"For My Valentine"
A Twilight Love Story Contest
Title: Seducing Dr. Cullen
Rating: M (to be safe)
Pairing: Jasper/Edward
Vampire or Human: Human
For more information please see contest details on manyafandom or isabel0329's profiles.
Disclaimer: I don't own anybody or anything, 'cept Jonah. I owned him for a while:)
EPOV
Today was my first day at the Children's Hospital in Seattle, Washington. I'd just finished my residency back in Chicago and I was excited about this opportunity to work with children, as I'd always dreamed of doing since I decided to become a doctor.
So far, everyone was really nice. I met tons of wonderful experienced nurses who were indulging in that short-lived helpful stage they always bestowed upon the newbies like myself. The other doctors were supportive and the general air around the hospital felt a lot different from my last position. The hospital itself was beautiful because it featured tons of local art and attractive colors. I was lucky to be here.
I walked down the hallway from the elevator leading to the cafeteria, a tired smile on my face as I nodded my head in greeting to people I was becoming familiar with. I'd been here since 7 pm's shift change, and it was almost time for the end of my twelve-hour shift; I was completely exhausted.
The food offerings were slim, but I grabbed some yogurt and a piece of fruit to hold me over until I got home so I could make myself a real meal. I filled my coffee mug and paid the cashier before walking out to the staff seating area to find a seat.
A couple of the nurses I'd met earlier saw me and waved me over to sit next to them. I grinned, grateful for the offer of friendship. There was a male nurse I didn't recognize at the table with them, but he looked friendly enough so I didn't feel nervous as I sat next to him.
"How's the first day going, Dr. Cullen?" Jessica asked, giggling.
"It's been really great. It's always hard to see sick children, but it's also very inspiring to see how they deal with the hardships they face. It's so unlike how many adults deal with their disease," I said earnestly.
"It's so true! I just had a toddler with multiple surgeries come through the PICU last week, and he was all smiles whenever possible," said Angela, who was a very sweet and kind nurse.
"So, Doctor, where were you before you came here?" Jessica asked, her eyes wide with interest.
"Oh, Chicago. I didn't like the weather very much, and I really wanted to work in Seattle because I'm from here originally," I replied before I bit into my pear.
The male nurse leaned forward and smiled at me, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "Since it looks like these two aren't going to bother introducing me, I'll just do it myself. I'm Jasper Whitlock. I work in pathology," he said.
Jasper was over six feet tall, and he probably topped my own six-two by at least a couple of inches. His hair was blonde and wavy, but it looked well-controlled. He had a square jaw and a wicked grin twisting his lips.
I reached out and shook his hand, introducing myself as well. We returned to our food and Jessica returned to interrogating me, but I didn't mind until she started questioning me about my love life ever-so-subtly.
"I'll bet a bunch of women were sad to see you leave the windy city, Dr. Cullen," she said with an annoying wink in my direction. I felt my cheeks heat as I tried to come up with a proper response to that.
"I wouldn't know," I finally said under my breath.
I don't think she heard me, but Jasper did. He leaned in to me an whispered in my ear, "So you haven't told anyone yet?"
I looked at him, confused. "Haven't told them what?" I replied.
"That you're gay," he whispered back.
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped, but I managed to school my face back into a bland expression before Angela and Jessica noticed. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said in a strained voice.
Jasper shot me a disappointed look, and I blushed again. It wasn't any of his business if I was gay or not, and I really resented the fact that he'd put me on the spot like that. I didn't even know the guy, but I could already tell that he must not be the type to care about little things like tact.
I gathered my trash quickly, my eyes downcast as I fumed and blushed as read as a tomato. The nurses watched me go with concerned goodbyes. I shoved the debris of my meal into the trash can before hurrying off down the hall.
"Dr. Cullen! Edward, wait!" I heard Jasper yell, running up behind me. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I was actually just trying to help... it was stupid and rude, and I apologize," he said sincerely when he caught up to me.
I looked down at my shoes, still really upset. "Why would you assume...that...about me?" I asked quietly.
He dropped his hand from my arm and looked up and down the hallway. "Because I'm gay and I have a really good gaydar. Well, usually. Are you saying you're not gay?" he asked, looking surprised.
"That's none of your business," I said stiffly, the blush refusing to leave my face.
"I'm sorry. I just thought... well, I figured if you were gay, you might like a friend because there aren't many of us working here," he said, obviously feeling self-conscious now.
I couldn't think of anything to say to that, so I just mumbled something incoherent and hurried away before he could say any more. I was beyond mortified, and all I wanted to do was get away from him as fast as possible.
I didn't look back as I practically ran down the hall, but I knew he was still standing exactly where I'd left him. Who knew what he must think of me now. I was simply too embarrassed to admit that he was right; I'd never been open about my sexuality before and it absolutely amazed me that he could have pegged me in so little time.
Maybe he'd noticed the way I'd stared at him when he introduced himself, or maybe it was because I'd said I didn't notice the women back in Chicago. Whatever it was, I knew that I would have to avoid him if I didn't want the rest of the hospital to know about my sexual orientation.
People could be so judgmental. I'd dealt with it in medical school when one of the other students saw me at a bar with a guy, and she'd spread it around school until I was bashed on every day. I could already figure out how the parents of the children I was here to treat would respond if they knew I was gay; I didn't want to get into all of that.
I rushed home as soon as my shift was over and took a long shower. Afterward, I felt relaxed enough to lay down and get some much-needed sleep.
I dreamed of showing up at work naked, surrounded by people pointing and laughing maliciously as I tried to find somewhere to hide. I tossed and turned, uncomfortable with my identity even in my sleep.
The next day, the sky was dark and dreary as usual. I dressed for work and braced myself to face another day, hoping against hope that Jasper had kept his mouth shut. He said he was gay, too, so there was no reason why he would spread rumors about me, right?
I drove to the hospital and parked in my spot, grabbing my briefcase and heading inside. I worked in the NICU with the sick newborns, most of which were premature. I only had one case that didn't look good; a four-week old baby boy named Jonah, who was currently taken off the ECMO machine. His parents maintained a steadfast positive spirit, but I knew they must be worried sick about their son.
We'd taken him off ECMO, expecting him to die because his health was declining and I knew that it would only be a matter of time until he passed. Somehow, he'd lived through it and we now had him on the ventilator. I was ordering a MRI scan today because we still hadn't figured out what was wrong with him. I hated this part of the job; it never got easier.
I shook off the depressing thoughts as I donned my white lab coat and found my charts, preparing for the shift change updates. The doctors and nurses in the NICU always stood in a circle, performing the updates as a cooperative effort that gave the nurses actual input as far as the patient care went.
At the end of the briefing, I ordered Jonah's MRI and went to speak to his parents. His mother was bent over his bed singing to him softly while his father read in the corner. My heart broke a little bit, knowing that it was very likely this baby wouldn't make it out of here like so many others.
I pulled them out of the room and began telling them about the MRI procedure. Jonah's mother looked scared, but his father nodded in understanding. My eyes met his and we shared a look of understanding before he put his hand on his wife's back and led her gently back into their son's room.
An hour later, the MRI staff showed up to prep Jonah for his scan. I came back to help so that I could be there for the actual MRI, hoping to get some positive news that I could share with the parents.
I led the procession down to the MRI room. It was in the bowels of the hospital. Inside the large room was the huge round machine with the small table meant for children and babies. The sight of Jonah on the table, so tiny and still was disturbing. I went into the booth with the computers and stopped short when I noticed who was sitting at the desk.
Jasper looked up at me and smiled warily, as if he was afraid I was going to do something crazy. "Hello, Dr. Cullen," he said.
"Um...hi. Don't you work in pathology?" I asked, confused.
"I went to school to be a radiologist, but I preferred pathology. They needed someone today because the usual radiologist called out," he explained.
I was confused. "Wait, what? If you're a pathologist, why were you wearing nurse scrubs yesterday?" I asked.
"I had an accident in the lab yesterday and I changed into nurse scrubs," he replied patiently.
"Oh," I said, dumbly. "I thought you were a nurse."
"What I wouldn't give to be a naughty nurse," he replied with a wicked laugh. I blushed and turned away, wondering if he was flirting with me.
"Sorry," he said.
I turned back and cleared my throat, deciding to take a chance. "It's okay. Um...you were right. Yesterday, I mean. I just don't want other people here to know because I worry that it would interfere with my patient care," I said, clearly uncomfortable.
Jasper's eyes lit with understanding, and I relaxed my shoulders a bit. "It's really nobody's business; I won't tell anyone, I promise. I just thought I'd let you know that I'm here for you if you need anything," he replied, looking sincere.
"Thanks," I said. I crossed to sit next to him at the computers, turning my attention back to my patient. Jasper looked into the MRI room and saw the technicians positioning Jonah on the table. We sat in silence once the scan began.
"So, how's it look so far?" I asked, feeling suddenly nervous.
"Upon initial inspection... I'd have to say it doesn't look good," he replied, shooting me a grim expression.
I nodded, dreading the news I knew I would have to impart to his parents once the MRI reading was official. These things happened, but they certainly never got easier. I felt Jasper's hand on my shoulder, patting me sympathetically.
"Well, I guess I'd better wait until we get the final reading before I say anything. This is just really sad, though," I replied, feeling like I could talk to him.
"Yeah, I know," he sighed. I looked at him then, and I felt that same sense of connection as I'd felt yesterday. I saw something in his eyes that put me at ease with myself but made me nervous in a different way.
He reached up, brushing his hand over his face tiredly. I watched his eyelids droop over his bright blue eyes and I felt some sympathy. "Been here long?" I asked.
"Yeah. I worked my twelve yesterday, but since the radiologist called out, I volunteered to work his twelve today. It's been a long day and I still have," he said as he checked the time on his pager, "about seven hours left."
I saw how exhausted he was, and I suddenly felt the desire to take care of him. I wasn't sure where the urge had come from, but I felt it nonetheless. He had been kind to me, and perhaps I just wanted to return the favor.
Yes, that must be it. It had nothing to do with the fact that Dr. Whitlock was incredibly handsome, as well as obviously intelligent and highly motivated. Every time he smiled, it set the butterflies off, sending them flitting around my stomach with a vengeance.
"Where will you be in an hour?" I asked impulsively. I didn't look at him, instead opting to watch the technicians transfer Jonah back to his bed through the window separating the two rooms.
"Probably still in here," he replied with a tired sigh.
"Can I bring you anything?" I offered, surprised at myself.
He looked just as surprised, his eyes searching mine. "That would be incredible," he replied finally.
"Do you drink coffee?" I asked.
"Yeah. I usually get Americanos," he said. I nodded and smiled at him before I got up to leave, wondering what I'd just done.
The rest of the week passed in a blur of sleep and work, with the occasional run-in with Jasper. I called him Dr. Whitlock to his face to maintain the professionalism that I desired in the workplace, but internally I always thought of him as Jasper.
On Saturday night, we ran into each other in the Cafe Bacteria, as the nurses jokingly referred to the hospital cafeteria. It was Pan Asian night, which meant everything would be deep fried and greasy. My stomach churned at the thought as I considered the offerings with a grimace on my face.
"Hey, Doc," Jasper said with a charming smirk on his face.
I smiled in return. "Hello, Dr. Whitlock. How's work?" I asked politely.
He rolled his eyes at me, chuckling. "Aren't we friendly enough yet for you to feel comfortable calling me by my first name?" he teased.
I blushed nervously and stared down at the forgotten empty tray gripped in my hands. I didn't know what to say, because I honestly didn't think I would be such a great idea to become friends with someone I was attracted to.
Especially not when I worked with him, and I didn't want to come out to the whole hospital staff because I hadn't even come out to my own family yet. My father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, would likely hear the gossip from one of his golf buddies and then I would have a lot of explaining to do once he told my mother.
She was still holding out the hope that I would get married and give her a bundle of grandchildren to bounce on her knee, and I just didn't have the heart to tell her that wasn't likely to happen in this lifetime.
"Hey, this food looks disgusting. Why don't we skip out and go to the Thai place down the street? My treat. Their green curry is to die for," Jasper offered, interrupting my depressing thoughts.
I looked back at the unappetizing food and made up my mind. "Yeah, sure, I guess," I replied, setting my empty tray down and turning to follow him as he left the cafeteria.
We rode the elevator in silence. It stopped on the third floor and Jasper motioned for me to follow him. "I need to grab my coat really quick," he explained. I nodded and followed him, my hands shoved in the pockets of my olive-colored slacks.
"So, how do you like Children's now that you've been here a week?" he asked, making conversation.
"I love it. How do you like working here?" I asked.
"I love it," he replied, smiling at me. I averted my eyes, afraid to let him see how his sparkling blue eyes affected me.
"So, Edward, met anybody interesting in Seattle?" he asked, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.
"My landlady is pretty unique," I replied, smiling slightly at my own joke. I knew he'd been talking about guys, but I wasn't prepared to have that conversation with him yet.
He chuckled and shook his head. "You know what I mean," he said, pressing for information.
I sighed. "No... I'm not really interested in dating right now," I said uncomfortably. I'd much prefer to fantasize about the forbidden fruit in front of me, I thought. I instantly felt the blood in my face heat as I realized what I'd just been thinking.
Jasper stopped and stepped closely to me, backing me closer to the wall in the deserted hallway. My eyes dropped to his collarbone, visible in the gap between the collar of his green dress shirt. I gulped nervously, allowing my eyes to drop and take in the rest of his body. His shoulders were broad, but he was lean and fit beneath his green shirt and navy blue v-neck sweater. He wore dark grey slacks and black wingtips.
He had big feet.
I inhaled deeply as he leaned in even closer, his chest pressing against mine. His scent assaulted my senses, and I could taste the different elements of it on my tongue. I identified sandalwood and pine with an undercurrent of lavender and spearmint.
He smelled absolutely delicious.
"This is me," he said huskily, looking me in the eye. I shook my head, dazed as his electric blue eyes saw all the way into my soul. What did he mean by that?
Just then, he stretched his arm out and unlocked the door directly behind me. I could feel the name plaque digging into my back slightly and I realized this must be his office.
"Oh," I replied, feeling like an idiot. Maybe I'd just imagined that sexually charged moment, after all.
Jasper opened his office door and I followed him inside, curious to find out more about him. His office was cluttered but not messy, and his desk was covered with framed pictures of happy people. I noticed a small bookshelf in the corner, stuffed with the obligatory medical texts but down on the bottom shelf, there were a handful of fictional paperback novels. I walked closer, crouching down to read the titles.
Jasper grabbed his coat and stood still, allowing me to engage in my curiosity. I saw that most of the books were set during the Civil War. Interesting.
I straightened back up and walked over to the desk to look at the pictures. "So, who is everyone?" I asked, gesturing to the smiling women featured in most of them.
"Oh, they're my fag hags. The brunette is Bella, the black-haired one is Alice, and the blonde knock out is my twin sister, Rosalie. They're my best friends," he replied with a big goofy smile on his face as he regarded their pictures.
I smiled, happy for him. Internally, I felt a bit envious. I wanted to have friendships like that, myself. I looked at the other pictures, wondering if he had one with a boyfriend or anything. I spotted a picture slightly behind the rest, and my heart skipped a beat. Jasper was dressed in a faded blue t shirt and Hawaiian board shorts, standing next to a burly brunette guy with a sexy smile and dimples. He was holding a beer and he had his arm around the brunette guy's shoulders.
Jasper must have seen me staring at the picture, because he picked it up and handed it to me. "That's Emmett," he said. "...my brother-in-law."
I allowed myself to exhale, realizing I'd been holding my breath. Jasper smiled at me with understanding in his eyes and I set the picture down carefully, afraid to look him in the eye.
"Ready?" he said finally. I nodded and we left his office to go to lunch.
A month went by with pretty much more of the same. I would bring him coffee, and we would go to out to eat whenever we were in the cafeteria at the same time. I learned a lot about him; what he liked, what he hated, why he was a doctor, things of that nature.
He never brought up my homosexuality, as if he knew that I would bring it up when I was ready to talk about it. He was openly gay, but not in a flamboyant way. He just simply was who he was, and nobody seemed bothered. The nurses and doctors all knew, and nobody acted as if it was a big deal.
That made me feel slightly better, but I was still afraid to admit to myself what I was slowly becoming to realize.
I liked Jasper, a lot. I had feelings for him that I'd never felt for another man before, and I wasn't sure what to do about it. I wasn't exactly outgoing or bold, and I had no clue when it came to flirting or asking someone out.
I was usually the one to get asked out, and even then I hadn't been with very many guys. I kept to myself for the most part, and that tended to discourage most guys. I wasn't uncomfortable with the prospect of dating, just the initiation part of it all...
Jasper and I were sitting across from each other at the steak house we came to most of the time. He had the fish and I preferred the risotto. He looked up at me and smiled. "Where were you just now?" he asked quietly.
"What do you mean?" I asked, surprised.
He set down his fork and brought his elbows up onto the table, leaning toward me. "You space out a lot and get this look on your face. It's like... I don't know... like you're sad or uncomfortable about something," he said, looking me directly in the eye.
"Oh," I said lamely. "I was just thinking about some things at work," I lied.
He leaned back and smiled then. "You're a terrible liar, Edward. When are you going to admit you have a thing for me?" he asked.
I gaped at him, my eyes wide. "What are you talking about?" I mumbled, looking around nervously in case anybody from the hospital was here.
Jasper sighed and stood up, tossing his napkin down on the table before heading for the door. I jumped up, worried I'd offended him. I followed him outside and grabbed his arm, spinning him around. "Jasper, wait! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that..." I began.
"I'm tired of pussyfooting around, Edward. I like you. I want to take you on a date; I want to kiss you. I've been waiting so patiently for you to man up and admit you feel the same way, but you just act like you don't even have a dick!" he exclaimed.
I gasped, shocked. I'd never seen Jasper angry. It was kind of sexy.
"I...I'm not like you, Jasper. I can't just be open about my sexuality like you are. I haven't even told my parents yet, let alone openly admitting it to the people I work with. If we were in a relationship, everyone would find out and my father would hear about it from one of our mutual colleagues. My mom still think I'm going to find a Susie Homemaker and settle down, and I just don't think I can break her heart like this," I admitted sadly, staring at our feet on the wet pavement of the sidewalk.
"Edward, we don't have to broadcast our relationship. Hell, we can keep it a secret for as long as you need to in order to feel more comfortable about this. I just need to know if you feel the same way about me," he pleaded, stepping closer to me and laying his hand on my chilled cheek.
I looked up at him, my eyes watering with unshed tears. "I do," I admitted quietly.
Jasper's deep blue eyes sparkled with relief and happiness as he smiled down at me so brightly I wondered if it could blind me. I smiled back at him tentatively and I felt as if the weight of the world had dropped off my shoulders.
"Can I please kiss you now?" he asked huskily, bringing both hands up to cup my jaw. I nodded nervously, licking my suddenly dry lips.
His eyes darkened as he watched the movement of my tongue sliding over my lips, wetting them. He bit his bottom lip and I felt a bolt of lust shoot straight to my groin. He leaned down closer to me, ever so slowly.
I inhaled deeply, feeling the amazing dizziness that swamped me whenever I was assaulted with his scent; it never failed to make me painfully hard. I shifted, suddenly uncomfortable as I stood here in the middle of the sidewalk in his arms, sporting a huge boner.
"Jasper..." I began, my voice huskier than usual.
"Shh," he whispered. I gulped as he leaned closer, his long eyelashes sweeping down over his cheeks as he closed his eyes. I clenched mine shut at the last moment and braced myself, hoping this kiss would be as good as I'd imagined it to be a million times in my head.
His lips brushed against mine, once, twice, three times. They were incredibly soft and full, and I felt myself harden further as my heartbeat sped up out of control.
Jasper's fingers pressed against the pulse in my neck as he deepened the kiss, opening his mouth over mine. His breath was hot on my face as his tongue crept in to massage my own. I groaned weakly, feeling my knees buckle slightly.
He chuckled sexily and pulled away, his fingers still pressed against my neck. "I think someone should call an ambulance, because you're going into super ventricular tachycardia," he joked.
"Shut up," I moaned as I grabbed his hair and pulled him back down to kiss him once more.
I heard some wolf whistles and some whoops coming from behind us, and I jerked away from Jasper with a guilty look on my face. I spun around to see Angela and some of the other nurses standing outside of the steak house with big smiles on their faces.
"Finally!" Jessica squealed before coming over to slap me on the back heartily. "I thought you guys would never get together!"
I blushed a deep crimson as Jasper grinned down at me. I shook my head and tried to clear the fog engulfing my thought process.
Jasper laughed and grabbed my hand, holding it tightly. "Why don't we go finish our date, and then maybe we can go back to my place and make out on the couch like a couple of horny kids?" he whispered into my ear.
I felt a shiver run up my spine, and I nodded, feeling as if my heart could burst with happiness. I decided I would call my family tomorrow and finally come clean, because I didn't want to hide anymore; I wanted to live and love and be happy, and that meant being honest with myself and everyone else.
A/N: Okay, so I went back and forth about doing a J/E story, but I figured that we all beat the E/B stories to death, so why not beat the J/E stories to death, eh?:) I dunno if that made sense, but whatever. I wanted to pay homage to manyafandom's "All I Ever Knew" because I just think it's a really awesome and amazing and sweet story. There we go. I hope nobody is offended by my use of the phrase "fag hag," but in case you are... I'm sorry. I have lots of gay boy friends and they call me their fag hag, so there you have it. Hah.
K, well, yeah. I liked writing this story a lot. It was good times.