#young Charlie lonnit

[taylorshope]

Kate: Oh no, we're going to jail.

Jamie: Charlie's going to jail. I'm saying I was kidnapped.

Kate: That's a good plan. You and I were kidnapped.

Charlie: If I'm going to jail, we're all going to jail.

[108garys]

Man I want one of the player characters in one of these games to be old, not Angela and Charlie in their late 40s old, not even Du'met being a few years shy of 60 old(those characters are are all classified as middle aged), why not Anthony Clarke old? Or the presumably several years older Vince Barnes, or hell the quarry depicts "two days shy of 82" Jedediah Hackett as active and capable and there for I see no reason why old age should be a disqualifying factor

On the flip side I understand a little more why not a playable child as acting/writing/capability is a little more questionable but there have been decent character's in these types of games under 18 for years so we know it's possible

Basically I woke up and thought to myself, meaningful stories/choices are not the sole domain of 18-40 somesthings

[writtenjewels]

Super Massive Party

[This will contain characters from Devil in Me but is spoiler-free on the story. Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate and please consider donating to World Center Kitchen for Thankmas!] 

Anthony stood at the door, debating whether or not he was going to knock. He had recently made peace with his past-- finally let go of his family and moved on from the tragedy-- only to get a call from this man claiming to be his younger brother. His living, biological brother. He wasn't sure he was ready to accept anyone else into his life.

On the other hand, a part of him always wondered about his biological family. Who were they? Why did they give him up when he was a baby? He took a breath and knocked.

The door opened and for a moment he stared at the face on the other side. It was like looking at a slimmer version of himself. Their faces were similar and though this version had more hair, it was the same color as Anthony's. Naturally this man didn't have a burned ear, and he wore glasses.

“Anthony. So glad you came,” the slimmer man greeted him. Charlie, Anthony remembered. His brother's name was Charlie Lonnit. The accent still threw Anthony off. Apparently his birth family was British. Maybe some part of him knew that and that was why he imagined the accent whenever he thought of the Little Hope witch trials. “Do come in,” Charlie gestured.

Anthony did so and was immediately overwhelmed by the number of people inside the house. Most of them were clumped together in groups chatting or already in the kitchen making food.

“Let me introduce you to my team,” Charlie offered. Anthony was grateful for the direction. Charlie led him over to one of the chatting groups. One of them turned and Anthony gave a little jerk of surprise. That face reminded him strongly of Vince when he was young. “This is Mark Nestor; he's my photographer.”

“Hi,” Mark nodded with a pleasant smile. “Nice to finally meet some of Charlie's family. Though I guess... the two of you are meeting for the first time too?”  Anthony didn't know what to do so he just nodded. With Mark was Kate Wilder, the host of Charlie’s show. She seemed friendly enough and joked that she hoped Anthony wasn't as big as a pain in the ass as Charlie. Or at least Anthony assumed that was a joke. He was relieved when Charlie steered him to the next guest.

“These two are Jamie Tiergan and Erin Keenan. Lights and sound design, respectively. Jamie helped me find you,” Charlie informed him.

“Wasn't that hard,” Jamie shrugged. “Just plugged some information into Ancestry dot com and just like that--” she snapped her finger-- “I found you.”

“Thank you,” Anthony said quietly. He caught Erin's eye and she gave him an understanding smile. I'm shy and quiet, too, she seemed to be saying, and that made him feel a little better.

Charlie moved them on to his other guests. Anthony was a little surprised Charlie knew so many people, but his brother (still strange to think of Charlie that way) admitted he knew all of them through work. He'd gotten his start doing war documentaries before moving on to true crime.

“That's where I met these fellows,” Charlie concluded. He named them and Anthony nodded to each in turn: Jason and Salim Othman-Kolchek, married for almost twenty years now. They had a little girl with them and Anthony almost blurted out Megan? But no, her skin was darker than Megan's. Her name was actually Alima and Jason and Salim had adopted her.

“I was adopted too,” Anthony told her. She looked about Megan's age, he reflected, but also looked happier than Anthony remembered Megan being. “I had two sisters and a brother.”

“I have a brother too!” Alima chirped. “His name is Zain. We're going to visit him and his family in London.”

“That sounds nice. I hope you have a good time.”

Anthony got another shock when Charlie introduced him to Eric King. Something about Eric's face reminded Anthony of that officer who directed him to Little Hope a few years back. He also met Nick and Rachel Kay and Nick’s two nephews Alex and Brad. Alex’s wife Julia was in the kitchen helping with food.

Anthony was having trouble keeping track of all the names. Finally Charlie left him to his own devices and he wandered into the kitchen. He checked out the stovetop and let out a breath. Relax. This is a modern home. Everything's fine. Two of those in the kitchen were arguing with each other, one speaking in French and the other in Arabic. The French speaker looked a little like Jamie and Anthony wondered if they were related. The Arabic speaker turned and Anthony gasped. The man looked like his father! A different skin tone like Alima and a little heavier-set, but the face...

“Dar.” Eric stepped in, taking the Arabic man by the shoulder. “Did you want to take a break from cooking?” Dar’s expression softened at once (Anthony found it hard to imagine his father looking like that) and followed Eric back out to the party.

“Oh, good,” a voice spoke up. “More help. Could you take these out for us?” Anthony reeled back as yet another familiar face stared back at him. The man gave him a smile. “Don't worry, I get that reaction a lot.”

“Sorry,” Anthony sighed. “You just reminded me of someone.” Now that he could think straight he could see that of course this man wasn't really Dennis-- he was bald and Anthony couldn't imagine Dennis ever getting rid of his hair. This face was familiar for a different reason: this was Jonathan Finn, accused of being the serial killer known as the Trapper. “My brother,” Anthony clarified. “My, uh, adopted brother.”

“Funny,” Jonathan mused. “You remind me of a judge. Speaking of brothers, I work with yours sometimes as an expert consultant. Personally knowing the Trapper has made me quite the hot commodity in true crime shows.”

“That sounds... interesting.” He was a little glad he never told Charlie about his own time in jail. “I'm glad you turned your life around,” Anthony added. “I, ah, know a little something about that.”

“I figured you might.” Jonathan leaned forward and added: “If you wanna get out of here, just let me or Daniela know.” He nodded to a woman helping set up the tables. Anthony gaped yet again as the face reminded him of his sister Tanya.

They were here... they were all here. The only one missing was his mother. But just as that thought came to him, someone turned on the TV so they could watch the parade. And the woman on the screen had Anne Clarke's face. Or at least reminded Anthony of his mother.

Anthony had to take a seat then. He knew his family was gone, but to see so many who reminded him of them, of people he'd known, made him feel strangely safe. It was like they were telling him they would always be with him. That it was okay to welcome the new family of Charlie and all the people that were part of Charlie's life.

He wasn't alone anymore.

[maria-rayro]

extra for extraordinary?

Hector sighs as he sits down next to Charles, shaking his head as he begins to tend to his wound. "My compassion for you is inconvenient, Charlie" he says, calmly looking at the man. Lonnit whimpers in pain, looking at him with broken eyes. Hector smiles faintly, glancing at Charles. "The only thing that comforts me is that you feel the same way about me."

Lonnit tries to shake his head. Munday looks at him with love in his eyes. "There's no point in denying what's going on inside you. You can't fight it. Trust me, I tried. I tried really hard" he reaches out and gently touches his cheek, stroking it.

Charles whimpers. "No, no… no," he shakes his head, tears streaming down his face. Hector watches this almost sympathetically. "I'm not you… I'm not going to be like you… I'd never…"

Hector purses his lips. His shoulders sag as he sighs heavily, removing his hand from the young man's face. "No one can be fully aware of another human being unless we love them. Through that love, we allow our beloved see their potential. Expressing this love, our beloved's potential comes true" he says, placing his hand on Charlie's chest, looking intently into his eyes. "I love you, Charlie. And this is how I express my love to you".

Charlie is shaking in pain and tears. "You're not letting me live because you love me, you're letting me live because you think I'll be just like you," he whispers, barely able to force himself to speak, barely conscious at all. "Because you think I'm just like you… why?"

Hector tilts his head to the side, staring intimately into Lonnit's bright eyes. "Because you were able to fall in love with me. Because I see that you still love me. Even after you saw my real face" he smiles. "Don't feel bad about it. We cannot control with respect to whom we fall in love".

"You will leave me. I will forget about you."

Hector smiles calmly. "You won't. I won't. I will always remember you, my love" he looks at Charlie's blood on his hand. "After all... how can I forget about someone so… extraordinary?"

[captainthomasrobbie]

Trans!Young!Charlie Lonnit anyone?????

[grimfate]

     hyperfixating on charlie muse atm so here’s a big ol’ post.  things may be added or changed as i replay the game. 

name:  charles “charlie” lonnit  age:  49  d.o.b.:  09 / 26 / 1973  gender:  cis male  orientation:  aromantic heterosexual  physical:  chronic smoker (former), weakened lungs  mental:  autism (undiagnosed), severe ptsd  long shit under the cut. 

background. 

    grew up in a small town with lots of forest trails and open fields.  had an overbearing and frankly abusive father, who was arguably the source for his temper and how quick he is to jump to anger.  was only ever called charles by his father, hence why he practically insists on charlie.  

     the cinema captivated him from a young age, and he always dreamed of one day breaking into the movie business.  graduated uni with a degree in film, much to the chagrin of his mother, who always pressured her son towards a steadier career.  moved to the u.s. in his mid-20′s, hoping to capitalize on america’s raging involvement in the film industry. 

    upon arrival, he worked his way up from the literal bottom.  unpaid internships, assistant jobs, crew monkey -- you name it, he’s done it.  finally got his big break after a director, who admired his steadfast work ethic, submitted his name to head a new television drama.  it wasn’t what he wanted, but it’s what he got. 

     over time, however, that’s all his name became associated with, and he found it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to latch onto anything else.  he was passed over for other series and projects that he was actually interested in, all because they wanted a director with experience in those fields. 

     his bitterness and disillusionment grew over the years, and his already somewhat rigid and often off-putting demeanor became more pronounced.  crew and actors alike would find it difficult to work with him, and after a rather explosive fight with the producers, he was cut from the project altogether, and it became near impossible to find work with his sullied reputation. 

    eventually, he decided to strike out on his own and founded lonnit entertainment, operating out of a shitty flat in chicago.  it’s not much, but it’s his.  at least, as long as he can pay the rent. 

personality. 

    given his propensity for going the extra mile  ( read: using underhanded methods and nearly breaking the law )  to get stories and facts, he was hard pressed to find a crew that was willing to do the same.  he knows some of them aren’t proud of it, but a paycheck is a paycheck.  between firings and quitters, he’s gone through his fair share of employees before finally ending up with the crew he has now.  he doesn’t tell them often enough, but he admires their talents and what they bring to their ragtag little group. 

    this will probably get its own post later on, but charlie is autistic, albeit undiagnosed because of his age.  it’s the main reason erin  ( who is also autistic )  tolerates and, at times, even excuses his behavior. 

    despite his often prickly exterior, charlie is the mediator and peacekeeper of the group, though the paths he takes to get there can vary depending on his mood -- most notably, utilizing that soft voice and charming accent to defuse a situation, or raising his voice and reminding everyone who’s in charge. 

   he has remarkably high expectations for himself, and as such, he holds others  ( especially younger folks )  to those same standards.  exuding professionalism is of the utmost importance to him -- almost ironic, considering the shady lengths he and the others go to in order to obtain footage for the show. 

post - game injuries. 

    needless to say, he has a raging phobia of fire and enclosed spaces.  his left hand, crushed in a moving wall, required surgery and several months of rehabilitation.  even now, it gives him trouble.  between having to move the heated grate and the heat exposure after hiding beneath it in the incinerator, he suffered minor burns on his hands and arms.  has a small scar on his left nostril from being nicked by du’met’s knife whilst standing on the pressure plate. 

    in some verses, he managed to survive the plunge off the cliff after being tied up by erin and mark and left at the mercy of du’met.  in addition to severe head trauma and several broken bones, he now bears the word “COMPLICIT” carved into his chest, a mocking memento of being falsely accused of involvement in du’met’s crimes. 

IN PROGRESS ;  MORE TO COME. 

[108garys]

So to hijack this a little, here's a sneak peek of all the family tree stuff I'm working on with how I got all these men to be related(place holder names for convenience and and obviously siblings can be added as needed in future)

it's really something the millage you can get out of one trainwreak of a man

@myscprin @kassiekolchek22 @delurkr @abigails-batpack @ctrvpani @badideaart @seraphjewel @tatjana-fantasy @ivycross (really just tagging anyone I think would appreciate this) OK sorry it's a little messy but here's the explanation beyond Bragg and Ferris being cousins under cut

(I intend to do a bigger, cleaner post when I've got as many pieces as possible in place)

John Ferris had a teen son who was already a bit of a wild child and him dying didn't help that much, first Tom married Gina at a very young age and had Anthony Clarke(born Anthony Ferris), it's unclear if he was in the picture when she died but Anthony would ultimately be adopted by Anne and James

At some point Tom had an affair with Mrs Vanstone and William was named after and raised as her husband's kid, the truth coming out actually contributes to his bias as a judge

A young Pam Lonnit had a fling with Charlie's father on a trip abroad and he was nearly 30 before his mum told him his name and I'm sure meeting him contributes to his view of work/life balance(he tracked him down after he moved to the states), he's likely aware he has at least one half sibling

I didn’t even notice at first.

[108garys]

Tdim Werewolf/Vampire ideas

With the influx of vampire and werewolf stuff in the tdim fandom I'll get into an idea I've been thinking about a little, also relating to that vampire Bradshaw I recently did

First things first who's what, Du'met is a vampire and the Lonnit crew is a pack of werewolves(with the exception of Erin because she's still new and hasn't been turned yet) But where does Bradshaw come into things?

So basically Du'met would have already been a vampire for who knows how long, long enough that he was drawn to the world's fair due to the height density of humans and there he discovers something that amazes him, he doesn't necessarily interact with HHH since he's just another human(also I don't want him to) but he sees the castle either when it was operational or after Holmes's arrest(before it got burned down) and he plans on how he can build such a place for himself and after decades of meticulous planing he meets Agnes who wants immortality and to be young and beautiful forever and they come to the agreement that she will fund his project and he will grant her most deeply held desire(the specific decade is still up in the air)

On to the wolves, Charlie would have inherited lycanthopy from his mother who was bitten by a werewolf while vacationing in America(likely charlie's own father), he grew up this way and is very well adjusted as a wolf and considers the turning of his crew as the same as building a family but of course there's a lot of the same friction there

I haven't fully fleshed out how much Erin knows as the only human but I'm thinking it was the intention to have her officially join the pack after filming for the episode, it's unclear if Du'met simply wants her as prey or to turn her so that the wolves can't have her, Idk but I feel like however it goes she'll be the most vulnerable person in the castle until she isn't

Also not sure about the Hector/Du'met thing and how that'd work as this is a very early concept and not one I'm entirely sure I'll go all in on but I wanted to throw it out there

[maria-rayro]

catboy!charlie x hector munday

The life of cat-people was not easy and serene. For centuries, they were a quite discriminated group: they had no voting rights, they were considered not full-fledged humans, but rather a supplement to the "normal" members of society, something like a very expensive pet, the ownership of which added some points to the status of the owner. In the twenty-first century, of course, the situation became better: cat-people obtained equal rights and continued to defend their independence from other humans; they began to be respected, and sometimes they even managed to occupy leading positions in different companies. But the world continued to be imperfect. Cats were still more exposed to domestic violence and other forms of violence based on hatred, they were more often victims of sexual abuse and so on, and they were often kidnapped in order to be sold into slavery. The protection of their rights has long been on the agenda of the UN and other international organisations, but few have felt the effects of the declaration of equality.

Charles was bullied as a child at the school he attended - he was teased, pulled by his ears and tail, given inappropriate jokes. All of this led to a lot of complexes in his adult life and a lack of affection for people. Even when he moved to the US and started working as an investigative journalist, it still didn't leave him. In addition, in the industry, he is occasionally treated as a second-class human being. Some would mock the 'cute little cat', and some would try to get him into bed with them, arguing that they had 'heard about the unique ability of cats to please'. In general, Charles did not like being a cat guy, and he had his reasons for that.

At the same time, it was a part of his life that could not be got rid of, and he was aware of that.

One day, after he had once again failed and found himself all alone in the city, with almost no money and absolutely no friends around, Lonnit just wandered the deserted night streets, ears pressed to his head and staring sadly at his feet. The rain was beginning to fall more and more heavily, and this depressed him even more, so much so that at one point tears rolled down his cheeks. He stopped near the street lamp and just sat down on the pavement, hugging his knees.

He had no idea what to do.

His hair was getting wetter and wetter from the noisy droplets falling from the sky, and his clothes were starting to get wet as well. At some point it was as if he couldn't feel any more drops on him, though from the sound of it, it was still raining. He raised his head in confusion and saw a quiet man standing nearby, opening a black umbrella over him. The man was wearing a beige coat and a black hat and looked like the most clichéd noir detective in the world. Charlie blinked confusedly, looking at him. "H-Hello," stutters the young man.

"Well hello there. Need any help?" asks the man, tilting his head slightly to the side, peering at the wet cat boy. Lonnit is about to say, out of habit, that everything is fine and there is no need to worry about him, when suddenly the man removes his coat and puts it over Charles's shoulders. He takes his breath away for a few moments and looks at him like… a kitten. Yes. A most suitable description, perhaps. "Come on, you need to warm up," the man says, holding out his hand to the Charles.

Lonnit quickly casts a glance back and forth between the hand reached out and the stranger's face. Perhaps he is about to make another stupid decision - is it the 30th for this month? - and takes hold of his hand, standing up with his help, and wraps himself a little more tightly in a coat that is too big for him. The man nods, urging him to follow, and carefully holds up his umbrella so as to shelter the cat boy from the rain with it. "And you are… um… and w-who are you?" asks Charlie.

"Agent Munday. I mean Hector," the man replies calmly, smiling faintly at him, and Lonnit just nods awkwardly, becoming silent. They walk a short distance, just a couple of houses, and finally walk into an entranceway, followed by a small flat. Munday shakes off the drips from his umbrella and carelessly lays it by the entrance, and then takes his coat off Charles and hangs it up. Lonnit staying tentatively in place, wary and faintly wagging his tail. "Gotta get your clothes dry. I'll give you mine for now. Go change, the bathroom's that way," he nods at the right door. Charlie continues to stand still, undecided, wondering if it's too late to apologise and run off shamefully with his tail between his legs. Eventually he does give in under the calm gaze of the brown eyes and, with a sigh, goes to the bathroom to take off his soaked clothes. "And take a shower. That'll warm you up quicker," Hector says after him, and Lonnit only nods awkwardly.

Taking off his clothes, he hesitantly climbs into the shower cubicle. The hot water warms him pleasantly almost instantly, and he exhales relaxedly, covering his eyes. It feels good. Very good. He just stands like this for a while, and then begins to wash his head, body and tail, wondering at the same time what kind of situation he's put himself in. He really went to a stranger's house. Really undressed in his bathroom. God, that's obviously not going to be good for Charles.

He gets out of the shower and suddenly notices a pile of clothes and a towel on a small table nearby. He doesn't even seem to have heard Hector come into the room and bring it all in. Lonnit sighs softly. Okay. Maybe it's just some pervert. He can handle a pervert. Just as long as it's not some maniac.

Once he's dried off, he examines the clothes the man gave him. It turns out to be a T-shirt that says "No one knows I'm a serial killer" and pajama trousers with ties. The whole thing looks a bit baggy on Charles, and the pants even have to be twisted up a bit. The T-shirt smells good, but not like some kind of laundry detergent - no, it's something else. Perfume? Charlie sniffs, but still doesn't know what it smells like.

Opening the door, he steps cautiously out of the room barefoot and, treading softly like a cat, goes in search of the man. He finds him in the kitchen. There is already a cup of tea on the table and something is definitely cooking on the cooker - Charles unconsciously sniffs and realises that it is chicken and rice. He licks his lips as he sits down at the table and looks curiously at the agent who has not yet noticed him. He continues to cook quietly, and Charlie takes a moment to examine his behaviour more closely while he thinks no one is seeing him.

Hector seems calm, so… ordinary. He's still in the same suit he was wearing before, just his gloves off. And he seems to be humming something to himself. Suddenly he turns around to put a plate of food on the table and flinches when he sees Charles. "Jesus! You scared me. How long have you been sitting here?" he asks, putting everything in front of the young man and wiping his hands with a towel.

"Three minutes," confesses with an innocent smile Lonnit. Munday shakes his head slightly.

"Eat" he simply says.

"Thank you," Charlie replies awkwardly, picking up his fork and starting to eat. For some reason he's not at all worried that the food might be poisoned. Hector, meanwhile, goes on with his household chores, washing the frying pan and wiping the crumbs off the cutting board. "Ah… you're not a maniac, are you?" inquires Lonnit, and Munday turns around somewhat bewildered at him, before smiling, clearly amused by the young man's words.

"You're a very careless kitty, aren't you?" asks Hector, leaning his lower back against the tabletop, and Charlie twitches his ears slightly. "And no, I'm not a maniac. I already told you - I'm Agent Munday. I work for the FBI."

"Can you… um… can you not call me that, please, Agent Munday?" awkwardly dares Lonnit to ask after all. "It's a bit rude, actually."

"I'm sorry. I don't know your name," replies Hector calmly, and the young man smiles.

"Charlie. Charlie Lonnit".

"And how did you end up in this situation, Charlie?" asks Munday, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Lonnit sighs, lowering his gaze to his plate. "Well… long story short, I'm a journalist, and I've been duped by a man who promised to give me important information regarding an investigation I'm conducting…" he sighs, sadly shaking his tail. "And now I'm in an unfamiliar city with no money and no acquaintances. And also without any information for an article."

"And what's your article about?" inquires Hector.

"About the Beast of Arkansas," Charlie replies. "'Thought no one could write about these murders better than me. Well, and I kind of feel… like it's my duty, you know. To speak out. After all, he's killing people like me."

"He kills people like you, and you thought it would be a great idea to go to the town he's doing this?" asks Munday, and Lonnit shrugs awkwardly, smiling.

"I'm a silly cat, what can I say?" he jokes. "Curiosity killed the cat and all that, but life never teaches me anything. That's why I'm in this situation," sighs Charles, and his ears droop a little. Hector, looking at it intently, tilts his head sideways with interest, thinking.

"Well, maybe fate has been kind to you this time after all," he says suddenly, and Lonnit looks up at him bewildered. "At least you weren't kidnapped and killed in an alleyway somewhere. I'm willing to provide you with a warm bed, and… maybe - just maybe - I can answer some of your questions about the Beast, since I'm the one investigating his case," Hector explains, and Charles' pupils suddenly dilate towards the end of his speech. It looks a little funny and cute, and Munday even smiles a bit.

He's always been a cat person.

"Really? You're not kidding? Oh, thank you very much, Agent Munday!" Charlie smiles, and his tail starts twitching excitedly from side to side. "I… don't know how to thank you for this opportunity."

"I think you've already repaid me enough for everything with your charmingly grateful smile," Hector smiles slightly, trying not to flirt too bluntly so as not to embarrass the young man; he smiles back sweetly. "But I'd still prefer you to eat and sleep first. All right?" offers Munday, and the young man nods hastily.

A little later, Hector watches him as he falls asleep on his bed, curled up in a ball, and thinks to himself that he should probably really get himself a cat.

Or a lover.

Or Charles.

[maria-rayro]

HURT/COMFORT HEYYY

Hector has had trouble sleeping since he was a child.

At first he simply had to do many of his things, including his studies and his hobbies, at night while his mother slept, because during the day she would not allow him to do such things. She would either cut him off from studying, or just distract him with her annoying remarks. So, over time, Hector got used to pretending to study during the day, despite all the shouting, like a good and obedient boy, and at night he quietly did his homework and other stuff for real.

Sometimes it was difficult for him to sleep purely physically - the pain of fresh burns was distracting, and he could not sleep, constantly writhing in pain and crying silently alone in his bed.

When he grew up and left his mother's house to attend university, he was relieved for a while. He slept as much as his body needed and did not have much bad dreams. But sometimes he still woke up in the middle of the night with nightmares, sweaty, and couldn't sleep a wink.

Then he started working for the FBI and catching serial killers, which gave him nightmares and simply sleepless nights. He was constantly watching all kinds of true horrors, trying to figure out the mindset of sick psychopaths committing all the most horrific crimes. It couldn't help but leave a mark on him.

One day he met Charles, and felt that he might have been saved by his appearance from falling into a terrible abyss. He fell in love with the man, fell in love without hope of reciprocation. He felt safe around him, though it was more like Charlie was safe around Hector - and not even all the time. He longed to see him as often as possible, to hear his voice as often as possible.

He didn't know what Charlie felt for him, but he hoped it was at least something akin to friendship.

One day Lonnit, after one of their friendly get-togethers, asked to stay at his place for the night so he wouldn't have to drive across town at two in the morning. Hector agreed right away, knowing that if he sent the man home now, he might not live to see the morning with his superpower to attract trouble.

He walked him into his bedroom, gave him his T-shirt as a change of clothes. "What, are we going to cuddle in bed? Think twice, I can wrap my arms around you like a liana while I'm sleeping," Charles smiles.

Hector blinks twice. "I'll lie down on the couch. And you're here," he explains calmly, before retrieving his bedding from the closet and heading into the living room.

"Come on, I'm the guest, let me sleep on the couch!" says Lonnit, following him. Hector remains adamant, and eventually Charlie gives up trying to change his mind and goes to sleep in the bedroom.

Expectedly, Munday can't sleep. He's already not been doing it well in his comfy bed, and what about the hard small couch? He agonizes for about an hour before he kind of falls asleep.

He wakes up very soon, feeling awful, and hearing someone calling his name. Hector opens his eyes and suddenly flinches.

So that's what (who) woke him up.

Charlie is standing next to him, looking very anxious, and his hand is leaning against his forehead as if to measure his temperature. He blinks confusedly sleepily. "Hector, what happened? Did you have a nightmare?" asks Charles softly, brushing with his gingers dark strands from his forehead.

"Why... why aren't you asleep?" asks Munday hoarsely, sitting down on the couch.

"I don't know, just woke up for some reason. Thought I'd drink some water, but I saw you here... you were tossing and whispering something."

Munday exhales slowly, rubbing his face with his palms. "Go to sleep, Charlie."

"And you?" asks the young man.

"What about me?" asks Hector. He sighs again and gets up, going to the kitchen for a glass of water. "I won't sleep today, I know myself well. I'll sleep tomorrow, I hope".

Charlie looks at his back in confusion, then walks over to him. "Why is that? Hector, go to bed, I'll sleep on the couch, I don't have a problem with that..."

"It's not because of the couch, Charlie," Munday explains. "I won't sleep on the bed either. I have trouble sleeping."

"Trouble sleeping?" asks Charlie and thinks for a few moments. "Like... having nightmares?"

"Yeah," says Hector, simplifying his situation a bit to avoid further questioning.

"So let's sleep together," Charles suggests, smiling. He pays no attention to Munday's frown. "I mean it! When I had nightmares when I was a kid, I'd come to my mother's bed and sleep with her in my arms, and I'd only dream good things" he looks at him, pleased with his genius idea. "Come on, Hector, let's go. At least try it, well, what have you got to lose?"

Munday purses his lips, looking a little frowningly at Lonnit, who keeps looking at him with his puppy dog eyes. He finally sighs, looking away and nodding. After all, he really has nothing to lose. They might try it, if it will make Charles feel more comfortable.

Lonnit immediately brightens up like a sun and, after drinking some water, heads into the bedroom with Hector. He immediately lies down under the covers and removes his glasses, placing them on the bedside table. Munday freezes, looking at him.

He only now realizes that he has never seen Lonnit without his glasses. His face is so... good? Calm? Clean? Hector isn't sure if any of the words popping into his head can describe what he sees. Charles was already handsome with his glasses on, they suited him, but without them... there was something intimate about it, like seeing his friend naked.

Lonnit looks at him expectantly, smiling a little. "So will you lie down or are you just going to stand there?" he asks, and Hector finally comes to his senses, taking a step toward the bed and lying down carefully on his back. Charles immediately moves closer and wraps his arm around him, burying his nose in the man's shoulder. Hector freezes in surprise and holds his breath. Suddenly his chest is lightly slapped with the palm of Lonnit's hand. "Breathe, silly," sounds Charles' smiling voice with a chuckle. Munday sighs, rolling his eyes while blushing slightly. "Well done," Lonnit praises him. "Now good night."

"Good night," Hector echoes him quietly, still confident that he won't be able to sleep, but at least he can lie in Charles's arms all night. This is clearly not the worst sleepless night of his life - and perhaps the best.

He covers his eyes, listening to Charlie's quiet breathing, feeling his hand on his chest. He wished he could hold him in his arms and hold him tightly, keeping him safe in the safety of his arms. He wonders if Charlie would allow him to do anything even remotely resembling that wish...

"Are you asleep?" asks Lonnit cautiously, not daring to move.

"No," Munday replies softly.

"Maybe it's uncomfortable? We can lie down another way," offers Charles, sleepily lifting his head to look into the man's face.

He opens and immediately closes his mouth, preventing the refusal from escaping his lips. He looks into Lonnit's face and can't believe he is allowed to see such beauty. He's like a kitten. Fragile, small. "Yeah, okay... Can I give you a hug?" he asks shyly, and Charles smiles.

"Sure," he says. "Do whatever you want with me tonight, Hector. I'm your cuddle pillow now." Charles chuckles, pulling back a little. "Front or back?"

"Excuse me?" Munday blinks confusedly.

"Well, do you want to hug me from the back or not? How do I lie down?" asks Lonnit.

"Ah. Well... With your face to me," he decides, and Charlie nods.

Hector awkwardly snuggles closer to him and hesitates for a few moments, trying to figure out how to hug people at all. Finally he wraps his arms around him and pulls him a little closer, and Charles bumps his nose against his neck. This is... wow.

His hair is so beautiful.

His body is so comfortable to hug.

And he hugs him back.

"Now you will fall asleep, Hector," Lonnit says quietly, and Munday smiles.

When he wakes up eight hours later to Charles's alarm clock ringing, he is completely lost, not knowing what is happening or where he is or why his head does not hurt. Suddenly he flinches as he realizes and remembers everything. Charlie, who was lying in his arms, yawns and begins to fidget, reaching back and grabbing his phone and turning off the alarm clock without ever getting out of the agent's warm embrace. He looks at the top of his head confusedly, blinks, and the young man lifts his head, looking sleepily into his eyes with a smile. "Good morning," he says in a voice slightly hoarse from sleep. "What dreams did you have?"

"...good," Hector replies quietly, not believing his own words or the reality of what is happening. Charles smiles even wider and more contentedly.

"I told you so. Now, if you need any sleep, be sure to call me," he yawns again. "I don't mind cuddling with you," he says, burying his nose in his shoulder again.

Hector looks at the top of his head and can't hold back a smile.

He's definitely going to ask him to move in with him.

Kittens asleep ❤️💤

[maria-rayro]

Five times Charlie complimented Hector and one time Hector complimented Charles.

First time. They're just starting to work together, and Lonnit has absolutely no chance to hiding his admiration for the very fact of working with such a cool FBI agent. Therefore, on their first meeting, he openly smiles at him, holding out his hand. "Happy to meet you, Agent Munday! I admire your work and it's such a blessing to work with a professional like you!"

When Hector hears this, he frowns at him and says nothing, turning to the investigation board and taking his coffee from the table. The awkward silence confuses Charles a little, and he does not even notice that Munday is also feels embarrassed.

Second time. He literally beams and tries to suppress a smile every time he looks at Hector. Sometimes the man catches his eye and frowns, and Lonnit awkwardly smiles brighter. And now, Hector, once again, in a slightly tired and insinuating voice, talks aloud about the investigation, when he suddenly notices Lonnit's gaze and falls silent. "Oh, I'm sorry, Agent Munday," the young man apologizes. "It's just that you have such a voice- I mean, the way you talk, it's very... impressive" he smiles awkwardly, looking at him completely innocently.

Hector looks away and his shoulders drop a little, as if relaxing, but the next moment he looks tense again. It takes him a couple of extra seconds to collect his thoughts and continue talking, feeling uncomfortable.

Third time. Hector is working almost round the clock again, ignoring the need for sleep and normal food, and this cannot go unnoticed by Charles. The young man tries to persuade the man to go home and sleep, but he ignores his attempts. Saddened, Charlie leaves and then returns to the man with food to at least feed him. "Come on, eat," he says, sitting on the edge of his desk and placing a container of hot lunch taken from a nearby canteen in front of the sleepy man. Hector looks at this in confusion, then looks up at Lonnit with the same confusion, blinking in bewilderment. "What are you looking at? Eat before it gets cold. Or do I need to spoon-feed you?" asks Charles.

Munday, after a moment's hesitation, nevertheless takes the spoon and begins to eat. Charlie smiles contentedly. "Good boy," he praises, and Hector feels himself blush, and despises himself for it. He will never admit that he liked being called that.

Fourth time. They chase after the criminal, and Hector deftly and skillfully pins him to the fence, shackling him in handcuffs. Charles, who has been watching this a little from the side, feels... well, he feels. "Damn, you really are a very strong man..." he says from the bottom of his heart, unable to control himself, and Hector looks at him a little bewilderedly, and then, licking his lips nervously, looks away again, returning to his work.

Fifth time. Hector, tired, falls asleep right at work, sitting, reclining on the table, his cheek buried in the sheets with the report. Charlie, who came with coffee, freezes when he sees this and cannot help smiling. Hector wakes up abruptly, sensing someone else's presence nearby, and straightens up, blinking sleepily and trying to make sense of the papers strewn across the table. Charlie laughs, amused by how cute Munday looks, and walks over, placing coffee next to him. "You work so hard, right to the point of exhaustion. Has anyone ever told you that you are just great?" suddenly asks Charlie, sitting down on the edge of his table and looking at Munday. "You did a good job, Hector. Really. You have every right to rest. You're good agent" he reaches for his face and carefully removes a dark strand from his forehead.

Hector freezes, somewhat confused, and then pulls away abruptly, as if from a blow, and blinks a couple of times, trying to compose himself. He abruptly rises from his seat and leaves, leaving the coffee untouched and Charles uncomprehending.

Lonnit just hopes that Hector will go home to sleep...

In fact, Munday just decided to run away so that no one (Charlie) could see his face burning red with embarrassment.

He returns in ten minutes. Charlie is sitting at his desk, working on a report, and when he hears the door open, he looks up. Lonnit looks perplexedly at Munday, who has closed the door behind himself and now leans his back against it. He looks tense, and his face is wet, as if he's rinsed it with ice water. Eyelashes, having become wet, have become even brighter and more beautiful, and Charlie cannot utter a word, just looking admiringly at the man. "Why are you doing this?" asks Hector finally.

Lonnit blinks in confusion. "Me? What am I doing?" he sincerely does not understand.

Munday exhales, closing his eyes and pursing his lips. "You... act like this to me... say all these things like... like you want something from me. I just can't figure out what exactly you want."

Charles doesn't understand at first, then laughs. "Oh Hector... god, the only thing I want from you is to be friends."

"Why?" Munday asks a little sharply, looking like a wary cat that good-natured passers-by are trying to feed, but he is afraid that they might put poison in the food and therefore just hisses at them.

Charlie smiles awkwardly. "Well... because you're cool. Smart. You're professional. You're brave. Strong..." he glances down for a moment. "And you have a very nice voice. I want to listen to you... I want to look at you. I wish you were around, and all that... And I also want to... well... help you? You look lonely, and I-"

"Do you feel pity for me?"

"What? No! That's... the wrong word." Charles sighs and looks into his eyes again. "I just thought you didn't have anyone and I could, you know... try my luck?" he speaks somewhat embarrassed.

Hector silently stares at him in confusion, as if not immediately understanding what the young man is talking about. However, suddenly it reaches him, and he looks away and... blushes. Charles blinks in confusion at this supposedly alien scene, and breaks into a smile.

"Sorry, I'm really embarrassing you, right?" Lonnit smiles awkwardly.

"No," Hector says sharply, clearly terribly embarrassed, still avoiding looking at Charles. The man moves away from the door, as if to occupy himself with something, and takes his things. "I'm going home," he says.

Charlie nods with a smile. "Good! And I'll finish in an hour and also go to sleep," he says. Hector doesn't look at him, a little awkwardly trying to get his coat on. "See you tomorrow, Agent Munday! I hope you can rest well after all this hard work," smiles Charles.

"Mhm," Hector mumbles awkwardly as he hurries out of the office, glad that there aren't many people in the station at this late hour to see his embarrassingly flushed cheeks.

Arriving at work the next day, Munday finds Charles sleeping on the couch in their office, covered with his jacket, looking like a sleepy angel. Hector watches this without turning on the lights in the room for about two minutes, then carefully closes the door behind him. He slowly walks over to the table on which the completed report lies, and sighs softly, putting his signatures in the right places. He takes off his hat and coat, and walks up to Charles, carefully covering him with his coat, because it is longer than his jacket and would be a better blanket. He freezes, looking down at him, and then sighs and gently smoothes his hair back from his forehead; Charles smiles a little through his sleep. "You did a good job, kid," Hector says softly, and then forces himself to remove his hand, biting his lip.

"Mhm...thnk you," Lonnit says unintelligibly, and Munday flinches, looking at him again and immediately blushing, realizing that Charles isn't sleeping that deeply. Lonnit opens his eyes and looks at him sleepy with a soft smile on his face. "Can you say it again? I would appreciate that, agent".

Hector presses his lips together, then rubs his face with a palm, looking away. "You are a great agent and I'm sorry for not admitting it before, kid. You deserve a better partner" he says.

Charlie rolls his eyes. "Shut up, fool. Apologize accepted, but, man, you really need to love yourself more. You are great, and I'm happy to work with you. You are smart, brave, strong, cute..."

"I'm not cute."

"Oh, so you admit you are smart, brave and strong then?" he smiles like a proud cat. Hector rolls his eyes, but then still looks at him, thinking silently. He licks his lips.

"Will you stop praising me if I go to drink a beer with you tonight?"

Charlie's eyes go round. "What? Wait, you mean... like friends? You wanna drink a beer with me? Together? Tonight?" he looks like an exited dog. "No, it won't make me stop praising you, man, but we will definitely go to the bar tonight! Oh, yes, I'm so exited!" he smiles, getting up from a sofa.

Hector averts his gaze and sighs. Well, maybe he doesn't really mind being called a good boy and being praised after all... At least he comes to the conclusion that he has nothing against it when it is Charles who does this.

He decides not to think about the deep reasons of this yet.

[maria-rayro]

I don't know if you still accept fanfic ideas or not, but I got this

Soulmate au where people see the world in black and white until they meet their "sun". Meeting your soulmate literally fills the world with colors, in such a couple only one of the partners is "color blind", that's why a soulmate that sees colors from birth is called a "sun". Because, for their couple, they will be the brightest thing they will see in their lives. After meeting a "sun" your world is gradually filled with colors and usually people immediately tell their soulmate that he is their sun, but those who are afraid or perhaps disappointed in their partner may ignore it. In this case, they "absorb" their partner's light and become the "sun" instead. Their partner, on the other hand, no longer sees color, his world goes out with his heart. After such a thing, rarely does life give you a second soulmate, so often people can't stand it…

Hector is 35 and has already accepted that his world is black and white. He even thinks it suits his way of life, there's no place for anything bright and colorful in it. Sometimes he would like to see what the lucky ones who found their sun see. But that was only sometimes.

And when, after another sleepless night, he arrives at work and meets Charlie his world is going through cracks. The young man glows like… like a bright sun? This is the first time he's seen so many colors besides black and white… the first time he's seen color at all??? His head is spinning from an overload of new feelings and he begins to slowly slide down the wall, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. Charlie notices this and is about to approach when he is overtaken by other workers. Hector is helped up and brought to his senses, he still doesn't feel well so they force him to go home. The next time they see each other will be in three days, on Monday. Munday is feeling better, but the news about his new partner does not make him happy at all. And not just because he works alone…

Hector has been hiding what he sees colors for a long time. Charlie fades before his eyes, he's offended that his soulmate turned him down without even introducing himself.

Hurt/Comfort what we love so much UwU

*slaps hector* STOP DENIAL YOUR FEELINGS JUST GO AND KISS CHARLES

khm. anyway. first of all OHH YES I LOVE SOULMATE AU. I think I'll add it to the list of ideas... which is a long list btw ahahah

but yes I like it. i have a couple of thoughts right away:

In this universe, that soul mate who does not see colors is called "Moon". GOD THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL

Hector, who, having learned about soul mates as a child, constantly draws the sun with his pencils, not knowing what colors he draws.

His mother, who finds drawings and laughs at him because he is a stupid and naive boy who paints the sun red. She tells him that even if he meets his Sun someday, this does not mean that his Sun will love him. After all, who can love you, son? You are nobody and will always be. Ungrateful creature. Do you think you will find your love and leave your mother alone? Is this how I raise you? You should only care about me! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here. Miserable cockroach.

Charlie grew up constantly subjected to the expectations of his parents. His father forced him to choose a job with the FBI, not supporting his dreams of becoming a director. Due to the high demands of his parents, Charles grew up a little narcissistic. In addition, the realization that he was someone's Sun always made him feel smug. Therefore, for him, the realization that his soulmate has rejected him becomes a double if not triple blow. He does not understand why this happened, and is trying to find some kind of flaw in himself. Eventually, someone tells him, completely without malice, that he is a very chatty guy, and this suddenly becomes a possible answer for Lonnit to his question. He becomes quieter and sadder. The world in gray shades oppresses him. The only thing that does not allow him to completely fall into the pit of despair is his partner, so attractive, smart, strong. Fascinating. And also seeing the world in gray colors.

Once Charlie, having drunk, tells Hector everything. And about that he was a Sun quite recently, and about how the colors looked like. And about how he stopped distinguishing them. And about how broken he feels now.

Hector listens to him silently and hates himself. Yes, he was always curious to see the world in colors, but not at such price! He feels disgusting. He doesn't tell Charles anything.

In the end, Hector accidentally gives himself away, and Charlie realizes that he sees the world in color. Lonnit tries to find out about Munday's Sun from the man, but he suddenly becomes nervous and can't say a word.

I have no idea how exactly they could eventually end up together (at least yet), but then, being already in a relationship, Hector would call Charles "my sun", and Charles would call Hector "my moon".

[maria-rayro]

au. hector interrogates charles

Charles Lonnit. Twenty-seven years old. UK originally. Works as a crime reporter, most recently writing about the Beast of Arkansas.

He's the prime suspect in the Beast case.

Hector sighs, lifting his gaze from the file in his hands and looking at Charles sitting in the interrogation room. The young man looked very nervous, awkwardly looking around the empty room with his clear blue eyes, looking like a timid kitten about to be scolded for God knows what. Though actually it was clear for what - he had been caught red-handed at the crime scene, standing right over the corpse of another victim of the Beast of Arkansas. Hector saw with his own eyes Charles holding a camera, standing over the body of the poor woman, seemingly intent on taking the last picture of his creation.

Munday sighs heavily. There's something telling him that something isn't right here. It seems to have come out too easily. And Charles looks so broken and traumatised… it doesn't look like the behavior of the serial killer the FBI caught. He looks more like a teenager caught with some weed. It seems that if Hector walks into the room now, he will immediately start begging pitifully not to say anything to his parents.

Hector opens the door and goes inside. Lonnit immediately flinches, straightening up and looking at him with wide blue eyes. "You have to listen to me, I'm not the one you're looking for, I'm not a murderer, I'm just an investigative journalist!"

Munday replies nothing, silently pushing back his chair and sitting down opposite the young man, who is now looking at him with desperate hope. Hector tosses the folder carelessly onto the table. "You arrived in the country just a week before the first victim of the Beast of Arkansas was supposedly killed, Mr Lonnit. You know that?" says Munday calmly, only after these words raising his gaze to Charles' face, scrutinising all his emotions. And they were all really visible on his face, Lonnit looks like an open book. Very touching and emotional. Could this be just a mask for the cold-blooded serial killer he'd been looking for for so many months?

"W-well y-yes, I… I came to the US because I wanted to start working here, I was offered to work for a publication, I couldn't miss such an opportunity…" in a shaky voice tries to explain Charlie.

"Miss such an opportunity to write about your own murders?" asks Munday casually, staring coldly at the man in front of him.

"I didn't kill anyone!" says Lonnit anxiously.

"You were caught at the crime scene over the body of a woman who had just been murdered," remarks Hector.

"But I didn't kill her! Look, I'm telling the truth! I was just investigating, just like you, and came to the conclusion that he was killing these realtors somewhere he could have invited them to inspect the building, under some pretext… I visited another abandoned place before that, but found nothing there, and then I went there, and found this woman! I didn't kill her, she was already dead when I got there!" the young man raised his gaze, looking into his eyes sincerely, very anxiously.

Hector endured that look, remaining just as unwavering. After a couple of moments, he sighs quietly, lowering his gaze and opening a folder, pulling out some pictures of the women killed by the Beast and placing them in front of Lonnit on the table. The young man shudders. "Jesus," he says, squinting and looking away. Munday notices that his eyes are slightly wet with approaching tears. Charles purses his lips, trying to hold it back.

"What do you know about these women, Mr. Lonnit?" asks the FBI agent coldly.

"God, well of course I know a lot about them, I've written a dozen articles about the Beast's murders by now!" replies Charles nervously, continuing to avoid looking at the pictures. "And no, I haven't met them personally, none of them."

"I've read your articles" notes Hector after a brief pause. "Quite good ones. And there are sometimes some very interesting details and thoughts in them" Munday tilts his head slightly to the side, looking intently into Lonnit's face, as if studying every inch of his face, as if trying to see the imperfections in the mask he might have worn. "Where did you get those details you wrote about?"

"I…" Charlie falls silent. Hector tilts his head slightly to the side again, looking with interest at the way the suspect's ears flushed. That's… interesting.

"How did you get that information, Mr. Lonnit?" he presses.

"I slept with one of the medical examiners and deceived him by taking his phone" says Charles quietly and quickly, squinting with embarrassment, ashamed to admit that sort of thing.

Munday squints for a few moments, looking at him interestedly, then exhales, leaning back in his chair, saying nothing.

"I'm not a murderer, Agent Munday, believe me! I'm just a journalist… yes, I may not be the nicest and most law-abiding person, but I would never… I'm not a serial killer. And not a sociopath!" he says, raising his gaze again to Hector's eyes. His hands are shaking. It's as if he's about to cry from the unpleasant, pressing atmosphere.

"I know," Munday replies calmly and much more gently than before, and Charlie looks at him with the look of a shocked kitten. Hector reaches out and gathers all the pictures from the table, tucking them away in a folder so they don't make Lonnit nervous any more. "You don't fit the profile. The killer I'm looking for is a cold-blooded psychopath who enjoys the sight of violence and is eager to get caught, just to claim himself and his merits. He's strong, he's smart. You, on the other hand, are pathetic, Charlie. You're not capable of murder."

Charlie lowered his gaze awkwardly before looking into the agent's face again. "Rude… a bit offensive… but am I free?" he asks hopefully.

"There wasn't a drop of blood on your clothes, your fingerprints weren't found anywhere in the building and on the victim as well, and besides… the victim resisted. As far as they told me, they didn't find any marks of it on you."

"So… you knew from the beginning that I am innocent?" asks a somewhat bewildered Lonnit. "But then why did you… why did you interrogate me as if I were guilty?"

Hector shrugs, looking him in the eye. "I was just curious."

"What were you curious about?" asks confusedly Lonnit.

"You."

[108garys]

i first really realised this properly when I did my hoa era lonnit crew and it was just 2003 Charlie as a young single parent of 4 and then thought about the 2020 cast in the same context

I realized that if the LH kids were real and born in the modern time, they would have been born in like the early 2000s. Andrew would be born in like fucking 2004. This is insane to me. People born in 2004 should be like 15 wtf

[maria-rayro]

Soulmate AU, where a person is deprived of either voice, or sight, or hearing, or smell, or taste before meeting his soul mate. Feelings return gradually.

Hector never speaks and everyone thinks he can't, but in reality he can; Munday really is just deprived of smell.

Charles has no taste, and constantly talks about how unfair it is, and how he always dreamed of trying something tasty and feeling this taste. He usually eats special food made for people like him, however during an assignment he has to blend in with the restaurant's visitors or something like that, and he orders the first item on the menu. Without much thought, he puts a piece of cake into his mouth, and only ten seconds later he realizes everything.

His eyes widen as he realizes he's tasting sweet. This puts him in absolute shock and he even forgets about work. He's immediately trying to figure out who his soulmate might be, but he's met an insane amount of people in the last week, moving to the Chicago department.

He is suddenly distracted by a shot and decides to return to these thoughts later.

After some time, Hector in the office comes up to Charles from behind and suddenly freezes. Charlie continues to say something about the case when Munday tilts his head slightly to sniff him, to be more precise, to make sure that he really smells, and does not hallucinate again.

Charlie immediately freezes in confusion and frowns. "Did you just sniff me?" he asks.

Hector pulls back, pursing his lips, looking thoughtfully at the young man. "I guess I did" he replies, and Charlie turns to him, completely bewildered.

"You can talk?!"

Hector blinks and then raises his eyes to Charlie's face. He is silent.

"Hector, I literally just heard you talking. Hector, you can't pretend like nothing happened!"

Hector can. Especially cause he is too shocked right now and has no idea what he can do about his soulmate.

"Hector, did you... gain the ability to speak because you met your soulmate?" Lonnit asks suddenly a little uncertainly, even as if with hope.

Hector blinks. "No..." he answers after all. "I could always talk. I just didn't want to," Munday admits, and Charlie seems to be a little sad for a second.

"Oh... wow... I see..." he says timidly, looking away, and then completely turning back to the board, feeling really awkward.

Hector looks at his back, thinking about what happened. After a while, he realizes that Charlie did not understand what exactly Munday meant.

After a moment of silence, Lonnit is already heading for the exit. "I'll be right back, I'll go smoke," he says.

"Wait, kid," Hector calls out to him, and Charles stops in confusion, looking at the man. He was clearly not used to hearing his voice. Hector, for his part, was not used to saying anything out loud. He looks away a little awkwardly. "Do you want to go out to have a meal?" he suggests cautiously, actually just trying to find out if Charlie is capable of tasting, if Munday was wrong after all. "With me" he adds and immediately starts to feel stupid.

Charlie blinks a couple of times in confusion, looking at him with his puppy eyes. He opens his mouth, about to say something, but immediately begins to feel a little confused. He frowns slightly, trying to understand the meaning of what is happening. "You know I can't taste and all these cafes and coffee shops are a little-" he stops, remembering abruptly that actually he can taste since yesterday. It wasn't a dream, was it? Hold on. No way. Wait a second. "Oh my god, you started to smell!" Lonnit realizes, immediately covering his mouth with his hand, realizing that he said it too loudly. Hector purses his lips gloomily, sighing somewhat unhappily. "Oh. I'm sorry. I just... oh. That makes sense..." Charlie smiles awkwardly as he straightens his own tie. "Yeah, I'd love to go have lunch with you," he says, lifting his chin, beaming with happiness. "Will it be our first date?"

Hector feels strange and out of place. He's never been the cause of anyone's happiness before. And he's certainly never been on a date. He awkwardly fixes his hair, averting his gaze, though he usually always maintains eye contact with Charles. He bites his lip, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Just.. let's just go," he finally exhales, and, without looking at the smiling Lonnit, hurries out of the office.

[maria-rayro]

a little bonus (coffee shop!au)

Granthem had the day off today. Charles, in turn, seemed to have never heard of such a concept at all, so he, as usual, ran off to work early in the morning. He was supposed to shoot a segment with his crew for an upcoming episode of the show, and afterward he planned to sit in on the script and editing. In short, he was, as usual, overwhelmed with work and wouldn't allow anyone to pull him out from it.

Du'Met, after making him breakfast, did some cleaning first, then read a book for a while, made dinner ahead of time. And pretty soon he got bored. In the past he had always found something to do on his days off, but now it was as if nothing really interested him anymore. It's like there's always something distracting him.

In the end, at three o'clock in the afternoon, he could not stand it any longer. He got dressed and left the house. On his way to the studio the man went into a coffee shop and took a cup of americano for Charles, and then walked at a leisurely pace to the right address.

He had already been there once - not inside, but waiting on the doorstep. It made it easier to give the man a little surprise without having to ask him for an address beforehand.

Granthem quietly knocks on the right door and stops to wait. It opens rather quickly; Du'Met sees a tall young man in front of him. "Hello?" the man says uncertainly, clearly not understanding why anyone would knock on their office.

"Is Charlie here?" asks Dumet quietly.

"Um… here, but who are you?" asks Mark, it seems - Granthem has heard such a name from Charles recently.

"Barista" he replies casually, and demonstrates the cup of coffee in his hands before walking straight into the room, ignoring the bewildered Mark.

Lonnit was sitting at a cluttered desk in the corner of the room. He was slightly hunched over and rubbing his temple with fingers, clearly already tired from the nervous strain.

Two girls were sitting by the window: one was looking at him a little bewildered and worried, while the other was slightly frowning, looking at the stranger interestedly from head to toe. Another girl was sitting on a chair, wrapped in plaid, and napping.

Granthem ignored the silent questions addressed to him and calmly walked over to the Charles table. The man was still unaware of his presence. Du'Met calmly and silently places a cup of coffee on his desk, and only then he flinches and looks up at him in confusion. "Granthem!" he says in surprise, immediately straightening up in his chair and looking up at the barista. "I didn't even expect you could come," he smiles a little. The man continues to stare at him in silence, then points a finger at the coffee. "Oh, thank you… Really, I'm insanely grateful. Cause I've been working so hard here I've completely forgotten about everything. And there's still so much to do…" he looks away from Du'Met and suddenly notices several confused looks behind him. "Oh, you're still here?"

"We didn't go anywhere. We're going to shoot again in an hour anyway," Nestor answers him.

"О… yeah, right… um…" he somewhat awkwardly licks his parched lips, shifting his gaze from the crew to the barista. "That's… um... Granthem, he's my, um…" Lonnit falters a bit; it looks like he clearly wasn't ready for this kind of conversation yet and was kind of unsure of how to label their relationship. This is charming. Du'Met even smiles a little under his mask, keeping a warm glance on the director's face.

"Barista?" prompts Erin somewhat uncertainly, and Jamie beside her smiles.

"Yes." director says quietly.

"Your barista?" Jamie smiles even wider. "Is that some sort of a pet name? What does he call you then? Visitor?"

"Jamie!" in a loud whisper, Erin tries to calm her down by nudging the girl in the side with an elbow.

Charles sighs heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose before looking at Granthem again. He clearly reads the silent "see who I have to work with?" in the director's eyes, and he can't help but smile.

Not wanting to embarrass him even more in front of the others (or maybe, on the contrary, wanting to embarrass him just a little more), he leans toward him. "Don't overwork. I'm expecting you for dinner," he says quietly, so that only Charlie can hear him, and then straightens up. After glancing around at the rest of the crew, he calmly heads for the exit and walks away, leaving Charles with a slight blush on his cheeks.