HOME SWEET HOME - chp 11

I am very sorry for being gone so long. My mental health took a turn for the worst, and I lost a lot of my will to write, and ideas just would not come. I hope this chapter isn't too dry, and that it lives up to what you were all expecting. <3

I'm also thinking of doing a Q&A, so if you have any questions, make sure to drop em here!

Additionally, if you have any requests or ideas for the upcoming chapters, I would love to hear them!

You can continue to help me reach by commenting, voting, and sharing!

Hope you enjoy!

Q : what's your favourite time of day ?

A : i love the midnight black sky !

CHARLIE POV

The day went on as usual, though this time, Charlie had something wonderful to look forward to. Though he could not help himself from the fear that was going home after an exhausting day of school, he knew that he could trust Liam. He could trust his words that his mother was nice; that she was loving and caring.

He slowly made his way to the school gates, making sure to lag behind the crowds and take as much time as he could. His anxiety was through the roof, and his heart was pounding. His head felt fuzzy and the world around him was a blur of bright colors and terrible smells.

He finally made it to the school gates where Liam was waiting for him, talking with a few of his friends about plans for the weekend, how his tests went, the usual. This was something that Charlie could not even fathom casually chatting about.

He made his way up to Liam, carefully taping on his shoulder and recoiling when he turned around rather abruptly.

"Hey Charlie! Give me just a second." Liam gave him that signature goofy grin and turned back to his friends, finishing up their chit-chat before fully turning to Charlie. "Read to go?" He held out his hand for Charlie to hold, looking at him hopefully, the smile never fading.

"Yeah," Charlie breathed out. He gently took his hand and intertwined their fingers together. A small smile graced Liam's face, one that Charlie could not help but blush at.

He's so pretty with a smile.. Charlie thought.

"Okie dokie! Lesgo." Liam started walking in the direction of Charlie's home, which made him stop for a second and look at him fearfully.

"We're going to your home, right?"

Liam stared at him confused. "Yeah? Why?"

Charlie shook his head and started walking side by side with him, though he was very cuddled up to Liam. He was afraid he might see his mother or her obnoxious friends. That was the very last thing he wanted.

"Ya' know, I think my cousin's gonna like you a lot, Char. You're super sweet and adorable and cuddly and adorable- did I already say that?" Liam chuckled nervously as he squeezed Charlie's hand.

Charlie was dumbfounded, to say the least. His cheeks were red with blush and his lips parted in a silent gasp. After a while of staring in surprise at Liam, Charlie closed his mouth and giggled to himself as he looked away shyly.

"I think you're really amazing too." Charlie's voice was a lot quieter than Liam's, yet his feelings were strong, loud, and clear. Liam grinned and turned onto a more residential street. They passed over a kid's park which made Charlie stop for a moment. He had always admired children's parks; all the fun things to do, the life and energy it held, the laughter, the joy. It had been something he'd always wanted to do, but his mother had stopped him every time.

"I didn't know you had a park next to your house." Charlie looked up at Liam with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Yeah! My house is just down the street. We could come play in it later?"

Charlie nodded and giggled quietly, following Liam as he started walking, looking back at the small park happily. He hoped to create some amazing memories there.

As they reached the house, realization dawned onto Charlie. He was actually going to move in with his childhood crush, and in a hopefully loving family. Was this really going to happen? Was his life actually going to turn around for the best? Liam let go of his hand and reached into his pockets, pulling out a key only to struggle with the door lock.

Charlie started moving his hands up and down, rolling onto his toes and back on his heels in an attempt to silently express his joy. Liam looked over at him, confused at first, yet understood as he chuckled and motioned for Charlie to come over. "I already let them know you're coming, but they won't be too in-your-face about you moving in."

Charlie nodded, though there was indecision on his face.

"Is something the matter?" Liam looked a little confused, as well as worried. You never knew what could go through Charlie's beautiful little head.

"I just- uhm- it's kinda complicated but-" Charlie stared at his shoes while fidgeting with his fingers. "I really like you, Liam. Like a lot lot. But I never told you what I liked about you.."

"You don't owe me an explanation for your feelings, Charlie. I know they're real, just like mine." Liam leaned over and gave him a nice smooch on the cheek. "Just be you, and I know I'll love you till the end of my days." Liam winked and opened the door, holding out his hand for Charlie to take in case he was afraid. Charlie was very afraid.

He took Liam's hand and smiled sheepishly as he entered with him, his anxiety turning into a sense of belonging as he looked around the quaint house.

There was an open kitchen with half a wall blocking it, though the wall had a hole where you could pass plates and the food through. The kitchen itself was very simple. It had a rustic design, furnished with a beautiful kitchen island.

The dining table was located right in front of the door, blocking the living room. It was a simple round table with four chairs; one for Liam's mother, Killian, Liam, and Amelia. Liam knew they would all gladly agree to an extra chair being added for his love, Charlie.

The living room itself was also very simple, with a beautiful dark blue couch, a wooden coffee table, and a tv hung over a fireplace, adding to the quaint and cozy feel of the house.

"Do you like it?" Liam grinned as he stepped in front of Charlie, effectively snapping him out of his daze.

"It's gorgeous! I love it!" Charlie squealed and, without thinking, threw himself into Liam's arm, letting a few tears of pure joy fall down his face as Liam hugged him back.

He felt at home.

"The others should be getting home soon. Let me show you to the bedroom." Liam grinned and led Charlie towards the living room, squeezing himself behind the couch and opening a beautiful door able to convey the rustic and cozy feel. It was a wooden arched door with cute little picture frames of Liam and family photos around it. "It's in here."

Charlie's eyes widened as he took in the simple yet homey room. There was a single bed with a round window opening towards the back of the house, which was a coquette little alleyway with flowers and vines growing. There was also a wooden drawer, a bohedmian style carpet, and a simple light on the ceiling. Charlie was immediately drawn to the alley, tracing the designs of the window frame with excitement.

"This is all for me?" Charlie asked. It was more than he could have ever hoped for. "I can't afford to pay rent, Liam- I can't pa-" He was shushed by Liam who chuckled.

"I let you in our house with the clear intention of letting you live with us." He put his pointer finger and thumb up to his mouth and his expression morphed into one of playful thinking (🤔). "There is one way you could pay.." He made his way close to Charlie and surprised him by cupping his face and giving him a simple peck on the lips, his eyes twinkling with joy. "Kissies everyday?"

Charlie stood still, completely flabbergasted, but very quickly, a blush appeared on his freckled face. "Ye- yeah of course!" Charlie giggled and leaned forward, brushing their noses together before wrapping his arms around Liam's neck and giving him a prolonged kiss filled with nothing but love. He leaned away and couldn't help but laugh at Liam's crazed expression.

"Oh my god." Liam blushed, the tips of his ears turning pink as he looked away to try and conceal his huge smile. "Uh uhm- try out the bed!" He grinned nervously and gently pushed Charlie over to it, using this opportunity to aggressively wipe his face to remove any trace of the blush. Quite evidently, it didn't work.

"Liam-! You're so cute," Charlie giggled, then went over to the bed, testing it out with his hand before throwing himself down on it, curling up in the blankets and wriggling all around. "This is so comfy!" He peaked over to Liam who was watching him with admiration. His expression turned to one of surprise as he seemed to remember something.

"Did your mom leave you with any clothes and stuff or..?" Charlie's face morphed into horror as he realized he had completely forgotten about his duffel bag. "Hey, it's okay! Killian can go get it."

As Liam spoke those words, the front door opened and a loud voice rang out; "I'm home!"

Charlie froze a little and looked over at Liam for reassurance. Liam was grinning from ear to ear as he went over to kiss Charlie, then raced out of the room and started talking to Killain. Charlie was too tired to listen in, but he could tell that Killain was someone he could trust, so with that in mind, he started to get comfy.

Really comfy..

"Charlie!" Liam barged into the room and gasped a little as he saw Charlie jerk up. "Oops, sorry. Anyways- wanted to introduce you to my cousin, Killian." He opened his arms sideways towards the door, and Killain stepped in, looking at Liam and tilting his head in confusion.

"Well then, thank you for the lovely introduction, Lili." He chuckled and ruffled his hair, then leaned down and kissed the top of his head. His attention shifted to Charlie and he immediately softened. "You must be Charlie, yeah?"

Charlie nods, a little afraid, and tensed when Killian came to sit on the bed next to him.

"The blankets are comfortable, yes? Honestly, this room is my favourite. It's so peaceful to look out the window, isn't it?" Killian rambled as Charlie started to untense, a small smile making its way to his face.

"I like this room. It's very nice."

"Well, I'm very glad you like it. Onto pressing matters; I heard you left your duffle bag in the alleyway?"

Charlie looked at him with fearful eyes, then turned to Liam for help. He wasn't sure what to do in this situation as he was quite ashamed of his living conditions in the streets.

"Just tell me where, Charlie, and I'll make sure to go pick it up." Killian's tone was soft and understanding as he gently ruffled Charlie's hair. "Wanna come with me so we can find it, hun?"

"I think- I think I would like that," Charlie whispered, looking down at the sheets in embarrassment.

"Alright! Do you want Liam to come with us?"

Charlie shook his head. He really didn't want to inconvenience any more than he had. I mean, he was allowed in their house; given food, shelter, and a nice place to rest. But did he really deserve it?

Memories of his mother's scoldings came back into his mind making him close his eyes with a few tears escaping. He was afraid the same thing would happen here. Before he reached a full blown panic attack, Killian embraced him in his strong arms, giving him a bear hug that Charlie so very much needed.

"It's okay, Charlie. We'll go get your bag, and then you can come back here, take a bath, and we'll eat some yummy food later today. Does that sound okay with you?" Killian kept Charlie close, effectively warming Charlie up and making him melt into the hug. As much as he loved Liam's hugs, Killian's hugs were far more father-like.

"It sounds amazing." Charlie quickly nodded but started to squirm around, giving Killian the signal that Charlie wanted to be left alone.

"Time to go!" Killian got out of the bed and motioned for Charlie to follow, which he eventually did. Killian grabbed his keys from the front and made his way outside.

Charlie followed Killian out the house to his beat-up red pickup truck. Killian noticed him staring and laughed a very deep laugh, one you with warmth and happiness.

"She's been with me through thick and thin. I love my truck." He gently patted the vehicle before opening the door for Charlie, dramatically bowing and gesturing his arm for him to get in. Charlie giggled and hurried into the car to not keep him waiting, then fumbled around with the seatbelt before finally buckling it. At this point, Killain had gotten in the driver's seat and was starting up the car.

Charlie gave him the directions and sat anxiously in his seat, letting his leg fidget up and down restlessly. He was afraid that he had lost absolutely everything. What if his bag wasn't there? He would have lost his posters and figurines that he had saved up for. Even if they were cheap and worn down, they still provided him with a lot of comfort and joy back when he was living with his mother.

Killian looked over and gently held Charlie's hand, squeezing it as if to tell him 'it's gonna be okay'. Though he didn't verbally say it, Killian had started taking deep breaths and was hoping that Charlie would catch on. Being the smart boy he was, Charlie immediately caught on and smiled, glad that Killian hadn't asked him verbally.

He didn't feel like talking very much.

When they finally reached the location, Charlie basically jumped out of the car and hurried into his alley, ignoring Killian's calls to slow down. This was the moment. It was either everything or nothing. He rounded the corner and moved over the dumpster, jumping up and down in glee as he reached for his completely zipped up and dry duffel bag.

He opened it impatiently and sorted through all his things, smiling brightly when he found that there was absolutely nothing missing. Killian finally caught up to him and was about to gently scold him, but stopped once he saw the expression on Charlie's face.

It wasn't something that he experienced very often; pure joy.

"I'm so glad it's all there, Charlie." Killian knelt next to him and smiled, bringing his hand up to Charlie's back and rubbing soothing circles on it.

Charlie nodded in agreement and finally sat back, his whole body relaxing as he let out a shaky breath. All the anxiety and fear had vanished. He looked over at Killian and smiled as he took out his favourite funko pop; sylveon! "Dis m favourite!"

Killian observed it with pure interest and nodded as Charlie babbled on about Sylveon facts, even including the entire eeveelutions. His eyes were bright and happy as he talked to Killian.

There he was, sitting on the hard ground, but this time, he had someone to talk to. Someone who was side hugging him, listening intently to all he had to say, and someone he could also call family.

—

I actually decided to make their house in bloxburg! I'll make sure to polish it and will be posting it as an extra chapter soon!

WD : 2620