Time skip after James's 18th birthday party

James

It's strange, how much I want him. How much I need him. I've felt this pull before—when I'm skating, when I'm in the workshop making jewelry, but this, with Charlie? This is different. It's not just a feeling; it's a constant hum in the back of my mind that grows louder the longer we're together.

We're lying together on my bed now, my sheets rumpled and tangled from the mess of us. I can feel his breath on my skin as his chest rises and falls against mine. My hand rests on his back, fingers lightly brushing the hem of his shirt, and it's like I can't stop touching him. I don't want to.

"Are you sure?" His voice is soft, like he's asking not just about tonight, but about everything. About us. About how this started and where it's going. He never asks for reassurance, but I can feel it in his words.

I pull him closer, my lips finding his again, urgent and slow all at once. The kiss deepens, his mouth warm and familiar, like this is where we're meant to be. Where I'm meant to be. There's no rush, no frantic desperation, just us. I pull back for a second to look at him, and his eyes meet mine, a little uncertain, but full of trust.

"You don't have to be," I whisper against his lips. "I'm not going anywhere."

His gaze softens, and I can feel him breathe out a laugh, like he's letting go of something heavy. His hands find my shirt, tugging at the fabric, pulling me closer, like he's searching for more. The feeling spreads through me, igniting something that's been burning since the moment we met.

"Charlie," I say his name like it's a prayer, because in this moment, he's everything. Everything that matters. He's the quiet that makes my world stop spinning. He's the chaos that makes it all worth it.

He smiles against my lips, this quiet, shy smile that gets me every time. It's like I can see every little piece of him, even the ones he keeps hidden. He pulls back just enough to meet my gaze, and I see something shift in him, like he's finally ready to let go.

"I love you," he says, the words soft and real and raw. He's not saying them to fill the silence, but because they're the truth.

I breathe out, my chest tight. I never thought I'd feel like this—like someone could mean more to me than the world itself, but here we are. I lean in, my forehead resting against his.

"I love you too, Charlie," I whisper, and his smile widens. It's everything.

He tilts his head, and I know what's coming next, but I can't help the way my heart races. He kisses me again, slow and deliberate, and I can feel the way his body moves against mine. There's no hurry now, no rush, just the heat between us, building and building until it feels like we can't stay apart any longer.

His hands slide under my shirt, fingers tracing the line of my skin, and it sends a shiver through me. My chest is tight, my breath coming in uneven bursts, and I can't remember the last time I wanted anything as much as I want him.

Charlie pulls back just a little, looking into my eyes, checking if I'm still with him. He's the kind of person who always makes sure everyone's okay, even when he's unsure of himself. But I want him to know that he's enough. That this is enough.

"Are you sure?" he asks again, and I feel my heart swell. He's asking for reassurance, but it's not just about tonight. It's about us, about everything we've been through together.

"I'm sure," I say, and that's all I need to say.

He nods, a little smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Then, his lips are back on mine, and it's like the world around us fades away. Nothing else matters. It's just him and me.

We move together, slow and careful, finding a rhythm that feels right. My hands are on his skin, his body against mine, and I don't want to ever let go. It's a feeling of being complete, like we're pieces of the same puzzle, finally fitting together.

I can't even tell you exactly when it happens—the moment where our kisses stop being just kisses and turn into something deeper, something more than either of us expected. But it does. And I know that in this moment, we're not just two people. We're something more. Something that's been building since we met.

When the world around us finally falls away, and we're lying together, skin to skin, breathless and tangled, I know we've crossed a line. But it feels right. It feels like this is how we were always meant to be.

And when I look at him, I see the same thing reflected in his eyes: love. And trust. And something even more powerful than that.

Charlie

I don't know what it is, but tonight feels different. Everything feels different. Like the world has slowed down just for me and James, like we've carved out this moment where nothing else matters but us.

I never thought I'd feel this way. Not about anyone. But with James? I can't deny it anymore. I can't hide from it.

I love him.

I'm not scared of those words anymore. I'm not scared of the way they slip out so easily when we're together. I'm not scared of how I feel when he touches me, when he looks at me like he sees me, all of me. Even the parts I've kept hidden, the parts I've buried deep. He sees them, and he still loves me.

"I love you," he says, and my heart almost stops. It's a promise. It's not just words. It's everything.

He kisses me again, and it's like I can't get enough. His hands are everywhere, his lips, his touch. I want him in a way that's both terrifying and freeing.

When we finally pull away, both of us breathless, I feel a sense of calm that I've never known. I'm not just existing anymore. I'm living. With him.

"Are you sure?" I ask, and I know it's silly, but I have to ask. It's just the way I am.

He smiles, a soft, tender smile that makes everything inside me twist in the best way. "I'm sure."

And that's it. That's all I need. Because in this moment, I know we've taken that step together. Into something new. Something real. And I wouldn't change a thing.