Growing Up - Charley x Reader (1)
notes: I use Jane and John and other names similar instead of y/n. Also this is titled (1) because it’s in chronological order. i’ll also have one with (2) that is in the show’s order.
She met Charley for the first time accompanying Joe and Shirley at their audition for Take a Left. “Just write a plain old melody,” Joe said before walking out. She held back to tell them this: “for what it’s worth, I thought it was good.” Charley and her exchanged a look, which Frank caught. When she left, Frank gave Charley a look. “What?” Charley asked his friend. “You had a moment,” Frank said. He knew Charley was a hopeless romantic, yet never finding the right person. Not many women understood what Charley and Frank did and would be willing to support it. It was a hard life, and often uphill. “No we didn’t, she… She was just being nice,” Charley justified. “Bullshit,” Frank responded, laughing in surprise.
When Frankly Frank became a thing, Charley almost wrote her asking her to audition, but that was until he saw the second act of the show she was currently in. She was brilliant, taking control of the stage and audience. She was mesmerizing and captivating. Charley considered trying to see her after, but he didn’t want to intrude or seem weird.
On the opening night of Frankly Frank she was there. Charley almost missed his entrance on his solo towards the beginning of the show. Not only that, but she was in the second row of the Downtown Club. Charley was enamored by her laugh, and Frank gave him a look at times. What made Charley stutter more was her upmost attention on him at all times when he was on stage. Her cheers and applause were the loudest at the end.
Once the show had ended, a woman with dark hair came up to her. “Hi, you’re Jane, right?” the woman asked. “Yes, I am, and you are?” She asked. “Oh I’m Mary Flynn, I’m a friend of Frank and Charley’s. Charley said you’re a performer?” Mary asked. Flattered, Jane responds, “I am. They’ve mentioned me? I’ve only met them once at their audition for my friend Joe Josephson.”
Meanwhile, Charley was in the back watching Mary talk to Jane. He was nervous. What if Mary said something to Jane that made Jane feel uncomfortable? What if she’d mentioned him? Frank put his arm around his friend and said, “well pal, you have a visitor. I’ll be with Beth. You go, talk to her.”
A minute later, Charley worked up his courage to go out there and talk to her. “Hi, um, I’m Charley - well, technically Charles - Kringas. We’ve met before. I’ve uh, I’m flattered that you’re here,” Charley stumbles over his words, which she found endearing. “Yes, I remember you. This revue was really good, you should do more shows. And I’m Jane, Jane Devoe,” she offered her hand to shake, and he did. His hand felt tingly afterwards. It was a spark he had only heard about before, never experienced. “Well, I best be off. This was a wonderful show,” she said. He knew that she felt the same electric spark pass between them. Yet he let her go, he would give her space, but the game had started.
She came back to see the revue again a few months later with Joe and Shirley - now Gussie - another big Broadway name like Jane’s. After the show, Frank Shepard himself came by to thank Joe for coming, and Charley joined him a few minutes later. While Joe, Frank, and Charley talked, Gussie noticed Jane’s gaze never straying from Charley’s face. When Joe and Gussie left, Jane lingered. Charley noticed. Frank and Beth were talking over the wedding with Beth’s parents. Yet Charley stayed. “Sorry the show wasn’t the best, we were. a bit nervous with your presence. I mean, not that your presence is a bad thing, I just… I’m not good at articulating what I meant to say. I meant that-” Charley started before being cut off. “I know what you mean. I’d be nervous if I knew you were coming to one of my shows,” Jane responded. “You should stay,” Charley said before continuing saying, “I mean for the wedding. Obviously.” So she stayed, sitting next to Charley except for when he gave Frank the rings. When Charley sat back down, his hand brushed Jane’s hand. Both of them jumped slightly at the contact. Then, in a rare moment of confidence, Charley took her hand in his. She didn’t pull away.
Charley and Jane had been going out for awhile, and he’d been wanting to pop the question. That night he and Jane would be attending Joe and Gussie’s party, and hopefully after he and Frank got their show cleared, he’d propose. The fact that Frank, the least romantic out of Charley, Frank, and Mary, was the first to be married was truly a miracle. “Are you ready?” she asked when she walked out into her living room where Charley sat waiting. Jane was a vision in pale blue. She was glamorous, and it took a lot in Charley to not ask her to marry him right then and there. “Charley?” She asked again, which made him snap out of his reverie. “Yes, I was just… yes, I’m ready to go,” he said before standing up. He walked over to her and kissed her cheek before taking her hand in his and walking with her out the door.
The taxi ride to the penthouse Gussie and Joe lived in was short. When they arrived, Gussie greeted them, excited her friend was there. Gussie and Jane often starred in shows together, which made the two grow close. Gussie complimented Charley and Frank before taking Jane’s hand and running off.
Later, Jane caught up to Charlie on the balcony. “Hiding from the world?” She asked quietly as to not scare him. Charley turned, “no, I just… don’t know how to talk to anyone. Not even you.” She faltered, and Charley realized how he misspoke. “I didn’t mean-” Charley started. “I know what you meant, Charles,” she said before starting to walk off back into the party. “No, no, love I want to to marry you,” Charley blurted out, causing Jane to stop and turn back to him. “What?” “I want to marry you, Jane, if you’ll have me,” Charley said. He stood up so that he could get down properly on one knee. “Charley…” she trailed off before saying, “yes. Now stand up so I can kiss you properly.” And he did, getting up eagerly and spinning her around before placing his lips on hers. “Charley, are you out- Oh. Don’t mind me,” Mary said, walking out to see Charley and Jane in the middle of their necking. Charlie and Jane broke apart quickly. “No, no, what’s going on?” Charley asked Mary as he caught his breath. “Gussie wants you inside to talk to her,” Mary says. Charley nods to Jane before going in, leaving Mary and Jane outside for a moment.
“Had fun?” Mary asked, teasingly. “Yes, um, well we were celebrating,” Jane said. “Celebrating what?” Mary asked. “We’re getting married,” Jane said quickly, letting the truth come out. Mary paused, not believing it until Jane showed her the ring. Mary pulled Jane into a hug instantly and they celebrated themselves outside before going in to see Charley singing while Frank played. Mary motioned for Charley to take his readers off, which he did. Charley looked at Jane, enamored. When Gussie asked for an encore, Jane even agreed that once was enough, but Frank wanted to appease everyone. Jane showed Beth the ring, and Beth was over the moon, as was Gussie. The last person to tell was Frank, but they didn’t get the chance to that night. After their second performance, Frank was whisked away by Gussie, and Charley and Jane wanted to get home.
The second they were home, Charley was all over Jane. They were getting married. They were forever.
Jane and Gussie were starring in the new show Musical Husbands that Frank and Charley had written. Charley had written Jane’s character’s story inspired by his and Jane’s love story. After the show, Jane rushed backstage to Charley, and he held her in his arms and kissed her shoulder. “It’s a hit, Charley, it’s a hit!” “I know, I know. And Frank said we can do Take a Left!” Charley said excitedly. “Oh my God, finally!” Jane said. “One more for Joe, and then you can do Take a Left,” Beth says. “I’m sorry, but I disagree. This is the best time to do Take a Left,” Jane adds. “Jane you don’t have a child and you just had a hit show, so that’s very easy for you to say,” Beth responded. Jane paused, unsure of what to say. Mary tried to ease the tension, “well, trust me, success isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.” “I think Charley and I will handle success very well,” Frank said. “Look at how well we’ve handled failure,” Charley flippantly responded.
At home that night, Charley noticed something was off with his wife. “What’s wrong, darling?” He asked her as she just moved closer into his embrace. He ran his finger over her nose to comfort her from whatever was bothering her. “I think…no, I just…” She starts. “You know you can talk to me,” Charley said. “I think I’m pregnant, Charley.”
“I can’t believe Beth is pressing these charges,” Charley said one night. “I’m not,” Jane says, shocking Charley. “I know you love Frank, but I… I love him because you do, but I don’t trust him,” she says to her husband. Charley was surprised. “Frank didn’t do half of what he’s being accused of, Jane. He wouldn’t abandon Frankie,” Charley defended his friend. “Don’t assume he is like you. You would never do that to me, but he might,” Jane responded. “And it’s just not that, Charley, I know Gussie. I know her well enough to predict her actions,” Jane said. “I just… can’t ever imagine doing that to you,” Charley says before littering kisses over his wife.
In the time of having two kids, Charley had become more confident and sassy, something Jane adored. Despite Charley vehemently hating the idea of Musical Husbands the movie, when Frank won that argument, he made sure Jane would be reprising her previous role. Mary and Jane had been spending more time together after Mary’s success. It had been four years, and Mary was struggling, even if she wouldn’t admit it. Yet, Mary started to not like Jane’s influence on Charley. Charley wouldn’t be picking fights with Frank if Jane hadn’t given him the talking points Charley had.
“You were right,” Charley said at the end of the night Frank returned home. Charley, Mary, and Jane went out together without Frank since he decided he’d rather stay with Gussie. “About?” Jane asked. “They’re having an affair, Gussie and Frank,” Charley said. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t what you…expected,” Jane said. That night Charley held Jane close, unable to fathom a life apart from her.
Jane was at home, watching Charley and Frank’s interview. Jane knew that since she had attended Gussie and Frank’s wedding that something was off with Frank and Charley. “Oh no…” Jane says as she could tell her husband was uncomfortable. She could tell that by the end Frank was holding off strangling Charley. The only thing stopping Frank was the fact that they were on live television.
When Charley came home thirty minutes later, Jane just held him as he sobbed. “I know, I know. I’m so sorry,” was all she could say to console him. “I need to write. I need to write something,” Charley started frantically. “Are you sure?” Jane was worried about him. He loved the stage, but she was afraid that losing his best friend would be too hard to swallow right then. “Yes, I… I need to do this,” he said. “Fine, but come spend some time with me and the kids first?” Jane asked. Charlie concurred, and followed her to the other room where the kids were playing happily.
Charley won a pulitzer for his most recent play, which Jane had cowritten with him. One morning Jane was reading the newspaper when she saw the headline: FORMER BROADWAY STAR GUSSIE SHEPARD HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR THE MURDER OF MEG KINCAID. “Charley?!” Jane yelled. Charley came running, concerned, “what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” “No, no, I’m fine, but read this,” she said. “I can’t believe it,” Charley said. Neither Jane nor Charley had spoken to Frank or Gussie since the TV interview. Gussie had shut Jane out since she had never looked Charley.
“I’m happy I chose this, with you,” Charley told her.
“I’m happy I got to grow with you, too, Charley.”
