The response to this story has me over the moon. Thank you to all who reviewed, and those who have added me to your alerts and favorites. Those who read during the midst of FF's epic login fail, and then came back to review? Jasper and Edward are making out right now, in your honor.

A couple of author's notes to preface this chapter:

A good friend and former Mathlete pointed out to me that, in her experience, Mathleticism (my word – I'm a little proud of it) tended to focus on the technical aspects of math, rather than business-related math; and so Jasper's Mathlete background might not have figured largely in his decision to be an accounting major. I have to plead ignorance on this one; my school district didn't have Mathletes, so all I know of them, I learned from high school movies, vis a vis "Never Been Kissed" (remember The Denominators?). LOL So, please suspend your disbelief on my behalf.

Also, one reviewer mentioned the "stalkerish" aspect of how Jasper found Edward. My original draft of Chapter 3 had some dialogue that addressed that, but it didn't make the cut – the chapter was long and heavy enough. I promise it will be addressed in future chapters.

And the usual disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all. I, however, construct imaginary lofts in downtown Seattle industrial buildings, so they have a place to play.

-o-

"For now, though, I seem to remember a promise you made me earlier this evening…"

"Yeah?" he asks. His eyebrows lift and he smiles quizzically, as though he's surprised.

"Yeah," I reply. "Did you think I was going to let you forget?"

He leans in with a mischievous smile and asks, "How many gay men do you know who've ever actually forgotten to have sex?"

I throw my head back and laugh heartily, and he joins me. He has a quick wit and an impish way about him; and I wonder how he managed to suppress this ebullient personality long enough to play the inscrutable stranger this evening.

After our laughter subsides, he continues, "I wasn't trying to escape; I just wanted to make sure you're up for it. It's been kind of a big night."

That's a massive understatement. "Indeed - I have a lot to think about. And I'm not through with the questions I have for you. But," I roll up and off the bed in one smooth movement, "I try to strike the proper balance between work and play. And now – it's playtime."

"It's all about priorities," he agrees, trying to look serious; but a smile dances behind his eyes.

"To that end, I'd like to give you a tour of my shower," I offer, holding out my hand. He takes it and I pull him up. Not letting go of his hand, I lead him into my ensuite bath.

This bathroom is the place I spent the most money on renovations when I bought my loft, removing the tub and replacing it with a large, fully tiled custom shower, designed to my specifications. The shower has a glass wall and door at the front, as most tiled showers do. The tile is a deep charcoal color, accented by brushed nickel fixtures. On one wall of the large shower enclosure, there is a deep ledge that rises to slightly below the level of my hip.

I turn on the water, full blast and steaming hot. Jasper – he's not Jazz to me anymore – ducks into the shower ahead of me and stands in the spray, head back, eyes closed, letting the water soak through his soft curls. I follow him and grab my shampoo, squeezing a bit into my palm and then slipping my hands into his hair. He hums his enjoyment as I lather his thick blonde mop, gently massaging his scalp with my fingertips, then running my hands down over his chest and back as the water rinses the bubbles down over his smooth skin. He turns me around and pulls me back to lean gently against his chest so he can return the favor. After he has washed and rinsed my hair, he pours some body wash into his hand and starts to lather it over my chest, slowly moving his palms in circles around my pecs. His fingers dance around my nipples, which harden in spite of the hot water. He pinches them, sending jolts of pleasure throughout my body. His soapy endeavors continue downward, sliding into the valley between my abs and my thigh and slipping under my balls, gently cupping and massaging them.

I am hardening under his touch, and it would be so easy to allow him to ravish me again. I stop him, though, holding his hands above our heads as I rotate to face him. I pull his hands around behind my back, wordlessly asking him to hold me tight to his chest, and he does. My fingers lace together behind his neck and I pull his face to mine, lifting my chin slightly and realizing with surprise, what a delight it is to lift my face to the person I'm going to kiss. Our lips meet and immediately our mouths open, our tongues dancing a slow, sweet repartee. I feel a swell of something unidentifiable – more than lust, which is generally contained below my waist. Rather, I feel as though my chest is a balloon, filling with helium, expanding ever greater, threatening to burst even as my body feels as though it will float away; combining with the warmth that has been stirring from my heart. The combination of the two is almost too poignant, like a pin has suddenly been thrust into my flesh after years of sensory deprivation.

I have to pull away for a moment, to catch my breath, to give my body some relief from the sensory overload. We stare at each other, each breathing heavily, wide-eyed and smiling in awe. Jasper's hands come up to either side of my face; his thumbs gently stroke my cheekbones. He places feather-light kisses on my nose, my eyes, my forehead; then he turns my head slightly so that he can lean in and whisper in my ear, "Suck me, beautiful."

I immediately drop to my knees, letting my hands come to rest on his beautiful, muscular ass, and opening as wide as I can to take his splendid cock into my mouth. His hands rest on my head, his fingers stroking through my wet bronze hair – riding the movements, never forcing. I taste his head first, sliding the tip of my tongue around the ridge, dipping into the slit. I wrap one hand around the wide base, then plunge my head down, taking as much of him into my mouth as I can. He thrusts slightly – reflexively, never coercing – and groans, "Jesus fuck!" I suck hard on his shaft, creating a tight vacuum with my mouth. He moans loudly, and I lift my eyes, my mouth never ceasing my attentions to his cock. His head is back and I can't see his face. Looking up at his chest from this angle is stunning. His pecs and biceps are tightly flexed in his pleasure and concentration, and yet his touch on my head and face are gentle caresses. I knead his ass with my free hand, feeling the sculpted musculature. Despite the warm water, I shiver slightly as I imagine hitting the gym with him, watching that beautiful ass in action.

My shiver prompts him to look down at me, and when he sees that I'm gazing upwards, he smiles widely, his mouth open slightly to aid in his accelerated breathing. "I'm so close, beautiful," he whispers hoarsely, stroking my brow gently with his thumb. "Your mouth feels fucking amazing." I move my hand from his ass around to his balls, gently stroking and massaging, and I increase the speed at which my mouth and hand are pumping up and down his shaft. Soon his body tenses and he rocks his hips forward and back, teetering on the edge of his release. He moans loudly, "Oh, fuck, yeah!" and his cock pulses and throbs in my mouth. His cum hits my throat in hot spurts. I savor the salty taste of his essence, swallowing every spate; not wanting to miss a single drop. He continues to moan and thrust, and I don't release his cock until his orgasm has completely subsided.

He reaches down to my sides, under my arms, and pulls me quickly to his level. He pushes me back against the tiled shower wall, one hand on my hip and the other on the side of my neck, and his mouth attacks mine. His tongue asks entrance and I grant it immediately. His hand slides into my hair and, fisting it gently, he tilts my head back to allow him better access, and his tongue sweeps the farthest recesses of my mouth, seeking out residual tastes of his nectar.

Finally he breaks our kiss and, keeping his hand on my neck, he pulls my ear close to his mouth and whispers soft thanks and admirations. My lips feel naked at the loss of his beautiful mouth against mine, and I lean in to continue to adore his lean neck, moving between his jaw and his collarbone until he pulls back a bit and bestows a beatific smile upon me.

"I can't help noticing how well-placed this ledge is," he says suggestively, and he purses his lips and cocks one eyebrow at me while his fingertips graze the deep ledge built into the shower wall.

"One of the perks of knowing a few good designers," I reply. Briefly I think back to the process of redesigning the bathroom. The remodel work was a bitch, but fortunately the design was easy. I knew exactly what I wanted; and the best part was that I didn't have to explain to my designer or crew what the ledge was for. Hell, three-quarters of them were fucked on that ledge at some point during the process.

"So," Jasper says, bringing my thoughts back to the present, "shall I…um…?" and he pats the ledge questioningly.

I consider his question for only a moment before I answer.

"No," I reply, shaking my head. "I want you in our – er, my bed."

His head whips around to look at me as I stumble over the words. Our bed? Christ - what did I just do? I can't imagine what the look on my face must be as I meet his eyes. His eyebrows are high on his forehead and his eyes are wide as he searches my face. So far, though, he isn't throwing his clothes back on in a mad panic to get away from the – god, I can barely even think it – pathetic loser who might as well have just written our fucking wedding announcement! I have no fucking idea what I should say at this moment to assure him that I really don't mean what my slip implied. For fuck's sake, I am the guy who has to fend off the boys who think they're in love with me after one fuck. For a very brief moment, I actually wonder whether, at some point tonight, I have walked through a portal to an alternate universe. Or, maybe I was hit by a bus and died instantly; and this is, in fact, my own personal hell.

After what feels like fucking weeks, but is probably more like five seconds, I manage to recover my faculties enough to speak. I decide to make light of my mistake, figuring that seeming more pathetic at this point is definitely not what I need. Fortunately, as I'm about to speak, Jasper saves me the trouble and bursts into laughter. It's the third time this exuberant laugh has echoed off the walls of my apartment, and at this moment, it's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. He was caught off-guard by my stumble too, but only for a moment. He's not dashing for the door.

"Oh my god, Edward, your face!" he gasps when he's able to speak. "I thought you were going to throw up! Shit, that's the funniest thing I've ever seen!" He dissolves again into laughter and I join him, partly laughing at myself and partly in relief that he doesn't spook easily.

I reach behind me to turn off the shower spray, then step from the shower and grab two towels from the linen shelf. Grabbing his hand, I pull him from the shower and towel him off. He's still smiling broadly, and he lifts his arms up and out to the sides, passively letting me work over his body with the bright white towel. Once I've dried him off and squeezed the water out of his dripping curls, I turn him towards the bathroom door, lightly slap his ass and say, "Meet you on the bed."

"Whose bed…?" he teases gently, smirking over his shoulder at me as he heads in that direction. I quickly towel myself off and stride out into my bedroom; and then I stop short at the sight of him.

He's lounging on his stomach on the bed, his long, muscular body reclining gracefully across the duvet. His head is propped on one hand, turned towards me. His smile has turned from teasing, to tempting. His ass – oh my god, his ass – is of the same caliber as any marble carving I've seen anywhere in the world. In two long strides, I am on my knees on the bed beside him. I have to get my hands on that ass, sink my fingers in deeply, grab handfuls of it. It is smooth and unblemished, and I can't stop my lips from falling to it. I place sucking kisses and nibbles over each smooth cheek, knowing I'm in danger of placing marks on it, but I can't help it. I want to mark it – I want to be the one whose lips and teeth have left their imprint upon the pristine canvas.

Jasper has lain his head upon the pillows and is reveling in my attention to his luscious ass, stretching his legs and flexing his toes, sighing his enjoyment. Finally he lifts his hips off the bed and pulls his knees underneath him, breaking away from my oral assault on his perfect posterior so he can lift it into the air. His cheek remains on the pillows and he's smiling at me with that fascinating mouth.

"Mmm, found something you like, I see," he intones softly. In reply, I lean forward to place a sweet kiss on his cheek, then reach to my bedside for a condom and the bottle of lube. I tear open the packet and unroll the condom onto my throbbing hard cock, and dispense a generous amount of lube into my hand. I lube the condom, and then it's time to start to lube the beautiful ass before me.

I move behind him and lean in to place just one kiss on each beautiful ass cheek as my lubed fingers start to apply the slick liquid around his opening. I slip in one finger, then a second, and he sighs beneath me. I make sure his ass is well-anointed, and then it's time. I can't wait any longer to finally be inside him – my nymph, my god. I've been through worlds with this boy tonight, and it's finally time for me to possess him completely.

I place the head of my cock at his opening, and just before I press into him, I remember that I want to ask, as he did. I want to show him the respect he has given me tonight. I bend forward slightly to look at him. His eyes are closed, awaiting my entry. I whisper, "Is this okay?"

His eyes open and he turns his head slightly so he can meet my eyes. He smiles encouragingly and murmurs, "Yes." It's all I need.

Before he can break our gaze, I push deep into him, feeling the incredible tightness of his ass enveloping my throbbing cock. Once my entire length is sheathed within him, I hold my hips still, fighting the urge to buck against him. I manage to keep my eyes on his face just long enough to see his eyes roll back into his head, before mine do the same. The sensation of our bodies in union is exquisite, as though we were designed to fit perfectly together. I hold for as long as I can, savoring it; and then I start to slowly rock my hips back and forth, in and out of his beautiful ass. He punctuates each long stroke with a low moan, and it fuels my desire. My pace increases, and his response escalates in kind. He's in a near-constant state of expression; pants, groans, soft oaths. There is no shame in his enjoyment of this primal act.

And suddenly – I just get it. He's not ashamed, because he's giving me a gift – he's giving me his body, and it's a gift. The realization slams me in the chest. There is more pleasure in giving than in receiving. I used to scoff at this, relating it to giving and receiving sexual favors. I was so fucking stupid. There is no shame in giving a gift.

And now I know. I know why those men from my past made me feel so ashamed: because they stole the gift from me. They weren't worthy for me to present it to them as I should, and they stole it. And I know why I've never given it to anyone else – because there are so few who believe enough in their own value, to know that they shouldn't give their own gift to every guy who walks by. Most importantly, I know why I wasn't ashamed to allow Jasper to possess my body tonight: he's worthy. He's priceless. And if I know nothing else in the midst of this surreal moment of existential importance, I am absolutely certain that I will never give the gift to anyone else.

As these fireworks go off in my head, fireworks of a different kind are getting closer beneath me. And all at once, I know I need to delay it. Now.

"Stop, stop," I pant, holding Jasper's hips so he can't press back into me.

"What? What's wrong? Are you okay?" he gasps, raising onto his palms and twisting his head around to look at me. His face is frantic with need, but bewildered that I've halted our actions.

"This is wrong! I'm doing this wrong," I manage to gasp out.

He looks at me now as though he is seriously concerned for my mental well-being, and says, "Believe me when I say, you're not doing it wrong." He then tries again to buck his hips back against me, and I push his ass away entirely, grasping the base of the condom and pulling out.

"No," I insist, "it's wrong."

"God, what??" he groans, clearly frustrated and completely at a loss for my behavior.

"Let me explain," I beg. "I just…I can't see you. I want to see you. Please – lay on your back, so I can look at you?"

"Oh," he exhales, seeming relieved that I haven't completely lost my mind. "Okay. I mean, yes. Of course." He smiles, his breath still accelerated, and gracefully flips over onto his back, lifting his legs so that his knees are elevated and his feet are flat on the bed.

"Thank you," I answer fervently, and though he doesn't know it yet, I'm thanking him for more than just indulging me with a rearrangement of position. The urgency returns as I look into his fantastic green eyes, and I immediately push into him again. His legs hook up over my back and now it's his heels that are digging into my ass, pulling me completely inside him. His hand comes down to his cock, stroking and caressing as I fuck his exquisitely tight ass. I've never seen anything as beautiful as his face looks when I'm inside him, and right now I feel like I never want to see anyone beneath me again. And I don't want any other boy to have the privilege of seeing this splendid sight. The greedy bastard in me doesn't want him to give that gift to anyone but me.

His upper body tenses, and I know his release is imminent. I'm on the edge as well, but I don't want to let myself go until I know my beautiful boy is there with me. I lean forward, making sure he is looking directly into my eyes, and I whisper, "Our bed."

And that's it. His body is a hang-glider, and I just jumped off a cliff. And now we're soaring through space, riding the bursts of air that buffet us from all sides; screaming into the wide open, sheer joy carrying us higher and higher. We're miles above everything now, and I don't ever want to let him return to earth. My heart feels as though it has grown its own wings, and the added strength keeps us aloft; until finally, gently, the winds abate, the hang-glider drifts smoothly down to solid ground again, and we are back on earth.

I collapse onto his chest and bury my face in his shoulder, panting, sweating, holding him as tightly to me as I possibly can. "Thank you," I whisper. "Thank you, thank you." They're the only words I'm capable of forming right now. I know that soon, I will explain to him what his gift means to me. For now, this is enough.

He grips me tightly, seemingly unwilling to give any opportunity for me to pull away, and I have no desire to. He kisses my head again and again, and between kisses he says, "'Thank you' is my second-favorite two-word sentence."

Finally I lift my face from his shoulder to look at him. His face is flushed and glistening with a sheen of sweat, and his eyes are blazing as he returns my gaze.

"What's your most favorite two-word sentence?" I ask.

He breaks into that impossibly wide grin before replying, "Our bed."

-o-

**sigh** Yeah. Blossoming man love. It's a beautiful thing. Know what else is beautiful? A FF site that operates as it should. Hooray, we're back!

A couple of shout-outs to close this chapter:

Over The Top has its own thread in the Twilighted(dot)net forums. Please visit the AU-Human forum to discuss Mathsper and Headward.

Manyafandom (amazing author of All I Ever Knew and The Arrangement, to name a couple) will be mentioning Over The Top on her weekly picks in the Perv Pack's Smut Shack. Her take on Over The Top will be published on Thursday of this week. You can locate the PPSS on Blogger: www(dot)pervpackssmutshack(dot)com. Huge thanks to Manyafandom for taking such an interest in these beautiful boys!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my own little group of chicas who delight and inspire me. Thank you, all, for your support; and for allowing everyone in our group to get their love on for all things Twilight, particularly Jacksper and Robward, without reservation and without judgment. I love you all.

One in particular, my friend who goes by mozzer0906, has become a one-woman cheerleading squad for Over The Top and has given herself the job of proselytizing about the story whenever and wherever she can. I love you, girl Thank you so much.

As always – reviews are love! Please, please review and let me know what you think.