Chillin and Chattin

As you part from your hug pat your friend on the shoulder. "Come on, let's show these guys a thing or two."

The pair of you go to sit closer to the game playing group and soon are joining in. The first few games you and Charlie get owned but after a bit you've caught on. The game is silly rollicking fun, lots of shouting and cheering and gloating among the group of mostly strangers. During the bits where you had to give others a turn you and Charlie would sit side by side giving and taking banter with the others. Charlie is quiet of course but his silly grin tells you he was enjoying himself. After a particularly exciting match where it had come down to just you and him the game swings back and forth, coming close so many times, before he eventually dumps you to your doom. You cry out "Nooo!" and reach over and give him a shake and both of you start laughing.

His sparkling brown eyes and wide smile telling you he was having the time of his life.

This group wasn't everyone that lived here yet, but judging by who was here it looked like you had a pretty good group of guys on your floor. Extremely international too, you coming from a small predominantly white town this was all new for you. It was...nice. The different accents giving a cool variety to the voices in the room.

Eventually you drift away from playing the game and start chatting with the others in you open outgoing way. You learn of where they are from, their majors, how excited they were for the year to come. Like you a few of them had girlfriends back home. When these would be brought up Luiz would just smile as if with some unknown knowledge and shake his head sadly. People start asking about parties and pussy, and where to find them. Then the conversation really picks up.

At one point a guy named Caden points over to you. "You guys a thing?" There was zero judgment in his words, just curiosity.

You look at him confused. Turning your head you notice you had at some point stretched your left arm out along the back of the couch and Charlie was sitting closer than would be considered normal. He was almost hip to hip with you, his shoulder almost pressed to your ribs. You could see Charlie blush through his long hair as he shifts away from you in embarrassment.

You laugh and take him around the shoulder and give him a big kiss to the side of his head. "That's right! Hands off Charlie boys, he's all mine!" There is some laughter and you join in. You loved this type of attention. Putting your arm around the guy to your right you do the same to him. He pushes off of you with a sour expression and the laughter escalates. "He's mine too. I'll have all y'all before this year is up!"

There are roars of laughter as you, in a playful way, try to kiss and **** the guy beside you as he fights you off.

As the merriment subsides you say. "Nah, Charlie and I are roomies. Just friends. I have a girlfriend, she'll be here next year."

The night wore on with more chillin out with your new floor mates. At one point Charlie starts suddenly. "Oh...It's late...I need to call home. I'm late." He mutters. He gets up suddenly and without a word heads for the room, limping along in an obvious hurry. You watch his baggy jeaned butt head off, knowing what was under that loose denim.

One of the guys scoffs. "Pffft, does he gotta go call Mommy? Get a lullaby." He didn't mean anything by it, it was just the nervous posturing between young men as they figured out the natural pecking order.

You fix him with a stare of your intense hazel eyes. "Maybe he does. What, you don't love your Mom?" His smile fades as you hold his gaze in yours. You alpha male the fuck out of him. You knew exactly what you were doing. You were putting up a sign post among these guys, 'you mess with Charlie you mess with me'. You were also letting it be known you weren't cool with bullies in general.

He shifts nervously. "I didn't mean anything..."

You smile, letting him know all was cool. The tension quickly subsides and the carefree Jonathan was back again. As the night continues you make a point of mending things with the guy you'd stared down. There are more games and a lot more joking and chatting. Sports was a big topic for a while. You were happy to learn, thanks to the international contingent, there were other soccer fans among you.

Finally you get up and stretch. You give the guys a nod goodnight and head off to your room. You weren't actually tired...you just wanted to go to your room...for some reason.

As you walk in Charlie was sitting cross legged on his bed still on the phone with his Mom, he turns away from you as he hurriedly finishes his conversation. "Oh! He's here, I should go. - No. - No. - No please, I don't... - Yes Mom. - Yes Mom. - I'm sorry Mom. - I won't, I promise. - No! No, I want to stay. - No please. - Okay. - I'll do better. - I gotta go Mom. - Yep. - Sorry, yes Mom. - Yes Mom. - Again, sorry I was late calling you. - I'll do better. - Love you too. Tell Dad I miss him. - Okay. - Bye bye."

He hangs up the phone and looks at it as he sets it on his desk. That hadn't sounded like a nice conversation. He reaches up and wipes his eyes...wipes tears from his eyes! You feel a painful pang in your heart at the sight of it. He sniffles and forces a giggle as he looks up at you. "Guess I'm a bit homesick." He lies.

You give him a warm gentle smile and say in a soft voice. "Sure Charlie."

You stand there as the realization dawns on you that just a few hours ago, when the two of you were last in the room alone, it had gotten steamy between you. Where was the awkwardness? Where was the uncomfortable tension? It wasn't there.

Charlie fishes out the book he'd been reading the night before. He begins to read with very little enthusiasm.

"Hey, you want to go do something?" You ask. "We could go find some trouble to get into. Or maybe watch the bats again if you want."

He shakes his head. "No, I've got to finish this book." He informs you. "I'm behind on my reading."

You look at him in puzzlement. Classes hadn't even started yet. "Oh, uh, okay." You think about what you might go and get up to tonight by yourself...instead you sit on your bed. "Mind some company?"

He glances up through his hair, a little smile playing on his lips. "No, of course not."

You spin and stretch out on your bed. Feet crossed, hands behind your head. It was quiet for a time, just the occasional turning of a page. He read fast you note.

"How's the knee?" You ask to break the silence.

"It hurts." He informs you.

He lies down on his bed and rests the open book on his chest. Each of you lie in your own bed staring at the ceiling in silence. Not exactly the type of adventure you thought you'd be getting up to in college. But right now you didn't want to be anywhere else.