This is a super short story, it's just a drabble. But it doesn't need to be more, if you ask me.
This? It's dedicated to my big sister. "My Wish" right back at you, Lea.
Charlie Eppes is not exactly low on confidence. He's not overloaded with it either, but he doesn't lack any. He knows what he's good at, and he's up for a challenge every now and then, although he doesn't mind that he sometimes feels like he lives in a bubble. Neither does he mind that he's not good at everything he tries, because he doesn't have to be, and he's damn good at other things, some of which he has always been praised for, and a few of which he has, on occasion, been admired for. But despite that, Charlie has always, ever since he was a little kid, wanted to make Don proud. Charlie knows that Don admires him for his brains and all, but it's not the same, and he really wants his big brother to be proud of him. Even after they've been working cases together for years, Charlie still secretly wishes and hopes that he can make Don proud, like really, really proud. It's something he has always wished, something he has wanted more, much more, than wanting and wishing to make his parents' proud.
Allan knows this, and Charlie is very well aware of this fact. He's pretty sure that Larry has caught onto it as well over the years, first as Charlie's mentor and teacher, and later his friend and colleague, although he's not quite sure about Amita, though he is sure that Don's team hasn't caught on just yet.
Charlie is pretty sure Don doesn't know.
Allan may or may not have told Don that Charlie wants to make him proud, that when he was younger he was almost desperate to make his strong big brother proud, and that he still wants to, and wants Don's full approval, but Don probably didn't believe Allan. Probably would believe it even less nowadays, in case Allan ever points it out again.
Wanting to make Don proud is what started their cooperation. Charlie offered his assistance to make Don nod and smile, and say to his colleagues, "That's my little brother." And yeah, sure, now Charlie does the work because he loves it, he loves feeling like he's helping to make a difference. He helps put away the bad guys, even if that term usually isn't something Charlie uses to describe the criminals he helps lock up. But he offered up his help in the beginning to make Don proud. It's not like Charlie has always had a great amount of time on his hands, in fact, being a professor can be a very busy career, but Charlie makes the time for it, now because he loves it, back then because he wanted Don's full approval. He still does. He's not sure he'll ever get over the need to make Don proud of him. The need has subsided considerably over the years, and maybe it'll just continue like that until it goes away, but Charlie doesn't know.
Charlie is sure, though, that Don has no idea just how much exactly he means to Charlie.
The End