MATEO || bxb

- 9 -

| Mateo |

"Hello sleepy head," I said when Cam wandered down into the kitchen. It was the next day now about mid-morning.

He blushed when he saw me. "Hi. I didn't mean to fall asleep. Most days I usually can't that early..."

"S'okay. Me and Ade fell asleep on the floor so not any better," I replied.

"On the floor?"

"Yup, right there on the floor. Didn't even have much to drink."

"You must have been really tired?" Cam suggested.

"Suppose so."

"What are you still doing here anyway?" Cam asked. You could tell he was still a little groggy from just waking up. His voice had that hoarse quality to it that I didn't often hear him with, but it was one of the most attractive sounds I'd ever heard.

"Alright, I'll leave then," I joked.

"No! Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Cam said coming over to stand near me.

Adrian was in the shower, and I was buttering some toast I'd just made. Sienna, Cam and Adrian's mum, had made it clear since I was at least 13 that I could always help myself and a year away wasn't long enough to stop this approved habit of mine.

"You sure about that?" I joked again.

"Yeah. I like it when you're here," Cam said moving a little closer again. Our shoulder were only inches apart and if I moved a little closer myself, they'd be brushing against each other. I was tempted to let that happen but didn't want to make Cam uncomfortable. I know Ade told me last night that Cam might like me, even if he meant more in a friendly way, but that didn't mean I was going to start crossing potential boundaries.

"You've just come to steal my toast, haven't you?"

"What? I would never do that!" And yet, as soon as I finished buttering up the first piece, he'd already stolen it off my plate.

"Oi! Liar!"

Cam laughed and it was the sweetest sound in the world. And he still had an evil grin on his face as he bit into my stolen piece of toast. I ended hp buttering the other one and passing it to him as well, choosing to make more that I could hopefully actually have to myself. I wasn't usually a fan of people stealing my food but, it's Cam. Does he ever do anything that truly annoys me?

I don't think even when we were younger, and he used to follow me and Ade around for a while, that I ever got annoyed with him. He was always a friendly presence that never felt out of place. When I was with him or he was with me, it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I will actually head home today. I still have to unpack all the stuff dad sent over," I said managing to eat my breakfast without having it stolen. Cam sat on one of the island stools in the kitchen as he ate, while I chose to just lean against the counter instead.

"What was all that stuff anyway?" he asked. I could see his legs didn't quite touch the floor when he was sat on his stool, and he was having a lot of fun swinging them back and forth.

"Just like some clothes. Food he thought I'd want. Some decorations 'n stuff I left in my room. Random stuff really. I've got to sort through them and see what I wanna pack for uni or just leave at home. Rather get it done sooner than later," I explained.

"Are you already packing for uni?"

"Yes and no. I mean most of my stuff was already packed from moving back so anything I'm not particularly using now or don't use often I'm just keeping in bags and boxes."