𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑. paul lahote ✓

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

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MIDNIGHT STROLL

THE PUZZLE IN FRONT OF HER WAS ONLY MISSING FOUR PIECES WHEN EMMETT THREW HIS FEET ONTO THE DESK.

Even with the fastest reflexes, Augustine couldn't help but watch as a leg of the desk bent awkwardly which sent the puzzle sliding onto the floor. From his spot in the chair that he'd pulled up next to hers, Emmett grimaced and quickly removed his feet as he stared at the desk that was now slanted to the side.

Agitation crept into the girl's body as she spun around in her desk chair to look at him. "Seriously, Em? I was this close to finishing," she pinched her fingers together to emphasize the fact, Emmett's grimace only deepening as he bent down to collect the pieces.

"I didn't know the desk was that fragile," he apologized sheepishly, an odd tone coming from such a unit of a person.

"It's IKEA... came with literally seven screws total," she said, waving his apology off with a huff. "You gotta help me put it back together, though."

Emmett's amber eyes comedically widened. "I just came in here to bug you, not to put together a bunch of cardboard pieces that'll look like..." his eyes scanned the room, settling on a multi-coloured box, "whatever the Starry Night is."

Her hand slapped his chest, halting his movements. "First, Esme's clueless about Harry Potter, and now you're telling me you don't know what The Starry Night is?" she questioned, puzzled look in her eye. "Van Gogh's most famous— dude, you're like, ninety years old."

"Hold up, she doesn't know about Harry Potter?" he asked her, a few pieces of the puzzle falling from his grasp as he scooped them up into a small bin he found under her desk. "That's just fucked up, honestly."

"Of course that's the only part you heard," she said with a shake of her head.

"No, I also heard you call me old; but I'm being the bigger person and I'm choosing to ignore it."

Out of all the Cullens, Emmett was the one who enjoyed keeping up with the current pop culture; it was another factor as to why Augustine loved hanging out with him as it gave her the opportunity to discuss things from her time. The others had different pastimes, and although she loved the piano lessons that Edward started to give her most evenings when she became restless, nothing would beat talking to Emmett about trivial, human things like Harry Potter.

After collecting all the pieces of the puzzle from off the ground, Emmett dutifully holding onto the bin that held them all, Augustine huffed out a, "c'mon, we'll finish it downstairs."

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Soon, the two black-haired vampires found themselves huddled up at the dining table, Emmett's feet promptly staying on the ground as he helped the younger girl. They had nothing but time, after all, and the Cullen boy certainly wasn't going to start on the calculus homework that his teacher assigned to be done over the weekend.

The others drifted in and out, with Rosalie lingering to give Emmett a smack to the back of his head when she found out what he'd done, but it was mostly just the two of them busily completing the puzzle from scratch once more. Carlisle eventually got home from work, the sun having long set while they were still at it, and assured her that they'd get her a new desk in the next couple of days.

"Emmett will assemble it for you, don't worry."

"So now I'm doing free labour? When will I have time to read my new comic books, or— or workout?"

Augustine had rolled her eyes at that. "Oh, such a gruelling life you lead, Emmett."

Despite her love of puzzles, Augustine couldn't help but get antsy as she stared at the semi-complete Starry Night before them. She turned to Emmett with large, pleading eyes. "Can we go for a walk?" she asked, leaning forward in her chair, "the air'll be good for us."

"Aug, we don't need the fresh air," he reminded her, smirk on his face as her face turned deadpan, clearly displeased at the answer. "We don't breathe, incase you forgot."

"Okay, but we can still feel the wind," she quipped back, "just like how you can still feel this—"

Her leg kicked outwards directly into his shin, not enough to crack the marble skin entirely but enough to leave Emmett groaning in minor discomfort from her newborn strength. "Definitely not taking you after that."

But it was a record-breaking minute and sixteen seconds of looking at Augustine's pleading eyes later that Emmett conceded, throwing a stray puzzle piece onto the table. "Fine! You jerk."

Augustine found that she always got what she wanted from the two members of the Olympic coven who adored her the most: Emmett, and then, by proxy, Rosalie.

Smiling in triumph, the girl practically leapt up from her seat and darted to the door. She waited patiently for Emmett, who leisurely approached as if each step was killing him. He had a night full of video games planned, but the desk breaking under his own impact set off this chain of events that told him Mario Kart would have to wait.

"Be careful you two!" Esme called from the living room where she was sat conversing with Alice, the petite girl in question turning her head towards the two presences at the door.

"You wanna come, Alice?" Augustine asked, hand already gripping the handle in excitement to just be outside of the home.

The girl thought it over but still shook her head, bright smile on her face as she declined. "You guys go have fun, nothing bad will happen!"

Augustine didn't think she would ever get used to Alice Cullen's blatant clairvoyance, but it was mildly comforting to know that everything would be fine each time she stepped out of the home. For the first two weeks of living in Forks, Augustine didn't dare leave the confines of her room in the renovated attic space in fear there would be a repeat of what happened in Alaska.

On the third week, when the younger girl was borderline feral from being cooped away while the others hunted, Alice reassured her that if anything were going to happen she'd at least give the girl a heads up. And for that, Augustine was thankful.

"Last time you said that, you didn't account for her throwing me into a tree," Emmett grumbled from his spot beside the shorter girl.

Alice gave him a cheeky smile. "Must've been a spur of the moment decision," she told him, only waiting until his back was turned to give Augustine a small wink. The ravenette pressed her index finger to her lip, reciprocating the wink before darting out the door.

And if, while the two were on their walk through the dense brush, they stumbled upon that same creek that divided the forest, well Augustine surely wouldn't be to blame. She was a curious girl, and the sounds of distant howling could not deter her.

Curiosity couldn't kill the cat if the cat was already dead, right?

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[ wyn's note ]

puzzles puzzles and more puzzles! i think augustine's probably going to have the closest relationship with emmett out of all the cullens, but someone else (that i've hinted at) will be coming a close second!

much love xx