Everyone sees Lauren as some sort of badass, though a goofball at heart, who isn't afraid to speak her thoughts and fight for what's right. You have the privilege of knowing her a little better than that.

You know things about her that other people have already discovered about her, past partners and lovers; and you know things about her that her family has told you through laughter, over beer or wine; and you know things about her that you found out yourself.

She's told you herself that she opens up more to you than she has with anybody else, because she was scared with them to be so vulnerable (she absolutely despised the feeling of vulnerability) and so unapologetically herself, but with you she feels safe. It's a weird type of safe, she explained, like her whole sense of home changed from a place, or her family, to you. She called it love first, but you followed closely after because her calling it that had simply put words to how you were feeling.

You aren't her first love, you are pretty sure of that, but you often find yourself wondering if she is yours. You've never felt so in love with anyone else. Maybe that's what it is; you've loved before, but you've never been in love before.

Either way, she's your home now, too, and you learn things about your home that an outsider wouldn't know, like that you need to wiggle that doorknob before you open the door, or which floorboards are a little creaky, or how far you need to twist the faucet in the bath or shower to get it at just the right temperature. You like to think you know her better than any outsider, and you can read her emotions unlike anyone else; you know when she's feeling upset or worried or stressed, and you know how to calm her down and cheer her up. You also know when she's excited or happy or relieved, and it makes you feel the same way.

So knowing that she's terrified of thunderstorms, a fact that maybe nobody else in the world knew (except her bandmates, though they haven't figured out how to calm her fully and the way you do doesn't seem to work with them), you quickly begin preparing the reading room for when she gets home when you see the weather report. She's at the studio, but the storm is set to hit right after she should be getting back so the rain would likely already by heavy by then, the sky darkened with clouds. She'd already be a little afraid. Well, that's if her constant asking to go home early as soon as she got the weather alert on her phone was ignored or refused.

Once you've gathered all of her favourite blankets and pillows and a duvet and arranged them on the day bed in the comfiest way, you move on to light the fire beside it and some candles on the other side. She likes those to be the only sources of light because she gets even more freaked out if the power cuts during a storm, which it frequently does where you live.

Satisfied, you head to the coffee machine in the corner and make sure that it has enough water and that there are some hot chocolate pods already there, before deciding to take some books from the shelves too in case she wants to read or be read to. It's helped before.

You pick out a few and then your phone starts ringing from behind you, making you spin on your heels and see that Leo, a mischievous dog who didn't follow the rules that told him he couldn't go upstairs (though you believe its Lauren who lets him into bed room almost every night), had crept up into the daybed and curled into a comfy-looking ball.

You let out a sigh but smile at him, knowing that he'd also help Lauren calm down tonight, and went to pick up the phone.

Incoming Call...
Daddy 🙊😍

Oh, so that's what Lauren had been doing on your phone this morning. You chuckle and decide to play along, but make a mental note to change it back to 'Baby' later.

"Hey Daddy." You answer coyly, even though it makes you cringe right after.

Lauren hums, and you hear the sound of an engine in the background.

"Fine, you can change it back." She replies with a chuckle, "I, uh, I'm on my way home."

"Okay baby, I'll be in the reading room." She's quiet for a second but you know she's heard you, so you continue, "Drive sagely, I'll see you soon."

"I'll try. I love you, Y/n." She says and you smile at her words.

"Love you more, Lauren." You grin, and she's quiet once again. She's probably focusing on driving, so you give her a simple 'see you soon!' and hang up.

Lauren gets home and immediately rushes into the reading room, cold and soaked through but warming almost instantly with the heat of the fire. She looks at you with wide eyes and you give her a small smile before standing up and hugging her, not caring if she's wet. Gently, you take her coat from around her and lean down to take of her shoes, all the while she flinches at every flash of lightning and roar of thunder. Once she's out of her out-door clothes, you lead her by the hand towards the daybed and she climbs in, taking a deep breath and waiting for you to do the same.

She rests her head on your chest, legs tucked up and curled in a ball similar to the one in which Leo sat at the other end of the bed, though now he stood and made his way closer to you both to curl up at Lauren's feet.

You pull a blanket over her and make sure she is comfortable before you speak.

"Do you want me to read to you?" You ask, and she sighs at the sound of your voice.

A gentle shake of her head gives you your answer, so instead you slowly rake your fingers through her hair, veo careful not to tug at any knots. The more you do that the more she turns to putty against you, melting against your curves and leaning more and more into you.

It's not long until she stops flinching, her heart rate and breathing slows, and you see her eyes begin to grow heavy.

A gentle kiss on your neck serves as a thank you and a goodnight rolled into one, and she quickly closes her eyes and her breathing becomes steady and she's a little heavier on you. She's gone to sleep.

It's times like these that you cherish the most, that you fall more and more in love with the woman wrapped softly in your arms and all that she is, and you thank the heavens that you are the privileged soul who gets to call her your own, and you hers.

It's times like these that you consider putting a ring on her finger; and tonight, you promise yourself that some day you will.