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Mia was reading. Or at least she was trying to read, sitting out on the porch swing where she’d been for most of the day in an attempt at escaping the tension inside the house. She hadn’t managed to fully escape though, the discomfort seeming to seep out through the open windows and doors, but she was still grateful to have some semblance of a barrier. At least she couldn’t actually see Edward and Rosalie fighting.
Despite the availability of endless miles to put between them, Edward and Rosalie had both spent the day inside the house. Mia figured it was only because they were actually enjoying the fight and were getting some sick pleasure out of it. That, or neither wanted to be the one to give in and leave first. Mia could understand a certain measure of that. She too enjoyed the occasional day of annoying a sibling, but this was something different.
A new round of shouts echoed through the open front door and Mia set her book down, standing up from the porch swing to glance in the front door. Edward and Rose had been building towards an explosion all day, snapping at each other from the moment Mia woke up though she figured their argument preceded that by a few hours. At least they’d had enough courtesy to hold back on any shouting until after she was awake.
It was the type of arguing that never would have happened if Carlisle and Esme were home. One or both of Mia’s siblings would have relented in the presence of their parents, not necessarily getting over whatever the argument was about, but letting it go for the sake of keeping Carlisle and Esme happy.
Jasper knocked into Mia as he passed through the door, his shoulders squared and back rigid with his eyes straight ahead, moving along as if he hadn't even seen her. Mia rubbed her shoulder as she followed after him, calling his name as they both moved across the lawn.
Jasper finally relented the third time she called his name, stopping and turning to her so abruptly Mia crashed into him.
“Yes?”
Jasper was working to keep his tone even, focusing his energies to keep from dispelling any of his frustrations on the wrong target. Mia could see as much and she took a step back.
“Do you need something?”
Mia shook her head. “Just wanted to know where you’re going.”
He glanced above her head and back towards the house. “Away from that.”
Mia nodded, watching her brother as he engaged in the human behaviors that were no longer necessary for his survival, but habitually communicated his emotions.
“Can I come with you?”
Jasper remained quiet for a moment. His human sister, despite being human and a true adolescent, was often easier to be around than most, humans and vampires included. She didn’t tempt his thirst the way other humans did and she didn’t give as much emotional feedback as the others either, not unless she wanted to. Mia had been pretty effectively shutting him out for as long as she knew how.
Jasper nodded once and turned away from her, continuing his march towards the woods.
Mia stumbled a bit as she got started following after him. She had expected her brother to run them away from the muffled shouting to some remote part of the woods, and she would have welcomed that, but instead, Jasper kept a nearly manageable pace as he led them both away on foot.
Everything was a managed effort. Mia could see that. Things often were with Jasper because he was always so alert, so hyperaware and hypersensitive, even for a vampire. But when he was stressed, when he was overwhelmed by the unpleasantness of someone else’s mood, it was always made worse. And Mia sensed that in his clipped tone and his stiff movements, the measured breaths that didn't truly benefit him.
Jasper slowed as they moved past the edge of the lawn, conscious of the roots and uneven ground his sister was prone to stumble over. His consideration allowed Mia a chance to catch up and when she did, she grabbed Jasper’s hand, a wave of calm passing through him with the contact.
Jasper took a deep breath he didn’t truly need, almost a reflex in response to the calmness Mia allowed him to feel. Mia so rarely let him in anymore, keeping as much locked away as she could manage, only spilling when the emotion was so intense she couldn’t contain it or when she was intentional about it.
“What was that for?” Jasper asked.
“Just because." Mia shrugged. "But don’t get used to it. Trial access to my emotional landscape ends in three hours.”
Jasper smiled for the first time all day. He didn’t really need his powers to sense Mia’s emotions or to affect them anymore. They knew each other well enough to decipher one another’s feelings and manage them in a more human way, but Mia allowing Jasper to sense her emotions was more complete and the relief it gave him was instantaneous.