hi! this is chapter one of Golden Hour. this fic was written entirely on a whim and mostly for fun - i can't promise anything, although i can promise that i will do my best to finish it. it's going to mostly follow the canon plot line, although there are changes to canon - i'm partial to minor changes in the vampire's biology, as well any obligatory plot changes caused by guin's existence. i will warn you now: this is going to be extremely, exceedingly sappy and gross. i love writing romance, it's my favorite thing to write, so there will be lots of jasper/guin in this, and probably minor angst. if romance is your jam, welcome!
i'm not entirely sure where i'm going with this right now, but i'll try my best to make things make sense and stay coherent. i hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading!
this chapter was updated as of 04/04/2022 and this author's note may be updated again in the future as tags and the rating for the story change! there may be (explicit) mature content later on, and i'll be sure to come back and tag the overall content for anyone who doesn't like that or doesn't want to read that specific kind of smut :)
some other rather major updates to the series: this now takes place in a period circa 2020, because guin deserves it, i think, and also it gives me more freedom to make pop culture and song references without having to google "when did x come out" every 10 minutes
Golden Hour
The period of daytime shortly before sunset,
during which sunlight is redder and softer than during daylight.
Guinevere was giddy, excitement bubbling in her stomach like sweet, golden champagne.
The windows in her mom's car were rolled down, warm wind blowing in and snapping her hair around her face, flushing across her skin and turning it pink. It was seventy-five degrees out, a temperature that, while Guin considered just a little too warm for her liking, was nice for Phoenix, Arizona.
Her sister, Bella, was sitting next to her. Bella was ivory skinned, like Guin, but taller and slimmer. Guin had a stockier build－ shorter, with more curves and a softness to her. Bella's hair was long, straight, and brown, different from Guin's own curly locks, although the color was the same. They shared the same eyes, though－ dark brown and soft, with long, dark lashes.
Bella was her twin, and despite their differences, Guin had never loved another person like she did Bella. Bella, who was her first － and only － real friend, had always been by her side. The two of them understood each other, in a way that most other people didn't.
They were on the same wavelengths, even if it was only with each other.
Bella was dressed in a sleeveless, white eyelet lace shirt－ a goodbye to the warm weather of Phoenix. Guinevere, who had never liked to show too much skin, was wearing a long-sleeved maroon button up with a long black skirt. She was often told she dressed strangely, and that was quite how she liked it, thank you very much.
The two girls were on their way to Phoenix International Airport, with two tickets booked for Seattle.
Their mother had recently gotten remarried to a man named Phil. He was a minor league baseball player－good enough, Guin supposed, to make a living, but not good enough to really achieve anything. Despite his lackluster baseball skills, Phil was a good man, and he would take care of their mother.
Guin and Bella had decided, together, that the two of them would leave their mother and go spend the rest of their school years in Forks, Washington, with their father, Charlie.
This was a decision Bella made with great distress.
It was one Guin couldn't wait for.
Guin hated Phoenix. She hated the omnipresent sunshine, the overwhelming heat, the unbearable crowds. She loved her mother - most of the time, anyway - so she suffered through Phoenix, but she had always preferred Forks. It was tiny, yes, but full of good people and cool, rainy weather. Forks was full of trees and life, and cool, clean air. It was a place where Guin could be herself, and dress how she wanted.
Overcome with giddy, bubbling excitement, Guin found herself tap, tap, tapping her finger on her thigh. It was the most that she could do, with her mother around－ Renee had always pushed her to be less obvious, less strange, more normal. Renee loved her, of course, but never all of her.
Bella never minded. Never minded the hand flapping, the rocking, the dancing and clicking and infodumping and all of the things that came with Guin being who she is.
Of course, Bella was her twin － like her in so many ways. Everything was different with Bella.
"Bella, Guin," Renée said, looking at the two girls standing before her, their hands intertwined. She looked somewhat sad. "You don't have to do this."
Guin spoke up first. "We want to go, mom. Honest!"
Bella only nodded beside her－ she had never been a good liar, and while she had improved immensely over the past few weeks, Guin knew that it would be easiest if she were the one to assure their mom.
"Tell Charlie I said hi."
"We will."
"I'll see you soon," she insisted. "You can come home whenever you want － I'll come back right as soon as you need me."
That would be a sacrifice, Guin knew. Besides－ she was determined that her and Bella would be happy in Forks, even if it was done purely by spite.
"Don't worry about us," Bella urged. "It'll be great. I love you, Mom."
Guin sent Renée a smile. "I love you too, Mom. We'll be fine, I'm sure of it."
She hugged the two girls tightly, and then they were on the plane, and she was gone.
It's a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, and another hour in a small plane up to Port Angeles, and then an hour drive back down to Forks. The flying wasn't an issue for either girl, although the hour in the car with their father could pose some problems.
Guin was much closer with her father than Bella was － she still spent a month in Forks every summer after her and Bella vacationed with Charlie in California.
He had been very nice about the whole thing － Guin knew that he was genuinely happy to have his girls staying with him for the first time with any degree of permanance. He'd already registered the girls for school, and had plans for helping them get a car.
When they landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. Guin knew Bella didn't enjoy it, but Guin felt a thrill rush through her. The excitement that had faded some over the plane flights suddenly rushed through her again, and she shook one hand out, flexing her fingers.
Not quite a hand flap, but close. A giddy smile crossed her face.
Her excitement grew as she spotted their father and his police cruiser. Charlie was Forks' Police Chief, and while she knew Bella thought it was embarrassing, Guin had always liked it. Although, neither she nor Bella appreciated how traffic had a tendency to slow around him.
"Daddy!" Guin cried, flinging herself into her father's arms as soon as she was close enough and squeezing tightly. Charlie returned the gesture enthusiastically.
"Guinny! It's good to see you! And you too, of course, Bells," he says, smiling as he reaches one hand out to steady her when she stumbled. "You haven't changed much, either of you. How's Renée?"
"Mom's good. It's good to see you, too, Dad." Bella said, although there was a moment of hesitation before she said "Dad". Guin sent her a sharp look.
You can't go around calling him "Charlie", Bella.
Both girls only had a few bags, although not for the same reasons. Bella didn't have many clothes fit for Washington, and Guin had decided to ship some things to Forks, rather than try to figure out what was most important. Still, all of their things fit easily into the trunk of the cruiser.
"I found a good car for you, really cheap," he announced when the three of them were strapped in.
Bella was immediately suspicious. "What kind of car?"
Guin couldn't blame her too much － the way Charlie had said "good car for you" was a bit suspicious.
"Well, it's a truck actually. A Chevy."
"Where did you find it?"
"Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?"
La Push was the tiny Native American reservation on the coast. Guin knew them well. The two girls answered at the same time.
"No."
"Yes."
Guin sent Bella a sharp look, and repeated once more, rather forcefully, "Yes. He used to go fishing with us during the summer, Bella."
"Oh, right." Bella didn't sound like she remembered at all, and Guin made a face.
"Well, he's in a wheelchair now," Charlie continued, "so he can't drive anymore. He offered to sell me his truck cheap."
"What year is it?" Guin sent Bella another sharp look, and Bella looked at her as if to say, it's a fair question!
"Well, Billy's done a lot of work on the engine － it's only a few years old, really."
Of course, Bella couldn't just let it lie. "When did he buy it?"
"He bought it in 1984, I think."
"Did he buy it new?"
"Well, no. I think it was new in the early sixties － or late fifties, at the earliest."
"Ch －" at Guin's dark glare, Bella quickly corrected herself, "Dad, I don't really know anything about cars. I wouldn't be able to fix it if anything went wrong, and I couldn't afford a mechanic…"
"Really, Bella, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore."
Guin watched Bella's brow furrow a bit, before she asked the real question on her mind. "How cheap is cheap?"
Guin grimaced a bit. Even she knew that it was rude to ask stuff like that, and Guin was a champion of putting her foot in her mouth. Although, not as bad as Bella was, apparently.
"Well, honey, I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift." Charlie glanced over at Bella, looking hopeful, and she looked a little surprised.
"You didn't need to do that, Dad. I was going to buy myself a car."
"I don't mind. I want you two to be happy here," he said, as he stared ahead at the road. Guin smiled a little － her dad and her twin really were alike.
Bella looked straight ahead when she answered. "That's really nice, Dad. Thanks. I really appreciate it."
"We really appreciate it. Thank you, Daddy."
"Well now, you're welcome," he mumbled, embarrassed by the thanks.
Bella and Charlie tried to start a conversation, wherein Bella commented on the weather (which was wet), and then couldn't seem to think of anything else. Guin jumped in, excited to tell Charlie about her newest project － a mid-19th century chemise and drawers, for an 1860s gown she was planning. Charlie seemed to welcome the distraction.
Eventually, they made it to Charlie's. He still lived in the three-bedroom house that he'd bought with Renee in the early days of their marriage. Parked on the street in front of the house that never changed was the girls' new － ish － truck.
It was a faded red color, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab, one of those solid iron kinds of trucks. A fortress on wheels. Guin knew immediately that Bella would love it.
"Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!" Bella exclaimed, and Guin grinned. She was right.
"I'm glad you like it," Charlie said gruffly, embarrassed.
"It's really great, Daddy. Excellent choice." Guin praised, and Bella smiled back at her.
It didn't take long to get their things upstairs － Bella took the west bedroom, the one that faced the front yard, and Guin got the one that faced east, towards the back yard and the forest beyond.
The room had been hers for a long time － ever since Grandpa Swan passed and she and Bella grew out of sharing a room. It was where she had spent all of her summers up to now, and it was a place she very much loved. The walls were cream colored, freshly painted just last summer. Her bed, a queen, was covered with a baby pink duvet and a white crocheted blanket, made by her late grandmother. It had a pink sheer canopy hanging from the ceiling, a project she and Charlie had done a few summers before together.
A wardrobe made of dark wood and a matching desk with a laptop were on the far wall, while a large shelf of cubbies was on the wall next to the door, partially filled with fabric, yarn, and sewing supplies. A dress form sat shoved in the corner beside it. Sitting beside the window, which were covered with pink lace curtains, was an old rocking chair, a quilt thrown over the back － a match for one Bella had in her room. There were a few boxes set on the floor of the room, having arrived before she did.
At the foot of her bed was an old wooden chest, filled with costumes and probably more sewing supplies, more blankets folded on top. Guin suffered from Chronic-Always-Cold-Disease, and thus, had a hoard of blankets in her room.
The room was comforting when Guin stepped inside, and she smiled to herself as she dropped her bags on the floor. She moved across the room, pushing the window open to let in the chilly breeze.
Now, she thought to herself, time to unpack, and get a move on.
A few hours later, Guin had all of her bags and boxes unboxed and unpacked and organized neatly. Clothes were hung up in the wardrobe, fabric and sewing supplies folded neatly and stacked in their respective cubbies. Guin knew that in two weeks her room would be a mess again.
Her bag for school the next day was packed, sitting beside her desk, and an outfit had been chosen － a red tartan walking skirt based on the late 1890s, a simple, white button up blouse, with a red cardigan and her favorite long, tailored winter jacket made of thick black wool and a silk lining, with a vintage fur collar.
Guin knew quite well that she dressed weird － it had been a fixation of many of her childhood bullies. She made most of her own clothes simply because she could never find anything she liked off the shelf.
Guin had also spent too long trying to pretend to be something she wasn't. She was over that now － if someone didn't like her, then that was their problem, not hers.
She wasn't sure how the students at Forks High School would recieve her, though. Forks High had a total of three hundred and fifty-seven － fifty-nine, now － students. Less students hopefully meant less people to tease her, but what did she know? She had never been very good at predicting what other people would do. Laying in bed, Guin watched the clock on the wall tick, tick, tick the minutes away, one hand tapping incessantly on her hip bone. She wondered what it would be like to be at Forks High.
She wondered if she'd make any friends.
That night, after her and Bella and Charlie had eaten (a somewhat awkward) dinner, she stopped in to take a shower in her and Bella's shared bathroom before bed. Guin turned the water on hot － not quite burning, but hot enough to flood her limbs with warmth.
When she was done and sitting on her bed, dressed in an old t-shirt and shorts, she let her mind wander. Her fingers were plaiting her hair securely, to keep it out of her face and to help minimize frizziness the next morning, but all she could think of was the anxiety beating at her.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.
Everything would change tomorrow, she just knew it.
Guin woke up early the next morning. The rain had stopped, but thick, heavy fog had replaced it, and she found herself staring out the window into the mist, blankets wrapped up to her shoulders. The still open window let in a cool, damp breeze, and she spent several moments enjoying the warmth of her blankets before she had to get up for the day.
Finally, Guin pushed herself out of bed, pushing the loose fly-away hairs out of her face. She got dressed, slowly － she had time. Stockings and undergarments, followed by her blouse and then her skirt. Savoring the familiar routine. Pausing to unbraid her hair and fluff it a bit, she quickly rebraided it, tying the end with a red ribbon to match her skirt. Tossing the braid over her shoulder, she grabbed her bag, jacket, earmuffs, and her vintage-inspired Edwardian oxfords, the cherry-leather ones with the small heel.
She padded downstairs, dropping her bag at the table with her jacket, and smiling at her dad, who was puttering in the kitchen. Charlie smiled back at her.
"You're up early, kiddo."
"I went to bed really early. Could you put the kettle on, please?"
Charlie hummed an affirmative, filling their kettle with water and putting it on the stove to warm. Guin grabbed a few slices of bread and popped them into the toaster, grabbing butter, milk, and jam from the fridge.
Standing on her toes, she reached up to grab her favorite mug from one of the cabinets, sending Charlie a playful glare when he laughed at her struggles. "Stop! You can't laugh at short people － that's totally not fair."
Charlie just laughed again, taking a sip of his coffee.
A few minutes later, Bella came down the stairs, dressed and ready to go. Guin waved at her, taking a sip of her tea. The three ate in silence, and Charlie wished the two girls good luck at school.
Guin thanked him, and she knew her thanks was more sincere than Bella's. She had a tendency to end up with the worst luck.
After Charlie left, the two girls sat quietly at the table in the kitchen, Guin sipping at her tea while Bella looked around the house. It hadn't changed much － the same dark paneled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor as years past. In the family room, over the small fireplace, was a row of pictures. A wedding picture of Charlie and Renee in Vegas, then one of the four members in the hospital after the girls were born － Bella, held in Renee's arms, and Guin in Charlie's. Those were followed by more pictures － school photos of Bella and Guin, photos of them fishing and on vacations, and photos of Guin in a variety of costumes she had made.
Guin had always loved the photos on the mantle. Some were embarrassing, yes, but they told her that Charlie loved his daughters, and she treasured that.
"Are you ready to go?" Bella blurted suddenly, startling Guin from her thoughts. When she glanced over, Guin could see the distress on her twin's face, and she knew what Bella was thinking.
Their dad still loved their mom, and this house was proof.
Guin stood up, downing the rest of her tea, before throwing away the tea bag and washing out her mug. "Sure, Bells. Let me brush my teeth and put on my shoes. I can meet you in the truck?"
"Yeah, sure."
Guin started up the stairs, pausing to watch Bella pull on her parka. Guin's lips twitched into a smothered smile.
Bella looked like a marshmallow.
Once Guin had joined Bella in their truck － teeth brushed and shoes on, her jacket wrapped around herself and bringing warmth － she smiled at her sister.
Bella sent her a wobbly smile in return, before starting up the truck. Much to Guin's pleasure, the radio worked. She fiddled with it, trying to find a good station as Bella drove to school.
Forks High wasn't difficult to find. Like most things, it was just off the highway. It didn't look much like a school, though － just a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-colored bricks, surrounded by trees and shrubs, all green, green, green.
Bella parked outside of the first building, labelled FRONT OFFICE, and Guin unbuckled her seatbelt. She was the first to leave the cab of the truck, Bella following unwillingly behind her and into the building.
Inside, it was brightly lit and warm. The office itself was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls. A big clock was ticking loudly, hung up on the wall. Plants grew everywhere in plastic pots, and Guin smiled, running her finger along the leaf of one as Bella walked up to the long counter that cut the room in half.
The counter was cluttered with wire baskets, all full of papers, and brightly colored flyers were taped to its front. Three desks sat behind the counter, one of which was filled by a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses.
The woman looked up. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Isabella Swan, and this is my sister, Guinevere," Bella said, immediately. The woman's eyes lit up, like she had been expecting them, and she nodded once. The fact that Guin and Bella were topics of gossip was not surprising in the least. Guin had expected it, in fact.
"Of course," she said, and began to dig through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk. She seemed to find what she was looking for, as she brought over several sheets of paper. "I have your schedules right here, and maps of the school."
The woman went through the girls' classes － different schedules, something Guin hadn't been expecting － and marked the best routes to get to each of them on the map. Then, she gave each girl a slip to have their teacher's sign and bring back at the end of the day. Offering them a smile and a "Have a good day!", the two girls returned back outside into the drizzle.
By the time they returned to their truck, other students were starting to arrive. Bella drove them around the school, following the line of traffic, while Guin watched the other cars and students.
Most of the cars in the parking lot were older, nothing especially flashy － so very different from their school in Phoenix, with its shiny Mercedes and Porsche's filling the parking lot. The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, one that caught Guin's eye. It was strangely clean, for a car in a place as muddy as Forks.
As soon as Bella pulled into a spot, she cut the engine, and she and Guin both looked down at their maps. Bella, she knew, would be memorizing the map now － wanting to avoid having to walk around all day with her nose stuck in it. Guin knew she was a lost cause. Her sense of direction had never been particularly good.
Guin sent Bella a smile. "Ready?"
"Not in the least."
"Don't worry, I don't think they bite."
Bella snorted softly, and shoved her things into her bag. Guin sent her a grin, and the two of them left the truck. Bella had pulled her hood up, and Guin settled her earmuffs on her ears.
Normally, Guin would walk with Bella, their arms looped together. Today, she refrained, lingering a few steps away － people would stare at her more than usual, and she knew Bella hated the stares.
Much to her pleasure, Bella reached out and looped their arms together. "You're walking too far away," she mumbled.
"I thought you wouldn't want to be stared at."
"It's going to happen anyway, and I'd rather be with you than alone."
Guin smiled, and the two girls began making their way to their first class, English. Building three was easy to find, once you got around the cafeteria. A large black "3" was painted on a white square on the east corner.
Guin could feel Bella beginning to hyperventilate, and she squeezed her sister's arm. She spoke in a murmur. "You're alright, Bells. We'll be fine, yeah?"
"Yeah." She didn't sound convinced.
The inside of the classroom was small. The two people who entered before Guin － two girls, she noticed － stopped just inside the door to hang up their coats on a long row of hooks. Bella copied them. Guin, after a moment of deliberation, shed hers as well, hanging both her jacket and her earmuffs on a hook together.
Together, the two girls took their slips up to the teacher, a tall, balding man whose name plate identified him as Mr. Mason. He gawked when he saw their names, and Guin grimaced internally. That's not particularly encouraging.
He sent the girls back to two empty desks in the back of the room without forcing them to introduce themselves to the class. Ten points to Mr. Mason!
It was really quite impressive to Guin － despite the fact that she and her twin were sitting in the back, their new classmates still managed to stare at them. Ignoring them (an art she had mastered early on in her life), she read down through the reading list for the class.
Brontë, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Faulkner… Bummer. We've read it all already.. I guess it's a good thing I threw my old essays into that box, huh?
When the bell rang, a gangly boy with skin problems and hair black as an oil slick leaned across the aisle, looking at Bella.
"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you? And Guinevere?" he asked, glancing at both girls in turn. He looked like the overly helpful, chess club type, but that wasn't an especially bad thing.
"Bella," she corrected, and everyone within a three-seat radius turned to look at them.
"You can call me Guin," she smiled.
"Where's your next class?" he asked.
Bella checked her schedule. "Um, Government, with Jefferson, in building six."
"I have Biology II, with Mr. Banner, in building… two, apparently. Funny that," Guin mused, murmuring a soft, "Biology two in building two."
"Well, I'm headed toward building four, I could show you the way. I'm Eric," he said, and Guin sent him a polite smile.
Bella smiled at him tentatively. "Thanks."
The three of them got their jackets, and headed out into the rain. Guin was pretty sure there were people walking behind them, close enough to eavesdrop. It made her skin crawl.
"So, this is a lot different than Phoenix, huh?" he asked.
"Very," Bella replied.
"It doesn't rain much there, does it?"
"Three or four times a year," Guin says.
"Wow, what must that be like?" he wondered.
"Sunny," Bella said, and Guin smothered a laugh at her deadpan tone.
"Neither of you look very tan."
"Our mother is part albino."
Eric studied Bella apprehensively, and Guin turned her head away to laugh. Bella sighed.
Clouds and a sense of humor must not mix.
The three of them walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings, by the gym. Guin split off from the other two not too long before that, waving a goodbye to Bella.
Biology went well enough － it was all things that Guin had done before back in Phoenix. She met Bella back at building 5, for Trigonometry with Mr. Varner.
This class went less well － Mr. Varner had insisted on the two of them introducing themselves to the class, and while Guin got through it well enough, Bella stammered, blushed, and tripped over her own feet on the way to her seat.
The only reason she didn't end up on the floor was quick thinking on Guin's part, who had grabbed her arm to steady her. They split again, after Trig － Bella was going on to Spanish, while Guin had been allowed to take an art class instead of a language class.
There was one, teeny, tiny little issue, though.
Guin was lost.
She wasn't entirely sure how she could end up lost in this school, considering it wasn't anywhere near the size of her school in Phoenix, but she did.
Guin blames it on the several buildings, all scattered around. Squinting down at her map, which wasn't being very helpful at all, and trying to avoid standing out in the rain, she was pretty sure she was gonna be late to class. Guin considered her map again.
Is it backwards? Can a map even be backwards?
"You look lost!"
Guin jumped at the sudden, melodic voice, snapping around to look at the owner of it. It was a girl, pixielike in her stature and slimmer than even Bella. Her hair, a deep black, was cropped short and pointing in every possible direction. Her eyes were piercing golden, and despite the smile on her lips, Guin had the feeling that this girl could see right through you.
"You.. You scared me, holy crap."
The girl laughed, and it sounded like little chiming bells. "Sorry! I didn't mean to. You do look lost though. Do you need help finding your next class?"
"I － um.. Sorry, who are you?" Guin felt distinctly like she had been hit by a very small, very excited tornado. She felt like the world was spinning around her.
"I'm so sorry! I totally forgot to introduce myself! I'm Alice Cullen. You're Guinevere, right? Guinevere Swan?"
"Oh, um, yes. But you can call me Guin."
Alice smiles at her again － always smiling, it seemed － and clapped lightly. "You've been the talk of the town! You and your sister, of course. I've been so excited to meet you both! We're going to be great friends, I just know it."
Guin blinks a little, taking a half step back when the pixie girl surges forwards as if to hug her. Immediately, Alice steps back, and smiles brighter instead.
God, this girl is a walking, talking ball of over-stimulation…
"Anyway, you really did look lost, you know."
"Oh, um－" Before Guin could respond, someone called out over the small crowd.
"Alice!"
Alice turned, waving one hand in the air and calling out an "Over here!"
Guin watched as a tall, lean boy came striding through the crowd, a small frown on his face. He was handsome, devastatingly so － right out of a period drama, it seemed. Slightly curly, soft looking golden hair falling down around his ears, a sharp jaw and strong nose, dark, amber eyes...
Guin had never seen someone so handsome before.
"Alice," he says again, and he sounds… Annoyed. Disappointed, maybe? His voice was low, rumbling, and Guin felt her stomach erupt with that golden, fizzy champagne feeling again. She almost felt like she was going to faint.
Alice smiles at him. "Sorry, Jazz. Didn't mean to disappear on you. Guin here just looked lost － I couldn't leave her to wander alone."
"Who?" the boy asked, eyebrows furrowing a bit. Alice gestured to Guinevere, and Guin swallowed when she met his eyes.
"Guin, meet Jasper, my adopted brother. Jasper, meet Guinevere Swan. She's one of Chief Swan's daughters."
"It's.. nice to meet you," Guin says, a little smile tugging at her lips. Awkwardly, she wiggled her fingers at him in greeting. Jasper just stared at her, dark eyes wide, startled almost － as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Guin felt herself blush.
Alice jabs her brother in the side with her elbow, and he clears his throat sharply. "It's… It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance," he says, voice low and soft.
Alice smiles, pleased, and Guin looks away from him, too embarrassed to keep looking. His expression was so… fond, when he looked at her? How could someone look like that when they've just met?
Guin taps anxiously at her bicep.
"So, Guin, what's your next class?" Alice somehow seemed to be even more excited than she was earlier. Guin smiles at her a little bit.
"Oh, um, Art. With Ms. Carr, I think?" Guin offered, extending her schedule for Alice to look over.
"Oh, how lucky!" Alice cried, "Jasper has that class next, too! I have to go to gym, but I'm sure Jasper wouldn't mind walking you to class, would he?" Alice looks at him as she says this, expectantly, and Jasper shakes his head.
"Not at all, Miss Swan."
Guin blushed again, smiling at him softly. "If you're sure it's not too much trouble.."
"None at all, I promise." He extends his arm to her, and automatically, she loops hers through his, settling her hand on the crook of his elbow.
Behind them, Alice calls out a cheerful, "Have fun!"
The two teens walked together through the light rain. Jasper had his one free hand shoved in the pocket of his jeans, and he glanced down at Guinevere walking beside him.
She was… Perfect. Everything that he had hoped for. Curly, dark brown hair pulled back into a braid － the hours at school had caused it to loosen some, tendrils of hair falling messily around her face. The red ribbon tying it off was a nice contrast － scarlet red like blood. Dark, doe-like eyes with long, thick lashes, and soft, pretty pink lips.
All of the years spent wondering what she would look like, be like, had finally come to an end. He had called Alice a tease, when they first met.
If you come with me, you'll meet your mate. I've seen it.
The time to wait and wonder was over now, because here she was, walking by his side like she belonged there, like she had always been there.
"So," he said, "what brings you to Forks, Miss Swan?"
He watched, entranced, at the way her cheeks flushed pink. It was a strange feeling, delighting in the flush on her cheeks, but not in the way he was used to. He felt no thirst, no burning in his throat - simply a wonderful, easy amusement and a deep, soft fondness. Watching her cheeks flush pink was wondrous, a visual to go with the soft embarrassment he felt flooding her.
"My sister － Bella － and I moved up here to stay with our dad."
"Where from, if you don't mind me askin'?"
"Phoenix, Arizona."
Jasper lets out a low hum, tugging her to the side a bit so she can avoid a puddle. "You're a long way from home, darlin'."
He watched as Guinevere's cheeks flushed pink again, a little smirk tugging at his lips. "Not really," she said, using her free hand to lift her skirt slightly so it doesn't drag in the mud, "Forks has always been my home. More than Phoenix, anyway. My sister would disagree, though."
"You like the rain?"
"I like the cold," she corrected, sending him a little smile, eyes lingering around his cupid's bow. "Means more layers, and it's not as strange to walk around in floor length skirts."
Jasper chuckled, inclining his head in agreement. He pushed open the door to the art building － number four － and gestured for her to go in ahead of him. He followed her inside, leading her down the hall to the art room. He opened that door for her, too - old habits are hard to break - and watched as she took in the art room, in it's messy, colorful, paper-filled glory.
He takes a seat after sharing a smile with her, his eyes tracking her as she heads up to the teacher's desk.
At the beginning of the school year, Alice had told him that he was to take art as an elective. He didn't care much for it, personally, so when Alice told him this, he was in disbelief. She wouldn't tell him why － always keeping her visions as close to her chest as she could － but he understood now: his Guinevere was here, and Alice made sure they would meet.
Guinevere smiled at the teacher, passing over a slip of some kind. Ms. Carr, their startlingly liberal arts teacher, smiled back and Guinevere brightly. "Welcome to art, Miss Swan!"
"Thank you."
"We're just finishing a project now, if you want to spend the hour free sketching, I'll give you a participation grade for today, okay?"
"Sounds perfect, thank you so much."
After signing her slip, Ms. Carr directed Guinevere to sit beside Jasper, and he felt a primal sort of pleasure filling his chest. A voice rumbled in his head, yes, of course she should sit beside him, of course, it only made sense, it's where she's meant to be, after all －
He sends her a playful smile when she sits beside him.
"Fancy meeting you here, darlin'."
Warmth spreads in his chest when she laughs, her amusement filling him with golden bubbles, sweet on his tongue. She was breathtaking, filling his being with every good feeling on the earth － consuming him and overwhelming him until all he could see, all he could smell, all he could feel was her, her, her.
"How lucky for me," she smiles at him, teasing, "to have such a handsome gentleman to take me to class and keep me company during."
He chuckles, dipping his head in her direction.
As the bell rings to signal the beginning of class, they slip into silence. Jasper should have been paying a little more attention to his project, but he found he couldn't be bothered － not when Guinevere was right next to him, looking so pretty in her concentration.
She was left handed, he noted absently, and she chewed on her lip when she got to a particularly difficult part of the sketch, her eyebrows furrowing and her mouth twisting.
He wanted to know everything, to catalogue every tiny detail of her, to make her a part of him. He would give her the universe, if only she asked. Name every glittering star after her, just to see them reflect in her gaze.
More than a lifetime spent waiting for her, and she was finally before him, magnificent and utterly sublime.
Jasper was overwhelming, in the best kind of way. He filled her stomach with golden bubbles of champagne － everything about him was golden, it seemed. Golden hair and golden eyes and a golden smile, everything about him light and bright and beautiful.
Maybe she was just a sap, though.
Being around him was.. easy. Easier than it had ever been to be around someone who wasn't her twin. He made her giddy － the kind of giddy that had her wanting to dance and flap and made her feel like she was full of every color of the rainbow all at once.
He stared at her through the entire class. Maybe it should have been unsettling, strange, but all it did was make her feel warm inside, tingle against her skin in a good kind of way.
When the bell rang, he turned towards her, snapping his sketchbook closed carelessly. "You're going to lunch next?"
Guin smiled at him, nodding, and he smiled back.
"Would you allow me to escort you?"
Giddy bubbles filled her again, and Guin nodded. "Of course, as long as it isn't too much trouble."
"Never."
She believed him.
The two of them walked together towards the cafeteria, her hand resting in the crook of his elbow again. They talked a little about Guin and her sister and parents － he seemed keen to know more about her, and she didn't mind sharing with him.
He opened the door to the cafeteria again, and Guin looked around, spotting Bella at a table with several other students. It seemed as though Guin had caught the attention of most of the student body － they turned to stare at her and Jasper.
Guin felt herself flushing, felt her heart thundering in her chest, and she could see Jasper look up and across the cafeteria from the corner of her eye. Following his gaze, she spotted them: four other teens who looked so much like he did, and nothing like him at the same time.
The pixie girl from earlier, Alice, was sitting there. She waved a little when Guin looked over, but was quickly stopped by a glare from a statuesque blonde. She was tall, with a perfect kind of figure － graceful and just the right amount of curvy, the kind you'd see on the cover of a sports magazine. Her hair was gentle, golden waves falling down to the middle of her back, but her eyes and expression were hard.
Guin felt Jasper shift behind her some, one hand settling between her shoulder blades.
There were two others there － both boys. One was huge, muscled like a serious weight lifter with dark, curly hair. The second was lanky, less bulky than either the first boy or Jasper behind her, with untidy, bronze-colored hair. He looked more boyish － younger than the other two.
All of them, even Jasper beside her, were chalky pale － paler than even Bella. The other three － not Alice or Jasper － seemed to have very dark eyes, with dark, purplish bruises under them, as if they hadn't slept the night before.
They were all staring at her. It was extremely unsettling.
Jasper's eyes on her filled her with warmth － but these four, watching her like this, simply made her feel as though she were being hunted, and not in the fun way.
Jasper speaks suddenly, voice low in her ear, causing her to jolt some. "My siblings. Apologies, they can be… Irritable."
"It's fine," Guin said, although her voice wavered and she felt like a fool.
Jasper presses a little on her back, nodding his head in the direction of Bella. "You should go eat. I'll see you later."
"Sure," she said, looking a little surprised as she watched him stalk across the cafeteria to slide into an empty seat beside Alice. He looked so different - suddenly more serious, sharper, almost - his movements absolutely certain. There was a tenseness in his shoulders, a tight set to his jaw. He didn't look at all like he did in the art room － playful and teasing.
Guin stared at him for another moment, watching how the blonde girl turned to hiss something at him, and he returned in kind, looking frustrated. Guin turned and walked over to where Bella was sitting, settling into a seat beside her.
A short girl with large, frizzy hair, sitting across from Bella, was staring at Guin with wide eyes. Guin sent her a confused frown. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I.. It's just.. You.. You were talking to Jasper Hale."
"Hale? I thought his last name was Cullen. Alice said that her last name was Cullen, and she introduced him as her adopted brother, so I－"
"You spoke to Alice too?" The girl hissed, looking as though she's just witnessed something life altering.
"Yes? She helped me find my class. I'm sorry, I don't understand why this is a big deal."
"It's just － The Cullen's, they don't really talk to anybody."
"The Cullen's?" Guin asked, looking bewildered. Bella shared her expression - less so, perhaps, but Guin always knew what her twin was feeling.
The girl giggles again, glancing over at the table. Guin follows her gaze.
She understood, of course, that Jasper and Alice were both part of that family, but she didn't quite understand what that meant, socially.
"That's Edward and Emmett Cullen － Emmett's the big one － and then Rosalie Hale. She and Jasper are twins, or something. They all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife."
Jasper was watching her, a little smirk tugging at his lips, and Guin pressed hers together, trying to fight a smile. Seeing him smile made her want to jump around squealing and flapping her hands. "I see.. I still don't understand what the problem is."
"The problem," the girl continued, sounding somewhat exasperated, "is that Jasper Hale doesn't talk to anybody, and suddenly he's talking to you?"
"Jessica," Bella speaks suddenly, sounding mildly annoyed.
"I just meant," the girl － Jessica － corrects quickly, "is that, isn't it funny that he never talks to anyone, and then as soon as the two new girls arrive, he's suddenly all interested in getting to know you? Like, it's totally weird, y'know?"
"I suppose.." Guin said slowly, still staring at the Cullen's. "You said that they lived with Dr. Cullen?"
"Oh, yes! Bella and I were just talking about this before you got here," Jessica says, "They're together, too － Emmett and Rosalie, anyway. We all thought that Jasper and Alice were together, too, but I guess we were wrong. And they like, live together." Her voice was shocked, condemning, although Guin couldn't blame her.
It was rather strange, but no reason to ostracize them.
"Which ones are the Cullens?" Bella asked. "They don't really look related…"
"Oh, they're not. Dr. Cullen is really young － in his twenties or early thirties － so they're all adopted. The Hale's － the blondes － are brother and sister, though, they're twins. They're foster children."
"They look a little old for foster children," Bella observed. Guin frowned a little as she looked at them. The blonde girl － Rosalie － was still shooting a glare at her.
"They are now," Jessica agreed, "Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen, but they've been with Mrs. Cullen since they were eight. She's their aunt, or something."
"It's nice of them," Guin said suddenly, "to take care of all those kids, when they're so young."
"I guess so," Jessica admitted, reluctantly. Guin got the impression that she didn't particularly like the doctor or his wife － she figured it was a bad case of jealousy. "I think Mrs. Cullen can't have any kids, though," she added, and Guin turned to her, eyebrows furrowed.
"Does that matter? It doesn't change what they've done."
Jessica looked appropriately chagrined, and Guin looked back at the table again with Bella, who couldn't seem to stop looking at them.
"Have they always lived in Forks?" Bella asked.
"No," Jessica replied, in the kind of tone that implied such knowledge should be obvious and well known. "They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska."
Guin hummed quietly, pressing her lips together. She took everything Jessica had said with a grain of salt.
The boy with reddish brown hair glanced up suddenly, meeting Bella's eyes. She looked away sharply, looking embarrassed, and his gaze trailed to Guin. Before she could look away, his eyes were snapping back down towards the table.
He looked almost chastised － like a child being scolded.
"Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?" Bella asked, and Guin smirked a little to herself, poking Bella teasingly in the side. Bella swatted her hand away, frowning.
"That's Edward. He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date. Apparently, none of the girls here are good enough for him. Or Jasper, for that matter － I mean, not until you anyway, Guin."
Guin furrowed her eyebrows some. "Did he reject you or something?" she asked bluntly, and when Jessica flushed red, Guin realized he must have. Bella bit her lip to hide her smile.
When Guin glanced up, Jasper's face was in his hand － covering what looked like a grin.
A few minutes later, the five teenagers left their table. They were all unnaturally graceful － even the big one. Guin smiled when Jasper met her gaze, waving a little.
He inclined his head politely, smiling at her just a little as he turned to catch up with his siblings. Jessica let out a little sigh, and one of the other girls － a snobbish looking girl with long, silvery blonde hair － scoffed quietly.
Guin looked at her, confused. Jessica frowned a little, looking at the blonde girl. "What's wrong, Lauren?"
"Nothing," the girl － Lauren － said sharply, a bite to her voice. "Isn't it just so lucky that the new girl manages to snag Jasper Hale when he hasn't even looked at anyone else since they moved here?"
"It's not my fault he didn't think you were worth his time," Guin said after a moment, standing up and grabbing her bag. She taps at her thigh lightly, pressing her lips together. "Maybe you should check your attitude. It might help you be more likeable."
And with that, she turned and strode out of the cafeteria, digging for the map stuffed in her bag.
The rest of Guin's day went well enough. It was duller, without the golden glow of Jasper Hale around － she learned she shared no other classes with him. He was apparently a senior － a fact she learned from Jessica, who shared her government class.
Gym with Bella went, for once in their lives, quite well actually. Neither girl was required to participate, which meant that Bella was once again saved from the humiliation of trying to be athletic, and Guin was saved from the obligatory headache that follows anytime she tries to help Bella in Gym.
After the last bell rang, Bella began her trudge back to the office to return her paperwork. Guin, who had planned to go with her, spotted Jasper standing just outside the gym.
He smiled when he caught her eye.
"Hey, Bella," Guin said, her twin turning at the sound of her name, "I'll meet you at the office in a bit, okay?"
Bella frowned a little, confused, before she saw what had caught Guin's attention, and then she let out a little laugh. "Oh, okay. Sure, I'll meet you there."
Guin waved to her, and then made her way quickly over to Jasper, shuddering against the icy wind.
Jasper moved so that he was standing between her and the wind, sending her a smile. "You look cold."
"You aren't?" she asked, disbelieving, and he chuckled a bit, tugging at the scarf wrapped around his throat.
"I don't really get cold. Here, take my scarf."
"Oh, no! I couldn't," Guin cried, but Jasper ignored her, settling it around her neck anyway. It was warm, and soft, soft, soft. Grey wool knit into a thick, comfy article. Guin let out a relieved breath, burying her cold mouth into it, before peering up at him.
He looked down at her, head tipping a bit. Some strange emotion passed through his eyes, but Guin can't decipher it before it's gone. He tugged lightly on the ends of it with a smile. "There, now you look very cute and very warm."
Guin laughed, shaking her head a bit. "Are you sure you won't be cold?"
"I'll be fine, I promise. Where are you headed next?"
"I have to go down to the office － I have to drop off this slip thingy."
His voice took a teasing turn, as he extended his arm for her once again. "May I escort you then, Miss Swan?"
Guin giggled a little, and looped her arm through his. "Why of course, Mister Hale. It would be an honor."
Jasper smiled down at her, and began to lead the way to the office. After a few moments of companionable silence, Guin spoke.
"How did you know what my last class would be?"
Jasper ducked his head a little, looking suddenly embarrassed. There was a little smile on his lips. "I, ah.. May have asked Alice. She saw your schedule earlier, and let me know that this was your last class. I wanted to walk with you."
Guin stared up at him, eyes wide and surprised. "Jasper.. That's really, really sweet of you."
Guin had never had anybody want to spend time with her, really. People had a tendency to get annoyed when she started talking － infodumping about her current hyperfixations or special interests. It's hard to talk to people when you don't know anything they want to talk about, and when they don't bother to listen to what you have to say.
But Jasper…
Jasper wanted to hear what she thought, wanted to know how she felt about things.
It was a novel － and exciting － experience.
The boy shrugged a little beside her, smiling. "Couldn't let you go tromping through all of this mud alone, could I?"
"It wouldn't be the first petticoat covered in six inches of mud," she quipped, and Jasper laughed. She laughed into her hand, those golden bubbles filling her stomach again.
His laugh was wonderful － deep and warm, ringing in her ears and bringing warmth to her chest and her cheeks. She wanted to hear it again, and again, and again, over and over and over.
The two of them arrived together at the office, still lingering in the warm, golden glow of their amusement, when it popped suddenly, sharply, like a pin stabbed into a balloon.
Inside the office was Bella, who had pressed herself back against the wall, but at the front desk was Edward Cullen, arguing with the receptionist over something Guin didn't catch.
What she did catch was the way Jasper stiffened behind her. He pressed a hand to her hip as a cold wind suddenly blew in from outside, rustling papers and flyers on the desk.
Jasper nudged Guin forwards, and the two let the door shut behind them. She watched, bewildered, as Edward Cullen stiffened suddenly, and turned slowly to glare at her twin.
Jasper spoke then, his voice steady. "Edward. We should be leaving, shouldn't we?"
Edward glanced at Jasper, and whatever he saw on his brother's face must have spooked him, because for a brief moment he looked frightened, before he schooled his expression again. He turned back to the receptionist.
"Never mind, then," he said, hastily. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help."
And then he turned on his heel and strode out the door, without a second glance at any of them. Jasper squeezed lightly at Guin's hip, and she turned to look at him. He sent her an apologetic look, voice low.
"I'm sorry. My brother is.. an idiot. Drive home safely, okay?"
"Sure," she said, still confused. He sent her a smile, before he turned sharply and stalked out after his brother. Guin watched Jasper put on hand on Edward's shoulder and squeeze, leaning his head low to talk to him.
Frowning a bit at the strange situation, she turned back to the front desk, coming to a stop beside Bella, who looked unnaturally pale － even for her.
The receptionist looked at the two girls. "How did your first day go, dears?" she asked maternally as Guin passed over hers and Bella's slips.
"Very fine, thank you," Guin replied with a smile. She figured Bella wouldn't be able to answer.
When the two of them finally got to the truck, the parking lot was practically empty. Guin slid into the passenger seat, sitting in silence with Bella. They sat there for several minutes in silence, Guin leaving Bella to her thoughts, before she finally started to shudder from the cold.
"Bells, we can sit here for as long as you want, but please turn the heat on."
Bella jerked a little, looking over at her twin. "Sorry," she mumbled, and Guin just shrugged, burrowing her face a little deeper into the scarf around her neck.
She hadn't given it back to Jasper before he had left － but something told her he wouldn't have taken it, anyway.
Bella started the engine of their old truck, and headed back home. Quietly, Guin reached out to take a hold of one of Bella's hands.
She didn't know what happened, but she knew it had hurt.
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