AUGUST • C.CULLEN

thirty-one

The moon shines warmly down upon them as if it's smiling, celebrating their reunion with them. It's raining, but neither of them can find it in themselves to really care about a few dampened clothes.

August's heart throbs, filled with so much joy he can't possibly articulate it.

Carlisle presses a tender, lingering kiss to the underside of August's jaw, and the two smile fondly at one another.

They lay together in Violet's cove, alone and at peace.

"I missed you," Carlisle breathes, dragging his thumb gently across August's bottom lip. "In more ways than words can explain. I was nothing without you."

August takes his hand gently and presses a kiss to it, maintaining eye contact. "No," He whispers, "You were everything. Everything you needed to be." He offers a tender smile. "I missed you, too. I missed you the way the sun misses the moon; fully and relentlessly. Every second spent away from your side was a second I did not wish to spend awake." August presses his forehead against Carlisle's, entwining their fingers and staring into the liquid gold of Carlisle's eyes. "You are my everything. I cannot live another day without you by my side. I will not."

Carlisle exhales shakily and gazes over August's features, absorbing them, committing them to memory as he has done so many times before. "I love you. I have always loved you. I will never love anyone the way I love you." He says. "And I don't want to lose that. I need it. I need you." Carlisle inches closer, longing blossoming from deep in his chest. He wants to be closer. He must be. "A life without you isn't a life worth living. Not to me." He closes the distance between them, savouring the feel of August's soft lips against his own, cherishing his taste; something refreshingly sweet.

They pull apart, and August smiles gently, lovingly, and strokes his cheek. "Marry me," Carlisle whispers. He leans in again, presses his lips against his. "Marry me." He murmurs when they pull apart once more. August doesn't say anything; simply smiles that charming smile. "Marry me, August," Carlisle begs, littering his partner's face with butterfly kisses. "Marry me, and we can show our love to the world."

August smiles fondly, pressing his forehead to Carlisle's again, a hand on each of the blond's cheeks. The cool of the vampire's skin seeps through the numbness of his hands. "I don't need the world," He responds softly, "I just need you." His eyes burn as he watches Carlisle's golden eyes. Eyes that are sweet like honey, kind and caring; but fierce, too. Flaming eyes that can burn with passion and rage and love. Beautiful eyes. Carlisle presses another kiss to August's lips, gentle as the first, but something resolute behind it, now. "You have me," Carlisle tells him. "You will always have me."

"Then that is all I need."

—

The rain beats down heavily on the roof of Harper's house. It's a relatively cool night, so she's wearing a pair of thick fluffy socks and one of Eli's old university hoodies; a faded blue thing with the letters HU stitched into it in white, and some comfortable flannel shorts, because she overheats far too quickly.

It's well past midnight as she takes careful steps down the wooden staircase, her phone in her hand and acting as a torch. She winces as one stair creaks noisily and pauses in her movements, but continues on when there's no sign of Eli waking.

She's successfully made it completely down the staircase and into the kitchen when she sees it. Across from her, peeking around the corner is a bare foot. She shuts off the faucet that she'd used to fill an empty glass with water and takes a sip as she stares, unblinking. She sighs quietly to herself, still half-asleep and quite unamused. "Don't tell me he's killed someone and left the body out in the open? Sloppy work, Pops, honestly."