Penname: Babette12
Creative Original or Derivative Fiction: Derivative
Rating/Warning(s): T
Notes: A continuation of the Chapped Lips chapter, or The Chapstick Chronicles

Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

Prompt: Blizzard

It had been a great two weeks at Bella's dad's house. Granted I had missed my family at Christmas but had still felt like I was with family. Maybe that had more to do with Bella than anything else. Sitting with her dad, Charlie, and step-mom, Sue, around just the top of an artificial tree that was on a small table next to the television on Christmas morning I had watched her and realized she is where home was.

That evening, when she was making supper with Sue, Charlie had turned to me and asked my intentions with his daughter. "You two barely know each other, but I can tell you both are twitter-pated beyond belief. I worry about that, because infatuation ends, trust me, I've made that mistake, and I don't want my daughter to make the same one. So, I guess what I'm asking is what kind of man are you? Are you willing to put up with pregnancy hormones and middle-aged spread? Her belly won't necessarily be flat anymore after a few kids and I promise her hair will turn grey and her face will line with wrinkles. Are you dreading or looking forward to that?"

I looked at him squarely, knowing that such a question deserved an honest answer. "My sister-in-law once said her greatest wish was to be sitting in rocking chairs, holding hands with her husband, as the grandkids played around them." I looked around the corner and could see Bella laughing with Sue and imagined what it would be like to be welcoming our children's intendeds home and questioning our daughter's beaus. I looked back at Charlie and finished. "With your permission, sir, I want the same thing with your daughter." He had just nodded and turned back to the game.

Now we were sitting at the airport, having been dropped off the requisite two hours ahead of time, only to have all the planes grounded by a blizzard after we had already boarded and been pushed away from the terminal. We had all deplaned and were being told that nothing would be leaving tonight and the best we could hope for was a flight out tomorrow. Bella had called her dad, but he was already over half-way home, and she didn't want him to risk driving back and forth after us in the blowing snow.

"Cullen!" I heard my name called by the harried looking customer service representative. I walked up and let her know I had been called and she handed me a voucher for a cab and hotel. "We have your ticket rescheduled for the morning flight, at seven, so please be here by six to secure your seat. Here is a meal voucher for dinner," she spoke quickly while shoving papers at me without even looking to make sure I had them. "Thanks for flying with us. Banner!" I guess I was excused, but what about Bella? This was just one ticket.

"Um, ma'am, what about my girlfriend?" I smiled goofily, just thinking about being able to use that title with her.

"What's her last name? Why aren't you listed as traveling together?" she asked, lines of exhaustion and frustration etched in her face.

"Swan. Um, we can share a hotel, if there are two beds…" I trailed off. Bella and I had not been that intimate yet. Nothing had progressed beyond kissing. We'd only known each other for six weeks, and even if I was planning on spending the rest of my life with her, it just felt too soon. I knew what my mother would say, You have the rest of your lives for that part, focus on making sure it's someone you want to share that much of yourself with and if you decide you do, then do right by her. Her father had been a preacher, I knew what she meant. She and dad had waited, and she expected the same from us.

I looked up and saw the lady behind the counter smirking a little. I guessed it was at my blush over sharing a room with Bella. "Let me see what I can do, dear," she whispered. "Since your tickets weren't booked together I'm not supposed to worry about getting you on the same flight and all, but I remember being young and in love." I was happy to hear that. She looked older than my parents, but wore wedding rings. Who knows but that they were the only ones she ever had.

I waited there for a few minutes before she gave me good news. "I can't get you seated next to each other, but you're at least on the same flight and just a couple rows apart. Once you take off you can ask people to switch seats; they're usually willing. The hotel voucher I gave you will work for her, but it's up to the hotel what kind of beds they have, I'm afraid. Here's another meal voucher for her and thanks for being pleasant!" I took the additional ticket and voucher and thanked her before walking back to Bella.

I explained the situation to her and loved the blushing smile I got when I told her that we would be sharing a hotel room. The meal vouchers weren't enough to cover anything that could be purchased in the airport. In fact, I wondered if they would cover room service, but that seemed the best option at the moment, considering the weather seemed to be getting worse. We gathered our carry-ons, the rest of the luggage was already stowed and wouldn't be retrieved, and made for the hotel shuttles.

The wind was blowing cold and biting when we stepped out and I was glad to see a shuttle for the hotel we had a voucher for waiting nearby. We only had to sit there for about five minutes before it was full and whisked us away to our shelter for the evening. Whisked might not be the correct term, although I believe that was the intention of the driver. It was more like sliding through an obstacle course of snow-bound cars.

We finally arrived and were assigned to a room without any talk. I think with everyone being too harried the thought of having customer service had been lost hours before we arrived. Bella didn't seem to mind, she just kept smiling at me as I carried her small bag through the lobby and up to our room. When we got there we were met with one king-sized bed.

We glanced at each other and blushed. "Um, I'll order us some food. Is there anything in particular you would like?"

"Something warm would be nice. Like soup?" she answered hesitantly. I realized that did sound good, so called down to order two bowls of whatever they had, a side salad, because I knew she loved her rabbit food, and two cups of hot cocoa. I also put in an early morning order for bagels and coffee, earning a smile from Bella in appreciation.

When I hung up the phone I realized she was just standing there. "Other than the obvious," I asked, waving my hand at the bed we would have to be sharing, "is there something else worrying you?"

"I don't have any pajamas," she whispered. "They're in my big bag, so I have nothing to sleep in."

Oh. OH! Not only would we be sharing a bed for the first time, not quite ready for that level of intimacy, we would be doing it with her having nothing to wear. My body reacted completely inappropriately to that information and I was grateful my shirt was untucked. I pulled at it some, and then looked down at it. I had my pajamas in my bag, and could sleep without the top, so I asked her if maybe that would work for her.

At her grateful nod I told her that my sleepwear was in one of those silly bags that kept everything together. Alice had gotten the set for me, laughing that this way I would at least keep the right top with the right pants. Bella laughed when I told her why they were in a bag, saying it sounded like Alice, then laughed more when a tube of Chapstick fell out of the bag first. We both smiled at each other, remembering what brought us together. It wasn't until she had upended the bag that I remembered what else was stored in there.

The day after Christmas Bella and Sue had gone shopping, Charlie was watching the game and loaned me the keys to Bella's old truck to do some shopping of my own. I figured that since I had her father's permission, I might as well see if I found any rings I thought she might like. I had. The set was perfect. The setting was beautiful and delicate, just like the girl I wanted to give it to. I had purchased it as soon as I saw it. The lady behind the counter knew Bella's size and had given me a grin, asking me when I planned to propose and promising to keep the secret until her father announced the engagement. I had been thrilled.

Now I was terrified. The small velvet box had tumbled out of the bag and was lying on the bed between us. I was just staring at it in fear and horror. I knew it was too soon to propose, regardless of the fact that I fully intended for that to be the direction our relationship went. I started when I heard her quietly ask, "Edward? What is this?"

I looked up sheepishly. "Well, I know it's too early to ask, but I saw this and thought of you, and your dad already gave his permission, and it really did look perfect for you, and I did plan on asking eventually because I love you." Then my mouth slammed shut. We had never said 'I love you' to each other. I had plans on doing it romantically. I had plans on asking her to marry me romantically. Not in a hotel room during a blizzard because our plane had been grounded.

"Ask me what?" she whispered so quietly I could barely hear, while staring down at the little velvet box.

"To marry me," I answered.


I hope you enjoy the fluff this holiday season! More of the chronicles to come tomorrow!