A/N: Alright, this is a new fic I'm working on in collaboration with a friend of mine. Hopefully it helps you guys get hyped for Season 2 and you'll tell us what you think in the reviews.
"Okay, okay. If I have to, I'll go."
"You'll love it, I'm sure. Besides, Kirsch says that the new lead is quite the looker, and I bet he could get you backstage to meet her."
"Ugh, LaF. Really?" Laura retorted, rolling her eyes.
"I know, I know, you don't really care. But I'm glad you agreed to come, you really need to get out more often. And Danny's band is supposed to be pretty good."
"I'm here to support Danny and Kirsch, and that's it." Laura said, pointing her finger at her friend. If it was up to her, she'd be at home working on her next piece for her column, but this was her friends' first big gig since getting a new lead and she was nothing if not supportive of her friends.
She followed LaFontaine through the doors of the bar, raising an eyebrow at the strange name on the sign that hung slightly crooked near the window.
What kind of name is The Alchemy Club?
Her musings were lost as she crossed the threshold and was nearly knocked over by the assault on her senses.
Normally Laura preferred the sweet aromas and calm atmosphere of the café near her apartment. It was where she got her best writing done, and the owner always slipped her an extra cookie or two with her cocoa.
Compared to that, the harsh odor of alcohol and wasted frat brothers was almost enough to make her gag and the sound of what seemed like everyone in the building talking at once made her head hurt. She took another breath, allowing her senses to adjust to this radical change from what they were used to.
She watched as LaFontaine made a beeline for Perry, taking the seat right next to her in the booth she had claimed against the far wall of the bar.
She watched as they exchanged a quick kiss and decided to head to the bar to get a drink first. If she was going to be third-wheeling all night, there wasn't a chance in Hell or Hogwarts that she'd be doing it sober.
She pulled herself onto one of the stools and ordered a beer. The bartender handed her the drink and she had to stop from spitting it all over him as she took a swig.
"Ugh! This is nasty! How do people drink this?"
"Maybe because you ordered the foulest beer this lovely establishment has to offer, cutie." A low, husky voice said from beside her.
Laura turned her head to see who had spoken and felt all her higher functions shut down as she took in the dark-haired beauty before her.
Whoa…
Smirking down at her was what was probably the most beautiful woman the tiny brunette had the pleasure of seeing. She flushed as her blatant staring was interrupted by a scoff from the bartender.
"Laugh it up, Kitty. But you wouldn't be here if it weren't for me, plus if my drinks are so bad, why do you keep coming back."
The smirking goddess turned her attention to the bartender and Laura watched her smirk go from one of pure sex appeal to something she could only describe as predatory.
"Because, William, while your beer may be shit, you make a mean Old Fashioned."
The bartender, Will, chuckled as he slid a bottle to the mysterious women, and before Laura could even get a word out, she shot her a wink and melted back into the crowd like smoke.
With a sigh she grabbed her drink and walked over to join the two gingers in their booth and wait for the show to start. She didn't have to wait for long as she saw Will leave the bar and make his way onto the stage and grab the mic to speak.
"Alright, settle down. Now we all know who you guys are here to see, so give it up for Sacrificial Love!"
Laura smiled and cheered as the band walked on stage. She watched as Danny, Kirsch and their other bandmate Elsie climbed on stage and took their positions at their instruments. Danny reached up and grabbed the mic hanging above her drum set and pulled it down to her mouth before speaking.
"Hey, Alchemy Club, how are you guys doing tonight?" She exclaimed. A thunderous cheer answered her and she chuckled a bit before continuing. "That's good, I was worried Kirsch's ugly mug would throw you guys off before we even got a chance to start."
"Not cool dude." Kirsch muttered and glared teasingly at the red-haired women as the crowd laughed.
"Alright, before we start, we have a new member to introduce," Laura was surprised by the hint of bitterness in her friend's tone, "Everybody give it up for our new lead, Carmilla!"
While the rest of the crowd cheered and whooped, Laura gawked as a pair of seemingly endless legs wrapped in tight black leather carried the mysterious beauty from earlier onto the stage.
Carmilla, Laura mouthed the name, liking the way it felt as it rolled off her tongue.
As if sensing her thoughts, Carmilla turned and looked her in the eye. They held each other's gaze for what was probably only a handful of seconds, but to Laura, it felt like eternity as she felt herself get lost in eyes that were as dark and mysterious as the night sky.
Laura could feel the heat rush to her face before making its way down her body as Carmilla winked at her before turning to address the rest of the audience.
She felt a poke in her ribs and turned to see Perry with an apologetic smile on her face next to LaFontaine who was smirking knowingly and waggling their eyebrows. She knew her face was practically glowing as she turned to watch the band, knowing she'd have to deal with the slew of jokes and teasing the ginger had in store.
She focussed on Carmilla as the raven-haired beauty spoke into the mic, her silky voice sent delectable shivers down Laura's spine as she addressed the crowd.
"Hey, everyone. I hope you're ready for one hell of a night, 'cause we're here to provide the soundtrack to your night time adventures." She nodded toward Danny who clacked her drumsticks together, before Elsie started up on her keyboard.
"Baby, when the look up at the sky
We'll be shooting stars just passin' by
You'll be coming home with me tonight
We'll be burnin' up like neon lights"
Carmilla sang the entire first verse without taking her eyes off Laura's, and the brunette could do nothing but stare back as the singer's voice filled the bar and radiated to the heavens.
As Carmilla's voice continued to serenade the building with its smooth sensuality, Laura felt her heart start beating in time with the music. She strutted across the stage and everything about her radiated ferocity and sex appeal. In all her leather clad glory, it was safe to say Carmilla had Laura entranced.
"You're all I see in all these places
You're all I see in all these faces
So let's pretend we're running out of time, of time."
Carmilla's voice reached a peak as she sang the chorus. She looked at Laura several times throughout the performance, as if she was singing to her and her alone, and every time their eyes met, Laura felt her breath hitch and she would forget about the rest of the world.
She was engulfed in Carmilla's stage presence. The women looked like she was born to perform, and that stage was where she lived. She completely owned it, and Laura was completely enamored. She watched as they performed a few more songs until their first set came to a close and Carmilla was speaking again.
"Alright guys, thanks so much!" She nodded toward the rest of the band, "We're just gonna take a quick break, give you a chance to refill your pitchers and empty your bladders. We'll be back in some twenty minutes and then there's no stopping us 'til the sun shines, right Will?" She flashed him a look and chuckled at the worn expression on his face. The band retreated behind the curtains quickly and the crowd went back to talking amongst themselves, a soothing chatter and the sound of laughter filled the place with a sense of calmness Laura didn't expect.
She turned back to her friends and braced herself for the onslaught of teasing.
"So, Laura," LaFontaine began, the devious smirk never leaving their face for a second, "You happy we made you come now?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about. Of course I'm happy to come support my friends."
"Really? Because I don't think you looked at anyone but Carmilla for the entirety of the performance."
Laura felt her face heat up as she opened and closed her mouth in a struggle to make some form of intelligent response.
LaFontaine burst into laughter while Perry shot them a look. "Don't make fun of Laura. Just because she's attracted to Danny and Kirsch's new lead, doesn't mean she's going to do anything stupid. Right, Laura?"
Laura flushed at the couple and shot to her feet before heading back to the bar, mumbling something about getting another drink.
She got to the bar and ordered a different beer for herself along with two more for LaF and Perry. She was standing there waiting for her drinks, when an all too familiar voice came from behind her, sending shivers down her spine.
"So we meet again."
Laura jumped and turned to face the raven-haired beauty who had been the focus of all her attention for the past hour. She was smirking like she was the only one in on some big joke, but the softness in her eyes removed any hostility from the expression.
"H-Hi."
Carmilla smiled as she watched the girl blush and allowed her eyes to travel up the tiny woman's body while trying to contain her delight with what she saw. The girl was clad in blue jeans that seemed to hug her legs in all the right ways and a button up that showed off her torso while remaining modest. What really drew her in though, were the warm brown eyes looking up at her with such honesty that Carmilla could see each emotion that passed through them. She had seen her with Danny and Kirsch's friends while they were playing, and she had a hard time keeping her eyes off those chocolate orbs as they stared back at her with completely unrestrained wonder. She made a mental note to ask her bandmates about her later and possibly ask about her numb-
"I'm Laura."
Her thoughts were interrupted by the girl's gentle, yet, surprisingly, slightly sultry sounding voice, and though Carmilla's heart tried to maintain a steady rhythm, it ultimately failed. Miserably. She managed to offer her hand for a handshake and could feel her heart drumming in her ears as the other girl took her hand and gently squeezed, her thumb brushing across the back of Carmilla's hand. The dark-haired woman felt a familiar hunger as she watched the brunette flush at the contact along and her eyes flicked down to the brunette's lips as she noticed Laura doing the same.
She quickly shrugged off the feeling, not wanting to do anything that would attract unwanted attention, and turned her attention to the bar where she grabbed two of the three beers.
"Thanks cutie, I'll be sure to pay you back for these." She said with a wink before making her way backstage, leaving a gaping Laura alone at the bar.
"Buying her drinks already? Way to go Hollis." LaFontaine said as Laura slid back into her side of the booth.
"Well, I figured that you two already had each other to satisfy your respective thirsts."
She laughed as she watched the two gingers gape and blush then turned her attention back to Carmilla as the band climbed back onto the stage. The porcelain-skinned beauty sauntered up to the mic and without a word all eyes were back on her as she nodded to her bandmates and let her ghostly voice fill the bar.
"The lights are on, but you're not home
Your mind is not your own
Your heart sweats, your body shakes
Another kiss is all it takes"
Laura felt her heart skip a beat or seventeen as the butterflies in her stomach seemed to multiply. She looked down to find herself on the edge of her seat, leaning towards the stage and almost falling off. It was like she couldn't get close enough to the music. Couldn't get close enough to her.
"You can't sleep
You can't eat
There's no doubt
You're in deep
Your throat is tight
You can't breathe
Another kiss is all you need"
Laura felt her breath hitch as Carmilla sang. She felt as if her body was being compelled by the gorgeous voice coming from the siren on the stage. She watch as Carmilla waltzed around the stage like she owned the place, crouching down and reaching her hands out as she worked the crowd. The more Laura listened the more she thought siren was an apt description of the creature before her. She could feel herself getting addicted to the sound of the woman's voice. She wanted to listen to it for the rest of her life, and a crazy, completely delusional, part of her wanted more than that.
She wanted to hear that voice thick with sleep after waking up. Hear it laugh and smile knowing she was the one who caused such a gorgeous sound. Hear it cry and hold it as she comforted it. Hear it whisper sweet nothings as it held and comforted her. Hear it moan with passion, chant her name in ecstasy, finally, be silenced as she brought it to its peak. She wanted to hear everything this voice had to offer.
She shook her head as she felt her face heat up at those thoughts. She had only met Carmilla that night. That was no way to be thinking about someone you had just met. It was weird and creepy and totally cliché.
Laura was jolted from her meditation as she noticed that no more music was playing and Carmilla was nowhere to be seen. She looked down at her watch and gasped. Apparently her imagination had been getting away from her for longer than she thought.
Could they be finished?
Her question was dutifully answered when Carmilla sauntered back on stage armed with an acoustic guitar. She pulled up a stool and sat down, adjusting the mic while she tuned the guitar.
"Alright guys, before we go, we're gonna slow it down a bit." She turned and smirked at Danny. "Xena, we won't be needing you anymore. Why don't you go get yourself a drink and a biscuit for Kirsch?"
Laura stifled a giggle at the scowl on Danny's face as she stood up and the look of confusion on Kirsch's. Normally she would've been the first to defend her friends, but despite the teasing smirk on Carmilla's face as she turned back to face the crowd, there was a soft look of affection in her eyes that told Laura she didn't mean anything by it.
Carmilla smiled at the audience and stifled a giggle as she locked eyes with Laura and saw the brunette's breath hitch. "This one's for a special cutie who doesn't know how to order a beer." She smirked as she watched Laura gasp with a look of recognition. She started strumming the guitar lightly and turned to the microphone, not taking her eyes off Laura.
"What day is it, and in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up, and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time"
Laura looked down as Carmilla eased her way through the first verse, feeling the raven-haired siren's eyes never leaving her.
"'Cause there's you and me, and all of the people
With nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me, and all of these people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you"
Laura gulped as she listened to the lyrics.
Does she know? Oh God, what if she knows? I can't let her see me like this. I can't believe she dedicated this song to me. What does it mean? Is she into me? Oh God, what if she's into me? What do I say? I mean, what if I want to see her again. What if I want to see her again? What do I do?
She looked up and all her thoughts were swept to the wayside as her panic was replaced with a comforting sense of calm as she looked into Carmilla's eyes and saw a smile on the singers face. Not like the almost constant smirk she had seen for most of the night, but an honest smile and as Laura saw it she knew it was a rare thing, nothing that beautiful could be common. This was a smile reserved for special occasions.
"All of the things that I wanna say just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here"
Carmilla started singing the chorus and Laura blinked as her view was obscured by LaFontaine standing in front of her holding out a rather large shot glass filled with vodka.
"You're gonna need this if you want to talk to her after the show."
Talk to her after the show? Oh no, what if she doesn't want to talk? What if she just leaves? She probably doesn't even like me. I mean who would?
LaF must have seen the look on Laura's face, because they chuckled and placed the shot glass in her hand.
"Drink up, before your overthinking makes your head explode."
Laura smiled at her friend before pounding the shot back and swallowing it in one gulp. She shuddered at the taste, but the warmth that was quickly filling her body helped ease her tension. She turned back to Carmilla as she continued to serenade the bar with her velvety voice.
"'Cause there's you and me, and all of the people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you
There's something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right
'Cause there's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you"
Carmilla stepped down from her stool and carefully placed her guitar back in its case before stepping back to the microphone.
"Thanks guys, we are Sacrificial Love. Goodnight!"
Carmilla snickered as she watched Danny roll her eyes from her spot next to her friends. One of which, she noticed, was the enchanting brunette who had captured her attention for the night. She watched Laura walk back towards the bar and heard her order a gin and lemon. She squashed the feeling of hunger that rose in her as she glided through the crowd, smirking as she felt Danny glaring at her jealously.
She came up behind Laura and had to wrestle herself for control as the smell of strawberries and something that made her chest flutter nostalgically filled her senses and threatened to release the beast she had kept caged and under control for so long.
"Hey cutie. Enjoy the show?" Carmilla smirked as Laura jumped and turned to face her.
"O-oh, hi Carmilla. Yeah I enjoyed the show." A mischievous look passed over Laura's face as she flashed a crooked grin that made Carmilla's chest tighten in that way she had sworn wouldn't happen anymore. "Even if they were all covers. Tell me, do you play any original music, or is all rip offs?"
"You know, you'd be a lot cuter if you weren't so mean, cupcake." Carmilla replied through partly gritted teeth as she swallowed the growl that had threatened to escape her lips.
What is it about this girl?
"And you calling literally everyone you know names is nice, Carm?"
The simple familiarity with which the nickname was said was the nail in the coffin. Carmilla was determined to see this woman again. Get to know the girl who could go from adorable stuttering mess to unspeakably attractive and full of moxie in a second.
"Well, sunshine, I just call 'em like I see 'em." Carmilla had leaned forward to whisper in Laura's ear and felt the heat radiating off the smaller woman's face, unable to keep her eyes off her throat as Laura audibly gulped.
She smirked and leaned back before she did something she knew she would regret and slid a little piece of paper across the bar toward Laura.
Laura was still in a daze when she felt a pair of deliciously soft lips press lightly to her cheek and felt the piece of paper pressed gently into her hand. She came to when she heard Will the bartender chuckle, and by then Carmilla was nowhere to be seen.
Laura gaped as she looked down at the words on the paper.
I'll see you soon, sundance.
Below the message was a group of numbers that Laura took entirely too long to realise was Carmilla's phone number.
She closed her mouth and went back to join her friends, ignoring LaFontaine's teasing and Danny's rants as she replayed the events of the night over and over in her head, always coming back to lips whispering in her ear, and dark eyes flecked with silver.
Worst. Crush. Ever.