Theo gestured toward the two seats positioned across from the large window of the store. The ambient lighting reflected off the polished surfaces, showcasing the effort he'd poured into cleaning the place in its entirety. Gone was the dust, replaced by shining furniture and gleaming flooring.
"Please, take a seat. Do you want water, coffee, or tea?" He watched as Bella fumbled her backpack off her shoulder before taking a seat in a subdued manner.
'God, she's a mess of nerves. How she ever survived in a world of blood-drinking vampires baffles me.'
"Water, thank you," she said softly.
Retrieving a pitcher of water from the mini-fridge beneath the coffee machine, Theo filled their glasses before sitting opposite her. As she drank, he considered how she'd fit into the store's routine, wondering if she could handle customers and their questions without melting into a puddle of anxiety.
"So, Charlie said you just moved to town. How are you finding it?"
"It's, uh, cold, but the people are friendly enough," she replied. "I haven't really seen much of the town, but it hasn't changed much since the last time I was here."
He could hear the judgment in her tone, but Theo couldn't blame her. Coming from Phoenix to such a secluded section of the US wasn't exactly every teen girl's dream. From his memories, Bella had decided to move because her mother was hoping to follow her fiancé and his baseball team around the country like a groupie. He had read the books in the past, and if they were still accurate, the girl was definitely the adult in the relationship with her mother.
He snorted at her words. "Let's be real, the place is as depressing as hell. Rain every day, no shopping centers, movies, or proper fast food."
Bella's shoulders sagged slightly, the tension bleeding out at his blunt honesty.
"Yeah, it's not the best, is it?"
"Understatement of the year, but it's been growing on me, honestly. From what I understand, we both came to town on the same day."
Bella looked confused for a moment before recognition sparkled in her eyes. "You haven't lived here before?"
"Nah, I inherited the place from my grandmother. I decided to take some time off from college and bring some life back into the business, hence the need for some extra hands. I've done the majority of the set-up—cleaned house, restocked the supplies, and ensured everything is operational."
He paused as he looked at the girl, noting she was showing more comfort in the conversation.
"What I really need is someone to man the cafe section and the register for the bookstore. It's not hard work: make a coffee, clean a table, direct someone to a book—you know, normal stuff?"
Bella nodded at how simple the job sounded. In reality, Theo knew the work was easy enough to do himself, but he wanted the freedom to explore the town, train his body, and learn more martial arts.
"So, you'd be okay hiring someone who's still in school?" Bella inquired.
"Yeah. The place opens at nine and closes at six, so you'd work a couple of hours after school and maybe the weekends if you want extra money."
He watched as Bella mulled over her choices. As far as he understood, she was quite an isolated person, and having a job like this would be a boon, giving her an opportunity to expand her social skills while also handling his workload. In the movies, she seemed unemployed, but in the books, she had been a capable employee at Newton's Outfitters.
They spent the better part of an hour discussing what her job would entail, from the general work to the more specific tasks, such as cashing out the till, cleaning, and restocking supplies. Eventually, a smile graced Theo's face as they came to an agreement: she'd work every afternoon until he hired an additional person, and every Sunday she'd work the full day.
He had wondered how it would pan out with the brooding vampire named Edward, but he doubted it would matter in the end. As much as the Cullens were immortal beings with diamond-like skin, they would do almost anything to stay away from people outside their family.
Ultimately, if Bella decided to quit, it would only cause him a minor inconvenience, as there were dozens of other students in her grade who would love a low-effort job for good pay.
"Well, that should be it. We'll be opening Friday, and you can come in after school to get your on-the-spot training." He watched as she flinched at the idea of training while working and chuckled. "Bella, how big is this town?"
"The sign says under three thousand?" she answered, the sentence coming out more as a question.
"And how many of those people do you think will come to a bookstore on a Friday night? I'm betting less than ten. The cafe only serves drinks, and the books sell themselves. You're honestly going to stand around and do nothing most of the time. Oh, and speaking of, you're free to do your homework, chat with friends, or read a book when the place is quiet. No point in you being bored as well."
It was a simple point, but something that Theo would have killed for in his first job. The freedom to relax unless the business was busy would be a godsend to anyone who was a student.
"Thanks, that's actually a sweet deal," she said with a bright smile, the first one of the afternoon.
"Well, we should end it here. Go home and give your dad the good news—well, it might be bad news if he has to cook dinner on his own."
She laughed, then grimaced at the words, cluing Theo in on exactly who was in charge of the domestic side of the Swan residence.
'Yikes, a grown man who can't cook his own meal. That's embarrassing.'
With a final thank you from Bella, Theo bid her goodnight before closing and locking the front door.
"Thank God that's over. Acting like an employer isn't exactly in my wheelhouse of skills." With a sigh, he pushed off the doorframe and made his way to the apartment above.
The days moved fast, and before Theo realized it, the majority of the week had passed, bringing the grand re-opening of the store. He wasn't nervous; the thought of a bookshop in such a small town being re-opened wasn't exactly a grand event. He expected there might be some glancing people passing by, and a few curious ones might step in to see if anything had changed.
Bella was scheduled to join him after school, and he'd decided to keep the cafe temporarily closed until he found someone to man it on the weekends.
After showering and brushing his teeth, Theo stood in front of the mirror and let out a whistle of appreciation. His physical appearance had changed at a rapid rate, though unless someone was keenly observant and knew him prior to his arrival, they would think nothing had changed.
His muscles had grown larger without the standard additional element of fat surrounding them. His shoulders were hard and rounded, his chest was broader, and defined, popping abs accompanied thick arms, a narrow waist, and beefed-up thighs.
If Theo was being honest though, the aesthetics meant less to him than the performance improvements. He was already running at speeds exceeding world-class athletes, and whilst he decided against purchasing conventional weights, he was lifting heavier objects with absolute ease.
'As long as I keep the hair, Saitama won't have anything on me eventually.'
Theo chuckled momentarily at the thought of going bald from the sheer physical stress as he changed into presentable clothing: a white button-down dress shirt tucked into black chinos and dress shoes. He nodded at the clothes that turned him from less of a teenager into more of an adult.
Exiting the apartment, Theo double-checked the store, wiped down the counters and floors, and checked the clock.
"Nine on the dot. Let's get the show on the road."
With a flick of the light and a turn of the lock, Theo opened the store for the first time in four years, only to be greeted by a torrential downpour of rain.
He opened his mouth to make a sarcastic comment before his shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Well, this is on brand." Turning back, he went to the register and took a seat. "Probably the most accurate reality to my situation. Why I didn't expect a storm to appear in the wettest part of the continental US is beyond me."
Deciding that he would follow his own rules, Theo picked up the first Harry Potter book from a shelf, made himself a hot cup of coffee, and settled back behind the register.
He was thirty pages into the book before the first customer appeared through the front door. With a smile on his face, Theo snapped the book shut and stood up, a greeting on the tip of his tongue.
"Morning, anything I can help you with today?"
From the back, Theo could only see that the man wore similar clothing to himself: a button-down shirt, dress pants, and dress shoes. Noting that the customer didn't look like someone who fit within the whole 'small town' vibe, Theo paid extra attention to his face as he turned around.
'My first vampire, and it's the father. How funny.'
He watched as Carlisle Cullen held a gentle smile upon his supernatural face. His steps were light, as if he floated on the ground, but Theo noticed how calm and collected the man was.
"Good morning, I had no idea the bookstore was opening again," he said. "I've always had to visit the city to purchase books. Sorry, where are my manners? My name is Carlisle."
Seeing as Carlisle hadn't extended his hand in greeting, Theo assumed he was being cautious about the temperature of his skin. In the hospital, it would be attributed to air-conditioning making him feel cold, but in the warmth of the store, it would be odd.
"It's a pleasure, I'm Theo. We just opened back up, so I apologize if the stock isn't up to scratch. Though, we do order books in if you have any in particular you need."
Carlisle merely waved away the issue, the smile still fixed on his face. "No problem, I'm sure my family and I will be using the option now that I know about it. I see you have a section of older literature—anything regarding Shakespeare?"
Theo grinned at the question and gestured for the vampire to follow. What started as a simple guide to the section eventually turned into a conversation about the town, where Carlisle mentioned his job as a doctor in the local hospital. Theo appreciated how friendly the man was as he spoke about his family, mentioning how his wife, Esme, would love the Home & Garden section.
After half an hour of talking and four books sold, Theo bade farewell to the vampire masquerading as a human, a smile on his face.
'That was less unnerving than I thought. I can see why people are friendly to them when they actually speak; they're charismatic as hell. It feels like you're talking to an old friend after a couple of minutes.'
He mulled over the tidbits of information he'd gained, noting that Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett were still his 'children' and they all attended the local high school. He didn't pry much further, however, as asking questions regarding a stranger's family would seem odd.
Taking a seat back in his comfortable chair, Theo idly flipped through the pages at a subdued pace. He'd already achieved his goal for the day: have a customer visit and purchase a book. His results were better than expected.
Time ticked on, and before Theo realized it, he could hear the distant sound of the bell ringing from the high school. He'd had a few more customers come in, though only one more person made a purchase.
Tidying up the register and removing his perpetually refilled cup of coffee, Theo waited for his new employee. As the school was only down the road, it took less than ten minutes before Bella arrived. He noted that she looked stressed, but it could have been associated with the woes of being a high school student.
"Hi Theo," she said with a smile, her eyes glancing around the store for a moment. "How's the grand opening been?"
"Eh, not bad. Had a few sales, met a couple of nice people. Honestly, I've spent most of the time reading Harry Potter," he said with a sheepish grin.
Bella laughed at that as she walked to the register and stowed her backpack under the counter.
"So, what am I doing?"
Pausing for a moment, Theo looked around the store before looking back at the girl.
"Have you got homework? May as well get it done now."
He couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed at the look she gave him, but pushed past it a second later. She was essentially getting free money, so theoretically, she should have been pleased with the situation.
"I could start pasting posters around town, letting them know we have a new barista who loves making them coffee. Would that work?"
Bella's face dropped from the deadpan look she had given him, a look of horror replacing it.
"No, no, it's fine. I've got homework—tons, actually."
"That's what I thought! But seriously, just relax. I'll be here, so if anything happens you can always defer to me. I may not be that much older than you, but this stuff is simple. Just give me a shout if you need anything; I'll be upstairs."
Bella nodded at his words before reaching into her backpack and pulling out her notebook. With a content smile, Theo left her to her own devices as he left for his apartment.
Closing the door behind him, Theo walked toward his kitchen. An idea had struck him since meeting with Carlisle; it was somewhat hare-brained, but if it worked out how he expected, it would be life-saving.
Picking up a kitchen knife, he stared at the glinting steel and gulped.
"Regeneration. If I can harm myself enough, I could adapt and evolve to the point where my body would work like Deadpool or Wolverine. Wounds would heal almost instantly, limbs would regrow—I might be able to eventually survive dismemberment."
With a slow and gentle move, Theo placed the knife upon his palm and gently slid it across. Pain blossomed instantly as he felt the metal slice into his hand. With a quick gasp, he placed the knife down and stared at the cut. It wasn't deep enough to touch the nerves or veins, but enough to cause free blood flow.
He waited with bated breath as a tea towel was used to dab away the excess blood that continuously flowed. After a couple of minutes of waiting, Theo grew worried that he'd done something stupid, and with the concern, he almost missed the telltale sensation of warmth blooming through his body.
Then, it came. The clicking of the tumbler rolling over.
He heard the auditory cue of his ability coming alive, but it was the visual feedback that made him smile. The blood flow began to lessen before coming to a stop and clotting. From there, the clotting slowly disappeared as he watched in wonder as the skin knit together, closing completely.
No wound, no scarring. The only sign that he had cut himself was the dried blood.
"Damn," Theo muttered. "This is broken as all hell."
Running his hand under the tap as he wiped away the dried blood, Theo thought about the applications of such an ability.
'I could actually become immortal like this. Like, the physical aspect of immortality isn't that far out of reach. I'll need to work on becoming resistant to poisons, chemicals, and the elements. But this is another avenue to get stronger.'
**********
Okay, you've all been officially spoiled. Here's another one posted! Now, I haven't forgotten about the Gacha draws, they'll be mentioned later. How did you like the chapter, tell me your thoughts!