Charlie woke slightly confused. Groggy, he looked around for the source that woke him as his cell started ringing. Picking it up, he didn't check the screen. Figuring it was Don for a case he answered, half asleep. "Hello"
"Hi." The familiar voice was so unexpected that he almost dropped the phone as he shot out of bed, now wide awake.
It took a second for Charlie to get his mouth moving. "Um, hey." After 7 weeks, 3 days and 21 hours, he had no idea why Ian was calling him. The last time he had spoken to him was when Ian had received the divorce papers. Though he had put up a slight fight, Ian had agreed to sign them if it was what Charlie wanted.
Lying to his husband and telling him that it was was the hardest thing Charlie had ever had to do.
Ian must have heard his uncertainty about the call. "I was wondering if we could talk. If...if it's not a good time.." he trailed off.
"No!" Charlie got out of bed ad started walking toward the kitchen. "I was ah..actually just getting ready to make coffee." He missed Ian terribly and did not want to let him go just yet.
"Liar." Charlie could hear the smirk in Ian's voice. He had always been able to tell when Charlie was lying. "I woke you. I'm sorry."
Charlie was about to tell him that it was OK when he heard a voice announce a departing flight. "On your way to your next job?" The job. That had been the deciding factor for Charlie. it had gotten to the point where Ian had been gone more than when he was home and Charlie had given him a choice. Him or the job.
He hadn't won.
Ian sighed on the other end of the line. "Something like that." Charlie was about to ask what that meant when Ian went on. "How have you been?"
How had he been. If we wasn't working endlessly with Don, he was either working on his projects, helping Larry with his or hiking whenever he allowed himself the spare time. Going home hurt too much now that it was just him so he only went when he needed sleep. Otherwise the old house made him miss Ian all the more.
Not that he would tell Ian that. "I'm fine." If Ian knew it was a lie he didn't call him on it. " How are you?"
"I'm..I'm OK. Been trying to keep busy. I've...been looking over those papers the last couple of weeks." His voice sounded unsure.
Did he mean... "Do you mean the..."
"Yes."
Charlie didn't know what to make of that. He figured his lawyer would have had them by now. "You haven't signed them yet?" He felt a small thrill go through him at that possibility but tried to reign it in.
Another sigh, this one softer. "No, i haven't."
Charlie gasped. He couldn't stop it if he tried. Forgetting all about the coffee he was going to make he sat at the dining table. "Why?" He had to know.
Ian didn't answer for some time and when he did his voice was barely above a whisper. " I don't want to." Ian sniffed slightly and if Charlie didn't know any better he would say that Ian was crying. But no, that wasn't it. Ian Edgerton didn't cry.
He didn't cry when Charlie had said yes to his proposal. He didn't cry on their wedding day. He didn't cry when he held Charlie as he sobbed in his arms on the day of his father's funeral.
And he didn't cry when he walked out of their home for the final time.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost missed Ian's next question. "Do you really want me to?" And Charlie started softly crying. Because he could hear how much it pained Ian to ask that. And that's when Carlie knew. Ian really would sign them if that's what Charlie really wanted. But Ian honestly didn't want that.
Charlie tried wiping the tears away as he spoke. " I never wanted any of this Ian! I just..." he inhaled sharply, trying to calm himself down. " I just didn't see anyway of making it work anymore." Nope, he could stop the tears, so he gave up. " You were always gone. You didnt want to be home anymore. You didnt want me."
It was Ian's turn to gasp. "No. No Charlie that's not true. I've always wanted you..."
Charlie interrupted him. " And yet you chose your job over me." He said bitterly. He may have wanted him, but he wasn't what he wanted most. "You left me Ian. That shows me how little you wanted me. I may have taken your last name, but I was practically your boy toy on the side. You were married to your work. I was always second."
But part of him felt like shit for saying that. Because didn't he know when he married the man that his work was important to him?
He didn't say anything else. Waited for Ian to speak next, he had said what he needed too.
But what came next made him grateful he was sitting down, for it threw his world and everything he had thought for the lest 7 months upside down.
"I was wrong."
Frozen in his chair, Charlie let those words wash over him. Ian was wrong. Ian really didn't want the divorce. But he did, didn't he? He walked out. He was leaving for his next assignment now. He would still be leaving him behind.
More tears. "It doesn't matter Ian. I told you, I couldn't handle you leaving me anymore. I still can't, no matter how much I miss you." He hadn't meant for that last part to slip but he didn't care. He did miss Ian. Every day.
Ian voice was rough, full of emotions that Charlie hadn't heard since the day they last talked. "I miss you too Charlie. God I miss you so much!" His voice hitched and Charlie realise he was crying.
And he lost it, not quite sobbing on the phone, he did cry as everything came spilling out. "I didn't want this Ian! I never wanted my life to be without you. I love you so much but you were always gone. I didn't know how to make you stay." Deep breath. " I just wanted to find a way to make us work."
"Then let's make US work Charlie. Let's get US back."
God Charlie wanted that more than anything. He wanted his husband, the love of his life back. But how? "Ian, god you have no idea how much I want that. But how do..."
Ian interrupted him again. "I quit the FBI."
Ian could have told him he was becoming a woman and Charlie would have been less shocked. "You what? But Ian, that job was your whole life." And didn't he know that all too well.
Ian let out a watery laugh. "No Charlie. I thought it was. I thought it was the one thing I needed in my life to be happy. I was wrong."
Charlie waited, the hope in his chest close to bursting. "Yeah?"
Ian took a deep breath. "Charlie, I was so wrong. I just need you baby. I need you in my life. Everything else was just there. But I didn't see that. I didn't see how much you completed everything for me. And I'm so sorry for making you think I didn't want you. Because I did Charlie."
Charlie was crying harder now. The words he longed to hear spilling from his husbands lips as said husband cured as he spoke them. "Ian.."
But he wasn't done. "I still do, I never stopped. I don't want to lose you baby. I'm nothing without you. I'm at the airport right now. My plane leaves in an hour. I want to come home baby. If you tell me not to I won't but Charlie" another hitched breath as he continued to sob, "I love you so much. I didn't fight for you when I should have. Please let me now, please let me come home baby. I want to come home."
Charlies body was shaking with the force of his sobs. He couldn't believe it. Ian wanted to come home. He still wanted Charlie. Always had. And now he was on his way back to him. Charlie couldn't believe it. "Are you sure Ian?"
Ian didn't hesitat. "I love you Charlie Eppes Edgerton. You are the only sure thing in my life." And that was all that Charlie needed. They would work everything out. It wouldn't happen over night, but they would get there. Together.
"I love you Ian Edgerton. Come back to me." And Charlie smiled through his tears. "Come home to me."
They talked until Ian had to board the plane. With words of love and hope they hung up and Charlie called Anita to see about her covering his classes then Don to tell him that he would need to call someone else for the next few days to help with cases.
He was at the gate waiting for Ian the next day. Eyes searching wildly amongst the mobs of people he finally found he face of his husband in the crowd.
And when Ian spotted him he broke into a run, sprinting toward Charlie a beautiful smile on his face. When Charlie met him half way Ian wrapped his arms around him and lifted him off his feet. He didn't swing him around, just held him to him. His face buried in Charlies neck.
And for the first time since Ian had left him, Charlie Eppes Edgerton world was whole again.