Chapter Text
The faint buzz of fluorescent lighting, was the first thing Beau sensed as he slowly came to. Above him was a white ceiling, unlike the icy blue of his bedroom. Trying to puzzle out what had happened, Beau moved to sit up when his father noticed him and rushed to his side, helping him sit upright after handing him a pair of glasses.
The frames looked different… they were his back-up pair. Why?
Just as that question crossed his mind, a slew of blurry images filtered through his mind’s eye, each scene passing by as quickly as the next.
Ice. Parking Lot. Sirens.
Shouts. Crowds. Frigid Air.
Vans. Smoke. Asphalt. Amber.
At that, Beau’s eyes snapped up, only to meet that amber color, in his best friend’s eyes. Best friend… a far cry from Beau’s impression of Edward Cullen, when they first met a month ago, in AP Biology. It was early January - the first day of school and Beau had only just moved from the dry, hot, corporate suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona to the wet, green, mystic town of Forks, Washington… and yet, it felt like it was only yesterday.
Moving, starting school, meeting Mike and the others… and then seeing the Cullens.
The six unusually attractive, strangely captivating, golden-eyed Cullen siblings.
…or at least Edward and his four sisters - Alice, Rosalie, Elle, and Mina were. Beau had never met their oldest brother before, but he figured that he would be no different. It was clear from the get-go, that there was something special about those siblings.
Even considering that, though… something was strange about the accident.
Something didn’t match up, somehow.
He could recall Edward pushing him out of the van’s way, but Beau was certain that mere moments earlier, Edward was standing with his sisters across the parking lot, and only his other friend Mike was standing anywhere near him at the time of the accident.
Just as Beau was about to question Edward, however, the door to the hospital room slowly opened.
A curse slipping from those lips was the last thing Beau registered.
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Amber. The same shade of amber… yet entirely the opposite.
Where Edward’s amber shone with a softer, more friendly warmth, the amber of the man standing beneath the doorway was razor sharp with tension and wide with… shock?
Loose blond strands framed a classically handsome face - a face still twisted in shock, as the man held a folder to his chest with his right hand while grasping the doorway with his left. His vivid amber eyes slowly darkened as they trailed over Beau’s form, gaining a bolder, more metallic edge with each passing second.
The weight of that gaze alone, would’ve been enough to send Beau’s heart racing, with the man’s handsome features holding his focus captive… but somehow, there was a heavy feeling - a deeper sense, beset within those golden irises, but what could it be?
An irregular thrum in his chest compelled Beau forward, as if lured by a siren’s song - except the man was silent, holding his gaze as he matched his dazed pace forward.
“Aurel!” Edward hissed, breaking the unstable silence.
It was enough to snap Beau out of that… almost enchanted headspace.
It was also enough for the man, with the heavy aura lifting as he recomposed himself.
“Good morning. I am Doctor Cullen.”
That amber now shone with light, mirroring the small smile tugging gently at the corners of the man’s lips. It was a bright, comforting brilliance… almost a familiar one, yet it was also one that simultaneously left Beau’s heart racing like it never had before.
As the doctor went though all the motions, Beau couldn’t tear his eyes or his mind away.
As he asked Beau about the accident, Beau noted graceful hands taking notes.
As he listened to Beau’s breathing, Beau noted cool fingers grazing over his skin.
As he checked for any head injuries, Beau noted fingers twisted within his long hair.
As he assessed Beau’s light reflexes, Beau could only see deep amber staring into him.
As he left the room with his brother, Beau could only stare at the door, questioning it all.
He knew he had a massive crush on best friend’s older brother.
He knew that something about the accident was off, somehow.
And beyond that, he just knew that there was something more.
❖ ❖ ❖
There was more. So much more than Beau could’ve ever imagined.
Ever since leaving the hospital, his every waking moment had been haunted by dreams - the most delightful dreams with so many shades of amber embracing him.
Lighter and softer as cool lips pressed against his and strong arms wrapped around him-
Darker and sharper as myriad sensations danced across his body, holding Beau on edge-
Just two weeks after the accident, a vivid eight-pointed lotus - a mandala of reds, oranges, and violets bloomed over his heart, about his left collarbone. Representing purity, love, sensuality, and power, it truly marked the hold that man held over his heart, putting his heart on display for all to see… not that Beau let anyone see the flower.
Anyone aside from Mike Newton, that was.
Mike truly had horrible luck the day of the accident, oversleeping that morning, showing up at school late, and as a result, witnessing not only the accident at close distance, but also Edward’s inexplicable acts of motion.
Because Beau was certain now. Mike was too.
Edward… however he’d done it, had moved almost instantaneously, and combined with the mysterious mandala that had appeared out of nowhere, the two of them were forced to admit that there was something unusual… something mystic about the world, despite their minds rebelling at the mere idea of anything like that being possible.
As the month of February passed by, and the pair worked together to learn more about this new world surrounding them, they realized that a new path had opened up to them through Beau’s childhood friends, the Black twins - Julie and Jacob. The bonfire by their place in La Push would prove useful, or at least, would provide more leads to pursue.
They didn’t realize just how right they were.
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Fathomless, ancient scarlet trailed over Beau’s figure - a seductive predator who tracked his every move through the woods by Akalat, only to capture his prey and lay his claim.
Deep crimson and gold silks, jewelry and flowers adorned Beau - a virgin Bride fated for the Horned Guardian of the Wood, becoming one with the forest, taken in by the night sky.
The sultry steam, the misted woods, and a whole new world - Beau's journey beyond the sea, sinking into its cold depths, facing a frozen Exalt and icy mirrors reflecting a darkness.
A sweet aroma wafted his way, a roaring blaze lured him within - a magnificent dragon who’d sought Beau out, a companion to savor the warmth with, shut away from the cold.
Fierce winds and a dense fog, this time home to feral wolves and an enchanted castle - a honeyed trap that Beau welcomed, embraced by the calm human and ravenous beast.
Sparkling diamonds framed a bright moon and a ring that lead to the heavens - a mystic land of the Fae whose King enticed Beau, staking a claim the heavens bore witness to.
Towering stone columns, with a lover and his beloved together beneath their shadows - soft laughter and kisses, an intimate moment… just the two of them, alone in their world.
Beau couldn’t stop himself from turning away from the pair.
❖ ❖ ❖
“You have got to be kidding me. There’s even more to this mess?”
Even without opening his eyes, Beau could picture Mike pacing back and forth in the guest suite’s lounge… though Mike was usually the calmer one between the two of them. Or at least, his friend wasn’t the type to show his cards so easily, instead calculating everything in his head.
Beau found that out the hard way, only learning of Mike’s mystic ability the previous day.
“No shit, Sherlock! Tell me, Dextra, did you have fun seeing us run about?”
Harsh, but Beau couldn’t blame him. What was supposed to be a fun day trip to Seattle with Jessica, Angela, and Athira, to help them shop for prom dresses had spiraled into a huge mess - one that had him and Mike staying overnight… with Edward and Mina.
The very same Edward that Beau was certain Mike was going off on.
“Oh, yesterday was a fun time alright! First we confirm that vampires are real - and that’s just the start of it! We get ambushed by who knows what, find out that Alice saw this shit all along, then Chief Swan shows up and Beau and I have to stay overnight for some strange reason - and of course, Beau’s dad knew about vampires as did Angela!”
Beau’s heart tightened at those words. He’d retired to the guest room early last night… but his dad had to be at Hoshizuki now. He was not looking forward to the inevitable talk.
“And if that wasn’t enough, I thought ‘hey, why not take a walk to clear your mind - Hoshizuki’s grounds must be safe!’... but nope. Those stupidly persistent mystic colors dragged me into the damn forest where I run into your older brother, half-out of his mind!”
What.
What did Mike say just now?
It… it wasn’t just Edward, Mina, and Alice? But also…
“And now, you’re telling me that he has business with Beau? What the fuck?”
Beau’s heart picked up, galloping away even faster than it had when he’d awoken from his dreams.
“Yeah, nope! I’m not leaving him alone. Besides, I have a bone to pick with the good doctor, thank you very much!”
Beau was absolutely not ready for whatever was about to happen next.
❖ ❖ ❖
The doctor was just as handsome as Beau remembered.
The same blond hair, the same golden eyes, the same assertive aura.
However, this man was not the same doctor he met at the hospital a month ago.
The man back then had an unstable aura about him, just barely capable of restraining a deeper, darker nature - one that Beau knew and looked forward to, thanks to his dreams.
The man before him now, however, was exactly the doctor he’d first imagined when Beau first learned about him from his friends and his dad - a calm, peaceful, amicable person.
“Good morning, Beaure-... Beau.”
“Uh… hi. I mean, hello- good morning.”
Wow. He was off to a good start. Just wonderful.
“Would we be able to talk for a bit? If not, that is fine.”
Once the question registered, Beau nodded and stepped aside.
...
The doctor really did live up to his reputation for being patient, understanding, and kind. Even Mike, who had stood by the wall looking notably on edge at first, had relaxed considerably and was now seated on the couch next to Beau. Mike was leaning forward, hands steepled as the doctor explained his situation and their rather precarious encounter in the woods the previous night.
The man Mike ran into the previous night?
Now that man, Beau was very familiar with.
No wonder Mike had been on edge - anyone would be.
And yet… even after hearing about the risk the doctor’s instability had posed to Mike last night, Beau didn’t feel too worried. He couldn’t explain why or how, but somehow, Beau just knew that the doctor wouldn’t have harmed Mike. There was this firm, settled feeling his chest, granting him an inexplicable certainty in that knowledge.
Which made no sense. Nothing was set in stone, let alone something like that.
Alice’s visions had been perfectly clear, seeing Mike in the woods with this dark aura.
Heck, Mike’s colors had sent phantom chills through him, warning of mortal danger.
Even so… Beau just knew that nothing would’ve happened.
Mike’s story was not meant to end there. It never would’ve ended there.
“It’s fine. It’s not like the situation was your fault, Doctor.”
Maybe… just maybe, Mike also sensed something, given how quickly he’d lost his edge.
“Even so, I should have regained control. I am truly sorry, Michael.”
The strange intonation and echo in the doctor’s voice caught Beau’s attention. Looking more closely, it wasn’t just his voice… no, the man’s face was marked by something far deeper than simple contrition or regret… something that left a strange pang in his heart.
Beau had seen those amber eyes in myriad ways.
Calm with peace.
Glowing with power.
Fierce with anticipation.
Sparkling with amusement.
Shining with fierce intentions.
Darker and sharper with conquest.
…but never had Beau seen a shade so dull, an amber that looked far beyond the two of them and the moment, at something so painfully heavy, its echo resonated in his chest.
What exactly was the doctor looking at?