"What?" I said, starring up at him in confusion. He looked at me with an equally perplexed expression.

"Why are you crying? Your voice always was angry before, never sad." Suddenly I remembered my own run ins with his voice, hearing him but never being able to find the source of the beautiful sounds.

"It's real, Edward. I'm real," I said, frantically pulling myself up by the cream colored shirt that was covering that beautiful icy chest. I finally managed to stand while still within his arms

"What?" he said, his voice quivering like he was going to break. "You're really here?"

"I'm really here," I breathed as I snaked my arms around his neck, tilting my face up so that I could kiss him. Not like any kiss we had before. I threw myself into it completely, and though temporarily shocked he threw himself into it too. I felt his tongue run along my lips and tickle lightly over my teeth and gums as I inhaled his cool breath, that wonderful perfect smell that I wondered how I had ever felt like I could live before I had known it. My mouth and lips tingled where the venom that must have been flooding his mouth touched them, but even that tasted wonderful. Sharp and intensely minty. I started to swoon, overwhelmed by the electricity of his touch, by his smell and taste and feel.

I felt his hands pressing me tightly to him, as he turned slightly, breaking contact between our lips, and trailing his along my cheek up to my ear. I shivered at his light touch on my face, and at the much harder touch as he pressed me desperately to him.

"Breath love," he murmured ,into my ear, and I could feel his cheek and his lips move to form that half smile, the real one that I loved. I gasped for breath as he kissed his way down my neck to my shoulder, moving aside the wet jacket that I was wearing. I felt his hands moving quickly as they slid under my jacket and shirt, to press against the bare skin of my back. I loved how cold he was, after feeling normal human skin instead of the cool granite that I had craved. I felt my knees give out, the exhaustion and lack of nourishment catching up with me, but Edward quickly just scooped me up and cradled me in his arms. I pressed my head against his chest, loving the silence there, my tears silently soaking into its fabric.

"Why are you crying, Bella? Are you hurt? Oh!" I felt him lean down and kiss my bleeding knee. His cold touch felt nice where I was sure there would be bruise in the morning.

"I'm not crying because I'm hurt. I missed you so much, I can't believe, I just, I..."

"Shhhh," he said, quieting me with a softer kiss on the lips that deepened as I opened my mouth to meet his. He didn't draw back for a long time, and when he did he moved so slowly, seeming to savor it every moment of it.

"Vampire memory isn't supposed to be able to forget," he muttered.

"Do you need more reminders?" I said, gazing up into the only eyes I ever wanted to see, the only thing I ever wanted to see. He laughed lightly and kissed me on the top of my head, then again at on my lips. He then quickly kissed me on the nose, and each eyelid and the forehead as I sighed against him.

I caught him for another long kiss, feeling his tongue playing against mine. Eventually we broke apart again.

"Will you take me home?" I asked, hoping he would never let me down.

And for once, it was as if he could read my mind. "Only if I can hold you like this the whole way."