...
Maybe a Dance
by Anton M.
Chapter 32: Meet Jasper
...
Alice kept fiddling with the edge of her sweater as the Cullens waited in the hallway. Edward was leaning against the wall in the dining room behind the never-used table now set for Christmas dinner. Edward's arms were crossed and eyes glued to the walkway that led to the porch. Fairy lights twinkled on the trees in the fog, but he was barely paying attention.
"You're being a little creepy," Alice told Edward. She hid her chin inside her turtleneck.
"Maybe," he replied. "But at this point I'm expecting the guy to have a tail and a pet dinosaur."
Bella and Esme laughed.
"He's a lovely guy," Bella said, eyeing Alice but talking to everyone else. "You'll love him."
"Then why did we first hear about him only a few days ago?" Carlisle asked.
Bella smiled at him but didn't reply. Minutes of small-talk later, Edward's eyes flickered with surprise as he pushed himself off the wall and walked to the hallway, shaking his head. He stared at Alice with quiet disapproval, and Bella knew the moment Edward's eyes met hers that Jasper was about to knock on their door.
"You are so dead," Edward said to Alice.
"Oh shut up," Alice replied.
"I want to see—" Esme said, confused by their interaction, but a moment later, the doorbell rang, and Alice, looking unexpectedly shy, opened the door to Jasper.
Esme and Carlisle, caught off guard, did not hide their wonder at the size of the man given their daughter's prejudice, but Jasper was too busy looking at Alice to notice.
Jasper and Alice didn't kiss, and their side-hug was awkward, but Alice, if possible, got even more jittery as she closed the door behind him, ashamed and proud all at once. Bella would've felt bad for her had she not sympathized with Jasper quite so much, but it was curious that, as vehemently as Alice denied having feelings for the man, Bella saw subtle signs of them. Alice moved to hold his hand but reconsidered, and their eyes held.
He'd cut his curly blonde hair short. For the first time since Bella had met him six years ago, he was clean-shaven, but his boyish smile with dimples was just the same as he removed his coat, revealing a blue-striped button-up as he took in the line of Cullens in front of him.
"I feel like a celebrity," he said, grinning, moving to introduce himself to Alice's parents. "Did you all just stand here until I arrived?"
"No!" Alice denied.
"Yes," Bella admitted, stifling her smile. Jasper's eyes fell on Bella, as if remembering that she, too, was there, and his eyes lit up when he opened his arms.
"Taco. Bella."
Bella laughed when Jasper lifted him up as they hugged. "Jabiru."
Jasper set Bella down, looking clearly relieved not to be the only outsider in the family. "You are an inspiration. Still keeping it off?"
"Not so much keeping as just... living."
"That's the dream." Jasper's eyes were soft and smile wide as he motioned at himself. "I don't know how you keep it out of your social media—I would not shut up about my progress had I been as successful as you. I'm at 310. Doesn't look like much but I've been stable for half a year now."
"That's incredible." Bella smiled. "You look great."
Jasper squeezed Bella's shoulder, clearly relieved to not be thrown to the sharks alone. Alice's eyes flickered between them, and Edward, too, seemed taken aback by the familiarity between the two.
"I did not remember that you would be here," Jasper said. "Which is stupid. I should've. Did you know that you're the reason Alice and I started talking in the first place?"
"I... did not know that. How?"
"Alice stalked me on Facebook before messaging me on Tinder, and you're our only shared friend. So her first question to me was, 'How do you know Isabella Swan?'"
Bella grinned.
"But you're the best kind of friend. I can ignore you for two years and it's like no time has passed when we meet again. And you defended your PhD! Congratulations.Tell me, how has—" he cut himself off, suddenly all too aware of the Cullens' eyes on him. His arm fell from Bella's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm being rude. Catch up with you later?"
"Oh, no, it's okay—" Esme began, but Jasper was already reaching for his bag and handing a bottle of wine to Esme as Alice introduced him to her parents.
Turning her head, Alice mouthed, 'You're friends?!'
Bella smiled but said nothing. She had forgotten just how chatty Jasper got when he was anxious, and he seemed particularly nervous today, not that Bella could blame him. He'd knocked up their only daughter but wasn't in a relationship with her, and they'd had no clue of his existence up until Alice's pregnancy came out.
"I'm thrilled to see that you all got my memo about wearing stripes today," Jasper said, shaking hands with Esme. Carlisle and Esme looked at each other and laughed. "Except you," Jasper said to Edward. "You didn't get the memo?"
Edward grinned as he looked down at his light green sweater and black trousers. "I'm afraid my future wife distracted me this morning."
"Can't say that I blame you," Jasper said, grinning. "But I heard you had a birthday yesterday. Happy birthday. And congratulations on your promotion, and your engagement. You are just winning at life. I don't have anything for you, I'm afraid," Jasper leaned closer, briefly making eye contact with Bella before he whispered, "Except stories about Bella."
"Hey!" Bella interjected.
Ignoring her, Edward got a twinkle in his eye. "Yeah?"
Esme started motioning everyone to the living room, but Jasper looked back at Edward, mouthing, 'So. Many. Stories.'
Bella almost cussed Jasper out but caught herself when she made eye contact with Carlisle.
Edward slid his hand in Bella's, walking close. "I think he's a keeper," he whispered, eyes full of mirth.
Carlisle got everyone drinks while they settled in the living room. Edward tucked Bella against him on the love seat, Carlisle and Esme settled on the couch, and Jasper sat on the armchair. Alice, still nervously sucking on her turtleneck, sat on his armrest.
"I have to ask," Carlisle said, leaning elbows on his knees. "What's a jabiru?"
"It's a stork," Jasper and Esme answered simultaneously. Both smiled. Jasper leaned forward, explaining, "One of my course mates at the UBC was a hobby ornithologist, and everyone got a bird nickname from her. You'd think I got it for my shape, thin legs and big... everything else, but it's actually because I have a large wingspan for my body. One of my friends was at the gym where Bella and I met, and for a few weeks, Bella actually thought my name was jabiru... it stuck. I'm quite fond of the nickname so feel free to use it."
Esme smiled, looking eager and bubbling with enough questions to have a full-scale interview with the man. "And what is it that you do? We asked Alice but she said you'd explain it better."
Jasper gave a gentle smile in Alice's direction, one that made her look shy. "I'm a UX/UI front-end developer at a scale-up called EasyChoice. I use rapid prototyping and human-centred design to design and develop components of MVPs and proof-of-concepts for our apps."
"Most Valuable Players?" Carlisle asked, confused.
Jasper grinned. "Minimum Viable Data Products. It's okay. I like your version better."
"And what are the apps about?" Edward asked.
"The main one predicts the financial viability of sustainable choices. For example, if you were to install a solar panel, how many would you have to install in this latitude and for how long should you have it before it begins to pay for itself. Same with electric cars and windmills, things like that."
"That sounds... incredibly useful," Edward replied, asking row of other questions, and soon, the two men were in a discussion of their own about the pros and cons of programming languages. It was easy to forget that Edward shared a fair bit of background with Jasper, having studied Computer Science for his Bachelor's, and Bella used the opportunity to observe Jasper with Alice. Whenever Alice laughed at something Jasper said (which was often), Jasper got a proud, gentle smile on his face, reserved only for Alice, and Alice, in turn, glowed when Jasper leaned in to whisper an inside joke in her ear.
It didn't feel like Alice had no feelings for the man... it felt like she was in denial about having them.
"Do you live in Vancouver?" Carlisle asked after a pause in the conversation.
"Oh no." Jasper laughed. "Even for a single software engineer it's not smart to own a house in Vancouver. I could've thrown money at rent, of course, or bought a studio or a closet in someone's basement, but decided against it. I bought a condo in Abbotsford."
"Edward lives in a basement," Alice said.
Jasper gave Edward a sympathetic smile. "I'm not surprised. You'd have to have a combined income of 230K to own a home in Vancouver, and almost half of the people buying are getting down-payments partially covered by their parents."
"I think it's 320 now," Bella said.
Jasper sighed. "I don't envy you. I'm lucky enough to be mostly remote, so I get the salary of Vancouver but not its cost of living or constant commute. I considered Chilliwack, too, but I have an aunt with some health issues in Abbotsford, so now I can keep an eye on her whenever needed. It was a pretty easy choice to make."
As Jasper relaxed around Esme and Carlisle, he shared his upbringing, growing up with two older sisters in a farm near Nipawin, Saskatchewan. After his nerves eased, he asked Esme and Carlisle questions of his own, and they were thrilled with how curious Jasper was about their careers and choices. Esme shared the ups and downs of having worked two decades in a hardware store before she became an interior designer, and Carlisle and Jasper discovered a shared passion for cooking. They discussed the ramifications of having a baby without daring to insinuate too much, and Esme and Carlisle were thrilled that Jasper was ready to support Alice and eager to be involved in the process. Jasper was fun, easy to get along with, and had a visible soft spot for their daughter.
"This is a bit of a private question, and I see our kids going out of their way not to ask it, but I am too curious." Esme waved her hand in the air between Jasper and Bella. "Did you two...?"
Edward's eyes were sharp and calculating as he observed Bella's face.
"No!" Jasper denied.
"Well..." Bella said.
They looked at each other and laughed.
"We went on one date," Jasper said. "A picnic. We became really good friends, so we figured, why not give it a try. I was living in my car at the time, so you can only imagine the royal treatment I gave her. But..."
Bella smiled. "You know how I shiver when I'm nervous? I was so scared to tell Jabiru—Jasper that there was just nothing there for me. Fantastic friendship... zero chemistry. So I worked up the courage to tell him..."
"And I was so relieved," Jasper continued, laughing. "I mean, don't get me wrong, you're a great girl, we vibe so well, and yet... nothing. So nothing ever happened, but we stayed friends and there was a time when we saw and spoke to each other every day, so I understand why it would seem that way." Jasper paused, stifling his smile, pointing at Edward. "But you are up for one hell of a life with her."
Edward straightened. "What, why?"
"You know how she falls asleep like the dead?"
Bella sunk lower on the love seat while Edward grinned. "Yes."
"She did not warn me that she did that. About a month into knowing her, she was supposed to wait for me by the front desk of the gym and was dead asleep when I got there. Trouble was, I didn't know she was asleep, but I just couldn't wake her. I thought she'd had a stroke or a heart attack. So my buddy and I carried her to my car and I took her to the ED of Vancouver General. She had a pulse but looked unconscious, so she skipped the line, and I was there thinking how to break the news to her dad that his only daughter had a heart attack after gym... but then the nurses came to tell me that I could see her and she was... totally fine."
Bella facepalmed.
"That happens to you often, right?" Edward asked. "You wake up in strange places?"
"Probably more than all of you combined." Her smile was sheepish. "But that day, they thought someone had slipped me GHB. They ran a drug screen, which obviously came out clean... and one really happy resident enrolled me in a sleep study."
Edward, now forced to think about the ramifications of her talent to sleep like the dead, tightened his grip on her shoulder. He'd never thought about just how dangerous it was to be able to fall asleep as she did, and worry etched on his face.
Bella, sensing the words he couldn't say, squeezed his thigh.
"I'm really careful," she said, quietly, holding his gaze before she looked up as if addressing Esme and Carlisle. "I always have coffee if I know I'm heading out, and I have a fantastic set of friends all trained in how to wake me up. My friends have never left me alone in a bar even if they go home with someone else. I'm careful."
Bella could tell that her answer didn't truly satisfy Edward but she could only elaborate so much without revealing that they'd never had this conversation. She kissed Edward before holding his gaze, a wordless promise that they would continue this discussion in private.
Like every year, Esme gave out stockings for everyone with chocolate and woollen mittens or socks inside, and the family played Catan's 6-player extension together on the living room carpet. Bella, who had only spent two Christmases with her dad and the Cullens as a kid, adored the tradition, and together, everyone taught Jasper how to play the game. After three hours of teasing and laughter and eating all the Nanaimo bars, Carlisle announced his victory, and the family was beat. The Cullens scattered to gather the snacks, refusing to accept help from Bella and Jasper, and so the two leaned against the couch, legs stretched in front of them. Jasper nudged Bella's shoulder before he motioned at Edward.
"A Professor, eh?" he teased. "How did that happen?"
Bella couldn't help her smile, and both followed Edward with their eyes when he returned and sat on the other side of Bella with his legs stretched out. Jasper grinned as he observed Edward's silvery beard and laugh lines.
"There's a story here," Jasper said, motioning between the two, "and I'm here for it."
"Alice didn't tell you?" Bella asked.
"Alice and I have..." Jasper made a face, drawing circles on the rim of his empty glass, "other things to discuss."
Bella was brimming with questions and eager to be a listening ear to Jasper, but Alice, Esme and Carlisle were walking in and out of the room and the conversation felt too private to gain an audience of the entire family for it.
"Can you believe that she's considering giving me a shot?" Jasper asked, quietly, voice full of disbelief.
With all of Alice's hangups, Bella wanted to ask 'Can you believe that you're considering giving Alice a shot?' but she knew that Jasper would laugh in her face if she suggested that he was the one out of her league.
"You're a catch," Bella said instead, giving him a good-natured smile. Edward snuck his hand in hers and she revelled in its warmth and support. Jasper smiled at them both but shook his head, clearly not believing her.
"You given any thought to becoming a father?" Edward asked.
"A lot, lately. It's a bit crazy." Jasper smiled. "I'm only 26, but, I mean... look at me. The chances of me finding anyone at this point are pretty slim, which is, I mean... it is what it is. But it would be wicked to have a little girl or boy to take LARPing, teach them how to tie their shoes, take them to the Vancouver Police Museum... I can't wait. Even if Alice, you know, even if we don't work out, I'm not likely to have another shot at this, and I'm... I'm stoked, you know?"
Jasper's smile was both happy and heartbroken, and Edward opened his mouth to reply but Esme clapped her hands in front of them, looking like her face could've split from her giddiness.
"It's half an hour to Christmas dinner so that we still have enough time to watch Die Hard afterwards, which means you two have something to show us."
...
Holding her favourite dancing heels in her hand, Bella tiptoed downstairs in a dark blue halterneck dress. It had a slit and reached her knees, and like a little princess dress, it was studded with fake silvery diamonds that fused on its jagged hemline. It was as comfortable as it was beautiful, and although Bella had no reason to own a professional dancer's dress, its previous owner in her milonga group, Noelia Blanco, had gifted her with a few after she had twins and retired from professional dancing. All Noelia had cared about was that they be owned by someone who would use them for dancing, and Bella not only adored dancing but wearing dresses, too, and because Bella was lucky enough to be the same size, Noelia gave her not one but three of her dresses.
Bella stood by the stairs in silence, watching Jasper and the Cullens in the living room under the cosy Christmas lights. It was dark outside. Edward was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, wearing standard black pants and a crisp white button-up but looking somehow attractive enough to have invented the concept. Seeing him throw his head back, eyes closed as he laughed, in his element, charming and kind, Bella couldn't fathom that she hadn't been attracted to the man when he was her lecturer. Where had she been?
She sat on the lowest steps as she put her heels on, but as much as she tried to be quiet when she stood up, her first step made a sound. Edward's eyes met hers. The laughter in his eyes was replaced by a tender intensity so incomprehensible Bella felt hair in the back of her neck rise. She wasn't sure if her feet even touched the ground before they met in the middle of the room and he stepped toe-to-toe against her.
She couldn't help her shivering when she felt eyes on herself.
Edward brushed his fingers against her bare back, barely a touch, and yet Bella felt it buzz through her body. He leaned closer, voice so low she could barely hear him as his warm breath brushed against her ear. "Definitely something you should've shown me in private."
He pulled back, and Bella could've showered in his eyes full of things he wanted to do to her. She felt like she'd stepped in a time-machine into the dance that got them together, he felt so tall and fit, his eyes dancing with desire and love. He was sporting a beard, now, full of flickers of silver, and she licked her lips as she stared at his.
Edward's eyes darkened. He pulled her into a warm, tight hug, feeling her quick heartbeat and her trembling. Cursing, he kissed her hair and looked back at his family.
"Dad, can you show Jasper that egg saga video you love so much? Give us a moment."
Edward stepped to the right, covering her from their view, and put his hands on her neck, exactly as he had done in the morning of her almost-forgotten interview all those days ago. He pressed his forehead against hers. "Stage fright?"
"I'm okay," Bella whispered, trembling, convincing herself even less than him.
"Baby, you're freaking out. Breathe with me."
For some reason she felt miffed when he said that, but it was impossible to stay annoyed when he took five slow, deep breaths with her, and her anxiety lessened when the Cullens' attention was drawn by the video. The laughter and comments allowed her to relax. Her heartbeat slowed down.
"I should've worn a less flashy dress."
"No," Edward replied, his eyes drinking her in with a quiet appreciation. He squeezed her waist, and his lips brushing against her temple sent warmth through her. "You're beautiful."
Letting out another slow breath, Bella smiled and squeezed his waist, warm and taut and hers. "As are you."
Edward grinned, pressing his lips against hers, and Bella adored the tickle of his beard against her skin. "There are no consequences here," he said, searching her eyes. "We can fuck it up a thousand different ways and never get it right, and it's still okay. It's just my family. Our family. Four people. No cameras, just us. Just you and me and this dance, okay?"
When Edward's family finished laughing and commenting on the video, Edward turned, facing them both towards his family but caging Bella within his arms, as if to shield her. Smiling, he whispered, "You good?" against Bella's ear. She nodded, feeling deliciously protected, pressed against his front.
Esme, now feeling like she could acknowledge them, held her knuckles against her lips, eyes shimmering. "Bella, honey, you look—" Esme kissed the tips of her fingers, smiling.
Bella grinned. "I feel like this is my prom."
She'd pretended to be sick on her actual prom because after she broke up with Jacob, nobody asked her to go.
Esme grinned. "I love it."
Edward squeezed her in his arms and pressed a kiss against her hair. "Technically, we wanted to do this as a surprise to you, mom, but as you know... Alice kind of outed us." He cast a glance at Alice who was hiding her face in her turtleneck, looking ashamed. "But either way, we hope you still enjoy."
"And we might mess up, so be kind," Bella added.
"Aw, honey, I already love this, and you," Esme replied, looking emotional and giddy, all at once.
Dancing had never been as easy as it was with Edward leading her, and with his reminder that nothing would happen if they messed up, Bella felt invincible. Edward held her so close they may as well have been stuck together, and the air buzzed with chemistry. His eyes barely left hers as he led and lifted her, and if they did, she caught him looking at her with such intensity and awe it left her breathless. He improvised in a few places when he forgot his steps, but she kept up with his footwork as he circled her in vueltas into a cut ocho. Boleos and colcadas had never felt so natural, and his warm breath on her lips sent a jolt of electricity through her lower stomach. Had Bella lifted her chin just a bit higher, just a bit closer, she would've been kissing him, and the way Edward was looking at her, that sheer raw desire in his eyes, she was positive he had the same thoughts.
When they finished, Edward twirled Bella back into his arms and touched the side of her nose with his, his eyes drinking in her lips, that same quiet, incomprehensible expression on his face that made her feel like floating away.
"I can't believe you're mine," he whispered, his voice low, near-silent and full of disbelief. His hand squeezed her lower back.
Bella brushed her lips against his in a brief kiss, but after that tango it may have well been a full make-out session because she felt the touch of his lips in her toes. "Love you," she replied.
"I think I just got pregnant," Jasper said, earning a roar of laughter from everyone, and the spell was broken. Edward crushed Bella against his chest, grinning against her ear, facing his family. Bella didn't know how she deserved to have a man like Edward choose her. She felt cherished and protected and aflame with love.
Esme was trying to hide her crying with her grinning as she sat, speechless, opening and closing her mouth. Carlisle, smiling and squeezing Esme's hand, cleared his throat.
"I guess Bella was the missing piece of the puzzle Mr. Marchesi kept criticizing you for."
Bella twisted away from Edward to see his face and saw his neck redden slightly, but he only smiled with a twinkle in his eyes.
"I guess she is," he replied.
"What missing piece?" Jasper asked.
It gave Bella a secret bit of happiness to notice that Alice was holding his hand on his lap, but nobody said a word.
"Flawless technique. No passion." Esme quoted with an Italian accent. "Edward was always frustrated after competitions. Mr. Marchesi thought Edward had brilliant technique, but... it's Latin Ballroom. Passion is the mandatory oomph you cannot do without, but as we see now... he just never met the right partner."
Bella melted a little when Edward kissed her hair.
"Wait, you guys never danced together before?"
"Not until—" Bella cut herself off from telling the truth. "Not until this year."
"That's insane," Jasper answered. "I thought you guys had danced together all your lives."
"It certainly feels like that, but no."
Jasper blinked in surprise. "I'm signing up for dance lessons."
Esme laughed.
Jasper frowned at Alice, continuing, "Wait, if you had a best friend and a brother, both taking dance lessons every week, why didn't you?"
"I thought it was lame," Alice admitted, making a sheepish face. "I was a stupid kid."
Jasper laughed. "Fair enough. We've all been there."
After Esme insisted on two more dances during which Edward and Bella had much more fun and improvised a lot more, the family had turkey and roasted potatoes and vegetables for Christmas dinner. They watched Die Hard together until midnight. After saying their goodbyes to Jasper, the Cullens and Bella ended up standing in the kitchen, with Christmas music coming from the living room, all watching Alice.
"What?" she asked self-consciously, pulling at her turtleneck.
Esme and Carlisle stood in the corner, both with their arms crossed, and Edward had his arms wrapped around Bella. Bella had gotten cold in her dress, so Edward gave her his light green sweater, but it felt even better to feel his warmth around her.
"Mmm," Carlisle said to Esme. "Honey, do you think this is one of those instances where our approval is the worst thing that could happen to Alice?"
"Oh yes," Esme said, catching on immediately. "Don't you just hate it how Jasper feels passionate about his career?"
"Horrible," Carlisle replied, frowning. "And isn't it just vile how he has a mortgage at the tender age of 26?"
"Guys!" Alice interrupted, her mouth twitching, but Esme and Carlisle ignored her.
"Ugh, so responsible. Disgusting," Esme said. "And did you notice how he considered his aunt's health when deciding where to live? Despicable."
Carlisle shook his head, taking a fake-angry breath.
"What about how he offered to take on all the costs of the baby and wants to learn how to change diapers?" Esme continued. "Terrible man. How dare he contribute."
"Indeed," Carlisle said, tsk-ing in mock-disapproval. "And to be the kind of person who takes his friend to the ED when he thinks she had a heart attack? I just don't know how we can approve of the man."
"Oh it is so very difficult," Esme said, her mouth in a thin line but eyes full of mirth. "And the way he just broke the ice with humour and lit up every time Alice glanced at him? Awful personality. Simply dreadful."
"Baby, didn't you say that Laura was also into LARPing?" Edward asked.
It was total bullshit. Laura had probably never heard of it.
"Oh so much," Bella played along. "And you know, she also loves discovering and talking about new apps. You think we should set them up?"
"Guys!" Alice argued.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Esme replied. "The man is single, after all. And we are so very disapproving of his character."
"Jasper is not single!" Alice whisper-yelled.
"Oh he is not?" Carlisle said. "I thought you said he was single."
Alice huffed, grinning in spite of herself as she turned around and left the kitchen. "I hate you all!" she shouted, but there was laughter in her voice. Esme and Carlisle high-fived when she left.
Alice had a lot to work through to be able to be with Jasper, but making her acknowledge that she was far from indifferent to the man was an important first step in the process.
...
The next few days passed in a blur of activity. Jasper became a semi-permanent fixture in the Cullen house for the holidays, and a lot of laughter could be heard from Alice's room when the soon-to-be parents discussed the things they had to buy and learn and do. Because covid and Esme's cancer had prevented the Cullens from having haircuts, Bella cut everyone's hair. She had a long video-call with her mom (now mostly recovered from covid) which Esme hijacked to discuss the upcoming wedding with Renée for almost an hour. The two reminisced about Bella and Edward as kids and how thrilled (and yet in disbelief) they were that their families would be united.
After Christmas, Edward began to spend a few hours a day working and participating in meetings again, and Bella loved catching him walking back and forth in the living room, in his element, asking a graduate student (he was supervising) questions or giving advice to a post-doc. Bella adored his work voice, authoritative but polite, and each time she passed, he muted himself for a few seconds just to steal a kiss from Bella and hear what she was up to. It was a tiny, sweet gesture that never failed to fill her with warmth.
Bella, too, began to keep a keener eye on job openings and contacted a few of her friends to hear if there were any unofficial openings in their companies. She'd agreed with Edward that she would start applying again on the following week and treat it as a full-time job, but she wanted to get into it slowly so that the stress of applying would (hopefully) be less overwhelming.
It felt surreal how quickly their time in Chilliwack came to an end, and on the crisp, starry evening of Tuesday, December 29, Edward and Bella hugged his family goodbye (twice), promising to visit more often before they threw their bags in the trunk of her Honda and began to drive back to Vancouver.
Bella's chest filled with warmth when Edward reached for her hand in the dark car and held it against the stick shift. She put her glasses on to look at snow-covered houses decorated with Christmas lights. As they turned on the Trans-Canada Highway, Bella watched the cars pass by and made several calls—she called her supervisor, Emmett and Rosie, and her roommate Jessica. Cutting the last call, she observed the passing scenery full of lights but less and less snow.
Driving to Chilliwack two weeks and two days ago, Bella had felt like nothing could've left a bigger mark on her than her lack of a job. It was the centre of all her worries, the prospect of being unable to pay rent in Vancouver and being forced to move to Toronto if she couldn't find a local job. It was curious that now, she felt like the previously gaping hole of her lack of family felt much more acute, acute but healed, and it was mind-blowing that not only did she return with a real, breath-taking fiancé but with a family.
And she'd been wrong. She'd told Edward that her refusal to take the post-doc position in Toronto had nothing to do with him, but that was a lie. It had everything to do with him, but not in the way he'd feared. It was true that she would've refused the position even if he hadn't been there, but the difference was... without him, she would've agonized over the decision for weeks. She would've second-guessed herself to the moon and back, and it was her trust in him and their relationship that allowed her to refuse the job so quickly. The fact that Edward was there to support her, and that she trusted him to be there had made all the difference to her, not in the outcome but in the way she felt about her choice. She couldn't underestimate that. To feel motivated rather than stressed and overwhelmed as she applied jobs would, hopefully, make all the difference.
And if not, she had support now.
She didn't know how to express to Edward what a difference his presence in her life had made.
It was incredibly strange to return to Vancouver, just as covered in Christmas lights as Chilliwack but lacking in snow. Soon, Edward turned off the car next to the Roys' house before they carried their luggage in the basement.
Returning felt like an out-of-body experience. They'd only been gone for two weeks and two days, and yet, it felt like a lifetime. Her sheets were folded on the side of the leather couch and her umbrella was still hanging on the hook by the door. His work-out bar taunted her with embarrassing but lovely memories.
Edward, similarly taking in his home—their home—slid off his shoes and coat before he did the same with Bella's and stepped against her. After two weeks of growing a beard with speckles of silver-white, he'd finally shaved, and Bella was getting used to the normal, takes-care-of-himself professor, prim and proper and, most incredibly, in love with her. He looked younger now, more angular, less than the 40-something Jasper had mistakenly estimated, but Bella felt endless affection run through her as he slid his palms on her neck.
"Hi," he whispered, stifling his smile. She felt tingly and weightless at the tender way his eyes followed the contours of her face. He had beautiful eyelashes.
Bella brushed her thumb over his smooth cheek, smiling. "Hi."
"Do you know how much I wanted to kiss you the last time you stood here?" he said, quietly, his warm breath blowing on her skin as he spoke, lighting her up on the inside. "You were so worried about whether or not to hug me and all I could think about was if I could've gotten away with this." His grip on her neck tightened before he pressed his soft lips against hers, and Bella hummed as she slid her palms under his sweater to feel his muscles and pull him flush against her. His scent and taste set her aflame, the roasted almonds he'd snacked on but also, fresh laundry and desire. She breathed him in when he opened his mouth and touched her tongue with his. She was on fire.
"I love you," she whispered. Edward hummed against her mouth, his half-hooded eyes lingering on hers as he pressed himself closer.
"I didn't know it was possible to love someone like I love you," he replied, pulling off her hoodie and backing her into his bedroom. Her glasses bumped against his eyebrow when he kissed her, and she moved to remove them but Edward cupped her neck and touched her nose with his. He had a twinkle in his eye. "The glasses stay today, Miss Swan."
A burst of tingles ran down her spine.
"Of course, Professor."
Bella grinned against his mouth when he didn't want to stop kissing her long enough to remove their layers, but they laughed through it and he pulled her to straddle his lap after he sat on the edge of the bed. His lips wrapped around her nipple, and she felt breathless with desire as she pulled at his hair and rubbed herself against the bulge in his jeans. Edward's groan vibrated through her. It felt surreal, to not only be back in his bedroom but to be in his bed, in his arms, feeling like she could light on fire at his touch.
She adored his muscles flexing under her lips as she trailed kisses on his tattoos, and Edward twitched at the soft heat of her lips. She let out a small squeal and started laughing when he turned her on her back and pressed himself against her, his hard jeans pressing against her crotch and beautiful, tattoo-covered muscles hovering over her. He stretched himself above her, against her, resting his elbows on either side of her head and demanding a kiss so toe-curling Bella began to shiver. She could've come just from making out with him.
"You're so quiet," Bella whispered, hooking her legs around his thighs and squeezing his back.
"I want to see if I can last longer if I shut up for once," he replied, his eyes sparkling as he thrust his jean-clad hips against her crotch. Bella trembled, pressing her open mouth against the dip between his neck and shoulder. His low moan reverberated through her in the most delicious way.
"I don't mind trying that if that's what you want," Bella replied, brimming with dazed affection. "But I'd like you to be my filthy professor today."
"Yeah?" he asked, voice low, rough and full of desire.
"Yes." Bella felt her face heat up but she smiled. "I think I could come just from feeling you through your jeans."
Edward's breath tickled her ear when he squeezed her in his arms. When he pulled back his face, he had the naughty teasing twinkle in his eye that she adored, but instead of continuing with his dirty talk, he nuzzled her cheek. "If given a choice, baby," he began, voice rough, forcing himself not to move. "Would you rather I last or talk dirty?"
"Dirty, dirty, dirty," Bella said, cupping his face, hoping that her dazed eyes didn't prevent him from seeing her honesty. She was so turned on he could've humped her to her orgasm, he was so endlessly attractive in nothing but jeans, but she had to force herself to think clearly. "Always."
Edward paused, tilting her chin up and brushing his thumbs over her hair, searching her eyes. She didn't know how he could be so confident and vulnerable, all at once. "You really don't care that... I have this problem?"
"I don't," Bella replied, caressing his cheek. "I wish you didn't see it as a problem. You could probably make me come using your words alone."
Edward raised his eyebrows and brushed his lips against hers, piercing her with his calm, tender gaze. "We are definitely doing that, Miss Swan. One day, I will tie you up and make you beg for your orgasm without touching a single square inch of you."
Bella crashed her lips against his, whispering, "Yes Professor," before she pressed him flush against her, pulling his hips closer, sliding her fingers in his hair, adoring his weight and his muscles on top of her. "But I will always prefer your fat cock filling me up."
Edward groaned, thrusting against her as his warm breath ghosted against her lips, setting her on fire. He brushed his fingertips against her nipple with the gentlest touch, back and forth, and lowered his voice. "I have a mind to prohibit panties when you're in a dress at home to make sure I can always pump your tiny little pussy full of my cum. You'll be minding your own business, stretching or searching for something in your closet, and I will just lift up your dress, play with your clit and fill you up with my fat cock to make sure you never spend a minute without my cum warming up your tight little pussy."
He thrust against her and watched, amazed, as Bella trembled in his arms, clutching his muscles and sucking on his skin as she shook with her orgasm. He didn't dare move for fear that he'd come, too. It felt incredible to know that he gave her this high, and he drank in her flushed skin and beautifully hooded eyes under her foggy glasses as she returned to him with a lazy smile.
Her glasses made her more adorable and hot in the best, nerdish way, and Edward didn't know how in the world he deserved her love, but he'd be damned if he ever let her go.
"You're a filthy man, Professor," she whispered, feeling dazed, breathless and delightfully limp.
Edward wore the biggest Cheshire grin as he peppered kisses on her face until she squirmed and started laughing. When she calmed down, she discovered him watching her with his love-drunk eyes, stroking his thumb over her temples, looking at her like she was the most precious thing in the universe. Feeling shy, suddenly, she started to brush her knuckles back and forth on the beautiful dragon on his chest. He was so attractive on top of her, his defined muscles and breathtaking scent and kind eyes that made her feel like she was bursting with love.
"What do you want me to have?" Edward asked, voice rough. He held himself up on his elbows.
"What?"
"What do you want me to have?" he repeated, looking down on his chest before he locked eyes with her and kissed her nose. Still breathless from her high, Bella forced herself to think straight as her eyes followed his gaze to the empty space inside the cured-up dragon.
A trail goosebumps covered her when she realized what he was referring to. She felt beautiful and precious and weightless in his gaze, and she stopped brushing her knuckles along his chest, ready to reassure him that, in spite of everything, he didn't have to add anything to his tattoos.
He didn't blink.
"Don't tell me to think about it," he whispered, lowering his forehead against hers, his voice low and rough with emotion. "I know the risks. But this is your spot. Maybe it always was. So what do you want me to have?"
The affection in his eyes nearly brought her to her knees, but instead, she held her lips against his, not quite kissing him but merely touching his lips with hers. It felt intimate, too much and not enough all at once. "There's not a tattoo on you that I don't love," she replied, breathless in the knowledge that he really, truly, wanted a mark of her on his skin. "Surprise me."
His love-drunk eyes didn't really focus on her face when he stared at her, but she felt his affection in her toes.
"Okay," he replied, voice still a bit rough. He pressed her against him, harder and closer, his lips tugging hers, moulding, biting, trying to be as close to her as possible as he kissed her love and her soul and the warm breath leaving her.
"Just one thing," Bella said before she was too turned on to think.
"Yeah?"
"Don't put a swan."
His body shook against hers as he laughed. "Too obvious?"
"Insufferably so."
She moaned when his low hum reverberated through her, and she almost whined when he pulled his warm, soft lips from hers. Edward grinned at her needy expression, but his dazed eyes revealed just how much his feelings mirrored hers.
"What about the other obvious choice?" he asked.
"There's another obvious choice?"
Edward stifled his smile. "Yes."
"What is it? Is it a doctor thing? Something scienc-y? What is it?"
Edward grinned. He slid his arm underneath her, pulling her even closer, and they both groaned when he pressed against her at just the right angle. "Much more obvious than that," he panted against her ear.
Bella felt giddy with love and incredibly distracted by the hot, muscled body pressing against her in all the right ways.
"I give up," she whispered, sliding her fingers through his hair and tugging at them. He groaned.
"So I can surprise you?"
"Yes," Bella replied, sliding her hand over the taut muscles on his back and into his jeans. She squeezed his ass. Edward thrust against her, groaning. "A frog. Seventeen M&Ms. An if-else statement. A leaf in the wind."
Edward laughed.
"Surprise it is, then," he whispered, sliding his fingers in her panties as he began to whisper breathtakingly dirty things in her ear, and soon, she would've agreed to anything as long as he didn't stop touching her and making her feel so deliciously weightless underneath him she could've flown away.
...
A/N: Hi. Adore your thoughts.
You up for Angela next? lol.