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Looking up from her book, Carmilla enjoyed the soft breeze that swept by. Normally she would have been holed up in the Silas Campus library as she adventures along with Odysseus, but today seemed like an outdoor kind of day. The sun was warm, tanning the exposed skin of her arms and legs having decided on a spaghetti strapped shirt and short black jean shorts. The grass was soft beneath her while the tree worked as a great backrest. So far, her decision to venture to the outside world had proven fruitful.
Smiling she pushed up her thick black rimmed glasses and dove back into the world of the Greek mythology, grimacing at the idiocy of the suitors’ attempts to kill Odysseus in their pursuits to wed Penelope.
“Why are men such nimrods?” she mutters to herself.
“Well I’d like to think it’s because our rods are nimble.” Carmilla looked up to see a young man standing in front of her. He wore a smirk as though his statement were the most clever thing ever spoken. Carmilla had to admit she was impressed he could use the word “nimble” in a correct ish, and yet revolting, sentence.
“That means they’re big right?” She thought too soon.
Hoping he would leave her alone if she just ignored him, Carmilla turned her attention back to her book. But this boy-man seemed to have other plans. Instead of taking a hint, he took a seat next to Carmilla as though she had invited him to join her.
“My name’s Robert. What’s your name, hottie?” Carmilla glanced up at him finding a cheeky grin plastered to his face. She imagined it worked for some girls, but it honestly looked as though he were trying to flash his teeth for a toothpaste commercial, and failing miserably. She looked back down at her book, hoping to avoid conversation.
“Oh, come on don’t be like that.” Carmilla retracted her leg, when he tried to playfully nudge her, though he didn’t seem to notice her discomfort. “What’s your name?”
“If you must know, my name is Penelope.” Her eyes never leaving the page. She’d hoped that giving him a morsel of information would be enough to sate him. No such luck.
“Penelope.” The way he said it was a bit eery with his voice being deeper than should be normal, even for a guy. “That’s a hot name.”
Does he know any adjective other than hot, Carmilla thought.
“You know what else is hot?” he scooted a bit closer to her, getting oftly close to invading her personal space. “Your lips.”
Carmilla was really regretting sitting at the park for her break now. Unconsciously she bit her lips together and turned away from him. She was really getting uncomfortable with him being so close to her.
“You know I tell her that all the time, but she doesn’t seem to buy it.” The new voice that cut in was higher in tone and had a playful air to it.
Both Carmilla and the personal-space-invader looked to see the new arrival. Standing before them was a woman clad in nearly all black. Her black tank top clung to her toned torso and the dark color showed off her sunkissed skin well. A red checkered flannel was wrapped around her waist adding some contrast to her black jeans and combat boots. She was sporting a smirk along with aviator sunglasses and a backward black leather hat that kept her long honey brown hair out of her face.
“Sorry I’m late, Babe. Photography took longer than expected.” Unstrapping her brown satchel she sat right next to Carmilla with their arms touching. Carmilla definitely noticed the definition in her arms since her black tank top did nothing to hinder her view of them.
“But,” the hot blonde shuffled through her bag before she pulled out a chocolate chip cookie in plastic wrap, “I brought you this.”
Hesitantly Carmilla took it trying to gage what this girl was up to.
“A peace offering for my tardiness.”
As she took off her sunglasses she sent Carmilla a quick wink, before running her fingers through the strands of raven hair that had come loose from Carmilla's high ponytail. They locked eyes for a moment, wordlessly agreeing to continue the charade.
“Thanks, Babe.” Carmilla answered, not knowing what else to refer to her as. Without thinking too much she placed a kiss on her cheek, though she had a mental freak out afterwards. But the slight grin on the blonde’s face eased Carmilla's nerves.
“Anything for you, Cutie.” The new nickname made Carmilla blush, not having experience with others calling her anything but her given name. “So who’s your friend?”
As casually as possible the blonde threw her arm around Carmilla’s shoulders while looking over at the guy that Carmilla had actually forgotten was still sitting there.
“Oh. Uh that’s…”
The guy looked peeved at being interrupted but he let out a sigh, keeping up his air of confidence, though they could see some cracks in it.
“Robert,” he introduced himself, and even had the arrogance to extend his hand in greeting.
The girl next to her just smiled right back and leaned over Carmilla to shake his hand. If there were words exchanged, Carmilla missed them entirely. She was too enveloped with the smell of vanilla and cinnamon that seemed to be emitting her “girlfriend”. It reminded her vaguely of baking at home with her mother and the times spend in front of the fire during the holidays. Before Carmilla could fully go down memory lane, the girl had taken her seat back right next to her. Carmilla could still smell the calming scent, but it wasn’t like when she was surrounded in it.
“So, ready to get going Creampuff?” she asked, hanging her sunglasses on the front of her shirt.
“What?” Carmilla was still in a bit of a haze. With her eyes back in focus, Carmilla was almost blinded by the sheer warmth her smile was radiating.
“Still spacing out I see.” She paused as she looked Carmilla in the eye. “I said, you ready to head out? The guys are waiting on us.”
She sent Carmilla a meaningful look, and this time Carmilla caught on right away.
“Oh, right.”
Carmilla packed up her book looking up to see the other girl standing with her hands extended out to her. She didn’t know why, but the simple action of being helped up made Carmilla blush once more. Maybe it wasn’t the action that made her blush, but instead the feeling of their fingers intertwining.
“Nice meeting you, Bill.” the blonde called back, not even bothering to look back at him, and neither did Carmilla.
“It’s Robert,” they heard him answer.
She scoffed and whispered to Carmilla, “Like it even matters?”
Carmilla giggled, enjoying their closeness.
They strolled down the bike path in silence for a bit heading towards the campus. Occasionally, Carmilla would feel the blonde rub her thumb across her knuckle, but every time she looked over at her she was either looking straight ahead or off to the side at a tree or something.
“So where are you headed, Cupcake?” She asked softly breaking the quiet between them.
“You could stop with the pastry names you know. I have a name.” Carmilla didn’t mean for it to sound harsh, and luckily the blonde didn’t take it that way.
“Well if I knew it then I’d use it, Cutie,” came the teasing response.
She had a point there. They hadn’t exactly introduced themselves, come to think of it.
“Carmilla, Carmilla Karnstein,” she answered as they continued to walk through the park, avoiding erratic bikers who were in a rush to get to class.
“Carmilla. Hmmm… Can’t say I’ve heard that one before. But then again I can’t say I’ve ever met someone like you. Unique name for a unique person.”
Carmilla was definitely blushing more than should be allowed for any normal person. She tried to hide it by looking away, but it was no use she’d already been caught.
“Am I making you blush there, Creampuff?”
“No,” she lied. “It’s just warm out is all.”
She gave a nod as though she believed her, though her smirk revealed her true emotions. There was a short silence before Carmilla asked why she hadn’t told her her name yet.
“You never asked for my name, Cutie.” She ended her comment with a wink, to which Carmilla answered with a glare. This only made her laugh. After composing her outburst of laughter she answered the unasked question. “Laura. My name’s Laura.”
“Laura. Hmmm… Can’t say I’ve heard that one before.” Carmilla parroted back.
Laura responded with a fake laugh, then asked once more where she wanted to go. Carmilla had to think for a moment. She didn’t have class for another hour and a half, and seeing as the park was out of the question that only left her with one option.
“The library.”
“Should’ve guessed it. I mean you were reading the Odyssey when I found you being pawed at by frat boy.”
Carmilla shivered at the thought of being in that situation. Definitely not one of her fondest memories, but at least it led her to holding Laura’s hand, which oddly felt like they fit together perfectly.
“What? Frat boys not your type?” Laura asked noticing her discomfort at being reminded of the past events.
“Not really. Too stupid for my taste.” Laura laughed and Carmilla laughed along with her until she felt herself being pulled flush against Laura’s body. A biker zoomed behind them and barely warned them with their dingy bell. It was just enough time for Laura to pull her out of the way. Out of the way just meant being tucked into Laura’s chest, being sheltered from the bike path. Laura didn’t seem to mind it, but Carmilla’s mind was getting fogging once more with the familiar scent of vanilla and cinnamon wrapping itself around her. Or were those Laura’s arms?
“You okay?” Laura may have been shorter than Carmilla by an inch or two, but being in her embrace comforted her like a warm blanket on a rainy day.
“Yeah… yeah I’m fine.”
Neither moved from their new closeness, instead both were content to look into each other’s eyes. It was Laura who cleared her throat and suggested they get going, otherwise they may end up as bike road kill. Although Laura tried to be subtle about changing sides with Carmilla off the road so Laura was closer to the bikes, she knew what Laura was doing. Normally the brunette would’ve argued such a blatant act of chivalry, but Laura doing it seemed okay.
They made it to the library without more incidents, except for Laura tripping on a crack in the ground and trying to play it off as her showing Carmilla a dance move of some sort. That was probably the only time that Carmilla saw Laura’s face turn even a tinge of pink, and it was adorable. She would have to find other ways of seeing that again. If she saw her again.
They stood in front of the library facing each other, neither really wanting the encounter to end.
“So I guess this is me.” Carmilla said shyly.
“Yeah…” Laura said reluctantly. “And I’m that way.” she nodded towards a building to their right since that’s where her next class, journalism, would be starting in ten minutes.
There was a silence between the two, as they both looked down at their still intertwined hands.
“Thanks.” Carmilla said suddenly.
Laura’s confused face spurred Carmilla to continue. “For helping me get out of the frat boy situation… and from getting run down by a bike.”
Laura smirked. “Anything for a cutie like you.”
At this rate Carmilla was bound to develop a permanent blush while hanging out with Laura. They smiled at each other once more, before Laura started to back away from her towards her class.
“See you around, Carm.” It wasn’t her full name but hey at least it wasn’t a pastry.
Carmilla watched her retreating form till she was walking into the building. It wasn’t until she was out of sight that Carmilla walked into the library and found a spot to finish her leisure reading before class.
She dug through her bag looking for her book when she felt something odd. A grin tugged at her lips as she saw that in her hand was the plastic wrapped cookie that Laura had given to her. She unwrapped it and took a bite out of it. She was definitely going to sit at the park more often.