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Charlie groggily opened his eyes, a soft yawn escaping his mouth. He reluctantly sat up in his comfy bed and stretched his body out, bones popping and tension draining out of his body.
He got up, quickly throwing on a shirt and boxers and briskly making his way toward the kitchen. Charlie looked out the window and promptly paused.
It was.. pretty late out. Mobs were already scattered across the grounds, and there was barely any light out except torches that were burning out quickly.
Charlie felt a twinge of worry and regret. He was supposed to take a small nap, and then make dinner and feed Juana and Mariana. He scanned the room to see if there were any signs that they even had eaten.
His eyes quickly landed onto some chicken with mashed potatoes, and a small handwritten note next to it. Charlie walked over to it curiously and read it.
“¡Hola mi amor! Buenos días. Te dejé la cena afuera, y si hace frío, caliéntala en el microondas. Voy a acostar a Juana, así que no te preocupes.
- Con amor, tu marido.”
Charlie’s eyes looked over the page, and even if he didn’t have his translator on, he could still see the small hearts decorating the page. One that was green for him, one that was yellow for Mariana, and one that was black for Juana.
He could feel his heart bursting with love. He wolfed down his dinner, feeling the familiar spices on his tongue. Charlie was grateful for the fact he left him some water, because the chicken was drizzled with hot sauce.
Charlie smiled fondly remembering Juana’s love for spicy things. She had a high spice tolerance, so the spicier things were the more she loved them. Unfortunately for Charlie, he didn’t have much of a tolerance and tried not to chug water every time he ate with Juana.
After he was done, he promptly got up from his seat and headed to Juana’s room. The soft pitter patter of his feet and the quiet sounds from the TV fit the quiet, peaceful atmosphere.
He climbed the ladder up, carefully avoiding splinters on his hands or feet. Charlie peeked up and saw the sweetest sight.
Mariana was in a chair, passed out and holding Juana tightly, a random children’s book in his hand. Juana clung tightly to her dad, her small dragon tail barely wrapped around his chest.
Charlie quietly laughed, his chest warm and his heart squeezing at the sight of his daughter and husband so peaceful and clung to each other.
He tried to pry Juana from his arms, but it was obvious that neither were letting go, depending upon how Marianas arm tightened protectively or how Juana let out a soft, upset whine.
Not wanting to wake them up and possibly trigger a tantrum, he just picked Mariana up in his arms while Juana was still in Marianas arms herself. He didn’t care about the strain in his shoulder, but he set them down on Juana’s bed, big enough so they could all fit.
He put a blanket around them and made sure the room’s heater was on before cleaning up the toys around them. Charlie gently took the book out of Marianas hands and made sure it was in the right spot.
He felt a longing to join them, to feel the warmth and fall back asleep, to not have a worry in the world and just be. Just exist with his family.
He couldn’t. There was a house to clean, and he’d rather not do it in the morning. Charlie wasn’t a morning person and he had a hard time getting up and being active.
So he tidied the room and made sure everything was in order for tomorrow, leaving Juana’s toys in sight so she wouldn’t put the house inside out looking for it.
Charlie took off Marianas glasses and kissed the corner of his mouth gently, and placed it down on the desk. He did the same for Juana, kissing her forehead and whispering a gentle “I love you both.”
He ran his hands through Marianas hair, his heart bursting with love and fondness. He showered Marianas face with gentle, loving kisses and he felt like he was melting with love.
Charlie gently cupped Juana’s face and quickly gave her another kiss on the forehead, humming a small lullaby to her, Juana’s body relaxing and loosening up.
Charlie pulled away and couldn’t help but mutter another, “You guys are amazing,” before turning around and leaving, climbing down the ladder.
He didn’t hear the soft,”Te amo más que la vida misma.” from Mariana when he climbed down the stairs.
He went to sleep cold and curled up, and when he woke up, he woke up alone.
—
Charlie laughed as Juana splashed Mariana with water.
They were at the beach, meeting up with Tilin and Quackity for a play date. Charlie thought it would be nice if Juana met up with Tilin and Mariana could see his friend again.
They were still waiting for them, but in the meantime Juana and Mariana were playing in the water. He was sitting on the towel, making sure the snacks were all set and they had sunscreen.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Quackity and Tilin.
He quickly stood up and greeted them, “Hey Quackity!” he crouched down, “Hi Tilin!”
“Tío Charlie!” Tilin squealed, hugging Charlie. Charlie laughed and picked Tilin up. “Juana’s here, do you wanna see her?” Charlie asked
Tilins face lit up and she wiggled in Charlie’s arms. “I’m taking that as a yes!” Charlie put her down and Tilin bolted to Juana, and both of them hugged and immediately started talking.
Quackity started talking to Mariana, playful insults and retorts being thrown each other's way. Charlie watched the girls, making sure they don’t get hurt or do anything they’re not supposed to.
The things he would do for this family, he thought fondly. He would spend billions of dollars for them, go through torture for them, do absolutely anything and everything for them.
He lightly hummed a tune and let the sun warm his body. Charlie felt at peace watching the girls building a sand castle, occasionally glancing at his husband. And sometimes his body. But you can’t blame him, the sun bouncing off his body gorgeously.
He felt drowsy until he jolted up when Juana ran up to him. “Daddy! Daddy! Me and Tilin want ice cream!” Juana exclaimed.
“I don’t know, Juana.. the suns going down. I don’t want you two hyper before you guys go to bed- and you can have ice cream tomorrow?” Charlie offered.
“But daddy! I want it now!” Juana whined. Charlie sighed, he was always easy to give in to Juana. He didn’t like dealing with her tantrums, and seeing her sad made him hurt.
“Alright, but you're not gonna get sweets later.” Juana pouted, but she grabbed Tilins hand and announced that she was ready to get ice cream. Charlie smiled with fondness, the two of them were adorable.
“Hey quackity, I'm gonna take Tilin and Juana for ice cream.” A quick “Alright!” was heard from quackity.
“Come on, girls.” He gestured for them to follow him, and walked over to the shops and the ice cream shop.
He bought two ice creams, one vanilla and the other strawberry. The girls were happily eating the ice cream, and a loud “Ew!” was heard from Tilin as Juana bit her ice cream. They both laughed loudly and they were playfully arguing.
As it started to get dark, they all said their goodbyes. Juana and Tilin clung to each other, crying that they didn’t wanna leave. Eventually, Charlie got a squirming, crying Juana in his arms while he tried to calm her down with soothing words.
He quickly kissed Marianas cheek as a thank you for packing their things up and carrying them. Charlie was still trying to soothe a whiny, upset Juana. He whispered comforting words, and soon she was drowsy and relaxed in his arms.
Charlie handed Juana to Mariana, knowing that she liked being held by Mariana more than Charlie, since in her words, “He’s more warmer.” He showered Mariana in kisses, before taking the stuff they brought into his own hands.
“Love you,” Charlie said absentmindedly, while turning away and picking up the rest. He didn’t hear Mariana blurt out, flustered, “Love- love you too!”
Charlie vaguely wondered why Mariana was flushed when they were walking home, but he brushed it off. Maybe it was because it was hot out.
When they got home, Mariana put Juana to bed and went to shower. Charlie cleaned the house, and made a quick snack.
When he went to bed after he showered, Mariana was passed out. Charlie kissed his lips and put on clothes, snuggling up to Mariana and passing out himself.
He didn’t feel the hesitant kiss on the top of his head.
—
Charlie tried not to panic as Mariana fell ill. Even though Charlie was the main one to clean and cook, Mariana was the one to make sure Juana went to bed, ate, stayed hydrated and brushed her teeth.
He was the one who organized her activities and played with her, and even though Charlie still did those things occasionally, Juana liked to play with Mariana better.
Not worrying about the twinge of sadness he felt, Charlie quickly shook himself out of his stupor. As much as he worried for Juana, Mariana was still sick.
Charlie quickly glanced over to his partner, who was bundled in blankets that were provided by Charlie. There was a green-ish tint on his face, and under the bundle of blankets Mariana was shivering.
“Oh, baby..” Charlie said sadly, running his fingers through Marianas hair. This seemed to calm him down and make his tense body relax, although shivers still occasionally wrack Mariana’s body.
Charlie sighed and kissed his forehead gently, “I have to make some soup for you. I’ll make sure to wake up Juana and tell her you're sick. For now, stay here and get better.” Charlie mumbled.
Mariana lightly hummed, broken and quiet. It was clear that his voice was raspy because of his throat. Charlie placed another delicate kiss on Mariana's cheek before leaving.
He made his way through the house, letting the warm breeze hit his skin and the soft bird chirps fill his ears. Charlie always liked the island because of the warmth, and he never really liked the cold.
It was always beautiful outside, too. The wildflowers springing out of the ground and blooming beautifully, the vibrant green grass complimented each and every flower.
Once he opened the door to Juana’s room, he climbed. He cursed when he felt a familiar stinging of a splinter, but quickly brushed it off.
Once he climbed fully, he saw the sleeping form of Juana. He made his way over to her and shook her awake. Charlie giggled when Juana whined and turned away. If there was one trait she inherited from Mariana, it was that they both hated waking up early.
He shook her again and promised her that she’ll get candy if she woke up this early. Juana immediately shot up and bed and excitedly said, “Really?”
“Yeah, really. Okay Juana, let’s make a deal,” Charlie replied, “If you help me make breakfast for Dad, and help take care of him because he’s sick, I’ll get you candy tomorrow.”
“Yes! Can we make dad breakfast now?” Juana asked, “Mhm. Let's go to the kitchen, sweetheart.” Charlie offered.
Juana climbed down the ladder, and while Charlie was already down, Juana was scared of falling. With some reassurance from Charlie, Juana climbed all the way down and planted herself in her father’s arms, being carried to the kitchen.
Charlie put Juana down after some reluctance from her part. “Alright! Let's make some chicken soup.” And then they got to work.
After some laughter and a very big mess that Charlie cleaned up, they were done. Charlie picked up the soup and balanced it carefully, while Juana held the cup of water in two hands.
Juana opened the door to their- no, Mariana’s room, and said very proudly, “We made you food!”
As they placed the food and water down on the table, Juana launched into babbles about her day and stuffed animals. Charlie listened fondly and mumbled to Mariana, “You alright? Do you need an ice pack?”
Mariana nodded, dazed but still coherent enough to communicate his needs. “Juana, can you get Dad an ice pack? You can get your toys on the way, and that would make Dad feel better.”
Juana’s face lit up and she ran out, presumably to get the stuff Charlie asked for. Charlie sat on the bed next to Mariana, absentmindedly petting Marianas hair and leaning down to kiss him occasionally.
Charlie sighed and said, “I’m gonna get sick myself if I keep kissing you,” Mariana giggled and said something incoherent. It sounded a lot like “I love you,” and Charlie melted at the prospect.
He waved it away quickly, not believing that something Mariana would do. As Juana quickly came back, he still felt the blush dusting his cheeks and tried to will it away.
Juana rambled about her stuffed animals and Charlie was dazed, thinking about those incoherent words that sounded like an “I love you.”
He swallowed and tried to focus on Juana’s words, but it seemed to turn into mush whenever his mind replayed that moment. He can feel his face getting hot, and he almost feels like he’s sick himself.
He sighed and turned to Mariana, and Mariana looked like he was comfortable. The shivers stopped and he was relaxing, the green-ish tint gone.
The rest of the day passed by in a blur, with a lot of staying by Mariana and giving him a bowl to throw up in.
As the day neared its end, the sickness seemed to be going away. Mariana was throwing up less frequently, and he didn’t seem to need the ice pack. In fact, he got more active and played with Juana- just not running around the house in case that triggered something.
When Charlie finally put Juana to bed, he practically sighed in relief. He tried to tire her out, but he got tired before Juana was even sweating.
Eventually, after some melatonin disguised as gummies, she was asleep and curled up in her bed with her favorite stuffed animal.
Charlie quickly checked on Mariana and was relieved that he was okay. He was fast asleep and seemed to be peaceful.
It was a good day.
—
Charlie huffed as Juana squirmed in her chair. She never liked her hair getting brushed, or even getting ready. Juana whined and wiggled even more.
He whispered reassurance to her, anda after a while, she was done. It seemed like they both sighed in relief, for different reasons, but still sighed nonetheless.
“See, you look so pretty now!” Charlie happily exclaimed. Juana giggled and wiggled in her chair. “Alright, go and play. Don’t make too much of a mess, and be good!” Charlie said to Juana, who was scrambling to play with her toys.
She almost tripped, but she quickly caught herself and continued running. Charlie laughed fondly, and stood up. He ran his fingers through his hair and was about to start walking, when he yelped suddenly.
A pair of arms were sliding around his waist, fitting snugly and Charlie felt a rush of warmth at the feeling of another’s body against him. Charlie turned his head and was met with the face of Mariana smiling softly.
“Hola, cariño.” Mariana said with an innocent tone, as if he wasn’t practically holding Charlie like he was something precious. Something valuable. He cursed himself internally.
“Hi, Mari. Did you just get up? Your hair is so messy!” Charlie teased, humming slightly at the warmth he felt. It was a nice contrast to the harsh breeze outside; Although it was mostly warm, it came with rain. Charlie wanted to get Juana out, to play in the rain and jump in puddles, but Mariana felt it was too cold outside.
“Mhmm. Don’t blame me, honey. It’s too warm in our bed.” Mariana whined. Charlie chuckled, and kissed Mariana’s cheek. He didn’t notice the rosy blush blossoming over Mariana’s cheek, too busy closing his eyes and just taking it all in.
Charlie opened his eyes and said, “You gonna let go? I need to go get snacks.” Mariana made a wordless noise of protest, holding Charlie closer and tightening his grip around Charlie’s waist.
“Come onn, Mari! You can’t hold me forever. You’ll get tired standing.” Charlie said, snickering as Mariana made another noise of protest, burying his face in Charlie’s neck.
Mariana suddenly comes to a realization in his mind, and he untangles himself from Charlie. Momentarily, Charlie is confused when the warmth was suddenly taken from him, leaving his back exposed and a shiver wracking his body.
Mariana tugs his arm, and then he fully processes it. Charlie curiously let Mariana lead him, and suddenly he was sitting on the couch with Mariana clinging on to his side, seeming to be comfortable.
“You just wanna watch a movie? It’s been a while since we stayed home.” Charlie mumbled, Mariana nodding sleepily. Charlie called Juana and they quickly set everything up.
There were blankets and pillows scattered throughout the couch, with a small bowl of snacks and popcorn. Juana’s plushies were idly sitting by her, Juana herself sitting snugly on Charlie's right side, and Mariana on the left.
Charlie barely listened to the movie, it was just some animated kids movie. He was too focused on Juana and Mariana, his family. It was surreal. He didn’t want this to end, just perfect peace and serenity.
Charlie soon became drowsy, with the soft droning of the TV and his family already asleep, he felt sleep creeping up on him.
His eyes slipped closed, and he fell into the blissful, calm state of sleep.
—
Charlie had never felt so worse. There were tears streaming down his face, and the worst headache was pounding through his head. He could barely move because his stomach hurt like hell, but his body was making him move by wracking his body with shivers, coughing and sneezing.
It was safe to say Charlie was not having a good time. Mariana and Juana were out at the park, and it felt like hours since they left. Charlie was content just closing his eyes and hoping death takes him soon.
He suddenly yelped and jumped as the front door opened and closed. Charlie had to swallow the bile down his throat from moving so suddenly. A series of shivers shook his body.
Charlie felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. He wiped it away, confused and dazed. Somehow, he felt like he was overheating but he felt so cold too. It was so confusing, and Charlie didn’t wanna think about it.
“¿Mi amor?” A soft voice said, the door opening. Mariana appeared and his face changed to confused to concerned. “Oh slime.. are you feeling alright?”
Charlie just choked out a sob. Mariana came to his side, almost immediately. Mariana put a hand to his forehead. “Shit. Vas a estar bien, charlie. I’m gonna go get medicine.”
Charlie let out another sob. Mariana was leaving him! He wanted Mariana to stay, and in his foggy mind Mariana leaving was agony. He reached out in arm for him, tears rolling down his face.
“Please- please, stay.” Charlie said, his voice raspy and broken. Charlie didn’t know it, but Mariana melted at the action. He sat on the bed with Charlie, not moving from his place. “Tan bonita, incluso cuando estás enferma. No sabes cuánto te amo, guapo. Tan honrado de amarte.” Mariana gently whispered.
Through his dazed mind, he wondered why Mariana was so gentle with him. He could take rejection. He could suffer through sickness- although this time was probably the worst one- he could be fine for Mariana.
He was worried about Juana. Where was she. “Where’s.. where’s Juana? Is she alright?” Charlie said. “Eres tan dulce. Solo cuidar a nuestra hija cuando apenas te puedes levantar. She’s in bed, I got her food when we were out. She’s alright.” Mariana muttered.
“Mmm.” Charlie said, too tired to respond. “Charlie, let's get you in the bath. You stink.” Mariana said jokingly, lifting Charlie up in his arms. Charlie did nothing but wiggle a bit to get comfortable. He was content in his arms, although nauseous and aching.
Mariana took them to the bathroom, and he put Charlie down on the sink countertop while he got a bath going. Usually, this ended in weak legs and flushed cheeks, but Charlie was sick. Mariana got Charlie’s clothes off and his own, and they both sank into the warm bath.
Somehow, the water was perfect enough so it kept him warm but not overheating. He sighed in relief as his body finally calmed down. Charlie hummed in content as Mariana washed him with soap, letting the sensations drown him.
“Feels good.” Charlie mumbled. Mariana laughed and shook his head fondly. Charlie grumbled in indignation, a little embarrassed at being laughed at. Mariana tried to hide his snickers.
He relished the feeling of water hitting his skin. Charlie felt his eyes drooping, but before he knew it Mariana was lifting him up out of the water. He made a noise in protest but didn’t try to wiggle away.
Charlie got dressed, lazily rubbing his eyes as Mariana quickly got dressed as well. He suddenly yelled as he was picked up. He grumbled about being picked up too much- but in the end he buried his face in Marianas chest.
As he was plopped down onto the bed, Charlie got under the covers and made himself comfortable. Mariana got under the covers and pulled Charlie to his chest. Charlie wrapped his arms around Mariana and hummed in relaxation, as comfortable as he could be.
Even though Charlie was still nauseous and aching, somehow it felt muffled. It didn’t hurt as much, and shivers stopped shaking his body every few seconds.
Eventually, his mind slipped back into the fog between sleep and consciousness. He mumbled, “Love you, Mariana.” sleepily. Charlie let his mind slip. An “I love you, Charlie.” was heard by Charlie, and this time Charlie didn’t doubt it.
Charlie fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of soft voices, gentle touches, happy laughter.
Charlie didn’t want it to end.