SquidgeWorld Archive

Author: DaniKitten
Title: Studying Them
Chapter: 1/1
Pairing: Charlie/Colby
Rating: PG this time around
Feedback: always welcome
Concrit: by email
Disclaimer: Sadly, Charlie and Colby are not mine. If they were, they'd spend the day in bed and to hell with work and math. XD
Warnings/Squicks: M/M slash
Summary: Charlie and Colby are oblivious to those studying them.
Note1: It's helpful to read the previous stories, but not necessary for you to be able to follow this story.
Note2: I blame Noisy Edge for this one. Does anyone else find it amusing that Colby and Alan enjoy golf? XD Also, I know NOTHING about golf, if I'm wrong with anything, feel free to tell me.

Colby relaxed his body, pulled back the club, and let her rip. The head made contact with the ball, sending it careening down the course to land three yards from the hole.

"Nice shot, Colby." Alan complimented him as he stepped forward to take his turn to tee off.

Colby grinned as he stepped back to stand next to Charlie. Charlie smiled up at his lover and leaned in to whisper, "Maybe you should teach me how to do that, some time."

Colby's grin widened even further as he thought of just how he would 'teach' Charlie. Oh, it was cliché, he knew, but still, the thought of being pressed close against Charlie's warm body as he guided Charlie's movements, had shivers of pleasure shooting through his body.

Alan shook his head fondly, smiling slightly, as he prepared to swing. Colby and Charlie hadn't 'officially come out' to Alan and Don, but it was obvious to both of them that Colby and Charlie were a couple. They managed to hide it well from those who didn't know them well, but Don and Alan had known almost before Charlie and Colby had.

Don had confided to Alan that, within two weeks of joining his team, Colby had started volunteering to check in with Charlie during cases where Charlie did consulting work. Don had also mentioned that Charlie always had a smile ready for 'the new guy,' a smile that Don had only ever seen bestowed upon Amita.

Not long after that, Alan had swung by CalSci one night to see if Charlie wanted to grab some Baskin-Robins and had found Colby in Charlie's office, leaning against Charlie's desk and listening intently while Charlie explained a somewhat complex equation that Alan had some difficulty following, until Charlie explained it with a metaphor. Alan had been paying close attention to Colby throughout Charlie's explanation, so he could tell that Colby had understood it without the metaphor, but had asked Charlie to simplify it for him, anyways.

Alan came back to the present as he swung the golf club, sending the ball down the course to land two feet in front and to the left of Colby's ball.

Alan smiled triumphantly and stepped back to allow Charlie his chance to tee off.

Alan and Colby stood watching as Charlie arranged himself facing them. They could see his eyes flicking back and forth between the hole and the ball and both were imagining him making calculations in his mind.

Colby smiled slightly and stage-whispered to Alan, "He thinks too much."

Alan chuckled, but quickly stifled it when he noticed Charlie glaring in their general direction. Alan glanced over at Colby in time to catch a covert wink, but Alan gave no outward sign that he'd seen it.

Moments later, Charlie's ball was airborne, but it landed a good five yards behind Colby's. Charlie never complained, though, remembering Don's words from five months ago, "It's the one time he gets to teach you something, you understand? It's the one time."

Well, apparently, Colby and Alan had teamed up to try and teach Charlie to play golf. It had been a couple months since Charlie had played and quite a bit of what he'd learned, he'd forgotten how to apply it. He knew the concepts, but he was finding it difficult to put them into the context of the game, he was so used to being able to rely on his innate skill with mathematics and the predictability of it to help him, that the fact that it so obviously failed him on the golf course left him tense and frustrated by the time they left the course. Not that they'd ever actually gotten to the 18th hole; more often than not, the trill of Charlie's cell phone, and Colby's once he started playing with them, interrupted them part way through the game.

Charlie was pulled from his thoughts as Colby and Alan started walking towards the balls, towing their clubs behind them. With a brief mental shake, Charlie gathered his own clubs and followed.

Charlie, Colby, and Alan entered the clubhouse an hour later, with Charlie and Colby bickering good-naturedly about whether one of Charlie's strokes should have been counted as one or two, since he'd technically hit the ball twice, while Alan walked behind them, barely containing a smile

"I'm telling you, Charlie, your club made contact with the ball twice, so it's two strokes." Colby was saying as the walked through the door.

"No. No, the ball didn't move the first time, therefore, it shouldn't count." Charlie argued in return.

The pair was so focused on their little fight, they didn't notice Don sitting on one of the couches scattered throughout the room. Alan, however, did. He caught Don's eye and grinned, tilting his head towards Charlie and Colby slightly with a roll of his eyes.

Don grinned as well and mouthed, 'Old married couple.'

Alan fought down a laugh and then cleared his throat to catch Charlie and Colby's attention. Both men looked up and spotted Don at the same time.

"Hey, Don." Charlie greeted him with a smile.

"Don." Colby said with a nod, still a little uncomfortable interacting with Don outside of work.

Don shook his head as he stood. "Relax, Colby, I'm not gonna bite you." He grinned and turned to Alan. "So, how far did you guys get this time?" He teased.

Charlie mock-glared and replied, "Actually, we made it all the way through this time around."

Don eyebrows climbed in feigned surprise. "Really? This is what? The first time you've made it all the way to the eighteenth hole?"

"Funny." Charlie deadpanned. "Next time, you get to play with these two 'pros'."

Don's brown eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Well, in that case, why don't I just concede the game right now? It'd save all of us time."

Alan and Colby chuckled as Charlie shook his head, a mischievous gleam appearing in his eyes. "Nope. If I," He pointed at himself. "Have to play them. You," He pointed at Don. "Have to play them."

Don groaned dramatically and slumped in exaggerated resignation. "If I must, I must."

Colby looked over at Alan. "We got ourselves a couple of comedians."

Alan shook his head. "No one else will put up with them. I guess we're stuck with them."

The four men stared at each other in mock-resignation for a minute before cracking up. "Come on," Don said, gesturing to the door. "I'll buy you three lunch."

Colby's stomach chose that moment to give a particularly loud grumble, causing him to grin at the three Eppes men sheepishly. "I didn't get much of a breakfast this morning."

"Obviously." Charlie commented dryly as they made their way to the door.

Charlie and Colby went first, with Don and Alan trailing several feet behind. "When do you think they'll tell us?" Alan asked Don sotto-voce.

Don shrugged. "I give it another week."

Alan shook his head. "Nah, two days."

Don looked over, a quizzical look on his face.

"They're not hiding it as well." Alan explained.

"Ah." Don nodded and watched Charlie and Colby for a moment, taking in the fact that they walked with barely and inch between their shoulders, their heads bent close together as the conversed. He shook his head. "No, I still say a week."

Alan shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Later that day, Charlie and Colby were settled together on Colby's couch, their feet propped up on the coffee table. Charlie was leaning into Colby's shoulder slightly as they watched the news. Well, Colby watched, Charlie was lost in thought. Every minute or so, Colby would glance at Charlie then turn his attention back to the TV, knowing Charlie would share his thoughts when he had them in some semblance of order.

Colby's patience paid off when Charlie spoke five minutes later. "I want to tell them."

Colby's head jerked around and he stared at Charlie for a moment. He pressed the mute button on the remote and turned to face Charlie. "You sure?"

Charlie nodded decisively. "We won't be able to keep it from them for much longer, we're not being as careful as we were."

Colby thought back over the day and realized Charlie was right, which he often was, but that was beside the point.

Charlie watched and waited as Colby thought, his teeth worrying his lower lip in an unconscious display of nervousness.

Finally after a seemingly endless silence, Colby nodded and met Charlie's eyes. "Okay."

Charlie stared at Colby in surprise. "Okay?"

Colby nodded again, a smile teasing at his lips. "Okay."

Charlie grinned, pleased surprise, joy, and love shining in his chocolate brown eyes. "Okay." He said softly as he leaned forward and kissed Colby deeply.

Colby smiled against Charlie's lips and pulled him closer, reveling in the feeling of holding this amazing man-his lover-in his arms.

When Charlie pulled back, they were stretched out on the couch with Charlie on top, gasping for air. Charlie started into Colby's eyes as he murmured; "Love you."

Colby smiled and brushed an errant curl off Charlie's forehead. "Love you too."

Charlie smiled and laid his head down on Colby's shoulder with a sigh of contentment.

Colby squeezed Charlie gently and relaxed into the couch with his own contented sigh. "When do you want to tell them?" He asked softly, his hands rubbing Charlie's t-shirt covered back.

"Mmm,in the next week or so." Charlie replied equally as soft, his back arching slightly into Colby's caress. "Whenever the opportunity presents itself."

Colby smiled and nodded. "Works for me."

Silence fell as Charlie and Colby basked in each other's presence, content to simply be together.