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Nick found himself bouncing around all Saturday morning, tidying up his room at his mother's demand—no one needed to see it in its end-of-the-week chaos, she said. She was probably right, he thought, although his tidying was more tucking things into the closet and under the bed than a proper clean-up. He was too energetic for much more than that. He took Nellie on a quick walk, but hurried back, just in case Charlie was early.

But Charlie was right on time. The bell rang just a shade after the stroke of noon.

Nick opened the door, smiling when he saw Charlie standing there. He realised only now that he hadn't been entirely certain Charlie would really come. "Hey."

"Hey." Charlie took his hat off. His hair looked different, somehow.

Nick tried to put his finger on what had changed, but at his feet, Nellie whined, waiting for attention. "Uh … this is Nellie."

Charlie bent over her immediately, petting her affectionately. "Hey, Nellie. You're so adorable."

When he stood up, Nick could see that his hair was shorter, recently cut. Still curly, though, which was good. Charlie would look strange without his curls. "You got a haircut." Without thinking, he reached out to ruffle Charlie's bangs.

"Um … Is it …" Charlie chuckled nervously. "Is it bad?"

"No! No, you look—" He caught himself, not sure what he had meant to say, and ended rather lamely, "It looks great." Nellie whined again, and Nick realized they were still standing in the doorway. "Okay, you'd better come in or Nellie will think we're going for a walk."

"Okay." Charlie followed him inside, taking off his coat and things and hanging them up.

"Come on in to the kitchen and meet my mum. Do you want a cup of tea?"

"That would be nice." Charlie followed him in.

Nick's mum looked up from her book. "Oh, are you Charlie, then? Welcome. Did you have a long walk?"

"No, only about ten minutes."

"And you and Nick know each other from rugby?"

Nick smiled, pouring the hot water from the kettle. "Now that I've forced him to join, we do. Do you regret it yet, Charlie?"

"Not yet. If I have to play in a game, that might be different."

"Let's hope that doesn't happen, then. Although I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I had a good teacher."

"Oh, that's right, Nick said he'd been teaching you. He's done a good job, then, has he?" Nick's mum asked.

"Good enough." Charlie grinned at him over his mug of tea. For some reason, Nick found himself blushing.

"All right, then." Nick downed the rest of his tea. "I believe someone came over to get beaten at MarioKart."

"Well, that's a relief," his mum said. "Poor Nick, he's had to play against me so long, I don't know if he remembers how to play against anyone decent."

"Mum!"

She smiled. "Sorry."

"It's all right." He returned the smile, glad that at least she hadn't called him Nicky. He didn't mind when it was just the two of them—in fact, he kind of liked it—but when friends came over, that was a bit much.

They retired to Nick's room and he fired up the MarioKart. And proceeded to lose, badly, again and again and again.

"Seriously, now. One more game. I think I've worked out your weaknesses."

Charlie shook his head, laughing. "If you say so." He picked up his controller.

Nick was doing well this time, still ahead about halfway through the race. "Come on, come on, I'm in the lead. Can you just let me—"

"You're not going to win."

"Can you just let me win one time?"

"I'm not letting you win."

"You've already won like five or six games."

"Yeah, and I'm going easy on you!"

On the screen, Charlie's car pulled ahead. "No. No!"

"Yes!" Another win for Charlie.

"How are you so good at this?"

"You get to be good at real sports, I get to be good at fake ones."

"No, you're just good at everything." Nick put the controller away.

"No. I'm not."

"You are; you're a proper little nerd."

"I'm not!"

"Let's see: You're good at video games; literally all school subjects, but especially maths; playing the drums; befriending dogs; and you are good at sports. Like, you run so fast—"

"Shut up!" Charlie was laughing, but Nick could tell he was a little embarrassed, too. He put his hand over Nick's mouth and knocked him back over onto the bed.

"You know it's true," Nick kept on, despite the hand over his mouth. "Get off me. Get off."

Charlie let go, and Nick sat up, smiling at him. But Charlie was looking out the window. "Oh, my God."

"What?" Nick turned to look outside, too, and he saw what Charlie had seen.

"It's snowing."

They looked at each other and laughed and ran down the stairs for their shoes. Charlie hadn't brought a jumper, so Nick dug out one of his. It was a bit big on Charlie, but it would work well enough for today. Then they went outside into the back yard, calling for Nellie to come with them. It was a beautiful snow, all white and fluffy, and the sky was bright and sunny. The snow wouldn't last, but they had it for today.

They caught the flakes on their tongues, and rubbed the snow into Nellie's soft fur, laughing at the way she snorted when her nose got covered in it, both of them petting her in apology. Then, of course, they had to have a snowball fight. Nick's snowballs were better formed, but Charlie threw more snow in his. Finally, Nick took a whole pile of snow in his hands and dropped it down the back of Charlie's neck while he was bent over picking up more snow.

When Charlie stood up, he had snow all in his hair, and Nick reached out to wipe it away, settling the curls on his forehead the way they belonged.

Laughing, Charlie pushed him into the snow, and he popped up again. "Not fair."

"Wait, you should have made a snow angel."

"I haven't done that in years. Not sure I remember how."

"Let me show you."

Laughing, Nick filmed Charlie making a snow angel, then lay down next to him, making one of his own. Nellie came to lie down with them, and Nick took a bunch of selfies of the three of them there in the snow.

Lying there with Charlie and Nellie, talking about whatever came to mind, Nick felt so at peace, so comfortable, he wished the snowstorm would just go on and on. He said as much, raising his hands to the sky and gesturing for more snow.

"I don't think it works that way."

"What, are you a meteorology nerd, too?"

"Meteorology? You couldn't just say weather? Who's the nerd now?"

Eventually, they had to go in, laughing and covered in snow. Nick's mum appeared as they were taking their things off. "You two are a right mess. Do you want some hot cocoa?"

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks," Nick said, looking at Charlie for confirmation.

But Charlie shook his head. "Wish I could, but I have to get home. Um, thanks, Nick."

"Thanks for coming. I had fun." He was on the verge of saying they'd have to do it again, but what if Charlie didn't want to? If he was leaving because he'd been bored? "See you on Monday."

"Yeah. See you." Charlie smiled and closed the door behind him.

Nick just stood there, his hand on the doorknob, for a moment, not quite sure what to do with himself. The house seemed so quiet, suddenly, without Charlie in it.