Oh the Woes - tags Cam

“Have you ever microwaved metal before?” Cam asked, giving Chester the look, his eyebrows raised. “Now that’s a dark place to be.” Let’s just say Cam knew a lot more about microwaving things that shouldn’t be microwaved. What? He watched a lot of YouTube.

Everything in the moment was right, Cam’s mind had gone ape shit. His hands went to the back of Chester’s head, finding purchase in the shaggy red hair. Nothing felt more right, nothing made his heart sing more than this, than being with Chester. Cam felt he took as much as he gave and he just wanted to keep on giving.

They kissed for a while, in the middle of the school yard, tucked into the snow. There were no voices in Cam’s head, only clarity. Maybe he had been wrong about Chester. All he could think about was one word: finally. The conversation he’d had with Ray made more sense now, and he was starting to figure things out. He loved Dec, he really did. But he was in love with Chester.

Chester spoke and Cam didn’t want to stop. He didn’t want to let go. But he didn’t want to hurt Dec, and he knew he just had. He hadn’t realized how brightly he had been glowing until the light dimmed. Cam stopped in the end, his body slumping on Chester’s before moving off completely. “I…” I love you…

Cam looked to Chester, a frown on his face. Was Chester just using him in his moment of weakness? He felt hurt, rage, and love all at the same time from the same person. Cam stood up suddenly, his shirt and pants soaked through, as promised. “Then why’d you kiss me?” He asked calmly, just trying to understand why Chest enjoyed taunting him. Why? Was it just a kiss? He really hoped not, because if it was, he just threw away his relationship with Declyn for nothing. And their friendship was most likely over. “I can’t read your mind like you can read mine Chest.”

Cam laughed, shaking his head at Alex. Funny, the blond never had any problems getting in there.

Of course this wouldn’t end well. Chester had to wait until Cameron was taken by someone else to kiss him. Why did it have to happen that way? Was his whole life a soap opera or something?

Cam titled his head to the side, scrutinizing his friend. What? Chest didn’t what? Cam didn’t understand, and everything that had made sense moments before made way for the confusion Cam was feeling now. The blond had no idea the great efforts Chester had gone through, but it wasn’t helping the pitter patter of his heart.

“What?” Cam asked, his voice cracking. He crossed his arms in front of him, looking down at Chester like he had spoken a foreign language. “You mean…” Cam sighed, his hands going to his forehead. Little light spots began dancing around in the air. So Chester had never known the feelings Cam had for him? Cam had just assumed they weren’t returned?

He was such an idiot.

Chester was a lot sweeter than he made out to be. Maybe it was just for Cam, but that’s all Cam needed to know. He’d always wanted to be special. He didn’t want to be just another body to Chester. But now Cam known he had missed a lot of chances by assuming Chester thought of him as the same as everyone else.

“That’s not fair,” Cam said. It wasn’t fair to either of them, especially when Chester was still learning to control his power. Cam didn’t want to be the cause of so much pain, physical or emotional.

But then Chester was sorry he had kissed him, and Cam looked away. Was it really that bad? Was it really such an ultimate mistake? Things couldn’t get any worse than they already were. Cam suspected Ray was falling for him again, and now this?

“That’s not good enough Chest,” Cam yelled out. No, he wasn’t letting Chester leave like this, whether he was supressing his mind reading abilities or not. In fact, it’d be better if he just read Cam’s mind right now, it’d make things easier. Cam wanted to run after Chest, tell him he loved him, but not if it ruined their friendship, or whatever was left of it.

Running after Chester, Cam quickly ran past him and stood in front of him, his arms on Chester’s shoulders. He looked up at his friend and lost his nerve. “Okay.” He could tell when he wasn’t wanted. “But what if I gave you permission to read my mind? Just right now?”

That’s just how things worked out sometimes. Chester was someone Cam constantly flirted with but didn’t try taking things too seriously with. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, he just worried that Chester wouldn’t take him seriously at all, and that would leave them in an awkward place. So if Cam had to choose, and he believed he did, then he would rather stay bubbly and keep Chester than be serious and lose him.

This was absolutely something. Cam and Chester, close and they were, didn’t go around kissing one another because they had nothing better to do. It meant something to Cam, and he could still taste Chester on his lips. But he wasn’t going to let Chester leave now and ruin whatever had taken place moments ago.

Cam let his arms drop, closing his eyes. This wasn’t going to be easy. “Because, I thought you knew all along.” He put his hands on his hips then, unable to keep still as he looked down at his feet. “And I thought, since you knew what I thought, that I wasn’t good enough for you, except as a friend," he tapped his temple a few times, "it's all up here. It always is. You're always there." What else could he say?

Certainly Cam enjoyed putting on shows, but theirs was a friendship built and based off mutual trust and respect. Chester didn’t care that Cam was from a poor family, and Cam obviously didn’t care about Chester’s bad attitude. Chester was his home away from home, and his best friend. No one could change that.

Chester had asked for Cam just to say what was on his mind, he had. Declyn came up and Cam didn’t know what to do. He just forgot about the other people in his life when he was with someone else. Except Chester. He came up more often than not in thought, except for lately, when Cam thought Chest was through with him.

If it were for Chester, it wouldn’t be selfish. “But I…” would. Cam didn’t think the intro was such a big deal, but yes, he did love Dec. So much. But Chester… He was different. “You’re not selfish Chest,” Cam said, wanting to also add that he was honest, but Cam wasn’t sure if he should’ve assumed Chest didn’t read his mind, or if the redhead should’ve told him. “But if I would’ve known you…,” he gestured between the two of them, “this, you and me…” Cam couldn’t handle what he had missed out on unknowingly.