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[h3][color=d4431c]Charlie Carrington[/color] & [color=c9d1fd]Eckhart Wolff[/color][/h3][sub]a collab with the wonderful [@HalfOfLancelot][/sub][hr][hr][img]http://i.imgur.com/WiW7mjA.gif[/img][hr][hr][/center]
“[color=d4431c]You little shit.[/color]” Charlie murmured quietly, squatting down to poke at his and Eckhart’s cat, Shoes, who decided to curl around one of his loafers. Of course. Those were her favorite to snuggle down in, shed cat hair in, even leave scratch marks on. Sure, it bothered Charlie, but he loved Shoes more than his… shoes, so he dealt with it. She was still a little shit, though. “[color=d4431c]One of these days, you’re going to disappear, and I’ll just tell Hart I dunno, she must of finally got sick of being fed and loved and left.[/color]” he spoke softly, since Eckhart was asleep on the other side of their studio apartment, and kept poking at the cat on her head in an attempt to annoy her, watching her tail start to twitch around. “[color=d4431c]I can return you to the pound we got you from. Don’t put it past me.[/color]”

Shoes gave a giant, teeth-showing yawn and stretched a paw up, batting at his hand without her claws extended. “[color=d4431c]No, don’t start that,[/color]” he scolded as Shoes mewled, stretching up to butt her head against his hand, and Charlie sighed. “[color=d4431c]I’d never give you away. I’m sorry.[/color]” he said, scratching behind the spoiled kitty’s ears. Shoes began to purr and Charlie gathered the Scottish Fold into his arms, quietly grunting as he did so. “[color=d4431c]Gaining weight, Shoes?[/color]” he teased, receiving a meow from the cat as he straightened up to carry her over to the bed. “[color=d4431c]Go sleep on his head instead of my shoes,[/color]” he whispered, dropping Shoes onto the bed beside Eckhart. Shoes immediately went to Eckhart to snuggle up and Charlie stood there for a moment, looking at the image they made. From the lamp he turned on on the other side of the room, it cast a pale light over Eckhart, and he found himself, for the millionth time, wondering how he was lucky enough to snag someone like this man. His fingers twitched and the urge to create a piece of art inspired by this man was strong. It would be a good distraction but only in a few hours, an alarm would be going off to wake them up. He didn’t need to get into a piece and refuse to leave it. It had happened before. What he should be doing is sleeping, but that was a struggle at the moment. He had been tossing and turning since he laid down, and to not possibly wake Eckhart, he finally accepted his fate and got up to wander around. Since he couldn’t let himself get lost in a piece, even a small one, he, instead, snatched up his phone from the nightstand table and took a picture. [i][color=d4431c]Too fucking cute.[/color][/i] he thought as he quickly set the picture as his phone background before setting it back in its spot.

He began to wander back towards the living room but what had been keeping him up caught his eye. To an outsider, it’d look like an innocent letter, but it was far from that to him. Ever since he had gotten it a few months ago, he had found it hard to not think about. He went over and slowly picked it up, feeling the quality of the paper between his fingers, slowly unfolding it again. The creases caused from the folding were deeper, worse, since he had opened it a thousand times already, to fret and worry over the words printed on the creamy surface. He looked it over again before forcing himself to set it back down, opened. A part of him was excited to see his parents, his siblings and their families, yet there was a gnawing anxiety clawing its way through his body too. That had been happening since he had gotten the letter. He felt bad for Eckhart; he had been stressing over the upcoming vacation too much. The brightest highlight was that he and Hart would get time to themselves, something they needed plenty more of together. Not to mention, he had a pressing question to ask Eckhart, and he felt like being on vacation, in a beautiful setting like that, would be a good time to ask it. He hoped.

He turned away from the letter and glanced over at the bed. He needed to stop worrying so much. He hated bothering Eckhart. He padded across the wooden floor, grabbing something off one of the shelves of a bookcase separating the “living room” from the “bedroom.” He fell into a plush chair by a window, pulling the little handle down and opening it a crack. The night air came in, smelling of the city, but soon enough, the air was swirling with the smell of cigarette smoke too. Charlie sunk down into the chair, putting his mismatch-socked feet up onto the window sill, and blowing the smoke towards the open window. The tension in his shoulders bled out, and he let the cigarette dangle between his lips as he laid his head back against the top of the chair, eyes slipping closed. He would be on a plane, heading to the Winter Lodge, to see his disconnected family, in just a matter of hours.

“[color=c9d1fd]Hey,[/color]” a croak came from the pile of blankets and pillows and fur - just a slip of skin visible, rising and falling above the mountain of sheets. Eckhart rose, as did his cat who found comfort on the warm pillow behind him, and padded his bare feet across the studio’s wooden floors. “[color=c9d1fd]Mm,[/color]” Eckhart hummed, groaning low in his chest as he collided into Charlie. His hands pinched the cigarette from Charlie’s lips and flicked it out of the window, “[color=c9d1fd]No kisses if you keep smoking like that. Tobacco mouth isn’t pleasant.[/color]” 

As if he hadn’t just described his distaste for cigarette filled mouths, Eckhart pressed a soft kiss to Charlie’s lips, and then another, more urgent one. He cooed softly to Charlie, letting their noses brush and their foreheads press while his hands tugged and feet guided them both back to the warmth. But not before he slipped the window shut, murmuring about cold New York air.

The guilt Charlie had felt at Eckhart awakening was drowned out by the contentment said man caused to spark in his chest, a growing warmth that spread and settled down deep. He made the smallest sounds of protest when the cigarette was taken from him, most of it wasted, but it was a nasty habit he wanted to kick anyway. If he had to kick it to keep receiving kisses from Eckhart, then that would be the best motivation to push him into doing it. He wanted to make a comment on Hart kissing him, after he said he wouldn’t, but he found himself, instead, growing lost in the contact being bestowed upon him, returning it with a small smile dancing at the edges of his lips. He sighed softly as he was made to get up, was guided back to the bed, but he went willingly. He knew Eckhart was ready to drop off again, and he needed to get there alongside him.

“[color=c9d1fd]Pay attention to me,[/color]” Eckhart demanded in gentle whispers, dragging Charlie down atop him - the cat already moving to curl next to two warm bodies, now. He let his lips drag across Charlie’s ear and down his neck to nibble at the soft flesh there. Every slow, languid press of his hands or his lips or the rumble in his chest that vibrated through Charlie demanded the latter’s focus. A gentle reminder to keep them both grounded, whether that’s in the smell of sleep and sweat or in the soft noise of Eckhart’s voice like static in Charlie’s ears. “[color=c9d1fd]Stop thinking,[/color]” Eckhart huffed just above a whisper, his fingers curling in the fine, black hairs that hung like a mop over Charlie’s head, “[color=c9d1fd]breathe with me; we got a few hours, yet.[/color]”

A sigh tore through Eckhart. “[color=c9d1fd]Listen to my heart beat.[/color]”

Charlie felt a swell of adoration form in his chest as Eckhart took care of him. He could feel a heaviness beginning to settle in his bones, causing him to sink into the warm body beneath him, all focus turning to Hart. He didn’t say anything, or make a noise, just closed his eyes and listened to Eckhart, following his direction. He let the smell and feel and warmth of Eckhart encase him, just let himself get lost in this private, gentle moment between them. It was times like these his mind slowed, that he could think the most clearly and feel the most relaxed. Only Eckhart could make him feel that way, and he would never be able to thank and love the man enough for it. He snuggled down into the warmth, one hand sliding over to gently scrub at Shoes’ head, his other hand sliding up and disappearing into Hart’s hair, just holding on gently. He broke his silence by letting out a small “[color=d4431c]mm ‘kay,[/color]” already beginning to drop off. Being like this made his body realize how tired it was; now that Eckhart had chased away the anxiety that had been churning and making him feel high-strung, he could do as the man said, and listen to his heartbeat while dozing off.

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Four hours came and went, much like their sleep pattern that flight; a constant up-down of wake and sleep. Once their plane touched down, Eckhart tore through their carry on to snatch the two coats he’d packed inside. Even with Charlie’s fussing, Eckhart bundled him tight in the heavy pea coat and wrapped the orange scarf snug around Charlie’s neck. He finished the touch by shoving the ushanka over Charlie’s head and eyes and pulling the flaps to press a kiss to his nose. After bundling himself up, they immediately made their way to baggage claim and soon after into the thin, cold Denver air.

“[color=c9d1fd]Come on, let’s go,[/color]” Eckhart motioned toward the man waving a ‘Charlie Carrington,’ sign not too far from where they stepped out. The chill already bit down on his skin, leaving red impressions on his nose and cheeks. Regardless, he didn’t seem fazed, especially when Charlie questioned him about his baggage and he swept him off his feet.

Charlie almost cringed at the sight of the sign with his name. He felt like it was calling attention to him, but he was probably just overreacting. As usual, Eckhart distracted him, but it wasn’t in the most helpful of ways. He let out something akin to a squeak - though he wouldn’t admit to it - and threw his arms around Hart’s neck. It wouldn’t be the first time Eckhart had decided that randomly picking him up would be a good idea and… okay, Charlie liked it, but he didn’t have to act like he did. But, he made it obvious he did, by the way he tightened his grip around Hart’s neck and was completely relaxed in his arms.

A smile burned bright even in the overcast haze of snow as Eckhart carried Charlie toward their destination. “[color=c9d1fd]I’ve got the most important luggage of all,[/color]” he grunted, “[color=c9d1fd]man, you puttin’ on some muscle, Harley?[/color]” He gave him a wink before letting him down and opening the door for him, giving the chauffeur a little wave as he assisted the man with their luggage before sliding in next to Charlie.

Charlie didn’t want to tear his eyes away from Eckhart’s face, feeling his own lips twitching upwards at the sight of his boyfriend’s smile. He had the best smile; it transformed his face into something beautiful, not that it wasn’t before. Though, his lips twitched downward at Hart’s words, but it didn’t last long. He tried to not let a fond smile break across his face as he rolled his eyes. “[color=d4431c]Yeah, gonna look like you soon,[/color]” he deadpanned, also giving the chauffeur a little wave before willingly sliding into the limo. He adjusted the scarf around his neck, loosening it just a bit, since it was fairly warm in the luxury vehicle. 

“[color=c9d1fd]Hey.[/color]” Eckhart looked serious as he turned to face Charlie. “[color=c9d1fd]Whatever happens, you still got me, okay? Your family matters a whole helluva lot, kid, and they’re worth a lot, but they’re not worth everything. Yeah?[/color]”

Charlie sunk back into the leather seat, glancing over at Eckhart when he said ‘hey,’ but then he looked over at him at his serious expression. He blinked at Hart’s words, and again, he wondered what he did to get this man in his life. It was like Eckhart could read his mind, knew his exact thoughts, and knew just what to say to ease his worries. He still felt nervous, it beating around inside him, but Eckhart was right. He stared at him for a few seconds before smiling, expression softening as he reached out to take Hart’s hand in his own. He rubbed his thumb along his knuckles, giving a nod. “[color=d4431c]Yeah.[/color]” he murmured, leaning over to press a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth, lingering only for a moment before sitting back, squeezing Hart’s hand tight the whole ride.

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Charlie found his eyes caught on the passing whiteness of snow as the limo drove along, hand not releasing Eckhart’s until the limo had pulled up to the big, grand Winter Lodge. He took a deep breath as he slid out of the limo, looking up at a place he could vaguely remember; he had been roughly around the age ten when he was brought here, and naturally, not all of the siblings had been present for that vacation. He had spent most of his time tracking down anything with the capability to write, before finding paper to doodle his time away. He had went outside a fair amount, though instead of throwing snowballs or making snow angels, he would attempt to create a snowman that was never a snowman, but rather a dog, or even a horse. The latter had been a horribly failed attempt that he just ended up falling into and laying there until he grew too cold and had to go inside.

He looked up at it and let out a breath, eyes almost crossing to watch his breath slowly disappear into the cold air. “[color=d4431c]It hasn’t changed much,[/color]” he mumbled, trying to ignore the way his stomach twisted in nerves. He was sure there were others who had arrived before them. Maybe they wouldn’t bump into them until he had some time to settle in. There was some part of him that felt excitement, sure, but a bigger part of him felt nervous and a little sick. [i][color=d4431c]You’re overreacting.[/color][/i] he scolded himself, as he made a move to help with luggage, but it seemed the staff had been prepared for others pulling up; two people came out to help with the luggage, and Charlie felt himself frowning. The older he had gotten, the more awkward he had felt around the staff, over having people being paid to tend to him. It had never sat well with him, but he let them do their job, not wanting to interrupt or cause a fuss that would be pointless and rude, for that matter.

Instead, he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to take Eckhart’s hand again, before he moved up the stairs to the front door, which was being held open. Of course it was. He should expect all the bells and whistles while here. He had been on his own for so long, grown independent alongside Eckhart, that he knew he was going to feel extremely uncomfortable with it. He was used to tending to himself now, and Eckhart; while they both took care of each other, they still took care of themselves, and he didn’t want anyone’s sole purpose being to wait on him. But, he knew to expect this while here, so he’d just suck it up and go with it. He entered the warm interior, letting out a breath and taking it in. It really hadn’t changed, at all, and he felt something clench in his chest at the vague familiarity of it.

“Mr. Carrington! You’ve finally arrived.” a maid approached him, with a kind smile on her aging face. Charlie didn’t recognize her, in all honesty, though he wasn’t going to say that.

“[color=d4431c]Oh, are-are we late?[/color]” he asked, a bit of strain in his voice as he let go of Hart’s hand to fumble with his sleeves to look at his watch, but he didn’t have to since the maid was quick to reassure him.

“Oh, no, sir! I apologize. It is just nice to see you all grown up, Mr. Carrington.” the maid told him, and now Charlie felt really bad for not knowing her name.

“[color=d4431c]Um, please, call me Charlie. Mr. Carrington is my dad.[/color]” he said a bit quietly, looking at the polished wood floor before glancing over at Hart. “[color=d4431c]This is Eckhart Wolff. He’s my boyfriend.[/color]”

“Very nice to meet you, sir. Shall I show you to your old room, then?” the maid - Charlie was really trying to remember her name - asked with a beaming smile. Eckhart grunted his greeting beside Charlie, putting on his best smile.

“[color=d4431c]Oh.[/color]” Charlie said, a little surprised that his old room had been kept intact, but what else would have happened to it? He knew his parents wouldn’t change much of anything in it. When the maid simply stared at him, he realized he hadn’t exactly answered, and jolted a little. “[color=d4431c]Shit, sorry- uh, crap, I mean, or, um, shoot. Okay, just. Yes, please, sorry.[/color]” he got a bit tangled up while speaking, feeling his cheeks flush at his stumbling and feeling the presence of a large hand settling on his lower back.

But, the maid obviously wasn’t phased, because she nodded without her smile faltering. “Your luggage should already be there,” she said as she began to lead the way. Charlie quickly began to follow, gazing around as they went, hand finding Eckhart’s without even having to look or fumble a little.

“[color=c9d1fd]Just act like this is another dinner with the parents,[/color]” Eckhart bent low to whisper into Charlie’s ear, squeezing his hand in a firm grip. Having traveled for most of his career, Eckhart knew these formalities as if he’d grown with them. Many of the high-strung hotels accommodated his team well, even in the less than savory affairs they tended to find themselves in - even Eckhart knew the embarrassment of waking up half naked, surrounded by a pile of regrets as awful as his hangover. Luckily, he knew his own limits and those events often found themselves few and far between.

Even if it didn’t need to be said, this trip had Eckhart on his best behavior. He just wanted to be absolutely sure of himself, especially for Charlie. He gripped his boyfriend’s hand tighter and let Charlie lead him forward. He could feel the anxiety radiating off of him and once they arrived with no stops or interruptions, Eckhart gave a curt thank you and waved his goodbye after she’d notified them of the welcome they had to attend down at the main parlor. The moment she left and Eckhart closed the door, he pushed Charlie to sit on the edge of the bed and snaked around him. Thighs bracketing Charlie’s hips, his arms came around to curl over Charlie’s stomach and leaned back slightly to let him fold into Eckhart’s chest.

Charlie knew there would be gatherings all throughout this whole thing, but being told one was coming up so soon in the main parlor made a spark of anxiety shoot up his spine. Though, he tried to his best to ignore it, instead thanking the maid - maybe he could manage to ask one of his older siblings, surely they knew her name - and feeling intense relief when the door was closed. Now it was just him and Eckhart, but that didn’t mean he could immediately relax. He still felt on edge, thinking of the welcome later, but that thought didn’t last for long. As usual, Eckhart was taking care of him, and while Charlie always felt guilty he needed it, he also knew Eckhart didn’t mind this one bit. Or else he wouldn’t do it, he wouldn’t had stuck with Charlie for so long, he wouldn’t had fallen in-love with him, of all people Hart could have. He immediately relaxed back into the wider body, hands resting on Eckhart’s covered arms, squeezing to feel the arms beneath the thick fabric of jacket and shirt.

“[color=c9d1fd]I’m proud of you, Harley,[/color]” Eckhart whispered, rocking Charlie forward into a more comfortable position, “[color=c9d1fd]You’re doing great so far. Things’ll only get better, okay? And if they don’t, I’m here.[/color]” He repeated himself, “[color=c9d1fd]I’ll be here, okay? It’s gonna take a helluva lot to get rid of me.[/color]” Eckhart continued to murmur, brushing his nose into Charlie’s neck and taking deep breaths of him, receiving a slight shudder from the man as a reward before Charlie managed a nod to acknowledge his words. A hand pressed to Charlie’s chest and Eckhart let their breathing sync up, felt his heartbeat in his palm.

After a while of winding down, Eckhart pushed himself back slightly and let his hands peel the coat off of Charlie’s back, along with the hat and the scarf. Once he got his own off and tossed them to the side, content to care for them later, Eckhart pushed Charlie forward with just a slight edge of force. His hands grasped Charlie’s shoulder and the fingers immediately found the tense knots that bound Charlie’s muscles tight. It resulted in a small groan coming from Charlie’s throat, his back arching much like a cat’s in his best attempt to push into Eckhart’s magical fingers, a silent way of asking for more. The methodical work of kneading those muscles, digging his palm into Charlie’s spine, feeling the other breath deep in relief aided in calming Eckhart’s nerves, as well. Cause hell if he hadn’t been fretting this trip; unlike Charlie, Eckhart just had an easier time of hiding it. Mostly for Charlie’s sake, but a lot of it was for his own well being. He didn’t like loss of control and wouldn’t forfeit it willingly.

Knowing they didn’t have much time left, Eckhart finished quickly and let Charlie fall back into his chest. “[color=c9d1fd]You all good now?[/color]” he smiled, pressing a kiss to Charlie’s temple, “[color=c9d1fd]if you want, we can just say fuck ‘em and fake jet lag to get in bed early for tonight. Though, that’d mean missin’ out on dinner…[/color]” After a beat, Eckhart smiled into the side of Charlie’s cheekbone, pressing half his face into Charlie’s hair, “[color=c9d1fd]that is, of course, if I hadn’t packed a few snacks to much on ourselves. I gotta watch my calorie intake, but I wouldn’t mind breaking a rule or two for you. And I got your laptop for Netflix binging. It’s up to you, sailor.[/color]”

While Charlie hadn’t wanted that to end, he knew it couldn’t last for that long, and he slumped practically boneless back against Eckhart’s chest. He closed his eyes, letting out a breath and laughing at Hart’s words. He didn’t answer at first, instead choosing to turn his head so he could brush his lips along Hart’s own. Though, he didn’t linger - it’d be shitty to get something started like [i]that[/i] and have to leave - and instead slumped down so he could nuzzle his face into Eckhart’s neck, right underneath his chin, settling there. “[color=d4431c]Tempting. But really shitty, too,[/color]” he breathed out a laugh against Eckhart’s neck before kissing the skin there. “[color=d4431c]Honestly, I could legit fall asleep right now, but… it’s the first official gathering. Gotta be there for that.[/color]” while he didn’t want too, because Hart’s suggestion sounded like the best thing in the world, he knew he had to suck it up in this case. “[color=d4431c]But, maybe after a few anxiety-inducing and awkward dinners, I can fake illness and we can lock ourselves in here for the rest of the vacation,[/color]” he said lightly, hands taking both of Hart’s own, and beginning to gently rub his fingertips into the skin, just feeling the roughened skin, suddenly thankful he had this, that he had Eckhart. Obviously they both knew he was joking. He couldn't do that, even if a part of him might want too. So, for right now, he'll let himself concentrate on Eckhart, and try to not dread what was coming up too much.