[English isn't my first language, so please be kind!]
[All characters belongs to Stephenie Meyer!]
13
Succulents
What do you do when your head is full of thoughts?
In Elia's case, she puts on headphones and chooses the loudest music she can find. Lately, Type O Negative was her remedy to escape from reality. The vocalist's melodic screams always took her to another dimension.
As it was winter in Europe, the hotel was emptying. The nomads preferred to hide in the summer and winter was the perfect hunting season for them. Even the Cullens were already preparing to leave.
Right now, two of them, Emmett and Bella Swan, were facing off in an arm wrestling tournament with Felix in the middle of the lobby, drawing the attention of some guests who had gathered to watch. Some bet on Bella, even with her thin arms and rosy cheeks, others bet on Emmett, but Elia, if she was in the mood for it, would bet on Felix.
After they moved to the hotel Felix became more relaxed, maybe a little too much by Aro's standards, but he was still able to fight. He and Bella were tied.
The noise of guests' excited cheers made Elia turn up the volume. She hadn't even gotten dressed up enough to stay at the reception today, just pulled on jeans, boots and continued with the black shirt she wore earlier.
She picked up a notebook that was on the table and started doodling with a pen. Elia liked to draw, even though she was not very good at it. Alec was the one with the real talent, he could draw anything with any material, but she liked trying to reproduce medieval scenarios that she used see in Japanese cartoons.
- Why are you so sad?
The man asked the question but Elia didn't hear it, she kept drawing on the paper.
Marcus then removed the headphones from her ear.
- Oh, uncle Marcus - Elia said, surprised - sorry, I didn't hear you.
- I'm sure you haven't heard anything all day - Marcus sat next to her - a blonde girl came here and asked for information, but you didn't even look up.
- The Cullen girl? - Elia sighed, if the girl report this to Aro she would get scolded.
- Don't worry - said Marcus, he kept a hand behind his back - I spoke to her, and my friend also helped.
- Your friend? - Elia blinked, there was only one person Marcus called friend - Do you mean, Aro?
- No - said Marcus. This time the sadness in his gaze hardly overpowered his smile - my new friend from the United States, his name is Seth.
- I know him - Elia replied, she saw him vaguely when he arrived - the wolf boy.
- He's native and proud - Marcus tapped his fingers on the table - I like him.
- Seth seems to be kind.
- He is - Marcus continued - we talked for hours, but I forgot that humans need to eat and sleep. He must be resting now.
- A human - Elia sighed - how luck of him.
Elia regretted what she said, as she had just given Marcus the cue he needed.
- Aro told me what happened.
- Of course he did... Please don't ask me to get over it.
- I'm not saying that - Marcus reached for Elia's hand - but you can talk to me if you want, I'm your family now too.
- I know uncle Marcus - Elia brought his hand close to her face. Marcus was her favorite.
- Now tell me the other reason you're sad - Marcus narrowed his eyes, Elia knew that gesture, he was reading the bonds that linked those around her - there's something different in you.
- There is? - Elia pretended not to know what he was talking about - I didn't notice.
Marcus nodded, he finally showed what he was hiding, and handed a small bouquet of primroses to Elia.
- Happy birthday, my dear. I know it's small, but you know that I prefer to pick the flowers personally.
- It's perfect - Elia smiled, she liked primroses, reminded her of home, her first and real home - I loved it.
- Good - he said - but I know there's something else that you can love today too.
Marcus kissed Elia on the cheek and headed for the elevator, probably to check if his new friend was already up.
Across the lobby, Elia saw who Marcus was referring to.
Demetri approached her in the blink of an eye.
- Can we talk in the garden? - Demetri asked.
Elia looked at the primroses.
- Please?
- Just a few words - Elia sighed, she was sure Marcus wouldn't be the only one to visit the garden that day - I think Aro will close the garden soon.
She closed the notebook, making the sound echo through the lobby, mixing with the laughter of the guests.
The hotel's garden was sumptuous. The Volturi had no space for gardening in Volterra, so Aro insisted that the hotel's garden was worthy of a rich empire. There were a wide variety of flowers, such as tulips, chrysanthemums, begonias and camellias. Elia liked sunflowers, but they hadn't blossomed yet.
Aro liked roses, while Caius developed a strong attachment to their succulents. He even spread little vases all over the hotel until Aro ordered him to put them in the garden if he didn't want to see them on fire.
The red roses were Sulpicia's favorites; she used to leave her room to watch them bloom. In the times when she left her suite Aro forbade anyone from walking in the garden. And because of the current appearance of the rose buds, that could happen at any time.
Heidi took a red rose to put in her hair once and Aro almost fired her. It was the first time she did her service for a month without complaining after that.
Demetri had gone to Rosalie again asking for more advice, but she had told him to humble himself or give up forever. Demetri had already decided that he was going to humble really hard, what else could he do?
He had just opened his mouth when Elia interrupted him:
- Be careful! - She pulled him aside, it was when he realized that he had almost broken the vase of a tiny succulent that Caius had placed near the rose bushes.
He said that was his youngest daughter and would probably take Demetri's head off if he dared to kill her.
- That's why I think Caius needs to draw a map for his plants - Demetri said.
It wasn't his intention to make a joke, but Elia smiled, until she realized that she was still holding Demetri's arm.
- So - she said, moving away slowly - what do you want?
- Well - he took a deep breath. Demetri hated being outdoors, he hated the smell, the insects and the plants, especially when they pricked his skin. He preferred staying inside the hotel or the castle in Volterra. Go out into the outside world to meet rude humans? Only for missions... But Elia liked the garden and he hoped that place would put her in a good mood.
- I know - Elia stepped forward - you think you should apologize.
- Yes, I'm sorry for... - he stopped - wait, do you think I shouldn't?
- I'm not in a position to make you do anything - she crossed her arms and turned the face away, avoiding looking at him - but if you think you should, then I accept your apologies, if it makes you feel better.
- Not only that - said Demetri - there's something else you could do.
- What?
Demetri thought of Rosalie's advice, being patient wasn't working for him. He took Elia's hand and led her to a white wooden bench with rounded edges full of pillows that Aro had ordered so Sulpicia could admire the flowers comfortably.
- How about spending time with me, every day? - he asked.
He realized that Elia was a little scared, that was Aro and Sulpicia's spot, where they looked at each other in completely silence, which meant a kind of love that Demetri had not experienced yet.
- I mean - he continued - I know we see each other every day, but you're always busy, or telling me to do things... I want us to spend time together doing normal things.
Elia nodded. Demetri could have sworn he almost saw a smile on her lips.
- Normal things - Elia thought of Marcus' words - but no pressure?
- No pressure - Demetri confirmed, automatically loosening the grip on her hands.
Elia smiled, this time for real.
- Done - Elia nodded - but if something goes wrong...
- I throw myself from the top floor of the hotel, in penance.
- You don't have to do that! - Elia moved closer to him, unconsciously.
Demetri's hands were anxious, as were his thoughts. He still wondered if Elia had the same electrical feeling he felt every time they were close, but if the answer was still no, he would make her feel it too.
He just needed a little more time.
This chapter was cute, am I the only one who loves Marcus? Anyway, I confess that I just finished this chapter because Christmas left me in a food coma! There are 2 chapters left, but only if I didn't include anything else, but Demetri and Elia are practically linked in that chapter. I will only publish again on January 9, until then, happy new year!