Disclaimer: Sigh... I have no claim on the world of Twilight, etc... or Edward Cullen. They all come to the beck and call of one Stephenie Meyer.
A/N: It's not my fault if you don't get a cavity from this. Super sweet fluffy stuff again. And shorter than recent chapters. Sorry it took me so long to update, I kind of lost my groove and it took me a little while to find it again. I got distracted while writing something else and trying to figure out exactly how a future chapter is going to work. I still haven't figured it out quite yet... I may need someone to bounce ideas off of soon. Any volunteers for getting pelted by them?
Chapter Nineteen—Love You
I spent the rest of the night in visions too real to be the truth: a quiet day skipping rocks over the glassy surface of the ocean that washed against the rocky shore, an evening sitting on the porch discussing a time not rife with fear, all of them reflections of what Edward wanted for us. This, this dream state, was my gateway to his thoughts, his hopes—our hopes. Would they ever be fulfilled in the waking world?
Through the thick haze of sleep, I slowly became aware of a cool, tickling sensation in the vicinity of my throat. Without opening my eyes, I jerked the covers over my head and buried my face in my pillow. My ears caught the soft rumble of Edward's chuckle, and I belatedly remembered the events of last night as I threw back the quilt covering me and discovered his face in the dim light of earliest morning. His lips pressed against mine in the softest of kisses. "Good morning beautiful," he murmured, his tawny eyes sparkling. The marrow of my bones seemed to flame and melt under that stare—I was never going to grow accustomed to this, and that thought made my heart thrill. I never wanted to be rid of this feeling. A smile curled my lips upwards and an answering grin appeared on his face, the lopsided one, my favorite. His face was inches away from mine as he leaned over me, a familiar, beloved visage. His scent filled my nose: it was the most dizzying concoction that I had ever inhaled and made my head spin even as I lay there with my head buried in a pillow.
"Did you sleep well?" he whispered, though he could probably answer that question himself, having heard every word that slipped from my mouth during my slumber. I answered anyways, a soft "How could I not?" and was rewarded with a certain loving look. I thought of how his eyes had seemed to sparkle with an ethereal light when he woke me this morning, and it made me wonder what exactly I had said during that nocturnal period. "And how was your night, and what did I say this time?" He chuckled softly, whispering, "Not even awake for five minutes, and you already have questions," and I could see the jest in his eyes. I waited patiently, studying the impish grin on his face. I must have said something interesting to cause him to be wearing such an expression. The corner of his mouth twitched in suppressed laughter, and I realized that he was enjoying making me wait. I attempted to glare at him, but he suppressed that action quickly, driving all thoughts of insubordination out of my head with a rough kiss, one that held an edge of desire that he rarely revealed to me. My hands traveled to his face, tangling in his hair; his arms were already wrapped around me, pulling me halfway up into a sitting position.
His face pulled away from mine, regret written on every feature. "It's best we not toe the boundary any more right now," he murmured, his speech coming quickly. I was still too dazzled to respond with anything but a smile that matched the one plastered across his face.
Another long moment passed while he held me in his arms and I twirled his hair in my fingers. It was soft and supple and even shone in this dim light. Then, I remembered the unanswered question, and repeated it. He laughed softly, and then lowered his face to my ear, whispering, "It was nothing short of perfect. How could it not be? Impossible for it to be anything but, when you spent all night whispering 'I love you' in dulcet tones. And do you know what else, Bella? I love you too, shamelessly, irrevocably, undeniably. Forever and for all time."
A warm blush flooded my cheeks and I felt the beginnings of tears forming in the corners of my eyes. "Edward," I whispered, forcing the words past the lump in my throat; he looked at me in surprise as he heard my voice break, "I don't think I could ever ask for anything more than that, and I need you to know… that I feel the same way. Will always feel the same way… no matter what."
His expression was soft, loving. In that moment, I could have no doubts, no fears whatsoever as his lips caressed my face, brushing my closed eyelids and dwelling on my mouth tenderly.
Despite my spinning head, I became aware of the sound of the bathroom door creaking open-- apparently before it even registered with Edward-- and my eyes flashed open. He smiled knowingly, pushing me gently back down to the bed and pulling the covers up under my chin, despite the petulant expression that I knew was on my face. His face hovered above mine for an instant, a brilliantly glorious visage: he could be the son of Aphrodite herself.
"Sleep, Bella," he whispered, "dream sweet dreams. I love you." His breath in my face made my head whirl, and sleep began to claim me, even as I watched him lift the latch of my window and pause a moment, flashing that wonderfully, perfectly crooked smile for me. And then he was gone, as the veil of dreams dropped over my mind once more.