"So I said, 'Håll käften!' and he said, 'Nej'! Like, Vad?! Who does he think he is to tell me no??" Sven demanded across the table.

He looked around at Carol, who couldn't have been bothered to look more awake, Hat Girl, who was desperately trying to shake them into consciousness with a nervous smile at Sven, and Leprechaun, who was only sitting there because every other table was occupied.

The only one really even looking at Sven with anything more than fear or confusion was Burt, who was drinking his coffee from an off-white mug.

"Ehh, you killar are paying attention, höger?" he asked lowly.

Carol snored in response.

"Total attention!" Hat Girl exclaimed semi-indignantly.

"You lost me at 'Can I tell you... Something in Swedish, a story?'" Leprechaun answered.

"This is why I don't sit with you hundar," Sven growled.

"I'm paying attention, Sven." Burt sipped his coffee and looked at Sven.

"Minst en person här är respektfull," Sven muttered under his breath.

"Heyyyy, gang." Henry clicked his tongue and waved his hand dramatically as he sat down. "Your faithful king and queen have arrived, so the fun can start now."

Sven murmured something to Burt, who gave a small chuckle with a smile.

Sven seemed to like that response.

Charlie sat down next to Henry, and rested his head on his shoulder.

Sven mimicked a royal entrance fanfare, which earned another snicker from Burt.

"How'd you two enjoy last night?" Henry asked Sven coolly.

"What do you mean?" Sven blinked, already turning a bit hot and red in the face.

"Don't act like we didn't hear you." Henry raised a brow. "Was it everything you ever wanted, Sven?"

"Håll käften!" Sven abruptly stood up, slamming his hands on the table.

"Sven, lugna ner dig..." Burt mumbled, but Sven wasn't having it.

"Hey, now, I'm not mocking you or anything, I was simply asking a question," Henry cooed with fake empathy. "After all, I heard you screaming Burt's name, so it must've been good, eh?"

Burt stood up to console Sven, who was now spitting angry Swedish words at them.

Charlie heard 'Fy fan!' a couple of times.

Not that he knew what it meant, but still.

"Hen, don't mock them." Charlie rapped his fingers against the table. "You know how our Swedish fish gets when he's angry."

"Fine, fine." Henry rolled his eyes playfully. "But only because you said it, my love."

Fairly soon, Ellie placed down two mugs in front of them full of steaming brown liquid, Charlie's mug full of much lighter brown liquid.

"Careful, it's hot," Ellie chided before walking away.

Charlie threw one of the scones that had been delivered to him at Sven, who caught it and started to munch on it angrily.

"Calm down," he laughed.

Carol finally woke up, mumbling gibberish to themself.

Then they looked at Charlie and down at his mug.

"I'll never understand why you prefer that over coffee."

"It's bitter. But to each their own."

Hat Girl came back with a mug of her own, placing it in front of Carol.

"You looked like you needed a wake-up call," she said.

"Everyone does this early in the morning," Carol replied. "And what about you? Did you grab anything for yourself?"

"No, I don't drink neither coffee nor tea." Hat Girl looked at Carol, then Charlie.

"Respectfully, how?" Carol asked. "I can barely live without caffeine, and I doubt anyone here besides you can legitimately say that, either."

Charles saw everyone around the table look down or sip at their drinks, which is what both Burt and Henry did.

"More honey in your tea?" Reginald asked Charles, who shook his head.

He turned to Henry.

"Anything more in your coffee?" he asked. "Sugar, cream, milk..? I know you hate your coffee bitter..."

Henry laughed.

"I'm fine, Reggie." He smiled. "You know that you don't have to treat me like a vase because you're scared of me, which I know you are."

"Just making sure, sir."

Reginald nodded and stepped back to his group of Ellie and RHM.

Charles said nothing, just watched them while dipping a spoon into his tea and tasting it just to see how hot it was.

"So, how's my queen feeling?"

"Fine, hon. You ask me every day, and my answer never changes." Charlies half-smiled at him.

Did I make the right choice?

He suddenly coughed and shook the thought out of his head.

"Darling? Are you alright?" Henry asked, concerned, and put down his mug.

"I'm fine, just... Intrusive thoughts."

Those thoughts had popped into his mind more and more recently.

Charles didn't know where they came from, as he would've sworn he never thought anything like that.

Well, maybe when he first came, but that was a thought to be expected.

Dad would be so relieved if I came back.

Charlie cleared his throat and sipped his tea, even though it was still a tad too hot and his tongue burned.

Now Burt and Carol were concerned.

Great.

"Why is everyone looking at me like that?" he asked, putting the mug down. "I'm fine, I swear."

He felt Henry's stare boring holes into his frame, and turned to look at him.

"Doll, I've known you for the past 2 years," he murmured into his ear. "And we've been, well, together, for another 3 months, so I ought to know when something's troubling you."

Charlie didn't reply and snatched a scone from his plate, beginning to nibble on it to avoid conversation.

"Ahem, uh, Burt?"

Burt's eyes drifted from Charles to Henry.

"Can you call roll call?"

"No problem, boss."

Burt stood up and left the table, with Sven following.

"We'll go too," Carol piped in and gestured to Hat Girl to stand up and walk away.

Leprechaun looked around, noticing that everyone had left, and slunk away.

Henry did a nod of affirmation.

"Darling, if you want to say something to me that only I'll hear, I'm all ears for you."

Tell him you want to go home.

But I don't. This is my home.