A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews last chapter! They were so very encouraging! Some of you mentioned reading some of my original work, and while I'm not quite ready to let people read any of my current stuff, I do have a story posted on fictionpress that was written with my very best friend. If anyone is interested in reading that, just let me know. And I'm sorry to say that the story isn't finished yet, and I can't promise that it will be, but if you would like to read it, just let me know.
Of Curses and Cures
Chapter Ten
Early Morning, December 10th, 2008
He stays late into the night, and there is a buoyancy in his chest at the thought of going home to Carlisle and the others, and taking Bella with him. There remains the small matter of the message from her werewolf friend, but his mind easily glosses over that unwelcome thought, as excitement fills him to the brim. The sun will be coming out today. His keen eyes can see the beginnings of it in the distance.
She sighs his name in her sleep, and he considers staying beside her, forsaking his duties at work. But he glances back out of the window, the sun threatening in the distance, and knows that he can't. He leans down to her, brushing his knuckles across the crest of her soft cheek. He breathes in her unique scent, the venom pooling as always in his mouth, and he swallows it back.
Just then she rolls in her sleep, throwing the covers off in the process. Her t-shirt is twisted around her middle, baring several inches of skin before the beginning of her shorts, which have also ridden up, exposing her long legs to his sight. He turns away abruptly, out of habit, more than actual intent.
"Edward."
She sighs, and he thinks that she's still dreaming. But when he turns back to her, deep brown eyes meet his darkened ocher .
"You're leaving?"
He nods stiffly, trying to keep his eyes from wondering again to the snowy skin of her abdomen, but she makes it terribly hard. She takes hold of his hand, pulling him down onto the edge of the bed. He could have resisted, of course, her physical strength nowhere near his own. But concerning Bella, he has never felt weaker, more unable to resist.
"Stay with me."
She coaxes him closer, helping him to stretch out beside her.
He instinctually wraps his arm around her middle, jumping slightly when his cold hand meets the warm flesh of her lower back. She doesn't flinch away, only leans closer, and he finds himself unable to remove his hand.
Her delicate fingers are tracing invisible patterns on his neck, her breath fanning across his ear, and one of her legs lying nearly on top of his own.
She kisses the edge of his chin, and it's easy to forget the venom coating his tongue, and much harder to ignore the warmth of her leg against his own.
Innocently, she scoots closer to him, tilting her hips against his own in the process, and he stifles a groan. He can tell by the unceasing movements of her fingers, that she hasn't a clue of her effect on him.
"I have to go to work."
She wraps her arms tighter around him, in stubborn resolve, again causing her pelvis to press against his own, and this time he can't stop the groan before it's out of his mouth.
She freezes momentarily, as if gauging what she's done wrong.
But he knows that it is not the monster in him that she has resurrected with her movements, but something else entirely—something even more unfamiliar and fearsome.
She seems to realize this, too, grinning slightly, before pressing her chest against his own with more purpose.
He sucks in a breath, and runs his hands from the small of her back to her shoulders, preparing to push her an arm's length away. But at his touch, she moans quietly, and his hands suddenly rebel pulling her closer, rather than pushing her away.
She drapes a leg across his waist, pushing her hips against his again, all her previous innocence gone to be replaced by the passionate siren before him.
"Don't go." She whispers, her lips moving gently against the skin of his neck. "Stay."
And he almost does.
Almost.
Some vestiges of his reason remain, and he manages to pull away from her long enough to clear his head.
"I have another forty-eight hour shift, but then we'll be spending the whole weekend together, I promise."
"Right." She groans, "With your family."
"I don't know why you're so worried."
"It's a nerve-wrecking experience, Edward… meeting the parents is a big deal. And if this were a normal situation, I could at least bake them cookies or cook a meal to impress them, but this is different. I can't exactly stop off at the zoo and pick up a rare breed of zebra for dinner."
"Funny." He replies sarcastically.
"I'm trying to ease the anxiety of the situation with humor, give me a break."
"I know another way to ease that anxiety." He whispers, leaning down to press a heated kiss to her lips.
Her lips part beneath his own, their breath mingling.
"You are okay with this though, right? Going back to Forks with me?"
She leans into his touch and smiles, "Of course. I'm just nervous. It's about time that I made some new memories in Forks… good ones at that."
"I'd be much obliged to help you with that, miss." He grins.
"I'd be ever so pleased, sir, to let you help me make a few other memories as well."
His eyes are again drawn to her long, ivory legs, and he backs away before his body can make his decision for him.
Her face is the picture of innocence, but his ears detect the spike in her heartbeat. He shakes his head, "You're irresistible, Isabella Swan." He says while moving towards her window.
He grins crookedly, blows her a kiss, and then is gone moments before the sun breaks through the clouds on the horizon.
From the end of the block, he catches her voice on the wind saying, "Apparently not that irresistible."
He chuckles, darting into the shadows between houses to avoid the early morning sun, thinking, 'If she only knew.'
December 12th, 2008
He doesn't need to pack, for many of his things remain in Forks still. And even if they didn't, Alice would welcome the opportunity to buy him a whole new wardrobe. But he sits on Bella's bed, watching as she worries her lip between her teeth, while mentally debating the pros and cons of certain outfits.
"I've never known you to be so slow." He sighs, glancing at his watch for the third time.
"I thought living over a hundred years was supposed to make you patient?" She grins.
He sighs mockingly, before throwing himself back on the pillows. "I suppose your right, we're not in any hurry." He opens his arms to her and she gladly sinks into his embrace. "Though it did take a lot of favors to get this entire weekend off, so it might be nice to spend at least some of it in Forks."
She snuggles closer to him, pressing her warm nose into the cool skin of his neck.
"Or," she begins, her lips brushing his skin as she speaks, "We could spend the whole weekend just like this."
"Mmm… tempting." His hands dance across the expanse of her back before settling just above the curve of her bottom, "But no." He gives her a playful squeeze, but isn't prepared for her reaction.
She throws a leg over him, straddling his hips, their bodies perfectly aligned. "Is this more tempting?" she asks, nipping gently at his marble lips.
Warmth seeps into every part of him where they touch, and it is a struggle to keep his mind focused. Where were they going this weekend again? Why couldn't they just stay like this? He can't resist when her lips touch his again, and this time he reciprocates. Her arms are propped up on either side of him like a soft, warm, entirely breakable cage. Her kisses become more forceful, her tongue darting out, attempting to pry through the seam of his lips.
He moves his hands to her hips, picking her up quickly and moving her onto the bed beside him. She groans in disappointment, screwing her eyes shut tight, as he leaps up from the bed. He flees to her closet, grabbing a few of outfits that he's seen her wear, most of them blue, and throwing them quickly in her bag. By the time she opens her eyes, he has her fully packed, including her "human" products.
She rolls onto her side, props her head up on her hand, and regards him carefully. Her cheeks are red and her breathing still slightly labored. He wonders if he should say something now, set the boundaries before they find themselves flirting with the edge of disaster once again. But he finds himself far too anxious to feel her warm body aligned once more with his own. So he doesn't say anything, vowing to himself that he will say something soon.
Mid-afternoon, December 12th, 2008
He drives around twenty miles-per-hour over the speed limit to appease Bella. Normally he drives at least thirty or forty. The trip takes him thirty-minutes longer than usual, but by mid-afternoon, they are parked outside his large white house, and Bella has a small smile on her face. He remembers that this place is familiar to her, too.
"It looks so different now. So… lived in. I can't believe this place gave me nightmares." She whispers.
"Nightmares?" He chuckles. He takes her small warm hand in his own, and smiles, "The house gives you nightmares, but the vampires inside it… no problem."
She raises her chin defiantly, and sticks her tongue out in response. It is small and pink, and he remembers the way she teases his lips in an attempt to get him to open his mouth when they kiss. He averts his eyes quickly, and spies Alice watching out of the living room window.
He sighs and turns back to Bella.
"You ready?"
She bites her lip in worry, shaking her head. She grabs onto his arms, her dainty fingers unable to close fully around his forearms, and pulls him forwards. She pushes her lips hard against his own. He can tell she's shaking, and he wraps his arm around her, rubbing smooth circle into her back. A quick succession of needy kisses follow, before she smiles.
"Now I'm ready."
His hand swallows hers as they make the trek to the front door. It's hard to move at human speed. He has missed this place deeply. Something swells in his chest, filling a hole that he hadn't realized was there. It is he who hesitates at the bottom of the stairs, and Bella provides comfort. Wordlessly, she squeezes his hand tighter, and pulls him up the steps. He hasn't told her that it's been weeks since he's been home to Forks, not since the first day he met her in fact, and he hopes that his family doesn't say anything. He fears that she'll be disappointed. It seems a silly reason now to isolate himself from his family.
He is reaching for the door handle, when it opens quickly, and a small, hard form collides with his own, black, spiky hair filling his vision.
"I've missed you too, Alice."
She holds on for a moment, her grip almost uncomfortably tight, before she steps backwards, and seems to remember Bella's presence.
"Oh Bella!" She cries, launching forward and placing a kiss on her cheek. "I thought I was never going to get to meet you! You don't know how close I was to coming to Seattle and dragging the two of you back for a visit!"
There is already a blush on Bella's cheek, and he's given up on trying to figure out the reason this time.
He takes her hand and leads her through the doorway, "Let's greet the rest of the family, then."
At his mention of family, five others appear quickly in a semi-circle in front of them. Alice moves to stand by Jasper's side, an excited bounce still in her step.
"I'd like you all to meet Bella. Bella this is my family."
Carlisle steps forward carefully, smiling as he says, "It's nice to finally meet you, Bella. We've heard so much about you."
Bella shoots Edward a wary glance, but he holds his hands up in a show of innocence, looking quickly to Alice, who wears a decidedly guilty expression.
"I'm Carlisle, the father-of-sorts of our little family. This is my wife, Esme. You've met Alice, it seems, and this is her husband Jasper. And these are Emmett and his wife Rosalie."
Bella looks slightly awestruck, and it takes her a moment to speak.
"It's wonderful to be here. Your home is almost as gorgeous as all of you."
She blushes immediately after her comment, and the entire group laughs.
Carlisle ushers them into the living room, insisting that Edward and Bella take a seat on the loveseat. Jasper hangs back a bit, and Edward, though he trusts his brother, is glad for it.
Esme smiles warmly, "How was your trip?"
"Good." Bella smiles wanly,"It went by quickly." She glares momentarily at Edward, and Emmett lets out a raucous laugh.
"You must be tired after your trip!" Alice cries, "Are you hungry? Thirsty? We bought tons of groceries, and I've always wanted to try cooking!"
Bella looks a bit overwhelmed, so Edward answers for her. "Just some water would probably work Alice, she ate before we left."
Bella nods gratefully, and Edward wraps his arm around her, pulling her closer to his side. He hears the others slip quietly from the room, and he presses his face into her neck.
"So this is where you live?" She asks in awe, examining the glass wall at the back of the house.
"Where I lived." He corrects. "I live in Seattle now."
She peers at him peculiarly, "Speaking of which… I've never even seen where you live in Seattle."
He shifts uncomfortably. "There's not much to it. It's not as though I sleep. I really only use it as a place to shower. I spend the majority of time at the hospital and with you. It's not even decorated… no furniture, nothing."
"What about before us? Did you just stay in your empty house then?"
He glances away, clenching his jaw. "I, well, I had never really intended to live there. It was only to have a local address for paperwork purposes. I had intended to just return home to here when I was off. It's a fairly quick run for me."
"Intended?" She prompts.
He sighs wearily, "I decided to stay there permanently after that first time I met you."
Her jaw drops, "But why?"
He rolls his neck, trying to relieve the sudden stiffness he feels. He can't hear any of his family members, which means they are most assuredly listening. He supposes it's time for an explanation, to all of them.
"I've told you how difficult that first time was for me… how you affected me. I was ashamed, Bella. I've never hated my nature more or felt guilty for the monster I am. I wanted to crawl into some hole and wait out my unending existence. The last thing I wanted to do was crawl back here, guilty and a failure."
Her eyes are wide and her mouth open in surprise. "You mean… you left your family because of me?"
He pauses a moment before nodding.
"Oh!" She cries, "They must hate me! They haven't seen you in weeks and it's entirely my fault! I just knew this would go horribly, I mess up everything!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Bella." He says, cradling her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"First, you can in no way help the way you appeal to me. And secondly, I wouldn't change anything. I'm here now, that's what matters. And I've never been happier than I am in this moment."
She regards him warily for a moment, before leaning forwards to place a soft kiss on his mouth.
He grins, "I take it back." He whispers between kisses, "This is now my happiest moment."
He is leaning in for another kiss, when Alice appears in the doorway, carrying an assortment of nearly a dozen different kinds of bottled water.
"It's been so long since I've had water, I wasn't sure if one kind was better than another, or if you had a preference." She sets the tray on the coffee table in front of Bella.
Horror crosses her face and she immediately blushes. "Really, this wasn't at all necessary. Tap water would have been fine."
Edward chuckles happily, grabbing a bottle of Evian, and handing it to Bella. "With Alice, fine is never enough. She has to go above and beyond."
"You're one to talk, Mr. I-can-do-absolutely-everything." Bella laughs.
Alice smiles at her, "So he told you about the piano, did he?"
"Piano?" Bella cries exasperatedly, "You play the piano too? What don't you do?"
"Sleep, eat human food." He answers playfully.
"You didn't tell her?" Alice asks in surprise.
"I haven't really had much opportunity to play since I've been in Seattle."
"Then play for me now." Bella requests, rising and moving towards the beautiful piano situated on the other side of the room."
He sighs, but the idea is incredibly appealing. He's been desperate to play for weeks, but didn't have a piano with him in Seattle. He had considering buying one at one point, but then he spent more and more time at Bella's and the idea was quickly forgotten. But he'd had new melodies floating through his mind constantly since she entered his life. He settles himself onto the bench, and Bella places an elbow on top of the instrument, laying her cheek in her hand to watch him.
His eyes never leave hers as his fingers play, weaving a melody that has been haunting his thoughts, but has yet to see the light of day. He watches a small tear for in the corner of her eye, and the melody changes of its own accord. The notes are smooth, and he pours everything about their relationship into the music—the immense joy, the stressful challenges, the hope.
So much hope.
He ends the song softly when he notices that tears are streaming steadily down Bella's face. He's around the piano in less than a second, cradling her against his chest.
A throat clears behind them, and they turn to see Carlisle standing in the doorway, smiling.
"And that Bella is why you will always be welcome here. Anyone who inspires that is welcome in our family."
Bella gives a small hiccup-like laugh through her tears, and Edward strokes the back of her neck with his fingers.
"You better hang on to her, Edward." Esme whispers from behind Carlisle.
"Yeah! Don't screw it up, Brother!" Emmett yells from the kitchen.
Edward looks at Bella, standing in his house, with his family, and feels at home. He's never agreed with Emmett more.