Just Off The Key Of Reason

Chapter 4: Something Make My Chest Stir

A few days later, Camila came home from rehearsals fully expecting Lauren to be in the apartment. Lauren didn't really go anywhere, unless it was to walk Barnaby or to pick up take out, and Camila sort of liked having somebody to come home to. She really liked the fact that she was actually sleeping well at night, because Lauren had been joining her, quietly and bashfully, with Pooh Bear at her side. Camila figured it was a solution that benefited them both, so it was the logical, practical thing to do. When she walked through the door, her eyes landed on Lauren sitting at the breakfast bar, stuffing what looked like freshly made peanut butter cookies in her mouth. Lauren glanced in Camila's direction; now she frequently maintained eye contact, which Camila enjoyed, because really, who wouldn't? She ruffled the brunette's choppy hair as she walked by and Lauren ducked her head as she always did, trying to swallow her mouthful of cookie. She looked excited, and Camila waited expectantly with a smile on her face. "Camila." Camila laughed. "Yes, Lauren?" Lauren seemed like she couldn't contain her smile. "I made you vegan celebratory peanut butter cookies." Camila raised her eyebrows in surprise. The greatest lengths she had seen Lauren go to for food preparation involved pouring milk on Froot Loops. Camila looked down at the plate. There were only four cookies left. "So, you ate, what, like twelve, before I got home?" Lauren flushed but kept smiling. "Well, you were taking forever." She defended, shoving the plate in front of Camila. "And I'm just such an amazing baker, I couldn't resist." Did Lauren just make a joke? Did she just brag? Oh, good, Camila was rubbing off on her. Camila scrunched up her nose and took a bite of one of the cookies. Holy mother of God, it tasted like an angel. Lauren grinned at Camila's expression. Camila just tried to make her face look less orgasmic. "Did you say these were celebratory cookies?" she asked. Lauren nodded, her smile now open-mouthed and in full force. Camila studied her for a moment with a grin of her own. She knew Lauren was waiting for her to ask, but she waited. She turned around, acting like she was going back to her room, and Lauren made an unintelligible noise of protest.Camila swung back around, an innocent expression on her face. Lauren was biting her lip, and Camila couldn't take it anymore.

"What are we celebrating, Lauren Jauregui?" Camila set the plate of cookies down. She tended to go a little overboard with celebrations and didn't want them to end up as Barnaby's dinner on the floor. "I got a job." Camila's face brightened even more. "You got a job?" Lauren laughed and nodded. "At that dog rescue, a few blocks away. I get to feed them and walk them and-" Lauren was cut off as Camila threw her arms around her. She stiffened a little at first, but Camila would not let anybody reject a Karla Camila Cabello hug. Lauren smelled like gummy bears. "That's so great." She said into Lauren's neck, then frowned and pulled away. "Lauren!" Lauren's smile faded a little bit, but she didn't get the chance to answer. "You go out and get a job and I'm all proud and happy for you, and you leave me four cookies to celebrate with! This is not acceptable." Camila put her hands on her hips. She was not fucking kidding around here. Lauren watched her, a little amused, a little scared. "Um, we could make more..." She suggested quietly. Camila stared at her for a second, before jumping up and down and clapping her hands. "Yes! That'll be even more fun! You can show me how you make them! God," Camila stopped jumping and took a breath. She felt eyes felt like they were tearing up; her body was just too dramatic for its own good. "I'm so proud of you. "Sure, she'd known Lauren, for, like a week, but it was just impossible not to love this sweet girl. She knew Lauren had problems with people, and the fact that she went out and got a job, a job where she'd work with puppies all fucking day, God...Camila just could not contain herself. "What, no, Camila don't-don't cry." Lauren looked distraught now. Camila waved her hands around vaguely; she wanted to say, 'no, I'm fine, just so happy,' so she hoped her improvised sign language got the message across.Lauren stood and lifted her arms like she was going to hug Camila again, but seemed to decide against it, and looked down at the ground instead. Camila laughed through her tears and wrapped her arms around Lauren. Lauren held her for a minute, until Camila pulled back with a massive grin on her shiny face."God, pull yourself together woman." Lauren said with a small smile. Camila just laughed and moved into the kitchen with her plate of cookies. Three hours later, they were laid out on the couch, plates of chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies balanced on their bodies and on the coffee table. Camila couldn't blame Lauren for eating all her celebratory cookies earlier, seeing as she was on her fourteenth chocolate chip cookie at the moment. The kitchen was in disarray behind them; Barnaby had been turned white after a flour fight, but Lauren's hands were sitting still on her lap and there was a small, content smile on her face. Right now, that's all that mattered to Camila.