A/N: I'm amazed at the response this story has been getting, so I've decided to treat you all to a super-duper chapter. It's the longest one so far and probably the most interesting one of them all. Keep it up, yo!
Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just like messing with our two favorite characters.
BPOV
I woke with a start, sitting up quickly. My head throbbed from the lightheadedness and I blinked rapidly. I recognized the room and my stomach twisted in knots. Oh shit, not again. I glanced down at myself, my worries lessening as I noticed I was still wearing the shirt from last night. This is a good sign. I bit my lip and lifted the comforter. Underwear in place. Maybe we didn't do anything. The bathroom door swung open and Edward stood in the doorway, a towel wrapped around his waist. His eyes opened in surprise, a grin already on his face.
"You've decided to join the land of the living now, have you? You scared the living shit out of me last night," I zeroed in on the ugly looking bruise that made his right eye swell shut, and his puffy bottom lip that was obviously split.
"What the hell happened to you?" He laughed and headed towards his closest.
"You have a problem remembering things, don't you? Think really hard while I change and if you don't get it by the time I'm done, I'll fill you in." The door slid shut and I leaned back against the pillows. It didn't take long and the memory of the fight filled my mind. And then blackness. I must've fainted and he brought me back here…why didn't he bring me home? Jesus! We did do something!
"No, we didn't do anything so don't get your undies in a bunch." He said loudly from behind the door. It was like he could read my thoughts.
"Although I'd love to be the reason your undies are bunched and on my floor, you should probably hop in the shower. First day of work, you know." He turned off the light in the closest and finished straightening his tie. He was wearing a crisp white shirt under a plain black suit, his tie being the only source of color; a bright shocking blue.
"I don't have any clothes," I mumbled, pulling the comforter up to my neck. Edward walked towards me, tugging the blanket down. I blushed furiously and avoided eye contact.
"I took the liberty of calling Alice and she's dropped off some clothes for you. I'll be in the kitchen when you're done." He reached out, briefly stroked my cheek with his fingertips and left the room quickly. I scrambled out of bed and into the bathroom, making sure that the water was slightly cooler than usual.
EPOV
It was like my world ended when I picked Bella's limp form up off the ground. Emmett and Jasper stopped fighting and hurried over. Alice and Rosalie knelt in front of me.
"You should bring her home." Emmett said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I glanced at Alice and Rosalie.
"Go ahead. You can explain what happened better than we can. And besides, you can bring her to work afterwards." Rosalie murmured, her eyes on Bella. They followed me back to my apartment, the girls undressing her while we cleaned ourselves up. I placed an ice pack on my eye, hissing loudly, then cursing as my healing lip split open again. Emmett plopped down next to me, a cold beer in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other.
"Well yes, go ahead and eat all my food and drink all my beer. Not like I care or anything,"
"Little bro, you need to loosen up. I thought beating the shit out of that guy tonight would've done it, but I guess not." He slung a companionable arm across my shoulders, reaching for the TV remote.
"Don't you people have homes? And jobs? Speaking of jobs, I'm not going to be going to court looking like this. That was a dumb-ass idea." I mumbled, shifting the ice on my eye.
"It was. Not gonna lie," Jasper said as he perched on the arm of the chair next to me. Alice and Rosalie emerged from my bedroom, looking slightly flustered.
"She's out like a light. Call me tomorrow when she wakes up and I'll bring over some clothes for her. Come on Jas, you can take me home. Or not," She hinted suggestively and Jasper was at her side in an instant.
"Anything for you, pixie." Alice laughed and hopped on his back, both of them leaving without another word.
Rosalie sauntered over in front of Emmett and batted her lashes. She bent over, giving him an ample look of her cleavage.
"Hey big boy, you gonna take little ol' me home?" He nodded eagerly, leaving his beer and half-eaten pizza on my coffee table.
"Close the damn door behind you, you ass!" I yelled as my brother hurried from my apartment. The ice had melted and began leaking from the bag. I brought it to the kitchen and left it in the sink. I turned off the lights and walked into my bedroom. Bella was tucked in tightly, her head sticking out from the blankets. I undressed quickly and slid in next to her. I put my arm around her waist and moved in close to her, molding my body to her curves. Damn it, the one time I'm pulling out all the stops is when she's out cold. I inhaled her scent and slowly began to relax. It's going to be hell working with her…I thought as sleep took me over.
I woke before my alarm went off, not wanting to disturb Bella. Who, surprisingly, talked in her sleep. It startled me at first, but then fascinated me. She talked about me a lot, which secretly pleased me. She mumbled about being punched and then the word 'hot' was repeated. Frequently. It took every fiber of my being to pull myself out of bed, away from Bella, to get ready for work. My heart swelled when I walked out of the bathroom and saw that she was awake. She's adorable with sleepy eyes.
"You've decided to join the land of the living now, have you? You scared the living shit out of me last night," I noticed her eyes scanning my face and I felt a grim satisfaction that I had gotten these protecting her and her honor. Her honor? What the fuck? Are we back in the Middle Ages? She's messing with my head!
"What the hell happened to you?" I laughed, and decided to change, although the idea of dropping my towel came to mind a few times.
"You have a problem remembering things, don't you? Think really hard while I change and if you don't get it by the time I'm done, I'll fill you in." It seemed as though every time we got together, she forgot what happened. It better not happen when I make love to her again! I'll pump her full of caffeine before she's passes out! In fact, I'll make her pass out just because of me! Fuck yea! I screamed in my mind. I sorted through my suits, knowing full well that I didn't have to dress up today or for the next couple of weeks because of my face. But to impress Bella, I pulled out my best suit. Impress? Jesus, Emmett is going rip me to shreds when he finds out how big of a softie I've become.
"No, we didn't do anything, so don't get your undies in a bunch." I was fairly sure that she was having a panic attack trying to remember what happened last night, and being the big ol' softie I am, decided to calm her fears.
"Although I'd love to be the reason your undies are bunched and on my floor, you should probably hop in the shower. First day of work, you know." I finished tying my tie as I left the closet, thinking of what Bella's underwear would look like on my floor. When things in my mind got more than a little graphic, I pushed them back in a corner and began thinking of my plan for the day. Her brow furrowed and she covered herself with the comforter. I groaned internally.
"I don't have any clothes," She mumbled, blushing a bright red. Wanting one last look at her before I left the room, I tugged the blanket down, grinning at her.
"I took the liberty of calling Alice and she's dropped some clothes off for you. I'll be in the kitchen when you're done." I reached out and stroked her cheek, the sensation made my fingers tingle slightly. Her breathing hitched and I left the room, smiling the entire way to the kitchen.
BPOV
Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should've asked for my clothes before taking the damn shower! I stood in Edward's bedroom, a puddle of water forming on his floor from my dripping body. I wrapped the towel securely around my chest and took a deep breath. I shuffled into the hall and easily found my way back to the kitchen. Edward stood by the sink, his back to me. I cleared my throat and he spun around, a grin already on his face.
"I wouldn't mind if you wore that to the office," He said with laughter in his voice. I frowned and let out an irritated sigh.
"I wouldn't doubt that. But where are my clothes Alice brought over?"
"Oh. Right. Clothes. Guest bedroom, left side of the hall. I have coffee waiting for you, so hurry up." He swatted my butt playfully, I let out a surprised yelp. I dressed quickly, glad for once of Alice's style. She packed a pin-striped black pencil skirt and a royal blue V-neck silk blouse and a simple silver chain with a pearl pendant. There was a box with a pair of satin ivory pumps that were surprisingly comfortable. She is going to get an amazing Christmas gift because of this. I piled my hair on top of my head and searched the bag for the make-up I knew was stashed in there. There was a tube of lip gloss and eye shadow, which took me a few seconds to apply. I went back to the kitchen and took the full coffee cup on the counter. I closed my eyes, silently thrilled that he knew how I liked it.
"Splash of cream, two sugars, right?" He said, behind me. I swallowed thickly and nodded.
"On the nose. Thanks for letting me stay here." I added quietly in my coffee cup. He leaned against the counter next to me, his warm body inches from mine.
"No problem. It's not often I get the same beautiful girl to share my bed in less than a week. By the way, I love that color on you." I blushed, taking another sip, avoiding his compliment.
"What are your plans for me today?" We were both silent as the double-meaning of my words sunk in.
"I mean, what do you want to do to me today? Wait, no-damnit! You get what I'm trying to say," I grumbled. Edward bit back a smile and dug around in his fridge.
"Probably not much. Introduce you to everyone, get you settled in. The basics. I can fill you in on some of the cases you'll be working on, maybe by the end of the day you'll be able to start on one or two of them." He took out a carton of eggs, the sight of food made my stomach growl.
"Hungry?" He asked with a smug smile.
The man can make mean scrambled eggs, I thought as he drove us to work after breakfast. I didn't realize that he lived so close to the office, which was convenient if I ever decided to spend the night at his house again. I shocked myself with the way my thoughts had been turning. I actually wanted to spend time with him now. I craved his touch and the sound of my name escaping his lips. The idea of it sent shivers down my spine. He pulled into the parking lot and opened my door.
"Ready, partner?" I nodded weakly and slid out of the Volvo. He took my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. I gasped when I saw two workers in front of the building.
"What's going on here?"
"I decided to change the name. Instead having your name under mine by our office door, why not just go ahead and change the whole thing? Welcome to Masen, Cullen and Swan, attorneys at law." Tears spilled down my cheeks and I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. I buried my face in his shoulder, staining his jacket with tears.
"You have no idea what this means to me," I whispered into the fabric. His arms came around me, holding me close.
"Bella," He sighed, kissing the top of my head. I lifted mine off his shoulder and kissed him gently. He was startled, but then his hands began moving in comforting circles on my back. Someone clearing their throat behind us made us stop.
"Bow chicka wow wow," James sang as he walked up the steps to the front doors.
"Damn it, James! Every god damn time!" Edward growled, still holding me. James turned around, his eyes growing wide.
"What the fuck happened to you, pretty boy?"
"I got into a fight last night. Bug off, ass-face." James grinned at his boss and opened the door. I laughed, framing Edward's frowning face between my hands.
"This is the best gift anyone has given me, thank you. By the way, do we have a lock on our office door?" Confused, Edward shook his head.
"Yea, why?" I stood on the tips of my toes and leaned forward, my lips brushing his ear.
"Because we're going to need it for the plans I have for you today." I felt him tremble and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. I pulled back and grabbed his hand, dragging him through the front door.
CLIFFY! MUWAHAHAHA! NEW CHAPTER UP SOON! PROMISE! If I can get over one hundred reviews by the end of the week, I'll make sure to make the next few chapters (that's right, I said CHAPTERS) super smutty for y'all, 'cause I know how y'all like that kind of stuff. Now you have the incentive, get to it!