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Charlie holds Orpheus’ head to his chest, the two lay in bed together resting in Charlie’s room–as it has the biggest mattress to accommodate his obnoxious sleeping positions and the comfiest blankets and pillows due to how often he's in them. Charlie lays with one hand wrapped around their shoulder blades and the other in its hair, gently caressing the dark purple strands with his thumb, and Orpheus with their legs wrapped around Charlie's.
"I love you." He mumbles softly, the warm glow of his bedside lamp illuminating them both as he continues gently stroking his partner's hair.
"I love you too, deary." Orpheus replies warmly and without hesitation.
Charlie hums softly, pausing before speaking again "Honestly... I'm surprised by just how much I mean those words these days.” He murmurs.
Orpheus furrows their brows slightly "Hm?" They prompt, and Charlie falters as he realises how that may have sounded "Ah- well..." Charlie starts before clearing his throat,
"I just mean... if you were to go back in time and tell my 30 year old self that I will someday fall deeply and irrevocably in love with a beautiful French noble I would've called you a kook and slammed the door in your face." Charlie explains. “Or at least asked how much money said noble had and how I managed to trick them.” He adds with a slight smirk, the idea gives Orpheus an amused smile.
Charlie's smirk softens into something more admiring as he glances down at vem; something gentle and caring.
"There is truth in that though," He sighs contentedly "before I met you, I didn't think anything but me mattered. I made my own world revolve around myself and my career. I didn't care who I had to lie to or cheat in order to climb my way to the top." He admits,
"I didn't care who I hurt." He adds, his tone carries a weight to it that Orpheus understands intimately. There's a silent apology in those words.
After another pause, he speaks again "But you, starshine... you taught me what it's like to love. That may sound cheesy, but it's true. You taught me what it's like to feel for another person with my entire heart and soul. To wish to share my beaming spotlight with someone else, if you will." He says, a smile pulling at corners lips.
"Meeting you showed me what it's like to want to give my all to someone. Not for my own gain, not for my status, my legacy or my career, but simply because I want to. Because my heart yearns to give warmth to another; to you."
Orpheus finds itself teary eyed. But Charlie isn't done; when is he ever done?
"It took me far too long to realise what my heart wanted from me. And by the time I did, by the time I realised that is exactly what you had been doing for me–giving your all–it was already too late." He whispers solemnly “I was just too blinded by arrogance to notice how much you mattered to me.”
"But now? Now that I know the feeling, I know how I love, I wish to make up for our lost time. To love you as conclusively and ardently as I should've been in the years I wasn't there." Charlie promises with an earnest conviction that makes Orpheus' breath hitch.
They hate crying in front of people, but they can't seem to find the words to tell Charlie to stop. To stop telling them these things. To stop being so heartachingly poetic as he always is.
"My point is, I'd like to thank you for paving the way for me to open my heart; to discover what I was missing by trying only to uplift myself and not the people around me. Without you, I would have grown to live the rest of my immortal years bitter and miserable." He summarises.
"Thank you for gifting me some of your light, starshine" He adds with a smile, planting a warm kiss on Orpheus' head.
There is silence for a beat, and then two, and then-
“Your sappyness is insufferable..” Orpheus mumbles affectionately, voice thick with tears as they bury their face into Charlie’s chest to avoid him seeing them sob—even though he can obviously feel it.
“Aw, darling…” Charlie coos, giggling slightly as he hugs Orpheus back tightly, deciding not to coddle them too much over it's crying.
“You love it~” He adds in a playfully teasing manner as he presses a plethora of additional kisses anywhere he can reach.
Orpheus let's out a wet, muffled laugh into Charlie's shirt. It's rare for Charlie to see vem cry, but he is hardly going to freeze up at it. He knows vey hate to be treated as weak for crying, and Charlie refuses to make them feel that way, so he instead settles on mixing comforting cuddles with affectionate jokes to make sure they don't feel too silly.
“I love you so much, cor caroli. Words cannot begin to describe how much I do.” Orpheus mutters just loud enough for Charlie to hear.
“Ditto, my dear.” Charlie whispers with a large grin, pressing his face into his partner's floral scented hair.
“I like your new shampoo” He adds after a bit of silence.
The sudden topic change makes Orpheus laugh, which only makes Charlie smile wider. Gosh, he loves that laugh.