✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧.

『 ᴛʜᴇ 𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 ᴏғ 𝕭𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂. — 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ （𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝.） 』 〉

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

『 — ;; » （ 𝙎𝙒𝘼𝙉
𝘽𝙀𝙇𝙇𝘼𝙍𝙈𝙄𝙉𝙊 "𝘽𝙀𝙇𝙇." ;;

• ❝I didn't relate well to 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 my age.
Maybe the 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇 was that I didn't
relate to people, 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐃.❞ ） {📖} 』

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

- his turn started replaying in his head. Then, he shook his head, trying to push it away. "But, before that, I lived around this area with my dad and little sister. Dad's... Chief of Police."

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

Bell made a face at the idea of feeding on 'mortals,' finding the idea of being around people even more unnerving than before.

"Got it. People are friends, not food," Bell stated, attempting to lighten the mood with a joke, leaning away from Edward when he noticed how focused -

[‍ ‍𝚝𝚑𝔢 ‍𝓅𝑜𝔢𝚝͟﹒ @imortalia]

sharpen no matter how hard he looked. every attempt to reach for the stranger’s thoughts produced the same dull discomfort.

〝but you said you’re local. i don’t remember seeing you before.〞

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

- he was. Bell's head tilted to the side, eyes giving Edward a curious glance over before he awkwardly turned his head away. If he was human, he was certain his neck would be turning red by now.

"I was in Seattle. At school. Engineering student," he said, brows furrowing as -

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

- wandering, keeping away from residential areas. The woods were strangely comfortable.

"Or... is me being here going to cause you trouble? I'm still figuring... this out."

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

"I am—or was—rather local," Bell said hesitantly, eventually retracting his hand to stuff them both back into his pockets, just to appear more at ease than he felt. Eerily calm for someone still in their first year of being a vampire.

"Sorry. Is this territory yours?" He'd -

[‍ ‍𝚝𝚑𝔢 ‍𝓅𝑜𝔢𝚝͟﹒ @imortalia]

〝i wasn’t expecting to find anyone else out here. especially someone .. like me.〞

he glanced briefly toward the darkening sky before returning his attention to the newborn. 〝you’re new in town, i suppose.〞

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

- stayed away from the area that was marked by wolves, just because it seemed the polite thing to do around a place clearly already claimed.

But, Bell was unsure if the vampires would have any specific rules against a supposed 'newbie' staying in the area. He'd mostly been -

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

- completely. This was embarrassing.

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

Bell was used to the confusion by now.

Most people walked past him like he wasn't there, and he had a history of watching people struggle to make eye contact, as if he was difficult to look at, like they couldn't be bothered to look at him straight-on.

It had made him anxious -

[‍ ‍𝚝𝚑𝔢 ‍𝓅𝑜𝔢𝚝͟﹒ @imortalia]

a shield, surely. or something akin to one.

〝bell.〞 the irony of that name drew a faint smile from edward’s lips. 〝i’m edward.〞

he extended his hand.

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

- if they were both vampires, hesitating when his hand was outstretched.

"Oh." He tried not to suddenly move, painfully self-aware, before he gave Edward's hand a careful, way-too-gentle shake. "Nice to meet you." The words felt way too robotic, he suddenly wanted to disappear -

[ℒ𝘢ᅠ 𝓟𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘦 ᅠℒ𝘰𝘶𝘷𝘦. @proeliabeowulf]

https://t.co/IXfA9l4mVW

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

Bell offered a small smile, quite happy that Bella had someone else to look after her since he could no longer be around. He loved Bella dearly, he still felt guilty for having to leave her behind. He wasn't sure if that would ever go away.

"That's great."

[𝙨t𝙧𝗼𝗇𝗴𝗲𝙨t 𝖼𝗎𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗇 @hesnotabear]

“yeah. i know your sister. bella and i go way back. she's one of my best friends. basically a sister to me at this point.”

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

- his hands into his pockets to keep them hidden, he finally allowed himself to speak, "Bell."

He had heard there were others, friendlier vampires, in the area, but had attempted to keep distance between them. He didn't want to cause them any trouble.

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

As the sun shone through the trees, Bell reached up to adjust the hood of his jacket over his face to hide it from view, taking a step back into the shadows. His eyes, once a bright blue, were now a rather disarming deep red, and he had no way to hide them out here.

Tucking -

[‍ ‍𝚝𝚑𝔢 ‍𝓅𝑜𝔢𝚝͟﹒ @imortalia]

the indistinct figure before him, as frustratingly blurred as he was fascinating. he found himself unable to look away. 〝who are you?〞

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

- say carefully before turning his head to look at where he sensed them.

"Can I help you?"

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

/No, no, no. Don't do that. Go away. Shoo/.

Bell's hands fell to his sides and he stopped to stare down at the ground before lifting his head and deciding to address the other vampire directly before they continued following him through the woods. He thought over what he would -

[‍ ‍𝚝𝚑𝔢 ‍𝓅𝑜𝔢𝚝͟﹒ @imortalia]

so he followed them. he kept enough distance not to seem immediately hostile, though he suspected his presence had already been noticed.

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

Bell lowered his hand, pulling back to slowly nod his head.

"I can't read minds, but I think so... You know my sister?"

[𝙨t𝙧𝗼𝗇𝗴𝗲𝙨t 𝖼𝗎𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗇 @hesnotabear]

“swan? hold on. . . you're not part of the swan family i'm thinking of. are you?”

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

"Oh, sorry." He outstretched his hand politely, mustering a small smile. It would've been normal if his eyes weren't bright red right now. "My name is Bell... Swan."

[𝙨t𝙧𝗼𝗇𝗴𝗲𝙨t 𝖼𝗎𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗇 @hesnotabear]

“yeah. that’s right. i’m emmett. and you are. . .?”

[✧ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧. @missingimmortal]

Awkwardly shifting on his feet.

"You're... Emmett, right?"

[𝙨t𝙧𝗼𝗇𝗴𝗲𝙨t 𝖼𝗎𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗇 @hesnotabear]

“ hey you.” waves back