Sweltering Heat || Cameron + Charles || August, 2019
Cameron: "Alright, alright- everyone bring it in," Cam said as he ushered the group of children into a circle around him. They were all breathless and giggling as a rousing game of tag had just come to an end, and Cam was looking for a way to start settling the kids down.
He sat down on the ground and grunted as a few of the kids climbed on top of him.
"What should we play now?" He asked as he loosened the grip of one of the kids hanging from his neck.
"We just played that, bud."
Charles: Charles, who'd been standing in the shade of a large oak for some time now, called out. "Whatever you're going to play, it needs to happen indoors. It's dangerously hot out here, children. Come inside and have a glass of water. We might even have... ice pops."
Rory, for one, did not need telling twice. Charles braced for impact as the little boy flew into his arms. He winked at Cam where he sat on the grass. "If you don't hurry, we'll have to eat them all by ourselves."
Cameron: "Charles is right, we've played outside enough for one day," Cam chimed in agreement, and any unhappy groans were immediately cut off with excited cries at the mention of ice pops.
Even Cam was excited for them in this sweltering heat, and he bent down so he could scoop Almika, who was reaching for him, into his arms. She felt a little too warm for comfort, and he was glad they were going inside.
"He's right, we'll eat them all by ourselves if you all don't get inside before we do!" Cam flashed Charles a grin at the wink, and he followed the small rush of kids toward the professor and into the mansion.
Charles: He took off for the massive double doors at a jog, swinging Rory up onto his shoulders. At his leisurely pace, it did not take long for the sprinting children to overtake him.
Safely in the cool of the kitchen, Charles settled the boy onto the counter as he pulled a mismatched assortment of cups from the cupboard. "Water first."
He dug through the massive fridge for the Brita pitcher to a chorus of protests.
Cameron: Cam reached the kitchen a little after the throng, having put Almika on his shoulders so he could use his hands freely. He pulled cups from the nearest cupboard and set them out so Charles could fill them, and then he wet a towel that he handed up to Almika so she should put it over her shoulders.
"Gotta hydrate before popsicles!" he agreed as he started to hand out cups once Charles filled them.
Charles: "Hydration is paramount." He saw that each of the children had water, before filling a glass and setting in front of Cameron. "For everyone."
Charles would busy himself with refilling the pitcher and setting it back into the fridge to chill. "Drink every last drop, all right? And let me know if you're still thirsty."
Cynthia, who'd drained her little cup in seconds, held it out for another drink. He was only too happy to oblige. "That's my big girl. "
Cameron: "Yes /Daddy/," Cam replied under his breath so only Charles could hear. 'Dad' would have been more proper, but when the opportunity called, he couldn't deny it. He scooped up his glass of water and smirked at Charles from behind it before turning his attention up to Almika. He held up his hand out for the cup, which she handed to him so he could refill it a few times.
Silence followed as thirsty children drank their water, and finally the first voice called for popsicles. Cam reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out a scissors, ready to assist.
Charles: He had to drag a hand down his face to hide a laugh. "Behave," he murmured, just as softly, though his amusement was still apparent.
"Yes, yes." His smile was indulgent. He bent to pull out the freezer drawer before they could start rioting. "Put your cups into the dishwasher, please. Ruby, help the little ones."
The mesh sack of frozen sugar he emerged with was obscenely large. He gestured for Cameron to cut it open. "All right. One at a time, tell me what flavour you'd like." Naturally, little voices shouted over each other all at once. "One. At. A. Time. Almika, darling, you first."
Cameron: Cam bit back a sassy reply, seeing as there were children around, but that didn't stop the grin as he cut open the package of popsicles.
"Blue, please," Almika answered softly, and Cam handed her another glass of water before he cut open the requested popsicle. He offered it to her after she took another sip, and he cut open each popsicle per each child's request.
"Ruby?" he asked when it was her turn, once she finished helping the kids put their cups into the dishwasher.
He made a small assembly line of it, passing over the requested pops for Cam to cut open and distribute.
When all was done, Charles' own lips were stained a darker red than usual. A damp dish towel in hand, he was scrubbing at sticky cheeks and fingers. "It's in plastic, Rory. How on earth did you manage to get syrup everywhere?" The boy just grinned, and Charles couldn't help but smile fondly back.
"Alright, kids. Make sure to tidy up, then perhaps you can wheedle Cameron into playing another game."
Cameron: "Hide and seek!" one child piped in, as if they had been waiting for someone to ask.
"Ah- but how will I manage to find all of you before bedtime?" Cam asked skeptically, his own lips holding a twing of blue from his own sweet treat. Almika had the right idea in his opinion, and he handed her another glass of water to drink.
"What if you hide- and we find both of you!" The child pointed at Cam and Charles, and a cry of approval rang out among the other children. Even Almika's legs kicked excitedly over Cams shoulders at the idea, and she patted Cam's hair with her free hand while the other sipped water from her cup.
"I dunno...." He said skeptically, a hint of drama in his voice that meant it was more for show, " what do you think Professor?" He tilted his head and looked at Charles, and it was clear by his pursed lips that he was trying to hide a smile.
Charles: "An excellent idea, Dothan." He smiled at the eager little boy, lifting a freshly-scoured Rory from the counter and setting him on his feet. "Sounds like fun."
Charles' mirrored look of hesitation was entirely genuine. His thoughts flittered to the upcoming semester. To parent meetings, lesson plans, and welcoming events. He was running low on time as it was.
Those pleading little faces were his ultimate demise. The professor was beginning to suspect that they always would be. Gently, he pulled his wrists from Cynthia and Rory's twin grips and sighed, sounding more put-upon than he actually felt. "I suppose one game wouldn't hurt. Yes, yes. All right. Cover your eyes and count to... sixty. No peeking. I'll know if you do. I always know." With that empty promise, Charles bit down on a grin and nodded to Cam. "Shall we?"
Cameron: "We shall," he nodded as the kids collectively covered their eyes and began to count at random intervals. Some kids restarted, and others plowed through- either way- they would have plenty of time to find a hiding spot hard enough to make the kids work for it, but easy enough that the kids would be able to find them at some point.
"Any ideas?" He asked as he glanced down the hall leading out of the kitchen.
Charles: "Of course." He smiled, and nodded in the direction of the front entrance. "I did grow up here, after all." And he'd had many an occasion to make himself scarce. Invisible, even before his manifested powers allowed him to vanish from perception. "I doubt there's a quiet nook on these grounds that I haven't discovered."
His fingers ghosted over the door beneath the grand staircase--far too easy. He eyed the smooth wooden panel that hid a private reading nook--far too difficult. Eventually, he led Cameron downstairs, through the laundry room (nodding to Jean as he passed) and into a large space cluttered with unused furniture. "Storage," he said, by way of explanation. Already, he could hear the thunder of feet across hardwood above them.
The room was vast, though it was difficult to tell, given how very full it was, crammed to bursting with furnishings he had no present use for. An excellent place for exploring. Charles edged his way around a collection of massive bookshelves, and into the only clear area in the entire room. "Here. Help me with this?" He nodded toward the center of the imperfect circle, where a trio of arm chairs sat under dust covers. There was a love seat and a coffee table as well, each masked by their own thick tarp. He grabbed the end of one and tugged, waving the unsettled dust away from his face. "I haven't been down here in ages."
Cameron: Cam followed Charles with renewed interest. What kind of secrets did this mansion hold? Cam was about to find out, and a bust of excitement kept him hot on Charles' heels.
He also nodded to Jean as they passed her, and when they finally reached the storage room he approved greatly of Charles' choice. He followed Charles behind the bookshelves, and with a careful tug of the other end of the tarp it slipped free of the loveseat. Cam sat down on one half, draped his arm over the back of the seat and patted the empty space next to him with a suggestive wiggle of his brows.
"Was this a hideaway for you?" He asked, his tone more serious than his playful smirk.
Charles: Charles snorted, bunching the dust cover and dropping it unceremoniously onto the table. Still, he took the space beside Cameron, sinking back against the plush cushion. "Of sorts. There aren't very many places where one can remain..." he cleared his throat, "undisturbed, in a boarding school full of superpowered adolescents. It's a nice place to steal a quiet moment. Play chess, perhaps."
Cameron: "And now all of the mansion knows you're here," Cam teased and lowered his voice to mimic the line from Mulan- 'now all of China knows you’re here'.
Cam settled back against the cushion, arm draped over the back as the couch cushions shifted when Charles sat down, and Cam leaned into him.
"I've never been able to play chess," he admitted and glanced around the room. The old furniture and tight space held a hint of mystery to it, and it was weirdly relaxing to not be surrounded by screaming children. He could imagine how nice the silence would be while doing so for as long as Charles had. "I dunno if I just don't have the attention span to play it properly, or I was never taught correctly. Id probably bring a book down here. Or take a nap."
Charles: "Too few people can, in my opinion. It's so very difficult to find an opponent." One worthy of the title, he thought, but did not say. His arrogance had its limits. "My father taught me, when I was very young. It's one of the better memories I have of him before he passed. Still, it is a good place to read." He nodded to the small stack of books tucked onto one of the shelves. "And I've napped here more times than I care to admit."
Cameron: "I could say the same when I'm facing someone in a fight," Cam nodded. It wasn't the same as chess, but a battle was filled with its own strategies and nuances that meant the difference between victory or a loss- sometimes life or death. And it was a game Cam thoroughly enjoyed playing. "At least in fights where people aren't straight up trying to kill me."
"I don't think my dad taught me anything like that. My mom was the teacher. I can name pretty much any constellation in the sky thanks to her," Cam smiled fondly at the memory of sitting with his mother on the front porch, watching the stars.
"Seems like a good napping spot," he nodded and glanced at the stack of books Charles mentioned.
"Correction-" he said suddenly and his eyebrows rose in surprise, "my father taught me how to identify when someone is in my mind who doesn't belong there. He's a telepath, his powers are nothing like yours in terms of strength and he has a small range on his powers, but he at least taught me how to be aware and close off certain parts of my mind to intruders. Did you get along with your dad?"
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