Disclaimer: Please don't sue me, I just write fanfiction for fun


"I've been thinking…"

"Mm?" Carlisle glanced up at me, his eyes flickering over to me while he filled out something in a chart. We were standing at the nurse's station. I had just finished up my day of volunteering.

"I've been thinking that I'm very hungry and you must be very hungry and so we can do something about that by going to get something to eat."

His eyes glanced up from his papers and he tiled his head in my direction. I saw a flicker of a smile before he shook his head, "Sorry, I can't, I'm covering Dr. Monty's shift and won't be leaving till almost 10."

"Oh," I was surprised, usually he'd tell me when he was working an extra shift, or this or that. "Goodnight, then."

I turned around with my bad slung over my shoulder, my heart twisting uncomfortably in my chest as I walked out. I hadn't seen him in a while, things weren't like before at the bookstore. We were always surrounded by people, always lots and lots of people. I hadn't had enough time to even tell him about my new lesson plans or about how Alice and I were getting along.

Sure, he and I got quick moments together, maybe a moment here or then in the car but it wasn't the same. It really wasn't the same.

"Coraline"

I turned around, I knew it wasn't Carlisle. Carlise's voice could ring in the back of my head, this one didn't but I turned anyway.

"Mr. Vanders, what's up?"

"A few of us are going out to eat, if you wanna join us."

I smiled, "No, it's alright, I think I'm a bit tired and I'm just gonna head home."

"Of course," he gave me a friendly smile. "Have a goodnight."

I walked out of the building, heading to my car. Maybe I should have gone with them, gotten to know more people. Maybe I should have. I pushed the thought away, figuring that I could spend my night going over things for the summer harvest party at the hospital. I still needed to finish making some of the posters and I needed to finish up more lesson plans before the term started.

My home was a mess, I had only spread out more and more papers on the floor of my living room and glitter glue was sticking to the carpet. It was my brilliant idea to use glitter glue, now I'd be finding it for months even after I cleaned. I mean this was one way to spend a night, sprawled out on the floor, cutting bits of paper into leaf shapes and pasting it onto more paper.

I had changed into a big shirt, one I had used to paint the living room last summer, and even washed and dried, it was still covered in dried glomps of white paint. I'm sure my face was covered in a combination of glue and purple and orange glitter.

I heard a knock at the door and I stood to go look through the peephole, I mean it was almost 11pm on a Thursday, who would be coming. Before I went over to the door, I looked out the kitchen window, seeing whose car was in the driveway. It was Carlisle, I knew what his car looked like.

I opened the door, greeted by his smiling face, my own scrunched in confusion, "What're you doing here?"

"I knew you were awake and I brought you dinner." He held up a paper bag and I arched an amused eyebrow.

"I ate dinner five hours ago," I laughed, I suddenly felt very aware that I looked like a mess and he was still standing outside and my door was letting cold air in. "Come in, come in."

"Okay, well it isn't really dinner, it's mostly ice cream but I didn't know what you wanted so I got five different kinds," the way he rubbed the back of his neck when he said it flooded me with warmth against the chill in the air.

I took the bag from him, looking inside. I broke out in a laugh, "You bought five different tubs of ice cream, five different kinds."

His eyes glittered in the dull kitchen light, "I did."

"Come on," I stopped laughing, still smiling at him on the other side of the counter, "Since you're here then I can use help finishing my banner project."

"Banner project?" he asked as I shoved the bag of ice cream into the freezer.

I nodded, walking to the living room, him following behind me, "Did you think I just looked like a mess for no reason?" I saw his eyes widen at the state of my living room. "I know, I know, I'm gonna clean it tomorrow."

"Is this all your 'banner project'?"

"Well, more or less, in that corner," I pointed to the edge by the couch and the wall opposite the dining room, "That's a lot of my lesson planning I'm configuring."

He nodded, looking at the glitter covered floor, "How can I help?"

I smiled, "Glad you asked," I dropped to the floor, sitting cross-legged and looked at him expectantly to which he followed in suit, sitting across from me and rolling up the sleeves. "I'm making the banner for the summer party, I know the kids are supposed to do it but so far they've made nothing and the party is next week so I'm taking some liberties, what I need you to do is start cutting leaves while I continue gluing."

"Got it."

I watched him for a few moments, it was almost funny seeing him here, seeing him cutting out little leaves. He was focused on the task but he looked up to meet my eyes when he noticed my stare and I smiled shaking my head.

"Oh! I'll get you an apron," I popped up from the floor, crossing back into the kitchen. I brought out with me the plainest apron I could find. It was grey, larger and tied in the back with black and white ruffles sewed onto the side. "Here," I tossed it into his lap.

"Where's yours?"

"I'm already wearing my painting shirt," I laughed, watching him put the apron around his neck before tying it around his waist. "So, I don't need an apron."

"How do I look?"

I couldn't help laughing, doubling over and shaking my head. "You look great, the frills really bring out your eyes."

"So, you do look at my eyes?"

I smiled, letting out a short laugh, "Come on, let's just get started."

We worked in relative silence, occasionally I directed him to add more glitter here or there but he was doing well. His drawing was impeccable, freehand too, if only I could be that talented with a pen. I thought if him being a doctor made his drawings so accurate, all the leaves he'd pen out were perfect, then he traced them over with glitter a little less perfectly, but it was an endearing challenge, to watch him struggle with a glitter pen. It made him seem a bit more human, bring him down to earth from the unintentional pedestal I had put him on.

My hand began to cramp after cutting out around fifty or so fake oval shaped leaves to paste onto the banner Carlisle was working on decorating.

I put the scissors down next to me, pushing the paper out of my lap and standing with a bounce. "Do you want ice cream? I'm gonna take a dessert break," I offered, smiling as I went to the kitchen.

"No, I'm alright, they're all for you."

"Are you sure?" I called back, scooping out cookies and cream into a bowl. Carlisle once again refused and I shrugged to myself, maybe he just wasn't in the mood for dessert or maybe he just didn't like ice cream. Come to think of it, I never really asked him what he liked to eat, maybe I could cook for him one day.

I made my way back to the living room, coming to sit in the same spot I was at before. Carlisle was still there, trying to ever so gently trace his lines with glitter.

"So, what kind of dessert do you like?"

He didn't look up to answer, focused on his task, "I'm not really a dessert person."

I faked offense, "How are we even friends!" I shoved spoonsful of ice cream into my mouth before asking another question, "What kind of food do you like then?"

He smiled, shaking his head, "I wouldn't say I have a favorite."

"How boring," I said, teasing him further. I smiled into my ice cream, finishing the rest of the bowl while watching his hands move over the papers and go so gently as if it weren't colorful cardstock but tissue paper that would rip at the slightest movement.

We managed to finish everything in just a few hours, minutes before 2am. I couldn't help yawning as we set the sheets of paper carefully around the living room to dry.

Carlisle didn't even look tired, his hair was still in perfect place, his clothes almost wrinkle free and paint free thanks to the apron. What a contrast we made.

"Well, I should get going, leave you to sleep."

"You should sleep, too, once you get home that is." I said walking through the kitchen and moving little things around as he folded the apron and placed it on the counter. "You must be tired, a full shift at the hospital and then helping me with this, thank you by the way."

He shook his head, "I said I would help and I'm signed up for helping with the summer party."

"I know, there's still so much to do for the party but I think we finished most of the decorating, the kids will be happy."

"You're one of their favorites."

I laughed at that, "Definitely not, maybe in their top ten but I think Mr. Williams is their favorite, he's been doing it the longest, can't beat age and experience."

"I suppose you can't," he said.

"And thank you for the ice cream," I added, turning to face him while leaning against the counter.

"It was my pleasure."

I had finished everything there was to do in the kitchen and the world seemed quiet now. Even outside, nothing made a noise except for the quiet buzz of the night time bugs. It made the world smaller somehow, almost stopping time or at least slowing it. I didn't know what to say next, and he didn't say anything more, just looked at me from across the kitchen for a few silent moments.

Moments flashed behind my eyes, us dancing in his kitchen, the music in the background. I remembered his eyes and his cold hands holding mine, they felt like ice and stone and yet they made my skin tingle with a vibrant electricity. I jerked myself back from the thought, physically pushing myself further back against the counter. I felt a damn of nervousness break and I struggled to keep my eyes with his own.

"I—I don't want to keep you too long, you should get some sleep," I sputtered out, moving my eyes away from his but forcing a smile on my lips. "I'll probably see you tomorrow anyhow, Alice wants me to come over."

He nodded, taking a step toward the door and opening it with the turn of his wrist on the handle. As he moved farther away, I made myself go to the door, despite the welling of nervousness still in my chest.

I waved at him from the doorway and he gave me a slight tilt of his head but didn't say anything, just waving back before getting in his car. I closed the door, locking it behind me as I heard his car start, and the gravel in the driveway shift as he drove away.

The nerves in my chest were still there, hammering away at my heart. I couldn't stop remembering him, how he smiled, how he laughed, how his voice carried through a room.

Well, crap, maybe I do like him.


Haha so I've updated, I've actually had the majority of this chapter written since the day after I posted the last chapter but needed to finish like the last 100 words or so. Anyhow, tell me what you think about this about this chapter! Comments are very motivating, and I appreciate all the feedback I get and it helps me get an idea of what i should do next. :)