Disclaimer: I don't own or have any affiliation with Twilight.

Submission

I could watch her move about for hours, taking long elegant strides despite her apparent clumsiness, her delicate fingers tucking away that piece of hair that always seems to stray. But nothing compares to this. Nothing compares to the rise and fall of her chest, and the occasional hint of a smile or frown as she sleeps.

I suppose that is why I come here each night. If not just to be near her, to watch her lose herself completely.

Sleep, to me, is fascinating. It's the ultimate submission. On a woman like Bella, it's so sexy. I can picture her submitting herself to me like that. Completely giving up control and plunging into the unknown.

Sleep is the unknown. Sleep opens you up to the depths of your imagination, which can be amazing or terrifying. I suppose that's the same as me. Of course, submitting yourself to me isn't safe like sleep is. The best thing about your imagination is that it's all an illusion; if something terrible happens, you can wake up from it. With me, when something terrible happens, your life is changed forever.

I suppose that's why I can't let Bella submit to me the way she wants to. The way I want her to.

But right now as I watch her sleep, all I can think about is how much I want to wake her up and take her for myself. Take her in the most primal, animalistic and basic way that every species indulges in.

I've been thinking about this for a while now. Wondering if I could summon the strength to be with her completely without hurting her, when it hurts just to kiss her.

I know she wants me. I can see it in her eyes every time we touch. She's been so understanding with me these past several months, but she's a woman. She has needs and desires that I haven't been fulfilling out of fear. Can I do it?

Edward sat back in the shadows of Bella's room, watching her sleep for what seemed like the thousandth time since they met a year earlier. She knew he was there watching her, and somehow, it calmed her. It felt like he was a protector rather than a threat.

Edward knew she trusted him completely. He wished she didn't. It would make it so much easier to stay away from her, and make sure she was safe from his own venom.

As she stirred, he didn't make any effort to hide himself. He knew she was aware of his presence. He wondered why she was so confident having him around. He wondered if it was truly him she loved, or if it was the glorification of him in her mind that she was enamoured with. Either way, he was happy to take what she offered. He loved her, purely as she was. He knew her strengths and weaknesses, her flaws. A part of him was tracking them, in case he needed to exploit them to make the kill.

"Edward?" she asked in a hushed tone, her eyes adjusting to the dimly lit room.

"I'm here." He slowly moved toward the bed and pulled in next to her, wrapping an arm across her shoulders as she sunk down into his chest.

"How long have you been here?"

"A while," he said softly, tucking a stray hair away from her face. He loved her face. Her features were soft and delicate, like a doll. She peered up at him, a hint of a smile gracing her pale white features.

"You could have said something." He shrugged.

"You were peaceful. I didn't want to disturb you," he said. She turned in his embrace so she was laying on her stomach, half on top of him. He rubbed her bare arms with his fingertips in a repetitive motion.

"What if I want to be disturbed?" A sly smile began to form on her face. He chuckled lightly.

"You'd have to tell me. I can't read your mind."

She looked at him for a long moment, sharing a silent conversation. She wanted him desperately, but despite her confidence that he wouldn't hurt her, a part of her was still afraid. He'd almost killed her once. Could he stop a second time?

Slowly, she leaned into him, pressing her mouth against his softly. He kissed her back, hoping she would take the reigns and stop him from forcing her submission.

Despite his wishes, she began to pull back, pulling him along with her, positioning him on top of her as she lay on her back. She deepened the kiss. He felt his control slipping.

"You don't have very long to change your mind, Bella," he said, his voice straining against the deafening silence of the cold Forks night. She looked up at him, eyes wide and assured.

"I won't change my mind." Her voice didn't shake. She showed no signs of wanting an exit. Edward knew that this would either be the greatest thing he'd ever experienced, or the worst.

He reclaimed her lips, this time with a fervor that he had lacked in any of their previous connections. His tongue probed her mouth, tasting her, filling him with need. She barely realized what was happening before her shirt and underwear had gathered in a pile on the floor.

Edward's lips ascended on her neck, kissing, tasting, feeling the pulsing vein of her life beneath his fangs. It was intoxicating. Before he could sink his teeth into her, he removed himself and began a slow trek down her body, tasting each breast, licking the tips of her nipples in a way that made her feel like she could lose her composure at any second. She tangled her fingers in his hair as he continued downward.

He could smell her arousal. It was the most incredible aroma he'd ever experienced. All he wanted was to bite into her and devour her. He controlled himself. Slowly he leaned in, licking her clit in a lizard-like fashion. It made her tremble. His name escaped her lips in a breathy moan. Despite his own animalistic instinct, the man in him grinned at the effect he was having on her. Hearing his name on her lips was the most arousing thing he could imagine.

Slowly, he entered one finger into her, finding her slick and ready for him. Her moans became louder as she ground against his hand. He entered a second and third finger and began to pump them in sync with his tongue. He could see her begin to lose control, and could barely contain his own.

Slowly, he withdrew his fingers and allowed his clothing to join hers on the floor. He moved up her body and reclaimed her mouth, his erection rubbing against her.

"Are you ready?" he asked. She swallowed hard and nodded, unsure of what was to come next.

Slowly, he slid into her, feeling her tight walls stretch and contract around his manhood. The feeling was more than he could have imagined. He watched her as he entered, looking for any sign that he should stop or slow. She showed none.

He slowly began to move in an out of her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, pulling him tightly against her as he moved.

After a few moments, his movements became harder and more erratic. He could feel himself losing his composure, and was both elated and terrified as the prospects of what was to come.

"Give me a pillow," he commanded. She looked at him confusedly.

"What?" She asked, her voice a mix of confusion and uncontrolled pleasure.

"A pillow!" he growled. She reached beside her and grabbed a cushion. He took hold of it and began to pump faster and harder.

She felt herself lose control, bursting around him. It was more than she could have ever imagined it would be. She watched him as he neared his own climax.

A moment after she went, he grabbed the pillow and bit into it with a ferocity she had never seen him elicit before, as he emptied himself inside of her. Slowly, he began to come down from his high, and his movements inside of her came to an end. He grabbed the pillow and dislodged it from his teeth as he pulled out of her and rolled to the side.

"What would have happened without the pillow?" Bella asked, as she rolled over to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He breathed in her scent and felt not afraid of it, but contented.

"I guess we'll never know," he responded. He pulled her closer and closed his eyes, just listening to her as she fell asleep against him, submitting to her own imagination.

End

A/N: So I've read the series since I first wrote this, and decided to fix it a bit so that, even though it's still in line with the movie version, there are no glaring errors against the book. I wrote the pillow part before reading Breaking Dawn, so I didn't copy anything intentionally (although it is kind of the obvious solution). Let me know your thoughts.