AN: 2 posts in 2 days! God I'm good to you guys. Here's the sad news, I'm moving tomorrow and not sure when i'll have internet again. Hopefully i can find some, or steal some from an unsuspecting neighbour and get more to you, but if not, I'll miss you all!!!

Ok so I just read Carpe Noctem & Fiat Lux by queenofgrey and the ending made me physically ill. Absolutely amazing read, and it's finished, so suss that out. Absolutely… wow.

The Teddy Bears - Yours To Keep

Edward POV

Bella and I ate together, talking happily about everything and nothing. I didn't mention Rose again, and neither did she, although I think she knew that I'd answer any questions she had. I wanted Bella to know everything about me, and if there was any information that would make her feel better about being in this shitty position with me, I would give it to her completely willingly.

I honestly had no idea how the situation had turned out as well as it had. Miraculously, she had accepted that I was a fuckwit who had handled things abominably, and she still wanted to be with me. I made it my mission to prove to her that she was the only one that I wanted, and that I was serious about giving what we had a proper chance, which, tragically for me, meant that I couldn't drag her into the bathroom and fuck her right then, despite really, really wanting to. She was wearing this torn up tank and ripped jeans paired with what looked like a really old leather jacket, and she looked absolutely fucking stunning.

More than just her looks, her tiny mannerisms had me completely riveted. The way she'd brush her hair back after she laughed, how she chewed her lip when unsure of what to say, the way her big brown eyes widened when I complimented her, when I caught a flash of her scent as she flicked her hair or leaned forward. Every thing about her lured me in. What little sense of decency I had left prevented me from undermining my words about wanting her deeply by fucking her, but I was hanging on by a thread.

Bella reached for the bill that the world's sluttiest waitress had just delivered before I could get to it. I growled lowly under my breath, because there was no way, especially after what I had done, that I was going to let this woman pay for her meal, let alone mine. She poked her pink little tongue out at me, and then opened the leather folder only to burst out laughing, dropping the cheque to the table as she did so. I reached out and snatched up the folder, poking my tongue out at her in revenge. I opened it up to see a business card stapled to the cheque.

Chastity McClean

555-0349

Call me, it'll be worth your while.

As forward as it would, it wouldn't have seemed too deserving of Bella's hysterics, if not for the background on the laminated card, which seemed to be the woman's cleavage. I dropped the folder myself, absolutely disgusted by what I had seen. I looked up at Bella, who was still paralysed with silent laughter. Eventually she managed to collect herself.

"I knew," she gasped out, "I knew as soon as I saw her that she would have a name like Chastity. Who would print something like that?" With that, she burst into another round of laughter. Luckily, the girl in question had gone out the back and had not seen Bella's or my response to her advance. I tucked a bill into the folder, without looking at the card again and placed it back on the table.

"Oh hell no," Bella argued, and I thought she was about to dispute my paying for us, "I am keeping that, Liam will die when he sees it." She reached over and pulled the card off the bill, sliding it into a pocket on the outside of her bag. Still laughing a little and shaking her head, she stood, looking back down at me and indicating I should do the same. As we moved to the door, the waitress emerged from the back.

"Thankyou," she called, looking right at me. I looked away.

"No," Bella responded as her giggles started again, "thank you."

I couldn't contain my own chuckle as she said that to the confused looking waitress and we emerged onto the street. It was dark now, and I saw Bella recoil slightly against the cool wind that had set in, tucking her hands into her jacket pockets. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she huddled into me, trying to get some body heat. I certainly didn't mind her closeness, leaning into her and breathing in the smell of her lovely hair. As we slowly started making our way back to her apartment, I used my free hand to light a cigarette, which we passed between us as we walked.

"So, Bella," I started, breaking our companionable silence, "what are you doing tomorrow evening?" She looked up at me as she took the cigarette, taking a leisurely drag before responding.

"Well, Liam wanted me to go to some club with his friends, but we could grab an early bird special before, if you like?" she teased. Bella just loved making old jokes, mainly because I couldn't respond. Her jokes about me being old were cute, but if I made any about her being young, it came across as creepy.

"Actually, I wasn't offering, I have a backgammon tournament on that I've been looking forward to for months," I deadpanned. She laughed and I smiled at the sound.

"If you want, you can come out with us," she offered shyly, looking up at me from under her thick eyelashes. We had arrived outside her building and I came to a stop, angling her so that she was standing two steps up, our faces almost level. Her hands moved to my shoulders and mine to her waist.

"Are you sure, princess?" I asked, not wanting to intrude on her night, but wanting to hang out with her.

"Of course I'm sure," she smiled softly as she spoke. "Come here at about 8, and we'll have some drinks then go out. Liam already loves you because you're so fun to look at, and I'm sure the others will too," she joked.

"Well I suppose I'll have to let him ogle me if it makes him like me," I sighed dramatically.

"You should be used to people ogling you by this point, so stop whining."

"Why would I be used to it?"

"Um, have you ever looked in a mirror?"

I smirked. Her eyes narrowed.

"You're thinking about that time I said you looked 23 and hot, aren't you?" she accused.

"Maybe."

She rolled her eyes, but didn't let go of me, so I knew I wasn't in any real trouble. Just to be safe, I changed the subject.

"Do you need me to bring anything tomorrow? Buy you guys beer or something?" I teased and she smacked my shoulder.

"Pfft, I'm more than charming enough to get my own liquor," she shot back.

"I'm sure you are," I said lewdly as I leaned back to look her up and down. She smacked my shoulder.

"That was so creepy," she admonished. I laughed.

"Have you ever looked in a mirror, princess?" I asked her seriously.

"Ha ha, very funny," she dismissed. I looked over my shoulder to see a cab dropping someone off at the building next to Bella's, and sighed as I attracted the drivers attention with one hand.

"I should probably get going," I told her and her face fell slightly but she nodded. She softly pressed her lips to mine, and I revelled in it.

"I'll see you tomorrow night?" she confirmed. I kissed her quickly before answering.

"8'o'clock, let me know if you need me to pick anything up." She kissed me then spoke.

"Just bring you, because you're cute, and dress casual, we won't be going anywhere too fancy," she instructed. Jeans and a shirt it was. I gave her one last kiss, this one more lingering than the others before pulling away, keeping only her hand.

"Goodnight, beautiful," I said reluctantly, squeezed her hand and then let it go, walking over the cab and reluctantly climbing in. I had less than 24 hours to go until I saw her again, and that time had never seemed so long.

I spent much of the next day busying myself with menial tasks, working out, getting obscenely ahead with my work, and on the phone to the lesbians going over what had happened. They were both a little gob-smacked, for two reasons. The first was that I didn't call them before I met with Bella, and the second was that she responded so well to what I had told her. Irina tried to tell me that our conversation had been incomplete and that there were still things to be said, but I cut her off, because I didn't want a dampener on my phenomenal mood.

While dressing for the evening, I found in the back of my wardrobe something that brought a smile to my face. An old leather jacket that I had had for about 15 years and had been sure Rose had disposed of. I shook it out and pulled it on, pleasantly surprised to discover that it still fit almost perfectly. I checked my appearance quickly before I left, decided that I didn't look like too much of a douche bag, and headed off.

B - Leaving now, do you guys need anything? - E

E - No, everything's great, there's more than enough of everything. See you soon! - B

I jumped on the subway because it was still early and I had some time to burn, and made my way down to Bella's. I was buzzed in by an already drunk Liam from the sounds of things and made my way up to their apartment. Waiting for me, cocktail in hand, was the drunken gay man I had conversed with briefly only moments before, leaning in the doorway, eyeing me in an almost perverse fashion.

"Bella, you whore! He wears leather? I hate you!" he shouted before refocusing on me. "Hello Edward, your jacket is magnificent, almost as good as your hair. Your t-shirt could stand to be a little tighter, more for my benefit than for anything else. Sorry, I'm a teensy bit hammered," he told me matter of factly and all I could do was nod. He pushed the door further open, allowing me to enter but not without brushing past him on my way in.

I walked through the door to find a group of about 5 people inside. Liam, two other presumably gay men, a couple, and I assumed Bella would be around somewhere. I looked around for her, and then I heard it.

"There's a place down town, where the freaks all come around, it's a hole in the wall, it's a dirty free-for-all!"

I turned around to see Bella dancing to a song I hadn't heard before, and didn't think really gelled with the rest of her music collection, rather in one of the clubs that I could imagine Liam and his friends frequenting. She had her head down and her knees bent, moving her head and shoulders in time with the beat. I took a moment to look at her and nearly fainted at what I saw. She was wearing this long tank-top style dress that just covered her ass with a jacket… and a pair of thigh high suede boots that made me think I'd have an erection for the rest of my days. Her long hair flipped around her head as she danced, a wild halo. She was perfection, and I felt the need to avert my eyes at her magnificence.

As if she could sense my struggle and wanted to make it harder for me, she flipped her head back, exposing her full outfit to me, eyes still closed as she continued to dance, her hands fisted in the air. The dancing wasn't overtly sexual by any means, she was simply having some fun with a group of people she was clearly comfortable with, and the sight was probably the most entrancing, attractive thing I had ever seen. Her dancing slowed and she opened her eyes, her face bursting into a gigantic smile when she saw me. Her eyes were lined with black, and her lashes looked longer than ever. She was stunning. I smiled back at her, unable to stop myself.

"Hello princess," I greeted as she made her way over to me, and her smile only got bigger. "Have you started the party without me?" I had to make a concerted effort not to stare at her legs as she approached.

"You look so, so good in leather, Edward," she said, ignoring my question. Her hands came to rest on my shoulders as she ran her fingers along the leather in question.

"Cheers to that!" Liam yelled, holding his drink in the air as the other people in the room all clinked their glasses together. I was mortified, but tried to act as though I wasn't bothered. She used the hands on my shoulders to pull herself to me, and I wrapped my arms around her to hug her back.

"Believe me, Bella," I whispered in her ear, "I would say something about those boots, but nothing I can think of is even close to appropriate considering that we are not alone at present." She actually shivered at that. I kissed her earlobe and released her.

"I know that face!" Liam crowed as he pointed at Bella. "Little B over there was just told something dirty!" he howled, and the others laughed as she buried her head in my shoulder, hiding from their ridicule.

"Fuck you all, you're meant to be my friends," she chided them without looking up from my torso but I put a hand on her arm and rubbed it in a soothing gesture. Moments later she looked up at me, a smile on her face, and then flipped Liam off, with the same big smile. Everyone went back to their own conversations, satisfied that she wasn't really offended. Bella took my hand and led me into the kitchen area, passing me a six pack of something, as well as grabbing two shot glasses and a bottle.

"Come on, let's go in here for a bit," she said as she led me to her bedroom.

"Have fu-un," Liam sang obnoxiously, earning himself another one finger salute from Bella. Their relationship was like that of siblings, and it made me laugh, reminding me a lot of my relationship with my sister. Bella looked at me quizzically as I chuckled.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh, you and Liam remind me of my sister and I," I told her.

"Alice?"

"The one and only. She's actually a lot like Liam, except for the man part."

"Liam is a man in strictly a biological sense, in every other way he's a teenage girl, let me assure you," she joked, although I had no doubt there was some truth to her words. "God knows I love him to pieces though," she said affectionately as she took a seat on her bed, crossing her legs under her body. I moved to mimic her position opposite her, tossing my jacket on the seat-table thing at the end of her bed. She sighed.

"I really do like the leather," she said wistfully.

"I've had that jacket for the majority of your life," I told her honestly, and she giggled. She picked up a remote and pressed play, and music that I definitely would associate more with her moved through the room.

"This is the Presets, another one of my amazing discoveries," she said proudly. She flicked open two of the beers, which I realised were the ones I had sent her, as with the tequila.

"These look familiar," I said lightly, and she laughed to herself. She passed me a shot, held hers up, a movement I copied, and we threw them back, trying not to choke. Tequila was not a good starter.

"Ok," she said decisively, "drinking game… but which one? Dickhead poker with two of us won't end well, actually there aren't enough of us for a lot of them… we could do 20 questions, but if you can't or won't answer, you drink?"

"That sounds good to me," I agreed, unable to imagine what she'd ask that I would be unable or unwilling to answer.

"However," she qualified, "because you need to catch up, I will be drinking beer, and you, my gorgeous friend, will be doing shots." Before I could protest she was already starting the game.

"Ok, let's start easy. Question one, favourite female body part?"

"Legs," I said without even pausing to think. Specifically, Bella's legs in those boots. "Ok, favourite male body part?" I asked in return.

"Shoulders… oh, maybe abs… no, arms… but your hair… fuck it, I can't choose when you're sitting there, giving me so many options," she grumbled, and took a drink. I laughed.

"You really are drunk, aren't you?" I asked playfully, and she smacked my arm.

"Fine then, smarty pants, what's your favourite male body part?" she asked indignantly. I thought on it for a few moments.

"On me, or on another guy?"

"Another guy."

Well, shit.

"Bella, I don't have an answer for that," I told her honestly, accepting the shot. That meant it was my turn to ask.

"Your favourite place on a girl?"

"Boobs probably." My mouth fell open. "Actually no, I love collar bones on girls. They look really good." She smiled, seemingly satisfied with her answer, while I tried to flush out the mental image of Bella touching another girl's chest.

"My turn again," she stated and I braced myself for her question. "Ok, most embarrassing sexual experience?" I didn't respond, instead just drinking.

"Oh, come on!" she whined and I just shook my head.

"Not happening."

"Tell me!"

"Nope."

"I hate you."

"Liar."

She huffed but dropped it.

"What's your's then, Bella?" I asked. She looked down, then took a mouthful of her drink.

"Exactly," I said smugly.

By the end of the game, I had consumed about 6 shots, and was feeling a very pleasant buzz through my system that I was sure I would regret tomorrow. I set my shot glass on the floor and looked at Bella.

"Hi," she breathed.

"Hey."

With that, she forced herself up onto her knees and smashed her lips to mine, a kiss that I returned with equal force. I pushed her backwards, so much so that I found myself on top of her, supporting myself with one arm as my free hand traced up her leg, under her dress and was caressing the skin of her hip, tracing the line of her underwear. She moaned quietly and her tongue came out to touch mine. Our kiss had an aggressive element to it, and her black painted fingernails came to rest on the muscles of my back, pulling gently at my shirt as she scratched at my skin. I pushed at her blazer and she lost it, leaving her in her dress, which was now sitting around her waist, and those fucking boots.

Her pulling at my shirt became more insistent and I allowed her to pull it off, barely noticing as she tossed it to the ground and wrapped her arms back around me. Her fingers pressed into the skin of my shoulders as I pushed myself even closer to her. Small sounds were coming from both of us, heavy, jagged breaths and little whimpers escaping her mouth. They spurned me on, and paired with the tequila clouding my gentlemanly impulses, drove me to the brink of insanity.

She shifted her hips, subtly, or not so subtly tilting so that my hand was just a small movement away from her core. I moved it slightly lower, testing her response, only to hear her groan and tilt her hips further, an invitation if ever there was one. I ghosted a hand over her clothed pussy, trying not to smile at the way she leaned into my touch. Her kisses were becoming weaker now as she focused on what I was doing to her, so I lowered my head to her throat, allowing her breath. I started to rub my palm against her through her panties and before long she was grinding against me, her little hands clawing at my exposed back.

I pulled away from her throat, wanting to look at her face. Her eyes were clenched shut, her head thrown to the side as she held onto me with one hand, and fisted her other into her comforter. I wasn't even really doing a lot to her, but her responses were driving me absolutely wild.

"Look at me, princess," I requested, my voice sounded rough, gravely even. "I want to see your pretty eyes," I implored. She moaned, rolling her head back over and forcing her eyes open. The moment she had them open, they threatened to drift closed again. She looked absolutely stunning, her hair falling wildly around her head, her eyes glazed over as she lost herself in sensations that I was giving her. I had always enjoyed sex, I was of course a man, but just watching Bella get off, without me even properly touching her, was one of the most sensual experiences I had ever had. I increased my pressure on her, knowing full well that if I got into her panties, we wouldn't be leaving this room for days.

"Edward, fu--", the word died in her mouth, but the breathy way in which she forced out my name was almost unbearably alluring. Keeping my eyes trained firmly on her, I pressed my lips back to hers, capturing a moan that escaped in my mouth. I increased the speed of my rubbing, and was rewarded with her body tensing, moving closer to my own. She just looked so fucking good like this, in those boots, writhing against my hand, getting pleasure from me. Even though I was painfully hard, this was all about her. Her face moved to the crook of my neck, and I could feel her hot breath in between small kisses that she pressed to my shoulder. She was so inadvertently sexy, she had absolutely no idea the effect she had on me.

"Hey guys, are we ready to -- Whoa!"

I immediately stopped my hands movements and looked over my shoulder to see Liam, keys in hand, standing completely awestruck in Bella's now open bedroom door.

"Holy shit, of course he looks better out of the leather than in it," he said before his expression turned to fear somewhat inexplicably. "I knocked like, 3 times," he rationalised, terror clouding his tone. I looked back at Bella, who looked absolutely livid, and if I hadn't been so pissed off myself, I may have laughed at her.

"Well… we're just going to go…" he trailed off, slowly backing out the door.

"No," she said, catching his attention, "wait, we'll come."

"I bet you will," he shot before he clamped his hand over his mouth, seeming to have not realised what he had said until he'd said it.

"Not fucking cool, Liam. Just give us 2 minutes to… fix ourselves and we'll meet you in the lounge room to go." He nodded and closed the door. I sighed and rolled off her.

"Do we have to go?" I asked, trying not to sound like a sulking child.

"Yeah, we do, he'd have kicked my ass later if I'd ditched. Just know this. You are going to get it later, and that is a promise." Her voice sounded like she was threatening me.

I groaned.

"Bella, how the fuck am I going to get through this night with that information under my belt?"

"It won't be the only thing under your belt tonight," she said, smirking evilly as she threw my shirt at me.

God, I hoped not.

AN: The song Bella dances to is Take It Off by Ke$ha. Let me assure you, I wouldn't have picked anything by her if it wasn't perfect for what I was envisioning. Trust me on that.

The song they listen to in Bella's room is called This Boy's In Love by The Presets, an aussie outfit that fucking wins. I have seen them four times, and they are absolutely amazing. Epic. Awesome. Actually, if you listen to this song, tell me, and I'll give you a shout out next time around. I'm super cereal.

Love love!