I do not own anything.
Alice Cullen sat with perfect stillness save for her two upper limbs as they move at a fast pace. A human would certainly not really see just exactly what she was doing with her hands if she hadn't created rapidly growing evidence of a mini-jenga set perched atop her head and a pile of sketches strewn around her folded legs. The sketching pad on her lap, decorated with swirling patterns of red and yellow (new dress designs from the upcoming spring season catalogs of various fashion companies), shared Alice's attention.
It was a strange sight to see, not that anyone would see what Alice did to pass time watching over Bella while Edward hunted. Her delicate, pale hand drew gracefully, swamping out pencil hardnesses and colors and never having to erase. Her motions were deliberate, sure, and perfect. Meanwhile, the free hand built upon her head (disheveling her short hair in the process) a sound structure of jenga blocks. It was a game played solo, and she won every time, never causing the structure to tumble. She wouldn't play it otherwise- plus, she wouldn't risk waking Bella from her deep sleep.
It was her fifth round of self-jenga, and she was nearly done with the upcoming full spring collection for Coach. The designers kept changing their decisions of what to include and what to cut out. It was exciting to see the process, and Alice was certainly amused.
Then, she was interrupted by a vision of Edward's future and saw he wouldn't be home for another four days. He seemed to be hunting further and further these days, leaving Alice somewhat puzzled.
Pausing her hands, she glanced at Bella who had never been far from her periphery, and frowned. Her vision slid from Edward prancing around Canada to Bella in near tears when notified of Edward's prolonged hunt. Alice inhaled and closed her eyes shut, as if that would chase away the image of a distraught Bella.
She inhaled an intoxicating mesh of Bella, and since she had been drawing for hours, her scent overrode Edward's own fading signature, allowing her to get a mix of her and Bella. It was maddening and delicious.
She had a desperate need to hold and be held, to hug and to just touch, that inhaling Bella's scent was common. Every time was precious as any other and euphoric.
However, this was different. Maybe it was because Edward wasn't around to hear just how much it affected her- and not just her thoughts but also how her body reacted should she indulge a little too long and a little too much.
Jenga game abandoned and sketches forgotten, Alice indulged and fully allowed her senses to immerse itself in the beautiful girl laying on the white day bed by the window. From soft breathing, to the strong, beating heart, Alice listened with amplified adoration as her sense of smell devoured what Bella's blood pulse constantly poured: new waves of pure heaven.
And then, taking Alice completely by surprise was a small and soft gasp followed by, "Alice, please."
The next gasp from Alice herself was definitely within the human hearing range, but that didn't wake Bella. Thankfully, Alice's jenga structure remained in one piece. Alice did move slightly at Bella's whisper, but it wasn't enough to topple the wood blocks off of her head.
Bella's scent intensified, as if the previous waves were just teasers, diluted and filtered.
This new wave was wrapped with something else Alice hadn't smelled around the girl before, but she knew just what it was. Arousal.
Without thought, Alice growled and inhaled even deeper that she could almost taste the scent. She halted and let that thought roll through her mind. She felt herself itching to touch, to claim, and that's when she knew she needed to get a hold of herself. Never before had she been closer to losing control around Bella, and she suddenly felt ashamed and guilty.
What would Bella think if she knew Alice was enjoying something that wasn't hers to enjoy? Alice squeezed her eyes shut again and halted her breathing altogether, and she was never more thankful that her body no longer required oxygen to survive.
What was Bella dreaming about? Alice groaned, because she knew Bella wasn't having an innocent dream by the scent she was giving off.
"..need you, Alice.."
Bella's heart beat faster, filling the room with an invisible cloud of desire, both of Bella and Alice, so thick and heady that Alice had to clamp her lips shut with all her strength to stifle a whimper. She knew she needed to get out and get fresh out to breathe Bella out of her lungs, but she also knew that if she moved at all that it would be a terrible move; she'd either use her teeth or her tongue on Bella. Both would have monumental consequences; her visions weren't needed to know that.
Before she could make a proper decision, Bella's heartbeat accelerated ten-fold. Just as quickly, the scent of arousal emanating from Bella was now being overrun with fear.
"No, don't!" Bella pleaded. She sounded so scared and broken that Alice, without further hesitance, moved toward her as the cloud of desire dissipated and filled instead with familiar worry. The sound of scattering jenga pieces was enough to jolt Bella upward and into consciousness.
"Bella?" Alice asked, keeping her voice low and cautious as she searched Bella's wide eyes. "Shh..you're okay, honey. I'm here."
Bella blinked and rubbed her eyes in an effort to scrub the last bits of whatever scared her. The cold body next to her soothed her, and in response, her mind stop racing, and her heart slowed.
"Alice," she choked out. "Oh god, Alice!" She wrapped her arms around her waist and rest her face in the crook of Alice's neck. The scent of Alice always calmed her. Knowing this, Alice cradled the head against her and shivered at each puff of warm air that blanketed the sensitive part of her neck.
Bella moved closer, tighter, needing to feel Alice to confirm that she was there.
Alice felt the familiar burn in the back of her throat from the venom pooling there, knowing full well just how close to Bella's jugular her lips were positioned. She swallowed and that feeling, the shame and guilt, lingered within her and grew stronger.
"You okay, Bella? What do you need?" Alice asked, her voice lowered and raspy from both the previous arousal and current blood lust. Why did Bella have to smell so good?
She felt Bella nod and back away. "Sorry. I didn't.. I didn't mean to just throw myself at you. I," Bella stopped and ran a hand threw her hair. She took a deep breath and kept her eyes lowered toward her own lap. She only then realized she was half on-top Alice's lap.
She felt herself flush, and her dreams came back. She shivered when she remembered how the dream ended, and she felt the dread all over again.
"Can you-just.. will you hold me?"
Alice nodded, and followed Bella's lead back to a horizontal position. It was a natural, fluid action in wrapping her arms around Bella. Feeling her warm skin against her freezing arms was a beautiful contrast. Bella's feel melted in almost an instant, and Alice felt that when the girl in her arms sighed in contentment.
This felt tremendous. This feeling, this girl in her arms gave Alice warmth she never felt before in her human life. But, as Bella's breathing slowed and mind fell back into a deep mind, she recalled the mixed scent of both her and Bella, giving her an ache she only ever experienced with Jasper.
And that's when she knew. She was fucked, and she would do anything and everything to keep it at bay, to keep Edward unaware.