SUMMARY: Jasper is a musician searching for direction in his life. Edward is a man who is broken by a tragedy in his past. Can they help each other find their way to a happier place? A/H M/M

A/N: Thank you to my wonderful beta, BbEyedGirl. She held my hand and kept me sane while she diligently corrected my grammar and punctuation.

Disclaimers: All Twilight characters in this story belong to Stephenie Meyer, "Under The Bridge" written by John Frusciante, Michael Balzary, Chad Smith and Anthony Kiedis.

Chapter 1

The sunrise peeked out over the horizon revealing a sliver of red and orange. I could see a bright star shining not too far away from the streak of color. The black night sky shied away, retreating as though in fear, and stars began to fade under the blanket of light. It had been one of those rare clear nights in July, a pleasant reprieve from the usual cloudy cover.

Seeing the sunrise reminded me that I had been lying here on the chilled roof shingles for hours. I shivered as I realized how cold I was. Despite my cool surroundings, the half empty can of beer in my hand was warm. I put it to my lips and swallowed a mouthful. I grimaced and tossed the offending can into some bushes below.

Gross.

I closed my eyes and sighed. I needed to sleep, but my mind refused to shut down. Last night at around 3 a.m., I gave up tossing and turning in my bed and climbed onto the roof of the house. This place often offered me solace from the outside world. Here I could relax and listen to the wind whisper to the trees and hear the gentle babble from the stream that ran close to the house. Unfortunately, this was also the place I came to on occasion to do some serious thinking, and despite utter exhaustion, my brain raced all night long.

I had moved from Tyler, Texas to Seattle, Washington six years ago to go to UW. I finished up with a degree in History and had planned to get my Masters and eventually find a teaching position. However, during my senior year I met Garrett Gunnison who introduced me to a few other guys who shared a similar interest in music. We teamed up and started a band, playing for free at several frat parties before landing gigs at local bars.

Smiling, I recalled that I learned to play guitar from my Daddy. He was one fine guitar player. He played some mean country western, but he never used his talent except for entertaining the family. His career was chosen by my granddaddy, founder of our family oil business. Daddy wanted me to go to his alma mater, Texas A&M, but I didn't want to be stuck in some small college town with a bunch of redneck cadets. He also thought I should get my Masters in Business Administration so I could work in the family business, but I never could see myself working in an office. He was disappointed when I decided on UW, but he reluctantly supported my decision.

I had been fighting off and on with my parents nearly all my life, and I argued with them again last night over the phone. I was low on cash and was hoping to find them in a good mood. What a mistake! They let me know that they were tired of supporting me. I needed to either get a job or go back to school.

I guess I had it coming.

Although, we recently started getting paid for our gigs, it wasn't very much money. Our band, Chemical Warning, was finally getting some recognition on the local scene. It was exciting to be doing something that I really loved and getting paid for it. My other band mates, Emmett, Garrett, and Peter actually had jobs to supplement their lifestyle. Emmett and Peter were partners and owned a small music store. Garrett taught music at a local high school. I was the only one that still got an allowance from his parents.

"You need to grow up, Jasper." Daddy growled. "Mama and I talked. We're not doin' you any favors by lettin' you live off us. Startin' next month, I'm cuttin' you off. You need to get yourself a job, boy. No more foolin' around with those friends of yours. You come on back here to Texas and I'll have Henry Newsome give you a job on one of our oil rigs. Be good for you. Being a roustabout or roughneck is hard labor, but it'll make a man out of you, and it's high time you learned about the family business."

I winced as I remembered his words. What made him think I wasn't a man?

"I don't wanna work on an oil rig. I've got a degree in History." I pointed out to him.

"And what good is that degree doin' ya?" he countered, "Biggest waste of time and money, if you ask me. What are you doin' these days? Still playing that sorry-ass music of yours? Well, don't you even think I'm payin' for that anymore. Get a job or get yourself back in school. Go for that Masters in Business Administration like we talked about."

Then Mama got on the phone. I cringed as I recalled her persistent nagging about settling down.

"Sweet pea, you know I only want you to be happy, right?" she asked, in her sugary southern accent, "Whatever happened to that cute little girl you used to date, Alice? Wasn't that her name?"

"Mama," I tried to explain for the hundredth time, "we've never dated. She's just a close friend." I cursed myself for ever bringing Alice home at Thanksgiving and introducing her to them. Originally, it was a ploy to allay any suspicions about my lack of interest in the opposite sex. They had no idea I was gay and I sure as hell wasn't ready to tell them.

Alice Brandon was one of our first real fans. She'd been hanging around us for months, coming to our practices, bringing her friends to our gigs and cheering enthusiastically while we played. Her effervescent personality was hard to contain and helped give us the boost we needed at times to keep going. She and I became good friends despite her disappointment when she found out I was gay. However, once she knew about my sexual preference, she made it her mission to find me a boyfriend. She was constantly introducing me to random guys that she thought I might like.

"Well, if you ask me I think she'd be perfect for you, Jasper Whitlock." Mama remarked. "She wouldn't put up with your laziness. You need to get yourself a nice job so you can impress her. She's not gonna want to get serious with you 'til you do. Oh, I could just see the babies you two would make with your pretty blue eyes and her black hair!"

"Mama, stop!" I begged. "Anyway, her hair's dyed. I think she told me she has red hair."

"Well, red's not bad. What kinda family is she from? Good people, I hope. She does know how to cook, doesn't she?" Mama continued. I groaned.

"Mama, I gotta go now." I said.

"Honey, if she ain't right for you there are plenty of pretty girls down here. You remember Tanya, don't you? Her mama told me she's home from school right now. She's a looker and has a pretty head of red hair to boot. Why don't you move back home, baby?"

"Bye, Mama." I said as I hung up.

Thinking about my love life made me think about Seth again. I still don't know what I could have done differently to keep him from leaving. I just wasn't enough for him. I started to reflect on the last time we argued.

Oh hell no! I don't want to start thinking about this stuff again.

I buried my head in my hands. Man, they knew just what to say to ruin my mood. Maybe they're right, though. Maybe I am wasting away time pretending I have a music career. I need to man up and get my shit together. Go back to school, I guess. Fuck if I'm going home, though.

Shit! How am I going to tell the guys that I need to quit the band?

"WELL, THANK FUCK!" The loud voice startled me, and my eyes snapped open. The sun was now higher in the sky. Its warmth enveloped me with comfort. I must have finally passed out. I looked up to see wisps of Garrett's long, baby-fine brown hair blowing with the light breeze. He was peering at me from the top of the ladder with a smirk on his face. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes.

"Jasper," he said, shaking his head, "What the fuck are you doing up here anyway? Have you been up here all night?"

Yawning, I shrugged.

"Dude, I've been looking for you. Emmett called. He says there's going to be a talent agent at The Liquid Lounge tonight." Garrett didn't try to conceal the excitement in his voice. "He's going there to check out Charmed Trick, but this is our chance to get noticed. Who knows? Maybe we'll get a chance at a contract."

I raised an eyebrow and gave him an incredulous look. "Yeah, sure. Don't get your hopes up. We're not that good."

"You've gotta quit this emo shit, man!" he exclaimed, angrily. "I'm sick of it! Every time you come up here, you're moody for days."

"I'm sorry." I muttered, guiltily. "I'm just really tired." I really didn't mean to take my frustration out on him. Looking into his earnest brown eyes, I couldn't think of a way that I could quit the band without hurting him. He'd been my best friend for years.

"Whatever. Come on down," he sighed, "I'll fix you something to eat."

Grudgingly, I followed him down the ladder.

Garrett and I had been housemates for two years. He and Kate, his girlfriend at the time, offered me a place to stay after I broke up with Seth. They broke up a few months after I moved in. Having undergone similar heartbreaks helped Garrett and me to become close. Kate moved away to Arizona and we remained in the house.

The house was located in a fairly remote area outside of Seattle. It had two bedrooms and a bath. We converted the living area into a practice room for the band. We could be as loud as we needed to be without disturbing any neighbors. It was perfect.

As we entered the kitchen through the back door, I heard Alice's tinkling laughter drifting from within.

"Oh…umm…yeah…Alice is here." Garrett said turning to look at my reaction. "She brought a guy with her."

"What the fuck, man." I grumbled quietly. "What's she doing here so early?"

"Jazz, it's nearly noon." Garrett said, rolling his eyes. "She asked us yesterday if she could come by to listen to us practice. You do remember that we have practice today after lunch. Emmett and Peter will be here in a few minutes. I'm thinking about making some burgers."

"You might want to go shower and change." He added. "You look and smell like a homeless bum. Oh, and before I forget, quit throwing your fucking beer cans into the bushes."

"Fuck you and thanks for the personal hygiene tips, asshole." I sneered. He laughed and opened the refrigerator to take out ingredients for our lunch.

"Yeah, I love you too, baby." He snickered.

I marched through the hallway towards the bathroom. As I passed the practice room, I was hailed by Alice who was standing in front of a guy seated on the leather couch by the wall.

"Hey, Jazz!" She called. "Come here. I want you to meet somebody."

Rolling my eyes and sighing, I shuffled into the practice room, and I watched as he stood up and stepped around her. My mouth suddenly dropped open. Standing next to Alice like a Greek deity was the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on. He had delicate, pale skin and was tall, nearly as tall as me, with a thick, untamed mop of fiery bronze hair. His large eyes were a gorgeous shade of green framed by long dark lashes. He had thick dark brows and a sharp jaw line with just a hint of scruff that had my hands itching to touch. He was 100% god and nothing short of amazing. Apparently my cock concurred with my appraisal and tried to push its way out of my jeans.

"Jasper this is my cousin, Edward." Alice said, cheerfully grasping my wrist and pulling me forward. Giggling, she whispered loudly to him, "I told you he was cute." I froze in front of them hoping they wouldn't notice the bulge in my pants.

Edward blushed and gave Alice an annoyed expression. Then he turned to me and said in a velvety soft voice, "Hi Jasper. It's nice to meet you." He looked at me shyly, smiled and politely held out his hand to shake mine.

Frozen in place, I stared down at his perfectly manicured fingers. They were pale and long. He was wearing a tight, dark green short-sleeved band shirt which clearly revealed the finely-defined muscles in his chest and arms. His long legs were clothed in a pair of skinny jeans and he wore a pair of chucks without socks. Unable to take my eyes off of his proffered hand, my mind went into overdrive imagining those long beautiful fingers wrapped around my dick. Then I noticed his crotch.

Holy shit! He's sporting wood!

My breath hitched as my eyes shot up and locked with his. His eyes went wide and his cheeks were flushed a delicious shade of crimson. He cast his eyes downward, withdrew his hand and plopped back down on the couch.

Crap! Did he see my boner?

Alice was oblivious to our embarrassing situation. She looked at him and then at me with a confused and hurt expression.

"I'm sorry, guys," I apologized, looking at my hands. "I'm a filthy mess. I need to take a shower. I'll be back in a minute." With that I turned and quickly walked to the bathroom and out of their sight.

I closed the door and locked it. Standing with my back against the door, I took in several gulps of air to calm myself. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. A pitiful sight met my eyes. My long blonde waves looked greasy and were matted and sticking out in places. My blue eyes were glazed and accentuated by dark shadows below.

Garrett's right. I look like shit.

I lifted my arm and took a whiff.

Phew! In the shower. NOW!

I quickly stripped off my clothes and turned on the shower. I pissed and then I brushed my teeth and shaved while the water warmed up. By the time I'd rinsed my mouth out, puffs of steam were filling up the room. I pulled the shower curtain back and hopped into the tub.

Ow! Ow! That's hot!

I quickly adjusted the cold and hot water to a perfect temperature and then reveled in the sensation of the warm spray. Shutting my eyes, I finally felt relaxed. I let my mind drift and zone out. A couple of minutes later I remembered that our hot water heater was not very large. Sighing, I began soaping myself and washing my hair. As I set down the green bottle of shampoo on the tub's edge, I suddenly recalled those green eyes I had seen minutes before, green eyes that were still in the next room. My cock, which had been hanging heavy between my legs, instantly delighted in the memory and began pointing to the wall, not unlike an old Springer Spaniel my Daddy and I used to take hunting. I stroked it soothingly with my right hand.

I know, buddy. He's behind that wall. I better take care of you or you'll embarrass me in front of those nice people.

Closing my eyes and gripping myself tighter, I began pumping faster. I leaned against the wall with my left arm. Behind me the warm water massaged my back. In my mind those beautiful green eyes stared deeply into mine. I imagined feeling his plump, red lips against mine, ravishing his mouth with my tongue, licking his scruffy jaw, biting his soft earlobe. I moaned quietly as I imagined him touching me, telling me how much he wanted me as our cocks slid up and down against each other. I could feel warmth in my lower abs as my balls tightened. My hips were thrusting erratically as my cock erupted, sending cum splashing against the wall.

"Fuck!"

Gasping for air, I continued to pump my cock, squeezing out the last drops of my release until I was completely sated. When I finally dropped my hand, my knees buckled and I grasped the towel bar to avoid falling down. My breathing slowly returned to normal, and I used the hand sprayer to rinse the clods of cum down the drain. I washed myself off one more time, turned off the cooling water and pulled open the shower curtain. As I wrapped a towel around my waist, I was startled by a pounding on the bathroom door.

"Are you done jerking off in there, Jasper!" Emmett boomed. "Let me in! I need to take a piss."

Holding my towel on the side of my waist, I pulled open the door and Emmett stumbled in almost knocking me over.

"Well, it's about time. Rose wouldn't let me pee in the bushes outside. I was thinking about using your shoes," he said, pushing his 250 lb. frame past me, unzipping his jeans and whipping out his penis.

"Hey! Wait 'til I'm out of here! I don't need to see your dick." I shouted, frowning.

He roared with laughter as I slammed the door behind me and padded across the hall to my room. I could smell the burgers that Garrett was cooking and my stomach growled. I needed to hurry if I wanted to eat. Emmett and Peter could easily polish off all the burgers before I made it to the kitchen.

The door to my room was half-way open so I used my foot to push it open all the way. What I saw then nearly made me drop my towel right there in the doorway. Edward was nervously sitting on the edge of my bed picking at loose threads on the bedspread. He hadn't noticed me come in and I used the opportunity to observe him. He seemed to be in deep thought as he chewed on his lower lip and carefully pulled on the loose threads. My memory of seeing him only minutes before did not do him justice. He was more beautiful than I remembered. The sunlight streaming in from the window highlighted his hair in red, copper and gold. His skin was almost translucent and seemed to glow. I inadvertently cleared my throat then and when he heard me, he jumped up like something had bit him.

"J-Jasper! Uh…hi. S-sorry. Is this your room? I-I needed to use the bathroom and I…uh…didn't want to stand in the hall." He stammered nervously, staring at my bare chest. "Emmett said it was okay to sit in here. I hope you don't mind. Um…um…yeah…I should leave so you can get dressed." Once again his face was flushed, which only emphasized its beauty. I felt the warmth of his skin as he quickly brushed past me, shutting the door before I could even respond. I shivered as the faint scent of his cologne wafted in his wake.

Is it possible that he's as attracted to me as I am to him?

Shaking my head and laughing quietly to myself, I dressed quickly in a pair of cargo shorts, a plain white tee shirt and some flip-flops. I put a little product in my hair and ran my comb through it. Before I walked out of my room, I checked myself out in the mirror of my dresser. I was very pleased with the improvement.

Wandering into the kitchen, I noticed that everyone was already sitting around the table eating and talking amicably. Emmett and Peter had brought their wives, Rosalie and Charlotte. They smiled and waved to me.

"Hey Jasper!" Charlotte called out

Garrett looked up and said, "Jazz, get in here and get some food before Emmett inhales the rest of it."

I could see that the platter of hamburgers in the middle of the table was nearly empty. I didn't waste any time. I grabbed a plate off of the counter and then looked for a spot at the table. The only place that was left was between Rosalie and Garrett.

"Come on, Jazz." Rosalie beckoned. "There's plenty of room."

"Yeah," Garrett agreed, "Get your skinny ass over here."

They scooted their chairs aside to make room for me to squeeze my chair between them.

When I finally got settled and looked across the table, I realized I was sitting directly in front of Edward. Alice was seated next to him and they were both busy whispering to each other. They appeared to be having an argument. I distinctly overheard Edward angrily whispering 'I won't do it!' to her. Edward's head was down and turned towards Alice, but the moment I sat down, he looked over at me and gave me a goofy crooked smile.

"Hi," I greeted, returning the smile.

I grabbed a burger and some chips from the center of the table and tucked in. The conversation was flowing freely between everyone, but I really wasn't listening. I nearly choked when I distinctly felt a bare foot stroking my calf.

"Are you okay?" Rosalie asked me with concern as she thumped my back.

I coughed violently for a minute before I was able to wheeze a response. "I'll be okay."

Garrett handed me a glass of water and I sipped it carefully. My eyes were blurry with tears, but I could still see Edward's guilty face. His eyes were wide as he watched me. He turned and frowned at Alice.

"Jazz, there's an art to inhaling food." Emmett said with a smirk. "Watch and learn." He picked up a burger, bit it nearly in half, chewed twice and swallowed.

"Em, have some manners." Rosalie admonished, slapping him in the back of the head. Everyone laughed as Emmett pouted and rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

"Damn it, Rose! That hurt," he whined.

"So," Peter said, changing subjects, "Should we work with the same set list we used last week?"

We all agreed that the set we used at last week's gig was well received and we should stick to it again, especially if we wanted to impress the talent agent that was supposed to be there.

"A lot of my friends are coming tonight." Alice announced, proudly. "He'll hear us cheering for you."

"Cam says the guy's name is James Jager. He represents his family business, Jager Records." Emmett informed us. "He reserved a table for four tonight. He's really there to see Charmed Trick. I heard that he wants to offer them a contract."

Cam was one of the managers of the Liquid Lounge, where we were scheduled to appear tonight. We'd played there several times and he'd been pretty happy with the entertainment that we provided. His tip to Emmett was just his way of lending us some support.

"Well, let's get some practice in for at least a couple of hours." Peter suggested. "Cam says we're set to go on at around midnight. Charmed Trick is scheduled to go on after we're done. Let's hope that he gets there early and at least hears part of our set tonight."

We quickly finished up our lunch and moved to the practice room. Edward and Alice offered to clean up the dishes so we could go ahead and get started. After they finished with the clean up, they both came in and sat down with Rose and Charlotte to watch us practice.

The ladies sat on the couch and Edward sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Alice. As I played my guitar and sang, I glanced at him every few minutes out of the corner of my eye. Every now and then Alice would lean down and whisper something into his ear making him laugh. It was a beautiful sight to see. I wanted to be the one to make him laugh that way. He never took his eyes off of me while we played. I decided that I definitely needed to get to know him better.

When we played our cover of "Under the Bridge," I found myself staring into his eyes as I sang.

It's hard to believe that there's nobody out there
It's hard to believe that I'm all alone
At least I have her love the city she loves me
Lonely as I am together we cry

I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day
Take me to the place I love take me all the way
I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day
Take me to the place I love take me all the way.

After thirty minutes Garrett suggested a break. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of beers. When I came back to the room, I winked at Edward and motioned for him to follow me out to the front porch. I saw Alice nudging him with her foot. He hesitated for a moment, but then stood up and followed me, eyes downcast.

Once outside, I leaned against the wall and handed him one of the beers. He took it from me, twisted off the cap and put the bottle to his lips taking a long drink. I was mesmerized watching his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed.

Fuck. So hot.

I reached into my pocket for my pack of cigarettes and offered him one by holding it out to him, but he shook his head and smiled shyly.

"No thanks. Those things will kill you." He said softly, peeling small pieces off the label on the bottle. He seemed so nervous. I really needed to do something about that.

"So you and Alice are cousins?" I asked, trying to distract him. I took a drag on my cigarette. "Don't remember her mentioning that she had cousins in the area."

"Our mothers are sisters," he said, "Her parents live in Mississippi. She moved in with us a couple of years ago to go to school."

"She's a live firecracker, for sure," I told him. "A really good friend of ours. She's always dragging her friends to our shows. Don't remember seeing you before, though."

"It's not for lack of trying," he admitted. "I guess I've just been…preoccupied."

I narrowed my eyes. "So how did she talk you into coming today? Did she threaten you or something? Is she blackmailing you?"

He giggled and bit his lower lip. I noticed that he had dropped his arms and seemed more relaxed. "No threats or blackmail, but she is very persistent. She even got my mother involved. She's been begging me to come meet you for weeks. I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable for you. She is so set on finding me a boyfriend."

"Oh, I'm not uncomfortable, but now it's making sense. Ever since she crowned herself QGM, I've been a victim, or in her mind a client, too." I admitted with a knowing grin.

"QGM?" he asked.

"Queen of Gay Matchmaking." I told him, tilting my head back and taking a swig of beer.

He threw back his head and laughed heartily. I couldn't help but laugh too. I felt so proud at that moment.

I did it! I made him laugh.

Absently running his fingers through his messy locks he said, "Oh, before I forget, I wanted to apologize for…well, you know…at the table." His face had turned bright red as he looked up at me through his lashes.

Wanting to torture him a bit, I frowned and replied, "No. What do you mean?"

His green eyes widened in surprise. "Umm…my foot. It was my foot touching your leg. I thought you knew." He shifted his weight anxiously from one foot to the other.

"Oh, yeah," I said, chuckling, "You just surprised me. You know, that was a pretty bold move."

"Alice kept bugging me to do it. I shouldn't have listened to her. She told me that my horoscope said that I should take a bold step to harness romance, not that I believe in that crap anyway." He confessed.

"So," I said, "How do you think that worked out for you?"

"Not very well, I'm afraid," he admitted. "When you started choking, I worried that we were going to have to take you to the ER." My cock twitched as I watched him chew on his lower lip. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously. "I'm really sorry about that."

This guy's adorable.

"Don't be so certain it won't work out." I soothed. "The day's not over yet."

Without permission, my hand reached out and cupped his cheek. His eyes shot up and locked with mine for a moment and then he leaned his head into my hand. His eyes closed and he slowly licked his lower lip. I moved closer to him, never taking my eyes off of his lips. Just as I started to lean in, I heard the door open. My hand automatically dropped and Edward and I both looked up to see Peter stick his head out.

"Sorry man, but I only have time to practice for another hour then I need to head back to relieve Jared at the store." He informed us. "We close at six tonight." I nodded in acknowledgement and he pulled his head back into the house and shut the door.

I took another long drag of my cigarette and then flicked it over the side of the porch into the bushes.

"So what are you doing after this?" I asked him.

"My mom's watching the shop for me right now. I need to get back so she can go home." He answered.

"You have a shop?" I queried.

"It's a small coffee shop near the campus. I've had it for about a year now." He answered, timidly. "Would you like to come see it?"

I smiled at him. "Yeah, I could use a good cup of coffee since I haven't had any today. Do you have good coffee?" I asked him.

"I'll let you decide. I can make you a nice cappuccino or latte." He promised. As he turned to walk back into the house, I grasped his hand and held him back. It was soft and warm and caused my arm to vibrate with electricity. He turned and looked at me surprised. Before he could say anything, I hastily pulled him to me and stole a chaste kiss. His lips were sweet and the smell of his cologne permeated my brain. He had closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them, they had darkened to an almost forest green. He pulled back slightly and I could see my own reflection in those dark pools.

"Sorry," I whispered, "I couldn't help myself." He pulled my hand up and lightly kissed my knuckles. Then he smiled at me radiantly before we walked into the house.

This is turning out to be a fucking amazing day.

Thanks for reading. Your comments are welcome.