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Thanks to AJasperForMe for betaing this one-shot.

Originally presented as a contribution for Fandom4OK.

The morose atmosphere of the indolent little town reminded him of a time when the future wasn't a threat looming in the horizon. Inhaling deeply, he basked in the fragrant smell of wet grass permeating the air—the surrounding forests lending the place an aura of somewhere lost in time. Twenty years hadn't been enough to divest the city from its peculiar charm, for it remained much the same. A few new houses, a couple of new stores, but he could still navigate the streets easily.

Unbidden, his feet started to move towards the only place he had ever called home. The great Victorian structure where he used to live still stood proud and solid, even though it was rendered slightly shabby by the passage of years and obvious neglect. For a few seconds, he considered the idea of knocking on the door and asking the owners for a tour. But that was not the place he longed to visit, for home was the little blue house discreetly ensconced on the left of the imposing building.

There, in that small, welcoming haven, he had found the love and acceptance his family had never been able to provide. He had found arms willing to freely hug and an indulgent teacher of male pursuits. Charlie and Renée had fulfilled the empty space left by his absent, unloving parents. Under their loving eyes, he had finally blossomed into a boy like all the others. The feat his parents' many specialists couldn't achieve was accomplished by two simple people who had the greatness to love a boy who seemed lost to the world.

Lost in thought, he wandered around the gardens where he used to spend his afternoons pretending to be a great conqueror. A stab of pain shot through his heart, for he was no longer able to suppress his memories of her. Bella had been his only friend, the one child brave enough to approach the uncommon, silent boy. He didn't know if she had been forced to befriend him by decree of her parents or if she shared the same magical gift of acceptance her parents possessed, but the fact remained that they had become constant companions.

Unlike other people, Bella never expected him to form words; neither did she ever doubt his ability to comprehend her endless chatter. Even her parents tended to talk slowly and pick uncomplicated words, but not his Bella. Even at the tender age of four, she was perceptive enough to realize there was nothing physically wrong with him—he simply didn't feel the need to voice his thoughts or respond to any foreign stimuli. He liked living inside his own head, a characteristic for which psychiatrists had many uncomfortable names, but Bella summarized in one brilliant phrase: he was a dreamer.

The day she had first called him a dreamer, he smiled for the first time in his life. Bella responded by throwing her little arms around him in a long, fierce embrace. The powerful emotions her show of affection elicited brought tears to his eyes—the first time he cried in as long as he could remember. For long seconds, she kept him tightly joined to her and his young mind was able to grasp the meaning of the word bliss.

However, she let go of him, running towards his parents' house, eager to share her bit of good news. Unsurprisingly, they didn't believe her. Seeing the way her lips trembled and her eyes misted with unshed tears, Edward found the strength to stutter his first few words, for he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt his best friend. The shock on his parents' face was an added bonus, for he was well aware they had already given up on their troubled six-year-old son.

His show of bravery had unexpected consequences, for he soon found himself enrolled in a regular school instead of being homeschooled by a tutor. He was shaking in uncontrollable panic when he felt Bella's hand gripping his. Her quiet presence helped to steady his racing heart, lending him the confidence to proceed despite his anxiety. Even after they entered the classroom, she didn't let go of him, asking the teacher if he could sit at her side. Mrs. Cope granted Bella's request with a little indulgent smile, probably reminiscing on the sweetness of childhood.

Their colleagues weren't as accepting of their friendship as adults seemed to be. Their relentless teasing had Edward fighting the unwelcomed prickling of tears, while Bella valiantly fought against their bullies. Eventually, the novelty waned and they were allowed to simply be. Although Edward never really made other friends, he was more than content with the one he had, despite the times he had to share her with one of the other kids.

As the years passed, Bella matured into a very beautiful girl, much to Edward's dismay. The admiring glances she seemed to attract filled him with a nervous energy he couldn't quite explain. Frustrated and unhappy, he started to distance himself from Bella. Edward went as far as actually forming friendships with other students in an effort to ward off Bella's desperate attempts at mending the gap between them. And he succeeded, for Bella stopped seeking his company.

Edward had honestly believed her absence would mean his freedom from the unsettling feelings tormenting his heart. That theory was proved wrong the day he saw a boy come to her house and spend the afternoon in her company. He wanted to be the one with her. Just the idea of another boy sitting by her side filled him with a rage he had never experienced before.

Overcome by teenage hormones and confusing emotions, he marched to her house. Edward wasn't sure of what he would have said or done had he not been interrupted by Charlie.

"Oh boy, you have it bad."

"Hum, I'm not sure what you mean, sir."

Sighing, Charlie ran his hands through his hair, wearily studying Edward.

"You really don't know, do you?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Edward felt the need to shake his head in denial, just in case. If anyone could help him understand what was going on, that person was Charlie. But for some reason, Edward felt inordinately shy in the presence of Bella's father.

"Son, you are jealous. You kids are growing up, it's only natural your feelings for Bella are changing."

Understanding dawned on Edward. Dismayed, he looked at Charlie hoping for further guidance.

"You are on your own, boy."

Ruffling Edward's hair, Charlie left him to mull over their conversation.

Edward was at a loss on what to do. He was too young to ask her out on a date, wasn't he? They were only thirteen and Charlie always said Bella wouldn't be allowed to date until she was eighteen. How did one go about changing their relationship status from friendship to … what would be the next stage? He was completely out of his depth, nearly losing his mind over the endless possibilities his conundrum presented.

Once again, Bella came to his rescue. Sitting by his side, she patiently waited until he acknowledged her. He knew he must have looked pathetic, all huge eyes and tied tongue, but his Bella refrained from commenting on his unusual mood. Several moments later, he gathered whatever courage he had and looked her in the eye.

"Bella, will you be valentine? No, wait … Valentine's Day is still far away—I don't want to wait until February. What I mean to say … "

He didn't have the chance to complete his confusing rant, for Bella launched herself on him. They fell to the floor in a laughing, happy tangle of whispered a "yes" and shy, chaste kisses. However, teenage hormones soon flared into a passion neither of them could deny, or control. Lying on the floor, with his girl unselfconsciously sprawled over him, Edward experienced the first stirrings of desire when Bella caressed his tongue with her own. The pleasure was so great he couldn't stop the moan of delight that rippled out of him. Things might have escalated to even more illicit pursuits, if Charlie hadn't chosen that moment to open the door and clear his throat, yanking the teenagers out of their bubble.

"You two, could you please get out off the front porch? A father really shouldn't be forced to watch his daughter being mauled by a boy. Especially, one said father has no wish to kill."

They waited until Charlie was back inside, before they erupted in a fit of mischievous, slightly embarrassed, completely contented laughter.

That's the story of how awkward, socially-impaired Edward got the girl of his dreams. It should have been the end, complete with "and they lived happily ever after", but real life rarely allows for beautiful, uncomplicated endings. In their case, the romance was destroyed by a couple of overly ambitious parents who didn't want their son involved with a small town girl destined to be pregnant at age eighteen. Esme and Carlisle Cullen were much too proud to be the grandparents of a child mothered by a poor, uneducated girl.

The Cullens' prejudices led them to move out of town without consulting their teenage son or giving him any warning. He only found out the day before they were supposed to leave and although he tried to plead his case, Edward knew it was a lost cause. Led to the brink of insanity by the prospect of being torn apart from the love of his life, Edward did what any teenager in love would do: he went to his beloved and together they ran away.

They'd only been gone for a couple hours when Chief Swan found them. Seeing the children clinging to each other, crying their hearts out brought tears to the Chief's eyes. That day he offered the only ray of hope in an otherwise desperate situation.

"Life is long, kids. When the time is right, you'll find your way back to each other."

Edward spent the next five years of his life anxiously waiting to grow up. Although they exchanged a few letters, communication was difficult and staying close despite the distance, almost impossible. The internet was still crawling—they didn't have the advantage of e-mails and video-chats. Against all odds, Edward never wavered in the belief that his Bella would be waiting for him with arms wide open. He made friends and kept on living, dreaming of the day he would turn eighteen—the day he would become an adult and would finally be able to go back to the love of his life.

He celebrated his eighteenth birthday by leaving his parents' house and going back to Bella. However, the time wasn't right, not yet. Unlike Edward, Bella had thoroughly explored her sexuality, which resulted in an unplanned pregnancy and a hasty marriage. The news was delivered to him by a blonde girl, whose name he couldn't remember, as soon as she had seen him step out of his car in front of Bella's home.

Dumbfounded and broken-hearted, he could hardly believe his ears, but he couldn't deny what his eyes were seeing. Bella stood on the front porch, a faraway look upon her face. The protuberant belly was undeniable, as was the voice coming from inside calling her "honey". The blond girl happily informed him Charlie and Renée had moved away to another city, leaving the house to the happy couple.

Pure agony was the only way to describe the following months. He simply sat on his bed, staring at the wall, too consumed by grief to eat or bathe. Worried, his parents sent him to a mental institution. It could have been a terrible experience, but his psychiatrist actually helped him heal somewhat. Dr. Banner was a kind man who gave him the hope Edward needed to carry on.

Going to college, he learned how to drink, made friends, had girlfriends. He went on to adulthood getting a few editing jobs, until he published his first book and became a successful author. He met a woman he cared deeply for, married her and was content for a couple of years. Eventually, caring was not enough and she left him. Although he mourned her departure, he also knew she deserved better than what he could offer, for he had never stopped dreaming of the day he would be reunited with his Bella.

And now, twenty-five years after he had first kissed her, the time was right, he was sure of it. Her husband had been dead for over a year—he had made sure to stay away for an appropriate amount of time. Her kid was away at college and he was a divorced, free man. Knocking on the door, he held his breath, for the rest of his life was about to start.

The woman who greeted him wore every one of her thirty-eight years with pride. Her beauty hadn't faded, it had only matured into the kind of timeless look only a real man could appreciate. A sprinkle of grey tinted her hair and a few lines were noticeable around her eyes and lips—she was a woman who knew how to laugh, but also had learned how to cry. Without thought of care for propriety, he folded her into her arms, gently crying on her shoulder.

"Edward?"

"Just give me a few seconds, love. I need to feel close to you again."

Knowing that convincing her of his love would be a hard task, he held her for as long as she allowed. Throughout the years, he had made it a habit of following her social media's update—maybe it was stalker behavior, but he needed it in order to time his grand comeback into her life … and to simply know about her, see her pictures, her smiling face. He knew her husband hadn't been good to her, to the point where she had stopped believing in men and their ability to love.

"Hmm, Edward, it's nice to see you, but I think you should let go."

"Bella, don't you see? I have never been able to let go of you."

"Edward", she said in the condescending tone one used with a stubborn child, "are you feeling all right?"

"Invite me inside, Bella. There is so much I want, no, make that have to tell you."

After studying him for long, interminable seconds, Bella nodded, stepping back to let him in. She sat on the chair facing the couch he had elected, warily evading his attempts at holding her gaze. Edward had to physically stop himself from comforting her. Despite the many years they had spent apart, he still knew her soul. She yearned for him as he did for her, but she was afraid of believing.

Reminding himself he was no longer an inarticulate teenager, Edward poured the truth of his heart at her feet. It was a detailed, emotional, heartbreaking, awe inspiring tale of how his love for her had never faded. She listened with a stoic face, betrayed by the tears clouding her beautiful eyes and the strong grip of her hands on the arms of the chair. Perhaps she would have been able to fight the onslaught of emotions threatening to pour out of her, had it not been for his final words.

"And today I stand here, as I did so long ago, asking for you to give me a chance. I know years have passed, both of us have changed, but our souls are still bound. Let us be together, for our time is now. Be as brave as I know you can be. Let me be your man, your boyfriend, your companion, your husband—whatever you need, whenever you need."

There were many questions that needed to be answered, many logical issues that needed to be addressed, but that wasn't a moment ruled by rationality. Succumbing to feelings that had been bottled-up for far too long, Bella threw her body against his, knocking him down on the couch. They fell in a heap of teary laughter and bursting hearts.

For Edward, the future that had been a threat of endless loneliness had been replaced with a promise of love brighter than the sun.

Little did he know, it would be a year before he was allowed to discover the delights of sharing her bed and another four years before he convinced her to take a leap of faith, pledging their love before a priest.

But he didn't mind the waiting, because deep inside his heart, where the truths of the universe lay, he had always known their love was as inevitable as the rain that always seemed to fall down on the little city they called home.