Alison's Lullaby ::: Chapter Three

It'd been a month. A month where he and Cameron still kept in touch through calls and emails and a copy of this ridiculously adorable little picture that Alison had drawn of her family for daycare. Levon had almost cried when he saw that she'd added him in between Cameron and Cheryl. He was surprised to realize that he'd made that much of an impression even though he'd only been there a few weeks.

He'd barely managed to resist the urge to put it on his fridge. Instead, it was folded up in his weekly planner.

Then he'd been practically over the moon when Cameron asked if it was right for him and Alison to visit for a weekend. He'd said 'yes' before he'd really thought about what that would mean.

Levon glanced at the clock for the seventh time in three minutes and tried to force himself to relax. It didn't matter how many times that he checked the time, they would get here when they got here. Didn't make it any less nerve-wracking, though. Time was practically crawling by and he fought the urge to see if he had any missed calls on his cell phone. But…Cameron had never been up here before, he didn't really know where he was going and there was no amount of MapQuests that would change that.

Some part of him told him that he wasn't really worried about that. He knew, deep down, that Cameron would make it here safely, with Alison probably sound asleep in her car seat. Now, he was really regretting telling Cameron that there was no reason to go to a hotel. What had possessed him to offer his own apartment for them to stay? What was the point in that? It was going to be a huge mistake. But all he'd thought was that Cameron was a single parent with a job that didn't pay much. He didn't have the money to waste on hotels.

There was a chance that Cameron had changed his mind. Groaning, he dropped his head into his hands, eyes closed. That was the real problem, he thought while he fought the urge to slam his forehead against the wall. The real problem was that he wasn't sure if what happened before was just a fluke or a dream. Sure, Cameron had sounded excited about visiting, but he wouldn't know until Cameron was here.

He heard a knock on his door and nearly jumped out of his skin.

Scowling, he ran his hands through his hair while he stood up. "It's just Cameron. Calm the fuck down," he muttered to himself, moving towards the door. Just Cameron. Yeah, like saying it was going to make Cameron somehow matter less. It didn't help that he knew that Alison was there too. He held his breath as he opened the door.

Cameron looked exhausted, hair tousled and dark smudges under his eyes, a sleeping Alison held against his side. Then his gaze swung up to Levon's, and he grinned like he didn't have a care in the world. Silently shifting Alison so he could hold her with one arm, he reached out with his free hand to draw Levon closer. Levon gasped as Cameron's fingers nudged his chin upward so that their mouths met for a moment before Levon remembered that there was a child right there and jerked away.

With a knowing smile, Cameron kept his hand on Levon's cheek and Levon had to fight the urge to turn towards the touch. It'd been a month since they'd seen each other, and somehow it didn't seem like it. Suddenly it felt like they'd never really been apart. Cameron's smile widened. "Hey, Lev," he murmured quietly.

He felt himself smile back. "Hey, Cam." He paused, realizing that they were just standing there, one inside, one in the hallway. "You feel like coming in any time soon?"

Cameron chuckled. "Not yet. The bags are still in the car. Here, I'll be right back." Without warning, he handed Alison to Levon, who was so surprised by the motion that he took her and watched as Cameron turned around and walked back down the hall.

"Oh." Levon wasn't quite sure what to do. He'd held Alison before, when she was just a baby and he could hold her with only one arm. Not sure what else to do, he stepped back from the door and sat back down on his couch, cradling Alison against his chest. His chest hurt as he felt her turn towards him. He stroked her hair, feeling his eyes burn. He wasn't going to cry. Not now. Instead, he kept focused on the still slightly opened door.

When Cameron pushed open the door, Levon looked up. "She really conked out, huh?" he asked quietly, feeling the love swamp him again. He hated how it did that, how he could get by before it destroyed his defenses and broke his heart all over again. Unable to stop, he kept stroking her hair.

Leaving the suitcase and small pink Hello Kitty backpack propped up against the wall, Cameron walked over and gave Levon a long look as he crouched so they were eye level. "Yeah, she nodded off about an hour ago. I think she fell asleep in the middle of a sentence, actually. She was really excited about coming to see you. I'm surprised she managed to stay awake as long as she did."

He smiled, the tight knot in his chest loosening. "You look like you're tired too," he murmured, not wanting to wake Alison up. "Long trip?"

"It wasn't too bad and I'm not too tired." There was something in the way that Cameron was looking at him. There was no way that Cameron was thinking of starting anything. "So where's she going to sleep?"

Levon narrowed his eyes as he caught the undertone in Cameron's quiet question. Like he thought that he'd be sleeping with Levon. Shifting slightly, he stood up with Alison and ignored the fact that Cameron was following him as they headed down the short little hall. "It's my office but I have a futon in there," he explained over his shoulder.

"Well, we're lucky that you have a futon."

It made him laugh quietly. "Not really. It's what I slept on in college. Couldn't make myself get rid of it when I finally had my own place and my own bed." He backed into the door so he didn't wake Alison, letting Cameron walk past him to tug the blanket down on the futon that Levon had already set up hours before when he'd been freaking out. Now, he couldn't remember why he'd been so nervous. Cameron reached out, gently taking Alison away and laying her down.

She shifted, murmured under her breath before her eyes fluttered open a little. "Are we there yet, Daddy?" she asked quietly, yawning and stretching as she settled into her bed.

Cameron chuckled and lifted the blanket over her, tucking her in. "Yeah, we're there, baby girl. Go back to sleep." He gently ruffled her hair.

"'Kay." She curled into the pillow as her arms wrapped around it, falling asleep again.

He made a great father, Levon thought as he leaned against the wall, feeling like he shouldn't be in there. Like he was intruding. He'd always known that Cameron would be a great father. It was so obvious, even five years ago. It was obvious in the way that Cameron had accepted the pregnancy when it happened and had taken responsibility for it. In the way that he'd wanted that baby and had kept her and loved her.

Shaking his head, Cameron straightened. "I wish I could sleep like that," he said as he walked towards Levon. His hand found Levon's and he pulled Levon out the room, shutting the door. "Just fall off the face of the planet and not have to worry about anything."

"Sounds nice," Levon muttered, staring at where his fingers tangled with Cameron's. It was a nice feeling. Since he wasn't watching where he was going, he didn't see Cameron stop walking until he bumped into him. His mouth opened to apologize but the words died in his throat as he felt Cameron's mouth wander behind his ear and down his throat. "Cameron?"

He swore he felt Cameron smile against his skin. "So," Cameron breathed against him, the heat making Levon shudder, "Which one is your room?"

It took him a second to work through the question. "No," he said, ignoring the way that his voice shook. "No. We're not doing anything when your child is in the other room. No." He wanted to. So badly he ached.

"She's out like a light." Cameron's fingers tugged Levon's sleeve down a little to bare a shoulder. His mouth closed on the exposed skin, teeth lightly nipping. "If you're worried, just be really quiet. I want you Levon. The last month's been hell because I've wanted you." As he was speaking, a hand slid under Levon's shirt, making Levon squirm as heat flared. "Tell me which one's your room."

He trembled, fighting to think. Cameron was waiting for him to answer and he knew that, if he said no again, Cameron would back off and leave it alone. Just knowing that made him want to say yes. He tried to pull his thoughts back together, to try to remember why he was supposed to say no, but he couldn't quite do it. Which really left only one choice left.

Arching slightly, he looped his arms around Cameron's neck and tipped his head back so that their lips met. He wasn't sure which one of them groaned as their tongues met and danced. He gasped as he pulled back. "Door on the left," he whispered, feeling powerful as Cameron's dark blue eyes flashed. "And you'd better lock that door, Cameron Borst, or I'll kill you."

Cameron pulled him towards the door and they moved together slowly, almost like they were dancing. "I think that turned me on," Cameron muttered as he reached back. They stepped into the bedroom before he kicked the door shut, flicking the lock. "That better?" He walked over to the bedside lamp and turned it on before he walked back, standing just a few inches away.

"Much." They stared at each other for a long moment, then Cameron growled under his breath as he dragged Levon against his body, their mouths meeting. Levon gasped as he felt Cameron take complete and utter control over the kiss, hands fisted in Levon's hair to tilt his head wherever Cameron wanted it. When Cameron pulled back a little, Levon sucked in a deep breath. "Touch me."

God, he needed Cameron's hands on him.

"You wanna know something that I figured out?" Cameron asked quietly, his lips brushing Levon's with every word. Levon couldn't look away, not with the way that Cameron was staring at him. Fingers nimbly started unbuttoning Levon's shirt, lightly stroking the exposed skin. Head tipping back, Levon sighed.

When Cameron stayed silent, patiently waiting, Levon figured that he was waiting for an answer. "What?"

Slowly, maddeningly, Cameron tugged one sleeve down, his mouth suckling at Levon's exposed shoulder. At the feeling of Cameron's tongue flicking over his skin, Levon moaned. Too late, he remembered that he had to be quiet and tried to stop the sound, biting his lip. He felt Cameron chuckle. "No moaning," Cameron murmured against Levon's damp skin. "We don't want to wake up Alison."

"What'd…." he broke off, shuddering. God, they hadn't even really started and he wasn't sure that he could take much more. "What'd you figure out?"

Cameron lifted his head, making Levon gasp as their eyes met. Levon gasped again, arms tightening around Cameron's neck when he was swung up into Cameron's arms. What the hell? He was about to tell Cameron that he could damn well walk to his own bed, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Cameron took possession of it again, rough enough to make Levon clutch at Cameron's hair.

"That I want to take you. I want to give you more pleasure than you can possibly stand until you let me take you. Until you beg to have me inside you." His voice was harsh, but he was gentle as he placed Levon on the bed. Levon was too shocked to try to stop Cameron as his arms were drawn up, the rest of his shirt being pulled over his head. He felt something tighten around his wrists and twisted around to look, feeling something like fear when he saw his shirt tangled around his hands, tying them to the metal headboard.

When he glanced back at Cameron, feeling a little panicked, he swallowed as he saw that Cameron had done it on purpose. "Cameron?" he asked, his heart pounding in his chest. He wasn't quite sure if it was fear or desire.

The bed shifted under Cameron's weight as he held himself over Levon, smiling. He leaned down, his breath hot on Levon's cheek as he slid towards Levon's ear. "I'm going to take you, Levon. And you're not going to stop me."

Unable to help it, he arched upwards, the words sending a flash of heat through him. He whimpered quietly as Cameron lightly nipped his ear, tugging the lobe. There was a hand at his jeans, rubbing his erection through the denim and he lifted his hips in supplication, silently begging for more. He needed more. Everything narrowed down to that one hand that was slowly undoing his jeans, teasingly. That same hand slipped under boxers, fisting his cock and stroking. His hips bucked as he sucked in a harsh breath.

"See?" Cameron murmured against his collarbone, teeth scraping. "You want me to take you, don't you, beautiful?"

Yes, yes he did. His eyes slid close to focus on the sensations of Cameron's hand. Wet heat closed over his nipple and he cried out, turning his head to muffle the sound in his arm. He felt heat flood his face as he realized that he was close, very close, to coming. That hand and mouth on him were too much and not quite enough all at the same time. Just a little more and he'd be there.

He nearly cried in frustration as Cameron let him go to clutch at his jeans and drag them off him. A tongue dipped into his navel, swirling. Oh no, Cameron wasn't going to…was he? Levon's eyes flew open when Cameron slid a little further down his body. "Wait," he murmured, confused and aroused, "Cameron, wait."

Cameron lifted his head to smile. "Taking you, remember?" He didn't give Levon a chance to answer before he moved down those last few inches to blow on the tip of Levon's flesh, blue eyes still staring into gold. "I meant everywhere."

He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything but tightly arch as he watched Cameron take the tip of him into his mouth, suckling just hard enough for him to see stars. It was impossible for him to look away as Cameron took more, tongue swirling over the skin. He barely noticed as Cameron's hands parted his legs, too flooded with pleasure to care when he felt fingers at his entrance. His head fell back as those same fingers pushed inside, slowly, urging him towards that wonderful mouth.

He was trying to stay quiet, but it was impossible with those little noises rising up in his throat and with the way that Cameron wasn't stopping, wasn't slowing, was giving him too much. "Cameron," he gasped, arching.

Understanding, Cameron lunged upward, mouth covering Levon's and urging his lips apart. Finally, he could do something other than lie there and take it. He felt Cameron's surprise as he took control, tasting Cameron's mouth and lightly biting his lower lip. Still, down below, Cameron's fingers hadn't stopped moving. Cameron was panting. "Lube," he breathed, grinding lightly against Levon's hip. "Tell me you have lube."

He did, had bought it just the other day. Maybe some part of him had known that this was going to happen. At least, part of him had been hoping. "Drawer. Nightstand. Hurry, damn it." He could move his legs and he did, spreading them further to get Cameron deeper inside him. "Please."

"Thank God," Cameron muttered as he reached for it, finding it and grabbing it with all the desperation of a drowning man. He fumbled with it, nearly dropped it. Levon agreed completely as he tried to lift himself up so he could feel Cameron against him.

"Please," he begged, trying again but Cameron put his free hand on Levon's waist, holding him down. Those wonderful fingers pulled away for a moment, then came back slicked. Levon had to bite his lip again to keep from moaning, his hands clenching into fists as he tugged at them, wanting to be free to touch Cameron.

A tight shudder ran down Cameron's spine. Two fingers found and rubbed the sensitive spot inside and Cameron watched as Levon arched. Levon flushed, turning his head away and closing his eyes. He couldn't watch Cameron watch him. He couldn't do it. "Levon," Cameron murmured, quiet and low so that the words rolled over Levon's skin, "Do you want me inside, here?" His fingers plunged again.

He couldn't stop the moan this time. It wasn't just want anymore. It was need so powerful that he couldn't think. Unable to find his voice, he nodded.

"Say it."

Startled, he looked up at Cameron, who smiled knowingly. Those fingers stopped moving, buried deep. Levon gasped, trying to breathe as he arched to get those fingers to move. When they stayed still and Cameron lifted an eyebrow, Levon trembled because he couldn't say it. He couldn't say what Cameron wanted him to say. Body shaking from the sensations, he swallowed to try. "I…I w-want—" he stuttered, then shook his head, his heart slamming in his throat. "I can't. I can't say it."

"Really?" Cameron smiled, pulling his hand away from Levon and put both hands on Levon's hips. He lowered himself so that he was completely on Levon, his weight pushing the breath from Levon's lungs. Intimately, he settled between Levon's legs, pressing just hard enough to make Levon jerk. "Bet I could make you."

Levon had no doubt in his mind that Cameron could make him. Instead of saying so, he kept staring at Cameron, body lifting as Cameron gently kissed him, tongue sliding against his. He moaned. Then Cameron moved away so quick that he jerked, trying to sit up to follow but the cloth around his wrists stopped him. It didn't stop Cameron from flipping him over on his knees, though, lifting his hips high into the air. "Cameron?" he murmured, forehead pressed against the mattress.

"You're going to say it, beautiful. And I'm going to make you." The words drifted over the back of his neck, Cameron pressing against him. Levon squirmed when he felt Cameron's hardness against his entrance, sliding but not entering. Not yet. Not until Levon managed to say it. The words choked him because he needed Cameron there, needed him inside and thrusting them both over the edge, but he couldn't say it.

"I can't," he moaned, urging his hips back to try to get Cameron inside him. Cameron just chuckled against his shoulder, his hands streaking over Levon's chest, pausing at his nipples to roll them between fingers. Down below, he kept pressing against him even as Cameron reached down further, fisting Levon's cock. A spasm ran down Levon's spine and he cried out into the bed. Slowly, surely, Cameron urged him up towards climax. And when he was right there ready to come, Cameron stopped, his fingers tight at the root to hold the climax back.

Then he did it again.

And again.

Levon turned his head, looking back so he could stare at Cameron's sweat dampened features. "Cameron," he gasped, his body working to get Cameron's hand to move just a little, just enough to send him over. "Please."

"Please what?"

The need pounded through him. Barely aware of what he was doing, he pushed his hips back again. Closing his eyes, he murmured, "In me. Please, in me." And he moaned in surprise when Cameron's teeth bit into the back of his neck, holding him down as Cameron pushed inside him, thick and hard and perfect in every way. Finally.

He didn't care that he came instantly. It felt too wonderful for him to care, his body shaking and hands clenching as white light flashed around him. When he came back to reality, Cameron was still moving inside him, Cameron's hands at his hips to hold him up. Almost too exhausted to do anything else, he tightened his muscles and smiled as Cameron groaned against his neck, losing his rhythm as heat flooded inside.

They both collapsed, Cameron heavy on top of him but not unwanted. For a few minutes, they didn't say anything but then Levon shifted slightly, feeling Cameron slip out of him. "You," he said quietly, panting slightly. "Untie me."

Cameron made a small sound in the back of his throat as he rolled away, lifting a hand to undo the shirt tied around Levon's hands. When they were free, he grabbed one and pulled it to his mouth, nibbling over the red marks over Levon's wrist. "I'd say sorry, but I'd be lying," he murmured against damp skin.

"I'd say something about that, but I think you killed me." He smiled as Cameron laugh. "And we are horrible people, having sex right now when there's a five year old just a hallway away."

Wrapping an arm around Levon's waist, Cameron pulled him closer, holding him tight. "I kind of hate to ruin this delusion of yours, but Alison wasn't delivered by the stork. Considering you were in the hospital room when she was born, I thought you knew that."

He couldn't stop from laughing at that, burrowing into Cameron's shoulder. He nearly fell asleep as Cameron rubbed over his back, but then Cameron moved away suddenly to stand. Propping himself up on his elbows, Levon watched as Cameron found his discarded jeans and jerked them on. "Where you going?" he asked drowsily.

Cameron leaned over, pressing a kiss to Levon's forehead. "You were right about one thing. There is a five-year-old just a hallway away and she's in a new place. I'm going to check on her real quick. Be back in a moment."

Watching him leave, Levon sighed as he forced himself to roll off the bed and stumble over towards his dresser. By the time that Cameron came back, he'd pulled on a pair of sweatpants and had picked up the rest of the clothes. Cameron leaned against the doorframe, watching him change the sheets as Levon ignored him. Finally, Cameron cleared his throat. "What're you doing?"

"Five year old girl in a new place," Levon repeated over his shoulder, looking up. "She might get scared, come to find you. Seemed appropriate."

There were hands on his hips, Cameron holding him lightly. A mouth wandered over his ear and he tilted his head to give Cameron access. "So that means that I get to sleep with you?" he murmured. "Because I really want to hold you while we sleep."

Levon turned around, wrapping his arms around Cameron's middle. "You already slept with me, remember?" he asked, smiling. God, he just liked being around Cameron. He liked Cameron, so much that he wondered if he'd really stopped loving him. "But, yeah, this means you can stay with me."

Slowly moving backwards, Cameron sat down on the edge of the bed and tugged at Levon's hips to pull him onto his lap, his knees on either side of Cameron's hips. To keep from Levon from moving away, his hands curved over Levon's ass, almost possessively. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" Cameron whispered, eyes flickering over Levon's face.

He felt the blush rising over his face and shook his head. "No," he answered. There was an ache there, and it hurt a little, but it was nothing too bad. "I'm fine."

"That's good," Cameron murmured, brushing his mouth over Levon's. "I haven't really been gentle with you. I think next time I'll be gentle with you." The gentle kiss turned harsh and commanding for a moment before Levon jerked back, putting his hand over Cameron's mouth.

He glared. "No. I just changed the sheets. We're not making a mess of these."

"Damn." Cameron was grinning though, and Levon grinned back. There was a moment of silence while Cameron grew startlingly serious. He looked nervous, almost afraid. "Can I ask you a slightly uncomfortable question?"

Immediately Levon was struck with the realization that he was straddling Cameron so he sat up a little straighter. He wasn't going to get off, not when it was as comfortable as it was, but at least this put a little bit of distance between them. Even though he was a little concerned, he nodded. "Sure?"

"Does it bother you that we've never used a condom?"

Yeah, he didn't like that question. There was no way that he was going to say that he actually liked the feeling of Cameron's skin against him, in him. So he shrugged. "I don't mind." He couldn't look at Cameron, he just couldn't do it. "Does it bother you?"

Cameron splayed his hands at Levon's sides, stroking the skin there. "No, but I didn't know if you were worried about it."

Leaning back slightly, Levon ran a hand through Cameron's hair and grinned when Cameron turned towards his touch. "You were worried that I'd be worried," he corrected quietly, settling closer again. "And because of that, I have to figure that you don't have any disease or anything." He paused, giving Cameron a long look. "Right?"

"Right." Awkwardly, Cameron scooted back, taking Levon with him until they were lying back on the bed, their heads on the pillows. "I'm clean. Haven't been with anyone –besides you, obviously—in about two years."

"And you're the only one that I've ever had sex with so obviously there's no problem." It wasn't until he felt Cameron jerk against him that he realized what he'd said. Oh god, now he couldn't look at Cameron again, staring at the sheets. "Actually, never mind. You know, I'm really tired. I say we should go to sleep now, maybe talk in the morning."

Hands cupped his face and angled it so that he was staring right at the question in Cameron's eyes. A question that he didn't want to be asked, a question that he really didn't want to answer. Then Cameron blinked, face turning pale and shocked and Levon felt like he'd rather have the earth open and swallow him. "You were a virgin?" Cameron sputtered. "When we first…that your first?"

He didn't want to, but he nodded anyway. He averted his eyes, looking everywhere but Cameron. Still, he could feel the flush heat his face. Cameron stayed quiet long enough that Levon had to fight the urge to look to see his expression. Biting his lip, Levon finally gave in and glanced. He really wished he hadn't in the way that he saw the way that Cameron was staring, shock, confusion and guilt written all over his face.

Cameron sighed and ran his hands over Levon's back and sides before he smiled. "Oh," he murmured, staring into Levon's face. "Okay. That just surprised me for a second." Slowly, surely, Cameron's hands urged him down so that most of him was lying on top of him, his head tucked under Cameron's chin. "Yeah, I'm going to be gentle next time, beautiful."

Levon just stayed silent, absolutely mortified. He hadn't meant to say it, it had just slipped out. Still quiet, he let himself nuzzle into the bare skin under his cheek. God, he could fall asleep like this so easy with Cameron's arms around him and Cameron's scent around him. Slowly, Cameron kept rubbing his back with one hand while the other reached out to turn the lamp off. Darkness wrapped around them, cocooning them. He barely felt Cameron press his mouth to the top of his head before he closed his eyes.

Cameron felt Levon's breathing slow and even out on him and sighed, running a hand over his face. Holy shit. It kept running through his head, over and over and over again. Holy fucking shit. Levon had been a virgin? Just the thought of it blew his mind. Now he really wished that he could go back, go back and try not to fall on Levon with all the finesse of an animal. He hadn't been gentle, not nearly as gentle as he needed to be. Not nearly as gentle as Levon had needed him to be.

Shouldn't Levon have told him? As soon as the question fluttered through his mind, he shook his head, hands still stroking over Levon's skin. There was no way that Levon could've told him. Because he'd just confessed his feelings seconds before they'd been all over each other. After that, there was no time for words. What, was Levon supposed to say it in between the hallway and the bed? Then there was no point in mentioning it later.

Not to mention it absolutely mortified Levon when he'd accidently said it. He could tell in that way that Levon 's eyes had widened and his face had turned bright red. Granted, Cameron knew he'd think it was adorable later, after all the shock wore off. At the time, it just made him more panicked because he knew that he was making Levon feel worse. And he'd rather chew off his right arm than make Levon feel bad.

Which made him feel like an idiot. He shouldn't feel so strongly about Levon. So, yeah, he'd had feelings for him for five years, and those feelings were shared, but they'd really only been together like this for a few weeks. How could he look at Levon and everything else just fell away? He looked at Levon and the years fell away and it was like they were back to the way they were when they were still kids.

He didn't even know that he'd fallen asleep until he opened his eyes and saw Alison staring at him. It took him a second to remember why he wasn't in his own bed. Then it took him another moment to be sure that he wasn't still naked under the blanket at his waist. Thank god he had jeans on. He pushed himself up on his elbow and smiled at her. "Hey, baby girl," he said, shaking his bangs out of his eyes.

She tilted her head to the side a little, then crawled onto the bed to sit and stare at him. "Daddy," she said seriously. "Why are you sleeping with Levon?"

As she said it, he felt Levon move against his back and he grinned as he noticed the arm over his waist. Levon was holding on to him in his sleep, he thought, glancing over his shoulder to look at Levon's sleeping face. He really liked it. He turned back to Alison, laying his head down. "Maybe I got scared in the middle of the night and he said I could sleep with him." Reaching out, he tugged her against him.

Shaking her head seriously, she kissed his cheek. "Daddies don't get scared," she told him seriously.

"Well, maybe he's just really cuddly." Which he was.

She seemed to think about that for a moment and then nodded like it made perfect sense. Her wide blue eyes locked on his. "Where's the TV?"

Of course that's why she had to find him. Otherwise, she'd be out in the living room, curled on the couch, watching. It had nothing to do with her wanting to see him in the morning. He felt loved. Making a face over her head, he pushed himself up a little. "Come on then, baby girl. Let's see if we can find that television."

It only took him a minute to find the TV hidden in the wooden cabinet in the living room. After Alison was situated with a blanket around her, Cameron wandered into the kitchen to look for coffee. It didn't take him long because the bag was sitting there right on the counter next to the coffee machine. And it worked. The coffee machine actually worked. He squashed down a flicker of jealousy over that coffee machine as he opened cabinets.

He wanted to know what Levon kept in his kitchen. It wasn't like he was being nosy, he was just curious. And hungry. He'd hadn't eaten in at least twelve hours, and he'd been up late. Working on his coffee, he thought about making breakfast. He wasn't sure if it'd be considered intrusive and rude to use Levon's food and Levon's things to cook. Then he realized that he'd tied the man up the night before to take him.

By the time that Levon shuffled into the kitchen, Cameron already had started on eggs and bacon and Alison was sitting at the small table, eating happily. Levon glanced up at him, blushed cutely and stole Cameron's coffee to gulp it. He'd pulled on a shirt, but it didn't hide the little hickeys on his neck. Cameron decided that he wasn't going to say anything. He liked the idea of Levon wearing his marks.

"Good morning," he said, smiling widely. He watched as Levon's eyes narrowed in suspicion and handed off another plate of breakfast. Seeing that Levon's hands were full, he leaned in to kiss him, hand sliding behind Levon's head to hold it in place as their mouths mated. When he pulled back, he laughed at Levon's expression of horror. He could understand why Levon felt that way, but he didn't think that they should hide from Alison. It felt too much like lying. And he didn't want to lie to her.

At the table, Alison was watching them with her head slightly tilted. "Daddy, is Levon your girlfriend?"

He snorted, trying to hold back the laugh as Levon choked. No one could call his baby girl stupid. She knew what was going on. Keeping eye contact with Levon, he nodded. "Yeah. Levon's like my girlfriend. But I'm like his girlfriend so it works."

She giggled again, like it was the most ridiculous she'd ever heard. "Daddy, you aren't a girl," she said. Turning her wide blue eyes to Levon, she pointed at the seat next to hers. "You can sit next to me, 'kay? Hailey taught me to play another song."

Shooting a glare at Cameron, Levon sat down. For a heartbeat, he hesitated, then leaned over to press a kiss to Alison's forehead. "Really, princess? You can play it for me later if you want. I bet I could play something for you."

Still standing in front of the stove, Cameron flipped the bacon and smiled. He wondered if Levon knew that all the hurt and hope and love was in his voice when he spoke to Alison. He doubted it since it was barely noticeable. The only reason he could hear it was because he knew how Levon felt about that little girl. It was the same way that he felt about Levon.

After breakfast, Levon mentioned the zoo in such a way that Alison latched on to it. It was impossible to say no to. So they ended up at the zoo, Alison perched on Levon's shoulders as he led them around. Cameron was almost irritated by the way that some children – followed by parents – came up to talk to Levon about any and everything. One mother mentioned that she didn't know that he had a child and Cameron felt a punch in the gut as Levon's eyes turned pained as he explained that Alison wasn't his.

The mother blinked, slowly nodded, then walked off with her son. Cameron sidled a little closer. Suddenly he knew just how Levon had felt when he'd said that he didn't know about them having a relationship. About how it would affect Alison. Because all he wanted to do was put an arm around Levon's waist and hold him. He couldn't do it. It would only take one close minded parent making a comment to the right person for Levon to lose his job. Instead he stood there, letting Levon know that he was there.

It mattered a lot that Levon leaned back. It was such a small amount that he doubted that anyone else noticed, but Levon still leaned back.

Later, while they were watching Alison play at the petting zoo, Cameron's fingers found Levon's and he squeezed for just a heartbeat. For just long enough. "She is yours, you know," Cameron murmured, taking a drink of soda.

Levon started a little. "What?" he asked.

"Alison. She's yours. God, she didn't shut up about you the entire time we were apart. Then she was over the moon when I told her that we were going to visit. In her mind, you are her hero. I don't understand it, but who am I to complain? As long as she likes you, I figure I can come up with some excuses to keep coming around." At some point, Levon smiled.

"You need excuses to come?" He blinked and flushed. Cameron had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as Levon sputtered for a second. "Around," Levon said quickly. "Come around."

He knew what Levon had meant. That didn't stop him from leaning a little closer to Levon's ear. "I figured you needed an excuse for me to come," he whispered, pausing for a heartbeat, "around." It was worth it when Levon chuckled, sounding a little uncomfortable.

They stood in silence for a second, then Levon tilted his head a little and the light struck him just right. And Cameron swore he felt his heart stop. He hadn't stopped loving Levon, he realized in that one moment. Not once. The feelings had never gone away. They'd always been there under everything because he loved Levon. Well, that changed everything. Because he couldn't let Levon go this time; he wouldn't let Levon go.

"Hey," Levon murmured, eyes watching as Alison ran her hands over the back of a llama. "My friend is biting at the bit to meet you. When I stupidly mentioned that you two were visiting, his head nearly exploded. So we've all been invited to dinner tonight. And, by 'invited', I mean it's either that we go there or they all come to my apartment."

It took him a moment to move past his shock to understand what Levon had said. Everything had just shattered in his mind, and Levon was talking about dinner? There was something very wrong with that. Very very wrong. Trying to look calm, he shrugged. "I'm okay with whatever," he said slowly, staring at Levon's face.

When Levon smiled, his heart stopped again. "Did I mention that they have two daughters about Alison's age?"

Two daughters who immediately became best friends with Alison. Five minutes after they walked into the door, both girls had dragged Alison back into their bedroom to play, leaving Cameron to stand there as he was inspected by the parents. There was no other word for it as two sets of brown eyes scrolled down him and then back up. The woman smiled and nodded as she introduced herself as Rachel, shaking his hand warmly.

The man just crossed his arms over his chest. "You aren't good enough for him," he said lowly, scowling slightly.

Cameron just lifted an eyebrow. "Do I have to ask permission to court him?" he asked dryly. He felt Levon's body heat beside him and fought back a smile.

"That'd be great, actually."

Rachel glared at her husband. "No, he doesn't." She turned back towards Cameron. "You don't. Just ignore John. I'm pretty sure he was born with his foot his mouth and it's been there ever since. You're fine. Would you like something to drink?"

As she walked off towards the kitchen, dragging John behind her, Cameron turned to smile at Levon. "I like her," he murmured, wrapping his arms around Levon's waist. "Not so sure about him."

"Right now, I don't like him. He's been after me for a year to call you, and now he's acting bitchy? Really." Slowly, Levon's hands rest on Cameron's elbows, halfway between pushing Cameron away and holding Cameron there. His fingers traced over the pulse.

"I change my mind. I do like him. In fact, I think you should listen to him more often I like him so much." Without thinking about it, he kissed Levon's smile before Levon pulled back a little. At least Levon was still smiling as he slid out of Cameron's arms to follow after Rachel.

Rachel looked up from the fridge and her eyes narrowed slightly. Then she grinned. "Lemonade okay with everyone?" she asked as she set the jug on the counter, opening the cabinet with the other hand. She didn't wait for answers before she had cups out and was pouring. The first cup wasn't even filled when Alison ran into the room and grabbed Levon's hand, pulling him along. Levon laughed as he gave Cameron a confused look before he was gone.

"He's going to come back covered in make up or something, isn't he?" Cameron asked dryly, taking the cup of lemonade from Rachel.

She laughed, which made John glare at Cameron like it was a horrible thing that his wife was laughing. "Or something," Rachel said kindly, handing a glass to John. If she saw the look on her husband's face, she ignored it. "They're probably having a tea party. Paula and Sara have been really into tea parties recently."

"Alison's really into big-girl make up. Which she won't be wearing until she's at least eighteen."

John's face softened into a grin. "And she's not dating until she's married, right?" he asked dryly. When Cameron nodded, John mimicked the motion. "I understand. Neither of my girls are dating either. Ever."

"Right," Rachel said, patting John's shoulder. "It's not like they have you wrapped around their little finger or anything."

Thinking of how all it took was one begging look from Alison for him to do whatever he wanted, Cameron had to agree. She still wasn't dating until she was married. John met Cameron's eyes and they both nodded again, just a promise between fathers of little girls.

Rachel saw the look and rolled her eyes. "So," she said, getting their attention. "Levon never told us how you two met, Cameron."

The story made him smile as he told it. As he told them about the golden eyed boy who'd asked him if he was okay with being with a father, who'd taken him to his house so that he could feel okay with his life, who had actually named his daughter.

"I did not," Levon said sternly as he walked back into the room. He glanced at Rachel and John. "They wanted me to pour tea. I don't know why."

"Because you're just fun to be around," Cameron answered quietly as he reached forward and grabbed Levon's hand. "And you named her. Remember how I couldn't decide and you said that you liked Alison? You named her, Levon."

There was something ridiculously close to panic in Levon's eyes. "No I didn't."

Cameron just took his mouth for a moment, to get him to shut up. "You did. You named my baby girl."

He didn't see the startled look that passed between Rachel and John.

It wasn't until they were back at Levon's apartment that he realized that, after that point, John had been considerably nicer to him. He wasn't sure if he was happy about it or worried that there'd been a change that quickly. Holding his hand, Alison yawned loudly and he smiled down at her. "When we get inside, you need to get ready for bed."

She shook her head. "Not tired, Daddy."

Levon chuckled as he unlocked the door. He let Cameron and Alison walk through first. "She's going to drop off as soon as she lays down," he murmured to Cameron.

Agreeing, he crouched down to look at his daughter in the eye. "How about you go get your PJs on and I'll read you a story. Then you can go to sleep?"

She frowned, thinking about it. "Two stories."

He sighed and acted like he was thinking about it. Honestly, he just liked that she liked stories. "Fine, two stories. But you have to get ready for bed first." He patted her head and she turned around and ran off towards the back room.

Levon sat down on the couch with a Coke in his hand and pulled a huge binder from the coffee table onto his lap. "She'll fall asleep before the first one's even done. Playing with the girls really tired her out."

"Yeah." He looked at Levon and bit his lip as he sat down next to Levon. He started to play with that beautiful gold hair. "I wanna ask you something about last night…" he broke off when he saw Levon flush all the way to the roots of his hair. Cameron had never seen anyone do that.

"I'd be happy if we never ever talked about that. Never. Never ever."

"Well, too bad the world doesn't revolve around you, Lev. I just want to know how in the world does that happen? I'm surprised guys weren't beating down your door," he said, feeling a rush of jealousy at the idea of other guys. He really had a problem.

Slowly, Levon turned his head and stared at him. "It helps that most guys are straight. It also helps that I'm not an indiscriminate man-whore like you. And I dated when I was in college. I did. It's just that I always compared them to you. They were never going to measure up and that wasn't fair to them. They were great guys. It seemed very dirty and wrong for me to fall in bed with anyone but you."

"I'm not indiscriminate man-whore."

Levon's eyebrow lifted. "Oh really?"

"Nobody measured up to you, either," Cameron said quietly, touching the side of Levon's face. "I tried to forget how you made me feel. Nobody came fucking close." He bent closer.

Their mouths were millimeters apart when Alison barked from the other room, "Daddy, I'm ready! Story!"

He actually groaned as he had to pull away. "Duty calls."

Levon chuckled. "I'll be in here doing some class planning. Call if she tries to talk you into three stories. I'll rescue you."

"My knight in shining armor."

Surprisingly, Alison actually managed to last through both stories. When he was done, he put down the book and tucked her into the bed. She snuggled into her pillow and yawned again. "Goodnight, Daddy. I love you."

He ran a careless hand through her hair and smiled at her. Best present he'd ever gotten, he thought as he walked towards the door. "I love you too, baby girl. You better have some good dreams." He turned off the light and paused when he saw her suddenly sit up in the bed.

"Levon?" she called out loudly enough that Cameron was pretty sure that people across the street could hear her.

"Yes, princess?"

"Goodnight," she replied, still incredibly loudly. "I love you." With that, she lied back down and curled up, closing her eyes. Cameron smiled at her even as he closed the door.

He wasn't surprised to see Levon sitting on the couch looking like someone had just punched him in the face. He lifted dulled gold eyes to Cameron's and opened his mouth, unable to get sound out. Knowing what it was, Cameron knelt on the floor, his hands on Levon's hips. "It's okay, Levon," he said quietly.

Levon closed his eyes and sucked in a shaking breath. "Oh God," he murmured as he opened his eyes. "Why does that hurt?"

"Because children will scare the ever loving shit out of you. It's like their job."

It actually made Levon laugh. When he opened his eyes, he stared down at Cameron for a long moment. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, sliding forward a little and putting his hands on Cameron's shoulders. "I shouldn't have left when I did. I'm sorry."

It made him grin. "It's okay." He reached up and slid his hand to cup Levon's face and guide him down. As soon as he heard Levon moan against his mouth he pulled away a little. "It's okay."

Slowly, Levon nuzzled into his neck, mouth open and tasting lightly at the skin. Cameron groaned at the feeling and tugged Levon closer, feeling Levon slide off of the couch and into his lap. Shifting lightly, Levon straddled him, hands clenching in Cameron's hair. "So, you're leaving tomorrow, right?" Levon asked as he pulled a little bit away.

The change in subject was so sudden that it took him a long moment for his mind to catch up. "Going to have to. You and I both have work on Monday."

"God damn it," Levon murmured, nibbling on Cameron's ear. "And I'm guessing that we're not going to be able to see each other for quite a while." Slowly, he traveled over to Cameron's mouth and they kissed deeply. Levon arched against tightly against him and his hands tightened on Levon's waist. They couldn't do this here.

Somehow, magically, he still had the brain power to answer. "I can't come back here. Alison starts school next year—" And it still brought a small fist of panic every time he said it. "—and gas is getting to be expensive."

Levon stood up, staring down at him for a long moment before he offered a hand. Unable to do anything else, Cameron took it and let Levon pull him up. Slowly, together, they started to dance back towards the bedroom, Levon's eyes burning bright and pure into Cameron's. As soon as the door was shut behind them, Levon's hands fisted in Cameron's shirt as he slammed Cameron back against the wall. "Then we're heading into a long dry spell."

Slowly, Cameron nodded, surprised about this change in Levon. It flooded through his system so he didn't mean to say it. He definitely didn't mean to say it so quickly, so soon.

"I'm still in love with you."

Gold eyes blinked, widened, blanked. "Cameron," he murmured quietly, his fingers going slack on Cameron's shirt. "Oh, Cameron."

Slowly, Cameron covered Levon's hands with his own. And suddenly he was struck with how much this was just like the day where Alison was born. They were standing in the same way, just as close, and their skin was touching in the same places. Keeping his hands on Levon's, he leaned a little closer and gently covered Levon's mouth with his own. Gently, he urged them back until they tumbled onto the bed. And he lifted his head, staring down at Levon's beautiful flushed face.

"I love you, Lev," he murmured quietly, starting to unbutton Levon's shirt. "I think that I never stopped. Not really." He watched as Levon glanced away, biting his lip and he just had to lean down and press a little kiss there. "You don't have to say it back, you don't have to feel the same way about me. I know that we've only been like this for a little while. But I don't want to leave without saying it."

Some part of him was wondering if Levon was going to run away again like he'd done. If he did, then at least Levon would know how he felt.

Emotions flickered over Levon's face and Cameron waited, his fingers pausing on the last button. He was going to wait for Levon to tell him that it was okay. Beneath him, Levon suddenly sighed, lifting his arms to loop around Cameron's neck. They didn't need any more words after that.

And this time, Cameron was gentle.

Afterward, when they were warm and Levon was draped over his chest, Levon sighed. "You know, I think we should get my mother a present."

"I think that this is an incredibly horrible moment to bring up parents. Please shut up now."

Quietly, Levon laughed. "We wouldn't have this horrible moment to bring up parents if Ma hadn't pushed us together."

Just because that was a very solid point didn't make it any less creepy to be talking about Cheryl right now. When they were both naked. "Really, by the power of God above, please shut up. Just stop."

Propping his arms on Cameron, Levon pushed himself up a little so that they could actually look at each other. "I was just saying that I'm really glad that she bothered. I'm really glad that I'm right here with you, right now."

It was almost like Levon was trying to say that he loved Cameron, too. He could almost see it, but he didn't want to push. Instead, he rolled them to the side and pressed his mouth to Levon's temple. "Are you going to shut up, now?"

Levon smiled. "Yeah. I'll shut up now."

About ninety minutes later, they changed the sheets again, and Levon hurried out of the room to check on Alison. Like the night before, they fell asleep curled together, holding hands.

Cameron woke to music. He wasn't sure how long he stayed in that bed with his eyes shut, trying to figure out why he was hearing it. It was beautiful, tugging at something in the back of his mind. Making a quiet sound in the back of his that, he reached out to try to find Levon and pull him a little closer. But all he felt was cold sheets. That, more than the music, brought him fully awake.

Jerking up in the bed, he tried to get up, but he actually had to fight with the stupid blanket. Once free, he hurried out of the bedroom. And froze. Levon and Alison were both sitting on the little bench for the tiny keyboard that was set in the corner. Alison's tiny hands were on top of Levon's long ones as Levon played a slow song, murmuring quietly to the girl next to him.

The entire thing made him lean against the wall and just watch for a moment.

As soon as the song was done, he stepped forward and looped his arms lightly over Levon's shoulders as he leaned down to kiss Alison's hair. "Good morning, baby girl."

Giving him a long look, she crossed her arms. "I tried to wake you up, Daddy," she scolded quietly.

"I'm sorry."

Levon leaned his head back so he could stare up at Cameron. "She ended up waking me up instead. I thought she might like to see my piano. She helped me finish that song."

For the life of him, he couldn't think of what Levon was talking about. It must've shown on his face because Levon smiled and his fingers landed lightly on the keyboard.

It wasn't until he started playing that the memory clicked. That fairy tale song, the one that he'd always thought had changed the way things were between them years ago. It was the first time that he'd ever heard Levon play, he remembered. It was the same song that Levon had never been able to finish.

This time, Levon finished with a proud smile on his face and Cameron's arms still on him.

"It sounds like a lullaby," Cameron pointed out quietly as Alison started to tap out a few notes of her own. "A really pretty lullaby."

Levon grinned, holding Cameron's eyes. "Alison's Lullaby?" he offered up quietly. "I think it has a pretty sound to it."

"Yeah, it really does."

A few hours later, they said their goodbyes and Cameron found himself staring into his daughter's eyes in the rearview mirror as they drove away. She looked just about as happy as he felt. "What's wrong, baby girl?" he asked her quietly, wishing he could reach back and hold her hand.

She sniffled a little. "I don't wanna go. I wanna stay."

He understood exactly how she felt. Exactly. "We'll come back, sometime, okay?" Because he knew Levon, and he knew exactly how much Levon had put in his life, he already knew what would happen if they stayed together. He and Alison would probably have to move here. He didn't mind because he knew that he could pretty much work anywhere but he'd worried that Alison wouldn't like it. By the way she was acting, he figured she'd be pretty okay with it.

The next day, he went over to visit Cheryl. He knew that she'd want to talk to him about things, and he really wanted to spare her the horror of having to come up with a horrible excuse to get him over. Alison was just happy to be going because she knew there'd be cookies. There would always be cookies.

He wasn't surprised to see the expectant look on Cheryl's face as soon as he walked in the door. Of course, she said her hellos to Alison first, getting her to the table with a small plate of cookies and a glass of milk. As soon as she turned towards him, he gave an awkward smile.

"How's my son?" she asked quietly, picking up Garret's shoes.

"He's doing good. Pretty damn great actually," he paused with is his hand in the cookie jar and sighed. "I love him."

She dropped the shoes and her head popped up and she stared at him for such a long time that he actually started to worry. Then her eyes filled with tears and she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him. "That's wonderful," she said as she pulled away, holding his arms. "That's just so wonderful."

"You aren't upset?"

She blinked. "Upset? Why would I be upset?"

Somehow, it really was just that simple.

Cameron didn't get to see Levon again for two months. They talked nearly every day and emailed whenever they got the chance, but it still wasn't the same. It couldn't be the same. So when Levon told him that he would be getting out soon for summer vacation, Cameron almost felt his heart stop from surprise and hope. They made plans and Cameron made sure to take off early the day that Levon would get there.

He even kept his cell out on his desk, using it as a paperweight. Every few seconds, he'd glance at it, to see if he had a call or a text or something. Anything to tell him that Levon was back. But nothing happened until he was packed up and walking towards his car. Then his phone decided to buzz in his pocket. He nearly dropped everything as he tried to get it out. "Hello?"

"Hey Cam," Levon's voice practically rolled over him like velvet.

"Lev," he murmured back, grinning stupidly as he unlocked the backdoor of his car and threw everything in. "How close are you?"

"I'm here already. In fact, I'm in my old room. I'm pretty bored. Wish I could find something to do."

Cameron's hands paused on the steering wheel. Slowly, he grinned. "Is this supposed to be a booty call?" he asked.

Levon chuckled and the sound was undeniably sexy. "That depends."

"On what?"

"If you show up or not." He hung up.

It only took him a few minutes to speed over there. He was pretty sure he broke the sound barrier. When he knocked, Levon opened the door with a completely self-satisfied grin on his face. For a heartbeat, Cameron stood there, staring while the want sparked through him. "Hey, Levon," he whispered while he leaned against the doorframe.

"Hey back at you." Levon grinned, showed teeth. He reached out, clenched a hand in the front of Cameron's shirt, tugged him forward. "Come on in."

Since Levon's face was tilted up in welcome, Cameron took it, covering Levon's mouth with his own and sinking into the kiss. One of them, he couldn't be positive who, kicked the door shut as they stumbled back. Levon's hands streaked under his shirt, scraping over hot skin while he was doing the same.

By the time that Cameron came back to reality, they were in Levon's room. His shirt and Levon's pants were tossed across the room, and Levon's legs were wrapped tight around his waist, Levon's arms around his shoulders while Levon panted into his neck. He wasn't really sure how they were still standing, since they were only propped up against the back of Levon's door. "How'd we get up here?" he murmured into Levon's hair.

"Don't know. You were banging on the front door, then we were banging on this door. The rest of it's just a blur." Slowly, Levon pulled back, tilted his head up to look up at Cameron with those gold eyes. "So to answer your question. Yes, this is a booty call. And you did a wonderful job." Slowly, he lowered his feet to the ground and stood, stretching his arms above his head lazily.

Cameron pressed his mouth to Levon's neck, nibbling over the pulse. "I missed you, Lev."

Fingers slid into his hair. "Missed you too. Cameron…"

"Hmmmm?" Lifting his head, he stared at Levon and blinked. Levon wasn't looking right at him, and he was biting his lower lip as he flushed. For a second, Cameron let himself believe that Levon was going to say that he loved him. He knew Levon did. It was obvious in the way that they spoke on the phone, he could hear it in Levon's voice. He was just waiting for Levon to tell him that himself.

"You want the shower first?"

He pressed his mouth to Levon's. "Go ahead, beautiful. I think I need some water."

"There's water in the shower, last time I checked."

"Not what I meant." He'd seen the bathroom here. There wasn't enough room for both of them. Otherwise he'd suggest they'd share. So as Levon jumped across the hall to the bathroom, Cameron moved away from temptation and headed downstairs. He got himself a glass of water, listened to the shower as it started and tried not to imagine Levon in there, water streaking over his body.

Still trying to keep his mind empty, he opened the fridge and stuck his head in. Maybe there were some cookies in there or something. If not, at least maybe he'd cool off a little. He froze when he heard the front door open and close. When he heard Hailey's voice, he nearly groaned in mortification.

"Hey, Lev. Don't tell Ma, but I'm skipping fourth period. I don't want to deal with it today."

They hadn't told Hailey and Garret yet. Cameron had figured that they'd tell them when the timing was right, but they were like his siblings. Levon was actually their brother. How was Cameron supposed to tell them that he was sleeping with their brother? It was just uncomfortable to even think about it.

Slowly, he pulled his head out of the fridge and turned around. "It's not Lev," he said carefully.

Hailey had gotten a box of cereal from the pantry and had a hand in it. "Oh, hey, Cameron. Sorry." Her eyes narrowed. "Is there a reason that you're shirtless?"

Well, yes. He tried to think of something. Something fast. But, before he could, Levon stepped in the kitchen, a dark green towel wrapped around his waist. "I left the water running for you, so you might want to jump in before it gets co—" he stopped when he noticed his sister. They both froze with identical looks of shock on their faces.

Cameron rubbed a hand over his forehead. "Well, fuck," he muttered to himself. This was definitely not the way that he wanted to tell Hailey.

Her eyes darted from Levon to Cameron and back again. He could tell the exact second that she understood what was going on because she blinked twice. "You two just did," she said lowly. "Didn't you?"

Neither of them said anything. Probably because they didn't want to say that they had, but they couldn't lie and say they hadn't. So they stood there in silence, staring at each other. Finally, Hailey put the box of cereal down on the table. "Oh, God," she muttered, face pale. "I…I got to go…somewhere."

Levon started to go after her, but Cameron stopped him. "I'll go talk to her."

Irritation sparked in those gold eyes. "She's my sister."

"True. But I have pants on." When Levon glanced down and realized that he was right, Cameron grinned gently at him. "Yeah. It's okay." He brushed his mouth over Levon's and hurried out the door.

Hailey was in her car, about to pull the door shut. Cameron managed to slip in front of the door so she was unable to shut it. He felt like slime when he realized that she was about to cry. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you," he said quickly, wanting to get it out while he was sure she would listen.

"Tell me what? That you two are fucking each other? What the hell, Cam?" Anger started to flush her cheeks.

"I love him," he told her slowly, quietly. "I've loved him since before Alison was born."

She blinked, paled. "What?"

"I love your brother. And he loves me. He hasn't admitted it yet, but he does. He loved me five years ago. Which is why he left. He thought Alison and I would be better without him." It still ate at him that Levon thought that he had to leave.

She sniffed, rubbed a hand under her eyes. "How long have you two…been you two?"

"Since he visited in the fall."

"Does Alison know?"

"Yeah," it made him grin. "She called him my girlfriend. He wasn't happy about it."

Like he thought it would, it made her laugh. "Were you guys ever going to tell us?"

He leaned closer to her, and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "Of course. We didn't know when, or how, but we were. And your mother already knows." When she choked, he nodded. "She set us up. It's a little awkward."

She laughed again. "Okay. I still got to go somewhere," she told him kindly. "I just need to work through it, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay. So I can tell Levon that everything's alright? He's going to worry about it otherwise." He was worrying about it now. They both knew it.

"Everything's alright," she promised.

He got out of her way and watched her drive away. When he stepped back in the house, Levon was pacing through the kitchen, still in a towel. Giving in, Cameron reached out and hooked a finger in that towel to tug Levon into his arms, holding the other man there. "It's okay. She said that everything's okay. She was just surprised."

Slowly, Levon nodded into his shoulder.

They stood like that for a few minutes, Cameron resting his cheek against the top of Levon's head. "I told her that I love you," he told Levon.

"Okay."

"Hey, Levon," he murmured. "I want to have a life with you."

That made Levon try to jerk back but Cameron wouldn't let him. Instead he held on. He tilted Levon's face up so he could stare down into gold eyes. "I want to have a life with you, Levon. I want Alison to have a life with you. I've been thinking about it. What if Alison and I move in with you? I can change jobs easily and it's not like Alison is going to have to change schools. And she loves you just as much as I do. I can't not be around you anymore."

Mouth trembling open, Levon stared at him. "Cameron," he murmured, slowly shaking his head.

Cupping the side of Levon's face, Cameron ran his thumb over Levon's lower lip. "We don't have to move in with you right now. We can just move up there, get our own apartment. I've been looking at the rates. They're not half bad. And the schools are pretty good too. Don't tell me no, Levon. I'll do it anyway. I love you. I don't think I can handle not being with you."

Levon took a shuddering breath. "I want you to be with me," he whispered quietly. Then he nodded, grinning widely. "And you don't have to get another apartment. You can share mine. I have enough room. Well, I'd have to convert the office into a bedroom for a little girl."

Feeling so perfect, so happy, Cameron pushed Levon back against the wall, covered Levon's mouth with his own. The kiss was a little desperate, a little hard, but sweet. "She'll be ecstatic. God, I love you," he murmured as he rested his forehead against Levon's.

"I love you, too." The second that the words were out of his mouth, Levon paused. Then he grinned slowly, slid his fingers into Cameron's hair. Cameron couldn't breathe, too afraid that he'd imagined it. Levon pressed his mouth into Cameron's. "I love you."

Something in Cameron snapped. "Now you've done it," he muttered as he stepped back, tugged Levon to follow. "Let's hope that no one else in your family comes home early. They'd get a surprise."

Levon just smiled as they went back up the stairs.

Author's:::Note

So, I actually had this thing done more than once. I had it finished, then I lost my thumbdrive with it on it. Then I had it done again and my laptop got stolen. Recently I got some walking pneumonia and decided that I'm going to write some. Because I need to get back in the habit of writing again. AND ALISON'S LULLABY IS DONE! FINI! All I have to do is an epi. If I decide to do an epi. It's iffy right now. Thanks to everyone who read!

Special thanks to Starcrazed, moon01234, Bookworm24601 for your reviews.