A/N: sigh I will escape this fandom someday. But apparently not today. I don't know why I'm writing this now, when I'm supposed to be in bed. But I've just had one hell of a night (break-ups are oh so much fun…) and… for some reason that makes me want to write romance. I'm so odd.

I decided to write this while trying to reread parts of Twilight to make myself feel better. My initial reaction to the idea of writing a story for Paul: "Nonononono, oh, hell NO." I like Paul just fine. But it kind of kills my "he makes a good villain" thing.

And it's all in third person. To spare of you of having to jump back and forth between first and third.

Prologue

Suze and Jesse's wedding.

Paul shook his head wryly, hardly able to believe he was standing there. It had been three years since Jesse had come back to life, since Paul had realized he wasn't really in love with Suze. They were friends now—well, sort of. He saw them sometimes when he came home, they'd been there when his grandfather died, and he hadn't exactly been surprised when a wedding invitation had shown up in his mailbox. But that didn't exactly mean they were buddies.

If it was possible to be casual friends with people you'd been through so much with, that was what they were.

It was a step up, at least, from enemies.

Paul leaned against the wall, sipping his drink—apple cider, since the bride and most of the wedding party were all still under age—mostly watching everyone else. Since he had left home, he had mostly alienated himself from the rest of the world—at least "the rest of the world" which existed in Carmel, California.

"You look like you're hiding over here, you know."

Paul glanced at Suze, who was smiling at him as she approached. "I'm not hiding. I'm just enjoying the festivities."

"From the corner."

Paul shrugged. "The last time I wandered away from the wall, I was dragged into conversation by your brother." Then, he added at the same time she did, "Stepbrother. Whatever. I'd rather not have to listen to Brad for a prolonged period of time if you don't mind."

Suze rolled her eyes, still smiling. Paul didn't think he'd seen her stop smiling the entire day. "I don't blame you. Though, if you left the wall, you would have a better chance of running into talking to someone more interesting. Like…" she glanced around the room. "Like David."

"Even worse."

Shaking her head, Suze sighed. "Just wait until your own wedding. You won't be able to avoid everyone then."

Paul continued to sip his cider, averting his gaze. "I'm not getting married."

"Of course you are. Sooner or later some girl's going to come along you'll fall madly in love, or some other cliché." She patted his arm. "It's inevitable, Paul. Face it."

"If you say so." Paul watched her as she went to find Jesse, then turned away. He didn't bother to tell Suze that it had already happened. The falling in love part, anyway. She'd probably find the irony of it rather amusing.

He set his glass down on a nearby table, and wondered if it was too soon to make a hasty exit. He needed to get out of Carmel. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to get as far away from it as humanly possible.

He hadn't thought it would still hurt after two years. Apparently he was wrong, and all he wanted to do was to escape from the memories being home brought up.


A/N: The plot is coming to me as I write this… bleh. So much for escaping the Mediator fandom.