He’s absolutely fascinated. Let me break it down. You’re a friend of the Iris bloodline, specifically, Stefani Lewis. You met her at college, and you two have been inseparable since. It’s always either you hanging out at her house or her at yours. Charlie had only briefly known you at first, but he was downright infatuated with you. You were smart, confident, and mature in a way that made people pause—you were downright a little intimidating. But he liked that. He liked your personality. He liked how you would make him a cup of tea in the morning. He liked how you called him ‘sugar’ all the time. He liked how composed and perceptive you were, how you noticed things before anyone else did.

It was a simple morning at Stefani’s house. You were sitting at the kitchen counter, scrolling through your phone, a glass of water in hand, occasionally sipping from it. The quiet hum of the morning was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from downstairs. Charlie. You didn’t think he’d be up this early, but there was a cup of tea waiting near the edge of the counter for him either way.

He looked like a zombie, truth be told. Bags under his eyes, creased clothes, hair that somehow still held shape. You raised an eyebrow but let it slide.

“I’m guessing you hardly got any sleep, sugar?” you said, tilting your head slightly.

Charlie’s face lifted at the word. His lips twitched into a small, tired smile.

“No, no… yeah, I got some sleep,” he replied, voice hoarse, though you could tell the lie from the slump in his shoulders.

You didn’t call him out. You simply finished your water, placed the glass in the sink, and walked back toward him. Gently, you cupped his jaw in your hand to examine his bloodshot eyes. The action made his heart skip a beat, and his tense features softened slightly.

“Your eyes are bloodshot, and you’ve got bags under them. That doesn’t look like the epitome of a good night’s sleep. I’ll get Stef to check on you,” you said softly, concern threading through your calm voice.

You stepped toward the stairs and paused after the first step, looking back at him with a soft smile.

“Drink your tea; it might wake you up a little,” you added before heading upstairs to wake Stefani.

A few moments later, you returned downstairs with Stefani, who took one look at Charlie and froze.

“Woah, Charlie… what happened? You feeling okay?” Stefani asked, her brow furrowing as she took in his disheveled appearance.

Charlie waved a hand dismissively, trying to appear normal. “I feel great. Perfectly normal,” he said, though the rough edge to his voice betrayed him.

You stepped closer, tilting your head and giving him a pointed look. “Perfectly normal? Really? Because I feel like you just survived a hurricane, sugar.”

Charlie’s shoulders slumped, and he let out a short laugh. “Okay, maybe not perfectly normal. I just… stayed up late. Nothing crazy.”

You raised an eyebrow, your gaze unwavering. “Nothing crazy, huh? Staying up until what, 3 a.m., obsessing over something you probably shouldn’t have?”

Charlie froze for a second, caught. “Uh… maybe. But it was important, I swear.”

You shook your head slightly, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Important or not, your health comes first. Stef, make sure he eats something. And Charlie…” You leaned in closer, voice softer, almost teasing. “Next time you try to pull this stunt, I’m not just giving you tea. I’m making you stay in bed until you look like a normal human being.”

Charlie’s heart hammered, half from exhaustion, half from the way you’d said it, so casually but with authority. “Yes… ma’am,” he said with a grin, though it was weak.

Stefani chuckled, rolling her eyes. “You really do get away with a lot with them, huh?”

You shrugged, giving him a playful smirk. “I let him think he’s in charge sometimes. It keeps him humble.”

Charlie groaned dramatically, but there was a fond light in his eyes.