Disclaimer: I own nothing, and all the characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, this is my first fanfic. Ever. So please be kind. :P This is for my friend, Crystal, who gave me this little jumping off point. :D It takes place at some point in the years before the Cullens moved to Forks. Nothing too specific. Hope you enjoy! *cringes for reviews*
Snow fell in large, fluffy flakes and settled on the pristine white blanket below the numerous fragrant pines. To any human eye, the scene would have provoked a feeling of intense serenity and beauty, but to the eyes of the observing vampire, it was nothing particularly inspiring. Especially not after a century of world travel and far more interesting sights.
Edward sat sprawled on the white leather couch in the fire-lit living room of the house in Denali, his golden eyes intent on the delicate details of each individual snowflake. The others he lived with had gone hunting, with the exception of Tanya, who was currently giving him some well-needed time alone. The house itself belonged to Tanya and her family of sorts, Irina, Kate, Carmen, and Eleazar. It truly was a beautiful piece of architecture, the walls paneled in cedar, a tasteful mix of modern and antique furniture, and a large bay window in the living room, through which Edward now gazed. The back porch had a beautiful view of the surrounding forest, and even held a hot tub - however useful it may or may not be, in their case.
Though he was bored stiff, Edward knew that he was lucky to have such splendid living arrangements, and also to have a family, which was rare for his kind. For a while now, his hypothetical father, Carlisle, had spoken of finding a place of their own, and the young vampire was frankly looking forward to a move. It wasn't as though he did not enjoy living in Alaska, but he needed a change of scenery, and he needed to get away from a certain someone…
These thoughts continued, contorting his face from blank to sour, depending on the way his thoughts weaved their complicated web. So consumed was Edward with his thought process that he failed to notice her entrance, even with her obvious reflection in the window and his exceptional hearing abilities. Tanya now stood at the end of the couch, silent as the grave, observing the handsome specimen of a boy comfortably stretched across it. Her impulse to giggle at the ridiculous faces he made was quelled by the fact that she wanted no more than to appear as a good friend should. Giggling at Edward in a private moment never yielded good results. Tanya unfortunately knew this from personal experience, and though she would not usually let such knowledge faze her, she decided that, for once, she could be "nice." To keep up appearances and all. She noted the way his unusual, messy bronze-hued hair reflected the firelight and her lip twitched into a crooked smile reminiscent of his own.
Such a beautiful boy, she thought, with a hint of her original Russian accent.
Immediately, Edward shot into a sitting position and stared at her, his topaz eyes wide with shock - and a hint of betrayal. He collected himself before he unnecessarily blew up at her and ruined what could be a perfectly civil conversation. Closing his eyes, he ran a hand through his untidy mop, and let out a heavy, albeit unnecessary, sigh before turning to face her again.
"Was there something you needed, Tanya?" he asked quietly, trying desperately to keep the hint of aggravation out of his voice.
He didn't really hate her. But he had been deep in thought. And he did hate being interrupted from such a euphoric state. There was a long beat of silence after his inquiry. He had not been entirely successful in his attempt to hide his irritation. Regardless, the female vampire slowly and delicately strode over to the empty cushion beside Edward, and implored with her eyes if he would allow her an audience. Grimacing, he gave a curt nod, and she sat on the couch, curling her long legs beneath her slight frame.
"Actually, there was something I wanted to discuss with you, Edward. Especially now that we have the place to ourselves," she added with a flawless smile that would make a dentist swoon.
He groaned inwardly, knowing this day would eventually come. Her thoughts had been nothing but a flood of different scenarios, all leading to one end - approaching him about her shallow and rather impure interest in him. Edward agreed with himself that she was a nice enough woman, and even considered her a close friend, to a degree. But nothing was more uncomfortable to him than knowing her true intentions. Behind all the friendly smiles and banter they had shared, he knew that there was something more. He ran over her subtle flirtations in his head, from the way she would giggle absurdly at things he said, the way she would gaze at him through lowered lashes, and how she would try to stand closer to him when she thought he wouldn't notice. It was all rather pathetic, really. He mentally rolled his eyes, then shook his head and put his face in his hands.
"You know I do not feel like having this conversation. You are a dear friend, Tanya. That is all you will ever be," he concluded in a soft, muffled voice.
He did not glance up at her, choosing to remain blind to her reaction. He did not want to hurt her feelings, but he felt compelled to be brutally honest, nonetheless. To see her hurt would only deepen the depression he'd felt throughout his entire vampire existence, and so he did not even contemplate seeing the rejection in her eyes.
To his great surprise, a loud chuckle emanated from the being beside him and he slowly returned his gaze to her. Tanya's face lit up with amusement at his bewildered expression, and she caught herself up in a lengthy laughing fit. He did nothing to stop her, he was so confused by the whole scenario. Edward only sat and stared, wide-eyed and gaping at the apparently psychotic giggling vampire at the other end of the couch and waited for an explanation.
"Oh, Edward. Silly boy," she exclaimed after her laughing had died down. "You are simply unaware of what you truly want."
She reached out and pinched the now thoroughly astounded Edward's cold cheek, and smiled at her self-reassurance. He had no idea what he was talking about, the poor boy. She had had her fair share of men in the past, and she was confident that with time, she could convince him to stay with her in Denali. Lurid images of her past encounters flashed through her head while she smiled, making Edward grimace and cringe away from her. Tanya's face fell slightly, but her confidence did not waver. She was beautiful, after all, what with her flowing strawberry blonde locks, flawless figure, and perfect smile. So he was going to be a challenge. Not a problem. This could be a new sort of adventure, she decided, for she had never actually had to do much seducing in the past. What fun the future held…
She stood gracefully and began to stroll out of the room, swaying her hips suggestively. At the door, she turned and smiled at him over her shoulder. She winked before sliding elegantly from the room. When she was gone, Edward turned toward the fire in front of him, feeling the warmth of the flames and wondering if it was anything similar to the way a human felt when he or she blushed. He decided that it was close enough. Her thoughts echoed in his mind from down the hall, something about friends and how she'd see about him wanting to remain friends when she was through with him. He shuddered and scooted down further into the soft leather of the couch, drawing his feet up and wrapping his arms around his knees. The light from the dying fire glinted off his darkening eyes, and he regretted staying home. At that thought, the others arrived home, greeting him as they entered the house. The last to enter was Alice, who paused for a moment as the others made off for their various rooms, thick evanescent snowflakes clinging to the feathery black spikes of her hair. She locked eyes with Edward, amusement twitching her small lips into a knowing smirk before she made off down the hall with the others, flitting away gracefully as usual. He could not bite back a groan as he buried his face in his knees and hoped that for once, he would receive mercy from his curious family.