Swans
By:
Ginger_Snapp
Edward and I were sitting in my living room, having another of our endless arguments about what else? My future. He quietly argued and I quarreled back, both of us letting out frustrated growls and sighs as needed, while I tried to concentrate on my biology homework.
"But Edward," I whined, fiddling with my pencil. I liked to believed that after so many arguments, I was breaking down his defenses, but more than likely I was just exasperating him. Judging by the way he hung his head so that his messy bronze hair fell into his never ending eyes and his loud, long sigh the latter was most probable.
"Bella, you don't know what your asking. Your asking me to-" I cut him off, sniffing the air. The smell of smoke and pasta filled the air, making me want to cough. Apparently in all of our heated arguing, we both missed the timer of the oven, signaling the end of the lasagna. I jumped up and ran to the kitchen as best as I could with the added inconvenience of my cast from my little stunt in Phoenix, as Edward called it. I hadn't taken two steps before Edward's cool, thin arm was suddenly around me. As I jumped, I realized that I would never get used to his sudden movements any more then I would get used to how perfect he really was. He carried me to the kitchen with long, smooth strides that were surprisingly human paced. For an Olympic runner. Setting me down but still keeping one arm around me, he pulled out the burnt lasagna with the other hand and set it on the unused potholder on the kitchen counter. I poked at it with a fork, and was dismayed to find that it was dry, in addition to the blackened edges where the heat was too much. "Well," I muttered. "It's not al dente, but it will have to do." Edward laughed for some inexplicable reason, and I allowed him to help me back into the living room.
Edward helped me back down and brought up a new subject. "So, Bella," he started off, trying to play it off casual. I was instantly suspicious. Usually when he started up like this, he wanted me to do something that I didn't want to do. "Are you still opposed to going with me to the prom?"
"Most definitely." I said resolutely. There was no way I would go. I expected him to make a big deal out of it, but he seemed reluctant to open a new argument. I tried to turn over, but was having a hard time with the extra weight of the cast. Edward promptly reached over and helped me.
While Edward fussed over me and my comfort, I settled down to my homework. I was having a hard time concentrating whenever fingers brushed against my skin, but I tried anyway. Most teachers would have just assigned busy work, what with the end of the year so close, but not Mr. Banner. Being the science lover he is, he truly seemed to believe that even after finals, we still needed to squeeze in just one more chapter; this time, about animal mating.
"Bella," Edward continued on our previous subject. "I can't do that to you!" I swore that if he wasn't as mature as he was, Edward would have wailed like a toddler. "I can't turn you into one of my kind. I can't turn you into a monster, like me. My family may make good choices, but we are still monsters." His face was of a hardened criminal type that in any other circumstance I would have found highly amusing.
I sighed. "When will you get this through your inhumanly thick head? You. Are. Not. A. Monster." I annunciated each word with a forceful (for me anyway; He probably didn't even notice) jab with my finger into his rock solid chest. He scowled.
"But-"
"Edward, you know my opinion on the matter of you and your so called 'monstrosities', and I will not re-open the subject." I made my tone firm, determined, and stubborn.
He seemed to take the message. I continued to read the assigned text when something caught my eye. I read farther into the passage about mating types when he interrupted again. "Fine then, Bella. Then what about children? You can't be sure of what you'll want in ten, fifteen years. I don't want you to end up like Esme. Or like…. Rosalie." I cringed. The beautiful blonde's attitude towards me had not improved in the slightest. If anything, it had worsened because of the danger I had put her family through and all the attention I was getting, with my multiple injuries and all the rumors flying around.
I had even given this some serious thought, but I had always known my answer would remain unchanged. 'No, I really, really don't want kids." And it was true. Although kids were great, I just couldn't see myself as a mother.
"But what if," he continued, his voice growing more weary. Oh great. He's going to play the 'what if' game again. He cringed at the though of whatever he was going to say next. "You found another man. Someone you did want to bear children with?" I slapped his hand lightly, taking care not to hurt myself, not even bothering to try and hurt Edward.
"Bella, you're so young, you have so much to think about, now is not the right time to think about this." He waited for me to answer but I childishly turned my face to show that I wouldn't talk to him unless he behaved reasonably. "Be serious, Bella. You can't want to be a monster? You can't," he lowered his voice to the barley audible brooding tone I disliked. "want to be with a monster?" The sadness in his tone saddened me, too. His pain was mine.
"Yes, Edward. I can." I gave him a quick kiss on his icy lips, just to reassure him. And because I wanted a kiss very, very badly.
"And besides," I said when he continued to look skeptical. I pointed to the passage I had been reading in my biology book. A picture of two large white birds coming together to form a heart with the profiles of their bodies covered most of the recto. "Swans mate for life."
Edward looked shocked. He looked down at the book and smiled after reading the passage with superhuman speed. Then his arm flashed out and pulled me closer, my body pressing into his body. It seemed like our argument was over as he kissed my hair and my nose and my cheeks. "So they do. So they do." He whispered as I closed my eyes, giving myself over to the moment. I would bring it up again; Edward would lose this argument. But for the moment, the argument was lost as he pressed his marble lips to mine.