You! (Cameron)

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Mmm... What to do. Tak had been stuck in a sort of fuzz lately, drifting from place to place and class to class in an almost daze, caught up in thoughts of her past, her future, what the hell she was going to do once she graduated this year... It was all so overwhelming. Of course, her daughter was always in the back of her mind too - even after eight months, Tacicala was still affecting her life, and likely would continue to for as long as Tak was allowed to see her (hopefully forever).

Along with thoughts of her daughter always came the girl's father, which Tak always tried to quickly snuff out. Cam was gone, possibly for good, and she had to stop dwelling on the notions that she might see him again. It wasn't like he had been her boyfriend or anything, but... Well, having a child with someone was a pretty huge deal, and she'd become emotionally bonded to him more than nearly anyone else. Him leaving had had a huge effect on her life, though she'd tried not to show it.

For now, she was laid out on one of the couches on the first floor of the dorms, flipping absent-mindedly through a book on natural remedies. As usual, she was showing off a fair amount of skin - just dressed in a long, mid-thigh length sweater and a pair of socks. It was getting to be somewhat late, and students were heading back up to their dorms, leaving Tak without much company around. She didn't have any reason to leave, though - she would be just as pensive in her room as she was here. With a silent sigh, she turned a page and tried to distract herself with what she was reading.

[Cameron Osiris]

Moving back here hadn’t exactly been easy. It wasn’t that he didn’t like staying with his dad and going to school in California, but, that wasn’t cutting it. He missed absolutely everyone, and had become totally destitute. He was constantly thinking and never going on adventures, and that so wasn’t him. His dad was the one who encouraged him to finish his final year at Hammel and reconnect. He also claimed he would be here whenever Cam needed him, he was too old to go anywhere new now.

Hauling all of his things through the grounds, Cam couldn’t help but feel at home. Yeah there were a lot of mixed feelings, but it was still home. A few old faces waved at him on his way in and he wondered where his dorm would be this time – there was probably going to be new roommates. More luggage was in his truck, the one Chester gave him, and for now he had some paperwork in one hand, and his guitar in the other.

There were so many people he missed: Declyn, Chester, Tak, Ravyn, his old roommates… God it had been so long. He was surprised people hadn’t forgotten about him. He smiled to himself, well, he couldn’t really blame them. He also missed a tiny someone he had never even met, and he wondered every day if he ever would.

Proceeding to pass through the first floor, Cam stopped in his tracks and nearly dropped his things. Instead he set them down quickly and went to the beautiful girl on the couch. “Tak? Oh my god.” He was breathless, and he sat on the ground in front of her. The half smirk that was always on his face could not be removed, even though he was trying to be serious. “You look great.” Of course that would be the first thing out of his mouth.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

The first thing that Tak noticed was the voice. His voice. No, that wasn't possible, she must've been mistaking someone else. It was enough, though, to make her peek out from behind her book, and the sight before her made her freeze. Nope, she must have fallen asleep and was dreaming, because that boy was back in California. It was like he had materialized from her thoughts just to torment her even more.

But then he came closer, and spoke again, and it felt way too real to be a dream. And still Tak lay there, completely still, an incredulous expression on her face as she tried to process the event unfolding before her.

It took a while longer for her to finally snap out of it. And the first thing she did was drop the book and smack that blonde jerk right across the cheek with as much strength as she could muster.

"You left!" she accused him, eyes burning. "You left me... Left us..." Oh no, if he was expecting a happy reunion, he was wrong. What he said, and that devious little smirk, weren't helping. "And, what, now you're back like nothing happened? What the fuck, Cam?!" It took a lot to rile Tak up so much so quickly; she was flustered and overwhelmed and didn't know what to do.

A moment later, she grabbed Cam by the back of the neck and met their lips together.

[Cameron Osiris]

"Tak?" Cam only asked because she looked so stunned to see him, he wasn't trying to mock her. "Hey, it's me, wake up!" He tried snapping his fingers in front of her, only leaning closer to the girl he loved spending time with, especially between the sheets. He knew there was more to her than that, but Tak tended not to share that much about herself.

And then she slapped him.

Cam's mouth was open in a small 'o', and his own hand went to hold his face. "Shit!" What? It hurt! Whoever coined the phrase 'hit like a girl' had obviously never actually been hit like one. Yeah, he refused to believe he was fragile.

Cam reached out to grab one of her wrists so she wouldn't slap him again. His head hung low and he steadied himself. "I know... It was wrong and I'm sorry." Drama always seemed to follow him, no matter how carefree he thought life could be. "What, you want me on my hands and knees?" He asked jokingly. "Come on, you can't stay mad at me forever."

And really, she couldn't. Cam happily kissed her back and pulled away just as sharply as she had pulled him in. He searched her beautiful eyes and smiled. "See?" Still holding onto one of her hands, Cam stood up and sat behind her, making her lean on him. "Come on, tell me how you've been. For real."

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Hmph. At least Tak got that small satisfaction from seeing Cam's smug face look so shocked from the slap. It almost made her laugh, had she not been roiling with so many other emotions.

"Hey!" she protested as Cameron snagged her wrist, brow furrowed fiercely as she tried with no avail to pull it away. Tak listened to his apology with a scowl, stubborn not to let him get to her. Asshole, thought he could just walk back here like he'd only been gone a day... "On your hands and knees is the only way to beg," she agreed with the tiniest of smirks. She knew she couldn't stay mad. It was Cam. He was back. For good...?

Tak didn't know what had gotten into her with the dumb kiss, but she allowed Cam to pull away and take her breath away as he did. Fuck... She had missed this, so much. She had had no idea just how much Cam leaving had helped put her into this daze she'd been living in lately. "I'm still not happy with you," she reassured him, shooting a dirty look as he smiled at her. Then Tak sighed and allowed him to settle down behind her, gripping onto his hand like a lifeline despite her confusion and anger and frustration. Despite all that, she felt... Happy. So happy he was back.

She nestled back against him, glancing back before letting her gaze fall to the couch as he spoke again. "How I've been..." she echoed pensively. "It's been... Hard," she admitted, jaw tensing. "I've become the school freak, or something. I knew it would happen, but I'm so tired of people just labeling me over what happened..." Tak trailed off. It was rare that she admitted to being bothered by what other people thought; it just went to show how stunned she was that Cameron was back. "Otherwise I've been alright," she went on. "My d.... Our daughter has a good home." Tak smiled faintly and rested her cheek against Cam's chest. "She's beautiful, Cam."

[Cameron Osiris]

Cam smirked a little. "I didn't expect you to be impressed." The blond continued to hold on to Tak's hand, playing with her fingers. "And I'm sorry for leaving you alone, after you told me you were pregnant." Blunt and honest, that was always the way to go. Cam had always considered them connected in an other world sort of way. Like, they didn't have deep talks, but Cam loved being around Tak, loved her point of view and her beauty. It was hard to explain, but there was so much to love.

Letting go of her hand, Cam tentatively played with Tak's hair, touching her shoulder periodically. "Labels are other people's opinion of you babe, it's just what people do." He knew that best of all.

Smiling proudly, Cam felt a deep sense of hurt in his heart. He hadn't met his own daughter. He had left Tak. And, he hadn't told his dad about the baby because his dad would never meet her. Cam didn't have a hot clue as to what the details of the adoption were, but he had to ask this next question. "Is there a chance in hell I can meet her?"

[Takchawee Ominotago]

"Yeah, that wasn't exactly the smartest or nicest thing you've ever done," Tak replied blandly, giving a wry smile. "So..." She was almost afraid to ask. "Are you back for good now, or...?" She didn't want to sound too hopeful, in case the answer wasn't what she wanted, but she couldn't help but ask. Maybe him being back would help get her out of the funk she'd been in lately. She'd almost forgotten just how much they had connected, being apart for so long. Tak hoped they could have that again.

"Mmm..." She let her eyes drift closed and hummed lightly as Cam began playing with her hair. It was sort of calming, and helped her relax from all the sudden tension she had built up from seeing him again. "I know," she said softly. "It's alright. I'll just be glad when I'm out of here." Only a few more months. Then... What, maybe college? She still hadn't decided, and she needed to...

At the question, she peeked back at the blonde, letting a smile curl at the corner of her lips. "I visit her at least once a week, usually," she replied. "I'm sure the family would allow you to come too, if you wanted." And who wouldn't want to? Tacicala was the most beautiful thing in the world, in Tak's eyes. "She has your eyes," she went on, chuckling.

[Cameron Osiris]

Cam shrugged. "I never claimed to be nice or smart." Although they both knew very well that he was both. He just wasn't perfect. Nobody was, and he had spent enough time thinking about things and feeling bad over them. He was done doing that now, it was time to move and try again. The only person who could be him, was him. "More or less, I mean, I am graduating this year." A playful smile adorned his face. He would be graduating with many honors, and countless scholarships. He had worked damn hard for it too, and the last seven months had really been good for his grades.

"I'm gonna miss it here," Cam said. Yeah, he would totally be someone who cried at the grad ceremony. Oh well, so be it. "Got plans afterwards?" The way he acted, no one would suspect he was really well educated. It wasn't like he was trying to hide it.

Her smile said it all. "I want to," Cam stated, leaning closer to kiss Tak's cheek. He smiled at the thought of a little kid having his eyes. He sighed and leaned his head back on the couch arm, just imaging what things may have looked like had he stuck around. Had they decided to keep her. "What's her name?"

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak smirked lightly, but didn't say anything. She could understand why he left - the pressure, the drama that had been surrounding him and them, and everything else - it could overwhelm anyone. Tak herself had had to leave for a while, to try to get her head back on straight. "Well, then, I guess we'll be graduating together," she told him, smile widening. "I had to stay back a year because of... Everything, so I've just been taking a few classes this year to get caught up." She had quite a bit of spare time, since she didn't have much homework and there was really no need for her to do powers training anymore, as she had her ability pretty much mastered... There wasn't a lot to master with her power.

"I..." Would Tak miss it here? To be honest... "... I don't think I'll miss it too much. I'm ready to move on." She had enough memories, bad and good, attached to this place. As for what she was doing after... "Well, since the House shut down, I need to find a job," she sighed. Something she was working hard on at the moment. "I might end up at the community college, if I can manage it. Then maybe in a year or two switch to the University." It was a vague plan, but a plan. "I'll need a roommate when I move out of here though," she added with a wry smile. No way she could afford a place on her own.

"Alright," Tak replied softly, squinting her eyes with a small smile as he kissed her cheek. "I'll make it happen, soon." She'd ask the family if it was alright the next time she saw them. Tak relaxed back against Cam, looking back at the question. "Tacicala," she replied, pronouncing it dah-chee-chah-lah. "It means fawn. I thought it was appropriate," considering her name meant doe. She was fairly certain she'd told Cam that before.

[Cameron Osiris]

Going back to live with his dad had been his safety net. His dad had never let him down before, and it had been good to get away for a while. He had to detach himself from everyone and everything if he was ever going to make sense of it all. "Awesome! Do you have a grad dress yet?" He smiled widely. "Cuz if ya don't, we should go get ya one." Cam understood what she meant, but he was only willing to look at the bright side of things.

"Well that's good," Cam commented with a nod, "because we're gonna have to, whether we want to or not." He guessed it was harder for him because he had just got back, and Tak had a heavy burden on her shoulders. It was his intention to help her shoulder any burden's she had. But he had tried doing that for everyone before, and it ended in mental breakdown. Cam hadn't told anyone he had been accepted early into Princeton, but that didn't seem important now. "Lots of grads need roommates, I'll help ya look for one."

"Can't wait," Cam said, grinning fondly at his Tak. He repeated the name back to himself and immediately felt guilty for forgetting that he had been told his child's name before. God, he had a child... "Sounds beautiful," he said, choking on the last word.

Emotions overcame him and he nestled into Tak. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you Tak, or Tacicala." He closed his eyes tightly. He was pathetic and foolish and hated feeling sorry for himself. Cam was determined to make this right some how.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak blinked at Cam's question, totally not expecting it; she hadn't even thought about getting a dress yet. "Um, no, I don't," she admitted a little sheepishly. She had to smile at his enthusiasm. "Really? You'd want to do that with me?" Tak couldn't believe that he would offer; but of course she wasn't going to turn it down. "Alright, let's do it." It could be a fun little date. Just... Going out and having fun and forgetting about the stress of the last couple months. That was just what she needed.

The support from Cam was greatly appreciated. Tak liked to think she could handle all of her problems on her own, but truth be told, she had been struggling recently; the blonde's return, she hoped, would help relieve some of it. "Alright," she chuckled. "I honestly don't care who it is, as long as they pay their share of the rent." And, preferably, wasn't an asshole or a creep. Tak could put up with a lot, at least.

She'd grown a lot since having her daughter, actually. It had been a struggle, but Tak thought she was better because of it. "She is beautiful," she murmured, brushing absent-mindedly against Cam's arm. "There's, you know... A little of both of us in her." It was strange to think about still. Tak peeked back again as he apologized, offering a small, forgiving smile. "All I ask is that you don't leave again like that, okay?" she murmured, pecking his cheek. "I... I don't know if I could deal with it again." Once was hard enough; twice might manage to really crack her.

[Cameron Osiris]

“Uh yeah, I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to.” He said, clearly he wasn’t doing it because he pitied her or whatever. They were still friends as far as he was concerned and he could be a good girl friend if he wanted to be. “And we should go for dinner too, since we’ll be doing out anyways,” he said, smirking, “but only after you try on dresses – don’t want you thinking you’re fat or whatever.” He teased, squeezing her sides playfully.

“We’ll screen the potential roomies, and we could make signs!” Cam said, making a sweeping gesture with both hands. “It’ll say: “Roomie need, no creeps or assholes allowed.” He laughed at himself and sighed. He would’ve added that he would kill anyone who did end up being one or both of those kinds of people, but he was a scrawny thing. Really, what the hell could he do about it?

It was hard to think that there was a little girl out there who had his qualities, and he hadn’t even met her. Cam may be fun loving, but he was also caring. He brushed at Tak’s hair some more, unsure whether he was soothing her or himself. A crooked smile popped up in the place she kissed him. “I promise.” It was too good to be back, he wasn’t going to leave again. Maybe Princeton could wait…

(OOC: Wrap? New shopping thread?!)