I Love You More

We were having the same argument again. No, not the one about changing me. That was inevitable. Not the one about getting married, either. Edward had already reached his quota of 'no's' this week. This was the one about how much we loved each other. I couldn't seem to make him understand that my feelings for him equaled his for me.

"The human capability for love, like other human abilities, seems miniscule in comparison to the strength of a vampire's love." He held my hands as he pleaded, trying to make me understand.

Would he never comprehend? I furrowed my brow and sighed. "So explain this to me: you told me that I was awakening human emotions in you. You used jealousy as an example, how you'd read about it, seen it performed theatrically, but never really felt it yourself. You called them human emotions. Isn't love a human emotion?"

"Yes, but-- " he started.

I interrupted. "If love is, by definition, human, then why shouldn't a human be able to love as infinitely strong as a vampire?"

"Will you ever begin to grasp how much I love you?" he muttered.

The same question passed, unspoken, through my mind. I had, after all, taken off on a moment's notice to travel half-way around the world in a suicidal attempt to save him, even when I believed he didn't love me and would leave me again at the first opportunity. Even when I had no hope of him ever loving me back. How could I make him realize? It wasn't as if you could pour love into a cup and measure it. A memory tugged at my mind, and I smiled.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, probably hoping to change the subject.

"About a game my mom and I used to play when I was little." He grinned, ready to hear a story about my past. "We called it 'I Love You More'." I reached my arms out as I said it. "One of us would start by saying 'I love you'. The other one would repeat it, but add 'more' at the end. Then we brought in hand gestures. It always ended the same way, me with my arms stretched as wide as I could reach. Like this." I held my arms to either side, my fingers wiggling. "But Mom could always reach farther." I sighed.

His hands found mine and our fingers twined together. "Like I can."

I nodded. "Exactly my point. The reach of your arm is a physical capability. Just because my arms aren't as long as yours, it doesn't mean I can't love you as much as you love me. Do you honestly believe that Carlisle loves Esme more than she loves him because his arms are longer?"

He frowned. "Of course not."

"Then why can't you believe that I feel everything for you that you feel for me? That my loving you is like – breathing? Only when I don't have to breathe anymore, I'll still love you. Nothing can ever change that." By the time I'd finished, my voice was the barest whisper.

After a moment's pause, he wrapped me in his arms. His words caressed my ear. "I still love you more." Then he kissed me. Every other thought slipped out of my consciousness. His most persuasive argument yet.