Magnetic North {Laurmani}

Magnetic North

When Lauren is there, Normani always leaves the lights on. They're completely naked now, as always, and Normani wants, needs, to see Lauren illuminated softly. The shine of her hair, her bright eyes and her affectionate smile.

Maybe, Normani thinks, she wants to see herself, too, the way her own skin and her belly button piercing reflect the light.

And the way the two of them tangle together, sharp contrast on the white sheets, is captivating, beautiful from any angle.

The lamplight is warm and soothing, just like Lauren herself is, clean skin pressed close against Normani. It's dark outside, and dark around the edges of the hotel room, but it doesn't bother her.

She sleeps better with the lights off, but with Lauren in her arms, Normani usually finds she'd rather not sleep at all.

Lauren is humming softly, her head resting on Normani's chest. Her hand slides under Normani's right knee, and she lifts it, lazily wrapping Normani's leg around her waist.

It's not warm in the room, and the blankets and sheet are piled at the foot of the bed. They're sharing body heat, so close together that they're almost one being, bodies only distinguishable by the colors of their skin.

With an exhale, Normani squeezes her leg tighter around Lauren, a shiver running through her at the feeling of skin against bare skin as Lauren moves.

Normani squeezes again, wanting to feel the softness of Lauren's body closer still, and the quiet responding gasp makes her eyes flutter shut.

She considers wrapping both legs around Lauren, and pulling her in tighter, heels digging into her lower back. Maybe then Lauren would finally be close enough, and Normani would stop aching for her, be able to breathe again.

They don't define what they are, and Normani thinks that should bother her, because if it doesn't have a name, then how can it be real?

Sighing contently, Lauren kisses Normani's chest gently and settles back in, and as the fingertips of her right hand start to run lightly across Normani's side, it definitely feels real.

Breathing becomes less and less of a natural action as Lauren continues, fingers swirling up to her ribs and tracing patterns that Normani thinks might be words.

She has to appreciate the irony in how Lauren makes her body react, the way she makes Normani feel alive and hungry while simultaneously stopping her breath from coming.

They don't define what they are, but Normani has seen Lauren melt at her slightest touches, knows that she is the one Lauren wants to talk to, the one she stands beside, the one she runs to when she needs to be held.

Lauren always needs to be held, and Normani calls herself lucky, because she can't get enough of having Lauren in her arms.

They've only talked about what this thing between them is once before, and Lauren had said everything Normani was thinking, in words only slightly different than her own. So Normani had pulled the sheet over them, shielding them from the rest of the world, and kissed Lauren's soft smile.

"What are you writing, baby?" Normani murmurs after a little while, running her fingers through the soft strands of Lauren's hair.

"'M not writing," Lauren says, tilting her head down to kiss the top of Normani's breast. "I'm painting."

Normani can't help but laugh at that, and she can feel Lauren smile against her at the vibrations of her chest.

"Who paints on a black canvas?" Normani chuckles.