Who is Bella Swan? ~ The Violent Femmes Football Fanatics

~*~Edward~*~

The moment the shiny purple doors of the mess hall closed behind me, I felt the weight of a million curious eyes. With an almost automatic stiffening of my shoulders, I made my way to the back, picked up a dinner tray, and turned to survey the room.

As one of the larger dining halls on campus, the mess hall catered to athletes, providing the specialized menus dictated by dieticians and trainers for all the sports teams and student athletes in the school. My gaze drifted over uptight golf dweebs, ditzy tennis girls, scrawny track and field punks to hitch unexpectedly on a figure slouched down at a square table across the room. He idly flipped an empty bottle, not making any attempt to hide the fact he stared right at me. Angry emotion sparked in his eyes, sullen and unmistakable even at this distance. I arched my brow, but Jake Black just sneered before turning back to his table.

Last year, I would have gone over there, shoved him out of his chair and launched into a confrontation based just on the fact that his sneer pissed me off. And while a huge part of me still wanted to do that, I resisted. I forced my gaze to skim the rest of the room, relieved to see a vacant seat across from Emmett.

I'd no more than set the tray down before Emmett ripped into me. "Impressive."

"Fucktard's not worth my time."

"And you wanna play Saturday." Emmett pointed out.

I grunted, but then started on my dinner. In less than an hour, I'd be seeing Bella Swan again. Bella and the two other members of the study group. I was curious about how things would go, how she would act, and surprisingly, I was looking forward to finding out.

That fucking kiss last night…She'd shocked the hell out of me with that kiss. The Girlfriend Game had taken a twist with that kiss—I shied away from thinking about what that meant, exactly. But I couldn't help but think of how much I liked the taste of her mouth. I could still feel her hands fisted in my shirt, feel her slim, strong body pressed up against mine, her perfect tits tight against my chest as I hauled her as close as I possibly could. And her lips—her fucking talented lips and tongue—tangled up with mine until I forgot all about appearances and ultimatums and instead found myself getting turned on by the unprecedented pleasure of matching her tongue stroke for stroke. I'd suspected her of having more fire than she let on—but the contradiction of the shy, plain girl lighting me up so intensely—my dick twitched now just thinking about it and I shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

"So the celebratory dinner must have gone all right."

I looked up from my plate, startled out of my thoughts of Sug. I adjusted myself before answering. "Yeah."

"All over Twitter, man. Instagram." Emmett grinned with a chin lift to the far table. "Which is why Black is pissed."

Nothing more than I'd expected, exactly what I'd planned, and yet that didn't explain why uneasiness skirted the edges of my conscience. I wondered what Sug would think about Black's reaction. Would she care that we'd been seen out together? Or that pics of our kiss currently lit up social media?

"Did you finish moving your shit?"

I nodded an answer to Emmett even as I fought the urge to look back toward Black's table. "Yeah," I said, twisting the cap off my water bottle. "Home sweet home in a fucking basement."

"You'll get used to it. A lot quieter than most student housing."

My new place was buried on the lowest level of one of the Athletic Complex buildings, directly beside Emmett's. When Uley had included the on-campus housing in his conditions, I'd expected to literally share a single dorm with Emmett. Instead we just shared a bathroom. It was close to both the weight room and the game room, so I didn't really have much to bitch about. But the simple fact was that it wasn't my choice to be there, and that rankled.

Emmett stood. "See you back at the room?"

"Nah." I inhaled the last of my dinner. "Have study group for A&M tonight."

"That's the one with Bella?"

I grinned up at the lineman. "Sure enough."

"Try and get a little work done, asshole."

Sugar wouldn't let me distract her from getting her work done. But I sure as shit was looking forward to seeing how she handled me tonight.

My dick pushed against my zip at the thought of what all she could handle. I tamped that bullshit down quick. This dating-relationship crap was new to me, but even I knew it was too soon to be expecting anything along those lines.

"They'll be two other people there." A smile parted my lips. "Suspect Sugar'll be cracking the whip." And suspecting that I wouldn't get far acting the idiot, I'd done my part of the assignment.

"Sugar? Is that Bella?"

I nodded, pushed back from the table and rose. Lifting my tray, I followed Emmett to the exit. As we dumped our trays, I explained. "Her derby name, man. Bella goes by Sugar Rush. You were there. You saw, yeah?"

Emmett laughed, though he seemed embarrassed. "Well, I might have been a little distracted by Rosie Hale…might have missed the details about your girl."

"Whatever, asshole. Bella is Sugar." Before my head could stop my lips, I added, "It fits her."

"Tastes like sugar and all that?" I straightened, resisting the urge to growl something rude at Emmett, but before I could, he added, "Never seen a guy with so many nicknames for chicks. How do you remember them all?"

Instantly, my hackles rose. "I didn't give her the fucking name—it's a derby thing, douche."

"Oh, 'scuse the hell outta me."

"Not the same thing. Not at all." Not the same sort of nickname as California or Thursday or any of the others I could rattle off. I thought of what Sug had said about me not knowing names. How I'd shrugged off the comment and she'd accepted that explanation. I wondered now if she'd held back. Apprehension chewed at the back of my mind. She'd lumped herself into that group, just as Emmett had, but she didn't fit there. I waved off Emmett as he headed back to our dorm, and picked up my pace toward the library.

~*~FotW~*~

For as long as I could remember, I would have this sort of frenetic energy before games. A sort of buzz in my bloodstream, a heightened awareness of my surroundings, contrasted with a weird sort of tunnel vision—be it the next touchdown or the threat of a sack, it came down to total focus.

For the first time, that feeling coursed through me off the field as I sat beside Sug, unable to focus on anything more than her gorgeous hair falling around her pale face as she concentrated.

But her concentration was an act. I could read that fact as easily as a defensive line, and I savored that knowledge.

In less than an hour, the need to touch her grew too strong. She wore her hair differently today—long, rippling curls and with the way they twisted and turned, I wondered if they would flip around my fingers if I touched them. Giving in to temptation, I reached out and looped one dark curl around my finger. It slipped over my fingers like fucking silk.

As expected, Sug stiffened, her entire body freezing for a moment. I sure as shit didn't care who noticed, and I didn't think about putting out the right image to satisfy Uley. I just grinned, huge and unrepentant, but she didn't take her gaze away from her laptop. I liked that I affected her so strongly. I liked that I'd anticipated she'd react so strongly.

In another minute, she visibly relaxed, easing back in her chair so that her hair slid from my finger. But that relaxation was another act. I shifted my leg forward under the table until her bouncing foot smashed down on mine. She jolted and this time darted a decidedly pissed look my way.

I could see doing a lot more of this kind of flirting with Sug. She wouldn't bother with kissing my ass, even though we both knew she was more than a little attracted to me. The play of emotions on her face was riveting—surprise, indecision, annoyance, frustration. They all whipped across her expressive features as she tried in vain to pretend I wasn't affecting her and that no one was witnessing.

The glass-enclosed room was situated on the main level of the library and visible to anyone who looked in our direction from outside. Inside, the four of us sat opposite one another at a rectangular table, the scrawny Mike across from Bella, scrupulously keeping his gaze down, pretending not to see the by-play between us.

"Edward, why don't you and I focus on the visual presentation?"

And Irina, across from me. I dragged my attention away from Bella. The blonde wore an expression of confident expectation. I needed to shut that shit down ASAP. "Nah."

I'd give her credit; she hid her surprise fast, but I caught a glimpse of her immediate reaction. Caught the quick, hard look she tossed at Sug, before her look softened with acquiescence when turned in my direction. "No?"

I hitched my chair closer to Bella's, propped my arm along the back. "Sug and I can handle it."

Again for a quick second, her expression tightened, but this time she managed to not glare. "Sug?" she said, voice carefully neutral. "Bella?"

I realized abruptly that Bella was tapping her pen against the side of her laptop. "Yeah," I answered cautiously. "Bella."

My girl met Irina's inquiring look across the table. "It's a nickname."

Irina slowly tucked her hair behind her ear, her expression conspicuously bland. "A nickname. How cute."

The hair on the back of my neck prickled, words on the edge of my tongue, but before I could say anything, Bella slapped her laptop closed and bit out a response. "Actually, it's a derby name. You know, roller derby?"

Before Irina could offer up a snarky response, the study session came to an abrupt close when Mike stood and announced he needed to leave. I ignored him as Bella sat there tap-tap-tapping, until Irina finally looked away and gathered up her own stuff. With muttered a muttered good-bye, I watched the two of them walk away while I waited for Bella to let loose.

The instant we were alone, she launched herself away from the table, forcing my arm to fall. She stood over me, and I watched, curious and expectant.

She took a deep breath, then met my gaze head on. "I'm not going to carry you on this project."

I laughed. "Arrogant girl."

She flushed at my words. I savored the pink in her cheeks like I'd won a prize. Rising up out of my chair, I moved closer. When she didn't step back even as I invaded her space, I couldn't help but be impressed. My girl had balls.

"Edward?"

While she didn't retreat, she did glance anxiously out the glass enclosing us on all sides—an academic fishbowl in the middle of Odegaard.

I couldn't have cared less, and I didn't want her to care about all the eyes on us, either. I didn't think about what that might mean, but I wanted her attention—all of her fucking attention—on me and only on me. Not on the students pretending not to watch us. Not on the wrinkle of apprehension between her brows.

She finally caved, avoiding my gaze, abruptly picking up her laptop and fumbling with her messenger bag trying to shove it inside. A phone cord slipped out, and as I took the last step that brought me directly into Bella's space, her bravery finally failed her, and she scrambled clumsily backwards.

I heard a distinct crack an instant before she looked down, uncomprehending. She'd stepped on her cord.

With none of the grace she'd demonstrated during her derby, she half stumbled, half wheeled around and down to grab the crushed cord and held it up with an adorable look of confusion. "I thought these things were indestructible?"

"Not under a spike like you're wearing." I nodded at her shoes, strappy and sexy as shit, but with a narrow little heel that hit the connection end of her charger just right.

I pulled her bag from her unresisting hold, finished packing her up, did the same with my shit, and started to herd her toward the door. But she recovered before I got her through and stopped, half in, half out.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Her supple lips thinned, and I wondered which would sway her—curiosity or suspicion. I hoped curiosity. Suspicion cut too close to questioning my motivation to spending time with her. I didn't want her thinking about that. Shit, I didn't want to think about it.

"You need a new charger, so we're going to The Book Nook. Then I'm walking you to your dorm. You don't need to be walking around campus alone this late."

"It's barely dark out."

"Sun went down an hour ago. That makes it dark enough for some asshole to cause trouble." The suspicion faded from hr face, replaced immediately with annoyance. Inwardly, I released a sigh of relief.

She opened her mouth to argue. Despite Uley's ultimatums echoing in my mind, the idea that all of the other students in the library just outside that door hearing our every word annoyed me. I need to move us along. "Not up for discussion, Sug. Besides, you know you want my company. Go with it, yeah?"

She eyed me for another long moment, something I couldn't quite read flickering across her pretty face. But then she turned and started moving toward the library exit, side-stepping students who crowded the pathway between tables and carrels.

"Though gotta say," I murmured loud enough for her to hear, but hopefully not so loud I provided any more entertainment for our audience, "now that you're all fired up to argue with me, your strut's hotter than shit."

I heard a little burst of sound and then she tossed a glare over her shoulder. Unrepentant, I admired the way her hair swayed with her motions, the longest curl bouncing right at the top of her ass.

The second time she caught her messenger bag on the edge of a table, I reached forward, snagged it from her shoulder, and moved ahead of her. Grasping her hand in mine, I bulldozed past the idiots who acted like they'd never seen a fucking football player before and got us out the door. Probably could have let her hand go once we were outside.

I didn't.

I held her little hand tight in my own all the way to The Book Nook, let go long enough to dig my wallet out and pay for her new cord, despite her protests, grabbed it again as we walked to her dorm. I wanted another kiss before I let her go, and for the first time in my life, I hesitated. Felt like I need to make it clear to her where this was going. She hesitated outside, like she expected me to leave her here, but I needed to know which room was hers. At my nod, she punched in her pass with her free hand and led me up to the fifth floor. She hovered at her door, making it clear she wasn't inviting me in, unsurprisingly. Even I got that it was too soon for that shit, but no fucking way was I leaving without another kiss.

"You can't come in."

"No?"

She flushed, the color lighting up her face, and I smiled into her flashing eyes. "I know yesterday—it may have—I may have-."

I pressed my index finger to her lips, cutting off her nonsense. "I don't need to come in, Sug."

She tilted away from my touch, her gaze shifting up to mine again to hold steady. "I don't understand, Edward."

"It's just like what it seems, Bella. You're not ready for me to come inside. I'm okay with that." I did a quick scan up and down the hall. A couple of kids coming or going, but they didn't seem to be taking notice of us. "Just means I need another kiss to make up for it."

"No," she said, surprising me and finally tugging her hand free. "No, I don't think so. Think I want to see how this plays out."

Irritation prickled along my spine. "It's a fucking kiss, Sug. No big deal."

"Then you won't care if you have to wait."

I pushed off the door frame, frustration a burn under my skin. "Let me let you in on a secret—that hard to get shit only works in movies."

She narrowed her gaze and then whirled back around to open the door. "Good night, Seven."

I dragged in a deep breath. "See you in the a.m., babe."

~*~FotW~*~

"Cullen!" Coach snagged the sleeve of my practice jersey, making sure I couldn't pretend not to hear him. He blocked the path into the locker room, so it wasn't like he'd left me any escape. "Walk with me."

One of the trainers tossed me a hand towel and I used it to wipe the sweat from my face as I followed Coach away from the trail of players heading to the showers. The morning sun crested over the buildings, glinting off the sleds and targets littering the practice field. Coach kept moving, stopping only when he passed the buildings and could see out across campus. For a minute, I let my attention focus on the students scurrying across the quad, thinking those assholes had probably only just woke up while I'd been awake for three hours already.

But my attempt at distraction didn't really work. I waited to hear something from Coach about my passing—the focus of this morning's practice. I'd borked one—the first pass I made after seeing Bella jogging the trail on the east side of the field, after watching her until her sweet ass disappeared into the wooded area and out of sight.

"Coach," I said, determined to head off his criticism. "That one throw-"

"Even the best QB's throw a screwball pass every once in a while." We stood under the lone tree on this side of the complex. "Just none of that shit when we face Eastern Saturday."

I slapped the towel against my leg. Away game, I thought. No distractions. "Nope, Coach. Not gonna happen."

"Didn't think so."

Coach was silent for what seemed like years. Apprehension prickled along the back of my neck as I waited to for him to get to the point of this little chat.

"This thing with-" He broke off, looking around guiltily, and I knew then this was going to be about Bella. About Uley and shit ultimatums and I had to fight not to punch the tree trunk.

"Her name's Bella." I scrubbed the towel over my face, around to rub down the back of my neck. "And we're seeing each other."

He still stared out over the campus, steadfastly not looking my way. "And she's the same girl from the other night, the one you're kissing—this is bullshit. Just need to be able to tell Uley it's all the same girl?"

My jaw tensed so hard, I struggled to speak, but I forced out the necessary words. "Yeah, it's only been Bella since the rally."

As the words left my mouth, I realized that I really hadn't looked at another girl since then. Perhaps a subconscious adherence to Uley's rules, but I knew it was more that the girl was different from any I'd ever known before. I pulled my thoughts from that uncomfortable path, and focused on Coach. "We done?"

"Yeah, showers and get to class, Cullen. Good practice."

With a curt nod, I jogged to the locker room, lucking out to find it trashed but empty. The chat with Coach took longer than I realized, but I still had plenty of time before class started. I bypassed the communal showers, anyway, and made for one of the four stalls at the back.

Bella fucking Swan had me coming unhinged. I didn't throw "screwball passes," didn't let my focus be disturbed by a girl jogging in the distance. But I had this morning, the instant I recognized her. I'd fucking turned and watched until she disappeared from sight, fixated.

I couldn't remember ever wanting a girl as much as I wanted Sug. That shit last night—well played. My cock had perked up the instant I'd registered she was nearby this morning, and it had taken serious effort not to take off after her and instead concentrate on the practice.

I stripped, stepped into one of the stalls, and turned the faucet on, hot full blast, a quarter turn for the cold. I stepped under the water, tilting my face up into the splash.

I'd never had to work so hard, never had to go without or think out my actions. And turning me away last night? Shit, she had me lit up, twisted. Guess that shit did work outside the movies because this morning I wanted that kiss more than anything. A fucking kiss! Edward fucking Cullen did not obsess over a kiss. A good fuck, maybe, but this growing obsession after one kiss, after being denied another…bull shit.

And I hadn't even fucked her yet.

What was going to happen when I did?

The hot water cascaded over me. I closed my eyes, soaping myself up with languid movements as I forced myself to relax, to not think about her long legs wrapped around me, her fingers fisted against my chest, or her sweet fucking mouth soft under mine.

This bullshit of going slow was wearing me the hell out. Seeing her flaunting her sexy ass fucked with my head. How long before she gave in, before I could have another taste of her mouth, her touch?

This morning, I'd stared, fascinated by the skin-tight blue work-out pants and white tank, the ponytail that just begged to be gripped. When had I ever paid attention to what a girl wore? What she wasn't wearing, yeah, I was all over that, but what she wore as she jogged by? These sorts of facts did not belong in my head. The girl needed to cave, and soon, before I started scribbling flowers in a fucking diary or some other pansy-assed crap.

I scrubbed my scalp, rinsed and gave in, palming my cock. She had to know I'd see her this morning, had probably run by deliberately. She probably didn't realize where my thoughts would turn, though, at the sight of her long, athletic legs and her bouncy, dark hair.

What would she say if I sent her a text right now? If I told her, explicitly, exactly what I wanted?

How I wanted to fist my hands in her dark hair.

How I wanted to cover her mouth with my own until I learned the exact taste and texture of hers.

How I wanted to run my hands over every inch of her smooth, pale skin, memorize every curve, every crevice, until she writhed beneath me.

How I wanted to sink my cock into her, so slow, so deep, until the glove of her body held me tight in her grasp.

Fuck, how I wanted her.

I tilted my head back under the water, struggled to rein in my thoughts, but it was useless. I swept my hand over my chest, belly, swept low to massage my balls.

I braced a hand high on the tiles of the shower stall, my mind fixed on the image of Sug's wet lips parting, her tongue peeking out...Fuck, yeah, I'd be kissing her again soon.

I tightened my grip on my dick, tugging a little on the upstroke as I imagined her lips, her tongue sliding wet and slick over mine.

I moved my hand slow and steady, gliding along the length of my erection. In my mind, I thrust one hand into Bella's long hair, loving the smooth fall caressing my hand and wrist. I yanked her closer, hardened my hold by gripping her low on the hip, molding her body to mine.

In my fantasy, the challenge in her eyes softened, darkened with sensual attraction she didn't try to hide or avoid. My belly constricted, low and real as fantasy and reality merged. So far, she was so honest in her reactions. Whether it be flipping out or getting into our kiss. Her simple, uncomplicated authenticity was like a fucking aphrodisiac. In my mind, her hands pulled me closer. She rose to her tiptoes, lodged one leg high on my hip, wedging herself snug up against me.

She leaned all soft and supple in my arms. My cock swelled, ached, as Sug tilted her head to deepen our kiss. Her moan of pleasure vibrated through me. She wanted more; I was desperate to give her more.

My hand worked up, down, my balls drawing tight.

She tightened her hold on me, drawing herself closer still, as though she could merge her body into mine.

I held fantasy Bella in my arms, her legs wrapped around me, my cock pressed into the V between her legs. I rocked my hips, thrusting into the weak embrace of my hand, feeling instead the friction of her body, the soft press of her tits against my chest, her mouth open and hot beneath mine.

I palmed my straining erection, so fucking aroused, the choppy pants of my breath getting lost in the splash and gurgle of the shower. Fantasy Sug pulled back, gazed up at me, and drew her fingers through my hair to trail across my cheek, hooked at the back of my neck.

I felt scored, burned. Claimed.

She licked her lips, and my pulse jumped, blood thrumming down to my dick. Leaning in, she flicked her tongue over my lower lip before sucking it between hers.

My eyes clenched closed with a harsh groan. Fisting my cock, I pumped once, twice. Opened my mouth under hers and returned her kiss. The intensity between us ratcheted up again, sudden and inescapable.

My tongue rubbed Bella's, drowning in her taste, her heat. My legs trembled and I clenched my eyes closed, choking back a groan. My palm wrapped around my dick, moving faster, longer sweeps up, down, squeezing at the base, up to swallow the head, a pleasurable little twist then down again. Up, down, and I erupted.

Water washed over my shoulders, down my belly, cooling my cock, the evidence of her power over me swirling down the drain below.

I rested my head against the arm I had braced on the tile wall. I let my mind drift, sorting through today's practice, what to eat before my first class. That reminded me of Sug's coffee obsession and how she said she ran so she could have her M&Ms and fancy-ass coffees. My breathing slowed, evened out, and I twisted the spigots to shut off the water and headed off to dress for the day.

~*~FotW~*~

I stood outside the building housing the A&M class and watched Bella approach, a coffee in one hand, her phone in the other. She wore some flowery dress thing that stopped at the top of her thighs with boots that made her already fuck-amazing legs look longer than shit. As she came closer, she tucked her phone into her bag and met my gaze. I expected her to act all shy and goofy this morning, especially after having turned me away last night, so when she walked right up close, I straightened away from the building in surprise.

She stopped a breath away, hesitated a half second, and then with a hand on my arm, she leaned up and pressed a quick, soft kiss to my lips. I followed her down as she pulled away and had to stop myself from pulling her into my arms for more.

"Thanks for the coffee," she said quietly, her hand still on my arm. "Really nice surprise."

I'd beat her to the coffee cart, paid for her coffee, and ignored the smiling face of Pinkie. "No problem," I answered.

We moved into the building, ignoring the looks as we walked into the classroom. My seat sat empty, and I ignored Bella's curious look over her shoulder as I followed her up to her seat in the back. A sharp look at the guy in the seat next to hers sent him scrambling for a new one, and I settled in beside her. Bella shushed her friend Alice, but she couldn't do anything about the rest of the class, so I cinched the fervor by hanging my arm over the back of her chair and slouching close.

I didn't like having Sug's nervousness on display for the world to see. I leaned closer, lowered my voice until only she could hear me. "Gotta get used to it, Sug."

She met my gaze, and then let hers slide to take in the whole classroom as the instructor began his lecture. "Guess so." She darted a look at her friend Alice, before turning more fully to me. "Sunday night, you weren't even gone and there were pictures on Instagram."

"And fucking Twitter, and everywhere else, too. There'll be more of that." I tugged on her hair, kept my fingers tangled up in the silky stuff. "I'm not going anywhere, Sug. Gonna have to get used to it. Ignore them, play into them, whatever you want, but that's just the way it is."

She turned and studied me, and something in the softening of her expression drew me in. She ignored the professor, laid her hand along my jaw and leaned close. I felt my fucking pulse jump. "It's crap," she murmured, her voice soft, whipping through me like a razor, "But if you can ignore them, so can I."

She turned back to pay attention to class then, and a tiny wave of disappointment washed over me. For a fucking minute, I'd thought she meant to kiss me. Even so, she didn't tug away from my hand at the nape of her neck, and as I turned back to the professor, it occurred to me that I'd never felt skin as soft as hers.

Class passed quickly and soon enough, we were packing up and heading down to the exit. People flowed past us, and Bella lingered with me uncertainly. I wanted a fucking kiss—a hot, wet one like she'd given me Sunday, and giving into the need riding my ass, I ducked my head down for a quick, hard kiss before she could protest. "Go," I said when I finally straightened. "I'll call you tonight."

She nodded slowly, slid her hand free of mine and walked away.

A/N: I know! It's been FOREVER! And because it's been forever, I'm posting this chapter even though I made some pretty major changes after my amazing and talented betas, Jenny and Bree, did their work. So, any and all mistakes are mine and mine alone.

Thanks again to TLS for the lovingly little prod and poke to get this chapter out. A little more delayed than expected...silly distractions. But never consider this abandoned, won't happen.

And jayhawkbb, the kind and sensible advice is always so spot on. Can't thank you enough! Even if I kept a little of the "flowery" in—I couldn't resist!

Huge thanks to everyone who has left a lovely comment or message on this story. They really, truly are inspiring and keep me motivated, despite my4 lack of posting this past summer. Trust me, your words are treasured. Thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts.