Love From the Ashes

Love From the Ashes Chapter 10

Warning: This story does not contain any sex. None of the characters are based on real people nor are they meant to resemble any living or dead people.

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Love From The Ashes

Chapter 10

Worthless

Cameron is getting ready to call his parents to tell them about Jamie, and he is a little worried about it. He didn't want them to find out through some other means that would be disastrous for sure. He calls his parents without Jamie being there, and that could be a big mistake. Luckily, they answer right away instead of having to worry and stew over waiting for them to call him back.

"Hi Cameron, what's going on?"

It's his sister, Sophie, on the phone.

"Are Mom and Dad home? If they are, can you get them?"

You could hear Sophie set the phone done and walk away to get their parents. She is one of his favorite siblings. When he came out, she was right there at his side and has remained there ever since. The news that he needs to tell their parents isn't going to shatter her world. He can hear voices, so he knows that his parents are coming to the phone.

"Hi Cameron, Sophie said that you wanted to talk to us?"

His mother is on the phone, which makes this a little easier, but he is still nervous.

"How are you and Dad doing? Mom, can you put the phone on speakerphone?"

He thought he would start easy with a light question.

"We're good. How are you doing?"

She sounds like she is in a good mood, which bodes well for his news. He is ready to jump into the statement that he has to tell them. They didn't take too well to him being gay, but they have gotten used to it. So now, will she freak out over the news that he has a boyfriend?

***

Cameron isn't sure how his parents are going to react to the news. After catching up a bit about the past week or so, Cameron is caught off guard by his mom's next question.

"Cameron, Do you have a boyfriend?"

Honestly, he is speechless. How did his mother guess his social status?

"Yeah, I do have a boyfriend, and he is amazing. His name is Jamie."

They are at the point where his parents could lose it.

"What type of a guy has a name like Jamie?"

Course, his dad is just joking. Course, it doesn't change the fact that the comment was rude.

"What does your boyfriend do for work?"

There is a tiny bit of money in Cameron's family but not enough to consider them filthy rich. It's enough to make snobbish, which Cameron just doesn't get at all.

"Jamie is a fire-fighter."

He can hear the vile rising in his parents' throats. They aren't cool with his boyfriend's job.

"So you are dating someone who could die on the job? He doesn't make much money, does he?"

Money has never been an issue with him. Jamie is so sweet, so handsome, and very compassionate. He can't believe that they are judging his boyfriend. Cameron just wishes that he hadn't mentioned Jamie to his parents.

***

From there, the conversation takes a turn, and it's not cool.

"Are you going back to school to get your veterinary degree?"

His dad asks because he just doesn't like the fact that his son isn't making the best money compared with what his dad is making, and he could be making so much more. Cameron's reason for not finishing the veterinary degree was that it was too stressful. It was at the time that Cameron was more than happy to get the vet tech degree and get right into doing what he loves. Sadly, to this day, his parents wish that he would have stayed with his first-degree choice. He's making money, helping people out, and helping animals out. He is making good money.

"I'm not going back to school. I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing."

His mom and dad aren't happy with what their son just said. Some of it comes from wanting their son to do better than they did, but they sure don't seem to be doing it for the right reasons. What happens next floors him?

"You know, you were stupid for breaking up with Cheyenne?"

Now, he's hurt.

"You do remember that I'm gay? I was dating Cheyenne to hide from the world. I cared about her, but I never loved her. I care for Jamie, and I love..."

His dad isn't happy at the moment and interrupts his son.

"At least with Cheyenne, you were making goals. What are you doing with him? At least with Cheyenne, you could have tried for a baby. No matter how many you're with him, there won't be any grandkids."

Cameron is pretty angry at this point, and already he is ready to cry, but things will worsen. Cameron immediately defends his boyfriend.

"Jamie loves me a whole lot more than your precious Cheyenne did. All she cared about was the day that you guys died so that she could get her hands on your money because of me. Well, that plan didn't work out for her. Secondly, I am making goals with him. Jamie is stable; he's got his own house, his own car, and doesn't have parents who only halfway accept him for who he is and complain about what's in his wallet. Dad, his name is Jamie, not "him.". Someday, we might have kids, and someday, you might see those kids."

Cameron has never talked this way to his father. It's taxing. Emotionally, he is drained, but it's not quite over yet; his mom is about to hurt her son. She isn't too happy with the way that Cameron has spoken to them. Sophie, on the other hand, is smiling on the inside. It's about time that Cameron spoke up to his parents.

***

His parents don't even discuss what his mom is about to say.

"Cameron, I don't know what garbage this boy is putting into your head, but until you are done with him and thinking a bit more clearly about what is truly important in this life, you are not welcome in this house. Please do not call us, do not invite us to your mockery of a wedding. I can't believe that this man would want to be your husband. You're nothing but a mouse. You are completely worthless. Leave him, Cameron!"

His mom isn't too happy with Cameron, as you can tell. Sophie tries to defend her brother.

"Mom..."

Sophie said as their mother ended their call. Cameron can only guess that they turned on her for attempting to stand up for him. He stands up and walks to his couch. He knew his mom and dad never truly accepted him. Their love was unconditional as long as you met their conditions. Tears welled up in his eyes. All he could think about was how his mom called him worthless. Indeed, he has some value. I mean, James cares about him, right? He knows Jamie loves him, and he is quite possibly is the best thing to happen to him in a very long time. Why can't they see that?

***

Cameron is beside himself at the moment. He's crying, literally sobbing because his parents have revealed their true selves to him and tore a hole in his chest where his heart used to be. He thought the spectacle was behind him. He felt pressured to be with Cheyenne and have kids someday, but he wasn't happy with either situation. It was not healthy for her, for him, or kids, IF he had any kids with him. Their relationship was empty compared with the one that he has with his boyfriend. One of the many things that his parents got wrong was calling Jamie a boy; he is so not a boy. He is more of a man than any guy he knows, well, with minor exceptions here and there. Cameron feels completely unloved at the moment.

***

Cameron's tears are still falling, and he can't help himself. I don't think many people would say that Cameron is too emotional. I mean, how would you feel if your parents talked to you the way that Cameron's parents talked to him. He isn't feeling too confident, but he needs to find a way to cheer himself up. He decides that what he needs is to be with the man who makes everything okay. Grabbing his cellphone, Cam calls Jamie hoping that he can talk.

"Cam, what is going on?"

Cam does his best to contain his tears and his sadness.

"My parents told me...that I'm...worthless. They...want...want...me to...break up with you. I can't...call them...or come over...unless...I break up...with you."

Jamie's heart is broken. Is the next thing to come out of Cameron's mouth going to be "Sorry, this is the end"? If it is, Jamie can't blame him. He wouldn't want to lose him family over someone. Still, he doesn't want to say goodbye to what they have right now.

"So...are we still a couple, or should I move on?"

Cameron doesn't want to think about breaking up with Jamie.

"I'm not...leaving you. Mom and Dad need...to get over it."

Cameron's words soothe Jamie. Jamie hates that his boyfriend's parents wrecked their son's spirit, but he's glad that he is the one that gets to build his boyfriend back up.

"Sounds like what you need is your boyfriend to be by your side."

Jamie invited himself over to the house with those words.

"I'll be there in a few minutes, so hang tight."

Knowing that his boyfriend is upset, Jamie grabs his keys and heads out for Cameron's house. He wants nothing more than to see Cameron happy. Cameron needs him as much as Jamie needs Cam.

***

Cameron may not have his parents anymore but, he does have his boyfriend, and his boyfriend has him. Jamie knocks at the door, and Cameron gets up to answer the door. With the door open, Cameron immediately hugs Jamie.

"Jamie..., I...I stood up to them."

Cameron can't get over the fact that his boyfriend is here. It feels so good to have him in his arms. Jamie hugs his boyfriend and kisses him.

"We got this; we got this, Cameron."

Jamie whispers into this boyfriend's ear. Hearing Jamie's words don't change what happened, but it does help to soothe the pain. There isn't anything that Jamie can do besides be here to strengthen Cameron.

"Babe, you shouldn't' have had to stand up to them. They should have been okay with you and me."

The words are real, but for Cameron, they offer little solace. The embrace they are sharing is helping more than any words could ever help. Cameron breaks the hug and sits down on the couch, and is then joined by Jamie. Cameron rests his head on Jamie's left shoulder and cries a little bit more. His boyfriend sits there and lets his boyfriend cry it out. Sometimes, a guy just has to cry. It doesn't make one weak to cry. A very loving mother taught Jamie that.

***

The question is, what are they going to do from here on out? Jamie already knows that Cameron is sticking with him, although it might have been easier on Cameron if he had broken up with Jamie, if only because it means keeping his parents happy.

"Have I told you how brave you are, Babe?"

Jamie asks his boyfriend. His man sits up and looks at Jamie.

"You, you think I'm brave?"

Those words make Jamie smile, and his smile hits hard on Cam's heart.

"Damn straight, I do, you not only stood up to your parents, but you picked me over them, knowing what it meant for you to do that; yeah, I think you're brave."

Hearing those words impact Cameron brings a smile to his face.

"I don't understand why they can't just let me be happy and let me live my life."

Cameron knows that his boyfriend is right, but it's still hard to sit here knowing that his parents don't want him around anymore.

"I'll try to relax with you, but my head is still wrestling over what my parents did to me."

Cameron tells Jamie. Jamie can't ask for anything else. Cameron is happy to stay where he is at and let Jamie hold him.

***

Cameron isn't feeling his best at the moment, and that is understandable. He's not physically sick; he's emotionally drained. The struggle inside his head is genuine right now. There isn't a part of him that wants to walk away from his relationship with Jamie. You can see the emotional stress on his face, and his boyfriend wants to make it all better.

"Come on; we are going for a walk; no talking, just walking, and relaxing."

Jamie takes his love's hand and helps him up from the couch, and together they head out to go on their walk. True to his word, Jamie is completely silent as they walk, and Cameron too. They've held hands for the entire 15 minutes that they walked. Jamie paused on this part of their walk and kissed his boyfriend. Typically, Cameron isn't too crazy about pdas out of fear of being attacked. With Jamie, he feels safer, and it's perfectly okay. He still feels a little nervous even with Jamie being there, but he enjoyed the kiss. One thing is for sure; he is relaxed. They turn around and head home after their long walk.

***

Back at Cameron's house, the guys go back to relaxing. The television is off, the place is quiet, and the two guys are resting on the couch after their walk. Cameron gets up after resting for ten minutes and gets a board game off of the shelf.

"Do you want to play a game?"

Cameron asks his boyfriend, who is quick to join his boyfriend in playing the game. They enjoy each other's company, and in the end, it's Cameron who wins the game. That being said, Jamie promises his boyfriend that there will be a rematch. Their stomachs are starting to rumble.

"What do you want for dinner?"

Cam asks Jamie, who is busy checking his phone for messages. Jamie considers his options for what they can have for dinner.

"How about some stir fry?"

The guys get busy chopping vegetables, cutting up the meat, frying up the food, and then serving it up. Dinner was great, and afterward, Jamie cleans up the table and lets Cameron rest. They love the meal and each other's company, but in the end, Jamie has to head home.

***

The guys say goodnight to each other, and then Jamie heads out to go home. As he gets into the car, Jamie worries about his boyfriend. He wonders if he should get out of the vehicle and return to his boyfriend. There is a pup at home who needs to be taken care of, and she needs him to come home. Still, it's not an easy decision for Jamie to make. As always, he keeps his promise, so he texts Cameron.

"Hey Cam, just wanted to let you know that I made it home."

A few seconds later, a response shows up on Jamie's phone.

"Thanks for texting; I'm glad you made it home."

It makes Jamie happy to see the response.

"I'm going to bed, Jamie."

Cameron types into his message box and then clicks send.

"Same!"

Cameron goes to sleep, and so does his boyfriend. Rest, however, doesn't come easy for either Cameron or Jamie. Cameron's sleep is filled with dreams of the conversation between his parents and him. Jamie is worried about his boyfriend and tosses and turns. Cameron's brain doesn't stop the dream for several hours, but eventually, it stops and finally sleep; good sleep does come.

***

The next day, Cameron is at home doing some housework when his phone goes off, and he answers it right away. It's Sophie, who has finally escaped the ears and eyes of their parents. She is off with her boyfriend, Noah. She knew that she needed to call him before arriving back at home. Noah and Sophie both agreed that what her parents did was wrong, and they would do anything to help her brother. They decided to be there and have his back should he need them.

"Hey Cameron, Mom called me today. She wanted to make sure that I understood why they said those things to you yesterday. It was just a bunch of crap just like what they said yesterday."

They wanted him to know that they care about him. Cameron can't believe that his mom felt the need to try and justify their words from yesterday.

"Did she show any remorse?"

To expect that from their mother is asking too much, she doesn't apologize if she thinks that she is in the right, and in this case, Mrs. Lockhart believes that they said the right things last night.

"We both know that she didn't show any remorse for her words."

The thought still stirs up pain even a day later. Sophie didn't see her brother last night, so she didn't know the pain on his face, and she didn't hear the pain in his face.

"I don't know how much it hurts, but Noah and I have your back. We can't change what Mom and Dad did and said, but we can cushion the blows."

Noah and Sophie will stand by Cameron, and they openly accept Jamie.

"Thank you, Sophie! I appreciate it. Tell Noah that I'm thankful for his friendship."

It's a better day, and Cameron feels a little more relaxed.

"Bye, Sophie, thanks for calling!"

Sophie goes back to her boyfriend, and Cameron goes back to relaxing.

***

A few hours later, Cameron's brother-in-law, Braendan, calls Cameron for the same reason Sophie had called him. Cameron wastes no time in answering his brother-in-law's call.

"Breandan, you okay?"

It's a bit ironic that Braendan is calling to see if Cam is okay, and yet it's Cameron who is asking if his brother-in-law is okay.

"I'm fine. How are you?"

Cameron isn't going to lie.

"I'm better today than I was yesterday."

Course, Braendan heard his mother-in-law speaking about Cameron, and she was very blunt about the ordeal yesterday. Course, she painted herself in a pretty picture and put all the blame upon Cameron's shoulders.

"I heard about the mess from your mom. Chelsea is out with the kids, so I thought I would call and let you know that we laughed at her. She wanted us to keep you and Jamie away from the kids because suddenly, she is afraid that they'll learn to be gay from the two of you. We want our kids to know you and Jamie, and my in-laws would have stopped that relationship right in the tracks."

Cameron's heart drops again. The thought of not having Dan and Ava in his life scares him, and the fact that his mom and dad wanted his sister and brother-in-law to keep the kids from him hurts."

"Thank you, Braendan!"

His brother-in-law isn't about to lose Cameron because losing him would hurt the kids, and that simply isn't happening. The two guys say goodbye, and they go back to do what they were doing before the phone call. Cameron is genuinely grateful for his sister and brother-in-law.

***

Cameron decides that he needs to call Jamie and tell him about the last two phone calls. Grabbing his phone, he calls his boyfriend. Jamie answers the phone, eager to talk to his boyfriend.

"Hi, Babe, What's up?"

He wants nothing more than to share the phone calls with him.

"I had a couple of interesting phone calls earlier."

Jamie wonders what was so interesting about those calls.

"My sister, Sophie, called me and she told me that her boyfriend and her have our backs. It made me so happy to hear from her. A couple of hours later, my brother-in-law called me and told me that my mom called the house and tried to get them to keep the kid's away from me in hopes that would cause me to give up on you, but she didn't plan on Chelsea and Braendan laughing at her. They had no intentions of turning their backs on us, and that made me so happy. I felt like I had to share the news with you."

Jamie is amazed by the news from Cameron. Having that support from his sisters and their significant others is a beautiful thing, and it's important to Cameron to have that support.

"I take it that we don't have to hide ourselves away from their eyes, huh?"

The vet tech is happy to respond.

"Yeah, we can be ourselves around them, which is better than having to hide away from them? I couldn't stand having to hide our sexuality and our love from their eyes. It's no way to live and love."

Jaime agrees wholeheartedly with Cameron's words.

"Do you want to stop by after a little while? Maybe we can have a night of home-made pizzas and a movie?"

Jamie offers, and of course, Cameron is up to coming over for a few hours. It would be great to spend a few hours with Jamie.

"Sure, I would love to hang out."

Jamie walks to his fridge and realizes that he needs to go shopping.

"Hey Cam, I need to run to the store. I'll call you when I get home. I'll see you then, okay?"

Cameron still gets butterflies at the thought of spending time with Jamie.

"Okay, I will see in a few."

Jamie can hear a hint of excitement in his boyfriend's voice.

"Okay, I love you, Cameron."

Those words make Cameron light up inside. Maybe it's the newness of their relationship, or perhaps it's something that he'll always feel. Cameron is hoping that it's something that he'll always feel.

"Bye Jamie, I love you too."
With their goodbyes said, the boyfriends hang up with each other.

***

Not even ten minutes later, Cameron sees a number come across his phone screen that he wants to ignore. It's his dad calling, but a part of him is hoping that his dad is calling to say that he is sorry for his words. If Cameron's mom I stubborn, then his dad is that true master of stubbornness. Still, something makes him answer it even though he knows it will probably set his tearing flowing again.

"Dad, did you want something?"

His dad did want something, and it isn't a good thing. His dad wants to see if their words from yesterday impacted their son.

"I wanted to see if your sisters called you?"

Cameron chuckles to himself.

"Yeah, they did."

His dad smiles, thinking that they've finally crushed him.

"So I take it you dumped the fire-fighter?"

His dad isn't going to get what he wanted. He figured that his son would dump this boy that he is dating rather than lose out on his sisters and his niece and nephew. Instead of the tears that he was expecting, they just made Cameron angry.

"You know, I thought I made it very that I wasn't breaking up with Jamie."

It would be so much better if they would just go away and leave him and Jamie alone.

"You did say that you wouldn't break up with him, but I was hoping you would be smart and drop him. You should know that Chelsea decided that you shouldn't be allowed to see the kids while you continue to see that time waster."

He wonders if Chelsea told his sperm donor that Chelsea and Braendan told him that wasn't going to be happening.

"Dad, I might be upset, but truth be told. You don't get to decide that. Now, if you can't talk nice to me, then I am going to hang up. Better yet, I'll hang up."

With just a finger on the end icon, the phone goes silent. No one is going to tell him that he has to break up with Jamie. His dad may have meant to upset his son, but he failed. Cameron would love to tell his dad off in defense of his boyfriend. He hates the idea that they are trying to force him into dropping Jamie.

***

After a short phone call from Jamie, Cameron is out the door and headed to Jamie. Cameron is knocking on the door, and he can hear Princess barking in response to the sound of his car, or at least that is what Cameron thinks is the cause of her barking. Jamie opens the door, and he's wearing a shirt that looks like another layer of skin on top of his own. Cameron can see each muscle through the shirt, and it makes him want to cuddle with the handsome man in front of him.

"Are you going to come inside or stare at me?"

Jamie asks with a chuckle. Cameron says nothing. He may not have said anything, but he does do something. He kisses his boyfriend, and then he steps inside.

"So if I want a kiss, I should wear skin-tight shirts more often, huh?"

Now, it's Cameron's turn to chuckle.

"All you have to do is ask."

Cameron winked at him and walked right past him. Princess wastes no time in getting attention from her friend.

"Hey girl, I've missed you, puppy."

Cameron tells Princess, who is busy wagging her tail and trying to get some licks in; as quickly as possible. Jamie quietly watches the puppy greeting his boyfriend.

"Princess, I want some attention too."

She paused from greeting Cameron and looks up at her daddy. Her wagging slowed but only enough for her to realize that Jamie wasn't getting up to play with her. Her pause gave Cameron enough time to sit down. Jamie sits next to Cameron and smiles.

"So um...can I have a kiss?"

Jamie asks, just like Cameron suggested at the door. Cameron turns and looks at him.

"Sure, but only because you asked."

The couples kiss for a brief second before they embrace and cuddle. They cuddle, and soon they start to discuss the events of the day. Jamie wants so badly to shelter his baby from the hate. The funny thing is, Cameron already feels sheltered. They stay like this for over a half-hour, occasionally changing their position to remain comfortable. The two boyfriends might have remained in that position except that Jamie's and Cameron's stomachs begin to talk.

***

Hunger forces them up from the couch and into the bathroom to wash their hands. On the dining room table, Jamie has placed all the ingredients for two large pizzas. There is mozzarella cheese, Italian sausage that has already been fried, onions, green peppers, pepperoni, and pizza sauce.

"If you want anything else, there is ham and pineapple in the fridge. I wasn't sure what else you might want, so I got a little bit of everything."

Cameron could eat just about anything right now. He didn't even wait for Jamie to start making his pizza before he starts making a pizza. It doesn't take them long for the pizzas to get their toppings on them.

"Let's get them cooking.":

Jamie says as he lays down aluminum foil on the pizza pan. Cameron presets the oven, and his boyfriend places the pizzas in the oven once it beeps, letting them know that the preheating has finished up. While the pizzas are cooking, Jamie starts putting the food away while Cameron sets up the sinks to wash the dishes. He gathers up all the utensils, empty bowls, sharp knives, the cutting board, and the pan that was used to fry up the sausage. As he starts washing the dishes, Jamie takes his hand and drags him back into the living room, where Jamie puts in a movie. It's a romantic comedy, but they don't finish the whole thing before the timer goes off, signaling that the pizzas are done. Jamie grabs his pizza cutter and proceeds to cut the pizzas into pieces. Jamie looks at the two pizzas and wonders if he made a mistake making two pizzas, but then he figures that they can have pizza later in the day, or Cameron can take some home with him when he leaves. While Jamie is cutting the pizza, Cameron sets the table, and soon, they are eating. When they are done eating, they return to the living room to finish the movie. Once the movie is over, they sit back and enjoy their little cuddling session.

***

Cameron and Jamie are cuddling on the couch when Cameron's phone rings. It's Mark from the office. He doesn't particularly like this guy, but it might be important, so Cameron answers it. Mark doesn't care for Jamie, and Jamie doesn't like him either. It's all good.

"Mark, is there a problem at the clinic?

Mark is hoping to make something come from this phone call.

"No, but you might have a problem."

Cameron rolls his eyes.

"Exactly; what would my problem be?"

He can't believe that Mark has the nerve to call him.

"Well, from what your dad said, your problem is that muscle head you keep by your side. Your dad thinks that you should be fired. I mean, he might tell a pretty good lie if he thought that he needed to say."

Mark's dumb ass thinks he's going to get Cam fired for dating Jamie.

"Well, that comment could be taken to mean that you agree with him. I would say that you might be trying to get me fired. Don't worry, I have a meeting with Courtney and William tomorrow, and I will bring up your concerns and some of my concerns, too, like people from work sticking their nose into my business. So, I'm pretty sure that someone will be in touch with you about talking to my dad about getting me fired, as well sticking your nose into my relationship, which has nothing to do with work. Yeah, I think I can handle that tomorrow, so don't worry, your pretty, little heart."

Mark knows that when Cameron gets a head of steam, he has no problem speaking up and becoming someone's bad news.

"Whoa there, tiger, I am just telling you what your said told me to say."

Cameron could care less what Mark was told to say.

"Mark, maybe you should have kept your mouth shut and not wasted your time calling me."

Just then, Jamie grabbed the phone from Cam.

"Is this that ass from the party?"

Jamie isn't about to let some jerk try to push their way on his man.

"You have no idea who the hell I am."

Mark tries to intimidate Jamie, but he fails in his attempt. Jamie has heard that comment from other people, and the people who use them tend to be arrogant asses.

"Oh, I know who you are. You're the arrogant prick that tried butting in on my relationship with Cameron at the clinic's party. Do me a favor get your own relationship."

Mark would have his relationship if Cameron did not see Jamie that fateful night.

`It's okay, pretty boy; eventually, your true self will show through, and Cameron will see that I am twice the man that you are. If his parents have their way, you won't be so cocky.'

"You should just break up with him so the better man can take care of him."

Now he's done it, Mark's arrogance is going to work against him.

"You know, you are either stupid or blind to your own flaws. You aren't better than me. Cam is with the better man."

Cameron doesn't like that Jamie felt like he needed to step in and defend him. He's afraid that Mark will see this as a sign that he can't fight his own battles; however, Cameron is perfectly willing to give Mark the fight of his life if need be. Cameron didn't come over to Jamie's house to argue with Mark. He takes the phone away from Jamie and then promptly ends the call.

"Don't sweat the small-minded idiots, now kiss me, Jamie."

Cameron usually isn't so forward, but he's hoping that the kiss will help take the sting of speaking with Mark away. Jamie doesn't need to be asked twice to kiss Cam, so he promptly kisses his boyfriend.

***

Cameron isn't about to let that phone call bother him or Jamie. He turns off his phone and puts it in his pocket.

"Babe, turn off your phone, and let's take Princess for a walk."

Jamie turns off the phone and then grabs Princess's leash and the poop bags.

"Princess!"

Jamie calls the pup, who walks out of the kitchen and then looks right up at her owner. Jamie doesn't even need to say anything about going for a walk. She knows when Jamie holds her leash that it means that it's time for a walk. Jamie clips the leash onto her collar and then grabs his keys.

"Ready?"

Her tails wags a little quicker as the guys stand up. They head for the door. Jamie opens the door and passes the leash to Cameron, who walks down the stairs. Cam's boyfriend locks up the house and then joins his boyfriend and his pup on the lawn. They stay in the yard long enough for Princess to do her thing, and then Jamie climbs up the mess. They head out and relax. The guys need a chance to breathe, and the walk is providing just that opportunity. It is exactly what they need. The combination of walking, fresh air, and physical contact seems to do the job. When they arrive back at Jamie's, Princess and Cameron spend some time playing while Jamie showers. When Jamie emerges from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, Cameron about dies. Jamie looks at Cameron with a serious expression on his face.

"Are you staying the night or going home?"

Jamie would love to share his bed with Cameron, but Cam works tomorrow. With Jamie, there is too much temptation, so he declines Jamie's offer. He gives Jamie one hell of a kiss, and then he says goodbye and walks out the door. He gets into the car and heads out. The car ride is quiet. At home, Cameron showers and goes to bed.

***

It may have been better to stay the night—Cameron's fast asleep when his mind opens up a dream or is a nightmare. The dream begins with a house burning and the acrid smell of smoke hanging in the air as black smoke billows into the air. Cameron can't see himself in the dream, but it seems that he is just an observer. Several emergency vehicles arrive on the scene, and one of them has Jamie in it. His view shifts to Jamie as if a drone were following his boyfriend. He's carrying a water hose in what seems to be mere seconds he unleashes a torrent of water into the flames. A little while later, Cameron can see Jamie entering the still-burning house, his hose still spraying water into the burning abode. Luckily, everyone is out of the house, and all the pets are accounted for, so all is good. This would be the point where the spine-tingling music would begin to play if this were a horror flick—Jamie ventures further into the house. Jamie is unaware that something terrible is about to happen. As Cameron watches, a beam from the ceiling comes crashing down and barely misses Jamie, but it was enough to startle the firefighter. He turns and sprays the beam; Jamie doesn't see what is happening in the back of him, but Cameron can, and because it's a dream, Cameron can do nothing but watch. The cans in the burning pantry begin to explode as the water inside them begins to boil, and the steam builds up inside them. Jamie is used to those sounds, but Cameron isn't, and still, the eerie music continues to play, but it's louder. Jamie is trying to hold his attention on the job at hand, but he's slightly distracted by the sounds coming out of the kitchen. With the dark smoke billowing around him, he manages to misstep, and Cameron can see and hear the bone snap in Jamie's leg. Jamie cries out in pain, and luckily someone on the radio hears him and two other firefighters come to rescue their friend and fellow firefighter. Before they can reach him, the portion of the ceiling that Jamie is standing under gives way. The debris hits Jamie's body, and some injuries send Jamie to the floor. He won't be able to walk out by himself. The guys who came in to assist Jamie spray down the area, and then they help Jamie make it out of the house safely. Sadly, Cameron wakes up before the injured Jamie can be looked over and treated before going to the hospital. Cameron woke up frightened by the scenes in his dream. Tears are once again streaming down his face, and worst of all, he is alone. Cameron grabs his phone and calls Jamie. He wouldn't usually call Jamie this early in the morning if he felt it wasn't necessary. Jamie would usually ignore calls coming in at this time of the night; in fact, the phone wouldn't put the call through. Only his family and Cameron are allowed to disturb his sleep when he's home. Jamie immediately picks up the phone.

"Cameron, what's going on? Are you okay?"

Cameron tries to catch his breath.

"Cameron, talk to me."

Jamie is beginning to worry about his boyfriend. Suddenly, Cameron finds his voice.

"I...I...saw you. You were...in a fire...and...the ceiling...came down. It hit you, you went down, and I thought you were dead. I just...I just needed to hear your voice to make...to make sure that you were okay. I'm sorry for waking you up, but I...I...had to know."

Jamie feels terrible for his boyfriend. He knows how frightening a nightmare can be, but what Cameron needs to hear is that Jamie is okay.

"Babe, I'm fine. I'm fine, do you need me to come get you...no, I am coming over, so open the door when I get there. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Cameron didn't mean for Jamie to leave his house.

"Okay...okay!"

Cameron gets up and heads for the front door. He unlocks the door and then quietly sits in the living room to wait for his boyfriend. It seems to take forever for Jaimie to arrive at the house. Jamie walks right into the house and then locks it right behind him. When Cameron sees Jamie, all the emotions that Cameron felt from the dream came out again; the tears are streaming down his face. Jamie walks to Cameron, who stands up and immediately embraces his boyfriend.

"It's okay, Cam. It's okay. I'm here, and I'm okay."

A part of Cameron wants to strip Jamie down and make sure that he's free from injuries. He quietly sniffs Jamie, and he doesn't smell any smoke coming off his boyfriend's clothes, and it helps him relax.

"Come on, Cameron, let's go to bed."

Cameron walks towards his bedroom, and Jamie follows close behind him. Jamie wants to cuddle up next to his man and holds him. Jamie strips down to his underwear and climbs into bed next to him in the bed. Jamie runs his fingers through his boyfriend's hair.

"I'm okay, Cameron. I love you, Babe. I love you."

Cameron smiles, and soon the guys are sound asleep.

***

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