Interrupted

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Nick and Charlie had planned this evening for what felt like ages. Life had been busy, as it often was—school, friends, and the general chaos of teenage life kept pulling them in different directions. But tonight was theirs, and they were determined to make the most of it.

It was a cold Friday night, and they had Nick's house all to themselves. His mom was away for the weekend, and his older brother David was out with friends. The house was quiet, save for the occasional creak of old wood as it settled in the cold. They were sprawled out on the living room couch, a movie playing softly in the background, more as a pretext for cuddling than for watching. The glow of the television cast a warm light over them, adding to the coziness of the moment.

Nick had his arm draped around Charlie's shoulders, and Charlie was leaning into him, his head resting comfortably on Nick's chest. The warmth between them was palpable, a welcome contrast to the chilly weather outside. Nick's fingers traced idle patterns on Charlie's arm, sending shivers down his spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

"Can we turn this off?" Charlie murmured, tilting his head to look up at Nick.

Nick smiled, recognizing the look in Charlie's eyes—soft but with a hint of mischief. "You're not into it?" he teased, but he was already reaching for the remote.

The movie clicked off, leaving them in a silence that felt charged with something more than just comfort. Charlie shifted slightly, moving closer, his eyes dropping to Nick's lips.

"Much better," Charlie whispered, his voice low as he leaned in.

Their lips met, soft at first, testing the waters as they often did. But it quickly became clear that they were both on the same page tonight. The kiss deepened, and Nick's hand found its way to the back of Charlie's neck, pulling him closer.

Just as they were beginning to lose themselves in the kiss, the front door burst open, the sound echoing through the house. They broke apart with a start, both turning to see who it was.

"Nick! Charlie!" came a loud, familiar voice. It was David, Nick's older brother, back much earlier than expected. He was stomping off snow from his boots and shaking his jacket free of ice.

"David?" Nick said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice as he untangled himself from Charlie and sat up. "What are you doing here? I thought you were out with friends."

"Yeah, I was, but we got kicked out of the pub because of some idiot throwing a pint. Anyway, they all wanted to go somewhere else, but I wasn't feeling it, so I figured I'd just come back home," David explained, oblivious to the tension he'd interrupted. He dropped his coat on the chair and collapsed into an armchair across from them, looking exhausted.

Nick forced a smile, but he could feel Charlie's disappointment radiating off him. "Great timing," Nick muttered under his breath, but David didn't catch it.

David seemed content to stay and chat, and Nick and Charlie exchanged a glance, their plans for the evening clearly derailed. After a few minutes of half-hearted conversation, Nick nudged Charlie. "Let's go upstairs. I promised I'd show Charlie something in my room."

David waved them off without much thought, too tired to question it. They both hurried upstairs, trying to reclaim the mood they'd been in just moments before.

Once inside Nick's room, Charlie flopped onto the bed with a sigh. "Of all the times David could come home early..."

Nick chuckled as he joined him, lying down beside him. "It's like the universe is conspiring against us."

Charlie turned onto his side to face Nick, his expression softening. "Well, we're alone now."

Nick's heart gave a little leap at the look Charlie was giving him. He reached out, cupping Charlie's cheek, his thumb brushing lightly over his skin. "Yeah, we are," he murmured before leaning in for another kiss.

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