Disclaimer: I dont own ANYTHING
A/N: So... You guys are awesome. Yup. That's a thing. So... Happy Valentines day or... Forever Alone day. Whichever you prefer... Soooooo sorry it took so long. It's not that I had troublewriting the chapter, I was just too lazy to start it until a couple of days ago. Keep the reviews, faves, and follows coming because they motivate me to do things! Yay! On with the show! (I also secretly appreciate that there have been no flames yet. So THANKIES!)
Picking up where we left off.
After a few moments of the coven standing and staring in shock, Edward had finally had enough. He stepped up and grabbed Carlisle, shouting directions to Alice to grab the Harry fellow that was currently unconscious and settle him on the couch while he and Jasper moved Carlisle from the room and attempted to calm him.
"Carlisle. What's going on?"
Edward barely got the words out of his mouth before he was cut off buy Carlisle's even more pained yell. Edward was unfamiliar in how to deal with the situation at hand so he just pried a little into Carlisle's mind to see what hurt or what he needed.
All of a sudden he was flooded with the face of the man in the other room and the face of the woman from the painting until abruptly they over lapped. His eyes widened ever so slightly when their eyes became one and glowed emerald with mischief.
Edward sighed and moved quickly, picking up Carlisle again and putting him in the same room, next to the boy.
"Edward, what do you think you're-"
He shook his head at Alice and laid them together which seemed to lessen Carlisle's pain.
"Just trust me for now. I think I know what's going on but this has never happened before so I'm not sure I even know the half of it."
Jasper frowned. "Are you sure you know anything?" Edward looked at him a little irritated.
"I know something and right now that's more than anyone else can say."
Jasper couldn't argue with him so he reluctantly yielded for now. They were able to sit back and talk for a while and watch them as they talked.
Edward looked to their charges and hoped that Carlisle would be coherent enough soon. He probably has a better idea of going on. He flinched when the older vampire hugged the young lookalike.
"So what do you know?" Jasper was the one who was asking Edward who was snapped out of his trance of watching the two who were almost cuddling on the sofa. He tore his eyes away and looked at his audience.
"All I saw was the face of the woman in the painting overlap with Harry's face. Maybe he thought they were the same person?" Edward proposed this but it was quickly shot down by Rosalie.
"Well if that was all, they wouldn't have had the reaction that they did." She nudged her head to the two who were breathing hard and looked like they were in discomfort on the sofa to prove her point.
"Did you see anything else? Anything that stuck out to you?" Alice prodded, wanting to get a better idea as to why the two of them were going through so much pain.
"The only thing I saw that stuck out was the weird way their eyes glowed when they overlapped." Edward jumped a little in surprise but not enough to be noticeable when Alice herself jumped to her feet.
"Harry began to writhe in his sleep when you carried Carlisle out of the room and about a minute after you left, he started crying." She looked at Edward with an expectant look.
He furrowed his eyebrows and responded to her racing thoughts. "Carlisle was in even more pain as soon as we stepped out of the room and began yelling about a minute after that, before we took him back into the sitting room."
Charlie sat over in a chair watching everything play out with a worried expression on his face as he watched Harry, not really listening to what the others were saying the fact being that he didn't really want to know since he wasn't really good at handling all of this supernatural stuff.
Alice's face lit up but then took on a bit of a curiously confused look. "hmmm… so it hurts when they were apart… So they are connected by something… that has to do with their eyes…. But the only thing-"
"Is the soul."
Everyone looked to Carlisle who had sat up, his breathing still a bit ragged, Edward not missing the fact that his hand was still touching the boys.
"But-" Edward began but stopped when Alice gave him a look and gestured for Carlisle to continue.
"Yes. We are soulless beings. Or so I thought." He sighed and looked down into the face of this creature.
"I'm not sure how it happened but I think this… boy is my soul mate."
He stared at the boy and smiled when he saw the violently green orbs crack and flutter a bit, his eyes a little foggy from falling unconscious so suddenly.
Harry opened his eyes to find that he was staring at a face that he so inherently knew that he smiled back. He felt as if he belonged to this man, to the bond he gave him. He now knew what the hole in his being was, even though he didn't know he had a hole until he saw this blond Adonis. The hole was not having this man in his life. He always thought it was because no one ever saw him as not a celebrity but he still felt that niggling sensation at the back of his mind when he moved to Forks.
Harry's expression was that of a lazy smile as he reached up and touched the man's cheek. He was cold but Harry didn't care. He pushed himself up with his arm, his body still a little sore from that weird bout of pain but he was eye level with this being that belonged to him and he was happy.
"I finally found you." Harry said softly before he leaned forward and kissed the other, his eyes closing in satisfaction of receiving what he had been craving to do since knowing this man existed. He moved his body so he could still balance when he took the arm that was supporting his body away so that he could wrap both of them around this man.
He felt a pair of arms encircle him and a tongue prod at his lips, gently prying his mouth open and letting their tongues intertwine. He felt the other explore his mouth slowly before a hand as cold as ice slid under his shirt and awakened him to the situation. He pulled away from the man that had seemed like a dream and looked at him in surprise and a slight undertone of arousal.
"Um… Well… I'm not usually so forward." He looked down and blushed slightly letting his arms fall to his lap, his lips pressing together in a very obviously embarrassed expression. He could feel his ears starting to heat up and looked around but found that to be less comforting and distracting than he thought since there was more than one surprised face, a few angry ones and he could even see disgust.
Harry leaned his forehead against the other man's chest and turned his head away to hide his face. He wasn't coherent enough to deal with them right now and this seemed to be the easiest escape at the moment. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep and waited for them to either finish their conversation or take him to a room and away from this uncomfortable situation.
He heard a bit of what he assumed to be uncomfortable shifting before a voice that was made to be heard, spoke up and picked up where Harry assumed he left off.
"So-" He started but stopped as he looked out among the faces of disbelief. "What's the matter?" He asked, only slightly confused as to why they had the extent of disbelief on their faces that they did. He watched their eyes go from the boy to him and back before Edward spoke up.
"Do you even know his name?" Edward was only surprised at the aloofness at which their leader was handling the situation. He was hearing his siblings and Rosalie's thoughts were definitely crossing territory into the offensive. He frowned at the blond but it didn't seem as though she were going to say something which is why he was willing to let it go. Everyone else seemed to be most surprised at such an open display of affection from a man they knew to withhold public affections in any situation. Well… Any but this one it seemed.
Carlisle opened his mouth but then closed it again, frowning.
Edward sighed. "His name is Harry." He frowned when Carlisle raised an eyebrow expectantly. They had no idea what his last name was.
Carlisle looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 7. He looked to Charlie with an apologetic expression on his face. "I know you planned for dinner but it seems as if your guest has been… otherwise occupied."
Harry heard the last words of the others sentence and had to hold back the urge to roll his eyes at the wording.
Charlie scratched his beard and frowned, sighing as he looked at the limp form of his partner leaning against the chest of one of his close friends. "Yeah I suppose he won't be up for much tonight. I can keep him here if you want." He asked, hoping that he would be able to safely put him to bed here but when he saw the knowing look on Carlisle's face he let out a breathy laugh.
"Yeah. You're right. Well, thanks for comin' over guys even though we didn't get to do much." He smiled slightly and raised his glass to them, Carlisle nodding in recognition and thanks for his understanding.
"Another time, friend. When everything has settled down perhaps?" He jostled the boy a little when he shifted him into his arms effortlessly, Harry moving his head and making a sleepy snuffle into the others neck to keep up the act.
"Good night, Charlie." The boys and three girls said their goodbyes and left in their own cars and drove away. When Carlisle came to the house he carried the boy to their sofa and laid him down.
He had seen that Edward had gone to their little house that the family had built for him and his wife and later on, his child. He had talked with Esme on the way over and she had completely understood, saying that she was so very happy for him to have finally been given another chance.
Carlisle changed Harry, refraining from the violent urge to caress his porcelain skin every time he moved his hands over it. He had dressed Harry in the pajamas that he usually wore at night to lounge in, therefore, they were obviously a bit big. Harry had shifted a little and Carlisle pulled his hands away for a moment to let him get comfortable but regretted it once he saw he had spread and pinned the shirt in a way that prevented him from closing it all the way.
He watched with an intent expression as the fabric loosened just enough to show one lovely cherry blossom pink nipple and a slender shoulder. He turned his head so that his bangs fell slightly away from his eyes, letting Carlisle see his glowing face. His long, feminine eyelashes rested on his face and his lips were slightly parted. Carlisle wavered, physically swaying at the sight that seemed to be made specifically to lure him in but he held back. He was not one to just casually attack a defenseless boy even though they did kiss earlier. In his defense, Harry was the one who attacked him, not that he didn't like it.
Carlisle actually couldn't believe the fact that he was having such dirty thoughts at this stage of the game about the boy even though they had just met and he knew it was more taxing on him because of the bond which was a mystery in and of itself but it was worse because of the fact that he knew as he looked at the boys sleeping form now, that he would still lust after him. He felt a pang of guilt for having such things as old as he was but knew it was fundamentally damaging to hold back.
Carlisle watched the boy and let his thoughts run rampant, making a mess of everything before cleaning it up slowly through the hours of the night.
Harry could feel that he was on something rather hard which he knew couldn't be his bed since he specifically designed it to be made for sleeping in, imbedded with restful sleep and softening spells. Harry scrunched his face and blinked, trying to clear the muck from his eyes that had gathered from sleeping for such a long time.
He slowly sat up and looked around to find the blond haired man from the night before sitting in a chair a couple feet away from the futon he now realized he laid on. He wrapped the blanket around himself and pushed his hair from his eyes, his puffy sleep ridden face focused on the hottie that was currently staring at him. "Like what you see?" He asked, not expecting to get much of an answer in his blanket wrapped rats nest hair, puffy faced form.
He saw the other smile like rays of sunshine. "Very much so."
Harry blushed at the others outright admittance and scratched his jaw which still grew a bit of stubble in the mornings despite his Veela inheritance. It gave him a very smoky and mysterious look if he didn't shave but that look tended to draw in a more effeminate crowd.
"So… I suppose we aught to talk…" Harry said, shifting a little bit and getting comfortable. "I have never heard of such a thing in all of my studies…" He said, speaking to the man in the chair. "How about names first. Wow, I just realized how backwards last night was. We don't even know each other's names." Harry realized with shock and a bit of embarrassment.
"My name is Carlisle Cullen." He said in a soft tone as if he were talking to a small frightened animal, and he might have been.
"Harry. Harry Potter." He reached out his hand for a shake and was surprised when instead he received a kiss on the back of his hand. Carlisle also looked as if he was just as surprised, almost as if his body had moved of its own accord.
"What should we talk about first?"
"Well," Carlisle started "what happened yesterday was quite peculiar and I have my own conjectures but I was wondering if you had any ideas on the matter." Carlisle twined his fingers together and set his elbows on his knees, becoming more serious.
Harry thought the other day was peculiar indeed. There were only few sparse moments where he was awake since the whole thing with this man named Carlisle had all started but it seemed that he had been awake for the most important parts.
"Well, with how much I could piece together when I was awake and from all of the… work I have done in the past, I suspect that what happened aligns somehow with a soul bond. An involuntary bond that is made by the fates for two people destined for each other in all ways, bringing people to be lovers, best friends or partners in crime. Most people believed the people blessed with these 'soul mates' if you will were destined to change the world in some way or another. That's all I know about it so far but I haven't had very much time to think on it."
Harry watched as the gears in Carlisle's head turned and connected his conjectures and inferences with his own. He waited for a while until he got a bit worried that he had been forgotten. Harry cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow when Carlisle calmly came back to his senses.
"I apologize about that. I was just… Thinking." He said, the hesitation before he said that last word being highly noticeable.
"Well? You come up with anything yet?" he leaned back against the couch and looked down at the fabric of the blanket he was wrapped in to be surprisingly hand made. He was tugged from his idle inspection of the blanket when the other spoke after a minute of being silent.
"I don't that there is anything that fits why it was such a violent reaction but I'll ask my daughter, Alice to help me research it." Harry nodded and agreed that there was nothing more than to gather information at this point in the game. He watched Carlisle get up and reach out his hand.
"Would you care for some coffee or perhaps tea might suit you better?"
Harry smiled at how courteous Carlisle was being and took his hand, feeling lighter than a feather when the blond helped him up off the couch.
"I would like some coffee please. I have learned to adapt, though an afternoon tea every once in a while is always satisfying."
Carlisle and Harry made small talk all the way to the kitchen where they met a new face and a small blur of brown run into Carlisle's legs. Harry figured Carlisle was more than capable enough to defend himself but that didn't stop him from tensing up and his magic from flaring defensively.
He heard a high tinkling laugh come from the blur that had stopped moving as soon as it had knocked Carlisle on his ass but he also heard a laugh that sent the most delicious shivers down his spine, giving him images of unspeakable things before he shook them off with a blush.
Harry watched as Carlisle played with what was now revealed to be a small girl. He looked up to the kitchen to find a beautiful woman smiling at the two. She came over to the three of them with a sippy cup and a straw, handing it to the girl and stepping back to watch the two with a loving expression before turning to Harry. "So are you a friend of Carlisle's?" She asked. Her eyes were red unlike the rest of their topaz eyes but they were more welcoming than any but Carlisle's had been.
"Yes. I suppose you could say that." He smiled back and had a feeling that they were going to be good friends in the future. Harry looked down at himself and blushed when he saw that the shirt he was wearing wasn't from the night before along with the fact that it was close to falling off.
Harry wrapped the blanket tighter around his body, pulling it up to cover his shoulders. He looked at Carlisle who was on the floor, just sitting in silence as she touched his face gently, him commenting on something every once in a while. The whole situation was all a bit bizarre for him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and saw the woman look at him with a knowing expression.
"Edward tells me you'll be with us from now on." Harry hesitated long enough to look at Carlisle who had stopped his little game with the small child to look at him with a hint of worry in his expression.
Harry smiled softly at the missing link in his life. He would admit that he was one to jump head long into things but he knew that this would be the rest of his life. He knew that this would be his future family or lack thereof. He knew that some might say that this was a bad idea but he thought about it a little more and smiled even bigger. He had lived through betrayal, hatred, heartbreak, and war. He had all of his fond memories turned into bitter ones and he wasn't about to turn away a love he had always craved but never believed he would have as 'the chosen one'.
"Yeah. That sounds about right." He refrained from laughing for Carlisle's sake when he momentarily let go of his composure and sagged with relief.
"My name is Bella. That little troublemaker over there is my daughter, Renesme." She looked to where she had put her hand briefly on Carlisle's cheek for a moment and with the expression he was making, he could have sworn he would be blushing if he were human.
Harry giggled softly and kissed Bella on the cheek in French greeting. "Hello Bella. My name is Harry Potter." She looked at him with slight embarrassment before she took his hand and gently pulled him.
"Would you come with me, we have to dress you and," she paused and looked at Carlisle who she had noticed was frequently giving Harry glances and looking away only when Renesme pulled his face to look at her. "I have just the thing."
Harry looked over at Carlisle again, catching him as Renesme once again had to redirect his attention, laughing at her disgruntled expression. He nodded to Bella and yelped when he was suddenly swept off his feet. He clutched her shirt when they were suddenly speeding through the woods. His claws came out a little as he was transported but he had time to think as this was happening.
Harry had not missed the fact that the coven's last name was Cullen. They were the second largest coven currently and they had recently had a bit of a blow out with their government. He knew that Bella was the most recent addition to their coven, second only to her daughter Renesme who was conceived and birthed after her marriage to Edward Cullen. He knew that their coven had an abundance of people who had special abilities in their clan as well, some of which he already knew but he wasn't really paying attention to that when he had done his readings. Harry didn't know much else other than the fact that the Cullen's tended to come in pairs. He knew that Carlisle was the named leader of their coven as it was registered and that he had a significant other but the dynamic from what he was aware of was more that of best friends. He wouldn't know though since he's never had any.
Harry and Bella arrived at her little cottage that wasn't so little and he took it all in. She waked to the house, still carrying him and set him down once they had crossed the thresh hold.
"I said I had the perfect thing in mind but it is girls' clothes since they tend to accentuate the body more. Do you mind?" She said, even as she was making her way to her closet. Harry laughed and followed in her silent footsteps.
"Hey now. No need to tease him so much." He jumped slightly when he was about to round the corner and suddenly there was a face in his.
"So you saw it too?" She asked excitedly. He just stared for a moment before he broke down laughing. Bella looked at him indignantly.
"What?"
Harry shook his head and stepped around her tilted form since it looked like she was already a foot or two in the room before she leaned back to meet his eyes.
"You are way too excited about this. That's all." He said as he stepped in the closet and his eyes widened at the sight that met him. He hadn't been one who was too concerned with style or image until he got the money he needed to support and interest like that and when he did get interested in it, he didn't do it because he wanted to validate himself through the thoughts and ideals of others because god knows he's had enough of that. He did it because he found it to be genuinely entertaining and fun. He even dabbled in design and still does occasionally when there is nothing to be done at the office or the chief makes it an early day to chase him out. The sight that met his eyes was paradise. All name brand and even some originals mixed with limited additions and some that he recognized to be an artist's style but had never seen on their line before.
"I guess Alice rubbed off on me a bit in that sense." Bella said as she looked around for a bit.
As happy as Harry wanted to be in his little paradise, his chest was aching and a couple of minutes into Bella's search for this magic outfit, his eyes started stinging. He felt empty and sad inside and he had no idea why. Harry sat down against the wall and pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his knees as he buried his head into the blanked that covered his knees.
Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and he reached out to hug whoever it was, sniffling into her shoulder, his tears just starting to stream down his face.
"What's wrong?" A soft feminine voice asked. He didn't want to hear this voice. He wanted to hear a deeper voice, a more beautiful voice. He buried his face into the soft hair of this person and felt his lip tremble.
"I want him." oh. Oh. OH. He got it. He understood now. He wanted him. He wanted him he wanted him he wanted him! Now! Oh. That was new. Was he throwing a temper tantrum? Who was he kidding? He didn't care. He wanted him, "Who is him?" The voice said. He wanted him he wanted him! He wanted "Carlisle! I want him I want him I want him!" He yelled, pulling at the person's hair and kicking his feet, stomping the ground and crying harder, yelling, screaming, flailing until he felt tired. So very tired. He whimpered out one last time. "I want him…" before dissolving into a puddle of hiccups, sniffles and sadness.
All of a sudden, he was up and they were off. Running faster and faster and faster until he was jolted when they stopped. He was taken from the woman's arms and he was enveloped in a new set. He smelled it then. He looked up with tears in his eyes and whimpered. "Him…" He was looking into the handsome face he hadn't known he had been craving since he left the main house. He relaxed completely and their lips met softly, progressing into a needier kiss in the next few moments. They broke apart and the other licked his cheeks, washing it and clearing away his tears.
Harry felt the other go rigid and blinked, lifting his head from where it was being protected by who he now coherently recognized as Carlisle. He looked around and his eyes widened, he quickly separated himself from Carlisle and looked at the slightly agitated but mostly worried Bella who was looking from the two men to her husband, currently covering their child's eyes and a couple of others that had been with Carlisle when he rushed out of the house after withdrawing into himself for a few minutes.
"Oh… Oh my goodness, I am so sorry." He looked at Bella and apologized before looking to the man who has successfully and effectively given Harry an erection in front of half of his family.
"What the bloody hell is going on?"