Eternity (Life and Death Continued--Twilight Fanfiction)

Chapter One

There's no feeling like lying in bed with your best friend, your partner.

Edythe and I lay together, our limbs tangling over unused blankets. Neither of us can sleep, but that doesn't mean we are not calm. Sometimes, when I'm caught in her hair and her head rests on my chest I feel so calm, so still, that maybe I'm sleeping after all.

This has been our routine ever since I was turned; we make love, wrestle, make love some more, hang out with her family, make love again, and we rest together. Honestly, I'd never thought I could be this happy; it's not just momentary, but all-encompassing, eternal. Every day is dipped in honey; I can only see through rose-colored glasses.

That is, unless I happen to think of my old life, of my parents; that's one wound that just refuses to close.

"Should we get up?" she asks, breaking the homey silence we'd been wrapped up in for hours on end. I could hear bustling downstairs; Earnest was cleaning, Royal and Carine were preparing to go for hunt together, and Eleanor, Jessamine, and Archie were playing a rather heated game of Trivial Pursuit. Apparently, if you've been around for a century or so, it's easy to mix-up pop culture; I should try playing against them, I might actually have a chance.

"We'd have to put on clothes," I sigh. "Are you prepared to do that?"

"I think I can handle it," she responds with a smile, turning her lips to the skin of my stomach.

"Ah, I'm sure you could," I say playfully, bringing her face to mine and kissing her between words, "I'm (kiss) not so sure (kiss) I could, though. (kiss)"

She giggles, all teeth against my mouth and says, "Well, somebody has got to stop Archie from winning that game of Trivial Pursuit. I think we could beat him."

I grin as she turns away from me. "I was actually just thinking that."

"I might not be able to read your mind, Beau, but that doesn't mean I don't know how you think." The sheet fell from around her while she searched for her shirt and, while walking, she stepped right into a beam of sunlight coming from between our curtains. It glinted off her skin like a million diamond shards, scattering rainbowed hues across our walls.

If I still breathed regularly, my lungs would be empty.

"What?" she says, catching the look on my face.

I don't attempt to hide any emotion when I say, "You think I'll ever get used to how beautiful you are?"

She ignores my question, but I can see the smile on her face; if it was possible, she may have blushed. She gets dressed in a flurry; if I was still human, she would've been a blur. Now, I can see her quickly throw on a tan sweatshirt and jeans, before tossing jeans, boxer shorts, and a grey T-shirt in my direction.

"As much as I'd love for you to go au-naturelle, I don't think our family would be so keen. Get dressed."

Our family. The words putter around in my mind; it's still strange to me, that in less than a year I've become a vampire, found the person I'm going to spend my life (which just so happens to be forever) with, lost the family I had and gained a new one. It still felt strange, but in a good way. It was right. When I looked upon the faces of my brothers and sisters (which is truly what they are to me now) I felt nothing but love for them—including Royal.

"What are you thinking?" Edythe asks quietly once I was fully clothed.

"Just that I love you," I answer honestly, "and that I'm happy."