A/N: It's short.
Lots of fluff here. A creative Lauren moment. An understanding between Camren. A little bit of Frankie. And a very short Adrianne/Kim scene that will lead into a more detailed side story for them. (It will still be a side story and not take away from Camren.)
As always, thank you for taking the time to comment and all your likes or send me a message, letting me know your opinions and thoughts.
~/~/~/~
It was eight-thirty in the morning. Lauren and Adrianne had just entered the elevator in silence. Lauren was expressionless, looking up as the floor numbers illuminated. Adrianne faced forward, mashing her lips between her teeth to hide her amusement while she slowly nodded her head. "It's weird."
"It's weird." The raven haired echoed in agreement.
Adrianne paused. "How's Camila with-"
"Second nature." Lauren cut her off and Adrianne nodded her head a little quicker.
"How long have-"
"Since seven."
"Have you said more than ten words yet this morning?" Lauren slowly turned her head and met the woman's eyes. "I'll take that as a 'no'." She teased with a smile. "Damn, she's got you whipped."
Lauren cleared her throat as she fought her growing smile. "Maybe a little."
The brunette arched an eyebrow and looked over her shoulder to the set of cameras focused on them and the audio guy crammed in the corner of the elevator. "A little my ass. She could ask you to shave your head bald and walk around Time Square in a tie-dye tutu and you would smile as you did it." Lauren's smile spread across her face as the blush deepened on her cheeks. "Exactly. You are so freaking whipped."
The pair walked out of the elevator and towards the office, the two camera's trying to follow as they entered. Lauren was hellbent on going about her day normally and not taking time for them to adjust to anything she did. If they wanted real, they were going to get real. She waved her hand in front of her assistant's face as the girl stared at the camera lense like a deer in headlights. "Kim?"
"Oh...right. Calls for confirmation on the magazine shoot tomorrow. You have a request for an interview with Popular Photography. Also, a local gallery is wanting to showcase some of your photos and would like to arrange a lunch meeting with you about it. Your meeting for Friday was needing to be rescheduled but it was only pushed back an hour. I didn't think that would be a problem. And your assistant called and wants to know why there is a camera pointed in her face."
Adrianne chuckled as she sat down and kicked her feet up onto Lauren's desk, sipping her coffee. "Ask your idol. I only do these things because apparently I'm whipped." The raven haired replied as she pushed her apprentice's feet off the large wooded desk and motioned for her to get up. "Come on. Today is your day. Let's see how well you do under pressure."
Adrianne pouted but did as she was told with Lauren following close behind. "So, what is on the agenda for today?"
"Emotion."
"Emotion?" The brunette asked as she set her coffee down at the work station, seemingly unimpressed by the photographer's originality for today's lesson.
"Yes, emotion. You can't always rely on a model to do the expressing for you." Lauren paused and met Adrianne's eyes. "Are you going to get your camera out or are we going to stand here all day?"
"Oh, crap. Yeah. Sorry."
Lauren shook her head as Adrianne scrambled to catch up after having her morning routine thrown off by the camera crew. The raven haired left her to her set up and walked over to a box sitting along the far wall. She cursed herself internally for agreeing to do this for Camila when she caught sight of one of the cameras following her. She was just getting a box. Couldn't they have filmed that just as well from where they were standing? Did they have to follow? It was all very strange but Camila wanted to do it so she was going to do it. "Okay." She began as she approached the brunette with the box. "Here is what you will use to express emotions."
Adrianne narrowed her eyes in worry before she peeked in the box that Lauren had just set down. "They're board games."
"Yes they are." She beamed brightly as both woman began pulling the games out of the box and displaying them on the table.
"How the hell do you display emotions with board games? And don't tell me that that is what I am suppose to be figuring out today. I need you to teach me this lesson, not let me struggle through it on my own."
"But that's my favorite way of teaching." Lauren teased as she received a scowl from her ex.
"I feel sorry for any on your future kids then."
"Nah. They'll be spoiled to no end. Now, back to the games. When you think of board games, what is the first thing that pops into your mind?"
"Childhood."
"Good. Now, what emotions come to you when you think of childhood? Not specifically yours, but just childhood in general?" Lauren asked as she removed the box covers on half a dozen games that covered the workstation.
"Innocence, joy, happiness, begin carefree..."
"Good." She answered again, clearing herself a spot to sit on the table, propping her feet in one of the chairs. She shuffled through one of the game boxes and picked up a game piece. "What is this?"
Adrianne looked at her coldly, not liking being treated like an idiot, but quickly remembered that Lauren had deep and mysterious ways about her. "It's a chess piece. The king to be more specific."
"And what emotions come to you when you think of a king?"
"Why do I feel like I'm in a psychology class?"
"Because you technically are. Art is expression which touches on emotion. Emotions are psychological. You have to understand how people think before you can figure out how they feel. And you need to figure out how they feel so you can get them to feel what you want them to."
The brunette huffed a laugh as she shifted through the other game pieces. "And here I thought photography was just about taking a pretty picture that was in focus."
Lauren roller her eyes at the sarcasm. "Answer the question."
"Okay." She relented and looked at the black plastic piece held in Lauren's fingers. "When I think of a king I get negative vibes mostly...I think: male, tyrant, controlling, forceful, corrupt."
"As a true lesbian would." Lauren joked and even the camera man laughed. She had momentarily forgotten they were there and had to refocus herself. "Okay. What about this one?"
"A queen." Adrianne answered in a lighter tone, already seeing what Lauren meant by figuring out what people would feel by understanding what they thought. "Female, graceful, nurturing, protective."
"Like a true lesbian would." Lauren nodded her head as Adrianne answered in unison with her. "Now you see. You don't like guys and are a mild to moderate feminist so you think negatively of the king, but empower the queen, despite the fact that she is only a piece of plastic. So... your lesson for today is to take pictures to express emotion, not of game pieces, but what they represent based on how they make you feel. Personify the pieces. Can you do that?"
Adrianne grinned, snatching the king and queen from Lauren's hands. "I can do that. I already have ideas actually."
"Good, because I told Camila I would meet her at nine-thirty to pick out a couch and chairs for the living room."
"What's wrong with the ones you have?"
"Nothing." Lauren answered, shaking her head. "She just wants everything to be 'ours' and to match the apartment. We have to do it early this morning because she has two shows today."
The brunette smiled and shook her head. "You are so whipped."
~/~/~/~
"There is no way she would ever agree to let you buy this." Frankie stated with certainty, amused that Camila was even suggested that she could.
Camila beamed as she saw the raven haired enter the store and begin walking towards them. "She will. I promise you, she will."
"Well, if she does, then there is no doubt in my mind that she is head over heels in love with you."
"Hi, Baby." Camila greeted, wrapping her arms around Lauren's neck and kissing her lightly. "Did you have time to get Adrianne squared away?"
"Yep. And she actually seems to like the lesson for today. She's getting better. So, what have you two already picked out that I am going to try and get me say in on?"
Camila quickly glanced over to Frankie who had a smug look on his face and then dragged Lauren by the hand to stand in front of the sofa. "This one."
Lauren's initial reaction was to laugh but it only came out as strangled huffs of breath. "Are you serious or is this some sort of joke?"
"I am very serious." Camila stated as Frankie surveyed Lauren's reactions, liking his odds.
"You want to put this in our apartment?" The raven haired asked finally pulling her eyes away from the sofa to look at her girlfriend in pure disbelief. Camila nodded.
"Please, Baby." The brunette begged as she wrapped her arms around Lauren's torso and her green eyes moved back to the couch in question.
"Baby...it's leopard print."
"It's not floral or 'that lacy shit' though." Frankie added, reminding her of her statement from the previous day. Lauren only rolled her eyes.
Camila pulled away and pouted lightly and Lauren began to cave. "Baby, I just...I don't know about this."
"It's fine." The brunette stated, looking away. "We can find another one."
The raven haired broke. "No. No. If you want this one...then...that's fine. We'll get this one."
"HA!" Camila yelled out, pointing to a disbelieving Frankie.
"I can not believe that you would agree to put something that atrocious in your living room!" He chided her. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Camila beamed and lifted up on her toes to kiss the Lauren's cheek. "She loves me and will give me anything I want. Just like I told you she would. I never doubt her commitment to this relationship nor her devotion to making me happy." Lauren was stunned and a little lost but was pleased with Camila's words. "He said you wouldn't agree and I said you would simply to make me happy."
Frankie rolled his eyes. "You are so frickin whipped it's not even funny."
"Why does everyone keep telling me that?" Lauren asked as she caught sight of the camera moving around them to get better reaction shots.
Camila tucked her arms between Lauren's torso and her jacket, pulling her close and into a tender kiss. "Because you are." Lauren knew it was true and she wasn't ashamed of it. "But don't worry. I don't want that couch. It was just to prove a point."
"Thank God." Both Lauren and Frankie exclaimed at the same time.
"Follow me." Frankie ordered, calling the couple with his index finger as he guided them through the store to his preferred selection. "Camila said she wanted modern but you liked comfortable and practical. So, I stumbled upon this lovely set." He motioned to a display of modern style, straight edge, squarish chairs and a two seat sofa. "They have the modern feel with the clean lines but they aren't like sitting on cement slabs. Also, the two seat sofa will fit much nicer in your living room. If I could continue to have my way, I would add these end tables on each end of the sofa. They are the same dark grain as your floors so it will draw it in nicely. Your thoughts?"
Camila had apparently already approved as she too looked to the raven haired for her decision. "In the black color?"
Frankie shook his head. "Camila already told me you like dark colors, but I refuse to allow you to purchase black furniture." He stated lifting a book of fabric samples. "I also know Ms. Thing here would have a fit if I was to suggest real leather so I will show you the faux sample. Here." He moved to stand next to them and pointed at the fabric. "I didn't like the red but I could handle this one. It's a kind of greyish blue. Very calming, very modern, very you. I like it so much I was considering suggesting it as a wall color as well."
"What do you think?" Lauren asked looking to Camila who just smiled at her.
"What do you think?"
"I asked first."
"But you've already proven yourself to be a push over who will do whatever it is that I want, so now you get to say what you think first."
The raven haired arched an eyebrow and smiled at her. "So I'm a push over now? Oh, I see. Well, maybe I should work on not giving you everything you want like that Tiffany bracelet you've been talking about."
Camila's eyes widened at the mention of the piece of jewelry and then her jaw dropped as Lauren pulled out a box from her coat. "Lauren, you did not!"
"Of course I did." The raven haired answered smoothly as she handed the box to her girlfriend and the brunette threw herself into a hug. Lauren held her close and closed her eyes, wanting to soak up the comfort the brunette's touch gave her. She would have held her there all day but she knew the brunette was too excited about opening the box, so she released her. "It has already been established that I give you everything you want, so why wouldn't I give you this?"
Camila beamed as she opened the box, running her finger over the elegant diamond accents before she removed it, nearly throwing the empty box at a rather envious Frankie who peered over her shoulder at the expensive piece of jewelry. "But...when did you have the time? We've been together day in and day out."
Lauren beamed in pride as she fastened the glittering piece of jewelry to Camila's dainty wrist. "I picked it up on my way back from Adrianne's the other day. I've just been waiting for the opportunity to present itself so I could give it to you. This just seemed too perfect."
"Aww." Camila cooed as she admired the bracelet then pulled Lauren into a lingering kiss.
Frankie took the opportunity to move in front of the prying cameras. "I think they could use a little privacy, don't you?"
"I feel so far behind in the romance department." The brunette pouted as she looked back at her wrist. Lauren gave her flowers and jewelry and everything. She always said the right words and made the right gestures. Camila hadn't done anything spectacular like this.
"You're not." The raven haired assured her kissing her just below the ear. "I'm not one to receive the attention much anyway. You waking up every morning and coming to spend time with me at the studio is just amazing to me. There are so many other things that you could be doing, with work even, but you still come to visit. You even bring me lunch!"
"That's just me taking care of you though. You would work your entire day and not even thinking about eating if I didn't do it for you." The brunette argued.
"And that's romantic to me. Face it, besides Adrianne...who have I had to take care of me since high school? Hell, since I was sixteen?" Camila buried her face in the photographer's shoulders and Lauren pulled her tight. "It's those little things that make me happy. Them and seeing you light up when I give you flowers and jewelry. Those are all I want."
"I don't mean to break up your inappropriately timed moment of bonding, but I am due at my other client's loft in thirty. So, your decision on the fabric?" Frankie asked as Camila looked up to Lauren.
"I like the blue, and also for the wall color."
"With a white ceiling and crown molding to lighten up the room." Camila added.
"Wonderful. Lets go place the order and schedule the delivery time."
Lauren nodded and walked with Camila attached to her side. "You know, there was no fighting like I thought there was going to be."
"Well...we still have to pick the colors for the three bedrooms as well as the furniture for the whole rest of the apartment. There's still plenty of opportunities for arguments and makeup sex."
~/~/~/~
"Okay, since they're gone," Kim began as she exited the office and moved towards Adrianne's set up. "Why are there camera's following her around? That is very...un-Lauren-like."
The apprentice rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it. It is an offer Camila got from a talk show to invade their lives for two days and let the world see that not only are they a legitimate couple but that their homosexual lifestyle is nothing to be feared. You know, we're not trying to take over the world or anything."
"That's...noble. I'm just a little surprised that she didn't give me any warning." Kim stated as she looked over the brunette's shoulder at the pictures on the screen. "Did you take those?" Adrianne nodded as she continued clicking through them. "I like that one. It's statement is very...you."
Adrianne had opted to shoot the chess pieces in black and white, playing on the traditional color of the pieces. The background was darkened and blurred, coming to focus as the chess board neared the lense. The queen was standing in full view, proud and victorious as the king laid over on it's side in the distorted background, defeated in checkmate. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Adrianne asks as she reclined back in her chair to study the photo again, tempted for this to be the one to show Lauren.
Kim stepped closer to look at the picture in more detail, her face just over the other woman's shoulder making her slow her breath in the closeness. "Well, it's very you. And seeing as I like you, I would say you were safe in assuming that I like it as well."
Adrianne kept looking forward but her attention was on the warm breath beating against her shoulder and neck. She knew what she wanted but it wasn't the right time yet. She wanted nothing more than to feel Kim press her lips to the sensitive skin of her neck and wrap her arms around her but she couldn't. They hadn't progressed in their friendship and Adrianne still didn't know her. Instead, to break the tension, she clicked to the next picture. It was the same set up except this time there were two queens in the foreground with the discarded king behind them.
"I like that one too." The assistant confessed, standing up to give Adrianne some space. She moved to the chair next to her. "I think you should show them both to Lauren. They say two very different things."
She nodded her head in agreement. "So...this is rather forward of me, but I don't know how to ease into it. How long have you known that you liked women?"
Kim smiled and stared at the photo on the screen. "I guess I've known since I was about thirteen."
"Then what took you so long to accept it? To come out?"
There was a long pause and Adrianne could see a change in the younger woman's eyes. "I don't know."
That was a lie and Adrianne knew it. "If you don't want to tell me, it's okay. I was just trying to make conversation and work on getting to know you." Kim's eyes were dead. She was looking at the screen but her mind was elsewhere.
"I want to tell you, I'm just not ready to. I would rather you get to know me as who I am in the present before I start telling you about my past. I'll try to answer anything else that you are interested in knowing though." A long silence fell between them until Kim took in a deep breath and broke her stare from the computer, moving her eyes to Adrianne with a smile as if nothing was wrong.
"Okay. Well, then why don't we have dinner tonight. Just something casual so I can learn this unexpected version of you that I have been experiencing over these last few days." Kim smiled genuinely and nodded her head. "But first, I need to figure out what the game pieces for Monopoly make me feel deep down inside."