First Meetings
Summary: Carlisle's first meeting with the Volturi. Oneshot (with future Carlisle/Aro implied).
Date written: November 5, 2009 (crossposted from LiveJournal)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General
Word Count: 399
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilightseries and all related characters, settings, and plots.
"I am Aro," the black-haired one said, smiling and holding out his hand. "It is always a pleasure to meet others of our kind."
After a moment of hesitation, Carlisle took Aro's hand; the moment their frigid, stony hands touched, a wave of something seemed to wash over his mind, and he involuntarily jerked. Aro raised his eyebrows and smiled. "My apologies," Carlisle said a moment later as they shook hands. "I do not know what came over me." Perhaps he had imagined it? Hunger pangs could drive a vampire to delirium, and perhaps the animal blood did not sufficiently sate the hunger... He dismissed the thought almost as soon as it had come into his mind. The sheer coincidence of delirium setting in just as he met other vampires was absurd.
Aro, still smiling, released his hand. "You are most fascinating, Carlisle." The smile was no longer so innocuous and the crimson eyes were half-lidded as he gazed at Carlisle, his initial friendliness replaced by interest. "Fascinating indeed."
"You've only just met me," Carlisle said; were he still human, a chill would have gone down his spine. "Leaping to conclusions often leads to disappointment."
"Ah, but I am not," Aro said, a sliver of teeth showing in his smile now. "I know you now - intimately." He chuckled. "It is my power, you see. With a touch, I know all that has ever gone through your mind - every thought, Carlisle. Every one." His smile showed all of his teeth now.
Carlisle recoiled from him as if he had thrust a torch in his face; he scrambled backward, his eyes wide, and nearly barged through a wall. Every thought - if Aro was telling the truth - then he knew of all Carlisle's filthy, deviant thoughts: all the times he had fantasized, despite himself, about drinking human blood, all the times when he had contemplated doing wrong, and even - did Aro know about this? It was such a small, pathetic thing - but he had said every thought - all the times during his human adolescence when he had, even knowing it was loathsome and unnatural, lusted after other men...
"Dear, repressed Carlisle," Aro mused. He gave Carlisle a look that was both contemplating and predatory; Carlisle started, but was not sure if it was a shudder or a shiver. "So repressed, and in so many ways..."