A/n: Hey guys! This is my third ever Twilight fanfic and I really hope you like it. I got the idea for it when one of my friends showed me what a hand hug was. If you're still confused after reading it, google it! Please please please read and review, I love and accept all kinds of constructive criticism. I also would love ideas for new one-shots or any kind of story. :)
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Ms. Stephenie Meyer.
"Bye Ben!" The warning bell had just rung to signify the end of lunch. Angela stood from her chair to see her boyfriend off.
"See you, Ang." I watched, waiting for them to hug or kiss goodbye. Ben was missing the rest of the day to start the weekend early with his family. They usually never showed public displays of affection, so I was a little curious as to what they would do now. Grinning widely, Ben held his hand out as if he was waiting for a high-five. Angela smiled back and pressed her hand into his. Her shoulder was blocking my view, so I couldn't really see what they were doing. Were they just interlocking fingers? Or something else? I turned back to my now cold pizza, sipping my coke before taking a bite. Angela sat beside me, watching after Ben as he weaved through the lunch crowds towards the door.
"What was that?" I twirled my apple in my hands. I suppose it was a bit intrusive to ask, but I didn't think that she would mind.
"What was what?" She seemed puzzled.
"That thing you guys did with your hands." I held up mine as she did to Ben. It felt a little silly, like I was preparing to take oath or something. I put my hand back down back down.
"Oh that? It's called a hand hug; Ben taught me how to do it. Hold up your hand again." She turned to face me, matching her right hand against
my right, like a frozen high-five. But instead of pulling away or interlocking fingers as I expected, she bent her thumb so it hooked around the side of my hand. I repeated the action. It felt a little strange, but good in a weird way.
"Oh. " I smiled. It was a small token of affection, but I could see why it worked. It felt intimate without pushing the boundaries. "That's cute that Ben taught you this. Does he have any other tricks up his sleeve?" I gave her hand a little squeeze and we both giggled. I let go, and went back to munching on my pizza.
"Hmm…not really. I mean the only other 'unusual' thing that we do are Eskimo kisses." She smiled, chagrinned.
"Eskimo kisses? Wow I forgot those even existed." I vaguely remembered learning about Eskimo kisses as a child. I never got to try them out though, since all of the boys had cooties at that age.
"Yeah, it actually feels really nice and it's something different than kissing, you know? Not that I object to kissing." She gave me a mischievous grin and I gave her a knowing look, I knew exactly what she was talking about.
"I can't wait to try these with Edward." I mused out loud. The vacant spot beside me felt odd. I was so used to leaning in his embrace or at least holding hand with him as I ate.
"Where is he, by the way?" She began to gather her bags, the second warning bell had just rang and we needed to get to class.
"Out hiking with his brothers, I believe. He should be back this afternoon though." I sighed with anticipation. He'd only left last night, but it still felt like weeks. We worked our way through the bustling hallway.
"It's cool that their parents let them miss so much school like that." I'm pretty sure we had had this conversation before, but it was nice that she was trying to keep up small talk with me; usually she was very quiet at school.
"It is, but at the same time it's not. They do hike a lot which means I see him less."
"Couldn't you go with them? He's probably invited you along, right?" We had reached the door to my class and stopped to face each other.
"Yeah, he has." I lied on the spot, I was used to it by now. "But I'm not much of an outdoorsy type. Even hiking up a little hill could turn dangerous for me. It's not so great being this accident prone." I smiled, she knew what I was talking about.
"Yeah. Ben's parents invited me to go with them this weekend to their cabin. But I knew his sister was coming home from college and I felt that they needed some family time. I didn't want to be intrusive." She looked down at her books.
"That was nice of you." I looked at the clock. "The last bell's about to ring, I'll see you later Angela and thanks for teaching me about the hand hugs!" She nodded and continued down the hall.
Entering the class room I looked at the empty chair next to mine that would have been filled if Edward were here and sighed. This was going to be a long afternoon.
I couldn't help but notice all of the couples the school had. Sitting in the back of the classroom had its advantages. I could see hands being held under tables, notes being passed back and forth, and footsie being played under desks. In the halls at passing time, girls flirtatiously leaned against lockers, twirling their hair while the guy of their affection talked to them. The bold couples spared no expense and were full on making out in the hallway, not even worrying about getting caught. It was interesting to see how other people were intimate. I would never be bold enough to kiss Edward like that in the middle of the hallway. But then again, I was content just being near him.
I trudged my way into Spanish, my last class of the day. I paid no attention to what the teacher was saying. Instead I stared at the window, my eyes vacant. I was glad I didn't get called out; I didn't understand any of it. I would have to ask Edward to catch me up. I doodled my favorite phrase in Spanish all over my notebook. 'Te amo' must have been repeated over a hundred times – I had been doing it all hour.
The noise of the final bell of the day startled me out of my daze. Jumping up, I walked as quickly as I could without tripping to get to my car before the driving rush began. I threw my book bag in the bed of my trunk and climbed in, a little breathless- I had been going fast. I sped out of the parking lot and started my route to the Cullens' house.
It was such a beautiful my day in Forks. I rolled my window down all of the way and lazily let my hand hang out. I made my way down the winding drive to the house and smiled. The trees danced in the breeze, glimmering with the dew drops from the night's rain. The refreshing scent of the nearby river wafted through the window. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the spring air. This was my home.
I left my book bag in the truck and sprung lightly up the front steps. I went to ring the doorbell, surprised that Alice hadn't seen me coming. I stopped when I noticed the note taped neatly above the small button. It had my name on the outside; I unfolded it and read.
'Bella, we are running (excuse the pun) a little late. We should be home within the hour, maybe sooner. Make yourself at home; I left you a snack on the kitchen counter. –Alice'
I scowled, more time I had to waist before I saw Edward.
The door opened soundly when I gave it a little push, revealing the ever-clean Cullen home. I stepped inside and took off my shoes, not wanting to track dirt on the clean floor. Everything was just as I expected it. Nothing had changed since I had last been here and I loved it. I padded my way barefoot across the kitchen, my stomach growling noisily.
On the counter was a brown bag, just as Alice had said. There was a little note attached to it. I pulled it off before going for the food.
'I thought you might find these amusing. –Alice'
I plunged my hand into the bag, picking up a small plastic package which felt like gummies. I read the label – 'Gummy Fangs.' I laughed and ripped it open.
"I thought you might like those." A familiar velvet voice came from behind me.
I spun. "Edward!" My voice filled with delight. He flashed me his all-too-alluring crooked smile before closing the gap between us and bending down to kiss me. Our lips were centimeters apart when I remembered what Angela had taught me. I pulled back. Edward opened his eyes, gazing at me curiously. As a general rule I never pulled away from kisses.
"I want to show you something first." I said shyly.
"Anything." He let the tips of his fingers gaze my cheek where a faint blush had appeared.
"Uh…You're going to have to come to my level first."I was going to suggest the chairs but he picked m up before I could get another word out. Instead of setting me down he held me. He secured my legs around his waist, and I crossed my arms behind his neck. Well this was new.
"This better?" He grinned, watching me blush even darker.
"Much."I managed to get out.
"So what is this that you wanted to show me?"
"It's something Angela taught me today. Well…she taught me one thing and reminded me of the other. Just go along with it." I was flustered at his closeness and had trouble getting my words out. He waited patiently for me to show him.
I leaned forward until the tips of our noses barely touched each other. I closed my eyes, knowing full well that I would lose all concentration if I held his gaze. I slowly moved my head back and forth, giggling at the sensation of our noses touching. Angela was right, this did feel nice. He caught on and began to move his head too. The cold temperature of his nose left mine tingling as he repeatedly brushed it. I didn't want to stop.
"You are so unpredictable." He chuckled and slowed his movements. I opened my eyes. His face was alight with curiosity. "What is this called?"
"An Eskimo kiss!" I couldn't help but smiling. He liked it too, that was good. "I take it you liked it?" I kissed him on the tip of his nose.
"It was quite enjoyable. But nothing amounts to this." His lips were on mine before I could objet. I gave in whole heartedly, sighing and parting my lips. I had missed this.
It was a short kiss but it still left me a little breathless.
"There's something else that I wanted to show you." I said as he placed butterfly kisses along my jaw, heading towards my neck.
"Is that so?" He nuzzled his face into the crook of my shoulder.
"Yes." I squeaked, if he kept this up, I would forget what I wanted to show him. "But you'll need to put me down first." He stopped his kissing and set me on the counter next to my forgotten packet of gummy fangs.
I held my hand up like Angela had. "Just do what I do." I explained. He held his cool hand up so our hands touched. My hand dwarfed in comparison to his.
"So little…" He whispered.
"Hey now, they may be little but they're good at doing this." I hated my small hands, but I didn't want to get distracted again. I bent my thumb as Angela had. He caught on, and did the same. I marveled at the tingling sensation I got when I felt his thumb on the back of my hand. I had to admit, Edward was much better at this than Angela was.
He smiled. "So what is this?" He used his other hand to tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear, letting his fingers linger on my face.
"Just another way to say 'I love you.'"