you make me sick (for being so perfect)

Twenty Five.

This is literally 11k and the longest chapter yet. Enjoy. Also - trigger warning for physical abuse.

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"My parents want you to stay for dinner." Camila announces as she walks into her room and flops down on her bed. "My dad joked that he needs to question you again. I told him it wouldn't work and he just laughed and said he needs to properly meet my girlfriend. Is that okay with you?"

"Um... well, I wasn't planning on staying for dinner, it's really last minute and I don't like last minute." Lauren taps on her leg and frowns to herself, because she really hates spontaneous plans and Camila knows that. "I don't know."

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to." Camila assures her. "We can plan it for another time. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Lo. My parents just don't get that that kind of thing upsets you."

"Your parents don't have to get it." Lauren replies, still considering if she'll stay or not. It's a Saturday night, so it's not like she has school tomorrow, and she doesn't plan the weekends as heavily as her weekdays. "Your parents don't have to understand me. Not until I marry into the family."

Camila lets out a sort of choking noise and Lauren frowns, looking up to her girlfriend with her eyes wide. She's about to ask if she's okay, but Camila speaks before she can. "Yeah, you're not wrong there. But still, it'd be nice for my parents to respect your needs a little before you- um, marry into the family."

"Yes, but they don't have to." Lauren looks away again and smiles when Camila takes her hand. "I think I'd like to stay for dinner. I don't really know your parents much, I don't talk to them when I come over other than saying hi to your mom when she lets me in."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Camila double checks, and Lauren smiles because she likes that her girlfriend is making sure she's okay. "I know you hate spontaneous plans and stuff. But if you really don't want to stay and you just think you have to because you want to be polite, it's okay. I can tell them you have something else to do."

"I think I will sleep over tonight." Lauren decides, because if she's staying for dinner with Camila's family, she might as well spend the night with her girlfriend. "I will stay and we can watch movies together later. Maybe- um, we can watch The Lion King with your family."

"Well, if you're staying the night and we're going to be having dinner with my family, I'd rather have you to myself for the rest of the night." Camila pushes Lauren's hair back, and Lauren blushes and hides her face in her girlfriend's neck. "We can always watch The Lion King though. So long as you promise not to ignore me like you did last time."

"I didn't ignore you." Lauren defends herself, because she didn't. It's not like Camila was talking to her. "You were playing with my hair and when you stopped I made you keep going. If I was ignoring you, I wouldn't have noticed."

"Fine, you weren't talking to me then. Better?" Camila raises her eyebrows and Lauren hums in satisfaction. "And I told you I like listening to you talk. It was the loneliest hour and a half of my life."

"You're being overdramatic, aren't you?" Lauren frowns, because she's sure Camila is joking. "Ally told me you're overdramatic sometimes for effect. I don't know what kind of effects, but... yeah. That's what you're doing right now. Right?"

"Right." Camila agrees and squeezes her hand. "I'll be a few minutes. I'm going to tell my mom you're staying the night now. She'll probably be okay with it. She's threatened to make you sleep in the guest room before, but-"

"Why would I have to sleep in the guest room?" Lauren blinks in confusion. "The whole point of a sleepover is for me to cuddle you at bedtime. If I was going to sleep in a different room I might as well just stay at home."