Mine: A human love of my life (my fiancé,) a dog love of my life (a dapper basset hound), and a fictional love of my life (hellllo Edward. Minus that whole vampire bit.)

Not mine: Stephenie Meyer and her work, although I would like her MUSE connections.

Advanced warning: Not as much lemon as maybe artificial lemon-y sweetener. Don't throw stuff at me, please!


BPOV:

Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.

Edward had carefully carried me up the stairs and gently laid me on his bed. I was drowning in anticipation.

Before I could yank him down to my level, though, he was halfway across the room, digging something out of a bag. My curiosity should have been piqued, but instead I was just groaning internally. Edward + anticipation (-) being in bed = not fun.

He said "AHA!" to himself and pulled an iPod touch from the mystery bag.
Was he abandoning me for some Sudoku or something?

"Sometime Around Midnight" began to emanate from the iPod, and my mood transformed instantaneously.

"This is my favorite song," I whispered, a gigantic, goofy smile splayed across my face.

"I know," he whispered as he leaned down to the bed.

"Edward," I whispered, running my hands through his hair before raising myself to my knees so I could wrap my arms around his neck. "You don't know how much you mean to me,"

I pressed my lips against his neck and hugged him tightly.

"If it's anywhere near how much I care about you, I can imagine," he said, massaging my hips.

He scooped me up and laid me flat on my back, kissing the length of my body as he did so.

The song ended, and "Fade into You" began.

I looked at him, smiling knowingly. "I made a Bella playlist," he admitted.

I lightly grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him onto the bed with me.

As his body formed to mine, I lifted the bottom of his t-shirt in an attempt to gracefully take it off.

Of course it didn't happen as gracefully as I imagined, with his head getting stuck in the neck of the shirt. But the end result, a shirtless Edward, was all the same.

Unsurprisingly, his removal of my shirt was deft. The quick removal of my pants even moreso. One tiny, insignificant piece of lingerie was between our skin.

From above me, Edward stood on his knees and slowly eyed my entire body.

"Embarrassing!" I whispered, pulling him back against me.

"You should never be embarrassed," he murmured against my ear. "You're the most beautiful girl in the world."

And with that, all bets were off.

From his position perched precariously atop my body, he leaned over the side of the bed and quickly grabbed his wallet from the floor. Quicker than I knew it, he rolled a condom on.

I grasped at my bra, not wanting anything to be between us. I found myself grunting in frustration; for someone who did the whole bra-removal thing every single day, I wasn't very adept at it.

Edward's hands replaced my own, and the bra found its resting place on the floor amidst the pile of the rest of our clothes.

The next hour or so was all a blur. Kissing, touching, softly rocking, sweat, moans, but most of all, sheer happiness.

"Bella," Edward moaned lowly against my mouth, his pace quickening as he deepened his movements. "I'm going to-"

Before he could finish on either account, I lost control.

My fingernails sunk into his back, my legs wrapped around his, and I yelled his name- a little too loudly. Edward's mouth pressed hard against mine, and I felt him moan as he rocked forward one last time. He pushed my long bangs to the side of my face, brought his nose down to my own and rubbed them together.

"Thank you," I said, slightly out of breath. Who does that!?

"Thank you, more than you know," he returned, smoothly re-positioning himself so he laid on his side beside me.

That night I did what I had wanted to do since the night I had met him; I fell asleep in Edward Cullen's arms.

********

I woke up slightly dazed the next morning. Not wanting to wake up, I reached down to pull up the sheet. When I didn't find it I gave in and looked, only to find it crumpled to a ball below my feet. When had I put a shirt on?

I heard a chuckle from behind me, and I quickly turned around. Edward had positioned himself against the corner of the wall from his spot in the bed.

"Ah, funny, is it?"
My mind was quickly searching for a good retort until I noticed that he was shirtless… then it just sort of buzzed about how beautiful he was.

"You are a blanket hog," he teased, climbing over to me.

"Never!" My face and voice indicated that his accusation was ridiculous, but both of us knew it was true.

"Lucky for us I find you much more attractive than any sheets or blankets."

Smooth.

"What time is it?" I gulped, trying to shut off my brain. I had a feeling that not jumping Edward every time I saw him was going to be difficult.

"Eleven o'clock."

"….Edward…"

My cheeks were on fire. I should have thought of this sooner.

"…What is your family going to say about me staying the night in your room?"

He smiled.

"Alice has already texted me about fifty times this morning," he laughed. "I've ignored every one. I'm a little surprised that she hasn't busted in here, yet."

"Hence the shirt?" I asked, pulling the front of it away from me so I could get a better look. "Oh, Weezer, sweet!"

He tousled my hair and kissed my temple.

"I think that you should get a shower, and that I should go down and do some damage control with Alice."

"I am not going to argue with you about that, thank you!"

"Up you go," he gently pulled me up from his bed. "I need to steal you girl shampoo," he said with almost a thought bubble forming above his head.

"I left my bag in the guest bedroom on the second floor," I told him.

"The one by Alice's room?" he asked.

"Godspeed, sir," I nodded. He saluted me and quietly opened and shut the door.

I sat back on the bed, knowing that if he ran into Alice that it could be noon before I got my things.

Surprisingly, though, he was back only a minute later, bag in tow.

"Think of me," he teased as he grabbed some towels from the linen closet in the bathroom adjoining his room and sat them on the sink.

"Why aren't you getting in with me?" I said with a pout.

"Because I showered around 8:00 this morning," he laughed. "I know princesses need their beauty sleep."

Even if it was at my expense, it made me really happy to see Edward laughing and smiling again. I knew that from last night on, I'd do everything in my power to make sure he was never without a smile again.

"I hope Alice eats you alive!" I stuck my tongue out at him as I pulled my toiletries from my bag.

"She very well may," he said as he turned to exit the bathroom. "I'll give you some privacy, I'll see you in a little bit," he said, shutting the door.

"Hey!"

"Yes?" he poked his head back in.

"You forgot something!"

"What?"

"This!"

I leaned forward and kissed him.

"I'll never forget again," he said with a wink.


EPOV:

God, did I want to shower with Bella.

I figured that there was no point in prolonging the inevitable, though, so I descended the stairs to meet my fate.

I expected to hear voices as I made my way to the landing of the first floor, but they never came. Where is everybody? I wondered. Dad was working, but Alice, Jasper and mom should be around.

As I made my way toward the kitchen, I heard voices muffled by the glass of the back door.

Not allowing myself to think, I opened the door and stepped outside.

"Edward, you're up!" My mom excitedly threw her arms around my neck.

"It's about tiiiiimmmmmeeee," Alice narrowed her eyes and smiled as she drew out her words.

"Sleep well?" Jasper drawled.

Oh, they were funny, alright.

"I'm going to put it out there. Bella and I are together now," I began. "You can make jokes to me all you want, but please don't say anything to her."

"Why would we make jokes?" Mom looked shocked.

"Edward, seriously… between you and Bella, we choose Bella," Alice stuck out her tongue at me.

"We were just talking about how wonderful she is," mom added.
"Don't forget you have an appointment with Dr. Bain at 4, you can take my car and show Bella the city if you'd like."

Wow. This was too easy.

"Okay… would anyone else like some breakfast?" I proceeded cautiously.

Esme and Alice resumed the conversation they were having prior to my arrival at the same time, so I took that as a no. I quickly surveyed the cabinets, trying to decide what to make Bella.

Chocolate chip pancakes it was.

My wardrobe, stuffed into a bag by Alice on D-Day, was composed largely of clothes that were too Alice for me to wear. I had changed into my favorite pair of dark denim jeans and a vintage t-shirt I found in my dresser, but I really didn't want to get them dirty. I opened one of the tall cabinet doors and pulled on a cheesy "Kiss the Cook!" apron.

Mid-mixing the batter, Alice quietly padded in the door, poking me in the ribs before I realized she was inside.

"AH! Edward," she squealed in excitement. "Nice apron!"

I knew it was coming. It was just all about timing.

"You! Bella! Together! Wait, together together? Or just one night together? Your mood is too good for that, you're together together! I'm so excited!!!"

"Breathe, Alice. Here, put your energy to better use." I handed her the bowl and the spoon as I turned to see what sort of beverages mom had in the fridge.

"Aren't you excited?!" Alice asked, a sad look on her face.

I had to laugh.

"Just because I'm not doing cartwheels doesn't mean that I'm not more excited than even YOU, Alice."

I heard footsteps coming down the steps from upstairs, and my breath caught in my chest.
Like it did every time I was around Bella.

"Alice, please don't make this awkward," I pleaded.

"Whatever are you talking about?" she asked with a wink.

Before Bella could fully make her way into the kitchen, Alice ran full-speed at her and nearly tackled her in a hug.

Per usual.

"Good morning, Bella," I said with a wink. When did I become such a winking guy?

"Good morning," she replied, Alice still clutching her tightly. She gave me a questioning look and pointed to Alice.

"Alice, down girl!" I joked.

"Bella, really, I would've hoped that you would choose a man with a better sense of humor," she retorted, finally letting go of Bella.

"I'm glad you're both down here, together, though," she began with a smile. Sly, pixie.

"Because Jasper and I have a cab coming to take us to the airport at 1:30. Sorry I didn't get to show you around, Bella, but I think Edward can do a pretty good job."

"Bella, be glad that her time here is short, otherwise you'd find yourself at Easton for 12 hours. I know from experience."

It was easy to forget that Bella was from a world away from Columbus, a fact I was reminded of when she squinted her eyes at the reference to Easton.

"Oh, I'm so sad you won't get to see Easton!" Alice blurted.

"Easton is an outdoor mall-" I began, only to be cut off by Alice.

"Give it proper credit! It's the best place to shop in Ohio, if you're looking for commercial stuff."

"Anyways, I won't subject you to that. We're going to see the cool stuff," I said as I flipped the first pancake.

Alice began setting the table, getting Bella a drink and inviting her to sit down.

"So, have you decided when you're coming back to New York, yet?" Alice asked Bella, eyelashes batting.

"Um… well, I haven't really decided yet," Bella said, biting her lip and beginning to blush a violent red.

"Who wants a pancake?" I asked.

"ME!" Bella spat out, shooting me a thankful glance for the distraction from Alice's inquisitions. "These look so good! I like your apron, cook," she said as she stretched to kiss me.

"If you guys weren't so perfect together, I'd really want to puke," Alice said as she thumbed through a catalog left on the table.

"Your face makes me want to puke!"

Okay, so maybe my hormones and being back home again transformed me back into a teenage boy. I earned a laugh from Bella, though, and that was all that mattered.

***

After we ate, the cab arrived a few minutes early to pick up Alice and Jasper. I promised to call Al after my appointment, and began thinking of the places that I wanted to show Bella.

Dr. Bain's office was in the stylish Short North section of town. I decided to show her the trendy Short North shops which might interest her, as well as a few places on the OSU campus, only a mile north on High Street.

"Are you ready for an adventure?" I asked her as we climbed into our borrowed Mazda 6.

I forgot that this was the first time Bella had been in a car with me behind the wheel, and I forgot to warn her about my driving style; fast, aggressive, all over the place. Although I'd never driven in New York, I feel like my style was very much like that which you have to employ to stay alive in Manhattan traffic.

Bella, however, just looked like she felt sick.

When she bent over and rested her head on her knees, I got the picture and slowed down considerably.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "If it makes you feel any better, you're going to love the first place I'm taking you."

"As long as I can throw up between the leaving the car and arriving wherever it is, I'm golden," she replied, head still on lap.

I stroked her hair as I pulled into the parking garage on 9th Avenue.

She sluggishly rose as I opened my door. "Do you need me to carry you?" I asked with a mischievous smile.

"No, I can walk." She began. "But the ride home? I'm driving!"

I laughed out loud. No chance.

We made our way to High Street and headed north. As soon as Bella saw the building in the distance, she started squealing and jumping up and down.

"A record store?! I almost forgive you!" she screamed, gently punching my arm.

Singing Dog was one of the best record stores in Columbus, and I knew that Bella would love it.

Once we were inside, I realized that I may have underestimated the amount of time she would want to spend in the store. An hour after we got there, she was only in the "D" section of vinyl. "Look! Dusty Springfield!"

"Do you even like Dusty Springfield?"

"Well…Not particularly, but do you know how rare this is?"

The addition of Bella to my life meant that I'd never be without laughter.

As I eyed the clock, I realized that the hour of my appointment had crept up on me sooner than I had realized. I knew that Bella was having a great time, and from the armful of records she had placed on the checkout counter, I knew she'd be entertained for another two hours minimum. I asked her if she would rather stay at the store than sit around in the Short North waiting for my appointment to end.

"No… I should come with you," she said, still holding onto the Dusty Springfield album she had stopped on. I could tell she was only being polite.

"I insist," I kissed her forehead and pushed her back towards the records. "Go be at one with your vinyl."

I stopped at the cash register and gave the clerk my credit card just in case Bella finished before I returned from my appointment. Of course she would throw a fit, but we were in my city.

****

It had been years since I had sat in Dr. Bain's office, but as soon as I returned I found that I preferred my absence.

"Edward Cullen, my, my!" I heard as I stepped into the waiting room.

"Tanya, hi…." I drew out slowly, cursing up a storm in my mind.

She WOULD still work here. Tanya had graduated from high school with me, and immediately found a job in Dr. Bain's office as a receptionist. In addition, she had a complete lack of morals and an overabundance of feelings for me. I could only imagine how often she combed through my files.

"So, Eddie, it's been a while since we've had the pleasure of seeing each other," she purred, stroking my arm as I reached for the sign-in clipboard.

"Ah… yes, it has," I said quickly, trying to pull away as quickly as possible.

"What's new? I'm so glad you're back. Want to get a drink tonight?"

She was relentless.

"TANYA!" A voice boomed from the back of the office.

"We'll talk about it when you get out," she promised with a wink as she made her way towards the sound of the voice.

In her absence, Angela, another receptionist, ushered me back to see Dr. Bain.

His door was open, and I was filled with dread.

"Hello, doctor," I said as I sat down in the seat where I'd spent a good portion of my junior year.

"Edward, hello, how nice to see you again," he extended his hand, shaking mine firmly.

"So, let's talk about what's been troubling you."

I spent the next thirty minutes describing the events of the past week as well as my past four years in the city to him. He furiously jotted down notes and frequently made reassuring sounds. It. Drove. Me. Crazy.

"Mmm," he concluded once I stopped talking.

"Edward, what kind of treatment are you ideally looking for?" he asked.

"I would prefer not to be medicated, if possible."

"Let's talk about your options," he began.

*****

Before I knew it, I was walking into Singing Dog to pick up Bella and her bounty of records.

I saw her from the street, leaning against the counter and moving her hands in an effort to explain something to the clerk.

"I know they're not good!" she was saying as I entered the store.

"Then why do you like them?" the clerk asked.

"Because everyone needs a guilty pleasure. Because you need something to dance around to when you're having a bad day. Because even the coolest people can't be cool all the time," she was arguing.

I snuck up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Hi," I whispered, abstaining from PDA against my wishes.

"Hi!" she exclaimed brightly. "This is Brad!" she introduced us. "Brad hates Fall Out Boy."

"Well, Brad, then it sounds like you're a friend of mine," I winked at Bella.

Brad laughed as he bagged up the massive stack of music Bella had purchased. I saw that she had made her way through the CDs in my absence.

"Just need your signature, sir," Brad said as he handed Bella the first of several bags.

"HEY! He's not paying! I am!"

"Too late!" I signed the receipt and grabbed two of the bags.

"EDWARD."

"Thank you for your help, Brad," I said as we turned to leave.

"Nice meeting you, I hope I can come back and talk music some more!" Bella had never met a stranger in her life.

"Absolutely! And I'll look out for your writing online," Brad replied.

"I love Columbus!" Bella sighed as she stepped out the door.

The ride home was pretty uneventful. I filled Bella in on the decisions I had made with Dr. Bain; as I discussed with Carlisle, I would be seeing a Cognitive Behavioral therapist once we got back to New York. The doctor had given me some pamphlets regarding breathing techniques and methods to bring myself down when I started feeling particularly stressed.

"I'm so glad to hear that," Bella told me as she squeezed my hand resting on the console.

During the remainder of the ride we tried to decide what we would do for dinner; it had been a while since I'd been in Columbus, so I wasn't sure if my favorite local restaurants were even still open. I began formulating ideas in my mind as we pulled into my garage.

And then it hit me. I knew exactly where to take her. The question was, how angry would she be when she realized our destination?


Author's Notes:

Hi loves!

Thanks so much for the reviews of last chapter from inside-the-disarray, edward5953, cullengirl08 and FangismyEdward. They were so appreciated!

I'm sorry if anyone is disappointed in the lack of lemon-flavor. I tried, but it was like a spotlight on my awk. I hope my (prudish) attempt at sexy-time was somewhat pleasing?

As always, I trade reviews for sneak peeks! Leave me even a few words and I'll send you a preview of the new chapter before it goes live.

Thanks so much for reading! : )

Title from: Headlights- Some Racing, Some Stopping. (Album)