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Disclaimer: I do not own Tangled or Twilight.
Chapter 4: Let's Be Friends
After a quick tour through the Cullen house, Esme showed me to my room. It was spacious, with not a lot of furniture. Not even a bed, which Esme explained was because we don't need to sleep. There was a couch, an armchair, a desk, a full-length mirror, and plenty of bookshelves. She must have sensed my desire to be alone, because after a quick hug, she left me alone to process my thoughts.
It wasn't until I was sat on the navy couch that I realized I've been wearing the same clothes from the hunting trip. I suddenly felt filthy and shift uncomfortably. There was a knock on my door.
"Come in?" I say quietly.
Jasper enters, holding a stack of clean clothes. I frowned, "How did you-?"
"Edward sent me," he explained.
"Ah," I say. "Eddie and his weird mind powers."
Jasper grinned, "No one has called him that in a long time," He hands me the clothes. "I think you and I are about the same size, so here. I'll come back to get your old ones after you change."
The clothes were simple. A pair of pants, a flowing shirt, and a vest. Nothing too extravagant. As I was buttoning the vest in the mirror, I realized that this was the first real opportunity to check out my appearance.
I had grown a bit taller and my posture was straighter. My hair had become more full and shiny. My skin was flawless, a shade paler than it had been. My jawline and cheekbones had become sharper. I had always been strong, but now it showed, as my muscles were slightly more obvious. What really stunned me was the color of my eyes. No longer were they brown, but golden. A deep, captivating gold that I couldn't stop studying.
"Shocking isn't it?" Jasper was back. "The change that your body goes through."
"Yeah," I tear my eyes away from the mirror. "Shocking." I gather my clothes and try to fold them as neatly as I can. It's pretty unsuccessful, as I was never the neat one. I start to remember a time where Rapunzel-
I hand my clothes over to Jasper and attempt a smile, "Thank you."
Jasper takes the pile, but continues to hold my gaze. "What's her name?"
"W-What?" I don't recall telling anyone about Rapunzel.
Jasper smiled lightly. "I can sense emotions, remember? You've obviously lost someone close to you recently. You're emitting grief and a strong amount of love. Also, Carlisle mentioned it earlier."
I stammer, trying to gather my thoughts. "Um…"
"Or his name. I won't judge."
"Her name is Rapunzel," I finally get out.
"The Rapunzel who was locked in a tower for 18 years?"
"That's the one," I said.
"But the princess is engaged to the man who rescued her. The thief, Flynn Rider," Jasper said. "But your name is Eugene, so…"
I stared at him, waiting for him to connect the dots. His eyes widened in realization. "So you-"
"Yep."
"And you-"
"Uh-huh."
"You've died twice now!"
"I'm well aware."
"What saved you the first time?"
"Tears."
"That… doesn't make any sense."
"I know, I was there," I sighed. "But neither does becoming a vampire I guess."
Jasper laughed slightly. "True," His voice turned serious. "I'm sorry this happened to you. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."
"Mine did," I said bitterly.
Jasper winced. He opened his mouth to say something there was a knock on his door. Without waiting for an answer it opened, revealing Rosalie. "Jasper, Alice is looking for you."
Jasper sighed and stood up. "I'm here if you want to talk more, Eugene. I'm happy to have you as my brother.
He left, leaving Rosalie and I alone. "I'm not."
"Excuse me?" I say.
"I'm not happy to have you as my brother."
I rolled my eyes and tried not to let her words get to me. "Gee, thanks. I'm sorry I don't meet your standards for an orphaned little sibling."
She rolled her eyes as well. "That's not what I meant." She sat down next to me. "I'm not happy you're my brother because I don't want anyone as my brother. I don't want anyone exposed to this life. And the fact that you're here now frustrates me because you deserve so much better. No one deserves this."
Rosalie glared at the floor as she spoke. I kept my eye on my hands. "I thought you hated me."
"I don't hate you," She reassured. "I hate what you've become."
"Does it get any easier? Over time?" I winced at how my voice cracked.
The blonde shrugged. "Yes and no. I mean, the thirst gets easier. The nearly constant hunger you feel now goes away and you'll find it easier to control yourself around humans. But emotionally… that stays with you. You may become numb toward it, but that pain and grief never goes away."
I grimaced. That's not what I wanted to hear. I decided to focus on the first part of what she said. "When will I have to… feed?"
"Hunt."
"Obviously. When will I have to hunt again?"
Rosalie shrugged. "That depends. Newborns have to feed pretty often, due to their body still getting used to the change and the constant thirst they are under."
Something didn't make sense. "If I'm a newborn, then how come my throat doesn't hurt now?"
She bit her lip. "Human blood sates our thirst more than an animal. Since you, um, fed on that human, you should be fine for a few days. But once you get hungry again and we start you on animal blood, you are going to need to hunt almost daily."
"Ah."
Rosalie placed her hand on my shoulder. I met her sympathy filled gaze. "I know it's hard and awful and disgusting and you're horrified with yourself-"
"I though Edward was the one to read minds."
"…But you aren't alone. We are all here for you. You will be okay."
I smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Rosie."
"R-Rosie?"
I smirked. "If I've taken on the role of annoying brother, I'd better start now, huh?"
Rosalie matched my smile. "Okay… Flynn."
I groaned, "Oh, you went there."
She laughed gleefully. "I went there."
I was about to retaliate before an odd feeling settled over me. It was gone the moment it arrived, but I recognized it. A small flicker of hope.
After a few days of being confined to my room (with the occasional visits from Jasper and Rosalie), I began to notice a burning in my throat. I know it means and I try desperately to ignore it. However, as time goes on, it's becoming more and more persistent, to the point where it's nearly unbearable. I pace anxiously for a while before growling in frustration and going downstairs.
"Why can't she be here?"
"Edward, I told you, Eugene's not in control yet."
I paused behind the door. I recognized the voices of Carlisle and Edward.
"So?"
"He could kill her!"
I winced. Who were they talking about?
"Then let's get him on animal blood!"
"Edward, you know it's not that simple."
"But-"
I knock on the door. The voices stopped abruptly. "Come in."
I enter and try not to make it obvious that I was eavesdropping.
"Ah, Eugene!" Carlisle says. If I didn't already know, nothing on his face would have given away his previous topic of conversation. "How are you feeling?"
"Uh, yeah." I try to find the right way to say this. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I think I need… um… need to…"
Carlisle's voice as gentle, "Need to hunt?"
If I could still blush I would, "Yeah. My throat hurts and I feel feverish."
"Perfect!" Edward shouted, making me jump.
Carlisle gave him a look. I pretended not to know what he was talking about. "Feverish?" I opened my mouth to speak again, but I choked on the words as the burning in my throat flared up again.
Carlisle patted my back with concern. "Yeah, you definitely need to go. Jasper can take you and show you the ropes. Ja-"
"Already on it," Jasper materialized next to me. "I'm due for a hunt anyway. Ready?"
I grit my teeth at the pain. "Extremely."
