The Fruit's on the Vine Contest
Title: "The News"
Pairing: Bella/Edward
Genre: Romance/Family
Summary: Bella and Edward have been married for about a year when Bella gets some unexpected news. How will she tell Edward? How will he take it?
Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.
"Honey?" he called out as he walked in the door. "I'm home."
It was cliché. He knew it, but it didn't matter. He was finally home after being out of town on business for the last five days. He had missed his wife. He missed their bed and their house almost as much as he missed her. Now he was home.
"Bella?" he called again as he left the kitchen and headed farther into the house. "Where are you, baby?"
He glanced in the living room before making his way to the back of the house where their bedroom was. The room was empty, and he was beginning to worry. Her car had been outside, but she was nowhere to be found. He went back into the hallway and looked in the office. No sign of her there either. He stopped at the end of the hall and looked in the spare room.
Bella was sitting in the middle of the room, ear buds plugging her ears. She was absorbed in the paint colors laid before her. She had lost track of how long she had been sitting there trying to decide on a color. Hopefully Edward would be able to help her pick one once he got home. She couldn't help but feel excited when she thought about what she was going to tell him.
As soon as he saw the ear buds he knew why she hadn't heard him call out. She was off in her own little world, something she did frequently. He stepped inside the room, stopping behind her, and tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped and screamed before realizing it was him.
"You scared the piss outta me, Edward!" she squeaked.
"I'm sorry, baby. I was calling for you, but you didn't hear me." He offered his hand to help her up.
"Oh…" She blushed, taking his hand. "You're home early."
"Yeah, I was able to catch an earlier flight."
"That's nice."
He smiled. "I thought we could spend some time together. I missed you."
"I missed you too," she replied, kissing him softly and wrapping her arms around him. "I always miss you."
"I know." He held her tight for a moment, not wanting to release her just yet.
She didn't mind the long embrace. Their house always felt empty without him, and it was nice to have him home again. When he released her, she picked some papers up from the floor and took his hand. "Are you hungry?"
"Always." He chuckled.
She led them back out to the kitchen and started to make him a sandwich. "Such an appetite," she teased, glancing over her shoulder at him.
He winked and picked up the mail. There was an invitation to a friend's wedding and another friend's baby shower. It felt like there was always some big event to go to these days. It hadn't even been a year since they were married, but everyone else was doing the same now— getting married and having babies. "What were you doing in that room anyway?" he asked as she set the plate in front of him.
"Oh, just thinking about what to do with it."
"Oh?" He quirked a brow.
"Mhmm," she replied. "In fact, I picked up some paint samples this afternoon to help me decide."
"Did you settle on anything?" he questioned, taking another bite.
"Not yet. I have some ideas though," she said with a knowing smile.
"Yeah? What kind of ideas?"
"Oh, you know…I was thinking pink…or blue…" She looked at him, waiting for his reaction.
"That sounds nice." He stopped mid-bite. "Wait. What did you just say?" He put the sandwich down and looked at her.
She leaned on the island across from him and smiled. "I said I was thinking of painting the room pink or blue," she repeated. "Or we could go neutral with yellow. What do you think?"
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" He was looking at her, trying to wrap his head around what she was saying.
She nodded. "We're having a baby."
There it was. She said it. There was no more guessing. She was pregnant. He was going to be a dad. Holy crap! He was going to be a dad. "Oh…my…"
All she could do was smile at him, waiting for his brain to catch up with his mouth. She knew he would be surprised. Hell, she was surprised when she had taken the test that morning. Thank goodness she hadn't found out any earlier. It was hard enough waiting for him to come home today to tell him.
"When did you find out?" he asked.
"This morning. That's why I waited until you got home to tell you."
"Wow. I can't believe it." He was still dazed.
"I know. I'm still surprised too. I know we weren't trying yet…that there were things we wanted to do before we started a family, but it's good, right?"
He went to her, taking her face in his hands as he looked into her eyes. "It's amazing, Bella."
"Amazing," she agreed.
He kissed her. It was soft at first, but the kiss deepened until they had to break for air. He held her close for several minutes afterward. "I love you," he murmured.
"I love you too."
"Did you take a test? You didn't even tell me you thought you might be. How did this happen?"
A million questions were running through his mind. She could see them all over his face, and she tried to soothe his nerves. "Why don't we go sit down, babe," she suggested, leading him to the living room.
"I wish I had been here, Bella."
"Edward, don't." She lifted his chin with a soft touch. "You're here now. That's all that matters."
"I know. I just hate being away from you so much."
"It's okay. We're okay."
"Yes, we are." He smiled. "I can't believe this." He cautiously moved his hand to her stomach. It was still flat, but he could just imagine their child growing inside. He or she was already growing in there. "You don't know how happy you've made me."
"I do, Edward. I can see it in your eyes," she whispered.
He grinned. "Tell me how you found out."
"Okay, well, I've been feeling a little off lately." She paused. "Only the last couple days, so I thought it was just you being gone. Then yesterday, I realized that my period was late, so I went out and bought a test. I took it first thing this morning, and it was positive."
"Do you feel okay now?"
"I feel fine, Edward. I just feel…I don't know, different, I guess. It's weird. I feel the same and yet not."
"We'll need to make a doctor's appointment," he said.
"Already done. I have one set for next Tuesday."
"I'll take a vacation day and come with you."
"Okay." She smiled.
All Edward could do was look into her eyes and smile. This was unbelievable news. It wasn't planned, but that made it all the more special. They had been given a gift. He had always wanted children, but he and Bella wanted time to themselves first. It had been almost a year now, and while they hadn't been trying, they had been lax on the birth control. They knew they could end up pregnant at any time and they were okay with that. It was still a surprise to find out though.
Edward leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. "I love you so much," he murmured against her lips.
"Mmm…" she murmured back, wrapping her arms around him.
He leaned her back onto the couch, pressing his body to hers. She moaned softly as his lips left hers, but they didn't go far. He trailed kisses down her throat as he started to undress her. Clothes were shed until it was just skin on skin. Edward was nestled between her thighs.
It was all he could do to control his urge to take her right then. He managed to hold back somehow. He ran his hands over her body. He squeezed her breasts, earning a moan from her. His hands moved lower, briefly resting on her stomach. He lowered his head and pressed a kiss there.
Finally his hands rested on her hips before cupping her mound. He slid on finger inside of her, building her up. His other hand found her clit and rubbed it. He smiled as her moans started to get louder. "More?" he asked. The only answer he got was another moan. He continued his ministrations until he knew she was ready.
Edward's eyes met hers; she gave him a nod, and he pushed inside of her. She moaned as he began moving, setting a slow and passionate pace. "Oh, Edward…"
Every move he made brought her closer to the edge, but he was drawing it out. She ran her hands over his back and moaned his name. He nipped at her throat, drawing out more noises. He could feel her getting closer, and while he wanted to prolong the pleasure, he also wanted to give her what she needed.
"That's it, baby," he murmured against her lips.
He picked up the pace, bringing them both higher and higher. Her back arched off the couch, and she moaned his name. His lips covered hers as he thrust into her one more time before joining her in orgasm. They were both panting as he settled himself behind her and kissed her shoulder.
"I love you," he whispered.
"You too…" she mumbled back.
Afterward they fell asleep on the couch, his strong arms holding her close. The happy couple was wrapped up in their own little world. Nothing mattered except them and the love they had for one another. Their lives were about to change drastically. For better or worse, nothing would ever be the same again.
Bella and Edward hadn't even been married a year. Their anniversary was just a few weeks away though. The first year had been good to them. They learned how to compromise more and to truly share their lives. Living together had been a new experience for both of them. They had started looking for a house several months before the wedding and finally found one about a month before. That last month had been a whirlwind between finishing the wedding plans and moving, but they did it.
They first met shortly after Edward moved to Seattle. She was working in an art gallery when in he walked. She knew he was special instantly. There was just something about him. He was working for a client who wanted a specific piece. Bella helped him find something that fit the client's needs. Once their business was done, he left, but he came back that evening at closing and asked her out. He would later say it was love at first sight.
As they dated over the following months, they talked about everything under the sun. They discussed their favorite books, places, foods, and activities. They exposed their dreams and their fears to one another. Even the things they didn't say were felt and understood. It was a perfect romance right down to their desire to travel the world before starting a family someday. Of course they had their arguments, like any other couple, but it just made for better make up sex.
They had dated for about six months when Edward proposed on New Year's Eve at the opening of Bella's gallery. He started by making a toast to her accomplishments and ended on one knee saying, "I can't think of a better way to start the New Year than by marrying the love of my life." They were married that fall in a small ceremony with close friends and family at her parents' home a few hours outside of Seattle.
Now here they were, curled up on the couch together expecting their first child. As Edward woke up, he stretched, careful not to wake his sleeping wife, and propped himself up to watch her. He couldn't imagine life getting any better than this. The love he felt for Bella had only grown over the course of their life together, and he felt it grow even more with the news that she was carrying their child. His hand caressed her stomach, and she stirred. He stilled, but it was too late. She was already waking up. A sleepy sound escaped her mouth, and he smiled as she opened her eyes.
"Hi there."
"Hi," she replied.
"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"
"Mmm…not that I recall," she teased.
"Hmm…I'll have to do something about that then."
"Most definitely."
"I love you more than you could ever imagine, Bella," he said. His eyes bore into hers, trying to convey just how much he cared for her.
She softly touched his cheek and gazed back into his eyes. "And I you."
She pressed her lips to his in a gentle, emotion-filled kiss. When the kiss broke, he held her close and touched his forehead to hers before settling back into the couch with her in his arms. He wasn't letting her go anytime soon.
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Public voting: August 26, 2013 to September 13, 2013.