This Is the Safest Place I've Ever Known

24

A/N:  Hi, hello. Shorter chapter, sorry. Sometimes you get long chapters, sometimes you get short ones. It's just how my brain works.

Hopefully you read and enjoy, though. :)

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While waiting for Ally and Normani to finish cleaning up from dinner, Lauren sat criss-crossed in front of the Arcadia door leading to the backyard in the kitchen, quietly sipping from her Lion King cup, as lightning flashed across the sky. Several seconds passed before thunder could be heard in a quiet rumble.

Somewhere she had once heard that for every second that passed between seeing the lightning flash and hearing the thunder follow, it meant the storm was a mile away. She wasn't sure how true that was, but she hoped it stayed far away like it was now. If it did happen to arrive, she wished it wouldn't rain as hard as it did the last time. She still worried that the windows might break if it rained hard enough.

"Lauren?" Ally's voice calling her name broke the girl out of her thoughts. She looked over to see the older woman standing by the dining table.

Normani, Dinah, and Camila had moved to the back end of the room where a small sitting area had been arranged. The three occupied the longer couch, leaving the smaller love-seat open.

Ally motioned toward the three. "Come on, I think we need to talk about some things."

"You haven't done anything wrong," Dinah quickly assured. She grimaced as Camila shifted around on the couch. "Walz might though if she keeps elbowing me," she grumbled.

"I wanna get comfy," the brunette justified before she finally settled half on top of the taller blonde.

"We'll probably be moving to the den for a movie or something after, so don't get too comfortable," Normani pointed out. She stood up and moved to the loveseat and held a hand out to Lauren. "Come here, baby bear."

Lauren wrinkled her nose slightly at the nickname and resisted the urge to argue. It was just a name after all. She stood and walked over to take Normani's hand and sit beside her on the couch. It didn't take long until her other hand made it's way to her mouth for her to chew on her fingers.

Dinah's eyes widened and she sat up straight. "Oh! I completely forgot." She pushed Camila over onto Ally and then stood up to leave the room.

"I was comfy," Camila whined into Ally's shoulder.

Ally shook her head with a fond smile. "We shouldn't be here too long, unless you've changed your mind about anything?" she asked as she carded a hand through Camila's hair.

Camila shook her head. "Just that Mama is a meanie."

"Rude, Walz," Dinah scoffed as she returned with a shopping bag in hand. She offered it to Lauren. "I completely forgot that Smalls asked us to stop for this on the way home from work. Think we could have used them earlier."

Normani hummed softly and nodded. "Oh, yeah. We could have."

Lauren tilted her head to the side and curiously peered into the bag. She promptly reached inside and pulled out one of the items. She held up the glow in the dark star necklace Ally had ordered for her.

"Please, please let me wash that first," Ally begged as Lauren stared at the necklace. "That absolutely does not go into your mouth until it gets washed."

Lauren nodded and set the necklace down into her lap, resisting the urge to put it in her mouth, and then pulled the rest of the items out. The pink Oreo and lilac crystal necklaces and the two simple, beaded bracelets were there. She picked each one up to inspect them closely. The material seemed to be rubbery, maybe silicon. They were sturdy, but she didn't think they would hurt to chew on. At the very least, it would probably feel better to bite on than her fingers. Sometimes she bit too hard and hurt herself.