<<eleven>>

E for epilogue E for end :(

Third person's pov:

"What's the thing you love most about me, Charlie?"

"Nothing," is Charlie's robotic retort; it's the one he's learned to subconsciously reply to all of Leo's never ending questions with. He takes in the usual offended gasp, Leo's responsive whine and the press of a thin hand poking at his side. "What's got you curious?"

"There must be something you love a lot. Tell me."

It's the winter, it's chilly outside, warm inside. Charlie's trying haphazardly to study for an upcoming exam,especially since he didn't do well for the last; stiff fingers curled around one edge of his textbook, and Leo splayed himself lazily over the mass majority of Charlie's bed, entertaining himself by fiddling with Charlie's free hand, toying with his fingers.

Charlie turns his gaze, sees Leo's dyed hair, the pale hue of his skin, his eyes, far too brown for anyone's good. Just like nutella. Leo matches his stare, then, and Charlie looks back down to his book with a careful facade of disinterest. "There's nothing to tell."

Leo whines like an absolute child; there's times when he's eighteen, and others, he's eight. He tugs on one of Charlie's fingers hard, pushes out a nasally, "Char, you don't have to be so cold while we're by ourselves. Just tell me what you love most and I'll leave you alone."

Charlie has always been the colder one; he rarely expresses his emotions while Leo has always been the more, insecure one.

Insecure, Hell, Charlie has always been insecure whenever he's with Leo but he doesn't show it. His vulnerability. What if he lost Leo all over again? He couldn't take the pain. He knew that one day Leo would realise how much he lacks and how much he's flawed and eventually leave him.

Leave him alone? It's a lie, and they both know it. Charlie glances over so he can stare at Leo until that fib breaks.

"Alright, so I won't leave you alone, but I won't bug you as much."

"How good you are at giving head," comes Charlie's bored answer. He turns a few pages in his textbook, nonchalant. "Happy?"

"You're lying."

"Is that so?"

"Of course. I'm not good at giving head-I'm phenomenal," Leo returns; Charlie groans so hard his shoulders deflate and it only makes Leo smile. "So tell me the real truth. You and I both know that there's something you favourite."

"Tell me what your favourite is, first," Charlie compromises, tone strained and vaguely annoyed. He doesn't care too much, he's never needed the validation that Leo downright craves (you're such a liar,Charlie) ; that doesn't mean he can't prolong Leo getting his way. "And then I'll think about telling you mine."

Leo narrows his eyes-Charlie presumes he's searching for a hint of dishonesty. The irritating weight on his shoulder grows a little heavier, then, and he feels Leo's smile against the curve of his jaw. "Your dimples."

He's definitely not intrigued. Not one bit. "Why's that?"

"It's nice," Leo says. He sounds thoughtful, like he's trying to compose his thoughts into something articulate, legible. The fact that he's struggling with that in the first place-

Well, it makes Charlie's chest swell.

"I mean, when you smile a real smile,it appears and it's just so intriguing and ...it shows that you're really happy with me"

Charlie was speechless,

Leo giggles. It's sweet and fluffy, just like the rest of him, and he slings an arm over Charlie's chest, lays a series of kisses over the column of his throat. "And your voice too, I really do love it. when we're alone like this, you speak soft. Peacefully. You spoke to me throughout my first nervous breakdown in our first concert. It's a lot more soothing than silence."

"Anything to make you happy," Charlie says. He curses himself because it's another robotic reply, but it's genuine, it's true. He'll say it a million times over if that's what it takes for Leoto believe him.

Still. He keeps his gaze trained on his textbook, ignores the odd sensation that is Leo's eyes boring holes into him.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You're supposed to tell me yours, now," Leo implores; Charlie definitely doesn't register the way he widens his eyes and coyly bites the tip of his forefinger in his peripherals. He's fallen prey to Leo's enticements before. Now isn't going to be one of those times. "You promised."

"I told you I'd think about it." Charlie closes his textbook, drops it to the floor beside his bed, settles his arms behind his head and grins a smile that's rare and smug all at once. "I've decided that it'd be way more fun to not let you have your way."

"Unfair-"

"My decision's final."

Leo huffs. It's petulant and cute, Charlie thinks, the way he tosses his hair and dovetails his arms over his chest when he's upset. It's another enticement, but he doesn't notice that so much this time around.

"If you tell me, I'll do anything you want this evening," he tries. Charlie's unmoved and unfazed when fingers dip down past his abdomen, although it does take more effort than he's really willing to give to grip Leo's wrist and pull it away.

"I'll cook dinner for you, then! How about that?"

"That's more of a punishment than a reward," Charlie says; he wrinkles his nose like he's just been presented with a poorly made meal, and Leo puffs his cheeks out, affronted. "Last time you fixed a meal, I had food poisoning for a week."

"I didn't know that the tomatoes with were rotten."

"Check the expiration date."

"So I'm not the best cook," Leo flounders, snuggles closer yet and shows a winsome pout, "but I can think of something that'll be worth your while, alright? Just-not now. I wanna knooow, char."

"I don't have a favourite thing," Charlie says, a little softer.

"You've already tried that excuse!"

"Except it's not an excuse," he finishes, then, and rolls over to his side so he's even with Leo. There's confusion in his eyes, a little bit of adoration, a cautious furrow to his brow. Charlie smoothes it out with his thumb. "You think I'd pick something to hold above everything else?"

Charlie watches Leo's eyes flutter, dilate with realisation.

"Charlie," he says, breathes, "I thought..."

"I'm not done," Charlie intersects. His hand drops, cups the back of Leo's neck, threads up and through his hair once again. He'll never grow tired of the feeling. "You've got all the beauty and intelligence in this world. Gorgeous eyes, a winning smile, the nicest laugh I've ever had the fortune to hear-fuck, it's hard not to smile at. It's contagious, too. The prettiest laugh anyone's ever heard. I don't have the audacity to find a favourite."

"Charlie," leondre says again. This time, his voice cracks, and his fingers tremble where they're gripping Charlie's collar.

"There's your hair and skin, too. You never did have to do much to style your hair, to make your skin soft and smooth and pale. The hell's up with that, anyways? You're outside just as much as I am. You've gotten as dirty as I have. It's unfair, quite honestly, but I like it." Charlie smiles something minor, remembers a storage of fond memories he's kept since their early childhood. "And you never did grow out of nutella."

"Charlie-"

"You've got thin hands, the worst circulation, and I love warming them up. There's your lips, your clavicle, your inability to wake up before the sun rises, your nervous habits, the way you smile when you've just finished crying-"

Leo kisses him; his hands quiver while they skim over his jaw, his neck, down his shoulders. Charlie isn't the best at showing affection. He's not the best at wording things, at putting his thoughts forth, at being open.

It's a rarity, and charlie doesn't feel bad that it is. Leo doesn't seem to mind.

"And you're telling me," charlie starts once they separate, regain their air, press closer yet, "that I have to pick a favourite?"

The laugh leo pushes out against his neck sounds similar to a sob. He's bowing his head, but his arms don't falter, wound tight around charlie's neck, holding for dear life. He grips like charlie's going to disappear, but he knows that he's not going anywhere.

"Love you, lenehan," leo manages, voice cracked and rasped and beautifully light-hearted. Charlie directs him into another kiss, then, gladly takes in every gentle charlie that's murmured happily against his lips.

This time, when they part, Charlie realises he's grinning a little too widely, but he doesn't bother with caring.

(Dimples)

Leo looks elated. That's what matters.

"Anything to make you happy," he returns, holds Leo a little tighter than before. They breathe even and steady; he drops an arm to curl round Leo's waist and lays a lengthy kiss on his forehead.

In the end, Charlie decides his favourite thing is the fact that Leo's by his side.

And he won't let Leo leave him again. -------1 YEAR LATER:

Leo stared at the clock on the kitchen counter. Charlie was supposed to be home at six and it was already 6:15. He knew that he shouldn't worry, it's just fifteen minutes, but Charlie was always on time. Being fifteen minutes late was a big deal for him and Leo couldn't help the twinge in his gut at the thought of what could be holding him up. He quickly turned on the radio, placed next to the clock, before his thoughts began to run too wild. He instantly recognized the song that was playing. It was the song that he and Charlie had performed in BGT. Hopeful.

He remember the time when he met Charlie. The time when they went on tours. The time when they got together. The time when they shared jokes and secrets. The time when they got intimate. He was pulled out of his reverie by strong hands gripping his waist and spinning him around gently. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a sound he was being pulled into a familiar broad chest. He placed his arms around Charlie's waist and pulled him closer. "You're late," Leo muttered against the other's shirt as he buried his face in his shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry, class lasted longer than it was supposed to," Charlie answered, lifting his hand to run it through the shorter boy's hair. It was then that he noticed the song playing in the background. He began humming it softly and swaying to the beat.

Leo moved along with him without saying anything. Normally he would've made a joke about how cliche and sappy it was to dance to this song in their kitchen, but the mocking words died on his lips when he lifted his head and saw Charlie's face. He looked tired, but he had the most peaceful and beautiful expression that Leo had ever seen on his face. Noticing the blatant staring he spoke up, "Is something wrong, lion?" Leo paused at the sound of his given name on Charlie's lips before replying, "No, it's nothing." Charlie looked like he wanted to pursue it more but he just shrugged it off and promised himself to ask Leo about it later. Right now he just wanted to enjoy this moment. They stayed like that, dancing, swaying back and forth in the kitchen for what seemed like forever. They didn't notice when the song ended and it cut to a random advertisement. Eventually, they stopped moving and were left staring at each other. Charlie was the first one to break the silence, "I....." He broke off, breaking eye contact while he searched for the words. Leo didn't push him, understanding just how speechless he felt. "I love you." Leo's heart swelled at the words that had been uttered so many times before, but this time they seemed to take on a new meaning. He started to say something, but was cut off by Charlie before he could begin, "More than that actually, if it's possible," he paused searching for words again before starting with more confidence, "I've been with you essentially my whole life, and, sure, sometimes you frustrate me, and I hate when you leave your dirty laundry on the bathroom floor, or steal all of the blankets when it's below freezing outside, but even when you're being annoying and forcing me to watch the same sci fi movie for the hundredth time, I still love you. There's nowhere else I'd rather be than right here, with you. And I want that to last as long as possible, as much as I don't like to admit it, I don't think that I could survive without you." Charlie stopped again as if he was considering his next words very carefully, "So, I guess what I'm saying is that I think I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Leo felt heat rising in his cheeks as he searched for a response to Charlie's rambling, "Char, are you proposing to me?" "I mean, not necessarily right now..." he stopped, looking Leo directly in the eyes, "Unless you want me to?" Leo huffed impatiently before jokingly saying, "Well I can't just wait around until I get old, can I?" "In that case," Charlie took Oikawa's hand in his while keeping eye contact, "Leondre Devries , will you marry me? " Leo's heart fluttered at the words. He had already assumed that it would happen and imagined it a million different ways, but it was different when it was the real thing. His imagination couldn't quite get the details right. He never could have imagined the effect that the dim kitchen lighting would have on Charlie's features as he looked at him expectantly, and was that nervousness that he saw in his eyes? "Of course!" Leo exclaimed, pulling him in closer and bringing their lips together gently, "You waited long enough." Charlie pulled away with a huff, before saying, "You realize that we've only officially been together for a year, right?" "Yes, and unofficially for 10," Charlie grinned as they relaxed back into their usual banter, arguing about whether you could count childhood as "unofficially" being together. This is what he loved about Charlie. He loved the way that he made him feel comfortable and at home no matter what. Looking back on it, there was never a time that he doubted that he would spend the rest of his life with his bandmate. It just seemed like a given. He gazed across the kitchen table at Charlie after they sat down, changing the topic of conversation to wedding plans. It was then that Leo realized the reality of the situation. This was actually happening, Charlie had proposed to him, and they were going to get married. A feeling of contentment settled over him as he stared at the man that he would spend the rest of his life with.-- The small gathering of friends and family were surrounding the small area set aside for the dance floor. The reception had been a small one, only inviting a select few people, and opting to hold it in Paris. It was a summer wedding and the air was just the perfect temperature as the sun set and the music began playing. Leo recognized it instantly as Charlie led him to the center of the floor. They began dancing easily, others flooding onto the dance floor to join them. Despite the people surrounding them, the only thing that Leo could focus on was Charlie and how happy he looked. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face or the laugh that escaped him as Charlie spun him around and pulled him back into his chest before returning him to his original position. "I love you," he said softly when the song ended, the couple remaining in the middle of the room, gazing into each other's eyes. Charlie answered by kissing him gently.

And all along I believed, I would find youTime has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand yearsI'll love you for a thousand more

-end-

This is it, the end:'(to be honest I've never thought of writing a book and actually finishing it so this is an accomplishment for me :)Thanks to those who have been reading since chap 1 all the way to now and for all the support!!

Stay happy:)

Until the next book-Ashley<3

Xx