A/N- Unfortunately, i still don't own Twilight. Thanks for the reviews so far. I enjoy knowing what you think.

"hehSHoo."

"Bless you," Edward said, leaning against one of the window sills in his bedroom.

"hh.. huh thankhh… hehCHoo!" I groaned and rubbed my eyes. "Sorry."

"Bless y—"

"—I need to go to the bathroom," I said, standing up before he could finish. My head was pounding.

Edward smirked. "Might you need any help?"

I shot him the cruelest expression I could create in my current drowsy state. "Thanks, I think I can handle it."

Walking through the hallway, I noticed the door to Dr. Cullen's office ajar. He'd just left for the store to get juice— something about me needing to stay hydrated— so I knew he wouldn't be back for at least a few more minutes. I glanced back down the hall to make sure Edward couldn't see me. I slipped in and grabbed the bottle of medicine Carlisle had given me a few minutes earlier. Sure it had only been twenty minutes ago, but it obviously wasn't working yet. I needed to speed up the process. Grimacing, I gulped a mouthful down and placed the bottle in the exact position it had been in—I couldn't be too careful. Vampires always picked up on those kinds of things.

Not even having to use the bathroom, I made a quick stop and flushed the toilet so Edward would hear it and wouldn't be suspicious.

When I walked back into the room, he was resting his head back against the window, his arms crossed in front of him. His eyes were shut, and he wasn't moving.

I sat on the edge of his bed and watched him for a minute, waiting.

"Hello?" He didn't answer. Then it hit me. This was the perfect chance to get him. Payback for him always being so stealth and tricky with me. Really, the joke was on him because he wouldn't even notice my stealth ways through his fake sleeping.

Silently, I grabbed one of the pillows behind me and threw it as hard as I could manage. Just before it smacked into his face, he whipped his hand up and caught it with a grin.

My mouth shot open at my near victory. "How'd you!"

"I could hear you, sneaky Bella," he said, slowly creeping towards me with a chuckle. I slid back to the middle of the full-sized bed, a streak of playful panic shooting through my chest. I couldn't tell if he was calling me sneaky for trying to hit him with the pillow or for upping my dosage of medicine without consent.

Climbing onto the bed, he straddled my waist and pinned my wrists above me, causing me to completely fall back onto the mattress. My heart was pounding, my breathing heightened. I suddenly felt exhausted and slow and giggly, all while my eyes were burning for a heavy sleep.

He lowered his face next to mine as I continued to laugh uncontrollably. Furrowing his brow, his voice sounded strained. "What, I'm not convincing enough to be scary?"

I shook my head, my abs starting to ache for so much laughter. I turned my head to the side, exposing my neck. "Try me," I challenged him. "Just do it."

His legs tensed at the challenge, and he leaned further on top of me. He placed his cold cheek on mine. "You're sure."

A tingle settled into my nose which made my giggling start to subside. I nodded. "One-hundred amounts positive," I said, letting out the deepest controlled breath I could.

His ice hand lingered at the side of my neck as he brushed my hair away. My breathing started to waver, and I couldn't tell which felt more urgent. The tickle in my nose or Edward's thrilling touch at my collarbone. My breath hitched, but hung in the air. "hh . . . huh . . ." I controlled my breathing for a moment more, but immediately lost it, "hitchew, hhehtchew!" I flinched at the feel of my own spit on my locked arm.

Without seeming to have even noticed my sneezes, Edward brought his fierce lips to the tender spot under my ear and gently kissed me. Then further down my neck, and another, leaving a trail of frozen kisses. Then, like nothing had happened, he leaned back up and released my arms.

"One-hundred amounts, huh?" There was a hint of velvet perplexity.

With a huge grin plastered to my face, I nodded, my hot hair frizzing against the navy blue comforter below us.

He untangled himself from me and sat up. Working to sit like him, I climbed to my hands and knees and stared at him, my hair dangling over my shoulder. My grin disappeared at his now serious face.

"You took more medicine." His voice seemed to hold no emotion.

"Wha? Why would someone, especially one like me, do that." I was still on my hands and knees staring up at him.

He placed his hand on the back of my head and led my face to his. Edward kissing my lips, I leaned into him and pressed my whole body as hard as I could into his. If anyone else were in the room, they would've felt the pure energy of our smashing mouths, but again, Edward suddenly pulled back.

"You took more medicine. I can taste it."

"Just maybe don't tell anyone," I whispered, crawling back to him, reaching for his marble mouth. He refused to let me kiss him, and instead, pulled me into his chest in a tight hug.

"Bella, you need to lie down and sleep it off."

"Sleep what off, Bella isn't tired." My voice was dripping with innocence, all little-kid like.

"Mhmm . . . that must be why Bella is referring to herself in third person."

"Fine, but Bella isn't very happy." I silently yawned. "Remember that, okay?"

I pulled away from his arms and settled into the mountain of pillows beside him, my eyes already half-closing. Edward stood and walked to the other side of the bed. He slipped my shoes off and lifted me up as he turned down the comforter beneath me. He planted a kiss on my forehead, and stood beside the bed, not moving.

After a minute, my nose started to itch. I stirred, not having reached sleep yet.

"Edward?" My voice was soft and sleepy as he lined his eyes up with mine.

"Yes, love."

"I didn't mean Bella wasn't happy with you because I couldn't not be happier with you. I think Bella's always definitely happy with you."

Through my lethargy, I heard Edward chuckle, probably at how incoherent I was. "I know," he said, squatting and kissing my hand. "I know she is."

Rousing, I heard two barely audible voices. I opened my eyes but didn't move. The light outside was starting to die away. I could tell one of the voices was Edward. The other, I assumed, was Dr. Cullen.

"I just got her down, we should let her sleep while she will."

"Edward, we really cannot wait. And you know you need to . . ."

I rolled over, stretching my arms. They must have heard me because they both turned around at the same time, their voices dropping off. I tried smiling, but it felt like more of a scowl.

"Well," Edward said with the slightest hint of sourness. "She's up. I'll take care of her."

Carlisle nodded. "I'll be in the office if you need me." Turning back to his son, he gave him a serious glance. "Just . . . be careful."

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to sit up. My head was light and I felt like there was liquid energy running through my veins.

Edward shut the door after Carlisle and ran a hurried hand through his hair. "Nothing much. Are you ready to try drinking something?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, brushing a few wisps of hair out of my face.

"No thanks, I'm not thirsty."

"Nonsense, I haven't seen you drink anything all day." Insisting I drink, he reached over to the nightstand and picked up two glasses. "Now which flavor would you like? We have orange and we have apple."

"Apple, please," I said, not waiting for him to hand it to me before I wrapped my lips around the straw. He continued holding the glass as I chugged. Within a minute, I downed the entire cup, gulp for gulp. It was nice and cool swimming down my dry throat.

He held the glass of orange juice out to me next. Without a word, I started gulping it, but quit before I could drink enough. The acidic bitterness pooled in the back of my throat and made me cringe. Clearing my throat, I shook my head at him and made a face.

"I don't like that one."

"No?" He set the glasses back on the nightstand. "Can I get you more of the apple kind?"

I laughed, letting my head fall back into the pillows. "You said that funny!"

Edward's lip curled up in amusement. "That? Did I?"

I nodded quickly as an abrupt heat ran through me. Digging my legs out from underneath the comforter, I peeled my socks off and grabbed at the bottom of my sweater, trying to wiggle out of it. As soon as Edward realized what I was doing, he helped lift it over my head.

"Why don't we lie down and try to get you back to sleep?" he said enthusiastically, pulling at the bottom of my white tee-shirt that was threatening to ride up. He tossed the sweater to the end of the bed.

"But I'm not tired, I just woke up." He stared at me, half-smiling, and didn't speak.

"Oooh I know," I sang, quickly lifting myself to hug him. He embraced me, his coolness wrapping around me.

"What do you know?" Edward's voice was simple and willing. The kind of voice you use when talking to a five year old.

"Well, we can play a game."

"And which game is that?" he whispered.

"It's called . . ." I started to giggle into his neck. "The staring game."

Edward couldn't help but chuckle. "The staring game, hm? And how might one play the staring game."

"Okay, you go like this." I untangled myself from him and slid back onto the bed. Pulling at his arm, I tried to get him to move. "You have to sit there like this, like I am."

Playing along, he sat across from me at arm's length, mimicking my cross-legged position.

"Good! Nowww, all we have to do is we stare."

"It's that simple?" Edward questioned.

I nodded and rubbed at my tingling nose. "But if youhh." I took a deep breath. "If you quit starehhing, then youhhapSHoo!" I sneezed into my hands, my throat burning from the acid of the orange juice. I continued talking through Edward blessing me. "Then you hautomatichhally hh hetchOO! You'd lose," I sniffled. "So you better not lose. Er, I mean you better not stop staring."

Edward reached over me to the nightstand and grabbed the box of tissues, setting them in front of me. I blew my nose, feeling all the gunk drain out.

"Ready, go."

We sat there, eye to eye, knees to knees, staring at each other. Completely silent except for my stuffy breathing, I laid my arms— palms facing upward— on his thighs. He followed my lead and placed his arms in mine. I shivered at the chill, but it felt so good against my skin. Still staring, Edward raised an eyebrow like he was expecting me to lose, but I refused to look away.

He suddenly tensed as he wrapped his fingers around my forearms. Still staring at me, he blinked three times—more than I'd ever seen him blink at one time. Retracting his arms, he slid off the bed and walked over to the window, his left hand balled into a fist at his side.

I laughed, crawling to my knees. "Yesss, this means I win."

I watched his shoulders hunch forward in a quick but noiseless jolt. Turning back around, he smiled. "You can't win off of that, I had to sneeze."

"Bless you, but you stopped staring."

He tried to mock my little, saddened voice. "Thank you, and fine. Best two out of three?" He took his seat again, this time leaving a few more feet between us.

"Good, I'll just have to beat you three times, then." I flashed him a huge grin.

"Oh yeah?" He grabbed both of my feet and pulled me closer to him. I fell backward in laughter. "Good luck trying," he said sarcastically, helping me sit back up.

"Ready, go!"

Not even thirty seconds later, Edward scrunched up his nose. "Blessssss you, I can't believe you're going to let me win again, sneezer."

He laughed out loud. "You are being silly tonight, Bella. I quite like it."

I furrowed my brow at him.

"And you're kind of jumping the gun there, aren't you? I haven't sneezed, I could be faking for all you know."

"I'm not silly, you are." I situated myself on my knees, trying to be taller than him. "Plus you only ever sneeze once that I hear."

Chuckling, he furrowed his brow at how illogical I was sounding. "What's that?"

Sticking my face closer to his, I started feeling sleepy. "You only sneeze once, and it's not fair."

"And you sneeze double when you're sick. How is that not fair?" He tried matching my confused expression.

"What? No . . ." I watched Edward purse his lips and push them out. I felt like he was purely teasing me.

"Yes, when you're sick, you hardly ever sneeze less than twice." He held up two thin fingers and touched my pouting lips.

Giggling, I felt my nose start to tickle again. I rubbed it and sniffled. "No-huh, I can sneeze only once sometimes."

"Really? I'm not sure if I believe that," he said, taking both of my hands in his lap and interlocking our fingers. "Let's see it."

"No way, I am not losing for you." I tried yanking my hands out of his, but he wouldn't let me. "Nooo," I whined.

"Just once? Pretty please?"

Rolling my eyes, I scrunched up my nose like Edward had earlier and waited. "It hhisn't coming," I said, my eyes starting to water.

He didn't say anything, as I tried to ready myself. Still staring into his eyes, my mouth parted and my own eyes started to lightly flutter. I had to concentrate on my sneeze. "hh . . . I don't hhthink hit's . . ."

Edward smiled and lowered his eyes, sheepishly. I couldn't help but giggle at his reaction, which caused the tickle to disappear and my breath to fall. I pushed our locked hands into his stomach as hard as I could, which wasn't very hard at all. "You're so meaaaan!"

Releasing my hands, he bent towards me and kissed me hard on the mouth. I scooted back to the head of the bed as he followed, still pressing his lips into mine. Taking a breather after another kiss, I dropped onto my elbows on the pillows. We were still staring at each other, his eyes smoldering right through mine. Still catching my breath, I rubbed my eyes and accidentally yawned.

"Sorry to bore you," he chuckled, his voice lowering to match the atmosphere.

I shook my head at him, trying to suppress another yawn.

"Sleepy Bella," he whispered with a smile, touching the back of his hand to my face. I was suddenly too tired to move or think, but all I knew is that I didn't want sleep.

After what felt like five more minutes of us staring at each other, I forced myself to actually see Edward, to consciously study him in my mind. My droopy eyes wandered his honey brown hair. His eyes, much darker than his hair today, were rimmed with a thin stream of fiery golden ocher. Underneath his eyes were two dark purple splotches. It looked like he had two black eyes. My heart sank.

Reaching my hand up, I touched each spot with my finger. I held onto the collar of his shirt and tried to pull him lower towards me. Still staring, he brought his head to mine. I kissed each circle under his eyes, and he put his lips on mine for one last kiss.

I tried to keep my eyes open as long as I could, but they eventually fell. My head started swarming with bizarre images of distorted figures, but through it all I heard Edward quietly humming what sounded like a lullaby.

Snapping back to consciousness with a sudden jolt, I panted for air with a coughing gasp and saw Edward still leaning over me. At my waking, he stopped humming and pressed his hand to my forehead. When I couldn't hear him purring anymore, I fell into an echoing confusion. "Bella?" Then nothing. "Bella?"

I heard my name a few more times until it finally fizzled out into the distance.