Disclaimer: I don't own 'Twilght'.
A/N: Thank you to all who have reviewed!
BPOV
I pushed my worries aside and plastered a smile on my face, ready to face the music of a Cullen Christmas.
Jasper pushed the door open and Edward and I followed behind. I could smell delicious aromas coming in the direction of the kitchen, and I could hear Alice bickering with Emmett.
Upon entering the living room, I gasped, along with Edward. He grinned and looked at Alice who was looking at the both of us expectantly. My gaze returned to the large, beautiful Christmas tree and the rest of the decorations around the room, and I shook my head in awe.
"Alice," Edward said, "I think you have outdone yourself."
Alice turned her head to me, grinning.
"Have I made you speechless, Bella?" she asked jovially.
I tried to say something but only a gurgling noise came from my throat. I cleared my throat, embarrassed, and nodded.
"Yay! Well merry Christmas, guys!" Alice jumped up and hugged us. More hugs went around the room and then Esme entered from the kitchen.
"It's so wonderful that you're here with us, Bella. I've never seen Edward so happy and in love. Heck, he hasn't ever brought any girl home before! Thank you, Bella, for being so good for him," Esme said as she gently embraced me, only loud enough for me to hear.
I was shocked by her words. I knew Edward was relatively happy, but this being said coming from someone who has known him all his life surprised me. Was I making such an impact on his life? The thought made me extremely happy, because I knew that he meant everything to me, but I was doubtful that he could reciprocate the magnitude of my feelings for him, for me.
Esme went to hug Edward, who was looking at me curiously over her shoulder. When he caught my eye he raised his eyebrow questioningly, but I shook my head and mouthed 'later'.
Edward came and stood by my side, holding my hand as Esme called out, "Brunch, everyone. I hope you're hungry! There's plenty to eat!"
The brunch was delicious and passed quickly. Everyone just talked about their plans for the next few days, and how they'd been doing at work and what not. Nothing of great importance.
Edward held my hand the whole time, squeezing it every now and then. It was like a reassurance; as if he knew that the deal with Aro was festering on my mind, taunting me with reminders of how little time I had left with Edward.
"Come on, everyone!" Emmett cried out enthusiastically. "Let's open the gifts!"
Most of the family rolled their eyes, the exception was Alice, who joined in by skipping off into the living room where the Christmas tree was situated. Sitting underneath the tree next to the trunk were piles of gifts – then again, this was a big family. Someone must have also already emptied the bag Edward and I had brought.
Edward held my hand, leading me to a sofa on one side of the living room. He sat down on one end, sitting me down next to him and wrapping his arms around my waist. I felt safe, warm and comforted in his arms. It was like I had forgotten all my problems as I got lost in this loving moment.
Alice and Emmett began sorting excitedly through the gifts, Esme standing next to them chuckling at her children and taking photos. I smiled as I took in the entire scene. Carlisle leaned against the doorway, having just entered the room from the kitchen, admiring his happy wife; Jasper was sitting on the other end of our long couch, a content smile on his face. It was as if he was also sensing the emotions in the room and was embracing it, relaxing himself, and spreading this to the others around him.
The presents were opened, thanks interchanged, and I was gloriously happy. Edward sensed my joy – my incredibly large, never-dropping grin probably gave me away... – and squeezed the arm he had resting around my waist, and gave me a kiss on my temple.
Not too long later, we were all lazily lounging around the tree, wrapping paper strewn about the floor. We were all happy, smiling at each other, making small conversation, having occasional banter.
"Oh! I wanted to tell you guys something!" Rose called out, keeping with the jovial mood set. "Emmett and I are pregnant!" she almost squealed.
Everyone gasped, even Edward and I, though ours were kind of fake. We knew this would come to be, but just when she would announce it was unknown.
"Oh my gosh, I'm going to be an auntie!" Alice cried out, flinging herself into the to-be parents. They smiled, accepting congratulations from everyone, hugs all around.
Esme was standing with Carlisle's arms around her waist. She looked so happy, her children all grown up, already having kids. She seemed excited to be a grandmother, even if it was a little while away.
Alice beamed and looked around the room. Her gaze finally zeroed in on me. She smiled sweetly and walked over to me, sitting down next to me and placing one of her hands on my forearms.
"So, Bella..." she trailed off and her words hung around me like a large, dark, ominous cloud. Her expression wasn't exactly one of innocence and I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Alice..." I mimicked her tone exactly.
"I was thinking of heading out to the mall tomorrow," she said, smiling.
I smiled back and placed one of my hands on the hand which was still resting on my forearm. "Well you have fun with that." Then I turned my head away.
I felt Edward's chest rumble as he chuckled, pressing his face in the crook of my neck.
"Aww, Bella, come on. Don't be like that! It'll be fun! Especially after Christmas with all the sales," Alice pleaded, holding tightly onto me.
"Jasper, control your wife, man!" Emmett laughed while Jasper rolled his eyes.
"Alice, why do you really want to go to the sales? We have the money, so it really doesn't matter," Jasper tried to sway his wife.
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Bella, you don't have to go, but you, mister," she said, pointing at her husband, "have just volunteered yourself for a whole day out." Alice obviously ignored Jasper's horrified expression as she continued on. "Now, we'll have to get there early to try to beat the crowds. If they open at four am, then we should get there probably by two or three at the latest—"
"Haha, you just roped yourself into a day of torture!" Emmett laughed at Jasper, before he was rewarded a reprimanding hit.
"Shut up, Emmett! You know, we're going too, right?" Rose snapped.
Esme and Carlisle laughed, shaking their heads as they left the room. Carlisle was lucky that his wife wasn't also planning on joining in on the 'fun'.
Emmett glared at us, having realised we were the only ones in the room not being dragged there.
"That's not fair! Why don't they have to go?!" he pointed at Edward and myself.
"Well if you hadn't realised before, I was trying to get Bella to come initially!" Alice snapped back at Emmett at his whiny childish attitude.
Edward's hand found mine and he intertwined our fingers together. I momentarily forgot the argument, easily getting lost in a bubble with just Edward and me.
He pressed his lips to my cheek and I leaned against him, melting into his embrace. I was snapped out of it by violent shaking.
"So it's settled! You guys are coming too!" Alice said, bouncing next to me. Ah, the source of the disruption.
"Alice," Edward said, "we're certainly not coming early. We'll meet you there later, at a more reasonable hour." He obviously sensed that this was not something we could get out of, so bargained. I could kiss him for getting us that allowance of time...So I kind of did.
**
The rest of the day and evening passed, everyone having enjoyed themselves thoroughly. I was so happy to spend my time with such a loving family.
Edward drove us home in companionable silence, our hands intertwined over the centre console. I observed them in wonder at how they fit together so perfectly. How we fit together so perfectly.
I smiled and dragged my eyes from his perfect, elegant hands to his perfect handsome face. I took in his features again, one part of my brain just memorising every detail about him; about this moment, hoping to never forget this day or any second I spent with him, once it is time to go.
Shaking my head to rid the dreaded thoughts, I noticed him pulling up into the driveway. The rain was not pouring for once. It was too cold, so was replaced by snow. It was heavy and seemed to be building up fast, already creating quite a layer on the windshield, and we'd only been sitting there for oh so long.
Edward was watching me, his full lips turned up into a smile as his emerald eyes twinkled. "Come on, love," he said softly. "There's something I'd like to do."
This sparked my curiosity. I hoped he wasn't going to give me anything else for Christmas. I didn't like it when people spent money on me. Of course, before the Cullens no one else had really spent money on me for a whole century...
Edward opened the door on the passenger side of the car, holding my hand as I steadied myself while getting up. He snow seeped into my socks and shoes, drenching my feet, and making them colder than they initially were. I grimaced. This was why I hated snow.
He chuckled, pulling me inside the warm house over to the sofa. He sat me down and daintily pulled off my socks and shoes, all the while staring into my eyes, as if seeing into the depths of me, looking into my soul. I hoped he could see all the love I held for him in there.
I moaned softly as he began gently massaging my cold, sore feet. I didn't know why they were sore. I hadn't realised that they had been sore until I experienced his massages, the undoing of it all.
I blushed, embarrassed at myself, sure I sounded like some wounded animal. Biting my lip, I huskily said, "As much as I love this, I'm sure this was not what you wanted to show me."
Edward smiled and nodded, a slight flush covering his cheeks. He cleared his throat and grinned, taking my hand and pulling me into the next room.
I had been in this room before, and it was just as beautiful as the other rooms. It held a very comfy armchair and a large bookshelf with many books in it – my initial attraction to the room – but also a beautiful black baby grand piano. I obviously figured that Edward played but I had never got around to asking him to play for me, something I had wanted to hear for so long.
He led me to the seat and sat down, pulling me down next to him. Smiling, he leaned down and gently brushed his lips against mine. I pressed my lips against him harder, tangling my hands in his soft auburn hair, marvelling at the feel of him so close to me. We pulled each other closer, the only sounds were of our accelerated breathing, until I could feel every line of him against me.
Eventually, he pulled away. We both gasped for air. That had been one of the more heated make out sessions that we had, making it all the more special. My lips still tingled from his touch.
"Alright," Edward chuckled lightly, "enough distractions, I wanted to play something for you."
I smiled, watching his fingers hesitantly press on one of the keys before they moved along gracefully, creating the most wonderful melody I had the joy of listening to. I recognised this as the tune that Edward often hummed to me when I drifted off to sleep. I closed my eyes, letting my other senses haze over, the sound seeming sharpened by this act, as I completely absorbed what I was hearing. I was vaguely aware of tears making tracks down my cheeks but I didn't take enough notice of them as I listened. The song was complex and beautiful, unfortunately coming to an end.
I didn't let my eyes open, the last note still hovering poignantly in the silence. They only drifted open when I felt him brush away my tears with his fingers. His eyes looked slightly fearful or worried, as if he was scared I would not like the song.
"That was so beautiful, Edward," I murmured, not breaking the heavy silence hanging around us at the end of his composition. "Did you write that?"
He finally smiled, pleased at my answer. "I'm glad you like it. I wrote it for you, love. You inspired it."
I threw myself at him, covering his face with small butterfly kisses before pulling his lips to mine in a passionate kiss, conveying all my feelings, it holding all the important meaning in it. It was a seal of our love, as corny as that may sound.
"Bella, you mean so much to me. I hoped to convey that in my music. It's been festering in me for so long and I had to let it out. Bella, I—" Edward said, but as I anticipated his next words I cut him off.
"Edward. Please no. I don't think how you can comprehend how important you are to me, or how happy you've made me in these past several months I've been with you. But I don't think you should say what you were going to say. It'll just mean it so much harder to say goodbye when the time comes." I sniffled and bit my lip to hold in my tears. "I just wish there was more time," I whispered the last part so quietly that I was surprised that Edward heard me.
"I do too, Bella," he murmured just as quietly. "I just wanted you to know. You are my life now. You have made me incredibly happy. Happier than I've ever been. If you are even a tenth as happy when you are with me than as I am with you, then surely you can understand the depths of my feelings for you.
"You are beautiful and kind, smart and loyal. Amazing and unpredictable. No matter how hard I try to read you, I find it impossible. You always do and say the unexpected."
I stared, wide eyed at Edward's confession. I found that he was these exact things he was describing. But also so much more. There were a plethora of adjectives, a myriad of words I could try to use to even attempt to describe his wonderful self, but I was lost in his words. They held pure adoration and love in them. I had sensed something growing over a few months, but it only hit me then; became more obvious of his feelings. They completely reciprocated mine.
He paused and looked down at me. "I have never encountered any single being like you before. You are so special and I don't think you even know it. The way your cheeks light up with blush with you are embarrassed, or even angry, the way your eyes sparkle and hands gesticulate when you speak of something passionately. The way your smile brightens the room. I am completely enamoured by you, Bella Swan."
Edward reached out and gently cupped my cheeks as if I were made of the most breakable china. His right hand stroked my cheek, his eyes following the movement, and my eyes boring into his. Soon, he halted his movements and returned my gaze. Both of us leaned in, lips meeting halfway.
The kiss was soft, sweet and short, and after pulling away again, Edward walked with me to his bedroom, hand holding mine. We reached the room and lay down in the centre of the bed on our sides, facing one another. Our hands were still linked in between us.
I took one of my hands out of his and brushed some hair that had fallen across his eyes. His eyes closed momentarily at the touch and my hand lingered, tracing the features of his pale, beautiful face. His eyelids and underneath them, the length of his straight nose, his soft cheeks, those soft, luscious lips. When I reached that last point, Edward's hands darted out and held my hand in its position on his mouth. He smiled and I felt the movement with my hand.
"Bella, oh how you tempt me so," he smirked, eyes dark and lustful. They turned serious with the next sentence. "I promise you that we'll find a way out of this mess, love. I will never leave you." Then he kissed each of my fingertips, before pulling my willing lips to his.
A/N: I didn't mention any of the presents because, heck, it didn't freakin' matter! It was just the feelings that mattered, the fact that Bella hadn't experience a Christmas for a century, so she was overjoyed.
And this Christmas celebration may not be all that extravagant or anything, but I really didn't know what to have them do. My Christmases are small, spent with only three other people (all my relatives live overseas so they're out of the equation) and all we do is open presents, take a few photos and then do whatever we want for the rest of the day. So can you understand when the Cullens didn't go all out?
I know that it may be a short period of time for Rose to get pregnant, but really, this is my story and that's the way it is. Sorry...I'm too lazy to care about that fact. :D Besides, it's all the magic stuff, so it's bound to be a little, or a lot, weird.
Anyway, one last thing. Please vote for my story in the Epic T-rated contest. If you haven't read it, please do so. Leave a review. And maybe vote for it, if you really like it.
That's all. Thanks for your patience throughout the whole author's note. Heh heh.
Sorry, this is the last thing. Um, so I wrote another story. It's called 'Department Stores and Ugly Purple Sofas'. Read it! Reviews would be greatly appreciated.
Steph