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Bella's smile was encouraging and edged on patronising, like she was watching a child recite their ABC's. Angela shook her head, smiling ruefully. She wasn't that bad at this, was she? She voiced herself with the slightest whine of frustration.
"Of course not," Bella said. Her voice was laden with charm. Bella had spent so much time mocking Edward and his particular speech patterns; it was starting to bleed into her natural voice. "You're doing wonderfully, babe."
At the title, Angela couldn't resist smiling—beaming. Her cheeks felt warm too, and her heart was aflutter. She knew that Bella wasn't one for expressing her emotions; she liked comforting familiarity and quiet understandings, but she was more than happy to sing Angela's language of love. Of course, there was a few weeks of embarrassed fumbling where Bella was unsettled by the idea of other's hearing the affection and vulnerability in her voice. Bella's genius solution was to lean in close to her girlfriend's side and whisper the endearments with a press of lips against Angela's cheek. The intimacy of those moments left Angela a little dizzy and Bella feeling bolder, until she was radiating confidence—in herself, in Angela, in them.
Years later, Bella was a natural at dropping a 'baby' or 'lovely' into her sentences; fastening them on like stamps to a love letter. Truthfully, Bella adored Angela's blushes and the unstoppable smile that would cross her face whenever Bella spoke sweetly to her.
"How is this so hard? It's ridiculous." Angela said, glaring petulantly at the task laid out before her. She had too many pots and not enough seasoning at her disposal.
"You know I don't mind cooking."
"I know," Angela hesitated, glancing at Bella. Her girlfriend was watching intently as she leaned against the kitchen counter. "I just... I wanted to make dinner for us, for you."
Bella smiled and reached out to grab Angela's hands in hers. She pulled them both forward to meet in the middle, as they always did.
Angela swore she could see the love in Bella's eyes; the way her smile made the corners of her eyes crinkle, the shimmer of light against her brown irises. "I love you, Ang." She said sincerely—what once was so stilted came to Bella as effortlessly as rain fell in Forks.
Angela's heartfelt reply was dismissed by Bella's lips against hers.