tnn oneshot collection

no one noticed (autumn x charlotte)

AN: this is a platonic one shot and will not include any romance etc. this is especially for eve, but charlotte and autumn being friends is also MY roman empire so enjoy. mentions of the fallout, character char's divorce, autumn's childhood/prom night etc. please note, i love marjorie, but for the purposes of this story, i've written her as a little (too) reece obsessed - my apologies, no disrespect to everyone's mum and dad x

Charlotte sat at the bar, her hands trembling softly in her lap, a silent reminder of her unease. Sara slid a drink toward her, the offer shimmering with the promise of forgetting her feelings. For a moment, temptation tugged at her, but the responsibility of driving home anchored her, keeping her thoughts steady amidst her inner turmoil.

"Just a lemonade please, Sara..." Charlotte confirmed, smiling softly when the brunette pushed a new glass towards her. She sipped at the drink, Sara offering her a kind smile before returning to serve other customers. Charlotte had long found solace in her own company, a quiet comfort that had become second nature to her recently. After the divorce, the girls had started spending more time with their father, and though she yearned for more time with them, she lacked the heart to demand it. It was her choices, after all, that had unravelled the threads of their family unit, and the weight of her guilt had her alone most evenings, missing the noise of their laughter.

Charlotte replayed Marjorie's words from the car park, each syllable cutting like a blade. The manager's cruelty had been sharp and deliberate - claiming she no longer recognised the woman Charlotte had become. Her fingers tightened around the glass, aching for it to shatter. She longed for the anger to flow out in shards, cascading to the floor, freeing her from the unbearable weight of carrying it alone. Charlotte had grown entirely used to Marjorie's blissful ignorance, and today proved no different. Jodie's reckless actions could have seriously injured the child, yet Marjorie seemed unphased, her concern fixated instead on her own image. She clung to the facade of camaraderie with the staff, grasping at friendship as though they were slipping like sand through her fingers, oblivious to the weight of what truly mattered. While Charlotte could see the reasoning behind Marjorie's need for acceptance, her patience had truly run dry. Today was inexcusable, but it was not an isolated incident. Marjorie's unprofessionalism had been a constant since Charlotte had started at the nursery, woven into every emergency and situation they'd faced together.

Charlotte had yearned to confide in Marjorie, despite the distance between them. The truth had hovered on her lips more than once during their conversation that day, until Marjorie's curt reminder to keep personal matters outside the workplace had silenced her. Charlotte had bitten back immediately, reminding Marjorie of the storm she had encouraged since dating Reece. But, as always, Marjorie deflected with an almost practiced ease, her excuses quick, this time laying the blame squarely at Mia's feet. Charlotte couldn't quite explain her instinct to defend Mia. She had openly acknowledged the redhead's appalling behaviour more than once. And yet, there was something disarming about the woman - an unspoken permission to let her guard down, to exist without any pretence when they were together. Charlotte cherished the way Mia made her feel. In truth, she wasn't ready to disclose her feelings about Mia to Marjorie, and she would keep that secret hidden from Marjorie's judgemental gaze for as long as she could.

Charlotte swept thoughts of Marjorie aside, letting her mind wander instead through the moments she had shared with Mia, replaying each interaction like a favourite song. Lost in the quiet of her reflections, she barely registered the subtle shift in atmosphere beside her. It wasn't until a pair of black heels and neatly pressed slacks entered her periphery - close enough to suggest familiarity - that she glanced up. Her eyes met Autumn's steady gaze, framed by her glasses that rested, as always, perfectly against the bridge of her nose.

"Hello Charlotte." Autumn muttered, her voice as cool as always. Charlotte stared back at the other woman. Her lips parted, then pressed together again, a silent dance of surprise at Autumn's unexpected presence. Charlotte watched as Autumn waved Sara over, the two sharing a knowing smile as Sara poured Autumn a drink.