Home To You

                                    

                                          
Charlie took a final sip from his drink, smiling at his old friends as they tried to convince him to stay a little longer. It had been a fun night, catching up and laughing like old times, but his heart wasn't here anymore. It was somewhere else no, someone else.
"Come on, just one more round!" one of his friends urged, clapping him on the back.
Charlie chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, I really have to go. My partner's waiting for me at home."
"Your partner? Pit Babe, right?" another friend teased, winking.
"Yeah," Charlie said, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "He's probably wondering where I am by now."
"You've really got it bad, don't you?" They all laughed, but there was warmth in their teasing.
Charlie didn't mind. He did have it bad, and he was more than okay with that. He pushed back his chair and stood up, grabbing his jacket from the back of the seat. "I better get going," he said, waving as he made his way to the door.
As he stepped out into the cool night air, he felt a warmth inside him grow stronger. All he could think about was going home, seeing him, holding him. The drinks had been nice, the laughter had been good, but nothing compared to Babe.
On the drive back, he could barely keep his foot off the gas. Not in a reckless way just in a hurry to get back. He imagined Babe curled up on the couch, maybe reading or scrolling through his phone, waiting for him. His chest swelled with affection. It was moments like this that made him feel so lucky.
The moment he stepped inside the house, he felt the warmth of home wash over him. It was quiet, except for the soft hum of the television in the living room. He slipped off his shoes and hung up his jacket before walking toward the sound.
There he was just as he imagined. Babe was curled up on the couch, a blanket draped over his legs, his eyes flicking toward the TV screen lazily. His lips curled into a small smile the moment he saw him.
"Hey, P'Babe" Charlie said softly, leaning on the doorframe, "Did you wait long?"
Babe stretched a little, pushing the blanket aside. "Not too long. I figured you'd be home soon." His voice was calm, but there was something in his eyes a soft glimmer, a gentle warmth.
Charlie couldn't help it. He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. Babe let out a small laugh, leaning into his chest, the familiar scent of his boyfriend making him feel safe, at home.
"I missed you," Charlie mumbled into his hair, squeezing him a little tighter.
Babe smiled against his chest. "You were only gone for a few hours, you know."
"I know," he said, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes. "But I missed you anyway."
Babe looked up at him with a playful glint in his eyes. "How was your night? Did your friends get mad that you left early because of me?"
Charlie shook his head, smiling. "Nah, they get it. I told them I couldn't stay long. I wanted to come home to you."
A blush crept up Babe's cheeks, and he rolled his eyes. "Charlie, You're so cheesy."
"Only for you, Mama" Charlie teased, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on his lips.
The kiss was gentle, warm, and familiar like slipping into a favorite sweater on a chilly day. Babe smiled against his lips before pulling away.
"Did you eat yet?" Babe asked, scooting over to make room for him on the couch.
"Yeah, a little bit, but I could go for something more," Charlie said, sitting down and pulling him closer. "What about you?"
"I was waiting for you, actually," Babe admitted with a shy smile.
Charlie chuckled softly and kissed the top of his head. "You don't have to wait for me, you know."
"I know, but I like eating with you," Babe said quietly, resting his head against Charlie's shoulder.
They stayed like that for a few minutes, wrapped up in the warmth of each other's presence, neither of them saying anything. It was moments like these simple and quiet that Charlie cherished the most.
After a while, Charlie looked up at Babe and grinned. "Do you want to order something, or should I cook?"
Babe nodded. "Let's just order tonight, you're tired. You can cook tomorrow."
Charlie grabbed his phone and scrolled through the food delivery app. "Okay, love, if that's what you want. What are you in the mood for?"
"Anything you want," Babe said, still holding him close.
Charlie smile, then tapped on his phone. "Okay, pizza it is."
"Pizza sounds perfect," Babe agreed, pressing a kiss to his cheeks.
While they waited for the food to arrive, they talked about their days. The conversation flowed easily, punctuated with soft laughter and the occasional touch, a hand on a knee, fingers brushing against a cheek, a shoulder leaned into.
When the doorbell finally rang, Charlie was quick to get up and grab the pizza. He came back with the box in hand, grinning as he set it down on the coffee table.
"Here we go," he said, flipping open the lid.
Babe's eyes lit up. "That smells so good."
They settled back on the couch, sharing slices of pizza and talking between bites. Every now and then, Charlie would steal a glance at him, just marveling at how lucky he was. He couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now.
"You're staring," Babe said after a while, raising an eyebrow.
Charlie smiled, leaning back on the couch with a slice of pizza in hand. "Can't help it."
"Why?" Babe asked, smirking.
"Because you're so beautiful," Charlie said simply, reaching over to brush a thumb against his cheek.
Babe's face flushed, and he looked away, pretending to focus on his pizza. 
After they finished eating, they stayed on the couch, Babe resting his head on Charlie's chest while they watched a movie on TV. The soft glow of the screen lit up the room, casting shadows on the walls, but all Charlie could focus on was the steady rise and fall of Babe's breathing against him.
"You make me happy, you know that?" Charlie said quietly, his fingers playing with a strand of Babe's hair.
Babe rested his head on Charlie's shoulder, closing his eyes for a moment. "I know Pa. I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too, Mama" Charlie replied, his voice equally soft.
They stayed like that for a while, the sounds of the movie fading into the background as they just held each other. Nothing else mattered in moments like this just the warmth of being together, the feeling of being home.
Later, as the night grew late and the movie ended, Charlie turned off the TV and stood up, stretching his arms over his head.
"Ready for bed?" he asked, looking down at Babe, who was still curled up on the couch.
Babe nodded, slowly getting up. "Yeah, I'm pretty tired."
They headed to the bedroom together, the house quiet and peaceful around them. As they climbed into bed, Charlie pulled him close, wrapping his arms around him once more.
"Goodnight," Babe whispered, his voice soft in the darkness.
"Goodnight," Charlie murmured, kissing the back of his neck. "Sweet dreams."
Babe smiled in the dark, feeling the steady beat of Charlie's heart against his back. "I'll have sweet dreams as long as you're here."
Charlie chuckled softly, tightening his hold. "I'm not going anywhere."
It wasn't about grand gestures or fancy dates, it was moments like these that made everything feel complete. A quiet night, soft words, and the comfort of knowing they had each other.
Charlie had come home, and Babe had been waiting. And now, in the quiet of the night, they were exactly where they were meant to be together.