Thank you, as always, to the fantastic beta team of naelany and wishinforlove.
I know this chapter is huge. I could have split it, but I liked it the way it is, so...sorry? ;)
Coordinating the Spring Break trip would have been near impossible for Edward to pull off without Angela's help. In return (though he knew she'd only been doing her job), he'd cleared it with the Dean that she'd get to accompany the group, expenses paid by the school since she'd be going as his assistant. Angela had seemed overjoyed at the offer and he added her to the list of chaperones that included Jasper, Alice, and Bella. She'd been invaluable in helping him put everything together, including getting the word out to students that they all needed to be in Forks Academy polo shirts on their travel days, and that they needed to bring their uniforms, as well as making all their travel arrangements and just generally handing things. In the back of his head he made a note that if he was offered the Director of Bands position full time, he wanted her promoted to his assistant and the department could hire someone else.
It was technically Monday morning when Edward, Jasper, Bella, and Alice found Angela already waiting with the two busses that would be taking them to the airport in Seattle. They had an early flight out of Seattle, so the students were expected in the parking lot with their things by 1:00 am. They could have driven to L.A., Edward knew, which would have probably been more cost effective, but he wanted to be able to walk when they finally arrived in Los Angeles, and he didn't know that he could subject everyone to that long of a ride. Besides, he justified to alleviate the feelings of selfishness, by flying they got to spend more time at their destination and less time travelling.
All of them were dressed in Academy polos, though were Jasper and Edward were in jeans, Bella was in a pair of black yoga pants that were cut about mid-calf, with a pair of chucks. When they'd teased her about it that morning as they dressed she just shrugged and said she wanted to be comfortable on the four and a half hour flight after the nearly four hour bus ride. Jasper toted the large suitcase that he and Edward were sharing, along with his backpack that contained his laptop and whatever else he'd packed to keep himself occupied. Edward had his suit and messenger bags. Bella toted a smaller suitcase on wheels and her own messenger bag. The students were only permitted a backpack and suitcase, along with their instruments; their instruments would, for the most part, be considered their carryon luggage. Edward hated the idea of air travel with musical instruments, had experienced too many mishaps to be completely comfortable with it, but Angela had found some extra insurance protection that made the thought a little easier, knowing that the school wouldn't be 100% liable of something happened.
"Morning, Mr. Cullen," Angela greeted him. Her hands were empty, and he guessed she'd already stowed her bags on one of the busses.
"Angela, please," Edward answered, a hit of pleading in his voice. He hadn't had quite enough coffee, and they'd opted against even bothering to try to sleep. Bella giggled and Jasper snickered on either side of him. "Edward, okay? It's too early for the Mr. Cullen bullshit. Actually, just drop the Mr. Cullen altogether."
"Well, for this week, I s'pose," she conceded.
"Thanks," Edward responded dryly, giving Bella's side a pinch when she laughed outright. Jasper laughed as well, taking Bella's suitcase from her to place them both in the underside bays of the first bus. There were too many of them to take one bus to the airport, and Edward knew that Angela had two busses lined up to meet them at LAX to drive them around for the five days they'd be there. He kind of hoped they'd have the same drivers all week; it just made things easier.
Jasper loaded Alice's luggage onto the second bus after Edward asked if she'd ride with Angela.
"What time are the students supposed to be here?" Alice asked.
Edward glanced at his watch. "Now," he said with a frown and a roll of his eyes. He knew it was early; that was kind of the point. They had an evening workshop to attend, and that, combined with the early and long day of travel was supposed to ensure that the students would actually sleep once they got back to the hotel for the night. "We've got a bit of a cushion, though. The flight's not until 6:30, and there shouldn't be much traffic this time of day."
His students began streaming in then from the dorms, toting suitcases, horns, and backpacks. A lot of them were dressed in pajama bottoms or sweat pants with their polo shirts. Jasper and Alice helped them stow their things on the busses while Angela and Edward took roll and got everyone sorted. Once everyone was accounted for, Edward made sure Angela had the duplicate set of the paperwork she'd prepared and boarded the bus, giving the driver permission to go.
Bella had curled up against Jasper in the front seat behind the driver, leaving Edward the pair of seats across the aisle to himself. He stretched out as best he could, his back to the window, legs straight across the two seats.
The drive was mostly quiet. It wasn't long before Edward took note that nearly everyone was asleep, Bella and Jasper included. Edward drowsed, never really finding a solid sleep, but let the music on his iPod lull him into a semi-meditative space that left him feeling rested when they pulled into their terminal at Sea-Tac.
Checking into the airport had been an adventure in and of itself. Everyone had luggage to check, and the adults supervised as the students checked themselves and their luggage in at the kiosks, then made everyone gather to one side so they could go through security as a group.
As always, Edward set off the metal detector when it was his turn through; one of the unseen lasting effects of his accident and surgeries was the metal rods and screws that held parts of his legs together. Once he'd been patted down and thoroughly searched, he rejoined the others on the terminal side of security.
"Listen up," he called over the group of students. "You have," he glanced at his watch "an hour and half to find breakfast, use the toilets, get magazines, whatever. I will be taking roll at our gate in 90 minutes. What gate will I see you at?" he asked.
"B11," the students responded, somewhat more spirited once they knew they'd have time to explore.
"Alright. Please remember that you're representing not only the school and yourselves, but also me, Dr. Swan, Dr. Whitlock, Ms. Brandon, and Ms. Weber. We wish to treat you like adults on this trip, but you're going to have to prove that you're continually worthy of that respect."
The students nodded and murmured affirmatives and he set them loose. They were good kids and he didn't expect anyone to get into too much trouble. He turned his attention back to the other adults. "Do I need to remind you where to be and when?"
Alice laughed. "Nope!" She linked her arm with Angela's. "Let's see what kind of breakfast we can find."
Angela sent Edward a look that seemed to be a mix of "help!" and "don't you need something?" and he waved them on. "See you in a bit." He swallowed his chuckle as Alice dragged the much taller woman off toward the entrance to the concourse where they'd passed a restaurant on their way in. "Coffee?" he asked the other two.
Jasper nodded, Bella's hand in his, and they made their way to the nearest of the two Starbucks in their wing. Jasper and Edward ordered coffee, Bella got hot chocolate, and they all got something to eat before they made their way slowly toward their gate, rather than taking up precious space in the small café area.
Bella still seemed to be half asleep as she snuggled against Edward best she could in the seat next to him, the arm of the chairs preventing them from getting too close. They talked quietly while they had their light breakfast and watched other passengers arrive. Some of the students had the same idea they'd had, and brought take-away containers of food and drink back with them as they gathered in seats and on the floor in a large group, easily identified by their matching shirts. Edward kept a silent headcount as they streamed back in, and by the time he'd said he was going to take roll, they'd all arrived.
When the airline employees got to the gate, Edward and Angela went to see if they'd be able to board early since they were a big group with a lot of carry-ons that couldn't be checked at the last minute. The staff had been alerted and agreed. The group from Forks Academy boarded and Edward found they were largely spread out throughout the plane in pairs. He'd already given his lecture on behavior, and he trusted his kids to be good. Edward made another note to give Angela a nice thank you gift when they returned as he found that his seat partners were Jasper and Bella. They arranged themselves so Bella was in the middle, the armrests between the seats raised, with Edward on the aisle so he could get up and move.
Bella slept for the first half of the flight after takeoff, her head nestled against Jasper's shoulder and her legs tucked up under her; not for the first time Edward found himself jealous of her flexibility and smaller frame. Jasper read, one hand toying with a wisp of Bella's hair as he listened to his iPod. Edward flipped back and forth between a novel and score study, getting up every 30 minutes or so to walk the aisles and check on the students as much to stretch his legs. Once she'd woken up, Bella pulled some yarn and a hook from the bag under the seat in front of her and went to work on her latest project, her own earbuds slightly concealed by her hair. They didn't talk much, though they could've; it just seemed like they needed to be in their own little bubbles as the flight progressed.
By the time they landed, Edward was desperate for air that wasn't recycled, and he could feel Bella starting to get a little twitchy next to him, despite her ease at changing position and stretching as needed. He'd already asked the students to be the last ones off as a courtesy to the other passengers, and they complied and assembled as a group just out of the way of their gate. Edward did another quick headcount and noticed Angela doing the same before they trooped off to baggage claim and then the busses.
Before he got on the bus, Edward conferred with Angela to go over the announcements to the students. Once on board, Edward took the microphone from the bus driver and started his spiel to his students.
"Welcome to L.A.," he began and some of the students laughed. "I want to give you a bit of the itinerary for today and lay out the ground rules for this week. When we get to the hotel, Ms. Weber and I will be getting us checked in. Please remain on the bus until we come get you. You already know who you're rooming with and we're not doing any switching around, understood?"
After everyone nodded and murmured agreement he continued, bracing himself against the seat as the driver set out. "We're going straight to the hotel, and you'll have a couple of hours to yourself. You're on your own for lunch today; there are several places to eat within walking distance of the hotel. You need to be back, in the lobby, in your polo shirts and jeans by 2:30. We have a workshop at Disney at four. This is a combined workshop, so Jazz Ensemble only folks, you may be working with some concert band music." He knew that wouldn't be a problem; most of them had done concert band at some point in the recent past. "Please make sure you have your instruments with you."
He glanced down at his notes. "After the workshop we'll be having dinner together as a group, then returning to the hotel. You'll be very happy to hear that since it's Spring Break there's no enforced study time, though I happen to know for a fact that some of you had some work assigned over the break," he said with a smirk to groans. "Tonight you've got free time in the hotel, and the general rules apply. You're not old enough to order porn, and I'll know who did it, and I'll send you home if I have to," he threatened. "The pool is heated and open until 10 pm, and you can hang out in the lobby or whatever. If you are hanging out with the opposite gender, please leave the doors open. If you leave the hotel to go to one of the restaurants, you must check out with me or one of the other chaperones and tell us where you're going, and make sure to check back in, and take a buddy. We will be doing room checks, and you have an 11 pm curfew. Remember that we're trusting you to be adults. Please don't violate that trust or I will not hesitate to send you home. Any questions?"
There weren't any, and Edward hung up the microphone and took his seat next to Bella at the front of the bus; Jasper had taken the seat across from them.
At the hotel, Edward and Angela again went ahead to get everyone checked in. The students were mostly four to a room (there was one with five). On paper, Angela, Bella, and Alice were sharing while Jasper and Edward had a room to themselves. The students had all self-selected their roommates and once they'd poured off the busses and grabbed their luggage, Edward and Angela started distributing keys and room numbers.
Once everyone had everything off the bus, Edward confirmed the schedule for the afternoon with the drivers, and went with Jasper and Bella to find their room. They pretty much had a whole floor to themselves. The students were getting settled into their rooms as Edward limped down the hall, and he peeked in as they passed, subtly checking on everyone. The girls were in the room across from Edward and Jasper, putting all the adults in the middle, which was at least familiar given the structure of the dorms.
Jasper placed their luggage on the racks in the room and vanished around a corner which Edward assumed was the bathroom.
"Hey," Bella said, getting Edward's attention with a light tug on his free hand as he dropped his messenger bag onto the bureau.
"Hm?" he turned to face her.
"You should sleep," she said quietly, resting her palm on his belly over his clothes and tucking herself under his chin. "It's going to be a long afternoon and you've been up for 36 hours." Her luggage stood by the door, which was propped slightly open with the privacy lock.
Edward slid the handle of his cane back onto his forearm and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yeah," he agreed, lightly resting his chin on top of her head. "But I've got things to do."
Bella arched her back slightly and Edward shifted, letting her meet his gaze. "You do, or you need to supervise Angela doing things?"
Nothing that had to be done before the workshop (mostly confirming all their reservations) had to be done by him, and if he had to wager, he'd say that Angela was already working on it while Alice sorted out their clothes and unpacked. He sighed.
Bella smiled softly. "Sweetheart, you won't do anyone any good if you run yourself into the ground before this trip has even started. You've got nearly two hours to sleep; I know it's not a lot, but take what you can get, please?" Her smile had transformed into that half-pout she did so well.
Edward kissed her softly. "Alright," he agreed, knowing she had a point. "Sure you guys can keep everything under control?"
Bella just gave him a dirty look and stepped out of his embrace. Edward raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Alright, alright, I'm going," he said, dipping his head to kiss her again quickly, then moving to the bed to kick off his shoes. Jasper hadn't emerged from the bathroom yet, but he could hear water running. With a sigh, he settled on top of the covers. He was asleep almost immediately.
When Bella woke Edward sometime later, he saw that their luggage had been stowed, which meant that everything had been unpacked into the bureau. Bella had also changed into jeans and put her hair up more securely than it had been while they travelled.
"Did you guys eat?" Edward asked, shifting to sit on the edge of the bed, stretching.
Bella sat next to him and rested her head against his shoulder. "Yup. We brought you a sandwich."
Edward kissed the top of her head. "Thanks. Where's Jasper?"
"Wrangling some students," she answered flippantly. "Everything's fine," she assured him before he could start to get worried. "A few rooms got together and ordered some pizzas for lunch and got a little rowdy," she explained, taking his hand and twining their fingers together. "He's dealing with it."
"Okay." He kissed the top of her head again and glanced over at the clock next to the bed. There was still a half-hour before they needed to be in the lobby to meet the busses for their workshop. He'd only slept for about a two hours. Edward scrubbed his hands over his face with a soft groan. At least he knew he'd sleep well when they got back to the hotel that night after dinner.
Bella nudged him gently. "Go clean up and come eat," she directed quietly. "Alice, Angela, and Jas have everything under control for right now. We'll be able to take it easy tonight so you can sleep, okay?" her smile was warm and bright and Edward turned so he could kiss her full on, a hand sliding along her jaw, stopping just under her ear as he cupped her face. Her eyes were sparkling when he pulled away and he kissed her on the nose.
"Okay." He gave her a squeeze and rose, reaching for his cane that he'd propped up against the nightstand. Edward made his way into the bathroom and found their things on the counter. He washed his face and combed his damp fingers through his hair, feeling slightly more refreshed. He was just glad that he wouldn't have to do much during the workshop that afternoon.
Bella had unwrapped his sandwich and produced a bottle of rootbeer from somewhere when Edward returned to the bedroom. She joined him at the table off to one side and they talked as Edward ate, feeling himself wake up slightly as his delayed lunch was consumed.
"Hey you," Jasper said as he entered. "Sleep well?"
Edward shrugged, swallowing the last bite of his sandwich. "What little of it there was."
Jasper crossed the room and kissed him softly, then Bella with a fond smile as she turned her face up expectantly. "We'll just have to make sure you sleep well tonight then," he said with a leer.
Edward snorted. He really didn't think sleep was going to be an issue for any of them, but he'd roll with whatever mischief they got into once the students were in for the night. Bella rolled her eyes but kissed Edward's cheek before she got up and disappeared around the corner into the bathroom. Jasper slid into the chair she'd vacated.
"Doing okay?" he asked quietly
Edward nodded. "Stiff and sore, but much better than when we went to San Francisco."
"You'll let us know if you need anything, right?"
Edward smiled and leaned over to kiss Jasper softly, curling his fingers into the soft hair at the back of Jasper's head. When he broke the kiss, Edward rested his forehead against Jasper's and felt the other man's breath wash across his cheek. "Of course," he answered softly. He felt Jasper's answering nod, and smiled at the happy sounding sigh that came from the other side of the room. "Come here," Edward said to Bella, holding out his other hand in invitation without breaking contact with Jasper.
She slid onto their laps, half on Edward's thigh and half on Jasper's, wrapping her arms around their backs for balance.
"Thank you for coming with me," Edward said quietly. "I know it's going to be a long week, but hopefully we'll get a little time to ourselves."
"I think you'd have had a hard time getting us to not come with you," Bella answered. She kissed him softly, then turned and kissed Jasper before sliding from their laps. "We should get going."
"Slave driver," Jasper muttered, but Edward saw his smile. Jasper rose and gave Edward a hand up, kissing him before stepping away. "Thanks for letting us come, even if we're going to have to actually work," he said, teasing.
Edward grabbed his messenger bag from where it was still sitting at the foot of the bed while Jasper picked up his backpack and took Bella's hand, following Edward out.
The students were all assembled promptly, and after he took roll, they clambered excitedly on the busses for the trip to Disney for their workshop. They were there plenty early and the students somewhat patiently waited, and eventually they were led into their space and met the clinician.
The workshop was 90 minutes, and Edward learned a lot of tricks from the Disney staff member who led his students through various exercises. The students seemed to have a really good time, though it seemed like the rest of the chaperones were maybe not as impressed, not that Edward could blame them. Bella worked with some yarn and Jasper read, while it looked like Alice and Angela chatted quietly, and Edward was sure they were quickly on their way to becoming good friends.
While the students packed up, Edward thanked the clinician, once all the students' questions had been asked and answered. Bella and Jasper guided the students back to the busses while Alice made sure nothing had been left behind. She snagged up a few sweatshirts that had been left on the backs of chairs and carried them out to the bus just ahead of Edward and Angela.
Though they were all eating dinner at the same place, Angela and Edward decided that a buffet was probably the best choice so that the students could have freedom to do their own thing while still being (ostensibly) supervised, and the chaperones could have a bit of a break. Angela called ahead from the bus to let the place know they would be invading with 70 people and planned to be there for about two hours.
Angela went off the bus first when they arrived to pre-settle the bill, then came back to make the announcement to the students. "Listen up, please," she called over the microphone of the first bus. "Your dinner includes the buffet and a soft drink, water, ice tea, or coffee. Anything else needs to be paid extra at the register. Make sure the person at the register sees your t-shirt; that's your meal ticket tonight." With that she handed the microphone back to the driver and made her way off to the second bus to repeat the announcement.
"Dismissed!" Jasper called to general laughter, and the students streamed off the bus, leaving bags behind after being assured that the bus would be secured while they ate.
Once the students had gone through and gotten their food, the chaperones went through. Edward noted that he and Bella all took fairly small portions of their selections, since they were sharing a tray; for his part, he was tired enough that he really didn't feel like eating, and he could only guess by the way Bella was kind of shuffling along that she was the same. "Not hungry?" he asked her quietly, only somewhat worried.
She shrugged, offering him a half smile. "Tired."
He kissed the top of her head before stepping to one side so she could carry their tray. "Yeah, me too."
They joined Angela and Alice at the large table they'd selected, Jasper squeezing in on one end of the table.
"Angela, I'm so glad you were able to come with us," Edward said sincerely. "I don't know that I'd be able to manage without you."
Angela smiled and shrugged. "It's no problem. My boyfriend's on maneuvers this week anyway, so I was just going to mope around at home, since I couldn't go see him. It's nice having someplace to visit."
"Maneuvers?" Jasper asked.
She nodded. "Ben's ROTC at Washington State."
"How long have you been together?" Alice asked, and from there they started to get to know Angela a little bit better, driven mostly by Alice's need to know everything about everyone. They learned that she and Ben had been high school sweethearts, and that Angela had finished her degree a year ahead of Ben, but was waiting to go back to either graduate school or to get her teaching certificate once they found out where he'd be stationed with the Army. Edward was sad to know that he might lose her at the end of the school year when Ben graduated and he got his assignment.
The chat made the meal pass quickly as they all shared a bit about their lives, mostly for Angela's benefit, and before Edward knew it, the two hours they'd promised the students was up and they were ready to go.
Back at the hotel, after giving the drivers the schedule for the next day, Edward rejoined everyone in the lobby. The students, re-energized by dinner, fled to their rooms to change into non-uniform clothes or swim suits and headed for the pool or lounge. A couple of students had brought some cards and set up some games, while another had brought one of Bella's favorites, Apples to Apples, and started a small game, inviting other hotel patrons to join them. They were well behaved, and Edward was proud of the way they handled themselves as they socialized.
At ten, Edward made the announcement that they needed to be shutting things down for quiet hours. Though there curfew was eleven, he felt better having them beginning to head for their rooms rather than leaving everything to the last minute. The students all complied, and by eleven, Edward and the others had no problems checking the rooms and making sure everyone was in for the night. He had a roll of blue tape in his bag, but didn't think he'd need to use it; none of his kids wanted to get sent home, and they knew he'd do it if any of them broke the few and simple rules he'd laid out for them.
After bidding Alice and Angela goodnight, Edward, Jasper, and Bella went into their room. Bella sagged onto the bed with a quiet groan, her elbows on her thighs as she cradled her head in her hands. Jasper kissed the top of her head and whispered something to her that made her nod as Edward crossed to the bathroom and his toiletry bag where he'd packed his pills. He took his regular evening dose and brushed his teeth quickly after taking out his contacts, before moving back into the bedroom to change into a pair of pajama bottoms and a thin t-shirt. He settled in an open space and worked through some stretches he'd learned from Jane, while on the other side of the bed, Bella, changed back into her yoga pants and a tank top swept through some yoga positions while Jasper changed and used the bathroom.
"You guys make me feel like a slacker," Jasper commented, turning off the bathroom light behind him. "I feel like I need to go for a run or something now," he teased.
Edward grinned. "There's a gym with a treadmill downstairs, if you think you're not going to get enough exercise in running after the students this week."
Jasper returned the smile. "Naw, I think I'll be good."
Bella, apparently finished with her own brief workout kissed Jasper's cheek lightly as she passed him, taking her turn in the bathroom. It took her a few more minutes than it'd taken Jasper and Edward, and by the time she returned, Edward'd finished his stretches and Jasper had turned down the bed and switched off all the lights besides the one just next to the bed.
Edward accepted Jasper's hand up off the floor. Bella climbed into bed with a happy groan and sigh as she laid on her stomach in the middle of the bed, her arms curling around a pillow. Jasper kissed Edward and let him go, moving to the opposite side of the bed to slide in behind Bella, while Edward propped his cane up against the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed, setting the alarm for the next morning. After switching off the light, Edward stripped out of his t-shirt before swinging his legs up onto the bed and turning his body toward Bella's. Her breathing was already deep and even, and Edward quickly followed her into sleep, feeling Jasper's hand warm on his back as he drifted off.
Beside him, Bella groaned as the alarm sounded Tuesday morning. Edward laughed softly and kissed the top of her head, letting her snuggle back up to Jasper as he climbed from the bed and headed to the shower. They had to get an early start to get the students organized for the day; they had two workshops at UCLA in the morning, and then after lunch another workshop for the concert band back at Disney before the Jazz Ensemble performed in the park. The day was full, but Edward had planned for that and Wednesday was a 'free day' at Disneyland for everyone.
When Edward was done in the shower he dressed in slacks and a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. The students largely had some kind of uniform to wear most days, whether their polo shirts (which they'd be gathering up to wash Wednesday evening) or the tour t-shirts Angela had ordered. It cut down on the amount of packing the students had to do, but also made it easier to keep track of everyone (not that Edward couldn't identify all his students on sight). He slipped into his shoes and perched on the edge of the bed, pressing his lips to Jasper's. "Hey, baby."
Jasper's eyes blinked open and he smiled softly. His eyes were clear, so Edward knew he'd been awake for a bit. "Mornin'."
"I'm going down for coffee and stuff. You might want to get her moving," he said, gesturing at their sleeping girlfriend. "We need to be downstairs in just over an hour."
"Mmkay," Jasper answered with a soft smile.
Edward kissed him again and rose, snagging his key from the bureau before letting himself out, hearing Jasper start to rouse Bella as he left.
He found several students roaming the breakfast buffet in their pajamas and he greeted them with nods as he filled two cups with coffee and one with hot water, stuffing a tea bag into his pocket. He loaded a plate with sliced fruit and another with pastries and begged a tray from an employee to get everything back up to their room.
The shower was running and the bed was rumpled and empty when Edward returned. A thud from the bathroom made him smile and shake his head as he set the tray on the table in the room. A second heavy sounding noise, followed by a groan and a giggle had Edward laughing softly and fighting the desire to strip out of his clothes and investigate. They didn't really have time for that, so Edward switched on the TV and found local morning news to occupy himself as he had his coffee and waited for his lovers to emerge from the bathroom.
Bella came out first, her hair wrapped up in a hotel towel, her own robe draped over her shoulders. She was smiling brightly, color high on her cheeks as she crossed the room to where Edward was sitting and kissed him softly.
"Have fun?" Edward asked with a smirk as she perched on his thigh, reaching for the tea he'd started when he heard the shower shut off.
"Mm-hm," she answered with a smile, blowing across the top of the cup before she took a sip, her eyes lowered, but she was looking at him, her smile fading to a shifty smirk.
"What?" He asked, wrapping an arm around her back to keep her steady.
She shook her head as she took a long drink of the hot beverage.
"Yeah, I doubt that," he answered, kissing her temple as Jasper drifted out of the bathroom, limping slightly, a towel slung low around his hips, his hair in wild disarray where he'd run a towel through it. Edward gave Jasper look and he just shrugged.
"Sex in the shower always sounds like a better idea than it really is," he answered dryly. "Especially with someone as klutzy as our girl."
Bella started laughing, inhaling a mouthful of tea which set her coughing. Edward rescued the cup from her hands so she didn't spill and scald herself as he rubbed her back. Tears were streaming down her bright pink face, and Jasper just rolled his eyes and moved to the bureau where he'd unpacked his clothes.
"You okay?" Edward asked Bella when she'd stopped coughing, snorts of laughter still escaping her.
Bella just nodded. She kissed him quickly then hopped off his lap to find her own clothes.
"Stay away from me, woman," Jasper said, the grin on his face making the comment more teasing than hurtful. "I think you've done me enough damage today."
"I kissed it and made it better," she protested.
Edward wondered exactly what had transpired in the shower, but decided he was better off not knowing the details as Jasper snorted, but kissed her softly before he dropped his towel and shimmied into a pair of boxer briefs. He heard Bella hiss through her teeth and he looked up from the piece of melon he was trying to spear to see a truly contrite look on her face.
"Sorry, Jas," she said quietly.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Jasper consoled her, tugging her into a hug. "It'll bruise, but it'll be fine. No permanent harm done, and it was all in the name of fun, right?"
She nodded, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.
"So stop worryin'," he chastised, running his thumb over her lips to free it from her upper teeth. "Get dressed before Edward has a conniption."
Edward rolled his eyes but Bella giggled, and Jasper turned back around, revealing the mark across the back of his thigh that had gotten Bella's attention. If he had to guess, Edward'd say that he was rammed into the soap ledge in the shower. Jasper tugged on a pair of snug fitting jeans and a clean Forks Academy polo. Bella dressed in a long denim skirt with a tour t-shirt over a long-sleeved t-shirt. Once they were dressed, they joined Edward for a quick breakfast before Bella went off to do something with her hair, and Jasper unpacked and repacked the backpack with things they'd need for the day. The TV remained on low in the background as they chatted while getting ready, and with a few minutes to spare, they headed back down to the lobby where Angela and Alice (and just a couple of students) were waiting.
Once all the students had gathered and Edward had taken roll, he ran through them the itinerary for the day. The students loaded up and they set off for their first workshop of the day with two band directors at UCLA.
They were met at the school by some student escorts, who split the bands up and led them away. Angela, Bella, and Alice trailed behind the Wind Ensemble, leaving Edward and Jasper to accompany the Jazz group. Edward grabbed a map from one of the young women guiding the Wind Ensemble away so he could find them later.
Edward and Jasper took seats along the wall in the rehearsal hall and observed the workshop without interfering. After an hour, Edward took off with a nod at Jasper to seek out his other group. He found them hard at work on the floor below, Alice, Angela, and Bella likewise sitting quietly at the room, watching the proceedings. When they were finished, Edward and Angela thanked both directors (and were told that they'd get tapes of both workshops in the mail in the next couple weeks) and then guided the excited students back toward the busses.
Angela had booked a restaurant banquet room for them to have lunch as a group with a pre-arranged menu selection for everyone to choose from. The students were still pretty hyped up from the workshops, so Edward was glad they had a secluded room to themselves so they weren't disturbing other customers. Energetic though they were, the students were well behaved, not giving their serving staff too much trouble. The adults were spread through the group, so Edward didn't get a chance to talk with Jasper or Bella, but the students kept him almost busy enough he didn't notice. Once again, Edward took the opportunity of having all the students gathered to remind them of the afternoon schedule.
After lunch, they were headed to Disneyland. The concert band had a workshop, and following that the Jazz Ensemble was performing at Carnation Plaza. One bus, Bella, Angela, and Alice would remain at the park for those students who wanted to take advantage of the evening hours they had free. Edward, Jasper, and the other bus would take any remaining students back to the hotel for the evening. The students were on their own for dinner.
Edward and Angela went with the Wind Ensemble to their workshop while the others took the Jazz Ensemble into the park so they could get set up and ready for their performance. The workshop for the Wind Ensemble went well and the students had a lot of fun getting to be studio musicians for awhile, and they had just enough time to make it from the workshop space into Disneyland for Edward to change backstage at Carnation Plaza and lead the Jazz Ensemble on only a couple of minutes late. They had a large audience, mostly augmented by the Wind Ensemble being required to attend, but it also seemed like a lot of park visitors were taking advantage of the place to sit down and enjoy live entertainment while having a snack.
Edward didn't bother to change after the concert. Once the students had decided who was staying behind for a few hours of fun and who was ready to return to the hotel, Edward and Jasper shepherded the hotel-bound group back to the bus. Some of the students were visibly wilting, and Edward couldn't really blame them. The ride back to the hotel was quiet as the subdued students were lulled by the motion of the bus; Edward found himself in a similar state, his eyes drooping closed, and he heard Jasper's quiet chuckle when Edward's head landed on Jasper's shoulder.
"We're here, baby," Jasper said softly when Edward felt the bus come to a stop.
Edward pulled himself upright while Jasper moved to stand.
"Same rules apply guys, alright? Co-ed social time means open doors. Quiet hours at ten, doors closed in your own rooms at eleven, if not before," Jasper said. "If you leave the hotel, remember to have a buddy and check out with Mr. Cullen or myself and let us know where you're going, right?"
"Yes, Dr. Whitlock," the students chorused.
Jasper laughed. "Get out of here," he said, moving out of the aisle of the bus to let them by.
The students dragged their bags and instruments off the bus and Jasper and Edward waited until the bus was empty before they got off. Edward was stiff and it took him a minute to get moving once they'd come down the stairs from the bus, but Jasper was patient and slowed his pace to match Edward's.
Once he got moving Edward was okay, and he and Jasper made their way up to their room to drop off their bags. Jasper shut the door behind them, and Edward looked up, thinking they were going back downstairs to be accessible for the students. Instead, Jasper pulled Edward to him and kissed him deeply, his hands sliding against the stubble on Edward's jaw. Edward deepened the kiss, opening his mouth to Jasper's tongue, hearing himself moan softly as he and Jasper drew each other closer.
Edward felt Jasper respond, and felt him harden against Edward's thigh, where he'd shifted his leg between Jasper's. Edward broke the kiss. "Baby, we have to stop," he gasped out, skimming his hand up Jasper's cotton-clad belly to his chest. "The students…"
Jasper sighed, his forehead resting against Edward's. "Yeah."
Edward kissed him again, more tenderly than needy. "After Bella's back, and light's out," he promised quietly with a small smile.
Jasper nodded. They stayed together for another long moment until Jasper straightened. "Alright. Let's go be grown-ups."
Edward chuckled, kissed him again swiftly, then led him back out into the hall. They checked the rooms, finding open doors and mostly quiet students relaxing, and then headed down to the lobby.
"Dr. Whitlock?" A couple of students were standing by in sweats with towels draped over their arms, and Jasper followed them out to the pool to supervise while Edward settled down to split his attention between a game of spoons, a study session, and the novel he'd packed. It was early evening, and, after awhile, several of the Forks Academy students checked out in pairs or small groups to venture out for something to eat.
Edward texted Bella, and she let him know that they were getting something to eat while still in Disneyland, so Edward went in search of Jasper. He was still at the pool, stretched out on a lounge chair keeping half-an-eye on the students in and around the pool. "Hey," he greeted, lowering himself into the chair next to Jasper.
"Hey," Jasper responded with a smile. "What's up?"
"Food?" Edward suggested.
Jasper shrugged.
"Not hungry?" Edward asked, shifting to prop his left leg onto Jasper's lounge, idly (and subtly) running his toes over Jasper's calf.
"Not really," Jasper answered. "Are you? I can hold things down if you want to go grab something."
"Will you be later?" Edward asked in response, not really answering the question.
"Yeah, probably. What are you thinking?" Jasper shifted his leg to brush up against Edward's calf.
"Seeing if the desk clerk could recommend a Chinese place that delivers," Edward answered. "Bella's eating with the girls in the park, and that way we can piece or have leftovers for later this week. We can't leave the students here unsupervised, and I don't want to go eat by myself."
Jasper nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."
"Want me to get anything special?"
Jasper shook his head. "You know what I like," he said with a bit of a leer.
Edward kicked him lightly as he rolled his eyes.
Laughing, Jasper continued. "Whatever you want is fine," he said over the splashing going on in the pool.
"Okay," Edward agreed, levering himself out of his chair. "You're okay out here?"
"Oh yeah," Jasper said with a grin, stretching his arms up over his head before bending them to rest his head on them, his elbows sticking out. "Sunshine, water, warm weather. What's not to be okay?"
"Well, if you get sick of it, lemme know and I'll take over lifeguarding duty," Edward said with a smirk.
Jasper nodded and offered Edward a wink before Edward made his way back inside to speak with the desk clerk. She gave him a couple of menus with a bright smile, and Edward took himself off to a corner where he could still see what was going on in the lobby area to order dinner for himself and Jasper. He gave the restaurant his room number, but said he'd be waiting in the lobby if they could just take the delivery to the front desk. He was promised to have his food in less than thirty minutes.
While he waited, Edward paced slowly around, checking on the students who were still downstairs, and taking the elevator up to do a quick sweep of the floor to make sure the students in their rooms were obeying co-ed rules. They were, mostly settled in to watch TV or talk.
Jasper was just coming in from the pool deck when Edward got back downstairs. "Tired of the sunshine?" he teased.
Jasper laughed. "The students apparently were," he answered. "They're going to shower and head out for a food run," he advised Edward.
"Okay. Everything seems quiet," he said. "The girls won't be back for a few more hours." They were leaving the park at ten, since the students would have the entire day, until the midnight closing time, the next day. Together they walked toward the reception desk, just in time to see someone arrive with a couple of plastic bags. Edward paid the young man and gave him a pretty good tip for the timeliness and extra inconvenience. "Want to go upstairs?" He asked Jasper.
"You head up," Jasper answered. "I'll let everyone down here know."
Edward nodded and made his way to the elevator, the two bags in hand. He leaned on his cane more out of habit than the need for it to support him. He'd noticed over the past two days that he was in significantly less pain than he would have been in had he attempted the trip the year previous. As reluctant has he'd been to consider the physical therapy, he had to admit that working with Jane had done wonders for his mobility. Sure, he was still sore and stiff, but he knew that was something that would plague him for the rest of his life. Maybe, he decided as the elevator chimed, he'd finally just gotten himself to a place mentally where he could fully accept his short comings.
He knew he'd likely have to use the cane for the rest of his life. Though he was walking better without it (as Jane made him practice in therapy), he knew he'd always have a limp, and the cane helped to keep his weight balanced in compensating for it, which Edward knew would prevent another injury like he'd had before Thanksgiving. His balance had also been affected by the accident, something that he wasn't sure he completely understood, but it was something else he'd learned to deal with. The small victories he'd achieved in the past six months weren't insignificant, and Edward knew he had Jasper to thank for some of that.
Still, he was looking forward to actually being able to enjoy the day in Disneyland the next day, without being afraid of being in crippling pain when they returned to the hotel. He knew that Jasper would pack up painkillers in the backpack without Edward needing to ask, and that he and Bella would both pace themselves to match what Edward was capable of. Through his work with Jane he better understood his body and its limits, and he knew that if he had to, he wouldn't be too ashamed to have to take a break, or, if it really came to it, rent a wheelchair. He didn't think it would, though; he hadn't faced a significant setback in months and Jane (and Dr. Card) had been impressed with his progress.
Edward had to juggle his bags and the cane to get the key to their room out of his back pocket and unlock the door. He flipped the privacy lock to prop the door open both for Jasper and for the students to know they were in and could knock. He carried the bags to the table, then turned to the mini fridge in the room for a bottle of water.
He unpacked the bags, unloading cartons of fried rice, noodles, sesame chicken, dumplings, beef and broccoli, and sweet and sour prawns. It was way too much food, but Edward was sure it'd get eaten, if not by him or his lovers, then by Alice.
"Hey, baby," Jasper said softly as he entered, leaving the door propped open with the latch like Edward had. "Damn. I didn't know that Emmett was joining us for dinner," he teased, kicking his shoes into a corner of the room and turning one of the chairs backwards, propping his chin in his hands against the back of it as he sat.
Edward threw a cellophane wrapped fortune cookie at him. "Shut it."
Jasper caught it easily and put it back on the table. "Did they give us plates?"
Edward nodded and pulled them from the bottom of the bag, along with a pile of chopsticks and packets of soy sauce, hot mustard, and chili sauce. He started popping the containers open and dishing up a bit of everything onto a double layer of paper plates and sat in the seat nearest to Jasper, scooting just a bit closer than strictly necessary.
Jasper stole bits of food off Edward's plate, nibbling until Edward chided him to just get his own. Jasper argued that it tasted better off Edward's plate (and his fingers, he whispered in Edward's ear, but Edward smacked him, knowing that wouldn't lead anywhere appropriate with their door open and them being the only responsible adults on the floor). Edward ate until he was full and Jasper pieced.
"Can we stay up here, or do we need to go back to the lobby?" Jasper asked, sitting back in his chair, his hand at the back of Edward's neck, lightly stroking with his fingers.
"We can stay," Edward answered. The students knew where they were, and he trusted them. He leaned into Jasper's touch. "Movie?"
"Mm," Jasper hummed in agreement.
Edward shifted slightly in his chair and kissed Jasper quickly before he rose and started packing all the food back up. He heard Jasper move behind him, then the TV switch on.
"Here," Jasper said, leaning around Edward to gather up the cartons. Edward let him shift everything to the mini fridge and Edward went into the bathroom to take out his contacts and wash up. He kind of wanted to change his clothes, but since they were still 'on duty' he settled for toeing off his shoes next to Jasper's.
He joined Jasper on the bed, and they kind of curled up together against the headboard, Edward leaning on Jasper's shoulder while Jasper flipped through channels until they finally agreed on a movie.
They were interrupted regularly as the students returned from their dinner expeditions, but by the time the movie was over it was time for the girls to be returning with the rest of the students and for Edward and Jasper to be enforcing quiet hours. Neither of them bothered to put their shoes back on before they took to the hallways, making sure all the students were in their own rooms, and Jasper took a quick jog down to the lobby to double check that there wasn't anyone lingering.
Edward was still in the hall when students began coming off the elevator. They nodded at him as they stumbled, exhausted toward their rooms.
"All present and accounted for, boss," Angela reported, looking like she was ready to crawl into bed while Alice still looked perky and fresh next to her.
"All here too," he responded. "Get some sleep. We're leaving at 9 in the morning."
Angela nodded. Alice tiptoed up and kissed his cheek as she passed. "Thanks for letting me come with you, Edward. I'm having such a good time."
He hugged her. "Good."
She smiled and bounced off after Angela.
Bella came up the stairs, holding Jasper's hand. She'd found a baseball cap somewhere in Disneyland and had it pulled down low over her face, casting her features into shadow.
"We're all good," Jasper said. "No one's left downstairs."
Edward nodded and took Bella's other hand and they walked back to their room together. Jasper unlocked the door and held it for them, lightly tweaking the brim of Bella's new hat as she passed him. She took it off as they entered the dimly lit room, revealing the pink stain of sunburn across her nose and cheeks as her ponytail streamed through the gap in the back. She tossed her hat onto the bed and walked up to Edward, placing her hands flat on his chest.
Edward arched an eyebrow but bent down slightly. She met his lips, and Edward let his cane clatter to the floor as his arms went around her back to help lift her a bit so he could straighten up. She wobbled slightly on the very tips of her toes until Jasper stepped up behind her, pressing his chest to her back, and pushing her further into Edward.
"Something you want, sweetheart?" Jasper asked lowly.
"Yes," Bella answered decisively. "There is something that I want."
"Want to tell us what that might be?" Edward teased, lowering her slowly back to the floor, savoring the feeling of her body sliding against his.
"Hm," she said thoughtfully, her hands skimming up and down Edward's shirt-covered chest before she went to work on his buttons, starting near the top. "No," she answered after a moment. "I think I'll just show you."
Jasper laughed quietly, his hands still around her hips as he tugged her lightly back against him, away from Edward. "I think you're giving off some pretty strong hints, darlin'. Not sure it'll be much of a surprise."
She stopped with Edward's buttons and turned to Jasper, a bright smile on her face. "I am, am I?" she asked, plucking at his Forks Academy polo that was tucked into his jeans. "Guess I need more practice." She managed to get his shirt untucked, flipping up the hem to reveal Jasper's thin undershirt and the trail of dark hair that disappeared into the waistband of his jeans.
Jasper laughed and kissed her. "You can practice on us anytime," he promised.
Bella's expression closed off for a moment; she gave herself a shake and patted his cheek, then turned back to Edward. His t-shirt was revealed slowly as she finished unbuttoning his shirt. Edward leaned around her slightly to kiss Jasper, and Bella hummed happily between them as Jasper pressed the kiss deeper, their bodies enveloping hers between them. Bella slid Edward's shirt from his shoulders and it slipped to the floor, the sleeves having been rolled up to his elbows. He broke the kiss with Jasper so she could slip his t-shirt over his head (with a bit of Jasper's help).
Bella slid down Edward's body where they stood in the middle of the room, her short nails lightly scraping over his chest on the way down to the waistband of his trousers as she knelt.
"Bella, honey," Jasper started, one of his hands going to the top of her head where she knelt in front of Edward, her hands poised to undo the button. "As much as I'm sure Edward, and I, would like nothing more than to have your gorgeous mouth on his cock, you don't have to do this, if you don't want to."
Edward wanted to protest, that she absolutely needed to finish what she'd started, but there was apparently more to the statement than Edward understood. Though, knowing about her relationship with James, it wasn't hard to figure out what Jasper meant.
"I want to," Bella said, her voice slightly husky as she slid her hands down Edward's hips, Jasper's body, her thumbs in the V of his still clothed hips, coaxing a hiss from Edward as her knuckles brushed against his growing erection trapped between two layers of clothes. "I know you don't expect anything from me, which means I can enjoy this, too."
"I'll make sure you do, darlin', if you'll move this to the bed," Jasper promised, kneeling slightly to press his lips to the back of her neck, then moving slowly up and around to the side of her face, nibbling lightly on her earlobe.
"Okay," Bella agreed. She popped the button on Edward's pants and undid the zip quickly. As she rose less than gracefully to her feet, her hands pushed down on the waistband of Edward's trousers and boxers. She spun around quickly and her hands went straight to Jasper's jeans. Bella made short work of getting him out of his jeans and boxer briefs while Edward stepped away for the small kit he travelled with that held the lube, condoms and other things. When he came back, Jasper was completely naked with his hands up Bella's shirt from behind her.
Bella's head was tipped back against Jasper's shoulder and he trailed his nose up and down her neck as his fingers crept higher under her shirt. Edward tossed the bag onto the bed and joined them, standing in front of Bella. He repeated her actions, deftly undoing the button fly on her jeans without kneeling in front of her (for fear he wouldn't be able to get back up). When he finished, Edward slid his hands around her hips and she wriggled slightly as he pushed down her jeans and the pale pink panties she wore underneath.
Edward kissed her, his hands sliding back up her hips to mingle with Jasper's under her shirt. Edward's fingers brushed the soft fabric of her bra and she shivered lightly. When Bella broke the kiss, Jasper lifted her shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. "Bed," Jasper growled quietly, his fingers sliding away and as they awkwardly walked back to the bed, Bella's bra fell from her breasts and Jasper slid his hands down her shoulders, moving the straps down until he could tug the bra off and dropped it to the floor.
They stopped moving when Edward's legs bumped against the edge of the bed. He sat and Bella carefully straddled his lap, Jasper still moving behind her. Jasper's hands moved over her upper body while Edward clutched lightly at her hips as she ground down on him a bit, making him bite his lip and moan. Jasper leaned over Bella's shoulder to kiss Edward, which pushed them all down onto the bed, Bella giggling as she was squished between them.
Jasper rolled off to one side, tugging a giggling Bella with him, his hands on her hips. She squirmed against him until Jasper let her go, and she rolled over onto her stomach, and then climbed to her knees and straddled Jasper with a slightly predatory look on her face. Jasper scooted back a bit, stopping when he hit the pillows at the head of the bed.
Edward pulled himself up into a seated position, then got to his feet so he could climb onto the bed as well, reaching for the travel kit of supplies as he did. He approached Bella from behind, reaching out to let her know he was there, since she still sometimes reacted badly if someone snuck up on her.
"I believe you said something about my mouth on your cock?" Bella asked, her voice in a lower register than normal as she stared at Jasper. Her hands were on his chest, nails lightly scraping as they traced the line of his sternum to his belly button, then lower. She curled one hand around Jasper's length and gave a slow teasing stroke. Edward watched from behind Bella, his hands around her waist as Jasper's expression shifted from wary to wanting, and he couldn't help but chuckle as he realized that Bella had them both exactly where she wanted them.
While she focused on Jasper for the moment, Edward turned his attention to her. He dug a condom from the bag and tossed it down next to him, letting his hands wander over Bella's body. He was beginning to be able to read her body's reactions almost as well as Jasper's, and he let her flushed skin guide him as he dropped kisses all over her upper back, neck and shoulders, his hands skimming up her abdomen to her breasts, the heels of his hands brushing over her nipples, causing them to draw up tight as she breathed heavily. Encouraged by her reaction he continued to lavish attention there, unable to suckle and nuzzle as he would like since he was behind her, but he used his hands to continue to coax arousal from her body while she teased Jasper into an eager state as well.
Bella trailed kisses down Jasper's body until she knelt down far enough to take him into her mouth. Jasper groaned at the contact, and he clutched lightly at her sides. He skimmed a finger up Bella's flank then reached behind her for Edward.
Edward took her from behind, giving her little warning before he entered her. She was ready for him, warm and slick, and he felt the vibration her pleasured noise sent through her body, and Jasper seemed to appreciate it as well, the hand he'd curled around Edward's hip tightening in response.
It took a moment for Edward to get any kind of rhythm established. It was an awkward position, and with Bella unable to really give any leverage, Edward needed to do most of the work in a position that wasn't really comfortable for him. But he managed, mostly teasing her with a variety of lengths and pauses in the movement of his hips. He also didn't want her to hurt herself or Jasper, and so didn't move too quickly, trying to build up a leisurely pace of anticipation for himself and Bella while Jasper got the privilege of her mouth on him.
Jasper's hands seemed to clutch at whatever skin he could find, Edward or Bella's, one of his hands occasionally going to her hair, either to caress or guide, but Edward could see, even through the haze of lust that he was trying awfully hard not to press her closer to him, but to allow her to maintain control over the pace and pressure she was exerting. Entranced as he was by the two of them together, Edward had ceased his movements and shook himself slightly, returning to the slow teasing rhythm, shifting his attention back to Bella while his own need grew.
Bella pulled her mouth off Jasper with a gasp, her hand sliding up from the base where she'd stopped stroking to replace her mouth just as Jasper's back arched slightly and his legs drew up as he came over her fist. Edward barely noticed, focused on making Bella come to orgasm before he did. Edward altered his rhythm slightly, tugging on her hips so she was seated on him a bit more firmly as he rolled his clit between his fingers.
One of her hands went over and behind them, to the back of Edward's head. Her fingers tightened in his hair and he grunted with the pain, but it just spurred him on. Jasper's hands began to wander again after a moment, and between the two of them it took only moments for them to bring her to completion, shuddering and panting between them. Edward came heartbeats later, his teeth scraping against Bella's shoulder as his hands tightened around her hips.
They both slumped forward on top of Jasper, who chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around them.
"You didn't make me swallow," Bella murmured, sounding slightly surprised a few minutes later when they shifted so Jasper wasn't buried under both of their weights.
"Of course not, honey," Jasper answered. "That's your choice." Edward had noticed that although Jasper had, at points, had his hands in her hair as she'd sucked him off, he hadn't used that contact to control her in any way, though Edward knew how hard that had to have been. "I know it's not always the most pleasant experience in the world," he consoled her quietly.
Bella giggled, then snorted, probably at the same image Edward had in his head of Jasper gagging as he went down on an anonymous cock. Edward had had enough similar experiences that he could sympathize. "Neither of us want you to do anything you're not comfortable with, Bella," Edward added, hugging her close.
"James got upset if I didn't swallow," she said in a small voice. "It was like it offended him or something."
Jasper stroked through her hair before cupping a cheek in one hand. "We're not him, darlin'. Yeah, some guys really get off on that, but some of us understand that it's a gift."
"He always laughed at me, because I'd choke," Bella continued, her voice sounding far away. "But whenever I said I didn't like it, because it hurt, he just told me that he'd be my willing practice dummy so I'd get better."
They hadn't outright spoken about any of their previous relationships, mostly out of concern for Bella, and Edward hugged her a bit tighter, feeling Jasper do the same as they offered her physical comfort. Edward had a feeling it might be like that for awhile between them, as they progressed through their relationship and tried new things, sexually.
"James was an asshole who didn't deserve you," Edward heard himself say. "He was an abusive bully and he doesn't deserve anymore thought from you. We're not him, like Jasper said. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be disappointed if you never wanted to give head ever again, because I'm a guy, and I really like it, and even though Jasper's fantastic at it, I'd still want to have your mouth on me." He could practically hear Jasper's eyes rolling. "But it's your choice," he said, his voice softly as he ran his finger up her bare spine. "We won't force you to do anything you don't want to do. That's not love, sweetheart."
"Yeah," she whispered, trying to muffle a sniffle, which didn't really work.
"Trust us," Jasper said quietly, shifting over to envelop her and Edward at the same time. "I can't promise we'll never laugh at you, but we do love you."
"Love you too," she said quietly.
"Ready for sleep?" Edward asked, stilling his hand on her lower back, just above the swell of her ass. "Or is there something else you'd like?"
Bella laughed softly and Jasper snorted. "Always," Bella answered. "But no, we're tired, and it's going to be a long day tomorrow."
"Okay." Edward shifted out of her grasp and kissed her softly before he climbed from the bed. He shut off the last of the lights and padded naked into the bathroom to take his pills and grabbed a slightly damp cloth for Jasper to clean up with.
The cloth was discarded over the edge of the bed with their clothes, and Edward set the alarm before they fell asleep in a tangled pile of limbs.
"Ugh," Bella groaned, burrowing her face further into Edward's neck when the alarm went off. "I thought we were on vacation," she whined against his skin. "Wanna stay in bed."
Edward felt the bed shift as Jasper moved, draping himself over the both of them. Throughout the night they'd shifted apart slightly.
"We'll find a nice quiet corner of the park for you to take a nap in, darlin'," Jasper promised as the alarm was silenced. He stretched up and kissed Edward softly, silently telling him to stay and snuggle while Jasper took the first shower. The bruise on the back of his thigh was a dark purple line as Jasper's naked back retreated into the bathroom, though he didn't look like he was limping anymore.
"That's not quite what I meant," Bella muttered on a sigh.
Embracing Bella, Edward shifted a big onto his side, and Bella moved with him, cuddling up with a quiet happy sigh. The shower turned on in the background. He kissed her forehead. "We'll try to find a long weekend somewhere soon where we can spend it in bed, sweetheart," he promised. "Have we awoken a monster in you?" he asked, teasing.
She nipped at his exposed collarbone. "No. Well…" she paused. "Maybe a bit?" she admitted. Bella shifted against him, resting her cheek against his chest. "I think that we don't get to spend enough time together like this," she said quietly. "It'll get better," she continued, turning her face to look up at Edward, optimism in her eyes. "It's just hard sometimes."
"Tell me about it," Edward said dryly, making her giggle, which was his goal. "I know what you mean, though, and you're not the only one that feels that way."
She nodded against him. "Does Jasper know we have to chaperone prom?"
"I dunno. What are you thinking?"
"Maybe we could get a hotel room for that Saturday night?" she asked. "Doesn't the Dean normally cancel the campus dinner that week?" Bella's smile was mischievous and Edward lifted his head far enough to kiss her softly.
"I'll see what I can do," he promised.
She smiled again, kissed his chin, then snuggled back down against his chest. The water shut off and Edward gave Bella a nudge. "Your turn in the shower."
Bella 'hrumphed' but sat up, the covers pooling around her waist as she stretched. She was naked as Jasper had been, and her just-better-than-handfuls of breasts bounced as took a deep breath and brought her hands back into her lap with a smirk.
"Go, you evil temptress," Edward said with a laugh, sitting up himself to kiss her. She returned it, then scrambled off the bed as he pinched her sides in an effort to get her moving. Bella jumped when Jasper lightly smacked her ass as she passed him on her way into the bathroom.
Edward pulled himself from the bed and followed her, using the sink while she showered. Bella was quick, and Edward took his turn when she was through. He didn't bother to shave, having a free day where he didn't need to look professional, and he preferred it that way.
Once they were all dressed in Forks Academy gear they assembled downstairs.
"Good morning!" Edward greeted all the students. "Today is a free day in Disneyland. The busses are going to drop us off, so make sure you have everything you need. You'll have three chances to come back to the hotel, at 4pm, 8pm, and midnight when the park closes. One of us will be waiting at the park entrance at those times to escort you back to the hotel. You're on your own today; please have fun, but remember to act responsibly. You should have all of our numbers if you need to call us today. Alright, questions?" There were none. "Let's go, then."
The busses dropped them off near the entrance to the park, and everyone took off to do their own thing. Jasper, Edward, and Bella spent most of the day together, though they did join Alice and Angela for lunch. Despite having been in the park the evening before, Bella was excited to hit the rides again, surprising Edward slightly with her adrenaline seeking in wanting to hit the roller coasters.
Since they'd had the late arrival to the hotel the night before, Angela was returning with the 4pm group, and Alice got the 8pm, leaving Edward, Bella, and Jasper to gather everyone else up when the park closed. The students dragged themselves to the bus once Edward did a final head count (having already gotten totals by text from the two previous shifts).
Back at the hotel he got everyone upstairs fairly quickly, the students too tired to want to do much else. When everyone was secure, Edward and his partners returned to their room. Jasper took off his shoes and crashed, laying face down on the bed and falling asleep almost immediately without changing out of his clothes. Edward was worried that his back was giving him trouble again, but he got up when Bella roused him, moving easily.
Edward changed and sat on the bed with a groan. He was achy and tired, which was to be expected, having spent most of the day on his feet. He was proud of himself, though. He had listened to his body, stopping when he needed to, and he didn't seem to be in an inordinate amount of pain.
"Hey, sweetheart," Bella said, coming over to him in a pair of boxer shorts and a tank top. She had something in her hand. "Strip for me?"
Curious, Edward nodded, rising slowly to slide off his pajama pants, leaving them in a puddle on the floor before taking off his t-shirt and tossing it to the side as he sank back down.
"Lie down and turn over," she guided quietly.
Edward did as she asked after taking his glasses off, and saw the lights go out in the bathroom, and then around the room other than the one over the bed. Jasper climbed into the other side of the bed, kissed Edward, then Bella, and curled up around a pillow.
"I know you've got to be hurting," Bella said softly, her voice soothing as Edward closed his eyes. He heard a bottle cap flip open, and then her small warm hands were on the backs of his legs. He sighed softly. "Jasper said you like this," she continued to speak as she rubbed the lotion into his legs. The massage was gentle, but needed and appreciated, and Edward felt himself relax slightly. "He thought you might need it tonight, but he's so tired," she observed, as their lover's soft snore punctuated the statement. She giggled softly. "So he told me what to do." He felt her lips between his shoulder blades. "Is it right?"
"Mm," Edward hummed affirmatively. He was glad he'd already taken his pain-killers for the night so he wouldn't have to get back up. "Just right, honey. Thank you," he murmured.
"I'm glad Jasper told me," she continued, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "You guys know each other so well, and I feel like we're still learning. I've known you for years, but this is different, y'know? I know your favorite foods, desserts, movies, and your schedule, and all that, but things like this are new to me. I want to be able to take care of you, too, not just be the one that needs to be looked after," she said, and Edward knew she was thinking of the past several weeks. "I know it'll take time," she said, and Edward just let her talk as she worked, slowly feeling the tension seep from his body. "Just like it did for you and Jasper. I just feel like I'm behind."
"It's not a race, Bella," Edward said softly, though he did understand her concern. He and Jasper had a somewhat instinctual knowledge of each other, simply because they'd had longer time together.
"I know," she assured him, kissing his back again lightly as her hands began to slow. "I just want things to be equal, and I feel like I have the most learning to do."
Edward slowly turned onto his back, giving her time to shift up where she knelt over him so he could complete the action. "So do we, though," he answered as she lowered herself back down, resting on her haunches. "We're learning just as much about you as you are us."
Bella kissed him softly on the mouth. "And doing a brilliant job of it, too." She smiled, then shifted off of him, pressing her chest against his side as she lay down between him and Jasper, her thigh between Edward's legs, her head resting on his shoulder. "It's alright," she promised as Edward reached up behind him to turn off the last light in the room. "It's new for all of us," she said drowsily. "So long as we're happy, and talking."
"Just so, sweetheart," Edward whispered. He kissed the top of her head as she snuggled into him slightly. Jasper turned toward them in his sleep and Edward, soothed by Bella's touch and the chemical support he'd taken eventually drifted into a peaceful sleep.
Thursday morning they were back in Disney's hands. The Jazz Ensemble had a workshop late in the morning, and Jasper and Angela went with them while Edward, Alice and Bella went with the Wind Ensemble group into the park to get ready for their performance early in the afternoon, since things were going to be too tight for Edward to be everywhere at once.
The concert went great, and when they were finished, Edward released the students after they'd returned their gear to the busses. He spent another day roaming the park with Jasper and Bella until they met back up with Alice and Angela for an adult's only dinner at the Blue Bayou restaurant. Edward was tempted to relax his no-tolerance policy, but decided against ordering wine for the table, since they were trying to be good examples for the students.
They ordered, and started with small talk as the boats from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride went past.
"So, someone snuck off last night and came back really early this morning," Angela said casually, spearing a tomato with her fork, glancing over at Alice.
"Really?" Bella asked, curious. She shifted in her seat, clearly excited. "Do we need to start applying the blue tape to your door, too?" she teased.
Alice rolled her eyes and sighed. "I am an adult, y'know."
Bella giggled. "Yes, we know," she responded. "So? Spill!" she demanded.
Alice appeared to ignore her for a moment. Edward nudged her under the table and gave her a look. Alice sighed. "I met someone."
"And?" Bella encouraged. Jasper draped his arm somewhat casually over her shoulder, and Edward could see that he was trying to calm her down a bit as she bounced somewhat Alice-like, eager for details.
"She's a doctoral student at Portland State in Public Policy Administration. She's 28, and she's here as part of a family reunion," Alice spelled out quickly.
"Portland's what, five hours from home?" Jasper asked.
"Three, the way Alice drives," Edward corrected quietly while Alice answered "Four and a half."
"Not bad for a weekend," Angela said with a shrug. "Ben and I usually meet in Seattle, Ellensburg, or Yakima to split the eight hour drive to Pullman."
Alice nodded, moving her salad around on her plate. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Look, it's just a fling, okay? Can we drop it?"
"Sure, Alice," Jasper answered quickly, giving Bella's shoulders a squeeze, which told Edward that he'd sensed Bella's probable opposition to that idea. "Y'all ready to get home?"
Bella giggled; every so often, Jasper lapsed into old speech patterns. Edward had teased him about it more than once, and he knew it happened when Jasper was either incredibly comfortable in his surroundings or really tired.
"Yeah," Angela answered. "As nice as it's been to be away, I think I'm ready for my own bed again."
"You mean you don't like sharing with me?" Alice asked, pretending to be affronted.
"You steal the covers," Angela said with a shrug.
Bella laughed. "I know!"
The rest of the meal was filled with laughter. Edward noticed that Jasper covered their tab, but didn't say anything, and neither did the girls, if they had even seen. They left the restaurant together, having a couple more hours in Disney until they had to meet the busses.
Bella decided she wanted to get her shopping out of the way, so Jasper took charge, using Bella's park map to make their way around. Jasper also carried Bella's bags, but Edward made sure he took at least one so he didn't look completely useless. Once Bella had something for everyone on her list, they found another small café area. Bella and Edward ordered dessert and Jasper had coffee, and they chatted, mindful of being in a family oriented environment keeping their hands to themselves, until it was time to meet everyone else at the front gate a couple of hours before closing.
While Edward stretched out on the floor when they returned to the hotel, Jasper seemed more than happy to give Bella a foot rub, which she was not shy about asking for. Edward was happy to hear her ask for something she wanted, rather than hinting or going without. When Jasper was done with Bella, and she was drowsing happily, he turned his attention to Edward and helped work the tension from his legs and lower back. He had a feeling that if not for the quiet observations of his partners, and their caretaking he wouldn't have endured the trip half as well.
As Edward expected, they all found sleep easily; he had a feeling their final night would be much the same. Being on the go for five straight days, even for people as active as he and his partners could be, was tiring.
Friday morning they repeated their routine of rotating through the shower while someone fetched breakfast from the lobby. It was another free day in Disneyland, with the busses picking them up at midnight. They had a chance to see the shows and do all the rides, and when they met all the students at the front gates, Edward was happy to see that they all seemed happily tired. They boarded with their packages of souvenirs and quietly rode back to the hotel. When they arrived, Edward announced that they would have a chance to sleep in. The students (and Bella) met that announcement with cheers.
Once the students had gathered in the lobby with their belongings to wait for the busses Saturday morning, Edward and the rest of the chaperones did a quick tour of the rooms to make sure no one had left anything behind.
The rest of the morning and early afternoon were uneventful. The students seemed relieved to be going home, despite the looming resumption of classes and finals. The busses took them on a tour through L.A. on the way back to the airport.
Like they had in Seattle, Edward turned the students loose for an hour or so before boarding, and they mostly returned straight to the gate after finding snacks or last minute souvenirs of their trip and gathered around to talk quietly or nap.
Also, like they had in Seattle, Edward and Angela asked for special permission to board before the other economy-class passengers. The airline staff was happy to accommodate them, and once the first-class passengers, and those with small kids were aboard, Edward got his students moving down the ramp to the plane.
"I'm gonna need a vacation from this vacation," Jasper muttered as he settled into his seat against the window with a quiet groan. "Gettin' too old for this marathon kinda stuff."
Bella laughed softly and kissed his cheek. "You're not that old."
"Thanks, darlin'," Jasper said dryly. He brushed his lips against her temple. Around them the students were getting settled into their seats after stowing their horns in the overhead bins and pulling out iPods or laptops.
Edward chuckled and stretched his arm behind Bella's head to twine his fingers in the longer hair at the base of Jasper's neck. "I know what you mean, baby." He shifted slightly. Though he was physically feeling stronger than he had in a long time, it had still been a long week.
"We should go for massages," Bella mused, shifting and settling down into her seat, nudging her bag further under the seat in front of her.
"Yes," Jasper agreed immediately.
Bella kissed his cheek. "I'll ask Rose," she promised. "We'll see if we can get them to do a group thing instead of a couple's thing."
"Sounds perfect," Edward acknowledged.
Bella hummed her agreement and pressed her lips lightly to Edward's cheek in response. He took her hand in the space between their seats as the rest of the passengers began filing on.
The flight home was uneventful; Bella napped and Edward and Jasper talked quietly when they weren't reading or listening to music. When they arrived in Seattle the busses were waiting once everyone had gone through the baggage claim.
"Oh, Mr. Cullen, I have something for you," the driver of the lead bus said, handing Edward a note.
"Thanks." Edward took it, puzzled. What he found made him smile.
Welcome home, son. We know you've had a long week, and that you and the others have to stay on campus tonight. We've set up dinner for you and the students at the pizza place; they're expecting you, so not to worry. We'll see you there. Love, mom and dad.
He pulled out his cell phone and called Angela on the second bus to relay the message before announcing it to his own busload of students. They received the news with a cheer.
Rose, Emmett and his parents were waiting for them at the restaurant. The students, hungry and tired fell into seats after loudly thanking Carlisle and Esme. Edward, Angela, Bella, Jasper, and Alice were relieved to not have to keep watch over everyone and let the rest of them take over for awhile. While Edward still had everyone gathered in the same space he made his final announcements.
"I just want to thank you all for a very good trip," he began. "I was very happy to not have to send anyone home, or take any disciplinary action. We're back on campus tonight, and though we're all in different buildings, I think you all have at least one of us in each building tonight, right?" He glanced at Angela for confirmation.
She nodded. "Only place we don't have one is Lee, but we don't have anyone from that building on the trip."
"Okay, so we're back to regular dorm rules tonight. The rest of the faculty should be back tomorrow by noon, and the dining hall will re-open for dinner. Do any of you need to get supplies to get through the day tomorrow without access to the dining hall?"
About a dozen students raised their hands. "Alright, before we go, I want you all to figure out a representative from each building. Put together a list, and by the time we're ready to leave, we'll have decided who's going to run you all to the grocery story then back to campus. I'll have the music building open so you can put your stuff away if you have a locker. Any questions?"
"I don't have a question, but," Susan said, rising from her seat. "We didn't really have a banquet on this trip, and I have a few things, if that's okay?" she asked. She'd been kind of the de-facto student leader for the trip, and Edward nodded, ceding the floor to her as he took his seat between Bella and Jasper.
"So, it's mostly fallen on me to take care of this," she started, and the other students laughed. "From all of us, I wanted to say thank you to Dr. Swan, Dr. Whitlock, Ms. Brandon and Ms. Weber for accompanying us on this trip. We know you didn't have to, but you made Mr. Cullen's job easier, which makes him a lot easier to deal with."
Everyone laughed at that, and Edward felt his ears heat up a bit at the truth of it, and Bella patted his thigh.
"Anyway," Susan continued. "To say thank you, we got you all a little something. Dr. Swan," she said, handing over a small wrapped package to Bella. She handed packages also to Jasper and Alice. "You can open them later," she said with a grin. "For Ms. Weber," she said brightly, handing over an envelope. "We know you do a lot of work for the department and Mr. Cullen, for all of our trips this year, so thank you."
Angela flushed as she took the envelope, but said a grateful thanks.
"Now, for our director," Susan continued, looking only half serious. "Thank you for taking over for Dr. Anderson this semester. We had some really good trips, and we're sorry that we were all so cranky in Idaho," she said teasingly. "So. Thank you," she said, handing Edward a small box as well.
He stood and hugged her before she went back to her seat, handing his box to Jasper for the moment. "And thank you again to our chaperones," Edward said. "And to you, for doing a fantastic job of representing yourselves and the school," he said to the students.
The students and adults responded with a round of applause.
"Okay, anything else?" Edward asked when the clapping stopped. No one spoke up. "Get your lists put together and figure out who from what building is going shopping." The students started speaking and Edward turned to his brother and parents. "Any volunteers?"
"We'll do it, Edward," Esme responded. "Do any of you need anything?" Emmett and Jasper needed milk for their suite, and so did Bella and Alice. Angela was headed back to her apartment off campus but thanked them for the offer, and Edward had a feeling he'd end up with either Bella or Jasper for breakfast anyway, so he declined. Esme and Carlisle gathered their things and Edward called for the students going to the store. They left in a small group, and Edward and the remaining adults gathered the students back onto the busses for the short ride back to campus, Rose and Emmett following in his Jeep. Edward had already thanked them for cutting their vacation a day short to stay back in the dorms.
When Edward got off the bus he headed straight for the music building to use his card to get inside and set access for those students who had after-hours permission (which were most of his). He didn't need to wait that way, and so went back to where everyone else had gathered. Angela signed off the paperwork for the busses and thanked the drivers while Jasper, Bella, and Alice supervised the offloading.
Once the students had grabbed all their gear, Alice and Bella quickly double checked the busses were empty and gathered the trash that had been left behind.
"Come on, sweetheart, we'll walk you girls home," Jasper said to Bella, Alice, and Rose. Jasper grabbed up her suitcase in his left hand (his and Edward's bag in his right) and Edward took her hand as they followed a short stream of students to their building after saying goodbye to Angela. Emmett took Alice's bag and they went as a group.
Jasper and Edward left Bella with the girls after long, lingering kisses. Edward had a feeling there was going to be a bit more of that separation anxiety he'd experienced with Jasper after the holidays, only a bit worse. He was going from five intense days with his lovers back to his own bed again, and he knew it would be another difficult transition. Once again he made a mental note to strike up a conversation about living arrangements for the summer and following school year sometime soon, or once Jasper knew about the permanent position on campus.
"Yours or mine?" Jasper asked quietly as they left the girl's building.
"Mine," Edward said with a sigh. He was the only faculty member in his building until Sunday, so he would need to stay put, no matter how much he'd rather go to Jasper's and spend time with him (and maybe Emmett).
"I'll meet you back at ours, man," Emmett said to Jasper.
Jasper nodded, and he and Edward started off toward Edward's building.
"You going to be okay, or do you want me to stay tonight?" Jasper asked once they were in Edward's room, the door propped open just a bit.
Edward dropped his bags on his bed and turned back toward Jasper, walking up and wrapping his arms around the other man's waist. Jasper accommodated him with a quiet laugh. "As much as I'd love you to stay, you should probably go to yours," he answered. "Emmett's not officially here, and if he decides to go see Rose…" he trailed off.
"Okay," Jasper answered quietly. He gently tipped Edward's chin up and kissed him softly. "I love you."
Edward smiled. "Love you too, baby."
Jasper kissed him again before stepping back to pick up the suitcase. "I'll bring your clothes by tomorrow. Call me tonight, if…well. I'll probably be up," he said with a grin.
Edward nodded. "Kay."
Jasper leaned over and kissed him one more time before letting himself out.
With a heavy sigh, Edward turned to his bed and the bags he'd dropped there. He fished out his iPod and set it on the dock and got it playing, opening his door a bit further so his students would realize he was in, and got started unpacking his suit bag and messenger bag and trying to get sorted for the upcoming week and his return to the real world again.
blue tape, or masking tape, has been used by chaperones on every band trip I've ever been on. It removes easily when placed across the door, and it doesn't restick for long, so it's obvious when someone's left a room when they weren't supposed to. That, and it's really hard to stick tape on from the inside of the room for you to get back in. ;)
