A/N: Quick like a bunny I am with this chapter. See you again at the bottom.
WARNING: This piece of fanfiction is rated M for slash, graphic language, and adult situations. Minors and wusses, click away, please. Also, S. Meyer owns all Twilight-related material. Thanks for letting us ride on your see-saw, Mrs. Meyer.
Chapter 5: One-Step Two-Step
When I came, it was to the vision of us kissing passionately, bodies intertwined, strong hands caressing one another.
*~*~*
I hopped in my car and made it to the Newtons' house at about 9:15. Things were already in full swing. I threaded my way through knots of Solo-cup-wielding teens and made my way downstairs. There was a reason that Mike's basement rec room was a popular hangout. It had a pool table, a huge flat-screen with every game system known to mankind, and – most important – a fully stocked bar that the live-in housekeeper never checked. His parents were never home.
The décor was modern, no typical cast-off basement furnishings in sight. Instead, the large, sleek sectional sofa was a soft, suede-like brown, and the carpet was tan with flecks of burgundy and gold. The walls were burgundy, with creamy white molding along the floor and ceiling to lighten up all the dark color. The bar was long and mahogany and chrome, with bottle-laden mirrored shelves lining the wall behind it. The bright recessed lighting in the ceiling could be dimmed, turning the room into Make-Out Central at the turn of a knob. It was still early in the evening, though – that would come later.
The usual crowd was here tonight. Among the group by the bar, Jessica Stanley was hanging on Mike as usual, her tits pushed into his arm. He ignored her, and would continue to do so until he got wasted enough to forget why he should. I gave it two hours until they disappeared into his bedroom upstairs.
Tyler and Eric were holding court at the Xbox, surrounded by half a dozen or so guys waiting for their turns with the controllers. Angela Weber sat nearby next to Ben "Chess Club" Cheney, lending credence to the gossip that they were an item. He was about half a head shorter than she was, but neither of them seemed bothered by that. I idly wondered how he managed to kiss her, then hoped I wouldn't have to witness it. From the glares he was shooting their way, Eric hoped he wouldn't, either.
I came around the back of the couch, intending to plop my ass down on it, when I pulled up short. Edward was sitting on the floor, eating M&Ms from a crystal bowl on the coffee table, popping them into his mouth one at a time. He chewed and swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing with each gulp.
I stood there, my hand on the back of the couch. Go. Introduce yourself, ya pussy. Now's your chance. But I couldn't make my feet move.
"Jazz," Emmett whispered, nudging me in the ribs with his elbow. I jumped. I hadn't heard him come up behind me.
"What?" I prayed he hadn't noticed me gaping at Edward. But Emmett didn't look disturbed or skeeved out. In fact, his eyes were lit up as he gestured with his chin toward the basement stairs.
"She's here," he breathed in my ear. "Told ya. It's my night, man."
I swiveled my head and saw a pair of bright red high-heeled shoes descending the stairs. With her long legs, sultry curves, honey-blond tresses, and wide, sea-blue eyes, Rosalie Hale was the picture of feminine divinity. Even I could appreciate her beauty.
Emmett scampered over to her. I snickered to myself; watching a hulking, six-foot-one linebacker scamper was pretty funny. Rosalie pretended ice-queen indifference, but her eyes followed his every move. Even as she rolled them at whatever lame joke he was telling her now, I could see the sparkle in their azure depths.
Feeling conspicuous just standing there, I forced myself to sit on the edge of the couch. Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw Edward's gaze flicker toward me and then away.
I had almost managed to psych myself up enough to open my mouth when Lauren Mallory slunk over and sat cross-legged on the floor next to him. She reached into the bowl of M&Ms, helping herself to a handful. I felt an irrational surge of anger.
Those are Edward's, you skank.
She spoke to him in a low tone, and he seemed to be listening, his eyes fixed down at his hands, fingers twining and untwining in his lap. Jealousy curled like smoke around me.
"Penny for your thoughts, Jasper?" The couch gave as Bella sank onto it beside me, slinging her arm around my shoulder.
I smiled, instinctively reaching over to push her thick chestnut hair out of her face.
"Don't know if they're worth that much, Bells," I said, spitting out a half-hearted chuckle.
She gave me a knowing look.
"Oh, c'mon, Jazz. You just got here and you're already brooding, ya emo dork?" One side of her generous mouth quirked up.
I jabbed my finger into her ribs, and she squealed.
"Emo, huh?" I pouted. "Hello? Pot, kettle? Ring any 'Bells'?" I quipped, making air quotes with my fingers. She half-laughed, half-choked as I started tickling her in earnest. She managed to grab my wrist with both hands and push my wriggling fingers away. I relented easily.
"Fine," she teasingly huffed. "See if I ever care about you again."
"Okaaaay," I sighed dramatically, "I'll try to snap out of it."
Lauren gave a braying laugh just then, and I automatically turned my head toward her. She was still sitting with Edward, but her legs were now bent underneath her and to the side, canting her body toward his. He must have said something funny, because her head was thrown back in amusement and her hand was on his bicep. My shoulders stiffened. Bella felt it and turned her head up to look at my face. She said nothing, but took my hand in hers and began rubbing soothing circles on the back with her thumb.
My glare must have been sharper than I thought, because Lauren sensed it. She darted her pale, fishy eyes to me and then away, thinking my hostility was directed at her. Well, it was, but not for the reason she thought. It had nothing to do with Lauren's mouth on my dick, and everything to do with where her hands were right now. One rested on Edward's arm, while the other supported her weight on the floor, too close to Edward's knee for my taste. My traitor imagination taunted me with visions of those hands moving up Edward's arm, over his sculpted shoulder, into his tousled hair…
I didn't realize I was shaking until Bella put her cool palm to my cheek.
Before she could say a word, a low, musical voice addressed us from behind the couch.
"Well, don't you two look cozy?"
Bella jumped.
"Alice!" she cried, whirling around.
"Hi, Bella. Hi, Jazz. It's great to see you guys." Alice was Emmett's older sister. Well, technically, she was his half-sister, as she was a Brandon and he was a McCarty. Their mom had married Emmett's dad when Alice was one, and Emmett was born a year later. To them, that was a minor detail, even though Alice spent a couple of months each year with her father in New York. She and Emmett loved each other fiercely, and argued just as fiercely. Alice had just started her first year as an engineering major at U Dub. She was smart, vivacious, and compassionate. She was also beautiful, petite yet willowy, with raven locks like her brother's and gray-blue eyes.
Bella's face had turned bright red. She clasped Alice to her in a wild hug over the back of the couch.
"It's so great to see you, Ally," she enthused. Alice pulled back gently and gave her a warm smile as she reached to embrace me. I dropped a light kiss on top of her head, exaggerating the distance I had to bend, wordlessly ribbing her about our large height difference. She emitted a playful growl and pretend-punched me in the gut.
"You home for Labor Day?" I asked. Alice nodded.
"Yeah, just drove in this morning. Gotta help my mom clean the pool and the yard for the big shindig Sunday, so I can't stay too late tonight. I just wanted to pop in and say hi to everyone."
"How long are you staying in Forks?" Bella cut in. "Oh! Do you want to hit the sales in PA with me on Monday? I might ask Angela to come, too, if that's okay…"
I stepped back a bit as Bella started talking a mile a minute. I don't know how Alice managed to keep up with her, but she seemed to understand what Bella was saying. Maybe she also understood what Bella was not saying. It seemed crystal clear to me, but knowing how Bella felt about Alice gave me an advantage, of course.
Between the heavy subtext of Bella and Alice's conversation and the magnetic pull of Edward on the floor ten feet away, I felt a sudden need for space. And, surprisingly, alcohol.
"I need a drink. You want anything?" I asked the girls. They shook their heads. Bella gave me a raised eyebrow, but continued jabbering away with Alice. I retreated to the bar, where I poured myself a Solo-cup of JD. I avoided the others mingling and carousing there and leaned my back against the far end of the bar, slowly sipping my drink. The alcohol mellowed on my tongue but burned in my throat. I watched Bella across the room, her hands flying as she talked.
I went to take another sip of my JD and was surprised to find the cup empty. Debating with myself for only a moment, I turned toward the bar and refilled my cup. I'd be here for a while yet, enough time to let the alcohol pass through my system. I'd probably be okay to drive by the time the party ended. If not, well, I'd crash on Mike's couch. No default DD duty for me tonight.
Someone cleared his throat behind me. I turned and nearly spit out my mouthful of whiskey. It was Edward.
We stared at each other for an infinite moment. This close to him, I could see that his jade eyes were flecked with gold and copper, and fringed by thick, black lashes. I felt myself falling into them, and blinked rapidly to pull myself back from the brink.
"Is that any good?" he asked, indicating the bottle on the bar in front of me. His voice was pure velvet. I nodded, unable to find my own voice.
"You wanna pour me some?"
"Sure," I breathed, my tone huskier than I wanted it to be. I grabbed a clean plastic cup and poured some of the whiskey into it, grateful that my hands didn't shake enough to spill any. I turned back and handed the cup to him. He took it, his fingers brushing mine with a feather-light touch that made my insides tremble.
He took a small sip and made a face.
"God, this stuff'll put hair on your chest, won't it?"
I shrugged, eyeing him while trying not to stare at his mouth.
"You get used to it, I guess," I said.
Great, Jasper. Way to imply that you're an alcoholic. The truth was that, ever since that night with James, I drank so seldom that the small amount I'd had tonight was starting to make my head float.
"I'll take your word for it," Edward replied, putting the cup back on the bar. "I don't really drink that much, anyway. It just looked like you were enjoying it, and I wanted to see what I was missing."
Wait, what? He'd noticed what I was drinking. He'd been watching me. Holy hell!
I squelched the thrill that surged through me, sure I was reading too much into his comment.
"You're Jasper, right?" He walked around the bar to the other side.
"Uh, yeah. And y-you're Edward," I said, stumbling over my words. He grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-fridge under the bar and twisted the top off. His movements were fluid, hypnotic. I watched, mesmerized, as he put the bottle to his lips and took a long swig.
His head was thrown back, his throat exposed to me. I wanted to put my mouth there, to feel his smooth, delicate skin under my lips as they glided up his graceful neck to his strong, square jaw. I felt my eyes narrow and become hooded.
Snap out of it, loverboy, or you'll end up attacking him right here in front of everyone. I shuddered at the thought.
"Uh," I started, trying to think of something to say to him. "So, looks like we're in a bunch of classes together this year." No shit, Sherlock.
"Yeah," he replied easily. "History, English, P.E…." He trailed off for a brief second, swallowing. "Oh, and Trig. They had me in Geometry until I convinced them I'd already taken it at my old school."
He just glibly rattled off all the classes we had together. He's been paying attention. To me, or is he just observant in general?
"So, you moved here from Chicago?" I asked him, trying to distract myself with normal conversation. I could do this, talk to this gorgeous boy without giving myself away. Although – and maybe it was the JD – I was starting to feel like hiding wasn't worth it anymore.
"Yep," he said. "My dad is a surgeon, and he went from a private practice there to a hospital-based practice out here. He wanted to be able to spend more time with my mom and me, and the hours here are a lot better. My mom's an architect, but she decided to take some time off from work a couple of years ago, and she hasn't made plans to go back yet. I think she likes being a stay-at-home mom more than she'll admit."
"That's cool," I replied. "I guess you guys are pretty close, then."
"Mm-hmm," he said. "They're great. I can tell them anything."
"I wonder what that's like," I muttered under my breath. I hoped he hadn't heard me.
If he had, he gave no sign. He took another sip of his water. I kept my eyes on the bar top.
"What about your family, Jasper? Got any brothers or sisters?"
"Uh, no. It's just my mama and my daddy and me." I winced as the childish names rolled off my tongue, and hurried on. "He's a retired military man, and she's always been a housewife, as far as I know."
"Wow, military, huh? What branch?"
"Marines. He's a tough sumbitch." I snorted.
"I'll bet," said Edward, his lips curving into a slightly lopsided grin. God, he was sexy.
I took another gulp of my drink. I could feel the alcohol affecting me more strongly.
"Have you lived in Forks all your life?" Edward asked.
"No, actually. We moved from Texas when I was nine. I'm a good ol' southern boy," I said, briefly trotting out my Texas drawl, then chuckling.
Edward laughed with me.
"Your parents still have the accent, then?"
"Yessir," I replied. "All the Forks kids used to make fun of the way I talked in junior high, so I lost mine pretty quick. It still comes out sometimes, though, when I'm excited or hyped up."
Edward smiled, his eyes twinkling.
"I'd like to hear that," he said glancing downward, suddenly shy.
Holy shit! Was he flirting with me? It sure as hell seemed that way. I really needed to stop drinking now – it was messing with my perception. I put my half-empty cup down on the bar next to his.
Someone put a hand on my shoulder, startling me.
"Hey, Jazz," said Bella, "I'm gonna take off." Her cheeks flushed. "Uh, Alice invited-me-out-for-coffee-so-we're-gonna-go. Okay, see you later." She turned to go, but I caught her arm and smiled into her widened eyes.
"Have fun, Bells," I said with a wink. She flushed even darker, but winked at me in return before giving Edward a friendly nod and moving to join Alice by the stairs. They both waved at me before heading up together.
My heart swelled for Bella. It was about time she reached out and grabbed some happiness for herself.
Ring any bells, dumbass?
I coughed, cursing my internal monologue, and turned back to Edward. He was looking at me with an amused expression.
"What?" I asked.
He shook his head.
"Nothing. Never mind." He drank the last of his water and tossed the empty bottle into the nearby trashcan. Then he took a deep breath.
"It's just – well, it's nice to see people happy, is all," he said.
I eyed him a bit warily.
"What do you mean?"
"Well," he sighed, "it's obvious that Bella was really stoked about being with Alice. They must be good friends. I'm sure they miss each other while Alice is at school."
"Sure." I shrugged. "I mean, even though Alice is two years older, we've all known each other for, like, forever. Bella and Alice are like my sisters. Emmett's a brother to me. A loud, annoying, obnoxious brother, but a brother all the same."
Edward laughed.
"Yeah, I can see that." His shoulders shook with mirth.
"So," I said, when his laughter had subsided, "you've been hanging out with Emmett? You seem to know him pretty well."
"Yeah, he's a good guy, underneath the dumb jock exterior." Edward pulled out that dazzling crooked smile again.
"I moved in just down the street from him and Alice," he continued. "Met him my first day here, when he showed up in my yard, tossed a Nerf football at my head, and said, 'You the new loser in town?'"
I returned his grin.
"Yeah, that sounds like Emmett, alright."
"He's the only real friend I've made so far. I mean, the other guys are nice enough, but Emmett's the only one who's made any effort to get to know me."
I immediately felt guilty. He sounded so lonely. I cursed myself once again for being such a self-centered douche.
"Well, the ladies seem to like you just fine," I said, wanting to take away the sadness that had invaded his expression. "Lauren Mallory sure looked like she wanted to get to know you." I smirked, but I could tell it didn't reach my eyes.
Edward sighed.
"She's not… she's just an acquaintance. We're in Spanish class together."
We stood in silence for a moment. I shifted my weight between my feet, trying to think of something non-lame to say, while also trying to avoid drowning in the liquid depths his eyes.
Yeah, I got nothin'.
"You and Bella are pretty close, huh?" Edward finally said. I nodded, and he went on. "I could've sworn you were together… you know, like, a couple."
I nodded again, feeling heat rise in my cheeks.
"A lot of people think that. But we're just really good friends."
"Yeah, I know that now. Emmett kind of explained the deal with you two, about that guy who attacked her, and how you pulled him off of her and all. That was a good thing you did." He kept his gaze on his fingers, which were drawing abstract shapes on the bar top.
"Um, thanks." I didn't know what else to say.
"Yeah, so…" Edward's voice faded, and he cleared his throat. "So, when Emmett told me about you, I told him you seemed like a really cool person, and someone I'd like to know. H-he said I should talk to you." His face turned pink, and his jewel-toned eyes flashed up to mine for an instant before he looked down again.
Huh, wha…?
I glanced up and saw Emmett on the couch with Rosalie tucked under his arm. He was looking right at me, and when our eyes met, he smiled and winked at me.
Okay, am I in the Twilight Zone? What the fuck is going on here?
Emmett told Edward to talk to me? Edward wanted to get to know me? I felt like my subconscious had been busy putting a puzzle together, and even though my conscious mind was becoming aware of the big picture, I was still missing a crucial piece or two.
I turned back to Edward, who kept his chin down but was looking up at me through his long lashes. The heat in his eyes made my dick actually twitch in my pants.
My head was spinning. I must have had more to drink than I'd realized. Edward leaned forward over the bar and put his hand on my shoulder. I felt the warmth of it through my shirt.
"Hey, Jasper, you wanna get out of here? Maybe go somewhere and talk?"
My mouth was dry, my tongue like cotton. I couldn't swallow. I couldn't speak.
I nodded.
A/N Continued: Why is it that, when RL sucks, we're the ones who have to swallow? Anyway, I wanted to make up for the months between chapters three and four, so I got this one done right away. You know what's coming next. Well, actually, you don't, because it's different from the o/s, but you have the basic idea. Good news is that it's almost completely written, so it should be posted very soon. Your reviews, etc. absolutely make my day. Thanks for all your caring comments. Twific readers are amazing, wonderful people.