A/N: Well, well … here we all are again, back for more of these two crazy kids. When last we left them … they almost sexed, had an awkward conversation with Alice, and spent some time in the kitchen cooking up omelets, and plans for Bella's performing debut … before we get to that, though, there are just a few things I wanted to say first…

This is my first attempt at fan fiction, and duel POVs, meaning I have never had the challenge of writing in two very distinct POVs before, so bare with me as I find my rhythm.

Also, as of yet, I still don't have a beta reader to assist me, so all the lovely work you see here is my own, I apologize for the typos, and any repetitive usage of terms you may see here, no one is perfect, and as this is my attempt at cathartic writing for fun, I'm not going to worry about it … enjoy my fiction for what it is….

And Lastly, I would like to thank the few of you who are reviewing, while I wish that more of you reviewed, I appreciate those of you who do so consistently more than I can say, I have noticed that a good number of the reviews are from anonymous readers, meaning that you aren't signed in when you write them, while I'm totally cool with that, it does mean that I cant respond to them, so just know that they are appreciated, and if you want a response you will need to create a reader profile for me to do so. Thanks, and sorry for the long note … now onward my pretties…

One last thing … the song that Bella sings in this Chapter is another Sara Barrel's tune, it is called One Sweet Love, on an acoustic guitar it is a truly lovely piece and very fun to sing.

Things I own: 2 used ticket stubs to Eclipse, and a kick-ass Team Edward shirt I purchased at the theatre on opening day…

Things I don't: Twilight, and any of the songs I may print here…

CHAPTER 6

EPOV

It had been almost 72 hours since I had last seen Bella. Three whole days since I had left her at her door, after getting her to agree to sing at Laurent's club. She will never know how hard it was for me to stand in front of her and tell her those things as calmly and coolly as I did. My hands shake at the mere thought of telling her just how much hearing her glorious voice moves me. Hearing her sing all those years ago, when she was no more than a young girl, just 13, had a profound effect on me. It was almost as if hearing her voice solidified my resolve to compose.

Before I came home on that school break all those years ago, I was in the midst of a inexplicable 6 month period of writers block. I wasn't able to compose a single note that didn't seem forced and uninspired. The weekend after I heard her sing just one verse of a syrupy sweet, cliched pop ballad, I almost filled a notebook. Of course, at the time I didn't realize that she was the cause of my sudden musical loquaciousness.

It didn't hit me until almost a year later, after attending the talent show performance during her and Alice's freshman year of high school. That was the day, I realized that Bella Swan was my musical muse.

After that performance, I spent the next few months writing at a rate that was previously unheard of for me. I spent weeks holed up in my dimly lit, too small dorm room at school with my battered keyboard and notebooks, furiously composing. I barely left, and hadn't returned any of the calls and messages I had received from either friends or family. I wasn't avoiding them, I was just distracted, under a spell of some sort, I felt possessed to write. I couldn't stop. It worried my friends, my family appointed Emmett as an official spokesperson to come out to my campus to make sure I wasn't sick or on drugs. Emmett to this day, laughs and shakes his head at the scene he found when he arrived.

My rooms were cluttered with old pizza boxes and empty Coca-Cola bottles. Clothes strewn around my room, I hadn't done laundry in weeks. I sat hunched on a bench in front of my keyboard working through my latest piece, not even looking up when he let himself in with the spare key I had given my mother when I moved in. He took one look around my usually spotless living area and stalked to stand in front of me wordlessly before pulling the plug out of the back of my keyboard, effectively killing the power and removing my focus from what I was doing.

I hand't been mad at him for doing it, I really didn't even realize that I had withdrawn as much as I had. It took me a while to look around at my small, neglected living space and a long, hot, and much needed shower, to realize that I had been holed up for weeks, missing a few classes here and there and not returning any of the calls and emails I had been receiving from friends and family.

Over the next few weeks, things slowly returned to normal. I returned my room to it's previously spotless condition, I attended classes regularly and I went back to hanging with my friends and calling my family at my regularly scheduled intervals. A few months after that, I noticed that my writing was starting to feel labored again, I tried various techniques to get my creative juices flowing, so to speak, with little results, but this was the pattern.

Over the last decade, I noticed that every time we would have a family gathering Alice would bring Bella, until she was almost as much a member of our family as I was. She was at every function, and was usually brow beaten into singing by my mother and father, who loved to hear her sing. She would blush and comply once most of the guests had gone home, and I had gone to start the dishes when she did it, but I would stand by the sink and listen to her sing softly for my parents, sometimes so softly that I had to hold my breath to hear her voice. She would croon some popular song she had learned as I listened with rapt attention, with her never knowing that I was simply mesmerized by the sound of her voice, the soulfulness of her musical styling. After she had finished, I would return to the party to find her pink cheeked and just absolutely invigorated from her efforts. It was after these occasions that I did most of my writing. Sure, I could write once in while when something struck me, but it was never as inspired, never as necessary as it was after hearing her sing.

I knew it was strange, and almost stalker like in essence, but I needed it, and in my own weird way, I needed her to make my music come alive.

When Alice called me almost a week ago, to ask me to set up a song for Bella, I knew then that I had to get Laurent to hear her, that she was what the club needed to boost attendance, and yes, selfishly, I wanted my muse closer to me. I hadn't written anything good in months. After hearing her rendition of Fever, my gut feelings confirmed, I spoke with Laurent about her doing a full set on a regular basis. It only took him a few seconds to agree having heard her for himself. We both knew that it was going to be great, she was going to be great.

Having her agree to sing for Laurent at the club and to let me work with her to overcome her stage fright, that was the highlight of my week, my month, hell, maybe even my year. I was seriously chomping at the bit to get through the rest of my morning to get to her.

I finished the end of my shift and headed for my car, mentally planning what I wanted to cover today with Bella. I knew that we should probably spend some time working on the piano this week. Three weeks wasn't alto of time to perfect a whole new set list, and I wasn't sure what songs Bella already knew, so I guess that should probably be the first thing we covered.

The drive to mine and Emmett's place was over before I realized, so distracted was I that I barely had the chance to blink and I was pulling into the driveway.

As I walked through the front door and plunked my keys down on the hall table and hung up my jacket my ears were assaulted by the off key sound of Emmett warbling through Train's Drops of Jupiter. It really was no secret that as it pertained to the Cullen males in our family, I received all of the musical talent. Not to be self absorbed, of course, we all had our talents. Emmett had his sports, and his automobiles, Alice had her fashion design and was a talented violinist.

I tried to quietly pass the kitchen without drawing any attention to myself. I only had two hours before I was due to meet Bella and I wanted to get in a long shower after my shift before meeting her, but I swear Emmett had some sort of radar for people who were trying to avoid him.

"Hey, little brother, want some pasta?" he bellowed over the music in the kitchen.

He was ALWAYS eating.

"No thanks, I was just on my way to take a shower. I have some plans this afternoon."

"Plans, huh? Would happen to be seeing little Bella Swan this afternoon, would you?"

"Doesn't Alice know to keep anything quiet? Is nothing off limits?" I responded, getting annoyed.

"Dude, chillax Bro! Why would you want to keep seeing Bella a secret? To hear Alice tell it, you're helping her, right? Got her a gig at L's club, spending time to get her mad piano skills toned up, almost boned her the other night…"

"Emmett! What the fuck did Alice tell you?"

"Nothing much man, apparently Bella closed up like a clam when she asked. But you know Alice, she knows somethings up, and she won't stop until she finds out what!"

"Shit!"

"What happened? Wanna talk about it?"

"Not especially."

Emmett shrugged and went back to stirring his pasta sauce. I stood there for a moment watching him cook.

"Edward, there's nothing wrong with admitting you like Bella. Dude, she has been into you for ages, don't tell me you haven't noticed it before."

"What are you talking about Emmett?"

"you can't tell me that you never noticed how she acts when your in the same room. Bro, she can barely speak when your in the same house."

"She didn't seem to have that issue the other night."

"I'm just sayin' man. You could do worse than Bella, she kinda grew up hot dude!"

"Em, watch it, she's our sister's best friend, and practically part of the family!"

"Hey you keep reminding yourself that Eddie boy, I'm not the one who had a sleep over with her the other night. What happened with that anyways?"

" I'm not even going to dignify that with a response Em."

"oh, that's right, Eddie the gentleman doesnt kiss and tell." Emmett said, chuckling heartily at his joke.

"I'm warning you Emmett, leave it, and Bella, alone."

"Dude, relax, I'm not interested in Bella anyway, I wanna know what's up with her hot blonde friend, Rosalie. Bro, she is stacked!"

I shook my head at his neanderthal antics, leave it to Emmett to call someone "stacked". Next thing you know he would start serenading her with an extremely off key rendition of She's a Brick House.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that and go and take my shower now. Enjoy your pasta."

"Thanks! Have Bella tell Rosie I said "wassup!", and don't do anything I would do this afternoon." he said as he turned to strain his noodles.

Shaking my head, I walked up the stairs to my bedroom, pulling my scrub top over my head and tossing it in the hamper as I entered my room. Rummaging through my dresser I grabbed my favorite pair of worn dark jeans and my favorite plaid button down from the stack of dry cleaning that I had tossed on my bed last night before my shift.

I padded over to my bathroom and turned on the water ion the shower and stepped inside it, moving to stand under the warm, steamy spray. I lifted my face to the water and let it run down my hair, face, and chest, luxuriating in the way the heat started to loosen the tension that had built up in my shoulders.

I reached over and grabbed my favorite body wash, flipping the top and squeezing some of the spicy scented gel into the palm of my hand before rubbing it into a lather and smoothing it over my body.

I let my hands glide smoothly over my arms and chest as I called up the vision of Bella writhing against my hand from the other night. I pictured her face, eyes closed tight, her mouth open, her moaning softly as I touched her. Behind my closed eyelids I conjured the vision of her under me, he back arched, her nipples pebbled against her dress as I ran my soapy hand down my stomach and palmed my now rock hard cock, squeezing the base gently.

I stroked my rigid length as I imagined what her mouth would feel like on my head, licking and sucking. I could almost feel her wet, hot mouth close over me and suck my hard cock deep into her throat, as I quickened the pace of my stroking hand. I wanted to look down and see her big chocolate brown eyes looking up at me as she sucked me off, pleading to taste me. I wished it was her tongue running over my sensitive head, grazing it with her teeth. My tightened my gripped and stroked my dick faster, pumping my dick harder; I was so close.

I imagined what I would be like to look into those pleading eyes, my hands tightening in her hair as she bobbed her head up and down my cock, silently begging me to come for her. In my fantasy I played with her hair as I took over the rhythm, slowly moving my hips, fucking her hot mouth.

I moved my free hand down and cupped my balls and I continued to stroke myself to that image, letting my thumb graze the head as I reached the tip. I was working myself so fast, I was only going to be another moment before I exploded. I could feel my climax building in my stomach. My fantasy Bella had her hands on my hips, forcing me to pump myself into her mouth deeper and harder, I imagined hitting the back of her throat with my now pulsing dick.

With a groan, my hips bucked and my cock exploded, shooting my hot come all over the shower stall wall, before it was washed away by the now cooling water of the shower. I came down slowly, panting. It had been a long time since I had felt the need to masturbate in the shower like a horny teenager, but if it kept me from attacking Bella today, I was all for it.

I finished my shower without any further groping, or incident, toweling off and dressing before heading back into the living room. I passed the piano and it hit me.

I could have suggested we hold her piano sessions here. I wondered if she would mind being alone in my house with me. I had just about everything we could need here to help her out. I even had some recording equipment stored away from my college days, that we could use to track her progress if she wanted.

I stopped in the hall to pull on my beat up old navy chucks before grabbing my keys and heading out of the door, closing it with a slam.

I climbed behind the wheel of my Volvo, glancing at the clock, to check the time. I was right on schedule.

The drive to Bella and Alice's apartment took a little longer than normal due to some unexpected traffic on the highway, but I pulled up to the curb in front of their brownstone, only ten minutes late.

I hopped, yes hopped, out of the car and bounded up the steps, feeling oddly excited about starting our mission. I took the opportunity as I climber the stairs to her second floor apartment to calm myself, and took a deep breath before knocking on her door.

I could hear strange noises coming from the other side of the door and a loud thump, then some mumbling that sounded suspiciously like profanity.

I waited while the locks clicked on the other side of the door. I stood there with a small smirk on my face as the door was opened and an out of breath, red faced Bella appeared.

She was dressed in a pair of dark skinny jeans, that hugged her small rounded curves like a glove, and a gauzy white top that fell low over her shoulders, sliding softly over one, exposing to my view. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a high ponytail leaving her graceful neck bare. She was bare foot and gorgeous. I immediately wanted to pull her into my arms and kiss her until neither of us could breathe.

"Hi."

"Hello Bella, sorry I'm late."

"Oh, your late? Um, no worries Edward. Come in."

She stepped back to admit me into her apartment and quietly closed the door with a soft click behind me.

The apartment was just as I remembered it, warm and inviting, with Alice's style and what I guessed were Bella's homey touches.

"So, have you had lunch yet? I could make some sandwiches, if you're hungry."

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. I had a late breakfast at the hospital, but if you are hungry we could eat before we start." I replied, not wanting to stop her from eating, if she hand't yet.

"No, I'm OK. I had a late breakfast too."

"OK, lets get started then."

She gestured for me to sit on the sofa as she walked down the hall to what I now knew was her bedroom before returning with a guitar case and a binder.

"What's in the binder?"

"Sheet music. Some of it's really old, from high school and stuff, but I never throw that stuff out, you know? The way music style come in and out of style, I just save it all." she said as she sat, fidgeting with her hands in her lap.

She was nervous, that much was obvious. I wanted to set her mind at ease. I wanted her to feel comfortable around me. If we couldn't do that then our efforts would be for nothing.

I reached over and placed my hand on top of her fidgeting ones, effectively stilling them.

"Bella, relax. You don't need to be nervous around me, really. I am just here to help."

I took a deep breath and let my eyes meet hers. She was looking back at me, her expression unreadable.

"I thought we would start with you playing me something on your guitar. I want you to choose a song that is like second nature to you. This will get us over some of the awkwardness and give me the opportunity to gauge your proficiency on the instrument.

Holy goodness, I was starting to sound like a teacher.

"Bella, it could be any song you'd like, any style of music, just let it be something that moves you."

"Um, OK. I'll try to pick something good." She responded quietly.

"Don't worry about good or bad, just pick something you enjoy playing."

She seemed to contemplate my words for a moment, before reaching over and opening her guitar case and removing the instrument. It was an older model Gibson, and looked well used, its surface covered in dings and scratches. She took a few minutes to tune the guitar as I leafed through her binder of sheet music.

She had an interesting mix of songs. She had classical arias, and opera, mixed with Leanne Rimes and Bonnie Raitt. She had songs from Wicked the Musical and Les Miserables and songs from Evanescence and a few American Idol covers. Her musical taste was wide and far reaching. I was surprised, pleasantly.

I sat silently thumbing through the pages, waiting for her to begin, wondering what she was going to favor me with.

Bella cleared her throat and began to play.

Just about the time the shadows call

I undress my mind and dare you to follow

Paint a portrait of my mystery

Only close my eyes and you are here with me

A nameless face to think I see

To sit and watch the waves with me till they're gone

A heart I'd swear I'd recognize is made out of

My own devices...

Could I be wrong?

The time that I've taken

I pray is not wasted

Have I already tasted my piece of one sweet love?

Once again I sat, leaning forward in my seat, mesmerized by the sound of her voice, as it blended with the strains of the guitar. She was beautiful, her eyes closed, she was feeling the music she created.

Sleepless nights you creep inside of me

Paint your shadows on the breath that we share

You take more than just my sanity

You take my reason not to care.

No ordinary wings I'll need

The sky itself will carry me back to you

The things I dream that I can do I'll open up

The moon for you

Just come down soon

The time that I've taken

I pray is not wasted

Have I already tasted my piece of one sweet love?

Ready and waiting for a heart worth the breaking

But I'd settle for an honest mistake in the name of

One sweet love.

Savor the sorrow to soften the pain sip on

The southern rain

As I do, I don't look don't touch don't do anything

But hope that there is a you.

The earth that is the space between,

I'd banish it from under me...to get to you.

Your unexpected love provides my solitary's

Suicide...oh I wish I knew

The time that I've taken

I pray is not wasted

Have I already tasted my piece of one sweet love?

Ready and waiting for a heart worth the breaking

But I'd settle for an honest mistake in the name of

One sweet love.

She finished her song, and quietly laid down her guitar next to her on the sofa. After a moment she met my eyes, obviously expecting a reaction, or some form of response from me, but I couldn't speak just yet.

"Ed-Edward? Was that OK?" She asked, a look of uncertainty plain on her face.

"Bella…" I began, running my hands through my hair, taking a second before finishing my thought, "That was wonderful. If this is a caliber of performance you can produce with just you and a guitar, I fear that you won't need my help after all."

"No! I need you!" Her reply was quick and made my heart skip a beat.

"Bella, I -"

"I mean, I need your help."

"That song was amazing, we should add that to your set list for a few of the open mic nights."

"Oh, yeah? OK. It's one of my favorites."

"Speaking of open mic nights … there is one this Friday night down near my place at a bar that's big with the college crowd. Shall we start there?"

"This Friday? Um, sure, Edward. If you think I should, I mean."

"Bella, I think you should. I want to start you off right away, just push you right into the deep end. We wont make progress if we don't get you out there, in front of people."

"OK Edward. I was thinking about going down to the Kind of Blue Friday afternoon before it opened t get some of that piano practice in if it's still OK to go before it opens."

"Oh, yeah, I was thinking about that too. I was thinking that maybe we could move those sessions to my house, since I have a piano these, you know, if you are OK with that. I want you to feel completely comfortable."

Oh, um, wow. Uh, OK. Sure. We could do that. Are you sure it would be OK with Emmett? I wouldn't want to subject him to my horribly rusty playing and all."

"Bella, if you walked into the kitchen to hear him massacring Train tunes the way I did, you'd know just how ridiculous your statement truly is." I said, chuckling.

Bella laughed with me, effectively killing any residual awkwardness left in the room.

We spent the next hour, pulling together a rudimentary set list, sometimes stopping so Bella could play me a chorus or two on the guitar or hum a few bars a cappella. We worked well together, able to bounce ideas off each other, and speak freely about the types of music we enjoyed.

I couldn't remember the last time I had such an enjoyable afternoon. Bella was a revelation. She was talented and smart, and every moment I sat with her, every additional second we spent talking, made me want to reach over and kiss her senseless even more.

I knew this feeling of want, this need, was different. I had felt lust before, wanted women, smart, beautiful women; But I had never had to battle myself internally over whether I wanted to hear more about a person or take them to bed more. This was a war I wasn't used to fighting, and fight it I must. For as much as I wanted Bella, over me, under me, and on me, I wanted to know her.

I heard what Alice had said last Saturday, Bella was different. She wasn't someone that I could treat the usual way I treated women. She was better than that, and because of it, I needed to step back.

We broke after a while for a late lunch of turkey sandwiches and potato salad, lounging on the sofa, drinking iced tea and chatting about Friday. We decided that I would stop by and pick both her an Alice up before heading to the bar since I had an appointment out this way Friday afternoon. (I didn't really, but I wanted to spend as much time as possible in her presence, even if Alice was with us.)

We cleaned up the remnants of our meal, the bright light of the coming sunset streaking through the bamboo blinds that covered Bella's living room windows, bathing her in a warm orange glow as she laughed over my stories about Emmett and his carbo-loading habits during football season.

I stood by the sink, scraping out plates into the garbage disposal, Bella reached around me to place our glasses into the sink, before turning to place the pitcher of iced tea back into the refrigerator and shut the door. She turned as I moved to dry my hands and we collided with each other, Bella moving abruptly back, I caught her by the elbows to prevent her from landing on the floor.

I hauled her up, with a force that brought her tight to my body, touching from chest to knee. Her hot hands on my chest, her touch almost searing me through my button down, she nervously bite her lip.

Oh lord how I wanted to bite that lip. I wanted to nibble and tug on it and hear her make soft moaning noises into my mouth. She ran her hands down my chest, while staring at my mouth, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Bella…" I called her name softly, urging her to look up at me with a finger under her chin.

She looked up, hesitating for a moment and launched herself at me, shocking me momentarily. It took me only a second before I responded, pulling her body closer to mine, kissing her urgently. Our tongues met and danced, sliding against each other, her small hands raising to fist in my hair. Our kiss was a passionate clash of tongues and teeth, it warsaw and elemental, and I knew if I didn't put an end to it, we would end up with me fucking her against her kitchen sink, my cock buried inside her deep, thrusting, until she screamed my name.

As much as I wanted that, wanted her, I didn't want it like this. I didn't want to screw her in her kitchen with the threat of my sister walking in and interrupting us. I moved my hands from her writhing hips to cover her hands and gently remove them from my hair, slowly but surely ending our kiss, pulling back from her but not letting go of her hands just yet.

"Bella… we can't."

"What… ?" She questioned, seemingly still somewhat dazed from our kiss.

"Bella… Alice… will be home soon… and I…" I was having some trouble putting a coherent thought together myself.

She looked crestfallen, confused and... determined?

"Oh, right. Yeah Alice." she glanced over my shoulder, at the clock on the microwave, before looking back to me. "She should be home in an hour or so."

"Listen, Bella, I'm so-"

"Edward, no apologies necessary. If anyone should say I'm sorry, it's me. I jumped on you."

She stepped back, moving further away from me, and I felt the loss of her warmth. I wanted to pull her back into my arms, drag her down the hall to her room and spend the rest of the night naked in her bed, but the look on her face told me that that was no longer a possibility. She shook her head before meeting my gaze once more.

"It's getting late Edward, we should wrap things up, I'm meeting Jacob for dinner downtown at 6:30"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. Let me help you pick up a bit before I head out."

"That's not necessary Edward, I got it."

I was the confused one now. It seemed as if she wanted me to go, and I didn't know what to say. I didn't want her to feel rejected, but I couldn't think of a single way to prevent it without tipping my hand and revealing way too much, too soon.

"Oh well, OK Bella. Um, so … are we still on for Friday afternoon? The piano session? My place?"

"Yeah, sure Edward. Friday afternoon is fine. Around 1:00 OK? That should give us a few hours, before Alice drags me off to make me presentable for the world." She replied, nervously chuckling.

"Bella, you are perfect, just the way you are, no make-overs necessary." I stated earnestly, fishing my car keys out of my pocket while moving towards her door.

"Um thanks. I'll see you Friday, Edward." She flashed me a quick but hesitant smile, holding the door for me as I walked through it.

"Good night Bella, enjoy your dinner."

"Goodbye Edward, drive safe."

She closed the door as I made my way down the steps of her building. I wasn't sure exactly what had happened just now, but I knew I had missed something, done something very wrong today.

I didn't want to spend my night obsessing over it but knew that I would anyway, unable to think of anything but her face, the way she smelled, the way she tasted.

As I laid in my dark, cool room that night, gazing at the patterns the street lamps made on my ceiling, I prayed that Friday afternoon would get here soon.

A/N:

So what did you think? Was it everything you had hoped?

I know you all are dying for these two crazy kids to get together, but if you have spent any time chatting with me on my Facebook Twi-page, you'd know that these events are based on real life, albeit loosely, and it didn't happen that quickly. I never intended to write a real slow burn type of story so no worries there.. The time for these two is coming, and quickly my lovelies!

If you want them to get together sooner, then some serious reviewing is in order… yes I know that Black mail, or bribery, but deal with it lol, that's how I roll!

So please click that button and review, who knows, sending me a review might prompt me to send you a wet soapy showerward… ;)