The Time Traveler's Wife - The Other Side

The Things They Want

March 2018

"Hah," Carmilla says, peering out the window.

"What is it?" Laura asks.

She walks over and Carmilla points. "Guess who's standing in front of the loft."

Laura lets out a snort. "No way."

"Remember," Carmilla says, heading out of the bedroom. "You have to do a great enough job freaking me out so I bail on your birthday party five years ago."

Laura chuckles and finishes getting dressed. She hears the two Carmillas enter the loft from below.

"Laura, can you throw down a set of my finest pajamas?" Carmilla calls out.

Laura grabs whatever Carmilla's just changed out of and heads downstairs, ready to pretend to be surprised by their visitor.

How lazy do you have to be to go downstairs naked and then--"

She makes a show of stopping and staring at the two Carmillas before her. Past Carmilla looks absolutely mortified, and Laura can't fight the blush that appears when Past Carmilla looks embarrassed. After all, she had just met Laura in her time.

"Oh. Oops," Laura says.

She hands a pile of clothes to Past Carmilla with a nervous laugh.

"Couldn't have given me a heads up?" she growls at Carmilla.

"Ah, but where would be the fun in that? We would've missed out on the blush and everything."

Laura narrows her eyes in a playful glare. "You suck."

"What's the big deal? You were on your way down, anyway."

Past Carmilla watches them bicker while she puts on her clothes.

"So, you're in March 2018. When are you from?" Laura asks with a yawn as she heads to the kitchen.

"2012," Past Carmilla answers, following the couple.

Laura frowns as she hands her a mug filled with coffee, already made by Carmilla before the pair went upstairs to change out of their pajamas to spend the day out and about. "What part of 2012?" she asks, pretending to be ignorant.

Past Carmilla fidgets nervously and starts sipping her coffee. "We just went to the frat party..."

"Ah, the first time I stuck my tongue in your mouth," Carmilla says when Laura hands her her mug.

Past Carmilla chokes on her coffee and mumbles a "thank you" when Laura laughs and hands her a napkin.

"For the record, this is what you have to look forward to in six years," Laura grumbles as she pours herself coffee in a third cup.

Past Carmilla's eyes widen. "So... in six years... we're still together?"

Laura hums and nods as she takes a sip. "Yeah, uh, I'm not going anywhere at all, Carm. I'm by your side for good." She shrugs. "Can't scare me away with all your brooding and snarkiness no matter how hard you try."

Past Carmilla swallows hard and doesn't reply.

Carmilla chuckles. "Slow down, Hollis. Let a girl finish basking in a first kiss."

Laura grins and playfully nudges Carmilla. "It was a pretty awesome kiss, wasn't it? But thank Glory it wasn't the last by far."

Carmilla rolls her eyes. "Smug."

Laura gasps, offended. "Hypocritical."

"Superior," Carmilla fires back.

"Delusional," Laura replies.