Perched on the corner of the counter, Roman dug into the Tupperware of potato salad with gusto as she watched Seth work on some past due homework.

According to Sam, she wasn't allowed to give him the answers. She would like to see Sam stop her.

"Now just add them all up!" she crows, taking another bite.

"That doesn't look right," he says, pencil hovering over the page.

"That's because you suck at math. Just do it," she says, pointing her fork at him.

"You aren't that good at math either."

"Hey! I might not be that good in school but I know how to do math."

Nodding, Seth goes to do as she told him looking as though he ate a lemon. She doesn't call him out in it. She's done that enough tonight as it was.

That was probably why Sam didn't want her to help, knowing how easily she disregarded school in general, they were all aware that she didn't try hard to get good grades. It wasn't that she did terribly, she just never tried to do her best or pay that much attention.

"Is that the end of the math homework?" She asks, hopping down from the counter so she can wash the empty container. It would find its way back to Emily, she was certain.

He nods, shoving his binder and workbook back into his bag, pulling out a different binder with and a textbook that he drops on the table. The US history book sends a shiver down her spine and she nearly throws it out to the window. God, Junior High was a nightmare, and even though the reservation only had the one school building, she was sure that it was hell for him too.

"Let's not do that right now. It's going to give me hives."

Seth looks up at her, twirling the pencil around his fingers. "I have a lot to do. Mom won't let me go to Emily's if I don't get it all done."

"I know and we'll get it done," Roman reassures. "But we're allowed to take a break."

"And do what?"

"I don't. Want to go out for food? It's not too late so I'm sure everything is still open," she offers, jerking her thumb to the truck outside. "Come on, it's my treat."

He doesn't look impressed as he shoves his things back into his bag. "You always try to bribe me with food."

Grinning, Roman grabs him by the hand, pushing him in the direction of the door as she grabs his bag. He would want to continue doing his work, the good boy he was, and she wasn't going to keep him from doing it... per se, no, she was just going to take him on a detour for a break.

"Sue! I'm stealing your son!" She yells, hoping the woman hears her from wherever she is in the house, before she shoves on her boots, skipping out to the truck parked out front.

It was a clean getaway, filling her with glee as they manage to escape without anyone stopping her.

Things were tense with the pack whenever the Cullen's were mentioned, and she knew that they would rather have her on the reservation whenever possible. She didn't blame them for their mistrust of who were supposed to be their mortal enemies, but it did get annoying that they managed to guilt her into hanging around as much as possible. They were eager to have her stay nearby where they could protect her because an imprints safety was of the utmost importance.

If Seth wasn't such a wonderful sweetheart she would have accused him of being in on it. Roman knew him better than that.

And if she could sneak him over to Forks for the evening then all the better.

"Where are we going?" he asks, fiddling with the radio as she starts the car.

"Wherever you want. What do you want to eat?"

"We're actually going for food?"

She shoots him a glance. "What? Of course, we're going for food. Why would you think we weren't?"

He shrugs, not meeting her gaze. "Most people think I'm annoying to have around, I think. A lot of the older boys think I'm too young and Sam is always trying to tell me what to do."

Roman nearly crashes the truck. "Seth, hun, I genuinely love having you around. You're the brother I've always wanted."

"You have to say that."

"I don't have to say anything," she says. "You know me. I don't like to say anything that I don't mean."

He smiles at her, laughing softly as she raises the volume when he lands on a good station, singing along to the ridiculous show tunes. It was a good thing the truck had a satellite radio to catch all the good stuff.

Getting along with Seth had always been easy.

To think that he believed that the others found him annoying was astounding. With the way they didn't want him to shift a lot, it made sense that they didn't know.

It also made sense that he would think they didn't want him around, but Roman could see where Sam was coming from.

She might actually rip the man's heart out if anything happened to Seth (or Leah, probably Jacob too for Bella's sake, but mainly Seth. Always Seth).

They skip through five different stations, never hearing a full song, before her phone rings and Seth is answering it for her cheerfully.

"Roman's phone, this is Seth," he politely, if not a little cheeky. He pauses, waiting for a reply. "It's Bella."

"Oh! I'll call her when we stop for food."

"She wants to ask you for a favour."

She blinks. "What kind of favour?"

He listens to her closely, paying close attention. He glances at her, a small tug forming at the corner of his mouth. "She needs us to go over."

Her heart leaps, joy spreading through her as it always does at the thought of either of them, but this was Seth's time. She was with them all the time, it seemed, and when she could find the time to head up down to see him, it was often short-lived and divided with other people that vied for her attention.

It wasn't fair to him, not when he still looked at her like she was the best person to exist, and Roman figured that she could have been to him. The imprint was like a reassurance that he was allowed to keep her around and try to monopolize her time. She didn't mind his revert a few years to childish behaviour.

Like a duckling wanting to follow their mother around everywhere.

To be honest, she loved the attention he gave her just as much. She would feel guilty about it if it wouldn't have made him upset.

"Did she say why?" Roman asks.

"She needs a lift to the res," Seth relays.

"oh, yeah, sure," she agrees. "We can pick her up on the way back."

Smiling, he tells her before hanging up, leaning a little closer to her so that she could feel the heat radiating off his skin.

They arrive at the Swan house two hours later, grocery bags full of junk food shoved at Seth's feet with the windows down to get rid of the scent of take-out. Seth is a bouncing ball of energy, like an excited puppy, and she wonders if she had to let him run around the woods a bit. That would be incredibly fun, she imagined, running around the woods with him for fun instead of someone following her around when she worked.

Did that sound condescending? She certainly hoped not because she was going to seriously ask him.

The pair make their way to the house, not sure if it's their loud laughter or the slam of the truck door that gives them away, but Charlie is standing in the doorway, the light casting his shadow long across his lawn.

"Heard the little ladies cry for help," Roman jokes, shoving Seth when he snickers. "She's about to get sprung."

"I'm surprised you weren't here first," he comments, no hostility to his tone that he reserves for Edward.

"I didn't know there was a thing..." she says uncertainly. "I thought Bell's needed a lift to see Jacob?"

His expression shifts into one of disdain and anger. "That was the plan before he showed up. You might as well come on in."

She's about to tell him no, that they really should get back because this was going to be Seth's first vampire that he'll meet in person and she wasn't going to be the one to have him shift in the middle of Charlie's home, breaking the treaty -- making everyone hate both of them.

Though, with him stuck to her side like this, she thought he seemed fine. Vampire scent must have been all over the place.... or maybe he was just used to the smell being in her?

"I'll get the snacks," Seth says, turning back to the truck.

"Okay, bring your school bag in," she tells him. "Bring the keys in, too!"

And what was she supposed to say to him when he wanted to go in? That she was worried about how he would react? That this was supposed to be his night to spend time with her as he wished? She couldn't think of a way without linking all of it together it a way that would only insult him in the end.

Maybe she was just a terrible person that wanted to stay regardless because here she was going in to meet with the pair at that were arguing quietly at the table with paper scattered before them.

"What's going on?" Roman asks, standing in the doorway.

"Bella was accepted to the University of Alaska Southeast," Edward says, his satisfaction and joy tangible.

She eyes him. "I guess you did, too?" She also rhetorically, turning straight to the other girl. "Congrats, Bella! I knew you wouldn't have any trouble getting in, even with the late applications."

"Thanks, Roman. I wish you would fill some of these out yourself. Just to give yourself some options."

"Don't need options, Bells, gonna work as a Forest Ranger for the rest of my life."

"You can at least fill out one application and see how it goes," Edward suggests, tone filled with something hidden.

Alice's trick isn't so cute all the time.

"And write one of those ridiculous essays? I'll pass," she says, dropping into the chair next to Edward. "There's nothing wrong with honest work doing something I already know and love."

"Our forest is well cared for in your hands," Charlie calls from the door, closing it behind Seth as he bounces in.

Roman tenses, waiting for something terrible to happen, but he just continues on to the empty seat, balancing the bags in his arms as he settles in at the table.

He doesn't pause as he leans down and grabs a pint of ice cream, popping the lid open. "Can I have a spoon?"

She laughs, rolling her eyes fondly as Bella gets up to grab him one. "How about a bowl?"

"Would you like some?" He asks, blinking soft eyes down at her.

"It's all yours."

"Then, no, thank you."

Shaking her head, she turns to the other two. "This is Seth. Seth, say hi."

"Hello! It's nice to see you again, Bella," he chirps, spoon deep into the ice cream. "Edward, it's nice to finally meet you. Roman talks about you a lot."

"Shut up!"

"It's true!"

Groaning, she turns away from him, eyeing the application she was working on. "Dartmouth? Didn't know you wanted to go there..."

"I don't. Edward thinks it's a good idea to apply," she grumbles, glaring at him from the corner of her eye.

"It is. You should also apply, Roman," he says and it takes her a moment to focus on his words when he looks at her like that.

Eyes a shining gold, a bright, rich colour that sends shivers down her spine.

And oh, the way he says her name, speaking it as if each syllable was precious in even the most ordinary of sentences.

How wonderful could they be?

"Yeah, Ro, you should apply," Seth pipes, nudging her with his foot. "It won't hurt."

"Really, guys, I know I don't have the grades to get in, like, at all," she stammers, waving her hands in front of her. "I'd rather not waste my time. You could apply, though, if you can keep your grades up!"

Seth sighs. "Is this the part where you make me do my homework so you can flirt?"

Flushing, her mouth drops open as she gapes at him caught off guard without a clue of what to say.

Was that something people thought of her? That she was flaky so that she can flirt? God, how disgusting.

She hoped his beliefs were based on Leah and Sam, and not something that had to do with her...

"No! I promised I'd help you get it all done and I am sticking to it!" Roman declares, picking up his massive bag that landed on her lap heavily. "We can get all your history homework done here with smart people."

Seth looks at her curiously, searching her face, and she wonders what it was that he was looking for when he did that. He did it a lot more often since the imprint.

"Okay," he agrees. "Switch seats with me."

"Why?"

"Because Edward is really old," he whispers. "No offence, so he knows a lot more than either of you."

Blinking, she can only nod at his pretty sound logic, switching seats with him as she observes the pair with a sharp eye. She loved Edward with everything that she was, but she wasn't sure what she would do if he treated Seth as poorly as he did Jacob. The boy didn't deserve any harsh words or ill treatment, no one did, and even if they were mortal enemies, she wouldn't be able to stand it.

Edward and Jacob can keep their personal issues, hell, she had beef with the boy, but the pack and the Cullen's really had no good reason to hate each other aside biology (nature?) saying they should.

The youngest of them seemed to understand that better than any of his pseudo pack brother and sister.

Roman truly expected the same of Edward. The boy she loved was well mannered and kind, he took one look at Seth and his homework, and tilted his chair, resting his elbows on the table as they began to quietly work.

An elbow nudged her side. Bella's smile was soft but full of warmth that made her heart flutter.

"Sorry for calling you over," she spoke quietly, casting a look back at Charlie.

"It's fine. I didn't think your truck would break down, though, no matter how old it looks," Roman says. "I've seen Jacob's work and he knows what he's doing. I can beg him to come take a look if you want, give you a chance to see him..."

Bella shakes her head. "Don't bother. Edward's going to fix it since he broke it," she hissed the last part, shooting the boy a glare he didn't respond to. Seth's shoulders shook. "He didn't want me going down there to see him. Said it was too dangerous."

She can't help her gasp, not believing Edward could be so petty, yet knowing very well that he was entirely capable of something like that.

Thoughtfully, Roman considers it. The wolf gene activated with immense anger, an already powerful emotion, and continued using it as a fuel to shift until they learnt full control. Jacob has always been freakily good at that, apparently, but even Seth, with all his easy trust and optimism, hadn't thought it was a good idea to hang around him too long. At first, Roman had thought it was at the boys request so she couldn't pester him about ignoring Bella, but maybe it was something else. His emotions could be freaky to handle in his self-enforced suffering...

Roman voices her thoughts quietly, averting her gaze at the sharp intruding gleam to Bella's eyes.

"He won't hurt me," she snaps. "I'm going to find a way to see him."

"I don't doubt that," Roman says, just as strong. "I'm just saying you should be careful, just in case."

Bella breathes. "Sorry. I shouldn't be mad at you."

"It's okay."

"Hey, want to head upstairs while they do history homework?" Bella asks, hand on her shoulder.

Nodding eagerly, she jumps from the chair, following close behind Bella as they go.

Roman glances over her shoulder, winking at Seth's open staring and Edward's playful jealousy.

"Pretty sure my lip is fully healed," she says suggestively.

Grabbing her hand, Bella laughs.

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Ollo! It's the start of eclipse! I feel like Roman is a lil off this chappie. She feel a lil ooc to you??

Unedited

2019-11-13