Chapter 29

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CHARLIE

CHARLIE DIDN'T want to go to the barbecue.

Everything was so loud after last night. Loud in a good way, but still. The barbecue would simply be too much. Too many people. Too much noise. All the bad loud, when he was already overwhelmed.

Being with both his Sky and Ward had made him feel things he'd never known were possible. Lying on his back had messed with his sense of order, but once he'd gotten inside his Sky, that unease began to fade. And then feeling Ward's penis so near his own? “ Hhng! ” Charlie should have hated it, but all he wanted was more.

The best part, though, came afterwards. Charlie had heard about cuddling after sex, but it had never interested him. His Sky had never asked for it, and Charlie was usually so over-sensitized by then that all he wanted was space.

Something about Ward made him want it. The man's brief absence—when Ward had gotten up to dispose of the condoms—had left Charlie feeling cold and vulnerable. He shivered just at the memory of it. Thankfully, it hadn't lasted long. Ward had come back and pulled them into his arms, holding them tight. Charlie had never felt so cozy and warm.

So safe.

His Sky made him feel safe, but this was different . Charlie wasn't even sure why.

It was so confusing!

“Charlie?”

Charlie jumped and whirled around. His Sky stood in the bathroom doorway, looking at him with concern. Charlie covered his ears. His thoughts were so loud, he hadn't even heard the door open.

His Sky stood very still, not saying a word.

Charlie squeezed his eyes shut and started to rock.

He wanted Ward! He wanted to sit in the big man's lap and make all the loud go away.

Charlie felt more than heard Skylar move. He opened his eyes and watched the boy head for the window, looking out at the driveway as the sound of tires on gravel drifted up towards them. Charlie perked up. Ward? He ran to Skylar's side and scanned the parking lot.

A white truck came to a stop, but it had the wrong shape. When the doors opened, Charlie recognized Skylar's friend, Adam, and Adam's husband, John.

Charlie slumped. Want Ward , he signed.

Skylar got a funny smile on his face. “Yeah? I'm sure he'll be here soon. How about we go downstairs and wait for him?”

Charlie scowled. People .

“I know,” Skylar said with a chuckle. “What if we go sit at the piano? I'll play, and you can watch for Ward to come in.”

Charlie considered that. There would be a lot of people around the piano, just like last year. But he didn't get to hear his Sky play very often. He'd missed out yesterday because he'd been hiding away there in the room. And they'd be leaving early tomorrow morning to get back home. He wouldn't get another chance while they were here. Charlie braced himself for noise and gave a nod.

Skylar's smile turned bright and genuine. “Okay. Come on.”

They put on their shoes and headed down the stairs. The assault of noise almost sent Charlie running right back up to the room, but his Sky didn't stop, aiming straight for the piano. Skylar perched on one end of the bench and patted the empty space beside him.

Charlie sat, sticking close to Skylar's side. It made it difficult for Skylar to play, but his Sky never gave a hint of complaint. Charlie watched as Skylar put his hands on the keys and immediately launched into a rendition of “All of Me” by The Piano Guys.

The cheerful piece made Charlie smile. He closed his eyes and listened, trying to shut out everything else around him and just get lost in the beauty created by his Sky's talented fingers.

Skylar moved away when the piece came to an end. Charlie scowled and opened his eyes, seeing Skylar's friend, Adam, standing beside them. Skylar had gotten up to give Adam a hug, then gave John a quick greeting before he sat back down and held out his left arm.

Charlie immediately took it. He rocked where he sat, clinging to his Sky's wrist with one hand while he traced the tattoo line with the other. Charlie had to do it three more times to soothe himself while the others talked. He didn't want to hear talk. He wanted his Sky to play.

Finally, his Sky turned to him and watched as Charlie finished another circuit. As soon as Charlie let go, Skylar put his hands right back on the keys and played.

It was a cover version of “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin. While Skylar played, Adam stood there and sang. It didn't have nearly the impact of William Joseph's orchestral rendition, but it still sounded good. Everything sounded good when his Sky was the one playing it.

Charlie smiled, watching Skylar's fingers. There was something indescribably beautiful about how Skylar played. The talent. The confidence. Skylar was completely in his element like this. Like nothing in the world mattered, so long as music existed. His face and posture were so carefree. So vibrant and alive. Charlie wished, once again, that he could buy Skylar a piano of his own. That they could live together, just the two of them, and have quiet nights sitting at the instrument, getting lost in the beautiful music.

Except, as Charlie sat there and imagined it, Ward was suddenly part of the picture, too.

He shook his head and tried to get back to the original dream. Just himself and his Sky. Except, once he had that image fixed in his head, it didn't feel right. For whatever reason, Ward had to be there.

The song came to an end, and a few people applauded, the noise interrupting his thoughts. Charlie winced and covered his ears. Damn it . He needed Ward!

“Hey, Charlie,” Skylar murmured. “Look who's here.”

Charlie perked up. Ward? Sure enough, when he opened his eyes, he saw the man crossing the foyer, heading in their direction.

His heart thumped wildly in his chest. Charlie squirmed, impatient for Ward to get to them. But why? Why did he want him so badly? It didn't make any sense, not even after everything they'd shared last night. But the closer Ward came, the more Charlie had to disregard the confusion in favor of pure need. Everything was so loud, all he wanted was for Ward to hold him and make it go away.

Ward crouched right down beside him. “Hey, buddy. Everything okay?”

“ Hhnn .” Charlie rocked, still struggling with that last shred of confusion, then finally threw himself into Ward's arms.

The big man caught him, pulling him tight against his chest. “Easy there, sweet boy,” Ward whispered. “It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay.”

Charlie burrowed against him, feeling the low rumble of the man's voice. Why was that so soothing? Why did he like it so much?

“Hey, Sky,” Ward murmured. “How are you?”

“Good,” Skylar replied, his voice thick with something that Charlie somehow instinctively felt yet couldn't name. Skylar turned back to the piano and played. A soft smile took over his face. He even blushed.

Charlie realized he liked that.

“What are you playing?” Ward quietly asked. “It sounds familiar.”

Skylar's blush spread. “It's the song we danced to at your friend's wedding.”

Charlie blinked, looking from his Sky to Ward and back. The two men shared a look of so much heat and longing, even Charlie recognized the emotions.

Then they both looked at him.

Skylar winced. “Sorry. I'll play something else.”

Charlie shot out a hand. “ Hhnn! ” No stop , he signed.

Skylar studied Charlie's face for a moment. “Are you sure?”

No stop , Charlie insisted.

His Sky smiled and kept playing.

A weird sort of hush seemed to settle over the room. Or at least that corner of it. Charlie felt everything disappear, leaving just the three of them. So close, they were all touching. All sharing looks as Skylar played.

Charlie's heart beat wildly as he wrestled with too many strange, new feelings.

Sound rushed back in the moment the piece came to an end. Charlie winced, feeling bowled over by sensation. There were too many people. Too much noise.

And he was hungry. That didn't help. It always made everything so much louder.

“ Hhnn .” Hungry soup! he signed.

“You're hungry and you want soup?” Ward asked. “I'm sure we can get you some. Let's go ask Beau if we can make–”

Charlie emphatically shook his head. Hungry soup! Hungry soup!

“Charlie?” Skylar cut in. “They don't have any hungry soup. Remember? We looked last night.”

“ Hhnn .” Charlie curled his arms up and covered his eyes, but not before he saw Ward give Skylar a questioning look.

“It's a specific flavor of canned soup,” Skylar said. “It's one of the very few prepackaged things he'll actually eat. Sort of a guilty-pleasure, comfort food. He mostly wants it when he's feeling overwhelmed. Hungry soup is just his name for it.”

“Ah,” Ward replied. He rubbed Charlie's back again. “Charlie? We can run to town and get you some if you want.”

“What's this?” Dakota asked, stopping beside them.

“Charlie wants hungry soup,” Skylar answered.

Dakota laughed. “Perfect timing. I was actually just about to run to the store. Mom's making deviled eggs, and we're completely out of mustard.”

Charlie rocked. I go?

“Sure, if you want,” his brother agreed.

Charlie hesitated. He wanted away from all the people and the noise, but he also wanted to stay near Ward and his Sky.

“Tell you what,” Dakota said. “How about Ward drives, and we can all go? You wouldn't mind that, would you, Ward?” Dakota had a funny smirk on his face as he asked.

And, for some reason, Ward blushed. “No, I wouldn't mind.”

“Okay.” Dakota grinned. “Let's go.”

Charlie had to go upstairs to get his sunglasses first, but then they all headed outside and got into Ward's truck. He sat in front, while his Sky and Dakota got into the back seat. Dakota told Ward which store he wanted to go to, and then they were off. Charlie closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. The truck was so much quieter. The sound of the tires on the road had nothing on all the voices in a crowded room.

They got to the store, and when Charlie saw the crowded parking lot, he opted to stay in the truck.

“Charlie hates grocery stores,” Skylar told Ward.

Charlie nodded. Big. Junk.

“Big what?” Ward asked.

“He said it's too big and has lots of junk,” Skylar explained.

“Ah, okay,” Ward said with a nod.

“You should stay here with him,” Dakota told Skylar. “And you can come with me,” he said to Ward before turning to Charlie with a smirk. “Ward needs to learn what hungry soup is.”

For some reason, Ward blushed.

Ward and Dakota got out of the truck, and Charlie sat forward in his seat, watching them head into the store. The moment they disappeared from sight, Charlie started rocking.

“They'll be back soon,” Skylar said, reaching around the seat to give Charlie's shoulder a squeeze.

“ Hhnn .”

Skylar was silent for a long moment before he asked, “You really like Ward, huh?”

Charlie stopped. There was something weird in his Sky's voice. He scowled and shook his head. The confusion over that was too much on top of everything else. He was hungry! And he wanted Ward to come back. Those two things were loud enough.

“I'm glad you like him,” Skylar murmured, then fell silent for the rest of the time they waited.

Charlie picked up rocking again and didn't stop until he saw Ward.