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not beta'd

storyline - beginning

prompt - curious

** almost to the end of this storyline. one, maybe 2 more chapters.

It was a playful kiss.

Edward smiled again, wider. He had chocolate all over his teeth.

The tiny pinch of panic Bella had felt dissipated and she laughed, covering her mouth.

"What?" he asked, knowing exactly 'what'.

She shook her head and pointed. "You've got the messiest mouth right now…"

Before she could say anything else, he grabbed her arms and wiped his face all over hers.

Bella shrieked and ducked away, letting Edward chase her out of the kitchen, through the dining room and to the couch, where he tackled her. They wrestled for a minute, snorting and laughing.

"You have it all over your mouth too, you know," he said, easing his weight off of her after a while.

If there were boundaries, blurry as they were, he didn't want to mistakenly cross them. Sure, she knew he loved her and she'd said she loved him, but that didn't mean she wanted him all over her.

She felt so good beneath him, though.

Bella shivered a little, her heart still pounding. This was different.

Different than the past couple of months, for sure. They had been careful to remain just friends, never crossing the line in to anything even remotely physical beyond the occasional hug or touch. And it was different from way before, too, from the days when Edward and Bella were very physical. They'd had the spark back then but not the friendship, leaving a lot of their interactions empty.

But now they were as close as two people could be. Bella felt it, and so did Edward. Even if they chose to never go beyond what they had at this moment, they would be content.

No, that was a lie. Bella wanted more, and it was becoming more and more difficult to keep her feelings hidden.

Edward threw a curious glance down at Bella as he helped her to her feet. "What's up?"

She came closer and drew him in to her arms, holding him tightly. He hugged her back, pressing her as close to his body as he could. Her hair smelled good, her warmth felt good, and he really, really wanted to kiss her.

Every second that passed made it more awkward for Bella. She didn't want to do something she'd regret, but every part of her yearned to be close to Edward. She missed his kisses, but her heart would surely break if they found themselves back at square one, guarded and unable to properly communicate.

If she was honest with herself, though, she didn't think that would happen. Edward had changed, and so had she.

After a moment, he pulled away, kissing her forehead. "Want more chocolate? I'm pretty sure I saw a caramel chew in there…"

Mind racing, Bella nodded and allowed him to lead her back to the kitchen.

She hopped up on the counter and watched him poke around the chocolate box, pretending the mood between them was business as usual.

"Here it is," he said, holding out the caramel.

Bella accepted it, hooking her foot around Edward's leg so that he had to come closer.

It was obvious now what was going on, and he was tired of playing games. He put box down and came to stand between her legs, his face inches away from hers.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered.

So he did, and she kissed him back, relieved. Slow and sweet, it was the probably best kiss Bella had ever had. She wrapped both legs and both arms around him in an effort to press him as close to her as possible, and he brought his arms around her in the same way.

"Is this okay?" he asked, kissing her ear. "I don't want you to…"

"Yes."

"Bella? I really love you."

"I know, Edward." She cupped his face between her hands and kissed his closed eyelids. "I really love you, too."