wasn't expecting that | chalex oneshot

wasn't expecting that

a/n; this sucks but i've been so inactive so :')

word count: 1209

Alex hated Valentine's Day.

This was to say the least. He hated the stupid dances, all the whiny people complaining about having no dates, and even worse, the people who did have dates and made it their personal mission to flaunt it in everyone's face.

Needless to say, he wasn't going to the dance, and he definitely would not be celebrating with anyone. Anything would be better than going, so it didn't matter that he didn't know how he'd spend the miserable night instead.

So why he was sitting with Charlie St. George filling out a stupid Dollar Valentine's survey at lunch was a mystery to him.

He had been talking to Jess, Justin and Clay at their table but it had gotten pretty awkward listening to Jessica talk about her plans with Justin. Eventually Jess realized this, so she'd put on a painfully fake smile and practically forced Charlie (who had just happened to walk by) to fill out a stupid survey with him.

He was trying hard to focus on filling out the questions, just to make Charlie and Jess get off his back, but the latter kept glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, making his thoughts cut off before he could even finish them.

Get it together, Alex.

Do you have a crush at the moment?

No, he thought to himself. But then he thought about how his heart was racing in his chest because Charlie fucking St. George wouldn't stop being so god damn adorable.

He had his hands folded neatly in his lap and was intently reading the questions then thinking hard, as if his life depended on answering them perfectly.

Alex forced himself to look at the next question.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

If he had a dollar for every survey that included some version of this question.... He sighed; he didn't know. He just found shit that distracted him until it was time to do whatever else he was supposed to do.

He rolled his eyes, writing down a generic answer of listening to music, writing, and playing video games.

What do you look for in a potential partner?

He honestly didn't know, and he was starting to understand why Charlie was thinking so hard. He had to remind himself that he didn't care and he would probably just throw away the paper when Charlie wasn't looking.

He sighed again before setting the pen down, looking over at Charlie who was still hyper-focused on what he was writing.

"Charlie," Alex said, but he appeared not to have heard him. "Charlie!"

Charlie jumped, looking around in alarm for a few seconds before realizing it was Alex. "Huh, what? Do you need help with something?" He said quickly. Jesus, he was like some overly-helpful golden retriever.

"Yeah," Alex said slowly. "I don't understand these. Can I look at yours?"

Charlie bit his lip and a soft blush covered his cheeks. Alex shook his head. "If you don't want to it's fine."

Charlie glanced at him again shyly, and reached over for his paper. "No, it's fine."

Alex took it and set it down, scanning over it, admiring Charlie's messy handwriting for a moment.

Apparently Charlie liked emotional and thoughtful girls - and guys. Alex glanced at Charlie and saw he was still watching him with a tentative expression.

He read through the rest of it, not really processing it because he couldn't stop thinking about the and guys. Those two words repeated over and over in his head like a broken record and it shouldn't interest him, it really shouldn't, but it did.

From what his brain was able to register, he had a crush on one guy at the moment but he wrote he didn't have a chance with him. As his hobbies he put football and baking. Believe it or not, Alex could definitely see Charlie as the baking type.

Alex turned back to Charlie and handed over the paper, not surprised to find he was (still) watching him. And guys, and guys, and guys.

"Did it help you?" Charlie asks.

"Yeah," Alex lies. "Thank you."

Charlie still hasn't turned back around yet and Alex takes this as a sign. "So, um, who's the.... Guy? That you have a crush on?"

It was probably Monty or some shit. Every time he glances at them they're always doing something touching each other.

Charlie shook his head. "No one."

"Bullshit. Come on, I won't tell them," Alex said.

"But they'll know."

"It's only you and me here and no one is listening." Alex looked around and it was true, no one was paying any mind to them.

"Exactly." Charlie looked at Alex with his signature tentative glance.

It took Alex a moment to comprehend and when he did all that escaped his mouth was, "Wow, okay." Smooth, real smooth.

Charlie looked a little scared as he bit down on his lip.

"'Wow,' what?" Charlie laughed nervously.

"I just.... I'm surprised."

"I know, it's stupid. Just forget I ever said anything." Something about the sad little sigh Charlie gave broke Alex's heart. He started to pick up his stuff.

But Charlie was stupid because guys like Alex Standall didn't get to be with guys like Charlie St. George. He knew he didn't deserve happiness and the people who he cared for only ended up getting hurt by him. Charlie was wrong.

"No, you're not stupid. But trust me, I'm a lost cause. Don't waste your time."

Alex turned back around and decided that he couldn't bear to look at the stupid Dollar Valentine's slip one more time. He was just about to crumble it up when Charlie touched his arm.

"What are you talking about? You're not a lost cause."

Alex rolled his eyes where Charlie couldn't see. He grabs the survey and unceremoniously tosses it in the trash. Charlie follows suit.

"Are you saying I have bad taste?" Charlie asks.

"I guess so."

"Are you going to the Senior Dance?"

Alex stopped walking. Charlie St. George really would be the death of him. "No," he says deadpan.

"What I was trying to ask, would you maybe wanna go with me, like as friends obviously. You could hang out with me and the football team and stuff."

Alex gave up trying to shake Charlie off and leaned in annoyance against the lockers in the empty hall. "What makes you think I wanna go? And hang out with the football team?"

Charlie bites his lip and glances up at him with those golden retriever eyes. "You don't have to hang out with the football team. You could just hang out with me."

Alex uses every ounce of willpower he has in him to not roll his eyes. "If I do, will you leave me alone after?"

"If you want to," Charlie says, but Alex knew he never wanted Charlie to leave him alone.

"It's a deal," Alex says, letting out a sigh. Charlie's eyes light up. "See you there."

It's not until Charlie is long gone and Alex is alone in the hallway that he thinks about what he's really gotten himself into.

He was going to the dance. With Charlie St. George. He wasn't expecting that.