Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does. No copyright infringement is intended, and I am making no financial gain from this, either.
Chapter 6
Bella and Aro stood in the Volturi king's personal library, staring out of the window into the wide, seemingly endless Italian landscape that stretched out beyond the boundaries of the ancient castle. Bella smiled. There was a comfortable silence between the two of them, as if there were no words needed to express their feelings to each other.
"Do you like it?" Aro suddenly asked, taking Bella by surprise.
"Like what?" she inquired.
"The landscape," he said. "You seemed exceptionally content staring at it. Looking at you while you're that... at ease with yourself, it greatly pleases me." After a moment he added: "Seeing you this natural, not hiding your true self for the sake of other's if only for an instant, that is a rare beauty."
Bella did not know how to react for a moment.
"It isn't finite," she finally replied. "From this point of view, it seems as if the meadows and forests were to go on forever. I greatly enjoy thinking about what might lie at the end of the landscape, since logically, somewhere, it must exist. But I do not know where. This landscape has an unknown ending, and after too long in a life where everything is perfectly predictable, that knowledge satisfies me."
For a moment, there was silence. Then Aro replied: "I am lucky to finally have you with me. I have greatly missed you."
Bella sighed in worry. "Can... can we speak here in private?"
Aro smiled. "I had the walls made soundproof years ago. Even for vampire ears, it seems as if we were standing here in utter silence."
Bella nodded. "Why did you stop sending letters?"
The man infront of her merely laughed in reply. "I'd thought you'd at least try to make the question sound polite."
"Well, I'm tired of trying to make anything anything else which it truly is not," Bella countered. "So?"
Aro closed his eyes. "You did not want me to," he whispered. "I gave you the choice, Bella, and you chose against me. I left you with other means to contact me, and you never did." He sighed. "I thought you did not want anything to do with me anymore. I told myself you hadn't forgiven me for coming to Forks without telling you and loathed me. And I did not want to intrude your... your oh-so perfect life with Edward."
"Perfect," Bella sneered. "It was anything but that."
Aro shook his head. "I could have taken it all away back then. You could have come, and I would have loved you for your bravery. And if you'd really wanted it, I'd have given you a new life here. It could have all been so easy... and yet, you chose him. I will never understand."
He walked away from the window, into the library. There was a twenties style leather couch in the middle of the bookcases, and he sat down there, looking the woman before him right into the eyes. There was something desperate in his eyes, something frightened.
"Bella, you must tell me. Why did you make it this complicated?"
"Do you know this feeling... knowing that something does not add up, knowing right away that it will not work out, that it is a bad idea, but thinking that there is no other way?"
She sighed.
"After you left, I felt a little distraught. Confused. Whatever Edward did, I kept missing something. Nothing was ever enough. But at the same time, when he... asked me to marry him, I thought — What other option do you have?"
Aro snorted. "I attempted calling you multiple times a day for over a year before you accepted him, Bella. There was another option, and it was very, very obvious."
"I was scared of you," Bella admitted. "I was confused about what relationship we actually shared. And I was afraid that really, your letters were but a move in a game of a chess, while the goal was my destruction. You were the unforseeable, dangerous, powerful vampire king, Aro, and I was the meek little human."
"You think too much," he commented, smirking. "Rather ironic really, complications brought upon by your habit of seeing things in a way more complicated than absolutely necessary."
"Then again, what isn't ironic nowadays," Bella said. "Everything seems absurd in one way or another."
"Although I must say that me being forced to endure you very obviously lying without even so much as batting an eye in an official questioning was the most absurd of all absurdities," he noted. "It is times like these I am glad that it is me that obtains the mind reading talent, and not one of my brothers."
For a moment, they enjoyed the ensuing silence. Bella slowly walked away from the window, making her way towards Aro and the couch.
"May I ask something?" Bella broke the silence. "This has been haunting me for years now, and I feel that it is finally time to receive my answer."
"Anything," Aro assured her. "I will be honest with you."
Bella took a deep breath before answering. Her reply came out in nothing but a whisper. "Is it love?"
Aro closed his eyes in thought for a second, then sighed in realization as they re-opened. He stood up from his seat on the couch and walked towards Bella.
"May I show you something?" Aro asked, mimicking Bella's questions moments earlier. "I've been desperate to do so for as long as I can remember. I didn't earlier because I was uncertain about something. But now... now, I am certain."
"Yes," Bella breathed. "Anything."
And without a millisecond of hesitation, Bella felt Aro's lips on hers.
The kiss was exhilarating; nothing like Bella had ever experienced before. From the very first second, she felt complete. Alike a puzzle that had finally been offered its final piece. She moaned in delight, not able to hold the sound back. This was too good. Too... right.
In a matter of seconds, the action turned from innocent to wild. Shortly after it had started, Bella felt Aro's tongue at the parting of her lips, waiting for her to allow him entrance. She happily granted it. Once connected, their tongues fought a passionate battle for dominance. Almost naturally, her hand found its way into his hair, and vice versa.
Within a total of five seconds, they fell onto the couch, entangled into each other, and Aro started caressing Bella's neck with kisses.
"Aro," Bella whispered. "This is right. This is good. But... it's a little fast."
He hastily nodded, within the blink of an eye having returned to his original position on the couch.
"You made your point beautifully, in case you were wondering," Bella said.
"This exceeded my imagination in every way possible," Aro smiled dreamily. "And I might as well just point out the obvious now. Bella Cullen, this is terribly complicated and I have no doubts that the next weeks will not exactly be carefree, but-"
"Don't say it," Bella interrupted him. "I know what it is you want to say, but don't. Not now. It's too fast. Spend a few days with me. Then say it."
"If that is your wish," Aro nodded. "Then I will try to contain myself."
"I appreciate the effort."
They stared into each other's eyes, and when they did, crimson met crimson, and so much more. Two incomplete souls met, and for an instant, connected.
"Aro?" Bella whispered.
"Yes, my dear?"
She sighed, then asked the unspeakable.
"What about Edward?"
He sighed. "Honestly?"
"Honestly."
"I have no idea."
Author's Note: I don't usually write fluffly scenes like this, but I hope it was readable anyways. I think it's obvious who Bella will choose now... :)
Special thanks to YourEnchantingDesire and ncbexie25 for your support concerning the last chapters! You are awesome, so shoutout to you two!
Just so you know, I won't be able to post new chapters for tomorrow and the day after, but I'll be back on Friday. So please, don't worry. I won't die and/or impulsively abandon this story.
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