Conversations From Afar

introductions / 80

Cam's phone chimes and he glances at it reflexively before making an awful face. "Um..."

"What's wrong?" He sighs loudly and I prod him with my foot.

"Finn and Collins are downstairs to..." He swipes across the screen and tilts his head very puppylike, "Retrieve his phone charger and favourite beanie."

"Oh."

"Is that okay? I'll get them out as fast as possible, I promise."

"Yeah, it's fine," I tell him even though my stomach feels hot and anxious.

"I'll pretend that I believe you." He says with a smile, leaning close to press a kiss to my temple before striding over to the door to press the buzzer.

They arrive upstairs quickly and Finn greets Cam at the door, loudly.

"Cameron! I haven't seen you in twelve hours, I missed you so much." His voice is very deep and nice-sounding.

"Finn, Collins, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend. Kat, this is Finn and Collins." I wave over the back of the couch and Finn's face lights up.

"Katherine! I've heard so much about you?" He strolls right past Cam and hops onto the back of the couch beside me, proffering his hand.

"Hey," I'm smiling as we shake hands.

"So this was pretty spur of the moment.  How has your visit been?" His eyes are a very dark green with eyelashes most girls would be envious of.

"I got here this morning, it's been nice."

"Awesome!" Then he starts reaching behind couch cushions and sharing a commentary of everything else he's lost this week.

"Collins, could I talk to you for a sec?" Cam asks, voice pitched low and leaning against the fridge.

"What is it?" She smiles up at him putting her hands on her hips. She's wearing leggings and a cropped top beneath an open parka and looks like she should be at one of those celebrity gyms. Who contours before working out?

"Well, you see... it's just... if you could stop taking pictures of me and posting them on Instagram that would be swell."

"Sorry?"

"I've seen the pictures okay? I've seen the heart-eye captions. I have a girlfriend and I really don't need this sort of thing adding to everything else I have to worry about."

"Um, okay. Whatver. I didn't mean anything by it, I just post cute things." She shrugs and goes all Bambi-eyes.

"Now that that's settled," he pushes away from the fridge and starts helping Finn, who's moved to the master bedroom, look for his lost things.

"So, um..." Collins moves toward the living room with awkward crossed-arms. "We talked on the phone that one time."

"Yeah... hey." I make an awkward wave.

"So... have you declared a major?"

"Women and Gender Studies."

"Oh, cool. That was my minor."

"Mm..."

She won't look me in the eye so I look at her shimmery eyeshadow until Cam and Finn return with the beanie and phone charger. It's strange seeing Cam act like he does with Milo with someone else. (He'd always been that one-best-friend type who had other friends but those guys never got to know him near as much as Milo.) (And I guess Finn, now.)

"Okay, you two have a great day." He says, corralling them both toward the door.

"Nice meeting you, Katherine!" Finn calls over his shoulder.

Cam shuts the door and closes his eyes for a second. I lean over the back of the couch and without meaning to, let out a little laugh.

"So, that was Collins."

"Indeed." He pushes off of the door and picks up a couple grapes from the counter before collapsing onto the couch beside me. I turn to lean against his side, my knees overlapping his legs.

"You didn't have to tell her, you know."

"Yeah, I did."

I smile to myself and his left hand comes up to comb through my hair.

"Finn seemed nice."

****

OH Horatio is delightful & i started watching bunheads. It's so funny but also cringey and idk I guess I like it?? (My chemistry teacher told me in an echat today - like skype for online classes - that i need to be more assertive because I was ending all of my answers with ?? oops)

belated s/o to bb justthugs who inspired finn's finn-ness