Eternity Together || Charlie X Reader

07: Distance

He gave me space; he gave me all the space I needed, and I avoided Diego like the plague. It was easy the first few days, where I spent most of the time worried about the cases, helping Laswell track down people and help her connect to the investigation of fraud my parents are currently going through right now. Only the core people knew what I was doing and that was fine.

By the time I remembered to tell Diego what I was doing, it felt wrong. What do I say? I needed space I can't have him all over me, it makes me feel sick with worry and I don't understand that sensation. It's such a strange situation, the feeling of fear and anguish all in one.

Laswell was a great help in pushing work onto me with ease as if I were her student, her disciple in chaos. For a moment I had a great figure to look on and to strive for approval. 

I found clues on my brother's murder. People, one was his passengers his at-the-time girlfriend, Olivia who was moving across the world for boarding school, and Daniel. Honestly, their parents probably help in the cover-up.

As a living member of my brother's family, I agree with his body exhumation. We had a trusted Cournoyer to do his autopsy. I had everything already figured out a long time ago it was now just a matter of digging up where these people scatter off too. 

Laswell wouldn't let me touch my father's case, for the safety of the USA, I could not know what my father did. I understand, but from her facial expression, she was either not getting anywhere or she was faced with a lot of upsetting things, I couldn't tell.

Everything is going well, and I feel like we will get things done in time. I shouldn't think like that but I felt progress being made. I turn to Laswell who seems so focused, she had skipped a few meals but the amount of coffee she intakes seems... unhealthy.

"G," I look up, I was eating food slowly, tired and more preoccupied with reading the reports. "Where have you been?" Soap asks sitting down across from me soon Gaz and Roach join me. I see Diego in the distance he looks over at me and walks off to the Marine table, a look of irritation on his face.

"I've been working with Laswell," I tell them. Trying to be vague enough for them not to ask too many questions.

"With what?"

"How to lure out Makarov." Soap nods and begins to each.

"Where's Charlie," I froze at Gaz's words and wanted to shrink up and die. Soap and Gaz look around and spot him waving him over.

 "Charlie over here!" Soap calls over. I see his body language shift uncomfortably but he slowly approaches. I quickly finish eating and stand up.

"I have to go," I say with a rush.

'Already?' Roach sighs.

"Yeah," I mumble, "I still got more work to do" He nods and turns to Diego and I rush off.

I didn't want to work, well I did but burnout is a bitch, but even if I going threw burnout this burning desire to get vengeance grew. I fell back into a pattern even with this burnout. I slept to work, ate to work, worked for society... What a workaholic I've become.

The only time I had a rest was workout time. For a brief mandatory moment, I got to clear my head, be a monkey, and forget about thinking, about calculating my next move. For a single drop of time, I could forget who I was, where I was, and how much the world was on my shoulder.

Zuri watched the two, their demeanor was strange bitter, and stagnant. Charlie left the room when Y/n came in. No one else noticed... yet, but Zuri noticed. Zuri sat back and watched as Y/n went all out like she was preparing to fight god himself.

"Chimp," Zuri walks up to her. For a split second, Zuri saw the anger the vile hate behind those eyes before Y/n registered her.

"Yeah?"

"What happened?" Zuri squats down. Y/n's face falls.

"... Did you know Diego liked me?"

'Diego?' Zuri thinks, shit must have gone sideways.

"Yeah, your friends."

"No like romantically," Zuri sighs, so the blind oblivious girl finally notices. Zuri studies her face and sighs.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Y/n flicks her headphones off, irritation in her eyes her lips did this funny little curl. Y/n is a person of microexpression, her normally blank expression finally had a little texture.

"We thought you knew."

"Bitch!" I snap at her, "Why would I know?" I ask in a low whisper yell.

"He was hiding it very poorly."

"So it was noticeable?" I panicked, did I look foolish? Did we look stupid? My face flushed and I wanted to hide, to simply dissolve in the rain, like the wicked witch of the West.

"Yeah." I abruptly stand up and begin to walk out.

"Where are you going?" Zuri calls out.

"To eat myself stupid and crawl back to hell." I cry rushing off, behind me I hear Zuri laugh.

"Oof!" 

"Careful!" I look up to see Diego holding me from falling.

I cringe. How humiliating.

"You ok?" Diego asks, I push away from him standing up.

"Yeah," I mumble and take off again.

Scratch it, forget eating I'm just gonna hide and forget everything.