It had been an odd three days since Theo had absorbed the Sea King meat. While he was grateful for the rapid physical growth his body had gone through, a specific issue continued to bother him.
That issue took the form of a small, cheerful vampire pretending to be a human.
Ever since he'd met two of the Cullen 'children', Alice had become a daily fixture at the shop. On the first day, he assumed she was just checking out a new local business, though he questioned how exciting a small-town bookstore could really be for an immortal. However, those assumptions were quickly pushed aside by the second day.
She arrived once again after school, a bright smile plastered on her face as she ordered tea from Angela, purchased a book, and took her seat near the front window. The first odd detail went against Theo's knowledge of vampire biology. He knew that while they could consume liquids like tea or juice to maintain appearances, doing so meant they had to expel it from their system within a few hours to avoid feeling sick.
Yet, he watched as the vampire sipped her tea with apparent enjoyment, read her book, and inevitably excused herself to the restroom after an hour or so.
Theo wondered why she would force herself to act like a 'normal human' so often, unable to figure out a specific motive. The Cullens strictly stuck to the idea of distancing themselves from humans as much as possible, keeping only the smallest amount of social connection.
The second oddity lay in her constant attempts to start conversations. While he never rejected their idle banter—ranging from discussions about Forks and the bookshop to sharing small personal details like favorite colors, authors, or movies—he couldn't help but feel suspicious.
No, Theo was concerned with her endgame. Why was Alice Cullen spending so much time in his store that Angela already considered her a regular, memorizing her tea order and her preferred seat?
These suspicions turned into a headache as Theo watched Alice discuss ideas for the school magazine with Angela. He noticed the subtle glances she cast his way, her efforts to draw him into their conversation, and her frequent offers to help around the store.
'What the hell is she up to?' Theo thought as he idly sipped his coffee, the third Harry Potter book sitting open before him. 'Where is Jasper, or Rosalie for that matter? I'd expect them to march in and haul her out, lecturing her on the dangers of hanging out with dinner.'
Lost in his thoughts, Theo almost missed a man standing in front of the register, but a subtle cough pulled his attention back to reality.
"Charlie, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Theo asked, his voice a mix of confusion and wonder.
Charlie subtly looked around the bookstore, his eyes searching for someone, before his shoulders sagged with relief.
"Hey kid," he said quietly. "I was, uh, wondering if you have any books on—"
Theo blinked, studying the man intently. Although he knew Charlie had finished the sentence, the Chief had whispered the final word so quietly that Theo doubted even supernatural hearing could have caught it.
"Run that by me again, Charlie? You kind of mumbled the last part."
"Parenting," Charlie admitted, his voice barely rising as his eyes scanned the store once more. "I need books on parenting. Well... books on how to raise a daughter."
Theo's eyes widened before a warm smile broke across his face. This was a vastly different version of Charlie from the books, and even the movies. In the books, the man was possibly one of the worst parental figures he'd ever read about; he was rarely home, expected his daughter to cook, clean, and take care of him, but in return, he barely cared for her. In the movies, he was an awkward and distant man who tried and failed to become a better father.
Reality, however, was proving to be different. Theo was beginning to realize that these weren't simply static copies of fictional characters; they were living, breathing people with their own nuances.
"Sure, of course. We've got a bunch of self-help books. Want me to show you?"
Charlie merely nodded, and Theo stood up and led him to the section in the middle of the store. He could see how nervous Charlie was and assumed that he was trying to avoid Bella seeing him make the purchase.
Instead of ringing up the items at the front, Theo had another idea.
"Charlie, it's twenty-five dollars for this book, and it's pretty popular according to the online reviews. Just hand me the cash, and I'll ring you up later."
"Am I that obvious? Thanks, Theo. You saved me an embarrassing conversation."
Pocketing the cash, Theo bade a hasty farewell to Charlie as the man practically ran from the store.
"That was awfully kind of you, Theo," a chipper voice chirped from directly behind him. Theo had to stop himself from turning and throttling the person who had startled him.
'Note to self: train senses. I need to be able to hear and sense these guys before they appear out of nowhere.'
"Were you eavesdropping on us, Alice?" he asked, turning to look at the bemused girl.
"Well, I couldn't help myself. Seeing Chief Swan skulking around a bookstore, one might think he was attempting to purchase something scandalous. It turns out he's just trying to be a better father—less exciting, perhaps, but sweet nonetheless."
Ignoring her words, Theo turned towards the front desk.
"I thought you were still sitting near the register. Weird," Theo said offhandedly, enjoying Alice's eyes widening for a moment. "Anyway, can I help you with anything?"
"I'm trying to figure you out," she stated simply. "You're awfully closed off for someone so friendly."
"I thought I was an open book. I mean, I just told you my favorite color is blue. That's exclusive information."
Alice looked at him flatly at his statement, and Theo couldn't help but chuckle at how unnatural the expression looked on her face.
"Why the sudden interest? I'm just a random guy trying to sell books; there's nothing particularly special about my life. Besides, from what Angela and Bella have told me, don't you and your siblings already have half the school fawning over you?"
"That's hardly relevant. Although, I do wish they would stop staring; being gawked at by people who don't know the first thing about me is rather unsettling."
Picking up his coffee and taking a seat back behind the register, Theo watched Alice lean against the counter, her eyes staring intently into his.
"And that still doesn't answer my question. Why are you so interested in me? This bookstore's not that interesting, and you've been here every day since you first walked in."
"Oh, I wouldn't say I'm interested in the bookstore so much as the people inside it." Her voice carried a tone Theo hadn't heard in a long time; a distinct hint of flirtation became undeniable as he finally really looked at the vampire.
'Is... is Alice Cullen flirting with me? What the absolute fuck is going on?!'
Alice giggled as she watched Theo's eyes widen in slow understanding. He wasn't dense, and with such an obvious attempt at flirting, his realization had finally dawned.
Taking a steadying sip of his coffee, Theo attempted to calm his confused mind. 'I need to be cautious. I can't pretend the Cullens are just book characters anymore. Damn, even Charlie is obviously changed. I knew it wouldn't be normal, but this different?'
"You do know you're in high school, and I'm old enough to be in college, right?" Sure, it was a lame attempt at rebuffing her words, but he needed time to adjust.
"Two years is hardly an age gap, and I know for a fact that one of the teachers is dating a student—now that is a scandal."
'Ew, what the fuck?' Theo wasn't aware if it was a male or female teacher, but regardless, that was a disturbing rumor. 'Someone should definitely report that shit.'
"Look," he began, taking a calming breath to steady his resolve. "I don't think—"
Just as he began to reject the notion of her flirtation, she interrupted.
"Oh, sorry Theo! Edward's calling me. Rain check?" Theo gaped as the vampire grinned at him, her phone in hand as she twirled and left the shop in a matter of seconds.
He was confused; that was obvious to anyone who looked. His attempt to reject her interest was cut off instantly as she merely left the store with an excuse.
No, he didn't want to be involved with the Cullens. He'd planned on being strong enough to avoid any issues regarding the supernaturals for the present time, but it seemed as though the supernatural wanted him.
"What was that?" Bella asked as she dropped newly packed books on the counter, snapping Theo's wandering thoughts back to the present.
"Uh... I think Alice Cullen just flirted with me," he said, sounding baffled.
"Oh, thank God," Bella said as she rolled her eyes. Theo turned to her questioningly.
"What? Oh, please! Don't tell me you haven't noticed that she's been undressing you with her eyes since the moment her and Edward came in that night?"
Theo shook his head, his mind going through the memories and interactions with her. He'd been unable to notice, and by the sounds of his employee's words, it was his own fault.
"You're kidding, right? And here I thought you were sharper than the average guy. Theo, she hasn't been coming here for the Earl Grey or the books; that much is painfully clear."
Theo only had one word to say in response: "Fuck."
Bella snorting and then breaking out in laughter was all the additional confirmation he needed.
*****
The following day arrived with a comfortable routine. Theo sat in his nest behind the counter, another book in hand as the new music player filled the store with soft melodies. The initial excitement of book purchases had died down, but Theo was content with the stable foot traffic seen daily.
He'd spent a majority of the previous night thinking about the angle Alice was aiming for with her attempts at flirting. Even though he wanted to believe Bella's observations, he wouldn't allow himself to fall into any trap without being prepared.
The sound of his mobile phone ringing pulled Theo away from his eternal worrying. Noting the call was from Bella's phone, he picked it up. It was already past her scheduled shift and she was nowhere to be found.
"Bella, what's up? You know you're late for work, right?"
The sound of someone speaking came through the receiver, but it wasn't her voice. The sudden realization of what day had passed flickered into his mind.
"Uh, hey Theo. It's Charlie. You got a second?"
"Sure, what's going on?"
"It's Bella. There was... an accident at school today. We're at the hospital now getting her checked out. She seems fine, but I'd prefer she comes straight home afterwards. I just wanted to call and let you know she won't be making it in."
'Yep, today's the day the van spins out and almost crushes Bella,' Theo thought. This was the true beginning of Bella and Edward in his mind, as the one act of saving her sent Bella down a spiral of research and discovery until she found out about the supernatural world.
"That's okay. If she needs a couple of days off, I understand. Just let me know if anything changes."
Hanging up the phone, Theo nestled back into his chair and sighed at how fast everything would begin to change in the near future. He wasn't sure if he was being pragmatic, but he'd already prepared himself for the girl to inevitably quit the job, so he made himself available most afternoons just in case.
With Edward exposing himself to save Bella, the Cullen family would be in damage control mode, so Theo wasn't surprised when Alice hadn't appeared as she normally had. It gave him time to focus on more important matters. With the increase of his durability and defenses, Theo now needed to work on his speed.
Based on his knowledge of the Twilight version of vampires, certain ones could run at speeds above one hundred miles per hour, and whilst he was already incredibly fast, he needed to increase it further. Along with that, he would focus on evolving his senses, as the vampires moved silently and could see in the dark.
With the usual afternoon rush absent, Theo asked Angela to man the store for the last remaining hour as he walked to the basement. His first priority was moving around in darkness, and by extension, the darkness would allow him to enhance his other senses.
Stepping into the now clean and sterile basement, Theo moved around some boxes to give him an open space to work with. After a minute of preparation, he switched the light off and took a seat in the middle.
'C'mon darkness, let's get me some night vision or something,' Theo thought as he stared into the pitch-black room. His eyes blinked, but nothing changed from the state of his eyes being closed or open. He knew the adaptation would either come with stress or time. Resigning himself to the solitude, he stared off in the dark room and thought.
He wondered if he could copy something akin to Observation Haki. Obviously, the power wouldn't be identical without a lucky Gacha Draw, but if he could heighten his senses enough to notice micro-movements or feel intentions, it would be an incredible asset.
He wasn't sure how he would go about the attempts, but he theorized that if he tried watching fast-moving insects, or even observed hummingbirds for a time, his eyes would eventually adapt to the speed.
The sound of Angela closing and locking the front door sounded out, and Theo realized he'd been sitting in the darkened room for around thirty minutes. He attempted to focus harder through his eyes, hoping to perceive shapes of boxes or chairs, but nothing happened.
Time ticked on slowly, and after another thirty minutes, he heard the shifting.
Click and thud.
This time, the warmth spread from his stomach and traveled upwards, settling behind his eyes. One moment his vision was pitch black, and the next, after a simple blink, he looked around in wonder as the contents of the room became clear. The sight wasn't like those night vision goggles he'd seen, but as if the room was illuminated by natural light, clear as day.
With a sigh, Theo stood up and stretched his limbs; loud pops and cracks sounded out as he moved to switch on the light. With another flick, he watched the bulb illuminate, but the room hadn't changed.
"So, it's all around the same level of brightness. That's definitely going to help at night. I can even go for runs at midnight, let loose and not worry about being discovered by hikers or random people."
Flicking the light off, Theo decided that was enough excitement for one day. What he needed now was sleep, and perhaps a little peace of mind.
**********
Yahallo! Here's another chapter friend-os! Now, I think we understand what's going on, but I'd like to state that I'm trying to make the characters feel more fleshed out. I don't want them to come across as two dimensional. The MC also isn't stupid, but he's still overwhelmed and hasn't realised how attractive he's become.
Also, MATE BONDS ARENT REAL! The books state that vampires are frozen in time, and their emotions are heightened to a frightening degree. When they are attracted, or love someone, they become obsessed, and their emotions freeze at that state, just like how they are frozen in time.
I chose Alice, as I theoretically couldn't imagine Rosalie being okay with her partner being shared.
Now, they won't fall in love in two chapters, but the MC will warm to her. He's guarded, paranoid and somewhat out of his depth. (Sorry for the long author note!)