AN: My second Carmilla story! Takes place during Season 2, Episode 5. More sweet vanilla fluff... but the kink is coming. I think my friend psychotic-cat and I are going to do an Omegaverse collaboration soon that will be VERY kinky. Ahem.

Please follow me on tumbr at raedmagdon for more stories and lesbian/queer-related stuff! It's got my published original fiction, more free fanfiction, and a lot of stuff involving hot ladies.

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Another Good Reason

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Laura pants as she sprints up the staircase, biting her lip to stifle the giggles threatening to burst out. It isn't often that she has the luxury of playful moments with Carmilla, but tonight is special. For a few precious seconds downstairs, as their hands linked and their lips brushed, she had felt at home. Truly at home, without the weight of Silas's dangerous paranormal activities weighing on her mind. In an unbelievably short time, Carmilla's embrace has become home to her, no matter where they are.

The sound of footsteps gives her another burst of strength. She can feel the heat of Carmilla's body, the ragged sharpness of her breathing inches away. She knows she'll be caught, but it doesn't matter. She whirls around the corner, unable to keep from laughing despite the stitch in her side.

It's over in a matter of seconds. Carmilla's arms loop around her waist at the next landing, and she tumbles backward into her lover's soft chest, laughing as warm breath skates along her cheek. She tilts her head to the side, and their mouths finally meet. They last kissed less than a minute ago, but it feels as though an eternity has passed since then. Laura isn't sure how she's been able to live without Carmilla's lips for this long. As they sink into a steady give-and-take, her plans to go down into the wine cellar are forgotten. The only thing she wants to drink is already right here.

Even the need for air is barely enough to make her break away. Carmilla nips her bottom lip, a wordless protest, and Laura strokes her hair in apology. "We can't do this on the stairs," she murmurs, darting in for a few short pecks on every other word. "What happened..." Kiss. "To stargazing..." Kiss. "In the solarium?" A much longer kiss, with Carmilla's tongue stroking insistently against hers.

This time, their parting is even more reluctant. "The stars aren't as beautiful as you are," Carmilla whispers, cupping the side of her cheek. Laura can't help shivering as soft fingertips trail along her throat, tracing the outline of her collarbone. Carmilla has her well and truly caught, and it will take a small miracle for them to make it up to the roof.

"You can have both," she says, a last ditch attempt to make sure they don't traumatize everyone else in the building. "It's only one more flight."

She shrieks in delight as Carmilla slides an arm beneath her knees, scooping her up effortlessly and darting to the last landing. They're at the top of the stairs in the blink of an eye, and she doesn't bother hiding her huge grin as she rests against Carmilla's shoulder. Her lover isn't even winded from the short run despite carrying her the entire way. There's something incredibly arousing about being at the mercy of so much raw power, and the fact that she is occasionally allowed to tame it as well still leaves her dizzy with happiness when she thinks about it.

Carmilla leans in close, until their noses brush and their lips are inches away from another kiss. "You were saying?"

"I was saying you'd better carry me the rest of the way. The solarium's just down the hall, but I don't want to wait."

Obediently, Carmilla brings her right up to the door before setting her back on her feet. It's a little tricky to stand on her own, but she makes up for it by clinging to Carmilla for balance. They enter the solarium arm in arm, gazing up at the seemingly endless night sky. Soft stars are scattered across the blue-black stretch of velvet, and the moon is a thin silver curve in the middle of it all. She huddles closer to Carmilla's side even though the glass keeps out the nighttime wind. "Wow, it's amazing."

The edges of Carmilla's lips twitch up in what Laura has learned to recognize as a rare smile of contentment. "It is. You are."

A blush flares at the points of Laura's cheeks. Even though she still hasn't gotten used to it, she trails her fingertips up and down Carmilla's arm in what she hopes is a seductive gesture. "Keep flattering me like that, and we're not going to get a chance to stargaze before we move on to, um... other things."

Carmilla's smile spreads into what can only be described as a smirk. Her dark eyes are hungry, and Laura can already see the edges of her fangs peeking out from beneath her upper lip. "The stars are pretty, but they aren't what I came up here to admire."

Laura's eyes flick around the inside of the solarium. It's beautiful as well, but all she really cares about is finding a comfortable place to settle. If she can't find something suitable, she's positive Carmilla will pin her up against the glass instead. For a three hundred year old vampire, she doesn't have a lot of patience. At last, she catches sight of a few lounge chairs beside the pool. A pool? Wow. The Dean must have really splurged on this place. We'll have to go for a swim after...

But she doesn't have much time to plan. In the space of a heartbeat, she's being walked backward as Carmilla claims her mouth again. She loses track of their kisses until her calves hit the edge of the nearest lounge chair. She tumbles onto it less than gracefully, pulling Carmilla down with her. As usual, their legs catch in a tangled mess at first, and it takes a moment to sort them out. By the time they've sorted out whose limbs are whose, Carmilla is kneeling over her lap, and her hands are settled happily on Carmilla's waist.

"You sure you want to be on top?" she asks, tugging playfully at the hem of Carmilla's shirt.

Carmilla gives her a slow, loving blink of her eyes. "Just to start. I thought you might enjoy looking up at the stars over my shoulder while I touch you first."

It is an appealing thought, and the sentiment behind it melts her heart. "No one would believe me if I told them you had a big romantic streak," she teases as she reaches back to unzip her dress.

Carmilla stops her half way and takes over, peeling it further down and placing a few quick kisses along the line of her freshly bared shoulder. "No one else needs to know. But I'm happy you appreciate it."

Despite her mad dash up the stairs and professed impatience, Carmilla is surprisingly slow to undress her. She takes the time to explore every inch of skin her hands reveal - her stomach, her ribs, her arms and shoulders - and Laura doesn't have the heart to rush her. A shiver races down her spine as Carmilla smooths away the straps of her bra, pushing them down and kissing the light indents left behind, but not making an effort to take it off. Carmilla lingers at the dip of her throat instead, inhaling deeply. She recognizes that hesitation, that heavy breathing. Carmilla can smell her blood, and is debating whether or not to feed.

"I'm not hungry," Carmilla whispers into her neck. A hot, wet kiss slides across her collarbone, and she lifts her hips in response, grinding against one of Carmilla's thighs. "But I'm hungry for you."

In any other situation, Laura would have laughed. The offer wouldn't have been out of place in a bad vampire romance, the kind Carmilla professes to hate in one breath and claims never to have read in the next. But the low purr in Carmilla's voice and the warmth of her hands and the ever-so-slight graze of her teeth make it serious. "Think of it as the vampire version of dessert." She cups the back of Carmilla's head, urging her to keep kissing. "You might not need it, but you want it."

"Wrong." Carmilla moves away, but only to finish helping her undress. "I do need you." Laura's breath hitches as her bra slides somewhere onto the ground, and Carmilla's thigh keeps rubbing insistently between hers. She isn't sure whether the effort required to take the rest of her clothes off is worth it. The pressure she can feel through the fabric is still enough to make the stars above them flash behind her eyes.

Thankfully, the choice is made for her. Carmilla starts a string of kisses at the hidden pulse point beneath her jaw, winding lower and lower. At the same time, one of Carmilla's palms skims her stomach, drawing patterns back and forth between her hipbones. She isn't surprised when Carmilla's hand slides beneath her leggings, but she still sighs in approval.

"Tease," she groans, shuddering as Carmilla's fangs rake over an old bruise. She fists the back of Carmilla's shirt, desperate for something to grip.

Instead of latching on, Carmilla places an open-mouthed kiss over the tender spot that's all warm lips and tongue. "Just watch the stars and enjoy this." She pauses for a low, breathy laugh, and Laura realizes that she has discovered the soaked-through fabric of her underwear. "Or… keep enjoying it, I guess."

She rocks forward to make sure Carmilla can feel the proof of her desire. "Trust me, I already am."

Sharp fangs sink into her shoulder as Carmilla's teasing hand slips beneath the waistband of her underwear. It's all one sensation, almost too much to process at once. Her clit throbs under the pads of Carmilla's fingers, and she tilts her head to give the teeth at her throat more access. The pounding between her legs falls into the same rhythm as the drawing, the taking, and her heartbeat follows. She opens her eyes, staring up at the stars and smiling as Carmilla paints over her in gentle circles. The sky is beautiful and endless, and she hopes this moment will be, too.

But the trance-like calm isn't eternal. Heat blossoms in her belly, and she rakes her fingers through Carmilla's curls, tossing them out of place and trying to clutch her even closer. She hooks one of her thighs around Carmilla's lean hip, urging her to press harder, to stroke faster. The seal of Carmilla's hot mouth has her pleading, and she isn't ashamed to ask for more. "Please, inside…"

Carmilla's hand struggles to shift inside the confines of her leggings, but manages with a little maneuvering. She melts at the first brush of fingertips at her entrance, knowing she's already wet, already eager, already aching to be filled. The stretch makes her breath catch, and when Carmilla starts curling, searching for the ridged, sensitive place inside her, her gasps become shouts. She can't help it. The pressure is perfectly timed with the soft sucking at her shoulder, and sharp spikes of desire pierce her with each pull.

She knows that she can't last long like this, but she's determined to try. Instead of gazing at the stars, she buries her face in Carmilla's sweet-smelling hair, pressing kisses to the crown of her head. The teeth at her shoulder feed the ache inside her, and she gasps as the heel of Carmilla's hand scrapes over her clit. She has no idea how her lover can touch her so perfectly with her hand half-trapped, but it doesn't matter. Nothing matters but this, and it's a relief to let everything else float away.

At last, her patience gives out. A deep shudder starts in her stomach, rushing out to spread through every inch of her body. Carmilla's mouth latches tighter, and the fingers inside her freeze, finding the perfect place and pushing in. It's enough pressure to snap the final threads of her control. Her inner muscles clutch desperately at Carmilla's fingers, and the pounding pulse of her heartbeat is trapped between her legs and in her throat. She gasps, throwing her head back against the chair and screaming something like Carmilla's name.

Her release seems to roll on forever. Every time she thinks she's finished, Carmilla does something to heighten the sensations: a soft tongue scraping over the bruise at the base of her neck, one last push of her fingers, a little more pressure against the aching bud of her clit. By the time her aftershocks have finally faded, she can't even see straight. The blackness above her is a blur, and so is the pale circle of Carmilla's face. It takes her several moments to make out the beautiful smile splitting it in half. Even when she's happy, Carmilla doesn't smile often. Her chest swells at the sight.

"You're happy," she murmurs, stroking the dark, silky hair she's shoved out of place. Carmilla gives her another one of the slow, sleepy blinks that she's learned to understand as an I-love-you. "I don't get to see you happy often… and knowing I made you that way, just by being with you is…"

Carmilla takes her lips in a soft, open-mouthed kiss. Her mouth tastes a little coppery, but Laura doesn't mind. She's gotten used to it. "I'm glad you like it up here. It's one of the places where I feel like I'm not so alone."

Laura stares up at the sky again, trying to see it the way Carmilla does. It makes sense, in a strange sort of way. Most humans look up at the stars and feel insignificant, but perhaps it's comforting for a vampire to see something even older and more unchanging than they are. But her brain is too fuzzy and her heart is too full to focus on it for long. She shifts instead, waiting for Carmilla's hand to leave her leggings and kicking them the rest of the way off. "Help me undress you," she says, running her thumb along Carmilla's jawline. "You're going to need to strip for what I want to do."

Carmilla's long lashes flutter, but she obeys. Laura helps when she can, sneaking in a few caresses. Carmilla's skin is still warm from feeding, satin over smooth muscle. She wants to feel as much as possible, so she cups the soft handfuls of Carmilla's breasts. The tips strain against her palms, and she makes sure to circle them with the pads of her thumbs.

"If you keep doing that, I won't get my pants off," Carmilla protests, but both of them know it's an invitation to keep going.

She moves lower, kissing down the slope of Carmilla's chest to replace her hands with her lips. Her hands wander to the waistband of Carmilla's pants. "I'll help," she murmurs, placing a bite of her own beneath Carmilla's collarbone. "Lift your hips."

Between the two of them, they manage to strip off the rest of Carmilla's clothes. Laura tries to take her time, but the flat landscape of Carmilla's bare stomach is too tempting. She blazes a trail of kisses down the middle, only stopping at the places she knows are sensitive. It's extremely gratifying to feel the beautiful body beneath hers shiver, especially when one of Carmilla's hands sinks into her hair. She glances up, beaming when she notices that her lover's eyes are closed. Apparently, the stars aren't as interesting as she is.

The hand at the back of her head gives a gentle push, but she takes her time, scattering kisses up and down the sleek lines of Carmilla's thighs as she slides beneath her knees. She pauses to admire the view, nuzzling the ticklish strip of hair pointing down to the bare, glistening lips that are already parted for her. Salt rises in her mouth before she's even taken her first taste. Just the memory is enough.

When she looks up, hoping for a reaction, Carmilla's eyes have opened. They gaze down into hers, half burning, half pleading, and she can't help but grin. Sometimes, she still can't believe that this beautiful creature used to be the bane of her existence, that they've gone from dysfunctional roommates to lovers in the space of a single semester. Now, Carmilla is hers, and she's only too happy to stake her claim. She dips down and runs her tongue through the sweetness she can already see, covering as much as she can in one stroke.

Carmilla bucks, and Laura hurries to find a grip on her hips. The firm bud of Carmilla's clit twitches against her tongue, and she tugs it eagerly past her lips, humming in approval as warmth spills over her chin. She wasn't planning on being so direct, but the whimpers and sighs floating above her are desperate enough to convince her that she isn't rushing things. She rolls her tongue over the stiff point, alternating between light flicks and steady pressure.

"Laura!"

The breathless sound of her name is delicious enough to distract her. She wants to hear it again and again, to stall until Carmilla has screamed herself hoarse. She abandons her prize and moves lower, selfishly searching for more of those beautiful noises and the source of the honey-sweet heat covering her lips. Carmilla stiffens as her tongue pushes forward, but melts moments later. She cries out again, and Laura moans as another surge of wetness spills into her mouth. It's only going to taste better when she finally lets Carmilla come.

She spends the next several minutes making sure it doesn't happen too soon. The second Carmilla starts to rock against her or find anything resembling a rhythm, she moves somewhere else. She changes her approach over and over again, thrusting inside of her, sucking the swollen shaft of her clit, teasing her sensitive inner lips and even pulling back to blow a cool stream of air across her overheated flesh. Her heart is overflowing with pride and love: pride for making someone with much more sexual experience shudder to pieces, and love for the fact that Carmilla has chosen her.

It's that love that eventually convinces her to show a little mercy. She pulls back, gazing up along the pale, trembling body she has torn to pieces. Carmilla is breathtaking. Shifting, arching, still searching for her mouth. She is so wrapped up in pleasure that a flush has spread across her porcelain skin, and Laura can't help but remember that the blood causing it is hers. Carmilla looks down at her again, and this time, she is beyond words. Her pouting lips tremble, and her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

It's a sight too beautiful to resist. She brings her hand beneath her chin and slides two fingers past Carmilla's entrance, drawing the straining point of her clit back into her mouth. This time, she doesn't tease. She curls up and sucks hard until the pressure bursts. A flood rushes over her mouth and down along her wrist, swelling with each shiver that courses through Carmilla's body. The pulses are deep and endless, and her own muscles ripple in sympathy. It's almost as if she might…

On impulse, she shoves her free hand between her legs, seeking the slickness there. It only takes a few strokes. Soon, she's letting out muffled screams of her own, although she refuses to let go of Carmilla's clit. In fact, the vibrations seem to help. More wetness splashes out around her kuckles, and the firm bud trapped in the seal of her lips throbs even harder. She drags her teeth along the very edge, lashing the tip in time with her own frantic fingers.

But an orgasm that powerful can't last for long, no matter how thorough the build-up. Soon, Carmilla is quivering with aftershocks and pushing her away, covered in a sheen of sweat and gasping for air. Considering vampires don't even need to breathe, and it's all instinctive, Laura decides to take it as a compliment. She removes both of her hands and sits back on her heels, cleaning one set of fingers first, then the other. She likes Carmilla's taste better than her own, but together, they're perfect.

"I'm glad I fed," Carmilla whispers at last. Her voice has even more gravel than usual, and the moonlight brings out her flushed, tear-streaked face. "Otherwise, I might have been seriously dehydrated after an orgasm like that."

Laura can't help but tease her. "No worse than when we tied you to that chair."

Carmilla groans and rolls her eyes. "Don't remind me." She opens her arms, and Laura climbs into them, only too happy to stay close.

"If you really need something to drink, we could go down to the cellar. We never did pick out a bottle of wine to bring up with us."

"Alcohol will only make it worse... but it still sounds like a good idea."

But neither of them are willing to get up first. They rest together in silence for several minutes as their bodies cool and the nighttime noises from outside the solarium seep in. After a while, Laura notices that Carmilla has stopped stargazing and is gazing at her instead. Her eyes are no longer burning, and another rare smile has softened her face. "Actually, I've changed my mind. I can't think of a single reason good enough to make me get up."

Laura curls into Carmilla's shoulder, finding a more permanent place to rest. "Not even wine?"

"Not even bed."

"We don't need a bed. You can use my dress as a pillow, and I'll use you."

Carmilla's laugh tickles the side of her cheek. "That would require one of us to get up and find it."

"Never mind, then. You'll have to suffer." She brushes aside a loose lock of hair tickling her cheek, placing one more kiss at the base of her lover's throat. Carmilla is right. There isn't a single good reason to end this perfect moment, and she's going to savor it for as long as possible.