Originally based off of this prompt: Imagine person A and C of your OT3 staying up late on a work project. Person C dozes off on the job, and person B comes in to take them up to bed, while person A watches, intensely in love with how their partners interact.
But as usual, this went in slightly different direction. Also this will probably my last fic of the holidays because school starts. I'll still write, but it'll be a lot less frequent. Which is unfortunate but I'll try. Enjoy this!
Cheers!
Never had Laura imagined that she would be helping Danny Lawrence, her brilliant, amazing, ginger goddess of a girlfriend, with homework. Apparently, the lit major needed a science credit, and the only available science class that worked with her schedule was an Intro to Chemistry class. Which was unfortunate, because there was a reason why Danny was an arts student. She was horrible at chemistry.
Even worse, LaFontaine hated chemistry. They took several mandatory courses in their freshman year, and haven't set foot in the chemistry building since. Danny took the dirty look and the door slammed in her face as a 'sorry, can't help you'. So there went Danny's only hope of maintaining her 3.8 GPA. Maybe she should've taken the six AM biology class instead.
"Danny?" Laura pursed her lips as she watched her girlfriend try to light her chemistry textbook on fire in the trash can. She had just returned from the last class of the evening and was looking forwards to spending time with her two girlfriends. Unfortunately, Carmilla's classes were all in the afternoon and at night, which meant that she wouldn't be back until much later. Which was fine, it just meant that Laura got to spend some alone time with her other girlfriend, but now Danny was doing this. Whatever this was. "You realize that lighting your textbook on fire is not going to help you pass right?" With a sigh, Laura picked up the smouldering trashcan and dropped the entire thing into the shower. So maybe there was a reason why all of the textbooks at Silas seemed to be impervious to damage.
"I hate chemistry. Who cares about how oxygen and nitrogen bond?" Danny grumbled from the bed, her voice muffled because of the pillow over her face.
"Your professor does. And you need to do well in this class, Danny!" Laura cried out, exasperated as she ran the book under the shower.
"Screw it, I have no idea what's going on in class, and the textbook makes no sense. Also LaFontaine won't help me. It's like I'm destined to fail this class. I'm better off trying to work on my English paper that's due in two weeks instead," Danny growled, tossing the pillow onto the floor like a petulant child.
Laura shook the last few droplets of water from the textbook. The book looked like it was new, which was very creepy. She crossed the floor to Danny's side and gently tucked the discarded pillow under her girlfriend's head. "Now, the Danny Lawrence I knew would never give up like that." she paused and studied Danny's face intently. You can tell me anything, Danny. It's not just about this class is it?"
How well Laura knew Danny was astonishing, especially in such a short time. She could read all of the lit TA's facial expressions now and could accurately interpret Danny's body language. It was creepy, like Laura knew what Danny was thinking before Danny actually thought it. But in Laura's defence, this skill had developed in response to the way that Carmilla and Danny sheltered and protected her.
Laura knew full well that she would never have the physical prowess that her girlfriends had. She understood that they were only looking out for her. But sometimes it annoyed her how her girlfriends would always turn to each other first when something went wrong. Carmilla had nightmares? Laura found out in the middle of the night when Danny had to pin a thrashing Carmilla down to the mattress. Danny knew about it for weeks now, she was the one helping Carmilla hide it. They didn't want Laura to worry. Danny lost her temper and had to be restrained by thirteen people before she nearly destroyed Kirsch? LaFontaine told Laura in the cafeteria. Carmilla all but threw the tall ginger over her shoulder and whisked off to the forest to let Danny blow off some steam.
They meant well, but sometimes Laura felt left out. So she made it a point to find out everything, to know everything about her girlfriends. Journalism paid off. Of course, Carmilla and Danny had gotten better with the whole sharing thing. It had been easy for them to turn to each other because they were so similar. But they didn't want Laura to worry, to see them weak. Laura had none of that nonsense and made it very clear that she was strong too. It didn't take her long to figure out the appropriate times to pry and the appropriate times to just wait.
Danny held her gaze for a moment before wavering, "You know. I don't like failure." She shifted uncomfortably on the bed, a frown etched across her face.
Laura sat down on the bed next to her. "I know, I know." She gently brushed a few strands of hair out of Danny's face. "I know you don't like anyone seeing you weak. And I'm honoured that you trust me enough to let me see this side of you. I know you're proud of your strength but I'm not going to think any less of you if you ask for help."
"I love you," Danny whispered, bringing Laura's face down for a gentle kiss. Tenderly, Danny pressed her forehead to Laura's after they pulled away. "Okay, I'm gonna hit the library and see if its any help." With a grin, Danny scrambled out of bed and grabbed her backpack invincible textbook, ready to head for the sentient building.
"Danny, you realize I took this class last semester right?"
"Oh...Oh."
Turns out that Danny was as bad at chem as she made it seem to be. When she said failing this class, she meant that if she didn't hand in the mountain of long over due worksheets by tomorrow, she'd get a zero on them. Which was unfortunate seeing how they were worth forty-five percent of her grade. "Danny, you're reading the periodic table upside down, again." Laura sighed patiently and reached over to right the laminated table.
Danny flushed and murmured her thanks, hiding her face behind a long curtain of hair as she filled out another worksheet. While Laura didn't particularly approve of cheating, she decided that this situation was an exception and it would just be more efficient for her to start doing the worksheets with Danny. Their handwriting was pretty similar and Laura could pass hers off as Danny's. They had been at this for hours, hunched over Laura's desk. Like almost a solid eighteen hour workday, okay it was maybe closer to twelve. It was nearly four in the morning and they started as Carmilla's second class of the day started. Carmilla had sent them a text four hours into their workday, letting them know that she'd be home really late because she needed to go restock on blood.
Laura took a sip of what must've been her sixth mug of hot cocoa. They were nearly done. Fortunately, this all nighter was nothing compared to the three consecutive ones that Laura pulled to finish her final lit paper. Now that was brutal. Unfortunately, Danny, who had always been on top of all her work and went to bed precisely at ten o'clock in order to wake up at seven to go for a run, was not used to all nighters. This was also probably the latest that she had ever stayed up in her life. Her eyelids drooped and her writing was getting sloppier. Laura had suggested that her girlfriend go to bed three hours ago and that Laura would take care of the rest of the sheets.
However, being the proud creature that she was, Danny refused. So here she was, face down into her paper, sound asleep. Laura smiled at the sight, Danny never knew when to stop. Always pushing herself until either her body gave up or the job was done. The tiny human contemplating moving Danny to the bed for a moment but there was no way that Laura would be able to move Danny herself, not without waking up the ginger. And once the ginger was up, she'd try to work on the worksheets again. Thus, Danny was left where she was as Laura finished another worksheet.
The door creaked softly as it was opened carefully. From the reflection in her laptop screen, Laura could see Carmilla slip into the room. She looked surprised that her girlfriends were still up, or well one of them was still up. Quietly, she made her way across the room to Laura's side, gently dropping her bag next to the bed. "Hey," Laura felt her press a kiss to the top of her head. "How's Big Red?"
"Out like a light. She just fell asleep. I don't blame her though," Laura looked at her ginger giant fondly, who had shifted in her sleep so that her head now lay on her arms.
"Whatever happened to cheating is unethical?" Carmilla teased as she retrieved one of the blankets from their bed and draped it over Danny's shoulders.
"I couldn't sit here and watch her fail," Laura chewed her lip and watched as Carmilla eased the pencil out from Danny's hand.
"How much is there left?" Carmilla carefully lifted Danny from the chair, bridal style. Laura shrugged in reply, watching the scene before her with affection. The height difference was quite comical as the ginger burrowed her face deeper into the crook of Carmilla's neck. With ease, Carmilla lay Danny onto the bed. The taller girl barely stirred, only shifted to make herself more comfortable with her new surroundings. "Where are her pajamas?" Danny usually slept in a tank top and her favourite pair of blue plaid sleep shorts, which were missing.
"Her shorts should be in the wardrobe," Laura smiled warmly. Carmilla fussing over her girlfriends was a rare sight, typically that was Danny's role in the relationship. The gentle touch, the small word of encouragement- that was all Danny's thing. But there were moments like this that reminded Laura that a whole other side of Carmilla existed.
Triumphantly, the vampire brandished said shorts above her head after a quick search in the said piece of furniture. Danny's baseball shirt was quickly discarded into the laundry hamper. Fortunately, she was already wearing a white tank top underneath which saved Carmilla the effort of trying to pull one onto her girlfriend without her waking up. Quick work was also made of Danny's bra, pulled off from underneath the tank top without a second thought. Laura watched with admiration and some jealousy at her girlfriend's efficiency at removing the piece of clothing, apparently a skill honed over the centuries.
Pants were next, Laura stared with rapt attention as Carmilla tugged at Danny's legendary orange pants, exposing the creamy skin underneath. Said pants went flying into the laundry hamper as well. "Having fun there, Cupcake?" Carmilla's sultry drawl pulls Laura out of her reverie. Danny now had shorts on and was being carefully tucked into bed. The tall ginger was curled up next to the wall, back pressed against it. Carmilla took special care to make sure that Danny's feet was wrapped in the blankets.
Danny was a human space heater. On some nights, blankets were completely unnecessary when you were cuddling with Danny Lawrence. Weirdly enough, Danny's feet got cold really easily. Laura and Carmilla had enough of cold toes poking them in the middle in the night to ensure that Danny's feet were warm. Also cold feet meant sore feet, even more reason for Laura and Carmilla to keep them warm.
"Hmmm? Watching you take care of us never gets old," Laura smiled as Carmilla gingerly extracted her leg from Danny's clutches. Natural cuddler, Danny Lawrence was legitimately built for cuddling and instinctively a cuddler. Carefully, Carmilla tucked the yellow pillow in between Danny's arms. Instantly, the taller human latched onto the pillow.
"Laura, when was the last time you took a break?" Carmilla pulled Laura closer to her by the hand, the wheels of the desk chair creaking. "You look horrible."
"Wow, thanks. Just what every girl wants to hear," Laura quipped and rubbed her eyes tiredly. She allowed Carmilla to lift her onto her lap and pressed a kiss against her chin.
"Laura..." Carmilla warned, "You've been up all night. You need to sleep. Here, why don't you go take a shower?" The vampire held up a hand to stop Laura's objections, "I'll take care of everything alright?"
Laura groaned, the ground was shaking. There was a weight on top of her, oh wait the weight moving.
"Shit shit shit, it's eleven thirty," Laura opened her eyes, there was flash of red. Danny was scrambling out of bed, over top of Laura.
Laura groaned as Danny's foot caught her in the midsection, "Danny. What are you doing?" The tiny human reached up for the alarm clock on the shelf at the head of the bed. "It is eleven thirty-four on a Saturday morning."
"I have to hand in all my worksheets at twelve at the chem building, which is across the campus. And I can't believe I fell asleep before I finished the worksheets," Danny rushed over to the desk where she had left all the worksheets but they weren't there. "Where are my worksheets?"
Laura sat up straight, she had fallen asleep after taking the shower, Carmilla had coerced her into bed with promises of a back rub. The combination of Carmilla's firm hands working out the knots in her shoulders and Danny's chest as her pillow put the younger girl to sleep in seconds. Which meant Laura never finished the last stack of worksheets. "I left them on my desk last night," Laura clambered out of bed to the desk as well. The desk was startling clean, not a worksheet in sight, a stark contrast between the chaos from last night.
A low chuckle made both of them turn around. Carmilla was leaning against the mini fridge with a glass of blood in her hand. "I told you, I'd take care of everything," she drained her glass and rinsed it in the sink. "I handed all your worksheets in for you already. Go back to bed, Big Red."
"But Carm, I didn't finish the last few before I went to bed!" Laura gasped.
"Relax," the vampire sauntered over and grabbed both of their hands and tugged them closer. "I've been around a long time. I know a thing or two about chemistry. I finished the other worksheets."
Both of her girlfriends smiled back at her. "Don't look at me like that. Stop. Stop looking at me like that."
"Thanks babe," Danny grinned and wrapped her arms around the vampire, dwarfing her completely. "You're adorable you know."
"Don't call me that, vampires aren't cute, " Carmilla grumbled, her voice muffled.
"You're just a big softie, Carm." Laura squeezed her way into the hug, her face glowing.
"I told you I'd take care of it. Now can we please get back to bed?"