The Twilight Twenty-Five
Prompt: Stagnant
Pen name: Maximista
Pairing: Edward/Rosalie; Edward/Bella
Rating: T

it's a mystery, always a mystery

Every night he climbs into a bedroom, gracefully, silently.

He watches her – watches over her.

When she shivers, he readjusts her blanket; a silent guardian. It's gratifying for him – the feeling of being able to take care of someone.

But he's always gone before the first eye flutter.

"Have a good time tonight?" Did the child sniffle differently?

It's after dawn and he's taken aback by her sudden appearance. She'd been avoiding him since he'd made it a point to be somewhere else, with someone else – to watch over the chief of police's daughter.

He tries to hear her, understand her, but she's careful and she doesn't falter.

He's immediately bombarded with thoughts of cashmere and silk and it's vanity vanity vanity being chanted at him instead – a recitation of the same song, sung in a different tune.

It infuriates him, frustrates him – she knows this and uses it to her advantage.

His eyes roll of their own accord. "Really, Rose?"

She shrugs and flips her golden hair, a sharp contrast to the brown he's become familiar with.

Stay out, then.

She turns to leave and he's tempted to stop her and turn her back around but instead, he watches as she walks away.

---

He still climbs into a bedroom every night, staying long after the first eye flutter.

He protects her and she lets him. It's new to him, different – he doesn't think he'll ever become accustomed to having to remind her to breathe.

Her mind is a mystery to him but he's been through that before. Warm flushes, fragile skin and brown hair aren't the only things Edward Cullen's ever known.

Differences. But the similarity – it remains.

ETA: If you've read this before, I've changed it from 'complete' to 'in progress' because I decided to stock-pile all the vamp!Roseward stuff here so that it's all in one place.

This isn't a multi-chapter story. So as not to confuse you, it's not entirely chronological either. These will be short pieces that can be considered standalone but also collectively give the impression that Rosalie and Edward had this huge torrid love affair the two years they had together before Emmett was changed, but they kept it a secret...and it was glorious.

The majority of this won't be happy. I have every intention of leaving you with this awful sad feeling for them. At least, that is my goal :) There's my warning.

Are you ready?