"I admit it, I didn't expect you to bring up marriage," Charlie told Callum. "And you did catch me off guard, but that doesn't mean it's not something I want with you."
He snorted and nodded. "Mum would have loved to set me up back when I was just a kid, before I ever started thinking about having a life of my own."
The kiss should have been good, it should have meant they were understanding each other again, but it was off, just like they'd been for days now. And despite that Charlie didn't want Callum to pull away from him when it was over. "Family has a funny way of needing each other even when they don't show it. Alastor may be an idiot, but he wants you here." And Baron would too - but Charlie didn't know how to address the issue of children, Baron wasn't a child, but he would always be Callum's child and he couldn't fault him for wanting to protect him, even from himself.
I love you too. Charlie had never actually hoped to hear those words from anyone else before in his life, and now here they were from the one person he wanted it from and Callum was telling him it wouldn't work. "I can give you some space." He offered, even though it was the last thing he wanted, he wanted Callum here with him in his arms, not sitting across the reserve out of reach, but it was better than Romania. "I'll give you whatever you need to make it through this, just ... just stay."