[chapter_17]
They aren't supposed to fight.
Little spats here and there, disagreements over tiny things, jibes over hogging the bathroom - these are all things that are typical, easily forgiven. But they aren't supposed to fight. Not like this. There is an oath, sealed by a pinky promise, that all of them should rise above the petty, catty in-fighting that can happen with female friendships. They live in the same dorm; they should be friends, close friends, as close as sisters. Until now, they've all followed this promise, because no matter how much they bicker, it's always nothing that can't be forgiven in an instant.
It's never anything that can cause truly hurt feelings.
And yet here Bella is, standing at the western entrance to campus in the early evening, waiting for a Lyft to pick her up and take her to the only source of comfort she can think of. Because her feelings are definitely hurt and one of her best friends can't even look at her, and Bella is at a loss of what to do except for leave.
Deescalating the situation is always the smart thing to do. It's a piece of advice from Charlie Swan that Bella has kept rooted in the back of her mind - stay calm and do not escalate a conflict. There are always other ways.
Maybe Bella will be able to think of other ways when she's less confused and bruised and shaken. But as of right now, all Bella can think about is the way Alice cried, the way Alice spoke with so much shrieking rage, the way Alice's shoulders hunched forward as she turned away and said she was done.
Bella doesn't understand what just happened, but she does know that the promise the four of them made during freshman year has been broken - because what just happened is unmistakably a fight and not one that can just be forgiven.
Did Bella do something wrong? What happened to make bright, cheery Alice be so heartbroken? What made her turn on Bella like that, like a wounded animal?
Bella doesn't know. It's all she can do to hold back the burn of tears as the Lyft picks her up and takes her to Masen's building. She hugs her hastily packed bags to her chest, fingers digging into fabric, and tries to focus on the questionable music taste of the driver. There is rain outside, a steady drizzle that dibbles down the window. She watches the rain and listens to the radio and tries to do anything other than think.
It works until the ride ends and Bella has to crawl out of the backseat and meet Masen's steady gaze. He scans her head to toe, assessing, and she isn't sure what it is he sees, but whatever it is makes his jaw clench. She has enough grace left to withhold her sob until the Lyft rumbles away, but as soon as it does, her bags are dropped at her feet as she falls face-first into Masen's chest, shaking with the force of her grief.
His hands move, one gently cupping the back of her head, supporting the way she tries to tuck herself even closer, the other falling to the curve of her waist, a loose hold that anchors her in place. Bella shudders through another sob, her fingers curling into his shirt, which is damp from the rain.
"Bella? What happened?" he murmurs, lips at her ear.
Bella shakes her head and holds on tighter. She doesn't have the words right now, doesn't know how to explain a fight that was more like a one-sided tantrum, a bursting dam of resentment. Her mouth can't seem to move, to make the motions of an explanation.
"Are you hurt?" he asks, and again, all she can manage is a shake of her head, forehead pressed against the crook of his neck.
Masen's chest moves up and down, a deep motion, something like a sigh. He says nothing, simply continues to hold her to his chest. Around them, the rain picks up, falling harder as the evening light stretches into the blue-black of nighttime. And still, Masen holds her, occasionally stroking the length of her sodden hair.
The silent, steady presence is more comforting than she could have ever guessed. If Bella had gone to Leah, her sister would have blown into a righteous tirade that, while validating, would have only stressed Bella out more; Rose might have sneered something about wasting tears; and Jake, in the past, has panicked and supplied a tub of ice cream, because he's an emotional eater and he knows she can be, too.
But Masen just holds her, and breathes, and gives her time to calm down. Pressed against his chest like this, she can't help but think she's never felt so safe. Not untouchable, but certainly secure. She has such trust in him and she knows he'll catch her if she falls, and he'll support her first steps, and he'll just be there. No demands, no pressure, no judgment. Just an immobile, unflappable presence, a patient statue of a man that moves only when it pleases him, and can use that remarkable constancy to hold her steady.
Bella becomes pliable in his arms, the tension unwinding from her spine one vertebrae at a time. She breathes steadier as the sobs subside, her grip on him slackening. Her face still feels hot and her nose tingles, but she feels better. Or at least less upset, probably because crying that much is exhausting. She finally notices the chill of the rain sinking into her skin and shivers, huddling closer to Masen for a different reason.
"Let's go inside," he says softly, pulling back just enough to see her face. His brow knits, his hand tenderly cupping one side of her face, thumb brushing under her eye to wipe away tears and rain.
Bella nods, sniffling, and follows meekly after Masen, who carries her bags in one hand and has his own closed securely around her own. The main door for the building has been left open the whole time, and Bella tries not to feel bad about the puddle she ends up dragging inside. Masen doesn't seem bothered by it at all. He lets go of her hand briefly, just long enough to lock the door behind them and key in the security code. And then he leads her through the dimly-lit lobby, past the darkened workspace lit by only neon lights, and up to the stairwell. Because she has already been this way before, she doesn't pay attention to anything other than the broad, square shape of Masen's shoulders or the lightness of his steps. There are some noises from the second-floor apartments, but the common area is empty so there is nobody to comment on the casual way Masen takes her up to his loft. Just like the main door downstairs, Masen's loft door has been left open, and just like downstairs, he only lets go of her hand to close the door.
When he takes her hand again, Masen runs a critical eye over her water-logged appearance, then at the wet bags full of her clothes and other possessions. She hopes that her ivory laptop bag, which is also holding her important texts right now and is tucked in the middle of the larger tote, made it through mostly dry. It's supposed to be waterproof. Bella guesses she'll find out soon.
"You need to get warm," Masen decides. He tugs gently on her hand, towing her to a room she had missed the first time she was up here. It's a sliding frosted glass door, stylized as a shoji screen, and Masen opens it to reveal the bathroom. He drops her hand and steps back, urging her into the space. "I'll get you clothes to borrow. Take your time."
Bella slides the door shut and surveys the bathroom. It's square with matte charcoal tiles and white grout on the floors, and a standing glass shower made with alternating clear and frosted glass, and the toilet tucked behind a half-wall, a single-window high on the far wall. The space is clean, one shelf neatly lined with a sparse collection of razors, shaving cream, amber-colored cologne in a square bottle, the other holding a stack of white washcloths, a toothbrush holder, and a toothpaste pump. He has a towel rack with two precisely folded white towels and a black cotton robe on the back of the door. The sight of the robe makes her smile slightly.
The mirror is equally as spotless, but it's unforgiving in the honest reflection it shows. The lighting in the bathroom is good enough that Bella gets a very clear look at the mess she makes. Her eyes are rimmed pink and swollen, their green shade standing out in a vibrant, bright contrast, her nose red, the rest of her skin pallid. With her hair plastered to her scalp from the rain and her clothes wet, she estimates herself to look like a half-drowned rat.
And it isn't that she particularly cares that she looks exactly as distressed as she feels, because having emotions is nothing to be ashamed of, and she doesn't think Masen cares that much what she looks like right now, either - but there is something deeply mortifying about breaking down into such little pieces in front of him, something embarrassing about leaning on him so heavily so soon. They've only been on four official dates. They've never kissed. And now she's gone and invited herself over, had a breakdown all over him in the rain, and now stands in his bathroom with instructions to get warm, because he's taking care of her like she's a damsel in distress.
Because that's what she is - she's in distress.
Because something happened to Alice, something that made her blow up like a cherry bomb right in Bella's face.
Bella turns away from the mirror, resolute. She can't think about that right now. Her teeth are starting to chatter, so she needs to get warm. She fiddles with the knobs in the shower until water pitter-patters onto smooth tile, and then, with a blush rising on her face, she quickly gets undressed, steps into the water, and closes the glass door firmly behind her. She almost can't believe that she's in Masen's shower, washing with Masen's soaps - they all smell of cinnamon and sandalwood with undercurrents of vanilla - and using up his hot water. But she is and her skin is glowing pink under the heat of the spray, and suds are spiraling around her feet, so it's all real. And it's still real when she steps out of the shower and dries off with Masen's towel and wrings her hair out before wrapping it up. She hesitates for a moment, naked in the middle of his bathroom, and then reaches for his robe, which smells richly of his heady cologne.
Knotting the belt tightly and holding the neckline closed, because it gapes around her slender shoulders, Bella eases the bathroom door open and pokes her head out into the loft. "Masen?" she calls softly.
There's a noise from the direction of the kitchen, which is not in sight of the bathroom. Masen circles into view a moment later, brushing his hands on his shirt. He sees her and clears his throat, and to her muted delight she notices that the tips of his ears become pink right before he lifts his eyes and looks off into the middle-distance, pointedly away from Bella.
"Clothes?" she prompts, her face hot.
"Shelf," Masen answers stiffly.
Bella leans out just a little more and, yes, right there on the shelf by the bathroom door is a bundle of clothes. She reaches for them and tosses out her thanks before ducking back into the bathroom, her heart rabbiting in her chest. Bella trades the robe for silvery basketball shorts, which droop on her hips and fall to her calves and have to be pulled in tight with the drawstring. The shirt is no better, a plain white crewneck that hangs loosely on her frame, the collar gaping around her neck. Bella raises a brow at the mirror. Masen is taller than her, she knows, but is he really so much broader? Apparently, he is. She isn't exactly dwarfed by his clothes, because he's built lean and lithe, but the difference in their frames is unmistakable.
She feels small, both in mind and body, when she emerges from the bathroom, wet clothes rolled together with a towel on her head. She ventures to the narrow kitchen, spying Masen fussing with a kettle and two cups of tea. He glances up at her as she enters, takes in her burden, and says, "You can put those by the door. I'll toss them in the dryer with your other things if you want."
"I'll sort it out, then," Bella replies. She scuttles off to the front of the loft to do exactly that. For the most part, while the outside of the bags is certainly wet, only a few clothes are damp and her laptop bag is bone-dry. She makes a pile, then finds a place to hang-dry her bags, and then carries her laptop bag into the living area, tucking it beside the low couch. By the time she's done, the kettle in the kitchen is singing.
Taking a seat at the breakfast bar, she watches him remove the kettle from the stove and place it beside the two cups on the stone countertop. He scoots a mesh wire basket of tea packets over to her, a silent request, and she plucks out the Yogi bedtime blend. Masen wordlessly brews two cups, then gestures to a jar of honey with a raised brow.
Bella nods, because she isn't picky about sweetening tea, and wonders at the presence of a bedtime tea blend in Masen's collection. He has quite a few blends, actually. He must drink tea quite a bit. She wouldn't have expected it, but she can see now how it makes sense - Masen looks so calm as he prepares the tea as if the very motions are soothing.
How frequently does he need the bedtime blend? What is it that keeps Masen up at night? Bella tucks these new questions away, certain that she will find the answer eventually. Now really isn't the time.
Masen bides his time until they have both sipped at the tea before he brings up the elephant in the room. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really," Bella sighs, tracing a finger over the rim of her cup. "But I feel like I owe you an explanation, showing up here like this."
"You owe me nothing," Masen says firmly. He places his mug on the counter, leaning toward the breakfast bar to catch her eyes. "If you want to talk about it, then that's fine. But you don't have to tell me anything unless you want to."
Bella bites her lip, dropping her eyes to the murky tea. "Alice, my roommate, and I had a fight. Or, well, Alice had a fight and I was a convenient punching bag. I'm…not sure what it was about, really."
"Ah."
"She said some hurtful things," Bella continues with a frown. "She said she didn't want to be compared to me anymore, that she couldn't even stand to look at me…And I don't understand any of it. I don't know what happened or why she said those things. I'm not sure where it came from. And she didn't want to talk about it, and she was so upset…So I thought, well if I leave, maybe she'll be able to calm down. And…here I am."
Masen's mouth is pulled into a terse line. "I see."
It's obvious to Bella that he's displeased, but he doesn't seem intent to vocalize it, which she's glad for. She isn't looking for an opinion, because it's really a thing between herself and Alice, and she doesn't need advice either, because she already knows that she and Masen have vastly different approaches to problem-solving. But the fact that he does restrain himself from speaking is appreciated. It shows a lot of wisdom and demonstrates how well he already knows her.
Bella polishes off her tea. "Can I sleep here tonight?"
"Mm," Masen hums in agreement. "You can have the bed."
"The couch is fine," she says quickly. "I don't want to put you out of your bed."
The corner of Masen's mouth tips up and his gaze drops briefly to her lips, her neck, any part of her he can see over the breakfast bar. "Believe me, the couch is fine for me."
Bella doesn't miss the implication, the unspoken words, and flames rise on her cheeks. She slips off the metal stool, finding her feet with a small stumble. "Oh. Well, I'll just…" Bella's feet carry her backward, toward the back of the loft and the wide sliding doorway to the bedroom. "Goodnight!" she calls over her shoulder, flustered and flushed.
She thinks she can hear Masen quietly chuckling in the kitchen as she slides the door shut. She tells herself she's too tired to be teased, so she ignores Masen and any thoughts about Masen's silent implications and gingerly lays down on his bed, wraps herself up in his blanket, and tucks her limbs close to her body.
Sleep doesn't come easy, but with the sound of the rain pattering on the roof just overhead, sleep does come - restless and troubled but sleep nonetheless.
She hopes for a better tomorrow.
Turing Is Our Hero (Group Chat)
Peter Panda
So
Did anyone else see anything
interesting last night?
Em Likes Pi
For the last time pete
We don't need to talk about
the kind of porn we watch
Peter Panda
Wow okay
First of all, don't kinkshame me
Second of all, that's not what I mean
I'm talking about the visitor
Em Likes Pi
Visitor?
Like an alien
Or like a parasite?
Man I told you those tacos looked
sketchy as hell
Peter Panda
I don't have a parasite
Wtf
Em Likes Pi
Yeah that's what they all said in Alien
But then look what happened
Peter Panda
You know what fuck you
Squidward
It's too early for this shite
What are you on about
What visitor
Peter Panda
Oh rite!
So last night, when I was eating my
Not Sketchy tacos, I saw a thing
A Bella Swan visiting Masen in the
dead of night thing
They were cuddling in the rain and
everything
Squidward
Disgusting
Em Likes Pi
Tell me more!
Peter Panda
Okay well idk what was going on
but Bella came in the building
And she did not leave
Which means she's still here
Because she slept over
Em Likes Pi
Damn Mase has game
Squidward
Where's the proof
Peter Panda
Are you calling me a liar?!
Squidward
Yes
Peter Panda
Okay fair
But I got you
You want proof?
Check the lack of nagging for us to
start working
It's a weekday and Mase isn't cracking
the whip
Highly suspect if you ask me
Em Likes Pi
I'm inclined to agree
But it does seem circumstantial
Squidward
Yet compelling
Peter Panda
You both sound too skeptical
I can get more proof
Em Likes Pi
Oh be my guest
Peter Panda
Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter
Squidward
Right to the source
Em Likes Pi
It takes balls
I respect the hell out of this
Also rip pete in advance
Peter Panda
Mat Hatter
Come out and play!
I can hear you moving around up there
Em Likes Pi
Classy
Peter Panda
Fuck off
Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter
What
Peter Panda
Bro!
Mase my best bro!
Tell them the truth!
Em Likes Pi
You have to specify pete
Masen doesn't read the backlog
Peter Panda
Oh rite!
Okay
Well I saw a thing last night
And I need you to confirm
Did you get lucky?
Mad Hatter
Ah
I see
Peter Panda
Mase!
That's not an answer!
I know Bella is up there
I saw her with my own two eyes!
She's still here right?
Right?
Mad Hatter
As a matter of fact
You don't need to know
Em Likes Pi
(Gif Attachment: Person eating popcorn)
Peter Panda
Hey!
No fair!
Tell us!
We would tell you
Squidward
I would not
Em Likes Pi
I sure would
Peter Panda
Just tell us!
Mad Hatter
Fine
I'll be late to the office
Peter Panda
Late!
To the what!
We LIVE in the office!
What does that even mean?!
Em Likes Pi
Lmao
Peter Panda
You coward!
Your all cowards!
I know what I know!
Mad Hatter
You know you need more work?
Understood
I'll email you another project
Peter Panda
Wait no
That's not what I want
Mad Hatter
And you want to complete this
work without overtime pay?
You're so generous Peter
Peter Panda
D:
How the turns have tabled!
I have been wrong
I repent!
Mad Hatter
(read at 7:56AM)
Peter Panda
Oh fuck me
Em Likes Pi
Like I said
Rip pete
Nice try buddy
Squidward
It was a nice try
Em Likes Pi
Lol what
Squidward
Did neither of you notice that
he wasn't DENYING the claim?
He just didn't answer
Peter Panda
Oh shit
Oh shit your rigte
*rite
Em Likes Pi
So then that means
Peter Panda
Uh huh
Em Likes Pi
Holy shit
Masen DOES have game
Squidward
Did you honestly expect any different?
Peter Panda
:o
Em Likes Pi
This is bad for my health
Masen wakes up on his couch four minutes before his alarm is set to go off. He stares up at the ceiling until it does, organizing his thoughts, his plans for the day, the events of the night before. There is a lot to process, he thinks. Plenty to keep his mind occupied.
Where should he start? His deep-set concern when Swansong disappeared, or his disquiet when Bella texted him and asked to come over? The twinge in his chest when she cried in his arms, as if he was her harbor in a storm, or the subdued quality of her fatigue? How about the way his heart sped to see her in only his robe, and then In his clothes, and then in his bed, or how he had felt such a fierce protectiveness at her red-rimmed eyes and the ache she spoke with?
In the end, the only solid feeling he can settle on is how grateful and proud he is to be the one she turned to in a time of need. That's just the way it should be. He doesn't intend for that to ever change.
Masen rises from the couch and slips quietly through his loft, his morning motions economic and silent in deference to the still-slumbering girl in his bed. He manages to pass the first half-hour of waking the same as he usually does, showering, dressing, brewing coffee, all while he mentally sketches the tasks that must be completed today. Now that he's fully recovered from the accident, there's more to do now than ever before, and he has a busy day ahead of him.
He still takes a moment to look into his bedroom, watching over Bella as she sleeps. Her expression is peaceful and untroubled, the blankets bunched around her middle and pulled under her chin while her legs are left uncovered. She sleeps on her side now, but he can see evidence of tossing and turning, the sheets on the entire bed mussed, the spare pillow flung onto the floor. He wonders what it might be like to sleep beside her, someone who sleeps so deeply and with so much movement. Maybe it isn't always like this; maybe she usually sleeps as still as Masen does and this is out of character for her. He doesn't mind it either way because it's her, and he is deeply endeared.
Masen eases into the bedroom and crouches down beside the bed. Her hand is hanging over the side of the mattress, so he takes it into his own, tracing his thumb over her delicate knuckles. He expects this to rouse her, but when it doesn't, he changes tracts. Still holding her hand, he reaches out to brush her hair off her forehead and says her name softly.
Bella doesn't respond.
He tries again, speaking louder.
Bella continues to slumber.
Masen leans back and reconsiders how to wake her because apparently a gentle, subtle way is not going to work. He could leave her to wake on her own, he supposes, or write a note. It's not as if he's going far, just downstairs to the office, but it doesn't sit right with him to leave without saying good-bye. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't care, and he would be tactless about waking them up - but this is Bella, and she deserves as much tenderness as he can manage.
Ah. It's Bella and Bella has an appetite. Maybe if he made food? The human olfactory nerves are some of the most sensitive and powerful, and he doesn't doubt for a second that his food-loving girlfriend would be roused by the scent of food. Decision made, he gently sets down her hand and goes back to the kitchen.
Masen isn't a great cook. He's never really had cause to learn, because the Cullens are well-off and none of the Cullen brood can do more than put together basic meals themselves and all through college Masen relied solely on the dining hall, the convenience store, and other take-out. But Masen is good at making tea and he can manage to feed himself if he follows the directions food packaging, so making eggs is not beyond him. He has a stack of egg stir-in meals in his refrigerator, the kind that are already loaded with the makings of an omelet require nothing more than a cracked egg and a microwave. By the time the microwave stops beeping and he has plated the food, he does hear some movement from the bedroom.
To be precise, he hears exactly one movement, and curiosity bids him to check it out. From the doorway, he can see Bella sitting up in bed, her hair a wild tangle of waves around her head, her eyes half-lidded as she stares at the wall. She's sleep-flushed and has a pillow crease on her cheek, but he thinks she's still the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.
"Bella."
She doesn't reply, but she does furrow her brow and look at him with a measure of sleepy-eyed confusion, a pout on her lips.
"I made breakfast," he says.
"Mmph."
Masen lifts his brows. He recalls one of the YouTube videos Peter had sent him, one where Bella's step-sister claimed she was totally useless in the morning. He had thought at the time that it was an exaggerated claim because Bella was certainly never useless at any point in the day, but now he's rethinking his initial assessment. She might be sitting up and blinking at the morning light, but Masen is certain she isn't fully awake.
His lips twitch. It's cute, actually.
"There's coffee in the kitchen," he tempts and is entertained to see Bella's face scrunch in thought before her expression smoothes out and she stumbles out of bed. He ignores the disarray of his bedding in favor of watching Bella's bare feet shuffle across the hardwood floors. Masen trails behind her as she makes her way to the breakfast bar and all but collapses onto a stool, draping her top half over the counter.
Masen doesn't laugh at the way she perks up at the cup of coffee he slides under her nose, but he wants to. He's never seen Bella like this, not right in front of him still warm and puffy-eyed from sleep, and he wants to ingrain every moment into his mind. And then he wants to devise as many ways as possible to make it happen again and again.
It occurs to him that this urge is somewhat irrational. He doesn't care. Masen is fully aware of his rose-colored glasses - he just has no intention of taking them off.
Masen eats his own food, waiting and watching for signs that Bella is more awake. He thinks he spots it when she is scraping her fork across the plate, chasing one last bit of egg, and then abruptly stops as pink rises on her cheeks. She darts a look up to him, as if checking that he was watching, and then looks down at plate the way one might look at the floor when waiting for it to swallow them whole.
She's embarrassed and Masen can only think, again, cute.
"Good morning," he says mirthfully.
Bella bites her lip. "Good morning…Thanks for letting me have the bed. Your mattress is…very comfortable. Soft."
"Memory foam."
"Ah. That would explain it…"
Masen collects their plates and cups, turning his back to place them in the sink to hide the grin breaking across his face. She's already pink-cheeked; he doesn't need to add to it by being so obviously amused.
His expression is cleared by the time he turns around, bracing his hands on the countertop. "Your clothes are dry. I didn't fold them because I noticed some were, ah, delicate. I hope that's okay."
Predictably - and satisfyingly - Bella's flush renews itself full force. "That's fine," she says quickly. "I'll fold it myself! Thank you for drying them!"
Masen shrugs. "It wasn't any trouble." It was, however, illuminating. He'd done his best not to linger over the damp clothes, or treat any article as more interesting than another, but he can admit that certain things briefly caught his eye. Very briefly, and not enough to bear overthinking about.
If he had waited downstairs last night until the dryer had finished so the risk of one of the others investigated the laundry room, then that's between him and the machines.
"Do you have any classes today?" he asks.
"Two, later in the afternoon" she answers. Bella pauses, frowning. "I…don't think I can go back to the dorm after last night. I don't even know if Alice will be able to stand seeing me next week, during finals. I'm going to have to figure something else out. Maybe I could go home…?"
"I've been thinking about that," Masen says truthfully. He'd had a lot of time last night to turn over Bella's issue while the dryer was going, and while he can't say he's at all happy that she feels she can't go back to her dorm without causing added tension, he does think he can make arrangements that she will be comfortable with. He's under no delusion that living together so quickly is a good idea. "I might have a solution."
"Oh?"
Masen dips his head, acknowledging her interest. "Allow me to get it arranged before you decide. Until then, you can stay here tonight," he offers. "And any other night you need to. My door is always open to you."
She smiles prettily, quietly pleased. He much prefers this look of contentedness on her to the distress of last night.
"If you don't have any plans this morning, how do you feel about completing your internship orientation today?"
"That would be great," she says. "Let me just…"
Masen follows her gesture with his eyes, taking in the way his clothes lay on her figure with a simmer of heat in his gut. He clears his throat. "Take your time."
When Bella has closed herself in the bathroom after picking through her clothes in the basket by the bedroom, Masen releases a long, slow breath. He'd never known a woman to be tempting, but Bella Swan might as well be a siren for all he's concerned. Everything she does, no matter how small, is enchanting to him. Compared to their first date, he's much less struck by nerves around her - at least, he's not obvious about it anymore, with sweaty palms and trouble making eye contact - but all the same, he still isn't at ease. He doesn't think he should be, either, because surely his heart thrumming so quickly is a good sign.
But he knows, right now, the ecstatic ignition of his nerves at her every breath is the least important consideration to be making. He has to prioritize her well-being, and doing so is no burden.
In fact, he looks forward to it.
Turing Is Our Hero (Group Chat)
Squidward
Well
That was something
Em Likes Pi
It was a whole lot of things
Can you narrow it down
Squidward
Sure
The printer is fixed
Peter Panda
The printer
The PRINTER
All of that and youre talking about
The fucking
Printer?!
Squidward
It was the first thing that happened
Is that not a good place to start
Em Likes Pi
Yeah sure okay
Our intern fixed the printer
That's great
But it was not the highlight
Peter Panda
For once Em makes a good point
Em Likes Pi
And fuck you too pete
Peter Panda
Pass
You're not my type
I can do better
Squidward
Ouch
Em Likes Pi
Fuck you both
We're supposed to be making fun
of Masen
Peter Panda
I forgot lol
Where were we
Squidward
The printer
And it being fixed
Peter Panda
Yeah that was cool or wtvr
But I want to talk about what
happened after
When our intern had to leave
Squidward
Oh that
Em Likes Pi
Are you talking about the
irrefutable evidence that Masen
Our Masen
Our Mr Robot Masen
Is in actual fact an ass man?
Peter Panda
Ding ding ding!
Em Likes Pi
Well I'm glad I'm not the only
one who saw it because I thought
I was hallucinating
Peter Panda
My dude
If you were hallucinating
Then so was I
Because I saw what you saw
Squidward
It wasn't a big deal
Peter Panda
WASN'T A WHAT NOW
It wasn't a BIG DEAL
Al!
I can't even!
Em Likes Pi
Yeah Al
It's a huge deal
Peter Panda
Massive!
Em Likes Pi
King Kong huge
Peter Panda
Godzilla gigantic
Squidward
He walked her to the door
That's it
Peter Panda
LOL
Yeah but before that
His eyes were GLUED
Em Likes Pi
He even tilted his head
I was there
I saw it
I am a witness
Peter Panda
Yeah! Yeah he did!
And so I tilted my head too
To see what he was looking at
But then he GLARED at me
And I almost shit myself
Em Likes Pi
Thanks for reminding me
Squidward
That part I liked
Peter Panda
You both suck
Em Likes Pi
The point though it that
Masen is an ass man
Mad Hatter
Are none of you busy enough
I can give you more work
Em Likes Pi
Hahaha
Very funny Mase
As a fellow ass man, I know
you'll show me mercy
Mad Hatter
I'm not an ass man
Peter Panda
I beg to differ!
Em Likes Pi
Yeahhhhh, we all saw what we saw
Mad Hatter
I'm not an ass man
I'm Bella's man
Peter Panda
Fucking what
Are my eyes broken
Did I read what I just read
Em Likes Pi
Damn dude
You're so whipped lol
Squidward
(whip emoji)
Mad Hatter
Et tu Alistair?
Squidward
Sorry not sorry mate
But they aren't wrong
Peter Panda
LOL
I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL THE INTERNET
Mad Hatter
I'm changing the wifi password
Peter Panda
Wait what
No don't do that
Masen!
Masen I can't get online
Masen I wasn't really going to tell
the internet
Em Likes Pi
Oh good job Pete
Now wifi is gone
Oh wait, nvm
I just got the new password
Squidward
Me too
Peter Panda
I didn't
What about me
I want wifi too!
Mad Hatter
Finish your work first
Peter Panda
You know
You havent gotten any nicer
with a girlfriend
Mad Hatter
Good
Peter Panda
D:
Masen is in his private office, the wide panel of glass showing him an image of al he's worked for - a dozen of the best recent graduates from Stanford, Berkley, and UCLA, all working toward the same goal. It had been an entire process to cull out applicants in his last semester to find people who shared the same vision as he did. He'd been persuasive and competitive enough to tempt these dozen guys from the tech giants in Silicon Valley, and he's proud of what they have achieved so far.
But Masen has bigger dreams than one or two successful mobile games. His aspirations reach the sky and they will, he thinks, have a greater impact on just the reception of one game. He wants to create a legacy, something that revolutionizes the entire industry. This, a dozen guys working at cutting-edge computers, is a good start.
And right now, he has something else that needs to be handled - Bella's complication with her roommate. He'd told her this morning that he had solution and he thinks he does. Masen is fortunate enough to have a brother who does not mind sharing personal details about his life, which is something Masen intends to leverage in his - and Bella's favor.
All it requires is a phone call. Carlisle isn't on call today, and since it's a weekday he's probably working at the Cullen company, which means lunch has just ended. Carlisle, like Masen, sticks to a rigid schedule, so he's certain his call will be picked up before he finishes dialing.
Carlisle sounds tired when he answers, a weariness that tells Masen just how well his brother's day has been so far. Masen can commiserate, to an extent. All the same, when Masen brings up asking a favor, Carlisle meets him with open curiosity.
"You want me to do a favor? How unusual. What do you need from me that you can't manage yourself?"
Another apartment, Masen thinks wryly. Because that's the crux of the issue. He and Bella are still too new to strain their relationship by living together, and if Bella doesn't feel comfortable going back to her dorm for fear of ruffling her roommate's feathers, then she needs another place to go. But Masen can't possibly pay for a hotel for either of them long term, and he doesn't have the funds to pay for a second apartment - not yet, at least, and being able to do so with ease is several years down the road. That means Masen has to find resources outside of himself, which ultimately leads him to tapping Carlisle for a connection.
"You said Esme was looking for a house-sitter last time we talked," Masen says.
"She's still looking," Carlisle laments. "Kebi is traveling through Egypt for the next two month and there's nobody home to feed the fish when Esme has to oversee her project in San Francisco. I would feed the fish for her, but between my residency and the company, I'm hardly ever at my own apartment…It's becoming quite a problem finding a reliable temporary sitter."
"I have a good candidate."
"You do? Well, that's great news! Who are they?"
"My girlfriend," Masen says bluntly. "She needs a place to stay for a while due to extenuating circumstances at her dorm. She's smart and reliable. She can feed Esme's fish."
"You're what?" Carlisle bleats on the other end of the line. There is a distinct sound of something being dropped, a clattering and fluttering sound. "Masen, did you say girlfriend? When did you get a girlfriend?"
Masen thinks back. As far as Masen is concerned, he's had a girlfriend since at least April, but he's certain that, if Bella were asked, she would cite their first date a few weeks ago. Better to play it safe. "June."
"Masen, it's July."
"Mm."
"You've had a girlfriend for a month and you're only just now telling me? And you're telling me in the context of getting Esme a live-in house-sitter?"
"Yes."
Carlisle makes a noise, something like disbelief and exasperation. "Well….I…I'll speak with Esme about it, then. What's her name? She's still in school? Will commuting from Esme's apartment be too difficult for her?"
Masen thinks of the one time he had been to Esme's apartment. It is admittedly a bit further from campus than Masen's building, but only by ten minutes, which is still close enough to attend classes with ease. He shifts his phone to his other ear and rattles off the pertinent information.
Even he can hear the warmth in his voice when he talks about her. Carlisle, to his credit as an older brother, has enough tact to not tease him about it. Instead, he says, "I'll pass this along to Esme. I'm sure she'll be happy to take Bella in for a while."
"Mm. Thanks."
"You're welcome, Bella's boyfriend," Carlisle says, right before he hangs up.
Masen frowns at his phone and silently takes back all the nice things he has thought about his brother recently. Of all the childish tactics…
With that in the works, though, Masen can turn his attention to other matters. There are endless emails to answer, he needs to run simulations on the latest coding created by Peter's department, he needs to look over the storyboard that Alistair's group has been working on, and Emmett has sent him financial documents to be looked over and approved. Overseeing their entire operation involves a lot of mental bandwidth, and by the time a few hours pass and he has taken a chunk out of his workload, Masen is ready for a break.
However, since his work never really ends because they are in mid-development for Menagerie, he switches gears to an issue that takes considerably less brain power. If there was one thing Masen learned from Grandfather Cullen, it was how useful delegation can be. Masen isn't in the position to delegate much, but there are certain decisions that can be taken out of his hands.
With that in mind, he gathers the documents sent over from the insurance company and calls for a company-wide meeting in the conference room. When everyone has gathered, he sits back at the head chair and says, "Our company car is too damaged for repairs. The insurance company is willing to cover the cost of a car at equal or lesser value. We need to decide what our new company car will be. Any suggestions?"
Peter claps his hands on his thighs. "Well I'm glad the old one is totaled," he crows. "I hated that stupid silver Volvo. It was such an old man car!"
"That stupid silver Volvo saved our lives," Alistair grumbles with a pointed look at the red cast still on his arm.
"Doesn't mean it didn't suck," Peter tells him.
Alistair kicks Peter's chair, sending him sliding back several feet before Peter can course-correct the wheels with a grunt and an abashed expression.
"Hands up for not letting Masen choose the next company car?" Emmett asks, ignoring their antics.
No less than ten hands rise to the air.
"Sorry, buddy," Emmett says with a grin. "Looks like you don't get to be part of this process."
Masen rolls his eyes. That's exactly what he wanted in the first place. He doesn't say that, though. Let them think they've outsmarted him and have a victory lap over it - things like this is good for company morale, he knows.
Masen stands from the chair. "Twenty minutes to decide, and then a request for a replacement Volvo is going to the insurance company," he says mildly, and watches placidly as an argument over which cars are better springs forth around the conference room.
Seeing that this task is underway, Masen walks away with his hands in his pockets, mind already turning to the next issue to tackle. He has some queries from new investors who are interested in supporting Midnight Sun's latest project and he'd really like to get through those before Bella returns. By then, he should hopefully have an answer from Esme and be able to give her good news.
Masen sits at his desk and thinks, just for a moment, how marvelously strange it is how his priorities have shifted so dramatically to accommodate Bella Swan. He wouldn't have it any other way.
Lee Lee
So let me get this straight
Instead of patching things up with
Alice, you're moving in with your bf
Bell Bell
No
I'm moving in with my boyfriend's
brother's girlfriend
Lee Lee
Thank you
That clears things up
Oh wait
NO IT DOESN'T
Bell Bell
Leah
Aren't you being a little
dramatic?
Lee Lee
Me?
Being dramatic?
Are you shitting me?!
Bell Bell
Here we go
Lee Lee
I leave for one (1) summer
And suddenly you have a bf
And you have a big enough fight
with Alice that you moved out of
the dorm
AND NOW you're living in sin!
Bell Bell
I am not
I slept over at his place twice
Lee Lee
Two times!
Bell Bell
He slept on the couch!
Lee Lee
Uh huh
Bell Bell
He's the one who found me a
place to stay so I won't feel
pressured
Lee Lee
He's too good to be true
And that's sketchy as hell
Bell Bell
Honestly
I'm only telling you bc we don't
keep secrets from each other
And also because I need you to
not tell Dad and Mom
Lee Lee
I see how it is
You're scared of them but not
scared of me
Bell Bell
Obviously
Lee Lee
Fair enough
I still don't like it
Bell Bell
Esme seems nice!
And she has these cool tropical
fish that someone needs to take
care of, so I don't even need to
pay rent
Lee Lee
No not that
I'm over that
I don't like the other thing
The fight with Alice thing
Bell Bell
I don't like it either
But she won't talk to me
Or look at me
It's easier for us both to have
some space right now
Lee Lee
I guess
I mean its your life
Bell Bell
She's really hurt by whatever
happened and i don't want to
make it any harder for her
Lee Lee
Yeah yeah
You're an angel I get it
Bell Bell
So
Lee Lee
So what
Bell Bell
So you won't tell the parents?
Lee Lee
Oh you know me
My lips are sealed
Bell Bell
Awesome
You get all the gold stars
Lee Lee
Bitch of course I do!
Bell Bell
:D
When Masen said he had a solution to her sudden housing issue, Bella isn't sure what she thought that solution might be. Mostly she'd just been glad to not have to think about it, because thinking about why she can't go back to the dorms just made her think about that fight with Alice and Bella has been doing her best to not think about it at all.
She hasn't ever been good with that kind of confrontation, and her instinct to let it settle and lay in wait for peace is ringing forth more strongly now than ever before. She doesn't want to deal with it; it's just easier to run away, at this point.
Just for now.
Just until Alice cools off and the problem gets resolved.
Still, when Masen said he had a solution, Bella didn't think his solution would be having her move into his brother's girlfriend's place. If it had been an option on a list, it would have been the last one she chose because of how unexpected it is. And yet, that's where she finds herself.
It all falls into place neatly on her third night away from the dorm, after she'd gone back to pack up more things when she knew Alice would be stuck in the middle of her commute. Weighed down with her luggage and her cactus, she and Masen take a Lyft about ten minutes further north, right in a blooming neighborhood that smacks of more obvious suburbia than Masen's urban location. The apartment complex is one of middling class, just nice enough to have a security gate, but not so nice that the apartment itself is made with luxury. It's a roomy enough two bedroom, with a third room acting as an office space, and two bathrooms; the kitchen is small, linked to both the dining area and the narrow patio, which is teeming with potted plants the likes of which Bella can't even name; the living room, easily the largest space in the apartment, is dominated by an aquarium stretching across the longest wall which houses a variety of tropical fish.
The apartment is decorated with a mish-mash of bohemian style, lots of patterned rugs and textured pillows in deep, earthy jewel tones, most of the wood a dark cherry, and the walls the standard off-white of all apartments - but it is the tropical fish that Bella fixates on as they enter the apartment. The fish are, after all, the reason why she is being granted a place to stay.
According to Masen, his brother's girlfriend, Esme Platt, has a collection of tropical fish with particular feeding and cleaning schedules that must be maintained. With Esme working on a project that is making her stay for days at a time in San Francisco and with Esme's roommate, Kebi, is away on a photography assignment in Egypt, there is nobody around to care for the fish as usual. That's where Bella comes in. In trade for Bella being allowed to stay in Kebi's room rent-free for the next several weeks, Bella will be placed in charge of the care, feeding, and maintenance of the tropical fish as well as, by the looks of it, the numerous plants in the apartment. Bella feels like it's a fair deal, even if she is a little nervous about taking care of these colorful creatures.
But anything is better than facing Alice's unpredictable mood right now - and Bella genuinely does not want to strain her budding relationship with Masen by couch surfing at his place indefinitely. They are both on the same page where that is concerned, she thinks.
Because it is still business hours and he has a conference call with investors waiting for him back at the office, Masen does not linger after helping Bella take her bags upstairs. He waits with her until she and Esme are introduced, takes her bags for her into Kebi's bedroom, and then presses a deft kiss to her cheek before ducking out and catching the Lyft that is idling for him in the parking lot.
Bella watches him go, her face flushed with his casual affection, and can only smile. She'd told him that he didn't have to come with her to move her stuff, but Masen had insisted, even though it made his own day a bit more complicated.
She is so very lucky. And in more ways than one, since she now has a place to stay without worrying about adding to tension. So when her new roommate laughs at her with good-nature, Bella can only continue smiling in response.
"These Cullen boys are something," Esme says with a fond shake of her head. Esme Platt has a kind of classic, old school Hollywood type of beauty, with a buxom figure, gentle caramel curls, and limpid Bette Davis eyes. Only six or seven years older than Bella, Esme exudes a kind of womanly confidence that is both inspirational and intimidating. Even Bella, who for all the world is comfortable in her own skin, doesn't possess that same sense of self that Esme seems to have.
Bella has a very childish thought that she wants to be like Esme when she grows up.
"Thank you for letting me stay here," Bella says, somewhat awkwardly.
"Oh, please. You're doing me a favor," Esme tells her. She motions for Bella to follow her to the fish tank, then smiles at one of the larger fish. "As much as I love these cuties, they do require more attention than most people would think. Tropical fish can be tricky, did you know? It was easier with Kebi around, but with neither of us home very often…I'll be able to rest easy, knowing someone will be here to check up on them every day."
"I could send you pictures," Bella offers.
"Could you? That would be great!"
"It's no problem, really," Bella says hastily. She looks at the fish, watching the way they swim and circle so smoothly around each other, and bites her lip pensively.
She's very glad to be here and even happier that she can pay the favor back somehow, but it doesn't remove the thorn from her side. Staying at this apartment to look after fish and plants is just a temporary solution to a problem that she has no idea how to fix. It's a good thing that finals are next week, because then Bella will have an entire month to mend fences with Alice before the fall semester begins.
Maybe they just need some space, some time apart. People need that, sometimes. Between house-sitting and her internship at Midnight Sun, Bella will be able to fill the next few weeks with enough activity to distract her from that lingering ache in her chest, the one that tells her to get to the bottom of the Alice situation.
For now, though, this is good. A welcome distraction.
"Did you know these fish are how Carlisle and I met?" Esme asks after a few moments.
Bella regards her with some surprise. "Really? Because of these fish?"
"The very same," Esme confirms with a smile. She traces her finger down the side of the tank, where a starfish is clinging to the glass surface, careful not to tap her fingernail against the aquarium. "In a way, at least."
"Oh?"
"You see, it all started with one of the first projects the firm gave me. A local aquarium was being renovated to include more sustainability and I went down to check out the site, just to get a lay of the land. My goal was to get measurements for the renovation, but I ended up waist-deep in an enclosure. The woman who fished me out happened to be a Professor you might know, and I was still speaking with her when Carlisle showed up to take her to lunch," Esme explains with a twinkle in her eye. "One thing led to another, and that lunch turned into something spectacular."
"Professor Cullen introduced you?" Bella clarifies with a tinge of humor.
"She's crafty," Esme says with a nod. "She came up with a reason for Carlisle to only take me to lunch that first day. Maybe she saw something, or maybe she really did have a pressing meeting about sea turtles. Who knows?"
Bella laughs. "That sounds like something Masen would do, if given the chance."
Esme laughs. "Carlisle, too. Have you met him yet?"
Bella shakes her head. "Not yet, no."
"You will soon," Esme announces. She looks at Bella speculatively. "I wonder if Masen will be on his best behavior, or if he'll continue to bully Carlisle in front of you?"
Bella raises her brows. "He bullies his brother?"
Not that she isn't surprised by the news, if it's true, considering how much pleasure Masen seems to get out of devising awkward situations for his friends. It's a uniquely playful aspect of his personality that she enjoys - given how taciturn he is, the situational humor might be the only way he can be lighthearted with his friends. If that extends to his brother, then at least Bella knows what to expect.
"Isn't that the nature of siblings?" Esme wonders rhetorically. She turns away from the tank and smiles warmly. "I'll walk you through how to take care of the fish and everything later. For now, why don't you get settled and I'll order some Indian food? We can get to know each other and talk about our Cullen boys. Sound good?"
"Sounds great," Bella agrees.
As Esme wanders off to order the take-out, Bella casts one more look at the half dozen fish in the large tank, thinking about the story Esme told. Although Bella has already met Professor Cullen, it's only in the context of being her student. She wonders how different it will be when - or if - Bella gets to meet Professor Cullen as her boyfriend's mother, instead.
And then she pinches herself for already thinking about meeting the parents. For God's sake, she has enough going on to be thinking about that! Chastising herself, Bella hurries off to unpack what she can and make herself home in her temporary room.
Carlisle
Esme adores Bella
Masen
Obviously
Carlisle
I
I have nothing to say to that
Masen
Good
Carlisle
I don't know if this girl is good for you
Or if she's made you worse
Masen
Yes
Carlisle
For the record
That's not a response that works here
Masen
:|
Carlisle
Turnabout is fair play baby brother
Masen
Oh
I see.
Carlisle
Wait
No, I take it back
Masen
What was it you said when we were kids?
No takebacksies?
Applies here.
Carlisle
I have dug my own grave
And knowing you
Revenge comes best served cold
Masen
(read at 4:47PM)
Carlisle
I have Regrets
Bella's first weekend at Esme's place is equally split between settling in, learning the rules of fish-and-tank maintenance, and last-minute cram studying for her finals. Two days pass in a spin of feeling wrong-footed and slightly off-balance, trying to assimilate to her new environment and trying not to think about Alice. The distractions are nice, useful. By the time Monday comes around, she is steadier, less shaken.
It helps, having the distance. She hopes it helps Alice, too. Perspective is always easier when there is room for space, and by the time the week starts, Bella is more sure than ever that something had caused Alice to spiral. But she also knows that she can't be the one to ask, to prod, to discover. Not yet. Alice Brandon buzzes around like a bee, and just like a bee, she disappears after a sting. Right now, Alice needs her space, too - and because Bella loves Alice like a sister, she is willing to put her own need for resolution aside. For now.
Bella instead throws herself into acing her summer finals, because regardless of whatever else is going on, she needs to get the grades to keep her scholarship. It has to be her top priority, and so it is.
Esme is a true gem. On the days she is home, three days in a row so far, she putters around Bella with an elderly sister aura, plying Bella with snacks she swears are brain food for better studying and gently teasing Bella, even as she supervises Bella's care of the aquarium and its inhabitants. Bella feels a certain sense of kinship with Esme, a kind of comfort she doesn't often feel with people right off the bat. If Bella is a placid lake, then Esme is a gentle breeze. They click, and it's a balm.
And then there is Masen, steadfast and rock-solid, who manages to walk the fine line between giving her the exact amount of space she needs and being prepared to meet all her needs. Bella is somewhat bewildered by it, but also charmed. It's all rather stilted, but Masen clearly cares in his own way. She likens him to an iceberg, where only the smallest tip of unimaginable depths can be seen. They match well too, she thinks.
On campus, Bella makes a point of avoiding the paths she knows Alice frequents. They are in different departments, but because Bella's second major involves design elements, one of her classes during summer quarter means she's in the same building as Alice's usual classes and hangouts. Bella is torn between feeling ridiculous and feeling thoughtful for skulking around the less trodden paths, but it is what it is.
Before she knows it, its Thursday and Bella has sat her last final, which had been laughably easy after her frenetic studying. It's just after noon when Bella leaves campus, but instead of taking the bus back to Esme's apartment, Bella goes to Masen's building. Technically, Masen and Bella had agreed her first official day as a Midnight Sun intern would be Friday, but Bella doesn't really feel like going back to an empty apartment and staring at fish for the next twelve hours. Without the excuse of studying, going back to Esme's place right now is a perfect opportunity for her mind to turn to the things she is not thinking about. So, the internship it is.
Bella has never seen Midnight Sun during business hours and there is a marked difference in the office environment when there are a dozen young men sat at computers in circular clusters, each of them working on some task. She stands at the head of the lobby for a minute, just observing the hustle. The atmosphere itself is relaxed, but focused; she can hear some joking around, but beneath the friendliness is a serious tone.
This is what Masen and his friends have built. She can't help but admire it - and note how fortunate she is to be given an opportunity to contribute to it, even just a bit.
It isn't long before she's noticed.
"Oh, thank God! A face that doesn't hurt my eyes to look at!"
Unsurprisingly, it's Peter who hops up from his chair, the wheels rolling across the floor and stopped by Masen's foot as he comes from the private office space. Masen wordlessly returns the chair to its proper place, then follows sedately after Peter, running his eyes over her in a silent survey, seemingly looking for any signs of distress.
"Bella, Bella! I'm so glad to see you! Let me tell you, spending all day with these ugly mugs doesn't make it any easier to code!" Peter claims emphatically. He shakes his head. "I swear, my eyes are crossing every time I look at the screen! But with you here, I can see the light! The light at the end of the tunnel!"
"Ah…What tunnel?" Bella wonders, bemused.
"The tunnel of Masen's unobtainable expectations!" Peter cries. He droops forward comically, sparing her a wild grin, even as he leans in, dropping his voice to a loud whisper. "Would you believe he only let's us take a thirty-minute lunch break? A real tyrant, that one."
Bella knows for a fact that Midnight Sun has hour-long lunch breaks. It's written in the packet Masen had given her during her official tour. Peter just likes to stir up trouble. Still, Bella can play too. "Thirty minutes?" Bella clicks her tongue. "Isn't that too long? Fifteen minutes should be enough."
Peter freezes.
"Why give them a break at all?" Masen asks when he reaches them. "Let them work through lunch."
Bella bites the inside of her cheeks to stop herself from smiling. "As long as the computers are safe from any spills, eating at their desks seems generous enough to me."
Peter sputters, then pouts at them. "I know you think you're being funny," he says to Bella, hooking his thumb at Masen. "But this one might actually do that. Just you watch. You've jinxed us."
Bella blinks. "You believe in jinxes?"
Peter gapes. "You don't?"
"Peter," Masen intones quietly.
Peter flaps his hands. "Alright, whatever. I'll get back to work. I know you want that section done today. It'll get done."
"Mm." Masen waits until Peter has walked away before he turns his full attention to her, taking her hand into his own. "You're here."
"I had some time," she says, squeezing his fingers. "I thought maybe…But I can just come back tomorrow."
Masen interlaces their hands. "Today," he says firmly. Then leads her to the middle of the office space and calls for the room's attention. Bella, used to being the recipient of attention - usually unwanted - does not shrink back from so many eyes falling on her, but it is a near thing, especially when some of those faces become incredulous as Masen continues speaking. "This is Bella Swan, our new intern. She won't be assigned to a permanent department, but she will be able to assist in other ways."
"She fixed the printer!" Peter pipes in from the back. "And the coffee machine!"
There are appreciative noises. Someone gets smart and says, "Hey, boss! Are we allowed to hold hands with the intern, too?"
"No," Masen says flatly.
Emmett, standing off to the side, coughs and steps forward. "Uh, this might be a good time to remind everyone about certain clauses in our contracts. Sexual harassment or discrimination is a big no, you hear?"
Bella feels a warmth bloom in her chest. Even having only met him once, Bella can hear the protectiveness in Emmett's warning. And she thinks it says something good about the culture of this company - and the values of its founders - that they have written those clauses into employee contracts. The tech industry is dominated by men, and Bella has heard more than one account from older classmates about how difficult it can be to work in the lion pit. Knowing Masen, she has no doubts that he is a driving force behind this, especially when he gives Emmett an appreciative nod.
"Someone should tell boss then!"
"Yeah! Boss, you're breaking the rules!"
Peter barks out a laugh. "It's not breaking the rules if she's his girlfriend!"
"Oh!"
"Whoa!"
"Well, that explains it!"
"I feel like there should be a special form for this situation!"
"We don't have an HR department," Emmett says. He scratches the back of his neck. "There's been a discussion about it."
"Can't we make the intern be the HR department?"
"What, because she's a girl?" someone fires back.
"Wha- No!"
"What a weaksauce denial."
"Oh, fuck off. It's not what I meant! I just thought it would be convenient!"
"Putting Bella Swan in charge of HR would be undercutting her skills," Alistair says firmly, curling his lip at the other employees.
The sounds of interest are renewed and more than one of the men look at her with an academic sort of intrigue. Some, of course, don't seem very convinced, but there are always skeptics, that much she knows.
"Alistair," Masen says in a mild tone. "You'll be in charge of finding placement for Bella."
Alistair agrees and Bella is summarily passed over to Alistair's charge, as Masen mutters something about needing to attend another telemeeting and closes himself in the office again. With Masen gone, there are only a few more lingering looks before Emmett rounds on the employees, sniping them back to work with pointed barbs. Soon enough, it's only Alistair and Bella standing in the middle of the floor and Alistair is looking at her with his pale eyes narrowed.
"Alright, Swanning. I know you can fix things and play games well, but what else do you have to offer?" he asks, not unkindly.
"I'm doing a joint major with software engineering and graphic design," Bella answers promptly. She doesn't mention the Swanning thing; it only makes sense that she would be recognized in this particular crowd, and hadn't Masen mentioned something like this, anyway? It's inconsequential. If Alistair wants to call her Swanning, then that's what she'll answer to.
"So, I could put you anywhere I like," Alistair surmises. He takes a moment to think, then raps a knuckle on the bright red cast encasing his arm. "Follow me."
Alistair leads her to a cluster near the kitchen area. The neon sign overhead reads GRAPHICS in blocky highlighter pink and the equipment in this section is decidedly different from the other departments; whereas most of the clusters only have single flat-screen monitors, these desks have other sleek equipment, like animation tablets and double-screen monitors. A swath of the exposed brick wall behind the circular cluster of desks is dedicated to a magnetic whiteboard, which is littered in brainstorming ideas and tacked-up posters of character design. There are fewer employees here than the other clusters too. Aside from Alistair, there is a lanky redhead with a sharp face and a pleasant-looking man who looks a couple of years older than everyone else; they are introduced as Liam and Charles, respectively.
Alistair is the head of the graphics department, which is in charge of art development and animation, and is the exact department Bella would have chosen to work in, had she been given the choice. She looks at this internship with new eyes. Maybe she can be more than on-hand IT support - maybe she can actually learn how to use the cutting-edge equipment Midnight Sun has procured for the graphics team.
"We're down a hand since the accident," Alistair is saying. "But that doesn't mean we don't have certain deadlines. Only three-fourths of the character designs for Menagerie have been finalized, which is a problem for the coders who can't move forward until we finish. You'll be giving me a hand. Literally."
"She doesn't look like she knows how to use the tablets," Liam says with a sharp tongue to match his sharp face. "Still in school, right? They don't let you touch anything expensive until your last classes."
To Bella's chagrin, Liam isn't wrong. Everything she knows about animating and character design is either from the textbook, her own sketchbook, or clumsy attempts using the trap pad on her laptop. She hasn't had a chance to work with these kinds of tablets, although she has been painstakingly saving up for one of her own. She doesn't want to ask her parents, and between living expenses that her scholarship doesn't cover, she hasn't been able to tuck away enough cash from Twitch streams to buy the animation tablet she wants.
But just because something is obvious, doesn't mean it has to be pointed out so rudely.
"I'll learn," Bella bites out with a smile.
Liam scoffs. "Didn't you hear? We're on a deadline. We don't have the time to teach you when we're taking on Alistair's work, too."
"Oi," Alistair says sharply. "Bugger off, you nit."
"Yeah, man," Charles says with a chiding look. "Don't be an asshole on the first day. Save it for tomorrow."
"If you want to waste your time, fine. Leave me out of it," Liam says. And with that, he pops headphones on his head and gets to work, ignoring the three of them.
Alistair mutters some very unkind things under his breath, and takes a seat. Charles, meanwhile, pulls a spare chair around for Bella and gestures for her to sit. "Sorry about Liam," he says. "He's a-"
"Fucking prick," Alistair grumbles.
"I was going to say, he's a little prickly. He had a bad break up and he's been taking it out on everyone else for a while."
"It isn't because he doesn't think I can do it?" Bella asks with a raised brow. "Because that's what it sounded like."
"It was a little patronizing," Charles concedes.
That much Bella can agree about. At least Liam hadn't brought her gender into it - just her inexperience, which is fair, but she's also an intern and learning comes with the territory.
However, Liam isn't the first and he certainly won't be the last off-color personality she's ever had to deal with. By the grace of growing up with the boys is La Push, Bella knows how to navigate around a hostile asshole, and the best way to deal with Liam is to ignore him just as much as he ignores her. Bella may not like conflict or confrontation, but she's also not about to grovel or get upset that someone doesn't like her. Enough people like Bella; having one less person is, if anything, less of a burden.
Alistair and Charles spend the next while giving Bella a quick tutorial on how to use the animation tablet and software. Alistair is a much more patient teacher than she would have expected, as he takes the time to make sure she understands every function before moving on to the next. She appreciates it and catches on to the operation of the tablet rather quickly, much to Charles' relief, as it means he can get back to his own work.
When he thinks Bella has a solid basis of understanding, Alistair pulls a chair beside hers and gives her verbal directions. Open this file, apply that color, use that paintbrush. Bella effectively becomes Alistair's hand, which is good enough to finalize the character design he's been struggling to finish by the end of the day.
"It's rough," Alistair says as the design is printed out and tacked to the board. "But we all start somewhere. This is a good enough foundation for Charles to work from. He's doing the animation bits for me until I'm free of this bloody cast, and now you can do the design bits for me."
"How many more characters need to be designed?" Bella wonders. "And by when?"
Alistair's lips thin. "Fourteen more. Liam will do half, and you and I will finish the last seven off. Ideally, they need to be ready by Monday so we can start working with the coders."
"Seven?" Bella echoes. Seven wouldn't usually be a lot of anything, except that she has learned Alistair has strident expectations and exacting standards, which is why finishing even one part-way completed character design took nearly four hours. Liam and Charles have been working tirelessly the entire time, too, and she's certain that they share the same standards, because Alistair - and Masen, really - wouldn't allow anything else.
So, seven more character designs like that by Monday is a lot. Bella feels a stab of pity for Liam, who is working alone. At least Bella has Alistair for direction.
"It's a lot, isn't it? Don't worry," Alistair says sedately. "We have the roughs to work from and you're pretty good. These are just designs to get dimensions and colorization correct so Charles can work from them easier. They don't have to be perfect."
"Not perfect, maybe," Bella agrees, then shakes her head with a frown. "But it doesn't sound like you guys have any time to go back and fix a mistake, so…"
"Don't worry about it," Alistair repeats. "Just show up early tomorrow and we'll finish quickly."
It's funny, she thinks. She hadn't pegged Alistair for being as confident as, say, Emmett or Peter, and she knows him to be abrasive and acerbic. But here he is with a quiet confidence and a genteel assurance that puts her at ease. She is reminded keenly of Leah and her sister's hidden depths. She wonders how well Leah and Alistair would get along. Probably very well.
Maybe even too well?
The Midnight Sun office empties out quickly once the clock strikes five, but there is still one person lingering - Masen, stuck on the phone in his office. Bella lingers too, peering through the window-wall to watch as Masen stands and paces and talks with a terribly handsome stern expression. He looks like he's negotiating, but she can't tell if it's going well, or not.
She wonders if this is what he envisioned when he started this company. His friends are all heads of their respective departments - Alistair with graphics, Peter with programming, Emmett with engineering, and sometimes financing. But Masen doesn't get to work with computers, he gets to work with people to keep the company running. Is that what he wanted? She isn't sure.
Bella recalls the animated way he spoke about Menagerie and can tell that more than a little of his own creativity was involved in the storyline. Is that Masen's role? The idea man?
It's fitting, but she doesn't think she's getting the whole picture. Well. It's only her first day. She'll figure it out eventually.
Bella waits until Masen has finished his phone call before she enters the office. She knows now that the slight smile that greets her is a rare one, not seen by many people, and she can't stop her own brighter, freer smile from returning his greeting.
"Hey, Boss," she says teasingly. "What do you think about grabbing some dinner?"
"Dinner with the boss?" Masen asks, his brows raising. He drifts closer, stepping into her personal space. "On day one?"
Bella holds his gaze, lifting her head, dropping her voice. "I have a few questions only the boss can answer."
"Is that so?" Masen's grey-green eyes glimmer. He leans closer, his thumb touching her chin to hold her steady while his lips press against her cheek, just shy of her mouth.
Her breath catches, cheeks heating up brilliantly.
Masen's smirk when he pulls back is unmistakable.
Bella feels - not quite happy, but almost.
Almost.
A/N: You get a roommate, and you get a roommate, and you get a roommate with fish! LOL You guys really didn't think I would have them sharing a bed so soon, right? They're taking little steps closer, though!
As to Esme keeping tropical fish - I am not ignorant to the official PETA stance that any fish kept as pets is cruel, mostly because tanks are too small, too crowded, do not have the right salinity, or the fish in them are taken from the ocean because most tropical fish cannot be bred in captivity. However, that is PETA's opinion and PETA is always going to be in dramatic opposition. Whether they're right or not can rest with the experts; many agree that if tanks are large enough, monitored well enough, and have the right balance of cohabitating fish, keeping freshwater tropical fish is more or less the same as keeping any other animal as a pet. The exception to this is goldfish and betta fish, who continually get the shaft as "first pets" for children. Obviously, I went down a rabbit hole when I was deciding what would make sense to get Esme and Bella in the same apartment, and I settled on fish because A., if you take care of tropical fish correctly it really does take a considerable amount of work that would necessitate a house-sitting and B., I liked the Professor Cullen connection. There are of course hundreds of freshwater fish that can be kept as pets, so you can use your imagination for what Esme keeps.
As always, be brutally honest. I can take it. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay smart if you venture out for a worthy cause this week - and remember that standing as an ally requires a cultural shift on every level, so it's okay if your activism is with social media and donations. We all have our roles to play.
~Rae