Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. Written just out of pure fancy-I've imagined making Edward a real vampire and a self loathing one at that. This merely introduces two characters, reinforces the old ancient longing for change and adulthood and of differences of loving companionship.

Rated for some sensuous themes.


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Malloy Dwyer didn't move.

He'd learned quite a while ago that it was better to just sit, stand or lay still as his 'companion' would breeze in with a rage regarding humanity around him. Sometimes he would find himself shaken awake by Edward who would stand above him, looming figure boyish face shadowed. Edward would want to talk, would want to ask him questions regarding his inner most thoughts and family. Sometimes it would be nothing at all, merely Edward wanted to look at him and observe his sleeping face because, apparently in his time, he'd often watched his wife asleep. Edward didn't talk about Bella much but what was said was brief tid bits here and there.

"Bella enjoyed contemporary music when she was in the kitchen, cooking for no reason for no one just to cook."

"Bella liked to look at the beaches even though she'd only see it on the TV or in the magazines because she wasn't welcome in La Push."

"Bella liked to read. Sometimes, when she had still been human, she would stay awake for hours reading. She would loose track of time and suddenly it would be morning."

It bothered Malloy whenever Bella came up in conversation because he'd always been told that his sister was dead right after she married and that those people had buried her and had the funeral without alerting her own mother and family. The Cullen's were horrible and evil people because they hadn't allowed Rene to say goodbye. The 26 year old didn't understand why he'd been in the recent company of his brother-in-law. Forever seventeen, Edward Mason no longer Cullen, who was one hundred and forty years old, had been married to Bella who had been nearly nineteen. Bella had to have been fifty now although also forever youthful and it bothered Malloy immensely. The thought that he looked older then his own sister who was twenty three years older then he was!

When Malloy had seen Edward in Seward Park, he had been amazed. His brother in law, whom he'd only seen in his dead sisters wedding photos looked eerily un changed and for a moment Mallory thought that this must be a Cullen cousin or perhaps Edward's son from some other woman because there was no way that this boy was thirty years old. His hair was copper, bronze and unruly, his frame was perhaps lithe and healthy and he stood at six foot in height. And he looked off oddly mature for someone who had to have been a teenager; wearing boring clothes that the youth today affronted. Denim jeans on his long legs a white t-shirt hidden almost with a matching denim jacket appearing just as plain but oddly fashionable, he looked like a young model.

But, once Edward had taken notice of him had looked shocked, he vanished. Three months later while vacationing with his then fiancé in Prague he'd seen Edward again standing across a crowded street, his yellow cat like eyes staring directly at him. He hadn't run away and Malloy had realized with horror that this time, Edward had sought him out.

"She's robbing you blind." It was what Edward had said of Genève Patterson, Malloy's then fiancé. He'd found Malloy later that evening in a cab on his way to the airport. He had easily scooted right beside him in the back seat and had stared at him for a full minute before he spoke. It had seemed as though he were reading him somehow like someone scouring the pages of a book. It had been unnerving of course but also a little bit adorable?

But the moment that Edward had said it he had slipped out of the cab and for some unethical reason Malloy had dropped her. Told her that he didn't want to marry her that it didn't feel right and of course it had gone badly, how could it not? But then she'd left and in the end he hadn't really minded at all. He felt lighter somehow and he was content until he'd come home to his newly Genève free apartment to find his brother-in-law, whom he thought was a distant cousin by marriage, seated in his study a pale youthful figure amongst the floor to ceiling shelves filled with old collectable texts, maps and blue prints.

He had been going over a thick volume of Plato skimming the pages as though they were completely new and Malloy had found himself drawn to the small pile on his oak desk, the spines gleaming up at him, all of Greek Philosophy except for one, a book of pictures one that had been recently bought called Kiss by the late photographer Yuji and that was probably when Malloy realized that this boy wasn't human. He was too pale and his eyes were red and he seemed like an old man, automatically reminding Malloy of his grandfather Dwyer who scanned those same books quickly because he already knew the material and was just going over them because it had been so long since he'd seen the books.

"Is Rene well?"

"She's dead."

"Shame."

"What are you?"

"Just like your sister. You're smart, Malloy. Born a little late to your parents though, Bella would have been twenty three."

"You're her husband aren't you? Good God! What are you?"

"What do I look like?"

"You're a demon."

And then Edward had laughed, a sweet sad sound coming from his pale lips. Ancient.

"Smarter then your sister I see." He said closing the book. He rounded the oak table in sure strides differently dressed this time from the youthful traveler in denim jeans. He wore a black turtleneck and dark matching slacks with pointed black boots on his feet. "You have an inkling as to why I'm here, following you." He was not a foot in front of Malloy. The boy was smaller then him, tiny waif of a thing compared to Malloy who had filled out nicely and stood at six foot five all broad shoulders, all nicely muscled with bits of light brown stubble the same shade of the hair on his head and very light lines of age at the corner of his mouth. "I'm going to kill you." Edward said with his sensuous seductive voice.

But Malloy didn't believe it, couldn't believe that this demon would kill him. Wouldn't Edward have done it already? Able to find Malloy twice and who knows how many other times that he hadn't noticed and Malloy had almost said it but didn't. Why tempt the fates? Why anger this demon that had probably killed his sister? "What are you?" He asked to fill the void of awkward silence.

"I'm a vampire."

The silence only grew.

"Sure you are. Next you'll say that werewolves are real and that somehow I'm related to the veritable darkness that walks the earth hidden in shadow." Malloy scratched at his hair in annoyance, fright and disbelief. "If you're a demon sent from hell then kill me, it's more believable then seeing a vampire."

Edward had looked shocked. It was an odd experience for them both.

"You don't believe me."

"Of course not you idiot!" Malloy said before thinking. He was shaking from fright but, now he couldn't retract what he had said. Might was well roll with it. "I'm a good ol' catholic kid born and raised in the church! I can recite psalms almost as immediate as I breathe air!" He laughed.

Sure he was a good old southern catholic but it was muted. He knew psalms because his grandmother Higginbotham had all but nearly beat it into him, the church had been an important part of the Higginbotham's life although his mother wasn't nearly so fanatical. And even after he had left the church when he was eighteen, not to say he left but moved away to college, he'd found that he didn't much like to go to church as an adult. Still, the thought of vampires was ludicrous. He could believe in demons and angels, God and the Devil but not vampires. No way.

"I don't think I've ever been quite so insulted." Edward grinned, showing two rows of perfectly straight white teeth. There were no pointed fangs. "But then again I've never encountered someone else so well guarded, so difficult."

"What?"

He tapped the side of Malloy's head with his frosty cold fingertip.

"I can barely read you."

"Oh?"

"I can read minds."

"Of course you can." Malloy rolled his shoulders. "I've read a few vampire books, Ann Rice vampires read minds. That Armand fellow could, I think he could even create illusions."

"That's tasteless and insulting. I am nothing like those fictional vampires."

"What? You better then them? They were exceptional vampires I tell you. You say you're better? What, do you sparkle?"

If Edward could have flushed he would have. He stuck his hands into the pockets of his slacks and derived his attention to the world map on the wall as though embarrassed. To this Malloy gave a great loud laugh.

"Oh God you do, don't you? I would say that it sounds like you're more of a faerie though." He clipped Edward's shoulder hard once before moving towards the door. He motioned for Edward to follow him feeling less then afraid and more then a little amused by what must have been the most confusing and irritably innocent monster he'd ever laid eyes on. So old, you could tell in the eyes but also very truly young as though he couldn't quite understand how to be a man. Men would have barked laughter, would have been angered by being teased. But Edward treated the joke as any other awkward teenager would, without treating it at all. "Look'it here Edward Cullen, I don't know what you are. You say you're a vampire right? Well then, show me. I don't mean by killing anybody but show me."

"Mason."

"What?"

"My name is Edward Mason. Cullen was the cover up I used during the time I was with your sister." Edward cleared his throat.

"My sister...oh yeah, another thing, where is she? Old and gray or is she really dead like my mother said?"

But Edward hadn't answered. He didn't like to talk about Bella, never. Only from Edward's sister who visited from time to time, a priceless blond beauty, had told him. Bella had left Edward, had used him for immortality. That they had a child and that the child had been murdered in front of their eyes and Bella hadn't cared.

But tonight it wasn't that he was asleep in bed, it wasn't that he was at the table reading a book or watching the TV. He was in the shower when he felt Edward come into the streaming room. Through the glassy shower door he saw Edward sit cross-legged on the tiled floor and stare at him through the door. Edward did these sorts of things forget that people liked their privacy especially when they were naked. It happened so often now that Malloy wasn't even bothered by it, not like the beginning. "So, you're upset right? What happened this time? The murderer you killed didn't taste so good? Was it a dying person you were putting out of their misery? Don't feel bad."

And suddenly Edward was in the shower with him, holding him and showering Malloy's face in kisses. The differences in temperature cold and hot, the numbness that always lingered on his lips after these kisses and the burning need bellow were dizzying, maddening. "I've seen hell today; I have known hell when I'm not sure there is a hell." Edward said between kisses. "I linger in life for what? I am neither human nor beast but ethereal and nothing. What am I Malloy? WHAT AM I?"

"I don't know." Malloy breathed. "I don't know anything!" He shut his eyes tightly and then there was nothing. No one was in the shower with him and he could hear pots and pans banging in the kitchen cooking apparently. "Damn it man, you almost gave me a heart attack, if you want someone to kiss pickup and eat a hooker alright? I'm a man damn you!"

Dinner was set, rice and stir-fry cooling in their plates with a glass of red wine.

And Edward was gone.


-

Atop a skyscraper watching the multitude of colors, lights of all shades and Edward Anthony Mason had never felt so utterly alone.

Time square wasn't too far off he could almost see it. He wondered how his family fared if they were alright and how...what had become of the sane ones. Where were Rosalie and Emmett?

"Ah but you wonder about that family? I thought that there was not a care for them now." The voice was rich and carried the testament of a time long ago. He was in red velvet coat, black clothing underneath always black. "But then what else would I wear?"

"Something more becoming of the ages."

"I do not change."

"Even so Romanus, you should make a change for the times."

Long cool fingers toyed with Edward tresses, touching the scalp in light massages. Oh, how he had missed Romanus, the ancient of the first brood. Older then Aro and his brothers and so strong! Beautiful God like Roman prince!

But it was Venice that Edward saw when he peered into Romanus' mind. Gondolas, Istria stone, the palazzo and the finery of ancient times. There was the scent of paint in Romanus' mind, a woman's name "Bianca" the courtesan with blonde hair decorated with real pearls, her softness and humming voice. There were parties and the scents of heady wine never drunk. And boys of various age all learning all beautiful and all enriched in love never known before.

"You overstep your boundaries young one." Romanus said now seated beside Edward. His blond curling hair was clipped today. "What have I told you?"

"To not go into your mind that I am not prepared to know what you are exactly as it is to have the wool pulled from my eyes." Edward said in monotone. He was looking out into the bright horizon lit by false light. New York was never dark. "How is Leah?"

"Well, she is adjusting to her new way of life though she enjoys the Paris streets and the theatre." Romanus nods. "Of course she is grateful for the opportunity to leave home. She looks no older then she did all those years ago, she so objects to giving up the wolf. Like Leah, I also wish that you join us again. Despite your scent to her and your ability she seems quite lost without you."

"Then she shall continue to be lost. I don't want the comfort of a coven I want the comfort of being alone." He said. He rested his hand on his bended knee. "But I'm curious about all of it. I thought she would be lost without the young painter friend, the one she loved so very much." He said. "How was it again? A car accident, something common right? I tell you though, I know what really happened. It was a wolf. It was that Sam Uley that killed him, that rammed into the side of that BMW. He went mad after Emily died giving birth to the still born child. Did you know that? About the imprint I mean? He had loved Emily because he was genetically made to do so but he always loved his Lee Lee and I am certain that he killed Scott. I just know it."

"Oh?"

"Yes," Edward went on as though it was something that he had always known, a story of his to tell.

After Bella had left him and after Alice had died and his family had broken and even when Jacob had left his company because of Renesmee's murder Leah had stayed and had comforted him because they understood loss. Her brother had married and given up the wolf by then for many years and appeared so old. Her mother was dead. Her pack had moved on into humanity except for Sam and Jacob. She was alone and so was Edward. They'd found comfort in chiding one another and did not like or love one another for a very long time. But they longed for the intimacy of companionship and that was what was given. When they had met Romanus some twenty years ago they had followed him to Greece and had stayed with him living as a family in the great old house that Romanus had created just for them but by then Edward began to deprecate and Leah had fallen in love with Scott Baker, the young bohemian tourist from New Orleans. Edward had known it was time to let go and move on so he did.

"Contemptuous, self loathing son of mine, you don't know anything. Baker died on account of an accident and yes Uley was there but not in the way you so imagine. He'd been in the car and he had tried to save young Baker and had failed." Romanus shrugged his shoulder so human. "They'd met in Greenwich for lunch, Sam Uley lived in an apartment there and had seen Scott and had known him from Leah's letters and a past tumultuous affair during the days of young oblivious Emily. They had decided to drive to the country for some time alone when it happened."

"Lovers then they were lovers? Sam Uley was lovers with a man, I do not believe that."

"Then don't."

"I won't."

"Fine, then. I will not force you."

"You cannot make me."

"I said I wouldn't, you unpleasant odious child!" The roman vampire laughed. "I cannot make you believe what you do not wish to believe. Live in your sheltered self indulgence...of deprecation! For it is not a care to me! My beautiful child, my Edward, you cannot believe what is said ever. I find that it what I love most about you. Forever young in body and in mind, you who will never know what it is to be a man."

"I am a man, I only look like a boy," Edward scoffed. "I am a father and a husband. Of course I am a man."

Romanus laughed. "That does not make you a man it makes you a child playing house with a selfish human, it makes you a young father. There is no assurance in marriage and fatherhood; that does not make you a man."

Edward could only nod.


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No flames, Reviews please.