You and Me, Forever

Under Pressure

Disclaimer: THIS DOES NOT BELONG TO ME

This is a converted imagine off of Tumblr. All credit goes to owner/ writer.

Link of the original imagine: https://shawnjpeg.tumblr.com/post/179393073810/under-pressure

***

"I genuinely cannot believe you're doing this right now," Shawn huffs, walking past her in the kitchen and going to the living room.

Camila sighs. She should have seen this coming. It's not like he would magically be okay with her refusal. "Shawn," Camila sighs, following him out. The grand city of Toronto twinkles in the background, contrasting the brightness between them. "I can't – I told you, they're handing out promotions." She already got her promotion.

Shawn looks at her. He just stares. He moves into the bedroom.

Camila huffs, not knowing how to make him accept this simple fact. She follows him into the room, tugging at her roots momentarily, trying to think of a way to make this all seem rational. Inside their bedroom, she spots the half-packed suitcase laying on the bed, clothes piled around it, as Shawn attempts to pick out his favorites.

Next to it she sees another bag, closed, but empty. Camila gulps. It does look really bad.

"What do you think everyone will think, huh? That my girlfriend is not flying out with me to celebrate my birthday? How do you think people will react?" Shawn asks, preventing himself from barking out the questions. Camila understands this.

She understands that not coming with him to Amsterdam for his 20th birthday is an absolutely shitty thing to do but she can't help it.

She had to make a decision – a financial one.

She lives with Shawn and so the rent is more than she paid before, when she lived alone. It's not a problem, at all, really. But Camila likes to be thoughtful - and coming with being thoughtful is a perfect present for Shawn to celebrate his second year on this - gosh- awful planet he manages to make better with his presence.

And so, she decides that giving him a watch with his initials on it – no matter how mediocre it appeared – would be best because the boy loved watches. She then decided that it was not enough. And so, she got him another present. She hasn't given them to him yet, deciding to give him his presents once he's back from celebrating, so all the birthday excitement just doesn't vanish in a space of a day.

But paying rent, getting those custom gifts, going to Mexico with his family and all the treats she gave him this past month meant that money for the next month fell tight for her. In between all his runs, she took him out for dinners at fancy places and at drive-thrus because the boy deserves all the love this world can offer and more. But it came with a cost. And that cost is both being tight on money and missing his birthday. That cost is that she cannot afford a plane ticket out of Toronto and to Amsterdam.

Camila doesn't want to tell him that – the matter is too embarrassing for her. Her parents are well and she can ask them but Camila is trying to live her life independently and she has worked hard, slaving through nights and days, to get the job she has now.

She had to make the decision of giving her presence to him or giving him a tangible present, something that can be of use to him.

"Honey, I worked so hard," she says. "I can't just let that go? You always tell me to do my absolute best, that a career will last me – knowledge is key, you always tell me that," Camila reasons, moving closer to him.

He turns around and a part of Camila knows that there is no point in telling him.

"You work so hard, Camila, I know that. Hell, you're the most dedicated person I know," Shawn agrees, beginning to pack his bags. "Which is why I'm telling you to come with me – call in sick, take a day off, just please come with me."