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After Charles and Henry had started dating a few months ago, Life had been Pretty much all sunshine and rainbow lollipops.
The two spent time together whenever they could, going on dates, being super flirty on missions, or even just hanging out in each other’s rooms, cuddling and kissing.
So much about Henry was magical. His sweet smile, his piercing diamond eyes, the way he would always hold Charles's hand when he got nervous, and his knack for thinking up crazy plans that somehow always worked out were all things he absolutely adored about the man.
Charles knew they’d always be together. It was true love.
But then the new girl came around.
A few days after Henry had disappeared, worrying Charles to death, he had managed to call him while he was flying, asking if he could rescue him from the Serbian snow, to which Charles obviously agreed.
After landing and picking Henry up (and some reunion hugs and kisses), Charles noticed Henry had someone else with him. A girl about 6 inches shorter than the both of them, with shiny red hair.
She said her name was Ellie Rose, and Henry had explained how she and him had worked together to flee the complex, and how they were basically like siblings now.
So Charles had accepted her as a new friend(secretly relieved he didn’t have any competition for Henry's heart) and welcomed her into their little group with open arms.
The three of them had then all worked together as a trio to take out the remaining members of the toppat clan, and all of them were promoted to special covert ops agents(despite Henry and Ellie not being enlisted) meaning they’d be going on a lot more missions together.
The three called themselves the triple threat, and they knew that nothing could stand in their way. When they all worked together, they were unstoppable!
But then, a few weeks after the mission was completed, Charles started noticing something… strange.
Ellie was… really cute…
Her gleaming hair, her enchanting ruby eyes, her mischievous yet adorable smile, her contagious laughter, how she, much like Henry, always knew what to do in every given situation, but most especially her strength and assertiveness. He’s always had a thing for girls who could beat him in a fight.
She was gorgeous. A goddess among women.
It was then that Charles had the shocking realization.
He’d fallen in love with her.
But… wait, no, he can’t fall in love, he already has henry! What would he say about this?! No, no, he isn’t IN love with her. He just likes her as a friend, right? …right…?
Charles had lied awake in bed, contemplating this. Okay yea, he definitely liked her more than a friend, but he was already dating Henry, and he loved him too much to just leave him for the new chick… but, what if he’d met Ellie first and gotten together with her, and then met Henry and fallen for him? would the same be true…?
Ugh, his brain hurt.
After much contemplation, he decided that spending some time with her as just friends wouldn’t hurt anything, right? Yea, that’d be fine.
They’d just be good friends, and Charles wouldn't be unfaithful in the slightest. ‘Everyone wins.’ he thinks before lying down and going to sleep.
~the next day~
Charles had finished his work for the day, and noticed that the sun had set, and the stars were starting to come out.
This would be the perfect time to ask her to hang out.
He walks to her tent, saying “knock knock.” outside the door.
“Just a minute.” she replies.
Charles nods, waiting.
Then she comes out, looking just as gorgeous as always. “Oh hey Charles, what’s up?” She asks Charles with a pretty smile.
Charles gets nervous. “U-uh.. well…” he steps closer. “I was wondering if…” he takes a breath. “You’d like to look at the stars with me?”
She nods. “Sure, that sounds cool.”
Charles smiles. “Awesome!”
“Oh, are you guys going stargazing?” a voice says behind charles, causing him to jump, turning around.
There was henry.
“Can I come too?” he asks with a smile.
Charles smiles. “Sure! The more the merrier!”
Perfect! If Henry was there there’s no WAY Charles would do something he might regret.
“Awesome! Let’s go!”
All three of them walk to Henry's favorite cliffside near the base, sitting down and looking up at the stars, Charles sitting between them and holding Henry's hand.
They had a fun time, pointing out their favorite constellations and telling the stories behind them, watching for shooting stars, and just reminiscing about old times.
They did this for about 20 minutes, until Ellie started getting sleepy, yawning and leaning on Charles's shoulder, causing him to blush a little.
“You don’t mind, right?” she asks, quietly.
“O-oh no, go ahead.” Charles says, patting her head gently with his free hand.
Ellie smiles. “Thanks.” she says before falling asleep, breathing softly.
Charles watched her while she slept, dang it she was so cute.
“Hey charles?” Henry whispers.
Charles snaps out of it, looking at him. “Y-yeah..?”
“Do you LIKE her?” Henry whispered, smirking.
Charles turns redder. “W-what? Of course not!” he looks away.
He clears his throat. “I-in case you’ve forgotten, I'm already taken.” he pokes his chest. “By you.”
Henry snorts. “Charlie…”
Charles looks at him. “W-what…?”
“You can’t fool me.” Henry says smugly. “I see the way you look at her, and the way you blush whenever she’s around.”
He giggles. “You, sir, have got it bad.”
The two stare at each other for a few awkward seconds before Charles sighs shakily, slumping a bit.
“I-im sorry henry… yes… I do like her…” he says, refusing eye contact. “I tried my hardest not to, but…”
He looks down to the sleeping Ellie, her fluttery eyelashes framing her face as she breathes.
“she’s just so beautiful, It’s like i couldn’t help but fall for her…”
Henry smiled gently. “Aw, charles…”
He gently take’s Charles face, making him look him in the eye.
“You could have just told me you were interested in her, ya dork.” he says, stroking his cheek.
Charles looks down. “Well… i don’t want you to think that i don’t like you anymore, or that i’m gonna cheat on you or something…” he says sadly.
Henry smiled gently. “Charlie…” he says, giving him a kiss on the head. “I know you’d never do anything like that. You love me too much.” he says with a giggle.
Charles blushes a bit and smiles. “I do…”
He then frowns. “But… I don't know what to do… “
He looks Henry in the eye. “I Love you so much, and I wanna keep you…”
He then looks back down at Ellie. “But I love her too, and I don't wanna have to pick between you… you’re both so amazing…”
He sighs. “I just wish I could have both of you.”
Henry shrugs. “Who says you can’t?”
Charles looks up at him. “What..?”
Henry smiles. “I mean, there’s no reason you have to choose just one of us.”
Charles' eyes sparkle. “Wait… I can date both of you at the same time?” he asks.
Henry nods. “Yeah, like, have you never heard of polyamory?” He asks.
Charles tilts his head. “What’s that?”
Henry explains the concept, where one person dates two people at once, and both of them know and are completely ok with it.
“So basically, you could do whatever you want. You can spend time with me, and then spend time with her, or spend time with both of us at once, or vice versa.” he says. “There are really no rules.”
Charles beams. “S-so i don’t have to choose between you?”
Henry shakes his head. “Nope.” he says with a smile.
Charles had to stop himself from squealing in joy. “Oh thank you henry!” he puts his free arm around him, hugging him tightly. “This is the best!”
Henry hugs back, giggling. “Well, it’s not exactly official yet.”
He gestures to ellie. “You gotta ask her out first.”
Charles blushes. “O-oh yeah..” he says, giggling.
He stands up, carefully picking Ellie up bridal style, giving her a kiss on the head. “I’ll do it tomorrow.”
Maybe it was just too dark to see, but he could swear he saw her blush and smile a little.
He then gives Henry a kiss on the cheek. “But for now, let’s go to bed.”
Henry smiles and nods, and the two walk back to base.
~the next morning~
When Charles woke up, he felt determined.
Today was the day he would ask Ellie out.
He walks out of the tent, literally bumping into henry.
“Oh, sorry!” he says.
“Oh no it’s fine.” Henry says. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.” he says with a giggle.
“Anyway, did you ask her yet?”
“No, but I'm about to!” he smiles. “I’m so excited!”
Henry nods. “You should be, I’m sure she’ll say yes!”
He pats Charles on the shoulder. “Now, go get your girl!” he says, giving Charles a determined smile.
Charles nods, nearly sprinting off.
He spots her just outside of camp, looking out over the vast jungle.
“Ellie!” he yells, causing her to turn around as he slows down, walking up to her.
“Oh, hey again!” she says with a smile. “What’s up?”
Charles suddenly feels nervous again.
“U-uh.. there’s something i… need to tell you.”
Ellie nods. “Okay, shoot.”
Charles blushes a bit, turning red. “I-i…”
He takes a breath.
“I-i really like you!” he says, blushing. “Y-you’re really beautiful!”
Ellie blushes a bit and giggles, taking his hand. “I know.”
Charles goes cold.
“Y-you do…?”
Ellie nods, giggling. “Yeah.”
She steps closer. “Did you think I couldn't hear what you guys were saying last night? While I was ‘asleep’?” she says, making air quotes.
Charles thinks, then realizes. “Wait, so you heard all that- Oh my godddd-” he says, turning red and facepalming. “I’m so sorry…”
Ellie laughs. “You sillyhead.”
She takes his hands away from his face, looking in his eyes. “You’re so cute when you get nervous.”
Charles blushes. “I-i am…?”
Ellie nods. “Yeah…”
She steps closer. “And just so you know…”
She stands on her tiptoes, giving him a kiss on the lips.
“I love you too.” she says, her red eyes shimmering.
Charles turned redder. “R-really?”
Ellie nods. “Really really.” she says with a sweet smile.
Charles smiles a bit. “I guess mercury’s in retrograde again,” he says.
Ellie snort-laughs, taking his hand and starting to walk off. “C’mon ya big dork, it’s breakfast time and I'm famished.”
Charles giggles. “Same.”
The two walked off holding hands, while Henry watched from a nearby tent.
“Good job, charles.” he says proudly. “Always knew ya had it in ya.”