It's been a few days since we had Toby over and Charlie's starting to display what I like to call his 'loneliness signs'. He tends to be a real homebody, but he definitely needs to see other people and go out to keep his depression at bay and sometimes, he may need a little prompting.

So here I am to prompt him. Carmen has finally finished decorating her new place and since Charlie is the one who got her and her sister out of their abusive home, I think it'll really cheer him up to see the fruits of his labor, so to speak.

"Hey, baby," I plop down on his lap on the couch, disrupting his laptop as he tries to move it out of my way. "You're not working, are you?"

He looks at me with hazel eyes through his blue light-filtering glasses. "I'm just doing next week's schoolwork because I'm bored."

"Bored? Good, good, because Carmen just finished furnishing their new place and invited us over~" I dangle the keys in front of his face.

Charlie lights up. "Carmen wants to see us?"

"Of course, you got her the damn place. You can meet her little sister too." I smirk, knowing how much he loved hanging out with Kaz.

"I gotta get pretty." He claps and cleans up his work area before humming, looking through his wardrobe before pulling out a simple black shirt, black pants, and a belt.

I go to my room and refresh my deodorant and put a belt on. Slipping into my shoes, I meet him at the door. "You look gorgeous. I like black on you."

"Thank you." He smiles cutely, shirt tucked in to accentuate his small waist. On his feet, he is wearing black combat boots with purple soles. He's not wearing any makeup today and his hair is its natural curl pattern, but he is accessorized with dangly earrings and a matching long necklace.

I kiss him quickly because I can't help it, he's just so hot, and open the door to head down to our car. "Want me to drive?"

Charlie nods and kisses me back. "Sure."

I unlock the car and we get in. I pull up my gps and put in the address. "It's really close, honestly we could walk there. Bet that's intentional." I chuckle.

The blond looks at me with big eyes. "You think she wanted to be close to us?"

"Yeah, we're kinda her only friends now, Char." I squeeze his knee reassuringly.

"Scout exists, plus, I'm sure she could easily make more friends." Charlie shifts his weight. "She just has to look and she'll find a bunch of people who'll want to be friends."

"Probably, but she's not very good at it according to her. Tended to push people away and the only ones who became her friends were people strong enough to withstand her attitude until she reveals how she really is. Does it to protect herself, probably a coping/protection mechanism built in by her trauma. She only started trying to tone that down after you." I explain, having learned a lot from Charlie's therapy going and looking into stuff for him.

Charlie puffs his cheeks up as he thinks. "Then I'll just have to be there for her. I'll be the best friend."

"You are the best friend. Toby hung out with us once and he already adores you." I laugh.

My boyfriend giggles. "I adore Toby, so I'm glad."

"You two are pretty cute." I park at the place.

"Glad my boyfriend thinks so." He flutters his eyelashes at me.

I smirk at him. "You know I'll always find you attractive, baby. I love everything about you."

He hums contently. "I love everything about you too. That's why you're going to be my husband."

"Mmm, I love hearing that word." I kiss my future husband.

Charlie sings along to the music, happy to be out and about. He's an ambivert, but he really loves to go out and meet new people and experience new things.

I open the car door and check my phone. "They're in 5C."

"Okay!" He grabs my hand and kisses my knuckles before swinging our interwoven hands gently.

We make it to the door and Scout opens it before I could even knock.

"How did you know we were here?" I ask and they just smirk.

From inside, Carmen yells, "We could hear your loudass footsteps all the way down the hall, Dechart!" She smiles and joins us, giving Charlie a hug upon sight. "I'm so glad you guys are here!"

"Me too!" Charlie hugs her back. "I almost moved in because I'm lonely."

She laughs. "Cute. You look good by the way."

"I swear, you're attracted to outfits, not people." I tease her and she rolls her eyes.

"Still wouldn't explain why I got with you or Tony. Neither of you idiots have any sense of style."

I gape at her as she walks us in.

"I look good because I have a pretty figure." Charlie sticks his tongue out at me.

"And the black brings out your features." I curl a strand of hair around my finger and kiss his eyelid.

"Everything brings out my features." He smirks.

"True, Italian/Jewish Daddy." I tease.

He laughs. "I am many things. Italian and Jewish are just two of them."

"I'm citing where you got your features from, as that's what we were talking about."

"Carmen, is your smelly friend here?" A new voice calls from one of the rooms.

I stare at my ex. "She better not be talking about me."

Carmen just smirks. "He's here, Dani, but he doesn't smoke anymore."

"You think she'd be talking about me?" Charlie chuckles. "You're the smelly one in the relationship."

"I smell fantastic!" I assert. "I'm fucking insulted. Keep this up and I'll start using your expensive body wash and make you pay for it."

"Please keep it up, Charlie." Carmen says and I smack her arm.

"Traitor!"

"Heard that before."

"Damn, woman, opening all my old wounds!" I complain and collapse on a chair.

Slowly, a door opens and we notice eyes peaking out.

Charlie waves shyly at Carmen's sister. "Hi, my name is Charlie King."

The door opens fully and she steps out. Carmen's sister seems pretty young, definitely under twelve, and has the same curly, black hair that Carmen does along with her dark, pretty, brown eyes. She has smaller features like her mother where Carmen takes more after her dad with more square, wider features. Her skin tones also mirrors her mother, being a little darker than Carmen's. She's wearing a cute, dark purple dress and a few clips in her hair to hold down her baby hairs.

She waves timidly. "Hi."

Carmen notices her and beckons her over, wrapping her arms around her securely when she makes it. "Charlie, this is my sister Danielle."

She waves again.

Charlie smiles. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. You're Ethan's boyfriend, yeah?" She asks.

"That's me." Charlie giggles, his tone full of pride.

"He's also the guy who paid that nice lawyer to get us away from daddy." Carmen tells her and she lights up and hugs Charlie.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He hugs back gently. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Super safe!" She giggles. "I get my own room and Carmen lets me watch any tv I want and she makes killer Mac and cheese. AND it's nice and quiet all the time so I can do my homework without getting headaches and we might even get a pet!"

Charlie looks ecstatic. "Pets are so fun! When I was younger, I had a snake named Shane and right now, I have a guinea pig named Momo."

"That's so cool! Can I see a picture? I really want a hamster and they're like little guinea pigs, right?" She giggles.

I smile at Charlie's excitement. He's so good with kids, I know he'll be amazing with our own.

The blond pulls out his phone and shows her multiple pictures and videos of Momo, including a picture of me asleep with the fur ball cuddled up on me. "They're similar."

"Ooo, she's so cute."

"What job did you get so you can afford this hamster?" I ask Carm, slouching down on the couch. She sits across from me while the others gush.

"Don't laugh, but I got one at the pet store hoping for discounts." She admits.

"Really? Don't animals hate you?"

"Yes." She sucks in her teeth. "I make sure not to handle them unless I have to."

"Do you clean up after them?" I smirk as her face gets redder.

"Maybe."

"She's doing wonderfully, aren't you?" Scout says, sitting next to her. "Three weeks in and hasn't gotten fired yet."

Charlie smiles. "Great job, Carmen!"

"Thanks." She hides a smile. "Scout watches the kid while I'm away."

Danielle looks up. "Scout's a great babysitter! She plays with me and shows me all her special rocks!"

Ethan smiles. "I'm sure Charlie wouldn't mind helping out sometimes either, if you need a break, Scout."

"I'd love to help out." Charlie smiles. "But it's understandable if you'd prefer to not have me help."

"Why wouldn't I?" Carmen cocks her head. "She seems to like you."

Dani nods. "He's great. Better than Ethan."

I sour. "I really don't smoke, Dani. Promise."

"Ethan's been doing really well." Charlie explains. "Smoking is really hard to stop doing, but he's been doing it. I don't like smoking either. It's smelly, bad for you, and I have asthma."

She nods. "Okay, I believe you. My friend at school has asthma too. I'm glad you won't be smelly anymore, Ethan."

"Yeah, me too, had no idea it was such a huge problem." Ethan grunts and Carmen swats him.

Charlie giggles. "Now he smells like a hardworking man, like cars."

I smirk. "You like that smell, baby?"

He nods with a blush. "Do you have any hobbies, Danielle—or can I call you Dani?"

"That's fine." She nods. "I'm not weird about my name like Carmen."

"It's fun." Carmen smirks. "I like watching people try to prove themselves worthy of me."

Danielle thinks. "I like making stuff with clay. It's my favorite activity in art class. I really like penguins. I like catching fireflies and butterflies. I like walking and hiking and riding my bike but I can't do it here anymore unless Carmen comes with me. I hate video games."

"You hate my video games." Carmen clarifies. "There's tons that aren't violent."

Dani looks unbelieving.

Charlie laughs. "You could play something cute, like Animal Crossing."

"Some of my friends talk about that. Maybe." She considers.

O'Malley sighs. "Trying to give me more work, King? We can't afford that shit yet."

"I can be your sugar brother." He grins.

She chuckles. "I guess I can get Ethan to pay you plenty."

"You can't use me, fuck you." Ethan snaps and she kicks him.

"You like it, pipe down."

Scout just giggles.

Charlie looks around. "I'll never get over how funny you are together."

"What does that mean?" I turn on him.

"Your bickering and stuff is cute."

"Hear that, Ethan? We're cute." Carmen smirks.

"We were never cute."

"Please," Scout rolls her eyes. "You're the most head over heels romantic doofball I've ever met. You're so cute when you're in love. Case and point." She points to Charlie.

He blinks and grins. "You're always cute, Superstar."

I blush. "Well, so are you."

"Thank you." He blows me a kiss.

I catch it and put it on my heart and blow one back. Dani joins us, now with a bag of chips. "I'm glad you guys are still friends. Carmen's been really sad and angry since your other friend went to jail."

Charlie looks down.

"I'm glad we're still friends too." Carmen asserts. "I think we all needed someone like Charlie in our lives."

Scout and I both agree. "We did."

Charlie blows his hair out of his face. "I needed you all too. Being alone is no fun."

"Definitely." I hug my boyfriend.

"You'll never be alone again, that I can promise you." Scout tells him confidently. "You have another family now."

"I'm really grateful. You're all so unique and I love all of you."

"We love you too, blondy." Carmen smirks and Dani bounces in her seat.

"You can be like my new uncle, with Ethan!"

He beams. "I would love that!"

She smiles. "Yay!"

"Do you think Toby would survive if we all hung out together?" I ask Charlie.

He smiles and fiddles with his fingers. "I think he'd be a little anxious, but as long as we don't force him or anything, I think he'd get along well."

"Who's that?"

"Toby Love?" Scout guesses.

"Ohhh, the crybaby."

"Dude! Be fucking nice! He's really sweet." I scold Carmen and she nods.

"Sorry, old habits. I'm used to being judgey."

Charlie frowns and pouts his lips. "Toby is going through a lot of stuff right now and doesn't have many friends. One of the few he had started treating him different because of his sexuality."

"That sucks." Carmen looks down. "Poor kid."

"I've already got dibs on beating them up."

"I don't even fight, Ethan." Carmen rolls her eyes. "You just wanna assert your power and get punched."

"I do not want to get punched!"

"Please, you take beatings so fucking well, it's suspicious."

"I do not just take beatings!"

"Baby, honey, it's okay to lose."

I pout like a child and snuggle into Charlie. "Don't patronize me."

Charlie pets me. "My little baby."

"Fuck you, I'm strong." I huff but don't move. Charlie's very comfortable, even when he's trying to baby me. "None of you in this room can beat me. It's not my fault Tony's a tank and that's the only fight you've seen me in."

He ruffles my hair. "My strong cowboy."

"My strong pirate captain." I smile and kiss his chin.

The blond looks at his tattoo fondly, the shirt's short sleeves doing a great job on putting it on display.

"I really like it, by the way." Carmen says, noticing. Scout nods in agreement.

"It's beautiful. Ethan drew it, didn't you?"

"I did." I smile proudly.

Charlie nods and shows it off. "I even had him sign it with his initials."

Carmen's eyes widen. "Damn."

"He's extremely committed and loved to show it." I smirk and look into my boyfriend's eyes. "And I love having my name on him. Forever."

"Forever," he promises.

I take his hand and smile, feeling the happiest I've ever felt surrounded by my friends with my future husband at my side. My life until now has felt like such a whirlwind of misdirection but I've finally found where I belong and I couldn't be happier about it. I know my dad would be really happy for me. I wish I knew how I could express how thankful I am to Charlie, but words could never do it justice, so I'll just have to do it with rings.

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