Wow.

I'm thinking that sexy ass was a tiny bit of an understatement.

Edward was standing about 30 feet from me. In that moment, the second that our eyes locked to each others, Edward became a real person. He was more than just a name on an envelope or mentioned by Emmett. He was a real, living human being who was actually going to spend the next four weeks with me.

I snapped out of the little trance I was in and made sure that I wasn't gaping across the room. The crooked grin on Edward's face grew wider as he adjusted the duffel bag strap on his shoulder. Surprisingly, I was somehow able to move my feet towards him. Hmm, I guess those authors exaggerate when the heroine lays eyes on the hero and is frozen in place, unable to go to him because of her awe. That's bullshit. Why would anyone not want to get to the hero as fast as they could?

Edward started walking towards me as well. I looked him over as we approached each other. He had some very nicely defined cheekbones that accented his penny colored hair. Just like I had observed, he wasn't as big as Emmett, but Emmett's muscles would just look disproportionate on him, he had nice muscles that suited his build and height. God; those were some eyes.

Edward was hot.

I mean, like, really attractive. We're talking Brad Pitt attractive here. And I never gave a guy that rating. Normally me and Rose just agreed on Chase Crawford.

Setting my attraction aside – for the moment, that is – Edward and I reached common ground in the middle. I knew what he sounded like from the phone call. But his voice still made me startle a little.

"Hi," I smiled. Good ice breaker, Bella.

"Hey," he grinned back. He was about eight inches taller than me and looked like he wanted to smirk about it. Than again, he could have been wanting to smirk at my excited flush too. . .

I was pretty damn positive I was talking to the right soldier. How did I know this? He was wearing his uniform with the letters MASEN stitched over his chest on the right side. But hey. I didn't want to assume or anything.

"You're Bella Swan? Right?"

"In the flesh," I made a ta-da gesture which made him chuckle. There was a pause of silence. The awkwardness was threatened to burst out any second and I was scrambling to find something to say. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to think for long. Edward handled it with comfortable ease.

"I'm glad to finally meet you," he smiled genuinely. Before I could respond, he brought his arms around my body and pulled me close in a warm and secure hug. My eyes fluttered shut for the briefest of seconds, as his arms engulfed me. I felt. . . safe. I placed my arms around his back and hugged him, so glad he was finally here.

We broke apart and I smiled brightly at him, ignoring the weird disappointment that had come when his arms moved away from me. He smiled as well, showing his set of flawless white teeth. Of course he had amazing teeth. . .you don't look that great and have a set of crooked yellow teeth. The world just doesn't work that way.

"You have no idea. How was your flight?" I asked him as we shuffled over a few feet to avoid being right in the middle of other people's paths.

"Boring and long. But worth it," he grinned at me. His grin made me catch my breath, and I blushed which made him laugh some more. I had heard his laugh, but that had been his phone laugh. His real laugh. . .it was incredible. I couldn't find words to describe how just. . .happy hearing it made me.

"Should we get your bags?" I asked, blinking out of my trance and dodging the compliment. I shied away from his glance and smiled down at the floor. I was utterly flattered though.

"Sounds like a plan," he agreed. I knew my way pretty well around this airport so he gave me a lead the way sign with his eyes. I started to walk to the direction where I knew the bags would be with him one step behind me. Then he put his arm that wasn't carrying his duffel bag around my shoulder and tucked me nicely under his arm, making me forget about any of that disappointment. I tried not to lean to far into his frame, not wanting to be too forward. With me smiling like a four year old, we went to get his bags.

It took a few minutes to find his other duffel bag before we were finally getting out of the airport. During that time I was fighting the awkward silence like the Yankees fought the Brits. I refused to let it be awkward between us. We weren't strangers so it shouldn't have been a problem. But yet, it still was.

The weird thing about the silence was that I was the only one who seemed to be effected by it. Edward looked completely content walking through the airport, a lazy, and if I was being honest with myself, sexy smile on his face. He had this strange calming vibe about him, and I couldn't have been more appreciative.

While we were walking outside in the parking lot, Edward started talking about some crazy flight attendant. I couldn't contribute much to the conversation so I just gave him my attention. I gave his jaw line attention. . .I gave his cheek bones attention, and I gave his amazing eyes attention. . .long story short, he talked while I swooned.

I wanted to slap myself. I normally was not that shallow. But in all honesty, I was just in shock. And it frightened me because I didn't think it was going to wear off anytime soon.

I shook out of it when we started to walk past the spot where my truck was parked. Edward didn't notice anything; he kept walking so I had to stop him. I stretched my arm out and placed it on his abdomen to make him stop walking. He stopped as I startled. He had a rock hard chest. Either that or he was wearing a bullet proof vest. Blinking, I quickly moved my hand off his body and gestured my head in the direction of the truck.

"Shit," he said in appreciation as he took in the black beast. I smirked as he looked at the bumper sticker on the back rim. This isn't my boyfriend's truck. That had been a little Christmas present from Esme last year. Needless to say, that had been the best gift ever.

"You never told me you drove this."

"Well, it never really came up in a casual conversation. And I'm enjoying your face quite a lot," I grinned as I jingled my keys. His green eyes blinked a few times at that comment. When they opened, his face lost some of its surprise and became more amused. A lazy smirk appeared on his face.

"I like it. It suits you." I rolled my eyes and grabbed one of his bags. He released it and we both tossed them into the bed of the truck. I knew what was coming but it still made me laugh when he said it after sliding into the passenger seat.

"Can I drive?" Ah men and there sparkly eyes for toys.

"Driving in a new state which you've never been to, after traveling 8000 miles and suffering from some serious jetlag doesn't seem like a stellar plan to me," I answered sarcastically.

"You'd be surprised at how adaptable I am," Edward grinned with some self pride. I smirked while checking my back mirror and pulling out.

"Uh huh," I nodded in mock agreement, slightly amused by the childish pride of his statement.

Edward was not fazed by my declination. He just grinned. Either he was always this happy-go-lucky with the world or he was in a pretty damn good mood like I was.

"So how do you like all the grass for a change?" I asked, trying to strike up a conversation in which not much feelings would be required. We spent the next forty minutes talking about grass and other vegetation.

Now that's what I call a connection.

While Edward stared out his window at the large lake we were driving next to I shifted in my seat as I wondered how Carlisle and Esme would react to him. Esme would love him. Edward had a good heart, he was a kind man, and those were two biggies in her book. And I had a feeling Carlisle would take to him, but I didn't want to get my hopes too high. Carlisle was a very black and white person, so I hoped that for all of our sake he would like Edward.

Once we were past the lake, Edward turned his attention and head back to me. I had to keep my eyes on the road but I could feel his eyes staring at me. I blushed; not because it was awkward, but because I liked the way he was looking at me. I was too shy to meet his eyes so I watched the black tar ahead of me.

I knew it went against everything in my ever sarcastic and loquacious character to be shy, but whenever I met someone, it took me awhile to warm up to them. Edward was different, however. I already knew him, but I was still a little uncertain of what he thought about me.

"And this is where we live," I pointed out as we arrived at the southern end of town. I directed him to some of the local attractions in the town but figured I could give him a better tour later. Right now I just wanted to get home and see Carlisle and Esme's reaction to him.

Then we pulled into my neighborhood and I drove a little bit faster to get to our lot. I watched Edward's reaction as I pulled into the driveway next to the Escalade. We had a fairly large house. It was built with bricks and had many different triangular points to the roof along with windows. Esme's gardening added tons of character to it and complimented the tall trees surrounding the backyard.

I grinned as his eyes widened slightly, taking in the home. It was a much milder reaction than the one I had when Carlisle first pulled into the house a few years ago. I was freaking out at the size and beauty of it. I still haven't gotten fully used to pulling in the driveway everyday.

"Nice," Edward said simply. I shrugged and glanced at his face for any indications of other feelings. Sometimes when I brought people over from school they would compliment it but I would be able to see jealously and bitter in their faces. I was relieved that Edward looked just curious.

I pulled the key out of the ignition and hopped out of the car. I was annoyed that Edward could just leisurely get in and out of it without any difficulty. My height really irritated me at times. It would be a lie to say that I wished I was taller than some men, but a few more inches would have been nice.

"Where are the pigs? I thought I was promised fresh bacon," he smirked as he grabbed both of his bags with ease. I rolled my eyes and led him to the front door.

"Good luck with Carlisle," I whispered hurriedly under my breath as I pulled the handle of the door open. I was able to get a quick glance at Edward's eyes widen before narrowing them accusingly at me. I chuckled silently as he walked in the door after me. Carlisle and Esme were standing off to the side, near the living room. Which meant Edward couldn't say anything back to me. I was throwing him to the wolves, but I didn't feel that bad. More on the amused side, actually. This was a man who was trained for combat; he could handle meeting the Cullen's.

"Edward this is Carlisle, and this is Esme," I introduced them. Then I stood back and watched.

Carlisle was sizing Edward up, his face calm but his eyes guarded and suspicious. Edward was trying to control his facial expression as he watched Carlisle look at him. His eyes were much better hidden then Carlisle's and the two men were wondering what to make of each other silently. Esme was grinning happily.

"Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, it's a pleasure to meet you both," Edward said smoothly. I silently approved, good use of the abbreviation Dr. instead of Mr. I taught him well.

"Edward, call us Esme and Carlisle." Carlisle looked like he preferred Dr. Cullen, and not first name bases, but didn't say anything in response to his wife's statement. "It's so good to meet you," Esme continued graciously as she danced toward us and hugged him. Edward was momentarily taken back but recovered and hugged her politely back with a smile.

"Thank you Esme. I'm glad to meet you as well," Esme was. . .well Esme was appreciative. She was surprised by his voice. And. . .him. Again, I rolled my eyes. Yeah Esme, join the flipping club.

"I hope you make yourself feel at home," she smiled once more before going back to stand next to her stone silent husband. Edward looked at me in a moment of uncertainty so he missed the little stomp Carlisle got on his toes from his loving, hostess wife.

I heard Carlisle's grunt and shared a smirk with Esme as Edward turned in confusion. Carlisle grudgingly stepped forward to shake Edward's hand.

"Nice to meet you as well, Dr. Cullen." That a boy.

"How was your flight, Edward?" Carlisle inquired politely. Esme stepped over by me to get a better view of the awaited meeting.

"It was good Sir, thank you," Edward responded as they dropped hands. I noticed both men flex their fingers out as their limbs returned to their sides. No wonder they had been shaking for so long. Carlisle nodded and didn't say anything for about a minute. I stifled a laugh at the comically awkward silence.

"Alright then. Bella, how about you give him a tour of the house?" I straightened as they both looked at me. Carlisle, again looked calm and slightly satisfied. Edward appeared just as casual but his eyes were pleading and slightly freaked out. Fighting a grin, I nodded.

"Yeah, of course. Let's go upstairs," I agreed. I held my hand out for one of Edward's bags but he just shook his head so I turned and headed up the stairs with him on my tail.

"You suck," Edward said accusingly as we got to the top of the stairs and saw that Carlisle and Esme had gone back to the kitchen.

"On the other hand, I thought it was funny," I smirked at his glare. I knew he wasn't really upset, just a little irritated with the lack of warning he got.

"Oh really?" he asked with fake surprise. "Fantastic. I'm glad I amused you."

"You'll live. Come on tough guy, let's go."

I gave Edward the grand tour of the house. It ended up taking about an hour because I was being very detail orientated. Edward was a good listener and made a few comments here and there but otherwise took it in silently.

We ended the tour in the guest bedroom he got. It was a smaller bedroom but Esme had worked her magic. It was painted sandy colored with dark mahogany wooding such as the dresser, bed stand and the head board. The comforter on the bed was several shades of green that matched a painting above the bed and rug on the wooden floor. I actually really liked the bedroom, and it had a nice view of the backyard and woods behind it.

"Well, dinner should be ready in a few minutes. Esme wanted to eat out on the patio. You can unpack or freshen up. The connecting bathroom is all yours, no one else uses it so do whatever you want. Am I missing anything?" I watched him as he examined the room. I chewed on the inside of my cheek before he smiled at me, his grateful eyes taking me by surprise.

"Thank you, Bella, for everything," he said quietly with sincerity that gave me the best feeling in the world. I flashed him a small smile before nodding and turning to make my exit.

After I was out of his room and down the hall to mine, I went into the bathroom. I leaned against the door as I shut it.

Whew.

I was in for one hell of a month.

Once I was freshened up, I went in search for Carlisle. I had a bit of bone to pick with him. I found him grilling the steaks with the outdoor barbecue, oblivious to my entry. Esme had already set the glass table so I went straight over to my adoptive father.

"Would it be that hard to try and play nice?" I asked him flatly as I perched on the short brick wall surrounding the outdoor area. He looked up from the meat and grinned at me. I raised a not-amused eyebrow at him.

"On the contrary, that was me being nice." I narrowed my eyes as he turned his focus back to the dead cattle. Instead of retorting, I just watched him silently until he turned back and sighed. Then he smirked.

"I'm kidding, he's fine. I'll be nice." I continued to stare, blinking only when necessary. He conceded, "Okay, I wasn't serious a second ago but I am now. I promise to not give him that hard of a time. Deal?" I smiled, finally satisfied. I knew that was about as good as it would get.

"Deal," I agreed. I stood up from the uncomfortable brick as Esme exited the sliding glass door.

"Aw, you two made peace." Carlisle gave me a knowing look and rolled his eyes. I giggled quietly.

Carlisle was just putting the steaks onto a serving platter when Edward came out the door. He had changed out of his uniform and into a black long sleeved dress shirt, the last few buttons undone and a pair of denim jeans. He appeared more bright eyed and bushy tailed.

"I hope you like steak, Edward," Esme said warmly as Carlisle pulled out a chair for her to sit down in. I sat down next to her in the square table and Carlisle moved across from me.

"It smells great," Edward complimented, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He sat down next to me and I gave him a reassuring smile, though he didn't seem to need it.

"So, Edward, do you fish?" Carlisle asked after we were all getting into our meal. I looked at Edward, my fork in mid air towards my mouth. He glanced at me, confident and so I continued eating.

"I'm pretty handy with a rod, I guess." Thank God he thought about it and didn't say poll in place of rod. Lord knows I would have.

Those two launched into a conversation about fishing. Esme and I watched on in growing complacency as Carlisle warmed up to Edward. They really started to bond over the talk of smiley aquatic animals. . .even though it was evident that Edward really didn't know much about fishing at all and was completely winging it. The conversation ended a half hour later when Carlisle, astounded that Edward didn't know how to clean fish, promised to give him a lesson or two on it.

"Unfortunately, I have to leave and make sure a rehearsal dinner goes smoothly." Esme sighed as she stood up from her chair. Carlisle stood as well and decided to leave and get some nursing schedules made. Thanks for leaving the dishes to me guys.

It was about seven o' clock when they both went inside. It was just me and Edward now. He sat back in his chair and looked around the yard before his glance settled on me. I smiled a little bit and in turn his lips turned up a bit as well.

"Is this weird?" He asked gesturing his hand in between us.

"Kinda," I admitted, shrugging. And it was weird. Eight months is a long time. I'd been thinking about this man for 32 weeks. But I hadn't been thinking about his looks or appearance. I'd been thinking about his thoughts, and what he had to say about things. And now it was new to me to try and place the man in front of me with the nameless man who wrote me letters.

"But not a bad kinda?"

"No," I smiled softly and shook my head, "not a bad kinda."

We sat there silently for a moment. The sun was setting and twilight was upon us. The golden sun was shining through some of the trees and illuminating the back yard. These were the moments I lived for.

"What are you thinking right now?" Edward asked curiously, his voice still soft.

"I'm just trying to put two and two together. I'm trying to associate you with the man in the letters; the faceless Edward. You're not really what I expected," I explained, or tried to, at least.

Edward nodded and looked to the west again. Then he looked back at me and smiled. Though he looked confident, his tone was unsure. "Are you disappointed?"

I couldn't help but raise an incredulous eyebrow. "I wouldn't have been disappointed if you had 12 toes, a third eye, and a creepy mustache. Looks aren't a big deal. I'm glad to finally meet the guy who wrote me all those thoughtful, amazing letters. Whatever the hell his appearance is."

Edward relaxed and he unclasped his hands that were locked together in his lap. I watched his reaction after I finished my little speech and noticed the relief as his shoulders sagged out of their tense lock.

"Creepy mustache?" he asked with a crooked smile. I laughed.

"Okay, that might have brought on a tiny bit of disappointment." After that little conversation was over we brought all the dirty dishes inside and placed them in the sink. When the table was cleared I told Edward to head back outside and handed him a can of Coca Cola on his way.

I fixed my little surprise up and found the lighter for the finishing touch. Then, I walked outside with the dessert securely in my arms. It was dark outside now but the patio lights had kicked in so I could see.

"Happy birthday, Edward."

Edward spun in his chair. His face was as surprised as a deer caught in headlights. I had been right about my assumption earlier that he didn't want to be fussed over for his birthday. I was kind of sad that he was that surprised I would do something for him, or even remember.

I smiled softly and walked towards him with the snicker doodle cake I had made this morning. There were two candles lit and I spelled out Happy Birthday Edward in butter cream frosting. The cake was two layers of snicker doodle cookie with a layer of butter cream frosting in the middle.

I placed it front of where he was sitting on the table and started to sing softly. "Happy birthday to you. . ."

The look on Edward's face when I was finished singing would be something I would remember forever. I had never seen someone so grateful for anything I've baked in my life. His greens eyes were still in shock but they were also dancing with just an innocent happiness. He blew out the two candles carefully and stared at the cake, before looking up at me with a boyish grin.

"I can't believe you made this for me," he whispered in awe. I just smiled, in awe myself.

"I can't believe you didn't make a single comment that it was your birthday."

"I didn't think it mattered," he replied quietly. It did matter. I don't know why the two of us suddenly were shy with each other. In our letters we were both very open with each other and friends. Now, it was like all that was gone and suddenly we didn't know what to make of each other.

"It matters, Edward. Trust me, it matters."

Edward sighed. "I didn't know. I didn't want you to feel you had to do anything special just because I am staying here."

I leaned in and swung my arms around his neck loosely, close enough to smell his fresh inviting scent. He was still facing the cake, just like I was. So I gave him a backward hug. I was close to his face, so close that my cheek was tickled by his hair.

"You're not just staying here. You're home now, Edward." I whispered.


I don't know you but I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me and always fool me
And I can't react

You have suffered enough and what with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time, raise your hopeful voice
You had the choice, you've made it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Falling Slowly, The Frames


-I got up early to post this for you...on my birthday? Damn I must love you all.
-Okay so Edward's here...about time! I'm going to warn you now, the next three chapters are going to be total, serious, complete fluff. Whose excited?
-Check the blog for an interview with Esme and the chapter song! Oh and some pics too.
-How'd I do? This chapter was weird to write for me, and actually took awhile. Hope you like it! (: