◯ ¢яуѕтαℓ вαℓℓ ◯ {Greyson}

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Will it stop nightmares?" Cameron asked. He watched Sasha's hand as they braided his hand, almost mesmerized by the simple movements.

[ηarcissus ιn chains]

He tied off the braid, moved to the next. A restless shrug made his shirt slip and expose a section of his shoulder, the light helping you to see the tattoo etched into his skin. "Eh, depends on the nightmares. It doesn't help with mine."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Cameron itched to ask about her nightmares, but he found the restraint not to. "So you can't get to sleep and you have nightmares? Sounds like a double whammy."

[ηarcissus ιn chains]

"It's not great," Sasha's lips twitched. Smile or frown? They tipped up slightly and his eyes did that adorable, Asian crinkly thing. He let his hands drop to his lap, realizing that he'd braided almost all of his own hair at this point. Mindless habit. Nervous habit.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Cameron tapped his finger against the plastic water bottle. Then he cleared his throat. "I really should be going," he said. "Thank you for the water."

[ηarcissus ιn chains]

Sasha gave another tentative smile, a hint of one. "Of course.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"I'll talk to you soon," Cameron said as he stood up. He took the bottle with him, in case he ended up needing it after all. He had no idea how far he planned on going. He'd run all night if he could, to escape the nightmares.

[ηarcissus ιn chains]

"Remember to call, when my car is done," Sasha smiled gently, starting to braid his hair again.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Cameron nodded and gave him a wave before walking down the porch step and starting down the street. A wave? Really? He felt like smacking his forehead.

[ηarcissus ιn chains]

Sasha gave an awkward little smile and shifted his attention back to his book. But.. It didn't stay there for long. He peered at the road, watching Cameron's form, his eyes focusing intently on the man.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Cameron fell into a steady rhythm, the muscles of his back tensing each time he swung his arms. His eyes were trained again, his mind focusing on the thud of his shoes on the ground and the sound of his breathing.

[ηarcissus ιn chains]

-

A couple days later, he was bending and bowing his body. Yoga, Tai-Chi, martial arts all mixed up. He hummed as he heard his phone ring and flipped it open, voice a little breathless. "Hello?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Is this Sasha?" Cameron asked. He was pacing in his garage, in front of Sasha's car. His shirt and pants were covered in grease, but his hands were newly cleaned to handle the phone.

[ηarcissus ιn chains]

A quick, sharp voice. Cameron. Had to be Cameron. "Yes, this is he. May I ask who's calling?" Better to be safe than sorry, right?

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"It's Cameron Dahn. I got a call from the company I ordered your car's parts from. They're having a problem at the factory, so it's going to take a bit longer than usual." Cameron paused, biting his lip. Please don't get angry. "I'm terribly sorry."

[ηarcissus ιn chains]

"How long?" His voice was calm, steady, as he sat on the purple mat under his feet and sprawled out.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"I can't say for sure, but I'll keep you posted. I'll do everything I can to make sure the parts come in as soon as possible." Cameron stopped and looked over at the car. He'd never had this problem before. It was like fate was playing a cruel joke on him.

[ηarcissus ιn chains]

"Would this... Delay make you lose other customers?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"It might, if anyone else comes in and I can't get the parts they need," Cameron said. "Why do you ask?"

[ηarcissus ιn chains]

Oh yes, he would most definitely stop by and pay more. Not for a rush, but just because he was stopping Cameron's much-needed business. "Oh, I was curious, is all. Thank you for letting me know, Mr. Cameron."