Summary: Carlisle has been busy at work recently and feels he has been neglecting Esme, so he buys her yet another extravagant gift as a reminder of his love. Fluffy one-shot. Post Breaking Dawn.
Authors Note: I really wanted to do a Carlisle/Esme fanfic because I haven't done one before. It was quite fun being in Carlisle's head for a while, and seeing Esme through his eyes. Its very fluffy, but I enjoyed writing it. I hope you enjoy reading it (:
Thanks to Alex (Thats-So-Alex) for Beta-ing again. Check out some her one-shots; they're great!
Of course, I do not own Twilight; Stephenie Meyer does.
In Carlisle's word:
"See you tomorrow, Carlisle." My colleague waved as he clocked out of the hospital, eyes drooping from the long night shift he'd just worked, even more pronounced with the overly stressful evening after a car accident with two drunken teenagers rolling into the emergency room.
I nodded my head, and moved to inspect one of my patients who recovering from a heart attack. She was asleep, but her breathing slow. I would check back on her later.
"You still here, Dr?" someone called, but I didn't see who it was as they'd passed through the door before I could turn around; my movements were extremely restricted here, and I was used to the fact that human pace was the only appropriate pace in such a place. Like resisting blood had become part of my lifestyle, acting human had also become natural.
The clock told me I should be going home now, that I should retreat back to my house, but it seemed so hard to leave. The night shift was always the hardest; the other Doctors get tired, whereas I don't since sleep is impossible.
The person it affected most was not the hospital patients, nor my colleagues. It wasn't even any of my children or my grandchild. It was my wife, my beloved, my darling Esme.
At night, each of my children went their separate ways, entertaining themselves in ways that a father didn't really want to think about, but allowed all the same. Esme was left alone to bask in her own company, doing such things that made her happy such as decorating, or reading, or cleaning, or sewing. Yet, that wasn't the life I had planned when I turned her. I wanted to spend every moment possible with her; every breath that I took should be with her. When I spent my time at the hospital, although I was saving lives and helping the health of others, I felt I was depriving Esme of my company, taking away a promise I had made when marrying her.
I walked into my office and moved a stack of papers from the desk to the shelf next to the window where I would deal with them at a later date. After all, everyone else thought I was only human; certain excuses could be made when it came to paperwork.
Flicking through the phone book, I found the number I was looking for and after making some calls, I smiled happily.
For once, I reluctantly ignored the woman who was being carted in on a wheeling bed grunting in pain as her husband ran behind her, happiness radiating off him as he revelled in the fact he'd be a father soon. I ignored the tired mom of a patient standing at the drinks machine cursing the slow coffee machine and I walked to my car, driving to the patient that mattered most to me; my wife.
The house was almost quiet with Alice and Jasper upstairs, trying to muffle their sounds, and I could vaguely hear Bella and Edward in the cottage and Nessie's peaceful breathing as she slept. Esme could be heard in our bedroom, humming gently. I followed the sound of perfection, but as soon as I got close, the humming stopped.
"Carlisle?" Esme's voice sounded surprised but happy all the same. I pushed the door open to find Esme in a small nightgown on our bed, a magazine being propped open by her toe as she combed her hair over and over with a silver handled brush that had been passed down in my family from many years ago.
"Hello, my love." I smiled, walking over to the bed, closing the magazine and sitting beside her. "May I?" She gave me the brush and turned her back to my chest so I was spooning her and ran the bristles through her caramel hair, each stroke smoothly over each of her silky strands.
"You're home early." She observed, placing her hands on the calf of my leg.
"I missed you."
The words seemed simple, and I had definitely said them before, but with such spontaneous actions, they had gained a whole new reaction. I felt Esme's body relax, and I saw her cheeks rise as she smiled uncontrollably.
"I missed you too." She said, and I continued to brush her hair, long after any knots had been untangled.
Content, Esme sighed and that was enough. Just my very presence had pleased her, taken her away from the solitude world that she often had to bare with during my shifts at the hospital. She never complained. Never. She was too polite and too kind, wanting me to do what made me happy, what saved others.
"I was thinking, sweetheart, we should take a break somewhere." I smiled and Esme turned around to face me, her loving eyes gazing admirably at me, her heart shaped face a reminder of how passionate she was.
"Where to?" Her tone was excitable, and again, I smiled.
"I was originally thinking Isle Esme, but we've been there a few times now. Somewhere new?" It had taken a lot of thinking to decide this. Esme loved Isle Esme, as did I; the memories that were associated with the island were all happy and I had to suppress some of my thoughts in fear I'd get too excited. But Edward and Bella had used it last, two years ago, and I wanted somewhere more personal where I could, temporarily, abandon the father figure that I was and become the husband I was supposed to be.
"Somewhere new." Esme agreed eager for more.
"The thing is, sweetheart, the place I had in mind hasn't been lived in for quite some time. It's a bit run down." I apologised, but Esme's eyes lit up – the response I'd been hoping for. I would have bought Esme anything she asked for, something brand new, something old, whatever she wished. I knew, through experience, that Esme liked to personalise her homes. This was perfect.
"It's just off the Australian coast, on a small island. The basis to the house is already there; I was thinking maybe we could renovate it, and maybe… christen every room." I traced my finger over her shoulder blade as she involuntarily shivered.
"What about work?" She asked, curious as to my sudden abandonment.
"I've booked a month off. There are more important things to care to. I promised to love you, to cherish you, to care for you. I've been neglecting that recently, and I'm sorry." I leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips.
"Don't apologise, Carlisle, work is important too." As always, Esme was being the compassionate person that she was, caring about others she did not know, lives that, if lost, Esme would not be affected by. "However, it is nice to spend some time with you." A wide grin spread across her face. "Shall I ring the estate agent?
"Already done, sweetheart." I fumbled in my pocket for the piece of paper that I'd printed out. "Take a look at our new holiday home."
Holding out the piece of paper, I watched Esme's face light up at the image of the white walls boxing the house and the glass doors that let the Australian light flood through, magnifying the heat of the atmosphere. Her eyes moved to the pictures of inside, bare simple walls, some cracked, and the floor boards a little creaky. But Esme's smile could not have been wider.
"Already done?" She questioned, her eyes meeting mine.
"It's a gift; therefore you shouldn't have to make arrangements." I took Esme's hands in mine, cupping them and squeezing them lightly. "A reminder of my undying love for you, darling."
With a small smile, Esme leaned in to kiss me again with a little less restraint, but still not to our full potential passion.
"Thank you." She breathed.
"Not at all." I said, shaking my head. With her hands still firmly gripping the picture of our home for the next month, I knew I'd made her happy. "Chop chop, Mrs Cullen, you've got some packing to do." I grinned. To answer her inquisitive glare, I said "The plane leaves in approximately four hours. No time like the present."
As Esme darted around, packing various clothes that were always packed at the bottom of our wardrobe (classed as unsuitable for Forks) I sat and watched her quick movements, her flowing caramel hair and her glorious smile. Her happiness was contagious, and I couldn't suppress my own grin and contentment as I watched my wife.
She truly was the most wonderful person ever, and I'd just bought myself a month of her undivided company, alone and undisturbed. I vowed to myself I would not leave her side for a moment.
I quite liked it. I thought it was sweet, and I enjoyed exploring another couple besides Bella and Edward (who are the main focus for a lot of my one-shots). If you enjoy this one-shot then please read some of my others on my profile.
I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this, so please review! It's so great to hear what you think.
Thanks for reading xx