The Rise of Lydia Rowe ↠ Jasper Hale (ON HOLD)

[1.20] america's favorite pastime

"SO," LYDIA SAID, hopping as gracefully as she could off of the back of Jasper's bike, "any reason you guys like baseball in particular?" 

Jasper shrugged, nestling a baseball cap on Lydia's head. "It's America's favorite pastime," he said. 

"Yeah, and soccer is the world's favorite pastime," Lydia countered. 

"What's wrong, Rowe, you don't like baseball?" Emmett called out as she and Jasper walked over the where the rest of the Cullens were standing around, sans Edward, who would be arriving with Bella shortly. 

"I don't not like it," Lydia said. "I just think soccer's better, but hey—to each their own." 

"Wait until you see how we play," Emmett said cockily. 

Lydia rolled her eyes in amusement, smiling up at Jasper when he wrapped an arm around her waist. "It's a good thing you and Rosalie are on the same team—otherwise, I'd have to cheer against my boyfriend." 

"You'd cheer for Rose over me?" Jasper asked, feigning a look of disbelief. 

"Of course she would," Rosalie called out from a few feet away where she was messing around with Carlisle. "She has good taste." 

"Can't argue with that," Jasper said, leaning down to peck Lydia's cheek. 

Emmett's jeep pulled into the large clearing, and Edward and Bella hopped out. Lydia gave the other human a welcoming smile as the pair walked over. Esme wrapped one arm around Lydia and the other around Bella once she was close enough. "I'm glad you girls are here, we need umpires." 

"She thinks we cheat!" Emmett said, sounding like a scolded child. 

"Oh, I know you cheat," Esme countered. She squeezed the girls shoulders lightly, smiling at them. "Just call them as you see them." 

"Okay," Bella said with a light laugh. 

Rosalie went up to the plate, winking at Lydia as she practiced her swing. Lydia felt Jasper walk up behind her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his chin against the top of her head. She watched the other team—which consisted of Edward, Emmett, and Alice, with Esme acting as an impartial catcher for both teams—get into their positions. The field was way more spread out than a typical baseball field, though Lydia figured that was a must with how fast vampires could run. 

Lightning flashed across the sky, followed almost immediately by a loud rumble of thunder. Alice glanced up at the sky then back to where Rosalie was waiting to bat. "It's time," Alice announced. 

Alice wound up gracefully, looking like a ballerina performing a dance as she pitched the ball to Rosalie. Rosalie swung, the bat making contact with the ball with an almost deafening clash. The ball sailed away, arching into the forest for what Lydia guessed was a few miles. 

As Rosalie took off for first base, Bella said incredulously, "Okay, now I see why you need the thunder." 

Edward took off after the ball in a blur. Rosalie rounded the bases in the same fashion. "It's a home-run, right?" Lydia asked, watching Rosalie go. Jasper moved away from her with a kiss to her temple, presumably going to warm up for his own turn at bat. 

"Edward's very fast," Esme pointed out. 

Lydia glanced back at Jasper, watching him twirl the bat in one hand. Show-off, she mouthed with a smile when he looked at her.

The ball came sailing back toward the field. Before Lydia could even flinch in surprise, Esme caught the ball, touching it to the home-plate just before Rosalie slid home.