Charles doesn’t need to ask to know that Erik’s grateful that Charles is the one who organized their company car pool. Erik doesn’t need to say anything when Charles pulls into his driveway every weekday morning a half hour earlier than necessary, because the look on Erik’s face when Charles helps buckle Wanda and Pietro into their car seats says plenty. They have a silent communication going on, spoken through the brush of their knuckles when they both carry one of the twins into the local daycare, and in the shared grins when the other employees complain about Charles always showing up a few minutes too early for pickup.

They don’t need to say much at all to know there’s something going on between them, but maybe one needs to say something for either of them to take the next step.