A/N: Rawr, my friends. Rawr.
Let's have some fun.
It had been an interesting five days. Five days peppered with clandestine kisses and risque text messages. No one made her laugh the way Emmett did. No one ever had.
No one ever had.
As much as she tried not to, how could she help but compare Emmett and Edward? They were the two biggest surprises life had ever thrown at her. Edward had changed the landscape of her life dramatically when they'd met. Emmett had every chance of doing the same.
Bella had always known that in some distant future, there would be someone after Edward. In the quiet of the night, alone in an apartment she'd chosen so long ago with her young husband, Bella would wonder what that person looked like, who he was and what her life would look like with him. She'd always shut that line of thinking down as soon as she could, her heart wrenching and crying for what it couldn't have—the happily ever after she'd planned with the man she loved.
In a million years, she never could have predicted someone like Emmett. Edward had been an intellectual, interested in history, politics, philosophy, and discussion. Emmett was plenty intelligent, but he lived more in the moment, focused on people and talking about the things actually happening all around him. Edward had been brooding and quiet. Emmett let his troubles slide right off his back, and he was loud.
Emmett made her laugh. Edward had always made her smile, made her happy, but Emmett made her laugh. He made her world lighter and that, conversely, gave her no small amount of guilt.
Confusing. And part of her still writhed, still screamed, because she still wanted all the things she and Edward had whispered about. Yet she wanted this too. She was giddy with it—desire and possibility. She wanted to keep moving forward. As weird as it felt sometimes, it was also wonderful.
She'd gone to the doctor on Tuesday to go back on birth control. What a surreal moment that had been. She remembered clearly when, some months after Edward died, during her annual check up, her doctor had gently suggested that she didn't need to refill her birth control prescription.
"You can always start up again when you're ready to be sexually active," she'd said.
And now, Bella was. She really was ready. When she thought about it, her breath caught and her nipples tightened. It was far from the only thing on her mind, but, well… Like Emmett had said, he was a physical kind of guy. She was very, very aware of that.
Friday, the day after his birthday, Bella was driven to distraction by his physical presence. They were sharing a morning shift. Emmett had the afternoon off for a class he was going to blow off today. Bella had swapped with Elizabeth Cullen, Edward and Carlisle's mother, so she could have the afternoon off as well.
Unfortunately, Bella had been part of a brainstorming session the day before about the plans to expand the shop. She'd been thinking about how much she liked watching Emmett when he was doing his cupcake thing, and talking with Carlisle about new ways to advertise. She'd had the half-cocked idea that it would be fun to see Emmett as a YouTube sensation. Why not? The chick who did Nerdy Nummies had her schtick being both nerdy and adorable. Emmett's schtick was playing off the whole looks-can-be-deceiving thing, looking like a linebacker while wearing a pink, frilly apron, and making delicate cupcake designs. He was charismatic and funny, why not create a YouTube channel?
Carlisle thought it had potential, and so he was floating the idea to Emmett while Bella bustled around the shop, pretending she didn't feel a burst of static electricity every time she got too close. Despite the cool temperature of the shop, Bella was hot. She'd swept her hair up into a bun, and when there was a lull in things to do up front, she headed for the back of the shop. At the sink in the little kitchen area where employees could take a break, she splashed cool water on her neck and closed her eyes.
What was going to happen today?
As she stood there for a moment, lost in nerves and fantasy, she was suddenly and acutely aware of a presence just behind her. She sucked in a breath, feeling the heat of him prickling on her skin. For a man as loud as he normally was, Emmett could be quick and silent when he wanted to be, and if he was standing this close to her, Carlisle must have left.
He rested his hands at her hips, bringing her slightly back against him. Bella shivered when his lips brushed her shoulder. Her mind spun, and her cheeks flushed even hotter at the images that went through her head. There were more than a few filthy suggestions about exactly what he could do to her right then and exactly how fast he could do it.
"You're getting ahead of yourself," she said to both of them, tilting her head as he kissed up her neck. His hands had come around to cup her belly, dangerously close to straying lower. "I thought you wanted to try dating first."
He grumbled—a rumbling sound that vibrated against her skin sending delicious thrills through her body. "I've never been good about not sneaking a taste." His nose nuzzled her cheek. "Or sticking a finger in the cake batter."
"Stick a finger in the cake batter? Now that'sa healthcode violation." She spun around, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pushed up onto the balls of her feet. "You better not let your boss hear things like that or your ass is so fired."
"Uh huh." Emmett pushed forward, pinning her back against the counter with his hands on either side of her. "Well, from what I hear, my boss is so impressed with my performance, she wants to release my bake tapes on the internet for everyone else to enjoy." He nipped her lips in a quick kiss, grinning wolfishly. "And I don't think she'd mind where I stick my fingers."
Bella bit the inside of her cheek unsure whether she wanted to laugh or moan. Thankfully, she didn't have much time to think about it. He tilted his head to catch her lips in full, his kiss as heated as her blood boiling in her veins. She whimpered into his mouth, threading her fingers into his soft, curly hair. His body pressed against her, consumed her.
Just as she'd about forgotten where she was, a distant bell jangled. A customer had walked in the door.
"Fuck," Emmett muttered under his breath, breaking their kiss and resting his forehead against hers.
Bella stroked the back of his neck, too dizzy to let him go just yet. "An hour, right?" she asked, way too eager to be out of here.
"Mmmhmm." His breathing had about evened out. He sighed and kissed her again sweetly. "I'll go take care of them."
Bella stayed braced against the counter, watching his retreating form, wondering again what the hell she'd gotten into?
~0~
"Hey, you're really quiet." Emmett bumped her hand with his as they strolled down a trail cut through a dense forest.
Bella turned her head, making an effort to smile at him. "Sorry. I guess I spaced out. I must be still in shock that we live near this much nature."
He smiled back. "If you know where to look." He let his fingers brush hers again and then held her hand. "But I think something is actually wrong, and I wish you'd tell me."
Bella sighed. Emmett was remarkably good at picking up on moods. "It's not wrong. There's nothing really wrong. It's just, I don't know, bittersweet."
"Does this have something to do with Edward?" Emmett asked when she didn't offer any other explanation.
She was quiet for a few more steps. "It's deja vu. I lied. Edward took me hiking on our second date to show me a place that was special to him." Their meadow had felt so magical back then.
Emmett stopped short, and since he was still holding her hand, stumbled backward a step. He quickly put a steadying hand on her back. "Sorry. Oh, man." He rubbed the back of his neck. "We can go back. It's no big deal."
"No." Bella took his hand again and tugged. "It's nice. Seriously, Em, it's nice out here. It's really pretty. Please don't let me ruin this. I was just having a moment." She stepped up to him, her hands at his side, tilting her head up. "I'm here with you, and I want to be here with you."
His smile was gentle, if a little sheepish. He looped his arms around her, swaying her a bit back and forth. "I don't know if it's a good sign or a bad one. This isn't just a hike. I want to show you a place special to me too."
Bella's eyebrows shot skyward. "Really?"
"Yeah," he said with a laugh. "Jasper and I found it when we were kids. I'm sure someone else knows it exists but there was never anyone there when we went."
A genuine and cheeky grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. Bella was charmed by the thought of baby Emmett and Jasper running through these woods, getting into mischief. "So what you're saying is, you're taking me off into the middle of the woods where no one can hear me scream? You know, if you wanted to kill me or something."
His answering grin was all teeth, his eyes bright with lascivious glint. "You figured out my cunning plot."
"You aregoing to murder me out here?" She pretended to cringe away from him, but he kept her in the circle of his arms.
"No, the other thing. The bit about making you scream."
Though lust coiled inside her, making her mouth go dry at the thought, Bella put a shocked face on. "Mr. McCarty. What makes you think I put out on a first date?"
His grin, if anything, grew wider. "You know what they say about assumptions, boss." He leaned in close, so his mouth was so near hers it stole her breath. "I didn't say anything about how I was going to make you scream." He pulled away from her, stepping to the side but keeping her hand. "Now come on. This hike ain't gonna walk itself."
~0~
True to his word, the hike wasn't difficult. It was only twenty minutes after their short stop that they arrived at their destination—a river that widened into a calm, clear pool on one side even while water rushed and tumbled on the other.
"This is beautiful," Bella said, hands on her hips as she surveyed the scenery. "Wow."
Emmett came up beside her. He set down the backpack he'd been wearing and put an arm around her waist. "You like it?"
She nodded, and looked up at him. "I do have one complaint."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah. That last hill made me all sweaty. Or did you do that on purpose. You know, to make sure you can keep your hands off me."
"Ah, no." Emmett's eyes slid down her body. "Not planning on keeping my hands to myself. I failed that class in kindergarten." His eyes lingered a moment longer on her breasts, and Bella was hyper-conscious of the glean of sweat there. She caught her breath, and he raised his eyes to hers. "I have a plan, though. If you're really that concerned about the sweat."
"What's th—" Her question cut off in a screech as Emmett tightened his hold on her and leapt with her into the water.
It was a warm but not very hot day, so the water—while instantly solving her sweat problem, as promised—was just a wee bit too cold. Bella gasped as she broke the surface of the water. Emmett still had his arm around her, buoying her nicely. She sputtered and splashed him in the face. "Emmett! What the hell!"
He didn't let her get away, keeping his arm around her. He looked positively gleeful. "I did promise you I'd make you scream." He waggled his eyebrows.
Bella finally succeeded in pushing away from him. She kicked her legs, keeping herself afloat while she splashed him. He lunged for her, managing to grab her the second time he tried. He kept her hands in a tight grip, resulting in a lot of giggling between the two of them. Bella tried to brace her feet against his leg but only ended up dunking herself.
She scrambled up on his back, making it difficult for him to keep his head above water for a few minutes as they played. It worked until he walked to the edge of the swimming hole so his feet were firm on the ground.
Then, Bella looped her arms around his wide shoulders, resting her head near his neck. They both quieted, and he waded back into the pool, floating with her in the cool water for a few minutes. His hands were firm under her legs, keeping her wrapped around him.
When Bella shivered, Emmett moved toward the shore again. He set her down, and Bella moved out into the sunshine, toeing off her sodden shoes as she did. "You're such a brat," she muttered, laughing as she curled her bare toes in the grass.
"What can I say? My momma didn't raise me right."
"That's a lie. Your momma is a peach. You're just a bad egg." Bella chafed her arms, gritting her teeth a bit to keep from shivering.
"Totally rotten," Emmett agreed. He'd already laid out a large blanket, and he was rummaging through the pack. He pulled out a beach towel and stood, holding out from hand to hand. "Come here."
Feeling inexplicably shy, Bella walked to him. He wrapped her up in the towel and pulled her down with him on the blanket. He guided her so she was sitting between his legs, her back against his chest and his arms wrapped around her.
She did like this. A lot. She liked that he was so big, it felt like he could consume her. With him wrapped around her like this, she was warm and safe.
He moved her hair off to one shoulder, making her laugh again when he licked the remnants of water off her skin. "I thought you said you brought water bottles."
"I did, but I like this better."
"Oh, yes. Salt and algae."
"Mmm. It works."
Bella turned her head, catching his lips in a sweet, lingering kiss. She wasn't sure if she was exasperated or grateful that his hands didn't roam. Not that the kisses weren't nice. She would gladly stay here under the bright sunshine letting him kiss her slowly senseless, but there was a part of her that was waiting for the obvious line.
It would be so easy. "We need to get our clothes dry. Shucks. We didn't bring a change." And if he laid her back on that blanket, she would probably forget the fact there was no guarantee there was no one else out here in these woods.
She did want him.
But there was a part of her, too, that was relieved they seemed to be easing into things. Not slowly. It hadn't even been a week since their first kiss. But not leaping into anything either. It didn't make her self-conscious. She knew damn well he wanted her. It was nice that he wasn't pouncing on her when he knew he could.
Deja vu still plagued her. She'd rested like this in Edward's arms in his meadow. The similarities made it hard to stop thinking about it.
"Bella?" Emmett dropped kisses along her cheek.
"Hmm?"
He hesitated, his arms tightening around her. "Will you tell me about… about Edward?"
She sucked in a sharp breath, and he stumbled over his words. "I don't know if that's a weird thing to ask, and if you don't want to, that's fine. Obviously. I just want to make things easier if I can." He pulled back slightly so he could look at her. "And I don't want you to think that you can't talk about him."
Unsure how she felt about the question, Bella stayed quiet, studying his face. She saw nothing but tenderness there, earnestness. Her heart wanted to break when she realized exactly what he was doing.
He was caring for her. Like a boyfriend. Like a goodboyfriend.
Edward had been good at caring for her. It had always been one of his top priorities to make sure she had what she needed. He coaxed her to relieve her burdens, venting when she needed. He got her medicine and tucked her into bed when she was sick. He was her cheerleader when she needed words of encouragement, and always on her side. She was more than capable of taking care of herself. She'd done it before Edward, and she'd done it after, but it was nice. Nice of someone to think about what she needed and how she felt.
Bella released a shuddering sigh and leaned back against him again, snuggling close. It took a few minutes to swallow past the lump in her throat, and then she began to speak.
"When I was in high school, I was so above all the drama." She scoffed. "So much drama. It was all so ridiculous to me—the weird things people did when they were supposedly oh so in love."
"I don't miss high school," Emmett said, and Bella could feel his chuckle against her back.
"Yeah. But when I was seventeen, I moved with my dad to this tiny town in Washington. Edward had moved there the year before. His mother and father separated for a while." She sighed, wistful now, and laughed. "All of this sounds so dumb when I say it out loud, but long story short, I met Edward and everything changed."
She paused, trying to find the words. Her voice was thick with emotion when she spoke. "What I had with him was so intense and serious. Heavy. Not bad. Heavy in the best way, but, I don't know...consuming."
By contrast, what was happening between her and Emmett was so much lighter. Sunnier. Not that she wasn't serious about him. It just wasn't as concentrated. It wasn't the two of them in a world of their own. And that… That wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Bella swallowed hard. "We were so happy," she whispered. "I was so happy."
And when he was gone, it was like the color had drained out of the universe. Sight, smell, sound—all of it just faded.
That was far and away the thing that most terrified her about whatever was happening between them. Emmett made her happy. So, so happy. And she had the weird, kind of wonderful feeling, that it could be the kind of happiness that lasted. A different kind of happiness than what she'd found with Edward, but not less.
But that was a concept she didn't know how to put into words. She wasn't ready. He meant so much to her. She hadn't quite wrapped her head around that simple fact yet, hadn't let herself settle into what she felt.
Rather than speak, she did her best to show him what she felt. She turned, letting the towel he'd wrapped around her slide down her shoulders. She knelt between his legs and pushed him so he was laying back on the blanket. She draped herself over him and kissed him, and kissed him, and kissed him under the warm sunshine.
A/N: *smooches*
