Philophobia

One

Lauren took a long drag of the cigarette balancing between her fingers, leaning up against the crumbling wall of the old brick building. It had been a long day, needless to say she was thankful for nightfall - the night allowed her to move within the shadows unseen and undetected. The night allowed her the lack of exposure and increased freedom that the day simply could not provide.

With her exhale came a long puff of grey billowing smoke that cascaded through the tepid-temperatured air surrounding her, causing her mind to return to the events of the morning. The second body she had had to assist in burning that week, in her garden upon the piles of stacked logs lining her fence, that Malik had helped her to collect last summer. The smell of burning flesh was bound to radiate for at least half a mile, which warranted their frequently visited relief for the fact that her house was located so far away from any other inhabitence.

A tall wall circled around the large plot of land upon which Lauren's house was situated, sheltering her from the snooping eyes of unwanted wanderers. It was rare to see anyone within a mile radius extending away from the wall, anyway. It was all woods, and overgrown forestry.

Glancing up from the stone she was currently kicking between her feet, Lauren's lips twitched into a smile at the sight of the figure approaching her. Dropping her cigarette into the dirt and stamping it out, she took a bold step forward, punching the shoulder of the person in front of her, playfully. "Vives. Long time no see."

The girl's eyes rolled in amusement at Lauren's blunt greeting; looping her arm around the latter's waist and pulling her closer to crash their lips together. "Mph, you taste of cigs," Lucy murmured, her lips falling to graze Lauren's shoulder. "Where have you been, Jauregui? The guys are asking after you."

"The guys, huh? The guys at the bar?" Lauren asked, eyes lit up with what Lucy deemed to be amusement as she lit another cigarette, disregarding the girl currently working on giving her a line of distinctive hickeys across her collarbone.

"You're quite literally a chain smoker, Lauren," Lucy murmured, tracing Lauren's jaw with a snort. "Yes, the guys at the bar. You're their favourite whore, you bring in the money."

Lauren allowed herself to smile slightly. Sex meant nothing to her. She was a prostitute, a whore, call it whatever you want to. She was so detached from that part of herself, that that specific element of her job was no more hassle than taking the trash out once a week. She didn't allow it to mean anything, not even with Lucy.

"What about you? Were you wondering where I was?" Lauren asked, grabbing Lucy's hand before it slid below her waistband, a smirk playing on her lips. "Did you miss me, Vives?"

Lucy scoffed, a dismissive look passing her face. "Of course not," she snorted, resting her head upon Lauren's chest and allowing her hands to fall to her sides. "What were you doing? You don't normally stay gone for longer than a few days."

"Malik had some business he needed help with. It's nothing," Lauren waved her hand, dismissively, meeting Lucy's gaze for a few moments. It held more concern that it usually did, and Lauren didn't like that. She wasn't Lucy's problem, the girl shouldn't care where she's been for any other reason than having someone to help lessen the workload at the bar.

Lucy shook her head, stepping back and forcing a hand through her clearly bedraggled hair, "He's bad news, Lauren. He's more than a criminal, you get that, right?"

Lauren's eyebrows raised slightly and she took a step forward, finger jabbing Lucy in the chest with enough force to elicit a wince. "Yes I fucking get it," she shook her head, "What I don't think that you get, is that my life is none of your business."

Lucy heaved a sigh, pressing her back against the wall and fishing her lighter out of her pocket. "I'll owe you one," she gestured towards Lauren's cigarette packet, nodding appreciatively when the girl handed one over. "I worry about you, what can I say? Life would just have that little bit of less sex without you, Jauregui."

"Don't fucking worry about me. I'm a big girl, Vives," Lauren chuckled, dropping the stump of the smoke to the ground, popping another in her mouth and lighting it upon second nature. "I'm aware that I'm fucking with murderers that could get me locked up and that my lungs will be blackened and rotting by the time that I'm twenty-five. But I can deal with that shit because, guess what, I don't care."

Lucy's eyes lingered for a moment, and she rolled her eyes. "You bitch. Kiss me."

For probably the first time ever, Lauren listened to Lucy, grabbing her hip and jerking her forwards, joining their lips. Lauren was slightly aware that Lucy wasn't a great kisser, but she didn't really care because the hit she had taken earlier was still going pretty strong, and it made the kiss feel euphoric, so she simply tugged Lucy closer, smirking at the girl's quiet moans.

After a couple of minutes they pulled part, leaving Lucy just clutching to Lauren's middle in a way that she decided to compare to a koala. Pausing for only a couple of moments, she patted Lucy's back, before pushing her away. "So, sex, or what? Are you just here to waste my time?"

••

if you've read my other book, you'll know that i don't really stick to one theme in my writing, lmao. this is just something i've been thinking about for a little while.

as far as i have planned right now, it will be camren in the long run as stated in the book description, the laucy is temporary, don't worry.

let me know what you're thinking about this :)