Catfish! (Lia && November Bleeds)

[Lia]

With a huge grunt, Charlie swung the eighteen (okay, he was exaggerating...there were only fifteen bags) shopping bags that he'd acquired onto the bed. His over-sized, four-poster bed stood in the direct middle of the room. Draped with pure white sheets and comforters and pillows, the top of the mattress nearly came up to his torso (if he wasn't wearing heels). The frame was a gorgeous cherry, and the base had steps to help someone climb into it. It had been a house warming present to him from his great grandmother, who had always spoiled him rotten. Looking over, the blond haired, chocolate eyed man groaned at the thought of trying to fit more stuff into his already filled-to-bursting closets.

"Maybe I'll dig some stuff out to give away..." Of course, he always said that every time he went shopping, and it never, ever happened. What if he wanted to wear that four-hundred-dollar skirt that he bought two years ago that he hadn't worn yet? He was only waiting for the absolutely perfect occasion to wear it! It deserved that much. "I can always build another closet..." But that was wishful thinking. All the money in the world (which he -- okay his family -- pretty much had) couldn't change the laws of physics. There were neighbors on either side of him, and therefore, the space he could expand into was hugely limited. Perhaps they'd consent to sell this year... He snorted and moved into the biggest of the three walk in closets.

Reaching down, he slid the red pumps off and groaned as his feet met the plush, soft carpet. "Much better."

It took several hours of rearranging and creating hanger maneuvers to get everything he'd purchased into the closet, but he'd done it. He always found a way. Always.

Satisfied that the rod wouldn't collapse this time, he cut the lights and went for the kitchen. It was small, but something had to be, he supposed. And he'd rather the kitchen be the smallest room in the house. He didn't cook much, and when he entertained, everything was catered in. The only thing he really needed the kitchen for was to store the wines. "Oh. Wine..."

Charlie was eccentric by the standards of most. Twenty four, with a master's degree in business that was only collecting dust. He didn't work, happy to let his willing family support him and his shopping addiction. When he had been sixteen, he had embraced his affinity for women's clothing. That was part of why he didn't work: if he did, he couldn't dress in the pretty clothes that he'd spent so much time carefully picking out. What a shame that would be. Charlie stood at six feet tall, without his heels, and had a thin, lithe frame. He was muscled and strong, but didn't look it in the least. Soft locks of blond hair fell into his eyes at times, and he was told that his eyes reminded people of the chocolate river in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When they found out his name, they thought it was darling. And being the attention whore that he was, Charlie soaked it all in with a smile and a primp and perhaps a small curtsey.

Pouring himself a glass of red wine, the blond reached over the counter and switched on his lap top. He was hoping for an email from the man he'd been talking to for years. He felt bad, because he'd at first told him that he was a she, and after he began to care about the other, and wanted to come clean, Charlie felt too far into it. But he lived in Canada! At least that was comforting. Humming, he turned on the stereo system that played throughout the house, and danced his way over to the other side of the counter, sitting while the laptop finished booting up.

 

[November Bleeds]

Having been on the road for roughly over eight hours, Kai Starling was having a little bit of an issue trying to find a place until he finally broke and used his GPS. It was an old model and became fidgety. Some days it would lead him into the wrong area, so he had no doubt he was going to spend a good couple hours trying to find a certain someone's address. Kai had been at the mid-age of twenty-five. He wasn't rich but he did have enough money to survive and get through month after month. Striving to be a musician, Kai always kept his guitar by his side, in it's case and would constantly sing and play at home by himself. He worked at a rather boring call-centre job where he took phone calls full time but that got boring really quickly. He struggled day after day to keep with the job best he could, until he saved up enough money to finally take a visit to see his online girlfriend, Charlie. Of course he made sure not to take vacation days as well which as a result, ended with him taking a good month off of work, still being able to pay the bills and have enough money to travel and eat for the entire month itself. Finally.

It had been such a long time since Kai had a vacation, but this wasn't about taking a vacation, this was about seeing Charlie. Two years ago he had met her online and they connected like no other. He couldn't believe how attached he had gotten to her, how much that he had fallen for someone online. He had never seen her face but of course she had seen his. The two of them tried to meet up multiple times but their schedules never seemed to see eye-to-eye, especially with Kai's work schedule. Kai could barely contain how excited he had been to finally meet Charlie for the first time.

The last thing he had done before going on his road trip was emailing Charlie and leaving a message that said 'I have a surprise for you...', and that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. He was not going to go into detail and tell her about everything. All he wanted to do was meet up with her in secret and surprise her at the door. Hopefully she would be who she said she was, though Kai didn't quite have a doubt in his mind.

Alas, his GPS had taken him in front of... whoa. His brain stopped functioning as he saw the condo? Was it? Kai could barely take his eyes off of the place. Holy cow. He felt so lost and confused right here and now. He parked just down the street from the place and got out of the car.

Kai had natural black hair, but it was dyed a deep red colour though his roots were beginning to show. His hair was naturally straight but he did have a lot of hair, so it road messy as it continued to be layered. As always, he kept a headband in his hair, not against his forehead to keep his his hair in a decent looking style. Having the face of a pretty nice guy, he brought a small smirk to his face. Kai had no tattoo's but he did have piercings all along his ears, some that even dangled from it. He wore a long sleeved maroon shirt with a black vest, two belts that crossed one another, black jeans and a regular pair of black sneakers. Though he also had wrist bands galore, but that was just him. Grabbing his guitar from the old black car, he strapped it onto his back and brought only one bag with him to the doorstep. He looked down at the paper with the address on it, at the street name and then back to the door.

Moment of truth...

That was when Kai raised his fingerless gloved free hand and knocked on the door...

 

[Lia]

'I have a surprise for you...'

Oooh! He loved surprises! Charlie sat down to respond to the email, telling Kai all about his shopping trip and the gorgeous blouse he'd found on sale: deep, sapphire blue that only made his eyes look more chocolatey, with silver embroidery up the right side and sleeve. He would definitely have to find somewhere to wear it! The blond chatted about his day and then took to the bedroom to change into a pair of jeans that hugged him in all the right places and a simple white undershirt. At least boy clothes were good for something.

Another glass of wine was poured, and before he could check the rest of his emails, the doorbell rang. He cocked his head to the side a bit, curious. His friends always just let themselves in. Anywhere he lived, he always had an open door policy. "Oh maybe it's those boots I ordered!" His shopping was not relegated to the stores of Madison Avenue. Humming and swaying his hips in time to the music as he went, Charlie threw the door open with a happy smile. Until he saw who was at the door. And then the smile fell, along with his glass of wine. This was so not good.

"Um. Hi." It was the best he could come up with so quickly. He knew that this was Kai. He now knew what the surprise was. And he knew that the man standing opposite him had no clue who, exactly, he was looking at. Looking down, Charlie realized that wine had splashed on the legs of the jeans that the other man wore. At least they were black? "Sorry. About your pants! Um. Yeah."

 

[November Bleeds]

Standing at the door he heard footsteps coming quickly to the door. With anticipation heavy in his heart he waited, until the door was opened. Kai looked up and saw a man who was slightly taller than he was, wearing pretty basic clothing. The worst of thoughts hit him all at once. He thought that maybe he had the wrong house and he had been writing letters to someone elses place. What if Charlie already had a boyfriend and this was him answering the door? Was it her brother maybe? Or maybe she had truly been cheating on both people at the same time? Thoughts upon thoughts continued to pour out as he tried so hard to figure out what was going on, until the expression dropped on the other persons face and wine spilt all over his new pair of pants.

"Gah, don't worry about it." He looked down and rubbed some of it with the back of his wrist band quickly, but he had to focus here. Kai was here for Charlie, not to have wine spilt on him. So looking back up with his bright green eyes staring attentively he finally openly asked. "Sorry I might have the wrong place, I'm looking for someone named Charlie, you don't...happen to know her do you? Maybe I really do have the wrong house," The ending bit had trailed off as he looked down the row of other really nice condos. He wasn't even used to the whole idea of this rich area, considering he looked extremely out of place already here. Either way, this was really awkward for Kai, standing here with a man who just poured wine of all things over his pants.

A part of him had been hoping that the girl he was waiting for would come running to the door to see who it was. Maybe the whole time it wasn't a good idea for Kai to come down here without letting Charlie know. All he wanted to do was surprise her...that was it. A friendly gesture for someone he genuinely cared for.

 

[Lia]

"Um..." He was at a loss for words here, brain refusing to work as it tried to process what was going on. "Oh! I mean you can come in? And... Well. Maybe you should sit. And wine! You'll definitely want wine. Or scotch? Scotch. It's stronger." Charlie was well aware that he was talking to himself now, but the blond stepped away from the door to let Kai into the townhouse. He grabbed a sponge from the kitchen and moved to clean up his mess quickly and then moved to get the alcohol. Even if Kai didn't want it, Charlie wanted him to have it. Maybe he wouldn't put his head through the guitar then... Charlie winced at the mental image that came with that as he pulled out a couple of glasses and poured.

He downed his drink in one gulp and poured another for himself. Nothing like liquid courage! "Sit anywhere." Charlie waved around the open area: there were bar stools that lined the kitchen island, a formal dining table and a living room of sorts, with a plush sofa and arm chair. He sipped at this drink, putting the scotch back in its place. The blond quickly snapped the laptop, which was still open to Kai's email, shut. Had he seen it? A groan passed his lips, and he was tempted to just bang his head against the kitchen counter. This was not how he pictured this meeting. "Um... So how are you?" Maybe if he dragged it all out a little bit more...

 

[November Bleeds]

Before he knew it, Kai had been dragged inside and the door shut behind him. He stood at the door, extremely unsure of where he was and who this person was. A part of him started to believe that this man was Charlie's room-mate but he wasn't so certain of that. Growing extremely sceptical now, he took a step forward and looked around the beautiful place. He could barely even believe his eyes at how wonderful this place looked. That was when the guy started talking again, just as Kai took a seat on the sofa and gently took his guitar off of his back and set his bag and guitar down next to him carefully against the floorboards, which Kai couldn't stop looking at because they were just so nice and clean. Geez...

"I'm fine thanks... no drink needed" But even though he said that he was going to get one and it seemed like the man had already cleaned up the mess he made and moved on over to the kitchen which Kai admired too from afar. He just sat there in the meantime, feeling extremely awkward about all this. Where was he? He felt like he had been taken in by some stranger. Within seconds, Kai watched the man shut his laptop screen before even getting a glimpse of it. The town house was too nice for him to look at anything else. What was he? Searching for porn on the laptop? With that thought in mind, Kai was starting to think this guy was a pervert and he needed to get out of here.

"I'm great I guess, a little tired from driving all day but great. Sorry, I really do think I have the wrong place." Kai stood up slowly from the couch and adjusted his clothes glancing to the door. "You have a really nice place but if you don't know who I'm looking for I should probably go..."

 

[Lia]

Charlie knew that it was probably best to let Kai walk out and go back to Canada. It would be easier to explain everything through email than it would face to face. But... But Kai deserved better than that. He cared for the other man, even if his actions would probably say otherwise. The blond whined softly and finished off his own drink in one more swallow. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before speaking again, this time in a more controlled manner. It would be best to not scare the poor man half to death with his exuberance on top of...everything.

"You must have left right after that gig." He remembered something from one of the last emails about getting a gig in one of the local bars. It should have been last night, he was pretty sure. Charlie looked up and watched Kai's face, but found that he was too much of a coward to. "Just... Fuck. Just sit down, Kai. And you really might want that drink..." He gave another soft whine but crossed the room to hand the scotch to the other male. He wasn't sure where to go from here, really. Charlie was half hoping that he'd be given the opportunity to explain everything, but even that was on the fence. If the roles were reversed, he'd probably have walked out by now.

Flopping down into the chair opposite the sofa, Charlie waited for the inevitable explosion.

 

[November Bleeds]

Kai stood there for a moment, looking over at the man who began to speak. At first, he had no idea really what path he was about to take until he heard the mention about his gig. Frozen in his spot, he turned to look over at the man standing there, who approached him seconds later with a drink. Kai was still frozen in the spot but held the drink with his fingerless gloves. It was as if everything grew silent around him, the entire world had been blocked out as he thought about this for a second. Now, there was one way that he could have easily pieced it all together if he didn't think of it as a last priority of thinking.

Sure, this blonde guy could have known that sort of information from Charlie. But then it sort of hit him when Kai turned to look back at the blonde as the world around him began to grow clear and all sound including the traffic in the background grew obvious. Wait a second. Blonde hair, beautiful brown eyes, it was smacking Kai in the face as if he had just been hit by a book. Was this, Charlie? The girl that he thought he had fallen in love with for two years? This...was this her? He was half expecting this to all be a joke and for a girl to come walking inside to surprise him in return but no. It looked like this place had been occupied by only one person, or so he assumed.

"What?" Kai gently placed the glass down on the table in front of him, giving Charlie the stare as if he had no idea what was going on but in truth had figured it all out. As he sat back down on the sofa and just sort of stared off into the distance after his eyes left his. "You're...Charlie...?" Feeling a huge weep of luggage on his shoulders that was heavier than his own, he felt guilty because of the reaction he had been giving him. He didn't want to seem like a complete asshole, sitting here in the house of the person he had fallen for, figuring out for the first time the true reason why they never had time to meet up. Had he been lying to him all these years? Was Charlie just some made up person he had fallen for? He could feel his insides churning, head beginning to throb as the reality grew more obvious by the second. With a hand in his hair he tried to avoid looking at Charlie who sat across from him as he tried to figure out how he felt about this whole ordeal. On one hand, Charlie was a female but it wasn't that parts mattered, he just felt that the whole idea was so different. Why didn't he just tell him in the first place? Was..Kai truly being Catfished?

 

[Lia]

He could only nod a very sad, pathetic nod. But Charlie was nothing if not opportunistic and so he launched into his explanation, hoping beyond hope that the man across from him wouldn't write him off and hate him forever. "I never, ever meant for you to get hurt! That's really cliche. Okay. So when I was sixteen I started to cross dress. And that was great for a while. And then when I was around twenty one I started questioning if I was transgendered. I couldn't... I mean, I had to find out, right? So I figured online would be the safest place. And I met some great people and chatted and nothing ever really came of any of it. And then...you.

"And we just kept talking and I always looked forward to your mails and IM's and everything. And, I don't know, maybe a year into it I realized that I just really, really like dresses and skirts and heels and it had nothing to do with my gender. I couldn't tell you! I'd fallen for you by then, and I cared about you and didn't want to lose you! And I guess somewhere in my twisted head I didn't see the harm... I mean, I never figured you'd find out... Not like this, I mean. And everything else I ever told you was true!" Brown eyes looked up, trying to gauge just how this was going to go. It could go decently well, if Kai accepted his apology and agreed to continue to speak to him. Or it could go really, really wrong. Charlie shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the waiting but figuring he deserved it all.

And then he spoke once more. "Oh. And I didn't tell you about, um, well the money? I mean. I don't usually run online and tell everyone I talk to 'hey! My family's loaded!'. It just didn't seem...important. But that was the only other thing I wasn't completely truthful about." He went over the past two years of conversations in his head, confirming that there were no other surprises for the raven-haired (usually) man. "I'm sorry," he offered softly, knowing that it was completely inadequate. "For lying in the first place, for not telling you the truth sooner, for hurting you... For everything."

 

[November Bleeds]

The moment seemed to flicker on and off as Kai looked up into the eyes of Charlie who had been explaining everything to him. Here was the one person in the entire world he had practically poured his heart out to and there were little bits and pieces of lies roaming around that he didn't know about. Kai wasn't exactly disappointed or upset or anything, he just had no idea how to deal with this. His head was confused and so was his body. He had been trying to figure out what to say, what to feel and overall, what in the world was going on inside of his head. Kai felt so vulnerable because Charlie had known so much about him. His past, his present, his future and what he hoped and planned to do. He remembered messaging him almost each and every night with simple hugs and kisses in symbols or written out. He did not want to come across as homophobic, because he wasn't, Kai had always agreed with human rights and believed that the world just needed to be open and not care for gender in the first place.

With his head gaining one hell of a headache, Kai ran a hand through the back of his hair and ruffled the red locks a little bit, giving Charlie a really confused yet sad expression. "I just don't get why you didn't tell me to begin with..." Getting up, Kai grabbed his guitar case and his bag and went to the door, as if he was about to storm out. His head was so jumbled he could barely even think, so walking out was a great idea. But then he froze as soon as he gathered to the door. Charlie meant everything to him and to walk away right now after coming all this way and taking a full month off work was pointless. He came here to spend time with him and to for the very first time...meet in person. No matter how Kai looked at it, he truly cared for Charlie..

Turning around his back rest up against the back of the door, his green eyes searching the floorboards as the bag fell from his hands and the guitar case was set down next to him again. Maybe he had to give this a chance...perhaps for the first time in a long time Kai was willing to just try something, get to know Charlie and see if they really did still connect. He had to give it a try right? Everyone deserved a second chance.

"I know it took a lot of guts for you to admit this all to me...Charlie." Deep down, Kai did appreciate the fact that he came clean right here and now and didn't try to dance around it. "But just, maybe... don't lie to me ever again?" His green orbs trailed from the ground and up to Charlie's face. "And...stop covering yourself in alcohol. I'd rather get to know you personally when you're sober, not drunk... if you're willing to let me stay." He paused and then it clicked and Kai looked away with a hint of soft red on his cheeks. "You don't happen to have some other boyfriend or girlfriend hidden around here, do you?"

 

[Lia]

His head dropped forward, hair obscuring his face, as Kai got up and headed for the door. Charlie knew that this would be the very likely outcome, but he was still disappointed and sad. He had hoped they could move on, or something. Be friends, even if he really still wanted to be more. He had hoped that Kai might understand, just a little, of how much Charlie really did care for him. But he understood. After all, if he switched their positions in his head, he'd probably be hurt and acting the same way, too. That still didn't lessen his sadness, though. How could it? The person he thought of as his best friend was walking out his door.

And then, he wasn't. Looking up, Charlie's eyes shone brightly with the possibility that Kai might decide to stay. Listening to the words, the blond had to push away the tendrils of hope that began to grow around his heart, his brain telling him that he was moving too fast. But he couldn't help the smile that came to his face with the request to stay. Charlie gave an excited squeak, leaping up and nearly flying across the room, flinging himself at the other male. He wrapped Kai in a tight hug, pulling away quickly after realizing that this might be exceptionally awkward for the other. But the excitement just wouldn't leave him, and so Charlie bounced on the balls of his feet a little to alleviate it.

Wrinkling his nose, the blond muttered something along the lines of "ew, girls" when a girlfriend was mentioned, but shook his head to fully answer the question. "I won't lie," he promised. "Except to surprise you! In a good way. Like a party. Or a gift." Sparkling brown eyes looked into bright green ones, happy with the decision to stay. "And I'm not drunk. Some wine and a couple of fingers of scotch is nothing." He poked his tongue out, laughing, as he bent down to take the bag that had been dropped to the floor.

"You can stay here, if you want. There's an extra bedroom down the hall from the master. Um, there's no closet space...anywhere..." Pink tinged his cheeks as he confessed just how bad his shopping was. "There's a dresser in there though. And some room in the one in my room if you need it. Or... Well if you booked a hotel. I didn't think about that before."

 

[November Bleeds]

Standing still, Kai found himself flinch at the sudden jump that Charlie had made at him, as the other male wrapped his arms so lovingly around him. It was sort of too soon for Kai, but he didn't exactly find his way to hugging him back, which he found unfortunate. He wanted to but he couldn't find the courage just yet. All of this had been so sudden. But Kai truly was a good guy and he couldn't hate anyone for being who they truly were. It must have been really hard for Charlie to come out to him the way that he did. He was going to have to get used to calling Charlie a male after so long assuming he was a she. You never really knew over the internet, people could take different faces.

Kai gave a nervous smile as his bag was picked up, only to grab his guitar case and sling it over his shoulder carefully. He felt like Charlie may have been almost overly excited which was still fine by him. This was going to be quite the adventure, that was for sure. The simple rambles of Charlie made Kai feel better making it less necessary for Kai to talk at all. So he kept quiet while he was explained on where to go and what to do with his stuff and that Charlie had in fact, taken up all of the closet space in the entire house, which made Kai a bit nervous. He was fine with keeping his stuff in his bag and his car if he really needed to. Though he began to grow curious of Charlie's fashion sense wondering how he dressed as far as women's clothing went in his spare time.

"Oh uh...alright, so room it is then." Running his free hand through his hair and brushing it with his fingertips, he soon walked toward the room, passing Charlie with a slight nod. He was really nervous right now because he wasn't sure if there truly was much more to believe with Charlie. He had to watch his back, just in case something was going to happen to him. But if he knew Charlie...the man wouldn't even harm a fly. As he brought his guitar into the bedroom, he looked around. It was fairly nicely sized and comfortable. Sitting down on the plush bed he felt more comfortable here than he did at home. His place was ten times the size of his small apartment, so this was fantastic to say the least. Maybe he did feel more at home than he thought he would...

"You seriously have some nice stuff..." The décor that hung, the thick paint on the wall, the jewels and shine of each passing emblem in the town house, it was almost too much for Kai to handle. He felt like he was in the home of a rich person. No, he WAS in the home of a rich person...

 

[Lia]

Another excited squeak with the decision to stay came out, and Charlie couldn't help the smile that was plastered to his face. He followed the other male into the spare room, setting the bag down next to the large dresser. It was long and low, with three drawers across in four rows. It would hold a decent amount of clothes, but Charlie preferred to hang his. "There's this one, and one in my room if you need it. I can have it moved in here for you." The blond leaned against the door frame, watching Kai a bit. The man really was more gorgeous than his pictures...

"Um, so I'm always super bubbly like this. I, um, don't mean for it to scare anyone..." He laughed a bit, nervous that he really would scare Kai off after only a few days. Or hours. "Right! So. The bathroom is across the hall. Towels are in the closet behind the door in there, and a washer and dryer in the door beyond the bathroom." He had never actually used the washer and dryer, preferring to dry clean everything simply because it was easier, but it was there. The blond looked at his watch, noting that it was nearing six now, and as the adrenaline of the afternoon wore off, he found he was getting hungry.

"I don't really cook... But we can order in or go out. Whatever you're in the mood for, it probably delivers or is in walking distance." He looked around at the room. He hadn't really spent much time in here, and had considered converting the whole thing into a walk-in closet of sorts. Now, though, he was glad that he hadn't. "Thanks. My grandmother had it decorated before I moved in. The only thing I picked out was my bed." He really didn't have any interest in what the place looked like when he moved in, and now he was used to it all. It was home. "I, um, know it's a lot to take in. I really--"

"Oi! Charlie!" The front door had opened and closed, footsteps echoing through the front living area. The blond groaned and bent his head forward.

He looked up and smiled at Kai. "Don't get the wrong ideas, and make yourself at home." He rushed out of the room to greet his friend, and then kick him out. Poor Kai had had enough to handle in the one hour he'd been here already. There was absolutely no need to throw his friends in on top of it. For the first time since moving into the townhouse, Charlie locked and dead bolted the front door before returning to the guest room.

 

[November Bleeds]

Feeling still really awkward, Kai sat there on the bed and just examined the room as Charlie came to follow him and explained himself. Noting that Charlie had always been extremely bubbly and Kai had the heart to understand that some people were in fact that ecstatic about everything in life. It was probably really hard to put Charlie down of all people, but Kai wasn't a rude guy nor would he mean to ever say the wrong thing at the wrong time, so he just sort of sat by and listened as a smile crept to his face.

"Saying how you are only means you know yourself, so it's fine." Finding this still extremely weird for him, he just sat by and was explained more about how the blonde did not cook nor did he have any closet space for the red-head to use, which was fine. But that was until he heard a voice at the door just as he was about to hear something escape Charlie's lips. That was when he was left in the room for a little while. Kai stood up and walked around the room. Everything seemed so creepishly perfect that there were no words to escape his own lips. He was impressed to be honest. A man who actually kept his stuff clean. There were still so many things that Kai was trying to put through his head that he stood there in the middle of the room, turning and looking around until he felt dizzy and sat on the bed again.

Did he really want to stay here? That was one of the biggest questions. Even though he felt lied to, something was still keeping him here, in this house. Why? Why could he just not get up and leave, walk out, never return and never talk to him again? There was a strong sensation keeping him here, what he believed to be a third-party power that made him just sit down and wish to stay here. Even though Charlie was a man and not the woman he though that he was...for some reason in his heart it stayed fine. His head kept thinking over and over that maybe this was a bad thing but in reality, did gender truly matter? Was this really some big deal? If anything they would definitely stay friends, or so Kai hoped. But..before coming here he had much larger plans with this girl he had dreamed of...writing her a song and everything. Oh this was too awkward for him as his hand ran through his hair and scuffled it all up making it much more messy than it needed to be. He had no idea what to do...not a clue. Maybe this was a good time to just...go with the flow and see what happens. Yeah... that sounded the best...

 

[Lia]

Charlie stood at the bedroom door, just observing. He could tell that Kai was processing everything that had happened in the past hour, and he didn't want to disrupt that. It was a lot to take in. He would have had trouble with it, too. In one way, Charlie was glad that he hadn't told Kai the truth before. It had given them extra time to talk, for Kai to get to know him, even if the other male was doubting anything he'd been told at that point. That hadn't been Charlie's intention, but it was a consequence he'd have to find a way to deal with.

"I still say you have a great smile." Charlie gave him a smile of his own, not moving further into the room yet. He wanted to give Kai his space. "Sorry. If that makes you uncomfortable, I mean. I really don't have a filter between my brain and my mouth." He'd been saying such comments to Kai via email ever since he had first sent him a picture. It didn't occur to Charlie that the new revelations of the night might make it uncomfortable for the other to hear them right now. He'd have to start trying to think about what he was going to say, before he said it. At least until Kai got more comfortable.

"So, dinner? Do you want to go out? Stay in? Are you even hungry?" For all he knew, Kai had stopped for dinner before getting to the house. Charlie shook his head with a little smile. "We can stay in," he offered. "I, um, dress up, I guess, when I go out. After everything else, I don't want to...make you more uncomfortable, and all." A faint blush tinged Charlie's cheeks. When he'd made the offer to go out, it hadn't occurred to him that his usual manner of dress would be rather awkward for the other man. "What are you in the mood for?" he asked, pushing ahead to get out of the moment that was becoming uncomfortable for him to think about. "Indian? Chinese? Italian? Pizza? Subs? Sushi? Literally anything you can think of delivers."

 

[November Bleeds]

Hearing Charlie's voice enter the room, Kai looked up from the floor to Charlie's eyes as he gathered a compliment from the blonde man, telling him he had a great smile. Now that only made Kai smile just from hearing that, it was a compliment above all other compliments. No one had ever complimented his smile except for Charlie. It wasn't a pick-up line or anything but he really did appreciate someone looking over the whole 'oh you're good looking' sort of expression, but the fact he mentioned his smile was actually really thoughtful. There wasn't much that Kai could say except for a quiet "Thank you," as he found his eyes scurrying away from Charlie. Not that it was an uncomfortable comment it made him feel a bit more comfortable if anything.

"You didn't say anything to make me uncomfortable, don't worry about it." He simply spoke as he sat there on the bed and leaned back on his hands as he stared at the man who began to ask about dinner. Suddenly he felt his own stomach begin to cave on him and he could feel the starvation hitting him like a brick to the face. He really needed some food, actually he had not eaten the whole ride to get here. "Uh," Before he could answer or even consider staying in or going outside he was told that Charlie dressed up when he went out and Kai actually didn't understand what he meant. He began to grow worried and wondered if he should actually be worried. His mind felt like it was spinning with questions but not a question escaped his lips. Charlie really was one of a kind though... he'd give him that.

"Oh well, uh... I mean I haven't had anything to eat really today so... I mean I guess if you want to order Chinese that would be pretty cool..." Sitting up properly he got up off of the bed with a push of his hands and adjusted his clothes that had gotten a bit wrinkled. "I think taking one step at a time right now would be ideal. So I wouldn't mind staying in. Maybe a movie too?" Regardless of their genders being the same, Kai could feel that their connection was still strong and some sort of emotions were playing with him a little bit here. His brain may have been unsure but his heart was most positive.

 

[Lia]

Charlie grinned with the suggestion, happy for it. "You can ask questions, you know," he added, noticing a confused look crossing over Kai's face every now and again. "Just, you know, tell me to shut up for a minute. Otherwise you probably won't ever get a word in edgewise." He had always liked to talk, and it had showed in his emails to Kai. They were always several pages long and rambling. Charlie simply enjoyed the details of life, and wanted to share every possible detail with the person he was speaking to. "Any preference for food?" the blond asked over his shoulder, making his way out to the kitchen for the drawer he kept all of the take-out menus in.

He leaned against the counter with the menu spread out in front of him, studying it. He liked pretty much everything and always had a difficult time picking just one item to order. Generally, Charlie wound up with three or four menu items because he simply was unable to make a definitive decision. Tonight was no different; he couldn't choose between beef and string beans, sesame chicken, garlic prawns and moo shi pork. Why did it all have to sound so good? The blond fidgeted a bit, chewing on his bottom lip while trying to narrow it down a little more than normal. He always told himself he would 'next time' because of how much food he always wound up with, and then was never able to go through with it. Tonight, he was determined.

In the end, he knew he wouldn't make a final decision until he was actually on the phone with the place, and then the girl who always answered and knew him by name would talk him into all four, plus dessert. Charlie wasn't sure why he fought it, really. Giving up, the blond handed the menu over to Kai. "Anything you want, all of their stuff is great. Literally everything, I've tried it all at one point. What kind of movie? I have...well, more than any normal person should have, I guess." Moving across the living room, Charlie opened up a large wooden cabinet that held five shelves, all packed tightly with DVD cases. Food wasn't the only thing he could never make a decision on. "I only have wine... And water. I'm, uh, not home a lot. But they'll bring two liters of whatever and we can go to the food store tomorrow... I think there's one near here..."

 

[November Bleeds]

Feeling a rather strong heated emotion that rose against his cheeks after Charlie's comment, Kai began to sink down into the couch a little bit. Asking questions was something that Kai normally did but he felt a little too vulnerable and thrown off by the confident approach that he had. It was amazing. Kai wished in his past that he could have grown up to be as talkative and as brave as Charlie seemed to be but there was a place in his heart where he grew unsure if he could ever be as open minded and heartfelt as he were. It was good to ask questions, yes. But Kai was unsure if he could gather up the courage to ask him anything and if he did...he was almost certain that random babbles or a terribly blantant question would come forth and he wished not of that. No. No. He would rather stay quiet and keep his thoughts to himself and attempt to control his emotions and body from leaping out with any form of a question.

Taking a rather deep breath he looked up at Charlie as he was handed a menu and took a look through it, his eyes almost dying at the prices that he saw on the sides. Sure, Charlie was rich, he could tell from the house let alone being told that but damn. All of this was so expensive that it would put Kai in debt if he ate there for only a week, but minimum wage was minimum wage... What a lucky duck Charlie was. As he stared at the menu he came across two specifics that he would like and even though money wasn't a problem, he never liked living off of someone's money in any form. "Oh uh well...I mean five and six look good..." He turned the menu around to Charlie as he pointed to them, showing that he was most interested in a steamed rice with sesame chicken and an order of chicken balls on the side. Things were beginning to grow weary as he looked over at the large DVD cabinet and stared....and stared....and stared some more.

"Holy shit," His jaw dropped at the amount of DVD's that he had and with that, Kai finally rose up from the comfortable couch and wandered over to the wooden cabinet as his fingers began to trail down the rims of each DVD as he skimmed and scanned all the titles. Everything was so neat and packed in order from A to Z. Perfection at it's finest. It was easy to tell that Charlie took damn good care of himself. "How do you even choose what to watch..." Coming across a particularly interesting one he stopped and pulled it out only to hold the DVD over to Charlie with a smirk on his face, a movie that he had not seen in a very long time... 'A Knights Tale'. Standing next to Charlie, he had not stood next to him since he walked in the door and he felt a little nervous but at the same time he was growing used to this whole interesting appeal that Charlie had. "I guess if you're alright with this movie... we could... choose this one? Oh and uh...drinks! Ah don't worry I guess I'll just have some water and maybe wine later."

 

[Lia]

"Honestly?" he asked with a shrug. "Most of the time I just close my eyes and watch whatever I happen to grab. Makes for a fun game when you're bored out of your skull on a Tuesday night when the clubs are dead and there's nothing worth watching on TV." Charlie grinned and took the movie, setting it aside and choosing one, at random, to go with it. The blond didn't even look at the case that he pulled out, but when he set it down he found that it was his copy of Sweeney Todd. Both set on top of the DVD player for the time being, Charlie grabbed his cell phone and hit the Chinese place's contact button.

"Hello Mai. Yes, good. No, not the usual. Uh huh. Oh, I have a, uh, friend in from out of town? Yeah. Oh that would be great! Yes, send that. And the prawns. Two sesame chicken dishes, the beef with string beans...oh, well yeah that's okay too then. Right. Oh yes, that too. And a number six, too. Right. Yeah, one hundred's fine. Just charge my card one thirty or something. Whatever I usually do. Yeah. Thanks Mai!"

With the order taken care of, Charlie put the menu back in the drawer and his phone on the counter, then turned back to Kai. "Do you want water? Wine?" He moved to pour himself a glass of Zinfandel. "I have a Merlot, and a Sangiovese. Oh and the Zinfandel, and a Moscato or Pinoi grigio, too." None of his bottles were too expensive, but Charlie definitely didn't drink cheap wine, either. "Oh I think I have some tea bags for hot tea?" Charlie turned and began rummaging through the numerous cabinets that lined underneath the kitchen island and next to the fridge. "Aha!" Turning, the blond held out the box of tea bags triumphantly, grinning. "I knew my grandmother brought them the last time she visited! Sit. Relax. Just tell me what you want?" He loved playing host, which was partially to blame for the number of parties he threw.

 

[November Bleeds]

Kai stood there awkwardly for a moment as his DVD was taken from his fingertips and then he wandered back over to the couch as Charlie began to speak on the phone. Well at least Charlie seemed to have an interesting life which made it weird for the red-head. Kai wasn't exactly a thrilling person, he didn't see many good traits in himself since he was a very put-together, quiet sort of guy. Charlie seemed like a real party-happy-go-lucky kinda guy and it was different. Different wasn't a bad thing though, it was good, it meant that they had more in common than he thought. With a timid look on his face he looked away and just thought to himself for a little while about how to be more talkative to Charlie. He seemed to be a guy who could talk forever about his life, himself, the things he did and where he went, even the mention of him barely being home was crazy. Even though Kai knew Charlie, maybe he didn't know him enough...

As Charlie got behind the counter, Kai's eyes trailed over to him again. "Oh um..." As he found out there were other options such as wine and tea the choices in his head ended up changing. He didn't want to be a down in the dumps sort of party guy, but he could tell Charlie was just very welcoming and he didn't want to put him down or tell him to just stop. That wouldn't be nice. He was just intimidating was all and Kai began to wonder now about his romantic life and his childhood and maybe his intimate life as well. How did that work? It was a question for another time...

"I guess I'll have tea then, with a bit of milk and sugar. I don't take cream well." He responded as he sat with his hands in his lap, awaiting for his tea to be made. "Can I ask you something?" Kai questioned even though he already knew Charlie wouldn't mind. "Did you grow up in a place like this? How long have you been living on your own?"

 

[Lia]

Happy, Charlie began to prepare a tea kettle, setting it on the stove to boil (he was surprised he knew how to work the stupid thing!). Sipping his wine slowly, the blond gathered the sugar from the cabinet, with a spoon and mug set next to it on the counter. He was...happy. This scene of semi-domesticity was something he'd pictured while talking to Kai for quite some time now, and the fact that it was actually happening was...nice. More than nice, really. He could get used to this: not going out partying every night and having quiet dinners at home with someone he loved... Yes, Charlie could definitely see himself getting used to such things.

The kettle whistled. Taking the pot, he poured the water into the mug and added a tea bag. "Hmm?" he asked, looking up with a bright smile to receive Kai's questions. "Oh, um. No... I mean, I grew up in, um, a huge...house? Upstate. There's a picture of it there." He pointed toward one of the shelves that held several picture frames, one of them containing a picture of a large mansion. "I've been here for...um...three years I guess?" He calculated the timing in his head while adding milk and sugar to the now brewed tea, walking over to hand it to Kai before sitting on the sofa opposite him, his legs pulled up "Indian style" underneath him.

"Great-Grandfather was a huge real estate tycoon. Grandfather was the same, and Father is some big-shot corporate lawyer..." He shrugged. It was all pretty normal to him, but he could see that Kai was slightly uncomfortable with it all. Charlie knew that Kai lived, pretty much, paycheck-to-paycheck. The blond tried to downplay the fact that he was beyond "comfortable".

"I'm surprised that you got time off work," he commented, changing the subject a bit. "You were talking about trying to get off a bit ago and they were being hardasses about it..."

 

[November Bleeds]

The red head sat there and listened to Charlie begin to speak about his life and his past and how his family worked and what they did. It wasn't before he received his drink that he placed gently on the coffee table in front of him. Taking a gander over the picture that he had pointed at earlier, Kai's eyebrows raised with interest as he saw the large mansion and was almost shocked by the sort of house he grew up in. Wow. That was actually quite amazing. He had to admit, Charlie really did have a really easy life and Kai was quite the opposite. He spent weeks eating so little just to be here with Charlie today, to see...her... but she was actually a he. Ah this was a little bit awkward when he thought about it, especially since he had fallen for Charlie over the internet and now here they were...having a discussion about their lives they talked so much about. Charlie was not awkward about anything at all and yet Kai sat there just watching him with intent and curiosity.

"Wow," Was all that Kai could say as he looked down at the tea in front of him and stared at it...and stared...and continued to stare until his stare was broken by the comment about his work. "Well honestly, I'm impressed that you have such an amazing family. I guess some of us just grow into such family. I mean... you really are lucky, Charlie." He smirked and thought about what he said for a moment before speaking again. Kai had a hard time getting time off work in general, so he saved up all of his vacation days and sick days just to come and be with Charlie for a month. He wasn't sure where their relationship was going at all and he wasn't so sure if he was even attracted to him, physically. Kai had never actually interacted with another man before in a...relationship or even sexual way. So this may have been something new to try out. He was not judging. Not one little bit. But in a way he was curious to know what it was like and on the other hand he was scared to even try it...

"Well... I worked really hard on it." He laughed awkwardly. "I got a whole month off, after saving up all the money I had, all the money I could after rent. I ate next to nothing, a lot of noodles and pasta, but that's all I could really do and afford. You know I saved up so I could have some spending money, take you places...maybe buy you some stuff and bring some souvenirs back home." With a long pause he glanced up at Charlie from his tea. "I don't mean to be awkward about any of this, Charlie... I really don't. I'm just getting used to this. Getting used to you and this and..I mean it is a lot for me to take in, just know that. I don't want to be rude.. I'm not going to leave. I was taken by surprise that's all... I mean you know... normally I'm the sort of person to lead a conversation, hold someone's hand, tell people what to do, but with you... for some reason it's quite the opposite and I don't know why... I mean I don't know how else I can explain it." A hand ruffled into his hair in a rather frustrated way and he let out a loud exhausted sigh. "Sorry..."

 

[Lia]

The details of how Kai had afforded this trip were...shocking. Charlie hadn't known what sacrifices the other man had gone through, and really couldn't imagine having to go through them himself. The blond felt like those thoughts made him a horrible and selfish human being, too. He felt honored that Kai had wanted to see him (sort of) so badly, but he also felt sad that he had nearly starved himself and worked himself to the bone just to do it. He'd never had to work like that for anything in his life, it all just came so easily to him. That knowledge made him feel guilty. "Um..." He didn't really know what to say, and so Charlie focused his chocolate eyes on his wine glass, trying to process everything that he'd just been told.

"Well, I mean. Let me, uh, treat, I guess? I mean, I know money doesn't make up for...everything. But you worked really hard to save all that. And... Well you see." He waved his hand a little to indicate the luxury that surrounded him for the entirety of his life. "I want to, if you'll let me? I know it's a lot to take in. I mean, it would be even without walking into a guy's house... I just... I want to show you a good time. New York is... Well the best, really. And you like music! There are so many dive bars that have open mic nights and really good music, and Broadway of course, and there's probably four concerts this month..." He stopped after a moment, realizing that he was rambling on and on, and not really letting Kai process...again. "Sorry... Like I said, just tell me to, you know, shut up." He gave a shy smile and sipped his wine, needing something to keep his mouth busy before he opened it to shove his foot deeper.

He knew that he could be...overwhelming to some people. It had taken Charlie a long time when he was a kid to realize that some people were just intimidated by his loud, straight-forward bubbliness. He'd just never been able to curb it. Any of it. "I, uh, tend to just...take over, I guess." He gave an awkward smile. "Especially now? I mean... It's all a lot for you and I want to make you comfortable and try to not have it all be awkward and..." He stopped again, shaking his head. "Sometimes I probably try too hard?" Charlie smiled again and took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay, we can fall into stride, right? We'll eat dinner, watch a movie and sleep and then tomorrow has to be better because there won't be a heart attack waiting for you there and I'll still be bubbly and hyper and talk too much, but maybe some of the shock will wear off for the both of us and we can work past the awkward...right?"

 

[November Bleeds]

Kai was honestly doing his best to remain calm and collected and he was really doing a good job. The awkward feeling as he spoke with Charlie more and more was lowering to a level that he could understand. One where he could concentrate and figure out what was going on between the two of them. He didn't know if this whole relationship would turn out to be what it had been like online or if it was going to be something different. Part of him could honestly just walk out that door and try and forget about it all, but the impact that Charlie had on him was almost ridiculous. Kai would probably get as far as his own car and be unable to leave from there. He was going to try so hard to get to know Charlie, do his best to understand him, get to know him, as if there was anything left to know. The person he knew here was much different than the one he met online. Or maybe he just saw it that way. No matter what, he wanted to get along with him, try to be on the same path as him, understand him and overall, just enjoy this time he had with him.

A soft smile grew on his lips, turning to look at Charlie as he leaned back on the couch and felt more relaxed from that speech. "Well I really do like music..and if you insist, I mean I've never really been spoiled before, so I'll let you do just that. Spoil me away. Let's do everything you want to do, go everywhere you want to go." Looking around the room, it truly was a sight to see. Taking a sip of the tea he was given and then placing it back down he sighed. "Well, Charlie... I really do trust you. Let's eat, sleep and wake up tomorrow with no awkwardness in the air, hows that sound?" He really wanted to get to know Charlie now, having accepted who he was little by little. It was going to take some time but he knew he'd eventually see Charlie for who he really was. He was just hoping that he didn't fall into obscene jealousy of the people who clearly loved and surrounded him as a whole.

"Also, just saying this but, I don't mind you're rambling, it's strangely comforting. I can't exactly lead a conversation all that well, so it's nice to hear that you can." On the inside, there were other things he wanted to say, but he held back and regretted it, truly.

 

[Lia]

He giggled a bit, nodding. He liked spoiling his friends, mainly because he only had a handful that didn't expect him to. And this was different, too. Kai hadn't come here expecting a month of free entertainment and food and lodging. This was something that Charlie genuinely wanted to do. He started to make a list in his head of all the things that they could do, starting with who he'd call to get some great concert tickets. "Like I said, there's probably close to one concert a week, and Broadway shows run all the time. Then there's the usual stuff: Time Square, Rockefeller Center, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Central Park, China Town, Little Italy, Soho..." Well, Soho was probably more for him because of his shopping addiction...

"If you want to try horseback riding, we can go up to my parents' house," he nodded toward the picture in the frame. "They have four I think. Oh we should do a fancy night out! We can get you a really sharp outfit and... Well I'll probably get a new one too, even though I have enough clothes to put clothes on every person in the world, probably. And we'll get all dressed up and go out to dinner - I know the perfect Italian place! - and see a show... Like they did in the forties and fifties!" Charlie was always looking for an excuse to get dressed up. "I think that there's this small theater in this neighborhood that's doing a little murder mystery thing, and of course we'll go see a big musical... Chicago is still playing, I think..." He continued to list off all of the touristy things that he never really thought of doing, excited to have a reason to do them now.

As he spoke, the doorbell rang. Charlie jumped up and went to answer it, signing the slip and handing it over to the delivery boy before taking the three full bags of food. He brought them over to the counter and began to lay everything out, turning and stopping to think of where the plates were for a minute. He usually just ate out of the containers! He found them without too much fuss, though, setting two out and beckoning Kai over to fix a plate for himself. "There are loads of sporting events, too, if you want." He continued the conversation as if it had never paused. "I think... basketball right now."