Disclaimer I own no characters belonging to twilight, they are owned by Stephanie Meyer and are borrowed by me. I only own the unfamiliar characters.
Leah
It was nightfall when we arrived at Sea-Tac airport, neither Nikolai nor Asia was surprised by the reception that waited for us in the carpark, but it caught me off guard. Rosalie was the first one I saw— she didn't seem to see me at all. Her eyes were only for her godchildren. She went quickly to their side; she gushed over them, searching for bruises before locking them in an embrace like a lioness and her cubs. Somehow, the moment was so private that I still felt the need to look away.
Carlisle and Esme waited in a quiet corner far from the line for the metal detectors, in the shadow of a wide pillar. Esme reached for me, hugging me fiercely, yet awkwardly, because Edward kept his arms around me, too.
"Don’t you dare try that again," she scolds me in my ear.
“I won’t.” I convinced her. I meant it.
"I trust your plan worked, Nikolai," Carlisle said.
Nikolai nods once.
"Let's get home, then." Esme says.
“The kids can drive with us. Asia, with Alice and Jasper and Leah and Nikolai with Rose and Emmett.”
Rose hissed from where she stood. Saying she was pissed would be an understatement.
Nikolai growls lowly in Rose’s direction.
“Behave.” Esme says sternly. “And the two of you will be civil. Leah, talk to Rose, she’s…”
“I know.” I murmured.
We climbed in the back seat of the black sedan behind Emmett and Rosalie under the dim lights of the parking garage. The soft purr of the engine was the only sound.
"Rose," I began.
Rose hissed.
"Don't," Nikolai growled. "She feels awful about lying to leave."
"She should," Rose said.
“None of this is her fault, Rosalie.” Nikolai hissed.
Rose spun in her seat. “Your right! If she never met you, she wouldn’t have been caught in your stupid Anancy web. You think the Volturi would care if she had kids or is she was dating a frog. No, but because of your jealous ex, you had to expose her and my godchildren to those evil fiends! Suppose they killed her, huh? What would you tell, Sue? Seth? You know what Nikolai, you’re a snake! Yes, you’re one of those two face pretenders who-“
I had enough. “Stop!” I shout. “Enough! Rose you’re my best friend and I love you. But you have to understand that just like you I can protect myself. And you of all persons should know that I wouldn’t wilfully expose my kids to danger. Now, I’ve had a tiresome day, could you just be civil; for old times’ sake.”
The two remained silent, not answering.
“I’ll give you the kids to babysit for tomorrow.” I throw in.
“Tomorrow and Thursday,” Rose bargained.
“Deal.”
“Okay.” She says stiffly. “I’m sorry, for what I said Nikolai. I’ll try to be more civil towards you in the future.”
I drown in sleep once again, feeling more drained than tired.
Next morning, I woke up late. Twenty-one minutes to nine, to be exact. The kids were at the Cullen’s, and Asia and Nikolai were nowhere to be seen. On the fridge door was a note.
Will be back soon, want to take you hiking. Dress appropriately.
- Nikolai.
I smiled.
After doing my morning rituals, I got dressed in an old jeans and a tank.
No, sooner Nikolai arrived.
“Ready?” He asked between kissing my lips.
“Yeah.” I answered.
As usual, Nikolai drove with reckless speed. We were soon out of the town limits, despite his negativity. Thick underbrush and green swathed trunks replaced the lawns and houses. Soon we were driving off the road. We drove in silence, except from the soft melody of a Russian female artist singing.
“Why again are we hiking?” I asked.
No answer.
I could feel the waves of infuriated disapproval rolling off of me, when he gave no response to why exactly where we hiking.
And then the road ended, constricting to a thin foot trail with a small wooden marker. He parked on the narrow shoulder and stepped out, I followed close behind.
It was warm now, warmer than it had been in Forks, with blue skies and fleeting clouds. Strangely, I felt happy.
"This way," he said, glancing over his shoulder at me, eyes almost smiling. He started into the dark forest, carrying a large woven basket. I could smell the food within. I almost for gave him then.
I noticed then his outfit. His gray shirt was sleeveless, and he wore it unbuttoned, so that the smooth white skin of his throat flowed uninterrupted over the marble contours of his chest, his perfect musculature no longer merely hinted at behind concealing clothes. He was too perfect, all mine.
“Like what you see?” He teased.
I smirk. “How can I like what I can barely see?”
He gives a hearty laugh. “Come on, Pussycat.”
We walked seven miles of treacherous roots and loose stones, trying to twist my ankles or otherwise incapacitate me.
The hike took me most of the morning, as we climbed through the damp ferns and webs of moss along with fallen trees or boulders together. The forest spread out around us in a boundless labyrinth of ancient trees, totally unfamiliar. Jacob and I never crossed these areas.
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, for the first time since we'd entered the woods, I felt a thrill of excitement which slowly simmered down to impatience.
“Aren’t we their already?” I whined. “Why can’t I phased?”
“Because, Leah, I want to see your lovely face. Will you have a little patience? We’re almost there.”
After another hundred yards, I could definitely see a lightening in the trees ahead, a glow that was yellow instead of green. Somewhere nearby, I could hear the bubbling music of a stream. I picked up the pace, my eagerness growing with every step.
I reached the edge of the pool of light and stepped through the last fringe of ferns into the loveliest place I had ever seen.
The sun was directly overhead, filling the circle with a haze of buttery sunshine. Ahead of us was the Sol Duc River with patches of marsh on its bank. The area was beautiful. Perfect, for a couple’s outing.
“Wow!” I exclaimed. “This is …”
I spun around to see, Nikolai spreading out a towel. “I thought you could use a quiet picnic.”
Stretching out his hand, he helped me to take a seat beside him.
“I love it.” I murmured. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” I paused. “What did I do to deserve all this?”
Nikolai shrugs. “I figured, it’s been a while since we spent some time together so why not now?”
I grin. “You always think of the perfect dates, Nikolai.”
He snorts. “Well, I cannot take all the credit. Your mother helped.”
“She did?”
“Yeah, she told me how you use to love family picnics, and I remembered this place. She also helped with the food.”
“Still, Niko, I don’t think you can top this.” I smiled at him. “I love you, you know that right?”
He grins. “I hadn’t the slightest idea.”
I poked him.
“Okay fine, so you might have said it once or twice. I’ll never get tired of hearing you say it.”
I smiled. “I love you.”
“And I you.”
When the bright glow of the midday sun reached us, Nikolai in the sunlight was shocking; sexy like glistening diamonds. His skin, white despite the faint flush from his last hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface. He lay perfectly still on the blanket, his shirt tossed aside, leaving his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating chest bare. His glistening, pale lavender lids were shut, though of course he didn't sleep. A perfect statue, carved in some unknown stone, smooth like marble, glittering like crystal.
The things I wanted to do to him.
I enjoyed the sun, too, though the air wasn't quite dry enough for me to enjoy. I lie back, as he did, and let the sun warm my face, both of us cuddling. But I got restless, and sat up, my chin resting on my knees, my eyes trained him. The wind was gentle; it tangled my hair and ruffled the grass that swayed around his motionless form.
"You look at me as if I’m a work of art." he says playfully.
“Whoever sculpted you, made you my weakness.” I responded.
He smiled. “Every goddess, should have that one weakness.”
I grinned. “Goddess? Shouldn’t you be paying homage then?”
His grin widens. “Will food do, my lady?”
I cocked my head to the side as if I was thinking it over. “For now.”
He nods. “I’ll that in mind, Pussycat.”
Reaching for the basket, he began unpacking the food. Sandwiches and pastries by the galore. Plus, my favourite cool down beverage. Lemonade. I nearly squealed and do backflips. Today was definitely my day.
I ate a load. From peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tuna sandwiches, chicken wraps, and many more I forget the names of.
Nikolai stopped me, with one sentence, “try this.”
He hands me a napkin with dessert. Silently, I taste it. “Hmm,” I moaned. I could taste the whip cream, the meringue and fruits. “What’s this?”
“Pavlova.” He answers. “It’s Russian.”
“It tastes good.” I said, honestly. “Do you have more?”
He nods.
“Can I get more? Please, please!” I exclaimed.
Laughing, he gave me more.
In times like these I was grateful for my werewolf metabolism.
In no time, I was done and back to cuddling. This hike was turning out to be the best thing ever!
“Leah,” Nikolai spoke after twenty something minutes of sweet kisses and cuddling. He gently untangles himself from our embrace and stood.
Taking my hand and pulling me off the picnic blanket, too. He stood in front of me, hands on my shoulders, face serious.
“Now, I want to do this right.” Nikolai murmured. “I asked your mother, and brother already; all that’s left is you. Please don’t ruin it for me, Pussycat.”
My eyes widen and I gasped as he slid down onto one knee.
I watched Nikolai pulls as a square box from his pocket. The surface was smooth with black satin. As the box opens, nestled into the black satin, the flawless ring sparkled in the dim sunlight light. The face had a long, large wide and teardrop shape diamond, with a set of slanting rows of tiny glittering round stones around it and the band. The band was silver — delicate and narrow. The silver made a fragile web around the diamonds. I’d never seen anything like it.
I took a deep breath.
“Leah Clearwater?” He looked up at me through his impossibly long lashes, his golden eyes soft but, somehow, still scorching. “I have love you since the day we met in the forest and I gazed in your beautiful brown eyes. You have made me question everything, while making everything make sense and for that, I promise to love you forever — and every single day of forever, I will cherish you. Will you marry me?”
My hands covered my mouth, as tears beaded my eyes. Dropping to my knees, I collared him up and kissed him fiercely. “Yes,” I whispered when I finally released him. “A thousand times, yes.”
I watched Nikolai breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. You don’t know how much I prayed that would be your answer.” He says as he slides the ring on my left hand before he kissed the ring that was now mine.
On my finger, it flashes and breaks up light in the colours of the rainbow in any light like a prism, in the trees.
“Nikolai,” I murmured. “It’s beautiful.”
“The ring is custom made. The largest diamond is actually fourteen carats.”
“That must of been –“
“Price doesn’t matter when I’m with you, Leah. As long as you are happy.” And he was. I could see it in his crimson eyes as he stared at me.
Tears filled my eys. “I love you.” Was all I could say.
We made love on the riverbank. Our love pouring through our sighs and moans; our movements. We fit perfectly, enjoying our little alone time together.
When we reach home that afternoon, it was late. But my house was crowed.
“Congratulations!” A chorus of female voices blended together in perfect chaos, greeted us in the living room.
From my mother, Sue, to my friends, Leloopa, Alice, Rose, Asia and – surprisingly – Bella, were present awaiting me with piles of bridal magazines scattered around them. I knew their plan to help her plan immediately. They wanted to plan my wedding. As well as to gush over the ring.
And that, they did.
***
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