A/N- so here it is. outtake one of three. just a little fluff written in honor of JeNnNn, who has been with this story since chapter 6. enjoy :)
special thanks as always to sah. who knew someone could make me like edits?
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"Do kids like crossword puzzles?" Bella calls from the kitchen. I chuckle and shake my head. I've never seen her like this. When I told her that I volunteered to watch Skye overnight, I thought she would be excited. And she was, at first. But then the panic set in.
It started with her frantic attempt to 'kid-proof' the apartment. Once everything that could ever be described as sharp was hidden away, I thought she would calm down. No such luck.
There's a crash in the kitchen and I laugh a little to myself before switching off the TV. I wind my way back towards the kitchen and watch as Bella struggles to shove pans back into the cupboard.
"Bella, what are you doing?" I ask. Her head shoots up at the sound of my voice and smacks on the underside of the counter. I wince and rush towards her. She falls back, flat on her ass, clutching the top of her head. She bites down on her lip, trying to hold back the tears.
I press my lips to the top of her head over and over, trying to disguise my smile. It's not a small feat that I can read her like that now. Her expressions, her gestures, they hold meaning now. I know that when she leaves her robe on the bed as opposed to on the back of the bathroom door, it means she's feeling out of sorts, anxious. When she can't leave her hair alone, it means she's deep in thought. These revelations send a warm pulse through me.
"Are you ok?" I ask. She nods her head under my lips. I hold her for a little longer, wanting to ease a little of her anxiousness. And she lets me. Like I can read her, she's starting to decipher my unspoken language as well. She understands my irrational need to comfort, protect, and indulges it every once in a while.
"It's just Skye. She loves you. If all you did was paint your toe nails and let her watch, she would be happy," I remind her. Bella eases away from me, just enough to look me in the eye.
"I've never babysat before. Ever. Renee didn't have friends with kids, and I don't know what to do with them," she sighs. Her hands wring in her oversized sweatshirt as she speaks. A crack in her exterior is so rare, I'm almost glad to see it. It makes me feel useful, like I can give her an ounce of what she's given me.
"I rented a cheesy princess cartoon. You'll make macaroni and cheese and it'll be like hanging with a friend, just a really small friend," I assure her. She nods and I watch as she pulls herself from the floor. She reaches down to me like she could actually help me stand and I let her think she does.
When we're both upright again, she pushes herself up on her toes and presses her lips against mine. I smile against her mouth and let her lead. It's soft and slow and sweet. Nothing in the way, nothing holding us back. She pulls away slowly, grinning.
"Do me a favor? And then I promise I'll stop freaking out," she asks. I want to roll my eyes, to tell her that there are few things she could ask that I would refuse. But then, I think of a couple of things I would never do. Like dress up for Halloween, or eat anything Emmett has cooked.
"What?" I press back. She chews a little on her bottom lip, her eyes moving from mine to the top of the stairs.
"You think you have anything resembling a toy? Something she can play with?" she reveals. I laugh a little. The word toy momentarily sends my mind to a place it should not be when my niece is coming over in a half hour. I press my lips quickly to hers once more and trudge up the stairs.
I pass our room and just the thought makes me smile like a 12-year-old girl. After I moved out of Hannah's, now Emmet's, apartment, I got rid of a lot. Most of the boxes that made up the 'haunted room' as Bella called it, are gone. Just a precious few made the cut.
My hand grips the doorknob of the spare room and I hesitate. This room represents so much. Maybe that's why I didn't want to bring all my ghosts in here. I pause a moment and look at the crib again. I wanted it to mean more when she showed me. It just about broke me to not show my disappointment when she said she wasn't pregnant. I want those things with her.
I trail my hand along the white wood railing and then open the closet. My guitar and music no longer hidden in a small space like this. Bella insisted they be out in the open. I didn't argue. That part of me doesn't need to be hidden any more.
The boxes hold mostly pieces of my childhood; things I want to keep, but don't have a place for in my every day life. I make quick work of the boxes, finding old baseball gloves and even a GI Joe, but nothing that would be of any interest to Skye. The doorbell rings and I grab the last thing in the box, hoping it will appease.
I take the stairs two at a time and almost beat Bella to the door. She shoves me out of the way playfully and swings the door open. Skye bursts through the space as soon as she can clear the opening and wraps herself around Bella's legs.
"Bella! Momma said I can stay up til ten! And I brought nail paint and a new Barbie and my best jammies," she announces. Bella laughs and pulls Skye into her arms. They begin to talk quietly, no doubt plotting their girl's night. Alice clears her throat and I smile and wave her in.
"I don't want to stay long. We're going to a show and I don't want to be late. If I stay, I won't want to leave," she smiles. It took me two months to convince Alice that going out with people from work would be good for her. I take the overnight bag from her outstretched hand and wrap my free arm around her.
"She'll keep us in line Al. Go have fun," I instruct. She smiles up at me and backs out the door.
"Have fun short stuff," Alice shouts towards the living room.
"Go Momma. We can't start til you leave," Skye calls back. Alice chuckles and kisses my cheek before leaving. I watch her retreating form for a moment. It feels good, helping her. Being that reliable person I've always wanted to be in her life, in Skye's life.
Finally, I let the door slide shut and I follow the giggles. Bella and Skye are already camped out on the floor. They both look at me when I come in.
"Edward, this is girl time," Skye scolds me. My mouth turns up in a grin. I cross my arms over my chest and then the forgotten object in my hand gets in the way. I look down at the Rubicks cube. It was one of my favorite toys when I was little. Although I was more interested in making patterns than creating unity.
"Edward is an honoree girl for tonight Skye. I already told him all the girl rules," Bella explains with a wink to me. Skye mulls the thought over, squinting at me and my toy offering.
"No boy stuff," she finally agrees. I smile and sink to the floor with them. I set the Rubicks cube on the blanket and Skye claims it immediately, dubbing it a nail polish stand. Well, I guess it's being useful.
They continue on, like they're in their own bubble. I watch, happy to observe two people I love enjoy each other. Occasionally, Bella will meet my eyes over Skye's head and blow me an exaggerated kiss. I accept each one with just as much cheesiness.
Even without the physical closeness so many people associate with love, this might be the greatest manifestation of our love yet. To be able to sit, with a four year old, doing nothing and still be happier than I remember being for years before her. The sense of comfort, the ease. Feels a lot like what I hope the rest of my life will be like.
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two more to go. what did you think?