Charlie's Utopia

Worn Out.

Charlie and Marcus lay on the bed together after Marcus put Kathie to bed. Charlie offered to do so, but Marcus has always been the one who put her to bed, so he did the same tonight. After he showered and brushed his teeth, he went to bed and laid beside Charlie, who was staying overnight at Marcus's place, seeming to be lost in her thoughts. Marcus squinted his eyes and waited for her to look at him, instead, her eyes were fixed on the ceiling.

After a long pause, she sighed. "I can't believe Gavin is gay." She mumbled inattentively.

Marcus chuckled, "Why? Are you disappointed?" He asked.

Charlie lowly chuckled, "No, I just feel stupid." She shrugged.

Marcus propped up on his elbow and turned to Charlie with a grin on his face, "Why? Did you have a thing for him?" He asked as wiggled his eyebrows.

Charlie laughed, "No," She playfully hit him on the shoulder causing him to chuckle as well. "I should have asked about his preference before assuming he is into girls and, Danny – I thought he was Gavin's best friend. He always says Danny is an idiot – even if I would have figured out that he is gay – there is no way I would have thought he and Danny were together." She explained.

Marcus smiled, "He is a caring person. From a very brief meeting, I liked Danny more than Gavin." He commented.

Charlie rolled her eyes and scoff, "Yeah, now that you know he is gay – he is a caring person. Marcus, you are so full of shit." She laughed. Marcus couldn't even deny it – he laughed along with her. She is right. Marcus would have been a more lot jealous of Danny and Gavin if they weren't gay.

Their laughter slowly reduced to chuckle and then eventually died. The two of them were silent, but their thoughts were loud. Charlie hasn't been able to avert her mind from Hayden since she met him, and Marcus is well aware of it. She is a little reluctant to ask him about his biological brother, whose days could be numbered. Marcus glanced at her. Charlie was silently staring at the ceiling. Her eyebrows were pinched together and she had her lower lip pressed between her teeth. She was deep in thought.

Marcus pulled himself up and leaned against the pillow as he looked at her, "You can ask me anything, Charlie. I don't want you to hesitate." He spoke gently. His fingers were soon lost in her hair as he slowly swirl them against her scalp.

Charlie's eyes averted to him as she heaved a sigh, "Can I ask you about Hayden?" She spoke slightly above the whisper. Marcus smiled – but it didn't reach his eyes. "I was waiting for you to ask." He answered truthfully.

Charlie tossed towards him and tilt her head to look into his eyes. His fingers were still spiraling in her hair, "How did you meet him?" She asked.

"Well, Hayden's adoptive mother reached me." He told her. Charlie pulled her eyebrows together and let him continue, "She – well, she had been trying to find me for a while. She was told that the same woman who brought Hayden to that orphanage has brought another baby years before him. She reckoned that it was our biological mother and she wanted to find if Hayden had more siblings." He answered her.

Charlie nodded her head, "Tell me more about Hayden," She asked. "I want to know him. When did you find him? How did his mother reach you? I want to know everything." She added.

Marcus remembered the day she first met Hayden's adoptive mother – Lara. She had been trying to get in connect with him for months, but the message would never get to him. Probably because the people that worked for him, never believed that she was anyone important. They must have thought that Lara was someone who was trying to reach Marcus just because. This has happened before so Marcus didn't blame his team.