Diclaimer: I may own three beautiful horses, but I don't own Twilight. =(
A/N: Guys; this just came to me, and I'm really excited about it, so please leave me feedback. If you do...you'll get an extra teaser-type deal; basically i'll let you in on what's coming up for the second chapter! Thanks soo much guys!
It was innocence. It was desire. It was necessary.
Bella walked down the stairs to the basement bedroom where Edward was waiting.
He had been gone for almost six months to Texas for basic training. Ever since he had joined the Air Force, Bella had been more and more aware of how gone he was.
They had never been close before; the age difference had been too great to do much bonding. Edward being twenty-two, Bella being a young, innocent sixteen, the only place they had ever talked was at the church they mutually attended. She was friends with both of his younger brothers, and so they talked occasionally, bonding a bit over his fear of bee's and how he had nerdy stalkers at college.
The door didn't squeak-that was one thing his father had repaired before the move. Bella had come to see him at his family's new house, they had recently moved to a farm close to her family's own. Edward was on leave from the Air Force to help his family move into the new farm house.
The summer air was hot, even in the stairwell leading down to Edward's basement. She slid her hand down the wall as she carefully descended the stairs; she saw Edward bent on one knee stacking CDs in a CD tower with his back turned to her. She stopped; she didn't want him to see her before she had a chance to take him all in.
They had slowly started corresponding through letters; she had been directed to write him and tell him how proud she was that she knew someone serving our country, by her very own mother. To her surprise, he had written her back, spilling his heart out to her about how lonely he was, how all the other young men had girls to write to back home, and would she be interested in writing back and forth with him, it may make things a little less lonely if he had something to look forward to.
He mentioned how he loved how her letters smelled so feminine, that was something he deeply missed, the way girls smelled, the only girls out here just showered with basic soap and didn't bother to put on anything that smelled half decent. She had made him laugh when she told him she would leave kisses on the outside of his envelopes so his friends would beg to know who his secret lady was, and they did when they saw the red lip prints on the outside of his letters.
His mother was supportive of them getting to know each other and even helped set up Skype "dates" for them to officially see each other while he was gone, that was how he had asked her out. He had been so good to her, sending her to her junior prom with her best friend Jacob. He only wanted her to be happy, telling her repeatedly that if it ever got to be too much she could end it. Like she would ever end it, she was already so deeply into this relationship, and she hadn't even held her own boyfriend's hand.
His gray Underarmour tee-shirt stretched across new muscles that she had yet to see, where they crossed between his shoulders. She loved the way you could see a sliver of skin where his shirt didn't quite meet his black mesh shorts. She was so tempted to just run down the rest of the stairs and jump on his back and cover him with kisses and everything else she could think of.
As she stepped down onto the next step it groaned and she tripped, all she could see was the hard concrete floor and she was cursing in her mind that she would never get to hold her hero, which was until she felt warm arms gather her up before her head hit the ground.
"Bella, this certainly isn't the most convenient way to meet you as my girlfriend for the first time…In public?"
He said the last part as a question and she laughed, and then blushed beet red when she realized how close he was to her. He stood her back upright, making sure she was steady on her feet, before he let his hands leave her waist, but even then his right hand lingered on her left elbow. His dark brown eyes looked into hers and she felt a rush to her head, things about this man…they made her so clumsy.
"Edward…I've thought about how I would say this, how smooth I would be, and all the things I could do to you to surprise you…to make you love me."
"Love you…oh baby, how could I not love you? You're my everything, my one reason to continue with training, just so I can come back to the barracks and write to you, or reread your letters, smell your sweet perfume, press my lips to the envelopes when none of the guys are looking, just to feel like I'm kissing you."
Bella teared up at the sound of his sweetness. His arms wrapped around her and then he kissed her sweetly on the forehead.
"So do you like it? I know it's a little different since Peter and Charlotte lived here, but we've just finished the basement so I would have my own room, and the boys can come hang out down here and use it when I leave. Other than that it's all the same…I hope you like it."
"I do like it! And it's not near as sad as I thought it would be, having Peter and Char sell the farm to yall. But now since they moved in next door to us, I get to see the kids so much more and that's what I love the most."
"Oh yeah, how are the kids? I haven't seen any of them except Garret since we started moving in. Peter brought him over when they gave us the keys. The girls, Jane and Chelsea, and the youngest…Kate, right? How are they?"
"Aw, the girls, they love the new yard to play in. Kate is still too little to appreciate that stuff, but I'm sure she'll love it. And they even have an extra bedroom now, although…if Peter doesn't find some work soon…well let's not think about that."
Edward touched her face with one of his hands, gently stroking her jawbone.
"I've wanted to touch you for so long. But you do know that…this shouldn't be happening right? I'm still too old for you. I mean, I looked it all up, the age of consent is sixteen in Alabama, but that's only if the other person in question is twenty. But see, I'm twenty two…meaning the age of consent is eighteen. I can't do anything besides love you until you get that old."
Bella studied Edward's lips as he told her this.
"Nothing but love me? I think not…I haven't waited six months and had to satisfy myself just to find out that I can't be with you. No one has to know anything honey. I need you to do more than just love me…"
"Let's bide our time and see what happens. We'll get to spend a lot of time together before I head back. I have a whole month before we have to decide anything."
She had just three days until she turned seventeen. There was no way she was waiting three hundred, sixty-eight days to do things with her love that would make her mother blush. The summer heat could convince him she hoped.
Edward looked at her surveying the apartment still; there was a large bed in one corner, a deep blue bedspread over it. Plain fluorescent lights hung from the ceiling, it had been a basement/garage before he moved in after all. His dresser stood on the wall in between two doors, one being his closet, the other his bathroom. On the other side of the stairs there was a sitting area, with a wall full of DVD's and a rather large plasma screen television mounted in front of a comfy looking black sofa. Another large chair graced the other wall, and that made up his very own apartment, lounge area.
"It's nice Edward; I really love what you've done with it.
"You're just saying that. You're my girlfriend; you have to be nice."
Bella laughed, Edward shook his head and then looked toward the stairs as his brother Jasper came down, followed by his girlfriend, Victoria.
"Bella, I've missed you!"
"Tori, I know it's been forever. You've been working so you haven't been at church. Has Jazz not done a good job of supporting you?"
Jasper snorted as the girls giggled together, laughing at how he couldn't manage to hold down a job.
"So, Esme says you're staying the night with us, how'd she manage to talk Charlie and Renee' into that one?"
"I'm not really sure, I think she pretty much convinced them that nothing would be going on and that you and I would be pretty safe in the living room together."
"Well, I have a surprise for you…Emmett has gone over to Alec's house and Carlisle has to go out on the road tonight…Esme decided to join him meaning…."
"It's just us four?" Edward sounded almost upset, his voice getting high as he asked his question.
"Yup, I thought that would excite you bro, you haven't seen your girl in six months, not ever as your official girlfriend. I thought you'd jump at the chance to be alone with her."
"Jasper, I need to have a private conversation with you. Excuse us, girls."
Jasper was pulled roughly to the bedroom half of the basement.
"How could you do this?"
"What do you mean; I seriously thought it would be a good thing. I know I want to spend any time I can with Tori, and I see her everyday anyway. I don't understand why this is such a big deal to you. Are you two already having problems?"
"I just realized how young she is…that's all. And I also realized how much trouble I can be in if someone thinks badly of us. I can get dishonorably discharged Jasper!"
"Calm down. One night isn't going to change anything. You know you want to screw her, so just let go. You'll be back in a month and you'll only see her two more times before she's eighteen. Make the most of tonight bro. And if it's not just about screwing her, then just hang with her tonight, make it completely innocent, although we both know, Bella isn't the most innocent girl out there."
Edward punched Jasper's arm, "That's my girl you're talking about! She is an angel by the way…my angel."
Jazz smiled at him and the tension and anger dissipated between all of them. The thought that he would only see her twice more before she was eighteen really brought him back down to earth. He would enjoy this, he had to.
"Movie time!" Tori's loud voice echoed over the entire house, and roused Edward and Bella from where they were deeply buried in a discussion about music.
Tori and Jasper pounded down the stairs and settled onto the big chair as Bella made herself comfortable on the couch.
"What are you guys in the mood for?" Edward asked politely.
"Mmm, nothing too scary, how about…the Notebook?" Tori's girly request was totally her.
The boys groaned and Bella decided to help them out.
"How about Transformers. Just enough action and a little love?"
Edward smiled and slid the DVD into the slot. As he pulled her into his lap he moved close to her ear and whispered, "Thanks Bell, that's my girl."
Bella snuggled down into Edward's chest and she felt his heart beating against her cheek.
"This is where I am, always right?" Bella whispered up towards Edward's ear.
"Shhh, baby Bella. That's where you'll always be."
Bella looked over to where Tori and Jasper were nestled in the chair, deeply asleep. Her forehead was fitted perfectly into where Jazz's neck was. It was so adorable, and she nudged Edward with the crown of her head and pointed in their direction. He grinned and said, "Honey, why don't you wake them up. It's after one in the morning; they might as well head upstairs."
Bella nodded and climbed out of his lap and walked over to where they lay curled up in the large chair.
"Tori, Jazz, why don't you guys take it upstairs?"
Jazz didn't wake Tori up, he just opened his eyes quickly and then proceeded to gather Tori in his arms and expertly carry her up the steep stairs. Edward followed him up the stairs, making sure he didn't fall or drop Tori and then he shut the door for him, finally allowing Bella and himself to have real alone time for the first time since he had first seen her that day.
He walked back down the stairs and looked at a sleeping Bella on the couch where he had left her, just minutes before. He didn't want her to sleep on the couch when his bed was so close, she might have a crick in her neck when she woke up, and he couldn't have that, so he gently went to her and attempted to move her without waking her. But his phone vibrated against her in his pocket as he picked her up and she moved and their heads bumped.
"Mother-effer, what was that for Edward!?"
"I didn't mean to honey, are you okay?" he said with concern flowing with his voice.
"I'm fine, you just scared me, and I don't normally wake up to being banged in the head."
"That's what she said! And also, I could probably arrange that if you like."
"Edward, there is no way that you are twenty three. Just no way. You act like you are about sixteen, like seriously. But I love you anyway. And no, if you ever wake me up like that, let's just say…the repercussions will be intense."
"God, you make the repercussion's sound like something I want more than waking you up being banged."
"Edward, you basically make me sick." But Bella said it while she was laughing hysterically while she was telling him this stuff.
He picked her up again but she threw her weight to the side and Edward had to stand her back up.
"What's up with that baby?"
"I want you to check your phone. Who is texting you at one thirty in the morning anyway?"
Edward reached into his pocket, having already forgotten what caused the head bump anyway. One new message flashed across the screen and he clicked the button under read and almost automatically he uttered "shit" under his breath.
"What is it honey?"
"It's Esme; she's asking if we're doing anything that she would be ashamed of. What kind of mom asks those kinds of questions?"
Bella looked at him with lust in her eyes. "Edward…you know we aren't going to do anything that neither of us agree on. But really, we can't wait until next time we see each other. What if there never is another next time. Take full advantage of the situation. I'm practically on my knees begging Edward."
Edward looked pained as he tried to say the words that she needed to hear. "Honey, it's not that I don't want you. I plan on taking full advantage of this situation when I feel the time is right. But tonight isn't it. We haven't even had time to properly date or anything. As far as I'm concerned, today was our first "real" day together as a couple. Please baby, don't ask me to do something that would hurt us both, I know you think you want this…but would it help if I said I wasn't ready?"
"You not ready? Now you just make me laugh Edward."
"It isn't funny. I've been gone for six months. I haven't hooked up. As if there is anyone in the state of Texas I would hook up with…"
Bella was slightly irritated, but she soothed him with a chaste kiss on his forehead. He took advantage of the fact that she was on her tiptoes and he grabbed her by her waste and slung her over his shoulder.
"Ugh, Edward you are such a pig! Put me down now….please?"
He just laughed and threw her down on his bed.
"Now this is more like it!"
"Baby girl, you know I would lay you down if I was going to be doing anything to you. Now be a good girl and wait here while I go change clothes and find you something to wear."
Bella curled into his bed, holding a pillow in her arms. The light in the closet was on and then the light turned on as he darted, half clothed to the bathroom. From the bathroom flew a yellow Nike tee-shirt and a pair of black sweat pants. She decided to tease Edward a bit and so when he emerged she was laying on his bed, on her stomach, facing away from him looking at one of his car magazines, wearing only her black boy shorts and a black sports bra.
"Baby, that just isn't fair. Please put the clothes that I tossed to you. Be good baby."
"Nope, I think I prefer to sleep like this."
"Bella, you will be the death of me. Defiantly going to kill me. But whatever you want to do. I'll sleep on the couch if you insist on sleeping that way."
That was the moment when Bella knew she had been defeated. She stood up and threw the magazine back into a box by the bed. Then she pulled the sweatpants on and the tee-shirt over her sports bra.
"Fine, are you happy now Edward? You win, so let's just go to sleep."
"Bells, you can't pout every time you don't get your way. You didn't even know you were going to get to sleep over. You're lucky Esme's so good at talking people into things. I wish we could just enjoy our first night together. If we were doing things, you wouldn't be able to enjoy this night, you're first time won't be fun and I want to be able to hold you afterwards and reassure you. Let's just have fun tonight…come on honey."
Bella's frown turned to a slight smile as Edward reached to turn the lights out. He started to slide the covers back and Bella stopped him.
"If it gets cool we'll do that, until then let's just lay here on top of them."
Edward smiled even though it was dark, and he kissed her sweetly on her lips. Then his kisses went down her jawbone, all the way down her neck. He skipped over her chest and went to where his shirt that she was wearing hit the waistband of the sweats that graced her body. Then he pulled her shirt up a bit and started kissing her gently on her stomach.
No boy had ever kissed her so close to…down there. Butterflies filled Bella's stomach as his hands gripped her hips softly. Suddenly, his hands were in the band of her sweats and they were being slid down slowly. She didn't complain and just lifted her butt to give him better access. The pants slid off easily enough and were soon in a pile on the floor, followed by his shirt, after which he proclaimed, "You were right about it getting hot in here baby."
His bare skin shocked her legs as he went between them. She was slightly nervous as thoughts passed through her head about how she may just be losing her virginity to Edward that night. A scared sixteen year old girl, an experienced twenty three year old boy…it was almost like a harlequin. Just as Edward kissed the insides of her thighs, just as she thought this was all beginning, Edward stopped abruptly.
"I don't mean to stop now honey, but I promised tonight wouldn't be it. I won't touch you tonight."
Bella accepted this, once again breathing normally. If just the thoughts had scared her, then how could she possibly be prepared for what may come in just a few days? Edward would be gone in just a month's time…she had to overcome this fear or she may never get the opportunity again.
He allowed her to curl into him, spooning with her, making her feel protected and safe. As soon as he felt her breathing ease, and heard her soft snores, he grabbed his cell phone from the table and answered Esme's question.
To: Mom
-No, mother. I already told you not tonight. We're laying down now since it's after two. Tell dad I love and miss him. I'll see you day after tomorrow.
From: E
He looked down at her for one last time that night, leaning down to breathe in the sweet scent of her strawberry shampooed hair. Her face was perfect in the darkness of the basement bedroom. A small strip of moonlight leaked through a small window and caught her dark hair, illuminating it slightly. He wanted to touch it, but then he realized that he might wake her, and he couldn't stand having to listen to Bella's begging again.
So after he took one last look at his girl, he set an alarm for his phone for late the next morning, and then he curled more into her and closed his eyes so sleep could take him.
