Superhero

“Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Edward’s breath was cool on my neck as he whispered in my ear and pulled his body closer to mine.

Night after night we laid together in my bed with me foregoing sleep for endless conversations in the dark or frantic kissing tangled in the sheets. It had been several weeks of the same, and the lack of sleep was finally catching up with me. When I could barely stifle a yawn in the middle of a kiss, Edward had turned off the lamp and insisted that I get some rest.

The moon was nearly full outside the window, but a thin layer of clouds hung in the sky, softening the light. I was on my side, wrapped tightly in a blanket with Edward pressed up behind me. His face was buried in my neck, and as his cool, delicious breath washed over my skin, I turned instinctively to breathe it in.

I fought to keep my eyelids open as I put my thoughts into words. “I was just thinking about when I first met you and I was trying to figure you out. Never did I imagine that I would end up here.” Here was where Edward touched me and loved me and promised me eternity.

Edward’s hands were in my hair and his mouth was on my skin, but his touch was whisper light, meant to lull me to sleep, not work me into a frenzy. Still, I felt a familiar burn deep in my gut as a warm flush crept up my throat.

Edward was silent so I continued, “You tried to convince me that you were dangerous and that I should stay away from you.” I paused for a moment to collect my thoughts as his lips grazed my neck. “But I didn’t listen.”

“You didn’t listen.” Edward finally spoke, and I could feel him smile against my neck.

“Mmmm.” I suddenly needed to feel more of him and I struggled to escape the tight cocoon of my blanket. Once my arms were free, Edward immediately started tracing idle patterns on my newly bared skin and I shuddered under his icy touch.

“Did you really think I was some kind of a superhero?” Edward asked, referring to my early theories as to what he was.

In that moment I needed to see him, so I twisted free of the blankets and rolled onto my back, gazing up at his beautiful face. His features were obscured in the dim light, but that didn’t make him any less glorious.

“Yes,” I answered.

He chuckled. “So much for saving the world.”

I caught his hand in mine and brought his stone cold skin to my lips. “Not the world; just me.”

Edward gazed down at me, his face a reflection of all the love and joy I felt in my heart.

I thought about how it felt when Edward ran through the forest as I clung to his back – the wind in my hair, the strength of his cold, hard body beneath me, the way he moved so gracefully as if his feet never even touched the ground. Surely flying couldn’t be better than that.

And then I thought of how his voice sounded like an angel when he found me in the ballet studio, or the terrifying intensity on his face as he stood crouched and ready to protect me from Victoria. The men in the alley, the van in the parking lot - how many times had he saved me?

“I wonder if I’ll miss that.” I wondered, in response to my unspoken thoughts.

Edward raised an eyebrow questioningly. I knew he was very sensitive to any doubts I might have about my impending change.

“You dazzling me with your superhuman powers. I mean I know I’ll be stronger than you at first. Will I be faster?”

Edward looked thoughtful. “You know you’ll only be stronger for a brief time. And as for speed, it’s just like humans. Some of us are faster than others, so I suppose it is possible.” He flashed me a wide smile and even in the near darkness I could see all of his perfect white teeth gleaming. “But I’m pretty fast.”

I smiled back. “I know.”

I struggled to keep my eyes fixed on his face above mine, but his cool fingers were skimming softly across my forehead and down my cheek, coaxing my eyes closed.

“Sleep, Bella.” Edward’s voice was scarcely more than a whisper as he tucked my blanket back around me and pulled me tight against his chest, and I knew that even if someday I was as brave or as strong or as fast as Edward, he would always be there to save me.

I tried valiantly to form a coherent thought but my head was already half full of dreams and Edward’s hands were on me, lulling me to sleep.

“Superhero,” I murmured. It was all I could manage, but that wasn’t quite right. I meant to say he was my superhero, there to protect me from danger and fly me across the sky.

Edward pulled me impossibly tighter, and even though he couldn’t read my mind he knew what I meant because the last thing I heard before I fully surrendered to the images dancing behind my eyelids was his reply:

“Forever.”