charles // like a broken arrow

[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

OUTFIT

Bella had spent the night with Beth, after of course being properly vetted by Charles, who found Beth was an okay person to leave his child with. It had gone rather well, they make cookies and Beth read aloud to her. There was a rainstorm, so Beth and Arabella snuggled in her bed with her old stuffed animal bunny rabbit. Then she'd made pancakes and let her play with her pet mouse Whiskers. Lunch was easy, a trip to the zoo and now she was bringing her home, hoping Charles had enjoyed his peace and quiet, as she was now full of pizazz, the way only five year olds can be.

It had all gone fairly well, with the exception of Bells riffling through her drawers like the inquisitive child she was and finding her more adult underwear...

Beth rang the doorbell and waited patiently, holding Arabella's bag of things while the little girl clasped her hand bounced up and down a little. Charlie came to the door fairly quickly and Arabella rushed in, yanking Beth behind her. Beth simply let go of her hand as the girl ran inside the house, super excited.

"Daddy! We had so much fun being princesses, its not a palace but its nice... she has a pet mouse! isn't that cool? Why don't we have a pet mouse? And I found these things she said were underwear but I don't see how they would cover anything, not enough fabric." Bella got slightly less hyper and gave them both a matter of fact look as she finished before launching into another list of fun things they did.

"She found the thongs I hid..." Beth gave a sheepish smile and held the bag of Bella's things out to him. "May I come in?" It felt weird standing on his welcome mat.

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

It wasn't that he'd needed the time alone. Granted, he had a bit of grading to do, but Arabella was never a bother when he was trying to get that done. But she had been positively begging to see "Princess Bethany" again, and he had to admit, he rather liked the idea, as well, so he'd consented to allow Bella to spend the night with the woman. It gave him an excuse to learn a bit more about her. What he found was that Bethany was a very nice woman, and that Arabella had every reason to be attached to her.

He'd used the bulk of his time alone to do teacherly things, but he'd also taken the opportunity to get a bit of extra housework done. Not having a woman around the house ensured that his home had a lived-in appearance, and he wasn't sure he liked it to look quite as lived in as it currently did. By the time Bethany's knock came at the door, though, his grading was done, the house was tidied, and there was a cheery fire burning in the fireplace. He answered the door promptly, grinning at the two of them, though he told himself the joy was primarily directed at his daughter. When Arabella rushed in, a stream of words pouring from her mouth, he chuckled to himself. The house had been so quiet without her rambling!

Charlie started to address Arabella's question as to why they didn't have mouse when he processed the rest of what she'd said. He cast a questioning glance at Beth, who confirmed that Bella had found her thongs. A nervous chuckle escaped his lips. What man in his right mind wouldn't think of a woman wearing such underwear when the topic was brought up? "Well, I suppose someone had to teach her about those," he replied sheepishly, still trying to shake the mental image of Bethany in the aforementioned underwear.

It wasn't until she asked if she could come in that he realized he'd forgotten to invite her. "Of course! I'm sorry, I should have invited you in before," he answered, quickly stepping aside to allow her to come into his home. It was small with a typical cottage-like appearance. Charlie liked to assume it was charming, but he couldn't be sure how others saw it. He led the way to the living room, which was outfitted with a cozy two-seater sofa and a large armchair. "Have a seat," he offered, waiting for her to decide where she sat before making a move. "I'll have Arabella put her things away."

At the mention of her name, the little girl rushed into the living room. "Can I leave them packed, Daddy? For next time? There has to be a next time!" Charlie chuckled at her. "No, sweetheart... We have to wash your things first," he explained, ushering Bella toward her bedroom.

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[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Bella chuckled at his comment about how how someone had to teach Arabella about thongs. "I just told her they were underwear for grown ups and re-hid them." Beth said with a little smile, still blushing. She hadn't gone and taught Arabella about them, but Bella had found them, and maybe that was still a lesson. The look on his face did make her want to chuckle. he was a man after all. Of course, she wasn't wearing a thong now, but that didn't matter.

She stepped inside and smiled. It was a rather adorable little home. It smelled fresh and clean-- which was unexpected for a bachelor, even one with a child. And she could hear the crackling of a fire. "Its a lovely place you have here." She said with a smile, taking a seat on the love seat in front of the fire. Beth smiled as she listened to Bella ask to keep her things packed up for next time and chuckled softly. It had been fun, and Beth was glad they had done it. the little girl was actually great company, and it made her rather happy.

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

Charlie was relieved to hear that Beth, in fact, found his home charming. He'd wondered briefly whether she would've been disappointed by it. It shouldn't have mattered, really, but for some reason, he couldn't help but care about her opinion. He thanked her for the compliment before escorting his daughter to her room.

If Bella had liked Bethany before, she plainly adored the woman now, and she was positively beaming as she begged for another chance to stay with Beth. It was clear that the woman was going to be in their lives for a while if his daughter had anything to say about it. Charles couldn't help but smile as he got Bella started unpacking. Once she had things underway, he returned to the living room, glad to see that Beth had made herself comfortable on the loveseat. "Thanks for letting her stay with you," he offered. "I'm pretty sure Arabella needs all of the female influence she can get." It was one thing he always worried about. It wasn't anyone's fault that she'd lost her mother, but Charlie didn't want the lack of female influence to negatively impact his daughter's upbringing.

He contemplated joining her on the loveseat, but he wasn't sure whether she intended on staying. For his part, he would certainly be glad for the company. Having spent most of his time either alone or with children, he was badly in need of adult company. And the fact that Bethany was both beautiful and quickly winning his daughter's affections only made her company that much more desirable. "Would you like some tea?" he offered. It was an innocent enough suggestion, but it would give her a reason to stick around for a while.

[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Beth smiled as she heard them in the other room, Arabella still chattering on about what fun they had. It really had been fun. Beth had enjoyed it more than she thought she would have. Beth liked kids, but she never really saw herself as like a stand in mom, which is what it sort of felt like here, with Charles saying she needed a woman in her life. "It was my pleasure, we had a great time." She nodded, glad it was true.

"And she's young, she doesn't really need a woman in her life right now. She has a great dad who takes good care of her." When boys and make up and periods crashed into Bella's life, then it would be good to a have she trusted around, but at 5, she was just fine with her daddy. Beth thought a moment about her dad, how he'd left when she was 9. The divorce finalized in the mail. And she never heard from him again. "Dads are important too."

Then he offered her some tea and she smiled, she was starting to feel slightly jumpy and tea worked wonders. "I'd love some tea actually."

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

He could tell from the way she spoke that Beth had, in fact, enjoyed her time with Bella, and the thought that she did made him happier than it probably should have. It was such a relief to see his daughter happily engaging with a woman. His mother frequently told him that he was silly for believing that he wasn't good enough on his own, that Arabella needed a mother. But Charlie wanted what was best for her, and he knew nothing about being a girl. He didn't want to teach her behaviors that she would be ridiculed for when she was older.

A smile crept onto Charlie's face as Bethany voiced the same thoughts his mother usually did. That was a good sign, right? "Thank you," he told her, flattered that she thought he was doing a good job. Parenting was harder than he'd imagined it to be, particularly because he'd never expected to be doing it alone. "I just don't want her to forget how to act like a girl. I mean, I don't really know a lot about that. And I want her to have someone to talk to about… female sorts of things." He probably sounded silly, but he wasn't going to bluntly explain the sorts of things he meant. It wouldn't have been polite.

Charlie didn't mean to make things feel awkward. He wasn't asking Beth to be Bella's mother. That would have been thoroughly unfair. But he wasn't sure what to say to address the idea. Fortunately, tea was a great equalizer. It also gave him an excuse to get out of the room for a moment. He headed for the kitchen and put a kettle of water on the stove before returning to the living room. Gingerly, he took a seat beside Beth, though he was careful to leave a bit of space between them. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

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[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Bethany thought he was rather cute for his ideas about Bella needing a woman, she was 5 not 12. Arabella was fairly girly, tiaras, princesses, flowers and bows... She wasn't a tomboy, her father wasn't that kind of man either. Though she supposed he had a point and it was far to easy to imagine being part of this world. Though, she'd want a partner in this... She just smiled at him kindly, watching him go into the kitchen and back.

He sat down at she smiled, at a loss for what to say. They had gotten to talk a bit as adults when he looked over her place before Arabella's visit. "Sorry about about the thongs. I really don't even wear them much, total fluke that she found them. I don't want you to think I was scandalizing your daughter." Beth said with a little nervous laugh.

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

Mildly uncomfortable silences were normal in a classroom. At home, though, Charles wasn't at all used to them. Ordinarily, it was just him and Arabella. Occasionally, his mother joined them. Neither of those were people he typically had trouble talking to, so the house was usually alive with chatter. It made the silence that had fallen between himself and Beth feel rather tense. Charlie wracked his brain for something to say, but every time he tried to open his mouth, the only thoughts that still seemed to be in his head were how beautiful Bethany was and how, even though he'd politely declined her initial suggestion of a date, he thought he might actually enjoy one now.

Fortunately, she broke the silence for him, apologizing once again for the racy underwear his daughter had discovered in her apartment. He chuckled and tried to pretend that he wasn't back to thinking about her wearing said underwear. Of course, he was doing a pretty sorry job of pretending, but she ought to have expected his thoughts to have taken that turn. He was, after all, a man, and she was an attractive woman. It would have been more offensive if he hadn't thought about it at all. "I wouldn't say she's scandalized," he offered. "And she'll probably have forgotten about it in a couple of days." Charles, of course, would not forget about them so quickly, but he thought it best not to add that.

He thought about teasing her about her underwear, and if they'd been more familiar, he might have. As it was, though, he was still worried about the possibility of offending her. So he settled for the next best thing, actually suggesting a date. "I... um... you mentioned once before that you might... be interested in going out sometime," he started, his eyes moving from Beth's face to his couch and back again. "Would you still be interested?"

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[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Charles was right that Arabella would forget about the thongs. Five year old were always finding new things to be excited about. She did feel bad though, considering she was an adult and thongs were something intimate and adult. She really just wanted him to trust her because she liked Bella, and she liked him.

Beth smiled softly, amused by his awkwardness as he asked her out. Something was so sweet about how rusty and sincere he was, and she knew he had really thought it over. "Yeah." She said, biting her lip lightly and scooting a little closer to him on the couch. She didn't know too much about him as a man, but he was a wonderful parent, and that proved he was a good man. Hopefully he would make a good lover, for Bella's sake as well as her own.

The water for her tea started boiling in the next room and she jumped lightly, giggling softly at herself afterward. She patted him on the knee lightly, blushing and stood up. "I'll get that." She said, hurrying off into the direction of the kitchen for cover. He had already taken out two mugs and a little rack of teas. She moved the kettle off the burner and poured the hot water into the mugs.

"Which mugs is yours? And what tea do you want?" Beth called out, fingering through the rack on the counter.

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

His stammering didn't do much to help the situation. It only made him feel more awkward. But he wasn't at all used to asking women out. It had taken him a great deal of time to get up the courage to ask out his wife, who had also been his first girlfriend, so he hadn't had the sort of experience that helped to make this sort of interaction easier. Fortunately, Beth seemed to appreciate his anxiety, and he was rewarded with a smile. Her smile was so beautiful that he was sure it could stop his heart. In fact, he was so distracted by her smile that Charles hardly registered the fact that she'd confirmed her interest in going out with him. He'd only just processed her response when she scooted closer to him. Hesitantly, he moved a bit closer to her and let his arm slide around her waist, enjoying the simplicity of being this close.

It was clear that both of them had forgotten about the tea, and the whistle signaling that the water was boiling startled them both. Charlie chuckled when Beth jumped, quickly deciding that it was an adorable reaction. He also found that he rather liked the way that she seemed to have already integrated herself into his little family, scurrying off to make the tea that he had offered her. Endearing as it was, though, Beth was still a guest, and Charlie's mother would have been horrified by the idea that he'd let her make her own tea, let alone his. So, he rose and headed into the kitchen just a moment after she did, pausing in the doorway to enjoy the view of her leaning over to reach the rack of teas that he had placed far back on the counter.

It was his turn to jump when she called out to ask which tea he wanted and which mug to make it in. Charles let out a chuckle and made his way into the kitchen, stopping to stand beside her. "You have to be the most adorable woman I have ever met," he concluded, surprised by his ability to fluently express the thought. But maybe now that he'd established his interest in her and she had indicated her own interest, as well, things would be less difficult. "But you are still my guest, and I should be asking you those questions. So, which mug would you like? And what sort of tea can I make for you?" he asked, reaching around her to pull the tea rack closer.

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[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Beth smiled when he came into the kitchen and couldn't help but be amazed at how normal and nice this seemed. Like they belonged in the kitchen together, making tea with their little girl off to bed, or at least off in her room. It was strange to think that way of course, but it was nice all the same. For the first time, Beth thought that a family might be something she really wanted to have, besides her government job she still longed for.

Beth blushed at his compliment. She'd never been with a guy like him, sweet and sincere. Beth hadn't realized until now that she seemed to have a penchant for jerks...And she had never blushed so much in her life. Beth tried to be a woman in charge, she was a gentle person, but she tried so hard not to be. Charles seemed to be cracking her usual defenses.

"Um, earl gray, and really whichever mug." Beth said, handing him the tea bag from the rack. She decided she did have her eye on the light blue mug he'd taken out, it had a tiny chip in the handle and clouds painted on it. "And you are rather sweet yourself Charlie."

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

He was still nervous, but Charlie couldn't help but recognize the ease with which things now seemed to be flowing. It was as if by agreeing to go on a date, they'd managed to remove the tension between them. Making tea together in his kitchen seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Charlie regarded the two mugs, politely ignoring Beth's blush. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable. He was rather enjoying the easy way that things seemed to be progressing.

When she indicated that she didn't care which mug, he let out a short chuckle. Women liked to say that things didn't matter when they really did have an opinion. He'd at least learned that much in his limited experience with them. So, he stared at the mugs for a moment, trying to figure out which she might have already decided to prefer. In the end, he chose the blue mug with the cloud motif for her and dropped an earl gray teabag into it. "This is Arabella's favorite mug," he told her. "She'll be delighted to hear that her favorite princess used it." It was true. It had also been his wife's favorite mug, but pointing that out would have brought them right back to the awkward territory they'd just gotten away from.

After dropping a chamomile teabag into his own mug, which was a cheery yellow color and featured a faded painting of an owl, he returned his attention to Beth. The dim lighting in the kitchen was just enough to allow the shadows to hug her curves, instantly turning his thoughts back in the direction of the underwear she'd previously mentioned. He was sure that the mental image of Bethany clad in little more than scraps of lace would be stuck in the back of his head for days. He had half a mind to tell her as much, but it seemed like a childish thing to do, so he simply offered her a polite smile. "Do you take sugar?" he asked, allowing himself to focus on the simplicity of minding his manners. It was harder than it should have been because every fiber of his being wanted to reach out and touch her. But they hadn't even been on a date yet, and he didn't want Beth to think that he was the kind of guy who was only after her as part of a game.

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[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Beth smiled as he gave her the mug she'd been thinking of, and as she learned it was Bella's favorite. "Favorite princess huh? Are there others?" She laughed, imagining for the first time that maybe Arabella often found pretty women to be princesses. Bethany rather loved it, being a princess, she sometimes found herself thinking she actually was one, for the first time since she was a little girl. Bella was her daddy's princess, Beth had a short time of being her father's princess, and it was nice to be so loved again. Her mother wasn't exactly a cuddly type, but she was a good mother all the same.

"Yes, just one sugar," She told him, inching a little closer in the dim light. It gave him a rugged quality this lighting, he had a faint stubble which was rather attractive, and there was a shadow down the side of his neck, which Beth certainly wanted to nuzzle her face into. He was so kind, but she could see he was undressing her with eyes and trying so hard not to. He really was a sweet one and Beth mentally giggled that she would be the sexual adventurous one for once. She was pretty by the book, but not always when she was flirting.

In any case, she liked Charlie all the more and she found her breathing slowing gently. Beth knew she should have taken her mug, but she left hers steeping on the counter and leaned in to kiss Charles softly on the lips. She didn't want to linger too long, since he was trying so hard to be polite. She pulled back, realized her hand was on his chest and carefully removed it. Beth didn't want to apologize, she wasn't sorry, but she felt she should.

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

Charlie couldn't help but chuckle at her question. He hadn't meant that there were other women in his life that Arabella thought were princesses. Truthfully, he'd been referring to the characters in fairy tales. But the idea that Bethany would care to ask whether there were others made him smile. "You mean does she think every pretty woman is a princess? Or was that a thinly veiled question about my love life?" He grinned at her, letting her know that he didn't mind either way. "Regardless, the answer is no. Not really. She thought her mother was a princess, certainly. But you're the first since then. And as far as my love life goes, I'm sure you're the only princess involved." He hesitated again, sure he'd made the moment uncomfortable, before reaching for the container of sugar cubes.

At her request, he placed one sugar cube in her tea and two in his own before closing it and replacing it on the shelf. When his gaze returned to Beth, she was moving closer to him. Charlie held his breath, watching her movements carefully. Before he'd really processed what she was doing, he felt her lips press gently against his. He wasn't entirely sure it hadn't been a dream, though; she pulled away too soon. Charlie watched her in astonishment for a moment. It was hard for him to realize that a woman would want to kiss him. Particularly when he'd done so little to recommend himself to her.

One look at her eyes told him that she was looking for him to approve what she'd done. She seemed like she wanted to apologize for it, but that was the last thing Charles wanted at this point. So he took a step to close the distance between them, placed a hand behind her head, weaving his fingers through her hair. Gingerly, he pressed a kiss to her lips. He didn't pull away, but he did loosen his hand from her hair and allow it to slide down onto her back. If she wanted to stop him, he'd let her, but he was hoping she'd meant for this to happen.

[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

life-- it was clear he didn't date much, and he certainly didn't seem the juggling type. But she was flattered and touched to be the first real princess since Bella's mother. For her sake, she hoped things worked out with them, even if they didn't date much. Bella couldn't lose another mother figure... Beth realized she'd hate to lose Bella too.

Her heart hammered as he leaned closer in the semi-carkness and kissed her, his fingers wound up in her hair. The kiss landed like a sigh and she forgot to worry and just kissed him back. His lips were soft and firm, his tongue tasted faintly like cookies. She let him hold her close, she looped one arm under his and held his back, while her other hand lay on his chest and pulled faintly on his collar. Beth didn't want to overstep the boundaries, whatever they were in this case. Part of her wanted him to just take her right then against the counter.

She did let her hand on his back trail up the bottom of his shirt, his skin smooth and brawny and warm under her palm. Beth nibbled softly on his lower lip as he held her curves against him.