Sorry sorry sorry!

This would have been updated waaay sooner but like I fainted at school so when I got home I just zonked out for several hours. Something about nutrition idk I didn't really listen that well

But yeah here!


"For someone so adamant about falling in love, you're awfully buddy-buddy with the pet store girl," Will observed, leaning against the counter beside the register.

It was a slow day, for once. Maybe because it was a Wednesday. Or maybe because it was ten in the morning. The store was quiet, save for the never-ending Christmas music in the background. Carmilla and Will had taken it upon themselves to take this sweet moment of relaxation to relax a bit.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Carmilla muttered, her eyes glued to a book.

"Sure you do. You two are practically joined at the hip." Will snorted. "Are you besties or bestbians because there is a huge difference to how mother will react."

That struck a nerve.

Carmilla slammed her book shut and glared at the brunette. "Look. Buddy-buddy is different from love. Laura and I are friends and nothing more. Mother will not react because she won't find out. The day I let her within a twenty foot radius of Laura is the day I fucking drop dead."

Will was unfazed by the outburst. He was used to Carmilla flipping out. "You sure about the 'friends' part?"

She gritted her teeth. "I'm positive. I can't afford to... not after-" she stopped herself from continuing. She placed her book on the shelf beneath the counter. "Just drop it."

"How can I drop something that you won't even talk about?" He just kept pressing. God, you'd think Carmilla was a zit with the way he pushed her. He would push and push and push until she broke. It was a quality that he had gotten from Mother, despite not being actually related to her.

And so Carmilla reacted the way she would with her mother. She closed up.

Her body tense and shaking a bit from anger, she turned on him with a fiery rage in her eyes. "Will, I'm warning you right fucking now to drop it. No more talk about Laura. No more talk about Mother. No more talk about... about-"

"Your obvious infatuation with Little Virgin Mary?" He finished. And, yep, he crossed a line. But it was the only other way to get into Carmilla's head – to get her to reveal her actual feelings. It was a difficult task to accomplish without pissing her off.

"SHUT. THE FUCK. UP." Carmilla snarled, all but shouting. She turned on her heels and headed for the exit of the store.

"Where are you going?" Will called after her.

"I'm going on break!" She snapped without turning back.

Will watched her go, deciding it was best if he let her cool down. She wasn't entirely in the wrong – introducing Laura to Mother would be dangerous. Especially with what happened to...

He shook his head.

It was a damn shame. Carmilla obviously cared for the small girl. He wished she'd just make a move already.


"Yeah, dad, everything's fine." Laura spoke into her cellphone.

She was in the parking lot, taking a walk in the ankle-deep snow. Her dad often called her during work, claiming she "worked too hard and needed a break" (it was a phrase she used to give him when he'd stay up all night figuring out a case. She'd pretend to be sick in school, go home, and he'd take care of her. When she miraculously got better, the two would have bonding time).

She had gotten her workaholic mindset from her father. He was a detective that specialized in missing persons cases. He spent many nights connecting the victims with people, the people with places, places with times, he was great at mapping out the lives of the missing person and, eventually, pinpointing the exact location of the kidnapper(s) or the body. He always had bags under his eyes since he almost never slept.

She might have also gotten it from her mother, who was a lawyer when she was alive. Supposedly the best in the state. She never stopped working until she won a case. Laura's dad always told Laura that that was why they had so much money.

Wherever she got her hard-working attitude from, the point was: her father called to give her a break. He always seemed to know when a break was appropriate. Today was no exception to that.

The back office felt empty without Mama and the kittens. Lonely. And today Laura worked with Christine, a girl she wasn't entirely too thrilled about spending time with.

So, when her dad called, she practically ran out of the store.

"That's good to hear, sweetie!" He responded and Laura could hear his smile. "So... find any cute girls, yet?"

Laura felt warmth in her cheeks and ears. "W-What? No!"

"Nonsense! What's her name?"

A sob echoed through the back alley behind the mall, where they kept the dumpsters. Laura froze. Another hiccup and Laura found herself moving towards the alley.

Part of her (the smarter, normal human part) wanted her to run because who the hell goes into an alley because they hear crying? The other part (the inner journalist that usually controlled her), however, told her to investigate.

So she did.

"Come on, sweetie," her father pressed on the other end of the receiver. "You can tell your old man! What's your crush's name?"

A brunette was sitting with her face in her hands as sobs shook her body. It only took Laura a second of observing to realize who it was.

"Carmilla," she murmured.

"That's a beautiful name!" Her dad praised, oblivious to what was happening on the other side of the phone. "I hope she's got a pretty face to match, yeah?"

"Dad, I-I have to go." Laura told him when Carmilla looked up. Her eyes were puffy and red and god, it broke Laura's heart. "My friend needs me."

"Okay, sweetie. Good luck with Carmilla. Make sure you tell me more details next time!" With that, Laura hung up.

"Carm?" She stepped towards the crying girl.

Brown eyes met hers and Laura could swear she's never seen the human version of those depressing animal shelter commercials (you know the ones!) but she guessed if there would ever be a sad cat-turned-human from one of those commercials, it'd be Carmilla.

She moved so she was next to the brunette and held her arms out. Carmilla collapsed into her, nuzzling her face into Laura's shoulder as she sobbed.

Laura let her cry. Because when someone as brave as Carmilla breaks down, it's something serious. So she just murmured reassurances into Carmilla's ear as the girl cried. Her entire body was shaking, so Laura shook them back and forth gently. Her dad did the same for her when she was upset.

When she finally calmed down, Carmilla pulled away, wiping beneath her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She sniffled.

"For crying?" Laura's arms had moved from her back to her waist, resting there.

"For crying on you." Carmilla shook her head.

"Look, Carm," Laura moved one hand to brush under Carmilla's eye, drying a tear that never left. The other hand remained on Carmilla's hip. "I won't ask you what made you upset, because I know it's not my business, and I don't want to push the limits of this-" she gestured between them "and ruin it by asking you to dig into your past. But I will say this: don't ever apologize for being sad or for crying on me. You mean a lot to me, okay?"

Carmilla looked at the blonde for another moment before hugging her tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Come on," Laura pulled away. "Let's get to the bathroom and fix... uh... your makeup."

"I look like a sad clown, don't I?" Carmilla chuckled.

Laura giggled. "I wouldn't say that, but... the analogy isn't entirely incorrect."

The two stood up, their hands finding each other and entwining their fingers together as they made their way back to the mall.


Laura had situated herself at the Cozy Corner during her lunch break. LaFontaine had joined her and smiled when Carmilla set down their orders. Perry was frantic at the counter, cleaning up after the lunch rush. But other than that, the place was pretty empty.

LaFontaine raised their eyebrows and looked between Laura and Carmilla when the brunette situated herself next to Laura.

"So..." They drawled and Laura rolled her eyes.

"No." The blonde deadpanned.

"No?"

"No."

"Lame." LaF sat back with a stretch.

"Honey, stop tormenting poor Laura," Perry had apparently finished cleaning because she sat down in LaFontaine's lap.

LaF shrugged innocently. "What are you talking about, Perr? I was just about to ask her about her obviously romant-"

"LaFontaine." Perry's voice was stern, so the scientist shut their mouth.

LaFontaine and Laura were in their last year in college. Laura was going to be a journalist, and LaF was going to be a biologist. They were the only two of their friends still in college, but that was probably why they were so close. That and the fact that they had been friends since high school.

LaF met Perry when they were kids. Laura isn't sure if their relationship was ever truly platonic or if they had always been in love. She'd always assumed the latter.

"So, Carmilla," Perry turned to the brunette. "How are you doing?"

"I'm still alive, so I'm doing well." Carmilla shrugged nonchalantly.

"How are the kittens?"

"Also still alive. Thanks to Laura giving me tips." She shot the blonde a smile and LaF fake-coughed and hissed out 'obvious' (which earned them a very hard glare from, well, everyone).

"Alright, anyway," Perry turned away from the other redhead. "Our Holiday Party is this Saturday. Do either of you work?"

"I'm free," Laura grinned. She loved Perry and LaFontaine's Holiday Parties. It was a tradition that had been started almost as soon as all three of them graduated high school. Sure, Perry's family threw a Holiday Bash every year, but that was when they couldn't drink alcohol. And what's the fun in that?

"Me too," Carmilla added. "Who's going?"

"Danny, Kirsch, SJ, Natalie, and a few other people." LaFontaine answered.

"Danny?" Laura glanced awkwardly at Carmilla. Her ex and her crush (who both hated each other) in the same room at the same time? Kind of sounded dangerous. Or the opening to a porno. Or a cheesy fanfiction that just wanted Laura to kiss one (or both) of them.

"Yeah. Is that alright?" Perry looked at Laura worriedly.

"Yeah! Totally! It's fine. We're just friends." Laura smiled. She had been saying that a lot lately.

"Excellent." Perry moved her gaze to the entrance and stood up. "Hello!" She walked behind the counter to get a customer what they wanted.

"Well, I better get back to work." LaF sighed. They may run the photography studio, but that didn't mean they couldn't pick the hours (something they were less than thrilled with discovering).

"We should, too." Laura stood up, placing her hand on Carmilla's shoulder. "You ready to go?"

Carmilla nodded and stood as well. The trio separated and Carmilla and Laura walked together towards their stores.

The entire situation felt entirely too domestic to Carmilla. But, hey, as long as she was with Laura, she couldn't really find herself giving a damn.


Don't get too excited creampuffs, it's only chapter 7... and with Carmilla it's two steps forward, three steps back.