Silas was still a university filled with excitement and supernatural. Nothing had changed, but we had managed to keep everyone safe. I don't really remember how, but at least Carm and I graduated with our degrees, my first, and Carmilla's umpteenth. Danny left to study more in Paris. I could tell she wanted nothing more than to get away from Silas. Perry and Laf were still the best of friends. They moved, J.P. in tow, but they still kept close contact with me.
Carm and I rented an apartment not that far from my dad's. Walking distance really, which my dad was ecstatic when I told him. I had asked for a small place, even though I knew Carmilla could have afforded a bigger one. Hell, she could have bought a mansion if she wanted to.
It was one room, one bath, a small kitchen, and a medium living room. I fell in love with it as soon as we stepped in. We made it ours. Dark, mysterious paintings hung next to the bright happy ones. My posters of all the nerdy things I liked were in our bedroom, while Carm's ancient books filled with dust littered the ground in every room.
I loved every minute with her. This life had turned into something great. After living with such an over-barring dad without my mom, and being flung into Silas in the middle of things, I craved for the times when I came home from work, and Carmilla was on the couch, a book fallen away, and her soft snores filling the empty room. It was so peaceful.
Eventually, we grew out of the apartment, and we went for a house together. I still wanted something simple, but I agreed with Carmilla that she could pick. It wasn't as big as I thought it would be, although it did have four rooms, three baths, and two studies that were each big enough to fit the both of us, although we turned one of them into Carmilla's own personal library.
A few years passed; my 24th birthday was coming up fast, and I didn't think Carmilla was taking it very well. She became irritable at everything, no matter how much blood she would drink throughout the week. She snapped at everybody, and even at me a few times.
Finally, after she yelled at me for accidently spilling the hot water I had been cooking spaghetti in on the floor, she went into our room and slammed the door. I cleaned up the mess and went to go find her. She had slammed the door so hard, a prominent crack branched through the door jam.
Carmilla was sitting at the edge of the bed, her head in her hands, and her long dark hair falling around her shoulders. She lets out a heavy sigh, lifting her head to look at me.
I knew she was trying to hide it from me, but her eyes were beginning to turn red, and I could see tears starting to pool in her eyes. My heart clenches. I came in here, ready to be angry with her yelling at me, but seeing her so pitiful and small like this, the anger ebbed away.
"I'm sorry." She whispers, wiping away her tears.
I step forward slowly, sinking down to the bed next to her. "It's okay," I whisper soothingly. I reach for her, gently running my hand down her arm. She leans into my touch slightly. "Will you tell me what's wrong?"
Carmilla takes a shaky breath. She leans into me more, resting her head on my shoulder. "I don't want you to leave me." She finally says after a moment of silence.
I pull away from her, grabbing her chin to make her look at me. "Carm, why do you think I'd leave you?"
"I-I know you're only going to be 24, but every birthday, all I can think of is how you're one more year closer to . . . dying, and I-I don't know what I would do with myself when that happened. Just thinking of you being gone makes me sick to my stomach."
