One of three to come. Just like I promised-before I write the sequel and all. Then again, there's a prequel I'm writing too-have I said to much?
These are just little snapshots in Steven's and Charlie's relationship/lives after high school, before Charlie died annd I think that's all I have to say.
Sleep-drugged eyes greeted the light of the world begrudgingly. After a quick survey of the bland grey and white dorm room, brown eyes flicked to the source of light.
The bed sheets whispered as Steven sat up as if in a trance. "It's raining." white sheets tangled around his body as he stared at the feathery grey light that shied in from the naked window.
Increasing collections of raindrops were smattered across the glass as he absently pulled at his frazzled curly hair. A swear escaped when his eyes landed on the clock and his hands started groping at the floor for his pants. When he felt the familiar material, he sat back down on the bed with a bounce and a muffle of protest emitted from the sheets.
A warm, pale hand slid up Steven's curved back and drooped over one of his shoulders as a sigh sounded behind him while he continued to yank he pants on.
"It's just raining," A chaste kiss was pressed to Meeks's ear "Where are you going?"
Steven scoffed and fell back into the bare chest behind him. A smile graced his face as bare arms enveloped him. The two continued to stare out the window silently; they listened to the tapping of the Chicago rain.
"Class Charlie. Some of us do things at college—!" His voice lifted an octave higher as he was tackled and pinned down to the bed.
"Well, I do you at college which is certainly something."
"…This isn't your college. It doesn't count." Steven shot back flatly as Charlie straddled him, Meeks expression turned grim as he suddenly remembered that their time together was short-lived.
"You better take that statement back, Mr. Meeks, or I'll be forced to do it for you." He kissed Steven's wrists and smiled when Meeks released a breath of calming air.
An innocent kiss was pressed to Steven's freckled face. "I have to go to class—" Meeks started again.
"It's raining." Charlie interrupted Steven's protest. "Really, there's no reason to go outside. C'mon, we woke up too early, let's go back to sleep." He rolled off him and then enveloped Steven in a hug that had Charlie snickering and Meeks rolling his eyes affectionately.
"Charlie," Steven whined and shook his head despite the fact that he didn't make an effort to break out of Charlie's embrace. "You-c'mon, I have to get to class!"
"We have everything we need right here, let's pretend it's the weekend. It's Friday, Steven, please…"
Truth was, Steven was having a hard time saying no. Charlie went to school in New Jersey and he always skipped out whenever he could to travel to Chicago for Steven. The only problem was, sometimes Charlie couldn't wasn't able to slip out so they'd sometimes go for weeks at a time without each other. Meeks didn't know about Charlie, but there was a physical ache in his chest whenever Charlie was gone, he hated it.
This time, the break had been about three weeks until Charlie had come for a blissful week. Steven decided missing one day of classes wasn't going to kill him…
He didn't get a chance to tell Charlie because suddenly he was being kissed and touched and the sentence on his tongue melted like sugar as he arched up into Charlie.
His toes curled, Charlie's tongue slid down Steven's pale neck and he gripped at Charlie's shoulders for dear life. His eyes squeezed shut and his lower lip caught between his teeth as he let Charlie seduce him. Jesus, this may be a repeat of the earlier weekend when Charlie had shown up unannounced on Saturday but he had missed it. They both did.
"I don't understand," Charlie kissed the u-junction of Steven's collarbones, smirking when his partner squirmed beneath him. "What it is that you do," he continued to move down and across Steven's chest slyly, triumphantly grinning every time Steven's breath hitched letting Charlie know what he was doing was right. "That makes you taste so. Damn. Good."
Heat overwhelmed Steven, filling him with an ache of lust. With his eyes shut, the normally barren sight was filled with pulsing colors of red, black and orange, swirling and pulsating as his hands gripped at Charlie's hair and he released a breathy moan. And then Steven spoke. He hadn't planned it, words had just come out of his mouth, without any prior thought.
"Transfer to Columbia."
He felt Charlie stiffen on top of him and Charlie slowly raised his head from Steven's chest to meet his eyes. "I…Uhm…" Steven avoided eye contact as self-conscious ribbons of hot embarrassment tensed his muscles. "Don't look at me like that Charlie." He sounded annoyed, masking his humiliation at not only ruining their moment together but also harping on a subject Charlie didn't appreciate. "It's not like you have an commitments there, and you still don't have a major…"
Static silence filled the room for a few aching moments before the sound of skin sliding echoed and the springs creak as Charlie released Steven and sat on the edge of the bed. Meeks rolled his eyes and mentally kicked himself. He knew how fickle Charlie was and now he was afraid that Charlie would leave. Asking him to transfer was another step closer to commitment, another step closer to something else Charlie didn't exactly agree with. "I…I think you'll like it here…" He added quietly as Charlie snorted.
"You'll like it here because then you can keep a close eye on me, right?," He bitterly tilted his head in Steven's direction as ginger eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Keep Dalton on a leash, he can't take care of himself, he can't be trusted!" Charlie ripped his pants off the floor and started dressing while Steven squeezed his blankets.
"N-no! That's not what-that's not what I meant at all!" He pushed off the covers in a panic and grabbed Charlie's arms just to be pushed off.
"Fuck you, I can take care of myself!"
Steven was lost for words as he ran a frenzied hand through his hair and watched Charlie dress. "Damn it Charlie, I know you can! That wasn't what I was saying!" He muttered through clenched teeth.
"Then what?" Charlie strode over to him while he buttoned his shirt; his face painted in fury. "What the Hell were you saying?!" He jutted out his chin and was posed dangerously close to a Steven that was loosing his calm. "Answer me." At Steven's lack of response, Charlie fisted his collar and dragged him closer, "Answer me, Jew!"
That was a low blow. Steven snapped and his frustration rocketed to the surface, wrenching Charlie's hand off his collar and shoving him away harshly he shouted, "That I love you!"
Charlie stumbled backwards; it was his turn to be speechless as Steven turned around and braced himself on the foot of the bed, his hands grinding at the cool metal bar.
"Why the hell else do you think I'd ask you to transfer?" His volume had significantly decreased but his tone remained clenched. "You're miserable at Princeton, you hate it!" He turned around to face his impassive boyfriend and rolled his eyes. "Yes, okay, fine I'm being selfish because yes Charlie, I do want you here-not because I don't trust you but because it physically hurts when-when…" He looked away, frustrated at the words that crawled in the back of his throat.
"Columbia is more like a playground anyway," His tone was soft now and dripping in anxiety as he rubbed the back of his neck abashedly. "There are a million things here Charlie-you can take Journalism classes here and you'll like them. I'm not trying to trap you," His name sounded pleading as Steven looked to him, "I want you to be successful…I'm sorry."
"…What physically hurts?" Charlie regarded him suspiciously as Steven pursed his lips. Really, after all that, that's what Charlie had to say? Nothing else?
"Lots of things physically hurt." Was the flat, sliced response. Charlie scoffed and shook his head; this situation just wasn't right.
"…I…I feel like an idiot right now." He confessed as Steven folded his arms with a quiet laugh.
"Then all is as it should." They exchanged slanted expressions before Steven closed the distance between them and rubbed Charlie's arm. "I'm…you don't have to prove yourself to me Charlie. I know you can take care of yourself."
There was tense silence as they stared at each other then Charlie moved away from Steven's touch with a chuckle. "I…I can't actually. I'm a fucking mess without y…" He locked eyes with Steven briefly before he rubbed is hands together nervously. "I don't like admitting it." He said, muttering like a sullen child as Steven's chest swelled, reaching for Charlie and pulling him into a kiss that soon had them tumbling on the bed again like their brief argument had never happened.
Rain continued to hit politely against the window, their movements slower than before. Now that they had reached a sort of understanding, there was much more promised shared between them. Their eyes never left each other, Charlie rocked Steven back and forth-tantalizingly slow with their fingers interlaced.
The next time Steven woke, he was naked and Charlie was gone; leaving behind a cold bed and a light on in the bathroom. Steven sighed and curled around the empty comfort one of his pillows could offer.
He hated not knowing when Charlie would be back, it was always the same story.
As his hands slipped under the pillow, he was greeted with another soft touch that was distinctly not pillow. Unearthing it, he recognized the heather grey material as Charlie's college sweatshirt and smiled, slipping it on he discovered it smelled like Charlie. He lifted the collar above his nose, leaving it there with his eyes closed and hugging the material.
It was Charlie's lucky sweatshirt, it was a promise and Charlie would be back. That's why he didn't feel the need to say goodbye.
