March, 1921.

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

I imagine I am very politely driving Edward insane.

My eyes are still different; the minimal interaction I have had with others has been curtailed and stiff. I do a lot of writing and hunting now, and feel more...inhuman, than I have in some time.

Edward does what he can. I am grateful to him here, now, always. We are in Minnesota for no reason I can adequately discern - but it is somewhere different, Edward says, and I did promise him travel. He has a wandering soul sometimes. This may be good for him - I am unsure.

Regardless, I am here in the apartment we have rent by week and Edward is elsewhere.

I am bored.

- C.C.

Carlisle to all comers would appear asleep - sprawled across a low couch belly-down and eyes shut.

Comments

[iwouldfollowyou]

Edward settled back on the couch pillow.
Shifted his shoulders, attending to two top buttons.

"I told you." Soft. Neither quite to admonishment or amusement.
"The way I see you hasn't changed in the slightest. That day, or today."


Perhaps, this is a yes, with a little more added on.

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

The only person who's opinion had changed was Carlisle.

But still.

He's himself again. As normal as he can be.

[iwouldfollowyou]

Edward listens as much as he doesn't. He'll always hear.
Carlisle, and the woman washing dishes upstairs, and a little boy reading.

Because it will come sooner or later regardless. "We could stop moving now."

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

"We could." Or I could just go outside more.




I may have jumped into being entirely stationary too suddenly for us, Edward.

[iwouldfollowyou]

Blasé. "It was not terrible."




Two-thirds of the time.

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

Carlisle gives him more of a believable look now, before joining Edward back on the couch.

"I know you didn't hate it, but it wasn't your favorite life either."

But we both know how successful I will be as a travel companion if I can't practice now and then.

[iwouldfollowyou]

Edward shifted to accommodate having to share the couch.

"It had the only thing I needed it to."
Said as though it were obvious.

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

Carlisle smiles instead of saying 'I know, but'.

"Maybe the housecall idea was something to consider. It wouldn't exactly be surgery, but it is just as helpful out in the world," Carlisle thinks aloud, still speaking of the outside as something apart from himself.

[iwouldfollowyou]

"Isn't it still stationary?" Edward reached out, without looking, at least through his own eyes, and caught Carlisle's hand.

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

"It's more transitory than owning a home and working rounds at a hospital."

Carlisle raises Edward's hand to his forehead. "It's just an idea."

[iwouldfollowyou]

House calls -- and inevitably phone calls.
But it's what Carlisle wants. What he hasn't had.

"You could do it here."

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

Carefully: "It doesn't have to be now, Edward."

[iwouldfollowyou]

"No," There's something of a shrug, which works not as well laying lazy across the cushions. "But it could. You've had little reason to be as animate as you were when you realized it."

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

"That's because I was moping. You can't be animated and mope at the same time."

[iwouldfollowyou]

Edward knew that better than most right now.
Even for light moments these months for Carlisle had one focus.

Which is perhaps, why Carlisle gets the pertinent expression.
"I'm sure I wouldn't know anything about that."

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

"Mmm."

Carlisle could take that and run with it; jokes and light talk. He certainly feels light enough to do so, now, but there are things to discuss.

What would you have us do? Now, a month from now?

[iwouldfollowyou]

Edward's gaze turned toward the ceiling.
"I suppose it would depends where we ended up."

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

"And it's useless for me to say you have just as much a say about where we end up as I do."

[iwouldfollowyou]

Edward face turned just enough, golden eyes finding Carlisle while the edge of his lips puckered without quite pulling outward at all. Amused, almost pointedly teasing. They would go wherever Carlisle chose to work.

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

A look of Carlisle's own. He'd learn to be otherwise! Really!

[iwouldfollowyou]

Edward snorted.

If not solely for the look and the sentiment -- then for the fact the last few months made an example not to be spoken of when things had turned lighter. That could wait.





Edward held out a hand toward Carlisle.

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

Carlisle's fingers curl so that his fist lands gently in Edward's hand instead of their fingers interlacing. It feels like Carlisle is putting the whole of himself there for a minute and the thought makes him smile a bit errantly.

[iwouldfollowyou]

Edward's fingers, long and thin, curved around the curled hand and he stared up for only the passing of a few milliseconds. Really, only long enough for Carlisle's smile to happen.



"You are still too far away."

[teachyouwhoiam.livejournal.com]

I kept my distance these months, Edward. I shouldn't have.

Carlisle gives in to Edward's gravity and the nonexistant pull of Carlisle's wrist moves him down on the couch. It takes some maneuvering but Carlisle ends up in a straddle over Edward's lap near his knees.

[iwouldfollowyou]

Edward's expression didn't change, or waver.
Luminous gold focused specifically.

"Still."