#anyways so in my mind charles was def dp'd by brocedes and im not taking criticism on that

[wanderingblindly]

hello again :) can i please request a directors cut of love is killing me? specifically anything and everything about the brocedes + charles situation <3

oh my god ok so about Love is Killing Me i have thoughts and none of them make sense:

Charles and uh. Brocedes + a Deleted Scene

Yes, they fucked BUT HEAR ME OUT --

this was not meant to happen the way that it did. In my original outline, the one that I made in January and completely ignored until October, the whole "teehee make Max Jealous so he makes a move on Charles" thing was meant to be Charles's idea. At the time, my reasoning was that Charles didn't want to make a move on Max while he was working, because that felt too much like cornering him/taking advantage of him being professional at work.

So he was going to convince brocedes to dance with him during Jenson's set, tell Seb to make some comment about how he saw them "sneak off" to the bathroom or something, yaddah yaddah jealous make out session in the bathroom yaddah yaddah Seb ruining the moment by knocking and telling Max he didn't want to work the bar anymore.

Here was a deleted snippet of Charles bringing it up to Jenson during their conversation along the wall:

"What if," Charles's tone makes Jenson freeze, suckered back into the conversation. "What if I had an idea." He leans back against the wall, closer to Charles this time. "An idea?" "For my friend." "Drop it, mate." "…For me." "A plan to get with Max?" Charles bites at his lip, finding the strength to say it. He does, quietly. "Yes." "Is it a good plan?" "Not really, no." Jenson sighs. "Go ask Seb –" "But Jenson," "Bad ideas go to Seb, mate. It's in our vows."

THAT DIDN'T END UP WORKING BECAUSE I ACCIDENTALLY MADE CHARLES SUCH A SAPPY ROMANTIC THAT LIKE. HE WOULND'T DO THAT! HE WOULDN'T SET UP A SCHEME WHEN HE COULD JUST PINE LIKE A LOSER AND WAIT FOR MAX!!!!

Which brings us to the current version:

"Room for two?" Nico slides behind him, voice low in his ear – hand slipping alongside Lewis's, finding home on his hips. Charles turns his neck to look at Nico with a raised brow, uncertain what's gotten into him. Nico just smiles back, something sharp and a little predatory, something that reminds him of the earlier days of their acquaintance. He'd accidentally gotten in the middle of one of their little spats, which was.... interesting, if not slightly formative.

Ok hear me out again: the bar kind of has this semi-platonic semi-not platonic polycule sort of vibe. Like, does Jenson probably have a bit of a crush on Charles? Sure. Does Charles also have a bit of a crush on Jenson? Also sure. Obviously nothing between Charles and Seb because they're more brotherly than anything, but like, you get it.

As for brocedes, this is what I've pictured:

One of the earlier times that Charles came in (not his first visit, but he wasn't fully A Regular yet), Nico and Lewis were having a tiff about something pretty pedantic. It wasn't enough to actually worry Seb, it was -- as Charles would later come to learn -- more foreplay than anything. Cue Nico spotting Charles, spotting Lewis looking at Charles, and having a bit of an idea.

After all, Lewis loves pretty things -- and what's better than one? two?

Nico slides down the bar, flags down Seb to bring them a drink (who definitely knows what's going on but doesn't mind watching), Charles gets snagged hook, line, and sinker.

I'm now ruminating on the expression CX brought to my attention; he was their 'get along hole'. I think.

But they all had a good time so what's the harm.