Love Me (Normani)

Chapter 57

"Shh, m'sleeping." Lauren mumbled into her pillow. "Laurennnnn." "Maniiiii." She mocked tiredly. "Let go I wanna go for a run!" Normani whined. "As if I'm gonna let you do that." "Lo you don't under-" "No I don't, I know I don't, but I also don't want to see you doing damage to yourself. So as long as I can help it, I'm helping you." Lauren said genuinely. "Please." Normani begged weakly. Lauren turned to look at her girlfriend and pecked her lips. "Go back to sleep babe." "I can't." Normani whispered, her voice sounded almost afraid. "Try." Lauren suggested softly. "C-Can we cuddle?" Normani asked hesitantly. Lauren pouted. "Of course we can cuddle. Come here." Normani shuffled closer to her girlfriend and rested her head on Lauren's chest, revelling the way her fingers stroked her hair. "They're loud Lauren." Normani whimpered. "Close your eyes pretty girl, focus on your breathing and try and go to sleep." Lauren said gently as she continued to stroke her hair soothingly. It was very early in the morning and Lauren wanted to go to sleep desperately. But she wanted her girlfriend to go to sleep more. Normani shifted in her position and laid literally on top of Lauren. Lauren was surprised but if it would get the girl to sleep, she would do whatever worked. "Are you comfy up there?" Lauren smirked. Normani let out a heavenly giggle and nodded. Lauren wrapped an arm around her waist and continued to stroke her hair. "I love you Lo." "I love you too baby. Now get some rest." Normani sighed contentedly and then finally got to sleep after another ten minutes. Lauren praised the Gods above when she felt Normani's breathing become even and moved so her head was in her girlfriend's neck, placing a gentle kiss on it before smiling. "Night Mani." Lauren woke up later to Normani drawing next to her. "Can you just close your eyes for a little longer?" Normani asked Lauren as she looked up from the paper. Lauren chuckled breathlessly and did as her girlfriend asked of her. "Are you done?" She mumbled into the pillow. "Uhhh..I think..hold on." Normani mumbled to herself, Lauren found this endearing. "Okay, you can open your eyes now Laur." Normani smiled so Lauren opened her eyes to see a sketch of her sleeping figure. "Aww Mani.." Lauren took the picture in her hand and smiled sleepily. "I hope you like it, looks like you've become my muse." Normani chuckled. "Like it? I fucking love it." Lauren said. Normani cupped Lauren's cheek, leaning over to kiss her girlfriend. "Ew no I have morning breath." Lauren moved back. "I don't care." Normani shrugged. "I do. You can kiss me after I've brushed my teeth." Lauren said as she got out of bed and out the picture on her desk. "Thank you for the picture." Normani frowned when Lauren disappeared into the bathroom. She doesn't want to kiss you. She's avoiding you. She hates you. Who would want to kiss you anyway? You're disgusting. You're horrible. You're a- "Mani?" Normani turned around and Lauren was in front of her looking refreshed. "You okay?" "Can we kiss now?" Lauren giggled and pecked her lips. "There you go." Only a peck, see? She hates you. It's all a lie. Anyone can peck your lips, look at her, do you see love in her eyes? Normani was about to scan her favourite green eyes but Lauren had turned around and was putting Normani's picture in a draw for safe keeping. She decided she would need to get a folder for Normani's drawings. "Lauren.." "Yeah?" Lauren turned around with a smile on her face. There it was, the love she had hoped to see, Normani smiled. "Never mind." Lauren smiled and nodded. "Okay. I just need to get something off Chris, wait here for me okay?" Normani nodded and watched as Lauren went out the room. Normani watched the door open again and Lauren had a wide smile on her face. "Okay close your eyes." "Why?" Normani asked suspiciously. "Just do it!" Normani groaned and closed her eyes. Lauren put something in the girl's hands and smiled. "Okay, you can look." Normani opened her eyes and looked down at the wrapped mystery object. She bit her lip curiously as she opened it and gasped. "Oh my god.." In Normani's hands was a pro artist pack of sketching pencils, both grey and coloured, erasers, stencils, everything a sketch artist could need. Lauren smiled nervously when she saw her girlfriend's reaction. "Do you like it?" Normani put the kit down and pulled the girl into a massive hug, pulling Lauren on top of her and squeezing her causing the Cuban to giggle. "I love it so much. Thank you Lauren! I'll draw so many pictures of you with these." "I don't know whether to find that endearing or creepy." Normani chuckled. "Shut up." Lauren smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'm glad you like it babe." "I think you missed." Normani said before pointing to her lips. Lauren rolled her eyes playfully and kissed her deeply. "Better." Normani whispered breathlessly against Lauren's soft lips. Normani reconnected their lips as soon as they parted and gasped when Lauren kissed her neck, undoubtedly leaving a hickey there. "Lauren?!" Someone called upstairs making both girls groan in annoyance at being disturbed. "What?!" Lauren called out. "Have you seen my hairbrush?" "No!" Lauren shouted back at her mother. "I'm going out! Call me if you need anything!" "Sure!" Lauren shouted back before hearing the front door shut and huffing, collapsing her head into her girlfriend's neck. "I hate my mother." Normani chuckled at Lauren's overreaction. "No you don't." "She interrupted us!" Lauren whined. "And what's to say we can't carry on?" Normani said suggestively. Lauren smirked and pressed a gentle kiss to Normani's lips, giving her the option to escalate it if she wanted to, which she did. Normani slipped her tongue into Lauren's mouth and Lauren pulled back a little to bite down on Normani's bottom lip. "You're so beautiful." Lauren whispered when she moved down to kiss the girl's neck. This was as far as she'd let them go though, because Normani was in no fit state to make love right now. No you're not, you're a fat piece of shit. Normani tensed up and Lauren felt it as she sucked on her skin, so she pulled away and looked at her girlfriend. "What's wrong baby?" Normani cleared her throat and put on a fake smile. "I'm okay." "You don't look okay." Lauren said worriedly, stroking the girl's hair behind her ear. Normani sighed. "C'mon, you said you'd never lie to me." Damn it. "Okay, fine, I'm not." Normani huffed and Lauren moved them so they were laying on their sides and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Would cuddles help?" Normani smiled into her neck at the adorable voice Lauren spoke in. "Mm. Cuddles sound perfect." "Normani.." "Yeah?" "Can I ask you something?" Say no. It can't be good. Say no! "What is it?" "Will you go on a date with me? Our last one kinda got..cancelled cause of uhm.." "Yes." Normani cut her off, not wanting to talk about the incident. "Yeah I'd love to Lo." Why would she want to go on a date with a fatass like you? You're disgusting. Repulsive. "So uh, what-what're we doing?" "Maybe we could go down to the beach? It's a really nice day." "Sounds good." Just don't eat any ice cream, don't eat anything. "Great, let's go get ready." Lauren smiled and went to go through her wardrobe while Normani said zoned out on the bed. "Babe? Mani..are you okay?" Normani looked up. "Hm?" "Are you okay?" Lauren repeated. "I'll be fine." Normani said before getting up and kissing Lauren's temple as she passed. "I'm going to the bathroom." Lauren watched with sad eyes as she followed her, knowing what she was about to do. Normani had eaten in the night, binging food because she was starving and couldn't take it. "Normani wait-" then Lauren heard the sound of running water and faint gagging causing tears to build in her eyes. Lauren was disappointed, but she could only imagine what the girl felt like. When Normani emerged from the bathroom, she looked incredibly guilty. The look on Lauren's face told her she'd heard what happened and she felt even worse. She'd throw up just from that if there was anything left in her stomach. Lauren looked up. "You should get ready, the traffic will be bad if we wait here any longer." Lauren said sadly before leaving the room. "Lo hold on-" "I'll meet you in the car okay?" She mumbled. Normani sighed and just got ready in silence. She didn't want to make Lauren even more upset with her. Lauren looked at her when the door opened and gave a small fake smile. "You ready?" Normani dropped her eyes to her lap as she put on her seatbelt. "Uh huh." Lauren turned on the radio and smiled when a familiar song came on that they both liked. "What's wrong with the world, mama? People livin' like they ain't got no mamas. I think the whole world addicted to the drama, only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma." Lauren started, looking over at Normani who was smiling slightly. "C'mon, you know it. Sing with me!" Normani blushed and chuckled. "But if you only have love for your own race then you only leave space to discriminate. And to discriminate only generates hate, and when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah." Lauren smiled as the tension dissipated while she drove. "People killin', people dyin'." "Children hurt and you hear them crying." "Can you practise what you preach, or would you turn the other cheek?" The girls sang the rest of the song together and smiled. "Are we okay?" Normani asked hesitantly. "We're good." Lauren said warmly causing Normani to let out a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry I got upset with you, I know you can't help it. Sometimes it just frustrates me that you're hurting and I can't do anything straight away to stop it." Lauren explained. "It's okay Lauren..it must be tough on you too.." "I'm okay." Normani gave her a pointed look when Lauren saw when she turned her head for a second. "I'm managing." She corrected. When Lauren parked at the beach they stayed in there for a minute, Lauren wasn't moving and she was completely silent.  Normani reached over slowly and took her hand giving her a soft smile. Lauren glanced at the girl and smiled back. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine I just..I wanted to tan but, you know." Normani frowned when she realised. "We'll find a part where no one is and you can tan in private." "What kind of a date is it if I can't show you off though?" Lauren pouted. "Every date is different Laur, I could sit in your room all day and watch Disney movies for a date and I'd be happy. Showing me off doesn't matter, simply having you is what matters most to me." Normani said sincerely. Lauren felt tears come to her eyes and she bit her lip with a smile forming. "God I love you." "I love you too." Normani smiled as she leaned over and kissed the girl. "As much as I'm loving this, let's go to the beach now." Lauren said making Normani sigh. "But I like kissing you." "I like the beach more." Lauren teased getting out the car. "Hey! Rude!" Normani called when the Cuban started running away from her. "You want me?" "Duh!" "Then come and get me!" The things I do for this girl...