Eighteen.

When it was all said in done, Rhett left the parlor with a brand new tattoo in the style of Cameron's art work. The piece was another tribute to Cove, and possibly the most special he'd ever had the privilege of having etched into his skin.
The Scotsman's was grinning when he opened the door for Cameron that night, the elation causing an electric throb in his chest. He couldn't wait to show Cove what the boy had styled in his honor, and Cameron-
Cameron.
Rhett hadn't been able to tear his gaze away from him the entire time the boy had been working on his sketch, and even after the Scotsman had sought Cameron's face whenever the artist would begin on a particularly tender patch of skin.
"Ah had ah great time with ya tonight, love. Et's an honor ta 'ave a permanent peice of your work."

"Thanks for letting me do it, really. I'm just happy you like it." Cameron smiled lightly, unsure what that flutter in his stomach was as he locked eyes with the older man. He tried to ignore it, instead reaching out to let his fingers gently run over the still sensitive tattoo, his touch light as a feather so as not to hurt the man.
He glanced up at the man once more then, noticing the way that the man was still looking at him. He had noticed it all night, trying to pretend that it didn't make his cheeks turn scarlet.
"I had a great time too." He admitted as he slipped inside, immediately noticing a note left on the coffee table informing Rhett that Cove had gone out for the night. "Thanks for taking me."

"Noh, realleh ah should beh the one thanking you. Ah 'aven't 'ad fun like that since..."  The Scotsman's voice trailed off as he realized the truth of what he had been saying. Ever since Kyndal had left him Rhett had been miserable on his very best days.  Sometimes he ached whenever his son would smile.  It was too much like his mother.
But tonight...He'd actually forgotten about his loss. Tonight there was nothing but Cameron.
"Et's jus' been ah realleh long time.  Ah appreciate it."  The Scotsman had stopped a moment to merely stare at Cameron, take in the sweet curve of his cheeks and how his golden curls seemed to shape a perfect halo along the crown of his head. "Ya oughtta come an' see meh more often.  Ah even 'ave ah spare bedroom if ya'd want ta stay here." The offer was spoken easily enough, but somehow the simple words had Rhett's heart throbbing against his ribs.

"I'd really like that, Rhett." Cameron nodded. "I don't know what I would have done lately if I didn't have you. I'm serious, I'm never going to be able to thank you enough." He approached the man, hooking his arms around his neck as he pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, although it ended up landing more near the corner of his mouth. And then he didn't know what had come over him but the sparks that tiny touch ignited caused him to move his kiss over altogether until he was firmly planting his lips against Rhett's, lingering there for a moment before slowly drawing back.

"Ah uh...does that come with every 'thank you' or 'es et jus' me?" The words sounded ridiculous in a way that had the Scotsman's cringing the moment they left his mouth. He was supposed to sound eloquent and experienced, it was probably the reason Cameron had kissed him in the first place. The boy was obviously in the process of rebellion. Kissing him was a mere side effect.
And yet-
Rhett had kissed the boy back, fully and passionately in a way of expressing the elation he'd felt at being free from his depression for a night. Finn would definitely try and strike him if the man ever found out, but these thoughts were of no consequence when Cameron was still lingering in his arms.
"Can ah kiss ya again?" The Scotsman had paused before asking, taking a moment to simply assure himself Cameron was still comfortable in his hold.

"Just you, don't worry." Cameron couldn't help but laugh at how the man had reacted to his kiss. He was relieved that he hadn't thought he was crazy for doing it. And when Rhett asked to kiss him again, the butterflies in his stomach were back again, fluttering around wildly. "Of course you can. I'd like that, actually." He had yet to move his arms from around the man's neck, instead using them to lift himself up on his tip toes so he could kiss the man more deeply this time.
He'd always been attracted to Rhett but he never saw himself actually doing anything about it. He thought it was just a small crush that he'd had from the time he'd been young. Rhett was much older than him, after all and had served as something like an uncle for him. And yet, here he was with those strong arms around him, their bodies so close that he could feel each and every chiseled muscle of the man's chest.
It was something he'd never seen happening but now that it had, he never wanted it to stop.

"Ya  likeh this?"  The Scotsman felt nearly dazed by the kiss, his mind reeling each time he remembered just who he was holding cradled against his chest.  This was the same little blonde boy who had stood on his feet and demanded they dance at five years old, the child who'd been brought to his home on occasion whenever Finn and Jeremy needed time alone.  He'd grown into a gorgeous bright eyes young man, and Rhett felt almost wicked for thinking of him in ways of passion but the guilt did little to dissuade him.  "Ya  know ah don' expect anythin' from ya.  If ya want to stay here this isn't a priceh ya have ta pay, if thah's what yar thinkin." But if Cameron was doing this for himself....
The scotsman was fully prepared to accommodate.

"Rhett, I did that because I wanted to, not because I thought you expected it from me." Cameron reassured, his heart thudding in his chest as he saw the gaze Rhett was holding him with. Rhett wanted this just as badly as he did and it was doing wonders for his confidence. "And I'm going to do it again, because I want to." He murmured before letting his hand come to rest on the back of the Rhett's head, fingers entangling in the man's hair as he kissed him once more. He was being unusually bold for himself tonight but he was enjoying it. It had gotten him here, feeling more desirable than he had in years. Rhett was actually wanting him. This gorgeous and experienced older man was here wanting to kiss him of all people. Hell, maybe he should take chances more often.

"Es thah why yar movin' in with meh love?  Because ah give ya everythin' ya want?" The words were accompanied by the feel of powerful hands grasping at pert cheeks.  It wasn't simply this he spoke of, but everything else.  Rhett had never been strict on Cameron.  Ever since the boy had been small he'd realized that Cameron was mature for his age, most likely a product of having Finn as a mother. To ease the boys worries he'd allow Cameron to do as he saw fit, though while always keeping a close eye on the boy while he did so.  With Rhett, he never had to be alone, never had to worry about being scolded or looked down upon.  When the Scotsman looked at Cameron there was an abundance of love, always.  It had shifted now, a different type of love, but love all the same.  "Yar not bothered by the fact that ah'm soh much older? Ah helped raise ya when yar parents were in a stiff..."  For a moment the man worried it may affect them, but then Cameron was looking at him and exuding a radiance of confidence-
Rhett couldn't control himself, he kissed the boy again, this time though sweeping Cameron from his feet in order to guide the boys legs around his waist.

Cameron responded to the kiss passionately, tightening his legs around the other man's waist and holding himself up. Eventually he was forced to break apart again to catch his breath. He rested their foreheads together, smiling softly at the man before speaking and answering his question.
"You've always been there for me, Rhett. That's why you're still the one I go to when I'm hurting. I never thought about you like this before but tonight... I don't know why it felt right to do that, to kiss you. And it still feels right doing it over and over again. So no, I don't care that you're older or that you raised me more than my own dad sometimes. I want this anyways." He murmured as he caressed the man's stubbled cheek lightly, trailing kisses down his hard jawline.

"Yar mother wont like et."  These words were spoken almost gravely, an honest portrayal of how serious Finn's disgust would be when he found out. The man expected Rhett to be taking care of his son, never expecting the scotsman would overstep such boundaries. "And ah....Ah don't want ta beh some little crush or ah fleetin' relationship, Cameron. What weh 'ave es stronger than that.  Ah don't want us ta change." This was where things became messy.  If the relationship did end, then they would never be able to go back to the innocence they once had. This would define the rest of their time together.
"Soh take a momenta ta really consider this.  If ya still want meh, ah'm all yours.  But if not, let go right now an' weh can forget et ever happened." Rhett had captured Cameron's face in callused but careful hands, making it impossible for his words to go ignored.

Cameron almost immediately told the man he didn't care and went back to kissing him. But he forced himself to pause. Rhett was right. And he was a mature adult by now. He had to truly think about this and the consequences it would have.
It was true Finn wouldn't like it. But he didn't really care about that. He didn't like the man his mother was dating, after all. And Finn didn't seem to care about that. So if Rhett made him happy, why should he care what Finn thought?
What he did care about though was what would happen if they broke up eventually. Where would he turn to when he needed someone?
He was silent for a long while before he finally spoke up with his answer.
"We're both mature adults, Rhett, even if you're older. I like to think that even if we start something and it has to end in the future, it might make things different between us but I think we could end it on good terms, I don't think we could end up hating each other no matter what. I don't want to risk losing you in my life altogether but... I want this." He nodded firmly, lips falling onto Rhett's cheek once more.

"Alrigh' then lovie, ah jus' wanted ya to beh sure before weh go any further. " Rhett had not been afraid that his views of Cameron would be tainted, but he worried about himself in golden boys eyes. He'd always been protective uncle Rhett, but when that shifted and he became a lover it risked Cameron's being comfortable confiding in him about everything as the boy had always done. The Scotsman rationalized though that this could also strengthen their bond, offer him a happiness he'd been craving his entire life.
"Ya could never lose meh. Ah'm all yours, always." Rhett allowed himself to fall back onto the couch then, strong hands keeping the boy secure against his lap even as the landing ground them together. "Et will beh nice ta become yours completely."

"You're going to be mine completely, huh?" Cameron smirked softly at the man's last statement, slender fingers still carding through the Scotsman's hair. He liked the sound of that. "I think I could get used to that." H would have thought that this would be more awkward considering their previous relationship but for some reason this felt like the most natural thing in the world. It was nice to be held again like this, to have someone wanting him again. "Maybe we should hold off on telling everybody, mostly my mom, just for a few days." As pissed off as he was at his mother, he couldn't ruin the day of the man's engagement, even if he might want to. "You think Cove or Trever will mind?" He arched an eyebrow. He was sure that the age gap in their relationship might draw some negative reactions but Rhett's family had always seemed to like him well enough. Hell, they were basically his family too.

"Ah'd like ta be."  Rhett was started with how easily it was for him to give himself away to the boy, but after a mere moments thought the Scotsman understood.  He'd loved Cameron ever since he'd taken his first wailing breath.  He'd watched the boy grow into a young man, and he'd been there through all of his hardest times.  Even if Cameron couldn't talk to Finn, he always had Rhett.  Holding him now felt like coming to completion.  This was why Kyndal had left, why no one else ever stayed.  Rhett was meant for Cameron.
"Yar mother 'es gonna beh pissed at meh, so ya can hold off all ya like."  The scotsman feared nothing, but he had enough respect for Finn to feel the guilt over what he was about to put the man through. 
And yet, the feeling wasn't strong enough to stop him.  
"An ah doubt Cove nor Treva would care.  If ahm' happy they usually let meh beh.  Plus you are like family ta them.  Treva asks about ya often and ya know Cove loves ya. Its near damn impossible not ta fall fer those baby blue eyes of yars."