Burning on the Edge

Waking up after Chris Emerson’s party was difficult, to say the least. Charlie’s head pounded unbearably hard and she moaned into her pillow, not wanting to deal with the day that was ahead. She tried to breathe in and out, relax herself before slowly sitting up, but then immediately felt dizzy and had to close her eyes for a bit, just to let it slowly subside. When she eventually made it out of bed, it was another struggle getting to the bathroom to use the toilet, brush her teeth, and do her morning skin care routine.

By the time she did all that and made herself toast with tea, Charlie felt slightly better. As soon as she was done eating, she was going to take some medicine and curl up on the couch for the better part of the day to feel better. The flat was quiet, which meant Gwen must be out, most likely at Liam’s place. And without Liam, there wasn’t any Louis either. This was all good because Charlie didn’t want to be in anyone’s company today. She did enough socializing last night to last her for a while.

Unfortunately, as she was thinking all of this, the bell rang. Charlie groaned quietly, getting off her chair and opening the front door. Harry stood on the other side, holding a tray with two steaming cups on them. “Hey,” he said, brightly. “I got you hot chocolate.”

Charlie glared at him. “Where did you fuck off to last night? I was looking for you.” Harry pursed his lips, sighing as he faced the floor, like he’d been expecting Charlie to be upset. When he didn’t answer, Charlie rolled her eyes, walking back inside because it was cold out in the hallway. Harry quickly followed, closing the front door behind him and getting his coat and shoes off.

“I know you’re upset,” Harry began, walking into the kitchen where Charlie was eating. “But I’m here to apologize.”

“Why don’t you start by telling me where you were?” she asked, finishing up her toast.

“I can’t,” he said.

“What the fuck? Why?”

“Trust me. It’s not important.”

“Were you hooking up with someone?” Charlie kept on questioning.

At that, Harry grew quiet again and Charlie just knew. She narrowed her eyes, pinning him down with her stare until he scrunched up his face in distress. “Stop it! I’m sorry, okay? I’m a shit friend, I get it. But you left me to go hook up with someone too!”

“I wasn’t even gone that long,” Charlie said, standing up and taking her empty plate and tea mug to the sink. “Who did you meet in the span of that time?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Harry quickly brushed off. “Tell me what happened with Niall. I’m assuming it wasn’t good. I texted Gwen earlier and she said you seemed upset.”

“I was,” Charlie sighed. She leaned her back against the kitchen counter, running a hand through her hair. “He took me back to Chris’ flat and helped me find something else to wear since my dress was ruined. Then one thing led to another and we were kissing and stuff.” The images of the night before flooded through Charlie’s mind and her cheeks warmed up from the naughtier bits. “Anyway, after we hooked up, it just got awkward. I went to the bathroom and when I came out, he left. I don’t know where he went or anything. So that’s when I was trying to look for you.”

Harry was frowning, confusion etched on his expression. “Why did it suddenly get weird? What’s his deal?”

Charlie shrugged, taking out paracetamol from the medicine cabinet and downing it with her water. “I’m just as lost,” she said. “I thought he was into me.”

“I’m pretty sure he is,” Harry conceded. “I saw the way he was looking at you at the party.”

“Well, if he’s into me then why was he being weird?”

“The only way to find out would be to ask him, really.”

“Easier said than done,” Charlie scoffed.

Harry gave her a meek, sympathetic smile. “I know. But you do like him, right? If you don’t then don’t bother saying anything. If you do...then you deserve to know.”

“I do like him,” Charlie confirmed. “The more I talk with him, spend time with him, the more I like him.”

“There you have it, then,” Harry said. He passed over one of the hot chocolate cups over to her and she took it, gratefully. Charlie felt a lot better now that she talked to her best friend about it. The two of them took their drinks to the living room where they pulled up Netflix on the telly, trying to decide what they wanted to watch when the door opened. Gwen walked through, brightly smiling at the pair, followed by Liam.

“Hi guys!” Liam greeted, toeing out of his sneakers.

“Hey,” Harry returned the pleasantries.

As Liam moved aside, Louis walked through, glancing up and making eye contact with both Harry and Charlie. He immediately started coughing, face turning red, and Charlie grew concerned. He looked like he swallowed the wrong way or something. When she turned to look at Harry, she found that his face was a matching shade of red.



When Charlie arrived to work the following day, Niall was already there. He had his Biochem textbook in front of him with a notebook beside it with a pen poised over a page. At first, she didn’t know how to react despite this being the only thing she’d thought about since the party. In her head, she had conjured up a couple different scenarios, but everything vanished once she saw Niall right there in front of her. For a few seconds, she just stood there, until Niall gave her a small smile and waved before looking back down at his books.  

Right.

So it was going to be like that. Alright then. Charlie haughtily walked to the back employee area and put her things away, pretending like she couldn’t care less that Niall was there. Grabbing her phone, she walked back to the front of the store. Niall was exactly where she left him and her annoyance was growing. She decided to check around the store and make sure everything was where it should be to avoid being next to him right away. Customers loved taking things and placing them back down in a spot where they don’t belong or aren’t designated to, so this could take her a while.

A customer walked in at some point and Charlie helped her pick out some products. Once she was done ringing her up, she was about to head back out on the floor when Niall glanced up at her. Their eyes met and Charlie froze, wondering how it was going to go now. Because that was just it -- with Niall, she never knew. She was never able to predict his next move or how he was feeling, yet Charlie was still trying to decide if she liked that or not.

But if Niall knew her at all, he’d know she was bold and unafraid. Which was why now that she had his attention, she said, “we need to talk.”

“Yeah, we do,” Niall agreed, nodding his head and turning to face her, books forgotten on the counter.

“You left,” Charlie bluntly accused him. “And I don't know what happened, but you didn’t even try to talk to me yesterday. I’m just trying to understand.”

“Right, and you have every right to ask and even be mad at me if that’s the case,” Niall said.

“Oh, it’s definitely the case,” Charlie crossed her arms over her chest.

Niall huffed out a nervous laugh. “I’m sorry for leaving and for not explaining myself. I know it’s fucked up and you deserve so much better. It had absolutely nothing to do with you why I left.”

“Okay, then why did you?”

Niall hesitated for a moment. “I just don’t know if I want this to be a thing yet.”

Charlie cocked her head to the side, frowning. “What?”

“Look, my first couple of years at Uni were...wild, to say the least. I was out nearly every night just partying, being with friends and girls, and having a fucking blast. It’s, like, in my blood to drink and go out. I love it. But I didn’t anticipate how much it would affect my studies, which is stupid because Pre-med is difficult as fuck. I was doing awful and at some point, I just realized I couldn’t do that anymore. I couldn’t go out every single night or be with someone who might distract me because I made it so far already and I want to graduate. It was already so tough when I had to take my MCATs.”

It was information Charlie already partially knew and didn’t completely answer why he left her, so she held up her strong, unrelenting front. Niall visibly gulped, nodding as he continued.

“I was determined at the start of the semester to really concentrate and get that degree. That meant no more partying everyday and definitely no more girls. But then you came along…” He gestured at her with his hand, looking disgruntled and also a little embarrassed. “You’re amazing, Charlie. I have never met someone like you, someone who is so sure of themselves and everything they do. You make me want to break every single rule I’ve set for myself. That night at the party, I literally did do that, and I panicked.”

He paused, taking a deep breath. “So you panicked?” she asked for clarification. He nodded. “You panicked and you just left me without explanation. Sounds like an excuse, Niall.”

“It is,” he admitted. “I’ve got nothing to back me up other than that, though. I’m sorry. But like I said, it’s really not you or what we did at all. And I’m sorry I made you feel like it was.”

Charlie didn’t want to say it was okay to reassure him because it wasn’t, but she was starting to forgive him. At least he was honest and able to own up to his mistakes. That couldn’t be said for a lot of men.

“I guess I’m just wondering what this all means?” she said. “I mean, we hooked up, and if how I felt wasn’t obvious, I hope it is by now. I wasn’t just drunk and looking to get off.”

“Yeah, I know that,” Niall quickly added. “It wasn’t like that for me either. For the record, I like you a lot.”

Charlie’s lips twitched, begging to smile, but she tried her best to tamp it down. “Okay...same.”

“But I can’t do the relationship thing. I would be the world’s worst boyfriend right now. I can’t even find time for my roommate and I live with him.” He leaned against the counter, looking ready to say something, but hesitated.

“So you’re suggesting we forget about that night?” Charlie asked, trying to move the conversation along.

Niall gave a half nod, half shake, which didn’t answer anything. “I’d like to stay friends right now, ideally, but if in the future those feelings are still there, I’d love to take you out and do this right.”

“You want me to wait for you?”

“Only if you want to. I don’t want you to feel like I’m tying you down. If you feel like I’m being unfair in asking you to do this, then call me out and say no.”

“I’m just not sure what to say in general,” Charlie admitted. “But thanks for being honest and for letting me know.”

“Thanks for listening,” Niall said, offering her a meek smile. He eventually turned back to his books and Charlie tried to appear busy on her phone. A few customers strolled in and they both took turns helping out. At some point, Bug came by to tell them about the responses they’d been getting for the Block Party on Facebook and other social media. People were excited and Bug expected it to be packed. While Charlie wanted to be excited as well, her mind was elsewhere.

She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. On the one hand, it was unfair of Niall to ask her to wait, but he did give her the option of declining. On the other, she sort of did want to wait. There weren’t any other guys around that she was interested in, and her infatuation with Niall was turning into something deeper. She was drawn to him, unexplainably so, and she wouldn’t mind waiting a couple more weeks until he graduated to be with him.

It just sucked that she met him now and not before he set those rules for himself, or even after he graduated. Maybe then, they could just be and allow themselves to fall for each other without a worry or concern.



Every once in a while, Charlie got Harry and Gwen to accompany her to the school library to get some revising done. This week she had a paper due along with a few assignments and readings that she needed to complete. The three of them made a trip to the library one morning after grabbing some snacks to keep them fueled. They found the biggest empty table and got to work. An hour or two in, Gwen got a call from Liam, asking if he and Louis could join. That was surprising, considering Charlie didn’t really see them as the types to bother coming to the library to revise. But they joined and they brought more snacks with them, which Charlie was grateful for even if they were being distracting.

It was standard. Liam and Gwen were pecking each other’s lips like ducks more than getting any work done. Harry and Louis were making faces at each other and shooting daggers with their eyes. Charlie was simply trying to concentrate.

“You’re honestly such a disgrace to society,” Harry sneered at Louis.

“I could say the same about you, mate,” Louis bit back.

“I’m not your bloody mate!”

Harry ended the conversation there, going back to his book. When Charlie looked at Louis to see his reaction, she was thrown upon seeing him actually smiling while looking at Harry. It was a fond smile, one that was never directed at Harry from Louis. How fucking weird.

Deciding to not get distracted by that anymore, she went back to work as well. Once she completed two of her assignments and a reading, she stood up, going for a quick bathroom break and to stretch her limbs. As she was heading back to the table, she saw Niall walking in through the library doors. Charlie wanted to rush back to her table without being seen and avoid an awkward interaction, but for some reason, he looked right at her as if he could sense that she was there.

Behind him, Zayn followed, following Niall’s gaze over to Charlie. Crap. Now they’d both seen him. She had no way of escaping. Zayn smiled easily, walking over to her with Niall. She gave them both a smile in return. “Hey!”

“Hey Charlie,” Zayn grinned. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Getting some work done with my friends,” she explained.

“Oh, are they here?” Zayn asked. “I want to see Louis.”

“Yeah, they’re over there,” she said, pointing in the general direction of their table.

“Let them revise in peace, Z,” Niall deadpanned, looking at his best friend. He was clearly trying to hint at something with the way he was widening his eyes at him, but Zayn didn’t catch on.

“Don’t be such a bore, Ni,” Zayn waved off before looking at Charlie. “Lead the way.”

Charlie led them toward her table and Niall quickly walked ahead to catch up with her. “Sorry about intruding,” he said. “Zayn wanted to get a book for class, but that knob head is looking for a distraction.”

Charlie shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

It was weird between them, she could tell, especially because Niall was watching her carefully. They hadn’t spoken properly since the conversation at work, so the wound was still fresh. Opting to ignore the tension, she quickened her pace until they got to their table. Everyone greeted each other and before Charlie knew it, Zayn and Niall were pulling up chairs to sit with them. Her revision session turned into a social hour as they all talked and laughed about various, random things. Still, Charlie tried to get a head start on her paper, but only got about a paragraph in until she got sucked into a conversation about the weirdest place she’d had sex. Harry had just revealed that for him it was on a trampoline in his backyard back in Cheshire.

“The guy’s parents’ bedroom,” Charlie responded. “It was in secondary and he had a twin bed, so we weren’t able to do much on it. So when his parents were out, we did it on his parents’ bed.”

“That’s not too crazy,” Liam said. “Gwen and I once got it on on the freeway. We pulled over while driving to Birmingham.”

“Too much info, Li,” Charlie wrinkled her nose.

“For me, it was at the museum,” Zayn grinned, looking sheepish. “Private exhibit from when I still worked there.”

Everyone looked to Niall, who quietly said, “movie theater.” It was tame, but Charlie was still so curious. Who was it with? How far did they go? She had endless questions, but everyone’s attention had diverted to Louis, who had a bright smile on his face.

“This oughta be good,” Harry mumbled, taking a sip of his coffee.

“In the closet at a party,” Louis confessed.

At that Harry started choking on his drink, some of it dribbling down his chin. Liam quickly pounded on Harry’s back to get it to go down. Harry’s face was red and he was blinking up at Louis, who looked smug and satisfied. Charlie would have to investigate this at a later time.

For now, she was occupied with watching Niall from the corner of her eye. He was smiling and laughing along with everyone else, keeping up with the conversation and glancing at her every now and then, just to make sure she was involved. She could tell that even though it was awkward, he was making an effort to keep up the normalcy in their friendship. For that, she had to give him some credit, but the situation still sucked. Sure, Niall was okay with just being friends for now, however, Charlie wanted more. She wanted Niall to be hers so that she could know him in a way that no one else did.

And she couldn’t get over that. They could sit there with their friends and talk about stupid things, but Niall still wasn’t hers. They could go to work together and hang out, but Niall still wouldn’t be hers. It mattered because, from him, she would always want more. She couldn’t settle or only meet halfway. 



Two hours and a whole lot of shit talking later, Charlie stood up, announcing that she had to head to her class. At the same time, Niall got up as well, bidding everyone goodbye and saying he wanted to head home as well. Zayn stayed back, taking up Charlie’s seat so that he was next to Louis. The air was cold outside, a stark contrast to earlier in the day when the sun made up for the low temperature. Charlie couldn’t wait until warmer weather.

Niall and her walked in semi silence for most of the way, making small talk about classes. Halfway to her class, Charlie realized Niall was still walking beside her even though the exit he uses for going home was behind them. She wasn’t sure if he noticed, but she also didn’t want to be awkward and point it out. She was about to ask him if he and Zayn would want to come over to theirs for dinner with the others tomorrow night when she noticed there was a crowd on the quad.

A big banner was held up with the words PRACTICE SAFE SEX written in bright colors. Below the banner was a table where a few people were sitting, talking to a crowd of students while representatives stood on the side, interacting with those passing by. Charlie glanced at Niall to see he was watching them, too.

“Maybe we should tell them about the block party,” Charlie suggested.

Niall snorted, nodding. “Yeah, that’d make sense.”

As they passed by, one of the reps approached them, her t-shirt matching the banner. She was holding a jar of condoms. “Hey guys,” she smiled. “Make the right selection and cover your erection!”

With that, she thrust several condom packets onto both their hands before moving onto the next person. Charlie stared down at the condoms, some of them spilling over her hands before looking up to meet Niall’s eyes. He looked alarmed, eyes wide and a little lost. Charlie shoved the condoms in her bag, realizing that throwing them out would be a waste. She watched as Niall put a few in his jeans pocket and then some in his jacket pocket as well. Too bad they wouldn’t be using them.

Charlie continued to walk toward class, Niall meeting her pace. When they got to her building, he leaned over, giving her a quick hug before leaving. That was as good as it was going to get, she supposed. 



The bar was packed the night of Gwen’s 22nd birthday party. Charlie had anticipated that while planning with Liam, and they were able to scope out a big area in the back for their group. It was mostly Gwen’s friends from school and then their small group with Zayn and Niall added. Liam went out and got some gold balloons that spelled out Happy Birthday, while Charlie handled cake and making sure everyone got there.

It was a success so far. Gwen was drunk, laughing and talking with everyone, face flushed with how happy she was. Louis and Zayn had partnered up, attached at the hip these days while Niall followed them around. Charlie and Harry were busy busting a move on the dance floor. She had requested that the bar play one of her favorite dance playlists and they were currently getting down to a Britney Spears song.

“How’re things with Niall?” Harry asked, once the song ended. He was sweating, curls wet and sticking to his forehead.

Charlie grabbed some napkins from their table and passed one to him. “It’s alright. I think we’re good.”

“He keeps staring at you,” Harry pointed out.

At that, Charlie couldn’t help but look to check for herself. Niall was talking with Zayn and Louis but after a moment or two, he quickly looked over at Charlie. He swerved real quick to avoid getting caught, but he knew he was if his blush was anything to go by. She smiled to herself before looking back at Harry. “I know he likes me, but I can’t do anything about it. He’s already said no. At least for now.”

“I think that’s such bullshit, though,” Harry replied.

“I agree, but I gotta respect the guy and his wishes.”

They were soon joined by their friends. Gwen was fully sloshed at this point, but wanted more drinks. Seeing as how it was crowded, Charlie volunteered to grab some shots for everyone and have a bartender help her bring individual drink requests. They each told her what they’d like and she was off. On the way, she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Niall was behind her.

“I’ll help you,” he said, keeping close as they made their way through the crowd. It proved to be difficult because it was starting to get super claustrophobic in there. Charlie thought she found an in to the bar, but only got shoved back. Her body collided against Niall’s and they were both face to face, chest to chest.

From there, it only got worse as more people pushed them together. Charlie’s hands instinctively moved to grab onto Niall’s shoulders to steady herself and he had his hands around her waist, holding her securely so that she didn’t get trampled to the ground. It was a position fit for a bit of sweet snogging. She wondered what would happen if they did do that, despite being surrounded by drunk college kids. When Charlie met Niall’s blue eyes, she found him looking right back at her, and in a way, Charlie knew that he was thinking the same thing.

Their chemistry was undeniable. They had a connection and Charlie could feel it all the way to her bones. Just being near Niall made her head spin and her thoughts go wild. Every inch of her longed for him and she wondered if that was clear to him. Neither made a move to step away from their position and it was like time was standing still just for them.

In that moment, Charlie decided that she was going to wait. She was willing to wait for Niall until he graduated and maybe even after that. She’d never desired for someone as much as she did for him, so if he asked her to wait for a day, a week, or even several months, she would.



The party raged on until the wee hours of the morning. Gwen’s friends dwindled out of the bar somewhere around 3 or 4 AM, which left Charlie, Harry, Liam, Louis, Zayn and Niall. With the birthday girl in tow, they all headed to a 24 hours diner where they munched on pancakes and coffee as well as talked about some of the crazier parts of the night, like when Gwen and a few of her girls got on top of the bar to dance and one of her friends nearly fell and had to be saved. By the time they left the diner, they were sober and feeling the effects of the night.

Charlie was worn out. Her feet ached from the dancing, her body was protesting every step she took, and her head was already pounding from the impending hangover. When they got to her and Gwen’s flat, she barely bothered to say goodbye to everyone because she also had to pee really bad. With a wave, she ran up the stairs, leaving everyone outside as they chatted. The flat was filled with light, streaming in through the windows as the sun rose. Charlie didn’t bother turning on any of the lights, just took off her heels and headed to the bathroom where she quickly used the toilet. After washing up, she slipped her dress up over her head and left it on the rack.

When she walked out of the bathroom, the flat was still quiet, but she heard the front door close. Gwen was back and probably took forever in saying goodbye to Liam. Charlie went to her bedroom, then decided she should get a glass of water before sleeping, so she headed to the kitchen. Running a tired hand through her knotted hair, she barely noticed Niall standing next to the sink.

They both startled, letting out shrieks of surprise before settling down. Niall’s eyes were wide with alarm and they drifted down to her body. That was when Charlie remembered she was only in her bright pink bra and knickers. “What are you doing here?” she asked, crossing a arm over her chest to scratch at her neck. She didn’t bother attempting to cover herself up. Not like he hadn’t seen any of this before.

“Liam had some dirty laundry here,” he explained, voice hoarse and eyes still lingering over Charlie’s bare skin. “He wanted to grab them from Gwen’s room before we all headed home.”

“Oh,” Charlie said quietly.

“Yeah,” Niall said, clearing his throat and trying to avert his eyes. “I was with Harry, Zayn and Louis downstairs, but I got thirsty.”

“I’m thirsty, too,” Charlie added. She slowly walked closer to him, grabbing an empty glass out of the cupboard and filling it up with cold tap water. All the while, Niall watched her, his eyes never off of her for more than a second. She matched his gaze, drinking her water slowly. His throat visibly jumped and she couldn’t help but smile softly. She wondered if she should try to be sexy and pour the water over her face and body, but then decided against it. She figured she’d need practice for something like that.

Besides, Niall was already attracted to her and it felt like some sort of victory. She wanted him to crave her almost as much as she craved him. She wanted him to think about her as much as she thought about him.



“Look alive, folks,” Bug yelled, walking out from his office.

Niall dropped the box of lube he was holding in surprise, causing Charlie to giggle. She was straightening out some of their magazines and books while Niall stocked the shelves. Bug moseyed on over to the counter while laughing at Niall as well, and placed down a bag filled to the brim and a basket with some crafts and tools inside.

“I need one of you to fix up this gift basket that we are raffling off at the block party. I’ve put all the gift products in the bag, so just make it look pretty,” Bug ordered.

“I’ll do it,” Charlie volunteered, leaving her post and walking to the counter.

“Great,” Bug grinned. “I’ll leave you to it and have you guys close up tonight. I’m going to head home early. Sidney’s making dinner and I love her meatloaf!”

“Alright, Bug. Good night!”

“Night,” Niall called, waving in their general direction.

Bug waved and was off with his jacket and keys. The shop was silent as Niall and Charlie worked quietly. It had been a slow day and they were a half hour away from closing time. Charlie was already getting bored of making the basket, so naturally, she picked up the cock shaped dildo that Bug had placed in the bag and looked over at Niall as he walked back to the counter with the empty box that he’d finished unloading.

“Hey, does it look like I’m deep throating this?” she asked before turning sideways and slowly lowering the dildo down on the side of her face with her mouth wide open. Bursting into giggles, she looked to Niall, hoping for the same reaction. Instead, he was staring at her with this weird look in his eye.

Charlie quickly put the dildo back in the basket, realizing her joke probably wasn’t all that funny. Still, Niall was standing there and she wanted to break the silence. “Think I could use these anal beads as a necklace?” she asked him, holding up the item in question.

When she looked at him again, he was walking toward her, a determined expression on his face. Before Charlie knew it, Niall backed her up against the wall behind the counter, taking her face in his hands and kissing her. For a few seconds, Charlie was too shocked to react, her hands useless by her sides. But then when Niall licked into her mouth hotly, she moaned, wrapping her hands around his arms to hold him steady. He was firm beneath her touch, but tender in the way he held and kissed her.

If Charlie knew that being a dumb arse was the way to get him on her again, she’d have started a long time ago. It was a good thing they’d waited until Bug left and the store was near closing. Charlie didn’t want to stop now that they’d started. She slowly lifted her leg to wrap around his waist and Niall placed one of his hands on her thigh to hold her steady, letting his crotch shift right against hers. Charlie’s eyes fluttered from the sensation and she gasped against Niall’s mouth. He grinned, wickedly, and ground against her again while their lips continued to move in perfect sync. It was magic, electricity, and everything Charlie wished she’d felt when she kissed other boys -- boys who didn’t ask her to wait.

Their movements were getting erratic and their breaths were labored. Niall knew exactly how to touch Charlie and she wished so badly that they were somewhere where this would be more appropriate. But then it dawned on her that they were in a sex shop with everything they’d need right at their disposal, including a dreamy Lana Del Rey song playing in the background. Even the lights cast a dewy magenta color over them, setting the mood just a little more. Now, all they needed to do was lock the front door and continue where they left off.

Charlie lifted her hand up to the back of Niall’s head and tugged on his hair, pulling his lips off of hers with a pop. “We should lock the door,” she said to him, quiet.

“Don’t want to stop,” Niall groaned, letting his lips drag across her chin down to her neck where he placed sporadic kisses.

“We really don’t need a customer seeing us like this. It would be very on brand, but also inappropriate.”

Niall groaned again, but pushed himself away from Charlie with a sad, puppy dog face. He then ran to the door, locking it and turning the OPEN sign to CLOSED. Walking back to Charlie, he grabbed a condom from the gift basket before taking her hand. “Want to take this to the back?” he asked.

Charlie nodded, smiling as she let him lead her to the back room. It was where they kept their new stock as well as lockers for employees to keep their things. Bug had a couch, ratty and old, placed on the side. It used to be in his apartment, but then he and Sidney got a new one and decided to leave this one here. Not that anyone even used it, but tonight, that was where Niall and Charlie went.

He sat down, bringing her down with him, hands on her waist and face reaching for hers. Their lips met in an open mouthed kiss, hungry to get right to it. Charlie sat on his lap, not letting their lips disconnect as she got comfortable, straddling him as he pulled her closer by wrapping his arms around her waist. With his hands in her hair and her fingers tracing over his face and neck, they kissed for what felt like forever, lips swollen and tingling.

When they pulled away eventually, Charlie felt her mouth throb in sync with her heartbeat. Niall helped Charlie get up so that they could slide their pants off, just enough to get to where they need to. Niall pulled the condom on and Charlie felt eager as she sat back down, aligning herself with him before sinking down slowly. Niall’s hands were on her waist, steadily helping her until he was all the way in. Charlie let out a sigh, lips parted as she held herself up by holding onto his shoulders.

“You alright?” Niall asked, voice hoarse and gritty.

“Yeah,” Charlie nodded. She surged forward, capturing his lips in a kiss and he let out a moan while she moved her body with his. Kissing Niall was one thing, but getting to be connected with him was ten times more magnified than that. He was careful, but hot, making sure she knew she was being taken care of while having his way with her. Their movements were near rushed, but Charlie wanted to slow down, savor it while she could.

In the back of her mind, there were a lot of red lights, telling her to stop and protect herself. Niall was clear with her from the start as to where he stood regarding them, and she knew where she was in terms of her feelings. But Charlie was impulsive. She always had been. She thought of life as luck because while she could be here today, she might not be tomorrow. Life was weird and scary and too short to think about consequences. She wanted Niall so bad. She wanted his touch, his attention, and everything he was giving her right now. If she continued to go on, and then one day lost it all, she never wanted to look back and think she should have gave into this boy who made her feel desperate and reckless.

Charlie was through pretending like she didn’t want this. Pretending was risky when you never knew what tomorrow would bring. Right now, as far as she could tell, they were young and they were human. They craved each other and that was evident with each thrust, bringing out delicate sounds from their mouths. The magic, electricity between them was bursting when they came, holding onto each other tightly on a ratty, old couch, letting the moment wash down on them.

And this time when Niall got up to clean himself, Charlie knew that what happened was a spur of the moment thing. Something Niall couldn’t help but give in to and Charlie was okay with that. At least for now.