Hollstein: One Shot Prompts

Because I Need You

After losing Ell almost a year ago, Carmilla has been going to clubs and bars all over the country to try and get over the pain. On the anniversary of her death, Carmilla feels lonelier than ever and wants nothing more than a good distraction. This is when Carmilla finds a number on a stall door, and everything falls into place.

One drink, two drinks, three drinks, four, and Carmilla is somehow not face flat on the floor. There's a stumble in her stride, her letters are slurred, she talked with a grumble and her martini shaken, not stirred. She took to the dance floor, at the moment pretty pissed, she danced away the problems she wished to ignore, with a dignity that did not exist. She swayed to the song, it helped her mind clear, she danced all night long, it made her thoughts disappear. After a while she paused, a need was climbing up a ladder, her drinking surely the cause, she now had a full bladder. She put her glass on a nearby table, making her way to the ladies room, her steps less than stable, one slip could lead to her doom.

[A/N: Okay, I promise I'm done XD bloody hell, that was fun!]

Carmilla stumbled through the bathroom door, quickly making her way into a stall. The stall was filled with mostly crappy graffiti. Most of it just being scrawls from what was probably someone too drunk to write or draw probably. Others being stupid motivational quotes or stupid insults. The small minority though was actually some beautiful art, which Carmilla would usually admire if she wasn't so alone, broody, and most of all; completely and utterly smashed.

One thing though caught Carmilla's eyes. It was the only thing in the entire stall that had numbers, and it was a phone number. Right in the middle of the stall door was a number with "If you're looking for a good time ;)" [A/N: Just pretend that isn't sideways, yeah? Right? Okay, cool] under it.

Carmilla eyes the number. It's been a year since Ell died and ever since she did, Carmilla has spent her nights sleeping and drinking around with women. Carmilla shrugged, 'What's one last hookup to seal off the first year?' She thought. Standing up and flushing the toilet, Carmilla pulled up her leather pants and grabbed her phone out of one of the back pockets. Quickly and shakily, Carmilla dialled the number. Even if she didn't hook up with whoever the girl was, she would at least have someone to talk to that wasn't Mattie- who is never home anyway- or her asshole brother; Will.

After four rings, there was a short shuffling at the other end. "Excuse me, but who the hell are you? You're number is unknown. I swear, if you're another one of those people trying to hit on me because of that stupid dare Laf made me do!" The girl sounded confused at first, but quickly switched her tone to frustrated and threatening. 'There goes the option of hooking up with her then...' "I'm Carmilla, and I'm not here to hit on you sweetheart." Carmilla said as smoothly and convincingly as she could. 'Well, I'm not going to hit on you anymore anyway...' "Truth is, yes I did find your number on the stall. But I'm not looking for a hookup. I just....really need someone to talk to. And I find strangers are easier to talk to than my family. Who I don't really see that often anyway. If you don't want to talk to me then I'll hang up." Carmilla heard the crack in her voice when she mentioned needing someone. And she also heard the deep breath that came from the other end of the line. "Oh, well. Okay. So, you called because you just want to chat with someone?" The girl asked skeptically, still not convinced that this was another drunken person trying to get in her pants. "Yes. I called because I genuinely want to talk. Because I need to talked. Because I need you." Carmilla basically pleaded. And she heard the deep breath at the other end, she could tell that there was a look of sympathy on the girl's face without even having to see it. "Okay. I guess that I'm okay with that. Did you want to do it over the phone, orrr?" Carmilla pondered the offer for a second then shook her head. It took her a few seconds to realise that the girl couldn't see her. "Would it be alright if we do it in person? I just don't feel comfortable having this conversation in a bathroom in a crowded club." Carmilla asked weakly. "Sure. You're at Hell's Gates right?" She asked, and Carmilla quickly confirmed it. "Okay, I'll be about fifteen minutes, okay? Hang tight Carmilla." With that, the girl hung up. And Carmilla exited the stall, washed her hands, and then found a seat outside the club to wait for the kind stranger.

The girl actually took twenty five minutes to get to the club, but Carmilla didn't really mind. The girl rolled down her window and motioned for Carmilla to get in. The raven haired woman pulled herself up and calmly walked over to the other side of the car and got in the passenger seat. Doing up her seatbelt, she got comfortable. "I guess I should get this out of the way, huh? I'm Laura." The blonde stuck out a hand to Carmilla and she took it. Telling the Laura her name again, to which she giggled and said "I know" with a small smile. Carmilla nodded, and the two were off to Slias University to have the talk that Carmilla has avoided for so long.

As soon as the two were inside Laura's dorm room, Laura sat on her bed and Carmilla sat on the opposite one. Carmilla took a deep breath, and prepared herself to talk about her problems.

She talked about all of it. Her whole life. From her parents dying, to being adopted by a woman she just called Mother, to coming out and having her mother tell her she's unnatural, useless, and a monster, to finding Ell, the girl who lit up her dark. The girl who helped her feel better about herself. The very same girl who was torn from her by Mother and suddenly she was stuck in darkness again.

Carmilla wasn't sure when Laura had moved to sit next to her, but she was now sitting her her hand on her knee to comfort her. Carmilla wasn't sure when she had started crying either.

"Oh Carmilla...." Laura breathed. She didn't know what else to say, so she just put an arm around Carmilla's shoulder and the two sat in silence.

"Thank you..." Carmilla choked out, her throat still kinda sore from trying to keep her sobs in her throat. Laura noticed how rough Carmilla's voice seemed, and rushed to the fridge to get the only drink she had in there; fizzy grape soda. "Here, I know it isn't water but I'm hoping that getting some liquid into that throat of yours might help you stop sounding like a dying old man." Laura extended the can to Carmilla, who took it gladly. She was actually glad to put something in her system that wasn't alcohol, and she never thought that would happen. "Thanks again." She spoke more clearly this time, though the fizziness was kind of painful, it did help moisten her dry and sore throat. "No problem Carm!" Laura beamed.

Carmilla raised an eyebrow. "Carm? Giving me nicknames already, cutie?" Carmilla smirked, and Laura slightly blushed. "Says you, miss 'sweetheart, cutie, cupcake and other edible things.' If I didn't know any better, I would say you're insinuating that you want to eat me!" Laura argued. Carmilla's smirk turned impossibly more mishevious and raised her eyebrow even higher. "Who says that I don't?" Carmilla's voice suddenly turned sultry and husky, a vast contrast from her tone not five minutes before. Laura blushed even harder. "W-well. I, umm. Uhhh. I thought you- I mean- didn't you. Wasn't this supposed to just be a-a chat?" Laura stuttered, causing Carmilla to burst into laughter. "And it was. We've had the chat, and I'm feeling a lot better. And I only call you edible nicknames because you are entirely too sweet. I can only imagine what your-" "OKAY, LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THAT!" Laura quickly cut Carmilla off from what she was about to say, once again causing Carmilla to burst out laughing.

"Fine. Anyone living in here with you?" Laura shook her head. "No, I used to have a roommate named Betty. But she decided she didn't want to go to this school anymore, she goes to Princeton now." Laura explained. Carmilla nodded her head and then said something that made Laura almost choke on air. "How would you feel about me being your new roommate?" Laura almost fainted. "Do you even go to this school?" Carmilla nodded her head. "As a matter of fact, I do. I'm a philosophy major. I don't have anywhere to really go at the moment anyway, sooo. Can I move in?" Carmilla asked more confidently this time. And Laura grinned. It would be nice to not have to live alone anymore.

"Yes Carm. You can move in."