A/N: Yea, was yesterday update day? My brain didn't tell me that...

3 days left...

Chapter 15: Dusty

"I feel like we should be doing something epic these next two days," I voiced as I lounged against Edward's chest as always. I was picking at the frayed ends of his t-shirt and watching the slow movements of his chest.

He laughed. "I know. I couldn't think of anything," he admitted. There was a silent pause between us for a second. "Have you gotten souvenirs yet?"

I hadn't. "No! Let's go!" I grabbed his hand and pulled him from bed.

"What about this?" I asked as I pulled on a bright red sun hat and posed for him.

He shook his head, grinning at me. "Nuh uh. What about this?" he asked, tying a red ascot around his neck. I held my side as I laughed at him.

"You look like Fred from Scooby Doo," I managed to choke out between laughs. He looked in the small mirror behind his head and cracked up with me as he saw the truth in my words. He slipped the ascot off and placed it back on the table. The woman working the booth smiled at us as she watched our interactions.

"What about these?" she asked us, picking up two bracelets from the table. They were extremely simple. Two thick pieces of string with repeating knots along them and a simple feather in the middle of each. Edward looked at me questioningly and I nodded my assent. He paid her for them and then turned to me, reaching for my right wrist. He tied the red string around my wrist and then let me tie the blue around his.

"Thank you," he said to the woman and she smiled again, nodding to us. Edward grabbed my hand and led me to the next booth. Have I mentioned how much I love these beach side market things? A whole line of little shops and booths filled with random things along the beach, it's awesome.

The next booth we went to had a bunch of fishing and sporting goods and I knew I'd find something cool to bring home to Charlie. I fingered a beige fishing cap, smiling to myself at the mental image of Charlie wearing it. I spun the revolving rack of small items, inspecting them as I spoke to Edward. "What's life like in Montana?" I meant it to make common conversation but I was silently wondering why it was that question I picked.

"Uh..." he blew a deep breath out as he thought. "Dreary. Typical." He picked up a fishing book and flipped through it as he spoke.

"I mean, do you have a lot of friends? Spend a lot of time with family?" I was trying to picture Edward at home in Montana; trying to imagine what he was like away from me. Maybe he was better off.

"I have friends. My brother Emmett and I are close and his girlfriend Rose is nice. My parents," he breathed a laugh as he thought of them. "They're wonderful. They've always been supportive, protective...great."

"So life is good," I gathered.

"Life is good," he agreed. "How's Washington?"

"I'm fine," I teased."

"Ha-ha," he poked my side. "You know what I mean."

"Washington is fine. Forks is small, secluded, very rainy. Everyone knows everyone," I continued, "so I've had the same friends since Pre-K. My mom and dad are nuts but they're good parents. I miss them," I finished quietly though I wasn't sure for my sake or his.

"Then life is good?" he stole my line.

"Life is good." He nodded as I paid for Charlie's gift.

Felt like we were both saying 'I'll be fine without you.'

BL

"No, no put your hand here," Edward said as he sat behind me, placing my fingers where he wanted them.

"I have no idea why I agreed to this," I laughed, shaking my head as I held the guitar.

"Shush. You'll get it in no time. Strum it now."

I flicked the pick along the strings of his guitar and it groaned in response. I cringed at the sound.

Edward's body shook with laughter behind me. "No so hard," he said as he grabbed my hand, directing me into a smooth strum. "Like that." He let me go and I tried it on my own and the guitar tinkled a noise beneath my fingers. "Good. Go to G now. You remember it?"

"I think so," I nodded, positioning my fingers on the guitar's neck in their spots. "That it?"

"Perfect." I beamed proudly at his praise. "Go back to A and then to G again." I nodded and licked my lips and tried to concentrate on my fingers. Switching from chord to chord is what really stumped me. I'd tried to learn guitar before in the past but always gave up because I fucking sucked at switching chords.

I put my hands back in the A chord position and strummed softly before switching to the G chord and strumming. "Holy fuck, I did it."

"You did it!" he cheered and I could practically hear his grin.

I squealed and sat up on my knees, turning to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. "Play for me?" I asked, handing him the guitar. He nodded and sat back against the headboard as he pulled the guitar across his lap.

He seemed to know just what he wanted to play and started right away. He kept his head down and his eyes closed as he played and I watched as his fingers moved expertly and surely against the strings. I was frozen in my spot when he started to sing aloud. His voice was gravelly and rough and matched the melancholy sound of the song perfectly.

Dusty and you are dirty from shade

The lips of your kisses are sticking like tape

Woke you at sun rise, cold as a grave

I cut you some flowers, now don't be afraid

Now, don't be afraid

He looked up at me and smiled softly as he started the chorus. I stared unblinkingly at him as he held my eyes and continued to sing in his sad, soulful voice.

I'm looking for something

To sink in my teeth without any crying

But I can't find no place or nothing

Where thrills are cheap and love is divine

I looked away first, focusing on the patterns of the comforter as he continued on. Only when he got down to the last chords of the song, did I look back up at him. His eyes were still on me and had an unrecognizable twinkle in them.

"I haven't played a full song in forever," he laughed, breaking the silence as always.

"That was amazing. You're so talented," I gushed. He pushed the guitar away and reached for me and I shuffled into his lap.

"You crying?" he asked, wiping at my cheeks.

Shit, am I? "I didn't realize," I chuckled, swiping a hand across my face and feeling moisture under my eyes. "I guess you were better than I thought." He laughed and kissed my forehead. "What's that song?"

"Dusty by Kings of Leon."

The name sounded vaguely familiar. "Don't they sing Sex on Fire?"

He groaned and banged his head against the headboard. "Not you too!" he admonished.

"What?" I said giggling at the exasperated expression on his face.

He flipped me over on my back and pressed his forehead against mine. "Listen here, missy," he started and I laughed at his authoritative tone. I smiled up at him as he hovered over me. He held himself over me, keeping us nose to nose as he spoke. "They are not 'those guys who sing Sex on Fire', kay?"

I held back more laughter at his seriousness and nodded my head, pretending to be convinced. "Can I call them 'those guys that sing Use Somebody', then?"

He growled at me and his fingers attacked my sides. I spent the next thirty minutes listening to Edward's spiel about the godliness of his favorite band and being tickled breathless by the fingers that knew how to play 'those guys that sing Use Somebody''s songs expertly.

A/N: Longer chapters fix everything. If you've read my other fic The Take Home, you know that I'm obsessed with Kings of Leon and I take much the same viewpoint as Edward on their notoriety. They've got so much pre-Only By The Night album stuff that's just brilliant. Dusty is in my top 3 songs by them so go have a listen.

Enough of my fangirling...

Thanks for reading guys. 2 more days. Ya'll nervous? I am. Oh and cut Edward some slack! :P

~LazyMasochist(Marie)