You're Too Sweet For Me

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/54419176.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Categories: M/M, Multi
Fandoms: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer, Twilight (Movies)
Relationships: Billy Black/Charlie Swan, Carlisle Cullen/Charlie Swan, Billy
Black/Carlisle Cullen, Billy Black/Carlisle Cullen/Charlie Swan
Characters: Charlie Swan, Billy Black, Carlisle Cullen, Esme Cullen, Alice Cullen,
Jasper Hale, Rosalie Hale, Emmett Cullen, Edward Cullen, Tanya
(Twilight), Kate (Twilight), Irina (Twilight)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different
First Meeting, The Cullens come to town 20 years earlier, Throuple, Age
Difference, They're all adults I promise, Everyone Is Gay, Other
Additional Tags to Be Added, Underage Drinking, Mentions of drugging,
Edward Cullen Bashing, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, nothing too
serious, Minor Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Frottage, Fade
to Black, Found Family, Mentions of Blood
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2024-03-12 Updated: 2024-10-28 Words: 21,942 Chapters:
17/?
 You're Too Sweet For Me
by Jadesitent

Summary

Charlie Swan had never given much thought about his life. His life seemed to be set out
before him with little choice. Graduate highschool in Forks, take over his dad’s auto repair
shop in Forks, marry a girl, and raise a family in Forks. It was all Forks. An insignificant life
for an insignificant man. A straightforward path that was shattered in an instant.
 New Moon

March 1998: Forks, WA

Charlie Swan had never given much thought about his life. His life seemed to be set out
before him with little choice. Graduate highschool in Forks, take over his dad’s auto repair
shop in Forks, marry a girl, and raise a family in Forks. It was all Forks. An insignificant life
for an insignificant man. A straightforward path that was shattered in an instant.

The newcomers arrived on the night of the new moon. Forks was small, there was no way to
avoid the gossip. Not to mention the family was… strange. A group of seven, all no older
than 25. What they were here for, Charlie had no idea.

The next Monday went on as usual. Billy Black, Charlie’s best friend since childhood, drove
him to school, before driving back to the reservation. Billy was strangely quiet that morning,
lacking his usual tendency for banter. His eyes were clouded with worry, and no matter how
Charlie pried, he kept quiet, with only the sound of the raindrops between them.

As Charlie stepped out of the orange chevy, Billy spoke for the first time that morning.
“Watch out for yourself, man,” he said, slightly under his breath–almost as if he was
regretting the words the moment they left his lips. Before Charlie could respond, Billy sped
away, leaving him standing alone in the rain.

It was times like these that Charlie wished he had gotten his drivers license. He was waiting
for his ominous-sounding friend who had left him standing outside Forks High School for
over an hour. On the other hand, he knew if he did, his father would put him to work in the
shop more than he already was. Fetching supplies, talking to contractors and customers—he
wanted none of it. This small act of teenage rebellion was the only thing keeping him from
conjoining with his father into one amorphous blob of a man, only focusing on business.

Giving up, Charlie began the long, wet trudge home through the woods. The wind howled as
it rushed through the trees, and although he knew he was alone, Charlie couldn't help but feel
as if there were eyes on him. A stare seemed to burn onto the back of his skull.

Charlie whirled around only to see nothing there.

A shiver traveled up his spine. The feeling of being watched had not abated. With no choice,
Charlie continued his walk home, none the wiser to the supernaturally large russet wolf
following him. Protecting him.

Eventually Charlie made it to his barren home. His father was gone, not having it in his heart
to be in the house where his wife had slowly withered away. His father barely had it in his
heart to look Charlie in the eye, where he would see the same chocolate brown eyes of his
lost love.

The loneliness was compounded by Billy and his strange actions. First the silence of the drive
to school, then his absence after classes were over. Charlie sat by the window, looking over at
the table holding the phone. He pondered calling Billy, partly to demand an explanation for
ditching him, and partly–and Charlie would never admit this out loud–just to hear his voice.

Charlie dialed the number he had had memorized for as long as he could remember. The
phone rang, rang, and rang. Just before he could give up, a familiar voice answered—albeit
not the one he wanted. The voice of William Black Sr. was on the other line.

“Hello?” asked the Chief.

“Hey, Will. It’s Charlie. Is Billy around? I haven’t seen him since this morning, and we had
plans.” He responded.

The Chief was silent for a minute, leaving Charlie alone with his anxiety-ridden thoughts.
Will cleared his throat, and finally spoke.

“Ah, I see. Billy got held up with business for the tribe. I’ll let him know you called.” Will
stated, sounding uncharacteristically guarded.

Charlie, unsettled by his tone of voice, quickly said his goodbyes and hung up. Something
was wrong. William Black had always been level headed and calm. However, there was an
unmistakable unease to his voice, and Charlie could have sworn he heard a slight tremble
upon the mention of his son.

Not to mention Billy’s behavior from that morning. He had been unlike his usually carefree
self. He was tense, hands gripping the steering wheel and eyes shifting, as if something
would attack at any moment. There was a barely perceptible sheen of sweat coating his brow
despite the early-spring chill.

Charlie could feel it as his core that things were changing. He didn't know when, or why, but
he knew it was coming–and that he desperately needed to figure out what.

The rest of the week continued the string of loneliness. Billy was MIA, and with the logging
season starting up, Charlie saw even less of his father than usual. The walks to school were
the worst. Alone in the near-constant rain, Charlie could only speculate as to what Billy was
doing. Before now, they had never gone longer than a weekend without speaking. His silence
was deafening.

Charlie was no further in discovering the reason for this behavior. Continued calls gave less
and lesser results from Will. ‘Billy was doing this, Billy had to do that, will let him know you
called.’ Charlie became less and less understanding, he was more frustrated than ever.

In a late-blooming fit of teenage angst, Charlie took advantage of a rare sunny day to sulk
around the woods.

Charlie left a note on the fridge just in case his father happened to return home or if he
managed to get lost in the woods. He grabbed a bottle of water, a granola bar, and stormed
out of the house. He walked for what seemed like miles until he stumbled across a clearing.
A meadow.
The morning dew clung to the freshly bloomed wildflowers, filling the air with a sweet
aroma. In simpler terms—it was beautiful. Exhausted, Charlie rested against a tall pine to
catch his breath. He slid down the tree, alleviating the ache in his legs. His eyes became
heavy in the warmth of the sun and he drifted off into slumber.

Charlie awoke to a rustle. Not a typical sound of leaves rustling in the wind, but the lumber
of a large predator approaching its prey. Now fully awake, Charlie surveyed his surroundings
until he noticed a pair of gleaming eyes staring at him from the shadows of the tree line.

The eyes seemed to belong to a hulking creature. A bear or something of the sort. It had an
aura of familiarity for a reason unknown to him. Perhaps the eyes reminded him of a half-
forgotten friend’s pet, but this creature was no such thing. This was a predator, through and
through.

Charlie felt like a lamb to the slaughter.

 Awaken, My Love

It seemed that for a moment, the fear was about to subside... until it didn’t.

Charlie felt his ears begin to ring, drowning out all other sounds in the forest. He gasped for
air, blood draining from his face. His vision became spotty, and in what was left, he could
make out the creature lumbering forward. The world spun.

In his last moments of consciousness, Charlie prayed to any and every god that his death
would be quick and painless.

When Charlie awoke, it was to the soft tick of his alarm clock. The day was fading into the
night, and he felt surprisingly well-rested.

The usual silence of his home was broken by the clumsy bangs of pots and pans from the
kitchen below. He slipped out of bed, finding himself dressed in his pajamas. Perhaps, he
thought, the meadow was a dream. He had exhausted himself, and fell into a delirious sleep.
When he walked down the stairs, he would see his father, home early, making himself a
rudimentary dinner.

Charlie knew that wasn’t the case.

He slipped out of his room, making his way downstairs, ensuring not to startle whoever was
in the kitchen. Peering through the doorway, a shudder ran through his body.

Billy. Fucking. Black.

Billy Black–who left him in the rain, who ignored him for a week, who seemed to find any
reason to stay away from him–was cooking away in his kitchen as if none of it had ever
happened. And Billy looked… different, much different.

Before, as in less than two weeks ago, Billy had the build of a baseball player, lean but
muscular. But now, Billy was huge, muscles that took months seemed to appear overnight.
Charlie was startled. Was Billy taking steroids? That would explain his and Will’s odd
behavior. Billy was struggling with addiction and that would extend to his dad. That makes
sense. But why would Billy take steroids? He wasn’t an athlete and he didn’t seem to care
about how he looked before. Nothing was adding up. Moreover, Charlie was starting to get
pissed again.

“Where the hell have you been?” demanded Charlie, voice quivering with anger. Billy turned
around from the stove to face him, not seeming surprised that he was there.

Charlie’s anger was put out for a moment when he saw Billy completely. He was beautiful.
He was already a looker before whatever happened to him, every girl their age had been into
him at one point or another. But now, everything just came together in a way it hadn’t before.
The look on Billy’s face made it more so. He stared at Charlie like a man dying of thirst
would look at an oasis, he stared at Charlie like Charlie was everything.

Billy strode to Charlie in bounds, getting close into his personal space, and continued to stare.
Just before Charlie could ask what the hell was going on and what was wrong with him, Billy
wrapped him in a bear hug. Billy started squeezing and Charlie began to find it hard to
breathe.

“Billy, I can’t breathe,” Charlie wheezed.

Billy let go quickly, like Charlie had burned him. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly.

“Sorry? You ignore me for an entire week, show up at my house looking like this, and all you
have to say is sorry!” Charlie ranted. “Sorry isn’t good enough! I want an explanation. What
the hell is going on?”

Billy looked down at the floor, conflict in his eyes. Sweat was starting to collect at his brow.

“There are… things happening. I’m not allowed to tell you, but I’m working on it. I’m trying
to convince my dad.” Billy said, nervously.

“Are you taking drugs?” Charlie asked, tired of dicking around.

“What?” Billy answered, seeming confused.

“Are. You. Taking. Drugs,” Charlie reiterated. “Like roiding or something?”

“No… Why?” Billy seemed more confused.

“Then why do you look like you’re training for the Olympics, Billy? You’re huge!” Charlie
was beginning to get worried.

“Oh, uh…” Billy said eloquently. “I’m, uh, going through puberty I guess.”

“You guess? You’re 20 fucking years old.”

“Yeah…” Billy said.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Charlie asked worriedly. “You’ve been acting weird.”

“Um… it’s probably hormones or something like that… from my puberty,” Billy said,
unconvincingly.

Charlie gave Billy the look. The look that he had been using on Billy for years. The look that
meant ‘stop bullshitting me.’

“Don’t look at me like that! You know it makes me nervous!” Billy cried, sweat beginning to
drip down his face.

“Billy… How did I get to my house? Last I checked I fell asleep in the woods.”
“Oh… I, uh, came by your house to see you and no one was answering. I was worried that
something was wrong so I came in and I saw the note you left,” Billy said. “So I went
looking and I found you passed out.”

“Did you see it?” Charlie asked worriedly.

“See what?” Billy said, looking even more nervous.

“There was–well I don’t know what it was–some kind of animal. It was huge. I think it was a
bear or something. I thought I was a goner for sure. Guess I fainted,” Charlie chuckled.

“Oh, haha. No, I didn’t see anything like that,” said Billy. His eyes were shifting like they
usually did when he wasn’t telling the whole truth.

Before Charlie could reply, Billy started talking again.

“Hey, I gotta go—things to do. Anyways I made eggs for you, okay? Um, stay out of the
woods for a while. Be careful, alright? I’ll see you later,” Billy said, speaking a million miles
per hour.

Billy tried to run out of the house, only to run through the screen door. Billy stopped on the
porch. He turned around and looked at a surprised Charlie.

“Oh, uh, sorry. I’ll pay for you to fix that. Bye!” Billy sprinted into the woods before Charlie
could reply.

Charlie was left standing in the kitchen, wondering again, what the hell was going on. Little
did he know, that was just the beginning of the strange occurrences that would begin to
overtake Forks.
 Red For Other Eyes
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

The next morning, Charlie was called into the auto shop. The only employee had called out
sick, and his dad needed someone to pick up the slack during their busy season.
Begrudgingly, he pushed the conflict with Billy aside, getting ready to spend his day tuning
engines or some shit.

The day seems to drone on. Oil change, battery replacement, tire rotation, over and over.
Around midday, when his dad was gone for lunch, Charlie heard the bell ring as the door was
opened. He looked up to see a blond with the strangest golden eyes. Charlie didn’t know this
man, and he knew everyone in Forks. He was handsome, breathtakingly so. The man smiled
and walked towards the front desk. Charlie straightened in his chair. The easy grace of his
stride demanded attention. He couldn't have been more than 25, but he had the posture of
someone with much more experience. He was very well groomed, and dressed in the fine
fabrics that one would expect from someone who worked in the city. Charlie couldn’t take his
eyes away from this beautiful stranger.

“I was wondering if I could get some new tires,” the man's suave voice echoed in the empty
shop. Charlie sat, staring at the man, trying to form a coherent phrase.

“Um, yeah, I can do that,” he finally said, slowly as if it took considerable effort to force the
words out.

The man smiled, “I’m glad. My family just moved here from Alaska, and it seems the roads
were rough on our car.”

As Charlie stood to help the man bring his car in, he couldn't help but notice the slight shake
in his own knees. Deciding that it was not the time to be having a personal crisis, he
swallowed thickly, smiled, and started walking towards the door.

The man followed suit, and as Charlie’s hand reached the doorknob, he spoke. “Carlisle
Cullen, by the way.”

Charlie turned and smiled weakly. “Nice to meet you, Carlisle, I’m Charlie.”

It seemed to take an eternity to change Carlisle’s tires, With every step, Charlie could feel the
other man’s eyes boring holes into his back. At one point, Charlie could have sworn the
man’s eyes rested squarely on his ass, only looking away and Charlie turned to face him.

Finally, the service came to a close. As Charlie stood to put the wrench back in the toolbox,
Carlisle was close behind him. This constant closeness was probably why, at that moment,
Charlie’s shaking hand slipped against the sharp metal of the exacto knife they kept in the
box. Blood immediately began gushing from his palm, coating the sleeve of his coveralls.
Carlisle moved in closer than he already was, gaze fixed on the cut on his palm. Carlisle bit
his lip, then reached out to grab Charlie’s shoulder.

“You’ll need stitches for that,” he spoke, a sense of worry in his eye.

“It's fine.” Charlie put his hand behind his back. “I’ve got it.”

Carlisle sighed and put his hands in his pockets, clearly realizing how stubborn Charlie was.

“Do you have a first aid kit?” Carlisle inquired. Charlie pointed out where it was and Carlisle
went to collect it. He rummaged through the admittedly rather old and barren kit. He pulled a
pair of gloves on and retrieved some gauze.

“Let me see your hand,” Carlisle said with an aura of authority that made Charlie instantly
give his hand over the gorgeous man.

As he inspected his hand, Charlie took the time to admire Carlisle’s appearance more
thoroughly. This man was more handsome than any actor or model had ever seen, it bordered
on uncanny valley. But it simultaneously drew him in, like a moth to flame. He smelled nice.
Charlie tried to focus, maybe blood loss was behind this.

“Just what I thought, you’ll need stitches,” announced Carlisle. “Your kit here doesn’t have
the necessary supplies.” He pressed the gauze to the wound and ordered Charlie to hold it
there.

“Great,” Charlie sighed.

“Let me help, I’m a doctor,” said Carlisle earnestly, with a hint of frustration as he peeled off
his gloves and put them in a plastic bag from the kit. “I don’t have my bag with me at the
moment, so you’ll have to come with me.”

Charlie didn't know how to respond.

“Just follow me.” Carlisle ran his hand through his hair, looking exasperated. Charlie, sensing
he was never going to win this argument, begrudgingly looked to where Carlisle was headed.

Oh shit.

Carlisle was sitting in his car, gesturing for Charlie to join him in the passenger seat. No,
Carlisle was sitting in his nice, expensive car, waiting for Charlie to bleed all over the tan
leather.

A million thoughts were racing through Charlie’s head. Was Carlisle about to kidnap him?
‘Was he going to be the one to scrub the blood out of the seats? Should he trust a strange
older guy taking him into his vehicle? Against his better judgment, Charlie slid into the
passenger seat. Carlisle seemed like a nice guy, Charlie surmised. He thought it was slightly
odd he was taking Charlie to his home rather than the emergency room. But Charlie
appreciated it, he didn’t want his dad finding out about him getting hurt on the job. He would
never hear the end of it.
 The ride was long and silent. Carlisle hummed and fiddled with the radio as Charlie fidgeted,
his hand throbbing with every bump in the road. Carlisle looked over at Charlie’s hand every
now and then, checking up on him. Eventually, Carlisle stopped outside what seemed to be
his own house. Charlie honestly had no idea what he was looking at. They were a few miles
outside of town, deep in the woods. Instead of a traditional cabin, however, there was a
massive hunk of wood and steel.

The house was so different from every other in Forks. Rather than the cozy suburban feel, the
house looked right out of Architectural Digest. It was like someone had taken a home straight
out of Seattle and airlifted it to the woods in Forks. The strangest part of it all though, was the
fact that it so perfectly suited Carlisle. The man was so polished, so out of place in the town
of loggers and fishermen. It seemed right that his home would be out of place as well. Even
the stain of the wood siding was strangely reminiscent of the amber of Carlisle’s eyes.

While Charlie had been gaping at the house, Carlisle had made his way around the car and
swung open the passenger door. Charlie felt a little pathetic as he held it open, almost like a
damsel in distress. Together, the two men walked up the pathway to the front door. Carlisle
moved to open the door for Charlie once more. ‘How charming.’

The inside of the house was just as modern as the exterior. The floors were the same amber
wood as the outside. The furniture was all neutrals and hard surfaces. It was hard to picture a
surgeon coming home from a long shift to an armless chair and the stiffest couch Charlie had
ever seen. But again, this was Carlisle, and he probably had never lounged a day in his life.
He probably sat with perfect posture while he unwound by reading classical literature. There
were, however, some remnants of personality that managed to shine through the modernist
facade. A hand-tufted Persian rug, a Chinese three-panel room divider, and a bench that had
to have been hand-carved. All things that screamed wealthy and well-traveled. It just made
Charlie wonder all the more what had brought Carlisle and his family to Forks in the first
place.

Carlisle’s voice shook Charlie out of his musings. “Let's take this to my office, shall we?” he
said, his head tilted with a look that Charlie couldn’t place. He shivered, in fear or
anticipation, Charlie was unable to tell.

Chapter End Notes

Did I use the movie house instead of the book house? Yes, it just worked better.
 Insatiable, An Appetite
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

The two men walked silently up the stairs. Carlisle led Charlie into his office. A cluttered
antique desk was surrounded by expansive bookshelves. The books ranged from what looked
like medieval tomes, to modern medical textbooks. Carlisle gestured towards a plush leather
armchair by the window, telling Charlie to sit.

Charlie shakily lowered himself into the chair, still clutching his injured hand in a feeble
attempt to staunch the bleeding. As he leaned back, Carlisle bent down behind his desk and
came up with a leather bag.

He stalked towards Charlie, the look in his eyes suddenly darkening. A shiver began to run
down Charlie’s spine, but before he could move, Carlisle was standing in front of him,
boxing him into the chair.

Reaching out, Carlisle grabbed his injured hand by the wrist. Carlisle's hand was impossibly
cold, it was as if Charlie had dipped his hand in ice water. Carlisle moved closer, raising
Charlie’s hand towards his mouth, a hungry look in his eyes. Even Charlie’s heavy breathing
didn't seem to pull Carlisle out of his daze. Carlisle's gaze was one akin to a wolf who had
finally cornered his prey. Charlie shivered, however not from fear, from something else
entirely. Or perhaps something just watering on the edge of reverence.

Something suddenly caught Charlie’s eye. At first, he thought the corners of Carlisle's mouth
were about to twitch into a smile. But no, every muscle in his face was impossibly still.
Nevertheless, the flicker continued, and if he looked close enough, Charlie could have sworn
he saw the smallest drops of blood escaping Carlisle’s lower lip.

Carlisle raised his head in a quick, effortless motion, pulling his eyes away from the blood
now bubbling between the two men’s hands. Carlisle moved to sit on the arm of the chair,
pulling Charlie's hand into his lap, looking like a modern Atlas with the weight of the world
resting squarely on his shoulders. He flicked open the latch securing his bag, pulling out
gauze, bandages, and suturing thread and needles. For the first time since following Carlisle
into his car, Charlie realized he was going to get stitches entirely unanesthetized.

Carlisle must have sensed his hesitation, speaking for the first time since they had entered the
office.

“Would you like something to soothe your worries?” he smiled, the dark look having
vanished completely. “I can’t have you trying to get away from me, now can I.”

Charlie swallowed thickly.

“Please,” he managed, pulse thrumming heavily beneath his skin.

“Don’t worry, I have just the thing to slow your nervous system, you won't even feel the prick
of the needle.”
Letting go of Charlie’s hand, Carlisle left the room, leaving Charlie alone with his thoughts.
All Charlie could hear was the wind in the trees outside the window, and the rush of his own
blood through his veins. It was a wonder Carlisle hadn't mentioned it. With how heavily he
was breathing, and how hard his heart was beating, it seemed like the sound was echoing
through the cluttered office.

Calming slightly, Charlie noticed the shadows on the wall opposite, and the sound of a
ticking clock. Looking around for the clock confirmed his suspicions, it was getting late.
With the sun setting, he had no idea how he would get home if Carlisle really was dangerous,
not that Charlie would mind being imprisoned in this angelic being’s home, at least for a
while.

The door opened behind Charlie. Carlisle had returned, a bottle of amber liquid in his hand,
and a slight smile on his face. Charlie suddenly felt ashamed, like he had been caught rifling
through the other man’s personal belongings. He scrambled back to the chair by the window,
leaving Carlisle in the doorway.

It seemed that Carlisle too had noticed how dark it was becoming, striding over towards the
desk and flicking on the lamp. He then stood, his back turned to Charlie, pouring the amber
liquid into a glass. He returned to his spot on the arm of the chair, still holding the glass. This
time, instead of grabbing Charlie’s hand, Carlisle reached for his face with the gentle hands
of a surgeon, bringing the glass to his lips. Despite the pulse of fear still running through him,
Charlie opened his mouth, letting Carlisle tip the liquid down his throat. Charlie immediately
felt the burn of alcohol, he forced down a cough, not wanting to stop Carlisle’s ministrations.
He tried to pull away from the glass, but Carlisle’s grip on his jaw was steadfast, holding him
until the glass was drained and his Adam’s apple bobbed with a swallow.

When Carlisle finally let go, Charlie could still feel the imprint of the man’s icy fingers,
despite his flushed skin.

“There we go,” Carlisle purred, reaching to brush a stray lock of hair behind Charlie’s ear.
“This will make everything so much easier.”

The dangerous lilt in his voice should have sent Charlie running but his legs were filled with
lead. He could feel Carlilse grabbing his hand once again, preparing the wound to be stitched
up. Limply, he watched as Carlisle pierced his skin again-and-again, leaving behind only the
thin black thread, and the ghost of his fingertips.

Finishing up the stitches, Carlisle grabbed the gauze and bandages, wrapping up his hand.
Charlie could hear his phone ringing in his back pocket, the buzzing constant on his thigh.
Before his sluggish brain could process this information, however, Carlisle reached forward
and grabbed his phone, shutting it off and placing it in a desk drawer. He almost seemed
annoyed at whatever name had appeared on the small screen.

Charlie couldn't bring himself to care, the pain in his hand was gone, the fear in his chest had
subsided, and his eyes were slowly drifting shut. The last thing Charlie noticed was the sound
 of a car pulling into the driveway and a woman’s sweet voice flickering into his ear from
below.

Chapter End Notes

Don't worry, someone will save him ;)

 Secrets I Have Held

Charlie awoke in Carlisle’s office to the sound of the blare of a car horn in the distance, and
an argument between a man and a woman.

They seemed to be speaking behind the door of Carlisle’s office. What had initially started as
hushed tones eventually built up into pseudo-shouting as tensions increased. Charlie was
unable to make out what they were arguing about, his head was pounding like he had been
concussed. He shifted in his seat a creak echoing in the small room. Immediately, the arguing
stopped.

A stunning woman with curly brown hair came through the door. She looked so eerily similar
to Carlisle. Despite every physical feature being different, their mannerisms and strange
cadence made Charlie assume that they must be related. They had the same pallor and odd
golden eye color. She walked towards Charlie, concern written on her delicate features.

“Hello there darling, I’m Esme Cullen,” she said softly, like she was trying not to scare him.
“How are you feeling?” she inquired.

“Fine,” Charlie said briskly, becoming nervous. The honking car made his head pound.
“What is that sound?”

“Your friend William is here to pick you up,” she said. Esme moved forward and brought him
to his feet with gentle hands while the car horn continued to blare in the background. Carlisle
stood at the doorway with an unreadable look on his face. For a moment, Charlie saw a look
of shame, but it was quickly replaced with a blank stare.

“Try to take it easy with your hand,” said Carlisle. “Keep the injured portion dry for the rest
of the day, and avoid showering until the day after tomorrow. Wash around the cut with clean
water two times a day after that, and whatever you do, do not use rubbing alcohol. When you
change the bandage add a thin layer of petroleum jelly. Over the next few days elevate your
hand whenever you’re laying flat or sitting down. In about a week, come to the hospital and
ask for Dr. Cullen. I will check your progress and will remove the stitches, if need be. Are
you getting all this? Here I’ll write it down.” Carlisle rambled, never stopping for a breath.

Carlisle scribbled down the instructions on a sheet of paper on his desk and handed it to
Charlie. The moment their hands touched, Carlisle ripped his hand away, almost as if he had
been burned.

“Thanks, Carlisle,” Charlie said, head still throbbing. “How long until my head stops
hurting?”

“Probably in a few hours, just go home and get some rest,” said Carlisle, not unkindly. He
gave Charlie a smile.

“Here let me escort you out,” Esme offered. She helped Charlie out of the house and to
Billy’s truck, opening the door and helping him in. Esme even went to buckle his seatbelt in
for him until Billy reached his hand out.

“I’ve got it from here, Ms. Cullen. Thanks for your help,” Billy said with an uncharacteristic
sharpness. “Oh, and have a word with the good doctor for me will you?” Billy buckled
Charlie’s seatbelt.

Esme gave a nervous smile. “Of course, and feel better Mr. Swan.” Esme closed the door and
Charlie leaned his head against the window, feeling loopy.

Billy began to peel out of the driveway, seemingly as fast as possible. He was practically
steaming, the whole truck was filled with his body heat.

“Billy, what’s wrong?” Charlie slurred. That seemed to be the wrong thing to say, Billy
whipped his head to look at Charlie before turning back towards the road, an unreadable look
on his face.

“Nothing, I was just worried about you,” Billy said, something clearly bothering him. “I
swung by the shop to see you and you weren't there. I saw the exacto knife and could smell
blood and I kinda freaked out,” Billy admitted sheepishly, looking worried.

“Oh it was nothing, I was a dumbass and cut myself on it. Good thing Carlisle was there or I
probably would’ve passed out from blood loss,” Charlie said with a slight laugh. Billy,
however, didn’t seem to find it funny, in fact, he seemed even more tense.

“He didn’t… do anything to you right?” asked Billy. Charlie was confused, surely the
pounding in his head was the aftereffects of the alcohol, nothing more.

“What do you mean by that?” Charlie asked slowly, still trying to wrap his head around the
situation. Billy looked slightly embarrassed.

“I mean, did he hurt you? Or try something weird?” asked Billy, eyeing Charlie’s bandaged
hand.

“Oh, no,” Charlie answered. “I was the one who hurt myself, but Carlisle was nice enough to
help me. He’s a weird guy, but he’s kinda nice.

“I guess…” Billy said, clearly wanting to add on, but he trailed off instead.

They sat in silence for a while before Billy turned around to look at Charlie.

“Do you want to stay at my place tonight?” Billy asked, a glimmer of something Charle
couldn’t place in his eye.. Charlie perked up immediately, the happiest he’d been in weeks.

“Of course, Billy!” Charlie answered quickly. Billy smiled, he looked happy. He looked
handsome. Charlie had missed him.

They eventually pulled into Billy’s driveway. Billy got out of the truck, walked around to the
other side, and opened Charlie’s door. As he helped him out of the vehicle, he held Charlie
tight against his side for support. It was only then that Charlie realized something, Billy was
taller, much taller. Only a month ago Billy and Charlie were basically the same height, but
now Billy had another head on him. Charlie again noticed how much more muscular Billy
was, it was bizarre. He was too tired to think much of it, the warmth of Billy’s body was
radiating through him, making him feel all toasty. He had missed Billy.

Billy led Charlie into the house and to his bedroom. He sat Charlie on the bed, fluffing up a
pillow and gesturing for him to lay down. Charlie reached down to untie his shoes, but
thankfully Billy beat him to it. His head was spinning as Billy crouched down on one knee
and carefully removed Charlie’s shoes, and Charlie wondered if the alcohol was the only
reason.

“Do you wanna share the bed?” he ventured. They had always shared a bed in the past, but
this time the room felt charged. The energy between them was palpable, and Charlie
desperately wanted to feel his warmth again.

“Sure,” Charlie answered, breathing heavily. Billy dug through his dresser for some pajamas,
handing some to Charlie. He then went downstairs with the excuse of grabbing Charlie a
glass of water to clear his head. Charlie was changed by the time Billy got back from the
kitchen, seemingly having changed in the bathroom, and with no water. Charlie had an odd
feeling in his chest. He and Billy had never been shy around each other, and Billy feeling the
need to change in private was a little uncomfortable. The two then laid down next to each
other, shoulders brushing as they got comfortable. Suddenly, Billy wrapped his arms around
Charlie, engulfing him in warmth. Charlie felt safe.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” Billy mumbled. into his neck. Sleepiness had crept into his voice.

“Of course I’m alright. Why wouldn’t I be?” Charlie replied, eyes fluttering with exhaustion.
Billy didn’t answer, only bringing Charlie closer.
 Back To Black
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Charlie groggily opened his eyes to Billy’s alarm clock ringing on the side table. He was
cold, too cold. Reaching to hit snooze, he couldn't help but notice the distinct lack. Lack of
warmth, of comfort, of… Billy.

It hurt, waking up to Billy gone. Since he had been so worried about Charlie after his visit to
the Cullen house, Charlie was sure things were going to go back to normal; the two of them
would be inseparable again. But here he was alone, and with no clue where Billy disappeared
to.

Pissed, and a little jaded, Charlie dug through yesterday’s clothes for his phone, which was
nowhere to be found. He half remembered Carlisle taking the object out of his pocket, and in
his hurry to leave, he must have forgotten it.

He wondered how inappropriate it would be to show up at the other man’s doorstep. It would
have to be late, he was supposed to work at the shop again today. Deeper down, he held a
small hope that Carlisle would flash him that dazzling and unnerving smile, inviting him in
and…. It was almost 8:00, and Charlie had to be at the shop by 9. Pushing his fantasy about
Carlisle down, he threw on a shabby pair of jeans and an old t-shirt.

As Charlie shuffled into the kitchen, part of his hurt vanished. Billy had left him breakfast
with a short and curt note, “Had to go, eat.” Scrawled in smaller letters at the bottom, almost
as if it was an afterthought was “Stay away from the Cullens.”

He peeled back the tinfoil on the plate to reveal waffles with a side of huckleberry jam,
courtesy of Billy’s mother. He was torn between adoration and irritation. How could Billy be
so sweet one minute and so immature the next. How could the same man who made him
breakfast disappear with a note telling him what to do and who to see. The whole thing was
ridiculous. Who did Billy think he was telling Charlie that he couldn't see Carlisle, who had
been nothing but kind, especially when Billy was so intent on flying in and out of his life at
will. Charlie chewed furiously, barely tasting what should’ve been a delicious breakfast with
the person who meant the most to him.

Now fuming, Charlie put his dishes in the sink, walking down the road, just off the
reservation, and into the shop. Hopefully, the day would be busy enough to distract him from
his “relationship troubles.” After an hour of mopping the already-clean floor in an attempt to
keep himself busy, the bell rang through the shop.

As Charlie rounded the desk, he almost did a double take. In front of him stood a man who
was clearly another Cullen. Billy wouldn’t be happy, but Billy wasn’t here. The man had
impeccably pale and flawless skin, amber eyes, and an air of confidence that seemed to fill
the room. When the man looked up, a grimace overtook his face, and he walked towards
Charlie with a clear sense of unease. Charlie hated him already and the man hadn’t even
opened his mouth. His entire demeanor and dress implied a sense of self-righteousness and
superiority, lacking the inherent warmth and charm of Carlisle. Perhaps they were only
distantly related.

“Charlie Swan, yes?” the man drawled, face returning to a bored scowl. His tone furthered
Charlie’s initial distaste of this stranger.

“Yes…and you are?” Charlie replied, annoyance barely concealed.

“Edward Cullen. Carlisle sent me,” he sniffed. Edward eyed Charlie like he was a bug on the
bottom of his shoe. Bitch. He held out his hand, Charlie’s phone pinched between two fingers
like it was a piece of trash.

“Oh… thanks…” Charlie said. Edward dropped it on the desk in front of him. Charlie
expected Edward to leave like a normal person. Edward, however, just stared at him with a
focused look that bordered on constipation.

“Hey man… you good?” Charlie ventured. This guy was odd, he had to be very distantly
related to Carlisle.

“Are you an imbecile?” Edward said suddenly. Charlie was shocked, he stared at Edward
mouth agape.

“What the fuck? What the fuck is wrong with you?” Charlie responded. He was done with
this fuckass freak. Edward didn’t even have the gaul to look ashamed, he continued staring
with that constipated look plastered on his face.

“Get out of here!” Charlie reamed around the desk fully intent on shoving him out the door.
Before he could move, however, a warm hand landed on his shoulder.

“What are you doing here, Cullen,” Billy said in a way that clearly wasn’t a question but
rather an accusation. The name ‘Cullen’ rolled off of his lips like a slur. Edward’s stance
instantly shifted into something defensive, almost primal.

“I’m done here,” said Edward. He slipped out the door silently. What the hell just happened?
Did Billy really scare him off? Billy? Sure he practically became the Hulk all of a sudden,
but he was still blatantly Billy. Everything had just become too weird. Charlie, after getting
over his confusion, remembered his anger at Billy from this morning.

“Where were you!” Charlie raged “Who the hell do you think you are? Telling me what I can
and can’t do, through a note.” Billy had the gall to look surprised.

“Charlie…” Billy began, but he was cut off before he could continue.

“No, I need an answer. What the hell have you been up to? ” Charlie shouted. “You ignore
me, then show up out of nowhere acting like nothing has changed when everything is
changing. You are supposed to be my best friend, you are the most important person in my
life. Ever since my mom died, you’re all I've had left. You can’t just leave me,” Charlie
choked.
 Billy looked like a deer in headlights. He moved slowly, like he was trying not to startle a
wounded animal. He cupped Charlie’s face like he was made of porcelain, afraid that the
slightest bit of force would be shattering. Delicately, he glided his thumbs over Charlie’s
cheeks, to wipe the tears that had escaped from his eyes.

Charlie smacked his hands away, unable to bear the touch and he took a step back. Billy
seemed to deflate.

“Please,” he whispered, hushed and like a prayer. The dam inside Charlie broke, and he fell
to the floor, exhausted and hurt. Billy instantly reached down to him, to comfort, to protect.

Billy fell to his knees, cradling Charlie in his arms. “I just… I can’t…there's too much I
shouldn't tell you…even if I so desperately wanted to”

“Shouldn’t, or can't,” Charlie hissed.

“You need to keep your mouth shut. You're too far in already, practically free-falling. If I tell
you, promise me you'll never so much as breathe the same air as a Cullen ever again.”

Slowly, Charlie nodded, fully intending to break his promise.

Chapter End Notes

Dustward is here...
 For Years or For Hours

When Billy said he wanted to continue their discussion elsewhere, Charlie locked up the
shop, leaving a note for his dad, who was probably passed out at a bar somewhere. Strangely,
Billy led him through the woods and Charlie found himself in the meadow once again. Billy
had led him back here. The reason why, Charlie did not know.

Charlie felt emotionally drained. “Billy, what are we doing here?” he said with a hint of
distraction, the scenery was just as beautiful as it had been before.

“Listen, Charlie, what I’m about to show you is crazy but don’t freak out. Promise me?” Billy
pleaded, urgency steeped into his tone. Charlie found himself nodding grimly. Billy took a
breath like he was trying to steady himself. Then he did the unexpected: he started stripping.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” What the fuck was he doing? It wasn’t nearly hot enough to be topless.
Quite frankly, Charlie was shivering in his thin henley. He quickly found himself distracted
by Billy’s bare torso. He had to have had the most defined abs that Charlie had seen outside
of his dad’s bodybuilder magazines. Billy had clearly beefed up in the past few weeks, but
seeing him shirtless was still a shock.

“You promised to not freak out,” Billy said, looking timid. Charlie rolled his eyes and forced
himself to look away as Billy continued to strip down. Billy had been Charlie’s best friend
for years, so if Billy had a good reason to strip in the woods, Charlie would trust him.

“Okay, you can look now,” Billy instructed. Charlie looked at him with the most focus he had
ever put into maintaining eye contact. “Ready?” Billy asked. Ready for what? Charlie
thought. He nodded, cheeks flushing red from the knowledge his best friend of many years
had taken him into the middle of the woods and decided to be butt-ass naked in front of him
for some unknown reason. Billy grimaced and began to steam, literally steam.

Billy jerked violently, then lurched forward. His body stretched and cracked. Bones shifting
and changing under his skin. Muscles and tendons seemed to snap and rebuild with each
sudden movement. Fur began to tear from his skin, beginning at his back and swallowing the
man whole. A guttural groan, almost a howl, escaped his lips, a clear cry of pain.

Standing in Billy’s place was a giant wolf. Charlie froze, his brain halting in its place. The
wolf–Billy, walked forward slowly as if he was, not unjustifiably, afraid of scaring Charlie.
However, while startled Charlie found himself unafraid. Billy was beautiful like this. His fur
was a warm russet color, glowing copper in the sunlight. He wanted to reach out and bury his
hand in it, to never let go.

In the time it took for Charlie’s brain to start working again, Billy had returned to the shape
Charlie was most familiar with and had gotten dressed. He stood there, looking at Charlie for
a reaction that had yet to reach his face.

“Wow, okay,” Charlie said, rather blandly. Billy looked more surprised than Charlie probably
did, then he looked annoyed.
“Seriously? I turn into a giant wolf and all you have to say is ‘wow, okay’?” Billy said,
almost yelling.

“Well… yeah. What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know! This whole thing is so weird! My whole life got rearranged and turned inside
out and I couldn’t even tell you!”

“You couldn’t?”

“No, I wasn’t allowed to. If my dad finds out that I told you, he’ll kill me!” Billy stood,
thinking for a moment. “How are you taking this so well?”

“I don’t know,” said Charlie. “So… you’re like a werewolf now?” Billy only nodded in reply.

“When did this happen? You weren’t like this before, right?”

“Do you remember the last time I dropped you off at school?”

“Yeah, and you were sweating buckets. Of course I remember.”

“That’s when it started to happen, I thought I was dying or something. I felt so edgy and like
my skin was too small. So I went home to sleep it off. But I woke up from my nap, drenched
and freaking out. My parents had to wrangle me out of the house and then boom, I was an
animal. My parents took it surprisingly well, and my dad called me down enough for me to
shift back.”

“Why did it happen all of a sudden?”

“Well… the Cullens…” Billy paused, clearly struggling to put his thoughts into words. “They
aren’t… human and it… triggered something in me… it’s kind of like nature balancing itself
out. Like evolution, I guess.”

Charlie guessed that made sense, the few Cullens he had met were almost frighteningly
beautiful, more so than any human could naturally be.

“So, if they’re not human, what are they? Fairies or something?”

Billy laughed at that. “I wish they were, but they’re…” Billy brought his two pointer fingers
in front of his canines and hissed. Charlie got it immediately.

“Vampires? They’re vampires? Those exist? Vampires and werewolves exist?” Charlie said.

“Yep, wait ‘til you hear about mermaids,” Billy joked, or at least it seemed as if he was
joking. Charlie wanted to slap him.

“So you’ve been acting all weird, all while looking like you’ve been taking steroids
because… you’re a werewolf now, and you weren’t allowed to tell me?”

“That’s right.”
“Okay. That’s crazy.”

“It really is.”

“Wait wait, so when you found me here… you were the animal I saw!”

“Yeah, I was in the forest and found you. I didn’t mean for you to see me, I didn’t want to
scare you,” Billy said somberly. “I never wanted to lie to you, Charlie. I just… didn’t know
how to tell you and then I wasn’t allowed to tell you, hell I’m not supposed to be telling you
this now.”

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“I don’t know. It’s just… been really difficult. I almost feel like a different person now.”

“You’re not that different, you’re just half a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier. Other
than the wolf-thing, you’re basically the same guy. You’re still my best friend, Billy.”

Billy smiled. “There’s so much more that I have to tell you. I promise not to lie to you
anymore, cross my heart and all.”

“Thanks, Billy.”

“I’m surprised you’re taking this so well, this is earth-shattering information.”

“Eh, it’s fine. It’s probably a delayed reaction. I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and
start screaming.”

Billy became somber all of a sudden.

“That day when you cut your hand at work, I was terrified. I could smell that one of the
Cullens was there at some point, and I worried that the worst had happened. I ran all over
town looking for one of them because I… I couldn't just walk up to their house. I don’t know
what I would have done if I hadn’t found Ms. Cullen. You mean everything to me, Charlie.”

“Billy, I’m okay. Nothing happened, I was just an idiot and cut myself. Why can’t you enter
their house? I thought they were the ones who needed an invitation.”

“We have a treaty, or sorts, with the Cullens. They won’t step foot on our land and we won’t
step foot on theirs. We’ll all be able to cohabitate as long as they don’t hurt anyone.”

Charlie nodded in understanding. “Are they dangerous?”

“Well, they can be. They claim they only feed from animals, and nothing we’ve seen so far
disproves that. But they’re no pushovers either.”

“You keep saying ‘we,’ are there more like you?”

“Yeah, more and more keep changing. The Cullens’ proximity to us is what causes it.”
“How do you all feel about it?”

“Not everyone feels the same, but most of us agree that it’s necessary to protect the town just
in case the worst comes to pass.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt, Billy.”

“Who said anything about getting hurt? Listen, there’s nothing to worry about. I will be fine,
I can handle myself pretty well, and there’s more of us than there are of them,” said Billy.
“Come here.”

Billy pulled Charlie into a hug. They stood there in the meadow held in each other's arms for
what seemed like years. Billy moved out of the hug slightly, he bent down and held his
forehead against Charlie’s. He could feel how warm Billy was, like he was holding a burning
flame. Charlie never wanted to let go.

“I promise I’ll protect you,” Billy murmured reverently. “I won’t let anything hurt you
anymore.”

Charlie knew Billy would stop at nothing to keep his promise.

 Amor Prohibido
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

The walk home was the best of Charlie’s life. Billy’s hand never left his as they walked
silently back to the house. Billy’s warmth radiated through his body in the wet April chill. He
had never felt more at peace.

Stepping through the front door, the pair made a beeline for Charlie’s room. It was getting
dark, and all Charlie wanted to do was lay with Billy. He crawled into bed, patting the spot
next to him, a space promptly filled by Billy. He felt strong arms wrap around his torso,
pulling him closer. Billy seemed to melt into him, the ever-present tension seeming to
evaporate.

Charlie lifted his head from where it was buried in the other man’s chest, shifting to be able
to look him in the eye. They were so close that their noses brushed together. Charlie could
feel every beat of Billy’s heart. He wanted to stay like this forever.

A sharp inhale from Billy pulled him away from his musings. Billy was staring at him with a
look that couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than adoration. Fingers lingering on his
cheekbones, Billy moved his hands to brush the hair from Charlie’s face. Their eyes met, and
Billy leaned impossibly closer, resting their foreheads together.

He shook and finally spoke, little more than a plea. “Charlie, please tell me… can I…”

The response was immediate. Charlie brought their lips together, savoring the other man’s
warmth yet again. When Billy pulled away, Charlie’s hand in his shoulder brought him back
in. They stayed that way the rest of the night, limbs intertwined and lips connected.

For the first time, Charlie reevaluated his future. Maybe he didn’t have to marry a woman,
and children, and take over the shop. He could take whatever this was with Billy, and see
where it led them. The thought filled his mind as he fell asleep in Billy’s embrace.

The next morning, he once again woke up to the bed empty. Panic filled Charlie’s throat, a
panic that was quickly quelled by the banging emanating from the kitchen.

Damn Billy for being such a morning person.

Charlie walked into the kitchen to one of the greatest sights he had ever seen: Billy wearing a
frilly apron and flipping pancakes. Soft music was playing from the radio in the windowsill,
some Spanish ballad that meshed with the sizzling from the stove.

Billy turns to face him, grinning ear-to-ear. Charlie realized he must have looked atrocious in
his rumpled clothes from yesterday, completed with an awful case of bedhead.

“I’m making breakfast,” Billy said, stating the obvious, “take a seat at the table?”
Con unas ansias locas quiero verte hoy

Charlie pulled out a seat and sat down. A wave of anxiety suddenly overtook him. What was
going on between him and Billy. Were they on the same page? Did Billy want to… be with
him, in the way that he wanted?

Espero ese momento en que escuche tu voz

Y cuando al fin estemos juntos los dos

His worries were quelled, however, as Billy rounded the corner to join him at the table.
Putting down the massive plate of pancakes, Billy sat across from him, reaching across the
table for his uninjured hand.

Qué importa qué dirán, tu padre y tu mamá

Aquí sólo importa nuestro amor, te quiero

With their fingers intertwined, Billy whispered a soft Good morning . He brought Charlie's
hand to his mouth, a soft kiss brushing over his knuckles. Charlie's heart was melting as Billy
let go of his hand, filling their plates with pancakes.

Amor prohibido, murmuran por las calles

If Charlie had wondered who was going to eat the dozens of pancakes Billy had made, his
question was now answered. Billy had piled about eight of them onto his plate, drowning
them with syrup and beginning to down them with a passion.

El dinero no importa en ti y en mí

Ni en el corazón

Oh, baby

Apparently, this whole werewolf-bodybuilder thing came with a super high metabolism.
Because holy shit , Billy was reaching for more before Charlie had even acknowledged his
own plate. Feeling Charlie's eyes on him, Billy sheepishly looked up, mouth still full. Charlie
couldn't help but to burst out laughing, Billy smiled at him, as he finally addressed his own
plate.

And damn could Billy cook. Maybe his newfound massive appetite had urged him to be a
better chef, or maybe his mother had finally worn him down on those cooking lessons. Either
way, it was delicious.

Having devoured his 30 pancakes, Billy stood and went to the kitchen. Charlie could hear the
sound of the dishes clattering in the sink, and the radio coming to a stop. He could definitely
get used to this. Waking up to Billy, being taken care of, it was perfect.

Billy quickly returned to the table, this time opting to sit next to Charlie. He scooted his chair
closer and rested his head on Charlie's shoulder.
“Do you like them?” Billy asked, a touch of apprehensiveness in his voice. Charlie could tell
what he was really asking: am I good enough for you?

“It's amazing,” Charlie rested their heads together. “You're amazing.”

He turned back to his plate savoring his breakfast, and he could feel Billy happily humming
by his side. Did he really want Charlie to like his cooking that badly? The thought was
sweeter than anything on his plate.

As he scraped the last bite into his mouth, Billy jumped up, grabbing his dishes and taking
them into the kitchen. Yeah, he could really get used to this.

Charlie remained sat at the table while Billy wandered around, seeming on a mission of some
sort. He disappeared for a moment, then reentered the kitchen with their ancient first aid kit.

“We should change your bandage,” Billy stated. Charlie nodded. Billy placed the kit on the
table. He pulled a chair to be closer to Charlie and sat in it. Charlie gave Billy his hand. Billy
cradled it for a moment before delicately unwrapping the bandage. He brought Charlie’s hand
close to his face as if he were looking for something. Charlie understood instantly.

“Carlisle didn’t bite me, Billy,” Charlie said, not unkindly. “I told you what happened. I was
dumb and hurt myself like an idiot. Carlisle did nothing to hurt me.” Billy seemed skeptical,
but he hummed in agreement.

Billy led Charlie to the sink, which was then turned on. Billy let the water run for a bit,
eventually deciding the water temperature was good enough for Charlie. After washing his
hands thoroughly, Billy brought Charlie’s hand under the running water.

He washed the cut softly, like he was afraid of hurting Charlie.

A sense of serenity came over Charlie, he was happy in the house where he was often
miserable after his mom died. His dad was never the same afterward, Charlie barely saw him,
and it seemed like a part of him died with his wife. His dad wandered through life as if he
were a ghost, a blank expression on his face. He never looked at Charlie, when he did, an
expression of sheer despair was painted on his face. It killed Charlie inside every time he saw
it, so he avoided his dad as often as his dad avoided him. It was better to not see him at all
than to feel like his only existence caused his dad pain.

Charlie was brought out of his thoughts by Billy drying his hand, smiling at Charlie softly
like he knew what he was thinking, which he probably did. They sat at the table once again
and Billy wrapped Charlie’s hand in a fresh bandage, before leaving once again to put the kit
back.

As Billy came back, he grabbed Charlie's arm, leading him into the living room. The two of
them settled on the couch. Billy pulled Charlie against him, so that he was resting squarely
against Billy’s chest, almost sitting on his lap. Billy reached for the remote on the side table,
flipping through the channels. Charlie could only focus on the beat of Billy’s heart, and the
way his chest moved with each breath.
 Billy seemed to decide on some rerun of an old sitcom, the black-and-white images flashing
over the screen, accompanied by a canny laugh track. Billy reached for his hand, the one still
covered in bandages, running his thumb absentmindedly over it. Charlie knew he blamed
Carlisle for the accident, and he hoped Billy wouldn’t do anything rash.

They sat the way for the rest of the morning, the TV occasionally interrupted by their lips
meeting in chaste kisses. Charlie could hear his cell phone ringing from his bedside table, his
dad, he thought, as he was yet to return home. When the landline rang, however, Charlie
instantly knew he had been mistaken. He knew exactly who was calling, and he knew that
Billy would be furious.

Chapter End Notes

I'm so sorry but I'm a Selena stan, you can pry this song out of my cold dead hands
 Lover Boy

When Billy dislodged himself from the couch to answer the phone himself, Charlie almost
slapped it out of his hands. He was stopped by Billy’s unfairly muscular arm, barring him
from getting any closer.

Dread filled his stomach as Billy's voice echoed in the newly silent room. “Swan residence,
how can I help you?” Billy's face immediately soured, and Charlie knew that his suspicions
were true.

“That won’t be necessary, Cullen,” Billy spat in a tone Charlie had never heard from him in
their almost 19 years of friendship. It was dark, possessive, and undeniably attractive–so
attractive that he almost forgot about Carlisle on the other side of the phone. It was clear that
whatever Carlisle was saying disagreed with Billy.

“If it's really that important surely you can come over yourself, yes?” Billy snapped at the
man on the other line.

Billy slammed the phone back down onto the receiver and began pacing the room. Charlie
wanted to know what Carlisle had said to upset him that badly. Sure, he was a vampire, but
he seemed nice enough. Was there something that Charlie was missing?

“Billy, is everything okay?” He finally asked, reaching out to grab Billy's arm.

“He’s coming here… Cullen,” Billy spoke through gritted teeth. “He didn't even have to ask,
he knows where you live. It's disgusting, he wants you there –where I can't reach you.”

“Why is he coming?”

“To remove your stitches, forgive me for not wanting him near your blood.”

Charlie put his arms around Billy, “Don’t worry, he wouldn't do anything to hurt me,” he
tried to reassure Billy.

“I hope you're right…”

Charlie pulled Billy back to the couch in an attempt to calm Billy down, but, even in
Charlie's arms, Billy was so stiff it was as if he was made of stone.

After what seemed like hours of holding Billy to the couch, he was dislodged as Billy stood
abruptly. “He’s just down the street, I can smell it,” Billy gripped the windowsill, knuckles
whitening as he gazed out into the driveway.

Charlie could hear Carlisle's car hit the driveway. As he walked towards the door, Billy
practically shoved him out of the way and flung the door open himself. Past Billy’s figure, he
could see Carlise slip out of his expensive car, lithe legs stretching with each step. As
Carlisle's gaze met Billy’s, Charlie saw a hint of shock on Carlisle's face, quickly shifting to a
soft smile.

“William Black, yes?” Carlisle spoke in his soft voice.

“Just Billy. And can we get this over with, it seems entirely unnecessary.” Billy spoke in that
gruff voice.

“Of course,” Carlile drawled, placing his porcelain hand on Billy's shoulder, causing him to
pull back in disgust. The flash of hurt on Carlisle's face created more than a few questions in
Charlie's mind.

As Carlisle moved closer, Billy was close behind. Carlisle then reached towards Charlie,
holding out his hand. Getting the hint, Charlie placed his uninjured hand in the other man’s.
Carlisle smiled and lifted their hands towards his own mouth. The second Carlisle's lips hit
Charlie’s hand, Billy’s fist struck his jaw. Carlisle reeled back, collapsing to the floor with the
force of Billy’s punch.

To Charlie's surprise, Carlisle didn't respond to Billy’s aggression. He simply held his face,
looking up at Billy with wide eyes. As Carlisle slowly stood up, a low growl echoed in
Billy’s throat.

“That’ll be the last time you ever do that,” Billy murmured threateningly.

“Of course, my apologies,” Carlisle replied, clearly not apologetic. A smile danced across his
face like a lion racing to catch its prey. “May we do this in your kitchen, Charlie?”

Charlie giggled , God, what was wrong with him? He cleared his throat in an attempt to try
and cover it up in vain, blushing all the while. “That’s fine. The kitchen is this way.”

Carlisle placed his medical bag on the kitchen table before going to the sink. Charlie sat
down and Billy stood directly behind him, crossing his arms and trying to take up as much
room as possible. Charlie watched as Carlisle cleansed his hands thoroughly, covering every
scrap of pale white skin with soapy suds. When he finished, he dried his hands with a paper
towel and reached into his bag, where he took out a pair of latex gloves. Carlisle snapped the
gloves into place and sat down in a chair that he moved in front of Charlie. Carlisle took a
deep breath, a blissful look briefly sat on his face before moving to a calm, polite smile.

“Charlie, I am going to unwrap your bandage now,” Carlisle said. “If all looks well, I will
remove your stitches. It will cause a slight pulling sensation and perhaps some discomfort,
but it will not be painful.”

Charlie nodded in understanding and Carlisle got to work. Carlisle gingerly unwrapped
Charlie’s bandage with absolute reverence, with all the gentleness of a man afraid of Charlie
shattering right in front of him. He could hear Billy’s annoyed huffs and pouts but couldn’t
bring himself to care. All he could think about was Carlisle. The blond waves of his hair, the
rich amber of his eyes, his clean pine scent–almost as if he had been running through the
trees. It was all-consuming and Charlie couldn't bear to take his eyes away.
The enchantment came to a stop as soon as it had started. Seeing that the stitches had been
removed, Billy grabbed Carlisle by the collar of his impeccably starched shirt, dragging him
out of the chair and through the door.

Charlie was hit with an immediate wave of guilt. He shouldn't have been thinking of Carlisle
that way. Not when he had Billy.

Billy who had been by his side since they were kids. Billy who slept curled around him,
enveloping Charlie in his warmth. Billy who was unwavering in his loyalty and affection.

Charlie chastised himself. He couldn't be sitting here thinking of Carlisle when it was so clear
that Billy was his future.

Walking over to the still-open door, he could see Billy and Carlisle arguing. Carlisle had Billy
pinned against the side of his car, the two men pressed together, faces only inches apart.

Hot.

Billy, seeming to find his strength, shoved Carlisle away from him and the two continued to
argue. What about Charlie could not hear. Billy was visibly simmering with rage, like a sizzle
about to turn into a flame, and Carlisle was seemingly hissing, like a cornered animal.

Not hot.

From his place on the porch, Charlie cleared his throat. The two men looked at him with a
combination of embarrassment and left-over fury. Billy gave Carlisle one last dirty look
before huffing towards Charlie, hands in his pockets. Carlisle retired to his sleek car, pulling
leisurely out of the driveway as if none of this had ever happened.

Billy pulled Charlie back into the house and locked the door. Billy took a couple of deep
breaths, trying to calm down. Once he deemed himself ready, he looked deeply into Charlie’s
eyes.

“Listen… it’s not safe here for you. Are you still interested in going to college together?”
Billy whispered. Charlie was simultaneously nervous and excited. Nervous about his home
being dangerous, but excited about the prospect of going to college with Billy. He only
nodded in reply.

“Alright then. It’s settled then. We’ll go to college far from here, finish school, wait for things
to cool off, then figure it out together.” Billy smiled, full of warmth and sunshine. Billy, his
Billy .

Charlie smiled back. They would figure it out together.

 Interlude: Sweet Home
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

August 2002: Just Outside of Forks, WA

Charlie Swan knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. He was a college graduate
with a cushy job lined up back at home as a forensic pathologist for the local police
department in Forks, meaning he would be paid to basically do nothing. Billy was coming
with him to put his fancy new anthropology degree to use by documenting his own culture.
They would get a house and make it their own. Ahead of time, the couple decided they would
lay low and live the simple life of two “bachelors,” not wanting to draw attention.

The reason behind the two returning to their hometown for the first time in four years was
depressing, but not surprising. Charlie’s father had passed away last year from liver failure.
Charlie couldn't bring himself to attend the funeral, not even Billy’s pleading could convince
him. Now Charlie was left only with a home devoid of life, but full of memories.

Charlie’s mom had died unexpectedly when Charlie was a child. One late-summer day on the
cusp of autumn, Charlie’s mom had mentioned a terrible headache, opting to stay home while
Charlie and his dad went out to see a baseball game with Billy and his dad in a neighboring
town.

They came home hours later to find her lying in bed. She was gone–she had been for some
time. A doctor told them that Charlie’s mom had likely suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. If
she had been treated she probably would have lived. Charlie’s dad died inside that day and he
never forgave himself for leaving her–or Charlie for that matter.

Charlie bore a striking resemblance to his mother, who used to joke that Charlie was her
“mini-me.” Charlie’s father could never look at him the same again. He found comfort in
drinking. He would drink to forget, drink to find some way to continue living without the
woman he loved, drink to find some way to cope with the ghost of his wife that lived on in
his son. He drank until it killed him.

Charlie didn’t know how to feel when he heard the news, he still didn’t know how to feel
now. Part of him mourned his father, sure, but Charlie’s father had been dead since the day
his mom died, his body simply followed suit.

Charlie shook himself out of his thoughts. The rain was running down the window of Billy’s
truck in trails as they passed a green sign declaring “The City of Forks Welcomes You,”
while Billy sang along to a song on the radio.

After much debate himself, he had convinced Billy to move back to Forks, promising him a
life together in his family home. He assured Billy the Cullens had moved on. He was sure
they would never cross paths again.
May 2002: Pullman, WA

Billy squeezed Charlie’s hand as they parted ways and found their seats. Charlie felt stuffy in
the polyester gown, his stole slipping off his shoulders. He sat stiffly in the metal folding
chair, the room buzzing with the whispers of excited graduates.

He watched as Billy walked the stage, the lights gleaming off the man’s defined cheekbones.
The rest of the night was a blur of red and gray, his classmates blending together into a single
mass.

Breaking away from the crowd, Billy grabbed Charlie's hand, dragging him back to their
shared dorm for the final night. Closing the door behind them, Billy pulled Charlie into his
arms, resting his head on the other man’s. They swayed together for a minute in the dark,
taking everything in.

Billy shifted to whisper in Charlie’s ear, “I wish we could stay like this forever.”

Charlie frowned. “Can’t it?” He cupped Billy's face, “My father’s house is empty, it needs
some work, but we could do it.”

“Are you sure?” Billy said, looking confused. “I thought we agreed to get out of Forks for
good.”

Charlie nodded, “I know, but we could go back and build the life we’ve always wanted.
People there mind their own business, no one would look twice, or stare as we walk down the
street.You could be with your family, we could have everything.”

Billy swallowed, eyes misty. “Okay, let's do it.”

August 2002: Forks, WA

The car came to a stop in the driveway Charlie hadn’t seen in years. Shifting into park,
Billy’s hand came to squeeze his own, thumb absentmindedly brushing the years-old scar
Carlisle had once stitched up. The memory was bittersweet.

The two men walked to the trunk before lugging their bags up the porch stairs. Charlie
reached under the doormat for the spare key they had always kept, unlocking the door and
stepping inside. Barring the distinct stench of beer and dust, everything was exactly as it had
been four years ago.

Billy came up behind him, placing a large hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”

“...Yeah,” Charlie breathed, taking it all in. The house had always been silent, but there was a
certain uneasiness he felt when stepping into the hallway. He felt both heavy and light in all
the wrong ways.
 For better or for worse, Charlie was home.

Billy guided him towards the living room, throwing their bags down next to the couch. “So…
about rooms…” he started.

Charlie’s heart pounded. “We’re sharing my room, at least for now.” The last part was left
unspoken, they'd be sharing a bed. Despite spending the past four years together, the two of
them had never moved past light touches and gentle kissing. Even in their dorm room, they
had slept in separate beds, the gulf between them acting as a safety net. The walls were thin,
and they were too afraid of being caught, being given strange glances.

“Cool, cool,” Billy breathed. Charlie could hear a small quiver in his voice.

It was getting late. Charlie contemplated leaving the unpacking for tomorrow, but he knew
Billy–and his incessant cleanliness–would never allow it. The two men brought their luggage
into Charlie's former room. Billy began opening his suitcases and Charlie’s hastily stuffed
garbage bags, taking stock of everything they'd have to fit in the admittedly undersized
space.

Billy had never questioned why Charlie wanted them both in the same room, he knew him
too well for that. Charlie had never stepped foot in his parent's room since his mother died.
He couldn't bear to see the space his mother had once loved devoid of her personality. His
father had taken over the room, unable to deal with the constant reminders of what he had
lost.

Billy pulled Charlie out of the doorway and onto the bed. He said nothing–he didn’t have to.
Charlie relaxed into the shape of Billy's body, allowing himself to be tucked under the covers,
still in his jeans and flannel. With the soft light of the setting sun, Charlie succumbed to a
fitful sleep.

Chapter End Notes

Time skip because I already attend college, I don't need to write it too.

Also, can you tell I love ending a chapter by having Charlie sleep? It just seems right,
the poor guy is too tired.
 Strange Look in Your Eyes
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Over the next few weeks, Charlie and Billy began adjusting to their new routine. While Billy
took it upon himself to clean out the junk that Charlie’s dad had collected throughout the
years, Charlie settled into his work. Billy was ecstatic at the opportunity to decorate their new
home after he’d been stuck in a truly disgusting college dorm for years. He finally had an
output for his repressed creative spirit that had been inspired by Martha Stewart Living for
the last four years. Billy picked out new paint for the walls and wanted the carpeting ripped
out to replace it with hardwood.

“Carpet is so nineties, Charlie. It’s the new century–-We need hardwood; Martha Stewart said
so!” Charlie couldn’t find any reason to argue, so Billy was welcome to do whatever he
wanted. Quite frankly, it was a relief to have him take over the renovation. Every day he
came home to less and less painful reminders of his parents. The house began to feel like
their own, and Charlie could see himself and Billy growing old together in the way his
parents never could.

He would wake up to the soft hum of the radio and the smell of Billy’s cooking from
downstairs. They would eat together, and Billy would kiss him on the cheek before he left for
work. He would arrive home to the house changed and dinner on the table, Billy coming out
to greet him in the frilly apron Charlie had got him as a gift in their sophomore year. Wash
and repeat.

The domestic bliss was only broken by Charlie’s work. There had been a concerning number
of murders along the coast, seemingly fleeing towards Canada. The latest had been down in
Westport, under three hours away. The station was on high alert, with patrols roaming 24/7.
The residents were just as worried. The small town was suddenly filled with extra deadbolts
and home security systems.

Billy hadn’t seemed too worried–he was a werewolf with superstrength–a human serial killer
never stood a chance against him. That Tuesday, however, Charlie came home to Billy
furiously chopping vegetables hard enough to break both the knife and the cutting board.
Charlie was instantly worried, Billy rarely lost his temper: the man was a gentle giant, too
afraid of his own strength.

“Billy, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Billy took a few calming breaths, it barely took an edge off but he was calm enough to use
his words.

“I saw… Carlisle…Cullen today. He just got back from… wherever the fuck he was.”

Charlie was instantly intrigued, Neither of them had mentioned Carlisle in the past four years.
It was a silent truce between the two of them, don’t talk about you-know-who. He didn’t
matter anymore. Charlie urged Billy to continue with a small hand gesture, beckoning the
other man closer. Billy sighed and took another breath before elaborating.

“I went to a pottery store in town to look around. I wanted to see if there was anything that
could go into our Tuscan kitchen that I’ve been planning, so I wouldn’t have to make a trip to
Port Angeles. But it turns out that Esme Cullen owns the store. She’s nice enough for a
bloodsucker, so I didn’t mind too much. Then fucking Carlisle rolls in with a briefcase.
Apparently, he’s been out of town for a while, I don’t fucking care. The bastard even looked
surprised to see me. He asked about you. I told him it wasn’t any of his goddamn business.”

Charlie pursed his lips.

“He pretended to be all sweet to me, putting his hand on my shoulder, and using that drawl of
his. His hands reeked of blood Charlie, human blood. I could feel the shift. I needed to kill
him, rip out his throat for what he had done. He looked me up and down, practically licking
his lips. Then he backed off like none of it had ever happened. Like he didn't know what I
was, and what I had smelled. The pack and I had a discussion, there’s no trace nor scent of
blood on our territories, so the killing, however it happened, must’ve been somewhere else.
There’s nothing we can do about it, that freak gets to walk free.”

Charlie didn’t know what to say, or even think. This was beyond his pay grade.

“Maybe there’s an explanation?” Charlie reasoned. He immediately sensed his mistake.

“ An explanation? Charlie, they’re monsters, ” Billy spat.

“Carlisle just doesn’t seem like the type.” Charlie half-whispered, trying to convince himself
more than Billy.

“Carlisle, Carlisle, Carlisle, It’s always been Carlisle,” Billy said bitterly. “You barely know
him, but you think you can make these judgments?”

“You barely know him either, Billy! You’re jumping to conclusions!”

“I don’t need to jump–It’s their nature! It’s my nature to despise them, it’s my nature to
protect you… Did you forget what Carlisle did to you? He drugged you, Charlie. He drugged
you with his own venom.”

Charlie didn’t know what to say.

“What do you mean? Billy… How long have you known?”

Billy suddenly stopped, realizing he said something he shouldn’t have.

“Since that night, I could smell it in you. Vampire venom acts as a sedative, it relaxes the
victim, making it easier to strike.”

Charlie remained silent. Did Carlisle… want to hurt him? …Would he do that? Charlie didn’t
know anymore. Like Billy said, Charlie barely knew the man. Billy, on the other hand,
Charlie knew like he was an extension of himself. So why did Billy, who’d known Charlie
 for as long as could remember, keep such a huge secret from him? He could have died, he
trusted Carlisle. If it wasn't for Billy, he would have never known to be weary in the first
place.

“That happened four years ago… and you’re only telling me now?” Charlie seethed. Billy at
least had the gall to look ashamed.

“I… I… I don’t know what to say…” Billy stammered. “It happened before you knew about
all the… weird stuff… then after you knew… I don’t think I knew how to tell you. Then we
just never said anything about him… I couldn’t bring myself to talk about him, not when
everything had finally settled down, not when we were happy.”

Billy began to tear up.

“Charlie, I am so sorry,” Billy said, tears falling and catching the light.

When Billy cried he looked like a kicked puppy. In the back of his mind, Charlie wondered if
it was his inner wolf shining through.

Charlie pulled Billy into a hug, leaning in to press their lips together. He wiped the tears from
the other man's face, unable to stay angry for any longer.

“I forgive you, I forgive you because I know who you are. I forgive you because I love you,
Billy. I love you , not Carlisle, not anyone else, you. ”

The two stood in the kitchen in a tight embrace, afraid of what would happen if they let go.

Chapter End Notes

More Carlisle soon, pinky promise.

 You Know Better

Charlie’s work as a forensic pathologist in a small town police station meant that he saw very
little drama , as one might say. Technically, he wasn’t even qualified to have this job in the
first place, but who else was gonna do it. The old forensic pathologist was a borderline
geriatric man on the verge of retirement who showed Charlie how to do the basics before
leaving him to figure it out himself.

The man strolled out with a pep in his step with the instructions of: “If you get confused, call
Dr. Cullen at the hospital, don’t bother me.”

Charlie had performed one autopsy under the man’s tutelage before he was declared “a
natural.” Having just graduated, the book knowledge was still fresh in Charlie’s mind, but he
lacked experience. Occasionally, Charlie felt out of his depth when too many things were
happening at once but other than that things seemed to be going smoothly. He just prayed that
there wouldn't be an actual murder.

The days went by slowly, with the suspicious deaths creeping further and further up the coast.
He’d get home with tense shoulders, worriedly turning on the news to hear about the latest
murder. The bodies were all the same–half torn apart…and drained of blood.

Charlie had been a little skeptical of Billy’s claims about vampires, after all, Carlisle had
been so friendly. But with every new body discovered, Charlie woke up covered in sweat,
mind still racing with thoughts of Carlisle looming over him like a lion cornering a wounded
gazelle. It was jarring how blind he had been, following Carlisle into his home without a
second thought. He had ignored Billy, his Billy, and gone chasing after a monster.

Billy would wake up to Charlie's soft pants and shaking body. He would wrap his warm arms
around the smaller man, rubbing Charlie’s back until the tears stopped falling. He would kiss
Charlie goodbye every morning before work, a light squeeze of a hand all the reassurance
Charlie needed. If and when things went south, Charlie knew it was Billy he could count on,
not “Dr. Cullen.”

That very next morning, Charlie’s foremost professional fear became a reality–a body was
found near the fork of the Calawah and Bogachiel rivers, a few miles outside of the city
limits. The state patrol had brought the body in the night before, moving through the streets
in darkness to avoid any unwanted attention. William Black Sr. had been banging at their
door at dawn, needing Billy for “pack responsibilities.” He wanted the wolves to check out
the site, to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was the work of one of the undead.
Charlie was called into work not long after Billy left.

Great.

He pulled into the station to the sight of a dozen cop cars, the building swarming with men in
uniforms, the smell of coffee permeating the air. It had clearly been a long night.
The moment he entered the door a man in a crumpled suit came up to his side,

“Agent Benson, FBI. You must be Dr. Swan.”

Charlie swallowed heavily, “I’m…uh…not a doctor, so Charlie is fine.” He saw the other
man do a double take.

“Are you not the forensic pathologist?”

“I… am, the workforce is small around here. I agreed to take the position with the condition
I’d get my PhD on the house. I’ve only been here about a month.”

The other man’s lips pursed. “Well, let's go in, shall we?”

Charlie followed Benson quickly as the man headed towards the morgue. Charlie hadn’t
heard much about the victim, but Forks was small, and Charlie was already steeling himself
to see the bloodied face of an old acquaintance. Benson held the door open with a grim look.

“Trust me, you’ll need a minute, it's far more gruesome in person. He must have been a good
guy, quite a few misty eyes when he was brought in.”

With that, the door shut behind him, leaving Benson in the hallway.

And what Charlie saw caused the color to drain from his face. Carlisle, no Dr. Cullen , was
looming over the body, running a gloved finger over the gouges in the flesh. Cullen turned
around, amber eyes racking over Charlie’s form.

“Ah, Dr. Swan,” Carlisle spoke, a soft lilt to his voice.

“Not a doctor,” Charlie murmured. “Hello, Dr. Cullen.”

The man in question nodded back in acknowledgment. Charlie’s eyes were drawn to the
congealed blood that stood out on the pale blue gloves on the doctor’s equally pale hands.
Charlie forced a swallow. The doctor seemed to have noticed what had captured Charlie’s
attention and he moved his hand to hide the bloodied glove behind him. He smiled, almost
sheepishly.

This forced Charlie into movement. He inched towards the body, equally curious and afraid
of what he would see. He heard Carlisle slip out of the room, his and Benson’s voices
echoing through the cracked doorway.

“Definitely an animal, maybe a cougar,” Dr. Cullen spoke, “give me and Mr. Swan a while to
study the body, we can figure out what it was. It can be a learning opportunity for the kid.”

“You sure Cullen?” Benson responded, sounding skeptical. “The higher-ups are convinced
it's a killer.”

“Very sure, I’ve seen this before. Small mountain towns and curious campers don’t mix. Not
everyone is prepared for the Olympic wildlife.”
Something about Dr. Cullen’s voice was strange. A soft melody seemed to act as an
undertone. Charlie almost believed him himself. He wanted to, it seemed ridiculous to think
otherwise. Charlie came to his senses as Cullen made his way back into the room.

“Have you taken a look yet?”

Charlie shook his head. Cullen chuckled.

“Come, I’ll show you some things for future reference.”

The two prepared for the examination. Gloves, masks, and caps went on. As Cullen moved to
tie Charlie’s gown, he moved away, clearing his throat. The other man seemed to have gotten
the hint. Moving to the other side of the examination table. He leaned over to get his first
look at the body. The face was familiar, belonging to a young white male. Charlie stared
blankly. The man couldn’t have been more than twenty-five, barely older than Charlie
himself. His reaction did not go unnoticed.

Dr. Cullen’s hand twitched at his side, seemingly wanting to reach over the table to comfort
Charlie.

“Dark, isn’t it, what an animal can do,” Carlisle mused.

“An animal… what kind of animal would do this…” Charlie muttered. “We both know what
this is, don’t lie to me.”

“I don’t know what you mean, Charlie. Any predator is capable of this, it’s their nature. The
hunt is all they know, without it there would be no chance at survival.” Carlisle said, looking
quizzically into Charlie’s eyes.

“You would know best, wouldn’t you? What it’s like to be a bloodthirsty predator.”

Carlisle displayed a toothy grin. Almost too toothy for Charlie’s liking. He walked around the
table to stand in front of Charlie.

“Do I? In that case, your friend Billy is no different.”

“Billy would never harm anyone, not like you. I know what you did, what you tried to do to
me. I would be dead if it wasn't for him.” Charlie seethed, Carlisle’s words making him see
red.

Carlisle moved too quickly to be human, trapping Charlie between him and the table, his pale
arms on either side of Charlie's waist as he locked his hands onto the table. The taller man
smiled threateningly, teeth blindingly white and terrifyingly sharp. He leaned even further in.
Charlie could hear the crumpling of the metal under Carlisle's hands, an eerie display of
strength. The man unblinking and unbreathing, eyes boring holes into Charlie.

“Don’t you have a treaty or something like that?” Charlie said breathlessly.

Carlisle looked at Charlie hungrily, eying him up and down.

“Indeed we do,” Carlisle answered, with similar breathlessness. He backed away, loosening
his grip on the table. “We have work to do, Mr. Swan.”
 Redbone
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

That night, Charlie slipped through the door of his home, trying to go undetected. He had no
idea how he was going to explain this to Billy. He felt a spike of guilt every time he thought
of his boyfriend. He shouldn't have spoken to Carlisle for as long as he did, and he definitely
shouldn't have felt so… strange about it. He should hate Carlisle, he does, but something
about the man was oddly captivating, and Charlie felt drawn to him.

He didn't have long to worry though, for in that moment, Billy came bounding out of the
kitchen, wrapping Charlie in a strong embrace. He could immediately feel the worried beat of
Billy’s heart hammering in his chest. Something was seriously wrong, and Charlie had a
suspicion about what.

Billy led him to the table, something they seldom did, preferring to eat together on the couch
catching Food Network reruns. The table was set, and two steaks sat steaming on their plates,
surrounded by fluffy mashed potatoes and asparagus. One of Charlie’s favorites.

Billy looked across the table, pursing his lips.

“How did things go today… with the search I mean,” Charlie ventured.

“It was what we suspected,” Billy replied curtly. “We found footprints, human footprints,
near the body. I’d bet anything I was a vampire.”

Charlie debated what he should tell the other man. His hands balled at his sides. Billy could
tell he was holding something back, hell, he could probably smell it. Charlie took a deep
breath, trying to get his head straight.

“They had me look at the body today… with him . The bastard was trying to convince me it
was an animal that did this–an animal that sucked the man dry. There wasn’t a drop of blood
left in the body. We have to work together, and he seemed so… dangerous.”

Billy’s eyes flashed with anger. “I’ll come with you then. There’s no way I’m going to leave
you with him, not after last time.”

Charlie reached over the table, intertwining his hand with Billy’s. He whispered a soft thanks,
squeezing their hands together.

“Let’s eat, yeah? I’d hate for the food to go cold, it looks delicious.” Charlie grinned, trying
to lighten the mood.

Billy smiled softly, dropping Charlie's hand to instead reach for his fork. “Yeah.”

The two spent the rest of the night curled up together, with Billy never leaving his side. Even
in sleep, he could feel Bily pressed against his back, subconsciously trying to protect the
other man. Charlie couldn’t complain. The nights in Forks were brisk, with the rain and wind
making it feel even colder. Sleeping next to Billy was like having a personal space heater
lying next to him. His body heat filled the room, keeping Charlie comfortable despite his
tendency to run cold. Billy’s body wrapped around Charlie’s like it was designed with him in
mind.

They were made for each other.

That next morning as Charlie got ready for work, Billy stood beside him, doing the same. It
seemed he was fully intent on keeping his promise. The two walked into the station together
and Charlie had to resist the urge to grab Billy’s hand. He had seen Carlisle's car out front,
but he wasn't quite prepared to be face-to-face with the man again. Billy was similarly on
edge, eyes tracking every movement in the hallway. The door to the morgue was shut tight,
just as Charlie was about to knock, it swung open to reveal a grinning Carlisle.

“How did you know I was out here?” Charlie questioned. The fans keeping the room cool
were extraordinarily loud and in desperate need of an upgrade. Even a vampire would have a
hard time detecting the sound of footsteps beyond the thick walls.

“You weren’t the only one to bring company today Mr. Swan. I'm sure you've met my son,
Edward?” Carlisle responded, seemingly ignoring the question at hand.

Charlie grimaced, peering into the room and being met with Edward’s own distasteful look.
Charlie had yet to forget their single encounter from years ago. By the looks of it Edward
Cullen was definitely still a dick. As Carlisle moved out of the doorframe, Billy shouldered
his way into the room, glaring at the two vampires from a corner. Charlie quickly joined
them, closing the door behind them

“Mr. Black, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Carlisle spoke in his characteristic drawl. “I
heard the pack went sniffing around the crime scene yesterday. I assume you’ve come to the
same conclusion we have.”

Billy prickled. “Yes, I can only assume one of your friends is loose in the mountains. Need I
remind you of the treaty?”

Carlisle chuckled, looking towards Edward. “These are no friends of ours, believe me. We
want them gone as much as you do.”

Billy nodded and pursed his lips. “Let me see the body.”

As Carlisle led Billy to the examination table, Charlie felt a piercing gaze on his back.
Edward hadn’t moved from his spot near the door. His fists were clenched at his sides, black
eyes were fixed on Charlie. Not for the first time, he felt entirely like prey.

The hair stood up on the back of Charlie’s neck. He cleared his throat, hoping to break
Edward out of his trance, but the other man was unaware of the sound.

Billy and Carlisle swiveled their heads, sensing the tension.

“Edward,” Carlisle spoke, a commanding tone to his voice. “That’s enough.”

Edward and Carlisle stood still for a moment, the two of them seemingly having a silent
conversation told entirely through stares. The moment ended when Edward sulked out of the
room. Charlie was expecting annoyance from Billy, but something in Carlisle's tone hinted at
possession. Almost as if it was an affront for Edward to even glance at him. Carlisle and Billy
met eyes, seemingly coming to an understanding. The two wordlessly excused themselves as
well, leaving Charlie alone with the body.

The longer he looked at the man on the table, the more disgusted he felt. He had a hard time
believing Carlisle knew nothing of the other vampires, especially when placing himself into
the investigation. It seemed the man’s charm had captivated the entire station, allowing the
vampire to walk around as he pleased.

The man’s eyes were dark and lifeless. Looking into them, Charlie could see the resemblance
to the pitch black of Edward's eyes. He couldn’t shake the feeling that somewhere, Edward
was still watching him. Charlie did his best to push down the shiver that was creeping up his
spine. Fuck Edward , Charlie thought. He wondered, for a moment, if Carlisle had put him up
to it. To hunt down Charlie so he could finally have the taste he'd longed for all those years
ago. But why bother doing that when he had Charlie at his mercy only hours before? Charlie
was only human and Carlisle was an immortal blood-drinking monster capable of… who
knows what. There was nothing stopping Carlisle from doing whatever he wanted, but for
some reason, he continued with his charade of the friendly small-town doctor. There was the
vaguely mentioned treaty, sure, but if Carlisle and his “family” made a run for it, Charlie
doubted that the pack would give chase and leave Forks unprotected.

Charlie groaned and rubbed his temples, feeling a migraine coming in. This was a lot to
handle and Charlie was barely involved! He wondered how Billy and the pack had put up
with all of this vampire drama for years.

The morgue door slammed open, and Charlie hurled back from his position over the table.
Carlisle and Billy had reentered the room. Something was different between them, almost as
if they had come to an understanding during their–albeit long–conversation. While it would
make the investigation less tense, it uneased Charlie, he felt as if there was something he
wasn't being told.

Carlisle stepped in front of the body on the table, a nervous smile on his lips.

“Shall we call it a day gentlemen? I doubt they need us for much more.”

It was barely lunchtime.

As Charlie was about to protest, Billy came up behind him. “Yes, I think we should.”

Charlie stared in shock. Now they were agreeing? Sensing his surprise, Billy took Charlie by
the arm, whispering a soft ‘later’ into his ear.

The drive home was icy, to say the least. Billy’s eyes never left the road, despite Charlie's
attempts to garner his attention. When they pulled into the Swan house driveway, Charlie
 practically ripped the car door open in his rush to make it to the front door ahead of Billy. He
whipped around, blocking the entrance.

“What are you not telling me?” He seethed the moment the other man made his way up the
steps. “You know we can’t trust Carlisle, he was probably the one behind all of this.”

Billy sighed softly. “Look, there’s something… that I have to tell you. Carlisle wouldn’t do
this… He wouldn't do anything to violate the treaty, not now. There's something–someone,
that he just can’t lose.”

Chapter End Notes

We're so back
 When I First Saw You...
Chapter Notes

Heyyyyyyy, made this chapter a little more spicy???? if it can be called that ig. Would
yall like more smutty parts? Or should we keep it a little more pg.

Charlie shuddered. Something about Billy’s tone unnerved him. There was a distinct
possessiveness that alarmed him. Billy was usually so calm, never wanting to stake his claim.
Charlie knew it was for the best to keep their relationship quiet, especially in such a small
town. But he had to admit, it was attractive.

“What could possibly be that important to him?” Charlie asked incredulously.

Billy grimaced.

“I don’t know how to explain this in a normal way… so I won’t. I’ll tell you how it is,
alright?”

Charlie nodded.

“Carlisle… he’s going to be around, in our lives. Like pretty much forever.” Billy said.

Charlie stood there with his mouth agape.

“The fuck do you mean ‘forever’? I thought you hated him? That you guys were natural
enemies or something.”

“It’s not like that. There are things beyond both of our control. Things about you, your very
being, draw us in. I know how it feels. To be caught up in you. It was misery staying away
when I first turned. I’m not cruel. I might hate him, but I won’t torture the guy.” Billy stepped
forward, pushing them both inside the house. He flipped them around, pressing Charlie’s
back against the wood.

The hair stood up on Charlie’s arms. He knew Billy was strong, but the man had never used
his strength to restrict him before. Heat coiled in his stomach, lust fighting against the
frustration of Billy’s avoidance of the topic at hand.

“I’m here with you, right now. What’s stopping you from having me?” Charlie breathed,
drawing Billy closer. Their lips met in a frenzy, teeth clashing together.

It was violent. It was ecstasy .

Nothing Charlie had felt previously could match the euphoria from this moment. Being here
with Billy, like this, becoming one. Everything paled in comparison.

Billy pressed his hips against Charlie’s. He could feel the other man’s hardness against his
own. The slightest touch seemed to bring him close to the edge. Billy moaned into the kiss,
seemingly just as desperate. He grabbed Charlie’s arms, guiding him to the couch without
ever breaking the kiss. He sat, motioning for Charlie to straddle his lap. In their new position,
Charlie could feel every slight movement Billy made, each minute twitch sending sparks of
pleasure up his spine.

Charlie pulled back and gazed into Billy’s eyes.

“I’ve always thought–ever since we were kids… that your eyes were beautiful–like
chocolate,” Billy whispered. “It’s when the sun hits them though, that really gets me. They
look like molten bronze–honey really. I’ve never seen anything equal.”

Charlie shuddered. “Are you sure you want this?” He hated how small his voice sounded.

Billy let out a soft moan. “More than anything.”

Charlie lay with his head on Billy’s chest, the other man running his fingers through the short
curls.

They lay that way for the better part of the evening, after climbing in the shower together.
Limbs intertwined watching whatever sitcom reruns happened to be playing at the moment.
Not that either man was actually watching. Charlie was still floating. High on the taste of
Billy’s lips and the feel of his skin.

The moment was broken by a sharp intake of breath from Billy. The man stared at the door
like he wanted to burn a hole through it.

“What's wrong?” Charlie whispered, stroking Billy’s cheek.

“It’s Carlisle, he’s outside.”

“What? Since when?”

Billy grinned, “He just got here, don’t worry.”

Charlie sighed as they untangled themselves, walking to the door.

Charlie reached for the door, opening it to Carlisle pacing on the porch, his unnaturally pale
face contorted with concern, a mockery of a marble sculpture depicting a Greek hero. The
vampire’s presence was unsettling, and Charlie felt himself involuntarily tensing up, thinking
about Billy’s words from earlier. He wondered the meaning behind them.

“Evening, Carlisle,” Billy said, clearly trying to keep his voice steady.
Carlisle’s gaze looked behind the men into the fire-lit interior of the house, his eyes lingering
on the sofa, and the pile of blankets where they had lay. He looked strangely wistful.

“Charlie. Billy,” He smiled emptily, his tone artificially smooth and overly formal–even for
him. “I hope I’m not intruding on your evening.”

Charlie shot Billy a glance, of all times for Carlisle to show up, it had to be at the worst
possible moment. The one day they’ve taken to themselves in a while. Billy sighed and
motioned for Carlisle to enter.

Carlisle moved robotically through their living room. As the two men settled at the kitchen
table, he stood stiffly to the side, as if afraid to get any closer.

Billy took the lead. “I assume there’s something urgent you need to tell us?

Carlisle nodded, a steely expression danced across his face. “There have been some…
developments in the case I think you should be aware of. Immediately”

Billy’s jaw tightened. “You should have called Carlisle.”

Carlisle shook his head. “This is too important for a phone call I’m afraid. Another body has
been found. Animal attack.”

Based on the previous body and Carlisle’s grim expression, it was no animal attack.

Billy stood, placing a hand on Carlisle's back. “He knows. There's no reason to keep up the
facade. I thought we had made that clear.”

He guided Carlisle to sit at the table between them. Carlisle smiled softly at the gesture, a
stark contrast from his usual smirk.

“Force of habit, I fear. There has never been a human to learn of my family’s secret yet. Not
one from the mortal world at least.” Carlisle said with a hint of humor, before his face
became serious.

“Charlie,” Carlisle began, “I’m sure Billy mentioned the rather delicate balance of things here
in Forks, yes?”

“The treaty? Yeah, he did.”

“My family and I have always made an earnest attempt at following the treaty. Despite our
bickering, we know this land belongs first and foremost to the tribe. However, there are those
who do not follow our morals. Who have no care for human life. I fear that one of these
creatures has come and is now butchering without thought or care.”

Billy’s eyebrow raised. “Surely you can stop them. The Volturi would not look kindly on a
rabid vampire exposing you all to the world.”

Carlisle sighed. “I wish that were the case. However, in recent centuries the Volturi have
grown tired of the shadows. They have become careless, and in doing so are allowing
mindless slaughter in the light of day. While I do not expect all of our kind to follow my
family’s…diet… I do expect a certain level of discretion.”

Charlie was puzzled. “What’s the Volturi? Why would they be in charge of anything?”

Carlisle turned to Charlie. “They are the largest, and most ancient coven of my kind. They
collect those who they deem worthy, and use them to enforce the laws of our world. Or so
they say. I once spent time among them many years ago. I found their way of life rather…
distasteful.”

“And the rogue? Do you think they’re connected?” Billy asked, leaning in.

Carlisle stiffened ever so slightly before responding. “I have reason to believe that this
individual is a newborn. You see, when we are first turned, we are slaves to our most basic
instincts.The thirst is almost too much to handle for many. Usually, the Volturi would ensure
their maker is responsible for enforcing control, preventing scenarios such as this. It is
unspeakable to abandon a newborn after creation. Those who threaten to expose our kind
meet a gruesome end, they must be nurtured before they can go off on their own. Though it
seems the Volturi have turned a blind eye.”

Charlie blinked. “Well you can track them down can’t you?”

“That is the very issue, I believe there is more than one. Even if I were to track them down,
one by one, the maker would still be out there. It would be of great help if you would speak
to the pack for me, we could use all the help we can get in order to protect this place. As well
as the people in it.”

Billy looked Carlisle in the eyes for a long moment, the tension palpable.

“Very well.”
 Wayward Son
Chapter Notes

Saw the song this fic was inspired by live and had to write another chapter.

The three men pushed in their chairs, standing around the table.

“I better speak to the pack…” Billy started, glancing apprehensively at Carlisle. The two men
locked eyes, an understanding passing between them. “Cullen will stay here with you.”

Charlie gave him an indignant glare. “I don’t need to babysat.”

Billy sighed. “Look, I don't want to take any chances, not with you. Just please let me have
this.”

Charlie nodded. “I’m going to bed.”

He stalked up the stairs, throwing on his pajamas. There was something the other two were
hiding from him. He thought back to his strange conversation with Billy earlier that day.
Carlisle would be in their lives…forever. He couldn't quite figure out what could have made
Billy change his mind so quickly about the other man. They went from contempt and icy
glares to conversations behind closed doors and meaningful glances.

Charlie almost felt… jealous?

He knew it was ridiculous. He and Billy had been by each other’s sides for years, Carlisle
was just a freakishly handsome freak of nature. Billy said something about vampires and
wolves being natural enemies. The whole thing just felt off.

Charlie doesn’t know what the hell is going on anymore. Vampire governments are way over
his pay grade. He's just some guy…some guy who’s boyfriend is a werewolf…but he’s still
just some guy. Charlie should stay out of this, if he’s not careful he could get himself killed.

That doesn’t mean he wants a vampire in his house though. Especially a vampire who tried to
kill them last time they were alone together.

Charlie sat down on his bed, face in his hands. He groaned. The day has been long enough
already and this was just the cherry on top of the shit sundae. At that moment he heard a
knock at the bedroom door. He lifted his head to find Carlisle's pale face peering past the
frame.

The man cleared his throat. “I…uh…Billy just left…so I'm just going to sit downstairs…just
wanted to let you know.”
Charlie could see the grimace on Carlisle's face at his own awkwardness. If he had any blood
in his body, he would have flushed. “Okay then…” He responded, laying his head back down
“you do that.”

He listened for the soft click of the door shutting before he let himself drift off.

His sleep was short-lived and fitful, as he woke up to a banging at the front door. Charlie
jumped out of his skin, heart pounding as his brain started functioning again. No intruder
would knock, but who the hell would come pounding on his door at… Charlie looked at his
alarm clock. 3 in the morning. Charlie groaned. He heard the door open and voices speaking
softly. One masculine and the others distinctly feminine, all melodic.

Charlie got up and walked down the stairs. In his living room, he found Carlisle and three
platinum blonde women, obviously vampires and obviously sisters. “Carlisle, don't invite
strangers into my home.” He yelled as he came into the room.

“Forgive me, Charlie. They might be strangers to you, but they are like family to me. These
are Kate, Tanya, and Irina, my cousins from Denali. They have come with news of the rogue.
It seems they have made pace much quicker than we expected up the coast, and well, it
disturbed them greatly.”

The closest of the three took his hand. “Charlie, yes? Carlisle told us of you.” There was a
hint of mischief in her tone. “I apologize for the intrusion, you see, it is of the utmost
importance we speak to you. Your… friend, is he here?”

Charlie began to answer as Carlisle cut him off. “He is on his way as we speak, it should only
be a few minutes.”

Charlie frowned, what was going on between them?

Billy came in moments later, panting and pulling a shirt on. Billy eyed the sisters and turned
to Carlisle.

“Friends of yours?”

“Family. This is Kate, Tanya, and Irina, from Denali. They live a similar lifestyle to us, you
have nothing to fear from them.”

Billy nodded. “And they have something to share with us? Something so important they
came all the way here from Alaska?”

“You could say that,” Tanya interjected. “With our kind, there are two laws that must never
be broken. The consequences mean death. These laws are as follows: keep our kind a secret
from humans, and to never turn a child.”

“Where are you going with this?” Billy asked, striding over to stand next to Charlie.

“We have reason to believe that one of the rogues is an immortal child, abandoned by its
creator.” Tanya said, like it weighed heavily on her.
“We were about to go before the Volturi and have them handle this,” said Kate.

“What would happen to the child?” Charlie said worriedly.

The sisters exchanged worried glances.

“Death. Immortal children are cursed beings. They cannot control themselves and must die to
protect our secret. They do not know better. They lack impulse control, a tantrum from them
could slaughter an army.” Tanya stated monotonously.

“But… It's a child. Surely there is something else that can be done.” Charlie gasped.

Kate stared at Charlie, sorrow in her eyes. “They kill with no remorse. Mistakes that should
have never been made… Our mother was killed for turning such a creature.”

Charlie didn’t know what to say.

“Please, let us handle this. The Volturi can only cause harm if they come here. The situation
with the pack is strenuous at best. If they reach out, inform them of the issue, but tell them
that it will be taken care of. If they do not, we will keep this between ourselves.” Carlisle said
kindly.

The sisters seemed to have a quiet conversation between themselves. Before Tanya finally
replied.

“Very well,” Tanya said. “We’ll take our leave then. Goodbye.”

Charlie blinked and the sisters were gone.

“Carlisle, is it true what they say about these children?” Charlie asked. “Surely they won’t
kill a child, they don’t know any better.”

Carlisle sighed. “I’m afraid they are just too dangerous. You’ve seen the damage done in a
matter of months. Besides, the creator must be punished. We know there are multiple rogues
out there. The creator likely travels with the child, too attached to leave. Immortal children
have an alluring quality. We must ensure they are both swiftly taken care of.”

Billy put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “He’s right, we can't let this… thing continue to
wander. Too many people have been hurt already.”

Charlie nodded slowly. “And when you find the child, how will you kill it?”

“We would have to dismember and burn it,” Carlisle said begrudgingly, sensing Charlie
would not take the information well.

“There’s no other way?”

“None more humane.”

Charlie swallowed thickly. He couldn't imagine a child–already turned into a monster–killed
for the circumstances of their being. It was cruel. A child was a child no matter how
monstrous.

“How will you find it?”

“We will plan to coordinate our search efforts. With the pack and the coven working together,
we can surely find it.” Carlisle replied. “The pack have been informed of our desire for their
participation, they will let us know in the morning.”

Billy nodded. “My dad is apprehensive about getting involved with vampires, but I’m sure he
sees that it's necessary under these circumstances. Once I tell him it’s an immortal child, he’ll
almost have no choice.”

Again, Charlie nodded. “I see.”

Billy turned, taking Charlie’s hands. “You don’t have to be involved. I promise we’ll keep
you out of this mess.”

Carlisle hummed in agreement.

Charlie smiled softly. There was no way he’d stay out of it. After all, he hadn’t before.
 Ashes in my Wake

Charlie bid Billy and Carlisle goodnight. While he went back upstairs to hopefully return to
sleep, Charlie heard the two men whisper in hushed tones that were too quiet for his human
ears to comprehend. As Charlie returned to bed his mind began to wander, unable to return to
the fitful sleep he maintained prior to the arrival of the sisters.

A child, Charlie thought. He had always known that he wanted to be a father. This want failed
to wane after the death of his mom and his dad losing his mind from grief, if anything this
want intensified. To be a father meant to have a family, and Charlie had wanted a family
since the moment he lost it. While he had Billy, Charlie still felt a hole that he wanted to fill.
Billy would be a great father, he was kind, gentle, and strong. When away at college Charlie
would find himself staring at Billy, daydreaming about a possible family with him. His mind,
for whatever reason, had settled on a girl, a daughter.

Charlie smiled as he drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

The next morning, he awoke to an empty house. Charlie ventured into the kitchen, finding a
note stuck to the fridge.

“We went out. No matter what, stay inside — Billy”

Charlie huffed. That was fucking ridiculous. Just because he was human didn't mean he
should have to sequester himself away from the slightest bit of danger… After all, how much
damage could a child really do? Sure, they “killed people” and were a “creature of the night”,
but with some tough love, Charlie was sure the kid would turn out alright. Besides, with
September coming to a close, a chill was settling into the air, and the only source of heat in
the house was an old wooden stove. He would have to go out and get some firewood. Billy
would probably prefer that he not die from hypothermia or something of the sort.

With that thought, he grabbed the axe resting against the porch, placed it in the truck bed, and
headed out into the woods. The odds of Charlie running into an infant vampire who had a
pack of wolves and a coven of vampires looking for them was practically impossible. The
rain started up and he drove down the dirt road on his property, into the treeline.

Once he arrived at a decently sized tree, Charlie stepped out of Billy’s truck. He pulled the
axe from the bed and got to work. Chopping wood, man stuff. It felt good to be productive,
with all Billy’s worrying he was beginning to feel cooped up.

Charlie had been chopping for a time when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He
was being watched.

“Billy?”

A branch cracked in the distance. A black and white blur lunged at him, taking them both to
the ground. He lifted himself up, turning to shove the thing off of him down into the mud. He
could hardly breathe, the force of the hit knocking the wind out of him. His head was
spinning and ached where he had hit it on the rocks below. A small trickle of blood made its
way down his forehead. He looked up and locked eyes with the creature: a little girl, she
couldn't have been older than 6. Dark hair formed a halo around her pale face, the long curls
tangled and interspersed with leaves and sticks. The white dress she was wearing was ratty
and covered in blood stains. Most glaring were her eyes: pitch black. She bared her teeth,
ready to lunge again. Charlie froze.

“Are you hungry?” Charlie asked. The girl nodded, eyes locked on him.

Charlie wiped the blood that was coming down his forehead. He offered his hand to the girl.

“No biting.” The girl nodded again, she moved ever closer sheepishly.

When the girl was close enough, she took his hand in her little ones. She began to lick the
blood from his palm with gentle kitten licks. The girl was careful to not bring her teeth close
to his skin. Charlie smiled at her. Once the blood was cleaned from his palm, she looked at
Charlie with a shy look on her face. She was clearly still hungry but was holding herself
back. Her eyes had shifted from a pitch black to a dark red, a barely noticeable shift.

“Are you cold?” he asked. She shook her head. Naturally she wouldn't be

“Well, I’m cold. I’ll give you some more if you come with me?” The girl seemed to consider
this, biting her bottom lip before nodding in agreement.

Charlie motioned her to follow. He led her to the truck and opened the passenger door.
Charlie grabbed a blanket that was sitting on the seat before wrapping it around the girl. He
picked her up and placed her down in the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt and smoothing
her filthy hair. That child would need a bath and some new clothes asap.

“I just need to put the firewood in the truck, then we’ll leave. Wait here, alright?” Charlie
said, warming as she nodded with a faint smile on her face.

Once Charlie had completed his task, making sure to place the axe where she couldn't get to
it, he drove them back to the house. They arrived and Charlie walked over to the passenger
door. He opened it and motioned for the girl to stand.

“This is where I live.” He spoke softly, scared of startling her. Her eyes were wide, trying to
take in every bit of her new surroundings. “Would you like to stay here with me?”

She nodded again, and Charlie began to wonder if she was able to speak. She might just be
too nervous too. After all, Charlie himself would refuse to speak to anyone but his parents
and Billy at that age. Charlie took her hand and pulled her through the door. The two stepped
into the kitchen, Charlie flicking on the light. The girl took a seat at the table, legs swinging
in the too-big chair.

“You need to have a bath, but I bet you're too hungry for that, huh?” he asked her, taking a
small paring knife out of the drawer. “Let’s fix that.”
He took a deep breath and held the blade against the skin of his wrist, just hard enough for a
bead of blood to drip down the handle. The sight of it was a little much for him, and his knees
gave out. He sank to the tile floor, head resting against the counter.

The girl looked at him apprehensively, practically drooling at the crimson pooling in his
hand. He nodded, and the girl crawled towards him, resting in his lap, her head against his
chest. He wondered, for a moment, if she wanted to hear his heartbeat as she drank his blood.
The thought quickly faded as the girl sighed, pushing her head further into his chest as she
moved his wrist to her mouth.

“No biting. When I tell you to stop, you stop”

The girl nodded once again, closing her lips around the wound. She suckled gently, the red
staining her lips. Charlie felt a scrape of teeth against his skin, but it never broke through.
Charlie patted the girl's hair softly, not wanting to pull on the mats in her hair, it seemed to
calm her, to reassure her she wasn't doing anything wrong. The girl hummed happily and
Charlie pulled her in close.

The peace that Charlie felt with the girl was disrupted when the door was suddenly broken
down.

“Charlie!” Billy shouted, panic filling his voice. Carlisle was right behind him, teeth bared.

The girl in his arms stiffened, removing her mouth from the cut, she began to whimper.
Charlie lifted a bloodied hand towards the two men.

“Don’t! You’re scaring her.”

“Charlie, step away from it.” Carlisle said, clearly trying to sound calmer than he really was.
His eyes were pitch black when they had been golden the night before. Carlisle swallowed
heavily, eyes shifting to their typical golden hue once more.

“She’s not an it. She’s a child!” Charlie spat. “She was hungry, so I fed her.”

“That thing could kill you, Charlie!” Billy shouted.

“But she hasn’t!” The girl was quivering in Charlie’s grasp. She moved her face into
Charlie’s neck, her arms wrapping tightly around him, afraid to let go.

Charlie held the back of her head, whispering calming words. “She’s a child, and she's
scared. She listened to me when I told her to be careful. She’s not dangerous. What is
dangerous is whoever made her. I found her filthy and starving, she needs to be taken care of,
not killed.”

Carlisle and Billy locked eyes. They seemed to sigh in unison. Carlisle put his hand on
Billy’s shoulder. “If this is true, she must have a rather remarkable gift. It took me decades to
get this kind of control.”

Billy frowned. “Then you think we should keep her too?”

Carlisle nodded, “I think Charlie is right, she seems less dangerous than we anticipated. Her
creator, on the other hand, needs to be dealt with. We should keep her here for the time being,
since she seems fond of Charlie. I would not like to upset the child by separating them.”

Billy grimaced, but walked slowly towards Charlie, holding his hand out to the girl. “I’m
Billy, would you like us to take care of you?”

The girl nodded.

“Do you have a name?”

The girl licked her bloody lips. “Isabella.”

 Oh, Isabella
Chapter Notes

More Billy for y'all.

As Charlie cradled the baby vampire in his arms, Billy once again found himself wondering
what the hell his life had come to. That child in Charlie’s arms should fill him with a
repulsion based only on her existence, but the imprint beamed with the joy that Charlie was
experiencing.

Charlie was happy, and that’s all that mattered to Billy. And if Charlie is bonded to the baby
vamp, the pack would protect it because of the imprint.

But yeah… Billy hadn’t told Charlie about the imprinting just yet. Maybe he never would. He
wasn't sure how. He knew Charlie, he knew if he admitted that a force out of his control had
taken over his mind right before they got together, Charlie would assume he had taken
advantage of him. Imprinting on Charlie had both shattered his world and rebuilt it in an
instant. Charlie became the Sun around which Billy revolved around. Billy knew the way he
had looked at Charlie throughout the years of their friendship, the way he would tense when
Charlie’s hand brushed his on the armrest of the truck, and how his heart would stutter when
he found himself gazing into Charlie’s chocolate-brown eyes.

But Charlie…he would never believe it. He spent his whole young life abandoned and
unloved, even now, Billy would catch a light furrow between the man’s brown as Billy kissed
him, uncertainty falling over his face. There was something so genuine in his eyes, he knew
Carlisle felt it too, the need to protect him. It was the only thing the two could agree on, at
least at first.

He had to admit, the two of them had grown closer over the past couple of weeks. Carlisle
would occasionally come up behind him, placing a hand on the small of Billy’s back. The
gesture was more comforting than he’d like to admit. The cold of Carlisle's palm melded with
the all-encompassing heat of his own body. It was beginning to feel right–the three of them.
Billy knew Charlie had always been weak to Carlisle's charm, and it seemed he was no
different.

He also was aware of Carlisle’s unfortunate affliction–his singer–was what Carlisle called
Charlie. He had told Billy how he desired Charlie’s blood above all else. How it killed him
inside and how much it disgusted him. Carlisle had told him how strong he had been, and
how that strength had been crushed in the instant he had met Charlie. The bloodlust had
shifted, however, into a sort of protectiveness. He no longer felt the urge to maul Charlie,
instead, he wanted to press close, burying himself in Charlie's scent. A feeling Billy knew all
too well. The question was, then, how did Carlisle feel about him? Did he want Billy too? His
heart raced at the thought.

Like he had read Billy’s mind, Carlisle came up behind him, placing a chiseled arm over his
shoulder. He looked at the other man, who smiled softly at the scene before them.

“Let’s talk.”

Billy nodded and followed him out onto the front lawn. He should have been apprehensive
about leaving Charlie alone with the child vampire, about Carlisle leading him away, keeping
him from interfering. But he wasn't, his mind instead focusing on the curve of Carlisle's hip
as he pushed open the front door, and the splay of his legs as he perched on the steps. Billy
sat down next to him, body stiffening.

“I worry about the logistics of this situation. She is a child who will never age, people will
notice such a thing,” Carlisle murmured. “She has a hold on her instincts, but she is a
predator. A wild animal kept as a pet is still a wild animal.”

“But she isn’t a wild animal–she’s a little girl. Do you think she’ll hurt Charlie? She seems to
like him so far”

“It is entirely possible. However, she has had ample opportunity to do so, and has not. Any
other vampire would have killed him at the first chance. He provides her nourishment and she
seems to recognize that. The longer he lives, the more she can eat. But we cannot assume she
will always have this temperament. She is a child, and children are easily upset.”

“Then what, do we kill her? Could we do that to Charlie?” Billy spoke, almost appalled with
himself.

“Immortal children are enchanting creatures. But so is he, and I cannot seem to allow myself
to cause him pain, despite my better judgments.”

“So we’re on the same page then: keep the kid, but watch her.”

“I believe so.” Carlisle said, a solemn tone in his voice. His hand had moved onto Billy’s
knee, giving it a soft squeeze before letting go. Billy’s heart fluttered, reminding him of how
he felt around Charlie before everything got weird. Carlisle looked deeply into Billy’s eyes,
the gold of his eyes burning in a way that felt just right. Billy had to rip his gaze away and he
looked off into the distance.

What the hell was he supposed to do now? Carlisle had clearly noticed his reaction, and by
the look the other man gave him, the feeling was mutual. Carlisle’s hand was still resting on
his leg, and his body temperature was rising by the minute. If he was being honest, it wasn't
the only thing. But there were far bigger problems at hand, they had to figure out what do do
with the child before they could all work through…whatever was happening.

“Aren’t you married?” Billy blurted, red rising to his cheeks.

“Esme? No, we’re not married.” Carlisle didn’t elaborate.

“Alright then,” Billy stood up and reached for the other man’s hand. “We should go back into
the house to make sure the baby vampire hasn’t killed Charlie yet.”

Carlisle grinned.

Charlie looked down at Isabella in his arms, a smile pulling at his lips. They had moved from
the kitchen floor to the couch in the living room. Isabella had asked politely for more blood,
even using “please.” Charlie didn’t have the heart to refuse her. She was swaddled in a
blanket like an infant in the arms of its mother as she drank softly from the cut on Charlie’s
wrist.

Charlie heard the front door open and close. Billy’s brow furrowed as he took in the sight of
Isabella cradled in his arms. The tension in his shoulders seemed to relax slightly, but he
noticed the concern flickering in his eyes. Charlie pulled his wrist from Isabella, who wiped
her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Hey.” Charlie greeted, his voice soft and dripping with affection.

Carlisle stepped forward, peering over Billy to get a better look at Isabella.

“Charlie,” he said gently, “we need to talk about this…change.”

Charlie’s smile slipped from his face, his jaw clenching as he held on tighter to the child in
his lap. Billy shifted uncomfortably beside Carlisle, his gaze moving over to Isabella, her
place face peeking out of the blanket, blinking sleepily despite the fact that she couldn’t
sleep.

“She needs to be taught restraint. Isabella seems to be doing well for the moment, but that
may change. Not to mention, she will be a cause for concern to others.”

Charlie nodded, looking down at the girl. “We’re keeping Bella then?” he ventured, looking
towards Billy.

“Bella?”

“Well she needs a nickname doesn't she?”

Billy smiled, “Of course, we're keeping her.”

Charlie lowered his head “You hear that Bells? You're staying.” The girl hummed happily at
the statement.

“She’ll need a bedroom.” Billy sat next to Charlie, leaning his head onto the other man’s
shoulder. “There's only one other in the house… you know. Kids need their space.”

Charlie’s dad’s room. The one place he could never bring himself to enter after his mom’s
death. Even during the renovations, it had been left untouched. He looked into Bella’s
striking red eyes, staring up at him with adoration.
“Let’s do it then.”
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