Somnolence

A/N: I don't own, nor have a part in it. Though I sincerely wish I did.

Laura let out another hacking cough, sniffling into a half used tissue.

'Ughhhhhhh' she groaned, feeling particularly sorry for herself at- she glanced upward at her clock- 4am.

'UGHHHHHHHH'

'Care to be any louder, creampuff?' snarked Carmilla, lounging on her bed watching her latest vampire marathon. She raised an eyebrow at Laura's discomfort, more annoyed that her show had been so rudely interrupted than she was perceptive to Laura's ailing health.

Laura's head poked out from her duvet cocoon, her face a mixture of pure disbelief at the vampire's nerve and anger.

As much as her red nosed, snotty face could be angry.

'Just because you haven't caught an illness in over 300 years Carmilla: a little sympathy wouldn't go amiss you know?'

'It's the common cold cutie, you'll get over it'

'And until then, you'll have to listen to my desperate pleas for my nostrils to resume function so I can actually get some sleep, something I have failed to get for the past few months largely due to you and your…your…family issues'

Laura sneezed, blowing her nose loudly and violently (partly to make a point) before dramatically rolling over and resuming hibernation.

Carmilla sighed. She did not sign up for this. She hadn't signed up for a lot that had happened this year at Silas: Lauronica Mars and her team of red headed dimwits, her 'brother' Will and his tendency to piss her off, the epic final boss battle between her and 'Mother', that assassination attempt by the Summer Club, the Glee Club recruitment…but this? Ill Laura? This was a whole new level. In fact, Carmilla was inclined to place it above the sock-puppet decimation of her tragic backstory it was that bad.

So perhaps she was being a little dramatic. She wasn't the one ill after all….and she was rarely in the room…and she hadn't really done much to help at all except maybe forcibly dragging her roommate to the shower…..and Laura hadn't exactly asked for much.

She sighed once again, placing LaFontaine's laptop at the end of her bed and pushing herself up.

'Scoot over.' Laura slowly turned, perplexed eyes peeping through the crack in her duvet armor

'Don't look at me like that. Scoot over.'

'Why?' came the muffled, slightly cautious response. Carmilla sighed for the third time that evening, wondering why on earth she was even bothering.

'There's only so much moaning I can deal with creampuff, and I've reached my limit: now if you don't scoot over, I'm not adverse to using force.'

Laura didn't really have the strength to argue, unraveling herself, crawling closer to the wall and opening her duvet as an invitation. Carmilla, being sure to take off her ever-present shoes, clambered in pulling Laura's head onto her lap before placing the duvet around her. She began stroking her hair.

'What're you doing?' inquired Laura, sneezing onto Carmilla's leg.

'Helping you sleep cutie. Sh.'

'I am by birth a Genevese; and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic. My ancestors had been for many years counsellors and syndics; and my father had filled several public situations with honour and reputation…..'

'Carmilla?' whispered Laura

'What? Didn't I tell you to listen?'

'Are you reciting Frankenstein?'

There was a short pause in which, if Laura had looked up, she would have seen Carmilla look abashed, and partially blushing.

'…yes…' replied Carmilla, less confident than before. 'Is that okay?'

'Mmmmmhmm. Keep going' ordered a sleepy Laura, burrowing further into Carmilla's abdomen. Carmilla smiled ever so slightly, almost reluctantly, before continuing:

'…He was respected by all who knew him for his integrity and indefatigable attention to public business. He passed his younger days perpetually occupied by the affairs of his country…'

They did not speak of this in the morning. Not when Laura awoke refreshed from a peaceful slumber, finding herself tightly wrapped around a now-sleeping Carmilla. Not when, upon attempting to extract herself, Carmilla's vice grip grew tighter. And definitely not when Carmilla herself awoke in Laura's bed curled into a ball around her bright yellow pillow, hit with grief as she woke alone that was quickly quenched upon finding Laura at her desk working.

But that night, Carmilla would recite Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The night after that, she sung a collection of Austrian lullabies.

And each morning, just as Carmilla was drifting off to sleep, Laura would mutter 'thank you' in her ear.

The smile that graced Carmilla's face was more than enough acknowledgment for Laura.