Mateless and Home Bound

Chapter 27: Distraction

"You should be hanging out with your friend, Reggie," Charlie argued with the man. "I don't need help all the time."

"It's okay," Reggie smiled at him. "It's my responsibility, anyway."

Charlie sighed. This poor boy really needed to learn to relax and actually have fun. It wasn't like he was one to talk, he just didn't want Reggie to work his life away and not enjoy any of it. That father of his really did a number on him.

Reggie looked a lot like Lafayette. He had the same somber look to him when he was concentrating on something. He was nothing like the happy little boy that Charlie remembered running up and down the halls with Eric. Now he always just seemed stressed or like he wasn't there at all. The only time he actually looked happy was when he was helping him with Sasha. That girl was as sweet as a cupcake, and could make anyone happy.

Except Lafayette.

"Hey, Max?" he reached out with the mind link. If Reggie wasn't going to listen to him, then he was going to have to find a workaround.

"What's wrong, Apple?" his mate's voice came like a blanket of warmth. He loved being close to him, even though they were in separate offices. He could always tell when he was close or not.

"Can you do me a favor and figure out which room Sage is in?" he asked him. It was either that or he would have to try to mind link with a bunch of other people in the pack and see. At least Max had his heightened sense of smell. It worked wonders for something like this.

"Something wrong?"

"Trying to get Reggie to actually enjoy himself," Charlie told him. He was already all done with the paperwork he needed, and he wasn't wanting to put it all away until the next day. Tomorrow was going to be slow now that the newest wave of people moving around was all figured out.

"Ah," Max said. "I heard that his dad and him got into a fight this morning."

"I was worried about that," Charlie looked down at his paperwork. A part of him felt like all the tension between him and his parents was why the man was so distant lately. Ever since he graduated, whenever he was home, he was always around the house, ready to help whoever needed it out and avoiding his parents all together.

He should probably try and find a suite for him to move into. A lot of times what parents and kids need the most is space apart. Right when the kid becomes an adult, it seems to get tense as they start to try and do their own thing.

At least, that's what he had learned from doing his job. Usually, once they have some space away from each other, they can get along easier.

"He's in the lounge room in the east hallway, first floor," Max told him. "It seems like the pack has taken a liking to him."

"Did you have to ask around?"

"Don't worry about it. It helped me get a better idea of what everyone thought of the new human."

"They like him?" Charlie smiled. Sage was adorable when he started going on about something. He lit up when he was talking to people, and his laugh was contagious. He didn't know if it was because he was a Star Child or not, but he could easily see how he could worm his way into everyone's hearts.

"So far," Max said. "The kids seem to have a blast with him. And all the parents are glad for that."

Charlie smiled. It was nice to hear a bunch of laughter coming from the lower floor. Hopefully he would be able to be a part of it more now that the surge of paperwork was all sorted out.