Wish Upon A Star

Chapter 7 – A Less Fuzzy Mate

"Of all the shooting stars I knew, I never fell for anyone but you."

/Edward/\Harry\

Edward watched Harry's sleeping form in amusement. He probably shouldn't have expected Harry to sleep like a normal human, considering the fact that he wasn't one, but he hadn't really expected this. Harry had fallen asleep on the couch in Edward's room shortly after arriving and he seemed normal enough. Because it was summer vacation, Edward didn't really have any homework to do or anything to study. Not quite wanting to leave Harry yet, Edward began to flip through his old records and cassettes.

And then it began.

As he listened to Claire de Lune for the millionth time, Edward turned his gaze towards Harry's direction. The star was still sleeping, but he was no longer on Edward's couch. Instead, he hovered in the air, curled into a ball, and was glowing. Edward paused, his lips twitching upwards. Occasionally Harry would readjust his position, though Edward didn't know what good that would do since Harry wasn't exactly on a surface to get comfortable on, and would moan softly in contentment.

It was amusing to watch, and also guilt-producing. He spent so long not being interested in anybody, and now that someone was actually willing to help him find who he was destined to be with for all of eternity, he was beginning to develop an attraction to said person. A part of him felt stupid for acting like the seventeen-year-old he passed himself off as. Another part, however, assured him that all was well and to not stress so much. It was confusing, to say the least.

Glancing at Harry again, Edward stood up and made his way towards the sleeping star. He stared, captivated, at the peaceful expression on Harry's face and pondered the information he and his family had recently learned. His dead heart seemed to clench as he remembered Harry explaining how exactly he died. Anger bubbled in the pit of his stomach followed shortly by shameful relief or something akin to it. The world was supposed to be safe, and instead of living peacefully, Harry was put in a situation that caused him to sacrifice himself for his dear friend.

It just wasn't fair.

On the other hand, as bad as it sounded, Edward felt somewhat positive that Harry had died. If Harry hadn't passed, then Edward would never have met him. Some other star would've granted his wish (or just denied it without a care) and the thought of that made his stomach churn unpleasantly. He didn't know Harry for very long, but he didn't want any other star. He couldn't really explain it well, either. There was an odd feeling in his gut that demanded he get to know Harry better. It was like a tug on his non-existent soul, telling him to realize that there was a reason why Harry was the star to help him.

Edward frowned, confused. He didn't understand much about the entire situation other than Harry helping him find his mate. For some odd reason, his dead heart felt pinched at the thought of him being with anyone but Harry. Annoyed with himself, Edward scowled. He had a mate and he would be happy with said mate. Becoming attached to the helpful star would hurt him and his mate in the end. Still, though, something didn't feel quite right about his assumptions.

He spent the next few hours drowning in his thoughts.

"You look like a creeper."

Edward blinked in surprise. So lost in his thoughts, he hadn't realized that Harry had awaken and was looking at him with a small grin. The vampire immediately pulled away and faced the wall, pretending to fumble with his records to cover up his embarrassment. He could hear Harry yawn and hesitantly turned around. His eyes widened and he barely prevented a gasp from escaping him.

Harry was stretching, his back arched in a perfect curve. His shirt rode up slightly, allowing Edward to view the pale skin hidden underneath it. Edward's breath came in soft pants as images flashed in his mind unbidden. Images of Harry underneath him, his face one of ecstasy; of him and Harry in the shower, the water cascading down their bodies as Edward worshipped the star's naughtily; of Harry giving him his adorably crooked grin before leaning up and pecking Edward on the lips. They flashed over and over in his mind until he feared his brain fried.

Crack.

Edward looked down, vaguely registering that one of his favorite records broke in his hands. His pants became more frequent and he swallowed the venom in his mouth before placing the broken record on his table, his arms shaking with a buzzing sensation he'd only experienced before when blood lust had taken over his mind. Edward focused on ridding his head of the guilty images, realizing that he'd gotten aroused from them.

Harry chuckled nervously. "If you didn't like the record, you didn't have to kill it," he said slowly. "Though I guess that's one way to get rid of it. I'm not judging or anything, but I think donating them would've been a better decision. Then again, I guess Muggles don't really have record players anymore."

Edward tried to calm his raging body, but quickly discovered that having Harry so close to him after having thought of very stimulating images wasn't helping his dilemna in the slightest. "Excuse me," he murmured quickly. "I need to feed."

And with that, the vampire ran onto the patio before disappearing.

Harry blinked, slightly confused. 'What the hell was that about?'

Temporarily dismissing Edward's odd behavior, Harry glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. It blinked 9:45 p.m. at him in angry red letters. Before his brain could process any more information, Harry's stomach rumbled unpleasantly. Stretching one last time, Harry stood and made his way down the stairs. He could hear the other vampires talking along with the low buzz of the television. The calm atmosphere was occasionally interrupted as Emmett and Alice growled at each other, snapping out death threats as they used their supernatural speed to press the buttons of their game controllers. For a brief moment, Harry felt panic and fear. What if they changed their minds? What if they didn't want him helping Edward anymore now that they knew of his past?

Harry shook his head firmly. He hadn't been around the Cullens long, but their kindness and amiable hospitality had left a deep impression. It would be disrespectful of him to think ill of him, especially to Esme who had embraced him with the caring softness only a mother could provide.

"Harry? What are you doing awake? It's late!"

He smiled at Esme. "Humans rest during the night, but stars rest during the day. Why do you think you're unable to see us then?"

Esme made a small noise of comprehension. "That makes sense," she murmured softly. "Should've realized that."

Harry's smile grew. "It's perfectly fine," he said cheerfully. "I forgot at first, too."

Esme's face dropped slightly at the brief reference to his death before she brightened again. "Are you hungry, dear?" she asked kindly. "I can order you something from outside. I'm afraid it'll have to be fast food since that's the only thing open right now. We don't really have a need for food so my fridge isn't stocked at the moment. I'll fix that tomorrow, though."

Harry chuckled lightly. "Yes, that'll be great. A cheeseburger will be fine."

Carlisle nodded his head with a smile and left to get the food before Esme had the chance to turn around and ask him.

"Sit down, dear," Esme said, gesturing to the seat before her. "Edward probably won't be back for a while."

"He was acting a little weird," Harry admitted, his brow furrowed in confusion. "He said he needed to feed, but his eyes weren't even black."

Jasper hid his smirk in Alice's hair, murmuring too quietly for Harry's ears to pick up into her scalp, "I wonder why that is."

"Don't worry about it," Rosalie offered, descending down the stairs and taking a seat next to Esme. "He can be a little weird at times."

Harry laughed somewhat hesitantly. "If you say so," he said softly.

As time passed, Harry spoke with each of the Cullens. He learned how they died and how they met Carlisle; how they became a family and continued to move from place to place. Harry listened carefully, asking questions occasionally, and ate his cheeseburger upon the doctor's return. The same way he'd displayed his heart as he told them his tale, Harry listened as the family of vampires returned the favor.

Granted, Harry hadn't told them everything (and he felt somewhat guilty for the lack of complete information on his part) but the main parts had been covered. Still, each tale was just as emotional as his and Harry didn't feel as foolish for getting so worked up the previous day.

"Edward should probably tell you his story himself," Alice said, letting out a whoop of victory when her wrestling character pinned Emmett's and won.

Emmett pouted and dropped the controller, crossing his arms over his chest huffily.

"I know the gist of it," Harry said. "Remember how I mentioned that the stars have a system of government? Well, like I said, when stars decide to grant wishes, we're given something like a folder with some background information about the person who wished on us. I don't know all of the details about Edward's life, but how he died was in that background check."

Carlisle nodded his head in understanding. "Makes sense." He seemed to hesitate slightly before he asked, "Do you mind if I ask you a question about your story?"

Harry shook his head and gave Carlisle a disarming smile. "No, go ahead."

"After you became a star, did you visit your friends?"

Harry closed his eyes with a bittersweet smile. "No," he murmured.

"Why not?" Alice blurted out. "I mean, didn't you want to?"

Harry opened his eyes and exhaled gently. "Of course I did," he said softly. "But there are certain rules that need to be followed. As a star, I cannot leave the sky unless it is to grant someone's wish. That didn't stop me from watching over my family, though. Watching over them, however, was somewhat torturous.

"Hermione…she didn't take my death very well. The others were deeply affected by it, yes, but she was there when I died. She held me during my final moments, and it haunted her every night. I can't say for certain, but I'll be willing to bet that it still haunts her. I couldn't do anything for her or Ron or the rest of the family. Do you know what that's like?"

"I'm sorry," Alice whispered, regretting asking the question.

"Eventually," Harry continued, "the sky above Britain became forbidden territory for me. You see, I was so consumed in watching over my family that I'd been neglecting my duties as a star. The authorities had no choice but to step in."

"That's…awful," Rosalie commented, looking slightly haunted. She couldn't imagine watching her loved ones suffer, not being able to do a damn thing about it, and then forced away. It wasn't fair.

"That's the way it is," Harry replied with a shrug. "It sucks, but I've learned to deal with it."

The Cullen household remained respectfully silent for a few moments before Edward walked through the front door. He seemed a lot better than he had previously and Harry offered him a weak smile.

"Is everything alright?" Edward asked, unable to not notice the solemn note that hung in the air.

"Fantastic. Ready to find your mate?" Harry asked, his smile becoming more genuine.

Edward nodded his head. The guilt and attraction still churned in the pit of his stomach, eliciting a weird expression from Jasper. Edward cocked an eyebrow at his brother before directing his attention back to Harry. "Yes," he confirmed vocally. "Do you need me to run out and get more things?"

Harry's heart fluttered wildly as he recalled Edward's determination to do anything to help him find his mate. He shook off the pleasantly weird feelings before speaking up. "No. That was only for the first time performing the ritual. Now I can just use the candles and help you open your Inner Eye again. Come on, let's get a move on it."

Edward led Harry up the stairs, not quite trusting himself to follow the star and get a view of the deliciously round butt in those tigh—

Edward frowned and shook his head viciously, not noticing Harry's worried expression. Damn it all, he was not going to think about someone other than his mate. He was going to be faithful, loyal, and trustworthy. He was going to respect the fact that the star was with him only to help him find his significant other. He was also not going to put himself in situations that could even have a slightly sexual reference, causing him to think of the star in such tantalizing positions agai—

Edward growled, furious with himself for letting his thoughts stray and completely mess up the mantra he had been telling himself for the past few hours. Harry was going to be a friend to him only and that was final. The brunet would no longer star in his wildly sexual daydreams. Nope. Not going to happen again.

A hand was grasping his arm gently. Startled, Edward turned to look at Harry and was captivated at the beautiful shade of emerald green the star's eyes were. They shone with worry and as Edward began looking over Harry's features, noticing the cute little nose, the lightning bolt scar standing proud on the star's forehead, and well sculpted face, Edward couldn't help but also notice the full, pink lips. The lips that were currently moving, forming words that didn't connect in Edward's mushy brain.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, snapping his gaze back up to Harry's eyes.

"Are you okay?" Harry repeated, biting his lip slightly. "If you're not up to this, we can try it later."

So much for not putting himself in situations that could have sexual references. "No, we can do this," he replied automatically. "I'm just really excited about seeing my mate again."

Harry looked somewhat doubtful before a wide smile stretched across his face. Edward noticed, however, a contrasting emotion flash briefly in Harry's eyes before it left as quickly as it had appeared. "Come on," Harry said excitedly. "Let's go, already!"

Before he knew it, Edward was sitting in the circle of candles once more, his eyes closed as he allowed Harry's soothing voice to wash over him. He relaxed completely, finding himself at the beach once more and feeling more ready and confident to identify his mate.

When his mate disappeared, he didn't panic like he had last time. His eyes snapped open and he viciously fought the wave of disappointment at not knowing who his mate was exactly. He took in several deep breaths, attempting to control the waves of emotion that overcame him. Edward licked his lips and looked Harry in the eye.

"I know what my mate is," he said clearly, hiding the slight sadness he felt along with the tightness in his heart.

"What is he?" Harry asked, cocking his head to the side.

Edward stared into Harry's eyes, searching for something, anything. He licked his lips again. "A vampire. My mate is another vampire."