cam.

It’d been a late one on the job. There was a particular house fire that had all of the guys on shift tackling it. Akash had signed himself up for the longer shifts to earn a bit of extra money, but it took it out of him having to deal with this particular one. His Captain gave him an early leave to go home and rest himself up, considering he’d been pulling late ones the past couple of nights. Opting to walk it home seemed like a good idea, until he ran into the bubbly girl. “You don’t look so bad yourself,” he told her, the cocky smile on his face fading quickly when he took in her appearance on closer inspection. Her pupils were crazily dilated, coupled with her behaviour pointed towards either extremely drunk or off her head. “What’re you doing out here, hot stuff?” Alarm bells weren’t ringing loudly yet, but it concerned him she was out here alone, especially around this kind of area.

Green hues raked over the guy. Dark hair and complexion, it reminded her of a certain someone. So, maybe she had a type-- male or female. “Yeah, I get that a lot,” she mused, tossing him a slight smirk. Cameron was well aware that at the very least, she was decent looking. And this guy, he certainly was not bad on the eyes at all. “Hot stuff? I like you already. I just felt like going for a walk, that was like--” One eye closed, and she nipped at her bottom lip while trying to figure out just how long it had been since she'd left. One minute she was sitting in her jeep and the next, she'd wandered around. Truth be told, she didn't know where she was. It was a part of Luciole she wasn't altogether familiar with if she was honest.  “An hour ago, maybe?” Glancing around absentmindedly, she suddenly appeared disappointed. “The bowling alley isn't over, huh?”

“Holy fucking shit why are you so enthusiastic?” Andy blurted out before she even really processed the woman. She’d been so content but then Cameron had practically flown at her and – oh shit. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”  She hissed, verging on angry but delving deep in to her concerned tone. She grasped Cam’s upper arm and yanked her around the side of the building, fixing her eyes on her with sincere confusion and worry written across her own. Andy may not touch drugs at all but she knew her teammates did. She was in college after all and she’d seen how some of the people looked on the occasions she’d join them at clubs and parties. Only once as she stared at her own face under the influence of drugs and she’d sworn never again. “Is this some crazy night gone wrong? Are you lost? Why are you – you called my face pretty….something is so messed up here. But you look so happy?” The drugs. “Are you okay?”

Cameron instantly noticed her friend’s displeasure. She noticed it-- she did, only she really didn't concern herself with it at all. “What the fuck if wrong with you,” she echoed, her tone much nicer than the soccer player’s. Rolling her eyes, she allowed herself to be dragged away. Jeez, what was wrong with the people in this town? Did no one know how to lighten up? “Such a killjoy,” she quipped, her eyes widened as she looked at the other. The brightness slightly hurt but otherwise she was in an amazing mood. “You do have a pretty face. Just because I haven't sat on it-- doesn't mean I don't think you do.” Cam shrugged her shoulders, wondering why there was so many questions. “I am happy.” And then there was that one. That stupid question that didn't she didn't want to hear. “Oh, of course I’m okay. Can't you tell? I wish everyone would just stop worrying about me...” Wiggling her finger in front of Andy's face a little, she huffed. “You and Renn both. It's like your the same person, or something.”

Mandy had been out one sunny afternoon looking around at the shops and the checking out the parks. She had promised herself she could stop the routine of going to work and back and actually get out and check this new town out for once. She felt surprisingly happy but she couldn’t fight the exhaustion that she felt from her first couple weeks at work. It had been a difficult transition but she was only trying to make best of it. Since arriving Mandy had met a few people but hardly formed any close friendships or relationships. That didn’t bother her much though. So she searched through the town looking through her glossy marijuana high. The woman smiled as she watched people walking around with families and couples showing off their love. She gave her approval to it all. Although it was a shock when Cameron— the woman she had met the other day at the bar— stopped her and excited started talking to her. Mandy laughed lightly, “Nice to see you too Cam.” She raised her eyebrow looking at the dilation of her pupils and allowed a long laugh to leave her throat. “I think we’ve got a lot more in common than I realized,” She nodded her head down at the woman in curiosity. 

“How very well mannered of you, Mandy Felix,” Cameron beamed, giving the slightly taller woman a faint nod. God, she hoped she got her name right. If not, that would be terribly awkward. “I should probably have better manners too, but fuck that.” Crinkling her nose, she shrugged her shoulders. The Texan immediately returned the gesture as she looked at her. Raising a brow, a devilish smirk drew upon her face-- tugging at the creases of her soft plush lips. “You mean besides our love for women?” It wasn't an assumption she'd generally make, or one she'd say out loud; however, she was high off her rocker. Tomorrow, if she remembered-- she'd probably feel terribly rude. Perhaps she'd find the blonde, and offer up her apology. “But seriously, what do you mean?” The slight stench of marijuana was a welcomed one. She'd never quite been a smoker. Sure, she'd dabbed but it was the smell that got to her. Why anyone would want to smell like a skunk-- she just didn't get it. It might take away from the slight unsettling dizziness that came from this strange high.

“I know you are, baby. I know…” She cooed tenderly as she brushed some of Cameron’s hair back from behind her ear and replaced the space with her lips. Renn didn’t have all the answers to everything, especially when it not came to parents. She was the only child of two people who were very much in love. Sure her parents had struggled in the world for many many years and perhaps had Renn too young but they loved her and as far as Renn knew they told her the truth. Hearing all of this from Cameron just made Renn’s chest hurt because she wanted to tell her it would all work out perfect but she didn’t know; relationships were being torn apart and trust was broken and it was just so sad. “I get it, Cam….” She muttered as she gazed at the woman’s trembling lip and within even having to think she dipped down and pressed her mouth to it. “But I want to do things for you. I want to support you and look out for you. I want to be a shoulder you can lean on…” She breathed in and cupped the younger woman’s cheek as she tenderly stroked her thumb across her skin. She didn’t like the sight of her tears. “I care about you so much Cameron. I never expected any of it but then the boat and the bonfire and…the sex yes…because you don’t make me feel like they feel…” She pulled Cameron a little closer and nudged her head with her nose. “And you can hide away here whenever you need. Even if I’m not here…I’ll give you a key…”

Cameron didn't need for her to get it. Her main desire for was for everything to go back to how it was. Maybe not exactly to before, because that would mean she was chasing Renn. It was nice while it was happening but she'd gotten to have her-- in so many very different ways. There was no way Cam could go back to that. Her legs were tired, and just wouldn't. Her eyes meekly closed. Not opening again until she heard Renn's voice. No matter the connotation, she'd never not want to be kissed by her. A single tear fell again. This time it wasn't about her past or what the future held but instead for her present. God, Renn certainly had a way with words; a way of making her feel better. It was such an oddity. Cameron wasn't sure she necessarily wanted to consider how they felt. But if she made Renn feel like that, who cared? The thought of hiding away and immersing herself in all things Renn didn't seem so bad. Even with her not around-- it was something. It would be soothing. Cameron hummed contently, reveling in their closeness. Never would she tire of this, though a second later a wave of panic washed over her. “A key? Uhm, Renn. Are you sure about that?” Confusion had overtaken. Her brows widened. Cameron was both elated and immensely frightened by the implications. Anyone knew what a key meant, even someone so unjaded by the world. “We're not even toget---” She stopped herself, her gaze averting. Shades of green fixated on the comforter. In truth, she didn't know whether she wanted them to be or not. Well, that wasn’t true exactly because she did. However, with everything in her own life, she knew it was a terrible place to start and Renn couldn't want that from her. She was sure of it in spite of what she'd just seconds before said.

Alessandra blushed at the words and how forward this woman was, still she smiled and even silently laughed. She was just happy - that was the Italian’s very first impression that came off the other; happy. Of course, that’s when she noticed the pupils, and realized she was high off of something. She remembered being high, though she couldn’t say she enjoyed being dependant on it. Or being kept high for about three years. But there were moments that being high felt right; good. Everything washed away into the background. Her eyes closed, telling herself this inner debate with herself needed to end and she needed to walk away. Only, she ended up watching the scene like in a movie when her eyes opened and she smiled at the other, a quiet voice speaking up. “I-what do..do I uhm..have to d-do? To..to get what..what you’re..” Her voice trailed off, but she needed this; or so she told herself. She deserved to be able to let go and not feel this fear. Maybe she’d finally be able to give Nathan the sex he wanted while high. “You’re on? If..if that’s okay to uhm….t-to ask.”

Cameron felt like she recognized this woman from around town. The recognition only went so far however, but damn was she was pretty. Her hair especially. It was nice and long, and shiny. The stuttering had been a bit of a shock causing the Texan's brows to inch their way towards one another. “What makes you think I'm on something,” she cheekily countered. Of course, she was and she could only assume it was obvious. The girl had a small baggy stuffed away in pocke filled with a couple of blues and greens. The latter, she didn't know what it was supposed to be however the former were 'blue dolphins'. In the middle of downtown Luciole, in the bright day, she really shouldn't be doing this. “Oh, what the hell-- you look like you could use a reason to smile, too.” Pulling out the plastic bag, she held out one pill to the stranger. “You didn't get this from me,” she warned. Honestly, for all she knew this woman could be an officer or even friends with her 'father'. “Promise me...” A promise from someone she didn't even know wasn't worth much but her judgment was off.

Renn had been so excited to give Cameron her food that she hadn’t properly looked at her until after they’d both taken a bite. She chewed thoughtfully and smiled wide when she was given compliments because she may have cooked once or twice for the pair but it was still so wonderful to hear she could be domestic for Cam. She wasn’t unnaturally domestic because she’d had plenty of chores as a child and her mother had raised her so that she never wasted anything. Now she had money she could be picky and selective with her food; she didn’t have to dance around dates and she didn’t have to watch over her mother’s shoulder as she scrounged for deals in the magazines their neighbours had put out for recycling. She set her fork down and went to smile at the beautiful woman in her bed but it soon slipped away when she saw the streaks on Cameron’s cheek. If she hadn’t have noticed such a faint detail then the soft swell of her eyes may have been an indication. “Baby…” She hushed and quickly set her plate aside. Despite the fact the girl was eating she crawled closer and wrapped her arm around her, lifting a hand to brush her thumb across her face. “Please don’t cry…” She whispered and cupped her jaw, looking deep in to her eyes. She cared so hard for Cameron and it hit her most in these moments. The entire time the previous night she’d silently sworn to forget the rest of the world in favour of the younger woman. She just wanted Cam to feel safe and protected and….could she say loved? She adored Cameron but she couldn’t push it too far. Maybe she should have acted calmer and maybe the situation was a little surreal with their nearly naked bodies and two plates of food but it didn’t stop her wanting to help Cam. “I’m here for you. I promise…I’ll make you bacon, hold you and get naked whenever you want. You don’t have to go through this alone and you can take all the baby steps you want. You can stay here whenever you need space…I’ll drop everything…”

Cameron hadn't meant for this to happen. They were having a good morning. Everything was nearly forgotten. But now her cheeks were coated with tears. This was the second time Renn had now seen her at this weak point, and she hated every second of it. She just wanted to block out the world-- nestle between her thighs, and afterward eat bacon. It was as simple as that. Swallowing hard, she caved instantly. It was much in the same way that she had hours before on the street. For all her bravado and wanting to appear stronger, she couldn't help but let her guard fall for her. “I'm trying... so hard. I fucking hate this,” she murmured, almost unable to look at her. Though as she did, she noticed the compassion in those dark beautiful eyes. It was much the same as the previous night. Cam realized in that moment that no matter what happened, she would always care about Renn in some way. Those feelings she'd always had for her had now grown into something deeper. She considered a friend-- someone she'd always want in her life regardless of what came from this ordeal. “You don't have to do anything for me me. Just... being here is enough. I really are about you. I always have but it's different now. It’s something else,” she admitted, her bottom lip quivering.