Charles stared at him for a moment before finally sighing in defeat.

"Alright."

Just as Charles was about to stand, Mark suddenly asked,

"Do you want to stay and have a drink with me for a while?"

Charles looked at him for a moment before speaking. "I would’ve loved to," he admitted. "But didn’t you just tell me to leave your room a minute ago?"

Mark immediately looked at him in disbelief. "You’re making it sound like I’m chasing you away." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"That’s exactly what it felt like," Charles said, crossing his arms. "We weren’t even done talking before you told me to go and rest. I haven’t even said I’m tired yet."

Mark sighed, his shoulders dropping as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I’m sorry, I just felt like the conversation between us was starting to get stiff... a little forced and awkward."

He glanced at Charles.

"I wanted you to relax for tonight instead. I thought maybe if we both slept on it, we could try again tomorrow when everything feels more natural between us. I promise I wasn’t trying to get rid of you."

Charles nodded slowly as he processed the apology. "I understand. Honestly, it’s probably better if I go. We can pick this up tomorrow when our heads are clearer."

"Alright," Mark replied.

Charles stood up, and Mark walked him toward the door. The air between them was still thick with the things they hadn’t quite managed to say. Before Mark could reach for the handle, Charles broke the silence.

"Goodnight, Mark."

"Goodnight," Mark replied.

They stood there for a beat too long, neither of them making a move to open the door or step away. The tension shifted from awkward to something heavy and expectant.

"Can I get a hug?" Mark asked suddenly, his voice small.

Charles froze.

For a second he said nothing. He didn’t move at first, and the silence stretched out until Mark felt the sting of embarrassment. He started to look away, clearing his throat. "It’s fine if you don’t want to, I shouldn’t have—"

Before he could finish the sentence, Charles moved in, wrapping his arms around Mark’s waist.

Mark let out a breath he’d been holding and hugged him back tightly, burying his face for a second in the crook of Charles’s neck.

"You smell really nice," Mark murmured into his skin.

Charles pulled back just enough to offer a s smile. "You too."

They slowly pulled apart, though neither of them moved away immediately.

The warmth from the hug still lingered between them as they looked at each other.

Eventually, Charles stepped out into the hallway and started heading back toward the guest room while Mark stayed standing by the door, watching him walk away before finally closing the door behind him.

When Charles finally got back to the guest room, he closed the door behind him with a faint smile still lingering on his lips. The heavy weight that had been sitting on his chest for days suddenly felt much lighter. Even though he and Mark still hadn’t talked about the deepest part of everything between them, simply being close to him again somehow made things feel better.

But the moment he turned toward the bed, the smile died.

Frank wasn’t sleeping. He was sitting bolt upright, his arms crossed, his eyes sharp enough to draw blood.

"What was that about?" Frank’s asked.

Charles flinched, trying to play it cool. "What do you mean?"

"Don’t you dare lie to me, Charles. I saw everything," Frank snapped as he stood up from the bed. "I saw who came to get you, and I saw the look on your face when you walked back through that door."

Then he stared directly at him. "So tell me the truth. What exactly is going on?"

Charles walked slowly toward the bed, dropping onto the edge. He stared at his hands, unable to meet Frank’s gaze. The silence stretched until it was suffocating. Finally, he murmured, "I like him, Frank. I... I really like him."

The confession didn’t bring peace; it brought a storm. Frank’s face twisted with a mixture of anger and genuine hurt.

"I’ve been asking you for weeks," Frank shouted, his voice cracking. "Every single time I asked if there was something between you and Mark, you looked me in the eye and lied! You told me there were no feelings. You told me it was nothing!"

"Frank, listen—"

"No! You listen!" Frank paced the small space like a caged animal. "You cooked up this entire story about why we had to come to the Marcone estate. You told me it was because Adrian was here, because he needed us, and I believed you! I followed you here like a fool, only to find out you used me as a cover just so you could sneak off to see Mark. You couldn’t even tell me the truth?"

Charles reached out. "I was looking for the right time, I swear. Things are so new, I didn’t know how to—"

"The right time?" Frank laughed bitterly, stepping back from Charles’s touch. "I guess Adrian knew, didn’t he? He’s the ’real’ best friend. He’s the one you can trust with your little secrets. But me? I’m the fake friend. I’m the one you have to hide things from because you think I’m too judgmental. You think I’d stop you? Even when I talk trash, Charles, have I ever forced you to do something you didn’t want to do?"

"No, Frank, of course not."

"And yet, I’m the outsider," Frank said, the anger giving way to a deep, raw sadness. "The two of you made a plan, and I was just the pawn you moved across the board. I don’t know who you love anymore. I don’t know who you are."

Frank turned toward the bed, his movements stiff. "Fine. You want to be a part of this family so bad? Fine. You have the brother, and Adrian has the twin. I hope you’re all very happy together. You and Adrian can be best friends forever, because as far as I’m concerned, I’m done."

"Frank, please don’t say that," Charles begged, his voice trembling. "I’m sorry. I was scared, I didn’t want to—"

Frank didn’t answer. He climbed into bed and turned his back to Charles, pulling the covers up to his shoulder.

"I’m sleeping here tonight because I have no choice," Frank said into the dark. "Tomorrow, I’m leaving. Don’t talk to me again."

Charles sat on the edge of the bed, the silence in the room feeling like a physical weight. He looked at Frank’s turned back, his heart aching with the realization of how deeply his secrecy had cut.

"I’m so sorry for hurting you, Frank," Charles began, his voice thick with regret. "I know you’re an amazing friend. You’ve always had a good heart, and you’ve been the anchor for Adrian and me more times than I can count. I was wrong to hide this, but I was just... I was scared."

He took a shaky breath, trying to find the words to bridge the gap. "I wanted this to be serious. I didn’t know if it was going to work, and I wanted to understand my own feelings first. I needed to know if Mark wanted me before I brought you into the middle of it. I didn’t mean to make you feel like an outsider. I was going to tell you, I promise. It’s all still so fresh, and it hasn’t even gone as deep as you think."

Frank remained motionless, but the tension in his shoulders seemed to shift. Charles reached out, his hand hovering over Frank’s shoulder before he pulled it back, knowing he hadn’t earned the right to touch him yet.

"I know I messed up," Charles murmured, his eyes stinging. "I let you believe a lie because I was a coward. I’m so sorry, Frank. Truly."

The silence stretched for a long minute. Before Frank finally shifted, his voice came out muffled and strained from the darkness.

"You both make me feel like I’m the problem," Frank said, and the raw hurt in his tone made Charles flinch.

"I was only trying to look out for my friends. When I tell you not to go somewhere, or not to do something, it’s because I’m terrified of losing you guys. Maybe I’m harsh. Maybe I run my mouth too much and I don’t know how to be soft like the two of you... but I never said you shouldn’t be happy."

Frank turned slightly, though he still didn’t look at Charles. "When Adrian chose Matteo, I stayed. Even when I was running my mouth, I followed you whenever you said we had to do something to help them. Did I ever actually stop him? No. Because I want him happy. But you and him... you made this plan behind my back. You treated me like a stranger."

He let out a long sigh. "Fine. Adrian is your only true best friend. I get it."

"Frank, no, that’s not—"

"Enough," Frank cut him off, his voice hardening again. "Do not say another word. Let’s just sleep. I don’t want to hear anything else tonight, Charles. If you say one more thing, I’m leaving this room. I’ll sleep in the living room or the hallway, I don’t care. Just... keep quiet and let it be."

Charles closed his eyes, the apology dying in his throat. He knew Frank meant it. He slowly lay down on his side of the bed, staring at the ceiling in the suffocating quiet.

The next morning...