Chapter Text
Cap. 1 "Hey"
It was Friday night, and Charlie was bored.
He wandered around the house, restless.
It was too early to go to bed. He was not tired.
On opposite, he was full of energy. He just finished editing an excellent book. And that also meant there was no work to do. Not even backlogged tasks.
He was in a cheerful good mood, all giggly and smiley. His first last project, finished on time. And he knew he did a good job, and his boss would be happy and satisfied.
He felt like he deserved to celebrate.
He felt in his bones that London was calling him.
But Isaac was on a train, traveling back from a book fair.
And Tao was with Elle at the theater. They got the tickets ages ago. He couldn't join, and obviously, he couldn't ask them to miss it.
His cat was profoundly asleep and not in the mood to play.
He always worked from home and didn't know his colleagues well enough to ask them out for a beer or something.
His sister was back home in Kent.
And he was walking in circles, trying to gather the courage to do what he had to do.
I'm going out.
To a bar.
I'll drink something.
I'll chat with strangers.
I'll have fun, and then I'll head home.
So he did. He wore his favorite tight jeans, a faded rock band t-shirt, and a leather jacket.
He quickly checked himself in the mirror and fussed with his hair until he gave up.
Time for a haircut, I guess.
He knew of a club that wasn't too far from home; he took the tube for a few stops and started questioning his whole existence. He psyched himself enough while sitting on the subway, and when he got there, he was ready.
To what, he wasn't that sure.
The club was not a place just for dancing. A large dancing floor was already crowded, but there was also a square bar where you could sit on stools to drink something and look around. And that's what he did.
He ordered a vodka and soda, sat on a stool, and turned his back to the bar, facing the dance floor. The music was loud but engaging. He started singing by himself, feeling the thrilling vibe emanating from the people dancing before him.
He checked his phone a couple of times, but then a DJ drag queen started her show, and he got caught up by her charisma, joining the crowd to dance and have a good laugh. Two hours flew by, along with two vodka sodas and five different guys that hit on him in such a poor and clumsy way that he almost felt sorry for them.
Since when did a simple "Hey", followed by a heavy silence, start to be considered a good conversation starter? What was his success rate? Charlie bet it was really low.
He walked back to the bar, ready for his last drink, and then to go home.
"A vodka and soda, please" He asked the barman when he managed to catch his attention. He didn't mind the movement to his side; it was someone taking a seat.
Then in the corner of his vision, one toned muscular arm appeared. A short deep orange sleeve, something like a million freckles.
He grabbed his drink from the barman, paid, and slowly turned, unsure what to find. And there he was.
Attached to that arm, there was an equally beautiful man. No, not beautiful, gorgeous. Breathtaking.
Charlie's brain stopped working just like that.
Short auburn hair, warm brown eyes, blushing cheeks, shiny with a thin layer of sweat, and a body made to sin. Before he could even stop himself, Charlie said" "Hey".
The guy looked at him, tilted his head, and then waited for Charlie to say something else.
But he couldn't. Like every other guy that hit on him that night, he didn't muster a nice phrase that could follow the initial, creepy "Hey".
After some seconds of increasingly uncomfortable silence, the guy burst into a good-hearted laugh. Charlie blinked.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled.
"Hi Sorry, I'm happy to meet you". The other answered back. His mouth tilted in a crooked smile.
"A dad joke? For real?" Charlie couldn't believe it.
"Says the one who just used the lamest pick-up line ever created."
"Damn, you're right. It's just that…."
"What?"
"You know… I turned around, and there was all of this." Charlie said, moving one hand up and down, indicating the guy before him.
"You just gestured my whole persona."
"Yeah. You're illegally hot. Sue me; my brain froze."
This time, they both laughed.
"Well, I'm glad it didn't freeze to the point you couldn't muster the energy for a single word."
"You're glad?"
"Yeah… I mean, I guess it's my time to sound creepy, but I have been watching you since you arrived and after the fifth guy you rejected I felt you have a boyfriend or something. I chickened out, so I thought to simply sit by you, hoping you would notice me and make the first move."
"Oh. That's…"
"Brilliant?"
"Almost lame as my approach. I feel relieved."
"Can I keep you company while you enjoy your drink? It seems to me you're here alone."
"I was bored at home, and all my friends had plans." He shrugged.
"I'll take that as a yes? Can I stay here with you?"
Charlie nodded and ended up chatting for one hour straight.
The other guy was also there alone. He was supposed to meet with a friend, but he had some sort of mess at work and couldn't make it to the club.
"I was already here, so I decided to stay and try to have fun. I'm pretty shy but don't mind being alone in a crowded bar. You'll never know who you're going to meet."
"A nerdy guy with killer pick-up lines, for example?" Joked Charlie, now all relaxed by the pleasant conversation. The guy was hot and fun; what a lucky mix. And incredibly polite even: he placed one of those strong arms around his shoulders, but he asked if it was ok with Charlie before making his move. As they spoke, he kept playing with the hem of Charlie's sleeve.
"I was about to ask you if you'd like to leave with me, but the killer jokes might… you know, kill the mood." He said, looking at the people dancing.
"For real?"
"I mean, we don't know each other really well. Maybe you like to embalm animals or collect human skulls for fun, who knows…."
"I meant if you were about to ask me to leave together. Not about the killer thing."
"That one? Definitely, yeah, But just if you promise you will say yes. Otherwise, I'm cool with staying here and hanging out. I'm having a good time already."
"Ask me."
"You promise?"
"I promise"
"Do you want to get out of here? Go to my place and do unholy things all night?" He asked while slowly moving the point of his fingers up and down Charlie's arm.
"Yes." Charlie grabbed his jacket.
While they were walking out, the other man turned around.
"I'm Nick!" He screamed when he realized they were in front of an amplifier.
"WHAT?" Charlie screamed back.
Nick nodded, grabbed his hand, and guided them through the crowd until they were outside. Charlie assumed he just asked if he could hold his hand.
Nick assumed that Charlie got his name and shouted his name back. He didn't catch it, but he would ask him later.
"How far is your house?" Charlie asked once they were on the street.
"25 minutes by car, give or take. 45 if we take the underground." Nick held his hand while checking on Uber to see if any car could pick them up.
"Wait. I need to check something first." Charlie said.
"What?"
"Can I kiss you?" With three vodka sodas in his body and this beautiful man trying to find the quickest way to get home and go to bed, Charlie was well past shyness.
"Oh God, yes."
Charlie grabbed the hems of his jacket and pulled him down.
Nick instantly wrapped him in his arms, eagerly meeting his mouth.
Sparks flew by. For three solid minutes, Charlie didn't know where he was. He forgot his name and lost track of whatever he cared about.
Someone in the street screamed at them to get a room.
When their lips parted, Charlie was glued to his body, amazed at how perfectly they fitted.
"My place is 10 minutes from here. Let me call a taxi."
Nick licked his lips and nodded, eyes filled with anticipation.
Charlie didn't remember much of them taking the taxi, paying the driver, and entering the hallway of his building. He was too focused on refraining from jumping the guy on the car's back seats.
But he did remember what happened the moment the elevator doors closed.
They launched a each other, teeth clashing, as they unleashed the lust they both worked up in the taxi. The trip to the fourth floor was too brief and too long at the same time.
They fumbled out, panting, trying to reach the door without interrupting the kiss, but then Charlie had to look for his keys. He was looking for the right one, but it was impossible to find it with Nick kissing and sucking his neck, his chest against Charlie's back, his warm hands wandering across Charlie's abdomen, shamelessly playing with the hem of his t-shirt, nails scratching the sensitive skin underneath.
"Dammit. I can't find the right key." Nick was now nibbling one of his earlobes, and Charlie felt his knees weakening. The key set almost fell from his hand when he let his head fall back on Nick's shoulder; eyes closed in pleasure. Nick's hand was now entirely under his t-shirt, caressing his chest.
Blinded with lust, he tried all the keys before melting to the ground, inebriated by the smell of Nick's musky and woody cologne.
"Hurry up, or you'll have to fuck me right here, on the doormat" Nick whispered in a husky tone.
Charlie whined weakly but finally found the right key, and the door opened. They almost fell inside the apartment, which was in complete darkness apart from some light coming through the kitchen window. One of them slammed the door closed, and they started kissing again.
Charlie's back was against the door; Nick put a hand behind Charlie's knee and partially lifted him up. He slightly ground against his groin.
"Is this ok?" He asked, stopping for a moment. "Tell me if something is too much."
Charlie nodded, and Nick resumed rubbing against him. What a great idea was deciding to go out by himself tonight.
Then Nick fell on his knees, right in front of him. He removed his jacket and threw it in a corner. It hit a small table that fell on the carpet with a muffled sound; trinkets scattered everywhere.
None of them bothered too much.
"What are you doing?" Charlie panted, looking down at him: beautiful, disheveled, shiny red lips, hair spiking in all directions.
"Now, if that's ok with you, I'm going to suck you off. I want you to come, don't refrain. I want you to last as long as possible, but not now. Later, when you'll fuck me in your bed."
"Oh."
"Sounds good?"
"Sounds really, really good."
And Nick kept his promise. He slowly opened Charlie's jeans, the button, and then the zipper. He grabbed his sides, looked up one last time, and when he saw nothing but the eagerness in Charlie's eyes, he pulled them down, along with his underwear.
There it was. Charlie's beautiful cock. Nick's mouth was watering, but he took his time. He caressed his thighs, kissed the soft skin marked with thin white scars, and nuzzled his hip bones with light kisses.
Charlie couldn't even look down; he was pushing his back against the door, heavily panting while Nick made his way to his dick, already dripping with precome. One glance would have been enough to come on the spot; he bit his lower lip, trying to resist.
And then Nick took it in his mouth.
It was an out-of-body experience: part of him was there, standing and shaking his head side to side, shivering with pleasure, while another part was watching this gorgeous man taking care of him like any other partner ever did.
He was sucking, lapping, and kissing in such a wonderful rhythm, and Charlie couldn't help to come undone, piece by piece, knees trembling, hands grasping and pulling Nick's hair.
"Oh, God."
Nick pulled back but kept stroking him.
"It's insane watching you like this. Come for me, please." he murmured, then gently nibbled the warm skin of Charlie's side.
And Charlie did, too caught up in his own pleasure to warn him.
White hot streaks shot, landing on Nick's cheek and shoulder, along with a string of profanities followed by deep frantic breaths. It took him a moment to reconnect with his body, and Nick was standing in front of him when he did.
"Hey, are you ok?" He asked, his hands cupping Charlie's face.
"Did I just die?" Charlie joked back.
Before Nick could answer, Charlie raised his hand and stoked his thumb on Nick's cheek, trying to clean him up from his own come.
"I'm sorry. Your t-shirt and…." He whispered.
Nick turned slightly and grabbed Charlie's hand, then took his thumb in his mouth, sucking it clean. Charlie's eyes widened at the sight.
"No need to be sorry. I loved it. You know that sex is good when it's a bit messy."
He stepped back just a little, and with a fluid motion, he removed his t-shirt and tossed it somewhere. Charlie gasped at the view.
"Are you for real? This is not just my imagination, right?" That's all he managed to say.
Nick let out a small, shy laugh.
"I guess you like what you see?" He joked, faking a bodybuilder pose.
"Oh god, those ARMS! Stop it! I feel like an idiot now, with my pants at my ankles and a greek god standing in front of me."
"First of all, you look incredible. But if you feel embarrassed, we can easily fix that."
Nick kneeled and helped him remove his shoes, socks, and jeans. Charlie pulled back his underwear.
"I feel much better now. Thank you"
Nick languidly kissed him, sliding his hand on his back, then on the curve of his ass.
"Now, why don't you show me where the bathroom is, and I'll get nice and ready for you while you wait for me in bed?" He said mischievously, between kisses.
Charlie internally thanked his tendency to have a very tidy house and not to have to worry about a messy bathroom and showed him the way.
"That's my room. Take your time. I'll be right there."
"Do you have anything we need? I have a couple of condoms in my wallet, but I don't have lube… and honestly, I'm not sure two condoms will be enough tonight."
"Lucky us, I have everything we need." Then It was Charlie's turn to be bold because he moved closer to Nick and whispered in his ear, "I hope you enjoy being eaten out because I have a wide variety of flavored lube."
He left a speechless Nick there and walked inside his bedroom.
When Nick came back, Charlie was already in bed.
They were both in their underwear, weirdly at ease with each other, even now that they were less rushed and heated.
"You're room is nice. You have so many books… they're everywhere." Nick said, looking around from where he was standing, one shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed on his chest. "You're a bookworm, aren't you?"
"I can't talk about books while you're standing there, half-naked and with a massive hard-on. Later maybe? I see something I'd like to take care of; then we can talk books and stuff." Charlie's mouth was dry. He patted the empty side of his bed.
Nick laughed and joined him under the sheets.
"Yes, later. I wanna know everything about you and your little quirks."
Charlie wasted no time and grabbed Nick's face, kissing him fiercely.
One kiss led to another, then another, until Charlie was lying on top of him, legs intertwined and erections grinding one against the other. They were both panting, hands were everywhere, but Nick's settled again for the firm curve of Charlie's ass.
"I can keep doing this all night. Perks of being young and full of stamina."
"God bless the youth!" Charlie joked back. "Can we get rid of these?" He slid his index under Nick's underwear and pulled slightly.
"Oh yes, please."
Both of them fussed a bit, and in a bit, their boxers were lying on the ground.
"Together with the book, we might want to talk about why you have pugs printed on your undies, ok? You're not the only one who has questions."
Nick couldn't answer because he was a bit overwhelmed by the feeling of finally being skin to skin. And gosh, it felt amazing.
Charlie slid his hand between them and started stroking him.
"Now, what's the plan?" He asks, proceeding to suck Nick's lobe while enjoying every little whimper that escaped his lips.
"The plan is…." Nick's eyes rolled back when Charlie nibbled a soft spot right under his jaw.
"The plan is… I'd like to bottom, please. Fuck me with that nice cock of yours. Make me come, and then I'll return the favor. And then again and again and again, until we're both so sore and worn out that we'll fall asleep." He managed to say.
"What about the books?" Charlie asked before licking a mark he had just left on Nick's neck.
"Between each round."
"Sounds like a solid plan."
And that was precisely what happened.
Charlie disappeared under the covers and pushed Nick's knees up to his chest. He spread him open, and then Nick saw the paradise because nobody ever rimmed him so well. Charlie's enthusiastic wet lapping made him frantic.
He wanted more, more, more. He started stroking himself, but Charlie quickly swatted his hand away.
"You stay still and enjoy. You can pull my hair if you don't know where to put your hands. I like it." Charlie commanded.
So Nick did.
He held on to Charlie's curls when the pleasure became too much he wanted to scream. Especially when Charlie moved to his cock, sucking him off while fingering him.
He held and pulled when his toes curled by the fullness of being fully stretched by three fingers, easily sliding in and out.
And he pulled even harder when Charlie crooked his finger and found that spot.
"I'm gonna come. Fuck me, now. Please."
So Charlie did. He grabbed a condom from his bedside table, put it on, and spread some extra lube on himself and Nick's hole.
"How do you want me?"
"Like this. I want to see you coming inside me. I want to kiss you."
So they did. They had sex, and Charlie pushed slowly inside him while kissing him tenderly, checking on him for any sign of pain or discomfort. Nick put his leg on Charlie's shoulder, grabbed his ass, and pulled him closer, deeper.
And then they found their rhythm.
"You're so tight." Charlie said, between a kiss, a bite, and a thrust.
"It's been a while." Nick murmured back. "I'm fine." he added when he noticed Charlie's concerned face. Charlie lasted enough to find the right angle to have Nick coming untouched, his back arched, the column of his neck exposed, his fingers digging deeply into Charlie's flesh. And then, just watching Nick being completely lost, his come sputtering between them, Charlie came too.
Exhausted, he collapsed on him.
They were both breathing heavily, entirely spent by the act.
"That was…" Nick said.
"Yeah." Charlie replied.
He rolled to the side, not minding the sheets getting all sticky, removed the condom, and put it on the ground. He was still shaking from the mindblowing orgasm even to consider walking to the bathroom; he didn't trust his own legs.
That was the moment when his random partners usually walked out, usually with some weird gratitude phrase whispered while collecting their clothes. Others would roll on the side and fall asleep, postponing the same weird conversation for later.
But Nick put an arm around him, pulled him closer, kissed his cheek, and said, "Not too bad for a round one. We're good. High five?"
Charlie looked at him with disbelief. "High five? That's the most fucked up suggestion I ever hear after sex."
"Sorry, my blood didn't return to my brain yet. We'll see how articulate you will be after I've fucked your brains out. From my experience, we have 10 minutes before I can take good care of that nice little ass of yours. Care to tell me what are you reading right now?"
Charlie laughed, grabbed a book from his bedside, and showed him. They actually spent 15 minutes talking about the best books they had ever read before Nick stopped listening, and Charlie couldn't remember what he was talking about because Nick's hand was caressing his chest in a way that left little space for doubts about what he was planning to do next.
And the same happened another three times. They even napped a little between one round and another until they were so tired they couldn't keep their eyes open.
They never left the bed.
The sheets were a tangled chaos, and their feet were sticking out.
Their bodies were a sticky mess of come, lube, and sweat, but they couldn't care less.
It was a magical night where both gave everything they had to each other's bodies.
But when the sunrise peaked through the shades, they were so spent and worn out they simply fell asleep, wrapped one around the other, still naked and without concern.
Around 10, Charlie woke up. He didn't open his eye right away, too struck by the fact his limbs were so heavy and sore. Something was tickling his nose, and he was shivering a little. He peeked: clearly, Nick had taken all the sheets during the night, then rolled on him and put his head on Charlie's chest. His hair was right under Charlie's nostrils, and it was adorably bothering him. He scratched his eyes, and the movement woke Nick as well.
"Good morning"
"Five more minutes, please." Nick grabbed him tighter and even put a leg on top of him, trapping him.
"Why don't you stay in bed while I shower? We're both a disaster." Charlie suggested, despite being surprised that Nick was still there and didn't sprint out of bed the moment he woke up. What was happening?
Nick mumbled something that Charlie couldn't understand but removed his leg and let Charlie go. Before he could stand up, he caressed his back while Charlie was still seated on the bed, assessing the status of the room. Their underwear was on the floor, with many condom wrappers and two bottles of lube, one empty and one half-full. He vaguely remembers Nick grabbing his own boxers to clean himself and then tossing them again on the floor.
Poor pugs, the things you saw last night.
He walked out of the room, still fully naked, and turned on the shower water, then realized he had to pee. How could they not leave the bed, not once, for 10 hours? That never happened to him: sure, he hooked up with hot guys before, but their encounters never lasted that long. And for sure, Charlie never hung around naked after they were done. There was something in this guy that made him feel safe.
He showered, put on some joggers and a t-shirt, prepped some clean towels for Nick, and then returned to his room.
The room smelled of sex; there was no way to describe it differently. Nick was still in bed, the sheets tangled around his legs, his bare round firm ass, his freckled lean back, and his strong shoulders exposed. Charlie's mouth watered at sight.
"Hey, I'm making myself some tea. Do you want to shower as well?" he said from the door, maintaining a safe distance. He didn't know if he could stop himself, if he got too close to Nick again.
Nick rolled back a bit, looking at Charlie.
"A shower sounds nice, yeah. It might be back to life. Someone… fucked me to death last night."
Charlie laughed and left.
Charlie was fumbling in the kitchen when Nick walked in 15 minutes later.
He was wearing just a towel dangerously wrapped around his hips. His hair was wet, and tiny droplets were rolling down his chest.
"I promise I left the bathroom in a good state."
"What a great guest, amazing lover, doesn't snore, and he's tidy? You're a catch." answered Charlie, trying to ignore he was getting hard again just watching this beautiful man.
Seriously? Weren't the five rounds of yesterday night enough to keep you quiet? This is what he wanted to whisper down to his dick.
And Nick was now blushing.
"You'll change your mind in a moment. Do you have a t-shirt I can borrow? Mine has been… fatally shot last night. I don't mind a good walk of shame, but I prefer not taking the tube with dry come on my shoulder."
Was he embarrassed? Yes, yes, he was.
"Oh my god, you're right!" Charlie almost forgot what happened the moment they walked in yesterday night. The small table was still on the ground, and everything on top of it was also left lying around.
"Mine are probably too tight for those… strong rugby arms you have. But I might have something that could fit." Charlie intentionally avoided mentioning that the t-shirt he had in a drawer was left by a random guy he hooked up with months ago. Together with his underwear, his watch, and his jeans. He never solved the mystery of why (and how!) he left utterly naked during the night, despite his efforts and Tao's creative suggestions.
He returned from his room with the forgotten t-shirt, and Nick grabbed it eagerly.
"I'll be back in a minute."
"Do you need underwear as well?" Charlie asked from the kitchen while putting on the kettle.
"Nah, I'm good. I'll go commando. Isn't it on trend anymore?" Nick said, stepping again into the kitchen, with the infamous t-shirt on, along with his jeans. He walked barefoot to the table.
"Should I pop to the shop and grab something for breakfast? I saw a Tesco yesterday evening while we were in the cab."
He said that so casually that Charlie almost fainted. Was this guy real?
All his random hookups never spent the night, and even when they did, they would fly out of the house the moment they woke up. Sometimes they would say something like "I'll call you", but they never did. Probably because they never exchanged their phone numbers in the first place.
He didn't know what to say back.
"Ehm… no need, I have everything to make pancakes. My friends are coming over for brunch in a bit." He opened the fridge and showed he had eggs, butter, and jam.
"Oh. That's… nice" It was Nick's time to fumble with words.
Was this guy asking to stay to have pancakes with his friends?
Or was this a polite way to show him the door?
He was on the fence between wanting to stay and treasure every moment with this gorgeous man and fearing overstepping boundaries and being kicked out. It wouldn't have been the first time he read all the signs wrong, thinking that someone would love to have him around while, in reality, they couldn't gather the courage to ask him to leave. Many partners told him that on different occasions. He was… too much, sometimes.
"It's sort of a tradition. Every Saturday, we meet at someone's place and start the weekend with some nice pancakes and gossip. It's my turn this week." Charlie closed the fridge and grabbed a mug from a shelf.
"Do you want some tea?" He offered.
Nick was still a bit fighting, in his own head. He didn't answer right away, too busy thinking, "Is he offering me tea while we wait for his friends, or is he offering me tea to be nice and not kick me out empty-handed? " He tapped his fingers on the table, debating what would be the best move.
Charlie saw that and panicked. The guy was embarrassed. Maybe he wanted to leave, but he couldn't until he got the t-shirt, and now that he was fully dressed, he didn't know how to take the door without being rude. And Charlie didn't help with his hints about the pancakes, his tea offerings, and his eagerness to have him stay and meet his friends.
He could have said many things.
Something like "Do you like pancakes? My friends are nice, and we can have some fun."
Or a more direct "Why don't you stay? We can hang out together and maybe walk in the park later."
Or "Maybe you're not up to meeting my friends, but I'd like to see you again."
But what his fucked up brain put together actually was: "How long are you planning to stay? I need to start making pancakes."
The other man reacted so quickly that Charlie didn't even have the chance to add, "I want to make sure I have enough for you as well if you're staying."
"You're right; I should leave. Better go and let you enjoy your Saturday. I'm sorry."
Nick took that as a sign that he overstayed. He went to Charlie's room, gathered his things, then quickly returned to the entrance and started getting ready to leave.
Charlie looked at him, speechless, he was about to observe that he couldn't put on socks and shoes simultaneously while balancing on one leg, but he was too surprised to speak. He didn't expect him to leave so abruptly. Did he piss him off? Was he just waiting for an excuse to leave?
Nick grabbed his phone, patted the back of his jeans to check if his wallet was there, and nodded to himself.
"I'll go."
He put his hand on the doorknob, but he glanced at the kitchen before leaving.
Charlie was standing there holding a mug with a blue "C" printed on it and a weird look on his face.
Like he was almost sorry that Nick got the hint.
He wanted to leave, but part of him knew he would have never forgotten their incredible night together. And before he could avoid it, he walked toward that blue-eyed boy, closing the distance between them, and kissed him. One hand on the nape of his head, his fingers tangled one last time in his dark curls, one arm circling his lower back. Him smelling of vanilla and faint Early Grey.
Charlie didn't expect it, but he welcomed it eagerly. Flashbacks of them tangled in bed popped into his mind, melting any last functioning neuron.
It was a brief kiss but so intense that they were out of breath.
"Last night was great. Probably the best of my life. I'm glad you were bored and decided to go out." Nick said, his forehead against Charlie's.
Then he left.
It took a couple of minutes for Charlie to recollect, but when he did, all he could do was watch him from the kitchen window as he walked around the corner, heads down, hands deep in his pockets.
What just happened?
Charlie sat at the table, sipping his tea. His mind was utterly blank with shock.
I don't even have his number.
Shit, I don't even know his name!
Isaac found him still seated and managed to get just a few words out of him when Tao and Elle walked in 5 minutes later.
"Hey Charlie, what happened? Are you ok?"