The Twilight Twenty-Five
"thetwilight25 dot com"

No Pain, No Gain
Cathy9
Edward/Bella
Rating: M

BPOV

I should have never boasted to Angela this morning that I'd gone an entire month without seeking medical attention. I jinxed myself and should know better. All my life, people have pointed out to me that I hardly resemble the gracefulness of my last name. A swan looks so beautiful and elegant in the water. What few people realize is that on land they are awkward as hell. So I actually do fine job of representing my last name.

If I had been paying attention to the stairs as I descended them this afternoon I probably still would have fallen but boasting meant that I fell in spectacular fashion. My coffee ended up all over my blouse and skirt. The heel of my new boot broke and the heel was only two inches high. The contents of my purse spilled out all over the floor and one of the most handsome men I'd ever seen in my life picked up my lipstick and birth control pills.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm mortified, my ankle is killing and you are holding my birth control pills. Of course I'm alright," I replied sarcastically.

He chuckled and offered me his suit jacket, "I think your cherry print bra is hot but you might not want to hobble around in a transparent blouse all day."

"Kill me, kill me now!" I wailed.

He started laughing and when I thought about the vision before him I couldn't help chuckling myself.

"Hi, I'm Edward Cullen, can I help you out?"

"Hi Edward, Bella Swan and if you promise to not make a crack about my last name, I'd appreciate your help."

"Deal, let me put everything back in your purse while you put my jacket on."

I slipped on his jacket and admired his fine ass as he bent over picking up the contents of my purse that had rolled all over the lobby. My ankle was throbbing so I focused all my attention on his ass to redirect the pain. He caught me looking and I just grinned at him, "I'm not objectifying you, I'm using your ass as the focal point for pain management."

"Really? So if I were to get a paper cut I could stare at your lovely breasts?"

"You already stared at them so you'd have to suck up the pain."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I took a nice long look before I told you. I have to confess that they really are lovely breasts."

"Thank you, I think."

"You should get some ice on that ankle before it swells."

"I think it's already swollen in my boot."

"There is a coffee shop just down the street, I'll ask them for some ice."

"Could you get me an ice cappuccino with a mint flavour shot while you are at it? It's my comfort drink. Treat yourself to something too. Take a ten out of my wallet."

"You are injured, I'll pay which means you are going to have to treat me back. See this way I get to see you again."

"I'm a mess and you want to see me again?"

"You are a hot mess and I bet your ass is as fine as your breasts. One ice cap and ice pack coming right up. Now just don't go anywhere."

"How can I go anywhere, Edward?"

"I don't know but something tells me you'd find a way."

EPOV

I was just about to enter the coffee shop when my cell rang. I knew it was my brother, who I was supposed to be having lunch with. I quickly told him I was helping an injured young lady out and wouldn't be able to make it since I was going to take her to our Dad's office. My Dad retired early, lecturing and occasionally teaching at Seattle Grace Hospital when he wasn't traveling with my Mom. He spent three days a week at his family practice and today was one of those days.

"How hot is she Ed?" Emmett asked.

"I think she's very hot but she's not your type. She's intelligent, sarcastic and didn't apologize for staring at my ass. Her name is Bella and I really have to go and help her."

"Fine, I'll expect a full report tonight."

"Like that is going to happen," I snorted and hung up my phone.

I placed my order and promised to return a tea towel if they'd lend it to me to make an ice pack. The revolving doors of the office building were turning in my direction when I arrived back so I didn't have to balance my coffee to push on the door.

"If I tried that I'd be stuck in there with an ice cap all over me," Bella commented as I approached her.

"How's the pain?"

"Much worse without your ass to distract me."

I smiled at her. Bella didn't seem to have a verbal filter and I found it remarkably refreshing. "Lets get that boot off and some ice on your ankle."

Trying to be gentle did not budge Bella's boot and she started to swear anyway so I took a firmer grip and pulled. I didn't quite get every name she called me because they came in rapid fire until I was on my ass with her boot in my hand. It didn't take long for her ankle to start turning in to an egg. I put two cups worth of ice in the middle of the tea towel and used the little bit of water in the cup to seal the ends. I wrapped it around Bella's ankle and handed her the ice cappuccino. She took a long sip from the straw and I was sure she was going to get brain freeze but she didn't.

"Edward can you give me my purse? I want to take some Advil."

"I'm going to take you to see my Dad. He's a very good doctor and he might prescribe you something better than Advil but then you'd have to wait to take it."

"Then I'm going to need some more of your lovely ass and I find your face very compelling too. Oh and your hands, just thinking about what those fingers could do is taking away the pain."

"My fingers?"

"Oh God, I didn't mean to say that out loud," she responded as her entire face and neck turned a delightful shade of pink. I thought her blush was very attractive.

"Bella, once your ankle heals, I'll be happy to show you just how talented my fingers are. Tell me are you wearing cherry print panties too?"

"No, I'm actually wearing a thong. If you take me home after I visit your Dad, I'll need some help getting out of my clothes and you can see for yourself."

"I'm looking forward to it." Bella was such a little flirt and I was more than capable of flirting right back.

BPOV

Edward was not only gorgeous but he didn't seem to mind my flirting. In fact, he flirted right back at me. I thought about his fingers for a few minutes and snapped out of it when I felt them playing a game of two steps forward, one step back on my left shin.

"Edward, I'm not normally this bold. The pain is giving me courage."

"You expect me to believe that you weren't just thinking about my fingers and wishing they would go higher?"

"Do you read minds?"

Edward chuckled, "No I don't read minds."

"Damn said that out loud too. Can I ask you why I've never seen you before?"

"I just moved here and I was meeting my brother for lunch. He works on the thirtieth floor."

"Thirtieth floor? Is he a soul sucking lawyer?"

Edward broke in to laughter, "Oh that is rich, yes he is. He's actually a senior partner but once you meet him, you'll have to find another way to describe him. Why are you in this building?"

"I work on the tenth floor, I was taking the rest of the day off. Being the boss has its advantages."

"What do you do?"

"When I'm not injuring myself I'm the senior editor for Petite Gourmand."

"My Mom is a subscriber. I'm a writer myself, my nom de plume is Edward Masen."

"Oh my God, I love your books. You write the hottest sex scenes I've ever read."

"Thanks Bella but I want you to know most of that stuff comes from a very vivid imagination. Last girlfriend I had, left me a year ago claiming I wasn't around enough."

"Why did you leave New York?"

"How did you? Oh right my biography. I was sick of being in such a big city and frankly I missed my crazy family."

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"When my ankle is better can we skip the first two months of dating and have a night like Carrie and David's engagement? Don't worry I don't expect the ring, just the rest of it."

"Bella, this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Now lets get you to my Dad's office."