Ariel is not based off any particular actress, though the cover art is a pretty close rendition of her. If I had to really choose an actress or face-claim, I would say Rachael McAdams when she was in Southpaw comes pretty close.
If you're interested in the smut/R-rated version of what happens in this chapter, please check it out on Archive of Our Own. It is published under the same title and it is under the penname SunflowerSpectre. If you are interested in just the R-Rated version, look up Divine Unrated by SunflowerSpectre on Archive of Our Own. If enough people really want it, I may publish it as a separate story on FF.
CHAPTER TWENTY
WATCHFUL EYES
Carlisle's impression of the priest didn't approve through the appointment; if it is possible, it decreased the longer that he was in the company of Father Briar. Knowing the way that the supposed priest interacted with Ariel had already left a piss-poor impression, but he had still forced a smile and tried his best to not let his mask slip as he stitched up the man's arm.
Father Briar's topic of conversation always manages to tread back to Ariel. Comments about the beautiful nurse that just left. Asking her name. Asking when she gets off work. Comments about her absolutely glowing. Each comment makes Carlisle grind his teeth behind a tight lipped smile as he tends to the wound.
He tries to steer the conversation away from his beloved often, but when asked about his wound, the priest refuses to give any more explanation other than he got it while hiking before continuing to grill Carlisle on Ariel.
The priest's pet names for Ariel continue throughout the appointment - Angel being the most used one. The more he uses it, the more Carlisle feels almost silly for thinking the priest used it to imply something other than just a pet name. The name still nags on him each time it's used - from the fact that Briar is using it to refer to Ariel and to the fact that it just makes him think more and more of his research.
He spent the entire night flipping through books, jotting down notes. Having his research narrowed in on beings with wings, it was easier to focus more on each individual being that came up. Alkonost. Harpies. Tengu. He was almost sold on her being an alkonost just from her enchanting laughter and voice until he remembered her brothers. He eventually narrowed it down to two things.
The Anemoi were a possibility - a heavy possibility, though most of the information in his books were in Latin or Greek, both languages he is a bit rusty on, it would explain why she has a lot of family, wings, and why her and Amenadiel seem so starkly different from their appearance to their interests to abilities; though he isn't sure what Amenadiel is capable of, Ariel made it clear that her affinity to be able to talk to beats is unique to her, but that her entire family had gifts.
But sometimes the simplest answer is the right answer. The simplest answer would be for her to be an angel - as baffling, confounding, and brilliant as that may seem. There is not much written on angels so he had turned to the Bible that was tucked away in his drawers. It would make sense. A large family. Unique abilities. He does not know her exact age, but she has alluded to them all being older much like his own coven. He isn't sure what her other siblings' names are, but he is familiar with the name Amenadiel just as he is familiar with the name Ariel. Both archangels of the Lord. Ariel being the archangel of nature.
But he cannot make that last leap of faith - not without concrete proof or without her telling him directly. For the sake of his family and his sanity, he has swallowed that possibility deep down because of the larger implications it could bring. Edward's constant bemoaning about their damnation rings in his ears.
"You and that beautiful angelic nurse seem pretty cozy together," Father Briar comments casually, his eyes focused on the way Carlisle stitches up his arm. Carlisle glances up at him briefly to see Father Briar wink at him suggestively; his jaw locks as he grinds his teeth.
"I have to admit, it is a pity." Father Briar continues when Carlisle doesn't offer any comment.
Carlisle just finishes up, doing the best that he can to block out the priest's voice despite the way that just hearing it makes the monster in him claw at his insides and his stomach turns at the audacity of this man being a priest.
"-You're going to have to keep a close eye on her or I might just steal her away."
You will not. Carlisle slips; a bit ungraceful for the vampire doctor. The needle he used to stitch up the patient crumbles in his palm. He is careful to keep his fist closed to hide the evidence as he turns toward Father Briar. The priest looks at him evenly, matching the look in his eyes, a darkness creeping in his irises that Carlisle almost forgot was possible for humans. But as quick as the look was there, it is gone.
Father Briar laughs at the comment as he takes his leave, going as far as patting Carlisle on the back as if it is all just a joke as a nurse in the hall guides him to the checkout.
Carlisle watches after him as he swallows a growl in the back of his throat as he makes a solid promise to watch over Ariel carefully, the priest's comment leaving him rattled and unsettled. A strong distrust of the man crawls overs his skin, the unshaking feeling that he's up to no good. That he needs to protect her from him.
He discards the shattered needle into the trash bin, walking down the hall with a deadly precision on the lookout for Ariel as he decides that it would be best to take the rest of the day off - preferably with Ariel.
Ariel watches Father Briar carefully as he lingers in the waiting room. He spent no time chatting up the nurse at the checkout area before immediately, chatting up a few of the waiting patients. Every single one of them just ate up his charisma, smiling as if they don't realize the way that he keeps glancing over at her. Before finally, he starts to make his way toward her.
But he doesn't get the chance. He gets cut off halfway as Carlisle appears in between them, his back toward Father Briar. Carlisle faces Ariel evenly, placing a hand on her shoulder as he gently guides her away. The only indication that he even notices the priest's presence is the glance that he throws him over his shoulder before they leave the hospital together.
"Carlisle," Ariel's voice is uncertain, dripping with a bit of worry as she notices the steel gaze in Carlisle's eyes as he guides her out of the hospital and toward his car. She stops suddenly, taking him by surprise as she looks at him evenly and firmly.
Unafraid of the protective and almost haunting look in his eyes, she plants her feet firmly on the ground. Carlisle takes a solid look at her before rolling his shoulders and taking a gentle step forward, his eyes softening as he rests his forehead against her shoulder.
His bold move in the parking lot, in the midst of a work day, takes her by surprise momentarily as her eyes glance toward the fleeting gazes that drift their way.
"I signed us both off for the rest of the day," Carlisle explained, his voice soft, "I - I needed a break after tending to Father Briar. The things he said to you and during his appointment are - inappropriate."
Ariel takes a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before she looks toward Carlisle with love, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair, "Darling, I know that he was a lot to handle - for the both of us. He had a way of getting under our skin, but you cannot make decisions for me. Especially when it comes to work."
Carlisle looks up at her and she smiles softly as they share a brief kiss. As they part, their foreheads still touch as she gazes into his eyes, her hand cupping his cheek as one of his hands gently cups the back of her head. She can feel his fingers drifting through her hair.
"Love," Ariel speaks softly and she feels the way it makes him shudder, "You know I am still working on being as good as you are. If you need to leave, that is fine, but when it comes to my work, my shift, it needs to be my decision or our decision."
Carlisle hums before he speaks up, closing his eyes as he rests against her, "You're right, darling, I apologize for the brash decision, I should have spoken to you first."
He relishes in the soft kiss she places just under his eye before they part. The bitterness and the bad taste from the priest diminish as Ariel takes the lead, glowing as she smiles back at him, holding his hand firmly. She grins wildly at him as they head toward the car.
"Since you've signed us both off for the day, tell me, Dr. Cullen, what exactly do you have planned for us?"
He opens the car door for her, the crawling sensation easing in his chest the more that he sees her smile.
"My dear that is a dangerous question to ask given that some of the plans I have in mind are rather scandalous."
His cheeky wink sends her over the edge as she lets out bellowing laughter. Her twinkling laughter still fills the car as they depart from the hospital, blissfully unaware of the pair of eyes gleaming from behind glasses watching them.
Ariel is surprised when Carlisle pulls into a familiar spot, tucked away from view near the treeline. The getaway that she whisked him off to on their first date. Her mind floods with the memory, the sensation of him holding her so tightly and the fleeting kisses shared against his lips. Her heart begins to race and he doesn't miss the flush that spreads across her cheeks.
He opens her door for her gracefully, making a show of bowing to her before he races off toward the woods, the sound of his laughter trailing behind him. Her surprise that he actually meant what he said earlier gives her a disadvantage as she chases after him toward the clearing that she had taken him to before.
She does catch up to quickly, though not as quickly or as gracefully as she would have liked, still in the scrubs from her work day. The closer she gets to him, the more wolfish her grin becomes as they near the clearing.
Carlisle turns toward her, grinning, but barely has a chance to react as she knocks him down into the clearing, her melodic laughter ringing in his ears as he finds himself knocked onto the ground. It is an odd thing, he notes, that he is not capable of breathing and yet feels like the air has been knocked from him as she pins him to the ground, hovering over him dangerously.
"Don't think this means that you're faster than me just because you cheated, love."
The light in her eyes dance as her hair drips over her shoulders and creates a curtain around them, creating a mock sense of privacy as their noses barely graze against each other. He can feel the warmth of her breath against his skin and a dangerous warning builds in the back of his throat. She can feel it rumble beneath her, but her hands have situated on his wrists firmly. She doesn't waver when he tries to break free and he is pleasantly surprised that she is stronger than he expected her to be.
She hums mischievously when dark shadows start to inch their way across his eyes and he voices a low, dark warning that she doesn't bother to heed. She loves seeing the way that his eyes go dark and that particular gleam glosses over them that make it harder and harder for her to deny the sensation that builds against the pounding in her chest.
"Ariel," Carlisle draws out her name cautiously.
She snaps back out of the daze that she's entered, blinking back to reality to realize just how much closer she has gotten to him and how she has pressed herself against him tightly, the grip on his wrists tightened. Her lips are barely touching against his, her breath hot against his mouth. She sees Carlisle's heated, steel gaze meeting her eyes.
"When I said something scandalous planned, I have to admit that this isn't entirely what I had in mind," Carlisle's voice is a low and soft rumble that vibrates against her.
"Are you against it?"
Ariel whispers it softly. One of her hands takes both of his wrists, still pinning him firmly as her other fingers trail lightly against his cheek. She offers an out - a reason to stop where this is heading. She knows what happened last time. She won't be able to hold herself back a second time; she regretted turning away before, she will not regret it now.
He can hear the way that her heart beat picks up, the way it flutters for him.
"No."
Carlisle rumbles darkly and it is all the encouragement that she needs to continue.
Ariel wanders out to her back porch to watch the sun descend against a clouded scarlet sky. The brisk night air bites at her skin through the night gown and the chiffon robe that thinly covers her skin. Though the cold does not bother her, a chill still runs down her spine as she wraps the robe tighter around herself.
"You're going to catch a cold," Carlisle's voice softly mumbles into her ear as his arms drape around her waist, his lips pressed into the back of her neck.
She relaxes into him and shifts her head to give him more access. She can feel the way that he smiles against her skin. She relishes in it, grinning softly as she reminisces on their day together. That damn priest had started their day on such a sour note, but who would have imagined that it would have ended so pleasantly? That it would be the push that they needed to really solidify their bond as mates.
Something stirs in her chest, her brows furrowing as a weight forms on her shoulders. Amenadiel would be horrified at her actions, his opinion of their relationship had been on the fence as it was; but more so, to know that she did this while Carlisle still does not know her true identity; who she really is, what she is. To start this sort of relationship on the basis of - a lie. Fuck. Even Lucifer would be disappointed in her; though she supposes she never truly lied outright, it may as well be the same thing.
Carlisle watches her closely, being this near to her face he can almost count the freckles kissed along her nose and cheeks. He relishes in how the sun itself is in her eyes, looking just off to the side. He pressed a light kiss to her temple and his grip on her did not waiver.
"Troubled, dove?" Carlisle asks softly, his eyes looking at her with deep concern.
He thinks back on their time together; lovely, relishing. I want you Carlisle, she had whispered sweetly, firmly. With no hesitation, not an ounce of regret. Utterly and completely. He can see age in the swirls of her eyes, but how many years does she have? He yearns to know, if not what she is, if at least her life will span as long as his. That they can spend their existence together, forever in peace.
He thinks of her confession; of her past relations. She didn't drop any names or allude to anything specific, nothing other than the fact that in the past, there had been a passing fling with another vampire. The idea itself makes him want to growl, to find the one who had her before he did and make sure that they know that she is his now. But he adores the fact that while intimacy on that level with a vampire was not a foriegn concept to her, that romance with one; with anyone is. That out of all the beings in existence - she fell in love with him.
"A smidge," Ariel admits softly, she turns around to face him, her eyes hooded as she refuses to meet his gaze. Her voice grows even softer as she continues. "I still haven't quite told you, have I?"
She doesn't need to clarify what she means for him to understand. He imagines that if he still breathed, that he would be holding his breath. That she would have stolen it away just as she has with his heart.
"No, I suppose you haven't," Carlisle admits, he reaches for her and she leans into his palm as he gently rubs his thumb over the spot just under her eye, "But you don't have to."
He presses a kiss to her forehead and her eyes drift close.
"I want to, I just don't know how."
Carlisle smiles down at her, not with disdain or sorrow, but with understanding. He imagines that if he had to tell her - really tell her - that he was a vampire; if vampires were something that were more obscure, if she hadn't alluded to knowing from the beginning - that it would be a very difficult thing to do. He knows that he wouldn't have been able to find the right words either.
"When you find out how, I will still be here," Carlisle holds her tightly, "And I suppose you should know that I plan on being here even after you find how to tell me."
Carlisle is distraught about having to leave for his own home. It takes a lot of kisses and a round two of what they did in the forest before he finally takes his leave; Ariel finds herself missing him the moment that he speeds off into the treeline, wistfully sighing at the odd warmth in her chest that it creates, smiling to herself at the idea that she will see him again soon.
The moment that Carlisle enters the Cullen residence, they can all smell it. In Edward's case, he doesn't have to smell it to hear the thoughts still running through Carlisle's minds about the day's events; he briefly mutters a congratulations to Carlisle, happy about his father-figure finding his mate, but retreats to his room immediately after as Emmett starts to let out loud wolf whistles. Alice screeches as she pounces on Carlisle immediately, gushing as her words start to blur together.
"Carlisle, you did it! I am so happy for you two! I already have a few scrapbooks with wedding ideas, I know Ariel would prefer it outdoors, but would a beachside wedding at sunset be too cliche?"
Jasper sighs as he takes a step forward, immediately sensing the panic and anxiety flooding off of Carlisle in waves; Carlisle's eyes are wide, despite the grin stretched on his face.
"Love," Jasper whispers calmly, placing his hands on Alice's shoulders, "I don't think they've discussed weddings yet."
Alice immediately waves off Jasper's concern, not quite oblivious to the panic setting in Carlisle's eyes, but not concerned about it either.
"They will eventually," Alice's nose twitches, "I just don't see the point in waiting -"
"Alice.'
Rosalie steps forward, her voice a firm warning. She doesn't need to say anything else for Alice to get the message. She huffs and crosses her arms tightly against her chest with a thin-lipped frown that offsets her soft features. She settles down fast enough with Jasper rubbing comforting circles along her shoulders, leaning into him with a more relaxed smile.
Carlisle's heart warms at how immediate everyone's reaction is; the idea that they're all as excited and thrilled as he is. Even Rosalie gives him a soft smile and nod of approval. Emmett grins wildly as he drapes his arm over Carlisle's shoulder, his approval more vocal.
"-Does this mean we have to wait until you're married to call her Mom?"
