#he's so awkward god bless fhdZZXH

[purposefully-lost]

His anxiety spiked in the moment after he knocked. Charlie shoved in his hands into his pockets and waited, casting a frown down at the hotel carpet as he tried to calm his heart. He should've texted before he'd come over, made it clear he was planning on it, but he'd known that if he'd stopped to do so, he wouldn't have actually made it here. He would've chickened out and gone right home-- like he was almost tempted to do now, before the door could open. Vi was probably tired, and it'd only been a courtesy to invite him back. Even so, he lingered until he heard the door open, then quickly glanced up. He didn't get the chance to get out an apology or a greeting before Vi was tugging him down into his arms.

Before he could process it, he was hit with the scent of Vi's shampoo and the feeling of his arms squeezing tight around him. Charlie was a little stunned as he pulled back, struggling to stutter out anything coherent as he was tugged inside.

"Oh, uh, I- I'm doin' alright." Charlie finally let out a breath, then laughed, his expression softening as he watched Vi start to wrestle with the cork of a whine bottle. He scratched at the side of his neck and shrugged. "Just.. y'know. I'm- I'm sorry I never said anythin', either. Uh.. I didn't know if I'd make it out tonight, but I'm glad I did." Face warming, he offered him a small smile. "It was- it was really good. Good's an understatement."

Something about Vi's shirt caught his eye, and it took him just a moment to recognize a fading logo that belonged to his own band. Charlie felt his chest squeeze and laughed again. "I stayed for most of it. I- I mean-" He stuttered. He didn't want him to think he'd left because he hadn't enjoyed it. "I wish I could've stayed for all of it. Just.. haven't been in a crowd like that in a while. You were, uh, stunning, though."

Victory checked his phone again, opening the messaging app and confirming for the hundredth time this was the right spot. He'd pulled off some kind of miracle in the last month, not only getting in contact with one of his favorite artists, but managing to keep it going almost regularly. And now he was standing outside of an unfamiliar building on an unfamiliar street in the middle of Appalachian nowhere, getting ready to meet him in person.

He'd dressed down for the occasion, mostly for his own sake, but for Charlie's too. His own success was leading to more and more people clocking him while he was out, and he doubted dressing like Elton John would help him blend in in a place like this. The bleached hair he'd been sporting recently was tucked nicely under a baseball cap, his extensive ink work covered by a baggy sweatshirt. He'd even taken his earrings out in a rush, storing them in his pocket when he realized he'd forgotten to leave them in his hotel room. The last thing Charlie needed was to be bombarded because he agreed to meet him.

In the middle of using his phone screen as a mirror, his eyes widened as it lit up with a text. Vi quickly shoved it in his pocket and gave a quick sweep of the area. He frowned for a moment, but before he could pull out his phone again, his eyes landed on a familiar face, his own quickly brightening into a grin. Bouncing on his feet, he laughed as he waved his arms to usher his pen pal over.

Charlie Reimes. Cane Corso had been a staple on his playlists for years, and here was the frontman in the flesh. -- All because he'd gotten drunk and too bold, sending him what was an embarrassing DM expressing his admiration. It was a testament to maybe not all of his questionable choices led to questionable outcomes.

Beaming, he practically hopped the rest of the way over to him, his smile toothy, cheeks pink, and his eyes crinkled. "I can't believe it! I don't think you understand how massive this is to me." He said, babbling a little in his excitement. "I can't even begin to thank you. You've been such an inspiration to me forever and-" Oh! Oh, shit. Face flooding with color, he lifted his hands to wave off the starstruck gibberish, and instead offered him his palm. "I-I'm Vi." He managed, "It's nice to see you in person."

@purposefully-lost