simplepuzzle | It's been a while....

Entry tags:

It's been a while....

It's been five years since Chuck left. Left his home, left his dad, left his dog, left Raleigh.

And he hasn't looked back.

Because if he looked back he'd have to think about what he's left behind and if he thinks about it he'd have to do something about it. But it didn't work and they tried, they tried so hard. And it didn't make a damn bit of difference, so Chuck...throws himself into school. And he tries.

Occasionally, he tries to date. A girl here, a guy there. Every time he tries to make an effort at a relationship it ends with a lot of anger. Chuck's not really good at this. Nothing's compared to Raleigh, and Chuck's not sure he'll ever have something like it again. And he refuses to settle.
Love isn't everything. Chuck focuses on school. It's okay.

And he's good. He's really good. That and the occasional one night stand satisfies him.

And then he gets a call from Herc. Yancy's been in an accident. He's broken a few limbs, and he hasn't woken up. Herc isn't saying he should come back, and Chuck's been staring at Raleigh's number when Mako calls him.
He needs you.
Come home.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It does." Chuck can't argue against it.

Raleigh leans in and so does he, catching his mouth and just kissing him gently. The microwave dinged a while ago, but he's been busy. With this.

"Mmm."

Raleigh had heard it ding but it was sort of inconsequential in the face of their embrace, so he doesnt' comment on it. He's not really inclined to let Chuck go at the moment, so instead he contents himself with kisses him slowly, thoroughly, tongue tracing over his lips as his hands lift to slide through Chuck's hair.

"Wine," chuck mumbles against his mouth with a little grin. He pulls away with another squeeze to his hands and another soft kiss to his mouth.

He could stay here all week, he's pretty sure, distracting Raleigh and just luxuriating in his touch. It's good--it's happy--ad he could be for the next two weeks, really.

Raleigh complains about it via a nibbled lip and a little whine, but he gives Chuck a final squeeze and releases him to go get it.

"Go on. I'll get some blankets and turn on the heat."

Since Raleigh's a freak and doesn't run the heat much, at least not until it gets pretty cold.

Chuck thinks about telling Raleigh to not bother with the heat, they'll have blankets and the fire and possibly each other, not to mention the wine, but he's pretty cold.

So he'll grab the wine and dump the box of macaroni into the pot, and go wait on the couch for Raleigh.

Raleigh knows how cold Chuck gets. Still, he doesn't crank the heat, and if there's any sort of chill it's a good excuse to come back and cuddle with Chuck.

Which he does anyway, sitting on the couch next to him and opening his arms tentatively.

He smirks at the sight of Raleigh with his arms open and scoots closer, pushing a glass of wine into his hand.

He just leans back against his chest, fitting into him like they used to and oh but they still fit so well. Chuck leans his head back to nuzzle at Raleigh an lets out a sigh.

He takes the glass and slides his arm around Chuck with his other hand. He fits just like he ought to, like a puzzle piece, like they were made for one another.

Raleigh drops a kiss to Chuck's temple and lingers there, just breathing him in, lips light against his skin.

"Hey." Chuck takes a short sip of wine, leaning into Raleigh's soft kiss.

"...were you really going to ask me to marry you?" He asks it quietly, rubs his palm against his thigh in nervousness.

Chucks voice has him glancing at him, his free hand lifting to touch his hair. He's sort of expecting a question like that and when it comes he sort of breathes against Chuck's skin, eyes closing.

"Yeah."

Had a ring, too but -- they were so young. So, so young and Raleigh felt like he was fucking things up--

He ruined everything.

He takes another sip and leans into Raleigh, letting his eyes drift shut.

There's no use in picturing what would have happened if Raleigh had asked, if Chuck had said yes. It would have been great for all of a day (during which they likely would have taken all the time having sex in celebration) before they started arguing about the future. If Chuck should move back, if Raleigh refuses to go with him. If they should wait until they finished school.

....but man the celebration sex would have been great.

It would've.

Raleigh sips at his wine -- it's kind of awkward, the way Chuck's leaning against him, but he doesn't move him and sort of works around him.

"I still have the ring," he mumbles into Chuck's hair. "I could never...bring myself to return it."

Chuck drains his glass and sucks on his lower lip.

"...can I see it?"

Is that weird. He doesn't have to see it.
But he wants to.

"...Sure."

He's not sure Chuck actually wants to, but he asks, and Raleigh can't tell him no. He drops a kiss to Chuck's forehead and untangles himself from the embrace, finishes his wine and sets the glass aside.

"Be right back."

And he'll -- go get it. And...bring it back, feeling a little unsure about this because...

Well, of a lot of reasons.

He settles back on the couch and sort of clutches the little black box, then slowly opens it, revealing the ring inside.

Chuck reaches to run his thumb over the band of metal, breathing out slowly.

It's probably the wine and the emotions and the...everything that's happened, all night and all week, but Chuck feels strange. Longing, for what could have been, what they don't have. "Can I try it on?" He asks, voice rough, low to keep it from wavering.

Raleigh has trouble answering because it feels like a huge lump has settled in his throat, so he nods instead, and carefully tugs the ring free of its confines and tentatively reaches for Chuck's hand, not sure if it's something Chuck wants to do himself, to fuck around or if he wants--

Raleigh to put it on him, slide it over his knuckles and press it into place, like he would've done five years ago.

Chuck holds his hand out, but he pulls Raleigh's hand closer with the other, both letting Raleigh slide the ring on and doing it himself.

"It's gorgeous," he mutters, turning his hand this way and that to look at it under the firelight.

Seeing it hurts, more than he thought it would. He should take it off, put it back in the box, but can't bring himself to do it, yet.

They put it on Chuck's hand together and Raleigh's pretty sure he's going to cry.

"Thought you'd like it."

He'd picked it out special, saved up everything he could get his hands on, worked his ass off for it.

He reaches for Chuck's hand, rubs his thumb over skin and metal, presses his lips together. He's clinging, desperate, afraid, horribly in love and the words tumble out and he can't stop himself.

"I love you, Chuck -- please, marry me."

"Yes-" it's out before Chuck can think about it, before he has a chance to form the words.

He squeezes Raleigh's hands, laces their fingers together. "Come with me," he urges, pulling Raleigh close to him. "You'll love it there, you'll do great." They'll be great there together he knows it, he wants to be a family with him so badly.

He doesn't want to move. He hates the heat, he hates crowds, he hates the idea of living in California. He doesn't even know what he will do there with no friends, no local businesses, nothing to go on but Chuck and Raleigh's mechanical degree from the tiny local tech school. He's not even sure it's any good outside of Maryland.

"I can't right now --" not with Yancy being how he is, when everything is so up in the air and he's afraid.

"But I'll come. I will."

Because he loves Chuck so fucking much that losing him along with Yancy --

It's just not an option.

Chuck can find a place not immediately in the city, there are local business all over, and there's no way Chuck would beg Raleigh to move with him if the was nothing for him to do.

"Of course," he agrees, smiling weakly as though it hasn't hit him yet--

..and it hasn't.

"You can come after Yancy wakes up," because there's no way Chuck believes Raleigh won't make it, "whenever you're ready--" but he can't stand it he's kissing Raleigh now, cupping his face between his hands and kissing him hungrily, nearly bowling Raleigh down and pinning him to the couch.

It's not the same. It won't be the same. It's just something Raleigh will have to work on getting over.

"Yeah--"

After Yancy wakes up (if he does, but Raleigh isn't accepting that possibility at all), he'll move out there, pack up, sell his house and move cross country--

Chuck's kissing him and distracting him and he ends up on his back on the couch, hands sort of wildly fluttering until he finds purchase at Chuck's hips, fingers clutching at his shirt and digging in, kissing him back with equal hunger.

...It hasn't really sunk in for Raleigh either. He's half expecting them to wake up in the morning and sort of...awkwardly shrug it off.

If it's that hard, Chuck could spend a few months here. They could go back and forth, whatever it could work.

He'll make it work.

Chuck starts laughing against Raleigh's mouth, sliding his hand into his hair. "I was only supposed to spend a night with you," he grins against his lips, loathe to move away. "You weren't supposed to propose." He kisses him slowly, eagerly. He's still pretty fucking happy about it, though.

"Since when do we do anything by the book?" He demands, looking up at Chuck, a smile spreading across his lips that are still mostly pressed against Chuck's.

"You -- weren't supposed to ask about the ring." He slides his arms around Chuck's waist and kisses him again, luxuriating in the sensation of having Chuck in his arms, against his body and mouth, the fire crackling in the background.

"Never have," he agrees, nipping at Raleigh's lower lip with a snicker.

"You shouldn't have told me you were ready to propose, or that you had a ring."

Why did Raleigh mention there was a ring if he didn't think Chuck was going to ask?
--"shit, food," he pushes himself off of Raleigh's lap for the kitchen.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject