Rising Sun
Chapter 2 – Flowers
They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
Within a dream.
- Ernest Dowson
The bells welcomed me into the shop on the town square. The building was an old Queen Ann style, with the shop down stairs and the residents living up stairs. Forks didn't have much to choose from in the way of stores, but for some strange reason, it did have a florist; a very nice surprise in this sleepy town.
It was the reason almost everything we bought had to be shipped in. This town didn't have decent retail to choose from.
The biggest news was when the Wal-Mart finally opened on the outskirts of town. Emmett was in his glory. He found it fascinating that you can buy tires, condoms, guns and beer all at the same place.
"This is what heaven is, man," he said as he dragged me down one of the isles.
I hated the place. It was too busy and overwhelming to me. It had way to much stuff.
"Why do you even need condoms," I asked one of the times that he dragged me there.
"Oh there are a lot of things you can do with them; Carlisle and Esme are going out of town this week, right."
"What ever you are planning, leave me out. I came here to look at flowers." I could see the plan forming in his mind and I debated wither or not I should warn Esme.
Emmett did go through with his plans and poor Carlisle and Esme came back to the house decorated in blown up condoms.
"Well, at least we know they are practicing safe sex, dear," Carlisle said as Esme stood there dumb founded over her lovely room decorated with blow up condoms of every shape and color.
"That's not the best part," Emmett screamed and turned off the lights "They glow in the dark."
I am just glad that Emmett didn't know until later that Bella's mother had shipped her some condoms, afraid that with our ranging teenage hormons that we weren't being safe.
I left Emmett alone in the condom isle and headed towards the floral department, to see if their was any small chance that there was a decent floriest on hand. Surprise - there wasn't.
Wal-Mart couldn't do what I wanted. They shipped their flowers already preassemble. "Most guys buy their girl friends a dozen roses and call it a day." I would never give Bella a rose, rose mean false love.
Romance was dead – it had died about the same time I had. I remember some of my friends starting to court back when I was human. The planning for introductions, the anticipating in being allowed to court the girl of choice, the hidden messages and flowers, notes and presents. Now of days, we just get them drunk.
"Do you ever miss the way things were," I asked Emmett as we stood in the line waiting for the guy behind the counter to finish ringing up a cart full of condoms and some new air fresheners.
"Miss what," he asked, not paying attention to the young man who was having a heart attack. I don't understand what the big deal was…we went to school with him. He saw us day in and day out. I guess after being around Bella, you kind of forget how normal humans are supposed to act.
"Courting," I said. "The whole process, it seems everything is rushed now of days."
"Not really, I hated the meeting of the father. You know I was seeing this girl back when I was human. Her father would be cleaning his guns when I came a calling."
"You're kidding," I said.
"Yep, until the one day I got smart and brought my guns in and told him straight out while I was waiting for his daughter to get pretty up, I might as well do something productive."
I had to laugh, I though Emmett stories couldn't get more outrages and he would tell you another one. Bella had asked me more than once if he was pulling her legs. I said, "Nope Emmett doesn't do that sort of thing, he's honest."
"But you know what I miss; I miss the way people used to talk to each other. When we court we would sit all night on the porch talking, about different things, you really got to know the girl. Now of days it is rushed and get married. No wonder why human were always getting divorce.
"That will be $350.25, sir," the cashier squeaked.
Like I said I really didn't want to know.
"Good evening Mr. Cullen," said Gus, the owner of Gus's Flowers. Gus had been a very famous florist in his youth, but had retired to this town to fish. He ran the flower shop out of his house; his back yard was his greenhouse. Gus had told me on my very first visit that he missed the flowers too much and his daughter suggested doing it part time.
Gus had been amazed when I showed up with the list. As he read down my list of flowers I wanted in this bouquet and asked if I understood what these flowers meant.
"I believe tulips mean true love, blue violets represent faithfulness," I said trying not to give away to much information. I had grown up during a time when romance and court was important. My father had explained to me once that it isn't about the given of the flowers that meant so much but the thought. "You want to choose the flowers that best represent your feelings. Take the Freesia that I give to your mom, they represent friendship…she is my best friend, Edward and her friendship means a lot to me."
"How are you this evening, Gus," I asked walking towards the back of the shop were his work bench was. Alice had order all the flower from here, but it was my special order that I was interested in.
"Well what do you think," he said. I walked around the amorous arrangement amazed in how he made the color and texture flow into a piece of art.
"You are truly a master," I said.
"There are not many commissions I would say this, son, but yours has truly been a pleasure."
I handed him the note that was going to accomplish it. Tomorrow was my wedding day and the first thing I wanted Bella to see when she woke up was this arrangement of flowers.
"I have a couple of things to finish up and than my son-in-law will be delivering it. I will see you later tomorrow and sir congratulations,"
Gus' son-in-law was one of Charlie officers so the whole family had been invited to the wedding.
That was done; I made my way across town towards Bella's house. Hopefully I could bow out of tonight's festivity that Jasper and Emmett have been calling 'Edwards Final Blow Out Before the Blow Out.' Jasper refuses to think about it when I am around and he wouldn't tell Em so I have no idea what he was planning. But something tells me they will soon or later find me.
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"I miss you already,"
"I don't need to leave, I can stay," I whispered. I leaned down is brush my lips across her jaw and in the silent of the night I could hear her heart beat. I was really going to miss that sound.
"Mmm," she said gliding her lips back to mine.
For the last month we had pushed and pulled at the boundaries that use to separate us. Mostly to prepare me for the honeymoon, but also because we were at that point in our relationship where we were ready and wanted for more. That chaste kisses that have standard most of our relationship had not become enough. If we had been normal teenagers the next step would have been sex, something I am both looking forward to and scared about. But we weren't normal teenagers. I was a vampire and she was a human and that could never be ignored. But in the silence of the evening we could forget all about that. I moved my hand under her (my) shirt, surprised and happy to see that she wasn't wearing a bra. Another one of those boundaries we crossed during the summer. She gasped and arched herself up toward me.
I covered her lips as she allowed a long moan to escape. The last thing I need was Charlie to come in here to see me on top of daughter with my hands inside her (my) shirt.
She had taken to wearing my shirts during the nights I would be hunting. She said it made her feel I was their wrapping my arms around her. I thought she looked sexy in nothing but a pair of my underwear and my shirts; which is how she greeted me tonight.
I moved my thumb in a circle around her breast. Touching her always sent currents of electricity through my body. Touching her like was just like a lightening bolt, more intense and exciting. I could feel my breath coming in rasp and I had to stop myself. A very strange thing happen when I started to breath like this, she would stop. She had passed out on me a couple of times. Not for long, but enough to make me aware of what I was doing. I moved other hand under her shirt giving the other breast the full attention it needed. I could stay here all night lost in her body. She groaned again wrapping her hands around my back, scrapping her fingers up and down them.
I pulled the shirt up, kiss the underside of her breast and her stomach. Even with the blanket, wrapped around her lower half, we still had this moment of intimacy together.
She giggled a little as I covered my head with her shirt. I skim my face against her belly, feeling the goose bumps rising. I covered her again, not allowing her to get cold. It was still too warm for us to justify the heat, so we were reduce to a blanket.
I stopped for a moment to look down at her; her eyes were closed and her mind was silent. How did I become this luck? She was everything I had ever wanted and needed. I couldn't have design a more perfect women for me, even if I tried. She opened her eyes and looked at me, puzzled. What are you thinking love. What would I give for even a moment in that mind of hers?
She had the most beautiful soul, pure and clean. It was more beautiful than her eyes, more beautiful than body, and more beautiful than her caring nature. It was a soul that belongs to heaven, not to me. But she had given it to me, with no conditions. Me, the monster. I loved her more for it.
She pulled my face towards her again.
"Definitely staying," I mummer on her lips. Wild horses or Emmett couldn't drag me away.
"No, no. It's your bachelor party. You have to go," she whispered with very little convention. As she said it she locked her hands into my hair and pulled me closer to her as if that could hold me here. And it could.
I stroke her face, memorizing it. For this would be the last time I would be kissing Bella Swan. Tomorrow kiss would be on Isabella Cullen. I liked the sound of that Bella Cullen, Mrs. Isabella Cullen, Mrs. Edward Cullen, my wife.
"Bachelor parties are designed for those who are sad to see the passing of their single days. I couldn't be more eager to have mine behind. So there's really no point." To me the real celebration was here in this room, I was saying good bye to Bella Swan and hello to Bella Cullen. It was bittersweet in some ways because it was the passing of my first love into my true love. The girl who turned into the women I was destining to spend the rest of eternity with.
"True," she breathed against my throat, not knowing how erotic that was. In vampire world that was the most vulnerable place. But I trust her completely with it. I let out a low pitch growl, something I knew she wouldn't be able to hear. But it always surprised me how her body responded to it, arch up to the call. Her smell was changing and I would soon have to pull away. This was a stronger smell more aciculate than her usual bowling me over smell. It was like the boulder was accomplished with other boulders, hitting me at the same time. I didn't know what caused it and still haven't worked myself to the courage to ask Jasper or Emmett about it.
I finally gotten pass the whole venom issue, to have another road block in our every journey to make this work.
She ran her hand down my chest and I shudder. She came up with a new rule this summer. I wasn't allow to wear a shirt when we were alone and found the most unique ways to get it off including (which wasn't one of my favorite) attacking me with a pair of scissors. Needless to say after that, I just decided to give in, and my shirt lay on the floor. The trouble is I kept forget them at her place and now was resorting to borrowing shirts.
Bella's collection now had a bunch of mine, two of Jasper, one of Emmett's and Carlisle.
"You could always ask for them back," Carlisle said as he handed me one. If Alice was so wrapped up in the planning my wedding, I wouldn't be in this fix.
"I want my Boobies Make Me Happy, shirt back, Edward. Tell you Kleptomania fiancé she is only allowed to keep yours," shouted Em from down stares.
Tell the human I owe her one, Rosalie thought, she hated that shirt.
A light shiver ran through me again and my mouth found hers. She opened her mouth and let her tongue run against my lips.
I had to pull away, between the tongue and the smell and my venom I was starting to lose control. I came from a time where sexual gratification wasn't allowed and spent the most of my existence rejecting any other type of physical gratification so this was new waters were I treaded. I didn't know the end of my control which scared me, but at the same time I knew Bella was right, we couldn't just go from 0 to 60 and hope everything worked out. I had pushed the limits a couple of time, beyond what I thought I should do, without it being disastrous. All times she passed out on me, or was holding on to her consistence barely. Tonight was one of those nights I could easily pushed the boundaries, but I shouldn't.
I wouldn't do if the bride was still dazzled at the altar. Plus dealing with Tanya was enough – Bella was going to have to have her wits with her.
I started to pull away, hating myself even more. The look of disappointment on her face was enough to make me throw caution to the wind and allow her to be worshiped. After tomorrow if she passes out on me, than that's okay.
"Wait," she said, gripping my shoulders and hugging herself to me. "Practice makes perfect," she said wrapping one leg around my waist. I could feel the electricity run.
"Well, we should be fairly close to perfection by this point, then, shouldn't we? Have you slept at all in the last month?" In the last month our physical relation had taken more headway than before. I am still amazed that Charlie hadn't busted in four nights ago. We learned something very interested that would have deftly got me shot. We found a way to get rid of the sexual tension that had been building up without compromising, sort of. I still was shaking from that experience, and Bella was glowing. Charlie had left very early on a fishing trip and we stayed here all day, trying this new thing out. But even though she did pass out more than once, I could control it.
"But this is dress rehearsal," she whispered climbing on top of me. The smell was coming at me in full force now. I had to stop. "And we've only practiced certain scenes. It's no time for playing it safe," she lean down and whispered in my ears, her shirt riding up so I can feel her breast on my chest. Shit I was starting to react. I couldn't keep the control anymore. I was losing it. Stop it now Edward before it was too late. Before you either kill her or kill her
"Bella," I whispered.
"Don't start this again. A deal is a deal." Why did I have to make that stupid deal? I had allowed her off the hook about the wedding but she is keeping us both to the contract. Wedding – Wedding night. My great wish and fear. I had spent a month planning this, how to make this as comfortable for her.
"I don't know. It's too hard to concentrate when you're with me like this. I – I can't think straight. I wouldn't be able to control myself. You'll get hurt," I said at once voicing my fears. We have been over and over this again. But I still had my doubts.
"I'll be fine." Typical Bella answer, rush head long into the danger without thinking.
"Bella,"
"Shh!" she pressed her lips and for a moment I forgot; until her tongue touched my lips reminding me why I stopped before.
"How are your feet," I asked trying to clear my head.
"Nice and toasty warm," she said showing me her feet. They were covered by socks.
"Really, No second thoughts? It's not too late to change your mind." Alice might kill her but I think I could protect her from the hyper active pixie.
"Are you trying to ditch me," she asked, not taking me too serious
"Just making sure. I don't want you to do anything your not sure about," I chuckled.
"I'm sure about you. The rest I can live through," she said. I had to admit she was putting up with a lot from Alice. If Bella had her way, it would be t-shirt, blue jeans and an Elvis impersonator at a drive through window.
"Can you." I said. "I don't mean the wedding – which I am positive you will survive despite your qualm – but afterwards…what about Renee, what about Charlie." We had discussed the plan through and through. We would do the honeymoon and than come back here for a month before heading to Alaska, to our hunting lodge. Carlisle, Bella and me. There I would take her life. The others would join us afterwards to help us. In about a year we would move to New Hampshire. Carlisle would tell Renee and Charlie that we had been killed in accident. I knew it was hard for them, but it was for their own protection. Alice was even working on the funeral, closed casket of course. Bella understood it too. She knew that the rules were set in stone and the Volturi would kill her parents and us if they knew the secret.
"I'll miss them."
At least she was being honest.
"Angela and Ben and Jessica and Mike," I said. Personally I could care less if Jessica or Mike fell off the edge of the world, but they were Bella friends. And at times the only thing that was keeping either of them alive. Angela and Ben I liked and wish all the luck. I had gotten to know Ben more when I tricked him into asking Angela out and than during the cooking classes I was taking at the local community center – I needed to learn how to take care of Bella. Ben was interested in the culinary arts. We were partners, he still was nervous around me but I came to respect him.
"I'll miss my friends, too," she said. Bella hadn't really made that many close friends outside my family. She told me that she didn't have any close friends in Phoenix either. Her and Alice had hit it off and were tight. Alice loved her like a sister and vies versa. Jasper liked Bella because of the friendship between the two, and was very protective of her.
"Especially Mike." She laughed, throwing her arm over her head in a dramatic effect. "Oh, Mike! How will I go on?" She knew that Mike wasn't one of my favorite people and most of the times she just rolled her eyes. I can't believe once upon a time I saw Mike as a rival."
I growled in a playful manner. She was still laughing at me. She stopped sudden and straightened up.
"Edward, we've been through this and through this. I know it will be hard, but this is what I want. I want you, and I want you forever. One lifetime is simply not enough for me." How much has she changed from the girl who begged me on prom night to change her to women who knew her mind? I have been glad I have been around for the change. She understood what it meant, feared it and respected the changes.
"Frozen forever at eighteen," I whispered. We would be teenagers forever, not something I was happy about.
"Every woman's dream come true," she said.
"Never changing….never moving forward."
"What does that mean?"
I didn't want to darken my wedding, but we learn in the past that we shouldn't be afraid of speaking our uncertainty. There wasn't anything out there that we couldn't face, but I sometimes wonder if one time I will say something that will make her run the other way.
I took a deep breath. "Do you remember when we told Charlie we were getting married? And he thought you were…" I hated saying this. "Pregnant".
"And he thought about shooting you," she laugh. I am glad she thought that her father shooting me was something to laugh about. Especially since the bullets would have bounced off me and we would have had a hard time explain why.
"What, Edward?"
I closed my eyes. "I just wish…well, I wish that he'd been right."
Her eyes shout up in surprised. I never expressed in interest in children before. As much as both Rosalie and Esme had thought about it, I had always believed it was something that could never be, so why think about it. But as Charlie accused me of 'knocking up' his daughter; an image had form in my mine; an image of a little girl with brown curly hair and deep brown eyes running through the forest. She had my smile and Bella's nose. I shook my head, knowing that image could never be, if it had, Carlisle would have found a way to give that to Esme.
She gasped.
"More that there was some way he could have been right. That we had that kind of potential. I hate taking that away from me."
"I know what I am doing." She had assured me that she had the "fun" of raising a human being and wasn't sure that she did a great job with Renee. Renee did what she wanted without much regards to the people around her. Bella even pointed out that she failed the egg project in health her sophomore year and killed three gold fish before giving up on the whole idea of pets. Right now she was thinking about motherhood with a teenage mind. But what happens when in the future when she realize she gave up part of womanhood. Would she hate me than for changing her?
"How could you know that, Bella" Look at my mother, look at my sister. It's not as easy a sacrifice as you imagine?" It was part of the reason why Rosalie still regarded her with little contempt. In Rose book she was given away the one thing Rose wanted desperately – to have a child. I had seen both Rose and Esme mind as they watch a mother with her child – the pain and longing had echo through it. It was something that Emmett or Carlisle could never fix.
"Esme and Rosalie get by just fine. If it's a problem later, we can do what Esme did – we'll adopt."
How could she not hate me for taking that away? She just didn't understand what she would be given up. "It's not right!" I said a little louder than I should. I hated myself that I couldn't be human. I couldn't give her children; that the image of the little girl would never be form in reality. She would always be an image. "I don't want you to have to make sacrifices for me. I want to give you things, not take things away from you. I don't want to steal your future. If I were human-"
She put her hand over my mouth, stopping my voice from continuing. How could she just brush this off like it wasn't that big of deal? She looked directly in my eyes, demanding my full attention
"You are my future. Now stop. No moping or I'm calling your brothers to come and get you. Maybe you need a bachelor party."
I know Bella enough that she would do it too and I would never live it down. But I also know when she made up her mind about something, it wasn't going to change. She had decided the first time we pledge our loves to each other, that I was her future, and nothing changed that. And her mind was made up.
"I'm sorry. I am moping ain't I? Must be the nerves." I laugh.
"Are your feet cold?" she joked.
"Not in that sense. I've been waiting a century to marry you, Miss Swan. The wedding ceremony is the one thing I can't wait –"
Oh Eddie boy, you're not bowing out of this
Oh shit! They found me. Not too much surprise there is only a couple of places I would have gone and most of them would have involved Bella.
"Oh, for the love of all that's holy!"
Say your goodbyes, so much mayhem and so little time. Jasper and Emmett had found me. They had been planning this thing for weeks, excited to finally have an excuse to have a vampire style bachelor party. After suffering through the human one I sort of owe them. Alice had warn them that I better be back in time for the ceremony.
"What wrong," Bella shout up in horror, looking at the door.
"You don't have to call my brothers. Apparently Emmett and Jasper are not going to let me bow out tonight."
Bella clutched me close for a second before releasing me. "Have fun."
Emmett had climb up onto the roof and was streaking his nails against the window. So this is where you are half the time. Any chance in getting the boobs shirt back.
I growled as I left the bed.
"Wow, Jazz, Eddie doesn't have a shirt on. So that is what has been happen," Emmett said too low for Bella to hear.
"If you don't send Edward out, we're coming in after him!" Emmett said this time so that Bella could hear it.
Starting the honeymoon a little early? We can wait. That is it.
I lean down to kiss Bella Swan for the last time. "Get to sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow."
"And a longer night," Emmett snicker, to low for Bella to hear. I growled again at him.
You need sex Edward; you're as tight as clock.
I ignored Em for a second. "That's sure to help me wind down."
"I'll meet you at the altar"
"I'll be the one in white,"
She smiled. "Very convincing," I said, springing forward out the window, knocking Em to the ground below. I had one thing over him, he couldn't read my mind.
"In a pink thong no less," Em said trying to get me off. "OH Eddie, how I wait for you take pure untouched me and my pink thong," said in the worse Bella impression that I have heard of. Thank God, he didn't say this loud enough for her to hear, or I would be down one usher.
"You'd better not make him late," Bella mummer.
"I guess she as frustrated as you are Edward," he laugh, finally wiggling his way from under me. He took off and I chased after her.
"Come back you big jerk."
****************************************Author Note***************************************************************
Just a little side note about Edward. I did a lot of research on courting riturals of the Edwardian period (that is when Edward was human). One of the things I found interesting is that during courting your intent would send you flowers. Flowers had meanings behind them. Rose actually mean false love, tulips (New Moon Cover) means true love.
