Seven Minutes in Heaven

by tuesdaymidnight

High school senior Edward just found out that his long-standing crush on classmate Jasper is mutual, but he is mortified that their first kiss may occur inside a closet. Little does he know what that one kiss will ignite. AU, AH, OOC. E/J Slash. Rated M.

13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters... or a family as nutty as the Hale clan.

A/N: Thank you all so much for your patience on this update. A combination of real life, writer's block and my general state of malaise was holding me back. (I'm horribly behind on my reading, too :( ) I will finish this story and have an outline to do so, it just may take me longer than I would like or would have expected. I have to thank each and every one of you who continues to read, review and add this story to favorite and alert lists. I couldn't do this without all of your encouragement! A special thanks to BeCullen and naelany who went back and reviewed every chapter! You truly astound me.

And, an uber-special thank you to PerfectlyPersuasive for betaing this and cleaning up my wordy messes!

And now, it's time to celebrate Christmas with the Hales...

---

I was standing in front of an old ranch house, my stomach twisting in knots, my hair taking another beating with the way I was tugging on it. All because I was spending Christmas with the entire Hale clan.

In Texas.

Thank god Emmett was with me; we Cullen brothers needed to put on a united front.

It was important to both Jasper and I that I meet his family. I was trying not to go in with a judgmental attitude, but I knew that they played a role in Jasper's insecurities. After our reconciliation at Thanksgiving, Jasper opened up a little more to me about his family. He tried to explain to me what it meant to be in the military and about growing up in the shadow of expectations he knew he could never meet. He nearly broke down when he told me that during his heart to heart with the Colonel on Thanksgiving, he found out his Grandfather Hale had been an alcoholic. It was important to me to understand Jasper's roots, and knowing what I knew now made me even more proud of the man he had become. I wanted his family to like me, but at the same time, it was hard for me not to point my finger at the people who crushed my love's individuality before he even knew he had it to express.

Luckily, my Jasper, with the help of a few sessions with a counselor, was starting to crawl out from under the shadow of his family's legacy.

I would have been a nervous wreck anyway without being privy to Jasper's family history.

I was worried about being around some of Jasper's relatives who thought homosexuality was a choice, and an immoral choice at that. Then, I was fretting that I wouldn't be able to keep my trap shut and not tell them off. That thought brought up my concern about being in a state with lax gun control law. This led to my worried that Colonel Hale would pull a shotgun on me if I touched Jasper. Not to mention, I was also freaking out that I'd die if I couldn't be in such a stressful situation and not be able to touch Jasper.

The only thing keeping me sane was the fact that Emmett was there. Emmett and Rosalie were sometimes very affectionate in front of other people. If they could keep their hands off of each other for a few days, then surely I could keep my distance from Jasper.

Plus, Emmett was planning on proposing to Rosalie on Christmas day. He had already asked Colonel Hale for permission, which was reluctantly granted to him on the caveat that Grandma Hale also approved. Somehow, knowing that tough, stern Colonel Hale was a mama's boy endeared the man a little more to me. Though my parents and Alice knew about the proposal, other than the Colonel, I was the only person here who knew Emmett was going to ask for Rosalie's hand.

From what I understood, the daughters and granddaughters in the Hale family were fiercely protected. Though, I found it a bit outdated and sexist, I was glad that some of the heat would be shoveled off onto Emmett. We still had two days before Christmas day, so I was pretty sure I would be up first on the chopping block.

I had only been around Jasper's parents a few times since we started dating, mostly in passing or in public places. My parents had them over for dinner when Jasper and I returned from Europe. The last time I saw them was only a few weeks before; they had been in Seattle for some reason and took Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, Alice, Seth and me out to dinner. Alice had been friends with Jasper for years and was the only one of us Cullen kids who wasn't intimidated by the Colonel. In fact, she seemed to have Colonel Hale wrapped around her little finger. Maybe, it was because she wasn't sleeping with either of his children, or maybe, Alice's joie de vivre was just that infectious. I couldn't help but wonder if Jasper's parents secretly hoped that Jasper would end up with the other Cullen twin, instead of me.

Even though Jasper assured me that his parents both liked me, it didn't make me any less nervous about being in a whole house full of Hales.

For five, long days.

My own family was planning on having Christmas when Emmett and I returned and when my mom's family could fly in, but it was a little weird not spending Christmas at home. Even after Alice assured us that she would be obnoxiously giddy for all three of us on Christmas morning, it still wasn't going to be the same.

Sometimes, being an adult kind of sucked.

Emmett knew I hated flying but was not about to cuddle with me, so instead he decided to distract me on takeoff and landing by flicking my ear the way he used to when I was a kid. He would taunt me by keeping his finger hovering at my ear, but not touching it, ready to strike, and then pulling the finger back, so when I didn't expect it his hand would dart out and flick my ear. "Sneak attacks" as he liked to call them. It proved effective. I was so busy trying to dodge his assault I hardly even noticed my ears popping, though I think the people sitting around us were more than happy to get off the plane.

Rosalie and Jasper met us at the airport. It had only been a week since I had last seen Jasper, and I was prepared to greet him in a reserved manner to get myself in the mindset I was going to have to be in for the next five days. But, as soon as I saw him, I couldn't refrain, and I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly. I was so glad that he and Rosalie were alone and not with any accompanying family members. The dirty looks from the fellow travelers were enough.

Welcome to Texas.

Jasper drove us to his grandmother's house, his hand reaching over and resting on my knee for the entire drive. As we got closer to our destination, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. I wanted time to slow down, and would have been perfectly happy to spend the next five days in this car alone with Jasper.

Unfortunately, time seemed only to speed up, and before I knew it, we were there, standing in front of an old, southern ranch house. My hand was gripping Jasper's so tightly, he had to nudge me to loosen my grip.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"It's going to be okay, babe," he whispered into my ear. The feel of his warm breath against my ear made a shiver run down my spine, and my thoughts began to drift elsewhere, which served both to relax and excite me.

As we approached the door, I tried to let his hand go, figuring it was too much affection, but he gripped it firmly and grinned at me. Before I could argue, the door swung open and my senses were bombarded with Christmas decorations, the smell of apple cider and cinnamon, and a small, stout 80-year-old woman throwing her arms around me.

This was Grandma Hale.

"Edward, dear," her voice was strong. "I'm so happy to meet the man who captured my little soldier's heart."

I was going to have to ask Jasper about this nickname later, for now I put on my best polite face.

"Well, ma'am. I do love your grandson, more than anything in this world, and I'm happy to meet the woman who keeps him in designer jeans."

She grinned up at me, and I knew I had her approval.

She insisted that I call her "Granny", gestured for me to come in and make myself at home, and then it was Emmett's turn to pass inspection. Emmett, of course, wowed Granny by lifting her up off the ground when he hugged her, but I could tell that she was a little more skeptical of him. They had met before, but now that his relationship with Rosalie was obviously more serious, the scrutiny was more apparent. It was clear that she was a bit more protective of her granddaughter than her grandson. Once we were inside, Granny started dishing out directions.

"Edward, you'll be sharing with Jasper in his Uncle Peter's old room," Grandma Hale said to us.

I coughed. I was certain that I was going to have to pass these next five days sharing a pull out sofa with Emmett.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to share a room?" I asked.

"Well, can I trust you two not to screw when this house is full of guests?"

I think my mouth dropped open, but Granny was grinning at me as she spoke. I knew that if she could dish it, she could take it.

So, I said, "We've never let that stop us before."

Jasper's face turned a shade of red I had never seen on him before, but Grandma Hale just threw back her head and gave a deep laugh.

Yes, I definitely had an ally in Grandma Hale.

The double standard continued however, because Emmett was relegated to a couch in the den he would share with Chuck, whoever that was, and Rosalie would continue sharing a room with her cousin Victoria, who was close to her in age and visiting from college in Virginia.

The house seemed quiet, and I was informed that Jasper's parents and the other family members that were staying in the house were at another relative's house for the annual family Thirty-one tournament, whatever that is. Jasper grabbed my bag from me, and I followed him upstairs while Grandma Hale led Emmett to the den.

Once inside the room, Jasper tackled me to the bed and straddled my waist.

He kissed me playfully then sat up.

"I can't believe you said that to my Grandmother," he laughed.

"I can't believe she asked about our screwing!"

He laughed and leaned forward to kiss me more deeply this time.

"Jazz," I groaned. "Don't start what you can't finish."

"Oh, I'll finish," he said against my lips. "But, apparently, I have to wait until my entire family is under this roof, cuz that's the way you like it."

Then he jumped off me and hurried toward the door, leaving me in a half-finished state.

Not to be outdone, I quickly leaped to the door and trapped him between my arms against the wall beside the door before he had a chance to pull it open.

I rubbed my pelvis against his as I pressed my entire body into him while snaking my hands behind him to grab his ass. "Not so fast," I paused. "Little soldier."

I gave his ass a final squeeze and then opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

I figured I had won until I felt his arms come around me. I tried to brace myself, because I knew I was in for a wrestling takedown. He got me to the ground, so I was on my hands and knees and he was trying to flip me over when I heard Emmett's voice call up the stairs.

"Stop fooling around and get your butts downstairs!"

It was the cleanest language I had ever heard Emmett use regarding mine and Jasper's relationship. Granny must have been nearby.

We went downstairs to the living room while Grandma Hale gave Emmett and me the third degree. She asked us about our parents, our relatively small extended families, and our childhoods. She seemed impressed when I told her that I was going into cancer research, but Emmett shot me a dirty look.

I had forgotten.

The Hale family was less than impressed that Rosalie was dating a man who was planning on becoming a public school teacher. Emmett was great around high school kids, probably because he was sort of stuck in that mentality and could relate to them, not to mention, he also wanted the chance to coach wrestling. It wasn't that the Hales disapproved of the teaching profession, per se, Emmett had explained to me. Nevertheless, they considered teaching a "feminine"job, and didn't like that Rosalie, who was studying mechanical engineering, would always be the main breadwinner. I guess, they were stuck in the mentality that a man has to bring home the bacon, having his woman cook it up. I wonder which one they consider the "woman" in mine and Jasper's relationship?

I changed the topic as best I could, and Emmett looked grateful to have the heat off him. After the questions stalled, Granny got up to get us some cider. I cleared my throat, and thankfully Emmett took the bait, hopping up to help.

I was sitting in a big, overstuffed chair, and I was sort of shocked when Jasper came and sat down with me, between my legs and leaning back against my chest. We often sat that way, but it felt very intimate to be doing so with Jasper's Grandma in the room.

"Are you trying to prove something?" I whispered into his ear.

"Relax, babe," was all he whispered back, and he snuggled further back.

Emmett and Granny had only been gone a minute when we heard the front door swing open and the stamping of feet reverberating on the wooden floor as the returning family members entered the house.

I made a move to get up, but the weight of Jasper held me back.

Jasper's voice was low, "You don't have to put on a front for them."

"But Em said..."

"It's different with Em and Rosie. I'm the black sheep, remember?"

I was about to scold him for his obviously reactive behavior, but he could sense it.

"I'm not saying that we should go out of our way to shock them, but I'm not going to spend my holiday trying not to touch my boyfriend. I think we can keep it PG."

I snorted, "I think being gay automatically puts us at PG-13 according to the Motion Picture Association of America."

"Well, in that case," he turned his head back further to kiss me deeply.

We broke apart for breath and I nuzzled against his neck, drinking in his scent.

A thick southern accent broke the moment.

"Well, aren't ya'll just adorable." A buxom middle-aged, bottle-blond woman was standing in the doorway looking at us.

Jasper sighed and stood up, giving his hand to me, and I stood up slowly after him.

"Aunt Mary, this is Edward. Edward, this is my Aunt Mary."

Emmett and I had taken a crash course in the Hale family tree before flying down here. Somehow Alice was able to keep all the Hale's straight, even though she hadn't met them, so she quizzed us mercilessly for the past week. It may have involved flashcards. Still, I knew I was going to get confused because Jasper's mother's name was also Mary; though, Jasper told me that all the Hales called his mom Betty.

I gave Mary a firm handshake, which she used as an opportunity to pull me in for a big hug, and I could feel her giant bosoms pressed against me. I had been prepared for bigotry and the cold shoulder. I hadn't been prepared for tits. Jasper snickered softly as she pulled away, and I tried to wipe the horrified look off my face.

I was then introduced to her husband, Uncle Charles. He shook my hand and eyed me up and down. He seemed reserved, but not unfriendly. It didn't take me long to figure out that being married to Mary meant he didn't really have a choice; he kept his mouth shut because he wasn't going to get a word in edgewise.

Following into the living room behind their parents were Victoria and Charles Jr., Jasper's cousins. Victoria seemed friendly, she and Rosalie had been close growing up, and Emmett had met her a few times before. Charles Jr., the Chuck that Emmett was sharing the den with, on the other hand, was something else. He was decked out in black from head to toe. Black hair, a black long-sleeved t-shirt with holes at the wrists that had some band name I'd never heard of across the front, wide-legged black jeans, and black Doc Marten boots. He was a senior in high school and seemed utterly indifferent to me, to his family, to holidays and probably to the world. This was fine by me.

I shook hands with Colonel and Mrs. Hale, who surprised me by pulling me into a big hug. She whispered into my ear, "We non-Hales need to stick together."

I laughed. I guess this made me one of the in-laws now.

It was late, so Jasper's parents went up to bed. Chuck also disappeared with his ipod and cell phone in hand. Everyone else settled into the living room, Emmett carrying a tray as Granny handed out cups of hot cider to us. Jasper took his cup and settled back down into the chair, between my legs.

"My hairstylist Marcie, well, her boy is also a gay. It's no wonder, he practically grew up in that salon," Mary started.

Ah, I made the connection that this was the aunt who thought Jasper was going through a phase. The one he told that he was going to cosmetology school. He claimed that she didn't believe him, but I wondered if she thought that all gay men were stylists. Jasper and I both refrained from correcting her on her assumption that curlers and hairspray could make someone gay, but I could feel him tense in front of me.

"So, you go to school with Jasper then, honey?"

I had tuned out her story about her stylist's son, but assumed that I was being addressed.

"Yes, we both go to University of Washington," I emphasized the words "university" and "Washington."

"Jasper's mother told me that he was studying..."

"History," Jasper offered.

"Yes, that's it, history," she said the word as if it were foreign.

I was starting to understand Jasper a little more.

"Are you studying history too, dear?"

I wasn't about to explain that I was planning to go into a joint MD/PhD program and eventually end up into oncology research, so I abbreviated.

"No, I'm studying to be a doctor."

She beamed at me, then winked at Jasper.

"So you snagged yourself a doctor then, Jasper."

I could feel Jasper's eyes roll beside me, but he kissed my cheek and threw his arm around me.

"I guess I did, Aunt Mary."

Somehow, I knew this was progress for Jasper, although by the look on Rosalie's face, I could tell that it was also an unspoken dig at my brother for his chosen profession.

Everyone went to bed after some more catching up, and I trudged up the stairs behind Jasper. We had to take turns for the one upstairs bathroom, but eventually I was stripped down to boxer shorts, tucked under a quilt, Jasper's warm body pressed into mine.

"You tired?" he whispered.

"Mmm, a little," I sighed. "Why? What'd you have in mind?"

"What a dirty mind you have, Ed," Jasper hissed back, reaching down under my boxers and grabbing my dick. Just the feel of his hand wrapped around me made me grow hard.

"How thin are these walls?"

"We have the bathroom as buffer," he whispered back.

I wondered if we would ever stop being so horny. Since Jasper had lifted the break, we had been having sex almost daily until Jasper left for Texas. It had only been a week since we had last been intimate, but the electricity between us was as strong as it was the first time. I knew now that our connection had its base on an emotional, almost spiritual, level, but it didn't rob our physical attraction of any of its intensity.

He slipped under the covers, and I watched as his large frame wiggled down toward the foot of the bed. He stopped right where I need him and quickly freed my cock from my boxers. Of course, he had to tease me. He rubbed his stubbled jaw against my thighs as he dipped down to lick my sac. The feel of his warm breath on me felt absolutely delicious, and I tried to keep my moan silent. Then he ran his nose up the length of my hardness, blowing cool air as he went. The temperature contrast was maddening. On the next pass, his warm tongue darted out and traced down and around my now-straining erection. Only then did he fully take me in his mouth.

The bed started squeaking with Jasper's rhythmic movements. In the darkness, I could feel my cheeks reddening. My whole body tensed and I heard a muffled laugh coming from under the covers as he released me from his mouth. Jasper's laughing only made the bed squeak even more, and I was sure that someone in quiet the house could hear it.

I threw the covers off of us.

"I'm glad you find this so funny," I whispered.

His arms were wrapped around his stomach as he doubled over with laughter.

In a huff, I got out of the bed and strode toward the window.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry," he wheezed out. "Come back to bed, I'll keep still."

I shook my head in the dark.

I felt him coming toward me, and then his low voice was at my ear.

"I want to make you feel good, Ed."

I folded my arms across my chest and tried to stand defiantly, but my resolve was weakening. I was putty in Jasper's hands, and he knew it.

When I didn't say anything, he got down on his knees in front of me, and without a word, took my entire length in his mouth. As I hit the back of his throat, I let out a moan that was probably louder than any of the squeaks from the bed. He grabbed my ass cheeks, both for balance and to push me further down his throat.

His ability to relax his throat never ceased to overwhelm me.

He took me deep into his mouth pulling me out slowly and then back in so deep it was almost as if he was trying to swallow me whole. I grasped at his hair, combing my fingers through it roughly. Then I tilted his face back a little so I could see into his eyes. At that moment, he winked.

I fucking lost it.

I couldn't even give him warning, but he didn't need it. He tugged gently at my balls as they released into his mouth. He swallowed around me and the look in his eye was almost greedy. He slowly released me and then wrapped his arms around my waist, pushing his cheek up against my abdomen while I recovered.

I helped him stand up, but when I tried to kneel in front of him, he shook his head.

"I'll take it as penance for laughing at you," he whispered. "And, anyway, you can't be quiet."

"What do you mean?"

"You slurp."

"I slurp?" I asked, incredulously.

"Don't get defensive. I can't imagine a better feeling in the world than your hot, wet mouth around my dick, well, other than..." he grabbed my ass to demonstrate his point. "But, there's no way you could keep quiet, and I refuse to get a non-slurpy blow job from you."

I couldn't tell if he was teasing me or not, his voice was so matter-of-fact, but something about his smugness annoyed me.

"Fine," I shrugged and I made my way back to bed.

"Oh, don't pout, babe," he whispered.

"I'm not pouting. Me and my slurpy mouth are tired. It's been a long day."

So, maybe I was pouting a little, but I wasn't really upset with him for teasing me. Nevertheless, I figured that I could milk it a little. He sighed quietly as he slipped into the bed beside me. I felt him scoot closer to me and then throw his arm around my waist, pulling me in to spoon.

"I love you, Edward," he said before kissing the back of my neck. "You can't be mad at me for loving the way you suck me off."

I rolled onto my back so I could kiss him.

"I'm not mad," I said, because I couldn't even pretend to stay mad at the man I loved for longer than a minute. "And, I love you, too."

"Good," he whispered against me.

After another kiss, I turned back to my side and pressed back against him.

The next two days passed surprisingly quickly. I met Jasper's father's two brothers, including the ultra-conservative one who lived nearby, Benjamin. He shook my hand very forcefully and told me that it was nice to meet me, and that was the last he spoke to me. His wife and their three girls pretty much ignored me as well, and that was fine by me. Jasper's uncle Peter, on the other hand, was immediately my favorite of the Colonel's three siblings, though between Mary and Benjamin there wasn't much competition. Peter was also career military, but he was more laid back, he shared my love of classical music, and his wife, Charlotte was a concert cellist. They were staying with friends in the area but came for breakfast on Christmas Eve morning, promising they would be back the next day.

Grandma Hale had found out that I liked to cook and knew my way around a kitchen, so she kept me busy helping her prepare meals. I was more than grateful. Jasper's mother would often join us, and, even though he didn't cook at all, Emmett. It was like a beacon of respite for the non-Hales. I had never seen Emmett so meek, even after he had gained Grandma Hale's approval he was still a nervous wreck about proposing. He was trying to work out a way so that he could get Rosalie aside the next day and propose privately, but with the house potentially crawling with Hales, it was unlikely.

Christmas morning I awoke to a shrill shriek and a "yes!" that sound like it was coming from outside, and a few minutes later a blond blur burst into the room and jumped on the bed, throwing her arms around a very confused and sleepy Jasper. I looked up and saw my big brother beaming from the doorway.

"Come here you big lug," I said, he ambled over to the bed and I gave him a big hug.

"So he finally popped the question?" Jasper was finally looking a little more with it.

"How'd he do it?" I asked Rosalie, knowing I'd get a better version of the story from her.

"Well, he woke me up this morning, and told me that he wanted to watch the sunrise with me. So we bundled up and went out to the back porch and watched the sunrise, and just as the sky was beginning to change color, he got down on one knee..." she was sniffling.

I had never seen Rosalie this emotional.

"Then he told me how much I changed him and how I not only complimented him in every way but made him a better man. Then he told me he couldn't imagine his life without me."

I looked up at Emmett and he looked absolutely sheepish, as if he had been caught in the act.

Rosalie paused.

"And then he showed me the ring!"

She pulled out her left hand and showed us a sparkling diamond.

"I have to go tell mom and dad!"

She grabbed Emmett's hand and pulled him out of the room.

Jasper looked at me and grinned. Even though he didn't know that today was the day of the proposal, he knew it was immanent. I wrapped my arms around him. He pulled back,

"And you're sure this doesn't make us brothers?"

"Would a brother do this?"

I pinned him underneath me and smothered him with sloppy kisses all over his face and neck until he was practically giggling beneath me.

"Merry Christmas," I pulled back with a grin.

"Merry Christmas," he brought his arms up and pulled me down, holding me so my head rested on his chest and I could hear his heart in his chest.

We lay like that until we heard stirring in the rest of the house. I had promised to help Granny with breakfast, and she entrusted me with making biscuits to go with her sausage gravy.

After breakfast, and a lot of oohing and aahing over both Rosalie's ring and my baking skills, the visiting Hales all went into the living room to exchange gifts. I felt a little awkward being involved in a family gift exchange, although I did have part of Jasper's gift for him to open and contributed to the gift for his parents.

I learned a lot about the Hales watching them open presents from one another. I learned that even Chuck's pajamas were black. I learned that Aunt Mary had a fondness for John Wayne movie boxsets. I learned that Colonel Hale, surprise, surprise, liked power tools, and Jasper's mother collected antique tea cups.

When everyone seemed absorbed in their own exchanges, I handed Jasper his present, telling him that it was only part of his gift and he handed me a small square box telling me the same.

"You first," I said.

He tore open the paper and opened the box. He peered inside and smiled softly. He slid out three large, matching picture frames, taking his time looking at each one. The first matted photograph was a landscape shot of Paris, taken by Jasper from the Eiffel Tower at sunset. The second was a picture I took on a weekend trip to Stonehenge, the morning sun coming brightly through one of the stone arches. The third was a picture of me and Jasper. It was a candid, taken by Angela one sunny day in Oxford. Jasper had come up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, causing us both to bend forward a little at the waist. In the picture my face was turned almost profile about to give Jasper a kiss on the cheek, but he was looking toward the camera with a big grin on his face, the sunlight sparkling in his eyes.

Though they were all from the trip, I had specifically chosen pictures where sunlight was prominent making them all united under one motif.

As he got to the third picture of us together, he looked up to meet my eyes, and I could see tears welling in them.

"They're perfect," he said, climbing into my lap and wrapping his arms around me, rest of the room forgotten.

He remained on my lap as I opened the small box. In it was a pendant on a leather cord. I hardly ever wore jewelry but this looked exactly like me, as I took a closer look at the pendant and I saw it was the rod of Asclepius with a single snake wrapped around it – the ancient symbol for medicine.

I looked up and grinned.

"I love it. Put it on me."

He picked the pendant up and had me lean forward as he tied the cord around my neck. He let his right hand linger at the back of my neck and I grabbed his left with my right and pulled it to my chest. I leaned my forehead to touch his and closed my eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

It was only Jasper's mom's sniffling that made me realize we weren't alone. Not only were we not alone, but nine sets of eyes were staring at us.

Emmett snorted at our sappiness, and I threw a wad of wrapping paper at his face as a reflex. He was so startled by my willingness to loosen up around the in-laws that I hit him square between the eyes.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Colonel stifle a chuckle.

Emmett's eyes narrowed. Jasper recognized his expression and scrambled off my lap just as Emmett launched himself at me. I was often treated as a wrestling dummy by Emmett growing up, and sometimes by Jasper more recently, but in his case it was just an excuse to touch me. Emmett was out for blood. Apparently the Hale family approved of a Christmas morning wrastle, because no one, not even Rosalie, made a move to stop us. In fact, I think I heard Chuck taking bets. It was the most I'd heard him speak in two and a half days.

All was going well until Emmett started playing dirty, and I had to retaliate.

"Ow, dammit!" Emmett cried out.

"Emmett," Rosalie hissed at Emmett's language.

"But he fucking bit me!" He turned to look at me. "You fucking bit me!"

"You kneed me in the balls!" I gasped out.

"Oh, shit, sorry bro, it was an accident," Emmett untangled himself from me.

"So was biting you," I wheezed out, still making sure the sarcasm came forth.

Jasper glared at Emmett for the hit to my genitals as he helped pull me off the ground.

The Hale clan was gawking at us, all with various levels of amusement in their faces.

Finally, Grandma Hale stepped in and took control.

"You," she pointed at me. "Go get cleaned up, I need you in the kitchen in a half hour."

"Yes, Granny," I said.

I still felt like I was going to puke from being hit in the balls, so Granny ordered Jasper to help me even though I didn't really need it. When she winked at us, I understood.

"What is it about our mothers and grandmothers telling us to get naked together?" I asked, as I climbed into the shower.

Jasper just laughed and climbed in after me.

"The boys okay?" he asked me.

I nodded, and he reached around to cup them gently as he kissed my back lightly.

"We have to be quick or no one else is getting a hot shower," I moaned.

"I was fast yesterday morning," he replied.

I turned back to look at him.

"You rubbed one out in the shower yesterday morning?"

He nodded, "Family keeps cockblocking me."

I laughed.

"You better have been thinking of me."

"Mmm... actually, I was thinking about your pouty lips wrapped around my cock."

"Slurping?" I asked him.

"Always," he said with a small moan. He really hadn't been kidding about the slurping.

"Fuck," I groaned in response.

Then, I had an idea.

"I want to watch you."

"What?"

"I want to watch you touch yourself."

"But you're right here," he murmured, as he traced a finger down my back all the way to the crack of my ass.

I turned toward him.

"You mean, you've never once wanted to watch me stroking my dick, while I'm thinking about all the things I want you to do to me, when there's no one else around," I put a hand against the wall to steady myself as the other hand wandered over to my already very alert manhood. "You've never been curious as to how I touch myself when I'm thinking about your lips wrapped around me? Your hot mouth swallowing around my cock?" I gripped tightly and began to stroke myself before looking up to see him watching me with his jaw open.

"That's so hot, babe," he moaned softly.

"Then let me watch you, love" though I didn't need to say it, his hand was already firmly gripped around his shaft.

He used his left hand so he could face me. Our strokes matched each other in rhythm, but I continued to speak in a low whisper, describing to him all the things I thought about as I touched myself. My fantasy changed to one of Jasper bending me over the kitchen counter in my apartment. I described how I wanted Jasper to push my legs apart and spread my ass cheeks wide. How he would dip his tongue into my puckered hole. Then, how he would slowly press into me, stretching me and filling me completely.

"And, now you're pumping in and out of me, so hard and fast that you're taking my breath away. Ungh, I'm gonna cum..."

Jasper took a slight step toward me and said, "I wanna feel it. Cum on me. I want to feel your cum all over my chest," his eyes were piercing.

That did it. With another stroke I was done, I stepped in closer to Jasper and aimed my spray on him, and I watched it splatter all over his torso as the waves of pleasure overtook me. I saw Jasper's eyes roll back a little, as if it was his climax he just experienced and not mine. I could almost see him replaying it in his head. He moved in one step closer until his forehead met mine as we both looked down, I could feel his hand moving and then he moved his hand from the wall to grip my shoulder for balance.

Then, he bit his lip and closed his eyes, and I watched as his body tightened and the spurts released, getting on both our stomachs.

"God damn," Jasper said and threw his arms around my shoulders for support even though my own knees were still weak.

We stood for a moment to calm down, but then cleaned up quickly, taking turns under the shower spray.

Granny smiled knowingly at me as I made my way down to the kitchen, and I couldn't help but be baffled by how enthusiastic she was about my being with her grandson. She handed me an apron, and we got to work preparing a very traditional Southern Christmas dinner. I more than happily took orders from her, trying to absorb as much information as I could. Cooking was almost a reflex for her, and I could tell she really took pleasure in feeding her family. People drifted in and out of the kitchen, and soon after we started, the doorbell started ringing as the rest of the Hale clan arrived.

At one point in the afternoon Grandma Hale announced that she was kicking everyone out of the kitchen, as I made my move to remove my apron she grabbed my arm.

"Not you, Edward, I need your help."

Apparently this happened every year when Grandma Hale went to make her award-winning, top secret, cornbread recipe, but I was informed later that not once had anyone been asked to stay and help her. Even her own children did not know the famous recipe. I was touched beyond belief that she let me in on something so important to her.

Once I could recite the recipe to her by heart, she hugged me, thanked me for my help, and told me that since everything was coming together she could finish up without me.

"Go, find my grandson. Tell him I'm sorry for keeping his man from him all afternoon."

I thought I had met all the Hales and had everyone straight, but when I left the kitchen, I realized that the house was swarming. I quickly found Jasper, and when I asked him what was going on, he laughed.

"Grandma's sister, three of her four kids, their spouses, and all their kids."

I groaned and buried my face in his shoulder.

"Oh, and she usually invites her next door neighbor and her husband since all their children live far away. Last year Grandma's brother's family was here too, so you're getting off easy."

There were at least 35, maybe 40, people in the house and I had only met about half of them, but with younger and younger children starting to appear it felt like a lot more, so I clung to Jasper and tried to stay out of the way.

Luckily for me, Emmett and Rosalie were the center of attention, which Rosalie seemed to enjoy and Emmett seemed to tolerate.

When it finally came time to eat, we all gathered in the living room for a prayer. There were tables set up in two rooms; though, I was sure we were going to have to eat in shifts. After the prayer, Granny proposed a toast, to Emmett, the soon-to-be newest member of the Hale family.

Then, she turned toward me and said, "And to Edward. Even though some of my own ungrateful children would vote against you and Jasper having rights, I think you're the perfect match for my grandson. And, you're the only person in this damn room who I trust with my cornbread recipe."

Though there were a few chuckles from the less conservative family members, I heard a huff from somewhere in the room, probably over the famed cornbread recipe, until Uncle Peter raised his glass and said, "Here, here!" Jasper snaked his arm around my waist and toasted with his water glass along with everyone else, some more wholeheartedly than others.

I felt Emmett's hand clamp down on my shoulder after the toast, and he leaned in to whisper to me but loud enough for Jasper to hear, "I don't know, I'm pretty sure you don't want to be marrying into this."

Rosalie smacked him. Apparently, he was loud enough for her to hear too.

Over the course of dinner and dessert, I met a lot of people I didn't know and answered a lot of the same questions over and over again. I was almost baited twice into getting into a "discussion" about gay marriage. Finally, Uncle Benjamin's wife, whose name I didn't care to remember, plopped down in Emmett's vacant seat in front of me and began quoting scripture to Jasper and I.

At first I tried to tune her out, but she kept at it. I was about ready to lose it, but I managed to control my rage. Instead, I spoke very loudly but surprisingly calmly,

"Judge not, and you will not be judged. Condemn not, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37."

The room went silent. I stood up, picked up my empty plate and silverware, gathered Jasper's as well and carried them to the kitchen sink.

I heard Jasper say, "Men are holy if they stay away from women. Samuel 21, verse 4." Where my voice was calm, his dripped with poison, and you could almost hear the word "bitch" lingering on his lips after he spoke. Even though, he was fully aware that he was taking the verse out of context.

Grandma Hale, who had been filling the dishwasher, looked at me and nodded, then wiped her hands off on a towel and followed me as I walked back into the room to see Jasper standing at the table, looking down menacingly at his aunt who was glaring back at him with an equally angry expression. I moved toward him and wrapped my arm around his waist. He relaxed back almost instantly at my touch.

Then, Grandma Hale put her hand on Aunt Bigot's shoulder and said, "If you were my own child, I'd beat you senseless. If I didn't spend the 30 hours in labor I'd think Benji was the spawn of someone else's loins. I obviously could've taught him more about choosing a spouse, but at least I raised him not to antagonize family members with his ignorant hatred."

The woman who was zealous and angry moment before had shrunk into a childlike pout under the death glare of her mother-in-law.

"If you can't keep your trap shut you can get the hell out of my house. Just so you know, you're never getting my cornbread recipe, and I'm pretty sure after this display, Edward's not going to share it with you either."

I didn't hear the woman utter another word for the rest of the day.

After Aunt Bigot went to sulk in the corner, I released Jasper and threw my arms around Grandma Hale, she hugged me and patted my cheek as she released me.

After the elephant in the room had been addressed, I spent the rest of the evening tucked comfortably under Jasper's arm on the sofa in the living room, talking to Peter, Charlotte and Emmett, when he was able to sneak away from talk of wedding plans.

The next couple days went by quickly, and before I knew it, we were back on a plane heading toward Seattle. Jasper and Rosalie flew home with us. They were both going to stay at our house until we returned to school. I think overall my first true exposure to Jasper's family went well. Even he was pleasantly surprised by how fast Grandma Hale took to me. I think it's because I didn't try to suck up to her the way Emmett did. She may have worn bifocals, but she could see through bullshit a mile away. Eventually, Emmett relaxed, and I was positive that she approved of him as a match for Rosalie by the end of the five days. I had also bonded with Jasper's mother, especially when we were hiding from the Hales. Even Jasper's father was friendly to me. I think it took a little pushing from his wife and his son, but the more he saw me with Jasper, the more he seemed to warm up to me.

When his parents dropped us all off at the airport, he even shook my hand and said, "You're real good for my boy, Edward."

"He's good for me too, sir," I replied.

We left it at that.

I felt a lot more relaxed at my house, and by Jasper's demeanor, I think he did too. Some of my mom's family flew in, but it was only her brother, Randall, and his wife and their six-year old girl, Carlie, along with my mom's best friend whose husband had recently died.

Before the extended family arrived, my family had a small gift exchange with the five of us Cullens as well as our three significant others. My mother couldn't help herself and bought Seth, Jasper and Rosalie all gifts. Actually, she got them more than she got us. We never really went all out at Christmas, the way someone might expect from a doctor's family. We all got each other something small, often homemade, and that was the extent of it.

My mother forced us to take turns opening presents so she could take pictures. We all tolerated it, but it made me a little uncomfortable to have everyone watching as I gave Jasper his second present. He looked at the wrapping and raised an eyebrow at Alice. She nodded. It was obvious that I had nothing to do with the wrapping. He didn't seem self-conscious though, being stared at by my family, as he tore the paper off the box. He gingerly lifted the lid from the box, as if sensing that the gift required gentleness. It was a first edition, second printing copy of Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. I had found it through a book dealer online who lowered the price when I traded him some of my dad's old anatomy books he wasn't attached to. Apparently there was a big market for them.

Jasper's jaw dropped. He hesitantly picked up the book, turning it over in his hands. Then, he put it gently back in the box and wrapped his arms around me.

"Thank you, babe. I can't tell you how amazing this is."

I pulled back from him and beamed. I had been worried that he wouldn't like it, or would think it was lame, but I could see the glint in his eyes and knew he was thrilled. In spite of the fact that my entirely family was watching us, he swiftly brought his lips to mine to show me his appreciation with a deep kiss.

When he broke away from my lips, he got up from the love seat and pulled a large, flat parcel from behind the tree. He looked timid as he handed it to me, and sat back down next to me without a word.

I looked at him curiously, and tore open the wrapping paper.

I could tell that it was a frame, but when I tore off the paper to reveal what was in it, I was stunned.

It was a print of my favorite Titian painting, the one that moved me so much in the Louvre this summer.

"They don't make prints of this. I checked!" I blurted out.

"I had a print made special."

"You sweet, wonderful man," I murmured as I turned to meet his eyes. "Thank you, love. You're too good to me."

He laughed, and I was about to lean in to kiss him when my mother interrupted us with her camera.

We spent the next couple days lounging around the house, spending some time with my family, watching movies, sneaking away to make out in my old bedroom, and making love quietly under the covers at night.

My parents had a small party at New Year's. The guest list was mostly my parent's friends from the hospital and from all the volunteer organizations my mother worked with. So, after saying our hellos and having a bunch of strangers ask us how our studies were going, we "kids" had our own separate party down in the basement. I had invited Bella and Jake, and Alice had invited some of Seth and Jake's friends from the reservation.

Emmett had wrestled with some of the Rez kids in high school. So, when his old rival, Sam, showed up, he insisted on a rematch. They moved the furniture around while Rosalie and Sam's wife, Emily, tried to talk them out of it.

Other than the wrestling incident, we passed the evening easily, shooting the shit. When it got time for the ball drop, we turned on the T.V. and all stood, counting down. I felt Jasper reach for my hand, giving it a squeeze.

3

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2

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1

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I slid my hands up Jasper's chest and around his shoulders as his lips found mine. Slowly and tenderly, he took my lower lip in his. The stubble on his upper lip was rough against my lips, but it added another dimension to the sensation. He pulled back slightly, and I parted my lips, giving entrance for his tongue to circle my mouth before I pushed my own against his. My right hand slid up his neck, and I ran my fingers through his hair while his hands slid down my back toward my ass. He pulled me in a touch closer to him, and I had to break the connection at our lips to moan gently.

I forgot that we were in a room full of people until I felt something cold at the back of my neck.

"Shit!" I was shocked out of my moment of bliss, as I turned to see Emmett pulling a chilled champagne bottle back from where he had placed it against my neck.

"You can play ass bandits later," Emmett scolded, handing me a glass of champagne.

"Champagne?" I asked Jasper. He hadn't had anything to drink the whole time he was in Texas, but I didn't know where he stood on the champagne issue.

"I think this qualifies as a special occasion," he gave me the sexy smile designed for me and no one else. I handed him my glass and took another from Emmett.

Glasses in hand, Jasper tapped his to mine and said,

"To us."

I grinned, "To us. Happy New Year, Jazz."