GLADIOLUS || FELIX VOLTURI

eight - roman history.

Once Rowan was dropped off at home by Felix, she immediately headed to her room and quickly passed out after laying down in bed. The events from the past few days were draining her immensely, both physically and mentally. She hadn't even had much time to process them, not with more information being thrown at her every day.

Thankfully, Rowan was able to get a successful nap in. After waking up, her goal for the rest of the day was to lie low in her room and watch whatever sport Charlie had on later in the afternoon with him. As she spent the rest of her day in her room, attempting to have as normal of a day as possible, she took part in small hobbies such as reading and caring for the indoor plants she had placed around her bedroom. Due to these small acts of self-care, she was able to finally relax in a way she hadn't been able to in the past few months.

However, while she was in the middle of caring for her plants, her mind slowly drifted to Felix. Rowan hadn't had much time to fully process the fact that the man was going to be around for the time being, and while she did her small mundane tasks, she finally had the peace of mind to fully process that fact.

Rowan felt very conflicted regarding Felix. The more logical side of her wanted to stay away from Felix as much as possible, only speaking to the man when she had to. The cockiness he showed at Volterra annoyed her massively. Also, the fact he was a vampire in general should frighten her more than it does. But there was something deep inside her that felt drawn to him. While his attractive looks drew her in at first glance, more importantly, there was something about him entirely that drew her in. It was almost instant that she felt safe around him – that she felt completely comfortable around him. Rowan occasionally will think back to when Felix stepped in front of Jane for her and can't help but wonder why he would put himself in such pain for her wellbeing. There was so much she didn't understand, and so many feelings that were confusing her currently. The fact that she felt like she could already tell him anything was incredibly concerning. She already told him more than she wanted to while walking to Forks from the Cullen's home. She wanted to avoid him, and yet wished he was next to her at that moment. Nothing made sense to her anymore in regard to Felix.

With a sigh, she continued caring for her plants and planned to call Paul later. If anybody could cheer her up, she knew he could.

---

It was later that night when Felix was finally given the opportunity to speak with Carlisle Cullen one on one. The Cullen family had been informed of Felix's arrival when he first entered Forks. They would've easily figured out he was there eventually anyway, and regardless, Aro thought it fitting to allow them to know they were being watched.

The first meeting was very brief though. It was mainly Felix explaining his purpose for being in town and that he would often stick close to Rowan. He made it clear his hunting grounds would be outside of the Forks area – mainly Seattle as disappearances would be much less suspicious there. The first meeting had most of the Cullen clan in attendance, which made for a very tense atmosphere. This is what led Felix to decide to come back at a later time while the other Cullen members were out hunting, so he could speak to Carlisle alone.

Once he was sure it was only Carlisle and Esme in the home, Felix quickly approached the door. Before he could make his presence known, Carlisle opened the door, a polite smile upon his face as he welcomed his guest. "Ah, Felix, please – come in," Carlisle greeted, motioning for Felix to enter the home. Felix gave a curt nod, stepping into the home as he did so. He soon followed behind Carlisle as he was led into the man's office in the home.

Felix walked into the office, keenly aware of his surroundings. He turned to face Carlisle as the man shut the door and gave his full attention to his guest. Carlisle leaned against the front of his desk, arms loosely crossed over the front of his body. He smiled politely again as he spoke, "Felix, what can I do for you?"

Unlike Carlisle's loose and comfortable posture, Felix stood rigid, his arms tense as they were placed behind his back. Felix doubted he would ever feel comfortable around the Cullen's, and treated this as nothing more than a business discussion.

"I'm here to disclose further information regarding my visit to Forks. Aro thought it appropriate to inform you of my true reason for coming here," Felix stated. While Felix certainly disagreed with how the Cullen's conducted their immortal lives, he knew that Aro still respected Carlisle, which was enough for Felix to have a certain amount of respect for the man. Plus, Felix never minded Carlisle while he was a part of the Volturi, he just rarely interacted with him.

Carlisle gave a nod, "Please, continue then."

"As you know, Aro thought it would be wise to have someone keep an eye on your coven as rules have been broken. While doing so, I was tasked with watching Rowan Swan closely due to The Volturi wanting her as a future gifted immortal." As Felix spoke, he chose his words very carefully. There was only so much he was allowed to disclose with others. Though, Carlisle was to be trusted with more information than the others. He also was one of the few that may be able to actually help Felix, which is the main reason Felix was actually there.

"That's not the only reason you are staying close to her though, I assume?" Carlisle asked with a knowing smile.

Felix's jaw clenched, his stance growing more rigid by the second as the conversation continued, "Perhaps."

"Alice informed me of what happened at Volterra. She has also seen Rowan's future. It's clear you two are drawn to each other," Carlisle continued. Felix only listened, deciding it best to not speak, as he was now unsure of how much information Carlisle already knew.

"It seems you have found your mate," Carlisle stated. While Felix knew this as true, hearing it stated aloud by someone he didn't fully trust was a type of vulnerability that made Felix extremely frustrated. He knew Rowan was safe around the Cullen's for the most part, but still, his instinct was to keep her far away from any immortal – to keep her protected.

"It's clear she doesn't feel as drawn due to her mortal form, so I'm trying to respect her space," Felix finally replied. The unspoken question of 'got any tips?' was obvious as Felix stared at Carlisle, though he would rather feel Jane's gift than actually ask for any help regarding the matter. Felix was far too confident to ask for tips from someone he barely knew on how to form a stronger bond with Rowan.

"I don't know her well, but from what I've been told by my son who is at her home frequently, she has been thinking of you quite often since meeting you. I think it's best to just give her time as she gets to know you better."

Felix was definitely intrigued by the new information. Thinking of him often? Rowan certainly didn't act as if she did. He had noticed her flushed face on occasion, but also had noticed the annoyed looks she gave him.

"I'll heed your advice then," Felix said with a nod. The conversation quickly ended after that, as Felix had gotten all that he needed from the conversation. The two gave each other a respectful nod before leaving the office.

As the two reached the door to leave, Felix spoke one last time. "I'd appreciate it if this stayed between us. I don't want any of this getting back to her. Not yet, at least. She has enough to worry about right now. The last thing she needs is more stress."

Carlisle smiled, "I understand. You don't need to worry."

Felix gave another curt nod, before speeding off into the forest.

---

With how overwhelming life had become, Rowan had forgotten something as mundane as her job. Thankfully, she had only missed one day of work, but even one 'no call no show' was enough to get fired. After begging for her job security and picking up a couple of closing shifts, she was able to keep her job at the bookstore. She had always enjoyed her job for the most part. Retail was never ideal, but it was such a small shop that she was usually able to avoid any rude customers. And now more than ever she was able to use her job as an escape from the chaos that was plaguing her everyday life. It pained her to even come to the conclusion but: dealing with retail was better than dealing with vampire politics.

It had been a week since returning from Volterra, and a few days after Bella's 'vote'. The two still hadn't much acknowledged what happened at the Cullen residence. Mainly due to Bella being attached to Edward's side since returning and Rowan working often. Rowan had also not seen very much of Felix the past week either. After their discussion and Felix carrying her home, she hadn't seen him. The rational side of her hoped he was called back to Italy, but another part of her still hoped to see him again eventually – like he said would happen. Regardless, it didn't matter much as far as Rowan was concerned, since she had no time for much else other than picking up extra shifts to make up for her previous work behavior. The only free time she had was used for seeing Paul and Emily, and occasionally spending time with Charlie when he also wasn't working.

It was a slow night – the only sounds filling the small store were the sounds of the AC unit and the ticking of the clock on the wall. Rowan was engrossed in her current guilty pleasure book The Lightning Thief. She normally read nonfiction books but had heard so many good things about the new book that she had to give it a try and was loving it. The shop closed at 9:30 pm. Later than Rowan preferred, but it gave her time to read without interruption as barely any customers came in past 8 pm. Last she checked, the clock was at 9:10 pm – she just had to make it 20 more minutes and she would be free for the rest of her night.

As she continued to read, she heard the familiar sound of the door opening, ringing the bell that signaled a customer entering the building. The register was near the back of the building, behind rows of bookshelves, so needless to say she couldn't see who entered ever. This normally wasn't a problem though, as many people entered to browse and simply left a few minutes later. A few more minutes passed and she was pulled from her reading as she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the counter. She glanced up, her customer service-approved smile already plastered on her face, and as she finally looked at who was now standing in front of her, her smile immediately dropped into a frown.

"This is a lovely shop you have here," Felix said, book in hand. He spoke with a charming smile that Rowan had started growing accustomed to. He spoke with a hint of teasing in his tone as well, that Rowan hadn't grown quite as accustomed to yet.

Rowan stared in silence for a long moment, frustration evident on her face. "You know, showing up at my job is a new low. Aren't you worried about anyone seeing you?" While speaking, she held her hand out, waiting for him to hand her the book of his choice.

As he handed the novel over, Felix glanced around the store, even going as far as glancing out the large windows on the front of the building. "Do you see anyone around?"

Rowan inspected the book for good measure, curious what his interests were. As she plugged the price into her register, she shrugged at his observation, "I suppose your right. It's usually a ghost town out there after 8." Felix turned his gaze back to Rowan as she finished ringing up his book. "Plus, I was only wanting to purchase a book from your fine establishment – nothing more," he said with a grin.

Rowan couldn't help but laugh softly, placing the book in a paper bag and sliding it across the counter towards Felix. "Yes, I see that. The Gladiators: History's Most Deadliest Sport? Interesting choice there. Oh, and that'll be $16.99." Rowan gave her most charming smile as she read the cost off the register, holding her hand out for good measure.

Felix rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face hinted that it was jokingly. He handed over the exact amount and took his book back. "What can I say, the topic interests me." As Rowan finished up the transaction, she grabbed the receipt and handed it over, this time directly placing it into his bare hand. Something as simple as a minimal brushing of fingers was enough to make her entire hand feel ignited, and she quickly pulled away in response. Felix was much slower to pull away, allowing his hand to linger at the moment, but eventually retreated as well.

Rowan cleared her throat, "Well, I suppose it would make sense for you to be a history enthusiast. You are pretty old, I'm sure." Felix scoffed playfully, "You would be surprised to know many of my comrades are much older than I am."

"And what year were you born in then?"

"60 B.C. in Rome."

Rowan's eyes widened upon hearing that fact. She assumed Felix was old, but wasn't prepared for him to be that old. She was incredibly fascinated though, at the idea of him living through so much history. "Oh. Wow. Well, I see why you got the book then."

Felix nodded, a genuine smile on his face. It was rare for him to show a genuine smile, though it came naturally lately as he spent more time speaking to Rowan, he realized. "Who knows, if it's actually accurate, maybe I'll let you borrow it sometime."

Rowan faintly laughed, "You know, I might actually look forward to that."

Felix's lips curled up, his smile growing into a smirk. Before he could come back with a remark, the bell to the front door rang through the store. Rowan quickly glanced to the clock, groaning slightly when realizing it was only 10 more minutes until close and a customer was just entering.

Felix pulled his hood up at the arrival of a stranger, deciding it was best to make his exit. "Have a good night, Miss Swan." As he turned to head towards the door, Rowan's voice caused him to briefly stop in his track.

"See ya' later, Felix."

Felix hesitated on giving a reply back, deciding on only giving a quick nod, and making his way out of the store. Rowan watched as he left, surprised at how disappointed she was that their conversation was cut short. While the man frustrated her with how he appeared out of nowhere, during the most arbitrary moments. She also realized how quickly she became accustomed to the immortal. It was almost natural how she spoke to him. That discomfort and unease she felt with most new people, new friendships even, was non-existent when she spoke to Felix. The weariness hadn't left yet, as she didn't trust the Volturi, or vampires for that matter, but she slowly was growing to trust that Felix didn't lie when he said he was tasked with looking out for her safety.

Rowan's daily life was filled with much confusion and uncertainty. Each day she felt like she worried about something new after finding out vampires existed. But as she closed up shop and thought back to her conversation with Felix, one thing was certain to her. She should read up more on Roman history.

---

a/n: thank you for the love for this story so far! i appreciate it so much! also, it doesn't seem that there is much confirmed lore for felix's background so it's free real estate i guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯