Second fic for Logan's birthday. There will be a second part to this. FYI.
Enjoy, Logan! Happy birthday and Happy Thanksgiving!
Nate sighed as he ran through his photos from this year's camp reunion for the third time in two hours. Ella was in nearly every single one. Looking gorgeous every single time.
Could the week-long reunion have ended just five days ago?
"Dude. If you like Ella, go for it."
Nate glared at Caitlyn as she walked into the kitchen, reached into the fridge and poured herself a glass of milk before walking into the pantry and returning with a package of Oreos. She twisted a cookie and scraped the cream off with her teeth before dunking the cookie halves in her milk.
"Who says I like Ella?" he said.
"You've been staring at those pictures since we got back here last week. Jason and I both had bets going on when you were going to make a move."
"And how'd that turn out?" he asked icily.
"We both lost. So we agreed to do—"
"Before you answer, does this have anything to do with the edible body powder I found behind my Elvis Costello CDs on the shelf in the living room?"
Caitlyn smirked. "I was trying to find a secret place for it so Jason wouldn't find it. But no. This bet was about dinner for the other night."
Nate groaned. "Why do I live with you two?"
"Because you want to move to New York with El-la," Caitlyn said slowly.
"Shut up and tell me how you know I like Ella, Cait. Or I'll tell Jason where all of your secret stashes of things are."
She rolled her eyes. "You're being a sap over her. Flipping through all those photos multiple times in a few hours. The way you stared at her all week long. I saw you sniff her. Sniff her, Nate. Who does that besides creepers and people in love?"
"Speaking from personal experience?" Nate asked wryly.
"I sniffed Jason only during hugs. You sniffed Ella while sitting next to her at the campfire as she was talking to someone else."
"So basically, I'm acting like you did before you told Jason you liked him?"
"But creepier," she said, eating another Oreo. "I never did half the things you did. I just pined away for Jason and chased off all the other girls I perceived as a threat." She drained the glass of milk and wiped her mouth. "I have issues."
Nate rolled his eyes. "Obviously. You're dating my brother."
"Don't be rude to my girlfriend or I'll pass you off to Shane and Mitchie," Jason said as he walked in from the garage.
"I was not being rude to Caitlyn, Jason. I was being rude to you."
Jason rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just make a move on Ella already. I'm tired of owing favors to Caitlyn."
"Gross, you guys. I already live with you. I don't need to become involved in conversations about the sickening things you do behind closed, but not locked, doors."
Jason flushed slightly and Caitlyn stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.
"Our house, our rules, Nater-Tot."
"Our house?" Jason asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Caitlyn blushed. "We can discuss this upstairs. In the bedroom. Alone. While Nate sits here and calls Ella and tells her how he feels so I can cash in on that bet we made."
Nate glared at the pair and they ran up the stairs, giggling, slamming the door to the bedroom. Rolling his eyes, he went to his room and picked up his cell phone from his nightstand.
He stared at Ella's name on his contacts list before sighing heavily and tapping her name.
"Helloooo?" Ella said as she picked up the phone.
"Hey, Ells. Um, it's Nate."
"I know. Caller ID."
"Oh." He laughed nervously. "Right."
"So?" she asked. "Why'd you call?"
"Um…You know how a couple of years ago Caitlyn was all sappy over Jason and it was super weird because that goes against her typical personality?"
"Uh…yeah?"
"She was always staring at him and super-jealous of other girls and was all about platonic affection and was always roping him into photos?"
"I was there, Nate. I remember. I had to listen to her flip-flop over telling him all summer long."
He chuckled nervously. "Right. Um…the reason I'm talking about that is that…well…I've recently been acting like that. About you."
"Oh." There was silence on her end for a minute.
"Um, Ells? Could you…say something?" Nate begged.
"You're being sappy…over me?" she asked, the glee evident in her voice.
He sighed. "Yes. It's sort of disgusting. Caitlyn actually called me out on it just now."
"Just now?"
"Well, I had been looking through the photos from the reunion for about the third time that day. Photos the heavily featured you."
She laughed. "I was thinking you were taking more photos than normal."
"So…what do you think?"
"Of you being sappy?" She paused. "It's nice."
"That's all?" Nate asked. He slammed the heel of his hand against his forehead in frustration.
"I've been pretty sappy myself, lately."
He raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"
"Yeah. I noticed you sniffing me at the campfire and I kept waiting for you to do something all the rest of the week."
"Shit," Nate muttered.
"I thought it was sort of cute. If really, really creepy. I mean, once I realized it was you and not some Edward Cullen wannabe, I was okay with it. As long as it was followed by you asking me out."
"So…when I didn't…"
"Caitlyn offered to booby-trap your room in Jason's house. And sell your Elvis Costello CDs on some C3 fansite."
He sighed heavily. "Remind me to switch her hiding places for her things."
Ella giggled. "The ones she hides from Jason?"
"Yes, those."
"Poor, long-suffering Nater-Tot. What can I do to make it better?"
"Fly out to LA right now and go to dinner with me?"
She laughed. "No can do, Nate. I have that internship starting in a week and I need to take of some things around here before that. Plus I can't exactly afford air travel. Can we have a webcam date though? Each get something from the same restaurant and sit and talk in front of our computers?"
"Smashburger?" Nate asked.
"Sounds good. See you in an hour?" she asked.