EVER SINCE the evening in the bar, with that pool table that always made her smile when she looked back at the money, time had been filled with its usual happiness. She and Jasper officially disclosed their relationship to the Cullens - even though most of them knew anyway, he felt it was right to make it more officially so she agreed. But it wasn't a compromising situation, she wanted it just as much as he did - it added to her feeling of belonging in that house. Through all the happiness of cuddling, dates, walks, hunts and all the other things, there had been the first spot of darkness. They had had an argument about something so irrational that if she repeated it to him the two burst out laughing. It had happened after a tense day of wedding planning with Alice, numerous amounts of phone calls and errand running. For her, it had been on a completely empty stomach and for him, it was on a half-empty stomach - given his difficulty with human blood though, he was hungrier than she was. So they had gotten mad about something stupid, due to the hunger, and fought for a good ten minutes. It wasn't a shouting row, where the neighbours would be concerned about the noise, it was more of a discussion that had angered voices that were never raised. Not once did their voices go above their normal volume. But once they had fed, they talked some more and laughed about it.
For the weeks that passed, rain had pelted down on Forks as if it had been in the midst of an eight-year drought. It rained so often that a spot of time where there wasn't any rain was considered weird, like something was missing. Mortals around hated the rain, it hindered their activities and made everything cold. But Athena, and the forest, loved every single droplet that fell from the sky. The greenery blossomed and took over the forest, the leaves dripping water onto the moss-covered ground that did not have a dry spot in sight. It was more alive, healthier and smelled utterly divine.
She dawdled through the forest, watching the wildlife work in overdrive. She smiled at the worms, brave enough to cross the surface of the places where soil was still visible - she of course made a huge effort to avoid them. She smiled at the bark on the trees, now slick with water and shimmering under the ever so slight sunlight that scattered through the heavy clouds above. And she loved the sound of the rain clattering against the leaves made. If she could, she would record it and play it constantly in her home. It was just that comforting.
An hour later than she was supposed to arrive, Athena hurried into Billy's and gently closed the door behind her as she called out, "Sorry I got-"
"Distracted in the woods, like always," he interrupted and she chuckled softly, taking off her dripping coat and sodden boots. Within seconds, Athena had warm, new socks stretched up her feet and had changed into a new pair of jeans that she had bought in a waterproof bag - knowing that her legs would have gotten completely sodden during the walk The socks she had packed were purposely the type that slipped across wooden floors. She slipped across the floor, gliding all the way to the living room as happy laughter escaped her lips. That was until she got a little too much momentum and went shooting into the wall, unable to stop herself in time. Billy's roaring laughter filled the entire house as she picked herself up off the floor, checking to see if there was any damage in the paint job.
"Oh shut up," she sighed as his laughter continued. She flopped down on the sofa next to him and covered her legs over with the nearest blanket, turning her attention to the television."What we watching?"
"Some documentary about Antarctica," he shrugged, not having watched it for longer than five minutes so his understanding of this show was minimal. Though he did think it looked rather interesting.
She sighed, wondering why she had suspected any different. "You watch an unhealthy amount of those things."
"How's your book coming along?"
"Good, I sent it to the publishers a few weeks ago so I should be hearing back from them soon," she replied with a grin threatening to expose her true feelings about the publishing process. "And amazing subject change right there," she complimented, exhaling sharply as her phone buzzed in her pocket.
"I do try."
JAZZ <3
Are you at Billy's?
DARLING :)
Yes, why?
Also, when did you change my name?
JAZZ <3
I didn't do such a thing
How could you accuse me of that?
DARLING :)
Jasper...
JAZZ <3
Okay fine, while you were asleep
It's cute
You'll also notice I took an insanely flattering picture of you
DARLING :)
Mhmh
Huh, that's not half bad actually
Photographer in another life?
JAZZ <3
Alice practically made me take it up
She said it would distract me from the blood
I don't know, I think it's just because she wanted decent wedding pictures for her and Luna
DARLING :)
Oh those are beautiful, she showed me
You certainly have a talent there Whitlock
Why did you ask where I was?
JAZZ <3
I just thought I'd check up on you is all
DARLING :)
You're in my house right now aren't you
JAZZ <3
No...
DARLING :)
That's adorable
JAZZ <3
;)
I'm going to sit here, away from the wedding drama
If that's okay with you
DARLING :)
Knock yourself out :)
JAZZ <3
Literally?
DARLING :)
No of course not-
Wait actually...
I would like to see if you could knock a vampire out
Go ahead
JAZZ <3
I hate to ruin the dream but
It's not possible
We have tried it before
seen!
"Unsociable," Billy grumbled as he flipped the phone from her hand. It landed somewhere in the sea of blankets on her lap and the grin that had once been pulling at her face fell instantly, like a connection had been severed.
"Says the one with his eyes glued to the tv," she replied with the slightest annoyance in her voice when truthfully, she found it rather funny. She slipped her hand over the phone and turned the buzzer off, feeling slightly guilty for taking their limited time for granted - something which she promised herself she would never do again.
He chuckled softly, watching happily as she put her phone away. He liked feeling like he was someone's priority for once, even if he hid it behind sarcastic jokes, like this one that just tumbled from his mouth, "So how is lover boy?"
"Stop calling him that," she grumbled, fighting the urge to sigh as she turned back to the screen which was now full of penguins. One of the very few animals she had never seen before, zoos weren't really on her priority list but now she just wanted to go and see them - to marvel at the animals that roamed the earth in even the coldest of places. "And he's good, very good," she smiled, attempting to bite it back came up unsuccessful.
"I have never seen you like this, you know."
She raised a brow, turning to look at him, "Like what?"
"Hopeful and happy, living for yourself and not someone else," he responded after a moment's thought.
"What makes you come to that conclusion?"
He cleared his throat, "Well for one, the writing again. Two, not taking anyone's bull or using your gift too often, for other people. Three, you are not so dependent on another person for life and happiness, like you had been before. You're not attached to the hip of someone at all times, you wander through the forest and dawdle on your own now. And four, well it's just a feeling. An accurate one since I can read you awfully well,"
She smiled and looked down at the floorboards. "Yeah well. I think it's just this town, change always seems to happen here. It's never still, that's why I wanted to come back so much I think," she spoke softly, watching a speck of dust tumble across the floor due to the breeze coming in through the slightly open window.
He laughed, "Not just to see my amazing self?"
She shrugged, exhaling sharply, "That was a very high factor also."
"Hey," Jake, who had just come in the door drowned completely by the rain, said with a semi huff. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cupboard, taking deep gulps of water to soothe the thirst in his throat. She chuckled at that, feeling it was oddly familiar to her own predicament sometimes.
"What's going on?" Billy asked as he came back into the room, having taken notice of how he was holding himself. The tense shoulders underneath the shirt he had quickly thrown on and the almost deadly glare that contorted his face into a frown.
"Mh?" They watched as he picked up a letter that had been on the table when she arrived. She hadn't paid much attention to it at the time but now, noticing the cursive scrawl on the envelope, her heart would stop if it could. This wasn't going to be good, in any way shape or form.. "Nothing, just Sam being constrictive again," he replied absentmindedly as he tore open the letter, briefly reading the words written on the card. She could physically see the moment where the anger within him reached the level that he knew he would turn. So he ran outside and pulled off his shirt again. Billy hurried after him of course, getting outside just as he turned.
"Jake! Jacob!" he yelled after him, looking down at the thrown away invite that was already ruined by the rain.
Athena followed, after tugging someone's shoes on her feet so her socks didn't get wet. She stood outside with Billy in the rain with her arms crossed. "Want me to go after him?"
Billy was silent for a moment, just staring at the spot where his son had just disappeared into, then he sighed and she already knew the answer, "No, he needs to figure himself out I think."
"Okay. Let's go back inside it's freezing out here," she responded quickly walking back through the front door.
He turned and stared at her, stopping her in the doorway of the house as he laughed, "Excuse me?"
"Don't question it," she brushed it off, walking further into the house to rid herself of the chance of getting splattered further by the rain. Her jumper was already heavy with water, so much so that she had no choice but to peel it off and hang it on one of the radiators. "I'm stealing a jumper!" she yelled as he entered the house, laughing at her previous words.
"Athena!" he yelled after her, annoyance which she chose not to hear showing in his voice.