It Happened at the DriveIn

by SqueakyZorro

After forming a tentative bond with Edward, Carlisle changes the young human, hoping to end centuries of loneliness. When Edward awakes, however, he rejects anything more than friendship. Decades later, maybe it's time for another kind of change. M for slash lemon. Written for the Slash Backslash 3.0 Contest.

It Happened at the Drive-In

by SqueakyZorro

SLASH BACKSLASH 3.0 CONTEST

Title: It Happened at the Drive-In
Author: SqueakyZorro
Pairing: Carlisle & Edward
Rating and appropriate Warnings: M for slashy citrus
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer; this pairing and plot, however, are definitely not. :)
Word Count: 7343

My attention was diverted from the medical journal I had been reading by the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. They had to be Edward's; no human could move that fast, and no other vampire had any reason to come to this isolated house on the outskirts of Eureka, California. I sighed and set down my reading. His approach at that speed could only mean that he was upset about something. His volatile temperament had calmed somewhat after he outgrew his newborn stage, but his emotional maturity sometimes still reverted to the seventeen-year-old he had been when I changed him. And he was, after all, a redhead. I stifled my mental grin at that thought before Edward could detect my thoughts.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the door crashed in, nearly coming off its hinges, and Edward appeared in the doorway.

"Do you know what they're thinking about us in town?" he demanded, dispensing with any mannerly greeting. Showing a restlessness unusual in a vampire, he paced swiftly back and forth across the room. Without waiting for my reply, he continued, "They're saying that...that we're...that we're together—a couple!"

He stopped pacing and looked at me, clearly waiting for some response. "Well, that's not uncommon, is it?" I asked mildly. "Haven't you observed similar thoughts in most places we've lived?"

He snorted and resumed pacing. After a moment, I continued, "We appear to be two young men who live together, we don't date the local women, and we hardly socialize with the humans. It's a reasonable conclusion based on the evidence they have."

He stopped short and stared at me, apparently astounded. "Reasonable? What could possibly be reasonable about it? It's preposterous!"

I considered for a moment, silently reciting the article I had just been reading to hide my thoughts from Edward. I had no wish to infuriate him further, but it seemed the time had come to confront this issue. My question was valid—Edward had detected similar thoughts since I had changed him. At first, it had generated a mild disgust in him, which had quickly faded to indifference. The humans' suspicion that we were engaged in a homosexual relationship was preferable to a suspicion that we were vampires. Something had changed recently for him to be upset about these thoughts now, and I had an inkling what that was.

I raised my eyes to his and stopped mentally reciting the article, laying my thoughts bare to him. "Is it really so preposterous, Edward?"

He took a half-step backwards, still holding my gaze, but he didn't speak. I let my mind wander over my memories of the time before and during his change. I recalled my first sight of him and his mother as they followed the gurney carrying his ill father. I had been rooted to the spot, drinking in the sight of him with no thought of my many patients or the dangers inherent in responding so impetuously to a human. He was so solicitous of his mother, yet he was briefly distracted by my attention, our eyes locking for a breathless moment. Within a few days, he himself was ill, but during those days, I had made every excuse I could to stop by first his father's sickbed, then his mother's, then his own. I replayed for him the way his heartbeat, already elevated from the influenza, had accelerated even more when I touched him, and I showed him the way his body had responded to me physically, even in its weakened state.

I stood so that we were eye-to-eye and opened my mind further. "Do you see?" I asked gently. More vampire-clear memories flashed through my head: My effort to maintain a professional demeanor with him in the hospital, my helpless admiration of him as he lay sleeping, my desperation when I realized that he, like so many other young people, was about to be taken by the disease. I remembered his mother's words to me, almost as if she had sensed not only what I was, but the tentative bond that had already begun to form between us—as if she knew that I would save him, then care for him more than anyone. I recalled my hesitation, despite my desire and his mother's request, loathe to condemn anyone, let alone this young man that I already loved, to this life of endless thirst.

After a moment's hesitation, I asked, "Do you remember your last night as a human?" Then I tentatively relived my memory of the night he changed my mind, convincing me that we belonged together.

His mother had passed away several hours earlier, and in his weakened state he had turned to me, the only one left to offer him comfort. I had hugged him briefly with one arm and spoken with him softly, offering the formal condolences that were traditional at such times. But I also promised that he would not be alone, that I would make sure that he was cared for as long as he needed me. To me, those words were a vow. He fell into a restless sleep, and I had returned to my duties.

Later that night, when the hospital was as quiet as it was possible for it to be, I simply wanted to be near him. Slowing the pace of the memories as they passed through my mind, I recalled the next several minutes in as much detail as I could.

He awoke after I had been sitting, motionless, for only a few minutes. He looked at me directly, and his gaze was remarkably clear, not clouded with fever as it had been. When he spoke, his words shocked me.

"I'm going to die, too, am I not, Dr. Cullen?" His voice was matter-of-fact.

I couldn't lie to him. "There is a small chance that you will recover, Edward. Some have. But I'm afraid that you are most likely correct."

His eyes remained steady on mine. "I'm not afraid of dying young, you know. I wanted to be a soldier; I knew it was quite likely that I would not return home alive." He sighed. "But dying in the service of one's country—there's a purpose, a value in that. Turning blue with the Spanish influenza...I must admit I don't like dying this way." He looked down briefly as he toyed with the edge of the sheet. "Forgive me, but do you mind if I become personal, Doctor? I feel that I no longer have any need to stand on ceremony."

"Of course not, Edward. Tell me—or ask me—anything you like. And if we are no longer standing on ceremony, please, call me Carlisle."

"Carlisle," he repeated softly. A small flicker of warmth unfurled in my chest at the sound of my name on his lips. Did you know that I had not yet had a sweetheart? I had danced with girls at our parents' parties, but I felt no particular connection to any of them. All I thought of was the war."

"That's not so unusual. You're still quite young."

"Well, most of my friends had them. Truthfully, my mother was disappointed—I'm not sure whether she thought a sweetheart would keep me from the war or she was already eager for me to marry and give her grandchildren. I just laughed at her, thinking I had plenty of time for such things after the war was over. Yet here I am...thinking of things that I have never experienced, and now never will."

A not uncomfortable silence fell between us, disturbed after a few minutes by Edward's next question. "Are you married, Carlisle?"

Surprised, I answered without thinking. "No, marriage is not possible for me."

He looked quickly at me. "Not possible? Surely, you must be sought after, a handsome young doctor like yourself."

I chuckled—I couldn't help but be pleased that he found me handsome—but the sound lacked true humor. "Perhaps. But I have other considerations that preclude marriage." Considerations like being the only animal-drinking vampire in the world...among other things...

I was saved from having to elaborate on those considerations when a coughing fit seized Edward. I darted forward and helped him to sit in a position that would more easily abate his coughing. After a few minutes, I gently laid him back against the pillows. I started to move back to my chair but was prevented from doing so when his hand refused to release mine. I crouched next to the bed, waiting for him to speak. My hand remained in his, and he brought his other hand to rest on top of it, rubbing lightly across my knuckles.

His voice was hoarse from the coughing spell, but his words were clear. "There doesn't seem to be any point to pretenses now, does there? My parents are dead, so they cannot be hurt by anything I could say. I will soon join them. If I say or do something completely outrageous, beyond the pale, what could anyone do to me? And if I but speak the truth, will the Lord not already know it? Simply admitting what is true would not engender the wrath of God any more than it's already stirred against me."

I was devastated to see him in this state. Not the physical weakness, but the emotional, even spiritual, despair that invested every syllable was painful to hear; I could only imagine how much more painful it was to suffer. My own voice was not as steady as it normally was as I replied, "Nothing you have done could have triggered the wrath of God against you. You are such a kind, good person. I watched you as you cared for your dying parents, even when you yourself became ill. You have been thoughtful of the nurses, even while you are in great pain. Your soul shines, Edward! You have nothing to fear from the Lord—I am sure of it."

He shook his head weakly, denying my statement. "You don't know...you have no idea..." His whisper was so soft, had I not had vampire senses, I might not have heard it.

"Edward. Look at me." He raised his head slowly, and his eyes—the green still so beautiful even as ill as he was—met mine. I continued, "Then tell me. Nothing you can say will make me think less of you."

He didn't respond verbally at first, just tugged at our joined hands, pulling me toward him. When our faces were mere inches apart, he lowered his eyes and murmured, "It was not only my preoccupation with the war that kept me from looking at the girls in our circle of friends. I simply did not...wish to do so; I felt no interest in them. When a friend showed me photographs he'd found somewhere...ladies showing their legs and, well, other parts, I didn't respond the way he did. I wasn't...excited." Meeting my eyes once more, he continued, "Much to my surprise and...dismay, I was more interested in my friend's...physical response to the photographs. Do you understand, Carlisle?"

I held his gaze, torn between sorrow for his obvious torment and a selfish joy at the possibilities implicit in his words. "I understand, Edward. As I promised, I think no less of you. I admire your courage in disclosing something so private, and I am honored that you chose me to speak with."

At my acceptance, a single tear fell from his eye and rolled down his cheek. He tugged my hands again, and though his strength could not have moved even a human child, I acquiesced and drew closer to him. The hand that had been resting on top of mine rose, trembling, and cupped the side of my cold face, his fingers moving slightly in my hair. Using what had to be the last of his strength, he lifted his shoulders from the pillow and pressed his lips to mine.

I watched for some reaction to this last image in my mind, hoping that Edward had some vague recollection of the moment. I knew, though, that since he had been human at the time, and racked with fever moreover, it was extremely unlikely. "Do you have no memory at all of this?"

To my disappointment, he did not answer, and I could detect no nonverbal response. For a moment I wished desperately for his ability, so I could know what he was thinking. His lips twitched as he read that thought, and for a second it seemed that the crooked smile I so loved might cross his face, but then it set in stone once more.

Wincing, I said, "Well, there's a bit more."

I sped up the next memories: Mere seconds after his kiss, I had moved my mouth to his throat and bitten him. I allowed him to scan swiftly through the images of his change and my frantic wish to do something, anything, to ease the pain, while swearing to myself that I would ask for nothing but his companionship unless he wished for more. Brief flashes of his newborn year and the havoc he had wrought were followed by treasured memories of our early years together.

My mind flashed forward ten years, to the day that I had realized I had underestimated the hold the time of his birth and its unrelenting rejection of same-sex relationships would have on him. In an unguarded moment, I had let a thought of kissing him—not as a friend, but as a lover—cross my mind ever so briefly. I quickly shifted my thoughts to innocuous subjects, but he had caught enough to make him stare at me blankly, followed by a glare as dark as any I had seen during his newborn tantrums. He never mentioned it and followed my lead to speak of other things. I had resigned myself to a deep friendship with Edward, nothing more, and I recalled random happy memories of our years together.

My silent confession was completed with more recent memories of our time in Alaska with the Denalis. My hope had been rekindled—that his unrelenting rejection of them could mean that he was ready to acknowledge his own identity. Even more, if I were lucky and he so desired, it could mean that we might become closer than before.

He fell back another step and shook his head. "I can't—Carlisle, I can't!" His voice rose, and he made the slightest move toward the door.

I flashed to his side and grabbed his arm. "Edward, no—don't go. There's more; please, let me explain." Please, give me a chance. Don't leave like this.

We stood motionless for almost a full minute before he heaved an unnecessary sigh. He looked at my hand on his arm, and I dropped it, gesturing to the couch. A shadow of a smirk crossed his face at my human suggestion that we sit. He thought my efforts to act human in our home were slightly ridiculous. Relieved to see that hint of humor, I sat back down in the chair I had recently vacated.

"Edward, please don't think for an instant that I regret anything. I lived alone for centuries before I met you, and the companionship we have shared for the past thirty years is priceless to me." I kept my thoughts open to him, letting him see my sincerity. "My desire for something more with you, unreciprocated though it may be, takes nothing away from our friendship." His eyes darted to mine at that, and his mouth opened as if he would speak before closing again.

I had dissembled for over thirty years, letting the intense attraction I felt lie dormant while I enjoyed simply having a companion and friend the likes of which I'd never experienced. I let him see this now, showing him my memories of this time in a few seconds. I took a deep breath. My next words would be more difficult than I ever imagined.

"Edward." I waited until he looked at me again. "My prior statement still stands. You have heard similar thoughts the entire time we've been together. After the first few occasions, they ceased to disturb you. Why are they suddenly so intolerable?" His eyes fell away and he did not speak. "Forgive me, but I believe it's because you have recently realized that the idea is not, as you called it, preposterous."

He stood quickly and moved across the room, stopping to stare out the window. "You're wrong. It's impossible."

Since he heard my scoff mentally, I didn't bother to suppress it. "Whatever it is, impossible is not the word. Such relationships have existed for as long as humans, and in many cultures they have been celebrated. Just because they are not accepted in this time and place does not change human or vampire nature."

I waited nervously for his reaction. Above all, I did not want to lose him completely.

He turned to face me but remained at the window. "Is that your nature, Carlisle?"

I answered him honestly, "As the only sexual relationship I have had was with another man, I would say yes."

He seemed startled, his expression questioning. "Who...?"

I replied to the unfinished question. "Aro, of course. In his culture, the culture of his human life, that is, male relationships were common and even admired." I chuckled at the memory of meeting the Volturi leader. "He had no scruples whatsoever in seducing me shortly after I arrived in Volterra."

All humor faded as I looked at my friend—my mate, I remained convinced—staring at me as though he'd never seen me before. I could not read his expression and could not bring myself to speak my next thoughts aloud without some clue to his emotional state. Surely you must see it—must accept yourself. Even if you do not return my feelings, you cannot deny who you are. After our time in Denali—

Exasperation appeared on the beloved face. "What do the trampy trio have to do with this?"

A reluctant laugh escaped me at his description of the vampire sisters, but a part of me was frustrated at his stubborn refusal to acknowledge the truth. "Edward, we lived with them for almost ten years. In that time, three amazingly beautiful, intelligent, and sensual women tried numerous times to gain your affections—"

He interrupted me again. "Just because I didn't...wasn't...intimate with them doesn't mean I'm...that..." His voice trailed off.

I didn't back down. This was too important. "Had it been solely a refusal to encourage their advances, no. But, Edward, it was more than that. You weren't even tempted! I admit that I watched your interaction with them, looking for indications of whether your confession to me your last night as a human was simply a mistake, a young man's confusion. I never once saw a sign that you were excited by them at all. Surely you must give at least some consideration to the possibility!"

He stared at me but said nothing. He did not move for three full minutes. Then he directed his gaze at the floor for a moment and said quietly, "No, I don't have to do any such thing." His voice grew steadily louder as he continued, "I don't know what your memory is, but I know that didn't happen the way you just showed it to me—it didn't! I was out of my mind with fever, and your cold skin must have felt soothing—that's all it could have been!"

I made a noise of disbelief. "Oh, really, you could see my thoughts yourself, Edward! You know I remember it exactly as it occurred."

He pushed away from the window and stalked to the door. As he opened it, he threw over his shoulder, "No. You're wrong. I'm going out—I need to think clearly and I can't do that with other people's thoughts in my head."

A chill went through me. "Where are you going? When will you be back?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I'm not sure that I can stay with you anymore. I need to...consider my options." He started to go through the doorway but stopped for a moment. Still not looking at me, he said, "I'll let you know where I am and what I've decided. But I can't stay here right now."

With that he was gone. Given his speed, faster than any vampire I'd known, I had no hope of catching him. I watched the spot in the distance where he had disappeared for over an hour before I shut the door.

I would not hear from him for more than a month.

I stood by the door that whole first night, hoping against hope that he would return before dawn.

When the sun rose, I remained where I was, thinking he would certainly return before I had to leave for the small hospital in town. He did not.

For the first time since I had begun practicing medicine, I seriously considered calling in sick for reasons other than an inopportune sunny day or difficulties with a newborn Edward. The thought of standing motionless in this room for the rest of the day, however, finally pushed me to prepare for work. As it was, only my vampire speed enabled me to arrive on time for my shift.

Usually, time passes quickly for us. The knowledge that we have eternity renders short measures of time—minutes, seconds, hours, even days—all but meaningless. But the days following Edward's departure seemed to stretch endlessly. After the first week, I tried to stop counting them, but my damnable perfect memory retained each instant of torment.

I hunted because I knew that I could endanger my patients if I did not. I treated my patients to the best of my ability because I had sworn to do so and because it distracted me, a little, from the pain. I returned to the house I could no longer call home after each shift, praying that Edward had returned, only to find the empty building where I would sit, utterly still, waiting for a reason to move again.

On the thirty-eighth day, I was driving home when I detected his scent. Fearing that I had imagined it, I filled my lungs and was overjoyed to realize that the air was saturated—he must have passed by here only minutes earlier. I pushed the Cadillac to its limits and was home—yes, if Edward was there, it would be home again—in less than half the time it normally took.

I was on the porch before the car door slammed behind me, anxious to see him. As I reached for the doorknob, however, I hesitated. What if he is here to tell me he's leaving for good? I froze, unable to completely prevent flashes of the misery I had felt for the last month from coming to mind. As I stood there, uncertain, I heard a rueful chuckle from inside the house.

"Carlisle, come in. I'm not leaving, but we do need to talk."

Reassured by the first statement but wary of the second, I slowly turned the knob and opened the door.

He was standing by the window, facing me. I stopped a few paces into the room and simply stared at him. Of course, I could picture him any time I wished, and I had done so countless times in the past few weeks, but memories were nothing to the reality of him. I breathed in his scent, sweet and unique. His eyes were a warm gold, indicating that he had fed recently. The half-smile on his face, however, shocked me. After the way he had left, I had expected nothing but anger, if he returned at all. As always, he picked up on my thoughts almost before I realized they'd formed.

"I'm not angry. I said I needed time and space, and I found them. I did a lot of thinking and a lot of internal arguing, and I took a hard look at myself. Then I went to Alaska."

My eyebrows rose. That was just about the last place I would have expected him to go. "Am I to understand that you went to see the Denalis?"

He seemed embarrassed but nodded. I let my confusion show. May I ask why?

"I needed...confirmation of some conclusions I had reached while I was alone. I wanted to talk to Eleazar. And...Tanya."

Tanya? But why... My thought trailed off.

"As I said, I needed...confirmation." He moved away from the window. Smirking a bit, he asked, "Would you prefer to sit while we continue this conversation?"

To my own surprise, I chuckled. Nothing was settled; I knew that he could still leave. The joy that he brought me simply by his return, however, could not be denied. I stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind me. Taking a seat, I gestured at the same time I mentally invited him to continue.

"I don't plan to leave. If nothing else, my time away showed me how very much I missed you." A smile lit up his face as he detected the happiness his reassurance gave me. It faded all too soon, though, and he sighed. "But of course, that's not all.

"I spoke at length with Eleazar about your time in Volterra...particularly your relationship with Aro. In essence, he confirmed what you said and showed to me the day that I left. My discussions with him...well, shall we say that they broadened my perspective?" His lips quirked briefly. "As for Tanya—all three of them, really—I asked two things of them."

I did not try to suppress my curiosity, and it must have been apparent in my thoughts. He seemed amused but also uneasy. "First, with their vast experience, I thought that they might know something about...physical attraction between members of the same sex." In his customary gesture of uneasiness, he ran his hand through his hair as he spoke the next words. "They, uh...did. Some of the scenes they recalled for me, well...were a revelation." He paused for a moment, and if he'd been human, I was sure that he would have cleared his throat. "Second, I wanted to test your theory about my reaction—or lack of it, I suppose—to their...charms. They were, ah, quite willing to assist me. I was...overwhelmed by their zeal, as a matter of fact."

The image of three beautiful blond vampires educating Edward in all matters sexual while simultaneously doing their best to seduce him drove a shout of laughter from me. He smiled ruefully as he watched me, apparently enjoying my good humor.

After a moment, I quieted. I watched his face for any indication of the "conclusions" he'd come to.

He looked down. "Perhaps conclusion is the wrong word. I still have so much uncertainty." He lifted his head and met my gaze. "I don't really know where to go from here—our relationship, I mean. I am not at all sure that I want the type of...activity...that Tanya and her sisters showed me."

My snort prevented him from continuing. I'm not sure I would want that type of activity, either, Edward. My own experience is limited to my rather brief time with Aro, not the thousand years times three that they showed you. I probably cannot even imagine some of the...activities...you speak of.

His bark of laughter was infectious, and the release of tension afforded to us was welcome.

As the laughter faded, I asked, "But are you sure of some things? You seem in remarkably better spirits than when you left, and I cannot help but think that you have made some decisions." I spoke aloud, but I had no doubt that he saw the hope in my mind, a hope that we could remain at least the friends and companions that we had been for decades.

"I want that—at least that. I just don't know, even accepting...as I must...what I am—what we both are...whether there might be more." He looked at me squarely. "What I do know is that I missed you dreadfully. From the moment I ran from this house until the moment you entered this evening, a piece of me was absent. Also, looking back, I can see that since we left the Denalis last year, you have been more openly affectionate with me. During my time away, I came to realize that I...welcome that affection. That I might like to try to...reciprocate in some fashion."

He paused, apparently waiting for some reaction. My heart was so full, however, that I had no words. This was all I could have asked for. After a moment, my thoughts were coherent enough to say, "Well, then, can we not go on as we were? Just—be open to whatever develops between us?"

A slow smile grew on his beloved face. "Yes, we can. That sounds perfect."

The weeks and months that followed were among the happiest of my nearly four centuries. To an observer, it would appear that little had changed from the routine that we had established before that fateful conversation. Edward attended his classes, and I treated patients; we mingled from a safe distance with the humans at school and work and then returned home. A new spark charged the air around us, though, altering our dynamic in small but profound ways.

Hunting, for example, became a whole new experience now that neither of us felt compelled to suppress the instincts that such an elemental activity released. Watching Edward outpace a mountain lion to bring it down with consummate grace and skill, I felt my attraction to him build to a fever pitch. Whereas before, I would have recited medical tomes or classical poetry, I was free to admire him openly. I could let my thoughts dwell on the curve of muscles in his torso and backside as he fed, knowing that when he heard them, his own reaction would only increase. While I could not hear his thoughts, I noticed him gazing at me in a similar fashion.

By silent agreement, our bathing habits altered as well. Our small home was a relic from the gold rush days, with no modern plumbing facilities. As we had no need of a bathroom or running water, it was of no consequence to us. When we felt the need to bathe, the river served our purposes whatever the season since hot and cold were equally comfortable for us. Previously, we had visited the river separately, affording the other privacy. Since our discussion after his return, we swam and bathed every few days, neither of us attempting to hide. The glances we shared were curious at first, then turned admiring, and finally became openly sensual.

My formerly subtle affectionate gestures became obvious. I no longer hesitated to place my arm around him, to embrace him upon greeting or leaving, or to kiss his cheek when so moved. He seemed startled in the beginning but did nothing to discourage me. As time passed, he reciprocated more and more.

One morning, I approached him, as had become my custom when leaving for my shift, and leaned forward to bestow a quick kiss on his cheek. Perceiving my intention, he moved swiftly so that my lips fell upon his in a true kiss. The feel of his lips against mine, a sensation I hadn't felt in almost forty years, ran through my body like electricity. Surprised, I drew back a fraction of an inch before returning, brushing our mouths together to feel every nuance of texture. Instinctively, I parted my lips and let my tongue trace his lower lip, hoping that I was not seeking more than he was ready for. My answer came when his tongue returned the caress, running just the tip along the inner edge of my lips. I moved closer to deepen the kiss, and we stood for several minutes exploring each other's mouths, trying different angles and discovering the difference between the tentative, tender touches we started with and the more passionate, fevered kisses we progressed to. Our tongues rubbed hungrily against each other, and only the knowledge that I would be late for my shift with no explanation forced me to end the embrace.

"Edward," I gasped. "That was..."

"I know." He grinned cheekily, shocking me for an instant before I chuckled.

"We will return to this subject," I said in a half-threat, half-promise.

"Oh, I hope so," he replied.

About a week, later, he surprised me with a request. Edward was playing one of my favorite pieces, Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and I was splitting my attention between the music and a medical article when he voiced his question.

"What do you think of trying something different tonight?"

I looked up from my journal. "Different? What did you have in mind?" Our evening routine was generally simple. Once every week or two, we would hunt. Several times a week we would swim. Other nights were filled with reading, music, and conversation. One of the many things I loved about Edward was his curious mind; we could discuss virtually any topic. In the last week, our habits had expanded to include passionate kisses that left us simultaneously thrilled and eager for more.

Edward rose from the piano and sat across from me. "Some of the other students were talking about a new drive-in theatre in town. It sounded quite interesting. Are you familiar with them?"

Nonplussed at his suggestion, I nevertheless replied, "Of course, I'm familiar with the concept. I've never attended one myself, though. Is this really something you'd like to try? Won't there be too much...interference from other minds for you to enjoy the film?"

"I don't think so. At least, it will be much less intrusive than in a traditional theatre. The humans will not be crowded in one room with us; we'll have the Cadillac. That will also help keep the revolting smell of popcorn at somewhat of a distance. We can even park far from the other cars-with our vision, we needn't be concerned about seeing the screen. And I admit, I've been curious about this form of storytelling. I've had to miss some pictures that seemed quite interesting, either because I was a newborn and unable to sit with so many humans or because my gift made me uncomfortable. I thought this way might make it possible."

In my habitual mimicry of human behavior, I sat back in my chair and rearranged my legs. You've clearly given this some thought. I'd be happy to come with you. Is there a particular film you want to see?

"The film that's playing now is called 'Giant," starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean. It's billed as a saga about cattle and oil barons in Texas."

I mulled that over for a moment. It didn't sound particularly compelling, but I had never been to Texas—too much sun—so it might be interesting.

Edward chuckled. "It's not Shakespeare, but it sounded more interesting than most of the movies they were thinking of. If nothing else, I'd like to see how the experience works for us."

A little curious myself, I agreed.

Later that evening, Edward drove us in our green Cadillac convertible to the drive-in. As it was a weeknight, there were not too many other cars in the parking area, and we were easily able to find a spot at the back that kept us isolated.

I hooked the speaker on the car, and Edward smirked; we hardly needed the amplification to hear the movie.

Some trailers and short films began to play. I was beginning to relax when Edward reached over and took my hand. Reflexively, I returned the pressure, but I looked at him in surprise.

Looking down at our joined hands, he spoke softly, "I had another reason for wanting to come to the drive-in tonight, Carlisle."

Confused, I murmured, "Oh? What was that?"

He sighed. "The student who talked about it the most...well, he was thinking about even more things. It seems that this is a common location for...dates. The darkness, combined with the privacy of being in one's own vehicle, provides ample opportunity for...uh...an exchange of affections, shall we say?"

To say I was shocked would be an understatement, but I swiftly recovered to feel anticipation flooding through me. I knew he sensed my thoughts when he smiled in an almost flirtatious manner. He grimaced briefly as that word came to my mind, but then the smile reappeared.

"Flirtatious? I don't know that I'd go that far, but..."

He ceased speaking as he pulled me to him and kissed me. Moving against each other, our mouths brushed, pressed, pulled apart and then crashed together. Parting my lips, I ran my tongue along his lower lip, following its contours exactly. He gasped, and I was quick to take advantage of the opportunity and thrust into his mouth, letting my tongue rub against his. My free hand rose and buried itself in his forever-unkempt hair, loving its softness against my fingers.

He turned aggressor and kissed me back firmly, exploring my mouth as I had his. Grasping my shoulder in a gesture new to us, he pressed our torsos together. The pleasure was overwhelming, and I moaned. Thoughts of other ways to touch ran through my mind, and I waited to see Edward's reaction-would this be too much for him, or would he encourage my attentions?

As if in answer, he took our joined hands and pressed them to his arousal. For the first time in centuries, I felt another body so close to mine. I could not suppress another moan, and my fingers explored his length, feeling it harden even more at my touch. I rubbed my palm firmly against him, and it was his turn to moan. "Ah, Carlisle...that feels...wonderful..." Keeping a steady rhythm, I moved my other hand from the back of his head to the fastening of his pants, kissing him all the while. He voiced no objection, and I loosened his clothes, letting his erection spring free. I pulled my mouth from his to take in the sight of him, standing so beautifully in the reflected light from the screen.

You are perfect, Edward. Nothing on this earth is more beautiful.

Venom had started to emerge from the head as a result of my earlier caresses, and I spread it along the rest of his length. Stroking firmly from base to tip, I watched him closely, splitting my attention between the expression on his face and the changes in his body. He moved his hips in conjunction with my hand, increasing the sensation. The hand that had been holding mine moved to the back of my head and pulled me back for more kisses, his tongue moving in the same rhythm as my hand. His whole body undulated, reacting to the feelings he had never experienced.

As good as this was, though, I wanted more. Letting images of what I truly wished to do appear in my mind, I once again waited for Edward's reaction. His groan of lust was my answer, and ending the kiss, I moved my hand from his body and replaced it with my mouth. His scent, always so pleasurable to me, was even more intense in this most private of places, and his taste was...delicious. His rigid length filled my mouth, and I wrapped my tongue around the tip, rubbing its underside firmly. His involuntary cry was quickly suppressed to avoid drawing the humans' attention, but he didn't attempt to stop me. Moving ever more quickly, I brought him to release and swallowed the cool venom that spurted from him.

I raised my head to see him resting against the seat in a beautiful sprawl, his eyes hooded as they watched me, slowly returning to amber from the lust-filled black they must have been earlier. He smiled a bit as he answered my unspoken question. "That was...amazing, Carlisle. After experiencing that, I am forced to admit you may be correct that we are not damned. No creature condemned to hell could feel such bliss."

Chuckling, I sat back in the seat beside him, closing my eyes and adjusting myself slightly. I was supremely satisfied at having brought Edward this far and did not expect any more that evening. My expectations proved inaccurate, however, as his hand covered mine, causing my eyes to open in astonishment, and he murmured, "Why don't you let me take care of that for you?"

In less than a second, my pants were unfastened and he was caressing my length, softly at first, as if testing himself and me, then more firmly. Groaning, I shifted my hips to give him better access. Using his gift to discern what touches gave me the most pleasure, he spread the drops of venom that had emerged and quickened his movements until they would have been barely visible to the humans around us. My hips moved in counterpoint as he rubbed his thumb around the head, and I swallowed the cry that fought to escape, overwhelmed by the thrill radiating through me, a thrill that was compounded by the thought that it was Edward-my mate, my love-doing this to me. An instant later, I came, coating his hand and my stomach with the tangible sign of my passion.

He reached in the back seat for a cloth and wiped off the venom. After my pants were zipped, we relaxed and watched part of the movie. Edward's head slipped to rest lightly on my shoulder, and I felt I would burst with happiness. The scene on the film involved Rock Hudson's character and a few other men, apparently prevailing upon James Dean's character. The intensity of the look between the two lead actors struck me.

"You know, if you wore a leather jacket, you would look like him, a little."

Edward snickered as he glanced at me. "Is that something you wish to see? Should I buy a motorcycle, too? That's from last year's movie, but I suppose I could try it, if you like."

I chuckled. "Mere idle observation. Now that you mention it, though, a motorcycle might be...exciting."

He snorted as he looked at the screen again. "Well, there is a resemblance...if Hudson had blond hair..."

We both laughed. The film moved on, and I lost interest. What would you say to heading back home? I find myself...distracted.

Edward didn't answer me verbally, but he lifted his head from my shoulder and started the Cadillac. As we exited the drive-in, he said, "Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to try a few of the activities Tanya showed me..."

Turning my head quickly to look at him, I saw a grin appear and felt my own expression echo it.

"Perhaps a few," I agreed, and we sped toward home.

A/N: Huge thanks to sadtomato for prereading! Thanks bunches to madmum and Little Miss Mionie at Project Team Beta for the beta job! And endless hugs to TKegl, whose banner started this plot bunny and encouraged me to try slash for the first time. Check out the link on my profile page!