Warning for slight NSFW-ish kinda.
Lani never listened to Emmett. There was a good chance that a large portion of their last unit was about as good as disposal in her mind. It was hard to contextualize and interpret art that your immortal boyfriend predates. Whenever she tried studying, instead of using the year as a route for evidence, she was asking herself what Aro might have been doing that specific time?
The Romans completely ripped off the Greeks...what did he think about that?
English monks using egg yolk to create one of the first illustrated bibles...what was Aro doing?
Michelangelo going blind while decorating the Sistine Chapel, in Italy might she add…what was he doing?
The French making life-like personifications of their country during that headless revolution...what the hell was Aro doing?
The TT sat alone in her driveway with Lani in it, cell and hand, while repeatedly typing and deleting text messages. Texting Aro was weirder than she thought. How do you ask your three thousand year old boyfriend to come over because your parents aren't home? Should she start it with a simple; Netflix and chill? No, he wouldn't get that. Maybe; House's empty, bring that Trojan horse to the front door. After the last semi-paragraph, she just called the guy. He answered immediately.
"Good afternoon, leonessa."
Even over the phone he sounded like soft velvet. "Hi. Come over." His laugh landed on her ear, she welcomed the sound.
"Yesterday we spent the entire day together. Are you not tired of me yet?"
"Hell no. Get over here," she bit her lip. "Please? My Mom's not home." There was a sigh across the line. "There will be no disrespecting my mother's house! I promise!"
"Is that so?"
"Genuinely. I need—erm...help."
"Help?"
"Yes! That trig final is tomorrow and I don't know, I could really use a walking talking abacus right now for help."
"My impression was that you have exceedingly mastered the topics for this exam?"
Lani picked at a thread in her jacket, she rested her chin on her knees. "Stupid tactical telepathy." He laughed again. "I just wanna see you again. I miss—" She flinched at the smiling figure outside her window.
Lani leaped out her car and wrapped her arms around Aro who lifted her up. She secured her legs around his waist and kissed his nose and cheek.
"You're home early," he commented.
"It's a half day, remember?"
He hummed, "You require assistance with Art History."
"Geez, it's almost like you read my mind."
Aro sat at the island with her powerpoint and flash card notes in front of him. Lani sat beside him eating some leftover goat meat and trying to ignore her phone.
"Ringgold's Dancing at the Louvre displays a shift from modernism to postmodernism in which way?" He read.
"Um," Lani chewed and swallowed. "Because...art?
Aro raised a critical brow, she huffed, "People keep texting me about this stupid senior prank—hey!" Aro snatched her phone away and told her to pay attention. "She basically brought biases in the art world to light, like race and gender."
"Through the characterization of…"
"Well, a different perspective?" He nodded for her to continue, "She combined African-American culture with femininity which up until the...seventies?"
"Eighties."
"Up until the eighties, that wasn't all that common in mainstream art. Morons!"
"Good work, piccola! Marvelously worded!" Lani crossed her eyes when he started to applaud, a wide smile across his face. "Have you thought of becoming a curator by chance?" He asked.
"No...I'm going into nursing, remember?" Lani smiled then scooped her last spoon of rice.
"I'm not sure if that specific career path would align with your future state of being when the time comes."
"Carlisle seems fine doing it," she shrugged.
"Carlisle has many years of practice behind him in order for him to reach that point," he tried to reason.
"Then I'll do the same."
"Carlisle is also very different in that regard compared to any immortal I've ever met, even his own family," he folded his hands, "Not even I could imagine such a consistent exposure to blood, and I am nearly four times older than him."
"Basically, you think all I'll care about is eating the patients."
"It is in our nature to view humans as prey, not to nurse them back to health."
Lani wouldn't accept that. If Carlisle could do it that meant it was possible, and if it was possible then she could do it as well. She would try her hardest to not forget herself, she didn't want to become a killer that hurt people. Her hope was that when it was all finished and she woke up like Aro, nothing would change in terms of her integrity.
They went over the rest of the contemporary art pieces she was required to know for tomorrow. Aro seemed to really enjoy being her tutor, maybe he should be the curator.
"It really stinks you can't eat this, my stew is hella bomb," she moaned.
"Unfortunately, my diet is incredibly limited."
"How did you like the Lani juice? Was it tasty?"
"I abstained from indulging any of it"
"Humph," she licked the hot sauce off her lips, "You didn't drink any of it?"
Aro stared intently at her, his eyes were more bronze than amber.
"You're giving up your entire life for me. The least I can do is revoke an aspect of mine," he smiled.
She was reminded of what Emmett told her, "But won't it look bad to other vampires?"
Aro placed his hands together, "What does it matter," he grinned. "I am the king."
"Oh," she focused on her food.
"What is the matter?"
"I feel like you might have an idea…"
"I may."
Lani was unsure how to ask without sounding snobby, she didn't want him to get the wrong impression. But at the same time, since meeting Renata it was stubbornly clinging to her like a leech.
He could be expecting anything. It was tempting to confess her insecurity about being with such an important person, and possibly not living up to the expectations of his family and guard members. Lani didn't know a lick about high life, especially vampire high life. She was just a middle class nobody from a town nobody gave a shit about.
Aro waited patiently for her while she combed through what to say.
"It's about your family," his eyes brightened, "Both you and Renata said one of your brother's can't find out we're together and I was just wondering...why?"
He seemed to think for a moment, his lips pursed, and head tilted.
"I'm cheating," Aro simply said.
"Cheating?"
"Yes," he nodded. "I'm keeping you all to myself—with the exception of Renata of course—not because I'm ashamed of you, Kalani…" he lightly shushed her when she went to retort, "...but because I adore this. Being here with you, in your mother's house, studying as you eat stew." His cool thumb brushed away a bit of hot sauce that was underneath her lip. "You're very special to me—more than that! You're my life. If anyone else in my world besides the select few I have chosen became aware of you, this would all cease to exist."
"So you're saying it buys us time?"
"Immeasurable time. And, I would think you would prefer to properly part with your mother than be dragged to Volterra without ever seeing her again."
That was a true statement. She swallowed, "Is that what you were going to do that night, when I found you?"
"Yes," he said instantly. "But, I later changed my mind."
"Aro?"
"Kalani."
She kissed his cheek, "I love you more than my goat stew."
It was well into their review of Reformation art when her mother came home and warmly greeted the both of them. When she came back into the kitchen with a completely different outfit, she received compliments from both of them.
"Marleen, you look striking."
"Thank you, Aro, you're very kind."
"Going somewhere?" Lani wiggled her brows.
"I am," Her mom smiled sweetly, clutching her pocket book. "And so are the both of you. Jenny decided to take us out for dinner." Immediately the fact Aro couldn't eat made her gape for an excuse to get him out of it.
"When would that be?" Aro smiled, unbothered.
"In about an hour thirty," Her mother eyes the empty bowl on the counter, then shrugged. "We wanted to celebrate your graduation, but if you're already full…"
"No!" Full was the last thing she felt right now, the prospect of food made her giddy, but still, Aro can't eat. "It's just, Aro's a new vegan and I don't think the menu isn't very animal friendly."
"They have fries," Mom pointed out, "Potatoes are vegetarian? Right?"
"Vegan, Mom. Vegan."
The Lodge was packed along with their table. Aro and Bella were sitting right beside her while Charlie sat beside her Mom, it was cute. Half the table was talking about football while the other half centered around a plethora of topics, at the moment Lani and Bella's post-graduation plans were being exploited, though Lani was doing most of the talking.
"Where are you both planning on going? I don't think I saw your choices in the yearbook," Ms. Pahm rested her head on top of her hand, looking at the two almost-graduates with peak interest.
Lani glanced at Bella who appeared wildly uncomfortable from the sudden attention, she blinked rapidly while opening and closing her mouth.
"Well, um, I was looking at the University of Alaska?"
Everyone besides Charlie made a sound of surprise. This was the first time Lani ever heard about this. Come to think of, this was the first she ever heard Bella talk about college ever.
"Alaska, huh?" Homer nodded, "Always wanted to go up there and hunt for caribou."
"That's very far," her Mom said at the same time.
Bella blushed while fiddling with her ravioli.
"That's definitely not something you hear everyday. Are you alright with your daughter leaving the continental US?" Ms. Pahm asked Charlie who laughed and took a sip of his beer.
"Hey, that's where she wants to go. I'm just glad she's going to college," he shrugged, "And Homer's not wrong, that caribou is a killer." They laughed.
"Two words," Lani held up a peace sign, "Too cold." Another round of laughter.
"They have a really good Bio program," Bella explained softly.
"And what about you, Lani? Alaska too?" Ms. Pahm teased.
"Well…" she glanced at Aro, "I have several options. I haven't really settled on one but definitely not anywhere near Alaska." They laughed.
"Are you gonna be a Wildcat just like your godfather?" Homer smiled.
"Nope! Central actually sent me a rejection letter."
"No?!"
"Yup," she shrugged.
"Then you plan to be a Husky like your mother and I, right? Oh! Mister Volturi too!" Lani looked between Ms. Pahm and her Mom, Marleen was watching the interaction with amusement, a cute dimpled smile on her face.
"Actually, not a Husky either," Their faces were puzzled.
"In what's the what?" Homer asked.
"Western Washington...I was too last minute for the yearbook."
"Bellingham?" Charlie emphasized which Lani nodded at. "That's a hell of a lot closer than Alaska," he commented.
"A Viking? Marleen! How could you?" Ms. Pahm was applaud, "Even Mister Volturi is a Husky!"
"I plan to transfer actually," Aro explained, Lani swiftly shoved one of his wedges in her mouth while her teacher began comparing the Western State and University of Washington art programs. She sure took this school rivalry thing serious.
"Now I'll ask you, Marleen. Are you okay with your daughter completely breaking tradition?"
Shaking her head while giggling, "Of course I am! She's going to be so happy over there and in very good hands."
At some point when the adults began talking about whatever adults like to talk about. They zeroed in on Aro, Homer was specifically interested in his career of choice.
"What exactly can you do with that kind of degree?" He speculated. "You can't exactly make a living from knowing pictures." Homer laughed, trying to look at Charlie for emphasis, but the mustached man ignored him, minding his business while sipping his beer.
"Conveniently, art is a wonderful tool that can be utilized to better understand our world. Look at the architectural design found in your establishment…" As he spoke her legs tensed as a slender hand held her thigh. Ms. Pahm and her Mom were talking amongst themselves while Bella remained quietly eating along with Charlie.
"Marleen tells me you're interested in marrying my goddaughter one day, wow. How will that degree take care of her?" Homer wasn't holding back, but neither was Aro underneath the table.
Lani was wearing a simple skirt, his cool hands were caressing between her legs, brushing the area just a stroke away from her core. "To be frank, Mr. Andrades. I am filthy rich." Aro smiled bashfully, her boss was appreciative of the blunt spirit.
Their stupid talks about college and wealth were mush in her mind as his hand took the leap up to fully play with her, pushing her panties to the side and slowly stroking up her slit. Lani shoved more wedges in her mouth to distract herself and appear normal, but on the inside she was a whimpering mess, his thumb on a mission to turn her into putty.
"Tell you what, if you ever feel like commiting to small town life, then come take my job." Aro laughed heartily at Ms. Pahm's joke, all the while rubbing her bud without mercy.
"Secondary school? It is tempting I'll admit, however I do believe if academia is my calling it would be at the university level."
"A professor?" Bella blurted, "You?"
"Bella," Charlie sent a disapproving look.
"Sorry...I just…"
Lani momentarily closed her eyes while her friend backtracked, Aro used his index and middle finger to capture her clit as he slid his thumb over the strained bud. Forcing herself not to shake was causing sweat to slide down her back, a ticking time bomb.
"Are you okay, Lani?"
When she opened her eyes again everyone was looking toward her, even Aro, with a genuine look of concern which she knew was fake from the mischievous glint in his dark eyes.
"Oh, me? I'm fine," Lani waved her hand, "Actually!" The last wedge on Aro's plate was shoved in her, "These wedges are just so good, hmm…" the hand down her pants was driving her crazy, "Yes, ah, so good!"
"Hey, Lani? Could you help me with something...in the bathroom," Bella asked, making Aro retract his sinful fingers. There was a slight lift to his lips when a shiver ran down her back. Bastard.
"Uh yeah, sure."
