The café glowed with warm light through the drizzle-drenched windows of Forks, a gentle sanctuary from the relentless gray outside.
Rain pattered rhythmically on the glass, mingling with the low murmur of conversations, the clink of spoons, and the faint hiss of the espresso machine. Alex stepped in, shrugging off his damp jacket, the faint smell of roasted coffee beans instantly comforting.
Alice was already there by the window, perched on a tall stool, her pixie haircut tousled just enough to look perfectly effortless. Rosalie stood nearby, arms crossed loosely, leaning casually against the counter with her usual cool, unreadable expression. Both looked up as Alex entered, eyes brightening. For a moment, the heavy drizzle outside was forgotten and the world inside became warmer, softer.
"Glad you came," Alice said, voice light, pulling a chair out for Alex without waiting for an invitation.
"Wouldn't miss it," he teased back, sliding into the seat with a sigh that was more content than tired.
Rosalie, still surveying the room with keen eyes, nodded curtly. "You're lucky I'm feeling social today."
Alex grinned, reaching for the menu but honestly feeling too distracted to really look.
His mind lingered mostly on the way Alice's golden eyes flicked toward him, the way Rosalie's mouth twitched briefly as if to suppress a smile. There was something different tonight—something less guarded than before, yet still carefully measured.
Alice leaned in, lowering her voice just enough to invite a secret. "You know, when I first heard you were coming to Forks, I figured it'd be another quiet stranger passing through. But you...you're different. You don't shy away."
Alex raised an eyebrow, half amused. "I wouldn't say I'm brave. Maybe just stubborn."
"That works too," Alice said, her eyes twinkling like she'd caught him off guard.
"Most people don't know what to do with Forks until it's too late."
Rosalie snorted softly, folding her arms tighter. "Or they run away after one or two awkward conversations," she added dryly, shooting Alex a glance that felt like it carried more meaning than her words.
Alex laughed, shaking his head. "Not my style to run."
A waitress appeared, taking their orders. Alex went for a black coffee; Alice requested what sounded like a complicated tea concoction, stirring it absently as if the caffeine wasn't the point. Rosalie chose a latte but barely touched it, picking at the foam thoughtfully.
"So, Alex," Alice began, leaning forward, elbows on the table. "You've been in Forks a few weeks now, right? How are you surviving?" She grinned, genuine curiosity in her eyes.
Alex shrugged, lips quirking. "Keeping my head above water. You sort of get used to the scenery—the rain, the woods, everyone knowing your business. Feels more real than I expected."
Rosalie arched an eyebrow, smirking. "You call cloudy skies and rumors real?"
He laughed, "Guess I've lived in stranger places."
Alice propped her chin in her hands. "But what about before Forks? Any family back home? Or are you the adventurous, run-from-it-all type?"
Alex hesitated a moment, then let his guard down. "I moved around a lot. Never really landed anywhere for long. Family's... complicated. Mostly just me, these days." He shrugged, but there wasn't much bitterness in it; just honesty.
Alice's gaze softened. "I get that. Our family is... unusual, too."
Alex tilted his head, picking up on the hint. "Unusual how?"
Rosalie's lips twitched, eyes sliding to Alice with a silent challenge, as if saying, Careful how much you give away. But Alice didn't look away.
"Well, there's a lot of us," Alice replied—voice light, but her meaning ran deeper.
"We're all adopted, technically, but that doesn't really capture what it's like. We're close, but... outside, in a lot of ways. Maybe you've noticed?"
Alex grinned. "Yeah, you guys do have a reputation for being... intense. But in a good way, mostly."
Rosalie's laughter was low, unexpected. "That's a new one for us."
Alex found his curiosity fizzing over. "So, big family—a lot of siblinngs".
There was a beat when Alice casually listed off her siblings—"…Edward, Emmett, Edythe, Iris, Jasper…"—that made Alex blink. Edythe? Iris? That was new. For a second his mind tripped over the names, like stubbing his toe on a stair he thought he knew by heart.
Wait—Edythe and Iris? That's not… My head's definitely not in the canon anymore. This is someone else's story. My story? He kept a steady nod, but inside, his thoughts were running wild. Looks like the universe hit 'remix' on the Cullen clan. So what else here is up for grabs?
So that's the twist... Not just canon shuffled, but rewritten entirely. Edythe and Iris, not in the books—at least, not where I'm from. He hid his surprise behind a steady nod, but his mind was racing. Guess I can't trust sweet old canon to keep me safe anymore.
As the conversation drifted onward, Alex listened more keenly, suddenly keenly aware of how hazy his old certainties felt. Rosalie's dry humor, Alice's laughter—there was history here, but not the kind he could predict.
When Alice gently teased, "You haven't asked about boyfriends yet," and Rosalie quipped about the scarcity of single people, Alex felt a subtle shift inside. This was the moment—the unspoken rules he'd lived by crumbling as Alice leaned forward, her voice almost confessional: "Not anymore. People think so, but it's just stories. We're not attached. Not the way they expect."
Alex's chest tightened. He glanced between them—Alice's earnest smile, Rosalie's steady, almost hopeful gaze. He sensed the loneliness under Alice's admission, an ache of something unsaid in Rosalie's eyes.
A mix of disbelief and a bloom of possibility sparked beneath his usual calm. So they really are single—not just a technicality, but for real. And that look Alice gives me… Rosalie, too. I'm not imagining it. Maybe I am the main character for once.
His cool exterior slipped for just a second—a flushed smile, his grip tightening on the cup—before he managed to recover.
He offered a lopsided grin: "Guess that means we're all outsiders here."
Alice's answering smile glowed with warmth, edged with something that felt almost like relief.
Alice's answering smile was radiant. "The best people usually are."
The conversation moved on, easy and intimate. Alex's mind, though, was still spinning. He let himself feel the fragile hope curling in his chest, something like excitement—like he'd finally stumbled through a door into a story that, for once, might truly be his own.
As the evening wore on, the rain eased to a whisper. With reluctance, they gathered their things. Alice's hand brushed his as he reached for his jacket—her touch lingering, soft and deliberate.
Outside, the streetlights glimmered across damp pavement. Rosalie pulled her hood up, glancing back with a look that was less guarded than before.
"Let's do this again sometime," Alice said, voice light but hopeful. "Maybe next time, less rain."
Alex grinned, feeling warmer than he had in weeks. "I'd like that."
Rosalie's nod was slow, contemplative. "Next time, you're picking the café."
He watched them go, the two figures melding into Forks' quiet night—one luminous, the other strong as shadow. Alex stood for a long moment, heart stilling, mind finally letting itself hope for something new.