sugarplumsandmoonpies - Tumblr blog

sugarplumsandmoonpies · 1 year

Text

‘Dedicated to You’

Carlisle Cullen x female reader

Word Count: 4.8k

Summary: Carlisle loves your voice, so you decide to make him a cover album of you covering famous songs. Unfortunately, during production, you begin to push him away, in order to keep it a surprise until the very end.

A/N: hi, hello, me again - I was so overwhelmed with the love for ‘Walking Art’, thank you to all those who read it and enjoyed it. Not only am I glad that there’s a substantial audience of Carlisle lovers out there, but I’m glad that y’all liked my work. I know sometimes it’s hard to get lost in some fanfics, as they can be specific - i.e., some people might not fw this because they’re not musically inclined, but over the years I’ve just been able to get lost in fics and roll with it. I guess what I’m saying is that I hope you can get lost in it too, because there are some beautiful fics out there like that.

At the very end, I’ve listed a bunch of songs that inspired me through this process or that I listened to after the conception of this idea, that really stuck with me. If you’d like to listen to these songs while you’re reading, here is a link to a Spotify playlist with all the songs on it: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KFlxBk4OVy6Cmnv9Jgruz?si=f907d71cdfd54160 x

Dividers by the wonderful @firefly-graphics <3

You were, by no means, famous; it’s not like people were recognising you in the street - people who weren’t local to Forks, Washington anyway. In your mind, you were just someone who enjoyed singing, had a good voice and the financial means to buy studio time. You had a humble couple of hundred monthly listeners on Spotify, which was pretty good for some random person singing out of the tiny town. People around town obviously knew you, considering you were regularly on the musical circuit. Events, bars, weddings - you did ‘em all. And that’s where you first met each other.

Carlisle isn’t one to socialise beyond his means, it’s just easier that way. But in a town where everyone knows everyone, you end up looking a bit ‘weird’ when you never go out. A few of the doctors and staff from the hospital like to get together outside of work every couple of months, just as a nice way to spend time together. An invitation is always extended to Carlisle, but rarely does he attend these outings. When he does accept, it’s just to decrease suspicion. He gives people just enough to not be suspicious or curious about his life and family, while still managing to be a friendly and warm person. He’s a listener, anyway. The hospital staff are a tight-knit group, so there are sad faces whenever Carlisle says he can’t attend - imagine it when he tells them he can make it; it’s pandemonium. This time was the same.

“We’re meeting at Turner’s Bar. Everyone else is more-or-less here already” the text read; his signal to leave. Grabbing his coat, wallet and keys, he bid farewell to his adopted children and drove down to the centre of town. The further he drove in, the heavier the rainfall. The light patter soon became thunderous. He hoped this wasn’t an omen for the rest of the evening.

It was pretty lively for a Saturday night - more so than it usually is. Carlisle parked up, doing his best to fight against the rain and the brisk wind, and made his way through the door to the bar.

Turner’s Bar was one of the only two bars in town, so it needed to be appealing, and it showed. The large, long rectangular room with navy blue walls was illuminated with warm yellow light, coming from sconces that looked like tiny little lanterns. Black and white photographs of the town and maps of the original layout of Forks littered the wall in varying sizes in black frames. Matching floor-length navy drapes hid the frosted glass and downpour outside from the merry patrons. Tables were strategically positioned all throughout the room, taking advantage of every inch of available space, with built-in benches and tables of multiple shapes and sizes. The bar was at the back centre of the room. A wooden floor surrounded the vicinity of the dark wood bar and taps of pretentious IPAs and institutional beers were situated at either end. Three shelves were adorned with various different types of hard liquor and spirits. Hand-drawn chalkboards were hung on pillars by the bar, and around the entire room, listing the selection of drinks available. A cushy, spongy dark carpet was laid on the floor, supporting the many chairs patrons sat down on, and felt quite nice underfoot.

‘It’s pretty packed’, Carlisle thought to himself while weaving his way through the many people who stood and sat around near the bar, extending an ‘excuse me’ or ‘pardon’ whenever he had to pass through a blockade of people.

“Carlisle!” a yell from Mary, the resident oncologist, brought his attention to his colleagues packed into the corner “over here, we saved you a seat!”

Carlisle raised his hand and waved, making his way over to them, grabbing the final chair.

“It’s, uh, it’s kinda busy tonight? Like, it’s packed”, he said while sitting, gesturing to the whole bar.

“Yeah, that’ll be because there’s a performer in tonight - a singer”, Mary told him.

“Not just any singer!” Adam, the critical care nurse, leaned across the table “she’s Fork’s own little celebrity!” he practically yelled, trying to be heard over the other patrons.

Sure enough, Carlisle looked up to see a lit-up stage area around ten feet away from him. There was an empty stool, microphone stand, guitar and amp ready to go.

“I don’t think I’ll know her” Carlisle sheepishly admitted, “I prefer the oldies”.

Adam laughed, “and don’t we know it!”

Carlisle smiled back at Adam, seemingly excited about the thought of a ‘drink’ and a show.

All of a sudden, the bar became very quiet.

Mary leant in towards Carlisle “so how was your shif-”,

Before she could finish, Adam leant over, “shhhhhhhut up, shut up, she’s coming on!” he aggressively whispered while waving his hands, making the both of them chuckle at his excitement for the town’s little entertainment treasure.

And that’s when he saw you. A gift from the angels themselves. Wearing a white, flowing dress - completely inappropriate given the bleak Forks weather - with an assortment of fine jewellery littering your wrists and neck, you practically floated onto the stage. Cheers from the patrons erupted as you waved at everyone, taking a seat on the stool. Your dress wafted ever so delicately from the slight breeze in the room, adding to the ethereal aura that seemed to surround you. Your skin glistened underneath the small, but mighty stage light, eyes sparkling and teeth gleaming. You were truly a vision - and Carlisle was completely bewitched.

It was as if the whole room faded to black, leaving just the two of you. He couldn’t bear to remove his eyes from you, lest you magically disappear from his view, never to be seen again. He felt the urge to be near you at all times, to completely surround himself with you. He was truly enamoured by you - a feeling that would only grow.

You began to adjust the microphone stand, leaning closer towards the microphone.

“Hi everyone”, you beamed at the crowd “thank you for coming out!”

You looked out at the crowd, eyes briefly scanning the audience. You were in awe of the turnout and made it known.

“Shit~ this is a big crowd. Guess I have a reputation now, huh?” you joked, earning a laugh from them.

“Now how’s about we get this show on the road?” you questioned the audience, leaning to grab the guitar to your right. They cheered again in response as you put the strap around your shoulders.

“You guys should know the drill by now: a couple of my songs and a couple of hits for everyone in the room; a good excuse for a sing-a-long.”

Carlisle still hadn’t taken his eyes off you, he sat and counted his blessings for being able to be so close to you - he had a perfect, uninterrupted view. Your speaking voice was like velvet to him, god knows the hold you would have over him when you began to sing.

“Now this is a song”, you began wistfully, “of a boy who turned up into town one day, whisked me away and broke my heart”

The crowd let out a mix of “awws” and “boos” on behalf of said boy. You swear you heard someone shout “fuck him!” from the back corner of the room.

You giggled, and continued, raising your arm and extending your index finger, signalling them to stop, “but that’s alright, that’s alright! Gave me some good writin’ material and a song that’ll tug on your heartstrings.”

‘One... two... three...’ you counted yourself in.

Halfway through the set, that’s when you noticed him - how you didn’t see him until then, you have no idea - you really couldn’t miss him. Sat on a chair and surrounded by a group of people, there he was. His eyes never left you, and you felt like you were the only two people in the room. It’s as if you were singing directly to him. He looked so elegant, was dressed so suave and was absolutely gorgeous to boot. Despite the house lights being dimmed, you could see his eyes twinkle, almost like he recognised you were looking back at him. His eyes were a warm, rich, unforgettable colour you had never seen before on another person. His skin was akin to porcelain, so flawless and smooth. His slicked-back blonde hair only added to his elegance. He was a vision.

For the rest of the set you felt his eyes on you, and you loved it. Knowing someone as handsome as him couldn’t stop looking at you was a thrill. There was a newfound confidence to you - was it because of him?

Eventually, your time on stage was nearing its end. You remained seated on the stool, basking in the round of applause and chants of “ENCORE, ENCORE!”, catching his eye every now and then. You reached for the microphone, pulled it off the stand, and began speaking.

“So, I think it’s clear that you guys are the best crowd I’ve had yet!”

The crowd erupted with cheers and whistled for a good fifteen seconds - Carlisle being one of them. You laughed into the microphone before carrying on

“I hate to go, but I have to leave”. The crowd began to throw mock boos at you, which you loved. You continued, “but, but, but - you can find me at the bar, where you can grab a drink for yourself, and one for me!”

Once again, the audience swiftly changed their tune and sounded off a round of ‘whoop-whoop!’’s before you placed the microphone back on the stand and shouted “GOODNIGHT FORKS!” like you were some kinda rockstar.

You made your way off the ‘stage’, the rush from performing not leaving anytime soon. You were really proud of yourself - you did some amazing crowd work and you sang the best you had in a long time. Usually, something happens that manages to dampen your mood or feelings towards the set; whether that be a heckler, rowdy patrons disrupting your set with a fight of some description, or you hitting the wrong note. It’s easy to hyper-fixate on these things. But this time? No notes.

Carefully walking down the final step, you wave at a couple of friends and acquaintances you spotted during the show, making your way over to the bar. That was until you were accosted by someone.

“Hi, y/n? I just had to tell you I’m a massive fan and that set was just… it was just amazing, I really don’t know how you manage to sing like that! I, uh, listen to you on Spotify non-stop, I’m glad I managed to catch a live show!” the man blurted out.

You smiled and chucked slightly “Oh, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the kind words…” you trailed off, hoping to find out his name.

He looked at you expectantly, before finally realising what you wanted from him. “O-o-oh, oh, OH, my name is Adam!” he laughed at himself.

“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it, Adam. Knowing people like my work is really important to me, so thank you for taking the time to catch me” you beamed at him, genuinely thankful for his generous words. You looked past his shoulder to see the table he came from. He was on that table and looking directly at you again. Now was the time. You needed to speak to him while you had the courage to.

“So, Adam” you started “you look like you have a good group o’ friends over there”, you looked at him before pointing to the table behind him.

Wordlessly, he took your arm and marched you over to the group.

“GUYS” he yelled “this is the one and only, y/n”, releasing his grip from you, you approached each person one by one, giving a quick side hug and peck on the cheek, exchanging a warm “lovely to meet you, thank you so much for coming”.

Then you got to him. He towered over you, looking at you with sheer adoration and infatuation. It was almost as if time slowed down when you stood in his vicinity. He smelled of sandalwood and vanilla, making him all the more intoxicating. His eyes were even more magnificent up close. You decided to stop ogling him though - it was looking a bit weird.

You reached in to give him a side hug and a peck on the cheek, just like you did with the others, but this was different. As soon as you touched one another, your whole body became warm, despite the fact that he was actually quite cold. It felt like you were being electrocuted; sparks! His strong arms found their way to your lower back while yours wrapped around the back of his neck, bringing him closer to you. Begrudgingly, you pulled away before going to give him a quick kiss on his cheek - and that sealed the deal for you. You felt whole. Your heart was beating insanely fast, and you felt so heady all of a sudden - all from being near him and having the littlest contact with him.

You fully pulled away, smiling an infectious smile, which he returned. “I’m y/n.”

“Beautiful”, he breathed, “I’m Carlisle”.

Since that night, you’ve been inseparable. Carlisle has been your biggest fan since and has been an endless pool of inspiration. He’s shown you a world full of love that you can’t even begin to imagine, and can’t even begin to thank him for. He’s been the biggest source of inspiration for you and your musical guinea pig. You play him songs you’re currently working on, and old favourites of his.

He loves when you sing about past loves and relationships, so afterwards he can snake his arms around you and boast about how you’re his, now. You love how secure he makes you feel, and in turn, you shower him with just as much love and affection.

Carlisle was no stranger to the studio you sang out of. You would frequently pull all-nighters in the small recording studio, food wrappers piling up in the waste bins and bottles lined up on the sides like trophies. A small weekend bag could be found under the mixing table, full of fresh clean clothes and various bits of technology and books. You would constantly work yourself to the bone until a song was perfect; you couldn’t rest, otherwise. Carlisle would come and see you in the late evening and stay with you until the early hours of the morning, only leaving because you insisted he go home to get some sleep (surprise surprise).

But instead of going home, he’d watch you from afar. He’d seen everything - your dance breaks to keep your energy up and lift your spirits, your crazy vocal warm-ups, you reading a book for an hour while sipping a warm drink in order to soothe your vocal cords, or just sitting off and staring into space. Sometimes he’d even catch you crying in sheer frustration because you weren’t having a good day. Those were the times he wanted to go to you and provide you with the comfort you so desperately needed but couldn’t because, apparently, he went to bed hours ago. He would sit and listen to you sing song after song, multiple times - he never got tired of hearing your voice.

“You know, I think you should keep that voice a secret, something just for me”, he would say softly while playing with your hands, admiring them, and eventually wrapping his around them. And every time he did, it made your heart flutter.

That’s how the idea was born; a cover album. You wanted to record a selection of songs for Carlisle to listen to, songs that reminded you of him and your time together. But you needed to keep it a secret; you wanted to surprise him.

So, for the past few months, you worked on your little project for him. But since you needed to keep this under wraps, you stopped asking him to go to the studio. Carlisle thought this was strange, but you just told him you were experiencing writer's block, so there was no point in him coming over to watch you do nothing. Sometimes he’d ignore your request and spontaneously turn up unannounced. When he did, you wouldn’t sing anything new around him, just some old songs - sometimes you wouldn’t sing at all, just talk. He’d leave after a while, despondent. He’d try again in another couple of days, he always did.

‘All I want to do is spend time with her. What’s going on?’ was all Carlisle could think about. He didn’t know what to think anymore. You did everything you could to distance him from you while you were in the studio, almost as if you were rushing him out for some reason. You stopped brainstorming new music for him and you didn’t serenade him with random little songs anymore. He was really worried about you, you had never hidden anything from him, so what’s going on?

You were so passionate about doing this for him and so excited to surprise him. Sadly, this translated into you neglecting every other project you had going on, and some aspects of your life. When you went home, you would listen to the songs on repeat and sing along with them until your voice was hoarse. You stopped arranging plans with Carlisle, only doing things when you realised it had been a while since you had last seen each other. In your mind, the more time you spent not working on it, the longer he’d be waiting for it - and you wanted him to have it as soon as possible. You would wake up, go to the studio until late, get home in the early hours of the morning, eat, shower and sleep. That had been your life since you started.

You were tired, but you just needed a little while longer, and then you could show him your hard work.

On the other hand, Carlisle couldn’t go on like this for much longer. All he did was sit and think about you. He tried to fill the void by listening to your songs and the voice notes you had send him in the past, but they weren’t enough.

Carlisle was sitting in his study. It was dark outside. Rain pattered on the windows the same way it did the night you two first met. The silence was deafening. The work on his desk had been untouched for the last hour or so - you were on his mind again and there was no way he could focus now. He craned his head to the left, looking at the clock; 2:33am. Huffing loudly, he turned in his chair, now facing the large floor-to-ceiling windows that surrounded his office. He knew he needed to confront you about the way you had been acting.

‘It’s someone else. She’s met someone else and they’re going around there instead’, ‘she doesn’t want you around, you’re too clingy’, ‘you never give her enough space’, and ‘she’s not in love with you anymore’ were the only thoughts running through his head, now. No matter how many times he swatted them away, telling himself that you would never do that to him, they still came back. He needed answers. His heart was breaking, bit by bit. Every tight-lipped smile you gave him, every back pat and every time you pulled away from his embrace broke him. These weren’t big issues in the grand scheme of things, but Carlisle needed you more than you realised, and each action was disheartening.

Almost as if a fog cleared, Carlisle came back to reality. His eyes darted around the room before bolting out of his chair. Grabbing his car keys from the desk drawer and his jacket from the hook, he marched down the stairs through the kitchen, passing the Cullen/Hale children on his way out.

Rosalie squinted at him curiously, while Emmett asked “where are you go-”

The front door slammed shut before he could finish.

Heads turned towards Edward, wanting an answer.

“Just some... stuff, you know. Emotional… things” he flatly answered, earning a collective nod from the group.

Carlisle ragged the car door closed, starting the car up and speeding off down the winding, rain-soaked roads of Forks. The closer he got to the studio, the more urgent he became in his mission. He bolted out of the car as soon as the key was out of the ignition. Running to the studio, he noticed there was no light emanating from the property.

‘Sh-she should be here? When is she ever not here?’ Carlisle’s mind raced with endless possibilities of the bad things that could’ve happened to you since you weren’t there.

Then, through the doubt and panic clouding his mind, one clear thought came to him: ‘she’s at home’.

“That… makes a lot of sense” he whispered to himself, placing his hands in his coat pocket to dig his keys out, preparing to drive to your home.

Meanwhile, you had stepped out of the shower no more than half-an-hour ago. With pyjamas on, wet hair slicked back and ablutions finished, you settled yourself into bed. But you couldn’t rest.

Across the room, your laptop was open on your desk. You had spent the day working on the album at home - there wasn’t much left to do, other than finalising the order of songs and deciding if you were going to make it publicly available for everyone to stream, or going ‘old-fashioned’ and burning a CD for him only.

‘Maybe I could gift it to him on vinyl?’ you thought, soon shuddering at the thought of the cost.

Now that you were at the finish line, you were so excited to have Carlisle back in the studio with you. You missed his company. Every time you had to shoo him away, you felt terrible, but you needed to be that way for it to be a surprise. Looking over and seeing him sitting, eyes trained on you, was a sight you longed to have back. He was such an integral part of your process now, you couldn’t believe how you worked without him, before. You were so thankful to have him by your side with every endeavour you pursued.

'At least once this is over, we can go back to normal.’

Suddenly, there was a loud, incessant rapping at your front door, cutting through the ambient silence of your apartment.

Your heart immediately began to race - ‘who the fuck knocks like that on someone’s door at-’ you leant over to your bedside table and tapped your phone screen to check the time ‘-three in the morning?!’.

Slowly, you crept out of the bedroom, making your way down the short hallway, past the kitchen and to the front door. The thought of ‘at least I locked it’ did not provide you with the comfort you thought it would.

You edged closer to the door, using the peephole to check who was there. And that’s when you saw Carlisle. His palm was placed flat against his forehead, head positioned up to the ceiling and eyes closed. He was frowning - something was wrong.

“Carlisle?” you softly spoke while moving away from the peephole, leaning over to the console table to grab your keys, unlocking the door.

You pulled the door open, revealing him fully to you. He looked absolutely dishevelled. His hair was a mess, as if he had been running his hands through it and tugging at it in frustration. His eyes looked heavy and weary, sadness clearly visible in his once bright eyes. His shoulders slumped as he looked down at you, managing to muster a slight smile for you. But it didn’t feel genuine.

Grabbing his hand, you wordlessly led him into your home, taking his jacket off for him and leading him through to your bedroom to talk. He followed you, completely at your mercy. He stopped at the doorway, watching you plop down on your bed which was adorned with multiple pillows and blankets.

“C’mon, angel” you sweetly said, patting a space out on your left for him to join you. A tiny smile crept on his face, he loved it when you called him that - he always thought it should be him calling you that.

Carlisle made his way over to you, looking down at the floor as he did. He sat next to you, eyes looking straight ahead.

“I need to talk to you” he said, devoid of emotion.

You squinted your eyes and furrowed your brows, confused.

“Uh, yeah sure okay. After that, I have something to show you though, okay?”

Carlisle readjusted his posture, sitting upright.

“I need you to tell me what’s going on. You’ve kept me in the dark about something and I can’t help but feel like it’s something bad. You push me away whenever I visit you at the studio, you never reply to my texts, and whenever you do it’s inconsistent. We never see each other anymore. I know it’s hard considering I work a lot, but I always make the time to see you and spend time with you, because I need to be with you every chance I get. You’re addictive in the best way possible. When I’m with you, I feel... complete. I feel whole. Every second I’m away from you feels like an eternity.”

Your heart was beating a mile a minute. You knew all of this, but to know this man was completely surrendered to you? An indescribable feeling.

“I feel like I communicate this to you frequently, and yet it feels like I’m still being pushed away. I need you to imagine how you’d feel if this was the other way around. I need to know what’s going on now because I can’t go on this way for much longer”, he finished rattling out, as if this had been rehearsed a million times before in a mirror.

You turned your body fully to look at him, but he wouldn’t dare meet your gaze out of fear of what might happen next - what you might tell him. Looking him up and down, you reached for his right hand, grabbing it and encasing it with both of your hands. For a few moments, you remained silent, utterly speechless about the information you just received.

“I know what this looks like. I could’ve done a bit of a better job at being less neglectful for the past month or so, but it’s been difficult for me too. I needed you away from me so I could do something for you”, you explained.

His eyebrows furrowed as he slowly turned to look at you. This was absolutely not what he expected.

Releasing his hand, you stood up and walked to your desk. You woke your laptop up and pulled up the files containing everything you had been working on. Turning, you gestured for him to join you. He obliged.

Once he met you, you reached for his hand and laced your fingers with his, raising them and leaning them against your chest. Taking a very deep breath, you began to reveal your project to him.

“I wanted to make something for you, something that no one has given you before - at least, I hope not” you chuckled lightly before continuing “it’s kind of like an album”.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows at this.

“Okay, act like it’s gauche why don’t you”, you mock rolled your eyes at him, “I wanted to cover a bunch of songs for you, that communicate my feelings for you and songs that remind me of you; of us” you proudly admitted. “And yes, they’re all sappy songs - sue me” you finished.

He stared back at you, wide-eyed. He was completely and utterly wrong, and he couldn’t be more thankful. This is the most thoughtful, caring and brilliant gift he had ever received from anyone. His eyes were filled with hope and love once more, thanking the heavens for sending you to him. He genuinely, properly, smiled for the first time in days.

“Is it finished?”, he eventually asked.

Without saying anything, you let go of him, reached over and clicked open the files.

“Now, before I play anything” you started “this isn’t officially finished. I can always add a couple songs on there upon request” you winked at him.

Click-click.

Music filled the room as you reached back for him. He met you halfway, taking your left hand with his right, and resting his left hand on your waist. You placed your right hand on his shoulder and began to sway to the music, dancing in silence.

Every now and then, a hint of recognition would be visible in his eyes when another song started. Each song perfectly communicated the way you felt about him, and he loved seeing your relationship and perception of him through your eyes. This was all he wanted for the past month - slowly dancing with you, breathing you in, and surrounded by you in every possible format.

And like that, you stayed, until the album finished.

Carlisle pulled you into a tight embrace, burying his head in the crook of your neck, whispering sweet ‘thank you’’s over and over again, while you kissed the side of his head. You basked in the moment, not wanting to part ever again - to stay there forever.

Songs:

A Message - Coldplay

everything i wanted - Billie Eilish

Without You - Lana Del Rey

Sea of Love - Cat Power

Somethin’ Stupid - Frank & Nancy Sinatra

White Flag - Dido

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys

505 - Arctic Monkeys

Love - Nancy Adams

telepatía - Kali Uchis

Keep Driving - Harry Styles

Andromeda - Gorillaz

(They Long To Be) Close To You - Carpenters

#carlisle cullen x reader #carlisle cullen x female reader #carlisle cullen x y/n #twilight #carlisle cullen #reader insert #carlisle cullen fanfiction #carlisle cullen x reader imagine #carlisle cullen imagine #twilight imagine #twilight fanfiction #twilight short #musician reader #carlisle cullen x musician reader

216 notes · View notes

sugarplumsandmoonpies · 1 year

Text

‘Walking Art’

Carlisle Cullen x female reader

Word count: 3.5k

Summary: Carlisle is mesmerised by your tattoos, so you decide to surprise him with another one, dedicated to him.

A/N: okay so this is my first fanfiction in, like, oh god don’t even make me think about it. Well, it’s the first one I’ve written that surpasses Wattpad level, anyway. We’ve all gotta start somewhere! My writing is so rusty I’ve got Salad Fingers licking the screen. There’s a gap in the market for Carlisle fanfics and I’m here to fill it <3 and what I mean by that is I’ve read EVERY one and yet I need more????

Divider by the wonderful and very talented: @firefly-graphics x

Despite committing everything about you to memory, Carlisle is still fascinated by your tattoos. He isn’t used to them - although tattoos have been around for over five-and-a-half thousand years, he existed when tattoos were few and far between, and seen as a way to brand criminals; not as a legitimate art form and method of self-expression. He always finds a new one on you somewhere; just when he thought he found all of them.

The fascination stems from a lot of things, really. As a vampire his skin simply regenerates, and since tattoos are essentially considered wounds, the ink is rejected and the skin heals. There is something to be admired about tattooing - working on a living, breathing canvas with a multitude of textures and skin types, all the while managing to capture soft, intricate details and clean lines. Your tattoos are a thing of beauty, and he is amazed to see the pain you have endured for them. Many times he has stared at them, running his strong hands across them, delicately tracing them with his fingers. He loved how your tattoos capture exactly who you are and your interests. You’re a walking picture book. You’re a walking piece of art that he cannot take his eyes off of.

He constantly asks you questions about each one; when you got it, what attracted you to that design, when you decided you wanted to get it, among many others - and you loved it. His interest in them warmed your heart, as your tattoos were really important to you (yes, even the less serious ones). Sure, some didn’t really have a meaning - but they don’t have to. And each time he asked, whether it was the first time or the thousandth, you answered them for him, never getting tired of explaining each one to him. You could talk about them for hours, and he would listen with bated breath each time.

For a while, you had thrown around the idea of getting his name tattooed on you. It wasn’t a big deal for you - you already had a growing collection anyway, what was one more? And you knew he was the one for you; he told you himself. You had always been a romantic and subscribed to the idea of soulmates, so when he explained that you were his, you couldn’t believe it. Not only were soulmates a real thing, but to know he was yours and you were destined to be together? Nothing could ever top that feeling. The constant reassurance that you two were made for each other provided security that nothing else could come close to. So having his name permanently etched into your skin wasn’t that much of a gamble for you.

Normally, you would share your ideas with Carlisle, letting him know what you wanted to get and asking for his opinion on certain designs and placements. He always supported whatever you wanted to get, as it was your body and your choice. He knew that your tattoos represented your interests and individuality, so he would love whatever you got, no matter what. But this time? You wanted it to be a surprise.

Unfortunately for you, you were so giddy at the thought; you couldn’t keep it to yourself. The question was: who to tell? Edward could read minds, so he possibly already knew, but you doubt he’d be able to offer much. You felt like you needed another female perspective; ruling Emmett and Jasper out immediately.

That left you with Alice and Rosalie.

Although Rosalie was not thrilled by your presence at first, she grew fonder of you as time went on. No more coldness, no more ostracising, no more ‘mean girl’ attitude. And you know what? It felt great proving her wrong. But you didn’t hold it against her - think about it: how would you feel if someone brought a human into your inner circle? If it goes south, you have to relocate and restart in another place, unable to return for a generation.

Your relationship with Alice, on the other hand, has been nothing but smooth sailing; she gave you a warm welcome and became a trusted confidant soon after. She had this weird way of breaking your walls down straight away, and you were thankful there was someone who was fighting for you when you weren’t there, alongside Carlisle. Ultimately, although it could prove to be a relationship strengthener with Rosalie, you decided to confide in Alice. After all, she could see the future. Every time you came back with another addition to your body, she always said it was the exact tattoo she saw in her vision. But despite knowing, she always acted surprised and shared in your excitement. Plus, you didn’t want her finding it out on her own and accidentally letting it slip to anyone, especially Carlisle. This was some super, top-secret surprise shit.

You waited for the best time to approach Alice with the idea since you didn’t want anyone else to know… kinda hard since you were in a house completely occupied by vampires with super special powers. It took a few days, but you finally came across her in the kitchen on one of those rare moments when everyone was off doing their own thing, finally separated. She was leaning against the counter, hands pressed against either side of the sink, looking outside at the woodlands surrounding the house. You stood next to her, getting lost in the view yourself - until you were brought back to reality.

“So”, Alice began, “something on your mind?”. You could hear the smirk.

You kept your gaze straight for a few moments, before giving her the side eye.

“Who said I had anything on my mind, hm?” you questioned, stifling the smile that was beginning to show.

Alice turned to look at you, eyes locked on your frame. Her face was unreadable; you genuinely began to worry. But it didn’t last for long. Before you knew it, she began giggling, and soon her smile was uncontainable. She was beaming.

“I like it when you tell me things, even if you know that I already know… y’know?” She said, playfully pushing her index finger against your shoulder. You had been made, but you already knew that from the start.

“Well…” you began, shifting your weight from one foot to the other, all of a sudden finding your hands super interesting. You started to pick at your nails when Alice suddenly spurted out “tell me, tell me, for the love of god just tell me already!” You laughed at her, finding her excitement endearing and palpable.

“Okay, so basically I’ve been thinking about getting another tattoo…” you paused, “...on me”, you took a deep breath before finishing, “for Carlisle”.

There was silence for a few seconds until you finally looked at her to see her smiling the widest, toothiest grin at you that you’ve ever seen - seriously, it looked like it pained her to do it. She began jumping from one foot to another, lightly clapping her hands together.

“Where and when?!” is all she asked, oozing with joy.

You giggled at her, quickly grabbing her hands to stop the clapping before someone came in to check what was going on.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a while - we’re soulmates and I want a permanent display for him on me”, you smiled at the thought of him, your heart warming and stomach filling with butterflies, “one more permanent than a wedding ring could be; I could easily take that shit off.”

Alice was getting giddier by the second, unable to contain her happiness for you. “That’s an amazing idea - I know he’s just going to love it! Have you found someone to do it for you? Is it gonna be your handwriting or? I need to know, y/n!” she shot at you.

You took a deep breath and gave her a knowing glance “of course I’ve found someone!” you laughed, continuing “it’s called one of the few tattoo artists nearby. About an hour-and-a-half out”, you sighed at the thought of the long drive there and back, “but those are the things we do for love, so”, you said while shooting her a quick thumbs up. “But I’m actually really happy I don’t have to wait that long for it, I’m already bursting with excitement as it is.” You danced your shoulders in a sign of happiness, your smile reflecting Alice’s.

You carried on, explaining “as for how it’s gonna look? Carlisle sent me a bouquet of flowers when we first started seeing each other - mmhm, they were gorgeous. And it had one of those… y’know... little cards attached to it? Well, he wrote me a cute ‘lil message on it and signed his name at the bottom. I kept the card for sheer sentimental value - I keep it in my wallet.”

You chuckled at the memory, before turning away to look outside once again, “I’m a romantic, sue me.”

Alice squealed with delight, finishing your own story for you “so you’re going to use his handwriting?! Shut up, that is the cutest thing I have ever heard in my life!” She took your warm hands in her cool, yet refreshing, ones and shook them from side to side.

“Oh, y/n. This is the most wonderful, romantic thing anyone could ever do, especially for him”, Alice sighed wistfully. “And it’s quintessentially you.”

You both stayed there, basking in the joy of the situation and happy that you had someone to tell, finally. Alice let go of you, bringing you into a familiar and welcomed embrace. You two rocked back and forth together before she whispered in your ear “I just know he’s going to love this. I’m so glad you thought of this, it’s a beautiful thing to do”.

You hugged Alice tighter, a silent ‘thank you’ for her sweet words of encouragement and support.

The day was finally upon you. You spent the whole night tossing and turning, unable to shut your mind off - unable to stop thinking about what you’d be doing the next day. Eventually, you managed to drift off, waking with a few hours of sleep under your belt and dark bags under your eyes. But the day was finally here, and that’s all you cared about.

You had told Carlisle you were going to go out and do a couple of errands; a nice cover for your actual plans. He gave you a loving kiss as you opened the door to leave, whispering a sweet “I’ll see you later, my love” into your hair. How does he always manage to give you butterflies no matter what he does? You felt his eyes on you while you walked down to your car - oh how you just wanted to spill the beans to him and bring him along with you to watch you get it done.

As you entered your car and started the engine, you gave him a quick wave goodbye before pulling out and beginning your journey. Looking back in the rear-view mirror, you spotted him still standing there waving you off. You lowered your window, waving back to him enthusiastically until you could no longer see him.

Rolling the window back up, you turned the radio up, hoping to hype yourself up with some stellar tunes. Honestly? You were really nervous. A good kind of nervous though - the one that borders on unbridled excitement. He’s the most important person in your life and you’re inscribing his name on your body permanently; it’d be worse if you didn’t feel anything.

It was dusk when you arrived back at the house. Exiting the car, you made your way up to the front door. You pushed the handle down and entered quietly, shutting it behind you. Taking your shoes off, you padded into the house and through the kitchen, where Alice and Jasper sat. Giving you a knowing look, you pointed to your covered wrist and smiled a big goofy grin at them. In return, Alice punched her fist in the air while Jasper shot you a thumbs-up with a big smile. You made your way past them and up the stairs, taking a quick detour to the bathroom.

You rolled your sweatshirt sleeve up to see your new favourite tattoo. On the outside of your wrist, under layers of clingfilm, was his name. The reality of it hadn’t quite set in, but it would soon. You carefully peeled off the medical tape and clingfilm, disposing it in the waste basket. Turning the tap on, you positioned your wrist underneath it, carefully rinsing off any excess ink before softly patting it dry.

You took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. Suddenly, you were very aware of the dull ache radiating from the tattoo. What you had done finally sunk in.

‘Holy shit’. Your mind soon became assaulted with second thoughts. ‘What if he doesn’t like this? He says he loves my tattoos, but surely he has to since he loves me? What if he just doesn’t understand why I did this; will he think I’m stupid? This is a totally different ballgame - this is his name we’re talking about, for Christ’s sake! A bold, clear display of our relationship. There is absolutely no subtlety here!’ You were spiralling over thoughts that weren’t true but it was hard to be rational in a moment like this.

You quickly shook your head, almost as if you were trying to physically remove the thoughts from your mind. You focused on your feelings for him, and how you knew him well enough to know he would love the gesture; you felt peace. You felt reassurance. With your regained confidence, you exited the bathroom and made your way across the landing, walking up to the door to his study.

You lightly knocked against the wood, your excitement rising by the second.

“Come in”, you heard his smooth voice say from the other side of the door.

Carefully opening the door, you slinked into the room, inconspicuously blocking your arm from his direct eye line. His study smelled like him; leather, pine and a little hint of citrus. It was so refreshing, so intoxicating; so Carlisle. You looked around the room. It was always so cozy in his office, thanks to the warm amber light the lamps gave off, and the little personal knick-knacks dotted around, showing a lifetime of experiences and interests. Bookcases packed full of various books and novels stood against the dark walls. Ornaments and photographs of his family were proudly displayed throughout the rest of the room. Across the room, Carlisle was settled in his plush chair looking over various files on his desk, the light from his laptop illuminating his face further. He lifted his head up, finally tearing himself away from his work. His eyes shined when he recognised it was you. Your whole body was immediately filled with warmth as he met your gaze.

“So, my love”, lord how you loved that name, “how was your time out in town?” he asked, standing up to properly greet you with a well-needed hug. But before he could get any further than the edge of his desk, you reached your hand out, signalling him to stop where he was.

“I... actually wanted to talk to you about that.”

Carlisle raised his eyebrow ever so slightly. “Oh?” he said, sitting back down in his chair.

You immediately realised that sounded a little more daunting than you meant it to, backtracking to try and reassure him that it was something positive.

“Oh, oh no it’s nothing like that! It’s just, um” you paused; god why was this suddenly so hard to spit out? “Um… uh, well you see… erm…”

The more you stuttered and fumbled with your words, the worse it got. You needed to take a deep breath before attempting to carry on. Carlisle, meanwhile, was staring at you in confusion and slight adoration. You were clearly nervous about what you were going to say, and it made him even more curious about what it could be.

‘Deep breath in and out, this is exciting news.’

You brought your eyes back to Carlisle. ‘It’ll be fine.’

“I went and got another tattoo” you managed to admit, finally.

Carlisle’s face lit up as he sent you his trademark swoon-worthy smile.

“Do I get to guess what it is and where you got it? It’s my favourite part” he chuckled at you, clearly excited to hear of your new addition.

You loved how, no matter what, he was always excited for you when you did something for yourself. You always felt supported when it came to Carlisle and you really treasured that feeling.

“One guess this time”, you giggled “last time you wouldn’t stop until you got it.”

“You say that as if I didn’t guess it!” he pointed at you.

“Carlisle, we were there for half an hour and you needed hints! Never again - one guess!” you laughed at the memory, as well as his smug little face.

He leaned back in his chair, his index finger resting against his bottom lip. He looked away from you for a brief moment while thinking, before his eyes shot back to yours. “Flower chain, around your knee” he confidently said.

‘That’s actually a really good idea, I need to note that down somewhere’

“Brilliant idea, but unfortunately not” you giggled lightly, “I think… it’s best if I just show you”.

You made your way over to his desk, walking around to meet him at his chair. He turned to face you, your legs brushing against his bent knees. You leaned down slightly before bringing your arm to the front of your body, angling it so he could clearly read the word ‘Carlisle’ delicately etched in your wrist, in his beautiful handwriting.

Carlisle let out a soft, audible gasp. He took your arm, bringing it closer to his face, having to actively resist the urge to trace it the way he did with your other tattoos. He just stared at it. Disbelief, love and pride clearly written all over his face. If he could cry, he’d be doing it now.

Finally, you spoke. “Well… how do you feel?”

Carlisle wordlessly stood up. He towered over you, looking so deeply into your eyes, you’re pretty sure he was looking at your soul. He took a moment, closing his eyes and basking in the moment, before opening them and meeting yours once more. He raised his hands and rested them against your cheeks, cradling you. You leant into his touch, savouring it like it was the last time.

“You did this… for me?” his voice was filled with adoration.

You beamed up at him, proudly answering “Yeah, I wanted part of you with me forever” you lightly giggled at yourself “and what better way to have that, than with your name on me?”

The way he looked at you nearly made you melt on the spot. You felt all warm and fuzzy at the sight of him like this. He was searching for the right thing to say, to convey how he felt at this gesture of pure love, but was unable to find the words. Instead, he wrapped his arms around you, lifting you up. You squealed as you were lifted from the floor, wrapping your legs around his waist for extra support. He repositioned his left hand to hold your thigh as he nuzzled his head into your neck, breathing you in.

“Thank you, thank you” he repeated into your skin. You basked in the moment, appreciating every second before Carlisle carried on.

“I can’t tell you how much this means to me. If I could do it too, I’d have it done in a heartbeat,” he told you.

Your heart filled with love and joy, words couldn’t describe how much you appreciated what he said. To know he would’ve reciprocated meant the world to you.

Carlisle patted your thigh twice, signalling that he was going to set you back down. Begrudgingly, you unwrapped your legs from his waist, feet lightly hitting the hardwood floor. Once again, he was looking down at you.

He lifted his hand up, holding your jaw between his index and thumb, lightly stroking your cheek. You felt your cheeks heat up, unsurprisingly. Laughing warmly at you, he leant down, placing his lips on yours.

‘His lips are always so soft’ you thought, allowing yourself to get lost in the kiss, unconsciously deepening it. Carlisle stood flush against you, your chest pressed against his own. He wrapped his arms around you, holding you so tightly and securely. He always managed to make you feel safe.

He felt like home.

You both slowly broke away from the kiss, humming in satisfaction. “So it’s safe to say you love me having your name on my wrist for all to see?” you smirked at him.

He pulled you back in for another sweet embrace, his hands slowly caressing your back, saying “of course I do. Now everyone knows you’re mine.”

548 notes · View notes