*Alex's POV*
I woke up with the vibrating on my head from my phone, waking me for my trip to the airport. I ran and showered, a sudden adrenaline rush coursing through me when I remembered I was going to see Cameo today. After showering, I ran back into the room and threw on the clothes on the things I laid out yesterday and ran to the living room. I went to the garage to find Baz's crate and threw treats in there to get him to get in quietly. I wrote a note to my parents, telling them how I love them and how they did a lot for me and all my mushy love stuff.
"Alright Baz, time to come to your new home." I whispered to him as I opened the front door to the chilly night air. It was 2am here and I called a taxi to come get me at my address.
I piled in and it took forty- five minutes to get from the house to the airport. I paid and tipped the guy, feeling generous with my excitement to get home, and jumped out with my luggage, and Baz, in tow.
.....//.....//.....
*Cameo's POV*
"Are you sure you don't need me anymore?" Jack asked sternly as he blocked my front door. I rolled my eyes, trying to play off last nights events like it never happened. I wish it never happened..
"Yes Jackie, I'm fine, trust me."
"Cameo you were in the bathroom dry heaving. You were so upset, you were even talking in your sleep. I didn't image that." He placed his hands comfortingly on my shoulders and looked me in the eye.
"I know." I sighed. "It was bad, but I'm fine. It was a moment of weakness, plus a bad dream, it was nothing." I perked my eyebrows up at him, waiting for him to object like I knew he wanted to, but he didn't.
"If you insist.. But you'll call if you need anything, or me right? Because I'll always be here for you OK?" He dropped his hand to his sides and picked up his cases of things.
"I promise I'll call if I need you. But you really don't need to worry, I'm fine. We can pretend last night never happened."
"Maybe you can, but I can't. I know you don't want to tell me what you dreamt about, but you should tell someone."
"Like who? A professional?" I gawked as he opened the door and stepped out of the apartment.
He turned to me and shrugged. "If it'll help you sleep at night."
Jack went down the steps and to the taxi he called earlier and threw his things in the trunk. "Bye scout." He smiled down at me, the earlier conversation vanishing and making me smile with ease too.
"Bye Skunk." We embraced in an air squeezing hug and I pecked him on the cheek, thanking him silently for last night and saying goodbye to someone who I felt was true family to me now. "Love you."
"Love you too." He whispered back after a short silence and we untangled ourselves from one another. "I'll talk to you soon." He got in the cab and smiled at me, waving against the dirty finger print smudged window.
I waved back grinning and the cab drove off, taking my last night's sanity with him.
I trudged back upstairs, only to have to take Levi out again for a run. I changed and leashed him, we jogged around the coldasac and when we can back home I was sweating bullets and Levi was panting and immediately ran to drink down his water bowl. I went straight to the bathroom, started the shower, and dove in, washing the filth and grime off of me.
When I got out of taking what felt like one of the longest showers of my life, I slowly stepped out and exhaustion took over, my body was screaming at me to sleep after last night. I trudged into the room and slid on a large Batman baseball shirt that was Alex's that was just laying on the floor, and crawled into bed.
I ducked under all the sheets and curled up, letting my eyes flutter shut and take my mind to a different place, into a deep, dark sleep.
.........//..........//......
*Alex's POV*
The plane landed and it was late, I was jet lagged and the time back home was.. Well I don't give a fuck what except that it was just after sundown and to me it felt so different. I un boarded the plane and met EITH baggage claim to pick up Baz before going to find the rest of my things.
"Hey Baz! Sleep good?" I baby talked down to him as he wagged his tail in the crate and looked at me with pleading eye to let him out. "Soon enough buddy." I stuck my fingers through the bars of the crate door and touched his nose for reassurance. Should I call and ask her to pick me up? I thought about it but decided against it, wanting to keep it a surprise.
"Need a ride?" A gruffly dressed cab driver asked and I nodded and piled in without question.
...........//.......//.......
*Cameo's POV*
I'm running, and running, my lungs feel clenched like their out of breath and my heart is pounding in my chest like a racehorse running ahead of the others at full speed. I skidded to a stop when the street ended and I turned, seeing no one or thing chasing after me like I thought they had been. I sighed and plopped on the road. Curling myself into a ball and mumbling sweet nothing's to myself.
"Please let Alex be okay, please let Alex be okay." I repeated again and again to myself as dreary clouds washed over me and rain started pounding on my back.
I felt something tug lightly at my face as slim my arms. I looked up and saw nothing there, but I could feel it touching me. Goosebumps raised on my arms and my lungs were instantly replenished with oxygen. The storm faded to a drizzle and I felt warmth wash over my body. A good dream? What were the butterflies in my stomach for? I looked around ad yet saw no one. "Hello? Anyone there?" I asked, hopeful.
"Cameo, Cami.. I'm right here." I heard a voice whispering in my ear, going from an echo noise to a closer, realistic sounding tone. "Look up, I'm right here." The voice sounded warm and memorable. "Cami wake up."
My eyes flashed open and I sucked in a lungful of air like I'd been held under water longer than I should've been. Alex was looking down at me, a smile trying to hide his concerned eyes. I sighed and my features softened from under him. "You're home." I breathed and he shifted so he could curl up next to me.
"Not a dream." He whispered into my hair when I threw my arms around him and tangled me legs into a web of his own.
"Better than a dream." I pulled back and twisted the ends of his fringe, gazing into his speckled hazel eyes and smiling warmly, all my last nightmares and worries gone. It took me a minute to realize, there was something different about him. "What did you do to your hair?" I giggled and he reciprocated the sound, burying his face into my chest, showing me his hair. It had even trimmed again and this time there were added chunks of pink in it. "Gay pride?" I questioned when he looked back up at me with a face of normal color.
"Nope, more like breast cancer awareness." I nodded in awe and played with it between my palms and fingers.
"It looks good. But you know what you remind me of?" I smirked and before even getting it out I started laughing.
"What?" He questioned, looking uneasy now.
"A Neapolitan icecream bar." I giggled again and he looked at me incredulously.
"Seriously?"
I nodded and laughed as he leaned his forehead against mine, smiling at me sweetly. "Way to ruin the moment smart ass." He mumbled, his lips barely brushing against mine. My heart skipped a beat and I pecked his lips affectionately.
"Oh, we were having a moment?" I commented again sarcastically. He rolled his eyes at me and Eskimo kissed my nose.
"I missed you." He whispered huskily and I held myself closer to him.
"Believe me, the feeling is more than mutual." We laid in silence, wrapped around each other, enjoying the warmth from one another and loving the moment, when Alex snapped his head up and beamed at me, crazy eyed.
"I have something I want to show you." He popped from my arms and out of bed. "Come on!" He yanked me out of bed after him and dragged me to the living room, pushing me to the floor with excitement and running to the wall to get his guitar.
"And you say I ruin a moment.." I mumbled as I leaned back against the foot of the couch, criss- cross applesauce.
Alex let Baz out of the cage first and he ran over, sniffing me and letting my pet him adoringly. Levi heard him and ran out of the room to investigate, only to end up not caring when Baz immediately tried to play with him. They ran down the hall, chasing down for the same toy. It was precious with little Baz and big Levi.