Disclaimer: I so wish I owned this Eddie, but alas, I do not.


Chapter Nine- Chalkboard Symphony

Love is the devil counting teardrops in the rain
To the sound of a chalkboard symphony played with nails
For what it's worth I don't wanna see you hurt anymore
Than you have to

Dine on glass, wine on blood
Baby, love the hard way
Baudelaire in Braille
Baby, love the harder way
Once you lose yourself entomb
I promise you love the hardest way

-HIM- "Love, the Hardest Way"


Chicago, Illinois

October 2009

-Edward- (I know, I know, FINALLY!)

Edward shifted back on his side, looking at the man lying next to him. He was so utterly beautiful. Even if he did object to being called that, it was the best way for Edward to describe him.

'Him' was Edward's boyfriend, Jacob Black. He was Native American, with the most divine copper skin Edward had ever seen. His brown eyes were like pools of warmth and comfort, that Edward loved staring into and losing himself in.

Edward lifted his hand and trailed a long finger across Jacob's jaw line. Jacob smiled in his sleep and tilted his head in Edward's direction. Edward smiled too, when he saw Jacob's sleepy smile.

Everything about Jacob was beautiful to Edward. Perhaps one of the things Edward liked best was that he wasn't one hundred percent human. Jacob was a werewolf. Edward loved seeing Jacob in his wolf form, but what he liked more was that he couldn't read Jacob's mind.

Edward is a telepath, and for whatever reason, he can't read the minds of werewolves. He'd met a few other shape-shifters, a were-panther or two and once, he even met a vampire. His one meeting with a vampire had been exhilarating. Her name was Stacia, a friend to Jacob's wolf pack. There was an air of seduction surrounding the vamp that drew Edward to her instantly. She tried to glamor him so she could drink his blood, but she found Edward couldn't be glamored. She decided it was because of his telepathy that the boy couldn't be glamored. Stacia liked him anyway and chatted with him for a long time. She'd popped her fangs out for Edward to see. Edward loved having a conversation with her, since he couldn't read her mind, he only knew what she told him. He didn't have to work to shut out her thoughts or focus so he only answered what she said aloud. There had been more than a few times Edward had answered a question someone asked in their mind and not aloud. By the time their conversation was over, Edward found himself wishing Jacob were a vampire and not just a shifter.

He had a difficult time reading the minds of shape-shifters and weres, their minds were mostly snarls of thoughts and emotions, but if he was touching them he found her could 'hear' them better. As for vampires, he couldn't hear them at all. They were just a hollow space that he could only sense and not hear, like a globe full of peace with no words to disrupt the silence.

Sometimes Edward wished Jacob were a vampire so he wouldn't hear anything from him. He often heard things from Jacob he wished he hadn't. Edward decided long ago he couldn't date human men, they just had too many thoughts. Edward loved Jacob, but he couldn't exactly give Jacob an award for boyfriend of the year. He didn't always listen to Edward when he spoke, he sometimes chose to hang out with his wolf pack when he and Edward were supposed to have a date night. They'd had more broken date nights than they had actual dates. Jacob also had a knack for ignoring Edward when they were around his fellow wolves. If Edward got upset, Jacob would call him a woman and then apologize profusely for it. Edward always found himself forgiving Jacob and not really knowing why. Sweet words and an apology seemed to get Jacob anywhere with Edward. It was these times that Edward wished he weren't a telepath. If he weren't a telepath, he wouldn't be forced to date a shifter, he wouldn't be afraid of being alone and he'd be able to find someone, a human someone, that could love him and appreciate him like he deserved.

These were not the kind of thoughts Edward wanted to have first thing in the morning. Jacob stirred and opened his eyes. Looking up at his boyfriend, he smiled. Edward's hair was standing up in all directions and his eyes were tired, despite having slept as long as he did.

Edward got out of Jacob's bed and said, "I'm going back to my dorm. I have to study before I crash tonight."

Jacob groaned and tried to pull Edward back down on the bed with him, "Please don't leave."

Edward almost caved right then, but shook his head and wrenched himself from Jacob's grip. "I have to go, I'm sorry," he told his boyfriend. He leaned down and kissed Jacob's lips. "Go back to sleep, I'll see you tomorrow," Edward promised and then went out the door.

He was a little disappointed Jacob didn't offer to walk him out, but he shook that thought away and unlocked his car door. He loved spending time with Jacob, but he didn't like always having to go over to his apartment.

Even if his apartment is more private than Edward's dorm, he'd like it if Jacob would come to him sometimes. Jacob always asked him why he didn't just get an apartment close to campus to live in instead of a dorm. Edward could afford it after all. His parents were pretty wealthy, and Edward was an only child now.

Edward's father, Carlisle was a big shot lawyer and his mother, Esme was an interior decorator. They'd bought Edward a brand new pink Mini Cooper for his last birthday, when he'd turned nineteen.

Jacob laughed when he'd seen it. He called it a gay car, but Edward didn't care. He was gay after all. Edward got his revenge when Jacob tried to get into it. He'd never laughed so hard as he did at the sight of his six-five boyfriend folded into the tiny seat of his mini Cooper. Edward was tall as well, standing an inch over six feet, but Jacob was buff and bulky where Edward was thin and lean. Jacob now refused to ride in it since he said Edward couldn't control his laughter when he did.

As Edward arrived back at his dorm, he couldn't help but smile thinking about Jacob. There was just something so special about him that drew Edward to him. It was more than him being a shape-shifter, though. Edward went straight to his dorm and started on his homework. After about an hour of non-stop yawning, he gave up and went to bed.


The next morning, he woke late and had to hurry to get dressed so he wouldn't be late for class. He left his dorm wearing his favorite t-shirt, the front read "Schrödinger's cat is dead", and the back said, "Schrödinger's cat is not dead." Jacob had seen Edward wear that shirt a hundred times and Edward had explained it to him a hundred times with a hundred different examples and he still didn't understand why Edward loved the shirt so much.

Edward had hopes of becoming a physicist, and he loved science. He was a very logical person, but he also believed in the supernatural aspect of things. He pretty much had to when he can see into people's minds and his boyfriend sprouts fur regularly.

Later that day, Edward spoke to Jacob about plans for the next night, which was Halloween. Jacob wanted to go to his pack's Halloween party, but Edward just wanted to stay home and watch horror movies.

This was an area where Edward and Jacob butted heads quite often. Edward loved being at home and watching movies or creating something that Jacob wouldn't understand. Jacob was a wolf, and therefore loved to be around his pack. He thrived in big crowds, while Edward shied away from them.

He still wasn't sure if the fact he didn't like big crowds had anything to do with him being an uber nerd and getting picked on, or if it was because he was gay and got insulted for his sexual preference. Either way, he would rather just stay home. And as usual, he and Jake would have to come to a compromise.

He went back to his dorm that night and fell onto his bed. He texted Jake to ask about plans for the following night. Once again, Jake pushed the pack's Halloween party. Edward texted him to tell him he didn't really want to go. Edward wasn't even slightly surprised when his phone rang, Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" filling the empty room. Edward reached for the phone, sighing as he did, already knowing it was Jacob.

"Yes, dear?" Edward asked sarcastically.

"Eddie babe, you know how important this is to me," Jacob begged.

"I know, but you know I hate big crowds. Especially ones that get rowdy and we both know there will be alcohol and I do not want to deal with a bunch of drunk yelling wolves," Edward told him.

Jacob sighed, Edward could almost feel his frustration over the phone. "Okay, we go for ten minutes, just long enough to say hello and then we'll go do something else," Jacob suggested.

"Okay fine," Edward gave in. Something in his belly told him that Jacob's plan would not go as he wanted, but he relented anyway.

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow night, babe. Love ya," Jacob said and then hung up without waiting for Edward's reply.

Edward tossed his iPhone aside. "Love you, too, Jake," he said to the empty room before rolling over and falling asleep.


A/N: So this was a little shorter than the previous chapters but...this one had Edward! If you ask me nice enough, (or yell at me enough) maybe I'll put another chapter up later tonight. I may tell you I don't like the abuse, but I'm a dirty little bitch and love every single second of it. That being said, let the abuse begin!

Always, LCM