On the ride home, they held hands, fingers entwined, like a couple of shy junior high schoolers. Cameron found he was even a little bit nervous, despite the fact he'd gone a lot further with a lot of girls, but none of them were Kith. Back at the ACE house, he held the door open for her, and took his time leading her up the stairs to their room, knowing Kith would stop to cradle her stomach and catch her breath.

Once there, he guided her to the bed, gently pushing her to sit. He reached down and tugged at the straps of her ballet flats, unwinding them and letting them fall to the ground one after the other. Cameron took one of her feet into his hands and began rubbing the ball of it with his thumbs. His movements were slow and languid and Kith made a small groan of pleasure letting her head fall back against his bed.

"I'm not sleeping with you." Tonight, she added silently. She knew he wouldn't try anything, but it wasn't him she was worried about, necessarily.

"I know." He smiled, mischievous. "You think about sex with me a lot. Can't blame you. I am remarkably good looking."

Kith's only response was a snort. He changed to the other foot. Abruptly his fingers touched some little sensitive spot and she let out a sharp gasp, definitely not in pain. She pushed herself up on her elbows to see his eyes go dark and his face turned solemn. But he didn't stop. His hands moved upward, over her ankles and up her bare leg to her calf and began working at the muscles there; all of his movements slow and sensuous, their gazes fused together, unable to look away. Abruptly he yanked his hands away from her legs, and leaned away from her.

"Alright. Let me help you get out of that dress."

Kith allowed him to reach the damned side zipper. As he sat her up, she listened to the zipper being pulled down, and he began to shimmy her out of her dress, letting it pool at her waist. Calloused fingers brushed her spine making Kith's spine quiver in response and her heart began thumping so loudly in her chest that she wondered if Cameron could hear it.

She blushed when she realized that she was half naked in front of him and her boobs were practically in his face. He barely looked at her, though, as he pushed her pajama shirt down over her head and pulled her arms through the holes, as if she was a small child who still needed help getting dressed.  She stood up to shimmy into her pajama pants and pulled the rest of the dress off, removed her bra, and carefully folding it into her prom dress and tucking it into her hamper. When she turned around, Cameron had already changed, and awkwardly stood in the middle of the room, looking at her with a soft gaze. He really does have amazing abs, she thought to herself, as she crossed the space between them.

Feeling brave and bold, she leaned into him, slipping her hand around his neck and pressing her lips into his; soft and familiar.

"Kith," his voice was rough. "I –"

"Just shut up and kiss me," she groaned. All of his infinitesimal self control was starting to drive her crazy. She liked that he was always careful not to push, without trying to treat her as some fragile broken thing. Always giving her control to every situation.

Mutely, he brought his hands beneath her jaw and pulled her forward and kissed her with more pressure; more desire. Cameron was the first to pull away – as always. His eyes sparkled in a million different emotions that churned and combined into something both dazed and charged.

She stared at him for a few seconds before she launched herself in for another kiss. Not an inch of space was between them. Still, his arms snaked behind her lower back, pulling her tighter against him without trying to press her stomach too much. Kith moaned against his mouth and her fingers yanked at his dark curls, pulling him closer.

"Ugh," she withdrew a minute later, exasperated with her desire to get closer still, but her belly was uncomfortably in the way. "This isn't working."

Instead of his usual sarcastic retorts, he wordlessly sat on the bed, pushing himself backwards until he met the headboard. "Come here," he rasped, patting the space next to him.

She raised an eyebrow, confused, but complied by perching on the edge of the bed. He groaned in exasperation, his hand winding around her knee and gently pulling her toward him until she was practically sitting sideways in his lap.

Winding one fist gently into her hair, Cameron slowly leaned down and gently brushed his lips over hers, giving her ample time to change her mind, to pull away if she wanted.

Kith's hands slid up his shoulders around his taut neck. His tongue slipped out, running along the seam of her lips, seeking entrance. Kith gasped and yawned at the same time.

He made a noise in the back of his throat – a laugh or a groan, she wasn't sure, but he pulled back and smiled at her. "Time for you to go to bed."

Kith groaned. "I don't want too."

"To be continued," he promised, and gently pushed her down into the bed, pulling the covers over them, despite her protests. She turned on her side, facing away from him, as he scooted closer, one arm pillowed under her head, and the other gently rubbing soothing circles on her stomach. Wrapped in the safe haven of his arms, Kith slowly drifted into a peaceful slumber.

She fell asleep for a couple of hours and woke up with Tristan treating her like a soccer ball, repeatedly kicking her. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she raised her head slowly and realized that Cameron had fallen asleep with her. Kith felt how their bodies nestled perfectly together with her back to him. She almost wanted to snuggle into him from the heat his body was giving off. An arm loosely cradled around her stomach still.

Her hand slid under the covers as she sought his and gingerly brushed his fingers. They twitched in reaction to her touch. Slowly, she picked up his arm and allowed her body to shift into the direction facing him. Kith propped herself up on her elbow so that she looked down at him face-to-face as she tilted her head to one side allowing her hair to pool on her right side.

The sky was now peaking in color as it streamed through the bedroom. Ravenous purples and pinks drizzled across the spacious room like colored carpets rolling out for the main event of the sunrise. Cameron looked like he was at peace while he was sleeping. Oranges, yellows and ambers bled through, igniting his dark curls like some sort of dark halo.  She brought her fingers to his face and gently stroked his firm jaw line then glided up to his cheek, her thumb tracing over prickly dark stubble. Her hand slid into his hair, caressing the silky curls that tumbled down the side of his head. When he slept, his barriers melted away. All the tension he carried in his body, the sarcastic quips, and all his stoic reservation. Inhaling a deep breath, he groaned slightly as he slowly began to wake up. His eyes fluttered open and surprise etched across his features when he noticed Kith in his perpetual vision.

"Thank you," she whispered, "for everything." She didn't think she had ever told him how much being there for her and Tristan meant to her, for taking on her burdens and not once complaining. She'd come to the stark realization that he'd be a good dad to Tristan.

Slowly, she leaned into him, her lips lightly brushing his. Then, like a magnet she pressed her lips against his parted mouth. Cameron delicately pulled her into him accepting the kiss. With his hand, he pushed her hair up to the side and pulled away from the kiss, searching her eyes. He stared at her, and she only stared back. His calloused, rough hand made its way to her chin - his thumb grazing her soft, pink lips. Cameron pulled her chin closer to him as he leaned in, pressing his lips into hers once more. She yielded to him with the slip of his tongue. Kith curled her fingers around his shirt, bringing him closer to her. Both arms wound around his neck, tracing patterns against his skin.

She kind of never wanted to leave this spot, this morning, right here with him.

She'd never admit it anytime soon, but she was half in love with Cameron Blake.

He found her one Friday night in his bed, stuffing her face with cake. He didn't know what to focus on first, the bit of chocolate on her upper lip she was trying to lick off, or the fact that she was wearing his shirt. It was most definitely his, blue and emblazoned with his frat's title on the chest, and the small hole on the sleeve where he'd gotten it caught on the back of a girl's earring once. His arms dropped limply to his side, mystified by what he was seeing.

"I'm hungry," she said by way of explanation, as if she thought that's why he was staring at her with an odd sort of look on his face.

"Is... is that my shirt?"

Glancing down, she flushed. "Yeah," she said sheepishly. "Sorry. My pajama top was cutting off my circulation at this point... do you want me to change?"

"No," he said quickly, his voice a little gruffer than intended. "It looks better on you... actually, really fucking hot."

She rolled her eyes and snorted half-heartedly, but he noticed her cheeks redden. "Yeah, because being very, very pregnant is attractive."

He shrugged as he climbed onto the bed, settling next to her. He bumped her thigh with his knee. "It is on you."

She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to butter me up. I know what I look like," she looked down at the cake in her lap.

He groaned. "I wish you could see yourself the way I see you." He scrubbed a hand through his hair, brushing dark curls off his face. "Kith, look at me." A moment passed before she raised her eyes to meet his. "You're smart, funny... beautiful. And that was before you were pregnant. If... if you weren't seventeen, I probably would've already made a move, a long time ago. You're pregnant, yeah, but you're pregnant with our son. And that just makes you even more beautiful and sexy. Really. In my head, no one even compares to you."

Kith's heart somersaulted in her chest at the sincerity in his voice. Was that really how she looked in his eyes? Smiling sweetly at him, she took another dainty bite.

"Where did you get cake?" he asked, watching with dark, unreadable eyes as she took another bite.

"Lucy made a cake for Ty and he offered me a piece."

"You know, if Jenny Craig saw what you're eating right now, she'd have heart palpitations."

"Want some?" she mumbled around a bite, offering him the plate. She stuck the fork into the moist, delicious cake, but before she could get it to her mouth, Cameron had reached across, grabbed her hand, and directed it to his mouth. He watched her as he chewed slowly, and she wrinkled her nose.

She hoarded the remainder of the cake, but he couldn't bring himself to care because she had still not reached that spot of chocolate above her lip, and now that the shirt debate was over, his one-track mind had settled on that.

Cameron reached out almost hesitantly, and then held back the hand that was midair to wipe it off the corner of her lip. Instead, he dipped his head down to kiss it off, the touch of his tongue against her lip sent a bolt of electricity through her veins.

On the first day of May, Kith noticed Cameron watching her like a hawk as she finished getting ready for school.  Unlike her, he was nearly done.  In fact, he would be out of school by the middle of the following week.  Like everyone else on campus, he was studying for his remaining finals.  The seniors, his seniors, would be graduating in the middle of May, too.  Most people she saw, excluding those freaking out over particularly hellish exams, were excited for the end of another school year.

"What are you doing?" she finally asked, whirling around.  His unending stare was weird.

"Waiting for you to go into labor," he said innocently, leaning back in his desk chair.

"You know that's not how it works, right?" she fired back, tying her hair up.

"You're due date's this month," he replied calmly.

"Yeah," she agreed. "The middle, Cameron! The sixteenth, to be exact; not today."

"You ever heard of babies coming early?" smirking, he tossed his keys up and down before getting up from his seat to check her shoes.

"Sit down," rolling her eyes, she stooped down for her backpack. "Flip-flops."

"I still have to make sure they're matching flip-flops," he wrapped her in a reverse hug as she tried to exit.  Grunting, Kith swiped at his hands; he released her.

"You mad at me?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head. "I would just like you to stop staring at me like that. It's weird."

"I stare at you all the time," he countered.

"Okay, that's even weirder," Kith answered, planting her hands on her hips.  The day before, Cameron had given Nate a whistle in case she happened to go into labor and he wasn't around. "Tristan's not coming today or tomorrow or the day after that. If he's anything like you, he's gonna procrastinate and put off being born until it suits him."

"Hey," Cameron flipped the light switch, cracked his door and strolled after her down the hall. "I'm not a procrastinator." Whistling, he traipsed down the stairs and out into the morning sun. "And if I know Tristan, which I think I do, he's coming early. Like me, Kith, he enjoys surprising people and making boring days exciting."

"Oh yeah?" she raised an eyebrow. "How much are you willing to bet he comes early?"

"Bet?" he repeated.

"Bet?" she mocked him.  Opening the back door, she placed her backpack on the floor and shut it.  Turning around to stare him down, she folded her arms. "Yeah, bet, Cameron. You seem mighty confident, and quite frankly, it's gotten a little more than annoying. So, put up or shut up."

"I'm pretty sure there's something immoral about betting on our son's birth," Cameron replied, leaning against his truck.

"You're probably the least moral person I know, so it's perfect," Kith smiled happily, waiting on his response. "Are you really going to back down from a bet, Cameron? From a girl?"

"I'm not betting on-"

"No balls," Kith cut him off, smirking confidently.

"What?" not sure he heard her correctly, he made a face.  Kith radiated even more confidence now that she had his full attention.  Insults were always perfect to get people to do things.  This should be fun, she thought to herself; he's so losing.

"You heard me," she said louder. "No balls!"

"Kith," standing up straight, he motioned for her to lower her voice.  It was early, and a good majority of campus was still sleeping, minus certain athletes.  And late partiers.

"Where are your balls, Cameron?" she asked, scanning the ground. "I can't seem to find them." Tucking hair behind her ear, she searched harder.

"Twenty bucks," he said after grinding his teeth.  Looking up, Kith smiled evenly. "Twenty bucks he comes early."

"You're on," she extended her hand.

"This is an easy twenty," he shook it. "And I almost feel kinda bad for taking money from a pregnant girl. Almost."

"I'm only pregnant for another fifteen days," Kith retorted, walking backwards. "Maybe more. Who knows?" Shrugging, she opened her door and got in.

"So," she seemed hesitant now, after he had slid into the driver's seat and keyed the ignition.

"So?" he prompted.

"About the name thing."

He promptly raised an eyebrow.

Silence reigned supreme as she twisted in her seat, trying to get the seatbelt snuggly around her stomach. "Giving him your last name," she clarified.

"Oh?"

She rolled her eyes, a bit annoyed that his speech was limited to one syllable, two letter words. "Did you still want Tristan to have your last name?"

His eyebrows rose into his hairline. "Seriously?"

"Stop with the one liners. Yes, seriously."

She expected him to pump his fist into the air like the end of The Breakfast Club. Instead, he unbuckled his seatbelt and slid across the seat until he invaded her space.  "Thank you," he breathed softly, pulling her closer still, resting his lips on Kith's forehead, feathering kisses over her now-closed eyelids. "Can I kiss you?"

"You don't have to ask permission every time you want to kiss me first, Cam."

He frowned, "Yeah, I do. But I'm asking for me as much as I'm asking for you, I need that assurance... I mean, I know you still have panic attacks, and I want you to know that I won't..." he winced, continuing, "... push anything on to you, or try something you're not completely comfortable with."

Her heart swelled with affection for him. "I know you wouldn't," she said determinedly. She trusted him more than she trusted anyone in her life. Aside from the first day all those months ago, the day she moved in and he hugged her, before he knew anything, that he'd always been careful making sure he didn't touch her, or that she was comfortable with it before he did. Always relinquished control to her.

He beamed. "So...?" he questioned. 

She hesitated, before nodding her assent mutely, not trusting her voice to hold steady, the recent realization about her feelings for Cameron still whirling about in her head.

And he did it. He pressed his lips to hers, the briefest of caresses, and reclaimed his place in the driver's seat.

He was still smiling when he dropped her off at school.

NO BALLS. We're taking bets, anyone got an idea when baby Tristan appears?

TEASER: "Well... how long ago did your water break?"