Love Left To Lose

A Terrible Girlfriend

"For someone who came back from the dead to be with her girlfriend, maybe you should do your best to keep said girlfriend healthy," Perry chastises.

Carmilla rolls her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at her," LaFontaine snaps. "This is your fault and you know it."

"Guys, stop it," Laura croaks out from her sleeping bag. "Running away from Silas through the mountains is tough enough without us all fighting."

"Yeah, let's all listen to Laura," Carmilla asserts immediately.

Perry scoffs. "Laura, if it wasn't for Carmilla, you wouldn't be sick."

Laura sneezes and groans. "If it wasn't for Carmilla, I'd be dead, so let's be fair."

"Just because she almost-died for you doesn't mean it's okay for her to just endanger your life afterwards," LaF points out.

Carmilla growls and Laura worms her way out of her sleeping bag, grabbing the vampire's wrist when she steps forward.

Laura has a small coughing fit and Carmilla relents and sits back, worry flashing across her face before she adopts her usual apathetic look.

"Can you guys please go out and carefully find more firewood?" Laura asks gently when she's done coughing.

Perry nods and nearly drags LaFontaine away behind her.

Laura sneezes again and crawls back over to her sleeping bag and flops on top of it.

Carmilla walks over and sits beside her. "Need help getting in, cupcake?"

Laura sniffles and shakes her head. She offers a small smile, noting that Carmilla's tone has softened now that they're alone.

"Why do you act so indifferent towards me when we're not alone?" Laura asks. She must sound more hurt than she intends, because Carmilla pouts a bit.

"I don't mean to," Carmilla says softly. "It just kinda... happens. Do you want me to work on that?"

Laura shrugs. "I just think there'll be less arguing if they aren't under the impression you don't care about me, that's all."

Carmilla bites her lip and gives a small and reluctant nod.

"Are you sure you don't want help getting into the sleeping bag?"

"I'm warm already, I feel fine laying on top of it."

Carmilla frowns and places a hand on Laura's forehead. She pulls it back almost immediately.

"You're burning up."

Laura laughs and Carmilla regards her as if she's delirious.

"I know. I've been running a fever for most of tonight."

Carmilla looks at her like she's grown three extra heads. "Why didn't you say anything, hon?"

"I wasn't about to complain," Laura says. She sneezes again. "LaF and Perry were already on your case, I didn't want to add to your guilt." She sits up and playfully nudges Carmilla. "Knowing you, you're probably already feeling plenty guilty enough."

Carmilla narrows her eyes but smirks. "Is this you trying to ease my guilt?"

Laura shrugs. "I dunno. Is it working?" She coughs a few times.

Carmilla sighs and gathers some snow in her hands and holds it gently against Laura's forehead.

Laura giggles.

"What?"

"Imagine I survive your vampire mother and some giant light demon, just to die from pneumonia in the woods?"

Carmilla furrows her brows. "That's not very funny, buttercup."

Laura grins. "It's kinda funny."

"It really isn't."

"Oh, please, are you gonna lecture me on inappropriate laughter?" Carmilla seems vaguely offended. "Who, just a few hours ago, forgot to mention that the snow was too soft for their non-vampire, human girlfriend to walk on by the riverside, and then burst out laughing when said girlfriend slipped and fell into a freezing cold river?"

Carmilla actually looks guilty and averts her gaze.

"And then didn't even bother to help their girlfriend out of the river until their friends starting yelling at them?" Laura sneezes again, this time with enough force she almost knocks herself over.

Carmilla pulls her into a hug.

"Carm, I'm going to get snot all over you," Laura says, muffled into the vampire's shirt.

Carmilla smiles and kisses the back of her head. "You called yourself my girlfriend."

Laura gives an exasperated sigh. "That's your takeaway from all of this?" She pulls away and scowls. "Besides, LaF calls us girlfriends all the time."

"True," she says, giving Laura a small peck on the cheek. "But this is the first time you've said it."

Laura turns her face to sneeze away from Carmilla. "You're a terrible girlfriend," Laura teases with a sniffle.

Carmilla chuckles and pulls Laura down onto the sleeping bag. She grabs her own and rests it flush against Laura's. Laura is on her side, facing away from Carmilla.

"Let me make up for it," Carmilla says softly, pulling Laura against her so her back is to Carmilla's front. She knows she was a bit of a jerk earlier, but she can't quite muster the humility to apologize. Not yet.

Laura coughs again and Carmilla gives her a gentle squeeze.

"You know I do, right? Care about you?" An apology may be too hard for her to do, but telling Laura she cares about her has become more natural.

"Yes, Carm, I do. I think my days of being that oblivious are over."

Carmilla lets out an overdramatic gasp. "Is that even possible?"

Laura giggles. "Bite me."

"Only if you actually do get pneumonia, sweetie."

"Ha. Ha." Laura shimmies away a bit from Carmilla and sneezes hard again. Carmilla reaches and pulls Laura back to her.

"I can deal with a recoiling creampuff after sneezing, Laura," she whispers. "Get some sleep, okay?"

"Mmhmm, okay, Carm. Good night."

"Good night."

Carmilla listens as Laura's breathing slowly evens out, interrupted once in a while with some small coughs and sniffles. Soon all that's left is some light snoring.

LaFontaine and Perry return shortly after with firewood and smile at Carmilla. Carmilla glares at them and mouths to remain quiet, which they do.

The two of them go to sleep after setting down the wood.

Carmilla eventually drifts off to sleep, curled up to her girlfriend.