AN: So, we all liked that last chapter, yes? Well I think we need some fall out.

Edward's eyes were closed, but his hands wouldn't stop moving so I knew he wasn't asleep. There was a soft smile on his face. I hadn't seen that since before the wedding. It made me feel better to know that my distraction had worked.

Cocooned on the couch, time slipped by without us giving it a second thought. There was nothing that counting time would do for us anyway. There was the passing thought that we were both half naked in the living room and Emmett and Jasper could have come home at any second, but that was too much worry for the quiet moment.

There was another more pressing concern, however. Edward was tracing circles and swirls onto my lower back. It was a sweet, unconscious gesture. There was only one problem. I was ticklish, very ticklish, and it was taking everything in me not to squirm and giggle like a child.

Finally, after fighting for what felt like an eternity, I pressed myself closer to Edward, as if that were even possible, and giggled.

Edward's fingers stilled in shock, but he was sharp. It wouldn't take him long to figure out what the issue was.

"Are you ticklish?" he asked slowly, a hint of mischief in his voice. I liked that he felt content enough to tease me, but I knew when he acted on it it would be hell.

"No," I lied.

Edward hummed. I could feel his large hand pressed against my back. Warmth seeped off his skin, raising goosebumps on my arms. He was quiet for too long. He was planning something, and the longer he planned the more nervous I got. Why had I decided to wake the beast?

Only when I was so hyper aware of every movement of his fingertips did he finally act. His arm slid around my waist and his fingers promptly dug into my ribs. I shrieked and grabbed his wrists, trying to pull him off. I was instead turned into jelly by the happy, bubbly feelings his fingers elicited. I tried to half-heartedly pull away from him, but only because that was how the game was played. The reality was that I never wanted to be away from him.

I laughed, still gripping his wrists, when the smooth, rich sound of his own laughter joined mine. It was a sound I didn't hear very often, even less in the last week, and it was absolutely beautiful. I was spellbound by the music in his chuckle, and I didn't realize that I had stopped fighting him.

"What?" He'd stopped laughing, and his eyes were wide and worried.

I traced the curve of his cheekbone, felt the rough stubble against my fingers. It had been too long since he'd shaved. "Your laugh is beautiful."

He smiled softly. "Really?"

"You don't sound like you believe me."

"It's not that." He laughed again before leaning in to kiss me with a touch so soft I barely felt it. "It's that I was thinking the same thing about you."

I blushed. Well, blushed would be putting it mildly. I turned as red as a tomato. Edward chuckled and kissed me again. I forgot everything we were talking about and got lost in his kiss.

We were broken apart by the sound of a throat clearing.

"Well, kiddies, have fun?"

I screamed, suddenly very aware of what I was and, more importantly, wasn't wearing.

"Emmett, you ass!" Edward handed me a shirt that had been tossed over the back of the couch while glaring at his brother who was leaning against the door frame. "How long have you been standing there?"

Emmett shrugged nonchalantly. "Long enough. I thought it was hilarious that you two didn't even hear me open the door."

"Well, you could have knocked." Edward helped me pull my hair out of the shirt I'd just pulled on. I was dumbstruck for a moment when I realized the shirt smelled like him.

"It's a public living room." Emmett snickered sinking into the armchair across from them. "I didn't think I had to. So, how was it?"

"None of your business, Emmett." I knew Emmett was just looking for some fun, but if we didn't cut him off now he would never stop. "Can we forget this even happened?"

Emmett waggled his eyebrows like a vaudeville villain. "Maybe. Maybe not. It's gonna be up to Eddie here."

"Emmett, I swear to fucking God." Edward groaned.

"The fucking god huh?" I had never seen Emmett grin harder. "Is that like the god of tits and wine?"

Edward was so red by the point he was almost purple. "Why did we let you watch Game of Thrones?"

Emmett leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. He was looking down on us with baby blue eyes sparkling with amusement and no small amount of mischief. I briefly thought about making a run for my room when I realized what role he'd picked to play in this mess.

"So, Bella, considering how catatonic my brother has been this week, I have to assume this was your doing," Emmett started in his best imitation of a fatherly voice. "Care to explain your intentions here?"

"Intentions?" I squeaked.

"Emmett," Edward groaned.

"It's a fair question." Emmett was completely unruffled by our embarrassment. I think he kind of enjoyed it. "You can't go doing that to a boy and not have an idea that you want more."

"It was just a distraction and I think it worked very well." I sounded a lot more confident than I felt.

The truth was that I wasn't quite sure what I wanted. Well, that wasn't true either. I wanted Edward. If I was being honest, I'd wanted him for quite sometime. Even after everything I'd learned about him and his past, I wanted him. More than just what we'd already done, more than what I hoped might come later. I had this silly fantasy that I both loved and hated about coming home to him everyday. About eating dinner with him, and watching TV, and laughing, and crying, and just everything, with him.

When had I become so sentimental?

Then there were his eyes. Emerald green, staring at me with a look somewhere between relief and despair. There was a kind of desperate hope and a bone-shattering fear warring deep with in them. I understood completely.

"Intentions." Emmett cleared his throat and winked my direction. "A thing intended. An aim or a plan. So, Bella, what are your intentions?"

My intentions. My intentions. To fuck your brother. Yes, that was an intention but not one I was going to tell Emmett.

I bit my lower lip. Expressing my feelings had never been my best attribute, and then everything that had happened at the wedding and with Alice had just complicated matters. I didn't want to make it worse, or put more pressure on Edward.

Sitting across from Emmett it was easy to believe that he was doing this to have a little fun, but, while he grinned and winked, there was seriousness in his eyes. He knew we were dancing around the issue and he was pushing us. I could have kissed him in that moment.

"I'm not entirely sure," I said honestly. I didn't look at Edward, uncertain as to what I would see. If I saw that he was hurting, I would do anything to make it better. I couldn't afford that.

"I'm just trying to look out for my brother." Emmett snickered. "He's been through a lot you know."

"This exact moment being perhaps the worst." Edward groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Yeah, don't think I don't see what you're trying to hide there, Eddie boy. You at least took care of her first, right? I taught you that much at least."

Okay. Now this was just becoming uncomfortable.

"I want to know your brother. I think he's special. I think he's brilliant." I could feel myself blushing again, this time to a soft pink that spoke of an embarrassment that I kept the truth inside for so long. "I think my life would be less if I didn't give this a chance."

Emmett was speechless for the first time that I had ever seen. I didn't look at him for long though before turning to Edward whose green eyes were wide with wonder. "Do you really mean it?"

"Yeah. Yeah I do."

Edward smiled, not widely, but it was the perfect smile of happiness. Nothing else. Just happy. "I feel the same way."

AN: Yes I knew he hasn't reciprocated yet. They needed to talk first. All in good time

Kris a/n: Uh huh. I know how this works. You just want ME to write the smut scenes. Pfffffft.

EDB: It was EMMETT'S FAULT! He would not be denied his fun.