EPILOGUE

[Nico di Angelo]

I've never thought of writing the ending first, so this was definitely something new for me (: it's exactly 750 words because I didn't want to make it completely cheesy but I have trouble ending things without a cliche. This is the ending to my currently untitled work about Charley (a 31 year old man) and Noah (a 16 year old girl) trying to make a relationship work through society's rules and their own issues. I never really thought of how I wanted it to end, so this is probably just going to end up as an outline, but that's still progress. I guess this would be a one paged epilogue.

{{Written for a challenge on Shadowplay. I wanted to share and maybe get your opinions on it. ConCrit and shameless flattery are love. I coded it like a basic RP post so it might be easier to read.}}

EPILOGUE

A year. It was hard for Charley to believe it was almost a year since he met Noah. She was barely seventeen but Charley had hopes that she would stay. After all, hadn't his curse only broken because his soul mate had shown up in his life and they'd bonded? Damn, that was definitely not something Charley wanted to consider because that thought brought a lot of 'what ifs' to the forefront of his mind. Charley closed his eyes, trying to will away the thoughts. He couldn't think those things, for God's sake. The stout blond didn't fight his way through years of turmoil and fickle women just to break the one woman's heart who stood by him despite his crap.

"Charley," he cursed himself. "Charles, pull yourself together. What would she say to you now?" That brought a smile to his lips. He could practically hear his young girlfriend snapping at him for being stupid and thinking too hard. "Geez, you idiot," he hissed, rolling onto his side. The blond sunk deeply into the bed and he closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the cars flying by. A year and he was still living in downtown Girard. Things didn't change, did they?

A muffled clatter caused him to look up, his dark gaze setting on the door to the bedroom he and Noah shared. Charley listened intently, amused by the swears and curses his woman was letting out. Noah was home.

"Charley, why is Nate downstairs?" Noah called out, her voice soothing the confusion in Charley's head. "Hey!" The blond blinked and stared at his woman who had, sometime between her question and her snap, made her way into their room. "You okay?"

"Just thinking," he replied softly.

"Old man," Noah teased, "don't think too hard." She smiled at him for a moment before asking, "So, yeah, what's your idiot doing here?"

"Oh man," Charley muttered, dropping his head to the pillows. "I accidentally invited him for dinner."

"Charley!" Noah exclaimed before laughing. Charley peered up at Noah's laughing face and snorted as the seventeen year old walked out of the room, still laughing. The thirty-two year old hefted himself off the bed and trailed out after the brunette he lived with, following her to their apartment door. He peered over her shoulder and waved at his idiotic older brother who was dressed (not surprisingly) in garish, flambouyant clothing.

Nate plowed passed the couple and Charley turned to watch his older brother as the taller blond spun in circles, taking in the apartment. "Hey," he called, drawing out the 'a' sound in the word. Charley arched both of his brows in response to Nate's word. "It's me!" Charley snorted and looked to where Nate was looking. Indeed, it was a picture of Nate saluting the camera with a martini in one hand and a bottle of scotch in the other. It was on the hutch in the entryway.

"Wow," Charley said dryly, "you're very observant. I feel so proud." The blond laughed at Nate's pout. "Hey, you're the one dropped on your head as a baby."

"So?" Nate whined, looking behind Charley. "Noah, he's your man! Make him behave!"

Charley glanced behind him at Noah who wore an amused grin on her face. Despite their audience, Charley leaned down to kiss Noah on the lips lightly before pulling away. Noah smiled at him and looked at Nate. "Sorry man," Noah said. "Can't help you there."

"If I kissed you, could you?" Nate asked innocently, batting his lashes at Charley who growled.

"Nah," Noah replied. "Now, into the kitchen." Noah shooed the brothers off and left the room, leaving them to catch up. As they spoke, Charley couldn't help but be glad that he had Nate.

"Things change, you know," Nate said quietly. "For the better, too. I mean... Noah?" he chuckled. "She could have done better, bro."

"So could Ara," Charley snapped back bitterly.

Nate held up his hands in defence. "All I'm saying," he said, "is don't be an idiot. She's Noah Richards for god's sake, don't lose her." Charley stared at Nate and smiled softly, nodding at his brother's words. Maybe his living situation didn't change but everything else changed.

"Hey Charley!" he heard. "We're out of lemon pepper. Can you run out and get me some?"

"Sure thing, babe," Charley called back. He stood and looked at Nate. "Don't blow anything up. The walls are pretty." With that, he walked out of the kitchen.

RANDOM FACTS:
-Nate was *not* dropped on his head; it's a running joke between them and their friend Joey because Nate's such an airhead.
-Noah only recently turned 17 and has been a legal adult since she was 16.
-Charley is unemployed at the moment because of his anger issues.
-Charley is Noah's bitch.
-Ara is Nate's fiancee.
-Nate is the older brother, stands at about 6'3", and Charley is the younger brother and stands at about 5'8". Nate is 35 and Charley just turned 32.
-The icon is me and my friend DRose, a.k.a the inspiration for Noah and Charley. Of course, DRose is just one of my closest friends but I take inspiration where I can get it.


&&Please don't steal this. I worked pretty damn hard on it.