So here is a little something something for you. I hope you like it. Just more marital bliss and family craziness from these two. There is going to be one more after this (because I'm having a hard time letting go) and then probably an outtake (because so many of you have expressed a desire to see Bella prego with the monsters).
I don't own.
A million thank yous to everyone whose read/rec'ed/reviewed this story. Thank you for loving these characters as much as I do.
June 24, 2020
"What time is it?" I murmur against Bella's lips as it finally becomes clear that my dream is not actually a dream.
"Does it matter?" she whispers back, her hand pumping me as her teeth scrap gently against my jaw. I haven't even opened my eyes yet, but I can tell Bella is naked by touch.
She straddles my waist, leaving only for a moment to help me out of my boxers. Still, I don't open my eyes because I'm not totally awake yet.
I run my hands over her chest, lingering on her hardening nipples and causing her to sigh. I push a hand in between her legs, sliding through the wet and causing her to let out a low moan.
My fingers continue to rub and thrust as her hips roll against my hand. She leans forward, resting her forehead against mine as she pants and pushes her hands into my hair. I finally open my eyes to find her staring at me intently, eyes wide and shinning. A slight smile plays around her lips and she just looks so beautiful, my heart hurts.
The sun hasn't fully risen, and the early morning light gives our love making a dream-like feel. Bella looks ethereal in the light with a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead. The rest flares out around her head like a halo.
I have no concept of how much time passes as we continue to kiss and touch.
When my movements become too much for her she moves to line us up. She lowers herself so slowly and we moan when I finally fill her up.
It's a struggle to not thrust up in to her, but I let her set the pace. She leans back with her hands griping my thighs, and she starts to shudder as I hit all the right places. I can feel Bella fluttering around me and her slow, steady pace starts to deteriorate, so I sit up, touch her where we are joined, and kiss her deeply.
Bella falls apart with her name on my lips, but I manage to hold of. I don't give her any recovery time before I grip her hips and flip her over onto her back without ever losing contact. It's a tricky move, but we've has years of practice.
My wife cries out as I move, fast and hard now. Her back arches, she braces herself with her hands pressed against the headboard, and I've never seen anything as beautiful as her.
And she's mine forever.
I push my lips into her neck, tasting her moist skin. She keeps one hand flat on the headboard while the other tugs on my hair.
She feels so good and I'm so close. She is too. I can tell by her noises, the way she chants my name under her ragged breath. I hold out just long enough to make her come a second time but the feel of her tightening around me is just too much, and I join her a second later.
I collapse in to her neck and find it impossible to move for a while.
"What a way to wake up," Bella says, playing with my hair and sounding somewhat dazed.
I simply hum in agreement.
Our breathing slows and I must fall back asleep because when I open my eyes again, the sun is much higher in the sky and Bella is poking me in the side of the head. I groan, turning my head away from her and tightening my grip on her at the same time.
"Up now, Hubs," she demands, jostling under me. "My ass is numb and I gotta pee."
This is very upsetting and I whine a little as I roll off her, burying my head in a pillow in defense of the sunshine streaming in past the blinds.
The pillow smells like my wife. Lovely. I think I'll stay with my face right here all day.
"You can't be lazy all day," Bella calls from the bathroom, as if she can read my mind. "There is a lot of shit to be done. I can't even tell if I'm going to like this house yet with all the crap sitting everywhere."
Mumbling profanities under my breath, I sit up because I know she is right.
I survey our new bedroom. There is a mountain of boxes in the corner, toys spread across the floor last night when the twins "stormed the castle," and our familiar furniture. We haven't figured out where to put any of it yet.
In the two days since we moved in, we have done more family-reunioning than unpacking. Our bed, with all it's feather pillows and down comforter, is the one thing I insisted must be perfect.
I hear the shower running so I figure that I have a least a few more minutes, but then my wife pops back in.
Bella appears in the doorway of the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe, still completely naked. This distracts me and it takes me longer than it should to realize that she is talking to me.
"…love this room," she is saying. "I really love that window seat thing. They have names right? Whatever, I don't fucking care. We are going to spend so much time reading or fucking or working in the nook."
"Sounds great, love," I reply, smiling at her.
"And I like the floors."
"Really?" I reply, looking down over the side of the bed at said floors. "Don't you think it's weird to have hardwood in a bedroom?"
"Naw, I like it. We'll just have to get a really big carpet. And I'm painting this room. I hate this color," she tells me, continuing to look out the window.
"It's white," I reply with a slight chuckle.
"Exactly," she says. "Hey, come shower with me."
Not needing to be told twice, I leap out of bed, sprint over to her, and sweep her in to my arms. She squeaks in surprise as I open the door to the large steam shower and step in.
I love this shower. It could seat four people and has multiple showerheads.
"This shower is so fucking awesome," Bella says when I set her down. "We're damn lucky your mom found us this house."
"We need another marriage rule," I say very seriously. We do this from time to time, instate rules. According to Bella, it really keeps the communication flowing.
"What?" Bella asks with a laugh.
"Talking about my mother is the shower forbidden," I reply.
Bella rolls her eyes at me and I kiss her.
"None of that," she scolds after a moment. She turns away from me, grabbing a bottle of shampoo. "Sit," she instructs. So I do. Which is awesome. Because we are in our shower.
Did I mention that there are two bench seats in this shower? Our shower. The best shower ever.
Bella starts washing my hair and I stare at her chest.
"Hey, focus," she says, tilting my face up to hers.
"Do I have to? I mean you asked me to shower with you."
"You are such a shameless hussy," she says.
I blink at her for a moment.
"Did you just call me a shameless hussy? How odd."
Bella then progresses to rattle off all the things she needs to get done. And there are a lot of them. Painting and unpacking and buying stuff and filling out paperwork to get the kids into school.
"What exactly do you need from me today?" I ask when she finally takes a breath.
Bella smiles at me and I know I said the right thing.
"I need you to take the monsters far, far away," she says. Is that is? I was expecting to be moving furniture and sent to Home Depot with a giant list of specific, impossible to find items. This is much better. I start my new job in four days, and the more time I can spend with the twins the better. "Think you can handle that? I mean, I love the wee ones but there is no way I'll get anything done with them around. I'll end up pretending to be a dinosaur with Masen or having a tea party with Charlie. They are highly distracting."
She continues rubbing, rubbing, rubbing, scrubbing scrubbing, scrubbing. Damn, that feels good.
"Yeah, I think I can handle that. I smack her butt and she flicks my forehead, detaching one of the showerheads to rinse my hair.
I find out for the first time that we now own a detachable showerhead. Excellent. I'm trying to steal it from my wife while I grope her when the Charlie and Masen burst through the bathroom door. I'm going to have to replace some doorknobs. None of ours lock.
Bella hides behind me and I move to cover my junk.
"Whachya doin'?" asks Charlie. Her hands are behind her back and she is swaying from side to side. I'm thankful the shower has made the glass real steamy so they probably can't see much.
"No kissing!" yells Masen.
"Good morning, loves of my life. Give mommy and daddy a minute," Bella instructs, peaking out from behind me. "You can jump on our bed."
"Yes!" Masen army crawls away. And then there were three.
"I'm hungry," Charlie says, crossing her arms over her chest. "Food in the belly!"
"Char, we'll be out in one minute. Can you wait that long?" I ask.
"Only if we can have ice cream," Charlie insists.
"We cannot have ice cream. That is not a breakfast food," I tell her. Although I do actually consider just giving her whatever she wants to get her out of here quicker.
"But I like it."
"Charlie, if you just go in to the bedroom for two seconds I'll be right behind you, and I'll whip up something."
Bella laughs and Charlie lets out a little sound of disgust. I'm a little offended by their lack of faith.
"Daddy burned the oatmeal."
"Charlie, go wait outside," Bella says in that serious mom voice she sometimes uses. "I'll be out in five minutes and then we'll make pancakes together, okay?"
"Okay."
"Make sure Masen doesn't break anything!" Bella calls after our daughter. "Go," my wife says, basically shoving me out of the shower.
"You're the one who told him to jump on our bed," I point out.
I wrap a towel around myself and stick my head back in the shower, enjoying the view of Bella washing her hair.
"Don't think I've forgotten about that detachable shower head."
Bella sprays me in the face.
The wee ones are doing a number on the bed and I gather some clothes before shutting myself into the walk in to change.
I get Masen and Charlie ready for the day while Bella finishes up in the shower without me. Our kids are pretty damn cute and very different. Masen always chooses to wear the most bizarre outfits. Today is a zip up vest, cargo shorts, and plastic boots that can be for either rain or snow that rarely leave his feet. Charlie has carefully selected a pink dress with white tights and pink ballet flats. Who knows what Masen will be wearing – clothes, food, dirt, and otherwise – at the end of the day. Charlie will look as pristine as she does now.
I can hear Bella working on the pancakes in our half unpacked kitchen as I come downstairs with a twin on each hip. They are having a contest to see who can kiss my face the most times before we get to the kitchen and I can't stop laughing. This fatherhood thing is pretty great.
By the time we enter the kitchen, my wife has disappeared. The kids continue their kissing contest, but I'm more focused on her whereabouts. I heard her in here a second ago.
But then the toilet flushes and Bella emerges from the bathroom, hand covering her mouth. I take in her pale cheeks and narrowed eyes with concern.
"Alright, love?" I ask, having to raise my voice over the noises of the twins continuing to smack kisses all over my face.
"Fine," she says, clearing her throat. She shakes her head quickly and forces a smile. It does nothing to alleviate my concern.
"Gotta get back to these pancakes." She basically sprints back over to the kitchen counter before I can give her a proper examination. I would just need a moment, even with the twins all over me. I am a professional, after all.
Charlie loses interest in their little game when she sees her mom return to the stove, and she wiggles out of my arms.
"Where's my apron?" she asks Bella.
"Don't know, kid. Probably in one of these boxes. We'll find it eventually but not before breakfast. Think you can help me out without it?"
I notice Bella pour herself a glass of water. She takes a small sip, sloshes the liquid around in her mouth, and spits in the skin before downing the rest of the water in a series of deep chugs.
"You really need my help?" Charlie asks, sounding excited.
Did she vomit? Is she sick?
"Of course, my sweet girl," Bella replies, sounding equally as enthusiastic.
Masen is still kissing my face.
"Mase," I say, continuing to laugh as I gently try to end his assault. "I think you're the clear victor, buddy."
"I'm not Victor," he replies, looking at me like I'm crazy. At least my words got him to stop. "I'm Masen. Remember, Daddy?"
I chuckle at this. "I remember your name, Masen." I give him a quick little tickle before explaining myself. "Victor is not just a person's name, it's also another word for winner."
"Oh," he says, nodding and his mouth forming a ridiculously large O. "Then call me Victor always. It's better than stupid old Masen."
What is up with my wife? I will be getting to the bottom of this.
"Masen's a great name. Would I give you a stupid old name? I think not."
"Daddy, you talk funny," Masen says, giggling and laying his forehead against my neck.
"I love you too, Mase," I reply, still chuckling. My boy is damn funny, even if he doesn't know it yet.
"Lot of love, Popper."
I trap Bella after she finishes serving the twins.
"What was that?" I whisper in her ear as she washes her hands at the sink. I try to get a whiff of her breath but she keeps her mouth away from me.
"What was what?" she asks, not looking at me and washing a mixing bowl. "Why aren't you eating your pancakes?"
"Why aren't you eating your pancakes?" I counter. "Possibly because you are sick and were vomiting not twenty minutes ago?"
I keep my voice low, not wanting the kids to hear me talk about vomiting. Masen thinks any and all body functions are hilarious while Charlie is beyond repulsed.
"You should like fucking Sherlock Holms, cracking the big case," Bella whispers back, drying the bowl now. I can tell that my hovering is annoying her as she attempts to move around the kitchen, but I will have my answer.
"Did I crack the big case?"
"I just had a moment," she replies, waving her hand at me dismissively. "I'm fine now."
She tries to move to the kitchen table, but I corner her by our lazy susan.
"Have you been feeling sick? Or just in the mornings, perhaps?" I say quietly, fluctuating between anger and excitement.
Bella stares up at me for a long moment, biting her lip. I wish I could tell what she was thinking.
"Edward, calm down," she instructs seriously. "It's too soon to tell about any of that yet. I haven't… I'm not supposed to get my period for another three days."
I can't help but grin down at her.
"That was the first sign with the twins. You got morning sickness at four weeks with them and you were feeling off for at least a week before that," I say, basically bouncing in place with my excitement.
We're gonna have a baby. Another baby. Four will become five. I'm gonna be a daddy!
"Please," she says, tugging on my shirt. Her eyes are pleading and on the edge of panic. "I don't… I don't want to jinx anything. It's too early to know for sure."
Ah, now I understand. Bella doesn't want to get her hopes up. Despite the miracle of the twins, Bella is a little gun shy. The scars of the miscarriage are still with my wife and even though a lot had change, she is still very careful with her optimism.
So I calm down. As much as I want to run around the neighborhood announcing – admittedly prematurely – our pregnancy, I refrain. It takes huge effort on my part, but I take a deep breath and relax.
"You're right," I say. "I won't say anything for the next three days, okay?"
"Promise me, Edward," she say, lightly punching my shoulder. "Don't go out a buy a bunch of tests or make me an appointment. No tempting of the universe."
I smile down at her before kissing her gently and wrapping my arms around her waist. I hold her tight because I have a good feeling. I know what she is scared to admit.
We're gonna have a baby!
God, I love babies. The way they smell and how they cuddle right into your chest. I was even oddly disappoint when Mase and Charlie figured out how to use the potty.
"I promise not to taught the universe," I say, struggling to keep a straight face as I agree to cater to her superstitious side. "You won't hear a peep out of me for the next three days."
"Thank you," she says, sighing in relief.
"No kissing!" says Masen.
After breakfast and clean up, I read to Charlie on our couch while Bella does something with Masen in the backyard. This is what she means when she said that she wouldn't get anything done with them around. She is a bigger problem than the kids. They distract her too easily, entrancing her into going on backyard adventures and other games. The next thing she knows it's the end of the day and it was a good one, but nothing that should have got done did.
I try to focus on my flesh and blood, real for sure daughter, by my mind keeps wandering to babies. Our baby. The baby growing in Bella, more specifically.
"Daddy, you didn't read that part right." Charlie reminds me that I've forgotten to use a girl voice for a female character, so I read the page over. Alice, children in tow, stalks into the kitchen at this moment and laughs at me.
"Sounding good, little twin," she says. "This place is still a disaster."
"Sorry we're not meeting you expectations, Alice," I reply as Charlie abandons me to greet her cousins. "Some of us actually enjoy sleep."
"I can't believe you can even fall asleep with your house this messy," she muses.
I shrug in response. After Masen, messes annoy me less. Well get settled and everything will have a place eventually.
"Where is your wife?" Alice asks, watching the kids run off in to the living room.
"In the backyard," I reply. "She is scouting out a place to garden. You know how she likes the idea of living off the land."
"Good grief, she can't focus on anything can she?" Alice accuses with a huff. "Her house is unpacked, she called me over here to talk lit mag, and now she is out poking around in the dirt."
"What can I say? She's a busy lady."
"How the hell does all this translate into a hard copy of my literary magazine?" Bella demands, looking over my sister's shoulder at the laptop twenty minutes later.
"Bella, it's InDesign. How have you never used this program before?" Alice replies, rolling her eyes. "And should this even be a priority right now? You haven't even really unpacked."
Bella let's out a big sigh. "Yeah, you're right. It's just I'm excited to get shit going now that I'm back in Boulder and close to all my editors."
When we moved to Seattle my wife had been doing free lance stuff for several different publications. She continued to write here column as well as interest pieces about living abroad. But when we finally settled down and I started to actually make some decent money, she decided to quit all that and do what she really wanted to do. She got a literary grant, hired a web designer, asked old contacts in Boulder to edit, and started her own submission based, online publication.
Thus Distractions was born.
It's pretty damn cool. Through subscriptions, Bella makes enough money to cover her costs and put a little away. Now that Bella is living closer to most of her editors and inspired by reader demand, Bella is working on printing a hard copy quarterly.
"Don't you think you should wait till the kids are in school and you are all settled in?" Alice asks.
"I know, I know, you're right," my wife says, sounding resigned. "I just want to be printing by the October edition. "
"That seems realistic."
"I'm melting! I'm melting!" Masen's screams can be heard from the other room right along with the laughter of the other kids. There is a thump and a crash. My wife and my sister both turn to look at me.
"I'll go check on the kids," I says, stepping in to the hall as Alice and Bella continue to bicker.
Despite the current state of chaos, I really like our new house. It has four bedrooms, three and a half baths. The outside is brick and wood with a large wrap around deck and an even larger back yard. It was built in the 20's and the paneling has detailing that reminds Charlie of a gingerbread house.
The inside has all been renovated with wood floors, granite countertops, and a really great master bathroom. It's far enough away from campus to be kid friendly and rather low key.
We bought it unseen. Esme found it for us. And everything about it is perfect. I think we will be here for a very long time.
I move from the kitchen to the living room. The bright, open space is littered with boxes, random furniture, and children.
They have somehow over turned a sofa. Charlie and Jordan, Alice's five year old, lie on their backs underneath it and pound repetitively. Henry is trying to lift Masen out of another box that is rattling ominously.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch," chants Masen.
I quickly move across the room, lifting my kid. His foot got stuck between the cardboard and scraped him up a little bit, but otherwise he's okay.
"What's up guys?" I ask.
"We're bored," says Henry.
"Yeah," echoes Masen.
"Well, let's do something cool," I suggest. "Your Uncle Emmett wants to go swimming."
Emmett and Rose have four kids – Willy, Billy, Tommy, and Addie, ages eight to two. When their second was born Emmett surprised us all and quit his big-wig HR job to become a stay at home dad. Rose has always worn the pants and Em is just a big kid anyway, so it works out.
"Cannon ball!" Masen shouts, launching himself out of my arms and onto the upturned couch while the girls scream underneath it.
The boys get excited while the girls get really cranky about being forced to leave their "home" under the couch.
It takes another forty-five minutes, but eventually I coordinate with Emmett and get all eight Cullen cousins to the pool.
Soon to be nine. But I'm getting a little a head of myself.
Sometimes, I feel a bit like I'm herding cats.
I love it though, this life we're making.