Woman of the Hour // volturi kings

20. awkward

1996

"Claire!" Layla screamed in excitement, throwing her arms around the young woman. They both laughed with joy, the anxiety melting away from Claire as she breathed in the scent of roses and lilacs that seemed to cling to Layla's curly, bronze hair. She smelt like her garden.

"Hi Layla," she chuckled, managing to free herself from the excited woman to hold her an arm's length away. Layla was surprised by the woman in front of her. Claire had already been beautiful, but in the last year she had grown into an even more stunning woman.

Her skin was now sun kissed, no doubt from the hours she spent outdoors in the sunny weather, and she seemed to have more freckles, her face was more refined, sharper, and her icy blue eyes now were filled with warmth, like she imagined they were before the loss of her parents. She looked happy.

Layla couldn't fight the tears spilling from her eyes before she reached forward to wrap Claire in another bone crushing hug.

"I missed you," she muttered into the girl's deep brunette hair. Claire soon joined her in her sobbing, completely forgetting about the four vampires waiting behind her. The kings were watching on carefully, watching for any sense of upset.

"I missed you too," Claire whispered in response.

"Claire," the gentle voice of Marcus called. Claire pulled away from Layla again before turning and smiling at the brothers sheepishly. She may have been caught up in the moment.

"Sorry," she stepped back from Layla, back to Marcus' side, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back.

"Layla, this is Marcus," she motioned to the vampire beside her. "My boyfriend."

Layla was openly gawking at him, her mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out. The man standing beside her was tall, his face was sculpted and strong, and was he dressed in a completely black suit, made from the most expensive fabric it could be, she had no doubt.

"And this is Aro and Caius, his brothers," Layla drew her eyes away from the Grecian god in front of her to the other men Claire was motioning to. They were both dressed the same and were just as handsome. But the only similarity she could find between them was their weird red eyes.

"And this is our friend, Demetri," another man stepped forward, younger than the others, with no physical resemblance but the same eery beauty.

"P-pleased to meet you," the older woman managed to compose herself for the moment. "I'm Layla. Please, come in."

She moved back into the house, leaving the door open for the group. Claire was the first to enter, Marcus glued to her back, and the others followed swiftly. Demetri, being the last inside, turned to double-check to front yard for danger before closing the door.

The interior of the home was just as Claire remembered. Dozens of photos lined the light cream walls, of Layla and Ryan, their extended family, even some of Ryan with his co-workers, and now there were a few of the photos Claire sent from her travels joining them in pretty, ornate frames. The sight almost made her tear up again.

"Are you staying for a while?" Layla asked when they joined her in the living room. She felt unsettled, and she didn't know why. She was so elated that Claire was back, but these men then came with made her uneasy. There was something about them, something dark and dangerous.

"Just a few days. Then we're doing a bit of traveling around the country."

Marcus let her leave him and the kings and Demetri watched silently as Claire made herself comfortable cross from Layla on the couch, who not-so-subtly cast them glances every now and then.

"Ryan's at work, he won't be back till later this afternoon."

"That's okay. We're not in a rush. How's everything been? Those little angels giving you a hard time?" Claire asked, and Layla launched into telling her about her work as a kindergarten teacher, about what Ryan had been up to, completely forgetting about the uneasiness eating at her. The vampires eventually made themselves comfortable, the kings sitting on the lounge while Demetri stood fast behind them, at the doorway. Claire involved them in the conversation as much as she could, but they could tell Layla would only be more comfortable when her husband returned.

﹌﹌﹌

"Sweetheart, what's with the black Mercedes in front of the house?" Ryan called out as he hangs his jacket on the coat hook. He could hear his wife laughing softly as soon as his walked in the door, so he assumed she had a friend over, but he didn't recognise the car.

"Come in here, love!" She called back in response, sounding more cheerful that usual. With a raised brow, he made his way to the living room.

When he entered the room, he immediately spotted the four men dressed in black and tensed. They had an air of danger around them, setting off his "cop" instincts. Three of them were on the couch and armchairs, sitting composed and relaxed, but their disturbing crimson eyes seemed calculating and observant. The fourth man was standing, hands behind his back and his eyes glued to Ryan, analysing him as he stood behind the couch.

"Claire!" he exclaimed as soon as he spotted the young brunette, tucked next to one of the strangers. In a few strides, the tall man crossed the room and scooped her up into a hug. The vampires in the room tensed, but with the exuberant laugh the Claire let out, they relaxed minutely.

"What are you doing here, sweetheart?" he asked when he was finally finished hugging the life out of her.

"To see you, old man," she laughed. "We thought we'd visit before we keep traveling."

"We?" he questioned, turning to face the other men in the room again.

"This is my boyfriend, Marcus. His brothers, Aro and Caius. And our friend, Demetri," she went around the room, introducing them. "Guys, this is Ryan."

"Pleasure to meet you, Sir," Marcus stood and offered his hand to the man. He needed to make a good impression because he knew that this couple was the closest thing Claire had to a family.

Ryan eyed him sceptically. Marcus was older than Claire, but by how much he wasn't sure, and he seemed well-off. He didn't know when his intentions were with the young woman, but he would be sure to have a word with him before they took off again.

Reluctantly, Ryan shook the offered hand and nearly reeled back at how icy cold it felt but managed to school his reaction.

"Right," Ryan grumbled. He clearly wasn't a fan. "Nice to meet you all."

That was a lie.

"Layla, can I talk to you in the kitchen for a minute?" He asked, not taking his eyes off Marcus as he edged towards the hallway. She nodded and stood, sending an apologetic smile to the group before following her husband. 

"Oh he does not like you," Caius chuckled as soon as the two left the room. 

a/n: I forgot to hit publish! oopsies.