Chapter Text
Our story starts in June 2024.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you - do you remember Mr Cowell, the Art teacher?" you asked, as you stood beside Charlie slicing cucumbers for the salad. "Yeah, what about him?" asked Charlie. "He sent me a DM on Instagram" you reply, chuckling at Charlie's wide eyes.
"Jesus christ, if you're about to tell me our old teacher sent you a dirty message please save me the experience" he cried. "No! No, he was really sweet actually. He said his kids were watching some of my songs on YouTube and that he recognised me. Said he was really proud, of the both of us" you said, smiling at Charlie. Though you were cousins, you grew up much more like siblings with Charlie - having been born only three months apart. With his pretty fast rise to fame in Stranger Things, and your blossoming music career, it was rare you had time to see each other.
So when Charlie decided to throw a little get-together in the garden of his London home, you were delighted that you were free and able to help him get set up. "That's sweet, but clearly he doesn't remember how much of a shit I was" he laughed, as he carried the freshly prepared salad to the larger-than-necessary fridge. The two of you carried on chatting, bickering and finishing up the preparations for the guests who were imminent.
"Who's coming anyway?" you asked, as you both finally relaxed on a set of lawn chairs, the summer sun sinking in to the skin on your shoulders and legs, exposed by a sun dress in a rare departure from your usual t-shirt and jeans combination. "Uh, Nat is in a cab from the airport now, and she's brining Joe. They had to stay back to film some last little bits so I said he should come along too". You'd heard a lot about Joe. Of course you knew who he was, it wasn't like you hadn't seen Stranger Things, Free Guy or whatever else he'd been in. Charlie spoke highly of him, and they spent a lot of time together - especially when he was over in the US. Somehow though, you'd never managed to be introduced to each other.
Charlie reeled off a handful of other names, all of which were shared friends who you'd also not seen for what felt like a lifetime. "Well it's a good job we've prepared enough food to feed a football team, huh?" you chuckle, closing your eyes to enjoy a few final moments of quiet in Charlie's garden.
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As Charlie greeted guests at the door, you were primed at the kitchen counter to pour them a drink - a job he'd assigned to you without giving you much of a choice. A handful of friends arrived first, who greeted you warmly. You supplied them with the poison of their choice, and showed them out to the garden. A true hostess, even if it wasn't your house.
The last to arrive were Charlie's girlfriend and co-star Natalia, and Joe. You heard Charlie welcome them in and help with their luggage, as they'd come straight off the flight. You checked your reflection in the shiny surface of the toaster, giving your hair a finger comb. Why? You weren't quite sure. You'd met Nat plenty of times. And Joe.. well it never hurts to make a good first impression.
As soon as she saw you, Natalia ran over to embrace you. "Hey! How are you?!" she asked, helping herself to a drink when she finally released you. "I'm good! I'm fresh off a tour so I'm really happy to be in the same place for a little while. I'm here for a few weeks then heading back over to Leeds to stay with my parents for a while. How are you? How was everything, how long are you finished for? Char told me you're not wrapped yet, right?" you asked.
"I'm good, we're having a little filming break - they're working round a couple other people's schedules, so we pick back up in a couple months" she said. With that, Charlie and Joe finally entered the kitchen. Charlie gave you a formal introduction, and Joe greeted you with a smile and a hug. "It's nice to finally meet you, feel like I'm meeting a celebrity or something. I mean, yeah I am I mean your music is doing amazing, but uh.. you know what I mean" he said, dragging a hand through his hair as he stumbled over his words. "It's fine, I know what you mean. Can I get you a drink?" you ask, choosing to let him off the hook - you didn't know him well enough to give him shit just yet.
"Oh yeah that'd be great, you got a beer?" he asked. "Sure, do you want an American beer or something a little less like piss?" you asked. Okay, maybe you could give him a little shit. Thankfully, Joe took it with good humour, and accepted the ice cold bottle of Czech lager you handed him. Finally, the guest list had arrived, and everyone was scattered around the garden. Charlie roped in a couple of other friends to help set up the food you'd both prepared, giving you a break and the opportunity to drink your own beer.
"Hey uh, I'm sorry if I came off like a jerk just now. I'm actually really into your music and I told myself not to come off as a creepy fan or something and.. kinda had the opposite effect" he said, cringing slightly as he sat beside you. "Really? That's really nice to hear, and I guess I can let it slip that since Char played me some of your music it's been one of my most played on Spotify" you admit, flashing him a smile to assure him things were cool. "Oh, thanks! I'm desperate to record something again. I was gonna try wait until we'd wrapped but I think I might have to get something done" he said, finally easing into himself. It was sweet to see the way he flustered, but you were always happier when people around you felt at ease.
"Well, if you want some studio space just let me know. I've got a couple of friends I can pull favours from while you're over here. How long are you in London anyway?" you ask. "Honestly? I don't know. Charlie said I can stay here as long as I want, and I don't have much else I need to do. I was gonna head over to Chicago to try record something, but if I can get some studio space over here that might be nice" he said, giving you an appreciative smile.
"Just let me know, you can borrow the band any time - I just keep them in a cupboard under the stairs when I'm not using them" you chuckle. He shares your laugh, and your heart does an involuntary flutter as his soft looking lips stretch across his face.
'Jesus, calm down. You're an adult not a horny teen, get it together' you think to yourself, as you turn your head from him to look up at a pair of magpies hopping across the roof. Anything to quell the impending blush threatening to tinge your cheeks.
"It really is nice to meet you though. Charlie talks about you a lot" said Joe. "Oh yeah? How much trouble is he in, and how many of my secrets do you know?" you ask him with a raised eyebrow. "No, no nothing like that, I swear. I'm really close to my sisters too, I talk about mine too. Took me a couple years to actually find out you were cousins actually!" he said, tracing a bead of condensation along the neck of his beer bottle.
"Yeah, a lot of people don't realise. My parents had a lot on their plates so I spent a lot of time with Charlie and Levi growing up. How many sisters do you have?" you ask. "Four, I'm the only son actually so I guess I had no choice but.. yeah my sisters are great. Protective, and annoying as hell sometimes but I wouldn't be the man I am today without 'em" said Joe.
"Protective, huh? They been known to scare away girlfriends or something?" you ask. "Uh, well sometimes they don't even need to get that far" he said, a tinge of sadness to his voice. "Oh, oh shit I'm sorry. Bad break up?" you ask. "It was for the best but yeah, had kinda a rough year last year. It's been almost a year now though and I'm doing fine, but my sisters? Yeah, they're still thirsty for blood" he chuckled. "Sorry, I put my foot in it there. Still, I'm glad you're doing okay. If it makes you feel any better, I also had a 2023 break up and Charlie still asks me if he can go fuck him up. I'd like to see him try, but I prefer my own petty revenge of getting my song played on his favourite radio stations" you say, giving Joe a wink.
"I couldn't think of anything better. Sounds like we're both better off for it. And we can drink to that" said Joe, tilting his bottle up to you. You tap yours against his and take a drink. You were beginning to see why Charlie and Joe were such good friends.
"Hey, are you coming into the city tomorrow? We were planning to take Nat to some of our favourite spots but now you're here, you're so welcome to come! Saves me being the third wheel" you ask, hoping you weren't coming across too bold. "That sounds great, where are we going?" he asked. "Well, London is far from my favourite city in the UK, but there's a few places we have in mind. We're gonna head to Spitalfields market, Leadenhall market, Muswell Hill - kinda all over" you tell him. "Sounds great, can't wait to see it. Charlie always tells me he'll take me to Leeds where you guys are from. And uh.. oh the other place where you lived.. Briddlesborough?" he asked. "Bridlington. They would loose their shit if they saw you there so we'd have to go when it's quiet but for sure you'll have to come up with us some time!" you say, hoping to glaze over the fact you'd just invited yourself along.
"Come get it!" shouted Charlie, having laid out the food to his satisfaction. Joe stood from the lounger, and without missing a beat, extended his hand out to you. You took it gratefully, and let him help you up - the movement a lot more graceful than it would've been left to your own devices. Especially in a dress. Joe's hand was soft, but his grip was firm and you couldn't help but notice a slight pop of his bicep as he pulled you up. "Thanks" you said, suddenly a little shy at the contact. "No problem. Charlie said you helped made the food, right?" he asked, letting go of your hand. Trying not to sigh at the loss of his touch, you shook yourself out of it and replied. "Well by made.. I helped chop the salad and made a few sandwiches - please lower your expectations" you laugh, leading the way back towards the kitchen. If you'd have turned to look behind you, you'd have noticed Joe pause, and watch you go, a soft smile on his face.
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It was a couple of hours before you and Joe spoke again. You'd both been distracted by different conversations, sitting at opposite ends of the garden. It wasn't until, a couple of drinks in, a friend suggested playing games. "Come on, I brought trivia cards. Pair up, each time your team gets a question wrong you take a shot" they suggest, devilishly. "Oh, seriously? We're in our thirties I don't know how many shots I can handle any more" you complain. "You're only just thirty, surely there's still a shred of your twenties in you somewhere" they retorted, as shots of tequila, sambuca and something pink and creamy were poured in long lines.
"Oh my god, did you come prepared with all this?!" you ask, equal measures horrified and impressed. "Sure did. Come on, it's summer, it's a Saturday - not that it means a whole lot to you performer types, and we haven't all been together for a long time. Just answer correctly and you don't have to drink!" was the response. You roll your eyes, though the idea of a fun drinking game appeals. It hadn't been something you'd done for a long time.
As partners were chosen, you felt a hand on your shoulder. "Hey, I also don't know how many shots I can do and I'm even older than you are. Wanna team up?" asked Joe, a sheepish smile on his face. "I would love to, how are you at Trivia?" you ask, the two of you moving over to share a loveseat beside Charlie and Natalia. "Well, when I was playing drinking games with my friends, we were a little less high brow. More spin the bottle territory. But I didn't do so bad in school, and I love watching Jeopardy on the TV. What about you?" he asked. "Hmm, knowing my friends we'll stray from the question cards pretty quickly and things will take a turn so don't think us too high brow just yet. But actually, I'm pretty good. When I'm on tour, me and the band always watch quiz shows. We can't watch anything with a storyline 'cause someone's always out, or asleep or still fucking around with equipment. So we've gotten pretty good" you say, reaching into a cooler at your feet for fresh beers for the two of you.
Teams set, it was time to put your knowledge to the test. "Each card has three questions, an easy, a medium and a hard" said the self-appointed quiz master. "If you get the easy one wrong, you drink the tequila shot. If you get the medium one wrong, it's the sambuca, and the hard one wrong - the Tequila Rose". Hmm, so that's what the pink stuff was. "Thank god, I thought your friend was trying to make us shot Pepto-Bismol" whispered Joe, the two of you sniggering to yourselves. "Your team will be asked all three questions, and we will take your first answer. As soon as a wrong answer is given, and a shot is taken - your turn ends and we move on. Any questions?" they ask.
Rules understood, the game began. Charlie and Natalia went first, immediately getting their easy question wrong. A couple more pairs later, it was over to you and Joe. "Alright, your easy question - On which Beatles album does the song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds appear?". Without missing a beat, the two of you answered at the exact same time: "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!". You looked at each other and smiled, pleased with the other for knowing the answer. "Correct. No tequila for you. Medium question - Who was the first woman to be awarded a Nobel prize?". This time, the answer wasn't immediate. You looked up and Joe and beckoned him closer with a nod of your head. "I think it's Marie Curie?" you whispered into his ear, noticing the way goose bumps ran up his arm as your hot breath fanned against his skin. "Yeah, I think you're right. Go for it" he said. You gave your answer, it was correct and you moved on to the final question of the round.
"Right, hard one - but I think you got one of the two people here who might actually get the answer. Which US president was the first to be sworn in by his nickname?". Your mind didn't even go blank, you knew you never had the knowledge to blank out in the first place. You turn to the American man sitting beside you, in the hopes that he could save you from drinking something the colour of a Barbie dreamhouse. "Oh shit.. uh - Jimmy Carter?" he answered, unsure of himself. "Correct, you may keep your American citizenship". The two of you cheered, and without thinking, you wrapped your arms around him in a congratulatory hug. "Excellent teamwork partner" he grinned.
The trivia continued, with Charlie and Natalia doing surprisingly badly for two incredibly smart people. Even you and Joe had to take your fair share of shots - though the pink Tequila Rose shot was pleasantly smooth and tasty. Finally, as you knew it would - things descended into something a little more chaotic, and a lot less mature. "Alright, enough of the trivia questions. We're going rogue. You can ask any question you want - but you still gotta get it right to avoid the shot" slurred your quizmaster friend. "Fine, I'll ask first - Charlie: What is my middle name?" you ask him. "That's easy, but we appreciate you throwing us an easy one" said Natalia, slurring a little. Charlie on the other hand, was not looking so sure of himself. "Uh.. oh shit why have I forgotten this! Is it.. is it Marie?" he asked. "No!" you laughed, taking pleasure in passing them their drinks. "I knew you'd forget. I don't have one, you dummy!".
"That's not fair, there was no answer to that question!" Charlie complained. "Yes there was! 'You have no middle name' is all you had to say man" defended Joe. "Oh, oh I see how it is. I knew if you two met you'd get on well and team up against me. I'll remember this.. and I will have my revenge" he threatened, throwing a bottle cap at you. A few questions later, you were diving into the world of 'when did this person lose their virginity?' and 'in which country did this person run naked through the streets?'. Finally, it was your turn. Charlie immediately swept in. "Alright, question for you two - when she watched season 4 of Stranger Things, who did Y/N accidentally send a thirsty text to me about?" he asked.
Your eyes widened in rage. It was one of your more embarrassing moments. You'd been watching the newest episodes of the series. As was tradition, you'd text Charlie as the plot unfolded, asking him questions about filming, and congratulating him on his work. On this particular night, you were alone on your couch. Your asshole (now-ex) boyfriend had just stormed out of the apartment after argument 104 of the year, so you were a couple of glasses of red wine deep and watching the scenes of the Stranger Things characters walking through the woods of the upside down. Your immediate crush on the character of Eddie Munson was long since in bloom, but all of a sudden - your attention was drawn to Steve.
You'd never thought of him in that way. Mainly because he wasn't just a character or an actor on screen. He was Charlie's friend. Charlie was all but your brother, and by extension, it felt like Joe was too. Perhaps it was the wine, the emotion or the fact that your ex hadn't given you an orgasm in weeks - but watching them both, roughed up, sweaty and ruggedly handsome had gotten your blood pumping. You'd meant to text your friend, but were too distracted by the TV screen to notice you'd selected the wrong chat.
"Holy shit, just watching the new Stranger Things. You can put me between Eddie and Steve and I would guarantee a ride none of us would survive ;)"
It was only when Charlie responded with a "??????" that you realised your mistake. A rushed apologetic voice note later, and you'd cleared up the confusion with Charlie, who was no doubt in stitches from your mishap. You'd made him promise to keep it to himself, something which up until now you assumed he had done. Of course, now by bringing it up - it was all out in the open.
"What, you dirty texted your own brother?" asked one of your friends. "No! No, of course I didn't. I messaged the wrong person and my 'brother' was supposed to never speak of it again". It was all a bit of fun, but you were beginning to get genuinely irritated by what he'd done. You couldn't even look at Joe, your cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Oh Jesus, I cannot believe you Heaton. Just you fucking wait" you say, your head in your hands". "Hey, hey look it's fine - I imagine Nat already knows but I promise I won't say a word to whoever it is" Joe smiled, empathising with your situation. Oh, if only he knew. I guess he was about to. Suddenly, you remembered you had a way out. Leaning forward, you picked up a shot of tequila and knocked it back, the sting of your throat nothing compared to telling Joe that ever since you watched that season, you'd had a slow-burning crush on him.
"Oh nice, that'll tell him!" laughed Natalia, digging her elbow into Charlie's ribs for you. "Yeah, really funny. I'm going to the bathroom to come up with an even better question for you" you said, marching towards the house. Footsteps followed you, but you waited until you were safely inside the kitchen to see who it was. "Did you really have to take it that far?" you asked a sheepish looking Charlie. "I know, I know I'm sorry - and I felt bad as soon as I saw your face. I guess I didn't think you'd care" he said. "Well, no I wouldn't if one of the people wasn't sat right next to me!" you argued back.
"I know, and I really am sorry. Me and Nat were talking earlier and we said that the two of you looked like you were getting cosy and I thought it might be fun to see if you still had a thing for him and.. shit I really am sorry" he said, pulling you into his arms. Despite your annoyance, you hugged him back. He was, for all intents and purposes, your brother and you loved him deeply. "We're adults Char, if you want to know if I like one of your friends you can just ask. You don't have to sneak around and read my diary like we're still at school" you say, giving him a gentle kick as you parted.
"Well, do you?" he asked. "Oh I said you can ask, I didn't say I'd tell you. Now go back outside, I genuinely still need the bathroom" you say, dashing upstairs before he could grill you further. Once safely tucked inside the bathroom, you sat down on the toilet and allowed the silence to soothe you. How did you feel about Joe? This person who'd always been a character, a celebrity, someone in Charlie's stories. Never before today, was he a real person. Yet here you were, finally meeting the silly little TV-character crush you'd been harbouring. Sure, he's hot. He seems kind and funny too. But you didn't have to fall in love with him. You could enjoy his company and get a new friend. A new friend sounded pretty good about now.
Back outside, the questions had finally finished. The evening continued until the sun began to set. Drinks were drunk and Ubers were booked. "How are you getting back, do you live far?" asked Joe. "I'm jumping in an Uber. I'm not far at all, but I know Charlie would never let me walk and I can't say I want to in this sticky heat" you chuckled. "Well that's good. Are we still on for tomorrow?" he asked. "Of course, I'll come by in the morning and we'll all get the tube together. About 11:00?" you suggest. With that, your phone lit up to inform you that your Uber was outside. You said a quick goodbye to some of your friends, only giving Charlie and Nat a wave, seeing as you'd see them again pretty soon. "I'll walk you out" said Joe, a statement rather than a question. It wasn't far around the side of the house to the driveway, but you let him anyway.
"It was really nice to meet you today" he said, as the car pulled up. "Yeah, it's been really nice. I can see why Charlie was scared to let us meet, but please can we continue to torture him when we're all together?" you ask. "Oh hell yeah. See you tomorrow, get home safe" he said, waving as you slide into the back of the car. It was only a couple of minutes until you were back at your house. It was one of the first things you bought once your music began to get big. The other members of the band bought cars, watches, holidays - and good for them. But all you wanted, was a cosy place to call yours during times like this, when you could leave the touring life behind for a while. In the quiet of the house, the gentle buzz from the booze hummed through your veins. You'd barely taken off your make-up and dress before you were drifting off to sleep.
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The next morning, you walked over to Charlies. A strong coffee and a lot of water meant you weren't feeling too worse the wear from your drinks the night before. You pressed on the handle of the door, expecting it to be open. You hadn't text Charlie that morning, but he knew to expect you - and the two of you had an open door policy with your houses, as you had when you were kids. A little confused, you knocked. That was when Joe came to the door. "Hey! I'm glad you came, I didn't know if you still were and I don't have your number to ask" he said, as you stepped inside. "Why, where are Charlie and Nat?" you ask.
"They are VERY hungover. Charlie poked his head into my door to tell me they weren't gonna be up until late afternoon and to go on without them. If that's alright with you? Cause if you wanna wait that's fine" he said. "They did get a lot of questions wrong last night. It's fine by me, as long as you don't mind?" you say, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'd love to, shall we go?" he asked. "Absolutely" you say, stepping out on to the driveway. "Charlie gave me a key, so let me lock up and we'll go. Where are we going first?" asked Joe, checking the lock was secure before walking beside you towards the tube station.
"Well that depends, where have you been in London? I wanna take you somewhere new.." you say, optimistic that the day was about to be a fun, and interesting one with your new friend.