Edward is a disaster and I love him. Once again, I'm so happy ya'll are enjoying this. You'll find that things are going to escalate a little quickly now that things are a bit established (there'll still be fluff, don't worry).

Enjoy!

...

Jasper realised it before Edward did, on an ordinary school day during lunch. He could only stare at the pair of friends with wide eyes.

Alia was frantically trying to do as much of her psychology homework as she could, eyes darting from the textbook to her notebook rapidly. From focusing on them with his enhanced hearing, he could hear her muttering curses under her breath and refusing Edward's occasionally offer of copying his homework.

That wasn't what had him surprised. It was Edward. He was leaning on one hand, watching Alia with an amused smirk on his face. He gave her suggestions on her homework, laughing outright when she flipped him off. When she wasn't looking at him, his eyes softened, and his gaze looked downright tender.

Edward had fallen in love with her.

It was love, pure and simple. Jasper recognised it when he felt it. It wasn't the type of love Edward had for his family. It was the type of love Jasper felt for Alice. That Alice felt for him. The aching, longing kind where you wanted nothing more than to wrap yourself around the other for eternity. Obviously, feelings like that didn't develop all at once. It must have been building without him or Edward realising it.

Jasper felt a rush of pity at this realisation. They all were aware of Edward's plans of letting his human go once she was out of high school. But this… he would suffer for letting her go. And yet he was stubborn. He valued her humanity far too much to ever let his feelings be known.

Since it concerned Edward's feelings, Jasper deflected the question when Alice asked him what was wrong. She frowned but let it go. They had that level of trust where she knew he told her everything important. This, though important, was Edward's business.

Jasper had managed to shove the realisation to a corner of his mind for the next few days. It came to a head when he saw Edward playing at his grand piano. Jasper paused in the sitting room, looking up from his laptop, as Edward worked out the song he'd been composing for the past few months.

He found himself wandering to where Edward was playing, observing the sweet melody, from the door. It was a soft, reflective song, though it picked up in places with bright, cheerful parts, so different from the somber tones Edward normally favored. Once again, that same feeling Jasper observed earlier was pouring from Edward as he played the song, though his expression gave nothing away.

"It's complete, then?" Esme asked, rushing into the room once the final note rang through the air. She was Edward's biggest fan, keeping track of all his new compositions.

"I think so." Edward smiled gently at the piano, tapping one key quietly again and again.

"It's beautiful! What are you going to call it?" she asked.

"Hmm… I'm not sure." Edward stopped his repetitive playing.

"Let me know when you name it." Esme said brightly, running up the stairs to continue her painting.

How blind was Edward? The name for the song was obvious, in Jasper's opinion, as obvious as the inspiration was. Edward's gaze snapped to Jasper sharply as that thought drifted to him. He tried to keep his thoughts still, but Edward frowned at him. "You're only going to make me more curious."

Jasper sighed and let the memory of that fateful afternoon flow through his mind. Edward froze, still as a statue as he read Jasper's thoughts. A rush of new emotions flowed through him: fear, panic, hurt, and most of all, that love that Jasper had detected earlier. "I—" Edward, for once, was at a loss for words.

You don't have to explain yourself. Jasper thought. It's your business, so I won't tell anyone.

Edward put a hand to his face. "I know. Thank you. I— I'm going out."

He was out of the house in a blur, slamming the door with more force than was necessary, leading Esme to come down the stairs once more in the next split second, giving Jasper a bewildered look. "What's going on?"

"One of his moods." Jasper shrugged. "He'll be fine. I think."

Edward just ran, ran through the blur of the forest, trying desperately not to think, but focus on woods around him. He stopped when he found himself unknowingly in front of the treehouse he'd built for Alia and collapsed on his knees. "No."

Of course he'd fallen in love with her. How could he not? Alia was everything that he liked about humanity, but so much more. Sweet. Kind. Passionate. Optimistic. Willing to spar with him verbally and challenge him. In watching her grow, she had somehow forced growth on him as well. She had her flaws, her stubborn quirks that made him want to tear his hair out, but more than that, made him want to support her further.

This was more than just a platonic love, he realised with despair. He wanted to hold her as a lover, to brush her hair behind her ear, trace her full lips with a finger before tasting them. He wanted to be the cause of her smiles, her blushes, to selfishly horde them as his own wealth. He wanted… he wanted a future with her. To woo her properly, to share in life's experiences and tragedies. To grow old with her. Never before had he longed to be human so badly.

When did this happen? He tried to pinpoint the exact moment. Was it one of the times she'd hugged him tightly, trusting in him enough to make herself so vulnerable? Was it when she cried after being moved by one of the times he'd played the piano for her? Was it when watching one of the countless moments of joy or passion cross her visage?

Perhaps it happened a month ago. The two of them had taken shelter in the treehouse from the pouring rain, and Alia had drifted off to sleep against his shoulder. He had taken the opportunity to listen to her dreams, and felt his non beating heart quicken to see they involved him in some form or another. When she had begun to stir, he'd quickly pretended to be asleep himself, to see, out of some morbid curiosity, how she would react. Instead of being repulsed at the nearness, she had sighed sweetly, and draped a blanket over his body, tucking in the sides, before continuing the reading she had begun before, still tucked into his side.

Maybe it was all of those moments. Maybe it was none of those. Maybe it had built slowly, or happened suddenly just as Jasper was observing him. It didn't matter. What mattered was what he was going to do with the realisation.

It took an hour of contemplation before Edward got up and steeled himself. He walked home instead of running.

He wasn't a fool. He knew if he wanted to, he could act, let his feelings be known to her and she'd respond. Why wouldn't she? He knew she found him attractive. It was a curse of being a vampire that humans were drawn to their beauty. They were prey, after all, and couldn't help themselves.

Obviously, that wasn't what was going to happen. It didn't matter what he wanted. He could hold himself back, would have to. He was going to continue being her friend, her confidant. He would keep his feelings to himself (and Jasper), and live through the years with the thought of her as a beautiful, torturous memory.

It was the only thing to do. Edward wouldn't drag her down to hell because of his selfish desires.

...

Edward still hasn't decided on a name for the song, btw. If you want to know what it sounds like, great, so do I! I'm garbage at composition, but I think it's a bit like Ghibli music because that's really sweet and cheerful, while giving you the feels. Maybe like the Howl's Moving Castle theme?

I hope his feelings aren't too sudden. I think this was the right time, and he needed to be punched in the face with them because the boy is in deep denial. I wonder how Alia feels, hmm...