Tap on my window, knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get so insecure
It doesn't matter anymore ;;
The opportunity for the pillow remedy would come a lot sooner than expected. While it hadn't been that very night, the next day was the closest it could have come up for the chance. It had been extremely difficult to 'say goodbye' to Jasper when their date came to a close. 'Saying goodbye' consisted of a lot of lingering kisses and tight squeezes (or at least, as many as time would allow them). Even though Jasper was right outside the window and he often talked to Bella and Esme when his mother was the other staying guard at night, it wasn't quite the same. While Bella never minded when any of the others came to stay, Esme especially, he'd spoiled her rotten with how wonderful it was to spend the night with him, drifting off in his arms, pressing her lips against the cool column of his throat as she started to doze.
Maybe it was somewhat obvious to someone who frequently was around when Bella and Jasper were in the same vicinity or maybe it was simply mother's intuition. But Esme seemed to know that there was more to the two of them aside from a guardian and a target relationship. She had hoped that after the tragedy earlier in the year, that the two of them would find help within one another and lean on one another to get through such a difficult time of heartache. She could tell, just by watching the way Bella watched the window each night as she was falling asleep, that her hopes had been acknowledge and that the two of them shared a bond that was deeper than perhaps most realized. Either way, the sweet woman never minded giving fate a little push in the right direction. When Bella woke in the morning, Esme greeted her kindly. After kissing her forehead, she bid the brunette goodbye when she went to freshen herself up in the bathroom.
Such a morning was the normal routine for Bella. She brushed her teeth and ran a brush through her long tangles of hair before she would return to her room to pick out her clothes and get ready for the day. But this morning, something had been noticeably different. Instead of finding her room empty as it usually was after Esme left and took Jasper with her, she found the latter of whom seated on the edge of her bed. Instantly, her face lit up from the surprise.
"You're still here?" she asked, crossing the room to him and wrapping her arms around him to give him an embrace. Usually, it was a couple of hours or so until she saw him in the daytime, depending on the weather and also on whether or not Jasper was out hunting or Charlie was working. Today was different.
"Are you staying?" she asked hopefully, sliding into his lap, arms still hooked around his neck. From the edge of the yard, Esme smiled as she slipped into the woods and started back home.
Saying goodbye to Bella at night was never easy for him. More often than not, it was Jasper who was the last one to get log in the midst of their lengthy goodnight kisses and embraces. It hurt to be separated from her; physically hurt when they were apart. He couldn't begin to describe how difficult it was to part from her at night at all, let alone acting like it was easy and nothing at all to go their separate ways at the end of the day. Jasper knew that Esme would not complain or protest if he asked to stay with her the nights she came by, but he could not bring himself to do it. As much as he wanted to stay with Bella at night, he simply could not stand the thought of Esme sitting outside in the dark all night, especially when it was highly possible that it would rain. That was his mother; he just couldn't do that.
The night after they returned home from the beach, Jasper had a really hard time parting from her. He'd stopped at the end of the street before they even reached the house so that they could kiss and hold each other a little while longer before he finally got her home right at her curfew. He didn't want to anger Charlie, else he probably wouldn't let Bella see him anymore. It was difficult, but somehow he'd managed to say goodnight to her outside. He'd dropped his car off in its usual place, then returned to the house and crept up into his tree. It was there that he remained the rest of the night, mostly watching inside her room at her, making sure she could see him while she drifted off to sleep, and longing to be in there with her.
The next morning, Jasper waited in silence while he heard Charlie moving around inside the house, doing what he needed to do to get ready for a day of work. He kept still while Charlie walked out of the house to his police cruiser, and out of sight while he got in and drove off down the street. His heart lifted when he heard Bella awaken and Esme bid her goodbye. That meant their day together could begin. Jasper met his mother in the bedroom after Bella went to wash up and she acknowledged him silently with a light brush of his cheek with her fingertips. She'd left him a change of clothes, which he desperately needed after being outside all night and having been in the sand the evening before. Esme smiled, then left through the window. Jasper quickly changed and dropped his dirty clothing to her through the window. He called out a quiet thanks to her that only she could hear.
Jasper was tempted to go in the bathroom and surprise her there, but he knew he should be patient and let her come back so he waited on the bed for her. He folded his hands in his lap, then unfolded them, then refolded them; he was fidgeting because he was nervous, and excited to be able to spend the day with her the way they wanted. As the door opened, Jasper stood as he always would for a lady entering the room. He could feel the surprise coming from her, and the smile on her brightened features was one that touched his heart.
"Of course," he said quietly, then sat down just before she reached him. His arms slid around her waist as she lowered into his lap. It felt indescribably wonderful to have her in his arms again.
"I thought we could stay here today," he said softly, running a hand through her freshly brushed hair. "For now, at least. You'll need some breakfast, and then we'll have to find you some lunch later. But right now..? Just us, right here."
If the world decided to crash down right outside her window just then, Bella wouldn't have noticed. The only thing that she could focus on – the only thing that mattered- was Jasper. She was well aware of the fact that he could feel waves of emotions coming off of her just then and though she always hated overwhelming him with it considering his special ability, there was no way that she could stop the flood of affection and adoration that was radiating from her. It was especially strong considering she hadn't been expecting him to see her. This was certainly her favorite kind of surprise, even for someone who never liked surprises to begin with. It reminded her of the night he'd come back early from his hunting trip and was waiting for her after she'd gotten ready for the night. The excitement she'd felt then had been overwhelming, but not as much as compared to it was now. That was the first time he kissed her and ever since, the two of them continued to bond on a deeper level.
When Jasper started talking, it wasn't that Bella was tuning him out or not paying attention to his words; it was just impossible to keep her eyes away from his lips when they moved. She wanted to kiss him. Badly. Hardly waiting for him to finish about irrelevant things like breakfast and lunch, she kept leaning in closer until he'd said it was just the two of them.
"Mm," she mumbled before being selfish and pressing her lips against his. Instantly, she felt shocked awake. If she had been even the slightest bit fatigued still after only just waking shortly, it was gone now. It was like he awoke every single cell in her body with the smallest touch of his lips to hers.
That kiss had a soft pretense, the makings of what seemed like a fairly innocent, chaste kiss. But his taste was so intoxicating, better than the sweetest scent, and Bella was drawn to it hopelessly. There was no point in trying to hold back from how she felt upon seeing him so unexpectedly, how it felt to be in his arms again much sooner than she even anticipated. And thus, the brunette deepened the kiss without question. Her arms tightened around his neck and his lips parted as she kneaded her mouth against Jasper's. She would have said a silent prayer of thanks that she just brushed her teeth thoroughly before seeing him, but she couldn't think about anything else aside from how cold his lips felt against hers and how she concluded that she wouldn't mind spending the entire rest of the day – and many, many, many more – just kissing him.
But of course – breathing. It was necessary if she wanted to be able to kiss Jasper again anytime soon. Begrudgingly, Bella broke the kiss to take a breath, but couldn't bear to be disconnected from his skin. Her lips traveled up his jawline and back down once more. She thought about apologizing for kissing him so fiercely without even saying a proper good morning or a fair warning (though she didn't think – or hope – that he would mind all that much), but instead spoke otherwise as she continued to kiss his skin. "I'm so happy to see you," she whispered, ending on his lips again for another kiss.
This was how she wanted to wake up every morning.
There was nothing quite like the feeling he got when he saw Bella. She made him feel whole again, she made him feel.. relevant. He had a purpose, and he had a reason for living through this immortal existence. He felt fulfilled, and just.. happy. There was more to that, too. Being able to feel what Bella was feeling made the experience even more worthwhile. He could feel how genuinely happy she was to see him, how much she wanted to be in his presence, and how fulfilled she felt, too. There were no words that could encompass how wonderful that made him feel inside.
Jasper received her kiss very easily. It wasn't exactly accurate to say he'd built up a tolerance to her kisses or even that he'd gotten used to them, but he was able to engage in them much easier now than he had been initially. He'd grown to crave her kisses almost as much as the blood he needed in order to survive. Her warm, soft lips lured him in and he gladly gave her the kiss she was seeking from him.
Talking to each other was probably the only thing that they did more than kissing. Whether it was passionate kisses, or light kisses to the back of her hand, his lips often found her skin in some way, or vice versa. Jasper loved kissing her, and every opportunity that was presented in which he could do so, he took. This would be no exception. He kissed her tenderly at first, lightly trailing his fingertips up and down her spine while his other arm held her securely in his lap. It was not long before Bella deepened the kiss, and his hand that had been moving over her back stilled, pressing against her between her shoulder blades.
Jasper could have easily engaged in this for the rest of the day, but her need for oxygen threw a wrench in that idea. That didn't matter. Any time spent with her was cherished. Especially when she was kissing along his jaw the way she was. His eyes remained closed, but he could not help but tilt his head somewhat to make it easier for her to kiss where she pleased. Her words drew another smile to his lips.
He kissed her again, holding her flush against him. "I'd hoped that you were, and that I hadn't misinterpreted," he whispered when the kiss broke.
He nuzzled her cheek, and kissed her temple, then pulled back enough so that he could look at her properly. The hand that had been splayed over the width of her back came up to lightly cup her cheek. "Did you dream last night?" He asked, unable to take his eyes off hers.
Jasper's gift really came in handy sometimes. More than anything, it gave her confidence. Bella wasn't a negative person by any means and she liked herself just fine – that was never a problem. But Bella, in comparison to someone like Jasper did not even begin to measure up and thus, it was easy to see why she would have some doubts from time to time. He was practically a god and she was just a plain, simple girl with no sort of special talent. And so, when she could feel that he was happy – happy because of her – that was better than any compliment in the world. It also made it impossible to house the same doubts she would have usually.
When he tilted his head for her to gain better access to his jaw, the brunette took advantage. There was no rush. She could take her time to lavish his skin and pay attention to the spots he liked most. Every time he gave her some indication that he liked what she was doing, she would take down the note mentally. The way his head turned so she could kiss his skin easier was one of those things that she made a note of.
She couldn't help but laugh when he joked about a possible misinterpretation. He would have had to have been completely without any of his senses in order to make such a mistake. It was clear by the way she touched him, kissed him, and spoke to him that she was nothing but overjoyed with his mere presence.
When he asked if she'd dreamt, she nodded. "The usual one," she said with a grin, leaning in to press her forehead to his. "Daffodils."
'The usual one' was always the daffodil dream. Each night it occurred, it felt as if she'd never dreamt it before. Each time, she was lost, feeling as if there was no hope of finding any direction or solace. It was always black and white save for the middle of the meadow where Jasper lay amongst the golden flowers. And always, always he said the same thing with the same look on his face.
'Hi there, Bella.'
"You'd really think I would start to get sick of it," she said, pressing a kiss to his neck before nuzzling her face against the skin there and breathing in his scent. It was far better than any trace lingering on her pillow and for a moment, she just let it overpower her. "But.. nope." Bella smiled against his neck, holding him a bit tighter.
"Any good daydreams lately?"
Jasper certainly did not view Bella as anything but beautiful. He wished she could see herself through his eyes, because it would certainly wash away any sense of self-doubt she might have had regarding her looks. Any imperfections she thought she had, he saw them as characteristics that made her uniquely Bella. But he was glad that she was happy, and he was happy that she knew how much he wanted to be with her.
He smiled and stroked her hair affectionately as she spoke briefly about her dream. He knew which one she meant. He'd often been next to her while she was having it. Sometimes Jasper thought he could picture it in his own head, but he knew it wouldn't be as vivid as what Bella was seeing in her dreams. He wanted to make it reality someday, and hoped that he truly could. Jasper knew how much she loved that dream, and he loved the feelings she had while she was having it.
"I'm glad that you haven't, considering I'm in it. That'd mean you were sick of me, and I don't know if I could handle that too well," he murmured, letting his eyes fall shut as she nuzzled into his neck.
He felt her embrace tighten and he held her closer to him, if that was possible, then kissed the top of her head. "This," he said quietly. "I was dreaming about this, right now. There might have been a little more kissing, however." His lips tugged upward into a sideways grin as he hid his face in her hair.
Bella shook her head and chuckled when he said something about her getting sick of him. Such a thing was an impossibility. If anything, she wished she could spend every waking moment beside Jasper – and all of her sleeping ones as well, for that matter. It didn't matter how much time would pass. Bella was sure she would always feel the same when she was around him. If anything changed, it would be that she grew to love him even more, but for how strongly she already felt, even that seemed like something of a challenge to her.
How could her heart not flutter when he'd said this is what he was daydreaming of? She knew that Jasper was unable to really sleep, but she had meant when she confessed to him that she wished he could have. She wondered what he would see in his real dreams. At the same time, though, she didn't like that there could have been the risk that he could have nightmares as well. From what he'd told her about his past, she imagined that there was a lot that could easily haunt him while he slept. That was one positive thing about his constant wakefulness. Though to be fair, Bella wasn't naïve enough to think that Jasper still couldn't be plagued by his past when he was awake.
But she could try to help him keep his mind on other things. If he wanted to continue having such daydreams, then she would do what she could to make them become a reality. She smiled when she felt his face buried in her hair and after a moment, she pulled back a little to meet his eyes with a cheeky grin. She just managed to catch a glimpse of that slightly sideways one of Jasper's that she loved so much.
"Oh, I think we can remedy that very easily," she said, leaning in to press her lips to his again for another kiss. This was certainly one reality that she didn't mind playing a part in creating.
In a braver move, she shifted a bit so that she could press her hands against his shoulders. She wanted him to lay back against the bed. Bella broke the kiss in order to do so for a moment, but her eyes met his the entire time. If he complied, she moved atop of him, a thigh on either side of his hips with her hands still pressed into his shoulders.
"But first," she said seriously. "Your pillow needs some attention." She smiled then, after mentioning the pillow that his head would've been resting on.
Jasper was certainly not going to stop her from kissing him. He tightened his arms around her - though he was careful not to squeeze her too tightly - and kissed her again. This was absolutely a part of his daydreams, though none of them could compare with the reality of holding her and kissing her. There was nothing quite like being kissed by Bella. He would never be able to get enough of her kisses no matter how many times he indulged in them.
As Bella moved to place her hands against his shoulders, he opened his eyes to meet hers. He could feel her mood slightly shift. It wasn't overly obvious, but being so in tune with her he picked it up right away. He'd felt this from her before, but her actions had never really displayed it to this degree. It took a great deal of self-control for him to not just let her push him back against the bed and react in the way he wanted to - which would have been to grab her hips and crush his lips to hers. He couldn't do that; not when it risked him shattering her pelvis in he process. Instead, he just laid back against his pillow and watched as she crawled over him. Only then did he realize he'd stopped breathing.
Jasper slid his hands slowly up the sides of her thighs, over her hips to rest on her waist for a moment before trailing them up her back and back down. "I have been a bit neglectful towards it, haven't I?" He asked softly in regards to the pillow.
This wasn't the first time she'd been perched on him like this; he'd positioned her that way the night they'd kissed so passionately. It just seemed different this time. More intimate, really, and it'd been very intimate before.
"I hope it can forgive me," he murmured, then leaned his head up to catch her lips with his again and pulled her down into another lingering kiss. He wrapped his arms around her fully, pulling her as close as he could.
Even though Jasper's fingers were cold, it always seemed like anywhere they touched, the skin beneath them burned. Through her pajamas even, her skin felt as if it were on fire when he moved his hands over her thighs and up to her back. One place that truly did burn was her cheeks, which unsurprisingly, were flushed as a result of any intimate contact with Jasper. Bella wondered if they would always heat up and turn a shade of pink or red when he touched her or if it was something that would fade in time. Somehow, she sincerely doubted the later. She wished, though, that it wasn't always so obvious about the simple effect he could have on her with one little kiss or one brush of his fingers.
Kissing him back, she didn't have a chance to smile at his worries about the unforgiving pillow. Allowing him to pull her against him, she shifted her hands from his shoulders to the mattress on either side of them. It was funny; even though Bella knew she couldn't crush him with her weight, she still worried that she would make him uncomfortable if she didn't brace herself a little bit. It was just an example of her ever-present concern for the boy who she was entwined with now. Even if at times that concern seemed irrational, such as the case currently, it still existed. Jasper was her first priority now. Everything came second to his happiness.
It was difficult for her to pull away from the kiss to speak a response, but she managed after a little while. "I don't know," she said, leaning in for a shorter, softer kiss. "You might have to do some convincing." Another little kiss. "I would recommend this." And another. "I don't see how anyone… could stay mad… at you…" She trailed off, her sentenced having been punctuated with more kisses in between every few words before she kissed him fully upon finishing her statement.
He was becoming something of an obsession to her. Bella had no trouble admitting to such a fact.
Jasper could sense the rush of blood to her cheeks and having it so close to his nose and mouth made him tense, but only momentarily. He'd gotten used to Bella's inclination to blush, but it was only natural for him to react that way to the scent of her blood. Her body temperature seemed to have risen a little, and her heart had sped up. He could only assume this was a result of what they were doing. As much as it made his throat burn, it also made him want more.
He let one of his hands run over her body a bit more boldly, tracing her curves and lightly squeezing her hip as they kissed so passionately. He wasn't typically one to press onward like that without permission, but he simply couldn't help it. Just as she was by him, Jasper was intoxicated by Bella. He needed her, to kiss her, to touch her. He'd missed her so much that previous night, and he was going to make the most of every second they had together.
Jasper returned each of her brief kisses, his lower lip pouting just slightly when she'd pull back to speak. It was like a tease, and it was very difficult for him not to just silence her with another long, passionate kiss. She gave him one finally, and he felt dizzy. He brought one hand up to rest on her cheek and pulled back from her kiss. Turn about was fair play.
"I suppose it's.." He brushed his lips against hers slowly. "..my Southern charm.." The words were murmured against her lips. "..melts all the girls'.." His lips were just a breath away from hers. "...hearts.."
He kissed her deeply again, his hand tangling in her hair while the other dipped beneath her shirt to trail over the skin of her back.
They matched one another so well on so many different levels. The banter between kisses was certainly no exception. Bella felt slightly guilty for delaying him kisses when she was speaking in between as soon as she came to wish he would stop talking and kiss her directly as well. Now they were at least even.
It was obvious that things were getting to a level that they hadn't touched upon much yet. The night the newborn attack had occurred had been the first and last time that they grew more intimate in their alone time together. Then again, perhaps the reason it had been awhile was on account of the fact that they weren't permitted as much alone time anymore. And certainly, no alone time in her bed.
Bella knew that she was beginning to have some problems with controlling herself. Her hormones and desire to be closer to Jasper were mixing dangerously. She had never exactly been a patient person when it came to things she truly wanted. Right now, she wanted Jasper. His fingers against her bare back were nothing less than encouraging. Neither was the way he'd been touching her before or the way he thread his fingers through her hair when he kissed her so deeply. She took a second to take a breath, but the small space between their lips when she did so was filled with a sound that was a mix of a soft groan and a contented sigh.
He had no idea of the effect he was having on her.
It would quickly become a little bit more apparent though in her turn of actions. Involuntarily, her hips pressed a bit deeper into his and as the kiss continued, her fingers moved to the collar of his shirt. Fumbling with the top few buttons, she started to remove the garment. Bella's moves were bolder, but she could hardly come to realize it. That was until her fumbling turned into frustration, and when she tried to continue unbuttoning the shirt, she grasped the fabric and accidentally tore it. The sound made her snap back from his lips, sitting up and covering her mouth with her hands in shocked embarrassment at her strength.
"Oh! Oh God, I'm sorry," she mumbled from behind her hands. She immediately tried to start explaining. "I didn't mean to pull so hard. I wasn't trying to- I really didn't think I was that strong. I'm so sorry. I-" She continued on, mumbling unintelligible behind her fingers as her cheeks went from pink to dark scarlet in the blink of an eye.
The only thing that came close to Jasper's regard for Bella was his regard for women in general. If he'd felt for even a fraction of a second any sort of discomfort coming from her he would have stopped kissing her immediately. As it was, he could feel her desires and needs growing stronger with each second that passed while they kissed. They reflected his own. Jasper needed her touch, he needed this so badly.
He had to pull himself back down into reality, but it wasn't easy. He had to make himself remember that she was a teenage girl and that this was a completely new experience for her. He couldn't let himself get carried away. More importantly, it was for her safety that he did not let himself get worked up. Jasper did not want to put her in anymore danger than she was already in just by being in the same room with him, and he knew that to a degree he was compromising that by being so intimate with her. But there were just some things that couldn't be helped.
Jasper had to suppress a groan of his own, stifled only by the fact that he'd stopped breathing while they were kissing. He felt her fingers starting to try to unbutton his shirt, and he made no move to stop her. He still wasn't entirely comfortable with being shirtless around her, but he knew she didn't judge him by the way he looked, and she didn't hold his scars against him. It also helped knowing that she couldn't see them in this position. His own hands had been exploring her body still, both beneath and above her shirt.
It was becoming quite heated between the two of them, until the sound of his shirt ripping pierced the air. Jasper thought nothing of it, but a split second later Bella had pulled away from him and sat up. His eyes opened quickly and he looked up at her in surprise - not over the shirt, but her reaction to it. He didn't understand at first why she was so apologetic, and then she mentioned pulling so hard which led him to believe it was about the shirt. The rush of blood to her cheeks again made it difficult for him to breathe, but for her, he endured.
"Bella, there's nothing to be sorry for." Jasper quickly sat up, moving his arms to wrap around her and keep her in his lap. "This sort of thing happens all the time. I've ripped my own shirts myself trying to unbutton them."
There was a major reason why Bella had the reaction she did. She was sure, sure that he was going to pull back and away from her, tell her she was too eager, too much, too something. He was going to leave and say it was a mistake for letting himself get carried away. He was going to tell her that she couldn't keep pressing the boundaries like she was doing. Certainly, undressing had to be a new boundary Bella was stepping over. She'd taken his shirt off before, but that had been because of the fact that it was torn and tattered and he'd been wounded. Well. His shirt was torn now. But it occurred in a completely opposite way.
When he assured her there was nothing to be apologetic about and moved to keep her close to him with his arms around her, Bella hesitated a moment. It was mainly due to the fact that she was shocked that what she was sureshe had been expecting as far as a reaction coming from him, never amounted.
"Yes," she said after a moment, dropping her hands from her face. "But super strength comes with your territory. I have trouble opening a jar of jelly sometimes."
She, by no means, had any physical strength. Jasper may have been her emotional strength, but being completely devoid of any athletic ability whatsoever, Bella lacked any muscle. Pressing her forehead against his, she sighed and calmed herself down.
"I'm sorry," she said again. But this time, it was more of an apology directed toward her sudden reaction and surge of worry that she was referencing. "I thought… you would be upset."
She hoped she didn't completely ruin the mood but now there was a fear that she had. All she could do was try to at least make up for it and move along as if nothing had happened to interrupt what had otherwise being going so well.
Brushing an unruly curl away from his face, her lips touched his forehead. They kissed the tip of his nose then and finally, his mouth once more. Her actions were much slower now, gentle. Hands that had come to rest on his shoulders moved to his chest, gently pushing back the material of the damaged shirt and letting it fall over his shoulders. Bella made the assumption – and desperately hoped – that it was all right. Continuing to kiss him, her fingers ghosted down his neck to explore the smooth expanse of his skin.
Upset? She was afraid he'd be upset because she let her emotions and feelings guide her? Jasper would have been quite the hypocrite to fault her for something like that. His primary way of functioning was based on following his emotions. While he did worry about himself getting carried away with her, he knew that he loved her enough to stop before it reached a point where he could no longer differentiate between emotion and instinct.
He watched her with concerned eyes as she quite obviously struggled mentally with her thoughts on the matter. He wished he could calm her, but he did not dare use his power to invoke it. Jasper had been careful not to do that, unless he knew she was having a nightmare. He waited, reading her emotions as she worked through her feelings to find a resolution. He stroked her back gently, listening to her speak.
"I'm not upset at all," he said softly, and kissed her cheek. He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling that something had gone on before where her advances were spurned. He didn't want her to relate that incident to him.
It relieved him when she started to touch him again. The mood hadn't been ruined for him. He still wanted to be kissing her and touching her just as much now as before, if not more. He closed his eyes as she placed kisses on his face, finally reaching his lips. He kissed her back, moving his arms to accommodate for her removing his shirt. He felt himself getting nervous for a moment, as he always did when he felt exposed like this, but as soon as he felt the soothing warmth of her hands running over his chest he relaxed. This was his Bella touching him; she'd never hurt him.
He ran his hands up the back of her shirt again, letting one slowly stray down her bare side. Jasper started to bravely push her shirt further up, when a passing breeze entered the room and made him pause. Had it not been for Bella's sweet scent, he would have stuck his nose up. The foul scent of dog had traveled on that wind. Instead of jerking away from her, he slightly eased back and let her shirt fall back into place.
"Bella," he murmured, between kisses. "Are you expecting company today?" He pulled back and looked up at her with curious, but cautious eyes.
Bella had no idea what she had ever done to deserve someone like him. Jasper was always so sensitive to the way she was feeling. Yes, he had a gift for it, but somehow she was convinced that it had more to do with the fact that he was just such a kind-hearted person. He never was anything less than understanding, even when Bella's actions were sometimes unpredictable and she reacted in a way that may not have been what he was expecting. In that way, the brunette took after her mother. Renee was always the unpredictable one as opposed to Charlie. Luckily though, when Bella changed her mind, it was mostly beneficial. Otherwise, people would have started to view her as being crazy. For the most part – that didn't happen. At least, that Bella knew of. Plain and ordinary? Yes. Crazy? Usually not.
It was a relief when he assured her that he wasn't upset and if there had been any doubts, the way he met her kiss and slid his hands against her skin afterward erased them and were proof that he'd meant what he said. Her fingers moved along the contours of his chest, always so gentle, especially after knowing how sensitive he was about exposing his skin after he'd revealed the secrets of what lay beyond the human eye.
She was beginning to lose herself completely in his kiss and his braver touches when he pulled back slightly. At first, she just ignored it (a product of her desire's wishes to continue and pretend like she didn't notice) and leaned forward to follow him, lips seeking out the closeness of his. But when he'd questioned her, she opened her eyes. She barely even had the time to look bewildered about what spawned his reaction when the doorbell sounded. Bella hadn't been expecting company, but whoever it was was silently cursed for interrupting this time for Jasper.
"I'm not home," she said, cradling his face between her hands and pulling him in for another kiss.
When there was a knock, though, and the sound of a familiar voice calling from outside, Bella groaned and reluctantly pulled back from Jasper, dropping her hands from his cheeks. Jake. Now it registered why Jasper had asked before the doorbell even rang; he could smell the strong scent of the visitor. For a moment, she didn't know what she should have done. Part of her – the dominant, hormone driven part wanted her to just continue to ignore him and push Jasper back on the bed to continue their progressively more heated actions.
But another part of her knew that she couldn't ignore Jake and when he called her name again, she called back to him. "Coming, Jake."
Casting Jasper an apologetic look, she moved off of him and sighed. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I wasn't expecting anyone," she said honestly. "Just… stay," she instructed him, hoping he wouldn't take off because of his dislike for wolves. One wolf in particular who happened to be Bella's best friend. "Please," she added before combing her fingers through her hair and making her way down the stairs.
When she reached the door, she was slightly out of breath. "Hey Jake!" she greeted with a bright smile.
Jasper should have known better than to hope that the dog would just keep passing by. After all, he'd come all the way from his reservation. Of course he had a specific destination and of course it would interfere with his time alone with Bella. He'd never really been one to get jealous before, and he wasn't about to start getting jealous now. He was just mad about the situation, and he naturally just couldn't stand the guy. That, and he just didn't like Bella being around someone who took her leaping off cliffs and actually let herride a motorcycle. He'd hoped that after ringing the doorbell and receiving no answer, Jacob would just leave and assume Bella wasn't there. But ever the persistent dog, he knocked and obnoxiously called out to her afterward. He wanted to attribute Bella leaving to her just being too nice to ignore him. He couldn't, though. The fact of the matter was, she and Jacob were friends. All he could do was nod to her and watch her go.
Jacob had gotten a call from Charlie not long ago informing him that Bella was going to be home all day if he'd like to drop by. Of course, he took that opportunity and ran with it without blinking an eye. He wanted to take Bella back with him to the reservation. He wasn't sure what they'd do when they got there, but surely he'd think of something along the way.
"Bells!" He smiled at her, thrilled to see her. Though, she looked a little worn out. "Just wake up? Your hair's all over the place."
"What are you up to?" The whole property smelled like Leech, which was admittedly gross. It was all over Bella, too. He didn't think much of that, since they'd been hovering around her house so much. Some of the scent was bound to get on her. He'd take care of that.
Jasper listened through the open window, and could sense Jacob's more than friendly feelings for Bella. He didn't like it, and had to suppress the urge to growl. He wanted to go down there and chase him off, but he didn't want to go down there shirtless. Silently, he got up off the bed and moved to Charlie's room. He didn't really want to take another one of his shirts, but it was all he had available to him. He put it on, and of course it was a little short and a little tight, just like the other one had been, but it was the best he could do. He moved to the doorway of Charlie's room and listened, waiting to see if Bella could back out of this alone of if he needed to descend after all.
Bella didn't think too much about her appearance. The shock of Jacob being at her house at the present and what his visit happened to interrupt was enough to preoccupy her thoughts otherwise. But the interrupted activities were the reason that Bella probably looked as she did. Her cheeks were flushed slightly pink still and her lips were fuller, slightly swollen from kissing. Not to mention her hair, which he'd already commented on, and the fact that she was still in her pajamas.
"Yeah," she said, trying to flatten her hair with a sheepish grin. "I had trouble getting out of bed today." When there was a half naked vampire laying in it, no wonder.
Speaking of that vampire, her thoughts drifted to him. Surely he would be able to hear their conversation from wherever he was in the house, provided that he was still there of course. Bella really hoped he hadn't left.
"Not much," she said, pulling on a lock of her hair and twisting it around her finger. It was a nervous habit, but Bella hardly noticed she was doing it. "I was just planning on having a lazy day today," she said. "I think it's supposed to storm later."
In truth, Bella had no idea what the weather was supposed to be like for the rest of the day, but she figured it wouldn't be too far-fetched of an idea considering it frequently stormed in the summer in Forks. Glancing out past Jake's shoulder, she noted it did look a bit dark.
Well that foiled the bulky boy's plans. He thought she would be up and ready to go when he'd arrived. He probably should have called, but Jake liked the idea of surprising her. Perhaps he could just alter his plans slightly. Though he'd been hoping to take her back to La Push, if she didn't feel like going out, he would be glad to stay in Forks with her. Just as long as he could spend time with Bella.
"Well how about I keep you company then?" he asked, reaching out and playfully tugging on her elbow. "You have food here, right? That's all I need besides hanging out with you," he joked, flashing a smile at her as he took a few steps into the house.
He was so used to just walking in all the time, Jake didn't think twice about it. Bella wouldn't care. Why would she? But as soon he passed by her and stepped into the house further, the stench of bloodsucker intensified. "
Ugh!" he exclaimed, scrunching his nose. "No offense, Bells, but you stink."
Bella laughed nervously, closing the door behind him. Apparently, it wasn't going to be so easy to let him down and tell her that she couldn't spend time with him today. She didn't want to be rude to him and always liked to hang out with Jake, but it was just… she hadn't planned for it and already, she could feel herself missing Jasper. She might have liked Jake and appreciated his friendship, but she wished he would have called to let her know he planned to stop by so she could tell him she had other plans. It was more difficult to think of excuses now when he was already letting himself in the house.
"I told you I just woke up," she said. "I haven't showered yet." Of course she knew he was referring to a different type of scent, but she didn't need to feed into it.
"Really, Jake, I think you're going to be disappointed. Charlie's pretty much eaten the contents of the 'fridge single-handedly in the past two days and I haven't been to the store yet. My house isn't fit to accommodate appetites of werewolf proportions today," she said, wracking her brain for more believable excuses.
Apparently, Jake wasn't getting the hint because he just shrugged. "All right then. After you shower, I'll take you out to lunch, yeah?"
Jasper didn't like the way the dog just forced himself inside. It was assuming and rude, and very invasive. And how appalling of him to tell Bella she smelled bad! Jasper never would have said that to her. In fact, when faced with that situation he hadn't said a word, it was Bella who took the initiative to wash the scent off. So this was what the dog intended to do? Barge in, insult her, and eat all of her food? Jasper couldn't understand what the appeal was to be around this person. It wasn't even his natural bias talking. He just genuinely did not like Jacob.
When Bella mentioned that the refrigerator was running on empty, Jasper tensed. Jacob did exactly what he feared by saying he'd take Bella out to eat. He didn't want her to go at all. He wanted to run down there now and tell Jacob to get the hell out, that he wasn't invited and to stay away, but he couldn't do that. Bella would have to take that initiative herself, and Jasper just had a sinking feeling she didn't have it in her to do that. He also had a nagging feeling that maybe she didn't want to do that. What he could do was make his presence known.
Jasper calmly descended the stairs, though inside he was getting angrier and angrier the closer he got to approaching Jacob. "I don't believe lunch with you was in our plans for the day, though it was thoughtful of you to consider raiding her refrigerator to fill your stomach," he said.
Even though it was a passive aggressive remark, somehow when Jasper said it his words still blended together like music. He came to stand next to Bella, but his eyes never left Jacob. It was difficult to keep his gaze eye-level, what with that horrendous shirt he was wearing. He would've made a remark about the shirt, but he knew his own left something to be desired, seeing as it was too tight around the top, too loose around the bottom, and too short overall.
Jacob immediately narrowed his eyes upon hearing, seeing, and smelling the leech. He'd grown to really hate this one, after he brought Bella home the night she'd gone missing, and then their showdown at her school.
"What is he doing here?" He asked, ignoring Jasper and looking at Bella. "Why was he upstairs? Didn't you just wake up?"
Jasper could feel the dog's anger rising. He knew it wasn't a good idea to make him mad, but part of him just couldn't help it. "That's really none of your business, is it? She owes you no explanation."
"The hell she doesn't!" Jacob snapped.
"I find it highly inappropriate to speak in that manner in the presence of a lady," Jasper countered.
The two met eyes again, glare for glare. Neither planned on backing down. But Jacob couldn't help but wonder why the hell the leech was dressed like that. The Cullens were always wearing fancy-schmancy designer crap. What was he doing in an old t-shirt?
When Jasper joined the two of them, Bella immediately felt a small surge of relief. He'd stayed. Well, he'd stayed at the house anyway. Apparently, he didn't stay in her room. Looking over at him after he spoke, a grin slipped across her lips before she could even get a chance to prevent it. She knew what had happened to his old shirt, but it made her smile that he was now wearing something of Charlie's. It reminded her of the very first time he'd stayed in her room at night to stand guard over her after Victoria had broken in. That was one memory that she was very fond of and seeing him now in that t-shirt that fit him just as well as the other one had – which was not very well at all – brought back the imagery. Of course, he still looked like a perfectly etched statue in the mediocre at best garment.
Her grin soon faded as did her relief at his presence when he and Jake began to exchange words. Jasper, very kindly, was coming to her defense even though Bella didn't mind Jake's persistence. Rather, she was used to it. In this instance, she did mind considering it hadn't exactly fit in with her plans for the day. This, after all, was the first time she had alone time with Jasper in quite awhile and she didn't know when they could be so close in the comfort of her own room.
Still, she didn't want there to be an argument between them and it seemed like the tension in the room could be cut with a knife. Her mouth opened when Jake had turned on her and demanded an explanation, but before she could say anything, Jasper interjected and the two of them turned on one another. If she didn't step in, Jake would phase soon and Jasper would lunge at him. The last thing she needed was to explain to Charlie that the house was destroyed by a vampire and a werewolf battling in their living room.
Bella stepped in between them before she did anything else. Hopefully, that would at least put a physical barrier in the way of killing one another. Turning to Jake, she offered an honest explanation.
"Jake, I didn't know you were coming over. Jasper and I already made plans today."
Jacob didn't waste a moment before firing off his most important questions again.
"Why was he upstairs? Was he in your room? Does Charlie know that bloodsucker was here? In your room? Wearing one of his shirts?"
No. There was no way that leech would wear that t-shirt. Since when did they care about the Mariners? Besides, he was certain he'd seen Bella's dad in that shirt before and there was no way in hell it even fit that damn vampire.
"Well Charlie isn't exactly well informed of the fact that his house needs to be guarded from crazy newborn vampires waiting to attack at any possible second," she said back.
Her tone wasn't rude – it was ordinary - but it could have been. It just made a point. "Jasper was outside all night and I got him one of Charlie's old shirts for a change of clothes," she said, shrugging. Bella wished that just once, she could be a better liar. She hated doing it and thus, tried to avoid it at all costs. That didn't exactly make it one of her talents.
"He and his family are already doing enough to look after the house to keep us safe. I could at least get him a clean t-shirt, Jake."
Jasper probably would have been the best of his family to speak with Jacob, in theory. With his power, he could have forced Jacob to calm down so that he wouldn't phase. But that was under the assumption that Jasper had no ill feelings towards the dog. He had no intention of easing the situation or relieving any of Jacob's tension. The only way he would have done so, would have been if Bella specifically asked. Otherwise, Jacob was on his own and Jasper would deal with the consequences if necessary. Jacob didn't scare him; he didn't intimidate him in the least. If anything, Jasper found it comical that he'd even try.
He listened to Bella give her excuse about the shirt, and it actually was a pretty plausible explanation. The problem was in the delivery. Bella was a terrible liar, so while the reasoning was logical, the telling of it was less than convincing. Jasper didn't care. He wished she didn't have to lie in the first place, even to the dog. The only thing he did worry about was the damage and potential danger Bella could be in if Jacob phased and tore up the house, or possibly turned on her. He didn't want to see that happen, which was why he didn't chime in on any of the explaining.
Jacob was pissed. Just being in the same room with the blood sucker was bad enough, but knowing he'd been in Bella's room? That was even worse.
"If you were planning on spending the day with him, then why did you just tell me you didn't have plans for the day?" He demanded. "Is he isolating you on purpose? You know there's no place safer for you to be than on the reservation."
Jasper scoffed. "That's debatable." Of course he meant it in a way that meant there was no place safer for her to be than in his arms, but it probably came off as him saying she wasn't safe on the reservation.
"Listen, Leech," Jacob snapped. "I've got this under control, so why don't you prance off to your mansion in the woods and leave Bella alone? She doesn't need you."
Jasper clenched his jaw. "I think that's up to Bella to decide."
Jacob rolled his eyes. "Bells, come on. I came all the way out here just to see you. Are you really going to put me off so you can spend the day with this blood sucker?"
Now it was Jasper's temper that was rising. He didn't care about Jacob, but being called a leech and a blood sucker was grating on his nerves. He was half tempted to wrap his arms around Bella and tell him exactly what he intended to do with their time together, but he refrained and simply stood there, still as a statue.
Things weren't going well. Each time Bella made an attempt to speak, she was cut off, mainly by Jake. And good friend or not, his words were upsetting her. She didn't like anyone talking so negatively in reference to someone she loved and when Jake continued to used derogatory terms to describe Jasper, Bella was getting annoyed. Aside from that, he was completely wrong. The reservation may have been safe place, yes. But Jasper wasn't the only one convinced that his arms were the safest place for her; Bella felt the same. With him, she felt protected. Even with what had happened with the newborn a few weeks beforehand, she was at ease with Jasper more than anyone else and she trusted him with her life. He'd kept her safe then and she had no doubts that he would keep on doing just that.
It would only continue to get worse until Bella made a decision. Jake flat out asked her what she chose, who she wanted to spend her time with, putting her on the spot. But she needed to address a few more things first.
"I didn't say I didn't have plans. I just said I was planning on having a lazy day. Jasper and I intended to stay around the house today for the most part. And he's not 'isolating' me. It was my choice to stay home and he agreed that he wouldn't mind." Her voice was firm, but gentle. She didn't want to hurt Jake's feelings, especially when he added that he'd come all the way out here to see her. But at the same time, he needed to understand a few things.
"Secondly, stop with the name calling. I've told you about that before, Jake. I hate when you do that. Please don't?" she asked, looking hopeful when she requested that he not use those terms. "I'm really sorry you came all the way out here," she said, honestly feeling guilty about that. "But like I said, I wish you would've called. I'm looking forward to hanging out with Jasper today and I can't break plans with him just because you came over, Jake." It was difficult to remain firm when she could visibly see the expression on Jacob's face turned to utter bitterness when he looked at the blonde again. But she managed to stay stoic. For Jasper.
She apologized again to her friend, but Jake wasn't even listening. He was currently trying to figure out how to attack. Just go for the throat or rile the leech up a bit first. His dark eyes narrowed and his upper lip curled into a growl as he observed the pristine blood sucker. He couldn't understand why Bella would ever waste her time in willingly spending time with any of them. Especially this one with his propriety. What a joke. He could have taken down that good for nothing, pretty boy with one single-
"Jake." Bella's voice cut through to him and pulled him out of his bitter thoughts.
"Fine," he snarled, his eyes never leaving the bloodsucker. "I'll call you later, Bells." Before he turned to leave, he advanced a step on Jasper. "And keep him out of your room."
It was more of a warning to the vampire as opposed to a request for Bella, but once it was made, Jacob opened the door and took off. He made it to his car and sped off, a substitute for phasing, which he really wanted to do in order to combat his anger. But he couldn't leave his car there; it meant he'd have to come back and get it later and that time, he'd didn't know if he'd be able to control himself around that freak.
Author's Note: We actually split this chapter in two so we're posting it along with chapter 12 shortly after. Keep reading! Please follow, fave, and review! We LOVE your feedback!
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