This story is my gift to you!
This is a one-shot prequel to "Enemy Mine" that I've written as a Christmas gift to all of you loyal readers of my story! Please enjoy, have fun, and Happy Holidays to all of you!
~Alexanya
I've taken inspiration from Stephenie Myers but I own nothing of Twilight.
"Christmas Enemies"
Twinkling lights filled every room of the Cullen's house. The main tree in the living room was covered in colored lights and those mini candles that look so real, but the rest of the lights were all white or gold sparkling like stars. Bella thought it looked like a fairy tale as she peaked around the corner from the kitchen looking for Alice.
Since Esme had married Carlisle five years ago they'd had four Christmas parties and every year it seemed to get bigger. Bella could have sworn that all of Forks was in attendance tonight. Unfortunately, that meant the troll… Edward… was lurking around here somewhere. She hoped to find Alice before bumping into him.
No luck.
"Why are you wearing blue?" Came a question from behind her; a voice she had known all too well her whole life. "Don't you even know the colors for a Christmas party?"
Bella turned around to find Edward standing near the kitchen counter watching her; his arms crossed and that smirk on his face that made her want to ball up her hands into fists. She realized she was doing just that as she turned to face him.
"What are you talking about? There is nothing wrong with my dress, as if you'd know anything about fashion." She retorted.
Edward laughed. "As if you would. You are supposed to wear red or green when it's Christmas."
He pointed to his green dress shirt that stood out against his black slacks and seemed to brighten his eyes more than usual. He even wore a skinny black tie and black dress shoes and Bella hated herself for thinking he had cleaned up very well for the party.
"For your information, blue and silver are considered holiday colors and why are you so concerned with fashion anyway. Is Alice rubbing off on you? Maybe you should join us the next time your mom takes us to the mall."
Edward glared at her. He was already mad because he thought she looked really pretty in the short blue dress with silver ruffles around the knees. It sparkled when she moved and it made him notice her legs which was a stupid thing to notice and that made him even madder. What was worse, she'd worn her hair up and he'd never seen it that way before. It looked… grown up. They were only twelve. She shouldn't look grown up and he sure as hell shouldn't be noticing that she looked grown up.
"What's wrong with your hair?" he snorted, answering her insult with one of his own. "Why are you hiding it? Does it look that bad?"
Bella suddenly felt crushed. She'd been thrilled when her mom had offered to pin her long hair up this year. It made her feel less like one of the kids. Did Edward really think it looked bad?
"I'm just growing up," she told him, hiding her hurt with a bit of conceitedness. "One would think you would grow up and learn to brush yours now and then. But, apparently… not."
Edward hated her for that one. He knew his copper hair was messy looking. He'd tried using some of Emmett's gel, but it still had that wild look to it.
He shrugged. "I don't give a shit about my hair. I'm a guy."
Bella gasped. "If Esme heard you talk like that…!"
"Oh, I've heard you say worse, Swan, so shut up."
"You shut up!"
"All right, you two," Esme walked in having just heard Bella's last comment. "Fighting already? Don't you know it is Christmas time? A time of caring and friendship?"
Edward and Bella just scowled at each other.
"Why, look, Edward," Esme said in delight. "Bella is standing under the mistletoe."
"So," he replied sullenly.
"Don't you want to give her a little kiss on the cheek? It is tradition and it would make me happy to see you two getting along."
Two horrified gasps filled the room.
Edward's face turned as red as his hair and Bella's matched its hue.
"No way, mom! I'd rather kiss a slug!" he declared and pushed passed Bella to leave the room.
"Edward Mason… I mean, Cullen!" she snapped after him, but he was long gone out the back. "Well, then my son is an idiot," Esme sighed, noticing Bella was trying to hide her hurt."
Her comment made Bella smile. He was an idiot. And obnoxious and a bunch of other things she'd never say to Esme.
"It's OK. You know I didn't really want him to kiss me," Bella told her. "That would be so gross!"
Esme just laughed quietly. "Maybe you won't feel that way some day."
"No way!" Bella said in horror.
Esme laughed a little again and then moved to touch Bella's hair. "You look very pretty tonight, dear. I'm sure Edward noticed… even if he didn't say it."
Bella looked at her like she'd suddenly grown two heads… but also wondered if she could possibly be right. Not that it mattered. She couldn't care less what Edward thought of her, she told herself. She was, however, going to get him back for that slug comment before the night was out.
"Thank you," she told Esme politely. "Where is Alice?"
"She is outside near the dance floor with some of her school friends. I think she is waiting for you."
Bella smiled her thanks and hurried outside to where the Cullens had set up a wooden dance floor and surrounded it with heat lamps. The bushes and trees all had lights on them and there were even lights on wires strung across the dance floor. It was breath taking.
"Bella, over here!" Alice called. "I've been waiting for you. Wow, your hair looks amazing!"
Alice was standing with Jessica, Angela, and Lauren. Bella didn't really like Lauren, but they were all in the same class so she tried to be nice.
"You guys all look so, so… Christmas-y," Bella said with a bit of wistfulness.
Alice looked fabulous in a long red dress with a bit of holly in her short, dark hair. Jessica wore red too, with her hair flowing down passed her shoulders. Angela wore a pretty green dress and a long braid that had green and red ribbons woven into it. Even Lauren wore a very dark red, although her dress looked like it was better suited for a cocktail party than a Christmas party. Bella couldn't believe her parents allowed her out of the house in that.
"I feel out of place," Bella confessed, tugging at the silver rimmed sleeves that went just slightly off her shoulders.
"What! You look like you belong on the very top of the Christmas tree. Like the star!" Alice exclaimed.
This was why she'd become BFF's with Alice almost immediately. She could make Bella feel better about anything and with such enthusiasm.
"You do!" Angela echoed. "You look beautiful!"
The girls continued to complement each other from the side of the dance floor. They were giggling and having a good time until Lauren had to bring up a very sore subject.
"Oh look, there is your step-brother, Alice. He looks hot tonight." Only Lauren called the guys hot and acted like she knew what that really meant.
"Brother," Alice corrected her. "There is no 'step' anymore. Edward is a Cullen too."
"Oh, that's right," Lauren said, like it wasn't important. "Well, both of your brothers are hot. I wonder if Edward will ask me to dance."
Bella had no idea why the thought of Edward dancing with Lauren bothered her. But then she realized it would definitely bother Edward too, which gave her a brilliant idea.
"Why don't you go ask him, Lauren? "she suggested casually.
"What?" Lauren asked, looking stunned.
"Unless, of course, you think he'd say no," she baited her.
Bella knew Edward would say no to Lauren, but she also knew Lauren would take it as a challenge and pester Edward all night. That would teach him to compare her to a slug!
"Fine, I will," Lauren declared. "After all, we aren't kids anymore and I can ask a guy to dance if I want to dance with him. Why wait for them?"
"He'll say no," Jessica, who had always had a crush on Edward, tried to discourage her.
"We'll see," Lauren said ask she walked away boldly.
Bella, Alice, and Angela watched as Lauren walked up to Edward, tossing her head like a horse as she went. Lauren was one of those girls who started to fill out early so she already had a little hip to stick out as she spoke to him. To their shock they saw Edward nod his head and lead Lauren onto the dance floor.
"I can't believe he said yes," Alice exclaimed in horror.
Bella couldn't believe how crushed she felt and tried to tell herself it was just in sympathy for her BFF's obvious distress over her brother's judgment… or lack there of.
Edward stood in front of Lauren on the dance floor and put one hand on her waist while placing the other loosely in hers.
Damn Swan for this!
He knew Bella had put Lauren up to this to get back at him. He also knew that if he didn't dance with Lauren now she would ruin his whole night following him around like a puppy until she got her way. Better to get it over with, but he hated dancing and he really didn't like Lauren much at all either.
Damn Swan!
"Edward! Are you even listening to me?" Lauren's voice suddenly cut through his internal pouting. "And why are you scowling?"
"I'm not scowling. This is how I look," Edward retorted, not really in the mood to charm Lauren… and he could charm if he wanted to. Or at least all of his mother's friends seemed to think so.
"Did you hear what I said?"
Edward shrugged. "Guess not. What did you say?"
"I asked if you liked my dress," Lauren repeated, leaning back to give him a better look and managing to push up her tiny breasts with the gesture.
"I don't know, "Edward replied. "I'm a guy. I don't know a nice dress from a sack."
"What a thing to say!" Lauran chastised. "You think it looks like a sack?"
"What? No. Just, yeah, whatever, you're dress is fine."
"Thank you." Now she had something to report back to the girls. Edward had admitted he liked her dress.
After the song, and having her toes stepped on three times… the third time she could have sworn was on purpose… Lauren barely had time to thank Edward before he darted off the dance floor and back into the house.
"Well?" Angela asked when Lauren returned, being the only nice enough to pretend to care.
"Edward said he liked my dress," Lauren told the group with a satisfied smirk on her face.
Bella's heart dropped. Edward liked Lauren's red dress. He must have meant it when he said blue was all wrong for a Christmas party. She suddenly felt humiliated like she stuck out as the class clown. All eyes weren't on her, but thye might as well have been and she needed to get away from the crowd before she broke down sobbing.
"Alice, is it OK if I use your bathroom upstairs instead of the guest bath down here. And, can I borrow some of your lip gloss up there?" Bella said as a convincing argument for disappearing.
"Oh, of course! Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, stay and be a good hostess," Bella tried to smile. "I'll be right back."
Lauren was still gushing about how much Edward liked her dress when Bella walked stiffly away and back into the house. Once away from prying eyes, she dashed through the kitchen and up the stairs. She just needed some time to collect herself alone but, instead, she collided with the one person she most wanted to avoid.
"What the hell, Swan," Edward barked as he stumbled backwards. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing!" Bella snapped back and she could feel those damn tears starting to gather in her eyes.
"Then where is the fire? Why were you running like that? I know your dress is awful, but that's no reason to tear it by falling."
His remark was no worse than any other insult they shared on a daily bases, but it was exactly the wrong thing to say and Bella burst into tears.
"What the hell?" Edward repeated, taking a step back from her in horror. "What is wrong with you?"
"I said nothing you asshole. Just leave me alone!"
"I was just trying to go downstairs. You are the one who flew into me, remember?"
"Sorry! OK? I'm sorry I ran into you!" she cried. "Now, will you get out of my way so I can get to the bathroom."
"Are you sick?" Edward sighed. "Do you want me to get your mom?"
"No." His sudden lack of hostility unnerved her even more. "I… I need lip gloss."
"What?" Edward started to laugh.
Hearing how ridiculous her statement was, Bella actually smiled a little through her tears too. "I… I don't look very nice and I thought some of Alice's lip gloss would help."
Edward stared at her. He thought she looked very nice, but he couldn't tell her that. She was obviously upset and, short of a compliment that he was in no way going to offer, he had to think of something to say.
"Oh," he muttered. OK, maybe that wasn't enough. "Well, as long as you are up here… just… wait here a second."
Edward disappeared into his room leaving a very confused Bella at the top of the stairs. When he returned he had a sloppy package tied with blue ribbon in his hands.
"My mom said I had to get you a Christmas present. She made me do it. So, here."
Bella took the small package tentatively, a little stunned but also strangely happy. "What is it?"
"Well, duh, open it."
Taking off the wrinkled paper she examined the small object incredulously. "Edward! This is my MP3 player. The one I lost last summer."
"I know. But, I put all your favorite…"
"You knew I was looking for this!"
"Well, I didn't take it! I found it last month behind the couch."
"You can't give someone a gift that was already theirs!"
"Will you just listen? I put a bunch of cool songs on it for you and made a few playlists that I thought you'd like."
"But… it is still already my player."
"Hey, I worked really hard on that. Took a lot of time. But, if you don't want to listen to any of it, whatever. I don't care. You're taste in music is for shit anyway."
"I like the same stuff you do, idiot!"
"Which is why you'd like this new music that I took the time to set up for you but, like I said, whatever!"
"Fine, fine," Bella conceded, realizing that Edward actually had put some thought into his gift, even if it was a bit backwards thinking. "Thank you."
"Whatever."
"Wait here. I've got something for you too," Bell dashed into Alice's room and returned with a neatly wrapped package with a green ribbon. "Here."
Edward was a little surprised and wondered if her mom had made her buy him something too. But Rene didn't usually make Bella do stuff like that so she must have come up with this on her own… which was a bit shocking and unnerving.
"Before you say it," Bella spoke even as he unwrapped the package and turned the gift over in his hand. "I know you had that game already."
"This is the game you broke last summer," he said to himself as much as to her.
"I know. I wanted to replace it."
"But, my dad said he'd buy me a new one if I decided I wanted it."
"I know that too, but I felt really badly about stepping on it. I know I'm a bit of a klutz. I wanted to replace it myself."
"But, if I had wanted it I would have asked Carli… my dad… to buy me a new one."
"You don't want it?" Bella asked, sounding sad.
"I didn't say that. It's just… this is like a $50 game, Bella. You must have spent your whole Christmas money on I t."
"No, I just took a bunch of extra baby-sitting jobs. It's no big deal. I didn't want you to think I broke your game on purpose."
"I never thought you did."
"But, but…" Bella's eyes grew wide. "You said you thought I did it on purpose!"
"Oh, did I say that?" Edward scratched his head. "Well, I might have said that, but I never thought it."
"Edward Mason! I was guilt ridden for months because you didn't believe it was an accident!"
"Its Cullen now, remember? Edward Cullen! And of course I knew it was an accident. It always is with you, Swan. I swear you trip over air!"
"That was a cruel thing to do, Edward Cullen. Making me feel bad like that for so long."
"Oh, come on, I've done worse."
"Aren't you even sorry?"
"No."
"Say you are sorry!"
"No!"
"Oh, my goodness. Are you two at it again?" Esme said as she walked up the stairs to them.
"Edward won't say he is sorry for something mean he did," Bella told on him immediately.
"That's because I'm not sorry. Should I lie?"
"You should be sorry," Bella informed him.
"Well, look at this," Esme interrupted as if the argument was not taking place. "You two exchanged Christmas gifts. That's so wonderful and good of both of you."
Edward wanted to remind them that he had been forced into it, but he didn't want to be sullen to his mother.
"Now, I have a favor to ask of both of you. You can consider it a Christmas gift that would make me very happy. I want you to get along, please, just during Christmas. You see," Esme went on, "I love you both very much and it makes me sad to see you be so hurtful to each other."
Well, really, what were they going to say to that?
"Sorry," came two solemn voices.
"Thank you," Esme said sincerely. "And I know how you can start to get along. It would make my whole evening, it truly would."
"What's that, mom?" Edward asked, both curios and concerned.
"Edward, I want you to dance… just one dance… with Bella."
"What?" Edward whined.
"Oh, no, please, Esme. That's not necessary," Bella implored her. "We won't fight any more."
"I'm so glad to hear that, dear, but I'd still really like to see you two dance just once?"
"Please mom…"
"It would make me so happy, Edward."
Feeling pretty sure his face was as green as his eyes, and noticing how red Bella's face had gotten, Edward knew what he had to do.
"OK, fine," he grumbled. "Bella, will you just dance one dance with me."
"It can be a fast dance, righ?."
"Sure!"
"I don't believe that is the sort of music being played down there," Esme offered helpfully. "But whatever you two want so long as you are dancing… together… will make me happy. However," she added, turning to descend the stairs, "I won't force you. Truly, it's up to you."
After she'd gone Edward turned back to Bella. "I want to make my mom happy."
"So do I," Bella nodded. "And I think she meant it when she said it would so…"
"Soooo…."
"So, one dance won't kill us, right?"
"Right," Edward agreed. "Just don't break my toes."
"Shut up."
"You're such a shrew. You've no sense of humor."
"I do too!" Bella retorted, following him down the stairs.
They walked back outside with about five feet between them. A song had just ended and they thought they were going to get a reprieve until the tune White Christmas began to roll out slow and deep across the dance floor.
Edward sighed… slow and deep…. and turned to find Bella just behind him. "OK, so… do you want to just get this over with?"
"Yeah," she said, and reached down to take his hand."
"What are you doing?"
"I don't know? Aren't you going to walk me to the dance floor?"
"We don't have to hold hands too!" But Edward didn't let go and felt her warm fingers curl around his.
She was scared, he realized, and he suddenly remembered just how klutzy Bella really was.
"Do you even know how to dance?" He asked without malice. Her terrified expression told him his answer. "Don't worry about it. Just sway to the music and I won't move us around much. Hell, you don't even have to move your feet if you really don't want to."
"I'll look like a statue," she said in distress.
"Well, OK, move them just side to side a little. That's all you've gotta do. OK?"
"OK," she answered meekly, which she never usually sounded, and gripped his hand tighter.
Shit, he was going to have to pull out there behind him and look like he actually wanted to do this.
"Come on," he said with a tug. "Just don't puke on me or anything."
"Shut up."
Edward led Bella out on to the dance floor, just to the edge, and turned her to face him. He was about to put his hand on her waist when she suddenly put her arm around his neck and pulled herself against him.
"Don't let me fall," she whispered.
Edward couldn't respond. He was too stunned by the feel of her small body against his. When the hell did Bella get breasts?
His hand automatically went to the small of her back and he felt the silkiness of the blue fabric and the warmth of the skin beneath it.
"Just sway," he told her, raising their clasped hands and moving with the music.
Her feet stayed stuck to the floor, but she did move a little… and move against him.
What the hell was this? It felt… nice? No. No way. He was just feeling sorry for her for once.
"Pick up your feet," he told her. "You don't have to step with them, just pick them up as you sway and put them back down."
"OK," she said obediently, relaxing into the music a bit and moving with Edward.
It felt really strange to be pressed up against his chest like this. It made her feel safer, like she wasn't going to end up flat on her face, but he also felt strangely solid beneath his fresh cotton shirt. He smelled good too, which was a huge surprise. Bella had gone through a bit of a growth spurt so she was almost as tall as he was and her chin came just to the top of his shoulder. She could smell some sort of cologne against his collar and she couldn't resist turning her head just a bit to smell a little bit more.
Edward was starting to feel unnerved. His cheek was level with Bella's ear and he was focusing on not getting to close that it would actually touch her. With her hair pulled up like this he realized for the first time how long and slim her neck was. Could a neck be pretty? Well leave it to her to have a strange body part actually be pretty.
The real problem, though, was that wonderful smell of strawberries and something else sweet. He loved it and looked around for just a moment to find the source when he realized it came from Bella. More specifically it came from her hair. He wanted to smell it, but he couldn't let himself get any closer or it would be even more awkward than it already was.
"What are you doing?" Bella asked when she heard Edward sniffing. "Do you have a cold? I swear if you get me sick…"
"I don't have a cold. Thanks for being so concerned," he retorted sarcastically.
"Then what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing! I was just smelling your hair." Oh shit, did he really just say that?
Bella was stunned "My hair?" Edward Cullen was smelling her hair?
"What? What's the big deal?" He tried to cover. "I like strawberries."
"I… I use a strawberry scented shampoo," she said lamely, still in shock.
"Yeah, I kind of figured that was it. Duh, Swan."
"Well, I… uh… like the cologne you are wearing tonight. You smell better than usual."
"You usually go around smelling me?" he teased.
"Shut up! You know what I mean."
"Yeah, you mean you like smelling me," he went on, glad to have the upper hand again."
"No! I mean you usually are easy to smell because you stink like a troll. Tonight it just happens that you don't."
"Whatever. The song has stopped."
"What," Bella suddenly realized they were standing at the edge of the dance floor not moving. "Oh,"
Embarrassed, Edward dropped her hand and stepped back. He wouldn't admit to himself that he missed the feel of her warmth against him for just a second.
"Well, OK, I guess that's it."
"We made Esme happy."
"Right. Good." Edward suddenly felt awkward and looked down at his shoes.
"So, uh, guess I'll go find Alice." Bella said. "So, um… Merry Christmas, Edward."
Edward looked up then and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Shrew. Thanks for not breaking my toes."
"Shut up."
A/N: May all of your Holiday seasons be filled with laughter and joy!
~Alexanya