simplepuzzle | 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

"Yeah, I thought we could eat together? Unless you wanna be alone?"

He steps in cautiously, not sure how much of Raleigh's personal space he wants Chuck invading right now.

"No, that's fine. What kind did you bring?"

He's moving out of the way and shutting the door behind Chuck, keeping the cold air out.

"Turkey and swiss."

He takes the opportunity to lean in and brush a kiss against Raleigh's mouth. He also takes the opportunity to hand him the bag of sandwiches so he's not juggling that and the two coffees in the carrying tray.

"One of my favorites."

He smiles and enjoys the little tingle that thrills down his back at the kiss, and takes the bag and leads Chuck inside. They can at least eat over the table like civilized people.

"Feeling better today?

"Less hungover, yeah." Tables are good.

He makes himself comfortable at the table, shrugging off his coat and hanging it on the back of the chair along with hat and scarf (and gloves! he found gloves). "You?"

Raleigh's warm and cozy in his pants and sweater. Chuck...is adorable as always. Coat and hat and scarf and gloves. Raleigh's grinning at him by the time he sits down.

"Much better, thanks. Even more now with turkey and swiss."

His nose and cheeks are flushed and sharp from the cold.

"Good." He grins over at Raleigh and there's--conflict. Still, he takes a beat and waits for Raleigh to get settled before asking, "do you still want to marry me?"

He's wearing the ring, still, only has been taking it off around Herc. He's not ready to tell him, doesn't want to talk about it with him yet. He's touching it now, thumb moving over the band and stroking it like a worry stone.

"Course I do."

He picks at his sandwich and looks down at it, pulling it apart like he always does to add spicy mustard in the middle.

"...Do you still want to marry me?"

"Yeah." It's not even a question.

"But--do you want to do it like this?" He's toying with his sandwich. "You love it here."

"Babe..."

He puts his back together and sets it down and looks up at Chuck, hands on the table.

"I want to be with you. It's pretty simple."

"I wanna be with you too, but that doesn't mean I have to drag you across the country."

Chuck takes a bite of his sandwich and watches Raleigh.

Raleigh's giving him a confused look at this is exactly why he was wary.

"I...I don't know what you want from me, then."

"To talk to me, for one." Chuck really isn't trying to sound accusing. "To--I just wanna talk about this, it's not as simple as 'I want to be with you." He leans back in his hair. "It's fine to say 'We'll make it work' but--then you actually have to figure out how to do that."

And he wants to. He wants to work out all the worst parts of the relationship, with Raleigh. Wants to bitch about insurance and which home who pays insurance on.

He's trying to talk to you, Chuck. You aren't always an easy person to talk to.

"Okay. So...let's figure it out then. I do want to be with you. You mentioned splitting time in places before. Your family is here, so is mine. Why don't we spend Thanksgiving and Christmas here? The fourth? Different holidays depending."

It's a start.

"I don't want to live apart from each other, babe. I've spent five years without you. I don't need to be around you constantly, but I don't want to live across the country anymore."

Okay that's--something they can work on, then.

"Okay." He reaches over the table to brush his fingers against Raleigh's. "And you can visit when you can get some time off."

"I don't wanna be without you either," he says quietly.

He turns his palm and laces their fingers together, smiling gently at him.

"Okay. Yeah. I think that's...workable."

They've been too long apart. Too many miserable weeks months and years without one another, Raleigh just...can't do it anymore. He needs Chuck, needs him in his life again - together, married, partners. Whatever you want to call it.

"This is gonna work, Chuck."

They're older. More mature. They can make this thing work, if they compromise and work together.

It's been a while....

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