to do and don’t want you to feel awkward about it because it was all my fault—”

“Charlie—"

“I promise you, I’m not usually that bad, but I think the combination of being out in the heat, not eating enough, and then too many different drinks at the same time—”

“Hey, Charlie, it’s okay,” Nick cut in as he leant against the kitchen counter. “Look, Friday night was a disaster, but I can move past it if you can,” he said. “And now that I know, I’ll manage it better in the future.”

“It shouldn’t be on you to manage, Nick. It’s on me to look after myself better. I’m so sorry. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“No more sorries, boss, please,” Nick replied. “We’re good. I promise.” Nick folded the shopping bag and put it in one of the drawers, then pulled his phone out of his pocket. “HR sent a bunch of documents for your attention on Friday night, but the email’s only just come through. Do you know anything about it?”

“It’ll be the CVs for the people interviewing for Robbie’s job,” Charlie explained. “I’ll look at them tomorrow, at lunchtime.”

“Okay,” Nick said. “But Aleena was asking if she could have a chat with you in private then. She looked a little stressed. What should I tell her?”

“I’ll see Aleena at lunch and then look at the CVs in the evening before dinner,” Charlie said. “Please could we go for pizza by the way? That Mo de Movimento place we went to with Senor Marquez-Diaz?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll book it for seven-thirty,” Nick said. “Right, I’m shattered. We did thirty thousand steps today!” Charlie couldn’t help but hone in on the ‘we.’ Did he mean April? “See you in the morning, boss. Set off at eight am tomorrow?”

“Uh, yeah, eight,” Charlie replied, picking up his plate of cake and fruit. He held it up. “Thanks for this too, by the way. It’s so delicious.”

A small smile graced Nick’s handsome face. He ran his fingers through his auburn fringe.

“You are very welcome.”

“Good night, Nick.”

“Good night.”

--

Nick sank into the tub of citrus-scented bubbles and let the heat envelope him as he thought about his busy weekend. Bumping into April at La Mallorquina, one of Madrid’s most famous bakeries, had been a surprise, and Nick was very grateful for it as it had led to him being able to avoid Charlie all weekend.

He had arrived at the bakery as they were opening and had ordered a café con leche and some fresh, warm pastries -- a chocolate Napoletana, similar to a pain au chocolat , three small rosquillas, spiced doughnuts, and a large piece of torrijas , the Spanish-style French toast he never got round to making the other day. 

He had just been finishing off his breakfast when April walked in.

“Nick! What are you doing here?”

“Breakfast. You?”

“Same!” she had replied, flipping her auburn ponytail from one shoulder to the other. Nick recalled thinking how young she looked in jeans without her usual face of make-up. “Aleena and Jay are having a lie-in, but I couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d pop in here for a coffee and a pastry and do one of those free tourist walking tours.”

“Sounds awesome. I hadn’t got as far as planning what I was going to do after this.”

“Well, you should come along. Then we can go meet Jay and Aleena for lunch.”

“Yeah, okay.”

The walking tour had been fun, even if the guide had mistaken April for Nick’s daughter. Afterwards, they met Aleena and Jay for a long lunch, trying several dishes at Mercado de San Miguel. Then they went to a movie before going for tapas in the bars around the AirBnB that April, Jay and Aleena were sharing; they had pooled their accommodation allowances from SXL to rent a central apartment instead of staying in a hotel. Today, they had spent the day museum-hopping between the Prado and the Reina Sofia, and then hung out in Retiro Park before having dinner in Barrio de las Letras, the literary district of Madrid.

Finally, Nick returned to the apartment, feeling ready to see Charlie again. However, when he walked in, the man in question looked so adorable, curled up in a grey t-shirt and light, cuffed, matching joggers, Nick felt the shame of his runaway fantasy all over again.

And of course, at the mere thought of his fantasy, Nick’s traitorous body started to react all over again. Luckily he managed to think unsexy thoughts and it went away. 

The next morning, Nick busied himself with emails and other small jobs, and then went out to the shopping centre across the road to get lunch for the team. When he returned, April and Jay were sitting outside the Portakabin office, sipping from their water bottles.

“Hey, guys, what’s going on?”

“Not sure,” replied Jay. “Charlie and Aleena are having a private meeting in there. It’s been like, forty-five minutes.”

“Yeah,” agreed April. “Hope everything’s okay.”

“Yeah, me too,” Nick replied, passing them their sandwiches.

He decided not to tell them how Aleena had asked him just before he left yesterday evening, about seeing Charlie in private. She had been nervous, playing with the tail of her hijab as she spoke.

The door of the Portakabin opened then, and Aleena emerged with a big smile on her face.

“You good, Leena?” asked Jay, standing up as she came down the short steps.

“Very,” she replied, beaming. She turned behind her to Charlie who was standing in the doorway. “I’m submitting a poster for the TICAE Expo in the summer. Charlie’s agreed to sponsor my project.”

“OMG, that’s amazing!” Jay gave her a high-five. “Well done.”

“That’s so cool,” agreed April. “That’s what you’ve been working on when Jay and I have been out?”

“Yeah, it’s about how we designed the work spaces for GMD with flexible working in mind.”

“It’s brilliant,” said Charlie. “I’m sure that TICAE will accept it.”

“Which would mean a trip to Berlin!” Aleena clapped her hands together. “How cool would that be?”

Charlie came down the steps.

“The other thing that I’ve decided is that I’m going to leave Aleena in charge for the rest of the initial supervision. So you three will be in Madrid for another two weeks, but Nick and I are going to head back home in the next couple of days.”

“Oh, wow, Charlie, are you sure?” Aleena’s mouth had dropped open.

“Absolutely,” Charlie replied, gently tapping her on the elbow. “You’ve been doing a great job here. I’ve hardly had to do anything the past few days.”

“Thank you so much!” she cried. “Mr. McKay would never have.” Aleena threw her arms around him. Charlie stiffened a little at first but then smiled and patted her on the back. “I promise I won’t let you down.”

Nick congratulated Aleena, too, and, when everyone had their lunches, started looking up flights back home. 

The rest of the afternoon passed quietly, and soon Nick and Charlie were in the taxi on the way back to the apartment.

“So, uh, are you up to much tonight?” Charlie asked a few minutes into the journey. “I heard April and Jay talk about going to a gin bar.”

“God, no,” Nick replied. “While the weekend was fun, I can’t go out like that and function at work. Besides, going out with that lot made me feel so bloody old.”

“Yeah?”

“April didn’t believe me when I told her you used to be able to smoke in pubs. She was five when the smoking ban came in! Five!”

“Oh my God, really?” Charlie laughed. “Wow. That makes me feel ancient, although at the time I wished I was older.”

“How come?”

“I had just taken up smoking behind the bike sheds. I was looking forward to having my first cig and pint at the pub, so when the ban was announced I was disappointed.”

“How long did your smoking phase last?”

“Not long,” Charlie replied. “My parents found a pack of cigs in my school bag a couple of months later, and that was that. Grounded for a month, my school bag checked every night for the rest of term.”

“If my mum had found a cig packet in my school bag I’d have been made to smoke the whole pack then watch a video about lung cancer, complete with a dissection of diseased lungs.”

“Seriously?”

“That’s what she did when she caught my brother David with them. She’s a doctor, a paediatrician, and has very strong views on smoking.”

“You said she’s in Kent?”

“That’s where we grew up, and Mum still has her house there, but she’s currently in Uganda, I think. She volunteers for a charity, training local paediatricians in less developed countries. She moves around, goes where the charity needs her. Last month she was in Malawi, and she started the year in Namibia.”

“That’s amazing, but you must miss her.”

“Terribly,” Nick admitted. “My dad lives in Paris, and we’re not very close.”

“You said he’s not very accepting of your bisexuality.”

“Yeah… it’s more that he tries to impose heteronormative ideals on me. If he had his way, I would be an accountant living in a nice house with a housewife and two kids in private school.”

“That must be hard.”

Charlie leaned across and lightly held Nick’s hand. Nick’s body flamed at the delicate touch of Charlie’s cool fingertips, flashes of his illicit fantasy assaulting him.

“Um, yeah…” Nick turned and looked out the window. A moment later, Charlie squeezed his hand and then let go. Nick pulled his hand in even though most of him desperately wanted that light touch back.

The car suddenly turned left sharply, with the driver muttering at the traffic lights. A couple of minutes later, Nick felt Charlie tap his elbow.

“Nick?”

Nick turned to face his boss. “You okay?” he asked. 

“Yeah… on Friday night, did I sleep in your lap?” Charlie said. Nick felt his chest tighten. “When we turned the corner just now, I don’t know, I think I remembered something. Or maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.”

“No, uh, you did do that,” Nick murmured. “Among other things.” Charlie closed his eyes and rubbed his face.

“Jesus Christ. Nick, I’m…”

“Please don’t apologise again.” He was more curt than he intended so he softened his voice. “I promise you, it’s old news. One day we’ll laugh about it.”

“I guess…”

Nick decided that a change of subject was in order.

“Now, I’ve had a look at flights home and I think these are the best options… what do you think?”

--

“Hello, welcome on board.” Charlie saw the young flight attendant’s smile grow just a little bigger when they saw Nick, until he placed a hand in the small of Charlie’s back and nudged him in front. Even though Madrid Airport was one of the most aesthetically pleasing ones he’d ever been through, it had been heaving and Charlie had struggled to get to the gate until Nick held his hand. “Oh, uh... Which seats do you have?”

“Three C and D,” Nick answered. “This way, Charlie.”

“Thanks.” Charlie murmured, his airport anxiety lifting now that they were on the plane. “Did you want the window seat this time?”

Nick shook his head. “I’m better on the aisle.”

He lifted their bags and Charlie’s blueprint case into the overhead locker, which raised his shirt so that his abdomen was exposed as was the happy trail of reddish-brown hairs leading below his waistband.

A sudden spike of desire pierced Charlie, sending goosebumps down his arms and water into his mouth. He swallowed and took a deep breath, but Nick’s fresh, citrusy scent filled his nostrils as the man in question sat down.

“Champagne?” the flight attendant asked, coming by with a tray.

“Yes, please,” Charlie replied. As he leaned over to accept a glass, he realised Nick was already trembling. “Nick here will have one after take-off.”

The flight attendant looked at Nick who nodded in agreement and forced a smile.

“Yeah, after take-off,” he said through gritted teeth.

Charlie moved his glass to his right hand, and held out his other in front of Nick’s.

“Here,” he whispered. “You’re okay, Nick. It’ll be over soon.”

Nick looked at Charlie’s offered hand but hesitated before taking it. He hadn’t when they flew out to Madrid. In fact, he’d asked to hold it. When Nick finally took it, and intertwined their fingers a second later, Charlie felt goosebumps all over again. It was intoxicating, but terrifying.

“Thanks, Charlie,” Nick whispered, tilting his head closer so Charlie could hear him above all the background noise of people boarding the flight. “It really helps.”

“I know,” Charlie murmured back. “After all, it’s helped me, too.”

--

By the time they returned to Bath, it was late in the evening. Charlie was grateful that Nick had arranged a car service so they didn’t have to grapple with the taxi queue at Heathrow. Nick had been quiet on the flight and had his eyes closed for most of the car journey back. Charlie hoped it was just because he was tired from the packing and travel and not that he had stressed out his poor assistant and worked him into the ground. 

“Nick,” Charlie began, lightly nudging Nick’s shoulder when the car pulled up outside Nick’s flat in one of Bath’s many converted Georgian townhouses. “We’re at your place.”

“Hmm?” Nick blinked sleepily.

“We’re home,” Charlie murmured, resisting the urge to stroke Nick’s hair, which had flopped over his forehead.

“Oh, yeah. Great.” Nick picked up his rucksack and opened the car door. “See you tomorrow?”

“No, Nick, take the rest of the week off,” Charlie said, the words falling out of his mouth all of a sudden. “The only thing I’m doing tomorrow and Friday is shortlisting for Robbie’s replacement. You deserve a long weekend.”

“Oh, ah, are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” Charlie insisted. “See you on Monday.”

“See you Monday,” Nick replied softly with a gentle smile. “Look after yourself.”

“I will. I promise,” Charlie replied just as gently. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

The smooth, slow way Nick slid out of the car, how he opened the door and climbed out of the car, seemed to spark something in Charlie’s mind. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, a memory or a dream maybe. It was a fuzzy image or maybe a feeling.

The disquiet in him lasted the thirty-minute journey to Avoncliff, through getting his suitcase up the stairs, and starting to unpack. It was only when he lifted out his Bath Rugby top, which smelled strongly of stale alcohol and cologne, that everything suddenly came into laser-sharp focus.

An old man in leather, a bottle of Patron, Nick looking flushed and angry, hands on his hips. He was so strong, so powerful, and then he lifted me up as if I weighed nothing, hauled me over his shoulder. He smelled so good. He took charge, and it was sexy as hell.

The memories came back thick and fast. How Nick had been gentle, calm, authoritative and even flirtatious where needed. The way he had carried him through the hotel when he had been sleepy. How he had... bloody hell. He remembered Nick’s large, strong hands holding his thighs as he carried Charlie over his shoulder. If only they had moved a little higher... Charlie felt his forehead break out with beads of sweat.

Charlie left the half-unpacked suitcase on the floor and lay on his bed. There was no denying it. He had it bad for Nick, and once he acknowledged his feelings, he couldn’t think of anything else. He closed his eyes and recalled the way Nick had called him ‘darling’ and brushed his hair out of his eyes. But most of all, Charlie’s mind lingered on how Nick had commanded him to strip. That was unbelievably hot.

Charlie sat up, intending to continue his unpacking, but immediately lay down again as his mind and body demanded that he pay attention to them. He tried to resist, but with the memory of Nick’s actions so fresh, he couldn’t help but relive them, and he let his thoughts run amok.

****

He picks me up at my waist and sits me on the bed.

“Take your jeans off,” he commands. “Now.”

I bite my lip, then unbutton my jeans, one button at a time, without breaking eye contact with him revealing tight, bright blue Calvin Klein boxer briefs. Very, very tight. Nick bites his lip right back.

“Now what?”

“Socks, too.”

I toe off my socks.

“And your top.”

“If you want me naked, you should just say so,” I reply, being cheeky on purpose. He stares at me, his jaw twitching. I pull off my top, fold it and place it on the side.

“Good. Now lie down on your front.” I hesitate, so Nick adds, “I don’t want to have to tell you twice, darling.”

Wow, he called me ‘darling.’ That word makes me melt inside. I shuffle back onto the bed and turn over.

“What are you going to do to me?” I ask, my voice trembling with anticipation.

“I'm still deciding,” he replies. “Where are the toys?”

“In the wardrobe,” I tell him. “Right at the back.”

He goes to the wardrobe, finds the box, and brings it back before sitting next to me on the bed.

“Okay Charlie, what are our rules, baby?”

“I give you permission to be in charge, and the expectation is that I obey,” I recite. “We trust each other to be open and honest. We use a safe-word. We look after each other, and we talk about our play afterwards, always.”

“And what is our safe-word?”

“Cinnamon roll,” I say automatically.

“Why do you want me to take charge right now, darling?”

“Because I’m stressed and I’m upset with myself,” I tell him. “You had to save me from a lechy old man and carry me home, and that’s not fair.”

“It’s okay baby,” he whispers, then leans down and kisses my temple. “Massage first, then we play.”

I let out a little squeak. I dream about his strong hands on me. He reaches into a drawer and gets the massage oil. Just the smell of deep, sweet ylang ylang and rose floods me with arousal.

His firm, oiled fingers stroke down my back from my shoulders to my arse, and up again before he slowly works out all the knots in my shoulders, neck and back. I melt into the mattress, but when he starts slipping his thumbs under my waistband, I tense again, waiting for something else, and try to turn my head to see what he’s doing.

“Not yet,” Nick says. “I’ll tell you when, my darling. Now let’s get these pesky pants off.”

I laugh, turn my head back and relax, pressing my forehead into the pillow. Nick slips my boxers down my legs and then his warm, oily hands grip my ankles. He works my calves, then presses little kisses to the backs of my knees before pressing his fingers along my thighs. He creeps closer and closer to my arse, which twitches as I think of what he’s going to do to me.

When he finally touches my cheeks, it’s to slide his palms across them and then make wide, sweeping circles. The circles get bigger until his fingertips are teasing my crack, each pass sending shivers and sparks up and down me.

“Nick, please…” I moan, and he giggles softly.

“I see you’ve started the begging early, Charlie baby.”

“Sorry.” I say the word, knowing what he will do in response.

“Uh-uh-uh… what’s our rule about that word?”

“No unnecessary sorries,” I whisper.

“And what happens when you say sorry for no good reason?”

“I get the clamps for one minute.”

“That’s right.” He lets go of my cheeks and I feel his knees on either side of my thighs. “Turn over.” He leans over to the box and fishes out the small pair of rubber coated clamps. “Is this okay, Charlie?”

I nod, but then remember I need to use my words. “Yes, Nick.”

He attaches one first to the left nipple, and then the other to the right, and adjusts the pressure slightly. I close my eyes and lose myself in the tingling pain. I’m rock hard now, and the body heat rolling off him warms my aching cock.

“One minute,” he murmurs, cupping the side of my face. I turn my face to kiss his palm and he strokes his fingers into the curls behind my ear. He leans down and leaves sloppy kisses down the other side of my face. I absolutely love it. “Mmm, my daring, delicious darling. Always trying to get your way, even when I’m supposed to be in charge.”

My eyes widen. I try to speak but he puts a finger to my lips.

“No, baby. No talking while these are on,” He lets his fingertip draw down over my bottom lip, my chin and down my neck, getting closer and closer to my clamped nips. “Five, four, three, two, one… that’s one minute.”

I brace myself for the rush and I’m not disappointed when Nick releases my flesh. The blood flows in immediately, and my body floods with fire. I bite back a groan and open my eyes, because the first and only thing I want to look at is him right now.

“You look so hot,” he says, before passing a thumb over one of my reddened, engorged nipples. “I want to taste you.” His eyes flick up to mine before he dips his head and takes my nipple into his mouth. Then he sucks and sucks it, until I can’t hold my noises anymore.

“Oh fuck, Nick, that’s amazing… wow.” He chuckles around my nipple and then swirls his tongue around my sensitive nub. “Oh God…” I’m tempted to say sorry for talking when he didn’t confirm that I could talk now, but I don’t want clamps again; I’m excited to see what else he’s got in store for me.

“Hmm, I’m going to let that one slide because you taste so fucking good.” One of his hands drifts down to my cock. “I’m going to play with this later, but first…” He reaches into the box with his other hand. “More playtime.”

He picks up the blindfold. When he makes eye contact, I nod, and he places the silk over my eyes, ties the tails tight. Then... nothing.

“Nick... what?”

Silence.

I take a deep breath in through my nose, and slowly breathe it out. I do that a few times while repeating to myself what I feel.

I trust him. I trust him. I trust him.

Nick’s lips are suddenly against the back of my hand; he must be kneeling down next to the bed. I feel a piece of soft chiffon encircle my wrist and tighten, but not painfully. Another is tied around my other wrist, and then both my ankles get the same adoration. Finally, he loops a long scarf around my neck, crosses it over my chest loosely and passes it around the back. He then crosses it again, and brings the scarf’s ends to my front before tying it in what feels like a bow around my waist.

“Lift your arms up, baby,” he whispers into my ear. I immediately comply. He takes the chiffon scarves and ties them to the bar over the headboard. There is quite a bit of slack, but not too much. He knows what he’s doing. “Good. Safe word?”

“Cinnamon roll,” I repeat.

“Make sure you use it, baby.”

“I will if I need it, I promise.”

I’m rewarded with a soft, wet, kiss. A moment later, I hear the snick of the lube bottle and Nick taking things out of the toybox. My heart starts to race. What is he going to do to me?

He starts to explore my balls and taint, but doesn’t touch my cock at all. I bite down a whimper. I’m so hard for him and desperate for him to touch me, but he is running the show now. And that’s what I want.

Pretty soon, he is inside me, with one, then two strong fingers. I’m squirming as he stretches me, as he grazes my prostate.

“Hmm, feeling wriggly there, my darling?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” There’s a sing-song quality to his voice. Even though he’s in charge, he still loves to hear that he’s doing well.

“Because your magic fingers feel so good,” I tell him. “It’s so intense like this.”

“Wait ‘til you see what else I’ve got in store for you.” His voice is low, buttery-smooth and full of promise.

“Yeah?” It comes out as a squeak because he thrusts his fingers into me hard. Without being able to see him everything feels more intense. “I can’t wait…”

“You can’t wait… what?”

“I can’t wait… boss.”

The relief I feel in being able to hand over the moniker, and the responsibility attached, is immense, like my mind has been released from a cage.

“Very good,” Nick whispers, before pulling out of me. I whimper a little. “Oh, I know, baby, but something better’s coming.”

“Nothing’s better than you, though.”

“Char…” He kisses my hip and sucks along my hipbone. “You’re so fucking cute, baby. But I do think you like what I’ve got for you.”

He pushes my knees higher up and coaxes them apart. I hear the lube bottle again, and a moment later, something smooth is pressed inside me. He pushes it in further and my eyes roll back in my head.

“Oh my… the beads?”

“You like them?”

“Yeah,” I choke out. “I love them.”

“Then you’ll enjoy this.” He pushes them in again, and again, twisting them as he inserts, and all the blood in my body leaves my anxious brain and migrates south. He does one more push, and then suddenly, he’s gone.

“Nick?”

He doesn’t say anything, but trails fingers down my legs, until he is tugging lightly at the scarves he has tied around my ankles. A second later, I realise that he has tied one to each corner of the bed loosely, so I am spread open for him.

“If only you could see yourself, baby, spread out like this, the beads peeking out of your gaping hole, your cock so hard for me, your body decorated with the scarves.” He pauses. “Hmm, I wonder what you’ll look like turned over.”

And then all of a sudden, I’m lifted by the scarf at my waist, and flipped onto my front. There is lots of slack in the scarves, but they tighten when they are crossed, so then I can barely move. When he gets me on my knees and spreads my thighs open, I won’t be able to move at all. All the stress and worry and responsibility I carry inside me every day just disappears as I submit to his control. It’s glorious.

“I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed by this view,” he says, moving around the bed. “But I do think your arse is looking a little pale. Hmm.” Oh goody. “I think a little pink would be very becoming.”

“Yes... boss.”

“Very good.” I can hear the smile in his voice. “We’re going to do five on each side, baby, and you’re going to count.” He rummages in the toybox and then I hear the rustle and click of the beaded flogger in his hands. My cock gets impossibly harder. “Yes, your arse is going to look such a gorgeous shade of pink with this, Charlie. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Definitely?”

“One hundred percent, boss.”

“Good.”

The first hit with the beaded flogger is quite mild, but sends a delectable ripple through me, jostling me a tiny amount, but enough for the anal beads inside me to graze my prostate. I count it, and then a second comes down harder, this time raining pain over my arse.

“Ahhh,” I cry out.

“Shush.” Nick’s voice is sharp. “Counts only, unless you need to use your safe-word.”

I’m nowhere near safe-wording.

The third and fourth are equally hard. I choke down my sounds and focus on the tingling fireworks of pain, and then the flood of arousal and pleasure that follows. The fifth is very, very sharp, causing my back to tense, and the scarves around my wrists to tighten, but then I melt into the mattress.

Nick gives me a moment to recover, and lightly rubs my sore behind, before I hear him pick up the flogger again.

“Other side, baby. You’re doing so well.”

I silently sigh with the praise, then ready myself for the next batch of stings. Nick delivers them similarly to the first set, soft, three sharp ones and an even sharper finale. At the end of it, I’m hard as nails but so loose and floppy that I can barely lift my head up, even when he rubs the soothing balm over my sore arse.

“You can speak now, Charlie. How are you?”

“I’m good, boss,” I mumble against the pillow. “Need to come.”

“I know, my darling.” He takes hold of the scarf tied around my waist. He hauls me to my knees and then I hear the snick of the lube bottle.

“Please, Nick. Please, boss. So close.”

I feel him next to me on the bed, and he drops a kiss on my shoulder. Then without further words, he takes hold of my cock firmly, grazing my balls as he does, and jerks me in smooth strokes, his other hand lightly pressed against the small of my back.

“I need you to tell me, yell it if you have to, the moment when you’re about to come, Charlie,” he says to me. His hand slips down and tugs lightly on the beads.

“Yes, yes, I’m so close, love, so close,” I tell him. “Nearly there... now Nick, please!”

He tugs my cock and pulls out the beads at the same time, and a second later I am absolutely blowing my load all over his hand and the bed. The rush is incredible; I truly feel like my mind levitates out of my body.

“Well done, baby,” he whispers. I start to move my legs, but he takes hold of my waist-scarf again and keeps me in place. “Before you flop, I’m gonna need to fuck your beautiful arse. You should see how pretty and pink it is.”

“Yes...” I hiss, needing to be completely consumed by him. I want him to use me for his pleasure. To possess me. To be free of the shackles of my controlling, demanding, busy mind.

I hear him put on a condom and squeeze more lube out of the bottle. Then I feel him line up behind me and push inside. Thanks to the beads, I’m well stretched and ready for him. My bones feel like jelly, but when he slides deep inside me and I feel his weight on me, I find some strength. He doesn’t say anything as he speeds up, pounding into me hard, biting my shoulder and upper arm, marking me. I am hyper-aware of every place our bodies are touching, every rustle of chiffon against my skin, every miniscule movement we make.

“You’ve been a very good boy tonight, my darling Charlie,” he says, almost panting. “Gorgeous, gorgeous, Charlie.”

I love his words so much. I want him to enjoy my body and tell me I make him happy. Because he makes me happy. Every day since I met him, he has made me feel safe and happy and more comfortable in my own skin.

A couple of minutes later, he grunts and moans and thickens inside me. His strong arms encircle my body and he is raining kisses all over every inch of skin he can get to.

“Oh my God, boss, that was amazing,” I whisper. “Thank you.”

“I might be boss right now, baby, but you own my heart.”

He is breathless; we’re both sweaty. He holds me with one arm but moves his other so he can lose his fingers in my curls. I turn my head so he can kiss my cheek, and then lower myself onto my front, taking him with me.

****

Charlie surfaced from his fantasy when he climaxed, but as the sticky feeling within his boxers grew, so did his shame and embarrassment.

How was he ever going to look Nick in the face again?

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Fourteen: A big deal

The rain beat down relentlessly against Nick’s window as he paced his small flat. For such a tiny space, it felt kind of empty. He felt kind of empty. Friday night was normally when Nick’s team played their matches, but the atrocious weather meant the match was cancelled and the clubhouse was closed.

Eventually he opened his cupboards to try to bake something, anything, to keep his hands busy. The first thing he spied was cocoa. This instantly reminded him how just eight days ago, he made Charlie’s emergency chocolate birthday cake and also that it had been exactly a week since their night out with the Titanes.

He wondered what Charlie was doing just then. If they were in Madrid, they would generally return from the site and get some exercise in (a run for Charlie, a swim or the gym for Nick). Then they would have dinner in a local bistro or tapas bar or Nick would cook in the small kitchenette of the apartment. In the evening, if they weren’t hanging out in the tapas bars and cafes of Chueca or Chamberi, Charlie liked to have Spanish radio or TV on low in the background as he sketched on his iPad while Nick sat on the other half of the sofa and edited videos or interacted with his YouTube subscribers. Sometimes, if there was a good movie on the English language channels, they might watch it together. 

They had coexisted peacefully and quietly. It had been utter bliss, albeit tempered after Charlie’s drunken shenanigans.

Nick shut the cupboard again and on a whim, texted Sai and Otis, his best mates from rugby.

Pultney Props and Drops

Nick, Sai, Otis

N: Lads, I’m back from Spain and bored out of my skull tonight. Free for a pint?

O: Promised Lexi I’d do the kids’ bedtime, but I can come out about 8.30?

S: I’m up for going to the pub, but it’ll be lemonade for me. Got to pick Millie up later from girls’ night.

N: Ace, see you at Brew House 8.30.

The rainy weather meant that the inside space at Bath Brew House was busy, so Nick was only able to find a standing table in the corner of the popular microbrewery and taproom.

“Jesus, it’s packed,” complained Otis as he shrugged off his anorak and wiped rainwater off his cornrows with the sleeve of his hoodie. “But so’s everywhere. The Trinity looked like it was bursting at the seams.”

“This is why people our age don’t go out-out anymore,” added Sai, coming up behind them. “Such an effort.”

“And yet here we are,” Nick replied. “Thanks for coming, guys.”

“Ahh, good to see ya, man,” Otis said, slapping Nick on the shoulder. “Worth the effort.”

“100 percent.” Sai grinned. “You know I like to whinge.”

“Because Millie won’t let you get away with it at home!” laughed Nick. Otis joined in.

“Like Lexi’s thumb is any looser than Millie’s,” said Sai pointedly. “Anyway, let’s get a round in and you can tell us all about Spain.”

Once they had their drinks, Nick filled them in about his new job.

“That’s mad. To be making coffee for students and yummy-mummies one week and to be staying in glamorous five-star hotels and hanging out in Madrid the next? Epic.”

“God, Sai, it’s so different. I still haven’t gotten my head around it.”

“What’s your boss like?” asked Otis. “Nice guy?”

“Lovely guy,” Nick replied. “Kind of a genius but very down to earth. In fact, sometimes he’s too down to earth. But then I’ve seen him take one look at a building and be able to calculate in a split second the percentage by which the foundations aren’t level. It was, well, cool.”

“Yeah?” Sai tilted his head slightly. “But it must have been a bit strange spending all that time in a foreign country with your boss who you barely know.”

“A little at first, but we talked about how we’d spend downtime, and if either of us wanted to do something solo, it was all good. But as it happened, we got on really well so hung out most evenings.”

“You certainly picked up a tan,” Otis commented, looking at Nick’s amber, freckled arms, “but more importantly, you seem more like your old self.”

“I know,” Nick murmured. “I was about a month away from being forced to give up my flat, so I was pretty down.”

“I wish we could have helped out, you know,” replied Sai. “Loaned you some cash or…”

“Mate, without a new job, I would have just ended up in debt to you as well as my landlord and the credit card company. Now I have one. It’s not what I ever saw myself doing, but I’ve enjoyed the past few weeks.”

“What’s the sitch with your debt then?” asked Otis, taking a slurp of his pint of Gladiator.

“The credit card is paid off completely, and I’ve emailed the lettings agent for my flat to set up a debt repayment plan. I should be out of the red by the end of August.”

Nick blew out a long breath. That felt good to say. He would be out of debt by August.

“Wow, great news, Nicholas!”

“That’s awesome!”

Nick grinned at his friends.

“Thanks guys. The big downside of this job is that it kept me from rugby for three weeks. Training is going to be brutal tomorrow.”

“Something tells me that ‘Rugby King Nick Nelson,’” Otis began, needling Nick’s bicep with his knuckles, “is going to be just fine.”

Sai got a text from his wife at 10.30pm and Otis decided cadge a lift from him.

“Nick,” Otis began as he put his coat on, glancing at Sai, who nodded. “I’ve noticed something, mate.”

“What’s that?”

“You spent a lot of time talking about your boss tonight.”

“You’ve got Charlie mention-itis, Nick,” Sai added.

Nick felt his cheeks redden.

“I’ve just spent three weeks almost exclusively in his company…”

“That doesn’t mean we needed to know Charlie’s detailed opinion on olives,” Otis chuckled. “It’s okay if you like someone new, you know. Jared left over a year ago.”

“It’s not okay to like my boss,” Nick murmured. “It’ll get messy.”

“Messy can be good, mate,” Sai replied. “You and Jared were neat and tidy for years and look what happened.”

“I guess.”

“Just think about it, okay?” said Otis. “See you tomorrow.”

After saying goodbye to his friends, Nick started walking in the direction of his flat, contemplating his friends’ words. He passed by The Trinity, another popular pub in central Bath, which was still busy with drinkers. The rain hadn’t put off some people from smoking outside, huddling under the sodden canopy, Nick noticed as he walked by. The thought was about to pass when a familiar giggle caught his ear.

Nick turned to look back at The Trinity.

Sure enough, there was his boss tucked under an umbrella, which was being held up by a slim, bespectacled Korean man in his mid-thirties. Charlie was laughing, one hand pressed to the man’s chest, and the other slung around his waist.

Even from across the street, Nick could see his curls shimmering with rainwater, his blue eyes bright as he smiled. The Korean man, who was almost as beautiful as Charlie, was grinning and murmuring to him while taking puffs of a cigarette.

Then Nick saw the pretty dark-haired guy place the cigarette to Charlie’s lips. He crinkled his nose up, but then took a drag and let out a perfect smoke circle.

Instantly, Nick’s fantasy about Charlie flashed into his mind.

If he was mine, I’d be putting him over my lap for smoking.

Shame sparked within him and he started moving at speed, practically running back to his flat. Once inside the door, the shame gave way to disappointment.

--

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Darcy!” Charlie cried. “I only got back from Madrid late Wednesday night. I gave Nick the rest of the week off, so I need time to sort my shit out.”

“Or you could come have dinner with us at Tori and Michael’s, have a couple of drinkies, and chill out this weekend. Nick will sort your shit out on Monday in the time it takes for you to have a shower.”

Charlie thought of the piles of clean laundry that he needed to put away, the empty fridge, the pile of emails in the inbox that he’d ignored, the messages from friends, family, acquaintances and colleagues all unread.

“Okay, fuck it. I’ll come for dinner.”

“And drinks?”

“Um…”

“Just one? Please? How often do Tori and I get a Friday night off? And at the same time? Come on, Charlie-bro!”

“Fine! One drink after. That’s it.”

Tori was testing out her new toy, a large, wood-fired pizza oven, so dinner was a breeze. Afterwards they headed into town for drinks.

“Brew House?” suggested Aled.

“Oh, can we go to Trinity?” asked Darcy, swishing her purple tartan smock dress. “The bartender in there is…” she sighed and smiled. “Her name’s Bola, and she’s half-Nigerian, half-Portuguese.”

Tori rolled her eyes.

“Only if you close the deal tonight,” she replied. “If I have to hear you pining for ‘beautiful Bola’ one more fuckin’ time…”

“Trinity’s fine by me,” said Dan, Aled’s husband. “I’ll meet you there. I’m just going to pop to the shop for some cigs.”

“So that attempt to quit is going well then,” deadpanned Tori.

“Don’t rag on me, Tor,” muttered Dan. “We’re launching a new jet prototype on Monday, and I’m nervous as fuck.”

“It’s going to be fine, babe,” Aled said in his soothing voice, a hint of Welsh lilt coming through. “You’ll quit after the launch.”

Dan nodded and leaned in to kiss Aled on the temple.

“I will, love.”

“See you in a few, Dan,” said Michael, Tori’s husband. “Let’s hope we can get a table.”

“We will,” replied Darcy confidently. “Bola will find us one.”

Charlie went with the flow, but rainy Bath was a real contrast to Madrid which had been thirty-one degrees when they left. He thought about his routine with Nick over the past few weeks, how easy it was, how calm he had felt, and how he had ruined it with one night of cocktails and Patron.

Bola did indeed find a table for them all, a quiet one in the corner of the cosy pub, and Charlie started to relax and enjoy his family and friends’ company. After what happened the previous Friday night, he paced his alcohol too, sipping slowly at his pint and then having plenty of water before the next.

Drinking so much fluid took its toll on his bladder, though, and after his second pint of beer, he went to the loo. As he returned to the table, he spotted Dan through the window, pacing outside having a fag, his small umbrella barely keeping him dry.

“You all right?” Charlie asked as he stepped outside. He flinched as cool rain fell on his neck. “This launch sounds like a big deal.”

“Get under here, you’re getting soaked,” Dan said, tilting the umbrella so Charlie could run under. “Yeah, it’s a big fucking deal. I was hoping tonight would distract me but I’m just being an anxious pain in the arse.”

“No, you’re not,” Charlie replied, curling an arm around his old friend’s waist. “Believe me, it takes one to know one, and you are a novice when it comes to being an anxious pain in the arse.”

“Yeah?” Dan asked, before taking a drag on his cigarette. “A novice? Not even amateur-league?”

“Nope,” Charlie giggled, and patted Dan on the chest. “You are entry level at best.”

“Good to know,” Dan laughed.

“Seriously, Dan, I know nothing about aerospace engineering, but I know how detail-orientated you are. That jet will be perfect to the picometre.”

“Thanks, Charlie, appreciate it,” he said before bringing the cigarette up towards Charlie’s mouth. “Want a sneaky puff?”

“I shouldn’t but… go on then, just one.” 

Dan brought the cig to his lips, and Charlie took a deep inhale until the tobacco reached the recesses of his lungs before blowing it out in a ring.

“Hey, when did you learn that party trick?” Dan asked.

“No idea!” Charlie laughed.

“Want another?”

A sudden flash of his illicit fantasy popped into his mind. What would Boss Nick do if he caught me smoking?

“No thanks,” Charlie said. “I’m going to head back in. Want another pint?”

“Yeah, please. Same again.”

“Cool, see you at the table.”

Charlie turned towards the pub entrance, but something made him glance down the street. He saw a large figure speed-walking down the street in the rain; there was something familiar about his hunched shoulders and black puffer.

“Oh, that looks like my assistant. Nick! NICK!” The man didn’t turn around. Charlie looked at Dan and shrugged. “Maybe it wasn’t him.”

Dan raised a well-groomed eyebrow.

“Hmm,” he murmured. “Charlie, do you fancy your PA?”

“What? No!”

“So you yell down the street after your other employees?”

“Maybe!” Charlie retorted. “I’m going to the bar.”

Charlie had hoped that Dan would keep his thoughts to himself, but by the time he returned to the table with pints for himself and Dan, everyone was looking at him.

“So, my guy,” began Darcy. “I hear you’re lusting after your hot PA.”

“Great,” Charlie muttered. “Thanks, Dan.”

Dan raised his pint. “Pleasure.”

“This isn’t new information to me, babe,” said Aled, taking a sip of his husband’s beer. “The man’s a rugby player who always looks like he’s about to burst out of his shirt. Charles had no chance.”

“You did always have a thing for rugby players,” Tori said.

“I remember when I met Tori, you had a huge crush on Jonny Wilkinson! You even had a poster of him!” laughed Michael, his floppy light brown curls falling into his eyes.

“Nick’s not straight, you know,” said Darcy in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.

“I’m not going to date my PA,” Charlie bit back. “I’m finally functioning like a human again thanks to him, and I nearly lost him in Madrid. I’m not risking that again.”

“What do you mean ‘you nearly lost him?’” asked Michael.

“Aled probably knows the story from Tao and Elle,” Charlie replied. 

“Oh, I do, too,” Darcy said. “Elle told me.”

“And you didn’t share?” Tori narrowed her eyes at Darcy. “What the hell, Darcy Louise Spring-Olsson?”

“What happened?” asked Michael, grinning at the prospect of more gossip.

Charlie told them about his drunken idiocy in Madrid.

“Okay, yeah, we’ve all been there, and you’re very lucky he didn’t quit,” agreed Tori.

“I know, which is why I am putting this crush to one side,” Charlie said. “It will pass in a few weeks.”

“Might be time to date again, Charlie,” suggested Dan.

Charlie usually recoiled at similar suggestions but not this time. It would be good to fantasise about someone other than his off-limits assistant.

“Maybe I should.”

--

Madrid seemed an almost distant memory within a few days as Nick returned to SXL and the busy pace of the office. The Hub seemed to have a different energy, and he found himself getting to know the teams there while Charlie was busy trying to fill the vacancy left by Robbie.

After having lunch with Judy, Connor, and a couple of others, Nick returned to Charlie’s office to find the man himself lying on the sofa with his eyes closed.

“You okay, boss?” he checked before heading to the mini-fridge in the corner of the room to get Charlie some water.

“Two days of reviewing candidate portfolios with Tao, Aled, and HR, and then two days of online interviews… my head is fried, my eyes hurt, and my neck feels like it’s made of concrete.”

“Sounds like a lot for your poor, introverted soul,” Nick replied, stepping over to his desk to get some paracetamol. “Look, the week’s nearly over, and then you can spend your whole weekend doing whatever you want… running or playing on your drums. It’s just twenty-eight hours away.”

“Thanks for the pep talk, but my weekend is not going to be my own,” Charlie replied, opening one eye.

“What do you mean?”

“The top three candidates are coming here tomorrow morning to spend the day with us and are staying Friday night to hang out with us,” Charlie said. “They all have amazing portfolios and experience, so it’s going to come down to who fits best with us and the team in The Hub.”

“Oh, wow, okay.” Nick couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice. “I didn’t realise that was a thing.”

“Neither did I,” Charlie mumbled. “And worse still, I’m hosting the candidates at my house for an ‘immersive assessment.’ Tao’s words.”

“You don’t sound okay with this, boss.”

“I’m not, but that’s why I’m doing it,” Charlie replied. He sat up, and Nick immediately passed him the water and paracetamol. “Thanks.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Hiring the right person for this job is a really big deal. The candidate I tolerate best in my house and who the Hub warms to the most is going to get the job. We did the standard interview thing for Robbie and look how that turned out.”

Nick sat down on the sofa next to Charlie.

“Okay, so how can I help?”

“Can you contact the candidates and organise the logistics? How they’re getting here, top up the groceries, sort out the bedrooms with the cleaner, all that stuff?”

“Of course.”

Charlie turned to Nick and looked at him plaintively with his huge, blue eyes. Nick felt his stomach flutter instantly. “Do you have plans tomorrow evening and Saturday morning?”

“Rugby match tomorrow night, recovery training Saturday,” Nick replied. “Last one of the season.”

“Of course, I knew that!” Charlie smacked his forehead. “I was hoping you might be available to… never mind.”

“I’ll be around until 6.30, and then I can be available from 9pm until 11ish, okay? And Saturday, I’m not going to training until 11, so if you need anything, I can pop round  first thing in the morning.”

“Thanks, Nick. I’m sorry to ask.”

“No sorries, boss,” Nick told him. “Now come on, drink this water. Did you eat any of the sandwiches at lunch?”

“No…”

“Want some tomato soup? I put some in the kitchen for you just in case.”

Charlie’s big blue eyes suddenly filled with tears. “Y-yes. Th-thank you. You’re so good to me, and I don’t deserve it.” He looked away and used the sleeve of his dark blue shirt to wipe his eyes.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay…”  Nick took hold of Charlie’s forearm and lightly tugged so Charlie turned to face him. “Feeling overwhelmed or is it more than that?”

Charlie didn’t answer. Tears flowed down his cheeks, and Nick couldn’t stand it. He wrapped his arms around Charlie and pulled him closer then let his fingers drift into the soft, short dark hair at the back of his neck. He rubbed Charlie’s skin lightly with his thumb, and Charlie immediately sagged against him, sobbing against Nick’s shoulder.

“Shh, shh,” Nick murmured. “I’ve got you.”

“I’m being so stupid,” Charlie mumbled, his soft voice sending gentle vibrations into Nick’s collarbone. “It’s just… I got it so wrong with Robbie. Aleena confided in me that he intimidated and bullied the whole Hub. I put him there, and I got so wrapped up in other shit that I didn’t see what he was doing until too late.”

“Now you’re worried about it happening again.”

“Yeah.”

“Charlie, it won’t.”

Charlie raised his head and then buried it in Nick’s shoulder again.

“How do you know?”

“Because you know the Hub better, and you have their trust after Madrid. April, Jay, and Aleena have been talking to them all on their group chat.”

“That’s good to hear,” Charlie said, and sat up straighter before drying his eyes. “I should get them to be part of the assessment process.”

“Why don’t we put on some lunch in the Hub and then they can get to know the candidates a little socially?” Nick suggested, his mind whirring. “We could also ask some of Tao’s and Aled’s teams to come over too, so you get a really broad opinion,” he added. “You could also put on a Q&A session. A couple of the interns, a couple of associates, plus Judy and Isaac?”

Charlie’s face lit up with a huge smile that met his red-rimmed eyes.

“You are amazing.”

He leaned into Nick and wrapped his arms around his neck, who hugged him back, inhaling Charlie’s sweet, slightly musky, citrus-tainted scent.

“The feeling’s mutual,” he whispered. “Now please, please let me get you some soup.”

--

Friday morning started early as Charlie was so restless. Nick had made sure he ate a bowl of cinnamon cereal before the candidates arrived so at least there was no nervous bile rising into his throat.

At eight-fifteen AM, there was a knock on the door of Charlie’s office.

“Oh God, maybe they’re early,” Charlie murmured, glancing at Nick.

“One moment!” Nick called before turning to Charlie. “It’s not them, Charlie. Georgia’s picking them up from the station and taking them straight to the boardroom.”

Charlie let out a sigh of relief. If Georgia, who was Aled’s assistant, was picking them up, they were more likely to be ten minutes late than forty-five minutes early.

Nick got up and opened the door to the office suite. A second later, Judy walked in, resplendent in a navy jumpsuit with a bright red headwrap.

“Hi, Charlie, sorry to bother you, but I thought you’d like to know…” She showed him her phone. “The TICAE project poster list has been announced, and Aleena’s and Connor’s have been accepted.”

“What? That’s excellent news!” Charlie exclaimed, high-fiving Judy. “Wait, Connor put in a poster?”

“It was a bit last minute. Isaac sponsored him, but I guess with the recruitment stuff going on he didn’t get a chance to tell you.”

“No…” Charlie said, before smiling. “Does Aleena know?”

“Yep, she’s been checking the TICAE website for the past two days,” Judy replied. “But in interesting news, TICAE has extended the deadline for the Practice Improvement Forum. It’s Monday afternoon now.”

“That is interesting,” Charlie murmured.

“Why’s that?” Nick asked.

“The Practice Improvement Forum is a really big deal,” Charlie explained. “It’s where some of the best architects in the world get together to discuss ways to improve ways in which architecture firms run. Only ten projects are picked.”

“So if they’ve extended the deadline, that means they haven’t got ten projects yet.”

“Yep.”

“It’s a shame we haven’t got something to submit,” Judy said. “Isaac and I discussed a few ideas but couldn’t come up with anything.”

“At least we’ve got two posters in the main expo,” Nick said.

“Yes,” Judy agreed with a smile. “I should get back to work. I just popped up on Aleena’s behalf.”

“Want me to call Aleena, boss?” Nick asked.

“Yes, please!”

“I’ll leave you to it,” Judy said. “See you at lunch, Charlie?”

“Yes, definitely. See you later.”

She gave them a little wave, and then let herself out.

“I’ve got Aleena on video call, Charlie.” Nick passed over his phone.

“Aleena, congratulations!”

Aleena grinned.

“Thank you so much for sponsoring me,” she said. “Is it still okay for me to go to TICAE to present my project in person?”

“You bet,” Charlie agreed. “Just fill out the forms and submit them ASAP so we can sort out your travel expenses.”

“Yes, definitely!” she replied. “I’d better get back to work, but I’ll catch up with you next week.” She paused and then added, “I wish you were coming too, Charlie. I’d love to learn how you’d approach the exhibitions and projects that will be on display.”

“Thanks Aleena… I’m still thinking about it.”

“I understand,” she said, her voice quieter. “See you soon.”

“Bye.”

While he had been on the phone, Nick had made Charlie a coffee and placed it on the table in front of him

“Do you want to go to Berlin?”

Charlie sat down on the sofa and took a sip of his coffee.

“I’d love to, but we’ve only had two posters accepted, and I don’t know if I can face the sneers of other firms who’ve submitted loads.”

“Didn’t we only submit two posters?”

“Yeah… why?”

“So we have a 100% success rate then… quality over quantity!”

Charlie laughed out loud. “How are you so full of sunshine all the time?” Nick smiled back at him which sent now-familiar stirrings of desire flip his insides over.

“It’s a gift,” Nick replied with a chuckle.

“What are you up to today while I’m in The Hub?”

“A couple of calls and emails to return, but that’s about it,” he said. “I’ve been putting together this note-keeping list but haven’t gotten very far with it, so I’ll just do that unless you need me for anything.”

“Note-keeping list?” Charlie asked. “What’s that?”

Nick walked over to his desk and clicked on his computer.

“Probably easier to show you than try to explain.”

“Okay…?”

Nick sat down on his chair and opened up RAPT, their record-keeping software. Charlie stood next to him as he opened up the notes for the Dublin Project and then the ones for the GMD project in Madrid.

“So you’re the only one making notes on the Dublin project at the moment because it’s still several months away, but the way you’ve laid out the notes is really structured and methodical,” Nick said. “I checked with Elle, and she said that you write your notes in the style that RIBA* recommends.”

“Yes, I’ve been doing it that way since I was a student,” Charlie confirmed.

“Well, the software allows you to put structures into the notes templates, and then you can audit it to see if all the projects are meeting the standards you’ve set.”

“It does?” Charlie had no idea.

“After the mess with Robbie’s notes, or lack thereof,” Nick continued. “I’m aiming to look at all the current and recent project notes to see how many meet the RIBA standards, and then I’m going to bring it to you to create a template.”

“And after six months or a year, we could take a look at the notes again and also check in on the notes easily, so we’d spot any potential problems quickly,” Charlie realised.

“Yes, exactly,” Nick said. After a pause he added, “If you don’t think it has value, I’ll stop.”

Charlie’s mind was whirring so it took him a second to answer. “No, it’s a great idea.”

“Yeah?” Nick turned around in the chair to look at Charlie. “Really?”

“Nick, it’s beyond brilliant,” Charlie told him. “It’s a perfect example of practice improvement.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that we have thirty-two minutes before the candidates arrive… just enough time to write a submission to TICAE.”

-cXc-

*RIBA= Royal Institute of British Architects

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifteen: Opportunity

The International Commercial Architecture Exposition (TICAE): Practice Improvement Forum 2023

Project Submission Form: SXL Architecture, Bath, UK

Title: Setting Standards in Project Tracking: Using RAPT software to Assess and Maintain Quality Note-keeping

Authors:

Charles Spring BSc(Hons) MArch ARB RIBA CIOB- Partner and Head of Commercial Architecture Division, SXL Architecture;

Isaac Henderson BSc(Hons) MArch MSc ARB RIBA- Conservation and Sustainability Lead, SXL Architecture;

Judy Babatunde MArch, ARB RIBA CIAT- Commercial BIM Lead, SXL Architecture;

Nicholas Nelson BSc(Hons) PGCE- Executive Assistant Practice Improvement Coordinator, SXL Architecture.

Summary: Note-keeping across all projects in the Commercial Division of SXL Architecture were assessed for quality. A new tool introducing structured note-keeping within RAPT, SXL’s project tracking software, was then introduced. The structure introduced follows RIBA guidelines for quality note-keeping. Note-keeping quality will then be audited and assessed at different time points using the software’s built-in audit tools and compared to original results.

Timescale: Initial assessment- two weeks. Audit points- One month, three months, six months, one year.

“What do you think?” Charlie asked Isaac and Judy as they read the abstract on Nick’s computer. “Would you guys be up for working on this? Are we crazy to be submitting this so late in the day?”

Judy and Isaac looked at each other and then grinned.

“It’s bloody brilliant!” Judy cried. “How did you come up with it?”

“It was Nick,” Charlie said, pointing at the man in question, who was standing behind them, wringing his hands. “He came up with this idea and started the work. Really, his name should be at the top of the document.”

“Not the way TICAE submissions work, sadly,” Isaac said. “They’re right fuddy-duddy. The most senior person goes first on the document even if they’re the one who’s done the least work.”

“I get it,” Nick said. “Besides, I can sort out the notes, but I have only the vaguest ideas of what are good notes and what aren’t. Charlie’s notes are my benchmark, basically, so it makes sense to me that he’s on top.”

“This submission is perfect,” Judy said, “but if they accept this, we are going to have to present the data live to the Forum. Data which you haven’t actually got yet.”

“But TICAE isn’t until the end of June. We’ve got seven weeks to do the initial assessment and the first audit,” replied Charlie.

“We’re gonna be working our arses off, like,” Isaac pointed out. “You’ve only just gotten back from Madrid, and we still have to supervise The Hub until the new senior architect starts.”

“I know, but this is really exciting, Isaac,” Charlie said. “It would really get our name out there.”

“I know, like.” He patted Charlie on the shoulder. “It’s good times. We’re gonna kill it.”

“One hundred percent,” agreed Judy. “Nick, get over here. Let me hug you, you genius man.”

Nick chuckled and let Judy give him a warm, maternal hug, then turned to Charlie.

“’Practice Improvement Coordinator?’” Nick asked. “You snuck that in there when I was getting Judy and Isaac.”

“Yeah...” Charlie shrugged and tapped his fingers together for a second, worried that he didn’t talk to Nick before his impulsive decision, but then stopped himself. “I thought you deserved a promotion.”

“Oh...” Nick looked conflicted, and at that moment, Charlie couldn’t read him. “But it’s nominal, right?”

“Doesn’t have to be nominal, Nick,” Charlie said.

“But then you’d need a new assistant, and I like being your assistant.”

“Ahh, okay,” Charlie understood Nick’s confusion then. “You’d still be my PA, but we’d pay you for any extra work you’d do on this project as Practice Improvement Coordinator.”

“That I can get on board with,” Nick replied with a light smile. “Thank you, Charlie.”

“Thank me? Thank you!”

“Yeah!” agreed Judy. “You deserve a promotion, Nick. You’ve done real good since you got here.”

“Amen,” said Isaac. He looked at his watch. “Right, candidates should be arriving in a few. Nick, do you want to do the honours and press ‘submit?’”

Nick turned to Charlie who gave him a thumbs up.

“Okay, boss, here goes…” He clicked the ‘submit’ button on the online form. “Done!”

Isaac, Judy, Charlie and Nick cheered.

--

Nick stood alone on the mezzanine which overlooked the Hub’s large, open-plan office, watching the rest of SXL’s staff and the candidates mingling over lunch. The morning had gone well overall; each candidate had been given a problem-solving task and presented their work in the boardroom. And now, all three seemed to be getting along well with the teams in the Hub, including Tao and Aled’s staff.

Rosie Black was from Birmingham and was returning to work after having a baby. However, while she had been on maternity leave, her previous firm had been sold to a competitor and she had been made redundant. She and Judy were chatting and showing each other pictures of their kids.

Eli Davies was from Cardiff. They were relocating to the Bristol/Bath area as their partner worked for BAE Systems, the same aerospace company that Dan worked for, and had recently been transferred to their Bristol site. They were getting on well with Amy, Connor, and a number of the junior staff.

James McEwan was from London and had been freelancing for various firms in the capital since he parted ways with Greene and Greene, a firm of similar size to SXL and one of their biggest rivals. He had quite a crowd of people around him as he told a story, including Charlie, Aled, Tao, and Isaac.

“Hello.”

Nick turned around to see Charlie’s sister, Tori, standing behind him dressed in her embroidered chef’s whites with a dark blue apron tied around her waist. She was holding a takeaway container of crab cake canapes and plain cheese sandwiches.

“Hi, Tori, how are you?”

She didn’t answer but put the box down on the table beside him next to the box of food Nick had already put aside for Charlie.

“Those for my brother?” she asked, coming to stand next to Nick and resting her elbows on the rail.

“Yeah.”

She eyed the contents of Nick’s box. Crab cakes and a bag of salt and vinegar crisps. “Looks like we had the same idea.”

Nick nodded. “He’s done well today to have breakfast, but he’s not managed to eat anything down there so far. I saved these for him when I was taking the food into the Hub with Darcy.”

“Hmm.” Tori looked down at Darcy who was working the room, offering around mini-cheesecakes, fruit, and macarons as she chatted with the team. “How come you’re not down there? Assisting?”

“He doesn’t need me right now,” he murmured, eyeing Charlie who was laughing at something James said, covering his mouth with his elegant hand as he guffawed. He was wearing a slim-fit navy suit with a pale pink polo shirt instead of shirt and tie, and pink Converse trainers; he looked sensational, and Nick was feeling his crush hard.

“I wondered if it was because you got promoted,” Tori replied. “What exactly is a Practice Improvement Coordinator anyway?”

“You heard about that already?” Tori nodded. “How?”

Tori shrugged but then smirked and looked back at the Hub. “I thought Darcy was mad when she suggested you as Charlie’s PA, but he’s better since you’ve been around.”

“Oh, uh, thanks—"

“Look after him, or you die.”

“What?” Nick was taken aback by Tori’s intensity, but managed to find his words. “Yeah, of course.” Tori put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. “I promise. He’s an amazing person, and I’m privileged to work with him.”

“Yes, you are,” she said before striding past him, leaving the box of canapes and sandwiches behind.

Feeling unsettled, Nick checked the time and realised that the Q+A was going to be starting soon. He texted Charlie to say that he was heading back to the exec floor to set up, then glanced down at his boss in the Hub. Charlie checked his phone then put it back in his pocket before turning to James. The two of them were now chatting alone, away from the others, and after a moment, James put his hand on Charlie’s forearm as he murmured something that made Charlie giggle.

Nick squeezed his phone so hard the side buttons dug into his palm and sent shots of pain into his wrist. Unable to contain a huff that he was sure everyone in the Hub heard, he took the boxes of food and stomped away.

When he got upstairs, he placed the boxes into the staff kitchen fridge with a note to tell people they were Charlie’s, then headed towards their office. When he got there, Priya was chatting animatedly to someone, and as Nick got closer, he saw that it was the handsome Korean man that he had seen Charlie with the previous week.

“…And it’s going to be the first one we’ve managed to spend together in ages. So I thought I’d make the effort and take the afternoon off so we can spend some time together as soon as he’s finished the interviews,” he was saying.

“Aww that’s so sweet, Dan,” Priya cooed. “Oh Dan, this is Charlie’s PA, Nick! Nick, this is Dan, he’s—”

“So sorry, Priya, I’m running to get things ready for this Q+A, and Georgia’s still on her lunch break,” he replied in a rush, desperate not to have to talk to Charlie’s man. “Nice to meet you, Dan.”

“Err, you too,” he heard Dan say as he retreated into the office and shut the door behind him.

His phone buzzed in his pocket just then.

Charlie Boss

C: Just finishing up down here. Q+A in 10 mins. Thanks for setting up.

N: No probs. Crab cakes, cheese sarnies and crisps in the kitchen for you. Tori saved some for you and so did I.

C: You’re the best. Will be up in 5 and don’t worry, I’ll eat them.

N: Okay. Dan’s here btw, chatting to Priya.

C: Oh great! Isn’t he a sweetheart? 😊

Nick didn’t answer but instead lay down on the sofa. After a moment, he picked up his phone and on a whim, downloaded Hinge, Tinder and Bumble.

--

“Thanks for your time, team. I’ll let you get back to the Hub,” Charlie said to conclude the Q+A.

The group said their goodbyes and left, leaving Charlie, Tao, Aled, and Isaac with the three candidates.

“They’re such a lovely bunch,” James said, reaching for his glass of water. “It’s so great that they’re involved in the recruitment process.” He ran his fingers through his floppy, dark hair and sat back in his chair, before crossing one of his long legs over the other.

“I totally agree, I do,” echoed Eli, who was short and stocky with flaming red, twisted braids. They stood up to stretch and picked up a cookie from the plate on the table. “I like the collaborative spirit here.”

Charlie felt a flash of guilt as he remembered how little he had interacted with the team in the year before Nick arrived. When Elle was still his assistant, he spent almost as much time in the Hub as he did in his office.

“That’s what we’re aspiring towards,” Tao replied. “Why don’t we all take a little break, stretch our legs for a few minutes, and then we can reconvene to talk about sustainability strategies, which Isaac’s going to lead.”

“Great stuff,” agreed James. “Have I got time to pop over to that little Tesco I saw down the road?”

“Oh, yes, definitely,” said Isaac.

“I’ll come with you if you don’t mind?” said Eli. They and James had met before at a few conferences and got on well.

“Not at all, pal, not at all.”

James and Eli headed out, shortly followed by Tao. Isaac picked up the book he had brought into the boardroom while Aled jumped up and pulled Charlie aside.

“Do you need me for this last bit?” he murmured. “Only… Dan’s waiting. You know it’s our anniversary...?”

“And you’ve hardly seen him because of his jet project?” Aled nodded. “Off you go, and have an amazing weekend.”

Aled kissed Charlie on the cheek and then skipped out the room.

Rosie Black, however, lingered in the boardroom, and looked deep in contemplation.

“Rosie, are you okay?” Charlie asked. “You’ve been pretty quiet since lunch.”

Rosie glanced at Charlie and then Isaac and took a deep breath. Charlie got the hint and dashed to close the boardroom door.

“Charlie, I am so grateful for the opportunity, but going through this process has made me realise that I am just not ready to return to work yet.” A tear trickled from her blue-grey eye and over her ruddy cheek. “I want more time with my baby, and although I love Bath and I’ve got family nearby, I have a community in Birmingham that I don’t want to leave.”

“Oh Rosie, that’s okay,” Charlie said, covering her hand and giving it a quick squeeze. “Thank you for being honest. Do you want to head home early? You’re still welcome to stay until tomorrow if you want.”

“Thank you, but, no. I’d like to go home.”

“Okay, let’s find Georgia or Nick, and they can run you back to the train station.”

Charlie returned a few minutes later, having found a rather reluctant Georgia, who was getting ready to leave early because Aled had done the same.

“And then there were two,” Isaac murmured as Charlie walked back into the boardroom, peering at him over the top of his novel. “What do you think of them?”

“They’re both great. I’m torn to be honest,” he replied. “You?”

“Same. I think it’s going to come down to the Hub’s feedback,” Isaac said. “By the way, Nick came in while you were out. He made you an oat iced flat white and brought you a brownie and a banana, ‘in case he hasn’t had his crabcakes.’ It’s on the side.”

Charlie couldn’t help but smile as he turned and picked up the coffee. He took a sip and smiled. It was delicious.

“I did have my crabcakes,” Charlie replied, holding up the coffee, “but I’ll enjoy this anyway.”

“I think you’re enjoying your assistant, Charles,” Isaac deadpanned. “Seriously, is romance on the cards? You’re very in-sync for colleagues who’ve only known each other for a few weeks.”

Charlie picked up the brownie and banana and took the seat next to Isaac who put his book down and shifted so he was sitting cross-legged on his chair.

“I am crushing hard, to be honest,” Charlie admitted, peeling open the banana, “but nothing’s going to happen. Even if I wanted to disrupt this whole great working relationship that we have going on, which I don’t, any chance was wrecked by my drunken antics in Madrid.”

“Really?”

“We’re good, like, we’ve sorted things out, but he hasn’t looked at me in the same way since.”

“I’m sorry, Charlie.” Isaac patted Charlie’s shoulder.

“It’s for the best. I’ll get over the crush in time,” he replied. “Anyway I think he might have a thing with April. They hung out a bit in Spain.”

“No, Charlie,” Isaac smiled and shook his head a little.

“What?” 

“He doesn’t have a thing with April,” Isaac said. “She’s been coming to my Ace Space online reading group and she said, categorically, that she has never been on a date.”

“She’s ace?”

“She’s not sure of her label, and I’ve reassured her she doesn’t have to have one, but she does consider herself on the asexual spectrum,” Isaac told him. “I’m sure you’ll keep that to yourself.”

“Of course.”

“So she and Nick probably aren’t…”

“No,” Isaac said. “Besides, they look like they could be related!” He shuddered. “I think it’s the right decision for you to keep things professional and platonic for now. Look at how well you’re doing with him as your assistant.”

Before Charlie could answer, however, there was a knock on the door and Nick popped his head around the door.

“Hey, Nick—”

“Boss, you need to take this call,” Nick said in a rush. “It’s Viola Van der Bellen from TICAE. They want to talk about our Practice Improvement Forum submission.”

“What? Already?” Charlie was on his feet in an instant. “Does this mean we’re going to Berlin?”

“Answer the fucking call, Charlie!” hissed Isaac. “Find out!”

Charlie took the phone from Nick’s trembling hand, and put the call on speaker.

“Hello? Charlie Spring speaking.”

“Ah, hallo Charlie Spring,” came a clear Austrian-accented female voice. “I am Viola Van der Bellen. I am chairing TICAE’s Practice Improvement Forum, and I wanted to talk to you about your submission.”

“Ms Van Der Bellen, it’s an honour,“ Charlie gushed. “I’ve been following the progress of your Hauptbahnhof project in Salzburg. Very exciting how you’re juxtaposing concrete and local timber.”

“ Danke, Charlie Spring,” she replied. “Now about your submission?”

“Yes?”

“When you present it in Berlin, can you confirm that all four authors will attend the Forum?”

Charlie glanced at Isaac and Nick, who both nodded furiously.

“Judy’s good, too,” Isaac mouthed.

“Yes, absolutely,” Charlie confirmed.

“ Wunderbar!” she cried. “We will pay for your travel and TICAE entry costs, but you’ll have to pay for your own accommodation, okay?”

“Yeah, yes, that’s brilliant, thank you!” Charlie cried. “So our submission is definitely accepted?”

“ Ja, ja, it’s very interesting,“ Viola replied. “Check your email.”

“We will—”

“Okay, see you in Berlin!”

And then she hung up.

For a moment, Nick, Charlie and Isaac stared at each other, before the excitement hit.

“OH MY GOD!” Charlie screamed. “WE GOT IN!”

He hugged Isaac, and then threw his arms around Nick, who hugged him tight and lifted him off the ground. Charlie was instantly surrounded by Nick’s spiced scent, and it took everything inside him not to go as loose and floppy as a ragdoll.

“Sorry, boss,” Nick murmured when he put Charlie down. “Got carried away.”

“It’s a special moment,” Charlie replied, looking up into Nick’s eyes and feeling his breath catch.

Isaac cleared his throat.

“We should celebrate at dinner tonight,” he suggested. “Nick, you coming?”

“I have rugby this evening,” Nick said, “but I’ll come for drinks afterwards.” He glanced at the clock on his phone. “What time are you doing your sustainability talk?”

“Oh God, I forgot about that,” Isaac said, ruffling his own, chestnut brown hair. “Come on Charles, let’s get it done so we can celebrate, like.”

--

Dinner at Corkage, a wine bar and restaurant in central Bath, with Isaac, Tao, Judy and the two candidates was going well. Nick had booked them a gorgeous table in the outside courtyard which was beautifully lit with gold lanterns. Both Eli and James were proving to be great company, but Charlie was finding it hard. The weight of the decision in front of him had crept back in as the adrenaline from the afternoon’s good news wore off. James had more experience and got on well with the older members of the team. However Eli had great vision and energy, with the younger team members feeling inspired by them.

“You okay?” Tao asked quietly, as Charlie pushed a piece of garlic potato around his plate. “Big day today.”

“Yeah,” Charlie murmured back, checking that James, Eli, Judy and Isaac were still in conversation with one another. “Decision paralysis.”

“Why don’t you get some fresh air?” Tao suggested. “Let’s face it, those potatoes are not getting eaten while you’re in your head. And you have eaten something  today, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, I had cereal this morning, then Nick got me a bunch of crabcakes for lunch,” Charlie said. “Plus he got me a brownie and an oat iced latte in the afternoon.”

Tao rolled his eyes.

“The straightest man I’ve ever seen…” Tao said in a sing-song voice.

“Who’s bi, actually,” Charlie retorted. “Kissed his first boy at sixteen.”

Tao’s mouth dropped open.

“Seriously?” Charlie nodded. “How do you know?”

“My assistant and I do actually talk to each other, Tao,” Charlie mumbled. He stood up. “I’ll just get that fresh air, walk around the block and come back.”

“Charlie…”

But Charlie was already out of the door. He walked around the block, pulling his black denim jacket around him as a chilly wind blew through Bath’s Georgian streets, but wasn’t ready to go back in so walked down the street for a couple of minutes, keeping his distance from the groups of Friday night drinkers, stags and hens, and theatre-goers coming out of Theatre Royal.

Charlie continued down the road, and found himself a small Sainsbury’s. His fingers were tapping in his pockets and he could feel the nerves jangling within him. The cold wind carried the smell of cigarettes to Charlie’s nostrils, bringing him a tiny pip of relief, and he eyed the tobacco shelves behind the checkout counter of the store.  

“Don’t do it,” came a deep, warm familiar voice. “Charlie, you don’t need them.”

“Nick,” Charlie realised, turning around. “What are you doing here?”

Nick’s hair was damp and therefore a dark, reddish brown. He was wearing jeans, Vans and a light blue shirt, with a navy jacket; all the lingering traces of tobacco smells in Charlie’s nose were pushed out by Nick’s fresh, spicy scent.

“I said I’d come for drinks after rugby,” he replied. “It’s nine-thirty, so after rugby.” He gave Charlie a smirk. “What are you doing over here? Was Corkage rubbish? I asked them to give you a nice table in the courtyard.”

“No, the table’s great, and everyone’s having a grand time but…” Charlie shrugged. “I’m no closer to a decision.”

“And you don’t have to make one until Monday,” Nick reminded him. “The ‘immersive assessment.’”

“So I’m destined for a weekend of agony,” Charlie muttered, tapping his fingers inside his jacket pocket again. The movement caught Nick’s eye though; he reached into his own jacket pocket and pulled out the fidget popper toy.

“Here.” Nick held out the toy. “Better this than cigs.”

“So I’m transparent as well as anxious,” Charlie said. “How did you know?”

“Well, it’s not like you’re going to go in for food, is it? And if you were going to drink, you’d drink at Corkage,” Nick reasoned. “Plus I saw you having a cheeky smoke outside The Trinity last Friday night with Dan, so…”

“I knew I saw you!” Charlie exclaimed. “But by the time I realised you were too far away for me to hear me call. Dan was like ‘how can you tell that’s your assistant from over here?’ But I knew.”

Nick shuffled on the spot and looked at the ground.

“Uh, is Dan at dinner too? I didn’t get a chance to chat to him this afternoon.”

“No…” Charlie was confused about why Nick would think Dan would be at dinner when he knew Aled wasn’t. “He and Aled have gone away for the weekend.”

Nick looked up.

“Oh?”

“It’s their wedding anniversary,” Charlie explained. “Nine years, and they were together for ten before that. Since they were sixteen.”

“Oh.” Nick gave a small snorty laugh and then smiled. “I can only imagine what it must be like to be with someone all that time.”

“I wish I knew what it was like,” Charlie murmured.

“I know, right? It’s like, the dream.” Nick sighed and looked off into the distance. “Dating is kind of shit.”

“I’m with you there,” Charlie agreed.

“Charlie!”

Nick and Charlie turned to see Tao marching towards them.

“Hey Tao.”

“Are you planning to come back to the restaurant, or am I going to have to entertain your candidates by myself? I would be quite happy to pinch either or both of them for my division, you know.”

“Sorry Tao,” Nick replied. “It was my fault. I bumped into Charlie and got him talking.”

“About what?”

“Um—”

“About hotels for Berlin,” Nick cut in smoothly. “A lot of the hotels and apartments on the Expo list have been booked up already.”

He started walking towards Corkage, and Tao and Charlie followed.

“We’ll sort something,” Charlie said, falling into step with Nick. “TICAE’s going to be a whirlwind so we’ll barely spend any time there anyway.”

“Okay, thanks boss.”

“God, you two walk fast,” Tao huffed.

“Be thankful we’re not jogging,” Charlie replied. “I’ve managed to fit a run in almost every day the past few weeks.” He couldn’t help but look at Nick; he was the reason Charlie had the time and energy to run.

“God, no thank you.” Tao scrunched up his nose. “James is a runner by the way. Eli prefers the gym.”

“Good to know,” Charlie replied. “Hey, what did you mean when you’d be happy to pinch either or both of them for your division?” he asked.

“Well, they both have residential experience, and they’re both amazing,” Tao replied. “My Hub had a blast today at lunch; both would fit in very well into my division as well as yours.”

“Shame you haven’t got a vacancy for a senior architect,” Charlie said.

“Well, you know that Maxie’s doing her buildings design Masters in October?”

“Vaguely.” Charlie tried to remember which one of Tao’s team Maxie was. “But that’s part time, right? She was still going to work for us.”

Tao shook his head.

“The course is now full-time, so she’s going to leave to do it, which she can afford to do. She also wants to go travelling over the summer first, so from 1st July, I’m down an experienced junior architect.”

“But not a senior one,” Charlie pointed out.

They were outside Corkage now, but Tao didn’t make a move to go inside.

“No, but my division got bonuses from five jobs this quarter. Enough to pay for the salary uplift.”

“So whichever candidate I don’t want, you offer a job to?”

“Yep,” Tao said. “I like them both equally, so it’s win-win.”

“But I like them both equally,” Charlie shot back. “How do I choose?”

“Why don’t you give them a trial year where they each do six months in Commercial and six in the Individual Residence Division? Then Charlie picks who he wants for Commercial at the end of the year,” Nick suggested. “You could draw who starts first in Commercial out of a hat.”

“Why would Charlie get to pick?” demanded Tao.

“Because the candidates originally applied for a post in Commercial,” Nick replied, stepping closer to Charlie.

“Tao,” Charlie murmured. “It's win-win, right? And at least following Nick’s suggestion means I’m not going to lose sleep about it tonight.”

“Well, apart from the whole having strangers in your house thing,” Nick pointed out.

“Yeah, apart from that.” Charlie smiled.

“Okay then, let’s go in and tell them,” Tao replied. “They must think we’re well flaky.”

“Two minutes, and I promise I’ll be in,” Charlie said. “Nick and I still need to talk about the hotel situation.”

“Sure,” Tao agreed. “What are you both drinking?”

“Just a glass of whatever white wine is on the table,” Charlie replied. “Nick?”

“Same please.”

“Done.”

Tao went back into the restaurant and Charlie turned to Nick.

“So is it going to be really hard to get accommodation in Berlin?”

“Well, the best choice is The Brandenberg Majestic, but I can only get five rooms there.”

“I guess that’s to be expected given that TICAE has released the poster submissions list and programme,” Charlie said. “Definitely only five rooms?”

“Sorry, Charlie. I can see if Isaac or Connor are willing to share with me though, or I can find somewhere cheaper for me in a different hotel.”

“No, no, definitely not!” With how big a deal TICAE was, Charlie wanted Nick close by. “Does the hotel have any big suites with a kitchenette?”

“One of those five rooms is a suite, boss. The other four rooms are two singles, a twin and a compact double. That’s it in total.”

“I see.” Charlie thought for a second. “Would you be okay if we shared a suite like we did in Madrid? I’d rather share a big suite than have my own small room.”

“Yeah, that’s okay for me. It doesn’t have much of a kitchenette, but it’s very spacious. Two separate sleeping areas.”

“Good enough then. Book them.”

“Great!” Nick looked relieved. He pushed open the restaurant door. “Shall we?”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixteen: Berlin Walls

The flight to Berlin was delayed, which frazzled Charlie’s nerves. He and Nick had travelled on a quieter flight than the rest of the group from SXL, to manage their collective anxiety, but it meant they were getting into Berlin several hours later than the others.

Charlie was desperate to use any time that wasn’t being spent at TICAE exploring the city. It had been a long time since he had felt so relaxed coming to the Expo, and Berlin was somewhere he’d always wanted to visit. He wanted to find out more about the city’s turbulent past and how it impacted on its architectural styles and had thought of a few walks he wanted to take.

Charlie spent the taxi ride to the hotel debating whether he should ask Nick to go for a walk when they got to the hotel. He wanted to take in as many sights as he could. He wanted to see the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Rotes Rathaus, the Central Railway Station... all architectural gems he was itching to visit, and he wanted to see all the architecture in between, too.

The Brandenburg Majestic Hotel was the picture of understated luxury and elegance. An embodiment of German efficiency, the hotel’s reception saw Charlie and Nick through check-in and to their suite within five minutes.

“Enjoy your time at the Brandenburg Majestic, Mr Spring,” said the bellboy to Charlie in perfect English, as he brought in their luggage. Then he turned to Nick. “And you, Mr Spring.”

They froze before Nick managed to reply.

“Thank you.”

The bellboy bowed his head, then left.

“Another place that assumes we’re married,” Charlie murmured.

“Sorry, Charlie.”

“It’s an observation, not a criticism, Nicholas,” Charlie sighed. “But I thought they knew we were here for TICAE.”

“I told them when I booked the suite,” Nick replied, glancing at his watch. “It’s nearly seven. The car to the reception is picking us up at 7.30pm.”

No time for a walk then; Charlie had completely lost track of it. They were planning to meet Aleena, Judy, Isaac, and Connor at TICAE’s welcome dinner and drinks reception which was being organised by the Berlin Arts Council.

“Okay,” he murmured. “Do you need to freshen up?”

Nick rubbed his stubbled face. Charlie could tell that his assistant was a bit stressed. Maybe it was their delayed flight from Heathrow or that the preceding busy trip preparations had got to him, but Nick had coped with much worse when they went to Madrid. They had gotten past Charlie’s drunken behaviour in Spain, but Charlie wondered if something else was bothering Nick, as he had been a bit distant and distracted for the past few days. Maybe it was all the work they had put in over the past couple of months: they had worked many late nights getting ready for the Practice Improvement Forum. 

“Yes, definitely.”

“Okay, you go first in the bathroom.”

“Thanks. l won’t be long.”

While Nick used the bathroom, Charlie sat on the sofa. He drank some water, then ate some fruit and the homemade peanut butter cookies Nick had packed for him, preparing for the possibility he wouldn’t eat any food at the reception. Then he took his navy Dior suit and ivory shirt to the bedroom to change. It was only after he was suited and booted that he realised that it was a one-bedroom suite.

“Bathroom’s free!”

Nick walked out, now dressed in a dark grey suit with a light pink shirt and grey tie, his auburn hair slicked back.

“Nick, I think the hotel might have given us the wrong suite. There’s only one bedroom. I thought it was a two-bed.”

“No, there’s one bedroom, but there are two sleeping areas. I checked all the hotel reviews, and apparently the sofa bed is comfy, so I’ll be fine.”

“No way. You have the bed. I’ll have the sofa.”

“Nope. You cannot afford to have a bad back with such a busy schedule, boss. Tomorrow you need to be on form for the Forum.”

“Look, the bed’s huge. We could share.”

Nick’s eyes widened at Charlie's suggestion.

“It’s not necessary,” he insisted, and then showed him his watch. “And we don’t have time to argue about it.”

Charlie admitted defeat. His assistant was right. Time to go network.

The Berlin Arts Council had chosen to hold the welcome reception in a stark, white-walled gallery and exhibition centre not far from Checkpoint Charlie. Images of some of the year’s award-nominated projects were projected directly onto the walls, and in between the gallery’s own displays of contemporary art installations, posters displayed the schedule for the Expo over the next three days.

Nick and Charlie walked in with Aleena, Connor, and Judy a few minutes after the scheduled eight o’clock start. Isaac had begged off with a headache last-minute, and as they entered the room, Charlie almost wished he had done the same. There were nearly two hundred people milling around. Charlie instantly felt his nerves start to jangle and his palms begin to sweat.

“God, I hate these things,” he muttered as he straightened his nametag on his lapel, speaking just loudly enough for only Nick to hear. “Everyone gloats about their latest projects whilst trying to suck up to the potential clients. I’m crap at it.”

Nick patted Charlie’s shoulder.

“It doesn’t have to be hard. I bet that you’ve mastered projects that some of the arrogant twats here can only dream of. Dublin, for example? How many of them did you beat?”

“George shortlisted twelve from a potential eighty European firms, and then chose us,” he acknowledged. “Thanks, I feel better.” 

“I think it’s time for some champagne, don’t you?” Nick suggested. "You did eat your fruit and cookies, right?"

“Yes and yes.”

Nick stayed near Charlie and made notes on the iPad as they made their way around the room. As they went around the displays and showcases of new constructions and upcoming projects, he discussed them with Connor, Aleena, and Judy. Nick also remained by Charlie’s side when they were approached by acquaintances from other firms, smiling and shaking hands. By the end of the evening, he had mostly put his anxiety behind him.

“Tomorrow, we need to major in scouting for up and coming projects, especially the ones where we can use Isaac’s expertise in sustainability,” he murmured as they were waiting for their car in the lobby. “If we don’t get shortlisted for the Walters Project in August, we are going to need to double down on bidding for alternatives.”

It was late and they were tired, but Charlie’s mind was going at a million miles an hour.

“And when we get home, we should pull Amy and Connor off the Chester City Hall bid, because they’ve also got experience in recycled materials construction, and swap them for Jay and Asha.”

“Got it, got it,” mumbled Nick as he tapped at the iPad. He glanced up and gave Charlie a weary but bright smile. Suddenly his expression changed. “Charlie, there’s a grumpy looking old man with a smarmy blond guy walking this way.”

Charlie glanced behind him to see Harold Greene approaching, with his son Harold Junior, known as Harry.

“Crap,” he mumbled.

“What?” whispered Nick.

“Just two people I don’t want to talk to, but I have to be polite,” he whispered.

“Charlie.”

He turned around at the sound of a deep, rough, male voice, thick with a Cockney accent.

“Hello again, Harold, Harry—”

“Harry Greene?” Nick suddenly recognised the younger man, who was tall and slim like Charlie but fair, with cropped, gelled blond hair.

“Nick Nelson. Um...” Harry shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Hi, how are you?” he said awkwardly. “Long time no see.”

“Harry, son, how’d ya know this guy?” asked Harold, his cold, sunken eyes appraising him slowly and suspiciously.

“Mr Greene, I went to Truham Grammar with Harry. We were on the rugby team together.”

There was an edge to Nick’s voice that Charlie had never heard before, but Harold Greene didn’t seem to notice as recognition washed over his face.

“Oh yeah, you were the rugby captain, weren’t you?” Harold said. “Wasn’t there some big to-do about you and some player from St John’s?”

“Yeah,” Harry sneered. “You got caught in the locker room with him.”

“You mean the time I was checking that Matt, my boyfriend at the time, was all right after he was injured in one of your tackles. That’s the only context in which I ‘got caught’ in the locker room with him,” Nick said through gritted teeth.

He and Harry stared at each other, which caused knots to tie in Charlie’s stomach. 

“So tell me, Nick,” began Harold after a minute. “You an architect, too?”

“No, I’m SXL Architecture’s Practice Improvement Coordinator.”

“And we wouldn’t be able to run without him!” Charlie exclaimed, trying to swallow his anxiety. He had never seen Nick so tense.

“Ahh, yes, I saw that you’d put in a little project for the Practice Improvement Forum,” Harold sneered. Charlie felt Nick stiffen next to him and swallowed down a retort.

“Hmm, yes we did,” Charlie replied. “Viola called us the very day we submitted to tell us the good news, didn’t she?” 

“She did,” agreed Nick but it was automatic.

“So, Harold, Harry, what do you think of this year’s Expo so far?” Charlie decided to distract and divert.

Nick remained as still as a statue while Charlie and the Greenes talked shop for a few minutes until Aleena, Connor and Judy arrived, and then Charlie wrapped up the conversation. He had a feeling that Nick needed to go back to the hotel as soon as possible.

--

While Connor, Judy, and Aleena chattered about getting dessert in the hotel’s late-night café, Nick sat quietly next to Charlie, looking out the window of the sleek black car, watching the bright lights of the city blur into muted colours. He was already nervous about speaking at tomorrow's Practice Improvement Forum, terrified of letting Charlie down, but to know that his bullish ex-classmate might be in the audience made him feel sick. His throat felt rough and shoulders felt tense; once in the hotel, Nick headed straight for the lifts.

“Sorry, Charlie, I hope I wasn’t unprofessional,” Nick murmured as he clicked the lift call bell repeatedly.

“Not at all,” Charlie replied. “Clearly, Harry Greene was a dickhead at school, too.”

“The biggest dickhead,” Nick agreed. “I can’t believe he’s an architect.”

“In name only,” Charlie retorted. “He scraped through his qualifications, and his dad and the team do all the work. Harry’s just a company figurehead because Harold likes to promote Greene and Greene as a family business.”

“Really?” Nick warmed up a little.

“Yep,” Charlie confirmed.

Nick looked over at his wonderful, warm-hearted boss, smiling at him even though his almond-shaped blue eyes were full of concern, and he smiled back. His crush felt under control, just about, but that didn’t stop him from wondering about the possibilities. What if he and Charlie had gone to the same school? Would they have gone out like him and Matt? Would their relationship have fizzled too though, like so many first loves? 

The lift arrived, and Nick held the door back before ushering Charlie in and pressing the button for the top floor.

“Hold the lift!” came a male voice tinged with a Somerset accent.

A petite woman with flaming red hair and a pregnant belly stepped in followed by a shockingly familiar, tall, athletic, dark-haired man.

“Nick!”

“Jared!” Nick felt his face flame up and goosebumps flare up his neck and arms, as his stomach churned even more. “What are you doing in Berlin?”

Jared put his arm around the pregnant woman, and Nick noticed their matching rose gold wedding rings.

“A meeting with our German suppliers,” Jared murmured, “but Anya decided to tag along for some sightseeing as she won’t be able to fly soon.”

“How do you know each other?” Anya asked sweetly, cuddling into her husband’s side.

“Uh, um—” Nick began.

“From when I lived in Bath, babe,” Jared said quickly. “We used to play rugby together.”

“Y-yeah,” Nick said. 

“What brings you to Berlin?” asked Anya, and Nick did not miss the subtle way she looked him up and down. 

“Work,” was all the reply Nick could muster.

The lift pinged open at the fifth floor and Jared and Anya stepped out. Nick wanted to yell that he was Jared’s ex, that they’d been together five years, that he’d screwed him over and left him in debt, but all the words stuck in his head and his throat. 

“Nice to see you again, Nick,” Jared said, ushering Anya out of the lift. “Have a nice trip.”

The lift doors shut before Nick could say anything else.

“So this is turning into the trip from hell,” Nick croaked, before Charlie could ask. “First Harry Greene and now, him.”  A shudder escaped from Nick’s weary, tense body. “That was my ex, Jared, and the woman he left me for.”

--

Before Charlie could say anything, the lift opened on their floor, and Nick ran to the room. Charlie followed, not sure what to say or do. He watched as Nick shrugged off his suit jacket and kicked off his brogues, then threw on a hoodie and sliders.

Finally, as Nick was about to head out of the room again, Charlie found his voice.

“Wait, Nick.”

The urgency in Charlie’s voice made Nick stop in his tracks.

“It must have been so painful to run into your ex and his pregnant wife in the lobby,” Charlie began. “I won’t stop you running if that’s what you need, but I’m here for you.”

“Charlie, I...”

Charlie placed his hand on Nick’s back.

“You look after me all the time, Nick. Please let me take care of you right now. Let me reciprocate this once.”

Nick turned around. Charlie wrapped his arms around him, and Nick buried his face in his shoulder. He started to shake as the sobs fought to break free, and suddenly, he was wailing, tears soaking Charlie’s shirt.

“He’s married… and they’re having a baby. How could he be with me for FIVE YEARS and constantly dismiss any attempt I made to talk about those things?” Nick cried, before losing his words to sobs. “Why did I waste so much of my life on him?”

“Shh, it’s okay... I’ve got you, Nick.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled after a few moments, stepping away from him.

“Hey, no sorry needed,” Charlie replied, rubbing Nick’s arm. “What’s going to make you feel better right now?”

“I can’t ask for anything else. You’ve already gone above and beyond Boss-Assistant relationship expectations.”

“Nick, I’d like to think we’ve become friends too.”

“We have! I actually consider you a very good friend, Charlie.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Come on, tell me, what do you need right now?”

Nick thought for a moment.

“A hot chocolate and to watch something funny on TV?”

“Done.”

Nick hugged him once more and headed into the bathroom, picking up his nightclothes on the way. In his absence, Charlie changed into tartan pyjama bottoms and an old JW Anderson vest.

Nick emerged a few minutes later, looking brighter, wearing a pair of red Adidas shorts.

And no shirt.

Nick’s thick chest, with its smattering of dark bronze hair and defined muscles, affected Charlie. Nipples hardening, tummy clenching, eyes widening, cheeks darkening. The lust hit him like a sucker punch, just like it had after Madrid, followed by sweeping waves of affection for his amazing assistant. How could Jared choose Anya, choose anyone, over Nick?

“I’ve ordered hot chocolates and movie snacks,” Charlie said as he passed Nick to get into the bathroom. “And I’ve lined up Little Miss Sunshine on the TV in the bedroom. It was the first decent film I saw on the list. “Is that okay?”

“Perfect, one of my faves,” he replied, his freckled face going red. “Thank you.”

“Well, there’s nothing like a little girl dancing inappropriately to Super Freak to brighten one’s mood,” he laughed. “Feel free to head in there. Don’t wait for me to start watching.”

Charlie was about to come into the bedroom from the living area just as Room Service knocked.

“I’ll get it,” he called, so Nick didn’t have to get up. 

“Oh wow, those are some spectacular hot chocolates!” Nick exclaimed as Charlie walked in with the tray. He was resting against the headboard of the large bed, hugging one of the thick, gold cushions, with the duvet resting over his knees. “They look so decadent.”

“I know. I don't really like the milky version we get at home, but I love Euro hot chocolate, when it’s so thick and rich you have to use a spoon.”

“Me too.”

They watched the movie together, not talking much, whilst enjoying the sweet hot chocolate and the toppings and snacks that came with it. By the time the final scene was wrapping up, Nick had slid down the bed and was watching the screen through half-closed eyes.

“Exhausted,” Nick mumbled.

“It’s nearly two in the morning, and it’s been quite a day, hasn’t it?”

“Uh-huh. Need to do sofabed.”

Charlie could tell that Nick was only moments away from sleep, so decided to buy some time.

“Let me just go to the loo, and then I’ll help you.”

“Sure.”

When Charlie returned a few minutes later, Nick’s eyes were closed and he was snuffling softly. He picked up one of the blankets from the living area and draped one over him before sliding into the bed next to him.

“Charlie...” Nick murmured, but his words died on his lips as he turned towards onto his side, facing Charlie, and fully succumbed to slumber.

Charlie couldn’t stop himself from dropping a kiss on Nick’s forehead and stroking his hair lightly. He then turned off the TV and the bedside light with hope in his heart that maybe one day, he might have a chance to be in bed with the beautiful man beside him for real. 

--

Nick woke up surrounded by a sweet, musky, slightly citrus scent, and a soothing lub-dub under his ear. He glanced up. He was lying across Charlie’s chest, his arm curled around his narrow waist. Charlie had one hand in the small of Nick’s back and he was fast asleep, breathing evenly with his mouth slightly open.  

Nick was comfortable. Too comfortable. His legs were tangled with Charlie’s, with his rapidly-awakening groin pressed against Charlie’s thigh. He tried to slip out of Charlie’s embrace, but an elegant hand stroked up Nick’s arm and gripped his bicep. Nick shuddered. It felt good, so good... shivery sparks and goosebumps and heat all wrapped up in the press of Charlie’s skin against his.

He closed his eyes, willing himself to move, but failing as Charlie held him close. A feeling of peace descended and he felt himself drifting back to sleep. Just as he was almost there though, Charlie gasped and moved, letting go of his arm and slipping out from under him.

“Oh God,” Charlie said, his voice rough. Nick's heart sank. 

Nick heard him go to the bathroom and then sat up. After a moment, he got up and started making coffee, so by the time Charlie emerged from the bathroom, he had two cups ready.

“Here you go,” he said, giving Charlie one.

“Um, thanks.” Charlie perched on the edge of the bed. “So, I, uh…”

“Thanks for letting me sleep in your bed last night,” Nick cut in, hovering in the room. “And thanks for being so great. I feel much better this morning.”

“Yeah?” Charlie took a sip of his coffee and sighed. “Good.”

He relaxed against the headboard of the bed, and put his coffee down on the bedside table before patting the bed next to him. Nick walked around to the other side of the bed, put his coffee cup down and got back in, tucking his legs under the covers.

“I should tell you about Jared, shouldn’t I?”

“If you want to. No pressure.”

“I want to.” Nick swallowed hard against the lump in his throat and took a sip of coffee. “I need to talk about him.”

Charlie slipped his hand into Nick's. “Then I’m here to listen.”

“I met Jared at university and for a long time, we were just friendly acquaintances. We connected through rugby.”

“When did that change?”

“When we graduated, he and I both stayed in Bath, but most of our friends moved to Bristol, London, wherever. So we joined the same rugby team and became better friends. We both had girlfriends at the time, and as far as I knew, he was straight.

“Then one Christmas, we both got dumped, and I dragged him to a New Year’s weekend party that my friend Sahar was throwing at her house in Bristol. We got drunk, and I blurted out that I thought he was hot. He said he felt the same way.”

“You got together then?”

“A few months later. We ended up kissing at midnight on New Years', but we were wasted and we just wrote it off as one of those things. I was openly bisexual, but he wasn’t, and it was something he struggled with. But then, his birthday rolled around, and he decided to come out to our friends. By Easter, we were a couple.”

“Were you happy?”

“Yes.” A solo tear trickled down Nick’s face. “It was so easy. We already knew each other so well, and when he moved in with me after just a few months, it stayed easy. I loved him, and when we talked about the future, it was always ‘when we do this’ or ‘when that happens for us’ but without specifics. I gave up my regular job and started writing and blogging full-time with his support when he got promoted.”

“What did he do?”

“He worked for a marketing agency. He became a manager and was immediately put on a large account for a big import-export firm in Liverpool. One of their managers was Anya.”

“So he left you for her?”

“Yes. Looking back, all the signs were there. Late night ‘work’ calls, taking more care of his appearance, not wanting sex… but I was so wrapped up in creating content for my YouTube and social media that I dismissed all of them. Maybe I did know something was up in hindsight, but I didn't want to acknowledge it.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” he murmured, and leaned across to grip Nick’s hand. “It’s so easy to ignore them because you don’t want it to be true.”

“Pretty much exactly a year ago, he sat me down and calmly told me that he had been offered a good job with Anya’s company, and he had accepted it. I was angry that he’d made such a big decision without consulting me, but just as I was telling him that I was prepared to move with him, he told me that he was leaving me behind.

“That was when he mentioned Anya for the first time. How he’d fallen for her instantly and that they had been seeing each other for a year! He had even moved out the stuff he wanted to keep already, without me even realising, and sent it to Liverpool where he would be moving in with her.”

“Christ, that’s cold.”

“He was out the door before the news even sank in. I was already having a bad year with my mum leaving on her deployment with the charity, and it was the cherry on the cake. I couldn’t create content full-time and pay the bills, so I buried the hurt and threw myself into finding work so I could keep a roof over my head. But still, I got into arrears. The rest you know.”

“Are you still in love with Jared?”

“I would never take him back.”

“That’s not what I asked, Nicholas.”

“I know ... If you had asked me a week ago, I would have said no way, absolutely no, no, no. But when I saw Jared and Anya, and for her to be pregnant? Oof, it hurt. It hurt so much. Why did it hurt so much if I don’t love him anymore?”

“Were you planning to have kids with him one day?”

“No, that’s the stupid thing. I’ve never really been bothered either way. I would have liked to have a conversation about marriage and kids, which he never allowed, but really, I just wanted to go through life with him.”

“Maybe that’s why it hurts. When he left, he took away your plans for the future. And to hear that he’s going to be connected to Anya forever through their child, whether or not they stay together, must have been so bloody painful. He’s always going to be a parent now, whatever happens.”

“Maybe.”

“Did you miss him when he left?”

“Interestingly, I didn’t really. I was so tied up with trying to survive that it barely occurred to me.”

“Oh, Nick.”

“We weren’t actually that compatible,” Nick continued. “We both liked rugby and Marvel films, but that's about it. We didn’t have much else in common. He never saw the beauty in things, certainly not in food or in art, which used to irritate me.”

“Yeah?

“He used to hate it when I spent hours on a meal for him. Also, he'd get really snippy if I gave him too much attention when he didn’t ask for it, which left me always feeling on edge because I’m really affectionate in relationships.”

As Charlie’s blue eyes swept over every feature and freckle of his face, Nick felt peacefulness settle inside him again. Seeing Jared for the first time in a year hurt deeply, but he could let it go now and find someone new. He wasn’t sure that person would be Charlie because he wasn’t that lucky, but he felt the remaining wound in his heart close over.

“I can’t imagine ever not wanting that attention from my partner. I'd crave it, demand it even,” Charlie said after a quiet minute. “They would be my favourite person, the one I’d never get sick of. That probably makes me sound idealistic. And high maintenance.”

“Not at all, I’m the same.” Nick shuffled closer and gave their joined hands a squeeze. “I want someone who’ll let me cherish them.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventeen: Wunderbar

“How do I look?”

Nick’s honey-brown eyes swept over Charlie’s dark green linen suit and crisp, white shirt. He blinked a couple of times and then smiled.

“Stylish and confident,” he replied with a grin. “Is it custom-made?”

“Yes,” Charlie replied, a little sheepishly. He knew Nick only had three suits; he was wearing his navy one, also with a white shirt. “I don’t wear it often because it’s special.”

“Today is special,” Nick said. “I do think it’s missing something, though.”

“What?”

Nick turned to get something from the inner pocket of his suitcase.

“Try this,” he said, holding up a pocket square of white silk. “May I?”

“Yes, of course.”

Nick approached, nimbly creating a simple square fold as he moved, and then tucked it into the breast pocket of Charlie’s suit. He then turned Charlie around to face the mirror.

“What do you think?” Nick asked, brushing Charlie’s shoulders lightly then stepping back slightly.

“It’s perfect,” Charlie replied, catching Nick’s eye in the mirror. He stepped to the side so that Nick was now the one in the mirror. “But I think you need something else for yours too.”

“Oh?” Nick turned towards Charlie, his eyes downcast. “You don’t think it’s right for the Forum? It’s too hot for the waistcoat, and I don’t want to wear a tie if you and Isaac aren’t.”

“These.” Charlie stuck his hand into the bottom of his suitcase and produced a small, grey jewellery box.

“Umm… what’s this?” Nick murmured.

“A little thank you gift,” Charlie replied. “Here, open it.”

Nick’s eyes lit up as he took the box from Charlie’s hand and opened it.

“Oh my God, they’re fantastic!” he cried when he saw the chunky, oval-shaped platinum and onyx cufflinks. “2N – for Nick Nelson?”

“Yeah... I know it’s nerdy, but I saw them and just thought they were kind of cool.”

“They’re very cool. They’re perfect,” Nick replied. “Come here.”

He held his arms open, and Charlie stepped into them, unable to stop himself inhaling as he buried his face in Nick’s shoulder. Since Nick had told him about Jared, something between them had shifted. Charlie felt closer to Nick than ever before, and he was pretty sure Nick felt the same.

“I’m glad you like them,” he mumbled. “I know you’ve got some already, but I thought you could do with a bolder pair.”

“I absolutely love them,” Nick whispered into Charlie’s ear, his warm breath tickling the side of Charlie’s face. He stepped out of the hug and placed the box in Charlie’s hand. “Help me put them on?”

“Of course,” Charlie agreed. He took Nick’s right hand, forcing himself to keep his eyes open as the heat from Nick’s skin sent delicious shivers skittering up his arm. In a practised move, he deftly unclasped the simple silver circular cufflink, and replaced it with one of the onyx ones.  “Other hand?” He then replaced the left.

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you, Nick. We wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for you.”

“I’m so nervous. I’ve been a wreck for days,” Nick admitted, blowing out a long breath. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

Charlie held Nick’s hands lightly.

“So am I, but we’re going to be okay,” he said confidently. “You make YouTube videos that get fifty thousand hits a post. This is you, me, Isaac, and Judy with another fifty people, max.”

“And the three thousand people who could be watching on screens around the Expo,” Nick mumbled. “And the people who are watching online… I just don’t want to mess this up for SXL.”

“You won’t, Nick.” Charlie stepped in a little closer. “You know the project inside and out.”

“How come you’re so okay with this when I can’t even get you to come into the mini-market around the corner with me?”

“Because while there’s very few things in the world I trust, I trust my work. I believe in our company…” He glanced into Nick’s warm eyes. “And I trust you. So much.”

“Char… um…” Nick squeezed Charlie’s hands and glanced at his full, pink mouth before glancing back up. “I...” 

A loud rat-a-tat knock at the door interrupted him. Nick let go of Charlie’s hand and stepped back.

“That’ll be Isaac. I guess it’s go-time.” Charlie said. “Practice Improvement Forum, here we come.”

--

“All right, let us take one final question. Hadid Studios... please go ahead,” said Viola Van Der Bellen, a very tall, statuesque blonde of about fifty.

“Thanks,” replied Gabriel Sehee from the Dubai-based firm. “My question is for SXL Architecture and specifically for Mr Nelson.”

This was it, Nick thought, rubbing his clammy palms on his trousers under the table. He thought he had gotten away without being grilled by the forum, but here it was.

“Yes, of course,” he said, trying to smile.

“As an administrator rather than an architect, what do you see as the biggest benefit of the change you have implemented in your note-taking process?” they asked.

Nick froze.

“Umm...”

A slightly cool set of fingertips pressed against the back of his hand. Charlie’s simple touch calmed him, and he found his words.

“For me, having a structured approach supported by the software makes it much easier to find information for clients, contractors, and designers when needed.” He paused to take a sip of water and glanced at Charlie who beamed back at him. Emboldened by his boss’s reassurance, Nick continued. “Even though we haven’t completed the full twelve-month audit cycle yet, we can already see the improvements. It’s had a big impact on our efficiency, progress and professional relationships.”

“Thank you very much, Mr Nelson,” said Viola Van Der Bellen, with a small smile. “Would the architects from SXL also like to comment?”

“Yes,” replied Charlie, pressing his hand against Nick’s behind the table once more. “Just to say that having the perspective of a non-architect on our processes at SXL has been absolutely invaluable for taking a pragmatic approach to design but also for our team morale.”

“One hundred percent,” agreed Judy. “I think it can be so easy to get wrapped up in our work as architects that we don’t always see the wood for the trees. By involving Nick and our other administrative and managerial staff in decision-making, the quality of our work and professional relationships has increased hugely.”

“ Wunderbar.” Viola stood up and picked up her microphone. “And that concludes the TICAE Practice Improvement Forum for this year.” (Wonderful.)

The room broke into polite applause and TICAE’s outro music was played; people started getting up to leave, but Nick, Charlie, Isaac and Judy stayed at their table. A few of the other firms stopped by on their way out, chatting and congratulating them on their project.

“OMG,” Isaac murmured when most people had left. “That went well.”

“Really well,” echoed Judy.

“Really fucking well,” said Charlie. “I’m a little shocked to be honest!”

They all laughed.

Just then Aleena and Connor came over.

“That was so good!” Aleena cried, clapping her hands together. “We managed to get into the gallery,” she said, pointing up into the rafters.

“God, I’m glad I didn’t realise people were watching from all the way up there!” Nick said, pressing his palms to his face. “My heart’s still racing.”

“You did great, Nick,” replied Connor. He turned to Charlie. “Is there a plan for the rest of the day? Aleena and I got our poster presentation slots, and they aren’t until tomorrow afternoon.”

“Enjoy the Expo, enjoy the city,” Charlie replied with a grin. “I think Nick’s made us a dinner reservation tonight?”

“Yes, it’s a Syrian restaurant called Yarok that’s supposed to be very chilled out.” Nick turned to Aleena. “It’s Halal and all the reviews say the food is delicious.”

“That’s so thoughtful.” Aleena smiled broadly. “I would have been fine anywhere, though. I’d just choose veggie or fish options.”

“Well, this way you can eat the whole menu,” Nick said. “Meet in the lobby by 7pm? Table’s booked for 7.30.”

“Works for me,” replied Connor. “Right, I’m going to get some lunch and then try to catch some of the workshops.”

“I’m going to the BIM masterclass,” said Judy.

“Design demos for me,” Aleena stated.

“You lot are keen, like! I’m going back to the hotel for a nap, and then I’m going to read by the pool,” said Isaac. “What about you two?”

Nick and Charlie looked at each other before Charlie replied, “We’re going for a long walk.”

--

The weather in Berlin was warm and dry, too warm to be walking around in a suit, so Nick and Charlie shared a taxi back to the hotel with Isaac so they could change.

“Are you hungry?” Charlie asked Nick as he was opening the door of their suite. “I’m suddenly st… oh.”

Charlie stopped in the doorway to the sight of the sofa-bed pulled out and made up with the sheets, duvet and pillows, a towel folded into the shape of a fan at the end of the bed.

“Oh right… they’re efficient here, aren’t they?” Nick said, slipping into the room from behind Charlie. “I only asked the housekeeper to leave me instructions for making up the bed. I just could not for the life of me figure it out from the diagram.”

Disappointment pitted the depths of Charlie’s abdomen, then surged into his throat, drying it out.

“Uh, um…” he croaked. “Yeah, very good. I’ll just change into something lighter.”

He escaped into the bedroom and shut the door, before leaning against it. He glanced at his own bed, also made up beautifully with a towel fan on it, and stifled a groan. When he woke that morning with Nick in his arms, the heat between their bodies and the feel of Nick’s muscles under his fingertips had all been astounding and arousing. His body had told him in no uncertain terms about how much it liked the situation, and after ten minutes of not daring to move, he had reluctantly moved from under Nick to retreat to the bathroom.

Charlie quickly shed his suit and changed into some light blue skinny jeans and one of the green t-shirts he bought in Madrid, chucked on his green Converse, and put on a smile before stepping out of the room.

“Right, shall we go?” he began, but stopped in his tracks as he saw Nick frowning at his phone. “What’s wrong?”

“Jared texted me,” Nick murmured. “He wants to meet up… for closure.”

“What?” Charlie was by Nick’s side in a second. “What about his wife? ”

“I don’t know,” Nick replied. “He hasn’t suggested when or where. He just put the idea out there.”

Charlie took Nick’s hand and squeezed it. Nick lifted his head and looked at him.

“If you decide to honour Jared with an audience then I’ll be there to support you… if you want me to be.”

“I would,” Nick murmured, “but I don’t want to see him again.”

Charlie furrowed his eyebrows, trying to decide what to say next, before turning into Nick and nudging him with his shoulder. 

“What do you want right now?”

“Food,” Nick said instantly, before smiling and putting his phone in the pocket of his denim shorts. “Lots of food and that walk you suggested.”

Charlie took a step towards the door, tugging lightly at Nick’s hand.

“Let’s go then.”

They left the hotel room, and Charlie dropped Nick’s hand, shivering slightly at the loss of warmth. They exited the hotel and began strolling along Berlin’s busy streets. Within a  few minutes, they found themselves standing on the corner of Gendarmenmarkt, a huge, beautiful square in central Berlin.

“Wow,” Nick murmured. “It’s so pretty.”

“A stunning juxtaposition of Von Gontard’s Baroque classicism and the modern rebuilding work that took place in the 1980s and 1990s,” Charlie said.

“Yeah, that,” Nick said, before chuckling. “There’s apparently some really good street food vendors tucked between some of these buildings. Currywurst and meatballs and kebabs.”

“Um, I think those might be quite challenging for me,” Charlie said. “But you can have some and I’ll—”

“They also do hand-cut, fresh fries,” Nick said with a reassuring smile. “Safe-list friendly if you ask for no mayo.”

“Okay then.”

Nick pulled out his phone and checked the map. “This way.”

They headed across the square, and down a side-street before turning a corner to find a small collection of stalls with some picnic benches in front, busy with a mixture of people, most of whom looked like local office-workers and shoppers. The different smells of spicy meats and fresh fried foods hit Charlie and despite his food anxiety, his tummy rumbled loudly.

“That one looks like it does fries,” Nick pointed out the corner stall. “I think I’m going to try the Currywurst and some falafel.”

“Cool,” said Charlie, “see you in a minute.”

Charlie went over to the stall where one man was cutting up potatoes at speed while another was managing a selection of fryers. He managed to navigate ordering a portion of chips with a pot of ketchup and was about to find them a table when he saw the next stall where they were making meatballs.

A middle-aged lady with her long, dark hair in a black hairnet, just like the ones Tori wore in her kitchen, was lovingly mixing freshly minced meat with diced onions and breadcrumbs in a huge bowl while wearing black plastic gloves. Her partner, a tall, middle-aged man with a big silver beard in a net, was frying large, perfectly domed meatballs which smelled delicious. Both of them had big grins on their faces as they chattered back and forth, sharing sweet smiles and loving glances. 

Charlie felt his throat thicken unexpectedly. They clearly loved their work, and each other. He instantly thought of his own work, and the renewed enthusiasm he felt for it, ever since Nick had crashed into his life.

“You okay?” Nick asked, coming up behind him, carrying a tray of sausage covered in curry sauce as well as a pita stuffed with salad, hummus, and falafel.

“Yeah…” Charlie began. “If I buy one of these meatballs but don’t like it, would you help me finish it?”

“Of course,” Nick replied. “As long as it’s not got mustard on it.”

“Sure.”

Charlie approached the stall.

“Was möchten Sie, Herr?“ asked the man who was frying meatballs. (What would you like, sir?)

Charlie held up one finger. “One… ein, bitte?“ (One, please)

“Im Brot?“ The man held up a bread roll. (In bread?)

Charlie shook his head. ” Nein danke.” (No thank you.)

”Soße?“ ( Sauce?)

“Ketchup?”

The man gave him a thumbs-up and placed a single, large, steaming meatball and a wooden fork on a cardboard tray with a pot of ketchup on the side.

“Thank you, Danke. ” Charlie gave the man a five-Euro note and waved at him and his partner before sitting down next to Nick at one of the picnic tables.

“That looks amazing,” Nick mumbled through a mouthful of pitta.

“I saw them making these and thought I’d be brave,” Charlie replied before popping a fry in his mouth. “How’s your food?”

Nick rolled his eyes to the sky and smiled. “So good. They make the bread right there on an open flame, so it’s mega-fresh. Do you want to try some?”

Charlie managed to suppress his automatic thoughts to say no and found his brave streak once again. “Could you pull a bit off the end for me?”

“Sure.” Nick pulled off a chunk of pita from the end of his sandwich, which had a falafel ball, some hummus and salad in it, and placed it on the side of Charlie’s fries. “May I try some chips?”

“Help yourself,” agreed Charlie. He picked up the piece of Nick’s sandwich, and after staring at it for a moment, took a bite. Savoury hummus, sweet chilli, herby falafel and fluffy pita wrapped around his mouth, and he couldn’t help it; he let out a contented sigh.

“Told you it was good,” Nick said as he swallowed a bite of fries. “Want some more?”

“No thanks,” he said, putting down the rest of his piece of sandwich. “I’m ready to tackle the meatball.”

“It looks so tasty..” Nick gave him an encouraging smile. “Go for it.”

Charlie took the fork and cut off a piece before dipping it in the ketchup and placing it in his mouth. The simple flavours of the meat, onion and black pepper hit his taste buds and a happy groan escaped his mouth as he closed his eyes to enjoy it.

Suddenly Nick was coughing and clearing his throat.

“Nick! Are you okay?”

Nick nodded and reached for his water bottle. “Y-yeah, sorry, chip went down the wrong way.” He patted his chest. “I’m fine.”

“Try this,” Charlie said, cutting off a piece of meatball and offering it to Nick on the end of the fork. “It’s literally got five ingredients in it, but it’s so nice.”

Nick leaned in, and for a split-second, Charlie thought he was going to eat straight off the fork, but instead he picked up the meatball piece with his fingers and popped it in his mouth. Charlie cursed himself for his wishful thinking.

“That’s fantastic,” Nick agreed. “I wonder if they’d share the recipe.”

“Sorry, it’s a family secret,” came the voice of the female meatball-maker, who came up behind them carrying a bin bag. “I’m glad you like it.”

“It’s delicious,” Charlie agreed. “How do you say that in German?”

“Es ist lecker,” replied the lady, clearing rubbish off the next table. “Are you having a nice vacation?” she asked.

“Good so far,” Charlie replied, looking at Nick who nodded and smiled. “We’re taking a walk to see some of the sights this afternoon.”

“ Wunderbar,” she replied. “Is it a honeymoon? You are a very handsome couple.” (Wonderful)

She was smiling so earnestly at them that Charlie’s dissent stuck in his throat.

“Thank you, uh, danke, ” said Nick. “Just a trip for work, I’m afraid.” He pulled out his phone from his pocket. “Would you mind taking a picture of us?”

“No problem,” she said, putting down her rubbish bag and whipping off her rubber gloves before taking Nick’s phone. She took a couple of pictures. “Now stand.” They stood up. “Look at each other…" gut, sehr gut. You look good. ” She handed back the phone. “Enjoy your trip!” (Good, very good)

She returned back to her stall, and Charlie sat down. Nick put the phone on the picnic table, wiped his hands on a napkin, and then took his seat before he speared a piece of sausage smothered in curry sauce.

“Still feeling brave?” he asked. “This is Currywurst, a Berlin delicacy. It’s sausage with curry ketchup.”

“I think I’m pretty much at my limits,” Charlie replied, picking up a couple of fries. “But could I try the sauce?”

“Sure.” Nick turned the tray so Charlie could dip his fries in a pool of sauce that wasn’t touching sausage. “What do you think?”

“Yeah, I like that,” Charlie agreed, dipping another fry. “Was the picture the lady took good?” he asked.

“I didn’t look, to be fair,” Nick replied. He unlocked his phone and opened up his photos. “You look… It looks great.” He showed Charlie. “I hope it’s okay that I asked. I just realised that we don’t have any photos of us, and we’ve known each other for three months.”

The picture was beautiful. The sun was shining, the skies were bright blue. Nick looked hot in his tight, grey t-shirt and denim shorts, and Charlie had to admit that he looked cute in his green t-shirt and skinny jeans. He and Nick were looking at each other, and they did look quite coupley. At least to him.

“It’s a great picture,” Charlie murmured. He was about to pass the phone back to Nick when he saw a text arriving. “Oh, um, Jared’s just texted you again.”

Nick took the phone from Charlie and stared at it for a moment before turning off the screen. “I really don’t want to see or speak to him,” he said firmly, but without any trace of bitterness. “I’ve moved on, and I don’t feel like he has a right to know about my life now.”

Charlie shifted to look at him, bringing one foot up onto the bench and hugging his knee to his chest. “How much did you communicate after he left?”

“Not at all. He didn’t answer my texts and neither did his family who knew about me, which wasn’t many.”

“But you were together for five years. You lived together.”

“He wasn’t close to them, and most of the family he saw were quite conservative. They thought we were flatmates.”

“Sounds like he was very comp-het minded underneath his bisexuality,” Charlie observed, taking another bite of meatball and automatically cutting a piece for Nick.

“I think so,” Nick agreed, dipping the meatball into his curry sauce. “Now he has that comp-het friendly life.”

“Is that something you want?” Charlie asked boldly. “I remember you said your dad wished you had it.”

“I don’t know,” Nick replied. “I mean, I’m trying dating again, both men and women, but it’s hard.”

“You are?” Charlie’s heart sank. “What happened to ‘dating is shit?’”

“It is, but I feel like I have to give it a go,” Nick explained, tearing off another corner of his falafel pita and offering it to Charlie who took it without thinking and put it into his mouth. “And I’m just sitting at home in the evenings doing nothing now that we finished the groundwork for the Practice Improvement Forum and rugby’s over for the summer.” 

He looked over and for a split-second, Charlie lost himself in Nick’s honey-brown gaze. 

“You know you can always hang out at the farmhouse if you want or call me for a pint,” Charlie told him. “Seeing as we’re now good friends, too.”

Nick sighed and rolled his lips together, before smiling. “We are,” he said. “Actually, I think you’ve become one of my closest friends. I hope that’s not weird to say given that we’ve only known each other for three months.”

Charlie leaned forward and let go of his knee to squeeze Nick’s wrist briefly. “Not at all. That’s how I feel.” Nick gave him a big, warm smile.

“Cool.”

“Seeing as we’re close friends, ” Charlie began after a couple of moments of eating more fries, “can I ask something?”

“Sure, what?”

“Does it bother you at all that so many people we come across think we’re a couple?”

“No,” Nick replied straight away, his cheeks reddening slightly. “It’s kind of funny how everyone looks at us and makes that assumption, but it doesn’t bother me. Does it bother you?”

“Nope,” Charlie replied. “But it’s strange. I mean, I’ve been friends with Isaac, Aled, and Tao for seventeen years, and nobody has ever thought that I’m going out with any of them. Yet I’ve known you for three months and so many people seem to think we are.”

Nick picked up his phone again and looked at the pictures of them before glancing at Charlie once more. “I, uh, don’t know… it’s a mystery to me.”

--

Nick was on one of the best dates of his life.

Except it wasn’t a date.

He was hanging out in Berlin with his boss – and close friend – Charlie, who he hoped hadn’t twigged that the phrase was Nick-code for ‘I’m hopelessly, desperately into you.’ The feeling of closeness had been magnified hugely since waking up in Charlie’s arms that morning.

After their delicious street food lunch, a lot of which they’d shared, they strolled through the streets of central Berlin towards Checkpoint Charlie. The site itself had been touristy with tour buses parked down the street, queues of people trying to take pictures, and lots of noise. Nick had thought Charlie would be stressed by it. Instead he shrugged it off, took pictures of them by the monument, and read the graffiti and poster boards before launching into a commentary about the architecture of the surrounding buildings.

After ten minutes of Charlie’s chat about construction and design, Nick playfully covered Charlie’s mouth and rolled his eyes.

“As fascinating as these buildings are, Charlie, maybe we should keep going?” he suggested. 

Charlie giggled his sweet giggle, and it was all Nick could do not to pick him up and kiss his soft mouth. “Maybe…” Charlie said, before lifting Nick’s hand from his mouth, glancing at Nick’s thick fingers before letting his hand go. 

They decided to keep walking towards Brandenburg Gate, crossing through the modern Potsdamer Platz which Nick instantly disliked because it felt co ld and pompous. Charlie seemed mesmerised, though, taking pictures and annotating them with little notes.

“Wow, you seem to really like this building,” Nick observed as Charlie took more photos of a sharp, triangular building with huge glass panels.

“God, no. Great construction, but its sharpness makes the square ugly as sin,” Charlie retorted. “While I admire the Neo-Futuristic style that Renzo Piano uses, I think the atmosphere of this square is clinical, something that could have been predicted.”

“How?”

“The repetition of the square glass and the cladding is too stark,” Charlie said, pointing out the design on other buildings. “Each individual building is stunning. However, even though they’ve positioned them alongside Kollhoff’s central, retro-styled tower, the thematic repetition makes the whole place feel like it’s been designed for robots.”

“What would you have done differently?” Nick asked, fascinated by the passion Charlie held when speaking about architecture even though a lot of it was too technical for him to understand.

“Oh no, don’t get me started, sweetheart!” Charlie laughed, raising his hands up. “If you thought I could talk about the buildings around Checkpoint Charlie, then you’ll be done-in if I talk about this place. We’d lose hours!.”

“’Sweetheart?’” The word turned Nick to melted caramel inside.

“God, sorry!” Charlie cried. “It just slipped out!”

“No sorries, Charlie. I think it’s cute.”

“Well then, I’m never calling you it again!”

Nick hoped Charlie didn’t mean that.

“Come on, boss, let’s find Brandenburg Gate.”

They walked further, ending up venturing into Tiergarten , a huge park.

“What’s this?” Charlie asked as they approached a stark, concrete box.

Nick looked at a small inscription by a video screen. “It’s a monument for queer people persecuted by the Nazis.”

Nick and Charlie watched the video in silence for a few moments, but then Charlie turned away.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Charlie turned back, tears streaking down his face.

“We would have been tortured and murdered by the Nazis because of who we loved,” he whispered. “So many beautiful souls died… I never take it for granted how lucky we are to have the rights we do, but homophobia is still out there, and it shouldn’t be.”

“Shh,” Nick murmured. “Come here.”

Charlie did just that, and Nick wrapped his arms around his shoulders to hug him tight. Tears threatened to escape from his own eyes, but he sniffed them back and let Charlie cry against him, before daring to drop a kiss on Charlie’s head. Instantly a heady hit of Le Labo Another 13, Charlie’s orange shower gel and his herby shampoo, filled his nostrils as soft curls tickled his face. Charlie didn’t look up but snuggled closer against him, pressing his cheek against Nick’s chest.

When Charlie let go, he looked up at Nick with his wide, almond-shaped eyes and all Nick could focus on was their dark blue depths. The pull towards Charlie was intense, and he felt himself drop his head ever so slightly…

“Entschuldigung? Ich habe ein Foto von euch beiden hier gemacht, wie ihr euch umarmt. Es kam mir ergreifend vor.” (Excuse me? I took a photo of you two here hugging each other. It seemed poignant to me.)  

Charlie stepped back but reached for Nick’s hand as a tall, dark-haired man in his thirties approached. He was dressed in patchwork red denim dungarees and a black roll neck sweater underneath, apparently unbothered by the hot  Berlin summer, with burgundy Doc Martens.

“I’m so sorry, we don’t speak German,” Nick said, threading his fingers through Charlie’s.

“No bother,” the man said. “I just like to take pictures of people in Tiergarten,” he explained. “Would you like to see? It’s a beautiful one, I think.”

Nick glanced at Charlie who nodded, and the guy brought out his iPad.

“Wow, that is beautiful,” Nick agreed as he took in the shot. He and Charlie were holding each other, their eyes closed, and Nick’s lips and chin were just obscured by Charlie’s curls. “You are very talented.”

“Danke,” the man replied. “How long have you been together?”

Charlie surprised both Nick and the photographer by letting out a laugh and shaking his head, before looking up at Nick.

“Three years,” he said. “My best friend introduced us…”

“Now we work for the same company,” Nick continued. “We live together and we’d love a dog…”

“But we’re too busy working and travelling,” Charlie finished. He caught Nick’s eye and they both started laughing. 

“Wunderbar!” cried the photographer, looking between them quizzically. (Wonderful!)

“Please could we have a copy of that photo?” asked Charlie. “We can pay you.”

“Oh no, you can have a copy for free,” the guy said. “I just love to take snapshots of love, especially in front of this monument. It is proof that love conquers all.”

–

After they waved goodbye to the eccentric photographer, who was called Erich, Nick and Charlie were quiet as they meandered through Tiergarten. The park was starting to get busy with commuters leaving work and school kids hanging out, but it was still peaceful.

Charlie’s mind was whirling, however; he wanted to get his phone out to look at Erich’s photo once more. And then he wanted another amazing Nick-hug. But he kept walking instead, occasionally stealing glances at his assistant, who was his close friend and nothing more, despite how they looked to others.

“Hey, Charlie?” Nick asked as they approached a white statue. “Look through there.”

He pointed through a set of thick trees to a large square full of short concrete columns. A shiver instantly rippled through Charlie’s back and not in a nice way.

“They look like graves,” he whispered.

“I think it’s a Holocaust memorial,” Nick whispered back. “I can see a Star of David in the distance.”

“I didn’t think about how chilling it would be to see the history reflected in the city on our walk,” Charlie murmured. “Would you mind if we went over?”

“I think it’s important that we do.”

Nick let go of a big breath then held out his hand. Charlie didn’t hesitate to take it, and they crossed through the park and over the road to the memorial. The mood in the square was understandably sombre, and so Nick and Charlie walked around in silence, occasionally stopping to read the snippets of information scribed on the columns.

“It blows my mind that humankind still hasn’t learnt lessons after such atrocities,” Charlie said as they exited the memorial. He was still clutching Nick’s hand, and it gave him a tiny thrill to see that Nick wasn’t making any move to let go of his.

“I know, right?” Nick agreed. “But I’m glad that we acknowledge the past, despite still making mistakes.”

“Would you mind if we stopped for coffee somewhere?” Charlie replied. “I feel like I need a hit of caffeine to process everything we’ve seen.”

“Of course.” Nick pulled out his phone with his free hand and brought up Maps. “Actually there’s a café near here with a 4.9 rating… it’s bicycle-themed.” He showed Charlie his phone.

“Perfect.”

The café was only a couple of minutes away and was utterly charming with vintage bikes pinned to the wall amongst large trailing plants. To Charlie’s delight they had an extensive menu of iced coffee. He ordered an iced oat latte macchiato while Nick ordered an iced chocolate. The café wasn’t too busy, and they managed to get seats at a table outside facing a small piazza.

“I can’t believe how much we’ve seen in just a couple of hours,” Nick said, taking a sip of his drink. “Wow, that’s good.”

“So is this,” Charlie replied, licking a dot of coffee from his top lip. “Wanna try?”

“I’d love to,” Nick said, smiling widely. “Should I get another straw?”

Charlie bit his lip and shook his head before tilting his straw in Nick’s direction. Nick went red, blinked a couple of times but then leaned in, slowly wrapped his lips around the straw, and sucked.

“What do you think?” Charlie asked, holding Nick’s gaze.

“Delicious.”

Nick held his own straw, swirled it in the iced chocolate a couple of times before tilting it towards Charlie, raising an eyebrow in the process. A small giggle escaped Charlie’s lips before he took a long drag.

“Brain freeze!” he laughed as he shuddered. “That tastes amazing, though.”

Nick rested his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands. “You’re amazing, Charlie.”

Charlie mirrored him. “So are you, Nick. You’ve absolutely transformed my life.”

“All I’ve done is a few little things so you could be your true, wonderful self,” Nick murmured. “I can’t thank you enough for taking a chance on me.”

Charlie was caught in Nick’s honey-brown gaze, and he could feel himself leaning forward. Was it his imagination or was Nick leaning in too…?

The sharp trill of the Batman theme tune along with the sharp vibrating of Charlie’s phone on the table rudely interrupted the magic, magnetic pull Charlie was feeling.

“What the… Batman?!” Nick exclaimed, puffing out his cheeks.

“It’s my ringtone for Isaac,” Charlie muttered. “Stupid inside university joke,” he added. “Isaac, what?”

“Well hello to you, too!” Isaac sassed. “Where are yous?”

“Near Brandenburg Gate having a coffee. Why?”

“ Just thought I’d give you a heads-up… Mary Reed is here. I’ve just seen her striding through the hotel lobby, like.”

“What?” Charlie suddenly felt sick. “Does that mean…?”

“Yes,” Isaac replied and Charlie could picture him grimacing. “So is Ben.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighteen: A Case of the Ex

Nick had never wanted to throw a phone across the street before. This thought only grew when Charlie, answering the Batman ring with an annoyed tone but light eye roll, suddenly recoiled into himself as he listened to Isaac speak. 

“Oh God…” Charlie said, swallowing hard. “Did they see you?” He shuddered slightly. “That’s good. And they were just arriving…? Hopefully we won’t see them again other than in passing.”

Charlie was panting slightly now, and Nick saw sweat break out at his temples. He fished out the fidget toy from his pocket and offered it to Charlie, who nodded frantically and took it. Their fingers brushed lightly, and the heat that had been simmering between them just moments earlier seemed to concentrate in that tiny, all-too-brief touch. 

“Look, Nick and I are going to see Brandenburg Gate, and then we’ll come back to the hotel,” Charlie was saying, pressing the fidget popper rapidly. “If they’ve read the programme, they’ll know we’re here. I’ll just have to pray that I can minimise any contact… Thanks, Isaac. See you then.”

Charlie hung up and rubbed his face. 

“What happened?” Nick asked. 

“I might need to lie down to talk about it,” Charlie mumbled. “I might just need to lie down full stop.”

“Want to return to the hotel?” 

Charlie shook his head. 

“Not just yet. The hotel currently houses the source of the problem,” he replied, before ominously adding, “You aren’t the only one whose ex is in town.”

“What?” Nick suddenly remembered Charlie mentioning that he’d had an eating disorder relapse after a break-up.

“Ben, my ex-fiancé, has just turned up at the hotel. He’s married to my ex-boss, Mary Reed.”

“Wow, seriously?” 

“Seriously.” Charlie toyed with the straw of his iced coffee but then pushed the glass away. “The part of my life history that reads like a soap opera.”

“I’m listening, Charlie.” Charlie looked at Nick, his eyes looking dangerously red, and opened his mouth to speak, but didn’t say anything straight away. Nick patted his own shoulder. “Hey, this is comfy if you want.”

Charlie chuckled. “It looks comfy.”

“Come here then.”

Charlie got up and came to sit next to Nick before resting his head against Nick’s large, thick, shoulder. Charlie’s slim arm brushed against Nick’s, and like a heat-seeking missile, Nick’s hand found Charlie’s, their fingers interlinking. 

“I met Ben the week I moved to London after graduating,” Charlie murmured. “Just in a pub, no exciting meet-cute, but he was good-looking and attentive, and I fell really hard.”

“Been there,” Nick whispered. 

“I was an associate at Mary Reed Architecture then. Tao and Isaac worked there, too, while Aled worked at another firm nearby. Mary Reed is a smallish firm, a bit like SXL, and I did really well there. I rose through the grades very quickly and became good friends with Mary.”

“Doesn’t surprise me. You’re such a talented architect. I know I’m a lay person so my opinion on that doesn’t count, but you just are.”

Charlie raised his head. 

“Nick, your opinion counts massively,” he said, squeezing Nick’s hand.  “It always matters to me what you think.”

“Well, you already know what I think,” Nick whispered. “Keep telling me about Ben.”

“Mary started giving me bigger and bigger projects, and Ben and I would hang out with her and her partner all the time. Ben seemed super-supportive of my career even though I was away a lot.”

“What does he do?”

“Now? Nothing. But at the time he was an assistant at an advertising agency.” 

“I see…” Nick murmured, starting to get the picture. 

“Then Mary promoted me to senior architect, and I was delighted. I proposed to Ben and he said yes, and I thought life couldn’t get much better.”

“That’s foreboding,” Nick said. “Too good to be true.”

“I know, right?” Charlie laughed drily. “Anyway, I bought a shell of a house in Finsbury Park for us to live in, and in my spare time, I completely gutted and redesigned it, including every tiny detail Ben wanted. We moved in after about a year, and we were planning the wedding when Mary sent me to Hong Kong to bid on a project.

“The project was a bust. The clients were fighting amongst themselves, so they pulled the plug before I could even bid and I went home. As it was Valentine’s weekend, I decided not to tell Ben I was coming back early, so I could surprise him.”

“Oh no.”

“Yep. Caught him en flagrante delicto with Mary.” Charlie shuddered. “It wasn’t pretty. He, well both of them, yelled at me for not telling them I was returning, and I was so stunned I couldn’t move.”

“Charlie…”

“At that moment it felt like I lost everything… my future husband had cheated with my boss on whom my career depended, and in the home I’d worked so hard to build,” he said with a sniffle. 

“But look at what you’ve accomplished since,” Nick replied. “Your own firm, international recognition. A stunning home.”

“I know, but it was a bumpy road. Mary tried to fire me, citing poor quality workmanship. Luckily my project management notes and client satisfaction ratings showed Mary was full of shit. But then Ben tried to sue me for a share of the house.”

“Did he pay much towards it?”

“A few fixtures and fittings but nothing else,” Charlie replied. “I’d bought it because he didn’t have a great credit rating after some bad decisions at uni, and the plan was that he would pay towards the mortgage when he started earning more.”

“Why the fuck did he think he could try to sue you then?”

“He tried to say we were common-law husbands even though that’s not a thing anymore!” Charlie exclaimed. “His case crumbled very quickly, but the things he said about me really affected my mental health, and my eating disorder relapsed.”

“What kind of things?” Nick asked. “No, don’t answer that. My stupid mouth opens before my brain kicks in. Again.”

“It’s okay. I like that you say what you think. I never have to guess.” Charlie reached for Nick’s iced chocolate. “Is it okay if I have a sip? My throat’s really dry.”

“Of course.” Nick reached for the glass and put it in Charlie’s free hand before picking up Charlie’s iced coffee. “Can I have some of this?”

“Yeah, please.” Charlie took a long sip of the iced chocolate and put it down. “I don’t want to go into details, but Ben basically made me feel like a freak because of things we did in bed.”

“I’ve been through that, too. It’s awful.” Nick relived some of the terrible things Jared had thrown back at him when they were breaking up. “So you moved back to Bath?”

“Yes. Tao and Isaac moved back with me as they quit Mary Reed in solidarity, then Aled left his firm as he hated London anyway. They, along with Elle, stayed with me in my parents’ house while I was having treatment for my eating disorder. We set up SXL in my bedroom.”

“No wonder you’re so close to them,” Nick said, taking a big slurp of Charlie’s iced coffee and squinting as the bitterness landed on his tongue. “So did you sell your house in London to set the firm up?”

“Yep,” Charlie replied, taking another sip of Nick’s drink. “Mary actually bought it for Ben; he wanted it so badly that she paid nearly double what it was worth. That, plus the compensation for trying to fire me, was my seed money for SXL and my farmhouse. Tao and Aled got loans from their parents as well. We were able to pay them back in a year.”

“That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest,” Nick replied. “Have you seen Ben since you left London?”

“Yes, a few times,” Charlie said with chagrin. “Mainly at events like TICAE but sometimes at bid meetings, where clients host a few firms at the same time to see which one they gel with.”

“He just tags along with Mary?”

“Yes, he’s quite happy to be a kept man.”

“I can’t think of anything worse,” Nick said. “Will he ignore you, try to chat…?”

“They both mostly ignore me when we’re among other people but are catty when they can get away with it. A couple of times Ben has tried to talk to me when he’s alone. He can be very menacing, so I try to avoid him.”

Nick felt protectiveness – and possessiveness – grip him from head to toe. He let go of Charlie’s hand and curled his arm around his slim shoulders.

“Don’t worry, Charlie. He’s not going anywhere near you.”

--

The Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz behind it were stunning but touristy, and Charlie wasn’t really in the mood to sightsee anymore. By the time they had walked around the area, Charlie was exhausted. 

“Would you mind if we got a taxi back?” he asked Nick. “I know it’s not far but we’ve done a lot today.”

“Not at all…” He pointed at the historic Hotel Adlon. “Let’s get a taxi from there.”

“Cool.”

Within ten minutes, they were back at the Brandenburg Majestic. Charlie could see several faces he recognised from TICAE in the lobby, milling around, having drinks, chatting. He kept his head down and made it to the lifts, Nick by his side, without having to talk to anyone. 

Unfortunately, Charlie’s luck ran out when the lift doors opened. 

“Charlie.” Ben’s harsh voice instantly set Charlie on edge. 

Mary and Ben were dressed to the nines for a night out; Ben was wearing a black Hugo Boss suit that accentuated his lithe, athletic frame; his light brown, straight hair was slicked back and gelled. Mary was wearing a burgundy velvet cocktail dress that was slightly too tight and too short, her wavy salt-and-pepper bob held back on one side by a diamante clip. 

“Mary, Ben,” Charlie murmured, feeling his fingers start to shake. Before he could tap them, however, Nick’s large, hot hand was sliding against his palm. Charlie squeezed back and felt his racing heart calm. 

“Ben’s organised a private champagne tasting, and then we’ve got reservations at Golvet,” Mary said without preamble, lifting her chin up as she spoke. She eyed Nick before casting her small, black eyes over Charlie. “It’s our wedding anniversary.”

“You’re looking well, Charlie,” Ben said, smirking, but his expression faltered slightly when he saw Nick and Charlie’s joined hands. “Got some meat on your bones finally.”

He and Mary chortled before they walked towards the lobby, Mary’s arm tucked into Ben’s elbow. Nick stepped into the lift, and Charlie followed, but just as he did, he caught Ben looking at him over his shoulder. 

“So that was them,” Charlie muttered. “Mary Reed and Ben Hope-Reed.”

“You didn’t mention that Mary is like, sixty,” Nick said. “Or that Ben’s had enough collagen to keep a battleship afloat.”

“Wow, when did you take bitchy pills?” Charlie couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped from his mouth. 

“Just my runaway gob running away again,” Nick said before pulling Charlie in for a hug. “Saying things as I see them.”

“I like your gob,” Charlie replied, his voice slightly hoarse. “And you’re not wrong. Mary is old enough to be Ben’s mother, and he’s got a right trout-pout going on, doesn’t he?”

Nick laughed but then his smile dropped. “Seriously though, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Charlie realised. “Right now, I am.”

--

Charlie fell asleep within moments of collapsing on the king-sized bed in the hotel suite. Nick tried to do the same on the sofa bed, but it wasn’t as comfortable as the reviews suggested. He got up again and changed into a pair of running shorts and a vest, then looked in on Charlie. 

“I’m going to the gym, Charlie,” he murmured as he crouched down next to Charlie, who was on his side, his hands tucked in under his head. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

He didn’t expect an answer, but he got a mumbled response as he rose. “Mmm-kay, sweetheart.” 

Charlie then turned over onto his other side while Nick’s insides turned to caramel once again. After a moment of staring at Charlie’s lean back and his mop of unruly, dark curls, he managed to leave the suite.

Nick walked into the hotel’s tiny gym to find he had it to himself. After realising that the small selection of light dumbbells weren’t going to give him the workout he needed, he jumped onto a treadmill. He started off with a fast walk, then built up to a jog and was in the running zone when the door to the gym opened. Nick didn’t look up until the person took the treadmill next to him. 

“Nick, I was hoping to run into you,” Jared said, as he jabbed buttons on the treadmill. It didn’t move. “You read my texts but didn’t answer them.”

Nick slowed down his treadmill so he was back to a fast walk and looked at Jared in the mirror in front of them. He hadn’t really changed. He was still tall, broad and lean, and he still kept his dark hair short all over. He was wearing a tight Castore t-shirt and black skinny joggers; a look that Nick used to find hot, but now, he felt nothing.

“No, I didn’t,” he said simply.

Jared shook his head. “There used to be a time when you’d text me back instantly.” He pressed the buttons on the treadmill again, but they still didn’t start the machine. Nick rolled his eyes then leaned over and turned it on for him. 

“There you go.”

“That guy you were with yesterday is very good-looking, just your type,” Jared said a moment later, finally figuring out how to turn up the speed. “Are you seeing him?"

“Absolutely none of your business,” Nick snapped.

“Oh, I see,” Jared muttered. “You want him, but you don’t have him yet.”

This time, Nick was the one who didn’t answer. He slowed his treadmill to start his cooldown. 

“I have to go. We have dinner reservations—"

“Why won’t you talk to me?” Jared interrupted with a whine.

”Well, you broke my heart, moved halfway across the country, and left me drowning in debt,” Nick replied calmly. “You said you wanted ‘closure,’ but why? You have everything you want, don’t you?”

Jared was silent.

“So what is it, Jared? You’re jealous that I might be moving on?” Nick ran his hands through his hair. “You left me, got married, and have this whole new life, and I’ve got one too. I just don’t know what you want from me right now.”

“I want you to say that you miss me, and that you think about me all the time,” Jared cried, stopping the treadmill with the emergency cord and wiping an eye with the back of his hand. “Because I miss you. I miss you so much, and I shouldn’t have left. Now I’m fucking having a baby, and I’m not ready! I do love Anya, but I love you, too.”

“I’m sorry you’re not happy,” Nick began gently, “but I am. My life is amazing now. I have no idea if anything more is going to happen between me and my new friend in the future, and that’s okay. Because as difficult as this year has been, it’s shown me that I have inner strength and skills that I never would have harnessed if you and I were still together.”

“You don’t miss me,” Jared realised. 

“No. I never had the luxury of time to miss you before, and now I spend my time enjoying my life.”

“And you don’t love me anymore.”

“No, I don’t—"

“Does he know?” Jared cut in. “About your kinky side? It used to drive you wild when I let you truss me up like a turkey, slap my arse and fuck me hard.”

“Does your wife know about yours?” Nick retorted, then felt instantly ashamed of stooping to Jared’s level. “You used to beg me to do that to you.”

“And you loved it when I begged.”

Nick brought the treadmill to a stop. 

“Yeah, I did. I loved you, everything about you, and you utterly betrayed me.” 

“I should have given you the money for my share of the rent for a few months,” Jared murmured. “I admit, that was shitty of me. I can send some over when I get home.”

“Don’t bother,” Nick said, shaking his head. “I don’t want anything to do with you ever again. I’m practically out of debt now. I have a great job, wonderful friends, and someone special in my life.” He got off the treadmill. “Bye.”

He started walking away, but Jared called out. 

“Nick!” 

Nick stopped and turned, then cursed internally and braced himself for Jared’s vitriol.

“What?”

“Charlie, your boss,” he spat out, “won’t want anything to do with you when he finds out you only really enjoy sex when you’re dominating.”

“How did you know his name?” Nick demanded. “What the fuck, Jared?”

“You were wearing name-tags in the lift yesterday,” Jared said. “Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson from SXL Architecture. Doesn’t take a genius to Google the company.”

Nick thought of Charlie’s stunning headshot on the company website. It was one of his favourite pictures of him. Charlie . His boss and close friend. Close.

Nick sighed, took a deep breath and looked at his ex, standing on a treadmill in a dingy Berlin hotel gym, tears filling his red-rimmed eyes. The clarity he felt the day before came through once again and gave him courage. He was done, so done. He picked up a towel from a pile by the gym door and placed it on the arm of the treadmill for Jared, who was now crying openly.

“Good luck with the baby, but please don’t contact me, don’t try to speak to me again.”

Nick left the gym, got into the lifts and practically sprinted back to the suite, desperate to see Charlie, but as he put his hand on the door handle, Jared’s words suddenly haunted him.

“Charlie, your boss, won’t want anything to do with you when he finds out you only really enjoy sex when you’re dominating.”

Charlie wouldn’t want anything to do with him. Charlie, who was sweet, gentle, clever and confident when it counted, would think he was a freak and run a mile.

Nick opened the door of the suite to find that Charlie wasn’t there. For a moment panic seized, but then he checked his phone. 

Charlie Boss

C: Hey, are you still in the gym?

C: Went to meet the others in the hotel bar, the one behind reception.

C: <picture of Charlie with Isaac, Aleena, Judy  and Connor, holding their drinks up>

C: See you when you’re ready. Hurry though, it’s no fun without you 😉

C: I put a bottle of water in the mini-fridge for you post-workout btw xxx

Nick’s heart swelled and he zoomed in on Charlie’s face. His dark blue eyes were sparkling and his smile was illuminating. Nick yearned for him. He wanted Charlie so badly, but he didn’t want to lose the friendship they had. His heart swelled some more and then deflated in his chest. 

--

Nick turned up in the bar at 6.45pm, and Charlie could tell instantly that something was off. Nick was fresh from the shower, dressed appealingly in distressed black jeans and a grey pinstripe shirt, an outfit he had bought in Madrid. He was smiling as he approached the group, and yet, it wasn’t his usual full-wattage beam. 

“Okay?” he asked as Nick slid into the seat next to him. Their thighs brushed, and then Nick moved to put a couple of inches between them. 

“Yeah, sorry,” he murmured. “What are you all drinking?”

“House apple soda,” said Aleena. “They make it with cinnamon syrup and it’s so nice.”

“Some local beer,” said Isaac. “It’s good. A bit too good!”

“Yeah, one hundred percent,” agreed Connor, holding his empty glass up. 

“Charlie and I chose cocktails,” said Judy, tilting her martini glass so the pink dregs shimmered in the spotlight. “This is a Potsdamer Spritz.”

Nick tensed next to him, and Charlie felt the need to add, “just one,” so only Nick could hear. “Isaac got me a banana and some crisps before I had it.”

“Yeah, great… uh, sorry.”

What had changed since their gorgeous, flirty, fun afternoon? The last time Nick was this distant was just after Charlie's terrible drunken behaviour in Madrid.  The memory made Charlie feel queasy. It couldn't be them bumping into Ben because Nick had given Charlie the most supportive hug in the lift afterwards. 

“No sorries, remember?” Charlie said. “Are you sure you’re alright?” He dared to touch Nick’s little finger with his. Nick pressed back for a moment and sighed, before moving his hand away. 

“We should get ready to go, guys,” Nick said. “The car’s going to be here in five minutes.”

Dinner at Yarok was every bit the fun, chill, casual night out that Charlie hoped for. Aleena, who spoke fluent Arabic, was able to get the kitchen to make some off-menu Syrian specialties, which had the group moaning and groaning with delight. Charlie found it hard to eat much though as he kept focussing on the tiny frown between Nick’s chestnut eyebrows and the way his smile didn’t quite seem real. 

“Charlie,” Nick murmured after a while, making sure the others were distracted by their own conversation. “Is the choice too overwhelming? We can get them to make you your own thing instead of sharing.”

“No, it’s all great,” Charlie replied. “I’m in my head about something, and I can’t think about that and manage to eat at the same time.”

“How can I help?” he asked. Charlie paused, so Nick added, “please tell me, boss. You’ve been doing so much better recently. Was it that thing your dickhead ex said about meat on your bones?”

Charlie shook his head, picked up a piece of flatbread and started tearing it into thin strips. 

“It’s you,” he eventually whispered. “I can tell something’s upset you since I went for my nap, and I don’t know what it is.”

“Oh.” Nick puffed out a big breath through his mouth. “I didn’t realise it would affect you that much. Do you think the group’s realised?”

“I don’t think so. I think I’m extra sensitive to it though, after Madrid.”

“I’ll tell you when we get back to the hotel,” Nick replied, moving slightly closer, and Charlie felt reassured by the warmth Nick’s body radiated. “I promise it’s not you, though, and you enjoying the food will make me feel better.” He gave Charlie a true Nick-smile and Charlie relaxed. 

“Okay, pass me those grilled veggies,” Charlie said.

He gradually tried nearly all the dishes on the table, but drew the line at the complimentary dessert the chefs brought out for them, called halawet el jibn , sweet cheese rolls filled with cream, topped with rose, nuts and jam. 

“I’m so basic when it comes to dessert. I like anything chocolate, some cinnamon, caramel and nut things, and some fruit. That’s about it,” he admitted to the group.

“OMG Charlie, you have to try the vegan brownie back at the hotel’s dessert café,” Aleena gushed. “It’s the most chocolatey thing I’ve ever had.”

“’Twas epic,” agreed Connor. “I could deffo eat that again.”

“Shall we?” suggested Judy. “It’s not that late.”

They all looked at Charlie. 

“Oh, uh, yeah. Let’s do that,” he agreed. He glanced at Nick, who gave him another one of his good smiles, not a fake one.

“Great stuff. I’ll call the car service.”

Charlie found himself between Nick and Isaac in the back of the extra-large car, with Aleena and Judy in the middle and Connor taking the front seat next to the driver. Nick’s wide thighs were squashed against Charlie’s, and their arms were pressed together. Nick seemed uncomfortable, and a couple of minutes into the ride, he moved his arm to stretch it behind Charlie’s head.

“Is this okay?” he whispered. “I was getting cramps.”

“You know it is,” Charlie replied, resting back against the seat so his hair grazed Nick’s elbow. 

“Hmm, yeah,” was Nick’s only reply.

The dessert café was mostly empty when they turned up but the staff greeted Judy, Aleena and Connor like long-lost friends, remembering what they ordered and suggesting new things to try. 

“Charlie, what would you like?” asked Aleena. 

“You sold me on the vegan brownie,” he replied. “Please could I have one of those and a decaf espresso?”

“You got it, boss,” Aleena replied with a little wink. “Sorry, hearing Nick call you that a hundred times a day makes it stick!”

“It’s cool.” Charlie beamed at his most promising architect. “I’m just going to the loo.”

Charlie giggled about Aleena calling him ‘boss’ all the way to the men’s room, but his thoughts turned to Nick as he was washing his hands. He had rallied a little but was still subdued. What had happened?

“Oh, it’s you.” 

Ben emerged from one of the stalls, still wearing his expensive suit but with his tie pulled away from his neck. 

“Ben.”

Ben came to stand at the row of sinks, two away from Charlie but effectively blocking his exit. 

“Rugby player, right?” he murmured. “Your new guy?” 

“Hmm,” Charlie replied noncommittally.

“Doesn’t look like the type to get down and kinky,” Ben said, catching Charlie’s eye in the mirror. “Does he know that about you?”

Charlie said nothing, but felt his jaw twitch and that was enough for Ben. His eyes narrowed and his mouth curved into an evil grin. 

“Your Clark Kent is going to run a mile when he realises that sweet little Charlie gets off on being a naughty, sissy sub,” Ben hissed. “I hope you’ve got your handcuffs and flogger well-hidden.”

“Just fuck off, Ben. Go back to being Mary’s little toy,” Charlie retorted. 

“Mary’s my toy,” Ben replied. “She’s getting ready for me now. When I get upstairs, she’ll be on her knees, wearing her collar, ready for her dom.”

“You’re not a dom.” Charlie stood up taller and put his hands on his hips. “You're a pathetic loser with a sadistic streak. Domination involves actually looking after the other person’s needs, which you don’t do. You just get off on taking control of people who have success in real life that you could only dream of.”

“Maybe.” Ben dropped his voice and turned so he was completely blocking Charlie’s way out. “But you loved me taking control.”

“I loved you, but you just loved hurting me,” Charlie said, shaking his head. “Please let me pass. My friends are waiting.”

Ben didn’t move, and Charlie felt the fear rise from the pits of his stomach. 

“Ahh, yes, the SXL gang. You’ve done well at this convention, haven’t you?” Ben’s tone was menacing. “But Mary’s been focussing on the bigger picture.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We only arrived today because Mary was reeling in a very big fish,” Ben replied, looking smug. “The mother of all projects. They loved her, her and her… secret weapon.”

Charlie felt his mouth drop and his eyes widened as Ben’s words sunk in. 

Was Mary Reed in the running for the Walters Project? And a secret weapon? What did he mean by that? 

It took all Charlie’s inner strength not to react further.

“Good for her. Now if you’ll excuse me…”

Charlie tried to step aside, but Ben blocked him.

“We’re done when I say we’re done.”

“No. Now move.” Ben didn’t, though, and when Charlie tried to get past on his other side, he moved to block him again. “Ben, let me pass.”

“No, I don’t think I will—”

Suddenly Ben was across the other side of the men’s room, an irate Nick holding him by the collar of his suit. 

“He told you to move!” Nick pushed Ben against the back wall and held him there with a single, thick finger to his chest. “How do you like it now?” Nick’s voice was husky, low and menacing. If Charlie hadn’t been so stressed, he would have been very turned on by Nick’s machismo. “It’s not nice feeling trapped, is it?” Ben didn’t answer. “Is it?”

“N-no…”

“If you come within ten feet of Charlie ever again… you don’t even want to know what I will do to you. Understood?”

Ben absolutely crumbled.

“Y-yes.”

Nick lifted his finger from Ben’s chest, stepped back and opened the men’s room door. Ben scurried out, and a split-second later, Nick had his arms wrapped around Charlie.

“Are you okay?” he mumbled against Charlie’s temple. “Did he lay a finger on you?”

“No, he didn’t—”

“I’m so sorry, I promised you he wouldn’t get near you, and he did.”

“It’s not your fault,” Charlie replied, tucking his forehead into Nick’s shoulder. “How much of our conversation did you hear?”

“Something about you loving him but he loved hurting you,” Nick said, and Charlie relaxed a little more. That meant he didn’t hear the most shameful thing.

“What do you want to do now?” Nick asked. 

“Go back to the group, have my brownie, and go to bed,” Charlie said. “I’m not letting that encounter stop me from hanging out with our team.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Charlie put on a brave face for the others, but he knew Isaac had realised something was up by the way he kept putting down his book and glancing over. Charlie managed three quarters of the brownie, but as he approached the final few bites, Ben’s words started to return to haunt him.

“Your Clark Kent is going to run a mile when he realises that sweet little Charlie gets off on being a naughty, sissy sub…”

Charlie glanced at Nick across the table, smiling at a joke Judy had just told, and felt his insides sink. Nick was so straight-forward. He would be understanding if he found out about Charlie’s preferences, but he would never look at him in the same way. 

Everyone dispersed after dessert, with Aleena and Connor needing time to go over their poster presentations, and Judy wanting to call her kids. Nick and Charlie made their way back to their suite, and got ready for bed.

“Do you want to talk this evening?” Charlie asked after coming out of the bathroom. Nick was already in the sofa-bed, the duvet pulled up to his bare shoulders. “Or in the morning?”

Nick sighed and glanced up at Charlie. 

“Tonight,” he said after an excruciating pause. “Can we talk in your room? This bed is actually not that great.”

“Sure.”

Nick pulled the duvet off himself and followed Charlie to the bedroom. He was wearing just shorts again, and Charlie felt the yearning to touch the planes of Nick’s sculpted chest tear through him. He got into bed and moved along so Nick had room to join him. 

“Am I okay on this side?” Nick asked. “I was on the other side yesterday.”

“Either or is fine,” Charlie replied. “I normally sleep in the middle.”

“Me too,” Nick agreed, sliding down the bed and rolling onto his side. Charlie did the same. 

“I guess that’s how you ended up on top of me this morning,” Charlie murmured.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Nick said. “I’m a cuddly sleeper.”

“Me too, and not just because I’m always cold.”

Nick took a deep breath and pressed his lips together. Charlie felt his own breath catch in anticipation. 

“Charlie,” Nick began, “the thing that upset me earlier…”

“Yeah?” Charlie hesitated for a second and then stretched his hand out towards Nick. Nick stared at it for a moment, but then curled his large hand around Charlie’s. “How are you feeling now?”

“A little better,” Nick replied. “Being with you always makes me feel better.”

“Nick…” Charlie inched a little closer. 

“I’m sorry, I know we've been flirting a lot recently.” 

Even though his tummy was twisting around his guts, Nick’s words were also soothing; they affirmed to Charlie that what he was feeling was mutual. 

“Yeah,” he agreed. “It feels like it’s been building for a while.”

Nick glanced away and back again before nodding. 

“Charlie, I really like you and this whole day with you was a dream, but I ran into Jared in the gym and we had a difficult conversation.”

“Oh Nick…”

“It made me realise that even though I’m so attracted to you, I’ve got to work out some things before I’m ready for another serious relationship,” he said. “And you mean so much to me, that with you it couldn’t be anything other than serious.” 

“I know what you mean,” Charlie replied, squeezing Nick’s hand. “My break-up with Ben was nowhere near as recent as yours but that encounter with him tonight threw up so many things that I haven’t properly dealt with.”

“Do you still have feelings for him?” Nick’s shoulders hunched. 

“God, no! I can’t stand even being in the same city as him!” Charlie exclaimed, slipping his hand over Nick’s wrist and stroking the skin there. “It’s stuff about myself. He knew exactly how to push my buttons.”

“That’s what happened with Jared earlier,” Nick said. “He has this way of making me feel ashamed of who I am. There are parts of me I don’t accept yet, and I need to work on those before I’m ready.”

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to support you,” Charlie replied. “And I’m sorry he made you feel that way, because you’re perfect.”

“I’m not, Charlie,” Nick huffed. “I’m fifty-percent people-pleaser, fifty-percent complete control-freak.”

“That’s perfect! What about me? I’m a semi-evil, semi-genius, and part-toddler to boot.”

Nick laughed out loud, sending sweet, minty-scented breath wafting over Charlie. 

“I disagree about the semi-evil… maybe just a couple of drops of evil, and you’re a full-on genius… whatever you are, it’s a perfect combination in my eyes.” Nick’s smile dropped then. “I hate that Ben got to you today.”

“Me too,” Charlie replied. “I hate that Jared got to you.”

Nick nodded, and then used their joined hands to pull Charlie closer. 

“Can you wait a while for me to figure stuff out?” he asked. “We work together, we’ve gotten so close recently and we’ve both been through such shit with relationships…”

“I can wait,” Charlie replied, tilting forward so their foreheads touched. “And if this doesn’t go beyond a friendship with a frisson of attraction underneath, then that’s okay too. You’ve just… you’ve made me the best version of myself and I don’t want to lose you in the pursuit of something more.”

“Me neither,” Nick agreed. “Charlie, your faith in me has brought me back to life.”

They lay together in silence, feeling each other breathe, their lips tantalisingly close together. Charlie could feel the urge to close the gap grow with every second. 

“So what now?”

“I should probably go back to the sofa-bed.”

“I don’t want you to,” Charlie admitted. 

“I don’t want to either…” 

And then they were staring, honey-brown versus cerulean-blue. Nick leaned in a fraction of an inch, and Charlie felt himself doing the same. 

“God, Charlie, you’re so gorgeous, darling.” Nick kissed Charlie on the forehead. “Which is why I’ve got to…”

Nick got up and left Charlie in the bed, alone.

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Nineteen: Boss Mode

Nick wasn’t sleeping well. He didn’t know what time it was, but his back was sore from the hard sofa-bed, and his head was throbbing. His heart was too, of course. Charlie was on the same page as him when it came to their relationship status which had made the conversation slightly easier but not the situation.

Suddenly the door to Charlie’s room opened. The pinkish early morning sun came through before the man himself emerged, dressed in a dark grey, long-sleeved running top and black shorts, trainers and headband on. Nick sat up, squinting as the light hit his eyes. Charlie was carrying his clothes for the day in his hands.

“Err, hey,” Nick began, “what time is it?”

“Nearly six,” Charlie replied. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Yeah, mine wasn’t great.”

Charlie paused in the doorway of his room, but then placed his outfit on a chair. Then he strode purposefully towards Nick and crouched next to the side of the sofa-bed.

“I’m going to be in boss mode today,” Charlie said softly. “Something Ben said made me realise Mary is gunning for the Walters Project too, and I’m focussing on that.”

“Makes sense. That project is kind of your Mount Everest,” Nick replied. “Are you okay though? I mean… are we okay?”

“Yeah, we are, but I need to be the boss right now, for a bit of distance. Do you know what I mean?” He touched the back of Nick’s hand with his own, and the spark Nick felt had him sitting bolt upright in the bed.

“Yes, totally,” Nick agreed. “What do you need me to do?”

“I’ve emailed you a list, but you are absolutely, categorically not allowed to start it until after breakfast.”

“Why?”

Charlie tilted his head, and then stroked Nick’s hand again.

“Because you need some proper sleep, sweetheart,” he murmured.

“’Sweetheart?’” Nick’s voice caught in his throat.

“I keep saying it, don’t I? So much for distance,” Charlie replied with a little snort that endeared him to Nick even more. “I promise I won’t say it in front of other people.”

“That’s okay,” Nick whispered, blinking as the full power of the Charlie Spring Blue Eyes pierced him. “You know I like it but probably best it stays between us.”

“Yeah.” Charlie suddenly stood up. “Anyway, I’d like you to sleep for two more hours in the big bed while I go for a long run and a coffee,” he said authoritatively. “We’ll meet the others for breakfast at 8.30, and then I need you to start the list while the rest of us go to TICAE. You can join us there when the tasks are done.”

“Sure, boss.”

“Thanks, Nick.” Charlie walked over to the front door, then turned. “See you later.”

He disappeared out of the door.

“Bye Charlie,” Nick murmured into the empty room before getting up and getting into Charlie’s bed. It was still warm, and Nick was comforted and soothed by Charlie’s deep citrusy and musky scent that lingered on the soft sheets. He buried himself under the duvet, only just remembering to set an alarm before he fell into a deep sleep.

When Nick woke to the blare of his alarm, he became aware of the sound of an English-language news programme playing in the lounge, and the smell of coffee. He got up, rubbed his face and walked into the lounge area. Charlie was drinking black coffee while sitting on the sofa, the pillows and duvet piled next to him. He was dressed in his Paul Smith fitted grey suit with his pink Ralph Lauren polo and matching pink Converse.

“Hey,” Nick said as he padded over to the coffee machine. “You put the sofa-bed back.”

“Yeah. I had a lie down on it after my run and, God, whoever said it was decent must sleep on the floor usually. Your poor back!”

“At least it’s only one more night,” Nick replied.

“There’s not a chance you’re sleeping on this again,” Charlie replied briskly. “We are going to be working our arses off on Walters from the moment we get back home, Nicholas, and I need you fighting-fit.”

“You weren’t kidding about ‘boss mode,’ were you?” Nick laughed and was rewarded by Charlie grinning over the top of his coffee mug. “But you can’t afford to have a bad back either.”

“See if they have any spare rooms tonight,” Charlie instructed. “People are starting to leave as it’s the last day of TICAE.”

“And if they don’t?” Nick asked, wondering how sharing a bed again might go. The last time had been… interesting, Nick thought, a small shiver skittering down his back at the memory.

Charlie put down his coffee cup, picked up one of the pillows next to him, and hugged it to his chest. “Guess we’ll be building a pillow wall.”

They both laughed, but Nick felt a nervous knot tie up his tummy.

“I’d better get ready. Thanks for insisting I get that extra sleep in your bed.”

Charlie nodded and hugged the pillow tighter. “You’re welcome,” he murmured. “I’ll, uh, head downstairs now. Darcy collects novelty keyrings, so I’ll have a look at some of the shops on the street before breakfast. I’m sure one of them will have a tacky toy ring of some sort.”

“Okay…”

Charlie was up and out the door lightning-fast, the pillow he was hugging tossed on the floor, leaving Nick staring after him for the second time that morning. Nick picked up the pillow then quickly got showered and dressed to join everyone for breakfast. When they all left for the expo, he decided to work from the hotel café, and as soon as he was settled, brought up the list Charlie sent him.

Jobs for Nick today:

1. Check RAPT software to see who has accessed Walters Project notes other than me in the past six months. Text me if Robbie McKay did. V important because the 3 month gardening leave period is coming to an end next week.
2.   Email Walters PA Marie and confirm arrangements for their visit in Aug.
3.   Email all Hub architects (not interns or associates) and include James McEwan as he starts with us on Monday. Arrange meeting in the big boardroom for first thing Monday re Walters Project.
4. Send all Hub architects (not interns or associates) my designs from the Walters Project bid last year, and my most up to date plans (from April before we went to Madrid). Tell them to look at them before meeting on Monday as I want everyone’s ideas.
5. Arrange a meeting with Youssef Farouk and your friend Tara can come too. We need to meet asap re Robbie. Send invite to Tao and Aled too but they don’t need to come if they are busy
6. Email James McEwan for a separate induction meeting on Monday.
7. Groceries - make sure there’s lots of cinnamon cereal, bananas, frozen cheese and tomato pizza (the basic kids’ kind), carrot sticks and that spicy bacon and tomato pasta thing you make.
8. Email Tori and Darcy re food arrangements for Walters visit. Make sure they liaise with Walters’ PA so all the events run perfectly. Everything needs to be PERFECT!
9. Book me (and yourself, if you want) hair appointment for a day or two before Walters’ visit, at Guildhall Barbers. Make sure it’s with Husni himself and not one of his associates. We need to look sharp!! 
10. Call the cleaners to arrange a deep clean of the farmhouse and offices the day before Walters visit.
11. Please can I exploit your stellar research skills and ask you to find out everything about the Walters family that you can? We need to play to their values.
12. I can’t remember if you’ve booked a restaurant for everyone tonight, but I think I’m going to struggle to eat out. Is there somewhere nearby that can deliver pizza or pasta?

Nick sighed loudly, which caused the barista to look up from their magazine. Charlie wasn’t kidding about ‘boss mode’ with this list. Nick ordered a coffee and then opened RAPT to complete the first task.

“Oh fuck,” he whispered to himself as he opened the audit trail for the Walters Project, then picked up his phone.

Charlie Boss

N: Robbie accessed Walters Project files eight times the day he left and downloaded all your up-to-date designs before his access was terminated.

C: That absolute fucker. Ben was so smug when I bumped into him. I bet Robbie’s gone straight to Mary with MY designs.

N: This is why you want to meet with the whole Hub on Monday? To decide on a new strategy?

C: Yeah. We need every fresh idea we can get.

N: I’m on it, boss.

C: Thanks x

N: xx

C: xxx

N: Resisting the urge to do xxxx

C: You just did! xxxxx

N: Stopping now!

C: Hahaha

Nick managed to put his phone down and focussed on getting the rest of the tasks done, including confirming with Marie Martins that the Walters party would still be coming to visit SXL on 3rd August.

“Ahh, yes, Nicholas, we are looking forward to the trip,” Marie told him. “ Malheureusement , the trains are on strike, so we will be driving now. Will you be able to find us parking for two Range Rovers?”

“Not a problem, Marie. We will clear space for you in our staff car park which is secure,” Nick replied, making a note to email Priya to block off two spaces the evening before the Walters arrived. “Is there anything else you think we need to know ahead of your visit?”

“Je ne croix pas,” she replied. “My bosses are looking forward to seeing your premises and meeting the team.”

“We’re looking forward to meeting you too,” Nick said, before adding, “ Cette réunion, et bien sûr ce projet, sont extrêmement importants pour mon patron. Donc, si je peux faire quelque chose pour que les choses se passent bien, je veux le faire pour lui. ” (This meeting, and indeed, this project are really important for my boss. So if I can do something to make things go well, I want to do it for him)

Marie paused, and Nick heard her sigh down the phone.

“Je connais ce sentiment. Je dirai que la famille est tout pour mes patrons. Ils recherchent une famille à qui confier ce projet. ” ( I know the feeling. I will say that family is everything for my bosses. They are looking for a family to give this project to.)

“Je comprends,” Nick replied. “I hope that they will see how much of a family we are here at SXL.”

“Bien,” Marie replied brightly. “See you next month, Nicholas.”

“ A bientot , Marie. Au revoir .”

Nick put the phone down and stood up to stretch his legs but immediately sat down again when he spotted Ben in the lobby at the reception desk. The lobby was fairly empty and Ben’s grating voice carried over to the café.

“The room’s bloody awful!” he cried. “It’s tiny with no view. We want it changed. Now.”

The receptionist kept a neutral expression.

“We will have an eighth-floor suite with a view of Gendarmenmarkt available in one hour for the additional cost of two hundred and thirty Euros per night,” she said calmly.

“Additional cost?” Ben whined. “What? You won’t upgrade us for free? We are loyalty club members!”

“Sir, you paid for a standard room on an event rate. As stipulated on the booking, we do not offer complimentary upgrades on event rates.”

Ben is a shithead, Nick thought.

“Fine, we’ll take the upgrade,” Ben replied, brandishing a credit card. “But we want to be moved in the next hour.”

“Very good sir.”

Nick waited until Ben had paid for his suite and stomped out of the lobby before approaching the reception desk himself.

“Good morning, sir, how may I help?” asked the same receptionist who had just served Ben.

Nick was about to ask her about the room he knew they would have because of Mary and Ben upgrading, but the words died in his mouth as he remembered waking up with Charlie, being in his arms. He would be sleeping in his own bed tomorrow night, by himself. Sharing a bed with Charlie, even with a pillow wall, was better than being in a different room tonight.

“Oh, uh, I’m in suite 710,” he began. “Please could we have some more coffee pods?”

--

There was no other way to describe it. Being at TICAE without Nick sucked.

Charlie wandered listlessly around the exhibition hall, occasionally stopping at interesting displays, collecting the odd free pen or keyring; he had quite a collection for Darcy now. He went into a couple of the workshops and lectures, but after about an hour, he came out of the hall to get a coffee at the kiosk by the entrance.

“Having a bad day, Charles?” asked Isaac, coming up behind him, a well-thumbed copy of House by Tracy Kidder in his hand. “You look tired, pal.”

“I’m bloody exhausted,” Charlie admitted. “It was not a restful night.”

Isaac pulled Charlie out of the line for coffee and onto a nearby bench before pulling out his phone.

“I think we need to video call Tao and Aled,” he murmured. “Something big is happening, isn’t it?”

“How do you always know that?” Charlie replied.

Isaac shrugged. “It’s a gift. Now let’s text the guys, and I’ll get us some coffee.”

He fired off a text in their group chat, and by the time he was back on the bench with their coffees, Tao and Aled were ready to FaceTime.

“What’s up?” Tao asked. “How’s TICAE?”

“TICAE’s been good, but I had a run-in with Ben,” Charlie explained.

“What?” chorused Tao and Aled.

“When, Charlie?” asked Isaac. “You were with us or with Nick for the whole of yesterday.”

“In the men’s room when we were getting dessert last night,” Charlie told him. “If Nick hadn’t come in, I think it would have gotten pretty nasty.”

“Shit, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, but you know how Ben is kind of stupid sometimes?”

“’Kind of?’ That guy’s got shit for brains,” snorted Aled. “What did he say?”

“He let slip that Mary’s been going after a big contract and has a secret weapon…”

“Oh fuck, you think that they’re after Walters, too? And Robbie’s gone over there?”

“Yep. Nick found out that Robbie downloaded all my designs before he left.”

“We need to talk to Youssef, ASAP,” began Tao. “Find out what our next steps should be.”

“Don’t worry. Nick’s on it,” Charlie said. “He’s sorting out a meeting with the Hub and one with Youssef for Monday so we can get focussed on the bid.”

“Oh, okay,” Aled said. “Sounds like you’ve already got things in hand, so why do you look so stressed now?”

“Um…” Charlie hesitated, but then decided to be transparent with his close friends. “You know how I have a big, stupid crush on my assistant?”

“Yes,” Tao said. “Very big, very stupid.”

“Very big, not stupid,” replied Aled. “He’s hot and he’s helped you be yourself again in a way none of us were able to manage… Oh God, what happened?”

Charlie glanced at Isaac, who nodded knowingly.

“Turns out my crush is, uh, reciprocated,” Charlie admitted. “We’ve become very close and basically had a date sightseeing yesterday—"

“Charlie, are you telling us you’re sleeping with your assistant?” Tao hissed. “Oh God, this is a disaster.”

“Calm down, Tao,” Isaac retorted. “It’s obviously more complicated than that, otherwise Charlie would be giddy right now, not stressed.”

“It is,” Charlie agreed. “Nick’s fresh out of a long relationship and very recently had a run-in with his ex as well. We’re in this place where we know we like each other but aren’t quite ready to go out yet.”

“And the stakes are high because of working together. You need Nick as your assistant and he needs this job,” Aled stated.

“Yep,” Charlie said. “He’s going to move out of our shared suite tonight, as long as there’s a hotel room available, which is the right thing to do, but I feel bereft at the thought. Guys, I like him so much. I haven’t clicked with anyone like this maybe ever.”

“Oh Charles,” Isaac replied. “That’s very romantic but I can see you need some practical help right now.” Charlie nodded. “If he doesn’t get a room tonight, how about he takes mine?” Isaac suggested. “It’s not like you and I haven’t bunked up before!”

“True,” Charlie said. “Anyway, I just wanted to let you know why I’m going to be extra crazy for a while.”

“Are you eating okay?” Tao checked.

“And just generally looking after yourself?” Aled asked.  

“Yes, I am still eating and looking after myself. But my head’s really full and I’m restless.”

“You’re in pining-mode right now,” Isaac observed. “You aren’t going to settle until Nick gets here.”

“Maybe…”

Just then, Nick himself walked into TICAE, looking gorgeous in his black t-shirt and tan chinos. When he spotted Charlie, his face lit up with sparkly eyes, rosy cheeks and a sweet grin, and Charlie felt himself light up too.

“Guys, we’re gonna go,” murmured Charlie, unable to stop smiling back at Nick who was striding in their direction. “Thanks for the chat.”

“Okay, call us later,” Tao said.

“Bye!” Aled added, before hanging up.

Charlie stood up and brushed down his suit as Nick approached. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Charlie was greeted by a waft of Nick’s delicious mulled wine scent.

“Hey Nick,” Isaac said.

“Hey.” Nick didn’t take his eyes off Charlie though. “Are you all right?”

“He’s better now you’re here,” Isaac replied. “See yous two later.” With a slight chuckle, he walked back towards the exhibition hall.

“Yeah, bye,” Charlie said after him, but was caught in Nick’s gaze.

“I, uh, finished the list, boss,” Nick murmured in a husky voice. “Do you want me to go over things with you now or later?”

“Now,” Charlie said. “I’ve got no concentration for the exhibits right now.” He finally broke from Nick’s gaze and looked around. “Is there somewhere more private near here that we could go?”

“There’s that little lake we passed on the way into the centre,” Nick suggested. “We could go for a walk?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

They headed out of the door Nick had just entered through and along a busy road for a couple of minutes before ending up at a bit of parkland by a lake.

“This is pretty,” Charlie said, “smaller than the park we were in yesterday.”

“It is,” Nick agreed. He pointed at a bench opposite the water, shaded by a large oak tree. “There?”

“Sure.”

Charlie followed Nick to the bench but didn’t sit down straight away, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he debated how honest to be.

“Is this not okay?” Nick asked. “We can go elsewhere.”

“It’s fine, I just...” Charlie wrapped his arms around himself. “I’m tired and overstimulated and in danger of breaking ‘boss mode.’”

“Oh.” Nick moved so he was in front of Charlie. “You know that you don’t have to be in boss mode, right? You can just be Charlie.”

“But Charlie is a mess right now,” Charlie murmured. “I know we talked last night about staying platonic for the time being, and I completely agree, but now that I know for sure you like me back, all I can think about is being with you.”

“I know, darling, me too,” Nick whispered, stepping a little closer.

“Don’t call me that if you expect me to function at all,” Charlie said with a dry laugh. “It absolutely melts me.”

“What do you think ‘sweetheart’ does to me?” Nick replied with a small shake of his head. “I’m glad you gave me a list of things to do this morning.”

“See, ‘boss mode’ is helpful.”

“Okay, maybe,” Nick conceded. “How about this?” He glanced at his watch. “For the next few minutes, no ‘boss mode,’ and we’re just going to hug. Then we can get back to it.”

“I don’t think I could ever turn down the offer of a Nick Nelson Hug, boss mode or not,” Charlie said.

“Come here.” Nick’s voice was croaky as he placed his large hands around Charlie’s slim waist.

Charlie melted against Nick’s chest, then tucked his face into his neck, and couldn’t help but let out a tiny purr as Nick’s arms enveloped him and he was held tight. All the tiredness and stress and worry just melted away. 

After a minute or two – Charlie couldn’t actually be sure – one of Nick's large hands stroked up Charlie’s back and lost itself in his thick, sable curls. Then Nick was the one letting out cute noises, a soft, low hum that made Charlie’s fingers and toes tingle.

“God, Nick...” Charlie groaned eventually. “I want more, sweetheart.”

“Me too, baby,” Nick mumbled, and Charlie felt a whisper-brush of lips against his temple. “I’m going to get the crap in my head sorted, I promise, and then I’ll be yours.”

“’Baby?’” Charlie said.

Nick’s arms around Charlie tensed, and he tried to step back but Charlie didn’t let him,  wrapping his arms around Nick’s shoulders and bringing one of his legs between Nick’s.

“Char, I’m sorry, it just slipped out...”

“’Char?’”

“Oh, bloody hell!” Nick exclaimed.

Charlie burst into peals of laughter, and a second later, Nick joined him.

“Oh my God, Nick!”

“God, why am I so embarrassing?” Nick adjusted his position so he could bury his face in Charlie’s shoulder.

“I think we both are,” Charlie said, stepping back slightly so he could stroke the back of Nick’s head. “God, I want to kiss you so bad right now,” he added.

“Me too, but we’d be starting something we can’t finish here,” Nick replied.

“Totally,” Charlie agreed, then sighed. “We should get back to work,” he said, snapping back into boss mode.

“One more minute,” Nick said, clinging on. “Please, Charlie, Char, baby, darling… whatever you want me to call you.”

“And I thought I was going to be the clingy one!” Charlie giggled. “All of those names are good, but…” Charlie tilted his head so he was whispering in Nick’s ear. “I think ’baby’ is best saved for the bedroom.”

Nick raised his head and his face was overtaken by a wicked grin. “Good to know.”

“Come on, sweetheart,” Charlie said. “We’ve got a contract to win.”

“Ahh, boss mode is back.” Nick reluctantly let go of Charlie but immediately took hold of his hand instead. “Bench?”

“Yes.” Charlie allowed himself to be led to the bench, and took a seat. “So how was Marie Martins?”

“Good,” Nick replied, “she basically said that the Walters are looking for a family firm because family is very important to them.”

“That’s good to know,” Charlie said, leaning back against the back of the bench. Nick leaned back with him. 

“Is Mary Reed a family firm?” Nick asked.

“Yes it is,” Charlie replied with chagrin. “Mary’s obviously the boss, but her son and daughter from her first marriage work there as an architect and office manager, and her younger brother is their BIM lead.”

“What happened to her first husband?”

“He died in a car accident when Mary was in her forties,” Charlie replied. “Obviously we don’t have a generational thing going on, so how can we show that, even though we’re not related, we’re like a family at SXL?”

“It’s a found family,” Nick said simply. “And your actual sister and cousin are catering. Maybe they should be at the dinner party at the farmhouse, not just serving.”

“And Tao and Elle, Aled and Dan and Isaac, too,” Charlie realised. He cuddled against Nick’s side. “Thanks, Nick.”

“You’re welcome, boss.” Nick covered Charlie’s hand, and Charlie rested his head on Nick’s shoulder.

“Did the hotel have another room for you tonight?” Charlie asked. Nick didn’t reply straight away and Charlie lifted his head. “Nick?”

“I-I didn’t ask before I left,” Nick blurted. “Sorry, Charlie! I was going to, but I kept remembering how nice it was waking up with you and when I got to the desk, I ended up asking for coffee pods instead.”

“That’s okay,” Charlie replied, thinking of Isaac’s offer. The thought of Nick sleeping in a different room made his head and heart ache. “Pillow wall, then?”

“I guess so.” Nick picked up Charlie’s hand and kissed his knuckles.

--

Nick didn’t understand most of their presentations, but he could tell from Charlie’s proud expression that Aleena and Connor had done well. Charlie was exhausted though and Nick just wanted to pick him up and carry him home straight after. However, as it was the last day of TICAE, and the team were not going to the event’s formal dinner-dance that evening, Charlie elected to stay for the final networking session. The team also finished compiling their list of potential projects for the following year.

“I can’t wait to go for a swim, then eat my bodyweight in food,” Connor said as their taxi trundled away from the convention centre. They had just waved Judy off to the airport; she was returning to Bath early because her daughter was performing in her school concert. “TICAE has been great, but it’s a lot to take in.”

“One hundred percent,” agreed Aleena. “What are your plans for dinner, by the way? There’s supposed to be a great street food market not far from here.”

“Yeah, I’d be up for that,” agreed Connor.

“Room service and a book for me,” Isaac replied straight away. “I have socialised more in the past three days than I did all last month, loves.”

“I’m afraid I’ve got to pass, too,” Charlie said, yawning slightly. “Lots of emails to catch up on that can’t wait ‘til next week.”

“Nick?” asked Connor. “Street food and some beers?”

Nick shook his head. There was no way he was going to pass up any opportunity for alone-time with Charlie.

“Sorry, mate, but when Charlie’s busy, I am too,” he said, raising his hands in apology.

“Ahh, no problem.”

Connor glanced at Aleena and a small smile lifted at the corner of his mouth; Nick suspected that he was happy to have time with her by himself.

The hotel was noticeably quieter upon their return, and beside him, Nick saw the slight dip in Charlie’s shoulders, relaxing as they walked through the quiet lobby. They made it back to the hotel suite and as soon as the door to the outside world was shut, Charlie was in Nick’s arms.

“This okay?” he mumbled against Nick’s collarbone. “I don’t know... I feel like your hugs give me peace.”

“Me too,” Nick replied. “Anytime we touch, really.”

“Yeah,” Charlie agreed, moving his hands from Nick’s chest and winding his arms around his neck. “Holding your hand always makes me feel safe.”

Nick leaned down and touched his forehead to Charlie’s.

“Feels like... recharging,” he whispered.

“I like that,” Charlie murmured back. “Recharging. That’s what we’re doing right now.”

Nick wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, but after some time, Charlie’s breathing slowed and his lean body sagged against Nick.

“Charlie, are you falling asleep?”

“Mmm... maybe,” Charlie’s voice was definitely sleepy.

“Okay, darling.”

Nick lifted Charlie off his feet, scooped an arm under his knees and carried him to the bed, before placing him down gently. He pulled off his shoes and jacket, then covered him with the throw at the end of the bed.

“Sorry,” Charlie mumbled as he turned onto his side. He opened one eye. “So tired.”

“You didn’t sleep last night, Char,” Nick replied. “No sorries for being shattered now.”

“I want you to shatter me,” Charlie whispered, “nothing else should make me this tired but you on top of me.”

Charlie’s unexpected words sent crackling sparks of arousal shooting through Nick.

“Charlie... what?”

But Charlie was now fully asleep.

Nick exited the bedroom, trying not to dwell on mental images of Charlie under him, spread open, ready to be filled... He decided to distract himself with work instead.

An hour later, Nick was getting bored of doing note-keeping reviews, and starting to get hungry. He was about to wake Charlie up when his personal inbox pinged with an email from his letting agent.

Dear Mr Nelson

As per the terms of your contract, the landlord reserved the right to re-advertise for new tenants or sell the property you currently occupy, if rental arrears are more than sixty days outstanding. We relayed your mitigating circumstances, including your commitment to a debt repayment plan and changes to your income, to the landlord. However, they have sold the property privately and this sale is expected to go through by the end of August. Therefore, we regret to inform you that you have two months from today to vacate the property. 

If we can be of any assistance in helping you search for a new home, please do not hesitate to contact us ...

Nick’s eyes filled with tears at the realisation that despite now having the means to pay off his debts completely in just a few weeks, he would have to leave his home. Just then he heard noises from the bedroom; Charlie was getting up.

He quickly dried his tears, shut his laptop, grabbed some joggers and a t-shirt from his case and ran into the bathroom. When he emerged after a punishingly hot shower, Charlie was sitting on the sofa. He was wearing his Foo Fighters t-shirt and a pair of baggy knee-length jersey shorts that made Nick want to dip his hand under the soft material to feel Charlie’s svelte thighs.

“Hey, did you have a good nap?”

Charlie nodded and patted the seat next to him. Nick dumped his clothes on top of his case and sat down.

“How are you?” Charlie asked. “You didn’t sleep much either last night.”

“It’s definitely catching up with me,” Nick replied, hoping Charlie would mistake his state for tiredness not stress. “Did you still want pizza or pasta tonight? There’s a place nearby that delivers if you don’t want to go out.”

“Delivery sounds good.” Charlie brought his knees up onto the sofa and curled against Nick’s side. “Is this okay?”

Nick lifted his arm and wrapped it around Charlie’s shoulders, then brought his other hand across Charlie’s legs before hugging him even closer.

“So okay.”

Charlie slowly stroked down Nick’s hard chest, grazed the hem of his t-shirt and ran his hand back up until he reached the collar.

Nick was mesmerised by Charlie’s finger travelling up and down.

“And this?” Charlie asked. “Is this okay, too?”

Nick’s eyes fluttered shut as the heat from Charlie’s touch penetrated through his thin top.

“You are seriously making me want to kiss you.”

“I want you to kiss me,” Charlie replied. “I want that so badly.” His eyes widened and he clapped his other hand over his mouth. “Oh Nick, I didn’t mean that to come across as pressure. We said we’re not ready and need to work through some stuff…”

“Charlie…” Nick murmured.

“I guess I’m so used to telling you what I need that I didn’t think…”

“Charlie.”

Charlie stopped rambling and looked up with such beautiful, deep blue eyes, that Nick knew he would be giving Charlie whatever he wanted or needed.

“Yeah?”

Nick tilted his head slightly and brought the hand that was resting on Charlie’s knee into Charlie’s curls before using his other to nudge Charlie even closer.

“You’re so beautiful, darling,” he mumbled. “Tell me what you want again?”

Nick heard Charlie gasp, and pushed his hand further into Charlie’s hair, glancing at his full, pink lips before rubbing his fingertips against Charlie’s scalp.

“K-kiss. I would like you to kiss me, please.”

“Yes.”

Nick’s eyes fluttered closed as he dipped his head. Charlie’s fingers migrated up to his chin and goosebumps lifted all the hairs on the back of Nick’s neck as he surrounded Charlie’s warm, plump mouth with his own.

Fireworks exploded behind his eyes and he was sure that somewhere he could hear angels singing, as he slid the tip of his tongue between Charlie’s lips and flicked it against the top of his mouth.

Charlie let out a high-pitched moan and tilted his head up, deepening their kiss, exploring the depths of Nick’s mouth with his tongue. They kissed back and forth, exchanging tongues for a while, until Nick felt Charlie start to wriggle against him. Realising that he was a hair’s breadth away from getting hard as nails, he reluctantly broke their magic kiss.

“You okay, Charlie?” he asked, breathless.

Charlie looked wild. His hair was sticking out in all directions and his eyes were slightly deranged and glassy; he had never looked hotter to Nick.

“That was epic,” he croaked. “Best kiss of my life.”

“Couldn’t agree more… that’s kind of why I stopped.” Nick glanced down at his crotch.

“Good call,” Charlie murmured, glancing at Nick’s crotch too. “I guess ‘boss mode’ is well and truly over.”

“For today, maybe,” Nick said. “It was helpful earlier.”

“Yeah…” Charlie let go of Nick’s chin and shuffled away a little. “What now though? I’m still all twisted up with stuff Ben threw at me, and I’m guessing you’re the same with the things Jared said?”

“Yeah,” Nick agreed. “But it doesn’t feel like we can go back to being just friends and colleagues either, not after that kiss.”

“Maybe we should just take it really slow,” Charlie suggested. “Like, old-fashioned, get to know each other properly outside of work.”

“Charlie Spring, do you want me to woo you? Courting?” Nick laughed.

“Yeah, why not?” Charlie giggled. “Look, a lot of the crap I have to deal with is bedroom stuff. Ben wrecked my confidence there, so it would be good if we took a while to build up to that.”

“Same,” Nick admitted. “But I want to be with you, Charlie.”

“I want to be with you too.”

Nick lightly held Charlie’s forearms and tugged gently. Charlie immediately moved to straddle his lap and Nick wrapped his arms around his slim waist.

“So we’re dating? Slowly?” Nick clarified. “What about sleeping arrangements tonight?”

“Berlin bonus? Sleep in the same bed tonight, just sleep, but when we’re home, we don’t stay over after dates?”

The word ‘home’ reminded Nick of his bad news. He didn’t want to think about that, not yet.

“Pillow wall?”

Charlie bit his lip coyly and shook his head. 

“Just us. I don’t think the pillow wall will survive my cuddle-monster tendencies,” he said. “But you need to wear a t-shirt. Otherwise my hands will go wandering!”

“Haha, okay, it’s a deal.”

Charlie grinned and curled against Nick, tucking his face against his neck.

“Amazing,” he murmured.

Later that evening, after they shared a mushroom pizza and spaghetti arrabbiata from a local Italian place, Nick and Charlie climbed into the same bed, no pillow wall in sight. Nick lay on his back and Charlie cuddled against him, resting his head on Nick’s chest as he wrapped his slim arm over Nick’s waist.

“Is this okay?” Charlie asked, nuzzling against Nick’s pec with his nose.

Nick felt all the stress seep out of his weary bones and his eyes started to droop. He tightened his arms around Charlie.

“So okay, darling.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty: The Walters Philosophy

“I can’t believe it’s tomorrow!” cried Charlie as he strode into the kitchen after a few hours drawing in his home office, pulling and tugging at his unruly sable hair.

Nick looked up from the batch of mixed berry tartlets he was making. Charlie hadn’t yet sat down; instead, he was pacing.

“Don’t even think about it,” he warned.

“What?” Charlie stopped in his tracks.

“If you think that going back to the office and tweaking the models and designs for the gazillionth time will make the meeting go any better, you can think again.”

“What makes you say that?”

Charlie finally sat down on one of the stools at the breakfast bar and put his head in his hands.

“Charlie,” Nick began, coming around the kitchen island and taking the stool next to him. “If the Walters don’t pick us, it won’t be because of the quality of our work.”

Nick rubbed Charlie’s back, and when Charlie lifted his head, he opened his arms. Charlie shifted over, draped his legs over Nick’s and cuddled into his chest. The heat from Charlie’s skin made Nick’s tummy flutter.

“I know I’m not an architect, darling, but I’m now very familiar with the brief Walters put forward when they were scouting for bids. I’ve seen your designs, and the updates the Hub contributed. You’ve met every single one of their requests and put in several features that could only benefit them.”

“I thought it was some of my best work until they started stalling and expressing doubts,” Charlie  admitted. “Then when I found out Robbie accessed the designs, it knocked my confidence.”

“Personally, and I know I’m biased, but I think every single design oozes practicality, class and beauty. They’d be stupid not to hire you, but if they don’t, at least you can show them your design processes. Even if they still choose Mary Reed or some other firm, you can walk away with your integrity intact.”

“I guess,” he replied. “At least I’ll be able to move on, either way.”

“That’s the spirit. Now, would you like a couple of these berry tartlets once I’ve photographed them?” He started to get up but Charlie kept holding on tight, stopping him from moving. “Charlie?”

“Thank you, Nick.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, smiling at his compliment. He started to move again, but Charlie kept his hand.

“Sorry, just one more thing.”

“Hmm?”

Charlie fixed his azure gaze upon Nick earnestly before cupping his face and planting a soft kiss on his lips.

The next morning, both Priya and Darcy kept Charlie from wearing a hole in his office floor while Nick went to greet the Walters and their entourage outside SXL. Dressed in a new, grey linen suit, he was determined not to let the Walters’ formidable reputation faze him.

Around five minutes past ten, a group of exceptionally well-dressed people elegantly descended from two enormous, armoured black Range Rovers. A slender brunette with blonde highlights, dressed in a navy and white shift dress, strode ahead of the rest and waved to Nick.

“Salut. Nick Nelson ?”

“Yes, that’s me. Welcome to Bath. You must be Marie.”

“Yes.” They shook hands. “Thank you for meeting us.” Marie turned to the party following her. “May I introduce Marcus Walters Sr, Patrick Walters, and Marcus Walters Jr, and their wives, Mimi, Lisa, and Dora.”

Nick shook hands with the gentlemen in turn, followed by their wives. Marcus Sr was in his mid-fifties, tall and broad, with longish, thin grey hair that curled around his ears. Patrick was of a similar age, slightly shorter and thinner, with pointed features and thicker, short silver hair. Marcus Jr was in his early thirties and pale, with striking turquoise eyes and light blond hair. However, despite Marcus Jr appearing rather haughty, it was obvious to Nick that Patrick was the pack leader. All three were dressed impeccably in near-identical navy Armani suits.

Their wives looked chic in silk tops and designer jeans with heels. Mimi was the warmest, with chestnut-brown hair streaked with white and a kind, crinkly-eyed smile. Lisa was the smallest and shyest, hiding behind a curtain of dark wavy tresses, trying not to meet Nick’s eyes with her own green ones. Dora, who was Spanish and in her mid-twenties, with hair as black as her husband’s was blond, held a similar air of superiority to Marcus Jr. 

There were three other people with the party. The two men, dressed in plain black suits, were very large, and Nick remembered Marie mentioning that the Walters always travelled with security. The other female with the party, a tall, willowy woman in her late twenties, with braided ash blonde hair, was dressed like the wives except with flat brogues instead of high heels, and Nick surmised that she was the wives’ security detail.

“It is a pleasure to meet you all. May I escort you inside?”

“Ah, Nick, we ladies have decided to explore and do some shopping,” stated Mimi. “We will leave the business talk to our husbands and join you and your boss for dinner this evening.”

“Of course. Would you like us to drop you off in the centre of town?”

Dora began to agree but Mimi interrupted.

“Ah, no, we will walk. It is a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

“It is indeed. Please take this and my contact details in case there are any problems.”

Nick fished out a tourist map from his jacket pocket and handed it to Mimi along with his business card. He had picked some maps and leaflets up the week before when helping Marie organise a guided tour of the city and surrounding area for her bosses.

“Aww, thank you Nick. Such a nice boy,” Mimi replied. “Come on, ladies.”

Without further ado, the three wives and the tall blonde walked off towards the exit.

“Shall we, gentlemen and Marie?” Nick gestured to the car park.

The Walters' afternoon at SXL Architecture went well. Boosted by Nick’s pep talk, Charlie introduced them to all the members of the Hub as well as Tao, Aled, and Isaac and showed them his portfolio of successful projects. After coffee and some of Nick’s berry tarts, which the Walters and Marie loved, Charlie presented his up-to-date ideas for Walter Enterprises’ offices and warehouses with new costing and energy efficiency plans.

Both Priya and Nick sat in on the meetings. Whilst Priya took notes, Nick watched and listened, still in awe at how nervous, shuffling Charlie could go through this metamorphosis with clients, becoming all easy charm and confidence. On a couple of occasions, Charlie caught his eye and grinned very slightly. Nick’s body rippled with pride, but as Charlie wrapped up the presentation, Nick suddenly felt a little unsettled. This contract was so important to Charlie that he didn’t want to think of the impact on him if they didn’t win it.

“... So I’d like to thank you once again for coming to visit us here at SXL Architecture.”

Patrick Walters stood up and clapped.

“That was fantastic, Charlie. You have given us much to think about,” he said warmly. “We can discuss more over dinner. We are really looking forward to seeing your home.”

“Me, too,” echoed Charlie. “I’ll leave you in Nick’s capable hands and see you there in a couple of hours.”

Nick stood up, ready to fly into action once again. He ushered the Walters, their bodyguards and Marie out of the meeting room to the cars, with a plan to meet them at their hotel two hours later, in order to escort them to Charlie’s.

In the interim, Nick returned to his flat. Despite spending every free moment viewing and applying for flats in and around Bath, he was no closer to finding somewhere, and time was running out. The only person who knew was Tara, who had offered him her spare room, but commuting from Bristol would take an hour each way. Plus he didn’t want to be that far away from work or from Charlie.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

“Hello, Dad?”

“Nicholas.”

Confused at his father Stephane’s clipped tone, Nick paused for a moment.

“Everything okay?”

“I think I should be asking you that.”

“Sorry?”

“Any developments in your life you want to tell me about, Nicholas Luke Fournier Nelson?” Stéphane’s tone was accusatory.

“Um ... well, you know I got a new job a few months ago and ...”

“Anything about Jared? Your boyfriend?”

Nick let out a ragged sigh as his father spat out the word ‘boyfriend’ in his harsh, gravelly voice. Just then, his mobile beeped with an Instagram message from his older brother David.

@David Nelson

Very interesting who’s on your socials, Nicky. Or rather who isn’t… What's happened to Jared, eh? I must say, the girl he’s got his arms around in his profile pic is cute. He has a thing for redheads, doesn’t he?

God, David was a dickhead.

“I’m guessing David told you we broke up, Dad.“

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you make such a big deal about the fact that I’m nearly thirty-seven and not married, and to tell you that he left me to move up north and marry his client ...”

“Oh, Nicholas.” Stéphane’s disappointment was cutting and a single, fat, hot tear escaped Nick’s eyelash. “Maybe if you stopped this ridiculous idea about a media career and got a stable job...”

“I have a stable job! And that had nothing to do with it! He left me because he fell for someone else!”

“It’s bad enough you insist on dating the men as well as women, but to now be single, at your age! You didn’t make yourself an attractive enough prospect for him to stay!” After a beat, Stephane added, “ta bisexualité est ridicule!” (your bisexuality is ridiculous!)

“I can’t believe you said that.”

“Nick ...”

“Bye Dad.”

When Nick hung up on his father, he sat on his sofa and finally let his tears fall. When he felt cried out, he went into his small bathroom, washed his face and prepared to return to the only thing that felt like it was going well in his life: Charlie.

--

Dinner at Charlie’s house was going swimmingly. It was a hazy summer evening, and the weather was warm enough for the meal to be served outside on the terrace. The glow of the setting sun reflected off the distant River Avon. Charlie, still riding high from his successful presentation earlier in the day and was being an effervescent host, which appeared to delight the Walters as much as the peaceful, rural setting.

Tori and Darcy had done an amazing job coordinating the food, drinks, and service staff via Spring-Olsson Events, and the Walters talked to them enthusiastically about their events work. Charlie, Aled, Dan and Isaac entertained them with stories about their university days.

Mimi, Lisa and Dora loved meeting Tao and Elle and cooed over the twins. They also seemed to take to Charlie, especially his passion, energy and wit. The Walters family adored the farmhouse itself, commenting on all the intricate details Charlie and Tao had incorporated, especially the way the house felt cosy but was still open and full of light.

Charlie couldn’t help but notice, however, that Nick did not seem as outgoing as usual.

Since he and Nick had grown closer, Charlie found that he was even more attuned to Nick’s expressions. Therefore he saw Nick’s distraction, witnessing him stare off into the distance more than once before catching himself. By the time they were finishing up coffee, Charlie was worrying, a lot.

“Would anyone like an after-dinner tipple?” Charlie suggested. “I have Drambuie, Disaronno, some whiskey, I think—”

“Disaronno is my favourite!” exclaimed Patrick, with what Nick and Charlie were learning was his usual exuberance.

“I wouldn’t mind some Drambuie,” added Marcus Sr.

“Charlie, would you mind if we went inside?” asked Mimi. “Lisa and I, we’re getting a little cold.”

“Of course.”

He showed everyone, plus the ever-present Walters’ bodyguards, to the lounge – a separate, cosy space at the front of the house, away from the open-plan living area.

“Nick, would you mind helping me locate the liqueurs?”

“Sure.”

Nick followed him to the kitchen. The service staff, along with Tori and Darcy, who had to prep for a breakfast event the next morning, had cleaned up and gone home for the evening. Therefore they were alone. Charlie opened one of the cupboards and pulled out the bottles of alcohol.

“Why did you call me in here for help if you knew where they were?” Nick said before looking down. “Sorry, Charlie. I didn’t mean to snap. Of course, you’re going to need help carrying stuff.” He looked up again. “I’m so sorry.”

“I called you in because I want to know what’s up with you.”

“Nothing’s up,” he retorted, not meeting his eyes.

“Nick, you’ve been on another planet all evening.” He put the bottles down and walked over to him. “What’s the matter?”

One moment, Nick was forming a denial on his lips, and the next, he was trembling and tearing up.

“It looks like I’m going to be evicted from my flat,” he admitted shakily. “And my father and I had a really big fight.”

“Oh, Nick.”

Charlie stepped forward and enveloped him in his arms without hesitation before dropping a kiss on his forehead.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take my eye off the ball. Do you think the Walters or the others noticed?”

“No, not at all,” Charlie replied. “Look, we’ll get you through this. We’ll find you somewhere new to live, somewhere amazing, and you’ll patch things up with your dad, I’m sure.”

“I’ve been looking since we got back from Berlin,” Nick said. “Time’s running out to find somewhere. I might have to move to Bristol.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I wish you’d told me.”

“I didn’t want to worry you with all the Walters stuff coming up. You needed to focus.”

“Well, now we’re past that. I’m all yours, Nick.”

“Thank you, Char.”

They stayed in their embrace for a few seconds longer, with Charlie rocking Nick slightly from side to side as he rubbed his back.

“Tiny bit better?” Charlie asked.

“Tiny bit,” he said, before tilting Charlie’s chin up for a soft, wet, and all-too-brief kiss.

A creak from the kitchen door made them both turn around suddenly to see Patrick Walters in the doorway.

“Um, uh, sorry,” he murmured with sheepishness. “I was passing on my way back from the bathroom ... Do you need any help with the drinks?”

“Oh, no thank you,” replied Charlie as he and Nick separated. “We’ll be through in a minute.”

When Charlie and Nick walked into the living room carrying the liqueurs and a tray of glasses, they immediately noticed that all the Walters were whispering between each other and then grinning their way. Isaac was reading his book while Tao and Elle weren’t in the room; Charlie guessed they were upstairs checking on the twins. Aled and Dan were chatting to Marie while Amelie, the female bodyguard, and the two male bodyguards, John and Yuri, were sitting quietly in the background. Charlie felt his cheeks flame up but tried to ignore the looks the Walters were giving him and the shift in the Walters’ attitude towards them.

Tao, Elle, Aled, Dan, and Isaac stayed for one drink but then headed home. When they were alone with Nick and Charlie, the Walters, who had been polite, friendly and good company through dinner, were even warmer. Marcus Sr and Patrick opened up to him about their university days, their business and their family life, including their elderly mother Peggy and their children; between them, they had ten kids including Marcus Jr, and four grandchildren.

When the Walters party were ready to go back to their hotel, Nick showed the ladies to one of the Range Rovers while the brothers and Marcus Jr lingered for a moment on Charlie’s porch.

“This has been a wonderful evening, Charlie. Thank you for showing us into your home and hosting such a good dinner.”

“You’re more than welcome, Patrick. Thank you for coming to visit us here in Bath, and I hope that we will hear from you soon about the contract.”

“Well, I can safely tell you now that SXL has made our shortlist. Marie will be in touch with details of a formal bidding event later in the year.”

“That’s fantastic!” Charlie cried, shaking hands with Patrick, Marcus Sr and Marcus Jr in turn. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re very welcome,” murmured Patrick. The Walters glanced over at Nick, who was chatting to Mimi by the car while Amelie hovered nearby.

“Nick is a wonderful person, Charlie,” commented Marcus. “Definitely ‘marriage material.’”

“I must admit that we were a little wary of you before this visit, being a single man in his thirties. We are a family who values marriage, commitment, and fidelity above all else,” said Marcus Jr.

“But now it’s clear,” continued his father. “You aren’t single. You are a family man, with a beautiful home. I hope you’ll invite us to the wedding!”

“Yes, you and Nick make a lovely couple,” added Patrick. “You’re very in tune with each other.”

“Gentlemen, Nick and I... we’re not, uh, engaged,” he said. “We haven’t been together long enough.”

Patrick gave Marcus Sr and Marcus Jr a look. They immediately headed out to the car, leaving Charlie alone with Patrick.

“Charlie, in many business circles, we are thought of as odd because of our values, but we have to be sure of the people we work with. We are trusting the firm we choose to give our business, our family business , a new home.

“In the past, we have worked with people who didn’t share our values. What happened? Casanovas and gold-diggers infiltrating our company, making propositions, turning our business into a sordid playground.”

“My firm is not like that, Patrick.”

“And now we have met you to see your operations, we have seen that for ourselves,” Patrick replied, smiling. “We want a firm that cares about each other, that’s led by someone who understands that family is the most important thing in the world.”

“Family is , Patrick,” Charlie insisted. “I hope that you can see how much of a family we are at SXL. Tao, Aled and Isaac are like my brothers, and as you’ve seen, we work closely with my sister and cousin.”

“I see that, Charlie, but to know that you are a settled man would make me feel secure, if we were to choose SXL for this contract, that is,” Patrick replied. “You and Nick are perfect together. Yin and Yang.”

“Right…” Patrick did have a point there. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, sir.”

“I know.” Patrick clasped Charlie’s hand tightly and shook it. “I look forward to seeing you in London for our formal bid meeting. Good night, my friend.”

--

A wave of exhaustion overcame Nick once the Range Rovers were out of sight. When he turned to walk into the house, Charlie was leaning against the jamb of his front door, staring off into space. He didn’t blink until he was right in front of him.

“Now who’s the distracted one?” he asked.

“Yeah, uh, just tired, I guess.”

“Me, too.”

They walked back into the living room, and Nick started collecting the glasses that dotted the room.

“Leave it, Nick. The cleaner will do it in the morning.”

“Okay, in which case I’m going to head home,” he replied, stifling a yawn.

“Nick, you’re absolutely wiped out. Why don’t you crash here tonight?”

“That’s not necessary. It’s only a twenty-minute drive.”

“On dark and winding roads when you’ve been on the go for sixteen hours and have had to deal with bad news,” he replied. “Please stay. You can have the spare room or share with me, whichever you prefer.”

Nick thought about it for a moment; Charlie had a point about the dark and winding roads. However, he was so shaken up inside, both wired and tired, and his gut instinct was telling him that sharing a bed with Charlie, even though he wanted to, was a bad idea. Whenever Nick had a fight with his dad, he would usually have a nightmare, and he wasn’t ready for Charlie to see that.

“Could I have a spare room?” he asked. “And do you have a spare toothbrush?”

“Help yourself to one from the bathroom cabinet,” Charlie replied. “Did you want a t-shirt to sleep in? The spare room that’s made up is quite draughty.”

“Do you have one that would fit me?” Nick asked, appraising their size difference. “I’m at least two sizes bigger than you, Char.”

“Actually, I do have something.”

Nick followed Charlie into his room and made a beeline for a chest of drawers.

“I’m sure it’s still in here... aha, here we go.” Charlie pulled out a huge, dark grey t-shirt with the words ‘University of Bath Alumni: Architects 2014’ written on the front.

“How come it’s so big?” Nick enquired, taking the garment from him. “Were you a sumo wrestler at uni or something?”

Charlie laughed loudly.

“No, just supremely disorganised...”

“Shocker!”

“I know right,” Charlie laughed. “By the time I got round to buying my t-shirt, they only had Triple Extra-Small or Triple Extra-Large left. The smaller one was so tiny it would have barely fit a teddy bear, so I bought the giant one.”

Nick chuckled.

“Thank you.”

He held open his arms and Charlie stepped into them, bringing his hands to Nick’s chest while Nick wrapped his strong arms around him.

“Good night, sweetheart,” Charlie murmured as they separated.

“’Night.”

Five minutes later, Nick was in his boxers and the t-shirt, which was big even for him, and was brushing his teeth in the spare bathroom. When he emerged, he ran into Charlie, who was loitering outside, wearing a pair of blue cotton pyjamas, the matching top open. Nick’s eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the planes of his lean, muscular chest.

“Oh, ah, you okay, Charlie?”

“Yeah, um, what’s the schedule like for tomorrow?”

“I deliberately kept it very light. Isaac did the Hub walkabout yesterday while you were in the boardroom and sent notes so you don’t even have to go in if you don’t want to.”

“Good. I think I’ll work from home then,” he replied. “’Good night again.”

Charlie lingered for another second, and Nick didn’t hesitate to take advantage. He stepped forward and placed a soft kiss on the side of Charlie’s mouth, right over his dimple.

“Good night, darling.”

--

Charlie found himself unable to sleep. Patrick Walters’ words kept turning over in his mind.

“…I see that, Charlie, but to know that you are a settled man would make me feel secure, if we were to choose SXL for this contract, that is. You and Nick are perfect together. Yin and Yang.”

When he closed his eyes, he was assaulted by a relentless slideshow of images of Nick. Their first meeting when Charlie fell on top of him, Nick dressed in a suit for his interview, cooking in the farmhouse kitchen, holding him tenderly, carrying him over his shoulder in Madrid, their passionate kiss in Berlin, in his arms earlier when he was upset, wearing his t-shirt ...

Nick had been in Charlie’s life for just a few months, but he had become very important. They cared about each other. They trusted each other. They were attracted to one another. They hadn’t had much opportunity for dating since Berlin because of the amount of work they had had to do in the lead-up to the Walters’ visit, but when they did spend time together outside of work, it was beautiful.

Charlie knew that Marcus was spot on when he called Nick ‘marriage material.’ But Nick needed to take things slow even more than Charlie, so how would he feel if and when he found out what the Walters family believed?

By six o’clock, Charlie gave up on sleep and picked up his iPad, hoping to be distracted by Instagram for a while.

@SpringOlssonEvents

<Instagram photos: Sunrise over Bath Abbey. Darcy, Tori and two team members setting up a breakfast picnic for a group of 100 on the Royal Crescent lawn. Champagne, fruit board, pastries.>

The early bird catches the worm! 14 minutes ago

Charlie picked up the phone.

“Charlie! You’re up early! How was last night after we left? Hang on, Tori’s here. Tor! Tor! It’s Charlie!”

“Charles? Why are you awake at 6?”

“Uh, I couldn't sleep. Last night was interesting.”

“What happened?” Tori asked.

“SXL has been shortlisted as a serious contender for the contract...”

“Yay!” Darcy squealed.

“Darcy! Not ‘Yay!’”

“Why not? What happened, Charlie?” Charlie recognised the sisterly fret in Darcy’s tone.

“We are contenders ... as long as I’m heading towards marriage. That’s what Patrick implied. Like, seriously implied.”

“What?”

“And if you aren’t?” asked Tori.

“The contract will probably go to another firm. I think they’ll be meeting with Greene and Greene, too, and I know that they’ve met with Mary Reed Architecture.”

“Ugh. Harold Greene. That fucking fucktard. He was awful when he came for SXL’s launch party,” said Tori.

“I know. It’d break my heart. But Greene is married with three kids, and Harry, unbelievably, is married with kids, too,” Charlie said. “Obviously you know Mary Reed’s marital status,” he added through gritted teeth.

“Ugh, Mary Reed.” Darcy made a gagging noise.

“So what are you going to do, Charles?” asked Tori. “Short of buying yourself a mail-order groom or something!”

“Hmm…”

“Charlie,” Darcy said warily , “you didn’t think she was serious, did you?”

“No, but the thing is, there is someone in the picture.”

“What?”

“Well, Nick and I are kind of dating.”

“OMG, since when?” Darcy screeched. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I mean, we clicked from the beginning, but we decided to date, slowly, when we were in Berlin.”

“That was a month ago, Charles ,” said Tori. “What’s happened since?”

“With all the work we had to do getting ready for the meeting with Walters, we’ve hardly seen each other outside of work,” he admitted. “We’ve been to the Corner Bistro for dinner once and went to a movie last weekend, but mainly we just snatch hugs and kisses on our breaks.”

“Aww, that’s so cute,” Darcy said . “So what did the Walters guy say exactly ?”

Charlie gave his cousin and sister a rundown of the events of the previous night, culminating in the conversation he had had with Patrick.

“… So now I don’t know what to do. I keep dwelling on the words they used, that Nick is ‘marriage material.’”

“Charlie, can I take a guess at where you’re going with this?” Darcy paused and continued. “Are you thinking about asking Nick to pretend to be more serious than the two of you really are?”

“It’s crazy, right? Driven by my hatred of letting go of such a huge potential contract and my issues around trusting men after Ben ...”

“And you ultimately want that with Nick,” Darcy said.

“I mean, of course. He’s amazing,” Charlie said. “But it’s too soon, and we’re both pretty fragile.”

“Look, Charles,” began Tori, “you had a busy day yesterday and have a lot to think about. Relax today, go for a walk, do some drumming, and meet some friends.”

“Good idea. I wish you guys didn’t have to work today.”

“So do we. But, brother dearest, now you have brought it up, we must dash. We still have lots to do before the clients arrive at eight.”

“Okay, good luck with it.”

“Will do,” said Darcy. “Love you.”

“Love you.”

After Charlie put the phone down, he finally managed to fall asleep.

Three hours after his phone call to Darcy, a sleepy Charlie padded downstairs, following the enticing smell of fresh coffee and toast. Nick was still wearing the giant t-shirt, with his trousers from the previous night, and was barefoot. Charlie glanced at Nick’s large feet on the kitchen floor and felt a tiny, hot shiver up his back at the thought of what other parts of Nick’s anatomy might be that large. 

“Good morning, Charlie,” Nick murmured as he put a mug in front of him. “Toast?”

“Yes please, with Marmite.” He took a swig of the hot coffee and felt slightly invigorated. “Sleep okay?”

“Hmm, so-so,” Nick replied, rubbing his eyes as he put two slices of bread in the toaster for Charlie.

“Oh no,“ Charlie said. “Was the bed not comfortable?”

“Very,” Nick murmured. “I just never sleep well after an encounter with my dad.” He paused before adding, “you didn’t sleep well either, did you?”

“Nope. Very glad I’m having a work-from-home day.”

“Well, I’ll just finish breakfast and then I'll head out.”

“You know you can stay as long as you need. There isn’t too much on today for you either, is there?”

“Not workwise, but I need to use the downtime to sort out my living situation, otherwise I’ll have to move in with Tara in Bristol.”

“I didn’t realise the situation was so dire, sweetheart,” he said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Not at the moment,” Nick said, popping the toast out of the toaster to check it. He turned to face Charlie. “But thanks for asking,” he added with a soft smile.

They sipped their coffee and ate their toast quietly for a few minutes, but Charlie kept thinking about the conversation with Patrick Walters.

“What?” Nick asked suddenly. “What is it?”

“Huh?”

“You have something on your mind. You’re making that face.”

“What face?”

“Your forehead is furrowing and your eyebrows are crinkling. That usually means you’re fretting about something.”

“Between you, Darcy, and my sister, I never get away with anything,” Charlie grumbled.

Nick folded his arms and tilted his head.  “Char.”

“Okay, fine. I’m mulling over an idea which involves you, but I’m not sure about how you’ll receive it.”

“Try me.”

“No, actually, it’s stupid and unfair and the last thing I want to do is to alienate you,” he replied hastily.

“Charlie,” Nick murmured, picking up his hand. Charlie froze, his eyes trained on their joined hands. “I have a confession to make.”

“Not what I expected you to say,” he said, involuntarily smiling as Nick ran his thumb over Charlie’s knuckles. “What confession?”

“I overheard your conversation with Darcy this morning. And was your sister on the call too?”

Charlie spluttered on his coffee.

“What?”

“Your bed is directly against the wall shared with the spare room, so I could hear every word. I tried not to listen, but it was kind of hard.”

“What exactly did you hear? Err, their side of the conversation, too?”

“Just your side.”

“So you know that I told Tori and Darcy about us?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes, darling,” Nick murmured, leaning in to kiss Charlie on the cheek. “I told Tara when we got back from Berlin. She’s really happy for us.”

Charlie couldn’t help but grin. “Cool, because Tao, Elle, Aled and Isaac know too.”

“That I figured out from Tao’s evils,” Nick chuckled. “So Patrick Walters and his family have some crazy idea that the relationship status of their architect is more important than his ability?”

Charlie nodded. “Yep. I’m gutted, Nick. I worked so fucking hard, but it’s really important to them.”

Charlie explained fully what Patrick had said to him the night before.

“I probably should have asked this earlier rather than assuming,” replied Nick, “but exactly why is this contract so important to you , Charlie?”

“Several reasons. Financially, it’s massive. We’d be able to invest in all three arms of the company and take on more projects. We could invest in Tori and Darcy’s business and make our parents’ retirement more comfortable. But it’s also because our firm’s profile would go global if we did this.” He paused to gulp at his coffee. “We’d get on the AJ100 list of top firms. We could do more high-profile work, spend more time on artistic flair and cutting-edge design. We could also do more pro-bono work for charities or schools.”

“So the stakes are huge.”

“Yep. It feels like we’re near and yet so far.”

“The idea you had... were you going to suggest that we act like we’re a fully established couple around the Walters? Like, practically engaged?”

“Yeah. Stupidity and desperation taking over, I guess.”

“Not at all. I completely understand.”

“You do?”

“My father and I don’t get on because he thinks I should ‘settle down.’ A proper, suited-and-booted kind of job, a house, kids, etc. A lot of people are wedded to that idea of normal.”

“You mentioned before that your dad has some old-fashioned ideas. You don’t want those things? Marriage, kids, the nine-to-five?”

Nick shook his head and let go of Charlie’s hand to run his fingers through his auburn hair. 

“It’s not that I don’t want it, but when I accepted my bisexuality, I accepted that my life might not follow a conventional course. It didn’t particularly matter to me about marriage or a ‘proper job’ as long as I was happy.”

“And you were happy with Jared until he left.”

“I thought I was,” Nick replied. “But Charlie, I’m happier now,” he insisted. “I’ve been much happier in every aspect of my life since I met you.”

“Me too,” Charlie agreed.

“Char, if we need to pretend to be further along in our relationship for a business deal, I can do that. After all, we’ve acted like a long-term couple before.”

“But that was just in passing. You know, to stave off unwanted attention, get better treatment on an aeroplane etc,” Charlie replied. “This would be more sustained pretending. The stakes are higher”

“I can do that,” he confirmed. “As long as we still get to work on becoming a long-term couple for real in the background.”

“Of course! ” Charlie agreed. “Plus, we aren’t seeing the Walters until the bid event, so it doesn’t have to be complicated or immediate, does it?”

“Not at all.”

“Thank you,” Charlie replied softly. “Can we keep the Walters thing to ourselves? It will just stress the team out if they knew.”

“Of course,” Nick agreed. “Boss-Assistant Confidentiality.”

“Haha,” Charlie chuckled, feeling some of his anxiety drift away. “I love Boss-Assistant Confidentiality.”

Nick started to get up, giving Charlie a doleful look with his huge brown eyes as he moved. 

“As much as I’d love to spend all day here with you, I really need to get dressed and get going. Try and salvage my shambles of a living situation.”

“Okay, sweetheart,” Charlie said. Nick stopped and grinned at him, before placing his hands on Charlie’s shoulders.

“What are you doing this evening?” he asked. “Now that the Walters meeting is over, maybe we could go out?”

“Like a date? An actual date-date?”

Nick kissed the top of Charlie’s head.

“Yeah… How about I come back here this afternoon after I’ve done my tour of Bath’s estate agents, and we can decide what we want to do?”

“Sounds good,” Charlie replied, covering one of Nick’s hands with his own.

“Cool.”

Charlie got caught in the golden-brown depths of Nick’s eyes then, those beautiful, soft gentle eyes that spoke so much without words. He hated that they were swirling with anxiety for the future.

“You could stay here, you know!” Charlie blurted.

Nick paused, his hands still on Charlie’s shoulders.

“What’s that?”

“I don’t want you to move to Bristol!” Charlie cried. “I’d miss you too much, and you’d be stressed out living there.”

“I don’t want to move to Bristol either, Char, as much fun as it would be living with Tara again. But there's hardly any flats for rent in Bath in my price range, and they’re all oversubscribed.”

”So what if you move in here when you leave your flat?”

“Wouldn’t that make things weird between us, though?” Nick asked. “It would be a different approach to ‘taking things slow.’”

“I know.”

“What if it became too much? Living together, working together, and dating?”

“We would just say if it did. I don’t think we’ll get on top of each other, though. In fact, there’s so much room here that you could convert one of the empty bedrooms into a living room for your own use if you wanted.”

“Yeah?” Nick sat back down again. Charlie took hold of both his hands.

“I’ve had this space to myself for the past five years, and more often than not, I crave company. In fact, I’ve often questioned the wisdom of building my home somewhere so rural.”

“But Charlie, if I’m your PA and living here, your staff and clients will probably gossip. Everyone in The Hub already thinks something’s going on between us. I get no end of questions when we go to the pub.”

Charlie shrugged. “I don’t want them to know we’re together but I can handle the gossip. They speculate about me all the time. They’ve done so ever since we started the firm, and although I hate being gossiped about, I’ve learnt to cope with it. It’s no big deal to me if it’s no big deal to you.”

“Okay,” Nick agreed. “If I can’t find anywhere else. I’ll move in here. But only until I find something else.”

“Good plan,” Charlie replied. 

“Hug on it?” suggested Nick, holding out his arms.

“Definitely.”

Charlie grinned, slid off the stool and stepped into his embrace, melting into Nick’s arms as he buried his face in Charlie’s neck and placed a soft kiss there.

“Thank you,” Nick whispered. “You are amazing.”

“The feeling’s very mutual.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-One: A Small Place

“So what you’re saying is that it’s pointless to even apply?” Nick sank his head into his hands.  “I viewed eight flats today for nothing?”

“I’m sorry, Nick,” said the lettings agent, an overly made-up but sweet, blonde woman his age called Natalie. “With your recent financial history as it is, your chances of a successful application are very slim.”

“Why didn’t any of the other agencies mention it?”

“I don’t know,” she replied with a shrug.

Nick sighed. “So what are my options?”

“Our Bristol and Cheltenham offices have a lot more options with more flats you’d be much more likely to get accepted for,” she told him. “Both commutable.”

“Bath is home,” Nick cut in. “My work, my friends, my rugby team, my…” he was going to say ‘boyfriend’ but that was too premature, right? “Look, thank you for your time.”

Nick stood up, waved half-heartedly at the kindly agent and swiftly departed the office. As soon as he was out the door, he phoned Tara.

“So how has it gone today?”

“Fucking disaster,” Nick mumbled into the phone. “My credit rating is still in the toilet, so even if I did apply for one of the few utter shitholes available,” he ranted, “I probably wouldn’t get the place.”

“Oh Nick,” Tara sighed. “I know it isn’t what you wanted, but we’ll have fun sharing again. Bristol’s really cool.”

“I know, Tar, but…” He paused, uncertain whether to tell her about Charlie’s offer.

“What?”

“The thing is, I do have a Plan B, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”

“Then you really need to tell me. Talk it out.”

Nick caved instantly.

“Charlie offered me a spare room in his house,” he told her.

“Charlie’s house? As in the massive farmhouse with ‘the perfect light’ that you’ve been filming your food videos in?”

“Yeah, that one,” Nick mumbled. “But we’ve barely started going out. It’s a bad idea, right?”

“Is it? Why?”

“If we break up then I’ll be out on my arse,” Nick replied. “We’re supposed to be taking the dating slow, and we said we’d have separate bedrooms but–”

“Nick love, if you break up, then you’ll be out of a job, which is an even worse prospect.” Tara bluntly pointed out before softly adding,“You’ve been so happy these past few months.”

The town centre was hot, sticky and full of tourists wandering around. Nick stepped off the main thoroughfare and into a narrow lane, before resting against the wall between two shopfronts.

“But am I happy because of the work? Because I’m no longer in debt? Or because of Charlie? I don’t even know.”

“But the work is Charlie, isn’t it?” she pointed out. “Your job is to look after him, and looking after people is what you love to do. That’s why you love cooking so much.”

“True,” Nick agreed. “So do I actually like him or the fact that I get to look after him?”

“Close your eyes a sec and think about the true answer to that question because you know it deep down.”

So there, in the centre of Bath, leaning against a wall, Nick closed his eyes and thought, really thought about it. His head exploded with memories and images of Charlie over the past four months. How clever he was, how his chaos was mostly adorable; even his drunken brattishness was kind of adorable in hindsight. And of course, how he was so bloody fucking beautiful.

“Yeah, okay, so I fucking adore the man,” Nick said eventually. “I’m kind of head over heels, and it’s only a little bit to do with having the honour and privilege of looking after him. More to do with the fact that he’s beautiful, intelligent, creative, incredibly strong and resilient, and the kindest human I’ve ever met.”

“That’s more than you ever said about Jared in your entire relationship,” Tara quipped, and Nick snorted. “So where does that leave you on the whole moving-in-with-Charlie thing?”

“I don’t know,” Nick replied honestly. “He kind of blurted it out, and I don’t want to hold him to it if he’s having second thoughts.”

“Then you need to talk to him,” she said. “I'll tell you something though. If you do move in, you and Charlie aren’t going to manage separate bedrooms, that’s for sure!”

“What do you mean?” 

“There’s no way you’ll be able to resist sleeping next to him when you feel so deeply about him,” Tara replied. “Talk to him. My spare room is always an option if you need it, love.”

“Thanks, Tar. We’re going on a date tonight, so I’ll talk to him then.”

“A proper date? What are you doing for it?”

“Not sure yet. I’ll text him after this and see what he wants to do.”

“Good shout,” she agreed. “By the way, when I get back to the office, I’ll be emailing you an update about Robbie McKay.”

Nick felt his neck muscles tense.

“Oh? Anything you can tell me now?”

“Nothing exciting, I’m afraid,” she replied. “We sent him a letter to inform him that the gardening leave period is coming to an end and to remind him of the intellectual property clause of his contract.”

“So if he did give Charlie’s designs to Mary Reed or another firm, SXL could sue him?”

“Yeah, or if he used any designs that he worked on at SXL. Anything he worked on there belongs to the firm.”

“But he barely used the databases or project management tools to record his work,” Nick pointed out. “How could we prove that?”

“It would be hard,” Tara admitted. "We’re going to have to keep an eye on the projects he works on, and address issues as we come across them.”

“Are we allowed to do that?” Nick asked. “Keep track of him?”

“Not Robbie McKay himself, but according to Mr Farouk, it’s common for architect firms to have a good idea of what others are working on.”

“That’s true,” Nick agreed. “In Berlin, Charlie and the others seemed to be very clued-up about the various projects and firms.”

“So that’s how we’ll keep an eye out.”

“ Cool.”

“ ook, Nick love, I’ve got to get going. I’ve got a mountain of work, and I need to find a caterer for the firm’s summer barbecue in a couple of weeks. The one we were going to use has just gone under and I don’t want to bother Mr Farouk with it. Then we’re off to celebrate this big employment case we sorted out.”

“Well done!” Nick said. “Hey, Charlie’s sister and cousin might be able to help out. I’ll send you their details.”

“Thanks! I didn;t think about that. If they could fit us in it’d be amazing.”

 “No problem. Chat later?”

“I’ll call you tomorrow after your date! Bye-ee!”

After hanging up on Tara, Nick had a sudden craving for ice-cream and walked down through town to his favourite ice-cream shop, a tiny hole in the wall near the Royal Crescent.

He came away with a double scoop of chocolate brownie, which reminded him of having hot chocolate in bed with Charlie in Berlin, and blue raspberry, which was the closest he could get to his childhood favourite, bubble-gum. He walked along the Crescent then down the manicured lawn towards Royal Victoria Park.

“Nick!”

He looked up from his ice-cream to see James bounding towards him from across the green, dressed in yellow Bermuda shorts and a black t-shirt.

“Hey, James, how are you?”

James grinned at him and then wiped a sheen of sweat off his brow. His dark hair flopped into his eyes and he flipped it back. It fell straight back into his eyes.

“Good thanks!” he replied. “Gosh, I need to get one of those!” He pointed to Nick’s ice-cream.

“I know, it’s so hot,” Nick replied before turning to point at the ice cream shop. “The best ice-cream in town is that shop over there.”

“Cool!” James replied. “So did yesterday with the Walters people go okay?”

“It seemed to. They loved Charlie’s presentation and the dinner at his house,” he explained. “But Charlie will want to tell you about it in detail on Monday.”

“Looking forward to it,” James replied. “Where is Charlie today, by the way? I didn’t see him in the office before I left.”

“Working from home.” He noticed that James had a bunch of brochures tucked under his arm. “What are you up to?”

“Charlie gave me the afternoon off to view a few properties,” he said, showing Nick a leaflet from the swankiest agent in Bath. “I just sold my flat in London so I’m looking to buy here. Luckily there’s lots to choose from. I’ve just seen two on the other side of this park. Both great but a little small.”

“Oh, uh, well, then I’m sure you’ll find something soon,” Nick told him, trying to make his voice sound animated and light. “I’d better get goi—”

“Can I ask you something?” James interrupted. “It’s kind of personal, not something I could ask you in the office.” He hesitated and bit his lip then looked at Nick with wider eyes.

“Oh, uh, James…” Nick shifted his weight from foot to foot in discomfort. “I’m flattered, but I’m kind of seeing someone.”

“Haha, you’re a good looking guy, Nick, but I’ve been through my phase of crushing on straight men!” James laughed.

Nick felt the irritation bristle through him instantly, and he pulled at his pink, purple and blue watch strap.

“Right, well I’m bi actually—"

James didn’t hear him as he had kept talking.

“Well, I was going to ask about Charlie.”

“Charlie?”

“Yeah.” Now it was James shifting his weight, his dark eyes darting around the lawn before he looked at Nick again. “Is he single? I’ve never managed to find the right moment to ask. He’s always on the go, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Nick agreed warily.

“So, uh, is he single? I figured since you and he work so closely together, you’d know.”

Jealousy seethed through Nick, and he almost crushed his ice-cream cone.

Charlie’s mine.

“Oh, uh, I’m afraid I’m not allowed to say,” Nick murmured. “Boss-Assistant Confidentiality.”

“Oh?” James looked to the floor. “That’s a thing?”

“It’s in my contract,” Nick replied. “Sorry.”

“Ah, no worries. I guess it makes sense when you work so closely together,” James reasoned. “I’ll just ask him directly. Hopefully there’s no company policy against intra-office dating!” he quipped. Nick opened his mouth to try to escape once again, but James kept talking. “I tell you what, Bath is a small place. I bumped into Charlie’s cousin earlier. You know, the caterer? She was packing up a van on the street.”

“Darcy? Blonde and pink hair?”

“Yeah!” James said.

“They were doing a breakfast event on the lawn earlier,” Nick told him. “She must have been finishing up.”

“Amazing!” James said, wriggling on the spot. Nick hadn’t realised how effusive James was, but he seemed to be fizzing with energy. “She’s a riot, isn’t she? And she’s off to Ibiza next week to go clubbing. Lucky thing!”

Clubbing in Ibiza sounded like Nick’s idea of hell. He shrugged and tried to smile. All he wanted to do just then was see Charlie.

“Anyways, I’d better get going… got a list of errands to get done before the weekend.”

“Yeah sure!” James enthused with a grin. “Have a great weekend, and see you Monday.”

“See you Monday.”

Nick knew he was being kind of rude, but he started walking off without further pleasantries, pulling out his phone as he walked. Charlie had already messaged him.

Charlie Boss

C: How’s it going?

C: Looking forward to seeing you later 😊

Nick felt the tension in his neck drop a little. He finished his ice-cream and then texted back.

N: Terrible. Flat-hunting = soul-destroying

C: Oh no! ☹

N: But never mind me… what are you up to rn?

C: I started a half-arsed update of the Dublin Project plans, but then gave up and went for a dip in the river. Now Darcy’s here and is rifling through my wardrobe.

N: How come?

C: Well, someone mentioned the possibility of a date, an actual date-date. And instead of doing anything productive, I’m rather preoccupied, imagining potential date scenarios.  

N: Which date scenario do you like the best?

C: A quiet, romantic dinner somewhere (I mean, you know my safelist better than me by now!) Lots of flirting. Maybe a kiss or two? (or three?)

C: I know it’s basic, and if there’s something more exciting you want to do I’m totally up for that, but I just really want to spend time with you.

N: Oh, Char, I want that too.

The possibilities whirred around in Nick’s mind. He wanted to give Charlie everything.

N: Can you be ready at 6pm?

C: Yeah, but where are we going?

N: It’s going to be a surprise!

C: But then how will I know what to wear?

N: Wear something you feel beautiful in.

N: God that was cheesy!

C: Haha, little bit.

N: Can you humour me, darling?

C: *Swoon* you called me darling! 

C: Can’t wait, sweetheart xxx

Nick immediately turned back the way he came and headed to Waitrose. Thirty minutes and £60 later, he came out with two bags of food, wine and flowers. Just as he was heading out, however, he saw Tao and Elle coming in with Jonah and Dylan in the seats of the trolley. The twins were each holding half a banana.

“Okay, babe,” Elle was saying, “I’ll get the snacks, you get the drinks… ooh, Nick!”

“Hey, Elle, how are you?”

“OMG, it’s so good to see you,” she enthused, leaning forward to give him a kiss on both cheeks.

“Nick.” Tao seemed less keen to see him. “Not working today?”

Nick shook his head. “The Walters didn’t leave Charlie’s until nearly midnight, so he gave me the day off.”

“How did Charlie think it went?” Suddenly Tao was more animated. “They were kind of formidable, weren’t they? Did they say anything after we left?”

Nick spoke to them for a few minutes, but then the twins finished their bananas and started getting fussy.

“Oh, no! Babe, we have to hurry! We’ve got about five minutes before we reach Mega Meltdown.” He nodded and stomped off towards the wine aisles, waving as he went. She turned to Nick. “Have a great weekend, Nick! Enjoy your date!”

“Wait, how did you know I’ve got a date?”

Elle laughed, tossed her hair and pointed at Nick’s shopping.

“Flowers, nice wine, and a fancy-looking ham platter. That screams ‘date’ to me! Plus Charlie mentioned on the phone that you haven’t had a lot of time together outside of work.” She waved before pushing the trolley and the grizzling twins into the depths of Waitrose, but just as she disappeared, she called, “Tell him I want all the goss tomorrow at brunch!”

--

Charlie wandered around his house restlessly, his body as unsettled as his mind, until the cleaners arrived. He then retreated to his study and sat at his drawing desk. The sun was bright and his office was hot, even for Charlie, who usually ran cold. The heat didn’t help Charlie’s anxious mind whirling around, dwelling on the offer he made Nick just before he left.

“You could move in here, you know!”

Nick had agreed to move in if he didn’t find anywhere else, but it was too much, too soon, wasn’t it? And how would they manage working, dating and living together? He wanted all three of those things, but his unfocussed brain kept whirring through all manner of worst-case scenarios.

Charlie stared out the window, which overlooked the rear garden and the River Avon, which ran through the far end. The river looked enticing, and after staring at the water’s gentle undulations for about half an hour, he threw down his stylus. He headed into his bedroom, changed into a rash vest and his long swimming shorts. Then he made his way through to the bottom of the garden and through the gate to the small clearing between the trees that lined the riverbank.

With the sun beating down on the water, it was warm, and Charlie had a peaceful, anxiety-relieving swim, focussing on the cool water against his skin and the repetitive movements of his freestyle stroke. One of the reasons he had bought this property was because of the private access to the river. Although the house was visible from the tree-lined walking path along the opposite side of the river, the clearing was only accessible by Charlie’s private gate or from the water.

When the sun went behind a cloud and the water cooled, Charlie returned to the clearing to find Darcy sitting in a camp chair, swigging from a dripping bottle of Peroni and munching on a croissant.

“Hey, when did you get here?” he asked as he stepped out of the water.

“One and a half croissants and half this bottle of beer ago,” she replied, crossing her legs in the chair. She was wearing denim cutoffs and a purple bikini top. “Town was so fucking hot, I thought I’d hang here for a while.”

She held open the bag of mini croissants in his direction but he shook his head.

“No thanks, I had toast with Nick earlier,” he replied, picking up his towel off the blanket he’d put down before he took his swim.

“He stayed the night? OMG! How is that slow, Charlie? You kept that quiet on the phone this morning.”

“Not like that, Darce!” he cried. “It was past midnight when the Walters finally left and Nick was absolutely shattered. He stayed in the spare room.”

“So you guys haven’t…?”

“Just snogging,” Charlie replied, sitting down on the blanket and holding his hand out for the beer bottle. “But we’ve got a date tonight…!!”

“Haha, is your inner slut coming out, my dear cousin?” Darcy laughed.

“I mean, I know you’re a lesbian but have you seen Nick?” Charlie chuckled, took a sip of beer and handed it back to Darcy. “It really is best if we go slow, though. Especially as—”

“As what?” Darcy picked up on Charlie’s faux pas instantly. “As what?! Charlie, what did you do?”

“Nothing!” he replied. But Darcy’s turquoise stare was too intense, and when he saw her move as if to get up, he caved.

“He’s being evicted from his flat so I invited him to move in!” he exclaimed, covering his face with his hands. “I know, I know, it’s insane! But he was so sad, and I would miss him so much if he moved to Bristol, and you know, if he moved to Bristol, pretty soon he’d get tired of the commute and then he’d get tired of the job, and then me…!”

“Charlie, Charlie, stop!” He felt cool palms against the back of his hands. He lifted his head to find that Darcy was sitting on the blanket in front of him. “Breathe with me and talk it through.”

For someone who was so full of energy, Darcy always seemed to have tricks to calm Charlie down. She took hold of his hands and sucked air in through her teeth, which kind of made her sound like a snake, but Charlie copied her anyway. She then pursed her lips and blew beer-scented breath out.

“Okay,” he murmured, when he felt the blood rush out of his ears and his heart rate settle. “I made the offer impulsively because I don’t want to lose him, and I know he wants to stay in Bath.”

“Do you want to take the offer back?”

“No.” Charlie shook his head. “I meant it, but I don’t want this beautiful thing that we have developing to unravel.”

“Charles, it would unravel anyway if he had to move to Bristol, like you said,” Darcy pointed out.

“The thing is, Darcy, I need him, and not just because he runs my life, but because I feel at peace when he’s around. I can think and act like a normal person;it’s like my head stops whirling so much.”

Darcy leaned forward and gave her cousin a hug.

“I know, my guy,” she said. “And for what it’s worth, he needs you, too, and not just because you pay his salary.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I met him the first time, it seemed like he was tumbleweeding through his own life, you know?” she said. “And now, he’s always full of sunshine even when things are crazy. It’s because of you, Charlie. He’s happy. Looking after you makes him happy.”

Charlie wadded up his towel to use as a pillow and then lay down on the blanket. Darcy lay down next to him.

“I think what we have could be really special, Nick and I,” he murmured. “Patrick Walters called us ‘Yin and Yang.’”

“I know,” she whispered. “You’re really lucky to have found it.”

Darcy turned to look away from him then, and curled up on her side.

“Darcy, are you okay?”

She sighed, her shoulders lifting and then sagging, before she turned to face him.

“Bola dumped me,” she said. “I’m apparently ‘too much’ yet ‘not enough.’”

“What?”

“I’m too intense when we’re together, but I’m not around enough because of my work.”

“Oh, Darce, that’s crap.”

“It’s okay. I mean, she has a point. I am a LOT to deal with.”

“The right woman will think you’re the perfect amount,” Charlie told her. Darcy shrugged. “Thanks again for catering last night,” he continued, “especially when you had a big job this morning. Did it go well?”

“Yeah, really well,” Darcy said. “They loved Tori’s mini breakfast sliders and berry granola pots, so much so that they already booked us for a Christmas event and another breakfast picnic next year.”

“Amazing,” Charlie replied, patting her shoulder. “Do we need to think about SXL’s Christmas party yet?”

“Don’t worry, Nick’s on it. I’m meeting with him, Priya, Georgia and Tao’s assistant… what’s her name… Sophie, when I get back from Ibiza.”

Charlie leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“Thanks, Darce.”

She jumped to her feet and held her hand out to him.

“Come on, I need another drink, and so do you!”

She packed up her camp chair and bag, while Charlie folded up the blanket and opened the gate.

“I met your new architect guy today, by the way, James?” she began as they walked up Charlie’s sloped garden towards the house.

“Oh yeah, I think I said he could have the afternoon off,” Charlie remembered. “He was finding it hard to get in to book viewings for houses on a Saturday.”

“Reminded me of how small Bath can be,” she said. “I think I need to widen my Tinder range. I’ve probably dated every lesbian in the city.”

“Hey, bisexual people exist.”

“Apparently not girl bisexuals who want to date other girls,” Darcy snorted. “Anyway, I’m not going to bother until after Ibiza. Maybe I’ll meet someone there.”

“Maybe.”

“What are you doing for your date with Nick?” Darcy asked as they got into the house. “What are you going to wear?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“So text Nick, find out.”

Charlie picked up his phone and shot off a couple of texts to Nick while Darcy made some coffee and raided the fridge. She made two cheese sandwiches and without asking him, put one in front of Charlie. He rolled his eyes at her, but pulled the plate towards him.

“He must be in the middle of some viewings because he’s not replying,” Charlie said after a couple of minutes of staring at his phone while taking slow, methodical bites of his sandwich.

“What do you want to do tonight?” Darcy asked, adding salad cream to her plate and dipping the corner of her sandwich in it. Charlie shuddered at the thought of it.

“Honestly, I just want to be with him. I don’t care what we do as long as we have some time to talk, kiss and cuddle, ideally alone.”

“And more?” Darcy giggled with a wink.

“Well, yeah!” Charlie said. “God, my imagination has run riot at the thought of what he would do to me in the bedroom, but we agreed to take that part slow.”

“Why though? It’s just sex,” Darcy mumbled through a mouthful of cheese and bread before licking salad cream off her lips.

“Because we both have terrible exes who messed us up. I don’t know the details but when we were in Berlin, his ex was there by coincidence. He cornered Nick and said some stuff which knocked his confidence when it came to getting together with me.”

“And you live with the legacy of Ben,” Darcy replied with a shudder.

“I got a top up of Ben’s bullshit in Berlin, too,” Charlie added with chagrin. “Reminding me how I don’t deserve a hot, gentle, caring, kind, clever guy like Nick. That someone like him would never be satisfied with me.”

“What?” Darcy stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Charlie, you don’t seriously believe that?”

“Theoretically, no,” Charlie began, “but then I hear Ben’s voice telling me that Nick will never be into me. Or the things I’m into.”

“The sex things you’re into?”

“Hmm.” Charlie sighed and took a sip from his coffee before nodding.

“Hey, don’t be embarrassed. Everyone has a kink or two,” Darcy said. “And kink-shaming is not okay, especially when you do it to an ex you used to do those kinky things with. This is just another way of Ben trying to control you.”

“I never saw it like that,” Charlie replied quietly. “God, you’re right.”

“Think about Nick, the man you know, your PA and close friend,” Darcy suggested. “He knows all your quirks in every other part of your life, and do you really think that he would judge you for what you like in the bedroom?”

“He wouldn’t,” Charlie replied. “And even if he isn’t into what I’m into, I’d still want to be with him.”

Darcy drained the last of her coffee, and then held out her hand to Charlie for the second time that day.

“Come on,” she said, “let’s go have a look at some hot date outfits.”

After Charlie showered and changed into fresh shorts and a t-shirt, he sat on his bed, watching Darcy rifle through his clothes, throwing outfit after outfit on the floor.

“OMG, why are all your jeans skinny?” she asked, her voice muffled because her head was in his wardrobe. “And how many grandad jumpers do you own?”

“Hey! It’s a look!” Charlie protested. “But not one I can wear tonight.”

“Not least because you’ll bake in this heat,” Darcy retorted. “Any word from Nick on what you’re doing?”

Just as Charlie picked up his phone to check, a text from the man himself popped up. Charlie grinned and rested against the headboard to text Nick back and forth.

“He says, and I quote, ‘wear something you feel beautiful in,’” Charlie said, grinning, then sighing and throwing his head against the pillows. “How romantic is that? I’m dead.”

He was brought back to life by Darcy making retching noises.

“Wow, that’s cheese-tacular,” she giggled. “So what do you feel beautiful in?”

Charlie chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully,  contemplating his options. “Well there is one outfit, but it’s a bit risqué…”

--

Nick pulled onto Charlie’s driveway at 5.58pm and took a minute to calm his nerves. The afternoon had been a frantic whirlwind of preparations, and he prayed that Charlie would like what he’d planned.

He got out of his car, smoothed down his tight navy shirt and fitted, tan chinos, and then walked the few steps to Charlie’s door before ringing the bell. A couple of moments later, he heard Charlie’s light footsteps, and the door opened.

“Hi!” Charlie greeted him with a beaming smile. “Why did you ring the doorbell? You have a key.”

But Nick couldn’t speak, because all the blood in the top half of his body had rushed south at the vision in front of him.

Charlie was wearing a shimmering striped t-shirt, made of alternating panels of silver mesh and sheer black, that cropped just above his belly button, and there was a drawstring cord, tied in a bow.  Charlie’s narrow waist and lean legs were highlighted by the tightest low-rise black satin trousers Nick had ever seen. They left a delicious strip of Charlie’s tanned six-pack exposed.

“You look so good,” Nick said with a sigh, his eyes drawn to the faint outline of a nipple beyond one of the sheer black stripes before he looked up at Charlie’s pretty face. His eyes were lined with a little black, and his lips were dark pink and glossy. “So good!”

Their arms found each other, and Nick couldn’t help but let out a little mumble of happiness as Charlie, in his pleasingly tactile outfit, curled against him, snuffling lightly against his neck.

“So do you, sweetheart, so handsome,” Charlie murmured, running a hand up Nick’s bicep and giving it a squeeze. “So how come you rang the bell instead of just coming inside?”

“Because this is a date,” Nick replied, pressing his lips to Charlie’s temple. “I wanted to do this properly… romantically.”

“Haha, okay then, let me just put on my boots and we can head out.”

Nick hovered in the doorway, watching Charlie put on a pair of patent leather boots with a slight heel and a point, which only made him look leaner. He then picked up a denim jacket and a small cross-body leather bag.

“Ready,” he whispered. “I just need…”

“What do you need, Char?” Nick asked, his voice hoarse as he hoped for what Charlie would ask.. 

Charlie fluttered his long lashes, which caused Nick’s tummy to flutter and swoop in response, and then Charlie pouted his lips. Nick got the message, and cupped Charlie’s face tenderly before dropping a small kiss against his soft mouth.

“I want more of that later,” Charlie mumbled.

“Come on, darling,” Nick said, holding out his hand.

The drive back into town was quick as Nick took the long way around to avoid the traffic. Soon they were parking on his street. Before Charlie could open his own door, Nick ran to open it for him.

“So, we’re going to have our date in my flat,” Nick began. “I hope that’s okay, Char. I’ll drive you home afterwards, but I wanted us to have some privacy.”

“That’s perfect, sweetheart,” Charlie replied as he took Nick’s hand and elegantly swerved himself out of the car. “I’ve only ever seen your flat from the street before.”

“I’m nervous,” Nick found himself admitting. “It’s nowhere near as nice as your house, and it’s a very small place—”

Charlie took Nick’s other hand and stepped into his fold so their bodies were flush.

“Show me.”

Nick led Charlie by the hand and opened the outer door. When they ascended the stairs to Nick’s top floor apartment, he kept an arm around Charlie’s lean waist.

“I hope this is okay, Charlie,” Nick said as they approached his flat door. “If you don’t like it, we can go out, but I just wanted you all to myself.”

Charlie leaned up and kissed Nick’s jaw.

“I want that, too,” he murmured. “When I put this outfit on, I thought about you. I thought about how you might look at me… and you didn’t disappoint.”

“Fuck…” Nick knew he should have expected that Charlie would be flirty tonight, but it still sent ripples of anticipation and excitement through him.

“Hmm,” Charlie hummed. “Open the door, sweetheart.”

“Okay.”

Nick opened his front door, which led straight into his kitchen/living area, and was pleased when Charlie gasped. The shelves, coffee table, dining table and kitchen counter all held glowing candles, a mixture of real and LED ones. In addition, there was a vase of red, pink, yellow and white roses, and a bottle of Cava in a cooler bucket on the dining table.

“Wow, you did this for me?” Charlie dropped his jacket and bag, and threw his arms around Nick’s neck. Nick lifted him off the ground.

“Yeah. You said you wanted a romantic dinner, so, uh, yeah.”

“But surely you didn’t leave your flat unattended with candles burning?”

“No, my neighbour Gillian nipped in to light them when she saw my car pull into the street.”

“That’s kind of her.”

“She’s a very good neighbour,” Nick replied, putting Charlie down and picking up his jacket and bag to hang on a hook on the door. “I’ll miss her when I move.”

“You know, apart from Tara, I don’t think I’ve met any of your friends,” Charlie said, taking a seat on the dark grey sofa and crossing his long legs, “although you’ve mentioned a couple in passing.”

“Cava?” Nick asked, holding up the bottle.

“Yes, please.”

“Here you are,” Nick came over with a tray of two glasses, the wine bucket, and ramekins of feta-filled peppers and almonds. “I want you to meet my friends. Even the ones that don’t know we’re going out are sick of me talking about you.”

Nick opened the bottle and poured the wine, then passed a glass to Charlie.

“Cheers,” Charlie said, clinking his glass to Nick’s.

“Cheers, darling,” Nick replied, before letting his hand rest on Charlie’s knee. “I can’t get over how gorgeous you look.” He ran his hand up Charlie’s thigh. “This is some outfit.”

“I’ve had it for a year but haven’t worn it before,” Charlie replied, leaning forward slightly. “It’s special.”

“Like the man wearing it,” Nick murmured.

“I like your outfit, too,” Charlie said, his voice huskier as he covered Nick’s hand and then slid it upwards onto his cuff. Nick turned his palm over. “Oh, you’re wearing the cufflinks I gave you.” Charlie’s nimble fingers circled the onyx.

“Yeah, I love them,” Nick told him.

Charlie broke into a smile, picked up Nick’s hand and kissed the back of his wrist then placed a kiss over the cufflink.

“I missed you today,” Charlie whispered, inching closer so their thighs were touching.

“Char, I missed you, too.”

“Yeah?”

“So much,” Nick agreed. He picked up one of Charlie’s curls and twirled it around his fingers. “I missed you from the moment I left your house this morning.”

Charlie leaned forward and brushed the side of Nick’s mouth with a kiss. Nick turned his head and kissed Charlie properly, licking his top lip, then his bottom one before enclosing Charlie’s mouth. One of Charlie’s hands snaked up his arm to hold his bicep, while his other came up to cup the side of his face.

“Nick,” Charlie breathed.

Nick felt himself absolutely melting with just the sound of his own name on Charlie’s tongue. He parted his mouth and took their kiss deeper still. Suddenly, Charlie was straddling his lap, a knee on either side of his hips, the silver and black t-shirt riding up to expose even more of his tanned, lean midriff.

“I can’t get over how sexy you are, Char,” Nick said, staring deep into deep blue eyes. He let his fingers drift down Charlie’s spine, and both of them moaned as Nick’s fingers touched bare skin. “Come here.”

Charlie grinned and leaned in, nudging Nick’s shoulder so he rested against the back of the sofa. He then gently tilted Nick’s chin and resumed their kisses. Nick held Charlie’s narrow waist, rubbing his thumbs across the lean, firm ripples of his abdomen, before cupping his pert bottom.

“Oh fuck!” Charlie cried, right into Nick’s mouth.

“Did you like that, baby?” Nick could hear his assertive voice coming on, so he softened it. “Did you like me cupping your arse?”

“Yes,” Charlie murmured. “More.”

Nick obliged, running his hands down Charlie’s thighs and back up to his tight cheeks, encased so enticingly in the black, satiny trousers. But then he became aware of something that was missing.

“Charlie, you’re not wearing anything under these trousers,” he realised. “Not briefs.”

“Uh-uh,” he mumbled. “You could see the outline of them under the trousers so they had to go.”

“Commando?” Nick croaked.

“Thong,” Charlie clarified.

“That’s even hotter!” Nick leaned forward and tilted Charlie back, holding him with both strong arms. He gave him a short kiss. “I’m looking forward to finding out more about your underwear choices later.”

“Later?” Charlie pouted. “Not now?”

“Dinner first,” Nick said, scooping Charlie off his lap and back onto the sofa.

“Ugh, I hate you,” Charlie said, crossing his legs and making a show of adjusting his crotch.

“Nah, you like me!” Nick laughed, taking a sip of his wine.

“I really don’t!” Charlie laughed back, picking up his own glass and leaning back against the sofa. He looked around the small, attic apartment. “How long have you lived here?”

“Six and a half years,” Nick replied, snaking his arm around Charlie’s shoulders. 

“It’s very you,” Charlie said, kissing Nick’s cheek before standing up and holding his hand out. “Will you give me a tour?”

Nick stood up too.

“Sure, although it won’t take long. It’s a four hundred square-foot flat,” he said.

“It’s your four hundred square-foot flat, sweetheart,” Charlie replied, throwing his arms around Nick’s neck, “and I feel really privileged that you’ve invited me here tonight.”

“Come on, darling.” Nick turned Charlie around so they were facing the kitchen, which had shelves on every spare inch of wall. “This is my little kitchen. I had to add the extra shelves for my equipment and cookbooks.”

Charlie stepped away from Nick to look around.

“Wow, you made all that lovely food here?” Charlie gave him a gorgeous grin.

“Yep,” Nick said.

“What have you made for dinner, then?” he asked, peeking at the foil-covered dishes and containers.

“Crab cakes with mango salsa to start – I think I’ve worked out your sister’s recipe – followed by tortilla and jamon like we had in Madrid. Then pasta amatriciana because you love it and then chocolate brownies, mini cinnamon rolls, and iced coffees for dessert.”

“All safe foods, my favourites,” Charlie realised. “You made all the things I like that we’ve shared together.”

“I did,” Nick said. “And you can eat as much or as little as you like. I just wanted you to feel comfortable.”

“If you’re around, I’m comfortable.”

“Same, Char,” Nick murmured, coming up to Charlie and nuzzling into the side of his face. “Same.”

“Can we continue the tour?” Charlie asked. “I’d like to see your bedroom.”

Nick waggled his eyebrows.

“Would you now?”

“Not for sex yet,” Charlie added, “although I hope we’ll get there soon.”

“If you keep wearing outfits like this, we’ll definitely get there soon, darling.”

Charlie giggled.

“Come on, show me!”

Nick took Charlie by the hand and led him into the bedroom. It was simply decorated with white walls, plain oak furniture, and a couple of rugby posters in oak frames on the walls. There was a king-sized bed with khaki and white cotton sheets, two side tables, a large wardrobe, and a dressing table with mirror as well as built-in shelves and a walk-in cupboard.

“You have a lot of trophies but otherwise, you don’t have much stuff,” Charlie commented, walking around the room before picking up one of Nick’s rugby trophies and examining it. “This is so great.” 

“Thanks,” Nick replied. “When Jared moved in, I got rid of loads of clutter to make space for his things and never filled the space up again after he left.”

Charlie put the rugby trophy back on the shelf and took a seat on the bed. He unzipped his boots, kicked them off, and then lay down, before patting the space next to him. Nick kicked his own boots off, and lay down next to Charlie on his side.

“Please don’t move to Bristol. Please move in with me,” Charlie whispered, turning onto his side to wrap his arms around Nick’s waist. “And even if you don’t want to move in with me, please don’t leave Bath. There will be a solution somewhere. We’ll find a way.”

“I do want to move in with you,” Nick replied, “but I’m just so worried that you’ll get sick of me. That you’ll find me overbearing or clingy when we’re dating and annoying when we’re at home, and then you’ll get pissed off with me at work and then—”

“Nick, stop. I’m worried too but none of those things will happen,” Charlie promised. “We’ve spent four months in each other’s pockets. That includes three weeks living together in Madrid, sixteen hour days getting the TICAE project done, four days sharing a room in Berlin. Late nights putting together everything for the Walters’ visit. And not once in that time did we get sick of each other, right?”

“Right,” Nick realised with a grin. “I’d probably realise that you needed space before you did!”

“You would,” Charlie agreed. “We know each other so well now.”

“How do we balance working together, living together and dating, though?” Charlie didn’t say anything straight away so Nick continued talking. “The stakes are really high if we fall out, Char. As well as losing you, I’d lose my home and my job in one go.”

“I know,” Charlie murmured. “And the stakes are high for me, too.”

“Yeah?”

Charlie leaned in and brushed Nick’s mouth with a kiss, before caressing his cheek with a thumb.

“I can’t go back to barely living. The way I was before wasn’t even half a life. I wasn’t like that just because I needed a PA to keep me functioning. It’s because I needed someone worth being my best self for. And I’m pretty sure that person is you.”

“Char…” Nick enveloped Charlie in his arms, and felt peace settle within him as Charlie’s lean legs tangled with his. “I feel that way, too.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-Two: Everything I Want

“Char, you don’t have to do the washing up,” Nick said, coming up behind Charlie and wrapping his arms around Charlie’s bare abdomen. “I don’t want you to ruin this hot-as-fuck top.”

“It’s only fair, Nick. You cooked.”

Charlie glanced at the huge amount of food leftover from the safe-food feast Nick had made for their dinner. He was pleasantly full after their slow, drawn-out, multi-course meal, and savoured the lingering taste of chocolate brownie on his tongue.

“Well, let me help.” Nick pressed his gentle lips to Charlie’s neck and kissed over his pulse point before inhaling deeply. “Hmm, you smell so good.”

“God…” Charlie melted back against Nick, dropping the plate he was holding into the bowl of soapy water. “You’re not actually helping here, sweetheart.”

“I know.” Nick continued caressing Charlie’s neck and shoulder with his mouth. “I just can’t resist you.” His fingers started playing with the drawstring bow at the base of Charlie’s top. “This little string has been teasing me all night.”

Nick loosened the string and slipped his hands underneath, but when the top rose above Charlie’s waist, he paused all of a sudden at the same time as Charlie himself stiffened.

“Um…”

“Sorry, I just…” Nick rested his chin on Charlie’s shoulder and dropped his hands to Charlie’s hips. “Got carried away.”

“Yeah,” Charlie agreed. “I’m not ready to be bare-chested in front of you yet. I just…”

Nick turned Charlie around and cupped his face.

“Shh, you don’t need to explain, darling,” he replied, stroking the back of Charlie’s neck. “We said we’d go slowly. Kissing’s still okay, though?”

“Yeah,” Charlie replied, leaning in for a short peck. “Now stop being a distraction and dry while I finish the washing up.”

After the dishes were dried and put away, Nick and Charlie sat down on the sofa to talk about Nick moving into the farmhouse.

“So I’ll take the room opposite yours, instead of the one next door,” Nick confirmed, “and I’ll use the main bathroom.”

“Yep,” Charlie agreed, swinging his legs over Nick’s lap. “Um what else? You pretty much sort out my groceries anyway, so just add what you need to the delivery, I guess.”

“Cool,” Nick said, threading his fingers through Charlie’s and bringing their joined hands over to his lap. “Can you text me your personal bank details so I can set up a standing order for the rent and bills?”

“Rent?” Charlie asked. “No, sweetheart, just bills.”

“What?” Nick turned so he was facing Charlie. “Char, I’ve got to pay rent!”

“Why?” Charlie asked, pulling his legs in and crossing them. “I don’t have a mortgage, so why should you pay rent?”

“Because… because…”

Charlie leaned forward and rubbed Nick’s lips and chin with his thumb.

“I’m not in the habit of taking money off people I care about for no reason,” he explained. “Let’s just split the bills, okay?”

“It’s not okay, Charlie,” Nick murmured. “I can’t take advantage like that.”

“You’re not.”

“But that’s what it feels like,” Nick replied, dropping his eyes. “If I’m going to move in, then I need to feel like I’m contributing.”

“But what would rent money be contributing to when the house is paid for?” Charlie asked. “Splitting the bills will be enough.” Nick still looked uncomfortable though, so Charlie thought of something else. “Okay, how about this? Pay me half of what you’re paying here for rent and bills.”

“Okay…?” Nick said warily. “It’s still too good a deal but I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming on?”

“There is,” Charlie replied with a smile. “Could you be responsible for our date nights while we do this slow-ish dating thing?”

“Oh?”

“I mean, if you left it to me, we’d be eating frozen pizza or cinnamon cereal out of the box because I’d either forget, or would get so paralysed by decision-making that I wouldn’t make any!”

“Well that is true,” Nick agreed. “And maybe we could take a trip together with the money I have leftover?” Suddenly Nick’s eyes widened. “Maybe it’s too soon to talk about holidays together, but it could be something we could plan for the future?”

A full, beaming smile overtook Charlie’’s face.

“I would love to go on holiday with you,” Charlie replied, and was rewarded by Nick pulling Charlie into his lap. 

“We travel so much though. Where would we go for a non-work trip?”

“Somewhere we can get to in a train or a car!” Charlie shot back.

“Good thought,” Nick laughed and kissed Charlie on the forehead. “Have I told you how clever you are lately?”

“Not for a few minutes, but that’s okay!” Charlie giggled. “Now, shall we put on a movie and make out?”

“Yes, please,” Nick agreed, stroking Charlie’s curls.

“Where’s your TV?” Charlie looked around the small living area. “I’ve only just realised there isn’t one in here.”

“I moved it to the bedroom,” Nick said. “Ever since Berlin I’ve watched it in bed before I fall asleep.”

“I see,” Charlie replied, thinking of how many times he had watched Little Miss Sunshine in bed since Berlin, remembering how safe it felt to sleep with Nick next to him. “So, shall we put on a movie in your bedroom and make out?”

Nick chuckled and nodded.

“Yes, please.”

They decamped to Nick’s room with their wine glasses, although Nick had barely had half a glass in preparation for driving Charlie home later.

“Any particular movie you want to watch?” Nick asked. “I only have the regular channels and Netflix, I’m afraid.”

“Something we can ignore,” Charlie murmured, lying down on the bed.

“I know.” Nick flicked through the Freeview channels and selected Magic Radio. “Grandad music. I love it!”

“Me too. You are a genius!”

“Takes one to know one,” Nick whispered, lying next to Charlie and rolling onto his side. “Come here.”

They spent the next hour or two just kissing, hugging and touching in between chatting about Nick’s move, the Walters, and the upcoming Dublin Project, which was slated for the end of September.

“You know, I’ve never been to Dublin,” Nick said, topping up Charlie’s wine glass with the last of the Cava. “I heard it’s supposed to be a great city.”

“It is, but expensive,” Charlie said, snuggling against Nick. He was sitting between his legs, his back to Nick’s chest, while Nick drew small circles on Charlie’s midriff with his thumb. “And we’re going to need more people there because we’re starting off both an office building and a warehouse at the same time.”

“Who’s on the team?”

“Amy, Connor, Aleena and Jay, plus April and the new intern, whose name I’ve forgotten--”

“Kerrie?”

“That’s the one,” Charlie replied, putting down his glass on the bedside table and covering Nick’s hand. “Judy and James, too.”

Behind him, Charlie felt Nick squirm and he sighed loudly, his warm breath tickling Charlie’s neck and ear.

“James...” Nick murmured. “Right.”

Charlie turned around between Nick’s legs and knelt up. “What about James?”

“I bumped into him this afternoon on the Royal Crescent. He was looking at flats,” Nick began. “To cut a long story short, and it was quite long—“

“Yeah, he can really talk!”

“He can,” Nick agreed. “Look, Char, he asked if you were single. I claimed Boss-Assistant Confidentiality. I was kind of annoyed, so I told him to ask you.”

“By ‘kind of annoyed’ you mean that he really pissed you off, don’t you?” Charlie realised.

“Yep,” Nick agreed with chagrin. “Not least because he assumed I was straight despite this.” Nick held up his wrist to show his watch with a braided strap in bisexual pride colours. “He totally talked over me when I tried to say I’m bi.”

“Were you jealous, sweetheart?” Charlie asked in a soft voice. He lowered himself down so he was lying on top of Nick, who wrapped his arms around Charlie and kissed his forehead.

“Yes,” he admitted. “I’ve never been hugely jealous in relationships before, Charlie, but when it comes to you, it’s like this roaring, possessive, green-eyed monster erupts within me. I felt the same way when that guy hit on you in the airport lounge, when Ben got to you in Berlin. All the times you got hit on in Madrid! I realise I sound crazy, but it’s how you make me feel.”

“I feel that way, too,” Charlie admitted, tucking his face into Nick’s neck. “I spent a lot of time thinking up reasons to fire April after I got it in my head that you liked her.”

“April?” Nick sounded incredulous. “But she’s like... a foetus! I hung out with her, Aleena and Jay for a couple of days and by God, they made me feel old.”

“I know, but when you said you were hanging out with her, I got that thought in my head and then started obsessing over it. Isaac corrected me though.”

“So you know she’s ace and categorically not interested in me or anyone else?”

“Yeah.”

“So no reason to be jealous.”

“Not of April, but there’s plenty of others. Don’t even get me started on all the people who stare at you when we walk down the street.”

“They’re staring at you, darling,” Nick murmured, his eyes half-hooded, “not me.”

“You called me darling,” Charlie mumbled, playing with the top button of Nick’s shirt. “I like it when you call me that.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Charlie undid Nick’s top button then ran his thumb between the dip at the base of Nick’s throat and the next shirt button. The skin was hot to touch, light pink with just a few hairs; stroking it released wafts of Nick’s delectable, manly, spiced scent.

Nick let out a low rumble, almost a growl, and Charlie felt one of his large, hot hands drift down his back.

“What would happen if I undid this button?” Charlie asked, pushing and pulling the next button.

“Find out.”

Charlie popped the button and ran his finger over the skin there. It flushed with his touch, and Nick’s rumbly growl appeared again. His hand moved lower, cupping Charlie’s satin-covered arse, then kneading it lightly.

“Fuck, that’s–” Charlie interrupted himself with a gasp as Nick’s thumb stroked the spot above his cleft in much the same way as Charlie had been stroking Nick’s chest.

“You like that,” Nick’s voice sounded hoarse. “Is it time to call you ‘baby?’”

“Yes,” Charlie hissed, as Nick’s thumb continued to explore the top of Charlie’s cleft.

“You’re mine now, baby,” Nick said, his voice slightly louder. He slid down the bed and moved Charlie fully on top of him in one swift move, then brought his other hand to Charlie’s arse too, squeezing both cheeks. “Not James’s, not Ben’s, mine.”

“I’m yours,” Charlie said, wriggling so he could press his lips to the small area of skin he had exposed. Nick adjusted his chin so it was just grazing the top of Charlie’s curls, a tiny touch, but another small action that made Charlie feel safe. “Can I...?”

“Can you what, baby?” Nick dropped his voice even lower, and kissed the shell of Charlie’s ear. “If you tell me what you want, I might just give it to you.”

I want to forget slow and be fucked hard , Charlie wanted to say. All his base instincts wanted Nick to spread him out naked on the bed and pound him into next week with his cock.

“I want you to touch me, get me off,” Charlie said boldly. “I realise it’s not slow like we agreed, but that’s what I want, and I’m putting it out there.”

“Fuck slow,” Nick growled. “How am I supposed to keep my hands off you when you’re this fucking hot?”

“You aren’t,” Charlie replied. “Please, Nick.” He widened his eyes and fluttered his lashes. “Please, I need you.”

Nick took a deep breath.

“Okay, I’ll touch you, darling,” Nick said. “Any no-go areas?”

“You can touch me anywhere, but can my t-shirt stay on?”

“Of course. Stand up for me?”

Charlie stood up and turned to face Nick who sat on the end of the bed. He stroked the strip of bare skin between Charlie’s top and satin trousers, then dropped a small kiss over his navel.

“Hmm,” Charlie sighed, and stroked the back of Nick’s head. “Feels so good.”

“You taste good,” Nick murmured. “Let’s see how you feel.”

He pulled at the top button of Charlie’s trousers. His hot fingers caressed the top of Charlie’s dark happy trail. Instead of dipping lower though, he then stroked up, gently pressing and stroking the lean expanse of Charlie’s upper abdomen and his chest.

Charlie had to place his hands on Nick’s shoulders as he sagged with the pleasure of Nick’s touch.

“Feels good,” he mumbled. “I’m getting so hard for you.”

“I want to see,” Nick whispered. He took hold of Charlie’s trousers and shimmied them down his hips. “Oh holy fuck, look at that.”

Nick was now at eye level with Charlie’s straining erection, trying to escape from his flimsy black thong. He ran his hands up Charlie’s thighs, and then cupped his bare arse.

“You have big hands,” Charlie found himself saying before wishing he hadn’t. It sounded stupid.

“All the better to touch you with,” Nick shot back, winking as he squeezed Charlie’s firm flesh, stroking a knuckle between his cheeks. Charlie sighed and ran his hands through Nick’s floppy fringe.

“You really get me, don’t you?” he whispered. “We clicked from day one.”

“Day one,” Nick repeated. “Minute one.”

“Yeah,” Charlie agreed.

Nick started pressing kisses along Charlie’s happy trail and then plunged his fingers behind Charlie’s thong.

“I love that you’re not bare here,” he murmured, losing his fingers in the luxurious pile of thick, short curls Charlie groomed but never waxed away. “I need to see more.”

He pressed his thumbs along the V of Charlie’s hipbones and pulled down his thong. When Charlie’s cock sprang out, Nick gasped, which made Charlie even harder. Nick then leaned across to the bedside table drawer and pulled out a bottle of lube.

“Your cock is gorgeous, Charlie, just like you,” he mumbled. However, instead of touching Charlie, he stood up and started taking off his own trousers.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“Getting comfortable,” Nick stated. Now in his boxers, he sat back against the bed’s headboard, and patted the space between his legs. “Take your trousers and thong off completely and come here, baby.”

Nick’s tone was deep, low and commanding, and Charlie nearly went dizzy from the arousal.

“Yes…” Charlie had to stop himself from saying ‘boss.’ “Yes, Nick.”

He made a show of pulling his trousers off, before manoeuvring himself to sit between Nick’s legs.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.”

Nick lubed up one of his hands, took hold of Charlie’s cock and pushed lightly on his groin with the other so Charlie’s bare arse was flush against Nick’s boxers-covered hard-on.

“You’re so fucking beautiful it blows my mind, Charlie.”

“Nick!” Charlie keened, then gasped when Nick started to tug him slowly. “Oh my God, your hand’s so big, and fuck! That feels amazing.” Charlie’s head flopped forward with pleasure and he couldn’t help but gyrate against Nick’s erection. “And you feel so big against my arse, and hot and... wow!”

“You’re pretty vocal, aren’t you?” Nick whispered with a throaty, hoarse voice.

“Uh-huh,” Charlie agreed. “I’ve wanted you for so long, Nick. You’re so clever and handsome and strong and kind, and you look after me, and that’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a man and–”

“Everything?”

“Hmm, yeah.”

Nick’s suddenly exploded against Charlie’s rear just as Charlie climaxed over his hands.

“Oh fuck, Charlie... fuck!”

Nick slid further down the bed with Charlie on top of him. After a minute, Charlie, feeling loose and floppy and blissed out, turned onto his front.

“You okay?”

“Other than coming in my pants like a schoolboy,” Nick replied, “I’m good, Char. You?”

Charlie giggled, and leaned up to kiss Nick on the side of his mouth. “I am so good. Kind of giddy, actually.”

Nick’s eyes were bright and shining, his inviting mouth rosy and wet. Charlie cupped his jaw and kissed him full on the mouth.

“In case you weren’t sure, you’re everything I want too, Charlie,” Nick whispered when they broke apart. “Everything.”

--

A gentle buzzing irritated the edges of Nick’s sleep-addled mind but he couldn’t work out where it was coming from. He lifted his head to find his face surrounded by soft, fluffy curls, and a beautiful lean body being spooned by his.

“Nick, shut it off,” that body whined. “Too early!”

Charlie wriggled against him, making Nick very aware of two things: his morning wood and its proximity to Charlie’s perfect, peachy arse.

The buzzing stopped but immediately started again. Nick propped himself up on one elbow to see the source of the nuisance.

“Ni-ick!”

“I think it’s your phone, Char,” Nick murmured, spotting Charlie’s phone on the pillow next to him. He reached over. “Elle’s calling you, darling.”

“No. Not happening.”

Nick laughed and dropped a kiss on the top of Charlie’s head before cancelling the incoming call.

“I thought Brat Charlie came out only when you were drunk.”

“Nope,” Charlie replied, rolling over onto his back with his eyes still closed. “Sleep and attention-deprivation can make him show up too.”

“Attention-deprivation?” Nick replied with a laugh. “What kind of attention do you need, baby?”

Charlie’s eyes shot open instantly.

“What’s, uh... on the menu?”

The distant sound of Nick’s phone ringing from the living area interrupted them yet again.

“For fucks’ sake!” Nick kissed Charlie on the cheek and got up. “I’m gonna throw both our phones into the river.”

He retrieved the phone and returned to Charlie who was sitting cross-legged on the bed. It was only then that he realised Charlie was wearing his Avengers t-shirt and an old pair of joggers that had been hanging on the back of the bathroom door. Nick had changed into clean boxers the previous night but he had still been wearing his shirt; his cufflinks were now on the side.

“Was it Elle?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah. When did you change into my PJs?” he mumbled. “And did you take my cufflinks off?”

“About 2am,” Charlie said. “I woke up because I was cold and you were totally out of it. You looked a bit uncomfortable, so I took your cufflinks off.” Charlie bit his lip and blinked a couple of times. “I hope it’s okay that I borrowed these.”

Nick’s morning wood made it known that he very much appreciated seeing Charlie in his clothes.

“Very okay,” Nick replied. “You look so cute.”

Nick put his phone down on the bedside table next to Charlie’s and climbed back onto the bed. Charlie opened his arms and Nick lifted him onto his lap.

“Good morning,” Charlie murmured, cupping Nick’s face to give him a sweet kiss. “Sorry I was bratty when I woke up.”

“Sorry I fell asleep so early.”

“No sorries, sweetheart.”

“You started it.”

They both laughed and Nick leaned in for a deeper kiss. Charlie was happy to oblige, sliding his tongue against his while cupping the side of his face. Nick was just starting to slide his hands down Charlie’s back when his phone rang, yet again.

“That’s Elle again, isn’t it?” Charlie murmured. “Shall I just call her? It must be something important if she’s calling so early…” He glanced at his own phone. “Fuck, it’s 11am! I was supposed to meet them for brunch at 10.30!”

“We slept for twelve hours?”

“Apparently so!”

“Char, I’m so…”

Charlie clamped a hand over Nick’s mouth.

“No, don’t say it!”

“I kind of want to say it!” Nick retorted. “You’re late because of me. I fell asleep and didn’t take you home like I said I would.”

“I’m late because we needed the lie-in,” Charlie replied. “All the work we did for the Walters’ visit caught up with us.”

“True,” Nick agreed. He picked up Charlie’s phone. “Call her, Char.”

Nick sat back against the headboard and patted the space between his legs. Charlie nestled against him, and rested his head against Nick’s chest, but not before a wiggle that put his perfect behind right up against Nick’s still-present morning wood.

“Well, that’s nice,” Charlie whispered, wriggling against Nick’s hard-on once again. “For me?”

“Of course for you, baby,” Nick replied. “Now hurry up and call Elle.”

Elle was predictably pissed off when Charlie phoned her back. Although he didn’t have the phone on speaker, Nick could hear every word.

“They gave our table away, Charlie!” she cried. “I know you had a hot date last night, but couldn’t you have phoned to let us know you were going to be late?”

Nick had an idea just then. He picked up his phone and began tapping on his notes app.

“I didn’t know I was going to be late, Elle,” Charlie said. “Nick and I just woke up now when you rang. I’m so sorry they gave the table away. I know how hard it is to get a reservation at Green Park on a weekend.”

“Charlie, we could have met in Starbucks and I would have been happy,” she said, her voice flat. “I just wanted to catch up, you know, spend some time with my oldest friend. Between all your travel, work, and now your new man, I never see you anymore.”

“Me too, Elle. I miss you too,” Charlie replied. “It’s hard not seeing you every day.”

Nick tapped him on the shoulder then, and showed him the note on his phone.

Invite Elle, Tao and the twins to the farmhouse in an hour or two. I’ll turn the leftovers from last night into a brunch spread on the terrace. I can make myself scarce afterwards if Elle wants alone-time with you.

Charlie leaned back and kissed Nick’s shoulder by way of assent.

“Look, why don’t you all come over to the house in a while? We’ll do brunch on the terrace,” Charlie suggested to Elle. “It’s supposed to be a really sunny day. I even have a paddling pool in the garage somewhere that we could put the twins in.”

“Why do you have a paddling pool?” Elle asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. “You live by the river.”

“One of Darcy’s madcap ideas. I forget what,” Charlie replied. “So what do you say?”

“Will Nick be there?”

Charlie covered Nick’s hand, which was resting on his thigh.

“Up to you,” Charlie said, “but make no mistake, the food will be his doing, not mine.”

“Thank God!” Elle exclaimed. “Although bacon is one of the few things you can make.”

“True, but Nick does that better than me too.”

Nick responded to that by dropping soft kisses along the back of Charlie’s neck.

“It would be really nice to spend some time with Nick too,” Elle said, and Charlie could hear the smile in her voice. “What time should we come over?”

“One o’clock?” Charlie replied. “We’re still at Nick’s and we need time to get back, freshen up and make the food.”

“Great! One o’clock it is!”

An hour later, they were on their way back towards Avoncliff. Charlie was still wearing Nick’s Avengers t-shirt and his joggers, which were far too big for him; he looked so cute that Nick was having a hard time keeping his hands on the steering wheel of his ancient Fiat Punto. Just as they were pulling into the village, Charlie’s phone started pinging with a series of texts.

“Everything okay?” Nick asked, rubbing Charlie’s knee.

“Yeah…” Charlie tapped at his phone quickly then looked up. “Aled, Dan and Isaac have heard about brunch too, and are asking to come.”

Then his phone started ringing.

“Who’s that?”

“My sister,” Charlie replied with a slight eye-roll. “I swear, sweetheart, we need to put in a phone-free day or something… Hey Tori. I’m putting you on speaker so you’re talking to me and Nick.”

“What’s this about brunch at your house?” she barked. “Why didn’t you invite us?”

“God, how did you hear about that?” Charlie asked. “It was impromptu because I missed my brunch date at Green Park with Elle and Tao when Nick and I slept in.”

“Oh,” Tori sounded somewhat mollified. “I hadn’t realised that you guys already had a brunch planned. Darcy just texted Elle to find out what they were up to, and she said she was going to yours.”

“I’d invite you but Elle was pissed off that I missed brunch. We haven’t hung out much recently between all my travels and the babies.”

“Hmm…” Tori murmured. “I’ll call you back.”

“Wait, Tori!” But she was already gone. “Crap.”

“What?” Nick asked, glancing at Charlie, whose eyebrows were now furrowed. “Darling?”

“I think… I think that Tori, Michael and Darcy will be coming to brunch too,” he said. “I bet she’s on the phone to Elle right now.”

“Does this happen often?” Nick asked. “Your friends and family inviting themselves over if one or two are coming?”

“Yeah,” Charlie admitted. “Because we all work such crazy schedules, we do kind of have an unwritten rule of ‘come one, come all.’ And Darcy and Tori drop in unannounced all the time.” He turned to Nick and placed a hand on his thigh, his little finger catching the edge of his denim shorts. “But now you’re moving in, I’ll talk to them about that.”

Nick suddenly missed his mum acutely. Before her deployment with the charity, they used to see each other every month at least, with Sarah often spontaneously coming over for the weekend. He missed his dad too, despite his criticism and heteronormative ideas. They used to get on well, playing or watching rugby, going to the cinema or out for dinner to try new restaurants in Paris or London. Nick, however, never missed his bigoted brother David, and felt a tiny stab of envy at how close Charlie and Tori were.

“They can still drop by,” Nick murmured. “I like that your family and best friends feel comfortable to do so, but do you like it?”

“Actually, I do, most of the time,” Charlie said. “It makes me feel loved, and let’s face it, if left to my own devices, I’d go months before I realised I hadn’t seen them.”

“True,” Nick agreed, turning into Charlie’s driveway. “But you’re getting much better,” he added.

Nick parked the car and picked up the tray of leftovers and Charlie’s bag from the backseat, while Charlie opened the front door. Once they were in the kitchen, Charlie jumped up onto the kitchen island and opened his arms.

“Nick.”

Nick didn’t hesitate to drop the food and slide into Charlie’s embrace.

“You all right, Char?” he asked. “Feeling a bit overwhelmed?”

“Yeah.” Charlie wrapped his arms and legs around Nick and buried his face in his shoulder. “Little bit. I thought we were going to get a relaxing morning together, but instead we're rushing into a busy afternoon.”

"It's okay, darling. You're okay,” Nick replied, brushing the back of Charlie’s head with his fingers before kissing the side of his head. “Talk to me.”

“We just had an amazing date, and I don’t want it to be over, yet,” Charlie mumbled. “I want to be alone with you a little longer.”

“What would we be doing… if we hadn’t been woken up by Elle’s call?”

“Well,” Charlie replied, letting his hands drift down to Nick’s hips. “Last night you touched mine, but I didn’t get to touch yours.”

Nick felt a rush of heat as he scooped his hands under Charlie’s arse and squeezed.

“Well, this part of you did,” he laughed. “You can really move this cute bum, baby.”

“God, the things I want you to do to me,” Charlie groaned.

Nick was the one groaning then; he pulled Charlie closer and captured his sweet, soft lips. Charlie reacted straightaway, rolling his tongue into Nick’s mouth. He tasted of toothpaste and a hint of the coffee they’d drunk before leaving Nick’s.

“I want to do everything with you, baby, in time,” Nick gasped in between their kisses, moving his hands under Charlie’s t-shirt. “Everything you want, it’s going to be yours.”

“Do you think the gang would entertain themselves while you take me upstairs?" Charlie asked, locking his ankles just under Nick’s arse.

“No, we wouldn't”.

Nick and Charlie turned to see Tori and Darcy in the doorway. Behind them stood a tall, gangly man with thick, square glasses and wild, frizzy brown hair.

“Err, hi,” Nick said. He tried to separate from Charlie but found himself trapped by Charlie's ankles locked behind him. “Umm…”

“Michael, that’s Nick,” said Tori, putting a box of fresh fruit, vegetables and other groceries next to the tray of leftovers on the side. “Nick, this is Michael, my husband.”

“Nice to finally meet you, mate!” cried Michael, walking into the kitchen and heading to the fridge. “D’ya have some beer in here, Charlie? I bought a crate, but it’s not cold.”

“Yeah, I put a six pack in yesterday. Most of them should still be there. Charlie didn’t want to be bloated for his date yesterday,” Darcy said. “And quite right, too. That outfit was smoking!”

“I’m making shakshuka with flatbread, pigs in blankets and some salads, and we’ve got blueberry muffins and berry granola pots leftover from yesterday’s event,” Tori said. “Don’t worry, I’ll do you a portion of shakshuka sauce with an omelette, Charles.”

Nick's head spun slightly at the onslaught of conversation from Tori, Michael and Darcy. 

“We have Nick’s leftovers from last night too,” said Charlie, not making any move to leave Nick’s arms. “Tortilla, Spanish ham, a massive pan of pasta, cinnamon rolls and chocolate brownies.”

“Great stuff,” Michael said, popping the caps off all the remaining beer bottles in Charlie’s fridge. He passed two to Tori and Darcy. “Did you guys want a beer?”

“Oh, uh…” Nick glanced at Charlie, who caught his eye and smiled softly before gripping Nick’s bicep. “Sure.”

“Yes, please,” agreed Charlie. “Nick and I just need to freshen up though…”

“Oh, no, Charlie,” Darcy interjected, hopping up on the kitchen island next to them. “’Freshen up’ means hook up, and while you know I’m always supportive of hanky-panky, Tori and I are working this evening so we don’t want to wait for you to fuck before we have brunch.”

“Darcy!” Charlie buried his head in Nick’s neck. “I am so sorry about my family.” He looked up. “They’re not normally this embarrassing!”

“Darcy has a point, Charles. Go upstairs and wash up.” Tori put her hands on her hips. “Nick, I need a sous-chef.”

“Sure.”

Although Nick was reluctant to let go of Charlie, he felt a pip of excitement at the thought of cooking with a chef as talented as Tori again.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Charlie murmured, but then dropped his voice lower. “Later, though?”

“Definitely,” Nick whispered into his ear, kissing Charlie’s cheek. “Come on you.”

He lifted Charlie off the island with a spin, causing Charlie to giggle, and dropped a kiss on his forehead.

“I’ll be back in like, fifteen minutes,” Charlie said, his arms loose around Nick’s waist.

“Hurry back…” Nick replied, “darling.”

Charlie blushed and dropped his gaze before grinning. Nick was about to pull Charlie in for another kiss when Tori’s voice cut in.

“Charlie!”

“Okay, okay, I’m going.”

--

By the time Charlie returned downstairs, fresh out of the shower and wearing black shorts and a grey linen shirt, there was a full buffet of food on the kitchen island but no people. Charlie headed outside to find his nearest and dearest gathered on the terrace. Nick was talking to Michael who was holding one of the twins tucked under his arm, a bit like he was a rugby ball. Elle, Aled, and Dan were sitting at the table talking to Tori and Tao while Darcy and Isaac were sitting on a picnic blanket playing with the other baby.

“There he is,” Michael called out, lifting up the baby, who giggled and waved his arms. “Jonah here was just asking where Uncle Charlie got to!”

“That’s Dylan, Mike,” called out Tao. “You all right, Charlie?”

But Charlie was distracted. His eyes immediately went to Nick who grinned back. He held up a bottle of beer and pointed it in Charlie’s direction, one eyebrow raised. Charlie nodded and walked over to Nick’s side.

“Thanks,” he murmured, taking the beer bottle and clinking it to Nick’s. “You okay?”

“Your sister had me prep all the vegetables for the shakshuka. I’ve never chopped so fast. I can’t feel my fingers now!” Nick said, running his hand behind Charlie and tapping his waist. Charlie instinctively curled against him. “It was awesome!”

“Aww, you love veg prep,” Charlie said. He looked at the group. “He finds it relaxing—”

“I find it relaxing—"

Nick and Charlie laughed. “Haha, snap!” they said in unison.

Nick wrapped his arms around Charlie’s waist and dropped a kiss on his forehead.

“Missed you,” Nick added.

“Uh-hum!” Charlie and Nick looked over to the sound of Tao clearing his throat. “So you two are fully a thing now?”

“Tao, they’ve been a thing for longer than they even realise they’ve been a thing,” Isaac called over.

“Amen!” cried Darcy, bouncing Jonah on her knee before blowing a raspberry on his cheek. “Instant chemistry.”

“How long have you been officially a thing, though?” Dan asked, taking hold of Aled’s hand. “Was it Berlin?”

“Yes,” agreed Nick, smiling down at Charlie. “But I’ve had feelings for you since Madrid.”

“I don’t think you told me that,” Charlie replied, unable to contain the beaming smile that overtook his face. Had he ever been this happy? “But same.”

“Nana-nana!” interrupted Jonah suddenly. “Mama, nana!”

“Nana!” echoed Dylan.

“Oh lordy,” Elle said, standing up to rifle in the nappy bag. “Tao, did you pack the bananas?”

“Oh crap.” Tao clapped a hand over his mouth. “I left them in the fruit bowl.”

“Nana! Nana!” the twins chanted in unison.

“We’ll come up with something, kiddos,” Tao muttered.

“One-thirty is ‘Nana time,’” Elle explained. “You can set your watch by them.”

“Hang on a sec. I might be able to help!” Nick let go of Charlie and disappeared into the kitchen. 

All eyes turned to Charlie.

“So what’s it going to mean for work now that you and your hot assistant are getting it on?” Aled asked, taking a sip of his beer with his free hand. 

Charlie’s mouth went dry. He gulped at his beer but then coughed as the fizz hit the back of his throat.

“We’re still boss and assistant when we’re working,” Charlie said, “but otherwise, we’re dating.”

“What if you break up?” Tao replied, standing up to take an increasingly fussy Jonah from Michael. 

“I can’t even begin to think about that,” Charlie admitted. “This is the happiest I’ve been in a long time, and it’s almost all to do with that man in there who’s raiding the kitchen looking for fruit for your babies.”

“Okay, well, as long as you guys are taking things slowly and checking in regularly,” Tao replied warily.

“Tao Xu!” Elle called out as Darcy brought a wailing baby over to her. “Don’t even try to give Charlie ‘take it slow’ relationship advice. You and I went from friends to flirting to shagging in the copier room within a week.”

“WHAT?!” cried Charlie, Dan, Aled, Michael and Darcy, while Tori and Isaac rolled their eyes.

“Hey, what did I miss?” said Nick, coming back through with a platter of fruit, including strawberries, blueberries, apple slices and a banana cut into two pieces. “Is this okay for the twins? There was only one banana ripe enough to eat.”

“Oh my God, Nick, that’s amazing!” Elle cried. “Boys, look what Uncle Nick brought you!”

Jonah and Dylan stopped fussing and immediately reached for the plate. Jonah went for the banana, but Dylan picked up a strawberry and an apple slice, and tried to jam both of them into his mouth at the same time. “While they’re occupied, should we eat too?” suggested Michael. “I’m starving.”

There was a chorus of assent and everyone headed inside to grab a plate from the buffet spread.

“Charlie,” Darcy said quietly as they waited for their turn at the buffet, “what’s happening with Nick moving in?”

“We agreed on a plan last night: which room he’s going to take, how we’re going to split the bills and groceries. That kind of stuff.”

“What do you mean, ‘which room?’” Darcy scoffed.

“He’s going to take the front-facing spare room because the wall between my room and the other one is pretty flimsy,” Charlie explained. “We found that out on Thursday night.”

“You can barely keep your hands off each other though,” Darcy pointed out. “One hundred quid says he doesn’t spend a single night in that room.”

“Who doesn’t spend a single night in what room?” Michael asked, coming up next to Darcy to take the salad cream bottle she was holding.

“What’s that?” asked Aled, who was going to the fridge for more beer. “Sounds interesting. What are you talking about?”

“Um…” Charlie froze. “Uh…”

“Why are you making that face, Charles?” Tori put her plate down and gave Charlie her most pointed stare.

“Darcy bet Charlie a ton that someone ‘doesn’t spend a single night in that room,’” Michael repeated cheerfully, before dowsing his green salad in salad cream and handing the bottle back to Darcy.

Panicked, Charlie looked at Nick, who instantly put his plate down and came to stand next to him.

“Charlie, what’s going on?” asked Elle softly from the doorway to the terrace, holding Dylan, who had mashed strawberries all over his mouth.

“Well…” Charlie began, looking up at Nick, who took his hand and threaded their fingers together. “So Nick’s being evicted from his flat and wasn’t having much luck finding a new place…”

“Charlie offered me a spare room here until I can find somewhere,” Nick continued. “We’re going to be housemates from the end of the month.”

The room went so silent Charlie could hear baby Dylan breathing from across the kitchen. Charlie took in their surprised faces, their darting eyes and mouths dropped open, their plates paused in mid-air.

“Oh God,” he mumbled, burying his head in Nick’s chest. Nick enveloped him in his arms. “They’re all freaking out.”

-cXc-

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-Three: More Than Synergy

“Bloody hell, what have you got in this box? Rocks?” Charlie asked Nick as he huffed and puffed his way into the kitchen. He dropped it on the dining table and plopped himself onto one of the bar stools by the kitchen island, before wiping the sweat off his brow with the hem of his t-shirt.

“Those are my cookbooks,” Nick replied, coming up behind him with a box of kitchen equipment. He deposited it on the kitchen island. “Thanks for helping. It’ll be much easier to move my furniture over with the van tomorrow if I don’t have loads of small boxes to deal with too.”

“You’re welcome.” Nick reached across the kitchen island. Charlie slipped his fingers into his palm before stroking his thumb across his knuckles. “So what are we doing for our date this evening?”

“I thought we could make the most of this new heatwave and have a barbeque by the river. I spotted a portable one in the garage.” Nick replied.

At Nick's words, Charlie realised that he hadn’t thought about avoiding eating, or thinking about the lowest calories he could get away with, since before Berlin. He grinned at Nick, who picked up his hand and brushed the back of it with a soft kiss.

“Sounds perfect. What are we eating?” he asked.

“How about sweet chilli chicken, and we can grill some courgettes and peppers, too?”

“Great. We could put them on some nice flatbreads with hummus?” Charlie added. “Like a kebab?”

Nick beamed at Charlie’s suggestion.

“Perfect.”

That evening, Nick dug out the portable barbeque and charcoal briquettes from the garage and brought them down to the riverbank while Charlie carried the food, drinks and picnic blanket. A hazy, warm, red sun was just starting to descend, dappling the water with ripples of pink. Nick, dressed in a pair of black shorts and no top, threw down the blanket and fished out two beers from the cooler.

“I can’t quite believe that this is where I live now,” Nick said, handing Charlie his drink and then dipping his bare foot in the water. “Ooh, cold!”

“It’s very refreshing to swim in. You should try it some time.”

“I’m not the most confident swimmer,” Nick confessed. “Certainly not well enough to swim in flowing water. Slow breaststroke in a pool where I can touch the bottom – that’s my jam.”

Charlie, who had learnt to swim at four, looked at him incredulously.

“How come? You’re so sporty. I’d have thought it would come naturally.”

“I never had the opportunity to learn when I was little. My dad left when I was five and he didn’t contribute anything for a few years. Mum didn’t have the money, even on a doctor’s salary, to pay for the childminder and extras like swimming lessons. By the time she could afford them, I was fully into rugby,” Nick told him. “I didn’t learn until Sahar decided to make me when we were twenty so we could make use of her uncle’s house in The Lake District. I managed to get waist-deep into Lake Windermere but despite the lessons I never swam in it.”

“Have you spoken to your dad since your argument?” Charlie asked, lighting up the coals before coming to stand next to Nick at the water’s edge.

“No,” Nick said, smiling at Charlie when he wrapped his arm around his waist. “But we’re texting again, so it’s getting better.”

“It sounds like he wants the best for you but you differ in opinion as to what that is.”

“I’d like to think that’s what he wants, but I just don’t know.”

“What about your mum? When was the last time you spoke to her?”

“God, I miss her,” Nick admitted. “I haven’t spoken to her since just before we went to Berlin because she’s travelling between villages without much signal. She sends me emails and photos when she can, though, and she’ll call whenever she gets to a city with WIFI.”

“When is she coming back?”

Nick sighed.

“She’s not sure. She’s hoping for Christmas, but it might not be until March,” Nick explained. “She committed to a two year deployment with the charity.”

”And your brother?”

“David lives in Dubai; we don’t speak unless Mum makes us because of his blatant biphobia.” Nick took a long drink from his beer. “How were your parents when you told them I was moving in?”

“I haven’t actually told them yet,” Charlie admitted. “I made Tori, Michael, and Darcy promise not to blab until I’m ready.”

“They don’t know I’m living here?”

“They don’t actually know we’re going out.” Charlie looked sheepish. “I decided to wait to tell them, especially after the way Tori reacted. But they’re coming into town for the Bank Holiday art fair. Maybe I should get them to swing by for coffee.”

“Monday’s not going to work, Char. We are on the 9.42 train to London for the RIBA Training Standards Committee meeting Monday afternoon. Remember, they had to schedule it on the Bank Holiday because otherwise they’d miss the deadline set in the terms of reference.”

“Oh yeah,” Charlie remembered with annoyance that he and Nick had to work on a holiday. “What are you going to do while I’m in the meeting?”

“Planning the Christmas party. Priya, Georgia, Sophie and I have a shared planning document going. Then we’ll need to speak to Darcy.”

“Darcy mentioned the Christmas party a while ago. I can’t believe you’ve got to plan it so early.”

“When I texted Darcy, she said they’ve already got three bookings for Christmas,” Nick replied. “Did Tori not mention it?”

“No, but we’ve not spoken or texted much,” Charlie murmured. “She’s still being a bit distant.”

Charlie recalled their standoff at brunch three weeks earlier.

***

“Well…” Charlie began, looking up at Nick, who took his hand and threaded their fingers together. “So Nick’s being evicted from his flat and wasn’t having much luck finding a new place…”

“Charlie offered me a spare room here until I can find somewhere,” Nick continued. “We’re going to be housemates from the end of the month.”

The room went so silent Charlie could hear baby Dylan breathing from across the kitchen. Charlie took in their surprised faces, their darting eyes and mouths dropped open, their plates paused in mid-air.

“Oh God,” he mumbled, burying his head in Nick’s chest. Nick enveloped him in his arms. “They’re all freaking out.” 

“He’s moving in?” Tori sounded incredulous. “You’ve only known each other for, like, four months.”

“And I thought you only just started dating,” said Tao.

“Yes, about a month ago.”

“This feels like too much, too soon,” Tao replied.

“Hey, fam, come on,” Darcy interjected. “Nick and Charlie have thought about this.”

“We have,” Nick replied. “We’ve planned out how it’s going to work. Work time, date time, and home time.”

“So when we arrived,” Michael began, “was that date time or home time? Because you guys looked like you were pretty much about to f—”

“Michael!” Tori’s voice was razor-sharp. She turned to Charlie. “He does raise a good point.  This is giving me major déjà vu, Charles.”

“What do you mean?”

“You met Ben in August, and by Christmas he was moving in,” she replied. “Four months. Sound familiar?”

“Nick is nothing like Ben!” Charlie cried, holding onto the arm that Nick had wrapped around his waist. “He’s always putting me first.”

“Because you pay him to!” Tori shot back. “And now he’s getting his hooks in because he knows when he’s onto a good thing!”

“Tori,” Michael jumped in, “that’s harsh.”

“You only met Nick today,” Tori snapped.

“And you’ve only met Nick a handful of times!” Charlie replied. “I can’t believe you’d say something like that when you don’t even know him yet.”

Brother and sister stared at each other, the silence in the kitchen only punctuated by the babbles and gurgles of Jonah and Dylan.

“Tori, we all know where your anxiety is coming from,” began Elle after a minute, “but you have to admit that Charlie’s doing so much better since Nick came onto the scene.”

“He has been on amazing form recently,” Isaac agreed. “Look, Nick and Charlie spend all their time together anyway. Him moving in here is just… geography.”

“We wouldn’t be shortlisted by the Walters Project if it wasn’t for Nick,” Charlie added. “He kept me functioning like a human throughout all of our design updates and kept the Walters’ visit running smoothly.”

“We got shortlisted?” asked Aled. “That’s brilliant.”

“Well done,” agreed Tao. “It was very well deserved after all that graft.”

“Wait ‘til they find out the other reason why you got shortlisted,” Tori muttered. “Is that why you asked him to move in?”

“God, Tori,” Charlie replied. “You are really on moo-form today.”

“’Moo-form?’” Nick asked.

“It’s Spring-speak,” Darcy replied. “He means that Tori is being a cow… because she is!”

“Jesus Christ, this is descending into chaos,” commented Dan. “What did Tori mean, Charlie?”

“The Walters found out that Nick and I are a couple, and they basically intimated that we’re shortlisted because they like the fact that Nick and I are together.”

“Just because this is a valuable contract, Charlie, it doesn’t mean you should force your relationship along by moving in together,” Tori stated, her voice slightly softer than before.

“That’s not why I offered, Tor,” Charlie replied. He looked up at Nick. “But I guess I did offer for selfish reasons.”

“There isn’t a selfish bone in your body, Char,” Nick murmured, placing a kiss at Charlie’s temple.

“Oh, but there is, sweetheart. I miss you when you go home at night, and now I won’t have to because you’ll be here.”

“It is very soon to be moving in though,” Aled pointed out. “What if Nick moved in with one of us?” he suggested, glancing over at Dan, who nodded. “We have a spare room, too. Then Nick would still be in Bath and close to you, but you’d be able to take dating at a slower pace.”

“Or ours,” added Tori. “We could put up with you for a couple of months until you find your own place.”

“Thanks,” Nick replied drily.

“I never use my study,” pitched in Darcy. “It’s small and painted pink, but if it suits you and Charlie better to live apart for the time being, I’m happy to help.”

“Thank you all for your offers,” Nick said. “I probably should have spoken about my living situation earlier, but I was embarrassed.” He stroked Charlie’s curls before cupping his face with one strong, warm hand. “What do you want, darling? I’ll go with whatever suits you best.”

Charlie stood on his tiptoes and kissed Nick gently before wrapping his arms around Nick’s neck. Nick held him tight and dropped his lips to Charlie’s ear.

“I mean it, Char,” he whispered. “I would love to stay here with you, but please don’t feel obliged to stick with your offer. There are other options.”

But Charlie knew exactly what he wanted. He leaned up again, kissed Nick’s jaw, and then turned around in his arms.

“Okay everyone, listen up.” He looked around the room at each of his loved ones as he gripped Nick’s hands which had locked around his middle. “I appreciate everyone’s opinions and offers, but Nick is staying with me, right here.” Tori opened her mouth, but Charlie kept speaking. “That’s what’s going to work best for us.”

“Oh my God, you are so bloody stubborn!” Tori replied. “Look, I think it’s too fast. I’m worried you’re getting taken advantage of and that you’ll be a complete mess when this goes tits-up.” She picked up a frying pan. “And that’s all I’m going to say on the matter. Now, did you want me to make you an omelette or what?”

“No thanks. I’ll just have some of Nick’s leftover tortilla,” Charlie replied, glaring at his sister through narrowed eyes.

“I see,” she muttered, dropping the pan. “Fine.”

***

“You okay, Char?” Nick asked. “You zoned out there for a minute. Are you missing your sister?”

“A little, I guess.” It was more than that, but he was still angry at Tori for not trusting his judgement. 

He turned into Nick who pulled him close and kissed his temple three times. 

“Come on, darling, let’s eat.”

An hour later, the sun was setting, casting a reddish-pink tint over the waters of the River Avon. Nick and Charlie, having finished their food, were lying on the picnic blanket simply sky-gazing, swapping stories and drinking their beers.

“I can’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed, even with my sister being weird about us,” Charlie admitted, propping himself on his elbows. “I don’t think I realised how much stress I put on myself about the Walters contract until the worry was taken away.”

“The feeling is mutual. Being in debt was awful, and I never, ever want to feel the panic again that came on when I thought I was going to be homeless. Thanks to you, I feel like myself again,” Nick murmured, rolling from his back onto his side. “But I still hate that I had to rely on you to get me out of that mess.”

Charlie rolled onto his side to face Nick.

“I don’t like that you fret about that. Can you talk to me some more about it?”

“I’ve always been independent, you know? My brother was quite happy to accept my dad’s guilt money. David let him pay for a car and uni and a deposit on a flat, but I wouldn’t. I’ve worked and paid for pretty much everything myself since I was sixteen,” Nick explained.

“Oh, sweetheart.”

“So can you understand why such a big part of me feels disappointed that I wasn’t able to get myself out of this situation? I wouldn’t have done it without such generous help from you.”

“I understand, Nick,” Charlie said, placing a hand on Nick’s hip. “But you did everything you could. You’ve been working steadily since we hired you in April, got promoted because you deserved it, and you’ve pulled yourself out of debt. It’s not your fault that your landlord sold the flat, that Jared leaving put your finances in a mess, or that the housing market is so ridiculous right now.”

“I suppose.”

“No ‘suppose’ about it.” Charlie asserted. “You walked into the role of my PA, having never done it before, and within a day you were doing it like a pro.”

“I don’t know whether it’s because I have an affinity for being a PA or whether it’s because I clicked instantly with you, but it does come naturally. We make a pretty great team.”

“We make a bloody fantastic team.” Charlie fished out his phone from the back pocket of his shorts and angled himself so he could get both his face and Nick’s into a photo. “Could we take some photos of us? I don’t think we have any together after Berlin.”

“True.” He nudged closer to Charlie, who snapped a couple of pictures. “Let me see?” He passed him the phone. “Huh. We look kind of cute, but I think we can do better.”

Nick held the phone up, scooted closer to Charlie, and took a photo as he kissed Charlie’s cheek.

“Let me have a look.” Charlie held his hand out for the phone, which Nick passed back. “That is better. We look together, like, together-together.”

Nick glanced at the photo and smiled, but shook his head.

“I think we can take an even more adorable picture of ‘together-together’…” He looked at Charlie’s mouth and then bit his lip, which caused Charlie’s heart to start thudding.

“Okay, show me.”

Charlie handed him the phone again. Nick ran his hand up Charlie’s side then pulled him in so their bodies were flush, Nick’s bare chest pressed against Charlie’s plain t-shirt. Nick leaned forward, and gently kissed Charlie’s lips, before covering his bottom lip and sucking it with more purpose. Charlie heard the click of the phone camera, but his body felt so aflame from Nick’s kiss that he couldn’t care about pictures anymore.

A moment later, the phone was on the ground behind them, and Nick’s free hand was cupping Charlie’s jaw as they kept kissing, trading tongues and lips and heat.

“God, I want you so much, Char,” Nick panted when they came up for air. “I want to feel every inch of you.” His large, hot hand played with the hem of Charlie’s t-shirt. “I love your body, this absolute ripper of a six-pack, your lean chest. I want to kiss every inch of your skin.”

Charlie desperately wanted that too, to feel Nick’s skin on his. And Nick’s eyes were huge and dark and so possessing. His strong words flooded Charlie with excitement and he rolled onto his back before holding his arms above his head.

“Yes.”

“Char, are you sure?”

“Yes,” Charlie replied boldly. “Take it off.”

In one swift, agile move, Nick was straddling Charlie, his thick knees pressing into Charlie’s lean hips. He took hold of Charlie’s grey t-shirt, pulled it off in one go, but left it gathered at Charlie’s wrists.

“You are so fucking beautiful, Char,” Nick hissed, sweeping his eyes over Charlie’s lean form. Charlie couldn’t help but turn his head to glance at the faint, silvery scars that graced his upper arms. The darkest, most permanent reminders of his past struggles. Nick caught him though.

“No, no, Charlie. Those are beautiful too. Every single inch of you is beautiful.”

“Nick…”

Nick leaned down and rested his elbows on either side of Charlie’s head, his face hovering just a couple of inches over Charlie’s. He was so close that Charlie could feel Nick’s heat enveloping him, his soft tummy just grazing his own, lean abdomen.

“Are these why you don’t like taking your top off?”

“They’re so ugly.”

“They aren’t ugly, baby,” Nick asserted, placing a kiss over the spot where Charlie’s shoulder met his upper arm. “One day, when you’re ready, I hope you can tell me the story about your lines,” he whispered into Charlie’s ear, “but nothing you could tell me would make me want you less.”

And then he was dotting butterfly kisses along Charlie’s sharp jawbone, then capturing his mouth for a soft, wet kiss that had Charlie melting into the blanket underneath them. He opened his mouth wider, hoping Nick would slide his tongue deep inside, but instead, Nick’s kisses drifted down his neck.

Blood pooled down into Charlie’s groin with every suck Nick made against Charlie’s heated skin. He started to lift his arms up so he could feel Nick’s thick biceps, but suddenly found his movement stopped by one of Nick’s hands grabbing the t-shirt that was still around his wrists.

“No, baby,” Nick replied, his voice low and gravelly. “Stay still.”

The feeling of not being able to move, yet being completely safe, turned Charlie on even more and a loud moan escaped his lips.  “Oh my God, Nick!”

Suddenly the heat, weight and scent of Nick was away from him, leaving Charlie cold. Confused, he sat up to find Nick off the blanket, kneeling on the grass and looking desperately worried.

--

“Charlie, I’m so sorry! I got carried away in the moment.”

Nick’s breaths were heaving through his body; he was so turned on that he could barely see, but hearing Charlie voice cry out was like a bucket of cold water being thrown over him.

“Why are you sorry? I was really enjoying that thing you were doing.”

“You were?” Nick dared to look up. Charlie looked stunning, ravaged and flushed, with wild hair and pink blotches all over his neck. “You said ‘oh my God, Nick’  and I thought I was upsetting you.”

Charlie shook his head.

“No, sweetheart.”

“Thank God,” Nick replied, relaxing a little before crawling back towards Charlie. “Where were we?”

But Charlie held a hand out and pressed it against Nick’s chest.

“You were really freaked out,” he murmured, “and now I’m kind of freaking out. What exactly did you think upset me?”

Nick sighed and rolled onto his back. After a moment’s hesitation, Charlie settled his weight half on top of Nick, and half onto the blanket.

“It was when I took hold of your wrists,” Nick explained. “When I told you to stay still and you said ‘oh my God,’ I thought that meant that you didn’t like me holding you in place.” He paused, searching Charlie’s face for a reaction, but the only thing he saw was Charlie looking back at him with his huge, kind, blue eyes. “I can get pretty assertive and it doesn’t always go down well.”

“Did Jared not like it?” Charlie asked, resting his chin on Nick’s chest.

Nick brushed away the unruly curls that had flopped over Charlie’s forehead, and stroked the skin he uncovered.

“He didn’t seem to mind it when we were together,” Nick said, “but when we were breaking up, he used it against me. And again in Berlin. Now I feel really self-conscious about it.”

“What about your previous partners?”

“It was a thing that came about just with Jared. We had just moved in together when I opened up about the things that turned me on. I never really let myself go in previous relationships; I held back, didn’t talk about what I actually wanted, and things would eventually fizzle.”

“Wow, no wonder it hurt so much when Jared threw it back at you,” Charlie commented.

“I just don’t want you to think that when I get all bossy, that you can’t say no.”

“Well, I liked you taking charge like that,” Charlie confessed. “It was hot!”

Nick felt some of the tension ease out of his muscles and he held the side of Charlie’s face before leaning up to kiss him slowly and wetly. Charlie grinned as they kissed, and then rolled onto his back and held his arms above his head.

“You’re ready to pick up where we left off?” Nick checked.

“Yes,” Charlie replied. “I promise I’ll stay still.”

“Good,” Nick growled, straddling Charlie once again.

He started with Charlie’s mouth, running the tip of his tongue along the inside of Charlie’s top lip, and then his bottom one, before slipping his tongue inside as he kissed him. A hot little hum escaped from Charlie as he delved deeper into the kiss, and he gently sank his weight down. Charlie immediately wrapped him in his arms and legs. Nick curled one of his arms behind him and picked up Charlie’s wrist, and held it lightly above Charlie’s head. Charlie immediately released his other arm and raised it, so Nick held that one too, linking their fingers together as they kissed.

He could tell Charlie was trying not to squirm, but his arousal was becoming evident as his hard member pressed against Nick’s hip, and his little hums and groans increased in frequency and pitch. Nick couldn’t wait to find out what he would sound like when he tasted his…

A drop of cool rain suddenly fell on Nick’s neck, followed swiftly by a rapid collection, as a sudden downpour interrupted them.

“What the fuck!” Charlie cried. Nick scrambled off him and Charlie got to his feet. “Grab the cooler and blanket. I’ll get the barbeque! Shit!”

Within moments, they’d managed to get everything inside, but they were absolutely soaked to the bone.

“Bloody British weather!” Nick moaned once they were in the kitchen. He picked up a clean tea towel from the basket under the sink and threw it to Charlie, before picking up one and drying his hair with it. “Are you okay, darling?”

“Yeah, just annoyed that our session got interrupted. “

“Twice,” Nick murmured. “Sorry about that.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing,” Charlie replied, coming around the kitchen island to stand in front of Nick, who immediately pulled him into his arms. “If we were further along, it would have been a bigger wrench to stop.”

“Good point,” Nick agreed. “Tea?”

“In a minute,” Charlie said, tucking his face into Nick’s neck.

“A recharge moment?” Nick ran his fingers up and down Charlie’s spine, and inhaled the unique mingling of his scents, his shampoo, his shower gel, his cologne and the smell of his coconut-scented sunscreen.

“Hmm, yeah,” Charlie mumbled before dropping a small kiss where his lips landed. “Have I told you that I love your smell, sweetheart?”

“Haha, I was just thinking the same thing,” Nick said, reciprocating Charlie’s kiss with one into his hair.

Charlie looked up, and then stood on his tiptoes to cup Nick’s face.

“Nick? You know how in tune we are?” Charlie whispered. “How in-sync we just always seem to be?”

“Yeah,” Nick replied, lifting Charlie up onto the kitchen counter and standing between his legs. Charlie wrapped his calves around Nick’s knees and crossed his ankles, in what was becoming a familiar position for them. “I think about that all the time. I love how we’ve been that way from Day One.”

“We probably should have talked more about sex before, especially after our last two date nights ended in us getting each other off.”

“To be fair, we’ve been distracted since then, between prepping for Dublin and the new rounds of bids, Aled’s party last weekend, and packing up my flat for the move.”

“True, and as we know I find it hard to focus on more than one thing at a time,” Charlie agreed. “I've made an assumption that you’re a top. Is that right? Nick nodded. “Always?”

“Pretty much, although I’ve experimented with bottoming before,” Nick replied. “You?”

“Almost always a bottom, although like you, I’ve dabbled in the other,” Charlie replied before moving his hands so they were pressing against Nick’s chest.

“So we’re compatible that way,” Nick murmured. “Good.”

“Very good,” Charlie echoed. “I’ve fantasised about you being inside me so many times.”

“Have you now?” Nick smirked.

Charlie went a fetching shade of pink, the hue climbing up his neck to his cheek.

“Um yeah,” he whispered. “I know we’re not quite there yet, but in case you didn’t know, I’m a sure thing…” He looked up at Nick from under his lashes and Nick felt a stab of guilt that he’d not let their intimacy extend past hand jobs, when Charlie clearly wanted more. “Well, now you know.”

“Not quite there yet, but we’re well on the way, baby,” Nick murmured. “I have to admit though, as much as I enjoy sex, I like that we’re on the same page when it comes to simpler stuff, like holding hands, hugs, making out.”

“Me, too,” Charlie agreed. “But I am pretty clingy.”

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being clingy, Char,” Nick replied. “Not with the right person.”