Chapter 63

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CHARLIE

CHARLIE EYED the house as they approached. It lay tucked away amongst a bunch of trees off a country road several miles outside of town. Charlie glanced over his shoulder. In the back seat, Skylar sat forward, gazing out the windshield, his eyes wide.

Oh! Charlie really hoped the inside of the house was good, because Skylar looked so excited. Skylar loved trees. There were plenty of gnarled oaks, but also lots of evergreens, so not all the trees were bare of leaves. After a lifetime in the city, Charlie really wanted this for him. He wanted Skylar to feel safe and happy.

Ward brought the truck to a stop and turned to face them. “What do you think so far?” he asked.

Charlie bounced in his seat. See more! See more! he insisted.

“Sky?”

Skylar nodded eagerly.

Ward grinned, pulling the truck closer to the house before he shut off the engine. He grabbed a key John had given him, and they all got out.

Charlie paused there, tilting his head and listening. It was so quiet! He heard birds chirping, plus the wind. It rustled through the trees and made the fallen leaves dance across the ground. Beyond that, he barely heard the sound of tires coming from the road. Once they were inside, he wouldn't have to hear them at all!

He glanced back down the driveway. Around a bend, hidden from sight by all the trees, the driveway had forked, leading to John and Adam's little house. Charlie squinted. He couldn't see the house through the trees, let alone hear any sounds coming from it. That was good! He wouldn't have to hear noisy neighbors like at Ward's apartment. But they'd also have people close. People they knew. That was good, too. For safety. Plus, Adam was Skylar's friend. It would be nice for Skylar to have a friend nearby.

Ward unlocked the front door, and Charlie bounded inside. He lurched to a stop, wrinkling his nose.

“The paint is fresh,” Ward explained. “But the smell will fade, I promise.”

“ Hhnn .” Charlie would just have to take his word for it. He took off his shoes and padded farther into the house, idly listening to the others following him.

“I think the master bedroom is back there,” Ward said, pointing. “Why don't you go through your routine, okay? See if it'll work for you.”

Charlie hesitated, looking at Skylar. “ Hhnn? ”

Skylar waved his hands. “Oh, trust me, I'll be happy wherever you guys are. Go on. See if you like it.”

Charlie considered that for a moment, trying to gauge Skylar's tone. It sounded genuine. Charlie ran to the bedroom, then stood in the middle of it, eyeing the four walls as he waited for the others to join him. East? he asked.

“Is that way,” Ward said, pointing.

Charlie turned to face east, then let out a joyful squeak . It was perfect! It was the right way for the bed to go in that room. There would even be plenty of space for a nightstand on both sides, so the bed would be balanced. And the room was big enough to fit a dresser.

Even better, the room had two windows, giving it good natural light. And the windows had curtain rods! Not those awful blinds like at Ward's apartment. They could put up actual curtains!

Charlie ran to the attached bathroom and let out another joyful squeak. It had two sinks and a decent sized shower. And another window! Charlie would be able to shower without having to turn on an artificial light. He loved that!

He checked out the closet next, gasping over the size of it. All their clothes would fit! And he could buy Skylar new clothes. There was plenty of room!

Charlie was about to run off and check something else, then paused there, remembering Ward's words. He had to go through his routine. Charlie eyed the room once more, thinking about waking up in the morning, then going to the bathroom. Next would be coffee. Charlie left the bedroom and headed for the kitchen.

He gasped at the sight. There was a perfect spot for the coffee machine! He opened all the cabinets, deciding what would go where. There was so much more space than in Ward's kitchen. There was even room for hungry soup! Charlie had to stop and bounce in place, squeaking with excitement. Hungry soup! Hungry soup! he signed.

Ward and Skylar grinned at him.

Charlie turned around and imagined having his coffee, then making breakfast. He'd want to sit down with his laptop next, just in case Ward and Skylar were sleeping in. Charlie went to the living room, then the second bedroom, going back and forth, trying to decide which would be best. There was so much space!

“We can try a few different things,” Ward suggested. “We don't have to do it all at once. If you can't decide where something's gonna go, we can always try one thing, and then move it if it doesn't work.”

Charlie considered that. His parents did that every once in a while, but he usually hated it. Unless they moved something to a spot that made more sense. Then he got used to it easily. He supposed they could do that here, too. If he didn't like his desk against one wall, he could try another.

But they had to leave a spot for a piano for their Sky. And there was space! Charlie eyed the living room and the dining area. So many choices! But it would have to wait. He needed to figure out how to buy one first. Plus, he wanted it to be a surprise.

Charlie kept looking around, imagining sitting on the couch with them and watching TV. Or getting up to do his laundry. They wouldn't have to go outside! It was right there between the garage and the kitchen.

He stopped when he saw a worried look on Skylar's face.

“How much is this gonna cost?” Skylar asked.

Ward rattled off a number.

Charlie had no idea what the amount meant, and though Skylar still looked worried, it wasn't as loud as it had been a moment ago.

“You have to let me help with rent,” Skylar told Ward.

“Sky–”

“Ward, I mean it,” Skylar insisted. “I won't live off of you. I won't .” He paused, his cheeks turning red. “I have no idea how I'm going to get a job, but I will get one. I promise. And I am going to help with rent.”

Charlie looked from Ward to Skylar and back, trying to figure out if something was wrong.

Ward took a deep breath. “Okay,” he agreed, then held up a hand before Skylar could say anything. “On one condition.”

Skylar visibly tensed. “What's that?”

Ward grabbed him by the shoulders. “Don't settle for just anything. You've spent enough time in a job that made you miserable. You deserve to do something that gives you some sense of fulfillment. I don't want you simply taking a job for the sake of an income. Promise me you'll try to get something you might enjoy. Or at least not hate. You've earned that much.”

Skylar opened his mouth, looking like he was going to argue, then let out a sigh instead. “Okay.”

“Good boy. And I'll help as much or as little as you want, trying to find something. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Charlie shrank back.

Ward looked at him. “Charlie? What's wrong?”

I need job? he asked.

“No,” Ward assured him. “No, not at all.”

But help rent?

“You could keep house,” Skylar suggested. “You like doing that anyway. Keep things clean and tidy, just the way you want them. Daddy and I can work and pay the bills.”

Ward's face broke into a beaming smile.

“What?” Skylar asked.

“Just hearing you call me Daddy . I hadn't realized how much I'd missed that, even after only a few days.”

Skylar grinned shyly.

“Does that sound okay, little mouse?” Ward asked. “Would you be comfortable here by yourself during the day while Sky and I are at work?”

Charlie nodded. He would! It was nice and quiet. And he could keep house, just like he'd imagined himself. Everything would always be clean. And things would go in their proper places. And he could read his books, once he figured out where to put them. Or play on his laptop, once he decided where that was going to go.

He gasped. I get Mouse Mouse? he asked.

Ward grinned at him. “Of course. Whatever you want.”

Charlie bounced with excitement. We move now?

Ward laughed. “Not right this minute. I need to give notice at my apartment, and then move the furniture over. Then go get your things and move them down.”

Charlie huffed. That sounded like a lot. He wanted to move now!

“Although, John said if I can get a deposit to him by Monday, we could start moving in this weekend.” Ward paused and looked at Skylar. “I still have all the money you left me. We could use that.”

Skylar opened his mouth, looking like he was going to argue, then stopped himself.

“It's either that,” Ward went on, “or I'm going to make you take it all back. It is yours, after all.”

Skylar squirmed. “Ward…”

“Think of it as contributing to our household.”

Skylar went still, then let out a quiet chuckle as he shook his head. “Okay. Fine.”

Charlie silently watched them throughout the exchange, glancing from one to the other. “ Hhnn? ”

“Hey, little mouse,” Ward murmured. “Everything's okay.”

We move? Charlie asked.

Instead of answering, Ward looked at Skylar.

And Skylar laughed. “Yes. We're moving.”

Ward grinned.

Charlie bounced and squeaked. Yes! Yes! New house! New house!

“There'll be a lot to do,” Ward reminded him, “but it can be done. If we all work really hard, we can be here to celebrate Christmas.”

Charlie gasped. Christmas! They'd need to get a tree! And decorations! He looked all around, bouncing in place as he imagined it. Everything would be so pretty! They could put up lights and stockings and all sorts of other things.

“Can we really do it?” Skylar asked. “Get married and be here by Christmas?”

“If you want it,” Ward said.

Skylar swallowed hard. “I do. Oh fuck. I really do. I don't wanna wait.”

“Then we'll make it happen,” Ward said, grabbing their hands. “We'll pick a date for the wedding–”

“Christmas Day,” Skylar gushed. “No! Christmas Eve. That way, we can all wake up together on Christmas, married.”

Ward got teary-eyed. “Christmas Eve,” he murmured, nodding. “Charlie? That sound okay with you?”

Charlie didn't have to think about it. He eagerly agreed, then pointed at the far corner of the living room. Need tree!

Ward laughed. “Okay. We'll get a tree. So we're doing this? All of it?”

Skylar nodded, and Charlie joined him.

“Okay,” Ward said with a grin. “Let's make it happen.”

They locked up the house, got into the truck, and headed back to Living in Zin. When they got there, Charlie stood back and watched as Ward talked to John. After a few minutes, the two men smiled and shook hands. Charlie gasped, bouncing with excitement. They could move in! He couldn't wait!

But there was so much to do. They were going to need a list. Ward didn't have much furniture, so Charlie was pretty sure they could empty out his apartment over the weekend. Or, at least, the important things. The bed and the coffee machine, for sure. But then Charlie would have to go back to his parents' house and figure out how to pack his stuff so it could be moved, too.

And then Christmas! Charlie wanted a tree so much. They could pick it together and decorate!

As for the wedding, they spent the rest of the day discussing plans. They wouldn't be able to legally marry. Not all three of them. But they could still have a ceremony. A part of Charlie wanted to do it all correctly, with suits and cake and music and flowers, but it sounded so overwhelming. Skylar said he didn't care about any of that, so long as they could make promises to each other. And Ward had already done the big wedding, even if it had never come to fruition. So they decided to keep things simple. Quiet. Just them, dressed comfortably, with whatever friends as could come to witness it.

But Charlie knew a wedding was important. It meant forever. It meant promises to stick together, no matter what happened.

He wanted those promises to be done the right way. Wanted to show Ward and Skylar that he understood just how serious this was. Commitment. Lifelong vows. All of it.

Charlie thought about that all weekend while they emptied Ward's apartment. Even his brother, along with the rest of Dakota's men, had dropped everything to help them. With all the extra hands, it got done so quickly! They still had to unpack the boxes and arrange the furniture, but Charlie couldn't wait for all that. He had to snag this moment while he had the chance, while he and Dakota could sneak aside where nobody could see or hear them.

Help , he signed.

“Help?”

Charlie nodded, then quickly signed what he needed.

Dakota gasped as tears started collecting on his eyelashes. “Oh my god,” Dakota gushed. “Are you sure?”

Charlie nodded again. Secret! Surprise!

“Oh fuck. Okay.” Dakota fanned a hand in front of his face, blinking rapidly. “That's so fucking sweet! Shit. Here I go again,” he said, wiping away more tears. “Okay. Yes. I'd love to help. Let's do this.”

Charlie beamed at him. For Ward and Skylar's sake, he hoped this worked.

He couldn't wait to surprise them.