f.m. ~camren

chapter 28

Lauren has a grin on her face the size of Jupiter when she walks into the apartment she shares with Normani who definitely doesn't miss her roommate's uncharacteristic glow as she joins her in their living room. When Lauren continues to smile like an idiot without explanation, Normani impatiently demands one.

"You know I'm going to ask so out with it."

"You were right about Camila," she replies simply.

"So you wised up and told her how you feel?"

"Not exactly, but I didn't have to...she made the first move," Lauren recalls with a sigh of contentment as her mind drifts back to the kiss Camila initiated before they parted ways after their spontaneous date.

"Does this mean things are over between her and Ariana? Don't get me wrong, Dinah and I are still Team Camren all the way, but ain't nobody coming out of it in one piece if a diva's been scorned," Normani cautions.

Lauren groans about hearing their ship name used again, but let's it slide as she addresses the question at hand.

"Yeah, it's over," she confirms. "I'm still a bit in shock though if I'm honest. Camila didn't seem that eager to be back with her ex but I never suspected it was because she developed feelings for me. I thought it would be crossing a line to admit I wanted more than a friendship from her yet she barely hesitated today when it came to her confession."

Normani smiles and nudges Lauren encouragingly.

"I think you could a learn a thing or two from this woman. Sounds like she knows what she wants and is ready to take risks for it."

Lauren nods lightly.

"Thank you for forcing me to meet her. Maybe it wasn't your worst idea after all."

Dinah about falls off her bed when Camila calls her and shares the news.

"Yassss! My ship is sailing!" She exclaims proudly, although a bit too loudly as well because Camila has to pull her phone away from her ear for a moment.

"I await the day when my excitement about my own love life matches even a fraction of yours," Camila teases.

"Whatever. I'm just celebrating that I now get to tell you I told you so..."

"I can't believe I was so forward. Ending things with Ariana caused this huge wave of relief to wash over me and somehow translated into a confidence I didn't think I had. But Lauren was right there after it happened and I realized the last thing I wanted was to continue pretending. I've spent months pressuring myself to feel things that I don't or lying about things I do feel. Now it's all out there and I'm free."

"Perfect timing if you ask me. Carter might rent a beach house next time the weather's right. There's gonna be lots of room. Why not come and bring Lauren? Let your new free spirit roam outside the city limits to a land of bottomless Piña coladas and barely-there bathing suits," Dinah proposes, adding a suggestive tone at the end for good measure.

"Ugh, you know I can't. Getting one of the two bands that I'm going to be working with officially signed will be a really time consuming priority and taking off for an entire weeke-" Camila begins to argue, but Dinah interrupts.

"So bring a laptop. There will be WiFi. I know half that ish can be done anywhere," Dinah challenges.

"Maybe," Camila settles, "but I'm not saying yes right now."

The week flies by and Camila regretfully doesn't find the time to take Lauren out again between her long work hours, although the slightly older woman gives no indication of holding it against her when they manage to text each other from time to time. Lauren leaves her messages detailing her strangest encounters with customers throughout the week to help lighten the mood as most of Camila's replies involve ranting about her experiences with the bands. She is not particularly thrilled about how careless Painted Turtles' drummer is with letting go of his sticks so they fly across the room unexpectedly or how Rust the Nail had pizza delivered in the middle of their first meeting with their temporary producer. It's difficult not to let the little things set her off when she's in a high stress position, but she somehow manages to avoid going bald.

At the last minute, Camila enlists Normani's assistance in arranging a surprise breakfast for her and Lauren on Sunday morning at their apartment. Tyler is in on it, too, agreeing to take Normani out to brunch so she and Lauren can have the place to themselves for a while. Camila is just finishing up setting the table when a groggy Lauren walks into the living room, pajama-clad and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"There you are. I thought you were gonna make me come wake you," Camila greets cheerfully.

Lauren blinks a couple times before looking over at the table, neatly set, and registering the smell of fresh breakfast wafting from the kitchen.

"You broke into my apartment to cook for me?" Lauren accuses while trying to hold back a grin and failing.

"Normani let me in, actually...and did most of the cooking," she confesses.

Lauren takes a seat at the table as Camila heads toward the kitchen to start bringing out their food.

"I'm wondering why Normani is still volunteering to do things like this for us considering she knows how much I'm already into you," Lauren ponders aloud as Camila returns to take her seat.

"Already? But we've only been on one date," Camila responds with faux innocence before a smirk begins to creep up on her face.

"Sometimes that's all it takes to fall for someone," Lauren replies without a single trace of humor in her tone as she nervously lifts her face to make eye contact with Camila after filling her plate.

Camila gazes back with curiosity, quickly picking up on the sincerity of Lauren's statement.

"You didn't have to fake it for very long, did you?" Camila asks gently after looking away and stabbing her fork into her scrambled eggs.

Lauren shrugs as she reaches for her glass of apple juice.

"Depends on your perspective, I guess. You spent two months acting like my girlfriend. I spent almost as long pretending I didn't really want to be yours."

They both chew their next few bites slowly, letting it all sink in.

"I'm sorry," Camila finally breaks the silence with an apology.

"Why?"

"Because we could have figured this out a lot sooner if my head wasn't stuck up my ass searching for a way to get over you when that's not what either of us wanted."

"It's not like I was about to do anything about it. You're the first person that I've gotten close to in a long time. I hate when I see other people underestimate the value of a friendship and act like the friend zone is the worst thing that can happen to them," Lauren reveals.

"As much I agree, I am hoping you'll still give me a chance to be more than that for you," Camila tells her with a hint of hesitance.

"I'm more than willing to take that leap if you are," Lauren agrees without missing a beat.

AN: I am sick for the second time in a month, sleep deprived, and supposed to be studying for an exam that's really important for advancement in my career (aka the job that sucks the fun out of 40 hours a week). Yet here I am updating the only multichapter story I ever recall coming close to finishing in my 10+ years writing fanfiction. If that doesn't show how much I appreciate you, then I don't know what would. (Now it's time to spam my inbox telling me how unfair it is that this will be ending soon). PS - Is the person who originally requested this plot still reading? I wonder about this all the time. Please let me know.