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"Hold out your hand and close your eyes," Paul instructs, slightly taken aback when Phoebe promptly obeys. He fumbles to retrieve his gift from the pocket of his cargo shorts and moves carefully - despite the fact that his humanform could never hurt her even if he tried - to tie it around her wrist. "Now open them."
Phoebe listens and smiles fondly when her gaze lands on the delicate fabric that matches the friendship bracelet she gave him months ago. He matched her intricately braided design down to the smallest of details, the only difference being that he added a small Quileute charm to rest in the center of it.
"I love it," she promises, hugging the shirtless boy before he has a chance to ask. "But what does this symbol mean?"
"It lets others know you're welcome on the reservation," Paul admits, albeit bashfully. "I had to fight Sam for it, but now you can visit without having to argue with someone at the treaty line."
A hundred yards away, Edward smacks the back of Jasper's head and causes his baseball cap to fall to the ground. "Where's your gift for her?"
"What?" Jasper asks as he retrieves his hat, his eyes widening as he registers the question. "Did I forget her birthday?"
"No," the younger vampire huffs, agitated by him missing the point. "You have to outdo Paul's gift. You can't have her leaving you for a werewolf!"
"Some of us are secure in our relationships, Edward."
"This is touching," Jacob interrupts Paul and Phoebe, throwing his arms over Paul's shoulders as he guides the duo to the middle of the clearing, used only for intense games, where the Cullen and Denali clans are waiting. "You know what else is touching?"
"Kicking vampire ass?" Paul guesses.
"Exactly!" Jasper agrees, appearing on the other side of Jacob to wrap an arm around Phoebe's waist. "Though, for Esme's benefit, we'll be destroying spirits and morale, not bodies, in a no-contact game of volleyball."
"You're already done fighting over team captains?" Phoebe asks incredulously.
"Renesmee has to sit out and be referee to keep the teams even," he explains. "So we let her pick."
"We're just waiting on your slow asses," Garrett complains and Jasper purposefully slows his stride to agitate him further. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised your cowboy is the one causing these problems."
"You can suck my cowboy's star-spangled-"
"Phoebe," Carlisle's amused voice carries across the field, cutting her off.
"Sorry! I'll put a dollar in the bullying jar."
"No," he laughs. "I'm choosing you for my team."
"Father!" Jasper gasps, personally offended by not being chose first. His arm leaves Phoebe's waist and he drops all pretenses of being slow, suddenly appearing only a foot away from Carlisle's face to ensure he's being serious. He loves Phoebe more than words can describe, but emotions are null and void when it comes to any type of competition. "How can you do this to me?"
"I'm sorry, son," he apologizes, not sounding sympathetic in the slightest. "But I couldn't let the other team have her."
Jasper crosses his arms and half jokingly pouts, his ego being further wounded as Eleazar, the other team captain, chooses Garrett. Phoebe's pride swells from the compliment and Jasper sticks his tongue out at her as she whispers for Carlisle to choose anyone but Edward instead of advocating for him.
"Tanya," Carlisle chooses.
"Alice," Eleazar counters.
"Paul."
Jasper's pride is all but crippled by a werewolf, let alone his mate's best friend, being chosen before him. Phoebe notices, finding the situation all too entertaining, and is tempted to ask Carlisle to choose Edward next just to see how he would react.
"Emmett."
"Jasper."
He cheers loudly, practically leaping to take his spot on Carlisle's team. He pretends to be wounded when Phoebe feigns annoyance by this decision, purposefully positioning himself on Carlisle's other side instead of next to her.
"Bella."
"Rosalie."
"Kate."
"Esme."
"Jacob."
It's down to only two vampires now and Phoebe ensures to go out of her way to vocally and mentally advocate for the person she wants. Carlisle, on the other hand, ignores this.
"Edward."
"Noooo," Phoebe wails dramatically as he joins them and Carmen goes to Eleazar. "He plays worse when Bella isn't on his team!"
"You can't even be mad," Emmett agrees, laughing as Edward obviously grows flustered by being so blatantly called out. "You've been Bella's bitch since day one."
⧖⧗⧖⧗
"What are you guys up to?" Esme asks curiously, briefly looking away from the dinner she and Carlisle are preparing for their werewolf guests as the boys in question and more race into the kitchen.
"Phoebe, Emmett, Paul, Jacob, and I are racing to Quebec to see who's the fastest," Bella answers excitedly, tightening her shoelaces. "The winner gets a $20 Walmart gift card I found in Jacob's shorts."
"You told me you stole that from a kid!" Jacob gasps in betrayal.
"Technically, I didn't lie."
Paul rolls his eyes as Jacob gasps again, grabbing his arm and dragging him out the back door so they can prepare to shift into their animal form.
"I thought you and Jasper had a date tonight," Esme says, directing her attention to Phoebe.
"We did, but he's being a dick so I cancelled," the blonde explains as she relaces her own tennis shoes. It's the only part of her outfit actually prepared for the long trip, considering she didn't take time to change out of the dress she planned to wear to the theater.
"What happened?" Carlisle questions, placing rolls in the oven. "Should I talk to him?"
"I've already got it covered," Emmett admits with a proud grin. "I punched him and took his favorite pair of boots until he learns to behave."
"I tried to give him a kiss and he told me no because I have lip gloss on," Phoebe explains, a frown reappearing on her face at the mere thought of his small rejection.
"I was joking!" Jasper defends himself, suddenly appearing at her side despite the fact that he's currently supposed to be setting up the Tent of Shame. "I always want to kiss you, whether you're wearing lip gloss or not."
She scoffs and looks away, not saying anything. Undeterred, Jasper places his hand under her chin and coaxes her to look up at him, hoping to apologise with a kiss. Phoebe plays along only long enough for him to let his guard down.
Just as he leans in, she smacks her palm against his face, preventing him from getting any closer and muffling his confused shouts.
Without another word being shared between the group, Phoebe, Emmett, and Bella race out the door and into the nearby woods, earning annoyed howls from the werewolves as they hurry to catch up to the cheating vampires.
Jasper looks around, trying to process what just happened, and Esme only sighs in response.
