I was more than a little thankful when we got back to the house and found that it was still deserted. Not that we needed the solitude, since Leah and I had found plenty of that in the middle of the woods, but having the house to ourselves meant that I didn't have to share her at all and she didn't have to share me. We didn't have to have hushed conversations, hoping that all the other immortals in the house wouldn't hear, we could just be ourselves--something that was even more rare than finding time and space to be alone with each other.
"Can't believe how long I went back there," Leah said in an amused voice as we climbed the stairs to the second floor. "Guess I missed you more than I thought."
I glanced over my shoulder and grinned at her. "It sure seemed like it. If I wasn't what I am, I'm sure I would be a little sore after that."
Leah laughed, a loud and free laugh that would have made my heart flutter in joy if it weren't cold and still.
"Good thing you are. Means I don't have to wait for you to recover before we can do all of that again." She wrapped her arms around my middle once we reached the landing and kissed the back of my neck. "Maybe later tonight? And then again tomorrow?"
I hummed in pleasure at the sensation of her warm, soft lips pressing fleeting kisses to my neck and shoulders. "Tonight, yes," I replied in a breathy voice. "Tomorrow I have to work though."
"Unfortunate," Leah said in a low growl that vibrated in her throat and tickled my skin.
"It really is," I sighed and then turned to look at her with a soft smile. "But it's a morning shift so Iʼll be all yours after I clock out. The whole day after that as well."
Leah released me from her grasp and then stepped to the side so she could open the door to my room for me. "Iʼm holding you to that," she said with a wide, playful grin as she ushered me inside.
"I figured you would," I replied as I walked through the threshold to my room before I looked back over my shoulder with a wink. "Charmer."
Leah let out a throaty chuckle before following me inside and shutting the door. "Thatʼs the second time today youʼve called me that," she pointed out. "Is it a new nickname for me?"
"Perhaps," I remarked with a shrug. "I donʼt have a nickname thatʼs nearly as good as what you have for me yet. And I have to find something to call you. Something that lets you know that youʼre always on my mind."
Leah shook her head and pulled me closer by the hips. "Donʼt be silly," she murmured. "I know how much you think of me. You donʼt have to prove that with some kind of special name."
I knew that she was right but it didnʼt stop me from letting out a low, thoughtful hum in my throat. Sometimes things felt uneven between us because of my sheer lack of experience with people and relationships--particularly of the romantic nature. Despite Leah being gracious about this, it never failed to make me want to try harder. To make her understand the depth of my devotion and love for her. Even if I didnʼt always know how to accomplish such a thing.
"Hey, you rearranged in here," Leah said in surprise, pulling me out of my deep contemplations and snapping my attention back up to her curious eyes, the ones which were wandering over my room now.
Leahʼs gaze traveled from the three tall, mahogany bookshelves that were full to the brim pressed against the wall next to my couch and then to the open closet where all of my dresses hung in a neat, color coordinated row. The mess of piles that had filled the room previously had vanished with this new organization and it left the room feeling open and lighter, something that I was beginning to appreciate more as the days went on.
"Yeah," I said absently as I watched the way her eyes traveled across every surface. "Esme helped me get a handle on things."
"Remind me to thank her," Leah said before chuckling softly.
"I know it was probably a lot of chaos before," I said in a soft, somewhat self conscious voice. "Itʼs just been hard for me to get settled."
Leah turned her focus back on me before she cocked her head thoughtfully. "Whyʼs that?"
"Itʼs just not something Iʼm used to," I admitted with a shrug. "I had my own space with the Volturi but that was more like..." I screwed up my mouth as I searched for a proper comparison. "It was sort of like living in a hotel, I guess."
Leahʼs brows pulled together in confusion. "I donʼt understand."
I breathed out a sigh and tried to explain a little better. "Nothing was really mine to control. It was just...a space. Somewhere to exist until I was needed again."
"That sounds awful," Leah said, not even trying to hide her disgust for my past living situation.
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah," I said in a low murmur as I let my eyes flicker over the new changes in my room. "Itʼs been so long since I've had my own room that I didnʼt even know what to do with it at first." I turned back to Leah and smiled softly. "But Iʼm figuring it out, day by day."
"Good," Leah said and smiled widely before she squeezed my hips, still held firmly in her hands. "This space suits you a lot better now. Although, I have to ask..." She trailed off and released her grip on me to point over my shoulder with a curious brow cocked. "Whatʼs with that?"
My eyes followed her pointing finger, until they landed on the big queen sized bed that was against the opposite wall from my closet. "Oh!" I exclaimed and then looked back to her with a big smile. "Thatʼs for you."
"For me?" Leah repeated in disbelief as her other brow raised to join the first before they both disappeared into her hairline.
"Yes, for you," I confirmed. "If you ever decide you want to sleep over. Or if youʼre too tired to go home after patrol." I shrugged. "Or the rare occasion that we have the house to ourselves, I suppose."
I watched as understanding crossed Leahʼs face, making her expression soften until she was beaming at me with such warmth that I was almost convinced it might thaw out my icy heart and make it start beating again.
"We could try it out now," Leah suggested in a low voice.
I laughed softly and shook my head. "Tempting, but Carlisle and Esme could be back any minute now and I don't think Iʼm confident enough not to care about them hearing us just yet."
"No, no," Leah shook her head and laughed pleasantly. "I meant that we could use it to cuddle. Since we never got to do that, you know, after."
"Oh!" I said in understanding as my lips pulled up in a gentle smile before I stood on my tiptoes to press them against Leah's. "I like that idea a lot more," I murmured.
"I thought you might," Leah remarked and then bent down to scoop me up off the ground.
I wrapped my arms around her neck loosely and let my head fall against her chest as she carried me in her strong arms to the new bed. There wasn't anywhere else I would rather be than in her arms, pressed against the warm skin of her body. It was my place of comfort. My safe place. My home.
Leah set me on the bed just as gently as she had hoisted me into the air before she climbed up next to me and opened up her arms for me. I slid into them easily, wiggling around in comfort as she closed the circle of her arms around my back before I let out a content hum of approval at our new position. If I got nothing else out of the bed, it would be enough.
