When the Dawn Breaks

Isle Esme

I cut the engine off as we pulled up to the docks. Swiftly, I collected our suitcases and put them on the land. Flashing Bella her favourite smile, the one which always made her heart hiccup, I bend over her and lifted her into me arms in one fluid motion.

"Aren't you supposed to wait for the threshold?" She asked breathless.

I grinned down at her. "I'm nothing if not thorough." that's what this whole honeymoon had been about anyways, I had gone to every extreme necessary to be thorough and make this as easy as possible.

Slowly, I headed over to the house. Its warm lights inviting us in like a beacon. As we neared, Bella's heart began to pick up pace as it pounded against her ribs. I stared down at her face, looking for any sign that her accelerated heart beat was due to fear.

If only I could read her mind and know what she was thinking.

Neither of us spoke as I carried her through the house. As a vampire, I'd never really felt nervous. I had no need to be. But now, as I carried my wife to the bedroom, I was suddenly terrified.

I switched the light on in the room and waited in the doorway, unsure how to proceed. Still Bella did not speak, she simply gazed around the big, white room, avoiding looking at me.

"I'll... go get the luggage." I said, as I placed her on her feet.

When I returned, Bella stood anxiously at the foot of the bed as she reached out tentatively to touch the netting. She seemed like she was in a daze. I could see the small beads of sweat which had formed at the base of her neck, I placed my cool hand on them to wipe them away.

"It's a little hot here. I thought... that would be best."

"Thorough." she whispered, echoing my words from earlier. I chuckled quietly. Could she hear the nerves in my voice?

"I tried to think of everything that would make this easier." I admitted sheepishly.

As I stared out through the glass panels at the bright moon in the sky, its reflection mirrored in the surface of the sea. I thought of a way in which I could ease both of our tension.

"I was wondering..." I began slowly. "If... first... maybe you'd like to take a midnight swim with me?" I took a deep steading breath. I didn't need to be nervous. This was Bella, my wife. I trusted her with everything.

"The water will be very warm. This is the kind of beach you approve of."

"Sounds nice." she whispered, but her voice still sounded off. Perhaps she needed a moment alone to calm herself.

"I'm sure you'd like a human minute or two it was a long journey."

She nodded.

I drew my face closer to hers and brushed my lips against her throat as I let out a small chuckle.

"Don't take too long Mrs. Cullen." again I felt a warm thrill in my frozen heart as I spoke her new name.

I felt her body jump a little, she was so easily startled. She clearly needed some time to collect herself. I didn't want her to do anything she didn't want to do.

"I'll wait for you in the water." I told her.

I strode past her and opened the big French doors which lead to the beach. I stripped my shirt off, leaving it on the bedroom floor and walked on to the beach.

The tropical, south American air was hot and moist. I sucked in another deep breath of it, filling my lungs up. For months I'd thought about what this night would be like, when Bella and I were finally able to lay together as husband and wife. Today had been the best day of my entire existence and I only hoped that this evening could follow in the same way, that Bella would be okay and I wouldn't hurt her.

Although in so many ways, I'm grateful for the life Carlisle had offered me, but I had always hated what I was. I hated being a monster, being so against nature itself. I had often wished I could be human again, but never like this. I had never been so purely desperate to be human as I was in this moment. I would have done anything, to be human with Bella tonight. For this to be the normal honeymoon where my trepidation was solely about body consciousness and stage fright as opposed to the fear that I would actually harm my wife by being with her like this. 

I stopped at the seas edge and removed the remainder of my clothes. Draping them over the branch of a near by tree. Although vampirism made my kind very beautiful to humans, part of me was nervous to display all of myself to Bella this way, even if I knew she was attracted to me. It was still uncharted territory for the both of us.

Slowly, I stepped into the sea as the warm water lapped against my bare legs. I didn't go out very far into the water, the last thing I wanted to worry about right now was Bella nearly drowning to swim up to me.

Once I got into the deeper water, I dove under and sat on the sea floor. There wasn't too much to see here this close to the shore, the more exotic marine life began deeper into the ocean. But I did spot a small sea turtle a few yards ahead of me, it seemed to be swimming away from me, it's instincts warning it that I was a dangerous predator. Through I could have stayed under the water infinitely, it did get uncomfortable being without oxygen. I rose to the surface and welcomed fresh air into my lungs.

I stood perfectly still as I waited for Bella to join me, I would not rush her. As I stared at the night sky, the moon hanging brightly and the stars sprinkled against the black backdrop, I thought of all the poems and paintings people had written about them. For thousands of years people had marvelled over the complexity of astrology, they tried to capture its beauty in words and paint strokes but did they ever do it justice? With my vampire eyes I could see the craters in the moon and several pearl shades in the twinkle of the stars and there really wasn't a way to sum up the beauty of nature. It could not be confound by literacy or art, there was no real way to show it's beauty unless you were seeing it for yourself. Just like Bella. She was natures finest creation, the sun and the moon and flowers had nothing on her beauty. She was the purest and most delicate soul in the universe.

Two thousand and forty seconds later, I heard Bella's light footsteps against the sand. She moved slowly and hesitantly down the beach, I did not turn. I kept my statue like posture, partly because I didn't want her to feel pressured by my gaze, but also because I was still very frightened myself.

She stepped into the water, and walked over to until she was at my side. She joined me in staring up at the sky.

"Beautiful." she breathed.

"Its alright." I turned to face her, she too had removed all her clothes. Above the waters edge Bella's bare shoulders and collar bones were on display, the moons glare making her skin appear almost as smooth and pale as my own. I twisted my fingers through hers beneath the water.

"But I wouldn't use the word beautiful, not with you standing here in comparison."

She smiled and raised her free hand, placing in on my chest, over my frozen, dead heart. I shuddered the smallest bit a her touch. My breathing quickly became deeper and more ragged.

"I promised we would try. If... if I do something wrong, if I hurt you, you must tell me at once."

She nodded, keeping her eyes on mine.

"Don't be afraid. We belong together."

I wrapped my arms around her, her bare skin felt so perfect against my fingers.

"Forever." I agreed.