The Stage Door (Camren/Norminah)

Arms Up

Camila POV

The storm had really picked up now and I watched the sky through the windows of the bus, I shivered in my seat, my hair, clothes, and skin wet from the down pour that had started as I walked mindlessly around the city, my mind racing. I felt the bus jerk and looked up, it was the final stop. My stop. I hesitated before I adjusted my backpack up on my shoulders, unsure what my next move was. I didn't know if I could or should go back to my room, I wasn't ready to face Lauren yet. I could not handle anymore heartbreak. I stepped off the bus and when the cold LA rain hit me I wrapped my arms around myself, picking up my pace. I had been thinking I could go to Ally's room or Dinah and Normani's when I saw someone step out in front of me on the sidewalk. 

Lauren. 

My eyes widened, she was looking at me, a look of indifference still on her face that I could not read. She must have noticed the red puffiness around my eyes, because she closed the gap between us, flicking her eyes down at me and then down to the ground.

"You've been crying," she said to me. It wasn't a question, it was an observation and when she looked back up I tried to speak, but all the came out was her name. And then it happened, her lips were against mine. I tensed and then all at once I relaxed and reacted.

"Don't ever scare me like that again."

Her words were mumbled, her lips still attached to mine and I just let out a sob, my hand coming up to her face as I moved my lips against hers, the cold rain coming down harder around us. We stayed there, her mouth moving slowly, cautiously against mine and mine moving against hers just the same. 

There was a loud crack of thunder and a strike of lightening that lit up the sky and her eyes. I pulled back, resting our foreheads together, my voice shaking as I tried to speak. 

"I just thought- I thought-"

Lauren shook her head as she reached down and took my hand in hers. Silently, she pulled me back towards the school, neither one of us sure what to say. When we stepped across the threshold and into our room, she let go of my hand and my face fell. I closed my eyes, reminding myself to breathe and that's when I felt it, a delicate and soft kiss on my shoulder and the zipper on the back of my dress being undone. 

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Lauren POV

I was hesitant to let go of her hand, but she was shivering in her wet clothes so I grabbed for one of my over sized sweatshirts from my dresser, I was expecting that when I turned around Camila would be watching me, but instead she was standing frozen in the spot I left her, eyes knit shut and I could see her mouth moving as she reminded herself to breathe. 

I dropped the article on the edge of the bed and stepped behind her, pressing my lips gently to cold skin, the goosebumps on her shoulder rough under my lips. Without thought my hands found the zipper on the back of her dress, pulling it down slowly, I moved to stand in front of her and peeled the wet clothing from her small body. Her dress hitting the floor in a sloppy mess. I didn't look for long, but I let my eyes sweep over Camila's body taking a second to appreciate the matching white lace bra and underwear.

I stepped behind her once more and unclasped her bra pushing it down her arms and off her body. "Arms up," I whispered, my eyes trained to the floor, I heard a hitch in her voice, but she did as I instructed and I reached for the sweatshirt and pulled it over her head, letting it engulf her body. 

"Camz?"

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Camila POV

As the warm fabric of Lauren's sweater encased me, I turned around to face her. I heard her say my name, but I didn't respond. I just looked at her, she was cold, I could tell by the blue tint around her lips and I moved around her grabbing for my hoodie that was hanging off the back of my desk chair. 

My hands were shaking as I reached up and began to unbutton her shirt, discarding the wet item to the side, my eyes not leaving hers. I stepped forward just slightly and my hands moved down to loosen the clasp on Lauren's white shorts, pushing them down until they slid to the floor. I bit my lip, looking down at Lauren, black bra and tan coloured underwear. I swallowed thickly and stepped behind her and just as she had done with me, I unclasped her bra and pushed it down long, toned arms. 

"Arms up," I whispered, stand up on my tip toes and pulling my hoodie over her head. 

As soon as it fell into place Lauren turned around to face me, both of us staring at one another, our eyes locked and that's when I noticed she was wearing the choker I had bought her and tears formed in my eyes as I instinctively reached up and toyed with the one I was wearing, the sun pendant between my thumb and forefinger. 

"Camz?" I heard her say to me again. "I think you're my soulmate too."

For the first time since this morning a smile formed on my face and when my hand found it's way to her face, I ran my thumb across her cheekbone, leaning in and pulling her into a sweet kiss. It didn't last long, but it was enough to send my head spinning and when we pulled apart I let out a deep breath and walked around her and crawled into bed, Lauren following behind me.

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Lauren POV

I pulled the covers up around us as we settled into the warmth, Camila's legs tangling with mine beneath the covers and when my hand found hers I laced our fingers together between us. 

"Don't run from me," I whispered as I leaned in further. 

"I thought you didn't want me," I heard Camila reply, her voice sounding small. "You had this look on your face when I was singing."

I let out a small laugh and focused my eyes deeper into hers, "I was trying to process, there was some sort of glitch in my brain, all I could see was you and all I could hear was you, then by the time I realized what happened, you were gone."

Camila closed the distance and kissed me, this time letting the kiss linger a little longer than the ones before it. "I like you Lauren," she mumbled against my mouth.

"I like you too," I breathed out when she pulled back and the smile on her face washed me clean of the day. We stayed like that, just looking into one another's eyes, stealing sweet, innocent kisses, exchanging nothing verbal until the storm came to an end and the sun came up.

"It's a new day," I said to Camila who just nodded her head and smiled. And I realized she wasn't just my sun, she was the whole damn universe. 

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Camila POV

Lauren insisted we get breakfast and as much as I didn't want to leave the moment, I did, satisfied knowing there would be more just like it. Lauren grabbed a pair of pants and resigned to the shower and I reached to pull my phone out of my backpack and plugged it in while I tried to decide what to wear. 

I heard a vibration and turned to see my phone light up, swiping the screen I entered my password and thumbed through my messages. Lauren, Normani, and Ally. And then my eyes fell on a message from Dinah. 

Dinah: I know you're dealing with stuff and Ally told me you were safe and that she talked to you and that your phone died, but..

Dinah: Do you think you could call me as soon as you get this or text me, whatever I just..

Dinah: I think I like Normani

Dinah: I'm freaking out

"Holy shit," I whispered out loud, my eyes wide as I stared at the screen. I felt Lauren behind me and turned around to the sound of her voice.

"Holy shit is right," she said to me holding out her own phone so I could read the screen.

Normani: Dinah won't talk to me, she's avoiding me

Normani: She won't come within 5 feet of me

Normani: My heart is breaking

Normani: I really like her