A/N: SM owns Twilight. Theladyingrey42 owns me, so I wrote her this story. Thanks to ahizelm for the beta-job and to miss_becky_louise for keeping Edward British.

The Setting: Bicheno, Tasmania - Bicheno Backpackers
The Music: A Pirate Looks at Forty, Jack Johnson

Term: Garden = yard, anything with grass

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EPOV

I wake slowly to a warm hand on my shoulder and a soft, sweet voice whispering my name.

"Edward. The girls say dinner's ready, if you're interested."

His breath wafts over my face and I smell beer and weed and, surprisingly, it's not altogether unpleasant. The warmth from his hand seems to seep through my skin, warming places of my heart that I have ignored for far too long.

"Edward?"

I open my eyes, blinking at him, his face slowly coming into focus. His brows are furrowed in concern but then he notices that I'm waking and he smiles.

"Ah, so sleeping beauty awakes!" he chides me and I huff in reply.

"Uh, yeah. I'm up, I guess I was more jet-lagged than I realized." I stretch and knock my book off my stomach and onto the floor.

Jasper stoops to pick up the book and hands it back to me with a small smile. "I'm sure a hot meal will make you feel like yourself again. And I would really like it if you joined me. I mean, us."

I try not to get my hopes up about his slip, but my heart skips a couple beats when he asks me to have dinner with him.

I nod and tumble out of my bottom bunk, rolling my neck to get the kinks out. I run my hands through my hair and groan because I can feel that it's a lost cause.

"I think this is as presentable as I come right now," I grumble. "Ready when you are."

I glance up at Jasper when I realize he hasn't moved and watch him blink slowly and then shake his head.

"Jasper, you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, fine. Let's go. The girls are just downstairs."

I follow him into the dining area and see a table laden with a variety of mismatched dishes and pans. The girls are scooping heaping helpings onto plates - rice, beans, stir fried veg and some sort of marinated sliced meat. It smells heavenly and my stomach growls appreciatively.

Jasper turns and smirks at me and I shrug unapologetically. Honestly, the last thing I ate was a cherry tart and I need real sustenance. We join them at the table and Jasper and I dig in heartily while the girls watch on.

"When was the last time you two ate?" Tanya asks as she's shaking her head. I notice Bella hiding a giggle behind her hand, and I wonder what's so funny.

"Dunno," Jasper answers around a mouthful of food. "Sometime around one or two maybe."

"And that was just a nibble," I helpfully point out.

"Well, eat up boys. There's more if you want it." Bella points to the large pan on the stove.

"This is amazing," I add. "Thank you so much for cooking for us."

"Don't thank us yet. You have to clean all the dishes," Bella points out.

"Seems like a fair trade to me," Jasper joins in and I just nod my head, turning back to my plate.

The food is excellent and warm and homemade and I barely take time to enjoy the light conversation. Perhaps these girls aren't as bad as I thought. I catch Jasper smiling at me more than once and I feel my mood lighten with each grin. By the end of the meal, the girls and I are relentlessly teasing the lone American, although Jasper takes it as good as he gives. We are all laughing and joking when the girls get a phone call and make a hasty retreat to change before meeting some local boys for a drink.

"You two are welcome to join us if you'd like," Bella offers as they finish readying themselves for the evening.

"I thank you for the invitation, but I think I still need some sleep. I'm sure Jasper could keep the local blokes in line for you," I offer, silently pleading for him to stay.

"Sorry, ladies, but I need to call the States now before everyone heads to work."

They shrug and wave before heading out the door. "Your loss, boys!" Tanya calls to us before tossing her hair over her shoulder and following a laughing Bella outside.

Jasper and I gather all the dishes and dump them into the sink. He grabs soap and a sponge, tossing a towel at me.

"I wash, you rinse and dry?" he suggests.

"Sounds like a plan to me," I agree readily, still wanting to be close to him, however irrational it may be.

He rolls up the sleeves of his button-up shirt and I see a flash of silver and turquoise. I'm transfixed by the cuff around his wrist, wondering at the meaning of the design. He clears his throat and I look up into his clear blue eyes with a start.

"Sorry. Just admiring your cuff."

"It was a gift." He shrugs, dropping the subject completely, turning back to the filling sink and dropping the pans into the water. He washes the dishes in silence, placing the clean ones in the other half of the sink for me to rinse and move to the drying rack. We continue this for minutes before I can't handle it anymore. For a moment, I wish we had the easy banter that we had in the car. Then I resolve to end this weird silence between us.

"So, did you have fun with the girls earlier?"

"Yeah, we just hung out, had a couple joints, chilled. It was very low-key." He nods a little, handing me a large pot. "I wish you had come," he adds quietly.

"Well, you know," I stutter. Bloody hell! What is up with me tonight? I clear my throat and continue, "I'm not sure my brain is functional yet, but I really needed that nap."

"Yeah, you were pretty out when I came in." He chuckles. "Are you really going back to bed so soon?"

"Was thinking about it. Why?" An absurd hope blossoms in my chest again that he may want to spend time with me.

"Well, after I call Rosalie, I was going to chill outside, maybe play some guitar." He turns to me, a small smile playing on his lips.

I don't miss that he's calling a girl back in the States. So, he's not really interested in the New Zealand girls because he's already got a girl.

I shrug, attempting to play off my anxiety. "Sure, I'm just going to write in my journal while you make your call then."

We finish the dishes, putting them back in their cupboards. He heads to the small room with the computer after grabbing a small headset from his backpack. I grab my journal and lounge on a couch near the room so I can tell when he's done. From where I sit, I can just see the back of his beautiful head as he sits facing the computer screen. I cannot hear his conversation, but it is often punctuated by laughter.

This girl makes him happy.

I stand to grab a glass of water and almost fall over at the image of the woman on the screen. There is no possible way that the Kiwi girls could ever compete with that. I'm staring at Aphrodite herself - golden hair, piercing blue eyes, perfect porcelain features. I don't swing that way, never have, but even I can appreciate her flawless beauty.

I grab my water and return to my seat, taking a moment to wallow in my pitiful crush before he returns to 'hang out,' as he put it. I finish my day's entry, perhaps putting too much emphasis on the southern man in the other room, but he seems to be consuming more and more of my thoughts in every moment no matter how I try to put him out of my mind.

Shortly, Jasper emerges from the computer room, stretching and reaching his hands towards the ceiling. His shirt lifts and I glimpse a sliver of his toned abdomen, swallowing thickly as my mouth waters at the sight.

Great, I'll add that to the next fantasy that will never happen.

I sigh and stand, smiling widely and trying to just be happy. I can't let my own disappointment ruin what has potential to be an amazing friendship.

"Ready?"

"Yeah, just let me put this away." I wave my journal at him and head to the room. He follows closely behind me and his hand brushes lightly against my thigh as he passes to his backpack. He grabs his guitar and gestures to the door.

"After you."

I grin and lead the way out to the circle of deck chairs in the garden. At the end of the block is a small grocery and I suggest getting some beer. He agrees easily and I run down the hill to fetch the libation while he tunes his instrument. By the time I return and pop a couple bottles, he's strumming softly with the guitar on his knee and his head bent over the strings.

"Any requests?"

"No country," I tease and he lifts his head to smile at me.

"Well, then, you'll just have to suffer through the rock I may be able to pluck out."

"I'm sure I'll survive."

He begins playing in earnest, his nimble fingers picking through the notes and I recognize Jason Mraz's I'm Yours, and I try not to just fucking melt as his smooth, rich baritone joins the chords. His voice glides over the words and my heart almost stops when he croons to "not hesitate." I take a slow swig from my bottle, breaking eye contact and trying to clear my head.

He changes songs to something older and I hum along, recognizing the tune, but not from where.

"What is this? I can't quite place it."

"It's an old Clapton song, 'After Midnight.' Well, my slow and mellow version of it anyway."

I chuckle and settle back in the chair, trying my damnedest to keep my thoughts happy and pure and just enjoy the warm air, the night sky and the man sitting next to me. I rub my hands over my face, trying to wake myself up a little and barely stifling my yawn.

"I don't think you're going to make it til midnight," he teases.

"I'm trying to stay up, but my body is definitely starting to protest."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I am definitely not looking forward to the flight back home."

"Oh? When are you flying back to the States?"

"Well, I have three more days here in Tazzy, then back to Sydney for half a day on Saturday, then back home that evening. I can't believe it's almost over."

I nod and try to look sympathetic, but I feel like I've been punched in the gut. Three days? I only have three days with him. I watch him lean back in the chair, resting his head on the back while his hands absently play song after song on the guitar.

"It's strange sometimes to look at the stars here," he observes, breaking from his singing. "It's the same big sky as home, but the patterns are all unrecognizable. Like I'm in an entirely new universe."

"I know the feeling. Australia is like it's own magical, little world. I always feel like anything could happen here."

From my peripheral vision, I see him nod and take a sip of his beer. We sit in companionable silence, my thoughts drifting to home and family and possibilities. My plans right now don't allow for a relationship. My last attempt made it abundantly clear that I couldn't give everything I needed to medical school and still have a boyfriend. And when I return home I'll be starting my internship, and I'll have even less time to devote to someone, especially long distance.

So, why am I entertaining the idea of kissing him senseless? Perhaps I'm just a glutton for punishment. My sister would definitely agree, and then she'd add that I'm thinking too much.

I finish my beer and set the bottle in the grass before settling back again. I can feel my body relaxing, sinking into the chair, as Jasper's soft strumming fills the night air. I recognize pieces of Beatles and Jack Johnson, but just let the sounds wash over me.

"Hey there. No falling asleep out here. No telling what creepy crawlies come out at night, ya know?"

I am wide awake with that reminder and sit bolt upright in the chair. He chuckles and I glare at him.

"I'm not used to worrying about that kind of thing. Britain is pretty free of venomous creatures and the like."

"Where I grew up, you always checked your boots before putting them on, so Australia isn't much different." He stands slowly and I follow, grabbing the empty bottles and the unopened beer.

"Thanks for playing for me. This was very relaxing and just what I needed."

"No problem, man. Anytime. It was nice to play again, actually."

I stop at the large communal washroom and when I return to our room, he's already changed into pajama pants and a t-shirt. He leaves quickly with his toothbrush in hand and a small wave to me in passing. I change and lay down in my bottom bunk, wondering briefly if the girls' return will wake me later. My body sinks into the mattress and I wrap the duvet around me.

Jasper returns quickly and jumps into the top bunk. Suddenly his head appears over the edge, his blonde waves falling around his face.

"I was just thinking. I'm planning on going to Freycinet Park tomorrow and hiking to Wineglass Bay. Would you like to come?"

My heart races and yet my words, thankfully, seem calm to my ears. "Yeah, I'd love to."

"Excellent," he replies, flopping back into the bed. "See you tomorrow, Edward. G'night."

"Good night, Jasper."

I turn off the light before rolling to my side. Sleep claims me almost instantaneously.

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So, I'm posting some birthday drabbles I wrote for EchoesOfTwilight and Naelany in a new story called "Shorts, Drabs and Outs." They're slashy if you're into that kind of thing. *wink*