Chapter Text
BZZZZ BZZZZZZZZ BZZZZ BZZZZZZ
Who in the heck could be calling right now? Charles thought. It’s almost midnight… his thought trailed off when he saw the caller ID on his brightly lit phone screen.
Samara.
Charles’ cheeks flushed a light pink as he thought about the lovely young woman who was on the other end, waiting for him to pick up. Best not keep her waiting, he thought, tapping the green icon on the screen to receive the call.
“Hello? Samara?” He answered. “Are you alright? It’s… awfully late.”
A flustered and out of breath Sam answered. “O-oh! Sorry, Charles… I know it’s l-late… I…I… I’m s-sorry for b-bothering you…” She trailed off.
“It’s alright, bunty, no need to stress. I was up late reviewing some documents anyways. I was just surprised that you were up too, though I guess you might be used to all-nighters, being a gamer and all.” Charles chuckled, thinking about how easy Samra was to tease. “Anyways, how may I be of assistance?”
“N-now that I think about it… it’s silly, Charles, just for-get i-it.” Her breath hitched.
“Samara, you called me at a late time, you must need something urgently. Not to mention the fact that you’re stuttering, which is what you do when you’re nervous or upset.”
Sam sighed. Sometimes I wish you were less observant, Sam thought. “A-alright, Charles! I’m s-sorry… I just wanted to ask if you would c-come over…” Her voice cracked and trailed off, and it was too easy for Charles to imagine tears forming in the corners of her innocent, chocolate doe eyes.
Charles sighed, hating the fact that anything had made her unhappy. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, but please tell me; why are you upset?” His voice almost broke as he finished his sentence, his emotions getting the better of him despite his numerous attempts to push away his feelings for her.
“I-I will, Charles. Once you g-get here, o-okay?”
“Alright, Samara. I will be there as soon as I can.”
The two said goodbye and hung up, though Charles was slightly reluctant to.
~~
The short drive to Samara’s house felt like a millennium, Charles driving with extreme caution, as it was very late. Samara’s words, shaky and filled with some unexplainable emotion played over and over in his head. His brows tented, his self control crumbling in the late hour. God, I’m becoming like her father, it’s not like I mean anything to her. His face remained passive on the outside, but he felt a pang in his heart when he realized that Samara didn’t know how he longed for her, the only thing stopping him from sweeping her up in his arms was the threat of losing his steady life in California to Samara’s father, who would go to great lengths to destroy the life of anyone who dared touch his ‘pumpkin’.
~
Sam sat alone on her couch, in her dark apartment. The only light in the room was from the bright streetlights outside her living room window. She wore a thin, strappy silk camisole and matching shorts (a gift from her mother) and a big wooly cardigan that swallowed her small form. She bit her nails nervously, awaiting Charles’ arrival.
Sam jumped at a sudden urgent rapping at her door.
“Samara, it’s me.” Charles’ smooth Welsh accent called from the other side of the door.
Sam quickly shuffled to unlock the door, hugging Charles around his torso as soon as she saw him. Charles took a step back from shock, then wrapped his arms around Samara. She was now sobbing into his shirt, glasses pressed uncomfortably into his ribcage. “Samara, please look at me.” Charles asked softly, brushing away tear-soaked strands of hair from her face. The delicate features of her face were soaked in tears, streaming from her large, innocent eyes. “What’s wrong? Please tell me, or you’ll worry me sick.” He said, wiping away her tears and staring at her with concern.
“That’s why I didn’t ask my dad to come, Charles. He’s supposed to be the worrier, not you.” Sam joked, cracking a small and reassuring smile; her tears coming to an end. “We should… probably go inside.” She whispered, suddenly conscious of the fact that her neighbors were probably all asleep.
“Of course, bunty.” Charles said in a hushed tone, reluctantly dropping his arms from their embrace.
Sam looked away from Charles’ gaze when she felt his warmth leave her, turning around and pushing her way into the apartment quietly.