Anyway, Don't Be A Stranger

[sprinkles287]

Ooooh you are so good to us with these quick updates. Poor Charlie! This is so hard for her and it’s so sad. Don’t give up Daniel! You’ll figure her out. 

[EveP]

Oh no! I hope Charlie will dare to open up to Daniel or perhaps reveal her secret in a fever daze or something.

[Hyacinth]

First, this story is amazing and i am loving every minute of it. 

Secondly.. did he say none of his audits were that pressing in one of your last updates? As in audit audits?? Is Daniel an auditor?? So hes not only a super hot character with some amazing sneezes but he's also a boy who can read basic financial statements?? W O W this is a fantastic addition to the story and now im even more hooked. 

Are you an auditor? If so, I'm so sorry. Same. If not then this is awkward. Please keep carrying on with your amazing story and don't mind me  

[lighthousegirl]

On 5/12/2022 at 12:43 AM, nope said:

First, this story is amazing and i am loving every minute of it. 

Secondly.. did he say none of his audits were that pressing in one of your last updates? As in audit audits?? Is Daniel an auditor?? So hes not only a super hot character with some amazing sneezes but he's also a boy who can read basic financial statements?? W O W this is a fantastic addition to the story and now im even more hooked. 

Are you an auditor? If so, I'm so sorry. Same. If not then this is awkward. Please keep carrying on with your amazing story and don't mind me  

Thank you! And yes Daniel is an auditor. 😄 I come from a family of accountants and the person I've (sort of) based Daniel on is an auditor too. So there's a connection! I love that this is a detail you enjoyed! ❤️ 

[Kolen]

I NEED MORE THIS IS AMAZINGG!!!!

When you're ready, of course

[justaquirkygirl]

This is amazing and I desperately need to know what happens next. 

[mypanicismanic]

I've been gone for a little but I'm so happy to come back to so many updates to this amazing story! Poor Charlie!! My heart hurts for them both. Ugh I love this story. 

[lighthousegirl]

Sorry for the delay guys! Thank you so much again for all the lovely comments!

 

The next few days were... awkward. Charlie mostly hid in her room, fighting off the cold she'd caught from Daniel, muffling her sneezes which, although not nearly as numerous as Daniel's, were far more than she was used to dealing with. Luckily she seemed to avoid the fever, chills and aches that had affected Daniel so badly and the cold was confined to a stuffy nose and a sore head. After a few days she felt reasonably well again. Once over his cold, Daniel seemed to be out much of the time and when he was in he also confined himself mostly to his room. One afternoon she came home from a lecture to find him and Ben in the living room. Judging by the glare Daniel shot Ben as soon as she walked in, she could guess what they had been talking about.

She couldn't blame him. It probably seemed like she'd been completely messing him around. She just hadn't expected to feel this way about anyone so soon after... well, anyway. How was she supposed to tell him that actually, she was obsessed with him but the terror she felt at her secret being exposed was more than she could cope with a second time?

A few weeks went by and they became easier with each other, although the old camaraderie was lost. He was polite, friendly but not what you'd call inviting. Somehow they made it through to Christmas and Charlie headed home for a couple of weeks. In the midst of snow, parties, catch ups with friends and family madness, she began to be distracted, and in the light of the Christmas tree candles, memories good and bad began to fade. She felt at peace.

New Year's Eve came and as they toasted and cheered, as bells rang and fireworks exploded she was as excited and happy as the rest. Then, at 1am when she headed to bed, only then did she see the message, the one he must have stayed up or woken up to send her given that he was 5 hours ahead. Reading it was like a gut punch to the stomach, and she knew, however much she'd like to avoid it, that she was not over this guy.

Happy New Year. D x

***

It was just a message - one he could have sent to everyone in his phone book for all she knew. Just a way to smooth things over, start off the New Year with a fresh slate, a way to move forward. Charlie didn't need to know he had never sent a New Year message in his life. She didn't need to know that throughout all the frivolity of Christmas, all he'd wanted was to have his arms around her, snuggled by his parents' wood-burning stove. She didn't need to know that when the bells rang at midnight to herald the New Year, he'd have given anything to kiss her. Instead he'd had to politely fend off the advances of Ben's younger sister, who had never quite gotten over her crush on him.

A few days went by and Daniel occupied himself for the remainder of the holidays by cleaning the flat from top to bottom, with several huge sneezing fits along the way as he tackled the dust under the couch and the bed. On the day Charlie was due to return he distracted himself by cleaning every inch of the kitchen. His nose burned as he poured far too much bleach into the sink and the combined smells of various cleaning fluids and air freshener made his eyes water and nose tickle desperately. Even this he almost welcomed. It was a distraction from the clenching knot in his stomach as he subconsciously listened out for the front door.

Eventually she arrived, suitcase in hand, looking tired but happy to be home. She looked a little surprised to see him as she entered the kitchen but smiled shyly and said, "Hey... happy new year..." She tried to say more but broke off to cough into her elbow.
"Um... I guess you've been cleaning?" she said, looking up between coughs, her eyes looking red.
"Oh... yeah, sorry," he said sheepishly. "I guess I went a little overboard on the bleach. Are you OK?"
"Yeah, fine, just inhaled a little much at once that's all," she said, her throat feeling a little dry.
"Good holidays?" he asked.
"Yeah, really nice. You?"
"Yeah, not bad."
There was a pregnant pause as they stood there, Charlie fiddling with her bag and Daniel shuffling his feet.
"Cup of tea?" he suggested, desperately trying to think of ways to break the tension.
"Sure." He took a deep breath as he turned away towards the kettle, which was entirely the wrong thing to do. The burning scent of bleach invaded his nostrils and before he had time to even think about it, he was wrenched forward with a powerful sneeze. "HASCHOO!"  He pinched and rubbed his nose, trying to dispel the prickling feeling that lingered, and as he shook his head, he suddenly heard a delicate sound behind him.

"Tschew!"

He turned to see Charlie with a wrist to her nose, looking as surprised as him. They looked at each for a second and then Daniel laughed. Charlie looked a little embarrassed for a second, then smiled nervously.
"Bless us both!" said Daniel, still laughing.
"Sorry - I mean thanks," she stammered. "It kind of - snuck up on me a little."
"Me too," he replied. "You're a lot more ladylike about it than I am though." She blushed a little, then a look of dismay came into her eyes and she quickly turned away, her head snapping forward as she sneezed a second time, almost silently.
"Tsch!"
"Bless you," he offered again. Seeing the mortified look on her face, he tried to lighten the mood. "We should get out of here before we pass out from the fumes I think."
"Good idea," she agreed and followed him out the kitchen.
"I'm going round to Andy's tonight - the guys will be there plus Lizzy and Em, Ben's wife. You wanna come? I know the girls have been wanting to meet you. But if you'd rather sleep off the jet lag that's cool..." he tailed off uncertainly.
She smiled, properly this time. "That sounds great."

[ID2006]

I would love to see more caretaking of her and him blessing her and her getting used to it and appreciating it. 

[EveP]

Lovely update. I already long for more. 💚

[lighthousegirl]

No sneezing in this part sorry... also a bit of a sideways move plotwise. But payoff coming very soon I promise!!

After a hilariously tipsy evening getting to know the girls while the guys watched football, the tension seemed to fade somewhat and a ghost of their old comradeship began to return. It began to feel safe again to make teasing jokes and exchange funny banter.

And still, there were moments... when Ben tried to embarrass them, or their eyes accidentally met or one of them made a joke that bordered on flirtatious... each felt they could accept just being good friends but the longing remained, buried a long way beneath the surface perhaps, but it was an ache neither of them could fully acknowledge or ignore.

January turned into February and suddenly Charlie was starting her next school placement. In the busyness of it all, there was simply no time to think about anything but lesson planning, evaluations and assignment deadlines. One afternoon she was dragging herself home wearily when her phone rang.
"Hey Alana, how are you?" she answered tiredly.
"Hey sweetheart, I am as shattered as you sound! Please save me from this hell, I beg you!" Alana's usual exuberant voice was a good tonic to Charlie's frazzled nerves. She might say she was shattered but Charlie would have given lot for half her confidence. The girl was a born teacher.
"How about a drink?" she said.
"You read my mind! There's a few of us from uni heading to town for a catch up - wanna join?"
"Sure, sounds great."
"Alright, see you soon! I'll text you the address!"

A few hours later, after several gin and tonics Charlie felt pleasantly relaxed. The usual teacher conversations and stories had been shared and laughed over. It was good to know she wasn't the only one who didn't feel like they had a clue what they were doing half the time.

She was waiting at the bar when Alana joined her and put an arm round her. "So darling - how's the dishy roommate? Any more developments?"
Charlie couldn't quite remember when or what she had told Alana about Daniel but clearly she was a lot more transparent than she thought. She just shrugged and replied, "ah, I think we're better off just being friends, you know?"
"In that case," Alana whispered, "I think it's only fair to tell you Simon hasn't stopped looking at you all night."
"What?" Charlie stared at her. Simon was a friend from their course. He was nice looking, smart and very polite. Not in a million years did Charlie ever think he'd be interested in her. They'd only ever had some superficial conversation.
"Very funny - I barely know him!" she scoffed.
"Well, now's as good a time as any to remedy that!" And before Charlie could stop her, Alana had shouted across the room. "Simon! Come get Charlie a drink!"
Simon obligingly got up and came over, looking at her with an amiable smile.
"I'll leave you to it!" Alana grinned wickedly and dashed off before Charlie could stop her. 
Charlie rolled her eyes and muttered, "suddenly I feel like Eliza Schuyler."
He chuckled. "You're a fan of Hamilton then?"
"I'm not sure fan is quite a strong enough word if I'm honest. Dangerously obsessed might be better," she replied dryly.

Within half an hour they'd covered Hamilton, most other musical theatre and favourite films. He was a nice guy. She still didn't quite get what Alana was on about but then suddenly he was suggesting dinner and a movie. She felt so blindsided she just looked at him dumbly for a second.
"Sorry," he said quickly. "Was that too forward? It's ok if you'd rather not..."
She regained her voice. "No, its ok," she said at last. "I'm just... not used to being asked out so casually that's all. This was all very easy and it's just throwing me for a loop is all."
"Would you like me to break into a song and dance number to add some drama?" he said, with a deadpan expression.
"Yeah, if I'm honest, a 5 minute rap is really a minimum requirement," she replied, equally seriously. "I guess I could let it slide this once though."

A minute later they'd swapped numbers and made a plan for the upcoming Friday. Simon had to head home and Alana immediately dashed over to find out what had happened. Charlie was still trying to process it herself when she demanded, "well?? What did he say?"
"He asked me on a date," said Charlie slowly, frowning thoughtfully.
"Yay!! Ohmygosh this is so exciting. What are you going to do? You have to tell me all about it..."
Charlie nodded along, only half-listening as she took in what had just happened. She had a date. With a guy. Apparently she was now a casual dater. She wasn't quite sure how it had happened but she felt... good about it? Maybe taking everything a bit less seriously would be beneficial for her, take the pressure off it all. Yet, as she walked home, she couldn't help feeling a twinge of betrayal and guilt as she thought of the handsome, sneezy boy who was waiting there for her.

[EveP]

Oh, more conflict - what every good story needs. 

[lighthousegirl]

I enjoyed writing this bit... a lot. 🤤

 

When Daniel got home on Friday evening, Charlie was nowhere to be seen. He heard the shower running and music playing from her room. Weird. She didn't usually shower in the evening. He shrugged and wandered through to the kitchen, opened a few cupboards, wondering vaguely what to have for dinner. God, he was tired. It had been a long week and he'd been working flat out in the office trying to get a couple of big audits done. TFI Friday didn't began to cover it. As he stared into a cupboard, the bathroom door opened and Charlie came out, a towel wrapped around her, her hair dripping down her back. She stopped short when she saw him.

"Oh! Hi!" she exclaimed. "I thought you were working late again tonight?" 

Goddamn. The towel. The water. Her hair slicked back like that. Daniel tried extremely hard not stare at her with obvious lust while replying, "Uh... yeah I managed to get away earlier tonight. It's Friday and all..." he trailed off and turned away to the cupboard, very deliberately trying not to look at or think about those bare patches of skin that were on show. 

 

She headed back into her room and he let out a sigh of relief and frustration. Reaching up to the top shelf he grabbed a jar of something without looking, dislodging another jar of spaghetti sauce which promptly fell and smashed all over the counter, covering it and him in tomato sauce. "Oh, son of a...!" he yelled, leaping back just too late to avoid being splattered. Charlie emerged again, now in a tshirt and sweatpants. "Oh my god, what happened??" she cried, looking at him with consternation. 

"Ugh... my fault, damn sauce went everywhere," he said through clenched teeth, grabbing a cloth and the dustpan to try and clean up the disaster zone. 

"Do you want a hand?" she asked anxiously. "No, don't worry - go do what you were doing, I'll deal with it," he said shortly. She looked at him for a moment and then bit her lip, clearly trying not to laugh. He glared back at her and she held her hands up saying, "sorry, sorry... you just look like an extra from a gore movie right now. All you need is a chainsaw or something." She giggled helplessly and in spite of himself Daniel grinned back. At least something had happened to diminish the tension. 

 

Charlie retreated back to her room and Daniel continued to clean up. He'd finally got rid of the glass and wiped down the counter when Charlie reemerged, wearing a dress and heels and looking, for want of another word, stunning. "You look... nice," he blurted out, his mouth running ahead of his brain and his face reddening. "Thanks," she said, surprised but pleased. 

"You going out for the night?" he asked. 

"Um, yeah," she said. "Just meeting a friend for dinner." 

"Oh," Daniel said, foolishly, looking down at his feet. "Well, um, I hope you have fun." 

She looked at him, her mouth open like she was about to say something. Just then though, the doorbell rang, surprising them both. 

"I'll get that," Daniel said. "It's probably Ben, he said he might drop by."

He made his way to the hall and opened the front door, revealing not Ben but a young, friendly looking guy in a shirt holding flowers. 

"Um... can I help you?" Daniel asked confusedly. 

"Sorry, I'm just looking for Charlie?" the guy said, looking equally bewildered by Daniel's dishevelled and seemingly bloody appearance. 

Charlie came out behind Daniel looking the absolute definition of the word "busted". 

"Simon, hi!" she said in a high-pitched voice. "Um, I thought we were meeting at the restaurant?"

"Oh god sorry!" the guy said. "Crossed wires, I thought we'd said I'd pick you up." 

"It's ok," Charlie said, feeling flustered. "Um... this is Daniel, my um..." She paused, words suddenly failing her in her panic. 

"Her roommate," Daniel filled in, extending a hand. 

"Simon," the guy returned, shaking his hand. 

"Nice to meet you." 

There was an odd pause as the three of them looked at each other then Simon seemed to remember what he was holding. "Oh! These are for you," he said, passing the flowers to Charlie. 

"Thanks!" she said, looking surprised. "They're lovely. You really didn't have to you know."

"Ah well," the guy said shrugging as if to say, "I'm just a gentleman I guess." Daniel, standing in his sauce-covered shirt, had never felt more inferior.

"I'll, um, just give me 2 minutes and then I'll be ready ok?" Charlie turned, accidentally bumping into Daniel and brushing the flowers over his shirt and before he knew what he was doing he had inhaled their thick, cloying scent. Lilies. Of all things, lilies. Almost immediately his nose started acting up, a prickly feeling growing rapidly at the back of his nostrils. His eyes began to tear and he gave them an impatient rub. Trying to show Simon he was actually capable of carrying on a conversation, he said, "sorry about this," gesturing at his shirt. "There was a mishap with a jar of tomato sauce."

"Oh, that's ok," Simon replied. "Happens to the best of us." They stood awkwardly again. Daniel's nose continued to tingle and tickle, and he was desperate for them to just leave before he had the full on allergic reaction he knew was coming. Come on Charlie, he thought frantically. Get this loser out of here so I can sneeze already. 

But Charlie seemed to be taking her sweet time. The tickle grew and grew and although he rubbed frantically at his nose, he knew it wouldn't prolong the inevitable. He could practically feel the pollen making its way up there, coating every inch of the inside of his nose with that prickly, niggly irritant. Oh god, it was no use. It was coming. He had to... to...

 

Charlie emerged in time to see Daniel turn away, hand in front of his face with a tortured look of utter desperation. "Suh... sorry," he breathed. "Sc-scuse m-me... I... I - hah... hah... HAH... huh... huh..." He dropped his hand, blinked and sighed for a second. "Sorry, thought I m-might sn-sn-sneee... huhhuh!... sneeze..." 

"Oh God, is it the flowers?!" Charlie cried, coming to a sudden realisation and clapping her hands over her mouth in horror. He nodded weakly through half-closed lids and wrenched to the side as the sneezes finally exploded out of him. "Haschoo! Huhaschoo! Huhaschoo! HuhASCHoo! HUHASCHOO! HASCHOO! HAH... HAHAH... HASCHOOO!" He couldn't stop. Vaguely through his bleary eyes he could see Charlie and Simon looking at him, dumbstruck. Between sneezes he tried frantically to get a sentence out, to tell them he'd be OK and just to go and leave him to it. Instead, he felt two hands guide him over to the sofa and tissues being pushed into his hands as he continued to sneeze and sneeze. Around the thirtieth, he managed to breathe and blow his nose a little. "Uh... aschoo! Th-thanks. God, I'm so... sorry about this. Aschoo! Flowers are.. Aschoo! My kryptonite apparently. ASCHOO!" He blew his nose forcefully, mopped his eyes and looked up at them, feeling utterly humiliated. "Jeez, mate, are you OK?" Simon asked concernedly.

"Oh just peachy," he replied sarcastically. Luckily Simon seemed to miss the acid tone in his voice. "I'm so sorry, I just wanted to surprise Charlie with flowers that's all. I had no idea!" 

Daniel sighed with exhaustion and said gruffly, "s'ok. You weren't to know." Addressing Charlie he said, "guess you didn't tell him about your roommate who sneezes at absolutely everything, huh?" 

"Not that part, no," she said, looking a little guilty and sheepish. "Are you gonna be OK?" 

"Ah, I'll be fine," said Daniel, trying to seem nonchalant. "Y-you guys go ou-out ah-and... and... schoo! Have fun."

"Are you... bless you! Are you sure?" she said, frowning worriedly.

"More than sure. Go," he said, trying to smile brightly. She smiled back reluctantly and headed out. 

"Hope you feel better man," said Simon, waving as he followed her. 

"Thanks...man," Daniel muttered. 

 

As he heard the front door close, he sat forward and put his head in his hands with a quiet groan. Just excellent. Mr Perfect turns up to take his dream girl out on a date while he sits there, covered in sauce and pollen, doing his best impression of Sneezy from Snow White. And who was that guy?? As stupid and irrational as it was, as much as he knew Simon was probably perfectly pleasant, Daniel couldn't help regarding him with deep mistrust and loathing. But before he could start planning any further violent crimes against him, his nose took over once again and he resignedly grabbed some tissues as he continued to sneeze and sneeze.

[Stephy_Gee]

Oh my goodness…I am just overjoyed whenever you add a new part to this amazing story. I ❤️ Charlie and Daniel so much!

[EveP]

Poor Daniel. I hope Charlie spends the whole night thinking of him. 

[lighthousegirl]

Finally, FINALLY these two are starting to be honest with each other! 

 

A couple of hours later Charlie returned to find Daniel on the couch watching TV, tissues littered around him and determinedly not looking at her.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey."
He didn't turn round. She sighed and went to get a glass of water from the kitchen.
"How was dinner?" His voice floated through to her, and she didn't miss the caustic tone in it.
"It was... nice," she replied cautiously, trying to gauge his mood. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, just wonderful." 

She waited for him to elaborate but he added nothing further. There was a pause as she took a glass from the shelf and ran the cold tap.
"He wined and dined you suitably then?" he said suddenly, still not taking his eyes from the TV.
"Like I said, it was all very pleasant," she replied, trying hard not to lose her patience. "He was very nice and respectful."
"I bet." The sarcasm was impossible to miss now and Charlie was rapidly getting fed up. She slammed the glass down and stomped out the kitchen, leaving little doubt as to her state of mind. Daniel sighed. He was being an idiot and he knew it. But he was tired, he must have sneezed about a million times and quite frankly he was fed up of trying to be understanding.

He thought she'd gone to her room when he heard footsteps re-entering the living room. Reluctantly he looked up as she stood over him, glowering.
"Is there something you want to say?" she demanded.
"No."
She raised her eyebrows and continued looking at him.
He sighed. "Fine. It just seems interesting that you told me you weren't ready for a relationship and now you're out on dates."
Her eyes narrowed. "Well, not that it's any of your business whether I date or not, but I actually cut the date short because I was worried about you."
He looked at her, nonplussed. "You... did?"
She breathed out slowly and closed her eyes. "I won't deny I was flattered when he asked me out. I felt maybe I needed to move on - try and not take everything so seriously you know? But all I could think about the whole time was that you were sitting at home suffering and it was my fault..."
Daniel broke in at this point.
"I mean, I wasn't dying you know." He grinned, in spite of himself. "And what do you mean it was your fault? You didn't tell the guy to bring you flowers."
"But more than any of that," she continued hurriedly, as if she hadn't heard him. "More than that, I realised something else. Simon's a really nice guy... but he isn't... you."
Silence fell between them and his grin faded a little.
Trying to process this announcement, Daniel said slowly, "so let me get this straight - you told me you didn't want to start anything with me. We hardly talk for months. Now you're telling me... what? You want to be together?"
"I..." she began, then stopped and looked down at her hands. "I don't know," she admitted.
"See, that's not very helpful to me," he said exasperatedly. "I can't figure you out - you're hot then you're cold, one minute we're kissing and then you run away from me, then you're crying and you won't tell me why, you're taking care of me then avoiding me... it's not fair Charlie!"
"I know," she said quietly.
"I'm not asking to know your life story but you need to trust me enough to let me in a little bit."
"It's not that easy you know!" she bit back.
"Well sometimes life isn't easy," he retorted. "Sometimes... d-damn i-it... h-hang on..." Throwing up his hands in annoyance, he reached blindly for the tissues, grabbing some in preparation for yet more sneezes threatening to appear. "Huh, huh, hahuh... huhschoo! HuhASCHoo! HASCHOO! Haschoo!"
Through his glazed eyes he could see Charlie press her hands to her forehead and groan in frustration, which just irritated him further.
"Sorry if I'm inconveniencing you, this isn't exactly fun for me either, you know," he snapped.
"Believe me that would be easier," she countered, then stopped short, looking utterly shocked.
There was a pause as Daniel tried to process her response. "Wait... what? It would be easier... if you were being inconvenienced...? So you're..."
"Please stop," she said desperately. "Forget what I said, I didn't mean anything, I was just pissed off, I was talking crap, honestly..."
Daniel took in her appearance as she rambled on. She was flushed, her hands trembled, she looked utterly embarrassed and terrified at the same time. Her pupils were dilated. She... oh. Oh.
"Hang on," he said slowly. "Do you like it? When I'm like this, I mean?" He gestured with the tissues still in his hand to his red nose and watery eyes.
"Please, stop talking," she whispered, looking away from him, her hands over her face.
For a minute he stood staring at her as she looked resolutely away from him, her cheeks still scarlet with mortification. Slowly Daniel began to replay various moments from the last few months in his head. Suddenly a few things began to click into place.
"Well this explains a lot," he said at last.

[Arvani]

OMG!!!! Yessssssssss!!!! So so good and I am just wildly excited about this whole revelation! 
 

Ok Daniel, let’s not screw this up ok! Be sweet and understanding and indulge the crap out of her 😂😂

[Cici]

Oh! The anticipation!!

[lighthousegirl]

I found this part harder than I thought to write... warning for mentions of emotional abuse. 

But also lots of sexiness. 

 

She still wouldn't look at him. He walked over to her and put a hand gently on her shoulder, guiding her to turn around and face him.
"Hey," he said softly, brushing her hair out of her face. "It's ok. Really."
She looked at him, eyes wide and apprehensive. After a moment's hesitation, she seemed to come to a decision and reached for him.

Wordlessly he took her in his arms. He guided them both over to the couch and sat down with her snuggled into him. She looked up at him and he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. "Is this OK?" he whispered. She responded silently by inclining her head towards him. They kissed again, deeper this time. He felt her sigh and relax against him and he pulled her in for an even tighter hug.
"Tell me about it," he said softly. "Please?"
He felt her body tremble against him and put his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together to reassure her he wasn't going anywhere. It seemed to help.
"A couple of years ago," she began quietly, "I... fell in love. With this guy from college. I hadn't really had boyfriends before - I didn't have a lot of confidence at high school or anything..."
"I fell so hard for him... I couldn't believe he wanted to be with me when he could have had any girl on campus he wanted."
"We were together a few months and at first it seemed... amazing. I'd never felt so... free. So accepted. I told him things. Things I'd never told anyone before. And one night he persuaded me to tell him about what I... liked. Like, turns ons... you know?" Her face burned with humiliation but Daniel just nodded and squeezed her shoulder to reassure her.
"He laughed at first, when I told him... said it was a little weird but he could cope with it. But after a while, he started to change. Or maybe I started to see him more clearly, I dunno. Anyway, he started getting funny about me going out with friends, what I wore, things I said... He wouldn't let me see my best friend Chris unless he was there, just because he's a guy. It didn't matter that Chris has been gay since, forever. And when I did something he didn't like he would... make little comments."
She breathed in and out slowly. Daniel stroked her hair gently and asked, "what kind of comments?"
"He... would say stuff like, 'remember I know all your dirty little secrets.' 'Just remember I could spill everything I know about you whenever I want'. One day he had a cold..." Charlie lowered her eyes and her voice shook a little as she continued. "He looked at me and said, 'you enjoying this, you kinky little weirdo?'"
"He started trying to embarrass me in front of people. He never openly gave it away but if someone s-sneezed, he'd... look at me and wink really obviously or say, 'Charlie, aren't you going to bless them?' or something. He enjoyed seeing me on edge. He told me it was just a joke, and not to take it so seriously."
"Eventually my friends noticed something was...off. They said I didn't seem myself, I'd lost my confidence. But every time I tried to get away he threatened to tell everyone the things I'd told him. And then, he would be lovely. He'd be sweet, romantic. He told me he loved me..."
"But one night, it was Chris's 21st. I told him I was going and he couldn't stop me. He threatened me... he grabbed me and pushed me against a wall..."
The flat was still. Daniel could hear his heart thumping in his chest as he waited for her to continue. "I managed to get away and stayed at Chris's for a couple of weeks. He came round, called me and Chris a bunch of names, issued some threats but I knew by then I was done. I was exhausted - I'd rather he humiliated me than try to live to please him anymore. I graduated and then I decided to move overseas. That was something else he hadn't wanted me to do of course."
"And did he... tell people?" Daniel asked in a low voice.
"If he did, it never got back to me. I cut him out my life, blocked him on social media, everything. My friends have never said anything so I'm guessing he kept quiet in the end. But it's the fear of knowing someone like that has that power, you know? I was so scared to trust anyone again, even... even you." She brushed a tear away and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I messed you around. I really didn't expect to meet someone like you so soon after... well, everything."
"It's ok," he said, trying to digest everything she'd told him. "I just wanted to understand you a little better. Thank you, for telling me. I know it can't have been easy."
"It wasn't," she agreed. "But it did help. Thank you for listening."
"Anytime. Can I just say a couple of things though?"
"Um... sure?" she said nervously, looking at his serious brown eyes.
"Firstly, that guy is scum. Like, that's the only word I can use to describe him except for very non-PG ones..." Charlie laughed a little at that. "Secondly, I love knowing what makes you you and I will never make you feel bad about that, ok?" She nodded, overcome with emotion.
"And thirdly... this may be the worst timing ever but I... have to... sn-sneeze ag-gain... hah... huh... uh...huh...hah...HAH...!!"  He was still holding her close to him. She could feel every tremble in his body, every inhale and exhale as the sneeze grew and grew. "Hah... hah... haschoo! Haschoo! HaschOOO! HASCHOO!" He was wrenched forward again by the power of them and he scrubbed at his nose wearily, looking at her apologetically as he did so. "Sorry," he muttered. "Always have to pick the worst moments don't I?"
"Please don't apologise," she said softly.
He cleared his throat. "Mhmm... so... sneezing, huh?" he said thoughtfully.
"Ugh god..." she said, ducking her head again. "I know it's totally weird... and please don't think I'm just into you because of that."
"I don't," he reassured her quickly. "And to be honest... I can think of weirder things. Sneezing kind of makes sense if you think about it."
"Does it?" She looked up at him, startled.
"Well yeah... like, the build up, the release of tension, your body relaxes - it feels good. Relieving." He started blushing himself. "I mean, not when it happens 100 times in a row like it does to me sometimes but for the most part..."
Charlie was silently reassessing her life when suddenly he started laughing.
"What?!" she cried, sitting up indignantly.
"Sorry... I just must have really driven you crazy over the last few months huh?" He continued to chuckle.
"Very funny," she said, punching him on the arm, but grinning in spite of herself. "There were definitely moments of frustration let's put it that way."
"For you and me both, believe me," he muttered.
"Oh really?" She raised her eyebrows and looked at him wickedly.
"Really."
Their lips met again and all conversation ended for a long while.

[Dc1]

This is one of my favorite  stories  thank you so much🥺

[brownsasha11]

15 hours ago, lighthousegirl said:

I found this part harder than I thought to write... warning for mentions of emotional abuse. 

But also lots of sexiness. 

 

She still wouldn't look at him. He walked over to her and put a hand gently on her shoulder, guiding her to turn around and face him.
"Hey," he said softly, brushing her hair out of her face. "It's ok. Really."
She looked at him, eyes wide and apprehensive. After a moment's hesitation, she seemed to come to a decision and reached for him.

Wordlessly he took her in his arms. He guided them both over to the couch and sat down with her snuggled into him. She looked up at him and he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. "Is this OK?" he whispered. She responded silently by inclining her head towards him. They kissed again, deeper this time. He felt her sigh and relax against him and he pulled her in for an even tighter hug.
"Tell me about it," he said softly. "Please?"
He felt her body tremble against him and put his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together to reassure her he wasn't going anywhere. It seemed to help.
"A couple of years ago," she began quietly, "I... fell in love. With this guy from college. I hadn't really had boyfriends before - I didn't have a lot of confidence at high school or anything..."
"I fell so hard for him... I couldn't believe he wanted to be with me when he could have had any girl on campus he wanted."
"We were together a few months and at first it seemed... amazing. I'd never felt so... free. So accepted. I told him things. Things I'd never told anyone before. And one night he persuaded me to tell him about what I... liked. Like, turns ons... you know?" Her face burned with humiliation but Daniel just nodded and squeezed her shoulder to reassure her.
"He laughed at first, when I told him... said it was a little weird but he could cope with it. But after a while, he started to change. Or maybe I started to see him more clearly, I dunno. Anyway, he started getting funny about me going out with friends, what I wore, things I said... He wouldn't let me see my best friend Chris unless he was there, just because he's a guy. It didn't matter that Chris has been gay since, forever. And when I did something he didn't like he would... make little comments."
She breathed in and out slowly. Daniel stroked her hair gently and asked, "what kind of comments?"
"He... would say stuff like, 'remember I know all your dirty little secrets.' 'Just remember I could spill everything I know about you whenever I want'. One day he had a cold..." Charlie lowered her eyes and her voice shook a little as she continued. "He looked at me and said, 'you enjoying this, you kinky little weirdo?'"
"He started trying to embarrass me in front of people. He never openly gave it away but if someone s-sneezed, he'd... look at me and wink really obviously or say, 'Charlie, aren't you going to bless them?' or something. He enjoyed seeing me on edge. He told me it was just a joke, and not to take it so seriously."
"Eventually my friends noticed something was...off. They said I didn't seem myself, I'd lost my confidence. But every time I tried to get away he threatened to tell everyone the things I'd told him. And then, he would be lovely. He'd be sweet, romantic. He told me he loved me..."
"But one night, it was Chris's 21st. I told him I was going and he couldn't stop me. He threatened me... he grabbed me and pushed me against a wall..."
The flat was still. Daniel could hear his heart thumping in his chest as he waited for her to continue. "I managed to get away and stayed at Chris's for a couple of weeks. He came round, called me and Chris a bunch of names, issued some threats but I knew by then I was done. I was exhausted - I'd rather he humiliated me than try to live to please him anymore. I graduated and then I decided to move overseas. That was something else he hadn't wanted me to do of course."
"And did he... tell people?" Daniel asked in a low voice.
"If he did, it never got back to me. I cut him out my life, blocked him on social media, everything. My friends have never said anything so I'm guessing he kept quiet in the end. But it's the fear of knowing someone like that has that power, you know? I was so scared to trust anyone again, even... even you." She brushed a tear away and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I messed you around. I really didn't expect to meet someone like you so soon after... well, everything."
"It's ok," he said, trying to digest everything she'd told him. "I just wanted to understand you a little better. Thank you, for telling me. I know it can't have been easy."
"It wasn't," she agreed. "But it did help. Thank you for listening."
"Anytime. Can I just say a couple of things though?"
"Um... sure?" she said nervously, looking at his serious brown eyes.
"Firstly, that guy is scum. Like, that's the only word I can use to describe him except for very non-PG ones..." Charlie laughed a little at that. "Secondly, I love knowing what makes you you and I will never make you feel bad about that, ok?" She nodded, overcome with emotion.
"And thirdly... this may be the worst timing ever but I... have to... sn-sneeze ag-gain... hah... huh... uh...huh...hah...HAH...!!"  He was still holding her close to him. She could feel every tremble in his body, every inhale and exhale as the sneeze grew and grew. "Hah... hah... haschoo! Haschoo! HaschOOO! HASCHOO!" He was wrenched forward again by the power of them and he scrubbed at his nose wearily, looking at her apologetically as he did so. "Sorry," he muttered. "Always have to pick the worst moments don't I?"
"Please don't apologise," she said softly.
He cleared his throat. "Mhmm... so... sneezing, huh?" he said thoughtfully.
"Ugh god..." she said, ducking her head again. "I know it's totally weird... and please don't think I'm just into you because of that."
"I don't," he reassured her quickly. "And to be honest... I can think of weirder things. Sneezing kind of makes sense if you think about it."
"Does it?" She looked up at him, startled.
"Well yeah... like, the build up, the release of tension, your body relaxes - it feels good. Relieving." He started blushing himself. "I mean, not when it happens 100 times in a row like it does to me sometimes but for the most part..."
Charlie was silently reassessing her life when suddenly he started laughing.
"What?!" she cried, sitting up indignantly.
"Sorry... I just must have really driven you crazy over the last few months huh?" He continued to chuckle.
"Very funny," she said, punching him on the arm, but grinning in spite of herself. "There were definitely moments of frustration let's put it that way."
"For you and me both, believe me," he muttered.
"Oh really?" She raised her eyebrows and looked at him wickedly.
"Really."
Their lips met again and all conversation ended for a long while.

Yes finally. Awesome story it was a bit frustrating at times when they kept tiptoeing around each other but love the progression to this point 

 

[Kolen]

😍😍😍 aww, I would love this ❤️ I might have this in a few years with my current partners though 💗💖💓 

Thank you so much for writing this amazing story. Can't wait for updates

[EveP]

It was wonderful to get back here after a week of a flu that left me unable to read, or even listen to audio books, to find two amazing updates. Just what I needed. <3

[sneezyfeather338]

Aww!!! That’s so awesome that they made up! I can’t wait to see what they’ll do next. I hope you are having fun with the story as you write it. Because I’m having fun reading it. 😍🥰😘

[mypanicismanic]

Omg yay he finally knows!!! The anticipation was killing me. Im so excited for more!