First Blood | Ed. Cullen & B. Swan

Chapter 27

Simon sat in the living room with Bella in his lap. She was leaning back into his chest, and his hands were under her round belly. She was asleep, and he was gently lifting her pregnant stomach to help relieve some of the strain her frail body was under.

There were several blankets between his chest and her back to keep her warm, but he found the loss of contact was worth it as he gazed upon her peaceful expression. He placed a light kiss on her temple before his gaze drifted back to her stomach. Even now, he could feel a light pressure against his hand from her stomach.

Isabella hadn't experienced any kicking from the child yet –and they were all dreading the damage that it could cause– but they found out that whenever someone rested their hand against Bella's stomach, they would feel a light touch back. Every time Simon felt it, he could feel this sensation burn through his body. He wasn't sure what it was. It seemed like happiness, but it wasn't alone. There was a heaviness to it. It was like he knew that it meant he would do anything for the child, no matter what entailed.

"What are you doing to her?" Rosalie asked as she stepped into the room, her gaze lingering on his hands as they rested on Bella's stomach.

Ever since his first night back home, he and Rosalie had been very skeptical around one another. Neither felt comfortable around the other, yet they both wanted to be there for Bella throughout her pregnancy. Simon held nothing against the blonde female, but he has always been known to be a bit protective of his little wife. Still, they had been in each other's company more than any other as they shared their protectiveness over Isabella.

Simon glanced over at the woman before his gaze drifted back to Bella. He shifted slightly as she stirred in her sleep. He straightened his posture, holding more of Bella's weight against his body as he pressed a small kiss to her shoulder.

"I'm relieving pressure," Simon murmured, knowing Rosalie would be able to hear him regardless of how quiet his voice was.

"What do you mean?" Rosalie asked as she stepped farther into the room. She crossed the room, sitting down on the floor by the couch so she didn't disturb Bella's sleeping body.

"Exactly what I said," Simon said as he fought the urge to roll his eyes. "She's exhausted enough as is. The added weight of the pregnancy is taking its toll on her. Her back hurts all of the time, and the warm baths only help her so much."

"And you know that how?" Rosalie's tone only held curiosity, lacking its usual bite. "It's not like you can get pregnant or anything."

"I helped Esme with her pregnancy," He responded as he quirked his eyebrow. "She was in pain all of the time and as a young hormonal fourteen-year-old, it freaked me out. Hell, I mean I was too freaked out to even be embarrassed by how many books I checked out from the libraries about pregnancies. People always assumed I got some poor girl pregnant."

"Did you even get in a situation similar to that afterward?" Rosalie asked, silently realizing this was the longest conversation she had ever had with the brunet.

"God no!" Simon snickered as he looked back at Rosalie, grinning as he saw her fighting a small smile. "I was too awkward in my teen years to have a girlfriend. And when I finally started to grow up and get control of myself, well, Eddie kind of mesmerized me and caught me off guard. After that, no one else really crossed my mind when I was still human. No one could compare to the way he had made me feel."

"I know the feeling," Rosalie spoke softly, her eyes flickering toward the woods where the rest of the family had gone hunting. "Emmett means the world to me. I don't know where I'd be without him."

"I've learned over the years," Simon found himself absent-mindedly muttering, "That if you ever acknowledge that sentence, whether you think it or say it, that your heart will never let that person go. Even if you end up parting ways, there's no forgetting them because..." He trailed off as he watched their family trickle back out of the woods, his eyes finding Edward as Rosalie found Emmett.

"Because they'll always be a part of you."

***

"Could I join you both today? Please?" Edward asked quietly as he caught Simon outside of the room Bella was in.

Simon stared at him for a minute, trying to gauge his partner. Edward's brow was furrowed and his eyes looked glossy in the light. As Simon glanced down, he could see how much Edward's hands were shaking.

"Are you going to behave?" He asked, his tone light and free of judgment compared to their usual conversations as of late.

Edward immediately nodded his head, showing Simon that he really just wanted to be with them like he's supposed to be. Simon nodded his head in turn, taking his hand before leading him into the large bathroom.

"Get undressed," Simon murmured to Edward before he moved over to Bella.

He pulled off his shirt and trousers before he helped her slide off her robe. He placed a gentle kiss to her head before he checked the water's temperature one last time to make sure it was right for her. He stepped into the bath, where he watched Edward help her over the tall ledge of the tub. He helped lower her into the bath, making sure she was as comfortable as she could be.

"What's going through your head, Izzy?" He asked as he helped her wash her body. "You've been quiet all day."

"I've been thinking of names. Throwing a few around, but I think I've found the ones that I'm going with. There's two, obviously, because we won't be able to tell if they're a girl or a boy until they're born."

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked as he gently brushed her hair back from her face.

"I was throwing around ways to combine names. And for a girl, I found one. Renesmee Adah. For Renee, Esme, and Adah. I tried to find a way to combine Adah to it other than for her middle name, but I think it's better separate."

"And for a boy?" Simon asked, a loopy smile on his face at the thought of naming their daughter after his sweet mother.

"Beaufort Geoffrey. I couldn't come up with the same concept for our fathers, so I just went with my grandfathers. If I was born a boy, Beaufort would have been my name."

"I like it. A bit old fashion, but then again, so are we." Simon said as he reached out and took Edward's hand in his.

"How much are we willing to bet that he'd go by Beau like you go by Bella?" Edward asked with a grin, drawing a laugh from both his husband and wife.

"He's got you there Izzy, you never go by your full name."

"It's a personal preference, nothing's wrong with that." She smiled as she spoke, loving this calm and familiar tone they had set in the small room.

"The water's getting cold, though. Could we finish up and go lay down? I'm tired and I want to sleep in both of your arms."

It took them a few minutes, but he found himself laying with Edward, Bella fast asleep between both of them.