Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Laura’s nose scrunched up in disdain as she read one of the many emails in her inbox. She didn’t like the idea of alcohol being at the company party. It was strictly against her safety rules and she didn’t want any of her employees getting too drunk. She huffed and puffed, trying not to make too much of a big deal out of this simple request. She made her usual list of pros and cons that she used to deal with difficult decisions and decided, reluctantly, alcohol would be allowed.

As the head editor of the Styria newspaper and seeing as the party was that night, she was put in charge of giving the okay to the ideas that came rolling in via email from her employees. Most of the ideas that people sent in were actually usable and followed all of Laura’s many safety guidelines that she put in her last “Letter from the Editor” company-wide email. Seeing people follow these rules and seeing the safe and fun ideas people were coming up with made Hollis almost giddy.

As she got to the end of her newly sent emails, she came across one from Perry, who happened to also be her old floor don in college.

Good afternoon co-workers!

Seeing as all the baked goods I brought to the break-room earlier this morning are already dwindling, I will be baking some more for tonight’s seasonal company party. I hope to hear of all the wonderful progress our company has made over the past year and see all of your wonderful faces!

Lola Perry

Cooking and Home Column

Laura was up and out of her chair before she could say ‘bike safety’. She knew those sweets wouldn’t last much longer and had to get to them before the others did. Perry was known for her baked goods and she always brought some to the break-room when she could. Laura was a BIG fan of her chocolate chip cookies and would be damned if she missed out on this afternoon snack.

As she barreled into the break-room, breathing heavily, she spotted Perry’s Partner, LaFontaine. LaF was another old friend from college and they had gotten very close when some strange things occurred on campus their Freshman year.

They had come to see Perry and discuss what ingredients Perry would need LaF to get from the grocery store before baking all of the sweets for tonight.

“Why do you need MORE flour?! We already have three bags in the pantry!”

“Because it’s always good to be prepared, Lafontaine. Stop yelling at me and go to the grocery store. I don’t have time for your shenanigans right now. I have recipes to plan for my column this week.” 

Perry looked frustrated and stressed as usual. LaF opened their mouth to retort but spotted Laura out of the corner of their eye, giggling at them.

“What are you laughing at, Hollis? You’re the one who begs for more chocolate chip cookies every week when you run out!”

“I do not beg! I ask nicely, thank you very much!”

Pointing her nose high into the air, Laura crossed her arms and let out a sigh.

She had been very patient last week when Perry didn’t have as much time to bake, do to her sewing class she was taking. Laura had only asked for a dozen and she thought that was being stingy as it was.

LaF and Perry had begun to wander out of the room, still bickering about a snickerdoodle cookie recipe, when Laura refocused her attention on the sweets on the table.

Lemon bars, homemade snickers, raspberry cupcakes.. but where were her...??

All of the cookies were gone.

Her cheeks flushed and she got hot in the face. She KNEW she should have been quicker. She spun on her heels and started to storm out when a blur of brunette hair caught her eye. A beautiful young woman was slinking around the corner and out of the break room with cookies in her hands; one cookie sticking out of her mouth. She didn’t recognize her, which was strange for Laura because she knew ALL of her employees. She made sure it. Those Excel files that she organized and kept on her desktop were not for nothing! This woman’s name needed to be recorded for posterity sake and to keep tabs on the found 'sweet thief' culprit.

“Excuse me!” Laura called but in vain.

She was not heard.

Chapter Text

Laura was standing in the corner of the large conference room, admiring her decorative work. She had been working on getting all of the decorations up for the big party tonight and hadn’t had time to go home. She gazed at her watch and sighed. She had an hour before the party and still needed to make sure Perry’s baked goods were on the table before everyone started to show up.

“What are you still doing here?”

Laura turned around and looked out the doorway to her left at the tall athletic red head staring back at her.

Danny Lawrence was the head of the Sports column and she was always staying late to finish her work. Laura loved Danny but not in the way Danny loved Laura. Her eyes always said what her mouth could not. Her hesitant gaze flicked back and forth between the room and the cute tiny dirty blonde woman standing before her. She didn’t want it to seem obvious that she thought the head editor of the Styria newspaper, aka her BOSS, looked hot in a pantsuit, but Hollis caught on.

Danny’s cheeks flushed and she turned her eyes to the floor.

“Just trying to finish setting up for the big company party tonight. You gonna come and show off those great long legs you got hiding underneath those jeans?” 

Laura said making guns with her fingers as she pointed at Danny’s legs.

Even though she didn’t feel the same way, she wanted Danny to know it was okay and she didn’t have to feel embarrassed about her feelings.

“Im not sure yet. I have some plays that I need to go over tonight before the Society’s soccer tournament this weekend.”

“You will be fine!” Laura insisted.

“We go over this every time. You guys haven’t lost a single game and you aren’t going to, seeing as the team has such a great captain!”

Laura smirked and playfully punched Danny’s shoulder. Danny laughed and tucked some lost strands of hair back behind her ear.

“Thanks, Hollis. I guess I will see you tonight then!”

Laura’s stupid little grin was contagious and she felt her cheeks go red once again. Danny wandered back down the hallway to go and get her things.

Laura leaned up against the doorframe and smiled, staring at all her hardwork. The red streamers floated softly in the airconditioned breeze and the ballons bobbed up and down on the ceiling.

Tonight would be fun.. even if alcohol was involved.

The party was in full swing and people were coming in droves. Danny, LaF, Perry, and Laura were all huddled together in the corner making jokes as the music changed pace a bit. Love Will Have Its Sacrifices by Soles came on through the speakers and Danny squealed. She pulled Perry out on the dance floor, much to Perry’s dismay, and started twirling her around and singing loudly. LaF giggled.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she had a panic attack from all the attention she is getting tonight.”

They smiled proudly and the love in their eyes as they watched their wife get spun around again was noticeable.

“She’s going to kill you tonight for not saving her from this torture.”

“Oh, I know! But its worth it. I mean look how cute she is!”

LaF pointed out to the dance floor towards their wife, who had a very sick look on her face. Laura almost made a comment on this but someone behind Perry caught her eye. The brunette from earlier was brooding by the punch table. She was staring into the crowd like a lion looking for its next victim. The sultry smirk that was plastered on her face gave Laura the chills. Laura tried to shake it off and pretend that the goosebumps on her arms were just because it was a little cold in the conference room, but she knew it wasn’t.

She noticed the brunette had a drink in her hand and was stuffing her face with the chocolate chip cookies that Perry had brought for everyone to share tonight.

This girl had SOME NERVE to be eating all of her sweets again after what happened this afternoon. She was leaning against the table with such nonchalance; it made Laura SICK. She might not have known who’s cookies she was eating, but Hollis would make it known!

Laura turned to LaF and excused herself politely as she stomped her way across the dance floor. Gently pushing people aside as to not cause any injuries, she made her way to the brunette. Her eyes met Laura’s and Laura immediately felt her breathe hitch in her throat. The look was intense. The deep brown eyes that stared back at her were what Laura could only refer to as ‘seduction eyes’.

“Hey there, Cupcake.”

The words were slurred and the chocolate that was stuck in the corner of her mouth was licked off as she pushed herself up from the table that she had been casually draped over.

Laura found her words.

“Im sorry, but what is your name again?”

She tried to sound polite but it almost came off as pretentious.

“Carmilla”

The brunette smirked as the words rolled off her gorgeous lips.

“Well its great to finally meet you, Carmilla. But I have to inform you that you have been eating all of my favorite sweets today and I cant seem to get any with you being around.”

Carmilla chuckled drunkenly, setting down her drink, and offered Laura a cookie that had already been bitten in half. Laura declined and tried to keep her composure as Carmilla slowly inched towards her.

“Thats a nice pantsuit you got there, sundance.”

Her eyes raked over Laura’s slim physique and she started to lean into the blonde but lost her balance.

She came toppling into Laura’s arms, slamming her face into the other girl’s chest. Laura caught Carmilla with a swoop and silently thanked her dad for all those stupid Krav Maga classes he made her take.

“Well I’m glad you like it, but i don’t think making a chocolate stain on the breast pocket is the best way for you to express your feelings.”

Laura huffed, pushing the brunette off of her and hoisting her back to her feet.

“You don’t have to be so uptight about..”

Carmilla gagged and her face went white. She felt the cookies and alcohol coming up her throat.

Laura followed as the poor girl quickly stumbled into the bathroom, threw the half eaten cookie on the floor, and locked herself in a stall. The sounds of the vomiting weren’t as bad as the stench. Laura was trying to hold her breathe and was starting to gag when little bits of the smell wafted towards her. She wasn’t leaving. She knew this girl needed to be watched. Wetting a paper towel, Laura made herself useful and started to blot the chocolate off of her suit. The chocolate smeared and ended up just making a big wet brown spot on her breast, making it look a bit inappropriate. Laura threw the towel in the garbage and rolled her eyes, settling to the fact that her suit was ruined.

The groaning and heaving started to slow down and Carmilla reappeared again outside the stall.

“That face you make when your angry is adorable, Cupcake.”

Laura flushed bright red and the brunette took notice. She smirked and shuffled to the sink to wash her face.

Cupping the water with her hands, she wiped all the extra puke off her mouth and rubbed her eyes profusely. Carmilla was drunk, very drunk. She had never been this drunk before and she knew it showed. Laura was staring at her through the mirror and Carmilla let out a low laugh.

“You should take a picture, it will last longer.”

“I won’t need pictures to remember the state you are in tonight.”

Laura tried to hold back a smile but failed.

“Lets get you out of here before you produce any slipping hazards on the dance floor.”

Laura grabbed Carmilla’s shoulders and guided her out of the restroom, hobbling behind her as she stumbled left and right. Carmilla leaned against the wall for support as Laura turned to face her.

“Stay right here and don’t move. Okay?”

Laura looked into Carmilla’s eyes for an answer but Carmilla was off in la-la-land.

Figuring she wasn’t going to get her response, she jogged her way around the floor and found LaF spitting out a “sick flow’ while Danny made the beat with her mouth. Perry looked unenthused.

“Hey guys, I am going to turn in a little early tonight. Someone got a little sick in the ladies restroom and I am going to make sure she gets home safe.”

“Ohhh! I see! ‘Gets home safe’. Mhmm.”

LaF’s eyebrows lifted up and down in a suggestive manner.

“Whatever, ‘Rap Master MC’.”

Laura made air quotes and laughed as LaF took off again.

“Rap Master MC in the HOUSE! Lafontaine ain’t in no LaFonpain bc they got LaFongame...”

The puns continued as Laura made her way back to Carmilla, who was (thankfully) still staring into the abyss just like Laura left her. She wrapped her arm through Carmilla’s and smiled as the drunken girl looked at her as if to say thank you.

“Let’s get you home.”

Guiding her out of the building, they made their way to the car.

Chapter Text

Would it be considered murder if she just killed this girl right now and said it was self-defense?

Laura was considering this as a viable option as they arrived at Laura’s house. Anything other than dealing with her drunk, sick, and now angry employee seemed like the better option at this point.

Carmilla shrugged violently.

“Stop touching me! I can do this by myself! I don’t need your help.”

Laura threw her hands up in a defeated way.

“Fine! I’m not touching you!”

Drunk and sweating, Carmilla staggered through the door and plopped onto the couch with a loud THUD. Laura watched as she started to peel the layers of sweat-soaked black clothing off, throwing them, one by one, to the floor in disarray.

“You could at least act like you care to be a decent human-being for two seconds.”

Laura said, as she slammed the door shut. She was fuming. Pushing her hair back, she let out a sigh of frustration. She had never met anyone this rude in her entire life. At the party, Carmilla had almost seemed halfway decent. Drunk? Yes. Flirtatious? Yes. But now? No. She was unbearable now.

Laura stomped down the hallway and opened the closet to find a pillow and blanket to give to Carmilla but instead found the quilt her mom had made her when she was little. She paused for a moment, staring at it, running her hands across the stitching and remembering her mother fondly. She let her mind wander and let herself think about that horrible, dreadful night.

She was 8 years old and her mother was coming home from working late one night.

She took a shortcut, wanting to get home as quick as possible, but it was raining. Not very many people were out and about, except for the very few who were probably just trying to get home, like her.

The storm had gotten worse and visibility was limited to just a few hundred feet when she saw headlights up ahead and couldn't tell if the person was in their own lane until it was too late.

She swerved and smashed into the other car at full speed. Killing both, her mother and the other driver, instantly.

Her dad came into her room that night. His cheeks soaked from the tears that were streaming down his face. His eyes were puffy and red and when he spoke, his voice was raspy and broke at the beginning.

“Laura, I… I need to tell you something. Something has happened.”

He stopped, trying to collect himself and he swallowed hard as he pushed his tears back down.

“Your mother… there was an accident…. Laura… she’s dead…”

He bust out into tears. Laura had never seen her father break like this before. It felt like there was a brick on her chest and an apple lodged in her throat. She was too in shock to feel anything, so she just held her father in her arms that night as he cried.

She shook her head, shaking the thoughts away as she grabbed a pillow from the top shelf and closed the door.

Walking back into the living room, Laura kept her eyes on the ground.

She threw the quilt and pillow on the arm rest of the couch and looked up slowly, making sure Carmilla was decent.

OH.

Laura’s heart stopped and her eyes grew wide. This girl was MORE than decent.

She was sprawled out on the couch and had stripped down to a tank top and boy shorts. Her body, lean and made of mostly muscle, was still glistening with sweat from the alcohol. Her hair was a mess that draped down the back of a throw pillow under her neck and with her eyes closed and lips parted, she breathed ever so softly.

Laura watched the slow rise and fall of her chest and couldn't help but think that no one should ever be this gorgeous while drunk.

It just wasn't human.

Laura must have went a tad pink in the cheeks when Carmilla’s eyes flitted open because her infamous half smile graced her lips and she started to chuckle.

“Sorry, I just…. I… I brought you a pillow and a blanket. Thought you might want to sleep it off.”

Stumbling over her words, Laura grabbed the bedding and handed it to Carmilla.

“Thanks, cutie. You didn't have to. I could have just slept like this, honestly.”

Her eyes locked with Laura’s and Laura swore that her heart stopped.

Was she flirting again?? Really? This girl was going to give her whiplash if it was the last thing she did.

She didn’t think much of it though as the brunette turned on her side and spread the blanket out over herself. She nestled down into the pillow and closed her eyes once again.


Once Laura started to hear the first grumbles of a snore, she very quietly walked to her bedroom. Grabbing her favorite yellow pillow, her blanket, and changing into some sweats, she came back into the living room and spread out on the floor beside the couch.

As much as she hated this girl’s attitude and weird mood changes, she wasn't going to let her choke on her own vomit tonight.

“…no… please.. No..”

Laura’s eyes fluttered open at the words and she rubbed them hard before turning over. She squinted in the darkness towards the couch and pushed herself up onto her elbows.

“you can't be…”

“Are you okay?..” Laura squeaked.

“Ell… NO… Please…”

The brunette started to shake and the sound of tears in her voice were evident.

“Hey… Carmilla… hey….”

Laura crawled over to the couch and placed a hand on Carmilla’s still slightly clammy shoulder.

Shaking her slightly, she calmly tried to wake her up from her nightmare. She rolled over and she started to whimper like a hurt puppy. Her cheeks were wet from tears and Laura wondered who this ‘Ell’ was. Carmilla seemed like a ‘rough around the edges’ kind of girl and feelings definitely weren't her thing. Or so Laura thought.

She shook her again, this time a bit more violently and the whimpers began to fade. Slowly, the brunette’s breathing evened back out and the tears stopped.

“What happened to you to make you this crazy?” Laura whispered as she leaned back, sitting on her feet.

She sat like this for a while, thinking. A lot of things had happened to her to make her the way she is; her insane safety rules being one of the many side effects of her father being over-protective after her mothers death. She could only imagine what kinds of things happened to this girl to make her so moody and give her such apparently vivid nightmares.

A little while later, Laura turned around and crawled back to her pallet on the floor, still deep in thought. She yanked the covers up and over, using the extra to support her head, and clutched her pillow hard to her chest, grasping onto the thoughts of her mother for comfort as she drifted back to sleep.

Chapter Text

“What in the frilly hell?” she said as she rubbed her temples.

Carmilla rolled over, wiped the drool off of her mouth, and picked some sleep gunk out of her eyes. She looked around for a moment, confused as to where she was and why.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!”

Carmilla turned her head slowly, as to not upset her already pounding head. Behind her was a short dirty blonde haired girl with a side braid in Toms, skinny jeans that hugged her hips ever so well, and a well fit Doctor Who Tardis shirt was walking into the living room from the hallway. Fuck, this girl was cute.

“Who are you and what happened?” Carmilla groaned as she sat up and pulled her hair up in a messy bun.

“Laura. And you got drunk last night at the company party and I decided to bring you back here so you could rest.”

“Oh.…OH.… please tell me we didn’t fuck?” Carmilla’s eyes went wide with horror at the thought that crossed her mind.

“WOW. Um… ha… well.. no. But thanks for the compliment!” Laura’s face fell in disappointment at the question and her hands knotted up in front of her as she started picking at her fingernails.

“Oh no, Cupcake. Don’t get me wrong. Its just that I would have rather remembered this one..”

Camilla trailed off and looked up with a sly grin on her face. That was smooth, Karnstein. Good job.

The short girl in front of her went pale and giggled. She ducked her head and shuffled back behind the couch to the kitchen, where she started pulling ingredients out of the fridge.

“SO…” Laura began. Inhaling a large breath as she started babbling, which Carmilla found extremely adorable that she (of all people) caused this girl to get so flustered.

“Do you want breakfast? Pancakes, eggs, bacon, eggs and bacon, omelette I mean i know thats just eggs too but you know, french toast, regular toast, toast and jam i mean thats implied i guess, hash browns, waff-”

“WHOA WHOA WHOA.” Carmilla interrupted, raising her hand up to stop the bombardment of words.

“Do you always talk this fast or is it just because of me?” Carmilla laughed and quirked an eyebrow up.

Laura let out a sigh and visibly relaxed a bit.

“Ha. ha. ha. You are so funny.”

“I like to think so. I mean after so many years, you have to learn some comedic prowess.”

Laura’s face scrunched up in a questioning manner and Carmilla felt her eyes go wide.

Shit! Fuck! Shit! God damn it! Why do you always fuck shit up, Karnstein?! You are a VAMPIRE, demon of the night, no one needs to know this yet! Shut up!

Carmilla laughed and threw her head back to exaggerate her cover up.

“Its just an expression, sweetheart. Im only 22.” Good save.

“Right. Of course.” Laura giggled and went back to gathering things out of the fridge.

Carmilla sighed out a breath of relief and kicked the blanket off of her legs, realizing she was only in her tank top and some boy shorts. Oops.

Nervously glancing over her shoulder to the kitchen at Laura, who was busying herself with flipping pancakes, Carmilla stood up and grabbed her black leather pants off the floor, shimmying into them. Laura hadn't mentioned her getting half naked last night when they got here, but i guess that wasn't really relevant with how drunk she had obviously been. She didn't really remember much and didn't really want to remember what happened, knowing she probably did some incriminating things to this poor girl who had been nice enough to take her in.

“So I didn't catch your last name.” Laura said as she set up the table for two.

“Karnstein. Carmilla Karnstein.”

“Oh! Well, I’m Laura Hollis. Nice to finally be properly introduced to the drunk girl who slept on my couch last night.”

Laura’s smile was infectious and Carmilla couldn't help but laugh at little at her own stupidity.

Carmilla trudged sleepily over to the table and plopped down into one of the chairs. She watched silently as Laura stacked the pancakes in a neat pile. She set them down in the middle of the table and poured some maple syrup in a gravy bowl that had flowers painted on the side. She tiptoed over to Carmilla and placed the bowl down in the center, angling it slightly so it looked nice and neat. Carmilla snorted and Laura looked up suddenly with a hurt look on her face.


“What? Did I do something? Did you not want pancakes? Oh my gosh! Im sorry! I didn't even ask! How rude of me! Oh my gosh! Do you want pancakes?!”

Laura was rambling again and Carmilla was tickled by this.

“Calm down, sweetheart. You are just very OCD and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Also, pancakes just so happen to be one of my favorites.” Carmilla’s grin is sincere and she almost feels herself want to puke. Who are you, Karnstein? What is this girl doing to you? She’s practically a stranger. Pull it together.

Laura’s shoulders relax as she sits down across from Carmilla, taking a few pancakes off the top and drowning them in maple syrup.

“Someone likes sugar.” Carmilla said, pointing at Laura’s plate which was now a swimming pool.

Laura looked down and smiled.

“Yeah, well I kind of live off of sugar based foods. You know, snack cakes, lemon bars, hot cocoa, Perry’s chocolate chip cookies. Which by they way is a great segue into the fact that you, my friend, are the ‘sweet thief’.”

“The ‘sweet thief’?” Carmilla said with a half full mouth as she looked up from her plate.

“Yes. You have been the culprit who keeps eating all of the chocolate chips cookies that Perry has been bringing to the break room.”

Laura’s face was straight as a board as she talked. Carmilla couldn't quite figure out if this was endearing that she cared enough to stalk her down for this heinous “crime” or if it was just an annoying Laura-ism that seemed to be a common thing with this girl.

She went with endearing.

“So you took the time out of your presumptuously busy schedule to track down someone who was eating chocolate chip cookies that were left for everyone to enjoy?”

Carmilla raised her eyebrows and took another bite of her pancakes, watching Laura’s face go bright red.

“Umm.. maybe… i mean, I just thought that.. You know, I thought that I deserved a snack in the middle of the day and I couldn't get my fix with YOU around.”

“Well maybe if you weren't so addicted to sugar, we wouldn't have that problem, now would we, Cupcake?”

“I’m not the one who keeps using nicknames of baked goods.”

Laura looked quite triumphant when Carmilla got thrown off her game for a minute.

“Well, those nicknames are only reserved for someone so sweet.” That was hella smooth.

Laura’s whole face blushed and she stuffed more pancakes into her mouth nervously.

They sat in silence for the rest of the meal, only talking when Laura got up in a frenzy because she forgot to offer Carmilla a drink. Carmilla declined because well, lets face it, the chances of fluffy baby bunny Laura Hollis having a gallon of O negative in her fridge was slim to none and Carmilla’s throat burned a bit. She forgot to refill last night before going to the party and was pretty thirsty now. She didn't quite know how to excuse herself once they were done eating, but thankfully Laura piped up.

“Well I hate to break up our amazing breakfast date here, but I have to get some work done and I’m sure what I have to do isn't going to be fun for you to watch.”

Laura stood up and started to clean the table off, carrying the plates to the kitchen sink and washing them off before turning around to look back at Carmilla.

“Oh, right. Yeah. I should probably be on my way anyway. I have some things to go get in town today. Grocery shopping, yay.”

Carmilla threw her hands up sarcastically and rolled her eyes as she grabbed her leather jacket off the back of the couch.

“Well, I guess I will see you on Monday at work?”

“Sure thing, cutie.” Carmilla smirked and walked out the door.

I wonder what column she writes for the paper?

Chapter Text

Carmilla kicked off from the bottom of her desk and spun herself around several times in her chair before planting her feet hard on the ground. Holding her arms out like an airplane, she steadied herself. A break was much needed but spinning in her chair was making her a little sick.

She inched back up to her computer and looked at the clock for the hundredth time this Monday morning.

6:45 a.m.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

She planned on leaving early today, so that meant getting here early to get a head start on some work.

Carmilla had somewhere to be this afternoon and work was not that place.

Okay, 15 more minutes and you can go get a drink from the break room.

She buckled down and started typing up the third obituary of the day.

His name was Martin McCullough, 75, died of a heart attack in his bed.

He had been taking a nap that afternoon and when his wife got home from work, she had found him dead in their bed.

What a tragedy.... not.

She had seen around eight others just like this in the past 2 weeks. After a few centuries, not even death is original anymore.

Next up, Katherine Sanderson, 34, killed while driving behind a logging truck when a log came loose and came crashing through her window.

Now thats the way to go out, a VERY LARGE wooden stake to the heart. Thats some final destination bullshit.

Carmilla sometimes enjoyed this job, with its gruesome deaths and cheesy, almost puke worthy love stories.

From stories about people getting stabbed in a dark alleyway to Mr. and Mrs. Smith getting married in the chapel next to the elementary school where they met.

It was all part of the job and it was very fascinating, but what she really wanted to do was write a book. Specifically a book about astrology.

The stars had always fascinated her. How there is such a vast expanse of stars across the night sky. How small everything is in comparison. We are nothing to that light.

After getting a few more churned out, Carmilla walked to the break room, stealing a few of those nice pens from her coworkers desk’s as she walked by.

The break room was empty.

That wasn’t a surprise this early in the morning, but it looked like Perry had already brought in the leftover cookies and brownies.

Carmilla started to snag a few of the cookies when she remembered her Saturday morning conversation with her cute coworker, Laura.

She loved these cookies and she knew Carmilla was the one eating them all.

Carmilla thought about it.

Hard.

Deep thoughts.

Really took this into consideration.

.... She took a handful and walked back to her desk with no remorse because-

Thats just the way the world works, cutie.

Reaching for her fourth cookie, she took a swig of grape soda that she had snagged out of the break room as a leftover from the party on Friday night.

She placed the cookie in her mouth and broke it in half. A little bit of chocolate fell down in her shirt and she picked it out from between her breasts, popping it in her mouth again.

Carmilla was a messy eater.

Now, as a centuries old victorian vampire, she had manners.

Just not enough shits to give to care enough.

There was no order to her workspace. The papers were trying to fly off in the breeze but were being held down by her stapler.

They were spread out haphazardly across her desk and she sifted through them for the one she was looking for.

Her sticky fingers leaving marks where they touched.

The chocolate stains and finger prints on the corners a sure sign that this desk was Carmilla’s.

Then her eyes fell on it. The last cookie sat at the edge of her desk, melting chocolate onto the nearby papers.

Laura.

Carmilla let out a long groan and stood from her chair. She cursed herself because she hated that she even cared.

She grabbed the last cookie, a napkin from her drawer, and a piece of paper before taking off down the hall in search of a certain cute girls office.

...

Danny Lawrence, Sports

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Lola Perry, Cooking and Home

...

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Sarah Jane, Cosmetics

...

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Sorting/Mailroom

-William Eisen-

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Laura Hollis, Head Editor

...

FUCK.

Chapter Text

A dark haired, pale girl was standing before Laura in a black low-cut tank top with a red flannel tied around her waist. Her black ripped skinny jeans, with holes in the knees and one on her right thigh just high enough to catch Laura’s eye, hung ever so perfectly off her hips as she sauntered towards Laura.

The girl grabbed Laura’s shoulders and roughly pushed her onto the bed. With a feline-like grace, she slowly made her way on top of Laura as she straddled her and laced her fingers through the dirty blonde’s, effectively pinning her hands down on either side of her face.

Laura glanced down to her body. Her shirt started to rise up, showing just enough skin to make Laura clench in all the right places and she could feel her own arousal. The girl’s legs intertwined with her own and her right knee pushed into Laura’s center. She ground her hips into Laura’s, fully taking her breathe away, and she had to revert her eyes back up to try to gain control.

Her lips pressed against Laura’s urgently and her tongue flitting across her lower lip, begging for entrance. Laura obliged, opening her mouth to let the girl in. The brunette’s hands knotted in Laura’s hair as she deepened the kiss, allowing Laura to grab the girl’s waist and pull her impossibly closer. Their tongues danced and she explored her mouth before pulling back, gasping for air.

The brunette’s eyes were dark and hooded with specks of gold that outlined her pupils. She looked at Laura with a hunger that she didn’t quite understand. Her wavy hair fell down around Laura’s face and her lips ever so slightly parted as her breathing became labored.

Laura’s chest heaved up and down as she tried to regain some type of coherent thought.

Someone is on top of me… This VERY ATTRACTIVE girl is on top of me..

Laura’s eyes focused on the face above hers for the first time.

CARMILLA IS ON TOP OF ME.

“C-Carmilla, w-what are you doing?!”

Carmilla leaned down and brushed her lips across Laura’s ear as she spoke. Her voice, low and raspy like a lions growl, laced with lust.

“Something I’ve been dying to do since Friday night, Cupcake.”

Laura gasped and Carmilla’s mouth made its way down Laura’s neck, sucking, kissing, and biting all the way down. Her breath was hot as she let her lips float across Laura’s chest to her breasts. Laura dared to look down at this gorgeous woman and when she did, Carmilla’s eyes locked on to hers with the same passion as before. The corners of her mouth raised into a suggestive smirk before closing her lips around one of Laura’s nipples.

---

Laura’s eyes flung open and she bolted upright in bed.

Her alarm was blaring on her bedside table and We Can Make Love by Somo was playing on the radio. How fitting.

She punched the alarm to sleep mode and sighed in disbelief.

It wasn’t real..

Her whole body was glistening with sweat and the room smelled oddly of sex even though nothing had actually happened. The dream felt so real. She was definitely aroused by it, she could feel her arousal between her legs as she squeezed them together, trying to stifle the feeling.

Her hair stuck to her face and she pushed her now wet bangs off of her forehead and rested her head in her hands.

She was confused.

Why am I having wet dreams about my employees? Well, Carmilla, at least.

She’s attractive, sure. Down right gorgeous. She’s funny and snarky, but I haven’t really spent that much time with her, so why is she already in my dreams. THOSE dreams to be exact.

Laura rolled out of bed and threw on her light blue button down shirt and some jeans. She didn't feel like dressing up today considering her little dream she just had that got her all worked up. Besides, she was the boss, she could do as she pleased.

Strolling to the bathroom, she pushed her sleeves up to her elbows and pulled her hair up into a ponytail, letting her bangs fall freely to frame her face.

Laura Hollis, head editor of Styria Newspaper, will not be deterred by a silly dream.

Girl the HELL up, Hollis!

With that, she grabbed her keys off her bedside table, slipped on her ballet flats, and rushed out the door.

Carmilla looked around as she stepped into her, newly discovered, boss’s office. Laura’s office was in stark contrast to Carmilla’s - organized, clean, and lightly decorated with personal photos of her, her family, and her friends.

Carmilla strolled to the edge of Laura’s desk, putting the cookie down, and picking up the picture that was sitting by the computer. It was of her and (from what Carmilla could tell) her dad. He was a tall, strong, burly looking man with a five o’clock shadow that could rival Brad Pitt. He had honey brown hair and quite the handsome face.

She had her arms wrapped around the side of his waist, curled up under his arm with her head pushed up against his chest. Laura was smiling the biggest smile she had ever seen and she looked quite comfortable under her dad’s arm. Cute.

She looked around at the other pictures for a moment, scanning the room for more of her family.

Dad again, a picture of her and that Perry girl from Home and Cooking, Dad, Dad.

There seemed to be a pattern emerging and it made Carmilla wonder..

Where is her mom?

“Um, hey.”

Carmilla jumped, her heart leaping out of her chest, and spun around to see Laura staring back at her from the doorway. Her hair was in a ponytail and she looked super casual today in her button down and jeans.

“Oh, uh.. hey.” Carmilla stuttered, still stunned from being snuck up on.

“What are you doing in my office?”

“Oh. I saw that Perry left some more cookies out on the table earlier and thought you might want one. I know I am the reason you never got any.” Carmilla’s mouth turned up into a small grin, hoping this answer would suffice for Laura. My BOSS.

“Oh! Well thats very thoughtful of you! Thank you!” Laura strolled past Carmilla towards her chair, grazing her arm with her hand as she passed to grab the cookie.

Carmilla noticed that Laura immediately recoiled at their contact and took that as a hint to take a step away from the desk as Laura sat down. Laura took a big bite of the cookie and absent-mindedly started fidgeting under Carmilla’s gaze. Her eyes grew wide and looked as if she was remembering something she didn’t want to remember.

“You okay there, Cupcake? You look a little… flustered.”

“Oh yeah.. Im.. Uh.. Im fine! No problems here! Just gotta get back to work, you know, the usual.” Laura stumbled, dragging a stack of papers to the center of the desk so she could review them.

“So I guess I should go then..” Carmilla backed out of the room slowly and quietly shut the door behind her.

Well that was painfully awkward.

What in the HELL, Hollis?! She was in your office. The girl that you had a wet dream about was in your office and you fudged it up! She brought you a cookie, your favorite cookies, and you just sat in stunned silence. Way to go genius.

Laura sighed and grabbed her pen to start marking errors on the stack of columns in front of her.

Oh, and who was first in the stack? Carmilla Karnstein, of course.

Today would be a long day.

A few hours later, her cell phone buzzed and reluctantly, she peeled her eyes from her work.

(LaF, 11:15 am) Hey L! Wanna go grab lunch around Noon? I’m pretty free today and need some LaHollis bonding time.

(Laura, 11:15 am) Totally! :) I’m STARVING! Where do you want to go?

(LaF, 11:16 am) I was thinking the little cafe near your office? I’m dying for a chicken wrap.

(Laura, 11:17 am) Sounds great! :D See you then!

Laura smiled at her phone knowing good and well that she could count on LaF to take her mind off of that certain tall, dark, and flirty someone.

And that dream too.

---

LaF was waiting in the Lobby as Laura came through the big metal doors leading to the hallway. They were looking quite dapper today with a short sleeve button down flamingo shirt, matching pink bowtie, and some black jeans.

“Well don’t you look fancy!” Laura said, raising her eyebrows up and smiling her big goofy smile.

“Always. I’m offended you haven’t noticed! This look is a 24/7 upkeep, Hollis.” LaF straightened their tie and stood up a bit straighter. Laura laughed.

“You’re ridiculous. You ready?”

LaF nodded and swung the doors open to outside. They walked a few blocks in comfortable silence as a light sprinkle came down around them. It was cloudy and didn’t look like a storm was coming, but knowing this city, it could happen at any time. They jogged the last block as it started to pour, laughing as they stumbled through the doors to the cafe, soaked.

It was a small, quiet coffee shop that Laura frequented on Sunday mornings. The lighting and atmosphere was always perfect to watch the sunrise wash the city in its rays. Today, it was a bit more crowded. People were crowding in, getting away from the rain, hustling around, getting coffee, lunch, and burying their noses in their smartphones. There were a few open tables and a sofa in the far right hand corner open for grabs.

“Mango salad and a Caramel Macchiato, right?” LaF asked.

“You know me so well! Honey!!” Laura grabbed LaF’s hand and chuckled as they pulled away, rolling their eyes. Laura gave them a proper thank you and went to go find them a seat.

Laura picked the couch, facing the door, in the farthest corner possible. She sunk back into the seat and leaned her head back, relaxing.

Thank god for this couch. And thank god LaF hasn’t talked about… well… Friday or her.

A few moments later, LaF came back with her drink and plopped down next Laura.

“So how was your slumber party Friday night with that girl? Did you finally get laid?!” LaF jabbed their elbow into Laura’s side.

Whoop there it is.

“Oh my god! LaFontaine! No. I did not get ‘laid’! Thats irresponsible and frankly, sexist terminology.”

“Well its been like, what, four years??”

Laura’s scrunched her eyebrows and gave LaF a disapproving look.

“Something like that..” She said as she took a sip of her coffee.

“Who was it anyway?”

“That new girl, Carmilla.”

“Ooooh! Obit Bitch!”

“Obit Bitch?”

“Yeah. She writes the Obit/Wedding announcements column, right? Danny came up with it the other day. She said that she was super rude all time at work and had a habit of stealing pens from people’s desks early in the morning.” LaF took a sip of their coffee and looked back at Laura, who looked like she was about to kill someone. “What..?”

“Thats extremely offensive LaF! Danny doesn’t even know Carmilla! She is actually kind of sweet! I mean, yeah, she’s very closed off and kind of snarky sometimes, but she brought me a cookie this morning and I thought that was very sweet of her!”

A shit eating grin spread across LaF’s face.

“Oh god. What is it now??” Laura said with a of look of dread. “Nothing good ever comes from that face.”

“I have no idea what you are talking, Laura.”

“Okay, first off you never call me Laura, so thats strike one. Strike two, you always get this look when you know something I don’t. I know you, LaFontaine.”

“Okay okay okay. You got me.” LaF gave in. “I’ve just never seen you like this, Hollis. Not even when you dated that one girl in college, the straight one.. what was her name? Betty something?”

“We do not speak of you-know-who LaF. Besides this is how I normally am. Nothing different.”

LaF gave Laura a ‘you so totally have a crush on this broody gay’ look but dropped the subject as their food was set down on the coffee table in front of them.

As they finished their meal and made it back to the office, Laura gave a quick goodbye to LaF and ran inside to finish her work. She had an appointment today and she couldn’t be late.

Carmilla left work early and ran to her car in a rush. She had to be somewhere in 30 minutes and still had to go home and change. She was never on time. She didn’t care enough to be anywhere on time, much less within the hour. But she wasn’t just going anywhere today, today she had to be somewhere special and quite frankly she was terrified.

She flung open the door to her apartment, fumbled with her shirt as she pulled it over her head, and threw it on the ground. Tossing clothes out of her hamper and all over the room before settling on an outfit.

There. Thats okay, right?

She looked in the full length mirror that leaned up against her wall next to her bed in her tiny, shitty studio apartment. Her hair was a complete mess now but at least she managed to throw an outfit together in her panicked rush. She tried to smile at herself in the mirror.

Smiling releases endorphins and that makes you happy. Smile. Smile. Smile, you sorry excuse for a vampire.

Finally, she grabbed her bag off the counter that she had packed that morning for this exact occasion, in case she needed to run for it, and left the comfort of home once again.

She was pacing the hall, her hands in her hair and her mind racing.

I can’t do this. This is insane. I have to cancel and just go back home. I’m stupid for even thinking I could do this..

She looked up as she passed the door for the thousandth time.

And it read:

Dr. Anderson, Orthodontics and Family Dentistry

Fuck the dentist.

Taking a deep steadying breath, she pushed the door open and stepped inside; Her eyes immediately locking onto the last person she wanted to see here.

“Laura?”

Laura sat back in the chair, twiddling her fingers as she waited to get called back. Her appointment wasn’t for another 45 minutes, but being punctual was her thing and she needed some time to herself anyway.

“Laura?”

Laura jumped in her seat and looked up from her fingers, startled at the sound of her name.

Woah. ...Oh…

Carmilla was standing in the doorway to the dentists office and her face was devoid of any color, not that she was ever anything other than pale. Her hair was disheveled in the perfect way and her mouth seemed to contort into a frown at the sight of Laura.

But that isn’t what caught Laura’s attention. It was what she was wearing…

That low-cut black tank top, red flannel tied in the same fashion around her waist, those black skinny jeans with the holes in the knees and the hole on her right thigh…

Laura couldn’t think straight. Her mind raced in a thousand directions and swam with all the thoughts she had been trying to repress for the last several hours.

She is wearing the same outfit that she was in my dream. She has on the same clothes and has ‘just fucked’ hair. Breathe Laura. Breathe. In. Out.

“..I..Uh... you… Hey.”

She looked back down at her fingers, embarrassed at the color she knew was now flooding to her cheeks.

Smooth.

“What are you doing here?” Carmilla asked.

“Oh you know, gotta have clean teeth..”

“Yeah.. Umm.. are you okay? You look a bit pale.”

“Yeah.. I’m fine.” Laura straightened her shirt sleeves, never making eye contact with Carmilla again as they exchanged pleasantries.

Laura heard Carmilla slide the glass window open to the reception desk and check in. Carmilla’s voice was a bit shaky and not near as confident as her normal self. Or at least what Laura knew to be her normal self. She had only really ever hung out with her once and it was from necessity.

Laura dared to glance up and found Carmilla strolling over to sit next to her. Taking off her flannel from around her waist and threading her arms through the sleeves, she left the shirt wide open to sway as she walked.

She’s going to be sitting next to me and I can’t even form a proper english sentence with the way she looks right now.

The very attractive brunette sat down, lightly brushing arms with Laura as she put her hands on the arm rests.

“So.. you enjoy that cookie?” Carmilla asked. She was trying to make small talk.

“Um. Yeah. Thanks. They are my favorite.”

“I know. You’ve told me once or twice.” A smile slowly spread across Carmilla’s face.

“Oh. Right. Yeah. I have a tendency to repeat myself or ramble when I’m nervous and tend to just talk about anything and everything. Sometimes nothing. Actually most of the time, nothing. Yeah, no, all the time nothing.”

“You mean like right now??”

Laura stopped talking and put her hand over her mouth. She was rambling.

“So why are you nervous? Does it have anything to do with me?”

“No! I mean.. um… no. Why would you think that?”

“No reason. Just that maybe your body language screamed ‘sexually frustrated’ the moment you saw me.”

Laura’s heart stopped.

She can TELL?! How? Does she know I had a dream about her?? Oh. My. God…. Wait.. no.. how could she? For heaven’s sake, calm down Laura.

Carmilla was staring at her with a suggestive look on her face and one eyebrow raised to the ceiling.

“Just because I haven’t had sex in like 4 years.. doesn’t mean I turn into some hormonal teenager!”

Yes it does.

“I didn’t suggest it did. And 4 years, eh?”

Christ and Heaven above, shut up Laura!

“Yeah. Well, when you don’t really find anyone that’s around you that attractive, sex is kind of the last thing on your mind.” Laura said pointedly.

Carmilla deflated a bit, like she was upset at the response she got. But before Laura could say anything else, a tall bleach blonde lady came into the room holding a clipboard.

“Carmilla Karnstein?” She said.

Carmilla went even paler than before and turned to face the lady with sheer terror written all over her face.

“You okay?”

“Uh.. Yeah.. Totally.. Its just the dentist.. no big deal.” Carmilla stood up and started to walk towards the door but stopped short and turned back to Laura with a hopeful look in her eyes.

“Would you mind… um.. maybe coming in there with me? I mean, I’m not scared or anything, I just would like someone to talk to..”

“You won’t be able to talk with them digging in your mouth, but sure, since you aren’t scared or anything.” Laura held back a smile. “Plus I still have like 30 minutes until my appointment.”

Carmilla Karnstein, resident badass, afraid of the dentist.

Carmilla leaned back in the chair and gripped the armrests tightly; her fingers digging into the fake leather until Laura could hear tearing.

“Carmilla, you’re ripping the chair..”

“Oh.. Sorry. Can we please talk about something other than where I am right now?”

“Uh, sure…. What is your favorite color?”

Carmilla whipped her head around to look at Laura with a blank expression.

“Really, Cupcake?” She said.

“Yeah, we might as well get to know a bit about one another since we keep bumping into each other, right?”

“Um yeah. Sure... Black.”

“Shocking. I could have never guessed.” Laura said pointing to her all black outfit with the splash of red. Oh god.. that outfit. “Mine is baby blue."

Carmilla’s eyes softened and the look of fear seemed to fade away a bit. Her eyes were gorgeous honestly. Big, deep brown eyes, speckled with gold around the edges. Oh god, just like the dream.

Carmilla blinked a few times, staring in silence and looking at Laura like she was falling in love or something.

But that didn’t last long...

“So, Carmilla Karnstein, is it?” A man said as he came bursting through the door in a white doctor’s coat and a mask covering his mouth. He pulled the stool in the corner up underneath himself and sat down, putting himself right between Laura and Carmilla’s gaze and immediately Laura heard Carmilla squeak in fear.

“So what are we doing today? Just a cleaning? Shucks, I was looking forward to filling a cavity. Let's just hope you don’t have any, am I right?”

The man was a jokester and Laura knew Carmilla was probably freaking out right now.

“Um, excuse me sir. Do you mind if I sit next to her while you clean her teeth?” Laura asked, lightly tapping the man on the shoulder.

“By all means, little lady.”

Laura stood up out of the chair she had made herself comfortable in and pulled it over to the other side of Carmilla. Sitting down, Laura scooted closer to Carmilla’s side as the dentist prepared his tools.

The brunette looked up and into Laura’s eyes.

“Thanks.” She said. She looked shocked and relieved.

“No problem.” Taking Carmilla’s hand and squeezing, Laura watched as Carmilla leaned back and opened her mouth, ready for the 25 minutes of pure torture.

Chapter Text

A few days after the dentist.

Saturday Evening.

Carmilla was sitting on her couch, legs propped up on her coffee table, remote in hand, flipping through the TV channels. Her bored expression giving no indication of the knots forming in her stomach or of her heart racing as her eyes darted back and forth between the clock and the TV. She watched impatiently as the second hand ticked away and finally, with the toll of its bell, rang out five solid tones.

Five o’clock.

Where is she? She should be here.

I just want this to be over.

She fidgeted with her hands, turned off the TV, and dropped her feet to the floor, shaking them nervously as she sat in anticipation. Knowing what was ahead, Carmilla could only wait and analyze every single thought that raced through her mind.

She had dinner plans tonight. Dinner plans with the one person she never looked forward to seeing, not even when she lived with her.

BANG BANG BANG

Carmilla’s heart jumped and lurched into her throat at the sound of someone at the door. She knew who it was and she knew that this entire night would be a disaster. Standing slowly, dragging her feet across the carpet, Carmilla made her way to the door and swung it open to greet her visitor.

Lilita Morgan, Carmilla’s mother, was a tall, slim, stern lady with a face of marble. Her features were chiseled to perfection like an artist had spent numerous hours meticulously chipping away her flaws. She was intimidating, even to Carmilla, and Carmilla shrunk under her mother’s gaze like a withering flower.

“Carmilla.” she said, appraising every inch of her daughter.

“Mother.”

“Aren’t you going to invite me in? I know I raised you better than to leave a poor woman out on the doorstep.”

“Um.. Yes Maman. Of course. P-please come in.” Carmilla side stepped and ducked her head down as her mother gracefully strode through the open door.

“This place seems a bit small and quite frankly-” She swiped her hand across the top of the TV. “- filthy. How long have you been in this rat’s nest again?”

“About 4 weeks. It’s all I can afford at the moment, Mother.”

“Well, maybe if you didn’t lollygag around at a newspaper writing the fairytale ending to a life you will never have.. ”

Carmilla slouched onto the couch, never making eye contact with the woman in front of her.

“I know, Mother. I should have listened to you.” Carmilla said, trying to placate her as she stared daggers, aiming to kill.

“That’s right. You should have. You wouldn’t be in this situation if you had just listened to me and stayed away.”

Not this. Anything but this.

“I know.”

“She was rotten. Inside and out. I told you that from the moment you met her and yet you went galavanting off with her. Look where that got you.” “You were right, mother.”

Please, just stop.

“You deliberately disobeyed me and it blew up in your face like I knew it would. Flesh cannot love stone, dear. I thought you were a practical girl and maybe you could see that, but I guess that I was wrong.” She took a step closer to Carmilla, anger and hatred flashing in her eyes. “That silly little creature couldn’t have loved you. The second she knew what you were, she ran.”

“Thats not true..” Carmilla protested weakly.

“Is that so? Then please.. elaborate.” Enunciating every letter, her mother towered over her with these words. Her posture like the Eiffel Tower to Carmilla’s rollie pollie.

The last thing she wanted to do was ‘elaborate’. Nothing would be more painful than to try to describe that relationship to her mother, much less THAT night. This subject was a sore one for her; one she couldn’t just ‘get over’.

Ell held a special place in her heart. After all, she was the only girl she had ever loved.

=======

THE NIGHT WITH ELL

(16 years ago)

She was a total bombshell.

Blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, and athletic…

She was everything Carmilla could have asked for and here she was, rounding the corner and looking as beautiful as ever. She was heading towards Carmilla’s table that she had saved for date night. Ell’s eyes fell on Carmilla and the smile that grew unbidden on her face was Carmilla’s undoing.

There was nothing more beautiful than her smile.

“Hey baby! Sorry I’m late! I had a bit of family drama to attend to. How was your day?”

“Good. After I got out of the house, it was even better. Mother was being intolerable. She was at it again. About us this time.”

“So, nothing new then?” Ell said with a growing smile.

“Nothing new.” Carmilla grinned back. “How do you do that?”

“Do what babe?”

“Smile and make me completely fall apart and forget everything and everyone.”

“Practice.” Ell said, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree.

Carmilla felt her phone buzz in her pocket and peaked to see who was calling.

(Elsie DO NOT ANSWER calling)

“Would you excuse me for just one second? I’m sorry, sweetie. I just really need to take care of this.”

“No problem. I will order for us.” Ell said, waving the waiter over as Carmilla swiftly made her way to the bathroom.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Carmilla threw the phone up to her ear.

“What in the frilly hell do you want?! I already told you, I have a girlfriend now and I am NOT interested in casual sex anymore or YOU AT ALL for that matter!” Carmilla steamed as she threw the bathroom door open.

Elsie’s response was more of the same. “But I just thought that maybe since we…you know.. well… I don’t know. I miss you Carmilla. I thought we had something and then you just dropped me.”

“Yeah. That’s what what a one night stand is, Elsie. Get that through your thick skull and everyone will be better off.”

“But Carmi-”

“ELSIE. Whatever we had, it’s over. Goodbye.” She hit end, letting out a long sigh and shoved the phone back in her pocket.

Carmilla turned to the mirror above the sink where she stood and took a long appraising gaze at herself, checking every body part for an imperfection. These rendezvous with herself had become quite the habit lately. Her mother had always made her feel insecure about her looks and her self-worth with snide comments here and there ever since she was a “newborn”. Sadly, these comments seem to have stuck even into “adulthood”. As a side effect, she never really tried with her appearance; at least she wouldn’t let other people think that she did. Every so often though, she would try really hard. Usually it was for someone or something that she cared deeply about, which wasn’t a lot.

Tonight though was important. She looked at her long black hair curled into perfect ringlets, her black dress pants just tight enough to show off her pert butt, and her white button down hanging off her torso in a mess of wrinkles that she couldn’t quite steam out.

Not bad, Karnstein. You actually look presentable, for once.

She pressed down her shirt, hiked up her pants, and marched through the door.

Ell is waiting for me.

As Carmilla rounded the corner from the bathroom, her smile started to creep back up on her face.

She wasn’t going to let Elsie get the better of her tonight. Ell was the one and tonight was THE night. She pushed her hand back into her back pocket and played with the small black velvet box that she would soon present to Ell.

Her heart was racing; nothing had prepared her for this big moment, not even the hours spent in front of the mirror practicing the very lines she was about to say.

She was going to propose.

And then it happened.

As she looked up from her feet, her smile slowly faded as her eyes fixated on the tall lady standing by her table, talking to Ell in hushed whispers. A chill ran down her spine when the figure of the lady registered in her mind; Mother.

Carmilla raced towards the table with a determined brisk jog, the look of worry on her face evident as she reached the two standing women. Ell’s eyes turned from Carmilla’s mother and fell upon Carmilla as Lilita began to walk away with a smile etched on her face.

Ell’s face, on the other hand, was one of horror and disgust, one that made Carmilla’s heart twist and drop to her stomach. With her shoulders pulled back, her mouth turning into something resembling a grimace, and eyes watering, Ell’s body language immediately told Carmilla to say SOMETHING. ANYTHING. NOW. But Carmilla could only stare and swallow back the bile that was rising in her throat as Ell backed away in fear. Or what Carmilla took as fear.

“Please. Ell. Let me explain.. I didn’t mean for you to find out this way.”

“You stay away from me. You are a disgusting, foul monster that has no place in this world. You kept this a secret from me for 4 years and you expect me to let you explain?!”

Carmilla’s eyes started to water. “Please Ell, I love you. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid of how you would react!”

“How would I react?! Well, maybe you should have told me sooner, Carmilla… if that’s even your real name. Oh wait, thats right! Its not! Mircalla Karnstein, 300 something year old vampire.. You lied about everything! I have to find out from your mother that you are a bloodsucking fiend and you couldn’t even give me the correct name?!” Ell’s face was turning red as tears came streaming down her cheeks in anger and anguish.

“You dont understand! How could I tell you?! You would have reacted the same way! You say I’m a monster now, imagine what you would have said before! I planned on telling you. It just needed to be the correct time!!”

“The correct time.” Ell scoffed. “Please tell me when that would have been, Carmilla… Mircalla.. Whatever!” Ell said, shaking her head.

“I… I don’t know.”

Carmilla hung her head in shame and blinked back her tears that were threatening to erupt from her eyes. She knew she couldn’t win this argument and she knew what would come next.

“Thats what I thought…” Ell looked at Carmilla with a stern, piercing gaze but her demeanour relaxed a bit. “I need time to think about this. You aren’t what I thought you were and I don’t know what that means for us. You lied. You aren’t even human. I don’t know if I can do this, Carmilla…” Ell started to back away, shaking her head and grabbing her bag off the back of the chair as she turned to walk out the door.

“Ell, please... “ Carmilla’s voice faded as the door slammed shut behind Ell.

...Don't leave me alone…

After hours and hours of ugly crying, Carmilla walked from her bedroom to go and try to at least eat something. She hadn’t eaten in hours. Her body was weak from crying and thirst. Her face was paler than normal and her skin seemed almost translucent from lack of nutrition. Blood didn’t even sound appetizing now and that said something since Carmilla was usually a pig with blood.

She slogged to the fridge, her feet heavy with every step, and stared at its contents for far too long before finally deciding on a half eaten piece of cake. If she was single, which she still wasn’t quite sure she was, she was going to at least do the breakup part right.

Eat as much shit as you can while simultaneously never leaving bed, right? Thats how these things work?

She took the cake and a can of grape soda and walked back to her bed as the tears started to flow once more. She sat and pulled the covers over her legs as she shoveled cake into her mouth with whimpers coming out between every bite. She gazed up at her bedside table and the little black velvet box that was sitting on top of it.

Tonight was supposed to be the best night of our lives.

Now you think I’m a monster…You will never say yes now.

Carmilla reached over and grabbed the box from the table and slid open the drawer, pausing before placing the box inside.

This drawer was meant for things Carmilla wanted to forget about but didn’t want to throw out. It was riddled with trinkets from her past and photos that she couldn’t bare to look at anymore.

Ell was one of those things now.

Her phone buzzed and Carmilla picked it up to check the caller ID. It was Ell’s home number.

She never calls from that number…

“Hello?” Carmilla said wearily.

“Carmilla? This is Ell’s mother. I need to tell you something and I… I know you won’t..” She took a deep shaky breath that Carmilla could hear through the phone. It sounded like she had been crying. “It’s about Ell. And well...I heard that you and my daughter had somewhat of an argument earlier this evening. And I’m sorry for calling so late, but I thought you needed to be one of the first people to hear this. Carmilla, Ell had an accident. She was driving home from the bar about an hour ago. She had one too many drinks and well.. she…” Her voice faded off and Carmilla heard whimpers. “She crashed… She died on impact..”

Carmilla sat frozen in bed as she processed this information. The phone dropping onto her lap as sobs shook her body when the realization finally hit her.

Ell.. is.. dead. She’s dead because of you. You did this to her. You didn’t tell her the truth and now she is dead because you are a piece of shit that can’t do anything right.

Mother was right.

You ARE worthless.

======

BACK TO REALITY

Carmilla looked up at her mother’s still stern face and stood up from the couch. She straightened her leather jacket, wiped her hands on her black skinny jeans, and rounded the coffee table with a sudden urgency.

She kept her mouth shut, knowing this could turn very quickly into more than just a battle of words. However harsh her mother’s words could be, her punch was a lot worse.

“So I was thinking, instead of going out, I could just cook some spaghetti and we could talk here. I set up the table already.” Carmilla said, trying to change the subject before it went too far.

“That’s fine.”

Okay. Now just to get through the next two hours. Then you can go drink your sorrows away at the bar. Two hours.

Chapter Text

Standing on the very tips of her toes and stretching her arm out at full length, Laura pulled down the Tardis mug from the top shelf of the cupboard and set it on the counter next to the chips and salsa she had been eating earlier. Being 24 and fully grown, she should have been tall enough to not have to stand on her tiptoes to get something off the top shelf, but here she was..struggling. Gosh darn, genetics.

Laura pouted a little as she poured herself a cup of hot cocoa and rounded the counter, grabbing a box of cookies from the edge and bringing it to the couch with her. She sunk into the cushions and shoved a cookie into her mouth while simultaneously sipping her cocoa, making a concoction of chocolate on her tongue. She moaned at the sheer pleasure of it all and flipped the TV on to watch a few seasons of her favorite TV show ever.

Buffy. Cocoa. Cookies. All I need now is a girl to snuggle up with.

Laura was content.

A few hours later, she had sprawled out and finished off half of a season and that box of cookies when her phone rang. Pausing Buffy and looking at the Caller ID, she smiled and raised the phone to her ear.

“Hey Dad!” Laura said.

“Hey kiddo! How have you been? Still living the life and getting all the hard hitting stories?”

“You know it! Hermione is my nickname after all.” Her dad laughed at the mention of Harry Potter. “Work has been keeping me pretty busy lately but I found the time to just relax tonight, on your recommendation of course, and it’s nice. How have you been? I got your text! I heard you finally got that job at the Ranger’s Station! Congrats by the way!”

Laura took a sip of her cocoa and crossed her legs, leaning back into the throw pillows behind her.

“Thanks sweetheart. I might have had to bribe Jim to cut me some slack on the whole ‘knowing Krav Maga’ thing to be able to join the ranks but I got the job in the end..”

“Oh! I see how it goes! So you make me take those classes but you don’t have to learn it yourself, huh?” Laura giggled and heard her dad sigh out of exasperation on the other end.

“Come on, kid! I don’t need you to mess with me too! I get enough of that from Jim now. Besides, those classes taught you a lot, Laura. Especially after….”

There was silence for a moment.

“...After the accident. You know I couldn’t handle the thought of losing you too. I just needed that peace of mind.”

Another moment of silence.

“Sorry. I know, Dad and I love you for it. I really did learn a lot about self defense.”

“Good to know, kid…. And while we are on this topic, we need to talk about the anniversary.”

Laura’s heart sunk and she straightened up, preparing herself for the conversation that was inevitable around this time every year.

“Okay..” Laura breathed into the phone.

She heard her dad get up and start to walk around or something; probably pacing. It’s what he usually did when he was nervous or anxious.

“...Are you going to go see her?” Her dad finally spoke.

“Umm.. yeah.. as always. You going to go to the cabin at the lake for that week?”

“As always.” He said, mirroring her tone and her words.

“Well I guess she would be proud that we have a routine at the very least. She was always into planning and routines.”

He chuckled a bit and Laura could hear his slight smile at this thought.

“Yeah.. she was.”

“Mom always knew exactly what we were doing and when we would do it. Remember all her little sticky notes all over the kitchen, because she knew that you would forget anything she asked you to do?” Laura smiled.

She started to laugh a bit at the memory of her father forgetting to get bring her to soccer practice. He only remembered because Laura brought him the sticky note off the fridge that said ‘LAURA. SOCCER. 5 PM.’ in her mother’s handwriting.

“She was a great woman. She really knew how to bake too. You remember when she would set you on the counter and let you bake her famous chocolate chip cookies with her? You would get flour EVERYWHERE and she would just laugh…. We were lucky to know her.”

“Yeah. She would just feed me the chocolate and let me stir. We really were lucky.”

The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening. There weren’t many times where Laura didn’t have anything to say.

“I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too kid. I will talk to you soon, okay? I got some work to do. Be careful.”

“Okay. I will. Bye, Dad.”

Laura hung up the phone and shoved her face into her hands, running her fingers down her cheeks. Tears were starting to fall and she swallowed, gasping for air as her throat tightened.

Her mind raced with the memories. The memories of her mother and all the time she had spent trying not to think about her lately. The way she smelled, her smile, her voice, the way she would sing when she thought no one was listening, everything about her came flooding back.

I can’t think about her. Not now. Not tonight. Not this month. Not until the anniversary.

She couldn’t let tonight be spent curled into a ball on her bed, wailing into the dark, and drowning in her own tears. That is what she usually did when these conversations happened. She would hold up in her apartment for hours, crying. Ugly crying. But not tonight. She had to do something to get her mind out of this dark hole.

She needed to get out.

As much as she hated to say it, she needed a drink.

Laura stood up and brushed the cookies off her sweatpants. Walking back into her room, she flung her tank top and sweats into the dirty clothes. She shrugged on her Silas University hoodie and some jeans that were on the floor.

I have to get out of here.

Laura rushed through her apartment, desperate to get out of the four walls that seemed to be closing in, and swung open the front door. She paused with one foot in and one foot out. The cool air was like an ice bath flooding over her tense nerves as she looked back into her apartment at the picture of her mom on the end table.

“I’m sorry, I really am. But if I’m going to stay sane, I need a drink. I know I promised you I wouldn’t touch the stuff, at least not when I’m like this. But I have to. These memories are too much right now. I love you. Please remember that. I promise I won’t drive and I promise I won’t be that person. I won’t be like the person who hurt you.”

And with that, she closed the door and walked off into the cold October night.

The bar was stuffy and dark. People were beginning to crowd the bartender like he was an almighty angler fish god and they were his virgins to be sacrificed.

Love will have its sacrifices, right?

The drinks were half off tonight and everyone seemed to have the same idea; especially Carmilla. Everyone was either drunk or getting drunk and she was leaning on the wall in the corner, brooding. She pushed her hair back out of her face and felt the shots of bourbon from earlier hit her as the room started to spin a bit more.

Movement is not a good idea. Noted.

She was so far gone that she didn’t even care about the girls that kept hitting on her anymore. Another had just “accidently” bumped into her on the way to the restroom but Carmilla saw the grin that stretched into a full blown smile on her face when she made eye contact with her. Not an accident.

She was attractive too. Not that she cared in the first place, but sometimes it was nice to get attention. She craved attention. Just not like this.

Carmilla waved her off with a “Not tonight sweetheart. I don’t do drunk hookups. Not my thing.”

And that was that.

Ell was the last girl that she truly craved attention from and everyone knew how that one turned out. All the others were just one night stands or flings that she couldn’t seem to give two shits about no matter how hard she’d tried. And oh, did she try. Wanting to care about anyone and anything, she was mostly just desperate at this point. She wanted to feel something. No matter how many people she dated or tried to like, it never worked. She had to admit that love was hard to come by.

Especially when you never die.

Carmilla took another swig of her beer and looked around, watching the disgusting drunk frat boys hit on unsuspecting sorority girls from the nearby Silas University. The boys were huddling around the far corner table chanting something about Zeta Omega Mu and chugging a pint of beer. One of them, who really could only be described as a giant puppy with a ‘save the panties’ shirt on, was making his way towards the bar; stumbling along the way. Carmilla swore up and down she had seen him before around the office as an intern to that giantess but shrugged it off.

The puppy had finally shuffled his way to the bar and was asking for another pint when the front door swung open.

Frigid air came sweeping through the room and made Carmilla shake and shiver, which she never did; vampires don’t get cold. But that was when she caught the eyes of the girl who had just walked in.

Laura looked as if she had just woke up. Her Silas hoodie was baggy and her jeans were wrinkled like she picked them out of her hamper in a rush.

Smiling like an idiot, Carmilla’s face lit up and she didn’t try to force it to stop. She wondered what it was about this girl that made her want to tell the girl all her secrets. No one had made her smile like this in a long time and watching this girl just exist was a pleasure that Carmilla had no objections in taking advantage of.

That’s probably the alcohol talking. You are a Karnstein. You have no feelings. She probably thinks you’re a creep anyway.

She stayed in her dark corner as Laura got to the bar, ordered herself a drink, and started chatting with the big Zeta puppy. She obviously knew the guy and maybe Carmilla had been right about him being an intern. What was even more intriguing was the drink that was handed to Laura. It was definitely a frilly alcoholic drink, umbrella and everything.

Of course, it could be virgin but… nope. There is the sour face. Its alcoholic.

Carmilla thought this was a strange new development. The last she heard the boss had been against any form of alcohol at the company party and did not seem thrilled when she had to give in. Carmilla probably didn’t aid in making that any easier for her, being insanely drunk, but she pushed that out of her mind for now because Laura.. well she was looking at her and walking straight for her.

“Hey cutie.” Carmilla said as Laura got within earshot.

“Hey. Didn’t expect to see anyone I knew here. Especially you or Kirsch. ”

“So that’s the puppy’s name. And I could say the same, sweetheart. You are the last person I thought I would see tonight.”

“What exactly are you doing here? I mean, I know you drink because, hello! Nursed a hungover you over here.. but you know.” Laura smiled a little at Carmilla’s obvious distaste at the word ‘hungover’.

“Trying to drown the fact that my mother is a callous evil bitch at the bottom of a bottle.” Carmilla said bitterly.

“Oh. Um.. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. And why exactly is little miss Lauronica Mars here tonight? I didn’t take you for the bar type.”

“I’m not the bar type. Just had a bit of a rough night. I actually don’t drink.. like ever. But there are a few nights a year that are kind of an exception to my rule.”

Laura’s face went a bit pale and her eyes glazed over as she talked.

“Well as you may know, I definitely don’t have any rules about getting hammered and then sleeping over at a cute girl’s house.”

Oh shit. Did I just say that outloud? How drunk am I??

Laura’s cheeks blushed and she took a big gulp of her drink.

“I didn’t exactly plan on bringing a girl home that night, but I’m kind of glad I did.”

WAIT. Did she really just….say what I think she said?

“Really now? And why is that?” Carmilla’s smirk grew wider and the alcohol was starting to inhibit her judgement of flirting with her presumably semi-buzzed boss.

“Maybe because that girl I brought home is actually a really nice person under her hard exterior and all she really wants is someone to care? And she might be... kind of... really hot.”

Carmilla raised an eyebrow at 'really hot' but shrugged it off.

“Nice person. Yeah right.” Carmilla scoffed, trying to act like Laura didn’t just hit it on her, and drunkenly called the bartender over for another shot.

“Well I think you are. Even when you are drunk and act all unaffected...kind of like right now…” Laura pointed to the shot in Carmilla’s hand and gave her a ‘I see right through you, Karnstein” look. “But how would I know, right? We have seen each other twice. I don’t even know you. You could be Dracula for all I know.”

Carmilla smiled and chuckled under her breath.

“This is true. I could be. But maybe my version of Dracula wouldn’t be so bad.”

Laura’s face went bright pink again as Carmilla leaned in and whispered into her ear, bourbon still lingering on the back of her tongue.

“Follow me.” she said. She heard Laura’s breathing stop for a moment as it caught in her throat.

Carmilla grabbed Laura’s drink and put it on the bar. She locked hands with Laura, pulling her through the crowd and opening the door to let her go first.

“After you m’lady.”

They walked down the street in silence for a while. Neither of them making a comment on the cold air that kept making Laura shiver. Carmilla noticed it. She didn’t comment for fear of making Laura uncomfortable and possibly ruining whatever had been hovering thickly in the air ever since they met. But she would be lying if she said she hadn’t thought of giving Laura her leather jacket. Carmilla was about to shrug it off to hand it over but Laura cut off her train of thought.

“So where exactly am I ‘following’ you to? If it wasn’t you, I would say this was creepy.” Laura finally asked.

“Somewhere quiet. A little park I used to frequent. It’s only a few more blocks.”

“Used to?”

“Yes. Used to. I still do from time to time but it’s not near as often. I used to go here when I.. when I umm.. needed a place to get away. Away from myself.”

“Oh.. Yeah. I have those moments too. Actually, tonight was one of those moments. That's kind of why I showed up at the bar. Why I had a drink.”

“Well maybe this park will do as much for you as it did for me in the past. Speaking of, here we are, Cupcake.” Carmilla made a vague gesture with her hand. She pointed out in front of her and Laura followed her arm with her gaze. Laura's mouth dropping open at what she saw in front of her.

A black wrought iron gate stood tall before them with the words “Infinity Park” twisted out of the metal at the top. Massive oak trees hung over every sidewalk with fairy lights twisting throughout their branches and carvings of past lovers in every trunk. It was a green oasis in a concrete jungle.

“Carm.. it’s beautiful.” Laura said, stunned.

The nickname wasn’t lost on Carmilla. She heard it. It made her heart clench a little and no matter how much she tried to remind herself that she barely knew this girl, the feeling stayed.

“It certainly is.” she said. Her gaze coming back to rest on Laura’s face. “Come on.”

Carmilla pushed open the gates and watched Laura look around with a childlike wonder as she strode through the opening.

Chapter Text

Laura felt starstruck as she walked through the park with Carmilla by her side. This girl never looked anything less than immaculate and Laura, in her jeans and hoodie, looked like a hobo compared to Carmilla tonight. Carmilla looked extremely beautiful under the fairy lights. The moonlight was hitting her dark locks and reflecting off her always pale skin in a way that made it look like she had a halo. Her leather jacket was open, showing a low cut moon phase tank; leaving little to the imagination. Laura wondered how she wasn’t shivering. The temperature was surely dropping fast now and that jacket couldn’t be doing its job properly.

Maybe she really is Dracula.

But what really caught Laura’s attention were those purple skinny jeans, tight and hugging the butt, making Laura swallow hard every time Carmilla got a little ahead of her. Carmilla’s butt, come to find out, was one of Laura’s weaknesses.

She’s my employee. No. I cannot be thinking of her like this.

Laura shook her head of these thoughts and gazed back at the brunette walking beside her once again.

Laura could tell from the smirk that had been plastered on Carmilla’s face ever since they walked in the gates a few minutes ago that she was happy to be back in this park again. But something was off, she could tell. Maybe it was her body language; stiff, tense, like she was ready to bolt at any moment if a leaf dropped from a tree.

Or maybe it was the fact that they hadn’t spoken a word to each other since they got here.

Laura tried her best to break the silence.

“This park is gorgeous. How did you find it?” Laura asked innocently.

“I found it when I was.. um... younger. I used to jump out of my window late at night when I couldn’t sleep. I would walk around for hours and one night I happened to come across this park, all lit up like tonight, and stayed until sunrise. After that night, I came almost every night for two years. I would lay down on one of these rusty old benches and stare at the stars. I would map them out in my head; take mental pictures. And then I would rush home and write it all down in a journal so as to never forget.”

Carmilla went silent for a moment and looked at her shuffling feet like she was pondering on whether to continue.

“I have always been fascinated with the stars, the infinite cosmos, and the ever expanding universe. It makes everything else seem so unimportant and useless. Like we are all just fragments of stardust lost in the vastness of space.” Carmilla kicked a rock as she looked to Laura with dark hooded eyes for something that looked like needed approval.

“Wow. Well it must be honesty hour, because that was the most I have ever heard you talk.” Laura said, shocked, mouth agape.

Carmilla chuckled and bit the side of her lip.

“Sorry. I’m a nostalgic idiot tonight.”

“No! Please, don’t be sorry! I like hearing you talk. I like hearing what you have to say. Contrary to popular belief at the office, I think you are extremely intriguing. So yeah.. I like hearing your voice and the words that come out of that mouth. You know... when you aren’t being snarky and sassy.”

This made Carmilla laugh again. It was a light jolly laugh.

Laura thinks she could get used to that sound. Especially if she was the one to cause it.

“Well then, cutie, you are in luck. Because maybe I don’t feel like sharing you tonight but I will definitely share some information.” Carmilla leaned in close to Laura’s face with hungry eyes. “But this is for your ears only.. Understood?”

Laura nodded and looked away quickly, avoiding her deep stare.

Hesitantly and with a racing heart, Laura grabbed Carmilla’s hand, stopping their slow walk. She felt Carmilla freeze and become rigid at her touch. Almost like she was nervous too. Laura’s heart fluttered, pulsing under her skin and she felt the blood run straight to her finger tips. Electricity at the slightest touch. She looked back up into Carmilla’s eyes and saw something resembling fear.

Fear of what? Why is she so afraid?

“Good. Because I want to get to know you, Carm. You confuse me, deeply. I have been trying to figure you out ever since we met and my inner investigative journalist is screaming to get out.” Laura said and let go of Carmilla’s hand in favor of walking again, easing the sudden tension hanging in the air.

“Well, Cupcake, what do you want to know?” Carmilla collected herself and matched Laura’s stride, looking at her with that famous sideways smile. “Within reason, Lois Lane..” Carmilla added at Laura’s gigantic grin.

Laura couldn’t believe this girl was actually willing to answer questions, much less speak at length. Carmilla was normally rather short or sarcastic with her. She always seemed to say more with her body than with her mouth.

That mouth.....

NO, Laura. Stop thinking of her that way. She probably isn’t even interested.

“Oh! I have an idea!” Laura said enthusiastically as she pulled her phone from her pocket and started tapping away at the little screen.

“I’ve always wanted to do one of these with someone and LaFontaine would never agree to do it because it wasn’t ‘based in fact’... whatever that means.”

Carmilla peered over Laura’s shoulder and stopped dead in her tracks. Eyes wide like a deer in headlights.

“Oh, Creampuff, if you think I’m doing one of those stupid couple questionnaires with you... you are sadly mistaken.”

“Oh come on, Carm! Please!” Laura stuck out her bottom lip and made big puppy eyes up at Carmilla, hoping to persuade the grumpy brunette.

“Sweetheart. No.”

“Carm. Yes.”

Carmilla sighed heavily, found the nearest bench, and plopped down with a dramatic flail of her arms.

“Ya killin me, Hollis.” Carmilla said, smiling weakly and patting the seat next to her.

Laura let out an excited squeal and hopped over to sit next to her exasperated friend.

“Okay. First question!” Laura said once the page on her phone had properly loaded. It might have been a smart phone, but it was still ancient.

“What is your favorite color?…. Wait… we already know that. Yours is black and mines baby blue. Right. Ummm”

Carmilla’s face went soft and her gaze was fixed on Laura.

“What? You gave me this look in the dentist office too when I mentioned my favorite color. What is it? It is something I said?”

“My ex liked baby blue too. That’s all.”

“Oh..” Laura sunk back in the seat, a bit deflated at the mention of an ex.

She continued scrolling for several minutes looking for more questions as her spirits came back.

“If this is any indication of how this is going to go, I’m going to need to go get a pillow and blanket because this is going to be a snooze fest.” Carmilla quipped.

“Oh hush, grumpy.” Laura waved her hand dismissively at Carmilla and continued reading.

“Oh! Here is a good one! … What is your dream job?”

“Wedding and Obituary writer of course.” Carmilla smiled the biggest fake smile Laura had ever seen.

“Carm. Please take this seriously. What is it?”

“Well, if you must know, I do want to be a writer. That part wasn’t a lie. I actually would like to write my own book one day. A book on the stars. A mix of astrology and philosophy.”

“I can totally see you having a philosophy degree.” Laura laughed.

“Actually that is exactly what I majored in.”

“Oh! Well… there goes that question…” Laura scrolled past a few more dumb questions before coming to some she liked.

“Mine was journalism by the way and I would like to be a reporter… I know you didn’t ask but-”

“Ah! That’s where this came from.” Carmilla gestured to all of Laura with a sly smile on her face.

“All of this? I will take that as a compliment.” Laura sat up straighter and puffed out her chest, making Carmilla snort in laughter.

“Wasn’t meant as one but I guess it IS kind of adorable.”

Laura’s face went a bright shade of pink and she quickly averted her attention back to her phone to distract from the situation at hand.

“Anyway… um… next question… Top or bottom?” Laura looked up straight faced for a split second like she didn’t realize what she had just asked. And then it hit her.

“Oh my god! I didn’t mean to ask that! I am so sorry! They are all bunched up here together. I didn’t mean to ask that one! Oh my go-”

Carmilla was rolling in laughter, hiccuping for breath between fits. She eventually calmed down when Laura’s face became stern and collected herself enough to speak again.

She cleared her throat with a suppressed smile.

“..Sorry. But since you are asking…I’m versatile, sweetheart. Yourself?”

“Oh.. umm.. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.. so..” Laura said dismissively.

“Oh come on. It cant be that shocking.”

Oh, yes it can!

“Well, in the few times I have umm.. had.. sex.. I was a.. top.”

Carmilla’s eyes grew wide and she gave Laura a shocked but interested stare.

“Oooooh.. A dominant one, huh?” Carmilla gave Laura a teasing nudge but Carmilla’s eyes said something about her mood other than humor. It was something a bit darker.

Laura changed the subject quickly, trying to play off how much she enjoyed that look.

“Ha! Yeah. Dominant. Anyway, back to the questions!…. What was the last movie you saw and what did you think?”

“Quick to change the subject, I see. Well okay, but just so you know, I am always open to bottom for a pretty girl, sweetheart.”

Laura’s face flushed and the brunette smiled, realizing she had had an affect.

Carmilla continued, “But to answer your question, Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens. But only because its a silent film and I don’t have to listen to idiotic babbling.”

“Isn’t that the story that was based off Dracula? Do you have a running theme of Dracula in your life?” Laura snickered at her, but was still a bit impressed at her pronunciation of the title. Like she had been speaking it for centuries.

She must be more cultured than I give her credit for.

“Maybe I just enjoy films that are wholly inaccurate. Your turn.”

“The Holiday, with Jude Law and Kate Winslet. It’s an all time favorite in the Hollis household. Mainly because of Kate Winslet. I may or may not have a slight celebrity crush on her.” Laura smiled weakly and shrugged her shoulders.

“I should have seen that coming. Of course your favorite is a Christmas rom-com.”

“Don’t be a Grinch! Christmas is my favorite holiday! Which is actually the next question, so…”

“Halloween.”

“Why didn’t I think of that. Carmilla Karnstein, broody and unaffected, has a thing for evil monsters.” Laura laughs and playfully knocks knees with the girl sitting beside her.

“Not all monsters have to be the villain, Cupcake. Not to say I’m the hero or anything.”

Carmilla’s tense posture returned, leaving Laura feeling like she had said something that struck a nerve. Guilt flooded through Laura’s body like a tsunami crashing on the shore of an island, leaving nothing in its wake.

“I think you would make a great hero, Carm.” She said, half apologizing.

“The only bit of good that was associated with me that was worth saving was killed a long time ago.”

“What are you talking about? You are most certainly capable of being good.”

“I am not capable of love, Laura.” Carmilla’s eyes were almost dead. Like she believed every word of that sentence. Like she had been told it so many times, it was burned into her brain; a cattle’s brand on their flank. All of the humor and lighthearted fun they had been having was no where to be found now. “If I can’t love, then I most certainly can’t be good. And if i can’t be good, then how do I ever expect to be loved.”

That last line broke Laura’s heart into a million shattered pieces. This girl was glass and someone had shattered her on the floor.

But who?

“Carm…” Laura tentatively placed her hand on Carmilla’s leg, stroking softly.

“She died…”

“Who died? What are you-?”

“The only person I ever loved. The only good piece of me…”

There was a tense drawn out silence that must of have been hours long.

“…Her name was Ell.”

Laura thought back to her mother.

Ell….Mom…

“What happened?”

“Car crash.”

That’s…. quite the coincidence.

“I’m really sorry to hear about that, Carm. I know it might not help to hear and it’s really cliche to say, but I know how you feel. My mom died in a car crash.”


“Oh… Well, seems we both have lost some good then.”

“I still see a lot of good sitting beside me.” Laura smiled and squeezed Carmilla’s thigh again, skimming her thumb across the fabric.

“Yeah. I don’t know about that, but… Halloween. Definitely.”

“Right. Umm… do you wanna walk or something and do this? My butt is a little sore from this rotting wood.” Laura shifted in her seat and rubbed her butt with her hand.

Carmilla smiled.

Finally. Welcome back.

“Yeah. Let’s walk. Lead the way, Cupcake.” Carmilla stood, extending a hand to Laura, offering help. Laura grabbed tightly and pulled herself up with gusto. Flinging into the air a bit too hard, she came crashing into Carmilla, who looked shocked that such a tiny human had such strength. And maybe that this tiny human was now fully pressed up against her; breath hot in her face. Just maybe.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

They stood, lost in each others eyes for a moment. A moment that seemed to drag on for centuries. And maybe it did, but Carmilla was the first to take a step back. Much to Laura’s dismay.

“M-Maybe I should just head home…” Carmilla sputtered out.

“Wait.. why? Are you still drunk? Do you need a ride? I can call us one. I don’t want you driving if you are even slightly inebriated. Hang on, I will call us a cab.”

Carmilla didn’t even have time to make a snide comment or protest in any way. Laura had made reservations in the blink of an eye for a cab to come pick them up in fifteen minutes at the gates of the park.

“Well.. I guess we can ride together then.” Carmilla stated with a slight grin.

Laura shrugged and with a bat of her eyelashes as if to say ‘I did that on purpose’, they both started for the gates.

Standing and waiting was tiresome to Laura. She was a woman of action and nothing made her more anxious than waiting. This was probably exactly what made this fifteen minutes seem so awkward.

Laura, who was usually a talkative rambling mess was silent as ever. A mouse would have made more noise. Her fingers intertwined and her feet bouncing her up and down as she scanned the street for any signs of her yellow saving grace.

Carmilla, however, seemed very relaxed. Her back pressed up against the gates and her hands tapping out a beat that was very familiar but hard to place. The streetlight at the corner gave off just enough light that Laura could see the smirk on the brunette’s face at Laura’s obvious anxious behavior.

Of course she’s smirking. Being all comfortable and stuff.

And that is the exact moment when her big yellow stallion came screeching to a halt at the curb.

“Cupcake?” Carmilla asked, pulling Laura out of a sort of trance. “Huh?”

“I think we are at your apartment because its definitely not mine.”

“Oh right. Yeah….” Laura started to scoot and open her door when she turned back to face Carmilla.

“So I was thinking on the way over here..”

“That’s never a good sign.” Carmilla joked, smiling broadly.

“Ha. ha..... As I was saying, I was thinking and maybe, if you want, we could go get breakfast at this little cafe I know of in the morning? We could finish our game.”

Carmilla’s face brightened up at the offer and she almost looked like she blushed a bit in the darkness of the cab.

“I think I’d like that very much.”

“Cool! umm.. I mean.. cool. So uhh… here…” Laura handed Carmilla her phone and snatched Carmilla’s off her knee in the same motion.

“I will text you the address in the morning.” Laura said after entering her phone number, handing it back to its owner.

“Smooth, Sundance. Way to get a girls number.” Carmilla winked and reached over, sliding her hand down Laura’s back. “I like a girl who’s not afraid to take charge.”

Laura, stunned and slightly dizzy and not from the alcohol, climbed out of the taxi and ran upstairs to her apartment in a daze.

Chapter Text

Her hands gripped tightly onto her phone as she trudged along the sidewalk, keeping her head down and tapping the phone screen periodically to keep her map illuminated. The streets were wet from the late night October storms and the bottoms of her skinny jeans were soaking as her boots flung water onto the backs her calves.

The cafe wasn’t too far from Carmilla’s own apartment according to Laura’s google map photo, but finding it had proven difficult this early in the morning and she had been walking for at least thirty minutes.

Quite frankly, she was beginning to blame Laura’s shitty directions.

(Carmilla, 8:25 am) I swear if 1698 Stone Street isn’t a real place and you are leading me to my doom...

(Cupcake, 8:26 am) I was just about to ask where you were! haha! Guess you are having a little trouble, huh? ;)

(Carmilla, 8:26 am) Well if the water that is currently sloshing in my boots right now is any indication of how long I have been walking, I would say that “a little trouble” is an understatement, Cupcake.

(Cupcake, 8:28 am) Ah, the mistress of the snark is back. Nice to see you again. :P Do you need me to come wave you down, lost traveler?

Carmilla snorted at Laura’s version of sass and looked up, scanning the intersection she was currently waiting at. It seemed like a nice enough area. The shop windows had gone from Antique shop-esque furniture and old instruments to high-end boutique clothing and baby clothes shops. Very upper-class suburban mom.

All of these things and the fact that the street numbers were starting to reach the 1600’s, indicated she was getting closer to her place of work and to this mysterious, elusive cafe when she finally spotted it.

The large curly white writing that read Belmonde Bistro stood out on the top of the small brick building. The sizable red and white striped awnings dripped with morning dew and leftover rainwater that flowed into the wilting flower beds underneath. But Carmilla’s attention was drawn elsewhere-- glued to the tiny girl that was opening the doors and stifling a laugh.

Laura’s grin stretched from ear to ear and pulled at the corners of her eyes. She looked very amused at Carmilla’s unfortunate little journey this morning and the wrinkles that rippled across her nose with every snort in her fit of laughter made Carmilla’s heart clench.

“Well at least someone finds my misadventures amusing.” Carmilla said as she jogged under the awning, just missing the downpour that seemed to only last a few seconds.

“Aww! Does dark and broody need a hug?” Laura quipped jokingly and stretched out her hands in a mock invitation.

“Yeah yeah yeah. Can we just go inside?”

Laura grinned again at Carmilla’s grumpy attitude, pulling the door open and leading the way inside.

The air smelled of coffee, chocolate, and sugar, reminding Carmilla of another smell that she had only come close enough to Laura to smell twice. The sunlight peaked from the tops of the opposing buildings and washed the room with its post-rain rays. It bathed the honey blonde hair of the laughing girl beside her in a sea of light and made Carmilla wish she could just reach out and touch her. Every muscle in her body wanted to feel the warmth that was Laura and run her fingers through that hair.

But entertaining thoughts that are to never happen is unhealthy and Carmilla pushed the thoughts out of her mind as Laura opened her mouth to speak again.

“So do you have any siblings?” Laura asked with a smile brighter than the sun outside.

“Nope. But I have a cousin. He’s not really so much of a ‘blood’ relative, but I call him that. You might know him actually. He works with us. You familiar with William in the Mailroom?”

“Will Eisen? Yeah! Him and Kirsch are good friends! In fact, I think they are Zeta brothers. Kirsch said something about it at the bar last night, but he was a little too drunk for me to understand. So you guys are, uh, cousins?” Laura stammered out the word cousins like it left a bad taste in her mouth and an uneasy feeling settled in the air.

“Uh, not technically. But yeah. Why?”

“Oh. No reason. Just, uh, isn’t he a vampire?” Laura whispered. “I only ask because he likes to wear this shirt around the office and, I don’t know if he is just really proud or.. and I don’t want to be species-ist or anything and he seems like a real ‘bro’ but I dont want to ask him personally and come off like I don’t like vampires because it’s cool if he is one and if he-.” Laura trailed off, realizing she was rambling and started picking at her nails.

Carmilla snorted out a laugh at Laura’s obvious discomfort. Her rambling made Carmilla almost think she would be okay with the fact that she is an undead fiend. But that was probably just wishful thinking.

“Yup. He is pretty ‘out’ about his taste for blood. Those Vamps 4 (after)Lyfe t-shirts that he obnoxiously made for both of u-, um.. himself and his friend were disgustingly hideous. Nice to know he’s putting them to good use and not just letting them rot in the back of his closet.” Carmilla winked, treading lightly on the subject of her species and Laura seemed to relax.

“Well he is definitely parading around the office in them. Wait, do you not see him around the office much? The way you are talking makes it sound like you don’t really talk to him.”

“He’s just a little cocky for my taste.”

“Carm, seriously? You are the cockiest person I have ever met. Not in a bad way and not that I blame you because, I mean, look at you.” Laura smiled and gestured at Carmila with a ‘You are hot and you know it’ look.

“This look isn’t an easy thing, Cupcake. This ‘wooing’ thing takes effort and it’s good to know that my plan to woo the pretty girl is working.” Carmilla smirked suggestively in Laura’s direction and Laura squinted her eyes. “I mean of course, unless it isn’t working and you asking me to breakfast and getting to know me in the park and making me breakfast when I crashed on your couch was all just a fluke.. then yeah.”

“Like I said before, cockiest person I have ever met.” Laura took a bite of her glazed coffee cake and sipped her --and this was just a wild shot in the dark here-- sugar filled coffee drink.

Despite Laura’s smug look as she seemingly ‘won’ the last conversation, Carmilla couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of her.

The way she grabbed little pinches of the cake, bringing them to her mouth and depositing them on her tongue, before licking the residual sticky coating off her fingers. The shine of her newly wet fingertips as they closed around the ‘caution: HOT’ sleeve and brought her beverage up to her awaiting mouth. The way her lips would curl around her cup as she took a sip of her coffee; her tongue darting out to meet steaming liquid seconds before her mouth ever met the plastic.

Every little move seemed calculated and every little move was Carmilla’s undoing. Her neck got increasingly warmer as she watched with bated breath as Laura continued her usual movements. Movements that were definitely having an impact on the stone cold demon of the night that had no feelings whatsoever.

None. At all. Not for this girl. Nope.

But maybe if we could just go on a… no.

“You know, I pay more attention than you think.” Laura said, snapping Carmilla out of her obvious stare.

Laura’s voice was low and the mood had shifted very drastically from the previous conversation or since Carmilla was last mentally present.

“Pay attention to what exactly?” Carmilla asked, trying not to let the attraction to her friend shine through in her voice.

Carmilla took notice at the sudden tension in the air; a slightly different kind of tension than before and slid her hand across the sofa, lightly touching Laura’s free hand to her own. Pinky fingers brushing up against one another. Fire seemed to race up Carmilla’s arm, scorching the entire way, and burnt her heart with a blazing fire that wouldn’t die out.

Laura’s throat jumped. It indicated that she swallowed hard and Carmilla grinned at the sight.

“Uh, I pay attention to, uh..” Laura stammered.

Carmilla reluctantly dragged her hand away from Laura’s in favor of lightly brushing some of Laura’s hair back behind her ear. Taking her time and tickling the tops of her ears with her fingertips.

“To uh, the fact that you are purposefully…”

“Purposefully what? Are you okay, cutie?” Carmilla said with a satisfied tone as she pulled her hand away, letting her fingers trace Laura’s neck and shoulders.

“Im.. fine. Just fine. But yeah, I pay attention to loads of things. Like the fact that last night you weren’t exactly bundled up and it got pretty cold. Yet, you never even shivered once. And the fact that you don’t really ever ‘eat’ per say. You really just pick at your food.” Laura pointed to the giant cinnamon roll sitting on the table in front of them with a fork that hadn’t been touched.

Carmilla felt her eyes go wide at the mention of her non-human traits and the fact that Laura was picking up on them.

Lauronica Mars, indeed.

“Also that you definitely just did that ..thing you just did to me on purpose!”

“Thing? I have no idea what you are talking about!” Carmilla feigned innocence.

She busied herself with stabbing her cinnamon roll and taking a very reluctant bite. Showing she was eating by turning her head towards Laura as she bit down.

“I mean, I’m flattered Carm. It’s just maybe I wish you would take me out first, ya know?” Laura jokingly jabbed at Carmilla’s side and raised an eyebrow at her, copying Carmilla’s own patented move.

“Careful what you wish for, Miss Hollis. It might come true.” Carmilla smiled into her hands with a devilish grin and kicked up the rasp in her voice.

“What if I want it to come true? Then maybe, uh, we could, ya know…” Laura shrugged, her eyes darting back and forth between Carmilla and her intertwined fingers in her lap. Her face was a deep shade of pink and her tongue darted out, pulling her bottom lip into a bite.

Carmilla was staring. Very blatantly, in fact. Her mouth dry and her neck hot at the sight of Laura’s lip between her teeth, wishing it was her own teeth grabbing that lip.

“Well cutie, maybe one day it will come true. You will just have to wait and see I guess. Now won’t you?”

The week after breakfast with Carmilla was pretty uneventful to say the least. The most that happened was she bumped into Will at work and that turned out to be pretty informational. He just so happened to be very open about his so called “brotastic vamp-ness” and spewed out answers to every question Laura posed.

Quite the feat for a Zeta. Poor little guy. He had some trouble comprehending bigger words that Laura threw into conversation, but he caught on towards the end.

“So you don’t sparkle in the sunlight?” Laura asked.

“No. That is a load of bullcrap that the media has decided to brainwash you with. That’s like me asking you if lesbians really scissor because Blue is the Warmest Colour sure was teeming with hot lesbian scissoring sex.” Will replied.

“Oh. I see. So Twilight is pretty much strictly fiction, huh?”

“Those Chokoa Crunch commercials with the little Dracula vampire dancing around and singing is more accurate than Twilight.” Will did a little jig, imitating the dance and making Laura chuckle.

“Okay. Okay. You proved your point..... Well anyway, I should probably get back to work. But it was great talking to you.”

“You too little nerd hottie.”

Laura rolled her eyes at the nickname as she walked back to her office.

At least Carmilla had the decency to go with baked goods and not dehumanizing, sexist language.

Once a Zeta, Always a Zeta, right?

Speaking of baked goods…

Laura whipped her phone out of her back pocket and closed the door to her office as she approached her desk. Dialing LaF and sitting back, she waited for it to inevitably go to voicemail when a breathy voice on the other end picked up.

“Hello?”

“Oh, uh, hey! I didn’t think you would actually pick up. It’s early and well, I figured you would still be asleep.”

“You should know me better by now, Hollis. Perry just about kicked me out of bed this morning when she left for work and I have been given a ‘honey do list’ to finish before she makes it back this evening.”

“Imagining you checking off items on a ‘honey do list’ makes me laugh. Also the fact that Perry has you doing chores around the house. Isn’t that what that iclean 500 robot that you built in college was for? The one you spent weeks locked in a stuffy room with electric probes and decaying body parts from the pit that suddenly appeared in place of the Lustig building?”

“iclean died like a week after sucking up one of my super acidic experiments that fell on the floor. Apparently corrosive acid doesn’t mix with copper wires. But college? Those were the glory days man.” LaF seemed to sigh contentedly as they shuffled on the other end of the phone. Presumably cleaning something for Perry.

“If you mean glory days as in us hunched in front of a computer and plotting with not so great weapons as to how to overthrow an evil dean? And your experiments going awry at every turn? Then yeah, glory days. And those experiments were toxic. Especially to Perry. Poor thing couldn’t clean fast enough to keep up with your messes. Speaking of, how is Perry by the way? I haven’t seen her around the office lately.”

“She’s good. I don’t think she is too excited about me going to see my parents next week without her. She has become a bit protective of me and making sure everyone is brushing up on their pronoun usage.” LaF’s voice morphed into an impressive Perry impersonation. “You feeling that your identity is valid is far more important than going to see your parents.”

“Well at least she is worried about how you identify now, huh? That’s a big improvement from college!”

“Very true. Actually, I have a favor to ask of you and I know it’s probably not a big deal, but I’m going to ask you anyway. Would you mind hanging out with Perry while I’m gone this next week? I don’t want her scrubbing the house down to it’s stubs and bolts while I’m gone. She will stress clean and you know she will.”

Laura chuckled.

“LaF, of course I will! We are good friends. I mean, we don’t really hang out without you around anymore. But we used to in college and now is a good time to catch back up. You just worry about staying sane at your parent's house, okay? Don’t let them call you the S name. Alright? In your words, we don’t apologize for the hardcore.”

“Damn right we don’t….. and thanks Hollis.”

“No problem. Just make sure I get another dozen chocolate chip cookies. Make that my payment?” Laura pleaded.

“You got it. I will talk to you later.”

“Bye LaF.”

Laura hung up the phone and silently got back to work, looking at the clock.

Already behind for the morning. Great.

Chapter Text

“Hey Perr? You in here?” Laura yelled as she pushed open the slightly ajar bright red door.

The house was littered with cleaning supplies. A broom stood up against one of the door frames with a dustpan still holding dust on the floor and the air smelled of lemon cleaner. The living room was filled with the sounds of Ice Cube blaring from the discreetly placed speakers and the distant sound of a woman rapping.

“Perr?!” Laura screamed over the music, looking in each room as she passed until she came to the back bedroom.

Perry was standing in the corner with her back turned to Laura cleaning a table and rapping vigorously. Her hair was severely more disheveled than normal, her cat t-shirt and green sweatpants were covered in lint, and her tennis shoes were caked with an unknown substance-- most likely a spilled experiment from LaF’s lab. For a kept together, neurotic little woman, she sure was a mess when she was stressed.

Laura slowly made her way towards Perry, passing the bed, which was cluttered with folded clothes that were sorted into neat, organized piles.

“Hey Perry?!” Laura screamed at Perry’s back loud enough for her to hear over the music.

Perry jumped and swiveled around on her heels to see Laura smiling from ear to ear. Grabbing the remote off the end table she was previously cleaning, Perry tapped the big red pause button and flattened her hair with her hands.

“Goodness gracious, Laura! Don’t give me scare like that! I thought you were coming at noon.” Perry said after collecting her composure.

“Well we are still hanging out today, right? LaF was insistent on me stopping by early to make sure you don’t clean your fingers off.” Laura said, smiling at the mention of her best friend being a worry wart. “But it seems I might be too late.”

Laura gave a big smile and gestured to the very sterile room they were currently standing in.

“A clean home is a happy home, Laura. And yes. ‘Hanging out’. Well then...” Perry plucked her yellow rubber gloves off one finger at a time and tucked them under her arm. She slid her grimy covered shoes off by the corner of the bed and started making her way towards the kitchen at a hurried pace.

“Are you hungry? Maybe snacky? I baked some of your favorites! Unless you want real food, then I baked a broccoli cheese casserole last night or maybe you want some chicken noodle soup. I have both! Also if-”

“Perr, have you been stress baking?!” Laura interrupted in a stern tone, almost motherly.

“No!.. Not at all!” she said defensively.

Reaching the kitchen, Perry grabbed two plates and started pulling the entire contents of her fridge out on the counter. Her mumbles about spoiled leftovers that needed to be cleaned out were muffled by the sounds of clanking dishes.

“So how is life with the mad scientist?” Laura asked as Perry continued to sort through the condiments on the counter.

“Uneventful. They seem content to just stay in the lab and theorize. I occasionally try to lure them out with some pot roast but sometimes even food doesn’t do the trick. They are currently working on a cleaning solution that kills 100% of germs instead of just 99% like most cleaners. So needless to say, these past few weeks have been all work and no play and I have taken up pickling to pass the time.”

“Pickling what exactly?” Laura said with a slight grimace.

“Mostly just cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, and beets. Sadly, LaFontaine would say I have pickled just about everything in the house, but that is certainly not true.” Perry shook her head and continued to dig in the fridge, placing everything on the counter.

“Well LaF is one to talk. They have experimented on every little thing they have ever come into contact with, including me.” Laura shuddered at the memory. “I still have nightmares about that week with the mutant mushrooms - The smells, the fungus, the horror.”

Perry shuffled backwards out of the fridge, careful not to bump her head on the freezer door, and set down a very large casserole dish.

The smell was intoxicating, even while it was cold.

Perry smiled and shut the refrigerator door. She started to tear the cling film off several dishes and stuck them in the microwave while humming Ice Cube’s “Why We Thugs”.

“Speaking of LaFontaine, they have been telling me about you and this young lady. What was it? Miss Karnstein? Now, as old floor don habits die hard, I have to say that she seems a bit young for you, Laura.”

“Perr, she is two years older than me and it’s not like we are dating.” Laura said, taking the plate in Perry’s outstretched hand.

Perry’s pursed lips and squinty uncertain eyes said everything about what she thought of Laura’s denial.

Her hands fell to her hips in a very motherly stance as if to say “Tell me the truth”.

Laura sighed, deep and exasperated.

“Fine. I maybe, kind of befriended her.”

Perry shifted her weight and tapped her foot, waiting.

“Okay!....okay okay! Yes, I may have slight thing for her. Yes, I like the broody, young, dark haired, sarcastic girl that works for me. Yes, I may want to kiss her at some point in the future or maybe every time she comes near me. Yes, Carmilla Karnstein is…. something. So..hush, okay? I already know how wrong that sounds.”

Grinning from ear to ear at the confession, Perry held out the casserole dish and spooned out a big glob of now piping hot broccoli cheese casserole onto Laura’s plate.

“What is Carmilla really like anyway? She doesn’t seem to talk much to anyone. At least that’s what Lafontaine tells me.” Perry asked, handing a spoon to Laura.

“She’s not very talkative, even when you get to know her. Honestly, she is funny, sweet, sarcastic, and caring. I have only known her for like 2 months now? But I know that she is a good-hearted person behind her hard existential exterior” Laura smiled from ear to ear as she talked about Carmilla.

"Hm." Perry smiled, before taking a bite of casserole.

"Don't 'Hm' me, Lola Perry. I know it sounds stupid and maybe naive to think she's more than what I have seen so far. But, does a person who searches around the office to find you and give you a cookie.... or maybe a person who brings you to a park from their childhood and walks and talks with you for a few hours... sound like a bad person?" Laura poured.

Perry's grin grew.

"Laura, you have dug yourself a very precarious hole here with Miss Karnstein. But, as your old floor don, once again, I can recall that this isn't an uncommon occurrence with you. Getting yourself into precarious situations. Also, this certain girl seem to really...." Perry turned her hand into a fist and swung her arm around her body, like in a square dance. ".... get your goat -- if you know what I mean."

Laura felt her face flush a light pink and she started giggling.

"Yeah... she does, Perr."

The prying continued for an hour or two as Perry grilled Laura between bites.

“So are you going to actually court her?” Perry asked as she picked up the plates off the counter.

“Court her? Perry, this isn’t the 1700s.” Laura laughed. “But.. I mean.. Maybe. I’m not really sure I would be the one to ask someone out on a date, especially my employee!”

“Well, if my human has taught me anything, it’s to not back down from a challenge. This Carmilla girl sounds like a challenge and you should ask her out to brunch or something.” Perry said in a matter of fact tone.

“Your human is also a crazed scientist who has probably breathed in enough fumes to make anyone’s head spin. Also, she isn’t exactly the Brunch type. She is more of the bar at 3 am, playing darts type.” Laura said, reaching for her keys.

And drinking insane amounts of alcohol.

Perry scrunched up her nose in distaste toward Laure.’s description of Carmilla.

Bars aren’t clean and are far too noisy for Perry.

“As much as I would love to stay and talk more about my ever increasing crush on my employee, I made plans with Danny to go bowling this afternoon. You are more than welcome to join us though!” Laura said.

Perry pulled open the door and stepped outside with Laura as she walked her to her car.

“I think I will hold off on putting my feet in used shoes and grabbing balls that kids stick their booger covered hands in. But thank you for the offer, that’s sweet of you to ask.” Perry said, grabbing Laura’s car door.

Laura smiled and hugged Perry before getting in her car.

Perry stood in the driveway in her cat shirt and still frazzled hair, waving, as Laura drove away.

“I really wish you would have at least called me before you just showed up at my apartment.” Carmilla sighed in exasperation.

“Come on… members of The Vamps 4 Lyfe club don’t need invitations before hanging out with the crew!” Will exclaimed.

Will had showed up unannounced at her house this afternoon after she mentioned she was having lunch with her mom. He showed up with a bowling ball bag and two matching bowling shirts that said “The Suckers”.

“Like the Strikers, ya know? Because bowling and strikes.” Will had said with a very large white smile.

Carmilla knew he was actually just trying to be nice. After-all, Will knew how horrible Lillita was and how much Carmilla and her didn’t get along. He had been around them enough times to understand that she probably needed some time out of the house after that. - - - She was still annoyed though.

Will grabbed a bowling ball the size of his head off of the rack and started juggling it between his hands, judging the size and weight. He grabbed the ball with both hands and started lunging from side to side, like in a cardio workout.

Carmilla stared at him with a grimace for a long while, watching him struggle to find a ball. His method was oddly unusual and was most likely to put on a show for the girls in lane 6.

Finally, she caved in.

“Just pick one already, bloodsucker!” Carmilla yelled, grabbing the big red size 7 ball off the rack and turning to go to the far corner lane.

She set down her ball and started to type in nicknames for herself and Will before beginning.

Carmilla wanted to embarrass Will in the best way possible in the form of a horrible nickname on the big bright score screen and she knew exactly what to put.

Carmilla had always teased Will when they used to hang out because some of his old friends used to refer to him as Billy. He ABSOLUTELY hated it.

One day, Will and his friends had gone out to a party and Will had brought a flask full of blood along with him - - just in case. After having multiple shots of Whiskey and having done multiple keg stands, Will had tried to, very drunkenly, open his flask. The bottle slipped out of his hand and blood had gone everywhere. Sadly, no one at the party besides his few friends knew he was a vampire. So, as “coming out” stories go, his exploded in a big red splash all over him.

Carmilla grinned and started typing as Will gazed up at the screen, big bright yellow ball in hand.

Silas Speedy Lanes Bowling

-Carm

-Bloody Billy

Will punched Carmilla in the arm and sulked off to the chair nearest the lane.

“You aren’t funny.” Will said with a pouty lip that would only ever come out around her.

His ball rolled around in the seat next to him and Carmilla cackled as she grabbed her ball and started to make some practice tosses before the game actually started. Will sat unmoving as Carmilla made several attempts to get the kiddy bumpers down and only moved to go stand next to the machine when she finally succeeded in her task. Carmilla threw a few strikes and a few spares and turned on her heels when she heard Will start to laugh hysterically.

“What!? I’m not that bad! Especially not compared to you!” Carmilla said.

Will was cracking the biggest smile and was just staring at Carmilla.

“I see someone hasn’t noticed who just walked in. Someone’s current person of interest is currently standing at the booth to get shoes.”

Carmilla froze.

She didn’t dare act like this was a big deal in front of Will or else she would never hear the end of it.

Carmilla slowly turned her head, as to not alarm Bloody Billy over here as to her current panic on the inside.

Her eyes landed on the short dark blonde-haired girl standing in line. Her hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing a red v-neck shirt that was modest, but not as modest as she knew Laura to be. She had on blue skinny jeans that hugged her hips and black running shoes.

She must have rode her bike. Of course she did. Its Laura.

And of course, here she comes.

The one person Carmilla couldn’t stand is the only person Laura would bring here besides LaF.

Carmilla’s worst nightmare, from the shadows of the alley, Xena.

Carmilla looked away and immediately started to bowl once more before Laura and Xena could spot her staring.

“What’s wrong, cuz? Too scared to approach the tiny little scary crush? Or is it that she is an authority figure to you because she is your boss and you are just too kinky to admit it?” Will said with a sly smile and laugh.

He stood taunting her from the side of the lane as Laura and Xena spotted Will.

“Oh hey! Will! What’s up? Where in the hell has my mail been at the office, bro?” Danny said with a huge smile on her face and outstretched arms, ready to punch Will.

“Oh shut up, ya giant! Us puny people down here can’t do everything you giants can. Such small wimpy arms. Hard to sort mail with sticks for arms.” Will laughed, dodging a punch from Danny and running toward the back of the alley.

Danny followed in her “fighting” stance.

Carmilla turned around at the commotion to see Laura, standing behind the score machine with her legs crossed, her right elbow propping her head up, and a sly smile on her face.

“Nice to see you, stranger.” Laura said, tipping her non-existent cowboy hat in a very fabricated and fake down south, hick accent. Carmilla laughed, feeling all of the anxiety pour out of her at once.

She slowly sauntered over, stopping right at the other edge of the machine, 2 inches from Laura’s face.

“Howdy there, little lady. Didn’t think I’d see you ‘round these parts.” Carmilla whispered.

Carmilla’s accent was far better than Laura’s.

Laura chuckled, ran around the machine, and threw her arms around Carmilla in a very tight, very excited Laura-esque hug.

Laura's hair smelled deeply of Sugar and Vanilla and her hands felt soft around Carmilla's neck and back. Laura's arms squeezed tighter and she buried her face in Carmilla's chest.

Carmilla felt her whole body tighten and her heart jump to her throat.

“Well… hi… to .. you.. Too… Cup.. cake…” Carmilla said in a fake strained breathy voice.

Laura let go and immediately shoved Carmilla backward.

“I know I might be small, but I am mighty. Do not underestimate me, Carm!” She said, in a superhero flying pose, laughing.

“Oh yeah?! Is that so, short stack? Because if I’m correct, I see a little baby blue ball and a very rotund purple ball in Xena’s hands over there. I’m just taking a shot in the dark here, but I’m guessing yours isn’t the purple one.” Carmilla smirked and pointed towards where Danny and Will were still trying to avoid each other’s punches, except now, Danny had bowling balls for hands.

“Yeah well.. I’m on your team in this match and my small mighty ball has nothing to do with talent.” Laura quipped back.

“Teams? Who said anything about teams?”

“I did. So suck it up and show me how to do that whole… wrist flicky thing you were doing before we interrupted your practice?” Laura over dramatically flicked her wrist in the air.

“I thought you said that your size had nothing to do with your talent?” Carmilla said, reaching toward her ball.

“That’s right. It doesn’t. The fact that I’ve only gone bowling twice in my entire life, however, does.” Laura said with a small hopeful smile.

Chapter Text

“No. No. No.” Carmilla said, getting up from her chair with her fingers gripping the bridge of her nose and strutting over to a very confused Laura.

“What? Am I holding it wrong?” Laura asked.

Laura was holding the bowling ball with both hands and trying to toss it like a grandmother would toss a football at a family reunion. Danny and Will had been practicing for their little match a few lanes down and Carmilla could hear them talking strategy. She wasn’t too keen on Xena having bragging rights about something and she knew she would never hear the end of it with Will if they won. So she wasn’t about to let her doofus of a cousin win.

“Your form is all wrong. Let me show you, Cupcake…. Face the lane” Carmilla said pointing a finger towards the pins.

Laura swiveled around and Carmilla could see the puppy dog worry on her face like Carmilla was about to attack her. Which Carmilla honestly has maybe definitely envisioned before. Definitely in a more… inappropriate way.
Carmilla wrapped her arms around Laura’s waist, grabbing onto Laura’s hips, and stepping in closer; her breath at Laura’s neck. The smell of vanilla and sugar assaulted Carmilla’s senses and she felt herself go a little weak at the knees. Being this close to Laura was a first and she was savoring every second of it.

Carmilla’s thumb tucked under Laura’s shirt on accident and she felt the smooth skin graze against her finger. Laura jumped a bit at the touch, making Carmilla gasp and take a sharp intake of breath.

“So… you need.. to uh… stand like this.” Carmilla recovered and pushed Laura’s right leg back.
“You need to look like you are about to go running down this lane when you let go of the ball… Also..”

Carmilla laced her fingers through Laura’s left hand and brought it to her side.

“You only need one hand on the ball, sweetie.”

Carmilla was whispering at this point and had gotten very close to Laura’s ear. She could feel Laura’s breathing getting heavier; their fingers still intertwined at Laura’s side.

“Oh… right.. One hand.” Laura squeaked.

Carmilla softly grabbed Laura’s ball hand and swung it back and forth, teaching her the correct way to throw the ball. Carmilla’s body was flush with Laura’s back and her nose deep in Laura’s hair.

“Got it, Cupcake?” Carmilla asked in a husky whisper. Her breathe on Laura’s neck making the tiny hairs stand up on end.

Laura was silent for a second before speaking. Most likely collecting herself.

“Got it.”

Carmilla let go and sauntered back over to her seat with a smug grin. She knew what she did and was not at all sorry about it.

Laura’s form had indeed improved now that Carmilla had taught her a thing or two. Carmilla was admiring the way Laura moved until Xena butted her giantess self into their moment.

“So we gunna do this… or nah? Because THIS team is ready!” Danny exclaimed. She was standing with her arms crossed back to back with Will, whose head only reached to her mid back. Kind of lost the effect they were going for with the height difference.

Soooo NOT intimidating.

Carmilla chuckled and nodded. Standing slowly, she grabbed her ball and made to her way to Laura’s side.

“Game on, freaks.”

(Laura, 12:43 pm, October 30th): So, I was wondering.. And you TOTALLY can say no… But I was wondering if you wanted to maybe come over tomorrow night? I know it’s Saturday and its Halloween night and normally you would probably go to the bar or something, but I was gunna make dinner. Also I thought that maybe we could hang out? Dress up? .. or not, whatever. Maybe watch a scary or not so scary movie? Also there is this cool park in my neighborhood that we could go to if we get bored. They are throwing a Halloween festival. Idk. Just spit balling. :))

(Carm, 12:50 pm): Sure, Sundance. What time?

(Laura, 12:51 pm): Does 6 sound okay to you???

(Carm, 12:53 pm): As long as I don’t have to bring a dish, that sounds perfect. ;)

(Laura, 12:53 pm): No need for a dish. Definitely not throwing that kind of shindig. XD

(Carm, 12:54 pm): Good. See ya then, Cupcake.

Laura had been scurrying around her house for the past 3 hours picking up and cleaning. She put all the snacks out and immediately ran to her room to put on her costume. Carmilla had been there before, the night of the company party, but this was the first time they were officially hanging out on their terms. She knew Carmilla would stop the show with how amazing she looked, like always. She just hoped leather pants weren’t a part of the wardrobe tonight or she might actually act on her thoughts this time, which is definitely in the “not good” section of do’s and don’ts with your employees. Just as Laura finished putting the piece de resistance on her costume, the doorbell rang.

6:15. Sounds about right for Carmilla.

Laura instantly started sweating and hoped it didn’t show through her costume. Her hair was cascading down her back in big waves and the amount of perfume she put on might have been a bit much if Laura was being honest.

The doorbell rang again and Laura took a deep breath before swinging the door open to reveal Carmilla.

In leather from head to toe (of course), Carmilla was in her famous leather pants, a black and red corset, and a leather jacket. Her hair was wavy and was hanging around her face.

Laura was stunned.

“Hey, cutie. I see you are all dressed up….” Carmilla eyed Laura up and down. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer?” Carmilla asked.

“Hey, Carm…. and yeah, actually.” Laura blushed and pushed her hair back behind her ears. Her eyes darted to the corset Carmilla was wearing and she quickly looked away, trying not to check out her very attractive employee.

“And what exactly are you supposed to be?” Laura asked, her head down and gazing up through her hair.

Carmilla took a step forward, resting her hands on the door frame on either side of Laura’s head. Her face getting increasingly closer to Laura’s. Laura could see the slight smile growing on Carmilla’s face as she paused 4 inches from Laura’s.

“A vampire, of course. I guess Buffy isn’t as good as she used to be, now is she?” Carmilla whispered. Her smile grew into a devilish grin and she sauntered past Laura.

“So what is the plan tonight?” Carmilla said, making her way to the couch, shedding her leather jacket in the process, and sitting on the arm of the couch with one foot up on the seat.

Laura gazed upon Carmilla’s gorgeous body. The corset she was wearing was tightly tied in an intricate pattern along her, not surprisingly, very muscular back. The front was extremely low cut and her breasts were being pushed together

“Well umm.. I was thinking we could find a really bad horror film? On netflix? Like 2 stars or less bad... “ Laura said with a slight grin.

“Sounds good to me, Cupcake.” Carmilla said as as she slides sideways and pops into the couch with a loud plop.

Laura had already set out a plate of chocolate chip cookies, with the help of Perry and Laf, and some delicious hand popped buttery salty popcorn. Her arrangement of the food was meticulous. Laura had spread fresh baked handmade cookies on a silver platter and found the biggest bowl in her house to fill with two bags of hand popped popcorn. Her extraness was prevalent.

“Okay so we have ‘The Hollow’, which is apparently about a… umm… haunted fire tree?? And then we have Zoombies, which is about zombie zoo creatures; classic choice. Also, last but not least, we have a slightly good one, one of my personal favorites, Holidays; A horror anthology about each holiday. The Easter one creeped me out the most but Halloween was definitely a close second.” Laura said.

“I really didn’t peg you as a bad horror movie type of gal there, sweetheart.” Carmilla said with a grin.

“People don’t peg me for a lot of things, Carm. I’m a mystery wrapped in an enigma!” Laura said twirling and waving her arms in front of her face like a magician.

Carmilla snorted and stood up from the couch. Bowing her head and glaring up at Laura (thats the best way Laura could put it), Carmilla took 4 very slow steps towards Laura as the corners of her mouth turned up into a grin, almost an evil turn of the mouth.

“I guess I’m going to have to unwrap this enigma…” Carmilla grabbed Laura by the hips and pushed her back against the door. “... and maybe dive into solving this mystery. That is, if you don’t mind?” Carmilla said, flashing a very white smile.

Laura was silent. She stood shocked and unable to speak. Carmilla had literally just rammed her up against a wall and all she could think about was ripping all her clothes off and forgetting completely about watching a stupid horror movie. This monumentally sexy girl… the girl she had a wet dream about… had just slammed her up against a wall.

Nope. Say something. Take a chance.

Laura’s mouth stood agape for a few seconds.

“.... Honestly, Carm.. I would let you do anything to me right now. You have my full permission.” Laura said in a slightly breathy voice. Laura’s eyes were piercing and staring straight into Carmilla’s with hunger.

Carmilla chuckled and slid her hands off Laura’s hips, sliding her thumbs into Laura’s belt loops.

“Well then, looks like Buffy finally got some courage tonight, huh?” Carmilla laughed and turned around to walk back to the couch, leaving Laura breathless up against her own living room wall.
“Also, .. that little spin was adorable, Cupcake.”

“Yeah.. umm.. Adorable.” Laura said laughing off the tension nervously and running her hand through her hair.

“So.. you said something about Zombie zoo creatures? What was it.. Zoombies??” Carmilla grabbed a handful of popcorn and started tossing kernels up in the air one by one… as if she hadn’t just…

Laura sighed and chuckled, walking towards Carmilla and plopping down next to her on the couch.

“Yeah. Zoombies. Quite the classic if you ask me.”

__________________________________________________________________________

“Okay.. so you're telling me that after literally almost everyone has died, these fuckers think it’s a good idea to go outside… again?! Do they not remember what has happened literally every single time someone else had this brilliant idea?!” Carmilla said, flinging her left arm around as she talked, exasperated.
Carmilla was leaned back into the couch with her feet up on the corner of the coffee table. A blanket was covering her right shoulder as to support Laura’s head that had just so happened to delicately be placed there during one of the many jumpscares. Laura had her arms tightly wound around Carmilla’s arm and had curled up into her towards the middle of the movie.

“Yeah. They aren’t exactly very strategic. They look like they could use LaF right about now. They would know what to do.” Laura lifted her head up and looked at Carmilla’s illuminated face. “So did you actually want to go check out that park I mentioned? We don’t have to, but I really enjoyed the park you showed me and thought that uh.. Maybe I could show you mine?”

Carmilla glanced away from the movie screen as the last huge fire burst out of the Aviary and saved all the people just in the nick of time; classic.

“Sure thing, Cupcake. Did you plan that question right as the credits rolled? Because that was slick there, Sundance.” Carmilla smiled and look down at Laura with beaming eyes. “Almost my level of calculated wooing. Almost. We will work on it.” Carmilla laughed, untangled herself from Laura and stood up from the couch offering her outstretched hand.

“After you, Buffy.”

Chapter Text

Carmilla had been in and out of the office that week due to some unspeakable Vampire complications… Or as Laura and her coworkers knew it - “the stomach flu”. Friday was her first full day back and she, honestly, was excited to see Laura to which she would never admit. Carmilla had been writing her obituaries for the past few hours and had just come across a new way to die … or at the very least, a new one for this column.

“Jim Perkawits, 56, died of an overexertion while masturbating profusely for 6 hours straight in his lavish home in Styria. Another factor in this tragic death is that he happened to be allergic to the Vanilla Jergens lotion he was using as a lubricant.”

Carmilla snorted with laughter.

“How did humans evolve to become so unbelievably stupid sometimes?”

Carmilla rolled her eyes and pushed away from her desk. She rolled backwards a foot or two, slumping down in her desk chair, and taking out her phone.

(Carmilla, 10:46 am) - So how long did it take you to recover from our late night field trip to the park, Cupcake?
(Laura, 10:49 am) - I would have to say it was about half a week. Honestly, still yawning and trying to hide the bags under my eyes. :( 4 am is not a good bedtime for me. But I do have to say, the conversation and company was lovely.. as always. :D
(Carmilla, 10:51 am) - I could say the same thing, Sundance. I’m not quite as tired as you are though. I think the whole “gothic emo nonchalant” attitude I exude has helped me in the “I don’t really give a fuck about being tired” scene. And maybe I didn’t mind staying up so late for such a pretty girl…
(Laura, 11:01 am) - I would say that this text conversation is a bit inappropriate for work…. but you may be rubbing off on me, because I don’t care.

Carmilla thought for a second on what to respond. Realizing Laura was starting to not care about how they interacted and was starting to flirt back, Carmilla was more than ready to use her prowess.

(Carmilla, 11:01 am) - Welcome Laura Hollis. You are now initiated into the IDGAF group of disbandees that go around telling people how much they don’t care in the name of our lord and savior Lillian Bland.
Also I must say, you not giving a fuck is kind of hot. Care to tell me more, Ms. Hollis?

(Laura, 11:03 am) - Well, Ms. Karnstein, I would love to tell you more about how I felt about our encounter the other night including your outfit and a certain moment when you pushed me up against my own living room wall, but that conversation will have to wait. I’m currently about to go to a meeting with some very important colleagues.

(Carmilla, 11:05 am) - See you in five minutes, cutie. ;)

Carmilla walked into the board room with a grape soda in her hands and 3 cookies in the other. Most of her other coworkers had already shown up with pen and paper and had settled into their chairs. Carmilla slumped into a chair straight at the end of the long table, across from the presenter. Her feet were propped up on the underside supports of the table and her body was falling concave into the back of the chair. She sat down her food and took a long drink of the “grape soda” in her hand before setting it down on the table also.

A few moments later, a very frazzled but professional looking Laura came striding through the door, locking it behind her.

“Hey everyone! I hope you have all had a wonderfully productive week this week and have been diligently working hard on your columns. But remember, as always, a life with work is no life if you can’t have a little fun.” Laura grinned from ear to ear.

Laura set her phone face up on the table and began talking on columns and work ethic. Laura was definitely using her ‘boss’ voice to override the fact it was casual Friday. Her blue skinny jeans and floral blue low-cut blouse were vaguely distracting at best and Carmilla couldn’t help but stare as Laura made intermittent eye contact.

Carmilla could tell Laura was trying to avoid making long eye contact with her as her gaze flickered back and forth between the people around where Carmilla was sitting-- never on Carmilla. Watching her face grow increasingly red from Carmilla’s intense stare gave Carmilla had an idea.

Feeling a bit ballsy and just wanting to see Laura squirm, Carmilla whipped out her phone.

(Carmilla, 11:20 am) - Your squirming under my stare, Cupcake. I wonder how else I could make you squirm.

Laura’s phone lit up on the other end of the table and Laura gave a quick glance as she continued talking. Carmilla was smirking and watching as Laura’s eyes widened, trying not to show her shock as she lectured.

Carmilla types and sends another one.

(Carmilla, 11:22 am) - Did that catch you off guard? I have a feeling I caught you off guard the other day when I slammed you against a wall. I have been wondering what you were thinking. I vaguely remember you telling me you would let me do anything to you afterwards. We can definitely arrange that….

Laura’s face went pale and she stuffed her phone in her back pocket to probably avoid seeing another flirty text from Carmilla. Carmilla chuckled and winked at Laura as she resituated in her chair to ride out the rest of the meeting.

After about 15 minutes, Laura called an end to the meeting and began shuffling papers around on the desk and grabbing her things to leave. People trickled out, one by one, except for Carmilla. Still sitting in her chair at the opposite end of the table, Carmilla’s eyes bore into Laura.

Laura looked uncomfortable.

“So.. you care to share what you were thinking the other night now? Something about my outfit? And maybe a living room wall?” Carmilla asked suggestively as she got up from her chair.

“Well.. Carm.. I have to tell you as your boss.. Umm .. “ Laura was sweating. “....that those texts were inappropriate. But as Laura Hollis, that’s another story.” Laura had stopped gathering papers and was staring at Carmilla as she sauntered around the large conference table.
Carmilla was dragging a finger along the table as she made her way around, never breaking eye contact.

“Oh? DId Laura Hollis… enjoy those texts?” Carmilla said as she approached Laura and leaned in towards her face.

Carmilla leaned forward and placed her hands on the table on either side of Laura, forcing her to lean and sit on the edge of the table.

“I definitely enjoyed them. Just like I enjoyed the other night or that leather corset or how I’m enjoying this…” Laura wrapped her fingers around Carmilla’s waist and pulled her closer in. Carmilla could feel Laura’s heartbeat race through her fingertips and watched as her tongue came out to wet her lips. Laura’s eyes darted back and forth between Carmilla’s mouth and her gaze.

“Enjoying this? I would say that’s an understatement, sweetheart. You haven’t stopped looking at my lips since I got up from my chair.” Carmilla ran a thumb over Laura’s bottom lip. “And I have to say, watching you squirm up there because of me… I kind of want to see you squirm under me.” Carmilla pulled her bottom lip into a bite as she thought about the scenario she had just said.

“That would suggest you would be on top of me. What if it was the other way around? I think you are underestimating me, Carm.” Laura’s hips bucked up toward Carmilla, grinding into her for a split second.

“Oh.. well maybe we need to test this out…”

Carmilla grabbed the back of Laura’s neck and wrapped her fingers through her hair. Pulling down on her hair, Carmilla forced Laura’s face up and exposed her neck. Leaning in, Carmilla started kissing Laura’s neck lightly. Carmilla worked her way up towards Laura’s mouth, biting along the way.

Laura moaned and pulled Carmilla’s face to hers, forcing their lips together in a forceful move. Laura sucked Carmilla’s lower lip into a bite and pulled back slowly, dragging her teeth across Carmilla’s flesh. Carmilla felt Laura’s hands slide up her sides as she moaned into Laura’s mouth and grinded into her leg.
Sliding her hand up Laura’s leg, Carmilla could feel how warm Laura had gotten.

Laura pulled back.

“You really are going to have to do something about this… soon.” Laura grabbed Carmilla’s hand and stuck it in her underwear.

Carmilla slid her fingers through Laura’s wet pussy, stopping at her clit. Carmilla ran her finger over Laura’s clit a few times and gave it a good tease, sending Laura into a stifled moan. Carmilla pulled her hand out and stepped back from the table, smirking and running her other hand through her hair. Carmilla sucked her fingers into her mouth and tasted Laura.

“Maybe we should pick this back up later, Ms. Hollis. I don’t think this is ‘work appropriate’.” Carmilla grinned and chucked as she stuffed her hands into her pockets and strode out the door.

“Of course you would pick now to want to be work appropriate.” Laura said as Carmilla rounded the corner out into the hall.

Chapter Text

“Hey… Hollis… I need you to call me back. I normally wouldn’t bother you this early in the morning, but it’s about Perry. She won’t be at work today.”

The phone line went dead as Laura looked back at her missed calls and voicemails. Her palms started to sweat as she started to dread the worst.

She knew LaF and their voice normally doesn’t shake as they speak. Laura could feel the tears welling up as much as LaF tried to hide it and she knew it.

Laura frantically called LaF’s number and pulled the phone up to her ear. It rings only once. LaF answers.. Panting.

“Laura, ummmm”

“What.. LaF.. whats going on?!”

LaF’s voice sounded like they had been crying.

“Perry.. I think something might be seriously wrong. I dont know if its because of my chemical spill from a while back? Or I dont know…”

Laura remembered the chemical goo on Perry’s shoes when she went to visit while LaF was away. Perry had been stress cleaning and must have stepped in a spill.

“Is she throwing up? Is it flu-like symptoms? What’s going on?”

“Well… um... she has a high grade unexplained fever, hard time swallowing, blood in her urine, and she is losing a lot of weight.”

“Uh… LaF, you need to take her to the hospital. Right now. Should I come?"

“No no no.. not yet Hollis. I think we need some time together alone at the hospital. I don’t know what it is, but I will keep you updated.”

Laura hears Perry in the background asking to speak to Laura.

“Uhhh… Perry wants to talk to you….”

“...*gags* uhh.. Hi Laura… Lafontaine please leave the room for a minute…. So uhh.. *sneezes* I just wanted to tell you that… I really appreciate your friendship and how much you have done for LaF and I. We really love you and I know LaF would kill me if they heard me say this. But I just wanted to ask you… please take care of LaF if this turns out to be serious. I know you will regardless. But I love you and I trust you with my love. Thank you. Bye Laura” Perry hangs up the phone.

Laura sits in her chair stunned, phone still in hand.

Perry had just told her to take care of LaF if something serious were to happen. Perry is a hypochondriac at best, but she has never said anything like that regarding herself.

Laura puts her phone down.

“Hey.. Cupcake, are you okay?”

Carmilla was walking around the office stealing nice pens from peoples desks when they weren’t there. As per her usual routine when she was bored from writing obituaries. She had been walking around for about 10 minutes when she walked past Laura’s office. Laura was on the phone with someone and sounded very distressed. Her voice sounded like she had been crying and she had heard that LaF was talking about Perry being sick.

Carmilla stood far enough away from the door to not disturb their conversation, but close enough to hear and see what was going on. Laura put her phone on her desk and sat in stunned silence.

“Hey.. Cupcake, are you okay?”

“Oh… uh… I didn’t see you there, Carm.” Laura looked flush in the face. All white like a ghost.

“I haven’t been here long. Just taking a walk to stretch my legs and my fingers from my column. Are you okay?”

“Uh… Perry is sick.. I just.. I don’t know how to process this. I feel as though I am about to lose one of my best friends… I don’t know.. I just.. My heart feels like its in my stomach.” Laura stuttered out.

Carmilla looked around the office for a second and then looked at the clock on the wall. They had about one hour before they could clock out, which gave Carmilla an idea.

“Okay, you can say no to this as you are the boss here, but I was thinking… we could ditch a little early and maybe, if you are up to it, I can take you out to your mind off of things?” Said Carmilla with a small shy grin.

Laura looked up from picking at her fingers and gave a small smile back at Carmilla.

“I would like that very much.” Laura said, blushing a tiny bit.

Carmilla and Laura walked down the sidewalk in the center part of the town, chatting and laughing about the office. Laura’s hand kept brushing the back of Carmilla’s and she could see Laura blush slightly every time their hands touched.

“Yeah, I mean most of everybody at the office still talks about you at that Christmas party and how wasted you were” said Laura, giggling.

Their hands brushed.. again.

“I mean, I’m glad I got that wasted…. or I wouldn’t have gotten to stay the night at a pretty girl’s house” Carmilla smirked and looked up at Laura.

Laura’s face went completely red and she ducked behind her long hair, trying to hide her blush.

They had been walking for a few more minutes and down an alleyway to get to another street.

“Well I wouldn’t have gotten to know a very sweet and….. Extremely attractive girl either. So I’m pretty glad you got drunk too.” Laura gazed back at Carmilla with want in her eyes.

Carmilla stopped walking and grabbed Laura’s hand to stop her too.

Carmilla stared into Laura’s eyes and didn’t let go of her hand.

They were standing in the middle of a small dark alley.

Carmilla licked her lips and bit her bottom one as she thought of what to say.

“So.. Uh, Cupcake.. I was wondering if you wanted to go watch a movie and maybe have dinner at my place? It’s not extravagant. Its a small apartment but I want to do something for you.” Carmilla asked as she gazed into Laura’s eyes.

“Oh!” Laura said, shocked at Carmilla’s sincere invitation.

“Yeah. I would love that.” Carmilla laced her fingers with Laura’s, strode out of the alley, and hailed a cab.

Laura was ahead of Carmilla in the stairwell and went through the door to the hallway in which Carmilla’s apartment was on. Carmilla was enjoying the view.

“Its this one cutie” Carmilla said with smile at Laura.

Carmilla unlocked her apartment and gestured with her hand for Laura to go first. Laura entered Carmilla’s apartment and Carmilla closed the door behind them.

As soon as they entered, Laura had turned back around to Carmilla, as if to say something.

Carmilla grabbed Laura’s face with both hands and pushed her lips against Laura’s. Laura pulled back in a little bit of shock but sank into the kiss. Laura seemed to melt into Carmilla as they started to make out in the entryway. Laura grabbed Carmilla’s hips and pulled her in closer. Stunned, Carmilla got aggressive. Carmilla, never letting their lips unlock, slammed her hips harder into Laura’s and slammed her against the wall near the door.

Carmilla’s body rolled against Laura’s as she took her bottom lip into her teeth. Carmilla dragged her teeth back on Laura’s bottom lip and let it pop out of her bite.

Carmilla stared into Laura’s eyes as she let go of her lip and pushed up into her more. Carmilla grazed Laura’s bottom lip with her thumb as they both panted.

Laura’s eyes were dilated..

Panting heavily, Carmilla squeezed out a sentence.

“Stand by the bed” Carmilla said sternly, never breaking eye contact and pointing towards the bed.

Laura obeyed and walked over the edge of the bed and turned back to look at Carmilla.

Carmilla slowly walked toward Laura with a saunter in her step. Carmilla grabbed the bottom of her own shirt, pulled it over her head, and threw it across the room.

As Carmilla strode towards Laura, throwing off her shirt to reveal only a lacy black bra, Carmilla saw Laura’s eyes immediately scan her body.

Carmilla smirked as she finally approached Laura.

She gently placed her hands on Laura’s hips and leaned in towards her left ear.

“Don’t you dare move unless I tell you to.” Carmilla whispered, sliding her hands up Laura’s sides under her shirt.

Laura froze under Carmilla’s words, hands, and gaze.

Carmilla ran her hands up and down Laura’s torso while gazing on her body.

“Hands up” ordered Carmilla.

Laura’s hands flew up into the air and Carmilla slowly slid her hands across Laura’s entire stomach, taking her shirt with it. Her hands sliding over Laura’s breasts and arms and over her head.

Laura gasped a little at the touch of Carmilla’s hand’s on her breasts. Carmilla tossed the shirt aside and scanned Laura’s magnificent body.

Carmilla laced her fingers in Laura’s belt loops in the front of her jeans, unbuttoned, and slid her pants down her legs. Laura stepped out of them and Carmilla’s hands grazed laura’s legs all the way back up her body.

Carmilla took a step closer and wrapped her hands around to Laura’s back and undid her bra, letting it fall to the floor. Carmilla grabbed Laura’s face with one hand and hip with the other pulling her in for another kiss, this time, teasingly letting their lips brush against each other.

Laura gave a small groan.

“Please Carm…” said Laura, breathing heavily. “Fuck me”

Carmilla smirked and pushed their lips together. Carmilla’s tongue slid into Laura’s mouth and they kissed.

Carmilla’s mouth started to wander down Laura’s neck, nipping on the way down to her collarbones.

Laura’s breathing became rapid.

Carmilla’s lips and tongue kissed down Laura’s chest and over to one her right nipple. Carmilla’s lips teased and grazed Laura’s nipple. One of her hands came up to tease the other as she sucked the right one into her mouth, swirling her tongue around and around.

Laura let out a slight moan of pleasure.

Carmilla switched nipples and then continued her kisses down Laura’s stomach.

Carmilla got to Laura’s hip bone and sucked in the skin there and kept sucking. Laura let out a heavy and frustrated sigh.

“Just fuck me already, Carm.” Laura panted.

Carmilla let go and kissed down to Laura’s underwear.

Carm kissed over the underwear and right down to the soaked panties between Laura’s legs.

Laura started shaking as Carmilla’s tongue pressed into her clit over her underwear.

Carm grabbed Laura’s underwear and yanked them down.

Getting up off her knees, Carmilla slid her hand back up Laura’s leg. Her fingers brushed the outside labia of Laura’s pussy.

Laura shuddered.

Carmilla pushed her lips back to meet Laura’s as she pushed her fingers past the lips and onto Laura’s clit. Laura moaned into the kiss and her knees started to buckle a little as Carmilla slid her finger over and over Laura’s clit.

Through the kiss, Carmilla ordered “Lay down on the bed”.

Laura got on the bed and laid her head down on the pillow. Carmilla climbed up, swung a leg over Laura, and straddled her.

“Hands above your head.” said Carmilla.

Laura obeyed.

Carmilla grabbed Laura’s wrists one by one and tied them to the bed posts.

Laura bucking her hips under Carmilla and she started to kiss down Laura’s neck again.

Laura couldnt move… and that’s how Carmilla liked it right now.

Carmilla kissed her way back down to Laura’s pussy and kissed and teased around as Laura bucked and begged for her mouth on her clit.

Finally Carmilla gave in.

She sucked Laura’s clit into her mouth and started swirling her tongue over and over her clit as Laura moaned out loudly in pleasure.

“OH FUCK CARM. DONT STOP.”

Carmilla brought her hands up to Laura’s nipples and started to tease them as she swirled her tongue around her clit.

Laura started shaking.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck….” Laura moaned out.

Carmilla kept going and stuck one her hands two fingers into Laura as she gasped out.

Laura’s body was wildly shaking at this point.

“FUCk Carm! I’m… Im….”

Laura let out a loud moan and her whole body crumbled under Carmilla’s tongue.

Carmilla could taste Laura’s orgasm.

Laura stopped shaking but Carmilla didn’t stop.

“Fuck.. no… Carm.. OH MY GOD…” Laura threw her head back against the pillow once again.

Carmilla never came up for air. Round two had begun.

Chapter Text

Carmilla had been watching tv and listening to the sounds of the crickets outside as she pondered how to ask Laura out on a date. Laura had left a certain pit in her stomach and an ache in her heart. And an ache somewhere else too. Carmilla hadn’t stopped thinking about her and their night together several weeks ago. They had not had any alone time together in quite a while due to friends always tagging along and Carmilla REALLY needed Laura to herself. She didn’t like to share.

Fuck, I’m down bad.

Carmilla strode to her kitchen and grabbed a can of grape soda out of the fridge. Her stock was running low and the “soy milk” had gone off. Dragging and slogging her feet back to the couch, Carmilla heard her phone buzz on the table.

Laura 9:45 pm: Hey Carm! :) What ya doin??

Carmilla 9:46 pm: Hey Cupcake. Just watching that horror anthology about the holidays that you recommended on our movie night, remember? I’m on April Fools. This is GRUESOME.

Carmilla 9:46 pm: I love it. ;)

Laura 9:47 pm: HAHAHAHA! I knew you would love it! <3 So I was thinking and you can TOTALLY SAY NO…. Umm… 

Laura 9:47 pm: ummm… sooo…

Laura 9:47 pm: Actually hahahah nevermind. I can ask you later. hahahahha

Carmilla 9:47 pm: Spit it out, Sundance. 

Laura 9:48 pm: NO nono Its totally cool Carm! I can ask you tomorrow!

Carmilla 9:49 pm: Oh hun, you know I can tell when you are nervous. 

Carmilla opens her contacts and immediately hits the big green video call button next to Laura’s name, a shit eating grin spreading across her face. The call took a few seconds to connect.

Someone is nervous… like I said. Cute. 

Laura: Uhhh.. haha Hey Carm! 

Laura’s face was slightly flushed, as if embarrassed, and her hair was pulled up into a ponytail. Carmilla could tell she was sitting on her bed with the tv on in the background; Doctor Who reruns on for sure.

Carmilla: What were you going to say, Cupcake? You know I don’t like to wait. 

Carmilla smirked and leaned back into her sofa with her feet propped up on her coffee table.

Laura: “Carm, I TOLD you I would ask you tomorrow!” 

Laura bit her lip and nervously took her hair down and started to put it back up again.

Carmilla: “Laura, you are nervously doing everything you can to NOT ask me. Are your nerves all knotted up because you were going to ask me out?”

Carmilla started to slyly smile and ran her fingers through her hair moving into a cocky dominant posture. Laura squirmed under her intense gaze and low voice.

Laura: Uhh… maybe?? I mean… like on a date?? Maybe?? If you don’t want to, that's totally cool! I understand and you totally don’t have to because I wouldn’t want to go out with me if I looked like you because you're SUPER sexy and funny and pretty.. and….”

Laura trailed off, looking embarrassed. Carmilla was grinning and biting the side of her bottom lip.

Carmilla: “Yes, Cupcake. I would love that. What were you thinking? I would love to see you anytime of the day… or night.”

Carmilla propped her phone up on her little plant on the table so her whole body was in view. She leaned forward, man spread out, and placed her arms crossed on top of her knees, staring intently at Laura. 

Laura : “Carm… you know I can’t…. talk to you when you look like.. That.”

Carmilla: “Like what Cupcake?”

Carmilla chuckled a deep and sultry laugh. She knew what she was doing.

Laura: “Carm.. seriously stop!” Laura was flushed bright red now and squirming on camera. “I really… I was just… I was thinking we could go putt putt, play some arcade games, and eat some of their gross food? Then maybe go to the local lake and go for a late night swim??”

Carmilla was beaming inside. Laura, the girl that had stolen her dead heart, was asking her out on a date. She had not felt this way about someone ever. Ell was amazing, but this girl….

I could easily fall in love with you… fuck.

Carmilla: Just tell me when and where to be, sweetheart and I will be there. 

Carmilla could feel herself get a bit red in the cheeks and shy. 

What is this girl DOING to me??

Laura: AWESOME! Ummm…. I mean cool!.. Uhh… 

Laura started to fidget around in her seat and Carmilla couldn’t help but break into a big smile.

Laura: Carm, I’m really excited to finally go on a date with you. I… uhh.. I just really love and appreciate how sweet you are. I know you like to act all tough and broody sometimes,

but underneath that hard candy exterior is a soft and sweet chewy center.

Carmilla: That was super cheesy, Cupcake. 

Carmilla giggled and leaned back on her couch. Laura giggled back and blew Carmilla a kiss before abruptly ending the call before the blushing began.

Carmilla laughed out loud hard as she picked up her phone and turned on the tv. She knew Laura was eager to end the call so she didn't let Carmilla see her freak out. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Laura was walking around the office, combing the cubicles for Danny, and listening to the click clack of her heels on the floor. Laura's heart was pounding out of her chest. She had just been on the phone with LaF and they had shared how Perry was doing. After all those experiments, Perry had been declining in health and they had to extend their stay in the hospital due to Perry's declining health. Laura really needed to talk to Danny about all this.

Laura spun around a corner and ran head first into Kirsch.

"Whoa there little girl scout!" Kirsch said, as Laura went tumbling backwards.

"Sorry!" Laura squeaked as she caught herself on wall behind her. 

"Its okay... but uhh... you okay?" Kirsch's tone had changed from his normal "bro" voice and into a concerned friend.

"Well actually, not really Kirsch"

Laura immediately broke out into tears and wrapped her arms around Kirsch. 

Kirsch and Laura ducked into a cubicle and Laura spilled everything about Perry.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Carmilla 10:38 pm: Hey cupcake

Laura 10:39 pm: Hey Carm! Whats up?

Carmilla 10:39 pm: Come over.

Laura 10:40 pm: What? Really? This late?

Carmilla 10:40 pm: Yes. This late. ;)

Laura 10:41 pm: I feel like this text conversation was started with intent hahahaha Am I correct? Maybe not so pure intent?

Carmilla 10:42 pm: Absolutely…. Get over here.

Laura 10:43 pm: It is far too late to leave the house alone, Carm.

Carmilla groaned out loud at Laura’s ridged safety rules for the 10th time in the last 2 weeks. Carmilla and Laura had been spending a lot of free time together after work and on the weekends. Sadly, none of it had been alone time, so they hadn’t had the chance to really go on that date or be intimate again, which Carmilla was NOT a fan of.

Carmilla 10:45 pm: Cuuupppcaaakkkeee

Laura 10:45 pm: Is the broody angsty one actually begging? I am in shock!

Carmilla 10:46 pm: I mentioned a while ago that I am not against being a bottom for a pretty girl. Ever since our night at my place, it’s been a bit hard to get you off my mind. Plus, I actually just really want to see you. Like not just in that way. I like your face. And body. And personality. haha

Laura 10:46 pm: Carm.. begging. Hmmm.. you might be making me rethink my decision.

Laura 10:46 pm: Also that was.. Uncharacteristically sweet of you at the end there. :) I like your face, body (on my mind right now), and personality. ;)

Carmilla 10:47 pm: If you aren’t gunna come here, I am coming to you. See you in 20. I can’t take it anymore.

Laura 10:48 pm: OH! Uhhh… hahaha see you in 20!... Its been 3 days since I’ve seen you. 

Laura 10:49 pm: OHHHHHH. Fuck…. I see what you mean.

Chapter Text

Laura was scrambling to pick up clothes and trash around her apartment, flinging any and all clothes into her wardrobe with wild abandon. The call and texts with Carmilla sent her into a cleaning spiral, rushing to get her apartment ready for her guest. Carmilla was on her way to Laura's place with what only could be called “feral energy”.

“She is going to be here any second, fuck! Laura said, picking up two boxes of cookies and putting them back into the cabinet.

Laura’s heart was racing and so were her feet. Everything went so fast on the call and over text. She wasn't expecting to have company tonight, but Carmilla had a devious look in her eyes and Laura had a feeling she knew why Carm was coming over.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Carmilla was here.

“Coming!” Laura yelled, as she threw her hair behind her shoulders and kicked a loose sock under the accent table.

Laura unlocked and opened the door to a smirking Carmilla, leaning on the door frame, wearing all black. Her hair was in loose curls, framing her face, and her half moon tank with tight leather pants.

“Hey, Cutie” Carmilla smiled, pushing herself off of the doorframe with her shoulder.

“uhh.. “ Laura giggled. “Hey C-carm! Come on in.”

Laura gestured toward her apartment and directed her gaze toward the ground. Looking into Carm’s eyes for too long was distracting at best and seducing at worst.
Carmilla sauntered in and hovered in the entry as Laura closed the door, eyes still on the ground.

“Hollis… look at me” said Carmilla in a slow deep hushed tone.

Laura slowly turned toward her new guest.

“Yes?” Laura’s eyes met Carmilla’s intense gaze. Her eyes were hooded and dark.

“You look… cute” Carmilla said with a slight hesitance.

“Cute? Really Carm?”
Laura looked down at her own body, a black lace one piece was snugly wrapping Laura’s body. Her hair pushed out of the way so as to reveal her breasts, pushed up and together by the suit.

“Well… delicious was a little forward.. But fuck…” Carmilla stepped forward, hand outstretched as she reached and wrapped her hands around Laura’s waist. “I could eat you alive.” Carmilla said as her lower lip grazed Laura’s ear.
A shiver ran down Laura’s spine and goosebumps formed all over her body. The pure lust in Carm’s voice was palpable.

“You came prepared and I am …sssttarving” Carm’s voice was drawn out and low.
A gasp escaped from Laura’s mouth as Carm’s hands traced up and down her body, racing to find any and all exposed skin.

“If you are so hungry, then eat” Laura breathed as she tilted her head back, falling deeper into Carmilla’s arms. Carm grabbed the back of Laura’s neck and pulled her in, clashing their lips together as if she had never felt Laura’s touch. Laura threaded her fingers through Carmilla’s soft curls and pushed her tongue in, tasting the hint of spearmint and metal. Their bodies were entangled as Laura pushed Carmilla toward her bedroom. Each step was clumsy, yet intentional.
Once crossing the threshold of Laura’s bedroom, Laura pulled back from Carmilla’s intoxicating kiss. Laura’s hands grabbed Carmilla’s waist, lacing her fingers through her belt loops. Laura guided Carm backwards. Their eyes never leaving each other's faces, except to gaze at the others body.

The back of Carmilla’s knees hit the bed and she fell backward as Laura crawled on all fours on top of her.

“Take your clothes off” Laura said in a breathy whisper.

Carmilla’s eyes glanced down and back up as she seemingly contemplated how she would do this laying down.

“Now. Did I stutter?” Laura commanded, her right hand wrapping around Carmilla’s throat, squeezing slightly.

Laura could feel Carmilla swallow. Carm's hands moved down without a word and started to slide her pants down to her knees. She kicked slightly as they fell to the ground, off her feet. Laura pushed her hands up and under Carm’s shirt, taking it with her arms as she traced along the stomach to the breasts.
Carmilla raised her arms and Laura flung the shirt to the side.

“No bra or underwear? Easy access. I like that.” Laura’s eyes closed and her mouth found its way to Carm’s nipples, teasing with her tongue.

“Fuu… Fuck” Carmilla gasped, back arching up, hoping to get more sensation from Laura’s teasing tongue.

“Shut up and take it.” Laura demanded. “Let me fuck you until the morning”
________________________________________________________________

Carmilla swung around the last cubicle before slowly walking into the break room. She could feel her clit still swollen from the night before, aching from Laura’s mouth.

“Hey Karnstein!”

LaF was sitting at one of the tables in the break room, writing frantically on a laptop, their eyes darting back and forth from the screen to Carmilla.
“Come, sit, please” LaF said, patting the chair seat next to them.

Carmilla grudgingly trudged over and plopped down into the seat.

“What?” Carm huffed.

“I need you to watch after Laura. I have some news and…. It’s not good.” LaF said with a stern look. Their hands had come to a stop and their eyes began to water. Carmilla sat up straighter and nodded.

“LaF, what’s going on??”