Photograph (camren)

Chapter Twenty-One

Once the wrath of falling asleep on the living room floor made itself present in Lauren's joints she scooped Camila up into her arms and moved them both to the bed. Camila awoke almost immediately when the marine layed her down on the king sized monstrosity and looked up at her in confusion. 

  "Did I fall asleep?" She asked with a small yawn causing the lieutenant to smile softly to her and nod. "Shit I'm sorry."

  "Don't be, you're tired." Lauren murmured thoughtfully as she allowed herself to get lost in the depth of the hazelnut eyes staring back at her. "Camila?"

  "Yeah?" Camila furrowed her eyebrows as she noticed the sudden shift in Lauren's demeanour. She still had a soft look on her face but her tone had grown serious which confused the younger of the two. The brunette watched as the lieutenant reached out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she settled in front of where the Doctor sat. Closing her eyes at the contact, the smaller woman smiled contently and awaited for Lauren's voice to fill her ears once again.

   "I'm scared." She sighed heavily and looked down at her sock feet as Camila's eyes opened and scanned the marine's expression carefully. Fear was written all over her face, in her eyes, hell even in the way she stood.

   "Of what?" The Doctor laced their fingers together, hoping to show her lieutenant support in whatever it was she was afraid of.

   "You." Lauren admitted nervously, giving her lover's hands a small squeeze to insure it wasn't anything terrible. Camila's eyes widened at her girlfriends response. How could she be afraid of me? She pondered it for a minute before looking up and whispering, "Of me?"

  Lauren took a moment to phrase her words carefully before responding. "Yes, I'm terrified." She nodded slowly before given Camila a small smile. "You have a hold on me like no one ever has had before, the power to destroy me in a few short sentences or actions, and it absolutely terrifies me. I'm not one to fall, I didn't do this up until now- with you. I've never been this vulnerable with anyone and the possibility that one day you won't love me anymore, it scares the shit out of me. It scares me how much I love you."

   "Lauren," Camila mumbled into the marine's shirt as she pulled her close and wrapped her arms around her core. "Nothing and no one could ever change the way I feel about you, I promise you that. No war, no amount of separation, not even God himself could change the way I love you. Through hell and high water Lauren, I'm yours." She felt the marine's fingers playing with her own as she sighed contently and looked down at the younger woman.

   "You know, there's not an inch of me that thinks that I deserve you." Lauren unlaced their fingers as she took a seat next to Camila on the bed, one knuckle now stroking the brunette's jaw line affectionately.

"But I'm going to spend however long it takes to prove to myself and you, that I do."

  "You do. You deserve every ounce of happiness the world has to offer you, Lauren." Camila's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she felt Lauren lay down and pull her along with her. She placed chase kisses to the smaller woman's forehead as she traced the length of Camila's spine with her fingertips.

     

   They laid content without exchanging any words for awhile. Lauren got lost in her thoughts as Camila's were drowned out by the beating of the soldier's heart. She didn't mind though, in fact she loved listening to it. The sound was a reminder that this was real, that the lieutenant was here and she was alive and breathing. That this wasn't some twisted dream and she'd wake up in bed alone while Lauren was halfway across the world in Afghanistan. The youngest of the two looked at the clock to find the night had settled in. It was half past one in the morning, but neither of them cared- their minds travelling too fast to realize. Camila was the first to break the comfortable silence as she noticed Lauren's hand fiddling with the hem of her shirt. The cold skin sending a shiver up her spine as she moved her lips to the nape of the marine's neck.