(Charlie's POV)
"Never question my love for you, especially after that." Dramatically, I place my bags down and accept a Nicholas Nelson-style hug. To say I'm exhausted is an understatement. In order to catch the bus from London to Edinburgh, Scotland I left the house at one in the morning.
That's criminal.
On top of that, after roughly eight hours on public transportation, surrounded by crying toddlers and snoring elders, I had to walk to my Uber with jello legs and ten-pound bags in each hand; and then I had to make my way up to Nick's room.
Even the mini break from taking the elevator up to the fifth floor was miserable.
I wanted to collapse.
Hell, I still do.
All of that brings me to this moment. I'm finally in Nick's arms after a week or so of counting down the days until today. Regardless of how torturous the beginning of my morning has been, I can't help but laugh into Nick's hoodie, "Christ, I'd do that ten times over to be with you."
Smiling at my words, Nick pulls back and then grabs ahold of my luggage. "Admit it, we're both disgustingly sappy."
Looking back on what he had said when he opened the door to me just standing there, half asleep, I can't help but nod.
"I might cry, Char." He admitted, "God. Until I met you I hadn't realized how much it's possible to miss someone."
Obviously, I teased him right after.
"Eugh, you're disgustingly sweet. I hate and love that so much. Hold me?"
"Okay, yes, fine. We're both repulsive. Where's the bedroom?"
Naturally, as Nick leads me to what's now our bedroom in our bedroom, he can't help but be a dick. "I know that you missed me a lot." He energetically begins, eyes twinkling, somehow causing me to feel a bit more awake. "But wow, I didn't expect you to want to take me to bed so soon, Charles. At least have breakfast with me."
"Ugh, if I have breakfast right now I may throw up." I look up at him, a serious look on my face. He returns that same serious look. "Nick, in approximately ten seconds I'm going to pass out. Can we eat after I gather enough energy to stand up?"
Suddenly, he runs away and places my bags down, and then comes back. "How rude of me!" Next thing I know he's throwing me over his shoulder, and I'm kicking and screaming like a child. "No walking for you, mon amour."
Amidst my protests, Nick claims that he's practicing to carry me down the aisle "groom style."
Terrified of being dropped, despite knowing that he would never, I'm not enjoying this. Clearly, he is though. "Oh Char, you could've told me that you want to be my princess." He teases, his voice velvety and infuriating. "I can always carry you bride style."
As if that's more than enough, he decides that it's not. Nick continues.
"You are my passenger princess after all."
I cringe at him trying to use a term that he discovered while scrolling on the internet.
"Think about it, you must be warm at all times."
"You also throw a fit whenever you don't have your morning coffee."
After what feels like a millennium, my fiancé sets me down on our bed. "Your majesty." Nick bows, grinning mischievously before kissing my hand. Christ. Nick is chuffed with himself, I can tell.
"Are you quite done?" I cross my arms in spite of how very slightly amused I am.
"Aww, but I was having so much fun!"
"Well, I'm not." Unable to look at him while he gives me the classic puppy dog eyes (having Lily in our lives has unfortunately helped him to perfect that look), I bury my face in my hands, estimating how long that look of his will last.
How determined is he?
Rather than saying anything, Nick pulls my hands away from my face, replacing them with his. He just stares at me for a good while with those big brown eyes of us. The eye contact makes me feel mushy.
For every year that we have been together the love in his eyes just grows, as do I in return.
"Dimples." He says, quietly, an adorable excitement laced in his whisper.
Nick is now using his thumbs to pull my mouth into a smile, causing my dimples to appear.
I bring my hands up, allowing them to rest on his elbows as he continues to have a soft grip on my face.
"Freckles," I say, returning the affection as I free a hand to graze the sun-made kisses on his face.
Tao would be gagging right now.
____________________
Eventually, I find myself buried under the many sheets of our surprisingly soft bed for a hotel room, causing me to happily sigh.
In order to sleep, I must feel like I'm being hugged by a fireplace.
As odd as that may sound.
"Budge up."
My peace is quickly disrupted by Nick peeling back the sheets, exposing me to the coldness of the room.
"I hadn't realized that you were napping with me," I grumble, bringing my knees to my torso to capture any warmth left.
Pulling me into his arms, Nick presses a few butterfly kisses to my head. "Quit complaining, and let me warm you up."
"Fine." Secretly, (but not so secretly because Nick knows me very well), I'm loving this.
A few seconds of comfortable silence later, I've decided that I must win today's argument.
"If anything you're the princess in this relationship, Nicky. I didn't forget about that headband in our bathroom."
The cheeky smile on my face cannot be wiped away.
Yes, Nick wears a headband while doing his skincare at night. It's purple with a bow.
"There were no masculine options, Char, so that's an unfair jab. If I could've, I would've gotten one with koala ears. You know that."
I do know that. We were on the hunt for one like that everywhere.
I'm fairly certain that I exhausted Amazon's search engine that day.
Multiple shopkeepers were definitely considering calling the police on a hysterical grown man whining about really badly wanting a koala headband.
"My point still stands, love." Recalling Nick with a cucumber face mask on, (thank you Elle for that memory), I'm fairly certain that I've got plenty of evidence to prove my point.
Not yet done, Nick adds to his previous words. "Also, wearing a headband just accentuates the whole experience."
This is not the moment to admit that I agree.
"Speaking of that headband, did you bring it with you? It's not in our bathroom cabinet anymore."
A beat of amusing silence. He's been caught red-handed. "Yes...but in my defense, my skin must be perfect for all of those interviews that I'll be doing! Losing sucks, but being on live television with a huge pimple is way worse!"
I'm sure if Nick said all of that in French, he'd manage to exceed just how dramatic one person can sound.
Author's note: WAIT. I've written a very little something something. Stick around?
Charlie: *getting his nails painted by Elle*
Nick: *looking over Elle's shoulder interested*
Elle: Okay, it's time for them to dry.
Charlie: Thank you! *admiring his freshly painted
nails, Charlie can't help but think about how good the black polish will look against his outfit for yet another performance with Sahar's band*
Nick: *still ogling*
Charlie: *senses that his boyfriend is hovering, so he looks up at his boyfriend, who's shyly standing in front of him* Do you want your nails to be painted, Nick?
Nick: *nodding excitedly, eyes sparkling* Does she have hot pink?
Elle: *smiling* I do.
Nick: *now sat beside his boyfriend, putting his hands out for Elle whilst grinning like a child* I love it when Elle comes over!