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For having woken up twenty minutes ago with the majority of her memories erased, Carmilla couldn’t help but think that Laura was doing fantastically well. Her wife was sitting up in the bed they’d moved to Laf’s lab and asking questions in a way that was familiar enough to settle some of the knots in Carmilla’s stomach.
Just some of them.
Twisting the ring on her left hand, Carmilla fought the reflex to reach out and grab Laura’s hand. After all, Laura didn’t know who she was anymore. Yet, there was a comfort in the fact that she was still Laura.
“So,” Laura was looked at Laf, “we were chasing a witch because apparently we’re like Buffy-style kick-butt evil demon thing hunters now?”
Laf nodded as Perry hovered nearby, “Exactly frosh. We even managed to snag and tag her but you got hit with some kind of memory wipe curse before we could tie down her hands.”
Laura waved that part off, “Right. Memory’s gone. Got it. But a witch?”
“Came from a group living in the Austrian mountains,” Laf confirmed.
“A witch,” Laura repeated.
“Brooms and magic and all.”
“A real witch,” Laura said.
“That’s what I’m saying,” Laf said, “I’ve got brain scans of magic users if you want to see.”
Then a grin broke out across Laura’s face as she flopped back against her pillow, “This is so cool. I’m Buffy.”
Perry brought her a plate of cookies, “You know, Laura, it’s okay if you’re having some trouble processing this. After all, it’s not exactly normal.”
Laura shoved two cookies in her mouth and Carmilla had to smile slightly at her chipmunk expression, “Nope! I’m good. Trust me. Totally good with witches and stuff. I assume there’s other stuff too. Like werewolves and vampires and all that kind of stuff.”
“Bro!” Kirsch lit up and jumped in from where he was helping Danny clean the weaponry, “They’re totally real. D-Bear here is like the baddest werewolf there is and like Carm-sexy is Carm-sexy so duh. Not mention, you-”
Carmilla glare could have cut him in half and he choked on his words before scuttling back to his long range rifle; Danny cuffed him on the back of the head. Laura frowned for a moment, the little crinkle forming between her eyes and Carmilla braced herself for a question she didn’t want to talk about but then Laura straightened her gaze.
For the first time since the witch, she looked at Carmilla, “So, I’m assuming you’re, uh, Carm-sexy?”
Carmilla rolled her eyes, “Don’t mind the beefcake. I’m Carmilla, cutie.”
She couldn’t help but notice the blush that bloomed over Laura’s cheeks at the nickname. Laura shook her head slightly and then asked, “So, are you a werewolf too?”
“Hardly,” Carmilla said, ignoring danny’s snort from across the room, “I’m a vampire.”
“Like Angel! And Spike!” Laura’s eyes lit up.
Carmilla couldn’t help her small smile, “Close enough.”
For a moment, Laura’s eyes seemed fixated on her lips and Carmilla couldn’t help catching her bottom lip between her teeth. Just to see what would happen. Laura’s eyes went wide and she spun her gaze back to Laf, “So we’ve got a vampire and a werewolf and you guys are humans, right?”
Laf nodded, “Yeah. Although Perr’s a witch too. I just do the science.”
“Okay, so how did we all end up working together?” Laur said, “Like did I go to some super secret magical school or is someone like the chosen one or was there an apocalypse or-”
“We’re not Hogwarts, cupcake,” Carmilla cut her off, “So you can put that little fantasy away right now.”
Laura’s pout could have moved mountains.
“We did meet a university though,” Laf said, “You were just a baby frosh and decided to investigate the disappearance of your roommate. Turns out it was a coven of witches and we all kind of got drawn in. Perry was your floor don. Kirsch’s girlfriend got caught up in the kidnappings and wanted to help. Plus,” they pointed to the lab, “You needed my mad science skills. Not to mention. Totally your best friend. Just saying.”
“Bro!” Kirsch said, “I’m totally little nerd hottie’s best bro. After Carm-sexy of course.”
Laf’s grin turned wicked but before Carmilla could cut in, Laf added, “And of course, Carmilla and Danny were both harbouring major crushes on you.”
Laura’s eyes went wide as Danny dropped her head on the table and Carmilla looked pointedly at the ceiling.
“Major crushes?” Laura squeaked. She snuck a glance at Carmilla. “On me?”
Laf was enjoying this far too much, “You know it. Really gross. Danny kept trying to impress you with her athletic prowess and heroic attitude while small, dark, and broody over there acted like she didn’t care and then practically tripped over herself to whatever you needed.” Laf chuckled as Laura gaped, “Tiny Hollis. I still don’t know how you managed to get both the vampire and the werewolf whipped in one semester.”
“The vampire and the werewolf…” Laura suddenly covered her face, “Please don’t tell me I’m not Buffy but am actually Bella Swan.”
“I do not sparkle,” Carmilla muttered.
Laf just grinned, “Sorry Frosh. If it makes you feel better, you’re the most Buffy-like Bella ever.”
“And D-Bear’s totally got a new crush,” Kirsch piped in and Danny turned bright red, “She goes down to see Bets in the village like every weekend.”
Carmilla kept looking at the ceiling, bracing herself for what would come next. The next logical question. Her heart gave a rare beat in her chest, bracing itself to crack.
Laura didn’t disappoint and Carmilla could practically feel her eyes on her, “Danny’s got a new crush,” Laura repeated, “What about you? What are we?”
With a breath she didn’t need, Carmilla finally looked Laura in the eye. Those same brown eyes, even with their memories wiped, deserved nothing but the truth, “I love you.” Carmilla said. Laura inhaled sharply but Carmilla pressed on, raising her left hand and the ring on her finger, “I’m your wife.”
There was silence.
Silence.
Silence.
“Now way!” Laura burst, “You’re my wife? No way. But you’re like, so beautiful and gorgeous and holy fishsticks your face looks like it was carved from marble and I’m not even in your league. Not that people have leagues but you are basically the epitome of hotness and how are you my wife? Like. Seriously? Are you joking? Because wow. I did good.”
All the tension drained from Carmilla’s body in an instant as Laura just stared at her wide eyed.
She leaned forward, the confident smirk coming easily to her face, “Oh cutie,” she drawled, “I assure you that I am very much your wife. This ‘epitome of hotness’” she winked and Laura blushed but didn’t look away, “is all yours.”
“Really?” Laura asked.
Carmilla’s smirk softened and she leaned forward, tucking a piece of Laura’s hair behind her ear, “Really really, cupcake.”
Laura studied her for a moment, the blush still on her cheeks, then she reached out, grabbed Carmilla’s shirt, and hauled her in. Carmilla flailed for a moment as Laura pressed a hard kiss to her lips before sinking into the kiss, pushing back and burying her hands in Laura’s hair.
Laura broke back, gasping slightly. She studied Carmilla again then burst into a grin, “hell yeah,” Laura said, tangling their hands together, “I’m a kickbutt evil-fighting Buffy with a super hot vampire wife. Best wake-up with amnesia ever.”
Carmilla couldn’t help it. The laugh burst out as relief floated in her chest and she pressed her head against Laura’s shoulder.
#
There were some advantages to having a wife who had no memory of their past. Mainly, a little rewriting. They walked up the stairs to their apartment and Laura was already asking 101 different questions. However, the stream of words cut off when Carmilla opened the door and Laura saw the cat waiting in their apartment.
Her eyes lit up and she scurried across the room to scope him in her arms, “Hello,” she coo’d, “who's a good kitty?” That cat batted her on the nose with their one white paw. The rest of them all black.
Carmilla rolled her eyes but smiled as she tossed her keys on the coffee table.
“We have a cat?” Laura said, still playing with their paws.
“Yeah, their name is-” Carmilla paused then said, “Mircalla.”
“Mircalla,” Laura repeated the name as Carmilla held her breath. Looking down at the cat and rubbing their belly, Laura frowned, “They doesn’t look like a Mircalla.”
“Well, that’s what we called them,” Carmilla said.
The cat started purring under Laura’s fingers. “They look more like a Lois.”
Carmilla practically groaned but flung herself onto the couch instead, careful not to touch Laura. For now, she was letting Laura take all of the first steps at her own speed. “I can assure you, “ Carmilla said, “We did not name our cat Lois. It’s Mircalla.”
“Mircalla,” Laura said again.
Still petting the cat, Laura’s eyes wandered the apartment as though she was trying to catalogue every item. Carmilla’s stomach twitched, hoping something might jog Laura’s memory. The wedding picture. The boxes. Anything. It wasn’t quite what she was hoping for.
“Hey!” Laura shouted suddenly, “Mircalla is just an anagram of your name.”
Carmilla grinned, “You always were a smart one.”
“There’s no way I’d let you name our cat after yourself,” Laura objected.
She was right but Carmilla just winked and said, “I know you don’t remember but i assure you, I can be very convincing.” She let the words roll out like a drawl and Laura’s face turned red again.
Still, she lifted her chin and stared at Carmilla, looking for something. Then she frowned, “There’s no way that this cat’s name is Mircalla. You’re lying. It’s totally Lois, isn’t it? Laf said you were whipped.”
“Not that whipped,” Carmilla muttered.
“Mmmhmm,” Laura said and suddenly, Carmilla had a lap full of Laura Hollis, “Because,” Laura breathed into her ear, “I know that I don’t have my memories but I’m fairly certain that I can be quite convincing as well.”
Goosebumps broke out over Carmilla’s skin but she tried to hold her own, “It’s Mircalla, cupcake.”
“Is it though?” Laura said. She ran her lips over the shell of Carmilla’s ear, “You know, normally I don’t sit on girls I barely know but I’m told you’re my wife and,” she paused, “there’s just something about you.”
“Actually,” Carmilla corrected, “There’s something about you.”
Carmilla leaned in but Laura stopped her, a finger to her lips, “Cats real name.” she said.
Carmilla groaned.
Laura just stared at her.
“Bagheera,” Carmilla said at last.
Laura grinned, “Like the Jungle book?”
“Like the poem,” Carmilla said.
“Sure.”
Carmilla just groaned again and Laura tapped her on the nose. Then she got up, scooped the cat in her arms, and left with a wink at Carmilla. Carmilla shook her head buts miled. They’d had that exact same argument the first time too.