1Charley still remembers that night. Especially the words Peter spoke before going down the 'rabbit hole'.
"You're going down?" Charley can hardly believe it. Peter looks at him and smiles.
"See that? Like a great date. You get me drunk, I'll try anything." Then the man slides down the floor trap.
Charley smiles at the memory. So he's testing it out. He slides another glass towards his vampire-know-it-all. Peter takes the glass and raises it up.
"Thanks," he mutters before downing the contents. Peter lets out a whoosh of breath after. "Charley, what is it you wanted again?" Charley starts. He was intently watching Peter's throat move as he drank and spoke.
"Oh, I had an experiment I wanted to try out here," Charley gives his little-white-lie excuse.
"Really? Then go ahead," Peter says. He gestures to the penthouse. "My humble, and not so humble, abode is yours to use." Peter stands up and stumbles. He looks down at the empty glass in his hand. "How many have I had?"
Charley smiles. "A fair few," he responds. Peter looks at him.
"Exactly what is it you wanted again?" he asks, slurring a few words. "Yo-your e-e-experiment, what is it?"
Charley grabs the hand precariously swing the glass around and set the glass on the counter.
"Remember that night when you told me "like a great date"?" Charley asks. Peter stops moving and tries to focus. The gears in his drunken head are turning. When he remembers his face lights up.
"Oh! You mean that night when we kicked vampire ass?" he asks. Charley nods. Peter's head starts nodding with his before he shakes it. He then decides that wasn't such a good idea as he places his wrist against his forehead.
"Like a great date? Hmm, let's see. Well, I said that after I found the floor trap… Oh! And you said "You're going down?"" Peter retold, pointing his finger at Charley while speaking. He runs a hand through his hair. "I could hardly believe it myself. Then-then I said something about it being like a great date, you get me drunk and I'll do anything?" He looks at Charley. "Was that it?" The younger man nods. Peter sighs and places his hands on the counter. "Alright sweetheart, what do you want me to try? You got me drunk so let's have it."
"Me." Peter loses his grip on the bar.
"Sorry, what?" he asks, clearly thinking he misheard. Charley breathes.
"You said get you drunk and you'll try anything. Try me."
A confused expression crosses Peter's face. "Try you? T-try you how?" Charley smiles softly. He stands up from his chair and walks over to the other side of the bar. Peter backs up as Charley moves closer. When his back hits the wall, he gulps.
"You know exactly how," Charley breathes. Peter gulps again.
"You got me drunk because you want me to fuck you," Peter states. Charley nods. "You're sure?" Another nod. "What about your girlfriend?"
Charley sighs and goes back to the day it started.
He could hear a voice calling him. Also something slapping his face.
"Charley! Come on, come on! Wake up, wake up! Come on you little prick! Come on!"
Charley opens his eyes and sees Peter and Amy.
"Hey," he says to her. She says the same back. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Amy's face contorts into a battle between a smile and pain. "Are you?"
Charley breathily laughs. "Yeah, I'm alright."
Peter breathes a laugh and smiles before grabbing Charley's face and kissing him. Charley pulls a weird look after Peter moves away.
"You little shit." Peter sits back. "Next time you're going to use my plan, give me a heads-up first, yeah?" He takes a chug from his flask. Charley laughs at his new friend, and Amy giving a small laugh as she leans in to kiss Charley. Peter collapses onto the ground behind him, making his 'thank God it's over and we are still alive' noises.
The battle had been won and those not, uh, 'vanquished' had been turned back. Everyone agreed not to speak of it again.
It was then that things started to change for Charley. That kiss. It certainly didn't help when Peter loaned them the apartment and coming back in.
The door slammed open and Charley swore. Peter came in.
"If you're naked, I'm absolutely going to look," he says with a cheery smile. Charley grabs his shirt and covers Amy's nearly naked chest.
"Dude! Dude!" Charley exclaims while watching the other man. Peter raises his hands in defense.
"I know. Sorry, sorry sorry sorry. I left my phone." He walks around the bar, grabbing his phone without stopping. He left after that, saying something mini golf and sushi.
That first sentence when he came in caused something in Charley to shiver.
The events thereafter just kept adding to his changing feelings. A change where he wanted his girlfriend less and the crazy man more. Almost everything went back to normal, except Mark was better, more behaved. He stopped smoking pot. Amy hardly wanted to leave Charley's side, but who could blame her after what happened? Charley's mom went back to her realty business but took self-defense classes that she could incorporate certain weapons into. Charley tried his best to resume a normal life, but like his mom, he too prepared for the supernatural attacks. He also refused to forget a certain 'celebrity'. Peter stopped his fake show and continued to consult. The occasional vampire hunt was in the books too.
It was those trips Peter asked Charley to come along on. The time together, even if a little dangerous, enabled the men to bond. Charley noticed the change in his feelings on their fourth trip, and Peter had just beheaded a fallen vampire. The sun peeked out through the clouds, turning any remains to ash, but also glinting off the blood on the older man's chest.
Charley stared at the sight and he gulped. He could feel the sensations and knew he would have to talk to Amy when he next saw her.
And now here he was, finally getting the nerve to do something about it, with Peter waiting for an answer.
"We broke up a few weeks ago," Charley admits. Peter's face sobers up immediately.
"Sorry 'bout that," he mutters. Charley shakes his head.
"Don't worry about it. My decision." Peter looks at him.
"Really?" Charley nods. Peter frowns. "Didn't think you would have the guts." Peter stares hard at him as if Charley grew a second head. "You know your girlfriend, uh ex-girlfriend as it would be, is like super-hot?"
Charley sighs. "I know, but it wouldn't be fair to anyone, especially her, when I had no romantic feelings left for her." Peter nods.
"Yeah, that would be cruel. …You didn't do it for a waste like me, did you?" Peter asks. Charley nods.
"You're not a waste to me, but yeah, I did. My feelings for Amy changed, just as they did with you," he whispers. Peter closes his eyes and leans against the wall. Charley steps up and places a light kiss on Peter's neck. The latter freezes.
"If you don't want to then say so. Kick me out and I'll go, and I'll never ask again," Charley tells him. Peter opens his eyes and breathes in.
"No, the last thing I want to do is kick you out," he murmurs, turning his gaze to the sitting area. Charley stays silent, knowing Peter is searching for words. "You're the only thing connecting me to life." Charley goes to protest but Peter places a finger on his lips. "There's no one else. I have no friends, other than you and your girlfriend, but she doesn't like me, probably less now. All I have are consulting, hunting, the memories I'm trying to drown and failing miserably," both men chuckle, "And you. That's it and if I don't have that I have nothing," Peter mutters staring Charley right in the eyes.
Charley watches the man in front of him, seeing the emotions swim in his eyes. That kind of emotion isn't shown often, not since Jerry died. Charley places a hand on Peter's arm. Peter cracks a sad smile.
"You do have it," Charley replies as he takes Peter's hand. The young adult guides the vampire hunter to the bedroom. Peter pauses their path at the door. He looks inside at the bed.
"You sure about this? Once we get going I'm not stopping, not for anything. Well, I would in the case of a disaster or an undead break-in," Peter amends. Charley smiles. Peter returns the expression. He places a hand on the back of Charley's neck. "I should have told you sooner," he mutters.
"Tell me what?" Charley asks.
"I don't need to be drunk to try you."
Charley breathes in. Peter sighs and closes his eyes, resting his forehead against the younger man's.
"That's why you need to be sure you want this," Peter grinds out. He opens his eyes and looks straight into Charley's eyes. "I'd rather not have you than lose you."
Charley smiles and replies with a kiss. Peter's arms wrap around Charley's waist as the other man grabs the front of his shirt. After they pull apart Charley breathes out an "I'm sure". Peter smirks and shakes his head.
"Alright then," is all he says before backing into the bedroom, pulling Charley along, and closing the door behind them.