Edward leant against his car as he waited, barely paying any attention to his adopted siblings as he waited for the orange pick up he hoped would contain his puzzle. It worried him, the fact this teenaged human had invaded his thoughts. He couldn't seem to shake the thoughts of him that seeped in and multiplied. Since the first time in the street when he'd almost hit the teen, the dark haired, dark eyed mystery hadn't been far from his thoughts.
He'd hardly picked anything up from Xander the first night, and since he'd been able to smell the drugs in his system, Edward had chalked the inability to read the teens thoughts up to the drugs flooding his system. Except then they had met for a second time, and all he'd been able to pick up were stray thoughts. Like snippets from a conversation, it was frustrating. It was like Xander had a constant running dialogue in his head with multiple personalities, but despite the fact it sometimes felt like multiple personalities, he knew that wasn't what the teen had, he'd been around plenty of people with the problem over the years, Xander was different.
He shifted as he heard the orange pick up, turning to get a better look as it drove into the school lot. Watching as the object of his musings climbed form the cab, not bothering with the crutches from yesterday. The wind shifted, carrying the boys scent across the open space, allowing Edward to catch it easily. Even with the distance, Edward felt hunger hit him like a tidal wave. He wanted Xander, wanted to bite and drink his fill, see if he tasted as good as he smelled. Wanted to touch him and feel if he was real. Most of all, he wanted to run away from the teen that could do this to him. He was over a hundred years old, he'd spent so much time around humans and not craved them as much as he craved this Xander.
A shiver travelled up his spine as he met chocolate coloured eyes, forcing himself not to move. Watching Xander come closer, heading towards the steps he always parked close to, he listened intently trying to pick up something from the teens mind.
~…really need to find out…if there are other…wonder if Giles…~
+Reconnaissance boy…find out as much as…these people…wolves know…+
*Or we…want, take, have…*
Edward frowned slightly, it was hard reading him, and it didn't answer anything. In fact listening to his thoughts just gave him more questions. On top of the already pressing question of what he was, Edward wanted to know how Xander knew about the Wolves on the Res and why he'd been there last night. Xander was his, Edward knew that much, and the thought of the wolves having what was his made his blood burn.
His head wrenched sharply to the side, braking his eye contact with the brown haired puzzle to glare at Emmet.
"Your growling." Emmet warned quietly, just enough for him to hear. Edward turned to look for Xander, eyes tracking the faces swarming until they landed on his target, already half way up the stairs.
"Remember what Carlisle said." Jasper agreed quietly.
Edward did remember the warning from his pseudo father, but it didn't change the fact that Xander was his, his to take if he wanted, his to bite and drink from if he wanted. It was a strange feeling for him, but it was a need that was growing with every passing second. He left his siblings there heading into the school.
His first class was English, a subject he could easily pass without even attending, he sat without paying much attention to the teacher as she talked about their class project. Instead he tried hard to listen for any sign of Xander.
He knew the boy had wood-shop, he could hear the students in his class as they thought about him. Some thought he was cute, some where thinking about how he'd ditched the afternoon before. He tried to listen to Xander but for some reason the teens mind was quiet. He knew Xander was there, but it was like he couldn't hear what was running through the boys mind.
-0-
Xander dropped onto his stool looking up at the board, eyes burned into his back and he had the feeling he'd become even more of an oddity since his abrupt departure from the school the day before. He hadn't wanted to return today either, with the threat of the assassins still looming over him, but Charlie hadn't been impressed when he'd returned…home.
His uncle was the laid back sort that didn't mind a good laugh and beer while watching the game, but when Charlie had been called about Xander ditching the afternoon and when he hadn't turned up at the house until late, it seemed he'd hit the officers parental button with a re-bar. In a way it warmed him a little, that his uncle obviously cared about him even after the short time they had known each other, he'd never had that off anybody other then Giles before. At the same time it had annoyed him, with having such dead beat parents all his life meant he wasn't used to restrictions.
Xander had been allowed to roam the streets from a young age, running the town with Jessie and Willow until late at night, back in the days when the hellmouth hadn't been as demonically active as it had become in the recent years. Having sudden restrictions after so long of practically being his own man was a hard fact for him to accept.
Shaking off his thoughts he returned his attentions to the wood-work teacher as he began explaining the lesson's activities. Chewing his lip, he tried in vein to pay attention. It didn't help that he'd barely slept a wink the night before. He'd been plagued with worries and theories that had swirled constantly around his head. He was positive it wasn't his peanut gallery, it was hard to hide anything from people you shared not only thoughts but emotions with. He trusted Spot and Tackelberry, it was impossible not to when they had helped him out so much, Spot had changed in the year or so she'd been in him, and Tackelberry had a massive sense of honour. For some reason the soldier felt it was not only his duty to help Xander, but a matter of honour.
"Mr. Harris?" the teacher loomed in his vision. It was so abrupt Xander actually fell off his stool.
He landed hard on his back with his eyes still on the long haired teacher in front of his bench, he blinked frowning at the teacher as his heart calmed down from its lurch of shock.
"Huh?" he ordered unintelligently. How the hell was he going to explain this?
"Are you ok?" The teacher moved around quickly to help him up, Xander just nodded, fighting down the blush that wanted to rise as all the students in the class stared at him, it was obvious they wanted to laugh and the only reason they weren't was the warning glare on the teachers face. Xander ducked his head trying to come up with a good excuse for his spacey-ness that wouldn't get him labelled with the same class-clown slacker label he had at Sunnydale high. "I don't think taking this class while your still on pain medication is a good idea." The teacher sat him on his stool. Bingo! Xander felt relief flood him and played along.
"Sorry, I thought it would have worn off by now." He blinked up at the teacher, he felt a little bad about playing on the sympathies of the teacher, but technically he was still on pain medication, a lot of it because of the injuries he had. Granted he'd stopped taking it the second he got out of the hospital, not swallowing and later flushing the various pills Charlie gave him. He came from an addictive background and didn't want to chance it. There was also the fact it was a small town and they all probably knew how bad he'd been hurt, it would be a bit obvious if he was suddenly miraculously healed after injuries that took normal people months and even years to recover from. Now he noticed how healed he was, he was almost becoming paranoid about it.
"It's ok, I'm gonna give you a hall pass, I think you should go to the library for a while." The teacher offered with a reassuring smile. Xander nodded in thanks.
'Hooray I'm saved!' He thought sarcastically as he strolled down the halls with his shiny new hall pass, he had no idea were the hell the library was but he had a pass to get there. Apparently all the teachers thought he was doped out of his skull on pain killers and were surprised he was actually in school. He turned down the hall, promptly bumping into a solid wall that had him on his back for the second time in an hour.
Edward Cullen was stood above him, looking down at him with a frown on his face even as he offered Xander his hand.
"Really, we have to stop meeting like this." Xander accepted the hand, immediately noticing it's lack of body heat, just like Carlisle and Rosalie. Another piece to the seemingly gigantic puzzle slid into place as Edward easily pulled him up. Xander barely hid his frown at the show of effortless strength.
"You bumped into me." Edward let go of his hand as soon as he was on his feet, taking a step away from him. Xander peered at the other boy, cocking his head, Edwards eyes where dark now, almost black instead of the warm amber he'd seen outside. "Going somewhere?" Edward asked after a heart beat.
"Library." Xander answered eyeing the boy a moment.
"You too? Do you know where it is?" Edward offered, he hadn't blinked once since he'd helped Xander up.
"Yes and no, in that order." Xander shrugged, hitching his bag higher. He fell into step next to Edward as the bronze haired boy began to head back the way he'd just come. "you are going to the library now right?" he asked, looking at Edward from the corner of his eyes.
"Yes." a simple on syllable answer, Xander got the feeling Edward wasn't very social. It could explain the guys obsession on running him over.
'oh great, another brood boy.' Xander sighed mentally. ' I hope to god he hasn't got any long lost kids baying for his painful, very bloody death.' he mused as they walked, he missed the strange look that crossed Edwards face. 'Knowing my luck they'll use me as Xander brand monster bait.' he snorted mentally.
*Not if we mate with him.* Spot purred helpfully, Xander almost missed a step.
+Leave the poor kid alone!+ Tackelberry snapped at her, giving the incorporeal equivalent of a trip.
*He'll make a good mate, strong mate. Make good pups.* Spot purred, rubbing herself along Xander's mind like a cat who wanted to be stroked. Xander tried to ignore it and suppress the sudden choking fit he wanted to have.
'I'm a guy, with guy parts. There is no chance in hell of me having pups with him! And you not finding a way to either!' Xander fought down the shudder at the prospect of him having kids. He just knew it would be him to have the kids if it was possible, he shuddered for real.
"Cold?" Edward asked, he had a funny look on his face when Xander turned his head to look at him.
"A bit.." He lied, what else was he gonna say. 'No, I just can't stomach the idea of carrying your babies.' he could face the probability that he was gay, but gay and pregnant. Just the thought brought up images of a deranged Jerry Springer special.
"Tonight on Jerry Springer 'Gay and pregnant at eighteen.- when good spells go bad!' My first guests tonight are Xander Harris and Edward Cullen. Xander is an eighteen year old Slayerette from the Hellmouth who is pregnant with Edward's baby. Edward is an emotionally fragile school boy with cold hands and eye's that change colour. Let's meet them." Jerry turns from the cheering audience to the stage where Xander's hands sit on his bulging stomach that's hidden beneath a loud orange and green Hawaiian shirt. Edward, dressed immaculately, is sat on Xander's right his face drawn in the classical brooding expression of endless torment.
-0-
Edward stalked into the library wordlessly handing the librarian the pass before heading into the stacks. Biting his lip to keep form laughing. The impression of Xander's Jerry Springer show was hilarious, the human definitely had a vivid imagination.
He brought his hand up to stifle the snickers as he disappeared between the shelves of the schools small library. While he couldn't read the boys mind, the small flashes of the boy's imagination where like a sip of sweet blood after being unable to feed for a month, soothing but only wetting his appetite for more. As far as first and even second impressions went, Xander just kept drawing him in with his strange mind and stranger sense of humour. It was a strange sensation entirely after so long, being able to read people's thoughts had left him somewhat jaded. He knew people before he actually met them face to face, little to nothing surprised him anymore. Bella Swan didn't quite count as she was his singer, she smelled like the most appetising feast that ever existed. He couldn't read her mind at all though, which was off putting, it was like she simply wasn't there. That was one of the reasons he'd steered clear of her, after he staved off the compulsion to slaughter her painfully while drinking his fill of her rich blood, his inability to read anything at all from her made him weary.
This Xander though, the masked thoughts puzzled him, the titbits he was privy too created a complex mystery and one thing he loved to do was solve mysteries before Sherlock or Hercules Poirot.
He calmed himself as he searched for the book he 'needed' for his book report, in truth he could almost recite The divine comedy from heart, but at least the excuse had aloud him to get out of his lesson and into the hallway to bump into Xander. However the human was right, they did have to stop bumping into each other. Finally finding the book he needed he headed back out of the stacks. He had the rest of his English period to study his puzzle in close detail, there wasn't a chance in hell he was passing that up.