Charlie’s thoughts (the Big One)
Before meeting Thandi, Charlie could hardly be said to blush. It was a rare occurrence, and he often removed himself from caring about anything at all which would normally prompt a blush.
He was used to humiliation, being a frequent victim, and it didn’t do more than irritate him any more. Potential partners didn’t have the ability, the looks, or the wit to catch him off guard; rather, Charlie paid them so little mind he barely spoke more than needed. If he spoke at all, it was to insult or deflect them. In fact, he hardly spared a smile for most.
So, when Thandi managed to coax a blush out of him, it was a shock. He’d managed fairly well to distance himself from the party, but Thandi insisted on his company. There wasn’t much place to run without her tailing him, and she chastised and advised and touched him with little regard to his status.
And then, Charlie couldn’t stop blushing when she got involved. She teased him, and he enjoyed it. She touched him, and he adored it. She told him off, and he valued it. Logically, he knew it shouldn’t be the case, but something clicked in him every time she approached.
She is magnetic. He can’t help being pulled in. She’s different, she’s clever, and she can be adorably ignorant at times. Something about her made him want to care for her and coddle her and treat her special, and he couldn’t not do it. Even when he became furious at her, his heart wasn’t in it for long and he just wanted to make up and be close again.
To him, she’s the ideal picture of a wife for him. Her tolerance is high, and she doesn’t get cowed easily. He enjoys talking to her, even when they disagree, and she wasn’t bad to look at. He wouldn’t mind engaging in the child making process with her.
That thought surprises him.
It’s obvious, certainly, by how his body reacts around her, but to want to do such a thing with her, beyond lustful fantasies? With growing unease, he recounts his past instances.
Thandi.
Thandi.
Thandi…
Oh, gods damn it all. He might love her.