"You keep staring at me."
Gordon chuckled, propping himself on his elbow, facing Charlie who was also facing his direction. "I'm thinking."
"About what?" Charlie said immediately.
"Us," Gordon's fingers brushed against his cheek.
"What about us?" Charlie said tentatively.
Gordon was quick to reassure him. "Just how we're going to tell people." Charlie relaxed. "I can't imagine they're going to take this well."
Out of all the things he'd done in his life, getting together with Charlie Conway, one of his former Ducks, one of the children he'd coached, was not one of them. Gordon wasn't stupid; when word got out, people would make assumptions. They would speculate things went on behind closed doors that no one knew about. They would believe it was an act of grooming that got them to this point and not love. They wouldn't buy it at all that it was Charlie who sought him out, boldly asking if he would go on a date with him.
Charlie stayed quiet for a moment. "We don't have to tell anyone," His voice held reluctance.
"But you want to," Gordon knew better. Charlie had carefully brought up the conversation one evening. He was tired of lying to his friends and wanted them to know. But, of course, he asked what Gordon thought of it and was surprised they weren't on the same page.
"Yeah, but-" Charlie trailed off when Gordon opened his arms, wordlessly inviting him closer. He snuggled into the older man's embrace, head resting comfortably on the top of his chest. Gordon threaded his fingers through Charlie's messy hair.
"It sucks," Gordon sighed. "It really sucks. I wish it didn't, Charlie, but we can't change it."
"Can't we just tell people anyway?" Charlie's voice was soft, unintentionally reminding Gordon of how young he truly was. "Who cares if they don't like it?"
"Because," Gordon learned to have patience over the years, "people will talk. Trust me, you don't want this causing any problems."
Charlie abruptly lifted himself off Gordon. "Am I a problem?"
"No," Gordon sat up. His stare was piercing, making sure that he could put as much emphasis as he needed to in his next few words. " No . It's not you, Charlie. It's never been you. It's everyone else. They won't understand. They'll think I seduced you during our Duck days. Doesn't matter how much you insist it never happened. Not everyone will believe us and I don't want to put you through that."
" Me ?" Charlie's whisper cut through that silence that had followed Gordon's words, "what about you?"
He shrugged. "I can handle it. It wouldn't be my first time going up against complete crap."
A frown came on Charlie's face. His teeth sunk into his lower lip, face screwing up in concentration as it usually did when he was thinking.
"What are you thinking about so hard?" Gordon couldn't help it, he chuckled.
"We don't have to go completely public," Charlie began, "just tell a few of our friends and make them swear to keep a secret."
"And your mom," Gordon added but then frowned when Charlie looked hesitant. "You don't want her to know?"
"I don't know if she'll take it well," he admitted.
Gordon nodded. Truth be told, he'd been apprehensive of Casey finding out that after briefly dating her, he was now involved with her son. That surely wouldn't go over without incident. He gently pulled Charlie into his arms again, the younger man sighing contentedly. "This is important to you, isn't it?" He murmured.
Charlie flushed. "Little bit..."
"Then we'll tell them."
Charlie twisted to face him, those expressive green eyes of his staring up at Gordon. "I thought you said you didn't want to?"
Gordon squeezed him. "Relationships are about compromise, Charlie. You just gave one. I can work with that. We just have to be careful about it."
Charlie grinned, hugging him. Gordon pressed a kiss to the top of his head. He'd never imagined he'd be here lying-in bed with Charlie Conway, being intimate and discussing their future. But life had a way of surprising him.
He was so glad he'd gotten arrested.
After all, Gordon glanced down at Charlie, listening to him babble about who he wanted to tell, it brought this cheeky brat into his life.
