Breathe In Union
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 2
~ Lyrics from Jambi ~
Shine on forever.
Shine on benevolent sun.
Shine on upon the broken.
Shine until the two become one.
Shine on forever.
Shine on benevolent sun.
Shine on upon the severed.
Shine until the two become one.
~o0o~
They fell into step together and only then did Bella register just how tall Paul was. She glanced up at him and he smirked. "What's up shorty?"
She gasped and looked at him in outrage. "I hate to break this to you but I'm not short. You're just abnormally tall."
He raised his brows as one hand clutched at his chest. "Did you just call me abnormal?!" He tossed his head back in mock pain. "That cuts deep shrimpy." He glanced at her as she chuckled. "Seriously—you cut, I bleed. Be careful with my tender heart," he finished in mock distress.
She grinned. "I'm pretty sure your armor is pretty thick Captain Sarcasm."
He nodded. "Ya got me there Wee One."
She kicked the bottom of his shoe as he took a step and he laughed. "Really? What are you? Five?"
She smirked. "Well, it was the only non-sensitive area I could reach and.. ya know… we just met and all."
"Okay, ya got me there."
He gestured over to a little concession trailer and Bella shot him a puzzled look as he led her around the back where the door was propped open. He smiled and held up a hand to stop her questions as he poked his head in the door. "Hey Rudy, gimme two cokes and some ice in a towel, would ya?"
Bella stood awkwardly as this Rudy person poked his head out and smacked Paul on the back of his head as he ducked and laughed. "What makes you think I'll give you anything?"
Paul smiled widely and something fluttered in Bella's stomach at the sight. "Because you're my cousin and you love me? Plus," he gestured to Bella, "I have a guest and you don't want to be a rude asshole in front of a guest."
Rudy snorted as he cocked a dark brow at Paul. "That never stopped me before." Then he glanced at Bella and sighed. "But shit if she doesn't look like a sweet girl." He smiled at Bella and she returned it with a slight wave. He looked back at Paul. "Beautiful, but not your usual flavor, for sure. You better be nice, 'cause she looks worth kickin' your ass over if you hurt her."
Paul held up both hands. "I've been a perfect gentleman!" He looked at Bella. "Haven't I?"
Bella nodded. "He has. He even saved me from the guy who did this." She gestured to the swelling on her face and Rudy scowled and looked at Paul. "You kicked his ass good I hope?"
Paul nodded. "I did."
Rudy smiled widely. "Well then, two cokes and some ice comin' up!"
Paul sat at a little picnic table that shared the shade of the concession trailer and patted the seat next to him. "Don't be shy now Bella. You practically ran me down catching up to me, remember?" He grinned and tilted his head to the side. "Come on, have a seat." She walked over and sat as she rolled her eyes and a second later he caught a clean, white towel that was tied around a bundle of ice. "Nice throw Cuz," he said as he settled back on the bench and gently placed the ice against the worst of the swelling on her cheek.
Rudy poked his head out. "Nice catch."
Paul smirked as he stared into Bella's eyes. "I know."
With the heated look that was now in those eyes, Bella had to wonder if he was really thinking about the ice, which led to an immediate blush as she dropped her gaze.
"Wow, that's quite the blush there Bellaaa," he drew out her name as he said it. "Wanna tell me what brought that on?"
She shot a glare at his smirking face and looked away as she answered. "Not particularly."
"Oooh, I'm all intrigued now," he said with a chuckle.
Rudy set two cokes on the table and flicked Paul's ear. "Shit, that hurt you ass," he hissed.
"Yeah well, quit teasing beautiful Bella then." He winked at her and went back in the trailer as Bella chuckled.
Paul rubbed his injured ear. "Think that's funny, eh?"
She smiled as she took a sip of her coke. "Maybe."
He cocked an inky brow and she laughed lightly. "Okay, yeah. You two are sweet."
Paul scowled. "You did not just say that about me! Call my cousin sweet all you want, but I am not sweet."
She laughed outright as he shuddered.
"Did I insult your masculinity Paul?" She grinned.
Rudy stuck his head out. "Don't let him bullshit you Bella! His mother calls him sweet all the time." He ducked back in, laughing as Paul looked around for something to throw at him. When he couldn't find anything, he raised his voice. "That's all right Cuz. I'll catch up with you later when we get home."
Bella laughed when she heard a loud and high pitched "You don't scare me Paulie!" come from the trailer.
Paul looked at her and shook his head as he moved the ice gently to the side of her mouth and she flinched and hissed. He met her eyes. "Yeah, it's gonna hurt for a couple of days, sorry."
She smiled carefully. "No, it's all right." She looked down for a beat and then back at him. "Thanks for everything Paul. You didn't have to do any of this…"
He looked down with a solemn expression and she wondered at the sudden mood change. "No, it's okay. I'm just glad I was there in time. Guys shouldn't beat on girls…"
He looked off into the distance and his expression was tough for Bella to read. He looked angry and sad and a bit lost and her heart squeezed at seeing it. As far as she was concerned, he should never look like that.
"Hey," she said as she reached for his hand. "You okay?"
He looked down at their joined hands and nodded as his face literally went blank before her eyes. When he looked up, he smirked and she realized in that moment, it was his favored mask, and filed that info away.
"What's this?" he asked as he ran a finger over her new bracelet.
She gasped as something like a pulse of energy ran through the bracelet and into her arm at his touch and she met his eyes. "Wow," she said with wonder. "That was…"
His brow pinched. "What was what?"
"Hard to explain," she said, as her brows drew together.
He tilted his head down to catch her gaze and grinned. "Try?"
She rolled her eyes. "Like I could refuse such a plea…"
His smile turned triumphant. "I know."
She cocked a brow at him. "You're awfully sure of yourself."
He leaned back and gestured to himself. "I have reason to be," he said as he waggled his brows and she laughed.
"So arrogant!"
"True, and we could spend all day talking about me, but you were gonna explain that bracelet and the weirdness…"
She sighed. "Okay, but I don't know much about it. I just got it from a booth earlier today." She took a drink of soda and glanced at him as he stared expectantly. "There was a really old lady there and when I went to look at her jewelry, she told me that none of it was for me."
"Really? I'm shocked. Usually those vendors do all they can to sell their shit."
Bella shrugged a shoulder. "Well, that's what she told me. Then she said she'd been waiting for me and that the Spirits had something for me. She went in the back and came out with this. When I asked how much, she said that I can't pay for something the Spirits already deemed as mine, and she sent me on my way."
He set the ice on the table, leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Huh," he said as he shook his head. "That has to be the weirdest story I've heard since the last bonfire I went to."
Bella bit the undamaged part of her lip and glanced up at him. "That's not the weirdest part. She told me, and I quote,"The Spirits say the wolf is yours. Keep him with you… always… for you will save each other."
His brows disappeared under his artfully messy hair. "No shit?" He hopped up and took her hand. "Come on, we're gonna go see this old lady."
Bella tugged her hand but he didn't let go. "No Paul! That's gonna be just too weird! What if she gets mad that I told you?"
He shrugged. "So we won't say anything to her. We're just shopping and shit, right? That's what people do at these things."
She smirked at him. "And here I thought it was all about sharing your customs and culture."
He smirked right back as he tugged her along gently. "Yeah, sure it is, and we're glad to do it as long as you part with a healthy amount of cash in the process."
When they got to the row of tents where Bella had been given the bracelet, they stopped and he looked down at her. "Damn, you really are tiny." She scowled and he held up both hands. "No seriously, how tall are you?"
"I'm five feet four inches, oh pole of the totem."
He smirked. "Yeah, I have one, but like you said, we just met and I'm not that kinda guy." He looked down at her and batted his lashes and she laughed.
"God knows I wouldn't want to compromise your virtue, unsullied as it must be."
They started walking again and he answered. "That's right, so just keep your hands to yourself."
Bella scoffed. "You mean like that girl that was draped all over you earlier?"
He looked at her with his mouth open in mock shock. "Why Bella, I did make an impression earlier didn't I?" He shrugged. "She's just an acquaintance."
"Really?" Bella cocked a skeptical brow up at him. "Then what am I?"
He slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side as they walked. "You're my Wee little friend."
"Friend now am I?"
"Yes," he nodded.
"Well, good, then I can do this," and she elbowed him in the ribs.
He calmly reached down and brushed off where she'd hit him. "What was that?" He asked with a grin.
She was busy rubbing her elbow. "Damn, are you wearing armor under that shirt?"
He smirked. "No, I'm just very well built."
"Yeah, like a damn tank," she grumbled as she pointed to a tent. "This is it." She looked up at him. "If this lady get's pissed and starts throwing hexes or some kinda mumbo-jumbo, I'm hiding behind you, got it?"
He looked down at her with an incredulous grin. "Mumbo-jumbo?" he laughed and she scowled.
"Well, she was kinda scary in a woooeeeeooo sorta way," she said as she wiggled her fingers and he bent over laughing.
"Holy shit Bella… I think I'll keep you."
"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled. "Ya just gotta remember to feed and water me. Now," she looked at him, "are we gonna do this or what? This was your idea after all."
He quit laughing and cleared his throat. "Okay, let's do this."
They walked up to the table and, much to Bella's surprise, there was a middle-aged man there. "Um, excuse me?"
The man looked at her and she continued. "I was here earlier and there was an old woman that helped me…"
She trailed off as the man shook his head. "Sorry miss, but I've been here all day. I closed down for lunch, but that was it. Are you sure it was this booth?"
Bella looked up at Paul who cocked a brow at her. She looked back at the man. "Yeah, I'm certain this was it. She sat right where you're sitting and she gave me this." She held out her wrist and the man leaned forward to see the bracelet.
"Huh," he muttered as he adjusted his glasses. He sat back and shook his head again. "It's a nice piece, authentic and very old, but it's not anything I've ever seen. I'm sorry."
She nodded and she and Paul walked away. When they had cleared the vendor's area, she glanced at him. "So you probably think I'm crazy now, huh?"
He took a moment to answer and she cringed at what he may be thinking until he finally spoke. "I don't think you're crazy, but this is kinda disturbing in a very woooeeeooo type of way." He wiggled his fingers while laughing and deftly dodged a smack to his arm.
"All right, I totally deserved that." She peeked at him as they made their way back to Rudy's concession trailer. "So now what?"
He shrugged. "Some old lady snuck in while the dude was at lunch and gave you a bracelet that didn't belong to him in the first place. It's yours now. End of story."
She stared ahead and finally nodded. "Okay. End of story," she said, but she couldn't help feeling that it was anything but.
He bumped her shoulder as they walked up to the picnic table and sat down. "So, you gonna give me your number so we can hang out sometime?"
"You wanna hang out?" she asked, slightly surprised.
"Well, yeah, unless you don't want to."
No!" I mean, yeah, I do… wanna hang out." She blushed and looked down and he laughed.
"No pressure Bella. It's not like I asked you on a date or anything, because I don't date." He picked up his soda and took a sip.
She blew out a breath as she rushed out, "I don't either…date that is. At least I've never been on one before."
He nudged her as she tried to cover her embarrassment by taking a long pull from her soda. His look was one of interest and curiosity. "Never been on a date… hmm, well, we're gonna hang out." He grinned. "Then, maybe we'll see about a date."
Bella promptly choked on her soda.
Paul smirked.
~ Lyrics from Jambi ~
Shine on forever.
Shine on benevolent sun.
Shine on upon the broken.
Shine until the two become one.
Shine on forever.
Shine on benevolent sun.
Shine on upon the severed.
Shine until the two become one.
~o0o~
They fell into step together and only then did Bella register just how tall Paul was. She glanced up at him and he smirked. "What's up shorty?"
She gasped and looked at him in outrage. "I hate to break this to you but I'm not short. You're just abnormally tall."
He raised his brows as one hand clutched at his chest. "Did you just call me abnormal?!" He tossed his head back in mock pain. "That cuts deep shrimpy." He glanced at her as she chuckled. "Seriously—you cut, I bleed. Be careful with my tender heart," he finished in mock distress.
She grinned. "I'm pretty sure your armor is pretty thick Captain Sarcasm."
He nodded. "Ya got me there Wee One."
She kicked the bottom of his shoe as he took a step and he laughed. "Really? What are you? Five?"
She smirked. "Well, it was the only non-sensitive area I could reach and.. ya know… we just met and all."
"Okay, ya got me there."
He gestured over to a little concession trailer and Bella shot him a puzzled look as he led her around the back where the door was propped open. He smiled and held up a hand to stop her questions as he poked his head in the door. "Hey Rudy, gimme two cokes and some ice in a towel, would ya?"
Bella stood awkwardly as this Rudy person poked his head out and smacked Paul on the back of his head as he ducked and laughed. "What makes you think I'll give you anything?"
Paul smiled widely and something fluttered in Bella's stomach at the sight. "Because you're my cousin and you love me? Plus," he gestured to Bella, "I have a guest and you don't want to be a rude asshole in front of a guest."
Rudy snorted as he cocked a dark brow at Paul. "That never stopped me before." Then he glanced at Bella and sighed. "But shit if she doesn't look like a sweet girl." He smiled at Bella and she returned it with a slight wave. He looked back at Paul. "Beautiful, but not your usual flavor, for sure. You better be nice, 'cause she looks worth kickin' your ass over if you hurt her."
Paul held up both hands. "I've been a perfect gentleman!" He looked at Bella. "Haven't I?"
Bella nodded. "He has. He even saved me from the guy who did this." She gestured to the swelling on her face and Rudy scowled and looked at Paul. "You kicked his ass good I hope?"
Paul nodded. "I did."
Rudy smiled widely. "Well then, two cokes and some ice comin' up!"
Paul sat at a little picnic table that shared the shade of the concession trailer and patted the seat next to him. "Don't be shy now Bella. You practically ran me down catching up to me, remember?" He grinned and tilted his head to the side. "Come on, have a seat." She walked over and sat as she rolled her eyes and a second later he caught a clean, white towel that was tied around a bundle of ice. "Nice throw Cuz," he said as he settled back on the bench and gently placed the ice against the worst of the swelling on her cheek.
Rudy poked his head out. "Nice catch."
Paul smirked as he stared into Bella's eyes. "I know."
With the heated look that was now in those eyes, Bella had to wonder if he was really thinking about the ice, which led to an immediate blush as she dropped her gaze.
"Wow, that's quite the blush there Bellaaa," he drew out her name as he said it. "Wanna tell me what brought that on?"
She shot a glare at his smirking face and looked away as she answered. "Not particularly."
"Oooh, I'm all intrigued now," he said with a chuckle.
Rudy set two cokes on the table and flicked Paul's ear. "Shit, that hurt you ass," he hissed.
"Yeah well, quit teasing beautiful Bella then." He winked at her and went back in the trailer as Bella chuckled.
Paul rubbed his injured ear. "Think that's funny, eh?"
She smiled as she took a sip of her coke. "Maybe."
He cocked an inky brow and she laughed lightly. "Okay, yeah. You two are sweet."
Paul scowled. "You did not just say that about me! Call my cousin sweet all you want, but I am not sweet."
She laughed outright as he shuddered.
"Did I insult your masculinity Paul?" She grinned.
Rudy stuck his head out. "Don't let him bullshit you Bella! His mother calls him sweet all the time." He ducked back in, laughing as Paul looked around for something to throw at him. When he couldn't find anything, he raised his voice. "That's all right Cuz. I'll catch up with you later when we get home."
Bella laughed when she heard a loud and high pitched "You don't scare me Paulie!" come from the trailer.
Paul looked at her and shook his head as he moved the ice gently to the side of her mouth and she flinched and hissed. He met her eyes. "Yeah, it's gonna hurt for a couple of days, sorry."
She smiled carefully. "No, it's all right." She looked down for a beat and then back at him. "Thanks for everything Paul. You didn't have to do any of this…"
He looked down with a solemn expression and she wondered at the sudden mood change. "No, it's okay. I'm just glad I was there in time. Guys shouldn't beat on girls…"
He looked off into the distance and his expression was tough for Bella to read. He looked angry and sad and a bit lost and her heart squeezed at seeing it. As far as she was concerned, he should never look like that.
"Hey," she said as she reached for his hand. "You okay?"
He looked down at their joined hands and nodded as his face literally went blank before her eyes. When he looked up, he smirked and she realized in that moment, it was his favored mask, and filed that info away.
"What's this?" he asked as he ran a finger over her new bracelet.
She gasped as something like a pulse of energy ran through the bracelet and into her arm at his touch and she met his eyes. "Wow," she said with wonder. "That was…"
His brow pinched. "What was what?"
"Hard to explain," she said, as her brows drew together.
He tilted his head down to catch her gaze and grinned. "Try?"
She rolled her eyes. "Like I could refuse such a plea…"
His smile turned triumphant. "I know."
She cocked a brow at him. "You're awfully sure of yourself."
He leaned back and gestured to himself. "I have reason to be," he said as he waggled his brows and she laughed.
"So arrogant!"
"True, and we could spend all day talking about me, but you were gonna explain that bracelet and the weirdness…"
She sighed. "Okay, but I don't know much about it. I just got it from a booth earlier today." She took a drink of soda and glanced at him as he stared expectantly. "There was a really old lady there and when I went to look at her jewelry, she told me that none of it was for me."
"Really? I'm shocked. Usually those vendors do all they can to sell their shit."
Bella shrugged a shoulder. "Well, that's what she told me. Then she said she'd been waiting for me and that the Spirits had something for me. She went in the back and came out with this. When I asked how much, she said that I can't pay for something the Spirits already deemed as mine, and she sent me on my way."
He set the ice on the table, leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Huh," he said as he shook his head. "That has to be the weirdest story I've heard since the last bonfire I went to."
Bella bit the undamaged part of her lip and glanced up at him. "That's not the weirdest part. She told me, and I quote,"The Spirits say the wolf is yours. Keep him with you… always… for you will save each other."
His brows disappeared under his artfully messy hair. "No shit?" He hopped up and took her hand. "Come on, we're gonna go see this old lady."
Bella tugged her hand but he didn't let go. "No Paul! That's gonna be just too weird! What if she gets mad that I told you?"
He shrugged. "So we won't say anything to her. We're just shopping and shit, right? That's what people do at these things."
She smirked at him. "And here I thought it was all about sharing your customs and culture."
He smirked right back as he tugged her along gently. "Yeah, sure it is, and we're glad to do it as long as you part with a healthy amount of cash in the process."
When they got to the row of tents where Bella had been given the bracelet, they stopped and he looked down at her. "Damn, you really are tiny." She scowled and he held up both hands. "No seriously, how tall are you?"
"I'm five feet four inches, oh pole of the totem."
He smirked. "Yeah, I have one, but like you said, we just met and I'm not that kinda guy." He looked down at her and batted his lashes and she laughed.
"God knows I wouldn't want to compromise your virtue, unsullied as it must be."
They started walking again and he answered. "That's right, so just keep your hands to yourself."
Bella scoffed. "You mean like that girl that was draped all over you earlier?"
He looked at her with his mouth open in mock shock. "Why Bella, I did make an impression earlier didn't I?" He shrugged. "She's just an acquaintance."
"Really?" Bella cocked a skeptical brow up at him. "Then what am I?"
He slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side as they walked. "You're my Wee little friend."
"Friend now am I?"
"Yes," he nodded.
"Well, good, then I can do this," and she elbowed him in the ribs.
He calmly reached down and brushed off where she'd hit him. "What was that?" He asked with a grin.
She was busy rubbing her elbow. "Damn, are you wearing armor under that shirt?"
He smirked. "No, I'm just very well built."
"Yeah, like a damn tank," she grumbled as she pointed to a tent. "This is it." She looked up at him. "If this lady get's pissed and starts throwing hexes or some kinda mumbo-jumbo, I'm hiding behind you, got it?"
He looked down at her with an incredulous grin. "Mumbo-jumbo?" he laughed and she scowled.
"Well, she was kinda scary in a woooeeeeooo sorta way," she said as she wiggled her fingers and he bent over laughing.
"Holy shit Bella… I think I'll keep you."
"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled. "Ya just gotta remember to feed and water me. Now," she looked at him, "are we gonna do this or what? This was your idea after all."
He quit laughing and cleared his throat. "Okay, let's do this."
They walked up to the table and, much to Bella's surprise, there was a middle-aged man there. "Um, excuse me?"
The man looked at her and she continued. "I was here earlier and there was an old woman that helped me…"
She trailed off as the man shook his head. "Sorry miss, but I've been here all day. I closed down for lunch, but that was it. Are you sure it was this booth?"
Bella looked up at Paul who cocked a brow at her. She looked back at the man. "Yeah, I'm certain this was it. She sat right where you're sitting and she gave me this." She held out her wrist and the man leaned forward to see the bracelet.
"Huh," he muttered as he adjusted his glasses. He sat back and shook his head again. "It's a nice piece, authentic and very old, but it's not anything I've ever seen. I'm sorry."
She nodded and she and Paul walked away. When they had cleared the vendor's area, she glanced at him. "So you probably think I'm crazy now, huh?"
He took a moment to answer and she cringed at what he may be thinking until he finally spoke. "I don't think you're crazy, but this is kinda disturbing in a very woooeeeooo type of way." He wiggled his fingers while laughing and deftly dodged a smack to his arm.
"All right, I totally deserved that." She peeked at him as they made their way back to Rudy's concession trailer. "So now what?"
He shrugged. "Some old lady snuck in while the dude was at lunch and gave you a bracelet that didn't belong to him in the first place. It's yours now. End of story."
She stared ahead and finally nodded. "Okay. End of story," she said, but she couldn't help feeling that it was anything but.
He bumped her shoulder as they walked up to the picnic table and sat down. "So, you gonna give me your number so we can hang out sometime?"
"You wanna hang out?" she asked, slightly surprised.
"Well, yeah, unless you don't want to."
No!" I mean, yeah, I do… wanna hang out." She blushed and looked down and he laughed.
"No pressure Bella. It's not like I asked you on a date or anything, because I don't date." He picked up his soda and took a sip.
She blew out a breath as she rushed out, "I don't either…date that is. At least I've never been on one before."
He nudged her as she tried to cover her embarrassment by taking a long pull from her soda. His look was one of interest and curiosity. "Never been on a date… hmm, well, we're gonna hang out." He grinned. "Then, maybe we'll see about a date."
Bella promptly choked on her soda.
Paul smirked.
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.