Gravity Happens…

…

…Friends With Benefits?

Moose was five minutes early. He was never early. Camille could only remember one other time when he had been early and it had only been because she had told him the wrong time on purpose so he would arrive on time.

As she cleaned the tables, piling the dirty plates on a cart alongside the cups, Camille could see him outside the front window, rocking on the balls of his feet. He never stopped moving, she mused silently. In his left hand was a paper bag and she excitedly wondered what was in it and if it was for her. The idea of him caring enough to get her something made her stomach flutter.

Finishing quickly, Camille headed into the employee break room. She slid around some of the chefs and and hurriedly put her things in her locker, grabbing her satchel and sliding the strap over her head.

On her way out of the break room she nearly ran into Finn.

"In a rush?" he joked as he stood in her way. She wanted to step around him and be on her way, but she wasn't rude and decided to stick out the conversation.

"Sort of," she admitted with a small smile. Maybe he would get the hint and cut the conversation short.

"Girl's night out?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, a smirk drawing his lips crooked.

"Not exactly," she said as she pulled out her phone and pretended to be checking a message. "I've really got to go now or I'll be late."

"Okay, see you later." He put a hand on the break room door, effectively giving Camille the signal that the conversation was over, but at the last moment he turned and called out to her.

She plastered a smile on her face and turned. "Yes?"

"I was supposed to go to this concert with my friend, but something came up and now I have this extra ticket. I was wondering if you wanted it?" he asked hopefully, talking with his hands.

Camille bit her lip, unsure of how to reply. Was this his way of asking her out? Because she already had interests in other guys, specifically the one waiting outside for her right now.

"I don't know," she said uncertainly, taking a step backward with slight impatience. "I would see about it, but I'm pretty busy so you should probably ask someone else."

Finn shrugged, oblivious to her rejection. "I don't need an answer right now." And then he was through the swinging door and gone.

Camille sighed, shaking her head. Her phone buzzed in her hand, making her jump. She glanced down and smiled as the ridiculous picture of Moose, a picture he had insisted be deleted, came onto her screen. She pressed ignore and hurried to the front of the restaurant, finding Moose peering into the front window with worry written all over his face.

"There you are! For a second I thought you had forgotten and had left early or something," he told her as she opened the door. "And then I would have had to eat these by myself. I have a physique to keep up, you know."

Camille rolled her eyes and looked at the bag in his hand. "What is it?"

"Only your favorite thing ever," he exclaimed as he opened the bag and let her peer inside, "donuts!"

"I've been craving a donut all night Moose. You're the best," she admitted happily as she inhaled deeply, her stomach growling when she smelled the frosting. "Which one's mine?"

Moose's face heated up. "Well, I wasn't sure which one you wanted since you like both the strawberry with sprinkles and glazed ones so I got you both. I'll take the one you don't want."

Something in Camille melted. She wanted to kiss him so badly at that moment for being so sweet and thoughtful. Smiling, she kissed him on the cheek. "I know I already mentioned it, but you're the best."

Moose grinned goofily and wrapped his arm around her in a half hug. "I would never forget your favorite kind of donut Chameleon."

"What's my favorite ice cream flavor?" she questioned randomly, staring at him slyly.

Moose rolled his eyes, speaking without hesitation. "You hate ice cream. The only time you'll eat ice cream is when it's in a root beer float. Did I pass with flying colors?"

Camille giggled and reached into the bag, pulling out the donut with the strawberry frosting. "Of course." She switched the donut to her other hand so she could lick the frosting off her fingers. "This is so good."

Moose pulled out his own donut and took a huge bite of it. "I've been waiting to eat this for three blocks."

"Your stomach is always on your mind," Camille teased him, grinning when he moaned happily after another bite. "Can I have a bite of yours before you devour it?"

Moose held the donut to his chest, his eyes wide in horror. "Of course not! Haven't you ever heard of cooties?"

With a scoff Camille held out her own donut, offering up a bite of her own. He stared at her donut for a moment before holding out his own. Camille took his donut and took a bite, only realizing after she had put her mouth where his had just been on the donut. Trying to control her blush, she watched as Moose bit into her donut, his teeth sinking into heartily.

"You have frosting on your lip," Camille told him, motioning with her hand to where it was. She snickered when he missed, the pink still smeared across his upper lip. He handed her donut back to her, his tongue searching his upper lip for the frosting as his eyes followed her finger as she guided him on her own lip.

"There, you got it."

Moose stepped closer and his mouth covered hers, drawing the breath out of her as her stomach tightened in surprise and delicious warmth. His lips slanted over hers hungrily as his teeth chewed at her lower lip.

She could feel his curls against her forehead, could taste the strawberry frosting on his lips, could feel his warmth from being so close. It fueled her until she was pressed up against him, her donut forgotten in her left hand as her right hand clutched at his hoodie.

He exhaled through his nose, his breath washing over her face, and she swore she could feel the warm breath on her neck, on her stomach, between her legs.

Startled at the thought, Camille unthinkingly bit on his lip. He groaned, pulling her tighter against him with one hand. His hips touched hers lightly, but he didn't go any farther. They were on a public street after all.

"Do I need a bucket of cold water?"

Camille pulled away from Moose, her heart jolting in her chest in surprise. She looked away from Moose's face and straight into Finn's frowning one. Unwillingly her face heated up, but she hoped he couldn't see it in the dim light from the restaurant's front window.

"No," she said, thankful when her voice didn't crack embarrassingly.

Finn shrugged and stepped onto the sidewalk, standing in front of them.

"Umm, Moose, this is Finn. Finn, this is Moose," Camille introduced them, twisting her hands nervously. She wasn't sure what to do now.

Moose held out his hand and Finn stared at it for a moment before shaking it.

"Nice to meet you, man," Moose said with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Finn nodded as he replied, "You too." He glanced down at his wristwatch. "Well, I'll leave you two to your own activities. Good night."

Camille nodded. "See you tomorrow."

Finn grinned at her as though he was thinking of some inside joke they had shared. Camille thought back and couldn't think of any jokes and was puzzled as to why he was so amused.

He turned and headed down the street. Suddenly he stopped and turned, walking backwards as he called out to her, "Don't forgot to think about that concert!"

Camille glared at him as he turned back around and turned the corner.

"What concert?" Moose asked in confusion, his eyebrows drawing so close together they were almost one brown line.

"He asked me to go to a concert with him and I told him to ask someone else," Camille admitted softly as they headed down the street, the opposite way Finn had gone. She wanted to hold his hand, but the mood had gone sour the moment Finn had appeared. Instead, she finished her donut and dusted off the crumbs lightly with her fingers.

"Sounds like the kind of guy who can't take no for an answer," Moose mused in a low voice as he watched her. "Promise me you won't be alone with him."

Camille shivered and walked closer to Moose. He seemed to sense her unease and wrapped his fingers around hers, holding her hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry. I don't want to be alone with him and I plan to never find out."

Moose nodded. "Good. If you ever hang out with him, which I hope never happens, but that's because I'm your greedy, overprotective, selfish best friend, I'll be your plus one."

Camille rolled her eyes. "You're not greedy. Overprotective and selfish, maybe, but not greedy."

With a hand over his heart, Moose gave her a fake hurt look. "I'm most certainly not selfish, am I?"

Shrugging, Camille pulled away and stepped up on the small rock ledge lining the sidewalk. She stared down at him. "I suppose not. You did buy me a donut after all."

"Don't forget I almost ate it before I got to Hearth. That counts for something, right?"

"I would say yes, but your ego is already big enough as it is," Camille said with a laugh, squealing when he came up to her and hoisted her over his shoulder. His forearm held the back of her thighs securely as he spun them around.

"Moose!" Camille cried out, her hands clutching at the hoodie over his lower back. He stopped and she pounded on his back softly. "Put me down you mongrel. What are you, a caveman?"

"Yes. Food, fire," he adjusted her on his shoulder, making her squeak, "woman." His voice was deep and she could feel it in her side and leg, his voice scraping against her skin and setting off goose bumps.

Abruptly, he put her down gently. There was this amused grin on his face and they continued their walk down the street towards the Vault.

Moose said out of nowhere, "Almost forgot to tell you, Luke scheduled practice for tomorrow night."

Camille winced and bit her lip unhappily. "I have work tomorrow night. What about during the day?"

For a moment Moose was silent and Camille worried she had angered him somehow. Moose rarely ever got angry. She glanced at him to try and gauge his facial expression.

Moose's eyebrows were lowered, his eyes trained on the ground in thought. Then, shrugging, he met her eyes with a smile, "Don't worry 'bout it. I'll catch you up after. Plus, it'll give us some alone time."

He wiggled his eyebrows and Camille broke out in laughter. She rolled her eyes and elbowed him. "Alone time in the Vault? That's funny."

With a mumble of fake hurt, he elbowed her back. "And here I was all excited, but you just had to pop my bubble."

"Sorry Moose, but what kind of friend would I be if I lied to you?"

"You would be a great friend and my ego wouldn't always be so bruised," he told her sarcastically with one raised eyebrow. The corner of his lips tilted up in a smirk and Camille couldn't decide if she wanted to wipe it off with a nasty comeback or kiss it off.

"Dollar for your thoughts?" he asked as his eyes roamed her face.

"Moose, what're we doing?" Camille said in a rush as she stopped in her tracks, her shoulders slumped.

"What do you mean? We're heading to the Vault to—"

"I mean…" she swallowed thickly and squared her shoulders, her eyes meeting his bravely. "Within the past week we've kissed twice and not in a friendly, peck of the lips way. To be honest, it was more of an 'I'm going to eat off your face and possibly more if I don't stop' kind of kiss."

Moose's shoulders shook as he turned his face away, trying to hold in his laughter. "I certainly was not going to eat off your face Cam. Possibly more? Maybe. But not eat off your face."

Red bloomed on Camille's face at his honesty. Her heart pounded hard in her chest. She tried to push down the heat in her cheeks and his blunt words and responded, "It doesn't matter what you were going to do. We're best friends and there's an obvious attraction between us, but what do we do about it?"

Moose had this crazy grin on his face and when he didn't say anything Camille dreadfully asked, "What?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, but the look on his face was anything but. There was an excited gleam in his eyes like it was Christmas and he was getting the present he'd been waiting all year for. "I was going to say friends with benefits, but I don't want to get murdered by you."

Camille glared at him and he raised his hands in defense. "I would never suggest that, ever. You deserve better than that."

"Don't change the subject Robert Alexander."

Moose glared at her and she responded with her own glare. They stared at each other for a while until Moose blinked and shoved his hands in his pockets uncomfortably. He kicked the ground with his shoe, the pair he had proudly earned at the last World Jam.

"I want to take things slow," he admitted in a low voice, his head bent towards hers. "You're my best friend and I don't want to ruin that because we're attracted to each other or lusting after each other or whatever you want to call it."

Camille stared at him. "Your kiss didn't feel like you wanted to take things slow."

Moose sheepishly scratched the back of his neck and grinned up at her, his eyes framed by his dark lashes. "Sometimes I can't help myself. I just wanted to kiss you so badly that I did it without thinking."

She stared down at her fingers, playing with her nails as her lips tilted upwards. Pressing her lips together to hold in the smile, she let her hands drop. "I understand how you feel. Sometimes I just want to yank on those curls of yours and pull you forward." Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. "That wasn't supposed to come out."

"I'm glad it did," Moose said huskily, his eyes a dark brown as he stared at her lips.

Camille turned away from him and tugged on his sleeve, pulling him down the street. "Taking it slow, remember?"

Moose grumbled under his breath, "I'm already regretting my words."

Camille rolled her eyes and turned to him, leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek. She pulled away, trying to ignore the delicious smell that was Moose, and smiled at him. "You were being honest, don't regret that."

"You're right," Moose agreed. "What would I do without you?"

"I'm not sure, probably end up in jail," Camille mused with a giggle, "or maybe in a circus as a clown."

Moose glared at her. "Don't even joke about that. You know I hate clowns."

"But it would be perfect! Your hair's already curly so you would only have to dye it red."

"It'll never happen, ever." He grabbed her hand and started to run down the street, pointing towards the sky and proclaiming loudly, "To the Vault. Hurry Chameleon or I'll throw you over my shoulder again."

Clutching his hand tighter, Camille picked up the pace at his threat. As much as she loved him carrying her, something he had done many times, she preferred being in his arms and not on his shoulder. She felt more like a Princess then, which meant he was her Prince Charming, right?

...

Someone asked if I could give them a schedule of when I update and unfortunately I don't have one. I'm really sorry and I wish I had an update schedule because that would make my life so much easier, but...I'm not that organized or focused.

So this is a juicy chapter, eh? I hope the title of the chapter fooled you well because that was my intent. I know you were all hoping for something more like hmmm SEX. But not yet. Maybe later. :)