A/N: Follow up to "A Very Merry Stitch Lab Christmas." Part 2 of 3 in the "Merry Stitchmas" series (part 3 in progress!).
"Do you have a ball gown?," Cameron asked, clearly flustered. "Scratch that, any floor length dress will do."
Kirsten sighed and paused the movie. They had barely gotten past the opening credits. "I'm pretty sure Camille has something I can borrow," she reassured him.
"Good, good." He ran his fingers through his hair, another nervous habit. "Or any dress really. You know, if you show up in jeans and a tshirt I'm sure that would be fine."
"So what exactly did I get myself into?," she asked. She was only half teasing with that question, and the other half actually curious as to what she agreed to for their first date. Cameron had just finished a rather long winded explanation of what she should expect at his parents' tomorrow. The ball gown, the etiquette, his overprotective parents that would probably have a million questions for her. She thought he was done talking, so they started a movie.
"If you're having second thoughts, you don't have to go. We could even cancel the whole first date thing. I would completely understand if-"
She cut him off mid sentence with a kiss. After just agreeing to go on a date with Cameron, she already found that kissing was the best way to get him to calm down. He just started to kiss her back, when she pulled back a few inches. "Cameron," she whispered. "Relax, it's going to be fine."
"Right." The kiss caught him by surprise and he took a few moments to recover. "So uh, just one more thing... Because I know my parents, or rather my mother, will ask. What do you want to tell them about us?," he asked motioning his hand between the two of them.
"What do you mean? We're dating. So we should tell them that. Right?" She never really understood the whole parental involvement with their children, considering she couldn't remember her parents. But it seemed like Cameron's parents were different than most.
"Yeah. But if my mom knows we're dating, she'll want to know when we're moving into together and getting married, and how many children we're going to have. She'll be planning out the rest of our lives for us." He had gone through this with his high school girlfriend Jenn, then his college girlfriend Anna. Although he had more time to prepare them for his mom's antics, and he only introduced them to his parents after dating them for at least six months. His mother meant well, even if she did go overboard with the questions.
"Can't you just say that we just started dating? Which is true."
"Alright, we'll stick to the truth then." He hoped that this wouldn't blow up in his face, and that his parents wouldn't scare off the girl of his dreams.
She saw the conflict on his face- his forehead creasing and eyes slightly squinting. "Cameron, like I said, it's going to be fine." She kissed him again, pressing her body against his and running her fingers through his hair. Putting his worries to the back of his mind, he kissed her back. He gripped her by the waist and practically pulled her into his lap. She hummed in approval as his fingers lightly ran across the small of her back.
Without warning, she removed herself from his grip and settled back into her seat. "So, back to the movie?," she asked.
He leaned back on the couch. He was fairly certain that his cheeks were flushed, if his heavy breathing was any indication. She, however, looked perfectly composed, not a single strand of hair out of place and her breathing was slow and even. "Alright, back to the movie." He smiled as she took his hand in hers and pressed play with the other.
...
"Let me take a look at you," Camille said, pulling Kirsten to her feet. "Well, you'll have to wear flats. But other than that, I would say my job is done here." The last time Camille wore that dress, she wore heels. Luckily Kirsten wasn't much taller than Camille, or the dress would have been too short.
The doorbell rang. "I'll get that, you finish getting ready," Camille said as she rushed off.
Kirsten took a quick look in the mirror. Camille did her hair in an elegant up-do, with a few soft curls framing her face. She kept the makeup simple- a neutral eyeshadow with a deep red lipstick. Kirsten slipped on a pair of silver flats, and grabbed her purse for the evening and walked out towards the living room.
"So you're good making dessert?," Camille asked Cameron. She had already planned out Christmas dinner and Kirsten was supposed to make dessert. At least if she paired up Cameron and Kirsten to make dessert, it wouldn't end with the oven smoking from burnt pies like last year.
"Yeah, of course. Did you want any dessert in particular?," he asked.
Kirsten stepped quietly into the living room. Cameron was leaning against the edge of the couch, facing Camille at an angle. He was wearing a black suit, and she saw the silver-gray of his shirt at his collar. His hair was somehow equally it's usual messiness and more sleek. She wasn't quite sure how that was possible.
"Make whatever you want." Camille winked at Kirsten in her peripheral vision.
"I thought I was making dessert," Kirsten interrupted.
Cameron turned quickly in the direction of her voice. She noticed his red tie, that perfectly matched her dress, with green stripes across it. She briefly wondered if Camille told him to match her dress, or if it was just a coincidence.
"Well, you still are. Just with Cameron's help," Camille smirked. "Right Cameron?"
Cameron couldn't help but stare. Kirsten looked absolutely stunning in the strapless red dress. It was simple, yet elegant, fitted through her hips with a flowing skirt. He gazed back up to her face, where her lips matched the color of her dress.
Camille snapped her fingers, pulling his attention away from Kirsten. "Earth to Cameron."
Cameron walked the few paces to Kirsten, pulling her into a bear hug. "You look beautiful," he whispered and kissed her cheek.
She pulled back a bit from their embrace, taking both his hands in hers. "I know. It was all Camille, really." She nodded in Camille's general direction.
"You just had a formal dress lying around?," he questioned, again not taking his eyes of Kirsten for a second.
Camille shrugged. "I went to a Marine Corps ball once. They like red. Which works well, since it doubles as a Christmas color."
"It was very sweet of you to lend it to Kirsten. Thanks," he admitted.
"What are you kids waiting for? Go, have fun!" She motioned her hands to shoo them towards the door.
"Thanks Camille," Kirsten said.
They were almost out the door when Camille cleared her throat. The pair turned back to her. She pointed up at the mistletoe.
Kirsten rolled her eyes. "Really?," she deadpanned.
"I want to know that my hard work paid off." She placed one hand on her hip and stared them down.
Kirsten sighed. "Fine." She turned and kissed Cameron. His hands went instinctively to the small of her back to pull her closer. She quickly deepened the kiss and linked her hands behind his neck.
"Alright alright." They separated as Camille fanned herself for dramatic measure. "Save some of that for later lovebirds."
Kirsten turned on her heel and headed straight for Cameron's car.
Cameron stood there, mouth gaping. He still couldn't believe the events over the last day, especially when she kissed him like that and then waltzed off like the flip of a switch.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Camille's laughter. "You have a little something there," she said, pointing to the corner of her mouth.
"Hmm?" He looked at her face, and mimicked her actions. "Good?"
"Yeah, you got it." She chuckled again.
"Thanks," he said turning towards the front door. He stopped in the doorway and turned back to her. "Feel free to put up all the mistletoe you want," he whispered to her.
Camille simply smiled at him, closing the door behind them.
Cameron rushed after Kirsten, who was already sitting in the passenger seat of his car. "You know, I was going to get that for you." He pointed to her door as he got in the driver's seat and started the car.
She shrugged and turned her focus to his radio. They had driven a few blocks before she found a station that played Christmas music. She leaned back and closed her eyes, thinking back on the last Christmas she had spent with Ed in high school. "I don't remember any holidays with my parents. Ed and I never celebrated the holidays, but he always played Christmas music the entire month of December."
He took her hand in his and squeezed gently. She glanced over at him and smiled. They drove the rest of the way in silence, Kirsten occasionally humming along with the radio. Every time she did, Cameron's lips involuntarily turned upwards in a smirk.
Cameron pulled up the very long driveway to his parents' house. The driveway was lined with miniature Christmas trees, sparkling with lights.
"I thought your family was Jew-ish?," she asked.
"My dad's side of the family is. My mom's side is Catholic. She always threw large holiday parties as a combination Christmas and Hanukkah." He parked in his usual spot in the garage. "You ready?"
She nodded, and he rushed out to open her door. She rolled her eyes at him. "Let's go boyfriend," as she linked her hand in his arm.
It took him a few seconds to process what she had said. "Oh, so I've already been upgraded to boyfriend status," he joked. His heart swelled at her words though.
She gave him a playful glare through her lashes. "Hush, before I change my mind." She hugged closer to him as he led them inside. "This is-"
"A bit over the top," he finished.
"I guess that's one way to put it." The foyer had a towering Christmas tree decorated with lights, tinsel and hundreds of ornaments. Garland and lights were on every available surface and spiraling the handrail on the grand staircase. Ceramic snowmen, reindeer and Santas adorned the end tables. The oversized lounge chairs even had decorative pillows with snowflakes on them. "And I thought Camille overdid it with the decorations."
"Come on, let's go get a drink." He placed his hand at the small of her back and led her towards the living room. Every year it was always the same- cocktail hour and dancing in the living room, then a formal sit down dinner in the dining room (that only ever got used at this time of year).
Cameron was handing her a glass of wine when he heard her.
"Cameron, there you are." Cameron's shoulders tensed at her voice. She was never the easiest to get along with. "I see you were able to take some time off of your top secret government job," she said in a condescending yet disinterested tone.
They turned towards the voice. "Hi mom," he said. "Mom, this is Kirsten. Kirsten, this is my mother Nancy."
"Nice to meet you," Kirsten said, holding out her hand to the petite woman.
His mother shook her hand. "You work with Cameron?," she asked, eyeing Kirsten up and down.
"Yes."
"You're a neuroscientist too?"
"Uh no-" Cameron interjected. "Kirsten does a lot of the programming on our project."
"I see." She turned to glare at her son. "I didn't realize you were bringing a coworker to dinner."
"Actually-," Cameron started.
"We just started dating," Kirsten finished. He reached for her hand and she squeezed it back.
"Oh, I see." Her voice had a slight more intrigue in her tone.
"Nancy!," a voice called from across the room.
"If you'll excuse me," she said. She didn't bother to wait for a response as she turned her heel to walk towards her colleague. Her brunette bob swayed in rhythm with her emerald dress as she crossed the room.
She was just out of ear shot. "I'm so sorry Kirsten," he apologized.
She reached for his other hand, intertwining their fingers. "It's fine, really. She seemed fine."
He pulled her in and kissed her cheek. "Care to dance?"
She pulled back and glared at him. "No one else is dancing."
"So? There is music playing." He led her to the corner of the room, out of sight of most of the guests. He pulled her close and started swaying to the soft music. She leaned into him, resting her head in the crook of his neck and linking her hands behind his neck.
"So, when do I get to meet the rest of your family?," she asked.
"Well, you'll meet my dad soon enough. He's probably talking with his partners from his law firm." He gently rested his head on top of hers.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"Nope, an only child. I grew up with a lot of my cousins, but most of them are on the east coast. One is up in Seattle, and one in Arizona. Some have started families, some are in grad school. They only make it out here every few years." He sighed into her hair and pulled her closer.
...
After five songs, the crowd thinned as people wandered into the dining room for dinner. The pair just started walking that way, when a deep voice stopped them. "Cameron!," he heard. He turned around just as his dad brought him in for a hug. "It's good to see you son," he said, patting his shoulder.
"You too, dad. This is-"
"Kirsten, so nice to meet you," he exclaimed, pulling her in for a hug as well. "Your mother filled me in," he directed at his son.
She lightly patted him on the back. "Nice to meet you." She took a step back and took a second to look at the man. She could see the resemblance to Cameron- slim, wore similar glasses, but had thinning hair.
"Kirsten, this is my dad, John."
"Wonderful to meet you Kirsten. So, I hear you two work together? Is that how you met?" He smiled widely at them, and it reminded Kirsten of Cameron's smile. He definitely took after his father.
Cameron put his hand at the small of her back, mainly to comfort himself. He knew questions would escalate quickly.
She leaned into his touch. "Yes, I was recruited to the program earlier this year," she responded.
"How long have you two been dating?"
And there it was, the start of it. "Dad, we just started dating." Cameron gripped her waist tighter and nervously ran his fingers through his hair.
"Oh. So have you two talked about marriage yet? Kids?"
Cameron immediately tensed.
"We haven't talked about it yet," Kirsten answered quickly and gave him a small smile. She could tell that Cameron was having a difficult time with all the questions. She shifted her body slightly so she could place her hand on his shoulder. He relaxed the slightest bit, so she ran her hand to the nape of his neck and rubbed circles there.
John chuckled at the sight. Even though they just started dating, according to them, he didn't miss how Cameron relaxed under her touch. "We just want you to be happy son." He pulled them both in for a brief hug. "Come on, let's get dinner, before your mother comes looking for us."
...
The pair managed to survive dinner with minimal questions. They sat near the end of one of the tables, surrounded by his mother's coworkers from the hospital, far away from his parents. They enjoyed some more dancing after dessert, before Cameron noticed the time.
He kissed her cheek. "Hey there Sugarplum, how about I drive you home?"
"I guess." She stifled a yawn against his shoulder.
"Let me just go say goodnight to my folks, and we'll get out of here." He gently directed her towards a chair in the foyer, his hand grazing her cheek before he left.
She zoned out in her half asleep state, until a familiar voice focused her attention. "Ah, there you are!" His mother looked a lot more agreeable than earlier, but that could also be because she was slurring her words and stumbling slightly. "You two seem good for each other," she trailed off. She took another sip of her wine. "So when are we getting grandchildren Kristen?"
"It's Kirsten actually, Mrs. Goodkin." She crossed her arms and glared at her.
She set down her glass of wine and leaned against the wall for support. "It's Doctor Goodkin. But, you can call me Nancy... Stop changing the subject. I see the way you look at each other. And it's rather difficult to believe that you just started dating." She pointed her finger at Kirsten, as if that would get her point across.
"I can be a bit oblivious," she admitted. "Or so I've been told."
"What's that?," Cameron asked, coming in from the living room.
"Oh nothing," Kirsten shrugged.
He looked at her with a sideways glance. He turned to his mother. "Well, Kirsten and I were just leaving."
"I'm glad you were able to make it," Nancy said. She hugged him briefly. "Feel free to stop by any time."
"Thanks mom." He pulled Kirsten up from her seat and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"It was nice to meet you Nancy." She nodded at his mother.
"You too, Kirsten." She smiled at her son and his girlfriend as they walked away.
Cameron helped Kirsten into his car, and she was practically asleep by the time he got in the driver's seat.
...
The next thing Kirsten noticed was the sudden stop as Cameron put his car into park. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. "Wake up Sleeping Beauty."
She groaned. "Don't wanna."
He laughed. That was definitely a Kirsten response. "Well, let me walk you to your door, and you can go to bed."
"Hmm," she thought. Bed would be more comfortable than his car. "Alright." She finally opened her eyes as he got her door.
He walked her to her front door, as promised. His parents could be a bit much, and he wasn't entirely certain what his mother spoke to her about. A small part of him expected her to run the other way. He was stalling and he knew it.
She was waiting for him to say something first, but he was looking at the floor and clenching his hands. She took a step closer to him. "I had a nice time today," she said.
He looked up at her. "Yeah?"
She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Yes."
"I uh- thought my parents might scare you off."
"They didn't. They were actually pretty normal," she smirked. "Besides-" she narrowed her eyes at him. "You can't get rid of me that easily."
He beamed at her. "Trust me, I don't plan on it." He leaned in and lightly pressed his lips to hers. A question came to mind, and he pulled back. "So does that mean there's going to be a second date?," he asked with a smile.
Her lips brushed his. "Yes."