for PortiaKhalo / MzEll

Her laughter was becoming more breathless each time my hand landed on her.

It bubbled up all sunshinelight past her smile.

"Stop! Stop it!" she demanded, still giggling, kicking her legs in an effort to free herself.

"What?" I feigned innocence, holding her in place, grinning. "I can't help it, I lost count..."

"You've lost count *four* times already, Edward!"

I held her steady and still on my lap so that I could lean my face down to the side of hers. The apple of her cheek was tickled gala-pink and I pressed my lips to it softly.

With another giggle, she took advantage and tried to squirm away once more.

"I'm only on nine, Isabella. How old are you today?"

"Let me up!" she ordered "Do you have any idea how old I was the last time I was spanked on my birthday?"

I brought my palm down onto her once more. Not anywhere near enough to hurt. I was intimately attuned to all of her thresholds, and even if I wasn't - even if I didn't know *just* where, and when, and how to touch her - the giggles that were shaking her whole frame were assurance enough.

"How many is that?" I teased, gently rubbing my fingers where my hand had just swatted her. "Is that ten? Or was that only nine?"

"Edward Cullen!!"

I sat her up quickly, letting the two of her legs drape over my left as our eyes met.

"Birthday girl," I greeted, smiling wide.

She leaned forward and pressed her forehead to mine, letting our lips almost touch as she spoke.

"Birthday spankings, really?"

I laughed, stealing a kiss.

"Really," I assured her.

"Every year?"

"For the rest of eternity."

"Alice says I'll be stronger than you, y'know..."

It was her then, who stole a kiss. But really, you can't steal from the philanthropic. She could never steal a kiss from me. All of my kisses were hers. Are hers.

"Only for a little while," I smiled knowingly, and pulled her closer, brushing my hands up her sides. She shivered, and giggled, like I knew she would and I curled my fingers into her ribs. Thick laughter rippled up from her chest again as she doubled over in an attempt to shield herself.

"Okay... Okay!" she was bursting out. I laughed harder, feeling the muscles in my cheeks tighten from smiling so wide, from so deeply inside. I tickled my way over her stomach, between where her hands were trying to defend herself, and found my way to her legs.

"NO!" she bellowed, still in hysterics. "NO! DON'T YOU DARE! EDWARD!"

The insides of her thighs were so ticklish it should have been a crime.

A crime.

Not to tickle them.

I curled my fingertips against her legs and stroked the skin there teasingly. Watching her cheeks pinken a shade darker, as they scrunched up with deeper laughter. Listening to that sound; that perfect, cherubic music coming up from her and filling the living room around us. Feeling her arms and legs wriggle to get free, wiggling her featherweight against me so sweetly. Loving her happiness, and her carefree freedom in this moment. Loving her.

I chuckled, and pulled my fingers back slowly, righting us both. She was panting as she settled her forehead to mine once more,

"Give me. My presents. You big bully," she spoke between deep breaths, still smiling.

I set her on her feet and stood up next to her, taking her hand in mine and leading her to the dining room. The gasp of air she inhaled was almost as deep as the breaths she'd been taking just moments ago, over my knee.

She took a few steps ahead of me, and stood in front of the table piled high with gift bags and boxes. I moved behind her slowly, nuzzling my nose in the crook of her neck as she looked slowly from left to right. "This is... too..."

"Happy birthday," I interrupted, gently as I could, kissing just under her ear.

"Thank you," she whispered, reaching her hand back to take mine in hers again.

I took a step forward to stand next to her and reached down amidst all the ornately wrapped and decorated turquoise and aquamarine coloured packages. I pulled forward a small cake, hand iced, piped, and petal-ed to perfection. She was watching silently; I felt her eyes as I lifted the fork from the porcelain plate and cut a small bite. Almond amaretto and raspberries filled the air, swirling the scent between us as I brought the bite up and to her smile.

She parted her lips just enough for me to move the bite of cake past them, her eyes only closing just then, the moment it hit her tongue. I set the fork back down with quietclink, watching her cheeks and her throat move as she chewed slowly, and finally swallowed. She blinked her eyes open slowly, darting her tongue out along her bottom lip, loosing that sound I was waiting for. The sound I thought about, worked so carefully for while I was simmering the raspberries to just the right heat. The sound I hoped so hard for while I was scraping all the tiny seeds from the vanilla bean. The sound of her, elated.

"Mmmmm..."

Without thinking; before the thought even occurred to me, I reached for her and pulled her close, moving my lips over the small bit of off-white cream on her top lip.

Had I taken it from the spoon I'd mixed it with, I'd have tasted nothing.

But from her lip, on her skin, it was divine.

She parted her lips wider and I deepened the kiss, tasting the faintest hint of vanilla and sugar, warm on her tongue. Her knees wobbled under her, weakened by the flourish of desire.

"Steady yourself, love," I whispered, holding her arms with my hands in an effort to help her stand.

Her lips curled in recognition.

"Steady yourself, for victory is near...?" she whispered back, raising her voice slightly at the end.

I slid my hands from her arms to her back, to cradle her closer to myself.

"Shut out the world, with it's tyranny of noise..."

"None of this matters now," she stole the next line, brushing her nose to my nose.

"Draw strength from the vision," I continued.

"That the deepest folds of your soul so long for..."

"For it is a song we all sing. Steady yourself, love, upon my gaze in this corridor,"

"And waver not in the face of the battle cry."

"We will not be beaten," I whispered, brushing my lips over hers.

"Lose not your faith now, for I need it -" she brushed back.

"To strengthen my own,"

"And should your steps falter, mine would grow lonely in this world of coal," she barely breathed, curling her arms around me. Desperate almost, like she was afraid I was going somewhere. Like there was anywhere in all of the world I'd rather be.

I curled my arm more firmly around her waist, securing her to me, telling her with my embrace what no words could seek to explain. I kissed her softly, chaste and sweet on her budding-pink lips, breathing the last two words of the poem right into her mouth like hope, and love.

"And roses..."