Red Eyed Edward Contest
Title: Pandora's Blood
Word Count: 3152
Rating: M
Summary: It started out innocently enough. So how did we end up here?
Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.
Shortly after we had gotten together, Edward and I were taking a walk in the woods beyond his house. The day had been overcast but dry, allowing us both outside comfortably.
He was warning me about going out into the woods without him saying that sometimes he's not the most dangerous thing out there. That led us to talking about my propensity for attracting danger.
"Maybe my number was up when that van almost crushed me," I hinted.
"Bella," he replied in a teasing tone. "You're number was up the first day I met you."
He then quite literally swept me off my feet and sank to the forest floor with me in his arms. Feeling emboldened by the suddenly lighter mood, I casually offered him a taste, remembering how he told me about his struggle when we first met.
"Yeah," he replied, an almost stunned look on his face.
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and slipped my finger into his mouth. I gasped as his teeth sliced through my skin. Edward greedily sucked up the few droplets of blood, the sensation oddly erotic. When I withdrew my finger, he was panting, his pupils dilated.
"Hmm, my fragile little human," he hummed.
Looking back, that harmless little moment was like Pandora's box being opened.
o.O.o
We didn't really get a chance to discuss what had happened or explore it further, because soon after, the whole James debacle happened. I was too out of it at the hospital to bring it up then, and when we got home Edward was carefully avoiding the subject by focusing on my recovery. I also didn't want to discuss it with Alice, thinking it too private for that. If she had seen it in a vision, which I didn't doubt, she was gracious enough to stay out of it. At least as far as I was concerned; Edward was probably privy to her thoughts regarding the matter, whether he liked to or not.
It wasn't until prom that I finally found the opportunity and courage to broach the subject.
o.O.o
After having danced for a bit, we went outside and sat down on a bench.
"Edward?" I hedged. "Why did you do it?"
"Why did I do what?" he repeated warily.
"You know what I mean. Why didn't you just let the venom spread? By now I would be just like you…"
We argued for a while, not able to reach a compromise, by I did promise him that I would never bet against Alice.
"Alright," I finally conceded. "We don't have to decide right this minute."
He sighed in relief while still scowling at my stubbornness.
"How were you able to taste so much of my blood and still stop yourself from draining me?"
His eyes widened in surprise at my sudden change of topic.
"I was pretty out of it, but I do remember you being very controlled at the time," I clarified. "But before," I continued, wiggling my finger for emphasis, "you were in control, but in a much more different way. There was more hunger."
Edward stood up from the bench and started pacing, running his hand through his hair in an obvious attempt to gather his thoughts. Eventually he sat back down and pulled me onto his lap, his fingers playing with a lock of my hair, which I knew helped calm him.
"I guess the short explanation is that you were dying, and I cannot take pleasure from that," he started.
My heart hammered in my chest at those words, remembering my most recent brush with death and reveling in his indirect admission that my blood brought him pleasure.
"Aside from that, I only drank enough to suck the venom out, and your blood tasted mostly of him," he continued, a look of disgust on his face. "I would never take advantage of you like that. If you ever offer your blood to me again, I want it to be on your terms," he said decidedly. "Drinking from you like that is almost as intimate as sex."
My mind was reeling from his confession, jumping from thought to thought but never settling on one long enough to actually evaluate it. The first part I could finally focus on was his last statement.
"Drinking from me compares to sex?"
He shrugged.
"A century of reading minds has given me a rather diverse view of that particular… sensation… and what I felt that day in the woods came as close as I can imagine it getting without actually having sex."
"So… you've thought about having sex… with me?"
He looked at me with that crooked smirk of his, eyebrow raised teasingly.
"Bella, I may not be human anymore, but I still am a man. Of course I've thought of that."
"Tonight?" I asked hopefully.
Yes, losing my virginity on prom night was rather cliché, but if this was going to be the only cliché aspect of our relationship, I was gladly going to take it.
"Sweetheart, as much as I would love to, tonight is not ideal," he replied, motioning toward the bulky cast still covering most of my leg. "I want you to have full range of motion and not worry about hurting or overexerting yourself."
As much as his reasoning made sense, I was still disappointed, and the petulant teenager in me started to make an appearance. He kissed away my pout and hugged me close, his lips coming to rest behind my ear.
"That doesn't mean there is nothing we can do," he whispered a seductive promise. "Do you want to go home?"
At my nod, he stood up with me cradled in his arms, and quickly made his way over to the car.
o.O.o
On the drive over to the house my mind was going a hundred miles a minute, trying to figure out what exactly he had in mind. Alice had arranged my alibi for this weekend, inviting me to a sleepover following prom. In reality, the entire family was going hunting, allowing us to stay in the house together. Unsupervised. For two whole days.
When we reached his room I had to look twice to make sure we were, in fact, in his room. The spacious area was now being dominated by a massive, wrought-iron, four-poster bed. Edward helped me over to it, looking at me hesitantly.
"Is it too much?" he asked worriedly.
I thought about his question as I traced the roses scattered throughout the frame, then caressed the silky, golden comforter before sitting down on the soft mattress. A few months ago I would have considered this purchase extravagant, especially considering the fact that Edward himself didn't sleep. But now, with recent developments and the evening's confessions, it made sense.
"Not at all," I assured him. "It's perfect."
He exhaled in relief, but still remained standing a careful distance from the bed.
"Edward," I quietly beckoned him, reaching out my hand.
He took it and allowed me to pull him forward, before sitting down next to me.
"This is all very new to me," he admitted. "I may have embraced the technologies of the twenty-first century, and read thousands of minds, and I know that my views of relationships are rather old-fashioned… But I do want all of it with you, and I'm trying to reconcile my Edwardian upbringing with my contemporary surroundings."
"I understand, Edward, and your manners are part of why I love you so much. Whatever you're comfortable with…" I promised, trailing off.
"I'll need your help, though. You need to tell me what I can and cannot do," he begged.
"For now, I just want you to kiss me and touch me," I answered, pulling his face down to my level.
Our kiss started out chaste, just the soft brushing of our lips against each other. Then, Edward's fingers slowly traced from my hand, up my arm, over my neck to my jaw, gently angling my head as he opened up his mouth to me. We had discovered a few weeks before that his saliva on its own wasn't venomous to me, which had greatly enhanced the experience of kissing him. I was elated that this was a 'normal' aspect we could bring to our relationship, and thoroughly enjoyed feeling his tongue against my own. His other hand moved to the small of my back, pulling me closer to him. My hands found purchase in his untamable hair and I shifted on the bed, trying to get even closer to him. Our position wasn't the most comfortable, so he carefully scooted us to the center of the bed, laying me down to hover over me.
I cursed my cast and prom dress, both hindering my movements considerably. Edward noticed my annoyance and wordlessly reached for the zipper at my back. I only hesitated a moment in allowing him to help undress me, but it was enough for him to pull back in concern.
"Are you sure you want this, love?" he questioned.
I blushed but nodded, needing to reassure him that my previous reaction did not mean that I didn't want him.
"I am, it's just… I've never undressed in front of you before…"
"Would you rather I step outside so you can change into something more comfortable?"
"As considerate as that would be, I think it defeats the purpose, don't you agree?"
After all, the plan had been to take our relationship a bit further, which would include some nudity, even if that would only be partial. The look on his face told me that if Edward were physically capable of blushing, he would be in that moment. I grinned, pleased that underneath the proper, gentlemanly exterior, he was a seventeen-year-old boy at heart.
"Just help me out of this dress, please," I asked. "I know the cast has to stay, but I feel way too confined right now."
Very carefully, he peeled the dress off me, his fingers caressing the newly exposed skin. I was thankful Alice had thought to provide a matching deep blue bra and panty set. Although they probably cost more than I would spend on an entire outfit, I had to admit that they fit perfectly and accentuated what little curves I had. Although the ensemble was modest, I felt rather sexy in it. The fact that it was Edward's favorite color wasn't lost on me, and I sent off a silent 'thank you' when I saw the look of awed wonder on his face.
"So beautiful," he whispered, his hands twitching at his sides.
My nerves calmed for now, I reached for him again, silently permitting him to touch me more intimately. He lay down beside me, his fingers ghosting over my skin, moving ever closer to the satin and lace still covering me. I pulled his face down to mine for a kiss, then trailed my hands down to the lapels of his tuxedo jacket. It was then that I realized he was still fully clothed.
"You're overdressed," I stated, smiling at him mischievously.
In a flash his jacket was flung across the room, landing on the couch. When he moved to rip the shirt from his body, I covered his hands with my own.
"I want to do that part, please."
He smiled shyly and rolled us both to our sides. I untucked his shirt and started to loosen the buttons with shaking hands, suddenly nervous again. This would be the first time since his reveal in the meadow that I would see his chest. Last time I had been focused mainly on the way the sunlight fragmented off his skin. Without that to distract me now I was able to pay attention to other details. While he was definitely toned – a result of the venom enhancing his features and strengthening his body – he was still slender, a sign of his significantly weakened state prior to his change. I traced the muscles on his abdomen and they flexed. I looked up at Edward questioningly, but he was quick to reassure me that he was merely overwhelmed at the sensation. Continuing my exploration, I moved my fingers up, through the light smattering of chest hair. When I leaned in to press a kiss over his silent heart he shuddered. My hands moved further, pushing the shirt off his shoulders and then tracing the muscles on his back.
He stopped me when I moved to the button on his pants.
"Love, it'll all be over too soon if you touch me there now. Let me take care of you first."
I blushed, but allowed him to roll me onto my back. He traced the edges of my bra, causing goose bumps to break out across my skin, before deftly unhooking it and tossing it aside.
"It amazes me how your body responds to my touch," he whispered as his fingers traced from the hollow at the base of my throat to my sternum.
As if on cue, my breathing became shallower.
His fingers moved over to one of my breasts, tenderly touching the nipple as he watched it harden. Continuing his ministrations, he leaned in and sucked the other nipple into his mouth. The dual sensation of his cool fingers and his wet mouth drew a gasp from my lips.
While his lips travelled up to my neck, his fingers moved further down, landing at the top of my underwear. He paused briefly to ask permission before sliding them down, easily maneuvering around my cast. I didn't even have time to feel self-conscious about being completely naked, because in the next moment his fingers gently touched my heated flesh. He teased me there for a while, getting me even more worked up until I was a panting mess at his mercy. When his tongue joined his fingers I couldn't contain my moan. The pleasure kept on building, and just when I couldn't take it any longer I felt his teeth slice through the skin on the inside of my thigh. My head snapped up and I locked eyes with him, seeing him take from me what he needed as he gave me what I craved. That was the final push that made me tumble over the edge.
Edward held me in his arms as I came down from my high.
"Wow," I panted. "That was intense. And unexpected."
"Are you sure it was okay?" he asked. "I didn't plan to do it, I swear."
"I believe you," I assured him. "And it's… I don't know… kind of erotic."
His eyes lit up in a mix of excitement and relief.
"Really?"
"Yes," I giggled. "But we'll have to be careful."
"Of course. It was just so overwhelming and I couldn't resist the urge. You were glorious."
"Well then," I replied, feeling bold. "Let's see how glorious you can be next."
o.O.o
Once my cast was taken off, Edward took me to La Bella Italia in Port Angeles to celebrate. Since Charlie was on a fishing trip with his friends Billy and Harry, I was allowed to spend the weekend at the Cullen house.
I think at some point Charlie had started to suspect that mine and Edward's relationship was evolving, but thankfully he never brought it up. I had, however, mysteriously found a box of condoms on my desk one day. I wasn't going to ask any questions that would only lead to an embarrassing conversation, and simply stashed them in my overnight bag.
When we arrived back to the house, we found it deserted with a note on the door.
We decided to take a last minute trip to Denali. I had a feeling you might like some privacy. Have fun and please don't behave!
I giggled at Alice's teasing hint. Making our way to the top floor and Edward's room, we discovered another surprise left by her: candles were lit on every surface in the room and soft music was playing from the sound system.
Edward tugged my hand so I was facing him and gently cupped my face in his hands. Our kiss was sweet and full of sensual promise. We moved to the bed and spent the next few minutes ridding each other of clothing. Once he had sheathed himself in a condom, Edward looked at me intently.
"I love you, Bella."
"I love you too," I replied. "So much."
After another tender kiss he positioned himself and slowly pushed inside. It was a little uncomfortable at first, my body not used to the intrusion, but once his hips were flush with mine and he paused for a moment, I could relax again and start to truly enjoy myself. We fit together perfectly and moved as though on instinct. Being with Edward this way felt as natural as breathing. I couldn't get close enough and was pleased when he held me tighter.
When I felt the pleasure build, I offered him my finger, and e eagerly bit down on it, triggering both our releases as m blood spilled into his mouth.
o.O.o
Throughout the summer we explored the new aspects of our relationship. They say practice makes perfect, and when it came to our lovemaking, that certainly was true. While our first few times were sweet and tender, I could tell Edward had been holding back, afraid to hurt me. When we became more comfortable, he was able to let go some more. I encouraged him to embrace his more animalistic side and the sex grew only better as a result.
He had also started drinking more of my blood. It started out as a drop every now and then, but over time I allowed him to drink a little more deeply. It strengthened our bond and added a level of intimacy I could never have imagined. He always made sure to bite where I could easily cover it up, and he never drew my blood when we would be near his family shortly after. I do think they had their suspicions, since he didn't go out to hunt with them as often as he used to, and his eyes had taken on a slight cognac hue as opposed to his usual amber.
We thought we had it all under control, though.
o.O.o
My eighteenth birthday party was supposed to be uneventful. Slightly awkward, yes, as I hated to be the center of attention, especially for something as common as being born. But aside from that, it was supposed to be a quiet evening.
However, when I opened my present from Alice and Edward, in a signature clumsy move, I cut my finger on the wrapping paper. There was only a little blood, but with the way Edward had been feeding off me lately, that one unexpected drop was enough.
I looked up from my finger in the fevered red eyes of my suddenly ravenous boyfriend.