"Haha! This is Nellie." 
Charlie was in love.
Charlie loved Nellie.
"Hi, Nellie!" He crouched down to pet her and Nellie seemed to instantly like him. It made Nick feel a certain way to see Charlie like this. He liked it. "You're so adorable!" Charlie continued but Nick's gaze got stuck on his hair.
"Did- did you..." As Charlie stood back up, Nick's hand reached out and grazed the side of his hair. "Did you get a haircut?"
Charlie could simply melt away. He was blushing and he knew that Nick could see it. "E- ehm... I- is it bad?" He looked down and gave a small smile.
"No no! No! It- you look- ehm- great!" Was Nick blushing? Charlie must've imagined it. He quickly looked away and looked down at Nellie. "Okay, come in or Nellie will think we're going for a walk."
"Okay."
"It's so cold!" Nick said, closing the door after them.
"I heard it's gonna snow!"
"Oh my God, snow?" They both laughed at their excitement and Nick started showing around. "So this is my house!"
Charlie got to meet Nick's mum who was an absolute angel and had made him a cup of tea. 
The last room was Nick's and Charlie felt nervous walking into it but once there he felt relaxed. He loved the way Nick had decorated it. It felt masculine but safe. He had some rugby stuff on display but Charlie pointed out the fairy lights along the ceiling. 
Then Nellie came and joined them. Charlie couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun. It was so easy with Nick.
And Nick felt the same.
He only had guy friends and he did spend quite a lot of time with them in and out of school, but he never felt the same way when he was with Charlie than when he was with them. Everything was... better with Charlie. 

"Argh! Why are you so good at this?!" Nick yelled out as he lost for the fourth time.
"I have a six-year-old brother. Mario Kart is my life. And you get to be good at real sports, I get to be good at the fake ones."
"You're just good at everything, you nerd!"
"I am so not good at everything."
"You so are! Let's see, you're good at video games, sports, math, essays, making friends, playing the drum-"
Charlie laughed and put his hand over Nick's mouth. "Shh!" But the next second he was looking out the window. "It's snowing."
Nick turned around before looking back at Charlie and seeing that he had the same expression as him made him so happy. Charlie got to borrow a hoodie from Nick which resulted in Nick laughing because it was way too big on Charlie.
They both hurried down and got dressed before running out to the freshly laid snow. Nellie followed close behind and was barking with excitement. 
They made snowballs and then threw them at each other, Nick crammed a handful of snow down Charlie's jacket, Charlie made snow angels and Nick took pictures.
They had a great time.

"I. Am. Freezing." Charlie says, standing in the lobby and hugging himself to keep the warmth.
"You should have worn something waterproof." Nick smiles from the floor. Nellie was dripping wet and he had to dry her before she ran all around the house.
"I don't have anything! I'm not outdoorsy like you!"
"I hope you don't catch a cold..."
"Haha! It'll b- be worth it!" Charlie smiles and Nick sees him through new eyes. Charlie is just about to overthink the look on Nick's face but is interrupted by Nick himself.
"Wait here!" He says and runs to the living room. When he comes back he's carrying a big blanket that he wraps around Charlie. "There."
"Oh- th- thanks." Charlie was so happy it was cold and that his face was already rosy. 
Nick stared at him for a while before adding, "Sorry I don't have any joggers to give you, I think they'd all be too big haha... You should probably go and sit on a radiator for a bit!"
Charlie was so happy it was cold outside.
"You really have to go home?" Nick didn't want him to go. 
"Yeah.. My dad said I had to go home for dinner."
"Well... Nellie will miss you!"
"I'll miss Nellie too." Charlie smiles. "And thanks for the hoodie. I'll give it to you on Monday!"
"No prob! Don't slip and die on the ice!" Nick shouts from the door.
"I'll try not to!" Charlie shouts back as he takes a turn and disappears out of view.
Nick stands there and smiles long after Charlie is gone. 

Once back in his kitchen, Nick puts on the tea kettle and makes himself a cup of tea. 
"Charlie seems like a lovely boy. When did you meet him?" His mum says from the table.
"A couple of months ago. He's in one of my classes."
"He's very different from your other friends, isn't he? You seem much more like yourself around him."
"Do I?"
"You do!"
Nick didn't say anything back and took a sip from his cup.
He had noticed that he enjoyed spending time with Charlie more than he enjoyed spending time with his other friends. And time went by quicker with Charlie around. Both in and outside of school. He was excited and looked forward to their class together even if the class itself was boring, Charlie made it... not boring.
Later on, Nick found himself sitting on his bed looking through the pictures of Charlie he took earlier. 
He had two favourites, one when he managed to get a picture of when Nellie jumped on Charlie's lap and started licking his face, Charlie was smiling. And the other when they were about to go inside and Charlie was soaked from head to toe. It was a picture of his back with his face turned to the camera, smiling and combing his hand through his dripping hair.
But he... he had other guy friends. He'd spent time with them as well.
Why was it that everything was so different with Charlie?
And why didn't he understand that emotion?

Charlie didn't want to admit it to himself but Nick smelled absolutely incredible. His hands brought the fabric of the hoodie to his nose and he inhaled. It was like Nick was here. 
"Are you okay?" Tori walked downstairs and asked.
Charlie looked away then back at her and chuckled, "I fell for a straight boy... haha..."
Tori said nothing but walked the few steps between them and pulled Charlie into a tight hug.
It was all that was needed.