A/N: Reader, I´m currently in bed with a slight fever.

And the only thing that helps against that, is some good old fashioned BellaXEdward fluff.

So beware of fluff overload in this chapter. Really, there´s a lot!

I regret nothing.

15

A Boring Piano Bench

Edward stopped playing.

Neither of us dared to break the silence between us. He stared somewhere in the distance, lost in thought, and I stared at him.

Edward frowned and opened his mouth. I waited patiently. I secretly hoped he would bring up our talk in the forest first since I would never dare to bring that up now. Never. Ever.

He closed his mouth and I frowned.

Eventually, he smiled and I felt immediately at ease. I let go of a breath I didn't even know I was holding and I grinned. Damn, we were both awkward as hell, I guess. I couldn't continue to stare at him like I did, even if I wanted to -and I wanted to-, so I broke the tension first.

I mean, the air was already electrified around us and you could practically cut the tension with a knife at this point.

¨From Linkin Park to this?¨ I teased him.

He shrugged. "What can I say, I like the classics."

"I didn't even know you could play."

He turned his head to face me. "I won't say something cheesy like 'there's a lot you don't know about me' but you make it very hard not to."

It was impossible not to laugh at this poor pick-up line, especially when it's delivered by someone like him. Someone with the most piercing, amber-coloured eyes I had ever seen, the most symmetrical facial features that existed and the most heavenly smell in this world. When some god like him tells you a horrible pick-up line, it's probably the funniest thing out there.

He seemed surprised by my reaction. He scratched his neck, tried to speak again and his frown returned. I stopped laughing, and I could feel what he wanted to ask me, before the words left his mouth.

´There´s a lot you don't know about me.´ It was more than just a cheeky pick-up line. It was the truth. There indeed was a lot I didn't know about him, and there was a whole lot I didn't know about myself either.

Edward´s gaze lingered on me, as if he tried to figure out how I would react to him and if I would run off again. He signed. "How are you really, Bella?"

I took a second to think it through while I looked at my intertwined fingers in my lap. It was easier to talk to him that way. "It's alright, I guess. I mean, it's not. There's still so much I need to learn and I still can't wrap my head around it all. But at this moment, it's fine.¨

¨I´m glad to hear that.¨

I felt Edward´s finger on my chin and he gently lifted my face upwards, so he could look into my eyes when he said the following sentence, that stopped my breathing for a second and made my mind go numb.

¨I´m also very glad to have you here.¨

I couldn't think. My mouth dropped open and I must look like a fool. I could only stare at him, and stare into his eyes. I felt my own body react to him. My skin burned where his finger touched me. My face reddened and I had to order myself to breathe again, otherwise, I would´ve fainted -again-.

I swallowed. My throat was dry, my palms were sweaty and still, a plane could crash here and I wouldn't even blink as I wouldn't even notice it. I had only eyes for him.

¨I´m happy to be here, despite everything. Can you imagine?¨ I stuttered.

¨I can.¨

He gave me one of his signature crooked grins and I noticed my body had a life on its own, as I kept trying to get closer and closer to Edward. And we already sat next to each other! Still, it didn't feel nearly close enough.

¨There's one thing you said yesterday that bothered me, actually.¨ He frowned and I knew exactly what he was referring to. ¨You though I only talked to you because you´re a ´freak´?¨ He made quotation marks in the air when he emphasised the word ´freak´.

¨That's nonsense! I would´ve talked to you either way. It's not often you meet someone with excellent music taste, whom your dearest sister adores, who has the warmest heart and the kindest soul I´ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, who enjoys the same literature as I do and who beats my ass in Biology, every single day,¨ Edward said, and he gently cupped my face in his cold, strong hands.

I giggled. I believe this was a true love confession, right? It was even better than in all the books I've read. These were truly the sweetest things anyone had ever said to me and I didn´t know how to react to them.

Edward tucked a strand of loose hair behind my ear and he let his fingers linger in my neck. He softly stroked my hair and kept looking into my eyes. Asking permission. See how I would react to him.

I didn't pull back. And I wouldn't pull back. Not even for all the money in the world. On the contrary, I leaned into his palms, trying to prolong our contact.

He leaned in as well. I closed my eyes, I smelled only him and I could almost taste him. All my senses were filled with Edward.

¨Eddie! Allie sees a storm coming up and she wants to ask you guys if you want to play and… Woah.¨ Emmett barged into Edward´s room, but he stopped dead in his tracks once he saw us.

I heard a disappointed sound escaping Edward´s lips when he pulled away from me. Then, he hissed -literally, he hissed- at his brother, who threw his hands in the air.

¨Couldn't you hear me, kid?¨ Emmett laughed.

I was so embarrassed, I could only laugh. Damn it, we were interrupted twice already. Let's hope three times a charm, because I didn't think my heart could handle this another time.

¨Hear what?¨ I asked both of them.

Edward became serious again. ¨I can hear thoughts from everyone. Except yours.¨

¨Blunt,¨ Emmett whispered, before he quickly dashed off.

I couldn't help but agree with him. Holy shit, I needed a moment to let that sink in. He could hear thoughts? This was just getting weirder and weirder. I got up and started walking. I didn't notice it before, but his room was huge.

¨Because of what I am?¨

¨I think so.¨

I tapped my foot as I tried to comprehend it all. ¨So, just to summarize. Alice can see the future and you can hear thoughts. What else is there?¨

¨Jasper can influence moods.¨

Edward got up from the piano bench and slowly made his way over to me.

¨Please tell me what you´re thinking,¨ he whispered and I realised this must be as new to him as it was to me. He also never experienced this before.

I smiled. ¨I´m just trying to take it all in. It´s a lot.¨

To keep my mind busy, I walked over to the far end of his room, where he had a wall filled with CDs. I recognised a few of my own favourites as well and the CD he let me listen to on the car ride.

I turned around to ask him about it. At that point, I noticed the giant black leather couch in the middle of the room. I guess his family sat there when he played for them. I pointed at it.

"Where's your bed? Alice had one.¨

Edward looked perplexed before he started laughing.

"They use it for other activities.¨

I quickly turned around so he wouldn't have to see my crimson face. I felt so dumb. Of course, Alice had a bed only to have sex on, how silly of me to think otherwise. But wait, did that mean… Oh, I really had to get my head out of the gutter. I couldn't think straight.

¨Don´t you sleep?¨ I asked again, my back still turned away from him.

¨Never.¨ I heard Edward say from behind me.

I turned around and he stood only a few feet away from me. My back was pressed against his CD wall.

If only he took a giant step my way so he could press me harder against that CD wall, wrapped me into his arms, kissed me hard and passionately, and we might even make good use out of that couch.

Oh, my God, what was wrong with me today? My hormonal teenage self took over and she was horrible. I was entirely grateful he couldn't hear my thoughts, he would run away, screaming.

I didn't know what he read on my face, but he closed the distance between us. Finally!

¨Please don´t be scared. We just don't get tired, so there is no need for us to sleep.¨ He explained to me.

What?

I shook my head. He was talking about his sleep and how he didn't need it.

I grinned, both at myself and as a way to comfort him. ¨Well, that's one thing that sounds nice, actually. No sleep equals more time getting interrupted before we kiss, as if we didn't have enough of that. And no hate to Emmett, he's great and all that and also quite funny, but if looks could kill…,¨ I mindlessly babbled on.

Oh please, someone stop me. I was a trainwreck.

Edward quickly kissed my forehead before he grabbed my hand and led me out of his room.

¨As much as I want to kiss you right now, but Alice will literally kill us if we don't show up outside in a few minutes. You don't have to play, but will you please cheer me on?¨ Edward winked at me. How could I say no to that?

¨Speaking of, what will you play?¨ I asked as we descended down the stairs.

Edward opened the front door for me. ¨Baseball.¨

I giggled. ¨Vampires like baseball?¨

He led me to his silver Volvo and opened the passenger´s door for me. I sat down and he put my seatbelt on. Something about this felt very old-fashioned to me, and I couldn't help but wonder how old he was. Or, how old I was. But right now, I couldn't care less.

Let's play some baseball.