Chapter Text
“Why do you do that?” Cameron asked, turning toward the other teen.
Jamie raised an eyebrow and stared, asking for clarification. “Use those spells I mean, the ones that hurt you.”
The witch shrugged, “All spells have a cost; that one’s just paid for in a different way. It doesn’t really matter.”
“But it does!” Cam yelled and Jamie flinched. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to yell, I just don’t like seeing you in pain.”
The other teen looked shocked for a second and slowly said, “You don’t need to worry about it. It doesn’t even hurt that bad. I don’t really care.”
Cameron shook his head staring at the witch, “But I do. You know that right?” Jamie stared back, blank faced. “Sasha, Aff, and I care about you.”
Cam leaned forward meeting Jamie at, what he assumed due to their glasses, eye level. “We care about you.” He scooted closer to the witch and they froze. “Let us worry sometimes, okay?”
Jamie stood up, shaking his head, “Stop it.”
Cameron stared at them confused. “Stop what exactly?” His nervous habits seemed to have rubbed off on the other teen as he watched them run their hands through their hair frantically, pacing around the room.
“You can’t just do that! Stop it. Just because- you can’t- why?” Jamie’s sentences clipped together; none of them making any sense to Cam.
The witch grabbed their bag and started to walk towards the door. “Jamie wait!” Cameron pleaded. “What do you mean? I wasn’t trying to- '' the teen turned to look at him, their dejected eyes just visible over the rims of their glasses. “Fuck off” they whispered and left the room leaving Cameron confused and their hat forgotten on the floor.
Cam sighed and rubbed his neck. That didn’t go well. He’d never seen them that worked up before and he still had no clue why they were in the first place. Jamie was usually so calm. Even when they got mad it was in that cold manner rather than loud and upfront. To see them so upset was jarring.
He had no clue what to do, but if anyone would it’d be his girlfriend.
He pulled out his phone and texted Sasha, “I think I messed up with Jamie”
“Wdym? With Aff right now”
“They should probably hear this too tbh. I don’t know what happened I just told them we cared about them and they freaked out”
“Freaked out?”
“Like full on pacing, and stammering, they sounded like they were about to cry”
“Woah”
“They even forgot their hat”
“Holy shit, we’re coming over”
Five minutes later and Cameron was joined in his bedroom with his partners. Aff draped over his and Sasha’s laps and staring sadly at Jamie’s hat laying there on the floor.
“So what exactly did you say again?” Sasha asked turning to her boyfriend.
Cam sighed and turned to face her, “Just that they should take better care of themself. And they just laughed it off and said that it doesn’t matter.”
Aff picked their head up, “But it does! I don’t want them hurting themself!” Sasha ran her fingers through their partner’s hair calming them down. “I don’t want them getting hurt.”
“Exactly, but when I explained that they froze and got upset. What did I do wrong?” Cameron asked his partners.
Sasha sighed, “Jamie is difficult. You know that just as well as I do, if not better. They don’t like when people get too close.”
“But I want to get close.” Cam turned to Aff and Sasha, “I know you two feel it too. We need them as much as we need each other.”
“I’d love that, but would Jamie even consider it?” Aff asked staring at Cam.
“We could try.” he smiled.
They decided to let Jamie cool down before talking to them; spending the rest of the day cuddling and watching movies on Cameron’s computer. It was simple and calming, but everyone's mind kept wandering to the idea of having Jamie there too.