HICCUPS
It was a frosty, cloudy morning in Forks, but that didn't mean we weren't all in chipper moods. For example, I'd just secured my Porsche that Edward had promised to give me for holding Bella hostage…wait did I say hostage? I mean keeping her entertained. Not that it didn't matter anyway. For months now, I've been keeping many of my inner, most personal thoughts to myself, every time Edward tries to read my mind he gets a horrible rendition of Jasper and Emmett singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" which was rather hilarious at the time, but for music loving Edward was too much to handle.
Anyway, we were sitting round the table, talking about Bella's latest clumsy antics of somehow falling down the stairs in her sleeping bag, despite her desperate attempts of covering up her own embarrassment by including Emmett into the story, saying he pushed her.
"Aww come on Bella, you know I'd never push you down some stairs. Not that you'd need my help of course, considering you can't walk on your own two feet in a straight line, let alone up and down a flight of stairs, you know that." Emmett said, trying to seemingly bluff his way out of it. Edward briefly read Emmett's mind and surprisingly gave us the verdict. "Emmett's right, he had no part in Bella's fall." Bella's mouth fell open and if possible it would've hit the floor. Not that I was noticing of course, my eyes were to fixated on the shape of her mouth, sweetness of her breath, the steady beat of her heart, thumping away like there is no tomorrow, the sound of her blood flowing through her veins as it rose to the surface, causing her to blush with anger. I slightly gasped, causing everyone to shift their gaze to me, before focusing again on Bella. "Edward was in on it too, he has to be, him and Emmett together. Of course it was all Emmett's idea, Edward's just lying because he…" Carlisle interrupted. "Bella, Bella. I know when my children are lying, and every word of it's the truth. Emmett is innocent, as is Edward." A silence followed. "Alright then. Maybe I did kind of trip." Bella said, surrendering.
Everyone but Bella and I rose from the table, Carlisle and Esme had to return to work, while Jasper, Rosalie, Edward and Emmett were off hunting. As I'd gone earlier this morning, I was free to stay home and make good use of my time with Bella. Before Edward ducked out the door, he asked curious "What is it with you and that memory of Bohemian Rhapsody lately Alice?" I flashed him a grin and with a shrug he darted off to catch up with our siblings. Bella started to rise from her chair, mumbling about going home, but I was faster then her, and with my hands on her shoulders, pushed her back into her seat, and said "Relax Bella, I cleared it with Charlie, you're staying the night. I told him we were going shopping tomorrow, well, that I was going shopping and that you were coming whether you like it or not. He agreed quite happily, considering the argument I laid out for him." I noticed her grimace, but I decided to ignore it. "Anyway Bella, you look like you haven't had any water for days and I had a brilliant idea." With that, I went to the cupboard, got out two cups, filled them with water and passed her a cup. "Up for a drinking competition?" I said, grinning mischievously. "But Alice…are you forgetting you don't need water?" She asked, confused. Flashing her a smile, I said "If you're going to be part of the family, you're going to have to get used to competing Bella, you should know that," I paused, then added, "On three." Indicating to the cup. Frowning she picked it up. "That's my Bella. 1…2…3" On three she lifted the cup to her mouth and started draining the liquid down and so did I, trying to block out any thoughts of her. I'd heard Edward explaining to Carlisle how intoxicating she is but I never believed it until I witnessed it myself when I first met her. While I was too caught up blocking my thoughts, I didn't realise that she'd drained the cup, placed it on her head and was watching me intently, her concern spreading on her face. "What's wrong Alice? Can't handle a little competition from a human?"
Before I had a chance to answer, a small noise erupted from her mouth, which sounded like a… "What that a…hiccup Bella?" I asked, my voice strained from trying not to laugh. She frowned, hiccupping again and as a result raising her hands to her mouth to silence it. Once again she blushed, sending the warm blood to her cheeks, tainting them a rosy red, the blush sending a shockwave of the blood towards my nostrils, making me freeze on the spot. Bella noticed my discontent and went to speak, but another hiccup erupted from her mouth. Forgetting why I was silent, I burst out giggling. "Only you Bella." "What, can't you guys even hiccup?" She asked raising her eyebrows. I couldn't answer, because if I opened my mouth, either I would crack up laughing again or the monster inside me would relish at the smell of her and I could attack, which considering my feelings towards her could end badly. Instead I shook my head.
After a minute or two, I managed to get a grip. "How do humans usually get rid of them? It's been a while since I've had the hiccups…" I trailed off. "Well. There's holding your breath, drinking more water, standing on your head or getting a good old fashioned fright generally gets rid of them." I pondered the possibilities and then said. "Let's start with holding your breath. I'll stand behind you so you don't have to worry about falling over." She nodded her head in approval as I moved into position behind her, placing my arms around her so she wouldn't topple forwards. Standing behind her, I could feel her lungs fill up with air, which she was struggling to hold in. A few seconds later, the air burst out of her mouth and she was breathing rapidly. "Careful Bella…Breathe slower," I encouraged and when she regained control over her breathing I added. "Alright…on to method number two, more water."
Method two turned out to make things worse unsurprisingly and the hiccups became more constant. "Number three?" I asked, amused. Nothing was more amusing then watching Bella stand on her head. At first, when she attempted to get onto her head, she toppled over completely, but eventually got it right. "Uh, how long am I meant to stay on my head for?" she asked, sounding nervous. It took me a while to reply as I was too busy surveying Bella from head to toe, eyes running over her, every crevice, every nook and cranny of her body. "Just a two or so minutes." My eyes landing on her torso, which was nearly visible underneath her singlet which was showing due to her shirt hanging round her shoulders. "You're enjoying this aren't you?" She asked, losing balance. I shrugged innocently, catching her legs and placing them softly on the ground. "Who me? Not at all."
Shaking her head, Bella said. "I guess that leaves method four. A good fright." Hmm. A fright. I wandered up to Bella and without thinking, squeaked "Boo!" Once again she shook her head, hiccupping again. "That's not at all scary Alice." She laughed. "Hmmm." I hmmm'd out loud. Without looking back, I dashed up the stairs, yelling down to Bella, "Come upstairs and find me." I dashed into my room and hid behind the door, turning the light off as I did so.
The stair creaked as Bella walked up it, sensing something was up. With a quick glance in the other rooms, she slowly walked through the door of my room. "Where are you Alice?" She whispered, sounding a tad frightened already. She was inside the room enough for me to shut the door and with the use of my vampire speed, I had her up against the wooden door already. Gulping some air and taking in the sweet stench of Bella, I hoped this would work. "You know what I'm going to do to you?" I asked my voice low and as evil as I could make it. She answered with a string of hiccups. Placing my finger over her lips, I continued. "We're home alone, you're a human and I'm a vampire. Everyone that can help you isn't here right now. It's been a long time since I've tasted human blood. Pity no one's here to hear you scream…and if you do, I'll only make it more painful for you." I tilted my head and moved my open mouth towards her neck, breathing in the sweet, irresistible scent of her blood. Somehow I managed to push her onto the couch. Hopefully, just hopefully she doesn't think I'm being serious about all this scary normality vampire stuff, considering the actual scary bit to come. As if in answer to my unasked question she hiccupped again. I could feel her cheeks grow warm again and I couldn't help but grin, and considering the façade I was pulling off to get rid of the hiccups, I reckon it would've been menacing. "Blushing isn't going to help Bella." I say my eyes boring into hers, hers a chocolaty, milky brown that I loved so much. "Just…hiccup…do it already, bite me. If I want to die, I'd rather it be you that did it." Her voice strained, broke as it said those last words.
I looked into those milky brown eyes, which were searching my own and I knew I didn't, that I couldn't hurt her ever and that Edward's stunt running away had hurt her greatly. She stayed with him because she didn't know what else to do and felt guilty…I knew I couldn't let him hurt her any more. My mouth hovered over her neck, before I lowered it onto her neck, murmuring into her ear "Hopefully this gets rid of those hiccups." Instead of biting her, which I had never intended to do, I moved my head up and towards her face, looking her in her eyes, which indeed did hold fear, and placing my cold lips onto her warmer ones, her warmth filling me up, surprisingly more satisfying then any of my moments with Jasper. I remembered how to move and got up, allowing Bella to move once more.
I decided I'd do the decent thing and give her a few minutes to pull herself together, to comprehend what had just occurred. Truth be told, in that moment I'd never been happier and had wanted to do that ever since I returned to Bella when Edward forced me to run away. If only she knew what had been running through my mind. How I would never hurt her, how I would show her the world, how I would open my heart and love her for the rest of eternity and never ever leave her again, no matter how egotistical Edward is.
There was a slight cough, as she cleared her throat. I lifted my eyes away from my feet and gave her eye contact. In a very small voice, so quiet that if it weren't for my sensitive hearing I would've missed it. "The, ah…the hiccups are gone." With that, I broke into a grin, as we left my room to go downstairs. "How're you going to…you know…shield that…from…from Edward?" She asked nervously. "I'll just keep forcing the memory of Jasper, Emmett and Bohemian Rhapsody to play in my mind." I shrugged. She thought for a moment and then lit up into a smile, the first one since before the… and it made my day. "So that's where that came from." I couldn't help it, I giggled. But then…I hiccupped. I caught Bella's gaze, and with what I swear could've been the speed of a vampire, or close to it, she got up and ran up the stairs. Just as everyone returned home.
"What's with Bella?" Edward asked. Grinning, I replied. "Who knows with humans?" As she came downstairs, I hiccupped again then fell silent, catching Bella's eye. Edward raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, as Emmett mumbled "Girls".
Carefully, without raising anyone's attention, which is hard when you live in a house with vampires, I wrote Bella a note and put in her lap "Same time, same place, next week?" I watched her as she read it and she gave me a thumbs up, grinning from ear to ear.