CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
TAKING THINGS SLOW

In the year: 1950

THEA is the queen of isolation, she knows how to avoid anyone like the plague whenever she pleases. Usually, it's understandable but today's is questionable.

Okay, listen, Thea wasn't avoiding Alice, she was adjusting and sometimes that requires a little time to yourself.

That's how Thea sees it anyway.

Thea was at her usual spot for when she wanted peace. Her lake. Instead of sitting on the dirt in front of the lake, she sat on a sturdy tree trunk that hovered right above the lake. Her feet dangled and her hair blew in the whistling wind.

"Hey, what are you doing up there?"

Thea turns her head slightly to her left to see Alice. Alice wore shorts and a bright yellow tank top.

Thea felt her words get stuck in her throat.

Weird?

"It's beautiful up here!" Thea responds.

Alice took a step, "Can I come up?"

Thea's immediate response would be no to anyone else but for some reason, the words, "Yeah, I don't mind." Came out of her mouth instead.

With one high jump onto the tree, Alice stood on the branch Thea sat on.

Thea felt her paranoia kick in, "be careful." She told the pixie who walked slowly and steadily towards her on the trunk. If she were to fall, she'd be met with a large body of water at the bottom.

Alice seemed steady like a ballerina. "I'm okay."

Thea nods but still watches Alice's footing.

Alice suddenly leaned too far to the right and a yelp left her lips.

"Alice!" Thea abruptly calls her name.

Alice suddenly caught her balance (almost too easily). She was grinning like an idiot, "gotcha."

Thea mouth parts but again, her words got stuck in her throat at Alice's foolishness. She rolls her eyes, "that's not funny."

"It's a little funny." Alice sits down next to Thea, kicking her feet back and forth through the air.

Alice noticed the brunette wasn't looking her in the eyes.

"No, it's not." Thea's voice was now in a hushed whisper.

Alice smiled slightly when she noticed the brunette wasn't looking her in the eyes. Alice didn't want to push her to talk but then again, Thea did claim she would talk to her more, which she was currently failing to do.

Alice nudges Thea's arm with her elbow. Thea lifted her head some, and for a quick second, she smiled. But if Alice were to have blinked, she wouldn't have seen it.

"I'm sorry I haven't held up my end of the deal." Thea apologizes, almost as if she knew what the pixie was thinking about. "I can be very...complicated...and frustrating."

Alice shrugs, "That's okay. Rosalie told me you would be."

Thea snaps her eyes up, her first time looking Alice in the eye since she'd sat down. "Rose told you?"

Alice hums, nodding her head, "She cares very much about you."

"Yeah, I know." Thea wholeheartedly smiles at the ma room of the blonde.

Silence fell over them again. It was mixed with the light wind and birds chirping.

Alice examines her mate's side view, seeing the way she struggled to look her in the eye. Take things slowly. "I would love to get to know you better if you don't mind."

There was a small pause but soon, "What do you want to know?"

Alice looks up, thinking of a question, "What was your favorite food to eat as a human?"

Thea comes up with her answer, "...I loved mangoes. Favorite thing in the world. You?"

Alice blinks, her smile faltering, "I'm not sure."

Thea squints, "Are you okay?"

Alice blinks, "yes." A smile returns, "I—I have a little trouble remembering my human life."

Thea tilts her head. She didn't understand. "We don't have to talk about it."

Alice took a moment but soon said, "Favorite thing about being a vampire?"

Thea thinks about what her answer is going to be. "Very easy for me to get places a normal human would have trouble. This tree trunk for example." She chuckles.

Alice smiles, answering next, "Being able to spend all the time with people I care about."

Thea nods, "like Jasper."

Like you. Alice wanted to say but didn't. "Yes, he's pretty much my best friend," Alice admits.

The sun was starting to set. Thea had been so caught up talking to Alice, she didn't even notice. "Let's head back."

Alice would be lying if she said she didn't want to complain. "Okay."

✸

"That's it?" Emmett frowns when Thea tells him what happened between her and Alice. "Not even a kiss?"

Rosalie slaps his arm, "Don't listen to him, Thea."

Thea was now in the couple's room, sitting across the end of their bed that had no frame.

Thea had her chin in her hands. "It wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be...it wasn't horrible at all, really."

Rosalie grins, "You should plan something."

Thea frowns, "like what?"

"Anything that she would like."

Thea frowns, "Well I'm still getting to know her."

Rosalie nods, chuckling, "That's okay, just take your time. Don't feel pressured by this one over here." She squinted at her mate, who just cuddled up against her as if he'd done nothing wrong.

Thea smiles at the interaction between Emmett and Rosalie. She couldn't help but imagine her and Alice being like that one day.

Would she ever be ready to do that? Did Alice want that? Thea could barely say the word "mate" and "Alice" in the same sentence.

Thea tries to stop her racing thoughts. Take things slowly. Step by Step.

She suddenly stands up, and walks to the door.

"Thea," Rosalie calls her.

"Yeah?"

"Got at your own pace, okay?"

Thea smiles, nodding in understanding before leaving.

✸

It's 3 am.

Thea should be reading or doing quite literally anything else besides thinking about the pixie.

But here she was. Thinking about that one simple moment at the river.

She didn't understand what there was to obsess over. They didn't kiss, hold hands, or confess their love for one another. They just talked. So what about it had Thea staring up at her ceiling at the moment?

Before she knew it, she was putting on her black and white checkered pants, blue blouse, and sandals.

She walked down the stairs, seeing if she would find the pixie in the living room but found Carlisle and Esme there instead. "You okay?" Esme questions.

Thea nods, "yes. Where is Alice?"

Esme smiles, "upstairs."

Thea nods, going back upstairs and to her bedroom. She stood there for a moment, completely silent. Just do it, Thea.

Just as her hand hovered over the door to knock, it swung open and the pixie smiled at Thea.

And Thea smiled back.

Alice already seemed dressed. Weird. "Hey!" She spoke happily, "Are you okay?"

Thea picked at the white nail polish on her nails. "Do you want to go to the park?"

"The park?"

"Yes. I know this is very last minute and kinda weird—" Thea chuckles, seeming slightly embarrassed.

Alice immediately notices and nods, "of course! let me put my shoes on."

Thea nods, "Okay."

✸

Alice loved this. The park was empty and the moonlight shined slightly on it. Alice and Thea were on the swings, going back and forth at a steady spread.

"So, why'd you want to come to the park?" Alice couldn't help but ask.

Thea bit on her lips. God, she was nervous. "I like talking to you." She admits. "Do you like talking to me?"

Alice's eyebrows raise ever so slightly and a smile spreads across her face, "I love talking to you."

They both smile at each other and chuckle.

"...I'm sorry if I...if I seem very boring or uninterested. I just—I'm trying." Thea confesses, a slight smile on her face.

It was the truth. Thea always felt like her true self was boring. Always felt like she had either an angry personality or no personality at all. She was just here.

And Alice was full of personality. So patient yet fast-paced. So kind and thoughtful.

"We can go as slow as you need, Thea," Alice noted.

A second passed. Alice was blushing but without the red cheeks because of her lack of blood. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Thea was gazing at Alice with the softest puppy eyes and she didn't even realize it. "Like what?" Thea blinks and the gaze goes away.

Alice chuckles, "Nothing." She shakes her head.
She looks through the rest of the playground. Seeing the slide. "Hey, come on."

Thea follows her without question, she watches her climb up the slide. "I haven't done this in forever!" Alice cheers as she slides down, giggling when she gets to the bottom. 

Thea realized that she rarely did this as a kid. She truly lacked a childhood.

Thea follows after Alice, doing the same thing and a large smile was on her face by the time she reached the bottom.

It gave her a weird feeling, one that she enjoyed.

They both felt like children.

"Let's do it again!" Alice skips towards the ladder again and repeats it. Thea does as well.

Before they knew it, they were running around the playground laughing and giggling.

Alice and Thea couldn't stop laughing and their childishness.

Alice lies down on the wood chips, and Thea looks down at her. "What are you doing?"

"Shhh." Alice grins, directing Thea to lie down beside her.

Thea does so. "What are we doing?"

"We're enjoying the moment." Alice glimpses at her.

Only then did Thea realize the sun was rising. Meaning they'd been here for hours.

The moon was surrounded by a bright blue/orange. 

"Alice." Thea randomly says her name.

"Yeah?" They lock eyes again.

"I enjoyed this...a lot. I think I want you in my life." Thea felt a side of herself unlock at the confession.

Alice smiles, her golden eyes seeming even brighter than usual. "I think I want you in mine."

     ragerwrites,           So cute! So cute! Soooo cute!
What do you think about Alice and Thea? What are your thoughts on Thea's development when it comes to her relationship with Alice?

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