Situationship || Shawmila [Completed]

1. Something dumb

Stumbling back in their hotel room, Shawn and Camila didn't fully understand what they had done during that night. They giggled and danced and tripped all over their own feet, oblivious to the relevance that the previous hours had had in their lives. They were happy and tipsy, and that euphoric mix blurred their minds to the point that they thought they were living in a dream. But let's take a step back and rewind.

The two had known each other for about five years and swore they were each other's best friend. But it hadn't always been like that. In fact, at the beginning, they barely talked. It all begun when one of Camila's friends started dating Shawn's roommate. It was their first year of college and the girl had promised to herself to meet as many new people as possible. This meant she went out every night and, together with her sorority group, crushed the most crowded party of the campus. And since her friend couldn't survive more than two feet away from her boyfriend, he was always there, and with him Shawn.

It took just a couple of weeks for Camila to get used to Shawn's presence everywhere they went, either it was to a party, to get breakfast or to study in the library. It felt like Shawn and his roommate had become honorary members of their sorority. It was only natural that, at one point, the two of them started talking to each other putting aside the initial, unfamiliar awkwardness that had tinged their relationship. Months later, they were joined at the hip.

Their friendship felt ... right. They were very similar, both funny and adventurous, and they just clicked. They felt comfortable around the other, and they seemed to have developed a spontaneous secret language made of quick glances and muffled giggles. They didn't need to say a word to communicate. But there were also moments in which they talked, and when that happened they went on and on for hours. Like the time Camila had ranted about her mother's compulsive need to marry yet another man that probably would have lasted six months tops. The conversation ended with an invitation for Shawn to the impending, dreaded wedding. Or that time when Shawn, overwhelmed by the number of exams and deadlines of his courses, coupled with his homesickness, freaked out in Camila's room. He blurted out every fear hidden inside him and when he finally felt better, the girl let him stay the night, they watched a film, ate ice-cream and drunk extremely boozy, fruity cocktails.

At the beginning, their friends teased them to no end. They called them lovebirds and made annoying kissing noises whenever they saw them together. But within a few weeks all the mocking came to an end. The truth was that Shawn and Camila were solely and purely friends. They never felt attraction towards the other – and maybe it was because none of them let themselves get caught into tricky thoughts. Sure, Camila knew that Shawn was hot, and once or twice he allowed his eyes to linger a little bit longer on her body, and not in a friendly way. But at the end of the day, they pushed the sparkle of lust and desire deep down inside their being, precluding any other possibility other than friendship.

Their college years were a blast. They studied hard to get their degrees, Shawn in computer engineering, and Camila in Languages and Translation. They also had the best time of their lives. Away from home and with a new-found independence, they felt free to explore the world around them experiencing something new every other day. They had their fair share of girlfriends and boyfriends along the years, but the moment they graduated their love life was pretty flat.

«We should go on a trip somewhere» Shawn suggested. «Just the two of us. Think of it as a graduation gift from ourselves to ourselves». Camila, who was used to her best friend spontaneity, shrugged and agreed. The following week they were on a plane to Las Vegas, ready to walk its streets with confidence and to spend a lot of money playing with Fate. The first night they stuck to simple touristic activities, such as enjoying some good food in a fancy restaurant and watching the water show at the Bellagio's fountain. The second night though they decided to get into the game for real. They got ready in their room – and yes, they were sharing a room because they were just that close – and after some playful bickering on who was supposed to get in the shower first and further complaining from Shawn on how much time Camila was wasting on her make up, they finally entered the hotel casino.

It was their first time in a place like that. The sounds and the lights were confusing, but hypnotic, nonetheless. People had their eyes glued to the slots' monitors, others were shouting for their wins and some were crying for their money loss. That place was like a human zoo, displaying all kinds of emotions and situations, creating a tragicomic atmosphere. Hand in hand, the pair of friends made their way to the first table, where poker players were sitting in a religious silence. With a drink in their hand – the first of a long series of that night – they watched and commented, until they decided to try their chance. During the first hour they lost a great amount on money, but they weren't too concerned because they figured it was supposed to happen. Then, with a twist of fate, things started to change. Shawn – who was the designated player – collected win after win, claiming Camila was his lucky charm. The point was proved when at the Russian roulette every single number picked by the girl brought them more money.

They couldn't believe their eyes and despite their inebriated state they decided to put a stop at their games and enjoy their prize. When they stepped out of the casino midnight had already stroke, but the streets were crowded all the same. They celebrated in bars, without restrains and feeling completely alive and by the time they were on the streets again, they were completely wasted.

Maybe Fate had yet to end its game with them, or maybe it was a simple coincidence that kicked off a series of events that led to the unexpected outcome. Just outside the bar, a group of street performers were singing a bad cover of Bruno Mars' song "Marry you". Camila pulled Shawn to her, forcing him to dance with her and ignoring his pleads to let him free. Swinging to that tone deaf ballad, they laughed and twirled and said things they probably shouldn't have. It seemed that the words of the song had drilled a hole inside their brain, spurring them to follow their dumbest and most spontaneous ideas.

«It's a beautiful night, we're looking for something dumb to do. Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you». Singing this verse while hugging Camila to his chest, Shawn had an epiphany. «You know» he started, slurring the words just a little. «Since you're my lucky charm and all, shouldn't we do something dumb?»

«Like what?»

«We could simply listen to Bruno's advice and get married»

Camila scrunched up her nose and laughed hard. She kept on laughing and laughing, slapping the palm of her hand on her friend's chest, then bending over and clutching her stomach as out of hand tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. Shawn was laughing along with her, not completely sure if she was okay or not. Trying to regulate her frantic breathing, she nodded her head. «O-okay. Let's get married tonight»