audrarose

Dad’s much better at taking care of Charlie than Don is.

I like that whole section about the little (and not so little) ways that Alan takes care of Charlie.

and the force of wanting it leaves him hollow.

I really like that phrase. It's powerful and moving.


“We can’t go back, you know. Even if we wanted to,” Charlie whispers in the darkness. Don rests his head against Charlie and thinks that if he’d never let Charlie help him he’d still be greeting Charlie in passing, mildly irritated, barely curious. Instead, now Don’s kissed him, nearly killed him.

That paragraph is just lovely. I especially love Don's thoughts about what might have been and this, oh this is so much better.

“Wow.” Don swallows. “You’ve been busy.”


I love this. I love that Charlie doesn't simply tell Don, he shows him that he's done this before. It's a very Charlie thing to do.

“Math groupies?”

Don can feel Charlie’s smile against his ear, right before Charlie begins to mouth the edge. “You’d be surprised.”

Again, I love this whole section. (I also think Amita is a math groupie, but that's neither here nor there). I love that Charlie got "the talk" earlier than Don did since Don's the one I naturally think of as being more experienced.

“Shut up now.”

That's just Perfect. It's a lovely role reversal since usually it's Charlie who's merrily babbling away.

Brat. And forgetting just who the big brother is here.

And that's perfect too. So very Don.

Laughter and frustration in Charlie’s voice at the helplessness of his position;

I love that image. I can see it so clearly in my mind.

He did this, made Charlie lose all that usual intensity; made all that sharp focus shatter beneath what Don is doing to him.

So very lovely. And Charlie desperately needs someone who can do that for him.

and he could come just like this if Charlie would ever let him live it down.

I love it! That's the real concern, of course.

Charlie's holding his face in shaky hands so that Charlie can watch, can see what Don looks like when he comes apart. Charlie’s eyes are wild, searching, and it’s almost too intense, too much to take. Charlie must feel it, too, because at the last second he pulls their faces together and lets Don come with Charlie’s tongue in his mouth.

I love that part, too. It works so well for them. Of course Charlie wants to know what Don looks like when Don comes undone. He wants to know everything about Don.

“Don’t ask me not to help you,” Charlie says against his throat.

Don shifts slightly, rubbing his face sleepily against Charlie’s. “No more, Charlie. This time… it was just too close. It’s not worth the risk.”

Charlie exhales, and Don can feel his shoulders tense in frustration. “You need me.”

“Yes.”

Simple and frighteningly true, and Charlie just shakes his head, pulling himself even closer to Don. Charlie won’t let this go, Don knows that, but maybe for now they can let it lie. It’s enough.

That whole section is just wonderful. It's so perfect and there are so many layers to Don needing Charlie.

Will they stay together, do you think? I have the impression that they will, and I like that feeling. Gives me warm fuzzies.

Really, this was wonderful and lovely and thank you so much for sharing.