ŕ¨ŕ§âFood:  ramen
ŕ¨ŕ§âColor: red(if you couldnât tellâŚ)
ŕ¨ŕ§âSong: might as well js put my entire playlist..
ŕ¨ŕ§âMovie: 10 Things I Hate About You
ŕ¨ŕ§âShow: Brooklyn 99
ŕ¨ŕ§âAnimal: dog/husky, racoon, red panda
âŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁâŁÂ â§âËâ§
â°â - ĚĚâ Interests & More!
ŕ¨ŕ§âLikes: Atta Boy, MCU, Greyâs Anatomy, etcâŚ
ŕ¨ŕ§âDislikes:Â
ŕ¨ŕ§âBirthday: March 23rd
ŕ¨ŕ§âExtra: Iâm 5â2đ(5â4 with my shoes on)
ŕ¨ŕ§âCheck out my carrd for even more :)
Anywayy, i love those characeter instagram posts you made. Would it be possible for you to make one for either Kaminari or Iida?? I don't care which one.
If not, all good! Bye!!
Would you believe me if I said this was requested two years ago......
ANYWAY!
Here's dating denki kaminari
and heressssss
DATING TENYA IIDA INSTAGRAM!
details!
instagram posts but iida wants that cookie
iidatenya replied to your story: You must!
iidatenya: How else will you use the most of UA's resources?
notacatgirl: but :( cat :( on :( homework :(
notacatgirl: aizawa will understand đ
[ iidatenya sent one image ]
notacatgirl reacted "đ"
iidatenya: Please do not tell anyone I supplied you with answers.
notacatgirl: YAYAYYAYAYYAYAY THANK YOU SO MUCH PREZ!!!!!!!!! <333
iidatenya: You are welcome. At least you made an attempt to do it before your cat got in the way.
notacatgirl: you're a lil sweetie </3
seen 5 minutes ago
iidatenya: I try to be a good example for class 1-A. We are the elite of the elite, afterall.
notacatgirl: you do a great job! đđ
iidatenya: Thank you, Y/n.
notacatgirl: of course iida-iida!
iidatenya replied to your story: I did not know you worked as a dogwalker.
notacatgirl: I DO!!!! I LOVE MY JOB!!!! ITD SOFON!!!!!!!!!!!
notacatgirl: (ă¤â§â˝âŚ)ă¤
iidatenya: I am so glad to hear you enjoy working. How did this start?
notacatgirl: back when I was a lil kid!!!! bc of my dog wuirk my mom thiyvht itf br a good idea to ger me to walk the neightborhoo dgogs!!!!!
iidatenya: That's really interesting. Have you been walking the same dogs since?
notacatgirl: pretttyyyym uch!!! we did have one lil guy pass away last year :(
iidatenya: I am so sorry to hear that.
notacatgirl: its unfortunately life </3
notacatgirl: do you have any pets?
iidatenya: No I do not. I am quite fond of greyhounds, though.
notacatgirl: tehehehhehe they remind me of you actually!!
notacatgirl: they're very quick dogs!
iidatenya: I did not know that. I think they're very cute dogs too.
notacatgirl: aawwww just like you!
seen 10 minutes ago
notacatgirl replied to your story: OH MY GOSH SHES SO CUTE!!!!!
notacatgirl: ALSO!!! WHYA RE YOU YELLING!!!
iidatenya: That is how I usually type. We named her Comet.
notacatgirl: OH MY GOSHHHUHHHHH THATS SO CUTE AHHHHH IT FITS HER SO WELL.
Replied to you
That is how I usually type. We named her Comet.
notacatgirl: ive never seen you type liek tht tho?
notacatgirl: ur just evry punctual
iidatenya: It is important to me that you know that's not how that word is used. To address your first message, I do not like the thought of "yeling" at you in particular. So, it is how I type to everyone else.
notacatgirl: wait stop im blushing
notacatgirl: do you like me or smth iida-iida ^3^
iidatenya: It is getting quite late. Goodnight, Y/n.
notacatgirl: HEY GET BACK HERE!!!!!
iidatenya reacted "đ¤"
iidatenya replied to your story: You spelled imperative wrong but used it in the right context.
notacatgirl: :(((((((((((((((((((((((
notacatgirl: do I get a half point?
iidatenya: You get a full point. Good job, Y/n. Thank you for listening to me enough to pick up my vocabulary.
notacatgirl reacted "đЎ"
notacatgirl: tehehhehehehhehe :DDDD
notacatgirl: thank you for having me and Pepper over!!!!! Comet is such a cutie <3
iidatenya: You are welcome at my house anytime. You and Pepper are very cute.
notacatgirl: BOLDBOLDBOLDBOLDBOLDBOLDBOLD
iidatenya: I'm sorry. Was that too forward?
notacatgirl: NONONONONONONONONO I REALLY LIKED IT!!!!!
iidatenya: Good to know.
notacatgirl ¡ 3 days ago
â¤ď¸ 851 đŹ 104 âťď¸ 4
Liked by iidatenya and others
notacatgirl HAD TO MAKE A POST INSTEAD OF A STORY!!!! BOYFIE ASLED ME OUT W A BOUQUET AND TOOK ME TO A DOG CAFE!!!! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THOSE WERE A THING!!!!!!! AND WE GOT MATCHING SNOOPYS!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
iidatenya I am so glad you had fun. It was a privilege to take you out.
notacatgirl iidatenya stawpppppppppp youre such a gentleman sigh i miss you
iidatenya notacatgirl I can come back over.
notacatgirl iidatenya đĽšđĽšđĽšđĽš
iidatenya notacatgirl Comet and I will be right there.
pinkiequeen OH MY GOD HOW CUTE!!!!!!
notacatgirl pinkiequeen THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
fr0ppy This is super cute. I know your tail is wagging right now.
notacatgirl fr0ppy SHHHHHHHHHHHHH
invisible_girl Iida not typing in full caps to y/n #noticing
uravityyy invisible_girl and none of us are shocked đśđś he was gen whipped since the first day
notacatgirl uravityyy SAY SWEAR WHAT
uravityyy notacatgirl he only started replying to your stories because deku convinced him đđđđ
iidatenya uravityyy SHE DID NOT NEED TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION, URARAKA.
uravityyy iidatenya :)
Š https-milo. please do not repost, steal, copy, or modify my works!
Calm Waters... Probably... - Cameron Cassmore x Female Reader
briefing: Cameron rents a boat and two jet skis for what he insists is a completely casual summer outing between friends. Somewhere between safety videos, emotional support snacks, and teaching you how to steer across open water, the day starts becoming something a little harder for both of you to ignore.
words: 9.3k
warnings: Just some mild anxiety/panic around trying new things and water activities, plus lots of soft yearning, accidental emotional intimacy, mutual pining, kissing, and Cameron Cassmore being painfully in love without fully realizing how obvious he is about it.
author note: tried a different writing style for this one! Let me know what you think of that and the story! :D
Cameron was beginning to think late-night decisions should legally require supervision. Because there was impulsive, and then there was whatever this was.
Two jet skis. A boat rental.
An entire confirmation email is sitting in his inbox right now with an amount of money attached to it that made him briefly consider pretending his debit card had been stolen.
He stared at the email again from where he sat slouched on his couch, one sock half-off, laptop balanced dangerously on his knee.
SUNSET MARINA RENTALS
Reservation Confirmed!
Jesus Christ.
What had started as a perfectly normal search for âthings to do near Seattle in summerâ had somehow spiraled into:
reading Yelp reviews at one in the morning
watching a ten-minute jet ski safety video
convincing himself this was âprobably easyâ
and finally clicking Reserve Now before he could think too hard about it
In his defense, the website had made it look very romantic.
Not romantic. Fun. Casual. Normal friend activities. Totally normal things people did with people they were definitely not quietly in love with.
Cameron groaned softly and scrubbed both hands over his face.
âIdiot,â he muttered to himself.
And yetâŚ
He looked back at the confirmation email.
He could already picture it:
sunny weather, open water, music playing quietly somewhere, you laughing at him when he inevitably messes something up.
The image settled warmly in his chest before immediately making him nervous again. Because now he actually had to ask you. His phone sat beside him on the couch cushion like a threat. He picked it up. Put it back down. Picked it up again.
What if you thought it was weird? Too much? What if you immediately realized this was dangerously close to a date?
Because honestly, he was trying very hard not to realize that himself.
Cameron opened your text thread anyway. Stared at the blinking cursor.
Typed:
hey wanna maybe do something saturday
Deleted it. Too vague.
Typed again:
So hypothetically how do you feel about watercraft
Deleted that immediately.
Jesus Christ.
Finally, before he could overthink himself into another hour of pacing, he hit record on a voice message.
âOkay, so donât laugh,â he started immediately, already laughing a little himself in that nervous way he did when he knew he sounded ridiculous. âBut I may have accidentally rented jet skis.â
The message was sent before he could stop it. He dropped his head back against the couch cushion dramatically.
âGreat,â he sighed at the ceiling. âPerfect. Super normal.â
Three dots appeared almost immediately. His stomach flipped.
Then your reply came through:
Accidentally?
Cameron barked out a laugh so suddenly he startled himself.
He hit record again before he could think too hard.
âNo, okay, in my defense,â he said quickly, sitting forward now, âthe website made it seem really easy. And there were reviews. People said it was fun. Nobody died in the reviews, which feels important.â
A pause.
Then, because nervousness always made him ramble:
âAnd technically, thereâs also a boat involved? Which I maybe shouldâve led with because now it sounds like I rented rogue jet skis off Craigslist.â
Another pause.
âWhich I didnât. For the record.â
He sent that one too. Then immediately stood up and started pacing his apartment.
Because this was insane.
You were going to say no. Not rudely. You werenât a rude person.
But you were definitely going to say: âCameron, absolutely not.â
His phone buzzed again.
He snatched it up too fast to see your message,
I have literally never been on a jet ski in my life.
A grin spread across his face before he could stop it.
He typed back:
Great news.
Me neither.
A full minute passed before your next reply.
He spent the entire minute convincing himself you were trying to figure out how to let him down gently.
Then you respond:
Cameron Cassmore.
He laughed under his breath.
He typed:
Thatâs not technically a no.
Another pause.
Then finally:
âŚokay.
But if I die, Iâm haunting you specifically.
Cameron smiled so hard his cheeks hurt.
Warm.
Bright.
Immediate.
Hopeful in a way he hadnât let himself feel in a while.
He looked around his apartment at the pile of unnecessary supplies heâd already started gathering earlier:
sunscreen
towels
chips
bottled water
Dramamine he bought âjust in caseâ
a Bluetooth speaker he wasnât even sure worked
It suddenly felt less stupid.
Less like another impulsive attempt at becoming someone else.
And more like maybeâ
maybe this could actually be something good.
By the time Saturday morning rolled around, Cameron had managed approximately four hours of sleep.
Not because heâd been busy.
Because apparently his brain had decided this was a life-altering event worthy of a complete psychological breakdown.
At two in the morning, heâd gotten up to make sure he actually had sunscreen.
At three-fifteen, he remembered people probably needed towels.
At four, he spent twenty minutes reading an article titled:
âTop Ten Beginner Jet Ski Mistakes.â
Which had honestly made things significantly worse.
Now, just after eight in the morning, he sat outside your apartment gripping an iced coffee like it was medically necessary.
Baseball cap pulled low.
Sunglasses on despite the fact that the sun was barely fully up yet.
One elbow hanging out the open driverâs side window like he was somehow cooler than he actually felt.
Which was not cool at all.
His stomach had been doing nervous flips for the last twenty minutes.
The inside of his car looked like a small sporting goods store had exploded in it.
There were:
towels piled in the backseat
sunscreen in two different SPF levels because he panicked and bought both
chips shoved into a reusable grocery bag
bottled waters rolling dramatically every time he hit the brakes
a tangled Bluetooth speaker cord hanging halfway out of another bag
He glanced at himself in the rearview mirror.
âYou need to relax,â he told himself quietly.
Then immediately checked his phone to make sure he was at the right building, even though heâd been here before.
A minute later, the apartment door opened.
And there you were.
Cameron straightened automatically.
God.
Maybe renting jet skis had been worth the emotional devastation after all.
You smiled the second you spotted his car, and something warm twisted painfully in his chest.
He leaned across the passenger seat to push the door open before you could reach for the handle yourself.
âMorning,â he said, trying for casual.
It came out slightly too fast.
You slid into the passenger seat with a sleepy smile and immediately stopped short.
Your eyes moved slowly around the inside of the car.
The towels.
The snacks.
The bags.
The speaker cord.
One water bottle rolled sadly across the floorboard.
A smile pulled at your mouth.
Cameron suddenly became intensely aware of every single item in the vehicle.
âWhat?â he asked defensively already.
You looked at him, amused.
âYou packed snacks.â
He scoffed softly and started the car before you could see him getting embarrassed.
âPeople need snacks,â he muttered. âThatâs just science.â
You laughed quietly beside him, setting your bag at your feet.
The sound settled warmly somewhere beneath his ribs.
God, he liked making you laugh.
Too much, probably.
He pulled out onto the street, one hand drumming nervously against the steering wheel.
âYou sleep okay?â you asked.
âFantastic,â Cameron lied immediately.
You looked over.
He grinned sheepishly.
âI read, like, six jet ski articles.â
âOh, my God.â
âIn fairness, some were safety-related.â
âSome?â
âWell.â He adjusted his sunglasses. âOne was titled âJet Ski Etiquette,â which honestly felt important socially.â
You laughed again.
There it was.
That stupid little spark of victory he felt every time he managed it.
The early morning traffic thinned as they headed farther from the city.
Sunlight filtered gold through the windshield.
Music played low for approximately thirty seconds before Cameron changed the station.
Then changed it again.
Then again.
You glanced over slowly.
âDo you hate every song on earth?â
âWhat? No.â Another station switch. âIâm curating a vibe.â
âYouâve changed the vibe four times.â
âThatâs because none of these people understand summer.â
You snorted softly beside him.
Cameron smiled to himself, tapping the steering wheel again.
Then, quieter:
âYou nervous?â
You exhaled dramatically.
âYes.â
âFair.â
âIâve never even been near a jet ski.â
âNeither had I until forty-eight hours ago.â
Your head whipped toward him.
âCameron.â
âWhat? I watched videos.â
âThat does not help.â
âIt helped the guys in the comments section.â
âThe comments section?â
Cameron grinned.
You stared at him another second before laughing despite yourself and leaning back into the seat.
The nervousness still sat visibly in your shoulders, though.
He noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
So Cameron kept talking.
About everything.
A weird billboard.
A dog he saw hanging out of a truck window.
The marina reviews.
A guy online who claimed he proposed on a jet ski.
âThat feels unsafe emotionally,â you said.
âRight? Like if she says no, now youâre stranded on water.â
You laughed again.
And Cameronâ
still sleep-deprived, still anxious, still pretending he had any clue what he was doingâ
felt something loosen quietly in his chest.
Because this already felt good.
Easy.
Like maybe the day didnât actually have to be perfect.
Maybe he just wanted more moments exactly like this one:
You beside him,
sunlight pouring through the windows,
Both of you laughing before the day had even really started.
â
The marina was already busy by the time they arrived.
Not crowded exactly, but alive in that distinctly summer way.
Boat motors hummed somewhere out on the water.
Music drifted faintly from a dock farther down.
People in sunglasses and swimsuits wandered between rental slips carrying coolers, towels, and folded chairs.
The whole place smelled like sunscreen, lake water, and gasoline baking gently in the sun.
Cameron parked crooked on the first attempt.
Then pulled forward to fix it.
Then made it slightly worse somehow.
You pretended not to notice.
He killed the engine and immediately reached for his coffee again, as if it might contain confidence.
âOkay,â he said, exhaling hard. âThis is gonna be fun.â
You looked at him.
âThat sounded like you were convincing yourself.â
âI contain multitudes.â
You laughed softly and climbed out of the car.
The sunlight hit warm immediately.
Bright enough that Cameron adjusted his sunglasses before grabbing approximately six things at once from the backseat.
âYou know,â you said carefully as he nearly dropped the speaker bag, âmost people usually make two trips.â
âNope,â Cameron said, struggling under three towels and the cooler. âThatâs weakness.â
A water bottle fell out of the grocery bag and rolled under the car.
You bent to grab it while Cameron stared upward dramatically.
âThis is humiliating.â
âYou packed enough supplies for a week.â
âWhat if we get stranded?â
âYou rented these for an afternoon.â
âYou donât know what could happen on the open water.â
He said it with complete seriousness.
You stared at him.
Then laughed again.
God.
That sound.
Cameron smiled despite himself and finally managed to get everything balanced well enough to start walking toward the rental office.
The marina office itself was small and sun-faded, with handwritten signs taped crookedly near the register advertising bait, cold drinks, and emergency ponchos.
A teenage employee behind the counter looked deeply uninterested in existing.
Cameron immediately stood up straighter.
Cooler.
More confident.
Like a man who absolutely rented boats all the time.
âMorning,â he said casually, setting the rental paperwork on the counter. âHere for the, uh⌠water vehicles.â
You looked down instantly to hide your smile.
The employee blinked slowly.
âThe jet skis?â
âRight,â Cameron said smoothly. âObviously.â
The guy nodded once.
Then launched into what was very clearly a rehearsed safety speech.
âOkay, so the throttleâs on the right handlebar. The kill switch clips onto the vest. Stay outside buoy markersââ
Cameron nodded with intense concentration.
Way too intensely.
Like he was trying to absorb the information through sheer eye contact.
ââand no sharp turns at high speed unless you know how to counterbalance properly.â
âYep,â Cameron said immediately. âTotally.â
You glanced sideways at him.
He kept nodding seriously.
âDock back at Slip Four when youâre done. The boat key stays separate from the ski keys. Any questions?â
Cameron paused for one dangerous second, like he was considering pretending he did have questions.
Then:
âNope. Crystal clear.â
The employee looked unconvinced.
âCool,â he said flatly.
A few minutes later, once the paperwork was signed and life vests were handed over, the two of you stepped back outside into the bright sunlight.
The second the office door shut behind them, you looked at Cameron.
âDid you know any of that already?â
Cameron adjusted his sunglasses calmly.
âNot a word.â
You burst out laughing.
He grinned immediately, pleased with himself.
âI understood maybeâŚâ He held up two fingers close together. âFive percent.â
âYou acted like you were getting briefed for a military operation.â
âThatâs because confidence matters.â
âYou called them water vehicles.â
âIn fairness,â Cameron said, shrugging into one of the life vests, âthatâs technically what they are.â
You laughed harder.
And Cameronâ
standing there in the middle of the marina parking lot with sunglasses slipping down his nose and sunscreen already smeared badly along one armâ
felt warmth spread through his chest again.
Because this.
This right here.
You laughing beside him in the sunshine while he made an idiot of himself.
This was exactly what heâd wanted.
The rental dock sat just beyond the marina office, sunlight flashing gold across the water in shifting patterns.
Up close, the jet skis looked significantly larger than they had online.
Which felt unfair, honestly.
You stopped walking.
Cameron noticed immediately.
His smile softened a little beneath his sunglasses.
âUh oh.â
You crossed your arms loosely over your chest.
âI donât like how aggressive they look.â
âThey look friendly.â
âThey look fast.â
âThat too.â
One of the skis bobbed lightly against the dock, the engine already giving occasional low mechanical sounds as another employee prepared the rentals nearby.
Your stomach flipped.
Cameron noticed that too.
Of course he did.
He shifted the towels he was holding under one arm and stepped a little closer.
âHey,â he said lightly, âwe donât have to do anything insane.â
You looked out toward the water again.
It was beautiful.
Wide open lake.
Blue sky.
Gentle breeze.
And stillâ
the idea of climbing onto one of those things felt mildly horrifying.
âIâm serious,â you admitted quietly. âIâm kind of scared.â
The teasing expression on Cameronâs face disappeared instantly.
Not dramatically.
Just softened.
Warmer.
He set the towels down on the dock bench beside the life vests and reached for one.
âCâmere,â he said gently.
Something in your chest tightened a little at the tone.
You stepped closer.
Cameron shook the vest out once before holding it open for you automatically, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
You slipped your arms through.
The vest hung slightly loose around your sides.
Cameron frowned in concentration immediately.
âNope. Thatâs not right.â
He stepped closer before you could answer.
Very close.
Close enough now that you could smell sunscreen and coffee lingering faintly on him beneath the lake air.
His fingers carefully found the front straps.
âHold on,â he murmured.
The buckle clicked softly.
Then another.
Cameron crouched slightly to tighten the lower strap, his fingers brushing accidentally against your waist in the process.
Your breath caught before you could stop it.
His hands paused for half a second.
Just enough to notice.
Then Cameron cleared his throat softly and focused very hard on the buckle, as if it had suddenly become the most important task of his life.
âSafety first,â he muttered, mostly to himself.
You smiled despite the nervous flutter building low in your stomach now for entirely different reasons.
The sunlight caught against the edge of his sunglasses as he looked up briefly.
âSo,â he said, still adjusting one strap carefully, âon a scale from one to ten, how much are you regretting agreeing to this?â
âCurrently?â
âMm-hm.â
âLike⌠seven.â
Cameron winced dramatically.
âOuch.â
âYou told me youâd watched videos.â
âI did watch videos.â
âThatâs somehow making this worse.â
He laughed softly under his breath.
Then his expression gentled again.
âHey.â His voice quieter now. âYou donât have to prove anything today.â
The words settled warmly into the space between you.
Cameron tugged lightly on one last strap, checking the fit.
âWe can literally just float around out there if you want,â he continued. âI donât care.â
And he meant it.
That was the thing.
You could hear it immediately.
This wasnât him trying to pressure you into being adventurous.
Wasnât him trying to look cool.
He just wanted you there.
Wanted you happy.
Something in your chest ached unexpectedly at the realization.
Your eyes flicked toward his.
Cameron was still standing close enough that if either of you leaned forward even slightlyâ
He blinked suddenly like heâd realized the exact same thing.
Then immediately fumbled the strap in his hands despite already tightening it.
âOkay,â he said too quickly. âGreat. Perfect. Very secure. Youâre, uh⌠survival-ready.â
You laughed softly.
His ears turned slightly pink beneath the baseball cap.
Cute.
Dangerously cute.
Cameron straightened fully, rubbing one hand awkwardly against the back of his neck before grabbing his own vest.
âBesides,â he added, trying very hard to recover his normal teasing tone, âif anything happens, I saw at least three separate people online say these things are beginner-friendly.â
You stared at him.
âOnline?â
âWell,â he said defensively, âwhere else would jet ski experts gather?â
Getting the boat away from the dock took significantly longer than Cameron had implied it would.
There had been:
one failed attempt at reversing
a brief moment where the employee had to shove them away from the dock manually
and Cameron muttering, âOkay, that one wasnât my fault,â under his breath while you laughed hard enough to nearly lose your sunglasses.
But eventuallyâ
Eventually, the marina noise faded behind them.
And the lake opened wide.
The water stretched endlessly blue beneath the morning sun, sparkling so brightly in places it almost hurt to look at it directly. Small ripples rocked gently beneath the boat as Cameron guided it farther from shore, the steady hum of the motor blending with the soft slap of water against the hull.
Out here, everything felt quieter somehow.
Softer.
Even the air felt different.
Cool against sun-warmed skin.
You sat beside Cameron on the bench seat near the console, one knee angled toward him without really thinking about it.
The boat wasnât large enough for much personal space anyway.
Not that either of you seemed particularly bothered by that fact.
Cameron rested one hand loosely on the steering wheel, sunglasses slipping slowly down the bridge of his nose every few minutes before he pushed them back up absentmindedly.
For the first time all morning, he seemed genuinely relaxed.
The nervous energy had eased out of his shoulders little by little once theyâd gotten onto open water.
No crowds.
No dock employees.
No paperwork.
Just the two of you.
And honestly?
Cameron thought this might be the nicest thing heâd done in a very long time.
You opened the bag of chips between you carefully as the boat drifted over a small wake.
Immediately, Cameron reached over and stole one.
You looked at him.
âThose are mine.â
âI bought them.â
âYou packed them for me.â
âThat feels speculative.â
You laughed softly and nudged his shoulder with yours.
The contact was brief.
Casual.
But Cameron felt it anyway.
Felt all of it lately, honestly.
Every accidental touch.
Every smile.
Every time you laughed at something dumb he said like it mattered.
He glanced toward you for half a second longer than necessary before quickly looking back toward the water.
Dangerous.
This whole thing was becoming dangerous.
âYou know,â he said casually, âI think Iâm actually kind of good at this.â
âYou almost hit a dock.â
âThat was environmental.â
You snorted.
âAnd the employee literally grabbed the boat.â
âHe overreacted.â
Your knees bumped lightly as the boat shifted again.
Neither of you moved away.
The breeze tugged loose strands of hair across your face, and Cameron looked over automatically.
His fingers twitched briefly against the steering wheel before he stopped himself.
Too much.
Way too much.
Instead, he reached for another chip.
You smacked his hand away this time.
âUnbelievable,â he muttered.
âYou have your own snacks.â
âYeah, but yours are psychologically more appealing now.â
The lake widened farther around them as Cameron guided the boat toward quieter water away from the marina traffic.
The farther out they got, the calmer everything seemed.
No loud voices.
No crowded docks.
Just sunlight dancing across the water endlessly.
Cameron exhaled slowly without realizing it.
And for once, his brain finally shut up a little.
No spiraling thoughts.
No constant low-grade panic about his life.
No trying to figure out who he was supposed to become.
Just this.
You beside him.
Summer air.
Open water.
Easy.
He started talking again eventually.
Not because he was nervous now.
Just because silence with you didnât feel uncomfortable anymore.
He pointed vaguely across the lake.
âI read a review that said somebody saw an otter out here once.â
âOne otter?â
âApparently, it was memorable.â
âThatâs your selling point?â
âThere are layers to this experience.â
You smiled, leaning back slightly against the seat.
Cameron glanced sideways again.
The sunlight caught warm against your skin.
Your life vest sat slightly crooked from where the straps had loosened.
Your sunglasses had slipped low enough that he could see your eyes when you looked at him.
Something tight pulled unexpectedly in his chest.
God.
This felt dangerously close to a date.
The realization settled slowly and heavily in your stomach at almost the exact same moment.
The snacks.
The lake.
The quiet.
The way Cameron kept looking at you when he thought you werenât paying attention.
This wasnât just two friends hanging out anymore.
Or maybe it never had been.
Cameron cleared his throat lightly and looked back toward the water before he could embarrass himself by staring too long.
Because the truth was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
He didnât just want this day to go well.
He wanted this to mean something.
Wanted you to mean something.
And maybeâ
judging by the soft smile still lingering at the corner of your mouth as you looked out across the lakeâ
Maybe you already did.
â
By the time Cameron finally slowed the boat, they were far enough from the marina that the rest of the lake traffic had faded into distant specks across the water.
The open lake stretched endlessly around them now.
Blue.
Bright.
Quiet.
A light breeze skimmed across the surface, turning the sunlight into glittering patterns that shifted every few seconds.
Cameron eased back on the throttle.
The motor quieted gradually before he finally cut it completely.
Instantly, the world softened.
No engine noise now.
Just gentle water lapping against the side of the boat.
The faint creak of movement beneath your feet.
Wind is moving lazily through the open air.
For a second, neither of you said anything.
Then Cameron looked over at you from behind his sunglasses.
A grin tugged slowly at the corner of his mouth.
âReady?â
You blinked at him.
âFor what?â
He stared at you for one dramatic second.
Then pointed toward the back of the boat where the two jet skis floated tethered behind them.
Your stomach dropped instantly.
âOh,â you said weakly.
Cameron laughed immediately.
Not loudly.
Not meanly.
Fondly.
Like your reaction was exactly what heâd expected.
âOh, Cam,â you groaned, already pulling your knees closer to your chest instinctively. âIâve never ridden one. Thatâs a terrifying thing. Those things look so unsafe.â
Cameronâs grin widened.
âBaby,â he said, laughing softly now, âwhat do you think the life vest is for?â
You reached over and smacked lightly at the bill of his baseball cap.
He leaned away dramatically like youâd wounded him.
âViolence. Interesting.â
âYou brought me into the middle of a lake under false pretenses.â
âI literally told you there would be jet skis.â
âI thought you meant emotionally. Like⌠conceptually.â
Cameron barked out another laugh at that, dropping his head briefly.
God.
You were cute when you were nervous.
Which was becoming a problem.
Because every time he made you laugh, some tight anxious knot inside his chest loosened a little more, too.
It was easier to breathe around you lately.
Easier to stop thinking so hard.
Cameron stood carefully, the boat rocking lightly beneath him.
âOkay,â he said, rubbing his hands together once with completely fake confidence. âHereâs the plan.â
âThat sentence alone made me nauseous.â
âWow. Okay. Hurtful.â
You laughed despite yourself.
Victory.
Cameron pointed toward the jet skis again.
âWe start slow.â
âHow slow?â
He considered this.
ââŚlake slow.â
âThat means nothing.â
âIt means very safe and responsible.â
âYou almost hit a dock this morning.â
âIn fairness,â Cameron said, stepping toward the back platform of the boat, âI feel like youâre really holding that against me.â
âBecause it happened.â
âOne time.â
âThe employee physically intervened.â
âThat guy had trust issues.â
You shook your head, smiling helplessly now as Cameron crouched near the back of the boat to start untying one of the skis.
Even now, even while clearly bluffing portions of this entire experience, he looked weirdly happy.
Relaxed.
The sunlight warmed the back of his neck beneath his cap.
His sunglasses kept slipping down his nose every few seconds.
He kept talking while working, half to you and half to himself.
âI watched a video about this part specifically,â he informed you.
âThatâs not reassuring.â
âNo, it actually was a really good video. Very educational. The guy had over twelve thousand subscribers.â
âCameron.â
âIâm just saying credentials matter.â
You laughed again, quieter this time.
And Cameron smiled to himself automatically as he climbed carefully down onto the back platform.
Because thisâ
this right hereâ
You teasing him while the lake drifted quietly around youâ
felt better than heâd even imagined it would.
Dangerously better.
Watching Cameron attempt to untether the jet ski while maintaining his illusion of competence became entertaining almost immediately.
âThereâs no way this is as graceful as the videos made it look,â he muttered, crouched awkwardly near the edge of the boat.
The ski bumped lightly against the side again.
Cameron reached for the rope.
Missed it entirely the first time.
You pressed your lips together hard.
âI can feel you judging me.â
âI havenât said anything.â
âYou didnât have to.â
He finally caught the rope with an unnecessarily triumphant:
âHa.â
Then immediately almost lost his sunglasses when the boat rocked beneath him.
You laughed outright this time.
Cameron pointed at you accusingly while steadying himself with the other hand.
âSee, this is why people donât try new things.â
âYou rented watercraft at one in the morning.â
âAnd yet here we are.â
Somehowâ
through a combination of luck, stubbornness, and deeply questionable techniqueâ
he managed to get the first jet ski lowered fully into the water beside the boat.
It bobbed gently against the side.
Cameron stared at it for one long second.
Then at you.
Then back at the ski.
ââŚokay.â
âThat sounded uncertain.â
âNo, no. That was a confident okay.â
âYou looked scared.â
âI contain depth.â
You snorted softly as Cameron climbed carefully down onto the swim platform at the back of the boat.
The movement made the whole thing rock lightly.
Immediately:
âOh my God,â you whispered.
Cameron looked up.
âYouâre fine.â
âYou say that while standing on a floating death machine.â
âItâs technically two floating death machines.â
âThatâs worse.â
He laughed again.
God, he loved this version of you.
All nervous energy and sarcasm and reluctant amusement.
It made him feel strangely light.
Cameron swung one leg carefully over the jet ski seat.
For a brief second, he actually looked kind of cool.
Then he accidentally hit the horn.
A loud HONK burst across the lake.
You startled violently.
Cameron froze.
Then slowly looked up at you.
ââŚwarning honk.â
You laughed so hard you had to grab the side rail for balance.
Even Cameron doubled over laughing at himself.
âOkay,â he said finally, wiping under his sunglasses dramatically. âThat one was rough.â
âYouâre doing amazing, sweetie.â
âWow. Mockery. From my own team.â
Still smiling helplessly, you carefully climbed down toward the swim platform while Cameron steadied the ski beside the boat.
The closer you got, the more nervousness returned.
The water suddenly looked very far away.
Very open.
Very deep.
Cameron noticed instantly.
His teasing expression softened again.
âHey.â
You looked over.
He held one hand out toward you.
Simple.
Easy.
âCâmon,â he said gently. âI got you.â
Your stomach flipped for an entirely different reason this time.
You reached for his hand carefully.
His grip closed warm and steady around yours immediately.
And despite the rocking boat and your nerves and the fact that you were about to climb onto what still absolutely looked like a mechanically advanced dolphin designed for violenceâ
You trusted him.
That realization hit quietly.
Dangerously quietly.
Cameron helped guide you onto the seat behind him, one hand braced lightly at your waist to steady you as the ski shifted beneath your combined weight.
âThere you go,â he murmured.
The closeness hit immediately.
Your knees pressed along either side of him.
The warmth of his back against your chest.
The clean smell of sunscreen and lake air and Cameron.
Thenâ
without really thinkingâ
you wrapped your arms tightly around his waist.
Cameron went completely still for half a second.
Oh. Oh no.
This felt⌠Nice. Like really nice.
Way nicer than it shouldâve.
His brain short-circuited briefly as your arms tightened instinctively around him again when the jet ski rocked.
Dangerous. Dangerous development.
Cameron cleared his throat softly and forced himself to focus very hard on the controls.
âOkay,â he said, voice slightly rougher now. âSo. Professional jet ski operation.â
âYou watched one YouTube video.â
âIt was a playlist, actually.â
âThatâs not helping.â
He grinned despite himself and hit the ignition.
The engine sputtered once.
Died immediately.
Silence.
You stared at the back of his head.
Cameron stared forward.
ââŚokay.â
You burst out laughing again.
He pointed ahead dramatically without turning around.
âThat was a warm-up start.â
âSure.â
âVery common in professional water sports.â
Second try.
The engine roared properly this time. The entire ski vibrated beneath you.
Immediately, your grip tightened around Cameronâs waist.
He absolutely noticed.
But he absolutely tried not to notice.
The ski eased slowly away from the boat.
Very slowly. Painfully slowly.
Still:
âCAMERON,â you yelped instantly into his shoulder. âSLOW DOWN.â
He laughed loudly this time, the sound carrying across the water.
âBaby,â he called back over the engine noise, âthis is slow.â
âThis feels illegal!â
âWeâre moving like four miles an hour!â
Wind tugged lightly at your hair as the ski skimmed farther across the lake surface.
The motion was smoother than you expected.
Not gentle exactlyâ
but exciting.
Your heart hammered wildly somewhere between terror and adrenaline.
Meanwhile, Cameron couldnât stop smiling.
Not because of the jet ski. Because of you.
Your arms around him.
Your laughter mixing with nervous shrieks.
The way you buried your face briefly against his shoulder every time the ski bounced over a wake.
It felt stupidly good.
Better than the lake.
Better than the weather.
Better than the whole idea heâd built up in his head.
âYou okay back there?â he called.
âNo!â
âThatâs promising.â
âCameron!â
âYouâre still alive though, right?â
âBarely!â
âYou havenât thrown me off yet, so honestly? Huge success.â
You smacked lightly at his side.
He laughed again.
And the farther they drifted from the boatâ
wind in their faces, sunlight glittering endlessly around them, both of them laughing too hard to be self-conscious anymoreâ
The more Cameron felt something unfamiliar settling warmly in his chest.
Not panic.
Not loneliness.
Just happiness.
Simple.
Immediate.
Real.
Eventually, somewhere between your fourth threat to throw yourself voluntarily into the lake and Cameron nearly laughing himself off the jet ski after one particularly dramatic scream over a tiny wake, the fear started easing.
Not disappearing completely.
But softening around the edges.
The lake didnât feel quite so terrifying anymore.
And Cameronâ
warm beneath your arms, laughing every thirty seconds, constantly checking on youâ
felt safe.
Which honestly mightâve been the bigger problem.
The jet ski slowed again until it drifted gently across calmer water.
Cameron glanced back over his shoulder slightly.
âOkay.â
You narrowed your eyes immediately.
âThat tone means something.â
âIt means,â he said carefully, âyouâre driving now.â
Absolutely not.
You tightened your grip around him instantly.
âNo.â
He laughed softly.
âCâmon.â
âNo, Cameron.â
âYouâre ready.â
âI literally screamed because of a wave like two minutes ago.â
âIn fairness, it was an aggressive wave.â
You snorted reluctantly.
Cameron smiled at the sound before carefully guiding the ski into a wider idle circle.
âOkay, look.â His voice gentler now. âIâm not throwing you into the deep end here.â
âThis is technically all deep end.â
âYou know what I mean.â
You did. Unfortunately.
Cameron shifted slightly on the seat to look back at you more fully, one arm draped loosely across the handlebars.
The sunlight caught warm against the edges of his sunglasses.
âYou trust me, right?â he asked.
And there it was again. That dangerous softness.
The thing Cameron did sometimes without realizing itâ
where all the joking dropped away for just a second, and suddenly he was painfully sincere.
You swallowed once.
ââŚyeah.â
His smile softened instantly.
âOkay,â he said quietly. âThen weâll go slow.â
The switch itself was awkward and mildly chaotic.
At one point:
the ski rocked alarmingly
you grabbed Cameronâs shoulder in panic
Cameron laughed so hard he almost slipped sideways into the water himself
âOkay,â he wheezed, âthat wouldâve been humiliating.â
âYou wouldâve deserved it.â
âProbably.â
Eventually, though, you ended up seated carefully in front of him.
Immediately more nervous.
The handlebars sat beneath your hands now.
The open lake stretched ahead.
Cameron sat close behind you, one knee braced lightly along either side of the seat to steady both of you.
âYouâre fine,â he said automatically, noticing your shoulders tense.
Easy for him to say.
Then his hands settled gently over yours on the handlebars.
And every coherent thought in your brain disappeared instantly.
Oh.
His palms were warm.
Steady.
Close enough now that every breath you took seemed to pull in the clean scent of sunscreen and lake water and Cameron himself.
âYou basically just steer like this,â he explained softly near your ear, guiding the handlebars slightly left.
Your pulse skipped stupidly.
âAnd this controls speed.â His fingers tapped lightly near the throttle. âBut weâre not touching that aggressively because I enjoy surviving.â
You laughed nervously.
Cameron grinned immediately at the sound.
âThere you go,â he murmured. âSee? Youâre already a natural.â
âIâm literally not moving.â
âConfidence matters.â
âYou said that before the dock incident.â
âThat feels unrelated.â
You shook your head, smiling helplessly despite yourself.
Then slowlyâcarefullyâyou nudged the handlebars.
The ski shifted slightly across the water.
Tiny movement.
Barely anything.
Still, Cameron lit up behind you like youâd just landed a plane.
âNo, no,â he said immediately. âThat was incredible. Honestly? Top five jet ski moments Iâve ever witnessed.â
You laughed. âI barely moved.â
âExactly. Precision. Control. Vision.â
âYouâre making fun of me.â
âA little,â he admitted. âBut also not really.â
And that was the thing. Underneath the teasing, he genuinely looked proud.
Like every tiny success from you mattered way more than it reasonably should.
It settled warm and fluttering somewhere low in your stomach.
Cameron guided your hands gently again.
âOkay, little more this time.â
You tried again.
The ski curved wider now across the open water.
Not graceful exactly.
But movement.
Real movement.
âOh my God,â you breathed.
âYouâre doing it!â
âIâm doing it?â
âYouâre literally operating machinery right now. This is huge.â
His excitement was impossible not to laugh at.
Cameron laughed too, sounding almost boyishly delighted behind you now.
For someone who claimed this was casual, he looked absurdly invested in your success.
Then, because he was Cameron, he immediately got distracted halfway through another explanation.
âSo apparently,â he started, âthereâs this guy online who tried to ride one of these with his dogââ
The jet ski drifted sideways slightly.
You looked back immediately.
âShouldnât you be watching where weâre going?â
Cameron glanced around.
Paused.
ââŚprobably.â
You burst out laughing again.
The sound bounced softly across the open lake.
And Cameron, arms still loosely around you while helping guide the handlebars, sunlight warming both of you beneath the endless blue sky, felt something shift quietly inside him.
Because somewhere between the nervousness and the teasing and your hands trembling slightly beneath his, this had stopped feeling like pretending.
Stopped feeling like him trying to orchestrate some perfect summer memory.
Now he just wanted more of this.
More of you laughing.
More of you leaning back against him unconsciously.
More of this strange, light feeling in his chest every time you smiled at him like he mattered.
The longer the two of you drifted across the lake, the less terrifying it became.
Not normal exactly.
You still felt one badly timed movement away from accidental death.
But manageable.
Especially with Cameron sitting close behind you, talking you through every tiny adjustment like you were attempting something far more dangerous than slowly steering across calm water.
âA little left,â he murmured near your ear.
You adjusted carefully.
âPerfect.â
âThat did not feel perfect.â
âNo, that was genuinely solid.â
âYou say that every time.â
âBecause you keep doing great.â
The praise came so easily from him.
Too easily.
Like he couldnât help it.
Every tiny thing you managed made him grin immediately afterward, like he was personally invested in your success.
Which, judging by the warmth in his voice every time you got something right, he probably was.
The jet ski skimmed lightly across another small wake.
You tensed automatically.
Immediately, Cameronâs hand settled lightly against your side.
âRelax,â he said softly. âYouâre okay.â
Your stomach flipped stupidly.
Not because of the movement.
Because of him.
Because his voice had gone low and warm again.
Because he was close enough now that every word brushed against the side of your neck.
Because every reassuring touch from him seemed to linger longer than it should.
Dangerous. Very dangerous.
âOkay,â Cameron said after another minute or so. âTry a little more speed.â
You looked back at him immediately.
âAbsolutely not.â
He laughed softly.
âCâmon. Just a little.â
âThatâs what people say before accidents happen.â
âThat feels dramatic.â
âYou brought me onto a mechanical torpedo.â
âIt tops out at like sixty.â
Your eyes widened in horror.
Cameron immediately laughed harder.
âWe are not going sixty!â
âOh my God.â
âBaby, weâre going, like⌠bicycle speed right now.â
âThat feels false.â
His grin softened again.
God, you were cute.
Especially like thisânervous but trying anyway.
Cameron had honestly expected today to be fun.
He hadnât expected this constant aching fondness sitting heavy in his chest every time you laughed or looked back at him or trusted him enough to keep trying despite clearly being terrified.
It made him feel weirdly protective.
Not in a macho way.
JustâŚ
careful with you.
âOkay,â he said gently. âTiny bit more throttle.â
You inhaled once.
Then carefully squeezed.
The jet ski surged slightly faster across the water.
Not fast.
Just enough to feel the difference.
Wind pushed stronger against your shoulders now.
Your eyes widened instantly.
Cameron grinned behind you.
âThere you go!â
âThis feels illegal!â
âIt literally isnât.â
The ski curved lightly again beneath your hands.
This time smoother.
Cleaner.
You actually laughed a little.
And Cameronâ
hearing that sound carried away by the wind while sunlight glittered endlessly around youâ
felt ridiculously happy.
âOkay, okay,â he soothed immediately, one hand settling lightly over yours again to steady the handlebars. âWeâre switching.â
âNope. Done. I retire.â
âYou had a beautiful career.â
âI almost killed us.â
âYou absolutely did not.â
âI saw my life flash before my eyes.â
âThat was a ten-degree turn.â
âIt was violent.â
Cameron laughed again, quieter this time.
Then softened immediately when he saw the lingering nerves still sitting tight in your shoulders.
âHey.â His voice gentler now. âYou did good.â
You looked back at him skeptically.
âIâm serious.â
And he was.
There wasnât even teasing underneath it this time. Just sincerity.
âYou tried,â he continued softly. âThatâs the hard part.â
Something in your chest tightened unexpectedly.
Because there was no disappointment in his voice.
No frustration.
No pushing.
Just warmth. Patience.
Like spending the afternoon teaching you mattered more to him than whether you were actually good at it.
The realization settled deep. Dangerously deep.
Cameron shifted slightly backward on the seat again.
âCâmon. Weâll switch.â
The process was awkward all over again.
More wobbling.
More grabbing onto each other for balance.
At one point Cameron had to grab your waist quickly to keep you both from tipping sideways.
You laughed breathlessly.
âThis feels unsafe.â
âWeâre thriving.â
âDefine thriving.â
âYou havenât fallen into the lake once.â
âThatâs your standard?â
âAt the moment? Yeah.â
You shook your head, smiling helplessly again as you settled carefully back behind him.
Immediately safer.
Immediately warmer too somehow.
Your arms slid around his waist automatically now without hesitation.
Cameron went quieter again for half a second.
Still not used to that.
Still liking it way too much.
Then he cleared his throat lightly and restarted the throttle.
âAlright,â he announced. âBack to professional mode.â
âYou were never in professional mode.â
âThat feels unnecessarily honest.â
By the time the two of you drifted back toward the boat again, the afternoon sun had shifted warmer overhead.
Everything felt softer now somehow.
The nervousness.
The awkwardness.
Even the teasing had settled into something easier.
The lake rolled gently beneath the jet ski as Cameron slowed them near the boat again, letting the engine idle low while the water rocked lazily around you.
Your arms still rested around his waist.
Neither of you had really acknowledged that youâd stopped pulling away from each other hours ago.
Cameron definitely noticed, though.
Unfortunately.
Because every time your fingers tightened lightly against his stomach when the ski shifted, his brain short-circuited a little.
He cut the engine again.
Silence settled around you almost immediately.
Just water moving softly beneath the ski.
Wind brushes across the lake's surface.
A distant boat somewhere far off.
You exhaled slowly behind him.
âI think Iâm getting better.â
Then shifted carefully on the seat.
âOkay, hold on. Lemme stabilize this thing before we switch again.â
You loosened your arms enough for him to move.
Cameron twisted around awkwardly to brace himself better while steadying the handlebarsâ
and somehow ended up sitting backward on the seat facing you.
For a second, neither of you moved.
The position was ridiculous.
His knees bumped against yours automatically from how little space there actually was.
One hand still rested loosely near your hip where heâd instinctively steadied you during the shift.
You looked at him.
Then laughed softly.
âWhat are you doing?â
Cameron opened his mouth immediately.
Paused.
Looked at you properly for maybe the first time all afternoon.
The sunlight caught warm gold against your face.
Wind moved softly through your hair.
Your smile still lingered thereâ
easy now.
Comfortable.
And suddenly Cameron forgot every coherent thought heâd ever had in his life.
ââŚhonestly?â he admitted quietly. âForgot what I was doing.â
You laughed again. Smaller this time.
Closer.
And something changed in the space between you. Not dramatically. Nothing huge or cinematic.
Just the teasing eased back slightly.
The air grew quieter somehow.
The lake drifted lazily around you.
The warmth of the afternoon sun settled across both your skin.
You were close enough now that Cameron could feel your breath every time you laughed softly.
Too close to pretend this was still nothing.
His eyes flicked briefly toward your mouth before he could stop himself.
Then back up.
You noticed.
Your stomach flipped immediately.
Cameron swallowed once.
God, say something normal. Anything.
Instead: âSo this is probably the point in a movie where somebody falls into the water.â
You smiled helplessly. âProbably.â
âWhich would honestly ruin the moment a little.â
âThe moment?â
Cameron blinked once like heâd accidentally said that part out loud.
ââŚyeah,â he said softly.
And there it was. That dangerous sincerity again. No jokes covering it this time. No nervous rambling.
Just Cameron looking at you like he wanted something and hadnât figured out how to hide it anymore. Your heart started pounding hard enough you were sure he could hear it. Neither of you moved at first.
Then Cameron did the most Cameron thing possible: he kissed you carefully, like he still wasnât entirely sure you wanted him to.
Warm. Tentative for half a second. Slightly breathless immediately afterward, like heâd surprised himself by doing it at all. But the second you kissed him back something in him melted completely. His hand slid instinctively to your waist to steady both you and himself as the jet ski rocked lightly beneath you. The kiss deepened naturally after that. Not polished. Not cinematic perfection. Just soft and warm and overdue. Like every almost-moment between you had finally caught up all at once.
Cameron smiled against your mouth halfway through because he physically could not help himself. You pulled back just enough to see it immediately. That dumb, bright, completely smitten grin spreading slowly across his face beneath the sunglasses slipping down his nose.
You laughed softly, still close enough that your foreheads nearly brushed.
âAnd you wanted to work today.â
Cameron snorted quietly, still smiling so hard it almost looked painful.
âIn my defense,â he murmured, âI think I got very distracted.â
After the kiss, neither of you seemed particularly interested in jet skis anymore. Not that either of you said that out loud.
But suddenly there was a lot less steering, teaching, near-death commentary.
And a lot more sitting close together while pretending you still had important water sports business to attend to.
Eventually, Cameron maneuvered the ski back toward the boat again, both of you laughing quietly when he nearly bumped the side too hard trying to dock it.
âThat absolutely did not happen,â he muttered under his breath.
âIt definitely happened.â
âFake news.â
You smiled against the lingering warmth still buzzing low in your chest as Cameron tied the ski off again with deeply concentrated seriousness.
Mostly because he kept glancing back at you every few seconds like he still couldnât entirely believe heâd kissed you. Or maybe that youâd kissed him back. The expression was dangerously cute.
The two of you ended up sitting on the back edge of the boat afterward with your feet dangling into the lake water.
The sun sat lower now. Warmer. Everything was painted gold around the edges.
The water lapped softly against your calves while the boat drifted lazily with the current.
Cameron handed you a bottled water from the cooler before twisting open one for himself.
His sunglasses had finally been abandoned somewhere near the console.
His baseball cap sat backward now after being adjusted approximately thirty times throughout the day.
He looked relaxed in a way you hadnât seen before. Not performatively relaxed. Actually relaxed. Like somewhere over the course of the afternoon, heâd stopped trying so hard to be anything.
For a while, the two of you just sat there quietly. Comfortably quiet. The kind that felt full instead of awkward.
You stole a chip from the open bag resting beside him.
Immediately: âWow.â
You glanced over innocently. âWhat?â
âThat was my emotional support snack.â
âYou stole half of mine earlier.â
âThat was before we entered a committed relationship.â
You nearly choked laughing. Cameron grinned immediately at the sound, ducking his head slightly like he couldnât help himself.
God.
Everything about this felt frighteningly easy now.
The teasing. The closeness. The way his knee kept bumping lightly against yours without either of you moving away.
You glanced out across the lake again. The water glittered endlessly beneath the lowering sun.
âItâs really pretty out here,â you said quietly.
Cameron looked at you instead of the lake.
âYeah,â he said softly.
Your stomach flipped again. Dangerous. Very dangerous.
You smiled faintly and nudged his shoulder with yours. âYouâre getting smoother.â
âNo, Iâm absolutely not.â
âThat was almost impressive.â
âI panicked halfway through saying it.â
You laughed quietly again.
Cameron watched you for another second before leaning back slightly on his hands. The breeze moved softly through his hair beneath the backward cap now. For once, he didnât seem desperate to fill every silence immediately. When he finally spoke again, his voice came quieter. More thoughtful.
âI actually spentâŚâ He huffed a small laugh at himself. âWay too long researching stuff for today.â
You looked over. His expression had softened again. That same open honesty he slipped into sometimes when he forgot to hide behind jokes.
âLike embarrassing amounts of time,â he admitted. âThere were spreadsheets involved at one point.â
You stared at him. âSpreadsheets?â
âIn fairness, I immediately realized that was insane.â
âBut you still made them.â
âBriefly.â
You laughed softly, shaking your head. But your chest ached a little now, too.
Because suddenly the whole day rearranged itself in your mind:
the packed snacks
the towels
the sunscreen
the nervous chatter
the way heâd watched your reactions to everything
how hard heâd tried to make sure you were comfortable
This hadnât been random. This mattered to him. A lot.
Cameron picked at the label on his water bottle absently before speaking again. Still looking out at the water this time.
âI dunno,â he said quietly. âI just wanted to do something good with you.â
Simple. No performance underneath it. No attempt to make the moment bigger than it was. Just honesty. And somehow that hit harder than anything else he couldâve said.
Your throat tightened unexpectedly.
Because Cameron looked almost nervous again after admitting it.
Like maybe heâd said too much.
You reached over without really thinking and nudged your shoulder gently against his.
âYou did,â you said softly.
Cameron looked over immediately. Something warm and vulnerable flickered across his face so quickly it almost hurt to look at directly.
Then, because he was still Cameron, he ruined the emotional tension within approximately three seconds.
âGood,â he said with exaggerated seriousness. âBecause if you hated this, I was gonna have to fake my own death and move.â
Eventually, the sun began slipping lower toward the horizon. Slowly at first. Then all at once.
The bright afternoon light softened into deep gold across the water, turning the entire lake warm and glowing around them. The distant shoreline blurred hazy beneath the sunset while long streaks of orange reflected across the surface in shimmering ribbons.
Cameron looked out across the lake and sighed quietly.
âOkay,â he admitted. âThis is kinda insane.â
You smiled beside him. âThe spreadsheets paid off.â
He snorted softly. âDonât validate the spreadsheets.â
Still, he looked pleased with himself. A little shy about it too.
Eventually the two of you packed things back into the cooler and untied the jet ski from the boat again, though this time there was no rush to get anywhere.
No nervous energy left. No pressure. Just the quiet understanding settling between you now. Something had shifted today. Something real.
Cameron started the boat again, the motor humming softly beneath the golden evening air.
You settled naturally beside him on the bench seat this time.
Closer than before. Not because either of you acknowledged it. You just did.
Your thigh rested lightly against his now with every gentle movement of the boat.
The lake had gone quieter at sunset. Most of the other boats were distant now, reduced to tiny silhouettes near the shoreline.
Only the steady hum of the engine and the soft rush of water followed them across the lake.
For a while, neither of you spoke much. The silence felt different now. Full. Comfortable.
Cameron kept one hand loosely on the wheel while the other rested near his knee, sunglasses abandoned completely now as the wind pushed softly through his hair.
You watched the sunlight flicker gold across his face for a moment before looking back out at the water again.
Everything about this felt suspended somehow.
Like one of those moments you already knew youâd miss before it was even over.
The boat drifted over a small wake. Without really thinking about it, your shoulder leaned lightly against Cameronâs. He glanced over instantly. Not startled. Just soft.
Then, carefully, almost like he was checking whether it was okay, his hand found yours resting between you on the seat. Warm fingers. Slightly tentative at first. You intertwined them immediately.
Cameron exhaled softly through his nose. Something about that tiny movement nearly undid him. Because this, right here, felt bigger than the kiss somehow.
Not dramatic. Not overwhelming. Just real. Steady. Like maybe neither of you were pretending anymore.
He rubbed his thumb absently against the back of your hand while steering one-handed with the other.
âYou know,â he said eventually, voice quieter in the evening light, âI really thought there was a strong possibility we were both ending up stranded out here.â
You laughed softly.
âYou absolutely thought that.â
âI brought emergency granola bars.â
âThatâs not survival equipment.â
âIt is emotionally.â
You shook your head, smiling.
Cameron grinned too, but it faded softer this time as he looked back toward the lake stretching gold around them.
For the first time in a long time, his chest didnât feel tight with panic about the future.
Didnât feel hollow.
His life still wasnât figured out.
He still didnât know exactly where he was headed.
There were still pieces of himself he was trying to put back together.
But sitting here with your hand in his while the sun sank slowly across the water, for once, none of that uncertainty felt unbearable.
Because he wasnât alone inside it anymore.
You rested your head gently against his shoulder after another quiet minute passed.
Cameron went still for half a second.
Then smiled.
Small.
Private.
Almost disbelieving.
The kind of smile that only happened when he forgot to hide what he was feeling.
The boat carried the two of you slowly across the glowing water toward shore while the last light of summer evening wrapped softly around everything.
And somewhere deep down, beneath all the noise Cameron usually carried around inside himself, hope settled quietly for the first time in a very long while.
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