Burning Heart // CL16

Forty Two

Sorry for any mistakes, I didn't really edit this but hope it works to explain some more things and cute insights :)

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Charles POV
1st January 2024

I had managed about an hour where I was able to forget my anger, too tired from the sleepless night drowned in Alessia's scent and then distracted by a crying and rather smelly Ruby. She was gorgeous but Jesus that was an awful smell. I couldn't help but hurt as I watched Alessia try to get her to say papa and when Ruby did say it, I found it hurt more because she didn't know why she was saying it. She still didn't associate it with me.

So I'd walked out, seeing Kiraz was also up as I pulled on shorts and hoped that Alessia would still bring me a jumper, relieved when she placed it in my arms upon seeing me sat in the kitchen. I stay, ready to just watch what happens next, waiting to see what Alessia will say next but it seems Ruby has other ideas, quickly asking me to pick her up and I can't stop myself from obeying. I slip her out of Alessia's arms, watching as she doesn't put up any resistance but still looks to be in a lot of pain and the familiar fear that's been in her eyes makes a comeback.

I walk out without a second thought, I felt like I deserved to be selfish as I smiled down at Ruby, placing a kiss on her head as her arms clung around my neck resting my cheek on her head as I take her into the living room and close the door behind us and look around, still seeing a mess of toys around. "Car down," I hear her say and smirk as I look down at the demanding and delightful baby in my arms and do as she says, sitting on the floor with her and watching as she crawls towards a toy that has clearly caught her eyes. I watch her fondly as she lifts up her toys to show me as I talk to her, speaking in French before constantly forcing myself to repeat it in English because she definitely won't have any idea what I'm saying otherwise.

After a while of playing with her, she crawls back over to me and lifts her arms up, this time not needing the words as I carefully pick her up and go to sit on the duvet covered sofa, my emotions getting the better of me as I slouch on the sofa. I watch her carefully, one hand resting on her back before she just lays her head on my chest and I can breathe for a moment as my fingers run through her hair and I pull my phone out of my pocket.

"Bonjour," I see my mum say down the phone, a bright smile on her face as she looks down at me on FaceTime and I grin back at her as I make sure that Ruby isn't shown in the frame. "Comment va Londres? Avez-vous découvert ce qu'Alessia voulait vous dire?" [How is London? Did you find out what Alessia wanted to tell you?] she asks with a fond smile on her face. Despite only having met once, my mum was quite taken with her. I doubt that will persist, I think to myself with a smile as I nod and try to figure out a way to tell my mum.

Better to rip the band aid off, I think.

"Oui," I mutter as I take a second longer to think and then nod again, watching as she continues to wait for the news. "C'est assez grand, aloes s'il vous plaît, essayez de rester calme, mais en gros... je suis in père?" [It's quite big so please just try to stay calm but basically... I'm a dad?] I tell her, trying to keep it simple as she just blinks at me down the phone in shock and I continue stroking Ruby's hair out of sight of the camera.

"Pardon?" She asks as she looks at me and I try to suppress a smirk as I proudly lift my phone away from my body to show her Ruby, whose eyes meet the phone as her phone continues to rest on my chest. "Charles?"

"Il y a beaucoup à expliquer, mais j'aimerais que vous rencontriez Ruby... ma fille et celle d'Alessia," [There's a lot to explain but I would like you to meet Ruby... my daughter, and Alessia's] I tell her and listen to her gasp as her eyes widen and her mouth falls open in shock. I watch as she struggles to choose a question with thinly veiled amusement as Ruby's hand reaches out towards my phone and I see that the action causes all words to fail her as her eyes fill with tears. I give her some time and try to find a few answers for some of those questions before saying that I want her help to find me a flat in Monaco that's big enough for more of us and she quickly agrees and after a few more confused mutterings, she gets off the phone to call a few of our family friends that might have leads on either a flat or a house.