Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters.

The Twilight Twenty-Five
thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 1 – i39[dot]tinypic[dot]com/f233va[dot]jpg
Pen name: IngenueFic
Characters: Bella, Edward
Rating: PG-13

All prompts can be found here:
www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]com/round-five/prompts/

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"Nice beat you have there."

"Hmm?" Bella looks up just as a tall body walks past her. All she can see is dark hair and a lean, muscled body. A large laundry bag covers the majority of his right side and his back.

"The pencil," he says, tossing his head slightly backwards as a gesture toward Bella's hand that rests near her books.

"Oh. Thanks." She watches as he disappears through another doorway. The building is one of the off-campus apartments and the school created a common room area right next to the laundry room. She's never been happier of this addition until this very moment. Turning in her chair, Bella manages to catch a glimpse of a tight ass encased in denim.

He's loud in the laundry room, banging and shuffling and cursing. Bella listens closely. He doesn't look like the panty snatcher but not all convicts are ugly. When she hears an embarrassed Oops, Bella stands and walks toward the room, leaving her books at the table but taking her phone with her.

"A-ha!" she exclaims when she peeks in. He's standing in front of the dryer that holds her clothes with the door half-open. "It's you!"

"Not again," he murmurs. With a loud sigh, he turns his head to face Bella completely.

She gasps. "Oh my god, it's you."

She knows him. Everyone at the school knows him. Edward Cullen. He's the best runner they've had in years and his name has been linked to the Olympic trials though he's mum about it in interviews. Bella can't help but give him a once-over and she has to admit that she likes what she sees.

"You said that already."

"What?"

He gives her a lopsided grin. "That it's me – you said that already. Just in case you weren't sure, I know who I am."

Anger flashes through her hotly at the supposed arrogance of his words but then she notices that his eyes are bright with amusement. A different type of heat – one that crawls up her neck and stains the apples of her cheeks – consumes her and when she speaks again, it's low and bashful.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes. "Someone's been taking girls' underwear around here. I saw you there and thought it was you but then you looked up and I realized you were you but it can't be you."

It takes a moment to understand the amount of "yous" she used but Edward finally grins. "You sure about that?" When she narrows her eyes, he holds his hands up in surrender. "It's not me. I was looking for a dryer but they're all full."

"It was on," she says suspiciously.

"No," he argues. Bella shuffles into the room and peers at the dryer. Sure enough, the timer has run down to zero. She frowns because there was no buzzer to alert her.

Her eyes fall on the blue bag set against a washer. "You haven't even washed yet."

"I have to claim a dryer early," he insists. "You'd be surprised at how many people do laundry this late at night."

Bella's eyebrows draw down and together. "What were you going to do? Sit on the dryer until you needed it?"

He shrugs. "Basically, yeah." He flashes her a grin. "Feel like sharing?"

"I guess," she answers slowly. She walks slowly toward him like he's a snake about to bite her. "Can you, um, could you move?"

His arm sweeps out in an exaggerated manner and she can't help but roll her eyes. She already has a basket of clothes waiting beneath the table in the other room so she ducks out to grab it. By the time she returns, Edward is dumping soap into the washer and shutting the lid.

"It's better if you put the soap in before the clothes."

He peeks over his shoulder, green eyes inquisitive. "Is it?"

"Mm-hmm." She drops the basket in front of the dryer and begins shoveling the clothes out. It's mostly her underwear – thongs and cheekies and boy shorts and plain cotton for that time of the month – but there are also a few pieces of lingerie that she's worn for parties.

"Stay," he requests just as she's picking up the basket to take into the other room. Bella stares at him. "Please."

"Why?"

He shrugs again. "It would be nice to have someone to talk to."

"I have to," she begins. She nods her head toward the basket.

He grins that toothy, lopsided smile. Again. "I have a sister. I've seen it all before." His eyes land on a pale purple piece with black lace. "Except that. I don't ever want to see my sister in that."

Bella has fond memories of that particular piece of fabric so she smiles a bit.

Despite her better judgment, she sets the basket down on one of the small tables set up near the dryers. She meticulously starts folding.

Thud

Thud thud

Thud

Thud thud

"That's kind of annoying," Bella says distractedly.

"Well, then, how about we fill the silence?" Bella glances at him. "You seem to know who I am but I don't know you."

"Bella," she answers.

"Bella," he repeats. "I'm Edward."

"I know." She feels like she should laugh.

"So what year are you?"

"Junior."

"Young," he teases.

"Old enough," she retorts.

A weighted silence fills the room at her words. Part of her is appalled she said that out loud. Another part of her hopes he can read between the lines. Listen between the words?

"Old enough for what?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she asks with a soft chuckle.

"I would."

When she looks at him again, his face seems different. His eyes are narrowed, their color a darker green than earlier, almost like a storm. His jaw is clenched tightly.

He's hot like that. She feels like his prey. Her mouth curves into a coy smile. If he wants to play, she'll play.

Brushing him off, she turns back to her clothes and picks up a tangle of silk and lace. Her fingers fold the fabric carefully and as she sets it back down, she feels warmth at her back and fingers at her hip.

"You feel it, don't you?" His voice is low, sending a delicious thrill down her spine. "It's not just me?"

Not caring that it makes her seem like some wanton girl desperate for him, she pushes back into him. "I feel it."

Edward sucks in air through his teeth. "You're dangerous."

"A little."

A loud bang startles them and they jump apart, though Edward's hand lingers on her waist.

"What was that?"

Frowning, Edward shrugs but turns toward the common room where the sound originated. He pulls away from Bella completely and walks toward the doorway separating the two rooms. The sight before him has him laughing and Bella walks to him, ducking her face around his body.

Eric Yorkie, known for his starring roles in the school's musical productions, is curled up in a ball on the floor by Bella's things. He's holding onto his knee like he just ran into something.

Around him are scattered pieces of underwear.

Thank you to oOza for the beta work.