Not Lost, Simply Found
By Casper
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AN: I wrote this for a fic exchange over at heroinexchange on livejournal. Betaed by the lovely jacyevans, I was asked to write Bella and Edward traveling somewhere together. Well, my spin was - what if there had been no real destination to begin with? One Shot - Bella/Edward
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Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.
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Rated: R / M
The sky seemed to be a vast ocean of freedom; beautiful in its entirety and completely exquisite to stare at for long periods of time. My eyes had yet to leave it, but this was due to me looking up and gasping, rather than only gazing at its.
My hand fell short of the map I'd been clutching carefully near me the entire trip. "What do you mean we're lost?"
Edward turned his dazzling eyes toward me and frowned. "I mean exactly what I'm saying. We're lost."
I couldn't help but allow my mouth to fall open in shock. "Since when do you get lost?"
He spoke in a deadpan voice, "Since now."
Okay, maybe I was missing something here. Being lost in the woods for over a handful of hours did not make a person think straight. And currently, my brain was in overdrive at the thought that Edward of all...vampires, would get us lost.
I tried a different approach, fishing for any hope. "Do you mean in the sense that you have no clue as to where we are? Or that you aren't exactly sure what to do?"
He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he tried to contemplate. "If I said both, would you be terribly mad with me?"
I bit my bottom lip. "More like terribly worried."
The light slowly began to fade, the sun already beginning to set, orange and red bleeding into the blue as my mind started to panic. If he truly had no idea where we were, then how in the world were we supposed to get back in time before Charlie realized I'd been spending my "Alice" time with him?
I gulped while my eyes flew all about the forest. "So, what do we do?"
Terror must have been laced in my voice, apparently because the next thing I knew was the feel of cool arms wrapping around my waist, pulling me to a familiar chest that I would have died against, if not for the fact he wouldn't allow me to stay there long enough for that to happen.
"Don't worry," he whispered against my neck., he brushed his hands through my hair before pulling away. "I think it's safe to say that for once, Alice was wrong."
I shuddered. "That's just creepy."
"Tell me about it," he muttered.
My eyes darted up to meet his face. "Any idea where we are?" Could I have put any more emphasis on the where?
He took his time, examining and searching before he turned back and answered my question. "Not a single clue."
Great. I let out an aggravated sigh at our predicament. "Any chance you can get us out of here?"
Edward rolled his eyes. "No, Bella, I'll let us roam the forest for the rest of our – well, you're life."
"Funny."
"Really? I was going for sarcastic."
Ignoring his tone, I looked about the forest and took a few steps away from him, trying to figure some things out while feeling like I needed to be doing something at the same time. Edward didn't say anything and simply stood where I'd left him, watching me patiently.
"It really is nice out here. Quiet." I looked over my shoulder, back to him, and raised my brow suggestively. "No vampires with supersonic hearing to come and interrupt us. No random threats or big old wolves barging in to break us up." I waggled my eyebrows. "Could be a blessing in disguise, you know."
"I'm not sure I quite follow..."And then, his eyes widened. "Bella, are you insane? I could hurt you and no one would be around to stop me."
I rolled my eyes. "Would you knock it off?. Tell me something. Why would you take me on this trip, alone, together, with no way of getting out and now lost if I was really in any danger? Don't you think if there really was a threat, you would have been able to keep us from getting lost?"
Edward didn't like this. He wasn't winning and he made sure his face showed me just how upset he was.
Then, a plan clicked in my head and I smiled inwardly.
Brushing my hair away from my face, I stepped away and started heading down a rocky dirt path, and heading east on it. "Well, why you sulk, I'll make some fun out of this little trip."
Not even a moment passed before I was staring face to face with him.
Furious didn't quite cover his expression.
"What," he said, his voice going higher, "do you think you are doing? Do you realize how dangerous it can be out there?"
Feigning boredom, I looked to the trees and noticed the lurking shadows hidden behind their mass. Maybe this place wasn't all that safe, but I wasn't about to give in. "Can't be as dangerous as Forks."
"Bella," he growled and I glanced back. "Do not test my patience. The last thing I need is for you to break your neck out here."
Yeah, it had to be the neck. "Edward, stop being so over- dramatic. I'll be fine. I mean, there isn't anything else to do out here. What better way to figure out where we are then to adventure around, see if we can find something."
"Unless, of course, you are a walking magnet for danger," Edward muttered quietly as he rested his arm around my waist.
I frowned. "Well, unless you have something else in mind," I went said, letting him fill in the blanks.
My words seemed to click in his mind. The next thing I knew, he had brushed me close to him as we started to walk. "Rather take on the woods, then."
Not being able to hold in my disappointment, I sighed, my lip pouting out.
If Edward heard me, he didn't comment on it as we walked about.
...
"I still say we are going in circles.." I muttered under my breath., I watched as Edward cast a glare at me. "What? It's true. You just don't want to admit it because you're so stubborn."
After about an hour of roaming the woods, it seemed like we'd been seeing the same thing over and over again. When I first commented this to Edward, he shook his head, saying the woods always looked the same, a part of the mind played tricks on you. Finding that it extremely odd for him not to be aware of the surroundings, I shrugged it off and continued to follow.
By the fifth passing of the same overturned log that sat half way in the path, however, I'd become fed up. "Enough!" I shouted, my hands balled up into fists. "I know you well enough to figure out that you know we've been circling the same pathway for more than an hour now. Tell me what's going on."
Having paused at my outburst, I was shocked to find Edward smiling that crooked smile of his at me like I'd just totally said something amusing.
"Well?" I persisted when he didn't reply in the small amount of time I granted him. Enough was enough. The whole 'let's drive out into the middle of nowhere and suddenly become lost' had become old, real fast. "Are you going to tell me or just keep up with the charades?"
As if he couldn't infuriate me more, he actually looked stunned at my words, then hurt. "Bella, please. I have not a clue as to what you're talking about, nor an idea of what's fluttering around in that head of yours that would make you think this is a game." He crossed his arms over his chest as if in deep thought and went back to 'checking' their surroundings. Yeah, right, and Mike was my best friend.
Leveling a hard glare at him, it wasn't until I really looked at him that I noticed he was dressed a little too...dressy for a simple hike in the woods. I suddenly realized my suspicion had been dead- on. He was up to something. I slipped my hand in my pocket, intending to call Alice when I noticed it was missing. "Where in the world did my phone go?" I searched my other pocket. Nothing.
Damn. I knew I had it before we left the car back at the small little road near the town shops.
Where in the world...
My eyes went to Edward.
"Where is my phone?"
"Don't you have it?"
My eyes narrowed into slits. "If I had it, I wouldn't be asking, now would I?"
He shrugged. "I suppose not."
"So, do you know where it is?"
"Maybe."
I wasn't sure if I wanted to run up and try my best at choking him or stomp my foot to show him how annoyed I was with these games.
I went with the latter.
"Fine. Be that way." I stormed off, heading in any direction except his. Why was he being so damn secretive? Although his mood seemed amused, so it wasn't like my life wasn't being threatened, like the usual.
"Where exactly are you going?" I heard his musical voice drift, not from the place I had left him, but right over my shoulder. Oh, yeah. Why try to outrun a vampire with super frickin' speed anyway?.
"Anywhere."
"Sounds like a nice place."
I made a left turn. "Oh, it is. There, there isn't a single annoying vampire there, lurking to bother me."
He continued, step for step just behind me. "Huh. How nice."
I wasn't sure why but I felt my legs move faster. "Yes, it's sooo much better than Forks. Even Phoenix can't top it."
We stayed quiet as I continued to trudge through the woods when my foot caught an upturned root, sending me flying forward. A cool hand flew out at the exact same time, catching me about the waist and pulling me back up before my face was creamed against the nice ground. Ruffled and pissed at my clumsiness, I huffed out and actually started to run. Why? I had no clue, but it felt good. Suddenly, I felt Edward's presence right beside me.
"Any reason for running when you know how unsafe that is?"
Another jab at my equilibrium. Fine, I knew how to throw him off.
Suddenly stopping, it only took him a moment to figure out I'd quit running and stopped himself in mid- stride. I remained quiet, hands clenched and head bowed, my hair keeping my eyes hidden.
"Bella?" Concern. Good, let him worry.
He came up to me and just as his fingers grazed under my chin, I launched myself at him. Shocked, he stumbled back only a foot as my mouth clashed against his. It was good that I hadn't thrown my full weight on to him or I might have broken my jaw along with a few teeth.
He remained still as if completely lost as to what to do.
When he didn't break away or interact, I pulled back and glared at him.
"Kiss me." It was a demand. One that I wasn't all too confident would be heard.
But it was. Within seconds, his lips were on mine, hungrily brushing against me as if it were the only thing to sustain him. A hand twisted in my hair and the other around my waist, dragging me further into his hold.
When I was sure that we'd crossed the line and Edward would break away, I was more than stunned when he slipped away only to kiss and nip down my jaw and onto my neck. I shivered at the feel of it.
The moan of his name on my lips only seemed to add fire to an already bright inferno as he claimed my lips again in an almost bruising manner that had me bewildered and excited all at once.
God, did he know how to kiss me senseless. My hands fisted his hair as I pulled back only to break for air. He continued to kiss and please along my throat and just below my collarbone.
A shudder broke down my back. Eyes heavy with sexual arousal. He knew me too damn well. His finger grazed along my sides, almost ghosting just over the side of my breast and making me tremble. Damn, he did that on purpose. That meant he knew my plan all along.
All too soon, he broke away from me. Fury and amusement mingled into one expression that cooled over his face. "Bella," he spoke to me like he was scolding a child, "did you really think I wouldn't figure out what you were planning?"
I did roll my eyes at that. "No, I didn't have a clue." The sarcasm clipped my words. " Did you think I wouldn't catch on to your plan here? What are you up to, Edward Cullen, and please spare me the innocent look; it's wasted." My voice held authority that I didn't know I possessed and I felt almost empowered by having been able to step over our thick line of control. And yes, I didn't mind riding the high of accomplishment from it.
He smirked. "If you have to ask then obviously you don't know what I'm planning."
Ha aha! I stepped away from him and pointed like I was a mad woman pointing out a ghost that only existed in her mind. "You see! This is why I can never stand going on trips in general. The ulterior motives are really starting to piss me off."
The stunned look on his face almost made me feel guilty. Almost.
"Stop that."
I frowned. "Stop what?"
He inched forward, his hand reaching out and it finally dawned on me that I was walking backward, putting space between us like I suddenly feared him. I immediately stalled my feet from moving as he drew closer.
Pulling me to his chest, he sighed. "Fine. You win."
Really? Then why did I suddenly feel like hiding my face and never looking up at him again.
"Sorry," I muttered into his chest. and huffed. "Just... I hate surprises. You know I do."
I could feel him nod. "I know. I just wanted this to be special."
My brow puckered. "You could have just taken us to our meadow, Edward. That's special to me."
"I suppose so. But if I remember, you were attacked there when I wasn't around. I didn't think you'd really like the thought of being there again."
I didn't even want to think about that.
Instead, I leaned up and let my lips press at the seam of his. He allowed me access with no quarrels and once again, I could feel myself being drawn into him. An arm wrapped around me, pressuring me gently into that closeness that I so desperately desired.
When we finally broke apart, I was panting for air like always while he watched me carefully.
"What?" I waited for him to reply, but instead he leaned down and pressed a kiss to my lips quickly and I felt myself reeling. with amusement.
His hand cupped my cheek as his thumb ran just under my chin, coaxing me into comfort.
"Bella," he nipped at my ear. "You do realize how hard it is for me not to simply break my rules and make love to you."
Startled, I let out a choke. Before I could say anything, he nipped at my ear again then slipped his hand down between our bodies until it cupped my left breast. Words were suddenly cut off from my mind as I tried desperately to grasp some form of vocabulary to question what he was doing. All that I managed though was a quiet squeak. that made a whisper loud.
As he flicked his thumb over my suddenly aroused nipple, I had to grasp onto his shirt as my head fell forward. It felt good, surprisingly too good. The cool touch of his hand sank through my shirt and into my skin, only arousing me even more.
Suddenly, the loud shrill of a phone went off and I growled out in irritation. "Ignore it."
Edward laughed. "Could be important though."
I shook my head, my hands flitting through his hair as I nipped at his neck. "Not good enough."
The phone stopped.
"See? What did I tell you? It's wasn't all that important."
We kissed again, our tongues clashing while our bodies pressed against each other.
The phone came back to life, possibly in an even louder ring then before.
Edward let out a chuckle and reached for the phone as I groaned and stood back enough to allow him to place it by his ear.
"Yes Alice," he murmured into the phone before a crease formed between his brow. "Emmett? What is it?"
Now, that was just odd.
He rolled his eyes and presented me the phone. "It's for you."
"So, has he told you why the both of you are out there?" Emmett asked, immensely cheerful.
My eyebrow rouse and I could see Edward look a bit panicked. "No. He hasn't. Care to enlighten me, though?"
A flash of white and Edward had the phone in his hand, closing it as he kissed me so quickly, I didn't have a chance to take a breath.
I pressed my hands against his chest to break for air. "Okay," I panted. "Explain, like now."
Finally, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, a tell- tale sign that he knew he'd lost. "Fine, seeing as my brother wanted to tease, I guess I should just let it out."
I waited; he paced.
"Well?" I asked after a few seconds of silence disintegrated all patience.
Edward grabbed both of my hands and brought them to his lips. "Do you recall the whole scene back at my house, in my room?. You know where I explained that we could only be," he paused and I swear if blood could rush to his cheeks, they would be flooded with it now, "intimate after the marriage?"
I nodded. "You said we could try." My brow furrowed when I suddenly felt irritation flood through me. "Oh, don't tell me you're going to back out on your word..." He cut me off with a finger to my lips.
"Please, Bella, this is difficult for me as it is.," Silent, I waited, though now more curious as to what had him so out of character then irritated. He opened his mouth and I held my breath. "You see, it's come to my attention that I'm finding you far more...irresistible than before" My eyes widened as my hand snapped over my neck. "Not funny, Bella. It wasn't funny back then and it still isn't now." I dropped my hand. "In any case, Emmett and Jasper, along with Carlisle, suggested that maybe if I allowed us that...connection. Maybe I'll be able to handle myself better."
Frowning, I put my hand up for him to stop, though it was obvious he seemed about ready to end the entire conversation. Right about now, if he were capable he'd have blood rushing to cheeks. right about now.
"So, what you're telling me is...you want us to sleep together, to help you."
Human Edward would be flushed faced indeed. He had his head slightly ducked down as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are you mad? I know I acted like that would be a bad idea earlier."
I laughed.
Edward shot his eyes back up to me completely baffled. "What is so funny about this?"
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I stood on my toes and kissed him. "Just that you did all of this just to tell me you want to speed up my part of the arrangement, that I wanted."
He thought about it and frowned. "I'm not proud of this, Bella."
Ignoring his comment, I kissed him thoroughly, my fingers tangling in his hair yet again as I grinded against him. He groaned and finally gave in.
"So," I looked around after we broke apart and gave him a smile, that would have had us both blushing, "why aren't we doing this now?"