Being Wrong | ✓

Part 16

Charlie grabbed Travis' wrist and pulled him down - not for any specific purpose, just to have him closer.

"How are you feeling?" Travis asked as he leant down and kissed Charlie just above his eyebrow.

Charlie poked the tip of Travis' nose like it was a button. "A bit better. Still tired."

Travis snatched Charlie's hand and kissed its palm when he pulled it away again. "Want to go to school today, or no?"

Charlie shrugged.

"It's up to you. We'll both do whatever you want."

Travis wasn't sure what the problem was, but he could see it building. Charlie wasn't looking at him anymore and there was a slight tightness to his expression.

"I don't know," Charlie said carefully, quietly, but there was a fragility to his voice.

Travis didn't know what to do because he didn't understand what had gone wrong. Charlie had been warm and fine, and then Travis had asked him what he wanted to do and he was withdrawing.

Travis rolled onto his back so that he was no longer facing Charlie in case his proximity was just too overwhelming. "You're upset and I'm not sure why."

Charlie was silent and Travis was just starting to consider leaving, because clearly he'd fucked something up, when Charlie rolled over and buried his face against Travis' chest. He curled in closer when Travis wrapped an arm around his back.

"I think you need another day off," Travis suggested.

Charlie nodded against Travis' chest. He felt so warm and soft.

"We can do that," Travis told him, keeping his voice soft and quiet. "How about I make you pancakes for breakfast, then we watch another movie? Or I can get out my Stargate: Atlantis box set and we can do a marathon. Every young gay man deserves a healthy dose of Jason Momoa in their life."

Travis listened to Charlie's breathing, uneven, rough, and then slowly, slowly longer, deeper, smoother.

"I want pancakes," Charlie said eventually.

"Okay." Travis rubbed Charlie's shoulder. "You want to go get ready, then we'll go over to my place?" As much as Travis was enjoying the cuddling, he'd rather be doing it in his flat where nobody was likely to walk in on them. They could only be caught cuddling so many times before it became obvious exactly what was going on.

Charlie pushed himself up and gave Travis a rare smile. "Okay."

Travis had no idea what had just happened, but Charlie seemed at ease again as he gathered clean clothes and headed off to take a shower.

#

Charlie sat on the kitchen counter in Travis' flat, swinging his legs back and forth as he carefully stirred the pancake batter. He poked Travis' leg with his toe as he walked past, then squirmed away laughing when Travis grabbed his foot. When Travis leaned closer, Charlie grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him in as he set the batter aside.

Travis had expected Charlie to be physically timid, but he wasn't. When Charlie leant in, Travis met his lips with his own. Charlie's mouth was so soft, and his lips parted immediately at the tentative press of Travis' tongue. He tasted like toothpaste. His fingers clutched at Travis' shirt. Travis pulled back before they got into boner territory.

Travis brushed hair away from Charlie's eyes and let his fingers trail down the side of his face.

Charlie cringed, but before Travis could pull away Charlie reached his hand up and pressed Travis' hand down firmly against his face. "Tickles."