The Human Cullen 2.0 | s.clearwater

2.10 who dares

Seth looks over at Arthur, the boy fast asleep on the armchair with his neck in the most awkward position and his feet resting on the edge of the hospital bed. He smiles a little and watches him, blushing as the door opens and Edward chuckles - he got caught.

"How do you feel?" Edward asks, sitting on the other side of the bed.

Seth shrugs. "I feel okay... Though there's this odd feeling inside me. Like I, I dunno, just died." He teases.

"Jesus, Seth, you spend too much time with my son!" Edward shakes his head as he chuckles. "Do you remember anything?"

Seth shakes his head. "I just remember Arthur and I in the field. He got into the car and then something hit me." He says, rubbing his chest at the memory of the pain.

Edward nods small. "Whatever... Whoever hit you, they did it with a lot of force. I believe that was the intention."

"To kill me?" Seth asks shocked.

Edward nods sadly.

Seth exhales slowly. "Well damn... I guess I gotta start phasing again to kick some ass."

"Not at all. You know well protect you, you're family." Edward frowns.

"But I want to be able to protect him." Seth says, glancing at his sleeping boyfriend. "He's more important to me than anything else. Even my own life."

Edward smiles, unable to stop himself. "This is the wrong time to say this but I'm so glad you have each other. Arthur deserves happiness."

"Phasing will ensure that." Seth nods in agreement. "I can protect him that way."

"It isn't the only options, remember that."

"Oh, and your old fashioned, homophobic family are gonna help out happily?" Seth challenges.

"They're not homophobic. Old fashioned, yes, but like I said that is no excuse. They need time to come around to this, there has been so many changes in Arthur's life that even we can't get our head around them fast enough." Edward says. "I promise, their thoughts are pure."

"Around you they are. I don't trust them Edward, it's as simple as that." Seth scowls.

"Okay okay. You're getting too worked up. Part superhuman or not, your body needs rest." Edward says standing. "I'll come see you when you're home."

"I'll be at Arthur's." Seth shakes his head.

Edward smiles. "That's where I meant."

-

Arthur stares across the couch at his boyfriend. "No! Not happening!"

Seth takes his hand. "Babe, cmon. It's nothing I haven't done before."

"You hate phasing. And it's going to hurt you for a while and I don't want that. Then you're gonna have to stop all over again and I know how hard that was last time. Plus who knows if your body can take it at the moment, you literally died a few days ago!" Arthur says, his voice high and his eyes wide.

Seth crawls across the couch and pulls him close, Arthur laying on him as he hugs him tightly. "I'll be okay. I'd do anything to keep you safe, you know that."

Arthur shakes his head against Seths chest. "Et m da chng m." He mumbles.

"Even my hearing can't tell what your saying." He laughs, lifting Arthur's head.

Arthur sighs, staring into Seths warm, brown orbs. "Let my dad change me." He says calmly. He tries to present as calm but the thought has his heart thumping so hard in his chest it feels like it's going to explode out.

Seth turns angry, his lip curling. "Absolutely not!"

"Cmon, it's like 3 days of pain and I'll be strong enough to protect us both." Arthur defends, sitting up.

Seth shakes his head. "N. O." He says slowly.

"3 days of pain for a lifetime of safety." Arthur reasons.

"Who's lifetime, mine or yours?" He asks quietly, the anger gone. Arthur frowns - he didn't think of that. "If I don't phase, I age. You change, you don't. Who's lifetime would that be for?"

"I..."

Seth takes his face in his big hands. "I got you. Okay? Always have, always will." He promises.

Arthur looks up at his boyfriend and smiles small. "I l... Ove you." He says slowly.

Seth can't help but laugh. "Whyd you say it like it hurt?" He teases.

Arthur blushes and shoves him away playfully. "It's so weird for me to say, okay?" He says, still blushing.

Seth grins. "It's okay babe, I love you too."

"Gross." Renesmee says as she saunters in, the adolescent-appearing child grinning. "Hi Seth. I'm really glad you're alive."

Seth rolls his eyes. "Hey Loch, I'm glad you're almost old enough for me to hit."

Renesmee giggles, climbing onto Arthur to cuddle him. He wraps his arms around her. "Where's dad and your mom?"

"I ran ahead." She shrugs.

"Despite being told not to." Bella snaps as she comes in, her arms crossed. "I told you, Renesmee, we have to be careful."

"Why!" She whines childishly.

"Coz your brother and I have pissed people off as it was our turn to and so now we have to be careful." Seth says.

Edward rolls his eyes as the others laugh. "Mature. How are you feeling?"

"I'm all good. Your old man says I'm almost as good as new." Seth pats his chest. "I'll be right as rain when I phase."

Arthur tuts under his breath and looks away; Bella raises an eyebrow as Edward rolls his eyes again. "I think it's a good idea."

"You would. It's not your other half hurting is it." Arthur snaps.

"Tell your dad what your idea was then, smart ass." Seth says.

"Change me." He shrugs, looking at his dad.

Edward totally freezes as Bella's eyebrows shoot up. As far as she was aware, Arthur had always been against the idea of him becoming one of them. "Absolutely... Not... Not... Ever." Edward hisses slowly.

Arthur rolls his eyes as Seth smirks. "HA. Told you. I'm going to phase later and we'll be fine."

"Okay, why don't we compromise?" Arthur sasses. "You phase, I change. Then we both don't age and are both as good as each other."

"It's cute you think that, darling." Seth pinches his cheek, Arthur slapping him away.

"Youd be in no state to help anyone, Arthur." Bella shakes her head. "Not for a good few months."

"How would you know? You're a freak of nature when it comes to this stuff." Arthur grumbles.

Edward speaks calmly. "No. End of." He simply says. "Youd be so sick with hunger those first few months, you'd probably happily eat Seth. Then what would the point have been?"

Arthur huffs, pushing Ness off his lap as he storms away. Edward rolls his eyes; his son is definitely behaving normally now.