A/N: Twilight is m…ok, ok it's not (grumbling) but Homework is. Ha ha! In your face, Meyer.

Thanks to everyone who reads, rec's or reviews my little story. You have no idea how grateful I am…

I felt naked under her gaze, like she could see right through me. It seemed like she knew what I thought even before I could express it with words. Her eyes were two deep chocolate orbs and reflected her warm personality, in more ways than one. They were shining and pure, innocent and sensual, all of these qualities she possessed.

When I entered the café earlier, the owner, Heidi, welcomed me warmly and sensed my nervousness right away. After seating me at a nice blue wooden table, she brought me a steaming cup of coffee and said « Always better to wait with a drink in your hands... ». She was right, I felt a little less pathetic.

Miss Swan arrived a few minutes later and I was ready to eat my arm. Why so nervous, you wonder? Well, the reasonable argument was I had a daring idea for the project and was a bit scared to expose it to my teacher, worried that she'd find it stupid and ridiculous. Which was true, I wasn't sure what her opinion would be. However, the real reason for my anxiety was the fact that I'd soon be alone (except for Heidi) with Miss Swan, in a non-academic environment.

She introduced me to Heidi and looked embarrassed at her friend's reaction to my presence. After a few endearing moments, I sensed a change in her attitude and adopted a « must get to work » face even though my heart was still pounding in my chest. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable with me. After all, we barely knew each other and this teacher-student relationship certainly didn't make things easier.

"I've been thinking about the project, have you?" Her voice interrupted my musings. Quite nicely, though.

"Yes, I have and a few ideas came to mind, actually." I tried to keep my cool and trust me, it wasn't easy. She kept subtly licking her lower lip after drinking. My dick liked that.

"Really?" She sounded shocked. I felt a bit offended, I must say.

"Why so surprised? I have a mind of my own, you know." The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. How could I be so daring, as to practically yell at her?

She didn't seem to fare much better than me. She blushed deeply and started stuttering.

"No…Edward, that's not…I didn't want to imply…" Sighing, she stood a little straighter and looked at me in the eye, almost sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, I certainly didn't mean that you were not smart, Edward. You are. Very, from I saw and heard of you in class. It's just that I'm having a hard time with the concept of one of my students working with me as a partner. It's so strange to not be in a teaching-learning relationship for once."

I couldn't have restrained my smile, even if I wanted to. She thought I was smart and considered me as her partner. Granted, it wasn't romantic but it was a good start. I realized I had to apologize for my harshness earlier.

"I'm sorry too. I don't know why I said that, Miss Swan. I hope you still want to work with me." What if she said she didn't? What would I do, fall at her feet and beg her? I was ready to do it.

"Yes, of course! Let's say we both put our foot in our mouth and the subject is closed, what do you think?" She held her hand for me to shake, with a sweet smile on her beautiful face.

I took her hand and was stricken by how hot her skin was. I felt very warm all over and it had nothing to do with the coffee. I raised my eyes to hers and wondered if I was the only one affected by the emotion between us. I saw her swallowing and trying to keep a straight face. Maybe I wasn't alone in this.

"Edward, don't forget. My name's Bella when we're not at school. So are we good?" The last part was whispered softly as she was afraid of the answer. As if I could stay mad at her…

"We're good." I said, reluctantly releasing her hand.

"So, what are your ideas about the project M…Bella?" I asked politely.

"Well, I thought we'd concentrate on a few poems from "Les Fleurs du Mal" at first. After all, it'd be a wonderful introduction to French poetry of that period." She sounded confident and happy when speaking about Baudelaire.

"I agree", I said, nodding. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why do you like Baudelaire so much? I don't want to be intrusive or anything…"

"Don't worry about that…I love him very much because he was the reason I wanted to study French in the first place."

"Really?" I asked, curious all of a sudden. "How come? He's not the easiest introduction to French."

She chuckled, which made me smile in return. Any small gesture or action on her part and I was a pathetic puddle of goo.

"Oh, trust me I know but he is surely the most fascinating and incredible introduction I could dream of. When I read "Le serpent qui danse" for the first time, I knew I had to learn French and discover it in its original version." Her eyes were dancing themselves and I was her willing prey.

"Which one is your favorite?" she asked, her face a little pink.

"Certainly "A une passante", the one we studied the other day. I just love everything about it, especially reading it. It's so…I don't know, alive and desperate at the same time." Her mouth opened a bit and she released a little sound, like the one she made when I told her I was on my way to the shower. The things it did to Little Edward.

"Anyway", she continued, clearing her voice as if she had a cold, "I thought we could start with a few famous Baudelaire poems and then lead the students gently into the world of French poetry." She smiled, sharing her joke with me.

"No traumatizing rush into literature, then?" I asked with a smirk. I began picturing Jessica and Lauren try to decipher Victor Hugo and couldn't help snorting.

Miss Swan smiled and gently gathered her mass of curls on the side of her neck revealing her pale skin. That fucking red sweater…

"No, we wouldn't want that! What were your ideas?"

"Well, I thought we could work on a few poems like you said and illustrate them, with drawings and music, to have them exposed in the school hall." I said, hoping she wouldn't find the idea too ludicrous.

She frowned a little bit and I braced for the worst.

"Do you have any ideas for a musical background? Because I'm decent at drawing." I wasn't expecting that!

"Actually, I thought we could share the work and each one of us would have to choose a piece of music and draw something."

"What if I had been horrible at drawing?" She teased.

"I doubt you could be horrible at anything, Bella." I blurted without thinking. That happened a lot around her.

"Well…thanks." She blushed again, clearly embarrassed. "I think it's a very good idea, Edward. I love it, really."

I beamed with pride. She managed to erase all my doubts, with her words. She made me forget any timidity or self-consciousness I had, every bad thing in my life. She even softened the pain of losing my father, as surprising and shocking as it could be. I didn't understand this hold she had on me but it was real.

My reverie was brusquely interrupted by Heidi's voice, bursting the bubble we were in.

"Sorry to bother you, my lovelies but I think you should go back if you don't want to be late." She looked sorry, like she was intruding on a moment.

Bella sat up, looking flustered and vaguely panicked. Maybe she had things to do before class, I thought. In her rush, she stumbled over her bag and fell. In my lap. I saw it happening in slow motion and couldn't do a thing to stop it.

I realized she had met Little Edward by the gasp that escaped her.

Kill me now.

If you review, I'll send Edward your way so you can fall in his lap too…Next update, next week, probably Wednesday or Thursday.