Chapter Fourteen

Messages Written in Smoke

Edward's POV

Thirteen days later...

Reclining comfortably in the white, wooden chair on the beach, I watched as many locals, both young and old, swam in the crystal-clear ocean before me; a picture of beauty and innocence as they trotted through the cotton-soft sands the color of spun gold and laughed and initiated countless foot races in every direction.

I lifted my melting beer to my lips, letting the delightfully chilled brew pour into my mouth before I swallowed in two gulps, my emerald eyes particularly focused on one person standing out amongst the rest to me in such a colorful view.

Out ahead amidst the tumbling, foaming waters of the sea, Jasper flung himself upright on his surfboard just in time to catch a medium-sized wave that coasted through that patch of water like a ripple making its way through fabric.

I watched as my angel, drenched and laughing, rode the wave for as long as he could before having to wipe out off of his board and plummet into the warm waters below.

I smirked at the scene, remembering the event a few weeks ago when Jasper had declared that he was going to learn how to surf, followed by the many days, including this one, of me simply watching him have the greatest of times being out there in the water, paddling out and waiting for just the right moment to burst into action.

I had never seen Jasper happier, his joyous smile far outweighing even the brightness of the afternoon sun in my eyes every time I witnessed it.

And yet, I still could not shake a certain foreboding feeling I had been having.

I could tell that something was missing, that I was keeping something important away from him that he had not yet named...something that he needed.

But I knew what it was.

Now, my lover was tanned the color of bronze and eating of some of the spiciest foods, seemingly always kissed by the spray of the salty ocean as we lived so close to it.

When I had first met him, however, I had immediately associated Jasper with being an angel, because he was as pale as a glowing deity sent down from somewhere extraordinary, like he was meant to be surrounded by glistening snow since he had been born of it.

The way the evening frost would chill his cheeks, making them pink against his white skin, while bringing out his eyes to an almost otherworldly quality of beauty, I had been enraptured by how my Jasper would shine amidst backdrop pictures of black and white.

I had taken him out of his element; I, alone, had decided that this would be the place for us to reside whence I had retrieved him from that jail.

I sighed to myself, feeling my recently increasing guilt manifest tenfold within my chest as I considered the weight of such a revelation – that all of our comings and goings had solely been my calls, and that I had made them without ever really asking Jasper first.

Just the same, while my lover was just as breathtaking in both snow or sunshine, I could feel deep within my heart and mind that Russia was where he truly belonged.

I could not help but wonder that behind those wonderful smiles of enjoyment of his, was he really fulfilled being here in this place like this...?

I had to know for certain.

I would not make one more decision before speaking with him about it first.

The vision of Jasper's long, red shorts coming into view snapped me out of my reverie, as I smiled up at his approaching form.

"Hello, baby..." I greeted my sopping wet boyfriend, taking a solid moment to appreciate just how ravenous Jasper always looked with his dripping curls that he had moved back away from his face, coupled with his impeccably toned body that moved too gracefully for words as he crouched down in the sand in front of me.

"...heh...I'm exhausted..." Jasper chuckled breathlessly as he took the bottle of beer from my hand and drank heartily of the bitter brew before continuing, "...I think I need a minute or twelve before going back out there."

I laughed at Jasper's joke, letting him finish my beer before sitting up from my reclining position, leaning closely towards him until I could feel the puffs of his warm breath sweep across my throat.

Jasper swallowed the remainder of the brew in his mouth, his vibrant blue eyes becoming a bit concerned at the way I somberly took either side of his jaw against my palms, cradling his precious face so close to my own whilst I fixed my eyes intently upon his features.

"Jascha...there's something I've been meaning to ask you..." I began seriously, ignoring the worry and questions and doubt flaring up wildly within my indistinguishable thoughts as I forced my mind to piece together my final proposition for my lover, needing to say the difficult words to him.

"...besides...after what happened with Uley...it would be smart to leave this place...at least for a while..." my racing thoughts deadpanned, adding the last bit of reasoning I needed to voice what I was aching to say to him.

"...yeah...what is it, Edward?" Jasper asked me in a quiet voice, his eyes looking beseechingly into my own as he reached his hands up to mine and gently took them away from his face so that he and I may simply hold onto each other within the small space in between us right now.

I swallowed hard, willing away the last of my warring concerns as I spoke.

"I want you to tell me right now...do you want to go back to Russia? What I mean to say is...are you happy here in Mexico...or...do you miss your home? I know you miss it there...you've told me that before...but...do you want to go back is what I'm asking?" I blurted out, my passion to solely please this gorgeous man in front of me tangling my tongue and rushing my thoughts as my ideas flooded from me for him to decipher.

Jasper immediately looked taken aback, stunned by my asking of going back to Russia and of his happiness, and I waited patiently while my blue-eyed lover pensively licked his lips and gathered his own thoughts.

"Well...I'm shocked that you have been thinking of this...I uh...I thought you said it would be too dangerous to return to Russia?" Jasper questioned, his accented voice already carrying heartwarming bits of hope along with his words as he gave my hands a slight squeeze inside of his own.

"I have...I've been giving it a lot of thought and I think that enough time has passed that there won't be as many threats now. The FBI have probably moved on, labeled us as dead just so they had something to report...it would probably be safe for us now..." I explained to my lovely Russian boyfriend, seeing his hope grow and grow with each one of my words to him, as his pink lips parted ever-so slightly in understanding.

"...Jascha...honey...we could go back...if you wanted..." I lowered my voice to a whisper as I slid my hands up his forearms, lightly grasping at his biceps as I held him close, unwilling to miss any one flicker of emotion that passed my angel's perfect face whilst he processed everything I had told him.

"...I...don't know...I mean...it sounds great, but..." Jasper began in a careful voice, before casting his ocean-blue gaze off to his right, watching a few of the passersby for a moment before speaking again, "...here they don't know who I am...what I've done...no one knows what all of this means..."

Jasper's eyes lowered to the tattoos adorning his body, a small frown creasing his features for a second before he lifted his gaze back up to mine, his fingers treading softly along the tops of my thighs, signaling to me that he was having a hard time in thinking over such options I had just presented him.

Sure enough, I understood right away what he was trying to say.

No one even gave us a second glance in this place; no one could possibly read and make sense of Jasper's many Russian tattoos...we simply blended in like everyone else...experiencing some kind of normalcy in our days here.

"I know, sweetheart..." I cooed to my beloved man, blinking my eyes serenely at his features as his concern gave way to decision, his uncertainty becoming certain as I continued, "...I just want to see you happy...where you belong..."

Jasper licked his lips, his jaw and set of his cool eyes steeling at my words, before he replied.

"Then...yes...I would like to go back to Russia," Jasper stated firmly, immediately making me smirk as I felt all of my questions become answered, all of my own pondering suddenly have value as my lover swiftly confirmed that he did, in fact, wish to go back to his homeland after all.

"Of course, baby...we'll leave whenever you're ready," I used my hold on his arms to pull him against me, wrapping my arms around his broad back as I hugged him close, pleased with his decision as well.

"...Edward..." Jasper prompted softly against my neck, his hands squeezing at my shoulders as I kissed his temple and cheek.

"...yeah...?" I asked, my smirk still in place along my chiseled features as he and I slowly inched our faces away so that we may look upon the other once more.

"I'm ready to go right now," Jasper affirmed adorably, smiling the same time I did, as I freed a hand from his warm body and brought it to his drying, chaotic hair, moving some of the longer curls behind his ear.

"...you got it," I said before kissing my lovely Russian chastely on his luscious lips, sealing our plans to travel back to his native country as I felt Jasper throw his arms around my neck to deepen our embrace as well as to show his gratitude.

X

Forty-two hours later...

"Are you nervous, baby doll...?" I asked my lover quietly, my eyes lowered to the top of his golden head as he kept it resting on my shoulder, the pair of us currently sitting in our assigned seats aboard the aircraft speeding towards our destination.

Jasper silently inhaled an amount of air through his nose, obviously turning my question over in his mind for a moment, before my stunning Russian answered.

"No...I'm happy, Edward...really happy," his words were somber and calming for me to hear, perfectly mirroring how I wanted him to feel at this moment, and I smirked from above his honey curls, resting my cheek down upon the crown of his head.

The both of us were unbelievably tired, having truthfully pulled together our travel arrangements to Russia within the last day, the single thought occurring to either of us the entire time we hustled to leave Mexico for the United States border was how we craved to see beautiful, white buildings where the snow seemed to be little pieces of the architecture floating freely around the atmosphere.

And yet, as drained and fatigued as the pair of us currently were as we slumped in our plane seats and leaned on one another for extra support and comfort, Jasper and I were indescribably content.

It had brought us a wonderful peace simply being here on the plane together, heading for several changeover flights but were due to arrive at a small airport just outside Saint Petersburg; he and I were positively thrilled to return to my lover's majestic homeland after all this time.

In spite of the craziness that had been the previous thirty-six hours of planning and booking; packing and checking; I could already tell that Jasper was happy again...experiencing that special kind of joy that I had originally wished to see put back inside of him.

Even now, it was there.

I closed my eyes, drawing such surrealistic solace from the revelation, feeling fulfilled from it...feeling gloriously justified along with Jasper's whispered words of happiness to me.

I felt like I had accomplished what I had been put on this earth to accomplish...and that felt good, rejuvenating as a human being.

Everything that had happened until now, all that I had done and had had to do...just seemed so...unquestionably worth it...just for this one, solitary feeling.

Noticing that Jasper was already sleeping lightly on my shoulder, I let myself be lulled to a gentle slumber as well, finding the subtle humming of the jet engines, as well as my lover's even breathing, to be quite soothing to my weary but wholly ecstatic senses.

Author's Note: All together now...aww...! XD XD XD Prepare for the next chapter. My story is quickly reaching a close, but I think I may still have a few more tricks up my sleeve. Cheers and good fortune!