A/N: Hi guys! I just wanted to let you know that this is my first fanfic, so please, please let me know what you think. It turned out to be much longer than I thought it would, but I think that's a good thing. Oh, and this takes place during Eclipse.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. This is the sad truth.
So without further ado, here goes nothing…
Truth or Dare Gone Awry
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Life was a constant roller-coaster ride for me, and the huge, stomach-turning plummet came every other weekend when the love of my life, my vampire boyfriend, Edward, needed to hunt. I should have been grateful that it need not be more often, but I always felt like half of me was missing when he was gone.
Edward always offered to stay, but I never let him, as much as I wanted him to. Though he never let on, I still knew about the fiery pain in his throat when he was near me. I couldn't comprehend his pain, and I knew it only grew exponentially worse the longer he went without going on a hunt.
So, however unwilling I was, I forced him to go. It had been no different this time…
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"Bella, just say the word, and I won't leave. I promise." He looked at me earnestly. I knew he would much, much rather stay with me, and I would rather it too, but I couldn't let him. I caused him too much pain when he was thirsty. His eyes had been black for days.
"Edward, go ahead. I'll be fine, really." I tried to reassure him, even though I knew it was a complete lie.
"Bella, are you sure? You know you're a terrible liar. You don't have—"
"Edward, just go already. The sooner you go, the sooner you'll be back. Just go." I cut him off, exasperated. Hunting was the only thing he ever truly needed to do, and he would give it up, just to be with me.
He studied my face, trying to gauge my true feelings. I must not have looked too helpless, because he resolved to go.
"Don't let Alice and Emmett give you a hard time. I'll be back before you have time to miss me." he said with his signature crooked smile, the smile that was all mine.
"Yeah, right. Like I could stop them." I grumbled to myself, but I knew he heard.
He chuckled and then kissed me swiftly, but gently with his perfect lips—like ice, cold and hard, and turned to leave. Quick as lightning, he was gone, off into the woods somewhere, miles away.
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So, here I was, at the Cullen house, on a Saturday afternoon being babysat by Alice and Emmett. The rest of the Cullens: Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Rosalie, and Jasper were on a hunting trip, and they weren't expecting to be back until late Sunday night. It was embarrassing that they all thought I needed to be babysat, for Pete's sake! I managed to take care of myself perfectly well for seventeen years before I came to Forks, why not now? But I knew the answer to that question. That was before I was the weak human who lived in a supernatural world that included vampires and werewolves.
Don't get me wrong—I adore Emmett and Alice! I mean, who wouldn't? But I disliked the term 'babysit,' so of course that's the exact word Emmett chose to use. I was not looking forward to the ritual shopping trip with Alice tomorrow, or being repeatedly bombarded with annoying comments on mine and Edward's sex lives, or lack thereof by Emmett. But it happened every time they 'babysat,' so I tried to suck it up and keep the complaints to a minimum. Edward would just beat himself further into the ground if he thought I had been miserable the entire time.
I sat with Emmett and Alice in the Cullen's spacious living room, watching Emmett play one of his video games, on his Wii, I thought it was called. But I really wasn't sure. My mind was elsewhere, remembering the particularly wonderful day I had with Edward last weekend. He had taken me to another of his favorite spots, a small, clear pond in the middle of the forest, with a surface so smooth and glassy that it reflected the surrounding trees and sky with perfect clarity. It seemed to come straight out a fairytale, and I wondered if any otherworldly beings had anything to do with it. I now knew that the impossible was possible—there might actually be wood nymphs and fairies. After all, werewolves and vampires existed. Why not?
I suddenly broke out of my reverie when Alice burst into hysterical laughter. What on Earth was the matter with her? Emmett looked at her curiously, completely forgetting his game for the moment.
After a few minutes of Alice's insane bout of laughter, I began to wonder if she was okay. I glanced at Emmett to see what he thought about the situation. He shrugged as I gave him a quizzical look. His face plainly said that he was just as confused as I was.
"Oh, oh…g…great plan…Emmett!" Alice choked out as she tried to catch her breath. "I, I really…think that…that this might…be the b…best o…one…ever!"
"Alice, what are you talking about?" Emmett asked, even more confused than before. "I don't have a pl—"
"Just think about it, Emmett. You will. And it's going to be absolutely perfect! I can't wait!" Alice cut him off eagerly.
I stared at Alice in disbelief while she continued to giggle with a wicked grin on her face. Emmett turned back to his game, undisturbed by Alice's strange outburst, but I supposed he was used to this sort of thing, after decades of living with her.
A few minutes later Alice whined, "I'm bored Emmett. Let's play a game."
"I'm already playing a game, Alice. Go shopping with Bella or something. I'm sure she'd love a chance to get out of the house." Emmett replied exasperatedly.
"NO!" I yelled. "Anything, but that! Please Emmett. I'm begging you. Don't give her any ideas!" I prayed that this was not the plan Alice had seen in her vision. It seemed unlikely that shopping would be the best one ever, especially since she most likely actually meant forever, her being immortal and all.
"Emmett, I'm really, really bored. And I'm sure Bella is, too. Aren't you Bella?" she pouted.
"Actually, I'm just fine, Emmett." I shot an annoyed glance at Alice before I tried to reassure him that I really was fine. In fact, the only way I could be more than fine was if Edward was here, and I knew that was not going to happen. Sitting around doing nothing but daydreaming about Edward was much, much more enjoyable than playing Bella Barbie or being teased.
Emmett just looked amused. I could only wonder what was going on in his head. Oh, how useful Edward's power could be... "Actually, now that I think about it, I do have an idea. I think you're going to love it, Bella," he said with a smirk.
I knew this couldn't be good. None of Emmett's 'ideas' were ever good. I dreaded the words that would come out of his mouth next. I wished I could walk over and wipe the smirk off of his inhumanly beautiful face.
"Three words: truth or dare." Emmett said with an evil grin.
I sighed and shook my head. I should have known. Truth or dare had to be the most immature game ever invented. Of course Emmett, the most childish person I had ever known, especially given his true age—a decades old vampire—would want to play it.
Alice grinned with glee, and I realized that this must have been her vision, although I didn't know why a simple game of truth or dare could make her so ecstatic. I surmised that it must be one of the challenges in the game, and I was most definitely not looking forward to it.
Nothing good ever came out of truth or dare. Why would it be any different this time? But I didn't have a choice. It's extremely difficult to refuse to do anything a vampire thousands of times stronger than you wants you to do, much less two vampires. So I did the only logical thing. I reluctantly agreed. I didn't really have a choice, not when Alice and Emmett wanted this so badly.
Alice dragged me from the window seat I was sitting in over to the couch where she gracefully sat down next to me. Emmett pulled a chair around to face us and plopped down, all the while grinning like a maniac. This couldn't be good. I would have to have a little talk with Edward about acceptable sleepover/babysitting games when he returned.
"Alright, Emmett—truth or dare?" Alice asked.
"Dare." Emmett replied with a smirk. I figured he would say that. There weren't really any secrets in this house, and if there were, they didn't last for long. Not with a mind reader, a clairvoyant, and an emotion controller around. I figured he would have to stay away from Rosalie for awhile. That was always Emmett's dare. He didn't really care about anything else. Being away from Rose was the only thing he couldn't stand.
Alice gave him his dare with an evil grin. "Let me see…you can't come within…ten feet of Rosalie for three days when she gets back." The smirk instantly dropped of his face. He should have known it would be something like this. I had thought it was quite obvious. "Oh, and Emmett, that means a full seventy-two hours—down to the last second." she added as an afterthought. I guess she must have seen him cheating or something.
And once again I wondered why he chose this game, when it probably made him miserable every time he played it. I guess he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness to see everyone else that played suffer too. How sweet.
And then I realized with horror that it was Emmett's turn. I prayed with all my might that he would pick Alice and extract some sort of revenge, but he turned to me instead.
"Truth or dare, Bella?" he asked almost lazily. I debated inside my head…take the easy way out, or get this over with as quickly as possible. Truth would definitely be the easy option. Sure, I would probably turn beet red, but the embarrassment would soon pass. I was sure it would probably be something along the lines of how far Edward and I had gone in that area…even though Emmett already knew the answer. He would just enjoy making me say it out loud.
But Alice quickly gave me a look that clearly said you better not if you know what's good for you! I knew that there was a much better chance of the game ending sooner if I chose dare. Emmett and Alice would be satisfied, and might lose interest—if I was lucky.
I sighed with reluctance and mumbled "Dare." Alice clapped with joy. Her vision must have been about to come true.
Emmett thought for a moment, and then a horrible, evil grin spread slowly across his face. I knew I was in trouble then. I jumped up and headed for the door, but before I could take two steps, Alice blocked me. I slipped on the shiny wooden floor in surprise at her sudden movement, but Emmett caught me before I hit the ground.
"Bella, Bella, Bella, you haven't even heard what your dare is." Emmett said shaking his head, feigning disappointment. "And you could have really gotten hurt. Edward would rip us apart. Lucky we were here to save you."
I stuck my tongue out at him childishly, but he just laughed. I stomped back over to the couch and plopped myself down huffily. Better get this over with.
"Alright Bella, you have to get a tattoo. Nothing major, just a little one. It can be whatever you want, wherever you want. Alice and I will do it for you right here." Emmett said smiling wickedly again.
My mouth dropped open in horror. "WHAT!! I am NOT doing that. Edward would kill me! And you too!" I panicked. I had heard the horror stories, how it hurt so badly. It made me want to faint just thinking about it. But maybe if I did faint, I wouldn't feel anything. Wow. I was getting desperate.
Emmett was doubled over laughing at my reaction and Alice was rolling around on the floor giggling wildly.
I started to hyperventilate, but Alice noticed and tried to calm me down. "Relax, Bella. It won't be as bad as you think. We'll even give you some happy gas if you want. Carlisle has some upstairs."
It struck me as strange that Carlisle would have happy gas at his house, where it would do no good for anyone except me. Was he anticipating needing it for me sometime? I only turned paler at the thought.
"Bella, I took a class in tattooing one time. You'll be fine. Besides, this dare is really to get Edward's goat more than anything. We'll make it as painless as possible for you." Emmett tried to reassure me, but it had the opposite effect.
"GET EDWARD'S GOAT!!!" I screamed. "THAT'S THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO!" He had been through so much for me already. It was excruciatingly painful for him to be around me. I really didn't want to hurt him anymore.
"Oh, come on Bella." Emmett complained. "Stop being such a spoil sport."
"You can come quietly and get it over with, or we can force you. Either way, you're getting a tattoo, and there's nothing you can do about it." Alice added smugly.
I slumped in defeat. They were right. It would certainly be easier if I just let them have their fun. I couldn't stop them anyway. But then I remembered Edward. I would let them do what they wanted, and Edward would kill them when he returned.
"Fine! But I won't try to stop Edward from killing you when he comes back—and then you'll be sorry!" I retorted.
They both smirked.
"As if!" Emmett scoffed. "I'd like to see him try."
"I'm sure you will." I muttered. Had all the reason left this house along with the rest of the Cullens?!
They both rolled their eyes at my comment, obviously not worried about anything Edward would do to them.
"So, Bella, what do you want?" Alice asked sweetly.
I rolled my eyes. Well, since tattoos were permanent, and I would have this one as long as I lived, which would hopefully be for all eternity, I would have to get something small and inconspicuous—something that Edward hopefully wouldn't mind too much. And then it hit me—the perfect tattoo—a small cursive E!
"How about an E?" I asked slowly. The idea was beginning to grow on me. Edward sacrificed so much for me. I could go through a little pain for him, to help show my love, even if it was sort of a silly way to do it.
"OOOH! How romantic!" Alice squealed. I covered my ears at the shrill noise. "I wish I could get one for Jasper,"
"Where do you want it then, Bella? Your butt?" Emmett asked with a smirk. "I'm sure Edward would love that." he added suggestively.
I stuck my tongue out at him again. Typical immature Emmett. I wondered though, where would I put it? My shoulder? Nah, too ordinary. Lower back? No, somehow an E just didn't fit there. I had heard that the top of the foot was the most painful, but it seemed like the best place. And surely the pain couldn't compare to vampire venom, which I had already experienced. It would be good practice for next time, too.
"No, Emmett, my foot I suppose." I sighed. I really didn't want to play his games anymore. They were exhausting. "Alright. Let's get this over with." I stood up.
"Bella, do you want the happy gas?" Alice asked.
"I guess not." I replied. My previous encounters with happy gas had not ended well. I always started talking about random things, like I did in my sleep, but the gas always caused even stranger things to happen. Renee told me about last time I had it I started talking about going to see the Oompa-loompas at Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Then I ran out the door of the dentist's office and into the parking lot babbling about all delicious candy. Alice and Emmett would probably get a kick out of whatever I did, but I didn't want to give them any more satisfaction.
I also knew the pain would be nothing compared to the venom, and hopefully it would be over quickly. A vampire tattoo artist would definitely be faster than a human one.
Alice ran upstairs and came back with the equipment. I sat back down on the couch while Emmett got ready. He pulled his chair and the coffee table over to sit directly in front of me. I took off my left shoe and sock and Emmett put on a pair of rubber gloves. It was a comical sight.
He then rubbed the top of my foot down with alcohol. It was cold, but no colder than his hands. The thin layer of rubber didn't help that. He dipped the needle into the ink and hovered over my foot. I cringed at the sight. I didn't do well with needles—they usually meant blood was coming.
He looked at me deviously, but smiled kindly when he saw my face. It must have looked more scared than I realized. "Relax, Bella. I'll be done in a jiffy."
I tried to smile back, but failed miserably in the attempt. "Just get it over with, and make sure it's cursive." I said sharply. "And Emmett—if you mess it up, I'll kill you." I said with the last ounce of courage I could muster.
Emmett burst out laughing while Alice smirked. "You spend all your time with bloodthirsty vampires, and yet something as normal as getting a tattoo scares you silly. What a messed up mind you have, Bella." he chortled.
I ignored his comment and replied coldly "Just do it Emmett. You are trying my patience."
"Fine, Bella, fine. Who knew the little human had such a temper?" Swiftly, he began touching the needle to my foot. Alice held my foot so I couldn't move while I gasped at the pain. It hurt badly, but I had hurt worse. It was nothing compared to the time Edward left me or even to James's bite. No, it was definitely manageable compared to that.
So I bit my tongue to keep from crying out and waited for it to be over. And before I knew it, it was.
"There Bella. All done. Want to see it?" Emmett asked.
"Okay," I agreed. He pulled out a small hand mirror so I could see it right-side-up, but backwards, so it looked like a 3. I gasped as soon as I saw it. It was beautiful—a small black cursive 3/E. It looked almost like Edward's flawless handwriting. I smiled at the thought.
"Do you like it, Bella?" Emmett asked softly.
"Like it, Emmett?! I love it!" I got up to hug him, but winced as soon as I put pressure on my sore foot. He came over to me instead, and I thanked him. "Let's just hope Edward agrees." The thought made worried me. I didn't think he would appreciate me putting permanent writing on my body.
"Don't worry, Bella. Everything will turn out alright." Alice reassured me. But I noticed she didn't say how Edward would take it. But it was too late. The deed was done. And then I remembered that it was my turn.
"Okay, Alice: truth or dare?" I asked, changing the subject. I didn't really want to think about how angry Edward would be when he returned. "Dare," she replied, almost before I finished the question.
I smiled wickedly. I could definitely use this to my advantage. No shopping for me!
And then Alice cried out in distress. "NO, BELLA! Please! Anything but that!" she wailed.
"Yes, Alice," I smiled at my victory. "You have to let me wear whatever I want for the next two weeks, and you can't take me shopping either." No Bella Barbie for TWO whole weeks I thought giddily. I could get used to this game, if this sort of thing happened more often.
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Emmett and Alice calmed down quite a bit after one round and decided that they had had enough for one day. I sighed in relief. They obviously weren't very happy with their dares. Mine, on the other hand, I was actually beginning to enjoy. My tattoo was beautiful.
Emmett went back to his video game and Alice started sketching clothes in her sketchbook. I made my way over to Edward's piano and tried to remember a few simple tunes I had learned when I took lessons.
It was hopeless. It had been much too long. I would just have to get Edward to help me refresh my memory later.
I turned my back on the ivory keys and stared blankly at the TV without registering what was on it. I was pretty much useless when Edward was gone. But soon, I wouldn't ever have to be separated from him, not after I was changed. I sat there trying to imagine what it would be like. ...............................................................................................................................................
Later that evening I made my way up to Edward's room for the night, but his room seemed so empty without him there. Sleeping was always so much easier with Edward by my side. Instead of my usual sweatpants and ratty T-shirt, I riffled through Edward's tidy closet until I found one of his shirts to sleep in. Even though it was clean, it had his amazingly comforting scent embedded in the cloth. If I couldn't sleep in Edward's arms, I could at least be surrounded by his scent.
I brushed my teeth in his bathroom, then pulled back the golden quilt on the bed, and climbed in. Alice came up a moment later to tuck me in and say goodnight.
"Goodnight Bella, and sweet dreams. Edward will be back before you know it," he whispered. She knew how it pained me for him to be away, especially at night. Even now, I sometimes had nightmares when Edward was away. I still didn't understand how he, the perfect creature that he was, could love me. But I hoped that his clothes and pillow would be enough of a substitute that the bad dreams would stay away.
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I slept fitfully that night and awoke to sunlight streaming in through the huge window, but I didn't feel refreshed. I stumbled out of bed and made my way downstairs to the bright, sunny kitchen, squinting against the bright light. Alice had fixed me a few pancakes for breakfast. I ate them quickly while Alice looked at me dejectedly.
"Thanks for breakfast, Alice," I said and turned to leave. Alice grabbed my wrist.
"Bella!" Alice whined. I knew what she wanted. She wanted to dress me up.
"A dare is a dare, Alice. No dress up or shopping trips for two weeks," I said smugly.
She pouted. A moment later, a wide smile spread across her face. Uh-oh. I obviously didn't think of everything. "That's okay, Bella. There's always online shopping!" she exclaimed gleefully.
My shoulders slumped. Could this day get any worse? But Alice calmed herself when she saw my expression. "Bella, is it really that bad? Do you really hate shopping that much?" she asked, looking hurt.
I sighed. "No, Alice. It's not. I don't enjoy it, but it's not the worst thing in the world either. I just think you take me shopping much too often. I don't really care about clothes and appearances. You know that."
"Okay Bella. You won. Shopping can wait. We'll wait until Edward can come, too. Then it won't be quite so bad for you. Now go get dressed. I'll be good this time and stay out of it." she smiled. At least with Edward along, I wouldn't be miserable, and he could back me up when I wanted to go home.
I cheered inwardly. I had just gotten out of a day of online shopping! I walked out of the kitchen and started up the stairs. "Thanks, Alice," I called.
"Just, please, try and pick something to wear that isn't horribly hideous!" she called back.
I smirked and made my way back up to Edward's room, stumbling only twice. I opened the door to his closet and scouted out the clothing options. Alice had cleared a space in his closet just for me. Of course she had filled it with clothing she picked out, but I had also snuck some of my own things in from Charlie's house. I decided on a faded pair of jeans and an emerald green v-neck tee. Emerald had been my second favorite color since I learned that Edward's eyes had been green when he was human. I smiled at the thought as I quickly pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail. I knew Alice wouldn't be happy, but I also didn't care.
I debated what to put on my feet. I hated going barefoot, but my foot was still sore. I decided on a pair of grey ballet flats that Alice had picked out. Maybe she wouldn't be completely disappointed, after all. My jeans just barely covered the new tattoo. Hopefully it would be enough to hide it from Edward for a while.
Today was going to be just another boring day—everyday without Edward was boring. So I stopped by Carlisle's office on my way downstairs. Three of the walls were covered with bookshelves that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. Most of them were medical books, but he also had a nice collection of first edition classics.
A beautiful dark blue, leather bound book caught my eye. I pulled it out and flipped to the title page. It was Emma. Jane Austen—perfect. I hadn't read that one in a while. I decided to bring it downstairs with me.
I returned to the living room. Alice was using her laptop—shopping, no doubt. But I didn't really care as long as I didn't have to participate. Emmett wasn't there. I sat down on the couch and swung my legs across it, leaning back against the throw pillows and opened my book.
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Soon after dark, I woke up on the couch underneath a blanket with my book on the coffee table. Neither Alice nor Emmett was there. I must have fallen asleep while reading. I pulled the blanket back and stood up, looking around.
All of a sudden, I remembered that Edward would be home soon. I smiled at the thought, but then remembered my tattoo. What would Edward do if he found out? No—when he found out. He would be extremely angry. That was Emmett's purpose behind the whole thing, anyway.
Suddenly, I heard the front door burst open and Edward ran into the room at vampire speed, stopping as soon as he reached me.
He pulled me into his cold embrace, and kissed my temple. He pressed his nose to my hair, inhaled my scent, and sighed contentedly. "I missed you," he stated simply.
"I missed you, too," I mumbled into his shoulder. But suddenly I remembered my tattoo again and stiffened in his arms. What would he do?
He felt me tense up. "Bella, what's wrong?" he asked immediately. I mentally smacked myself. I couldn't let him find out. Not like this. I would have to gradually introduce him to the idea of me having a tattoo, and then tell him I already had one. That would be the best way.
I didn't reply. I was still thinking of something to say—an excuse, changing the subject, anything to get his mind off the fact that something might be wrong. Besides, nothing was wrong. And he couldn't change anything now, anyway.
Still brainstorming, I realized I couldn't fool him with words for long. He was right about me being a terrible liar. So instead, I threw my arms around his neck, and my legs around his waist, and pressed my lips to his.
He didn't move. For several seconds he just stood there. He didn't respond, but he didn't push me away either. He must have been surprised. I wasn't usually this forward. I just kept kissing him, relishing the taste of his perfect marble lips. I almost forgot my task: keep Edward from finding out about my tattoo.
He then must have realized what I was doing, and eagerly kissed me back.
I felt a rush of wind on my back, and suddenly I found myself lying on Edward's bed with Edward hovering over top of me. I was surprised at the sudden change in position. It amazed me how we had traveled up two flights of stairs, but Edward's lips had never once parted from mine. My plan was working. I smiled against his lips at the thought.
When I thought I was about to pass out from lack of oxygen, Edward moved to my jaw line, trailing his lips along it like feathers.
"So," he whispered seductively, in between kisses. "Are you going to tell me what was the matter?"
I didn't respond. He made his way to my ear and nuzzled it gently with his nose. "Bella?" he asked again.
Again, I said nothing, but my breathing sped up. I knew I couldn't hold out much longer, not if he kept this up.
He pulled away slightly to look me in the eyes. "Oh, Bella…" he said in a melodious, sing-song voice. His golden eyes were smoldering and I realized he was trying to dazzle me. Oh-ho-ho, he was good—always using my weakness to his advantage.
"What?" I breathed, unable to look away.
"Wasn't there something you wanted to tell me?" He smirked at my reaction, obviously enjoying this.
"Uh…No, not really." I replied, trying to sound nonchalant. I looked away and tried to push him off. I needed to have my full brain capabilities if I was attempting lying.
He got the message and rolled off of me, sighing. He clearly didn't believe me.
I pulled my legs up to my chest and made to swing them over the edge of the bed. But before I could turn, Edward put his hand on my thigh, stopping me with his iron grip.
"Wait, Bella. What have you been doing? You smell different—like a printer and ink or something. Have you been making copies?" he asked, puzzled, while taking my hands and turning them over, looking in the most obvious place for ink to be.
I knew my charade wouldn't last much longer at all. He must have caught a whiff of the tattoo ink when I moved my legs. How could I have been so careless? I mentally smacked myself again. "No," I squeaked as I tried to make a run for it, but once again, Edward held me down.
He looked at me suspiciously. He wasn't buying it. Slowly Edward brought his nose to my hair and breathed in. He moved down my left arm and continued down my leg in search of a change in my scent. I would have shivered with delight, if it weren't for the fact that I was scared so scared. I sat there, frozen with my eyes tightly shut, praying with all my might that he wouldn't find it. This was not how he was supposed to find out.
Edward reached my foot and inhaled deeply through his nose again. He looked up at me questioningly and pushed the edge of my jeans back to reveal the small black E on the top of my pale white foot.
He looked up at me furiously. "Bella, what the hell is this?" he asked quietly, trying to contain his anger.
"A tattoo," I answered meekly.
"As in the kind of tattoo that is permanently etched into your skin for all of eternity?" He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in between his fingers, like he always did when he was angry.
"Yes."
"Why?" he asked, a little louder. I could tell that he wouldn't be calm for much longer.
"We were bored. We played truth or dare," I explained hastily, afraid of his response.
"Who?" He looked at me again, eyes blazing with fury, waiting for an answer.
More one word questions—that couldn't be a good thing. I knew if I answered, Edward would probably rip Emmett to pieces, quite literally.
"Bella…" he prompted.
"Emmett," I whispered, but I could hear booming laughter from somewhere downstairs.
"EMMETT!!!! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!" Edward roared as he ran out of the room, not bothering to open the door, which left a large, gaping Edward-shaped hole in the white wood. Esme wouldn't be happy about that. "YOU TOO, ALICE!!!!"
I ran down the stairs after him, barely managing not to trip and fall. "NO, EDWARD!! DON'T!!" I screamed. I didn't want him to kill Emmett and Alice. I was actually glad they made me go through with the dare. I quite enjoyed being marked as Edward's in permanent ink.
I reached the bottom of the stairs and found Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Jasper staring out the open front door.
"Bella, what's going on?" Carlisle asked confusedly.
"Emmett dared me to get a tattoo," I replied hurriedly as I showed him my foot.
"Oh," was all he said, and he headed up the stairs to his office. Rosalie made for the garage shaking her head. Esme went into the kitchen, probably to make me some dinner, and Jasper picked up Emmett's video game.
It amazed me how they could all be so calm when Edward was trying to kill Emmett and Alice. I guess they trusted that nothing would happen, although I wasn't so sure. Edward seemed pretty serious.
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A few hours later, I awoke to find myself under the covers of Edward's bed, still in my clothes from earlier that day. It took me a minute to figure out why I was alone. I glanced at the clock on the bedside table—11:23. Edward should have been back by now. But then I remembered my tattoo. He was out trying to kill Alice and Emmett.
I leapt out of bed and fell to my knees—stupid klutziness—and as carefully and as quickly as I could, I made my way downstairs. I heard voices coming from the living room, and as I entered, I did a mental head count. No Edward, Emmett, or Alice. Crap. They were still out in the woods somewhere, with Edward still possibly trying to kill the other two. I could only hope that Edward had calmed down enough to let Alice and Emmett explain.
But I didn't really think that anything they said would help. I was most likely the only one who could instill some reasoning back into Edward's brain. Carlisle might have been able to help, but seeing as he was also here with me, that wouldn't do much good. The best thing was for them to be back soon so I could talk to Edward. If I could tell him that I was fine with the tattoo now and that it would mean a lot to me it he was too, he might accept it and leave Alice and Emmett alone.
Everyone was looking at me as I stood in the doorway. "Have you heard anything?" I asked.
"No." Carlisle answered, not looking worried. That didn't surprise me. They were probably miles and miles away. "Bella, don't worry about any of them. They can take care of themselves. Edward overreacted, as he usually does when it comes to you, but I'm sure he'll be fine after blowing off some steam by running."
But I found it hard not to be worried. I knew that Edward wouldn't kill his siblings, but I wasn't sure how badly his rage would affect his reason. He was way too overprotective of me, especially over mundane human things. Plenty of people had tattoos. They were all fine. I'd never heard of any case of somebody having allergic reactions to the ink or anything like that.
All of a sudden all of the vampires in the room turned their heads toward the front door, and a few seconds later, Emmett burst in, followed by Alice, and then Edward. They all skidded to a stop just inside the living room. Edward looked positively livid. It didn't look like he had calmed down at all, madder, if anything. Not even after hours of running at full vampire speed. Emmett and Alice were both about to burst out laughing. That really confused me, too. I would probably be crying if Edward, or anyone else for that matter had looked at me like that.
As for the others, Carlisle looked slightly amused, Esme was ignoring the scene unfolding in front of her, and Rosalie looked bored. Jasper looked torn between the fury that I knew was rolling off Edward in tsunami-sized waves and the hilarity that I knew Emmett and Alice were barely containing. It was a strange sight.
I wondered how in the world Emmett and Alice had managed to beat Edward. It was common knowledge that he was the fastest. I wondered if vampires could have adrenaline rushes. I didn't think so. Weren't all bodily fluids replaced by venom? Maybe the laughter had given them more energy? Or Edward's fury had impaired him somehow?
Nobody moved for what seemed like forever to me. Edward was standing frozen near the door, glaring at Alice and Emmett, who were both laughing hysterically. I slowly walked toward him and stood in front of him. He didn't seem to notice that I was standing there, too intent on controlling his anger. I placed my palm on his cheek, hoping to calm him. When I did, he broke out of his state immediately, and looked at me.
"Bella," he asked forcefully. "Are you alright?"
"Of course, Edward. It's just a tattoo." I scoffed.
"Are you sure, Bella. I've heard that tattoos are extremely painful." he looked concerned, and pained at the thought that I had been through unnecessary pain.
"Edward. I'm fine—really. It's just a little sore is all." I tried to reassure him. I didn't want to cause him any more pain over me than he already felt, either.
"Bella, I—"
"Edward, can we talk about this upstairs?" I asked. It was a little unnerving to have everyone watching our every move, especially with Alice and Emmett looking on with glee. I knew they would be able to hear us upstairs, too, but at least they wouldn't be able to see us, with the possible exception of Alice.
He nodded and scooped me up. An instant later I was sitting on the black leather couch in his room with Edward on my left. My legs were draped over his lap. He cradled my tattooed foot in his hands.
"I am so, so sorry, Bella. I can't believe they hurt you like that—after I specifically asked them to protect you. I didn't think they would do anything like this. How can you ever forgive me?" he pleaded. His eyes were imploring.
"Edward, stop." I said firmly. Once again, he had managed to somehow blame this on himself. "This is not your fault. So stop trying to make it seem like it is." I crossed my arms over my chest. How could I make him see that everything was fine, great even, until he had attacked Alice and Emmett?
"But, Bella, they put you through physical pain—"
"NO, Edward." I was frustrated now. He wasn't listening. "It was part of the game. I asked for a dare, and this is what I got. It hurt at first, but I've hurt worse before." he winced when I said that. I knew he remembered the James incident and the time he left me. "Besides, I kind of like it now. I like having your initial on my foot in permanent ink. It's sort of like I'm physically marked as yours now…forever." I added sheepishly.
He looked at me in disbelief. "You…like having my initial permanently tattooed on your foot?" he asked incredulously. "You're unbelievable." He shook his head.
"I know," I said smugly.
He looked down at my foot. "I might suggest laser removal, but I've heard that hurts worse than the actual tattoo," he muttered, frowning.
"No, Edward. I like it. It's staying."
"But, Bella, it detracts from your beautiful skin."
I blushed at his 'beautiful' remark and rolled my eyes. "Oh, please, Edward. It does not."
"Even though it will stay there for presumably all eternity, if everything goes as planned?"
I didn't care for his 'if everything goes as planned' remark. Of course everything would go as planned. I didn't like to think what would happen if it didn't.
"Yes, of course. I will always love the fact that your initial is tattooed on my foot. And at least I won't have to worry about it getting all wrinkly," I said, trying to lighten the mood.
He laughed at that. "Thank goodness for that! I would hate to have to see my initial tattooed on wrinkly skin of all things!" he exclaimed in mock horror.
Satisfied that I had been able to reason with him, I had an idea. "But Edward, you know it's still a little sore…I think I might need someone to kiss it and make it better, and maybe some ice, too." I looked up at him through my eyelashes. He looked back at me, and his eyes were smoldering, again. How did he do that? Did he know that it made me weak at the knees every time?
"It's always nice to be able to kill two birds with one stone," he replied in a husky voice, and he gently brought his lips to my foot. "Better?" he asked when he raised his head again.
"Much, thank you."
He then unexpectedly pulled me all the way onto his lap, so that I was sitting on him and captured my lips with his. I gasped in shock. This seemed to be dangerously close to the 'boundaries' that he had set. But I wasn't about to let that waste this opportunity. One of his hands wrapped around my waist and the other he brought to the back of my neck to secure my face to his. I eagerly began kissing him back and lifted my hands to the back of his neck to tangle into his beautiful bronze hair. He hummed in pleasure as I did so, and I smiled against his lips at his reaction.
I was so caught up in the heat of the moment that I almost forgot that I needed to breathe. I tried to pull back slightly and Edward let me pull back a few inches. I gasped for air, and Edward's lips, evidently too impatient to let me have a moment to be human, moved to my throat.
"I don't think you realize just exactly how tempting you are, Miss Swan," he murmured against my neck. His cool breath gave me goose bumps. When he noticed his effect on me, he chuckled softly.
"Yeah, well I could say the same for you," I replied, trying to rid my voice of its breathiness.
He moved his lips to just below my ear and whispered, "And just so you know, I think I rather like having my initial on you, too. Now I can officially call you all mine."
That was good—very good. "O-or at least my foot anyway," I tried to joke, although it didn't come out in the tone I planned. He pulled away and looked at me. "So, you're not going to kill Alice and Emmett?" I asked, changing the subject.
"I suppose not. You would object, and you know I can't deny you anything. Although, I can't believe they actually put you through physical pain…" he trailed off, shaking his head.
"You're right, I would object. So just forget about it and everything will be just peachy."
And he smiled and pulled me back in for another kiss.
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A/N: So, I really hope you liked it. And please, please review! I need to know what you guys think! Really! I appreciate all feedback-positive and negative!
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