✧

"To taking down the man!" Remus raises his glass of champagne in a celebratory manner and clinks it with the others.

Everyone downs their drink and sets it down against one of the tables. It's not every day they get to celebrate a win and considering everything went well today, it's definitely worthy of being commemorated.

"I needed this," Isobel savors the last drop and closes her eyes in delight. She glances down at her watch and smiles when seeing it's still early, "How about we continue the celebration? I saw a bar nearby, so how about we head over there, Remus?"

"How can I say no to that?"

"Can we come?" Mia nonchalantly asks despite knowing what the answer would be. She just hoped that for the sake of celebration, maybe they would let them attend.

Isobel shakes her head, "That's a no, young lady. You both are staying right here."

"Besides, you're not even old enough to drink yet," Remus comments.

She narrows her eyes and holds the champagne bottle up, "You let me drink just a few seconds ago."

"And that's all you're going to get," Remus takes the bottle from her hand and serves another glass for him and Isobel.

"It's been a long day, so I think you two should get some rest," the Grey mother suggests and glances at the bedroom behind them. "We won't take long, so we better not come back to anything suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Mia incredulously asks as both she and Edward glance at each other with nervous smiles.

"You know what she means," Remus starts reaching for his tan coat and fixes the collar. "I trust we can leave you two alone and not worry about anything..." he waves his finger between them, causing them to stare at each other with astounded looks. "Well, you get the picture."

"Why would you think that?"

"Nothing's ever going to happen."

Remus stares at them with a disbelieving look, "Okay, now I'm confused. Are you guys having a lovers' quarrel or what is this?"

Mia clenches her jaw ever so slightly as she tenses at the question, "No- no we're just..."

"Friends," both she and Edward say in unison while he gestures his hand to them both for emphasis.

As if something funny had been said, Remus and Isobel erupt into a fit of laughter, leaving Mia and Edward completely silent and hopelessly confused on what's so comical about this. They stand close together with the same stance, arms folded and bewilderment in their expressions, as they wait for the pair to stop their cackling.

"With all the shocking things that have happened, this has to be the greatest shocker," Remus fills two glasses with champagne and hands one to Isobel, both of them clinking them together and sipping the beverage in a giant gulp.

Knowing she's bound to regret asking, Mia can't contain herself from staying quiet, "Why would that be a shocker? It's obvious we're friends."

Edward nods in agreement at her, "Exactly. We're just friends."

Isobel chuckles, "There it is. That's the first lie of the evening."

Mia nervously laughs, "It's not a lie."

"HA!" Isobel belts out, taking them by surprise. "There's no use denying that there's chemistry between you two. You both are obviously attractive people and it helps that you share a secret."

"That doesn't matter," Mia grumbles, hoping none of them are able to hear.

"Oh, but it does," Remus argues. "It makes it much easier that you're a witch and he's a vampire. You can avoid that whole, I'm not good for you because I'm dangerous or we come from different worlds."

Edward raises a brow at his obvious attempt at mimicking his voice, "Is that supposed to be me?"

"You have to admit, he got your voice right," Mia teases him with a wide grin and playfully elbows him.

"No, he didn't," Edward rolls his eyes, but is unable to prevent from smiling at her brightened face.

"Sure," she sarcastically says, putting a firm emphasis on the word.

"You see?" Isobel interrupts their little moment as she points her finger accusingly at them. "There's the chemistry that you guys are trying to deny."

Remus nods in agreement before sternly looking at Mia, "From the time that I've known you, I learned you have major trust issues. Maybe it's because of what happened with your father-"

"It's not because of him and I would appreciate it if you didn't bring him up," Mia annoyingly says while avoiding looking up at him.

She loathes how much that man affects her even when being locked away in Azkaban. He's never getting out and will never become a part of her life as if there's one thing she's certain about is how improbable it'd be for him to escape. There's no use in continuing to waste her thoughts on him, so why bother?

And besides, as much as she's upset about Remus' reading, Mia can't deny his words are accurate.

Obviously she has trust issues. Every time she gets remotely close to a relationship, she heads for the hills and never looks back. The mere thought of opening up to someone, let alone trusting them, terrifies her as she's certain that if she allows someone into her heart, it's bound to come back and slap her in the face.

Before moving to Forks, she had never been this affected by someone. It's not like she didn't have crushes before meeting Edward, but it's the fact that none of them matched up to how ardently he makes her feel. He sparks a flame within her – one that burns her from the inside out and envelopes her into a consuming embrace.

Maybe Remus is right that it's the trauma of having spent her childhood listening to the horror stories of her father. Maybe listening to Isobel express her loathing for marriage made her develop an affliction for commitment. Whatever the cause is, there's no use denying how petrified she's become of loving someone, let alone form a commitment.

"But you, you're harder to understand," Remus now addresses Edward.

The vampire seems proud of not being able to be read and he's tempted to look at her with that teasing smirk like he usually does just to spite her. Only before he's able to do so, he's alerted by Remus' thoughts that his attempts at reading him are far from over.

"Probably because of what you are, you're afraid of letting yourself be happy since you feel you're not worthy of it," Remus folds his arms across his chest, his eyes boring a hole into Edward's face.

He scoffs as his brows knit together, "Okay, that's not true-"

"And there it is. The second lie," Isobel points out while discreetly serving herself another round of champagne.

Mia's unsure as to how and when this night started going completely off the rails. They were just having a toast, and now she and Edward keep getting called out and receiving what resembles a therapy session. If she had known this would happen, she would have called it a night earlier.

"What are you trying to do?" she complains and runs her hands through her hair in irritation.

Stepping closer to the pair, Remus gives a nonchalant shrug and starts heading to the door, "I'm just stating the facts and I want you both to see things clearly for once."

"We're not coming back in a while so if I were you..." Isobel trails off and stops halfway out the door to glance at the pair. "I'd stop being a couple of cowards and just be honest for once."

And just like that, Mia and Edward are left alone.

She straightens her shoulders and sighs heavily, not yet having gathered the courage to look at him because what can she say? It's not like she can apologize since that would mean having to actually talk about it. Sure, she may be starting to reconsider everything she's ever told herself, but it's not like her issues are just going to vanish in an instant.

If they transition from friendship to more, what's to say he won't break her heart, or worse, what if she breaks his?

Swallowing thickly and rubbing her palms against her thighs, Mia scurries to the other side of the room for distance. She heads to the bedroom area, but suddenly stops as if hoping for a reason to make her stay.

Edward tries finding the right words to avoid overwhelming her. He knows she's waiting for him to say something, but finds himself standing as still as a statue.

Eventually, he musters the strength to say, "Those two, they- they don't know what they're saying. I mean, it's not like they know us. Well, they know you, but me? It just- it doesn't make sense."

"Yeah," she nods at him. "Exactly. They don't know anything."

Edward nervously chuckles, "Good. I'm glad you feel the same."

She stands completely still. Her mouth parts as if getting ready to say something, but her brain short circuits the second she looks at him. An electric current overcomes her – one that emits lots of sparks and refuses to subside. Such a thrilling sensation leaves her stricken and unable to form a coherent sentence. She has never been like this. She has never struggled in voicing her thoughts or has ever sunk herself in a dark pit, and now she's become this idiotic fool.

"So... good night," she says through a forced smile.

Forcing a smile as well, he starts walking back slowly as if expecting her to say more, "Yeah, good night."

Mia's the first to look away and with haste, she gets under the covers and faces the ceiling. Like a strong pull drawing her in, she's unable to refrain from glancing his way. Despite the room being dark, the city lights cast a shadow on him that allows her to get a glimpse of the way he's unbuttoning his white dress shirt.

As if her body had developed a mind of its own, Mia turns over to the side and studies every movement of his. She lays her hand underneath the pillow while the other rests next to her face. She continues observing him as he heads to one of the seats a couple feet from her. Before she can even catch her breath, a black t-shirt is now covering his body. The outline of his muscles print perfectly to its texture, allowing them to be seen despite being covered.

Everything he wears fits him like a glove. From having been used to a uniform and seeing everyone wear ordinary clothing, she's always admired his choice of fashion. They're elegant, somewhat suave, while also not being too into your face. They're formal, but not in a business-like way that makes him appear like he's trying too hard. Everything he wears radiates him and fits him perfectly, but seeing him wear something casual sends her into a frenzy.

As he sits down, he perceives her observant gaze and glances her way. Like she's been caught doing something she shouldn't be, Mia closes her eyes and sinks deeper into the pillow. Her breathing surprisingly remains steady, but her heart and face tell a completely different story. She knows he's still looking at her and such action makes the apples of her cheeks flush in an embarrassing shade of red.

Before she can attempt to turn away, she feels the other side of the bed get lower. Not giving a second thought, she opens her eyes and finds her dreams laying right next to her. He's staring up at the ceiling and his hands are resting on top of his stomach. His chest rises and comes down in a relaxed way – one that surprisingly helps steady hers.

"Is it true?" Mia suddenly blurts out. "What Remus said about you not feeling worthy of happiness?"

Edward turns to her, his golden eyes locking into hers that make every fiber of his being radiate with yearning, "It's more complicated than that."

"How exactly?"

His mind runs through everything that's transcurred since he was transformed. He doesn't remember much and it's painful being kept in the dark while the rest of his siblings have at least the faintest memory. Whenever the night comes, he tries looking back on his past and on some occasions, he captures the smallest glimpse. For a mere moment, he swore having seen a man with square glasses and a deep set of warm eyes that compliment the friendliness of his smile. The second he gets closer to remembering more, his mind fails and returns him to square one.

Eventually, he thought it'd be best to move on from the past and focus on the present, especially after having met his best friend in the most beautiful person. Upon first sight, he had been amazed by her lively spirit and way of finding joy in the littlest of things. He had never met someone so stubborn, so fierce, so strong, so kind, and so welcoming. She had been everything he had been waiting for, but feeling this is making him terrified of ruining their bond.

What if he wrecks everything and loses her?

No, he wouldn't risk it. Not after having spent a long time living in the darkness and settling on never choosing to open up to someone. Mainly due to being afraid of hurting them because of what he is. Vampirism might sound like a gift, but it's the opposite. You can't do anything but watch and wait until they take their last breath, and Edward knew he wouldn't be able to handle losing his person to the circle of life.

She's the daylight that's resurfaced from the looming clouds surrounding his specter, and he's terrified of ever seeing her light disappear.

"If I let myself be happy, I'm just bound to ruin it like I ruin everything else," he eventually says. "I'm afraid of hurting the ones I love, which is why I'm unwilling to let myself find joy."

Mia's gaze softens at his deprecating words that ache her in every possible way, "That's not possible. You're not capable of hurting anyone. At least not intentionally."

Edward shifts his body to the side and rests his hands against his face to see her better, "Either way, I'd still be hurting them."

"Everyone hurts the people they love. It's something that happens whether we like it or not," Mia's not a stranger to this as she's hurt people before and even if they've forgiven her, she hasn't forgiven herself. Maybe this is a sign to forgive her mother because deep down, she knows she's regretful for her words and it'd be unfair to hold it over her head.

His brows knit together and the tiniest bit of a frown forms at her sudden silence, "What is it? What are you thinking about?"

She sighs, "I know my mother loves me, but she hurt me by admitting she's afraid I'll become like my dad. I'm starting to realize that I can't hold it over her head for being honest. I mean, I basically forced it out of her, so I shouldn't be this affected when I'm also afraid of turning out like him..." She takes a deep breath from how far she's been rambling and getting off track. "Look, I'm just trying to get you to understand that people hurt those they love regardless of how hard they try not to. It's inevitable, so you'd be a complete fool if you let those fears prevent you from being happy."

God, he loves her rambles. He loves how her nose scrunches up and the way her hands start flailing all around to put emphasis on her words. Everything she does drives him crazy and it's getting harder to focus on just seeing her as a friend.

"Did you listen to what I said?"

Her voice disrupts his train of thought and he's pleased to find her wearing that annoyed frown of hers that always brings a smile to his face. He comes closer and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, "I always listen to what you have to say."

Such a simple action practically makes her heart jump out. Goosebumps start trailing down her skin like the lines of a map and if it weren't for her frozen state, she would lean in and let her desires lead the way.

Mia didn't notice that her hand had been lowering itself until suddenly feeling his cool fingertips against hers. They collide in a gentle impact, emitting a pleasurable sensation that heightens everything she's keeping bottled up. She needs to stop, she knows that, but nothing in her is willing to cut this moment short.

She's not even sure when her feelings started shifting from platonic to romantic. It all happened so suddenly and one day, he wasn't just Edward – one of her best friends. He was now Edward – someone she's starting to fall for and that's more than enough to terrify her.

Mia looks away and stares up at the ceiling. She rests her hands on top of her stomach and takes a deep breath. It's better not to cave to these complicated emotions as she can't imagine ruining what they have. Their friendship is good and good is what she needs. Adding more complications to her life isn't necessary, so pushing everything aside is better... right?

"I'm going to go get some air," Edward starts heading for the door without looking back, making her relieved in acquiring a break from these sizzling emotions. She's tempted to thank him for leaving, but that would mean admitting she's starting to see him as more than just a friend, and that's something she's unwilling to do.

When the door closes, Mia tosses the covers across the bed and sits up. Remus' words replay on a constant loop and as much as she tries denying them, there's nothing but truth in them. Everyone can see that her friendship with Edward is changing into something more, and it's getting harder trying to ignore it.

Would going for it really be such a terrible thing? Or could it be one of the greatest decisions she would be making?

She groans and buries her head into the pillow, wishing for everything not to be complicated for once. It'd be so much easier if someone could tell her what to do, but what if they make the wrong choice? What if they decide for them to remain just friends? That wouldn't be right. It would be a tragedy of grand proportions.

"Screw it," Mia puts her shoes on and dashes to the door. She's not sure what to expect, but it definitely wasn't Edward about to head inside from thinking the same thing as well.

He trains his eyes on hers, loving their rich color and sparkling rays of light in them. Her lips are looking as desirable as ever and for once, he chooses to let go of his fears and ghosts. It might be a terrible decision, but he can't keep this in any longer.

Mia is left frozen on only being able to focus on him and the way he's gazing at her with an unreadable look. His eyes are sparkling like a diamond, reminding her of the golden gates to paradise. He has been the only one to bring heaven to her and make her body burn profoundly. Standing in his presence allows her to get a clearer sight and it's only now when she figures that a leap of faith needs to be taken.

She leans in at the same time he does and is relieved when feeling his hands cup her face to bring her closer. His touch is gentle yet also harsh, making the electricity pumping through her veins to transform into a full blown fire as their lips crash unceremoniously.

The sudden realization of what's happening makes her panic that without intending to, Mia leans away in disbelief. Edward freezes for a mere moment as his chest heaves uncontrollably. He waits for her to say or do something and starts panicking about having possibly wrecked his most important relationship.

Mia deliberates on her next move, but her desperation in feeling his skin against hers takes over that with an intense force, she locks her lips with his. She cups his face to intensify the kiss even more, not daring to take a breath as all she desires is him. His hands rest on her waist and slowly begin rising to her upper body to the point his hold resembles a tight embrace.

Their kisses are full of passion, almost like they're each other's oxygen and sole reason for existing. Their hold is strong as the adrenaline intensifies with every second. The time to pull away is getting nearer, but neither of them want to stop. This kiss is a reflection of what they've been repressing and dismissing as nothing more than a fantasy, something meant to remain hidden. Now that they're caving to their dreams, it's more than clear that their friendship was nothing more than the beginning of their story.

Mia loves the way he makes her feel that she's forgotten they're not in the comfort of somewhere more private. She knows they should head inside, but that would mean breaking away and ending this incredible moment. Feeling his touch against her is glorious that she could only wonder how she could have resisted for so long.

As if Edward had been able to read her mind, he starts moving inside while continuing to kiss her. He carefully takes her inside and for the first time, the world fades into oblivion as he slams the door shut.