——
WHEN Ellie comes out of class, Demetri is in the same spot she left him in.
She hops down the stone steps and through the grass to where he stands. Just as she approaches, he turns to her.
"That was longer than an hour." Demetri informs.
"Oh, I know!" Ellie says, rolling her eyes. "My stupid," She whispers that part, "professor kept babbling about stuff." She shakes her head and sighs. "Did you get bored out here?"
"I did, actually." He pushes himself off of the wall he was leaning against, "Are you ready for lunch now?" He takes Ellies books from her arms and holds them in one arm, and then he grabs her hand with his free one.
Ellie smiles at him and they begin walking. "I am, yeah." She just realized how hungry she actually is. "Do you know where you want to go?" She asks.
"I just figured we could go to your favorite restaurant." Demetri answers, because one, he knows no restaurants and probably wouldn't even know which one to pick, and two, he wants the best option for Ellie.
"Oh, well, my favorite place is pretty expensive." She says. "I only go there for my birthday, I have to save up for it—" She pauses, realizing shes rambling a little, "So," She resumes, "lets go to my second favorite place, Marios."
"Ellie, love, I can afford your first choice." Demetri states. "If you want it, we should go."
Ellie shrugs. "Yeah, but Marios has really good garlic knots." She says with a wistful smile, "I'd sell my car for a basket of those, and I love my car."
Demetri nods in understanding. "Very well, we shall go to Marios."
"Hey," Ellie speaks up after a brief pause, "did you play Super Mario Bros as a kid?" She suddenly asks. Speaking of the restaurant sparked a memory in her brain, reminding her of the game she often used to play.
Demetri smiles at her question, finding it amusing how when he was a kid, the universe hadn't even thought up of Ellie yet.
"No, but I played Mario Kart." Which is partly true, he didn't play it as a kid, but he and Felix play the game whenever they can. "I still do."
"Me too!" Ellie says joyfully and unlocks her car, they both get inside. "Mario Kart is fun. I'm really good at it, like groundbreakingly so."
Demetri scoffs and buckles his seatbelt, remembering what Ellie told him earlier. "I doubt you're better than me, but then again, who is?"
Ellie shakes her head while putting the car in reverse and backing out of her spot. "I am. You'd be astounded by my skills."
"I doubt that. I've been applauded on my driving abilities in that game."
"Maybe in your dreams." Ellie mumbles under her breath, and, of course, Demetri hears it.
"I've won my last ten races." He even won one against Aro, which wasn't that difficult because Aro had no clue what he was doing the whole time, he was just happy to be there, but still, he beat one of the kings.
"Yeah, well, I beat Bella, my dad and Annie — Annie is a God when it comes to Mario Kart, so your last ten races mean nothing to me." She shrugs.
"Thats quite rude of you." Demetri says lightheartedly.
"Did I hurt your feelings?" Ellie glances at him, and he nods, which makes her smile. "Truth hurts, Demetri." She quips.
"It does, except that certainly isn't the truth." He quips.
"Sure it isn't." Ellie mumbles her response.
"Well, we shall see later, then. By the way, how was class?" He asks.
"Oh, we shall. And class was," she sighs, "class was class. Boring. Annoying. Thankfully Mondays I only have one. How was your time standing outside alone?"
"Invigorating. Actually, while I was waiting for you, I discovered theres a meeting tonight, for my job." He tells her. "So, I may be gone for a few hours tonight."
"Oh, okay." She responds with a simple nod. "Annie and I will be safe when you're gone, right?"
"Of course. I won't be too far away. Nonetheless, you'll still be safe." He assures.
"I'm sure we'll be fine on our own, and if we aren't, I took karate lessons when I was younger." She gets deja vu then, remembering she told her dad the exact same thing before she came back to Seattle on Friday.
"Those will come in handy, surely." Demetri says, smiling when she chuckles.
Soon, Ellie is putting her car in park outside of a restaurant with a bright sign that reads Marios in large cursive letters.
"We've made it to my homeland." Ellie says and then unbuckles her seatbelt, she puts her hand on the handle, but before she can open it, Demetri already is, from the outside — Ellie didn't even notice he had gotten out of the car. "Oh, what a gentleman." Ellie says when Demetri offers her his hand.
"Well, we are on a date." Demetri says, pulling Ellie out of her car and then closing the door for her.
Ellies eyes widen. "This is a date?" She asks him.
"Yes, I thought you were aware of that fact?" Demetri questions.
"No! I wouldn't have dressed like this," She gestures down at her everyday clothes, "if I knew!"
Demetri glances her up and down and then into her eyes. "You look perfect, Ellie. As always."
Ellie breaks the eye contact to look down at her shoes, feeling too flustered with his words and strong gaze. But Demetri puts a finger under her chin and tilts her head back up, reconnecting their stare.
He leans in and gently kisses her. When he pulls away, she inhales deeply and lets it go as a sigh. "Must you be so charming?" She asks.
"Yes. It's quite entertaining to see you all flustered." He says, dropping his hand from her face, then he grabs her hand again and starts to lead her towards the restaurant.
"Entertaining? For you, maybe, certainly not me." Ellie says, shaking her head at him. "Now, this place isn't too fancy, but it's good, trust me." Ellie tells him when they reach the glass doors.
Demetri nods. "Okay." He pulls the one side of the doors open, Ellie walks in before him, smiling at the familiar dim yellow lighting and chipped checkered floor.
A small, happy gasp escapes from Ellie, Demetri looks down at her. "What?" He asks.
"They have my favorite table." She says, dragging him towards it happily. Thankfully, it's a seat yourself type of restaurant. When they near it, Demetri sees that it faces out towards the pacific ocean, overlooking its dark and choppy waters.
Demetri pulls a chair out and gestures for her to sit down, and she does, thanking him before he sits himself down.
Pretty much right after they take their seats, a waitress is appearing, setting large plastic menus down in front of them.
"What can I get you to drink?" She asks, glancing back and forth between Demetri and Ellie, though her eyes linger longer on Demetri each time they pass.
Ellie tells her water with lemon and when it comes Demetris turn to order, he just answers the same as she did, because he really doesn't know anything about the different types of human drinks, besides water, of course.
The waitress nods and then walks away from the table. Ellie pushes the menu away from herself. "I will not be needing that." She says, smiling happily.
"You already know what you want, I presume?" Demetri asks, watching her.
"Of course. Same thing I always get." She tells him, "Which is just their chicken alfredo and an order of bread knots."
Demetri nods and then looks down at the menu worriedly, he doesn't know what any of the food names mean or what they even are, so how is he supposed to order something?
"I'm, uh, not sure what I want." He says, still staring intently at the menu.
"Just get what I get. Its good, I promise." She assures softly.
He looks up, and their eyes meet, though his are not red, rather an odd shade of blue due to his contacts. Ellie finds herself preferring the red, it suits him better. "Okay. I'm trusting your judgment." He places the menu down on the wooden table.
The waitress returns with their water and lemons, and then she asks if they're ready to order, and Ellie does it for the both of them quickly, the waitresses is soon leaving.
Demetri doesn't know how hes supposed to pretend to eat in front of Ellie or drink his water, he assumes he can just tell her he isn't hungry, which isn't entirely untrue — he did just recently feed.
Ellie sips her water while gazing out at the ocean, watching the waves ripple through the dark blue surface. But Demetri watches her, the way the hazy glow from the outside illuminates her face and crystal blue eyes. Shes truly gorgeous, and everytime Demetri looks at her, hes astounded.
She turns her head, catching him looking at her. "Are you staring at me?" She asks, smirking slightly at him.
"Of course," He admits coolly, "how could I not?"
Ellie looks down at the table with a sheepish smile. She mindlessly plays with the straw in her water, twisting it around the perimeter of the clear glass its in. "You're very sweet, Demetri."
"Only for you." He says, still watching her.
"Really?" She questions softly, looking up at him "Just for me? You don't have any other girls in other countries?" She knows shes his soulmate, but still, he could very well have other women all throughout the world, and it wouldn't surprise her, because even while shes his soulmate, she isn't his. For all she knows, he could still wish to see other women.
"No, I do not have any other girls in any other countries." He denies, shaking his head. Truthfully, he did have a few 'friends' dispersed throughout the world for when he would travel to any of their countries for missions, but he hasn't seen any of them in, at least, thirty years, and he doesn't want to anymore. "You are the only one."
Ellie smiles at him. "Good."
"Is it? You seem quite pleased to hear that you're the only one." He notes. "Is there any reason for that?"
Ellie shrugs. "Maybe." She answers coyly.
"And what is that reason?" He quizzes, tilting his head and curiously furrowing his eyebrows.
Ellie takes a second to respond. "Well, you know..." She trails off.
"No, I do not." He says. "Please, do inform me."
Ellie deadpans at him through her warm cheeks. "Isn't it obvious? I, like, you know, have feelings for you, or whatever." She quickly looks down.
Demetri smiles widely at the confession. And while yes, it is obvious that they share feelings with one another, it still makes him happy to hear it from Ellie.
"Well, good. Because I, as well, obviously, have feelings for you." Demetri says nonchalantly, making Ellie glance up at him.
"So, does that make us, like, a couple?" Ellie asks, quietly and shyly.
"Do you want us to be a couple?" Demetri asks, because he wants it, but it's Ellies decision. If she doesn't want to be in a relationship with him, he'd be just as fine with it.
Ellie doesn't even have to really think before she answers, "Yes." Her voice sounds as sure as it ever has.
Demetri smiles boyishly. "Then that is what we are."
"Great." Ellie says nonchalantly, but on the inside, her mind is racing and cheering.
The food is shortly brought out after, and while they eat, or while Demetri pretends to eat, they talk about what they don't already know about each other.
And it's the best lunch Ellie has ever had.
MUCH later that night, Ellie and Annie sit on the couch in their apartment, looking down at Ellies phone.
Charlie had sent Ellie a few pictures of Bella at graduation, Ellie just got them and Annie wanted to see, too.
This is the first time they've seen each other all day, because when Ellie and Demetri got home, Annie was still out, she had more classes than Ellie today. And when she did get home, Ellie and Demetri escaped off into her bedroom, they stayed there until the sun set and Demetri had to leave for his meeting.
"Wow, Bella is growing up." Annie says, wistfully sighing.
"I know." Ellie says. "She'll be in college soon."
"Let's just hope she doesn't turn out like us." Annie mumbles and Ellie chuckles.
"We aren't so bad." Ellie shrugs.
"We so were. Early on. Or, at least, I was." Annie says.
"Pretty sure it was mostly you." Ellie teases.
Annie sighs and nods, agreeing. "Yeah, you're probably right."
Ellie smiles at her and then turns back to look at her phone, at a picture of Bella in her graduation gown, holding her diploma proudly and a bit awkwardly. "I'm gonna call Bells." She finds her contact and begins to call her sister.
It rings for a while before Bella finally answers.
"Ellie, hey." Bellas voice is loud against the sound of bass in the background.
"Hey, Bells. I just wanted to say how cute you looked in your gown and cap!" Ellie says in a teasingly nice voice.
Bella scoffs. "Yeah, thanks." And then, Bella is quickly speaking to someone, it sounds like Alice.
"Uh, who is that?" Ellie asks when Bella is done mumbling.
"It was Alice." Bellas voice is quicker now, maybe even a tad panicked. "I gotta go, Els. But thanks for calling. Bye." She hangs up before Ellie can even say goodbye back.
Ellie stares at the wallpaper of her phone, blinking. "Huh. That was weird, right?" She asks Annie.
Annie nods. "A bit. But, hey, shes probably high and paranoid or something, you know how it is your first time."
Ellie shakes her head. "Bella isn't the type to smoke weed."
"Neither were you." Annie quips and Ellie turns to scowl at her. And then Annie groans out of nowhere, making Ellie stare at her with an odd expression on her face.
"What now?" Ellie asks, tilting her head to the side, waiting to hear Annies complaint.
"Remember when we went shopping?" Annie questions.
"Yeah..." Ellie says and slowly nods.
"And remember when I left my clothes in the trunk and said I'd go down and get them?"
Ellie nods again, not speaking this time.
"Well," Annie sighs, "they're still down there. And I have to go get them, because I need an outfit tomorrow, but it's too scary to go alone. Come with?"
Ellie deadpans at her best friend. "You were in your car all day! Why didn't you grab them when you were coming up?"
Annie frowns largely. "I forgot. Please? You don't want your best friend to be murdered, do you?"
Ellie rolls her eyes. "Don't guilt trip me!" But she stands up anyways, and Annie does too, now smiling because she got her way.
Annie leads them out of their apartment, and as they walk to the garage, Ellie realizes Demetri isn't here to keep them safe in the dark.
Because he currently stands on a rooftop, overlooking the wild newborns with his fellow members of the guard.
"They've drawn too much attention, Jane. We need to take them out." Demetri says over the growling of the fighting newborns, looking at Jane.
"And so has our lack of action." Felix adds, Alec and Demetri both look over at him, Demetri silently agrees. "Covens are going to begin to question the effectiveness of the Volturi."
Jane keeps her eyes straight, pointed down below at the rabid vampires. "So? We let them."
Felix looks away from her with a sigh, and then he backs away, walking from the group. "We need to speak with Aro." He states, turning around.
Jane turns too, now facing him with an expression of anger and disbelief. Quickly, she sends Felix to the ground, zapping him with her pain.
"Aro is being watched, Felix, what do you not understand?" Felix stops thrashing as she speaks, "We can let them do what they were created for. Or we stop them." Jane tilts her head to the side indecisively as she glances back over the havoc down below. She sighs. "Decisions, decisions." She chimes.
"A decision must be—" Demetri begins to speak, but a sudden tug on his heart stops him, one that riddles him with fear—the same feeling Ellie must be harboring, and its followed by Ellies bloodcurdling scream.
In the garage, a vampire has dug his teeth into Annies neck, ignoring as she thrashes around, trying to escape.
It had appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Annie as she was about to reach her car. Fear soars through Ellies veins.
Her first instinct was to scream, and then attack him, even though she knows she is no match for a vampire. But just as she sprints for the undead creature, Demetri is there, just like last time.
Felix beheads the attacker, forcing him to drop Annie onto the scruffy garage floor.
Blood immediately spills from her neck, spreading quickly. And Annie doesn't move. She doesn't even twitch.
Ellie screams again.