Chapter Text
Charles wondered as the if asking Sam out to dinner, then ending up going out to lunch with her, was enough of a date.
He wondered if his mother would accept a lunch with his future boss as a date? Could he pass it off as such?
He played with the thought all the way down the elevator. Stopping only when the tapping of Rosewood‘s heels sounded against the parking garage’s floor.
“Miss Young.” Charles said, a gentle smile on his face as he startled the brunette out of her own thoughts. “After you. It’s our floor.”
He gestured and walked out after her.
Well, maybe if they had a good time..
His mam would accept it.
At the restaurant, he found himself having a very revealing conversation with Sam. When she had become Sam in his thoughts, he couldn’t place, but..
As the meal continued on and secrets were spilled, Charles found them both relaxing. Even with her lack of knowledge on etiquette, Sam picked up fast from watching him and he didn’t mind at all.
He found himself surprised, even if he had grown to respect her in the past year, that the conversation flowed and they both seemed to be..
Genuinely enjoying themselves.
He laughed at that, waving off her confusion as he calmed. Filling her in with a simple few words. “I had a meeting I really did not want to go to next week, but I think I thought of a way to get out of it.”
He smiled and Sam smiled back, before focusing her gaze on her meal. “That’s great.”
It was too bad that those few seconds had been enough to make his heart pound. His eyes widened and he quickly took a bite of his pasta as his mood changed.
Yeah, it was great.
Charles was usually spot on about planning. Really, he usually knew what risks came with going where and planned ahead.
“Are you sure you want to run to car in this downpour, Miss Young?” He asked again, hesitant even after he’d offered his suit jacket and she’d pulled it over her head. “I could go, get it and drive up..-“
Sam shook her head, frowning as she securely tugged the suit jacket further over her head. “It’s easier like this, you’d have to circle around.”
The manager opened his mouth to debate this, before catching the determined look on her face and chuckling. Giving in with an incline of his head. “You’re correct. When you’re ready then, Miss Young.”
She seemed to steel herself mentally before meeting his gaze and nodding. “Lead the way.”
Lead he did, forming a mostly successful sort of human barrier from the commuters that were running past in front of Sam. It was a good thing he did too, as someone barreled blindly into him and didn’t even stop to apologize.
He could handle it, but Sam? She wouldn’t have been so lucky.
Speaking of who, as they came to the car a block and a half later, he unlocked it before waiting at the passenger’s side door. When Sam finally made it to him, he opened the door and shouted a question above the sound of the pounding rain. “I hope you’re okay, Miss Young?”
He didn’t wait to hear the answer, running around to the driver’s side door and sliding in himself before he looked at her.
He couldn’t help but chuckle as he took in her state and looked at his own in the mirror. “Well, that was something.”
Sam pulled his jacket off of her head, smiling weakly as she watched him attempt to fix his hair back to its gelled style. “That’s for sure.”
He turned the car on after putting on his seatbelt, just to put the heat on first. “That should help. Miss Young, if your clothes are waterlogged, I promise I have the shirt from the other day in the backseat.”
He absently removed his own shirt, sniffing as he took advantage of the heat.
“That sounds like a good idea.” Sam responded after taking in her state. She pulled off her sweater and reached back to grab the button down that would cover her shirt. Charles probably would never have looked over, but when he sneezed, he couldn’t help the jerk of his head.
He found his own soulmark, or the mirror image of it, with the remains of some concealer over it in front of him. The blond gaped, undoing and pulling up sleeve unconsciously to compare.
Even as Sam sat back normally and covered the mark with his shirt, Charles sat there. Mouth working soundlessly for a bit.
“You..” He was almost speechless, even as the little things began to make sense. Sam turned to look at him after a moment and raised her eyebrow at him, before looking down at his arm.
Her reaction was slower, but her face turned red and she gasped harshly. Looking back at Charles after a moment. “We..!?”
He nodded and swallowed, closing his mouth in the process. A weak and goofy smile spreading across his face. “Wow. It makes sense. The past year, I..”
Sam nodded, her lips slowly turning up into a smile.
Charles leaned closer to her, slowly, as if asking permission, before he cupped her cheek. His gaze growing tender as his eyes swept over her face slowly.
“Charles.” Sam whispered, face still red as she looked away and back at him.
He just grinned after a moment and whispered hoarsely. “I finally found you.”
Sam’s gaze softened and she leaned up to press a chaste kiss onto his lips. “Finally.”
Charles returned the kiss, running a thumb over her cheek before he sneezed again.
They sat in silence for a moment and took in the car’s heat, unmoving. Until Charles chuckled wryly and Sam shot him a puzzled glance.
”It’s just, I was hoping we would enjoy ourselves before knowing about us. Just so my mam would not make me go on a blind date.” She raised an eyebrow as he smirked, chuckling still. “I guess I have to tell her I’m booked for the unforeseeable future.
His smile grew soft as he pressed his lips to her forehead in a feather light kiss. “We have a lot of missed time to make up for, about ten years of time by my count..”
Sam smiled at him, her cheeks again turning pink. “That sounds like the perfect excuse to me. Maybe you can explain the cut I have on my knee.”
Charles laughed, closing his eyes. “Yes, I suppose we could use some of our time to explain those injuries.”
After all..
They now had all the time in the world.