Danny leaned heavily on her knees, panting, her prize clutched tightly in her hand. It was summer at Silas. A ridiculously hot summer, record breaking hot. And there was no relief in sight. But a little high temperatures and harsh sunlight wasn't going to stop Danny Lawrence from her usual workout routine. Which was why she was absolutely drenched in sweat. Her tank top clung to her athletic frame and she swore that she could feel water squelch out of her shoes and socks with every step that she took.
Her long red hair had been pulled back into a neat ponytail, but that was now in complete disarray, there were even a few twigs and leaves poking out at odd angles. Exhausted, the ginger ran a hand through her hair, getting rid of most of the foliage. The last thing she needed was to return to the Summer Society house with leaves in her hair, she'd never hear the end of the tree jokes.
Although she really needed to step up her cardio, that little mad getaway dash should not have winded her like it did. At least the Zetas had stopped chasing her. With a grin, she looked down at what her impromptu sprint had gained her; an ice cold bottle of orange pop. The last bottle actually.
The Zetas were having a barbecue, the fifth one that week, and unfortunately left their cooler unattended. Danny had not originally intended to borrow, okay well permanently borrow the drink. But the bright orange bottle called to her, it was so lonely, the last of its kind amongst a wasteland of rapidly melting ice.
Danny couldn't help herself. It was orange. How could she not? The juice of her favourite fruit ran in her veins, her blood was basically orange.
Grinning, she leaned against the nearby tree and opened the bottle with one deft motion. She shoved the cap into her pocket, Danny Lawrence might be a thief, but never a litterer. Then she paused, bottle halfway to her lips, the delicious liquid mere inches away. The hairs on the back of her neck pricked, Danny narrowed her eyes, someone was watching her, she could feel it. Cautiously, she lowered her prize, she wouldn't be surprised if Kirsch came jumping out of the shadows to reclaim the Zetas' last citrus drink.
But there area was clear, no telltale snapping of branches as a Zeta lumbered their way through the trees, or the heavy breathing as they struggled to keep up. She was safe.
Nope, there was Carmilla.
The vampire smirked at Danny from her spot beneath a tree. Her dark clothes and hair blended well with the shade of the tree which only served to make her pale complexion stand out even more. Carmilla grinned devilishly at the ginger, her fangs a shockingly bright shade of white. Languidly, she got up, discarding her sunglasses and book. Danny swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry at the sight of the dark haired girl walking towards her with an unrecognizable glint in her eyes.
How was she not sweating in those leather pants?
Carmilla smiled at her in a predatory fashion and Danny shivered in the blazing heat. All trace of coherent thought was completely gone. She could feel the vampire's gaze burning tracks into her skin, perhaps even her very soul as those dark eyes raked over Danny's form. From the tank top that now clung too close to her skin to the running shorts that now felt too short, dangerously short, Danny felt very naked despite very much being clothed. Carmilla was undressing her with her eyes, all the while that smile was plastered on her face. By the time that Danny actually realized what was going on and decided to listen to her instinct to flee, it was too late.
The pale girl was right in front of her, backing her into a tree. Danny gulped nervously, at the sight of the bared fangs. Carmilla chuckled, "Hello there, Treebeard. Or should I say, "Treehair"?" The ginger froze as Carmilla reached up and plucked a stray leaf from a messy sea of red.
"Oh, uh thanks," Danny blushed, her face flushing to match her hair, causing Carmilla to chuckle even more. The two of them were on amicable terms as of late. It was strange at first, to be in the same room as each other but not to be at each other's throats. A mutual love of literature would eventually bring them together, especially over Laura's less than acceptable taste in literature. But then the flirting started.
"What are you doing out in this part of the woods?" Carmilla was way too close for comfort, taking up residence in Danny's personal space bubble like it was nothing. Danny could smell faint hints of rust as well as the smell of old books, of leather, glue and paper. The redhead took a deep breath, letting the scent of books wash over her, it was nostalgic. Smelled like home, like the little bookstore on the end of her street that she frequented so often that she basically lived there. It was calming. It was also so uniquely Carmilla.
Carmilla watched her with an amused expression on her face, not even a little bit fazed. "Your shoelace is untied."
Danny looked down, startled. It was. How did she not notice that earlier, she swore that it was tied. Frowning, she knelt down to tie her wayward laces, setting the drink on the ground as she did. She could feel her tank top riding up slightly as she did so and elected to ignore it. She could also feel Carmilla's gaze immediately jump to the newly exposed skin. Danny smirked, Carmilla was totally unabashedly staring now.
With deliberately exaggerated slowness, Danny finished tying her shoe, picked up her drink and stretched. Her joints popped as she stretched, but that didn't seem to interfere with Carmilla's laser stare at all. "You should take a photo. It'll probably last longer," Danny raised her eyebrows in challenge, now she had the upper hand.
"Why would I ever want a photo when I have the real thing right here?" Carmilla murmured.
And Danny was no longer smiling, in fact Carmilla wasn't really either. She felt her back slam into the rough bark of the tree behind her as Carmilla's lips attacked hers with a fervor. If Danny's bloodstream had been filled with orange juice before, it certainly wasn't now. It was like kissing the sun, like molten lava being poured into every inch of her every being. Every nerve ending came alive, burning but at the same time it was refreshing like jumping into a cool lake on a hot summer day like today. Nothing made sense any more, but Danny didn't even care.
Carmilla pulled away, also looking slightly dazed but still with that infuriating smirk. "See, much better than a photo. I'll see you around, Red."
Danny barely registered Carmilla walking away, leaning, stunned against the tree at what exactly had just happened. It wasn't until she looked down at her hands, one which was sickly sticky and stained orange did she realize. Carmilla had stolen her drink.
"Karnstein!"