Between his bout with the flu and the office's yearly shutdown between Christmas and New Year's, it was well in to January before Edward had occasion to see Jasper again. He had spent most of his holiday trying to make merry with his family, but simply could not tear his thoughts away from his hope to win Jasper back. He still had no real plan in place, and the knowledge that Jasper would soon be setting up his temporary work space in Edward's building left his nerves on edge with anticipation.
After an awkward run in on Monday where Edward choked on his coffee and had to leave at lunch for a new shirt, Jasper had managed to elude him all week. Once again he was reminded of their first meeting, and Edward resolved that whatever happened, he could not move forward with his own life until he had tried to make amends with Jasper. This was how Edward ended up pacing outside Jasper's new office on a Friday afternoon carrying a small lunch cooler in one hand, and an invitation to an upcoming gallery opening in his back pocket.
"I know you're out there Edward," Jasper called from inside the small room. "Quit pacing and come tell me what I can do for you."
Embarrassment heated Edward's cheeks as he entered Jasper's office. He was only slightly relieved to see that the man was on the phone, giving him a few moments reprieve. Jasper waved him in as he continued his telephone conversation. "I know sweetheart; I've missed you too. I can't wait to see you tonight...It doesn't matter to me; whatever you'd like...Okay...I'll pick you up around five o'clock...I love you, too. Bye."
Edward's heart sank with every word. Alice had assured him that Jasper wasn't seeing anyone, but what if she had been wrong? No, he thought. Alice and Jasper were close, so she would definitely know the man's relationship status. He also knew better than to think that Alice would deliberately mislead him. Still, he was curious as to who Jasper would be speaking so intimately with, and that was almost enough to override the nervousness he felt about the request he was soon to make.
"So Edward, you needed something?" Jasper asked with an air of nonchalance.
Scrambling for an excuse, Edward thrust the cooler at Jasper and muttered, "Lunch. I mean, I thought you might be hungry, and ever since I had the flu last month, my mother insists on bringing me a week's worth of meals every Sunday." He was horrified at the verbal diarrhea pouring from his mouth."Anyway, it's too much food for one person, and I can't possibly justify throwing it away, so I thought I would share."
Jasper just stared at him blankly for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. "You've been pacing outside my office because you wanted to share your lunch with me?" Edward nodded furiously as the other man released a nervous chuckle.
Still clutching his lunchbox, Edward rose as if to leave. "I can see you're busy. This was probably a bad idea. I think I should go." He nearly made it to the door before Jasper called him back.
"Wait, Edward. I think I can make time for lunch if you really want to share."
Taking a deep breath, Edward turned back and sat across from Jasper once more.
"Sorry for interrupting your phone call," he said, opening the small cooler and producing two bottles of perfectly chilled iced tea. "Big plans for the weekend?" As soon as the words had left his mouth he wished he could take them back. He knew that Jasper would not be comfortable sharing too much personal information with him just yet.
"I'm sorry," he said again. "None of my business."
"It's really all right, Edward. We're going to be working together for the next few months, and things will be easier if we don't always feel like we have to walk on eggshells around each other." Jasper's tight smile did nothing to ease Edward's fear that they would never be comfortable together again, and he felt dismayed by the prospect.
"So, did you really just come to offer me sustenance?" Jasper asked, unconsciously throwing Edward a lifeline.
Hovering between encouraged and discouraged, Edward decided to just lay all his cards on the table. "Well, that's part of it," he offered. "I had lunch with Alice a couple of weeks ago, and I was showing her the adam5100 that I recently purchased. She reminded me that you were particularly fond of his work as well."
"I am," Jasper said with a suspicious grin. "I bought one of his pieces last year. I love the way he takes something you might see anywhere and makes it look completely abstract. Which piece did you buy?"
"Ockham's Razor; I've wanted it for ages. I went to an exhibit in San Francisco last year and was blown away by all of his work. The friend I was travelling with spent the next couple of months trying to convince me to just buy it already." Edward smiled at the memory of Jake and their one and only vacation as a couple, thankful that they had been able to remain friends after their break-up. "Anyway, when I was promoted to head of my department I decided to splurge and bought it."
"I would love to see one of his exhibits. I was in Palo Alto a couple of years back and missed one by a couple of weeks." Edward perked up as Jasper spoke, his hope renewed that his plan might be successful.
"Well," he began. "As luck would have it, one of the local galleries is going to be showing his work throughout February. I received an invitation to the opening next week..." Edward faltered as uncertainty washed over him once more, and he remembered the conversation he had overheard earlier. "You should go, you know," he said, waving his hand around in the direction of the phone. "I mean, you could come as my guest if you wanted. Or you could take someone else; your boyfriend or maybe the friend you were just chatting on the phone with. I'm sure you'll love it."
"My boyfriend? Not that it matters, Edward, but I don't have a boyfriend," Jasper proclaimed as Edward started to unpack sandwiches and chips from the lunch cooler. "But you're right that Bella might enjoy something like that."
Laying a sandwich and paper plate in front of Jasper, Edward replied,"Oh! Of course you were talking with Bella! I just assumed..."
"You shouldn't make assumptions Edward," Jasper snapped. "I would have thought you had learned that lesson by now." Edward could feel heat rising in his cheeks again at what Jasper was implying, and wondered how he might turn the conversation back to something more pleasant. Unfortunately, it looked like he would have to address the elephant in the room before he was ready.
"I was hoping to avoid the topic of our break-up until you were ready to hear my sincere apology," Edward responded frankly. "Although, I'm not sure I can ever convey how sorry I am. Alice has scolded me repeatedly over the years for using what she calls 'Ross Logic' to explain my behavior. I'm still not even sure what that's supposed to mean."
"Really?" Jasper asked sarcastically as he bit in to his sandwich. "'Ross Logic'? Friends? How can you not get that, Edward?"
"I get the reference, Jasper," he retorted. "I simply meant that comparing what happened between us to a tv show makes no sense. This situation was entirely different."
"If you say so," Jasper muttered.
Edward sighed in defeat. "Look, I just wanted to apologize to you and share some lunch; maybe invite you to be my guest at the opening next week. I didn't mean to offend you or upset you." He knew he might be pushing Jasper, but he could not help himself. If he was going to make a fool of himself in front of this man, he was going to do it all the way.
"You didn't offend me, Edward. I just don't really like to be reminded of what was, for various reasons, a very difficult time in my life." Jasper quickly changed the subject and attacked his meal enthusiastically. "What's on this turkey sandwich? It's delicious!"
"I think they're holiday leftovers from Esme's freezer. Like I said, she makes enough food for an army, and there's only so much a person can eat at one time." Exasperated by Jasper's attempted distraction, Edward took a deep breath before resuming their conversation. "Do you want to go with me?"
"Wait, are you telling me that you brought me a 'moist-maker' for lunch?" Jasper laughed out loud for some reason that Edward could not fathom, but managed to regain his composure fairly quickly. "I sense a recurring theme here, Edward."
"Ha, ha. You didn't answer my question. Do you want to go to the opening of the adam5100 exhibit next week?"
"What do you want, Edward?" Jasper asked seriously, his eyes meeting Edward's in a heated gaze.
"I just told you; I want to know if you'll be my guest for the opening." Edward was beginning to wonder if they were carrying on two entirely separate conversations, because clearly, Jasper had not been listening to him at all.
"I get that, Edward," Jasper responded with a huff. "But I'm asking, in all seriousness, what is it that you want from me?"
Edward's mind was flooded with a million thoughts. I want to relearn every inch of your body. I want to taste you, feel the warm weight of your cock in my mouth. I want to feel you deep inside of me, moving slowly at first, then hard and fast till we're both gasping for air.
"I...I want..." Long lazy weekends wrapped in each other's arms...
"I just..." walking on the beach, hand in hand, smiling as we share our most private thoughts...
"I want..." a house in the suburbs, white picket fences; family, holidays, love, laughter...forever.
Edward shook his head to try and clear the vision from his mind. Yes, he wanted all of those things, and maybe they could have them someday. But for now, Edward knew Jasper barely trusted him enough to accept his offered lunch, let alone the promise of forever. He also knew that he could never knowingly walk away from this beautiful, amazing, infuriatingly wonderful man again without risking his own heart.
"I just want a chance to get to know you again, Jasper. I...I know I destroyed what we had all those years ago, but I'm a different man now. I've worked very hard to be the kind of man who might be good enough to call you a friend. Please? I want us to know each other, not for our past mistakes, but for who we are now."
The room was quiet as Jasper met Edward's gaze. It seemed a long stretch of time as they faced off, almost in challenge as to who would give up first. For once, Edward did not run away.
"Okay," Jasper whispered in answer. "I'll go to the opening with you, but I'm not promising anything, Edward."
Smiling, Edward replied, "I understand, and I don't want to push you. Just...thank you. It means more than you'll ever know."
Jasper wrinkled his nose as if trying to repress a grin. "Thanks for lunch. This is seriously the best 'moist-maker' ever."
mrsyt31 A/N: Huge shout out to naelany & ArcadianMaggie for their mad beta skills, and many thanks and smooshes to PerfectlyPersuasive & Yogagal for inviting me to take part in this adventure! It's been a lot of fun!
Thanks for reading!
Yoga and PP AN: Hope you guys enjoyed mrsyt31's chapter! Leave her some love an let her know. We're still chuckling over the moist-maker here! Check out her profile for more of mrsyt31's fabulous fics, like her one shots Heart's Desire or From This Day Forward, You can find her in our favs! Next week, MizzHyde is up and we can't wait to se what sh oes with our boys!