Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse or Breaking Dawn. I do not own Edward Cullen or Bella Swan or any other characters you may recognize from the series. I do however own the one-shot this is based on entitled 'White Carpet and Wall Sconces'.

Edward's Point of View

I actually couldn't believe I'd made it all the way up the stairs without fainting, or slipping in a puddle of my own sweat. I had no idea why I was so nervous. I honestly wanted to believe that if she turned me (and my very expensive, extra hot latte) down, that I could easily move on to the next girl quite happily; but as she stood, leaning against the door frame looking incredibly frazzled, staring at her feet, her fuzzy slipper clad feet, I knew that I wouldn't be able to cope if she did turn me down. That I'd probably turn into a bumbling, stuttering, begging idiot. There might even, though I hated to admit it even to myself, be some tears. Okay, maybe one tear. Maybe just a tiny sniffle. Edward Cullen didn't cry.

And so when she didn't answer me, I couldn't stand there another moment, waiting for the pain of her words to cut through me, to tell me that she didn't want me, or my latte, to have anything to do with her. I couldn't actually hear her say the words. So when I heard that negative little "Umm" I'd backed away. I didn't want to turn into the sniffling Edward Cullen in front of sexy, intelligent Bella Swan. I had no idea what this feeling was or why I was feeling it, and that thought alone was scary.

But she'd invited me in. Into her apartment; where she ate, and slept and did her homework. Where she lived. Stepping into that tiny, cramped space, I saw snippets of Bella Swan's life flash before me.

She had a minute. That's what she'd said. She'd stepped aside and let me in and offered to take my coat. I thought it was a strange gesture, but at the same time, what else was she supposed to do?

"Did you want a drink?" She shuffled awkwardly, not quite willing to look me in the eye. I realized what she said and smirked uncontrollably, holding up my coffee cup. I watched her cheeks flood with the colour of embarrassment. "Sorry, I forgot. Thanks." She was still looking at the floor as she mumbled her reply. Was it possible she was nearly as nervous as I was? I didn't think that was actually possible. Breathe, Edward I reminded myself.

"Did you want to sit down?" she looked nervous. She was twisting her fingers around each other. I nodded slowly, not trusting my voice yet. Obviously I didn't want it to crack like I was going through puberty, and I was pretty sure that if I tried to speak that's what was going to happen.

She pointed to the couch and sat at one end, curled into the corner, looking curiously at me, fingers wrapped around her coffee. "You know where I live." It was a statement, not a question, and I realized that I really was going to have to explain to her how I found her apartment.

"Um…" I looked at her from the other end of the couch. She was biting her lip, and her glasses had slipped down just a little bit on her nose. The hood of her sweater was bunched behind her neck, and it was driving me crazy, I just wanted to smooth it out. Her eyes lifted to mine in wonder and I realized she was waiting for an answer.

"I looked you up on the directory?" I realized my voice sounded meek and small. What was wrong with me? I hadn't had trouble talking to her at the party. I'd never had trouble talking to girls before.

"The directory?" She looked angry. "You googled me?" Her voice was sarcastic and cold. She shifted uncomfortably again.

"No" I said, dragging the sound out. "Technically I four-one-oned you." She knitted her eyebrows together and her eyes flashed angrily. "Alice gave me your phone number." I was starting to get my confidence back. What was her problem anyway? I brought her a coffee, which she had yet to even take a sip of. Hell, we'd seen each other naked. She'd had her mouth on my fucking penis and yet, she couldn't deal with the fact that I'd looked up her address.

Okay, so even I was willing to admit that the fact that I'd come to her house unannounced was a little weird, but she wouldn't talk to me when I ran into her accidentally, how was I supposed to get a word in edgewise when she was all high and mighty and unwilling to give me the time of day? For a moment, as I looked down at my knees, I wondered why I even cared. Why did it matter that she wouldn't talk to me, or drink my coffee? I could get any girl I wanted to, so why did it matter that I couldn't get this one? Did it really matter that one girl out of a million didn't want me?

"I bet when Alice gave you my phone number, she meant for you to call." Her voice was snarky. Why did she have to be such a bitch? Why did I not care that she was bitching at me? Why did I want to push her back and ravish her, right there on her couch, and risk burning myself on her hot latte? Why did I want to sit here and listen to her bitch at me instead of leaving like a normal man would?

"I'm not really one for the phone." Why did I feel the need to explain myself, even partially?

We were both silent for a minute, I looked up to her face and watched as the expressions changed. She pushed her glasses up her straight nose, and shifted her gaze side to side. Her lips pursed together, making her look thoughtfully disapproving, and then her eyes narrowed and her mouth twisted into some sort of grimace. She looked me straight in the eyes, her brown eyes deep and thoughtful.

"What do you want, Edward?"

What? I was confused. She sounded sad. "What do you mean?"

She sighed, exasperated. "Why are you here?" I watched her, as she delicately wrapped her pink lips around the lid of the cup and finally took a sip of her coffee.

"I'm not sure" I blurted out. As soon as I said it I knew it was wrong. She hung her head and shook it gently side to side. "I mean…I wanted to see you?" She tentatively looked up through her lashes at me, and then snapped her eyes back down again. "I, well…I…" I was stuttering. Dear God I was stuttering. I needed to make it stop. She sat back up straighter and hunched back into the corner of the couch, legs crossed, pillow in her lap. She raised one eyebrow at me in question. Bella Swan was infuriating. Why couldn't she just say something? Didn't normal girls talk? Didn't normal girls dream of having me in their apartment? "I had fun Friday night?" I couldn't believe I sounded so unsure.

She gave a little half smile. "Yeah me too." She took another sip of her coffee and shifted again (didn't she ever sit still?) so that her knees were bent in front of her and her feet poked out from under the pillow. She had at some point that I didn't notice, kicked off her fluffy slippers and I noticed that her toenails were painted a bright, metallic blue.

"Yeah?" I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say. It obviously didn't go over well when I'd suggested a repeat before, and I didn't want to dash my chances.

"Mhmm "she nodded, blushing beet red and biting her lower lip. I wanted to lean over and touch her, run my hands up her legs, under her sweater. I wanted to see her without the sweater. I closed my eyes for a second, hoping to get myself under control, but it just made it worse. I felt that undeniable tightening below the belt and bit my lip in mirror image to hers. Fuck, not now!

"Did you feel better after you walk at the marina?" I managed to keep my voice steady, and I took another sip of my coffee.

"It was a little cold" she whispered.

Bella's Point of View

He was in my apartment. Edward Cullen. The Edward Cullen that, regardless of my attempts not to, had occupied my thoughts for the past thirty six hours. And he was sitting on my couch, drinking coffee, and talking to me about the damn marina! I did a quick mental check. The stupid bedroom was a mess, and my bathroom was not nearly as big as his was, but the couch was pretty comfy, and we wouldn't actually need to move….

No Bella! No! He doesn't want you. Good Bella, Smart Bella, Logical Bella was starting her argument again.

Then why is he here? Bad Bella retorted. Bad Bella, Lustful Bella, Sex-craved Bella, wanted Edward Cullen. Good Bella didn't have an answer, letting Bad Bella's mind wander to all the naughty things she could do to Edward Cullen.

"Do you go to the marina a lot?" That voice again, that sexy, velvety, fuck me voice. What was the question? Oh yeah.

"Sometimes. I find it peaceful." Good response Bella.

"Have you ever been across to Bainbridge?" His body was angled towards mine and he was looking at my face expectantly. I shook my head. "Really? Hmm, weird." He set his coffee cup down on the table and twisted his fingers together. "So…" His voice trailed off. "Bella…. I've…um…had a hard time…"

"I can't stop thinking about Friday night!" I blurted it out, slurring the words together. My face was burning with embarrassment. I buried my face in the pillow I had in my lap. Oh my God Oh my God Oh my God! I seriously just that! He's going to think I'm neurotic. He's going to think I'm crazy.

He didn't say anything for a long time, and when I finally risked looking up again, I was looking into the same, wide, sad eyes I'd seen at the harbour, and again in the hall way. The sad eyes that said so much more than sadness. That depicted worry and exhaustion and devastation and uncertainty. His mouth was relaxed, and pulled down at the corners, and one hand was extended, almost to my foot and the finger tips were touching the couch cushion. I lifted my face momentarily and gave him a weak smile.

He turned his face away and mumbled, "I was afraid of that." He stayed where he was though, looking contemplative. He sighed quietly and looked back at me.

"If you were afraid of that, why did you come here?" I wanted my voice to sound fierce and strong, but instead it sounded small and broken. Was he here to torture me? That wasn't fair. I hadn't done anything wrong.

He shook his head slowly and deliberately. "I'm not sure. I just…" I was starting to get angry again. I had all that stupid homework to do and here he was, sitting on my couch not sure of why he was here. I growled lowly in my throat. "I was afraid you could only think of Friday night." His eyes were on mine, unsure, nervous. I cocked an eyebrow and hummed quietly. "I just…I can't…I'm probably crazy." There was a good chance. "I've never thought like this before." What!? I knit my eyebrows together, trying to focus on his jumbled words. "I mean, I've thought about Friday night a lot too." So what's the problem? Let's do it again. Bad Bella was fighting her restraints. I could practically see her shaking the bars of her metaphorical cage.

Bad idea. You'll just get yourself in deeper, and you'll just get hurt. Good Bella made an excellent point. If Bad Bella wasn't making so much noise trying to escape from her confines she might have listened.

I turned and scooted so that I was right beside him, our thighs and shoulders just touching. I inhaled. He smelled the same, minty and spicy and sweet. Could I do it? Could I touch him?

"No Bella, that's not all." I gulped, and turned to face him. "I do think about Friday night a lot. But mostly I seem to be thinking….about you." He dropped his voice to a whisper. His cheeks reddened as he told me, and the grip on his cup tightened. I swallowed nervously.

Edward Cullen was thinking about me? In more than a sexual way? Was that even possible? I nodded slowly and smiled shyly at him. "Wow?" I wasn't sure what else I could say.

He laughed. "Yeah, I know. Wow." He seemed to relax slightly and leaned back on the couch, watching my expression. "I don't usually do this" he told me.

I stared back. "What?"

"Stalk my one night stand." He said it so matter-of-factly that I couldn't help but laugh a little. "I'm really sorry if it freaked you out."

I smiled. "It did a little." I curled my feet back under me again. "I'm kind of glad you did though. I kind of kept thinking about you too." I blushed again, against my will and looked down, not ready to see the look on his face yet. To my surprise I felt something cool against my hot cheek.

"You know, that's really scary." His voice was low and gravelly. I peeked up to realize it was his hand, gently cupping my over heated cheek. My heart thudded in my chest. I could feel a pulse in my ears. His eyes caught mine and held them. I looked into the green depths. If I looked deep enough I was sure I could see past the bad boy persona that he'd created. Underneath the tough, sarcastic, callous exterior there was something more. There was someone who was seeking acceptance. Someone who had wants and desires and dreams. Someone who cared enough to look me up in the directory and bring me coffee on a Sunday morning. There was someone who was absolutely terrified of rejection. And as much as I'd heard about Edward Cullen, about his promiscuity and his crude remarks, and his illegal stunts, it wasn't enough to block out that somewhere; deep underneath there was a good person. A good person who, for some reason, seemed to like me. A good person that I kind of liked in return.

I felt him run his thumb over my cheek bone once, and then remove his hand slowly. "This is all new and weird." He shook his head. "I mean really…" he waved one hand around the apartment. "I don't tend to drop by unannounced at girl's houses." He grinned crookedly and I smiled back. "You do have home work though, don't you?"

I looked over at the table and nodded sadly. I really didn't want to do it, but I knew it had to be done. "I do too. And I really should do it. I can't afford to flunk." He started to rise from the couch slowly. I watched him unfold his tall form from the sitting position and stretch his legs out. Every movement was graceful, even the way he flexed his fingers was sexy. My body ached with raw need. I wanted him. I needed him. And yet, I knew that it wouldn't be a good idea right now. That if he meant what he said, I could wait and see where he wanted this to go. Because I didn't think I would be able to cope if I jumped right back in, only to be rejected later. He headed for the door and I got him his coat from the closet. He twisted the door knob and pulled the door open, stepping into the hall way.

"Thanks for the coffee" I said quietly.

He nodded. "Bella?"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Yes?"

"Have you really not taken the ferry to Bainbridge Island?"

The question startled me. "No."

He gave me a half smile. It faltered only for a second. "What are you doing Saturday?"

A/N: Oooooh.

What does everyone think? Coffee and Confessions was crazy hard to write, especially everything Edward since I wanted him to make some sort of confession, but still try to keep him in the character I'd created. And Bella too. I wanted her to be snarky, because oh so many people are snarky when they're anxious (me for instance), so I don't want everyone to think I've made Bella a bitch. I love her to pieces, but I didn't want her to jump in with both feet because that would just be silly.

And no, no time soon will they be admitting their eternal love for each other or any of that.