Hiiiii I've been making so many things and then not posting them lol. Here's something sweet I wrote for Charlie and Peter a while back!
Peter's known Charlie for long enough to know when she's not feeling herself, and to also know that asking typically doesn't help.
Today has been one of those days. He could blame it on plenty of things–she tanked a precalc quiz, left her lunch at home, and Diana had apparently cornered her before last period to ask why Peter wasn't with her–but he'd noticed the dullness in her eyes the moment she'd stepped on the bus that morning.
Sometimes it's no one's fault.
So, when she inevitably follows him home to hang out, silent and small like she's a raincloud descended from the overcast sky, he already knows what to do.
He doesn't suggest anything to cheer her up, instead allowing her to lead. He's not at all surprised that she wordlessly slinks up the stairs, steals one of his worn-out hoodies (she says his are bigger and more comfortable than hers), and curls up in his bed to mope it out.
He sits at his desk for a bit, sketching half-heartedly until the steady tick tick tick of his old metal alarm clock and the drum of the rain against the window make him drowsy. He slowly, hesitantly moves to climb into bed behind Charlie, who's barely moved but he knows she isn't asleep.
She still doesn't acknowledge him verbally, doesn't even look over her shoulder, but she does move further into her corner, making room for him, and he cracks a smile.
He makes sure not to touch her at first, wanting her to feel comfortable taking what she needs instead of giving him what she thinks he wants. He's not sure how much time passes, but it's warm and quiet, and he's content staying here as long as his girl needs.
Eventually, he has the courage to ask, “Can I hold you?” and his heart does that funny thing where it breaks and melts at the same time as she nods.
He cuddles her tight to his chest, tangling his arms over hers where she's clutching his stuffed golden retriever; she'd won it for him from a claw machine a few years ago, and he can't even imagine sleeping without it now.
Holding her is better though.
She curls into him, shaking, and he pets her hair, resisting the urge to try and do anything besides let her let it out. Sure enough, he hears her whimper, and then choke, and finally sob, and his heart breaks a little more.
Her tears give way to silent, exhausted sleep before long, but Peter still lets out a soft sigh of relief. Once he's sure she's out (she begins to snore in a way that despite her protests, he really can only compare to a tiny kitten), he gives her a tighter squeeze.
Before he dozes off, he throws out a lazy hand behind him and snatches the remote to his television off the nightstand. He pulls up YouTube and begins to scroll for something Charlie would like. It doesn't take long at all before a channel he recognizes as her favorite but never remembers the name pops up. He selects a goofy-looking Tetris video rather than their typical horror game content. That way, if she's still shaky when she wakes up, she'll have something to help her feel less lonely without shell-shocking her.
As soon as the intro plays, Peter allows his head to grow fuzzy and sleepy. It feels like mere moments before he succumbs.
When he wakes back up feeling just as exhausted but blissfully cozy, Charlie has climbed over him and settled with her back against his to watch the videos that are still playing.
He rolls over to snuggle her again, and this time she does glance over at him, eyes filled with at least a bit more life than before.
“Did you fall asleep to Outlast?” she asks drily but not entirely devoid of feeling just as one of the guys onscreen (the louder one, Peter decided the day she introduced them to him) begins screaming.
Peter giggles sheepishly. “I tried to make sure it wasn't anything scary! It was giant Tetris when I fell asleep.”
“Oh my God, that one is so stupid”, she says, offering a tiny smile. “Two British dudes being shit at balancing shouldn't be so funny.”
She shifts back onto her side, chuckling as the louder guy shrieks again, this time at nothing at all.
After a quiet moment, she mumbles, “Thanks. Y’know, for Dan and Phil. They do make me feel less like utter shit.”
Peter can't bite back a grin as he gives her a bear hug that means, I know what you're trying to say and you're welcome.
He's not sure how much time passes like this, him dozing on and off while she alternates between commentating on the videos and scrolling on her phone, but when he really wakes back up, the rain has picked up into a downpour and the sun has set.
Lazily, he curls around Charlie, tangling his legs with hers.
“Mmgh. We gotta get up, babe”, she mumbles into the crook of his elbow.
“Noooo”, he returns, only half a joke. “I'm so comfy…”
She pushes herself up onto her elbow so she can glance over her shoulder at him. “It's getting late,” she points out fondly.
“It's Friday”, he shoots back, though he does loosen his arms so she can still get up if she wants.
However, she suddenly drops all of her weight back onto him instead, punching a small oof out of him.
“Oh thank God”, she groans. “ I never wanna get out of this bed. Can I stay the night?”
Peter smiles into her hair. “You text your dad, I'll text my mom.”
A few minutes and two perfectly unbothered parental texts later, Charlie has crawled back over into her corner, head pillowed on his chest so she can still watch. She's playing idly with his hair, and he's practically a puddle despite the constant flashes and screams on the screen in front of them.
“Dude, we should stay up all night”, she says. “Start with a MarioKart tournament, then build an empire in Minecraft so we can burn it back down, then rebleach my roots.”
Peter smiles, not even bothering to open his eyes. “You're already falling back asleep”, he teases.
“I'm wide awake, fuck you”, she grumbles, but it's accompanied by a yawn. After a moment, she takes her hand out of his hair to tangle her fingers with his, and Peter grins at the ceiling.
Charlie's going to be just fine.
@fiercestyourmajesty @hell-dust @heavykitty @red-sockman @thecryingcl0wn hi guys sorry I died lol
