A/N: A rather short oneshot set during Eclipse, about Edward, of course. A look at why Edward-haters think Edward's creepy for watching her. Hugs to you all. Don't hate the player, hate the game.
He watches her.
Sometimes when she's looking, sometimes not. He feels a sense of protectiveness- he needs to make sure she's safe. Make sure she's his.
He watches, as she does for the growing darkness in his eyes, for the signs. The uncertainty. And later, the regret.
When it's late at night and all is still and the curtains flutter around the window just so, sometimes he ceases to think of her as a person. She is the prize that someone could reach out and snatch- so he has to watch. He is predator, and no one will mess with what is his.
Sometimes he hears too-telling wolf calls outside- the boy, watching out for her as well. That's all the wolf is, in his mind: a boy, only 16. He doesn't loathe him, per se. He hates the doubt it presents for himself, sure, but he doesn't hate the boy. He's a mere child, caught in this game.
He scares himself with the way his true colors only appear at night time.
Of course, when she wakes up and bats her doe eyes, everything is back to normal. He can convince himself everything's alright. But he still thinks of - and fears - those late-night times.
So he watches. He thinks it's a good way to occupy the time, at least until she is fully his. He hopes – hopes – that he's enough for her, and occasionally wonders if it would be such a bad thing if she wasn't. Again, the doubt with the boy.
The only way to know is the change. He waits as long as possible- not just for her, but also for him. He doesn't want to go through the heartbreak if she ends up changing her decision later. He needs to make sure she's certain.
He watches so that someday, he won't have to watch any more.
