ROSES BEHIND MIRRORS
She didn't want to be there. He couldn't wait to get away. But what happened when Rosalie Hale came thundering into Emmett Cullen's life, no one could have predicted. AU, AH. RxEm.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Stephenie Meyer beat me to it.
Chapter Ten
The doorbell rang. Emmett's eyes flickered to the clock. Twenty five past nine. Rosalie was early.
Esme chuckled lightly at him as he ran full pelt down the stairs and answered the doorbell. She was standing there, looking as good as ever, hair loosely tied into a ponytail, and wearing the appropriate clothing – just joggers and a woollen jumper (because although it was sunny, it was beginning to get chilly in Forks) – and they complimented her curves perfectly. She gave him a shy smile.
"You made it." He grinned, and considered to himself that that was stupid thing people said, because clearly, when someone was in front of you, they had "made it".
Shut up. Jeez.
"Yeah. Jasper's put his number on speed dial one on my phone though, and practically taken my temperature and given me a full once-over, but he's decided I'm all fit to go." She smiled at him, trying to laugh it off, but when Jasper had looked her right in the eyes and simply asked her if she was ok with this, she'd smiled and been grateful for her brother.
Emmett smiled. "How does a bacon sandwich sound to you?"
Food was improving, she had found, since moving to Forks, since Esme's carbonara on that fateful first day. "Sounds great."
They walked through to the kitchen, where Edward was just serving up the sandwiches onto plates. Esme sat at the table, delicate frameless glasses sat on the end of her nose, reading a medical journal. She looked up and smiled warmly when Rosalie walked in. Emmett pulled out her chair, smiling at her.
"Hiya, Rose." Alice came skipping down the stairs. "I'll see you guys later – I'm taking Bella shopping."
Edward snorted. "Alice, Bella hates shopping."
His little sister rounded on him. "Edward, Bella has a terrible wardrobe. I need to do something about that."
Rosalie and Emmett looked at each other smiling, as Alice skipped out of the door, leaving Edward seething.
"Must she always interfere?"
Esme looked up from the journal. "Edward, she's being nice. She's trying to make friends."
"She's practically dragging Bella to Port Angeles when she'd probably much rather-"
Emmett leant over and whispered in Rosalie's ear: "The quicker you eat that, the quicker we can get out of this madhouse."
She smiled slightly, forcing herself into stillness as his breath on her neck her shiver slightly. She wolfed down the last few mouthfuls of her sandwich, nervous, excited… terrified.
"We're gonna get going, Mom." Emmett smiled, putting his and Rosalie's bowls into the washing bowl. "We'll probably get back sometime in the afternoon."
Esme nodded. "Have fun." She said, without even looking up. Edward gave the dirty plates a disdainful look but on a sharp look from his brother said nothing.
"Maybe I'll give your brother a call, Rosalie. You said he played tennis – they've got courts down at the club – maybe we could hit a few balls around?"
She thought about it for a second, feeling warm. "Jasper would like that."
She turned to Emmett. "I'm ready."
Emmett walked slightly ahead of her, up the steep hill, through the forest, glancing back every few seconds to grin at her, check she was keeping up. When they finally got onto more level turf, he walked beside her, close, so their shoulders bumped every few minutes.
"It's beautiful up here." She murmured, as if not wanting to break the peaceful, natural silence. "There was nothing like this in New York City."
He laughed lightly, subconsciously agreeing to keep to the innate quiet. He was carrying a bulky forest-green backpack, holding the entire picnic, and she was carrying a rolled up tartan blanket under one arm. A few strands of her blonde hair had escaped from her ponytail and were blowing in the wind, whipping across her face, sticking to the clear vanilla lip balm on her lips.
"It's one of the only good things about Forks." He said, laughing, but with a sudden undertone of bitterness that was alien to her.
"You don't like it here?"
He sighed. "It's not that I don't like it. I've grown up here; I have tonnes of childhood memories that are wonderful about this place. I just – there's gotta be something more, y'know? Some big city, some high-rise apartment, some freedom that's more than walking through the woods…" he trailed off.
Sometimes more isn't better, she thought, but kept that to herself.
When she said nothing, he laughed nervously, trying to lighten the mood again. "Not that I don't love walking in the woods." He joked, but he'd shown her the restless side of him now, and that was something he couldn't take back.
"It's not all wonderful, the big city, y'know." She said softly. "It's not… friendly."
Silence, again, this time less peaceful.
Minutes passed, as they walked, occasionally touching arms, both drinking in the landscape and breathing in the cool air, solemn expressions on their faces.
"I don't need to know what it was, but… I'm sorry for whatever happened to you, Rosalie." He breathed, so low she was hardly sure she'd heard him correctly. But his eyes were on her face, not inquisitive, almost… sad. She said nothing for a long time, and Emmett's head was in overdrive.
You idiot – why did you have to say anything???
She was fine, she was doing all right, you've brought it all back up. Bad memories.
Breathe, Rose. In and out. He's not going to hurt you. He's sorry. He's not trying to pretend he understand, he's not trying to help you get better, he's not trying to get revenge… he's sorry. Sorry you're hurting.
"Sorry…" he mumbled, stopping short, where he was. "We can go back, if you want."
She stopped too, turning to face him, tilting her head back just a little so she could look right into his eyes. Her eyes were shining, glistening, but no tears were going to escape her today, ruin this beautiful moment.
"Thank you." She breathed slowly, not letting her eyes leave his, wishing she could even begin to convey how grateful she was that she'd met him, this strange, huge, enchanting boy who didn't seem quite like any other human being she'd ever met. She swallowed. "I… I want to keep going, if that's all right."
Emmett smiled at that, seeming not to want to further this conversation anymore. She didn't even quite understand how he did that, touch her right in the middle of her heart, the place she usually kept so tightly locked, and then flash her his dimples and everything would be light-hearted and the atmosphere would shift, again. But she.. she liked it.
"Well, Miss Hale, we're nearly there." And he continued walking again.
They came upon the meadow about ten minutes later. Emmett laid out the picnic blanket and unloaded the picnic, little sausage rolls and sandwiches and crisps and chocolate fingers, and she laughed when he pulled out, reverently, two gingerbread men, one iced like a girl, with long yellow hair, one like a boy with dark curly hair.
"What?" he asked, chuckling. "His and hers gingerbread men are Alice's favourite baking project."
She laughed. They ate, and whilst they ate they talked like two normal people on a date, like Rosalie didn't feel like she was close to breaking, like Emmett didn't know he had never felt this way for a person before in his life. She told him about growing up with Jasper in NYC, and he told her about Forks, and all those "childhood memories", sending her into fits of hysterics about the time Edward had taken ballet lessons with Alice, and how he had tried to drive Carlisle's car when he was ten years old, but hadn't been able to understand why he couldn't start it with a hair-grip, which he had figured out how to pick locks with.
She took a bite of her gingerbread woman, and he watched her eyes adoringly, almost, as they lit up and she nodded, laughing, mouth full. She took a few more bites, and he found himself unable to take his eyes off her. She smiled at him.
"What?"
He shook his head. "Nothing."
She laughed. He thought if he could just hear her laugh once a day, every day, he would be a happy man. "What is it, Emmett?"
"You.. you've got icing… just there." He gestured to just below her bottom lip, smiling crookedly at her. Her tongue darted out, but missed entirely. He shook his head, laughing, moving closer to point to where it was, then mirroring the position on his face. She tried again, but to no success.
"Emmett… are you playing with me?" she laughed, looking for the first time, really like any eighteen year old girl, and not like some crumbling, broken angel.
"Just… there." He whispered, and leant towards her, unable to deny it any longer, and caught her bottom lip between his.
He felt her sharp inhale of breath, and he wondered if he'd done it now, he'd ruined everything, but then he felt two hands cup either side of his face, and she shifted her weight onto her knees to move closer to him. Tentatively, he put his hands on her waist, light as a feather, and kissed her, properly. She tasted sweet and her tongue laced over his and it was silky and brilliant and gorgeous. He pulled her closer and she could feel his toned, sturdy arms around her and she was pressed against his chest, and she threaded her hands into his curly hair, relaxing slowly into his arms.
Neither of them had room in their minds to even think. Each other was the only thing, filling every last corner.
A/N: I had to do it, I have Maths and Chemistry exams tomorrow, and I had to cheer myself up somehow!!!!! Hope you liked it, much much more to come, I swear. Nothing's fine and dandy yet, I promise. Hehe!