Ok, so here goes the second part of the flashback :)

Enjoy and let me know what you think, L.

1955 Part II

"So? What did you think of them?" – Demetri asked smiling slightly. He had just shown Edward the dungeons and he already knew he hated them. In the month since Edward came to Volterra, he learned to notice those small things that betrayed his guest's mood or opinion very well. Demetri had spent almost the entire time with Edward – they went for the runs together, they strode through the town together, he would even accompany him on his hunts, although the smell of animal blood disgusted him to no end. They also went to the library together – Aro had such an impressive collection of books that Edward positively gaped with his jaw open when he first saw it. He loved books – always had and probably always will and while he spent hours reading all the things he wanted to but never got the chance, he also recommended some books to Demetri. The tracker had never been bookish per se, but Edward's enthusiasm towards books was infectious and he had given up finally trying some of his recommendations. They spent hours and hours there – usually from dawn till the early twilight – reading and discussing and more often than not arguing about something they have read. Demetri's optimistic and cheerful attitude clashed with Edward's brooding one so much, they usually ended up in heated discussions. That was one of the other things Demetri learned about the vampire – he was both passionate and really short tempered. Despite himself, he actually liked both of these traits.

The only time they actually parted was when Demetri had to feed or had to track someone for his coven. And again, Edward spent that time alone in the library. This night however, Demetri persuaded him to go for a stroll through the dungeons, but almost immediately he saw the younger vampire grow even more morose than usual, so he convinced him to go for a run through the grounds again. They ran for a long time, racing from time to time and then falling back to the slower jog. Finally they reached the last guard post again – the place they liked to run to quite often as it offered the solitude they both needed from the always full castle. Demetri lied on the ground, his arms under his head, staring at the stars. Edward sat beside him and watched the sky as well.

"It's… I don't want to offend you." – He said flatly. And he really didn't, so it was better to keep his thoughts of the dungeons and the whole Volterra world to himself. Instead Demetri just laughed out loud.

"Come on! I'm no mind reader, but really, your face when you saw the dungeons left little to imagination!"

"I don't really understand why this amuses you. Those dungeons… They're appalling."

"Why?"

"You surprise me, you know?" – Edward suddenly sidetracked. – "Your mind is so peaceful, so joyous and yet…"
"And yet what?" – He asked curiously propping himself up on the elbow.

"You fail to see the suffering, the pain and the despair etched into those walls down there. How can you not see it? How can you not feel it?"

"Why do you care? I mean, honestly! You're a vampire!"

"I don't want to be a monster, Demetri."

"But you are! Why do you fight it? I mean look at me – I couldn't care less about what happened to the people there. They were food, nothing else."

"They were people." – Edward sighed. – "Don't get me wrong – I don't have a childish or romantic understanding of how wonderful it is to be a fucking human. I know their minds – mostly they're foul and greedy and filthy. But how am I not the same? How are you not the same?"

"Yeah, but come on – double standards! I mean I don't have to be ashamed for being greedy or foul or downright filthy, because I am a monster! I'm a killer and I don't care about them – they're nothing but the prey."

"You are a monster." – He said calmly, but with no condemnation in his voice.

"And so are you."

"Except that I don't want to be."

"Yes, and that's why you're always miserable and a pain in the back side!"

Edward felt the twinge of irritation at that, but it was offset by amusement.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't care."

"Yeah, that would be good for you." – Demetri grinned at him. – "I know I've told you this already, but really, just relax a bit."

"It's not that easy…"

"Yes it is! Come on, lie down and look up." – He ordered quickly, but seeing Edward hesitate shook his head in exasperation. – "Honestly! I'm not going to bite you! I'll show you the constellations – they always calm me down."

Edward looked at him for a moment longer and then lied down. A moment later Demetri was lying next to him, careful not to touch him. Edward made it perfectly clear he didn't like to be touched.

"Look, you see up there – that's the constellation almost everyone know –Ursa Major. It looks kind of like a wheel barrel, you see? Or a ladle. And then if you draw a line up there, you'll see the tip of the Ursa Minor. Back in the day Ursa Minor stars were known as Hesperides, the daughters of Greek god Atlas. Ursa Major was used as a main pointer towards North, so that the sailors would find their ways through the sea."

"How do you know that?" – Edward asked still looking at the stars.

"I used to sail." – Demetri mused and Edward turned to him and asked the question he had asked couple of times before.

"How old are you?"

"Old." – He replied as he always did, smiling slightly and staring at Edwards eyes. It hit him that they were very close to each other now and that despite the month of keeping his distance he still thought the man in front of him was fascinating.

"You shouldn't think so." – Edward said slowly, but he didn't drop his gaze nor did he pull away.

"No? I think I can decide for myself what I should think."

"You don't know me."

"I know enough." – He raised his hand and moved it tentatively towards Edward's face. Still the younger vampire didn't pull back and Demetri brushed his fingers lightly across his jaw. They both felt tingle run through them and Edward sucked in a ragged breath. And the split second later he was standing ten feet away, shaking his head. Demetri dropped back on his back and closed his eyes.

"I know, I know. I shouldn't touch you, fine." – He said sighing. – "I'm sorry, you distracted me, that's all."

"It's fine." – Edward hissed silently.

"No it's not fine. Look, I know you don't want… Oh, shit. I'm ok with being your friend, you know?"

"You think we're friends?"

"We could be. If you weren't such a pain in my ass!"

"Fuck you!" – Edward glared at him.

"Yeah, we'll that's not on the menu, now is it?" – He laughed suddenly and despite himself Edward joined in, his mood lifting unexpectedly. – "That temper of yours will get you into trouble one of these days, you know that, right?"

"You don't seem to mind too much."

"Yeah, but I'm a ray of sunshine!"

Edward laughed again.

"Then I assume I'll stick to you."

"Well, you better not flare that temper at Caius, he's really very short tempered himself… Marcus would probably ignore you, like he does with the rest of us and Aro… Well he likes you a lot."

"You do know I'm not going to stay, right?"
"Why?"

"It's not my place."

"And where is your place?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"It's about a woman, isn't it? Your brooding, I mean. I only ever seen men be like that for women."

"Demetri, I don't want to talk about that." – He growled angrily.

"Fine, but if you're not with her, then you probably have no place. Why is this any worse than others?"

"Is this why you put up with me? Did Aro ask you to convince me?" – He asked suddenly, his eyes glaring with anger, his jaw set.

"You're an idiot!" – Demetri growled and before he could stop himself he thought: 'how on Earth am I attracted to this fool?'.

"I have no idea, but I really don't need your attraction!"

"You said that already, ok?! It's not like I chose this! And if we're on it – you don't particularly try to avoid me, now do you? And those fucking stares you give me!" – He was shouting now, his anger finally flaring.

"Fine! I'll leave – wouldn't want to be a pain in your ass anyway!"

Demetri growled at that. Furious, wild sound that had nothing human in it and before Edward could react to it, he was shoved back against the tree and Demetri was kissing him fiercely, mercilessly. His iron grip was holding him in place while his unexpectedly soft lips and eager tongue were moving against Edward's mouth. That sensation of energy and pleasure coursed through them and on pure instinct Edward opened his mouth invitingly. Their tongues clashed, fighting each other but at the same time caressing each other. The fight for dominance was replaced with exploring movements of tongues and lips and Demetri's grip loosened. His arms wrapped around Edward's waist and he slid his fingers up and down his back, feeling each muscle and pressing them together. Demetri licked his bottom lip and sucked on the corner of Edward's mouth, eliciting a soft moan from him.

'Oh shit, it's fucking amazing! He tastes so…' – And now Demetri was moaning silently into Edward's mouth. – 'I want him, I fucking want him…'

At that instance Edward seemed to snap out of it and he shoved the tracker away harshly.

"No." – He hissed breathless. – "Don't you fucking touch me again!"

Demetri stared at him for a moment longer, disoriented.

"You didn't seem to mind a moment ago." – He muttered.

"I told you not to touch me again and I mean it!"

"Yeah, yeah, you mean it!" – Demetri growled. – "Except did you also mean it when you moaned into my mouth?"

"You caught me by surprise, that's all!"

"Whatever makes you tick." – He sighed. – "Though no idea why you should lie to yourself. You fucking liked it."

"I didn't."

"Really? And the wood in your pants is just that – a wood?"

"Fuck you!"

"Gladly, want to join?"

Edward stared at him for few moments before muttering:

"This is over now. I'm leaving."

"Why? Because I kissed you and you fucking liked it?" – Demetri shouted.

"No, because I thought we could possibly be friends and it's clear now we really can't."

"What is wrong with you? I mean really – what the fuck is wrong with you? I'd understand if you simply didn't like it – that's fine, this just wouldn't be your plate. But you're so obviously into me! You stare at me all the time! And that freaking sensation when I touch you! Why do you pull away all the time?"

"Because I don't want this! I don't want this! I don't want to like it! I don't fucking want to like you! Just leave me the fuck alone!"

"Yeah, you and your loneliness…" – There was no fight in Demetri anymore, so he just moved closer to Edward, invading his personal space again. – "Listen Edward, I really like you. I mean really. It's surprising to me, but fuck it, I just like you. If you don't want that, then I guess too bad for me. I do want to be your friend though… I guess what I'm trying to say is… Stay, ok? Just, stay."

"I can't stay…" – He said desperately.

"Why?" – Demetri was too close again.

"Because I think I might fucking like you…" – He muttered and rested his forehead against the tracker's. – "And I really, really can't like you."

"Why?" – He repeated holding his breath.

Edward pulled away again and composed himself.

"Because liking is not… How did you put it? It's not my plate."

"Because I'm a man?"

"No, because you're not somebody else."

"So it is a woman… You're in love. Why are you here then? Why aren't you with her?"

"Because she isn't mine to love." – He whispered and flinched painfully. Usually being with Demetri dulled the pain, but thinking of Alice… It was still agony. Edward gritted his teeth and tried to clear his mind. – "Now you know."

"So you mean you always overthink stuff, right?" – Demetri sighed. – "What the hell does that mean – she's not mine to love? She's married or something?"

Again the irritation flared, but Edward still tried to compose himself.

"Or something."

"You're so complicated for such a young being!" – He rolled his eyes.

"For your information, I'm over fifty years old!"

'Exactly! Such a complicated child…" – He grinned and Edward allowed to be sidetracked.

"How old are you?"

"Old."

"Are you ever going to tell me?"

"Why would you want to know?"

"I'm curious." – His lips twitched with the shadow of the smile.

"I'll tell you what – I will tell you how old I am when I think you're ready for this."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, for one – it means you're not ready now."

"Hmm… You're playing games."

"Yes, and like I said – you fucking like it!"

Edward laughed and then cocked his eyebrow when Demetri thought the sound of his laughter was alluring.

"What? I did tell you I like you, didn't I?"

"You shouldn't."

"Why don't you leave that for me to decide?"

"Fine. Anyway, I think I should leave now."

"No." – He shook his head at once. – "No, don't leave. I'll behave."

Edward sighed and looked up at the sky again. Being with Demetri was so easy. It lifted his mood considerably and most of all, it made him forget his loss and longing for a while. But he couldn't get involved in this. He just couldn't. Alice was the only one he ever allowed to be close to him and it really didn't end well. He knew it wouldn't, but he had no idea it would hurt that much. Alice was his greatest weakness and he sure as hell wouldn't allow someone else to get so deep under his skin. But at the same time, he really didn't want to leave. He liked spending time with Demetri, he liked the hours they spent in library, he liked running with him, racing him and always winning, he liked how Demetri cursed about it but seemed content anyway. All in all, this was the first time since Alice that he felt almost alright and he really didn't want to lose this.

"You're overthinking, you fool." – Demetri grinned after a while as Edward still didn't speak. – "Why don't you just stay? I mean, if you stop staring at me with those blackening eyes, I probably won't kiss you again!"

Edward laughed.

"Friends, ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, friends." – The tracker agreed and laughed. – "And really, what friends don't kiss each other or have occasional sex?"

"Demetri!" – He roared with laughter.

"What? I'm just saying… Anyway, come back here, I'll show you Orion."

"I think we had enough star gazing for one night, wouldn't you say?"

"Hmm, the experience was nothing but pleasant to me…" – He grinned again. – "Really, just relax, I won't bite you."

"You said that already."

"And I didn't lie – I might have licked your mouth a little, but I really didn't bite you. Yet."

Edward sighed again.

"Demetri, I'm serious. I don't want anything beyond friendship. I like you and I really like spending time with you, but I'm not looking for anything else. I want this much to be clear between us – I don't want anything else. If that's a problem I'll understand. It's really fine if you want to stop spending time with me. I think I overstayed anyway – I'm sure Aro's invitation was not meant to extend this long."

Demetri regarded him for a long while then finally said:

"You're so fucking stubborn, you know? You could be actually happy here, but you cling to whatever it is in your past, to all that misery you're in… Fine, ok. Nothing, except friendship, unless you change your mind and you ask for more. Good enough?"

"You're sure?"

"Yeah… You're still the pain in my ass!" – He growled but then smiled. – "Teenagers!"

"Hey! I'm fifty fucking four!"

"As I said – teenagers! Plus you sure as hell look young."

"Yes, well Carlisle turned me when I was seventeen, so no wonder. How old were you?"

"Nice try – I'm saying nothing about my age!" – He laughed.

"And I'm the stubborn one?" – Edward rolled his eyes.

"At least I'm the fun one."

"So, funny man, what do you want to do now?"

"I'd like to stay here for a while, but I think you should go hunting really…"

"Why?"

"The feast… There's a feast tomorrow. It's a holiday in Volterra and there will be a lot of tourist, so Caius ordered a feast."

Edward frowned at that. This was one of the reasons why he would never stay in Volterra – those feasts were horrendous. And the easy way Demetri spoke of them reminded him once again how different they really were.

"Come on…" – The tracker started, but Edward shook his head.

"No, don't say anything else. I hate it! I hate how fine you are with that… that slaughter!"

"Edward…"

"No, just stop it! I don't want to hear anything about it. I'm just going to go, I can't be here tomorrow."

"Hey, come on! You can't leave because of that! I mean, just feed today and you'll be fine."

Edward looked at him, his despair and revulsion changing to the glare of anger.

"Do you realize, I can hear what they think? Do you understand, I hear their every plea, I see their horror in realization of their own death? Do you understand how fucking hard it is for me to just sit still and do nothing while your coven feeds? I truly hate you at that time, I despise you! You, who I actually like any other time…"

"Look… How about I leave with you? We can go to Napoli for couple of days, what do you say?"

"What? Why?" – Edward stared at him perplexed, but then tried to compose himself to ask the proper question. – "I mean, don't you want to stay for that fucking feast?"

"Nah, you ruined that for me."

"How? When?"

"Just now, you fool. I don't want you to hate or despise me… Maybe it is a little grotesque, from where you stand."

"Its grotesque from the fucking moon!"

"Fine. So do you want a company or not?"

"You keep surprising me. I mean you just go with it – no planning, no forewarning, just make up as you go."

"No use of being a mind reader, right?" – He grinned. – "You learn this when you live with Aro for as long as I have. I don't have secret thoughts or hidden agendas, because he'd know them anyway, so I just do what I please."

"And won't they need you here?"

"No, Felix will cover for me. It's really ok as long as you want me to come with you."

"Yeah, sure. Of course I want you to come, that'd be nice." – He smiled one of his rare, bright smiles.

'Oh my… The things I'd do for you to smile this way…'

"Hey, focus!"

"Sorry… But really, you should smile more often, it suits you."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Ok, let's go then. I have to swing by the castle to let them know I'll be leaving with you."

"And you think Aro's going to be fine with that?"

"Yeah, like I said, he likes you."

"You mean he wants me to be all cozy here and so he gives me you?"

Demetri grinned. – "If only it would be so easy to make you all cozy…"

"I don't hear you denying it."

"I'm not. I think he wants you to stay here for as long as you would and somehow he thinks I can make you do that."

"And what about you then? You're stuck with me for a month now… Did he even ask what you want?"

"No, it's not like him to ask… And after you flared that temper of yours at me, I was not too happy to play host to you, but hey, despite of you being the pain in my ass, I'm not really complaining, am I?"

"It sucks that you have to do what they ask you to."

"Really? You do the same. If Carlisle asked you to do something, wouldn't you?"

"No, probably not. I might, but only if I felt like it…" – His thoughts drifted back to his family. He was telling the truth – he wouldn't do anything he didn't want to do. Unless it was Alice asking. He'd do anything for her, fucking anything. But then again – Carlisle would never ask him to do anything he didn't want to. – "It sucks anyway. I never wanted to impose myself on you."

"Come on! You coming here turned out to be a lot of fun for me. I'm not denying you sometimes drive me crazy with your mood swings, but you're ok and I like spending time with you."

"Yeah, well, what choice do you have?"

"Will you stop it? We're ok!" – He rolled his eyes. – 'Drama queen!'

"Hey!"

"Hey what? Don't read my mind, if you don't want to hear something you might not like."

"It's not as if I have a choice… Anyway, you tell me if you want to get rid of me, ok? I'm serious – if you ever want your free time back, just let me know."

"Fine. Can we go now? We've got to get you out of here before the… guests start coming in."

Edward growled at that, but Demetri simply nudged him with his shoulder.

"Run! Maybe I'll beat you this time!" – He laughed and broke into the run. Edward gave him couple of seconds head start, not for the first time thinking how easy it was to be with him. Demetri meant no drama, no pain and no despair. It was way too easy to like him and once again Edward reminded himself he had to be careful or he'd lose it and really, he couldn't afford to lose it again… He shook his head and broke into dizzying run.