(Un)Requited Future Take

2 years later

BPOV

Three years ago I could never have pictured that this would be my life. As the plane touches down at JFK International, I feel a squeeze to my left hand. I know the sight that will greet me before I even turn my head. Green eyes with a hint of gold around the pupil, long lashes that cast shadows in certain light. Cheekbones that stand out, drawing your attention to full, soft lips. A jaw covered in delicious scruff, defined and lickable.

I grin to myself before looking at him. There's no doubting that I'm in love with my husband.

"Hey, beautiful, are you ready for this?" he asks, eyes searching mine.

"I think so. Honestly, I'm nervous to work with the new crew and my co-anchors. They were great when we met a few months ago, but that's been awhile."

"There's no more Riley, babe, and you'll be perfect. Don't worry."

His mention of Riley reminds me of how the past several months have gone, not to mention two years ago. When Edward proposed, I never guessed the media storm that would arise. Everyone wanted an interview with the most popular weather girl in Seattle and her winning Seattle Sounder. Venues fought over hosting our wedding. Photographers, musicians, florists, caterers, all vying for the chance to offer their services.

It was completely overwhelming, and took over a year before I gave up. Edward had handled it with his usual sense of humor, of course. He wanted to use the offers to his advantage, and acted fully invested with each place, trying cake and food and looking at flowers and photo albums until I couldn't stand it anymore.

"Why don't we just elope? This is too much stress. I can't make a decision when each place just wants their name attached to our wedding. We aren't the royal couple, for fuck's sake!"

He'd just laughed and said, "We could get married at the stadium and have free hot dogs and coke at the concessions."

"Edward."

"Oh, come on, I was kidding. Don't be mad." He wrapped his arms around me, kissing my cheek.

"No, I'm not mad. You're brilliant!"

"I already knew that, but say it again anyway."

"I think we should do it at the stadium. It's a great idea, and the only place big enough for the crazy public that loves us. Seriously, so many people are wearing your jersey."

"I only notice when you wear it, and nothing else," he said in a sexy voice in my ear. I shivered, then placed my hands on his chest.

"Let's put a pin in that. Maybe tonight I'll put it on with my stilettos." He groaned, and I laughed at the look on his face. It wasn't hard to turn him on. "For now, we were discussing our marriage."

He skimmed his nose along my throat as I let out a little moan. When his lips brushed my ear again, he spoke. "Okay, love, talk."

I tried to focus on the subject while his hands roamed my body. "I don't see why we can't do it at the stadium. Make it first come, until it reaches ca-capacity," I stuttered as his teeth clamped lightly on the shell of my ear.

"You don't want a fancy hotel, convention center, even a church?" he murmured, while his clever fingers worked their way up my inner thighs.

"I don't know anything when you touch me like that," I breathed.

"I'll do whatever you want, Bella. Including eloping, if that makes you happy."

"I love that about you," I admitted. He always put me first.

"You love many things about me," he pointed out. "My numerous attributes leave you speechless."

He was right, of course. There was nothing else I could say as he lowered me to the living room couch, eventually showing me what he could do with his biggest asset.

The wedding wound up being pretty casual, though Edward insisted on a red carpeted aisle for me to walk down. There were so many paparazzi that I couldn't see Edward for the flashes of light blinding me.

When I finally saw him, everything fell into place. The way he looked at me as I walked toward him, the huge smile as we said our vows, proved that it didn't matter where we got married. I just needed to be this man's wife, and for him to be my husband.

If I thought the engagement riled up the press, the wedding was broadcast all over the country. I spoke about it on air, and introduced the clip of the two of us saying our vows. My co-anchors were truly kind ladies, and they were at the wedding, but we all had tears in our eyes when we watched the recording of Edward in his tuxedo, gazing at me in adoration.

The replay went as far as Bismarck, North Dakota. I heard the replay of Riley's comments on the wedding two days later, when snippets of his Tuesday morning show started making the circuit.

"These two clowns think that everybody in the city of Seattle gives two craps about their lives. No one cares, people! It's pathetic how much attention they're trying to get by doing everything on air, everything in front of the paparazzi. Go back to Arizona, dig a hole in the sand, and bury yourself. Nobody would notice the difference!"

His male co-host replied with, "Sounds like a case of sour grapes to me."

"What! You're fired! Get out of my studio!" Riley exploded, which was followed by many bleeped out words and scuffling noises.

"You can't fire me! You are not in charge around here! Nobody likes you, you two bit piece of garbage! You have the worst personality for someone on air!"

There was so much that was bleeped out after that, it was usually cut off by whoever was replaying it.

Edward thought it was hilarious. He started recording every news and entertainment show, just to see if they were going to play the tape. He made me watch it with him, saying that what goes around comes around, laughing hysterically every time there were comments about his level of sanity by the hosts. It wasn't long before news of his termination hit the airwaves.

The month after that was when the offer came in from New York.

I was still in the office when the phone on my desk rang. Distracted by the weather model in front of me, I answered absently.

"This is Bella."

"Mrs. Cullen?" came the upbeat voice on the other end.

"Yes, this is she." I squinted at the front moving over the western part of Canada, trying to gauge how much it would affect our temperatures.

"This is Michael Corn, with ABC's Good Morning America. Is this Isabella Swan Cullen, the meteorologist?"

Shit. He had my attention now. "Yes, sir, it is. I was just taking a look at that front coming in over Vancouver Island. What can I do for you?"

"As the executive producer of the morning show, I'm calling because we're quite interested in having you join our team. If it is amenable to you, we would be pleased to book a flight and a hotel stay for you to interview with myself and the other producers."

I gulped. "I would enjoy coming to New York to meet with you." We spent several minutes on the details before saying goodbye.

Checking my watch, I snagged my things and headed to Edward at the practice field. I jogged up to Emmett, my head spinning with possibilities.

"Hey, Emmett. Is it too much to ask to have a minute with Edward?"

"No, hun. You never interrupt practice, so it must be serious." He blew his whistle, and all of the men looked up. I could see the recognition on his face when Edward spotted me.

He ran over, running a small towel over his hair and face. "Bella, you okay?"

"Oh, yeah." I looked up to Emmett, who was studiously ignoring us, and backed up a few paces. Edward came with me, grinning in anticipation. "I got a call from New York."

"New York?" he repeated, frowning.

"From the executive producer of—"

"Good Morning America!" he shouted as he caught on.

I nodded emphatically. "Can you believe it?" I couldn't stop myself from bouncing on my toes.

"When? I mean, are they offering you a job right now?"

"They want me to fly out for an interview. I know that you're under contract, so I mentioned to Mr. Corn that I wouldn't be available to start until after you and I talked, and then I gave him the soccer schedule. He admitted that all of the interview process was a formality, because he's seen enough of my work to confidently say he will offer me the job."

"New York, huh?"

"I know!"

It took every bit of the past six months, but we found a place to live, hired a moving company, and said goodbye to our friends. Edward was able to sign on with the Cosmos, but right now he's in the middle of his off season.

All I can really think as we walk through the massive, busy, and diverse airport is that everything is changing.

"We got this, Bella," Edward told me as he slung his arm over my shoulders and kissed my hair.

I grin at my husband, the man that has always encouraged me to follow my dreams. I am an incredibly lucky woman.

Ot

We'd been back in Seattle for two weeks, and it had been worth it. Bella had the month off, and we would spend another week here before spending a week in Arizona. My parents had visited us for Thanksgiving, and it had gone very well. It was our first time cooking for company in our new place; I'd dazzled my wife with my stellar cooking skills, which mostly came from downloading recipes in my off season.

We weren't doing the cooking for Christmas, Rose was, but I planned to help her out. She and Emmett had been kind enough to invite us to stay in their home for the entire three weeks, so it was the least I could do.

I admit, I miss our friends. Seattle hadn't been my home for very long, but the friendships we made were solid and long lasting. We emailed, texted, and sent presents across country, but it wasn't as easy as occupying the same space.

Emmett is pouring drinks for us as I come back into the living room from checking on the ladies. They're wrapping presents and drinking wine, which I'm pretty sure bodes well for their husbands. Nothing like a drunk wife to make sexy times fun.

"Jasper, Alice says you can't drink unless you're staying the night. She's already sloshed," I inform him.

He chuckles and looks to Emmett. "Rose said we can have the pull out in the office, so don't forget me when you're pouring."

Emmett knew how the fuck to mix a drunk. I mean drink. I don't know what I mean anymore. The ladies join us after a while, and eventually we're falling over ourselves laughing. Alcohol and good friends mix well, the snow falling on the other side of the windows a nice backdrop. Though, nobody likes my idea of running out in it naked.

"Like the polar bear challenge, without the icy water!" Okay, Emmett's up for it. But nobody else is.

"That's right! We'd actually be doing you a favor, leaving out the part about the freezing water." My negotiating skills are severely impaired by the booze.

"Too warm and cozy in here," Alice mumbles. She's tucked into Jasper's side, eyes closed. I don't expect her to be awake much longer.

"Ally is right. It's warm in here, and I'm about ready for bed," Bella yawns to punctuate her thought, standing from her spot on the couch.

I perk the hell up at that. "Why didn't you say so? Let's go, sweetie. You're obviously tired."

Yep, just picture the guy biting his lip and doing a poor impression of the running man while grunting out his own tune. That's how excited I am to take her to bed.

She laughs at me, because really, who takes me seriously? I pinch her ass as I get up to stand with her.

"What the hell was that for?" she demands, hands on her hips.

"Emmett said they need a Christmas goose for dinner tomorrow. So, you just volunteered."

Bella rolls her eyes, and Emmett speaks up. "That was my plan! Now I'll never be able to sneak up on Rosie tomorrow." He pouts a little, and it is actually kind of cute.

Bella carries on like we don't exist. "Rose, just come wake us when you get up. We'll help with breakfast, and then we can do our gift exchange."

"Shhhhh," I put my finger over her mouth to shut her up, dragging out my shushing. Rose lifts her eyebrow in my direction. "Enter that room at your own risk, Rosalie, my dear."

"What, do you sleep naked? I doubt that would bother me," Rose smirks. She waves off Emmett's indignant shout.

I lean toward Rose to make my point, then have to grab Bella to keep from falling face forward. She gives me an amused look and pats my hand.

"Rose, Rose, Rose." I shake my head. "It's not the fear of this glorious body being seen, it's the fear of seeing me and Admiral Winky impaling your best friend in her—"

"Oh my God!"

"Stop talking right now!"

"Hell yeah! I'll wake you, no problemo, Edward."

"Jesus, I'm calling it a night."

I guess I closed down the bar. "Thank you, and goodnight," I mock bow.

I take Bella's hand as much to touch her as to steady myself as we go down the hallway. I close the door behind us, watching Bella grab her nightgown and slip her pants off. She gets her shirt removed before I pounce, spinning her to face me and unclasping her bra myself.

"You didn't think I was kidding, did you, lovely?"

She smiles at me, a patient mother to an unruly child. "I thought we were going to sleep." I tweak her nipple, and she yelps. "Incorrigible!"

"I know." I give her a tiny kiss and leave her alone, taking my own clothes off as she pulls her pretty lavender nightgown over her head.

She gets in the bed and switches off the lamp, and I get in naked beside her. Curling into her side, I start a path with my fingers. Across her collarbones, over her shoulder and down her arm. Tracing her palm, then slipping down to her thigh. I let my hand roam as far down her leg as I can reach, then go back up, finding her hand again, her arm, then detouring to her breasts. They peak under the silk, tight buds begging to be touched. I listen to her breathing, intrigued at the hitching sound when I pass over her stomach.

"Edward," she moans quietly.

Smiling in the dark, I lean over her. "Yes?"

"Don't stop," she whispers.

Even though I didn't need verbal encouragement, I love when she asks for more. My hands find their way under her gown, slipping her panties down until she kicks them off under the sheet. Parting her with my fingers, the warmth that spreads from the contact sings in my veins.

Moving, shifting closer, I dominate her body until we join together. Breaths mingle in the night, the tart taste of alcohol lingering. Arching and bowing, we meet and separate, yet always connected. I know her body better than my own, know how to orchestrate pinnacles of ecstasy. I'm so close to heaven I'm about to high five Jesus when she moans out long and low, my name a guttural growl from her lips.

"I will love you forever, Bella," I whisper in her ear, just before I collapse with the intensity of my release.

Her hands run through my hair. "Now will you let me sleep?"

I laugh at her just a bit, quietly in my throat. "Of course."

She snuggles into my side when I roll next to her, proof that she needs me as much as I need her.