DamnYouPeopleWithCoollUserNames: Don't worry, there will be more Mike/Violet to come :) Thank you, I'm glad you like it so far!

VerucaBeyotch: you'll find out in this chapter

"What happened?" Mike asked when they returned to their apartment. Charlie was exhausted from their long day and even more tired from the stress over what he had just done.

"I...I kissed him," Charlie said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "I kissed Mr. Wonka."

"Oh..." Mike looked surprised. "I didn't know you're in love with him."

Charlie nodded, trying to hold in his tears but they slid down his cheeks anyway. "It's going to be so awkward tomorrow," he predicted. "He probably won't even show up. He's probably quit because I made him uncomfortable."

"Quit a chance at a million big ones?" Mike said. "I doubt it. Besides, he cares about you. He seemed really upset earlier when he came back, but you'd already left. Maybe you should call him."

"Call him?" Charlie repeated. "I've ruined any progress we might have made today, and probably ruined his relationship with Violet's mom. He'll hate me for that."

"He cares about you," Mike said. "A lot. I can see it in the way he looks at you."

Charlie froze at that. "How does he look at me?"

"Like you're everything to him." Charlie was shocked. He didn't think of Mike as a romantic, usually, aside from that day's events. "Trust me, Charlie - I'm a scientist, and that's chemistry if I ever saw it." He got up and left Charlie alone with his thoughts.

Should he call Wonka? He debated it for a few minutes before deciding to call him. It would only improve things. With shaking hands, he dialed Wonka's number and pressed the phone to his ear.

Wonka's phone went to voicemail, so Charlie left him a message. "Hey, um...it's Charlie," he said. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about earlier, and I...I really hope you'll be at the show tomorrow. But if you don't want to work with me anymore, I understand." He hesitated. "I love you." He hung up, sitting there for a moment letting the tears fall.

Before he went to sleep, Charlie wrote two new songs, unsure of who would hear them even as he wrote, but he knew he had to get his feelings out in some way. He hoped Wonka still loved him, and that he'd show up at the game show tomorrow.

To Charlie's relief, Wonka was there when he and Mike walked in the next morning. Still, he felt extremely awkward and he wondered if Wonka had gotten his message. Wonka saw him and smiled, patting the seat next to him, but Charlie shook his head and went to sit with Mike, but Andrew got to the chair first. Sighing, Charlie went to go sit by Wonka.

"Why didn't you want to sit with me?" asked Wonka.

"Why do you think?" Charlie forced himself to look up at the man. His gaze flickered down to Wonka's lips and an overwhelming desire to kiss him came over Charlie. But that would be a really bad idea, especially here.

Wonka leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Because of a little kiss? You'll have to try a lot harder than that to get rid of me, Charlie. I don't scare easily." Charlie smiled, reassured.

Both men realized at the same time that Violet was watching them, when they had stopped whispering. And so was everyone else in the room. "If you two are done," she said, earning matching blushes from Charlie and Wonka, "What show like this would be complete without being brave? Including a phobia factor to make things more...er, interesting."

Oh no. Charlie paled. They were going to be facing fears.

"So, since I knew you'd all probably lie about your fears, I came up with some of the most popular fears. There will be several stages to this challenge and both you and your teammate have to face every fear in order for both of you to move on. If one wimps out, you both go home, even if the other faced the fear."

"But that's not fair!" Mike called out.

"Sorry," Violet said, not seeming sorry at all. In fact, she seemed quite entertained at the horrified looks on all of their faces.

"You won't hate me if I can't do it, will you?" Charlie asked Wonka.

"You're brave," Wonka said to Charlie. "You've got this." Then he did something surprising. He put a hand over Charlie's and squeezed gently. Charlie felt that warm, pleasant stirring inside him.

"We made it to the next challenge!" Charlie said after that day had ended. Against all the odds, they had done it. Both of them had been brave enough to make it through. Wonka had said he didn't scare easily.

"See, I told ya you could do it." Wonka was smiling at him. Charlie was so relieved they were okay after last night.

That reminded him. "Mr. Wonka...I am sorry about last night. I know I crossed a line and that I made you uncomfortable."

Wonka stopped and looked down at him. "Well, who said I was uncomfortable, 'cause they were wrong."

"What?" Charlie gasped. "I - I just assumed - wait. Does that mean..." He didn't dare hope as their gazes locked. "You have feelings for me?"

"'Course I do," said Wonka with a smile. Tears filled Charlie's eyes and he hugged Wonka tightly. The other man chuckled and hugged him back tightly, pulling back after a long moment.

"So...what now?" Charlie asked as Wonka ran his thumb gently over the younger man's cheek, wiping away his tears.

"Well, now I believe our next step is a date, don't you?"

Charlie's heart swelled with happiness. A date with Willy Wonka? That was more than he ever dared hope for. "That sounds like a good idea," Charlie agreed, hugging him again. A really, really good idea.

AN: Hope you liked this chapter! Review please and updates soon!