(no subject)

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

Bella slipped out of bed quietly, out of habit - by the time she was oriented enough to remember that Edward was there she was already halfway to the bathroom. She mumbled something that might've been "be right back" in the direction of the bed. She was, thankfully, not awake enough to be even momentarily embarrassed by the very human fact of having to use the bathroom.

Of course, that changed the minute she opened the door and was greeted by the sudden warm light of Milliways. She stood blinking the sleep out of her eyes for a second or two, then shrugged and headed for the ladies' room with only a small sigh of annoyance. She was starting to get used to this kind of thing.

She re-emerged a few minutes later, looking a bit more awake. She supposed she could've just gone back out without a word, and left Edward none the wiser, but... she was curious about something.

Bella opened the Bar door and cautiously poked her head back out into her bedroom.

"Edward?" she called out softly, wondering if he'd be frozen in time along with the rest of her world.

[ooc: taggable by anyone - she can be interrupted at any point. Open til basically forever, will be tagging on and off all day. :D ETA at request of Edward's mun: you can also tag both of them, if desired!]

Comments

[themidnightson]

Even half asleep, and entirely scattered, she's charming. Asleep she made a noise if he even tried to move away, awake it took her until the hallway to remember she'd forgotten. It'd left him chuckling while studying the pattern of her comforter in the dark.


He was at the door to her bedroom by the time she'd called his name though, because of the sound that came from through the door -- both the audible ones and the ones that suddenly invaded his mind.

"Still here," he said softly, walking up behind her, to look in the room and feel passing annoyance that the Bar wanted him to share her on this night of all nights.

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

"Huh. Weird. I wasn't sure it'd let me come get you."

Well, that answered the question of whether or not she could bring visitors to Milliways, at least. Not that she was in any hurry to share this place with anyone else from home.

[themidnightson]

"I've rarely come in with anyone else," Edward said, reaching out to run a hand ever so softly over her rather sleep-rumpled hair. It amused him to think, just for a brief millisecond, that the bathroom with her brush was gone.

"Though we could at home. There's a permanent door in one of the closets."

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

"Oh. That's... a better place for it."

Bella looked faintly sheepish.

"Am I a mess?" she asked, self-consciously tucking a stray piece of hair behind one ear. She wasn't used to boys seeing her with bed-head.

[themidnightson]

Edward is probably the last person who should be asked this. Ever.

But she did, and so he smiles, lopsided and very, very small. A smile that is possibly only know to be rare to certain other long lived people who could count its occurrences.

Even for the fond hook in one corner of his lips, when his fingers traced from her hair to her cheek, eyes studying her disarrayed hair, wide brown eyes and nervous movement. So utterly....right, and perfect.

"You look beautiful."

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

"Lies," Bella said, smiling anyway.

"If I did anything too embarrassing in my sleep, I don't want to know it. Just for future reference."

She really hoped she hadn't drooled on him or anything.

[themidnightson]

"You didn't." He sounded amused. "At least nothing new yet."

It isn't as though she's going to profess her love in a few hours or anything in that state. No. Never. What would ever make you think such a thing. >.>

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

Bella eyed him with skepticism. "That is surprisingly less than comforting, but I guess it's too late to be embarrassed now for whatever I might've said before."

Besides, the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea that he'd found her interesting enough to watch for so long.

[themidnightson]

"Did you ever have a cat?" Is said with something of a flicker toward a smirk, before he nodded toward the Bar. "Would you like anything?"

[realmrsreynolds]

Edward is a name Sallie recognizes.

The girl is new.

The silver-haired woman waves at them both.

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

Bella waves back, a little uncertainly, and glances over at Edward questioningly.

"Do you know her?" she asks in a whisper.

[themidnightson]

Edward had to look out from Bella to Sallie, before nodding.

"That is Mrs. Reynolds." Sallie, she'd said, but Bella did not know her yet. Edward nodded his head to Sallie, even as he kept his hand rather steadily on Bella's lower back as they finally progressed into the room.

[realmrsreynolds]

An old lady like Sallie is rarely without a beverage of some kind. It's like a rule.

Tea in a mug and adulterated with sugar, Sallie offers when the girl is in earshot, "Hello. I'm Sallie. I hope I'm not interrupting -- Edward's one of my favorite people to bother here lately."

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

"Oh, no, you're not interrupting." Bar had kind of already done that, anyway.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Reynolds. I'm Bella."

[themidnightson]

"Good evening," Edward said, easily, not quite wondering if it even was.

[realmrsreynolds]

She's pretty, Edward.

"It's Sallie, please, Bella. Mrs. Reynolds makes me feel older 'n I already am."

With a significant tone: "And what are you two up and about doin'?"

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

Bella grinned. "Sorry, force of habit - my mom prefers to be called by her first name, too, but my dad frowns at me whenever I do it by accident."

She tried not to look at all shifty at Sallie's question; it wasn't like they'd been doing anything, but, well. She was sort of in her pajamas.

"Um..." A little help here, Edward?

[river_meimei]

Perched crosslegged on top of a nearby table -- River's use of furniture is, at best, unorthodox -- is a young woman that Edward's met before, even if Bella hasn't.

She's watching them with the idle curiosity of someone possessed of much friendliness and minimal social skills.

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

Bella's social skills are pretty questionable at times, too.

She notices the girl watching and ventures a slightly self-conscious half-smile in her direction.

[themidnightson]

Edward is great at lying his way through social encounters?

By their powers combine they can reduce conversations to ash?


Edward's looked back to Bella from glancing around to room, then to the area Bella was looking at to find River. He gave her an absently polite smile -- or at least it was supposed to be, but he's far too oblivious of how light the evening has made him, how easy his smile is.

"Good evening, River."

[river_meimei]

"In the local chronology," River agrees, seriously.

Beat.

"Hi," she adds, in the same tone.

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

"Hi," Bella echoes, a bit more casually. "I'm Bella."

She's not sure what to make of River's first comment, but it's Milliways. People have weird senses of humor.

[themidnightson]

Edward'll let River field her own greetings. It's been a while since he'd bumped into her and it takes some getting used to the very openness of her mind again.

[river_meimei]

River's grin is quick and small; River is someone whose emotions often flit right across her face, without control or filtering, and that quick moment of conspiratorial approval shows it.

"It's Italian."

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

Bella blinks; she's not at all used to communicating in seeming non-sequiturs yet.

"Wha...? Oh, um, yeah. It's short for Isabella."

She wrinkles her nose at that last, because she's so not an Isabella in her own mind.