No Longer Than Strictly Necessary {Charlie Gillespie x OC}
Summary: Riley’s sick, but as usual, is refusing to admit it, and is working herself half to death. Charlie’s away in Vancouver- until he comes home, and finds his girl being her usual stubborn self.
Warnings: None, fluff and slight mention of smut (hardly).
Last thing on a Thursday afternoon was not the ideal time for difficult customers to make an appearance. It was 10 minutes before closing, and Riley had already been through the stacks, organised the few haphazard shelves at the front door, and put away 3 boxes of new arrivals that she technically didn’t need to tackle until the next morning. But as ever, she was going the extra mile, trying to make her life easier for the next day. The small second hand book shop she’d worked in since she was 15 was like a second home to her, and she loved it almost as much as her apartment, three blocks from the shop.
Still in college, Riley had been over the moon when her boss had told her he was leaving Canada, and he needed her to take over the store. They never got on well, but the chance to manage the musty little shop was a dream come true for her. At the moment, in mid December, she was trying to keep the shop up and running, study for her senior year midterms, and take care of herself. The last one was often the one she let slide, much to her friends and family’s dismay.
“I was wondering if you had this book in stock?”
Riley smiled and squinted at the fuzzy photograph the old woman was showing her over the counter. It was in German, the cover was faded, and she couldn’t make out who the author was.
“I’m really sorry, what’s the name of it? I’ll check and see if we have it on the system.”
The old lady huffed, and slipped her decade old phone into her handbag.
“I don’t know, do I. It’s in another language.”
Riley resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and took a deep breath.
“Of course. Do you know who the author is?”
Once again, the little old lady shook her head, pursing her lips.
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t have showed you a picture.”
Riley smiled sweetly, and turned around, heading through to the back.
“Ellie, how much do you love me?” Her best friend, and co-manager of the store, looked up at her from the floor, the thick frames of her round glasses making her green eyes even larger than usual.
“If it’s that goddamn woman asking about the German book again, I don’t love you. Hell, I don’t even know your last name.”
Riley groaned and leaned up against the wall, rubbing her forehead. She’d been in the store since 5.30 that morning, hoping to get home slightly earlier so she could study.
“You good girl? You look a bit weird.”
Riley flipped Ellie off, and sniffed, preparing to face the old lady again. At last minute, Ellie took pity, taking in her friend’s flushed complexion, and glassy eyes.
“Go home. You have work to do, I’ll handle her.”
Riley smiled gratefully, and pulled her jacket over her shoulders. She’d been feeling more tired than usual, and with midterms on the horizon, an absent boyfriend, and a messed up sleep schedule, it wasn’t really a surprise she felt as sick as she did. But she knew she had things to do, so she smiled at Ellie as she left, pulling a face behind the old woman’s head, before trudging through the light snowfall from earlier that afternoon, to her little apartment above the bakery, three blocks over. Ellie watched her leave, shaking her head slightly with a knowing smile, hoping that her best friend would feel much better by the next morning.
After little old ladies looking for ancient German books, Riley was adamant that Political Science was next on the list of things to be avoided like the plague. At first, her classes had been great, her professors were so helpful, and her classmates were the best- but now? Not so much.
One week before midterms, Riley pulled her glasses off and rubbed her eyes, sick of trying to make international political ideologies make sense. It was nearly 11pm, she still hadn’t eaten, and she hadn’t heard from Charlie in over 8 hours. Riley felt her eyes well up at the thought of the boyfriend she hadn’t seen in 4 months. She understood his filming was important, and she was stupid proud of him for landing his first lead role- but they’d been together pretty much every day since middle school, and being apart from him for this long was incredibly difficult.
They’d made it through the last few months with countless facetime calls, all nighters to try and speak to each other around his filming times and her classes, and random surprise gifts every now and again, on both parts. His most recent gift had been a Julie and the Phantoms sweatshirt, miles too big for her, that smelt strongly of his aftershave. She cried when she opened it, and slept with it every night. Meg had come over to comfort her a few times, when the night’s had been a little too lonely, or when she’d broken into one too many bottles of wine. Her birthday was probably going to be the worst part of it all though- it was in 3 days, and Charlie wasn’t due home for another week. They’d fought about it over the phone, with Charlie begging her to come out to Vancouver, and Riley getting upset that he expected her to drop everything to go and see him, when he knew fine well just how busy she was. It had ended with a 3 day silence between the two, until he caved and apologised- but things were still tense between them. Riley groaned and dropped her head onto her desk, sighing as the cold surface made contact with her forehead. Her head was fuzzy, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had 8 hours consecutive sleep.
Another hour later, and there was still no news from Charlie. Riley didn’t even get mad. She was just lonely, and found herself missing him more than ever. She was scared he wouldn’t come home until after Christmas because of their fight, and wondered if he’d opt to stay in Vancouver and spend it with his cast-mates.
She couldn’t be more wrong.
He was currently sitting in the backseat of an Uber, a stuffed duffel beside him, his hands itching to turn on his phone. But he knew he couldn’t, because she might check his location, and see that he was right around the corner.
The Uber pulled up, and Charlie grinned at the driver, shouting his thanks, before swinging his bag over his shoulder and making his way into the apartment building. It was Owen’s idea, to come home early. He’d overheard their entire argument regarding Riley’s birthday, and had given Charlie a clipped ear for the way he spoke to her.
“She’s your girl man. Take better care of her. She wants you to herself, not sitting around with all of your new friends.”
Charlie had frowned at him, scratching his hair.
“Dude, there’s no reason we can’t do that here. I’ll just get rid of you for the night or something.”
Another clipped ear followed, and Owen had forced him to book flights then and there. It was lucky he had, because in the week that followed, he could tell from Ellie’s constant updates that Riley was steadily getting more and more reckless with herself. Without Charlie constantly reminding her to sleep, go out, and eat, she was spiralling into her work mode, something Ellie and Charlie had been working together to keep her out of since she was 16. Her Junior year of high school had seen her very nearly end up in hospital, after she’d worked herself half to death trying to ace the SATs, and balancing taking care of her mom, and still working 9 hour shifts 4 times a week. The girl had a tendency to stress herself out without even realising, which often led to it getting severely out of hand.
Riley looked up from her desk and sighed, pushing her glasses back on her face and pulling Charlie’s hoodie tighter around her. One more essay, and then I’ll sleep, she told herself, beginning to type furiously. She was interrupted by the sound of a key in the lock, and someone swearing quietly as they tripped over her boots at the front door.
She should have been concerned, and she would have been, had she not instantly recognised the familiar voice. Charlie came stumbling round the corner, and into the living room, his smile resembling that of a child on Christmas as he noticed Riley sitting at the dining table.
“Hey. Miss me?”
Riley jumped up and ran at him, forcing him to drop his duffel in order to catch her. Her legs automatically wrapped round his waist, and she buried her face in his neck, biting back tears as she breathed him in. Charlie’s hands stroked up and down her back, holding her tightly, relishing the feeling of having her back in his arms. He lowered her to the ground carefully, brushing her hair out of her face so he could look at her properly. She looked exhausted, even in the soft light of her desk lamp.
“Oh Riles. You’ve done it again, haven’t you.”
He sighed and stroked her cheek, pulling her glasses off carefully.
“Hey, I’m not done working, give them back!”
Riley jumped up to grab the glasses from Charlie, who was holding them way above his head, but stopped when he threw them onto the sofa, and dropped his hands to her hips.
“Yes you are, and no, because then I can’t do this.”
He leant down and pressed his lips against hers, bringing her into a soft and languid kiss. Riley moaned in surprise, but let her arms drift around his neck, pulling him close. They stayed in each other’s arms for a few moments longer, until Charlie broke away, and rested their foreheads together. He stepped back after hardly a second, and held her face in his hands, looking at her with concern.
“You’re burning up, you okay?”
Riley nodded, putting on a convincing show of being totally healthy.
“When did you last eat?” Riley shrugged and leaned into his chest, finding comfort in his solid presence. She finally felt at peace, with his arms wrapped around her, protecting her from the world.
Charlie sighed, and held her silently, stroking her back as he debated what to do. She was clearly not well, but he knew if he pushed too hard, she’d get mad.
“Want to take a bath?”
Riley looked up at him with wide eyes, rimmed with red and darkened by the deep shadows underneath them.
“I dunno. Kind of just want to go to bed.”
Charlie nodded, and steered her towards her bedroom. They hadn’t technically moved in together- but they may as well have. Most of his stuff was here, and she always called it their apartment. And he hoped she was okay with that being true, as he followed her through the hallway, his hand still in hers. Riley collapsed into bed as soon as she got into their room, burying her face in a pillow before reaching her arms up for him, begging for him to join her.
“C’mere, I want cuddles.”
He laughed, and pulled his shirt over his head, rolling his eyes at the look she gave him.
“Not a chance. You’re going to sleep.”
Riley huffed, but pulled back the covers and rolled into his chest as he came in beside her, instantly pushing her feet against the bare skin of his legs.
“Riles! Jesus, you’re cold.”
She giggled, and kissed his shoulder, before settling in as he turned off the light. Charlie couldn’t help but shake his head at her. It had been all of 10 minutes since he’d gotten in, and she was already asleep. It made him wonder just how badly she’d been taking care of herself while he was away. Within seconds, she was snoring lightly, and Charlie watched her with a gentle smile. He really loved this girl.
The next morning, Charlie woke to a cold bed, and empty arms. Looking around him in concern, he was relieved to find the bathroom light on- but the sounds coming from inside made him grimace.
He pulled a pair of sweats on, and wandered through to the bathroom, knocking on the door quietly before he let himself in. Riley was slumped over the toilet, alternating between heaving and coughing violently, tears running down her cheeks.
“Oh baby.”
Charlie knelt down beside her, and pulled her hair out of the way, stroking her face carefully. Riley groaned and sobbed lightly, a sound that crushed Charlie’s heart.
“You okay?”
She shook her head, and he winced as she heaved again, nothing but pure stomach acid coming up. He rubbed her back soothingly, before pulling her back to lean against his chest, sitting on the floor with his legs either side of her. Almost an hour later and they were still sitting there, with Riley curled up half asleep in Charlie’s arms.
“You done?”
Riley nodded weakly, and hid her face in her hands, while Charlie stood up and wet a washcloth. He filled the mug on the side of the sink with water, and came to sit beside her, pressing the washcloth to her forehead, and holding the mug up for her to drink.
“This is why I wanted you to come see me. It’s not good for you to be cooped up like this. Guarantee you’ve done nothing but work this week.”
Riley’s eyes widened, and she tried to stand, swaying dangerously before sinking back into Charlie’s grip.
“I forgot about work- I told Ellie I’d open.”
Charlie laughed and began plaiting her hair loosely, rubbing her arm as she tilted her head back and groaned.
“You’re not going in. I texted Ellie, she knows I’m here. I’m sure she doesn’t expect you to leave our bed for the rest of the week.”
Riley rolled her eyes at his joke, clutching her head as the dizziness hit.
“At this rate, you’re not getting anything. I think I’m dying.”
Charlie laughed again, and kissed her forehead.
“I get to spend time with my beautiful, overdramatic girlfriend. That’s everything to me.”
Riley hummed and waved a hand weakly at his response, collapsing onto his bare chest.
“Cmon, let’s get you in the shower. Want me to wash your hair?”
Riley gave him an adoring look, and he chuckled in response, a deep throaty sound that resonated round the small bathroom. He rested her against the wall, and turned the shower on, before picking her up and steadying her with his hands.
“Can you stand?”
Riley nodded weakly, and tried to pull her top off, wobbling dangerously before Charlie caught her.
“That’s a no. I’d run a bath but I want to get you to bed. Sit down.”
He kicked the toilet lid down and lowered her onto it, before undressing her while she sat with her arms up, pouting like a child. He stroked her bottom lip with his thumb and smirked at her, dropping his joggers and pulling her up, helping her into the shower cubicle.
One of the best things about their small apartment, was the bathroom. The shower was basically a wet room, with more than enough room for the two of them to shower together. It was a major selling point for Riley when she’d moved out of dorms last year, knowing Charlie would be with her most of the time.
Charlie pulled Riley under the hot spray, letting her lean back against his chest as the water streamed over them, and drawing circles on her skin with his fingers. She tilted her head back and let the water run down her face, sighing in relief as her neck relaxed, and the tension of the week dissipated. Living without Charlie had been harder than she’d originally thought, with simple things like grocery runs being almost impossible to remember, and the laundry sitting in the corner for days before she’d finally get around to doing it.
Normally he’d be over every day, staying most nights, and making sure she ate, slept, and took care of herself. She was constantly up in the clouds, thinking about her next assignment or the next display she could put up in the store. Often, this meant her own wellbeing was chucked out the window.
The sweet smell of pears filled the air around them, and Riley let out a soft groan as Charlie ran his fingers through her hair, lathering up her shampoo against her scalp.
“Have I told you I love you?”
Charlie laughed softly and kissed her shoulder, pushing her forward gently to rinse the bubbles out of her hair. He repeated the process, taking his time and massaging her head with his calloused fingertips, revelling in the pleasure filled noises escaping her lips. After gently combing conditioner through the ends of her hair, he spun her round and let her fall against his chest, reaching out for her apple scented bodywash and letting it foam between his fingers. She sighed and cuddled into him, planting featherlight kisses across his chest and shoulders.
“I love you Charlieboy.”
Her voice was muffled, but he picked it up through the echoes of water hitting the tiles, and kissed her hair.
“I love you too. Come on, head back.”
He held her under the shower carefully, letting the water wash over her face, and smiled as her eyes closed, lips parted slightly. If she wasn’t sick, and if he wasn’t so worried about her, she would be over his shoulder and on her way back to their room by this point.
But there were more important things to be done, so Charlie turned off the shower and helped her out, wrapping her up in the biggest towel he could find, before sitting her on her bed, and chucking her a pair of his joggers and a hoodie.
“Put those on, I’m getting you food.”
Riley opened her mouth to argue, but the look on his face shut her up quickly, and she watched him with an adorable pout as he pulled shorts on, and disappeared along the corridor. She tied her hair up, and slipped his clothes on, snuggling into the warmth of their bed. She wished he’d hurry up and move in with her.
Four consecutive months apart had reinforced how badly she needed him, and she didn’t want to have to be apart from him for any longer than she absolutely had to. The sounds coming from the kitchen suggested that he’d figured out she had eaten pretty much nothing but pizza and noodles for the past few weeks, her mood having plummeted after their argument.
“Riley, you can’t be trusted on your own. I’m never leaving you again.”
Charlie came through the bedroom door with a plate of toaster waffles smothered with chocolate, her favourite comfort food, and a steaming mug of what she assumed was tea.
“That’s fine by me.”
She grinned up at her boyfriend, before taking a sip of the mug he handed her. It was hot lemon, and she gagged as she set it down, sending him a disapproving glare.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m mad at you- you’ve been neglecting my girlfriend.”
Charlie stroked a damp strand of hair off her face and pressed a kiss to her temple, smirking as she pouted.
“Now, what movie we watching? Eat, by the way, or I’ll leave you to sleep alone.”
Riley stuck her tongue out at him, but reached over and took a waffle, wrinkling her nose slightly. The chocolate was melted, dripping onto her fingers as she took a tentative bite and groaned. It was good. Charlie watched with a knowing smirk, rolling his eyes and lifting up an arm for her to settle under, which she did, still chewing happily while her feet rubbed against his calf. He kissed her hair, mumbling to her.
“You’re lucky you’re just out of the shower. If your feet were cold I’d throw you out of bed.”
Riley grinned, a drip of chocolate on her lip, which he wiped away and sucked off his own finger, winking at her as he did, before grabbing the TV remote and turning on Netflix.
“What we watching baby?” Riley shrugged and turned so that her head was resting on his chest.
“Put on Charmed. I started watching it again a few weeks ago, but I was afraid for the TVs health, so I stopped watching it.” Charlie rolled his eyes, somehow reading his girlfriend’s mind.
“Seriously? Don’t know whether to kiss you for watching my show, or kick you for being a child.”
Riley scoffed and grabbed the remote, clicking Charmed and smirking when she saw she’d finished episode 4.
“It’s Sarah’s show, I watch it for her. Getting to see my gorgeous boyfriend shirtless for all of 40 seconds is a plus, but I get that anyway.”
Charlie flicked the side of her head gently, but settled in anyways, watching the familiar scenes unfold. Riley had been on the set of Charmed with him for a while, and had struck up a friendship with Sarah. That was before she realised they were filming a sex scene together. After she found out about that, Sarah had become a very close friend, and Charlie had been kicked out of the house multiple times in order for girls night to take place. It didn’t make sense to him, but after the few episodes he was in aired, he’d not been complaining at Riley’s reaction. Sarah had facetimed them the day after with a knowing smirk, laughing outright at their clearly topless bodies in bed together, faces still red and sweating. Turns out knowing that millions of people were looking at her boyfriend kissing another woman made her slightly jealous, and had led to hours of him proving she was the only girl for him.
They finished the entire first season, and by the time Charlie clicked off of Netflix, the sun had set, and Riley’s fever had already gone down.
“This is what happens when you actually take time to relax, Riles. I wish you’d take better care of yourself.”
Riley sat up and shrugged, looking at him with a loving smile.
“Where’s the fun in that when I’ve got you to do it for me?” Charlie rolled his eyes and started drawing shapes on her bare skin under his hoodie.
“Yeah, I actually wanted to speak to you about that.”
Riley frowned, and looked at him, nervous.
“Are we okay?” Her voice was small and terrified, and Charlie shifted to his knees, grabbing her hands.
“Oh my god, of course we are. I was just gonna ask you...” He took a deep breath, and squeezed her hand.
“Would you wanna move in with me? We’ve been together so long now and while I was in Vancouver, living with Owen was great. I mean, obviously he wasn’t you, but I loved having a roommate and i was thinking how awesome it would be if we lived together.”
He looked up at her, frightened to see her reaction. But he was met with her flinging her arms around his neck, happy squeals deafening him as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“Yes, yes, yes. Of course. I was going to ask you- I missed you so much and I don’t want to spend any time that’s not strictly necessary away from you.”
Charlie grinned and pulled away from her, planting a kiss on her lips.
“Good. Thank you. I love you.”
Riley giggled and leant in to kiss him again, letting her hands play with his short hair. It was a new feeling; she was so used to his long curls- but she didn’t hate it.
“I love you too. So when you moving in?” Charlie shrugged and pulled her back down beside him, slipping his hand into hers, and kissing her knuckles.
“Most of my stuff from Vancouver is getting sent straight here, so I guess now?” Riley kicked him playfully, laughing at his relieved face.
“Yeah, that woulda been hella awkward if you’d said no.” Riley snuggled into his side and rested her face on his bare chest.
“I’d never say no to you. I love you too much.” He chuckled and kissed her temple.
“Take better care of my girlfriend for me?” Riley rolled her eyes.
“Watch yourself. Now, are you going to let me welcome you home properly? Or not?” Charlie looked up at her with raised eyebrows as she pulled his hoodie over her head and straddled his thighs. He checked his watch and contemplated for a moment, before wrapping an arm around her bare back and pressing her up against him.
“Yup, we made it almost 24 hours. That’s long enough, come here.”
