Chapter Eleven

The Time Has Come, The Walrus Said...

Edward's POV

Jasper followed me into the bathroom after having requested taking a bath together, the lovely blonde-haired male leaning against the white sink basin as I disposed of the used condom, and then bent over to turn on the water in the tub.

Once I straightened, Jasper was at my side, loosely looping his arms around one of my own, as he kept purposefully close to me, melting my heart all over again inside my swelled chest with his gentle touches and seeking of my warmth.

I smiled down at the sight of my lover's messy, light-colored curls, Jasper obviously quite tired as he stood beside me, and I absolutely loved how Jasper desired to be physically close to me at all times, barely even wanting to be in a separate room from me as he pressed more of his lean body into the side of mine.

I craned my head down and planted an affectionate kiss to the top of his head, lacing one set of our fingers together, not feeling any pressure to blot the moderate silence with words at the moment, as he and I simply waited the short minutes until enough hot water had filled the white tub.

Without needing to ask otherwise, I helped Jasper into the tub, noticing his tight grip on my hand as he stepped over the side before the two of us gingerly lowered our bodies down into the relaxing water, feeling the liquid quickly heat our already pleasantly warmed flesh in soft caresses.

Jasper sighed out his contentedness as he slowly settled his tattooed back against my chest, him being more submerged in the water than I as he rested his head along my collarbone, our knees poking out of the water as white wisps of soothing steam coiled around us, allowing us to breathe it in deeply and clear our senses to experience a subtle kind of serenity.

My own frame reclining comfortably against the end of the tub, I wrapped my soaked arms around Jasper's chest, securing him to me, as my jade-colored eyes lowered from mildly observing the wall color and taste in cabinets in the room to Jasper's stunning profile as the Russian relaxed his body against my own, him knowing that he was safe inside my embrace as he slowly blinked his eyes.

"...I...can never go back to Russia, can I?" Jasper spoke with heart-breaking gravity in his voice to me, his words making me frown in immediate understanding of the fact that Jasper was considered even more of a wanted criminal now...and that the first place any fed or official with a badge would look for him would be in his birth country.

"...no...I'm afraid not," I admitted, my heart clenching at the sound of my own words to him, very real slivers of pure hatred coursing through me for a moment as my mind warred with me about speaking such negativity to my sweet man at all.

Jasper sighed again, slightly shifting underneath the surface of the water, before relaxing his muscles along mine all over again, the Russian male visibly saddened by my revelation as he swallowed hard and lowered his eyes.

"...I know...I'll miss it," Jasper confessed, his voice becoming a little lighter with each word he spoke, as he, instead, reflected positively, nostalgically about Mother Russia to me, his eyes still lowered but were once again regaining their glorious shine, "...Nizhny Novgorod...the church I would go to...the streets that looked like your entire life mapped out in front of you, covered in snow but still bright in your eyes against black sky."

My lips parted silently, my breath stolen right from me as I listened to the sheer poetry behind Jasper's words, able to practically see what he saw in his mind's eye at the moment...and it was beautiful...just like him.

"What's your middle name?" I asked randomly, smirking a bit at my own lightheartedness with Jasper, as I watched a gorgeous smile curved his luscious lips, the Russian obviously enjoying my odd question as much as I was.

"Mikhail...what's yours?" Jasper answered before asking me for the same, my smirk having transformed into an easy smile along my features as I reflected on Jasper's real, given name in my thoughts.

"Jascha Mikhail...definitely suits him with how beautiful it is," I mused to myself before licking my lips so I may answer my lover.

"My middle name is Anthony," I replied, laughing out loud the moment I saw Jasper comically wrinkle his nose at my answer.

"I know...it wouldn't be my first choice, but..." I squeezed my arms around him a little tighter, observing the way Jasper closed his eyes in heavenly peace as he placed his hands on top of my forearms, both of us drawing immeasurable security from how intimate and personal the two of us were in this moment, as if we had not another care in world, "...I like yours a lot better, sweetheart."

"...it was my father's name;" Jasper said, his voice still kept serene and without any cause for concern as my angel graciously divulged more information about himself to me, precious information that he most likely had not spoken to another soul until now with me, "He was a good man. He never wanted to be a part of the Morozov Faction, and he always tried to keep all of that away from me when I was little...but...I still got in. It was what I wanted...I wanted what he had tried to hide from me all those years...ha...I guess I got what I asked for, da?"

"Jascha...you were just a kid then...you didn't know..." I offered to my beloved Russian with empathetic pain in my words, helping him to turn around in his spot so that he faced me, the water gently sloshing around us from his move, but the warm liquid was quick to be still again.

Jasper rested his hands flat on either of my thighs, as I held his stunning sapphire gaze with my own, seeing the resounding melancholy as well as the enrapturing inkling of hope buried there...exactly the same as the day I had met him in Russia.

"...everyone makes mistakes and gets...caught up in things they have no control over..." I continued to voice what I hoped were words of consolation and understanding, words that were meant to tell him that he need not dwell on such things of his past because I fully intended to make sure his future was filled with nothing but pure happiness, "...you don't have anything to be sorry about...nothing to apologize for, baby..."

Jasper lowered his eyes in thought, a small side-smirk gradually shaping his delectable mouth, as he blinked his rejuvenated gaze back up to mine, my hands holding onto the small of his back so I may keep him as close to me as possible whilst we whispered about topics too fragile to speak with regular voices.

"If there is one thing I can say I do not regret about my life..." Jasper began with solid weight in his words, words that instantly conjured up images of him having to brave the wintery cold night after night in order to see to shady and dangerous deals made by people higher up than he, the instances he had had to spend time in Russian jails because of his lifestyle, and I was certain that my heart was in my throat before Jasper finished speaking, "...it is that I was able to fall in love with someone like you, Edward..."

My heart broke, ruined for any other thing or person to so much as touch, as I raised my sopping wet hands to either side of Jasper's perfect, angelic face, watching him lean into my touch and softly close his eyes as he and I naturally came together in a blissful kiss.

"A hundred times over...I'd bust him out of that prison...just for this...just for this..." my swimming mind flowed through my thoughts, each one crystal-clear and just as vibrant to me, as I cherished the utterly fulfilling sensations having Jasper's shapely lips moving against my own brought me.

"I feel the same way, sweetheart..." I cooed against my angel's lips before kissing him once more, our connection unifying and significant as I let my eyes trace over his peaceful, handsome features so close to my own, Jasper's eyes still closed as my palms remained cradling either side of his jaw, "...you make everything I have ever done...worth it..."

"Edward..." Jasper breathed, his warm breath only a gentle puff against my throat, as I obligingly lain his head on my chest, able to see just how exhausted my Russian was, just how in need of recuperation as so much had happened in this day.

"...go ahead and rest, sweetheart...I got you..." I whispered into Jasper's hair, my hands sliding down the enticing slopes of his tattooed back until I could gingerly take hold of his sides, loving how Jasper was practically sleeping on top of me, continuing to need me, as I let my fingers rub endless patterns along his soft skin all the while.

"...mmn..." Jasper hummed quietly, the Russian easily finding sleep amidst the blanketing water and my own loving touches, as I noticed his inked back steadily moving up and down in correlation to his even breathing while he slept.

I smirked at the heart-warming sight, wanting to kiss him once more, wanting to tightened my embrace around him and listen to his voice, but dared not do anything of the sort that would disturb him right now.

Anything I wanted could wait – Jasper...my precious Jasper would always come first.

"I'll give him ten more minutes to rest like this...then I'll get him out and dress him for bed..." I mentally discussed with myself, my own eyes blinking slowly, tranquility seeming to flow endlessly through me within such a bittersweet moment, a quiet sigh escaping as I tipped my head back to rest against the white wall behind me.

"...and tomorrow...well...I wonder if my lovely Russian has ever been anywhere warm..." I pondered cheekily to myself, a knowing smile claiming my strong features as I lowered my eyes back down to Jasper's sleeping form draped on top of my own, my ideas for our next step together having already been considered and planned to the smallest detail.

I honestly could not wait for the next day to come so that my plans could finally become reality for us both.

Author's Note: I am so peeved at FFN right now. The site has been giving me tons of crap, I could not update squat over the weekend...and they just suck right now. Blah! Hopefully they work out their kinks so I can continue my story lol. XD