Title: Twenty Years
Fandom: Twi-H

Characters/Pairing: Bella/Emmett

Rating: T

Genre: Tragedy/Romance with a side of angst

Words: 1261 (yeah, sorry…)

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Prompt: "He wasn't ready to give up quite yet."

AN: This was supposed to be a drabble but it kind of got out of hand. The inspiration for this fic was the prompt listed above, as well as the picture that is the cover image.

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Twenty Years

"Catch me if you can, Emmie!"

The little girl ran off in a flurry of white lace and ribbons, her messy pigtails trailing tangled brown curls down her slender back.

Giving her enough of a head start to make her think she had a chance, the taller boy followed after with a wide grin showcasing his deep dimples.

Their parents fondly watched the kindergartners—who had been practically inseparable since the first day of school. The pair didn't seem to notice the other kids as they raced through the scattered remains of their community Easter egg hunt.

When Emmett finally caught up to Bella, he was surprised to see that they had both grown. She turned to him with a smile, wearing her short middle school cheerleading skirt.

Bella looked way up at her big teddy bear, smiling at the blush on his cheeks. He looked so handsome in his football uniform, and she felt so proud to be his. Stretching up on her toes, she pressed a kiss to the dimple that never quite disappeared from his face.

"Good luck tonight, Em," she whispered as he closed his eyes at the feel of her soft lips on his skin. When he opened them up, she was gone.

"Great game, McCarty!" Emmett's teammates pounded his back as they strutted off the field after their last high school game. The star defender didn't even look at his friends—his eyes were drawn like magnets to the sidelines, where she waited.

Never breaking stride, he jogged straight to his girl, grinning as she shrieked when he scooped her up and twirled her around. "Put me down, you big oaf!" she giggled, tightening her arms around his neck as she smiled down at his sweaty face.

"No can do, Bells. Not without my kiss!"

She leaned down without hesitation, meeting his lips with enthusiasm and the familiarity born of sharing every kiss since their very first. He couldn't imagine anything in the world could feel better than that kiss.

"I now present Mr. and Mrs. McCarty!"

Hoots and whistles from their friends drowned out the more polite applause from their parents' generation. He pulled back to see tears in Bella's eyes, her face shining with happiness as she stood before him—an absolute vision in satin and white lace.

Giving her his trademark grin, Emmett lifted his bride into his arms and turned to stride out of the church. Bella giggled all the way out the door.

"I can't believe we bought a house!"

Emmett blinked, slightly startled to find his wife dressed in plain clothes and not the wedding dress he was sure he was holding. Shaking his head, he looked up at the modest home, leaning down to kiss his wife as he carried her across the threshold.

Stepping inside, Emmett took in the half-arranged furniture and stacked boxes, sighing at the daunting task of unpacking everything. Knowing he needed a distraction, Bella wiggled out of his strong arms, backing away playfully as she headed for the stairs.

"Catch me if you can, Emmie!"

Giving her enough of a head start to make her think she had a chance, Emmett followed after with a wide grin showcasing his deep dimples. He didn't notice that the furnishings changed and rearranged as he followed her laughter through their familiar home.

The sound of water running drew his attention, and he felt a tightening in his groin as he strode toward the master bedroom. He didn't glance at the pictures on the wall—their life together documented from early childhood to their married years.

Stopping in the bathroom door, his eyes traveled greedily over the sight before him. Steam rose from the bathtub, where his wife's gloriously nude form was perfectly displayed just for him.

"Come here, big boy. You can wash my back."

Her smirk was undeniably sexy, and he found himself kneeling by her side before he even thought about moving. His hand traced her form, lightly grazing the side of her breast before continuing down her stomach below the water line.

Hovering over her, Emmett braced his other hand on the edge of the tub and leaned down to press his lips to hers. The sexy moan that rose from her throat set every nerve in his body on fire.

She opened her mouth, taking control of the kiss as she drew him closer with a tug on his tie. As he rose up on one knee, his hand slipped, and he tumbled over her into the large garden tub.

Her giggles were contagious as he scrambled in the water, fully clothed and quite startled. His shirt and jeans were soaked by the time he righted himself, and it was her turn to be surprised as he hauled his wife into his lap.

She braced her small hands on his broad shoulders, and he stared happily into those deep brown eyes he loved so much. He was just about to pull her in for another kiss when she stopped him.

"Em…"

Shaking his head stubbornly, he clung to her with all his might. "No, Bells. Please, just stay with me."

The tears in her eyes spilled out over her cheeks as she ran her fingers through his hair to try and calm him. "I love you so much, but you know I can't stay, Em. Now you need to wake up…"

No matter how tightly he held her, she still disappeared right before his eyes, and the roar of his heartbeat pounding in his ears began to take over his senses.

He came back to reality with a jolt, gasping for the air he'd been denied too long under the water. Sitting up, he didn't have the energy to move any further, and that was where his friends finally found him hours later.

He'd been ignoring their worried calls—still lost in his memories—but he couldn't ignore the warm hand on his face that didn't belong to his wife. "Emmett? Are you okay?"

He scoffed at the ridiculous question, even as Rosalie turned and called out for help. "Edward, Jasper, he's in here!"

His friends continued to discuss him quietly, as if he wasn't sitting right in front of them. He tried to hold onto the feelings his Bells inspired, but the water in the bathtub was as cold as his bed—as cold as her grave.

"We need to get him out of there—he'll make himself sick."

"I don't think we can do it without his help—he's just too big."

"It's been two months. Shouldn't he be getting at least a little better by now?"

Emmett kept his head down as Rosalie's words broke through his defenses, tears quickly following. To be perfectly honest, he didn't actually know how long it had been since his life as he knew it was ended. He had been lost in a haze since Bella's car was found wrapped around a tree one late, stormy night.

It didn't feel like two months since he last held her. It felt like hours. At the same time, it felt like he'd been alone for years. Time—life—lost all meaning without the girl he'd loved since he was five years old.

His friends finally pulled him up and helped dry him off. All the while, his eyes were darting around, desperately seeking the one who made everything make sense.

From the corner of the room, unseen by all, Bella cried as she watched Emmett struggle. She knew she needed to move on—leave him be. But she just wasn't ready to give him up quite yet...