Philby approached her and kissed her on the lips before she knew what he was doing. The kiss went on longer than Finn would have expected.

Charlene and Philby pulled themselves apart breathlessly.

"What… was… that?" Charlene asked, not a twinge of complaint in her voice.

…

You know you've spent too much time indoors when the refrigerator light makes you squint.

Philby felt ashamed to realize that simple, embarrassing fact as he reached for the first energy drink on the shelf. He flipped the tab up and listened to the satisfying sound of carbonated air rushing out of the can. Sleep had been a real luxury the past few days, really the past few months. If he wasn't crossed over – or in the process of crossing someone else over – his sleep was restless and muddled with chaotic dreams.

Passing the pantry door, Philby pulled out a box of pretzels and poured them into a bowl. The Keepers were meeting at his house that afternoon, except for the heavily-monitored Jess and Amanda. In light of the recent events at Epcot surrounding Charlene, they had agreed that an in-person meeting would be a good idea. No one felt like trusting the "privacy" of technology, not with the Overtakers seemingly at every corner.

Philby carried the bowl over to the coffee table in the living room before crashing onto the beaten leather couch. Running his hand through his messy auburn hair, he took a minute to run over everything in his brain: the simulator disaster at DisneyQuest, the warning about a traitor in World Showcase, Charlene's unplanned crossing-over. But his brain couldn't get past the kiss.

He wasn't sure why he did it. Of course, it was clear that it needed to be done, that an evil magic spell would be broken with a kiss. But why him? Why not Maybeck, all full of ego and big talk? Or even Finn, because it would be the righteous, leader-ly thing to do?

But Philby knew it needed to happen. So he acted.

A knock on the door roused Philby, and he opened it to see her standing there. At his doorstep, looking like a teenage model. Floral blouse, tiny denim shorts, golden hair kept out of her eyes by a tiny baby-blue headband. Charlene.

She shouldn't have surprised him. He had texted her about the meeting barely an hour ago.

She crossed her arms with a coy smile. "Are you going to let me in?"

"Of course," he responded, flustered as he opened the screen door for her. She walked in and kicked off her Vans into a pile.

"Is anyone else here yet?" she asked.

"No, not yet," Philby responded. "Willa has an after-school band rehearsal until four today, so she'll be late. Maybeck texted me and said he was working a quick shift at Crazy Glaze, some other employee bailed last minute and he had to step in. Have you heard from Finn?"

"He's going to be late too," she said, slowly walking into the living room. "Something about a make-up test after school, geometry I think." She paused, curiosity driving her towards a framed family photo hanging on the wall. It showed a young Philby and his father on a boat, the little redhead looking sunburnt and ecstatic under his floppy sunhat. "This is adorable, Philby! I never knew you had braces, look how cute you were."

A part of Philby stung at the 'were' in Charlene's sentence. "The only kid in my fourth-grade class to have braces. Not all of us were born with perfect teeth." Naturally, Charlene had never needed any orthodontia.

She settled down into a plush chair by the empty fireplace, and her face was all business. "Anything new come through? A message from Wayne, a video call?"

Philby shook his head, returning to the couch. "I haven't heard anything. I have been waiting, thinking he might reach out. But, nothing."

"Do you think we should reach him?" she suggested. "Maybe we need to try and make contact with Wayne, instead of waiting for him to find us."

"It doesn't work that way, Charlene. It's not like he left a return address or a phone number, I can't trace a trail that's not there."

His words came laced with an edge that he hadn't intended. She sat back, quiet. "I know that, Philby. I'm trying to be helpful."

"Listen, I'm sorry." He tried to take it back. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I've been a bit on-edge lately… I haven't been sleeping well."

She motioned towards the open energy drink, "I can see that." Charlene settled back into the chair, pulling her bare knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Something about that pose made her look years younger, less like the matured, pretty high-school star and more like the frightened girl trapped in a hologram. Charlene stared at the carpet for a few minutes before speaking, "So, because I have to ask, who figured it out?"

Philby raised his head, "What?"

"Me, cursed. And breaking that curse with a kiss," she said. "Who cracked the code on that one?"

He nodded, "It was me, actually. Finn and I were swapping observations, and I figured a Disney evil curse? Break it with a kiss, that tends to work."

Charlene looked confused, "That doesn't surprise me, but why were you the one to kiss me?" She stopped, retracting, "Not that I didn't - enjoy it, but I wasn't expecting… you."

Philby felt restless, and he stood up to stretch, "Yeah, I didn't either. We tried with Maybeck, and we all saw how that ended up."

She laughed, "No kidding. Weirdest moment ever." Then she paused, thinking of all of the crazy Keeper stuff they'd been through. "Actually, there's been weirder."

Philby shrugged, "I guess, I acted before I really gave it much thought. It's just a kiss, right? Just - the way to break a spell."

Charlene agreed, but her face didn't show it. "I'd be careful when you bring this up around Willa. She hasn't been avoiding me or anything, but she seems uncomfortable lately. Finn told her it was you who kissed me, and…" Her voice faded off.

Philby's face scrunched, "Great. I probably should've been the one to tell her about that, but I guess I never got that far. Is she really upset?"

"No, just a little defeated." Charlene stood up, walking to the window where Philby stood. "I think talking to her – alone – might be a good idea."

He nodded, then took a second before turning back to her. "It was just a kiss, right? I mean, there wasn't anything… real there?"

It sounded stupid once he said it, but Philby really wanted to check. He'd known Charlene for years, and had put up with her whining, worrying, nagging, and all of her Charlene quirks. He'd seen her be charming, scared, flirtatious, determined, and every shade of uninterested. Seeing someone sleep-deprived and running around a darkened amusement park is not the most flattering light to be in.

And now, he saw how she was standing next to him, her face turned towards his. Too close.

In that moment, she was Charlene in her glory. Cute, cool, and confident. Looking like the girl who'd just returned from a photo shoot, with blue eyes big and trusting. Hands resting on her distracting hips. Her perfume smelled of vanilla and something floral, delicate and gentle without being stifling.

This was the Charlene that every guy fawned all over. The one that girls wanted to magically become, the one with all eyes on her. In that moment, the perfect, gorgeous Charlene was his.

A part of Philby knew it wasn't just a kiss. That when you're kissing a girl as special as Charlene, it's never just a kiss. It's like a little firework show. And when she kisses you back, like every star in the sky is perfectly aligned… well, it's nothing short of magical.

In that moment, Charlene was his. She was all he could ever want, everything the world wanted.

But he didn't want her.

Despite his lack of tact, Charlene didn't take offense at his question. Instead, a smile crossed her lips; not flirty or sly, but knowing. That smile made it clear: she felt the same way. "No. Good kiss, great kiss, but no feelings behind it."

Philby exhaled a sigh, looking physically relieved. Charlene laughed, "Well, don't look so excited there!"

"No, no," he said. "I just wanted to make sure. Because I really do love you Charlene, but like a sister. A best friend."

"Absolutely. To be completely honest, thinking of you as anything else is a little… uncomfortable." She admitted, blushing.

He wasn't the least bit offended, and nodded instead. "Just another job in the world of the Keepers, right?"

Charlene's smile grew, and she flung her athletic arms around Philby in a hug. It wasn't romantic at all, but more familial. "Thank you for saving me, Philby. For sucking it up, manning up and just kissing me."

He took on a playful tone, "Well, we all have to make sacrifices. It really took a lot, but someone's got to do it."

She pushed him away, looking mock-hurt. "Really, I'm not that bad! Any guy at school would kill for that opportunity."

Philby laughed, dropping back down onto the couch, "Modest much?"

Charlene settled back into her chair with a handful of pretzels, giggling. The air of awkwardness had passed, leaving behind two good friends sharing a moment.

Philby knew, in that moment, Charlene was his.

But not in the way you'd expect.

.

.

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Thanks for reading! This was my first one-shot, and it was a blast to cram and write this over an evening and a morning. I loved the kiss scene in Power Play between Charlene and Philby, not because I liked them romantically but rather because it was so unexpected. I always wondered how they handled the aftermath and if there were any feelings there, so I wrote my interpretation. :)