I NEED MORE POLY! CARLISLE AND ESME PLEASE PLEASE YOUR WORK GIVES ME LIFE
School Stress
(Poly!Carlisle and Esme x Human! reader)
Living with vampires had many benefits, but on days like today, you hated it. You watched enviously as Alice and Jasper finished their schoolwork in a matter of minutes, speeding in a blur out the front door to go and hunt; Rosalie and Emmett were not far behind, following in fits of giggles; Edward, of course, had finished his homework on the walk to the parking lot, and was already up in his room reading. Obviously, it was easy for them: they had been through school more times than they could count; they had to litter their work with mistakes to make it more realistic. You, however, were experiencing high school for the first time, and did not have the luxury of centuries of education.
The stack of textbooks and notes on your desk felt like it was mocking you. You’d been staring at the same page for twenty minutes, the words blurring together as anxiety clawed at your chest. Exams were in two weeks, and no matter how hard you tried, it felt like you were falling behind. Cool arms wrapped around you from behind, snapping you out of your spiralling doom. Esme— you could tell by her perfume and gentle touch— rested her chin on your shoulder, her voice gentle as she spoke into your ear. “Sweetheart,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to your temple. “Do you think it's time for a break?" You shook your head, eyes stinging as you blinked them for the first time in a few minutes, too occupied with the words on the page. “I can’t. There’s too much. If I don’t finish this...” you sighed, unable even to finish the sentence. Carlisle emerged slowly though the doorway, eyes soft with their usual concern. He crossed the room silently and sat in the chair next to yours, taking your hands in his cooler ones. “Esme's right,” he said quietly, “you’re going to burn yourself out. Sometimes the most productive thing is to rest.” He let a sympathetic smile rest on his lips but you avoided his gaze, ashamed. You dropped your pen and slowly met his eyes. “What if it’s not enough? What if I just...can't learn this all?" As you whispered the words, Carlisle's fingers traced gentle circles on the back of your hand, his eyes meeting Esme's over your shoulder; even without telepathy, you felt like they could read each others' minds, at times.
Esme unwound her arms from your waist and crossed gracefully in front of you to perch on Carlisle's lap. He welcomed her in, keeping your hands in one of his, still. “Then we’ll help you,” she said firmly, leaning across to cup your face with her cool hands for a moment. “There's no better use of our time.” She smiled reassuringly, dropping her hands as a hot tear escaped down your cheek. You didn't even know you were about to cry; you hastily tore your hands from Carlisle's gentle grip and dried the tears with the back of your sleeve. Carlisle didn't look hurt that you'd removed your hand from his: instead, he allowed his to stay palm-up, an invitation should you feel the desire for contact. "S'embarrassing," you mumbled, fiddling with your damp sleeves. "Don't want you to think I'm stupid." Esme stirred with empathy, clasping her hands together in restraint; if she didn't think you needed the space to breathe, she would've pulled you into a (literally) bone-crushing hug in a second. "Oh, sweetheart," she whispered. "That's the last thing we think." She hesitated, then leaned forward to wrap her arms around you. You let out a shaky breath and leaned into it, burying your face in Esme's neck. Carlisle rubbed soothing circles on your back, hugging you from behind Esme. “Quite the opposite," Carlisle said as you all pulled apart. "We’re so proud of you. Whether you ace these exams or not, you've proven your character in how hard you studied.” Esme nodded along with Carlisle's words affirmingly. “We know who you are, even if your grades don't reflect that this time around. We love you regardless.” You sighed in half-relief, the tight knot in your chest loosening just a little as you nodded. “Come on then, Little Miss Braniac. I think you've tortured yourself enough for one evening," Carlisle smiled, unravelling his arms from around his wife's waist. Esme stood up from his lap, and he straightened up behind her; both of them stretched out a hand for you to take. Esme wiggled her fingers expectantly. You took Carlisle's in your right and Esme's in your left, allowing them to pull you away from the table for some much earned rest.
