A/N - Hello, all!

I'm glad you're still sticking with my boys. I intend to post a Jasper chapter of NY ILY tonight, too, so stay tuned. (Edward seemed to want his say first).

Oh, and by the way, I'm loving how you all keep calling him Teddy in the reviews :D


Four

I'm on my way to Jasper's house to pick him up for some Christmas shopping when my hands-free starts ringing. I frown down at the dashboard, bewildered for a moment, because I honestly had no idea that my car even comes with a built-in phone. Cool.

When I figure out how to answer the call, I push the button.

"Y'ello?"

"Edward, it's me."

I roll my eyes at that. Why do people always answer the phone with 'it's me' like I should immediately recognize their voice? Voices always come out a bit distorted on the phone anyway. I mean, would it kill a person to actually say their name?

Granted, in this instance, the deep English accent can only really belong to one person.

"Hey, Dad, what's up?"

"I just wanted to call and tell you the good news."

"You mean, that there's a speaker phone in my car? Because that's seriously something I had no idea about until just now."

I take the next left down Jasper's street, rolling to a stop outside his house. No sign of him, yet. I'm not surprised. He's always running late. I bet he's not even doing anything productive. Just sitting watching TV or some shit.

"No, I mean that your cousin is spending Christmas in Texas with us."

I eye the speaker unit warily, even though he can't see me. "Which cousin?"

"Alice."

And then, to my eternal embarrassment, I squeal like a fucking girl. No, wait, worse; I squeal like Alice would. "Seriously? That's fucking awesome!"

"Language, son."

"What? You've got something against the word 'awesome' now?"

"Don't try to be cute, Edward, you know fine well what I meant."

I grin. "Okay, sorry. So, when does she get here?"

"Friday. Make sure you're home from school on time." He pauses. "Are you at Jasper's?"

"Yeah, just got here."

"Edward…" he sighs.

"What?"

"You left the house five minutes ago."

I'm completely missing his point. "Yeah, so?"

"So, it's a ten minute drive. You were speeding."

"Not badly…"

"If you did a ten-minute drive in five minutes, you were going twice as fast as you should've been."

I groan. "Who died and made you Pythagoras?"

He tries to stop himself from chuckling, but fails. "I'll let you off, because that was marginally amusing, but don't you dare speed on your way to wherever you're going."

"I won't. Jasper always bitches at me if I go over the speed limit."

I can almost hear Dad's smile. "He's a sensible boy. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Dad."

The call cuts off, and I glance towards the house. Still no sign of Jasper. Impatient, I honk the horn, and am rewarded a couple minutes later by the sight of Jasper hurrying out the front door, shrugging on a jacket as he goes.

A heartbeat later, and Lillian Hale, Jasper's mom, comes striding out. Her hands are all wet and soapy from dishwater, and she looks as though she's bitching at him about something. He sighs, rolls his eyes, and then stoops to give her a kiss on the cheek. They exchange a couple more words, and she disappears back into the house. Jasper shakes his head wearily, and then jogs the rest of the way to the car, cracking open the passenger door and sliding in.

He's barely sat down before I start with the snark. "So, is she a good kisser?"

"Fuck you, buddy," he grumbles, face heating up.

"Alright, Jazz, where to?"

"I dunno. It's only a bit of shoppin'. The mall?"

I gape at him in disbelief. "The mall?" I twist in my chair to glower at him full-force. "For Christmas shopping? We aren't going to be more creative than that?"

"You're the creative one," he says. "You tell me."

Honestly, sometimes, I really don't know why I put up with him. Okay, well, I do. It's because he's like sex personified and the best friend I could ever have to boot. I don't say that, though. "I don't know why the hell I put up with you sometimes, Hale."

"Cuz I'm your best friend?" He weirdly echoes my thoughts. Well, half of them, anyway.

I narrow my eyes mockingly. "You realize that you don't get to use that one as a comeback for the rest of the week, now?"

"Damn it. Played that card too soon."

"Rookie mistake."

I pull away from the house as Jasper's doing up his seatbelt, and I can't resist flooring it a little. Of course, Jasper notices before I even get the dial up to sixty.

"Dude…" he warns.

I grin. "We're living on the edge, Jazz."

"And I'd kinda like to keep livin', if it's all the same to you." He jerks his head in the direction of the dash. "Drop the speed, before you wrap us around a tree."

"Alright, mom," I grumble, but I ease up on the gas a little. "You know, living in Manhattan, I never really got to drive all that much. It's probably the one thing that I like about Texas."

"The one thing?" Jasper pretends to be hurt. "How quickly you dismiss our love!"

I grin. I'm not dismissing anything, if he's offering to give me some lovin'. "Okay, one of the two things." And then I remember what Dad just told me. "Oh, did I tell you?"

"Gee, I dunno. Be vaguer, Cullen."

I smile. "My cousin is coming to town. She's gonna be staying with us over Christmas."

"Oh, really? Where's she visitin' from?"

"London. You're gonna love her." Everyone does. Alice is one of those rare and brilliant people who can be off-the-charts obnoxious and insanely endearing in one breath.

Jasper looks really intrigued. "What's her name? What's she like?"

"Alice Brandon. She's my mom's sister's daughter, and she's probably my favorite family member. She's twenty. She's… well, she's kinda quirky, and she never fucking shuts up, and she likes to get her own way, and I've literally never met anyone who's so into clothes…"

"So far, I'm sensin' the family resemblance," He interrupts. I grin.

"If you think I'm bad…" I give a soft whistle, and then launch into an exaggerated impression of Jasper's drawl. "Hot da-yum, boy, you ain't seen nothin' yet!"

He throws back his head and barks out a laugh. "Oh, Jesus, this town is gonna be in some serious trouble."

"With Alice around? No question."

I've been increasing my speed subtly while we were talking, but now Jasper picks up on it again. He practically growls at me, and I shift in my seat as my jeans get a little tighter than they were a minute ago. "Slow the fuck down, Cullen, otherwise you don't get to drive next time." I comply, muttering about him not playing fair in a voice so low that he doesn't hear. Thank God. "So, when does she get into town?"

I grin evilly. "On Friday."


We end up in Corsicana, of course, because I'm driving, and I can wear Jasper down pretty easily, now that I know him so well. It only takes a bit of pouting and grumbling and… hey presto! Edward wins. It's kind of fun.

For a couple of hours, we mainly trail around from store to store, picking out stuff for our sisters. I buy Maggie a ton of crap that she probably doesn't have any use for, and a princess outfit that Mom won't object to her wearing around the house, and then I nearly bust a gut laughing when I find out that Jasper got his big sister Kate kickboxing lessons for Christmas. The more I hear about this girl, the more I think I'm a little bit in love with her.

Not half as much as I'm in love with her brother, though.

I manage to wheedle my way into convincing Jasper to come to one of my favorite coffee shops for lunch. It's a little bit hipster for his tastes, but he relents when I describe in sinful detail the types of coffee they serve. He's a sucker for caffeine.

I'm stirring creamer into my coffee as our food is set down, when Jasper suddenly kicks me sharply under the table.

"Ow!" I wince. "The fuck was that for?"

"That waitress was totally checking you out, and you ignored her."

Is he for real? I jab my finger at my own face. "Hi. Edward Cullen. Homo. Have we met?"

Jasper chokes on a laugh, but recovers himself. "That's not the point. You should still have acknowledged her. She might've given us money off our bill."

Now I'm the one holding back laughter. Wholesome Jasper Hale has a bit of a bad boy streak. Who'd've thunk it. "That's despicable, Hale."

"I prefer to think of it as usin' what God gave ya."

I can't help it. I crack up. "You are so going to Hell."

Jasper takes a disproportionately large bite of his sandwich and grins around it. It kind of amazes me how he manages to make that look sexy. "I'll save ya a seat."

"You better," I warn him. "I don't want to end up sitting next to Crowley for my eternal damnation."

"I doubt you will. He's a good, God fearin' Christian boy. He'll be up at the pearly gates, enjoyin' the climate while we enjoy the company."

Not likely. He's banging his next-door-neighbor's wife. I saw them going at it in the back of his truck a couple days back. God doesn't like adultery so much. "Ha. I wouldn't be so sure."

"Why not?"

I just shrug at him, not wanting to divulge dirty little secrets that aren't mine to tell. It all comes out sooner or later anyway. I curl my tongue over my teeth, trapping my tongue bar, and then nearly bite the thing clean off when Jasper aims another kick at me.

"Ow! The waitress isn't even here!" I protest.

"I didn't kick you about that, this time."

What, does he just enjoy beating me up? "Then what the fuck are you kicking me for?"

"Don't bite your tongue bar, you'll ruin your teeth."

I gape at him. "What are you, my mother?"

Jasper shrugs. "Fine. Have it your way, but don't come cryin' to me when your teeth are all chipped and that pretty face ain't so pretty anymore."

I scoff at him. I can't believe he actually said I have a pretty face. He must be kidding. "Pretty face? Funny."

He frowns, looking all serious. "You're shittin' me, right?"

"About what?" I'm nonplussed.

"You don't see yourself very clearly, Cullen. You act all surprised when people think you're hot."

Oh. My. Fucking. God. "Are you saying I'm hot?"

"I'm sayin' don't act surprised." Which is basically the same thing, right? I watch him take a swig of his coffee and scratch the back of his head awkwardly, not meeting my gaze. "And, you know, objectively speaking, yeah. I'd say you're a looker."

Oh, fuck me. I'm actually going to pass out. Jasper thinks I'm a looker. I mean, I know it's all just 'objective' or whatever, but still…"Thanks, Jasper."

He fucking kicks me again!

"Fucking ow! What have I done this time?"

Jasper smiles, all dimples and white teeth and sparkling blue eyes. "Quit swoonin' about me and eat your damn food."

"I wasn't fucking swooning over you," I lie. "That was so six weeks ago."

Jasper laughs.


It's Friday, and I'm annihilating the speed limit to get over to my house, practically bouncing in my seat from excitement. It's like I've been infected with the ghost of Christmas Alice or something.

With a screech of my tires – Jasper, sitting in the passenger seat, actually shuts his eyes and clings on to the dashboard, white-knuckled – I pull up into my driveway and tear myself out of the car, almost forgetting to kill the engine in my excitement.

Jasper follows me at a much calmer, more rational pace, and I'm halfway up the gravel path when the front door is flung open and I hear her high-pitched shriek;

"TEDDY!"

Alice comes hurtling down the steps towards me like a purple-and-black missile, and launches herself into my arms. The impact takes us both down, but I couldn't give a flying fuck, because I haven't seen her in eight months, and she's finally here.

She helps me to my feet and I grin down at her, joyous. She hasn't changed a bit. Still barely clearing five foot in her high-heels, still rocking the black skinny jeans look that she inspired in yours truly, and still with the feathered black pixie cut.

"Have you missed me?" she teases, and just hearing her voice without the aid of a computer speaker makes me want to pick her up and spin her round until we're both dizzy.

"You bet, half-pint."

She shoves me, and then her eyes land on Jasper. I inhale sharply. "Ooh, Edward, who's this?"

Please be cool, Ali. Please be cool. I chant silently.

"This is my friend, Jasper. Jasper, my cousin Alice."

She skips on over to him and extends her tiny hand. Looking entertained, Jasper takes it. "So, Jasper, are you Arthur or Martha?"

Facepalm moment. Jasper laughs.

"I'm straight," he says, still chuckling at her.

"Sucks to be Edward." I want the ground to open up and swallow me whole. No, wait, I want the ground to open up and swallow Alice's pixie ass whole. Was I really just excited to see her a moment ago? Now I kind of want to duct tape her lips shut. "A face like yours… well, you might even be able to set me on the straight and narrow."

Jasper looks astonished. "So you're…?"

"Yup. Homo runs in the family, just like wit, charm and a killer body."

Jasper's grin stretches so big that I'm worried it might actually break his face in two. Alice cranes her neck round at me, mouths 'wow, he's hot' and then begins to make her way back up to the house. Jasper and I fall into step either side of her, catching her up in a couple of strides.

"How long are you stayin' in town?" Jasper asks her.

"Well…" Instead of going inside, Alice strolls over to the porch swing and sits down, crossing one leg over the other at the knee and reaching into her back pocket to produce a pack of smokes and a lighter. She takes one out, lights it, and then tosses the pack to me. God fucking bless this girl. I haven't had a smoke in nearly three weeks, since I bummed one off some guy at the auto shop.

Jasper sits himself down on the swing beside Ali, his attention on her, and I light up.

"I'm staying for Christmas and then maybe a little longer. I don't know, I might even stay until university starts up again in January." She sucks on her cigarette with blood-red lips. I always hate sharing a smoke with Alice for that exact reason. Crimson lipstick? Not exactly my color. "Depends on how well my darling little cousin entertains me."

Jasper's watching me as I take a drag on my own cigarette, looking kind of stunned. Oh, yeah, he doesn't know I smoke. Or, well, he didn't. I wonder if he disapproves.

"Cuz," I say, blowing out a few smoke rings. They come away as perfect circles. Wicked, I haven't lost my touch. "I can't exactly guarantee you non-stop fun over here. We aren't in New York, anymore."

"More's the pity," Alice sighs. She flicks her cigarette to get rid of the excess ash, and I notice that Jasper jerks his foot back to avoid getting hit with it. "Do you remember last New Year's Eve, Ted?"

It's a blur, but what I do remember, we had a fucking blast. Policemen play a small but crucial role in my hazy memory. "Do I ever. I thought you were gonna get us arrested."

"I nearly did. Did you ever figure out how we ended up in Newark?" she asks.

"No, my memory is still mostly blank from that night. Kind of like your nineteenth birthday party in Shoreditch."

"Oh my God!" she giggles, clapping one hand to her mouth. "Do you remember that guy you were talking to that night?"

"Which one?" I smirk.

"The blond one with the Mohawk." Oh, God, of course she means that one. The drunken mistake whose name evades me.

"Oh, yeah. He's one of your new roommates, isn't he? What's his name again?"

"Alec."

"Right." I'm trying not to laugh, because Jasper's head is whipping back and forth between us like he doesn't have a clue what's going on. I realize that he probably doesn't. "He was a fucking terrible kisser."

"Well, he was really hammered," Alice allows.

"So was I. Not an excuse." Because even when I'm drunk, I know I've got skills. It's not bragging if it's true.

We both take a drag of our cigarettes at the same time, and then I decide to take pity on Jasper, because he still seems really confused. "Sorry, Jazz, I bet you're totally lost right now." I glance down at the cigarettes in my hand, and then offer the pack to him. "You want one?"

"No, thanks," He shakes his head. I figured he wouldn't. "Athlete, remember? Smoking's bad."

"So are we," Alice smirks. I can't help but snicker a little.

"I'm startin' to see that," Jasper says, and he's got this mischievous sparkle in his eye that totally makes me feel hot all over. "You've been keepin' all these stories to yourself," he accuses, and I just shrug in response.

"Oh, Teddy, have you been trying to pretend that you're all sweet and innocent?" Alice teases, clucking her tongue at me. "We can't have that."

"Go ahead and sully my reputation all you want, half-pint," I say coolly. "I don't have much of one round here, anyway."

She gives me the don't-put-yourself-down look, and then turns to Jasper with a big-ass smile. "Want to hear some stories about my baby cousin's bad boy antics?"

"I kinda do." He smirks.

"Keep it clean, Ali," I warn her. I know how explicit she gets with her stories. "Don't go into graphic detail about… stuff."

She blinks at me for a moment. "What, you mean sex stuff?"

I shrug, feeling a little embarrassed. "Yeah. I guess. Jazz probably doesn't want to hear about… that sort of thing."

Now Jasper's frowning at me. "I can take it. It's not like I'm exactly pure and innocent. Besides, you think I don't hear enough graphic sex talk hangin' out in the locker rooms with the football team?"

"Yeah, but that's… different."

"Why? Cuz it's boy-girl?"

Well, yeah. He's not exactly going to freak out about 'normal' sex stuff, because it's not like he hasn't been there before. Alice is alternating glares between the two of us now, but I can tell that her disappointment is reserved for me. She warned me to just be myself and not hold anything back when I moved here.

"Fuck's sake, Edward!" Jasper hisses. "How many times do I have to tell you I don't care before you'll believe me?"

"People round here…" I start to justify myself, but he cuts across me.

"I'm not like the other people round here, and you damn well know it. I'm not some bigoted prick, so stop actin' like I'm suddenly gonna turn into one. Jesus!"

He's glaring at me, now, and I feel kind of bad. I look down at the floor and scuff my toes across the wooden boards, not wanting to meet either of their gazes.

"Take the boy at his word, Teddy, and chill the fuck out," Alice says bluntly. "I know you've been walking around on tenterhooks the entire time you've been here, but maybe the people in the South aren't as bad as you thought they were going to be."

I risk a glance up at them both, and immediately meet Jasper's eyes. I know he sees the shame and apology in mine, but I'm hoping that he doesn't see the slight reticence… because as much as I want to, I still don't quite believe him.

"Men," Alice grumbles to nobody in particular. "Is it any wonder I don't want anything to do with you people?"

We both look over at her to see her slumped down in her chair with her arms crossed so tightly that she looks unlikely to ever unfurl them again.

I chance a glance at Jasper. He's looking at me with amusement

We can't hold it in, and we both burst out laughing.


Christmas comes and goes without much incident. Alice grills me incessantly about my feelings towards Jasper, which I try to avoid talking about in too much detail, but even she can agree that he's really something to look at, so that's at least partway to validating my obsessive, all-consuming love for the boy.

Jasper loves the present I got him. It took me forever to find it. I remembered him saying about how his favorite book was On The Road, so I dragged Alice around every used book store in the county until I found a first edition. I give it to him on Christmas Eve, and he gives me tickets to this concert I've been dying to go to for months. It's a really sweet gesture, because the tickets are pretty expensive and I know that he doesn't have much money, so I'm over the fucking moon that he'd get them for me. When Jasper opens mine, he kind of looks like he might cry, and he just pulls me in for this massive hug that seems to go on for about a fortnight.

And, just like that, he's made my fucking Christmas.

Maggie falls asleep in her Christmas dinner, the same as she does every year. Mom overindulges on the eggnog, and Dad has to carry her to bed. Alice and I then have to turn our iPods up full blast while we sleep, because we both know from many a scarring experience that my parents get kind of frisky when they've been drinking.

And that's just too fucking creepy to even think about, let alone hear.

The week after Christmas is a strange one. I find myself spending lots of quality one-on-one time with Rosalie, of all people. She begged me on bended knee to let her help me work on restoring my Dad's old Merc – who knew cheerleaders were interested in mechanics – and we're in my garage, tinkering away for the third day in a row when an interesting – and fairly mortifying – topic comes up.

Jasper.

I roll out from under the car to see Rose standing over me, her long blonde hair pulled up into a bun and her eyes serious as she hands me a wrench.

"Edward, about Jasper…"

I freeze up. "Yeah?"

"Well, it's just… you know he's not, like, into guys, right?"

Oh. Dear. God. I cannot be having this conversation with my best friend's kid sister. "Um, yeah, Rose. I know that. Why?"

Yeah, ask an open-ended question and continue the conversation, Edward. What are you, the village idiot? I chide myself mentally.

"Well, it's just… I've seen the way you look at him, sometimes… and the book you got him for Christmas was real thoughtful… way better than any of his other shit…"

"Uh huh," I prompt, trying to ignore the little thrill of smugness that shoots through me when she tells me how much he appreciated it. "So?"

"So, I'm just sayin'… be careful, is all. You're a real cool guy, and I don't care that you're gay and that, neither does Jasper or anyone, but I just don't want you to get your hopes up and get all attached to my brother, cuz he ain't never gonna feel the same way."

Her violet eyes are kind of sad as she says this, like she's the one who is letting me down gently. I sort of want to curl up in a little ball and die of humiliation right now.

"Well, you don't have to worry, Rose, because I'm not, like, in love with him or anything." Surely the biggest lie I've ever told.

She buys it, though, because she seems to brighten considerably. "Oh, good. I just wanted to make sure. You're gonna make some guy real happy someday, Edward, even though it ain't my brother."

That is an uncharacteristically sweet thing for her to say, so I smile, and decide to let her whole intervention thing go. "So, do you want to just forget about the car and we can go inside and braid each other's hair and watch rom-coms?"

Rosalie rolls her eyes in a very Jasper-like way, and, just like that, the awkwardness of the conversation evaporates. "Jackass."


Alice has managed to score us tickets for this New Years party in Corsicana, and I genuinely don't know how she pulled it off, but I'm not going to ask questions. Any night with Alice in the mix is guaranteed to be – well, even if it turns out not to be fun, then at least it'll always be interesting. She dresses me with the critical eye of a girl majoring in the arts, and I have to admit, I look pretty good in my wine-colored shirt and tightest skinny jeans.

Alice, of course, is a total knockout in her barely-there black dress and fuck-me heels. She and I endure the 'drinking responsibly' lecture from my parents, and then she practically runs us out the house and down to my car.

We've got a room in a motel for the night, so that we don't have to worry about getting home trashed, and we can still drive up there. It's a good call on my cousin's part.

I kick the car into gear, enjoying the fact that Alice lets me drive above the speed limit on the way to Jasper's house.

"Hey, Teddy," she says conversationally, leaning over the back seat.

"Uh huh?"

"I went out for a drink with Jasper the other day…"

"I know," I say, keeping my eyes firmly fixed on the road. I'm unsure about where this conversation is actually going.

"And I asked him why he doesn't have a girlfriend, right…"

"Right…" I'm growing increasingly wary by this point. "And he said?"

"Well, he said he doesn't think about it, really. He's just not been bothered."

"So?" I say. "Is there some law that says a guy has to have a girlfriend?"

"No," Alice hedges. "But the quarterback of a small-town football team who looks – quite frankly – like the kind of guy you'd want to lick from head to toe, and don't give me that face, Teddy, don't act like you haven't thought about doing it – well, it just seems kind of… odd."

"Please tell me you didn't ask him what I think you asked him?" I mutter.

"Well, no. I'm not a complete idiot. But, Teddy, I'm not entirely convinced that Jasper isn't batting for your team."

My hands clench on the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles turn white, and I take my eyes off the road for a moment to throw her an incredulous look. "You what?"

"I'm saying… I wouldn't write him off as a hopeless case just yet. I think you might actually have a shot with him."

"Alice," I hiss. "Please don't fuck with me like this. It's not funny."

"Do you see me laughing?" she says, and there's not a trace of humor in her voice.

We pull up at Jasper's then, and my heart is going like the fucking clappers while she jumps out of the back and races up to the front door, heels clacking all the way. I feel like I can't breathe.

Could Alice be right?

Could I have been right, the first time I met him?

No.

Not possible.

Get it out of your head, Edward, before you end up breaking yourself in two.

I'm still lost in my own thoughts as I hear the car doors open at the side of me, and then Jasper's voice breaks through my reverie.

"Hey, Edward, are you ready to get completely shitfaced and…"

He trails off, sucking in a breath. I glance at him questioningly, to see his eyes fixed on me, about twice as wide as they usually are. He blinks, and the expression is gone. I take the opportunity to quickly check him out.

Holy fucking hell, you can see his abs through his t-shirt!

Jasper always looks like some kind of angel – I know it's corny, but whatever – but right now, wearing the new clothes Alice bought him for Christmas, he's the opposite. He looks like sin given human form.

Alice is totally right. I want to lick him from head to toe, and take my time doing it.

I clear my throat and slyly adjust myself. Maybe the tightest pair of jeans I own weren't such a good idea in hindsight, because I have a feeling this is going to get very painful… "You look good, Hale. Did Alice dress you?"

Jasper grins, and, fuck me, he's beautiful. "Yeah. Well, not physically, but she picked this stuff out." He plucks at the front of his shirt self-consciously. "You don't think the top's too small?"

I decide that I might as well show my appreciation in a joking way. "I'm probably the wrong person to ask."

I shoot him a wink.

And… Jasper turns fucking scarlet. He's so red that I can see the blush even in the dim green glow of the dashboard clock.

He quickly turns his head to look out of the window, and I'm worried that I've made him feel uncomfortable. I'm about to apologize, but he speaks first.

"Alright, man," he says, still not looking at me. "But if I get kicked out for looking indecent, you guys only have yourselves to blame."

"If I get kicked out for jumping on you, you only have yourself to blame," I mutter, quiet enough that he can't hear. Alice, who is hovering right beside me, does, however, and she laughs quietly.


We dump our stuff in the motel room, and then head straight out to the party.

It's like a proper New York party, teeming with life, and sweat, and the smell of spilled booze, and I grin at the others in excitement as we fight our way through the crowds of grinding and swaying people towards the bar. Both of them look equally stoked, and they're examining the crowd with interest; scoping out potentials, probably.

Alice waves some shot girls over, and insists on making Jasper and I down six tequilas and a couple of vodka shooters in a row before we even get our drinks. Jasper throws in another round of shots for good measure, and I'm already feeling the buzz as we fracture off in our own directions.

About ten minutes later, I accidentally stumble over some guy standing by a booth. He shoots out an arm to catch me by the elbow, and then flashes me a grin. He's all tan and blond, kind of like… Jasper. Only nowhere near as hot. But I'm drunk by this point, so he still looks pretty good.

"Watch yourself there, man," he says, in a Texas drawl that's not nearly as nice as Jasper's, but good enough.

"Sorry, I didn't see you," I say. "I'm kinda wasted."

"Me, too," he admits, with a laugh. He sticks out his hand. "I'm Josh."

"Edward," I yell over the music.

I don't know how it happens, but the next thing I know, we're making out up against a wall. It's kind of sloppy and drunken, but the way his hips are grinding against mine as he backs me up into the corner is turning me on, and I'm starved for sexual contact in this fucking state, so I get pretty into it.

He's not a bad kisser, or anything.

He moans into my mouth as I tug on his waist to pull him closer to me, and he deepens the kiss.

Okay, now he's kind of suffocating me…

I pull back a little, so that I'm not choking on his tongue, and then, out of nowhere, he jerks backwards like I've hit him.

"Dude, what is it?" I slur, because I'm way past hammered and I can't make my words come out coherently.

He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes wide and panicked. "What the fuck am I doin'?! How fuckin' drunk am I? What the fuck do you think you're doin', you fuckin' queer?"

"Hey," I say, holding my hands up and smirking. "I'll own up to it. But, just so's you know, it kinda takes one to know one."

The next thing I know, a fist comes flying at my face, and pain explodes in my lip. My head snaps back and hits the wall, hard, but it's a testament to how drunk I am that the pain vanishes a minute later.

Along with Josh, who just spins on one heel and hauls ass out of the club like there's a pack of wolves chasing him.

I blink, confused for a second, and touch my hand to my lip. My fingers come away wet and glistening with red. Blood. Huh.

I'm bleeding.

Wait, I'm bleeding?

Did that fucker actually just hit me?

What the hell? Issues, much?

I don't even have the sobriety to get angry about it. I just kind of sigh slightly.

And then I feel a hand on my arm, and I flinch back instinctively, whipping around.

I nearly pass out with relief.

It's Jasper, and he's reaching for me. I let him pull me close enough so that I can hear him over the pounding of the music.

"Edward, what the hell happened?" he demands, blue eyes ablaze with concern, as I wipe my hand on my jeans.

"Nothing. It's fine. Don't worry."

He grabs my shoulders and shakes me slightly, just once. "Tell me."

"It doesn't matter."

"It does to me." There's such sincerity shining in his gaze that I can't refuse him.

I'd never refuse him anything.

"Alright… well, I was kissing some guy and then he seemed to freak out about what he was doing and he punched me and took off. It's not a big deal. It happens." I shrug.

Jasper's whole demeanor changes. And, when I say changes, I mean it changes. I've always thought of Jasper as powerful but placid. Harmless, really.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Sweet he might be, but right now, he's burning with a rage so bright that I actually want to shield my eyes. He still looks like an angel, only now, it's the avenging kind. The kind that would rain fire down on the Earth and watch it burn. "He what?! That doesn't just fuckin' happen! What kind of fuckin' cunt would do that?"

"A sexually confused one," I say. He's not scaring me, because I know he'd never hurt me, but he's still scary. It's only now that I get it. He might be a softie at heart, but don't let it fool you – Jasper Hale is dangerous. "Calm down, Jazz. It's okay."

"I'll kick his ass." I don't doubt it. He looks like he could rip something limb from limb, barehanded.

"It's too late. He left. Let it go." I'm suddenly fighting tears. Why, tonight of all nights, do I have to be an emotional drunk? Why do I have to make out with the guy who wants to deck me when he realizes what he's doing?

Am I really that bad?

The fight seems to drain out of Jasper as he's studying me.

"Fine. Then we're leaving."

"No, you were having fun… I can't just…" I protest, but he cuts me off authoritatively. I've never heard him be like that before.

It's… fucking hot, if I'm honest.

"We're going, Edward. Where's Alice?"

I grin, but it hurts, so it turns into a grimace fairly quickly. "She left with some blonde chick just after midnight."

Jasper glances at his watch, blinks a couple of times, and then just ropes one arm around my waist. I lean on his shoulder as he walks me out to the door.


By some miracle, we manage to make it back to the motel. It takes Jasper three tries to get the key in the door, which makes me laugh.

"Let me…" I offer, groping for the key.

Jasper moves out of my way, and I open the door on the second attempt. I sway drunkenly over to one of the beds and sit down heavily, while Jasper shuts the door behind us. Reaching over, I turn on the lamp, though I have to cling to the bedcovers to keep from sliding off the side.

Holy shit, I'm drunk.

Jasper disappears off into the bathroom for a minute, and then comes back to sit down at my side. He's holding something in his hand. A damp washcloth.

He brings one leg across the bed, swiveling so that he's facing me. Or, he would be facing me, if I wasn't just staring down at my own knees. The events of tonight are starting to catch up to me, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm fucking embarrassed.

Why am I so fucking hopeless?

I nearly jump out of my skin as I feel Jasper's fingers brush under my chin and grab hold. He gently tilts my head up and turns my face so that I'm looking at him.

Jesus Christ, his eyes are so fucking blue.

"Jasper…" I murmur, trying to move out of his grip. I can't think when he's touching me.

"Hold still. I'm gonna clean your lip, 'kay?"

His voice is so gentle that I can't help but nod in response. I know he's drunk, too, from the too-bright eyes and the slightly uncoordinated movements, but he's trying his best to be careful as he cleans my lip up with the warm flannel.

I've never had someone want to take care of me like this before, and it's making my head spin. Or maybe that's because I'm holding my breath. I let it out in a sigh when he eventually releases my chin, though I can still feel the burn of his touch.

He studies me for a moment. "Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"You know that what happened isn't your fault, right? He was just bein' a… well, I dunno. Like you said, he was probably confused. It had nothin' to do with you." He runs one hand through his hair, like he doesn't know what else to say. "Or… you know, you might just be a fuckin' terrible kisser."

I laugh, because I know he's trying to cheer me up, and it's kind of working. His very presence is soothing my fraught emotions.

I reach over and jab him in the stomach, because my drunken brain really wants to know if his abs are as hard as they look.

They are. Sigh.

"Ow!"

He jabs me back.

"Hey!"

I sit there for a second, chewing on my tongue ring, trying to think of something else to say. Bit by bit, I can feel the intoxication decreasing, though I'm still a long way to sober.

Jasper lifts his hand, reaching out towards my face. I don't know what he's planning on doing, but I catch his palm before he can actually touch me. Then, without even thinking about it, I lace my fingers through his.

He stills, looking at me questioningly.

Shit… I didn't mean to take his hand. Um, backpedal…

I push the heel of my palm forward and start bending his wrist back on itself.

"Ow! Ow! Motherfucker! Stop it!" Jasper laughs, trying to squirm out of my grip. He's too drunk to manage it properly, though.

"Say 'uncle'!" I practically sing at him.

"Never!" he chuckles, wincing.

"Say it!"

I bend his wrist a little further, and he cries out, "Uncle! I give, I give!"

I relent, and I pull his hand back into a more comfortable position. I can't bring myself to let go of his fingers, though.

But then, he's not pulling away either…

"Thanks, Jazz. Who knew torturing you could make me feel better?" I say, smiling at him.

His answering smile is blinding.

I don't think. I've lost the ability to form thoughts, anyway. All I can focus on is how much I want to kiss him right now.

So I lean forwards, and that's exactly what I do.

It barely lasts a second, just a brush of my bruised lips against his, and they're soft, and pouty, and better than I ever imagined.

It's the best second of my entire life.

Until I realize what I'm fucking doing, and I pull back with a gasp.

Jasper's staring at me with eyes so wide that I'm kind of worried they're going to fall right out of his head. He's not even breathing as he sits there, like he's made of marble or something.

Oh, fuck, what have I done?

"Shit, I…" I let go of his hand like I've been electrocuted, and both of mine instantly tangle in my hair, like they always do when I'm stressed out of my fucking mind.

He's still not breathing…

Oh, God. I kissed him! What the fuck was I thinking? I crossed a very, very big line. There's no coming back from something like this.

He's still not fucking breathing…

I need to say something. Anything. An apology? A joke? Hell, actual words will do, Edward! "I'm sorry, I don't know what I… mmpfh!"

I don't manage to get the sentence out, because his arm flies out.

Oh, God, he's going to hit me, too…

His palm cups the back of my neck, and suddenly his lips crash back into mine.

I freeze for the space of a single heartbeat, stunned beyond all reason.

Jasper Hale is kissing me.

Wait, Jasper fucking Hale is kissing me? Why the hell am I frozen like an ice sculpture?

My hand fists around the material of the front of his shirt as the other one slides up into his soft, honey curls. He braces one hand on the bed, just behind me, while the other one lands on my hip.

And he starts kissing me for real, now. I'm not talking a chaste, friend kiss like I'd give Seth or someone. I'm talking the kind of kissing that epic poems are made of; open mouthed, breathing in each other's breath, fingers clutching at each other hard enough to leave a mark. My tongue flicks out to taste his lips, and I swallow first a groan, then a gasp, as he opens his mouth further and slides his tongue over mine.

There is no better feeling in the entire universe than Jasper's tongue in my mouth.

Forget epic poetry. This is the kind of feeling that makes religions.

Our pace slows, settling into a burning, passionate, unhurried sort of making out, like we've got all night, and we might as well make the most of it. He shudders when my tongue stud scrapes the roof of his mouth, and I swallow the low moan that escapes from the back of his throat greedily.

I honestly don't think I've ever been so fucking hard in my life.

Desperate for more, I shove him backwards onto the pillow, hovering above him as his hands hook into the belt loops on my jeans and he pulls me closer. My dick is actually hurting from the arousal of this – Jasper's tongue is deep in my mouth, exploring hungrily, and I don't feel like I'm choking. I feel like I'm being devoured. Savored.

It's more intoxicating than any drug ever could be.

I moan against his mouth when his hand slides up the back of my shirt, his touch burning like a brand in a really fucking good way. I'd built this all up in my head for so long, now, but I'm ecstatic to report that I've not been underselling his performance in my fantasies.

On the contrary – I haven't been doing him any justice.

We're both panting for breath in the brief seconds that his lips leave mine, but neither of us stops. I don't think either of us wants to. I would happily die right now of oxygen deprivation, if it meant that Jasper would keep kissing me the way he is right now.

I never want this to end.

He shifts slightly, pulling me down flush onto his hard muscled torso, and I groan again when I feel his cock against the top of my thigh. He's fucking rock-hard. He's into this.

He's into me.

I pull back, only to move my lips to his neck. I'm breathing so heavily that it's almost embarrassing, but I'm too fucking horny to actually care all that much. My lips brush against the frantic pulse in Jasper's neck, and I can't resist a taste of his skin. I flick my tongue out against his jugular, grinding my hips down so that I can feel his erection against my aching cock.

"Fuck, Edward!" he pants. An exhilarated grin steals its way across my face.

"What was that, Jasper? Did you like that?"

I thrust into him again.

"Oh, God," Jasper whimpers, and it's the sexiest fucking sound on the planet.

He likes this. Alice was right. He's not straight. Not completely, at least.

His hands seize my hips, and he flips me onto my back in one strong, sure move. He's pressing into me, now, and his eyes are lidded and so dilated that they look black, not blue.

Holy fucking shit.

I grin. "You fucking want me, Hale. I fucking knew it."

He practically growls back at me, "You fuckin' want me, too. You have ever since I spoke to you that day at school."

And then, he rocks upwards, so that now he's straddling me, his hands braced either side of my head on the pillow. Like he's got me pinned. I don't mind that, but I'm not going to let him have all the control. Not when I've been dreaming of touching him for so fucking long. I slide my hands up the back of his muscular thighs and grab his ass, which elicits a small yelp of surprise from him. Using him as leverage, my fingers bite into the denim of his jeans as I pull myself into a sitting position under him, so that his face is a couple of inches above mine and our chests are touching.

I can feel his pounding heart against my own.

Jasper locks his arms around my neck, gripping his own elbows, and I look up at him wonderingly as he leans his forehead down to rest against mine.

"Mmm…" I stroke my hands along his thighs, which makes him wriggle. This, in turn, causes my throbbing dick to brush against his, and I hiss at the glorious feeling of it, even through the layers separating us. "Fuck. This is turning into a strange night."

"Yeah," Jasper agrees, and his voice is raspy. My cock pulses so hard that it makes my legs tingle.

"You wanna know a secret?" I whisper.

"Okay." He whispers back.

"I've wanted you since before then."

He sucks in a surprised breath. "Since when, then?"

"Since you literally ran into me on those stairs at Lauren Mallory's house." Of course I had. He's the most perfect man in existence. And he's on my lap. In my arms.

Fucking A!

"In the kitchen that night…" Jasper murmurs. "When you cornered me…"

"You liked it." I finish his sentence for him, confident in what he's going to say, now.

"I… how did you know I was gonna say that?"

"Because your eyes dilated like fuck when I got all up in your face, and you could barely breathe." My lips brush against his when I next speak, and the feeling sends shivers of pleasure up and down my spine. "And I hoped… oh, I really fucking hoped that you might actually be interested. But then I got to know you, and I figured I'd read you wrong that first time."

"You didn't." He's playing with my hair, fingers twisting around the strands.

Holy fuck, Jasper Hale is playing with my hair!

"I get that, now." I lean in again, because I can't fucking resist, and I feel a thrill in my heart all over again when he kisses me back for a moment before I pull away.

"Hey, Jasper, why don't you have a girlfriend?" I murmur against his lips.

"You put Alice up to that, didn't you?" he accuses.

"No. She wondered about you all on her own." My lips brush along the rough stubble of his jaw, and he hums contentedly at the feeling. I'm fucking flying. "And you haven't answered my question."

"I've just been suckin' on your fuckin' tonsils, Edward, doesn't that answer your – ugh!" I thrust into him, and his hands grip my shoulders to keep his balance as he grunts in pleasure.

"Don't avoid the question. Answer it." I made Jasper groan. Go me.

He's quiet for a long moment, and the only sounds that fill the room are those of our labored breathing and pounding heartbeats.

Then, oh, God, then he tells me.

"You wanna know why I don't have a girlfriend, Edward?" His fingers slip into my hair, tugging on it now, and I can only nod in response, because my throat is closing over in need of both his answer and his touch. "Because, for the last few months, I've not been interested. I don't give a shit. Fuck girls. I don't want them. Any of them. All I can think about is you."

I crush my lips to his without waiting for any more, and his hands fist in my hair as I attack his mouth. I don't even care that my lip is all split, or that we're kissing hard enough for me to do some further damage to it.

I don't feel the lip.

All I feel is Jasper, warming my insides like sunshine with his words, and then heating me up to an inferno with every shift of his hips against mine, every graze of his teeth, every flick of his tongue.

I think he could probably make me come just from kissing me. It feels that fucking good.

I break the kiss, panting, and his eyes are so full of desire and ardor when I look at him that I feel like my heart is going to actually burst with happiness. I brush my nose against his in an Eskimo kiss, and trail my fingertips up his thighs again.

Jasper leans down and tenderly presses a chaste kiss to my injured lip, and I nearly melt into a puddle on the bedspread. When he allows a bit of distance between us again, I'm surprised that he doesn't notice the power of the emotions in my eyes.

Because my eyes are screaming; I. Fucking. Love. You.

Jasper gently pushes us both back down so that we're horizontal, and then slides off my hips, rolling to the side. His arms is still pressed against mine, and it's so fucking warm.

"Jazz?" I whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

He scrubs one hand down his face as I turn to look at him, and I catch a slightly bewildered but ultimately genuine smile as it graces his kiss-swollen lips. "Right now? I'm kinda freakin' out. But I'll be okay. Promise."

"Turn around," I murmur, and he clams up instantly, eyeing me warily.

"Why? What are you gonna do?"

I sigh. It's kind of funny that he's so skittish after he just attacked my face like that. "Chill out, cowboy, this isn't Brokeback Mountain."

Jasper chuckles. "Sorry."

"I think you should sleep. I think I should sleep. We can talk about this in the morning. And…" I hear Jasper inhale as I pause. "I know this is a lot to process, and if I keep kissing you tonight then I'm not gonna be able to stop. I've been fantasizing about it for long enough, and when the reality is better even than the fantasy, it's kinda difficult to control myself."

He shivers. He fucking shivers.

Hell yeah, Cullen.

Jasper reaches over and pulls on the lamp cord to plunge us into darkness. I can feel his body heat beside me, and it's so tempting to just put my arm around him and pull him close. Fuck it – I do it anyway, and he jumps slightly before settling against me.

We're actually spooning. Yes!

"Jasper?" I mumble, already starting to feel sleepy.

"Yeah?"

"Happy New Year."

With my arm tucked around his waist, feeling his warmth, breathing him in, I let my eyes close and am instantly transported off into a blissful, exultant sleep.


Thanks for reading!

PJ

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