Chapter 11- When vampires play.
"Emmett! Rose! Are we playing out here?"
It's Edward, and just for a moment I could hit him with the baseball bat I'm so aggravated. But I shake my head and bounce to my feet, holding out a hand to Rosalie. "Come on, let's go play ball."
It's a funny game. It's pretty clear that the yard isn't going to be big enough right from the start, so after some discussion we head out through the forest to the farmland in the north. It's twilight by the time we get there and while there's a tiny risk that someone might see us, Edward promises he'll keep his mind open for anyone approaching. Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie have never played, and the ladies don't even really know the rules, so Edward and I have to explain but vampire physicality means that the actual skills aren't going to be much of a problem.
Then we play, and it's brilliant. It's like being a kid and playing with my brothers again, only better because it's all a thousand time faster and the hitting is harder and the running is like flying. When I tag Edward out on base the two of us go sliding halfway across the field in a shower of mud and grass and wild laughter. Carlisle acts like he's as young and carefree as Edward and I, and after some initial diffidence even Esme gets into it.
Rosalie is crazy competitive. She runs like I haven't ever seen her do to catch me out, and she takes on Carlisle leaping to catch, the two of them crashing into each other in mid-air and falling back to earth with a laugh. She's also got a mouth and a swagger on her that would do any street player proud, and she disputes my calls like any brawler would. Best of all, she laughs. When I first see her wrap her strong hands around the bat I swallow hard and have to look away, and Edward snorts in disgust and beans me on the head with the ball.
"Mind out of the gutter Emmett!" he shouts.
I flip him an obscene gesture and turn back to Rosalie, who's standing on home plate with the bat. She's obviously been paying attention, because her stance is pretty good, and I toss the ball at her easily.
She doesn't even bother to take a swing at it; in fact she puts her hands on her hips and glares at me. "What was that? If that's the best you can do you'd better give it up already!"
"You asked for it then!" I laugh, catching the ball that Esme, who's playing short stop now, throws back to me. "No mercy, Rosalie!"
"Bring it on!" she taunts, eyes on the ball, and this time I don't hold back as I pitch to her.
She connects, and it's a noise like a gunshot as the ball flies into the outfield. Edward scoops it off the ground and hurls it back to me and I race to second base to tag her out, only to forget about anything else as Rosalie slides under my outstretched hand on to the plate, her skirt bunching up around her hips and giving me an eyeful of leg.
Shit, I can see her knickers…my mind is so far gone from the game that I don't even help her up. I'm brought back to earth by Edward's disgusted snort as he grabs the ball out of my hand and makes a face at Rosalie, who's smoothing down her clothes with a smug look.
"And you say I cheat!" Edward's mocking is friendly, and Rosalie laughs and sticks her tongue out at him.
"I can't help it if that's what happens when you slide in a dress!"
"Sure, sure," Edward grumbles. "Next time, Emmett, I'm going to take her on since you're so soft!"
Christ, soft is the last thing I am right now, and I shove my hands in my pockets and turn away from both of them, grinning to myself as I scuff my feet on my way back to the pitcher's mound. This was a really, really good idea.
No one really wins in the end but we all have a good time. I claim victory just to irritate Edward, who pretends to be above it all but is just as competitive as Rosalie when you get down to it.
The others go home to shower and clean up when the game's over, but I stop by the river and dive in there. Since I don't get cold a river is just as good as a bathtub, and it's a lot more fun and peaceful.
I want a moment by myself again too. Since no one in this family sleeps there's never that sense of new beginning that I always used to get with a new day. There's never any end to anything- it's just a whole long string of things that happen with no days and nights to break it up into manageable pieces and sometimes my head feels like it's going to turn inside out with the effort of keeping up with it all. After Rosalie being mad at me, and going out among humans by myself for the first time and playing ball I just need to lie under the water and stare at the moon and not think for a while. I feel kind of sorry for Edward really, when I think that he has all his own thoughts plus everything else anyone thinks all clamouring away for attention inside his brain…no wonder he's so uptight all the time.
I can hear Edward playing the piano as I approach the house, and as I cross the yard I can see through the window that the fire is lit in the living room. I pause in the doorway, smiling, as I see that someone has pushed back the furniture and Carlisle and Esme are dancing. It's old fashioned and sweet, and as Edward moves his eyebrows at me at pretty much the same rate his hands are moving on the piano keys, I wonder where Rosalie is and turn and look for her.
She's coming down the stairs, all clean and fresh in a new dress and with her hair loose down her back, and when she sees me she lights up with a smile. I know then that I'm never going to get tired of this, that I want her coming towards me with that beautiful smile for the rest of my immortal life, and I can't stop the grin that's spreading across my face.
Rosalie stops in the doorway beside me, watching Carlisle and Esme with her eyes soft. "They haven't done that in a long time," she whispers.
"Dance with me?" I say impulsively, and for one heart stopping moment I think she's going to say no. She doesn't though, instead she tucks her hair behind her ear and takes a deep breath and nods, and I finally, finally, get to take her in my arms.
Beautiful. It's the only word in my mind, the only thing I can think of as I hold her. Her hand in mine fits so perfectly, and I can smell the amazing scent of her hair and feel the long ends of it tickling against the hand I've got on her back. She looks up at me through her lashes and as her breasts brush against my chest I have to kind of angle my hips away from her, because being so close to her has me crazy excited, and I don't want her feeling that right now.
It's kind of playful at first. Rosalie laughs and bats her lashes in fun as I twirl her about the floor. She's good at this, and it's not just the vampire grace either- I would bet she could dance when she was human. My older sister used to make me dance with her so she could practise, so I show off all my moves and make stuff up and let Rosalie boss me into doing what she wants for a bit. Then Carlisle and I trade and I dance with Esme for a song. I can't think of anything but Rosalie though, and I guess Esme can tell because after just one song she laughs as she kisses my cheek and pushes me back towards Rosalie.
This time Rosalie shivers as she relaxes into me, and I know that she feels it too, this same pull that is making my whole body feel alive just because she's near me. I kind of forget about dancing then and just hold her close, feeling her body curve and fit against mine as my arms wrap around her- thighs, belly, chest all pressed together. I finally dare to bury my face in her hair and breathe her in, and just for a moment the whole world is perfect.
Edward's still playing, slow and quiet and romantic, and I know I'll owe him for the rest of my life for what he's done for me tonight. He gave me a reason and excuse to touch her, and now that I've started I don't think I'm ever going to be able to stop. Rosalie has a hand on my back and one on my chest, and although I can't see her face where it's pressed against my chest I don't need to. I can feel her steady breathing, and the way she fits herself against me and doesn't flinch away from my cock which she must be able to feel hard on her belly, and I know in my heart that she is happy. We move to the music, and although we don't talk we touch, and that says so much for us. I forget about Carlisle and Esme, I forget that Edward's playing the piano for us, I forget about everything except the feel of this beautiful white gold angel in my arms and how much I love her.
"I love you." I don't mean to say it, it just slips out, and I wish I'd kept my mouth shut when she stops and pulls her head back to look at me. But the words are out there and I mean them, so I cup her face gently in my hands and tell her again. "Beautiful girl, I love you."
Oh, the look she gives me! The way I see all that pain flare behind her eyes and the quick shake of her head and the way her whole body stiffens up with tension!
"Please Emmett," she whispers. "I can't…" and her broken voice can't even finish.
Bewildered, I shake my head. "Rosa… I'm not asking for anything. I'm just saying something, that's all. That I love you, and that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me…"
She doesn't say anything else, but she pulls away and runs and I'm left standing there, bereft.
Carlisle and Esme were kissing by the doorway, but they break apart as Rosalie barges by, and Edward's piano music stops, the silence feeling louder than the sound was.
"Well, that didn't work," Edward murmurs, and I turn on him with real dislike.
"Do you have to? I know I've fucked this up, I don't need you putting your smart ass comments in!"
"Emmett," Edward holds up a hand. "I didn't mean you. You didn't do anything wrong."
Much as I didn't want him blaming me for this debacle, I'm equally furious at him criticising Rosalie. "Leave her alone!" I snap unreasonably.
"Calm down Emmett," Esme says gently. "It's just Rosalie. You know her- you know that she's complicated."
I throw up my hands. "I don't know what to do! I love her, but it's like every damn thing I do is wrong!"
Carlisle and Esme murmur sympathetically, but I know what they think about interfering so I turn back to Edward.
"You say you love her," Edward looks at me steadily. "You mean that?"
"Yes."
"And you're willing to do what it takes?" Edward's eyes are boring in to me. "Because I will tell you this Emmett, Rosalie is never going to be easy. A relationship with her is always going to take work, because that girl has been broken and even though she's put herself back together there are scars there that you haven't even glimpsed yet. If you take on loving her you are taking it all on and you had better be damn sure that you want it before you make her love you. Understand?"
"Yes." I don't even hesitate. She is all I want, that golden eyed girl, and I will do whatever I need to if she'll only let me love her.
Edward sighs. "Then go after her. Now. She needs you, even if she thinks she doesn't."
I don't wait. No matter what Edward had said, I wouldn't have been able to stay away from her now. Not when I remember what it was like to be so close to her, and how furious and afraid she had looked as she tore herself away. I jump to my feet and bound out of the room, knowing where she'll be now.
A/N- I swear I'm not dragging this out on purpose! It's not too annoying is it? It's just Rosalie, she's such a strong character and she's got all her issues, and this is just the way it's unfolding. And they've got forever…what's the rush? Although I do promise that they'll get it together soon.