Bella woke covered in a thin layer of sweat, feeling warmer than she ever had. She moaned softly at the quiet voice urging her awake.
"Bella" the soft voice rumbled.
She blinked her eyes slowly open and was greeted with Sam's soft smile. His hair stood up in various places and she bit back a smile. She went to stretch her muscled but quickly realized just how close they were. Apparently they had fallen asleep together on the couch and had at some point rearranged with Sam laid against the back of the couch, her draped almost entirely on top of him.
Her face flooded with warmth and she sat up quickly, not missing the slight pink tint to his cheeks.
"I'm sorry to wake you" he murmured, "but I've got an early shift and I'm a bit stuck here." he chuckled.
"God Sam, I'm so sorry. I can't believe I fell asleep! I don't sleep well these days, so I guess it must have caught up to me" Bella said as she ran her hand through her hair.
Sam was finally able to swing his legs off of the couch and Bella averted her eyes from the stretch of skin that peeked beneath his shirt as he stretched.
"Honestly Bella it's no big deal. That was probably the best sleep I've gotten in a while." he keep his eyes closed and yawned. Finally he stood and Bella moved to the side to make room for his large frame, she hadn't noticed before just how much space he took up, and she wondered how he had found a couch big enough to hold him.
Bella shifted uncomfortably in her jeans and Sam caught the movement. "Those can't be comfortable to sleep in, I think I have a few old sweats you can borrow until we get a chance to run to Charlie's for your stuff" he offer and Bella gladly accepted. She followed him down the hallway and stood just outside of his bedroom. She took the time to look inside as he dug through an old dresser and was surprised to see the room neat and tidy. There were a few framed photos on the wall, each holding photos of Annabelle over the years and Bella longed to study them.
As he handed her a bundle of clothes Bella voiced her thanks.
"You're also more than welcome to use my shower" Sam said "there's an old bathtub in the guest bathroom, but I redid my bath a year or so ago and it's much nicer" he offered. He glanced at the clock on his night stand and winced. 3am. "I'm sorry to wake you so early, Annabelle wont be up until at least 7 so feel free to crash again, you'll definielty know when she's awake" he grimaced. Bella nodded and rested her hand on his arm. "Seriously Sam, thank you for all of this. Go. Have a good day. Me and Annabelle will be just fine" she smiled.
Sam nodded and made his way to the front door, throwing one last glance at her over his shoulder.
Bella watched him leave and went to turn back towards the bathroom. As she did she spotted his truck keys on the counter. She frowned. "Hmm. Maybe someone was picking him up?"
She made her way slowly into his bedroom and headed for the door in the corner that lead to the master bath. She drew in a sharp breath as the door opened. She stared open mouthed at the massive shower in the corner. She set the borrowed clothes on the sink and turned the shower on, quickly removing yesterday's clothes as steam filled the glass enclosure. She groaned low in her throat as the warm water hit her skin. The shower had amazing water pressure and she was sure that she'd live in this shower if she could. Opening her eyes she scanned the shelves. She rolled her eyes at the typical all-in-one body wash/shampoo but when she opened the bottle she was pleasantly surprised at the soft fragrance. After washing and just enjoy for a while she stepped out of the shower and dried herself off quickly. Moving to the bundle of Sam's clothes she laughed in surprise at the t-shirt he included. It was at least 5 sixes too big for her but she slipped it on and was rewarded with the warm scent of Sam. She breathed it in for a moment before quickly blushing and dropping the shirt into place. She held up the sweat pants and rolled her eyes. Even with the drawstrings there was no hope of these staying on her body. She folded them back up and walked towards his dresser. She debated for a moment but figured Sam wouldn't have a problem with her borrowing something else. She opened the top drop, hoping to find a pair of boxer shorts, but frowned when she didn't find any. She quickly checked each of the other drawers and still came up empty. Sighing she set the sweatpants on the top of the dresser and walked to the room she would be staying in. On her way she popped her head into Annabelle's room and smiled at the little girl. She was laying spread out like a starfish, surrounded by stuffed animals and snoring quietly. Bella crept back to her room and flopped onto the bed, which she immediately regretted. It was old and much firmer than she had expected. She flipped a few times, trying to find a comfortable position. After several minutes of tossing and turning Bella sighed and sat up. She bit her lip and considered. Walking to the door she glanced first towards the living room, remembering the comfort of the couch, and then to Sam's bedroom and the massive bed that laid empty. She decided that since Annabelle would wake her long before Sam got home she could sleep there and just apologize when he got home.
As she walked back into his bedroom she made sure to keep her curiosity in check and immediately made her way to the bed. She wondered briefly which side Sam preferred before shaking her head and climbing under the covers. Bella sighed deeply as her body sank into the pillowy soft mattress. She closed her eyes and it seemed like only moments later she was fast asleep.
When Bella woke again it was to soft sniffles coming from her left. She turned her head, eyes blurry and saw the tear stained face of Annabelle standing next to the bed. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was only 5am. "Sweetheart, are you okay?" she cooed, lifting the little girl onto the bed with her. Annabelle's quick shake of the head made her heart hurt. "Mmm did you have a bad dream?" She asked and the girl met her eyes briefly before nodding, holding a stuffed wolf close. Bella wrapped her arm around the little girl's shoulder and held her tight. "Ya know, when I was little" Bella said softly, "I used to have really scary dreams." Annabelle looked at her again, listening intently. "I used to scream and cry and my daddy would come in and scare away all the monsters. Does your daddy protect you from the monsters when you're scared?" Annabelle nodded quickly. "Well, I know I'm not as big and scary as your daddy, but I promise to keep you safe okay?" Bella said and her heart melted at the little girl held her close. "How about, you sleep for a little while longer, and then when we wake up we can make some yummy pancakes?" Annabelle's eyes lit up at the suggestion and Bella was surprised when the little girl snuggled down into the bed and curled into her side. Bella stroked Annabelle's hair softly and hummed quietly as the little girl fell back to sleep.
Sam's POV
Sam had been anxious all night to get back to Annabelle and Bella. Patrol had been uneventful and so he found his mind drifting more frequently to his house guest and the way she had looked so beautiful as she woke up.
Jared snapped him back to the present with a laugh. "Hey boss, why don't you head back early. There's been no sightings for a while, and it's been quiet. You deserve a break. I've got this until Paul shows up."
Sam sighed and agreed. He knew that patrol was more just to stay in fighting shape now-a-days, since they hadn't seen a leech in over a year. "Thanks J. Let me know if you need me."
He ran quickly back home and stopped just inside the treeline to shift back and redress. He walked slowly back to the house and frowned at the quiet. He glanced at the clock in the kitchen, 8:15. Huh. His daughter was usually an early riser. He quietly walked to the little girl's room and his heart sped up when he found her bed empty. He darted quickly to the guest room and panic set in as he again found it empty. His heart raced as he made his way to his bedroom, and he quickly opened the door, catching it reflexively before it hit the wall.
His jaw dropped. His eyes took in the sight before him and he felt his heart clench tightly in his chest. His nostrils flared at the scent filling the room. There buried beneath his own, was the soft fragrance he had come to associate with Bella. His wolf clawed at his insides, begging to come out as his eyes trailed along the long creamy stretch of legs that never seemed to end. His blanket had been kicked to the foot of the bed and he gulped as his eyes took in just how small she looked in his t-shirt. He felt his blood pumping south quicker than he could stop it and he bit his lip, wanting to taste the peek of the shoulder that the shirt hung down to reveal. His attraction was quickly doused at the soft snore he heard coming from the bed. He stepped closer and wanted to cry at the way his daughter was curled into Bella. Her little hand was fisted into the shirt Bella was wearing, and Bella's hand was curled lightly in the girls hair. Bella's lips brushed the girl's forehead as she slept and Sam wanted nothing more than to keep this moment forever. He breathed deeply before quietly walking out of the room. He walked into the kitchen and branched his hands onto the counter on either side of the sink, head hanging down.
"I am so fucked." he thought.