Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty, pretty please?"

"That's still a no, red." Carmilla huffed, slumping in her chair. "I told you. I don't do this anymore."

"I'll pay you."

"Oh, because you were considering not doing so? The answer's still no. I won't do it."

LaF sighed, their back hitting the backrest. "All right, Karnstein. Since there's nothing I can do to make you change your mind, let me at least buy you a cup of coffee. Let's go somewhere."

Carmilla raised an eyebrow at them, looking confusingly around the room, her ears perking up at the sound of the coffee machine and the loud chatter of customers around them. "We're at Starbucks."

"I meant real coffee. Not this industrial shit." They stood, giving Carmilla a heady smile. "Come on, broody, I know a place."

"I really don't understand why we couldn't stay at Starbucks. We merely crossed the road."

At LaF's smirk, Carmilla instantly knew this wasn't just about coffee. "Ha! There she is," they said, waving at the approaching waitress.

The girl was, for a lack of better words, bubbly. A wide smile plastered on her face at the view of the redhead, she waved excitedly as she made her way toward the table, not registering the fact that her pen cap went flying across the room at her enthusiastic gesture. The guy whose coffee splashed on his shirt, however, registered.

"LaF, hey! I didn't know you were coming today," she said with a sickeningly sweet voice that Carmilla felt rushing all the way up to her head. "Who's your friend?"

"Laura, this is Carmilla. Carmilla, Laura." They introduced, the conspiratory smile never leaving their face.

"Nice to meet you, Carmilla." The girl smiled, ever so polite, apparently waiting for the same thing from Carmilla, which she never gave her.

Instead, Carmilla found herself glaring at the redhead across the table, who at least had the decency to look sheepish.

"O..kay... Do you want to order something?" Bubbly asked, not that oblivious to the tension between the two.

LaF turned away from Carmilla, smiling at the waitress. "Sure, Laura. Two coffees. Milk on the side for me, please."

The blonde paused her writing. "Aren't you lactose intolerant?"

"What Perry doesn't know cannot harm her."

The waitress chuckled, shaking her head before glancing at Carmilla, moving her eyes to the brunette's forehead when they locked eyes. "And for you?"

"Black."

The girl nodded, scribbling on her pad an order that wasn't so hard to remember, Carmilla thought. She then smiled again, leaving the two to their own devices. Much to LaF's distress.

"All right, before you say anything, hear me out."

"What the hell do you think you're doing, gingerbread?" Carmilla bit through gritted teeth.

"You see this girl? Laura?" they asked, nodding to the girl who was moving way too fast for Carmilla's eyes to follow.

"I'm not blind."

"We went to college together. She's one of my closest friends."

"How come I've never met her, then?"

"Maybe because you just moved back here?" The brunette rolled her eyes at the sarcastic tone. "She's cute, don't you think?"

Carmilla glanced again at the waitress who was running a hand through her hair, sighing as she looked at the coffee machine, probably trying to figure something out. Her eyes then widened and the bright smile was back on her face, her eyes sparkling. She scurried off, disappearing through the back door.

Despite her annoyance, Carmilla found herself trying to fight back a smile. "She's all right." She shrugged.

"Well, believe it or not, she's the clumsiest person I have ever met."

"Oh, I believe it."

"And I don't mean only physically." To prove their point, Laura came back holding an opened bag of coffee beans, banged into a table on her way and spilled some of it on the floor. LaF sighed. "And this is on a good day. But the worst of it is her social abilities."

"She seemed pretty social to me." Carmilla kept her eyes on the girl, laughing under her breath as an embarrassed blush took over her neck when she realized the mess she made.

"Did I say social? I meant flirting. I had to leave the room at her last attempt at flirting. The sight was too painful to bear."

"So she asked for your help?"

LaF's eyes widened comically, their head shaking frantically. "God, no. She would kill me if she knew I was doing this. But I can't stand to see her miserable face whenever she gets turned down, or whenever she realizes this girl was flirting with her and she was too oblivious to see it. So I called you. If there's someone who can help her, it's you."

"Do you really think she'll agree to it?"

"In normal circumstances, I would say no. But you see, Laura has had this gigantic crush on a bartender for months. She's becoming desperate and I'm tired of going to the same bar every weekend just so she can make a move that she never makes."

Carmilla pretended to think for a second but really, her mind was already made. "It'll be a challenge."

"You love them."

"How much are you willing to pay?"

"Let's just say Perry and I have some savings, and we're not afraid to dig in them."

Carmilla sighed, looking over at the waitress who was slowly approaching their table, tongue sticking out while she was focused on performing her task without spilling a lick of milk. "Fine, I'll do it."

LaF fist pumped under the table, obviously ecstatic.

"There you go..." Laura slowly put down the drinks on the table, smiling proudly when she didn't drop anything.

Carmilla chose this moment to drop the broody act, and formally introduce herself. She arched an eyebrow, smirking up at the girl. "Thank you, cutie." Her low voice immediately caught Laura's attention, who seemed to have stopped breathing for a second. Carmilla's smirk widened as she held her hand out. "I believe I didn't introduce myself properly. I'm Carmilla, and I'm your new love coach, sweetheart."

When Laura hastily turned her head toward LaF and started glaring at them, Carmilla knew she had made the right choice.

"I can't believe you would do something like that! And without telling me?" Laura paced around the room, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation. "I must've looked ridiculous! What did you tell her? That little Laura is incapable of having a relationship? That she is so awkward that she doesn't know how to flirt?"

"Well..." LaF winced.

"Oh my god! This is SO humiliating! And what is she, anyway? Some kind of love expert? In all her leather glory and red lipstick and perfect hair? Is she some kind of cupid coming from the depths of hell?"

"Her family is actually from eastern Europe, but--"

"LaF!"

"But she's my friend! And you're my friend, too. I want to help you, and I trust her. She used to do stuff like that, help people with their love life."

"Used to?"

"Well, I think she grew tired of it after a while."

"Then why is she pretending to be my new love coach? Stupid name, by the way. Don't know who came up with that."

"I did actually, but nevermind," they mumbled. "Point is, she didn't even want to do it at first. I had to convince her."

"So what, she saw how desperate I looked and decided I really needed help?"

"No that's not..." They huffed, pinching their nasal bridge. "Look, can you please give her a chance? I promise she's not that bad. And if it doesn't work, then you can stop, fire her, whatever you wanna call it."

Laura studied them for a moment before deflating, plopping down on her couch across from LaF's seat. "But what if...?"

LaF gave her a reassuring smile, leaning forward. "She used to do that for a living. Trust me, she's not going to be judgmental. She's had to work with worse than you, I promise."

Laura rolled her eyes, but it was mostly playful. "Gee, thanks."

"Will you trust me? Me, one of your oldest friends? Who had to carry you a countless number of times throughout college when you were passed out drunk?" They batted their eyes, pouting.

Laura giggled, swatting their arm. "I'll do it, big baby. And don't let me remind you that you were the one who was handing me those drinks during parties."

They shrugged, smirking. "Guilty as charged." They sat up, clapping their hands. "Boy, this bartender will never know what's coming for her."

"If only I knew..."

"Oh, you'll know."

When Laura set a foot at The Lustig that Friday night, she was sure of two things: she was going to die of embarrassment, and she was going to drink a lot. One of the two was gonna lead to the other one, she just wasn't sure which. She wasn't used to come in alone, but Carmilla told her it was necessary. And as she was inwardly counting each of her breaths in order to calm down, she tried to remember that Carmilla was to be trusted. According to LaF. Who wasn't one of Laura's favorite persons at the moment.

Avoiding the counter, Laura found herself an empty table and sat. Fortunately, the place was crowded enough so that she was hidden from the bar, but close enough to take a peek if she needed to. This is ridiculous, she thought, as she caught sight of flaming red hair behind the bar. She unconsciously shrank in her seat.

The scraping of the chair beside her pulled her out of her thoughts. "So, which one is it?" Carmilla said.

"Hello to you, too."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said with disdain. "Are we here for social niceties or are we here to get you laid?"

The blush that took over Laura's face seemed to amuse Carmilla. "I don't... I'm not..." she stuttered. "This is more than getting me laid! And for the record, you were 20 minutes late. So I'm sorry if I tried to greet you with anything other than 'You're late.'"

Carmilla observed her for a moment, which made Laura self-conscious. And that didn't help the blushing. But at least she shut her up, and Laura was proud of that.

The dark-haired girl grunted, turning back to the bar. "That self-satisfied smile you're sporting is not fooling anyone, cupcake." And there went Laura's small victory. "Does the object of your affection knows you're crushing hard?"

"Of course not! We wouldn't be in this situation if she knew."

"Have you even talked to her?"

Laura felt moisture gathering in her palms as she fidgeted with her hands. "I did."

Carmilla turned to her again, interested. "Really? What did you say to each other?"

"Well I..." Laura couldn't look the dark-haired girl in the eyes. "We've talked about... about drinks, and hum... economy..."

Carmilla sighed, exaggeratedly rolling her eyes. "You've told her what you wanted to drink and she told you how much it costed?"

"Basically."

"God." She shook her head disapprovingly. "So she doesn’t even know you're gay?"

"She might?"

"How?"

"Well... I sometimes wear my flannel when I come."

Carmilla was looking at her expectantly, probably waiting for something more. "And?"

"That's it."

The brunette rolled her eyes once again, and Laura was afraid they might get stuck like this. "You expect her to gather you're gay from a flannel shirt?"

"It's very gay!"

"Everybody wears flannels nowadays, Laura. And even if all your attitude was screaming 'tiny gay in heat' when I first saw you--"

"Hey!"

"It doesn't mean everybody's that observant." She paused. "Or hot. But you know, nobody's perfect." Laura wanted to object to that but really, the girl had a point. "So, you've never had a conversation and she doesn't know you could be interested. What do you know about her?" Laura started to open her mouth but Carmilla cut her off instantly. "And don't tell me you know where she works because I'll leave."

"I wasn't going to." Probably. "I know she used to go out with that other bartender, a guy, but it didn't last very long. I know she's had girlfriends, too, so she's not straight."

Carmilla raised her eyebrows, surprised. "How do you know so much about her when you've never talked to her?"

"I have my methods. And yeah, I know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone. Basically, it's just gossip and a little observation. And no, I wasn't stalking."

Carmilla raised her hands in surrender. "Oh, I wasn't judging. I'm even a little impressed, cutie." Keeping her eyes on Laura, the dark-haired girl sucked in her bottom lip, seemingly lost in a daze. She shook her head, glancing at the bar. "Now let me guess... not her... HA! It's the redhead, isn't it? The tall one?" She turned to Laura, who was feeling the blush creeping up her neck. Carmilla smirked, nodding her head. "I knew it."

"How?"

"You seem to have a thing for redheads, cupcake. But are you sure about the height, though? You're gonna have to jump if you ever want to kiss her, but you know, your pick," she said nonchalantly. "I can introduce you to smaller redheads, if you're really into that."

Laura groaned, burying her head in her folded arms. "I don't want anyone else."

The blonde felt Carmilla pause, so she looked up. She wasn't expecting the compassionate look on her face. "You really like her, huh?" Laura slowly nodded, wary of what would come next. "Then I'm gonna help you." She smiled, and it seemed sincere. But then the smile turned into a smirk and she got up, turning to leave. "You're gonna choke on red hair when I'm finished with you." Of course, heartfelt talk couldn't last that long, Laura thought.

Carmilla [1:08 PM]: We're going out tonight. Wear something sexy.

Laura read the text over and over again. They had their first conversation the day before and now she was already giving her orders. Who was this girl?

"Something sexy..." Laura muttered to an empty bedroom. "Wear something sexy... What the hell does that even mean? What does she mean by sexy? Is a sweater sexy?"

"No!" She heard her roommate Betty shout from the other side of their shared apartment.

"Shut up, Betty!" Laura shouted back, slamming her bedroom door closed.

Not even 30 seconds later, her door was pushed open again. "Why do you need to dress sexy?" Betty's head popped up.

"I'm going out tonight."

Laura could literally feel Betty's interest perk up. "Ooh! On a hot date? I want to know everything," she said, stepping in the bedroom uninvited.

Not wanting to disclose every detail of her failed love life, even if Betty already knew pretty much everything, Laura just waved her off. "No it's just... A friend."

"Who?"

"Carmilla."

"I don't know her. Who is it?" Laura closed her eyes and turned her head to the ceiling, inwardly groaning. "Holy shit, is it her? Wo-o-o-ow! She's smoking hot!"

Hastily opening her eyes, Laura suddenly remembered what she was doing before the text came in. Fuck.

She quickly scrambled toward her laptop, slamming it shut. "No." Never leave a Google search unattended, Laura.

"I saw her name. And what was beside it? Love coach?" Betty tut-tutted. "Hollis, don't tell me you hired someone to take care of that pathetic love life of yours?"

"Words can't hurt me, I'm fine," Laura recited, actually a little hurt. Laura loved her roommate but really, sometimes, she hated her. "I didn't hire her. LaF, and technically Perry, hired her. I had nothing to do with it."

"You know, if you wanted help you could've just asked me."

Laura snorted. "Yeah, we've tried that. And I already told you, asking 'How you doin' ' with a wink to a bunch of girls does not work. At all."

Betty shrugged. "It works with me."

"Because literally everything works with guys, Betts. As long as it's a pretty girl doing it, you can say whatever you want."

Betty's lips turned up. "Did I hear a compliment in there, Hollis? I'm flattered, but I don't swing that way." Laura rolled her eyes. "But you know, if I'm feeling adventurous some time I'll give you a call." Betty finished with a wink.

"I can't wait." Laura sighed as Betty made her way out the bedroom. "Wait!" Laura shouted, holding out a dress in each hand. "Which one?"

"The black one. Burn the other one," were Betty's last words as she joyfully sauntered away.

"What do you mean by never?"

"I mean never."

"You've never been to a gay bar?" Carmilla asked, trying to hold her chuckle in. She failed.

"Stop laughing at me!" Laura tried to swat Carmilla's arm but the brunette was faster. "It wasn't my scene when I was in college and I guess I don't hang out with enough queers."

"Aren't your two best friends queer?"

Laura hesitated for a second, her face bunching up in frustration. "...Yes. But they've been a couple for years, they never needed to go to gay bars to hook up."

"All right, I don't even know why I asked. It's not even relevant."

"It's called having a conversation, Carmilla."

"And this is me getting bored. Come on cutie, you go first." Carmilla gestured at the entrance of Silas, the first gay bar the dark-haired girl had ever been to. It was different now from what it used to be, but it didn't suck. Good enough, Carmilla thought.

Laura went first, which gave Carmilla a nice view of the girl's backless dress. Her eyes wandered from her nape to her lower back, and Carmilla couldn't help but hold in a breath at the sight of her flawless skin. That, she wasn't expecting.

"And now, what?" the blonde asked.

"Now, we sit and we drink. You got some things to learn."

An hour later and Carmilla was already on edge. The girl was questioning every one of her advice, not trusting the coach to know what she was actually doing.

Carmilla pinched her nasal bridge and took a deep breath. "Cupcake, flirting is an art. It's a two-way thing. You can't just come up to her and say 'I'm into you let's make out'!"

"I didn't say I was going to do that! All I'm saying is that I don't want some cheesy pick-up lines to get in her pants."

"Did I even give you one pick-up line?"

Laura paused, inhaled and crossed her arms slowly before mumbling. "No, but I could sense you were about to."

The dark-haired girl grunted, not bothering to hide her exasperation. "Oh, you could sense that? Can you also sense that I'm this close to walk out of here and tell the gingers you're a lost cause?"

Carmilla made a show of standing up slowly, before Laura quickly grabbed her by the arm. "No, please, no. I really need your help Carmilla!"

Carmilla watched her, ready to sit back down. "Will you listen to me?"

"Yes, yes I will."

"And you won't question everything I say?"

"I..." She seemed hesitant. "Fine, I won't."

Satisfied, Carmilla sat down, hiding her smile behind her beer. "All right, now we're gonna try something out. Observation, Hollis."

Laura sighed in relief, folding her hands on the table. "I'm listening."

"Good. I'm gonna go talk to this girl, over there." She pointed at a blonde girl at the bar. "Watch what I do; my movements, my facial expressions. Watch her reactions."

"Okay, but I won't hear what you're saying."

"What I say doesn't matter. If you want to win your giant tree's heart—" Laura rolled her eyes at that "—you need to be yourself. You don't need any pick-up lines and you don't need to hear what I'll say to this girl because it's not what you would have said. Besides, today we're studying body language. What does your body say that your mouth can't?"

Laura didn't have anything to retort, so Carmilla chugged her beer and gave her a wink before walking toward the other girl. She didn't forget to sway her hips as she went, hoping the tiny waitress was watching. It's not like she cared if she did, but it was always nice to know when she had an effect on someone. That's why she berated herself internally when she took the time to check if Laura was indeed ogling her. She was, and the satisfaction Carmilla felt in that moment was nauseating.

Flirting for Carmilla was as natural as questioning for Laura. She didn't have to think about it, she just did. It was easy, and especially when she wasn't that interested in the girl. With Carmilla's confidence and her looks, she knew she could have pretty much anyone she wanted. But for the sake of Laura's lesson, she put her heart into it. She laughed at the girl's jokes, she smiled a lot, she subtly touched her knee or her arm on various occasions, leaving the hand there when the girl showed interest. She showed Laura what subtle flirting meant, knowing that sweet-talk and air of mystery wouldn't work for her. She showed how a conversation between strangers could turn into flirting with just little things.

Feeling like she'd had enough, Carmilla gave a lame-ass excuse to the girl and walked away, not caring if she was disappointed or not. She left the bar and leaned back against the wall next to the exit.

She lit up a cigarette as she waited. "3... 2... 1..."

The door burst open, revealing a fuming Laura. "What the fuck!"

Carmilla smirked, taking a drag. "What's up, creampuff?"

"I thought you'd... left! You could've told me you were going out for a cigarette." She regarded Carmilla closely. "Wait. Were you going out for a cigarette or were you going to leave if I didn't come for you?"

Carmilla left her hanging, blowing out smoke.

"Ugh! You are really infuriating, has anyone ever told you that?"

The dark-haired girl snorted, meeting Laura's irritated gaze. "That bunched up face you make when you're angry is really cute, bubblegum."

Laura winced at the nickname, which made it all the more hilarious for Carmilla. "Whatever. I just wanted to tell you that I watched what you did, and I think I've learned some things."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and okay, I'll admit I'm a bit impressed. Not that I didn't know it was going to work because... Well I mean, look at you. But still, that girl was all over you in a matter of seconds, and it didn't even look like you tried that hard."

Carmilla held in a smile at Laura's cute rambling and pushed herself off the wall, stepping on her cigarette. "I didn't, and that's the point. You don't need to try hard, just be yourself. And of course, follow the few tips I gave you to let her know you're interested and see if she is, too."

Laura nodded and smiled, her eyes sparkling. "I can't believe you actually helped. Thank you, Carmilla." She looked like she was going to jump at any moment and hug her, so Carmilla held up her hand.

"Hold up. You don't think that's it, do you?" Laura immediately stopped fidgeting. "You really thought I was going to let you go after one lesson? Oh cutie, this is just the beginning."

Laura cringed, her smile fading a bit. "Oh. I... Of course not! I knew that."

Carmilla's lips turned up in a simper. "Of course you did. Now," She put her hands in her pockets and turned to Laura before walking away. "Get ready for our next lesson. I'll text you."

"Wait, when?" Carmilla heard Laura ask to her back, but she didn't care enough to reply.

"So, how are things with Carmilla?"

Laura dropped the cloth she was cleaning the counter with and glared at her friend. "Hell."

LaF swallowed audibly the piece of cake they were eating. "That bad?"

The blonde sighed, picking up the cloth again and started scrubbing. "No, I guess I'm overreacting. Not hell, but maybe more like... You know, like a crowded day at Disneyland."

LaF gasped, horrified. "So, worse than hell!"

Laura giggled at her friend's antics. "Okay, so maybe not that bad. I mean she's a good teacher, from what I've seen, at least. But as a person..."

"She's a little difficult."

"A little?" She scoffed. Understatement of the century. "It is literally impossible to have an actual conversation with her. When it's not about her giving me flirting advice, she gets bored and completely tunes out whatever I'm saying. Oh, and not to mention her complete lack of normal, social behavior." She leaned over the counter, meeting the redhead's gaze. "I ran into her two days ago. Literally ran into. She looked down at me and walked away as if she didn't know me. And even if she hadn't known me, it would have been rude."

LaF tried to cover their chuckle with a cough but Laura was onto them. "Don't take it personally. I swear she's not that bad once you get to know her. It took me a while too."

"I don't doubt it." Laura sighed. "Do you want another coffee?"

"Well... I kinda asked for it 20 minutes ago."

"What!" Laura let go of the cloth and started moving. "I'm so sorry! I'll get you one immediately."

LaF smiled. "Don't worry about it. I should've reminded you."

"I'm the worst waitress ever. I don't even know how I didn't get myself fired yet."

She turned her back to LaF, making the coffee they asked for. Fortunately, it was a slow day and the coffee shop was mostly empty. If not, how many orders would she have missed while ranting about Carmilla?

Just thinking about her made her clench the coffee cup a little bit too hard. "And you know," she started again, "I shouldn't stay and just accept her behavior. Always with her stupid sugary nicknames... If I hear her call me snickerdoodle one more time I'm going to lose it. I should tell her that I deserve respect, too."

"Laura."

"But she won't care! I know she won't because all she cares about is herself. I bet she's so good at flirting because she never went past that stage. Has she ever been in a serious relationship? If she has, I pity the poor girl who had to suffer through it. She thinks she's some hot-shot flirting master and that I'm just a naïve girl who's intimidated by her. But I'm not! And I'm going to tell her."

"Laura."

"You know when she shows up, the first thing I'm going to tell her is that I won't keep being ridiculed by some miserable, narcissistic, raging bitch!"

"LAURA!"

"WHAT?!"

Hearing LaF call her name for the third time, Laura finally turned around and found herself face to face with the smirk she so didn't want to see today. Next to her, LaF had covered their face with their hand.

"Carmilla. Hi. I wasn't talking about you." She rushed out, knowing the chances of convincing the brunette were close to zero.

Her smirk only widened. "Sure you weren't. When do you finish your shift?"

Surprised by the absence of reaction, Laura could only stutter. "I, hum... In 30 minutes."

"Perfect. I'll be waiting in that booth over there. Come meet me when you're done, we have some place to be today."

Still stunned, Laura didn't even have the chance to mumble something before the dark-haired girl pushed herself off the counter and sauntered to a booth.

"Well done, Hollis. She knows who's the boss, now," the red-haired idiot said, struggling to keep their laughter in control as they reached for another piece of cake.

Laura glared at them. "Careful with that cake, wouldn't want you to choke on it."

They walked in silence, and it was the most uncomfortable situation for Laura. They had left the coffee shop after Laura's shift, they had walked, taken the subway and walked again, and she still didn't know where they were going.

"Look, about what I said in there..." she started, apologetic.

Carmilla sighed. "It's fine."

"No it's not, I shouldn't have snapped like that. I'm sorry about what I said."

The other girl raised an eyebrow at her, half-smiling. "You think you're the first person to ever call me a bitch?" She scoffed. "Please. I know how I am and I know how people see me. It's barely a surprise that you'd see the same thing."

Laura slowed her steps, scrutinizing the brunette. "Does that mean there's something else to see?"

Carmilla let out a breathy chuckle and opened the door to a building, letting Laura in. "I doubt it, creampuff."

Letting the subject drop, Laura looked around. "Are we in a... nursing home?" Carmilla hummed, moving forward. "Look, I know my fashion sense is questionable but I still don't think I belong here."

Carmilla openly laughed, and the sound of it surprised Laura. Had she never heard her genuinely laugh before? "Our presence here is part of our next lesson."

They had stopped a few feet away from the reception desk. "I don't really want to hit on elderlies, Carmilla."

"Then luckily, you won't. We're just gonna talk to them, keep them company."

"All right... Why?"

"You see, all these people have stories. They have loved and lost. I want you to hear some of their stories, and I want them to inspire you."

"This actually sounds like a great idea, almost sentimental... And so not like you. Where's the catch?" Laura asked, suspicious.

Carmilla chuckled. "No catch, sweetheart. I wouldn't be showing this to just anyone, but I thought it would suit you. I think that you're a sensitive girl, whether you like to show it or not. And I think that you're looking for something strong, you know? For something real. This lesson is not necessarily about flirting; it's about life. It's about the kind of love you're looking for. Now, whether you find it with the redhead or with someone else, I really think you'll benefit from this experience in the long run, and maybe it'll help you figure out what you want."

Laura gaped at Carmilla, clearly not expecting this type of answer. Rolling her eyes, the brunette led them to the reception desk, where a nice-looking old lady greeted them.

"Hi, we are here to--"

"To volunteer, right?" She smiled brightly at them, holding up two passes. "Here are your passes. Go down the hall, the patio is right this way."

"Thank you." Carmilla smiled, taking the pieces of plastic.

"You're welcome. Oh, and don't forget to bring back the passes when you're done, Carmilla."

The dark-haired girl cleared her throat. "Sure, will do."

"Is it that easy to get into a nursing home?" Laura asked when they were far enough.

"I'm sure your owl sweater did the trick, creampuff." Laura groaned. She knew she never should have bought this thing. "No, I actually come here every Wednesday to volunteer."

Laura snorted, before looking over at Carmilla who was looking at her questioningly. "Oh my god you weren't joking?" The brunette shook her head. "You, Carmilla Karnstein? You come here every Wednesday to keep company to old people?"

Carmilla's lips turned up. "I do. I know it's hard to believe, but I actually care about someone other than myself. I used to come when my grandmother was still alive; we were very close. I guess I kept the habit."

Dumbstruck was the only adjective Laura could use to describe herself. Dumbstruck.

The afternoon went surprisingly well. Carmilla was very attentive and very nice with all the people they've talked to. She even played a few rounds of chess with an 86-year-old that wouldn't let her go. She reminded him of his late wife, he'd said. Which apparently gave him the right to check her out at every occasion. Carmilla just laughed when Laura pointed that out. They listened to a few stories, some of them more interesting than others, some of them just pure fiction. But it didn't really matter to Laura; she did not know what it was with elderlies that made their stories feel like she was there to live them.

"See, this is him, right here. My Bert." The 83-year-old woman they were talking to, Mary, pointed to the photograph she had just taken out of her pocket. "I always keep him with me wherever I go." She smiled at the picture, as if she was smiling at him. "Not that I go really far these days."

Carmilla gave her a sweet smile. "How long were you married?"

"Oh..." Mary started thinking. "This year would have been our 63^rd anniversary. But he died 17 years ago, so we never made it this far."

"Wow. And you never thought about finding someone else after his death?" Laura bluntly asked, and Carmilla looked at her like she had grown three heads. "What?" she whispered.

Carmilla shook her head as the woman chuckled. "I never wanted to. What's the point? He is the love of my life. I knew I would never love someone else as much as I love him."

"How did you two meet?"

Her eyes started sparkling, Mary reminiscing about her past love. "He was my brother's best friend when we were younger. I can tell you, I did not like him one bit." The younger girls laughed at that. "We were continuously at each other's throats. He would always get into trouble and drag my brother down with him. I cannot really explain how the three of us became inseparable, but it eventually happened, even if I still couldn't stand him." The woman got lost in her memories, and Laura chanced a quick glance at Carmilla, who was already looking at her. The brunette's lips quirked up, and Laura could swear she saw something in her eyes, but it was gone as fast as it came. Carmilla broke eye contact, and Laura released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "When my brother died at sea, it was just the two of us. I think that's when I realized he was the only person I could hold onto." Mary smiled sadly, her eyes casted on the photograph she was still shakenly holding. "We fell in love then, even if now I think I was already falling when I was pretending to hate him. My silly young self was just too stubborn to admit it."

Carmilla let the woman take a deep breath before putting her hand over hers and saying quietly, "Thank you for sharing your story with us, Mary. It means a lot."

"I don't know what brought you to us, old people, but I am thankful you came." She covered Carmilla's hand with hers and squeezed. "My children don't come very often now that they have moved."

"It's been a pleasure meeting you, Mary," Laura said with a smile. "I guess I have a lot of things to learn about love," she continued, more to herself.

Mary hummed. "So tell me, have you found a man, sweetie?"

Laura's eyes widened, and she opened and closed her mouth a few times before answering. "Hum... I... not really, I..."

"We are both more... interested in women, actually." Carmilla rescued her stuttering with a sly smile.

"Oh..." Mary looked between the two. "Oh! How long have you two been a couple?"

Laura suddenly choked on her saliva and started a violent coughing fit. But even with that, she could still hear Carmilla burst out in laughter next to her. "No, we're not together," she said when the laughter died. "Not that I didn't try, but you know, nothing's worked yet. But I'm not done; one day she'll give in to my flirting." She winked at Laura.

She was obviously teasing, Laura thought. Carmilla had never flirted with her. And being an expert, it would have been obvious if the dark-haired girl had flirted. Not that Laura was interested. So... the flirting would have resulted in a failure for Carmilla, anyway.

"I'm sure she will, honey. I can sense these things," Mary said with a smile and really? Was she some kind of seer now? Not a good one if she was, Laura thought.

They left the building a few minutes after their conversation with Mary. Laura didn't know what to make of the new Carmilla she had discovered there. Was she completely wrong about her? Was Carmilla actually a nice person?

"So, what did you think about it?" the brunette asked once they were on the sidewalk.

"This was just... Wow. I feel so bad now. All those things I said about you... I was so wrong, Carmilla."

"Don't think I'm a heartless bitch now, huh?"

"I didn't exactly say that but... No, you're not."

"And maybe... you're starting to like me," she drawled, raising one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

Laura laughed, but it started to fade when she realized that it was actually true. Damn it.

Carmilla sighed. "Well, hold on to that while you can, because it won't last."

Laura furrowed her brows, confused. "What?"

"You see, this was supposed to be one of the more advanced lessons, but your little rant at the coffee shop gave me the opportunity to do it today."

"What are you talking about?"

She smirked. "This lesson wasn't about 'finding your real self' or 'learn what kind of love you want' or whatever crap I served you." She scoffed. "No. It's about the image you're projecting to others."

Laura was more confused than ever. "I don't get it."

"Wait for it. In a matter of a few hours, you went from hating me to liking me, finding in me qualities you never thought I could ever have. All I had to do was to show you what you wanted to see: a girl that cared about other people as much as you do."

"I don't think I like where this is going."

"Oh, you won't. Do you think my moves today weren't all calculated? I brought you here for a reason, Laura. See how easy it is to show people what they want to see? I wanted to give you a reason for liking me, and it worked. This lesson was about learning what other people want from you, and how you can give them exactly that. My behavior today was only for the sake of the lesson, but I'm sure you'll be genuine with the ginger."

"Wait. So you only brought me here to make me like you? So it was all fake? All the attentions you had toward these people; your thoughtfulness? What kind of person would do that?"

"Someone who knows--"

"How to manipulate people. Someone who doesn't give a shit about other people's feelings."

Carmilla pursed her lips and slowly nodded. "Yup."

"I can't believe you would do that! And I bet all this shit about your grandma and you coming every Wednesday was also fake?"

She sighed. "I had to build up a story. I've never even been to this place."

"This is so fucked up, Carmilla. Even coming from you." She couldn't find the words to explain how disappointed she was, and the twist she was feeling in her stomach wasn't helping. "I think I need to go. I'm afraid I'm gonna say something that I'll regret later if I don't."

"I can't blame you." Carmilla was acting nonchalant, but a silly part of Laura was not buying it.

The blonde started walking away, but screeched to a stop when she remembered something. She didn't turn around when she addressed Carmilla. "Wait. The receptionist called you by your name. Why would she call you by your name if it was your first time there?"

She turned to Carmilla when she didn't hear a reply. The brunette was still there, but she only gave her a sad quirk of her lips before she turned around and left.

Laura didn't know what to believe. Was Carmilla actually the asshole she pretended to be? Or had she lied when she said all her story was fake? Why would she go to such extent to make Laura hate her?

Even after all this, the voice inside Laura that was telling her Carmilla wasn't a monster was stronger than the other ones. It was probably LaF's voice. In the spur of the moment, Laura retrieved her phone.

Laura [4:33 PM]: I don't believe you. I don't know why you're trying so hard to make me hate you, but it's not working. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm choosing to listen to my instincts... and LaF. Meet me at The Lustig Saturday night. I want my lessons.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Oh, give me a break."

"No, Carmilla. Why are you so keen on making her believe you're some kind of heartless asshole?" LaF stretched their leg on a park bench, exaggeratedly breathing as they tried to touch the tip of their toes.

"She was already thinking that."

"Then push her in the other direction!"

"Why have you suddenly taken up jogging?"

"Perry wants me to exercise. She says I'm—Don’t change the subject!"

Carmilla rolled her eyes as LaF started jumping up and down, huffing and puffing. "You look ridiculous." And they did, in their multicolored outfit and headband.

"And you act ridiculous. Why lie about going there every Wednesday? It's a nice thing you're doing; why do you have to hide it? Or worse, why did you have to show it and then lie about it?"

Carmilla shrugged. "I guess... I had already planned to bring her there, but then I heard what she said about me and I don't know. Maybe it struck a nerve. I wanted to prove her right, and show her how much of an asshole I could be."

"Right. What an asshole you are. Going to a nursing home and taking care of elderlies. A real bitch."

"Shut up. I meant an asshole to her, not to them."

"See, even when you're trying you can't be that bad." They gave her a sly smile.

"Will you ever start running? Stop jumping! You're giving me a headache."

"All right, I'm going. But stop acting like an idiot with Laura! All she wants is to date that bartender. Can you just give her that and leave your stupid pride aside?"

Carmilla waved goodbye as LaF took off. Yeah, maybe she could do that.

For a Saturday night, The Lustig wasn't very packed. Carmilla watched people coming in from her spot at a table, but she didn't see anyone who caught her eye. That is until a small, dirty blonde walked in, looking straight at the bar. She seemed like she was having an argument with herself, and the strong side must have won because she puffed her chest and walked confidently toward the counter. Well, as confidently as she could after she tripped over her own feet. It was still Laura, after all. Carmilla smiled despite herself, watching as the cute, tiny girl leaned over the counter to talk to the red-haired bartender.

Curious, Carmilla leaned forward a bit, even if it was impossible to hear anything from such a great distance. Still, Carmilla observed, and noted how the bartender seemed to be very receptive to Laura. The bright smile, the constant eye-contact. The dark-haired girl felt in that moment an unexplainable pang in her chest. Finally, the blonde turned her head and made eye-contact with Carmilla. The beautiful smile she gave her did not do anything to lessen the pang she was already feeling.

"Oh my god, Carmilla. Guess what??" Laura practically squealed when she reached the table with a pink drink in her hand.

"You're already on a sugar rush from the ton of sugar contained in your drink?"

She shook her head vehemently, taking a giant sip before frowning at the glass. "No. Maybe. Listen. We've talked! Danny and I. She talked to me!"

"I assume that's big red?"

"What, I never told you her name?"

"I guess not. And I've already told you, cupcake. A customer ordering a drink is not a real conversation."

"I know that! I haven’t told you the most interesting part, yet." She was almost jumping off her seat in excitement. "She knows me! Well, she doesn't know my name, but she recognized me. She knows I come here often and she knows the kind of drinks I order."

"Sugary--"

"Yes, sugary drinks, Carmilla. Shocker." Laura rolled her eyes, but even that slight annoyance couldn't hinder the excitement she was visibly feeling.

"That's great, cupcake," Carmilla said, and she wished she'd have sounded more upbeat.

 "Why aren't you more excited? It's huge!... Right? Isn't... it?" Carmilla could see Laura was starting to doubt her achievement.

"It could be." Carmilla tried to give her the most genuine smile she could muster. "But it's not that uncommon for bartenders to remember the face of regulars..."

Laura's smile started to falter a bit. "You're right. I shouldn't be that excited over this, but I just thought that meant she wasn't totally indifferent."

Carmilla knew the redhead wasn't indifferent. She saw it. And if the bartender's repeated glances thrown their way weren't an indication, Carmilla didn't know what was. But they needed more than that. Carmilla needed to know if this Danny was really interested in Laura. Only one way to find out.

Carmilla moved her chair closer to Laura's, and put a cautious hand on her shoulder. "Hey," she said softly, moving her thumb in a soothing motion. "I'll help you. That's why I'm here for, all right?"

Laura nodded, but the cute pout was still on her face. She took another sip of her drink and winced at the probably very sweet taste. "I think she really thought I was made of sugar."

Carmilla laughed lightly, keeping her gaze on Laura. "Hey, I'm gonna try something out. Just don't freak out, okay?"

The blonde regarded her cautiously, but nodded.

Slowly, Carmilla lifted the hand that was on Laura's shoulder blade and brought it to her face, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled softly at her, noticing how Laura had held her breath at the gesture. Her thumb found its way on the blonde's cheekbone, lightly stroking.

Her eyes grew wide and she whispered, "What are you doing?"

"I'm just trying something," Carmilla said quietly, slightly amused by the girl's panic.

"What?"

The dark-haired girl shushed her, her hand still cupping Laura's face and her gaze never leaving the girl's eyes. At some point, her eyes flicked to the right, and she locked eyes with a certain bartender who immediately averted her eyes. Carmilla smirked, returning her attention to the confused blonde.

She moved closer, her mouth now mere inches from Laura's right ear, as she breathed out, "I just wanted to see if the redhead was really interested in you."

"H..." Laura cleared her throat, seemingly flustered. "How?"

Carmilla turned her gaze toward the bar again, as the bartender averted her eyes and occupied her hands. The dark-haired girl's smirk widened as she whispered in Laura's ear, "Jealousy is one way to find out."

"You want to make her jealous?"

"I'm barely trying and I caught her staring already a countless number of times."

"Really?" Laura's hopeful tone was sickening.

Because she was really caught up in her role, or because she felt the sudden need to feel the girl's soft skin under her lips, Carmilla pressed a gentle kiss just below Laura's ear, earning a shiver in response. "Really," she rasped, before pulling away.

Laura was watching her in astonishment. "That... hum." She gulped. "That could work."

Carmilla raised a knowing eyebrow and smiled at the blush on Laura's face. "I know."

A few seconds of silence passed during which Carmilla was lost in her thoughts. She was brought back to reality when she felt a light touch on her forearm. Laura's fingers were grazing her arm, moving in a back and forth motion. Carmilla lifted her head to look at her, confused.

"Is that okay?" she asked shyly. "I figured that I could fake-flirt with you too, if Danny is watching. Can she see it from where she is?" Laura asked, since her back was to the bar.

Carmilla doubted it. "I think she can," she answered instead. She didn't know why she'd felt the need to lie about that.

"Hey, hum... I just wanted to say thank you for the other day. For bringing me to the nursing home. I know it didn't end really well, but I know you brought me there for the right reasons and not for the stupid reasons you gave me when we got out."

Carmilla sighed. "You talked to LaF, haven't you?"

Laura gave her a guilty smile. "Maybe I did. I still don't know why you keep doing things to make me not like you, but I won't push. If you want to keep this strictly professional, I can do that. We don't have to have heartfelt conversations or you don't have to tell me any more about you than what you want me to know."

Carmilla felt her initial annoyance for Laura slowly turn into something akin to affection. She almost felt bile rising up in her stomach at the thought. She shook herself out of it.

"I'm glad we are on the same page, then," she said somewhat coldly, taking back her arm.

A quick look of disappointment flashed on Laura's face and she pursed her lips, nodding. "Right."

Carmilla stood up, avoiding Laura's stare. "I have to go. I'll text you for our next lesson."

"Wait! What did I learn today?"

Carmilla gave her a small quirk of her lips. "You learned that the ginger giant is interested in you. From now on, the lessons will get way more interesting."

A little more than a week later, Laura received a mysterious text. It only gave an address and a time, nothing more. Carmilla was visibly taking this whole "not making conversation" thing really seriously.

At 3PM sharp, Laura was standing in front of an apartment building, waiting for the mysterious girl to arrive. She suddenly heard the front door open and Carmilla leisurely got out. She had her hair up in a ponytail, and Laura's heart skipped a beat at the view of the newly discovered pale skin of her neck. What the hell. Who has a thing for necks? When she looked down, something else caught her eye. Carmilla was holding what looked like a leash.

"Oh good, you're here," she said, not even looking at her. "Here, hold that." She held out the leash, and Laura took it without thinking too much about it. But that's when she realized that the end of the leash wasn't empty. No, a big black, brown and white dog was sitting at the end of it, looking at her with its tongue sticking out, panting.

Laura's eyes widened. "Is that... a dog?"

"No, it's a sandwich." Carmilla rolled her eyes. "It's a Bernese mountain. Come on, let's move," she added, ready to cross the road.

"Whose dog is that?" Laura asked, trying to walk with the dog who was thankfully pretty obedient.

Carmilla shrugged, looking both ways before crossing the road. "Does it matter?"

"Yes! I have to know that you didn't steal it." Carmilla kept her mouth shut, moving forward. "Where are we going?"

"To claim the ransom."

"Carmilla!" Laura gasped, trying to match the other girl's steps.

Carmilla snickered. "Oliver is not stolen, I promise. Now move, we don't want to be late."

"Late for what? And why am I the one walking him? Carmilla!"

A few minutes of unanswered questions later, the three of them landed in a park. Carmilla made them walk a bit before sitting on an empty bench, which was facing a vast expanse of grass where people apparently let their dogs wander around, unleashed.

"Now will you tell me what we are doing here?"

"Patience, cutie. You'll see in time."

So they just sat there, lounging in the sun while observing the passersby. Oliver was sitting by their side, seemingly happy. He kept putting his paw on Laura's knee, asking for scratches. Shaking her head at the dog's cuteness, Laura happily gave him what he wanted. But Carmilla kept glancing at her watch, which made Laura grow suspicious.

"Are we waiting for something?"

"You could say that."

"Can you at least tell me why Oliver is here?"

Carmilla looked at Laura before looking at the dog, and smiled. She leaned down, cupping the dog's head as he happily panted. "Because he's just so freaking adorable. Aren't you, cutie?" She stroked his fur, her smile brighter than Laura had ever seen.

"I thought I was the cutie," she teased, and she couldn't believe she had just said that.

Carmilla lifted her head and raised an eyebrow, smirking as she looked her up and down. "Oh, you are," she drawled, her teeth momentarily grazing her lower lip. "Just a different kind."

Laura felt her heart speed up, and the sun must have been beating down because it was suddenly very hot out here. This fake-flirting from Carmilla was starting to become a bit much for Laura. Suddenly, the brunette averted her gaze and looked over the blonde's head.

"All right, here we go." Carmilla took out something from the bag she brought with her. Laura squinted her eyes and saw that it was some kind of dog treat.

"Why are you--"

Before she had time to add anything, Carmilla put the treat in front of the dog's nose and suddenly threw it toward the field. Laura had only a split second to understand what was going to happen then. As the treat went flying over the path where their bench was situated, Laura instinctively gripped the leash harder, remembering that Carmilla had told her to do that if the dog tried to run off. Big mistake, she thought, as the big dog took off after the treat, dragging the poor girl with him who completely lost her footing. She only had time to let go of the leash before her tiny body collided with the one of a much taller person.

Two hands were instantly grabbing her shoulders to steady her. "Oh my god are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Laura knew this voice, but she was still a little bit stunned from the shock to really comprehend the situation. She slowly lifted her head, and looked through heavy lidded eyes at the person who had unintentionally stopped her course. Her eyes immediately widened and she was at a loss for words. Standing before her, or above her, really, was the girl who had been haunting her days and nights for months.

"Are you okay?" the redhead repeated, obviously concerned.

"I..." The tiny blonde had to clear her throat. "I'm fine. Thank you."

Danny gave her a relieved smile, her hands still on her shoulders. "Hey... It's you. The girl who likes fruity drinks."

Laura couldn't believe it. Danny had recognized her outside of the bar, in plain daylight. A bright smile took over the blonde's face, as she took the redhead in. If her tied up hair, tank top and short – god, really short – shorts were any indication, she was obviously jogging when they ran into each other.

"Hey," she replied, trying to build her self-confidence. "I actually go by Laura these days but you know, either one works."

The redhead genuinely laughed, holding out her hand. "I'm Danny. Nice to finally know your name, Laura."

The appreciative look the bartender was giving her triggered flips in Laura's abdomen, and she silently urged herself to calm down. The girl she liked was probably flirting with her, but no biggie. Laura could handle this situation without freaking out. She took the outstretched hand and shook it gently. "Like..." she croaked, her throat completely dry. She loudly cleared her throat, her cheeks heating up. "Likewise." Well done, moron.

Danny's smile brightened, her blue eyes on Laura's before she looked behind the girl with a frown. "Didn't you have a dog?"

"A what now?" Laura asked, still in a daze.

"A dog. I think it ran off."

Laura's eyes bulged when she remembered Oliver. "Oh my god, yes, the dog!" She started looking around, her eyes landing on the empty bench she had just vacated. But... Where was Carmilla?

She suddenly felt something nudging her leg, and relief flooded through her when she realized Oliver was at her feet, sniffing her pants.

"Sorry! I had to chase him." She heard Carmilla say.

The dark-haired girl, who was visibly coming out of nowhere, joined them and stood beside Laura. The blonde opened her mouth to retort something when she felt an arm sliding over her shoulders.

"You have to be careful with him, babe," Carmilla said, leaning close to her ear. "You know Oliver's uncontrollable when he's around treats." She then softly pressed her lips against Laura's cheek, much to the blonde's confusion who was completely paralyzed. Carmilla then turned to Danny, shooting her a smug smile that could pass off as friendly. "Hi, sorry I didn't see you there. I'm Carmilla, Laura's girlfriend," she said, offering her outstretched hand.

Laura tried to hide her shock as much as she could when Danny's eyes flicked to her, confusion and maybe disappointment written all over them. She hesitantly shook Carmilla's hand, giving her a small smile. "I'm Danny. Laura and I literally just ran into each other." She then looked at the blonde, nodding her head. "It was nice seeing you again, Laura. I have to go."

Laura babbled, her mind too fuzzy to speak coherently. Her eyes followed Danny's retreating back, as she heard Carmilla shout an entirely too satisfied "Bye!"

She shook her head, slowly getting ahold of her mixed emotions as she felt the heaviness of Carmilla's arm still around her shoulders.

"Get off of me!" she yelled, yanking the brunette's arm away. She then turned to her, clenching her fists in anger. "Why did you do that?! We were starting to go somewhere!"

"Calm down, cupcake. It’s all part of the plan," she said calmly, apparently not bothered by Laura's outburst. "I know it seems like I ruined your little moment with the red giant but trust me; this was necessary."

"But I don't understand," Laura said, a little more softly this time as she followed the brunette to the bench. "This is exactly what we wanted. Unless I read the entire situation wrong, she seemed interested."

"She is. But you see, I've done some digging. Danny is the type of girl who likes to be challenged." When Laura looked at her in bewilderment, Carmilla smirked. "What? You think I spent this week sitting on my ass? What do you think the ginger twins are paying me for?"

"All right." Laura sighed. "Tell me everything."

"I agree, the meet-cute I orchestrated could have worked with anyone else. And probably with her, too. But--"

"Wait a minute." Laura interrupted, looking suspiciously at the other girl. "What do you mean by orchestrated?"

Carmilla snorted. "Oh, no. You really think we happened to be here, at the exact moment when the redhead does her daily jog?"

"So when you threw the treat... You knew I was going to collide with her?"

"This went way beyond what I had imagined." Carmilla laughed. "It was magnificent."

"Moving on." Laura grunted, annoyed.

"Right. So yeah, Ginger has a routine. Every day, she leaves her house at exactly 2:55 and goes for a jog. At 3:17, she's in this park, passing the bench we are currently sitting on. At 3:55, she stops for a cup of coffee to go, and she spends exactly 7 minutes staring at the lake while she drinks her coffee. At 4:25, she's back home."

Laura was silent as she observed Carmilla inspecting her nails in a bored gesture. "You're a psychopath."

She scoffed, furrowing her brows. "Oh, I'm the psychopath? The girl spends exactly 7 minutes, at exactly the same time, every damn day of the week staring at a fucking lake, and I'm the psychopath?"

"She's just... organized. But you followed her every day!"

"That's part of my job, sweetheart. I'm not just here to give you flirting advice. I'm here because I want your relationship with the ginger to work. So yeah, I have to dig a little."

"Fine, fine. What else?"

"Ha, the most interesting part. I looked a little bit into her past, and it looks like the girl likes being challenged, like I told you. She's the type of girl who likes to play the hero, you know? She found herself in some pretty sketchy situations just because she wanted to do the right thing. She wants to save the day. You know, the knight in a shiny white armor who would do anything to save the damsel in distress."

Laura raised an eyebrow at that, sceptic. "Am I the damsel in distress in this scenario? What is she supposed to save me from?"

Carmilla shot her a wide, arrogant smile. "Me."

"Oh, so you're the villain?" She smiled, amused. "So what, are you going to tie me up, then put me at the top of a crate and leave me hanging upside down until my superhero comes to rescue me?"

The dark-haired girl chuckled. "If you're into getting tied up I'm sure we could work something out," she drawled suggestively as Laura sucked in a breath. "But what I had in mind was maybe a little less Spider-man and more... well Danny. She will save you from a failed relationship with an asshole.

"So you."

"Me."

"I'm glad we agree on that." She teased. "You know, you could've also let me flirt with her earlier."

"I couldn't take that risk. My solution is failure-proof. As of your flirting... I'm not so sure about that." Carmilla cringed.

"Hey! I'm getting better at flirting. I flirted with you, didn't I?"

Carmilla let out a breathy chuckle, locking eyes with Laura. "You did... But you're gonna have to do it a lot more if you want to convince me you improved your flirting game."

Laura giggled, feeling the blush on her cheeks. "Oh, is that so?"

Carmilla hummed, and it looked like she was holding back a grin. Laura hadn't realized she had been staring until the dark-haired girl cleared her throat and stood up. "All right cupcake, time to go."

"Right, yeah." Laura shook herself out of it, following the movement.

Carmilla whistled, Oliver rushing at her feet. She crouched down and clipped the leash on his collar, affectionately patting his head.

"Will you ever tell me whose dog he is?"

The dark-haired girl stood back up, dusting her pants. "See you later, Laura."

Carmilla winked at her before turning her back and leaving, a happy dog at her side. Laura watched her go, frustrated by the lack of response. But long after she was gone, Laura was still standing there, staring at the empty spot.

"Sweetie, you just have a little..." Perry wiped LaF's face clean with a napkin. "There."

LaF smiled dazedly at their partner. "Thanks, Per."

"Ugh, you two are nauseating."

"Jealous, broody?" LaF leaned over the table with a sly smile. "Don't worry, you'll have that someday."

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes as Perry started to chastise her partner for one thing or another; Carmilla couldn't care less. Her attention had already shifted to something else; or someone else.

The small waitress was behind the counter, and she was pulling her hair up in a bun, using a pen to hold it up. She then took her notepad and crossed the room, stopping at a table to take an order. Carmilla was impressed at how naturally friendly Laura looked when she talked to customers. She had put on a beautiful smile, lighting up her whole face. But then, a look of panic took over her face as she patted her pockets and probably realized she had nothing to write the order with. Carmilla laughed under her breath as she saw Laura nodding to the customers, obviously trying to remember their order. When she was done she turned around and sighed, her eyes finding Carmilla's. She gave her a bright smile, and the brunette couldn't have stopped the beating of her heart even if she'd tried. When had Laura's dazzling smile ever been directed at her? She returned the smile without as much as a second thought, and pointed at her own hair. Laura gave her a confused look, so Carmilla insisted. Finally lifting her hand to her hair, the blonde's eyes widened when she probably felt the pen that she stuck in there. Blushing furiously, she gave Carmilla a shy smile and sprinted behind the counter.

Suddenly, red hair appeared in her line of sight. "Yo!"

Carmilla jumped a little, turning to LaF who was sitting back down. "What!"

They had a knowing smirk on their face and the brunette didn't like that, at all. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Nothing."

LaF lifted an eyebrow, grinning. "Oh okay. I was just wondering why you were staring dreamingly at our favorite waitress, that's all."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Lafontaine, leave Carmilla alone," Perry's soft voice cut through, and the brunette was thankful for the interruption. "She never gave you a hard time when you were figuring out your crush on me."

Carmilla jumped again, this time hitting her knee under the table. "Motherf--"

LaF burst out in laughter, tears escaping their eyes as they slammed their palm on the table. "Perry, I love you."

"You know what?" Carmilla said when she finally recovered. "I'm just gonna leave you to it. I have somewhere else to be, anyway."

"Oh, come on! That's funny. You, mistress of the snark, having a crush on cute little Laura Hollis? That's sitcom material."

"I don't--" Carmilla pointed at them, momentarily closing her eyes to calm herself down. "I will see you later, Perry. And you," she said, turning to LaF's cocky expression. "We need a break from each other."

When Carmilla left the coffee shop, she could still hear LaF's laughter following her. She was not crushing on Laura Hollis. The girl could not even walk two steps without stumbling over her own feet. This was ridiculous.

Carmilla spent the next few weeks trying to convince herself that she was not developing feelings for the bubbly girl she had known for two months. But it was starting to get difficult, especially ever since Laura had decided they needed to improve their "couple game." Carmilla hadn't planned this. She just thought they would make the redhead jealous for a while and then messily break up in front of her, the brunette passing off as the asshole so that Laura could drown her fake sorrow in the red giant. But she never thought it would take that long. But apparently, the blonde wanted it to be really believable. And for that, they had to spend a little more time together than Carmilla would've liked.

"Will you stop fidgeting? It's been the same thing every week-end. She's not going to interrogate us. All we have to do is stay close to each other."

Laura turned to face her, a worried expression on her face. "But what if she never believes we're a couple? When we eventually break up she'll be all like 'you're a liar! You tried to play me but I won't be fooled by your malicious tricks!'"

"I... first of all, I don't think she talks like she comes straight out of a Greek tragedy, and then..." Carmilla put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, smiling softly at the panicked girl. "Even if, for some reason, she doesn't believe us, she'd be very stupid for letting that stop her. Cupcake, you're ridiculous, and headstrong, but you're worth way more than what you think. And whatever happens, I'll make sure you get the girl in the end. Deal?"

Laura was staring at her, and Carmilla got scared that the tiny girl was having a stroke from all the self-induced stress. "Cupcake?"

"Yes!" The girl practically jumped. "Yes, let's go."

She didn’t know if Laura had actually heard a word she'd said, but when the girl slipped her hand in hers and pushed the door to the bar open, Carmilla felt like it didn't really matter.

"Won't she lose interest if she thinks I'm taken?" Laura voiced out her thoughts.

"Not if she witnesses shady behaviors on my part and longing stares on yours," Carmilla replied, her arm thrown over Laura's shoulders and her hand gently stroking her arm.

This sort of couple-y behavior was something that occurred way more often. To a point where it became almost a habit to Carmilla, now. When the brunette wasn't touching Laura, the other girl was the one initiating contact and it frightened Carmilla that this wasn't actually bothering her. Worse; she actually enjoyed it.

"Have you ever been in love?" the blonde suddenly asked.

The question left Carmilla frozen. She squirmed in her seat, avoiding Laura's gaze. "Why?"

The girl shrugged. "I know we avoid personal topics, but I want to get to know you better. You know everything about my love life and I know nothing about yours. All I know is that you're not afraid to use your flirting techniques to bed a bunch of girls." She cringed. "Models, if I'm to believe LaF."

"Well..." Carmilla adjusted her position once more. "They're not so wrong." She wanted to leave it at that, but Laura's look was telling her she wasn't satisfied with the answer. "Not that many girls, though. I like to have fun, but I don't need a thousand girls to do that. It just never goes beyond that."

"Why?"

Carmilla didn't know why she was still answering, but she kept going. "I just... had a bad experience and felt like I didn't need it to happen again."

"So... you've been in love."

"Yes."

"What happened?"

She shrugged. "The usual, I guess. We fell in love and one of us ended up breaking the other's heart. I don't have any tragic story to give you, cupcake. It happens."

Laura just nodded. "I don't think you should be so depreciative. Whatever happened between you, even if it happens to a lot of people, does not mean it doesn't matter. What you feel matters. It was important enough for you to believe you didn't want to fall in love again. So, even if my opinion matters little, I'd say that you totally have the right to indulge yourself in a lot of girls." This made Carmilla's lips curl up, the girl surprised by Laura's approval. "But... I think you're making a mistake." And there she was.

The brunette lifted an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

"I just... I just think it's a waste." Carmilla couldn't help the laugh that came out, which prompted Laura to swat her arm, cheeks crimson. "I mean it! I'll say it only once because it's mortifying enough and I'm sure you'll have lots of things to say about that, but... you are not the asshole you like to pretend to be. Even if you make it look like you're doing all of this for me because this is your job, I know you actually care about the result. I know you care about my happiness, and you want to see me succeed." She smiled smugly, apparently having regained some of her confidence. "Beneath this hard-ass exterior, Carmilla, you actually care about me. That's why you answered my questions, and that's why you're not making fun of me right now because you know I'm right." She sighed, giving her a shy smile. "And yeah, I care about you too. So I'm telling you, it'd be a waste if you didn't let yourself fall in love again, because there's a lucky girl out there who is waiting just for you."

Carmilla was speechless. Of all the things the blonde could have said, she certainly did not expect that. Laura was looking at her with the kindest expression, and something about it was making Carmilla's heart clench in her chest. So she did the simplest thing she could have done then: she left a small kiss on her cheek, whispering "Thank you."

"So, are you ready to play the asshole?"

"And are you ready to cry on Xena's shoulder?"

Laura smiled, giving a confident nod. "I think I am. Am I allowed to slap you?"

Carmilla rolled her eyes. "We've talked about this. You only get to slap me once, and that’s during our break-up scene. This is just a fight."

Laura stumped her foot, pouting playfully. "Damn it!"

The brunette's lips curled up as she shook her head. "Ready? The giantess can't hear what we say, so all that matters is our facial expressions. You'll need to look angry at me."

The blonde scoffed at that, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure I can manage to do that."

"I'm sure you can."

She suddenly stood up, scowling at Laura. "When will I see you again?!" she whisper-shouted.

Laura furrowed her brows and slammed her palm on the table, following the mood. "I don't know! How about tomorrow night, same place?!"

"Works for me!"

"Do I look angry enough?!"

"You look more adorable than angry, buttercup!"

"I. Am. Not!" Fist on the table. "Adorable!"

"That's better! See you tomorrow!"

Laura pushed herself up. "Fine!"

"Fine!"

Carmilla then stormed off, leaving Laura standing above the table, trying so hard to repress her laughter. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, whispering to herself. "Try to look sad, Laura. You had a fight with your girlfriend and you are upset. You need to drown your sorrow in a drink." She opened her eyes. "Here goes nothing."

She walked toward the counter, sitting on a stool in front of the bartender. The redhead immediately noticed her, a concerned look on her face. "Hey, Laura. Are you all right?"

Laura gave her a small, sad smile. "Hey, Danny. I'm okay." The redhead looked concerned, but it wasn't that unusual. For the past few weeks, and since Carmilla and Laura had decided that they would play fake girlfriends in front of Danny, the bartender and the blonde had had occasional conversations: when she was waiting for Carmilla to arrive, or even when they fought in front of her, like today. Laura knew they weren't friends, but their relationship went beyond the usual bartender-customer relation.

"I don't mean to pry, but... I saw you fighting with your girlfriend. Are you sure everything's fine?"

"Oh... You saw that?"

Danny gave her a small smile. "It was kind of hard to miss."

Laura sighed. "Sorry about that. It's just... We've been fighting a lot lately, and she's just..." She shook her head, scoffing bitterly. "Wow, I don't know why I'm telling you that. You probably don't care."

"No, no. You can tell me." The redhead moved her hand on the counter, close to where Laura's own was resting, before she retracted it self-consciously. "You know, I'm a good listener. And it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a bartender."

Laura laughed slightly at that, appreciative of the mood Danny was trying to create. "All right, hum... Well we keep fighting, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Sometimes it just feels like she doesn't even care about me."

"Well, have you tried--" Her eyes flicked to the left before landing on Laura again, a confused expression on her face. "Hum, Laura? Isn't it your girlfriend over there?"

Laura furrowed her brows, slowly spinning on her stool to follow Danny's gaze. And there was Carmilla in all her glory. She was laughing with a blonde girl who was seated on her lap. Laura felt a wave of anger going through her, and her heart sped up. Wow, she was definitely too much into her character. But maybe Carmilla was going a little too far with this. Sure, she was supposed to play an asshole, but she didn't have to grope that girl right in front of her supposedly girlfriend.

Laura spun back again, facing the bewildered face of the bartender. "Yup, that's her," she said through gritted teeth.

"But what is she..."

"She's being herself; that's what she's doing. Every time we fight she has to do something like this."

"And it doesn't bother you?"

"It does. Of course it does." Laura was just slightly surprised at how convincing she sounded. "That's just how she copes with confrontation. She always comes back."

Danny sucked in a breath and leaned a little bit closer, her voice soft. "Laura. You have to tell me if I'm overstepping. It’s not my place and please tell me if I'm offending you but... She can't treat you like that. What she does; it's not okay."

"You don't know her!" Laura snapped and her eyes widened immediately. She was so not supposed to be defending her asshole of a fake girlfriend right now. "Shit, I'm sorry Danny. I don't know why I snapped like that," she said apologetically, hoping she didn't ruin everything.

Danny gave her an understanding smile and leaned back. "You snapped because you care about her and I was out of bounds. I shouldn't have, I'm sorry."

Oh god, Laura knew it, she had ruined everything. What Danny had said about Carmilla was right, so why did it bother Laura so much when she said it? Maybe because she knew the brunette was just playing a part and that she wasn't actually like that. Or maybe she was? What did Laura know?

"It's fine Danny. I swear you didn't offend me."

"Just... Promise me she's not cheating on you."

"What? No! She just likes to put on a show because she knows it makes me mad. But she wouldn't cheat on me." Laura and Carmilla hadn't even talked about the possibility of cheating in their scenario. Maybe she shouldn't have sounded so sure when Danny asked her, but she didn't even have to think about it. Carmilla would never cheat on her. Well, if they were a real couple. Which they were not, Laura had to remind herself.

Danny nodded and shot her a sympathetic smile, before her name was called by the other bartender. Right, she was in the middle of her work shift. She turned to Laura one last time and smiled, before she had to go take the order of another customer. Laura watched her go, her eyes following her tall frame and landing a little far back, where Carmilla was seated. The blonde girl wasn't on her lap anymore, but she was still trying to catch Carmilla's attention. Attention that was already caught by someone else. Laura smiled at her and the brunette smiled back, sending her a playful wink that Laura dismissed with a roll of her eyes.

The smile was still stuck on her face when she left the bar that night.

"And theeere you go." Laura incredibly managed not to stumble while carrying two drinks from the counter to the table where her friends were seated.

"Thanks, cupcake," Carmilla said, taking her glass.

"What about us?" LaF asked with a pout, gesturing to theirs and Perry's empty side of the table.

Laura threw an annoyed look at the redhead. "I only have two hands, LaF."

They scooted over to Carmilla, stage-whispering. "Isn't she supposed to be a waitress?"

Carmilla chuckled as Laura glared at them. "Congrats, you earned the right to go get your drinks yourself."

The redhead grumbled under their breath as they moved out of the booth, followed by Perry.

"And why am I always the one carrying your drinks? I do that all week long; I think I deserve a break on Friday nights."

"Because you're the one who's in love with the giantess behind the bar, cupcake." Carmilla smirked, moving her arm so that Laura could slide under it. She let out a small breath when Laura's head rested on her shoulder. This situation was way too comfortable for Carmilla's liking.

"I'm not in love with her," Laura finally mumbled, and Carmilla hated how adorable Laura looked in this moment; her head tucked under Carmilla's chin, as the brunette slowly stroked her hair.

"Well, maybe you'll be one day," Carmilla retorted in a whisper, trying not to think about the way her throat closed up at the end of her sentence.

"Yeah..." Laura only said after a moment of silence.

Their friends disturbed their moment of quiet peace when they returned to the table. "Guess who we found on our way back?" LaF asked excitedly, before moving out of the way to reveal a blonde girl Carmilla had never seen.

"Betty!" Laura shouted, a big grin on her face. She jumped out of the booth, leaving Carmilla's left side cold. Laura brought the blonde into a tight hug, releasing her after a second. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a party tonight."

Betty just shrugged. "I got bored, and I remembered you were having a small gathering tonight, so I dropped by. But wait a minute!" The blonde's face brightened when she spotted Carmilla. "You're Carmilla, right?" When Carmilla just raised an eyebrow at the girl's enthusiasm, Betty turned to Laura. "She is even hotter in person than on the pictures you found on Google."

Laura's face looked like it would explode at any moment. An adorable blush took over her whole face as she looked wide eyed at Carmilla. The brunette's eyebrows shot up to her hairline, her face adorning a smug smile. "You googled me, cupcake?"

"I don't... I just..." Laura stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence which Carmilla found hilarious.

Betty took the seat Laura had just vacated, and slid closer to Carmilla. "I'm Betty, by the way. Roommate extraordinaire of the stuttering mess over there. Laura has told me so much about you. Only bad things, I promise, but the thing to remember here is that she won't shut up about--"

"Betty!" Laura shouted, obviously embarrassed. Carmilla was chuckling under her breath as Laura was telling her roommate to move out of the way because she was the one who was supposed to be close to Carmilla.

When Betty jumped out of the booth, she turned to Carmilla and pointed at Laura, mouthing "jealous" with a roll of her eyes. Laura didn't notice, thankfully, because Carmilla was sure she would've punched her friend.

"All right, now that—Holy mother who is that?" Betty had turned toward the bar, and her gaze seemed to be stuck on the male bartender.

Laura sighed. "That's Kirsch, Danny's co-worker."

Betty ran a hand through her hair and readjusted her top before straightening up. "Mmh... I think mama needs a drink." She smirked before walking toward the bar, swaying her hips seductively.

Carmilla burst out in laughter as Laura face palmed.

"Well I guess she'll never change," LaF said, shaking their head with a smile.

"Oh, speaking of Kirsch! I forgot to tell you. Danny just invited all of us to his birthday next week."

Carmilla raised an eyebrow at her, almost impressed. "Your crush invited you to a party and you managed to hold that in that long?"

"I know, right?" Laura said proudly.

"But... we don't even know him," LaF interjected.

"Are you sure she asked all of us and not just you?" Perry asked.

"She said to bring my friends. And I don't know him either but apparently he wants to throw this big party with a bunch of people. I think they even rented a condo or something for the event."

"And it looks like you're gonna know him a lot better by then," Carmilla snorted, nodding to the bar where Betty was laughing exaggeratedly at something Kirsch had said, her head thrown back.

"Oh crap." Laura's face scrunched up before her head hit the table with a thud. "I'm gonna have to sleep with earplugs again," she mumbled against the table.

Carmilla smirked and lowered down to her level, softly stroking her hair. "Not if we make more noise than them..."

The slap on the arm she received next by a flustered Laura was deserved.

"So, you think Danny is buying your whole couple act?" LaF asked when Carmilla stopped laughing.

"Well why wouldn't she, red?"

"Because you look stiff. I don't know it looks like there's some..." They started moving their hand in the air, grasping for words. "Unresolved sexual tension, or something."

Carmilla frowned at them, while Laura buried her head in her hands, groaning. "Oh my god, LaF."

"We are not a real couple, gingerbread. So of course we are not sleeping together," Carmilla said through gritted teeth, remembering to have a word with the idiot later.

"It doesn't mean there has to be sexual tension, though..." LaF continued with a mischievous smile.

Carmilla suddenly stood up, startling the three people at the table who all watched her. "I need a smoke. I'll be back."

She was almost at the door when she felt a hand grab hers, and she spun around to see Laura looking at her with a sheepish expression. "Wait. The way they said it is a bit crooked, but... they're not so wrong."

Carmilla looked at her, confused, her chest fluttering when Laura took a step closer. "What... what do you mean?"

Laura smiled, playing with the hand she was still holding. "I mean that if we want to look like a real couple, we have to act like one."

"But we already--"

"Kiss me."

Carmilla took a sharp breath and her head was spinning. She honestly couldn't have heard... "W... what?"

"I said kiss me," Laura repeated confidently, her eyes flicking from Carmilla's brown orbits to her red lips. But then, she frowned and took a small step back. Confidence replaced by panic. "Unless... unless you don't want to." When Carmilla said nothing, Laura widened her eyes. "Oh my god, you don't want to. I shouldn't have asked. I look so stupid right now I'm so--"

Laura's quick ramble was suddenly cut off by Carmilla's lips that went crashing on hers, her hand cupping her face. She let out a small surprised yelp before grabbing Carmilla by the collar, pulling her closer. Laura's lips were softer than anything Carmilla could've imagined. Their mouths moved in perfect synch with each other, and the hands Laura had now buried in her hair were messing with Carmilla's sanity. How could a simple kiss could make her feel so much? She couldn't help but smile in the kiss when Laura let out a small moan at the touch of their tongues, almost not noticing when she made the same sound. In that moment, it was only the two of them: no bar, no bartender, no fake-girlfriends. Just Laura and Carmilla.

But of course, it couldn't last forever, and Carmilla was quickly reminded of that when Laura pulled away with a sharp intake of breath. She let her hands drop to her sides, almost as if Carmilla's touch had burned her.

Carmilla just looked at her, expectant, waiting for Laura to say something, anything. "That, hum... that was... Okay see you later!" She awkwardly punched Carmilla's shoulder and ran off where her friends where sitting, dumbfounded. Of course they had seen everything... The redhead behind the bar included. But it was the plan, right? To prove they were a real couple? The kiss didn't mean anything other than that.

And yet, Carmilla exited the bar with only one thing on her mind: Laura, Laura, Laura.

The moment she stepped outside, Carmilla almost regretted not bringing her jacket with her. A cold wind was blowing, and that almost convinced her to pocket her pack of cigarettes and run back inside. Almost. Instead, she found a small alcove where other people were smoking, and she leaned back against the wall, next to a girl who hadn't stopped eyeing her since she exited the bar. Even if the girl was objectively pretty and seemed to be Carmilla's physical type, not for the first time in the past few weeks she had no interest in interacting with her. This should worry her, but her mind was really too preoccupied with what had just happened.

She had kissed Laura. And Laura had kissed her. She blew out the smoke of her cigarette with a smile on her face, her fingers going up to touch the spot where Laura's lips were just mere minutes ago. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't registered the girl next to her had spoken.

"What?" she asked a bit harshly, turning her head to the girl who had interrupted her thoughts.

"I said, do you have a lighter?" The girl shot Carmilla a sultry smile as she asked.

Huffing, Carmilla took out her lighter and handed it to the girl, only to see her raise her cigarette to her lips and looking expectantly at Carmilla. Fucking great, the dark-haired girl thought as she lit up the girl's cigarette. She blew out the smoke away from Carmilla's face and leaned her head and shoulder on the brick wall, obviously checking out Carmilla.

"I've never seen you around here."

"Devastating seduction technique you have there," Carmilla replied, unimpressed.

The girl didn't seem to mind and chuckled, putting her hand on Carmilla's upper arm. "And you haven't seen anything yet."

Before Carmilla had the time to tell the girl her touch was unwanted, she heard the door to the bar open, and someone got out. She turned her head to see none other than Laura, looking around for something. When her eyes landed on Carmilla, her face broke into a wide smile and she took a step closer before screeching to a stop when she glanced down. Carmilla saw Laura's eyes follow the hand that was still on her arm before looking back at Carmilla again. Her smile had faded.

"Hey, cupcake. What are you doing out?" Carmilla asked as nonchalantly as she could.

"I just..." She shook her head. "Nothing. I wanted to tell you that I'm going home."

When Carmilla glanced down, she noticed that Laura had indeed put her coat on. But she also noticed that she was holding something in her right hand.

"Why do you have my jacket?"

Laura looked at her hand and frowned, like she'd forgotten she had it. "Oh. No reason. I just thought you might be cold so I thought I'd bring it to you." She nearly threw the jacket at Carmilla and took a step back.

Carmilla's eyes flicked from the jacket in her hand to the girl who was slowly backing away. "Thanks... Did you actually want me to walk you home?"

Laura waved her off. "No, absolutely not. I'll just take a cab. You can go back to what you were doing," she gestured to the girl behind Carmilla, "you know, before."

Carmilla furrowed her brows, wanting to take a step forward. "Laura..."

"Good night, Carm." With that, she spun around and started walking away.

Carmilla watched her retreating back until the tiny girl turned the corner and dropped out of sight. The girl next to her tried to get back to their one-way conversation but it was only white noise to Carmilla. Laura looked upset. Was she upset? Carmilla didn't even know. But if she was, she had to do something, right? Maybe this was Carmilla's chance to actually do something about the tiny human who couldn't leave her thoughts alone. But first, she had to get rid of the annoying girl who couldn't take a hint.

"I'm straight." Wow, and there was an excuse she had never used.

The girl backed away immediately. "Wait, what? Really?" She looked as shocked as Carmilla felt when the words fell out of her mouth.

"Yes," she said and turned around. She had no time for this.

She flicked her cigarette butt away and started speed-walking toward the corner behind which Laura had disappeared. She had to hurry.

When she turned the corner, the only thing she saw is the yellow cab pulling out from the curb.

"Damn it!" She shouted to no one.

She watched the cab go as she reflected on what had just happened. What was this girl making her do? She was Carmilla fucking Karnstein; she didn't run after girls. Then what did you just do? That annoying voice inside her head replied.

"Oh, shut up," she said out loud, earning worried glances from passersby.

She squinted at them and put her hands in her pockets before starting the long walk home. It was a nice night; maybe the stars would help her figure out what she should do, now.

"How long have you been standing there?" Betty asked, her head popping in Laura's bedroom.

Laura was looking down dejectedly at her bed, where two dresses were laid out; one red, one black. This had been Laura's routine for the past seven days: they had decided that tonight's party was going to be the perfect occasion for Laura and Carmilla's break up scene, which meant that Danny was going to finally enter the picture. But first, Laura had a decision to make: which of the two dresses should she choose?

"I don't know. A week?" she replied, sighing.

"I don't get why it's such a big deal. Just choose one of them. They'd both look great on you."

"I know it's just... It's a big night, you know?"

Betty gave her a rare reassuring smile. "I know, Hollis. I know. But it's gonna be okay."

Laura nodded, turning to look at her roommate. "By the way, how come I've never seen Kirsch in our apartment? Things are working out with him, right?"

Betty smiled. "Well, we had our first date yesterday night. And you know me, I never sleep with guys on the first date."

"Matt, Aaron, Shannon--"

"Anymore!"

Laura chuckled, shaking her head at the blonde before smiling warmly at her. "Hey, he seems nice. I think you would make a great couple."

"Thanks Hollis. And you know who you would make a great couple with?"

Laura held up her hand. "I've heard your opinion, I don't need to hear it again, thanks."

Betty shrugged. "Well, I tried. I'll leave you to it, then. Just try not to be late tonight, you know how people don't like that," she said before walking away.

"What! You're always late! You were 4 hours late the last time we were at the same party!" Laura shouted disbelievingly, getting Betty's loud laughter in response.

Huffing, Laura went to close her bedroom door and found herself staring at the dresses again. The choice shouldn't be that hard. A few weeks ago, she would have chosen the red one, for sure. It was the easy choice: she had worn it a lot, and she knew how great she looked in it. The dress was simple and comfortable, and despite its vibrant red color Laura didn't stand out; it was discrete and didn't bring too much attention to herself, which she liked. But then, there was also the black one. She had worn it only once, and she could still feel Carmilla's heated gaze wandering down her back. This dress was riskier, and it was definitely not one she'd have chosen a few weeks back. But now, she was almost feeling ready to wear it. This dress was more provocative, and she didn't know what would her friends think if she wore it. It was not the simplest choice, but that's what Laura liked about it. She grew more confident in the last two months, and maybe she was ready to try something new, uncertain, but definitely worth the try.

So which one should Laura choose? Comfortable or risky? Easy or uncertain? Red or black?

She smiled. Who was she kidding? Whether she liked it or not, she had already chosen. Laura picked up one of the dresses and looked at it. This was definitely the right one.

An hour later, Laura left her bedroom all prepped and ready to go, and joined Betty in the living room.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Betty said with a big smile when she saw Laura.

Laura looked down at her outfit sheepishly. "You think it's the right one?"

Betty chuckled, linking their arms together as she led them to the front door. "I'm sure she's gonna love it."

Laura looked at her with a lopsided smile. Sometimes it felt like her roommate knew her better than she knew her own self.

They left the apartment building and made their way to the parking lot where LaF and Perry were supposed to pick them up.

When they caught sight of the car, Laura diverted her attention to the dark-haired girl who was nonchalantly leaning against the car, a cigarette between her red lips and eyes casted on the sky. They hadn't seen each other in a week, and the way they'd left things felt a little bit weird. But still, when she saw her, Laura smiled and unconsciously bit her lower lip as she took in the view in front of her. Carmilla was wearing an outfit that should've been illegal. Her leather pants were hugging her in all the right places, and that corset... Oh god. She was wearing a fucking corset, and it wasn't hiding anything. For all she knew, Carmilla could only have been wearing a bra. Laura was aware that the evening was warm, but still; did Carmilla have to make it warmer?

Betty and Laura got closer to the car, and that was when Carmilla locked eyes with her, before they wandered down the length of Laura's body appreciatively.

She smiled and pushed herself off the car, crushing the cigarette with her heel. "Hey."

"Hey," Laura answered when she was standing almost toe to toe with Carmilla.

"You look beautiful," Carmilla said softly.

Laura's smile widened and she knew she was probably blushing furiously. "And you look..." She had no words.

Betty huffed beside her before walking past them to open the rear door. "Get a room already."

"Betty!" Laura gasped, mortified.

But Carmilla didn't seem to register what Betty had said. Her eyes had never left Laura, and a small smile was still plastered on her face. "Ready?"

Laura nodded confidently. "Ready."

In the car, they went through all the plan for the party.

"We need a big fight," Carmilla said. "And one thing that usually leads to massive fights and break ups, is when the partner catches the other one cheating."

Laura gulped. "I'm gonna catch you with another girl?"

"If my assumptions about the redhead are right, then she's gonna want to protect you and comfort you. She will give you a shoulder to cry on."

"Do we really need that? I mean... How can you be sure you'll find a girl?"

Carmilla turned to her with a small smile. "If this party is as big as it's supposed to be, I think I can find a girl to make out with. But if not, then I'll find something else, it's fine."

Laura looked down at her clasped hands on her laps. "And... that's it?"

Carmilla covered Laura's hands with one of her own and squeezed softly. "That's it."

They stayed in this position until Perry parked the car, Laura feeling the occasional strokes of Carmilla's thumb on her skin.

The condo where the party was taking place was the biggest apartment Laura had ever been in. From its 48^th floor, the condo overlooked the city and made Laura seriously wonder who could afford a place like that. She knew the place was rented by several of Kirsch's friends, who did it as a birthday present because apparently, all Kirsch wanted this year was a huge party with a lot of people in a beautiful place. Well, he got it: the condo was packed. Laura didn't recognize any face, so she was glad she brought her friends with her even if they looked as uncomfortable as Laura was feeling. Well, for Perry and LaF, at least. Betty seemed in her element since the only thing she said before she went for the open-bar was "Finally a real party!" Carmilla, as per usual, looked bored.

Laura elbowed her playfully. "Hey, cheer up. Tonight's the night you finally get rid of me."

Carmilla only looked at her but didn't say anything. It was impossible to read her facial expression. She started to open her mouth but was interrupted by Danny and her bright smile.

"Hey! You came!"

"Hi Danny," Laura replied as cheerfully as she could, but something inside her was stopping her enthusiasm.

Carmilla and the bartender shared a look, and Danny's smile slowly faded.

"Anyway, hum. I just wanted to say hi. Come see me later, all right?"

Laura smiled at her. "Of course."

When Danny left, Laura heard Carmilla sigh beside her. "I need a drink."

Sensing that it wasn't an invitation for her to follow, Laura turned back to her two friends who were standing behind her this whole time. LaF had loosened up a little and was slowly nodding their head to the music, but Perry was still incredibly stiff.

"Come on guys, I think we all need a drink."

When they reached the open-bar, Laura's eyes immediately fell upon Carmilla who was pouring herself a drink. There were probably dozens of people standing near the drinks, but of course, the only one Laura noticed right away was Carmilla. She rolled her eyes at how pathetic she was. Looking around, she realized she unfortunately wasn't the only one who had noticed the dark-haired girl. A few feet away stood a tall brunette who was ogling her like she was some kind of meat. Laura's first thought was "wait, she could be the perfect girl for our scenario. Stay back and watch if she makes a move." But her feet had apparently a mind of their own, because next thing she knew, she was standing beside Carmilla, clearing her throat to get the girl's attention. Pathetic.

"Can I help you, cupcake?" she asked casually, taking a sip of what looked like whiskey neat.

Laura winced, thinking about how horrible that must've tasted. "No, I just... Wanted to see if you were okay."

Carmilla raised an eyebrow, finally meeting her eyes. "Why wouldn't I be? We're at a party and there's free booze."

"It's just that you took off pretty quickly earlier, so..."

"I thought you would want to go after the redhead. You know, get to work right away so we would get rid of each other faster," she said somehow bitterly, taking another sip.

"Wait. Is this about what I said earlier? Is that actually bothering you? I thought you could not wait to get rid of me." Laura hated how small her voice sounded.

Carmilla frowned, lowering down her drink. "What makes you think that?"

Laura sighed, averting her gaze. "Because it's your job to be with me. We only hang out because you have to."

Her eyes fixated on the table behind Carmilla, she saw when the girl put down her drink and moved closer. She felt a gentle hand grab her chin, urging her to meet her eyes. Carmilla had that soft smile on her face; the one that Laura had only seen directed at her.

"I know I can be a little... difficult sometimes. But if you think you're still just a job for me, then I'm even worse at this than I thought I was." She let out a small snort, her thumb grazing softly Laura's chin. "However this ends tonight, even if Laura my girlfriend is supposed to hate me, I hope that the Laura I learned to know and like will still be in my life. Because I don't think I could ever get back to a life without Laura Hollis in it."

Laura gave her a small, vulnerable smile. "You mean that?"

Carmilla's smile widened and she hummed, slowly leaning down to leave a small kiss on Laura's temple. "I mean every word, sweetheart," she whispered when she pulled away and wow, could Laura's heartbeat be any louder?

Laura and Carmilla were looking at each other like two stupid idiots, before they got interrupted by their friends.

"There you guys are!" LaF said, panting. "We lost you in this maze of people. We had to swim through it." Laura rolled her eyes at that. "Come on, let's dance!"

"Aren't you already breathless?" Carmilla asked.

"Who cares?! This party is awesome! Let’s go!"

Carmilla turned to Perry, who was standing beside LaF with a big smile. "Did you stop for drinks on your way here?"

Perry seemed like she had to think about it. "Maybe. A few shots."

Laura laughed, looking at Carmilla. "Wanna go have fun on the dancefloor, Ms. Karnstein?"

Carmilla chuckled. "Go ahead, I'll join you."

Laura was already getting dragged toward the dancefloor by the two redheads, so all she could do was shoot a bright smile at the dark-haired girl and hope she would join them soon.

After what seemed like hours of non-stop dancing to loud, electronic music, the rhythm slowed down to give way to a slower, acoustic type of music. LaF and Perry began slow dancing and Laura watched them in awe and maybe a little sad that she had no one to dance with. She felt like it was time for her to go sit down. And maybe find Carmilla.

But before she could go any farther, she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to be met with Carmilla's famous smirk. The girl held out her hand and arched an eyebrow. "May I have this dance?" she asked, her sultry voice making Laura's heart skip a beat.

Laura giggled and bowed, taking Carmilla's hand in hers. "You may."

Chest to chest and face to face, the girls started dancing. Carmilla was leading, occasionally whirling Laura which led the blonde to laugh every time she nearly bumped into Carmilla. So, all the time.

"Are you ready for the next step in our plan?" Carmilla whispered to Laura's ear when they slowed down. Her cheek was pressed up against Laura's temple, and her nose buried in her hair.

In that moment, Laura almost hoped they had no plan, that they could keep dancing till the night ended. But that wasn't their reality. Reluctantly, she replied, "I think so."

Carmilla took a few seconds to answer. "Okay. I think I found a girl who might be interested, so... I'll take her to the balcony, and in the meantime try to find Danny and spend some time with her. Around midnight, take her with you to the balcony, and that's when you'll see me with the other girl."

Laura slowly pulled away, giving Carmilla a small smile. "Looks like you've got it all figured out."

Laura felt a pang in her chest as she realized how serious Carmilla was about this. She had it all planned out, and there was no backing out now. That's not what Carmilla wanted.

Carmilla shrugged. "That's the plan."

"And you finally called Danny by her name."

Carmilla half-smiled. "She means a lot to you. The least I can do is call her by her name."

Laura sighed, suddenly feeling a thump in her throat. "Thank you, Carm."

The dark-haired girl gave her a genuine smile and gently placed a lock of hair behind Laura's ear, her hand cupping the side of her face. "Anytime, sweetheart." Laura slowly nodded and pursed her lips, watching Carmilla take a step back. "By the way," she added when Laura could still hear her. "I really love that dress. Black suits you."

Laura smiled sadly as she watched her walk away, tightly gripping the fabric of the black dress she had chosen. She had chosen it over the red one. And now, it felt like the dress was suffocating her.

Laura was standing there, watching Danny tell her some kind of story; something about a society, she wasn't sure. She wasn't listening. All her thoughts and attention were directed toward the back door; the one leading to the balcony. What was she doing? She was supposed to be happy: this moment was all she had been waiting for. And yet... she felt bad. So bad. Her guts were telling her to run. Her mind was telling her she was being a coward. Was she really going to give up that easily? Her eyes flicked between the door and the girl who she'd been crushing on so hard before. Before all of this. Before Carmilla. Now, she couldn't even remember the last time Danny overwhelmed her thoughts. God damn it. She wasn't at the right place. She wasn't with the right person. She knew it, and she had to do something about it.

"I'm sorry Danny, I have to go," she suddenly said.

"Is everything all right?" the redhead asked, concerned.

Laura just smiled. "Yes, actually. I think it is."

"Oh..." Danny seemed confused, and Laura couldn't blame her.

"But I have to go." She took a step back and stopped, looking up at the redhead with hopeful eyes. "We can be friends, right?"

Danny smiled wide, still a bit confused. "Of course we can."

"You're the best, Danny." Laura let out a relieved breath. "I'll see you later, all right?"

"See you, Hollis."

Laura spun around and started walking. Fast. What if she was already too late? What if she opened that door and found Carmilla in another girl's arms? Her heart squeezed at the thought. She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let the girl who had invaded all her thoughts get away. She couldn't—

She opened the door.

Carmilla lifted her gaze and met hers. She had her back pressed up against the railing. And she was alone. No girl in sight.

Laura closed the door behind her and stood still, her heart in her throat. "Why are you--"

"I couldn't do it." Carmilla pushed herself off the railing.

Laura sucked in a breath. "What?"

"I couldn't do it, Laura." Her eyes looked sad, almost apologetic. "I'm sorry. I know I'm ruining everything. All we did these past few months was leading up to this moment. To your happy ending with her." She shook her head and took a deep breath. "But I couldn’t let you go."

"I didn't bring Danny with me," Laura blurted out the only thing that came into her mind.

Carmilla frowned, visibly not understanding. "What?"

Laura took a careful step forward, her whole body shaking and stomach twisting. "You told me I had to take her outside for our plan to work. But I didn't do it. I left her inside. I told her I had to go."

"Why?" Carmilla asked in the smallest voice.

Laura stepped forward again, her feet now a few inches from Carmilla's. Her lips turned up. "Because I couldn't bear the thought of--" Her throat closed up, making it impossible for her to formulate a sentence. She swallowed hard, and met Carmilla's bewildered, maybe hopeful eyes.

She closed her eyes and took several breaths; inhaling, exhaling, slowly. Urging herself to relax.

"Are you okay?" She heard Carmilla's soft and soothing voice.

Laura took one last deep breath and nodded, opening her eyes. She then smiled widely at Carmilla and exhaled. When Carmilla returned her smile with the brightest one she had ever seen on her, Laura knew what she had to do. "Girl the hell up, Hollis," she said before lunging at Carmilla, cupping her face and pulling her into a kiss.

Carmilla immediately responded, pulling her in by the waist. Their bodies met and Laura smiled when Carmilla's hands went from her waist to her back, clutching, holding her close. But then, the kiss grew more tender as Laura's thumb softly stroked Carmilla's cheekbone, her palm following the curve of her jawline. The way she felt when she was kissing Carmilla was nothing Laura had ever felt before. The first time they kissed, Laura thought her knees were going to collapse under her weight. Her heart was beating so fast and so loud that she was afraid Carmilla would hear it. But now... It was everything Laura could've hoped for. Carmilla was soft and gentle and yet, she still took Laura's breath away.

They pulled away after a moment, breathless, their foreheads resting together. Carmilla was smiling, and the sight was so beautiful that Laura almost kissed her again immediately.

"I'm sorry you didn't get your happy ending with the bartender," she said, and Laura laughed.

"Oh trust me, I got much better than that." Laura smiled tenderly, lifting an eyebrow at the brunette.

"Are you sure?" Carmilla asked, and the uncertainty in her voice broke Laura's heart.

Laura stroked Carmilla's cheek and the brunette leaned into Laura's hand, her eyes closed. "You are everything I could've ever wanted, Carm. I've never felt this way about anyone else."

Carmilla let out a breath and opened her eyes, looking straight into Laura's own. "You take my breath away, Laura. I never thought I could feel so much just by being with you. You can't begin to imagine how glad I am that LaF introduced us."

Laura smiled and her eyes flicked to the window where she spotted two pair of eyes. "I think our friend and their beloved have been spying on us this whole time. You can tell them now how glad you are."

Carmilla frowned. "Wh--"

She began to turn her head but Laura stopped her and redirected her attention on her. "Later." She smiled seductively and leaned in. "Now where were we..."

Carmilla smiled and captured her lips in a tender kiss.

"Did they see us?" LaF asked, panicked.

Perry and them had ducked under the window when Laura had turned her attention toward them.

"I don't know, wait here." Perry chanced a glance out the window. "Oh no look, they're kissing again," she said cheerfully, before frowning. "I hope you didn't pay her too much. I don't think she was supposed to get the girl in the end."

LaF waved her off. "Don't worry about that. She didn't want our money."

"What?"

"After her first lesson with Laura she came to me and said this was the biggest challenge she'll ever have to face. She said our money wasn't nearly enough. But you know what?" they asked as they looked out the window at the two lovebirds again. "I just think deep down, she knew she would never let her go."

Perry turned to them, looking at her partner lovingly. "Well aren't you the romantic one?"

LaF blushed, looking from Perry to the window. "Well, I—wait. Where'd they go?"

Perry looked over LaF's shoulder and widened her eyes. "Honey, I think..."

They gulped and asked calmly. "They're coming for us, right?" Perry slowly nodded, her eyes full of panic.

"HEY! SNOOPY!"

Carmilla's angry shout sent a shiver down LaF's spine as they rushed to grab Perry by the shoulder and yell, "RUN!"