"I swear you get more energetic every time I see you," Tory said, while stretching her neck from one side to the other, her hand tilting her head to the angle she needed. Her movement was hindered by the brace on her right hand.
Jun grinned. He'd gotten there early. He was antzy, worked up, and excited to spend the evening with Bella. Without teammates . . . or roommates.
"Yeah," he said, still jittery even in the hot water.
"All that meth," Tory grumbled good naturedly.
Jun gave her a shy, and sly grin, his knee still bouncing with energy.
"Let me guess," she said. "Big date with the big B?"
He nodded. "And you? How're things there?"
He wasn't sure if it was just the pink dawn light creeping in, or if she was blushing. "Trying boys out for a change," she said, almost sheepishly.
His eyebrows went straight up. "Really? I thought…" and he had, but he wasn't sure how to put it politely.
"I only did girls?" she finished for him, face neutral, daring him to react.
He didn't say anything, just kept looking, mute with uncertainty.
"There are two that I'm looking at," she said matter of factly. "They both seem very nice and very interested."
Most men, Jun was fairly certain, would find Tory their type. Not his, no, but she was beautiful, certainly, and her athleticism only enhanced her appeal.
"And?" he asked, finding his voice again.
"I'm keeping it casual," she said. "Slow. I think we might work up to going for drinks in a couple of weeks."
"Weeks?"
"These things take time," Tory said, drumming her nails on the edge of the hot tub. "Speaking of which," she glanced at the clock, "I gotta go. Class to get to. See ya." She waved, hopping lightly out of the water. "Good...luck tonight." Turning back, her head tilted slightly to the side, she added, "I'm assuming you're looking for luck in one word form or another, right?"
He rolled his eyes. "No kissing and telling."
"Sure." She winked, waved goodnaturedly, and walked away.
She was right. He was hoping very much that things would progress beyond where they were, but he suspected they wouldn't. That Bella needed more time.
He would wait.
Bella smiled, when she woke up, despite being momentarily dislocated in space. She'd picked up her phone, checking for the message she'd heard it buzz for.
I'm cooking tonight. How spicy is OK? - J
Leave me some taste buds. - B
Done, his reply read, pick you up at six.
Looking forward to it. - B
The Cullen's house was eerily quiet, after the noise of her last months in residence. Not wanting to put her workout clothes from the night before back on, Bella tentatively slid open another one of the drawers. Again, relief washed through her. Simple clothes.
She went downstairs, entered the kitchen, then came to a stop. Sitting on the kitchen island was her backpack. She hadn't brought it with her.
"Figured you'd want to go straight to class." Alice appeared suddenly, leaning over and lifting something out of the oven. "And that you might need to eat first."
"Thank you," Bella said, looking at the beautifully prepared food.
"Not me you need to thank," Alice said pertly. "But I'll pass it along."
"For everything, I meant," Bella said, wrapping her arms around her.
"You're welcome." Alice sighed. "And I want it noted that I provided clothes I knew you would wear. Not the ones I actually want you to wear." She pouted a bit. "See? Respect."
"And your sacrifice is both noted and appreciated."
"Enjoy it, while it lasts, cuz that's all gone when you're changed."
"Fair enough," Bella mumbled through an appreciative bite of food. They chatted more easily over breakfast, Bella making Alice laugh with her self deprecating tales about her team's practises. She was almost reluctant to leave, when the time came, but her classes drew her into her day, and she happily sunk herself into the world of learning.
Jun's rapid knock at her door pulled her from her math text, and she dropped it on her toe as she stood. Hissing in a breath, she hopped to the door, but not fast enough.
"OK little pig, gettin' ready to huff and puff and blow your house down here," he muttered. "You nappin' on me Swan?"
"No," she called, tryin to massage the painful feeling out of her toes. "Just being really uncoordinated," she explained, hopping to the door and pulling it open..
"Trying to do yoga or something?" he asked, watching her standing on one leg, the other brought up in an awkward angle. "Cuz you got that pose all wrong."
Bella chuckled. "No, I just dropped a textbook on my foot."
Jun shook his head, his low, rumbly laugh joining hers. He slipped his arm under hers though, and helped her stay up while she wiggled her toes and made sure nothing was broken. It wouldn't be the first time.
When she had two feet on the ground, he leaned down and kissed her. "How was your sleepover?"
"Oh," she said a little awkwardly. "Um, good."
Just hanging out with a bunch of vampires.
"Any plans beyond dinner tonight?" he asked, a little tentatively.
"No. Why?"
Jun lifted his eyebrows at this question, but answered. "Just wondering if I get to keep you for the night." He took her hands, now free, pulling her waist close to his. "Or if anyone else is kidnapping you."
Oh, Bella thought.
"No," she blushed, trying to avoid direct eye contact, realizing what he was asking. "No planned abductions tonight."
"Good," he said, and kissed her again.
Bella pulled away when one of her floormates walked by, giving several loud 'whoots!' as he went.
"Come on," Jun sai "My place is yahoo free, unlike yours," he added, loud enough for the rest of the hall to hear.
His place, was, as promised empty, save for them.
He had most of the dinner ready to go, and Bella sat, watching him work in the kitchen. While he cooked, they chatted about the pleasant, and untroubling details of their courses.
"Not sure," he said, when she asked if he was going home for Thanksgiving. "You?"
"Definitely," she said. "I miss my dad."
"I bet," he said, turning back to her, gesturing that she should move to the table. "First year is hard. Being away from home."
Bella shrugged. "Already crossed that bridge, I guess, moving here. Still—miss him."
When Bella took a bite of the bulgogi, her eyes went wide. "Wow, that's really good."
"Good . . . you should be. I called my mom for pointers."
"I'm flattered. Did she suspect why?"
"If she did, she didn't say anything." He winked.
Bella didn't frown exactly, but her face showed the shift in her thoughts. "Do they...know, that you're seeing people?"
"People?" he asked, his eyebrows up.
"Not right now," she blushed. "But I mean, you know, that you've dated—that you're…" She wasn't sure how to put it.
"Sleeping with anything that breathes?" he asked casually.
Bella felt her blood drain out of her face.
"I'm joking!" he said, alarmed, and then relieved, watching the blood reverse direction. "Sorry," he added, reaching over to take her hand. Then, very seriously, he answered her question. "No, I don't talk to them about it. I'm sure they're aware I've dated, been with people. I suspect they've avoided mentioning it because it makes it less real for them." His expression became quizzical, and then concerned. "Does that bother you?"
"No," Bella said quickly, the blush returning. "Not at all. I was just curious." She wondered how many people he'd been with—in all the different meanings that the phrase supplied.
"It's not because I don't feel things for you, Bella," he said softly. "If that's what you were wondering about."
"No," she said, shaking her head. "Not at all."
"You told your dad? Or your mom?"
This made her blush again. "No," she said, "I haven't. I'm not sure what I would say. Figured I would just let it be." She watched him, seeing if she could detect any unease on his face. If there was any there, it was well disguised. She raised her eyebrows, wondering at his response.
"I'm OK with us being what we are," he said. "More than OK."
They smiled at each other, and then turned their attention to their food again.
When dinner was finished, he pulled her over to the couch, tucking her into the easy curve of his arm. "So, you ready to find out where all my latin comes from?"
"Sure," she said, watching his eyes sparkle.
He jumped up and pressed a button on the DVD player. "Oh!" Bella said. "I think I must've seen part of this." When the title scrolled up the screen, she knew she had.
"Awesome title," she whispered.
Jun snickered. He couldn't help it. "Dead Poets Society?"
"Sure," Bella said. "I'm partial to several dead writers. Poets included."
He shrugged goodnaturedly. "Well," he said, "you can keep me company down memory lane." He'd sat back beside her, again tucking her into the curve of his body.
She was thinking about how comfortable it was there. Neither too warm, or too cold, but pleasantly cozy. She could feel his laughs through her own ribs, and loved the syncopated beat of their laughter together, shaking each other's bodies.
It wasn't normal for her to cry during movies, but this one tugged at her heart strings. The protagonist, so hopeful, so full of promise, and now dead. Worse yet, by his own hand, forced by what he saw as no meaningful choices.
She was thinking of Jun. And of herself. Of the powers that had far greater play over their lives than what they each wanted.
When he turned, and saw her wiping at her eyes, he hugged her closer and then pulled her up onto his lap. It seemed only natural, being closer, that their lips should be too. These kisses were slow, and gentle, and utterly unhurried.
These kisses grew, at first tentative, and then flowered into bolder explorations by each others' hands. She lost track of time, happily.
When his hand moved to slide her jeans downwards though, Bella stopped him with the firm grip of her fingers. "No," she said softly.
Jun stopped, pulling his fingers back. "OK," he whispered, kissing her still, "but how," he breathed, returning his lips to hers, and then murmuring the next words into her neck, "can I worship your body with all these clothes on?"
She laughed, a little nervously. "You'll just have to be creative, I guess."
"Mm," he said, feeling her hands on his neck. "I can do creative." He slid her onto her side on the wide couch, not breaking the contact of their kiss.
The acquaintance of their lips continued, and where Bella had always been the one to pursue, and be pushed back, she was now reaching the edge of her known territory.
His hands moved under her shirt, admiring the curve of her back, her ribs, and then nearly brushed the softer arches of her breasts.
It felt amazing.
It still felt amazing when they travelled down the landscape of her body, Jun tucking one under the waistband of her jeans.
Then she started, pushing his hand away.
"Trust me," he whispered. "I want to make you feel good." This was said between the space of their lips, his body half over hers.
She couldn't dispute what she felt—all the desire she'd held onto, that had been so repeatedly refuted. She still wanted it.
She still wanted it—but with Edward.
"No," she said, pushing him back.
He held his ground. "Why?" he whispered.
She was embarrassed to feel tears slip onto her cheeks. "It's not right," she said, shaking her head.
"What isn't?" Jun asked, voice still soft, but unwavering. He hadn't moved yet.
"I want to—" she admitted, "but it's not fair—"
"Oh no," he said, shaking his head. "No expectations. We made a deal," then he leaned down and kissed her again. "Trust me," he said, and his hand resumed its prior path.
"No," she said, and more firmly pushed him away.
He stopped, and shifting his weight, brought her to rest with her back against his stomach. "OK," he said softly, brushing her neck with his lips.
While she accepted the acquiescence of his hands, she could feel that other parts of his body were not ready to be dismissed.
He didn't like the small, worried v between her eyebrows.
"What's up?" he asked.
She blushed in response.
This he loved, watching her feelings practically dance across her face.
"Sorry, I know you want...more."
"No," he said, he said, brushing his hands over her hair. "I meant it. Whatever this is, I'm down with that." Then he grinned broadly. "But yes, I would like more, if you want it."
He was glad to see her body relax, shoulders melting back.
"Speaking of honest desire," he said. "I'd love it if you spent the night."
She tensed again, asking in a small voice, "To sleep?"
"What, no cuddling?" Jun asked, face full of mock horror.
She relaxed again.
"Literalist," Bella muttered, giving his arm a playful punch.
It was sweet, later, her body coiled up in bed with him, his arm folded over her, breath in her hair, and the gentle rhythms of their hearts sweeping them into sleep.
Outside, a set of keen ears took in this natural conclusion to the day, and sped back their intelligence to their red-eyed mistress.
Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.