Memoirs of Her Scent

by

Amaterasu Kinesi

Chapter Two

Visions and Jealousy

..….

As I answer Alice's chaste kisses with my own, I hear between the desperate sounds of our ragged breaths what can only be the sound of a silent, warm lone tear sliding down the length of Bella's ivory cheekbone.

Right, silent.

While listening to the frantic beat of Bella's fluttering heart as it stops and flutters again, I chuckle into Alice's lips. If possible, the sound of Bella's heartbeat is even more frantic than before.

Having noticed my distracted repertoire of kisses, Alice pulls away from our kiss, enough to fix her gaze on my face, and asks a silent question, her eyes belayed with curiosity.

Under her questioning gaze, I urge, "Listen closely."

Alice frowns momentarily and looks at me questionably, before deciding to do just that and listens.

As Alice listens, almost immediately, understanding floods her flawless features and the silliest and happiest of grins she can muster curves her sanguine lips sensually. She looks almost smug. I chuckle at her reaction and lower my lips to place a fleeting kiss by her jaw –she sighs with pleasure, content in my arms.

"Those tears aren't so silent," she murmurs, clearly as amused as I am.

"No," I agree. "With her heart rattling so frantically, it's hard to pretend not to listen in."

Alice nods fondly and appraises me with a devious chuckle, asking in an almost inaudible whisper, "What are her feelings at the moment?"

Closing my eyes, I take a moment to shuffle through the myriad of emotions to decipher which one is the strongest. I smirk and open my eyes to look at Alice's expectant visage. She nods encouragingly and I bite back a chuckle. After a moment's thought, I consent, saying, "She feels like… she could die."

"But–" Alice stutters, her eyes comically widening to the size of saucers.

Amused, due to Alice's shocked expression, I can't help but chuckle and she naturally glares at me. For her benefit, I hasten to add, "From happiness, darlin'."

Alice instantly relaxes above me. "Oh," she breathes quietly, clearly relieved.

Confirming, as I'd already imagined, that Alice's mind had been formulating some kind of plan in which she would attempt to bring Bella back to life if it came to that. Didn't matter if she had to have it out with Death and take her from its clutches by force, if need be. Even if it was against everyone's wishes, as stubborn as only Alice could be, I could so clearly and vividly picture it and the imagery brings a smile to my face.

Then, noticing my smile and registering what I had said, Alice smacks my head playfully, attempting to look 'stern' but failing miserably as the ghost of a smile threatens to curve her lips and give her away.

"Hey!" I protest, trying to sound disgruntled and failing miserably, my voice was shaking too much with laughter. Fighting a losing battle, Alice gives in and laughs heartily at my antics. Smugly, I smirk.

"You deserved it," she grunts, unapologetic, as she keeps mumbling under her breath, too low for even my ears to catch what she is saying. But tow things I'm sure of, I had caught the words 'stupid Jasper' and what sounded like 'not funny at all' somewhere in between her huffed out words.

All the while, she is huffing and looking at me with mock disgust and, of course, I pretend to be hurt. Pouting, I give her my best puppy dog eyes. It doesn't work. Alice narrows her eyes, unmoved, shakes her head and clicks her tongue in disapproval. I can't help but laugh. She can be so adorable when she pouts like this, which almost makes her irresistible.

Pecking her lips with my own, I pout some more and then proceed to embrace her. Momentarily feigning to struggle, Alice puts a restraining hand against my chest, but then resigning herself. Showing her annoyance in the matter, Alice sighs in defeat and melts into my arms as I taunt her with butterfly-kisses. Alice giggles as I suddenly untether a thread of laughter into the air and she surrenders to it, her body trembling with hysterics. After all, laughter is contagious.

This is the face that only I get to see on a daily basis, I muse, feeling privileged.

Somehow, I always manage to unexpectedly surprise Alice. And, hell, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel smug about it. Only I get to see Alice's surprised and flustered faces, which are brought on by my actions. I guess it has something to do with the fact that it is I who conjures it out of her and because, unlike the others, I don't plan ways to try and surprise her.

"Am I forgiven?" I question. Staring at Alice with wide, innocent eyes, I make a point out of pursing my lips and wait for her answer. Nonetheless, looking smug and not quite as apologetic as I'm leading on to be, in the slightest.

What's the point, honestly? I know Alice sees right through my act. I don't suffer from delusion of grandeur; I know I'm not fooling her any time soon either. But in all honesty, that's part of the fun. Leading her on and knowing that she's allowing me, if I may say so myself.

"I suppose–" She sighs dramatically, saying, "If I must."

"I insist."

"Oh… all right," she acquiesces.

" Anyway, you and I both know that you can't really stay mad at me for any given length of time," I offer, shrugging lightly. So modest of me, I know, right?

"Oh, can't I?" she differs, raising one of her perfectly shaped brows in skepticism.

I smile winningly in answer. Alice shakes her head in disbelief, amused. Smiling and eyes smoldering, I blatantly stare at Alice and suggestively start rubbing circles along the small of her back. Right where a sliver of her smooth skin has been tempting me for a while now and trade on lower.

After a moment's pause, Alice leaves my lap and stands, walking away. Alice is standing about a foot away from me when she stops and facing the floor-to-ceiling wall with her back to me. When she looks over her shoulder to make sure I'm watching her, I notice Alice has a taunting smile in place.

Pouting at the loss, I frown with displeasure at the distance I'll have to cover to get to my beloved and hear Alice chuckle. Snapping out of it, I look up at Alice and stand with deliberate slowness. Once I'm on my feet, it doesn't take long before I follow suit and I'm walking right up to Alice while she watches me advance.

Only when I'm standing flush against Alice and I have her trapped between my body and the glass wall, do I only stop advancing. Hearing Alice's gasp, I smirk. As I suspected, my nearness still affects her.

Gazing down at Alice with her favorite crooked smile of mine in place, I nod in answer to her almost forgotten question and lean down to whisper in her ear. Huskily, I say, "Besides, you rein over me, darlin'."

"What?" Alice murmurs, confused.

"Your wish is my command, remember?" To further prove my previous point, I barely touch her skin with my knuckles and caress her jaw sensually. On cue, Alice swallows audibly. With a satisfied smile, I watch as Alice's eyes flutter close at the small contact and she struggles to keep them open.

Alice looks down at my chest then, a satisfied smile gracing and curving her sanguine lips in a sensuous manner. Curious as to Alice's reaction, I tilt my head to the side as if I'm listening for something and reach out to caress her emotions with a dose of my own. Within the first contact, Alice's emotions tell me everything that her features wouldn't.

Basically, had Alice been able to blush or her heart possessed the ability to flutter frantically against her spectrum once again (like Bella's), her visage would have betrayed her content embarrassment at my words for my eyes to witness. Instead, I content myself with the feel of her content embarrassment stroking against my senses.

Just as swiftly as Alice had looked away, she gazes up at me through long, black eyelashes that flutter flirtatiously at me with a teasing look and my breath hitches at the sight. Seductive in more ways than one, it nearly threatens to restart my dead heart and send it into a burst of frantic beating that would most likely propel it bursting right out of my chest.

Clearly, that look is meant to challenge me and since I've never been one to back out, I'm up for the challenge. Mesmerized, I can only think of how to expedite things out of control and give in to the temptation that is Alice. Experimenting, I trace my fingertips from Alice's cheekbone to her jaw line in a lazy caress and all the way down to her parting lips as I begin to plot ways in which to get her to lose control.

Caressing more of her, meanwhile, I try to grasp at some semblance of control I might still have left in me. For this turn of events to work in my favor, I'm well aware that I need to find a way to dwindle my lust. Something that's easier said than done, since my lust just keeps surging through my body and menacing to spontaneously combust my cold body; something that I'm sure must be showing on my face, through the medium of my topaz eyes.

Her reciprocation comes in the form of a chaste kiss as Alice props herself up on her toes. Wrapping her arms around my neck, Alice pulls me into her and closes the remaining distance between us. Meanwhile, just before I manage to ensconce her with our twining pleasure, Alice's fingers dutifully proceed to tangle in my blond hair at the nape of my neck. Right where I like her to hold onto for dear verve during our acts of intimacy.

The touch of my influence is subtle at first but grows in intensity as our libido intensifies and I feel Alice tremble against me. Alice's need and want spirals with my own; until I can't distinguish the individual threads anymore and I gladly stop trying to keep them apart. Lost in the moment, I stop restraining the chords of lust and allow us to simply feel.

With the free hand that isn't urgently and with care trying to rememorize every feature of Alice's face, I sensuously explore her back. Slowly, sending a shiver down her spine until I, too, lace my fingers through her Stygian short hair above the base of her neck. Right where I know the tugging and pulling sensation drives her crazy.

Carefully making sure that she stays flush against me, I walk us back a step and Alice's back instantly meets the resistance of the glass floor-to-ceiling wall. Pressing myself fully against Alice, I propel her body against the wall for support and catching on, she eagerly engages our lips in a heated kiss .

As we continue to kiss, our breathing is becoming more and more ragged by the minute. Urgently, yet gently, we press closer against each other and embrace, as if the force of the notion with which we embrace will allow us to merge and melt into one.

Struggling for breath, I'm the first forced to step back and break our passionate kiss. Silly, I know. Still, it is the token of our previous past lives in which we were as of yet not damned, which compels and reminds us to do at least this one natural thing and breathe.

Even though we both know that neither of us would suffer from lack of oxygen nor need it, it is a reflexive impulse. As far as I know, we can go through eternity without breathing once and still not need the oxygen. Not that I'd try it, mind you. It is quite uncomfortable to go without sense of smell for any length of time.

"Alice," I whisper against the column of her throat.

Unable to bring myself to lose contact with her skin, my lips venture along Alice's throat; nipping, sucking, and kissing as we regain our breath. Placing one last scorching kiss against the hollow of her throat and nipping playfully on her collarbone, my mouth still doesn't abandon Alice's skin, before I've regained my bearings and bring my lips onto hers once more.

This kiss, if possible, is infused with more passion and urgency than before. The eagerness of my actions earns a moan of unadulterated ecstasy from her parted lips that spurs me on. Taking her parted lips into account and as an insinuation for admittance, I allow myself the notion of intoxicating myself with the nectar she guards behind her inviting lips, only for my tongue to explore, and open my mouth against hers.

The way our nectar tastes, merging and clashing together is something that, to this day, is still hard to explain –it is sweeter than the sweetest honey this world has to offer, more exhilarating than the most alluring blood, and much more gratifying.

My titillating fingertips travel the length of her neck and throat, as I untwine our tongues and tease her lower lip with the tip of my cold tongue, encouraging her to shiver, before kissing her jaw. Tracing my mouth down to the hollow of her throat with tender, openmouthed kisses that leave a glistening path in my wake, Alice's little whimpers and moans of pleasure spur me on.

"Jasper…" I hear her moan my name.

There it is, the seductive tenor that I have been trying, all along, to summon and hear escape her lips. The twin ends of my lips curve into a satisfied smile, as I cradle her neck in the palm of my hand and bury my face into the crevice of her soft breasts.

"Jasper…"

Alice's body trembles deliciously against mine and my voice knows not how to form any other sound but the sound of her name, which tumbles raggedly from between my lips next.

"Alice…"

My voice, I am sure, comes out velvety red. Laced with the traces of my love for her and the lust of the moment, there is nothing else to it. As Alice caresses her vacillating fingers along my tousled hair lovingly, I bury my face deeper into the crevice of her inviting, swelling breasts. Placing small, chaste kisses along their slope and inhaling her scent, I engrave it to memory with a ghost of a secret smile.

"I love you." The three simple but honest words escape my lips in a breathless manner as I gaze into Alice's eyes imploringly and find that they hold nothing but love for their beholder to see. I sigh, content; Alice's eyes hold the same intensity that mine hold.

"I know," she assures me with the faintest of smiles, effectively taking my breath away. "I love you too, Jasper," she adds with a breathless sigh that does nothing to hide the smile that brightens her face and curves her mouth. She does it in this peculiar way that never fails to make me feel as if I have just unsuccessfully managed to hear her whisper a secret not meant for my ears. It is sexy, earnestly so.

At this moment, I realize nothing else matters to me but our confessions, crackling in the air between us, and the woman before me. Nothing. Except, Alice –my Goddess. As I stare into her eyes and drown myself in their ever-present depth, I relish this moment.

For an instant, everything seems to be suspended in time, except for us, standing here and staring into each other's eyes, while expressing our love for each other with unspoken words that seem to possess neither rhythm not rhyme. Simply, it just cannot be put into words. None will suffice to articulate neither my feelings nor those of my beholder.

Unthinkingly, my hand moves to cradle Alice's face and she leans in toward my touch, seeking and craving more. Closing her eyes, Alice sighs contently as my thumb finally caresses her lips with uncanny precision and expertise. Though we've done this before, time and again, and though I already know everything about her—all her sounds, nooks, and crannies are all familiar and I know what to expect—this always feels like the first time, totally new.

Just as swiftly as they had closed, Alice's eyes flutter open after a fraction of a second later and mirror, once more, the intensity and intimacy of my gaze, which holds us here, suspended, in a timeless dimension. All too soon and like everything else, however, it abruptly comes to an end.

Suddenly, Alice freezes and goes stiff. Looking at her face, I notice that Alice's eyes are looking past me, probably through me, and gazing into a not so distance future, where her mind is traveling away from me and concentrating in something that will and could be.

Even if it is for a fraction of a second, every time the future takes Alice away from me and takes her mind to some place where body can't follow, I still feel like it is taking something precious from me as well. Alice's visions come at the high price of something that I'll never be able to get back again because I can't fallow her neither in mind nor body where her visions take her.

Even though I'm accustomed to this, yet, I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy whenever a vision gets between Alice and I. Especially in moments like this, it always makes me feel like she is out of reach. After all, even though her body is physically here and being held by my arms, her mind isn't. That is what's unnerving and unacceptable.

Surely, anyone may think it silly for me to feel this way. After all, I have all of eternity to love and make love to my Goddess. Yet, I find that any given moment in which I am not doing just that is, indeed, a waste and a travesty.

However, after what seems a century to me, Alice comes back to me just when I start growing impatient and relief sweeps over me like a calming torrent.

"What did you see?" I ask her without bothering to mask the apprehension that engulfs my voice.

Instead of answering, however, Alice drops her feet from around my waist and places them back on the floor. Putting some distance between us, Alice takes a hold of my hand, intertwining our fingers, and starts walking towards the door. Having no choice in the matter, since Alice is dragging me along with her, I follow. Color me baffled and hurt. I allow it to manifest as a form of probing.

"We need to find Emmett and Rosalie," she explains, understanding my silent inquisition. Excitement brightens her eyes and I relax, only just. At least she hadn't seen anything to worry about, this time around.

"Alright," I relent, grinning as she grins back at me. It seems to be infectious. Emotions always are.

"Emmett, Rosalie, I'm barging in!" Alice announces as she barges into Emmett's room to find both, Rosalie and Emmett, seated on his love-sit couch and talking. Apparently, from the looks and feel of it, they've been discussing something that isn't making Rosalie too happy.

May the good Lord have mercy on His cards for all of us, I pray, this could get ugly. Because an unhappy Rosalie makes for an unhappy and miserable household –of that, one can be certain.

"Hey, Alice," Emmett greets, unperturbed. Despite the huge grin on his face, which might have fooled someone other than an empath or a mind reader, he does seem distracted and defeated. "And Jasper, why don't you guys come on in?"

With that, Rosalie hits him upside the head and he doesn't even flinch. Actually, his smile broadens impossibly. Alice shakes her head and I snort.

"Greetin's Emmett," I say, bumping knuckles with him and nodding to dear ole Rose in greeting. As expected, Rosalie scowls in return and having fulfilled her part, she then fixes Emmett with her evil eye once again. Emmett shrugs at me, inclines his head in his wife's direction, and I answer with a knowing look.

There is much more to Emmett and his happy go lucky attitude and jokes perpetually full of nothing but innuendos, believe it or not. He, unlike many of our kind, especially me, is just severely optimistic most of the time. Which, though at times irritating, is actually very helpful and encouraging. That's why I like keeping the big oaf around, he makes me optimistic by association.

"I've got an announcement to make," Alice informs us with a smirk. Obviously making a statement that she knows something we do not, which is always the case. I chuckle silently at this and Emmett simply rolls his eyes, while Rose's scowl threatens to deepen.

"What's wrong?" Rosalie asks while standing and glancing warily at Alice, but seemingly radiating concern. Her wariness, however, is still the very dominant force.

"Inpatient, aren't we?" teases Alice. Quickly, I move to her side and drape an arm around her waist, for precaution, as Rosalie eyes the paperweight on top of the desk before returning her eyes to Alice's face. However, Alice just as easily dismisses it and Rosalie looks affronted, giving me a look of contempt.

"Don't antagonize her, Alice, please," Emmett pleads with a mock groan that earns him another smack from Rose.

"I just want to see if Emmett would be ever so inclined as to enlighten me with a game of ball?" She trails off. Emmett perks up. "Since there's a storm coming," Alice continues as if it means nothing to her that Rosalie is looking an inch from murderous, which is not a new look on her.

"Seriously?" Emmett asks. Instantly, his features light up and his mischievous dimples make an appearance, clearly giving away how excited Emmett is at the prospect of a game of ball.

I cannot help but feel my spirits lifting along with Emmett's. There is seriously nothing better than a good ole game of baseball with the family during a thunderstorm.

"What do you think?" Alice nods and rolls her eyes as Emmett booms with excitement, hands in the air as he avoids another swat from Rosalie who is now smirking, which, when it comes to her, is close to the equivalent of a smile these days.

"Of course I'm game!" Practically the whole house quivers with the sound of Emmett's booming voice. Alice and I smirk. "Don't you know me better than that woman?" He reprimands and I chuckles.

Despite her mood, Rosalie seems to get infected by Emmett's good mood and begins to lighten. Slowly, a smile visibly begins curving Rosalie's naturally pouty lips. This is another reason we like keeping Emmett around, he melts Rosalie's cold exterior to smithereens by just acting like a child and smiling.

"Now, all we have to do is tell–" Alice didn't get to finish her sentence, however.

Since the sound of Edward's sudden growling abruptly cut her off, snapping the rest of us into inclined attention. Though the others are slightly tens, I'm not. Seeing as the mood coming from Edward's bedroom is a playful one. Not a moment later, Bella's answer comes in the form of a bewildered and disbelieving, "You wouldn't?"

If I know Edward, and I do know Edward, whatever he is planning to do, he will follow through. I wanted to tell Bella as much. But it sounds like she's all ready figured as much, judging by the sound of her hasty retreat and shuffling feet against the carpeted floor, as she seemingly attempts to back away.

Tersely, we wait to hear for what happens next. Another growl sounds and suddenly, all that we can hear is the sound of Edward and Bella's bodies colliding and hitting the opposite glass wall in his bedroom and Bella's muffled cry of surprise.

"What was that?" Emmet asks, curiously, to no one in particular. But I cannot help but sense and detect a hint of concern in his emotions, which is tightly laced around his leading feelings of inquisitiveness. Though his concern is well masked, Emmett can't fool me at all. Blame it on the empathy.

"Maybe Edward finally bit a chunk out of his guest?" Rosalie sneers innocently. Emmett and I roll our eyes. Wishful thinking, Rose.

"Not funny, babe," Emmett chastises and Rosalie manages to look slightly bashful. "I kind of find our guest endearing…"

It's your funeral Emmett… I think and grimace at the incensed glare Rosalie is now sporting. Can we get out of here now, Alice? I glance at Alice and find her frowning slightly. Her eyes meet mine and I silently tell her, I think chunks are about to go a-flying…

"We'll investigate," Alice offers.

Alice to the rescue!

Quickly taking a hold of my hand, Alice and I dash out Emmett and Rosalie's bedroom door before we can witness the mess about to take place. Once on the hallway, we proceed up the stairs and head in the direction of Edward's room to investigate. Given that my curiosity has been tickled, I follow more than willingly.

Surely nothing happened? Edward had seemed well under control while holding Bella just moments ago. He wouldn't just, suddenly, loose it or anything like that, right?

"Can we come in?" Alice asks softly from the hall as she wraps her knuckles on Edward's bedroom door and knocks.

Meanwhile, I struggle to sort out the feelings emanating through Edward's closed door toward me. The feelings I can make out are sort of perplexing and so are the sounds of Bella's beating heart. There seems to be some kind of struggle taking place on the other side of the door. Perplexed, I frown. Laughter can be heard just behind it, too.

"Go ahead, come in, please," Edward relents with laughter in his tone. Alice opens the door without having to be told twice as Edward's voice carries to us.

Having opened the door, Alice dances her way past its threshold. For the meantime, I remain standing just over the threshold and gaze at the scene before me with brash interest. Staring at Edward and tasting the atmosphere with my unusual sensitivity for categorizing moods, I instantly sense the curiosity radiating from Bella and Edward's content ease. Deeming it safe, for the time being, I lean further into the room.

My expression as I see and take in the scene before me must be a trifle shocked, I'm sure. Bella is conventionally seated on Edward's lap and for his part, Edward seems relaxed with this arrangement. Upon seeing us, Bella's cheeks burn with a sweet taunting song, causing me to further pause at the door for precarious reasons and mainly to assure Bella's safety.

All in all, Bella is unharmed and Edward seems at ease and in total control of the situation. On the other hand, Alice seems to find nothing wrong with Edward and Bella embracing. With a smile on her face, Alice continues to walk—dance I should say, in that peculiar graceful way of hers—to the very center of the room, where she folded herself lithely onto the floor and sits, content.

"We came to investigate," Alice announces shamelessly. Though I can't see her face, since her back is to me now, I can tell Alice is still smiling, smugly at that, by the tone of her voice and the feel of her emotions. "It sounded like you were having Bella for lunch, and we came to see if you would share."

At Alice's words, Bella stiffens for an instant. Until she realizes that Edward is grinning and I can't help but marvel at how impeccable Bella's trust in Edward is. I frown at that. Seems like her sense of preservation went right out the window.

The one thing I learn within the few moments I've been standing by the door is that Bella blushes way to easily, with almost no effort required. And that does not help my predicament or hers, for that matter. Given that each time Bella blushes her blood boils in the most alluring way, beckoning and testing my resolve. The sight of her blush makes me want to throw caution to the wind and lose control, when I know I mustn't.

As such, I must try to stay away. In fact, staying right here by the door seems more of a good idea by the blushing minute.

I don't want to suffer my brother's wrath. Not that we are not evenly matched, but because he is my brother… and I love him. And I wouldn't want to be the one to make him sad by taking his newfound reason for living away from him. I wouldn't want anyone, for that matter, to take his happiness away from him.

Not as long as I have the strength to fight for it. Edward is my brother and I like seeing him happy, like he is right now with Isabella Swan in his arms. If seeing him happy means that I've got to be very careful around this Bella in order to keep her well, breathing, and alive, so be it.

Thank you, Bella, for coming into his life… Someday, I'll be able to tell this to Bella, face to now, I'll watch over the both of them and make sure that no harm comes to either of them. My Goddess, Alice, likes you, Bella. That's good enough a reason for me to like you too.

And so, until I can express my plenitude of 'Gratuities' keep making Edward happy. You are family now. You are our sister, and Edward's girl…

That's funny, there's– Nah, it couldn't possibly be.

Anyway, Bella, you are now a part of the Cullen Clan. That thought definitely puts an undeniable and unmistakable smirk on my face.

Welcome to the family, Bella Swan.