I was feeling a little deprived and wrote a new one shot. I'm a little sad that the amount of one-shots is beginning to die off. Hopefully it won't take until the Halloween special for the pace to resume, so I urge you all to continue posting if you're a writer. Anyways I hope you enjoy this no-so-short one shot!

Kirsten Learns to Share (an Apartment)

One Shot

July

Kirsten Clark wasn't used to sharing spaces. She was an only child and was quite used to the solitude that came with it, so when she entered her new apartment for college the sight of someone else's belongings was not welcome. She scowled as she looked around at the pristine furniture. No college student ever had brand new furniture that looked that good and didn't come from a wealthy background. The last thing she needed was a rich kid here for the parties.

"Ed, why is there already another person's belonging in my apartment?"

"I told you last week you would have to share the apartment with someone. I talked to his parents about it and they seemed to think it was a good idea."

"You didn't think to ask me about it first? I thought you were joking about it." Kirsten shouldered her phone so she could move her things from the doorway. Her 'roomie' didn't appear to be there at the moment, and she didn't want them tramping all over her things should they barge through the doorway.

"Kirsten, we've talked about this. You need to learn to communicate with other people, and living with someone will help you. Just give him a chance, for me?"

"No. He's going to party all the time and interrupt my studies. If he won't leave then I will."

"You're only 18 and have no credit. No one is going to rent you a place without a co-signer." Kirsten cursed under her breath. He was right.

"Just give it the first semester. If you really don't get along then I'll see what I can do."

"Fine." Kirsten hung up her phone, tossing it onto the couch.

"Ow! What the hell?" A boy with messy brown hair, green eyes, and clad in a plaid shirt sat up on the couch rubbing his shoulder. He turned to glare at the source that threw the phone, but stopped his verbal onslaught. When his parents said he would be sharing an apartment with someone, he picture another guy. Not a gorgeous, long legged, blonde beauty. A pissed-off looking blonde beauty.

She didn't appear to be phased by the fact her phone had hit him, or that he had been sleeping on the couch. How long had she been in the apartment? Did she notice Cameron sleeping and decided to wake him up by throwing her phone at him?

"Oh, um. I'm Cameron." Kirsten was slightly shocked when he stood. Not many guys were close to her height, let alone taller than her. This guy, Cameron, had a good five inches on her.

"Kirsten." Cameron expected goosebumps to appear on his skin from her coldness. His parents had warned him she was a little odd. She had some sort of condition that didn't allow her to feel emotions too well or time, he thought it was called Temporal Dysplasia. She sighed and dropped all of her things on the floor at her feet.

"Let's just get this out of the way. I'm here to study. I don't party or drink or take drugs. I was not told I'd be sharing this apartment with a roommate. I did not want to share an apartment with a roommate. I do not socialize. If you interrupt my studies with any obnoxious friends, parties, anything I will not hesitate to hack all of your accounts and share every single embarrassing thing I can find about you." To be honest, she did intimidate him a little bit. Well any beautiful girl could easily intimidate him, but she was scary on a whole other level.

"I'm not the partying type." Kirsten nodded once, swiftly picked her bags up, and turned toward the hallway to unpack her things in her room. Cameron shook his head, already wondering what living with an emotional psychotic female would be like. At least she didn't say anything about inviting over a couple of guys for bro night.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

August

Cameron was waiting for the explosion. His friends Linus and Tim had came over for bro night, which consisted of competitive gaming lots of junk food, and the TV's surround system turned up as loud as it would go. Kirsten had finished studying hours ago (indicated by her open door) so technically Cameron wasn't breaking any of the rules. He almost wanted to tell her of the technicality just to see her expression, but he was also a little nervous.

He had watched the other day as she effortlessly hacked into another girl's web account to disable her steaming ability. The building had a shared wi-fi, and the girl seemed to be addicted to Netflix, thus bogging down the server. Kirsten found this frivolous use of the broadband unacceptable and therefor disabled her laptop's ability to stream movies. So he knew she could and would make good on her promise to hack all of his social accounts.

Hours passed and still Kirsten didn't emerge from her room. Cameron was slightly disappointed in the lack of reaction, and he had been faithfully monitoring his accounts to ensure she hadn't hacked them. It wasn't until a loud pounding on the door that she did finally enter the living room.

"Open this door right now! I know you messed with my laptop Clark!" So this must be the girl with the Netflix addiction. He was wondering when she would figure out the culprit.

"What." Kirsten opened the door, a bored look letting their neighbor know she did not care. The girl had long dark hair, brown eyes, and was tall but not quite as tall as Kirsten. She looked exotic in a way, and of course Linus leaned forward and punch him in the shoulder. That was his universal code for 'oh my god dude its a hot girl'.

"Fix my laptop. I know you disabled the streaming and put a firewall up so I couldn't access the codes to change it back." Cameron was impressed. Kirsten was clearly an efficient hacker, and even took precautions so no one could undo her work.

"No. Your constant Netflix usage is slowing down the bandwidth for everyone else."

"What if I buy a router and use the wifi from that. Then will you fix my laptop?" Kirsten hesitated for a moment.

"We're not allowed to have routers in the building."

"So? What are they gonna do, kick me out of the building? Cut off my wifi?" Kirsten shrugged, not seeing anything wrong with the proposal.

"Deal. I'll unlock it after you buy the router."

"Thanks. I'm Camille by the way. We have class together. Pretty sure I have it with Fido over there too." Both Cameron and Linus pointed to themselves in question. Camille cackled and walked out the door without another word.

"I'm impressed Buttercup. Maybe your not Queen of the Estupidos." Kirsten gritted her teeth and marched back to her room, slamming the door.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

September

Cameron hated this class with a passion. As part of his general courses, he was required to take one semester of music appreciation. He appreciated music enough, knew about to read sheet music, and could play the piano. So this class was torture. The first week had been spent on learning rhythm and the different counts. The second week had been spent on learning what different instruments were. The third week had been spent (someone please kill him) counting out the beats in a measure of music.

He was amazed as the sheer stupidity of some people. It wasn't that hard to count to four, and then restart again for the next measure. That's only assuming they remember what a measure was. He shuddered to think what would happen when they got to learning the different types of notes. He had tried to talk to the dean and test out of class, but he insisted that the course was essential to graduation.

The only reason he even showed up was for the attendance grade and the fact Kirsten had been stuck in the same class. They actually had all of the same classes together (he wanted to study his minor first and then move onto neuroscience) but watching her in this class was his favorite. While the overly perky teacher would attempt to get the whole class to dance or sing along with something, Kirsten would refuse to budge. She would stand still by her chair, arms crossed and not looking the least bit excited.

"Okay class, we have another birthday today!" Half of the class groaned, but it didn't phase their professor. It was almost like her doctorate was in being unrealistically happy all the time and feeding from others misery.

"Miss Clark? Kirsten Clark? Oh, well it appears she has made prior plans for her celebration of birth! As with all other classmates she will still earn her credit point for the day!" Cameron jolted. He had no clue today would be Kirsten's birthday. As ridiculous as it sounded he never really imagined Kirsten having a birthday.

Later that day, Kirsten was sitting in the middle of her bed with her laptop balanced across her knees. Cameron found her like this, and felt a pang hit his heart (but not the go to the emergency room kind) for the lonely blonde girl. He knocked gently on her door frame, waiting for acknowledgment to enter but came in anyway after she didn't respond. He stood awkwardly by the bed for a few minutes, hands fidgeting and shifting nervously from foot to foot.

"Fine. Would you like to take a seat?" He couldn't stop the ear splitting grin that crossed his face, even if it made her roll her eyes.

"So I was just wondering if you'd like anything special for dinner tonight."

"Why would I?"

"Well, um, because I'm a really good cook and I've barely seen you eat these past two months." She snorted and set down her laptop to look up at him.

"I weigh a healthy 125 pounds. I'm fine." The last thing Cameron ever wanted to do was discuss a girls weight with her, however Kirsten was beginning to become frighteningly skinny.

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?"

"I said bullshit. I'm guessing you weigh more around 110 pounds." She snorted again, and started get up from her bed. Cameron stood to get out of her way and follow her to the bathroom where the scale was located. Cameron held out his arm to bar her entrance, earning a nasty look.

"If you weight anything less than what you claim, I get to cook you dinner and you have to eat it."

"What if I don't like what you fix."

"Then I'll make something else." Kirsten nodded once and Cameron let his arm drift back to his side. She stepped on the scale, cursing when it did in fact display 113 pounds. Had she really been neglecting herself that much?

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Surprise me." She turned and left without another word. He couldn't help the grin that crossed his face again, or the other one that night as her expression melted at the taste of his cooking. She even thanked him when he surprised her with a simple chocolate cake with whip cream icing, all 18 candles lighting up the contours of her face. Including the small smile as she blew out the candles.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

October

"That woman is crazy! I'm a computer science major, not a seamstress!" Cameron had been walking with Kirsten to their apartment from all of their classes. He hoped she never found out it was because he was worried about her safety. An eighteen year old girl walking the streets by herself wasn't the best idea, and a few weeks ago a girl had gotten kidnapped and raped. Cameron shuddered to think of someone trying to take Kirsten. While he wasn't the strongest person in the world, he was more than able to defend himself as well as Kirsten. He kept a strict regime at the gym to keep his cardiovascular health up, and had the physical strength to prove it.

"If you want I can take care of it. The costumes you mean."

"She'll know if I don't sew my own costume Cam." Secretly he liked the nickname she had given him.

"Well Stretch, she said it had to be handmade. However she didn't say you had to make it."

"Fair point. Do you sew then?"

"Oh god no. I'd accidentally stab myself with the needle until I bled to death. I know someone who can though." She shrugged and dug in her messenger bag for the keys to their apartment. He was glad they had actually begun to talk. Since her birthday she had been a little nicer to him (not much but enough), came out of her room more, and sat down with him every morning and evening for meals. Thanks to his wonderfully home cooked meals she looked healthy again.

"So what are the costumes? We have to have a matching set right?"

"Is their anything particular you have in mind?" She shook her head.

"I don't really celebrate Halloween. Just nothing scary, because I don't do scary." Kirsten had a secret phobia of monsters from persistent nightmares as a child, and to this day she hated any Halloween costume that involved a scary mask.

"So what about a cupcake, Cupcake?" She playfully punched his shoulder, and stepped through the doorway into their apartment. Cameron stood shocked for a moment, but quickly decided he liked playful Kirsten. Even if he had to wearing some sort of confectionery costume to match her cupcake he would gladly do it. Especially if he got to see that wonderful smile again. He would have to make her smile more often.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

November

A dulled thump against his bedroom wall woke Cameron up. He sat up quickly, fumbling for his glasses. The bathroom was in between their rooms, so that only meant that Kirsten had tripped or knocked something off the shelf by accident again. However Cameron still swung his legs out of bed to investigate. Something just didn't feel right. The cold hardwood floor didn't feel to pleasant on his bare feet, but it was a minor annoyance.

He knocked gently on the door. "Kirsten, you okay?" No reply. He walked a few steps to his left to peek in her bedroom, where the door had been left ajar. Her phone lay on the floor as if it had fallen from the bed, and the covers were almost thrown off the other side of the bed. Frowning he walked back to the door and knocked a little louder this time.

"Go away." Her voice sounded shaky. Cameron didn't know if she had been crying or what, but he was going to break down the door if he had to.

"Kirsten, open up. What's wrong?" The sound of vomiting made his heart sink, and without thinking he used his shoulder and busted the doorway's frame to pieces. Kirsten didn't even have a chance to look up at the intrusion, as she was still emptying the contents (or what was left) into the porcelain. She groaned again from the pains shooting through her stomach and the fact Cameron was witnessing what she thought to be the grossest thing someone could do. Her heart lept a little as she felt gentle hands pull her hair up and off her neck, and a hand start to rub soothing circles on her back.

"How long have to been up?" She held up two fingers, not trusting herself not to spew as soon as she opened her mouth.

"You should have banged on the wall to wake me up, Sparta." She would never admit that she actually had fell against the wall on purpose in hopes of waking Cameron up. Thankfully it had worked and now she wasn't alone. She had been alone through every sickness since her mother had died, since she would lock Ed out and try to make as little noise as possible.

"Your stomach feel okay enough to move to the couch?" She shook her head. Cameron noticed how her hands stayed flat on the cold tile between getting sick.

"Hold on one second." Cameron ran to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl to put ice and water in, set that on the sink in the bathroom, and then went to his room to retrieve his soft down comforter from his bed as well as a pillow. Kirsten was hunched over the toilet again, and he quickly went back to the kitchen for a can of ginger ale.

"Do you feel relatively okay?" To his relief she nodded, sitting back from her position over the toilet. She moaned out loud at the wonderful feeling of the ice cold wash cloth being pressed to her forehead. The sound made Cameron blush, but he continued to lead her backward so she was sitting down.

"Here, sip. Don't take any big drinks." He pressed the cold can into her hand, and Kirsten had to fight the disgusted look crossing her face. She hated ginger ale and refused it anytime anyone else had ever tried to get her to drink it.

"Please just try a few sips. If it doesn't make you feel better I'll do laundry for a month." Kirsten did hate doing her laundry. It took so much unnecessary time since she had to sit in the room with her clothes to wash and dry. Not that she felt how much time passed, but Kirsten still knew she could be doing something more productive. So she took a sip. Then another. Cameron's face lit up as her face relaxed.

"Alright Princess, can you lie down? The cold tile will feel good and help cool you down."

"Yes Girlfriend." As much as Cameron disliked that nickname (and Kirsten knew it) he was happy she could speak without getting sick. She shifted until her body was almost lying flat on the ground, adjusting to get as comfortable as one could on the bathroom floor.

It was still dark out when Kirsten woke up. A hand was holding a cold wash cloth to her forehead, and another was gently running fingers through her hair. She heard the fizzing of a soda nearby and grimaced remembering the taste of the ginger ale.

"You feeling better Ace?" Cameron's green eyes were watching hers carefully, looking for any signs of discomfort. She felt relatively fine, but her stomach was still a bit queezy. She breathed a small sigh and let her head rest back on the pillow, slipping back into sleep. Cameron had moved her to his bed as soon as she slipped into sleep, and now sat with the wash cloth while stroking her hair. He only hoped she would remember getting sick and not immediately hit him in the morning.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

December

"So your trial period is up. Do you still want an apartment to yourself?" Kirsten bit her lip. She knew she liked living with Cameron, but that would mean admitting she was wrong to Ed. Eventually she sighed loudly, and told Ed she was wrong. He, of course, was over the moon that Kirsten had finally made a friend. After a few more minutes of conversation they said their goodbyes, and Kirsten tossed her phone on the spot beside her.

"So living with me is bearable huh?" The smug look on his face actually made a small laugh escape from her lips, causing him to full out smile. She wanted to smile in return, but then she remembered the suitcase she saw lying on Cameron's bed. Kirsten felt guilty that she wanted to spend Christmas with him. She didn't intend on returning home for the holidays, but she suspected Cameron did. Camille had offered to stay over for some girl time over the holiday seeing as she wouldn't be returning home either, and Kirsten was grateful, but she really did want the goofy guy with the messy hair and emerald eyes to stay.

"I suppose so. It's mainly your cooking though, the attitude is just the price I pay." He laughed and plopped down in the seat beside her, kicking his feet up on the coffee table.

"Maybe I just won't give you any of my Christmas cookies then." She smiled slightly, but the image of the suitcase flashed in her memory again. Cameron didn't miss the change in her expression the first or second time. He placed a hand on her knee, getting her to look at him.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want you to leave for Christmas." While most people would have replied 'nothing', Kirsten's lack of brain-to-mouth control annihilated all chances of hiding her wish. Cameron's eyes widened imperceptibly, and understanding dawned across his features.

"I'm not leaving for the holidays, Stretch. I only had a suitcase out because I hadn't unpacked a few things from it when I moved in."

"Why don't you go home?"

"My parents and I don't get along the best on a regular day, let alone a holiday. I'd much rather spend it here watching Doctor Who with you." She actually let a smile break through, which in turn caused Cameron to smile. He was truly screwed. The moment she complimented his cooking in September, he knew nothing he could say or do would stop him from loving her more and more everyday. He had fallen hard for the most stubborn, brilliant, and beautiful girl he had ever met.

Kirsten knew she felt something for Cameron, but she couldn't identify what. She'd never felt it before but she knew it was pleasant yet terrifying. She wanted to spend all of her time with him, but was scared at the same time he would stop wanting to be around her.

"So if your staying, does that mean we can set up a Christmas tree?"

"Sure Cupcake."

~.~.~.~.~.~.

Christmas

If anyone had asked her in August where she would be for Christmas, sitting with a handsome guy under a beautifully decorated silver and green Christmas tree would be the last thing she would have answered. Tears sparkled in her eyes as Kirsten lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the man sitting in front of her. The force almost knocked Cameron over, but he didn't care and wrapped his arms around her waist. She buried her head in his neck in an attempt to hide her tears, but she realized quickly that he wouldn't mind.

"Thank you." He glanced over to the picture frame lying on the ground where she had been sitting. A young blonde girl was wrapped in the arms of an older version of herself, the two of them laughing at each other with genuine smiles. It had taken him months of searching and data mining to find it, but all of his hard work paid off three days ago.

He knew Kirsten had lost her mother at a young age, but he was shocked to discover Kirsten had no idea what her mother even looked like. So Cameron went to work searching and eventually found a long lost picture of Kirsten and her mother. He hadn't expected her to cry at the sight of the picture, and he especially hadn't expected her to tackle him. Eventually she pulled away and wiped her tears on the sleeve of his hoodie. Her eyes still shone with unshed tears as she reached under the tree to grab a fairly large box covered in Christmas tree printed wrapping paper.

"It's not much, but Merry Christmas Cam." In reality they had agreed to not even get each other anything, yet they still had. Cameron ripped the paper like an excited little kid, and his face reflected it as soon as the box opened. A new hoodie from his favorite store, all of the Doctor Who seasons on DVD, an assortment of his favorite junk foods, a copy of a new book he had been meaning to buy, and a plethora of new Xbox games.

"Not much? Kirsten this is so much more than enough, thank you." She blushed and looked down, tracing a finger around the edge of the picture frame.

"Compared to this, I can never give back enough."

"Kirsten, I didn't do this just to give as a gift I wanted to give you something meaningful. Unlike most people you don't place a lot of value on materialistic objects so..." Kirsten lunged forward and kissed him to cut him off. For a split second he didn't respond, but quickly hauled her closer and onto his lap to get her closer. They broke apart gasping for air, cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink. Cameron stared into her beautiful brown eyes for a minute until she blushed again and buried her head against the crook of his neck. He laughed held her tighter.

"Don't hit me, but I got you more than just the picture— ow! I said don't hit me!"

Although she seemed angry that he had gotten her even more gifts, he knew she loved the assortment of gifts and couldn't help but grin at the sight of his (now) girlfriend curled up in his bed with her new blanket and wearing one of his t-shirts.

Thanks for reading, and please leave a review if you liked it and would like more one-shots!