Chemistree

Christmas was stupid. Baking cookies was stupid. Socializing with a bunch of over-festive lackwits was stupid. Carmilla was lured out of her apartment with the promise of cider and free food, but it was the bubbly blonde practically vibrating with holiday spirit that pushed her to stay at their small apartment complex’s holiday take at a wine and cheese. Only instead, the cider was non-alcoholic, the cookies had faces, and the music was threatening to snap Carmilla’s sanity.

“Why are you scowling all the way over there Carm-sexy?” Carmilla’s over sized, man puppy, neighbor slid along the wall to be next to her.

Carmilla didn’t even look in his direction. “Can I go now?” she drawled in a rather bored tone.

Kirsch scoffed, “Please, you could’ve left as soon as you got here, but you’ve been creepily watching little nerd hottie over there for the last hour.”

Carmilla growled at him but didn’t dispute the matter at all, folding her arms tightly over her chest. Kirsch chuckled at her, but their attention was brought to the flaming headed ginger obnoxiously tapping her glass with a spoon.

“Thanks again so much for coming to this year’s Silas Apartment Holiday Cider and Cookie!” she began a little too cheerfully for Carmilla’s taste. “This year since we had such a good turn out, we’ve decided to do a Secret Santa!”

“No, no, no.” Carmilla piped up, and eyes turned to her in surprise. “Sorry Curly Sue, count me-“ Kirsch hugged her to his side and slapped a hand over her mouth.

“She’d love to participate! Please, continue,” he gestured with his freehand.

“As I was saying…you’ll find a paper with a name and apartment number written on it in your goodie bag! We hope to see you all at the next complex gathering!” Perry clapped her hands together, dismissing the attendants.

Everyone began awkwardly shuffling around, grabbing their bags and heading back to their homes.

Carmilla bite Kirsch’s fingers until he let go with a yelp. “Not cool!”

“Don’t even start with me. Now someone is going to be disappointed, because I don’t DO Secret Santa,” she bit and began collecting her things from the lounge.

“Why don’t you check your bag before you make a hasty decisions,” he said with a smug look.

Carmilla narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you up to meat-head?”

He simply shrugged and nodded at the bag. She reached inside and pulled out a slip of colored paper with “Laura Hollis, 307” written in neat script.

“What? But how did you- When did you even-” Carmilla sputtered. Kirsch winked at her and just walked over to the cookie table to take some leftovers home.

So Laura Hollis, that was her name. Carmilla had been living the last year or so of her life just referring to her hall neighbor as “Cupcake Girl” after their first encountering her in the elevator.

Carmilla was exceptionally grumpy after work and just wanted to curl up in her home with Kipling and a stiff drink. As she made her way to the elevator, she immediately hit her floor number and tapped her foot impatiently.

“Hold the door! Hold the door!”

She heard the frantic voice from the lobby and groaned, but still reach out to hold the door.

A tall stack of bakery boxes with legs practically sprinted into the elevator and-

“No, don’t, wait!”

-hit the back wall.

There was a soft oof as the white boxes collapsed under the pressure and smeared what looked like 3 dozen cupcakes onto the tiny blonde’s body. The doors shut and the adorable blonde just sort of blinked in surprise at the blue frosting now covering her body, and the mess of boxes on the floor.

Carmilla was charmed instantly by the girl. Her mouth opened and closed uselessly, trying to say SOMETHING helpful, but instead “What floor?” came out.

The blonde just looked up at her, then back down her front, before bursting into hysterical laughter, eventually holding up 3 fingers to Carmilla, who was biting her lip hard trying her best not to giggle with the girl.

Carmilla sauntered over to the cookie table, where Laura was chatting with Kirsch but held a serious expression as she contemplated her cookie options.

“Hey Cupcake.”

“Cupcake?” Laura swung around with a confused expression before the memory hit her and an adorable giggle bubbled out of her.

“Fancy meeting you here.” Stupid, stupid, stupid. What the hell happened the the suave and charming demeanor she was known for?!

“Well I do live here,” Laura chuckled.

“Smooth,” Kirsch jested from behind Laura.

“Beat it Brew-dolph,” she sent him her most menacing glare, but Kirsch only gave her a shit eating grin before shuffling away. He gave Carmilla a dopey thumbs up from behind Laura’s head before leaving.

Laura smiled at Carmilla, radiant as ever. “So what brings you to an actual complex function? I think you’ve been at Silas longer than I have, but I’ve never seen you at any of Perry’s parties before.”

“Keeping tabs on me, Cutie?” she smirked at her.

Laura’s smile faltered and red began to creep up her neck, turning her ears a delightful shade of pink.

“NO!” She yelled a little too quickly. “I mean yes. I mean, I keep track of all the third floor residents! We’re neighbors after all! I want everyone to have fun, and sometimes I don’t see you come out of your apartment for days, and I think ‘Man, must be lonely in there!’ Not that there’s anything WRONG with staying in your apartment for long periods of time! But I’m just shocked to see you here. Not that it’s weird that you came, just that I go to most of Perry’s parties and-“

“Breathe, Cupcake,” Carmilla laughed.

She did as she was instructed and filled her lungs up before exhaling dramatically.

“Let’s try that again. Hi, I’m Laura.” She stuck out her hand.

“Carmilla,” she smirked and took it. “I think I’ll be coming out of my room a little more often now,” she said boldly.

Laura squeaked and bit her lip to keep herself from grinning like an idiot. “Well lucky for you, I’ve already planned your next outing!”

Carmilla raised her eyebrow despite the small smile still playing on her lips. “Oh you did, did you?”

Laura nodded eagerly with a boost of confidence. “My place, room 307, tomorrow night, 8 o’clock.” She poked Carmilla in the chest for good measure before grabbing her bag and skipping towards the elevators.

Carmilla rubbed the spot and grinned in the direction of the girl. Maybe the holidays weren’t so bad after all.

The holidays were awful.

“Laura no,” Carmilla said firmly.

“Come on Carm! Pleeease!” She ignored the way her stomach fluttered at the nickname, but she was putting her foot down.

“Not a chance, Cutie; I don’t bake.”

Laura’s kitchen was covered in baked goods with every imaginable color of frosting and sprinkles known to mankind.

“That’s the best part! The cookies are already baked, so we’re just decorating!” Laura jabbered happily. She grinned ear to ear as Carmilla sighed and stepped further into the kitchen, knowing she lost this battle.

As much as she loathed to admit it, Carmilla was having fun. She was surprised at the banter between them and Laura’s ability to catch her sarcasm and throw it back at her full force.

“Alright Picasso, let’s see it.”

Carmilla lazily held up her cookie: a gingerbread man with blood coming from this neck and X’s for eyes.

“Carm!” she shouted in protest. Carmilla only shrugged.

She loaded her finger tip with icing and approached. Laura held up a rubber spatula to defend herself and backed away.

“Oh no you don’t.”

Carmilla only grinned mischievously before lunging at the girl, who abandoned her weapon, shrieked, and made a run for it. She chased the girl around the small apartment and into the living room where she snagged Laura around the waist with her clean hand and pulled her in, turning her to face her doom.

Before Laura could yell, Carmilla dragged her sugar coated fingers down Laura’s face, from her forehead to the tip of her nose.

Their laughter faded at the realization of their close proximity, and suddenly nothing was funny anymore. Well it was a little funny; Laura DID have icing on her face.

Carmilla’s hand had yet to leave Laura’s waist, and she visibly gulped. The action made Laura’s eyes leave hers and dart towards Carmilla’s mouth.

Then the doorbell rang.

Laura cleared her throat and stepped away, trying to process the tension as she went and answered the door.

“What’s up frosh?”

“Hello Laura!”

“Hey Laura.”

Carmilla’s normal grumpy attitude returned at the interruption by the ginger parade.

“Hey guys! This is Carmilla, she-”

“Was just leaving,” Carmilla finished for her.

“What? No, stay! We’re watching Christmas movies tonight!”

Carmilla sighed. “I don’t know Cupcake, seem’s like you’ve already got your hands full here.” Pippy Longstockings and Ginger Frankenstein from the 2nd Floor and Xena from down the hall weren’t exactly Carmilla’s ideal idea of company for her Friday night.

She made the mistake of glancing back at Laura, who gave her the biggest puppy dog eyes. Carmilla squeezed her eyes shut immediately and turned her head away for good measure.

“Please stay?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Pretty please?”

“Fine.” Carmilla accepted her defeat and newly whipped status for this girl and dropped herself heavily onto the loveseat. “Let’s do this.”