#divescustos

@divescustos asked: "i'm not supposed to give you any details." (hello & thank you!)

It has felt like nothing more than walking on eggshells since Edward's reappearance. It's not to say Esme isn't ecstatic at his return; while she loves Carlisle unconditionally, the house felt too big for the two of them alone. Edward's presence is like the missing piece of a puzzle— perhaps because it was all she knew when crimson eyes opened in this life.

She has allowed Carlisle and Edward to sort things out between them, but she is hardly blind. Edward's bloody eyes contrast starkly against his skin, merely bringing the red out more profoundly in his hair. Still, she has questions and who can blame her? Yet both of them remain tight lipped.

With Carlisle away at work, Esme fills her day with art so to sate otherwise curious questions. Her efforts border on comical when remembering Edward can hear them regardless if she asks or not.

@divescustos : you made me a promise.

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❛ i can imagine your anxiety must be high ━━━ this is all still quite new . ❜ HAD THEY BEEN APART SINCE EDWARD WOKE TO THIS NEW LIFE ? barely . be it because edward was still reeling with hunger &* deep seated regrets , or simply because carlisle was finally ━━━ FINALLY ! ━━━ not alone &* couldn't stand the distance after so many years in solitude [...] well , that was anyone's guess . but here they were , unliving &* somehow more full of emotion than anything humanity had provided . it was not as if he wanted to be away from edward ━━━ seeing him succeed was more important to the blonde than anything in his human or immortal life so far . he'd made a promise ; saved a dying child at his mothers behest . he certainly couldn't let his monumental choice fail now . so he just offers a patient , calm smile to the other ━━━ age &* wisdom somehow look so natural on a face that's no day older than twenty-three ; it's not hard to imagine he knows what he's talking about , even in youth . he's finally found a companion ; family . he won't let him suffer alone . but he also can't hold his hand forever .

Alice had warned them both times. They'd had more notice to start coming up with cover stories and packing than the visit. Jasper had broken the door when he realized what she'd said. Run with no clear thought as to what he was doing, if he was running to confront or running away again. Neither were good options. He'd barely started being able to work on getting a genuine education not from the house. Just gotten it into his head that things were actually not normal down south even for vampires. There were covens that got along without murdering each other most of the time or creating cannon fodder for useless territory wars.

Of course it couldn't last. Of course it would follow him-she would follow him. Jasper hadn't gotten to make the decision on what he was going to do. Maria had taken that away from him too and found him first, all croons about if he'd liked the gift and if he didn't she'd already informed authorities that one of the Cullens had gone 'feral.' He can't remember much after that. They were taking only the essentials. Carlisle and Esme are doing rounds, ensuring nothing that wasn't needed was left behind. The cars-the clothes. Jasper still can't breathe. As much as it doesn't matter to vampires, some instinctual part of him knows this is bad. Behind everyone else's tension and concern, his own anxiety threatens to suffocate him like he still needed air. Edward is likely getting bombarded on all ends. He doesn't need up close and personal traumatic memories from the reason they were being forced to leave. He can only smell smoke and blood and the sweet scent of burning venom. His head spins like he'd downed three humans, lightheaded on fresh blood. None of it goes any farther than the forefront of his mind no matter how hard he pushes. Like trying to shove air. Jasper wants to snarl at the younger. Snap at him like a disobedient newborn who didn't know the rules yet. "I don't know." Despite his best efforts, it comes out cracked and shaky. Unless Edward can undo the past twenty four hours-or the past hundred years-he has no ideas.

prompt: helping others.

This is what she needed to hear, it seems. Indeed, as his voice chimes from behind her, reaching her across the quiet studio, Esme lowers her arm, placing it on her leg while distractedly adjusting her hold on the paintbrush, and then straightens her posture, exhaling through her nose. There, on the canvas standing in front of her, a forest aglow at sunrise is starting to take form; She has started the painting this morning, and she has worked on it ever since, trying to distract herself with something so as to not let her mind wander too far.

feat. carlisle cullen and edward cullen.