Disclaimer: Obviously, I do not own Twilight.
Warning: This fic contains a male/male relationship. It is rated M for future explicit content and mild language. You have been warned! All human.
Summary: Having fallen on tough times, Edward, with nowhere else to go, joins a traveling Renaissance fair. Along his travels he finds the love, friendship and family that he's never had. Edward/Jasper

Renaissance Man Chapter One

[Edward POV]

Looking back, cleaning up trash at the transient Renaissance fair was definitely not on my top ten list of jobs. Yet here I am, sweeping up the wrappers discarded from those grotesquely large turkey legs and the bright synthetic feathers that can't seem to stay attached to anyone's cheap costumes. The job is made all the more difficult by the fact that there are no paved pathways here, just simple, dirt ones that are half filled-in with old woodchips. It also doesn't help that the flashy mobs of people stomp down these paths like cattle being herded from one stage show to another, track through all of the trash I have been sweeping into little, neat piles at regular intervals. It makes my job nearly impossible, yet I persist because this was the only job I was able to find.

I am alerted to the sound of another show finishing by the start of loud applause breaking out, echoing off the wooden stalls from a stage just a little ways ahead and signaling the closing of the fair for today. I pause to wipe the sweat from my brow and sweep my pile of litter off the path a little ways to the side to keep it safe from the impending swarm of people about to flood onto the path.

I wrinkle my nose as the crowd surges past me. It's an un-seasonally hot September day today and everyone seems to have forgone their deodorant in favor of the more natural, musky smell of the medieval. I nearly have to plug my nose as a small group (or should I say pack) of weirdos wearing furs, animal ears and even tails walks past. They smell just like the animals they are dressed as and I wonder if they have even bathed in days.

I feel a little twinge deep down when I remember that I haven't bathed in days either.

I just sigh and continue on with my sweeping after the last few stragglers hasten up the pathway. Unlike that shaggy, fetid bunch, I have not gone without bathing by choice. I am forced by my situation... My mind wanders back to a few years ago as I sweep mechanically.

When I was fifteen, both of my parents, Elizabeth and Edward Masen Sr., died in a terrible car crash. I was not in the car with them. If I had been, I would have died as well. Everyone tells me how lucky it was that I stayed home sick that day, but sometimes I wish I had been there with them after all. My life certainly has not been very easy or indeed, happy since my parents' death.

I don't have any other relatives, so things were really uncertain for me after my parents died. The courts were going to send me to live with foster parents, but luckily, my best friend's parents offered to take me in instead and the courts acquiesced. Emmett's parents had always been like a second family to me, so I definitely could have been worse off. Yet, though I lived there for four years, it never really felt like home. And though I enjoyed Emmett's company throughout high school, when we graduated and it was time for him to go to college, I knew it was time for me to leave.

Emmett was going away to Washington State University and was going to live in the dorms on campus. His parents offered to let me continue to live with them, for I was like another son, they told me, but I felt like an intruder. I just couldn't stay. Yet, I couldn't go to college either because I hadn't been left any money by my parents- just a few small debts which the courts had cleared up. I could never afford college, so when Emmett left, I left off on my own, too. But I didn't have anywhere to go.

It was really difficult for the first month or so. I had nowhere to live and could not find a job anywhere, either. It just seemed like no one was hiring anyone in our small town. Everyone knew me and felt sorry for me, but I was still turned down door after business door. I came to live in the local park for a while, surviving on small odds and ends jobs, but it was definitely rough going. If it hadn't been summer, I'm really not sure I would have made it.

That all changed recently when I saw a flyer for a traveling Renaissance fair that was going to be in town for a few weeks. On a whim, I decided to check if they needed any part-time help. The owner took one very long look at my thin and haggard appearance and agreed to hire me as a janitor for the duration of their stay. He pays me under the table and was even nice enough to give me a small advance, which I spent on a tent, a few essentials and some food. He has allowed me to set up camp at the back of the grounds where all of the vehicles, trailers and RVs owned by the fair are parked. I could tell that he felt sorry for me and, had I been in a different position, I would have hated having to rely on him like this. As it is, I'm just not in a position to decline his charity. I need this job. It's not the best situation to be sure, but at least I have a roof over my head (or a tent, anyway) and food. Honestly, I don't know where I'd be without this job and yet my time is running out.

The fair was only scheduled to be here for a few weeks, after all, so though I procured this job just before the fair's opening, I have very little time left here. About three more days, in fact. I will be helping tear everything down after the fair closes, too. Today is the final day that we are open to the public and that, at least, gives me some small bit of satisfaction. Though I desperately need this job, I will not miss some things about place. Like the odor for example; everything here smells like sweat, porta-johns, and tanned, dead animals. Mixed with the incense, it's downright nauseating on a hot day like today...

"Hey, you there!" My head jerks up from my sweeping, searching for the owner of the voice. "Over here," it comes again. I whip around to see one of the real fair workers calling to me from the very stage the crowd was leaving from. I walk over to stand in front of the stage and just look up at him questioningly. The man currently towering above me wipes his hand on his black, skin-tight leather pants and holds it out to me. "I'm Jasper."

Noting that that the wiping was rather ineffective in removing the perspiration, I grasp the hand uncertainly in my own, only to be hauled up onto the stage to stand in front of him. I'm caught just a bit off guard and, for a moment, I can only stare. I spend a brief moment taking the man in. Up close, I notice red flames embedded in the black leather of his (way too tight) pants and a pair of heavy-duty work boots. He's rather tall with wavy, shoulder-length, dirty-blond hair and his skin has that perfect, golden tan that many people strive to copy, but can really only be achieved through honest, hard work out in the hot sun. He wears nothing from the waist up and his whole upper body and arms are glistening in the sun from sweat and some kind of gel that's been smeared all over, and must have something to do with his performance. All in all, the man looks completely ridiculous.

Reddening slightly under my, apparently disapproving, gaze, he laughs a little and glances down at himself. "Yeah, it's a little over the top, but the ladies really love it," he jokes with a wink that just earns him a grimace. "Seriously though, I get a lot more tips if I'm dressed like this" he tells me, shaking a small, jingling, fabric bag as proof. His voice is deep with a thick, Southern twang to it and I can't help but wonder where he's from.

Smiling lightly, he heads to the back of the stage where sits a bunch of heavy-looking equipment and glances back at me. "Jake is supposed to help me tear all this down, but he hasn't showed up. Kid's so irresponsible sometimes, always on that motorbike of his… Anyway," he says, "I could really use your help…." His voice trails off as he looks at me with a quirked eyebrow.

"Edward," I reply, catching the hint. "Good to meet you, Edward. My name is Jasper Hale. Now, if you'll grab the end of that over there…"

It's definitely hard work tearing down the set, which I soon find out is for fire-breathing, and loading it onto a few trailers waiting in the back. We work in a quiet, companionable silence and we get it done.

It's getting a bit dark when we finally finish loading everything. Jasper turns to look at me one last time and extends a now sweat-free hand to me and I shake it briefly. "It was nice meeting you, Edward. I'll see you around, okay?" He smiles in parting and hitches one of the trailers to a waiting truck and drives off. In the fading light, it's hard to really see the dirt paths, and I know it's no use trying to finish up sweeping. I head back to my tent for the night.

[Jasper POV]

"Hey, Jasper, over here!" A high-pitched voice calls to me from the bright campfire glowin' in the distance about ten yards from my RV's door. I roll my eyes and head over, beer in hand. We gather 'round this fire almost every night and still she feels the need to call me over.

I sit down on the log next to my best friend, Alice. Across from us sits Jacob and his girlfriend, Bella. It's a small crowd tonight, as it's been a busier than on a normal day, but it's pleasant nevertheless.

Jacob avoids my gaze sheepishly as I glare across the fire at him. Alice and Bella giggle at his discomfort and he finally breaks. "Sorry about showing up, man, my bike broke down out on the trail and I had a heck of a time getting it working again," he apologizes, glancin' to Bella for her confirmation. "It's true," she affirms, nodding vehemently.

I don' believe a word of it, of course. Not only does the story sound a little too rehearsed, but I've seen Jacob practically build a bike from scratch in no time flat. He's our resident mechanic, for fuck's sake. I just roll my eyes and take a sip of my beer and it's Bella's turn to grin sheepishly at me.

I love these comfortable evenin's gathered 'round the campfire. It feels more like home than anywhere else on Earth, and believe me, I've been to a lot of places. This is the life. I love my job.

I've been starin' off into the campfire for an hour or so, just daydreamin' and enjoyin' the environment when I see a small light in the distance, which causes me to glance up. The wielder of the light appears to be headin' to the small staff restrooms from the tent that's been sittin' on the edge of our camp. We don' usually hire locals so I was very surprised to see it here. I've never seen the occupant before now, but in the dim light I think I can make out who it is.

My mind wanders back to earlier when Edward was helpin' me tear down the stand and I can't believe that I'd never noticed the man before. Had he been workin' here the whole time?

I'd been lookin' around for Jake, and was about ready to chase the man down, when I saw Edward sweeping a long the path, looking deep in thought and absolutely stunning. God, but wasn't he a catch! I don' know why, but there was just somethin' about this man that screamed out to me. I wouldn' call it love at first sight, but it was definitely something.' I just couldn' help callin' out to him for his help.

When he went to shake my hand, I couldn' help pullin' him up for a better look. He was just a bit shorter than me, with messy, reddish-brown hair that just glistened in the sunlight with the sweat of hard work. He was thin, a little on the scrawny side, even, and I could tell he wasn' used to such hard work, but he did everythin' without complainin' once, tryin' to appear confident when really, he had no idea what he was doin.' He seemed a little rough around the edges, but I could still tell he was a genuinely good person and he'd had a snarky little attitude that I just find too cute. I wanted him. Bad. It's not too often you meet a guy like him on the road, like we are. Too bad he's obviously not into guys. That much was easy to see, the way he looked at my skin-tight pants and naked chest.

I groan inwardly, but only let a little sigh escape my lips. It's my loss, certainly, but it don' mean we can't be friendly for the few remainin' days we've got left here, right? Things obviously aren' goin' his way if he's livin' in a tent and maybe I can kinda be there for him. God knows I really needed a friend when I was goin' through some rough times myself a few years ago… Yeah, so maybe it's just an excuse, but I'd really like to see the man again.

"Hey, Edward!" I call, jumpin' up upon seein' the figure exit the restrooms. He freezes on the spot, confirmin' my suspicions and I can see him glance over to where I am standin' by the fire. I motion him over. The others stare at me and I just shrug. They'll jus' have to deal with the intrusion.

Edward really takes his time in comin' over, but eventually comes to a rest at my side. In a sort of reverse of this mornin', he is now towerin' above me. His hair reflects gold in the sharp firelight and it looks a lot less unruly than it was this mornin'. Yet, there's a fierce flame in his bright green eyes has not lost its spark. As a firebreather, I am deeply attracted to that flame...

Everyone's just lookin' at him so I decide to play host and stand up to introduce him to the rest of the group. "Everyone, this is Edward. He helped me tear my set down today when somebody didn't show up." I glare pointedly at Jacob and I can see him redden slightly under my gaze. I won't razz him too much, though, because if he had showed up, Edward wouldn' be standin' here. Edward looks at Jacob too. "So you're the reason I didn't get to finish my job today," he comments with that snarky tone of his that makes me grin. Everyone laughs at Jacob's discomfort and the tension is broken.

Alice scoots to the other side of the bench and motions for Edward to sit between us. "I'm Alice," she tells him, "and this is Jacob and Bella," she continues, pointin' to our companions in turn. They smile and nod and the conversation returns to a somewhat normal state.

Edward seems to have just settled in when, out of nowhere, comes, "so, why do you live in a tent?" Alice and I glare over at Jacob. "You're completely tactless, Jacob, that's so rude!" Alice chides and Jacob's face reddens again. Edward's face has reddened too and I can tell it's a question that he didn' really want to answer. I glance briefly at Alice and she catches my meanin' and changes the conversation.

She rolls her eyes at Jacob. "Speaking of rude, what exactly went wrong with your dirt bike earlier, again?" He squirms under her gaze as he stumbles tryin' to find a suitable answer. I mentally thank Alice for allowin' Edward to avoid that bullet and she and the other two are soon deep in conversation about the nature of Jacob's bike's shortcomin's (or lack thereof).

That's one thing I really love about Alice. We've been friends for so long that we can really read each other well. Hell, she's always been able to read me like a book. She knew I was gay from the moment I met her and could prolly tell you all of my other little secrets, too. She just has this uncanny knack, or should I say sense, about people. That's why she's our resident fortune teller. She reads palms, tea leaves, handwritin,' tarot cards and whatever else you like and she's never been wrong about anythin' yet… Really, though, she's my best friend. She's always got my back and, in another life, we might have been together. Her skinny, pixy-like stature and short black hair make her appealin' to a lot of the guys around here. But I could never see her as anything else but a little sister.

The other three chatter on for awhile. I'd say that Edward and I have lapsed into a companionable silence, except that he's mostly starin' at the ground now and I can tell that he's still broodin' over Jacob's question.

Alice was the first to leave, simply hoppin' up, givin' me a pat on the back and a bright wink. I simply glare at her knowin' smirk in response. Sometimes I really wish she didn' know quite so much about me… The other two soon follow, leavin' jus' Edward and myself behind.

I can't say it's not a little uncomfortable sittin' here with Edward as he is. Normally I prolly would have headed in by now, but I want to try to be there for him so I stay...

After a half hour or so of unbroken silence I've definitely begun to rethink my position. Edward has been keepin' quiet the whole time and things are finally beginnin' to get a bit awkward. Eventually, I decide it's prolly best to just head in. But as I move to rise, Edward seems to snap out of his trance and turns to look at me. I have to admit that the look he is givin' me is pretty pathetic.

"I don't really have anywhere else to go, you know," he tells me quietly. "I'm not proud of the way I'm living, but I don't really have any other choice at the moment…" he trails off before lookin' down again.

I don' really know what to say to that. I could tell things were kinda goin' bad for him, but I think things may be a little worse than I thought. Still, I want to be there for him... So I just put my hand on his shoulder and attempt to convey some of my innate calmness to him and say, "hey, we all go through some rough shit. But you know what? It gets better. There's somethin' out there for all of us, you know? And you just gotta figure out what that somethin' is. Things will fall into place eventually."

This earns me a small smile, but I can tell he's not really convinced. "I hope you're right, Jasper. Thanks for listening." And jus' like that, he's up and headin' back into the night toward his tent. I consider callin' after him, but in the end, I just shake my head. "Seeya 'round, Edward," I say to myself, puttin' out the fire and headin' in for the night.

Author's Note: Hello everyone! It's been a while, but this plot bunny has been just begging for me to write it. I hope y'all liked the beginning! You guys are what keeps me going, so please let me know you want more! Your interest keeps me interested.

This fic is a lot more serious and sentimental than my last. My characters are (I hope) a lot more "in-character" and, since I plan on this being a rather lengthy fic, they will also be a lot more developed. This is going Edward's journey as he finds love, friends, family and a home. You can also look forward to seeing a lot of cannon characters in the next few chapters!

Please also let me know what you think of Jasper's accent! I have no problem changing it if no one likes it.

By the way, I do know that a Renaissance Man is a real term. Oh well. I liked the name. :)

Thanks for reading, y'all!