Glossary of Terms:
Stucky - Steve (Captain America) + Bucky (The Winter Soldier)
Shipping - When you want two characters together. So you guys ship Edward and Bella. ;) I, and most of my lovely prereaders, ship Steve and Bucky.
Pwn3d - Gamerspeak for OWNED. Which means, we kicked your ass.
TARDIS - the blue police box from Doctor Who
N00b - Gamerspeak for newbie-usually an insult because you suck at gaming. Hehe.
Cyanide and Happiness - Awesome webcomic.
Bella didn't have to get up so early on Saturday. She opened her eyes, blinking in the soft light coming through the gauzy curtain in her hotel room.
When consciousness caught up with her, she gasped and closed her eyes again. She turned her head and warily opened one eye.
"Damn. It was a dream," she mumbled, looking at the empty space beside her. She ran a hand over her lips.
And sat straight up in bed. Her eyes darted to her Star Wars dress, discarded carelessly on the floor. She looked to the curtain where the other two hung.
It had happened. Some of it, anyway. She'd dreamed the part where she threw caution to the wind and pulled him with her into the hotel elevator. She'd dreamed the part where he pressed her against the wall of the elevator, kissed her senseless, then pulled her down the hall toward her room, stopping frequently to attack her mouth with his.
How had he known where her room was? How had they gotten in? Her memory jumped from the hallway to be on her back in bed, legs in the air as he thrust, thrust, thrust.
Bella groaned and rolled over, muffling the sound against her pillow. Yeah, okay. That was all fantasy. Glorious fantasy. Her baby-making parts were aching with need. She could have had him; she knew that. And honestly, he could have had her. If either one of them had pushed, the other would have followed eagerly.
Neither had though, respecting the third date because of some asinine comment. Or was it because this felt important?
"Don't start that. It's just one damn date, Swan." Bella shook her head. She was bad at the whole dating thing, but she was pretty sure she should put off clingy until at least date two.
Right, so, none of the grasping, groping stuff had happened. That didn't make what had happened any less spectacular.
They'd walked back to the hotel from where they'd eaten, just a few blocks away. It was that slow walk—their fingers entwined, strolling as they looked mostly into each other's eyes, talking, smiling.
Even at a snail's pace, it had taken way too little time to get to the hotel. Before she knew it, they were inside, standing in front of the elevator. The words were poised on Bella's lip. "Come up." And she wanted desperately to say it.
He'd sighed and stepped closer to her, taking her face between his hands. His thumbs caressed her cheeks. His eyes were conflicted. He wanted to say it too; she knew that without a doubt.
Instead, he'd kissed her. A slow, serious kind of kiss, the heat of it building. His fingertips skimmed down her shoulders, and he took her hands in his.
"Tomorrow?" he'd asked, the word rumbled against her lips.
"Yes," she said. The fact she didn't know what the hell she was agreeing to was a moot point. Anything. He could have anything.
She felt his grin against her mouth. He kissed her once more, sweetly, and stepped back. He kept her hand clasped in his until the last possible moment, smiling at her before he let her go. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, and it was all she could do to keep herself from melting into a puddle of pliant womanhood right there on the hotel floor.
"Ugh," Bella said in real time, flopping onto her back again. Her cheeks were flushed. She bit her lip to keep back the stupid-ass grin, but it didn't work. She put her hands over her eyes.
This was ridiculous. She'd known the guy for a few hours, for fuck's sake.
Bella sat up straight and dragged her laptop over, determined to stop obsessing over Officer Panty Dropping Smile. She had to remember she was here to work. She'd promised her viewers a proper video. That was what they expected from her.
Ten minutes later, she shut the laptop again, thoroughly thwarted in her forget-Edward plan. There were a lot of comments on the emergency video she'd made. There were messages pouring in from every avenue of social media.
Her traitorous viewers didn't want to know about the con. The increase in messages wasn't about who she'd brushed elbows with; they were all about her mysterious date. They wanted the deets. They wanted to know if she was waking up now, already pregnant with his super sperm. Most of them had seen her pictures of the Last Bookstore. Books were an aphrodisiac, they claimed.
"That explains a lot," Bella muttered to herself. She couldn't be held responsible for the fact her clothes threatened to fall off when someone took her to an amazing bookstore and bought her books on top of that.
Whatever. She would be more in control of herself tonight.
Tonight! Bella squeaked and flopped over onto the bed again. She grabbed her pillow and screamed into it gleefully.
What the fuck was wrong with her? She was giddy. She hadn't been this giddy even when she was a schoolgirl, so what kind of fresh fuckery was this?
The man was making her silly, but oh well. She could handle it as long as she was the only one who had to see it.
Bella got up, showered, and made herself presentable. She put on her glasses and sat cross legged on her now-made hotel bed. She dragged her laptop onto her lap and started the video.
"Heya, pervs. As you can see, I did make it back from my date in one piece. Thanks for asking. Not that it's any of your business, but since you asked, no, he isn't still here. He was a perfect gentleman, and we had a great time."
She sighed, running a hand through her hair, fighting the smile that threatened to make her look as gone as she was for this guy. "Okay, he does have one fatal flaw that I know of. He's one of those people with a disdain for social media, which is why you didn't get any pictures with him in them. And no, he doesn't know what I do for a living yet. We didn't get around to talking about that." She furrowed her brow. "Which is weird. Isn't that the first thing you ask? I mean, I forgot to ask because I know what he does. Hmm."
Bella waved a hand. "You guys ever see that movie, 17 Again? Do not make fun of me for knowing a Zac Efron movie. You know you all like them. I still haven't seen High School Musical.
"Anyway. 17 Again. His adult best friend tries to hit on the teacher, and he's so, so, so bad at it. Just breaks every rule in the book, but ends up pulling it off because they were united in nerdiness? Kind of me. I didn't get that Guide to Dating either. But it worked. End of story for now. I'll work on this fatal flaw of his. Don't worry. I'll coax him over to the dark side. We have cookies.
"But I didn't travel to the City of Angels to get a date, surprisingly enough. I'm here to work. So those of you at the con, yes, I'll be on the floor today. I have a signing at three-thirty, and I'm on the Badass Babes of the Internet panel. Thanks for the votes there. I'll see you on the floor."
~0~
"How does someone get a job like yours?"
Bella snorted. She was sitting behind a table, her head bent as she doodled on a page inside her book. The book bore the same name as her Vlog—My So Called Nerdy Life—and was full of a random mish-mash of things that appealed to her. Doodling was one of her signature traits, which was why she had left doodle spaces every handful of pages of her book. And, of course, it was what her fans wanted when they went to a signing—her signature and a bonafide Bella doodle.
"You know, I get this question so often, and I still don't know how to answer it." She handed the book back to the guy, open to her doodle of a downright creepy pair of eyes staring out. She grinned when she saw him shudder. "The short answer is, you gotta have an audience, but you should ask yourself what you're doing here. It's a mystery to me. Is it because I'm out of the closet as being a Trekkie who only likes the new Trek?"
A couple of people booed while others cheered. "Hey, everyone's thinking it; I'm just saying it. Is it because of my extensive collection of extraordinarily nerdy backpacks that I use as purses?" She lifted up the TARDIS backpack from its place at her feet. "You guys tell me why you buy my crap and wait in obnoxious lines." She balked. "Whoa. That's heavy when you think about it."
"I want a doodle!" Someone in the crowd shouted.
Bella grinned. "Yeah, but did you know the guys who do Cyanide and Happiness are just three booths that way?" She pointed down the aisle. "They'll sign your book and do a custom doodle for you right there. But their doodles are like a mini comic, not some random bullshit. They'll probably figure out a way to work a penis into the drawing, like you do. Why aren't you all at their table, huh?"
"You're funnier than them," someone else said.
Bella laughed and blushed, pleased. "Let's just agree that I'm lucky you have really bad taste." She reached out for the next book. "Got a request, sweetheart?"
The girl—she had to be about thirteen if that—flushed happily. "Anything you want," she said.
Shy little cutie. Bella smiled and flipped the book open to her favorite spot. Going off the girl's bag—shaped like a mushroom from Mario Brothers—she started to doodle various Mario Bro's images.
"So are you going out with that guy again?" The girl asked, not too shy afterall. "Is that why you pulled out of the Bloggers Ball?"
Caught by surprise, Bella's hand skipped, sending an jagged line through her doodle. She cleared her throat and looked up at the girl. "Ah, I'm not much of a dancer anyway," she said easily, trying to brush it off.
The girl wouldn't be deterred. "But is it because of the guy? Because it was on your schedule up until this morning, and that's the only thing that's changed."
Bella huffed. Most of the time, she liked her life. She wasn't really famous, so it was a novelty to let people connect with her life the way she did. Cons were the closest she got to being legit famous, and she played that up too. She always released a tentative schedule letting people know where she was going to be at any given time during the con.
Yeah, the Blogger's Ball had been on her schedule for weeks now. She'd been convinced to go in the first place by a fellow blogger. And yes, she had removed it that morning. "Yeah, it's because of the guy." Her phone buzzed, and she dug it out, glad of the potential distraction. Her eyes went wide. "Well, speak of the devil."
"Oooh, is it a sext?" Someone called out.
"Hey. I met him yesterday."
"So...is it a sext?"
Bella shook her head. Looking at Edward's message, she laughed. "You guys have seen that picture from Disneyland of Anakin with a tiny baby Padme, right? Cutest thing on the whole planet?"
Most of them knew what she was talking about. "That's what he sent me. He's late to the party, but what can you expect from someone who doesn't do social media? Poor guy."
~0~
For her date that night, Bella wore her Winter Soldier inspired dress. It was subtle. She would see just how far his nerdom went.
He was waiting in the lobby this time, and when he saw her, his eyes flicked down over her body. His eyes lit up, and he grinned at her, reaching out to take her hand.
"So. Team Cap, are you?" He asked, pulling her closer to him.
"All the way, man. No other team to be."
He tisked. "I can't respect a guy who sacrifices everything because of his boyfriend. I mean, best friend. Team Iron Man all the way."
"Welp, that about does it. Sorry. Date over." Bella turned on her heel and started to walk away.
He grabbed her hand and spun her back.. She splayed her hands over his chest, mock-pushing him away. "Oh, no, bucko. You lost your chance. Join Team Iron Man. That's bad enough. But never, ever, bash Stucky."
"I didn't bash Stucky. I ship Bucky and pre-serum Steve." He sighed dramatically. "It was all so simple back then."
Bella giggled and bit her lip to stop the giddy sound. She looked up at him. He had his arm around her now, his hand warm against the small of her back. "Nerd," she accused.
"Takes one to know one," he shot back, and he kissed her.
Jesus Christ, his kisses… Maybe he was a vampire. That would explain why his kisses were so intoxicating. It would explain why her head swam, and she had to resist the urge to pull him into the elevator with her. Fuck the date. She wanted to skip right to dessert.
Breathless, she stepped back and let her hands drop from his chest to her side. As they started toward the door, she tried to jump start her brain again. "So you gave up parking in the driveway, huh?"
"The security guard threatened to call the cops again. I keep telling him I am a cop, but he doesn't believe me."
"You know. It's convention season. He hears all sorts of weird stories."
He hummed. He kept glancing over at her. Not at her eyes, but at her body. "You're staring," she said, teasing him.
"I was trying to decide what was more adorable. The dress or the R2-D2 shoes."
"That's easy. The shoes win hands down."
"If you do say so yourself."
"And I do." She grinned at him. "But this is the second time you've called me adorable. Isn't that like calling a guy cute? Like you'd rather be handsome or hot."
Edward opened the passenger door of his car for her and leaned on it as she got in. "You don't think I'm cute?" he asked, batting his lashes prettily.
Despite the fact her heart skipped a beat, Bella reached out and pinched his cheek. "You're adorable."
He laughed and shut the car door. "So if not adorable, then what would you prefer?"
She crossed her legs and bounced the one on top, gratified when he looked and licked his lips. "I could go for sexy."
"Couldn't we all," he mumbled. Then, much clearer, he said, "I mean, you have to admit dressing up like the Winter Soldier is adorable. Ditto a dress with an AT-AT pet."
"That's true. But what would you rather? You want me to wander around in that ineffective bullshit that passes for female armor?"
"Hey, I didn't say it. I think Captain Phasma was just as bad ass in her full stormtrooper get up." His lip twitched. "You know, until she was taken down without a bad ass fight scene."
"She was robbed," Bella said, nodding gravely.
Edward cocked his head. "Do you like Mexican food by the way?"
"Of course."
"Good. I'm taking you to Olvera Street."
Olvera Street turned out to be an old time Mexican marketplace lined with restaurants, shops, and small stands. The birthplace of Los Angeles, a plaque proclaimed, outlining the avenue's history. Bella craned her head, trying to take in everything the vendors had to offer as Edward led her to a restaurant in the middle—La Golondrina Cafe.
"Ah, welcome back, officer," a man who could only be the manager said, emerging as Edward and Bella were lead to their table. "Here with family again?"
"Uh." It was gratifying to see Edward blush. His eyes darted to her and back to the manager. "No, not family."
The man's eyes went comically wide. "A date?"
Bella covered her mouth to hide her laughter. Though it was interesting to know that while it was clear Edward knew this man, the fact he'd brought a date here was new.
The manager recovered. "Of course. Such a beautiful señorita." He pulled Bella's seat out for her. "May I offer you a glass of sangria?"
"That sounds great," Bella said, charmed.
After they ordered, Edward told Bella a story about his older brother whom he claimed could have been a stunt double for the Hulk—"Not Ruffalo. The Hulk."—had popped the decorative pepper this place put on the rice into his mouth and eaten it whole.
"Problem is, that decorative pepper is a habanero pepper," Edward said.
Bella gasped. "Oh no, and he ate it whole?"
Laughing, Edward nodded. "Oh, man. I've never seen him run for the bathroom that fast. It was a world of hurt."
Bella nodded. "Hey, so, was this the place you were going to take me last night?"
"No, actually. I just like eating here."
"I can tell," Bella said, nodding in the direction of the manager.
Edward flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I'm a regular. When I was a beat cop, I was down here a lot."
But never with a date, apparently, Bella thought but didn't say. She sipped her sangria.
It seemed like he was watching her lips as he drank. "Yeah, you answered a question I had." He gestured to her sangria. "Whether or not you drink."
"Everyone drinks," Bella said, putting on her most innocent expression. "We need liquid to survive."
"Hah. Smart ass. I meant alcohol."
"Oh, yes. I do drink that." She quirked an eyebrow at him. "You want to get me drunk? Is that what you're saying?"
He sat back, shaking his head at her. "Putting words in my mouth, are you?" He tisked. "No, I want to go to a bar not for the alcohol, though there's plenty of alcohol there."
"A bar with alcohol? Shocking? What do you go to bars for if not alcohol?"
His eyes sparked. "You'll see. I told you, Bella, you're not taking over this date. This one is mine."
~0~
Bella couldn't hold back her delight when they walked into the bar about an hour later. "It's an arcade!"
The bar—for there was a bar stretched along one wall—hosted a wide range of classic arcade games instead of booths and a dance floor. Bella looked around, spotting some of her favorites. She let Edward take her by the hand as she was too busy ogling to watch where she was going.
"Do you want a drink?" Edward asked.
Bella's head snapped forward. Her brain hadn't quite moved on from the lure of video games yet. "Uh, sure."
He put a menu in her hand. It took Bella second, but then she realized what she was looking at. She laughed.
All the drinks had clever, nerdy names—things like pwn3d, Gallagher, Princess Peach, Kill Screen, n00b, and Wizard Mode.
"I mean, I feel like I have to order a drink called pwn3d just to prove it wrong, but how do you not order a Wizard Mode?" Bella said.
Edward wrinkled his nose. "You realize that a Wizard Mode is rye whiskey, cold brew coffee, and vanilla black tea and think about how disgusting that would taste."
"Ew. That does sound gross." She looked to the bartender. "I'll take a pwn3d."
"And I'll do a Wizard Mode," Edward said.
"Hey, I thought you said that sounded disgusting."
"Yeah, but how do you not order a Wizard Mode?" He winked at her.
She tilted her head up so she could whisper low in his ear. "You expect me to kiss you when you taste like that?"
Edward looked back to the bartender. "Scratch that. I'll take a Princess Peach."
When he heard she'd never played it, Edward showed her how to play Burger Time. They went from there to Street Fighter where Bella put in an admirable effort but lost. They ended the night at Iron Man pinball where Edward lost six balls before Bella took over and got the third highest score.
"And that is how you make Team Iron Man your bitch," Bella announced.
Chuckling, Edward slung his arm around her waist and pulled her in. He cupped her face. "Okay, Buck. I'm with you to the end of the line."
Bella shivered. She did love it when he talked nerdy to her. She pushed up onto her toes to kiss him. He'd stopped drinking a while back, but she could still taste the remnants of peach on his tongue. Delicious.
Again, he walked her to her elevator. She regretted drinking as much as she had. She thought she would have invited him up if her head was clear. Although, when was it ever clear when she was around him.
"Bella?" Edward said, his hand at her waist as she turned to face him.
"Hmm?"
He ducked his head and pressed a kiss to the shell of her ear. "Your dress is adorable." He kissed just below her ear. "Your shoes are adorable." He kissed her cheek. "That thing in your hair is adorable."
He pulled back so their noses brushed. His eyes—dark and dangerous with lust—made her suck in a breath. "You?" He said. He leaned in, his lips brushing hers. "You're sexy as hell."
He kissed her. A deep kiss, way too thorough for where they were standing, but Bella didn't care.
When the kiss broke, they were both breathless. "Goodnight," he said, his palm still pressed to her cheek.
"Goodnight," she echoed, head spinning and heart racing.
She stumbled backward into the elevator, unable to breathe until the doors closed, and she couldn't see him anymore.
Oh, god, she was so drunk. Not on booze. Oh, no. The booze could never have gotten to her like this. She was drunk on him. Totally inebriated. Her body didn't work right. She was definitely not in her right mind.
She floated back to her room in a happy daze.
A/N: There was much flailing in my doc this time around hahaha.
I'll post some visuals from this chapter in my group on Facebook a little later in case you're curious. Shout out to the gals in my group who gave me ideas for Bella doodles. I'm sure I'll be using more soon!