Fighting Temptation

Chapter Seven: Application for Cupid

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are property of me, Dobber17. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

This chapter has been edited by CherryBerry12.

Edward Cullen

A startled scream for the bathroom caught everyone's attention. With an amused look my way, Tyler rolled off his bed and went to check it out. As soon as he pushed open the bathroom door, he started laughing.

"Have you never shaved your face before? It's basically the same thing." Tyler joked, lifting a hand to his face in an attempt to hide his smile.

Bella shot up from where she was sitting on the bed, and I was a step behind her. We stopped outside of the bathroom door to see Mike holding his armpit, spewing muttered curses as his face was bright red.

Mike seethed out another string of curses as he glared at Tyler. "I didn't want to smell like lavender anymore, and all my stuff was a little far out of the way."

Tyler looked behind him. "Ah yes. A whole ten steps."

Bella cringed beside me. "Sorry. I forgot you had your own stuff. I wouldn't have tortured you with my shaving cream and one of my disposable razors."

Mike tried to force out a smile. "It's okay."

As far as I could see it wasn't okay. A small drop of blood escaped from under his hand. Bella must have seen it as well as she backed into me in her haste to get away. She shook her head as I moved away, allowing her room to get around me. "Nope. I don't do blood."

"Blood," Mike breathed out, his eyes going wide as he blindly grappled at the counter for a towel.

I followed Bella out of the bathroom, content letting Mike deal with his own issues. I really had no sympathy for the guy, especially since he was not at all subtle with his adjustments in the bathroom. Not that I could completely blame him; I was almost in the same situation hours earlier when Bella and I were play fighting in the pool.

Bella grabbed the remote and curled herself in a chair between our bed and the window, flipping through the generic menu on the television. As I sat down on the edge of the bed, she tossed me the remote from her chair. "Pick whatever you want."

I quickly tossed the remote to Tyler as he was just sitting down on the other bed. He threw on the first movie that appeared on the menu. I didn't care what it was, I was distracted by the way Bella had her head craned at an angle to see the television. Even though I was sitting on top of the covers, I flipped down the bedding on the other side of the bed. The movement caught Bella's eyes and I patted the spot next to me. "I promise I don't bite."

Her smile was radiant though a tad tentative. "I'm good here. Promise."

I sighed, knowing how stubborn Bella could be and gave in before the battle of wills even began. "Okay. Come join me when you realize you can't see from over there."

Luckily it didn't take long before Bella joined me. At first, she sat next to me on top of the covers, but slowly moved under the covers until only everything from her eyes and above were exposed. Apparently she was not a fan of scary movies.

Mike returned, pink faced and scowling as he caught sight of Bella next to me on the bed. Trying to quell the protective thrumming in my chest, I slid my hand under the blankets until I grasped Bella's hand. I gently squeezed her fingers until she looked at me. "We can turn it off," I offered for the third time.

Bella shook her head before I even finished speaking. "I'm good," she squeaked, her words muffled under the blanket. She pulled her hand from mine and flinched at what was happening on the screen.

I shook my head. I wished I hadn't given Tyler the remote. He and Mike were completely oblivious of Bella's cocooned state. Instead, both of them were debating what was going to happen next. We had turned the television on when the movie was already half way done, so speculations were running wild.

I tried to fight off my yawns, but I could feel myself slowly slipping into sleep. The more I tried to keep my eyes open, the longer they stayed shut. Bella's hand slipped into mine and I managed to crack an eye open.

"You can go to sleep," she whispered.

"'Kay," I murmured. Instinctively, I turned my body so I was curled more toward her, but after a moment I moved again so I returned flat on my back. It wasn't as comfortable, but I figured Bella would be more comfortable if I gave her ample room on the bed.

As tired as I was, I couldn't fall asleep. My eyelids were heavy and stayed close, but I could still hear what was going on around me. I heard when the movie ended and the television was turned off. I heard when Mike wished Bella a seductive goodnight. I heard the tell-tale sound of snoring from across the room as I felt the warmth beside me leave.

~!~ FT ~!~

I woke up in the middle of the night. I was a light sleeper to begin with, but being in a new place and a bed that wasn't my own always made me restless for a few nights. It took me a moment to realize I was sprawled across the bed, my long frame allowing me to almost reach all four corners. It took me even longer to realize I shouldn't have been able to do that. I forced my eyes open and blinked a few times, helping my eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. Bella was curled up in one of the straight-back, uncomfortable chairs.

My muscles ached as I pulled myself out of bed and stood. Bella had a pillow tucked under her head, but had no blanket. I gently pulled the pillow from under her head first, tossing it on her side of the bed. I slid my arms under her knees and back before lifting her out of the chair and moving her to the bed. Her hands unconsciously sought out the warmth of the comforter and I pulled it over her before climbing back into bed. She remained tightly curled into a ball, facing toward me. This time I didn't stop myself from curling on my side and shifting closer to her so we were face-to-face. I brushed a few stray hairs from her forehead and pressed a kiss to it before I realized what I was doing. I waited for the guilt to come, but it didn't as I drifted off to sleep again.

~!~ FT ~!~

Bella Swan

It felt like I had one of the best night's sleeps. I raised my arms and stretched, realizing quickly that should have been impossible to do in the chair. My hand felt the soft sheet under me. Yep, definitely on the bed. My roaming hand hit a warm body and I open my eyes to find a sleepy-eyed Edward looking at me.

"Good morning, Bella," Edward whispered.

I blinked a few times to get the sleep out of my eyes. "Um … hi."

"More comfortable than the chair, right?"

"Yeah," I breathed. Feeling the need to explain myself I continued. "I didn't know if you were comfortable sharing a bed or not, or if I was supposed to sleep on the floor … so I just decided to be on the safe side and sleep on the chair." There was no point in beating around it since I was a terrible liar.

Edward's eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. His hand reached across the bed and softly grabbed mine. "Do you honestly think I would make you sleep on the floor?"

"I'm sorry," I mumbled into my pillow, unsure if he could even make out the words.

"Bella, don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong," he chided with a soft chuckle. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I have some questions for you."

"Okay."

"So, um, apparently there is going to be a dance at the end of the two weeks and I was wondering if you would go with me." For someone who seemed calm a few moments ago, I struggled to follow Edward as he rushed through the words. I mean, dancing and Bella Swan did not go together very well.

"You know I can't dance."

"I've never actually seen you dance," Edward stated, a small, tentative smile on his lips.

"There's a reason for that," I laughed lightly.

Instead of laughing with me, Edward's face started to fall. "I take that as a no then?"

"No. No! It's not a no. It's a yes … with a warning label."

He grinned. "It'll take it. Second question, would you be up to meeting some of my family at lunch today?"

"Isn't Alice your only sibling?" I asked, confused.

"Technically, yes. Both Alice and Emmett's wife Rose are dance instructors here. Both of them, along with Jasper and Emmett, want to officially meet you. I consider them all family. Do you want to have lunch with all of them? It's completely your call. They can be … overwhelming."

I already knew Emmett and Jasper, in a way, and they seemed like nice guys. I assumed Alice and Rose would be the same.

"Sure," I agreed.

"Perfect." Edward leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Now let's get ready to go."

~!~FT~!~

The only way to describe the morning was brutal. We were doing conditioning work and the morning was filled with running, running, and more running. I was relieved when it was time for lunch because I wouldn't have to run anymore, but a ball of nerves had formed in my stomach.

"Stop biting your lip. There's nothing to worry about. They'll love you, I promise." Edward grabbed my hand and gave it a gently squeeze. We walked to the cafeteria hand-in-hand and I couldn't help but notice how nice it felt. It felt comfortable. Warm. Safe. When we reached the cafeteria, I tightened my fingers around his and he responded by rubbing soothing circles on the back on my hand.

I spotted his family easily; it was hard to miss Emmett. Next to Emmett was a stunning blonde with delicate facial features, sharp cheekbone, clear blue eyes, and, even though she was sitting down, I could tell she had a slim build with curves in all the right places. She had to be Rose, as Alice was sitting on Jasper's lap. I recognized her from pictures around Edward's house, but her long, dark hair had been cropped short. With her petite frame, it made her look like a pixie. When we got closer, I noticed she had the same striking green eyes as Edward, framed by long, dark lashes.

"Bella, this is Alice, my sister, and Rosalie, Emmett's wife. You already know Jasper and Emmett. Guys, this is Bella."

I gave a small, awkward wave with my free hand and was greeted by warm smiles.

Edward sat down next to Alice and Jasper, using our bound hands to pull me next to him. All eyes were on me and my mind frantically searched for anything to say. I tried to force myself to relax, but sweat pricked my lower back and my mouth wouldn't open to form words.

Alice took pity on me as she spoke up. "I've heard so much about you! All good things, I promise."

Edward not-so-subtly tried to kick Alice under the table.

Rose snorted, a sound I never would have imagined she could make. "Trust us, Bella. All good things. Emmett said he saw you guys last night at the hotel when he went to renew his gym membership there."

Emmett coughed to hide his smile. "Best rate around. How was the rest of your swim?"

I don't know if Edward or myself was more mortified as he raked a hand through his sweaty hair and rubbed his temple, muttering a curse under his breath.

Rose snorted again, and they couldn't contain their giggles and laughter anymore. Just like that, the conversation shifted from awkward silence to familiar bantering around the table. I mostly stayed quite, only answering questions directed at me. It was nice to see this side of Edward, so relaxed and carefree with his family.

"No! No! Edward. Stop it. Shut up! Em and Rose have a much more entertaining first kiss story," Alice whined, begging Edward to stop telling me about her and Jasper's first date in a cozy, little coffee shop so many years ago.

"No, I promise it's good. So, Alice decided she'd try to make it a memorable first date and—"

Alice nearly leapt off of Jasper's lap to cover Edward's mouth with both her hands. "I swear to God, Edward. Shut up, or I'll tell her about your tuxedo encounter in Alaska."

"I was six!" Edward's protest was muffled by Alice's hands.

Rose grinned before waving a careless hand in the hair. "Knock it off you two. I'll tell ours."

Emmett's laughter was replaced by a groan. "Rosie, really?"

"Oh shush. Bella's the only one here who hasn't heard it." Rose sat up straighter and wiped a stray tear from her eye from all the laughter before beginning. "Emmett and I met in Seattle, and this big goof here was dragging his feet asking me out. Sure, we were texting daily, but he made no move to ask me on a date. I took it upon myself to ask him to the movies. The movie was great, Emmett had his leftover popcorn, we walked over to our cars, everything was good. We drove separately so I leaned over—"

Emmett cut of whatever Rose was going to say. "And we had our first kiss."

Rose lightly smacked Emmett on the chest before she continued.

"I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek to see how he would respond, because I still had no idea if he actually had any interest in me. Little did I know he was munching on popcorn on the walk to our cars. When I leaned over he had the most terrified look on his face before turning away from me and spitting whatever popcorn was in his mouth back into the bag, profusely apologizing. I could not stop laughing, and Emmett took the reins and just laid one right on me. For some reason, it was … it was honestly probably one of the greatest moments in my life."

By this point we were all in hysterics, even Emmett was trying not to chuckle. "Moral of the story, first chances may not go as smoothly as you hope. You just have to try to take it all in stride."

"Well said, Emmett. Speaking of strides … and dances …" Alice raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and elbowed Edward.

"Ow. Dammit, Alice. Yes, Bella knows about it. I asked her this morning," Edward said, rubbing his ribs where Alice's bony elbow caught him.

Alice stood from the table, fishing a single silver key from her pocket. "Excellent. I want first pick at the dresses, and we have just enough time to find something for Bella before you boys steal her back."

With a gentle nudge, Edward pushed me to stand, encouraging me to follow Alice and Rose into the hall. We weaved through a few hallways before stopping in front of one labelled Drama – Storage.

"You and my brother seem pretty close," Alice mused as she used the key to open the door.

I fought the urge to turn back into the hall, feeling my heart squeeze tight in my chest. Instead, I made my way to a long rack of assorted dresses near the back of the room, eyeing the wide range of styles and colours.

"Do you like him?" Alice asked, not unkindly. I knew she was curious, he was her only brother after all, but I couldn't meet her eyes.

Rose laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. "You're allowed to say yes. You're allowed to admit how you feel. Heaven knows Edward's stubborn enough not to admit anything outright either."

"What does that mean?" I asked before I could stop myself. My heart was no longer squeezed tight in my chest. Oh no, now it was wildly thumping against my ribcage.

"It means he likes you and won't admit it. It means you like him and won't admit it. It means I want to play cupid and know I have your permission to speed the damn boy along," Alice begged. "All I need is a smile, or nod, or an enthusiastic 'yes', and I will get this ball rolling."

I bit my lip, trying to hide the smile that was spreading across my face. The more I thought about it, everything was obvious. We were both so stubborn we were only hindering ourselves.

"Yeah, I think that counts as your answer," Rose teased, passing me a beautiful cobalt blue dress on its hanger. "Try this on quick. I think it should work."

I walked behind a partially curtained area to quickly try on the dress. It looked like a halter dress from the front but actually had soft criss-cross straps in the back. It hit me at my knees.

There were no mirrors, so I came out for Rose and Alice's opinions. "I think it fits pretty good. Thought?"

"Excellent! Quick and easy. What size shoe are you?" Alice asked as I stripped out of the dress.

"Seven. Are you guys not grabbing a dress?" I asked, redressing into my sweaty sports attire.

"Perfect. I have shoes and jewellery you can borrow," Rose responded. "And, no, we'll wear dresses from home. I have a feeling there won't be many good dress picks for all the girls … unless they want to borrow one from Anne of Green Gables."

I choked on a laugh as I realized she was right. Though there were a lot of dresses, most were elaborate costumes no one would want to wear to a dance.

Alice's phone chimed and she checked it quickly. "We're supposed to return you now. I'll run the dress out to my car and keep it at home until we steal you away to help you get ready."

I passed her the dress and thanked her.

"Don't thank me yet. You haven't seen me play Cupid," Alice warned me with a wink.

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