The Axis My World Turns On

Clouds in the Sky

*1 month later*

The thing Carmilla loved the most about her team was their dedication. She never had to question their loyalty to a job well done. As she stood outside, blueprints in hand, she thanked the heavens for her ability to sniff out those who work hard and those just looking for easy pay. There's nothing easy about building homes. These are not just houses. These are places where memories are made.

There was still some painting to be done, but that was the reason she was there so early. There were at least three more rooms to paint, the upstairs bedroom, and she could at least get through one before she let the rest of the team finish up. By the following week, the exterior paint and decorating begins before fixtures and flooring installations. It was coming along smoothly.

By noon, her painting jeans were covered in white and green splatters. She had hairs sticking to her face and her fingers had paint under the nails. Her team had gotten there hours before at this point, but she wanted to finish the room herself. Not a bad way to start a morning. Now she looked forward to a hot bath and a book before she checked some emails.

As soon as she opened the door to her house, she was hit with the smell of food cooking. While it made her growling gut happy, her paint covered body preferred water over lunch. Perry was just going to have to take it home to Laf.

"I can eat your cooking at the diner. Why must you break into my home to—" This is not Perry. "—Feed me."

Laura Hollis was bouncing around her kitchen with a 'kiss the chef' apron on without a shirt. There were earbuds shoved in her ears and whatever song she had on repeat today must've been a Hollis-approved bop. Something was in the oven, something with tomato maybe. From what she could see, Laura was in the process of making a salad, even if most of it wound up across the countertop. So, Laura Hollis was dancing around her kitchen waving a knife around without a shirt. This could very well be the most dangerous thing she's done since she almost lost a bet to a sky diving instructor.

Warily, Carmilla took a seat at the counter and watched as the blonde continued her show. One final turn, a grand array of jazz hands, and the knife clattered to the floor next to what Carmilla was sure was a few small piles of chopped lettuce as her presence was noticed. Her amused smirk put blush on Laura's cheeks as she removed the music from her ears.

With a nervous chuckle, Laura asked, "Hehe. H-how long have you been sitting there?"

"Not long." Carmilla shrugged.

"So, the dancing? You saw that?"

"Clearly."

"And the krumping?" Laura wrang her hands together, staring down at her now dirty knife; grateful it didn't catch her feet in the fall.

"Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to hold that over your head for the rest of our lives."

"Good." Laura picked up the knife, tossing it into the sink. "Are you hungry? I'm making chicken parmesan and garlic bread; and, salad, obviously."

"Mm." Carmilla took a deep breath, soaking in the aromas around her. Her stomach growled so hard her body seemed to growl with it. But her filthy clothes were still bothering her. "Starving. But I need out of these clothes, so I'm going to—"

"Draw a bath? Already done. It's waiting for you upstairs." Laura pulled a new knife from the drawer. She shrugged at Carmilla's arched eyebrow, ignoring the flutter in her chest before she dropped another knife, "Just go. I know you don't like to eat covered in paint. It's the one clean thing about you. Don't make a big deal of it."

Snickering, Carmilla went upstairs, undressing on the way up.

"I'M NOT PICKING THOSE UP, KARNSTEIN!"

Carmilla could hear her laughter bouncing off the walls as she left a trail behind her, all the way to her bathroom. There it was, a bath, steaming sweet salutations at her naked porcelain skin just aching to be consumed by its tempting ripples of boiling bliss. Her body craved it, the pure sight of it making her spine trimmer. Laura really was a Godsend.