Til Kingdom Comes by Coldplay
"For you I've waited all these years
For you I'd wait til kingdom comes."
XVIII. Day
The muted light of another cloudy morning eventually awoke the brunette sleeping soundly for the first time in months. She lay with an arm stretched across a certain vampire's chest and her right leg atop of both of his. Edward smirked from the Charles Dickens novel he was reading that he snagged from Abby's bookshelf when he realized she was slowly coming to.
She moaned softly, her head leaving her soft pillow to nestle into a cold, marble chest. Her eyes shot wide open - the previous day flooding back into her memory.
"Oh!" She sat up so fast her head started to spin. Abby looked to her side, her eyes meeting his topaz ones. She almost melted under his soft gaze and instantly felt the flush upon her cheeks. "You stayed," she marveled.
"I had to remind you that yesterday was anything but a dream," Edward smiled at her, causing her to gulp staring at his breathtaking beauty.
"That's a new shirt," she accused, running a hand over the new dark blue sweater he had on.
He laughed, closing Great Expectations and placing it upon her beside table, "Well, I had to go home and change, Abby, what would the neighbors say? It's quite blasphemous."
Still, she pouted.
Edward sat up to align himself with her and gently placed a strand of hair behind her ear, "You were sound asleep; you didn't even notice I was gone."
"My aura probably did," she huffed, and then narrowed her eyes at him when he released another chuckle. Abby rolled her eyes, taking the opportunity to stretch out her sore limbs and asked, "So, where are we going today?"
"A place I like to go to when the weather's nice," Edward replied, laying back down again on the bed. "It's a long hike so wear your boots."
Yawning, she nodded and said, "Alright, I'm gonna' need a few human moments."
"And I'll be waiting,"
She took a courageous moment and placed a small peck against his cheek before stumbling out of her bed. Abby walked out of her room quickly, not taking a look back at him and feeling the blood rush to the tips of her ears. She was such a coward when it came to being a girl, oh may a higher entity help her.
Not hearing the TV on, Abby came to understand that Jay had probably already left to go to Port Angeles, though it still seemed to early to go for lunch. Maybe he had to go to the station for something, she assumed while walking into the bathroom.
She brushed her teeth, and then undid her braid, the natural wave of her hair coming to life. She tousled her hair out, making sure the waves weren't tangled together and spouted some de-frizz spray through her hair because she was sure her hair would blowup during the hike.
After taking her sweet time in the bathroom, Abby came out and walked into her room to see Edward on her bed still reading one of her favorite books: Great Expectations.
"You've never read it?" She wondered, opening her closet and picking out appropriate hiking wear.
"No I did, just a long time ago," he answered while flipping through the pages in a speed not normal for the average reader.
"Ah," Abby nodded, "the olden times when the book was published." She picked out a pair of tights, with a sports bra, and a thick fleece zip-up jacket.
"Has anyone ever told you you've got a bright future in comedy?"
"No,"
"Say's something, doesn't it?"
She whipped around and sneered at him as he only let out a small laugh at her annoyed look. Abby getting upset was a sight for him. She was like an adorable puppy with a grimace, and he loved it wholeheartedly. Pushing her buttons was one of his favorite things to do.
Abby gasped when he was suddenly in front of her and he asked, leaning down to her, "Would you like me to make you something to eat?"
Shaking away the shock of his speed (she should really learn to get used to it), she replied, "No, no it's fine. It's not good to have too big of a meal before a hike. Thank you though, I know you don't eat my food."
His eyes narrowed in confusion, "Isn't it a boyfriend's responsibility to make sure his girlfriend's fed and happy?"
And there it was, Abby beamed. The words 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' in the same sentence pertaining to Edward and Abby. Her very first boyfriend was Edward Cullen, and she couldn't even describe the feeling he had given her. It was more than a simple 'happy' feeling.
She took a step towards him, closing the gap between them and wrapped her arms around him enclosing him a tight hug. He instantly wrapped his own arms around her, wondering why was the small brunette was suddenly wrapped around him and placed his chin atop on her head. Not that he was complaining, just curious. One of the many moments he willed to swim through her thoughts.
And so she whispered into the fabric of his shirt, quoting directly from the novel she nearly memorized and he was just reading, "'You are a part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever read.'"
Abby didn't know how to tell him she was deeply in love with him, so she stole some words from the great Dickens. Maybe one day she'd muster up the courage to truly tell him. She'd use her words, in one way or another, to explain that she was so entirely in love with him; that she would follow him across the universe if he asked.
Edward was sure if his heart had learned to beat again, it would've stopped once more to the words that Abby uttered. She was half goddess and half woman, and he wondered how she could've fallen into his damned arms. He knew nothing would ever be the same, now that his soul had been ignited one again because of Abby's absolute existence. He was in love with her, desperately and irrecoverably in love with her. He loved her yesterday, today, and knew he would continue to love her forever. And wherever she would go he would follow because whatever was left of him was now hers.
Edward driving her car out of Fork's city limits shouldn't have looked mesmerizing - but, of course, it did. She didn't know how he did it. Making these tasks that aren't entirely effortless look so sleek and flawless. She wondered if it was just because he was a vampire. It had to be. And her mind often wondered, if his family of vampires were this graceful, how many other...beings were just like them?
"How long is the hike?" She wondered, playing with his fingers that were locked with hers on her lap.
"About five miles," he replied, nonchalantly.
"Well," Abby sighed, "I don't exactly have super sonic speed so it's going to be a long five miles."
He laughed, "You'll be fine, Abby. It's supposed to be a good day - no rain, and a decent sun."
Abby peered through the windshield and saw the sun struggling to poke through the shield of clouds. She wasn't sure if it would rain, but she was taking Edward's words for it. Maybe he had the ability to read the minds of clouds too.
Then, the road ended, constricting to a thin foot trail with a small wooden marker. Edward parked on the narrow shoulder and stepped out, swiftly opening the passenger door to let the smaller brunette out. He held out his hand to her which she took grateful, looking around the wooded area to see a single worn down trail.
"We're not taking it," Edward said, almost instantly. Then, he started guiding her into the forest.
"Um," Abby drawled out, wondering where exactly he was taking her, "no trail, huh?"
He stopped the two of them and turned to grin at her, making her stifle a gasp. Edward was too perfect. There was no way this godlike creature could ever be meant for her. "I wouldn't let anything happen to you. Trust me?"
"Always," she smiled at him.
The way was mostly flat, and Edward held the damp ferns and webs of moss aside for her to make they didn't swing on her face. Most of the hike was Abby asking more questions about Edward's life - where did he travel that he loved the most (Brazil), has he ever wrestled a bear (yes), and if he ever wanted to be like Carlisle, a doctor. He did at one point; he's even got a medical degree to show for it. But he looked too young to be a doctor; he couldn't pass for late 20's and he was far too worried about being near blood for that long. It was too much of a risk, he said.
The hike took them most of the morning, but he never showed any sign of impatience. The forest spread out around them in a boundless labyrinth of ancient trees, and Abby realized he was perfectly at ease, comfortable in the green maze, never seeming to feel any doubt about their direction.
After several hours, the light that filtered through the canopy transformed, the murky olive tone shifting to a brighter jade. The day had turned sunny, just as Edward foretold. For the first time since they'd entered the woods, she felt a thrill of excitement — which quickly turned to impatience.
"Are we near?" Abby wondered, slightly tugging Edward's hand to pick up the pace.
He chuckled, "Almost, we're close to a brightness ahead. Keep your eyes peeled."
She nodded, motioning to him to pick up the pace. He only laughed, his slow walking turning to a slight speed walk to only amuse her.
But then, after another hundred yards, she saw a lightening in the trees ahead, a glow that was yellow instead of green. Abby picked up the pace, her eagerness growing with every step. And he let her lead now, following noiselessly.
Abby reached the edge of the yellow light and stepped through the last fringe of ferns into the loveliest place she had ever seen. The meadow was small, perfectly round, and filled with wildflowers — violet, yellow, and soft white. Somewhere nearby, she could hear the bubbling music of a stream. The sun was directly overhead, filling the circle with a haze of buttery sunshine. She walked into the flowers slowly, awestruck, through the soft tall grass, swaying flowers, and warm, gilded air. Abby halfway turned, wondering where Edward had gone and soon saw him under the dense shade at the edge of the meadow.
Then, she remembered what the beauty of the meadow had driven from her mind — the enigma of Edward and the sun, which he'd promised to illustrate for her today.
"Edward," she spoke softly, her voice flowing through the wild flowers.
And then, she smiled at him. That soft smile that took his breath away, that forced his still heart to beat. He smiled a tiny smile back and took a deep breath remembering her smile, remembering her smile that was just for him. He stepped out into the bright glow of the midday sun.
She gasped.
His skin, white despite the faint flush he seemed to have, sparkled as if thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded within. Edward slowly made his way to her, cautiously - attempting to gauge her reaction. Oh, how he wished he could read the thoughts swimming through her head.
He didn't expect her to walk towards him as well.
They met in the middle of the meadow; Abby taking in his skin in the light, Edward wondering if she would take off now seeing the monster he is. And she surprised him once more, by lifting her hand and letting her finger tips dance across his glittering cheek bones. Abby simply couldn't believe a being like him could ever exist. He was...so unbelievably stunning.
He unraveled upon her touch, looking at her like she was the only one left in the entire universe, and she almost collapsed looking upon his gaze of admiration and pure ardor. Her eyes were such a warm shade of dark brown, reminding him of the ground the Earth was made of, the universe was made of. She was a taste of heaven, a taste that someone as wicked as Edward should never be allowed to have. But here she was. For him.
"You're not afraid," he stated, wrapping his cold arms around her. Abby ran a hand through his perfectly stood up bronze hair before locking her fingers on the back of his neck.
She shook her head quickly, sending him a tender smile that made his skin feel warm, "Not even in the slightest. Curious, intrigued but not afraid. You're kinda' gorgeous, pretty boy."
Edward rolled his eyes.
They lay side by side, the sun shining upon Edward's skin as he lay with his eyes closed. Abby had her elbow propped, leaning her head on her hand and watch his surface glisten against the light. He had removed his sweater to reveal a simple white v-neck t-shirt, and she stared in awe of the beautiful man before her. He couldn't belong to her, there was no way the universe was that kind.
"Tell me what you're thinking," he whispered. She looked up and saw his eyes, butterscotch today for they were lighter than yesterday, staring at her intently. "It's strange not knowing."
She smiled at him, and said, "Yeah, well, welcome to the normal human world of life. We can never tell what someone's thinking."
"Humor me," he scoffed with a tiny grin.
"I was thinking," she paused, placing a hand on his cheek so that he could turn his face to her, "that how could someone like you possibly be mine." He smiled wider; his teeth flashed in the sun.
He sighed, his smile falling off his face, "To be with someone like me is not a good thing, Abby. I've got the body of the worlds best predator." Edward watched as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "The thing I am - strength, speed, dead heart, venom running through my veins. I'm a threat to you. If I was smart, I'd know to stay away but I simply can't."
"I wouldn't let you stay away from me, anyways. And you aren't a thing, Edward," she whispered. She knew who he was, what he was, but that didn't change him. It was a part of him, but not all of him. "You're Edward Cullen - full of classical music, hundreds of books, and dumb jokes." He cracked a smile. "You make me happy, and I'm so afraid that you're not real."
So quickly that she missed his movements, he was sitting up the same way she was. He was half sitting, propped up on his right arm, his right cheek still in her palm. His angel face was only a few inches from hers. He leaned in closer, his breath cooled her face - sweet and delicious, the scent made her mouth water.
"You could belong to me forever," Edward spoke in a soft breath, "and it still wouldn't be long enough. You can never understand truly how much of a mirage your existence feels to me."
She took him by surprise when suddenly her lips were pressed against his. His hand found the indent of her waist, clutching her as softly as he could, and her hand that was on his cheek was now lost in his hair. And he knew then, just like their previous kisses, the feeling of her soft lips on his would never be tiring. It was quite the opposite effect; kissing Abby felt like he was in a world full of sin in the middle of heaven. It was a place Edward never wanted to leave, in fear that what was remaining of his soul would shatter.
It was short; Abby pulled away, breathing slightly heavily, and smiled, "We're real. We're here. The only threat you are to me is how you make me feel."
And again, Edward moved so fast that all he was, was a blur. But this time, she joined him. She gasped when he was suddenly sitting up against a tree, and she was somehow sitting on his lap. Abby stared at his wonderful golden eyes that glistened more than ever before, and watched as he softly brushed her cheek.
A guardian angel, just for her.
Then abruptly, but very gently, he rested his cold cheek against the hollow at the base of Abby's throat. She listened to the sound of his even breathing, watching the sun and wind play in his bronze hair, more human than any other part of him. With deliberate slowness, his hands slid down her sides. She shivered, and he drifted to the side, his nose skimming across her collarbone. He came to rest with the side of his face pressed tenderly against her chest.
Listening to her heart, which was beating quite erratically.
"This really doesn't bother you?" She mumbled.
He lifted his head from her chest, and replied, "Not even in the slightest. Being myself is entirely too easy with you."
"Will you tell me why that is now, or..?" She grinned at him.
Edward let out a small laugh and answered, "It's Carlisle's theory about why I'm completely enthralled with you, though it's hard not to be. He thinks it's easier for me to be around you than other humans because, hypothetically, we belong together."
Her eyebrows furrowed, "Hypothetically?" She didn't want it to be 'hypothetical'.
"It's not an exact science, and neither is vampirism," he explained, "but Carlisle seems to believe that vampires ideally mate with one other vampire for the rest of their existence - almost like fate. It's nearly unheard of a vampire and human belonging together. But it's a theory that I believe sincerely. Forever with you sounds like perfection."
She thought it over, mulling over the idea of being Edward's 'human mate', and then wondered, "Is that why being away from you felt like I was missing an entire part of me?"
He beamed at her, brushing a stray hair away from her face and placing it behind her ear. Edward then said, "Maybe, but I know being away from you felt as though all of me was missing."
Her blood was racing - a life with Edward Cullen as her own seemed to be a perfect one. She felt the thudding of her pulse in her veins and grew embarrassed when she knew he could hear it.
"Your blush is lovely," he murmured, leaning in to give her a slight kiss on the cheek. She could only send a soft smile before burying herself deep into his chest, and his arms instinctively wrapped around her.
And they sat there, just like that, for an immeasurable amount of time. They were completely content to sit like that for the rest of their lives. But it was Abby's stomach that ruined their tender moment.
"Come on," Edward said, gently removing her from his lap and standing the two of them up, "let's get you home before it gets dark." Brushing the dirt off of her pants, she nodded and suddenly, he got an excited look on his face, "Can I show you something?"
"What?"
"I'll show you how I travel in the forest." He saw Abby's expression of awe and horror. "Don't worry, you'll be very safe, and we'll get to your car much faster." His mouth twitched up into that crooked smile so beautiful her heart nearly stopped.
"Uh," Abby drawled out, "I guess so?"
"Great," He practically exclaimed, then bent down and said, "Climb on." And so she did, haphazardly, clinging onto him like a koala bear to a tree. It would've choked a normal person, but he seemed to be completely unfazed. He held onto her thighs that were wrapped around his waist and said, "Try to keep your eyes open, love."
And then he was running.
She suddenly understood why he loved to run.
He streaked through the dark, thick underbrush of the forest like a bullet, like a ghost. There was no sound, no evidence that his feet touched the earth. His breathing never changed, never indicated any effort. But the trees flew by at deadly speeds, always missing them by inches.
The cool forest air whipped against her face and burned her eyes. Then it was over. They had hiked hours this morning to reach the meadow, and now, in a matter of minutes, they were back to her car.
Her heart was beating so fast she thought it'd burst. But, she was feeling a high she'd never felt before. There was even a hollow ringing in her ear. But she was smiling, enough through the slight head rush. That was incredible.
"Exhilarating, isn't it?" Edward smirked.
"Can we do it again?" Abby practically bounced on his back with delight.
Edward laughed, pulling her around to face him and cradling her like a small child. He replied, "Soon, let's get you home before your brother decides to shoot me."
"Oh," she perked, still in his arms, "I meant to ask! Do bullet's penetrate you?"
His eyes widened, "Would your brother actually shoot me?"
She shrugged, and said too casually, "I wouldn't put it past him."
"Well..." Edward frowned, "thank's for the heads up. But no, they can't. Our skin can't be hurt by human weapons."
Shimmying off of him, so that she can start walking to the car, she wondered, "Hmm, so what does hurt you?"
"Ah, so the prey becomes the predator."
Abby laughed and pushed him away, but of course it did nothing. He laughed with her, and she giggled, "I'm curious, ya know, for when I'm annoyed by you."
"Hilarious," He rolled his eyes. "The only thing that can truly hurt us, is another of our kind."
"Got it, now my to-do list has: 'need more vampire's in my life that want me'."
And the glare he sent her way was not a pretty one.
"I've come to the conclusion," he started, opening the passenger side door for her, "that the feeling of jealousy is not one I'm entirely fond of."
He closed the door, leaving Abby to laugh at his unnecessary jealous ways. Surely he knew he's the only vampire that Abby would ever want.
Closing the door to the drivers seat, he continued, "Do you remember when Tyler asked you to the Halloween dance?"
She nodded, slowly smiling at the memory, "Yeah, it's the day you asked me to go to Seattle with you."
Edward grinned, remembering the date fondly and was quickly thinking of other places to take her. He started to back out of the dirt road, and said, "Well, I was surprised by the flare of resentment, almost fury, that I felt — I didn't recognize what it was at first. I was even more aggravated than usual that I couldn't know what you were thinking, why you refused him. Was it simply for your friend's sake? Was there someone else? I knew I had no right to care either way. And I tried not to care. I couldn't deny the relief I felt, watching the annoyance on your face. But I couldn't be sure."
"Trust me," Abby laughed, "it was annoyance for sure. Tyler's has this ridiculous idea that I'm the one for him since we were kids."
"Isn't he going to be sorely disappointed?" Edward smirked, grabbing her left hand in his and bringing it to his lips to give it a soft kiss.
She shrugged, "Disappointment is the way of life." He laughed and she asked, "Can I ask you more questions about you and your family?"
"Of course," he replied quickly, grateful she wasn't shying away from his entire being.
"Why can you read minds — why only you? And Alice, seeing the future… why does that happen?"
She saw him shrug, "We don't really know. Carlisle has a theory… he believes that we all bring something of our strongest human traits with us into the next life, where they are intensified — like our minds, and our senses. He thinks that I must have already been very sensitive to the thoughts of those around me. And that Alice had some precognition, wherever she was."
"What do you mean 'whenever she was'?"
"Alice doesn't remember her human life at all. And she doesn't know who created her. She awoke alone. Whoever made her walked away, and none of us understand why, or how, he could. If she hadn't had that other sense, if she hadn't seen Jasper and Lizzie and Carlisle and known that she would someday become one of us, she probably would have turned into a total savage."
"Oh, Alice," Abby whispered. Her heart went out to the poor girl who doesn't remember anything of her past life. That wasn't fair. She deserved to know. "You know, if you all of you remember your human life and she doesn't, maybe she was in a accident that caused her memories to disappear as a human."
"Hm," Edward considered that, "what kind of accident do you think could've caused a memory loss so harsh?"
Abby shook her head, "Anything that causes enough trauma to make someone forget their entire lives. Memory loss effects everyone differently - and maybe Alice experienced something terrible as a human to lose her memories. The word's: 'Alice' and 'accident' couldn't have been too common in the early 1900's. And if Alice could remember where she woke up, we can trace the areas around for an 'Alice'. My grandmother was a historian; she had connections all over the United States. Maybe, if Alice feels comfortable, I can contact some people and we can do some research."
"She loves you already, Abby." He smiled at her. And I love you even more, he thought to himself, wondering how he got so lucky to be with someone who thought of others before herself. "She actually can't wait to meet you, like most of the family."
Abby smiled at the thought of meeting his family members, who she can only assume were as wonderful as him, "So, what did the others bring into the next life?"
"Carlisle brought his compassion. Esme brought her ability to love passionately. Emmett brought his strength, Rosalie her… tenacity. Or you could call it pigheadedness." he chuckled. "Lizzie was always very good at making people listen to her. She can transfix people momentarily and sometimes, give them a shock of short term memory loss to forget the moment. She's very good at escaping sticky situations. And Jasper is very interesting. He was quite charismatic in his first life, able to influence those around him to see things his way. Now he is able to manipulate the emotions of those around him — calm down a room of angry people, for example, or excite a lethargic crowd, conversely. It's a very subtle gift."
"Wow, they all sound so interesting," Abby pondered. "Did Alice see me coming?"
Edward laughed a hearty laugh, "She did. Sneaky little witch hid it from me for so long; I don't know how she did it."
"Good," she said, sitting back into her seat comfortably. "You should've been surprised just like I was with your appearance."
The drive home felt too short to Abby because soon enough he was parked in her driveway. Or maybe it was because she knew the weekend with Edward was coming to an end. And she was so selfish, she wanted to continue it. But she knew that they both had school in the morning, and Abby being the human needed rest. It's been an exhausting couple of days, the best, but still exhausting.
"I'll come by in the morning to pick you up," and it seemed like he didn't want the time spent together to end either.
"I have a car, Edward," she smiled at him. They both knew she was going to get in his car; she didn't care about the amounts of people that were going to blatantly stare. He was hers, and she was his.
"Well, I have gentleman tendencies," he smiled back.
She laughed, "I guess I can't argue with that explanation."
"I'll see you in the morning, then?" He phrased it like a question, like he was unsure of her being there, like he was so sure she'd leave him again.
And then for the third time today, she took a courageous moment and leaned over the armrest to give him a peck against his lips. Courageous Abby was becoming his favorite Abby.
She pulled away, and looked into his butterscotch eyes, whispering, "I've wanted to see you every morning for the last month. I want to see you every morning for however long you want to see me."
It's a shame she didn't come to understand that he'd never want to stop seeing her. And he hoped that one day she would.
A/N: Okay, first and foremost, I am so SO sorry about how late this chapter is. It just didn't want to get written at all. It was so so hard to get the juices flowing for this chapter and the next one. But alas!! I have finished this chapter AND the next chapter!!
So please tell me your thoughts on this and the two do them. Of course I had to add the meadow. I didn't know if I should've added something different but honestly I love the meadow. And these two really do make my heart feel so SO warm and mushy and ugh such a gentle couple in love.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Reviews, follow/favorite, love you guys always, let me know your thoughts in the review section *kisses*! And Happy New Year to all and here's to a better 2022!