It wasn’t something Bella was used to doing all the time, smiling, but ever since Will had said that he loved her she couldn’t help the smile on her face. Having such a long burden off her shoulders was making her more motivated to hone her abilities. She concentrated as she attempted to gently place some supplies back on the shelf of the schooling tent. Before it made it to the shelf it dropped mid-air and she sighed. It had been so uncontrolled the last few months and she was getting exceptionally tired of how much of a mess she’d make every time she tried.
Then she heard a sound behind her and there was Paul. She’d spent so much time with Willis recently she hadn’t even seen the only other friend she had at Zion. “Paul.” Was all she could think of to say to him before offering him a smile. “How have you been?” She added, though she was sure it was a silly question.
Love was a tricky thing.
Paul had been chasing the feeling since he could remember, which was part of what caused his turmoil in the first place, and he’d only recently stopped trying to find it when he realized his feelings for Beth were strong. Since then he’d kept his distance, watched over everyone from the shadows, and made sure nothing about his character could come into question. Driving away the one solid lifeline seemed dangerous.
And that meant avoiding Bella. Not on purpose, it just happened that way, but he knew he needed his friend. She had been there for him in the times he had nothing to scrape by with, and that was not something you let slip away, either.
So, feet would carry him to where he knew she would be, those familiar haunts. As he stood in the flap of the tent, a wry smile formed across his face as she turned to greet him. “Better now. How’ve you been, Bells?”
Hands would slip into the pockets of his more modern attire - fitted dark jeans but not of the skinny variety. He didn’t quite understand that trend.
She looked different, livelier, as if she were floating on a daydream. It struck him a bit odd, something inside of him twisted up, but his smile never faltered.
While Bella hadn’t adjusted to the modern attire per se, her pants and blouse combo seemed to be more common among the patrons and she no longer felt the long glares of disapproving men. She made her way across the room and wrapped him in a hug before finding a seat on top of one of the desks. She realized she hadn’t seen him around much though it had all been sort of chaotic lately and she hadn’t exactly sought him out. “I’m better than I’ve ever been. Will told me he loved me so suppose that’s means I’m off the market.”
While it would be a shame not to sleep with Paul anymore she had a feeling it hadn’t just been her who’d found somebody. The truth was she knew how Paul felt about Willis, he didn’t like him or how upset he’d made Bella but he could at least be happy for her since he’d stopped playing games with her. “Thought I saw you hanging around a pretty girl, you got someone on your hook?” She teased.
Her hug was warm and familiar. A hand would draw from a pocket, find a place in the middle of her back and he held onto her before letting her go. As she stepped backward to find a seat, Paul closed the distance and settled down beside her comfortably.
The news was surprising; his eyebrows would lift but then they furrowed with suspicion. Those blue eyes brightened with a protective fire. “I’m glad for you,” he expressed, though his tone was a mixture of things. Bella was his best friend - overall he wanted her to be happy, but not with Willis. She needed a real man who would take care of her. Protesting meant upsetting her, and he hated it when she cried.
“I’m off the market, too, so I guess we have to be regular friends now.” It was meant as a joke, though that tone was still there and he couldn’t shake it.
When the comment about the pretty girl came, Paul brightened visibly, falling easily back into that charming demeanor. “Yeah, Beth. I think you know her.” They would’ve been in the same room together several times while eating, during announcements, celebrations. “You know her, right?” But there were a lot of people who worked at the carnival with them.
Bella shrugged her shoulders at his question. “Much as I know any other person here. I’ve seen her around, hell maybe we’ve even talked once or twice but I can’t say I know her per se.” she grabbed his hand and sandwiched it between the two of hers as she looked at him. Maybe just maybe they’d finally gotten what each of them deserved. Someone to love, someone to care for. “Is she treating you right?” She asked him, giving his hand a squeeze.
It was something that they agreed upon when they started screwing around. No strings attached, just sex but somewhere along the way Bella began to realize she liked Paul. Not like Willis, Willis she loved but she liked Paul as a friend and one who never ceased to be there for her when she really needed him.
“I promise if I find out any girl out there is treating you wrong I will find her and make her regret it.” She teased though the sentiment was behind it.
He figured as much.
A nod would come. His hand would slide between both of hers, fingers falling between Bella’s. She was familiar. Those blue eyes would study her face. “She’s perfect,” he offered. His free hand lifted, touching at his chest, “she’s...like me.” Bella knew his affliction, the lycanthropy. While Beth wasn’t a wolf, she knew his pain, the anguish.
He liked that Bella was just as serious as protecting him as he was her. It was an impasse. Whatever happened, if the Reverend hurt Bella in any way then he was going to feel the wrath of the wolf. Whatever that meant.
Apollo liked Bella in a way that he wanted to protect her. He wasn’t in love with her - that was something they’d talked about prior to their arrangement - but she had grown on him in a way he felt responsible for being honest and real with her.
A smile came to her face when he said she was perfect. Paul was definitely a romantic though he never seemed to show it until now and Bella was intent on getting to know Beth because if she was making her friend this happy then she wanted to thank her for taking care of him. She let go of his hand and leaned back on the desk.
“You’re in love.” She said resolutely because he could see that in his eyes. For this moment, in this time in her life, Bella was truly content. She’d spent so many years in anguish pining over a man who never paid her any mind that it felt so good to truly be free from it. “Don’t try to deny it, Paul, I have vivid memories of your entire body, you can’t keep secrets from me.”
It was a tease of course but one that came from a place of love.
A scoff. Those blue eyes would roll and Paul laughed, shaking his head. “Love? Nah.” But was he? His hand would rise once it was let go of, fingers brushing through his hair, and he considered what Bella said. Love was a strong word, and Beth barely knew him.
His eyes would find Bella’s and Paul would lean to the side, pressing his shoulder playfully against hers in teasing. “Don’t pretend you know everything.” It was all in jest, of course. Bella always seemed to be up in things that he could miss because of his occasional hyper focus on a situation.
Overall he was just glad for Bella and Willis, even if he was suspicious. She deserved every ounce of that happy feeling, that love she’d been chasing.
She playfully punched him in the arm before leaning back and chuckling. “Don’t pretend like I don’t know everything.” She teased and used her hand to pull a stray piece of hair away from her face. She knew she had to say something about how Paul felt about Willis. He hadn’t exactly been subtle about his distrust toward the Reverend and Bella couldn’t let that sort of quiet rage fester in him.
“Listen, I know you’re not a fan of Will, but I think you should get to know him. He really is a fine man, I mean he’s a man of god so what else could he be?” If only she knew the truth of him she might sing a different tune. Until then she remained blissfully ignorant.
Laughing softly, his hand would come up to press against the area where her fist had collided, as if it hurt at all. “I’ll take your word for it,” he assured her. That was the thing about Bella and their friendship, she was always easy to be around even when she was upset.
When the subject of Willis came up, his expression flattened a bit. But he listened. The idea that the Reverend was a good person on some level made sense, but snakes lived in rose bushes and the way Will smelled set Paul on edge. Even during Sunday services.
“Okay,” Paul nodded. “I’ll do my best to get to know him better, and you don’t want to hear this but you need to, Bella. If he hurts you, I’m going to hurt him after everything he’s put you through. Man of God or not.” He was firm on that. And Paul wasn’t even sure he could get anywhere remotely close to Will without something happening, but Bella meant too much to him to just let a man hurt her heart after they’d been through so much.
Had he not been there every single time Bella had cried, been upset, angry, things would’ve been different but she was special.
She didn’t like the way he spoke about Will but the reason he always made her mad when he said stuff like that was because it was the truth. Paul didn’t lie to her, didn’t lead her on and while Will had never lied to her, he had led her on for a long time. Instead of her usual heated response she took a breath and offered a smile. “Well that isn’t going to happen so you can just keep your hands to yourself.” It wasn’t the best response she could give but it was better than what she was thinking.
She stood again to wrap him in a hug. It had been too long and she would admit she’d miss sleeping with him. Months ago she’d promised they’d stop sleeping together when he’d found someone. She pulled back slightly to look at him. “I got to go, I have some church work to do. Why don’t the four of us get together for dinner sometime?” A double date as she’d heard some people call it.
All Paul could do was shrug. He hoped it never got there. Whatever made Bella happy was what ultimately he wanted, but he knew the funny way life could be and this seemed to skirt around those lines. But in her defense he didn’t know Will the way she did, so he didn’t stir the pot too much.
As she drew him into a hug, automatically his arms lifted and wound around her. Though he kept it brief. He would miss the deeper connection but then it never really went away, the physical part had just been something else. And because that part was over didn’t change anything for him - they were still friends, and he still felt the responsibility of protecting her the same way he always had.
“Sure, we can do that.” He didn’t know if that was Will’s scene, but he was willing to at least try to be good and give the guy a chance. “Set it up with Will, I’ll talk to Beth about it.”
She offered him a smile before walking out of the tent. “Will do.” She yelled after him.