This Is the Safest Place I've Ever Known

4

A/N: Another chapter wooooooo.

Warning for mentions of abuse and physical harm. It's not super graphic, but it does come up.

Also, keep in mind that in this fic, Dinah is older than Lauren and Camila. I'm sure it was sort of implied before, but I'm stating it here.

Maybe read and enjoy? :)

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Lauren nervously drummed her fingers on the park table. Her leg bounced uncontrollably underneath the table.

Lauren had chosen to meet the three women in the park because it was open and in public. It was also close to their apartment, so if for some reason she decided to run, it wouldn't take long to get back home.

Not that she had any reason to be nervous. She was only meeting the three properly. Really, if nothing else came from the meeting, she could say that she wanted to know Camila's caregivers a bit more. She needed to be sure Camila was taken care of and happy.

Lauren had met them once when Camila was first looking for a caregiver. Camila had used some resources provided by their college to look for one, and had set up meetings with several potential caregivers. Lauren went with her to each one and hung out just a bit away while Camila talked with them. Camila had tried to say Lauren didn't need to wait, but Lauren refused to let Camila be there alone on the off chance the potential caregiver turned out to be a serial killer or something. Camila would be the one to get murdered by a serial killer. Lauren couldn't let that happen.

"What are you thinking so hard about, Lolo?"

Lauren scrunched her face for a moment, slightly startled out of her thoughts, and looked at Camila. She shrugged. "Not much."

"You sure? You're doing your leg shaking and finger drumming."

Lauren stilled as a blush crept up her cheeks. "Sorry," she mumbled as she tucked her arms under herself. "I guess I'm just nervous. Don't know why though."

"You don't have to meet them."

Lauren scoffed and glared slightly at the younger girl. "I kind of do. You went through the trouble of asking them."

"It wasn't any trouble."

Lauren continued on as though Camila hadn't interjected. "They probably have better things to do, and I can't waste their time now by backing out just because I'm nervous for no reason. I'm just being stupid."

"You're not stupid," Camila assured, putting a hand on Lauren's shoulder. "You're not." She bit her lip and then hesitantly said, "I do have a theory, but I don't know if you're willing to hear it."

Lauren tilted her head to the side. "What is it?"

"Do you promise not to get mad?"

Lauren took hold of Camila's hand and squeezed it softly. "Promise."

"Well, I think part of you wants to be a Little, you just won't actually admit it."

Lauren tensed and snatched her hand away, curling in on herself as she stared blankly at the table. "What makes you say that?" she finally asked after a few moments of silence, her voice strained.

Camila pursed her lips for a moment. "Aside from your obsession with The Lion King?" she asked, hoping to lighten the mood even just slightly. She was rewarded with the tiniest upturn of Lauren's mouth. "Laur, I shouldn't have to remind you that your childhood was fucked up."

Lauren whimpered slightly and shook her head. "Don't wanna think about that, Camz."

"I know, and I'm sorry for bringing it up," Camila said as she wrapped her arm around the older girl to hug her tightly. "However, I think deep down you want what you missed out on as a kid. You're just super stubborn and won't admit it to yourself."