Author's Notes:

CONVERSATION KEY

*When characters are speaking out loud, quotes will be used.

*When characters are signing with their hands, italics will be used. (Italics will be used in other places as well, i.e. to emphasize certain words/phrases. Please keep that in mind.)

*When characters are communicating via iPad or e-mail, bold will be used.

*Bella's conversations with others, signing and writing, will ALWAYS be encased in *stars*.

*Edward's conversations with Bella, signing and writing, will remain unmarked.

*Any other characters that sign in a chapter will have their conversations encased in {brackets}.

Many thanks to azure0610 for acting as my beta. Also, thanks to aerobee82 and JenEsme for pre-reading for me.

The awesome Nayarit and FluffyLiz created my beautiful banners for me.

All the usual disclaimers apply. This story is rated M for a reason.

Chapter 12 - Instigation

Stepping out into the dark, chilly night, I tried in vain to convince Bella to take my Volvo into Ybor City; her outdated behemoth of a truck left a little to be desired. Her father had bought if off of Jake's father during her junior year in High School, and she'd been riding around in it ever since. She told me that even if she had the money to buy a new car, she wouldn't. Her truck suited her just fine. She had no desire to jet around the city in a tiny, foreign made car. And yes... that was a personal attack on my Volvo. She loved to tease me about my "safe and practical" car, but two could play at that game. Climbing into the cab of her truck, I cranked the outdated radio up as loud as it could possibly go before settling back into my seat. Bella felt the vibrations and turned to look at me, confused.

*Why is it so loud?* she asked, her brows furrowed tightly together. Her expression caused me to chuckle softly. Bella was a master at doing this… furrowing her brows, and I loved it. I loved how her facial expressions communicated almost as much as her hands.

I shrugged my shoulders, barely able to contain my grin.

I had to turn up the volume. I can't hear anything over the roar of the engine, I teased. Of course, my signs weren't nearly as eloquent as I would have liked, but I did my best to communicate my thoughts. I was sure I got my point across when Bella's face twisted up into a smirk.

*One of the benefits of being deaf,* she ribbed with a wink. *I can't hear a thing.*

I laughed out loud at Bella's comment, shaking my head at how completely enamored I was with her. It never ceased to amaze me how at ease she was with her disability. She knew precisely what it meant to be deaf, including the limitations it sometimes imposed, but she hardly ever let it get her down, at least not as far as I could tell. Bella was quick to poke fun at herself, and I liked that. I liked that she didn't take life too seriously, unless, of course, we were talking about school. Bella took her responsibilities as both a student and a teacher very seriously, hence the reason we were avoiding being seen together on campus.

I did wonder why Bella had so easily agreed to go into Ybor City with me tonight. Aside from grabbing coffee at a little shop near campus a few times, Bella and I hadn't ventured from her apartment. I assumed that was because she was worried about being seen together, but it occurred to me that I had never really asked her out.

*What are you thinking about?* she signed as we merged onto the interstate.

I look over at Bella and grinned.

Isn't it dangerous to sign and drive? I teased.

Bella scoffed at me in mock offense.

*I can multitask,* she defended herself, returning my grin in kind. She wasn't grinning moments later when I raised my brows in question.

"Multitask?" I repeated, watching in rapt attention as Bella blushed from her chest to her cheeks. I could think of many ways that multitasking could come in handy, and most of them did not involve clothes.

*Get your mind out of the gutter,* she teased with a nervous smile. She focused her attention on the road then, but if she thought I didn't catch her furtive glances in my direction during the rest of the ride into the city, she was wrong. I saw them all.

When we arrived in Ybor City, Bella parked as close as possible to the club, but it was Friday night, and the strip was crowded. This meant that we would have a several block walk. Exiting the car, we moved towards the main street in town, heading in the direction of Technique. As we wandered together down the street, I let my hand rest gently on the small of Bella's back. I knew that in doing so, there was a chance that she might shy away, but after everything we had been through tonight, I decided it was a chance I was willing to take. My heart worked overtime in my chest when Bella didn't protest my move, and it was all I could do not to wrap my arm around her shoulder and officially claim her as mine. That might be pushing my luck, though, and I was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Even though things between us were slowly changing, I realized that what Bella and I shared was still tentative and fragile, and I didn't want to do anything that might rock the boat. Bella and I were close... so close to redefining who we were, but if I pushed her, I worried that she might bolt, so I played things as cool as possible.

As I expected, Technique was crowded, and Bella and I waited outside for nearly twenty minutes before we reached the front of the line. Not that I minded. There were so many people that we were forced to stand close, my chest pressed firmly against Bella's back. Ten minutes in, I allowed myself to rest my chin atop her head, relishing in the feel of her silky soft hair tickling my skin, and the best part was she didn't pull away. She didn't do anything to encourage me, but she didn't pull away, either. My hands were in my pockets, and I desperately wanted to remove them and thread my fingers together with hers, but I was sure that would spook her, so I accepted the closeness she was offering without complaint, sighing in disappointment when it was our time to pay. I could have stood together with her outside all night long, her back perfectly molded against my chest, and I would have been perfectly, blissfully happy.

Once we were inside the club, my eyes scanned the crowd for Emmett and Rose. Tanya had stayed back tonight, which I was kind of grateful for. Both she and Rose had yet to officially meet Bella, and while I knew I shouldn't have anything to worry about, the Tanya situation still made me feel slightly uncomfortable. At best, all of us together at once would be awkward, and I was hoping to avoid that for as long as possible.

A flash of brown, curly hair caught my eye, and I zeroed in on Emmett. He was at the front of the club, leaning over the bar, chatting easily with the bartender there. A few moments later, I spotted Rose. She was standing on the edge of the dance floor, cocktail in hand, swaying in time with the music. I tapped Bella on the shoulder, pointing in Emmett's direction, and she nodded at me in understanding, leading the way through the crowd towards the bar. My hand never left her back, and she never complained.

Emmett didn't notice us to begin with, but when Bella reached up and tapped him on the shoulder, he turned around, smiling widely as he pulled her into a hug. I was pretty sure Bella wasn't expecting his exuberant embrace. She gasped a little as he hugged her tight, and I laughed out loud, the look of shock on her face absolutely priceless. Slowly, Bella's arms came around Emmett's waist, and she hugged him back, tentatively at first, then with more force.

"Hey there!" he boomed once he finally let her go. "It's nice to see you again," he said, and I inwardly fist-pumped him for taking the time to enunciate and talk slow. He was making an effort with Bella, and that meant more to me than words could say. Bella smiled up at Emmett, offering him a tiny wave before he turned his attention to me.

"Dude! You live! I was close to filing a missing persons report on you. You're never around anymore!"

Bella must have caught at least some of what Emmett said, because she turned a very enticing shade of red at his comment. I smirked, letting my hand press into the small of her back with a bit more force. She knew she was the reason why I wasn't around as much, but there wasn't any need for her to be embarrassed about it. In an effort to reassure her, I started rubbing small, gentle circles in the center of her back. I held my breath, wondering if she would mind, but Bella didn't disappoint me.

"I've been busy," I answered Emmett, continuing the motion with my hand, and he smirked right back.

"I can see that," he replied with a wide smile. I looked down at Bella who was laughing softly now, slowly shaking her head. She waved her hand between Emmett and me, catching our attention.

*You do realize I'm standing right here, and I can understand everything you're saying,* she pointed out, teasing us both good-naturedly. I laughed along with her, surprised to find myself translating for Emmett without even giving it a second thought. I was quite proud of myself for that.

"You know something?" Emmett said to Bella. "I think I like you. You're not afraid to call us on our shit."

Bella grinned, a mischievous smile lighting up her face as she slowly pointed her finger at Emmett.

*You remember that,*she signed.

Emmett barked out a laugh just as Rose joined us. She watched him closely as he interacted with Bella, studying them both with guarded curiosity. I regarded Rose the same way. She was tense, and I didn't like it. I wondered what put her on edge; was it because Emmett was talking to Bella? Even though they hadn't been formally introduced, Rose knew who Bella was, so that shouldn't be the case. And then I noticed Rose's eyes move quickly between Bella to me, and I understood perfectly what was going on. This was about Tanya. Rose was a notorious mother hen, and in her mind, I had slighted her sister. I sincerely hoped this wouldn't translate into unfounded hostility towards Bella, but I was afraid it would because Rose wasn't known for diplomacy. She was brashly honest, often to the point of being rude.

"Rose," I said, calling her name and catching her attention. I fixed her with a cautionary gaze, warning her to behave herself before turning in Bella's direction. I tapped her once on the shoulder, and she smiled widely as I pointed to Rose and made introductions. Rose smiled back, though it was forced, and both Bella and I knew it.

"Nice to meet you," Rose said, acknowledging Bella with a curt nod of her head.

Bella was clearly confused by Rose's cool behavior, but she managed to keep a friendly smile on her face when she signed, *Nice to meet you too.* I translated for her, but Rose paid little attention to me. She was already grabbing Emmett's hand, telling him she wanted to dance. Apparently, Rose didn't intend to stick around and make small talk, which was probably for the better.

"Are you coming?" she pushed when Emmett seemed hesitant to leave. He looked at me and I told him to go ahead. There was no sense in the two of them hanging out with us if Rose couldn't behave cordially toward Bella. She and I were going to have a talk about that, but now wasn't the appropriate time or place to do that. With a shrug of his shoulders, Emmett let Rose lead him away, offering an apologetic glance over his shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.

The space between Bella and I fell momentarily quiet as we watched them leave. I felt horrible about how Rose had acted, and I knew I had some explaining to do. Inwardly, I berated myself. I had known Rose for several years now, and this type of behavior was not atypical of her. I should have spoken with her beforehand, warning her not to be rude.

I was looking down at Bella, trying to decide what to say, when an emotion I recognized as resignation flashed across her face. When she realized I was looking, she quickly recovered and smiled, but I knew her well enough by now to know that it was forced, and I didn't have to think hard about why. Not knowing my history, or lack thereof, with Tanya, Bella probably assumed that Rose was uncomfortable with her deafness. It was the most logical conclusion for her to draw, even though it wasn't entirely correct. I knew I needed to say something and quick, but I needed an iPad to have this discussion and neither one of us had one. Instead, I awkwardly attempted to use my hands, but Bella reached out, halting their movement with her own and slowly shaking her head.

*Don't,* she signed. *Please don't try to explain. Let's just dance, okay?*

I was reluctant to do as Bella asked. I didn't want to dance. I wanted to talk, but her expression made it clear that she didn't. Bella surprised me by slipping her hand into mine and tugging softly, and when her eyes met mine, pleading with me to let it go, I did. I couldn't deny her wishes any more than I could deny her touch. My skin tingled where our hands were connected, and as she led me onto the dance floor, my body reacted instinctively, pressing closer to hers as we pushed past people until we were standing together in the center of it all. God, it felt so good… so fucking right to be with her like that, and I wondered if maybe that's how you knew when you had found the right person; you knew because it just felt right. Every cell in your body itched to be close to that person. Without even realizing it, you oriented yourself to them, watching them, following them, doing whatever you had to in order to remain by their side. I had never felt that way about anyone before, but I felt that way now, and I never wanted the feeling to end.

A new song started to play, and as the driving bass of the music resonated around us, I skimmed my hands the length of Bella's arms, pulling her against my chest as we moved in time with the music. I wasn't afraid that she would deny me. She was the one who had asked me to dance, and in doing so, given me unspoken permission to touch her. Maybe that's why she had asked me, I thought. Maybe she wanted… needed me to touch her as much as I did. I closed my eyes tightly, overwhelmed by my emotions and relishing in the feel of holding her close. Her heart beat solidly under our joined hands, her head was thrown back against my shoulder and my face was buried in the crook of her neck. It was heaven… the most amazing, intense feeling ever, and it was enough to make me hard. This time, I didn't pull away. I wanted her to feel me. I wanted her to know how much I desired her, how amazing I thought she was and how beautiful she was to me.

If Bella minded, she didn't let it show. In fact, she actually pressed her body closer to mine, which drove me wild with desire. I nearly bit her neck, instead stifling a groan and biting down on my lower lip to distract myself, but if she kept moving back and forth in a pendulum motion across my groin like that, I was going to fucking lose it. Momentarily pulling my face from her neck, I reached up, gathering the hair there and draping it over her left shoulder. Bending back down, I pressed my cheek to hers, and she leaned into me, seeking the same skin to skin contact I sought from her. Her cheek, flushed red with perspiration and perhaps desire, pressed back against mine, and our joined arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Nearly every part of our bodies was touching now, and I closed my eyes, letting myself get lost in the music... get lost in the feel of Bella wrapped up in me.

As we danced, I couldn't help but marvel at how uninhibited she was. Her body moved sensuously in nearly perfect time with the music, and I wondered, not for the first time, if this wasn't an escape for her, a way to forget about the real world and get lost in sensations that felt good. Maybe that feeling of freedom gave Bella the courage she needed to submit to what was happening between us, because right at that moment, she seemed entirely unconcerned about us being spotted together. This thrilled me and left my body aching for more. I only hoped that when the music stopped, the moment wouldn't pass. I hoped she realized that she couldn't fight her feelings for me any more than I could fight mine. She had to feel it… that sense of inevitability that hung thick in the air between us. With that thought, I pulled Bella closer still, as close as I could get without lowering her to the ground and covering her body with mine, and for the length of six songs, I held her in my arms, pretending she belonged to me.

Bella and I had been dancing for nearly thirty minutes when I spun her around and pointed in the direction of the bar. We were both hot, our skin slick with perspiration, and despite the fact I wanted to remain coiled tight around her the entire night through, I also really needed a beer. Bella seemed to agree, and she willingly followed behind me, her hand clasped tightly in mine as we made our way to the bar, but when we stepped up to two empty stools, she let it slip away. I tried not to focus on the feel of my empty hand as I ordered us two Heinekens, but it was hard not to. She was pulling away from me again, and I didn't know how much more of this indecisiveness I could take. Still, I didn't want to ruin our evening by wearing a sour expression, so I pushed my feelings of frustration aside and smiled at her as I turned and handed her the beer.

*I think we lost Emmett and Rose,* Bella signed before taking a firm swig. I took a pull of my own before shrugging my shoulders and signing back. Is that bad?

As much as I liked hanging out with Emmett, I could do without Rose and her attitude. Besides, I much preferred spending time alone with Bella. Bella must have caught on to my train of thought, because she blushed, shaking her head slowly back and forth as I grinned at her and took another pull of my beer.

I forgot to tell you. I talked to Alice yesterday, and she told me she bought her plane ticket. She'll be here for one week in March, I signed, making casual conversation. Despite the fact we were sans iPads, I was managing to get my point across just fine. Bella smiled widely at me, obviously just as excited as I was for Alice's visit. I had told her a lot about Alice over the last several weeks, and she seemed to be looking forward to meeting her.

*That's wonderful,* she signed back. *We'll have to take her to Clearwater Beach.*

I nodded in response and was just about to mention taking a trip to Silver Springs to snorkel with the manatees when an obviously drunken frat boy standing near to Bella reached around from behind her, clapping loudly beside her right ear. Bella reacted instinctively to his nearness, spinning around in her seat and staring the asshole down.

"See, look, she's not really deaf. She's faking it," the boy announced to his posse of nefarious friends, and I nearly fucking lost it. This asshole was fucking with Bella, and all I could think about was breaking his fucking hands. Shoving my stool out of the way, I abruptly stood up, adrenaline pumping furiously through my veins. It was feeding my anger, driving my decisions, and I fisted my right hand, pulling it back, readying myself to throw a punch, only to be stopped short by Bella's hand landing squarely on the center of my chest. Pinning me with deadly serious eyes, she shook her head no, very clearly warning me to back off. I was breathing hard, my body screaming at me to defend her, but though it took every ounce of self-control I could muster, I did as she requested and lowered my hand to my side. However, that didn't mean I would remain silent.

"She's not faking it, asshole," I spat, stepping forward until I was just inches away from his face. I was pretty sure I spit on him, but I didn't fucking care. "She's deaf, not blind," I continued, reminding him of a simple fact that Bella had reminded me of only weeks before. "She could see your fucking hands. It's a little thing called peripheral vision."

The idiot frat boy narrowed his eyes at me for a moment before his mouth twisted up into a sneer. He was ready to fight too, but his friends who had been laughing only moments before were now looking on at us nervously. One of them slapped their hand on his shoulder.

"C'mon man, you had your fun. Just walk away," he encouraged, a nervous edge to his voice. He obviously didn't want to get into any sort of trouble.

"I think you should listen to your friend," I warned lowly, the tone of my voice making the seriousness of my statement clear. But the arrogant boy completely disregarded me, sneering again and shrugging off his friend. His eyes met mine in challenge and his stone-hearted stare made my blood run cold. Whoever this guy was, he was a sick fuck. I saw it in the way his eyes flitted in Bella's direction, slowly raking up and down her body, leering at her as he memorized her every curve. Then he looked back at me, and in a surprise move that caught me completely off guard, he slowly backed away. Before I knew it, he and his friends had slipped into the crowd. I exhaled loudly, my chest still heaving and my hands still fisted tightly by my side. Bella noted my distress and started rubbing soothing circles in the center of my chest. I had forgotten her hand was there, but was grateful for the comfort in now provided.

"Sorry," I murmured, looking down into her worried, brown eyes. I hadn't meant to get so worked up, but there was no way I could sit by and let that asshole treat Bella that way. I think Bella understood, because she continued to comfort me, her hands trailing down my stomach and across to my side where she covered both of my tightly fisted hands with hers, gently kneading my knuckles until I slowly started to relax. When my fingers melted into Bella's, weaving together with hers, she squeezed them once before letting go.

*Don't ever apologize for defending me,* she signed as I let my forehead drop against hers. I held it there for a moment, breathing her in before signing back.

I can't believe he did that.

*These things happen more often than you think,* Bella signed with a sad sigh. *Clapping your hands by a deaf person's ears is the oldest joke in the book. People think it's funny. They think that if they get a reaction from you, it proves a person's not deaf. But you have to pick and choose your fights, Edward, and believe me, those boys were not worth your time,* Bella told me through a combination of signs and finger-spelling.

Maybe not, but it doesn't make what they did, right. You shouldn't have to put up with that. It's not fair for people to treat you that way, I replied.

Bella sighed, gently reaching out to squeeze my hand before pulling hers away.

*Remember, Edward. You're the exception, not the rule,* she signed, her eyes drawn and serious, and as much as I wanted her to be wrong, I knew she was right. Granted, most people weren't assholes like that boy, but I was certain that Bella had put up with more than her fair share of teasing throughout the years. The thought simultaneously made my blood boil and my heart constrict in my chest, and I realized I was starting to feel way more for Bella than I was willing to admit. I was falling hard for a girl I had never even kissed.

Suddenly, I just wanted to get the hell out of there. I wanted to take Bella home, and possibly even kiss her, ending the night in a much better mood than I was in right now.

Are you ready? I asked.

*To go home?*

Yeah. Let's get out of here.

I didn't have to ask Bella twice. She nodded at me, her eyes flickering to my hand before returning to my face. Without even giving her a chance to think about it, I took her hand in mine. I was scanning the dance floor, hoping to catch a glimpse of Emmett to let him know we were leaving when the fucking bastard frat boy had the nerve to approach us again. Bella noticeably stiffened, and I pulled her slightly behind me, hell bent on keeping her away from this prick. I would be damned if I would let him say something else to her.

"What the fuck do you want, asshole," I hissed when he was standing before me.

Sensing my anger, Bella stepped forward again. Pulling her hand from mine she signed, *Let's just leave. Walk around him. He's not worth it, Edward.*

I gritted my teeth. I knew Bella was right, but it was hard for me to ignore someone who was obviously trying to instigate me. It was also hard for me to ignore the pleading look in Bella's eyes, so I took a deep breath, signing okay and reaching out to take her hand again.

That's when the asshole spoke.

"Aw look," he slurred, sounding even drunker than he did before. "The pussy has to play a game of Guesstures in order to communicate with his girlfriend. How pathetic is that?"

I wasn't sure whether or not he said anything more, and it really didn't fucking matter. One moment I was standing beside Bella, her hand locked tightly in mine, and the next my fist was connecting with the asshole's face. I heard the sickening crack of bone, and I was pretty sure I'd broken his nose with my first hit, but I didn't fucking care. I laid into him again, hooking my right fist up and under his jaw while simultaneously ducking to avoid his sloppy throw. I continued to hit him, not really thinking about what I was doing, although somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew what I was doing wasn't right. This guy hadn't attacked me... at least not physically. But he'd verbally attacked Bella twice and that was enough for me.

Somewhere in the midst of the chaos, I registered voices yelling and screaming, pleading with the two of us to calm the fuck down. Hands groped and grabbed, trying to pry us apart, but it was no use. We continued to fight, and suddenly, I became aware of a throbbing pain in my left eye. I realized with a bit of surprise that the asshole had gotten in a good hit. I stumbled backward as he hit me again, this time with a half-filled bottle of beer. The bottle connected with the side of my face, and I cried out in pain as jagged glass cut deep into my skin. Someone shrieked from somewhere beside me, begging us to stop, but I refused. Nobody was going to treat Bella like that; I would make sure of it. I screwed back my arm and was about to hit the guy in the gut when a voice rang out above all the rest. A voice I had never heard before but one I recognized nonetheless.

"Edward, no!"

I was stunned - frozen in place and unable to move. She had spoken... Bella had actually spoken my name. My eyes shot to the side, searching for her face, but I couldn't find her in the sea of people that surrounded me. Then, catching me completely off guard, two sets of hands landed squarely on my shoulders, yanking me backwards. Emmett pulled my roughly against his chest and bent to yell in my ear. His voice was deep and panicked and I knew immediately we were in trouble.

"We have to get the fuck out of here now, Edward. The cops are on the way."

Endnotes:

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