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Dog Tags & White T-Shirts
Chapter 2
EPOV
August 16, 1941
I woke up this morning with a huge grin on my face, thinking back to the night before.
I kissed Bella.
I hadn't planned to, it just… happened. I was afraid she would assume me to be too presumptuous, but she hadn't pushed me away. Her lips were soft and warm, inviting. I intended to be a proper gentleman and kiss her cheek, but we angled our faces in the same direction. I froze at first, contemplating my next move. I looked into her eyes and saw all that I needed to. She wanted me to kiss her, so I did. It was perfect. It might have been a little too soon for such a thing, but it felt right.
I have never met a woman like Isabella Swan. Smart, independent, beautiful and passionate. Since the moment I first saw her, talking to Jasper in the base yard, I knew she was different. Seeing her smile for the first time was like being reborn into a world without hate; which is saying something in this day and age. Nothing except war and hate everywhere you look, but it all faded into the background when I locked eyes with her. I have a very strong feeling that Miss Swan has changed my life forever.
I pulled myself out of my reverie when I heard Jasper's voice call to me from the other room. He must have been waiting for a long time, he seemed impatient.
"Edward! You would think you were a woman by how much time you spend making yourself all pretty. Come on, we're gonna be late." I heard the front door close, assuming he went outside for a smoke.
"I'll be right there." I called out, loud enough for him to hear from outside. I checked my appearance, making sure I was presentable, unable to tame the bronze locks on top of my head, then grabbed my dog tags off the side of the mirror, tossing them over my head and tucking them under my t-shirt.
"Awww, don't you look nice! All ready to go see your new girlfriend?" Jasper asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows and an amused grin on his face.
"She's not my girlfriend … yet!" I winked and threw him my best smile as I brushed passed him.
"Yet, huh? You know I can't let you pull your shit on her, Loverboy."
"It's not like that, Jasper. She's… different." I felt my brows furrow together as I tried my best not to get lost in thoughts about the beautiful girl I was on my way to see.
"Uh huh… I know you, and I swear to everything holy, I will kill you if I have to. I won't even hesitate. She's… important." He looked me dead in the eye as he said, and I believed every word.
"I know she is. I never met anyone like her. I can't stop thinking about her. I think she may be… important… to me too." I stared back at him, letting the truth in my words show through my emotions. He studied me for a moment before he sighed and shook his head.
"And you wonder why I haven't introduced you two until now." He chuckled and looked far away to ponder his own thoughts.
"I won't hurt her, Jas. Trust me. You're like my brother… Have you ever known me to have this reaction to another girl?" I asked him as I begged him with my eyes, to believe me.
"I do trust you. And, honestly, no, I've never seen you actually want to see the same girl more than once. But, Bella is … well, she's … My Bella. Ya know? She's my best friend. I love her like a sister. And I swear, if you hurt her… I will kill you." I believed every word that came out of his mouth. He was in protective brother mode and I wasn't about to tease him about it. I had no doubt in my mind, he would follow through on that promise.
"I just … feel something when I'm with her. I think we have a connection." I said and he looked at me with a questioning look in his eye. We started walking down the steps towards the street. "We had a great time last night, and when I walked her home, it was just so … peaceful. We talked, we laughed… It was perfect." He was nodding as I continued, and I took a deep breath and took a chance, being honest with him. "I kissed her."
"You… What?" He stopped dead in his tracks as he glared at me. "This is what I mean, Edward. You, being you, is not what she needs. She's a good girl and she deserves respect. You don't even know her."
"No. It wasn't like that, I meant to kiss her cheek but it just… happened. I'm not trying to charm her into my bed. I actually like her and I think she may be the one." I was taking on an angry tone, my voice elevating to defend myself … to my best friend, of all people.
"The one. The one? How could you possibly know that? You've spent one day with her."
"I just… know. I can't explain it." Hoping that he would accept it, so we can move on. I shrugged in defeat as I let my words linger. He seemed to debate his own conscience until he finally sighed and nodded his head. We started walking again.
"Fine. I hope this thing between you two is real. I only want the best for both of you and if the best thing is being together, then you have my blessing. But I'm dead serious, Edward, I'll shoot you with your own gun, so help me God." He gave me his signature smile and pat on the shoulder, so I knew he trusted me.
Which meant a lot, to me.
"We're having dinner tonight. Six thirty. So, you'll have to check the barracks without me. I'm sure they'll be fine. I heard them all celebrating and packing last night when I got in. Just make sure they've left that place spotless or Carlisle will have our asses."
"I'll take care of it, McCarty will be there. He can assist. Quarters should be cleared out by 2100 hours, so that'll leave enough time for them to get their shit together without an issue. Actually, I think Newton is already out, moved over to D block this morning. He's gonna ship out with the Navy and meet us in Pearl Harbor, in three days. Something about port training, I don't think he ever finished his exams, so it'll give him some time to catch up."
I hadn't realized how far we had come once we reached Bella's place. I looked up and cleared my throat, checking myself over once more and smoothing out my… almost clean white t-shirt, before knocking.
"Oh come on, you're such a girl." He laughed as he pulled me along. I rolled my eyes and followed him. I was questioning my casual attire. I should've worn something else. I had made a mental note, to take extra caution when choosing my clothes for this evening.
Jasper knocked on Bella's door and after a minute, she answered it with a bright smile on her face. She took my breath away.
"Hey! You're late, I was expecting you about fifteen minutes ago. I thought you forgot about me." She said it as she hugged him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he held onto her waist, I was instantly jealous.
"Never." Jasper whispered to her before he kissed the top of her head.
"Hi, Edward." Her voice warmed me and all I could do was smile.
"Bella." I nodded as I greeted her, which cause her cheeks to burn and I noticed she tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. It brought my attention to her mouth and I couldn't help but stare. Jasper began to speak and I looked away, to prevent myself from embarrassment.
"Come inside, you want something to drink?" I noticed how she met my eyes as she asked both of us the question. I smiled and politely declined. We honestly did not have too much time before we had to be back at the base. There were too many things on the agenda and not nearly enough time.
"So… You ready for us to move those boxes?" He asked her as we stepped through her doorway. I noticed three big boxes in the living room marked bedroom. Another box sat at the bottom of the stairs and I immediately frowned and spoke up.
"Bella, I really wish you hadn't carried those boxes down the stairs yourself." I said with a furrowed brow and I'm sure enough that she sensed my worried tone.
"Oh, no… It's fine, they weren't heavy. I left the heavy ones up there for you two. There are four more up there. You can just put everything on that platform and the guys from the base will be over to bring it to the docks. They are small boxes, but they're books, so they were a little heavy for me. Sorry about that." She looked shy as she averted her eyes and moved to brush her hair out of her face.
Jasper walked silently into the house, heading towards the staircase. Bella glanced up, meeting my gaze. Neither of us spoke as my fingers lingered against the smooth skin of her cheek, a light blush tainting her creamy skin.
"You like to read?" I asked, my voice soft, barely a whisper. As much as I wanted to lose myself in her gaze, I knew I shouldn't distract myself.
"Yes, I always have, ever since I was a little girl." She answered, taking her lip between her teeth, her expression unsure and nervous.
"Do you prefer novels or poetry?"
"Novels, mostly. I have a small collection of poetry, though."
"My parents used to read to me every night before bed. I rarely find the time these days, it's something I regret." I admit to her, watching her gradually relax. I dropped my hand, my fingers missing the contact immediately. "I should go help Jasper." I mumbled unwillingly, not moving until the creaking of floorboards disrupted the otherwise silent house.
Bella offered a small smile as I reluctantly turned away, passing Jasper as I climbed the stairs quickly. I heard their voices as I walked across the landing in search of her room.
When I reached the right door, I stood uncertainly at the entrance to her bedroom. Despite the fact she had packed her things up, it felt as though I would be invading her personal space, her privacy, if I were to enter; and my parents had brought me up to be respectful.
"Nothing is going to get done if you insist on standing there all day." Jasper's teasing remark pulled me from my own thoughts. I turned to see his knowing look, before he shoved me into the room without a second thought.
"I'm not doing all the work." He insisted, dodging around me and wrapping his arms around the next box, his hands gripping the bottom edges securely as he stood, lifting the box. "Oh and if you damage these books, she won't hesitate to hurt you." He assured me with a grin. I glanced nervously at the last remaining box in her bedroom and Jasper chuckled, bumping his shoulder against mine on his way out.
I stepped forwards, easing the box from the ground with care. When I was sure I wasn't going to drop it, I turned, leaving the room and crossing the landing to the stairs.
"Are you sure you don't want something to drink?" Bella asked and I heard Jasper decline once more, providing his reasoning.
"What about you, Edward? Did you want anything?" She called to me as I padded carefully down the stairs, trying to see around the box to make sure I wouldn't trip. Not only would that be embarrassing, but, if Jasper was serious about Bella's reaction to damaging the books, I would be risking my life in more ways than one.
"No, Jasper's right, unfortunately, we shouldn't stay too long. Thank you for the offer, though." Had it been another day, I would have gladly accepted, but today we were busy. It would be a miracle if we could get everything prepared on time for our departure.
I was looking forward to our placement in Pearl Harbour and, on top of that, I was looking forward to spending more time with Bella, the girl Jasper had kept from me for so long. It was as though we had time to make up for. I understood his reasons for keeping me from her and a niggling voice in the back of my mind was ashamed. He had every reason to be wary, but he was trusting me now; and I had to show him that he had made the right decision. I wouldn't hurt Bella.
"Are there any more boxes?" I asked, placing mine onto the floor by the collection on the floor in the entryway.
"Just one. It's in the study. It has my type writer in it, amongst a few other things."
"I will fetch that one down." Jasper offered, already making his was back to the stairs, leaving me alone, with Bella. I took a few steps towards her and she watched, staying stock still.
"Thank you for walking me home last night."
"It was my pleasure. I enjoyed the walk and your company. I look forward to spending more time with you tonight Bella. It will be a nice end to my time in San Francisco." I admitted, smiling like an eager school boy.
"I think so, too. Are you sure you can spare the time? I don't want to keep you from your responsibilities. It has been short notice for all of us." I was quick to ease the doubt in her tone, not wanting the escape she was offering to me.
"Not at all, Jasper is able to finish everything up tonight and ensure loose ends are tied up." I assured her, the thought suddenly coming to my mind that she no longer wanted to go. "I won't be offended if you don't want to go tonight. Although, I would be disappointed."
"Don't be silly," She dismissed, her hand reaching forward to rest on my forearm. "Of course I want to go, we will have fun." She beamed, her expression eager and her eyes bright. I melted like a girl.
"You sound pretty sure of that." I teased, taking her hand in mine and drawing random patterns on her upturned palm. I looked up to find her watching my drawings, skin on skin. It was as though she was mesmerised.
"We should get going, Edward." Jasper's voice startled Bella, her eyes widening as they snapped up to my face, her cheeks colouring.
"I guess so." I sighed, my body deflating. So much to do and so little time. I would rather stay right where I was. With Bella.
I released her small hand and she dropped it to her side. We stepped away from each other as Jasper walked over, wrapping Bella up in a hug and planting a kiss on her cheek, a gesture which she returned.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Bella. Keep yourself out of trouble until then, okay?" She giggled and nodded, pushing him away and rolling her eyes.
Jasper let himself out of the house, giving myself and Bella a minute to say goodbye without his prying eyes.
She leant forward, whispering in my ear.
"I am." Her soft lips met my cheek and she pulled back, her chocolate eyes staring back at me, holding my gaze.
"You are what?" I questioned, confused. My fingers brushed against the burning skin she had kissed.
"I'm sure we will have fun." She clarified with a small smile.
"So am I. I'll see you tonight. Goodbye, Bella." I bent forward to kiss her cheek, waving as I walked out of her front door and easing it closed behind me. Jasper was stood by the road, staring out at the houses opposite. When he heard me approaching, he turned, pulling his hands out of his pockets.
"Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be." I grinned as he shook his head, walking down the pavement, leaving me no choice but to follow.
"We have a lot to get done in the next few hours and I will bet you the lads haven't packed up their shit yet. You'd think they're still in primary school."
"You say it like you're not one of them. I know for a fact Lieutenant Whitlock, that your boxes are not taped up and waiting." I cocked an eyebrow at him and he responded with a lazy grin, shrugging his shoulders.
"What they don't know, won't hurt them."
"Are you threatening to go all high and mighty on their asses?"
"You bet I am." We laughed together, Jasper's expression somewhat smug and proud.
When we arrived at the base, we made a beeline for Carlisle's office, knowing that he was waiting for us to show our faces.
As soon as my knuckles rapped against his office door, he called for us to enter, seemingly unsurprised to find us together. I may have been gone for a while, but Carlisle knew us well enough. I worked well with Jasper, We had a deep trust that couldn't be manufactured in the Army. When your life is in other peoples' hands, you have to be one hundred percent positive you can rely on them, without a trace of doubt, or it could all go wrong. When you're asked to do something, you do it, and ask questions later.
"Boys," he nodded in greeting, "have a seat. I'm sure you're both well aware of mutual orders. You two are part of the same unit, the strongest unit we have. Do I need to remind you, that certain... activities ... will be closely monitored once we arrive at Pearl?" He looked at the both of us, with a raised eyebrow.
"No Sir. You don't have to worry. We will look after our... priorities." Jasper answered him with a quirky smile. It was almost comical to see him so serious with Carlisle, but business is business. We could have fun with him later.
"No bullshit, Masen. Those planes are worth forty thousand dollars and I don't want to hear reports of antics and funny business."
"No, Sir. You can rest easy knowing that I will be nothing but professional. Have I ever let you down before?" I asked with a slight smile on my lips, knowing damn well that Jasper and I had been previously been written up and chewed out for "bullshit stunts" as the Colonel had so eloquently put it.
"Now, I'm assuming your boys have cleared out?" He asked and looked in between us. Jasper was the one to answer.
"They will be cleared out by tonight. A few of them have already been down to the docks to assist with the transfer of personal effects. I will be by later this evening to check over the barracks and lock it up." Carlisle nodded his approval, never meeting his eyes as he looked over some papers on his desk.
"Here are your official orders. You both, are equally decorated officers, so it's up to you to split your unit into two, utilize your assets and come up with a solid mission plan. I want to see documentation on my desk when I arrive at Pearl. We're done here, gentlemen. Dismissed."
"See ya, Carlisle. You gonna be around later? I'll be in the lounge sorting some paperwork, have a few drinks... Emmett will be there too. This one will be too busy playing Romeo." Jasper nudged me and cocked his head as he teased me to our commanding officer.
"Shut up... at least I can get a date." We all laughed and Carlisle shook his head and told Jasper he would see him later this evening.
"You're such a pain in the ass, Whitlock, you're lucky I'm in a good mood today." I elbowed him in his side as I chuckled, shuffling our way out of the office.
"Let's head over to our office and sort through the paperwork while you're still here, one less thing to do over the weekend." Jasper said as he pulled us towards our own barracks.
For the next couple of hours, we debated over splitting up the unit into two groups, forming equally strong teams. It was somewhat difficult to organize skills, and still have equal sides. After some time, we came to an agreement, filled out the paperwork, signed each others orders and Jasper had it notarized and sent out to the Colonel before the end of day. It was late afternoon when I left, heading back to get ready for my date with Miss Swan.
I went through my closet, looking for anything that could be considered presentable. I decided on black slacks and a dark blue button down shirt. I set them on the bed and jumped in the shower. Trying to keep my excitement bottled inside was difficult. I couldn't stop thinking about Bella. I rushed to finish getting ready, and tried to tame my hair, but nothing could hold it in place, so I gave up on that.
I headed out my door and made my way towards Bella's house, only stopping once to pick up some flowers for her. When i knocked on her door, she was already dressed and waiting for me.
"Good evening, Bella. You look... beautiful." She was stunning in a charcoal grey skirt and an ivory blouse. Her hair was laid out in chocolate waves that fell down her back. She was breathtaking.
"Hello, Edward. You look... very handsome. Are those for me?" She motioned towards the flowers that I forgot i was holding.
"Yes, sorry." I chuckled nervously and she took them gingerly, bringing them to her nose to breathe in the scent of the mixed flowers.
"I'll just put them in some water. I'll just be a minute." She turned and headed inside. I waited for her, in her doorway. She was back just moments later. "Ready when you are." She smiled brightly up at me, and I held my arm out for her to take.
"I thought we could have a nice quiet dinner, and then maybe take a walk." She gave me the beautiful smile again as she nodded her approval.
We walked for a couple of blocks until we ended up at the restaurant just on the outside of the base, I ushered her inside and waited for the hostess to seat us.
We enjoyed a nice dinner, and had an interesting conversation. We laughed, we smiled and we shared important things about ourselves. We talked about our life, our hobbies... our families. The more we talked and enjoyed each others company, the more I realized that she was definitely the one.
There is something about Isabella Swan that makes me feel like... I'm living for the first time. She's ... everything. More than once, I had to force myself to stop staring at her. I was entranced by everything that she did. All the subtle movements that she made had my eyes burning into her. I had never before seen anyone so perfect, so angelic. I wanted to kiss her again, but I tried to ignore the impulse. There would be time for that, and a crowded restaurant wasn't the right place.
"Thank you for dinner, it was great." She blushed as I took her hand in mine.
"Of course. Would you still like to take that walk?" I asked. I held her hand in my own, rubbing gentle circles on the top of her delicate hand. She looked down in between us and a small smile crept up on her face.
"Yeah, I would like that. Where should we go?"
"I was thinking we could walk down by the beach, say our farewells to the San Francisco Bay."
"Oh, that's a great idea. Let's do that. It's the perfect way to end our time here." She smiled at me and I just stared back at her. Her lips were glistening, her cheeks were the slightest pink, and she took my breath away... again. I looked down at her and the world seemed to stop moving. I leaned closer to her as I held her hand tighter.
"Bella, I... I think we have something here. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I mean... I just... you and I-" She cut me off from my mindless ramblings, and I was so grateful to hear her speak the words.
"I know. I feel it too. From the first time I heard your voice in that courtyard, I just... knew." She gave a shy smile and turned her eyes down. I think she may have been embarrassed. I lifted her chin, so she was looking into my eyes.
"You are so beautiful." I leaned down, my face mere inches from hers. I stared into her eyes as I licked my lips; then I slowly pressed them against hers for a sweet kiss. Her lips were warm and soft as they kissed me back. I wrapped my arm around her waist, while my other hand fisted her hair, pulling her closer to me. We made quiet moans together as we kissed. When we pulled apart, we were both breathless. I smiled as I rested my forehead against hers. "Let's walk." I whispered to her as I reached to hold her hand once more.
We walked down by the beach; she took off her shoes and carried them by the straps as we walked along the shore line. We were much more comfortable with each other and she leaned into me as we walked together. I stole a few kisses in between all the conversation. It was incredible. Once we left the beach, we started to make our way back into town. We were passing the bar, where we both have spent enough time in to recognize, as The Lounge. We noticed everyone inside, calling us to come in. Emmett was waving through the window for us to come inside where we saw Alice, Rosalie, Jake, and Jasper along with some other guys I recognized.
"What do you think? Do you wanna go inside? We don't have to." I made sure she didn't feel pressured to go inside. I knew the boys tended to get a little rowdy, and tonight, they sure were celebrating.
"Yeah, for a little while… Maybe." She held onto me tighter and I smiled at the notion that she wanted to be closer to me.
"Okay, come on." We walked through the door and were instantly bombarded with welcomes and laughter. It was very nice to be able to spend time with everyone on our last night here, even though I wouldn't have exactly minded some more alone time with Bella.
We all sat a table in the corner, laughing and talking. There was talk of Pearl Harbor and what our lives would be like there. Some of the boys asked some questions about Bella being a journalist and she humoured them with light conversation. We kept catching each others eye in the midst of all the excitement, and it felt like we could tune everyone out and it was just us... Even if it was only for a moment at a time; I couldn't wait to be alone with her again. After a few drinks, I excused myself to use the men's room.
"I'll be right back." I told her as I stood up, heading towards the restroom, but not before bending down to kiss her cheek gently. She blushed slightly and smiled up at me as she nodded, taking a sip of her drink.
Once inside the bathroom, noises were muffled and I started to think back over our night. I was hoping I could kiss her again when I walked her home. I was pulled out of my daydream by the loud outburst coming from the lounge. I heard the unmistakeable sound of busting glass and then the explosion of screams, angry yells and an uproar of chaos. I ran from the bathroom and scanned the room. People were running in every direction, there were small fights broken out in all corners of the lounge. Tables were flipped over, punches were being thrown and I noticed the employees were looking for a phone, to call in the MP's, I'm sure. I knew I had only minutes before they would show up and break this up, but my mind was preoccupied as I scanned the crowd for Bella. I pushed my way through, looking frantically for her when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I spun around and came face to face with Emmett.
"We gotta get outta here, MP's will get here and throw us all in the brig... come on." He started to pull me away from the brawling, but I refused to be dragged out until I found her.
"No! Get off me, I have to find her." He let go as I pushed him away from me and then he ran for the exit.
Just as the MP's pulled up, I saw someone lying on the floor, cowering in the back corner. The first thing I noticed was her silky hair. The second thing I noticed was that she wasn't moving. I ran as fast as I could, pushing everyone out of my way.
Please, no.
"Bella!"
Thank You so much to our Beta, MzBionic !
She cleaned this up and made us look good ;) You did us proud, BB ;)
{ everyone be sure to go see MZB and wish her a Happy Birthday ! }
So …. Thoughts… Questions… Comments ?
* Review Please *
See You Next Week
Love, Nicci & Callie
xx
p.s. If you're into slash… check out "If On A Winter's Night" by Touchstone67…
and if you're not into slash … you should be! Haha …
just do it,
It's amazingly epic ;)
