Never Leave

3

*Minor to Medium Warning*

Umpteen shots of tequila later, Carmilla comes stumbling out of the bar. Laughing at absolutely nothing, she approached her motorcycle. She was able to drink excessively for so many years before she got her life back, she was surprised she still could. It wasn't as much as she was used to, but still pretty fucking impressive. Her stomach began to twist as she reached for her helmet. Not up for throwing up on her bike, and not drunk enough to attempt to drive, she pushed at the handlebars and started walking towards her apartment.

She didn't make it past the corner of the building before she was knocking the kickstand back to the ground and sprinting into the alley beside the bar. Waiting for the contents of her stomach to appear on the ground, Carmilla thought back to the reason she was even here. She saw no better time than any to suffer.

Laura was gone. Two years ago today she lost the love of her life. She held her in her arms as she took her last breath. Laura Hollis died to give her a life that she did not deserve. She had lived her life and then some, taking it from others that didn't see it coming or wished they didn't see it at all. Death, a name that once belonged to her.

"Well, don't you think death can be beautiful?"

She chuckled at the memory, remembering Laura's reaction. Remembering how fucked up they were. Remembering what they were doing. Remembering that Laura was alive.

"You're lucky you were cute cause you fucking cheated." She chuckled again.

Suddenly, she hunched over as the alcohol left her body. The burn in her throat was nothing on the fire in her heart. Laura was gone when she was supposed to live.

Life cheated.

**********

"Mattie! Stop stealing pride flags from people! If you want one, they're free!" Laura apologized to the couple they'd just passed after Mattie snatched the handheld mini flag from their grasps.

"There's no fun in free." Mattie cackled, tickling a gay guy that was dancing on a speaker. He nearly fell trying to keep his balance.

"Nobody's ever said that." Laura scoffed, adjusting the hood on her head. Mattie's precaution. Hidden but not mysterious. Laura saw it differently. Stupid.

"Excuse me, darling. There's a group of hipsters with my name on them. I may not make it home in one piece," Mattie danced in the direction of a group of women with champagne dressed to kill- which explained her attraction to them. She stopped long enough to warn Laura, "Stay. Hidden."

Well that was quicker than I thought.

***********

"Ugh! It's worse coming up than it is going down." Carmilla groaned.

Her head rested against the cool brick wall, her breathing heavy. Licking her lips, she gagged at how awful the taste was. Her vision faltered briefly as she tried to stand up straight.

"Alright, Karnstein," She grunted, staggering once before she regained her balance, "Let's try to get home in one piece."

She took a step forward towards the opening. Before she could take another, her leg wavered. Re-positioning herself, Carmilla chuckled at her clumsiness. Eyes on her goal, she noticed a figure standing there, blocking her way. As her eyes began to attempt making out who was standing there, she felt a sharp pain against her head and found herself smacking into the wall again. She groaned as a heavy laugh filled the night.

************

Once she was sure that Mattie was completely engrossed in her snack for the evening, Laura grinned triumphantly before taking off through the dancing crowd and down a nearby street. It was pure luck that Mattie had been distracted so easily. Obviously being trapped in a house with Laura for days on end affected her almost as bad as the restraints got to Laura. She thanked Dumbledore for it. Although it still creeped her out that the word "snack" could remain in Mattie's vocabulary aimed at human consumption even though Mattie was no longer dead- a gift courtesy of one Laura Eileen Hollis. It sounded more like cannibalism than sex in Laura's mind.