Charlie rolled over in the big bed, arms stretching above her head back arching in a satisfying wake up when she suddenly stopped and her eyes popped open. "how did I get here?" sitting up she noticed her socks were still on, she never sleeps with her socks on so she knew right away she was either so tired she doesn't remember getting to bed or Bass carried her there.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she decided it didn't matter, she slept great and she wasn't going to let this make her awkward around him. If he was bothered about carrying her to bed he could have swapped places for the night. Exiting the bedroom she opened the door to the smell of bacon, wandering around the kitchen island she popped herself into one of the counter stools.
"Good morning." Bass smiled at her as he turned towards her bacon creeping into his mouth. "I wasn't sure when you were going to get up, you were pretty dead to the world last night."
"Morning." She smiled back. "I'm sorry about that and thank you, I was pretty beat but I for sure thought I would make it to bed at least." She yawned "Is that coffee I smell?" She gratefully took the mug he slid towards her, leaning her self across the island she snagged the sugar. "In the fridge behind the salsa there is a small bottle any chance you'd be willing to get it for me?"
Bass raised an eyebrow but complied with her request, pulling the small bottle from the fridge he gave it a small toss and laughed. "baileys?"
"Don't tell him you know about his stash, he thinks its too girly to drink but he loves it." She poured a little in her coffee and handed it back. "He may keep some on hand for me too." she closed her eyes as she enjoyed her coffee, when she opened her eyes there was a plate piled high with the best looking breakfast she'd ever seen. "I could get used to this." She grinned and grabbed the bacon stuffing it in her mouth.
"So any plans for the day?" He stood across from her and picked at his breakfast. "I can't imagine you had huge plans."
"Not really. I've officially graduated so no homework to catch up on, I just planned on relaxing, catch up on some reading or play some video games. Miles keeps a game station stashed in the hall closet."
Bass' eyebrows shot into his hairline. "You play video games? You don't strike me as the type."
"Good way to numb the brain for a little while, big fan of fallout, live that post-apocolyptic life running around hacking and slashing. Or SIMS that's always fun too." She finished her breakfast and moved with her second cup of coffee to the couch. "What about you? Any big lockdown plans?"
Bass joined her in the living room space, settling into a large overstuffed armchair. "About the same as you, reading, general laziness. And as long as we don't go in any businesses we can go for walks in the park or something."
Charlie smirked to herself sipped her coffee, a million scenes and scenarios running through her head.
Catching her smirk Bass eyed her suspiciously. "What? Did I says amusing?" He sipped his own coffee watching her. "Not really, just the idea of being barred from everything fun in the city of Chicago for two weeks truly sounds like the most fun ever!" Bass chuckled as he popped his feet on the table and settled in. "Anything you want to do on day two? Or I can vacate for awhile let you spend some time alone."
Charlie leaned on the arm rest tucking her feet under herself. "You don't need to go anywhere, I hadn't made a solid plan just was going to wing it. Your idea about a walk in the park sounds good though, might make my way down there with my notebooks later."
"I thought you said you were done with school?"
Sipping the last of her coffee before answering she set the mug down on the coffee table. "I am, I was going to try and see about writing a little bit. Hoping maybe one day writing a book."
Bass raised an eyebrow. "A book? Can I ask what kind?"
Charlie blushed, "I'm not totally sure yet, I have a few silly stories running around in my head. They might be teen fantasy, maybe adult fiction, time will tell."
"Anything I can read?" Setting down his coffee on the table he leaned forward smiling softly at her.
She burst into laughter, "oh god no. No way." She waved her hands around to emphasize the insanity of the question. "Nothing I write will be seen by anyone I know ever."
"I dunno, maybe I can convince you to let me read something." He smirked at her pleased with himself. "I can be very persuasive."
Charlies laughter died as she made eye contact with him, was he flirting with her?
"You can try." the words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. Was she flirting with him now? Its been less than 24 hours into their two week stay together and they were already up to intense eye contact. This was going to be a long two weeks.
She had to put a stop to this. Right now. "Alright" she announced slapping her hands down on her thighs, she decided now was the time to get dressed. "I'm going to go put some clothes on. Start the day." Without waiting for a response she bolted off the couch and into the bedroom, closing the door behind her she leaned against the door and sighed. "Stop it!"
When Charlie re-emerged from the bedroom dressed and ready for the day Bass was also fully dressed and sitting in a living room that showed no signs of someone having slept on the couch. "What do you say we go for a stroll down to the store and do a mobile order for snacks and come back here and play some video games or a board game or something?"
"Sounds like a plan."
An hour later they were seated on a bench in the park with iced coffees. "Bass leaned back on the bench one arm thrown over the back. "Can I ask you a question?"
"sure" Charlie sipped her coffee.
"Why did you decide to come back to Chicago, now that you're done at school the world is open to you, why come here?"
Charlie shrugged and watched the people pass by. "I haven't decided if i'm going to stay or not. I just thought i'd come back here for a little while, at least the summer while I figure it out. I majored in English, so i might look into publishing firms. would be interesting to do some editing." Truthfully she knew that Bass was going to be home and she wanted to be here this summer. at least be around, maybe see if he notices that she's an adult.
"I also knew that that Miles was actually going to be home this summer so i was hoping to see what he was up to."
Charlie leaned over so she was sort of sideways on the bench facing him. "What about you? why did you come back? for the first time in years you dont have to be anywhere or answer to anyone but yourself and you chose to come back here."
Bass contemplated for a moment before answering. "I dunno, I guess i don't have a home really so i just kind of come back here when I'm on leave. Now that its over i just kind of don't know what to do or where to go. I figured at least here Miles is around, maybe i can get him to help me figure out where to go from here."
Bass drummed his fingers against the back of the bench, he was acutely aware of how close his hand was to her shoulder. He wasn't entirely sure of this hold she had on him but if he wasn't careful he might do something stupid. He slid his hand back towards himself, "want to keep walking or go back to the apartment, i seem to remember something about games."
Charlie leaned over and scooped up their grocery bag of snacks. "Let's head back, I have a strong desire to kick your ass in some mario kart."
"Oh ho strong words there. bring it shorty." Bass smirked and bumped his shoulder against hers as they started their trek back to the apartment.
Charlie grinned up at him as they walked, dropping her face to her coffee she tried to wipe the silly smile off her face.
When they returned to the apartment Charlie set about getting all the gaming equiptment from the hall closet. she decided she would pull it all out and set it up so she wouldnt be going back and forth. She was here for two weeks Miles wasn't around to complain about the clutter.
After hooking up his systems Charlie went to settle in on the couch one controller in her hand the other on the coffee table waiting for Bass, who at that moment was mixing them drinks. "Little early isn't it?" Charlie laughed.
"You got somewhere to be?" Bass stirred the drinks and added straws. "besides its 1pm its totally fine." Setting the drinks on the table he flopped down beside her and snatched the controller from her hands. "I'm player one."
Charlie gasped and shoved him. "you spend far to much time with Miles, how dare you." She didn't bother fighting for the controller she just grabbed the one off the table which was already lit up. "start the game." After a few rounds and two full drinks later Bass left the couch to go to the bathroom.
When Bass returned Charlie was sipping a third drink and smiling innocently. "come. join me." she asked equally innocently, smiling around a straw in her teeth. Bass eyed her suspiciously and cautiously made his way back to his spot, she handed the controller to him and they both settled back for their next round. It was far to long into their new race when he realized she switched the controllers on him and he not only was facing the wrong way but was very throughly trying to go through a wall.
"you switched us! thats cheating!" Charlie laughed evily and leaned away from him as he tried to snatch the controller back. "listen you, cheating will not be tolerated." He grabbed her legs and pulled her towards him, she dropped them on the floor in shock and at being yanked. Bass was now straddling her legs pinning her to the couch. "the punishment for the crime of cheating" He raised his hands and grinned at her. "is torture by tickling." His hands dove her to her sides and tickled her mercilesly while she laughed and thrashed under him unable to escape.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She gasped between laughter. "stop!" He paused and laid his hands on the couch on either side of her head. "What was that?" he asked teasingly. "I said i'm sorry, i won't do it again i promise. please no more tickeling."
Charlie reached her hands up to his chest to push him off when she realized not only just how close he actually was but also where he was. She could feel her face starting to heat up as her realizations came crashing into her mind one by one.
He was watching her and thinking to himself how cute she was in this postion when the same thoughts going through her head starting filtering their way through his. He gently and almost agonizlingly slowing sat up and pulled himself away from her. he really needed to start thinking, this was his best friends neice, he was being an idiot being so bold with her. she was young and probably not wanting to spend her time with some dude almost 20 years her senior.
"Sorry, no more cheating though" he grabbed the controller off the floor and scooted to his side of the couch.
"Bass? Charlie was pulling herself up and straightening out her clothes. "Do you have a girlfriend?
He was startled to say the least. "No, not at the moment." He made eye contact, trying to read why she was asking him, his mind raced, he thought maybe he knew why she was asking but was trying to dampen the hope he was feeling.
"hmm.. okay." Charlie leaned past him and took her own controller that he had dumped on the coffee table.
"Why do you want to know? do you have a boyfriend?" His filter was gone, the drinks were doing him in, the traitorus rum was having it way with his brain.
"No reason, and no." She was desperatly trying to avoid looking at him, his stare was too intense, the desire to kiss him was building and she needed to control herself. they were only day two into quarenteen and she wasn't wanting to do anything that would damage their friendship and make this situation awkward, she shouldnt have asked him about his status as a single man or not but the rum had gotten to her and was chipping away at her self control.
"Charlie." his voice was soft. "look at me." His self control battle was also being waged, but this seemed like the time to get answers. Charlie was flipping through characters on the screen trying to ignore him.
He placed his hand on hers stopping her frantic character search, that caught her attention, her head snapped to the side looking at him. "Bass don't" She whispered her plea.
"Don't what?" He was genuenly confused. "Don't ask me anymore questions, lets just play the game." She didn't think she could bare it if he rejected her. maybe she was reading to much into what had just happened, and it was all in her head. they had been drinking after all, and he was known to be flirty, it was practically his default setting.
"Alright, no more questions." He removed his hand from hers and settled back into the couch. "I get to be Mario this time though." She laughed and selected Mario as her driver. They carried on as if nothing had happened and played into the evening, the eventually switched up consols and games opting for some military shooter game they could play together.
"Do games like this ever trigger anything?" Charlie asked as she manouvered her character into a good spot to snipe the enemy from.
Bass sipped his drink, he'd lost count how many they'd consumed that night. "Not really, I didn't see a ton of action when i was over seas, I was lucky, i spent most of my time in camp training and keeping things organized." He kicked his feet up on the couch so they were invading her space. "Besides this is a game that takes place in space with laser guns and their cheif is like 10 feet tall, not a lot of realisim happening in this game."
Charlie laughed. "I suppose thats true." It was right at that moment when Charlies stomach decided to grumble loudly. Bass turned to look at her eyes wide, "Sounds like someone is hungry, want to see what we can make or order something in?"
She glanced towards the kitchen and grimeced. "Lets order, I don't think either of us should be handling knives or using anything that can start a fire."
"Good call." Bass hauled himself off the couch and retreived the phone and the bundle of take out menus Miles had piled up on his fridge door. "What are you feeling tonight, looks like we have... Chinese, pizza, Thai, Greek." He flipped through the menus as he sat back down on the couch. He handed two to Charlie to look at as he read the other two, when they were done they switched. "Some of that Thai looks really good, what about for you?" Charlie asked leaning over his shoulder to read the menu he now held. "I agree, lets do that."
an hour later both of them were stuffed full of food and feeling happy and buzzed. it was close to 9 pm. "Want to watch anything or just go to bed?" Charlie asked leaning against the arm of the couch.
"we can see whats on TV, feels a little early to go to bed." Bass threw his legs back up on the couch once again invading Charlies space. She manouvered her own legs around his and pulled the blanket down from the back of the couch. Both parties were tired and feeling relaxed, neither thought to much about the physical contact they now shared, and had been avoiding since the tickle punishment a few hours before.
They both drifted off to sleep with the TV still on, some time in the night Bass woke up from discomfort, and decided to call it a night offically, once again he carried Charlie to bed and tucked her in, as he was about to leave she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and pulled him back towards her. With her eyes still closed she mumbled sleepily "Stay." He did wonder how awake she was during her request. "Charlie..." He whispered questioningly. "Stay." She tugged on his wrist gently. "Alright, I'll stay"
He gently pulled his wrist from her grip and went around the bed to join her, pulled the covers over himself it took almost no time at all to drift back off to sleep. He knew crawling into the bed with her was probably a bad idea, but right now, who cares.