Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters... but I'd love to take a crack at the Breaking Dawn script... of course, I'd turn it into a gay porn. *shrugs*
A/N: What's this? An update? I really have no good excuse, but luckily with the episodic nature of this story, I hope you don't feel like I've abandoned you. However, I am happy to say that SMIH has been completed. There are two more chapters that will be posted in the very, very near future...
Thank you to all the lovely ladies I've WC-ed with during the past three months, and a special thank you to OnTheTurningAway and egregiousgirl for reminding me of what happens in a wedding (Heh. Girlfail on my part) and to MissJend for finding me a minister who looks like James Bond. ;)
Summer vacation.
Those words were music to my ears. The last three summers had provided some of the best memories of my life, because they were memories with Jasper. This summer was a little different, though, because Jasper and I were both working. I wasn't taking any classes, but one of my professors in the Biology department had been impressed with my work all year that he recommended me for an internship in the Pediatric Oncology Department at one of Seattle's teaching hospitals. Though, I was doing a lot more sitting in seminars than actual lab work, I really enjoyed it and was learning a ton.
Jasper was still taking two classes during the summer term, so he would be able to graduate on time next May, but, as it turns out, he was able to find a job on campus that had a flexible schedule and was right up his alley. I had no idea that such jobs existed, but my sexy, rugged, camping-enthusiast boyfriend was working in the university library of all places, and not just the library, but in the university archives. Of course, this brought out a whole bunch of nerdy fantasies I never knew I had, but even better was that he really seemed to enjoy the work.
We settled into a pattern of getting up in the morning, working out, going to work, then spending the evenings together. Jasper often studied on campus after he got off work for an hour or two, so I usually got home before him and made dinner. I couldn't help but wonder if this was what our lives would be like once we were done with our schooling.
He came home one day during his second week of working, really excited about some letters he had found from a soldier written to his sweetheart during WWI. It did sound really interesting, but I was getting distracted. Jasper had worn contacts for as long as I had known him, but working around all the dust in the archives irritated them, so he switched to glasses. Even though he rarely wore them, Jasper, of course, had fashionable glasses. They were bold, black frames that somehow made his gray-blue eyes look even stormier.
"I have no idea why they're in our library of all places-"
I was trying to keep up with his explanation, but my mind couldn't help but wander a little, thinking about Jasper pulling the glasses slowly off his face, sucking the ear piece into his mouth.
"Babe," Jasper said loudly.
"Wha-" I snapped my head up to his eyes, and those sexy glasses.
"You were zoning out."
He looked a little put out, and I couldn't have that. So, I bore my eyes into his and took three quick steps to where he was standing. I palmed his dick through his khakis before carefully yanking the glasses off his face.
"Sorry, Mr. Hale," I murmured before I kissed him.
He snickered against my lips.
"Librarian fantasy?" He asked as he pulled away slightly, looking at my sheepish expression, the blush rising in my cheeks. "Really, Ed?"
"You look really hot in your glasses." My blush deepened. "And, you always come home smelling like old books."
He cupped my face in his hands and searched my eyes for a second. Then, he grinned and snatched his glasses back from me. When he put them on and pushed them up on the bridge of his nose, I moaned as my cock sprang to life.
He reached around to cup my ass, pulling me against him. His lips found my neck, and he rubbed himself against me, his dick also hardening between us.
"Only you would find the smell of old books arousing," he said quietly into my neck, his voice full of affection.
He began to unbuckle my belt, when I remembered what I had been doing before he came home.
"We don't have time," I groaned. "Emmett'll be here any minute for dinner."
"Frankly," Jasper said. "I don't give a shit if Emmett walks in to see his little brother sucking me off in the kitchen."
"What makes you think I'm going to be doing that?" I asked coyly.
"Because you disrupted my library," he whispered in my ear.
Fuck.
I was on my knees seconds later and was unzipping his pants, finally freeing Jasper's length from the confines of some ridiculous blue, striped y-fronts. I licked him up and down enjoying his musky flavor, before finally taking him as deeply as I could. I concentrated on my ministrations for a few minutes, getting into a rhythm, before I looked up to see his bespectacled face gazing down at me with a look of pure adoration.
I let my left hand take the place of my right, where it had been wrapped at the base of Jasper's cock, and then allowed my right hand to drift down to my own erection. After getting my own trousers and boxers out of the way, I matched my strokes to the pace of my mouth working on Jasper.
"Yes, touch yourself, babe," Jasper's voice was practically breathless.
He was getting close, so I increased the suction and tried to take him deep in the back of my throat. The noises he made as he got closer and closer were causing my own body to react in turn.
I looked up at him once more and his eyes met mine.
"I'm gonna cum. I'm gonna cum," he panted, before I felt him pulse, then spill into my mouth.
It took a few more strokes of my hand before I was releasing Jasper from my mouth, so I could throw my head back as I came hard into my hand.
I sat back on my heels for a second as Jasper caught his breath against the counter. After he calmed down, Jasper leaned down and gently wrapped his fingers around the wrist of my spunk-covered hand, helping me up to my feet. He held my hand up to his face, and then his tongue darted out to lick my palm, lapping at my cum.
"Hey you guys!" Emmett gave his customary greeting and bounded into the kitchen. He stopped dead in his tracks. "Shit! I'm pretty sure I know what Jazz is licking off your hand, but can't you at least put your junk away while I'm here."
I had been so distracted by Jasper's tongue, I had forgotten that neither of us had zipped up.
"Oops," I said dryly.
Instead of immediately putting our stuff away, I took my free hand and slid it across Jasper's abdomen, then gave his still-sensitive dick a few gentle strokes before he helped me tuck himself back in. He finished cleaning off my hand before doing the same for me, even carefully zipping up my black pants. We both buckled our own belts while sharing a final kiss.
Only then did we turn to Emmett, who was standing with his eyes squinted shut, shaking his head slowly.
"It's safe," I told him.
He cautiously opened his eyes. "I deserved that, didn't I?" Emmett said.
"Yes," Jasper said. "But, don't think that even remotely covers for the time I walked into my bedroom to find your ugly mug eye-level with my sister's crotch while she was sitting spread eagle on my desk."
"Emmett!" I scolded.
"Well, your mom was home, and we knew she'd never check for us in your room."
"Dude, I've seen my sister's pussy because of you!" Jasper looked horrified as he recollected the incident.
Emmett just laughed.
"Actually, I've seen your sister's pussy because of Em, too," I said to Jasper with a shudder.
"What? When was that?" Emmett asked.
"Well, technically I've just seen you two mid-fuck, but still - it was traumatizing." Jasper patted my back sympathetically.
"When WAS this?" Emmett insisted again.
"Does the hood of my Volvo ring any bells for you?"
"Oh yeah!" Emmett exclaimed, the glee apparent in his voice. "I forgot all about that!"
Jasper and I just groaned.
"Anyway, speaking of the future Mrs. Emmett Cullen, she wanted me to ask you how your toast was coming along."
Jasper and I both looked at each other with scared looks on our faces.
"You can tell her that it's coming along just fine," Jasper finally said, even though all three of us knew he was lying.
"Say no more," Emmett said. "I only promised I would ask. Now, Eddie, my boy, what's for dinner?"
All talk of wedding and Rosalie's anatomy thankfully stopped after that.
Shortly after Emmett had proposed last Christmas, he pulled Jasper and I aside, away from the swarm of Hales. He had looked startlingly solemn for Emmett.
"I have something to ask you guys."
Since he had on his rare, serious face, Jazz and I both just nodded for him to continue.
"Rosie and I are planning on getting hitched this summer. You know I love you, Eddie, and I love you like a brother, too, Jasper, so I want both of you to be my best men."
I, of course, agreed heartily, and I could tell by the glazed-over expression in Jasper's eyes, he was overwhelmed by the invitation.
"I always thought of you as a brother," Jazz finally said softly.
Emmett gave us each a brief and awkward man hug, pulling away quickly, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw him wipe his eyes. I filed it away for ammunition to use later.
Luckily, as best men, we didn't have a lot of responsibilities. Alice was just a bridesmaid, but since maid of honor Victoria was in Texas, my twin took over most of her duties. Not that she minded, and thankfully, Victoria was laid back enough to let Alice do her thing.
It was Alice who dragged Em and me to try on tuxedos later in May. Jasper, of course, was gleeful at the prospect and took the opportunity to try on more tuxes and suits than I thought existed in the entire world. I thought all tuxedos were essentially the same, other than the color, but apparently I was wrong. To make matters worse, not only were we supposedly waiting until the "last minute," but Rosalie still wasn't sure if she wanted us all in tuxes or if we should go with something a little less formal and lighter, since the wedding was in the summer. So, she let Alice and Jasper force all the groomsmen into a host of monkey suits and decide which was most universally flattering. Alice and Jasper had gone with Ben and Tyler, the other groomsmen, already, but Jasper insisted that he had only been there to consult and hadn't tried on anything himself.
Emmett and I grumbled through the entire process. Emmett maybe even more so than me. His get up was going to be slightly different from ours, so he had even more to try on. I was slowly getting used to shopping with Jasper, but seeing him around all the jackets, vests and ties was something else. He was like a kid in a candy store, wandering around wide-eyed at everything, feeling fabric between his fingers.
While I was trying on my third, or maybe fourth, tuxedo combination, Jasper slipped into the dressing room with me. He didn't say a word, instead pushing me up against the wall and kissing me to within an inch of my sanity. Just when I was about to rip off his street clothes, so he'd have to buy something to go home in, he pulled away from me. A pathetic whimper escaped my lips.
"What was that for?" I gasped.
"You look so fucking hot in a tux, I can barely stand it," he whispered.
Then, he was out of the dressing room like a dart, presumably before he did something stupid, like let me rip his clothes off. I sighed and went back to trying on whatever Alice shoved at me.
I was taking a break while Alice was fussing over Emmett, when Jasper came up to me wearing a very slim-fitting, dark gray, houndstooth number. The pants were snug against his strong legs and the jacket fit him like a glove, without making him look bulky the way a lot of men's suits did. Even I could tell it looked damn good on him. My boy could have been a model.
"You look hot, love," I said with an exhale.
He spun around for me slowly.
"I know," he said with a wink.
"That's not one of Alice and Rosalie's choices is it?"
"No, no. This is from the Gucci line. It's made with super 120 wool, so it's extremely soft. See, the longer lapel line makes the waist look narrower and the British rolled-shoulder pads make the shoulders broader."
I think my jaw dropped a little after his explanation.
"And, people don't think you're gay?" I teased.
"I'd punish you for that if this suit didn't cost more than three month's rent."
"Holy shit! I'd be afraid to try that on!"
"The clerk saw me admiring it. Once he realized I knew my shit, he insisted I try it on."
"Well, it does look amazing on you."
He gave a soft, wistful sigh and then returned to the fitting room.
Eventually, after being paraded around and prodded by Alice, she and Jasper conferred while Em and I changed back into our regular clothes. Once we came out of the dressing rooms, they announced that upon Rosalie's final approval, a decision had been made.
We Cullen brothers let out a collective "whoop" and high-fived.
"Don't get too excited," Alice smirked.
"Oh, Rose will trust the two of you's decision," Em said with remarkable confidence.
"It's not that, brother dear." Alice looked smugly at both of us. "You still have to come back for final fittings."
"Aw, man," Emmett whined.
I heaved a sigh. "Well, are you at least going to tell us what you chose?"
Jasper beamed at me, and I knew I said the right thing. He gestured to Alice to make the announcement while he went to grab the winning suits off the rack we had hung them on.
"We went with the classic black tuxedo, worsted wool, to save money, with the peak lapel jacket, silver vest and neck tie. White wingtip shirt underneath, of course. Emmett will be in tails and a striped tie to set him apart from the groomsmen."
Alice, who was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, broke in: "We figure that it can still get pretty cool in the evening in June, and even though she denies it up and down, Rosalie wants a traditional wedding. Her dress will look too formal if you aren't in tuxes."
I nodded and smiled appropriately, but I was grateful when Emmett interrupted Alice by telling her she wasn't allowed to say anything else, because he didn't want to know what Rosalie's dress looked like.
He had it bad, but the shy smile he got on his face after the words were out of his mouth was enough to keep me quiet. Alice beamed.
"Aw, I knew you were a romantic at heart, Emmy."
"I'm a regular Don Juan," Emmett said dryly, ending the moment. "Now, I believe I was promised dinner at Vito's."
Vito's was a pizza place we had been going to our whole lives. My mom knew the owners, the Puccinis, and when our parents brought us to Seattle growing up, they would always take us there. Once we were old enough, they would leave us under the watchful eye of Mrs. Puccini, so they could have some kid-free time to themselves.
"Ah," Emmett said as we slide into the booth. "We haven't done this in a long time - a famous Cullen sibling dinner at Vito's."
"Does that mean I have to leave?" Jasper joked.
"Oh, come on, Jazz, you've been an honorary Cullen since you flour-bombed Mike Newton's car after the 'accidental' boob grab incident with Bella." Emmett clapped him on the back.
"That was you?" I gasped.
Jasper chuckled. "You never knew?"
"I always thought it was Jake!"
"Jake would never do something like that," Alice insisted. "He's more of a punch-Newton-in-the-face kind of guy."
"You knew about this, Ali?" I knew it was a dumb question as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Alice knew everything. "You weren't in on it, were you?"
She shook her head. "This was all Jasper, with a little help from Em."
I knew that Emmett had always been protective of Bella, because it was just hard not to be, but as far as I knew, Jasper and Bella had never been more than casual acquaintances until we started dating. "Why were you so concerned about Bella's honor?"
Jasper looked at me sheepishly. "She was your best friend," he finally answered.
I shook my head gently in dismay; he never ceased to amaze me. I just stared into his eyes for a moment, to have my gaze returned with an overflowing sense of love. Restaurant forgotten, I leaned in for a more-than-G-rated kiss.
"So, do you have your vows written yet, Emmy?" Alice's loud voice pulled me out of my Jasper-filled haze.
Even Jasper joined in on Em and my groan as the talk of the evening returned to the wedding.
Other than the final suit-fittings and writing the toast, we really only had one more task as best men until the day of the wedding.
So, the weekend before the wedding weekend, we had a bachelor party for Emmett. I'd seen enough movies to get an idea of what NOT to do at a bachelor party, but one evening the week prior, Alice had cornered us at home and asked what we were planning. So, we were forced to come up with something. Of course, Alice had to go into a million details about what she and Rosalie's other bridesmaids and maid of honor were planning for the hen party that was occurring the same evening. Frankly, it sounded like it could have been one of Dante's circles of Hell. It involved matching t-shirts and tiaras and Lord knows what else.
We were going to be a little more laid back than that, so the next day when Jasper suggested going to a strip club, I thought he was joking. Until, he admitted that it was actually Rosalie's idea.
"Your sister suggested that her future husband to go to a strip club?"
"Rosie isn't threatened by any of that. She gets a kick out of strip clubs."
"Rosalie goes to strip clubs?" I'm fairly certain my voice came out as a shriek.
Jasper laughed. "I know she's gone with Emmett before."
"How did this escape my attention? She goes with Em. To strip clubs. To watch women take off their clothes and.. and gyrate?"
Jasper could barely stop laughing enough to respond. "I don't know if you've noticed this, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but my sister is stacked. She's got a killer body and she knows it. She isn't threatened if Emmett wants to sneak a peek. Frankly, I think she gets off on it."
So, that's how I found myself, with my brother, a group of his friends, my dad and my boyfriend in a strip club on Saturday evening. Jasper's dad had politely declined our invitation. Jasper knew he would, but I didn't want to be rude, so we lucked out in that regard.
To make matters even more awkward, my father thought it would be funny to buy me a lap dance. I asked him how much he had been drinking, but he just laughed at me.
"You just want to make me uncomfortable, don't you?" I huffed.
"I admit it, Edward," he smirked. "I like seeing my cool and confident son get a little nonplussed. It's good for you to not be in control of everything."
"Don't you think my boyfriend might have a problem with this?"
I figured that Jasper, the love of my life, and the only other sober one at the table besides myself, would be on my side, but he just grinned at my dad and I. Carlisle took that as consent, and then called over a skinny, top-heavy redhead who was wearing what could best be described as black dental floss.
My dad did the talking. "He's too shy to ask, but my son here would like to request a dance."
I glared at my father and then at Jasper, who was struggling to keep a straight face. Unfortunately, I was just barely underage, because a drink surely would have helped in this situation.
The woman in front of me just gave me what I assumed was supposed to be a sexy smile and proceeded to wiggle her hips in front of me, slowly coming forward toward me.
I clamped my eyes shut and let my body go limp, hoping to endure the torture.
"Hey!" I heard Emmett's booming voice call out. "Look at Eddie! Getting some tail."
Great, now everyone in our group, and probably everyone within earshot of my brother's big mouth was focusing their attention on me and what was obviously my first, and god willing, last, lap dance.
I sneaked a peek every now and then. She had her back to me now and was swirling her hips, lowering them to where she was almost sitting in my lap, but not quite touching it.
I think my penis retracted inside my body.
"You're not enjoying yourself, sugar?" She leaned her body back and whispered into my ear, forcing me to open my eyes all the way to look at her.
I heard Jasper snicker.
"Well, it's nothing personal," I said as politely as I could to the stripper, Amber, I think her name was.
She turned around to face me, standing with her legs straddling my lap once again, thrusting her large, and clearly silicone breasts directly into my line of vision.
"You don't like redheads?" She guessed.
"I do prefer blonds," I said, sneaking a glance at Jasper. "But, it's not that."
"I bet I know your type. You look like a strong man who likes a like a thicker gal beneath him."
"You could say that," I said.
For some reason, she took that as a sign that I wanted her to rub her disproportionately large boobs in my face. That was the last straw. I had had enough. I threw my father a dirty look and raised my voice slightly,
"In fact, you could say I prefer my blonds about 6'3", with a broad chest," I reached out my hand to clasp Jasper's. "And a huge cock," I finished.
The stripper's mouth formed a perfect "o," then she backed away from me. My dad gave her an apologetic but reassuring grin, and handed her a wad of bills, what denomination I don't know. She gave a toothy smile, then shook her head playfully at Carlisle, winked at Jasper and I, and went back to work.
Only then did my dad lose it beside me, and then our whole table's laughter could be heard echoing through the room. Even Jasper was laughing beside me.
I pulled my hand out of his grasp and folded my arms across my chest.
He scooted his chair closer to mine so that our legs were touching.
"Don't pout, babe," he leaned in to whisper in my ear.
"It wasn't funny," I shook my head, but I couldn't help the corner of my lips from curling up.
"You looked repulsed! Then when she shoved her tits in your face," Jasper had to trail off because he started laughing too hard to continue.
I tried to picture Jasper in my place, and I couldn't help letting a laugh escape. It actually was kind of funny. I really did hope that the stripper wasn't offended, though, by my clear aversion to her.
We stayed so long, I thought we were going to get tossed out. Jasper and I had to pour everyone else into our cars. We took everyone back to their respective homes, which were luckily all close to campus, but we brought Em and my dad back to our place.
My dad was lit, but Emmett was loaded. I'd seen him worse, but I knew it had been awhile since he'd had so much to drink. Fortunately, though, he seemed to be falling asleep. We managed to get him on the couch and took off his shoes and socks, putting a garbage can beside the couch just in case.
The three of us were still awake and alert, so we went into the kitchen. I got my dad a glass of water, then brought out the tin of cookies I had baked earlier.
"Are you sure you're okay with the air-mattress, dad?" I asked. "Because Jazz and I can take it and you can have our bed."
"It's fine, Edward," my dad assured me. "It's only a full. You'd be uncomfortable sharing. Plus, I don't know how often you clean your sheets."
"Dad!" I hissed. "I wash them at least once a week!"
"He'd wash them every day if we didn't have to pay to use the washer and dryer."
My dad laughed. "Even so, I'm fine on the air mattress. Really."
I shook my head at my dad. I knew that there was an unspoken joke about the activities that happened in our bed, so I quickly changed the subject.
"Can you believe Emmett is getting married in a week? I mean, last month he almost drove to Forks to retrieve his old Legos when mom said she wanted to get rid of them to free up space in the attic."
Jasper snorted as my dad spoke, "You're telling me. I feel so old. My oldest son is getting married and is probably going to make me a grandfather before I turn 50. My twins are finishing college next year. I swear it was just yesterday that Ali was shoving you into one of your mother's white dresses, and forcing Emmett to be the groom so she could play 'wedding planner.'"
Jasper looked at my horrified expression and cracked up.
"You married Emmett?"
"Dad!"
My dad just grinned sloppily at me and reached over to ruffle my hair.
"You know how pushy Alice can be," I said defensively. "It was either that or Barbies."
"Please tell me there are pictures," Jasper ignored me and addressed my dad.
My dad gave a slight nod and mouthed "remind me" to my boyfriend.
"What is this? Pick on Edward day?" I huffed.
"Aw, don't be mad, babe. I won't tell anyone. I'm sure you were an adorable bride." He snaked his arms around me. I couldn't be mad with my beautiful man wrapped around me and my dad beaming up proudly, albeit drunkenly, at us.
We shot the shit with my dad for awhile before he grumbled about being too old to stay up any later. I drifted off to sleep that night thinking about how well Jasper fit into our family. He and my dad seemed so at ease with each other, more like friends than anything else.
The week passed by quickly. Alice, my mom, Rosalie and Mrs. Hale were all frenzied, so Emmett was a permanent fixture hiding in our apartment. Rosalie had moved out of the sorority house and in with Em after graduation, and they were planning to move closer to their respective jobs later in the summer. For the week before the wedding, however, Mrs. Hale had been staying with them to help with last minute preparations
It wasn't hard for Rosalie, with some help from Alice, to find Emmett's hiding spot, though. One day, I swear Alice came bursting in and dragged Em off our sofa by his ear.
The night before the wedding, after the rehearsal dinner, Emmett stayed the night at our place. Even though they had been going at it like bunnies for the past four years, for some reason Rosalie wanted to spend the night apart from Emmett.
When she dropped Em off at our apartment Jasper had said to her, "You think one night is going to miraculously restore your hymen? I think that ship sailed away from the backseat of Bobby Walker's LeBaron when you were 15."
Emmett had to grab Rosalie to stop her from launching at Jasper. I think the only thing that really stopped her from decking him was the fact that she didn't want a member of her bridal party to have a black eye in the wedding photos.
After she had been sufficiently placated by her fiancé, and I promised that there was no alcohol in the house for Emmett to consume, and Jasper apologized profusely, she left us for the evening. Jasper's phone rang about a minute later. He groaned, showing me Rosie's name and wandered into the kitchen. I heard him say, "I promise we'll go to bed early," before coming to join us in the living room.
"Bobby Walker, you say?" Emmett asked slowly, as Jasper settled down on the couch beside me. "Rosie would never tell me his name."
"As if you have room to get mad," I broke in. "You gave it up in all of 15 seconds to Christy Newton when you were a freshman."
Emmett laughed. "I resent that! It was easily 30 seconds."
"I still can't believe you're getting married tomorrow, big brother."
Emmett shrugged his shoulders casually. "It won't be so different than it is now. Rosie was already practically living with me."
"That's not what I mean, though," I insisted. "It's not just that you'll be living together. You'll be someone's husband. You're officially going to be, in part, responsible for the well-being of another person. You're sharing your whole life with another human being. It's a lifelong commitment."
Emmett punched me gently in the arm.
"I love Rosie," he said softly. He turned to look at Jasper before continuing. "I love your sister more than anything in the world, more than my own life. I'd do anything I could to protect her and make her happy."
"I know," Jasper replied with surety. Then his eyes bore into mine and he repeated himself, louder this time, "I know."
My heart skipped a beat.
Because, I knew exactly what Em meant.
Dense as he was sometimes, Emmett didn't miss what transpired between me and Jasper. All of the wedding preparations going on around us, we couldn't help but think about our relationship and our love for one another. But, Emmett being Emmett had reached his quota of sappiness for the day and cleared his throat, insisting that he wanted to spend the last night of his life as a bachelor playing video games. That's exactly what we did, and Emmett was kind of enough not to mock Jasper and I for the stolen glances and kisses we shared in between rounds.
The next morning a demon-like creature I occasionally admitted was my twin came barreling into our apartment at an ungodly hour.
"Why did we ever give her a spare key," Jasper groaned into his pillow as Alice came charging into the bedroom, swiftly pulled our comforter off of us.
"Hey!" I screeched. "What if we were naked under there?"
"Oh, come on!" Alice said sternly. "We shared a womb. It's not like I haven't seen it."
"You couldn't see it in the womb," I pouted.
"Listen to me, and listen to me good." I didn't need to look up to know that Alice was standing at the edge of our bed, looking much taller than her 4 feet 11 inches, with her hands on her hips. "This is an important day, and I am in no mood for your grumbling and groaning. Now, get up. You are in charge of getting Emmett and his tux to the venue. If you are not there on time, you are in so much trouble, you'll wish you never came out of the womb."
"Yes, Alice," Jasper and I said in unison.
We all showered, then had breakfast. The wedding and reception were going to be held at a chapel and reception hall that was a little outside the city, right on the waterfront. It was built in the late 1800s and felt like a total escape from the city's bustle. Living in the Pacific Northwest, there was always the risk of rain, so the ceremony was held in the chapel. The dinner portion of the reception would be inside the hall, but there were a series of glass double doors that opened out onto a stone patio; so, guests could wander in and out as they pleased.
Since Rosalie's maid of honor was Victoria, I was going to be walking into the ceremony with her. Bridesmaid Alice and Jasper followed us. One of Rosalie's sorority sisters, Stephenie, followed with Emmett's friend Tyler, and the final pair was Ben and Irina. I had no idea Rosalie and Irina were friends, let alone close enough friends for her to be a bridesmaid until our housewarming party, but I was happy that Jane would be in attendance. She brought out my inner bitchiness, which I was going to need to get through a wedding reception full of Hales.
I had tried to make Emmett do a coin toss to determine which one of his best men should enter first, but Jasper insisted that, as brother, I earned the top-billing. So, Victoria and I were the first to enter the chapel.
We had walked in to different music during the rehearsal the day before, because Emmett insisted on the actual music being surprise. It took me a second before I realized what it was, and I almost burst out laughing as I caught Emmett's eye up at the alter.
We were walking in to the theme song from Thundercats, played by an orchestra.
The music switched to the traditional wedding march as Rosalie entered. She looked absolutely stunning in her gown. I didn't know a damn thing about dresses, but I could tell that she belonged in the dress she was wearing. She practically floated up the aisle on Colonel Hale's arm. I looked over at Emmett, and I could see tears forming at the corners of his eyes. I nudged Jasper and he followed my eyes, sharing a knowing smile with me.
The ceremony was short, but I had to admit, it was really touching.
They started out by lighting a candle to symbolize their unity. As I looked out into the chapel, I could already see my mom and Mrs. Hale dabbing at tears. Then, Alice got up and read a passage from Plato's Symposium about the origins of love.
Their vows were pretty traditional; though, they added a few caveats of their own in, including the notoriously tone-deaf Emmett's vowing never to sing lullabies to their future children. You couldn't mistake the sincerity in their voices as they recited them to one another. After the minister, who looked an awful lot like James Bond, pronounced them man and wife, he told Emmett he could kiss the bride. Emmett, being Emmett, made a huge show of dipping Rosalie deeply before planting a searing kiss on her. Shockingly, the Hales all hooted and hollered, the loudest among them being Granny.
After the ceremony, the damn pictures took forever. I almost throttled Alice when she informed me that we were having some taken outside after about what felt like an hour of Rosalie and Emmett posing inside. I don't care how charming the chapel was, no one needed 300 wedding pictures. Once the wedding party took their group shots outside, I told Alice under no uncertain terms that I was throwing myself in the bay if I was forced into any more pictures.
She shot Jasper a glance, and he lead me away from the photographer, taking me on a walk around the grounds. I don't know why it was making me so hostile, but I'm sure it had something to do with my nervousness at giving a toast in front of a roomful of wedding guests.
As co-best men, we decided that we would do a co-speech for Emmett and Rosalie, because we had limited G-rated material to use in a toast. Not to mention, I was positive I couldn't speak in front of a room full of people without Jasper by my side, keeping me calm.
Once every was seated and had a drink in hand, I clinked my knife to the side of my glass as Jasper rose to stand beside me. The room grew quiet, and I swear my stomach did a full 360. Luckily, sensing my uneasiness, Jasper was right there with a hand on my lower back, as if steadying me. I took a deep breath.
"When Emmett asked me to share in being his best man, I was reluctant, but I really had no choice. I've been stuck with this ox for 21 years."
The crowd snickered as Emmett rolled his eyes up at me.
Jasper broke in, "And, even though he claims me as his best friend, we all know I only became friends with Emmett in the first place because he had a hot younger brother."
The room erupted in laughter, and even I couldn't help but laugh. Jasper had never rehearsed that line in front of me. I felt his hand grasp mine, and I beamed that he was so willing to be open about his relationship with me in a room full of people that contained old army buddies and conservative family members who thought Jasper and I had a a first-class ticket to Hell in a hand basket, including Aunt Bigot, who was going to harass me until the end of her days for Grandma Hale's cornbread recipe.
She wasn't going to get it. But, since I promised Granny that I would never write it down, Aunt Bigot's only hope was to be nice to me. She could give me a kidney if she wanted, she still wasn't getting the damn recipe.
After the laughter died down, Jasper continued, "When Rosalie and I first moved to Forks, the first person we met at school was this huge dude who looked old enough to be one of the teachers. He introduced himself and shook my hand, and then he bowed and kissed Rosie's hand. I think that's what did her in, and she never had a chance. That day as we were driving back home from school, her eyes were all glazed over and she asked me if I could find another ride to school in the morning, because Emmett was going to pick her up. I'll never forget the look on her face when I asked why he couldn't just give me a ride, too. I rode the school bus for three months before I got my driver's license because of you two, and I'm still traumatized."
The room laughed.
"Seriously, you have no idea how disgusting teenage boys can be when left largely unsupervised in the back of a bus. Do you know what 'stink-palming' is? Because, I really wish I didn't."
At this point, Emmett, who was somehow already a couple drinks in, was laughing his ass off.
"Rosalie has always been stubborn and headstrong and horribly intimidating to boys, which was great for dad and I, because we never had to pull the over-protective, what are your intentions schpeal on any unsuspecting suitors. But, there's something that's always been... different about you, Em." The audience tittered. "You're loud and boisterous, but completely disarming and genuine, and I know with my heart that you would never hurt Rosie, and you'd do anything and everything you possibly could to protect her. Not that she needs it."
There were a few hoots of approval from the Hales.
"Even though Rosie was smitten from that first day, I didn't realize she was in love with you until she was trying to decide where to go to college. I lost my high-frequency hearing when she found out you were going to UW, too, but it was then I realized that she was seriously thinking about your relationship in the long term. Of course, when I asked her about it, she stuck her tongue out at me and told me mind my own business. Glad you've grown up since then, Rosie."
She turned to Jasper and stuck her tongue out at him.
As I waited for the laughter to die down, I sneaked a glance at my older brother, he was looking at Rosalie with a googly-eyed expression that had nothing to do with the champagne.
I began. "There was never a dull moment growing up with an older brother like Emmett. When you've seen someone try to build a campfire in the garage, get kicked out of the zoo for taunting the ostriches, and have a water balloon fight on his 19th birthday, it's hard to imagine him getting married. But, I think it became clear to me that Emmett was serious about Rosalie when we went to check on his apartment two years ago." I squeezed Jasper's hand. "There weren't any dishes in the sink. He didn't have any dirty clothes lying around, and even his bed was made."
Emmett snorted loudly. Jasper reached over and smacked him playfully upside the head. It was an inside joke between the three of us, but the room tittered with laughter at Jasper's gesture anyway.
"Without my mom around to nag- er- I mean, suggest that he clean up after himself, I knew that he had to be doing it for Rosalie."
The Cullen portion of the guests all laughed as Rosalie beamed at Emmett.
"Emmett's always had a personality to match his size, and it takes a certain kind of person to keep up with him, and rein him in, and put him in his place. I knew that woman was you, Rosalie, when you not only agreed to go with him to a Seahawks game, but convinced him not to paint his chest. We Cullens have been avoiding going to professional sporting events with Emmett ever since he discovered body paint."
The body-painting had been a point of contention in our family for years. One of the reasons why Em liked going to Seahawks games was to try to get on TV by looking like as big an idiot as possible.
"I don't think I want to know what it took for you to convince him not to paint his chest and wear his homemade Blitz hat, but I thank you for saving us from having a body-painter in the family. You have a strength of character, Rosalie, and an integrity and a confidence that's admirable. Sometimes I wonder what on Earth you're doing with my brother."
The crowd tittered as Emmett got a very indignant expression on his face.
"Oh, I give you a hard time, Em, but I couldn't ask for a better older brother. And you, big brother, you couldn't ask for a better wife."
Jasper leaned in for the closing toast.
"You've met your match, Rosie, and I wish you a lifetime of happiness, even though I know you don't need luck."
We both raised our glasses of champagne to the crowd, even though Jasper's was just symbolic.
"To the Rosie and Em," Jasper said.
"Here, here!" was the overwhelming response from the room.
Glasses were barely off everyone's lips when Em stood up and snatched the mic from the stand.
"I know I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut, my shirt tucked in, and smile at the right times, but I just needed everyone here to know how much I love both of you. And, I truly hope that someday I'll be able to give a best man speech at your giant blow-out of a legal wedding."
I couldn't hold back my tears any longer. Emmett crushed both Jasper and I to him, each of us under one of his arms, and the whole room burst into applause.
When Emmett let us go I could see that even Jasper's eyes were shining with tears. Rosalie stood up next and mimicked Emmett's hug, taking each of us under an arm. Jasper and I simultaneously leaned in and gave her a kiss on either cheek, to which Emmett said loudly,
"Hey, hey, that's enough of that!" pulling his new wife from our grasp.
After the toast was out of the way, we settled down to the meal, which was surprisingly quite good, some kind of chicken dish cooked in a wine sauce. I'm pretty sure it had herbes de provence in it, but there was some other spice I couldn't quite place. After the meal came the cake cutting. Thankfully, Rosalie threatened to castrate Emmett if he smashed cake in her face, and Emmett was inclined to believe her. I never understood that tradition, either.
I danced with Alice after Emmett and Rosalie took their first turn on the floor, and we showed off our ballroom dancing skills to the sick glee of my beaming mother.
Then, I danced with my mom, followed by Jane and Irina, as well.
Once the booze started flowing and people quit paying attention, I pulled Jasper onto the dance floor, ready to give any disgusted onlookers a show. For all Jasper insisted he couldn't dance, he was doing a damn good job of it, if you asked me. We had such a good rhythm together in the sex department, that our compatibility easily transferred to the dance floor. I couldn't help myself and threw caution to the wind, starting to grind up against Jasper like we were in a club, and not in a room with a large number of his conservative family members.
I didn't care in the least.
We were already in a state of foreplay when we surreptitiously left the hall. Jasper's lips were all over me as we stumbled down a hallway.
"Men's room?" Jasper asked.
"Nah, too easy," I panted.
We frantically and messily clamored down the hallway a little further, until Jasper led me through a doorway.
"Here."
"What's this?" I asked as my eyes adjusted to the dim room.
"Closet, maybe," Jasper said with a shrug.
"Works for me." I needed no further explanation. I was too busy eliminating as many clothes as possible from Jasper's body.
We were of one mind, it seemed, because it was only a moment later when Jasper had me stepping out of my tuxedo pants which had pooled at my feet. My boxer briefs followed quickly, and Jasper had turned me around so I was facing the wall. He pushed my legs apart then reached his hands up to spread my ass cheeks open, and then his warm breath was on me.
"Your ass grinding up against my cock on the dance floor," he exhaled. "I was about ready to take you right there."
"What is it about weddings?" I groaned, as Jasper's warm tongue slipped inside me.
"The sexy suits," he whispered against my flushed skin.
His pulled his tongue back to trace around the rim of my hole, then dipped his wet tongue back in and out.
"The declarations of love," he continued breathily.
He tugged at my hips, turning me around so I faced him once again. I had barely stopped moving, when he pressed his tongue flatly and roughly against my perineum.
"The music."
He ran his talented tongue in a circle around each of my balls, sucking each one greedily into his wet, inviting mouth.
"The dancing."
He licked up the length of my now throbbing penis.
"The sneaking away to fuck in the coat closet."
"Jasper," my voice was heavy with need. "Jasper, I need you. Now."
As much as I loved being teased and licked and stimulated until I couldn't take it anymore, I wanted Jasper, and I wanted him now.
"Turn around, love," Jasper said as he stood.
I spun around and put my hands against the wall, listening to Jasper fumbling around behind me. Within moments, a slick finger breached me, and the noises I had been trying to decipher made sense.
"I love how presumptuous you are," I teased.
"Mmm..." was all he responded. He kissed the back of my neck as a second finger joined the first. "You do love it."
I couldn't argue with that.
We finished not-so-surprisingly quickly and stumbled back into the reception hall looking freshly fucked and fully satisfied. If no one noticed our absence, a couple heads turned at our arrival. My dad, who was clearly a few in, even had the gall to give Jasper a high five.
It was warm inside the reception hall, so Jasper and I went outside for some air. We stood in silence for awhile, leaning against a railing, looking out at the moon being reflected in the bay.
"You ever think about this?" Jasper's voice broke through the quiet evening.
"This what?" I asked him.
"You know, getting married." His voice was confident, but when I looked over at him, he was looking down at his shoes, shyly sneaking glances up at me.
My heart started pounding frantically in my chest. I was afraid Jasper could hear it, but my face betrayed my excitement with a grin. He thought about spending the rest of his life with me. He thought about marrying me.
"We'd have to go to Canada," I said as smoothly as I could, turning to face him.
His face lit up like the sun, and I could only imagine how we looked, grinning at each other like fools.
"You've thought about it?" Jasper's voice was saturated with hope.
"Of course, love."
"Good," he whispered back.
"Yes," I responded softly. "Good."