Bound To You (camren au)

close enough to touch

so.....here's a more light-hearted chapter after the last one.... also can you tell i'm obsessed with the idea of a lauren who does more punk-y style music. yes i am still thinking about toy i will never stop

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"You really need to stop doing this to me. There are only so many Avril tribute songs I can do before I get cut off indefinitely."

Sunday evening Hailee has to work, and so Camila shows up at Lauren's door, gift bag in hand. Lauren isn't expecting her and when she opens the door, green eyes huge and mouth open quizzically, Camila immediately pulls her into a hug.

She feels almost relieved to see Lauren, and she doesn't know how to explain it. Just... the weekend had been extremely emotionally taxing in a way she can't describe. It had been illuminating, and amazing, but...

Melting into Lauren's arms, and feeling her fingers twist into her hair, and that familiar smell of her perfume - comforting in the best way. And of course Lauren doesn't ask questions, just joins her in the living room and gets her laughing until Camila feels like she's back in her own body again.

"I promise I'm not going to leave on any very short trips ever again," Camila deadpans, leaning her head on Lauren's shoulder. "I know your clingy ass can't handle it, I know."

Lauren's giggling is maybe the best sound ever, and it always makes Camila laugh, too. Then she makes grabby hands for the gift bag that Camila put on her coffee table. "You got me a gift!" she says, grinning as Camila reaches for it and plops it in her lap. "What is it?"

"Better be grateful," Camila says. "You promised you'd love it no matter what."

Lauren's nose wrinkles up as she laughs, slapping Camila's arm. She's clearly been painting all day, because she's in this way oversized All Time Low t-shirt that goes down to her knees that has a couple of smudges of black paint across the logo and an old pair of gray sweatpants. Her hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail, some of the shorter layers falling out to frame her face, and she's gone makeup-free. Camila wonders if she'll show her the work in progress. The one thing Lauren seems to be a little private about is her painting. Or her songwriting, maybe.

Lauren digs in the bag, and the first thing she lifts out is the bag from the consignment store that Camila and Hailee went to. Camila watches, very pleased with herself, as Lauren takes out the purple floral dress and the gaudiest flower-shaped earrings that had been basically screaming "Lauren" the moment Camila saw them.

"Oh my god!" Lauren kicks her feet and holds the dress up to her chest. "It's amazing! Oh my god, you actually got me a good present!"

Camila throws her head back and cracks up. "Why do you sound so surprised? My gifts are great!"

Lauren has stood up and is now twirling around with the dress. Immediately she puts the earrings in her ears, and they're gigantic and kind of awful but they're just so Lauren that she makes them look stupidly good. "Thoughts?" chirps Lauren, spinning in her paint-stained shirt and sweatpants and tacky earrings and still managing to look completely gorgeous.

"Perfect," says Camila, and Lauren pretends to scowl at her until Camila is snickering into her hands. "I mean, I picked them out, so I might be biased."

Lauren folds the dress and places it on the coffee table, but keeps the outrageous earrings in as she sits back down on the couch. "Is there more?" she asks curiously, reaching back into the bag and pulling out the box. "Oh, it's heavy." When she sees the post-it note - to sk8er boi - she beams and sticks the post-it note to the side of Camila's head.

When she takes the snow globe out, she laughs her toddler-reminiscent, little hiccupy laugh as she slaps her thigh with one hand - when Lauren laughs, she laughs fully, with her whole body, so unselfconscious it always makes Camila and anyone else in the room laugh with her.