Spend A Little Time
Laura's POV:
"You're serious?'
She nods.
"So you're saying.."
"Yup."
"And all this time you've been..?"
"Mmmhhhhm" she nods again with a small smile. It's quite a bit to take in. She showed me her fangs, explained to me that she was nothing like the vampires from twilight and even offered to show me her blood packs, which of course I passed on the offer.
"Well.. I guess we both had secrets." I shrug handing her a cup of hot cocoa.
"I'm sure we've got much more to learn" she says raising an eyebrow and taking a sip. I sit beside her and we stay silent. So much had happened today I didn't really know how to process it all.
Our feelings came out. I told her about my cancer. She countered my confession with her own stating she was a freaking vampire. Were we together? I honestly don't even know at this point.
"Hey." She reaches for my hand on my lap and intertwines her fingers with mine. It was beginning to become my favorite little habit of hers.
"Yes?"
"Was it too much?" She tilts her head looking at me. I take a sip of my cocoa.
"Was what too much?" I rub my thumb over hers in a comforting way.
"You know.. today? All of this?" She shrugs and watches me play with our hands.
"Not more than I can handle." I shrug back and look at my cocoa. I wasn't lying. I'd been through worse. Experienced a lot worse. Besides, what could be so bad about being with a vampire if she hadn't tried to suck my blood already? Wait. Had she?
"That's good-"
"You've never tried to.. eat me.. have you?" I look at her seriously and she bursts out laughing causing me to smile awkwardly.
"Laura I'd never." She laughs. I sigh in relief. "But"
"But?"
"My, practically sister, Mattie tried to one time. The first night we saw you on that bench actually."
"Oh" I gulp. "Well.. your family seems to like me already huh?" She laughs at my nervousness. I couldn't stop fidgeting with her hands. It was always a nervous habit of mine to mess with my own but since hers were in mine I couldn't help it.
"Laura I'd never let her hurt you" she squeezes my hand in reassurance. "I promise. You're safe with me." My shoulders fall back in relaxation and a small smile forms on my face. She pulls me close and wraps an arm around my shoulder. I rest my head on her shoulder melting into her warmness.
"Can I um.." She pauses. "Nevermind."
"What is it Carm?"
She shifts in the couch a little. I couldn't tell if it was out of comfort or discomfort.
"Actually, It's almost 2 A.M. cupcake, I think we've spoken enough for a day, I should go so you can sleep." I raise my head from her shoulder to look at her. She showed no signs of discomfort yet I felt there was something she wasn't saying. I nod anyways to respect her decision. I stand and help her up to walk her to the door. She stands outside it and I lean against the frame.
"Thank you, for walking me home."
"Of course. Thank you for inviting me to stay a bit."
I nod and smile. She leans forward and places a soft short kiss on my cheek causing me to blush and look down.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" I say without really thinking. I guess my mind decided I wanted her here without really asking her before.
"Tomorrow isn't soon enough." She smiles placing her hands in her pockets walking backwards towards the stairs.
"I'll text you. Sleep tight Laura."
"Be careful on your way home." I wave to her. She smiles and turns around to walk down the stairs.
I close the door and sink my back into it. It really was a lot to process but I didn't feel the need to. She gave me comfort. She gave me warmth.
She gave me hope..
- - - - - - -
Carmilla's POV:
It wasn't perfect but it was enough for me. For now.. I didn't have the courage to ask if I could come along with her to her sessions from now on. I feel like I'd be invading too much of her personal space. Maybe we'd get that close soon. Maybe. Until then me and Laura started little routines I found to be the highlight of my days. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I'd wait for her to return from her sessions. We'd walk to her favorite bench and watch the people that passed by. We'd talk about the absolute most randomest things like how when she was 9 she fell off her bike and got a scratch on her forehead. She swore she was going to be the next Harry Potter until she was 10. Or how overprotective her dad was with her when it came to boys and dating. 'If only he'd known at the time that he was fighting off the wrong gender all along' I remember her stating, causing us both to laugh. We hadn't kissed since that cold October night, but I never stood beside her without our hands wrapped together. It was a small gesture but it was enough for me.
Were we together?
Technically not, but neither of us bothered to bring it up so who's to know what we are exactly.
The routine continued with Tuesdays and Thursdays being spent watching some of her favorite shows and movies at her appartment. I quit my job to spend more time with her. I thought the extra time would be best spent with her since I was more than set with money. It's been two weeks since everything came out and we were happier than ever. Laura had managed her side effects well and seemed to even be progressing in her sickness, but no words of progress had been spoken from the doctor so it was safe to say she'd gotten stronger, but the cancer was still completely there.. It was Wednesday night now and we decided to head back to her place for some cocoa. We had sat at her bench for maybe 30 minutes before she felt extremely tired from the chemo. Once we reached her apartment I helped her inside and brought her a mug of cocoa.
"Thanks Carm," she smiles and takes a sip. I nod and sit beside her. We had been watching Doctor Who for the longest time since it was one of Laura's favorite shows. I didn't mind as long as I was with her.
She yawns beside me.
"Here" I place her yellow pillow on my lap and pat it. She smiles at me and lays her head down on it, stretching her body out on the couch. I begin running my hands through her hair. It was thinning out. I messed with her hair as gently as possible. Laura's eyes began closing causing me to smile at how much comfort I was bringing her. I continued playing with her hair and watching some really terrible night shows on TV till around 3 A.M. that night. Laura shifted her head in my lap and turned to her side so her head was facing my stomach. Her eyes slowly began to open.
"Carm?" Her tired voice cracked causing a huge grin to form on my face. She turns to look up at me with tired eyes.
"Cutie?" I look down at her as she rubs her eyes.
"Did I fall asleep?"
I nod.
"What time is it?"
"A little past 3 A.M. cupcake, you should go back to sleep." She sits up.
"Don't you have to go home?"
I shake my head.
"I don't require sleep remember? Unless you'd like me to go I-"
"No. I mean, you can stay if you'd like?" She smiles. I shrug.
"Come on you softy." She grabs my hand and walks us to her bedroom.
"So I'm a softy huh?"
She shrugs.
"Around me."
"Can't deny that." I laugh helping her pull her blanket a little down so she can slide in placing her yellow pillow under her head. I stand beside the other side of the bed debating on getting in or not. She turns to face me.
"I don't bite you know" she laughs thinking her joke was clever seeing as I'm a vampire. What a cute tiny nerd. I smile to myself.
"A little soon to be getting in bed with you don't you think?" I raise and eyebrow and give her a cheeky smile. Her face instantly heats up.
"Shut up and get in" she laughs nervously. I shrug and slide into the covers with her.
"Goodnight Carmilla." She turns her back towards me.
"Sleep well cupcake." I smile and lay on my back looking up at the ceiling. It was hard not touching her when she was right beside me. I didn't want to touch her in any other way but gently. She was fragile to me. I just wanted to hold her but I didn't want to make her uncomfortable so I kept my hands to myself.
I watched as only 30 minutes had passed but Laura was clearly asleep. Or so I thought.
"Hey carm?" She shifts and turns to her side facing me.
"Yeah cupcake?" I turn to my side facing her now.
"Are we.. you know." I could practically feel the heat radiating off her face.
"Could you be a bit more specific?" I know what she meant, I just found her nervousness adorable.
"Um. Well. Halloween we..."
"Kissed?" I chuckle and she laughs nervously.
"Yeah, that. And we've been spending days together. Holding hands.-"
"Watching movies, getting coffee, reading together."
"Right." She laughs. "But I'm not clear on what-"
"We are?" I interrupt for the last time.
"Mhm." she nods though I cannot see her too well with the dim light of the moon coming from her curtains.
"Well." I sigh scooting a little closer. "What do you want us to be exactly?"
I could hear her breathing get a little faster. If I could hear her heart right now I know it'd be pounding just as mine was.
"Well I um.. I like you." She says gulping.
"Yeah?" I scoot closer placing my hand on her waist.
"M-mhm, a-alot." Her eyes flicker from my eyes to my lips back to my eyes.
"I like you alot as well." I smile pulling her close to me. Our faces were now inches away from each other.
"So does that mean-"
"Be my girlfriend Laura?" I say before she can continue. Her breathing stopped for a second causing me to freeze in front of her. Is that not where this was heading?
"I um. I mean if-" she interrupts my nervous ramble by crashing her lips on mine. I was frozen at the sudden gesture until I feel her wrap her arms around my neck. I melt into her kiss moving my lips in perfect sync with hers. Her body was warm against mine with our legs tangling with each others. We finally pull back from the kiss with nothing but smiles on our faces.
"Was that a-"
"Yes." She laughs nudging my shoulder and turning over so her back was facing me. I pull her body to mine wrapping my arms loosely around her to avoid hurting her small structure. She relaxes her back into my chest and I instantly feel warm.
"I've got a question." She says wiggling further into me. I laugh and kiss the back of her head.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
"You're right" she laughs. "Guess it'll wait until tomorrow."
"Goodnight cupcake." I smile and close my eyes.
"Goodnight Carm" she yawns one last time before falling asleep in my arms.
I had never felt more at home..