This Is the Safest Place I've Ever Known

17

A/N: Hello. This chapter ended up being longer than I intended. Don't think too many would complain about that.

Read and enjoy, maybe? :)

------------------

Lauren scrunched her face with displeasure as a weight settled on top of her.

"Good morning, Lolo," Camila cheerily greeted. "Don't know why you're sleeping in the recliner when you could sleep in a comfy bed." She pushed her way into sitting beside the older girl. "Maybe you're just weird."

Lauren tensed as awareness came to her and she remembered the events from the previous night. Or, earlier that morning, whichever. What mattered was that she remembered falling asleep on top of Dinah, and Ally had been there, too. A quick peek to her side showed that neither of the women were there now. Just Camila, still in her pajamas, with her alpaca plush, arm casually behind her head as she watched tv.

Lauren wondered if Dinah or Ally were mad at her. Maybe she shouldn't have fallen asleep when she did. She should have gone back to the guest room.

"Hey, whatcha thinking about?"

Lauren tilted her head to look up at her friend. "Are Dinah and Ally mad?"

Camila frowned. "Mmm, no," she answered. She rubbed her chin slowly as she considered the question. "They were in the kitchen a couple of minutes ago. Ally said she wasn't gonna make pancakes until you were awake."

"I hope you didn't wake Lauren up just so that Ally would make pancakes sooner," Normani said as she stopped in the entryway of the den.

Camila shook her head quickly. "Nuh uh. I wouldn't."

Normani eyed the younger girl skeptically. "Uh huh, sure you wouldn't," she conceded in a tone that indicated she didn't quite believe Camila. "When the two of you are ready for breakfast, come find us in the kitchen, okay?"

The two nodded as Normani left and Camila focused back on the tv.

Lauren poked Camila's sternum lightly.

The younger girl slapped Lauren's hand away and groused, "What was that for?"

"You know you've only referred to them by their names since we got here last night?" Lauren stated.

Camila frowned and looked down at the plush in her lap. "Hmm, no, I actually didn't know that. Wasn't really paying attention to it."

"I know you refer to them otherwise, and you don't have to stop that, you know?"

Camila shrugged fiddled with one of the plush alpaca's hooves. "I guess I got kind of shy about it. I don't know."

"If it's gonna be a problem, I can stop coming over, Camz."

Camila shook her head furiously. "No, no, no, that's not what I meant," she insisted. "I just think now I truly understand what Ally meant by things changing." She shrugged and curled up against the older girl. "It's fine, really. It seems we both have some adjustments to make."

"As long as I'm not messing anything up for you," Lauren reluctantly agreed.

"Of course not." Camila nudged Lauren lightly with her elbow. "I still want you here. That isn't ever gonna change." She moved to get up out of the recliner. "Come on. Let's go see if we can convince them to put lots of chocolate chips in the pancakes."

Lauren scrunched her nose slightly. "I don't like chocolate all that much. You know that."

"Weirdo," Camila replied, sticking her tongue out. "But, we might be able to get you some nutella pancakes."