fate | CL fanfic

ten

May 6th:

For the next two weeks I was under house arrest. Not that I actually went anywhere anyway but I had Susannah and a security man named Joe with me everywhere. Everywhere.

Let me tell you I didn't even pee on my own.

Now that was an experience.

As per I would wake up beside Charles. I remembered going to sleep, him with an arm flung around my waist as his legs tangled with mine but somehow I had now ended up on the right side of the bed, blankets pulled tightly around my shoulders while he lay on the left side, skin exposed.

After the whole random dude Marcus threat Charles found it in him to open up a little more about his family, it was pretty safe to say I'd unlocked a new side of him. Not only did he lighten up he had formed new habits.

Which included some strictly platonic cuddles in bed. No, that's not an innuendo. We genuinely hug in bed and only in bed, once the sun arises however we are just pals and that's that.

Whether it's on his terms or mine I'm not so sure but I don't argue, a little cosy hug in bed every now and then is nice and for some reason I don't want it to stop.

"You had to tell me last minute that your mum was coming?" I scold Charles, Susannah laughing at my reaction as I sat scoffing my face with toast in my scruffy pyjamas. At three in the afternoon.

I'd been sitting with Susannah when Charles came in straight from work to tell me that his mum was arriving, quite literally pulling into the driveway with Arthur and god knows who else. My eyes had widened and breathing got caught in my throat before my hands felt clammy at the thought of meeting his mother.

Last time I saw her well, I wasn't a fan.

And his brother.

He'd promised that she was lovely, but technically was my mother in law and while I was slowly starting to accept that, I couldn't help but become riddled with nerves. Wondering if, in fact, she was as harsh as she was the contract signing day.

"Of course, Mon cheri. Couldn't have you panicking and running out on me could we?" He grinned from ear to ear, humour taking over and a knock at the door made Susannah move from her place, giving Charles a pat on the back and me a quick wink.

"Good luck Eva," Susannah smiled "Don't let her smother her, that's my job." She warned Charles who simply laughed in response.

Are we supposed to act lovey dovey?

What does she know?

I secretly wanted to run after Susannah and beg her to take me with her but Charles had some hawkeyes, and wouldn't let me leave even if I begged, it was funny watching him interact as they came to the kitchen.

He hugged his mum tightly, asking about how she was if she had any new information etc before pulling away. Arthur dived straight into his older brothers welcoming arms. Charles was ready for it, arms stretched wide and a genuine smile on his features.

"I missed you," He said, pulling away from the hug to see just how much the youngest brother had grown. Almost completely forgetting that Lorenzo was also in the room.

"I missed you too but Lorenzo was telling me that I was being stupid" He shrugged, not letting the boy ruin his mood, Arthur was only a few years younger than Charles but they were definitely the closest of the three boys.

"Lorenzo is stupid." Charles remarked looking at his older brother as Pascale then smacked the back of his head laughing herself.

It was already obvious that Charles was a family man, even if he tried to keep that fact hidden.
He cared about his mother and he adored Arthur, the two of them obviously had a closer relationship than he did with Arthur. Pascale seemed to love Charles even more with his business skills, bear in mind she was married to the prior boss so it makes sense she likes the business life.

"Lorenzo" Charles muttered his smile wavering

"Hey Charlie." Lorenzo mocked, folded arms shaking slightly when he laughed. The way he spoke surely meant trouble. With no reluctance, Charles rolled his eyes, wondering why he even came.

I didn't get it either

Pascales face lifted almost immediately, leaving her son's side to look you up and down, not judgmentally but in fact adoringly, which was funny, because I did not look flattering right now.

She gasped, placing a hand over her heart. "God you're even more beautiful than when you were younger, I didn't take it in at the wedding."

I forget the contract signing was considered a wedding.I almost forgot that she'd seen me when I was a child, probably even kept a closer eye on
Me then my own parents had and even possibly, going to lengths to keep my head attached to my body.

Charles laughed possibly agreeing with his mother or laughing at my absolute horror, "Uh thank you," I tried to speak politely as I stood up and ventured over to the family. Charles rested a comforting hand on my upper back and ran circles over covered skin "W-what age was I when we first met?"

She laughed at that question like I was making a joke and I just let her think it was, "There was a better way to reply to that maman." Charles replied snapping me out of my haze, had they watched me with a camera? A spy?

"Well you two seem happy." Pascale smiled at us whilst the two brothers snickered in the background, was our awkwardness that evident? Pascale, however, took in everything, head to toe.

She wasn't exactly proud of the deal, of forcing her son into marriage but she couldn't deny that Eva was exactly what she'd envisioned for her boy. It did hurt her to hand that paper over, and it hurt even more when Charles found out about the marriage of convenience.

She remembered the day he found the paper, eyes gleaming with anger and fist white from gripping the paper. Oh, he yelled, and he did whatever he could to forget whether that be drinking or causing havoc.

Usually they went hand in hand though.

But now as she saw Eva practically glowing, relaxing under his hand and Charles grinning from ear to ear, every ounce of guilt she felt slowly washed away.

"Where's the ring?" Arthur asked grabbing my hand and pulling me forward, my only thoughts were thank god my nails were painted as the family inspected my ring, well lack of.

Yeah I don't have a ring.

"Quite the husband you are huh." Lorenzo snickered at him, this boy and his cheap shots, Christ.

"I don't need a ring, we're happy as we are now" I was gritting my teeth, the perfect family I had seen minutes ago now vanished and I saw just how this wouldn't work. Lorenzo was dead set on getting on Charles' nerves as Pascale oversaw all of it. Arthur was oblivious, obviously looking up to his siblings too much to see any flaws in them or their relationships.

"Spoil this girl, Charles." She winked, letting go of my hand and smiling at the two of us and ignoring the mumbling that came from her other two sons. "Why're we not sitting down yet?! Charles, have you got any of that lovely wine I enjoy?"