A/N: Hi there, I'm back with another One Shot :P What working and vacation can't do to a girl's creativity ;) I hope you all enjoy it, just a silly little story I came up with during my work :) Beware: fluffy! :D
Edward always listens to Bella's show on the radio and he is already fascinated with her. What happens if Alice sets up a meeting between the two? EPOV. One Shot. Edward x Bella. Rated T. AU.
Enjoy and don't forget to let me know what you guys think! :)
Breakfast With Bella
"Good morning everyone, and welcome to Breakfast with Bella. I hope you all had a good night's sleep because we're about to get deep!"
I heard the usual introduction with her sweet voice on the radio and at that exact moment everything around me fell silent and I didn't think of anything but this beautiful voice and the creature owning it.
Bella Swan. Forks' own radio heroin in the morning, her breakfast show attracted listeners from all over the state. She featured in depth discussion on current affairs, mixed with a little music and jokes. Bella was a witty person and her show is highly entertaining, even to those of us who have lived for around 100 years and were never very drawn to humans before.
Personally, I had never seen Bella before, even though we lived in the same city and Forks wasn't very large. But I never got out much and from what I heard, neither did Bella. She had gone to High School at Forks and stuck around afterwards to make her own radio broadcasts. She was highly talented in my opinion but from what I heard she was a very intelligent woman and I would have expected her to be off to college to become something like a doctor or a lawyer, getting a high paying, well respected job, I was sure she would be good at it.
Her opinions during her broadcasts never ceased to amaze me, she wasn't like all the other girls her age, I could hear inside their heads the entire day and even though usually people say that boys are shallow, the girls in Forks and the areas surrounding it are not much better in my opinion. Every five minutes a girl wonders if her hair is still in place or if her make-up is smeared. And when a handsome boy walks by, which in their opinions my brothers and I are, the drooling begins and their minds are filled with nothing but how to seduce said boy.
Bella seemed different, I had never once heard her talk about boys or hair unless it was a comment on how ridiculous society is becoming. I had not once found myself disagreeing with her, which on its own was already quite an achievement in my case, but I had also caught myself accepting her views and opinions easily when it was about matters I had not thought of myself on prior occasions.
"Pining over her again, are we Edward?" Alice's chipper voice interrupted my state of happiness.
Alice knew better than to barge in on me during the hours between 8 and 10 in the morning because I would always be listening to her show and everyone in my family knew I was not to be disturbed then.
So I didn't respond and just glared at Alice, hoping her happiness would disappear and that she would follow shortly after.
"That's not going to work this time Edward!" Alice warned me in her most menacing tone.
Something about the little pixie's cheerfulness made me anxious, she was never this excited unless she had some sort of evil scheme she needed me or used me for.
"Make it quick!" I shot at her.
"Fine! I think you should actually do something about this infatuation of yours, I'm worried that you might never be happy, pining over this girl like you know her! If she really means that much to you maybe you should get to know her! I know just the thing…" Alice explained quickly.
"No!" I interrupted her fiercely. "We've been over this and over this, I cannot be with her, ever, so why torture myself by wanting to get to know her further? A vampire and a human? And how exactly do you see that happening?" I asked Alice bitterly.
How I wished it was possible! But even if it would be possible, it wasn't like she was ever going to be interested in me. And even if she was interested in me, she would run the moment she discovered I was a vampire and wasn't getting any older. And even if she wouldn't run, there was no way I could give her the life she deserved. We couldn't be in public together when the sun was out, which wasn't very often in Forks but what if she wanted to take a holiday somewhere sunny? I would always have to be on my guard around her, so some human things that she might certainly be interested in are out of the question. Furthermore, she wouldn't be safe around me, I could kill her so easily, it would only take a momentary lack of control for me to hurt her. And most of all, I wouldn't be able to give her what every human girl dreams of, a family, growing old together. There was just no way it would work.
Alice had been the only one to whom I had told all my doubts and struggles and yet she remained optimistic and she kept pushing me to meet Bella, get to know her, as if that would change everything, as if then nothing would matter but her. The worst part was that I hoped she was right, that I hoped with all my heart that none of my worries would come true, that I could one day meet her, get to know her, and be with her the rest of her human life without any trouble. But then again, isn't that what every boy wishes with the girl of his dreams? No life is without setbacks, why would mine be any different?
"It would work!" Alice said confidently.
"I don't see how Alice! Is that all you came in here to tell me? Because if so, you should know better than to disturb me at this hour for a discussion we have had so many times and has never before ended any differently than it will now!" I said sternly.
"I have a plan Edward! Just listen to me!" Alice was begging now.
"It doesn't matter Alice, I won't help you either way! Just leave me out of any plans you have and please don't hurt me this way," I was also pleading now.
"Fine," Alice never lost the upbeat tone in her voice and that scared me, it meant she wasn't going to let this go no matter how much I begged and how much I argued with her.
She could see that I was right, that was the worst part of it all, she knew it had no way of succeeding and yet she kept tormenting me with her persistence.
Before I could make one lest plea, Alice turned around and dashed out of my room. I was alone again and I was happy to be focusing fully on Bella's voice again. She was just explaining some girl why she felt the way she did about the environment and I forgot all about Alice and her little mission.
The show was coming to an end and as always around a quarter to 10 in the morning I was sad.
"We have time for one last caller, speak your mind!"
Bella, as always, answered the last call of the day and for some reason I was on edge.
"Bella, I'm so glad you're taking my call!"
I groaned the moment I recognized the chipper voice on the other end of the line. I let my instincts take over and I followed Alice's sent into the woods, I stood face to face with her for a moment, angrily glaring into her eyes. What was she thinking?!
I'm just doing you a favor Edward, you can thank me later. Alice directed her thoughts in my direction.
"Of course, what can I do for you?" Bella's voice was on the other end of the line.
"Well, my name is Alice," Alice started, still cheerfully smiling in my direction, "and I was wondering if you would do my brother Edward the honor of an interview, you see he is a bit busy at the moment," Glaring at the best sister in the world! she added in her thoughts and my glare became even more pronounced, it was a good thing I wasn't human or I would have been all wrinkled prematurely. "But he always listens to your show and I'm sure the readers will love it," Alice continued to Bella, completely ignoring me at the same time.
Alice was very influential in one of the girls' magazines of this time and I was pretty sure she didn't have to pull too many strings to arrange this interview for me. But what was she thinking? I was no writer! Nor an interviewer! How could she do this to me? Didn't she love me at all?
It's because I love you Edward! With Alice it always felt as if she was able to read my mind too, she knew me too well.
I knew this was Alice's way of showing me she loved me indeed so I decided to soften up a little, I nodded my head at Alice for a very short moment, too quick for a human to catch, and the smile on her face grew even wider than it had before. Any further and her face would surely break in two.
"Well, Edward, if you're listening, it seems that we have a date." Even though I knew this was the worst plan ever, I couldn't help but feel butterflies in my stomach the moment Bella addressed me personally and agreed to do an interview with me. "Alice, why don't you stay on the line and I'll get right back to you so we can schedule that meeting?"
Alice threw a triumphant smile in my direction and despite my own worries and cranky attitude before I couldn't help but beam back at the prospect of some time to get to know Bella and really get inside her head.
You're welcome! Alice shot at me smugly. I just nodded my head in acknowledgment.
"This Friday, that's perfect, thank you so much Bella!" Alice gushed. "You won't regret it," she added knowingly before hanging up the phone. "It's going to be great Edward! Just mark my words!" she said while tapping her head, referring to her special gift.
I tried to see what Alice might have seen in the future but she was effectively blocking me out with some thoughts about Jasper I really did not want to hear.
"Do you mind?!" I groaned.
"You shouldn't be so nosy, it'll be Friday soon enough! So stay out of my head!" Alice replied cheerfully.
Days had never seemed as long before as they did now that I was looking forward to Friday so much. Just two more days and I would have my time alone with Bella. I had spent every free moment preparing for the interview, I didn't want to seem unprofessional but I did want to know some personal things about her that a true interviewer might not dare to ask. Alice gave me a good cover as a reporter for a teen magazine and I was sure that if Bella was even half as interesting in person as she was on the radio that I would soon be asking her out on a real date to get to know her better anyways. Thus for the time being, the cover would have to do.
"Earth to Edward!" Emmett yelled when we were on our way to the forest to go hunting. He had apparently stopped running and I had bumped into him.
For once I had let Jasper and Emmett lead the way, I was in no hurry to feed, I wasn't thirsty anymore these days, I was too preoccupied with Bella to be able to do anything else. I hadn't been paying close attention to my surroundings, which had already lead to one branch hitting my face and breaking off, I even felt bad for the tree due to the speech Bella had given that girl this morning about the importance of trees and what affairs like pollution were doing to the trees. And now Emmett had apparently come to a full stop in front of me and I hadn't noticed, I had bumped into him hard and I was currently on the floor, recovering from the blow. Emmett had shot back a few steps as well but was still erect.
"Sorry," I muttered as I was struggling to get myself on my feet again. I didn't remember ever being this clumsy or out of it, even when I had been human.
"You know what, it's one thing for me to do it on purpose but what is wrong with you? You're never like this? You're always the first one at the huntingsite, picking out the best deer for yourself, and now you let Jasper and I beat you even though we said 'last one at the clearing has to feed off of mice'. What is going on?" Emmett asked seriously. I was surprised that he had even noticed a change in me, he was always so easy going and all for fun that he never really noticed things around him very well.
"I'll bet it's because of that girl!" Jasper threw in. "I've been feeling nervous all day and for some reason I have butterflies in my stomach nonstop, even when I'm not around Alice," Jasper said with a disgusted expression on his face.
"Leave me alone," I muttered weakly.
"Not likely brother!" Emmett said, always in for a challenge.
"I don't know alright!" I admitted, exhausted. I didn't want to feel the way I felt, especially not when it was all for nothing anyways.
"Edward! Can you please stop with the mood swings, you're worse than being around a pregnant woman!" Jasper accused me.
Emmett thought this was hilarious and was currently rolling on the floor in laughter. "Edward is a pregnant lady! Now that's new!" he said between his fits of laughter.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what it is either! Can we just feed and go home already?!" I exclaimed, tired of my brothers.
The hunting trip was less fun than it had ever been before, I had to endure an entire 3 hours of Emmett asking me "when I was due" and trying to rub my belly.
Coming back home hadn't been much better either, Alice was waiting for me in my room, clothes scattered all over my bed and floor.
"What are you doing?!" I exclaimed, horrified.
"I went shopping," Alice said like that explained everything and I was sure that in her world it did.
"For an entire orphanage?" I exclaimed incredulously.
"You were in desperate need of some new clothes anyways and since you never come with me on these trips I didn't have much choice now did I?" she said triumphantly.
"Right," I sighed in defeat. "So what are all the clothes you bought me doing on my floor then? Since normally when you buy new clothes for me you also coordinate everything in my closet again so they fit nicely into the collection!" I said while shivering lightly at the memories of coming home only to find my entire closet trashed and Alice in the middle of a pile of clothes, trying to find the best way to sort it all.
"You know, you are very lucky with a sister like me! At least I want you to look your best this Friday! I know how important it is for you!" she accused me.
"You're right, I'm sorry," I gave in. "So what are we doing?"
The moment I said we Alice cheered up again and started instructing me to try on different sets of clothing. I know resistance was futile so I played along, praying it would all be over with soon enough so I could retreat with a good book and just be by myself again.
"Perfect," Alice said appreciatively after I had tried on god knows how many different outfits.
I was currently wearing simple dark blue jeans with a black t-shirt.
"This took so long?" I asked in disbelief.
"We don't want to overdo it, I needed something that said 'simple but nice and handsome' and this fits that description perfectly," Alice told me triumphantly. "You're welcome," she retorted smugly before getting ready to attack my closet.
That was my cue to leave my room, find a good book and go to my meadow to be alone for a while. Non of my siblings knew where my favorite meadow was and I intended on keeping it that way.
"Is it me or do your boobs look bigger?" Emmett asked the moment I walked downstairs.
Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie, who were clearly not yet in on the joke, raised their eyebrows at Emmett questioningly. Everyone was used to his jokes by now but they were never that hard to understand.
"Don't ask! And Jasper don't tell them please!" I begged while rolling my eyes at Emmet after which I quickly ran out of the room to my safe place.
I vaguely heard Emmett starting to explain the joke and I growled and hissed furiously. I was never going to live this down! As if I wasn't in an awkward enough position without all this nonsense!
After two long days of increasing merciless teasing and the clock ticking horrifyingly slowly it was finally Friday and I was getting ready for my interview with Bella. I knew exactly which questions I wanted to ask her and I just hoped she wouldn't think me weird when I asked them.
"It'll be great Edward!" Alice assured me for the last time before I got into my beloved Volvo and driving off to the café where I was supposed to meet Bella.
For some reason I had no clue what Bella looked like so this was going to be difficult. I was just going to have to search for her voice in her head. How could I have been foolish enough not to look up her picture on the internet? Even when Emmett was practically waving some pictures of her in my face, I refused to look, thought it would only hurt more because I was sure she was going to be beautiful. But how I wanted to hit myself in the head right now. I would look like a fool asking every girl in the room if her name was Bella and if we had an interview scheduled. But I needed to find her and that seemed to be the only way, so I made my way to the first booth I could find where one girl was sitting alone, frantically texting someone.
My phone started buzzing. Had she been texting me? I was so shocked at the coincidence that I forgot to actually check who texted me for a moment. When I realized how silly it must have looked for me to just stand in the middle of the café, not doing anything, still like a vampire, I immediately grabbed my phone.
The one in the blue shirt idiot! Don't make a fool of yourself!
A text from Alice. I let out a sigh of relief the moment I noticed the girl in the blue blouse. I tried to find her thoughts first. She hadn't seen me yet so it seemed so I wanted to know for certain it was the right girl.
However, the closer I got to her the more confused I became. I didn't hear her usual radio voice anywhere in the place, not even coming from any other booth. People's mental voices usually resembled their actual voices so I was taken aback that I hadn't been able to spot her voice even though I had grown so accustomed to it by now.
"Bella?" I asked the girl in the blue blouse tentatively.
"Yes?" she said before turning her head towards me and looking at me for the first time. Her voice didn't sound any different than it did on the radio but still I couldn't hear her thoughts, not even this close to the right girl. I did hear her gasp softly and I heard her heart speed up a little and I took it as a good sign.
"Hi, I'm Edward Cullen, we have an interview I believe," I said politely, trying my best to sound professional and not letting her see my confusion at my inability to hear her thoughts.
Somehow this mystery made Bella all the more intriguing.
"Right! Take a seat," she said softly while motioning towards the chair opposite of hers.
"It's nice to meet you in person," I blurted out without thinking and I felt like slapping myself on the head the moment I heard the words come out of my mouth.
Bella smiled and blushed a little. "It's nice to meet you too Edward," she said sweetly.
I was eager to learn as much about her as I could so I started firing one question after the other at her. She smiled at my questions but wasn't offended by any so far and I was relieved to say the least.
Now it was time for the more important questions, we had discussed her radio show and her background and now I wanted personal information. I was happy to learn that Bella was in real life even more interesting than she was on the radio. She was very insightful and bright and the fact that I couldn't seem to be able to read her mind only added to my admiration.
"So, do you have a boyfriend or are you married?" I blurted out after she had answered my previous question. If my heart had still been beating it would have been hammering by now, my stomach was fluttering like a madman and I knew that I would have been blushing had it not been impossible. I wanted her to say no so badly.
Bella chuckled softly while she blushed and hid her face behind her hair, then she mumbled "no".
It was hard to keep the grin off my face, I felt like dancing with relief that she didn't seem to be taken by anyone. I got more confident in my questions and started asking more personal details, like her favorite color, her favorite music and all those standard things.
Bella answered all of my questions animatedly and elaborately as well. She had an opinion about everything and it fascinated me highly.
I was sad to see our little meeting coming to an end and it was time for us to part. I decided to walk Bella to her car, holding on to every little bit of time I could get with her.
"Oh damn!" she said when we reached her car and I immediately searched the surroundings for anything that might have upset her. I couldn't find anything.
"What's wrong?" I asked worried.
"I forgot that I got a flat tire on the way over here, barely made it to the café as it was. I guess I'll be walking home then," she said while shrugging.
"I can give you a ride," I offered immediately. "My sister is very good with cars, if you want I can ask her to come pick up yours and have a look at it? I'm sure it'll be fixed in no time then," the words kept pouring out of my mouth before I realized it.
"I couldn't ask that of you!" Bella said kindly.
"You don't have to ask, I don't mind. Hold on one second!" I urged her.
I quickly called Rosalie and she said that she and Emmett would pick up the car as soon as they could.
"There, it's settled, lets get you home," I said determinedly.
"Thank you," Bella replied softly, she started blushing and hid her face behind her hair as she had done in the café.
"I wish you wouldn't do that," I spoke my mind again. I wanted so badly to stroke her hair out of her face and I couldn't resist any longer. I slowly brought my hand towards her face and brushed her cheek lightly before tucking her hair behind her ear. The touch of her skin left a burning sensation in my hand and it was as if electricity was flowing through it, it felt strange but not uncomfortable and I wondered if she felt it too.
I looked at Bella to see if she wasn't mad at me and she stared straight back into my eyes. She was smiling sweetly and I knew right then that I was in love with this girl. I had been able to deny it when I hadn't seen her before but now that I had actually met her I felt that I never wanted to let her go again.
We walked to the car in silence and when I opened the door for Bella to get in she looked at me with wide eyes.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"I didn't know there were still guys who did that," she said tenderly.
"I'm quite old-fashioned," I admitted softly.
I thought I heard her mutter "It's sweet" but I wasn't certain.
It was her turn to ask questions as we drove to her house. She seemed just as eager to get to know me as I was to get to know her. And I found it easy to talk to her. However, the car ride did bring some complications, it was hard for me to stay focused on anything because her scent was all of a sudden very strongly present in the small space of the car. She smelt delicious and I could feel the venom filling my mouth. That was going to be a problem if I wasn't careful.
Not much later we arrived at Bella's house and I had to say goodbye to her.
"Thank you so much," Bella said sweetly.
"It's no trouble at all," I assured her. "I think your car should be done tonight, why don't I bring it over then." Was I really going to do this?
"Sounds great," Bella said enthusiastically.
"And maybe we could, I don't know, hang out?" I said a little clumsily.
"Hang out? As in… a date?" Bella asked unsurely.
Of course she wasn't going to say yes! What was I thinking?!
"Yes, well never mind, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," I said quickly.
"I would love to go on a date with you Edward!" she replied sincerely.
I had never been happier than I had been in that very moment. I smiled broadly at Bella.
"Great, I'll see you tonight then," I said excitedly.
"Thanks again for everything!" she replied before turning around and walking into her house.
Alice had already picked out an outfit for me that I would have to wear to our date tonight. Black trousers and a black button-up shirt.
I quickly thanked Alice and decided to have some alone time in my meadow before tonight so I wouldn't have to deal with the teasing of my siblings.
I was laying on my back, watching the sky and thinking of Bella when I realized that the meadow didn't feel the same anymore. It was like something was missing. I wanted Bella to be here with me, to share these peaceful moments with her. So I decided that, if she was willing, I was going to take her here tonight. I had never shown my meadow to anyone before but I wanted nothing more than to share this with her.
I brought the car over to her house later that evening and she greeted me with a beautiful, breathtaking smile. She looked even more lovely than she had this afternoon. She was still wearing her blue blouse, which looked amazing on her, but she had switched her jeans for a skirt and she was wearing heels instead of the sneakers she had been wearing this afternoon. Not ideal for hiking to the meadow but I was too eager to let this opportunity pass.
"You look wonderful!" I complimented her.
"So do you," she stated simply while blushing heavily. That blush had quickly become one of my favorite things in the world.
"Would you mind very much going somewhere with me? I would like to show you a place I like to go," I asked her softly.
"I would like that very much," she replied enthusiastically, her face lighting up even more than it had already done before.
"Great!" I exclaimed.
We arrived at the forest not much later and Bella looked horrified at the prospect of walking.
"Don't worry," I assured her after she had told me that walking wasn't her strongest point.
I offered her my hand and she eagerly took it. The same burning sensation as I had felt earlier arose in my hand and I marveled in the feeling for a moment. It felt great to hold her hand the way we did right now and halfway through the walk she intertwined her fingers with mine and I was full of joy. Every now and then she would look up to me and smile sweetly. Somehow her expression and the way she was clinging to my hand gave me hope.
We reached the meadow after a while of walking. Human pace had never been attractive to me but with Bella nothing could go slow enough. The first few moments Bella seemed like a kid in a candy store in the meadow, she was taking in her surrounding and whispering how beautiful it all was. She made it even more of a special place than it already was, the way she looked in the moonlight, standing there in the middle of the meadow, was my idea of perfection and I had never been more happy with my photographic memory than I was at this very moment.
"Do you want to sit down?" I asked her kindly after a while.
I sat down on the grass and motioned towards the space next to me. To my surprise Bella nodded eagerly and instead of sitting next to me as I had expected she positioned herself in between my legs, her back against me and she let her head rest on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her protectively and we sat there in silence for a while, just taking in the beautiful view. I was enjoying the feel of her body so close to mine immensely and I was pleasantly surprised that she seemed to enjoy my company as well.
Too soon it was late and it was time to take Bella home. We both reluctantly walked back to the car and drove towards her house.
"Thank you so much for this wonderful day!" Bella said softly the moment we reached her door.
"Thank you, I couldn't have wished for a better time," I replied sincerely.
Bella blushed but this time she didn't hide her face and I was glad. She stared straight into my eyes and I couldn't help but stare back. I wanted to ask her what she was thinking this moment, it killed me not to know. But before I could say anything she moved closer to me, first hugging herself to my body, even closer than she had done in the meadow, she buried her face in my chest for a moment and I hugged her back willingly. After a while she pulled back and stared into my eyes again, this time something had changed in her expression, she looked vulnerable and very fragile. It looked very attractive and I couldn't help but want nothing more than to kiss her. I slowly lifted my hand to her cheek and brought my face closer to hers, all the while eyeing her reaction carefully. She seemed willing as she closed the final distance between us and before I knew it she crushed her lips to mine and we were kissing.
I had never before kissed a girl and I could not have imagined it to be this good. I felt like I was floating on a cloud. I picked Bella up and hugged her close to me, she threw her arms around my neck in response and kissed me back more passionately. We stood there for an immeasurable moment before we both pulled back and stared at each other.
To my great pleasure Bella was smiling lovingly at me and I beamed back at her.
"Will I see you again tomorrow?" she asked after a while.
"Only if you want to," I replied, carefully.
"I want to!" she said determinedly.
"Then yes," I answered with a smile on my face. "Sweet dreams, sweet Bella," I said before placing one more soft kiss on her lips.
"See you tomorrow!" she said eagerly.
Then she went inside and I walked back to my car. At that moment my phone started buzzing again, a text from Alice.
Told you so!
I smiled at my phone like an idiot, she had indeed told me so! And thanks to her, this had been the best night of my life.
A/N: So that was it, I hope you all enjoyed it :) Comments are always welcome! :D I'm working on a longer story right now, Uncovering Secrets (see profile for details), but I'm sure that before I start posting that one, I'll be posting some more One Shots as well, just because they are so extremely fun to write!
Until next time!
Xxx,
Thari