AN: I wrote a flash fiction (300-500 words) piece for Prompt #17 of The Twilight Twenty-Five: Round 8 and wanted to expand on it, in Edward's point of view this time because I love writing from his perspective just as much as Bella's.

Summer | Post Twilight, Pre New Moon
POV: Edward

I wished for the ability to fall asleep. To dream. To exist, albeit temporarily, in a universe that belonged only to me.

Me and Bella.

This particular yearning was not foreign to me. My existence could be classified into two segments. The pre-Bella monotonous in which I used to find myself numbly drifting along had naturally been boring. What had I done before my miracle quite literally stumbled into my pathetic existence? Attend school, do silly schoolwork, bury myself in literature and music, hunt, drag myself through every day…

Recalling those tedious days of listening to underpaid high school teachers drone on about subjects they were scarcely knowledgeable of made me roll my eyes even now. Back then, I might have wished for sleep, a few hours of blissful unawareness, to escape the repetitive boredom.

Now?

In the post-Bella portion of my existence—the segment of my life that could actually be considered such—I craved an alternate world, not to function as merely an escape from this one, but as a way for me to actually live with Bella. Without hurting or harming her.

Just the two of us—either in a biological, physical, tangible, alternate, perfect universe with just me and her, or even just that in a dream.

Wishful thinking. On both counts. I supposed I was left with the daydreams.

Of course, a tiny, high-pitched voice that sounded like Alice nagged at me. There is another way the two of you can exist fearlessly…

Blocking the voice out with a sigh, I rolled over to my side, being careful not to disturb Bella's slumber—a rather difficult feat given the limited space in her bed. Shifting my gaze from the cracks in Bella's ceiling to her subconscious form, I paused with bated breath as she stirred despite my cautiousness. For a few moments, she fidgeted in her sleep, fisting and unfisting the sheets, and her pouty lips moving with soundless protests, but she soon relaxed with a gentle exhale and a peaceful smile that elicited a tiny grin from me.

For the rest of the early morning, there were no other signs of life from her. Even when her father stumbled, barely awake, from his bedroom and down to the kitchen for his first cup of coffee of the day around seven—blissfully ignorant of the fact that I was stretched alongside his sleeping daughter in her bed—she remained still.

It wasn't until five minutes to nine, long after Charlie had left for work, when Bella began to groan and rub her eyes with fists. Through sleepy eyes, she grimaced at my cheerfulness. What else did she expect? How could I be anything but happy when I was with her?

"Good morning, beautiful." I stroked her cheek reverently. The pale skin reddened under my cool fingertips, and I held my breath carefully. "Nice night?"

"Not nearly long enough," she yawned, stretching her arms up in the air. "It's summer vacation. I'm going back to sleep. Goodnight."

With that, she dragged the sheets up to her face and covered it.

Playfully frowning, I tugged the flimsy fabric away and glared at her. "You can't do that to me. I made plans for today."

Her eyes were closed and I knew she was torn between dread and her insatiable curiosity. "What sort of plans are you talking about here?" she finally inquired.

My shoulders lifted in a shrug. "Nothing of consequence—"

"Then you shouldn't mind if I fall back asleep." She pulled the covers over her head again, but this time I didn't attempt to remove it.

"Fine." I hid a smirk and went to stand by the window. "I'll go tell Alice that it's cancelled."

She demanded, "What's cancelled?"

"My plans?" I replied, sounding innocently confused.

"Which were what?"

"It doesn't really matter anymore now, does it?"

She groaned and flung the blankets away from her. Sitting up in the bed, she glared at me. The way her hair was all mussed up, the flush in her cheeks, the tiny holes in her pajama top and pants, the gleam in narrowed eyes… she was an angel.

"You are such a cheater, Edward!"

An infuriated angel.

"What did I say?"

"It's what you don't say, smarty-pants. Okay, okay, I'm up. Don't cancel your plans. As long as they don't involve shopping till odd hours and trying on fifty outfits from each store, I'm all ears."

"No Alice," I summarized, "That can be arranged."

Bella sighed in relief. "I love her to death, you know, but she's…"

"Alice," I finished with a nod. I knew exactly how she felt. Having lived with the exuberant girl for over fifty years, I had become her fashion victim more often than I cared to be. I had learned the hard way to simply go along with whatever she had planned. "Go ahead and get ready while I prepare breakfast for you."

"What's on the menu?"

"Not sure yet," I replied airily, as I let her precede me out of her room. When she paused at the bathroom to quirk a brow at me, I pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll whip up whatever I find."

"Good luck."

Shaking my head with a smile, I dashed downstairs and began gathering ingredients for pancakes. After all this time, Bella still wasn't confident in my ability to deal with such… humanness, such as cooking a meal for her or even bearing to be in the presence of such repulsive smells. Being in such close proximity with her, and even just loving her, was gradually bringing out the human in me. I absolutely loved taking care of her.

It was no secret that Bella did not enjoy being taken care of, and her natural stubbornness made it only more difficult to persuade her to let me look after her. All her life, she had played the role of the caretaker to her mother, rather than the other way around, and showing weakness was a foreign concept—a habit that she was going to have to break. Sooner or later, she would have to get used to the idea that I would always care for her—even from myself, if necessary…

When I realized that I was stirring the pancake batter with too much force on the spoon, I forced myself to calm down with my thoughts and keep my attention on preparing her meal. A few more seconds and the wood would just splinter under my fingers.

With half of my attention locked on the sounds coming from the girl upstairs, I focused on tipping some of the contents of the pancake mix onto the pan while cutting up strawberries. The smells were nasty but I managed to ignore my distaste. By the time Bella padded downstairs five minutes later, I had already arranged ten healthy-sized pancakes in a neat stack, coated in maple syrup and fluffy whipped cream, and topped with fresh strawberry slices, banana slices, and powdered sugar.

She paused in the doorway of the kitchen and stared at her breakfast with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"So?" I smirked, setting a tall glass of milk beside her plate.

Her right hand lifted to press against her belly and she made a low groaning noise in the back of her throat.

The smirk slid from my face as I demanded in concern, "What's the matter?"

She explained, "I'm full just looking at that."

"Are you unwell?"

"I'm fine, Edward," she laughed, hesitantly stepping forward. "I didn't even know we had maple syrup."

I shrugged. "Alice dropped it off a few hours ago."

"Edward!"

"I'm kidding, sweetheart. You had an unopened bottle in the pantry, and yes, I confirmed its expiration date too. You'll be okay."

"Thanks," she mumbled. I held her chair out for her, and she glanced around the kitchen looking expectant. "What's next—you're going to have someone serenade me while I eat?"

Grinning, I took a moment to picture that. It certainly did seem like a setting from a five-star restaurant with guitarists and violinists serenading their diners. I quickly leveled Bella with a stare. "Of course I wouldn't allow someone else to serenade you. I'm a much more willing candidate for that."

She stabbed her fork in my direction. "Don't even think about getting any musical instruments here."

I narrowed my eyes playfully, hiding my disappointment. Bella's birthday would be coming up in September, and while I'd been toying with the idea of purchasing a piano to maybe put in Bella's bedroom so that I could play for her whenever we were here, I knew that Bella wouldn't allow it. Charlie wouldn't either, for that matter.

No matter. I would come up with another way.

"This is really good, by the way," Bella smiled gratefully, nodding to her plate. "Your cooking for me was a bad idea."

"Why?" I asked, shocked and confused. Hadn't she just said that enjoyed what I'd made? What was she thinking?

"Because you made so much of it," she shot back. "And I have to put an end to your constant spoiling me."

"Spoiling," I scoffed. If she believed this—preparing an admittedly larger-than-usual meal for her, something I considered just routine and a part of taking care of her—was spoiling, then she really would be in for a surprise when I actually did get around to spoiling her. Silly girl. "That's almost insulting, you know. I was just making you breakfast. Besides, try all you want, but I seriously doubt that you can put an end to my spoiling you."

"We'll see," she sniffed.

Knowing fully well her aversion to receiving gifts, the attention, and, in her opinion, unnecessary spendings on her, I would have to ease into it. Make her comfortable with accepting small and especially inexpensive gifts. Jewelry was typically small, but if she ever found out about the five carat earrings that I'd had my heart set on gifting to her for her birthday, she would go berserk.

I smiled at her as she met my gaze across the table. From the way the tips of her cheeks turned a beautiful pink, it was obvious that she was becoming self-conscious—as she always did whenever she ate and I simply observed—even though she had no reason to be. Since I didn't have the privilege of reading her mind, I wondered if she was uncomfortable because she worried that the smell of the food was making me uncomfortable. It wouldn't surprise me if she was—Bella was so selfless like that.

Before I could pose the question, however, she demanded, "Is there any reason why you're stuffing me up so much?" Her lips slid into a stubborn pout when I nudged the milk glass to her.

"I told you," I responded, smiling faintly, "I made plans. You're going to need the energy."

Her eyes widened as she thought that through. She still didn't touch her milk. "We're going hiking?"

I shot her a glare to let her know that her attempt at stalling wasn't foolproof. "No. Drink up, Bella."

"Walking?" She pondered that, and the expressions that passed across her face were so fascinating. How I wished I could just hear what she was thinking. "Definitely some sort of physical activity if I'm 'going to need the energy'… I hope we're not swimming or anything."

As incredibly entertaining as it was to watch and hear her think aloud, we really did need to get to the roller skating rink before it closed shortly after noon. And I had no doubts that if I slipped up some more, Bella would figure out where I was taking her. Her unique perceptiveness was one of the infinite things I loved about her, even though it was usually not in my favor.

"Finish the milk," I prodded again, and this time, lost in thought, she conceded right away. "Good. Now do you have slacks or some more comfortable pants?"

She glanced down, offended. "What's wrong with my jeans?"

"Not a thing," I assured her, stifling a chuckle. She was absolutely adorable. "It's just that the… activity that we'll be doing requires some…" I struggled to phrase it right.

"Leg movements? I swear, Edward, if you've signed us up for a waltz or salsa class—"

"Salsa?" I teased, grateful for the distraction. "Why would I take you to one of those? You and I already know how make that tasty dip that is served with tortilla chips. In fact, you were the one to teach me."

"Very funny, Edward."

I pulled her to me, gently running kisses on her forehead and down the slope of her nose and finally to her lips. Ever since the horrifying incident with James in Phoenix, I'd drawn careful barriers on my physical relationship with Bella. Extremely difficult, given Bella's extraordinary allure and her total disregard for self-preservation, but her safety and well-being was at least my priority.

Besides the physical complications between us, it was becoming easier—still laborious, but definitely easier—to control my bloodlust. Of course, constantly immersing myself in Bella's presence seemed to be having the effect of desensitizing me to her powerful scent. Sometimes I felt that when I returned from particularly lengthy hunting trips, away from Bella, it made the whole process of controlling the raging monster within me all the more strenuous.

Like now.

Bella gasped as I pulled away, both of us breathing hard. She almost stumbled backwards, but I swiftly wound arm around her waist and kept her upright. I stared deeply into her eyes and breathed, "So what do you say we have Alice dress you up appropriately for what I have planned—I promise you'll be comfortable in them—and then I take you out, later treat you for lunch in downtown Seattle, and we spend the rest of the afternoon in the meadow. Just the two of us." I finished earnestly.

She stared at me, her pink lips parted. Her stunned expression would have made me smile if I wasn't trying to maintain a nonchalant expression.

"What do you say?" I prompted after a few moments of silence. From her voice, at least. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she was struggling to get her breathing under control.

"S-Sure," she stuttered, "sounds good. I think."

"Wonderful," I beamed. "Come on."

Still rather dazed, she let me take her hand and pull her outside.

"Up you go," I kneeled in front of her, indicating that she should get on my back.

"I hate doing this," she muttered but climbed up regardless.

"Close your eyes," I recommended, distracted by her gentle weight on me, her warm curves molding into the stone hard planes of my… stop. "And relax. I won't let anything hurt you."

She was quiet as I ran all the way to my house, only breaking the silence once to inform me that I was such a cheater.

"Now where have I heard that before?" I teased, with a jovial laugh, wondering if she could even hear me with the wind rushing past her ears.

I was so eager for today that I scaled up the side of the house and straight into my room rather than taking her through the front door.

"What's the rush?" Bella demanded, as if reading my mind.

As I'd already given too much away, I could hardly say that the roller skating rink would be closing and that I wanted to hurry. Instead, I offered a vague, "Just excited."

She humphed and slid to her feet, a little unsteadily, in my room. Alice was waiting for us on my couch, her feet tapping anxiously.

You should've brought her earlier, Edward, she admonished. I already have the exact outfit you want her to wear ready, but if we'd had some time for experimentation…

I rolled my eyes and gave her a look to tell her that was exactly why I'd brought Bella here to give Alice just enough time to give her the clothes she needed. Alice stuck her tongue out at me and turned to Bella, chirping, "Good morning, Bella."

"Hi, Alice," Bella smiled, still a little disorientated. I pulled her to me, whispering an apology in her ear.

"Where's everyone else?" I wondered.

Alice shrugged. "Hunting. And Carlisle's at work." To Bella, she suggested, "Let's go to my room. I've already picked out what Edward wants you to wear."

Bella gave me a halfhearted glare as she let Alice drag her to her and Jasper's bedroom. For a few moments, they bickered on Alice's excitement and Bella's reluctance to play dress-up… I caught snippets of something about a "fairy godmother" and "magic dresses." To afford Bella some privacy, I focused my attention on gathering some snacks from the kitchen that Esme had stocked up with Bella's favorite foods. With Bella's frequent visits to our home, especially since summer vacation had begun, Esme had taken—delightedly—to shopping for the new addition to her family, a sentiment I wholeheartedly shared.

"Alice?" I called, my fingers hovering over Carlisle's first aid kit.

A few seconds later, she replied confidently, No need for the first aid. As long as you're with her, Bella will be fine.

I grinned. As if I had any intention of letting her out of my sight.

"Thank you."

Anytime. Bella's all ready now.

"I don't like this one bit," Bella warned, appearing at the top of the stairs.

Alice had dressed her in form-fitting dark leggings that would allow her to easily maneuver while wearing skates and a silky light beige blouse. Her dark tresses spilled over her shoulders in slight waves, contrasting beautifully with her top and the paleness of her skin.

Maybe we should forget about the whole roller skating… I thought dreamily.

Alice shrieked at me in her mind, Don't you dare, Edward Cullen! I didn't pick the perfect outfit for her for it to go to waste. Get going!

"You will later, I promise," Alice assured her cheerfully, practically dancing behind her.

Bella marched down the stairs and stalked past me, where I was waiting at the bottom level, ignoring my outstretched hand. Did she purposefully become stubborn just to frustrate me? She was well aware that I found her kitten temper highly endearing.

She sank into the passenger seat of the Volvo with an exasperated huff. Chortling, I shut the door carefully behind her and rounded to the driver's seat. Standing on the outside porch steps, Alice waved merrily, yelling at us that we were going to have a good time.

"Edward, is this really necessary?" Bella pointed to her blindfold which Alice had slipped on her.

"Yes," I said apologetically. "Sorry about the inconvenience, but I just want to surprise you."

She harrumphed and turned her head towards the window. I stepped down on the accelerator, picturing her horrified expression if she had an idea of the speed at which were racing down the highway.

But because she knew me so well, she soon commented, not questioned, "You're going at a hundred and twenty per hour, aren't you."

I stifled a laugh. "I know my driving terrifies you, which is silly since I have—and I'm not bragging here—heightened senses and incredible reflexes but just take a deep breath and relax. I won't let anything hurt you."

With my utterly sincere promise, her shoulders loosened, but her teeth sank into her lower lip and she bit it anxiously, "Edward, I'm not so sure about this."

This? Had she figured it out already? Or was she referring to my "maniacal" driving?

"You don't even know where I'm taking you."

"Exactly," she muttered.

"Oh, Bella, don't you trust me?"

"Sometimes."

Really? I pondered her response, thinking of the few times I'd definitely let her down. Like my inability to keep her safely away from James? Or the time I'd made her cry on the way back from Port Angeles so many nights ago. Or the continuous danger I was putting her in just by being near her—my selfishness at craving her proximity would certainly—eventually—be the undoing of her…

"Sometimes?" I repeated with forced calm.

She twisted in her seat to face me even though she couldn't see me. Vehemently, she declared, "Like when you tricked me into going to prom with you. I certainly trusted you far too much at the time. You knew I hated dancing!"

That? It took all of my willpower to not laugh. Of all the accidents she'd gotten herself and I'd gotten her into, she considered dancing the most hazardous. It didn't matter how long I would spend in this girl's company—Bella would never fail to surprise me.

"But you enjoyed the experience by the time the night was over, didn't you?"

"Well, sure. But initially, you weren't completely honest with me."

Of course I couldn't tell her the truth. She wouldn't have agreed to dress up without my little lie.

"Oh well," I grinned, taking the next exit from the highway. "You'll get over it. I find that you're always on edge as my surprises start out but tend to secretly appreciate them anyway. I know for a fact that by the end of tonight, you'll stop complaining and thank me for a wonderful night out."

She muttered, "Better check your crystal ball again."

Crystal ball, I mused. It was an apt term to describe my psychic sister.

I pulled into the parking lot of the skating rink, claiming a spot in the shade so that I wouldn't give fellow passersby a heart attack with my unusual skin. "I just spoke with her actually. She says it's going to be a good night and that you won't cause anyone - or yourself - any injuries."

Bella's curiosity got the better of her. "Are we there yet?"

"Yes!"

I circled around the car and helped her out of her seat. Her lips were turned down into a stubborn pout.

"Can I take off the blindfold now?" She demanded, annoyed, while I pulled her inside the building to one of the benches.

"Sure." I pushed her to sit down. "Just sit down here while I go pay for our skates."

I had already, in fact, reserved and paid for two pairs beforehand, so after simply flashing my ID to the clerk, I was on my way back to Bella, smirking at her petrified expression.

"Skates? Edward, what—?" She narrowed her eyes as I knelt before her. "Don't you dare."

Ignoring her protests, I slipped off her flats and slid the skates into place. She gasped involuntarily as my icy fingers brushed—admittedly deliberately—against her bare ankles and heels. I allowed my fingertips to linger on the front and back of her covered calves as I tied the laces of the skates. I placed my hands on her knees and looked up into the endless depths of her warm brown eyes. Inwardly berating myself for maintaining the physical contact, I pulled myself together before I did something rash. She was far too tempting for my own good.

"Humor me," I pleaded.

For a few seconds, she looked a little disorientated. Finally she narrowed her eyes, but the expression wasn't quite so stern. "This isn't one of your silly 'human experiences,' is it? Because I'm telling you know—before I cause a catastrophe in this completely serene environment—that this is an experience I'd rather not have. I can't even walk on flat surfaces without stumbling—what on earth made you think this was a good idea? Have the summer heat waves melted your brain?"

I let the taunt pass. "It's all in the leading. Do it for my sake then? I think it's going to be fun because we'll be together. And I already told you, please don't worry about your danger… magnetism." I chuckled fondly, silencing when her glare hardened. "I'll keep you safe."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not worried about me really. And I trust you…"

"Then let's go." Swiftly, I slid to my feet and pulled her with me before she could change her mind again.

"Aren't you going to wear—?" she began, then paused with a glance at my feet and shook her head. "Never mind."

I grinned. Even after all this time, she sometimes forgot about my inhuman speed. As soon as we stepped into the rink, Bella immediately reached for the railing, but I shook my head at her firmly and grabbed both of her hands in mine, skating backwards as I dragged her to the middle.

"Edward, Edward, Edward…" she muttered anxiously, keeping her gaze locked on our feet. "I'm never going to forgive you for this."

"I wouldn't expect you to." I rolled my eyes.

"Don't let go of me," she ordered.

"I assure you, that won't a problem," I murmured, basking in her absolute warmth. Not only the physical sense, but just the whole softness and tenderness of her. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't—couldn't—let her go.

She was utterly exquisite. Some of her thick, dark hair was draped over both of her shoulders, and as I whirled us around for the next spin, a single lock flew gently around her face and the bottom of it ended up clinging to her wet lower lip. The corners of her mouth rose halfway, as if unwilling or hesitant to burst into a full smile. Her dark and long eyelashes softly brushed her porcelain cheek as she determinedly focused her gaze on the floor.

Beautiful.

And she was all mine.

No doubt sensing my awestruck stare, she raised her eyes at me briefly and they grew wide as she whisper-yelled, "What are you doing? Watch where you're going!"

There went her half-smile. I sighed with longing.

"Silly, I'm not going to crash into anyone." This was just like her nervousness whenever I drove her anywhere. Or when we went dancing…

"What's so funny?" she demanded as we twirled in circles; she wasn't even skating really—I was the one skating with her getting pulled along for the ride.

My grin was still wide. "I was just thinking about how you're acting like the way you usually do in the car. That led me to remember your issues with dancing at prom. And that got me thinking—what if we enrolled in a competition that consisted of skating and dancing—?"

"Edward Cullen," she cut me off loudly, staring at me with a mix of horror and warning, "if you dare utter the words "dancing" and "skating" in the same sentence, I swear I am going to make you very sorry for the next… millennium. I don't know how yet," she spluttered, "but I will make sure you regret—"

"Okay, okay," I interrupted with a strained laugh that had nothing to with her refusal to participate in my scheme. Nor was I trying to diffuse her anger, however endearing and entertaining it was.

No, it was the fact that she had brought up the "next millennium" which was obviously a part of her plan of her future. This wasn't supposed to happen. I'd already made a huge mistake by putting her in constant risk by being in my presence. She wasn't supposed to want to be a monster or consider it a part of her future—where exactly was the future in that? Never moving forward? Frozen in her teens the way I was?

At my sudden pained expression, Bella frowned. "What?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Just disappointed, that's all. I guess I lost that round."

She looked triumphant. "Good. So no skate-dancing… or dance-skating or whatever you had in mind."

"Deal." I smiled and bent to kiss her quickly.

For a few minutes, we were silent. Rather than rotating in the middle forever and risk Bella getting dizzy, I pulled her to the outskirts of the rink—close enough for her to grip the railings if she wanted to. When she didn't, choosing to keep her fingers interlocked with mine and ignoring the rails completely, I didn't think I'd ever smiled so wide before.

Aw, they look so sweet together. A younger girl, about thirteen years old, was skating with some friends, but her thoughts were on us. In her mind, I saw myself, holding Bella close. She's smiling, but she still looks a little nervous. It must be her first time, the way he's guiding her. Not sure what she seems afraid of, though. He's holding and looking at her so… protectively. Doesn't seem like he's about to let her fall…

Humming thoughtfully to herself, the girl, though trying to be discreet about it, continued to study us. Occasionally, I would lean down to press a reassuring kiss on Bella's forehead or cheek, and the girl would beam with pleasure and awe every single time.

"Enjoying yourself?" I whispered knowingly into Bella's ear. Her heart rate had decreased considerably since the time we'd entered the skating rink. I was taking it as a good sign.

She shivered once and hummed quietly, sliding her hands agonizingly slowly from my hands, across my forearms, past my upper arms, and finally coming to rest at my shoulders. "Don't push your luck. Technically, what I'm doing isn't even considered skating."

"You don't have be doing anything technically in order to enjoy yourself, you know." I reminded her.

"Yeah, I know," she replied, sounding sheepish. "I just don't want to admit that I'm actually having a good time. It helps that you're leading."

I clutched her closer, smiling widely, commenting in response to both her statements, "I told you so."

"Well, someone's being awfully smug." Bella grumbled.

"Not smug," I amended. Sliding my left arm to her middle, I cupped her face with my right, peering deeply into her deep brown irises. With complete sincerity, I told her, "Just very, very happy. I love you."

I paused us in our mindless twirling—we had ended up in the middle of the rink again. With all of my focus on only her, gently, carefully, and slowly, I pressed my lips to hers.

She immediately wound herself closer to me, and for a moment, the feel of her soft, warm curves completely derailed me. My mind shrieked at me to remain cautious as I thoughtlessly accepted her welcoming touch and heavenly kisses. She was a fragile glass that could easily break with a flick of my wrist. It wasn't until the fast and heavy thudding of her heart against her rib cage—and admittedly the venom pooled in my mouth at being so close to her alluring scent—reached me that I deftly wriggled us out of each other's grasps.

"Bella," I panted, my voice rough. "I think we've tested both of our self-controls enough for today."

"I disagree," Bella replied faintly but obstinately.

I snorted. Typical response. No sense of self-preservation, yet thoroughly frightened of speeding cars in the hands of very capable drivers, or something insanely normal such as dancing or skating.

"You're hilarious," I informed her seriously, "but I'm not taking any chances. I don't want to kill you."

"Oh, I can see that," she said sarcastically, looking around the skating rink pointedly. Suggestively, she added, "Of course, there is a way so that neither of us have to test our self-controls again. I won't have an issue with balance or coordination, and you don't have torture yourself by not resisting to kill me…"

"Bella, you're being absurd," I snapped.

Did she honestly think I enjoyed these limitations to what should have been a normal, human romantic relationship? It didn't matter how much I would have to continue to "torture" myself. Her absolutely unique soul would remain the way only hers should be. Whole, deep, pure, untainted…

"Sorry," she sighed, resting her head against my chest. "I know you don't like talking about this—although I can't understand why. I won't bring it up again."

My frustration was already waning, yet I snorted again at her weak attempt to pacify me. We both knew that she brought up the matter of the transformation she so greatly desired almost every day in her usual sly and clever suggestions.

"For now—" She turned to press a light kiss over my heart—my dead heart that sometimes, I felt, beat. Only for her. "—this is enough."

Enough, indeed.

AN: Phew! Yes, I've certainly had "enough" of this. Hope you enjoyed that little piece of fluff that I conveniently wormed into their lives.

I've written similar (but shorter) scenes where they go on dates, usually taking place after the events in Eclipse. In those time periods, I find that it's easier to write less angsty discussions between them about the future (marriage, Bella's transformation) since Edward has come to terms that Bella is his future and that she feels the same way about him.

I may or may not continue this—with the rest of their day that Edward promised Bella: lunch in Seattle, afternoon in the meadow… I definitely am getting around to writing about the other various dates that I want the lovebirds to go on since I live for reading/writing fluff.

Thanks for reading!