WARNINGS: This is so darn fluffy there's absolute nothing to warn about, which is a shame really.
NOTES: Just a little ficlet for everyone who wanted to see more of Camden Wells. Takes place in the Lost That Loving Feeling Universe.
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Camden was surprised to see Pete the timeshare cat show up on a Monday evening. Monday and Tuesday were his actual owner's days off and the cat usually stayed home, soaking up treats and affection. Maybe, he mused, she'd been called in for a sick co-worker. It happened from time to time.
Pete made his way around the cave, pausing to scent mark all his favorite places and Cam held his hand out for a head rub as the cat passed by. Paper rustled under his fingers as they traveled over Pete's head and neck.
He smiled. "Mail call." He tugged loose the tiny roll of paper tied to the cat's collar with red yarn. "Better than the pony express."
Delivery job finished, Pete headed over to inspect the food dish Cam kept for him, climbing over top of Peanut's midsection on the way. The big dog roused enough to lift his head then flopped back with a whuff of displeasure. He and Pete had reached a type of détente months ago, mostly because Pete refused to be scared and Peanut was too lazy to make much of an effort.
"Yo, bro, you in there!" a voice shouted from outside.
"If I say no, will you go away?"
"Nope," Cam's brother Alex said, walking into the cave half bent over to avoid the low ceiling. He flopped into a bean bag chair wearing a tuxedo, collar unbuttoned and bow tie hanging, hair recently mussed out of its careful combing. "I'm desperate."
Cam rolled the note between his fingers as he watched Pete climb back over Peanut, debating on whether to read it right away or wait until his brother left. "I take it mom arranged a date for you to her fundraiser?" There was a reason he was out here instead of at the house taking a hot shower after a long day of hanging drywall.
"How do you get out of these things?" Alex whined.
Cam reminded him, perhaps a little smugly, "Can't stand the crowds."
"Bullshit," Alex stated. "That may have been true six months ago, but you've been making good progress."
He was. And though he'd never admit it to the Grimm, Nick's wesen therapy group had helped that immensely. Having something to do with his day, people he couldn't avoid, had forced him out whether he wanted to go or not. He was still meeting with Collin Smith personally once a week and the group as a whole twice a month and even if most of them were people simply trying to figure out how to adjust their world view to include a whole new side of their friends, spouses, or lovers…well, it was important work.
"Yeah," Cam said, "but Mom doesn't know that."
Alex chuckled and scratched Pete's head as the cat strolled by, leaving a swath of orange fur on the shins of Alex's black dress pants. "She will eventually. The fact that you're having a house built on the backside of the property might tip her off."
"Yep," Cam agreed easily, "but until then I'm going to milk it for all it's worth."
"Come on, you could take this mystery woman you've been talking to."
"She's not a mystery woman," Cam protested. Pete's real owner was a thirty-something redhead named Mara with a wicked sense of humor, a mouth like the sailor she had been for four years, and a yellow house on the edge of the park. She was brash and outgoing and his mother would absolutely hate her. Cam was pretty sure he was halfway in love.
They'd been cat-mailing on and off for two months and had actually met once when Cam had walked Pete home on a night when he could hear coyotes howling closer than usual. She'd thanked him with coffee and store-bought shortbread cookies and hadn't minded that he didn't talk much.
"Please," Alex scoffed. "You won't tell any of us who she is and you use a cat to communicate. Is she a spy?"
"She's not a spy."
"Is she married?"
"She's not married."
"Is she gay?"
"She's not…actually I have no idea. It seemed impolite to ask the one time I met her face to face."
"Then ask her out for God's sake and stop moping about it," Alex said.
"There's nothing to mope about," Cam insisted. "And I doubt very much she'd be interested in me that way."
"Dude, just because you're not seven feet tall like the rest of the family doesn't mean you're not a catch."
Cam rolled his eyes. "I didn't say that."
"Look at you. Your halfway smart, decently wealthy, fairly handsome—"
Cam squinted at him. "Wow thanks."
"Lord knows why, but she seems to think you're funny," Alex continued. "She'd totally go for you."
"Until she finds out I turn into an ogre when I'm upset."
"Hey, so did the Hulk and he still found love."
"Not exactly the best role model in the romance department there, bro."
"Alright," Alex conceded. "You may have a point there. But," he held up a finger, "so does mom and she managed to have three kids."
"That's because dad is an incredibly tolerant and patient man."
Alex heaved a put upon sigh. "I give up. Are you going to read the note or not."
Cam unrolled the tiny piece of paper. It was brief and to the point.
Dinner, tomorrow, 7pm.
Wear something pretty.
M
"Well, hell," Cam said out loud.
"What?" Leaning forward, Alex stretched out one long arm and snatched the note. He read the few words and started laughing. "I have got to meet this woman," he managed between chuckles.
Cam dropped his head into his hands with a groan.
Pete tucked himself into a loaf on the cot and looked smug as only a cat could.
The End
NOTES: Off to work on a big project for a bit. Hopefully it won't be as long as the last one. This is the last one-shot I have finished but I have a few others in the works and I'm always willing to be inspired if you guys have any requests.