A/N: I wasn't going to update until tomorrow, but I've hit a bit of a rough patch with chapter 14, and thought that your reviews may help me find inspiration again. I took my Swine flu shot today, and now my arm really hurts. I hope I don't get sick, I'm celebrating one of my friend's 18th birthday tomorrow. Enough about me and my rambling, on with the show. And don't forget to review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

The Air I Breathe

Chapter 13

Hanging out with Angela was great, and I felt a bit bad for having neglected her. I knew she wasn't alone though, she spent a lot of time with her boyfriend, Ben Cheney. The mall at Port Angeles was a bit small, and not exactly in the best condition. Still, it filled its purpose when you wanted to go shopping.

"Do you have anymore presents to buy?" Angela asked, picking up the bags containing her brothers presents.

"Yeah, I have to buy for Carlisle and Edward. I'm giving Alice and Esme framed pictures of the three of us."

"Sounds good. Any idea what you're giving Carlisle and Edward?"

I sighed. "Carlisle, yes. Edward, no idea." It needed to be something personal, yet not too personal. There was a very fine line that I had to thread.

"Okay, so why don't you buy Carlisle's present first, and think about Edward's for a while?"

"That sounds good. Then I really want to grab some lunch, I'm starving."

While picking out a beautiful light blue cashmere scarf for Carlisle, I pondered on what to give Edward. I finally asked Angela if we could go to the only music store in the mall. I looked around, careful not to bump into anything. With my luck I'd probably knock over a drum kit or something.

"Would you like some help?" I looked up from the sheet music I'd been looking at to see a man in his fifties standing there, the name-tag on his chest identifying him as Harry.

"Yes, please. I'm trying to find a Christmas present for someone."

He winked. "A boyfriend, maybe?"

I looked over my shoulder, and when I saw that Angela was on the other side of the store, I nodded. "Yes, for my boyfriend. He plays the piano, so I was thinking about giving him some sheet music."

Harry showed me a large variety, and I was at a loss. I didn't know anything about sheet music. Finally, I decided on a bound composer book in dark brown leather.

"For only twenty dollars extra, you can get a name engraved on the front."

I nodded enthusiastically. "That'd be great."

I paid for the book, and gave him a note with Edward's name on it. We left the store with instructions to come back in an hour.

"Let's grab some lunch then," Angela suggested.

Sitting down at the food court was a blessing on my feet, although this was nothing compared to Alice's shopping trips.

"So what are you doing for Christmas?" I asked Angela, cutting a small piece of out my burger and eating it. I could feel my stomach revolt, but I forced it down anyway.

"Just handing out with my family. Tomorrow night me and Ben are going out for dinner." I could almost see the little hearts flying out of her eyes, and I smiled.

"I'm happy for you."

"What about you? Doing anything fun?"

"Well, I'm going to Seattle tomorrow. Alice invited me and Edward to her parents Christmas party. Other than that I'm not really doing anything." Except hopefully Edward.

"So, what's Edward like?" Angela asked, curiosity radiating from every pore on her face.

Shit. How was I going to answer this without raising suspicion to myself? I started off with a shrug. "He's okay, I guess. I don't really see him during the days, he spends most of his time in the music room, playing piano."

"But there's no trouble?" she looked worried.

I shook my head. "None. He's a real nice guy."

Soon, the hour was up, and I went to pick up the composer book for Edward. I even had it giftwrapped, in shiny blue paper. I was anxious to go home to Edward, but Angela wanted to do some more shopping, so I kept my mouth shut.

"That looks really good on you," I said as Angela twirled in front of the mirror in a lilac dress.

"You really think so?"

I nodded. "Absolutely. You should wear that at the dinner with Ben."

As Angela went to pay for it, I looked through the store half-heartedly. When I came to the underwear section, my face turned red. Then I thought about it for a second. Edward and I were going to have sex. Preferably sometime this week, or else I'd attack him. All my underwear were so innocent, and childish. Underwear was the one thing I had forbidden Alice to buy for me, and now I had to pay for that mistake. My face still a bit red, I looked through the different selections, each one skimpier than the last one. Then I saw one that looked perfect. Not bothering to try the pieces on, just checking the size, I walked hurriedly to the cashier.

My face was still slightly red as we started on the car ride home, and didn't go away until I stepped out of the car on my driveway. There were lights on in nearly every room, and it made me warm inside when it reminded me of what was waiting for me inside the door. I waved goodbye to Angela, and then tried hard not to skip up the steps to the door.

The moment I stepped inside I was overcome with the feeling of home. I had barely put down the bags before Edward came to greet me. He had changed clothes, into a grey shirt and jeans that looked sinfully good on him.

"Hey," he grinned as he came to a stop in front of me.

"Hey," I smiled back. I didn't resist the urge to throw myself into his arms, and he caught me willingly. I kissed him shortly. "Is it really cheesy to say that I missed you today?"

Edward chuckled, and kissed my forehead. "No. I feel the same way." He set me down on his feet. "I hope you're hungry, I made dinner. Why don't you go up with the bags? Dinner'll be ready in ten."

I nodded, and gathered the bags in my hands before walking upstairs. I hid both bags in my closet, and then glanced over to my bed. It was still unmade, reminding me of this morning. Once again, I blushed. Then I remembered that I only had ten minutes, and I nearly ran into the bathroom. Running a brush to my hair to smooth it out, and dabbing some cold water onto my face to ease the redness, I soon found that my ten minutes were up.

I walked slowly downstairs, the last thing I needed now was to fall and break a leg. When I came to the dining room, I gasped. There were candles placed out in the room, and on the table stood a vase of red roses. I looked over my shoulder to see Edward standing there, leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest.

That crooked grin was on his face, and his eyes were dark in the candlelight. "Welcome home." I blushed, not being able to form a coherent answer. Edward pushed himself of the doorframe and came towards me. When he reached me he cupped my face in his hands and gave me a long kiss. I pressed my body against his, my hands on his hips. Edward pulled away first, and leaned his forehead against mine. "Let's eat, shall we?" He lead me to the table, and pulled out the chair for me. I offered him a smile, and watched as he sat down next to me.

"It's smells wonderful," I complimented him. "What is it?"

"Fettucini Alfredo. I seem to recall that you liked pasta?"

I smiled and nodded, glad he had remembered. "I do. Thank you, so much."

A chuckle, and a gleam in his green eyes. "Don't thank me yet, you haven't even tried it."

I let out a small chuckle, and reached out to take some food. I only put up a small portion on my plate, I knew that my stomach wouldn't be able to handle anything else. Then I realized that Edward didn't know, and that I'd have to tell him.

"Aren't you hungry?" Edward asked, and I looked up at him. Worry were etched on his face, and a tiny bit of hurt. Crap.

"I am," I reassured him. "It's just..." I trailed off, not knowing how to continue. I decided then that a direct approach was best. "I suffered from bulimia for three years, and my stomach can't really handle big portions of food."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

I reached out to touch his hand. "You couldn't have known, since I didn't tell you. It's okay though, I'm mostly recovered."

He looked thoughful for a moment. "On Thanksgiving, you didn't really have a stomach ache, did you?"

I shook my head. "That was my first relapse in over six months, and I haven't thrown up since." I squeezed his hand. "Let's talk about something else, okay? I don't want to spoil dinner with all this sad talk."

While ate, we talked about everything between heaven and earth. Edward told me what it was like at Julliard, where he had gone to college, and about his life in Chicago with his birth parents. I found myself becoming more and more drawn to him the more I found out. He was an amazing person. After dinner, Edward told me to go upstairs while he put away the dishes. I tried to argue with him, but he shut me up with a kiss that left me breathless.

I went upstairs, and got changed for bed. I was ready to slip under the covers when I glanced at the clock and saw that it was only little after eight. I was confused. Why would he tell me to go upstairs when it was so early? Then it dawned on me, and I felt my cheeks flush. I heard Edward coming up the stairs, and suddenly found myself very nervous. I felt his presence behind me, and his hands around my waist. He moved my hair out of the way and kissed that sensitive spot right below my ear that made me a puddle in his hands. He turned me around in his arms, and looked down at me with an intense stare.

"Bella," his voice was low, like liquid velvet. "I've tried to be a gentleman and give you what you deserve, but I can't stand to wait any longer."

Enter buckling knees. I was glad he was holding me up. I opened and closed my mouth a few times before I found the words. "I don't want to wait any longer either."

Crooked grin, eyes bright. "Tell me what you want, Bella."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me. "Make love to me Edward."

With no words, he pressed his lips against mine. I found myself being pushed backwards towards my bed while his tongue battled with mine. My hands slid down from his neck, down over his chest and stomach and settled on his hips. I grasped the hem of his t-shirt and tugged it upwards, showing him that I wanted it off. He complied, letting go of my waist and lifting his arms over his head. He helped pull the t-shirt off him, and then threw it on the floor. I pushed myself away from him a bit, admiring his physique. Pale smooth skin, defined abs and a trail of bronze hair that disappeared underneath his jeans. He could really put Adonis to shame. Still feeling a bit shy, I placed my hands on his pecks. His skin was warm beneath my palms, and I could hear his heartbeat. It sounded as erratic as mine.

My eyes followed my hands as they slid down over his stomach. His muscles clenched as my fingers brushed across them. A low hiss left his mouth, and he covered my hands with his, stilling my movements. My eyes found his, and I almost gasped at the desire I saw in them.

"You're beautiful," I mumbled, reaching my hands around to his back to press him to me again. Edward's lips found the hollow of my throat, and started lavishing all his attention there. My legs felt like jello, and I clutched his skin tightly. Embarrassingly loud noises left my throat, but in the midst of everything I couldn't bring myself to care. I felt his hands sliding up my sides, bunching the fabric of my tank top. I wanted to feel his skin on mine, so I stepped back and crossed my arms in front of me, pulling my tank top over my head and throwing it away.

I suddenly felt conscious at the way Edward was looking at my naked upper body, and I started to cross my arms over my chest, but Edward's hand on mine stopped me.

"Don't cover yourself. You're beautiful." He pulled my arms down to my sides, and then stepped in closer. His lips met mine, and he wrapped his arms around my back. The skin on skin contact made me tingle, and I could feel my nipples getting hard against his chest.

Our kisses were gentle and languid; we didn't have a reason for rushing. As his tongue started to trace mine a soft moan tore from my throat, and my fingers clutched his hair a little tighter. He started to push me towards the bed again, and I complied. The back of my knees hit the bed, and I sat down, pulling him with me. I felt brave, so I reached for the button on his jeans. My hands were shaking, so Edward took over, removing his jeans and discarding them on the floor. He was now only clad in grey boxers, and I felt my cheeks turn red. Granted, I'd seen him naked before, but I was drunk, and it was dark. I could hardly remember anything. I crawled up the bed, Edward following, hovering over me. He settled himself in between my parted thighs, and gripped my waist. A moan left my throat when he pulled back so that he could pull my shorts down my legs. I was laying before him in only blue cotton panties, and I could feel my blush spread to my entire body.

"Beautiful," Edward said softly, and laid on top of me again. Now, only two layers of fabric separated us from each other, and I could feel the heat from his body. A moan let my mouth when his mouth latched on to my left nipple. My fingers clutched his hair as his mouth lavished the hardened nub, and I groaned when he bit it gently. I arched my back into his mouth, and clenched him tighter to my chest. He kissed his way over to my other breast, giving my other nipple the same treatment.

Just when I was about to go mad with lust for him, his mouth left my breast, and instead kissed a trail down my ribcage. My knees fell apart more, allowing him to settle in between them as he kissed my right hipbone. His fingers hooked into the sides of my underwear, and pulled them down my legs before throwing them on the floor. His mouth dove right in, sucking on my clit. I gave a small shout, my hips flying up into his mouth. The feelings were almost too much to handle. I concentrated on my breathing, feeling with every breath that I couldn't get enough air into my lungs. Then I felt a finger probe my entrance, and a cry left my lips as it entered me, pumping softly. Edward's tongue was still on my clit, and then he added a second finger. I thought I would explode from all the pleasure, and that was until he curled his fingers inside of me, making a 'come hither' motion. Before I knew it, I came all over his mouth and fingers. While I lay there panting, coming down from my high, Edward crawled up my body, a Cheshire grin on his lips.

A inane giggle left my mouth, and I grabbed Edward's face in my hands and pressed my mouth to his. He groaned into my mouth, and I pushed my tongue against his willingly. I made an impatient noise in the back of my throat, and tugged on his boxers, signaling that I wanted them off. It took only mere seconds for him to pull them off, and then he looked at me with a tender look in his eyes.

"Are you sure about this?"

I nodded, and stroked a piece of hair back from his forehead. "I'm sure. I need you."

Edward reached out to the bedside table and grabbed a condom, tearing the paper with his teeth before rolling it onto himself. I could feel him at my entrance, and I started to get nervous again. But I wanted this. So much.

"Tell me if it hurts, okay?" Edward asked, and I nodded, my hands around his neck. He crushed his mouth to mine, tongues battling, and then I felt him enter me. I felt pressure, and tore my mouth away from his to let out a pained whimper, my teeth sunk into my lower lip. Edward stopped moving, glancing down at me with worry.

"Do you want me to stop?"

I shook my head. "No, keep going, just slow."

Hesitantly Edward started to move again, until he was completely sheathed inside of me. Now the slight pain was gone, and was replaced with a wonderful feeling of pleasure. I did an experimental roll of my hips, and bit my lip harder to keep from crying out. This was a sign to Edward that I was okay, and I stroked his face.

He started to move in a slow rhythm, his face buried in my neck and I could feel his every breath. I rolled my hips up to meet his, and a moan left my mouth. Edward lifted his head from my shoulder and rested his forehead against mine, his eyes locking with mine. I kissed his lips softly, breathing heavily through my mouth.

"Harder," I moaned, and a whimper left my mouth as he drove into me harder. Our lips met, and he removed my hands from around his neck and pushed them together above my head, his fingers lacing together with mine. Small growls were leaving his mouth, the sexiest sound I've ever heard.

I don't know how long it was until I started to feel the coil in my stomach. It could have been minutes, hours, days. All I knew was that I needed him to hold me tighter, push into me harder, and never let me go. I raised my legs higher up on his hips, and felt his pelvic bone hit my clit with every stroke. I cried out loudly as I came. Edward drove into me hard three more times, before spilling himself inside the condom, a growl leaving his throat.

Then he stilled. And I stilled. I could hear the wind outside, the slight creaking of the trees outside and the deep breaths that left out chest. A shudder went through me, I was starting to cool down and we didn't have the cover over us. Edward pulled out of me, and removed the condom, walking buck naked to my trashcan and disposing it. As he walked back to the bed I blushed, seeing him naked for the first time. Edward crawled down next to me and pulled the cover over us. He laid on his side, his head popped up on his elbow, watching me. I blushed under his scrutinizing gaze, and rolled over to my stomach, my face in his direction.

Neither one of us said anything for a while, Edward's hand just stroked up and down my back, causing shivers to run through me. His stare was starting to make me uncomfortable, and I struggled to find something to say. What do one say in a situation like this? I had no idea. I cleared my throat a bit, and tried to say something fitting.

"That was nice."

The hand that was stroking my back stopped, Edward was silent for a few seconds, and then he broke out in a quiet laugh. "'That was nice'? Bella, your pillowtalk is terrible."

I blushed, burying my face in the pillow for a second before looking up at him again. "Well I haven't had any practice, have I?"

Edward chuckled again, and started stroking my back again. "We'll, we're going to have to change that, won't we?"

I smiled, and scooted closer to him. He brushed the hair of my naked shoulder and reached down to kiss my lips softly. We broke apart, and I stifled a yawn. "Goodnight Edward,"

He kissed me again. "Goodnight Bella."

I rolled over on my side, my back against him and my body curling with his. His steady breathing in my ear and arm around my waist soon lulled me into sleep.

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