Title: Never in a Lifetime

Summary: "No, just because Jasper enjoyed kissing him, didn't mean he had to actually like him." Edward & Jasper have always hated each other; what will be the outcome when the two are forced to face the truth behind their feelings for each other? E/J Slash.

Warnings: Language and mature themes...Nothing too dramatic, really.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, nor any of the associated characters. No copyright infringement intended.

IMPORTANT NOTE: As of May 31, 2011, I've completely rewritten this story. When I went back and reread it, I just couldn't continue without rewriting it first. This version is going to take a slightly different perspective on the boys' relationship, although the main themes will remain the same. It's also going to have a much slower pace to develop some of the parts that I had previously ignored. It is the same story, just with different details and a more developed plot.

So, that being said, I would highly recommend rereading this version. It might not make sense, otherwise.

Thank you!

Heat flooded through his veins with something almost like rage as he shook the door handle furiously. It was impossible to not notice the way his temperature seemed to rise in relation to what had happened, the possibility he was facing. It was almost as though he could actually feel the adrenaline that was most certainly pouring into his bloodstream.

"Jesus, Jasper, give it a fucking rest, would you? We're locked in, and it's going to stay that way 'til someone opens that door."

Jasper's anger flared once more as he spun around to stare at the source of all his current problems. "Of all the people to get stuck in a room with, it just had to be you, didn't it? My fucking luck," he growled, his eyes narrowing into a glare. "Just, great."

It was almost as though the universe had purposely set this up to make him miserable. He fucking hated Edward Cullen.

"Yeah, well, don't think this is going to be even remotely enjoyable for either of us then. I can't stand you, and you know it," Edward retorted calmly, almost contrary to what he was actually saying.

Jasper leaned back against the door and slowly slid down the surface until his knees were pressed against his chest. With a resigned sigh, he wrapped his arms around his legs and glanced up in exasperation. Out of all the people he could have been stuck with, it just had to be Edward. If there was one person that was specifically created to irritate Jasper, it was him. Hatred didn't even begin to describe the feelings between them, something so deeply rooted but unwarranted that even Jasper had begun to question it.

When he had first moved to Forks two years ago, something had ignited from the moment he laid eyes on the insufferable, green-eyed prick. Something so fierce and instinctive that, at first, he hadn't questioned the reaction—just knew to stay as far as fucking possibly away from him.

It was almost as though something was triggered inside him whenever he got close to Edward. They had shared a class the first year following Jasper's move, and even then, in a controlled environment, Jasper had felt the quiet buzz of irritation.

He didn't know what it was about Edward, but it certainly wasn't something he wanted to deal with. And, sure, he'd questioned the irrational reactions he seemed to have towards the other boy, but never enough to do anything about it.

They were designed to hate each other.

That was that, and there was no fucking way that Jasper was going to delve into the reasoning behind that.

Of course, that was before they got locked into a basement guestroom together.

Jasper took a deep breath to try and calm down his nerves. He knew there was only one surefire way for either of them to get out of there unscathed, and it was to remain calm and composed. "How long have you been stuck in here for?" he asked, tone steady.

"About an hour," Edward returned, glancing around the room as though to find another possible exit. He could certainly try, but Jasper had already looked. "Guess the door only opens from the outside."

"And, what? You just decided to let me walk right in here and shut the door behind me, then?" Jasper questioned, his anger already returning without his permission. It was like he couldn't conceivably control the reaction; it had become a habit for him, and Jasper couldn't find it within himself to care.

"It's not like I could have done anything about it. I tried to fuckin' stop you, but you didn't listen to me," Edward said, glaring at him.

"Yeah, because screaming 'wait!' is so very eloquent. Certain to catch my attention," Jasper drawled, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Edward watched him for a moment with a blank expression before his scowl returned once more. "Hey? Fuck you."

Jasper opened his mouth to retort, but it snapped shut just as quickly. He knew that he need to remain level-headed and focused, unless he wanted to leave with a black eye, bloody nose, and sore fist. Really, it was a hassle he didn't particularly care for. "Well," he started with a sigh of defeat. "Looks like we're going to be stuck in here for the rest of the night; everyone's either piss drunk and passed out on the floor or gone."

Suddenly, Edward grinned and his eyes seemed to gleam with an emotion that Jasper couldn't quite place. It looked a little like humor or mischief, and Jasper immediately felt himself tense up in response. He tried to stop from bristling and glaring more at the other boy, knowing that it really wouldn't help to fuel the flames at this point.

"Well, might as well do something useful, yeah?" Edward said, lifting up slightly from where he was sitting on the floor and pulling a deck of cards from his back pocket. He leaned back against the base of the bed with a sort of ease that made Jasper wonder, not for the first time, why he seemed to hate Edward so much. For the life of him, he couldn't fathom an answer.

It wasn't as though anything significant had ever happened between the two of them. Other than mindless insults tossed around occasionally in the halls, they never really associated with one another. This was the most consecutive contact they'd ever had, and Jasper felt slightly unbalanced.

Why did he hate Edward?

He pushed the thought out of his mind and glanced at the set of two cards dealt out of the floor, a series of five more laid out between the two. "You can't fucking be serious," Jasper said, tone more incredulous than angry.

Jasper studied Edward's green eyes and disheveled hair for a moment longer and repressed a shudder. He told himself that it was because he hated Edward so much, but ever he was beginning to question it.

Edward simply raised an eyebrow and blew a stray piece of hair away from his eyes. And Jasper tried to pretend that it wasn't appealing, but even that was starting to feel like a lie.

Maybe he'd been telling himself and pretending for too long. Maybe the truth starting to reveal itself.

Jasper swallowed hard and shook his head, trying to shove aside the part of him that was screaming against it. He summoned every ounce of rage he could possibly gather up, and glared at Edward. After all, it was less complicated than closing the distance between the two of them and forcing that fuckhot smirk right off Edward's face.

"What's the matter, Whitlock? Afraid of a little challenge, hm?"

Jasper blinked. "Yes, losing at Hold'em. That's exactly what I'm worried about," he stated blankly. Jasper reinforced his glare, trying to look menacing, but probably failing completely. "No, because, see, I hate you. And people who hate each other clearly do not play cards when they're looked in a basement together." He nodded resolutely, as though to affirm the statement.

Edward just smiled, and leaned further back against the baseboard of the bed, his arms folded across his chest. "Right," he said, nodding. "You really hate me that much? Not even one game of cards then?"

Jasper nodded emphatically. "Of course, and you hate me too, remember? So stop playing nice and go back to being a prick. This is just too...unusual."

"I don't hate you," Edward said chuckling, and Jasper didn't think he had ever wanted to punch Edward as much as he did right now. He wanted that smirk gone, the green eyes, the messy bronze hair...all of it, gone. And he wanted the rush of arousal he was currently experiencing gone too, because really? That didn't make any sense at all.

"Yeah, you do, Edward. Don't fucking even," Jasper growled, as though he was actually making sense. Their entire conversation so far had been so odd, and Jasper felt like a petulant child. "I hate you."

What had started off as simple anger had transformed into a game, and Jasper felt like a string-marionette that Edward was just toying with. Jasper's mind was reeling and all of this was pissing him off so much.

Edward simply smirked crookedly and leaned forward. "Alright, you just keep on tellin' yourself that."

Edward picked up the deck of cards, pulling them into one, neat pile. In the flash of a second, he was holding onto the deck, shuffling it back and forth with practiced movements, and Jasper couldn't help but stare at the way Edward's hands moved. Jasper swallowed hard and bit back another shudder.

Fine. If Edward wanted a game, then he would get a game, and Jasper wasn't talking about cards. If Edward wanted to push the limits, Jasper was going to push right along with him. He released his previous denial and succumbed to the pure want.

Jasper crawled forward, and he tried not to notice the way Edward already seemed to be aware of his movements and intentions, despite the fact that he hadn't yet looked up from his deck of cards. There was a gleam in his apple green eyes, and Jasper glared, because there was no way in hell that anyone's eyes should be allowed to be that color.

"You want a game," Jasper started as he finally reached Edward, kneeling directly in front of him. "Fine, you'll get a game."

Edward looked up at him and held the cards in one hand off to the side. He let the deck bend slightly between his middle finger and thumb, flexing his grip and causing the cards to buckle further. All the while, he watched Jasper, eyes suddenly dark, and this time Jasper didn't even try to hide his shudder.

Finally, Edward released the deck, letting the cards fly into the air one at time. Before the cards even hit the ground, Edward had his hand tangled in the front of Jasper's t-shirt, pulling him closer until their lips finally connected. The fire that Jasper had always associated with Edward exploded on contact, and every last bit of hesitancy flew right out the window.

Jasper grasped onto Edward's jaw, tilting his face upwards for better access, and he didn't even think about how natural all of this suddenly seemed. An hour ago, Jasper was almost sure that he would rather be locked in a room with anyone other than Edward. Now all he could think about was how little time they had before someone inevitably opened the door. Jasper wondered if sticking a chair under the handle would be enough to stop someone from trying to get in. He doubted it.

He pulled back for a millisecond to gasp, before lunging forward with enough force to knock Edward back into the baseboard of the bed. Jasper fell forward right along with him, one of his hands pressed against Edward's chest in attempt to balance himself, his legs straddling Edward's waist.

It felt as though he was practically situated in Edward's lap, so Jasper placed his other hand on the surface of the baseboard, trying to push himself back a little. However, as soon as he started to move, Edward wrapped his arm around Jasper's hips and pulled him close once more.

Jasper pulled back from the kiss, but relaxed into Edward's hold. He offered a breathless laugh before leaning forward yet again to capture Edward's lips in a kiss. It was as though he couldn't get enough, like he had gotten a taste of something good and wanted to hold on to it.

Jasper had always been told he was very possessive.

He couldn't even find it within himself to be startled by everything that happened and the abrupt shift in their relationship. It was so ridiculous that Jasper felt as though he should be freaking out, but the kissing part was too good, and he really just didn't care.

He'd always been an impulsive sort of person, and this certainly wasn't the craziest thing he'd ever done. Plus, kissing Edward was proving to be something he enjoyed quite a lot, thank you very much.

It wasn't as though he was having any ground-breaking revelations that he had secretly been in love with Edward for the past two years, and had been hiding behind a mask of anger. No, just because Jasper enjoyed kissing him, didn't mean he had to actually like him. And, sure, maybe he had mistaken lust for anger, but that definitely didn't mean he hated Edward any less. After all, old habits die hard.

"I still hate you," Jasper growled in between kisses, "so fuckin' much."

"Yeah, well," Edward returned, his hips raising forward into Jasper's. "I hate you, too. Can't you tell?"

Jasper clutched his jaw, roughly pulling him forward into another kiss. "Stop talking."

Minutes passed before Jasper finally pulled away from the kiss completely, untangling himself from Edward. He stood up carefully, trying to get the feeling to return to his legs after kneeling on them for so long. As soon as he was sure he could walk without tripping over his own feet, he walked across the room and flipped the light switch. He turned back to the bed and pulled his black t-shirt over his head as he fell back onto the mattress.

"What the fuck?" he heard from somewhere near the base of the bed.

"What're you bitching about?" Jasper replied offhandedly, eyes closing.

He heard rather that saw Edward stand up, the room now too dark to really see more than a foot in front of him. There was a small window in the corner, but it seemed as though the moon was hidden behind overcast, because very little light filtered through.

"Mind telling me why you decided to just stop?" Edward demanded, and Jasper could somehow picture the scowl on his face. It made him smile.

"Well, see...it's nighttime. And normal people? They sleep at night. I'm sure normalcy is a foreign concept for you, freak."

Edward simply growled and Jasper's smile inexplicably widened.

"You're so fucking insufferable," Edward retorted.

Jasper could hear the sound of fabric rustling softly, as though Edward was removing his own t-shirt in the same way Jasper had moments before. Other than that and the quiet chirp of crickets outside, it was completely silent in the room.

Suddenly, Jasper felt Edward fall onto the bed beside him, a foot kicking at his leg until he moved over. It was simple and easy, and Jasper once again found himself grinning into the darkness.

It may not have been how he would have imagined the night going, but he certainly wasn't complaining. And, hey, leaving with a bruised neck and lips was much better than leaving with a bruised eye, Jasper thought.

Edward pushed at him for a moment before he wrapped his arm around Jasper's shoulder and pulled him closer. The action contradicted itself, but Jasper figured that it made sense for them. It wasn't quite an embrace, but it was as close as it was ever going to get for the two of them—especially when Jasper was still completely convinced he hated Edward.

"Night, Jasper," Edward said suddenly, his tone exasperated.

Jasper just blinked. "Night, Edward."

And within moments, Jasper was asleep.

Author's Note: I apologize that it's been such a long time since this story's been updated, but hopefully I'll have the inspiration to return and complete it very soon. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I really appreciate all of the positive feedback.

And, finally, I would love to hear what you think about this updated version. :) Thanks again!