Asteraceae

TWENTY FIVE

"Charlie swan seems to be going to get his daughter today." Joshua snorted; the man was quite nice to allow an ungrateful child back into his home after all those years of ignoring his existence. He figured that while he was still a father at the end of the day, he was still very much a pushover also, tragic. He was back at home, and considering it was the weekend he was currently relaxing on his porch with a vampire tucked up underneath one of his arms.

"I know! It's the talk of the town right now!" Despite not having to worry about her body temperature, she was wrapped up tight in one of the many throw blankets Joshua had laid on the back of his couch. The girl looked quite small as she drowned in the black cotton material. She was quite comfortable, and up until he had said something she had sat quietly like she had promised.

"You must really think they're going to fall in love? How silly." He had met the brood, and the boy was exhausted to be around. He acts like a child when it comes to finding his mate, and honestly Joshua couldn't understand the inconsistency of his actions. He could see him not wanting a mate period, but the boy obviously wanted someone to be by his side.

"I know they're going to fall in love." She could see it now, the glittering skin of Isabella Swan as she and her brother ran through a field together. It was lovely, and for a second she wondered if Joshua had ever thought of such things with her. She could see him warming up to her, allowing her to snuggle up in his lap like some needy puppy while he read one of his many books, he pulled off his shelf.

"We're going to fall in love." Her hands dug their way out of the shell of softness. Cupping his chin and pulling it down just enough for their lips to ghost over each other, "you know we are; they are." She could kiss him. Maybe she even dragged her tongue over the soft pink flesh, but she wouldn't. She would do nothing but rile herself up, leaving herself wanting more than what Joshua would ever give her.

"We are." He smiled, though even she could see that he didn't believe a word that was coming out of her mouth.

She thought his smug little smiles were more attractive than annoying. Of course, it left a bitter feeling in her chest that he still didn't quite feel the same as she did, but he was touching her, he was allowing her to touch him, and he did kiss her when she first arrived at his place. It was progress but a selfish part of her wanted something more. The carnal desire to touch more than just his chin when she demanded a kiss, or when she needed him to bend down to her height.

"You don't believe we will? I believe we will." She was damn near sitting in his lap and she was positive if she were to completely scooch on over, he'll let her. He knew they had something going on, but she did love the chase he was giving her. Filled the predator within her with joy at the thought of how good everything will fall into place once she's got him where she wants.

"What do you think?" He placed the book down, his full attention on the vampire underneath him, "aren't you the seer." His fingers skimmed over her eyelids, his touch barely ghosting over her skin, "look and see."

She can't. She never cans, and she worried it was because what she thinks will become true. He won't be his at the end of the year, he wasn't going to end up as hers, but seeing him right now. Glass on, casual wear, and a blanket he allowed her to snatch out of his house led her to believe differently. He wasn't going anywhere. She wouldn't let him, and he wouldn't let himself get far if he were to leave.

"I see it." She reburied herself, her insecurities diminishing on the spot as she relaxed into the side of his body. He stared-hard, but he didn't bother to reply to her words. A quick kiss dropping onto the crown of her head, before he resumed whatever book he was reading. Alice was the most stubborn woman he had ever met.

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Carlisle paced around in his office at the hospital. That man, he seemed so familiar, and it ran shivers down his spine to come to any sort of conclusion as to why that was. Was he who he thought he was? And how could he possibly have lived for this long without aging a single bit? It-this entire was frustrating. His wife was concerned, his kids were worried, and his youngest daughter, Alice, was completely ignorant of everything that's been happening within the very walls of her own home. He would call himself a horrible father figure, but what he had was in the past, there was no way in hell he would ever break up his family just to go back to an old love of his, and he was happily mated to Esme despite everything he had tried to forget.

He had loved him, loved Gesuela, and even with all the teasing and mockery he had faced simply for loving someone he couldn't have, he still felt like what he had back than was good. He was his first love, and despite the annoyance the man often showed him at his mere presence, he had felt seen more than he ever had within his mortal, and immortal life.

It was too much to forget, and with his doppelganger appearing before his very eyes he felt like it was going to be even harsher on his heart than before...but he would do it for Alice, Esme, and his entire coven to prevent a breakage. He probably had him in the past, but someone else has him now. 

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