Breeze.
Disclaimer: This all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just kidnapping Alice and Jasper for a while.
Timeline: Somewhere between Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.
Spoilers: Mentions of key elements from Eclipse, and wedding plans.
P.O.V: Jasper.
Summery: Jasper and Alice spend some quality time by the river while Jasper muses on the wonders of a simple breeze.
Author Notes: Who doesn't love a little J&A fluff? I certainly do so I thought I'd write some. It's my first attempt to write from Jasper's p.o.v so I hope I've done him justice. This is the first in a collection of Jasper and Alice related oneshots, ficlets and drabbles, of various genre's and ratings (mostly pg13) that I'm working on. All will feature Alice and/or Jasper as main characters, or as the prominent subject matter of the story.
I leaned back casually against the glass wall that made up one whole side of our house, my gaze locked on the tiny spiky haired angel who I was lucky enough to call my wife. Even without my empathic gift, it would be impossible to deny the excitement emanating from her as she flitted back and forth with stacks of what appeared to be bridal magazines in her arms. As was usually the case with Alice's emotions, her excitement was contagious, and not just to myself. The whole family seemed to be oddly buoyant these days. Esme was in a permanent state of giddy happiness, glad that not only was she about to see another of her children – as she thought of us all – settle down, but that she was also gaining another daughter. My pseudo-twin sister, on the other hand, shared Alice's enthusiasm for wedding planning on the surface but I knew the deeper emotions hiding underneath. While Rosalie was of course happy – as we all were – that Edward had finally found someone to share his life with, she was hardly overjoyed at the choice our soon-to-be sister-in-law would be making in a few short weeks. Of all of us, Rosalie had always struggled the most with what we are. She'd always resented the way her human life had been cut so brutally short. She believed that Bella was up the chance of too many human experiences – experiences that Rosalie herself would have never given up willingly – to become one of us, without truly thinking through the consequences of her decision. I wasn't so sure that was true myself, I'd observed Bella enough to know that she wasn't stupid. And I knew, better than anyone – including Edward – how much she loved my brother. Where love like theirs was involved, I wasn't sure there was anything that anyone wouldn't give up.
Alice danced by me again, pulling me out of my small reverie. I turned to look up at the sky. The clouds had thinned and drifted away as the morning progressed, leaving a gloriously sunny afternoon behind them. Just as my Alice had forecast last night. The sight of the sun, shinning so brightly in the sky brought an involuntary smile to my lips, though it meant that we would all have to spend the afternoon staying safely hidden from human eyes. Being a southern boy, I was rarely happier than when the sun was shinning. That was one of the few things I'd been happy – and surprised – to find that Bella and I had in common. We were both sun worshippers. I laughed quietly to myself, sure that my brother and his bride-to-be were enjoying the sunshine meadow at this very moment. After everything they'd both gone through in the last few weeks, Victoria's attempted murderous revenge and Bella's personal dilemma with the dog, they deserved a few moments of peace. And, I was even more sure that Bella was glad to be spared the whirlwind that was my sweet Alice in wedding planner mode, at least for one afternoon. I wondered for a moment what the sunlight would feel like on Bella's – or any human's – skin. While it would of course also feel warm to my own granite like vampire skin I was sure it wasn't the same feeling it had been when I was human. I rarely missed anything from my human life – how could I, when my second life had brought me to Alice? - but sometimes, I wished I could remember how the sun had felt on my human skin.
Even the beauty of the sun could not hold my gaze for long, not when my wife was so close by. I turned my attention back to my Alice. I was sure I hadn't seen her stand still for at least three days. That was when I made a decision on how my wife and I would be spending our afternoon. I waited, my lips pressed into a hard line to hid the smile that was threatening to creep onto my face. I watched my Alice stop, statue still mid step, her eyes glazing over. I'd always been more closely attuned to Alice's emotions than I was to the rest of our family, so I felt ever tiny change as she watched her vision play out. There was tension when the vision first took hold of her, then a mix or annoyance, amusement and love.
"Jasper, why has my extraordinarily busy afternoon suddenly turned into you and I sitting by the river?"
She turned to me, one brow raised in a clear sign of annoyance. Even when my Alice was mad at me she was still so adorable that I couldn't help smiling.
"Alice, you haven't stopped moving for three days, it's making me dizzy. And you're going to wear yourself out if you're not careful."
Alice rolled her honey colored eyes to the ceiling and moved to stand in front of me.
"Jazz, you know what would happen if I left the planning up to Bella. They'd run off to Vegas and get married by some hideously cliché Elvis impersonator..." Her delicate little nose wrinkled in disgust, her small frame visibly shuddering at the thought. "And worst of all, they'd do it without me. I can't possibly let that happen."
Her eyes narrowed the tiniest bit then. "And you know as well as I do that vampires don't get worn out. So, would you please tell me the real reason why you've changed my plans for the day?"
I had to suppress a laugh when Alice placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips, her brow still raised. I could sense no more annoyance in her emotions, only amusement and mild curiosity. I sighed, my face giving nothing away.
"Alice, you've been so caught up in these wedding plans, I'm beginning to feel neglected." In spite of myself, I felt the corners of my mouth turn up into a smile. I reached out to her, sliding my arms around my Alice's waist and pulling her against my chest. "I miss you, Mrs Whitlock." I whispered with a quiet chuckle and leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose.
Alice rolled her eyes again but I could feel nothing but love radiating from her beautiful self now.
"Poor baby.." Her tone was somewhat mocking, but I could hear the hint of a giggle in her voice. "Hmm... I suppose you're right Jazz, I have been a little distracted lately. I'm sorry."
My Alice smiled up at me, it was a smile that could put the sun itself to shame with it's beauty. Truly, it amazed me still that I deserved to have such an angel in my arms.
"You're forgiven, if you'll agree to spend the afternoon with me."
Alice laughed now, it was a sound I would never tire of hearing.
"How could I ever say no to an invitation from such a handsome soldier as yourself? I guess Esme and Rosalie can handle things for a couple of hours."
Alice turned to Esme and Rosalie, who were seated on the couch, a mountain sized stack of bridal magazines between them.
"Don't let Bella see anything. And if Edward tries to make a nuisance of himself, please inform him that I will gladly spend the next six months thinking only of things he will not want to hear."
Her honey tinted eyes flashed to my face for a second, a small smile lighting up her delicate features. I chuckled as a sudden burst of lust hit me. I could imagine only too well the thoughts my mischievous angel would be forcing our brother to listen to. I almost felt sorry for Edward, and hoped, for his sake that he would be smart enough not to incur Alice's wrath.
"Don't worry Alice, I think Rosalie and I can handle everything. You two go and enjoy the sunshine, you both deserve it." Esme smiled at us both in her warm, motherly way. I always felt honoured and humbled when Esme looked at me like that, her emotions radiating the pride and unconditional love that only a mother could feel for her children.
"Thank you Esme." I returned her smile easily and even spared a smile for my 'twin.' I traded my hold on Alice's waist for one of her hands, twining her small fingers with my own.
"Shall we?"
My angle smiled up at me and nodded once.
We walked no faster than a leisurely human pace as we made our way from the house and across the back lawn. I suppose lawn wasn't really the word, it was more like a meadow, stretching around our house and down to the river. Neither Alice or I were in a hurry, both of us content to walk slowly in silence, trading waves of love and devotion back and forth between us. The sunlight reflected off the exposed parts of our skin, sending diamond like sparkles dancing ahead of us. We walked along the riverbank until we reached our favorite spot. Humans rarely ventured this far along the bank, and Alice's foresight would warn us if anyone did decide to wander this way.
I lay back on the still damp grass, with my angel in my arms, snuggled up against my chest. My eyes were closed, the sunlight gently warming my face.
"I'm very glad you decided to change my plans for the afternoon Jazz." Alice's light musical laughter broke the silence. She was radiating a peaceful calm that I easily echoed back to her.
"I was sure you would be, I know you too well my love."
I opened my eyes and lifted my head slightly, my gaze falling on my wife's beautiful eyes as she looked up to me.
"I love you always, Jasper Whitlock."
Our lips met in a kiss that, while soft, had enough quiet passion burning behind it to set the world alight. Surprisingly, though we moved at our lightening fast speed our clothing managed to remain completely intact as we shed them, tossing them into a pile a foot or so away from us. How long we spent tangled up in each other's arms, our lips only parting from each other when absolutely necessary, I wasn't sure. It may have been hours. Eventually we both grew still, Alice's head resting on my naked chest while we both listened to the sound of our breathing slow and return to a normal, human-esque level. While Rosalie and Emmett appeared to – on the surface at least – have the most passionate and flamboyant relationship in our family, I knew they had nothing on my angel and I. My fingertips gently traced patterns on the bare skin of my angel's back, the sunlight shattering off her body like she was a diamond. In truth, my Alice was far more precious and breathtakingly beautiful than any diamond could be.
A light breeze blew through our little paradise. My mind began to wander somewhat, wondering if the humans ever truly noticed the subtlety of a breeze. So many things that little force of nature could do. It reminded me of Alice, a tiny yet unstoppable force of nature. A breeze could carry so many different scents, the scent of an animal to quench my thirst, the scent of a human to burn me and remind me of how far I'd come, and how far I still had to go; the scents of our family, who gave me a home and accepted me for who I am, overlooking my many flaws. And the scent of my wife, my angle, the reason for my existence; my Alice. One small breeze could carry so much love and hope.
As if it had been waiting for it's cue, another soft breeze swirled around us, blowing my angels hair across her face. I chucked softly when her expression changed, her tiny nose wrinkling up as her hair tickled her. Her topaz eyes fluttered open and stared into my own for a long moment before her musical voice broke into the silence.
"What are you thinking about Jazz?"
A smile crept onto my face, my eyes holding her gaze.
"The breeze. It's very underrated, don't you think?"
"Hm. I suppose it is."
"What were you thinking about?" I turned her question back on her.
"You."
Her answer was so simple and absolute that it made me laugh. I leaned down to press my lips to her forehead, tightening my arms around her. We lay there, in the breeze and watched as the clouds began to steal the sunlight away.