He'd been trimming one of the trees in the garden, a task he hadn't often done before but one he knew how to manage just fine. He'd made sure he was secured properly, took care with the tools - despite the relative unfamiliarity of the task he felt in his element. This was what he was good at and it was good to be reminded of that. He was still struggling with magic. (Or, really, he was doing as well as any beginner but he was impatient and easily frustrated.)
Cam had just cut back a thicker branch, watching it tumble down, when he saw something just behind him in the corner of his eye. A bird, he thought at first, but no - Scott, on a broomstick, flying. "Hullo!"
"Checkin' on me?" Campbell teased, sitting down on the branch easily and confidently. He hung his saw on another nearby branch as he turned to Scott.
"Never," Scott grinned, a lightness in his eyes that Campbell was glad to see, that boyish enthusiasm. It was a little infectious and with a chuckle Cam let himself hang upside down from the branch he'd been sitting on. "Guid. No need tae, I'm quite safe." He stuck out his tongue and blew Scott a kiss.
A kiss to the corner of the mouth
They'd just slipped outside for a smoke. Or well, Campbell had. Scott was trying to quit, he thought, or only give into the habit if he was extremely stressed. Cam looked at him from the corner of his eye and hoped he wasn't making his friend crave a smoke. Just in case, he angled the cigarette out of the way.
The sun was setting, casting a warm light over all of them. Spring was nearly settling in properly. There had been some storms lately. It meant Cam needed to see to the garden tomorrow to see what had blown in. Shea had talked about checking the tiles on the roof. Despite all that, there were snowdrops bravely and proudly standing all around. Some ancestor of Scott's must have liked those a lot.
Campbell looked at Scott again, his thoughtful face. The light made everything about him look softer, brought out warm tones in his hair. He pushed his cigarette into the ashtray beside him, shifted to sit a bit closer. On bad days, Cam all but convinced himself the O'Reillys only kept him around for the free gardening. He knew that wasn't true. He knew Scott was fond of him, he'd been clear enough about that, but still he was forever worried about pushing in where he wasn't wanted. To be too much.
The truth for Campbell was he felt anchored to Scott the way Scott seemed to be tethered to his family home now, a sense of 'I am supposed to belong here now', but it would take some work, renovations. If only he were brave enough to actually say it. Although he could talk and talk and talk, it was hard to actually say something.
Unless he didn't use words. He'd been trying that, non-verbal love language. The problem with that, of course, was it was often mistaken for just.. kindness. Maybe he should do something bold, something obvious, unmistakable. He'd kiss him, just a peck, on the lips, nothing too much. Now, don't think about it, just do it.
"Hey, Scott?" And as Scott looked his way, Campbell leaned in and lost his nerve at the same time, kissing the corner of his mouth instead.
Shea was breathing slowly in the other bed, but Scott sounded awake. They'd shared a room at St Jude's for long enough that he knew. It was dark, but Cam could picture the way Scott lay in bed, trying to be still but somehow not ready to sleep yet.
Cam almost wished he wasn't so tired himself, then they'd just get up - they could do that here, no one to check up on them after all! But he felt slow and sleepy.
"Hey-" With a yawn, he shifted closer to Scott, slung an arm and a leg over him, clung to him, head on Scott's shoulder. Scott's hair tickled his face and he smiled to himself. "Y'arright?"
