Burning on the Edge

The day of the Adult Block Party was quickly approaching. After Sidney got the permit for the warehouse, where they were hosting it, the process was accelerated. They all worked their little arses off on making sure everything was coming together from decorations, games, prizes, etc. On the day before the party, Charlie and Niall gathered their friends and brought them together to Sidney and Bug’s apartment where they prepared the food. Bug’s friend was taking care of the ice cream, but they had to handle the rest.

In addition to burgers and hot dogs, Harry suggested they needed cupcakes as that was his speciality. Bug wasn’t going to say no to more food, so he got them a dozen boxes of cupcake mixes. While Gwen, Liam, and Niall worked on the main dishes, Charlie helped Harry with the baking. Zayn and Louis were in charge of the frosting and making themed designs.

It was going great so far. Sidney was playing an upbeat Spotify playlist even though their voices were higher in volume as they chit chatted and had different conversations all around. Charlie couldn’t help but notice how in a short span of time, her friends and Niall’s all just merged together into a group. They met up quite frequently, often to go to the pub to chill, revise in the library, or hang out at the apartment for dinner and movies.

As Charlie took out a fresh batch of cupcakes from the oven, she brought the platter over to the counter where Harry was stationed. She glanced up at her best friend to ask how long they should wait before they frosted, but found him staring across the counter with his mouth hanging wide open. Charlie followed his gaze and landed on Louis, who was looking back at Harry while licking his fingers free of frosting. Charlie frowned to herself, turning back to Harry and noticing how dazed and dark his eyes were.

What the fuck was going on?

“What the fuck is going on?” Charlie asked, elbowing Harry and getting his attention.

He startled, his eyes snapping to her, looking wild and crazed. “What?” he slurred out, wiping at his mouth.

“Why are you asking me that?” she hissed at him, peering over at Louis to see an ever present smirk on his face as he began conversing with Zayn. It was pretty loud in the flat, so she couldn’t hear them. “I should be asking you. Are you fucking Louis on the low?”

Harry’s eyes widened comically, eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline, as he leaned away from her. “Are you joking? Why would you ask me that? Like, are you fucking kidding, or what? You know I hate him.”

“Harry,” she frowned. “I’m serious.”

“So am I!” he shouted, dramatically. “I have to go check on the other cupcakes in the oven.”

He quickly walked away before Charlie could tell him that the cupcakes were on the table right in front of them and that she’d already brought them out. She sighed, turning back to the other two boys. They just finished frosting a batch, so she picked that platter up and carried it over to the dining room table where they were letting the finished food sit. When she got back to the kitchen, Zayn was frosting the new batch, but Louis wasn’t there anymore. Which was super convenient considering Harry wasn’t there anymore either.

Something was so going on, but Charlie couldn’t investigate right now. They needed to continue working and get this shit done on time for tomorrow. She rallied up Gwen from the cooking station and brought her over to help bake. The two roomies sang along to an Ed Sheeran tune as they made the cupcake mix. When it came time to pour the batter into the cupcake platter, Charlie let Gwen handle it, while she got the oven ready.

After setting the temperature and making sure it was preheating, Charlie walked back to Gwen and didn’t notice the slippery spill on the ground. Her trainers slipped and Charlie nearly landed on the floor, but quickly grabbed onto the counter. In the process, her hand knocked into the platter of cupcake mix that Gwen was still working on and the whole thing poured down Charlie’s front. She gasped, trying to save herself and the cupcakes by pushing it back onto the counter, but it only gathered all over her arms.

The entire house was silent except for the Dua Lipa song playing on the speakers. Charlie couldn’t move, wincing as the gunky goop of the cupcake mix seeped through her clothes and dripped down her body. Gwen let out a soft breath and moved toward her.

“Do you need a napkin?” she asked.

Charlie couldn’t help but let out a huff of laughter. “I’m going to need more than a napkin, Gwen,” she said.

A hand placed over Charlie’s shoulder and Niall appeared in front of her, an amused expression on his face. “What is with you and spilling things all over yourself? Come on, I’ll help you clean up.”

Once again, Niall swooped in to save the day. He led her to the bathroom and opened the door for her. Charlie walked in, quickly lifting her ruined t-shirt over her head just as Niall closed the bathroom door behind him and locked it. When he turned to face her, his eyes widened, looking like saucers.

“Sorry,” she mumbled with a laugh as she placed the t-shirt on the counter, her upper torso bare except for her black, lace bralet. “It felt gross.”

“I’m not complaining,” Niall quirked, giving her a small smile.

“Of course you’re not,” she teased, moving a little closer to him. “That’s probably why you invited yourself in and closed the door.”

Niall gasped theatrically, as he tilted his face closer. “Are you insinuating that I’m trying to seduce you? If anything, you’re the one seducing me.”

“All I did was take my shirt off,” Charlie replied.

“That’s enough to get me going.”

“Guess you’re pretty easy then, Horan.”

There was a playful lilt to their tones, each moving closer and closer to each other until there was barely any space between them left. It was Niall who closed the gap between them, his soft lips connecting with Charlie’s. She smiled against his lips, feeling herself being backed up against the counter. Niall had one hand on the counter while the other one held onto her back, fingers soft as he stroked over her milky skin.

This happened quite frequently. Charlie had thought that the time at the sex shop when they had sex on the couch would be a one time thing. However, it wasn’t. Anytime she and Niall were alone, they gravitated toward each other like magnets, unable to keep their hands and lips off of each other.

Charlie hadn’t anticipated this right now, though, but she also wasn’t doing anything to stop it. Hooking up with Niall was fun and she got to know him better each and every time. They slipped in little anecdotes about each other and it further fueled Charlie’s crush. It wasn’t smart at all, but she didn’t know how to quit him now that she’d started getting nearly daily doses of him. He was sweet, funny, and so good with his mouth and hands.

“Do you think they’ll care if we aren’t back right away?” he asked, breathless as he broke apart their kiss.

“I really don’t care,” Charlie admitted, pulling Niall in again, her hand on the back of his head. Within seconds Charlie was sitting on top of the counter and Niall was working on getting their pants off.



By the time they came out, satiated and Charlie with her clothes and skin wiped clean, they saw that Harry and Louis had returned from wherever they went as well. Charlie sidled up beside Harry and noticed the flush on both his and Louis’ cheeks. Charlie wanted to scoff. Did Harry think she was stupid? She gave him a pointed look.

“You’re not subtle,” she said.

Harry eyed her carefully before glancing at Niall. “Hey, Niall. You’ve got cupcake batter on your face. Any idea how that got there?”

Everyone turned to look at Niall, who flushed beet red, and Charlie cursed herself for not being thorough enough when they cleaned off. Some of the batter must have gotten onto Niall when they were...preoccupied. Shoving at her best friend, Charlie got back to work, while they all tittered in amusement.

Guess she and Niall weren’t all that subtle either. 



The day of the Adult Block Party had finally arrived.

Charlie was exhausted from all the baking and preparing they did the night before, but she was still very excited when she got to the warehouse the following day. Several people were already there, doing last minute setups, so Charlie got to work. She grabbed items out of Bug’s car, like the gift basket, condom jar, etc. to place on the tables that were set up along the walls of the warehouse, leaving a big empty space for the crowd in the middle.

Meanwhile, Sidney was helping Zayn, Gwen, and Micah bring the food in, and Niall and Liam were helping Harry and Quentin set up the dunk tank. The four were going to be rotating for this one. At the moment, they were testing it out to see if it’ll work and having a laugh over it. Their laughter was ringing throughout the empty warehouse, making Charlie smile at how stupid and easily amused they were.

Bug, on the other hand, was a mess. He was drifting from one station to the other, barking orders even though they were already being carried out. Everyone was pretty much ignoring him, understanding that he was just stressed and didn’t know how else to project it. Louis loped in after some time, jumping in to help Charlie set up the remaining tables. However, his eyes kept drifting over to where Harry was talking with Quentin.

When Charlie heard him sigh loudly, she looked at him. “What’s up?” she asked.

“Is there something going on between Harry and Quentin?” Louis asked in return.

Charlie tried not to laugh. This was getting to be a lot obvious and she wished she knew more details, but could never find the time to get around to asking. She shrugged in response. “Is there something going on between you and Harry?”

Louis gulped visibly. “Why? Did he say there was?”

“Oh, Louis,” Charlie cooed.

“Don’t,” he interjected. “Just don’t.”

With that, he quickly walked away, leaving Charlie alone. That was as much of an admission as she could have hoped for. Once everything was finally set, they all allowed themselves a small breather, just sitting down on the floor of the warehouse in silence as they admired their work. When it was noon, Bug got up and walked over to the door. Before he opened it, he turned to everyone.

“It’s showtime, fuckers.”



It all went off without a hitch. After weeks of planning and preparation, Charlie couldn’t have expected anything less. What they all didn’t expect, however, was the amount of people that showed up. Within an hour of the warehouse door opening, the place was buzzing and crowded. Laughter and chatter filled the air along with the music Liam was playing from his station. Charlie was mostly glued to her spot in front of the products table where she was holding onto the prizes from the games as well as store products that people may want to buy. Several did, which brought in some extra cash for the store.

About three hours in, Sidney approached Charlie with a bright smile. “This is amazing,” she grinned. “I can’t believe this turnout.”

“I know!” Charlie agreed. “How’s Bug doing?”

“He’s over the moon. So happy with everything. Right now, he’s talking to the people up at the front. Some have come in to talk business and partnerships, so it’s really more than he could have asked for.”

“I’m so glad, Sid,” Charlie said. “Honestly, Bug deserves this. Frisky Business is his baby and it’s a big part of our lives too.”

Sidney smiled at Charlie, looking fond as she reached over and hugged her warmly. “Why don’t you go take a break? I’ll handle it from here. Try the ice cream, it’s so good.”

“Are the flavors a hit?” Charlie asked, giggling.

“Big time. So many people are talking about them.”

With that, Charlie made her way over to the ice cream station where she got herself a scoop of Birthday Cake Blowjobs. It was delicious and she was definitely going to go back for more. Charlie slowly walked through the crowd, finding Harry and Louis standing next to the pie eating table where a new set of pies were being brought out for the next contest.

“Hey guys,” said. “How’s it going?”

“I’m taking a break from the dunk tank,” Harry explained, his face flushed as he wiped the cream off. “Niall’s taken over.”

“I’m also trying to tell him that I’d be better at a pie eating contest than him, but he won’t admit it,” Louis piped up, arms crossed and hip jutted out.

Harry rolled his eyes. “That’s his version of saying he’s better at eating arse considering the pies are decorated as bums.”

Louis snorted. “Either way, I’m better.”

“Are you a fucking child?” Harry asked him, getting up in his face. “Why do you need to act like everything’s a fucking competition?”

“Because it is?”

“You’re all talk and no walk.”

“Wanna bet?”

“You really want to challenge me right now?” Harry scoffed. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“I wouldn’t do a lot of things if I were you, like breathe, yet here you are...doing just that.”

“I’m going to fucking kill you.”

Louis cackled, looking so pleased with himself, and Charlie slowly inched away. Harry’s face was getting redder and redder and she knew he was on the edge of breaking down. “I’ll let you kill me if you can beat me in the pie eating contest,” Louis challenged.

“You’re on!” Harry shouted, stomping over to the seats where the pies were laid out. Louis grinned, following behind, and leaving Charlie alone.

“Nice hanging out with you guys,” she called after them before walking over to Gwen. Her roommate was having a hot dog and chatting with a few locals who were waiting in the queue for their own food. Charlie jumped in on the conversation for a bit until Gwen placed all her attention on her as the locals continued to move up the queue.

“This is so much fun,” Gwen gushed, finishing up her hot dog and trashing the disposable plate.

“Agreed. Have you tried the ice cream yet?”

“No, but I’ve been eyeing the Pumpkin Cheesecake Condoms,” Gwen said. “Come with me to get it.”

She loped her arm through Charlie’s and led her over to the ice cream station. From there, they went over to play pin the butt plug in the hole multiple times until Charlie was declared the winner between them two. She won a gift voucher, which she gave to Gwen, seeing as how she worked at the store and had an employee discount. Gwen was ecstatic, diving into all the things she wanted to try with Liam in bed, but Charlie was quick to shut her down on that discourse. She had no interest in their bedroom activities.

Eventually, they founds themselves in front of the dunk tank. Niall had just been dunked and he got out, wiping himself with a towel. Charlie smiled as she approached him. “Got some gunk on your face, mate,” she giggled.

“Get it off,” he grumbled. “I’m so sore from all that falling. It really takes a toll on your body, you know?”

“Poor Ni,” Charlie cooed. “Harry should be back to take his spot soon.”

“I hope so.”

She took the towel from his hand and started to help wipe him clean. Once done, she observed him for a moment. “You’re all good.” Then she noticed a small smidge of cream on the apple of his cheek. Opting to lean over and lick it off of his face, she didn’t miss the way Niall flushed, face warm. “Sorry, I missed a spot.”

“All good now? Or is there anything else you can lick off?” he asked her, an amused tone to his voice.

“I mean, not at the moment, but if you wanted me to lick cream off of you later, I could,” she offered, appearing nonchalant.

“Is that supposed to turn me on?”

“Is it turning you on?”

“Don’t make fun of me, but it actually is,” he admitted.

Charlie laughed, twining her arms around his waist. “I’ll keep that in mind next time.”

Niall got a look in his eye then, one that Charlie couldn’t really place, but he leaned over and kissed her on the lips, sucking her bottom lip between his. Once he pulled away, he detached himself from her, walking over to the dunk tank. “Wait for me?” he asked.

“Sure,” Charlie nodded, trying to look unphased by that random kiss. Meanwhile, inside, her heart was jackrabbiting, and her mind was racing. They’d never just kissed before. It was something they were careful about because it definitely blurred the lines of whatever it was that they were doing. Niall did kiss her, though. He initiated it in public without the pretense of hooking up and it had to mean something. She didn’t think he’d just slip because he was always the one to pull away first. Hope bloomed in Charlie before she could stop it.

When Niall finished and switched out with Harry, he quickly changed into his own clothes. Upon finding Charlie again, he led her over to the balloon station so that they could get some dick balloons. Charlie ran a hand through her hair, curiously watching Niall as subtle as she could to see what he would do next. He seemed normal so far, and after they got their balloons, the two of them walked over to the array of games.

“Want me to win you a prize?” Niall asked. “I’m pretty good at festival type games.

“Yes,” Charlie smiled, trying to refrain from beaming too hard. This was definitely date behavior and that hope in her chest was roaring, blossoming into something more.



With all the fun and excitement there was while setting up for the event, the downside was definitely cleaning up, but it had to be done because the owners of the warehouse wanted the place empty by tomorrow morning. The group along with some of Bug’s friends all joined together to help. Charlie and Niall paired up, naturally, and the two were grumbling as they carried trash bags out to the dumpster in the back.

“Honestly,” Niall said. “I hope we get raises after this.”

“Agreed,” Charlie sighed. Her limbs were aching and even walking hurt. She’d been on her feet all day, only sitting down once or twice for a few minutes. “It might happen. I mean, Bug raked in a lot of donations, there was business talks, and several people said they’d come by the shop now that they know about it.”

Niall smiled. “I guess in that sense, this isn’t so bad. I’m glad it worked out.”

“Me, too. Bug is so happy and also on the way to being very drunk.” One of his friends had brought cases of beer for everyone staying back to clean and Bug had a few already. Last Charlie saw, he was singing a Weeknd song that had been playing earlier while brooming the floor, his eyes glassy and bright. As Niall helped Charlie lift up her last trash bag into the dumpster, she decided to change the topic to something that had been on her mind pretty much all day since Niall kissed her during the block party. “So, I wanted to ask you something.”

“What’s up?” Niall hummed, stuffing his hands in his green bomber jacket pocket and looking at her expectantly.

Charlie took a deep breath. “I was wondering if you wanted to come over. We could watch a movie in my room and just hang out,” she said, a hint of suggestion in her tone while batting her eyelashes a few times. She hoped it looked and seemed natural and joke-y because she really didn’t want this to be a big deal, but she was also eager to get to the next step with Niall. Throughout today, she had a glimpse of what it would be like to be with him in that way, and it was amazing.

Niall pursed his lip, licking them over once, then twice. “Uh, I don’t know. I don’t think tonight’s good. I have to study and this pretty much took up my entire day, you know?”

“Yeah, of course. I get it. How about tomorrow night then?” Charlie quickly asked. “It’s Sunday.”

His piercing blue eyes watched her for a moment and then he shook his head no. Charlie felt herself recoiling, wanting to vanish because he seemed distant and unfamiliar all of a sudden. Did she really read everything wrong? He’d kissed her, gone through on his word and won her a prize, and they hung out the entire time. Charlie was so sure Niall was into her. This hot and cold game was giving her whiplash at this point. Niall, on the other hand, looked equally embarrassed, standing there quietly and defensively.

“I just thought that you’d want to, that’s all,” Charlie eventually said, breaking the silence. “I thought that it would be fine after today.”

“What do you mean?” Niall asked, brows furrowed.

“You kissed me today, Niall. You kissed me and you acted like someone who was interested in me, so forgive me for assuming.”

“I’m not mad at you,” he said in a rush.

“Yeah, well I’m fucking mad at you,” she shot back, frowning now. “This is so unfair, you know? And I feel awful and stupid for saying that because you told me from the start that we weren’t going to be a thing, at least not now. And I got that, I really did. I knew that you weren’t mine and I wasn’t yours, and that I wasn’t going to feel anything when we hooked up or whatever, but it fucking sucks because I still let myself feel it all and you knew the whole time.”

“It’s not like that. I -- I like you, too, Charlie. You know I do, but I just can’t.”

“Then why did you kiss me?”

“I slipped up,” he said. “I shouldn’t have done that and I’m sorry.”

Charlie could feel tears in her eyes. She was so frustrated that she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to explain to Niall what it was that she wanted. “I don’t want you to be sorry. I don’t want you to take back anything you did because I wanted you to do all of it.”

“Yeah, but now you’re upset and you’re getting the wrong idea. Are you telling me that we should continue to sleep together after all this?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Charlie cried, throwing her hands up. “God, I don’t know. I don’t even know what I’m doing. I mean, at first I thought it would be fine and it just felt enough when we hooked up even though you got all cold. I thought that eventually we’d move past it.”

“Charlie, I meant it when I said I can’t be in a relationship right now. All these things have just been slip ups,” Niall told her, voice quiet in the cold, night air.

Wiping roughly at her eyes, Charlie shook her head, shaking off everything she was feeling. She genuinely thought she could do this, but she couldn’t -- not anymore. She couldn’t want him anymore because it was killing her. Never had she let herself get so weak over a boy, but Niall was bringing out this side to her that she couldn’t recognize. Sure, he was literally everything she wanted in a boy, but if he didn’t want her then she wasn’t going to beg.

“Right, so, fuck you,” she said to him primly. “You honestly need such a reality check because you say one thing and you do another. Fuck your slip ups. Own up to the shit you do, Niall. I don’t want to be with you right now and I don’t want to wait for you either. Yeah, so I like you, but I’ll get over it. All of this is just not worth it.”

Niall watched her, lips parted, but didn’t interrupt. His eyes were sad, head bowed, and Charlie felt a pang in her chest. Eventually, he nodded in response, and she walked away from him, heading back to the warehouse where she found her friends. If he couldn’t even speak or say anything after that, then she wasn’t going to stick around. Once she gathered everyone, they left. Charlie didn’t look back once to see if Niall had come around.