She (Camren)

Part Four

She wakes up to the soft click of a door closing and the comforting smell of food. Her eyes stay closed and she snuggles closer to her pillows as she feels the familiar movements of someone behind her. She half-listens as Camila moves around the room before her bed dips and a cool hand presses against her cheek.

Camila doesn't say anything when she reaches up to take the hand and hold it. It's not like Lauren has it in her to care if she did anyway.

"How was class?" she murmurs into her pillow. Camila lets their fingers tangle together and Lauren sighs because Camila leans over her to let her other hand carefully stroke her hair from her eyes.

"It was okay," she sighs, tucking the hair behind Lauren's ear. "How did you sleep? Did you sleep the whole afternoon?" Lauren nods in confirmation and her eyes stay closed as Camila plays with her hair. "That's good," she says softly. "I went to get some supplies."

Her hands pull away and Lauren's eyes open reluctantly. She turns onto her back with Camila's help.

"So I got you some snacks in case you get hungry when I'm not here," she explains as she goes through the bags sitting next to Lauren's desk. There's a case of Gatorade tucked into the corner as well as some water and just the sight of them makes Lauren thirsty. It's almost like Camila knows because she hands Lauren the open bottle of juice on her nightstand without thinking. "I also got a thermometer, just in case. Some cans of soup for when you're not feeling hungry. Some flavored water if you wanted something sweet. Some tea. A thermos, so you don't have to worry when I'm not here. Some really cute socks. Oh, and some blankets."

"Blankets?"

Camila pulls out the three blankets of different textures and thicknesses and starts laying them over the one already covering Lauren's bare legs.

"I was thinking that it'd be easier to regulate your temperature if you had lots of blankets instead of one big thick one," she explains, taking one of the blankets off again. Lauren smiles at her and Camila smirks in response as she folds it and puts it by Lauren's feet. "Plus they're really cute and I thought they'd make a nice addition to your little nest."

Lauren rolls her eyes and accepts the box of Saltines that Camila wordlessly hands her.

"Oh!" Camila says as she grabs her backpack. "I also got you some homework from your professors if you feel up to it. They also said to tell you not to worry and to just hurry up and get better."

Lauren takes the papers handed to her and rests them on her lap as Camila gets up and moves around the room again. Lauren watches her as she puts everything away and makes sure everything is in reaching distance for her. Camila groans when she finally kicks off her shoes, dropping her jeans before searching for her sleep shorts. She tugs them up over her legs before falling onto the end of Lauren's bed. She covers herself with the blanket and Lauren likes the way that Camila angles her body towards hers.

"I was going to order Mexican food for dinner," Camila comments as she reaches for her laptop, already hidden beneath Lauren's bed, and starts finding something to watch. Lauren's eyes flutter in warning and she just watches Camila as she makes herself comfortable. She pulls Lauren's feet into her lap and Lauren nods in agreement as Camila starts stroking over her bare ankles under the blankets. It's a sensation she didn't know she wanted or needed. It lulls her quietly back into exhaustion and Camila doesn't stop as she mutters about food and Netflix and annoying professors.

Camila's still talking when Lauren falls asleep.

//

She shouldn't get used to this, to having Lauren sleeping on her chest or stomach. She shouldn't get used to the feel of Lauren breathing exhaustedly into her neck and clutching at her clothing to keep her close. She shouldn't be getting used to this, but she also thinks it might be too late for that.