Iridescence | Edward x OC

45

In a fight, they're lethal. Around each other, they melt.

                                              - Richelle Mead
-

The coffee shop was chilly in comparison to the heat radiating in waves outside on that early June afternoon. Aris immediately spotted Edward across the shop at a table for two. She made her way over to him with her arms crossed in a feeble attempt to somewhat warm herself up. Being around the Cullen's for so long, it seemed as if nearly all of her traits had maxed out. Now the only thing about her that was changing was her skin temperature. It seemed to be all over the place these days. One minute she'd feel as if she was in a sauna, and the next she'd be throwing on five layers to try and warm herself up. She didn't know how long it would take before she became one solid temperature, but she assumed that when she did, it would be the same temperature as that of a vampire.

She took the empty seat across from him, but before she was even fully situated, Edward was already taking off his jacket and handing it to her. She didn't have to say anything for him to know that she was cold. He could read Aris like the back of his hand by now. He was able to tell when even the slightest thing was off with her, and though it felt overbearing at times, it saved a lot of time, and Aris did appreciate it overall.

She flashed him a small smile of gratitude as she shrugged on the jacket, then leaning back in her chair and meeting his eyes expectantly as she waited for him to start the conversation.

"Aris, I want to apologize for assuming that you didn't care about our relationship as much as I do, as well as bringing up the incident with Osiris from last month." Edward started, choosing each word carefully and deliberately. "It was not my intent to try and make you feel bad for the choice you almost made. I also want to make sure you understand that I am not upset with you for it at all." He assured her. He watched for any sign of acknowledgment on her face, but it remained completely placid, which was slightly unnerving. "The only reason I brought it up in the first place was to emphasise my assumption of you not caring about us as much as me, which was an inaccurate assumption in itself. I know now that you're just as in this as I am, and it was unfair of me to assume otherwise. I guess I just thought that there was no way that you could care for me even a fraction of the amount that I care for you." As he finished, he noticed her expression flicker to something softer, before then returning back to its previous stone.

A minute of silence passed by as Aris processed his apology. It was undoubtedly sincere, and the words that he chose calmed her flare of anger like water putting out a fire. Her animosity that she had been previously feeling seemed to vanish, and all that was left was the need to get her apology through to him so they could finally go back to normal.

With that, her façade finally broke as her expression turned sorrowful. Her eyes broke away and she laced her hands together on the table so she had something to do with them.

"Edward, you don't owe me an apology, and I shouldn't be acting like you do when I'm the only one in the wrong here. I'm so sorry, I never should've brought up Bella Swan, and I especially shouldn't have said what I did. You're not a bad guy for what you did, and you didn't have much of a choice in your situation either." She relented. "I'm also sorry again for almost choosing my life over yours, and I know you're gonna say that you're glad I almost did, but I'm still so sorry." She sighed, exhausted from the guilt that continuously seemed to consume her. Edward placed one of his hands atop of the both of hers which were still laced together, causing her to look up and meet his eyes. His eyes read the words "It's okay, I forgive you," so he didn't even need to say them aloud. However, he still did nonetheless.

"Aris, it's okay. I forgive you. There's not much for me to forgive, but if it'll ease your conscience, then I'll say it." He smiled softly. "I forgive you."

Aris sighed, relieved. Relieved that they were finally back to normal, relieved that he forgave her, and relieved that her guilt was finally easing.

"I do have one more thing to apologize for, however," Edward continued, "I want to apologize for what I said right before you left."

Aris looked at him quizzically. 'Is he referring to when he said-'

"I'm referring to when I said screw you, and then later when I um- well, you know how the rest of the conversation went." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I shouldn't have made light of the topic of intimacy like that, especially when we haven't had a conversation about that yet." He apologized.

Aris chuckled. "Sex, you mean." She clarified, to which he nodded. "Edward, I was the one who started it by saying 'you wish'. It's hardly a big deal." She assured him.

He smiled gratefully at her trying to dismiss it, but he still felt as if it was a bigger deal than it seemed. "I know, but it's a topic that shouldn't be thrown around carelessly. We're always making sure to communicate about everything, and just to throw around that topic lightheartedly when we haven't even had a talk about getting serious in that way was careless of me."

Aris hummed, twiddling his fingers with hers. "Well, then I suppose we should talk about it. I mean, this conversation was bound to come up sooner or later." She shrugged.

Edward nodded, then looking around. "How about we take this conversation back to my house?" He suggested.

Aris nodded, the both of them then standing up and heading out the door.

-

It was several hours of movies and endless conversation about anything and everything before they finally got around to the topic that they had gone back to Edward's house for in the first place.

"W-we should p-probably talk about w-what-" Aris was cut off by another wheeze as she continued to laugh uncontrollably, unable to form the words she was trying to say. "Edward, y-you need to turn it off, I c-can't breathe!" They were only halfway through Napoleon Dynamite, and they were both practically fainting from laughing so hard.

Edward hit pause on the remote, struggling to catch his breath as his laughing ceased, along with Aris who was still clutching her chest, practically convulsing.

"W-we need to have that c-conversation." She finally managed to say, fully out of breath.

Edward nodded, processing her words, though all he could really focus on in the moment was the way her lips moved. The way her hair was slightly disheveled. The way her partially sheer white blouse was rucked up on the side, just enough to barely expose her skin.

Silence fell between them as his gaze caused a nearly unbearable tension to form. The tension only increased as they both recalled back to a month ago when they had shared their first kiss, and how they hadn't shared a single one since then. The tension felt like a magnetic pull between them, and suddenly they were aching to be closer. Suddenly it felt like that small gap that was between them was a mile. Suddenly it felt like-

"Just kiss me already." Aris breathed out before she could stop herself.

Those words were enough to surge Edward forward, connecting their lips desperately within seconds. Aris was pushed on her back on the couch as Edward hovered above her, the built up lust and tension over the past mouth pouring out between them. They just couldn't get enough no matter how deep either of them forced the kiss to go. Their mouths and their bodies had minds of their own, and the both of them could do nothing to control it. Aris couldn't help it as her hips instinctively raised, pressing into Edward's which immediately withdrew a pleased hum from his mouth.

Though the heated make out session was nice, they both wanted more. They both needed more.

"I want you, Edward." Aris whispered, pulling back from the kiss. "I want more than this." She connected their lips for less than a second before pulling back again.

"I do too." He agreed quietly, placing one of his hands to the side of her face gently. "But first we should talk about it."