Notes: all notes and disclaimers can be found in chapter one
-
In the main room, Tori perched on the edge of the computer table, chatting with Shane, who was leaning against a pillar, and Cam who was focused on his computer screen.
"So Hunter's okay?" Shane questioned.
"Yeah." Cam's eyes didn't bother to look up from his programming and codes. "Blake's in there talking to him right now."
Tori's eyes lit up at the mention of Blake's name. "Cool."
"Got plans today with Blake?" A teasing grin spread across Shane's face.
The blond girl's cheeks tinted with a light blush. "Maybe."
"You do, don't you?" Shane was positively smirking now.
"So what if I do?" Tori resisted the urge to revert back to tactics of children and stick her tongue out at her friend. "We hang out all the time! I chill with him because he's fun! Like yesterday! Until we were interrupted." She paused to glare at the device resting against her wrist.
Shane's expression suddenly hardened. "Hey, Tor. You know that with power comes responsibility,.."
"Yeah, yeah…" Her face reddened even more now, for entirely different reasons. "I wasn't complaining…"
She was saved from further embarrassment with Dustin's well-timed entrance, clad in a ripped yellow t-shirt, bouncing a basketball. "Hey guys. Shane, wanna play?"
Shane's expression brightened again. "First to 21?"
" 'Course, bro." He turned to the rest of them. "Later, dudes. We're just going to be at the court, 'k? Contact us if you need us. Hopefully not."
Cam and Tori watched their retreating backs as Shane and Dustin left, chatting excitedly between themselves, hands brushing the other's, never quite touching; their steps and paces matching as they exchanged secret smiles.
As the door slid shut behind them, Cam shook his head, a mix of amusement and fascination on his face. "Well, it's about time."
Tori grinned widely, eyes sparkling as she rested sandal-clad feet against the arm of Cam's computer chair. "So all my friends are gay. I can't decide if that makes me giddy or really giddy."
That caught Cam's attention. "Come again?"
She repeated her statement, slower this time. "It makes me giddy that all my guy friends are apparently gay." She paused. "Oh wait. Except Blake. I hope."
Cam narrowed his eyes at her. "And what am I, chopped liver?"
"What do you mean?"
"Aren't we friends?"
"Totally!"
"But I'm not gay!"
"What do you call your thing for Hunter?" Tori pointed out, smugly.
"What?!" For once in his life, Cam was unable to immediately form an eloquent sentence. "What are you talking about?"
Tori sighed. "You like Hunter." She spelt out, much to Cam's annoyance. "Hunter is a boy. Therefore, you are gay. Unless you like girls too. In which case, my bad. But that doesn't stop me from being giddy about this!"
"What?!" Cam found himself repeating. He was beginning to feel like an extremely repetitive talking parrot.
"Oh, come on, Cam. I'll bet he likes you too! Besides, it's nothing to be ashamed of! You guys would make such a cute couple!" Tori wheedled, now poking Cam in the arm with her turquoise sandals and navy blue polish on toenails.
He was about to tell her to quit it or threaten her to be digging through the dumpster for her flip-flops, when Blake wandered in, effectively taking her attention off of Cam. "Who would make a cute couple?" Blake inquired.
"No one." Tori shot a pointed look in Cam's direction before continuing. "Everything okay?"
"Oh yeah." Blake was grinning from ear to ear. "Better than okay, actually." He hesitated only a moment before holding out a hand and offering it to Tori. "You ready to go?"
Tori looked about ready to explode with glee. "Yeah!" She let herself be pulled out of the room as both she and Blake tossed off goodbyes at Cam.
Cam thought for a moment. There would be other battles and arguments to be fought with Tori. Why not let her have this one? It might just make her day even more than it already had been made.
"Tori?" he called to her retreating back.
"Yeah?" she yelled back.
"Maybe a little."
His confession was met with a loud whoop of excitement and victory on Tori's part and a confused question from Blake at Cam's cryptic statement, fading with their footsteps down the hall.
Cam smiled in spite of himself, and swivelled his chair back around to face his computer screen and was ready to go back to work, when a sudden voice at his shoulder almost made him jump out of his seat. "If you should want to talk to him, now would be the ideal time."
When Cam's breathing had regulated once more, the creature had already hopped down onto the desk in front of him. "Dad! You almost scared me to death! And who's this him I'm supposed to be speaking to?"
"I am sorry. But you should know that if you want to speak to Hunter, now would be the ideal time."
"And why would I want to do a thing like that?"
"Cam." His father sounded amused. "You never were a very good liar."
Cam was indignant. "What are you talking about?"
"Look, Cameron." Cam winced at the use of his full name. "I have no problem with you two together. You love who you love; it is what it is."
"But…how…" For the second time in a day, Cam was rendered speechless. Finally, all he could muster was "Since when have you been interested in who I see?"
"Since always. I am your father. I care about you and your well-being, whether it is evident or not."
"Oh." Was all that Cam could manage. "Well, I knew that, but…why this all of a sudden?"
"Because, I wish for you to be happy. Hunter seems to make you happy, son." The guinea pig's nose and whiskers twitched slightly in mirth. "Besides, you could do much worse."
And with that sentiment and a wink, his father scampered out of the room, leaving Cam alone in a daze.
-
He found himself in the dim room, almost ten minutes after the encounter with his father. He stood in the doorway, unsure of what exactly to do, eyeing the lump under the pile of blankets on the other side of the room, a crimson red sleeve and pale hand sticking out from under the mess.
Finally, the lump moved slightly. "Hey Cam."
Cam was slightly taken aback. "How did you know it was me?"
"Who else would wear such an ugly green shirt?" A smirk was detected in the answer.
"It's not ugly. I like it."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night, bro." Hunter threw off some of the covers. "So you gonna stand there all day or what?"
Against his better judgement, Cam balanced himself delicately on the side of the bed. "Better?"
"Lots."
Silence reigned in the room.
And then, "You know, you really had us worried for a while ther…"
"Okay yeah." Hunter cut in, holding up a hand. "I know, I heard. What can I say?" Shrugging as he winced slightly. "I got it, all right bro?" His expression brightened as he changed the subject. "Hey, where is everybody? Tori and Blake are at the beach…what about Dustin and Shane?"
"Playing basketball. First to 21." Cam replied, emphasising the _basketball_ part.
Hunter smirked again. "Well, it's about time."
Laughter. "Yeah, that's exactly what I said."
Conversation lapsed once more.
Cam couldn't resist. "You really scared me, Hunter.", surprised at how soft his voice sounded, even to his own ears. His sentence loaded with meaning that he could not expression in words. He spread his fingers out on the mattress, his hand suddenly of much interest as he examined it.
This seemed to surprise Hunter. "Hey." He reached out longer fingers and covered Cam's hand with them. Letting him know that he understood. "I'm sorry, okay?"
Cam was content in letting Hunter idly play with his fingers. "Yeah, okay."
It was Hunter who broke the quiet this time. "Hey Cam?"
"Yeah?"
"What is…this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like…" Hunter grasped Cam's hand with his own. "Is this…?"
Cam shrugged. "It is what it is." When Hunter gave him a quizzical look, the only thing he could offer back was a small smile. "All right, so I don't really know what this is." He paused. And then shyly, tentatively, "But I'd like to find out."
Hunter seemed to think about this for a moment. And then, without letting go of Cam's hand, he looked him straight in the eye and gave him a genuine smile. "Okay."
- end -
closing notes: Thanks to all who read and reviewed the story. First attempt at a fandom that I've never actually watched. Thank you for the feedback and the helpful hints and for reading. You guys ROCK!!! ^_________^
-
In the main room, Tori perched on the edge of the computer table, chatting with Shane, who was leaning against a pillar, and Cam who was focused on his computer screen.
"So Hunter's okay?" Shane questioned.
"Yeah." Cam's eyes didn't bother to look up from his programming and codes. "Blake's in there talking to him right now."
Tori's eyes lit up at the mention of Blake's name. "Cool."
"Got plans today with Blake?" A teasing grin spread across Shane's face.
The blond girl's cheeks tinted with a light blush. "Maybe."
"You do, don't you?" Shane was positively smirking now.
"So what if I do?" Tori resisted the urge to revert back to tactics of children and stick her tongue out at her friend. "We hang out all the time! I chill with him because he's fun! Like yesterday! Until we were interrupted." She paused to glare at the device resting against her wrist.
Shane's expression suddenly hardened. "Hey, Tor. You know that with power comes responsibility,.."
"Yeah, yeah…" Her face reddened even more now, for entirely different reasons. "I wasn't complaining…"
She was saved from further embarrassment with Dustin's well-timed entrance, clad in a ripped yellow t-shirt, bouncing a basketball. "Hey guys. Shane, wanna play?"
Shane's expression brightened again. "First to 21?"
" 'Course, bro." He turned to the rest of them. "Later, dudes. We're just going to be at the court, 'k? Contact us if you need us. Hopefully not."
Cam and Tori watched their retreating backs as Shane and Dustin left, chatting excitedly between themselves, hands brushing the other's, never quite touching; their steps and paces matching as they exchanged secret smiles.
As the door slid shut behind them, Cam shook his head, a mix of amusement and fascination on his face. "Well, it's about time."
Tori grinned widely, eyes sparkling as she rested sandal-clad feet against the arm of Cam's computer chair. "So all my friends are gay. I can't decide if that makes me giddy or really giddy."
That caught Cam's attention. "Come again?"
She repeated her statement, slower this time. "It makes me giddy that all my guy friends are apparently gay." She paused. "Oh wait. Except Blake. I hope."
Cam narrowed his eyes at her. "And what am I, chopped liver?"
"What do you mean?"
"Aren't we friends?"
"Totally!"
"But I'm not gay!"
"What do you call your thing for Hunter?" Tori pointed out, smugly.
"What?!" For once in his life, Cam was unable to immediately form an eloquent sentence. "What are you talking about?"
Tori sighed. "You like Hunter." She spelt out, much to Cam's annoyance. "Hunter is a boy. Therefore, you are gay. Unless you like girls too. In which case, my bad. But that doesn't stop me from being giddy about this!"
"What?!" Cam found himself repeating. He was beginning to feel like an extremely repetitive talking parrot.
"Oh, come on, Cam. I'll bet he likes you too! Besides, it's nothing to be ashamed of! You guys would make such a cute couple!" Tori wheedled, now poking Cam in the arm with her turquoise sandals and navy blue polish on toenails.
He was about to tell her to quit it or threaten her to be digging through the dumpster for her flip-flops, when Blake wandered in, effectively taking her attention off of Cam. "Who would make a cute couple?" Blake inquired.
"No one." Tori shot a pointed look in Cam's direction before continuing. "Everything okay?"
"Oh yeah." Blake was grinning from ear to ear. "Better than okay, actually." He hesitated only a moment before holding out a hand and offering it to Tori. "You ready to go?"
Tori looked about ready to explode with glee. "Yeah!" She let herself be pulled out of the room as both she and Blake tossed off goodbyes at Cam.
Cam thought for a moment. There would be other battles and arguments to be fought with Tori. Why not let her have this one? It might just make her day even more than it already had been made.
"Tori?" he called to her retreating back.
"Yeah?" she yelled back.
"Maybe a little."
His confession was met with a loud whoop of excitement and victory on Tori's part and a confused question from Blake at Cam's cryptic statement, fading with their footsteps down the hall.
Cam smiled in spite of himself, and swivelled his chair back around to face his computer screen and was ready to go back to work, when a sudden voice at his shoulder almost made him jump out of his seat. "If you should want to talk to him, now would be the ideal time."
When Cam's breathing had regulated once more, the creature had already hopped down onto the desk in front of him. "Dad! You almost scared me to death! And who's this him I'm supposed to be speaking to?"
"I am sorry. But you should know that if you want to speak to Hunter, now would be the ideal time."
"And why would I want to do a thing like that?"
"Cam." His father sounded amused. "You never were a very good liar."
Cam was indignant. "What are you talking about?"
"Look, Cameron." Cam winced at the use of his full name. "I have no problem with you two together. You love who you love; it is what it is."
"But…how…" For the second time in a day, Cam was rendered speechless. Finally, all he could muster was "Since when have you been interested in who I see?"
"Since always. I am your father. I care about you and your well-being, whether it is evident or not."
"Oh." Was all that Cam could manage. "Well, I knew that, but…why this all of a sudden?"
"Because, I wish for you to be happy. Hunter seems to make you happy, son." The guinea pig's nose and whiskers twitched slightly in mirth. "Besides, you could do much worse."
And with that sentiment and a wink, his father scampered out of the room, leaving Cam alone in a daze.
-
He found himself in the dim room, almost ten minutes after the encounter with his father. He stood in the doorway, unsure of what exactly to do, eyeing the lump under the pile of blankets on the other side of the room, a crimson red sleeve and pale hand sticking out from under the mess.
Finally, the lump moved slightly. "Hey Cam."
Cam was slightly taken aback. "How did you know it was me?"
"Who else would wear such an ugly green shirt?" A smirk was detected in the answer.
"It's not ugly. I like it."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night, bro." Hunter threw off some of the covers. "So you gonna stand there all day or what?"
Against his better judgement, Cam balanced himself delicately on the side of the bed. "Better?"
"Lots."
Silence reigned in the room.
And then, "You know, you really had us worried for a while ther…"
"Okay yeah." Hunter cut in, holding up a hand. "I know, I heard. What can I say?" Shrugging as he winced slightly. "I got it, all right bro?" His expression brightened as he changed the subject. "Hey, where is everybody? Tori and Blake are at the beach…what about Dustin and Shane?"
"Playing basketball. First to 21." Cam replied, emphasising the _basketball_ part.
Hunter smirked again. "Well, it's about time."
Laughter. "Yeah, that's exactly what I said."
Conversation lapsed once more.
Cam couldn't resist. "You really scared me, Hunter.", surprised at how soft his voice sounded, even to his own ears. His sentence loaded with meaning that he could not expression in words. He spread his fingers out on the mattress, his hand suddenly of much interest as he examined it.
This seemed to surprise Hunter. "Hey." He reached out longer fingers and covered Cam's hand with them. Letting him know that he understood. "I'm sorry, okay?"
Cam was content in letting Hunter idly play with his fingers. "Yeah, okay."
It was Hunter who broke the quiet this time. "Hey Cam?"
"Yeah?"
"What is…this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like…" Hunter grasped Cam's hand with his own. "Is this…?"
Cam shrugged. "It is what it is." When Hunter gave him a quizzical look, the only thing he could offer back was a small smile. "All right, so I don't really know what this is." He paused. And then shyly, tentatively, "But I'd like to find out."
Hunter seemed to think about this for a moment. And then, without letting go of Cam's hand, he looked him straight in the eye and gave him a genuine smile. "Okay."
- end -
closing notes: Thanks to all who read and reviewed the story. First attempt at a fandom that I've never actually watched. Thank you for the feedback and the helpful hints and for reading. You guys ROCK!!! ^_________^
