just a dream (camren)

forty seven

July 23rd, 2017

Camila bites down on her bottom lip as she looks through the aisles of the store. She knew Lauren was working this morning, since she couldn't sleep over last night, and they'd taken to having sleepovers pretty much every night. It's mostly for Camila, even though she never usually asks. Lauren just seems to know.

She's here to invite Lauren on a breakfast date, the first time she'd done it since before her girlfriend's graduation. She knows it's a little impromptu, but she has a reason.

Except, she can't seem to find Lauren anywhere.

She's looking through all the aisles, and the only two people she sees are the sixty-year-old woman who glares at her, and a teenage boy who blatantly checks her out. Camila cringes a little; she doesn't like the idea of anyone checking her out except Lauren.

When she can't find her girlfriend, she worries. She knows that Lauren wouldn't lie to her, but maybe she'd gotten annoyed by Camila's constant want for sleepovers, and decided to tell her she's working so she could have a night to herself. She's starting to panic, and she doesn't even care when she walks over to the teenage boy stacking the shelves and asks, "Is Lauren Jauregui working today?"

The boy pulls one of his earbuds out, and Camila is pretty sure Lauren told her she's not allowed them in once the store opens at seven. "What?"

"Lauren Jauregui," Camila repeats, "is she working today?"

The boy looks her over, and she doesn't like the way his gaze lingers on her chest before he meets her eyes again. "Yeah. She's in the back."

Camila nods, thanking him, and heads down a different aisle to get away from him. She sighs, knowing she's not allowed to go in the back, but the only reason she got up and came here was to see Lauren for her last hour of work and go for a cute breakfast date. She thought it'd be a nice surprise.

She occupies herself with looking through the different brands of cereal, and decides she'll wait for ten minutes. If Lauren isn't out of the back by then, she'll go home, and consider her idea of a surprise a complete failure.

Thankfully, she doesn't have to wait too long. She's actually considering buy a packet of fruit roll ups and reliving her childhood when she hears the familiar raspy voice. "...yeah, I'll definitely want to come back next summer. Maybe over Christmas too?"

She smiles, and follows her girl's voice, watching as she chats to an older, friendly looking man who she assumes to be Lauren's manager. She watches her, admiring her girlfriend, but not really, because she really doesn't have much of a figure in her work uniform.

Once her manager leaves, and Lauren starts tugging a trolley in the opposite direction, Camila runs to catch up to her, grabbing her by the arm. Lauren jumps in surprise, and turns around, fixing her with a fiery glare.

For a moment, Camila's heart stops. Had she done something to make Lauren mad? She knows relationships are tricky, but she thought everything was going fine.

After a few seconds, Lauren's expression settles into an easy smile. "Oh, Camz, it's you. I thought you were some random customer grabbing me and I was going to have to chew them out."

Camila raises her eyebrows, relief flooding her chest. "Wouldn't that get you fired?"

"No, because my manager likes me, and I've worked here for three years. I can get away with a lot more than a new starter could." Lauren answers, before she takes Camila's hand, squeezing it. "Any reason you're here?"

"Um, well, a date," Camila gets out, "do you want to go on a date?"

Lauren smiles. "Of course-"