Playlist:
Gently Break It – Beck Pete
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the words. Stephanie Meyer owns the Twilight series, and the songs belong to their respective people.
*R*
*Warning: kink*
Gently Break It
The moonlight hours passed in celebration. When Bella swung open the doors to the council chamber, a deafening roar echoed through all of HQ. It seemed that every Fae in Camp was gathered in the hallway, even back into the Library and down the stairs.
Lizzie and Alexandra were soaking wet from the rain that Carlisle had cast, and they rushed to hug Esme before the kitchen staff could; they were grinning broadly and offered Esme a bouquet of the flowers she had grown. The kids and parents embraced Rosalie, whose hair was still tangled from the wildness of the wind. Jasper was being pounded on the back and hoisted on the shoulders of the first-year members of the Core, and the earth affinities roared and stomped their feet at Emmett, proud to call him one of their own. Carlisle got a shower of petals thrown in his face by the medical staff. The seers just bowed to Alice, not touching her, but each of them had wide smiles on their faces.
Bella laughed, suddenly content now that the day had been a victorious one. The librarians didn't know what to do with Edward, just shook his hand awkwardly and started interrogating him, pens and paper floating nearby and already scribbling away. She shooed them off as quickly as she could. Some things did not need to be public record, just yet.
She wrapped her hands around Edward's waist from behind. "Well, lover. I'd call today a win." He turned in her hold, intending to sweep her up once more, but stopped suddenly as he caught sight of her shortened locks.
Uh-oh.
"Not now, Edward. Put on a happy face, love. Camp needs to see it."
Edward smiled at her, but it wasn't her favorite one, the crooked one. He ran his hands through her shortened hair and gently kissed her forehead. Then, he turned away from her and melted into the crowd, shaking hands and accepting congratulations like a true politician. He wouldn't meet her eyes.
Shit.
She was gonna get it, later.
Kaedra eyeballed her. "Trouble in paradise?" she muttered quietly.
"Nah, just my normal danger-magnet crap. You said it yourself; I attract nightmares. I sort of told Edward that I could stay out of trouble for thirty minutes... and I may have known I was lying at the time."
"Damn. You almost got away with it. I like the haircut; it looks good on you. You did it, Isabella. You got the Master to do what you wanted, for once. That's no small feat. Trust me, I know. Now, Marcos and I will take your vampires safely through the mob. You, your majesty, are way overdue for a shower. You stink."
"I'll have you know that this is miracle-sweat, Kaedra. My job is way too difficult."
"I know it well. Still, sunshine and daisies and your best foot forward. Can't let 'em see how much it costs us. Attic, Isabella. Shower. And if you think Edward is mad now, scratch up your shoulder some. See how pissed he can get. Soap, water, shampoo, out. I will send Marcos after you."
"Please, please don't. Smile pretty, my regent. Smooth and steady wins the race."
Bella shifted out of the hall, to the entrance of the Attic. Her small smile grew sad as she opened the door. It was rare for her to be alone these days. She didn't think she had been alone in her home since her return. She took a moment to take in the space, now that the Cullens had made it their home, too. The pillow was still on the floor where Edward had abandoned it just yesterday.
She did a quick lap of the bedrooms. Addy's library was more masculine now, with Jasper's touch. Fio's workshop looked strange without the long table of beakers and experiments bubbling away. She touched a hand to the painting she and her lovers had made to decorate the wall opposite the window sadly. Then, she giggled at the thought of how grossed out Emmett would be if he knew what hung over his bed. She'd have to save that little tidbit for one day when he was being particularly annoying.
The bathroom of the Attic was nice, utilitarian, but with a large shower. Addy had insisted, not that they ever got to try it out.
A sigh escaped her.
So much lost, so much gained. Sometimes, she didn't even know what the score was, whether she was winning or losing.
Bella caught sight of herself in the mirror as she set her clothes on the chair near the door. Jesus, she looked exhausted, hollow and spent. Her hair was crazy uneven, and longer in the front. Swords weren't really made for cutting hair. She had drops of blood on her cheek: Nix and the Marketplace. Her shorts were torn and half undone: Miko and Kasdeya. She had dirt all over her, a spot of drool on her thigh that had dried and cracked. A shudder went through her. Shower. Yes. She would be quick, no need to freak out.
She took a second to examine Edward's bite above her collarbone. Damn, but it was awesome. She hoped it stayed forever, sealed it with a touch of magick to ensure it did just that.
Okay.
Now for the hard part.
She faced the shower like she would an enemy before she turned on the water, deliberately leaving it cold. She stripped off her panties and yelped at the shock when she jumped in the water. Oh no, she could already feel the tears coming. She poured massive amounts of soap on the loofa before she began with her feet, working her way up.
She did pretty well until she found one of Kasdeya's ebony hairs that had stuck to her upper thigh. So much for the cold water. She turned it to scalding in one smooth motion, added just a kiss of fire to the pouring stream so it would burn hotter. She began to scrub harder, put her nails into it.
Edward would be upset if she drew blood.
Was that her hair on her chest, or someone else's? She couldn't tell. She filled her hands with shampoo, scrubbed her scalp and shorn locks hard, felt them tangle. Why were people always pulling on her damn hair? She liked it when Edward did it, but she wished everyone else would stop.
The tears falling from her eyes were just from the shampoo, her ragged gasp nothing more than a twinge from her newly healed shoulder. She could still feel them touching her, still feel Miko's breath on her stomach. She was losing it. She needed to get out now.
She didn't.
She fell to her knees on the tile instead, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. She didn't notice when she began to scratch at the brand, too focused on the steam in her lungs as the water began to approach boiling. More soap. That would help. She just had to get up the strength to stand and reach for it. She wouldn't make herself bleed, just scrub a little harder. She had to get the smell off.
She was scrubbing at her back when she felt the presence of someone suddenly behind her; she yelped and spun.
Edward.
He was still fully clothed, reaching for her. He grabbed her by the wrist that held the loofa, took it from her grasp and examined the blood in her fingernails.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to draw blood. Here, let me turn it down some. It's gotta be really hot for you."
"Bella." His eyes were wide as he took in her form. What? Edward had seen her naked before. She looked down.
"Oh."
Bella was absolutely covered in deep red scratches. She had broken the skin in more than a few places, but most of them were just raised welts where she had scrubbed too hard, put too much of her nails in it. She was also bright red, like a sunburn, from the water. She winced.
"Uh, did I ever mention I have a thing about showers? Sorry. I'll heal them after. I should probably clean them first. Damn. Hang on, I'll just rinse. They aren't bad enough to get infected."
She turned her back to him to turn down the heat, and as she did, she heard him snarl and grab at her hips. "Bella, your shoulder. What the hell?"
"Huh?" She touched her fingertips to the brand and felt the stickiness of blood; she could feel it streaming down her side.
Oops.
"Uh, okay. See, this is the part where I tell you it's really not a big deal and you agree and-"
Edward pushed her back into the wall of the shower with his hand curling around her left shoulder to protect the wound from the impact.
"- and then I remember you're my lover and a vampire and shut the hell up."
He growled at her fiercely, hair wet from the spray as he pushed his mouth on hers. His hands were gentle until he got to her hips and pressed them into the bruises he had left this morning. He pulled away from the kiss slowly, his words growling and rough. "Mine. My Bella. Why? No, don't answer that, I know why. Dammit, Bella. Thirty minutes. Hell, this time it was less than fifteen. I swear, Bella. Prisoner. Give me that."
He motioned to the soap on the shelf with a question in his angry green eyes. She gulped and closed her eyes for a moment as she sought out his crimson thoughts. He was furious, scared, loving.
She opened her eyes and reached for the soap, handing it to him. "Edward, you don't have to. It's not as bad as it could be. It's okay. I'll heal it when I get out."
"No, Bella. Let me...please."
He lifted her arms above her head, crossed her wrists and held them there with one hand as he washed her neck, her arms, his bite mark, her chest. He dropped the loofa when he got to her breasts, ran his bare hand over them to cover them with soap. Oh. His hand was cold despite the hot water, and she felt her nipples pebble under his gentle touch. He ignored them and knelt as he swept his hands across her navel and hips.
He washed her legs and her feet with infinite care, getting all the small spaces between her toes. As he rose to his feet, he stopped to run his rough tongue across each welt and scratch, licking blood from the wounds until they stopped bleeding and sealed closed. He crowded in close, pushing her back against the wall, soaked and hard under his jeans. She shivered.
"Are you cold?" There was a weight to Edward's question, and Bella felt her shivering stop as he began to condition her hair, caressing every strand with more care than she had ever used.
"Yes."
He stopped and pulled her head back gently with his grip on her shortened hair, tilting her chin up just enough that he could meet her eyes. She could see dangerous anger in his green gaze, something crimson and heated growing in the space between them. Steam began to rise from the shower floor.
"Me too. My world turned very cold indeed, Bella, when you locked me out of your mind."
"Edward. I'm sorry; don't be mad."
"I'm not mad. I'm furious. You promised."
"I know, I lied; I'm sorry. I had to protect them, Edward. I couldn't..."
"Don't. Don't you dare. You could have told me. I don't need you to protect me, little witch. Not when it hurts you, not when it means lying."
She could feel the heat radiating around them; the showerhead was starting to spew steam along with the water. She could see the barely-leashed need in his eyes. Bella reached out with her mind even though it still ached from tangling with the Master's black aura, clutching him closer and closer still as she wrapped her legs around him, letting him take her weight and lift her off the floor.
"I'm not cold anymore. And neither are you." She knew her eyes were sheened with gold when she met his gaze again, and she could see swirls of crimson in his eyes now. When she reached for his zipper, he stopped her gently.
"No. You are fragile, Bella. Fae are still human, remember? You must learn to care for yourself as much as you care for everyone else." He kissed her cautiously, nothing but a brief brush of bloodstained lips. "And until you do, I shall simply have to care for you, instead."
He wanted something, but he wasn't sure if Bella wanted it too; he would not take it if she wasn't ready. He would have to pay close attention; Bella was sneaky, and she would give him anything, even if it hurt her. He slipped one hand closer to her core, cupping the source of the heat pouring from her body but not taking it further, trying to make his intention clear as gently as possible.
"Let me worship you, Bella. Say yes."
He kissed her deeply, and then over and over again. He knew the moment Bella knew what he was asking, because she went still and motionless against his lips. Her rolling hips stilled against the front of his jeans and her every muscle tensed.
Edward pulled back, bracing her firmly; he skimmed both his hands along her naked skin in a slow swipe, relishing her beauty and seeking to soothe her. He ran his hands softly up from where their bodies met, over her ribs and onward; he brushed her nipples with his thumbs, clutching at her breasts. He followed the path of his hands with his eyes as he gave her space to think and relax.
Down; down he went to where her waist narrowed, to where her hips flared. He skimmed his hands past that, to where her thighs wrapped him, and started back up again. He rocked his hips slowly, with only light pressure; it was a gentle reminder that he was there, but nothing more. He made it to four sensual swipes against her skin before she relaxed against him; her acceptance was a gentle sigh of want and surrender.
"...yes."
On his next slow caress of her body, he didn't follow the flare of her hips; instead, he dipped inward to run his cold hands over her core. She tensed, but Edward just continued his path back up her body, pulling at her nipples softly and rolling them between his fingers. He pressed close to her for a soulful kiss, letting her run her hand down his chest and paw at him through his soaked clothes. He broke from her to suck in a ragged breath.
Down his hands went, and he followed them with his mouth; Edward ducked his head to lick and suck at her nipples until they tightened, darkening to a rich burgundy. He closed his teeth lightly around one hard bud and pulled just as his hand reached the most intimate part of her. When Bella cried out and bucked helplessly, he pushed in and back, rubbing her wetness hard and swirling his thumb against her clit, laying his claim. A whimper escaped her when he withdrew his hands, continuing down past her wet core to wrap his hands around her thighs and let her legs down gently.
Edward kissed his way down her navel, approaching where her scent was strongest. He knelt smoothly and hooked his hands behind her knees, pulling her up so her thighs rested on his shoulders with her feet dangling across his back.
"Oh." The noise Bella made was a sharp exhale streaked in golden magicks, a soft punch of damp air. She tangled her hands in his hair and pulled, wanting his attention; Edward treated her to a crooked grin as he met her eyes from his place between her legs.
"Vampire strength- good for something."
"Yup, uh-huh, not complaining, not one bit. Edward, please."
"Please, what?"
"Touch me, kiss me. There. Edward, please, give it to me. I want it, want you."
Edward inhaled sharply, caught off guard by the spike of heat that her begging inspired. The rush of air into his lungs made him dizzy with Bella's scent. Edward had promised himself he would take this slow, but he couldn't help it. He pushed forward with a groan, burying his face into her core and licking her just once with flat tongue.
Bella bucked wildly, rolling her hips against him with a breathless whimper; she was gripping his hair roughly to brace herself, but she didn't push him away. Her flavor on his tongue was an instant addiction; it took all his self-control to pull back and slow down.
Edward leaned back to see her. Her pink core was damp and ready for him, soft lips swollen with need. Edward swallowed roughly as he braced Bella with one hand at her hip so he could explore her with the other. His eyes were jealous of his hands as he watched himself touch her.
Edward traced his hand down the inside of Bella's thigh; she tensed when his fingertips passed over the bite mark, but she relaxed quickly as he continued past it. He stroked her core softly, letting her get used to the pressure of his gaze and his cold touch. He was gentle at first, but he let his touch grow firmer with each pass across damp heat; when he felt she was ready, he leaned forward and let a ragged exhale touch her wet flesh.
Bella whimpered again, panicky, but she tugged him closer.
He nosed at her, ran a flat tongue over her slit. Then, he spread her wide with two fingers and licked her from the bottom of her entrance all the way to her clit.
"Fuck, fuck. Edward!" She jerked his hair wildly, pulling him back as she bucked hard. He pulled his hand away to brace her before she fell.
"Isn't that what we're doing?" he asked innocently, his face boyish and pleased as he retreated and met her eyes.
"Edward, love. Shut up. You are such a tease." She shimmied, bracing her back more firmly and reaching for the helpful handhold provided by the soap dish that jutted from the wall.
"Such language from a lady. That's no way for a Queen to behave."
She laughed at his playful reprimand and before that beautiful melody faded from the air, he dove back into her. He pushed his tongue into her and followed her as she bucked again, his nose against her clit.
"Oh! Oh, please. Don't stop, please, it's good, it's so good..."
He thrust his tongue into her twice, three times, then licked her in a long stroke up to her clit and bit down lightly. Bella's legs twitched defensively, and she rolled her hips against him, seeking friction and pressure. He rolled his tongue around her clit in a circular motion, teasing her with the roughness before he truly began.
He moaned his approval and pleasure when she tugged him closer this time, rewarding her by kissing her most intimate place messily. He was lapping at her clit faster and faster now, rubbing his tongue hard across it and relishing the increase in her flavor.
He let himself delve deeper, kissing her opening deeply before sucking her clit into his teeth again. Bella was mewling and rolling her hips; the sounds were even more lovely than her laugh. Edward was completely lost in her, worshipping wantonly at her altar as she cried out to him. His name on her lips was a heavenly hymn.
"Edward, oh, oh, my Edward, my love, please. More, please, touch me, Edward; won't you touch me? I'm asking so nicely, please Edward..."
Heaven had nothing on this. She was a goddess, and he was her priest, her other half and her shadow. For just a moment, Edward fantasized of a world where his only purpose was to bring Bella pleasure. He pulled back just enough to spit at her core, greedily rubbing his venom into her with two fingers before his desperation to be close grew too hard to bear. He lapped at her clit haphazardly as he pushed into her with long fingers.
Oh.
Her passage clung to his fingers, trying to pull him deeper, closer. He turned his hand so he could curl his fingers into her, relishing the full contact against her core. She bucked as he lapped at her clit like a starving man and thrust into her, tensing and unable to stop the movement. She was wet and hot; keening constantly now between her whimpers of his name. Edward couldn't take it, he couldn't be gentle anymore, he needed her. He wanted to see her face when she came apart.
He ripped his fingers from her so he could brace one hand against the small of her back and pushed himself to his feet, bringing Bella's legs up with him until her weight was braced against the back of her neck and she was pulled taught between the wall and his grip on her. He met her eyes from his new vantage point just as he smacked the sensitive skin of her vulva sharply with his free hand. Bella arched her back, threw her head back against the wall and gasped. "Edward! Oh, please. It's so good. It's so good, Edward, I'm getting close. Please, more, more. May I? Can I come, Edward? Let me, please let me come for you, help me. I need to, I want to."
He brought his hand down against her core again, smacking hard before he twisted two fingers into her, pushing her hard to the edge, all but devouring her. He was selfish, pushing his tongue into her passage with his thrusting fingers to get more of her flavor and scraping his teeth against her sensitive flesh.
He let his eyes trail upward to take in Bella's beautiful and desperate face; she was so close to coming apart for him but holding herself back. He had to fight with himself to force his lips far enough away from her to speak; his lips tingled where they still brushed her.
"Fuck, Bella; I can't... I can't take it anymore. Come for me Bella, give it to me. Come."
He sucked hard on her clit, pushing with his tongue as he drove his fingers into her, hooking them up and back to hit that spot deep inside her. Bella's eyes swirled into golden light as she obeyed him with a ragged moan. Her body shuddered uncontrollably, her essence flooding his senses as she came.
Edward caught her as she went limp and sated, letting her down to her feet. Her legs were shaking slightly, her eyes half-lidded and her face wickedly seductive. When she lazily pulled him in by his soaked jeans to taste herself in his mouth, his lust screamed at him urgently. Wicked ideas danced in his head.
She melted into his embrace; his arms were full of a blissful Bella who grinned slowly as he pulled away from their heated kiss. He was supporting her completely now, and he knew she could feel the rumbling purr echoing through his chest. He ignored his primal instincts with the ease of long practice and turned her under the spray, rinsing her thoroughly before he turned off the water.
"Heal those. Now." He watched her eyes flash as she followed his instructions, and for a moment he felt a powerful satisfaction at the sight of her porcelain skin becoming flawless and smooth once more. He turned to get the towel she had slung over the shower door, already anticipating the pleasure of drying her off.
Edward had his back to her, so she didn't see his face when the horrifying epiphany struck him. He felt distant relief at that small mercy as the shower door shattered under his grip, spilling shards of Edward's heart onto the floor. Bella snapped to attention at the sound. He turned to face her as soon as he had schooled his expression into something resembling humanity.
"Bella...how often have you healed yourself?"
She broke her defensive posture, shaking it off quickly in her concern. "What? Edward, are you okay?"
Edward had to take a ragged inhale, suddenly afraid to know the answer to his question. He repeated it anyway. "In your lifetime, how often have you healed yourself from injuries like this?"
Bella went blank-faced as she stepped back and took the towel from him. She started covering herself, concentrating too-hard on the knot as she tied the towel around her chest. Hiding herself from him. "Like what?"
"Bad enough that if you were human, they'd be noticeable."
"Ah. Just self-inflicted injuries, or all of them?"
"All of them." Edward knew his words were a frustrated growl, but he made sure to send her his crimson care alongside his heated anger. When he stepped forward and ripped the towel from her viciously, the sound of the cloth tearing was loud in the steamy bathroom. Bella let the flimsy barrier fall without protest. He was more careful when he ran his fingers along her delicate jaw to tilt her chin up, but she closed her eyes for a long moment, unwilling to meet his gaze. She could feel the lovelovelove from his mind and took a deep breath.
"Edward..." she stopped and pushed away from him so she could look at the floor, muttering lowly. "It's...a lot. I dunno...maybe in the low thousands?"
Edward reached for her again cautiously, like he was approaching a wild doe, before shucking off his soaked shirt and pulling her into his chest. He kissed her forehead gently, keeping every movement under control. He knew she felt him tense as the question ripped past his lips in a snarl.
"...and...and...what about just the ones you did to yourself?"
Bella lowered her forehead to his shoulder with a hitch in her breath. His hands moved to her bare hips and tightened impatiently.
"It probably shaves a couple hundred off the top. The brand catches most of it, but when your mind is a battleground, it spills over."
Edward's horror was evident in his voice. "And what? You just carry on like nothing has happened?"
Bella shrugged. "Hurting myself...it just, it helps, sometimes. It's grounding, like being around you. Marcos gets it, he just hates it. I would push him to breaking in Miami all the time, eventually he and Kay sort of...caught on. Kay will help me hurt myself, if I push her to it, but she's usually kind of a wreck about it after. Jo helps heal them sometimes, when he has to. But he's a healer, he doesn't understand it."
"My Bella..." Edward cupped her jaw in both hands and tilted her chin up. "My love. My everything. The light in my sky. I am not Atlas, my love. I cannot bear this and stand by. There are limits to what I can endure. You cannot do this. I will allow no one to hurt you, my Bella. Not even you."
"Edward..."
He kissed her deeply, too afraid of what she might say to let her finish talking. He swept her up and carried her over the mess of broken glass, only setting her down long enough to strip himself naked and get the torn towel off the floor. He settled in the chair near the door with the towel over his lap as he reached for the lotion on the counter. When he took in Bella still standing where he had left her, he raised an eyebrow.
"Come here. You are going to let me care for you, right now. I want to."
"What? You just spoiled me for ages, Edward, I'm pretty sure it's my turn to take care of you." She stepped closer to him, and watching her move was temptation incarnate. As soon as she was close enough, he snatched her into his lap and settled her against him.
When she reached for his hardness, he stopped her. "Don't be ridiculous, Bella. I couldn't care less about an orgasm right now."
Bella paused immediately, turning shy. She pulled away from him slightly, suddenly unsure in a way that she hadn't been when he shattered a pane of glass not three feet away from her.
"Edward...what are you doing?"
She looked adorably confused as she tilted her head and bit her lip.
Edward smiled indulgently and began his massage, careful to stay away from her lower back for now. He traced one finger around a scar that twisted around her hipbone, and his voice was velvet and commanding and sure. "I am going to care for you, my Bella. I told you what would happen if you put yourself in danger again, and I do not go back on my promises. Say yes, Bella."
"...but I don't know what I'm agreeing to."
"No." Edward's gaze was assured. "I don't suppose you do, do you?"
She took him in, took in the anger and feverish love and lust that flowed through his mind and tensed his muscles under stone skin in the still steamy bathroom. "...I trust you. Yes."
She flinched when he moved his hands up to her bare back in a smooth caress, but Edward's hands skated over raised flesh with a firm touch that didn't shy away from the tableau of gruesome scars. He was quiet and patient, resting his forehead against hers and looking into her eyes. Every now and then, he leaned in for a chaste and gentle kiss.
Bella ever so slowly felt herself relax as he caressed her body softly, touching every centimeter of flawless skin and raised scars alike. The lotion soothed the tightness and pull of old wounds, a constant itchiness she had simply gotten used to. She hummed her satisfaction as she gradually went pliant and relaxed under Edward's slick touch.
"...Bella?"
She hummed at him, reaching out to his mind to share her shining contentment. She got caught up in his crimson response, a tightly-controlled surge of desperation and need that swept her to greater heights than any drug ever could. She barely heard his whispered question and gave no thought at all to her distracted response.
"Did you ever hurt yourself on purpose in Forks?"
"Hmmm? Oh. Yeah, sometimes. It was habit by then. Don't worry so much, Edward, I had this crush on an amazing guy with a really sensitive sense of smell; I couldn't heal myself either, so I couldn't do as much damage. I had to get creative with it—the burns were less helpful than the cuts, but they lasted longer."
"Burns?" Edward's voice was calming and pitched in a soothing decibel. She didn't process the horror hidden behind it right away.
She hummed at him again when she felt his fingers skate over the barely noticeable scar on the outside of her thigh, a slightly raised circle of scar tissue halfway between her hip and her knee that Edward brushed with a feather-light graze of fingertips on his way past. "Got it in one try. I'd use the cigarette lighter in the truck. Sometimes it'd take weeksto heal, and no blood."
Edward swept his hands over her skin again, his rhythm not faltering, soothing her as she floated slowly down from cloud nine. She giggled lazily at him. "I almost caught the truck on fire once—when you cut me off in the parking lot so that Tyler could ask me to the spring dance? I was so annoyed that I forgot it was preheating and it popped out into the floorboard."
When Edward's hand came down on her ass hard enough to make her jump, it punched a moan from her chest. The sting it left behind worked like gravity, bringing her back to reality in an instant. Oh shit, why did I tell him that? I'm in trouble now! She shot upright in Edward's lap immediately, and her panic only grew when she saw the terror and pain on his face.
"Uh, what I meant to say was..." He was already massaging her again, soothing the sting with steady pressure and rubbing lotion down to her knees, pressing hard on the circular scar as though he could erase it from existence with his bare hands. She squirmed uncomfortably, but Edward just hooked his hands around her knees and pulled her closer, his face turning smooth and hard as his hands swept upward again. His words were a low and dangerous growl.
"What you meant to say was?"
"Um. Nothing."
That made him angry, a great crimson ripple that made her swallow nervously. Two for two, Bella. Your bad luck is impeccable today.
"Oh? Well, I guess I'm happy you weren't going to lie outright. I will not tolerate it, Bella. There are limits."
"Edward, I don't...I don't hurt myself anymore. I mean, I really don't need to 'cause you take care of it, but I wouldn't need to even if I had to do it myself. You fix it."
"You're damn right you won't hurt yourself. I will not allow…"
Edward went rigid, his eyes narrowing. His voice was tightly controlled. "Bella. Bella, what do you mean I take care of it?"
Bella paled.
A thousand moments shifted in Edward's head, turning just slightly darker than they had been a moment ago. Moments when he knew he was gripping her too tightly, but she didn't seem to notice; moments when he defended her too vigorously and left shadows in the shape of his touch; moments when she pushed him to treat her more roughly and he obeyed. He could see his hand around her neck, his teeth sinking into her flesh.
His hands stilled on her ass, his leisurely caresses coming to a slow stop. He focused hard on his hands against her skin, trying to convince himself to remove them before he hurt her again. God help him, he couldn't do it. Edward really wasn't sure he could force himself to speak again, but he swallowed and tried anyway.
"I take care of it. I... I hurt you, so you don't have to hurt yourself."
"No. No, Edward, you don't hurt me, you've never hurt me. You have to believe me." She pulled herself closer, touched their foreheads together with her desperate grip on the back of his neck. "Edward, you're the only one who could ever hurt me, and you never will. The only way you could ever hurt me is to leave, and you won't. You promised you won't, and I believe you, because you promised. Please, Edward, please, I'm sorry. I don't need it; I don't, not if it means losing you. Please, you have to believe me."
Memory flashed.
... "You couldn't hurt me if you tried, Edward. And you'll never even try."
… "No one will ever hurt you again, little witch. Only me, and I never will."
...Only me, and I never will.
He had said that to Bella in the club in the badlands. He had held her leash in his hands and sunk his teeth into her flesh and wrapped his hand around her neck; even just now, moments ago... he had struck her. The pleasured moan that had wrenched from Bella's throat when he had slapped her ass came back to haunt him, and Edward's mind skipped over his self-horror and drove him down into heated lust before his conscience could catch up. He wanted...he wanted to hear that sound again.
Edward realized that he had known what he was going to do from the moment he pulled Bella to sit across his lap, maybe even before that.
He wasn't gentle when he crossed the small space between them and slammed his lips into Bella's, already questing for a way past the seam of her lips and licking into her mouth. He pulled her forward until she was flush against his chest once more, until their hips were locked with his hardness pressing into her navel. Bella arched desperately away from him with a confused noise in the back of her throat, an abortive bid for freedom that ended when he let his grip tighten enough to trap her and pulled away.
"Not this way, Bella. Not ever again. There is nothing I will not do for you, little witch, but there are rules. No one will hurt you, no one but me. Not even you. Do you understand? You're mine."
He smacked her ass harder this time, and Bella jumped and scratched her nails down his back with a surprised gasp. Her eyes went wide and relieved and heated, and she rolled her hips encouragingly. He held her still with a bruising grip and met her gaze determinedly. "Do you understand, Bella? Rules. I want you to repeat it. What's the rule, Bella?"
"I'm..." He watched her nervous swallow with interest, enjoying the way the words shaped her mouth. "I'm yours. No one will hurt me but you."
"Not even you. Say it, Bella. Tell me the rule."
"I'm yours. No one will hurt me but you, not even me. I won't hurt myself; I promise. Edward, you don't have to..." Another slap echoed through the steamy bathroom, the temperature beginning to rise once more. She bucked against him hard, finally curling into him instead of away. Bella buried her hands in his hair and kissed him deeply, rising to grind against him as he rubbed away the sting with firm touch.
He slipped one hand up around her hipbone to skate gracefully across her skin to her core, teasing her with light touch. He licked at her nipple when she offered it to him, purring against her chest as she arched her back in his grip. After a moment of gentle teasing, he bit down hard enough to make her gasp and writhe.
"Rule number two. Repeat after me, Bella. If I feel like hurting myself, I will find Edward."
Edward finally let himself reach into her core with two fingers, and she gasped and bucked when his other hand came down against her backside. The strike landed haphazardly across the split of her ass and Bella keened encouragingly as he gripped her cheeks hard, spreading her wide.
"If I... oh...if I feel like hurting myself, I will find...Edward.."
A wicked thought overtook Edward, but hellfire meant nothing to him in comparison to the burning trail of heat the idea left behind. He pulled Bella closer to him with his grip on her ass, spreading her wide as he slid his hand back from her slick core to press two fingers against her tight bud.
"Good girl, Bella. Very good. Hush now, be still." He circled her back door firmly before he forced himself to wait. "Say yes, Bella. Let me take care of you."
"Do you want to? You do. You do. Oh dear god, you want to fuck my ass. I didn't think you liked...yes. Please; please, Edward, fill me up, let me feel you inside. Can you? Will you? Please, Edward, it hurts so good; it hurts just right. Show me."
He couldn't help the jerk of his hips against her stomach, blessed friction and heat so close to her core. She rubbed her core against the underside of his length, desperately seeking friction; he sucked in a startled breath at Bella's passionate response. On the exhale, he let his still slick fingertips push past Bella's tight entrance and into her, twisting long fingers together until he could feel the tight heat of her hole against his palm.
Bella's head fell back on her shoulders with a throaty sound pushing past her lips, exposing the length of her neck to him as he scissored his fingers open inside her ass. She was so tight around him, a ring of pressure that guarded soft heat.
"Fuck, Bella. You're so fucking tight back here, so good. I need to stretch you, my love, get you ready. Can you take me in here, Bella? I'm gonna take such good care of you, gonna fill you up just right. You have to tell me if it's too much, okay? That's rule number three. Tell me the rule, little witch. I need to know you understand; tell me the rule."
She whimpered and buried her head against his neck, already rocking back against the push of long fingers spreading her open. "I'll tell you, I'll tell you, don't stop. More, please. I need more, Edward; I'll be good for you, just a little more, please."
It was torture to rip his hands away from her long enough to slick his fingers with the lotion, and then Edward was pushing in with three fingers instead of two. Bella whined and tightened around him, pressing dull human teeth against his shoulder.
"Lean back, lean back so I can see you."
She obeyed. Bella was flushed and bright-eyed, abused lips and pale flesh made red with his marks. If he was condemned to hell for this, it would be worth it. He surged forward to bite and lick at her breasts, and when he reached tight nipple, he pulled hard enough to hurt.
"'Does it hurt just right, Bella?"
"Yes, oh yes, please. Edward it's just right, it's so good. I'm ready, Edward. Please, Edward, fuck me now. Fuck my ass, fill me up, break me apart and put me back together. You want to; come on lover, now, now, now. Let me ride you, Edward."
She rose to grind against him, but he held her motionless above his hardness, reaching down with one hand to settle his length against her back door and holding her gaze seriously. "Slowly, Bella. Be a good girl for me."
He held himself steady as she engulfed him in unbelievable heat, feeling her firm flesh stretch to accommodate his girth. He had to fight not to buck up into her, not to push too far or take too much, more than she could give him. He swallowed hard at the new knowledge settling under his skin: the knowledge that she wouldn't stop him, that she would enjoy pleasure and pain from his hands with equal passion.
She kept going, her mind opening to show him the pleasure of the burn as she took in all of him, sharing her glorious satisfaction at the abiding pleasure-pain of his hardness stretching her open. When he was fully seated inside her, she stilled.
Edward couldn't hold back, his control evaporating at the too-sweet brush of her lips against his own. "Oh. It's perfect. Thank you, Edward."
He jolted against her desperately, flashing to set her on the countertop by the mirror and ignoring the clatter of the toiletries as he swept them to the floor. He pulled back and twisted her until she was face down, pinning her to the counter roughly as he pushed into her again.
She cried out as he began to thrust into her, faster and faster. Bella reached back and spread herself wide for him, the noises that escaped her turning desperate and drawn-out. He glanced up and his breath caught in his lungs as he watched himself fuck her in the mirror.
He pulled her head back by her hair roughly with one hand, never letting up in his frantic thrusts as he punched the air from her lungs with every push into her. His other hand reached to rub her clit with heavy pressure, giving her pleasure to cut through the burn. "Open your eyes, Bella. Look at me."
She met his eyes in the mirror with difficulty, and he leaned closer, pushed himself deeper. "Look at yourself, Bella."
She was reluctant to drag her eyes away from him, so he tightened his fist around her hair and thrust forward until he was pressed against her reddened ass cheeks, pulling her head back until she arched against him. "Look."
She obeyed him.
"That's what you look like with my dick up your ass, Bella. Look at you. God, look at you, spreading yourself open for me, so perfect, so beautiful. I love fucking you like this; I love watching your face when you take me in. Fuck, I love you so fucking much, little witch."
He pinched her clit hard, suddenly too-close to the edge and wanting to follow her.
"Repeat after me. Edward Cullen loves me; I belong to Edward Cullen, and he will never let me go."
Bella shuddered and came, repeating the words like a mantra as golden eyes fell closed, glowing beneath her eyelids. Edward followed her over the edge, as he always would; he fought to keep his eyes open so he could watch her, but finally surrendered to the glow of crimson behind his eyelids. Bella whimpered and went boneless as his come filled her, too spent to do more than go limp against the counter.
The steam began to dissipate from the bathroom. When Bella started shivering again, Edward reluctantly and carefully removed himself from her and set her on her feet. They kissed lazily for a long time before he stepped back to let her get dressed.
She was reaching for her clothes when Edward stiffened and pinned her to the wall by the door. Bella protested, pushing back her defensive instincts as he dropped a hand over her mouth, motioning for her to be still and quiet.
"Hmmmph!"
She heard Alice's chipper voice in the main room of the Attic and froze. "Bella? Edward? Are you guys in here?"
She felt her eyes go wide, looking at him helplessly. Seriously? Afterglow, people!
Edward was completely motionless, his eyes closed as he willed his sister to have a vision that would send her scrambling from the Attic. Then it got worse.
"Alice, are they in here?" Bella's heart skipped a beat at Emmett's voice. "Kaedra said Bella was going to have a shower, but that she should be done by now. She said if she wasn't done, I should threaten to call for Marcos."
Her Regent was DEAD.
"Oh, but I won't have to, here he is now. Hey man, I don't think they're in here. I can't hear the water, anyway. Why were the two of you so concerned about the length of Bella's grooming procedures?"
Bella flitted her eyes around the destroyed bathroom, looking for a way out.
"Let's just say Bella has very high standards of cleanliness, and me and Kay like her skin attached to her body. Izzy, I'm about to come in there! You have until the count of five!"
The voices were getting closer to the bathroom, and Marcos wasn't bluffing. Fuck; fuck. She was never going to live this down. Edward looked at her, panicked, and she closed her eyes.
"Five!"
Oh, hell. Should she shift them away? Could she do it quietly enough? She snapped her eyes open quickly. Nothing for it but to try.
"Four!"
Bella tapped Edward's arm gently, indicating that he should let her go as quietly as he could.
"Three!"
He did, and she grabbed his hand, trying to focus. The last thing she wanted was to end up naked in the dining hall.
"Two!"
There were footsteps outside the doorway now, and Marcos knocked in his most annoying rhythm.
"One!"
She heard Marcos slide open the bathroom door and met his eyes for a millisecond as she shifted to the only safe place she could think of. Edward cried out as they suddenly landed in the dojo.
"That was close; so close to supreme embarrassment. Please don't let Marcos have seen anything. Clothes." Bella materialized a simple navy dress with long sleeves. Edward relaxed, relieved now.
"I have never been more grateful for magick in my life. Emmett wouldn't have shut up about it for a century."
She snorted. "You think brother-bear is bad, you have no idea. Marcos was the one who discovered my little problem with showers in the first place. He didn't even let me dry off properly before he dragged my stupid ass to see a healer. It was awful, easily top ten most embarrassing nights of my life. That's why Kaedra sent him, she knows I'd die of mortification if it ever happened again. God, I am gonna kill her in training tomorrow."
Bella began to run her hands through her damp hair, combing it out. She caught him staring.
"What?"
"Nothing. I just... I forgot how amazing blue looks on you. The haircut suits you."
"Oh, he's a sweetheart. God, I love you. I am really, really, starting to get frustrated with the afterglow-theft. My lover is a vampire, and I can't take advantage of the stamina. It's criminal - I should make a law about it. Come on, it's a long walk back to HQ."
She materialized him a cream-colored button down and black slacks and took his hand. "God, I'm exhausted. No need to look so smug."
Edward smiled her favorite crooked smile. "I love you too, my Bella. Let's go get you some sleep."
