Cameron: Lucien had made his point, and Cam certainly found it annoying. He didn't have much time to dwell on it, as Apple was already offering him her hand. Cam took it with a firm shake and smile, and he glanced at Lucien with a raised brow.

"You have?" Cam asked when he turned back to Apple.

Lucien: "Yeah! Says you're a PE teacher! That was my dream job when I was little!"

"You're still little, girl."

Lucien was given a smack on the chest. Much like with his daughter, he feigned injury, making her giggle.

Their hostess, Rebecca, peeked into the room, returning to her conversation with Miller, holding him at bay from returning to Apple.

"How long are you staying?" she asked Cameron.

Cameron: "I am, and it is pretty great. My students are awesome, and they seem to enjoy my classes." Cam felt himself relaxing a little. "Oh- I'll for sure be staying through summer, I can do my lesson plans from here easy enough. It means more time with Lucien and Leilani, so I'd rather be here as much as I can." He grinned and even managed to give Apple a genuine smile. "Hope ya'll don't mind me sticking around."

Lucien: "We gotta do something sometime. Movie, barbecue, something. I'll see what Trevor's got planned."

Miller had made his intent clear, all but crab walking away from Rebecca and towards the couch.

Lucien smiled up at Miller and slapped hands in greeting.

"Sup, bruh."

"This is Cam. Cam, Miller - uh, Trevor," he corrected. When Cameron was with him, he wanted to leave some habits at the door.

"Sup?" His hand was offered for a vigorous shake.

Cameron: "Sounds like a plan," Cam nodded. This all felt so... domestic in a way Cam wasn't used to. It wasn't bad, just...strange.

"So- should I be calling you Trevor, or Miller?" Cam asked with a laugh, and he shook the offered hand. He shifted the arm around Lucien's shoulders so he could position his hand at the curve between Lucien's shoulder and neck. He slipped a few fingers subtly under the hem of his collar, and his thumb began to trace slow lines alone the back of his neck.

Lucien: Lucien wasn't about to remove Cameron from his lap, but with more people paying attention to them, he was acutely aware of his weight. There was no hiding his sexuality, never had been, but neither had it been so open before tonight.

"Whatever. Everyone 'round here uses Miller. 'Cept, ya know," he gestured to Apple, who was smiling proudly.

"Telling them we should do something together. Movie or whatever."

"We're goin' bowlin' Friday." Miller looked at Lucien expectantly.

"Yeah. Sure. What time?"

"I'll text you. Strange can't make up his damn mind."

Cameron: "I haven't been bowling in years," Cam commented, and his fingers continued their idle trail. Eventually they stilled, content to just be able to touch. He'd never had a problem with displaying his sexuality in front of others, but it did occur to him he should have asked Lucien about what he was comfortable with in front of his friends before this.

"We had this thing in the first town I lived  the bowling alley called it "Cosmic Bowling" - the place turned off the lights, turned on a bunch of black lights, and they played loud, fun music."

He paused.

"Strange?"

Lucien: "That sounds fun," said Apple.

"Strange, like, your host." Miller was always this short with everyone, but could easily be misinterpreted. Apple just smiled and squeezed Miller's hand.

"Robert and Rebecca. We went swimming last weekend. Why bother, you know? They've got a pool."

"Can't go tubing in a pool," Miller said into his drink.

"Come on, I'll introduce ya," said Lucien, lifting Cameron up bridal style, only to bring him back to his feet.

Cameron: "Oh- right," Cam nodded. There were a lot of names to keep track of, but he was going to get it.

Cam blinked as he was lifted, and for a moment his grip tightened on Lucien. He relaxed as he was placed on his feet.

"Perfect, lead the way."

Lucien: Lucien led Cameron not towards the kitchen and Rebecca, but down three steps to the din, where a group of people in their early twenties were watching The Matrix and drinking beer.

"How ya doin'?" Lucien whispered in his ear.

Cameron: Cam shivered at Lucien's voice in his ear.

"I'm fine," he nodded and turned his head toward Lucien so he could speak in a softer voice. "It's a lot of new people. I want your friends to like me, so..." he shrugged.

Lucien: "I know. It's like school. Ya see em enough ya get the names down."

His forehead softly pressed to Cameron's. "Ya wanna dip? We can just say bye t'Strange and his wife."

Cameron: Cam smiled softly at the press of their foreheads, and he slipped his arms around Lucien's waist to pull him a little closer.

"I wouldn't mind getting out of here- but do you think it's too early to leave?"

Lucien: "Maybe give it, I dunno, ten more minutes? They made tacos. We can get somethin' t'eat, say hi, dip out."

Cameron was given a smile. "Where ya wanna go?"

Cameron: "Okay," a small kiss was given in return. He liked tacos, he could handle this. He'd fought far more intimidating things than Lucien's friends at a party. Or so he told himself.

"I wanna go somewhere I can give you shit for for making your point with Apple earlier," Cam grinned and gave Lucien's arm a playful punch.

Lucien: "Oh, so, the point was made? Imagine that, flirtin' with people feels fuckin' weird, don't it? Kinda gettin' in our space, ain't it?"

Cameron was given a soft shove in return, looking rather proud of himself.

Cameron: "Yes! Yes, you were right- is that what you wanted to hear?" he laughed quietly, and he reached over to grab Lucien's wrist and tug him back. "No flirting outside of this," he motioned between the two before giving Lucien a few playful pokes in the side.

Lucien: "Deal." He gave Cameron a squeeze. "I mean, you'll slip. When ya do, I'll find Apple, maybe Tucker or someone kinda pretty." He had to wipe at his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing.

Cameron: There was a mix between a scowl and a pout on Cam's face, and he gave Lucien's side a few more playful jabs. He had a flirtatious personality, he knew it, but he wanted to think he could control himself before crossing a line. "Fine, but they better not be prettier than me," he huffed, trying to stifle his own laugh as well.

"Alright," he gave Lucien's sides a few more playful pokes. "Should we go say hi to our hosts then? Until tacos are ready?"

Lucien: "Prettier than you? First of all, ya think you're pretty? Not hot? And second... look, not everyone can be Paul Rudd. Okay. That's just too hot."

The werecat snorted, pulling Cameron by his waist towards the kitchen to re-introduce Rebecca and Robert.

Robert was out in the backyard fiddling with the fire pit. Rebecca was pleased for a fresh conversation, insisting on a drink in their hands. Hard seltzer? Beer? Their liquor bar had everything under the rainbow.

Cameron: "Fine, than no one sexier than me," Cam laughed and followed Lucien to greet their hosts.

Cam requested a gin and tonic, and he was happy to make himself one to save Rebecca the trouble.

"You have a lovely home," Cam said to her with a small smile, once he had his drink in hand.

Lucien: Oh, Cam gave the magic compliment. One that had Rebecca going into great detail about the purchase of the house, the trouble with the pipes in winter, and the too-small closets. The kitchen was what sold the place, and understandable, given the size.

Lucien was all nods, hums, and quick little questions to keep her story going.

Once again, Cameron was given a squeeze. This was domesticity at its greatest. Was his best friend even accustomed to this, at all?

Cameron: As soon as Rebecca started talking about the house, a bit of tension eased from Cam's shoulders. It seemed like he'd said the right words, and even if he didn't really care about the details of the home, he was happy to see Rebecca enjoy talking about it. He hadn't been lying, it was a lovely home- and she had every right to brag.

Cam returned Lucien's squeeze and gave him a sideways, uncertain smile. He had taken down creatures multiple times his size, saved countless lives, and endured injuries the average human couldn't stand- and yet he felt nervous at a party surrounded by Lucien's friends. It had been ages since he'd dated someone and done something this... normal, and it left him feeing very out of his element. Not that he let Rebecca see that, Cam could still turn on the charm when he needed, but someone who knew him like Lucien would be able to see something was off.

Lucien: Lucien wanted this to be a conversation later, because why not? It deserved to be. Their lives were a masquerade of normalcy. He could only speak for what he knew of Cameron, but his own had been a mishmash of domesticity and long nights in a cage during full moons. Normal was Fera; normal was a mutant by his side. Normal was getting shot at in a foreign country, and the horrors people push upon innocent in the name of some agenda or another. They could stand for a ten minute conversation about four walls and stainless steel countertops.

"Gonna eat with us?" Lucien asked, finding an opening.

"I'm full from taste testing. Go ahead. Mi casa and all that."

Cameron: Cam nodded to Rebecca as he laced his fingers with Lucien's.

"Let's go grab some then! I've been thinking about how good the food smells since we got here," and since Lucien mentioned the food, Cam started to notice he was actually pretty hungry. He tugged Lucien in said direction.

Lucien: There was a conversation brewing between them; at least, Lucien felt one. Best not to mention it now, when they were on a mission.

In the middle of their tacos, they were greeted by their second host. A new conversation, but one less comprehensible; some less-than-mild complaints about work and the new people in their unit.

Once more, Cameron's hand was given a squeeze.

"We don't mean to dine n'ditch, but I only got the babysitter for like thirty more minutes, man."

"Ah, no, I get it. Was awesome y'all stopped by. We gotta talk about campin' again soon."

Cameron was given a firm smack to his shoulder.

Cameron: Cam could feel the conversation brewing as well, but he was too distracted by his hosts and other strangers to think about it too much. He nodded sympathetically to Robert's complaints, and made a few affirming remarks where he could. He squeezed Lucien's hand appreciatively in return, grateful for touch that always seemed to sooth him.

"I haven't been camping in forever, that sounds like it'd be a blast," Cam gave him a thumbs up when his shoulder was smacked and thanked Robert again before tugging Lucien towards the door. "It was nice to meet you all!" he waved to the others in the living room as they passed.

Lucien: A few waved after him, and one new kid from their unit ran over for an obnoxious hug, lifting Lucien off the floor by nearly a foot before dropping him.

Once the door was closed, the werecat sighed, smiling over at Cameron with exasperation.

"Hey, baby."

Cameron: Cam chuckled as Lucien was lifted, he could only imagine his surprise if Lucien tried to do the same to him. It'd be much more effortless.

The mutant closed his eyes and exhaled a sigh of relief as silence followed the closing of the door.

"Hey." He opened his eyes and smiled at Lucien in return. "That was... fun," while Cam sounded a little uncertain, but he did mean it. It was nice to meet people that mattered to Lucien, despite the uncomfortable parts for Cam. "Can we go home now?"

Lucien: Cameron's hand was squeezed, and without ceremony, he was pulled to his chest and kissed. What better way to decompress?

"Yeah. I'll drive." He'd yet to toss those keys his way. Just habit at this point.

"Tacos were pretty good." Just shitty small talk to start to break the ice.

Cameron: The remaining string of tension eased from Cam's shoulders as Lucien pulled him close, and he cupped the werecat's face for a moment as he savored the kiss. Only Lucien' touch relaxed him like this, and finally being alone helped considerably.

"Fine by me," Cam agreed with a grin, and he climbed into the passenger side of the vehicle.

"They were! And all your friends seem like nice people," small talk wasn't his specialty, but it was making him feel a little less awkward. "Thanks for taking me to meet them."

Lucien: It wasn't until Lucien had pulled out onto the street that he offered his hand and squeezed Cameron's fingers.

"Ya okay, baby?" he asked, eyes glued to the road. Was one thing to thank him; he still wanted inside his boyfriend's head.

Cameron: Cam took the offered hand and gave it a grateful squeeze. With one of his love languages being physical touch, even something small, like holding hands, helped him feel more comfortable.

"Yeah, I'm good," he nodded, "I'm just... not used to doing something so normal with someone I'm dating. I've gone to parties recently, but it's been a while since I've been to one with only humans there."

Lucien: "Had to get used to that shit, livin' out here. Get a few things, but this ain't Twilight. I think it's a little more than just humans. I think it's like comin' back from a deployment. Civilian life. Lookin' at what it is you're fightin' for. Seein' you're not a civilian, ya just dress up like one."

Cameron: Cam nodded. He shouldn't assume there wasn't more out here, but it felt different here than it did when he was at work, or in a bigger city. It wasn't bad, just different than what he was used to- being surrounded by other mutants.

"I can understand that," he nodded. He wasn't a part of a the military, so he didn't completely understand what it felt like coming back from deployment, but he could understand the perspective. Looking at what's around you and knowing what, and who you do it all for. Knowing you're different, but you're dressed up as if you're just like everyone else. "I'm glad it's not just me. I don't know if I'll ever get used to it. Do you ever feel that way?"

Lucien: "Seen some shit. I dunno," he shrugged. "I dunno where my shit begins and the military shit kicks in. Like, gettin' locked in a cage every full moon - don't like tight spaces. Seein' kids gettin' used for - always lookin' at clothes, makin' sure people don't..." He breathed deeply.

"This shit keeps me sane. Don't feel weird when we've all been through shit."

Cameron: Cam gently squeezed Lucien's hand as he breathed deep. He felt questions forming on his lips, but something about the way Lucien spoke gave him pause.

"Should I not ask?"  He inquired after a short pause. He could understand normalcy keeping him sane, being around those he loved always helped ground Cam when he needed it.

Lucien: He didn't mind holding hands in this moment. It was Cameron's way of expressing concern and love and he understood, but he shook his head.

"Not right now, but, ya know, later. Promise."

Cameron: Lucien had yet to release his hand since he'd offered his to Cam when they entered the car, and Cam took that as a good sign. He gave Lucien's hand a squeeze.

"Okay," he nodded, "so... how long have you known these people?"

Lucien: "One of em been with me since basic. Deployed with, like, half of em. So yeah, known em for a while. Most of em are alright."

Cameron: "Just alright?"

Lucien: "Yeah. Some are annoyin'. Some are lazy. Good people can still be shitty," he nodded, glancing over with a smile.

Cameron: Cam smiled in return and nodded again in agreement. "They definitely can. Thankfully, some people can change. Although I feel like that's rarer than it is general practice."

Lucien: "Got that fuckin' right." A moment later, "I'd die for half them people," he said. "I think I would. In like, if it was a split-second decision, I think I would. Strange is good people. McMasters. Su. Yeah, even Dodge."

Cameron: "I can understand that," Cam nodded. "I have those people too. Wouldn't think about it, I'd just do it." An intentional squeeze was given to Lucien's hand, but he knew he didn't need to elaborate.

Lucien: "Course ya got people ya wouldn't 'think ya would.'" Cameron was given a humored, pointed look. He didn't want to be misunderstood for a second on the subject.

Cameron: Cam smiled at that.

"Hey, I'm not complaining."

Lucien: "Think ya always been my exception."

Cameron: Cam gave Lucien's hand a squeeze.

"I think you've always been mine."

Lucien: Cameron's hand was blindly brought to his lips and squeezed.

"Thanks for comin' out tonight."

Cameron: "You're welcome, babe," Cam squeezed in return, and his thumb traced small lines along the back of Lucien's hand. "I'm glad you introduced me, " he grinned, "and even more glad to be going home. My social battery is spent."

Lucien: "Had a feelin'," he smiled. "Startin' t'notice when ya look done with shit. Your eyes get all squirrelly."

Cameron: "Very squirrelly," Cam laughed, and he leaned over to give Lucien's neck a playful kiss.

"But now I get you all to myself, and I think you need to take responsibility for my battery draining so I can recharge," he teased, "I think a good, long cuddle with suffice."

Lucien: "Get on over here n'we'll start the cuddlin' now." Lucien was all smiles.

"We never really did this before, huh? S'been this long and we ain't ever had a house party. Or been t'one."

Cameron: Cam smiled softly in return, and he slid across the seat to snuggle up to Lucien's side. Cam didn't want to interfere with his driving, so he placed a gentle hand on  Lucien's high, and head on his shoulder.

"I guess we haven't. How long has it been? We certainly could have our own house party, it might be fun to get everyone together."

Lucien: "How old were we when we met? Our entire life and no house party. Feels weird sayin' out loud. Oh fuck. Babe, are we losers?" He laughed.

Cameron: "I thought you meant since we started dating," Cam laughed. "I think we met when I was 11?   It was shortly after my mom died, so around then. I'm 29 now so... 19 years?" Cam paused a moment to let that sink in. Had it really been that long?

He lifted his head to give Lucien a playful scowl.

"We're not losers! If not having a house party makes us losers, then at least we're losers together," he rested his head back on Lucien's shoulder and paused again.

"Maybe we should have a house party?"

Lucien: "Gotta hide some shit, but I think we can do it. Got that grill out back, you know? Have, like, a barbecue with a shit ton of beer and backyard football or some shit. All American! Vive l’Amérique!" He couldn't help but laugh.

"We've known each other nineteen years? Nineteen? You're almost fuckin' thirty? No."

Cameron: Cam laughed and shook his head slightly.

"Man, that's the most grossly domestic thing I've ever heard of," he teased, but the smile on his face said he was more than happy to do just that.

"Yeah, I'm almost 30. We met...when I was 11ish, so- around 19 years." Saying it out loud felt... strange. Had it really been that long?

Lucien: "Ain't it?" Lucien just laughed. It felt strange years ago, but being in the military had changed him. Helped him grow. He looked forward to the domestic bits now.

"Wow. Babe, are we gettin' old?"

Cameron: "We? How old are you again?" Cam laughed and he elbowed Lucien playfully in the side. While the domestic life still felt foreign, he wanted more of them.

Lucien: "Ya done forgot my age? I'm right behind ya!"

But his conversation skills were coming to a head. They had turned on their road, and already he was weighted by the prospect of sleep in his hammock.

Cameron: "Really? I thought you were a few years younger than me!" Cam laughed, and shook his head. He sighed happily when the house came into view, and he gave Lucien's hand one last squeeze before letting go. "Thanks again for taking me Luce, I'm glad I got to meet your friends."

Lucien: "Babydoll I was born in fuckin' '95."

Home sweet home. Leilani was staying the night with her grandmother. They had the house to themselves for once. He knew exactly what he wanted to happen next.

"So, can I carry ya in?"

Cameron: "Okay- okay- well, I'm '93, so let's just say we're both right," Cam teased, and he tilted his head curiously at Lucien's request. He gestured to himself and winked. "I'm all yours, babe."

Lucien: "We're both right." Easy thing to agree upon. A little relationship lesson, wasn't it? Not making a mountain out of a mole hill.

And besides, his mind was already someplace else, jogging as proud as he pleased to the other side of the truck.

"C'mere, all mine." Cameron was scooped into the werecat's arms with ease.

Cameron: Cam chuckled as Lucien jogged over to him,

It always surprised him, Lucien lifting him with such ease, but he trusted the other not to drop him.

"You like that?" Cam laughed. He leaned his head against Lucien's shoulder and looked up at him with a raised brow. "What's going on in that head?" He reached up to playfully boop Lucien's nose.

Lucien: "Nothin'! Just... wantin' t'romance ya. This romantic?" Lucien laughed, breathy and humbled.

Cameron: "Very much so, consider me romanced," Cam grinned and leaned up to kiss Lucien's cheek.

Lucien: "Got the rest of the night for romance. Some candles. Some music. What ya want, wine?"

Cameron: "I'm here for this," Cam hummed, and a twinge of excitement tightened in Cam's chest. He'd forgotten they had the house to themselves. After a day of socializing, Cam was more than ready for some alone time with Lucien.

"I can drink wine," he nodded and rested his head back on Lucien's shoulder. "I think we still have that one nice bottle we got last week chilling in the fridge."

Lucien: "Ah! We do! I ain't drank it. We neeeed - you pick the music. I think we neeeed t'be shirtless. We neeeed some... what ya think, whipped cream? Caramel? Do we even have candles?"

Lucien had to withhold the urge to kick the front door in. Alas, he had to sit Cameron down long enough to fish out the keys.

Cameron: "How about you pick the music, and I'll find the candles. I think I know where we might have some," Cam suggested as he was set on his feet. He slipped a hand around Lucien's waist to give his hip a squeeze.

Lucien: So this part of the night was going according to plan. Not that it had been an elaborate plan to begin with. An intimate gesture was all he had decided upon, elaborating with every mile to the house.

"My music?" Just needing to double-check. It wasn't all punk rock, but it was easy to forget.

Cameron: "Sure, we can always mix it up if it's not the right mood," Cam flashed Lucien a teasing grin and playfully squeezed his butt. Then he disappeared into the kitchen.

Lucien: Lucien watched Cam disappear around the corner. It was at moments like this that a profound reality hit him like a loving slap to the face. That's my boyfriend, he thought. All this time, all the heartache, for this. This was earned.

Lucien: Lucien was as reluctant to move as the man in his arms. He sighed his lament for waking, but smiled when remembering he was in fact holding his best friend. His left hand didn't feel terribly light anymore. He didn't even notice.

"Mm, mornin'." That smile only grew as reality sank deeper and deeper beneath his skin, warming his entire body, it seemed. He leaned in, pressed a kiss without fear to Cameron's lips.

"Je t'aime."

Cameron: "What's that mean again?" Cam asked, and he blinked at just how easily Lucien kissed him. He returned it of course, but Cam was still reeling either the fact that they can do this- they can kiss and hold and... be with each other without guilt or remorse. This was real, all of this was so undeniably real, and yet Cam could barely believe it. Cam immediately leaned forward after their first kiss to steal another, just to be sure. For a moment he felt sheepish, almost shy- which was ridiculous. This was Lucien, and while yes, they had sex last night, this was the one person who knew him best. It was okay to feel vulnerable with him.

"What's that mean again?"

Lucien: Lucien shook his head, nuzzling into Cameron's chin as he did so. There was not a care in the world right now, even when offended with Cameron's forgetful mind. Maybe remembering hurt. Maybe his life was too busy. There was an answer, but still, he had to tease.

"Vous avez tellement oublié. I said I love ya, abruti," he laughed quietly, body gently shaking. "Say it with me, je t'aime."

Cameron: Cam smiled softly, and he reached up to run his fingers through Lucien's hair.

"Je t'aime." Cam replied, mimicking the other's accent perfectly. Silly Lucien, he could never lose something he'd used so much in their childhood. He still couldn't speak it very well, but there were some phrases practiced more than others. "I didn't forget," he grinned, "I just wanted to hear you say it in English, too."

There was a brief pause.

"And I'm not a dummy," he tried to pout, but it was very difficult with the cheeky grin on his lips, "you are."

Lucien: Oh. So, he hadn't forgotten? Before he realized, Lucien was grinning from ear to ear. He felt warmth in his eyes, but that was all. No tears, just the threat of moisture. Why, he couldn't tell you.

"We're both fuckin' stupid."

Cameron was pulled as close as he was able. Brought into a lingering sleepy kiss.

"Ya sleep okay?" Now that some time had passed, the weight of last night had finally sunk; realizing how rough he could be. It had never mattered before, but it mattered now. He was a cat, and that wasn't going to change, but he needed to know the lay of Cameron's thoughts.

Cameron: "Pretty much," Cam agreed, and he laughed as he leaned into the kiss. It was lazy, easy, and felt completely natural. There was no more hesitation.

"Yeah," Cam nodded, and he felt heat rise to his cheeks as he recalled the activities that wore him out. It made him feel warm and content to think about. "Honestly, that's the best I've  slept in ages." A sheepish smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. "That was also by far the best sex I've had in ages, too." Cam enjoyed all types of sex, including when it was rough. Marks, bruises, pleasure, pain- anything meant to mark one's claim were welcome, when it came to Lucien. Considering the myriad of things Cam had tried, the roughness of last night was somewhat tame.

"And you? How did you sleep?"

Lucien: Lucien didn't know what to say after such a comment. Wit seemed to have flown away with his sharp exhale, laughing at the surprise of it all. It had been an experience he'd never forget, and to know Cameron felt the same...

"Felt like... the kinda sleep ya get on vacation. Know what I mean? Like, real sleep. Ya gave me real sleep."

But he needed to get out of bed. Their day needed to begin, and they had their five minutes.

Lucien leaned in for one final kiss, rolling to the other side of the bed.

"Bathroom," he announced. "You hungry? I want some eggs."

Cameron: "NNngghhh...." Cam whined after Lucien pulled away. He completely agreed with Lucien on the sleep, he felt truly refreshed which is something he hadn't felt in ages, but that didn't mean he wanted to get out of bed yet. "Do we have to get up?" he pouted and tried to latch his arms back around Lucien's waist to prevent his escape.

Lucien: "I gotta go to the bathroom, baby!" He laughed. "I ain't goin' anywhere." Maybe a compromise?

"Take a shower with me."

Cameron: Reluctantly Cam released Lucien and nodded.

"Alright," he agreed, and he gave Lucien a nudge so he could follow.

Lucien: "I uh," he pointed to the toilet, as though a reminder of what was about to happen. One thing had changed in adulthood. They were no longer children free of such embarrassing concerns.

"There's a bathroom down the hall... if ya want."

Cameron: "I know, Lucien," Cam laughed, "I'm just following you off this side of the bed. I'm going to get my clothes, is the shower in that other bathroom? I can start it if it is."

Lucien: "I mean if ya gotta piss. Shower works just fine, in here."

Cameron: "Alright, then I'll start the shower," Cam leaned in to give Lucien's cheek a kiss, and then he dipped into the bathroom to start the water. When Cam left the bathroom, he headed for the living room and began to gather their clothes. There was a moment, after Cam had his arms full and he was ready to head back to the bedroom, that he stopped an looked at the couch. A flood of memories from last night followed, and his cheeks flushed. With a sigh, he buried his face into their clothes, and warmth blossomed in his chest. He still could barely believe this was real, because it all felt too easy. Could it be this easy? They had plenty to talk about and figure out, but... for once, he wasn't waiting for the other shoe to drop. There was a small bit of fear, buried deep down, but he was determined not to fixate on it this time. He wouldn't let his pessimism ruin whatever this was.

Cam peeked over the clothes to look at the couch once more before returning to the bedroom.

Lucien: Lucien waited for Cameron to leave before finally using the toilet. After so many years leading to this moment, everything felt so raw. Not quite delicate, but he could spare the grimy details of life another day, surely. Cameron didn't need to hear him piss.

Now he was staring at the water, allowing more and more of reality to sink. He was serious about this. Last night wasn't a one-off in desperation or stress. He'd meant it. Every word he'd meant, and for a split-second he wondered if Cameron was going to return. When he did, he couldn't help but smile.

"Day one n'you're already pickin' up after us? Get in the fuckin' shower."

Cameron: Cam was happy to leave the grimy details of life for... well, the rest of their lives- if that's what this was. He knew he wanted something like that, he was fairly confident that's what Lucien also wanted, but he wasn't going to operate on assumptions (or words spoken in the heat of the moment) alone. They'd both wanted to just...be together for so long, how would they even talk about it?

The unknowns made that tiny bit of fear pang in Cam's chest, but as soon as he entered the bathroom and saw Lucien smiling at him, waiting for him, he felt the fear melt away.

"Honestly, I was just doing it so we'd have something to change into once we're out," he shrugged and gave Lucien a sheepish grin. "Then I remembered we're in your home and we can both wear your clothes so," he set their pile of clothes to the side, and with a playful wiggle in front of Lucien he slipped into the shower.

Lucien: Lucien did his best to hold back a laugh, shaking his head just the same. Cameron seemed flustered, and he didn't want to make it worse.

"Ya can wear whatever ya want. Just not my uniform."

Cameron would be followed after brushing his teeth. He couldn't remember if a spare had been left out, so one was pulled from under the sink, left in its packaging just in case.

Once in, Lucien dipped his head under the stream for a brief soak.

"Ya sleep okay?"

Cameron: "Oh yeah, I think that's a given," Cam chuckled. "You look too good in it any way, it'd just be another layer of disrespectful for me to wear it," Cam was never on the proper side of the law, so he didn't care for any government agency, but he knew the symbolism of something like that, and the respect that came with it. Lucien worked hard; Cam never wanted to minimize that.

As Lucien joined him, he made sure to angle himself partially into the spray as he reached for a bottle of shampoo and lathered up his hands. Then he motioned for Lucien to lean forward slightly so Cam could wash his hair.

"Like I said in bed," he hummed, "that's the best night of sleep I've had in... ages. I slept really well. Soundly, which isn't usually the case for me."

Lucien: Had he already asked? He had no control over the first three sentences to come out of his mouth when first opening his eyes.

His arm came to rest on the cold tile, head dipped down for Cameron to wash as he pleased. Shampoo running onto his face. He would just keep his eyes closed.

"Ya been like that since ya left?" The subject of sleep was pretty much nonexistent until now. Questions he wanted answers to, now that they had committed to each other. There would be more to come before Monday.

Cameron: There was small stretch of silence after Lucien's question, and Cam worked his fingers into Lucien's hair. He could feel himself trying to clam up, to succumb to his fear of letting someone who loved him truly see him, but he knew that to commit to this, to them, he couldn't let that happen.

"Since my mother died, actually..." he admitted quietly, and his voice strained for a moment as he forced himself to continue. "Before I met a certain someone," Cam paused and his fingers stopped their slow massage of Lucien's scalp, clearly indicating who he was speaking about before his hands resumed their quest, "they happened multiple times weekly- if not nightly. I don't think it ever was sound." Gently, he pulled Lucien into the water to rinse the shampoo. "Then I met you, I started talking again, and the nightmares happened less and less." He started to search for body wash and a loofa or cloth.

"When I left... when dad told me to leave, they started to happen again. There were periods where they happened all the time, sometimes less, but the only way to guarantee I wouldn't have one, or would sleep more soundly than normal, would be to work myself so hard I'd be too tired to have dreams. Sex, pain, working out for hours at a time- whatever it took to be exhausted by the end of it. The only other time I think I slept soundly was with my first boyfriend, Alex. Unfortunately, he disappeared. I never found out what happened to him."

Lucien: Cameron made it sound as though he had been a reason, if not the main reason the nightmares had slowed. Talking, sure. He knew that much, having overheard the adults growing up. It was as flattering as it was depressing.

Alex. The name was familiar. It stung in his chest as familiarity would. As jealousy would. But he couldn't remember anything about the man besides the name itself. Maybe that was a blessing.

"What came first, ya tellin' me ya wanted t'get out n'be a hero, or your dad kickin' ya out?"

Cameron: Lucien wasn't the only reason Cam had finally forgiven himself enough to come out of his shell, but he was the start, the spark that re-started a little flame. He could have grown up bitter, angry, and sad, but Lucien had helped prevent that.

"Hero-ing came first," Cam smiled, "mom always said that our powers were gifts, and we should use them to help others, to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. My brain as a child translated that into becoming a super hero, and mom never discouraged me. Maybe she thought I'd grow out of it." He shrugged and soaped up the luffa. Then he started to wash Lucien from head to toe.

There was a brief pause.

"What happened, after I left?" Cam asked quietly. "For you, I mean." Not that Cam wanted to dwell on the mistakes of the past, but he wanted to understand the pain he'd caused in his haste to leave.

Lucien: Lucien took to leaning his shoulder against the tile, pliable to Cameron's cleansing whims. His eyes were to the ground but not, caught years in the past.

"Ya know, my daddy was always a tight ass. He just started losin' it after a while. Pissed at everything. Turned someone when he shouldn't. Didn't even know he could. Told my whole life we're only born this way. Mama said s'cause he was closer t'his beast. So, ya know, that happened, n'then the guy he turned up and..." he motioned to his neck.

"I dunno, just sorta lost it then. Ran from home, tried t'kill the guy that... n'I couldn't. He wasn't the bad guy, ya know? I mean, ya know the rest. Ya know about Penka, how I got Leilani."

There was a pause, washing his face with just water cupped in his hands.

"Ya know Mama killed herself? Left me the house in Baton Rouge. I dunno what t'do with it. Want t'sell it. Ain't got 'round to it."

Cameron: Cam felt his chest tighten, but he kept silent until Lucien finished. He focused on his hands instead, the smooth muscle beneath his fingers, the smell of soap and the trail of suds over Lucien's chest. When all of him was properly scrubbed he guided Lucien back into the water to rinse.

“I'm sorry," Cam said after a short pause, with only the sound of the shower between them, "that I wasn't there for you through all of that. I should have been." He knew he had said this before, but now that he understood the depth of it, it needed to be said again. Not out of guilt or remorse, because Cam certainly felt those things, but because Lucien deserved one. Cam reached up and gently pulled Lucien's hands from his face, tugging the other forward for a shared kiss beneath the running water.

"I'm here for you now," he pulled away just enough so he could touch their foreheads together. "If you want to go back and visit the place, or figure out how to sell it, I want to help." The concept of returning anywhere near home was terrifying to him, but it wasn't a question when it came to Lucien.

Lucien: There was a part of Lucien that wanted to resist that affection. That remaining shard of a teenager unfamiliar with his emotions, pushing and pulling at people's collars with new and unwieldy strength. Despite his instinct, he returned the kisses in kind, closed his eyes as they pressed foreheads.

"Ya had your own shit goin' on, Cammy. They made their choices." That out of the way, he took a breath. His chest felt... lighter.

"Wanna keep it, or sell it? Could rent it. Extra cash, ya know?"

Cameron: Cam smiled, and he felt years’ worth of tension melt from his shoulders.

"Renting it works, and that means you can leave it for Leilani one day." Something fluttered in his chest when the question was posed to him, that Lucien cared about his opinion in that decision.

Lucien: Day one of their relationship didn't feel like day one. This felt like a continuation, rather than a beginning. Maybe they could both breathe a little easier. Cameron was generally easy going, but he knew what lay beneath. At least he'd come to know as much.

"Hadn't thought of that. Yeah. We could bring her by, let her see it. But like, would a kid her age even care?" he laughed.

Cameron: "Probably not," Cam chuckled and shook his head. "That can always be saved for later, when she's old enough to appreciate it. We can also just go for us. If you want to rent it, it'll probably need a good clean."

Lucien: "Yeah, later. Okay! So, rent it out, then. Ya know, it really ain't a bad idea. S'just been collectin' dust. Wastin' money on property tax n'shit."

Cameron's face was suddenly cupped in both hands, given a passionate kiss.

"Thanks."

Cameron: "Exactly," Cam chuckled. It was an odd conversation to have after everything, without really having talked about it, but it helped to ease some Cam's anxiety. There was no pressure, no right way to figure this out. Plus, he didn't have to figure this out alone, and that mattered more than anything else.

Cam's breath caught as he was kissed, and with the way his heart fluttered again he wondered if he would ever get used to the fact that they could kiss.

"You're welcome," he breathed, returning the kiss with a smile. "But- what are you thanking me for exactly?" he asked, and pulled back just enough so he could tilt his head and look up.

Lucien: "Thought you'd say this was a mistake." He breathed deeply between them. Still close enough to feel Cameron's warmth. He smiled, though it was brief. He wanted what he said to be taken seriously.

"It's not. Just gettin' that outta the way now. I meant everything. Still do."

Cameron: "I'll be honest," Cam inhaled slowly to steady himself, "I'm scared." He squeezed Lucien's hands, and tilted his head to kiss the other's palm. "I'm so... fucking terrified of fucking this up." Just thinking about it made something twist painfully in his chest.

"But even with that... I haven't once felt like it was a mistake. I don't want to keep making the same errors of my past- I don't want to run away from something I want, especially not because I'm afraid of messing it up." A kiss was given to Lucien's other palm. "So- I mean everything I said, too. And..." he paused, closed his eyes, took another deep breath, and opened his eyes again to look directly at Lucien. A part of him wanted to contradict everything he'd said up until now, to run just as he'd done so many times before, but he had meant what he said- he wasn't going anywhere but here.

"I want you to be my boyfriend," he looked of to the side bashfully, unable to look Lucien directly in the eyes after that. If he wasn't flushed from the heat of the water, he was sure he would be blushing, "or whatever."

Lucien: Lucien was shaking his head at the very thought of fucking this up. He really couldn't see how that was possible. Cameron had a tendency to run, but he just couldn't see him running from this. The more Cameron spoke, the less he could fathom any fear of moving forward. It all seemed so irrational now. He felt sorry for the man in his arms, how he must have been carrying this, building up this concern since the moment he opened his eyes. Had that kind of thoughtfulness always been a part of Cameron, he couldn't say. Most of their friendship he'd seen this man as fearless. Sorrowful, but fearless.

"I said you're mine. You've been mine since last night. So... yeah. You've been mine for hours." Lucien grinned, soaked hair beginning to cover his eyes. "Or whatever."

Cameron: Cam smiled softly at that grin, and he reached up to wipe Lucien's hair away from his face. Then he cupped Lucien's face to pull Lucien in for a playful kiss, and he enjoyed the warm feeling that spread through him as Lucien claimed him yet again. He made it seem so easy to fall into this

"Or whatever," Cam laughed softly, and he wrapped his arms around Lucien's neck to steal another kiss.

"You should..." he grinned and shifted them so Lucien wasn't directly under the stream of water, "call me yours again."

Lucien: Lucien leaned into his hands and chuckled again. 'Whatever' was going to be their new thing. He liked it.

"Course you're mine. That's how it works. You're mine and I'm yours. That okay with ya?"

Another bottle was taken from the tile shelf, lathered and rubbed all over his face. Just days of leave and his scruff was thick, almost a beard.

"Are ya mine?" He opened one eye to watch Cameron's reaction.

Cameron: "I'm all yours," Cam grinned, and he felt a rush of excitement as the words felt real. This was not a dream, and still Cam could barely believe this was real. "And you're mine."

He reached up to scratch his fingers lightly over Lucien's scruff, and then he grabbed the soap for himself to begin lathering it into his hair.

"So...." he started slowly, a little unsure of what he wanted to ask, "what should we do after we're done showering?"

Lucien: "Sounds like you're askin' what we're gonna do for the rest of our lives." He leaned into the water long enough to rinse his face.

"That what you're really askin'?"

Cameron: "Not exactly," Cam started awkwardly, and he glanced off to the side. He was quiet for a moment, focusing on his thoughts and the massage of his fingers against his scalp.

"I meant more like, what do we actually want to do after we're done showering? Should we talk about anything? Are we just gonna eat breakfast and cuddle?" He shrugged, unsure of exactly what he was trying to say.

Lucien: Lucien just smiled and existed under the water a minute. He needed that, and the cold air to follow as he stepped out of the shower.

"Yes to both. And... if there's anything to talk about, it's where you wanna... live. I don't wanna jump the gun or anything, but, like, do you wanna... stay here? More often, I mean. I know ya got your own place, but like, do ya wanna say ya live here?"

Cameron: Cam let the silence settle between them and enjoyed the moment. He was over thinking this, and he knew it. He was so worried about the ways this could go wrong that he had no room for the ways this could go right, and that wasn't fair to Lucien, or himself- and he wondered how many more times he'd have to say that to himself before he'd believe it.

Cam stepped into the water, as Lucien stepped back, to rinse the soap from his hair. His body came next, and as Cam scrubbed himself down the flutter in his heart at Lucien's question gave him pause.

"Yeah," Cam said quietly after a bit, his smile warming. "I'd like that. Plus, if we want it to be permanent," Cam turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. He was smiling more easily now, and he reminded himself to embrace whatever this is, whatever they wanted. "I wouldn't mind not having to spend the money on that apartment. Rent is not cheap there."

Lucien: "Where the fuck is the apartment?" Not that he wasn't keeping track of Cameron's life, but Cameron had a tendency to be vague in random spurts. He lived in New Orleans... in a few places. One being Bronwyn's house on occasion. A place in New York, while teaching, and then around, something about the city - it was a lot to keep track of, and he was still in the middle of a divorce.

"Spare key's in the kitchen. S'yours. N'when I moved back t'Louisiana, s'yours there, too."

Cameron: Cam laughed and reached past Lucien for a nearby towel.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he grinned and leaned against the counter, "we both know I don't need an excuse to want to live with you. I gotta work on the sarcasm." He grinned playfully from under the edge of the towel as he began to dry his hair off. "Plus, I'm really the one coming out on top here, "he reached behind Lucien, his hand sliding sensually along the line of his hip. "I get to do this-" he smirked as he gave Lucien's cheek a comically firm squeeze, "-whenever I want now." A final, teasing pat to said cheek, and Cam leaned back to finish toweling himself dry.

"I'll take it," he nodded. "I'll make keys for my place in New York. Not that we'd be living there but- In case you ever need them."

Lucien: Lucien just smiled, watching Cameron from the mirror while he loaded his toothbrush. Beautiful man. All his, finally. Having Cameron touch him whenever he felt like, it was liberating. They'd been without for so long, and now, it just felt natural.

"Which one?" he asked between brushing. One rinse later, continuing with, "Why you have an apartment when you got the school?"

Cameron: "The one in the city. I kept the apartment because I always felt strange bringing someone I don't know into the school." He gave Lucien a playful smirk. "Sure, I mighta fantasized about 'sneaking' someone up to my room once or twice- which wouldn't really be sneaking since I'm allowed to do so- but it's probably best to avoid inviting a complete stranger into a school full of children.

"So the apartment was where I took... interested parties. Zeus and I used to live there primarily before I moved him over to the school with me. The kids help me take care of him now."

Cam followed suit, and he started brushing his teeth once he was dry.

"Plus, it gave me a place to be away from the kids and the school and just be alone for a little while."

Lucien: Lucien took to sitting on the counter to listen. Engrossed in what Cameron had to say.

"D'ya wanna keep that place?" Actually, he had a new question as well, to ask after Cameron finished the first inquiry. "Whatever happened to what's her name. Started with an A. Al-meh-kuh? Al-mee-kuh? Allie?" It wasn't that he'd forgotten on purpose; it had been many months since her mention, and then nothing.

Cameron: "I wouldn't mind, but we also don't have to. If you don't think we'd make much use out of it, it'd be pointless to use the money on it," Cam finished toweling himself off and began to tug on his clothes. "Almika," Cam smiled. "I was thinking about it, but there never felt like a right time. I wasn't ready, and she was adopted by someone else," there was a hint of sadness in his voice, but his smile was genuine, "they spend a large portion of their time in water, like she does, so it actually worked out even better for her."

Lucien: "That's... Good." No matter how he felt, that was the correct answer. As a father he knew that to be true. As Cameron's boyfriend, he felt another way.

"You'll be a dad here," he said cautiously. "Ya wantin' more kids?"

Cameron: Cam's smile warmed and he glanced up at Lucien. "I wouldn't mind more, if that's something you wanted." He shrugged again moved so he could lean against the counter next to the werecat.

"Growing up with siblings has its perks, and it's nice having siblings around when you're home alone. Nelson basically raised me after my mom died. Dad shut down and disappeared into his work, it's probably why Nelson's so good with his own kid, Annie. She can grow and talk to plants just like he can. It's cute to watch."

Lucien: "I don't think a kid should be raisin' another kid, but, I'm glad ya had someone good. N'he's okay. I read this is good for kids. A gap in age keeps there from bein' a rivalry or some shit. I dunno how I'd - ya know. They're not about t'be blood related." Penka would never be an option again.

"Somethin' t'think about." Cameron was given a soft smile.

Cameron: "I don't think so either. I meant more the company part. I didn't have to be alone, and there's someone there you can connect with that you wouldn't have or get to experience. My brother had a pretty big impact on my life even outside of taking care of me. The part about him raising me was more of a personal anecdote." He smiled softly in return.

"I'd like to think we'll be better parents than our own, tho.  Our kids will get to be kids and enjoy it. I'd like to look into it with you, when we think we're ready for that."

Lucien: Sometimes, after years-long gaps in seeing Cameron, it was difficult to read his tone. He felt he maybe struck a nerve, but kept his mouth shut and moved on.

"If ya stick a weddin' ring in gumbo t'surprise me, just know, I'll probably swallow it."

His laugh was soft. "There's an order t'things I used to... to really hate. Shit they stay 'bout gettin' older's true. Can't talk 'bout kids 'til we talk 'bout other things. This is like, day... two," he laughed.

Cameron: "I wouldn't want to risk it," Cam grinned. "I know," he shrugged, "you're the one who brought up adoption, I'm just saying I'm not opposed, if, or whenever, we're ready." He shrugged again and draped his towel over his shoulders. Then he slid from the counter with a small hop, and he made his way to the bathroom door.

"I'm gonna borrow some of your clothes," he declared with a cheeky grin over his shoulder. "Didn't bring any clean ones with me."

Lucien: "Really?" He looked over his shoulder. "Thought ya had some." He'd hate to assume something was his and might be his ex-husband's. The thought almost made him shudder. A faux pas like that you couldn't come back from, so he wouldn't ask if that green vest in the bedroom was his or not - he would almost swear it was. Almost.

"I know what I brought up. Just tryin' to... understand. That's all." He followed behind on the hunt for clothes and pile the chaos for washing.

Cameron: "Well, even if I did, maybe I just wanna wear something of my boyfriend's." He winked. "Got anything you think I could use?"

Then he paused and slowed a little once they were in the bedroom again.

"I missed my opportunity to adopt Almika," Cam explained, and he reached up to rub at the back of his neck. "I wasn't ready, and when a family wanted to adopt her, it felt very selfish of me to make her wait until I might be ready."

Lucien: "I think... I think that puts ya in the right direction. No one's - I guess some, but I mean, most people ain't ready t'be a parent. I sure as shit wasn't. But I mean, makes ya grow up. Wish I could change some shit in my life, but I wouldn't change havin' her."

Cameron: Cam smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, and I knew it wasn't the right time. She deserves a life with a loving family, not waiting for me to figure my shit out."

He smiled and nodded in agreement. "She is pretty great. I'm glad I get to spend more time with her now." As unfortunate as the situation was that brought about her birth, Lucien's response reminded him just how Lucien had matured.

Lucien: Lucien looked more like a dog in that moment, tilting his head. His own smile slowly returned, almost as wide as Cameron's.

"Why ya lookin' at me like that?"

Cameron: "I dunno," Cam shrugged and turned back so he could approach Lucien. He leaned up when he was close enough and stole a playful kiss from his lips. "I just.... like being able to call you my boyfriend. Feels nice. Right." It filled his stomach with butterflies, in fact, which caused him to steal one more kiss, because he could.

Lucien: Lucien returned the kiss. As though they had always been together. In some aspects, it felt that way.

"Then go 'head n'say it again, baby. Call me your boyfriend." His arms came to rest on his lower back.

Cameron: Cam leaned into Lucien, his smile growing as he reached up to cup Lucien's neck. He studied the other for a moment, admiration in his eyes, and he trailed his thumbs along that handsome jaw.

"You're my boyfriend," he grinned, enjoying how much easier it felt to say it.

Lucien: His grin revealed subtle signs of aging, brought on by many lazy days sunbathing. Had Cameron always been pale? To memory, the answer was yes, but he wondered now if that was bias.

"Ya like that? One more time."

Cameron: "I do, I like that a lot," Cam hummed, and he reached up to cup Lucien's cheeks with both hands. He grinned and tugged Lucien down to touch their foreheads together. "Lucien Rhys Pendergast, you are my boyfriend." He chuckled and placed a playful kiss on the end of Lucien's nose.

Lucien: "Oh, man. That's the best thing ya ever said. I think. 'I love you' is a good one. 'Fuck me' is great. I really, really like that one." Cameron was squeezed in both hands, slowly pulled off the ground into his arms.

Cameron: "I had to have mentioned I like pain- haven't I?" Cam asked with an innocent tilt of his head, although his smile was cheeky as he reached down to give Lirim's leg a slow rub to try and ease the cramp. He hadn't meant to push his friend so hard; he just hadn't seen the other in forever, and let his excitement get the better of him.

"Love you too, Lirim," Cam grinned and have Lirim's thigh a pat.

Lirim: He could manage without his inhaler. This wasn't that serious. His leg a damn worthy distraction; giving another soft hiss as Cameron massaged.

"Where the fuck have ya been now, huh?" Never mind that he's the one been gone.

Cameron: "Excuse you, I've been right here, thank you very much!" Cam huffed and eased up a little on the massage. "I'm pretty sure I should be asking you that. So- where the fuck 'ya been?"

Lirim: "I was on a restoration commission. Old rich couple in Mobile. Had me stayin' in their guest house n'everything. Really pretty out there." But enough about that. "Are ya still livin' next door?"

Cameron: "Sounds like fancy gig," Cam smiled and gave Lirim's leg a squeeze.

"When I'm not workin'- yeah. Stayin' over at Mason's," Cam nodded and gestured to the building next door. He'd stopped by for a short little reprieve when he'd noticed Lirim was home, and without hesitation he'd come right over. "I work at a school for mutants now. I teach some gym classes, coach some of the sports teams, when 'm not- you know. Kickin' ass elsewhere."

Lirim: "You're moving up in the world. Your assistant days are behind ya." His ass-kicking days were behind him. For the sake of others, he reminded himself with each temptation.

"The demon bein' good to ya?"

Cameron: "Yup. He's married an' shit now too. To the guy I work for at the school, actually." He tried to ignore the painful pang that followed when he said that, but it was quickly followed by a content sigh. He was happy for his friends; love was a precious thing.

"And sadly, yeah," he smiled at Lirim, "but it's nice. I get to help with the kids, and they like me. They like Zeus too. He stays at the school now, and the kids help take care of him when I'm gone."

Lirim: "'Sadly'?" Lirim felt for his cheek, gave it a loving tap. "The fuck is this 'sadly' about? Don't be sad about anything. I'm proud of ya."

Cameron: "Hey, I'm allowed to miss being your assistant!" Cam swatted his hand away playfully and he laughed. "I've missed seein' ya. It's been too long."

Lirim: "I'm not going anywhere. It's you going places, babe." He kissed into that hair. Always expecting to smell green apples. "Missed ya, too."

Cameron: Cam snorted, and leaned into the affection. "Yeah- I dunno about that, but I'm at least not standing still." He wasn't sure how much he wanted to share with Lirim. What would he think, knowing Cam was a ghoul? "So, what're you up to now that you're all done with your fancy job?"

Lirim: "Now, I wanna get out of the house. I wanna find a nice pair of lips to kiss, n'tomorrow I wanna see my family. But! Before all that, this paint needs t'come off."

Cameron: "You can always kiss my lips," Cam winked as he flashed Lirim a cheeky grin, and he offered a hand to Lirim to help him up off the floor. "Come off'a where? What're we doing?" he asked, wanting to help.

Lirim: "Off these clothes! And... " He felt at his face. Yep, that was paint on his cheek. He looked to the standing mirror in the corner of the room. And on his forehead. Wonderful.

Cameron: "Pft," Cam bit back a laugh. "Well, while you're at it- you owe me a shirt, there's paint on this one now!"

Lirim: "I will pay you back in that kiss if you keep mentionin' that damn shirt. That's MY shirt."

Cameron: "So, you're gonna kiss me if I keep mentioning the shirt? Lirim, you're really bad as threats- I gotta say," Cam teased, and he reached down to tug the shirt up and over his head.

It didn't occur to him that the last time Lirim had seen him shirtless would have been before the more notable of his scars, the surgical ones that created a large 'Y' across his chest, like some sort of body in a morgue sewn together after an autopsy, the ones down his back that followed his spine, and the ones down his arms, mirrored lines created with near perfect precision.

He handed Lirim the shirt with a smile. "Fine, here's yoooour shirt back."

Lirim: "Ha! Yeah, maybe. Just seems like a threat now in my old age. Don't ya -" Lirim caught sight of Cameron through the mirror. Squinted in a double take before turning with horrified eyes. Words and breath seized in his throat. Expression conveying more than he could verbally manage. Scars he could feel as though his own. Perhaps his empathy. Perhaps memories or his own imagination, but seeing Cameron's new body churned his stomach.

"Honey..."

Cameron: "Ya aren't that old Lirim," Cam laughed, and when he caught Lirim's expression, and then what caused it, his smile faltered. His shoulders shifted forward, as if he could curl in on himself and hide what Lirim had already seen. His stance no longer held its usual confidence, and reflexively he found himself tugging the shirt back on. He used it as an excuse not to look at his friend directly.

"It's fine," which wasn't a lie. "I'm fine," which was.

Lirim: The fact that his confidence shattered with his surprise, immediately had him wondering how long ago he'd been maimed. That's what this was. It wasn't elegant and certainly a proper surgical procedure would have healed better.

"No no no, I'm - I'm s-sorry. Here! Lemme get us some clean clothes. Upstairs? Come with me upstairs..."

Cameron: A scowl quickly darkened Cam's brow, and he crossed his arm over his chest so he could grip his other bicep tightly. He looked off to the side, not wanting to direct the sudden surge of irritation at Lirim. It wasn't his fault.

"Don't... You don't have to pity me- if that's what that look was. It's fine..." He stressed again, but he started to follow Lirim up the stairs as instructed.

Lirim: His sigh the first real breath he had taken. Both hands squeezed through his hair as he ascended to the main floor.

"I don't have to do a damn thing in my house but love ya."

Cameron: The scowl eased a little, but a small crease still remained between his brows. "I don't want pity," he grumbled, but being upset wasn't how he wanted to spend his time with Lirim. He'd missed his friend too much for that. "Love ya too," and that earned a playful poke to Lirim's side from behind.

Lirim: Lirim turned to mirror his loving assault. Fuck. Who had done that? Why? How long ago? He had to force himself to look away.

"What - What do you want t-to uh, go out in?"

Cameron: Cam had to hold back a sigh as he was poked in return. He stopped at the top of the stairs and grabbed Lirim's elbow to tug the other to face him.

"Lirim- I'm going to tell you why I have the scars; I don't want the rest of us spending time together to be like this, please..." His voice was soft, and he kept his eyes glued to the floor between so he didn't have to look at Lirim. Hopefully telling Lirim would clear the air, right? He could stop wondering, and they could move past this...

"I was abducted and held in a mutant testing facility by a crazy, madman of a "scientist." I think I was there for almost a month. I've... never asked those who rescued me how long it was exactly, but there were no windows where I was held, so I had no real sense of time while there. It... felt much longer than a month.

He'd open me up, and when he was done with... whatever, he'd inject me with something that would make my body heal right before my eyes- if I was conscious. Then he'd do it again. And again. And again.

It left scars. And healing myself to stop the scars meant he'd want to know how I could do that- and why it had limits. I couldn't let him know that either so I just- had to let him do it."

His grip tightened on Lirim's arm for a moment.

"Please," he pleaded softly, "I don't... I know that-that I'm-" his voice caught in his throat, and stopped himself from saying the word 'broken'.  He leaned forward to rest his forehead on Lirim's shoulder. "I just- I just want to spend time with my friend. My friend who I've missed, very much."

Lirim: Lirim was pliant in his grasp, as though no time between them had happened. Trusting of Cameron's intention.

"Like - Like what? I w - wasn't gonna ask." But of course he wanted to know. Had he really been gone for so long? No. He'd been right here in New Orleans for the majority of the gap. The art gallery, another failed relationship, being a father, his art, where had socialization gone? Nights out on the town with friends getting shit-faced. He hadn't been allowed. Every man he'd ever dated had been the jealous type.

And in that lost time, Cameron had been stolen, tortured. Fuck, now they had something in common, something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. But Cameron had been held for much longer, dealt with nightmares beyond his comprehension. He could feel Cameron's emotions seeping through his skin. Goosebumps and an unbearable chill of memories beyond his sight.

Eyes glossed with stubborn tears, blinked away and caught by his sleeve. Cameron could grasp as desperately as he needed. The empath wasn't going to deny him. Rather, he was going to pull him to his chest and cradle his head.

"I've got ya," he said into his hair. "I've missed ya so much. Fuck, Cammy."

Cameron: "I've missed you too," Cam replied softly, and his voice shook as he curled into Lirim. He was pretty sure seeing Lirim after so long apart was the cause of these tears, but he didn't question it as his fingers curled into the back of Lirim's shirt. Tears dampened the shoulder of the others shirt, and he let himself cry as he was held.

"I missed ya a lot you know? Where were ya?" He asked, and he regretted the small crack in his words towards the end.

Lirim: Lirim wanted to soothe with his grace, but not without permission. This could be as naturally as Cameron wanted. They didn't have to move until he was ready.

The question he'd hoped to avoid. The shame of it all.

"I um, I-I haven't... really... been anywhere. I don't - don't have a good... good track record with relationships." Between a hundred thoughts and explanations in queue and a rebounding stutter, Lirim forced himself to speak as carefully as his will would allow.

"When it ended, I just - just kept findin' excuses t'go be someplace else. A friend's weddin', vacation, work. S'just been work, lately."

Cameron: "I swear if I see him-" Cam's grip tightened around Lirim, and he squeezed his friend gently.

"I woulda been there for you, ya know?" Cam didn't want to numb the sadness in his heart. He did that enough when he was alone and black out drunk. It would pass.

Then he stopped, and realized how hypocritical that sounded coming from how own mouth. "But I get it... I get... It get it. I can't say I'm... Any better. I did the same thing...." Another squeeze. "Just don't- don't do it again okay? Please don't...." He didn't want to lose anyone else.

Lirim: "Hey," Cameron's face was cupped. "It's behind us. He's gone. I got no one t'answer to anymore. I just needed t'find me again. We're blubberin' in my hallway. All's right in the world," he laughed, brief and tearful. One more lingering hug for good measure.

"Wanna go dancin' with me?"

Cameron: Cam sniffed as his face was cupped, and he reached up to rub at the tears in his eyes. He returned the hug, and squeezed Lirim tightly.

"Alright," he laughed and wiped the few lingering tears from his cheeks. "Where are we goin' for this dancing?"

Lirim: "How would ya feel about the club I used to dance in? They still have good tunes last I was there." Thumbs brushed over Cameron's flushed cheeks before release. "We both need t'wash our faces."

Cameron: "Sure," Cam grinned and he nodded towards the direction of the bathroom. "Lead the way," he smirked, "we just goin to have fun, or are we tryin'a get you laid tonight? I can make a great wing man."

Lirim: Cameron was gently turned and pushed towards the bathroom.

"Laid? Ha! Not tonight. I just laid eyes on ya again. S'all about us tonight."

Cameron: Cam laughed, and he moved to the bathroom to wash his face. "Alright then," he called to Lirim as he rinsed his face, "what kinda outfits are we thinking? I can just make my own..."

Lirim: "Nah, I like fightin' with ya over shirts." He was leaning towards one of his cool-toned button downs and a torn paint speckled pair of jeans. "Sexy casual?"

Cameron: "Alright, you got something green or black I can wear then?" He asked, and tugged the painted shirt off once again.

Lirim: "Jesus," he laughed under his breath. "I have both! Tie or bowtie or nada?"

Cameron: "God, a tie or bow tie are gonna be hot as fuck in a club...." he mused as he drifted in Lirim's direction, and bunched up his shirt into a ball. "Fuck it, I haven't worn a bowtie in forever, and I think I look pretty good in one so- bow-tie me." And his shirt was tossed directly at Lirim's head.

Lirim: "We will be hot as fuck in the club." At least by his standards. Half of the clubs in town required a dress code for men, anyway. Might as well dress prepared for any building.

"I...think...I'll go...tie."

The stained shirt babushka'ed his head, hiding his face as he single-handedly text.

"What is your opinion on strip clubs?"

Cameron: "We will," Cam agreed with a grin, and he leaned against the wall as he waited to receive the afformentioned clothing.

"Uh..." He gave Lirim a look. "I've been to like, one my whole life but am not opposed? You wanna go to a strip club?"

Lirim: Right. Clothes. His phone was tossed onto the bed.

"My friend Roxie is workin' tonight. Paradise City. Seen that place? The other side of town from Imagination." Another person he hadn't laid eyes on in an age. Fuck.

"How's this one?" A dark forest button down and textured charcoal bowtie were offered.

Cameron: "I think I've seen it," Cam smiled and nodded as he took the clothes from Lirim so he could tug them on. He tucked his shirt into his pants, and with a snap of his fingers and a flash of green light, his pants shifted to match the color of his tie, and they adjusted to the curves of his body in just the right places.

"I think your pants are gonna be a little small for me in certain places," he teased.

Lirim: "Can't ya just... What ya just did?" he laughed. "Still dunno how that all works. Not really. I need - fuck. Still need to wash up. Won't be long." Just five minutes for a quick rinse, the same amount of time dedicated to washing his face and brushing his teeth. Some things couldn't change with time, and looking at least somewhat presentable was one of those consistencies.

"Hey, Cam?"

Cameron: "I mean- did you have a different pair in mind- cause yeah I can do that!" He laughed. He waited patiently for Lirimnto finish his rinse.

"Yeah?"

Lirim: "You've already changed their color. Might as well keep em! Looks good on ya."

A pause to suffocate his face in a towel.

"Have ya really been okay since... ?"

Cameron: Cam hesitated at that. He was fairly sure Lirim would be able to feel a lie, but regardless...he didn't need to lie to Lirim.

"Truthfully? No. I... I've had some other shit happen. Lost my warehouse, and in turn lost my kid. A girl I was going to adopt." He felt his throat tighten at that. "I spend a lot of nights drowning myself in booze and one-night-stands with the hopes that I can be exhausted enough that when I do lose consciousness I don't have to be plagued by nightmares. Some nights are easy, some nights are hard. But as far as being with my friends- my family- I'm done letting it mean I don't do my best to still be with them and making memories with them every day. Those things are a part of me now. I can't keep letting them hold me back, or stop the good things in my life."

Lirim: Slowly, Lirim reappeared, hair still wet from a haphazard towel dry, wearing nothing more than a pair of washed out jeans. His appearance had taken a backseat to Cameron's confessions. As it should.

Their similarities were humbling. Different traumas, same desperate recovery. Sinking in on themselves, hidden in their minds and their homes and their work. Finally poking their heads out, just a little.

"Same," he finally said. "Bein' done, I mean. Same. They don't go away, but... when I realize how much time I've lost. With Bronwyn, with my friends, family. Bein' scared of what that... wh-what - what the consequences would be." He cleared his throat, chin down and eyes to the floor. "We can't live like that. That's not livin'."

Cameron: Cam smiled at that, and he reached over to ruffle Lirim's damn hair.

"My thoughts exactly! So- no, I'm not okay, but at the end of the day that's okay, and it's not going to stop me from having a good time with you."

Lirim: His hand came to clasp at the back of Cameron's head. A quick bit of affection before dropping his hand with dead weight.

"The show must carry on." Said more to himself, but still. "Now I dress." Which wouldn't take long. Warm tones, tie, and vest. White sneakers to finish the look. Fingers quickly combed through his hair. Its shortness revealing subtle curls as it began to dry.

"Ready?"

Cameron: Cam added a pair of matching boots to his outfit, asked Lirim's opinion on a pair of suspenders, and took some water from the sink to redefine his hair.

"Lead the way," he grinned when they were finished, and he rolled the sleeves of the button-up to just under his elbows.

Lirim: "Don't even remember buyin' any of those," Lirim muttered, staring with a flat brow at Cameron's suspenders. "Did you mutant-magic those things to existence?"

Lirim held the front door for his guest, locking behind without the use of his key. Months of practice and losing his key to master that little trick.

"Strip club or dance club first?"

Cameron: "Yeah, tis why I was asking for your opinion on them," Cam grinned and he gave Lirim's side a playful elbow. He grinned at the little display of powers and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Strip club I guess? You wanted to visit a friend, right?"

Lirim: "Sexy. The answer is sexy."

Cameron was bumped as well, arm swinging around his neck for a half-hug as they walked.

"Yes! Alright. Ya might like what ya see and then we don't go anywhere else. More than women there, I can promise ya that."

Cameron: Since they were so close in height, Cam hunched slightly so Lirim could comfortably keep his arm over Cam's shoulders. Then own arm wrapped around Lirim's back, and he squeezed in return.

"Fuck yeah, now you're talkin' my language!" Cam grinned and he gave Lirim's hip a squeeze.

Lirim: "AaAh!" Lirim shuddered and laughed. "I haven't had a man in months. Careful were ya touch!"

Cameron: Cam snickered and returned his hand to Lirim's lower back.

"You want some tips? I've gotten pretty good at luring strangers into bed," Cam laughed, but it didn't stop a twinge of emptiness in his chest from saying it out loud. There'd only been one person he'd slept with that was a friend, anyone other than that had to been scratch the many itches that needed easing.

Lirim: "I confess. I have someone in my closet. His name is Sven and he's pink." His laughter, as well as his smile, gently faded with Cameron's following emotion. What a familiar ache.

"Been almost two years," he confessed. "Since... him. They were both..." Lirim watched the sidewalk. "Different, but the same. So ya know, maybe I'll take ya up on that advice. Done with that flavor ice cream."

Cameron: Cam laughed at that, and when Lirim's smile faded he felt a little guilty for being a cause of it. He knew Lirim could feel his emotions pretty easily, and this was supposed to be a good time!

"Damn, two years is a long time," Cam gave Lirim's side a playful, ticklish poke. "Well like I told you, you wanna get laid and I will be your wingman, Lirim. I bet you I can find you a good lay without much trouble." He flashed a grin at the other, and tried to brighten the mood between them once more.

Lirim: "It is and it isn't. Waitin' for em to come home. Waitin' for it to be safe." A word he'd only thought, never used. Not even with Bronwyn. It made his skin crawl.

"Bitch, ya think I need a wingman?" Lirim laughed. "I'm only over hill one! I'll need your help at hill two, forty."

Cameron: Cam bristled protectively at that. He hated that it made sense, considering Lirim's past relationships, but at the least this meant things were taking a turn to normal. Lirim didn't have to wait any longer.

"Well excuuuuuse me, ya old man!" Cam laughed with him, and he gave Lirim's rear a playful squeeze. "I was just offerin' my assistance, I'll just give you my tips then if you need 'em." He stuck his tongue out in Lirim's direction.

Lirim: Lirim gave a playful yelp and rubbed at his ass. Not the least bit offended. He fucking missed this.

"So, tell me one of those tips. Lemme guess. Ya just sit in someone's lap and say, 'Do me.'"

Cameron: Cam laughed. It was not what he would recommend, but-

"Absolutely," he grinned and bumped his hip playfully against Lirim's. "'Fuck me' is also a fairly successful alternative I've found."

Lirim: "Ya really just go up to men and say that?"

Cameron: "Pft!" Cam had to cover his mouth with his arm to literally stop himself from spitting. "No! You great dork!" He laughed, harder now, and reached up to ruffle Lirim's hair. "Anyone I could imagine that'd work would NOT be someone I think I'd wanna sleep with!"

Lirim: "I dunno what fuckin' clubs ya go to! It'd work on most men 'round, let's be honest. Just gimmie sex."

Cameron: "I tend to visit big ones in New York, when I go," Cam shrugged. He wasn't exactly proud of the way he brought men home, but Lirim was right in a way, once he knew a man was interested, that was usually all it took. "I don't usually go with friends, so this'll be fun!"

Lirim: Lirim would keep the mixed bag of emotions he felt from Cameron to himself. Whatever that guilt and shame was at the mention of New York. Years of lost string to connect the dots. He had only what Cameron had given him. Two terrifying events which could account for much, but he would venture to believe not the entire picture.

"This is just as much about ya as it is me. Who knows? Roxie might know someone in need of your very special company."

Cameron: Cam scoffed and gave Lirim's hip a squeeze. He'd forgotten just how sharp Lirim's senses were, and how most of the stuff he'd hide from others were easily detected by his friend.

"Well, I wouldn't turn down 'very special company', but my main goal is to have a good time with you," he leaned his head on Lirim's shoulder. "I've missed ya."

Lirim: Not as though he hadn't thought of Cameron that way. How very special. He couldn't bring himself to push that boundary, romantically or sexually. Not after two disasters. Cameron deserved better. He was also aware of Bronwyn's relationship with him. Her third son, said once over tea.

So, they'd walk awkwardly, leaning into one another, head against head.

"So fuckin' much. So, what does a demon's house look like?" He only knew of one.

Cameron: There had been a time Cam would have tried to get his friend into his bed for some fun, but that time had long since passed. He was far too damaged, and the risk of fucking it up and losing Lirim was too great a fear. Their friendship was enough, and he was content with that.

"Pretty standard. Flashy, now it's got some of my shit lying around- so some obnoxious purple and green splahes that DO NOT match the rest of the house. A dungeon." He grinned.

Lirim: "Of course a goddamn dungeon. I imagined red walls and black floors. Skulls everywhere."

Cameron: Cam laughed.

"Not quite. It's pretty normal inside, I promise."

Lirim: "So, it's a trap," he laughed. "That's how they get ya. Unassuming but beautiful."

Cameron: "Mmm... If it's a trap I definitely fell for it. I've been in long enough there's definitely not chance of escape!" Cam snorted, and he straightened up a little so it was easier for them to walk.

"How far away is this place?"

Lirim: "Fell for the other Atlas. The taller, younger one. Imagine a Victorian house from a period piece and put an Armani suit on it."

Lirim tossed his hand forward.

"Could call an Uber if you're feelin' lazy."

Cameron: "Oh! Yeah- I met him for just a second at Mason and Charles' wedding- that description is accurate. He was there with.... his fiance and their kid- and they seemed nice enough. If he's even kinda like his brother, he can't be too bad," although it made Cam curious about what kind of demon-y things he did in his spare time.

Cam shook his head at the offer for an Uber.

"Nah, I just wanted to know how much time we got, that's all."

Lirim: "Lots of time. Probably should call an Uber. Taxi. Whatever."

Cameron was given a glance. "Never realized how many...things we feel any given moment until this happened. Say one word and just," another gesture. A single hand explosion. "Gets old around strangers. Around people I miss it's more of a welcome."

Cameron: "Pft, why didn't we do that in the first place?" Cam chuckled, and fished out his phone to summon said Uber.

"Can you control it at all? So you don't feel so much?"

Lirim: "Wears me out when I try. But like I said, it's welcome around ya. I'm not about to suppress, and I don't want ya to, either."

Cameron: Cam frowned a little at his phone, before he tucked it into his pocket. "Should be here in like 10 minutes..." Cam sighed softly, and leaned his head against Lirim's shoulder. "I work so hard to hide my feelings half the time, you're gonna make it difficult," he smiled and gave Lirim's hip a squeeze. "I missed ya. I'm glad you're back."

Lirim: "Ten minutes?! Ugh." They should have had their fill of wine or tequila before heading out. Something to start the evening in the direction he knew Paradise would push.

"Most of the people I know do that. Try to hide things. They keep a straight face. Say what they think they should say. The way people are with most things. We don't wanna bother people, then we starve ourselves for a connection. N'then just," relentless explosive fingers by his temple. "Has to wear people out. Probably why so many people have restin' bitch face. Let that shit out."

A moment too late to realize how easy it was to return to his gabby self in Cameron's presence. Hiding his smile would have defeated the very point he'd made.

"So much," he laughed.

Cameron: "You're right... I guess I can't help it. I'm... tired of being a bother. Of feeling the same old shit and not being able to move on..." He shrugged. It made him feel rather pathetic, and he was tired of that too.

Cam chuckled at the comment about resting bitch face and he nodded.

"Can't argue with you there."

Silence stretched between them for a minute, before Cam spoke up again.

"Ya know, I missed listening to you just talk? When I worked for you it was nice to just hear your..." he grinned, "lectures about whatever we were talking about."

Lirim: "I don't believe you're a bother. I think you're only botherin' yourself."

He was shaking his head before he smiled. "What? Not knowin' when to shut the fuck up?"

Hands slipped into his back pockets, shoulders raised in his second only defensive stance, bearing vulnerability with a shrug. "I dunno. I missed conversation in general, I guess. Sorta to the point with people. Or I mean, I don't have people I just talk to like this anymore."

Cameron: "I can't argue with you there either," Cam chuckled. He'd always been his own worst enemy. Then he shook his head and laughed. "No! I was agreein' about your comments about resting bitch face."

His smile softened and he gave Lirim's arm a soft squeeze, just as a car pulled up to them.

"Well I'm glad you're still comfortable talking to me like this," the car was their uber, so Cam opened the back door and gestured for Lirim to slide into the seat. "Your chariot awaits!" he teased and flashed Lirim another grin. Tonight would be fun, they were a drive away from a blast of a night, Cam was sure of it.

Lirim: "I'm playin'! But Cameron must have known. This was banter a little too far from his new normal. He had indeed missed much.

"Why thank ya, sir!" Lirim slipped into the passenger seat and stretched. "I feel ten years younger with ya beside me." Lirim leaned forward, a quick conversation with their driver. So damn weird. Years of this service and still something was just off about it.

Cameron: Cam closed the door after Lirim and entered the car from the other side.

"Well I"m glad for that too," Cam grinned and leaned back into his seat as the driver pulled out onto the street. "Isn't that what younger friends are for?" he teased and shifted so he could drape his legs over Lirim's lap.

Lirim: Lirim grabbed hold of those legs and began to massage. "Fuck, how old are ya now?"

Cameron: "Mmm... Cam hummed his approval. "27. How old are you again?"

Lirim: "Are you tellin' me I met ya at twenty fuckin' years old?"

Cameron: Cam tilted his head. "Uh... yeah, I guess that'd be about right." The mutant narrowed his eyes at Lirim. "You didn't tell me how old you are..."

Lirim: Deep breath. "M'thirty six."

Cameron: Cam raised a brow at Lirim. "Well to be honest, you don't look much older than the day I met you."

Lirim: "I've been told that, recently. Could be... ya know." The thing he wouldn't say in an Uber.

Cameron: Cam nodded. "I gotcha. Would explain it. Seriously, you really don't look a day over 30."

Lirim: "It's a limbo thing. I dunno what it means exactly."

Cameron: "Limbo?" Cam's brow furrowed and he tilted his head.

Lirim: "Am I like some people we know, or am I just really good at agin'," he smiled.

Cameron: "Ah," Cam chuckled, and he playfully wiggled his legs in Lirim's hands.

Lirim: "What are these doin'?" He squeezed underneath his calves.

Cameron: "Wigglin'," Cam explained, and his legs wiggled again for emphasis. "I'm just excited. It's been a while since I've gone clubbing with friends."

Lirim: "What have ya been doin' for fun lately?"

Cameron: Cam shrugged. "To be honest... Not a lot. I try to occupy myself with work, and when I'm not working, I work out. I go to a club when I want to scratch an itch... I walk Zeus." He shrugged again. "What're you don't for fun these days?"

Lirim: "Sounds like you've put yourself into a routine." He understood intimately. "Ya go about the motions. Then one day, ya look around, realize how much time's gone."

Cameron: "Yeah..." it also meant he didn't have to think, but Lirim was right. He'd stop one day and realize how much time was gone. He wiggled his legs again and scowled playfully at Lirim. "Oi- you didn't answer my question. What do you do in your free time these days?"

Lirim: A leg was gently lifted and stretched closer to the door. "Usual stuff, I guess. More paintin'." Less selling of those paintings, but, "thinkin' about writin' again."

Cameron: "What're 'ya wanting to write?" Cam asked with a tilt of his head, and he gave his legs another playful wiggle as he was moved.

Lirim: "Goin' back t'the series I started. I keep gettin' fanmail. Surprised anyone still reads it."

Cameron: "I think I remember ya saying something about that.... How do I read this series, especially if you're getting fan art!"

Lirim: "Still have copies in my bedroom. Welcome to em." Lirim stared out the window. "I got a few. Fan art, I mean. Might be more online."

Cameron: "I wanna see!" Cam demanded with a playful kick of his leg. "And I'll definitely take a copy."

Lirim: "Friends and family get em free. Only two volumes."

Cameron: "Then I'll take 'em," Cam nodded. "What are they about?"

Lirim: "About a man," he sighed. "A shy artist that doesn't think he can be an artist. His adventures before he dies, reincarnates, and tries again.

Cameron: Cam smiled.

"Huh... doesn't sound like anyone I know," he grinned and nudged Lirim cheekily with his knee.

Lirim: "I know I can be, thank ya very much."

The car came to a stop. Thank God.

"More like," he watched the Uber drive down the block, fixed his clothes, "I think I was writing about my past self."

Cameron: Cam followed suit, and he bumped his hip against Lirim's when he stopped next to the other. "Yeah? I've never had a... sense of a past life, or anything like that." He shoved his hands into his pockets, and glanced around where they'd stopped.

Roxanne: Paradise City was a two-story building easily distinguishable from the surrounding clubs and bars by its flashing lights and Vegas-like gaudy splendor. It made no secret of what lay beyond the doors, advertising exotic dancers of all persuasions in bright neon.

The same applied to the patrons coming in and out. Two large bouncers stood guard outside and checked IDs for both men and women, from younger older, all in varying stages of intoxication.

Lirim: A place so familiar, throwing memories of his years in college. The stench of cheap and expensive cologne, bodies, liquor. Not Paradise City, but Imagination. What a time to have been alive.

Lirim looked back at Cameron, all smiles. "Who needs a past life when we have right now, right? Why I stopped writing." Among other reasons. Not tonight or any other night.

IDed, paid, and down the small hallway and into the main hall. Already on the lookout for Roxie.

"I am in need of rum."

Cameron: "Mmmm..." Cam hummed in agreement, but the way Lirim said it roused a few questions in his mind- for a different kinda night. He followed Lirim's lead, and once inside Cam took a moment to admire the interior. It certainly set a mood, and he felt a tingle of excitement curl up his spine.

"I could do with some gin. Or a whiskey and coke." He chimed in, his eyes still roaming their surroundings.

Roxanne: It would be impossible to miss Roxanne Barrett among the sea of people.

She was on the main stage tonight performing a crowd favorite: her Jessica Rabbit routine. Which included, among other things, a red wig, red glitter tear-away gown, and Amy Irving's mesmerizing voice.

Cam and Lirim would be just in time to see the gown come off to raucous cheers and witness Roxanne climbing her pole.

Lirim: "All these years and I only now discover ya like gin. Where is she; where is she..." The cheers caught his attention, and his smile lit his face. His own well above the general chorus.

"Go on, Roxie!"

Cameron: "Gin's a more recent taste I've started to like," Cam replied, and he paused as his attention was drawn to the stage. When be heard Lirim cheer, Cam assumed this might be there person Lirim came her for, so Cam cupped his hands around his mouth and let out a loud whistle - adding the sound to the cheers.

Roxanne: After so many years, it was easy to tune out the noise and focus only on her moves and her music and not falling off the pole. But every now and then, she'd hear something that pierced through the din. Most of the time it was usually someone exceptionally drunk or exceptionally loud, but tonight it was neither of those.

What managed to pierce through on this night was a voice she hadn't heard in what must have been years. A very familiar and beloved voice.

Roxanne made a subtle scan of her audience and spotted the source just beyond it almost immediately. If she wasn't in character she would've grinned like a lunatic, and she really hoped the twinkle in her eye as she winked at Lirim let him know that.

Lirim: "Rum and coke was my go-to in college. Fuck it." That's what he'd order, and whatever it was Cam wanted. He'd be paying if Cameron wasn't going to argue.

"Kinda miss it. That life. Was like bein' high."

Lirim winked back, though he doubted she'd be able to tell from the dim lighting.

Cameron: Cam didn't argue this time, but the next round was on him.

"I never went to college, but I did get into one recently. I was gonna try to be a paramedic. I'm not sure if I want to go, but we'll see...." he shrugged and grabbed his drink once it was made, and then he turned back to the stage.

Roxanne: True, Roxanne couldn't see Lirim winking back, but she was aware of his presence as she worked her way through her routine. She had a time staying in character when all she wanted to do was smile.

It was going to be a good night tonight, and not just because people were throwing money at her.

Lirim: "It's not everything. Havin' a trade, knowin' somethin's all that matters. Doesn't have to come with a mountain of debt."

Cameron was given a smile. "You're way smarter than college."

Cameron: Cam watched the performance out of the corner of his eye as he smiled over at Lirim.  "I gotta say, I think you're biased in that belief," he chuckled and sipped at his drink.

Lirim: "I didn't become biased overnight. I don't say shit just to be sweet," he smirked.

Cameron: A smile found Cam's lips with that and he leaned into Lirim so he could rest his head on his friend's shoulder. "Don't sweet talk me too much Lirim, I might change my mind about trying to sleep with you." Cam teased, and he elbowed Lirim playfully in the side.

Lirim: "What are friends if not with benefits?" he joked, and offered a sip of his rum and coke.

Roxanne: Once she finished her routine to more raucous cheers and a small shower of money, Roxanne made her way backstage and quickly changed into her floor outfit. 'Outfit' was a loose term, of course, as the getup consisted of sheer stockings, heels, and a frilly little lace number that left precious little to the imagination.

She was back out in record time, meandering the crowd for a few moments until she spotted her quarry.

"Lirim!"

Cameron: Cam turned to look when he heard Lirim's name shouted, and he blinked as a very, mostly naked Roxie approached them. He elbowed Lirim in the side to get him to turn, and nodded toward the approaching performer, and he gave her a small nod and a smile.

Lirim: Her voice was unmistakable. He was smiling as he was elbowed, turning with arms wide open. He didn't rightly care how naked she was. He was going to give her a squeeze, rules be damned.

"That's your best number, I swear. I still say blue is your color, though. Oh! Roxie, this is my old friend Cammy, and this is the best dancer you'll ever meet," he waved his hand between them. Already on the lookout for one of her overeager bouncers to scold him.

Roxanne: She all but ran into Lirim's arms with a delighted laugh, hugging him hard.

"It's been ages since you've dragged your cute little behind down here to see it! Was startin' to think you'd forgotten about me."

A bouncer did take notice of them, but one nod from Roxanne was enough to get him to stand down. Actual friends were permitted exceptions to the 'no touching' rule.

"Well nice to meet you, Cammy," she said, offering a smile and a hand. "Ya'll want a drink? It's on me."

Cameron: Cam was unbothered by most stages of nakedness, and tonight was no different. He kept his eyes on Roxanne's face, and when offered the hand he returned the smile, then shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you too. Normally I don't let just anyone call me Cammy," Cam smirked and elbowed Lirim playfully in the side, "but I can make an exception for someone with a number like that. You looked fantastic, and like you were having a blast." He nodded to the drink and leaned back against the counter.

Lirim: "Makin' me miss it." Not that he ever would. His aesthetic was not relevant anymore. At least he didn't think so. Regardless, his life was much too full to add another career, and it would certainly be a career.

"I need to take y'all dancin'. Someplace where they don't throw money at your feet."

Roxanne: “The throwing money at my feet is half the fun,” she said, winking at Cam. “And thank you, you’re sweet. It’s one of my funner numbers. Jimmy!”

The bartender came to their end of the bar, holding a cigarette to Roxanne’s lips and lighting it for her.

“Thanks, sugar. Bring me a cosmo?”

Jimmy gave a single nod and turned expectantly to her companions.

Cameron: "Miss it?" Cam's eyes widened at Lirim and he grinned at the idea of Lirim on stage. "You were a dancer?"

The grin continued as Roxanne spoke and he ordered a gin and tonic when he made eye contact with Jimmy.

Lirim: "Would it surprise you to know I danced in a round cage at Imagination? It's still around. Same owner, too. Married his favorite drag queen as soon as that went legal."

Lucien: His cheeks were warm as well. It was harmless, right? Just a little more. Brushing his nose against Cameron's thigh, deeper. He could smell him, just as he remembered. He wanted to keep that.

Cameron: Something in Cam's mind hesitated, but he ignored it and let himself sink into the comfort of Lucien's purr and his touch. There weren't any places that felt as familiar or safe, and he could let himself have this.

He shivered as Lucien's nose brushed his thigh, and his fingers curled slightly in Lucien's hair.

Lucien: Lucien was waiting for a no. He shouldn't have to. He was self-governed. By his own authority, he continued. His mouth slowly opened, hesitant only to feel and hear Cameron's reaction as he breathed warmth against his bulge. Still, except for the vibration of his purr.

Cameron: Lucien would find no protest here. Cam's hips shifted as the heat of Lucien's breath ghosted over him, making his pants a bit tighter. The vibration of his purr made his breath hitch, and Cam's hand cupped the back of Lucien's neck. He opened his eyes to look down then, his breath held.

Lucien: That reaction he'd wanted for years flipped his insides. That flutter of warmth over his skin he almost forgot in his teens. He exhaled slowly, savoring the hand on the back of his neck. Teeth gently raked over tight clothing. He would take the chance, and kiss through those jeans.

Cameron: Emotions held behind years of want released as Cam exhaled, and this time he didn't question if this was right or wrong. He didn't consider the consequences. He made the selfish choice to let himself fall into Lucien, as he'd wanted to do so many times before.

By the time Lucien's lips met his jeans Cam's arousal was undeniable, and his thumb trailed over Lucien's neck, along his chin, ushering him forward.

"Luce..."

Lucien: No words. They said them all once before. Everything else was obvious.

Moving forward was like being pulled by a current. Both hands reached for zipper and button. Steady fingers roamed over the remaining barrier separating warm desire from his mouth. He was savoring. He couldn't be faulted for taking his time, kissing again at the tip, soaking the clothing deliberately.

Cameron: Cam was enraptured by Lucien's every slow, agonizing touch. He wanted to commit this to memory, to enjoy the heat that spread over his skin wherever Lucien pressed.

His own fingers wandered, touching whatever parts of Lucien he could reach and combing slowly through his hair. He wanted to touch more, to feel the heat of Lucien's skin beneath his fingers, but any thought if that was chased away with the wet heat of Lucien's mouth.

He shuddered, and the smallest grind of his hips earned a soft, breathless moan from his lips.

Lucien: Lucien glanced upward. His best friend had never looked so beautiful. He'd never witnessed such bliss in his eyes. He wanted more; tugging Cameron free from the confines of his underwear. There was hesitation, but only for a moment. Savoring again, before taking the tip in his mouth and swallowing down.

Cameron: When Lucien looked up, Cams's hand followed the line of his jaw to the nape of his neck, where his fingers curled gently into Lucien's hair. No pushing or pulling, just a steady hand that teased over skin.

He shivered as Lucien exposed him, and his breath caught with anticipation at the other's hesitation. Then the soft press of Lucien's lips, followed the blissful warmth of Lucien's mouth, made Cam arch and moan. This was so much better than any fantasy, and with no barrier between them, the weight if Cam's breathing grew heavier, less controlled.

Lucien: Lucien tried to admire those eyes. The angle was too steep to catch more than unsteady lips. Years of longing, and now there seemed nothing but time. His head nestled against Cameron's stomach, sucking at his leisure. At last, his eyes closed, living simply by taste and sound and desire.

Cameron: From this angle, the sight between his legs made Cam's entire body throb. The beautiful hazel blue hues of Lucien's eyes distracted him from the perfect the curve of his lips around his cock, and the mutant lost his ability to breathe for a moment.

The steady pulse of pleasure that followed as Lucien closed his eyes and continued to suck pooled warm and heavy at the pit of Cam's stomach. He marveled at the lack of frenzy in their actions, the feeling as if neither of them had anywhere else to be but here.

Their own tiny pocket of time, together, and Cam let his head fall back against the couch with a moan. His hips started to shift in small little bursts, and his fingers curled gently into Lucien's hair.

"Luce..." He breathed between soft mewls of rising need.

Lucien: The warmth Cameron felt pulsed through his own body, purr growing louder, heard and felt against Cameron's cock, sucked deeper and deeper until swallowed whole. Each time he returned to the tip took longer, taking his time to memorize this man by mouth alone. Something he had never done before. That wasn't true. In his dreams he had, once or twice. Tasted this man with the excuse of an injury. Nursing each wound until clear. Without excuse to hide behind, their actions became pure.

And now Lucien began to shift, rolling slowly onto his stomach. Relieving himself with slow rocks against the couch, dedicating himself to his pleasurable task.

Cameron: All of this felt foreign, yet familiar, a mix of fantasy and reality that blurred the louder Lucien purred. A sound that instantly relaxed him now vibrated through his entire being, fanning embers of desire that he had long since given Lucien control. He was torn between wanting the torturously slow swells of need to finally reach their peak, and dragging out this blissful high for as long as they both could stand. Cam decided to let the sensations envelope him, to enjoy their connection and the satisfaction of this fantasy fulfilled.

"Luce- 's good, "he panted, "I'm just- I'm close..." Cam gave Lucien's hair a gentle tug, a warning that this slow build was reaching its climax. He was in no rush, in fact he was doing his best to hold off, to edge himself closer and closer until he could no longer resist the sweet call of release, but he was close enough.

Lucien: This wasn’t about Lucien; this was about living in the fantasy of yearning and fulfillment. The couch offered delicious friction, but it was mostly ignored. Almost obsessive in his meticulous exploration of Cameron’s cock, his breathing, his voice, that their stolen moment seemed to go on forever. Only with his stuttered warning did he bury his face in coarse hair. He would take everything and choke with gusto. This man was all he had ever wanted from first hello. Their lives had been forced apart by greater and worse causes. Linked now by careful silence, desire, and well-earned greed. His selfish taking now was rapacious and unrelenting, swallowing what was offered as though dying of thirst.

When at last he leaned away, lips swollen and breathless, the silence continued. He could think of nothing to say for his actions. Utterly satisfied.

Cameron: Cam could not remember someone so thoroughly searching every part of him, drawing each moan and gasp and whimper from him like their life depended on it. It was gratifying to finally give in to what had felt right all along, like something was clicking into place that had been off-kilter since Cam left those years ago.

Then, just as Cam thought this might go on forever despite his warning, Lucien swallowed down, taking him deep in a way that Cam couldn't resist. He gasped Lucien's name as he finally relinquished control, and his fingers curled in Lucien's hair, holding him down as the sweet taste of release wrung tight through his body. He arched, his cock pulsing as he finished, and only when Lucien pulled away did he sink back against the couch to catch his breath. He felt warm and satiated, and he refused to think about anything other than the afterglow and the way Lucien looked in his moment.

As silence passed between them Cam also said nothing, because in his mind they weren't finished, and Cam wasn't about to break the spell between them with words.

When Cam had recovered enough to find his footing, he shimmied down the couch and tugged Lucien up to straddle somewhere between Cam's waist and his chest.  He stopped just in front of Lucien's cock, dug his heels into the floor for leverage, and finally looked up to catch Lucien's eye. He smirked as he opened his mouth and breathed, teasingly, over Lucien's hip, and he worked slowly inwards. His hands gripped Lucien's thighs, holding him in place.

Lucien: If Cameron could not remember, then that was criminal. They had been young, but Lucien remembered like yesterday his epiphany. The man that had awakened curiosity, confusion, desire. The boy that became a man, became more than a friend. The man he had yearned for, mourned in his absence. Nights exploring his body with dangerous thoughts of his hands being someone else's.

Nothing tasted sweeter. Nothing ever could. He tasted more than Cameron's release; he tasted a mutual victory, and nearly forgot to breathe.

And then he was moved. He didn't have to, but Cameron's hands might as well have been steel, and his body clay to his will.

Hands came to rest on the back of the couch for leverage, watching as though witnessing a dream as Cameron looked back. A conversation without words. Please don't stop. His lips parted, the plea almost escaping his tongue before he swallowed.

Please don't stop.

Cameron: Cam had half a mind to tease Lucien, to hear him ask for it out loud was so tempting it hurt, but he would take what he could get without the risk of breaking either of their focus.

He remembered a time where he only imagined doing this- pushing Lucien against a tree in the forest between their houses. Finding each other in the locker rooms between classes. Slipping under the covers as they snuggled in bed, and needing to turn away as those thoughts grew a little too obvious between his legs.

He pulled Lucien's hips toward him, lips parted as he maintained eye contact, and he pushed Lucien into the heat of his mouth with a groan. Then he sucked, drawing Lucien in until lips found the base of his cock. There he breathed deep, trying commit Lucien's smell, his taste, the weight of him againt Cam's tongue, to memory. He was certain he would be using it later when he was alone. He moaned then and pushed Lucien just a little further down his throat.

Lucien: This wasn't a dream. Being undressed and exposed, he still struggled to come to terms with reality. He had started this snowball, and yet still surprised by where he stood now. Nails digging into the back of the couch as he watched in awe of Cameron's mouth, his throat open enough to take his impressive length. He wasn't thinking about anyone else. There was no one else. How could there be, when this was the man he had wanted since his first sexual thought?

"Cam-mm-y. Fuck." He didn't know why he had tried for words. They failed him miserably. Saying his name was as urgent as his moan, as breathing. It was catharsis.

Cameron: It wasn't until Lucien's cock hit the back of his throat that Cam realized just how large he was. Now, more than ever, Cam thanked the gods for his lack of a gag reflex and the novelty of Lucien's size and shape that gave this experience one more uniquely Lucien piece to the puzzle. Cam barely noticed the ache in his jaw as a blissful fog settled over him, but Lucien's struggle through his nickname made fresh coals of need flare to life. Renewed in his task, Cam slowly pulled Lucien's hips back enough to breathe, and then quickly drew him back in, taking him to the hilt once more. His grip loosened then on Lucien's thighs, as if giving him permission to set the pace as he pleased. From this angle Cam could do little to move himself, and he didn't want to change positions now. He had wanted to do this countless times, and here he was, drinking in every last drop of this experience like he was a man desperate for water.

Lucien: Lucien was sure to feel guilty later, after climbing down from their cloud, but right now, all he could do was marvel at Cameron's talent. His lips already swollen around his cock. The present and lustful look in those green eyes. All of this and without a single meaningful kiss. That, he realized, he would regret the most. This should have begun with a kiss. Always at each other's fingertips, just out of reach, and now, all they had were base instincts. The same which forced his hips to finally move, slowly rolling and coming back to that mouth.

"Fuck," he groaned. "I wanna fuck you so bad."

Cameron: Cam was just about ready to lose himself in his task when Lucien spoke, jarring his awareness back to this moment. He moaned around Lucien's cock at that suggestion, and the heat of desire flared again the pit of his stomach. He wanted that, he knew he'd wanted that for a long, long time, and hearing that Lucien also wanted that made Cam's common-sense fly right out the window. Then again, at this point it had been gone for quite some time.

They'd already come this far, the deed is done, so why stop here?

His nails raked down Lucien's thighs and he slowly pushed his hips back.

"Fuck me," he panted once his mouth was free. He looked up and locked eyes with Lucien as his length rested against Cam's cheek. He breathlessly tried to rephrase, lips swollen and eyes clouded with need. "I want- that. I want you to fuck me."

Lucien: Locking eyes was exactly what Lucien needed. He needed to see that certainty in Cameron's eyes. To have gone this far, there could be no turning back. Not when there was nothing standing between them. He should have told Cameron that much, but to do so now was so far from his mind.

This beautiful man, his best friend, was pulled into a hungry kiss. Both hands guiding by the back of his neck. Body hunched to accommodate, sloppy and needy. For a moment, he'd forgotten which was older, wiser, stronger. He'd forgotten everything but skin and heat and yearning.

And then he stood from the couch, pulling Cameron to his feet, all but tearing at his clothes.

Cameron: Electricity buzzed beneath Cam's skin the instant their lips met. It was the same tingling he remembered when they'd kissed as teenagers, only this kiss was accompanied by a fire, an intense lust that sparked from his lips to burn low between his hips.

They were kissing- greedy, hungry, sloppy kisses that lifted a weight from Cam's shoulders with each brush of lips and tongue. No guilt, no regrets, he would enjoy this for whatever it's worth.

As Lucien hunched over him, Cam's hands slid up his back, drawing him closer as much as their position would allow. When he was pulled to his feet he stumbled forward, leaning into Lucien as they removed the last of each other's clothing.

Then they were together again, Cam's arm around Lucien's waist and pulling their bodies flush together. There Cam kissed him, fiercely, and began to steer them in the direction of Lucien's room between kisses and wandering hands.

Lucien: Without clothes, Cameron still held himself to an unmistakable aesthetic. Kisses were given to his pierced ears, purrs nuzzled softly to scarred skin without yield. Finally was the only word he possessed.

Just a few steps toward the bedroom before he reached out, blocking them from hitting one of the end tables. In his not-frustration, Cameron was lifted into his arms, held firmly by his ass. This was no time for interruptions. Stumbling blindly into the bedroom, letting the edge of the bed be his guide to collapse his weight over his favorite person.

Cameron: Cam had seen Lucien mostly naked on many occasions, but seeing him completely bare, feeling that perfectly tanned skin hot against his own, was something else entirely. Combined with the affection, the unmistakable love laced into each nuzzle, kiss, and purr, Cam was helpless to do anything other than melt into Lucien's hands.

It was a good someone was paying attention, because before Cam could laugh or comment on their near-miss, he was lifted into Lucien's arms. He did it so effortlessly, and his hands gripped Cam so firmly, that Cam's already flushed skin reddened further, and his arousal hardened against Lucien's stomach.

When they were finally in bed and Lucien's weight pressed over him, the rush of need and excitement ebbed for a moment, and Cam looked up at Lucien, breathless, disheveled, and completely ready for what they were about to do.

Lucien: There was nothing in that moment but eyes, silent and admiring. Savoring as when his lips first caressed bare skin. Moving away just long enough for the bottle and a condom from the bedside drawer. They were placed to the side. Lips now explored freely and with hunger, leaving a wet trail over his ribs and chest.

"I love you."

Cameron: Lucien's look was mirrored, both in Cam's expression and the way his hands searched for skin as soon as Lucien was close. The contrast in their shades and the way Lucien's muscles shifted beneath his fingers were the first to draw Cam's attention. As Lucien's lips returned to his skin, making Cam's breath hitch and waver, one of his hands spread over Lucien's shoulder, and the other slipped into his hair to gently massage the back of his neck.

Everything stilled with those three perfect words, and without hesitation Cam replied.

"I love you too." He always had, only now there was nothing held back. It was like a weight lifted off his shoulders as this well-known "secret" between them was finally admitted out loud.

Lucien: He turned his head, bringing Cameron's hand to his lips to kiss. How many times he'd wanted to say the obvious. How he'd forced himself to bury those feelings and move on. Not one but three failed relationships. But this had to happen, didn't it? If not for their own maturity to bloom, than for Leilani's existence. He wasn't one for destiny, but he believed in accepting reality. They had lost much, but they had now. That was the depth of his thoughts, and they could go no further until their bodies were satisfied.

"Je t'aime. Je t'ai toujours aimé."

A single, lubricated finger teased, waiting for permission.

Cameron: Warmth blossomed in Cam's chest as Lucien's lips pressed to his hand. The love he felt for this man was overwhelming, like a damn, harboring his feelings for Lucien for over a decade, had finally crumbled and released all at once. Cam was uncertain of what the future would hold, but he knew Lucien well enough to know sex would not be the end of this conversation. He needed to focus on the now, and whatever happens, Lucien and Leilani would still be his family. Briefly, these thoughts floated through Cam's mind, and they came to a stop as Lucien spoke. The one word he caught was 'love' and it made a new swell of emotion accompany his growing need. He reached up to pull Lucien in for another kiss, lips parting as he pressed his hips toward Lucien's finger.

"Please," he whined softly, his breath tangling with his best friend's.

Lucien: "Don't beg," he whispered. "I've got you." One finger became two. His patience deservedly thin, but his hand remained steady with purpose. Not until Cameron seemed comfortable did he add a third lubricated finger. Soft kisses all the while. Tongue offered with every ounce of confidence.

"Tell me when, baby."

Cameron: Cam finally let himself relax, truly relax at those words. He knew Lucien was there for him, he always had been.

"L-Luce," Cam breathed between kisses and moans, and where one hand clung to the sheets below them, the other curled into Lucien's hair, giving it gentle tugs between his own soft gasps. With each added finger Cam's hips rocked, and soon it was painfully obvious how this was not enough.

"Now," he moaned as Lucien's fingers teased towards sensitive areas. He caught Lucien's gaze and held it as his body arched and his legs spread just a little wider. "I want you inside me." A mix between a request and a demand, and Cam's fingers trailed down Lucien's neck to rake over his shoulder, drawing him closer for a needy kiss.

Lucien: Seeing Cameron writhe beneath him, because of him, was almost enough to send him over the edge. Never in his life had he seen Cameron this way. Only in dreams. To see it, feel it, hear it, was almost too much. His stomach churned and fluttered. He had to take a breath, and then he had to revive himself with Cameron's mouth.

He wouldn't break away. Not even as he pushed himself inside. He offered his tongue and every inch of his cock, until there was nothing left but for Cameron to adjust, but even then, he had no patience but for a moment, before his hips began to move in earnest.

Cameron: Cam had imagined Lucien like this so many times that when Lucien finally filled him, making Cam moan and cling desperately, that this was so much more than a fantasy come to life. This so much more real and intense and all-consuming that it was the perfect amount of overwhelming. He didn't resist the pull of their passion, and he returned Lucien's offered tongue with parted lips and his own. He didn't miss a beat when Lucien started moving, and Cam matched his thrusts with rolls of his hips.

Lucien: He should have slowed. Allowed this to build gradually, and savor at an aching pace, but he couldn't. It wasn't his nature, and he wouldn't bother to attempt. He was attached in more ways than one. Pounding, kissing, and clinging, trapping Cameron's hands to the mattress. When he did manage to sit up, it was only to admire every nuance. Watch Cameron's breathing, the rise and fall of his stomach, the accentuation of his ribs with every strained breath, and the swelling of his unattended cock.

Cameron: As soon as Lucien pinned his hands to the mattress a soft whine escaped his lips, and he strained for a moment against Lucien's hands. He wanted to touch, to hold, to feel every inch of Lucien's skin that he could while this lasted, but at the same time he loved the lack of control. He trusted Lucien in a way he trusted no one else, so he relaxed as Lucien continued his relentless assault on Cam's senses.

He was a mess by the time Lucien pulled away to admire his work, disheveled, breathless, lips swollen, and eyes glazed over with desire. His swollen cock leaked precum over his stomach, leaving drops of white against his pale skin.

"So good- you feel so good-" he moaned when his lips were finally free, and the roll of his hips grew just a little frantic. Lucien was so gorgeous above him, and knowing that beautiful man looked this way because of him, Cam came close to finishing right there just from the sight. It was then Lucien struck a spot within him that sent white-hot pleasure coursing through his body, and he tightened around the other. "There!" he gasped and his back arched as he strained against Lucien's hands again.

Lucien: Cameron's hands were released, but not to aid. Breaking away completely long enough to flip his lover onto his stomach. Not even enough time to recover from the act before being refilled. What had been a firm slow pounding now became desperately quick. Leaving only enough room to encourage Cameron's hand between his legs. Teeth bit a crescent dent into his shoulder, latching on as he lost himself in his feral act.

Cameron: When Lucien's hands released him, there was a moment of relief as the mutant thought he would be able to touch. Instead, Cam's world flipped. Suddenly he was empty, and just as quickly he was flipped onto his stomach and filled again, making Cam gasp and grip the sheets. There was no time to adjust before Lucien's thrusts returned and quickened, making Cam writhe and groan. With each thrust Cam's moans grew louder, and before he could start to touch himself, the bite to his shoulder sent him over the edge. The pain that blossomed over his shoulder, and the thought of the mark it would leave, was all he needed to release the white-hot pool of desire set low in his stomach. He cried out as his body wrung tight and his hips jerked, trying to ride out the wave of pleasure until it waned. The orgasm was intense, fast, and Cam's fingers scrambled for purchase in the sheets as his hips stuttered in their movement. Once the pleasure subsided Cam relaxed against the bed with a sigh.

Lucien: The weight on Cameron's back grew heavier by the second. Still stuffed and lubricated. Teeth still firm over tender skin. He knew the measure of things, knew anything deeper would draw blood. That wasn't his intention, but he couldn't bring himself to let go just yet. It went against instinct. This man was his. This was their moment, his claim, his. His.

When at last he could relax his jaw, he began to clean. Slowly lapping his tongue along what would become a bruise. This was not an apology. Only more of his affection.

His arm came around for Cameron to see. His left hand held out for inspection. The absence of a ring. The pale line where it had once existed.

They were not finished. Still firm and sheathed, but Cameron had to know this before he continued.

Cameron: Lucien's weight above him was a comfort. A steady presence as he tried to get his bearings, and as Lucien licked the bruising skin, Cam understood what the gesture meant. He wouldn't want it any other way.

It was then he shifted his hips, felt that Lucien was still hard, still filling him to the brim, and felt embarrassment warm his already flushed cheeks. He wasn't a hormone riddled teenager anymore, so finishing that quickly, twice even, before for his lover was uncommon. He knew it was because this was Lucien, but before he could dwell on it, Lucien's hand entered his field of vision. He paused and stared, unsure of why Lucien was trying to say until he saw the faint white line on his ring finger. It felt wrong to ask any questions about it now, in this position, but he groaned and arched his hips back, pulling Lucien just a little deeper.

"Why-why the hell didn't you show me that earlier?" Cam panted, stifling a laugh as he buried his face into the pillow. Then he lifted his hips, squeezed around Lucien, and relaxed as he rocked them back towards the bed. He repeated the tiny motion, as if he were trying to milk Lucien's cock, even in this position. He was still oversensitive, but he didn't care. He was too relieved, too elated to think of anything other than what Lucien would sound like, would look like, when he finished. Whatever it meant, Lucien could be his- was his, and Cam never wanted to let go.

Lucien: Slowly, Lucien sat back. Both hands slid down Cameron's spine, coming to rest at his hips.

"Caught up in the moment. Didn't know how to say it."

His head lulled back, hands resting on the mattress now.

"Don't stop." Cameron wanted to watch and feel, and so too did Lucien. Wanted to see what Cameron would do with his freedom, despite his exhaustion. Teetering on the edge; little effort was required to send him falling from his peak.

Cameron: Cam shivered as Lucien's hands trailed down his spine, making him tighten the other's cock.

Happy to obey Lucien's command, Cam propped himself on a shaky elbow and twisted so he could look back at the other. He used his grip on the sheets as leverage to change the roll of his hips from a rock to a thrust, and he alternated between slow, then quick and back again. Then Cam took Lucien's wrist in hand, tugged the man back over him, and cupped the side of his neck so Cam could pull him in for a kiss. He arched back to meet Lucien's lips in a passionate tangle of heated breath tongue.

Lucien: Sitting back to admire was what he thought he needed. Years imagining this moment, so adamant to remember every little detail, that he'd forgotten himself along the way. Only when Cameron had pulled him back, commanded his attention and his lips, did he feel that familiar tingle in his scrotum.

And then he gave. He gave his tongue, his breath, his moans, and finally, his release.

"You're mine," he purred. "We're not kids anymore. I don't care where ya run. You're mine, Cammy."

Cameron: Feeling Lucien throb inside him, hearing the beautiful sounds of his release, made Cam moan, and he hoped that next time he'd get to see how sexy Lucien looked when he came.

"I'm yours," Cam agreed his voice hitching as his heart leapt in his chest. He'd wanted nothing more than someone to claim him, to love him, to truly want him in a way that would do anything to never have to let go. He'd wanted to feel the exact same way in return, and now he had the only person he'd ever truly wanted. They'd held onto each other for years, even after being separated, and now he no longer had to hide or restrain the depth of his love for Lucien. He felt the heat of tears at the corners of his eyes, and he pulled Lucien back down for one slow, intimate kiss that contained only the warmth spreading through every part of his body.

"And you're mine," he breathed as they parted, "I won't let anything else get in our way."

Lucien: Lucien could taste the tears in their kiss. He pulled back to find Cameron's face a mess. No longer did he feel the older one. Looked up to with such reverence no true romance could make equal. It had taken years to see Cameron as he truly was. Vulnerable and resilient, imperfectly beautiful. Seen the way he deserved to be seen through mature eyes.

"Your battles are mine now. Your body's mine. Everything."

He lapped his tongue over his shoulder once more. Carefully pulled out, yet remained on top. He didn't want far from that warmth.

Cameron: Years of tension, from foolishly thinking he needed to bear all his problems alone, suddenly eased from Cam's shoulders at Lucien's words. It made his breath catch and his body shudder as a fresh tingle of tears fell from his cheeks. It wasn't like Lucien, or anyone in his life now, had ever made him feel that way. He'd simply closed himself off, never truly relying on anyone for fear they would leave him, or think less of him, if it all became too much. He'd rather suffer alone than burden others- and here was someone who refused to let him. Lucien wanted him, problems and all, and for the first time in a long time Cam let himself believe it.

Despite the tears he was smiling, and as Lucien's tongue met his shoulder, Cam reached back to tug Lucien's hand up to his lips. He kissed each finger and squeezed as Cam laced theirs together. He let himself enjoy the weight of Lucien against his back.

"I love you," Cam replied as he squeezed again. "I've always loved you. You've always been something more to me. Always. I'm just...an idiot." He laughed, more so at himself  than anything else. He shifted so he could look back at Lucien.

"Let me hold you?"

Lucien: He was instantly cold, even parting long enough to readjust, pull Cameron to his chest. Only then, face-to-face, could he see what he had already smelled on his cheeks.

Without thinking, he began to clean Cameron's face with his thumbs. These weren't terrible tears of sorrow, but he didn't want them regardless. He didn't want this night to become what-ifs and should-haves.

There was so much to say. Real adult questions to ask about this relationship. What Cameron would come to accept, and what Leilani would expect of him. Things for tomorrow, he told himself. His head too high in the clouds to face those questions.

"Don't say that. You're not an idiot."

Cameron: "I meant that in an... affectionate way, not a derogatory one, I promise." Cam closed his eyes and his nose scrunched up as Lucien rubbed his cheeks. He made no move to stop the werecat, and instead wrapped his arms around Lucien to pull him closer. "I start to think of all the time I've caused us to miss- but I know that's foolish. I don't want to dwell on the past. I want to just... move forward- with you. Whatever that looks like." He couldn't stop the tiny pang of uncertainty when he remembered they had to talk about all of this, and while it may not be tonight, it needed to happen soon. There were so many questions, so many things to say and do, where did they even start?

Lucien: Lucien was no telepath, though he sometimes wondered if it was at all possible. Hints from those in his family of such ability, but never anything concrete. Still, in that moment, watching every nuance of Cameron's face in the dim light, he felt a question just beneath it all.

"Tomorrow," he nodded.

Cameron: "Hopefully a good time," Cam returned the lean as he flashed the handsome bartender a grin, and a wink, but he quickly continued since he was sure he wasn't the first to hit on this man this evening. Or possibly the last, "could I get a glass of whiskey?"

Q: "A good time is ailing you, is it?" he chuckled. "Whiskey, heard. Have a preference?"

Cameron: "Oh no- what I'm saying is, I'd like one to be. What ails me right now is the lack of one," Cam grinned and tilted his head to the side. "You a whiskey fan? Any recommendations?"

Q: "I think a wild turkey is what you need. An Old Fashioned with blood orange. Trust me?" he smiled.

Cameron: "Of course. I can tell you're a man of good taste," Cam winked again as he returned the smile.

Q: "Ah. Another strong character under this roof. You'll find lots of opportunities in this little town with that wink."

Cameron: Cam placed his chin in his hand and his elbow on the table, and he blinked innocently at the other. "Yeah? Meet a lot of strong characters here? This bar is really unique- I could imagine it draws all kinds of people." He winked again and pointed at it with his free hand, his smile playful. "What kinda opportunities can this wink get me?"

Q: "Hmm." He began to slice orange. "I can name you just about everyone open in town for that business, young and available and old and forgetful of their own self-need."

Cameron: "Mmm... How do you have all these connections?" Another curious tilt, in the opposite direction.

Q: "I'm a bartender! That means I'm also a therapist."

Cameron: "Mmmm- damn, I was hoping you'd be down for some fun later," Cam flashed another playful grin. "Hear any good stories while being a therapist?"

Q: "You're a quickdraw," he chuckled. "A good therapist never compromises their integrity."

The highball was placed on a disposable coaster.

"Honey whiskey and blood orange. A secret I will give away."

Cameron: "I try to be. Good to know you're a professional," Cam nodded, and he reached for the drink after it was placed in the coaster. "This is a pretty delicious secret," he smiled after a sip, clearly giving his approval.

Q: Hmm. His smile was received in kind, a wink not far behind. "Be right back."

A few drinks later, true to his word, he returned with another Old Fashioned. "So, why are you a quickdraw, cowboy?"

Cameron: Cam's smile widened at the wink and he took a few more sips as he waited for the other's return. He chuckled at being called a cowboy and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well I'll be the first green-haired cowboy I've ever met," he laughed, "but to answer your question- it's habit. I've gotta stay on my toes, and I like making people smile. What about you? What made you wanna be a therapist?"

Q: "With a smile like that? Spare a few for me. You'll make my night. You've broken many hearts, haven't you?"

Dirty glasses were collected to wash.

"Me? I like mending broken hearts, even if I'm just a band-aid."

Cameron: "I'll do my best," he flashed another smile, Cam finished off his drink and retrieved the second one the other had prepared.

"Unfortunately, I'm a little too honest to be the heartbreaker," he chuckled and the smile he gave the surface of his drink was twinged with a hint of sadness, "Not that I havent broken any, but I'm usually the heartbroken." But just as soon as it was there, it was gone, and Cam's smile returned to the others, just as bright as before.

"That's very selfless of you. I can't imagine it's easy giving yourself to others all the time like that."

Q: "It's easy. For me, it's easy. I love love, see, and I don't mind waving goodbye for better things. Seeing someone move on and up is rewarding. Don't you think?"

Cameron: "That's a... Very mature way ti look at it," Cam chuckled. "Are you therapist-ing me right now?"

Q: "We're just talking," he smiled.

Cameron: "Mhmmm...." Cam lifted a skeptical brow at him, but he still smiled as he sipped his drink. "You have experience in that area, then?"

Q: "As a legit therapist?"

Cameron: Cam laughed.

"No no, with breaking hearts."

Q: "I've only broken a few."

Cameron: "Only a few? With that handsome face?" He grins.

Q: "I try to leave them in better condition than when I found them." His chuckle was quiet, more of a crinkle to his eyes.

Cameron: "Wonder who that makes you think of...." Cam mused quietly with a soft smile, but he didn't expect a response and continued. "I'm Cam, by the way."

Q: "Hello, Cam." His hand was firmly clasped. "My name is Quintin Traxler. You may call me Q."

Cameron: Cam gave Q's hand a firm squeeze in return, letting his fingers linger before pulling away. "Nice meet you, Q.” He flashed a grin. "How long you been working in therapy, Q?" He changed the subject, hoping to brighten the mood.

Q: "Ah, here and there since I was nineteen. How long have you been a heartthrob gunslinger?" he smiled in return.

Cameron: "My whole life, darlin'," Cam replied in a mock southern drawl. He threw up a single finger gun and winked at Q as he 'pulled the trigger', and to finish off, he blew out the invisible smoke coming from the end of his 'rifle.' Then he had to cover his mouth to stifle a laugh, and he looked up from his hand with a sparkle in his eye.

"'M sure you say that stuff to all the handsome cowboys that walk in his bar." He cringed inwardly, but the laughter in his eyes was far louder.

Q: "You really go for it, don't you?" His Chicago twang emerged and disappeared in an instant.

Not much of this boy was serious, but his gut told him this was not routine.

Cameron: "Hey, you keep using terms like quick draw and gunslinger, what else am I supposed to do other than to lean into it?" he shrugged. "It's been a while since I've been able to be a little silly with my flirting. I also may be trying too hard."

Q: "I give names based only on behavior. I define what I see," he chuckled again. He leaned over, as though to share a secret.

"I promise you, Cam, you don't have to put forth all that effort for me. I'm interested in seeing what you are with your guns away."

Cameron: "Well, looks like I'll have to holster these bad boys for now," he made a gesture to show him holstering his finger guns at his hip, and he winked at Q again as some of the tension eased out of his shoulders.

"Well, that's a relief." He rubbed the back if his neck. "Talking to actual people is a lot harder than messaging someone on an app for a hook up. I'm...  It's been a while."

Q: All that winking! He was going to exhaust that eyelid before the end of the night. A cute boy regardless. He could feel that tension in his shoulders as though his own.

"You're young. Don't make me feel old by talking like that!" He chewed his lip. "Which apps do you use?"

Cameron: That earned a chuckle. He was relaxing, slowly but surely.

"Sorry, sorry! Was I supposed to feel old when I said that? Cause I did," but he was smiling as he pulled out his phone. "Grindr mostly- I just downloaded this one- RentMe- I haven't really tried it yet." He glanced up from his phone. "Do you use any?"

Q: "RentMe, huh?" He smiled to himself while washing another glass. He couldn't be surprised. The app was slowly growing in popularity. Eventually someone else would find him.

"Are you wanting to keep me?"

Cameron: "Meaning?" His brow furrowed slightly.

Q: "You know, communication once your smile disappears out that door."

Cameron: "It'd be nice, now that I'm not trying to over compensate," he chuckled, "but I doubt there's much you could do that would make my smile disappear."

Q: "Oh," he clutched his chest. "That's so much to live up to!"

Cameron: "Listen Q, I've seen some shit," he laughed, "but for real- what's on your mind?"

Q: "Look up the username RoomForQ on RentMe. Excuse me." More orders to fill, and a waitress to keep on amicable terms.

Cameron: Cam blinked and immediately began to search the app. What he found left him gaping, and soon grinning as he try to figure out how the app worked. He glanced up occasionally to try and catch Q's eye, his smile was far from gone.

Q: Now it was Q's turn to wink. Only once Stacey had turned away, of course. She was enough of a silver tongue without adding to her schemes.

Several photos of his bartender shirtless, smiling into the camera, or smiling to someone else across the way. Fully nude, hidden underneath a tan trench coat. A video, in which one must be a fan member to view, of sex with a woman covered in freckles, with red hair above and below.

Q returned to confiscate his empty glass, saying not a word.

Cameron: "This is what you were worried about?" Cam asked once Q returned for his empty glass. He shamelessly flipped through the photos and looked up at Q with a raised brow. "You look amazing in these..."

Q: "I'm not worried about anything at all," he smiled. "What'll it be, another round?"

Cameron: "No? Then why did you think this would make my smile leave?" He nodded to another drink. His cheeks were starting to warm, and only the slightest buzz started in his fingertips. "Or that I wouldn't want to keep you- as you put it?"

Q: "Not worry. Just anticipation. Excitement from my guts," he grinned.

Cameron: "Hoping I'll rent you out?" He asked with a smirk.

Q: "Do you want to rent me out, Cam?"

Cameron: "Well- that all depends. If I rent you out does that change our potential to be friends?"

Q: "No. It won't change a thing in that regard unless you want it to."

Cameron: "I don't." Cam smirked, followed by a small, pleading pout and a gesture to his phone, "so show me how to rent you out when you're next available?"

Q: He placed his hand on the phone, bringing it down to the table. "Not as important. I'll be back again, okay?"

Cameron: "Okay," Cam nodded, and he tucked his phone back into his pocket.

Q: About to leave, he turned. "What else you wanna drink?"

Cameron: "I'm good with the same thing! It's delicious, and if I mix alcohol- well- I just shouldn't," he chuckled and shrugged.

Q: "Honey bourbon and blood orange coming right up, cowboy."

Cameron: Cam chuckled and shook his head. Then he placed his chin in his hand and watched Q as he worked.

Q: The man was friendly to everyone. He was very good at his job. Oftentimes he would spark a brief conversation with those whose glasses had not yet emptied for the sake of a smile, of trust, of rapport.

This time, as Cameron was offered his glass, a single finger flirted with his knuckles. A brief hint of intimacy.

Cameron: Cam smiled at that, and an excited knot tightened in the put of his stomach. He caught Q's gaze and let his fingers linger over Q's as he accepted the glass, and he nodded to Q in thanks before he took a sip. He didn't want to take up too much of Q's time, so he was content to watch until it was his turn again. It helped that Q was quite handsome to look at. There was no shortage of him to watch, and now thanks to RentMe, Cam could picture what he looked light beneath those clothes.

Q: He returned with his usual slow slide. His smile just a hint softer than it had been.

"I can't get out of closing tonight," he whispered. "I hope I haven't broken your heart." His smile reached his eyes. "But I don't work tomorrow."

Cameron: "Oof," Cam placed his hand dramatically against his chest to act as if he were wounded. "I'm sure I'll pull through."

He smiled in return. "What should we plan to do tomorrow?"

Q: "That depends on if you know how to swim, if you want to do nothing at all...if you want to go to a party..."

Cameron: "Hmmm...." Cam tapped his lip as he contemplated their options.  "I know how to swim- and a party sounds fun!" He answered after a moment and he grinned. "Could the night I involve both?"

Q: "It can involve both and more." His turn to wink again. They were both ridiculous, and getting a genuine smile from this man was nothing short of fun.

Cameron: "Perfect. Shall I pick you up from somewhere? Or meet you?" The wink made something in him stir with excitement. He couldn't wait for tomorrow.

Q: "Message me on the app, and I'll give you my number and address."

Cameron: {Hiya handsome! ;)}

-was the message message Q received seconds later.

Q: His actual phone number was sent moments later.

{RoomForQ} Hey babydoll :wink:

Cameron: Cam's smile widened as he saw the nickname, and Q recieved a text following that.

{I gotta ask darlin'- Is it strange to have a conversation over text while standing right next to each other?}

Q: {Text} Nah it's sneaky fun

{Text} No one will ever know lol

Cameron: {Text} You're not gonna get in trouble for texting on the job? ;P

Q: {Text} It's a slow day. I'll be fine.

"How's your cocktail, sir?" Q smiled.

Cameron: "It's perfect, per the usual, cutie," Cam smiled in return and winked.

{Text} Alright, well whats your address and when should I meet you?

Q: His address followed. "Message me when you're coming over. I won't be going anywhere until then."

Cameron: "When do you want me?" Can asked with a smirk and looked up from his phone.

Q: "We went from "should" to "want" huh?"

Cameron: "Am I wrong?" He flashes a cheeky grin.

Q: "What pictures are you looking at?" he laughed.

Cameron: Cam pouted at the dodge to his question, but the smile didn't fade.

"All of them," Cam laughed. "The ones where you're shirtless-" he makes an approving gesture with his hand.

Q: "That's almost all of them." He brought his elbows to the counter. "Show me your favorite."

Cameron: "Almost?" he asks with a curious smile. Then he points to a particularly artsy looking photo, one where Q is shirtless and looking off to the side, and the lighting is soft and warm. It seems as if it were taken on a lazy after noon, and it makes Cam's smile warm. "Makes ya look pretty dreamy."

Q: "Ah! You have the best taste. You know how I know? This was in Hawaii," he grinned. "I was really happy during that trip."

Cameron: "I've never been. What had you so happy?" Cam asked, taking his turn to place his chin in his hand and watch Q as he talked.

Q: "It was a beautiful day! I had sunburn on my back. I'd just gone swimming. I was high, I had a beer off to the side. I'd just had some of the best sex. What could be better?"

Cameron: "Mmmm..." Cam hummed, imagining just that. "Sounds lovely... and relaxing." Maybe that's what he needed, a good vacation. "I'll bring something to smoke tomorrow, if you like?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

Q: "I have some, but if you just trust your own, that's fine, you know."

Cameron: "Yours is fine," he chuckled. "I think I can trust you, yeah?"

Q: "I think I can trust you," he chuckled. "Of course. I'm harmless. I'm a kitten!"

Cameron: "You're awfully good at dodging my questions," Cam gave a smile tinged with excitement, "and a kitten? From these pictures- far from it!"

Q: "If I was good at them, you wouldn't have mentioned it." The tip of his finger brushed over Cameron's knuckles. "Like I said, I'm harmless. What kind of lover would I be if there was no trust?"

Cameron: "True," The small touch cause a shiver to run up Cam's spine, and he turned his hand to gently catch Q's fingers with his own. "You make a good point. I trust you." Then he glanced up and flashed another grin at Q. "What kinda party are we going to tomorrow?"

Q: "So!" Back to being playful. "We have two options. A going away party for a friend of mine going into the military, or we can go skinny dipping. It'll be...brisk," he laughed. "But it'll be our party."

Cameron: "Hmmm.... I could go either way," Cam smiled and gave Q's fingers a squeeze before releasing them. "What about both? Party, then skinny dipping?"

Q: "Oh." A hand to his chest. "A full day. I can't fucking wait for tomorrow." There was always the chance that this man would be a no show, but for now he would take his word for it. Tomorrow was going to be memorable no doubt.

Cameron: "Me too," he grinned, "you have a problem with bikes at all? That's my preferred mode of transportation- for when I pick you up." Cam had every intention of showing up, on time no less. Not that they had a set time to meet, but he was going to be there none the less.

Q: "A gentleman at that. Going to pick me up in your chariot." He shook his head. "I don't care, but I do have a Tracker outside."

Closing time couldn't come soon enough. New dates, potential new clients were always a thrill. Living in such a small town, meeting someone new was rare enough. Someone worth putting forth the effort was something else altogether. He would message Tane Likely of his plans. The only man kept up-to-date on his romantically financial life.

Tomorrow, ten in the morning, he would roll over in bed and feel for his phone.

{Text} Hey cowboy

Cameron: "Well we can take whatever vehicle ya like. Four wheels might be a little smarter for the day planned." When the night finally came to a close Cam thanked Q for the drinks and made sure to leave a generous tip.

It took him a little extra time to fall asleep that night, but he still rose early to prepare for the day. Normally he'd sleep in, but his excitement over what the day could hold had him wide awake around 9.

{Text} Howdy Darlin' ;)

He texted back shortly after receiving it.

{Text} Your ready for some fun?

Q: {Text} The party isn't until 4

{Text} Wanna go swimming now?

{Text} I can pick you up. Where are you?

Cameron: {Text} Sure! I’ve never gone skinny dipping during daylight hours so this should be fun ;)

Cameron: And his address was sent a moment later.

Q: {Text} Thinking about it, we would freeze to death at night. That's not the impression I wanna make on our first date

{Text} Be there in fifteen

Cameron: {Text} I appreciate it- I like not freezing my ass off.

{Text} See you soon!

Cam chose to wait for Q outside his apartment complex, leaning casually against his bike that was parked out front. He wore a tight black turtle neck with short sleeves and his studded, black leather jacket over it. A deep green pair of cargo pants hung low on his hips, cinched at his ankles, and tucked into worn, black combat boots. He had a small green bag slung over his shoulder, and his hands tucked into his jacket pockets as he scanned the street.

Q: Q pulled into the parking lot, hair a wild contrast to the attempted ponytail of yesterday. Round gold rimmed orange shades straight from the 70s rested in his messy hair.

The black Geo Tracker convertible was brought almost touching to Cameron's bike.

His smile creased the corners of his mouth. Arms folded over what little roof he had.

"You look like you stepped out of Lost Boys."

Cameron: "80s punk is a style I'm always going for," Cam flashed a grin. "You look like you're ready for an adventure. I dig the shades," he stepped up to the vehicle and folded his arms over the opposite side of the roof.

"Where are we going for this skinny-dipping adventure exactly?"

Q: “I have pink ones, too! I didn’t wanna scare you away.” The passenger door was opened from the inside. Cargo shorts, a no-sleeve shirt, sandals. They couldn’t have been more different unless one was wearing tails and a bowtie.

“We’re going to a creek. No one goes this time of year. No one to check out your ass but me.”

Cameron: "It's a pretty nice ass, sure you can handle it?" cam asked with a wink. "And I don't have any sunglasses, hope you brought those pink ones with you."

Q: "My first wink of the day!" He gestured to the glove compartment. "Some aviators in there. Will suit you just fine."

He waited for his passenger to settle, adding, "I think I can handle it. Been looking forward to this since yesterday."

Cameron: "Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from," Cam chuckled, and he eased into the passenger side of the vehicle. He grabbed the aviators and he flashed a grin. "Just helping me add to the look, huh?" he set his bag down by his feet and leaned back into the chair. "Likewise. It's been a while since I've just done something spontaneous and fun! I had a hard time sleeping last night.'

Q: "That jacket," he laughed. "God. Have you been saving that for a day like today? You're flexing on me."

He shifted gear into reverse. His foot still firmly on the break, he turned. "Since we're being spontaneous...why don't you go ahead and kiss me? Make sure I'm worth your while?" he smiled.

Cameron: "Nope! I wear this all the time, just not when I met you," Cam grinned, being entirely honest. "If it's too much for you I'll take it off?" He grinned at the suggestion, and with a casual lean over the dividing arm rest, he reached for Q and cupped his face with his hand. Then he gently pulled Q towards him and met his lips in a kiss that started out soft, and quickly intensified with a tilt of his head. When he pulled back he was smirking. "How's that?"

Q: The first kiss was always important. It was telling of the lover. This man was not shy, but nor was he vigorous. He was cautious, as many were, despite that smirk. Those lips were warm and supple. He could feel his energy as though his own. This was a good match, but something told him to be mindful. This man was not made of steel.

He licked his lips and smiled.

"We're gonna do that again very soon."

Cameron: "I'd like that," Cam nodded, and he paused before placing another quick, playful kiss on Q's lips. Then he settled back into his seat with a lazy smile. He enjoyed that kiss, Q's lips were soft and welcoming, and it left him feeling warm in all the right places.

Cameron: "I have half a mind to do it again right now."

Q: "Wait until I park or I'll fling us off the road." Little kisses? Oh so sweet. He reached for his hand, placing it under his own on the gear shift.

Cameron: "Can't have that," he let Q move his hand, and he shifted his fingers slightly so they laced between Q's.

Q: Good initiative. Their hands were kept steady. He spoke loudly enough to be heard over the wind. "Tell me something funny about you."

Cameron: "Hmmm... I've got a husky named Zeus. Why is Zeus his name? I have no idea, it just felt right when I looked at his furry face. Your turn."

Q: "I have a pug named Dorothy. She's all black and snores like a demon."

Cameron: "Oh my god she sounds adorable. Zeus tries to sleep on my face occasionally."

Q: "I'm always thinking her eyes are gonna bulge out when I come home. She's too happy to see me."

Cameron: "Zeus just drools all over me. He's one hell of a slobbery dog. Is Dorothy friendly to other dogs? If so we will have to do a dog park date or something."

Q: "A dog park date!" he laughed. "You know? I've never been asked to one of those before."

Cameron: "Well there's always time for firsts," Cam grinned. "Um... my green hair is natural. I don't dye it." he continued, trying to think of more funny things about himself.

Q: "Is that...a...? Can't call it a disorder. Not so...disorderly," he smiled. "Just...born with that, huh?"

Cameron: "It's a mutation," Cam laughed. "Mutation is the word you're looking for."

Cameron: "And you could say I was born with it." a little white lie- he was born a brunette, but when his powers first appeared so did his hair, and it had never changed back.

Q: "Mutant just seems too harsh a word for something so pretty," he chuckled. "But sure, we'll go with that. Teased for it?"

Cameron: "I don't mind it," he had a distant look for a moment, but there was a pleasant smile on his lips. "From adults mostly. Kids seem to love it. I've had a few kids ask to touch it before too."

Q: "You're speaking to a man with curls. I've had plenty of fingers in my hair as a kid. Some now, too. I straightened it for years so people would stop."

Cameron: "Well I'm glad you stopped doing that. I like them. Although I wouldn't touch without permission."

Q: "You have my permission," he smiled. "Can I touch yours later?"

Cameron: "You have my permission," he smiled in return.

Q: "So, you know what I do for a living. What do you do?"

Cameron: "Odd jobs mostly. I worked for an artist friend of mine for a while, and now I'm going to school to be a EMT. How long have you been doing your work?"

Q: "Which one?" he asked in calm pleasant tone.

Cameron: "Both?"

Q: "At varying degrees since I was nineteen." Usually people reacted in surprise. Most women would ask why he did it at all. He could have something "better" in his life. The typical mindset of using his skills but also feeling superior.

Cameron: "I don't know how old you are, but it's good to know I'm hanging with someone with some expertise under their belt." Cam teased, "Id be winking right now too. Just wanted to let you know since you're focused on the road."

Cameron: Cam actually admired people who used their bodies for work as Q did. It couldn't be easy work, and he knew not all situations were kind to those who did that type of work. Cam didn't see Q's job as any worse or better than his own. Work was work.

Q: "I like the way you think," he smiled. He would have smiled more at those thoughts had he known. His actions spoke them enough, with his smile and steady hand. There had been those that were bothered by his honesty, yet offered their money for his services regardless, feeling morally superior to the body they used. Rarely nowadays, but still, memories which lingered.

For a few minutes, he drove in silence, gauging how Cameron handled the quiet.

Cameron: Cam fell into silence easily. There was a time he would have been bothered by it and tried to fill it with chatter of his own, but he'd grown from that. Today he was content to enjoy the view and Q's presence, the warmth of Q's hand over his. Cam's thumb gentle traced over what parts of Q's hand it could reach.

Q: Such a sweet little gesture of thoughtfulness. He had to wonder why it was this beautiful man full of smiles didn't have someone to call his partner. What was the catch? Was there a catch, or was it shitty luck?

"How strong of a swimmer are you?"

Cameron: "I go for a swim pretty regularly. It's a good way to work out, and I grew up around plenty of lakes and streams as a child," Cam replied, oblivious to Q's thoughts. The closer they got, the more likely Cam would share those answers, if asked. Cam was surprisingly at ease around Q, and he felt a mutual respect between them that made Cam feel he could talk to Q without being judged.

Q: "I love the water. I grew up with Lake Michigan in my backyard. I think it's more about the sun for me. I'll have cancer before I'm forty."

He began to slow, turning into a dirt road to the left established seemingly with the trees in mind. Unfortunately, they were not alone. A large SUV family, a BBQ pit and children chasing each other on the shore.

"Well, guess the pants stay on, then," he said after parking.

Cameron: "Good thing I still wore a suit under this," Cam chuckled. "Just in case." Cam glanced over at Q and tilted his head. "You bring a suit?"

Q: "These shorts are fine. I'll be fine! We'll have some privacy the further down we go."

Cameron: Cam popped the door open, grabbed his bag and stepped out of the car. "You got a spot in mind?"

Q: "Down that way," he pointed, “there’s a huge boulder in the middle of the creek. It winds, so we should be left alone."

Cameron: Cam grabbed his bag and jumped put of the car. Then he crossed over to Q's side and leaned against the hood. "Care to join me?"

Q: "There's a toll," he grinned, removing his shirt and tossing it back in the driver's side.

Cameron: Cam flashed a grin in return, and he shrugged off his jacket to toss it into the back of the vehicle. Then he made a show of removing his shirt, peeling the hem slowly up over his head and ending in a stretch so Q could watch every ripple of toned muscle, littered with scars.

"That enough?" He asked with a smirk as he leaned in through the car window and carefully invaded Q's space to hover a few inches away. He tossed his shirt into the bad seat with his jacket.

Q: Q would watch the show with gusto, hand on his chin, a smile plastered to his face. The scars were noticed, but left unmentioned. All he knew was the man had a beautiful scent, and being so close, that neck was kissable. He absolutely would steal one for himself.

"No, but it'll have to do. Gonna let me out?"

Cameron: "There's a toll," Cam grinned, and he glanced at Q's lips before he leaned casually on the window sill.

Q: "Take it, then," he smiled. "I'm not gonna stop you."

Cameron: And the gap between them was quickly closed, and Cam's lips met Q's in a fervent kiss. This one was more confident than the last as his lips teased Q's, but he pulled away just before things could get too heated. Then he pulled back and open the door with a grand sweeping gesture of his hand and a wink.

Q: Now that was a kiss. His lip was gently bitten and tugged. Fingers combed through thick green hair and massaged the back of his head.

When that warmth went away he laughed. "I want more of those," he said. "Thanks." Keys were placed in his pocket and buttoned. The Tracker was locked. Sandals were thrown in the back.

"That - gonna wear the rest of that in the water?"

Cameron: Cam shivered as he was bitten, and he leaned into the hand as it combed through his hair. His reached out and let his fingers trace Q's chin and down his neck.

"Don't worry, there is plenty more where that came from," he grinned as he pulled away.

"Are we swimming over to that spot further out, or walking? I've got a suit under this," he pointed to his pants. "Just didn't know if there was a path where we're headed."

Q: "Want me t'get your boots?" he smiled. "We'll swim. A lot of it's shallow. I'm not gonna bother with shoes."

Cameron: "Mmm, good point," Cam nodded, and he quickly shrugged off his boots, and his pants to reveal a tight, thigh-length, dark green speedo that hung low on his hips. The hint of  a green happy-trail could be seen just above the hem. He handed them to Q with a smirk.

Q: "I meant take them off for you," he chuckled. The boots were placed in the back as well. "Want a picture?"

Cameron: Cam blinked, having completely missed the implication. He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh... yeah- a picture would be great!"

Q: What a sweet face. He wanted more of that blush, and wondered if it would spread to his shoulders and chest.

He opened his arm and took out his phone. It would be an intimate photo, one with a smile deep enough to crease his cheeks.

Cameron: It would, if Q tried enough, and it wasn't a difficult thing to do- making Cam blush.

Cam leaned in for the photo, and while he wanted to capture that handsome smile and match it with one of his own, he couldn't help the cheeky grin that flashed over his lips just before Q took the picture, and he turned his head to lick Q's cheek.

Q: "Augh!" he laughed loudly. "You bitch!" The phone remained steady as he turned and mirrored the action. Another photo. A kiss to his temple, and another photo.

Cameron: Cam laughed as Q returned the gesture and took another picture, and he settled for a cheeky smile as Q kissed his temple. Then he mirrored the kiss to Q's temple for another pic, and finally he made a motion for one more, this time settling for a wide, sincere smile.

Q: "I'm gonna keep all of these." And he would send them via text message. For now, the valuables were hidden away and the Tracker secured.

"Ready, babe?"

Cameron: "Definitely send them to me," Cam grinned, and he waited until everything was secure before he flashed Q a cheeky grin. "Race ya!" he shouted before he turned and bolted for the water. He made sure to keep himself at a realistic speed, while he'd been working on control like Guildias like he had suggested, he didn't want to let everyone at the beach fall privy to his abilities.

Q: Q had decent speed for what appeared to be human. His sinewy body was a match for his personality. Not as filled as Cameron, but nothing to be labeled weak. Cameron would be the victor, but his competitor was quick behind. Arms wrapped around his shoulders in a tackle.

Cameron: "Ah!" Cam laughed as he pretended to stumble, and he barely flinched as cool water splashed around his legs. He grabbed Q's arms and with two large lunges he pulled them both in further, and with a loud inhale, to warn Q, he pulled them both into the water. He laughed as he released Q's arms and popped back above the surface.

Q: Q held on as though for dear life, laughing all the while until submersion. Thick curls had clumped and clung to his cheeks and curtaining his brow.

"Fucking Marco," he laughed. "Kiss me so I can find you."

Cameron: Cam waded out a little ways and beckoned Q with a finger and a smirk. "Polo, babe, catch me if you can!" He continued to wade back in the direction of the more secluded area Q had indicated before.

Q: With hair in his eyes, he had nothing to go on but the fading voice. He followed with clumsy skill, reaching out every few feet for a hand, an arm, a face.

Cameron: Cam giggled and waded back in Q's direction. Once he was close enough he reached out a hand to grasp one of Q's and pull him towards him. "You got me," he grinned and leaned forward to steal a quick kiss.

Q: Quick? Fingers were laced and brought to his shoulder to rest. There would be no such thing as a quick kiss here.

"I do got you," he laughed.

Cameron: "Now I've got you," Cam grinned and kissed Q again, this time slower as he tilted his head. His free arm wrapped around Q's waist and pulled him close. When they parted he was grinning from ear to ear. "Think we're gonna scare off that family back there?"

Q: Only after they managed to break apart did he finally pull his hair from his eyes. One more kiss before he could even think to respond.

"They're doing their own thing. I think we're enough away." He felt Cameron's green hair with both hands. Perfectly silky and tangible. "Hey, your hair matches your eyes," he just noticed.

Cameron: Cam hummed in approval, and he eagerly met Q's kiss as his hands slid up Q's back to draw him close. He hummed again as Q's hands moved through his hair, and his head tilted into the touch. "Yeah..." He blushed at the comment, but it brought Q's eyes to his own attention. "Yours are green, but like- this light... Yellow-ish green I've never really seen before...." He trailed off, lost for a moment in the color, "they're beautiful. Like the rest of you."

Q: "No one's ever said so much about my eyes in my life," he laughed. "I like the way you observe. You write poetry, don't you?"

Cameron: Cam laughed. "Never, I just like complimenting people I like." He ducked his head down and left a few kisses along Q's jaw. "Do you like hands in your hair? I have a friend who had curlier hair like yours and hated it, I just want to check."

Q: "It's already wet. You might as well keep it from tangling. Don't mess with it dry or I will look like an 80s victim." Just shallow enough for him to steady his toes. He took advantage of his balance to pull him into his arms, grabbing hold by his ass.

"Is this alright?"

Cameron: "Oh it's definitely alright," Cam smirked as he eased into Q's arms, wrapping his legs around Q's waist and his arms around Q's neck. He bit his lip as his fingers carded through Q's wet curls, and he made sure to be careful when his fingers caught.

"You'd be a really, really sexy victim tho," Cam teased, "with the way things are going, the killer would have his eyes on us right now. The camera shot would suddenly shift to him lurking behind a tree nearby for sure."

Q: "Is it a masked guy with a machete, or do we get something more sophisticated?" Lazily, quite slowly, he had begun to spin them. Just something to do while they chatted. His hands never left Cameron's rear.

He waited for Cameron to untangle his fingers. "Lay back. I've got you."

Cameron: "Mmm... well we're in the middle of the woods so masked guy with a machete would make more sense, but I think our story would have a far more attractive killer, so think like- man in a sexy suit with a custom made dagger for killin," Cam laughed, and he gave his hips a playful wiggle into Q's hands. Once his hair-touching desires were satiated he let go and leaned back into the water, just enough so his ears remained above water. He looked up at the sky for a moment and watched a few clouds drift.

Q: He would drift along with them. Carefully walked downstream in the slowest spin possible. His scars were accentuated from the water, glistening like long jewels. Just as carefully as he was cradled, he was pulled up, just enough to meet Q's lips to his stomach.

Cameron: Cam occasionally glanced down to watch Q as they drifted before returning his gaze to the sky. Part of him struggled not to involve himself more, to simply let Q direct their drift and let himself go, but just as he felt settled, Q kissed his stomach, earning a shiver from Cam. He couldn't resist the urge not to touch then, and he reached down to trail his fingers lazily over Q's hands.

Q: "Comfortable?" A question which would be asked several more times before nightfall. It was a question, which from his lips, bared earnest. None of this would matter in any measure should the answer be no.

Cameron: "Ridiculously so," Cam laughed, "probably the most comfortable I've been in a while..." He glanced down and smiled at Q. "How about you? You're the one dragging me around in the water," his legs tightened around Q's waist for a moment and he wiggled his hips playfully.

Q: "In how long?" he asked, still genuine in his curiosity. His smile creased his cheeks. "I'm fine." Those hips were given a playful squeeze.

"What do you do for a living?"

Cameron: "Gods...." Cam tried to think about the last time he was truly comfortable and relaxed around someone. Even the few little pockets of comfort in his tumultuous life were laced with a tension or regret, and his cheeks warmed with embarrassment as he struggled to come up with an answer.

"Maybe a year ago? Maybe a couple years ago when I last had a boyfriend? I guess... even the places I have been comfortable all had... ways I'd fucked up lurking in the background... I wouldn't let myself be comfortable- around anyone- for a long time." He shook his head and forced the creeping pit of regret to release its hold on his chest. The past was the past, he wasn't going to let it devour him anymore. He wasn't going to let it make him uncomfortable now. Another sigh and he smiled at the next question.

"I did a lot of freelance stuff. Worked for an artist friend for a while. Right now, I'm just trying to figure out what school I want to go to so I can become an EMT." He knew his body said a lot of different things about his profession, so he continued, " I did some stuff that people would consider illegal for a while. Still kinda do, if you'd believe I lead a bit of a vigilante life." He grinned at that and looked at Q to gauge his reaction.

Q: Q listened quietly, genuinely interested in what was being given freely. This man was either incredibly trusting, or just that at peace with himself. He doubted it had anything to do with himself. Not really. It must have been the latter.

Saying 'I'm sorry' just seemed like an empty gesture. So instead he said, "And now? You'll let yourself be comfortable now? Being a vigilante, it's no wonder. Always looking over your shoulder." Another slow spin. "Pick any college in this state and you'll do fine. I wanna know when your graduation is," he smiled.

Cameron: Cam had come a long way towards finding some sort of peace in himself, and while he wasn't perfect at it, he was always trying. Sharing so much with Q was at least partially due to how comfortable he felt with Q, he was simply easy to talk to, and Cam was the type to trust until he was given reason not to. It wasn't always the smartest thing to do, but Q didn't seem like the type he couldn't trust.

"I'm... trying," Cam chuckled, and he enjoyed the swirl of the water around him as they spun. "My full-time vigilante days are behind me. I do it more on the side, and I also work at a school part-time. I'm like a gym teacher basically." If he could call it that. "I want to be comfortable. I know I can find it, if I let myself."

He grinned and nodded.

"Oh you're definitely invited to the graduation. And the party I'm going to have after it."

Q: "So you're a superhero gym teacher. There needs to be a movie about that, if there isn't one already. The green hair has to be in it, too." The water was getting too deep for their play, so he stilled.

"I'll be there in however many years it'll be," he chuckled.

Cameron: Cam laughed and used his arms to right himself so he could grin at Q and wrap his arms back around Q's neck.

"I'd like that," and that earned him another kiss.

Q: Whether he could hold himself to his words, neither would know, but the gesture meant something, and in the moment it was honest. He held Cameron by his waist and gently offered his tongue.

Cameron: Cam lips parted and his tongue moved to trail lazily against Q's, His hand's trailed up Q's arms and his fingers curled into Q's hair at the nape his neck.

Q: He smiled into their kiss when fingers met his hair. Seemed his best feature. He suddenly nuzzled in, growling playfully and laughing.

Cameron: Cam would argue Q had plenty of best features, but hair was always fun to play with. He laughed through the shiver that ran up his spin as Q growled, and nuzzle into his sensitive neck made Cam' squirm. With a grin and a smirk, he dipped his head in the opposite direction so he could blow a raspberry against Q's exposed neck.

Q: "AhHhHh!" He laughed with abandon, nearly dropping his prize in the process. "Oh shit!" Cameron was hugged close. Couldn't have him slipping away and down the creek.

Cameron: Cam's legs tightened their grip on Q's waist as he felt himself slipping, and he laughed as Q caught him and hugged him close. Cam pulled back to grin at Q. "Can't say we don't know how to have any fun huh?"

Q: "What would you be doing today if you weren't here with me?"

Cameron: "Probably a whole lot of nothing," Cam chuckled. "I usually work out. Walk my dog. Wander around until something interesting falls into my lap." He chuckled. "Or someone cute," he winks.

Q: "Oh. I see. I'm not your first in Edenton." Just teasing. His smile was evident enough. "What kind of dog?"

Cameron: "I was talking about you!" He laughed," a husky named Zeus. I'll show you a picture when we get back to the car. You got any pets?"

Q: "Oh! Well! I thought I had competition!" he laughed. "I have a black pug named Dorothy."

Cameron: "Not too much, don't worry," he grinned, and his eyes lit up, "Oh yeah! You mentioned her last night! We'll have to let them meet sometime; Zeus loves other dogs."

Q: Dorothy loves kissing everything. Zeus won't eat her?"

Cameron: "He loves kisses, so he'll lick her right back, and i promise he won't eat her!"

Q: "If this doesn't work out, we'll have to put up with each other for the kids."

Cameron: "Obviously. What kinda of pet parents would we be if we didn't?" He laughed again, and with a mischievous glint in his eye his hand lifted from the water and smacked down, spraying Q playfully with a small wave.

Q: "Ugh!" Alright. It was time to set his catch free. It was also time to splash the fuck out of him and ruin that already tussled green hair.

Cameron: "Ah!" Cam caught himself as he was suddenly released, and he laughed as he was showered with water in return. "Aw 'cmon!' he cried playfully and disappeared under the water. He grabbed at Q's ankles and tried to cause him to lose his footing.

Q: Q was brought to his knees with relative ease. Instinctively, he leaned himself back to float.

"That's low," he laughed. "Trying to fucking drown me?" Not a hint of actual outrage in his voice.

Cameron: Cam popped back up out of the water with a grin on his face, and he tugged Q into the position he'd held Cam only moments before.

"I'd never try to do that," he kissed Q's stomach and gently spun him in the water. "So- you got any dreams? Things you wanna do?"

Q: Arms fanned out and eyes closed. About as relaxed as he could possibly be in his position.

"I haven't thought that far ahead. I like where I'm at in life. When I'm tired of it I'll move on. Probably literally."

Cameron: "Like, move away?" Cam asked with a small pout.

Q: "Yeah. One day. This place has a way of pulling people in, but I still want to see more."

Cameron: "Where would you go?" he smiles.

Q: "I'm thinking Miami," he grinned.

Cameron: "Oh- I was expecting some place further!" Cam laughed.

Q: "Miami is far!" he laughed. "I don't want LA. Cilantro tastes like soap."

Cameron: "Can't you get Cilantro like... anywhere?" he grins. "And I was expecting like- travel to other countries!"

Q: "Of course! But I don't want where I call home to be another country."

Cameron: "That's valid," he nods.

Q: "Have you ever been to Hawaii?"

Cameron: Cam shook his head. "No, but I've always wanted to."

Q: "You should. Hands down the most beautiful state I've ever been in. Controversially, I also liked Utah."

Cameron: "Those are two COMPLETELY different places!"

Q: "I know! I'm well aware!" he laughed. "But I never felt so small as I did in Utah. It was humbling."

Cameron: Cam chuckled and spun Q around again. "I'll have to find someone to go with me then."

Q: "Is that your way of inviting me? Because I'll do it."

Cameron: "If you wanna," he grinned.

Q: "It's been a day," he laughed.

Cameron: "Hey, it's nothin' serious!" Cam laughed in return. "Just two buddies going on a road trip. I haven't been on a road trip with just a friend in ages.... so maybe Hawaii isn't quite a road trip- but Utah could be!"

Cameron: Cam's smile softened. "I know it's only been a day... you just make it easy to be comfortable. 'M sorry."

Q: Long hands reached out to caress his new friend's stomach. "Shut up, I'm teasing! I know what you mean. That's why I said it. You're easy to talk to."

Cameron: "Likewise...." he smiled and pressed into the touch. His hands squeezed Q's hips. "It's nice... talking to someone who doesn't know all of... the garbage I think about myself..." he chuckled. "It's nice that I can just talk to you and not feel judged..."

Q: "That's the best part about brand new relationships, isn't it? The discovery of it all. A new slate. You can be anyone." He closed his eyes again. "I'd rather know you, though."

Cameron: "I don't try to be anyone but me..." Cam smiled, "and I could say the same for you. I'd rather know who you really are, than someone you're just trying to be." he leaned down to kiss along Q's stomach and up to his chest.

Q: "You already know more than 96% of the people in this town," he smiled. The more Cameron tried to kiss, the more his body sank into the water, which had him laughing. "Do you wanna just make out on the shore? I'm fine with that."

Cameron: "Mmmm, not with those kids around." Cam smirked and straightened up so Q was no longer sinking into the water. "Can't promise I won't get too handsy if we start doing that."

Q: "They're way around the bend we're fine." He pointed towards the shore with purpose. "I want the other kind of promise. Promise you'll get handsy."

Cameron: "That's a promise I can definitely make," Cam smirked and began to wade towards the shore. He placed a couple kisses along Q's shoulder and up along his neck.

Q: Q (quite reluctantly) got to his feet. His reward would be the promise of those lips. He would walk forward and send Cameron backward towards the grass and mud-covered shore.

Cameron: Cam let the change in positions happen, making sure to touch and kiss playfully and squeeze whatever parts of Q he could reach. He promised to get handsy. A full grope of Q's ass, drawing him close as they moved was a start. A hand on his thigh, sliding up his back, a kiss to his neck - and then Cam found himself on his back in the grass and he grinned up at Q.

Q: Q would follow Cameron's lead, pliable and eager for affection, chasing those lips with every step towards the grassy area, until all that was left was to straddle his thighs.

Adjectives were tricky. Most men fell under the umbrella of handsome, rarely branching out towards pretty or sexy. Massaging Cameron's chest, admiring his experienced skin and wild green hair, he decided sexy belonged to him. Not just a physical body, but the mentality of sexy.

"Get on your elbows," he grinned.

Cameron: Q had an appeal to him that difficult to describe, like a draw with an intensity that Cam had little say in, yet was more than happy to fall into. He was alluring, in a way that made Cam feel safe and comfortable- so as Q began to massage his chest, one littered with scars and marks- some more surgical than accidental and something that occasionally made Cam feel self-conscious when given attention- he didn't feel anything other than appreciation.

Carefully Cam shifted, rocking his hips slightly up into Q's with a wink as he did as request and propped himself up on his elbows.

"How's this?" he asked and wiggled his eyebrows up at Q.

Q: "Perfect," Q practically purred. He leaned in and offered kisses with loose eager lips, leaving a wet trail from chin to jaw to neck. What amazing skin. What a beautiful taste, and to be so close to hear every noise in his ear like a secret.

Cameron: Cam accepted each kiss eagerly, his breath shuddering as Q's lips moved down his jaw and to his neck. He lifted a hand from the grass to slide up Q's back, trailing a slow line up Q's spine and drawing him closer.

Q: "Promise to tell me what you like? If I'm being too much?" Q bite gently on a bit of flesh and returned to those lips.

Cameron: "I promise," Cam nodded, and a new shiver arched up his spine as Q gently bit down. "I like this...." His pant was lost to Q's lips, and his fingers curled, raking his nails over Q's skin, down his back. "Promise you'll do the same?"

Q: "Of course." He doubted very seriously that there was anything Cameron could do to disappoint or upset him.

"Want more?" A warm hand slid from his throat, over his chest, down his stomach to rest on Cameron's thigh. "Just tell me."

 Cameron: "Yes," Cam nodded, his body arching slightly into Q's touch. "I want more," he smirked, and the hand against Q's back slid down to give his rear a playful squeeze.

 Q: "More, and more, and more," he grinned. Then his kisses would continue south, lingering around his navel and strong hip. What a gorgeous scent, his arousal, so forward and inviting.

Cameron's reaction was studied as Q reached in, taking a light hold of the tip.

"Keep your eyes on me." Watch, as I take you in my mouth.

 Cameron: Cam's arousal against his suit was obvious by the time Q's fingers took hold of him, and a shudder ran through him at Q's command. He licked his lips and nodded; his eyes glued to Q as if caught in a trance.

The other man was gorgeous, and the thought of the heat of Q's mouth around him alone was enough to make him ache with want.

 Q: That heat was like a welcome home, the way Q wanted him to feel. He sucked with purpose, head sinking further into Cameron's lap until wet curls tickled his lover's stomach.

 Cameron: Cam's entire body seemed to melt the further Q took Cam into his mouth. It was an oddly comforting wave of pleasure that made Cam moan and ease back into the grass, and his fingers curled into the same damp curls that grazed his skin. "Q..." Was all Cam could pant in approval, words momentarily lost as every coherent thought seemed to scatter from his mind.

 Q: "Mm-hmm." Slow vibration for his cock. His mouth kept to purpose as he tugged away clinging wet clothes, ready to expose this beautiful body to the world, ready to feast his gaze.

 Cameron: "A-ah... Gods..." Cam mewled as his length throbbed and began to leak with need. The slight vibration made his hips twitch, and he shifted slightly to help Q's efforts to remove the damp suit still clinging to him. He tried to keep his eyes on Q, watching the way his lips seemed to line perfectly around his cock. Part of him worried his voice might travel over the water, the rest if him decided it was unlikely, or likely that he didn't care.

 Q: Q finally sat up as Cameron's clothes trapped his ankles. What a look. What a beautiful man. He was curious if the downstairs matched. If his subtle happy trail was indeed green as well.

His hand replaced his swollen lips.

"You're so fucking hot," he smiled.

 Cameron: "Fuck- so are you...." Cam groaned as Q replaced his lips with his hand. The carpets did match the drapes, , where the hair of his happy trail seemed to almost mix together. His hips rocked slowly up into Q's hand, and his own hands found Q's hips and groped slightly. They tugged Q towards him and it was his turn to tug Q's suit down, wanting to reach as much of Q as he was exposed himself.

 Q: If he could just stay here until sunset, watching the way his hips danced to his own rhythm. Q fell forward to capture those lips, allowing Cameron the room needed to shed what little clothes remained between them. No one was coming this way; he was keeping an ear out for the crunch of grass and murmured voices.

"I know what I wanna see." Their dicks together, held in a single hand, tip squeezed against the other.

 Cameron: Cam's hands trailed over Q's newly exposed skin, admiring the way Q felt against his own now that no clothing separated them. He groaned into Q's mouth as their lips connected, and his hips bucked up was Q squeezed them together, making Cam shudder.

"Q..." Cam's voice panted in warning as his fingers dug into Q's hips as if trying to draw him closer. Q's voice added to the pleasure pulsing like hot coals between his hips, and the tension spiked as he locked eyes with the gorgeous man above him. "Q- fuck- I'm going- gonna cum if you keep that up...." Cam managed to gasp between fevered kisses. His lips moved to Q's chin to trail kisses down his jaw, his breath hot and ragged as he struggled to hold himself back.

 Q: Effort was made to keep his smile to himself. "Don't ya dare," he whispered. He gave as much as Cameron offered, nipping at his tongue, sucking his bottom lip swollen. "You hold until you can't anymore." He would pump them in time, squeeze their wet flushed tips, circle his thumb over each. He was having an absolute blast.

Q had to dig deep to adhere to his own rule.

 Cameron: "F-fuck me-" Cam mewled, and his fingers drug angry red lines into Q's thighs as he struggled with the swell of pleasure begging him to finish right there. He desperately wanted to let go, to feel the swell of his orgasm and the sweet release that followed, but his desire to follow Q's orders stirred something deep in his chest, a part of him that just wanted to be praised.

"Q- fu- ahHH- ngh- I can't- I can't-" but he did, and his body trembled as he held off, edging himself along that fine line in a way that made him feel like each second lasted forever. His mouth felt open in a silent gasp as Q's thumb circled his head, and he struggled again to keep himself in check.

Q: "No." He smiled, laughed breathlessly between their mouths. "You're not getting fucked," whispered Q. "Maybe tonight. Maybe in the car, or on the car, in my bed, in the shower, but not right now."

Cameron: Cam had no idea how he managed not to finish in that moment. Just the idea of being fucked by, or getting to fuck, Q in any form later was enough to make him cry out, which he barely muffled with a desperate, sloppy kiss. When he finally pulled back he gasped for air and tears lined his eyes as every sensation verged on painful. His thoughts reeled as his grip spasmed on Q's thighs. There was no way he could take any more of this!

"Oh please- Q!" he begged, he was so close to finishing he was sure he couldn't hold out any longer, he just wanted permission. He wanted to be told he could, and the release that followed... He just had to hold out a little more

Q: "Cum for me, baby. Get me fuckin' dirty with it." Just hearing Cameron's whining and whimpering was enough to finish him, but his lover had to enjoy himself first. Given the past five minutes, he certainly fucking deserved it.

And with the first spurt of hot white, Q slipped down his body to take him into his mouth, swallow what remained and feel the writhe of his hips underneath his long fingers and hot palms.

Cameron: Cam's hand clamped over his mouth, leaving Q's thigh only to muffle the sound of relief that bust from his lips. They might be too far away to be heard, but a shout could easily carry across the water.

As Cam finally came undone, his hips jerked and his body arched, wrung tight and trembling from head to toe with pleasure. Q's mouth on him earned another soft cry as his body released spurts of his desire between Q's lips, and it wasn't until Cam sank slowly back against the damp grass that the world began to return and refocus. He stared dazedly up at a few passing clouds before looking down at Q with a smirk, his eyes glazed over.

"That was... somethin' else."

Q: Q smiled, resting his chin on Cameron's stomach. There was nothing more fulfilling with a partner than seeing them satisfied. This man harbored a deeply set and untapped desire, but this would suffice. For now.

"You're something else. You're beautiful."

Cameron: Cam propped himself up on an elbow and gave Q a lopsided smirk. "If I wasn't flushed already I'd be blushin'. I'm not that great," he replied with an appreciative hum, and he reached down to run careful fingers through Q's damp hair.

"You're the one who is something else, fuck that was fun!" He laughed and tilted his head as his wandering fingers found Q's lips. "I think you should lie back 'n let me take care of you now."

Q: "I see that blush. It's right there." Two fingers lightly brushed over Cameron's cheek. "N'it's fuckin' beautiful, like the rest of you."

Lips made a bee line from one side of his chest to the other. "You want me on my back? Splayed out?"

Cameron: Cam nipped playfully at those fingers in response.

"Yeah, lay back, but I want your legs here," Cam smirked as he motioned towards his shoulders. He shifted to kneel in the grass and lean towards Q with a wink. "I wanna be between those gorgeous thighs."

Q: "Your shoulders?" he grinned. So, he would splay in the moist grass, arms over head. A long stretch bowed his spine, before falling back to the ground.

"Take me like one of your French girls, baby."

Cameron: "What can I say? I really wanna get in there," Cam smirked and licked his swollen lips as he watched Q splayed out over the grass. Slowly he trailed his fingers up Q's legs, trailing the line of his thighs before spreading them apart, and easing easily between them. Kisses trailed their way up the inner parts of Q's thighs, from knee to the crease of his hip, before Cam tongued a slow, playful line along he base of Q's cock. He watched Q as he did so, keeping his eyes on Q's expression as he hooked one of Q's legs over his shoulder.

Q: Eyes would never leave him. Showing despite the silence that this was exactly where he wanted to be, and his leg a warm weight on Cameron's shoulder was exactly what he wanted.

Have me. Enjoy yourself. I'm all for you.

"Oh." And what a lovely pink tongue. What an inviting mouth. He throbbed with encouragement there, too.

"Gimmie your mouth, baby."

Cameron: "God damn... you are gorgeous," Cam hummed, a hint of awe in his voice as he was entranced by the sight before him. Beautiful, and Cam was desperate to know what his orgasm would look and sound like.

Slowly, Cam tongued the head of Q's length between his lips and sank down, taking Q's length inch by inch until his nose met Q's happy trail. He focused there, swallowing so his throat tightened around Q's head before he pulled back, tongue searching for a spot that might be particularly sensitive.

Q: Long almost boney fingers disappeared into thick green hair. He would have his fun with that eager mouth and tongue, rolling his hips towards his throat. Just as eager and curious to see whether or not he would swallow or spit or dribble.

The back of Cameron's throat was enough to make a man groan and gasp, uttering his name with absolute abandon. Because why not? Cameron wanted to hear this, and who was he but a generous lover?

"Your mouth or your face?"

Cameron: Cam was sure by sounds alone he'd be able to get hard once again. His name on those lips, the roll of Q's hips, the curl of fingers in his hair- Cam groaned and relaxed his throat, taking Q in just a little further.

He loved giving head for more reasons than one, but a responsive partner like Q enhanced something he already enjoyed. Just hearing his name in such a way sent shivers down Cam's spine, and the slow ache of his jaw was a comfort as his head bobbed up and down Q's length.

In response to Q's question, Cam's grip on Q's hips tightened and he hummed. He wanted to taste Q, to feel his orgasm against his tongue and the heat of his cum down his throat as he finished.

Q: He could feel his nearing peak like the visceral churning. Muscles contracted to the point of ache. Every ounce of power condensed through his stomach and between his legs. His head swam in the moment and his body froze as thick bitter warmth coated Cameron's mouth and throat.

"Ungh. Fuck. Fuuuck."

Suddenly he was sitting up. Make this moment strenuous and memorable. Cameron's head was hugged to his crotch. Another roll of his hips. Another utterance of his name, like a loving whisper.

"I fucking love your mouth."

Cameron: Q was absolutely gorgeous as he came, a sight as entrancing as the sounds that poured from his lips, and Cam swallowed his bitter heat with ease. What he wasn't expecting was the sudden shift, the abrupt press to the back of his head, driving him onto Q's cock as his hips rolled up to meet him. Cam's jaw stretched and his throat ached as Q's cock was pushed that much further, making his head spin as Q said his name in a way that nearly had him hard once again.

He groaned and savored the twinge of pain, the sell of desire as his hands gripped Q's hips, trying to draw him even closer until the last pulses of Q's cock subsided against his tongue. Only then did he pull back, a single strand of saliva following his lips as he straightened, and he gave Q the dazed smile of a man who had just enjoyed himself very, very much. There was a buzz thrumming beneath his skin, a warmth that made him feel like he was floating, and he leaned up to give Q a slow, sloppy kiss.

"I fucking- love you cock," he hummed and pressed his forehead against Q's shoulder as he tried to catch his breath. "And I like you. That was... very fun."

Q: That was when intuition paid off. His sudden act of dominance an inkling with perfectly beautiful reward of that smile, that drunken bliss in Cameron's eyes which was worth its weight in cum. Gold was probably a better idiom.

Cameron's face was cradled by tired hands. His tongue offered for that sloppy kiss.

"I'm really fucking glad to hear it." He laughed. "Can I have you again tonight? And in the morning?" He collapsed back into the wet grass, grabbing him by his shoulders to take with.

Cameron: Cam laughed as he was pulled into the grass, and he lay over Q for a moment before shifting onto his elbows to look down at the other. "You definitely can," he grinned. "And once more in between if you want." He sighed and eased onto his side so he could rest against Q and still turn his head to look up at the blue sky above them. "You uh- said there was a party thing you wanted to take me to, yeah? A thing for a friend?"

Q: And all without being caught. No one was the wiser. He closed his eyes and existed in the purity of their temporary high.

"Mhm. A going away party for a friend's cousin or something. An excuse to drink in excess. There's that, or we can go to Raleigh. Always something to do there."

Cameron: "Honestly, I'm down for whatever you had planned," Cam basked in the warmth of their slowly fading high. "I'm plenty good at excessive drinking, but I can't promise I won't get handsy at the party because of it," he flashed Q a cheeky grin.

Q: "Mm," he chuckled. "Promise the opposite. Make it a party they'll never forget."

Cameron: A smirk followed and Cam propped himself up on his elbow.

"Oh, that's a promise I can definitely keep!" he gave Q a playful kiss before arching his body into a stretch. "I am always up for creating a scene."

Q: "We'll create a scene there or Ral. I don't care about that."

Fingers traveled up Cameron's stomach, ribs, and back down.

"More swim?"

Cameron: Cam chuckled and arched into Q's touch with a shiver. His own fingers drifted over the line of Q's hip. "Sure. Did you uh- see where I tossed my suit?" He grinned and glanced over his shoulder.

Q: He gestured vaguely behind his lover. "Somewhere," he laughed. "Just swim naked. I'll suck you underwater."

Cameron: "Fuckin Christ," Cam grinned, "how long can you hold your breath?" A few chaste kisses later and he slipped back into the water with a stretch. His back arched as his arms reached towards the sky, and with a content sigh he dropped his them back down to his sides.

He glanced down at the water and for a moment Cam froze as the pink of his scars, the surgically straight lines that followed the lengths of his arms, legs, and abdomen caught him off guard. Most of the time he forgot they were there; he never spent too much time looking at himself naked in the mirror, long sleeves were a constant, and any time he was completely naked it was usually in a dark room with a one-night-stand. They were easy to ignore in those instances.

Unfortunately, being completely naked in the early afternoon sun made them hard to miss among the more seemingly random and older scars. Then the moment was gone, and Cam blinked. He forced his gaze upwards so he could turn back to Q with a smirk.

"I think your adorable ass needs to join me so I can kiss you again.”

Q: For that brief moment the silence was palpable. He could plainly see what had taken his attention. In the heat of the moment, it hadn't seemed so encompassing. Seemed he was mistaken. Seemed another reason for the way in which Cameron dressed.

He smiled, stretched on his side for a better view.

"I can hold just about a minute. Minute and a half, I think. Now that I think about it, I like the view over here. Raise your arms up. Lemme see you."

Cameron: Cam pushed down any thought of the scar along this spine. He wasn't about to sour this experience with something so... pointless.

"Damn, I don't think I could go that long. I've never tried or tested my lung capacity but..." He chuckled and winked as he flashed Q his most charming smile at the request. "Yeah? Liking what you see?" It wasn't like Q had been admiring him and showering him with compliments this whole time.

With another stretch Cam's arms reached for the sky, his fingers folded together, and when he relaxed, they rested casually behind his head. "How's this?"

Q: "Ah." He pretended to take a picture. "You know art?" He laughed. "You're art." That body was not an empty gift of genetics. Dedicated work had created that masterpiece. Intact despite scars as blatant history of attempt on his being.

Q rolled onto his knees and then his feet. Cam was soon joined, arms around his ribs.

"Hey."

Q: Nothing left to say when he would much rather offer his lips. The silence was for memory. The sound of the river and Cameron's breathing. His warmth against his sun-soaked skin. He felt rejuvenated and it was Cameron to thank.

"I'm only full of honesty," he finally said, smiling.

Cameron: Falling into those offered lips was easy, and Cam cupped the back of Q's neck as he returned a gentle kiss. He felt good, free in a way he hadn't in a long time.

"I hope you're okay with being full of something else later," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and flashed Q a lopsided grin.

Q: "Oh!" He laughed. "You want to fill me up, do you? We'll have to see about that. Maybe we should call this a day and head back."

Cameron: "I mean, I'm obviously fine with the reverse but- I'm just sayin'..." Cam gave Q a playful squeeze and his grin softened. He nodded to Q's suggestion and released him so Cam could wade to shore for their suits. When he returned to Q he offered him his suit and shimmied into his own.

Q: It was an argument with his clothes to redress, which still took less than a minute before freeing a hand to slap Cameron's ass.

"And no one will ever know," he laughed.

Cameron: "Oi-" Cam spun around at the slap, and flashed Q a mischievous grin.

"No one will ever know, what?" Cam asked as he tugged on the last of his clothes and stated to stalk towards Q.

Q: "That just here in this water, they missed out on hearing the most gorgeous orgasm of their lives."

Cameron: "Mmmm... would you like that? Letting others listen?" Cam grinned as he suddenly rushed Q. He ducked down so he could place his shoulder against Q's hips and sling the other man over his shoulder in one easy motion. Another little shift to balance, and Cam started to carry Q back towards the vehicle with a playful squeeze to his ass.

Q: "Listen, participate, wa - aaatch!"

Long fingers clung to Cameron's shirt. He could just about reach for the goods, but laughter got the better of him.

"Does any of that interest you? Do you like when someone watches?"

Cameron: Cam smiled wide at Q's laughter, pleased with himself and his choices.

"Hmm..." he tilted his head to rest it against Q as he contemplated the idea. "I don't think I'd be opposed, actually," He shrugged his Q-free shoulder. "I think it'd be fun to have someone watch as I get fucked..." he paused and shrugged again. "Actually, having someone watch, listen, do a variant of those things and participate- in whatever position- I think it could be fun! I wouldn't really know what I liked exactly until I tried it, I think."

Q: Q's thoughts immediately went to Tane Lukela. He smiled to himself.

"I might have someone, if you're interested. In the future, I mean. Tonight your ass is mine." Or maybe the other way around, seeing as he was the one being carried off, startling the family still nearby his Tracker.

Cameron: "Oh, I'm definitely interested, and I'll definitely hold you to that."

Cam gave the startled little family his most charming smile, and a pleasant wave as he passed. He only set Q back to his feet when he reached the driver's side of his Tracker, and once Cam straightened up, he leaned casually against the side of the vehicle.

"So...." he started, and a cheeky grin flashed over his lips as he gave Q a lazy once-over. "You come here often?"

Q: Cameron's chin was given a gentle brush of quick fingers. What a sweet face. What gorgeous lips and soft eyes. Not a typical train of thought of men.

"Get in the car, bitch," he laughed.

Cameron: "Yes sir!" Cam's grin continued as he stole a quick kiss from Q, and then he did as he was told and crossed over to the other side of the car. With a little hop he eased into the passenger side, and grinned over at Q as he buckled himself in.

Q: Q backed out and onto the road. A hand came to rest on Cameron's knee, squeezing, sliding up to his thigh and over his stomach.

"This alright?"

Cameron: Cam smiled at the touch, and his own hand trailed up Q's arm to rest his hand at Q's elbow. His thumb traced small circles into Q's arm.

"Of course."

Q: "When was the last time you came?"

Cameron: "Before that mind-blowing blow job on the beach just now?"

Q: "Mhm. How long has it been?"

Cameron: "Hmm... Honestly, a few weeks."

Cameron: "I've gotten a little too used to one-night stands."

Q: "The idea of seeing me tomorrow put you off?"

Cameron: Cam shook his head and smiled. "Absolutely not. Just cause I've gotten used to 'em, doesn't mean they're all I do. What did you have in mind?"

Q: "I don't have anything in mind."

Cameron: "Just wanna see me again?" He flashed Q a cheeky smirk.

Q: "Yeah! Of course. Who wouldn't want more of you?" said Q with a grin.

Cameron: Cam smiled at that and gave Q's arm a squeeze. "Alright, you play any video games at all?" He paused as another question struck him. "Why'd you ask when my last orgasm was?"

Q: Q bit his lip and felt between them for a stick of cherry flavored chewing gum. "Just curious." He wanted to gauge how much intimacy he needed to devote to this relationship. Just an afternoon with him, and he felt he had everything he needed. This man was in need of something more than sex. In many ways, he reminded him of Luke. He wondered for a moment if they would make a good pairing.

Cameron's hand was brought to his mouth, finger placed on his tongue.

Cameron: "Just curious?" Cam felt a little skeptical, and his eyebrow rose curiously as he debated asking Q what was on his mind. The desire to ask didn't last long though, as he was quickly distracted by his finger pressed to the warm, wet heat of Q's tongue.

"I was going to ask if you wanted if you wanted to come to my place tomorrow... but you seem a little busy..." Cam smirked, and made no move to pull his finger away.

Q: Q just hummed, sucking on his index finger at his leisure.

"Hmm?" he laughed.

Cameron: Cam felt a warm heat stir again in his stomach as Q sucked on his finger, and he laughed with Q at his response.

"If you want to see me tomorrow, come to my place. We can just hang out, fuck around- whatever. I haven't had a friend over in ages- if I can call you that by the second hang-out of course." He still did not remove his finger, too entranced by the curve of Q's lips to do much else.

Q: Ah. This required removing his finger. What a shame.

"What's your place?" Cameron's finger was moved to trace the outline of his lips. "Yeah. We're friends. I think we're more than friends."

Cameron: "I have a nice apartment. And a dog, Zeus," Cam's finger followed the line of Q's lips, and his thumb trailed down Q's jaw.

"Yeah?" Cam grinned. "I can't say I've got many of those."

Q: "What made you choose this town, anyway? You don't quite...fit."

Q glanced his way and back to the road. "No? Don't make sense to me."

Cameron: Cam blinked as he realized he'd been referring to his apartment in New York. A sheepish smile eased over his lips. He let his hand fall down to Q's thigh.

"Sorry- I actually have a nice little house I bought in this area, but I have a few other places I live as well. There's a house in New Orleans a friend basically gave me, and I keep an apartment in New York for... different reasons."

He tiled his head and looked towards the road.

"I might've 0misspoken about the 'more than friends' too. I have some pretty important people in my life who are more than friends. They're just not people I'd necessarily have sex with, currently. You're special- in that regard." He smirked slightly and gave Q's thigh a squeeze.

Q: "Are you made of money?" Q laughed. "Three houses! That's two more than me!" Not that he couldn't afford something else, or even something bigger than his 400 square foot apartment. The reality was, he was happy. He loved his tiny apartment. Less money on space and more on experiences. An advocate of minimalism and exploration. This belief coming from a man giving Gucci presents every Christmas.

"I like being special. I'll be your special."

Cameron: Cam laughed.

"No, I just... keep a few small places. Two are houses, the one in New Orleans I barely even pay for, and the one in New York is an apartment- a place to crash when I visit. It's the first home I had after I left home. I can keep what I do pay for because I uh.... made some really good investments when I was 20. I have a really smart friend.

I could probably get rid of the apartment in New York, save myself some money, but... It's a little piece of my past I don't want to let go of."

He smiled and gave Q's thigh another squeeze.

"I think I'd like that."

Q: "I can understand that. I wanna say I can, anyway. Wanting to hold onto something special from memory." Q tapped at the tattoo on his chest. Everyone had something. Some method of cope.

"What else would you like?" he smiled.

Cameron: "Can I ask what that means?" Cam asked as Q gestured to the tattoo. "No worries if not, just curious." He had his own, now mangled, tattoo across his hip. Perhaps it was about time he considered a new one, or getting the one on his hip redone over the scar tissue.

"Mmmm I'm up for whatever babe, you've already shown me one hell of a day, I'm just excited that the day isn't over!" he laughed and gave Q's thigh a squeeze.

Q: "It's a name. My first puppy love. It's a memory now, and a lesson. Let's say my good investment in my 20s," he smiled again, something fonder and less elated.

"Excited?" That meant something. A day swimming in the local river was such a treat. That he wanted more of his company. He felt a sympathetic pang and he couldn't pinpoint the exact cause.

"A night in bed with a creature feature and pizza?"

Cameron: Cam wanted to ask more, but that could be saved for another day.

"Gonna skip your friend's party for a night in with me? I'm flattered," Cam flashed a grin what was clearly not opposed to this turn of events.

"Sounds like a night I"m here for. What movie are you thinkin?"

Q: "Well, I mean, which would you rather?" he laughed. "And I dunno, depends on your answer."

Cameron: "I mean, you did just suggest a night of the two of us alone, eating pizza and watching movies, it's pretty tempting if you ask me. I dunno how obligated you were to make an appearance at that party?"

Q: "Mmm... not obligated enough that I can't make an excuse. But that's the thing. The world is your oyster. Extroverted evening or introverted."

Cameron: "Mmmm.... I say introverted night. Now what movie were you thinkin' of?"

Q: "To answer that, you should know what my favorite movie is," he laughed.

Cameron: "Alright, hit me with it."

Q: "Gremlins."

Cameron: Cam stared at him.

Q: "I feel your judgement."

Cameron: Cam narrowed his eyes, just a little.

Cameron: "Why?"

Q: "One of the first movies I ever saw, I guess. I love creature features."

Cameron: After a pause Cam nodded in understanding. "Okay, okay. I can get behind that. I think I just didn't see it at the right age for it to hit me the same way. But- I love me some good 80s films too..."

Cam smirked.

"Alight, I'll watch Gremlins with you on one condition. If I watch Gremlins with you, you have to watch Lost Boys or- or-and?- From Dusk Till Dawn- with me. Alternatively, we need to make 'creature feature night' a regular thing."

Q: "What, when did you see it?"

The next stop sign was an opportunity to stretch and sigh.

"Lost Boys? Oh! Fuck yeah. Yes to all. It'll be our 80s night. What is your opinion on just underwear?"

Cameron: "Hmmmm... I think it was in high school when I saw it? I've only seen it that one time, and it's been- literal years since I've seen it."

He grinned and gave Q's thigh a squeeze as he stretched.

"You're reading my mind."

Q: His driver laughed again. A brief sound accompanying his smile. "I think we're horny, tired, and hungry."

Another turn, and into the small parking lot of his apartment complex. The solar panel covered carport awning was immediate cooling shade.

"I am ready to get naked. Mostly naked. Maybe naked."

Cameron: "You are correct, and both- both is good," Cam chuckled, and he fished his phone out of his pocket. "I got the food covered. What kinda pizza do you like?"

Q: "Hawaiian, or barbeque chicken. Fuck, both sound good."

The apartment was probably not what Cameron expected; few people did. Q stepped into the large walk-in closet to the right of the small hallway, began to strip before the door had finished closing.

Cameron: "I refuse to eat pineapple on pizza- because I love myself- but barbeque I can get behind." Cam placed an order for two pizzas as he followed Q into his apartment. "You want anything to drink?"

When they entered the apartment, Cam wasn't sure what he expected, but it certainly wasn't Q's apartment.

It was far smaller than he imagined, but in a way, it was perfect. It wasn't like Cam's living spaces, which always felt empty and like he was struggling to fill it. Everything here filled up the spaces of the apartment perfectly and intentionally, and the whole place felt.... comfortable. Cam moved further into the apartment and his duffel bag around the corner, onto which he began to discard his clothes as he shed them.

Q: The little apartment carried the scent of fresh linen and citrus spice. A hint of vanilla. His usual cologne. A large blue glass bottle still sitting on one of the bedside tables. Very little seemed out of place; intentional with such tight living quarters.

Q emerged from the closet in clean black boxer briefs. His hair in a mess of a ponytail.

"They got Red Bull, or...?"

Cameron: "Two Red Bulls, comin' up." Cam confirmed, and with a press of his finger, the deal was sealed.

"Should be here in about..... 45 minutes."

Cam took the next moment to switch into the clean set of boxer briefs he'd brought, a bright green pair with dark green patterns woven into it, and then he turned to admire his companion.

"So, shall we start Gremlins, or wait until after the pizza gets here?"

Q: Mutual admiration to say the least. Q was practically eating his guest from head to toe.

"Let's start it. TV's by the bed. Got a laptop, too, if you want the couch."

Cameron: "With that look, I think the bed'll suit us just fine." Cam teased, and reached for Q's hand to tug him in the direction of the bed. It didn't take Cam long to figure out how to get the movie started with Q's instructions, and once the movie was ready to play Cam returned to Q to collapse on the bed with a sigh. "My work here is done. You have to grab the pizza when it gets here."

Q: Q made a point to curl their pinkies. More adorable than sexy, but Cameron seemed the type to appreciate the teeter between.

"No more leavin' the bed. Put the remote over there." The pillows were punched and fluffed; Cameron pulled to his chest to play the role of little spoon.

"You got it, babe. We're not even leaving the bed for pizza."

Cameron: Cam smiled at the little gesture, and he gave Q's pinkie a squeeze with his own. He loved little touches like that, an appreciated the simplicity of it.

He set the remote down as instructed, and he nestled into the pillows, and his position as little spoon.

"How are we gonna get the pizza we ordered if one of us doesn't leave?"

Q: "Nanana. We're not leaving the bed once it's here. The box'll go over there n'we'll be lazy bitches."

Q could still smell the river in Cameron's hair. He quietly took a moment of indulgence to breathe him in.

Cameron: "Oh, well if that's the case, I actually love the sound of all of that," Cam hummed, and he leaned back into Q with a content sigh. "Up until the horny part of me doesn't want to be lazy anymore, that is," he smirked and reached back to give Q's thigh a playful squeeze.

Q: A soft gasp in his ear, followed by a quick kiss to his neck. Nothing too lingering. "How long does that take?"

Cameron: Cam shivered, and smiled as he felt the press of Q's lips.

"Hmm... I dunno. I might make it all the way through Gremlins, buuuttt I can't make any promises."

Q: "Don't make promises. Surprise me with your dick. When you want me to suck it, just whip it out."

Cameron: Cam laughed and smoothed his hand over Q's to give it a squeeze. "That easy huh? Just whip it out? But where's the romance in that? Where's the build up?"

Q: "There is a time and a place for romance." A playful bite to his neck. Another to his shoulder. "Should it be pizza day?"

Cameron: "Ah!" Cam laughed as he was bitten, and he wiggled slightly against Q. "Hmm... perhaps not. Pizza day does seem more of a day for playful fun."

Q: "I love the way you talk," Q chuckled.

Cameron: Cam smiled and shifted to lay on his back, so he could see the movie out of the corner of his eye as he looked at Q.

"Yeah? Why's that? Do I talk weird or something?"

Q: "Weird is the first place you went when I say love?"

Cameron: Can blushed. "Well- I dunno. It just... It's not a compliment I get often."

Q: "Your words don't match your wild face, baby."

Cameron: "It is true! It's just- sometimes takin' compliments is weird for me, it's fine." Cheeks still red, Cam shifted back onto his side to face the TV and return to his position as little spoon so he didn't have to meet Q's gaze.

Q: Q was watching just the same. For a moment longer at least. Wondering what was going on in that head. He barely knew the man. That wouldn't last. This man was so open and willing for affection. The secrets would come in time.

Cameron would begin feeling many tiny peppered kisses from temple to shoulder. Casual, slow, lingering.

Cameron: Cam could feel Q's eyes still on him, but he ignored it to focus on the movie. Or he tried, anyway. His focus wavered as he felt those lips, and a shiver ran through him as Q moved along his neck, down to his shoulder. Cam reached for Q's arm so Cam's fingers could trace down it and lace their fingers together and squeeze. Compliments, attention- these things asked Cam to be vulnerable, and he desired that more than he cared to admit. He missed it, and had taken up the habit of denying the need for it at all. It felt nice to be wanted, and he leaned back into those kisses with another shiver.

Q: Just as he'd suspected. It wasn't so obvious, those subtle hints in body language. The leaning, the gentleness of Cameron's expression. This wasn't a beg, or even a plead. This was an offering to give and take freely.

Not long before the doorbell chimed. Sensuality quickly replaced with a roguish raspberry into Cameron's neck before rolling off the bed.

Cameron: "Ah- h-hey!" Cam laughed and squirmed as Q blew his raspberry, and as he left the bed Cam gave Q's ass a playful swat in retaliation. Then he righted himself, choosing to sit cross-legged on the bed and lean back against the wall until Q's return.

Q: Not long before his return. Pizza box in hand. The small space quickly filled with barbecue chicken and cheddar cheese.

"Are you ready for a different kind of sex?"

Cameron: As Q approached, Cam patted the bed beside him. "The sex that is eating fresh pizza?" He asked with a grin.

Q: "Mhm. Barbecue n'cheddar. That's sex." The box was placed at the foot of the bed. Paper plates placed on the bedside table.

Cameron: "Honestly," Cam agreed, as he picked up a paper plate and claimed a few pieces of the pizza for himself. He settled so he could watch the movie, while still keeping a leg touching against Q.

Q: Extra pillows were brought from the closet to prop themselves. A slice of pizza for himself, and Cameron's leg nudged over his own.

"I miss Pop Rocks," he decided to lead with. "No one sells 'em around here."

Cameron: Cam nestled into the pillows and Q's side as they slowly worked through their pizza.  The movie was only half-paid attention to, and he mulled over an idea in his head at Q's little confession.

"What If I told you I could make you some. Right now?" He asked with a smirk, and he took a slow bite of his pizza to watch the other's reaction.

Q: "Did I just buy pizza for a molecular gastronomy major?" He didn't think anything of it. What was he to expect?

Cameron: Cam laughed and shook his head. Instead of explaining he decided to show, and reached out to tear a piece of cardboard off of the pizza box. "Nah, nothing like that," he chuckled and held out the piece in his hand, palm up. This was going to be a permanent transformation, so it took him a moment of concentration before a blinding green flash filled the room. When it faded the cardboard shifted, folding in on itself until it formed a little pile of green pop rocks. To prove they were safe to eat, Cam popped a few in his own mouth, and left his lips parted so the soft 'pops' from the candy could be heard.

Cam watched Q carefully as he did this, gauging his reaction and trying to stifle the internal panic in his own chest.

Cam had shown his powers to someone he thought could be a friend more than once, only to be vehemently rejected and tossed on his ass, and while he didn't think Q was the type, Cam had been wrong before. And if Q was- better to stop being friends now, for the sake of Cam's own heart.

Q: Q didn't know what he was expecting to happen in that moment. Not when the cardboard was torn. Not during the light. Not at any point did Cameron's actions truly register until the gentle popping of candy in his mouth. It was a dream, surely. Some kind of out-of-body experience, where this was both reality and some kind of psychotic break. Things like that didn't just happen. Not even a magician's act could explain the light and the materialization - or was that transformation? What terms could be used to even describe what he'd just witnessed?

This was what Leslie had talked about. Tried on a handful of occasions to explain magic, how real it could be. A source of constant teasing during their relationship. The world was mysterious enough in its own right. Make-believe was for those that couldn't face reality. Hell, it was his job. Leslie was one of those people that couldn't face the world for what it was. So what the fuck was this?

"I don't wanna know how you did that." That was it. That was all he could say. Trapped in a limbo state of denial; his ego staked too deeply to budge.

Cameron: Cam's smile faltered and faded at Q's reaction. He assumed this was Q's way of rejecting his mutation, and he stared quietly down at the pile of pop rocks in his hand.

He thought he'd been prepared for a reaction like that, but as it turned out, he wasn't. He liked Q's company, they'd had such a good day... and he'd managed to royally fuck it up. Like a lot of other things he'd come to enjoy.

"Oh...sorry..." he replied awkwardly, and he struggled to mask his disappointment. "I uh... can I throw this out if you...want me to go?" He asked, painfully aware of the uncomfortable tension in the air.

Q: Words. He could hear them, but comprehension just wasn't there. Not at first. He needed a moment. That moment might have been too long. The silence stretched too far, filled only with the background of chaos from Gremlins.

But finally, words were managed. "I don't want you to go..."

Cameron: Cam sat there in silence, waiting. He wouldn't let himself leave unless directly told too, or the silence stretched for an inordinate amount of time, he needed Q to say it. To be sure that's what was happening here. Just went he felt the anxiety induced by silence might finally be too much, Q spoke, and it deepened the crease in Cam's brow.

"I..." he started, a little confused. "I don't want to go either," he started slowly, and he finally spared a sideways glance at Q. "But... I don't understand. Most people... when they react like you do to my mutation, it means they want me to leave."

Q: "Let's just not talk about it. I don't wanna know. So let's...just...not." Whatever this was, whatever the hell this was, he couldn't throw Cameron out. Rash decisions were the drug of a memorable night; never intelligent anywhere else. So, the pizza box was closed and carefully placed on the floor. He turned to his side, gestured for Cameron to wrap around him from behind.

Cameron: Cam hesitated before he popped the remaining pop rocks into his mouth, with his question unanswered about throwing them out instead. He waited for the little pops in his mouth to subside and the candy to be dissolved, before he curled against Q's back with a hint of uncertainty. His arm wrapped around Q's waist, and his forehead pressed into the back of Q's neck as he stopped watching the movie, and listened to the other breathe instead.

He wasn’t sure why he felt...weirdly ashamed of having shown his powers. And it struck him that he hadn't felt this way in a long long time. He shut those thoughts out as he focused on Q's breathing, and trying to match it.

"Alright," he answered softly, and his hand smoothed over Q's stomach.

Q: Something about this was wrong. His mind and his body were not in sync as they usually were. So sure of most everything. Certain of his beliefs, of love, of his profession, of Tane and the bar and every single client. This was outside of his purview. More than that, far more concerning was his reaction. He knew it was wrong. He was wrong. He just couldn't understand why. Within himself was an impenetrable fog. The fog was worth fearing. That fog had seized his tongue.

Cameron's hand was taken, squeezed with flimsy strength.

Cameron: Cam squeezed gently back, and carefully laced his fingers with Q's.

"We don't have to talk about it," Cam said softy, unable to resist one final attempt at rectifying whatever he'd just done, "but... it's not bad. I'm not bad. I promise..." Without understanding what was happening in Q's head, this was the best he could offer, and he gave Q's hand another squeeze. "What can I do to make it better? Whatever... whatever you're thinking? What do you need?"

Q: "If I thought you were bad, you'd be gone." He knew that much with certainty. His hand was squeezed again. Better potency behind his action.

"Just be with me right now. That's all I need."

Cameron: "Okay," at least that reassured Cam. The guilt he felt subsided a little, and he nestled into Q's back with a sigh against his shoulder. His thumb drew gentle circles and lies over whatever part of Q's skin he could reach.

Q: With Cameron nestled against him, it was easy to get lost on the film. Pretend what had happened was simply imagined. He was even willing to laugh at his favorite scene.

"This movie freaks my brother out. He was really really little when he first saw it."

Cameron: Cam tried to follow suit and push past that misstep. He didn't watch much of the movie, he focused instead on Q and light touches, letting the contact soothe the insecurities that had reared their heads in the back of his mind.

"I mean- to a little kid those effects sure look real. I remember being creeped out when I saw it. I was pretty young then too."

Q: "He was way too young. Same for Child's Play. Was watching it with my friends. Didn't know he was hiding until he started crying."

Cameron: "Child's Play?" Cam asked with a tilt of his head, making him nuzzle into the back of Q's neck. "Your brother start crying?! What was it about?"

Q: "It's the Chucky movie!" he laughed, relaxed by Cameron's nearness.

Cameron: "Oh!!! Oh god, I hated that movie. I didn't watch the whole thing. I was too young too when watching it," Cam shuddered at the memory.

Q: "I think that's just a rite of passage for kids," he chuckled.

Cameron: "Well, it's a shit right of passage!" Cam huffed, and he gave Q's waist a playful squeeze.

Q: Cameron's arm was given similar treatment. This felt better. Whatever had happened must have been some kind of daydream.

"First movie you shouldn't have seen?"

Cameron: "The Boogeyman. The 2005 one. I was like 10 or 11 when I saw it, I think. Scared the shit out of me, and scarred me for life. Nail guns still make me nervous. You?" Cam tried to ignore the part of him that still wanted to press, the part of him that still felt a little wounded. It didn't have to be a big deal. It was fine.

Q: "I think it was also Child's Play, or IT. The original was so good, and fucking terrifying for Little Me." A moment of thought. "Yeah, I think it was IT. Or The Thing. My family did not give a fuck if a kid was in the room. Thought kids had the memory of a goldfish, I guess." Q chuckled.

Cameron: "Oof, well- I can attest. We do not. I don't remember those scenes in super vivid detail, but I remember enough to be permanently changed," Cam chuckled as well. "They have those ratings for a reason I guess."

Q: "Guess so. I don't think much of it." Every one of Cameron's fingers was slowly given a playful bite.

Cameron: Cam wiggled behind Q and laughed as he was bitten. He playfully tried to tug his fingers from Q. "Hey! I need those."

Q: "But they taste like pizza."

Cameron: "If you want more pizza, there's still left overs!" He lightly bit Q's shoulder and then leaned up to nip at his ear.

Q: Nips which would result in a subtle roll of his hip. "Fingers are better. Less calories." Not that that mattered at all to him. Far beside the point.

Cameron: Cam shivered at that and pressed a little closer to let his hips shift forward against that roll of Q's hips. "Fine, then I get a taste of yours-" with a twist of his wrist, Cam untangled their fingers, and brought Q's to his own lips with an easy press of his arm. Cam's tongue darted out, and he licked a slow, easy line up the length of Q's index finger, only to take both it, and his middle finger into his mouth with a languid tilt of his head.

Q: That was one surefire way of warming and firming Q's body in its entirety. Skin warm, sensitive, and cock swollen and needy. He rolled his hips again and groaned.

"Having fun over here?”

Cameron: "Mhmm..." Cam hummed around Q's fingers, letting his tongue twist and curl around the digits the deeper into his mouth he took them. It never took him long to get hard, not when his mouth was being put to use, and Cam rocked his hips forward to meet Q's, pressing his hardening shaft against the curve of his rear in a slow grind. Cam groaned, and he slowly pulled back after he reached the base of Q's fingers.

Q: Q brought himself up to his elbow for a better view, craning his head over his shoulder. That mouth was stunning. A perfect fit for tasting. HIs smile alone made him hard. He wanted it swollen with use.

Something else had put a smile on his face.

"You want my ass, baby?"

Cameron: "What're you grinning about?" Cam breathed out once Q's fingers were free of his lips. He gave Q's hip a squeeze. "I want you to fuck me- or-or I want you in my mouth- either way- I want you in me," he panted against Q's shoulder.

Q: "And neglect that dick you're pressing against my ass?" Was that maybe something Cameron was into? Huh.

"I'll put something in you. Might not be me. You can work your mouth."

Cameron: "Fuck," Cam groaned and buried his face into Q's shoulder. "You can do whatever, Q," he panted, "Getting to touch any part of you, and be touched by you- sounds fucking- fantastic right now."

Q: Q rolled himself over to face his sweet guest. Face grabbed by two demanding hands into a kiss. One to steal his breath, if only for a moment. One forcing labored breathing before parting.

"Get naked. Put your ass in the air for me."

Cameron: Cam leaned into the kiss, band his hands wandered up Q's sides. His fingers curled gently against Q's skin the longer his breath was stolen, and and just as he tensed, ready to try to resist those hands and pull away for air, Q released him. He gasped softly, and a heady feeling washed over him as air returned to his lungs.

"Yes sir!" Cam grinned, and it took no time to shimmy off his boxers. He shivered as cool air met his heated skin and hardened cock, and with a languid arch of his back he shifted to all fours.

"How's this for you?" Cam asked as he rested his head against the pillow and playfully winked over his shoulder at Q.

Q: "Beautiful, beautiful." An experimental squeeze and slap of a cheek. Firm from physical care, soft from youth. Delightfully eager, as he'd come to expect from his guest. He needed tender loving care, but a gratifying edging was just as important.

"I got just the thing." From the right drawer, a polished metal plug. Not too small; not too large. A fluffy spotted brown and white rabbit's tail.

"Tell me your thoughts on this inside you." Shown a hand's length from Cameron's mouth. "I think you should get it wet, while I get you wet."

Cameron: Cam shuddered as he was squeezed, and he groaned softly when he was slapped. The tingle across his skin sent a shiver up his spine, and he shifted so he could see what Q was up to. He couldn't identify what is was Q held till it was in front of him, and it earned another shiver.

To answer, Cam made a slow show of looking back towards Q as he leaned towards the plug, lips parted, and he ran his tongue along it's length. Then his lips closed around the plug, and he winked back at Q as his hips wiggled again. Those were his thoughts.

Q: "Fuckin' beautiful." His accent had slipped. A touch of Illinois on the tip of his tongue. He made his way around. Cameron would have to crane his chin to shoulder for a gander, if he wanted to watch any part of Q kissing and massaging his ass. Slipping a saliva lubricated middle finger inside.

"Is it ready, baby?"

Cameron: Cam leaned into Q's touch, and his breath hitched as Q slipped a finger inside of him. Naturally Cam pressed back, leaning into the other's finger to try and press even deeper, and he nodded to Q's question. "Fuck yeah," he breathed, his voice muffled from the plug between his lips, and he reached up with his free hand, the other curled tightly into the sheets below him, to pull the plug from his mouth and offer it back to Q.

Q: The little rabbit plug was taken with fingertips. He watched for Cameron's reaction while building the pressure. Adding each centimeter with determined leisure. And then it was gone. Well filled by every inch. Teeth and lips gave praise to his lover's ass and thighs.

"Good job. Now turn around and put my dick in your mouth."

Cameron: The pressure of the plug against him, spreading him open at such an agonizingly slow pace, had Cam's hard length dripping with anticipation. He arched to angle his hips back toward the promise of warm metal, and just as Cam was sure the stretch might me too much it was suddenly gone, earning a gasp from Cam as he was filled. He could feel it, the weight of the plug inside of him with each breath, now heavier as his cock throbbed with need. The teeth and lips made Cam's skin tingle, and he took a few slow breaths to regain the air he'd been withholding.

Another shudder at the praise, and Cam rose from his position just enough so he could face Q, as instructed. The shifting of the plug inside of him gave Cam pause, but only for a moment before he smirked up at Q, his eyes never breaking contact as he took the head of Q's cock between his lips. His tongue swirled, massaging against salted skin as his head sank slowly down Q's length.

Q: Seemed that praise was what Cameron really wanted. Just a bit of authority. He wasn't one to question kinks, and he wouldn't begin today. Instead continuing at his pace, giving softly-spoken, "Good boy," and, "Just like that," while stroking his messy green hair. And he was indeed good. A word too small; his tongue too warm and perfect for such an inadequate label.

Slowly, he leaned himself back. On his knees, hands resting on his ankles, body on display and eyes falling closed. He didn't want to move his hips yet, not to throw off Cameron's rhythm.

Cameron: Cam wasn't entirely aware of the way he responded to Q, until the phrase 'good boy' left Q's lips. Almost instantly Cam's skin flushed and his cock ached, dripping onto the sheets as his jaw relaxed and he took Q deeper into his mouth. Then he was hyper aware of those fingers in his hair, those soft words of encouragement, and the way the sound of Q's voice made something deep inside him ache with want. It was similar to how he'd reacted at the beach, only this time Cam wasn't worried about outside factors, like being discovered.

The mutant watched in awe as Q arched back in a beautiful display, and to quell his urge to touch himself, to jerk off just to this, Cam decided to touch Q instead. One hand left the sheets below to slide up Q's thigh and squeeze, and he used that little bit of leverage to sink down, all the way, deep-throating Q until he was buried to the hilt.

Q: The same thought from before, and said between kisses. This man was gorgeous. Their mutually compromising position solidified his belief. He could see a world of emotion behind those expressive green eyes. That eagerness to please and be pleased evoked something hot in his chest and between his legs. He wanted to keep praising. Say something provocative to elicit a moan, a whimper, something. He wanted - he needed to hear it.

"Fuck," Q breathed. "Fuck. Just like that, baby. Gimme your fucking mouth." He kept his hands to himself on purpose, rolling his hips instead to meet that inviting throat.

Cameron: A whimper escaped the back of Cam's throat as Q's hips rolled, pushing him just a bit further into Cam. He loved the stretch in his jaw and the weight of Q against his tongue, but Q's words urged him to move with a groan. Slowly, Cam drew his head back, and a moment later he sank back down, taking Q as deep into his throat as he had before. Slowly he built up a gradual rhythm, and the hand on Q's thigh slipped between his legs to cup his balls. He gently squeezed, and with each bob of his head Cam felt the plug inside him shift slightly, earning another groan as his grip tightened on Q's hip.

Q: "Keep your hands on me." Seemed an obvious command, but given just the same, in that gently authoritative voice. He didn't need to yell and spit to get his point across; he didn't yet know if that was also something of interest, but they had plenty of time. What he would do is squeeze and pull at beautiful green hair, holding his lover in place to fuck his mouth at his leisure. Moans loud enough for Cameron to hear. A gift in itself. This is what your mouth does to me. This is because of your tongue, your technique, your body.

"I'm gonna cum in your mouth," he breathed. "Do you want that, baby?"

Cameron: Cam's hands moved to Q's hips with that command, instinctively inclined to follow that authoritative tone.  Cam let his jaw relax as Q's fingers curled into his hair and held him, letting Q use him as he pleased. Soft moans left his lips as Q fucked his mouth, and Q's sounds alone made Cam throb with need. Then a loud, approving groan followed Q's question. Cam wanted to taste him, do feel Q's length pulse against his tongue, and he pressed forward, straining against Q's hand in his hair as if to ask for it.

Q: For a moment all Q could do was breathe. His hips were not his own to control, with Cameron's subtle permission they belonged to his lover, bucking and quivering as he coated tongue and throat warmly.

"Ahn, good boy. That's a good boy. Now kiss me."

Cameron: A moan curled at the back of Cam's throat as Q used his mouth, and then came undone against his tongue. He swallowed easily, and reluctantly pulled himself off of Q's cock as he nearly preened at the praise.

He looked up at the other, eyes glazed over, as he righted himself and his hands slid slowly up Q's sides. He refused to let go, for fear that he might try to touch the cock throbbing painfully between his legs.

He was hard, leaking precum, and he whimpered as the plug shifted inside of him again, this time sending a jolt through him that threatened to push him too close to his edge. He panted against Q's lips as he leaned in, and used his hands at Q's waist to pull him closer to a passionately sloppy kiss.

Q: Sloppy was just fine. Sloppy was sexy and reciprocated. Cameron was held firmly by the back of his head and neck. Fingers threatened to squeeze again, just because they could, understanding little by little what it was that made this man putty to his not-so-capricious whims.

Saliva linked their tongues for a moment before licking his lips. Now seemed the right moment.

"Stay." A firm command with eye contact. He waited a moment to test, before dropping onto his back, head between Cameron's legs.

"You're gonna fuck my mouth until ya cum. That lil bunny tail stays right where it is."

Cameron: Cam watched Q move in a daze, frozen by the command and entranced by every one of Q's movements. Once he stopped and Q settled between his legs, it was a wonder he didn't finish right there. His thighs quivered as he waited for further instruction, and a breathless pant huffed past his lips as Q gave him another command. Relief washed over him, and a soft 'please' slipped past his lips. He hovered there, holding himself above Q as he waited for his lips to part. He'd felt the heat of Q's lips once on him already that day, and the ache in his length gave way to his desperation to feel it again.

Q: Q had no intention to close his eyes. Mouth opened and inviting, tongue out and offering. Take as instructed, his eyes commanded. More than anything he was curious to see just how Cameron would lose himself. Whether he would fall over his body or roll his hips and use his throat, head thrown back in bliss, he wanted any and everything.

Cameron: With a groan Cam arched his hips forward and pressed himself past the blissful heat of Q's lips and tongue. In short, easy thrusts Cam started, rolling his hips experimentally as he tested the give of Q's mouth, and the shift of the plug still inside him, sending shooting tendrils of pleasure up his spine. It was so easy to lose himself in it, in the hot swell of need coiling tight in the pit of his stomach, that it was a wonder he remained upright as he watched himself sink into Q time and time again.

Q: It was all about relaxing, breathing when able. There was no gag reflex to prevent his lover from enjoying himself at his own set pace. He felt at his own throat, showing off where Cameron was by tracing the outline.

This is you.

His hands roamed down his bare body, over ribs and abs and between his thighs. Cupped and fondled his scrotum and squeezed. He then reached up, touching any part of Cameron he could.

Cameron: Cam stared, entranced, as he watched Q's fingers over his throat. An experimental roll of his hips earned a groan from Cam, and his hands slid down to grip whatever part of Q he could reach to steady himself.

It didn't take him long to find an easy rhythm, or to feel his need slowly building with each rock of his hips.

"Q..." he panted, his thighs trembling slightly.

Q: He had given his command. Fuck his mouth until he came. Keep that bunny tail right where it was. Simple enough, and still Cameron asked for permission. Or maybe it was a warning. Either way, Q reached back, nails lightly scraped at his thighs, encouraging him to see it through. He would swallow it all without hesitation. He'd keep his hands on Cameron's thighs until every ounce of his energy was spent.

Cameron: With surprising ease, Cam relinquished himself to pleasure and let the moment overtake him. His breath hitched as Q's nails scraped over his skin and curled over a sensitive part of his thigh. His hips stuttered as he tensed, and the plug shifted inside of him. The further he tensed the more it moved, and as the

the wave of his climax reached its peak, he tilted his head back and moaned as his body wrung tight. He arched back as his hips sank forward, and he finished down Q's throat with a shudder.

As he came down, he shakily leaned back, breathless and panting, to pull himself from Q's lips.

Q: Q opened his mouth wide, tongue out to reveal everything Cameron had given him was gone. A promise kept.

His arms stretched back, satisfied as though this had been his orgasm, rather than the man struggling to remain upright above him.

"Lay down. I'll take your tail off," he grinned.

Cameron: It way very easy for Cam to follow that instruction, and he gave Q a lopsided grin as he eased back onto the bed. He positioned himself with his legs bent and his thighs spread towards Q, and he lifted his hips just enough so he could give them, and his tail, a playful wiggle. He was still warm and floating as he lowered his hips, and a sudden jolt of pleasure from the plug shifting, almost painful through his oversensitive nerves, made his toes curl.

His grin, now cheeky, still remained.

"How's that?"

Q: Q sat himself up to assess the beautiful exhausted creature before him. Fingertips traced his figure down to his offered ass. The fuzzy little instrument was given a cautious tug. Mindful not to startle Cameron's body with anything harsh and sudden. The metal toy was removed and brought to the bathroom sink for cleaning.

"Just relax," he called. "Gonna clean you up." And so he would, returning with a warm wash cloth to wipe his lover down.

Cameron: A soft sigh of relief came from Cam as the toy was removed, and he relaxed fully against the sheets just as Q stepped away. Before he returned Cam propped himself up on his elbows and he tilted his head at Q when he approached.

"You gonna let me return the favor?" Cam asked, and he took one of Q's hands to tug him closer.

Q: Q took the opportunity to lean down and offer his lips.

"Of course. When I'm done, though." Which wouldn't take long. This wasn't a deep clean. Merely enough to prevent an uncomfortable sleep.

"You alright?"

Cameron: Cam took the chance given and kissed Q softly on the lips.

"I'm great," Cam hummed. "That was fun, and it felt amazing. Are you alright? You're the one who was  doing all the work."

Q: "You were the one movin' your hips. I think you win." Another kiss. "I'm a big bowl of cherries."

Q collapsed by Cameorn's side, folded the rag and offered.

Cameron: Cam took the offered rag and finished wiping himself off, and did the same for Q. There were a few more stollen kisses, and Cam shifted onto his side to face Q. He propped himself up on his elbow, and his free hand came to rest on Q's stomach.

"Cherries huh?"

Q: "Mhm. All cherries." His fingers lightly traced over Cameron's wrist. A client and not a client. He wasn't sure where to place him. He didn't think it mattered all that much.

Heavy eyes slowly closed. Just wanted to rest his eyes a minute.

Cameron: Cam chuckled and glanced at the nearby blanket as he noticed Q's eyes close.

"How about I 'repay' you in the morning?" he teased as tiredness settled over his own shoulders. "If I can stay the night, that is." He didn't want to be presumptuous.

Q: "'Course you can stay the night. C'mere, baby." His arm opened, chest inviting. This was certainly the boyfriend experience. As seemingly natural as breathing for Q.

Cameron: Cam knew that if he thought too hard about any of this, he'd ruin it for himself.

A perfect day with a perfect end, and no matter what this was, he'd had a great time. The full boyfriend experience, and he felt surprisingly content as he he nestled against Q and rested his head against the offered chest. Cam tugged the nearby blanket over them and slipped his arm around Q's waist with a soft sigh. Cam hoped everything would feel this easy in the morning. He smiled to himself.

Guildias: "Ah. Neologism can oftentimes be pinpointed to surprising dates and more often than you might believe, people. Though, I can't say this one is recycled from an era I'm familiar with."

The vampire slouched back. "It's charming."

Cameron: "Neologism?" Cam tilted his head curiously to the side. Then he climbed up onto the couch so he could sit cross-legged next to Guildias, and he looked at the vampire expectantly, clearly waiting for him to elaborate.

Guildias: Cameron was observed through the slit of a single, barely opened eye.

"Put simply, a new word or use of word. 'Beef, bluenose.'"

Cameron: Cam shifted so he was facing Guildias, placed his elbow on the back of the couch, and propped his chin in his hand as he leaned into the cushions.

"People called beef.... bluenose?" He asked with a skeptical raise of his brow.

Guildias: His domitor smiled. A patch of long black escapees from the confines of his ponytail were returned behind his ear.

"Colloquialism from my living years. Problem and prude respectively. To my observation, much has survived."

Cameron: "Well that really does date ya, old man," Cam flashed Guildias a cheeky grin, "I've heard 'beef' before in that context, but I dunno if bluenose is a thing anymore. I know brown nosing is a thing, but I've never heard the term bluenose."

Guildias: "Let's see..." The vampire crossed his legs. "We would say something is applesauce if it was nonsense. Someone took a big sleep if they died. Everything was berries if it was wonderful. Dope fiend and dope peddler as the same as ever."

Cameron: "Pft," Cam snorted to muffle his laughter. "Alright, some of those I've heard, or at least make sense given the time. 'Big sleep' sounds like someone sorta meme tho..." Cam stared at the wall opposite him, mulling over this information. "Language is weird. But it's kinda cool how it evolves over time, and some stuff sticks around."

Guildias: "I believe 'cool' is one of the eldest to linger as strongly as it has," he returned, pushing his shades back up his nose. "Meme has been around since the 70s."

Cameron: Cam blinked and his eyebrows rose skeptically.

"Wait- how has meme been around since the 70s? It has another meaning other than just- jokes?"

Guildias: Guildias smiled, head tilting back. "If I remember my literature correctly, it was conceived by an evolutionary biologist named Dawkins. Something about the spread of information through imitation."

Cameron: "Huh....well I guess that makes sense, even in the context it's used now - sorta." Suddenly he reached up and gave the vampire a gentle boop on the nose with tips of his fingers. By the smirk on his lips, it was just to see how Guildias would react. "Any other words you want me to explain?"

Guildias: One might describe the next rapid blinks and stillness a mark of surprise. A correct assumption. Trusting enough of his ghouls not to evaluate their behavior. Cameron was not the threat in this room.

"Any you think would be useful in conversation? I use the word loosely."

Cameron: Cam didn't stifle his giggle at that reaction. Guildias was always very composed, so the slightest disturbance was obvious.

"Hmmm.... well, when something is 'lit' or 'fire' it's another word for 'awesome' or 'cool'. To 'yeet' something means to throw it."

Guildias: "We're making slang for slang now, is it?"

Cameron's hand was snatched with lightning reflexes, pulled to Guildias' mouth for a playful bite between thumb and index finger.

Cameron: "I mean- seems that way doesn't?" Cam went still as his hand was snatched, but instead of trying to pull away his nose scrunched up, and he wiggled with anticipation in his seat. He knew Guildias' strength was much more than his own, so he could only wiggle his fingers, in careful protest, at Guildias' playful bite.

Guildias: "Are you concerned I will eat you up?" Guildias said between another playful bite. No fangs for these; only human canines.

Cameron: "In what way?" Cam asked with a suggestive smirk, but he wiggled his fingers again to show he was only teasing. "Nah, I'm not concerned. If you were gonna eat me, you woulda done it already."

Guildias: "What if you're next action is so egregious that you leave me with no choice?"

Cameron: Cam considered his words for a moment and then shrugged.

"Well, then I guess I'd hope I get a warning first. Are things like booping your nose considered egregious actions?"

Guildias: "Not yet they're not. Not from you. You're free to test my limits, so long as you're aware they do indeed exist."

Cameron: A nod, and Cam's head slipped from his hand to rest against the back of the couch.

"I understand. I know I like to push, boundaries, but I wasn't tryin' to be disrespectful or anything." He shifted and let both hands fall into his lap. "I'm also not as foolish as I act sometimes. I wouldn't do that around anyone else."

Guildias: "I understand you're comfortable with me. As I you. I would rather you harbor trust than apprehension in my presence."

His eyes saw through Cameron, to the wall behind him. "My grand-sire felt very differently with his ghouls. He wanted to be loved and admired, yes, but overshadowed entirely by a respect and fear."

Cameron: "I'd prefer that too," Cam gave Guildias a curious once-over, as if searching for something. "Is there a reason you don't want that kind of a relationship with your ghouls?" the mutant asked after a brief pause. "Were you ever a ghoul?"

Guildias: "I don't want you to live in the shadow of fear. It creates a different man. Resentful and cowardice. You're aware of what any in my position would do to betrayal. Repetition is inutile."

His gaze recaptured; he shook his head. "Not as one should be."

Cameron: "I'd like to think loyalty is a stronger bond than fear," he hummed, and his brow furrowed. "Not as one should be? What do you mean?

Guildias: "One should be a ghoul first. In my experience, creates the strongest, wisest, and better informed. To be thrust into the unknown with no buffer, it's a suffering I would not recommend."

Cameron: "Well, then I'll consider myself one of the lucky ones. I guess it would be a really big, abrupt adjustment - not having the exposure or experience with this world. And that's not even the physical changes..." Cam absently toyed with the hem of his jeans. He didn't know much about the change, but he could imagine. "Sorry you had to suffer like, well- however that was..."

Guildias: Guildias watched his ghoul carefully, listened to tone in every syllable. He had his suspicions for some time, but the conversation required time and placement, and here it was.

"Do you consider yourself worthy of the challenge? Intend to see yourself undead, someday?"

Cameron: Cam shrugged.

"I dunno. We talked about it briefly that one time, but I don't really know what it takes, or what it really means to be undead. I want to think I'm worthy of the challenge, but in the end, I don't really get to decide that, do I?" He tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling, and he shrugged again.

"I know it's not an idea to toy with lightly, so I won't. And since I was told lying to vampires would be unwise," a knowing smirk tugged at his lips as he looked at the man who had advised him of that, "I won't lie and say I've never thought about it."

Guildias: Guildias smiled softly, nodded. "Your intention matters. Some might disagree, but I find a bond far greater when childer prefer their eternal fate. Seems rather wasteful otherwise."

His gaze returned to the window.

"To be my childe would mean listening and obeying. Remaining by my side until you're accountable for your own actions. It would take years of dedication and patience."

Cameron: "Well..." Cam nodded slowly, mulling over Guildias' words. "I'd like to learn." Then he grinned up at Guildias with his usual cheek. "It's not like I have a shortage of time now."

Guildias: "If it's your desire, then I will consider it. Whether I am the sire for you, whether your reasoning is just, your reflected intentions. For now, let's see to your training."

Cameron: Cam nodded again. Who knew what the future held, but at the least Cam knew he was going to continue learning something new every day.

Leslie: Cameron was given a quick comb of fingers and a ruffle before his next message.

{Text} I love an early morning session.

Cameron: Cam leaned into the touch, and immediately pouted as he read the text.

{Text} :sob:  you mean I have to wake up early.... On a Saturday ?!?!

Charles: {Text} Agreed, Cameron. We're vetoing ungodly hours.

Leslie: Leslie chuckled and shook his head.

{Text} You two! It's not healthy to sleep in!  Ungodly is anything after 10 pm!

Cameron: Cam grinned.

{Text} I vote 10am- no earlier!

Charles: {Text} Sorry, dear prince. You've been outvoted.

Leslie: {Text} Alright. 10 am. I know when I've been beat

Cameron: {Text} :yum: So, what is the plan exactly?

Charles: {Text} I'll leave that decision to you gentlemen.

{Text} You know that the school is always open to the both of you.

{Text} But I certainly don't mind traveling.

Leslie: {Text} I'll introduce Cameron to my porter friend. {Text} He doesn't have to know he's not a witch.

Leslie carded his hand through green hair again. "You'd fit right in."

Cameron: {Text} What's happening???

Charles: {Text} Would it make a difference? Or does he only transport witches?

Leslie: {Text} Very much a witches only club

Cameron: {Text} I can act like my abilities are magic!

Charles: {Text} By all means. But you know Kurt or Clarice would be happy to take you wherever

{Text} Or Mason, for that matter.

Cam, his husband liked. He wouldn't speak on the obvious bias, there.

Leslie: {Text} If I continue to ask Kurt and Clarice, I'll have to start paying them like a porter.

Cameron: {Text} But I want to see what witch teleporting is like! Now that you brought it up!

Leslie: "I'll introduce you," Leslie chuckled. "Don't worry about that."

Charles: {Text} That's perfectly fine

Cameron: {Text} I may still need a lift, we wanna meet at the school then?

Leslie: {Text} Better us go there than disturb a child

Charles: {Text} The kids are fine

{Text} But as I said you're welcome here

Cameron: {Text} Also, we aren't doing this all in one day... Are we?

Leslie: {Text} Not-Kung-fu one day and yoga the next?

Charles: {Text} The two of you planned this. The decision is yours.

Leslie: {Text} More talk like that and I'll be paying my porter a premium

Cameron: {Text} I'm going to murder you both. You're getting such a work out on my day. We aren't even gonna do any not-kung-fu to start :rage:  I'm not gonna teach you sick flips, it's just like- disarming an attacker! Ya'll should know that stuff anyway....

Cameron: Cam is most definitely pouting at his phone now.

Charles: Well, the two had that in common. Charles groaned, running a hand through his hair at the thought.

{Text} I thought we were friends. I'm not an athletic man, Cam.

Leslie: Leslie dropped his phone on the arm of the couch long enough to hug Cameron's head to his chest, hunched over the man partially in his lap.

"I see that face you're making."

Cameron: {Text} We're gonna make you an athletic man, Charles! I promise to make it fun, like I do in my gym classes for the kids ;)

Cam wiggled in Leslie's lap.

"'M not makin a face!" He huffed, definitely still pouting.

Charles: {Text} I'm actually content in my academic ways, thanks.

{Text} I'll see you both Saturday

Leslie: "You can get away with anything making that face." He felt for his phone, gentle bumping their foreheads before reading.

{Text} See you Saturday ; )

Cameron: A smile started to peek through his pout at that and huffed as their foreheads touched.

{Text} Come on Charles, we'll get you 'swole' ;3

{Text} See you both Saturday!

Charles: Come Saturday morning, Charles would be regretting this commitment. Promises of becoming 'swole' aside, he'd be hiding in his bedroom, nursing a cup of tea and wondering if he could beg off self defense class in favor of... well, anything else.

Leslie: Saturday rolled around, and Cam was stuffed into Leslie's Jeep for the hour and a half drive to Kitty Hawk. Happily tormented with whatever music Cameron offered, and countered by classic rock and indie rabbit holes.

Leslie squeezed at Cameron's thigh before climbing out.

"When we get in there, don't shake his hand - or maybe put on some gloves. Just in case."

A man itching at his fifties awaited their arrival inside a black and white lighthouse. Like some noir fog, the inside was unpleasantly acrid with cigar smoke. Within the cloud of gray came a heavily accented voice.

"New friend, yeah? Same place?"

Leslie adjusted his olive-green backpack and offered his hand. He was soon pulled into a half-hug which nearly took his breath away.

"You'll find a way back? Busy."

"I'll find one," Leslie nodded. A quick gesture was made between the two men. "Cameron, this is Wright."

Cameron: The drive was pleasant and easy, and he quite enjoyed giving Leslie an introduction into the music of his favorite anime openings. Quite a contrast to Leslie's choice of music, but equally appreciated.

Once they finally stopped, he looked up at the lighthouse with wide eyes.

"I've never been in one of these..." Cam mused before giving Leslie a look. "You're lucky my bike gloves match my jacket and I keep them on me," he teased as he tugged on a pair of black leather gloves.

Then he followed Leslie inside, and watched as the two greeted one another.

"Leslie, you didn't tell me your friend was so attractive!" he gave Leslie a teasing elbow to the side before giving Wright a smile.

"Please, just call me Cam- I always feel like I'm in trouble when someone uses my full name," he shot Leslie a playful glare, and turned back to Wright to offer his gloved hand, "it's nice to meet you! Thanks for the help today."

Leslie: Leslie bit his lip and watched, holding back a private smile as Tyson Wright's deadpanned eyes studied his green haired guest.

"Right." Cameron was not to blame. Some people were not so easily read, and not so easily humored.

The gloved hand was given a glance, and another to Leslie.

"Take that off."

Cameron: Wright's expression did not seem to dampen or deter Cam and his energy, but he did drop his hand. He'd met plenty of people with a demeanor like Wright's, and he always made it a personal goal to weasel his way into their heart. Or personally annoy them, he knew his personality could be grating to some. He had the best of intentions at his heart, most of the time people could see that.

"Is that a requirement?" he asked with an innocent tilt of his head. "We've only just met. I'd rather wait for a meeting or two before that happens." He did wish Leslie had done a little more explaining about why Wright would want to touch his hand, or what he'd learn about Cam in doing so.

Leslie: Leslie was entirely to blame for being forgetful, but also confident in being able to talk them through this introductory caution.

"There won't be a meeting or two if you don't gimmie your hand."

"Is it enough to know I have seen him? I'm paying for him. This won't be an everyday thing, I promise."

The cigar returned between Wright's teeth. "Once, then."

Leslie's smile returned, chest and shoulders sinking with relief. "Once," he agreed. A quick wink was given to Cameron as the tension dispersed. Wright started down the short hallway to his office. A drawer was riffled through for an unassuming vintage key on a silver beaded chain.

"I don't have long today."

"Heard."

A rug was kicked out of the way to reveal a barely-man-sized hatch. “Have you ever done this before?” Wright asked as he took a knee.

  Cameron: Cam had so many questions when this was all over, and he gave Leslie a look when he winked to say just that. Including a few questions about what Leslie had 'seen' - and if that was just a thing for witches.

"Thanks," Cam said again, assuming this little exception was something he should express some sort of gratitude for.

He followed along behind, listening closely, and tilted his head when he saw the hatch.

"This'll be a first," Cam replied, while also trying to sound as casual as possible.

Leslie: The tattered backpack was swung to Leslie's chest. A small leather coin purse was pulled from an internal pocket.

"This should cover it."

Wright popped the golden clasp and dumped its contents onto his palm. Small coal-like rocks were counted with his finger.

"Plenty." All save one were returned.

Hazel eyes locked with green. "Alright Cam, when ya drop down, grab onto the other side." Wright motioned the bottom of his hand as a visual aid. "You're gonna feel something solid, but wrong. Just hang onto it, then grab your friend. Got it?"

Cameron: Cam locked eyes with Wright, his expression intense and focused as he listened closely to Wright's instructions.

"Got it," he nodded, and he prayed that he'd know what to grab once he was down there.  The fuck was the other side? It would feel- wrong? Why can't anyone in this room, other than him, speak plainly? Damn witches and their vague instructions.

Leslie: Leslie had known Wright long enough to notice a change in his energy. That tone, with stronger, fuller voice, was one given as instructor. The man had his suspicions, and the way he smiled was like that to a child.

“Don’t be nervous,” he said. Rich yellow-brown eyes had brightened in a matter of seconds. A brightness which could have been chalked up to a beam of sunlight. One which seemed to pour through a nonexistent window.

So it began. Wright poured himself into the hatch in fluid movement. His body hunched over, making a direct grab for the underside.

“It’ll feel like – like a uh, soggy branch,” because Leslie didn’t know how else to describe. “Grab whatever you feel, and hold on to my shirt.”

Readjusting his backpack, the witch dropped to his knees and mirrored the porter’s actions.

Cameron: "'M’not nervous," Cam flashed Wright an excited grin as the uncertainty faded from his eyes, "I'm actually pumped to try something new!" He watched Wright with fascination, and then nodded to Leslie as he knelt down. A moment later Cam mimicked the two, he grabbed onto Leslie's shirt and leaned into the hatch, and grabbed for the other side.

Like Leslie described, his hands curled around a... soggy branch. But it wasn't, but it was- and Cam had no time to consider how to actually explain what he was holding. His world tilted forward and he was upside down, crawling through a cramped space, somewhere- something- that smelled of wet earth. The air felt thick, like it was damp with moisture, and it pressed to his skin, but what coated him was dusty and moved with him, like layers and layers of dust.

Then, just as soon as Cam was upside down, he was right side up, and Leslie stood up right beside him.

"What the fuuuuuck?" Cam asked and turned his wide, excited eyes towards Leslie as he grinned.

Leslie: Leslie reached back, felt for some part of Cameron to squeeze. A little reminder that all was well. This was Wright's expertise. More than just a witch, he was a friend of the family. That meant something in regards to trust.

"It's gonna get bright," he warned.

Wright looked back in the darkness and scoffed. "Wet behind the ears, huh?"

A thunderous crack of wood broke the stillness in the air, and like a release of pressure, the atmosphere around them exhaled through the sudden sharp light at arm's length. The spring-colored lawn of Charles Xavier's school came into view as their exit widened. Within one of the older, larger oaks, groaning with indignation at the intrusion.

Leslie stepped out with a cough, patting at the dust on his clothes.

Cameron: "Listen-" and just as Leslie promised, the light pierced the darkness, and the air was suddenly lighter and easier to breathe. When they were upright and standing on the lawn of the school his grin still remained, and his body seemed to vibrate with excitement, like he was ready to fling himself into the air with a jump.

"That was so fucking cool!" He shouted as his fists punched towards the sky instead, and he made no move to clear away the dust. He barely seemed to notice it.

"Like- I've been teleported places before- Mason sort of just poofs us places, it's quick and like blinking- my friend Isabelle sort of moves your atoms from place to place- her and I aren't talking right now because of some stuff- but- but every time she does it, I almost always throw up- it's like being dropped on the worst kinda roller coaster- but that- that was totally different!!!! That was so unique and I- I-" he was probably waaaay over reacting, but he loved this type of thing. He loved seeing people’s powers at work, and experiencing them, that was something else. It was amazing.

With a big inhale he flopped back against the grass and exhaled, trying to get himself to calm down. The cloud of dust that wafted up was noticeable now, and he coughed and laughed at his own silly level excitement.

"Sorry- I'll be good in a sec just- just gotta catch my breath!"

Leslie: Leslie looked back to the tree and to the deep yellow vacuum of light within. Cameron immediately took his attention, momentarily forgetting Wright and completely missing out on the amused horror written in his eyes.

"And with that hysteria, I'm out."

"Thanks again."

"Yep." Wright waved him away, returning whence he came. The oval oak door closed behind him with a near-deafening slam. A sound Leslie could feel in his bones, just like every time before.

Cameron: "He's never gonna wanna talk to me again, is he?" Cam laughed after a moment, and when he sat up, he gave Leslie a lopsided smile. "Thanks for showing me that. Whatever that was. Dude, I have sooooo many questions for you- including - can all witches do that, or is that like - a Wright exclusive thing?"

Leslie: "No, probably not." There was no point in withholding his laughter. He loved Cameron's insatiable curiosity, reminded of the man they'd made this trip to see.

"It's what he's dedicated hours of study and practice to. That's his sphere of knowledge."

Cameron: "Mmm.... I know where he lives, though.... He likes cigars, yeah?" Cam flashed Leslie a cheeky grin before he jumped to his feet and began to dust himself off. "What were those things you gave him? Do you all have like- a 'sphere of knowledge'? Also- is this how you get here every time?!?"

Leslie: "Uh," Leslie carefully laughed, "he's not the kind of man you just arrive at his house. He's a friend of the family. Let me warm him up to you a little more."

A helping hand was given for the dusting.

"You remind me of Tristie, and so much of Charles."

Cameron: "Alright, well you have to reintroduce me sometime!" He could take a hint, but he hoped it wouldn't be the only time they would meet. He had so many questions. "Since I've met both of them, that's quite the compliment," he smiled, nearly preening at the praise, but it faltered only a moment later.

"Hey, Leslie...." Now free of dust and excitement, a sudden question Cam had swallowed since the start of this little adventure came back to mind. "What did you see - the first time you touched my hands?"

Leslie: Fingers lingered on his collar. His expression followed Cameron's somber. "That you're more like Charles than us. Your age and so on. He would know you're not witch, but that was pretty obvious anyway. I was taking a chance that he'd be passive, and he was."

Cameron: "That's not... quite what I asked," he chuckled, and he reached up to give Leslie's fingers a firm squeeze, "but it answers my question all the same. That's not all you saw...huh?" Cam tilted his head towards Leslie with a knowing smile. He could only guess how much Leslie knew, and all of it with just a single touch. Witches were something else.

"So!" With a sudden clap of his hands Cam's demeanor returned, the somber tones of their conversation all but chased away with his grin. "Since he was kind enough to be passive even while knowing I wasn't a witch - if I gave you something, like a thank you gift with a note- to give to Wright the next time you see him, maybe as a way to help persuade him to talk to me again," he winked at Leslie, "- or not, would that be okay?" Regardless if Wright ever wanted to see his bright green hair again, Cam still wanted to say thank you. He had no idea what kind of energy it took to do something like that, and at the least he knew he'd just been shown something special.

Leslie: No, not quite, but it was what Cameron was getting, and a smile, of course, one more gentle than those before it. Even a witch such as Leslie had to keep things to himself. How much was given gradually was just as important as what was given with gusto.

"I'll help you think of something to give, if you want. Boons are currencies as old as time and greater than paper."

A large hand clapped to Cameron's back, gently pushing him towards the school.

"What you wanna bet his hair is tousled, and he'll have a cup of coffee in his hands?"

Charles: Leslie was mostly correct. A sleepy-eyed and bed-headed telepath had finally made his way to the kitchen. Politeness could wait until he'd properly caffeinated. He knew the pair had arrived, of course. He was leaning against the counter, loath to be away from the safety of his bedroom, but needing to refill his mug. Life was full of tough choices. He stared grumpily at the heating kettle, willing it to steam.

Cameron: "Yes! I'd like that," Cam nodded, and he followed Leslie's push to move towards the nearest entrance into the school.

"Twenty bucks says he's in the kitchen right now, so we should head there first."

Leslie: Leslie just smiled. A man so addicted to caffeine would most likely be in the kitchen at this hour. He wasn't aware of Charles having a butler, so an easy twenty for Cameron.

And his smile widened. He opened his mind as one would an embrace.

'Good morning, dear.'

Charles: No butler. Just a professor practically weeping with relief when the kettle began to whistle. His mind was blurry-edged with weariness, but he brushed it against Leslie's in greeting, all the same. "Morning. Tea?" It was the best they were getting from him while he poured water over leaves to steep.

Cameron: "Charleeeesssss~!" Cam called as they neared the kitchen door, and he bounded into the room with a bright and energetic grin. "Tea would be great!" He hopped up onto the counter next to the professor and kicked his legs over the edge of the counter. "So has Leslie told you how he actually gets here!?!"

Leslie: Leslie laughed through his nose, looking between Charles and Cameron with amusement. He owed Cameron a twenty.

"He's seen – and heard - the tree."

Charles: Charles turned to frown at Cameron. He was entirely too chipper. Shaking his head, he pulled a second mug from the cabinet and filled it with water, nodding toward the box of assorted teas as he handed it to Cam.

"Yes. I've seen the tree."

Cameron: Charles' frown seemed to further fuel Cam's energetic mood. Normally, he'd be in a similar place as Charles, he wasn't a morning person, but the company and his encounter with the tree left him wanting to share some of that energy within.

"Okay, but have you been inside the tree?"

Cam asked as he selected one of his preferred in the assortment, a mint blend, and he dipped the bag into his mug.

Leslie: Leslie dropped his backpack against the counter. This was a delightful torture. Having been wide awake since 6 am, it was entertaining to see the other side.

"He has not. Yet."

Charles: "Afraid not." He shook his head and ducked into the refrigerator for milk. Sugar, next. Too much. Before he could take a big gulp of that blessed nectar.

Cameron: "Aaawww- well, if you're gonna get to experience it yourself, I won't share my memory like I was gonna offer- BUT- IT WAS SO COOL! It was like the earth opened up and we crawled right through it!" Just the right amount of excited shouting inside a building at 10am.

He made a grabby hand gesture towards a few cupboards down.

"Could you hand me the honey?" He asked with a pleading smile, not wanting to move from his perch on the counter.

Leslie: The honey was handed over. Sugar-free tea for himself. Leslie leaned his hip against the counter and warmed his hands with his mug.

"I doubt his enthusiasm will match yours. Maybe in spirit."

Charles: Good of Les to grab the honey. Charles' face was buried in his mug, and he didn't plan to emerge until he'd drained it.

"Mm," was his only reply. Magic and power were fascinating, but his brain wasn't up to feeling enthusiasm, just yet.

Cameron: Cam scooped a bit of the honey into his tea and stirred, and he hummed as he sipped at the warm liquid.

"Well in my defense, you did not tell me what to expect at all!"

Leslie: "Where would be the fun in that?"

Charles: He tipped the last of the mug's contents into his mouth and deposited it into the sink. Three cups was excessive, and he doubted he'd be able to put off this little experiment for much longer, regardless.

"Where are we doing this?"

Cameron: Cam sipped at his tea and then tilted his head at Charles' question. "Which one are we doin' first?"

Charles: Charles lifted one shoulder. "The two of you dreamt this up; you're going to have to take the lead."

Cameron: "Alright, self-defense and yoga can just be done on the lawn right? Maybe we can find a nice tree with some shade?"

Leslie: "The porter tree is one of the largest," Leslie smiled again.

Charles: Another shrug. "After you. Are we going to need anything? Mats or the like?"

Cameron: Cam looked at Leslie. "I'm just teaching y'all basics and gonna make you sweat a little, so nothing high impact. Yoga needs mats tho- right?"

Leslie: "Not for what I'm going to teach. Mine will be a cool down today. Unless you want me to stretch you before the ordeal."

Charles: Ugh. Sweating. "Alright. No mats. Lead the way, then, professors."

Cameron: "Hmmm..." Cam paused. The idea of yoga as a cooldown hadn't occurred to him, but made sense. "Works for me. We'll make use of the mats next time." Then with a grin he set his drink to the sink, hopped off his place on the counter, and bounced his way over to the door. "To the door-tree!"

Leslie: "Door-tree," Leslie laughed under his breath. Charles was given a gentle nudge with his shoulder as he followed along.

"When did you go to bed?"

Charles: Charles shrugged, casting a slightly guilty glance in Leslie's direction.

"Haven't the foggiest. I nodded off in my study, then got dragged off to a proper bed. It might have been three? Perhaps four?"

Cameron: "You gotta get better sleep, Charles!" Cam called over his shoulder as he led the way out onto the lawn, a hypocritical statement that everyone present would have been aware of. So the grin that accompanied it was playful and teasing.

Leslie: "Both of you," Leslie sighed. "I need to see to some teas for you both."

Back in the sunlight, a quick moment was taken for himself to lean back and soak the rays. He loved Charles' school, with the exception of the hidden facility, but nothing beat nature.

Charles: Charles snorted softly. "Take your own advice, Dockstader. I sleep as much as I'm able."

Leslie had the right idea. Charles would be happy enough to skip the workout entirely and have a nap on the grass, but he suspected that wasn't going to fly with these two. Still, when they reached the tree, he took a seat in its welcoming shade.

Cameron: Cam grinned in return, knowing Charles very much had a point. Getting up to do any early gym classes for the school were always a struggle for him.

"Alright!" Cam clapped his hands together and beamed at his two new pupils once they finally reached the shade. "Who is ready to learn basic self-defense!"

Leslie: "What are you about to do to us?" Leslie chuckled. His backpack and jacket were tossed to the side. Long arms stretched overhead, preparing for what was probably going to be a grueling session.

Charles: "An excellent question," he agreed, fighting a laugh as he pulled his knees to his chest, arms wrapped snugly around them. He was stalling. He didn't make a secret of it. "Do share."

Cameron: Cam smirked and motioned for Charles to rise back to his feet.

"No sitting - only showing! This isn't a lecture Charles, now- we stretch and get our muscles ready to move! I promise not to push ya'll too hard." Then he started to stretch, and motioned for the other two to mimic his movements.

Leslie: Leslie was ready to strike a pose when Cameron directed his students to follow. Naturally, Leslie obeyed, mimicking his instructor's stance perfectly.

"Go easy on Charles. Give him all the stretching he needs."

Charles: "I'm an old man," he agreed. Charles stubbornly hunched in on himself, as petulant as any of his students. But he wouldn't let his friends down. With a groan, he creaked to his feet and began to follow along.

Cameron: "Ya aren't that old Charles," Cam laughed, and once Charles was in position, he began to guide them both to stretching their bodies accordingly. "Keep your back straight, and lift your arms just a little Charles, trust me- this will help you feel less sore later!"

Leslie: Leslie could appreciate proper warm ups before their lesson. Charles certainly needed it. The constant groaning was worrisome. Cameron was right; Charles was too young to be making so much noise.

"Next lesson, we should team up in neon 80s attire."

Charles: Charles snorted, muscles only protesting faintly against a particularly deep stretch. "Next lesson? You'll be lucky if I last through this one. No neon."

Cameron: "Aaaahhh!!!!" Cam released and excited, fairly soft shout and fixed an excited gaze on Leslie. "We are definitely going to do that! I have the perfect crop top and legwarmers for the occasion. And if you don't have anything to wear, Charles, I can just make an outfit for you!" Cam turn his gaze to Charles with a grin. "You didn't think this was only one lesson, did you?" He guided his two students into another stretch, focusing on a different set of muscles to limber them up.

  Leslie: "Why do you have legwarmers? What has happened to you?"

His attention was stolen by Charles. Without much consideration towards possible demonic attack, gently guided Charles into proper form.

"Like that. Keep your breathing even."

Charles: "Crop tops? Leg warmers? Neon? I cannot tell you how many ways that is not happening."

Charles thought nothing of the gentle correction, still very much aghast at the current conversation.

"The two of you can do whatever you'd like."

Cameron: "Listen, 80's night in gay clubs are a fuckin blast. Plus, my ass and thighs look amazing in leggings. Cut off short-shorts and a crop-top, that's a guaranteed lay for me. My punk 80s look is also an almost guaranteed lay, and usually the dudes are a little kinkier," Cam grinned, "I've been to a lot of different 80s nights." Then his grin turned into a sinister smirk directed at Charles. "Charles, you can either choose neon, or I put you in an 80s style track suit." Cam paused and moved to the other side of Charles, from Leslie, to lift his arm and straighten it into the correct position. "Oh! Or I can find you like- a 80s style basketball uniform with those tiny fuckin' shorts?"

Leslie: "Don't torture him too much. We'll get him with sweet words and your - apparently - rockin' leg warmers and crop tops."

This wasn't his lesson, so Leslie stepped back for Cameron. Filled the moment with a standing forward fold.

"You know what? I'm going to vote for the track suit."

Charles: "There will be no voting! My sartorial choices are not made democratically. You're just going to have to live with grey."

He interrupted the current stretch to gesture at his old sweatpants and t-shirt.

"You know what I wore to the pub in university? Tweed. I did well enough."

Cameron: "Okay, but I bet Charles would look great in those shorts," Cam added, completely ignoring Charles' protests. "I think blue would be a good color on him for sure," next pose, new set of muscles, and a little guidance about keeping their backs straight for this one.

Cam choked softly when Charles said 'tweed'.

"Yeah, in an academic, or a very specific kink setting- but we're talking about fun!!! Charles - fun! It wouldn't kill you to try to wear something outside your limited color palette, I promise. Plus, the track suit idea is very modest, if that's you issue that's a safe way to do some 80s fun."

Leslie: "There is nothing wrong with tweed. I'm sure to be biased, but a little fun once in a while won't hurt - I promise not to tell your husband," he laughed.

Leslie was about ready to do a handstand. All this teasing had filled him with outstanding energy.

"Is he limber enough, captain?"

Charles: Charles snorted softly. "I have fun!"

He shook his head, and then his limbs. "I'm sure I'm fine. I won't pull anything."

Cameron: "We're talking about a different kinda fun Charles, not the kind that means your nose buried in a book!" He teased with a cheeky grin. "And I ain't gonna make that same promise!"

Cam straightened up from their final stretch with a nod. He'd leave their conversation about an 80s dress up session for later.

"Alright, I think I changed my mind about the mats, so one sec," Cam knelt down in the grass and dug his fingers into the dirt. A brilliant green flash later, and dirt began to rise up around them, making the grass quiver, and it formed a larger mass in front of Cam that quickly formed the shape of a thick work out mat, meant to cushion bodies when tossed or tumbled onto it. Once it was a large enough size the shaping stopped, and in a blink, it solidified, forming a perfect green mat that fell to the ground with a thud. It wasn't a permanent change, so it took Cam little effort to create, and he righted himself with a bounce in his step. There was an ache between his shoulder blades, but with a few twists of his back it was gone. "Alright! Who wants to start first?"

Leslie: Leslie watched in awe, caught off guard by what in his circles was a transmutation between Life and Matter. Half of him was envious, while the other half sympathized with the grass.

A quick glance to Charles, forcing himself back to present company.

"I'll go first. What do you want me to do?"

Charles: Charles grinned, forever delighted at such displays of power. "Very clever. We could just do more of that, actually. We could all use more practice!" Anything to get him out of the coming workout.

Cameron: "No, Charles - today we're practicing self-defense!" Cam gave Charles a knowing glance before motioning for Leslie to join him. "Oh!" He suddenly gasped as idea struck him, and his eyes lit up. "Hold that thought Leslie," he turned to Charles, "How about- if you agree to do an 80s theme with us for next session, I'll agree to do a full session with you, letting you study my mutation-pushing my limits- whatever?"

Leslie: "We'll dedicate another afternoon - or morning - to magic, if you're both willing." But for now, this.

Or not this. The witch chuckled, watched Charles for reaction, wondering what route this would suddenly turn.

"You've caught him in his weakness."

Charles: He couldn't hide his interest, though he certainly made the attempt. "Counter offer: I help you with your mutation, without driving you too hard, and I agree to one more self-defense lesson. Scrap the 80s bit altogether."

Cameron: "I'd love that!" Cam grinned at Leslie. He'd never sat down and formally watched magic being performed by a witch. He'd seen Bronwyn use her magic, but she was a druid, and he wondered how different that made their magic and their abilities.

The grin on his lips widened into a smirk, and he gave Leslie a knowing look before returning his attention to Charles.

"See - the problem is - I'm pretty driven, professor. I like to be pushed past my limits. I like to test myself," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at the professor, before holding the expression caused him to break character and laugh. The easy smile returned. "That offer doesn't sweeten the pot for me. The 80s outfit is the best part!  It's only for a couple of hours during a lesson, hell- I'll even cut out the lesson and we can do- yoga or meditating or something less physically strenuous with Leslie leading- and in exchange you get a session with me where I'll let you pick my brain and push at my mutation however you like. Is that really so bad a trade for you?"

Leslie: "If you think yoga isn't strenuous, you're going to have a very hard lesson thrown your way, love."

Charles: Charles pursed his lips. "I prefer a gentler approach." With a sigh, he dragged a hand down his face. "Fine. I will wear a track suit for one hour. No pictures. The two of you are merciless."

Cameron: "I didn't know! Ya'll look so zen and relaxed - I figured it was like a meditative thing verses a strenuous thing?"

As soon as Charles agreed, Cam's eyes lit up, and a grin that was far too wide flashed over his lips. "Sweet!" he wasn't about to make any promises about pictures- Mason had to get at least one, but he wasn't about to voice that out loud. "You're the instructor Charles, be as gentle with me as you want."

A wink at Charles, and now that he had what he wanted, Cam shifted easily back into his lesson.

"Alright, so if someone attempts to grab you from behind, one of your best defenses is using their weight against them..."

Leslie: "We got him!" Leslie laughed. "Don't bring it up again until it's time or he'll find a way out!"

Back to the lesson, and Leslie was ready to offer himself as tribute for any demonstration. Mindful of all of Charles' groaning during their stretches.

"Using your core, is it? Wanting to bring them to the ground ASAP?"

Charles: He would be expecting that promise before he ever donned a ridiculous outfit. No pictures. Not even for his demon. "You're both utterly ridiculous." He claimed a spot on the grass to watch.

Cameron: "Oh definitely," Cam smirked, mindful of the fact that if he were to snap a picture it would have to be in the most subtle way possible.

"But you hang out with us- so..." Cam shrugged, "and its equivalent exchange Charles, you're gonna get something out of it too!" Then he returned his attention to Leslie.

"Exactly, you want to be as fast as possible so they can't try to shift their weight against the move, so it's good to practice it and get used to the sensation. That way, when you have to put it into practice, it's more muscle memory than anything else." Cam moved into position, putting his back to Leslie and bringing his arm over Cam's shoulder to explain where to grab, and how to lean into the move.

"Want me to do it to you so you know how it feels? Or do you just want to try tossing me?"

Leslie: Being taller, their position felt both right and awkward. Would he ever be this close to someone, someone other than his people, he couldn't imagine. Violence was beyond a last resort. So he told himself now.

But he was pliable in Cameron's instructive hands. Muscles bracing for imagined shock.

"You have me. You might as well flip me this way and that." His tone both humored and edged.

Charles: Charles watched on with mild interest. He'd witnessed such training before, he'd just never been compelled to join in.

Cameron: "Alright, so again- the attacker comes at you like this-" he moved Leslie to demonstrate, with his arm wrapped around Cam's neck. "You need to catch them off guard- usually with pain- punching them in the groin, or steeping on their foot are viable options-" he made a motion as if to mimic stepping On Leslie's foot, "- and when they're thrown off balance you grab that arm and-" Cam's grip tightened on Leslie's arm, and there was a brief pause- a warning that he was about to demonstrate the move. Then Cam doubled over and tossed Leslie easily over his shoulder.

Cam was as gentle as he could be about the action- there was no more force put into the toss than what was necessary to get Leslie up and over Cam's body- but Leslie still hit the mat, on his back, with a soft 'thud'.

Cam smiled and move to stand over his friend so he could offer him a hand up.

"So now you know how it feels. Ready to try it on me? You can use more force than I put into it, you do want to throw the person as hard as you can to stun them- I was just doing it more gently so you get a feel for the motion."

Then he nodded to Charles with a smirk. "Pay attention professor, you're next!"

Leslie: Leslie's eyes were wide for the ride, hitting the mat with a soft grunt and subsequent laughter. "I want one more of those before Charles." All he'd gotten out of this demonstration was a good time.

Charles: Charles opened his hands, palms unturned, in a false show of grace. "By all means, darling. Go again. Go five more times. No, ten!"

Cameron: "Well you're gonna toss me some before Charles gets his turn," Cam grinned and he reached down to offer Leslie his hand so he could help the witch to his feet. "Point is to get you used to the move- and when you can't, there are some other self-defense tactics I'll show you both. Those we will do together. It's good to practice and do it all a few times, so if it happens it's more of a reflex." He motioned for Leslie to get back into position so he could demonstrate once more.

Leslie: A quick stretch before resuming their initial stance. "Couldn't the person being flipped just tumble me in return? Think I've seen that in a movie someone made me watch." Probably Q? No. Oliver! His damn action flicks.

Charles: Turn? No, no. He was content to watch. He pulled his knees to his chest and did exactly that.

Cameron: "I mean - movie combat isn't very realistic when looking at plain 'ole self-defense. I guess this move in particular is a little more advanced, but if you want to learn some actual combat techniques, I can definitely teach you!" Cam offered with a grin, and he moved back into position. "But for the most part, especially with American movies, the way combat is filmed to be very flashy and fast. We're just giving you an idea of what to do if someone comes up behind you and tries to mug you or something. I'll show you some more simple stuff as a cool down."

Then with a soft huff Leslie was hauled over him and back onto the mat with a soft 'thud'. Cam offered Leslie his hand again to help him up.

Leslie: The sound which escaped him was almost childlike. The laughter of someone hiding absolutely nothing. He splayed, chest bouncing from the effort to breathe.

"That's better than any rollercoaster. You gotta try it once, Charles."

Charles: Charles gave a wry smile and shook his head. "I'm fine over here, thanks."

Cameron: "Come on, Charles! You gotta participate at some point," Cam grinned. "Leslie's gonna try tossing me, then it's your turn." He winked playfully at the Professor and turned back to Leslie with a chuckle.

"You good down there?"

Leslie: "I'm great." A hint of his capability revealed in the smooth roll and leap to his feet. Light for a man of his size.

"Alright. Come hug me like you hate me."

Charles: "I'm observing!" He laughed softly.

Cameron: "Well not for long!" Cam laughed, and his eyebrows rose in surprise as Leslie leapt to his feet.

Now it was Cam's turn, and he circled Leslie so he could 'hug' him from behind. He wrapped his arms around the other and gave him a squeeze.

"Alright, I've grabbed you menacingly from behind! What do you do, Leslie?"

Leslie: "Alright. Alright. Menacing hug." He was doing his best to withhold laughter. A snort later, "I uh, mm, I plead to your sense of integrity and honor?"

Charles: Charles smirked but said nothing, watching the pair at work.

Cameron: "I'm an evil villain, Leslie! We don't have those things! I'm going to take your lunch money if you don't do something quick!" Cam declared dramatically, clearly also trying to hold back laughter.

Leslie: "Goddammit, sweetheart." He would bring Cameron over his shoulder. A weight surprisingly easy to bear. Without thought, he brought himself down on his knees, allowing gravity to assist. For the sake of flair, he threw his leg over Cameron's hip, straddling him in victory.

"Now for my menacing hug!" Which began with tickles.

Charles: Charles snorted. "Is this what I've been missing in self-defense 101? How to tickle one's attackers into submission?"

Cameron: "Ah!" Cam laughed as he was tossed onto the mat, and it continued as he was pinned and attacked.

"Aaahhh!" Cam cried out and he writhed as he tried to wiggle away from Leslie's fingers. "Charles, help!"

Leslie: "Charles is my dreadfully evil associate! Help will not come!" How about under these arm pits? Just as sensitive?

Charles: "So true," Charles agreed, nodding sagely. "I'm as wicked as they come. You're on your own, darling." More to point, he was staying well away from those tickling fingers.

Cameron: Cam let out a breathless shout as Leslie went for his armpits.

"N-no! Oi- fuck- My only weakness! Cruel- but inevitable- betrayal!" Cam dramatically reached for Charles, tears lining his eyes from trying to manage laughter and his ability to breathe, before letting out an exaggerated exhale and going limp beneath Leslie.

Leslie: Such a feigned death gave his aggressor pause. "What in the faeries?! He's perished! Quick! Give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, comrade!"

Charles: "Mouth-to-mouth? Oh, we're well past that. I'll go and find a defibrillator."

Cameron: "Ah! He's right!" Now freed from Leslie's tickles and able to breathe, Cam returned to life for a brief moment. "But I need not mouth to mouth, my heart still beats! I need but a kiss from a fair prince to break this monster's ticklish spell!" Dead and lifeless, Cam returned once again.

Leslie: "You heard the man," Leslie laughed, falling back on his rear by Cameron's hip. "Give him a live-giving smooch, professor."

Charles: Charles snorted softly, palms pressing into soft grass as he leaned his weight back on his arms. "I think we all know who the true Disney prince is, Les. Pucker up. I don't make the rules."

Leslie: "Agree to disagree." But! Moving things along, the witch leaned over, pressing a noisy kiss to the side of Cameron's mouth.

Cameron: Cam let out a dramatic gasp and 'returned to life' with an arch of his back. Then he relaxed against the mat with a sigh and a pout.

"I don't think villains are allowed to also be princes, but I'll allow it this time," he thrust his hand dramatically into the air with this declaration, and let it fall back against the mat with a flop.

"Alright Charles - you ready for your turn?" Cam asked with a grin, and he shifted so he could catch the professor's eye.

Charles: He shook his head. "Not the least bit. I could go for a stack of pancakes, however. With strawberries. Let's go inside. This has been very informative."

Cameron: "No no no - you gotta get a little active Charles. If I'm going to sit through a calculus class you're teaching us I'm gonna get the full of my side of the bargain! The 80s track suit is a separate agreement, remember." Cam wiggled out from under Leslie and sprang to his feet. Then he approached Charles and offered his hand. "If you'd rather - I won't make you do any tossing - we can take even more down to the basics of self-defense if you'd rather not do anything fun." Cam flashed Charles a playful grin.

  Charles: "There's no fun to be had before noon," he huffed, too sullen for a man of his age. Regardless, he took the offered hand and allowed Cameron to haul him to his feet. "Oh, all right. Only the basics. I'm not as limber as the two of you."

Leslie: "You're five minutes older than me," he felt the need to point out, settling in where Charles had been sitting. His turn to soak the sun and enjoy the view.

Cameron: "I can't argue with you there, today being the exception," Cam grinned as he helped Charles to his feet. "I think Leslie is the only one here who is a morning person. If we hadn't been listening to music and talking I woulda slept during our drive."

So, as promised, Cam took Charles through the basics of self-defense. Disarming an attacker wielding a weapon, how to defend yourself when attacked from behind (minus the fun way to do it), as well as a few other moves to practice. While these were less intensive, Cam had Charles repeat them each a few times to get the other moving.

"It's good to practice these- like I said before- so it's a reflex if/when you have to use it."

Charles: "I'm half a century older than you, at least."

Charles nodded, admittedly energized by the practice. If nothing else, a little extra knowledge on his part would put the ones he loved at ease. Not that he was looking forward to the next lesson. "Makes sense. Muscle memory, and all that."

Leslie: "You're only as young as you feel!" But perhaps that was the Verbena in him.

Leslie eventually got to his feet, watching Cameron walk Charles through what might one day save his life while stretching in various poses. His morning exercise had been queued for their meeting, and his body demanded just a little more warmth to his muscles.

Cameron: "Pretty sure that ain't the case," Cam snickered, as he pulled back from Charles and placed his hands on his hips. Then, his best 'Coach Dockstader' voice, he shouted. "Alright ya old coots, time for a lap around the building and a cool-down!" And the very serious look on his face said he would not take no for an answer.

Charles: Charles definitely did not pout, but if he had, he would have been justified. "Must we? I vote for pancakes."

Leslie: "A lap around the school or I teach you some poses," Leslie grinned. "And I'll make you pancakes with a fruit compôte."

Cameron: Was Cam a grown man? Yes. Did that stop him from pouting? Absolutely not, and he turned his pout towards Charles expectantly.

"A short jog is good for you Charles! Cardio ain't a bad thing - we could do a few poses as the cool down!"

Charles: "Ugh. Fine. But note that I'm doing this under duress and fully expect to be compensated with breakfast."

Leslie: "I can't read your mind; do you really not want to?"

Cameron: Cam tilted his head at Charles, his pout fading slightly.

Charles: He gave a crooked smile. "I'm fine. I wouldn't have joined you if I was unwilling."

Leslie: His smile returned. "Then let's make you sweat."

Cameron: "Yes!" Cam agreed with a wide grin, and he clapped his hands together. "Race ya'll to that corner of the building!" And without waiting for the others, or any other announcement of his departure, Cam took off in a sprint straight for the nearest corner of the building.

Charles: If the two of them wanted to race, they were more than welcome to. Charles had agreed to a jog, and that's what they were getting. His pace was comfortably brisk, but far from a sprint.

Leslie: Leslie would race Cameron to the corner. Long legs did a lot for his advantage, but Cameron had years of athleticism for a clean finish. There at the corner he would wait for Charles, doing wall push-ups while waiting.

Cameron: Cam jogged in place until Charles caught up with them, and the rest of the run he kept at a similar pace as the professor. That was, until he spotted their practice mats. Figuring it was a straight enough shot that his chances of tripping were slim, Cam smirked as they turned the corner, and he took off in a sprint that was far faster than a human could naturally move. One moment he was standing beside Charles and Leslie, and the next he was a blur that skidded to a halt just beside the mats. Was he showing off? Absolutely. He was fairly sure Charles had yet to see this new ability he'd been practicing, and he new Leslie hadn't seen it either.

Cam turned and gave them both a cheeky grin and a wave.

Charles: His eyebrows rose, but he kept his steady pace, face slightly flushed and bright with the sheen of sweat. He came to a stop in front of Cam. "What was that?" he asked, somewhat breathlessly. "Did you develop a secondary mutation I'm unaware of?"

Leslie: Leslie was nothing short of fascinated as well, keeping in step with Charles as they finally caught up. Rather than falling to the ground as temptation urged, he stretched his arms overhead and tugged at his elbow, awaiting an answer to Charles' questions.

Cameron: Cam had barely broken a sweat, but it had been a nice run, and now it was time for the cool down.

"Nah," Cam laughed as he started to slowly stretch his legs, "it's one of the new ghoul abilities I've been practicing! You should see how strong I am too."

Cam seemed very proud of himself, until he remembered he probably shouldn't be telling Leslie. Guildias already didn't like that Cam had told Charles, no matter the reasoning or necessity of the situation.

Cam paused in his stretch as he remembered he also had yet to tell Leslie at all, and it was too late to take back what he'd said now. Cam felt a pang of uncertainty as he turned to look at the witch to gauge his reaction.

Charles: "Well, it's quite remarkable. Reminds me of an afternoon with Hank, once upon a time. You'll have to demonstrate that strength, sometime." Charles folded himself into a cross-legged position on one of the mats and waited for his pulse to slow.

Leslie: Leslie had become a statue mid-stretch, staring at Cameron for several seconds too long before leaning himself against the tree. He then looked to Charles, how calm he responded. Well aware and unconcerned. Demons and vampiric masters; was no one afraid of anything? Not even a little apprehensive? He then remembered Charlotte, of two beautiful vampires and his flagrant disregard of safety, assured by his ability to protect himself and his coven should his hand be forced. Was this also Cameron's mentality? But was it even the same? He'd never tasted - they never offered. Best not to judge, he reminded.

He realized his expression had fallen sober and tried to correct with a small incomplete smile.

"I think it's time I go make breakfast. Well earned, right?" His towering figure doubled over for his satchel. Slung the old strap over his shoulder.

Cameron: Cam felt a question on the tip of his tongue, a penny offered for Leslie's thoughts, but if the reactions of others were anything to go by, Cam decided to keep it to himself.

"Sure, I can demonstrate on the day you get to poke at my powers," Cam offered, and he finished his stretch with a sigh. Some of the pep had left his step, but he wasn't going to dwell on it, not after such a fun morning with his friends.

With a flick of his wrist the mats he created began to crumble, losing their color and shape to return to dirt and sink back into the grass around them.

Charles: Well, now he was sat on the grass. He hadn't missed whatever had passed between Les and Cam, but didn't go poking about. He unfolded to his feet with a grunt and nodded. "Breakfast! What I've wanted all along," he grinned, hoping to dispel whatever heaviness hung in the air around them.

Leslie: His gaze dropped to the disappearing mats. Both had their own questions. Neither of which would slip from mindful tongue.

"What kinda breakfast y'all want? English? Down home country?" Leslie smiled back at Charles, leading the way back to the house. He knew that kitchen well, having cooked a handful of times already.

Cameron: "Country!" Cam chimed as he followed along behind the other two. He was terrible at cooking, but he could still offer to help.