Lacuna ¹

18

Amélie never thought she could feel safe in a strangers house but as she stood in Benedict's room reading over a few pages of Murder on the Orient Express all her perceptions had changed. The feeling of warmth that she felt when she was in Esme's arms like that of a mother, the security she felt in the arms of Carlisle like that of a father and the playfulness like that of siblings she recieved from the others, it made her feel so happy in such an unfamiliar setting, it felt as though she belonged in such a chaotic family.

Amélie found herself back to the chaos of reality when she no longer the comforting cool of Benedict's body had disappeared. Gently closing the tattered book -as to not rip any pages - she looked up and turned, only to see Benedict looking on another shelf. She found herself smiling at him, and when Benedict turned to meet her gaze he couldn't help the large grin that was etched on his face before turning back to look at the bookshelves. Reaching up Benedict plucked a book of the top shelf with ease.

He flipped through it delicately before handing it to the ginger haired girl. "Te voilà (There you are)"

"Merci (Thank you)" She thanked as she gently took the book from his hands - their fingers brushing one another's - and she began to turn the pages and running her fingers over the pages as if like glass about to break. Once she had finished flipping through the pages she closed the book to then admire the cover. It looked slightly worn but still in perfect condition, its golden cursive writing spelling each letter of Dracula delicately across its cover, it's blood red hard cover being the perfect colour for the type of book it was - a Vampire book. Her previous copy had been different to this one, it was only a paperback and it had a simple black flimsy cover making look cheap but it had been perfect at the time for the young French girl. "C'est beau (Its beautiful)"

"Pas aussi beau que toi.. (Not as beautiful as you..)" Benedict smiled. Amélie's eyes widened and her cheeks flooded with a dark red colour.

"Tu es très beau toi-même Benedict (You are very handsome yourself Benedict)" Amélie spoke softly without her a stuttering breath. Benedict felt as though his heart was going to beat out of his chest at the sound of her silky soft voice and her compliment to him.

"M-merci (T-thank you)" he stuttered this time and if he could still blush, his face would have exploded into a bright cherry red colour.

He watched how she delicately traced the cover and flipped through its pages once more, as if entranced by the singal book alone and yet so afraid to touch it as she still though it wasn't hers. She read over each word, her eyes flickering from one side of the page to the next as she read. Enchanted by each word. It was like she had never read that very book before but he knew otherwise. He jumped from his spot when she jumped as if she remembered something. She swung her head to the clock that hung above his bedroom door. She gasped slightly when she noticed the time.

"Il est huit heures! J ai besoin de rentrer a la maison! (Its eight o'clock! I need to go home!)" She turned and spoke to Benedict. "Charlie doit être inquiet (Charlie must be worried)"

"Je suppose que je t'ai volé toute la journée (I suppose I have stolen you for the whole day)" Benedict chuckled to which Amélie responded with one of her own. "Allons-y (Let's go)"

Benedict grabbed Amélie's hand gently with his own and once again interlocking their fingers with one another - sending both a soft and comforting feeling. Benedict led the way and began their way out of his rather boring room and down the luscious carpeted stairs into the wooden, modern hallway of the house. Benedict began to walk over towards the wooden door to take her home but Amélie pulled him back by their joined hands.

Benedict merely raised an eyebrow at his beloveds actions. "Que fais-tu? (What are you doing?)" He asked but Amélie only shook her head and began walking in the opposite direction to the front door and instead the direction to the kitchen where everyone was hours ago. When they entered into the kitchen once more everyone was exactly where they were earlier. Rosalie, Alice and Emmet were now playing poker with the inclusion of Esme - that looked from the prideful look on her face was winning  multiple rounds - and Jasper and Carlisle were still in their strict game of chess but at the sight of Amélie and Benedict in the kitchen both games were long forgotten.