Lightning

Chapter Seven: Tension

For thirty-six days, Edward wouldn't speak to Bella. Thomas found the sudden indifference towards her rather unkind of him, though Tommy knew that while Edward was kind to him and the family outsiders were not often welcome. He wouldn't look her way in class, he wouldn't look at her during lunch, and certainly never spoke to her in the school lot. For March, the 2nd to be exact, the sun had risen early that morning. It was just after six. Thomas lay on his white futton staring out into the trees that surrounded the Cullen home. He had brought out sheets from the closet the night before that he swaddled himself in for comfort. Vampires didn't sleep, but they did participate in other things. The twin was just enough for the both of them, flat but comfortable, less so than the grass of nature however.

Soft, creamsicle oranges and blues lit the sky, while down low, hidden by the thickness of the woods, was pure red. My eyes were once this color, Thomas thought, everyone in this house once had eyes this color. He placed his hand over his right eye. These eyes were brown a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Like an explosion inside of Thomas' head, to his amusement, the Star Wars logo and the ever so popular theme song played in his head. Edward heard this mental explosion. He jumped. His arms were snagged around Thomas' waist when the erruption occurred. He yelled out.

"I should have seen that coming," groaned the bronze haired vampire.

"I should have seen you do that last night." Thomas laughed turning around. "Were you reading my thoughts again?"

"Should you expect any less since I can?" Edward asked, propping himself on his elbow.

Thomas hummed thoughtfully. He looked up at Edward with his index fingers touching by his mouth. He puckered his own lips against them. He made a small popping sound before he reached to brush his nails over Edward's chin. "You should talk to her today. The biology classes have that field trip to the greenhouse."

"Did you tell Carlisle to sign your permission slip?"

"Esme did it, yesterday evening, before we went to bed," Thomas said. "Honestly, you were making progress with her that day."

"She's made as much an effort to speak to me as I have to speak with her. She might find my interest invading, anyways," Edward told Thomas.

"I'll warm her up before you saunter your way over," Tommy whispered biting his lip.

Edward scooted closer. He pulled the other boy into his arms. He kissed the mole on his cheek before stroking his companion's jaw with a single finger, increasing the number to repeatedly run them over his cheek. "She doesn't need to be warmed up. Although you must be good at it since you warmed me up quite nicely."

"You were in dire need of a good warming up or you would have been so damn stiff today, and I'm tired of you being stiff. You're always stiff. You should have an award for being so stiff," Thomas said lifting himself on top of his loved one. He ran his fingers through his own hair before peering back into the sky. He could feel the dying warmth in Edward's fingers as they ran circles over the glittering skin of his outer left thigh.

"What are you talking about: my attitude or my lower half?" Edward asked, comical surprise in his groggy voice.

Thomas smiled and stole him a glance. "It can't be about both? A man is dictated by his dick."

Edward laughed. His laughter was a rare thing to hear besides that rumbling chuckle he let slip past his lips. Thomas marveled when the sun touched the other vampire's skin, the way it made his face light up, the way it seemed to make his already golden eyes all the more prominent. To see him laughing like that, to see him warm and uncaring just for a moment clarified Tommy's inner feelings. "You should get your mind out of the gutter, Tommy," Edward sighed.