Popping a square of dark chocolate into my mouth, I felt a sharp pain in my gum as I bit down.
"Mother fu…!" I cried out to my mum. "It's like something's digging in."
"Bella language. You better get that checked out at the dentist," she replied never once taking her eyes of her daily crossword.
I wasn't blessed with a straight Hollywood smile, in fact I had the biggest chompers in all of Washington – the kids at school called me Bella Bucktooth. After years of being ridiculed by the playground bullies, I was elated when my final baby tooth fell out and I had the go head from my dentist to finally get braces.
But what they don't tell you is that those with reasonable teeth have them for a measly 2 years. Those with rabbit teeth, an overbite and misaligned fangs get the lucky diagnoses of wearing braces for 4 whole years.
That's 4 years of not only a mouth full of metal but sexy headgear to match.
I bet you can guess that I was the most popular girl in my school.
After 4 painstaking, torturous years, I finally kissed goodbye to the metal death trap and was left with the straightest, shiniest teeth. The only evidence left of my train track mouth, apart from the agonising high school memories, was the small metal wire behind my teeth holding them in place.
But as you can imagine that after spending four years with braces in my teens I despised getting my teeth seen to.
My family dentist, Dr McCarty, had always been friendly when I was younger, but I associated him with the suffering I went through. The last time I went to him 3 years ago, I had to get a filling. The geriatric injected my left gum with anaesthetic before realising he was looking at the x-ray backwards and it was actually my right lower molar that needed filling. Needless to say, I have been actively avoiding going back to the dentist since.
Still, I knew Mum was right – I couldn't let the pain get any worse, so I booked an appointment for the following day
XXX
Arriving, I was directed to the waiting room.
"He won't be too long," the pretty blonde receptionist assured me.
Immersed in the world of Hollywood gossip, I didn't notice a younger man approach me.
"Bella Swan?" he asked.
Looking up, I was confronted with the best-looking man I'd ever seen in my life. Dark bronze hair, bright green eyes and a jawline that you could lick, this Adonis was smiling broadly at me.
"I, um, uh. Yes," I stammered. Real smooth Bella.
'Dr McCarty is on long service leave so I've been filling in, my name is Edward Cullen," he explained.
"It's nice to meet you," I finally manage to say.
"Nice to meet you too Bella. Shall we?" He said was gesturing to the clinic room.
As he walked around the room preparing his tools, I couldn't help but admire his derrière in those scrubs.
Settling into the dentist chair, I recounted the pain I'd felt the day before.
Then Edward began looking around inside my mouth, his face just inches from my own.
He found the wire behind my teeth had snapped and was digging into my gums.
Gently removing the old one, he quickly replaced it.
"You have a perfect smile," he said afterwards.
"Just try to avoid eating anything too hard over the next two weeks," he added.
Blushing, I thanked him before quickly heading out of the clinic.
XXX
Over the next few days, I couldn't get Edwards's gorgeous face out of my head. He even smelled good.
After an unsuccessful stalk of him on Facebook which apparently proved that there were a lot more Edwards living in the Washington state than I expected, I just knew I had to see him again.
So I phoned up and fibbed, telling the receptionist I had a painful toothache.
"Aw don't worry hon, I have a free appointment with Edward tomorrow at 4pm if that suits?" said Jessica the pretty receptionist.
I smiled into the phone and replied, "That's perfect."
XXX
"You're back already?" Edward laughed when he saw me again the next day.
As he tended to my pearly whites, I found myself getting lost in his eyes.
"I read in your notes that you've had braces, who did them?" he asked while scrutinising my x-ray.
"O-some Orthodontists over on 6th Street."
"Oh, so you grew up around here?"
"I did, grew up right here in Forks. I went to Seattle University but I've recently moved back since graduating." I replied.
Edward smiled his brilliant smile and I couldn't help but notice the slight crinkles at the corner of his eyes.
"Seattle University? Brilliant! What did you study?"
Wow, he really wants to know about me, I thought.
By the end of the appointment, I'd learned where Edward had gone to school, how many siblings he had and his dreams to start a family himself. Oh, and that he was only 29. Green zone.
Is he this forthcoming with all of his patients or does he feel something too? I wondered.
XXX
That night, I realised I simply couldn't wait any longer to find out.
So, I raced to the kitchen and grabbed the juiciest Granny Smith apple in the fruit bowl.
Weighing it up in my hands I took a moment to contemplate everything.
"Now before you do this Bella, think really carefully. Is this stalker behaviour?"
I bit into the apple.
Almost instantly, I felt my wire break again.
"Ow ow ow," I grabbed my jaw while walking over the phone.
XXX
Back in the dentist's chair again the next day, my heart fluttered.
"I just couldn't keep away," I joked. "The wire must've broken in my sleep."
If he suspected I'd lied about what happened, he wasn't letting on.
Afterwards Edward paused.
"I'd really like to ask you out to dinner on Friday," he said. "Dr McCarty is back on Monday so I won't be your dentist anymore."
Elated, I could barely keep the smile of my face.
"I'd love to," I replied trying to act cool.
XXX
We had our first date a week later; chicken roulade with a shared chocolate mousse for dessert. Despite being a doctor of teeth, Edward had quite the sweet tooth.
"I wanted to be a doctor ever since the age of 8," he began as he licked the remnants of the mousse of his spoon, "I was running down the driveway, tripped and face planted into the concrete. I chipped my front tooth and was amazed how my dentist could repair my smile so easily. I knew I wanted to create magic like he did."
And a part of me melted the more he talked.
He walked me to my front door where I suspected my mum was trying her hardest to sneakily peep through her bedroom curtains. And kissed me. He tasted like spearmint and chocolate mousse.
XXX
Now, six years on, Edward and I have been happily married for six months now and have a baby on the way.
Though I still feel guilty about making up excuses to see him, I feel like it was fate that brought us together.
And that's the honest tooth!
A/N: Thanks for reading my little, fluffy story! I have always hated the dentist so wanted to create a story that doesn't paint them in such an awful light...still scared of them though.
Please leave a review if you can and keep an eye out for more one-shots coming your way!