Ghost of Ourselves (Twilight X Reader)

°CollyWobbles°

A British term that means butterflies in your stomach. It can also be used to describe an upset stomach.

"The clearing we use for baseball has good sight lines," Jasper notes, his tactical working. "We'll position the Cullens to the east, pack to the west. Laurent should approach from the north—"

They sit and or stand in the living room in deep discussion.

"Where we can all see him," Edward interjects darkly.

Alice rolls her eyes. "Yes, because he's definitely going to try something nefarious with two covens and a wolf pack watching. Kinda overkill."

"Speaking of watching," Rosalie examines her perfect nails, "someone should take him shopping first. I refuse to be seen cooperating with someone wearing last season's torture victim chic."

"Rose," Esme chides, but I catch Emmett hiding a smile.

"The pack will stay phased," Embry adds, his warm hand finding mine. "Better reaction time if needed. Though Sam says we'll try to... control our natural responses."

"How diplomatic of him," Edward mutters.

"More diplomatic than you're being," Bella points out, earning a surprised laugh from several people.

"What about James?" I ask quietly. The room sobers immediately.

"That's partly why we need this meeting," Carlisle explains. "With Laurent's insider knowledge of how James thinks, combined with Alice's visions and the pack's territorial awareness..."

"We might actually have a chance at outmaneuvering him," Jasper finishes.

[Later, with Laurent...]

The afternoon light plays across Laurent's features as he processes everything I've told him. He's wearing... different clothes. The leather jacket looks new, expensive. His dark jeans could have come straight from Alice's approved designer list.

"You changed your clothes up a bit I see" I observe, fighting a smile.

"One does occasionally shop," he returns dryly. "Though I doubt it will appease your fashion-conscious friend. The blonde one—Rosalie? She seemed to have strong opinions about my appearance."

"She has strong opinions about everything," I laugh. "But you should have heard the others. Edward thinks you're going to eat me, Emmett thinks our poetry sessions are 'hot', and Carlisle is fascinated by your choice to spare me that first day."

"And your wolf?"

"Embry... understands. Maybe not completely, but he trusts me. The pack has to support what makes an imprint happy I guess, even if that happiness comes with fangs."

Laurent's laugh is a familiar thunderous-rumble. "And do I? Make you happy?"

"You know you do," I say softly. "Different from Embry, different from... others. But yes."

His expression softens. "Then I suppose I'll have to endure tomorrow's gathering of natural enemies. Though I must admit, the idea of coordinating with wolves to protect a human from James..." He shakes his head. "Life has become considerably more interesting since I met you."

"Good interesting or bad interesting?"

"Definitively good," he assures me. "Though perhaps Rosalie is right about my previous fashion choices. One does get... comfortable over the centuries."

[========================]

The next early day we head out to where the Cullens often play ball. Who knew vampires liked sports?