AN: I feel like Charles would fuck to this song.

A oneshot for 

Charles' POV

I pull into the driveway of the apartment that I share with my best friend Lily and my roommates. I could never figure out what I wanted to do after high school, if I wanted to do college or go to work, so I decided to do both. I work from three to eight at a local gas station as a clerk and I'm doing classes from ten to one. I'm trying to work towards a degree in communications. I parked and walked through the front door. I'm curious if someone's started dinner. I didn't get a text back from anyone when I asked if I needed to pick something up. I did get something for myself though. The gas station that I work at has a popcorn machine, sure it's nothing like the ones they have at a movie theatre, but it's still quite nice. I enter the living room and see why I never got a response. There was a movie playing. I smile and plop down in the empty space on the couch. Lily grins.

"Hey Charles! Glad to see you back from work."

My roommate, Alia, smiles at me as she steals one of the pieces of popcorn from my box. "Did you have a good day?"

"We weren't too busy and no one tried to rob us so I'd count that as a good day!" I reply.

"That's... good." She hums.

"Did I miss dinner? Or has it not been made? No one responded to my text." I ask.

"We were going to start dinner but Alia got us watching this sappy suspense mess." Issac, my second roommate, replies.

"You didn't have to watch this with me." Alia retorts.

"You were excited to watch this, of course we'd watch it with you." Lily beams.

"I could start on something now." Joan, my third and final roommate said. "What would you like?"

"I can help if you need me to, Joan, but we can make anything as long as we have the ingredients," I say.

"No. You've been at work and in class all day, let me cook." Joan replies, getting up and walking over to the kitchen.

"If you insist, I'll sit here," I reply with a shrug.

"We probably don't have much, we haven't been to the grocery store in a hot minute," Issac calls to her from his spot next to me.

"There's barely anything in here, but I could make something with rice, looks like we've got a lot in here," Joan calls back.

"It'll be good no matter what, don't stress about it," Alia said.

Joan hums and then starts shuffling around the kitchen. I settle into my spot on the couch, getting comfortable. Alia gives me a look, her eyes lustful. I glance over at Lily. She doesn't know my biggest secret. She seems very engrossed in the film. I know Alia wanted to put this film on, it is her favorite, but she never seems to be able to resist me. Alia's cautious though, she doesn't want the secret to be revealed. I give her a little nod and she rests her head against my shoulder. She inches her head closer and pecks my neck. It sent a shiver down my spine. Alia had a smirk on her face and I smiled back coyly. I looked over to see Issac staring at the two of us. He was glaring at us, not because he was upset, but because he was jealous of Alia. He's going to wait, Lily's here. She mustn't know, I don't want anyone to know about me being polyamorous. Although she does know that I'm bisexual, I came out to her to comfort her when she came out to me as a lesbian. It's not that my relationships are bad, I know that being in a relationship with a boy or a girl or anyone, but I know that polyamorous relationships are still a taboo of sorts.

So yes, my three roommates are not actually my roommates but my lovers. I couldn't help myself but fall in love with these three. My sweet and precious Alia Robinson was my first out of the polycule that I met. Issac Goldberg was the second, there was no way that I could resist that devilish charm when I was at the bar, it's when Alia and I were searching for a third. Joan Vattersby was the last one that we added to our polycule. She'd been coming into my gas station job ever since I started at the same time every day and I couldn't ignore that cute smile or juicy fat ass any longer but to my surprise, she asked me out first.

I suppose that I should explain how I met each of them. Reminiscing about that would probably pass the time until dinner. I had met Alia in one of my classes. We had to take an English course as one of the general education classes. She was beautiful. I had been listening to a lot of Lily's songs. She can write really good songs about romance but it will pull at your heartstrings if you're single. So, in a heartbeat, I asked Alia out for coffee. She accepted and we went out to the local cafe. Alia could tell that I was very attracted to her and I could tell she wanted me, yet there was a sense of hesitation in her aura. I nibbled on the pastry I purchased, pondering what could stop her from wanting me.

"You know Charles, I'm not an ordinary man." Alia hums.

"My life has had twists and turns which are pretty unordinary so I don't mind," I reply.

"Well, I'm not really a man at all." She said.

"Oh? So does that mean-" I started but slowly trailed off to allow her to be the one to admit it.

"Yes, I know I certainly don't look like it yet, but I'm a woman, I'm trans," Alia admits.

"Do you think that would make me like you less than I do?" I ask.

"Well, if you find me beautiful now, I don't intend to stay this way... and normally when I admit this to people, this is where they run off." She continues.

"I'm sure that you'd still be beautiful, and this isn't off-putting to me," I reply.

"Wait really?" Alia questions.

"Yes, I'm being serious. Transitioning is a long hard journey and I wouldn't want you to do it alone." I smile.

"You're one of the first people that has accepted me truly, thank you, Charles." She whispered, taking a long sip of her latte.

"I know it's important to accept people no matter what, and with you being as pretty as you are it'll be worth it." I beam.

Alia and I hit it off really well that day. We've been thick as thieves ever since. I told Lily about her situation and she let Alia live with us. With how expensive rent is, it was easy to let Lily agree to it. I've helped the lovely Alia blossom into the woman she wanted to be. Her transition wasn't easy but she was really happy with the results. She will always have a soft spot in my heart. It's not just her personality that I fell in love with either. I love her features. Her bright green eyes and her long curly blonde hair gives me the shivers every time she graces me with her presence.

Issac wasn't as sweet as Alia. He was more brash but with his dashing good looks and his devilish charm, neither me nor Alia could resist him when we saw him at a bar on date night. Alia and I had talked about our relationship and she was interested in inviting a third into our relationship, introducing me to the idea of polyamory. I had thoughts of it before but I didn't have a name for it.

Alia and I were happily enjoying some drinks when I got a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see one of the hottest men I personally had ever laid eyes on. There was a man standing in front of us, his slight muscular build quite visible in the white compression shirt he wore. A white t-shirt and gray sweatpants, a simple outfit but his body was mesmerizing in it. His brown eyes twinkled as he stared me down. He ran a hand through his short black hair, the stray curly strand wrapping around his finger. Alia joined me to see who wanted to talk with us, turning her head. She let out a little giggle.

"Aww, who's this handsome cutie? Would you like a drink?" Alia ponders.

"I don't need a drink, I already bought my own, but I wouldn't mind spending the night with either one of you." The mysterious man responds.

I went completely red. "Um, are... are you... propositioning us?"

"Indeed. I don't think spending the night with you would mean anything else, does it?" He asks.

"Come on Charlie, this can be the third person we've been talking about," Alia whispers into my ear.

Her hot breath sends tingles down my spine. "Y-You're right."

"So... what's the verdict?" He queries.

"I would like to know your name first." I retort.

"Issac. Issac Goldberg. There, introduction over with." The man, Issac introduces.

"That's a pretty name, it fits a gorgeous man like yourself," Alia replies.

"Thank you. Now, what's the name that goes with your pretty young face?" Issac wonders.

"Alia. My name's Alia Robinson." She answers.

"And what about you, Handsome? What's your name?" He says, eyeing me.

"Oh. Well- I felt myself turning into a blushing mess -I do have a name, not sure if it's fitting."

"What is it then?" Issac asks.

"Charles McKenny... but those closest to me like Alia here call me Charlie," I mutter.

Issac chuckles, reaching a hand out to caress my cheek. His fingers feel delicate yet I'm sure he could be rougher than either of us. He uses his thumb to trace down my cheek to go down my chin. I could only watch, my eyes trailing his movement. Alia watches in amusement.

"Is he always this weak? Goodness, submissives are always just adorable." Issac asks Alia.

"Not always, just 99% of the time." Alia giggles.

"Don't tease me like that, Alia," I whisper.

"Hmm, seems like that's true to me," Issac says.

"So... so what if it's true?" I stutter.

"It's cute, I don't find anything wrong with that. It'll make time in the bedroom much more fun for me." He said.

"We should go home and see about that then." I retort.

"The 1% is showing with that sudden confidence." Issac quipped.

"Should I call us a taxi?" Alia suggests.

"Sure! Let's just hope that Lily is still at the recording studio." I replied.

The three of us had a great night, without Lily ever finding out. We gained a new roommate a few days later. I was elated at the success, but I didn't know what was in store for me. Normally I would sort of dread going to work. I like the work but there's a lot of risk. Gas stations get robbed a lot and the one that I work at is no different from the rest. My store has been robbed quite a few times, and I've been working twice when robbers have come in, and sure the customers can be assholes, but there was one girl that I could always count on to brighten my day. Her name? Joan Vattersby!

Joan had been coming in every day for the past month. She'd purchased small things at the start. A soda here, a candy bar there, or a bag of chips even. Joan would skip up to the checkout line and strike up conversations with me. Slowly, I'd begin to learn things about her. She was a British foreign exchange student at the local university. She had started from a study abroad but fell in love with Grimsborough. She's a culinary major. She loves cooking but is sometimes just too lazy to cook. She's best friends with her older brother, Eli. Her favorite color is pink. Joan loves bubble gum and is a plain Jane when it comes to her favorite flavor, vanilla. She had come in again to purchase yet another snack.

"Did you find everything okay?" I ask, starting the transaction.

"Yes. Although I had a very hard time choosing what I wanted..." Joan sighed.

"Really? Maybe I could help if you need help deciding between things." I suggest.

"I know that you could and it would be really sweet but I'm just going to get both. I know I probably shouldn't, these daily snack outings have started to do damage to my waistline, but I skipped breakfast today and barely managed to scarf down my lunch." The girl said somberly.

"Skipped breakfast? They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Why'd you have to skip it?" I question.

Her purchases did indicate that the poor girl was starving. A big slice of the made-in-house pepperoni pizza, a bag of salt and pepper chips in the biggest bag we carried, one of the jumbo chocolate chip cookies, a peanut butter vanilla drizzle candy bar, and a large French vanilla iced coffee to wash everything down. Honestly, that sounds like it would taste pretty good.

"I had an exam today and I really did want to eat breakfast but I woke up late so I was in a rush. I've been running around all day, it's a shame that I've been running around all day with class and errands. I'm going to scarf this all down the second I pay for it... at least all the weight will go to the right places right?" Joan explains.

"I'm terribly sorry about the shitty day, but I'm not sure that I understand what you mean by that?" I eyebrow her curiously.

She giggled. "I've been coming in here every day at the same time and don't think I've seen you check me out?"

"Well, sure, I've looked at you while you've come in here but it's nothing romantic!" I reply.

"Oh come on Charles, I've seen you stare at my ass as I've put on weight and filled out my pants more and more." Joan teases.

"You come in every day, of course I was going to notice you," I argue.

"Stop lying, it's sort of obvious you like me." She responds.

"You make my work days bearable, of course I appreciate you stopping by every day. I don't care if you think you aren't drop-dead gorgeous because of some extra weight. I certainly wouldn't judge people about that, look at me." I laugh, patting my plump belly that was outlined by the uniform that I was made to wear.

"I know, it's really hot," Joan muttered under her breath.

"W-What?" I stammer.

"I've been waiting to say that since I started coming here." She admits.

"You've taken a liking to me. Is that why you come in every day?" I reply.

A blush covers her cheeks. "That's only half the reason."

"What's the other half?" I ask, finishing up the transaction. "And you can pay now however you're paying, $14.52."

Joan inserts her credit card into the card reader. Her blush intensifies. She puts in her pin number and the purchase goes through. I raise an eyebrow at her as I carefully bag her things.

"Half of it's to see you and the other half is for the snacks. I find the candy and stuff better here than in England. I know it's bad for my weight but I can't help it, it's worth it to me if I get to have you brighten my day." She said softly.

"I can understand that, I leave every day with a snack or two for myself. I don't care about the weight thing, I'd be an ass if I was." I reassure.

"I'm glad that you don't. I know that you get off at 8, do you want to go out for dinner afterward?" Joan requests.

"Well, I would love to, but I'm a packaged deal. I have a boyfriend and a girlfriend. I'm not exactly mutually exclusive, although I can ask if they'd be okay with that. If you aren't okay with that, I'm sorry about it but I love those two and won't change that just to be with only you." I explain.

"Oh, you do? Does that mean if the date goes well that I could get three lovers for the price of one?" She queries, looking excited at the idea.

"Possibly, since no one else is here I'll text them to get permission," I reply.

When I told Alia and Issac about Joan's request, they seemed excited at the idea. They said that I could go on the date with Joan as long as I let them meet her if things went well. The date went splendidly. I introduced Joan to the other two, who were enamored with her. Joan really loved all of the attention. Lily was hesitant to allow another person to move into the apartment, but we had plenty of room so I helped her move from her dorm to the extra room. It was less money that she had to pay but she promised to contribute that extra income to buying groceries. Joan has fit in really nicely with the polycule. That was four months ago. I could never be happier. We all love each other very much, we just don't know how to tell people so we do things in secret. I reached into my little box of popcorn and it was empty.

"Hey guys, dinner's ready!" Joan calls from the kitchen.

I get up from my seat and saunter into the kitchen, tossing that box away. Joan had tossed together a dish with rice and some spare veggies we had in the kitchen as well as chicken that must've been defrosting. I come over, that smells heavenly. Joan had her long auburn hair tied back into a bun and her blue eyes sparkled as they looked me up and down. A person who can cook that's as curvy and beautiful as Joan, I've scored. I was tempted to kiss her but she took my hand and ushered me to go wash my hands so we can eat. I pouted but I did as she said.

Issac helped Joan set the table and I helped Alia get drinks. Lily took her seat and soon we all started to eat. I sipped from my glass of sparkling water. I dig my fork into the rice and get some kale, spinach, chicken, and tomato with it. Shit, that tastes good. Everyone was happily eating and drinking, it's clear that Joan did a good job.

"Did you guys have a good day? I could've talked to you all at breakfast but I had to get my oil changed at 8 am." I say, rolling my eyes at the mention of how early I had to get up.

"That's fine Charlie, it sounds like you've had such a busy day. My day was nice, my first class of the day was canceled! I could sit back and enjoy the rain." Alia responds.

"Enjoy the rain? Alia, you're crazy! It's been pouring outside all day! I thought my umbrella was going to break walking to and from my classes today. At least the food's good, I think culinary classes are really starting to shine through!" Joan scoffs.

"Oh, you poor thing. The rain won't kill you, but the food is good. Good thing we have a culinary student living with us." Issac teases.

"The food's great, don't listen to him, Joan. But to answer your question, Charles, I had a fabulous day. I was in the recording studio all day and my new album is almost finished. I need just a few more days to work out the kinks." Lily counters.

"Don't argue at the dinner table. I'm glad that you had good days, but should we worry about the rain? It's raining pretty hard, should we be concerned about a power outage? I've been hearing things about businesses around the area complaining that the power has been going out." I hum.

"We should be okay but a power outage should be the last of our worries, Charles," Lily says. "We've been through so much, a little power outage would be the least stressful thing we've been through."

"Have there been things that you haven't told us, Charlie?" Alia queries.

"There's a lot of stories that we could tell you about our high school days," I reply with a laugh.

"Don't hide secrets from us Charlie, tell us!" Issac beams.

"Would you like to tell them, Lily?" I question.

"Of course. We've got all night." Lily shrugs.

I begin to explain some of the memorable moments that happened over the years. The time we had arrows shot at us after prom, along with other crazy shit that went down. My three lovers were in a trance, oohing and ahhing at the stories. There's been a lot of things that have happened since meeting Adelaine. By the time we have finished the storytelling, dinner is gone and a couple of hours have passed. I helped Alia and Joan clear the table. The lights flickered a little and Alia bit her lip, getting frightened. Joan was about to start washing the dishes but the lights went out. Alia screams and hugs me tightly. Issac comes over and quickly begins to calm Alia down. Lily peeks through the blinds to look around the neighborhood.

"It appears the power went out for the entire neighborhood," Lily states.

"Don't worry guys, there should be a flashlight somewhere in