I wake up the next morning with Charlie in my arms. I smile, watching the slight falls of his chest as he breathes. He said a lot of things last night, some that have been stuck in my head all night.

He told me he loves me.

And I want so bad to believe it, I really do, but I need to know for sure before I say anything. He might not have meant it the way I want him to.

He shifts in my arms and I lace our fingers together. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Charlie replies, his voice mixed with sleep.

"How're you feeling?"

"Just tired, a little dehydrated."

"No hangover?" I ask, amazed. He was totally smashed last night.

"I stopped getting hangovers a long time ago." Charlie shrugs, playing with my chest.

"You gotta teach me that." I smirk. "What do you remember?"

"Sex." He thinks harder, his eyebrows coming together in concentration. "And that I'd never called you beautiful before aloud."

I blush. "Y-Yeah."

"You're beautiful." Charlie closes his eyes and cuddles back into me.

"Thank you." I kiss his temple. "So are you."

"Thank you."

"Charlie," I scoot so I can look him in the eye. "You told me you loved me."

Charlie's eyes widen slightly. "I... I did?"

"You said you want to get married."

He frowns. "I guess I did then."

"Did you..." I close my eyes, hoping my face doesn't betray me and show how hopeful I am. "Did you mean it?"

The blond pauses. "I... I don't know."

I nod and bury my face in his chest, dissatisfied with his answer. He doesn't know? What am I supposed to do with that? Should I be honest with him or keep lying? He's going to find out eventually, I can't keep this to myself forever.

I hate that he doesn't know. I guess this is how he felt when I was confused about whether or not I wanted to sleep with him. This is so much worse though.

"So my birthday is coming up." Charlie hums. "We should stay home and have sex all day."

"Is that what you want?" I ask, though the words are muffled by his skin. How can he just move on after saying something like that? Does he want to pretend it didn't happen? Shouldn't we talk about this?

"I just want you to spend it with me. I don't really care what we do."

"Of course I'll spend it with you. Full access to Ethan, no distractions." I force a chuckle, but I don't really feel it.

"Sounds like the perfect birthday." Charlie hums. "Having full access to the one and only Ethan Liam Dechart sounds like a dream come true."

"Sure is." I kiss his pectoral.

"How would you feel about me making that chicken wing meal we talked about way back when?"

I smile, pleased he remembered. "I'd love that."

"Then I shall. I'm also stuck between our brownies or our cookies. Which do you want today?"

"Brownies." I chuckle. "You should add your cum to them."

"What?!"

"Mhm, so I can taste you whenever I want."

"You can already do that, pretty much," Charlie says as he makes his way to make breakfast and thaw the chicken.

I groan and lay in bed for a few more minutes before pulling on a bathrobe and going to make myself some coffee.

Charlie waves at me in his own robe and signature fuzzy socks and slippers before pointing to a steaming cup of coffee. "I'm making pancake-muffin bites. Is that okay?"

"That's perfect." I smile.

"I'm glad." Charlie smiles and grabs various ingredients and sets them on the counter. "I already made the basic batter. Would you like to help with the rest?"

"Yes," I rub my hands together. "Put me to work!"

He giggles. "Cute." He shows me the batter. "So I make my pancake-muffin bites by making a spiced pancake batter. Then I pour a little layer into the muffin tins like so." He pours a little bit of the batter into each of the openings. "Now you can put some toppings in the center."

"Nice." I start topping the muffins.

Charlie places some semi-sweet chocolate chips in one of them, diced apple in some, and butterscotch chips in a few more before waiting for me to finish and then one by one, he layers more batter on top and then adds more toppings on the final layer in a pretty design, even sprinkling some cinnamon on the apple ones. "I hope you'll like them."

"They look delicious." I smile giddily.

Charlie grins and sticks them in the oven. "I like them because I can dip them in syrup and I can take them on the go. They also make a good amount, so I'll have them for a couple mornings."

"You're a genius." I kiss his cheek. "I'm gonna go shower up."

"Try not to think about me." He sticks his tongue out teasingly and pours himself some coffee.

"I can't ever stop." I wink and head into our bathroom to shower, shave, and brush my teeth. After I'm finished, I brush my hair out, leaving it natural, get dressed, and head back into the kitchen. I grab a mug and pour myself some coffee.

"Just in time for breakfast." Charlie giggles and pulls out the pan. "Which types do you want?"

"I want to try one of each, if I may." I walk over and check them out. "They smell amazing."

Charlie grabs two plates and makes a little syrup lake for each plate before putting an apple, chocolate chip, and butterscotch chip muffin on my plate before he grabs himself two apples and a chocolate chip one and heading to the bar with each plate.

I follow him and sit down.

He grins and starts to eat, occasionally looking at me and watching my reactions.

I grin and take a bite, moaning loudly. "Fuuuck, this is the best breakfast I've ever had." I quickly grab another one and try it.

Charlie lights up. "Thank you!"

"You're going to make me fat." I chuckle.

He pats my stomach. "I doubt that."

"You're right, I do value my gym time and working out with you." I wink.

"We should workout together one day."

"I'd love to." I smile and finish all my muffins. "Thank you, Charlie."

"You're welcome." He plays with my hair.

"What do you want to do today?" I ask, relaxing.

"Hmm... I dunno. What do you want to do today?" Charlie bats his eyelashes at me with a crooked grin.

I roll my eyes, amused. "If you want me, all you have to do is ask." I tell him, standing and turning him in his chair to face me.

"I just chose yesterday, Superstar."

"Hm. We could stay in today? Maybe invite the girls over if you want." I lean in and kiss his neck. "I'm just happy to be with you."

"Yeah. It'd be fun to have them over."

"Okay," I peck his lips. "Want some time to ourselves first or should I call them now?"

"Now is fine. We always have time to ourselves." Charlie kisses me back. "I'll just get dressed."

"Okay." I move away so he can get up and plop down on the couch, pulling out my phone and opening the group chat which Tony has been recently blocked from.

playdate at my house, w/ charlie

I get a response almost instantly from Scout.

ok. 🐍?

"Charlie!" I shout. "Can Scout bring her snake?"

"If she promises that they won't eat Momo!"

does your snake eat guinea pigs?

no. only assholes. 🚲🔜

I smile and shut off the phone. O'Malley hasn't responded but I can see that she's read the message so she'll probably be here. I relax and lie down on the couch, closing my eyes.

Charlie crawls into my lap wearing black ripped skinny jeans, a cropped purple sweater, and his beanie, his hair straightened and all of his metallic purple piercings in.

I open my eyes and smile, resting my hands on his hips. "Why do you always look so stunning?"

"I try." He grins.

I pull him down on top of me and just hold him. He smells clean, like his soap, and I add the smell to my collection of smells that remind me of him. I caress his back lightly and relax under his weight. "How do you feel about them now? My friends."

"Tony is still an asshole, but I love Scout and Carmen seems to be trying to be a better person." Charlie hums.

"Tony's not my friend anymore." I touch my chest where he'd broken my ribs. "And yeah, Scout is great. O'Malley may be a hard pill to swallow, but once you speak her language, she ain't so bad." I ruffle his hair.

"I hope she likes me." He hums and curls up more into me.

"Me too. I'm sure she will, especially after everything you've done for her. She had her first appointment with that lawyer recently. She said it gave her hope for the first time in a long time."

"I'm glad." Charlie's eyes moisten up, but he doesn't cry, instead just buries himself even more into me.

"Thank you for helping her." I hold him close. "You're so kind, Charlie. Too pure for this cruel world." I chuckle, though I do mean it.

"You're so mushy." He giggles, his voice muffled by our proximity.

"I gotta make up for all the mush you dumped on me last night." I kiss him.

He bites me. "When are they going to be here?"

"Soon." My eyes flutter closed. "You... you can leave marks... if you want."

"You can leave marks too, as long as you aren't obnoxious about it." He giggles against my skin and starts biting again.

I moan softly, smiling genuinely. I remember the day he told me he didn't like marks, but now he's allowing them. Now that he's only with me. "Don't worry," I bare more of my neck to him. "I don't plan on owning you or anything like that."

"That's nice." He starts to suck.

"Mhm," I close my eyes, moving my hand up to his hair.

Charlie kisses my neck and looks at his work before grinning. I smile back, wishing I had a mirror. I press my lips against his neck and hear a knock on the door. "Goddammit," I whisper.

"Later then." He ruffles my hair before opening the door to both Carmen and Scout, Scout with her pet wrapped around her neck like a scarf. He smiles and waves. "Come in! Would you like any refreshments? I have cookies and lemonade."

O'Malley eyes Charlie wearily. "I like cookies." She steps in and I get up, walking over to the kitchen.

"Scout, have you eaten today?"

"No."

"I'm making you a sandwich." I open the fridge while Charlie leads them inside.

"Can I hold your snake?" Charlie asks.

Scout nods and speaks quietly to the snake. It slides down her arm and she holds it out to Charlie. "She accepts you. You may hold her."

Charlie excitedly takes the snake and plays with her. "Ethan, Ethan, 'she accepts me'."

"Who wouldn't?" I smile.

O'Malley gives the snake a pet and nods at Charlie before coming over to watch me make Scout's sandwich.

"I had a snake named Shane when I was younger. He was a big ol' sweetheart." Charlie looks at the snake lovingly. "But your girl is amazing too."

"Thank you." Scout smiles. "Do you have a picture?"

He shows her something on his phone. "This was Shane."

She smiles. "He's beautiful."

O'Malley rolls her eyes and I elbow her in the gut. "They're cute."

"You're pretty amazing. I don't think I'd be able to have a poisonous snake. She's amazing too, so that's probably why it works." Charlie closes his eyes and lets the snake move around.

"Yeah. I found her in the woods, saved her, and gave her a home. She has her own room." Scout smiles and pets Vanir's head.

I finish the sandwich and bring it over to the bar. "You found her in the woods?"

"They don't sell poisonous snakes as pets to just anyone, Ethan." Charlie giggles.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "She wouldn't have bought it."

Charlie puffs his cheeks out and I can tell he's trying not to think too hard about it.

Scout comes over to the bar and sits down. She stares at the food for a minutes before picking it up and eating.

I walk over to Charlie and pat his shoulder. "She's homeless, doesn't have a choice."

Charlie's eyes widen. "Oh, no. I should help her."

I chuckle. "You don't need to help everyone you meet, Charlie. You'll have to run out of money eventually. Plus, you don't owe her anything."

"I have a job too and my parents will never run out of money." Charlie frowns.

I nod. "You're honestly the most genuinely kind person I've ever met." I compliment. "People like you make this world a better place."

He smiles. The snake moves around and Charlie closes his eyes. "Scout, if you ever wanna come over to eat, you're free to. Same goes for you, Carmen."

Scout smiles and O'Malley's eyes widen.

"I never gave you permission to use that name, dick." She sneers, but it doesn't have much bite. "But thanks."

"Does it have bad connotations? I'm sorry." Charlie blushes.

"It's only for special people." She glances at me. "And this asshole because she's stubborn." She punches Scout's arm. "We'll need a few more 'play dates' before I'm comfortable with it rolling off of your tongue." She smirks.

"Oh... okay..." He slumps a bit.

"Don't be sad." I peck his cheek. "It took me half a year. Tony never even got there."

"Tony's a cock." O'Malley snaps and tears the crust off of Scout's sandwich and eats it.

"Yeah. He is." Charlie looks at me and scoots closer.

I would put my arm around him, but Vanir hasn't accepted me yet so I don't want to encroach on her space. I lead him over to the couch and sit down. "I can't believe you dicked him, O'Malley."

"Oh, shut up." She sticks her tongue out at me. "You probably would've too if he hadn't beat your ass to hell."

My jaw drops. "How dare you?!"

"You had a crush on Tony?" Charlie asks.

"Definitely not." I scoff. "I mean, yeah, he's attractive, but he has an ass personality."

"I kissed him and bit his dick. You jealous?"

I scrunch my nose up. "I don't want to think about you having Tony germs."

"You bit his dick?" O'Malley laughs loudly. "That's fucking badass, dude!"

"He bled everywhere and I broke his nose." Charlie shrugs. "I've been attacked for being gay many-a-times."

"That's hot." O'Malley smirks. "And, uh, sorry about that. That's gotta be tough."

"That's why you're so scared to come out." Scout mumbles and O'Malley punches her again.

Charlie chuckles. "You two would be cute together."

O'Malley raises an eyebrow. "Us?" She points between her and Scout. "What do you mean by that?" She turns to Scout. "What does he mean by that?"

I chuckle and hold Charlie's hand. "I think you just ship Carmen with everyone."

"What do you think, Scout?" Charlie asks.

She gives him a knowing smile. "You're very cute, Charlie."

"What? What'd I say?"

Scout giggles and Vanir tongues Charlie's cheek.

"I don't understand."

"She finds you endearing." I explain.

"Oh. She didn't answer my question though." Charlie smirks.

Scout flips him off and O'Malley stares at her, hissing, "and what does that mean?"

"My gaydar is off the charts. I don't know what you're talking about." Charlie giggles.

I chuckle and run my thumb over his palm. I love seeing him get along with my friends, it's a really nice change. He really opened up all our worlds and is saving each one of us in different ways. He's getting Carmen out of her abusive household, he's giving Scout food and a safe place to come, and he's given me someone to love and a friend for life. I can't express how happy that makes me and how I love him even more for it.

Scout finishes her food and hops off the barstool, coming to stand in front of Charlie. "Where is she? Where is the guinea pig?"

"In my bedroom. Why?"

"May I meet her? Properly this time." She asks politely, reaching her arm out for Vanir to climb. "I can put her in Ethan's room."

"Put her where?"

"Momo has really bad anxiety. Momo'd freak out if she saw her." Charlie frowns.

"That's why I would hide her in Ethan's room." Scout reiterates.

"Um, I never said that was okay—"

"And Carmen will hide in there too."

O'Malley raises her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

Scout turns to her. "You give everyone anxiety."

"You don't think Momo would be okay with O'Malley?" Charlie asks.

"Do you?" She raises an eyebrow.

"She'd like you." Charlie grins.

O'Malley shrugs. "I'm not a big fan of animals."

"Ethan, can you let Scout's snake stay in your room?" Charlie runs his hand up and down my arm. "I might be able to find Shane's old home if that'll make you feel better."

I melt into his gaze and find myself nodding. Scout chuckles and takes her there, closing the door before skipping back over. "I desire the fluff."

"Ethan, do you want to get Queen Momo?" Charlie blinks and I notice he's wearing mascara and eyeliner, bringing out his hazel eye color. He looks gorgeous.

"Sure," I smile and head to his room to free the beast. She's not sleeping, thankfully, so I gently pull her from her home and bring her out to meet everyone. I sit back down in my spot and hold her to my chest, petting her gently.

Scout smiles. "She's beautiful."

"Thank you." Charlie grins. "She likes to talk."

Scout kneels in front of me and stares at her.

O'Malley sits on the armrest of the couch. "I like it's Mohawk."

"That's why she's named Momo." Charlie smiles wider.

O'Malley's lips twitch into a smile. "Fuck you, that's cute."

The blond laughs. "Thank you. Momo is our daughter." He pets Momo in that magical place and she purrs.

Scouts' eyes widen and I chuckle. "You'll have to teach me that."

Charlie places his hand over Scout's and shows her how to pet her that way and Momo keeps purring. Scout watches, entranced, and continues.

O'Malley rolls her eyes. "She'd make friends with the rats in her walls if she could."